The Hunger Games Galaxies
District 11 Introduction: Part 2
The television monitor over the stage gave away from the symbol of the Gods, fading into a static picture of the universe around them. The chaos in the stands began to die down fairly quickly after that appeared and for good reason; the Voice of the Gods was about to speak to them. On stage, Quinn and Puck turned to stare at the screen, as did the still-ashen-faced Sue.
"Citizens of the Twelve Districts…" said the Voice. "Welcome to the Reaping. As you send your courageous Tributes off to the field of battle, keep in your hearts the hope for them to return victorious! It is only with your encouragement and prayers that they may have an edge in battle!"
"Yeah, right," Blaine muttered, darkly to Kurt, who worked his way to sit next to him and the other Warblers during the hysteria around Puck and Quinn's Reaping. "Like we can affect anything that happens in the arena."
"I know… thank God humans can't be sponsors anymore; District 1 would always wipe the floor with us," Kurt muttered. "… you think their tributes will be good-looking this year?"
"That is your current concern?" Blaine said, eyes widened.
"I'm sorry," replied Kurt, tears welling up in his eyes. "It's just… if I don't distract myself… I think I'm going to have a panic attack…"
Blaine quietly wrapped his arm around his boyfriend, patting him on the shoulder as Kurt did his best to hold his composure. The Voice of the Gods continued to speak, reminding them of the glory that comes along with their being chosen for the Hunger Games. Further down the bleachers, the rest of the New Directions were still reeling from Quinn and Puck being chosen. Tina wept into Mike's shoulder, while Santana and Brittany rocked back and forth with their arms interlocked. Rachel was having trouble breathing and Finn was doing his best to calm her down.
The Voice of the Gods continued to speak about rule changes. "You've already experienced the first: the relaxation of the age restrictions. But, this is only the beginning. Another is that we will not be permitting any Gods to act as sponsors; the tributes will be on their own…"
"What? But… that means Quinn won't get anything in the arena from any of the Gods or anything?" Joe exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror.
"That's not fair," protested Sugar. "What happens when she goes against those guys from the magical districts?! They'll blow her away!"
"Well… all powers are sealed to a basic setting of sorts," Artie reminded her. "But… yeah… without the Gods' help…"
Ignorant to the teens' complaints, the Voice continued right along. "Each year, the 24 tributes provide ample opportunity for not only the Gods but all of you in the Districts to observe each other in a cultural exchange of sorts… but we were wondering… how could we make this exchange even stronger and more varied…?"
"To be fair, he did pick probably the strongest guy from New Directions," Sam said.
"Yeah I think if anyone from this school was ready to fight, it was him," Rory agreed. "Still though… too close for comfort…"
"Wait a minute…" Mercedes suddenly realized, her eyes widening in horror. "They're not going to pick more tributes…?"
"And therefore, the Gods have decreed that, from each District, we shall Reap a second group of tributes, ensuring this year's Hunger Games provides even more entertainment than the last!" cried the Voice.
Screams and cries of horror ran through the audience, while some students actually stood back up to protest. The Peacekeepers' reaction was swift and strong. They immediately started to physically restrain the most problematic students, which deterred the lesser ones from continuing to show such open displays of hostility. Almost everyone in the New Directions had been struck absolutely dumb by the whole thing. On stage, everyone's face was likewise a mask of unadulterated surprise.
"I… would… suppose that's my cue to… do the second half of the Reaping…" Sue said, walking slowly over to the bowl. She dug around inside for a few seconds and pulled out a name, returning to the central microphone. "Okay… then… our second female tribute is… oh you've got to be kidding me. Really? Her? Can't we take someone else, anyone else at all…? … fine. Tina Cohen-Chang."
The shock was too great for most of New Directions; Rachel actually fainted briefly. Tina, meanwhile, had gone catatonic, her tear-stained face paler than they'd ever seen it and her eyes slightly out of focus. Mike quickly wrapped his arms around her and began to whisper something into her ear. But they didn't have long; Peacekeepers were already making their way up the bleachers to retrieve her, knocking Jacob Ben Israel completely out of his seat when he foolishly attempted to get his own video of one.
