A/N: I own nothing
"All right everyone, let's begin this year's reaping for our 76th annual Hunger Games" Diana Lance announced. Diana was our Escort for District 2, and more fortunately than not, I was born and raised in this district; even if we had to go through the same reaping every year. Contrary to popular belief, most of the people I knew in this district were scared shitless to go into the games. Only the bravest of us would ever volunteer.
Another year will hopefully go by without her calling out my name. I just pray that none of my friend's names are called either. If they are, there is not much that I could do, because I would defiantly not be volunteering myself to go into that death-trap that they have so much fun watching. What gives those people at the Capitol the right to kill us off like we are their entertainment, ever given the chance; I would kill President Snow right on the spot!
"Ladies first" Diana said with that same overenthusiastic capitol accent. This of course snapped me back into reality because her voice, a person could only take so much of before they wanted to rip her head off.
Diana had long golden blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades. She wore the same black choker necklace around her throat every year. As for her other clothes; she wore a jacket that everyone knew that she was only wearing to show off her gigantic boobs that were hanging out of her one piece clothing that showed off her legs all the way up until part of her butt-cheek was showing. This of course all being black, even her fish-net stockings matched her black-as-night finger nails. Everyone in my district called her 'Black Canary.' One reason being because ,well, she wore all black that went with her sparkling blue eyes perfectly and also because when she talked, it reminded everyone of the voice of a canary; I could never see it.
She reached into the large bowl of small paper tesserae's that contained all the names of every single female in my district.
"NOT BARBRA, NOT BARBRA, NOT BARBRA, NOT BARBRA. Anyone other girl, but please don't rip Barbra away from me. You've already ripped Cassie and Jason away, I need Barbra, don't say her name Diana" I mentally chant to myself.
"Barbra Gordon" I hear Diana say with a smile plastered on her face.
Suddenly an average height red-headed girl walks up onto the stage and I can see the fear and shock written all over her face. She is wearing her best clothes and I can tell. She has on a white button down shirt with a blue plaid skirt, while wearing blue knee-socks with her best black shoes. All and all she looked stunning, really, but she was one of my best friends; and I never saw her as anything but a friend.
I never really started taking any interest in girls; I remained aloof per say, unlike my best friend Roy Harper. Even though he had quite the temper, he was a bit of a man-whore when it came to women. People around my academy said that at every party they held he would always do the nastiest things to the known whores of our career academy. No one really understood Roy the way that I did. People just thought that he liked to hump-and-dump, but really this was all just his defense mechanism; his way to cope with grief of losing his father, Oliver Queen in an avalanche at the main rock quarry in our District. Oliver took Roy Harper in at a young age because his parents acted against the Capitol, spoke out against them. Unfortunately for them, someone was around to hear them rant, and they were immediately turned into the peacekeepers, and then they were shipped off to the capitol. Probably to become avoxes, or even worse; they were killed.
Luckily for Roy, he was 17 when Oliver died, and he could shoot a bow and arrow like no one I have ever seen before. This meaning that he could fend and take care of himself, not needing anyone to give him hand-outs, like my adoptive father, Bruce Wayne.
Luckily for me, Bruce never did anything that was too dangerous, not dangerous at all to be exact. He was one of the richest people in our district, and he inherited it all from his parent's weapons manufacturing business, and now he never had to work, he had people that did that for him, but he worked anyway, it gave him something to do while I was at the academy. He took me in after my parents were killed in an accident with the peace keepers. Now my name is Dick John Grayson-Wayne.
"NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO! This is not right, why is it that all my family, friends, and the people I love are always brutally ripped away from me and killed because of the god-damned Capitol?" I yell at myself.
"Does anyone want to volunteer for this beautiful, brave, young woman?" Diana asked, her black lipstick shining in the mid-day sun.
"Surely there must be someone who wants to volunteer for Babs; I mean I see plenty of well-trained 18 year olds that would be perfect applicants. Maybe that 6 foot girl sitting over there, isn't she like the best axe thrower in the whole district? I heard that she never misses a target with them plus she is really mean and hateful, so why doesn't she just volunteer for her? She is perfectly capable to do it." I think to myself.
