Chapter One: Welcome to Panem
"This year, to prove that nothing is impossible for the Capital and that none can defeat it, all tributes shall be from an alternate dimension! This shall also prove that the world we now live in, is a better world than the most likely alternative. This world, which we shall refer to as Nova, shall have 24 of it's best soldiers taken, and put into the Arena. To ensure that they each perform to maximum potential, this year there shall also be firearms in the Arena. On the display board in each of your respective districts, you will now see the names, and positions, of your tributes." With that, Snow's speech was over, and the image of him was replace with a large list with each tribute's name. Katniss and Peeta searched the whole list, but let their eyes get locked on District 12's tributes.
75th Annual Hunger Games Tributes
District 1 - United States Marine Corps 2013
Force Recon Sergeant Paul Jackson and Lieutenant James Vasquez
District 2 - U.S.M.C 1945 Sergeant Roebuck and Private Miller
District 3 - Russian Ultranationalists 2012 Vladimir Makarov and Imran Zakhaev
District 4 - Russian Government 60s Dragovich, Kravchenco
District 5 - U.S Army Rangers 2014 Sergeant Foley, Private Ramirez
District 6 - S.O.G, 60s Frank Woods, Alex Mason
District 7- U.S Navy Seals Zach, Robot
District 8 - Russian Army 1945 - Viktor Reznov, Dimitri Petrenko
District 9 - C.I.A 60s, Hudson, Weaver
District 10 - Taskforce 141, Soap and Price
District 11 - TF 141 Disavowed, Yuri and Nikolai
District 12 - U.S Army Delta Force, Frost and Sandman
Katniss and Peeta wrinkled their brows in confusion, with Katniss asking "What do any of those abreviations mean? And come to think of it, why are their names so odd?" Peeta shrugged and refused to look at Katniss, which hurt her. She had told him about the act she had kept up during the games, and she hadn't seen even the ghost of a smile, not even a slight twinkle in his eyes, since then. How could they hope to mentor their tributes if they couldn't even work together? As Katniss prepared to pull him away and talk to him, to try and be his friend as she knew they could certainly be no less, they had experience too much together, a Peacekeeper approached. "We've got your tributes secured, please follow me." With that, Katniss and Peeta went to meet Frost and Sandman.
Frost's POV
I grab my AR and fire on the target, smirking as the bullets strike the target exactly where I aimed. Then however, I feel a strange tingle as I reload, and almost feel myself being dragged from the range even though I wasn't moving. Soon, I'm gone, and for a moment I feel as if I'm blind and deaf, seeing and hearing nothing. Then however, I find my vision and hearing returning, hearing Sandman shouting "Frost, get down!" I inistinctively follow the order and drop, holding the M4 tightly as I heard the urgency in Sandman's tone. I look over and see he has the bottom half of his BDU on, with the top clothed only with a simple shirt. He's holding an M9 and has just hurled a frag grenade, if the explosion is anything to go by. I see men clattering about, trying to approach and detain us, although they wear no uniform I recognize. They all however, have one thing in common. They are holding assault rifles, and variants of the M4 by the look of it. I open up and cut down the approaching 8 man squad, then my rifle runs out of ammunition. As I scavenge for more, I'm surprised to hear Sandman saying "Frost, set your weapon down." I look about, and see us surrounded by more of those armed men than I want to count. I slowly set the M4 down and stand up, hands raised. A man in a labcoat approaches, saying "Welcome to Panem. You will be fighting in the Hunger Games, a massive arena battle from which only one of 24 tributes will emerge alive. I understand you must be very confused, but you will be briefed by your mentors. Please follow the Peacekeepers to the Victor's Village to meet them. Sandman looks at me, and nods twice, telling me to comply with orders until told otherwise. Therefore, I follow the armed guard until we reach a large house, surrounded by a few similarly large homes, and we are sent inside. Waiting inside, are a teenage girl and a teenage boy, both already surveying us.
Katniss's POV
When the men walk in, I notice a few things right off the bat. One, they are wearing what appears to be military uniforms, confirming my suspicions. Two, they are certainly not rivals, as clarified when the one who is standing slightly in front states "What, are these our 'Mentors' kids?" I scowl and say "I've killed, and so has Peeta, and we are your Mentors. We both got out of the last games, and so I suggest you listen up!" The man growls "I am Sandman, Team Leader American Delta Force, I gurantee I've killed many more people than you. We are soldiers, so I suggest you show me some respect too." I sigh softly, slowly acknowledging he is right, and say "Alright, I'm Katniss and as I said this is Peeta, and we'll be mentoring you. The Games are fierce and in all likelihood only one, if either, of you will emerge alive, so we sincerely hope you heed our words." Suddenly, multiple Peacekeepers carrying crates emerge and begin entering the basement. I stop on and demand "What do you think you are doing?" He looks at me, un-phased, and says "We are setting up a firing range for your tributes." With that he continues, and my eyes widen. A firing range mean guns, and guns means these two could get into serious trouble if they decide they don't like they're selection as tributes. I whirl to face them and warn "Don't get any ideas with those guns, if you try anything they'll take Peeta and I with you and I won't let that happen. He deserves much more than an early grave because some hot-headed soldiers decided their luck!"
The soldiers seem surprised, as does Peeta, and then I hear someone descend the stairs behind me. Before I can turn to see who it is, I find the voice of Prim calling out "Hey Katniss, how are you do- Who are they?" She sounds so innocent, and before I can speak the other man speaks "I'm Frost, and we're apparently 'tributes'." Prim sees surprised, but I can see she's already hit a nerve with these two, and I'm not surprised. She's so innocent and cute, and it's obvious this affected them based on the softening of their expressions. I nod to Prim and say "Go on, little duck, we need to talk to them." She doesn't heed my words, however, and approaches the one called Frost. He crouches down to be at her level as the last of the Peacekeeper's vanish. I move forward to pull him away from my sister, not wanting anyone I couldn't trust near her, but I'm blocked by Sandman. "Leave him alone, Frost is just missing his daughter." The words come softly whispered in my ear, and suddenly I feel guilt smack me over the head. I hadn't once considered that these two have families of their own, and I step back. Sandman moves so I can see Frost and my sister again, and Prim finally seems able to speak. "Are you a soldier?" She asks softly and meekly. Frost's smile is small but genuine, or at least it is if Peeta's whisper is anything to go by. "He seems pretty happy to see her." He whispered softly. I turn to face him, hoping to talk, but he's recceded back behind his emotional walls. His walls that I not only helped build, practically built myself. It's my fault he's like this, if I had tried to talk to him after we got back, reconciled with him, then maybe we could be friends. I turn to him and say softly "Peeta..." He looks at me and takes a step back.
My tributes are soldiers, who have every reason to hate me. Gale hasn't talked to me since we got back from the games. Peeta, the only one who really understands me anymore, won't talk to me. Finally, I get to watch the previously stated soldiers fight and die in an Arena, knowing that only one of these friends will emerge alive. I have to do something, but right now I don't know what. However, since when have I ever known what to do?