In a Nation Without a Conscience
Summary:
Every year, 24 new tributes. Masaomi Kida from District Five has volunteered to take the place of his best friend Mikado Ryuugamine in the 59th annual Hunger Games, but with that comes new problems such as staying alive. With Anri Sonohara as his fellow District tribute, he'll have to brave the arena and face his fears as the death of his beloved girlfriend Saki, a tribute from a former Games, still haunts him. Uncertain of his future, he'll have to face his fears if it means the difference between life and death.
A/n: Hello there! This is my first fanfiction for the Durarara fandom(And naturally it's a crossover). I tried my best keeping everyone in character, but if there is any inconsistencies please let me know. I'd like to thank catholicorprotestant for helping me with editing. If it is unclear, for this fanfiction I'm dropping some of the characters from the Durarara universe into the world of the Hunger Games! As this takes place during the 59th Games, and is mainly Durarara characters, Katniss and her friends won't be making an appearance. Either way, Let's move on with it shall we? :)
Chapter 1:
"Who do you think the tributes will be this year?" Mikado looked up from his tea at his two closest friends as they were sitting around the table in his room at the community home in District Five. The community home was for children who no longer had a family or the ones they had were in particular disarray. The room held little colour, the cement walls a dreary gray. The most colourful items in the room were actually the people themselves, dressed in slightly more dressier outfits than what they were used to. But after all, in a few hours this will be a special occasion across all of Panem. The Reaping. Anri fiddled with the teacup she was using, the tea barely touched. As her dark eyes drew into a frown, Mikado's other companion Masaomi, looked slightly affronted at the question.
"Why'd you ask?" Mikado was a bit confused by Masaomi's reaction as this was a common topic among citizens of the district, but then he remembered. Masaomi's girlfriend Saki was killed in the games last year. Mikado bit his lip, pale skin flushing pink from embarrassment that he brought up such a topic. "A-ah I didn't mean to-"
"Nah, it's cool Mikado." Masaomi gave his friend a tired smile. Masaomi's thoughts quickly drifted to Saki. Glancing at Mikado, the bright-eyed youth who was now talking with Anri, Masaomi remembered what he lost. The power plant incident a couple years back that killed their parents, the games last year that had no qualms showing Saki's broken body on the televisions across all of Panem. Masaomi will never be able to get that image out of his mind. He stood up suddenly, interrupting whatever Mikado and Anri were discussing. "See you at the Reaping." Masaomi flashed a smile at them, more subdued than normal before walking out the door.
The town square was dressed in colourful flags, brightening up the brown and gray buildings. Cameras adorned the top of the stage newly placed there. But what was at odds with this seemingly cheerful display was the gloomy, melancholic expressions of all the District's denizens. But even so, all their attention was focused on the woman behind the microphone.
"Welcome to the 59th Hunger Games." Unlike most Capitol escorts, Namie Yagiri wasn't unnecessarily cheerful when announcing which tributes would be sent to their likely deaths. She was blunt, sharp and wasn't interested in all the fanfare that other escorts would indulge in. She despised the overly saturated clothes, the crazy dyes, the needless parade of dressing up these children for a game of death. Needless to say, she was there to do her job and that was it. The throng of children in the town square who were all behaving with varying degrees of nervousness, looked back at her. The ones who were no longer eligible were held behind a row of Peacekeepers, looking anxiously at their siblings, children and otherwise. On the stage with her was District Five's Mayor, an eccentric man by the name of Shingen Kishitani. Namie's dislike of him was palpable, as well as her dislike of the other two people sitting next to the eccentric mayor.
Izaya Orihara and Celty Sturluson were an odd bunch, two victors of the games who won nearly back to back games, not too many years ago. Namie remembers being their escort as well during their own games, and occasionally (well actually quite often) she wishes that someone else had done it instead of her. Izaya Orihara won his games almost completely by pitting the tributes among themselves. Early on, his seemingly lanky figure had made the other tributes assume that he wasn't a threat, even purposely getting a poor score on his training. Namie recalls that the only time he seriously fought in his year was between him and the other tribute in the final two, a fight that will cost him the ability to use his legs for what possibly could be years. Personality-wise he was about as charming as a dead eel in her opinion. Although that certainly didn't stop him from purposely annoying her whenever he possibly can.
Celty Sturluson was odd in a different way. Her Games, only a couple years prior to Izaya's, was one that was stuck in nighttime the entire ordeal. Although she only scored average in training, she was surprisingly adept to the darkness and quickly went through the majority of tributes without much of an issue. Namie wouldn't have an issue with her, that is if her beloved younger brother Seji didn't fall in love with the victor's face. The only solace that Namie had was that the victor was born mute, as well as already being in a relationship with the mayor's equally as eccentric son, the District's best doctor. Either way, Namie was silently mourning her lost time with Seji who was back in the Capitol, her sacrifice also being that she had to even be anywhere near these three individuals. As she already shown the District the presidential address, the history as to how these games began, there was only one thing left to do.
"….And may the odds be ever in your favour."
These were the words that were heard every year all across Panem. These were also the words that Masaomi Kida hated the most. Since when were the odds in their favour? Either way, only one person gets out alive, in an arena that is purposely made to kill them. Everyone knew this. But nobody did anything when the District Five escort walked towards one of the glass balls in the middle of the stage, long dark hair billowing behind her.