"Alright no takers I see, well congratulations Miss Barbara Gordon, for being District Two's Female tribute in the 76th Annual Hunger Games." Diana said with enthusiasm and excitement evident in her voice. A heavy sigh of relief runs rampant like a virus throughout the female section, and I am seething with anger and sadness.
"NOOO!" I yell out loudly as though no one would be able to hear me if I said it any quieter. I run out to try to stop everything that is going on but I know that this is futile. I am struggling to make my way to the stage, wanting to get to Barbra at all costs. Pushing and shoving through people, knocking boys younger than myself over on the ground. Tears streaming down my face, all I wanted was to get to my sister, the girl that I loved like one away from the certain doom that I know she was going to face.
"Restrain him" Diana said with a shocked expression on her face.
Suddenly two peacekeepers are right beside me dragging me back to the 14 year old category. I struggle in their grasp, not caring that this was going to go public to the whole nation of Panem; all I wanted was my Barbra. "LET ME GO, NO BARBARA YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME TOO! YOU, ROY AND BRUCE ARE ALL I HAVE LEFT!" I shout to the high-heavens, but to no avail, nothing is going to change and I know it, they know it, she knows it, everyone knows it.
Once I'm brought back to the area I was sitting at, they stay there beside me, not wanting any more outbursts by me.
"Well that was very…. exiting to say the least." Diana said with half laden smile, that I can totally tell is false. "Moving on, to the males." She said reaching into the large bowl of tesserae's with all the boy's from my districts name on every single small sheet of white paper.
She pulled one out of the small sheets of paper and I could visually see all the boys and men who were in my district hold their breaths and freeze, unable to even move for fear that if they did their name would be called.
I'm not even worried anymore, it's not like this day could get much worse than it is. Barbara is already gone, not much to live for anymore.
"And the male tribute from District 2 is…." She delicately unfolded the small sheet of paper to revel who the next boy to be shipped off the Hunger Games was going to be.
She slowly read the name as if to taunt everyone in the entire known world who the male tribute would be.
"Richard Grayson." She exclaimed with a smile on her face into the microphone. My heart stopped, the world stood still, my eyes widened not believing what I was hearing.
Did, she just say my name? Me? Out of the thousands of boys in the entire district, me?
I walk up on to the stage to take the hand of Diana, and stand beside Babs, mortified of what is to happen to me.
"This is it; this is the last time I am ever going to see my home again because I will not kill Babs, never, not even in the question. That's not even in the equation. I mean sure, no one can throw knives or handle a spear like I can, I hate that I have these skills and I hope that I will never have to use them. OH MY GOD THIS IS NOT HAPPENING" I tell myself.
"Do we have any volunteers for Mr. Richard?" she asks the crowd of boys and girls below me, and in all honesty, I didn't want anyone to volunteer for me, I had to keep Babs safe.
"No takers then?" she makes the obvious statement. In the corner of my eye, I can see Roy start to walk up, and I direct my gaze towards him and glare the best I can. He seems to get the memo because he walks back to his seat.
"Well ladies and gentlemen; meet our two brave tributes that represent District 2 in the 76th Annual Hunger Games. Mister Richard Grayson and Miss Barbra Gordon. Happy Hunger Games and May the odds be ever in your favor." She exclaims to the crowd below her.
"Yeah right, because the odds were way in my favor today" I think sarcastically.
After saying our good-byes to everyone that I cared for at home, which was basically Bruce and Roy, Diana escorts Barbra and I to the train that we would be transported to the Capitol on.
"Today is the day that you will get to meet your mentors, Clove and Brutus, isn't that just exiting!" She shrieks with glee and I can see the blank face of Barbra that showed that she was not impressed. I smirk to myself because Babs hates people like this, over-excited about every single detail in their lives. So basically Babs hated overly optimistic people, and I can defiantly see where she is coming from.
Diana takes us to the train and loads us on. When I enter the train, I am flabbergasted by its sophistication and grandeur. Priceless paintings and red leather furniture where everywhere, glass tables placed near golden chairs that brought the whole cart together. A diamond chandelier hung over top of the 70 inch platinum television that was surrounded by ruby studded armchairs and a loveseat. To say that this train was amazing was an understatement, by far an understatement.
