Kenji Huang
"And don't you come back!" I drop the kid and he falls to the ground, clutching his nose. "You hear me?" The kid starts to cry, trying to curl into a ball. "I said, do you hear me?"
"Yes, yes," the kid moans.
"Good," I kick him one last time for good measure. I turn around to see Bayon, my sixteen year old sister, leaning against the wall. "My work here is done. That kid won't come back on the gang's streets again."
"If you say so," she shrugs. Before I can say anymore, Beyon is running off through the streets. I hate it when she does that. She's by far the fastest runner I know, so I decide to check the rest of the back streets instead of follow her.
It's Reaping day, so no one's out. When I return to the street I started on, the kid is gone, but I can see his blood. That'll teach him to stay away from my gang.
Shenji, Bayon's twin, instantly comes to mind. He always asks me how it's possible that I feel absolutely no guilt. I never really know how to answer, because I don't understand the concept of guilt in the first place. Blood makes a lot more sense.
Since there's nothing interesting going on today, I head down an alley until I'm at the window. I smashed it open a long time ago. The building is abandoned, so I've taken over it.
I jump up and swing through the window, landing on my feet in the building. I open up an old dresser and look in to see my knife collection.
I've gotten my knives from a lot of different places. Some I've stolen. Some I've won from fights. A few I've even bought. I pull out my favorite, one I stole from the Head Peacekeepers house, and tighten my grip on it.
It's a beautiful knife, encrusted with rubies on the handle. The blade is sharp enough that I would draw blood to my hand just by touching the edge. I don't think the Head Peacekeeper ever used it.
Spinning on my heel I slam the knife forwards. It soars out of my hand and towards the portrait hanging on the wall. The nails itself into the heart of the painted lady, and in the dim light, I retrieve my blade.
I throw my knife again, and this time it hits the center of the target I drew onto a couch. I use every piece of furniture in the abandoned building for target practice.
Leaving the knife buried in the sofa, I step back to the dresser and select four knives at random. I hold two knives in each hand and prepare for my next attack. Two knives are released at once, both from my right hand, and head towards the couch. As soon as I feel the metal leave my hand, I spin and release the other two knives. They implant themselves in the center of the table legs, one on the right and the other on the left. When I turn back around, I see that the first knives are in the center of the couch target, next to my favorite knife.
I use my muscle to yank the knives out of the table, and then easily pull them out of the fluff in the couch. Placing my knives back in their drawer, I charge and jump out the broken window, and land perfectly on the cracked street outside.
Shenji Huang
"Really, Shenji?" Cara giggles.
"Really. And your eyes - they remind me of little stars. They're making up this beautiful constellation."
"What's the constellation, Shenji?"
"I believe it's named Cara," I grin.
"Shenji, you are the best boyfriend ever!" She smiles as I run my fingers through her blonde hair. I lean in closer to her.
Suddenly, laughter is erupting from the corner of the room. I turn to see my twin sister, Bayon. "Bayon, get out!" I can feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment. Cara is blushing too.
"Whatever," Bayon rolls her eyes at me. "Mom sent me in to tell you that the Reapings are starting in an hour, so you need to change. But, I found you're little scene amusing enough to watch." Bayon puts on a straight face. "Cara, get out of here. I believe you are sixteen, and very much eligible for the Reapings too."
Cara skitters out of the room and Bayon continues to stand in the corner silently. Bayon has always been my best friend, but there are some things I hate about her. Like that she spies on me. She's quiet, sneaky, and secretive - all the things I'm not. And she uses it against everyone.
"Bayon, honestly, don't you have better things to do with your time than watch me?"
"Oh, I have plenty of better things to do. Serious things. Sometimes I just need comic relief," Bayon gives me one of her twisted smiles.
"Fine, just, whatever," I shake my head. "Now get out of my room so I can put my Reaping outfit on."
"See you later," she turns and steps out of my room, her feet not making a sound.
I look in the mirror and nod at myself. I'm definitely handsome. No wonder the girls fall for me. I'm one of the only tan kids in District Three, despite the fact that I do work a lot as a trainee for the mine blowing department of the Hunger Games.
I'm learning how to set up mines in the arena, and am very good at making and disarming them. Although I don't have a photographic memory like Beyon, I'm really good at memorizing mechanical codes and patterns.
I continue to stare at myself in the mirror, taking in my blue eyes and messy brown hair. There is evidence that I once had a face full of freckles, but those are mostly gone now. It does let me look much more mature.
I pat the last wrinkles out of my suit and step into the hall. Bayon is waiting in the hall for me, wearing a short black dress. She looks great, Mom always spent more money on Beyon than on her two sons. I don't see my older brother Kenji anywhere, and I honestly don't care. Every time I try to talk to him, I end up with a bloody nose.
