AN: Thankyou to Lizeyli for reviewing last chapter, Updates depend on the support so get reviewing! x Hope you like the second chapter :)

Chapter Two

Bobby POV

I kept an iron grip on Ronnie's shoulder as we were separated from our parents, Tears were swelling behind his eyes as they were herded into a roped off section with the other surviving adults over the age of 31. "Your name is only in the bowl once Ron, I'm in twelve times so don't worry" I whispered as we lined up for our blood taking. "I don't want you to get picked Bobby" I patted his head and watched as he shuffled forward.

The nurse, a tall women with her dark hair scraped back into a tight bun and lipstick on her yellow stained teeth grabbed his hand and jabbed the pin into his index finger. She pressed his finger into a space in the book. "Name" "Ronnie David Drake" "Age" "12" "Mutant ability" "Acc...accelerated healing" I hugged him one armed as she scribbled the details down. "Good, move along."

Ronnie was ushered out of my sight and into the last roped off area along with the youngest tributes. The TV stage and cameras were already set up and the Capitol reps were huddled together, staring at the mutants in complete disgust.

I glared at the nurse as she jabbed at me with a fresh needle and pressed my bloody finger onto the paper. "Name" "Bobby Steven Drake" "Age" "16" I said it as cold as she did and smirked at her shocked expression. "Mutant ability?" "Create ice and manipulate cold temperature" I gave a little example and covered my hand in a light dust of frost. I wiggled my fingers at her and watched as she recoiled away from me.

"Next"

I smirked and waved at her with my blue hand before joining my age group nearest to the stage. It won't be Ronnie, It won't be Ronnie. I repeated the mantra in my head a hundreds time over, even as our representative for our district strutted on stage. Her dress was as a ballgown, emerald green and covered in silver butterflies. Her extravagant outfit was accompanied with elbow length gloves and a lime green wig that curled into ringlets piled on top of her head. Clover.

"Welcome to the 74th Mutant games!" I winced as her shrill voice pierced the air through the microphone. "It's been a pleasure representing District 12...ever since Charles won many years ago!" I looked over to the stage corner where our one and only victor Charles Xavier sat in his wheelchair.

My parents were younger when he had won, rumour was that he was the most powerful telepath to exist but could not control the government due to small accessories that successfully blocked his telepathy. Charles had won the game but lost the use of his legs after defying the capitol and saving a young man from district 4; Magneto. They had paralysed him, severed his spine for saving his friend. The capitol made me sick.

"Lets do the traditional, Ladies first! And may the odds be ever in your favour" Clover grinned, reaching into the clear round bowl that contained hundreds of names and the unlucky fate of one girl.

"Kitty Pryde."

An unearthly silence fell over the crowd as the one girls name sunk in. Kitty was known by everyone, loved by everyone and now she was sentenced to die some sort of horrific death or starvation in an arena full of killers. Kitty was too kind to kill and too trusting to live.

I glanced over to the side as her parents collapsed onto the floor, her mother's chest heaving with sobs. The brunette girl to my left swallowed hard and tugged her sleeves down, she was tiny and definitely no threat to the Careers -people who willingly competed in the games.

She walked forward towards the stage, each step on the gravel echoing out in the courtyard and her fists shaking. "Hello darling!" Clover embraced Kitty as she arrived next to her, "Any words to your district sweetie?" The golden microphone was placed in front of Kitty's pink lips. "I...I'll try my best...I love my parents and...I'll try to...win" Kitty's voice trailed off nervously, her fists still bunched up at her sides.

Clover smiled brightly and moved onto the next bowl. The bowl that contained mine and Ronnie's name. It won't be Ronnie.

Clover reached into the bowl and pulled out a crisp piece of folded white paper. It won't be Ronnie. "Our boy tribute is..."

It won't be Ronnie.

"Ronnie Drake!"

No.

I felt all the heat rush out of body through every pore, my knees grew weak and the world suddenly became very, very real. I could hear my mom shriek from the exiled corner of the courtyard and I struggled to raise my head, Ronnie's face was horrified and pale. He was smaller than Kitty, he couldn't survive if the Capitol blocked powers as they usually did at least once during the game.

"Ronnie!" I screamed as he was tugged out of line by a peacekeeper when he didn't budge. "No!" I jumped out of line and under the ropes only to be grabbed by a peacekeeper.

"No wait! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

I could feel everyone's eyes burn into my back as mom screamed again. The Peacekeeper paused but pulled me forward, leading me to the steel stage. "Bobby! Bobby No!" Ronnie yelped as he tugged up and over a soldiers shoulder as he tried to run to me, I was doing this for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen our first volunteer for District 12, what's your name honey?" "Bobby Drake" "Any last words?"

I swallowed hard, searching the crowd to find Ronnie. I sought him out, his face streaked in tears and being held in place by my friend, Lewan.

"Bobby?" I didn't answer Clover, instead I knelt down and pressed my palm onto the stage. A streak of pure ice spread in a perfect line across the courtyard from my palm and formed what I willed it to. The Ice curved into large letters on the ground, making the crowd shuffle away from it.