"Isn't it amazing, this is only a taste of what it is like back at home. But you guys will be seeing that later, right now however it is time to meet your mentors." Diana said pulling us away from the awestricking common room on the train.
When Barbra and I reached our mentors, Clove and Brutus, I was impressed. Clove only seemed to be about two years older than me and one year older than Barbra, While Brutus was really terrifying, to say the least.
"Hey weren't you the one that cut off Katniss Everdeen's lips two years ago?" Barbra asks Clove with a slight hesitation in her voice; to me it seemed that she was kind of afraid of 16 year old victor.
"Yes that was me, and then I slit her throat if I remember correctly." She gave Babs a soft smile that let her know that Clove was only a threat if she was angry, upset, or she was in the arena again. I could visually see Barbara relax a bit, but she was still on her guard.
"Weren't you also the one that changed the rules of the games too, allowing two victors to win instead of the normal one?" I asked her with my head tilted slightly to the side. I remember watching that Hunger Games, everyone was so focused on 'the-girl-on-fire' that when she died people didn't know what to do, so they made Snow change the rules, too let two tributes win instead of one. Cato and Clove were the victors at that years games if recall. Truthfully I wanted the girl from District 5 to win because I liked her strategy; tactical, witty, and overall sly and elusive, which is a lot like my personality and how I would handle the games, but she ate the berries and died…. So I started pulling for the home team.
"Well two tributes can win, if they are district partners, otherwise it is back to the old rules." Clove said with a warm smile on her face.
I never imagined that one of the most ruthless killers in the entire history of the Hunger Games would be this sweet and gentle towards us. So I guess it was all an act, the performance that she put up in her games. I kind of admire that about her make all the other tributes hate you but they know that if they confront you, they will be dead. I love it, really.
"Hey you, Shorty!" I hear a booming voice call for me. It was Brutus, our other mentor he was as scary as he was large, which was pretty scary if you get what I mean. He towered over me at a terrifying 6 feet 5 inches. I was only 5 feet 2 inches but that was because I am a late bloomer and I only just started puberty. "Yes sir." I squeak, because I was honestly scared shitless and this dude was very intimidating.
"Show me what you can do!" He barks at me and I jump a little bit. "Rig-Right now?" I choke out not knowing what else to say. "YES RIGHT NOW WHAT ELSE DID YOU THINK I MENT YOU RETARTED EXCUSE FOR A BOY!" he shouted at me and I started backing up into the wall. "But there are all kinds of breakable things in here; I really don't want to break anything….sir." I say to him.
Suddenly he takes a large bottle of expensive looking wine and smashes it on the granite countertop, dropping its red liquid onto the white carpet. "I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT THE HELL IS IN HERE THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED YOU BOY, I SAID SHOW ME WHAT YOU CAN DO!" He shouts violently at me, and then turns to Barbra grabbing her by the arm. "Fine, if you don't want to show me what you can do, then baby cakes here is going to need a medic." He gives me a sadistic smirk and I can tell that his performance in the games was no ruse. Everything that he did to the other tributes in the games was truly his personality. If I can remember correctly, Brutus got his district partner, Lilandra, to trust him at all costs. After doing this he raped and killed the poor girl and ran off winning the games. This guy is touching Babs, cutting her with the bottle while she just sits there and takes it. Clove is on the wall scared no doubt, because she does not have any knives on her and she is powerless against the giant man.
"Get. Off. Of. Her." I say to Brutus calmly anger and rage apparent because I could feel my face was scarlet with fury. "Why, what are you going to do about it short stuff. Call mommy and daddy for help?"
"I SAID GET OFF OF HER YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING DOUCHEBAG!" I suddenly find the courage to yell at him and then I tackle him sliding chairs and knocking bottles and books to the floor. I pin him to the ground with a knife to his throat. "Didn't expect that did you big man, you're all bark and no bite I don't even see how you won the 63rd Hunger Games, other than cheating your way to the top and then raping that poor girl. You're a pathetic, angry man that needs to sort out his priorities, you got that fuck face!" He pushes me off of him, but I swing onto his back and slit his throat ending the evil man from ever rapping another tribute again.