"You ready for the Reapings?" Bayon asks.
"I've done this every year, lets just get this over with," I shrug.
We walk out the door and through the dirty streets, in between the concrete warehouses. I hear rats and orphans skittering around deep in the allies, probably trying to avoid my brother. He's ruthless.
Soon Bayon and I are in line to get registered. When my finger gets pricked, I flinch involuntarily. I can just feel Bayon smirking at me from behind me.
"C'mon," she rolls her eyes. "Lets get to the sixteen section." We make our way through the terrified twelve and thirteen year olds, the skittish fourteen and fifteen year olds, and finally to the restless sixteen year olds.
It isn't long before the escort Tiberius Clawfire has walked onto the stage. His fiery hair contrasts greatly with his dark skin, and his yellow eyes remind me of a cat. No one really knows much about him, except that he isn't the typical escort. He's not perky and obnoxious. If anything, he's mysterious.
He tells us in a level voice about the terrible Rebellion, and how the Hunger Games were designed to remind the Districts of their sacrifice. He also explains the purpose of the Quarter Quell, and how entire families died. I mostly ignore him.
He finally makes a comment that grabs my attention, and I can tell Bayon is shocked too. "Boys first," Tiberius says. For the first time, I check for my brother Kenji. He looks bored, like he wasn't thrown off at all by the change in order. I'm partially surprised that he showed up at the Reapings at all.
"This years male tributes will be the sons of..." Tiberius grabs a name, "Natasha Huang." I watch as my Mom carefully makes her way up to the stage, holding her head, and her dignity, high. "Natasha's sons, please come forward."
Bayon's staring at me, but I'm not moving, I'm just staring ahead. I want to move, I really do, but I've forgotten how to move my feet, and, heck, what are feet?
Then I feel a strong hand wrap around my wrist and I think it's a Peacekeeper, but when I look up, I see Kenji. I prepare to get punched, but instead, he starts pulling me forward. "We're gonna make it out of that arena," he seethes.
I follow him, but I'm even more stunned than before. That's the nicest thing Kenji's said to me in my entire life.
"What are your names?" Tiberius asks.
"Shenji," I mutter.
"Kenji," my brother says, his voice low.
Bayon catches my eye from the middle of the crowd, and for the first time in my life, I think she looks worried.
Bayon Huang
My brothers got Reaped. My brothers got Reaped. How did this happen? This wasn't supposed to happen!
Kenji can make it. That much I know. He meets all the criteria of a Victor. He's ruthless, strong, brave, and amazing with a knife and hand to hand combat. He can win. It's Shenji I worry about.
Shenji is smart and he can activate and deactivate bombs with lightning speed. But he couldn't really win, on his own at least. If him and Kenji made a team, they could be unstoppable, but I'm not sure Kenji would actually do that. Kenji has no sympathy, not even for his own brother.
Now I'm trying to come up with what to say to convince Kenji to help Shenji, and how to convince Shenji to trust Kenji. The thing is, I don't think Shenji should trust Kenji. Goodbyes are soon! I have to come up with something to say.
"Now for the girls," Tiberius says. "This years female tributes will be the daughters of..." Tiberius moves over to the girls bowl, "Natasha Huang!" Tiberius stares in awe at my mom. "It's like a family reunion up here!" Kenji turns and slaps Tiberius. I can see the anger in his eyes like flames. I feel the same hatred burning inside of me.
I march up to the stage, mad at Tiberius, mad at the world. Soon I'm in front of the microphone. The words are pouring out of my mouth before I know what I'm saying. "This, I have to say Tiberius, is the most interesting family reunion I've had yet!" I turn and kick him in the shin and now Tiberius is stumbling back, clutching the spot on his face where Kenji slapped him and hobbling on the leg I didn't kick.
Serves him right. After I win these games, I never want to see another Capitol person again.
AN
Welcome back to my story! I hope you have enjoyed it so far. Thank you tasherekalb for the Huang family and bumbleinmich for Tiberius. I sincerely apologize to Tiberius for what he was forced to endure in this chapter, but it was necessary. A family reunion indeed!
I apologize if this chapter was a little shorter than normal. The female tribute point of view was only displayed once because Bayon is already introduced through the eyes of Kenji and Shenji.
Lastly, I'm introducing sponsor points. I meant to do this earlier, I apologize for being so late. This means that through different acts (such as reviewing) you can earn points towards buying supplies for your tributes and your favorite tributes. If you check my profile (and below), you can see how many points you and your fellow readers have earned. Directly below is the list of actions and their point value (this is also on my profile):
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