Well, hey. This is not an SYOT (sorry, I guess they're not allowed). Even so, there are going to be a lot of OCs. You'll understand why in a minute. It's a Katniss/Peeta story, with some minor Cato/Clove and Marvel/Glimmer and perhaps some OC relationships. Now, just so you know, for the sake of this story, Prim was never reaped for the 74th Hunger Games, so Katniss never volunteered. There was no "star-crossed lovers" angle, and only one tribute came home. There was no threat of an uprising.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.
President Coriolanus Snow, Seneca Crane, and Claudius Templesmith all lounged around in a luxurious room. It was time for the 75th Hunger Games, and a twist had to be thought of. So far, all three were coming up empty.
"How about this?" Claudius said. "We take away all sponsoring."
The president shook his head.
"I've got it!" Seneca said. "We could-wait, no, that wouldn't work…at all..."
"We could make all the tributes the same gender," Claudius said. It was obvious now that the two were just grasping at straws.
"No," President Snow said, once again shaking his head. "No, we need something that will really hit them hard. To remind them how in control the Capitol really is…"
President Snow furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, then finally looked up, a look of enlightenment clear on his face.
"Yes," he said.
"What?" Claudius and Seneca said together.
"Of course!" President Snow cried. "Do you know what's harder than killing someone?"
Both men stared at him blankly.
"Killing someone you're close to," President Snow said, almost beside himself in elation. "Now, this might work."
"Has he gone…?" Claudius turned to Seneca and mouthed the word "crazy".
"I think he has," Seneca said.
"Gentlemen," Snow said, "I know what we shall do. We will arrange alliances."
"Pardon?" Seneca said, clearly confused.
"We will arrange alliances. When our tributes are reaped, they will each be chosen an ally that they must work with."
"But what if they just kill their ally right off the bat?" Seneca asked.
"Then…" Snow looked stuck for a minute, then he grinned. "If your ally dies before the final ten, you die as well."
"How?" Seneca asked.
"Well, you are the Head Gamemaker, Seneca," Snow said exasperatedly. "Think something up."
"Oh…all right," Seneca said.
"You see, it will work," Snow said. "If you kill your own ally, you will essentially be killing yourself. And you will be inclined to protect your ally, no matter who they are, because again, if they should die, you will die as well."
"I see," Claudius said.
"And if this should all go according to plan, the allies will grow close," Snow said. "It is likely to happen when you are in a life or death situation. And then, once strong relationships are built, the next thing you know, they must be torn down if you wish to come home."
"This may actually work," Seneca admitted.
"That's the plan," Snow said. "Oh, and since two tributes will basically be acting as one, why don't we pull out an old idea and double the tributes, hmm?"
Well, that was short, but that's just the intro. Review!