"I'll take her, I'll take her," Mike said, fending off the outstretched, gloved arms of the nearest heavenly soldiers. "Come on Tina… you've gotta… gotta stand…"
Mike supported Tina all the way through the sea of furious McKinley students until they reached the bottom of the stage. Then she was pulled out of his arms, which seemed to snap her out of her stupor. She screamed for Mike as he was restrained by two other Peacekeepers and led back to his seat. Back in the stands, almost everyone from New Directions was fighting back tears, or openly sobbing.
"Tina, please, you've gotta control yourself," Sue urged her under her breath as she walked towards the boys' names. "You're going to paint a target on your back like this."
But it was no use. Tina's knees had given out and she could barely stand on her own on the stage, supported by Puck and Quinn the entire time. Meanwhile, Sue picked up the second paper, hesitated, and returned to the microphone. She opened the paper and her face contorted with rage again. She whirled around to shoot a venomous look at the Head Peacekeeper, who merely shook his head at her and make a turn-around motion with his finger. Sue hissed at him, turned to the microphone and simply uttered one name.
"Sam Evans."
Like clockwork, the entirety of McKinley High was on its feet and shouting and swearing at the cameras, flipping off the Gods above them and about how unfair it was that everyone just happened to come from the same school. The elementary kids were alarmed by this, and nearly all of them burst into tears, while the other schools inched away from McKinley, trying to separate themselves from the violence.
For his part, Sam was pretty calm about it. He stepped calmly off the bleachers and began the trek to the stage. Behind him, Mercedes joined the group of sobbing girls and guys who were watching four of their friends head to the arena. Sam took over supporting Tina from Quinn, and the four continued to face their classmates and the world as they waited for things to die down enough for the Voice of the Gods to close out the ceremony. Behind them, Sue looked almost as weak as Tina.
"Will… you have to hold it together for them," said Emma, from the teacher's section. But her hands were shaking just as bad. Directly behind her, Coach Beiste let out a loud sob and blew her nose on a spare t-shirt.
"But… Emma… you know this works…" Will muttered, hoarsely. "Only one… can win the Hunger Games… so… three of them at least will die…"
Nobody wanted to think that and, luckily, the shock seemed to have knocked that thought completely out of the heads of the remainder of New Directions. Finally, once several students got removed from the auditorium, the Voice spoke up again.
"This shall be my final announcement. To each of our Districts… and to our viewing entities… there is one additional rule change to this year's Hunger Games. If the last 2, 3, or 4 tributes are from the same district, they shall be declared the victor, and the Games will end."
Gasps, followed quickly by cheers, shot through the gymnasium. Up in front, Puck grinned, Sam's eyes grew wide, Quinn's mouth was agape, and Tina actually managed to stop crying for a few seconds. Even Sue breathed a sigh of relief. All hope may not have been lost yet.
"So… so all they have to do is stay together and they'll win," Rachel croaked from the stands a little later as they were dismissed. "Right…? Puck and Sam can keep Quinn and Tina safe and everything will be fine, right?"
"Let's hope so…" Finn said. "Let's go see them."
Sam, Tina, Quinn, and Puck had all been taken into separate classrooms to await their family members and to say goodbye to their friends. While they said farewells to their devastated parents and siblings, the rest of the New Directions waited in the general gathering area, in silence, save for the occasional stifled sob. When Tina's parents, escorted by Mike's, left the hallway, they were finally granted access.
"Since there's so many of you," informed a gruff peacekeeper. "We're just going to bring them all out here. You can say your goodbyes that way."
"Really?" snapped Roz Washington, who had strong-armed her way into the area. "And just what about Asian Horror Movie and her lover? Shouldn't they get some privacy to say goodbye to each other? And what about Little Oprah and that Sam Evans?"
Behind her back, Roz made a waving signal at everyone. The New Directions and Will picked up what she was putting down and immediately headed into the door, as Roz's shrill insults and indignant complaints echoed around them.
"That was really brave of Coach Roz to do," Mercedes said.
