District 2: Jaehaera Blackfyre (17) Pov-
The reaping always reminds me of my half-brother, though the memories fade further and further each year. Daeron was eighteen when he died in the Hunger Games five years ago. I watched the boy from District 10 beat him to death with the butt of his knife, wanting to draw out the kill to attract sponsors.
Most people would assume I'd be heartbroken at the loss of someone so close to me. But I just watched his body waste away on my television screen with wide, tired eyes. I might have even been happy. I could never bring myself to call Daeron my brother. He was my lifelong bully. Even his name brings back memories of all the times he'd beaten me, cornered me against the wall with a knife like a wild animal as he laughed.
I wake up along with the sun. It's my last day of training and I want a few hours to hone in on a few skills before the reaping. My trainer at the academy says I'm showing some of the strongest competition District 2 has seen in a while.
My feet speed out of my room and down the stairs. Past sleeping Rhaenys, my half-sister who's super mad that I got the spot of volunteer and who lately seems to be looking for any excuse she can find to yell at me; past my parents, who'd kill me if they caught me up at this hour (possibly in both senses of the phrase) and out the front door.
The jog to the academy only takes a few minutes. I push open the front door and find Sara waiting for me just like she promised.
"Come on, we only have two hours until the reaping!" Sara calls, already changed and ready to start training.
"Hold on, I just got here." I step into the entrance hall that I must have been in a million times before. Sara starts gathering weapons as I speed down to the locker rooms to get ready.
I'm so lucky to have Sara in my life. Ever since Daeron and Rhaenys started bullying me, she and a few other girls have been the only people I can talk to. I have no idea how I'd have gotten through the years without her support.
"Jaehaera?" Sara calls from upstairs.
"Coming!" I shove my things into my locker and slam it shut before hurrying upstairs.
District 2: Nero Ryker (18) Pov-
I am never home on Sundays. Ever since the academy chose me as the volunteer, I've set aside as much time as humanly possible to train. The only problem is that I'm often needed around the house to do some of the heavier work along with my father. But when he's off work on Sundays and goes out to watch old Hunger Games with friends, I have the whole day to myself.
Crash! I bring down my bladed whip and let the teeth sink into the cloth dummy. Standing back to give my arms a bit of extra momentum, I yank the weapon back with all of the force I can muster up. The dummy is torn in half and collapses to the floor, causing little pieces of cloth to scatter and flutter to the ground like snow.
The whip whistles through the air as I spin sharply on my heel. I'm drenched in sweat by the time I find another dummy to destroy. In seconds, Dummy Number 2 looks like it was thrown into a power fan.
"Not bad at all," my trainer says with a smile.
I'm too exhausted to do anything but nod.
"Just remember to follow through with your strike. Like throwing a ball."
I get into position to try again. This time, I make sure to follow through with my blow. I might have hit it a little too hard. The mannequin flies off of the table and lands with a thud ten feet back.
"I think it's dead," I say. My trainer awards me with a rare laugh.
"Just so you know, you don't have to worry about ruining all the dummies. We get new deliveries every week."
District 2: Jaehaera Blackfyre (17) Pov-
I don't remember our escort's name. She says it a few times as she reads the Treaty of Treason, but I'm too busy thinking about what I'll do in the Capitol and how I'll go about training to listen up. I only really pay attention once she starts walking toward the girl's reaping bowl to pick a name.
She grabs a slip and starts sauntering back to the microphone. A lot of the girls around me shift around uncomfortably like they're scared it'll be them. But there are always volunteers in District 2. Even if something happened and I wasn't able to go into the games, there'd still be plenty of other academy students in reserve.
"The female tribute from District 2 is…" She squints to read the paper. "Tia Stone!"
"I volunteer as tribute!"
I haven't even run halfway to the stage when somebody steps out of the crowd. Rhaenys. It's not like I wasn't expecting this. She's furious that I earned the spot of volunteer and she didn't.
"You're not going up there," she says, her tone as sharp as daggers.
"Yes, I am." Three peacekeepers are already rushing toward the scene. Citizens all around are craning their necks to see what's going on. Our escort is frozen in place and quivering terribly.
"I volunteer over her!" Rhaenys shouts.
"But… well, sweetie, you can't… she already" the escort stutters.
"I don't care! I'm going to go into the games!" she says, starting for the stage.
That's when I flip. I hurl my body weight at her with all of my might and kick her leg with all the strength I can muster. The snap is sickening. Rhaenys lets out a little mewl of pain and crumples like a sock puppet. I smugly finish my trek to the stage.
"And what's your name, dear?" She seems to have found her way back to forming complete phrases.
"Jaehaera Blackfyre."
District 2: Nero Ryker (18) Pov-
You'd think the citizens of District 2 had just witnessed a murder. Given the circumstances, it's not completely impossible that they have. The sounds of gasps and crying children from the back rows shatter the silence of the square. The peacekeepers drag the moaning girl away.
"Leg broken," I overhear one of them say.
"Now, let's choose a male tribute!" the escort says with a clap.
She zips to the boy's bowl and fishes for a name.
"I would like to welcome to the stage…" she pauses for dramatic effect. "Orrin Clarence!"
"I volunteer!" I announce, raising my hand into the air. My quick feet carry me through the crowd and up the dozen steps of the Justice Building.
"Can you give us a name?"
"Nero Ryker."
"Fabulous. Let the eighty-third Hunger Games begin!"
District 2: Jaehaera Blackfyre (17) Pov-
My father thunders into the Justice Building looking like the veins on his neck are about to explode. He's mad. And I know well that when my dad gets mad, he gets mad.
"It served her right," I say.
"You broke her leg! In two places! What were you thinking?"
"I was the chosen volunteer."
"That doesn't give you the right to injure her!"
"She's my lifelong bully!"
"She's your sister!"
"She was never my sister! She beat me and hurt me and blamed all of her problems on me!"
"Nonsense! Rhaenys would never hurt a fly!"
And my dad's time is up. The two peacekeepers have to literally drag him away as he spouts curses.
District 2: Nero Ryker (18) Pov-
My family shows up looking more concerned than they should be.
"Are you sure you've got this?" my brother Clay asks.
"Yep," I reply with a smile.
Dad speaks up next.
"Find water as soon as you can."
"Okay."
"Don't trust any vegetation with bright coloring."
"Okay."
"Don't stay too close-knit with the other careers."
"Okay."
"Make sure you…"
"Dad! I've got this in the bag. I've trained for the games for years. I think I know a thing or two about how to play."
Thank you to Sparky She-Demon for Jaehaera and TheRTA for Nero! Please tell me how I'm doing!
Question 1: How did Jaehaera's half-brother Daeron die?
Question 2: How many steps does the District 2 Justice Building have?