Edited: 1/28/2017
Warning: Curse word
Dick's footsteps on white tile was the only sound as he paced the "purifying" room. The only colors other than white and silver was the green of his hoodie. There was a small shower in one corner and a metal table and chair placed in the center of the room. A full-length mirror hung on one wall along with a few hooks and light fixtures. He didn't really want to know why the humanoids called it a "purifying" room, but as the door opened, he had a feeling he was going to find out.
A humanoid entered and gave him a pleasant smile. He was much shorter than other humanoids he had seen, with skin that had an orange tint to it, like a spray tan. His hair was bleach blond and spiky. Piercings ran along the edges of his elvish ears and one glinted from his left eyebrow. He wore a black, sleeveless top and pants that were made of a denim-like material. His feet were bare and had claw-like nails. Black eyes traced up and down Dick's body and he really hoped the guy didn't have x-ray vision.
"You must be Dick," the humanoid said. His voice was surprisingly soothing coming from someone with pointed teeth.
"You know my name," Dick replied warily, "but I don't know yours."
"I'm Lein, your stylist."
Dick's eyebrow raised, "my stylist?"
Lein nodded, "yes. My job is to make you look good."
"Well, that's not really hard to do," said Dick hesitantly and Lein laughed.
"With a face like that, I'd imagine not."
"What, exactly, do I need to look good for?"
Lein waved in a few assistants that were each carrying a black duffle bag. Dick tensed. The last time he was in a strange room with a strange man with a duffle bag, he had come away with a new set of scars. While he didn't think Lein wanted to do anything too twisted to him, his mind kept coming up with worse case scenarios.
"Now," Lein said as the assistants finished unpacking the bags. Beauty products of every kind lined the metal table. He turned to Dick. "We have only a few hours till the Champion's Parade, let's get started."
Despite his protests, the assistants stripped him, shoved him into the shower, and scrubbed him till his skin was raw. They were luck none of them ended up with a black eye. Once he had been thoroughly sterilized, they dried him off and rubbed his body with varies oils and lotions that brought out the tan of his Romany skin and made it glow. They handed him a pair of black shorts to wear and sat him down in the metal chair. While they worked on covering up his various scars, Lein ran a comb through his damp hair. "So, what is this parade thing about?" He asked trying not to move.
"The Champion's Parade," Lein corrected.
"Yeah, that."
"It is a celebration to introduce this year's newest champions. Viewers will get a first impression of you and how well they think you will do in the Arena. From there they will begin deciding if they wish to sponsor you or not."
"Sponsor me?" Dick questioned.
"Fans will place bets on who they feel will win and will likely send aid to the champion they are sponsoring, such as weapons or medicine."
"So, basically I want to get as many sponsors as possible?"
"Yes, and your mentor will help you with that." Lein said running some product through his hair. Sensing Dick's next question, he continued. "A mentor will guide you through how the Games works and will help you get sponsors. They will explain all of this in more detail when you meet them." He tapped Dick's shoulder to get him to stand and brought him over to the black bag that was hanging on one of the hooks by the mirror.
Dick's eyes widened as the bag was unzipped and he saw the costume. While it didn't look exactly like his Robin costume, there were some elements to it that had taken inspiration from his uniform. The tunic and pants were lined in red and were snug against his body. The inside of the hood was red and ended in a point, almost looking like the beak of a bird. The cape was made of black and blood red feathers and the corners brushed the floor. The boots and gloves were a perfect fit and the domino mask had sharper edges than his current one.
When he looked at his reflection, he almost didn't recognize the boy that stared back. "What do you think?" Lein asked as he gently placed the hood over his head.
Dick took a deep breath. "Well, I look like a total bad ass, if that's what you were going for."
Lein chuckled, "Come on, it's time." He was escorted to a chamber filled with people, horses, and chariots. Each chariot was designed to complement the costumes of its champions. The horses were all different breeds and each one was magnificent. There was a giant, Star Wars door that took up the entire far wall. People weaved through the room, some were humanoid while others weren't.
"Overwhelming, isn't it?" said a voice behind him. He turned and it took all his will power to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Barbara stood there in a suit similar to his but purple instead of red and no hood. This allowed her red hair to frame her face with fiery waves. She was gorgeous.
"Definitely whelming," Dick mumbled.
"What?" Barbara asked.
He shook his head slightly to focus. "Nothing, you look good."
Barbara blushed. "You too, short-pants." She replied and Dick felt his own cheeks heat up.
He cleared his throat. "We, um, better find our chariot." He stuttered. He turned and accidently bumped into someone.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Sorry," Dick said as he steadied himself. The girl he ran into had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and looked to be about sixteen or seventeen. The boy next to her had blood hair and blue eyes and seemed to be about the same age as the girl. They both were pitch black costumes.
"Do you normally try to knock people down?" She asked glaring at him.
"The people I normally knock down don't always get back up." Dick said.
The boy chuckled. "Given what we heard about you, that sounds about right." He extended a hand to Dick, who shook it. "I'm Peeta Mellark and the friendly one is Katniss Everdeen."