Brutus' body fell to the floor with a loud thump, blood oozing from his neck and throat as he struggled to breathe. Clove look surprised, as well as shocked, Babs on the other hand was sitting in the corner in the fetal position. "You okay?" I ask Babs extending my arm to help her off the ground. She regains her composure and takes my hand as I help her up. "He's dead, I can't hurt you anymore. I made sure of that." I say with a smirk on my face. "Thanks Dick." She says with tears in her eyes and attacks me with a bone crushing hug.
"Good heavens, what on Earth happened in here?" Diana asked with a mixture of shock, anger, and disbelief on her heavily makeuped face. "Well someone is going to have to clean this up and it is not going to be me, Sean could you come in here please?" Shortly after Diana asked, a man about five and a half feet walks into the room, his hair is dyed red and so are is eyebrows. He is wearing red lipstick and red clothing, and then it hits me….. he is an avox. Sean sweeps up the broken glass and moves the chairs and books back to their original places. After a hard fought battle with the carpet in trying to remove the wine that Brutus had spilt, he finally left the room without a word. Some peacekeepers come into the car and take Brutus' body away.
Where were you guys when me and Barbra were being attacked? Thanks for all your help. I say to myself with an angry, blank expression on my face.
"So do you guys know each other?" I hear a voice ask me and Barbra. I look over to find that voice belonged to Clove. "Yeah me and Dikie here go way back." Barbra answered the girl with a warm smile stuck on her face, I can tell that she has returned back to her normal bubbly self and I couldn't be happier; even if I did just make my first kill. "Babs, I told you not to call me that anymore." I complain to her, but she just giggles and shrugs it off. I give a smirk myself and then turn my attention back to Clove.
"Well I can tell you guys that is going to make forming the career alliance much easier for you two, it always helps when you have someone you know inside the games with you. For me it was Cato, and he always protected me, he made Brutus keep his distance. Not that I needed it obliviously. He was a bit overprotective though, didn't want his girlfriend to get killed out there. That reminds me, are you too dating?" Clove asked innocently. "Ewwwww gross no, me and Dick are just friends. He is like my brother, I would never date him." Barbra answers while coming over to give me a kiss on the cheek making me blush like a mad man. "I don't know Babs, all the mixed signals you are sending me is making me think that there is why more between us than just friendship." I sniggered at the thought and smirked at my little joke because there was defiantly nothing between Barbra and me, nothing romantic at least.
"Well if you guys need anything I will be two carts over, so just ring that bell, and by the way it's getting kinda late and you guys do have to make the 'big impression' tomorrow for the people at the Capitol." Clove says to Barbra and me with all knowing eyes. "Plus I don't think that Brutus is going to be any help in mentoring you guys, after that stunt you pulled, he isn't going to be any help because he is dead." She says with a soft and warm smile on her lips. I can tell by that, Clove didn't like Brutus, all though, not many people did.
"Guys I'm going to bed, it's been a long day and I need my sleep." Barbra said to Clove and I. "Yeah Babs you defiantly do not have a quota on beauty sleep. You need to take all that you can get." I start to cackle at my own joke causing Barbra to throw on of the super expensive silk pillows at my face. "Shut up you asshole." Barbra acts offended and walks to her sleeping quarters, but before she can get there I yell to her. "The truth hurts doesn't it ugly!" After yelling this I get to my room to find a king-sized bed inside a lavish room that was painted a dark blue. Over top of the bed was another diamond chandelier that tied the whole room together. On top of the dresser, I find a gold plated plasma screen television about 34 inches wide. This was nothing like my room back at home.
Once I finally lay down on the silk sheets I was out like a light due to my tiredness.
A/N: This popped into my head a long time ago while I was reading the Hunger Games, I hope that you guys like it and I am sorry for any mistakes with grammar and spelling. The only beta I had was my sister, so please enjoy and review if you like it!