Chapter 4: The Victor

I wait a few days and spend most of my time exploring the cliff and catching my meals with the scythe. The new knife allows me to sneak up on prey too, which helps.

All the while, I think how I can beat the Careers. They will have taken over the Cornucopia by now, as they so often do all the other years. Which means they'll have plenty of supplies and weapons.

But I have to be brave. Even if I fall to them, maybe I can take a few with me, and at least place with a medal. So, I make my way painstakingly back along the cliff face, back towards the horn.

The leader of the Careers, the boy from 1, is carving his broadsword when I come up. "We've been waiting for you, 9. Let's get this over with."

Immediately, I am filled with hope as all four Careers surround me, just as the other tributes did before.

The first to make a move is the boy from 2, with a sword. I dodge at the last second, so that he slices through the girl from 1 as though she is paper. She falls. BOOM.

The boy from 1, distracted for a moment, kills the boy from 2 in revenge. BOOM.

The boy from 1 and the girl from 2 now circle me. But I am grinning with my knife and scythe. I have bronze, even if I die now. But I want to go all the way.

The girl from 2 swipes at me, but I block it with my scythe. Then, I thrust with the knife when she is distracted, landing a stab right between her breasts. Her eyes bug out and she falls. BOOM.

The boy from 1, the leader is the only tribute who remains. And he is beaming. "Thank you for clearing the field for me, 9."

Then he stabs forward with his sword. I block with the scythe and then go in with the knife. The boy from 1, recognizing the trick, blocks.

Just as I expected him to.

Sliding my scythe downward, I slice off his sword hand. He cries out in shock, and then I flip him over my head... and over the cliff.

His death scream is painfully long, but is finally cut off. BOOM.

Claudius Templesmith announces my Victory: "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winner of the 43rd Annual Hunger Games: Daniel Bernhardt! The tribute from District 9!"

Jomilee and Marian are practically dancing when I step off the chopper. A male Victor! At last!

"Wait until Mizar and Laurel see you!" Marian squeals.

I have my final interview with Caesar, I receive my gold medal and the crown is placed on my head. Then, my mentors and I head home.

Becoming a Victor, especially the first male Victor for my district, I become a sensation almost overnight. My parents are quick to show off their Victor-youngest son, which might seem hypocritical of them, since they were perfectly content to ignore me before. But I move into District 9's Victors' Village, and as both are getting older, I let them move in with me.

Now that I've won, girls are suddenly interested in me. But I've seen how Laurel struggles with a husband and two children and her career as a mentor. So I refuse to break the Code.

For years afterward, I mentor the male tribute, which eases the burden off the women's shoulders. I continue to do so even when one of the girls offers to take up the slack. I will only do so when another male from our district wins.

So for decades, I mentor... and mentor... and mentor... to no avail. No other male from 9 wins. No other tribute from 9 wins.