Disclaimer: I do not own The Avengers, The Hunger Games, or any associated characters and plotlines you see here.
A couple of tributes from the second book will find their way into this round of The Hunger Games for reasons to be made clear as the story progresses.
A Game of Heroes
Chapter One
When the communications officer on duty alerted him that he had a high priority incoming video call, Nick Fury pinched the bridge of his nose and moaned inwardly. High priority incoming video calls only meant one thing nowadays: more bad news. It was bad enough that SHIELD was now reduced to telling this new government only what it wanted to hear; did Steele's regime have to keep piling on embarrassing hoops for them to jump through?
"I'll take it in the Vault," said Fury, heading to the video conference room he usually found himself slinking out of when such calls were through. He struck as straight-backed a pose as he could muster, promising himself that he would not let his shoulders slump even one centimeter before the call was over no matter what the call was about.
The Council appeared on the screen, shadowy and imposing as ever. Today, though, they looked particularly grim.
"The President has decided on a punishment for the other twelve rebel states," said the woman, whom he liked to refer to as Thing One. Fury tilted his head back a little in surprise. They'd already smashed all of New York into tiny little pieces. What more could they possibly have come up with in the way of retribution?
Thing Three cleared his throat. "To remind the dissident states that the government will not suffer insurgency, each state is to select at random a boy and a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to compete with children from the other states for survival on national television."
'What," Fury chuckled, "like that stupid TV show called Survivor? How is that a punishment?"
The entire Council shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Uh-oh, thought Fury. If whatever was coming next made the Council squirm like that, then his own stomach was likely to turn. "It's a fight to the death, Commander," said Thing Four.
Fury felt his jaw drop, and all the composure he'd summoned was gone. Kids. Killing kids. On live TV. Bile rose in his throat. Forget bombing the hell out of New York; the President had devised the unthinkable. Adults killing other adults would have been a little bit different. Before the start of this government, in fact, that sort of thing happened every day. But for the most part, kids didn't murder each other. "And they're justifying this how?"
"According to the President, every citizen alive in those states is alive by the grace of the government and the government alone," said Thing Two. "In effect, the government owns their lives."
"That's not all," Thing Three cut in. "When he makes the announcement, President Steele will be promising the winner a spot amongst the Avengers."
"Bullshit," Fury spat out reflexively.
Thing One pursed her lips. "It isn't up for discussion, Commander. Either SHIELD cooperates, or the entire agency will be…taken out."
"Taken out," Fury reiterated. "I assume you don't mean our budget will be slashed."
Things One through Four seemed to exchange knowing looks over their separate video feeds. So, thought Fury, the penny finally drops. It had taken all manner of convincing on the Council's part for SHIELD to remain an active government agency, stripped to the bone though it had been. Fury had known all along, though, that Steele had never liked SHIELD. It had only been a matter of time before Steele found an excuse to put an end to the agency.
Thing Two said, "You are receiving your official orders file now. You will brief the Avengers on their involvement in The Hunger Games immediately."
The Hunger Games, thought Fury as the Council's pictures winked out one by one. What a fitting title, considering how hungry Steele was for power.
Despite the current circumstances of their time with SHIELD, Steve thought it was nice to see everyone in the same room again. Clint and Natasha sat watching everyone else with those armor-piercing gazes of theirs. Tony and Bruce were hovering over a computer screen, talking in low voices about some project or other of theirs. And Thor, well…when ol' Blondie, as Tony called him, was summoned back to Earth, things weren't good. Loki had been missing from Asgard for four Earth years now. Thor had searched high and low for his "brother," to no avail. Now, Thor stood in a corner of the room with his arms crossed, seemingly deep in thought.
"Good afternoon," said Commander Fury as he swept into the room. He slid each of them a file folder across the table. "Let's get to it. At eight o'clock this evening, President Steele will announce the twelve remaining rebel states' punishment on all broadcast networks."
Steve opened his file to find an odd title splashed across the first page underneath the newly redesigned presidential seal. "The Hunger Games?" Steve asked.
"Each of the twelve states," said Fury, "is being ordered to select a boy and a girl at random to participate in a fight to the death on live TV."
The outcry was almost immediate.
"What?" exclaimed Natasha. Thor asked the same thing with a disbelieving laugh.
"Bullshit," said Tony.
Steve himself, after giving Tony a look for the profanity, said, "You can't be serious."
"I wish I wasn't," Fury replied. "And it only gets better: the winner is promised a spot amongst you all."
"Bullshit!" said Tony again, louder.
"I agree." Natasha was on her feet. "Why would we want a child killer in our midst?"
Bruce folded his arms and snorted. "Because killing was certainly never your profession at all."
Natasha raised a finger, a redheaded bomb about to go off, when Steve gave a warning-toned "Hey" to both Natasha and Bruce. Bruce simply smirked as Natasha sat back down and fumed silently. Steve resisted the urge to introduce his face to his palm. In-fighting was the last thing they needed right now. "Say we refused to participate," suggested Steve.
Fury gave them all a wary look. "Then SHIELD is no more. The President will see to it that we are all taken out."
Silence fell. Steve looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be fidgeting in their seats, minus Thor, who only stood in the same spot looking pensive.
Bruce was the first to speak up. "The winner wouldn't necessarily be a killer," he said. "Maybe just a survivor."
"It does take survival instincts to do what we do," said Clint.
"I, for one, would be impressed with the child's skill," Thor said thoughtfully.
Tony chuckled darkly. "And who doesn't love good reality TV?"
"Alright, folks," said Fury, rapping his knuckles on the table to bring the room back to order. "I take it we'll be participating?"
"I still don't like it," Natasha announced, arms crossed sullenly. "What part did these children play in their parents' rebellion?"
No one had an answer. Steve leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. Children killing each other was certainly not his idea of entertainment; it took a sick bastard to come up with that sort of thing. There had to be a way to save the kids from such a twisted fate, but Steve wasn't yet sure of one.
Surely they'd think of something.
Reviews are appreciated. -MS-