"Ladies first." The woman tentatively put her hand in the glass ball, full of scraps of paper, all containing the names of girls in the District who were eligible to "play". Masaomi noticed the way the woman paused before she called out "Anri Sonohara".
Everyone on the girl's side exhaled in relief, stepping away and creating a path for the bespectacled girl who stayed remarkably calm, walking towards the stage. On the other hand, Masaomi's breathing quickened as he watched her go, remembering how Saki last year did the same, as well as his assurances to himself that Saki would be able to win. Such thinking didn't do him any good and Saki wound up dead, so who's to say that Anri wouldn't share the same fate?
Namie's face was remarkably impassive as Anri stood beside her, but Masaomi noticed that Celty looked distraught. Anri was a good friend of hers, even almost like her little sister. And now her chances of survival have gone from considerably good to considerably terrifying. Namie paused for a moment before moving to the other glass ball, gracefully picking up one of the slips of paper near the top. Namie's delicate features gave a slight frown before calling out the name "Mikado Ryuugamine".
Masaomi froze as Mikado brushed past him, giving the slightly younger boy a slight, terrified smile before making his way towards the stage. This was it. This is the moment when he'll lose his friends for good. He vaguely noticed that Izaya was whispering something to Celty, but at the moment he couldn't care less. The only difference was that this and last year's games is that he couldn't do much then, but he may just be able to do something now. Mikado had barely gotten to the stairs when Masaomi found himself shouting out "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE."
Heads swinging in unison to stare at the boy, Masaomi felt the stares of the entire District as they looked at him with unblinking eyes. Celty looked at Masaomi in surprise, Izaya simply raising a brow as a dark smile slowly grew on the man's face. Cameras were swinging to focus on Masaomi, but the only stares the new tribute cared about were the ones of Anri and Mikado, who both looked at him with utter horror.
"M-Masaomi? What are you doing?" Mikado squeaked out, his shaking hand clenching the bottom of his own dress shirt.
Namie arched an eyebrow, before looking at the row of peacekeepers, a few coming out of the line in order to escort the courageous boy to the stage, and the peacekeepers who were already present near the stage moved to bring the former tribute back into the crowd. As a few of Masaomi's other friends crying out in horror as what Masaomi just did was finally sinking in. Masaomi and Mikado locked eyes as they passed, Masaomi with a sudden steeliness and Mikado with growing alarm. Masaomi had successfully walked up onto the stage before standing beside Namie, as he felt the eyes of everyone upon him.
Clearing her throat, Namie pulled the microphone towards him. "And what is your name? Masaomi, is it not?"
Masaomi's eyes flickered up to meet her own. "I'm Masaomi Kida." Namie paused carefully, turning back to the cameras, a smile that was surely as fake as his current confidence. "Well then please welcome, the District Five tributes for the 59th annual Hunger Games, Masaomi Kida and Anri Sonohara!" Masaomi gravelly turned to Anri as the two shook hands, both attempting to ignore their feelings of growing dread.
"I can't believe you did that!" Mikado angrily gripped Masaomi's arm, before letting go again and starting to pace around the room. Masaomi rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the polished floor of the Town Hall, where Masaomi was supposed to be making his final goodbyes. "I talked to Anri before visiting you, Masaomi." Mikado teared up, and Masaomi immediately felt a familiar pang of guilt. Now that he thought about it, this was one of the only times that Mikado has ever been truly mad at him. Mikado stopped in front of him, the boy's tears threatening to fall. "W-what were you thinking? Volunteering for me? You know there is a p-possibility that you m-might actually-"
"I know Mikado." Masaomi exhaled, thinking about how he was leaving his friend alone. "It's selfish of me, I know that, but I didn't want to lose you too." He didn't want to mention that he'd thought before about what could occur if Mikado was a tribute. There was a high possibility that Mikado would be killed as the boy wasn't much of a fighter, but even if he did win, there was a possibility that he would have come out as a different person, someone less like his beloved friend and more akin to a cold-blooded killer.
Of course Masaomi may have gone off the handle thinking about such possibilities, but at least he had more of a chance of survival than Mikado would have had when playing the Games, Masaomi felt something wet running down his cheeks and failed to notice it was his own tears. Mikado was crying as well, the blue-eyed boy gripping Masaomi's sleeve. The tribute pulled his childhood friend into a hug, both thinking about how this was likely the last time they would ever see each other, only pulling away when a few Peacekeepers walked into the room and told them that time was up. Both their eyes were puffy and red, although both were smiling at each other as Mikado sniffled and quietly told Masaomi "Good luck." before they were escorted out of the room in different directions. Masaomi spared one last look back, before the Peacekeepers brought him into the bullet train which would take him to the Capitol, as well as taking him to his uncertain future.
A/N: There is the first chapter! It's a bit short and this is going to be a long ride, so buckle up kids because we are in for a road trip. We know that Masaomi and Anri are the District Five tributes and that Celty and Izaya are victors with Namie as their escort, but if you are worrying about the other characters I mentioned, they will be definitely making an appearance at certain points in the story. I really do like Saki, but I didn't know how to put her in without the first chapter being a bit overwhelming with information, so this is what happened. Writing wise, I know this is sort of overdone but as a budding author I would greatly appreciate some feedback for my writing as this is all new to me. :) This story is also posted on my Archive Of Our Own account under my username, which is the same. Thank you for reading!