"Yeah. I bet she would have won if she'd been Reaped back in the day," said Sugar.
"Okay guys… let's just… be as positive as possible," Will said. "Just… make sure nothing is left unsaid, okay?"
They turned the corner and found the four waiting for them. Quinn explained that she had heard Roz's shouts from even that distance and brought the others out to meet them all. Thankfully, no Peacekeepers were watching the inner area. One-by-one, everyone started to say their goodbyes.
"Tina… you have to make it through," Rachel whispered, hugging her. "Remember… next year is your time to shine… and now with your fame as a Hunger Games victor, you're going to have an easier time becoming a star than me!"
"Don't kid yourself, Rachel," Tina muttered. "I… I'm not cut out for this… I doubt I'll even survive the bloodbath…"
"No, Tina, don't think like that!" Kurt exclaimed, after sharing a curt handshake with Puck. "You can survive. You're smart and resourceful. Remember that football game, where you were the one who took the initiative and took the ball!"
"Yeah… and almost got paralyzed for my trouble…" Tina replied.
"Just keep those thoughts in your head. Grab something. A weapon. Food. Whatever it is. And run," said Rachel. "And… come back to us. You have to."
Across hall area, Sam continued to say his goodbyes to his teammates. Finn sided up next to him and the two sat against the wall, slowly sliding down until they were sitting on the ground.
"How are you holding up?" asked Finn, quietly.
"As well as can be expected," replied Sam, pulling on a hole in the knee of his pants. "But… at least my 'rents will be taken care of… did you know the families of the Reaped get a stipend for the remainder of their lives? I mean, yeah, if I win we get riches too… but… if for some reason I don't…"
"No, dude, look, you and Puck are strong dudes. If anyone can win the Hunger Games with a team effort, it's you guys," said Finn. "You just gotta find each other and stay together."
"I know I know," said Sam. "But I'm just saying… no matter what happens, no matter where I go in there, I'm at peace with my family. Sad, yeah, and of course Mercedes is taking it tough... but I'll be okay on my end."
Mercedes, they could see, was hugging Quinn and whispering some prayer or hymn in her ear to keep her spirits up. Joe sat against the far wall, waiting for his chance to speak privately with Quinn, as the other members of New Directions continued to revolve to each person, saying their final goodbyes. Finally, Will got his chance to speak with Puck.
"Mr. Schue!" exclaimed Puck, ignoring Will's outstretched hand and instead giving him a rib-crushing hug. "You gotta hold down the fort back here now that I'm gone."
"Haha yeah…" Will said, vaguely. "I'll do that. Are you all right?"
"Yeah man… I mean, as all right as I can be…" said Puck, trailing off. "But… I don't know… there is something that bothers me…"
"What?" asked Will.
"Well like… I can see myself getting picked. I've got a fighting chance; I know I can kick ass and take names when I need to," said Puck. "But everyone else… I just don't get it. Why them? Quinn is tough, too, but she's still not back to 100% after her accident. And Sam's very athletic and all, but his family is suffering enough. They can't afford to lose him. And Tina… Jesus, why did Tina get picked…?"
"Well… it's always random…" Will muttered. "But… I agree, it's ridiculous that all of our tributes were from New Directions…"
"Yeah, but that's not what I mean," said Puck. "Quinn… she's going to Harvard! Sam's got a family to support. Tina's gonna have to fill Rachel's shoes next year… but I mean… they've all got plans and stuff. They can't go to the arena… but, even then, they've got a reason to fight. They're not like me; I've got nothing else going for me so this makes sense that I'd go in…"
"Puck, no. Stop right there," Will hissed, turning him away from the others and speaking in a low voice. "That is not true and you know it. You aren't the hopeless guy you pretend to be. I know things are rough and you've had some trouble in the past, but this is not a punishment and you do not deserve this."