As I stood up the crowd gasped, reading it and murmuring amongst themselves before me and Kitty were tugged from the stage by Peacekeepers and led away by Clover.

The murmur behind me made me smile as they read what I wrote. The odds are never in our favour.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

I sighed as Storm embraced me, suffocating me into her chest. "Storm!" I wheezed out, "I'm dying here!" she chuckled and let me go, placing her hands on my cheeks and smiling. "Don't mess around okay darling? Blake, look after your brother." She hugged us both tightly before leading us to the blood line.

I didn't wince as the nurse jabbed the pin into me, they always seemed to want mutants to suffer or feel pain and I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of seeing it. "Name?" "St. John Finnick Allerdyce" "Age?" "Sixteen" and counting "Power?" "Control and manipulate fire and my own body temperature...like heat it up you know? I'm already hot enough so that's not necessary to put down." Blake snorted behind me.

"Next"

I moved on, listening to Blake as he flirted with the blonde ditz of a nurse. "Name?" "Blake Thomas Allerdyce" "Age" "21" "Power?" "Telekinesis, manipulation and generation of Electricity" "Good, move along" He cast a wink at her and threw an arm around my shoulders as we approached the roped courtyard.

District 4 was pretty neat, the 'Square' was the market place and home of the peacekeepers that lay back from the beach, houses were scattered around the district but many, like ours, overlooked the beach and were either made of strong white stone or sparkling grey marble. Some of my memories with my parents took place here, they had gone shopping and brought a turkey for Christmas and Blake had taken my hand and took me to a firework display. My powers manifested the moment they went off, mum and dad were so proud.

I looked up in time to see District 4's oldest champion stare at me, his grey eyes curious as he studied me and my brother. "What's he looking at?" Blake snarled.

"Magneto's our victor Blake, he-"

"Defied the capital and prevented our district from volunteering? What if you get called John? I can't lose you like I've lost mum and dad."

I smiled weakly and hugged him, his arms wrapped around me easily and overlapped themselves. I wasn't skinny, I had muscle but I was so small I would get crushed by a career tribute ten minutes into the game.

Our mentor, Felicity entered the stage dressed in a tight azure blue dress that trailed onto the floor. It was some sort of dumb representation of a mermaid. Her hair was blonde instead of her normal peach and trailed down her back like gold, she was very beautiful but cold hearted. I rolled my eyes as she cleared her throat and gripped the microphone, her face bright as if two people were not being chosen to die.

"Welcome to the 74th Mutant games reaping ceremony! May I congratulate you on the prosperous term you have had with farming and fishing, now...Gentlemen first and remember!" her voice grew darker "No volunteers allowed." Magneto looked at the floor and swallowed thickly as she walked to the huge crystal bowl and dipped her hand in, fishing out a piece of pale blue paper.

"Our boy tribute this year is...John Allerdyce!"

I stopped breathing and froze, my heart leapt into my mouth and my throat grew dry. Me? I couldn't, I wouldn't last five minutes in the arena. I can't end up like mum.

I looked up as a peacekeeper took my arm, leading me away from my brother and friends who looked horrified at me. "No! NO! Get your fucking hands OFF him!" Blake screamed, lunging forward only to be caught mid swing by two peacekeepers.

"No! John I'm here! I won't leave you! JOHNNY! I'll go instead, I volunteer for fucks sake!" I swallowed as he was dragged away, pushed into the other roped off area despite him trying to get to me and writhing in the peacekeepers grip.

"No volunteers Darling" Felicity looked smug, finally she had revenge for the peach wig incident. The other adults, many who knew my parents, pulled Blake in and sat him down. They knew if he continued to create a 'fuss' he'd die and so would I. The square was silent except for his shouts.

I looked over at Storm, her face pale and posture riggid. "Hello John" Felicity approached me, raising the microphone to my lips. "Any words to your district, we know you'll do your best sweet heart" I swallowed again. I couldn't be rude, Blake and Storm would be shot without a second thought.

"I...no, not really" I pulled on a smirk "Except I would like to say your hair looks much better now it's not peach, remember that Felicity?"

She snarled. Success!

"Moving on" she swirled out of the way and walked up to the other bowl, the bowl that contained my future training partners name. I looked at the floor, praying it wasn't anyone I knew.

"And our lady future champion is-"

"I volunteer!" My head snapped up as Storm shouted, her face set in stone. "I volunteer as tribute for my district" Our eyes met, stormy teal to deep brown. I shook my head but she looked away, confidently walking fast down the stairs and up to the stage, glaring at Felicity. "I'm sorry, no volunteers allowed-" "That rule only applies to tributes under the age of 25 and I'm 30."

I frowned, I didn't realise that but news can be distorted around the district when it's passed like Chinese whispers. Felicity cleared her throat, utterly humiliated about not knowing that piece of information. "Very well, What's your name?"

Storm snatched the remote from our reps hand. "Storm... and Blake?" I looked at my brother who's eyes were red and blood shot. "John will be back here, I'll make sure of it." The square was silent until one by one, each person began clapping in rhythm until the entire district was applauding.

Roll on the Mutant games.