Hungerstuck

by Otakutalia

"It all changed 12 years ago." "Take Karkat and run!" In a world split by war, humans seek revenge on the children of the trolls that pushed humanity to near extinction. Each year, twenty-four young trolls are pitted against each other in a fight to the death - but this year is not like the others. Disruption both within the trolls and the humans is becoming hard to conceal...

2. Chapter One

Hungerstuck Chapter 1

********12 Years Later********

District 12

Don't say it

"hmmm…"

Don't, not again

"...Kankri?"

I can't bear to hear it again

"Kankri I'm really hungry."

"I know,"

"Don't we have anything? I mean absolutely anything?"

No

"I'm working on it, maybe you're just thirsty?" that argument hadn't worked once and it wouldn't work now.

"No, I'm not! Well this is shit isn't it, just great?"

"Karkat!" I slam the cupboard door shut with a clunk "can you please stop complaining for once in your life! I'm doing the best I can and you know that!"

Karkat frowned; it wasn't often that his older brother got angry with him, let alone so vocally. They were both hungry and arguing wasn't about to solve that in the slightest.

"Well at least we're not freezing to death," the younger troll glanced out of the cracked window at the scorching blue sun that was lingering above them. Cracked, but clean.

"This planet is so hot in the summer, it's hard to concentrate," Kankri replied, their brief argument long gone. They couldn't be blamed for how on edge they both were: today was not like other days.

District 12 was a mining district. It was far from Earth but at least that meant they were generally left alone, of course little support from the central planet meant that food, water and clothes weren't an easy find – you can't eat coal after all. The solution was work; if you can walk then you're walking to the mines. Work equalled money and money could be exchanged for goods at the AZ, illegally though it may be. Despite this, one could always find Thoyus down at the AZ of an afternoon; he was the local Peacekeeper sent by the Earth to ensure that no laws were being broken, no revolutions planned. Though Thoyus himself was a troll from District 1, he had a group of humans that patrolled District 12's streets. However, all of the peacekeepers this far from the Earth were relatively relaxed – after all, they had to eat too.

Eighteen year old Kankri Vantas worked in the mines and had done since the age of nine. He was never particularly strong or brave and he often got beaten up for being smart-mouthed. But as far as he was concerned, so long as he was bringing back money to support Karkat, he was doing his job right. The only other way of receiving goods was to take out a tesserae, however this made your name all the more likely to be drawn for The Games.

Thirteen year old Karkat Vantas stayed at home thanks to his brother's constant assurance that he would never end up in the mines. He generally tended to the various fruits and vegetables that the Vantas brothers grew and sold from their back garden which was an optimistic name to provide it with. This job was particularly crucial during the current time of year. However, when he had free time Karkat would practice his combat skill down by the river which was out of bounds to most – unless you knew every weakness in the fence like the back of your hand. Although acting very mature and authoritive, he tends to sometimes overlook the bigger picture – something that Kankri is convinced will come with age. His weapon of choice is a wooden sickle he carved from a fallen tree a couple of years ago, Kankri had the sickle glossed for him so that it would keep for longer and Karkat still doesn't know how he got the money to do so. The sickle – although chipped and a bit frayed at one end – had been holding out quite well.

Kankri slung a weaved sac over his shoulder, of course he had the day off as did many on such a day.

"I'm going to the AZ, I will be an hour or so, stay in the house." And with that he left.

As always, Karkat grabbed his bag and watched his brother turn the corner towards the square and then counted twenty seconds. Eighteen… nineteen… twenty! He shot off out the back door and over the grassy mound towards the district boundary. He reached a point in the fence where it dipped slightly in a bog that had long since dried up. The log was where it always was as he jumped onto it and then clean over the fence, barely hitting the ground before he shot off again. He came to a tree which was ridden with tell-tale scratches and chips that indicated Karkat's frequent visits. He dumped his bag at the foot of the tree and removed the sickle from it, spinning it twice around in his fingers. And with the comforting trickle of the river beside him: he began hacking.

I haven't actually checked this over, so I apologise for any mistakes. Pointing them out would be a great help UwU

Enjoy!