"I know, I got my pool business and I mean I had plans for that too," said Puck. "And yeah my ma's gonna be really worried about me in there… but my old man didn't even come around and let's face it I was on my way to being just like him…"
"Puck, I forbid you to say anything else negative about yourself," said Will. "I mean it. If you so much as utter one self-depreciating word in the next two hours…"
"What? You gonna 'expel me,'" Puck asked, grinning sarcastically. "Fine, fine. I won't be like that then, happy? Besides… just think of how many chicks I'm gonna get to bang when I get back… the victor of the Hunger Games; ain't gonna be no guy more manlier than me."
"That's… the spirit, I guess!" said Will, chuckling. "Good luck, Puck."
It seemed as if Roz's tactics weren't going to hold up much longer, because Sue came in next and gave them the heads-up that they were calling in three additional Peacekeepers to restrain her. Most of the New Directions began to leave the area, while Mike and Tina went into one of the classrooms for a few minutes of privacy, as did Sam and Mercedes. As will turned to head down the hallway, he almost ran directly into Shelby Corcoran.
"Shelby…? What are you doing here…?" asked Will.
"Oh… I just wanted… well… I wanted Beth to see her birth parents one more time before the arena…" said Shelby, quietly.
"Ah… right… well, I'm going to be outside trying to help get Roz out of her sticky situation. If you need me," said Will, beginning to walk away.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry!" Shelby called after him. "They had six guys and two women down when I was out there; Roz is really giving it to 'em."
Shelby turned the corner and saw Quinn and Puck talking quietly to each other, serious looks on their faces. They turned as they heard Shelby's footsteps. The young mother smiled sadly as she walked in, with her adopted daughter still cradled in her arms. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments.
"So… I guess you've heard the news…" Puck said.
"I have," said Shelby.
"Why'd you bring her here?" asked Quinn, quietly. "Surely you knew the danger…"
"Well… originally it was just me," Shelby admitted. "Beth was at a daycare nearby… but when I heard your names called, I knew I couldn't let her miss seeing you… you know, before you go in…"
Beth was getting bigger. It had been a couple of weeks since Quinn and Puck had last seen here, due to preparations for the Reaping and their busy work schedules. Beth yawned widely and began to fidget; she was waking up from her nap. Shelby handed her to Puck and he held the baby out for Quinn. Their baby. They hadn't even considered her in all of this. What if they didn't come back? Would Beth ever remember them?
"She's got your eyes, Quinn," said Shelby. "And Puck she's got your… sense of adventure."
Puck chuckled and Quinn smiled sadly. Tears clouded her vision momentarily and she wiped them away, sniffing. Puck seemed to be trying to keep his emotions in check, too. After a few more minutes of silence, they heard a door open in the distance. Time was up and the Peacekeepers were on their way in.
"Here… you should go…" said Quinn, her voice cracking. "I don't want… them to hurt you or Beth for being here too long."
"R…right… well… I just wanted her to see you again," said Shelby.
"Just promise us one thing," said Puck. "If we don't make it back… don't ever let Beth see the replays of this year's Games. You don't even have to tell her about us if you don't want to."
"No. She'll know that, for sure," replied Shelby, as she took the sleeping baby back into her arms. "I'll make sure she knows just how brave her birthparents were. But… you know… when you come back, you can tell her that yourself."
It was her turn to have a voice crack, right when she got to the "come back." This made Beth stir even more and, as the marching of the Peacekeepers got closer, she turned and left. Just before she turned the corner, Beth opened her eyes, blinked, and gave a little wave at Quinn and Puck, who waved back just before Shelby turned the corner and the Peacekeepers came to collect them.
"Well… I guess I already lied once today," said Puck.
"Howso?" asked Quinn.
"I said I had no reason to fight," said Puck. "But… now I do."
"Yeah," said Quinn. "For Beth's sake… we have to come back."
Once Sue came with the Peacekeepers to collect her charges, she led them through the school. The halls were deserted and silent. Obviously the Peacekeepers were keeping them as far separated from everyone else as they could.
"When we get outside, don't answer any questions they may ask you," said Sue. "The Representatives of the Gods will answer those questions. And if you see that Jewish kid, punch him in the face."
"Will-do, Coach," said Quinn. "And… don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."
Sue turned her head to quickly glance at Quinn. For the briefest moment, there was shock on her face, which turned to a quick smile, and then to a grimace as she turned back to fling the doors of the school wide open. A wall of Peacekeepers kept the shouting and screaming crowd restrained as they walked quickly for the limo waiting for them. Just as they were about to climb in, the sound of microphone feedback made them spin around.
"Um… if… we could have everyone's attention, just real quick…" said Finn.
The New Directions were standing on a small, raised platform near the front of the school. The cameras were trained on them and everyone was dressed up in full stage make-up. It was amazing they'd had time to put it on between their goodbyes and now. But nobody looked happy, even Brittany. There was an awkward silence as everyone adjusted to get a better view of them. And then Finn continued to speak.
"When we found out we were picked for District 11's Reaping," Finn began. "We had no idea we'd be saying goodbye to some of our own. We were approached and they asked us to do a sort of farewell tribute song for our tributes from McKinley High."
"We thought long and hard about what to do, even before today," added Rachel, who had a microphone herself. "And though it was incredibly last-minute, we did come up with something."
And then there was another awkward pause. Everyone in New Directions looked at each other, nodded, and then promptly set down their microphones and started to file off the stage. There was nothing but confused whispering for a few moments until Finn finally picked his back up and started to talk again.
"But we can't go through with it. There's nothing we can do and sing right now that would adequately describe our feelings," he said.
"That's right," added Rachel, picking up another microphone. "Because… this isn't right."
"We know everything is ruled by the Gods and we're at their mercy. We don't dispute that at all," said Mercedes.
"But that doesn't mean we have to do you any favors," added Mike.
"You took away integral members of our group. We couldn't do a full performance now even if we wanted to," said Artie.
"So we're just gonna say this," said Santana. "We're going to get our tributes back. One way or another. We won't submit to you like this. We still have our pride."
"We've been bullied, beaten, slushed, and judged all our lives just because of who we are," said Blaine. "And the Gods are supposed to be our solace, our reprieve. Well… you haven't helped us."
"And now you're doing even worse by taking away people we care about. That is super not cool," Brittany added.
"So until you give us our friends and members back… we're not going to play along nicely. We're not singing for any Gods that would shamelessly hurt the people they're supposed to serve," said Rachel, her voice rising with each word until she was practically shouting hysterically.
There was silence. And, once again, all of New Directions threw their microphones down in disgust and left the stage, heading away from the school and into the crowd. They stopped only once to look back at Quinn, Puck, Tina, and Sam, giving them a nod and a sad wave, before continuing their walk away. Back in the center, the cameras were practically spinning in the air from confusion, and the reporters were clamoring the Peacekeepers and other officials for quotes and answers.
"Let's go. There's no exit we could possibly make that would outdo that," said Sue.
They got into the car and they drove away in silence. Nobody said a word. They were too busy dealing with the conflicting emotions of fear for themselves, for all their friends who had just defied the Gods, of sorrow at their losses, and of nervousness for the coming days of training ahead. But once they got to the airport, and began walking to the plane, Puck suddenly threw his arms around the others.
"Let's do this. We've got the best gift anyone could ask for. Our District basically just told the Gods to fuck off. We can't let them outdo us," said Puck.
"Yeah," said Sam. "No matter what, we're going to get through this. Hell, we'll win so fast that the Gods won't even know what hit them."
"I… I'll do my best," said Tina, gulping. "But… don't expect much."
"Hey, Mr. Schue said Puck had to stop being negative about himself… so do you," said Quinn, hugging Tina. "Let's do this for New Directions."
Sue, following a few paces behind them, smiled as she watched the tributes climb into the private jet they'd been given. Then she turned back towards the distant city of Lima, hoping that the actions of the rest of the damned Glee club hadn't marked them all for death as well. With a final, whispered prayer for their safety, she climbed into the aircraft and shut the door behind her.
Author's Note:
This completes the introduction for District 11. Once the remaining introductions are uploaded for the remaining districts, I will finally be able to start writing the story of the actual games, starting with the introductory parade and interviews.