It's never usual for me to get 114 views on this fanfic in a day, heh. You guys are slightly awesome.
Which means y'all are pretty kickass. Thanks for the reviews and such.
Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff.
. . . . .
"Something isn't right." Robin muttered as he paced around the empty hallway. He and Beast Boy were waiting for their turn to show the Gamekeepers what they had to show off. The female tribute from district 12, Katniss, was in with them now. "There has to be something wrong with this picture. Twenty-four teens who are given one little vaccination end up in critical condition in a few minutes to the point where they are put on life support. Just a few hours after that they're acting like nothing is wrong. If anything, they look better than what they did the day before."
Beast Boy was sitting in one of the twenty-six chairs, watching his leader pace back and forth. He itched one of his pointy ears and sighed. Leave it to Robin to take things a bit too seriously. "Maybe they were allergic to the medicine or something."
Robin shook his head. "One or two I could understand, but all twenty-four?" He asked, giving his teammate an incredulous look.
Once again, Beast Boy shrugged. "Just sayin'."
The Boy Wonder continued to pace around, trying to sort things out. Beast Boy shook his head and let his leader fret, allowing himself to relax and think about what the hell he wanted to do. These guys needed a serious kick in the arse. The bigger the number, the more of a threat. And in order to get that big number, he needed to shock everyone. This was the good thing about being a shape-shifter, he figured. What could be more frighting than a T-Rex?
"Beast Boy." A man's voice called.
Out walked Katniss, back straightened confidentially with quite a red face. He wondered what she went through. With a quick nod to Robin, Beast Boy followed the man into the...beaten up room. What have people done?
What used to be the training arena looked more like some ancient ruins now. Props were destroyed (some even looked a bit singed, like they were in a fire), craters littered the floor and walls, and the table that held the Gamemakers foods and wine was nothing but splinters by their feet. And for some reason, a baked pig was dangling on the wall by an arrow. He wrinkled his nose- the poor thing. He hoped they respect his being a vegetarian and take the thing down before he started. But apparently the pig-on-an-arrow was the last thing on their minds, for they didn't even give it a second glance once he walked in.
Remembering some advice Haymitch gave to them before coming down for the session, Beast Boy bowed to the Gamekeepers. Apparently this was make sure Beast Boy knew who was really running the shots, and a nice little ego boosts for the latters. Nice.
One Gamekeeper near the roasted pig looked at a clipboard. "You have the power to change into any animal you wish, yes?"
Beast Boy nodded, keeping silent.
"Alright. You may begin." He said, waving it off like it was no deal. But Beast Boy knew otherwise.
Though their bodies were turned towards his direction, Beast Boy could see that the Gamekeeper's faces and minds were elsewhere. Some were glancing back at the pig with an arrow through its chest in the wall, or at one of the many pieces of ceiling that lied on the floor. Some were muttering out of the corners of their mouth, chattering nervously to each other. Once thing Beast Boy learned...: Keep their attention! And he had the perfect way to do it. Besides, these guys needed a wake-up call anyway.
Beast Boy transformed into a lion, making it look as majestic and terrifying as he could. He opened his jaws and sucked in a breath before exhaling it in a roar that surprised even him. It was quite satisfying to see all eyes on him, along with a few squeals afterward. Now the party could begin! He nodded in his lion form, as to show that he was pleased with the sudden attention. And he planned to keep it.
He backed up a bit and lowered himself until his furry belly almost touched the floor. He kept his eyes on one Gamekeeper in particular, who didn't dare look into his own. A growl rumbled in his throat as Beast Boy shifted the weight back to his haunches. He looked like a lion just about ready to tackle his prey.
With another roar, Beast Boy charged towards the man. He zig-zagged around the arena to show speed, dodging around the craters to prove agility. When he was a few yards away from the targeted Gamekeeper he changed into a green, yet terrifying velociraptor. Even more gasps followed that.
Just a few feet...Beast Boy jumped as hard as he could, and opened his mouth wide. Tons of sharp little teeth were heading straight for the man's throat...
And he changed again. Into a little kitten he had once used to cheer up Starfire after accidentally shooting a balloon full of motor oil in her face. With perfect grace, he flopped right into his lap and gave the Gamekeeper (who looked very pale) a cute, big-eyed look. And a purr, just for show.
With that, Beast Boy changed into his regular self again. He didn't really know what else to do. So he just bowed to the Gamekeepers and left without another word.
. . . . .
"That was awesome! You should have seen his face!" Beast Boy said as he walked out of the arena. The green changeling looked ecstatic as he was being escorted back to their rooms by an Avox. "I changed from a lion to a velociraptor to a kitten! By the time I got to him he was as pale as a ghost!" He laughed.
Robin smiled. He wondered what Beast Boy was doing when he heard that roar. If only he would pull off stuff like that at home.
"Robin." The same voice that had called his friend rang in the empty hall before any details could be passed around.
He nodded to Beast Boy, who wished him a good amount of luck. And he would need it- he had no idea what to do.
Robin walked into the arena to find it in the same condition as Beast Boy had. He stepped up to the front and gave the Gamekeepers a slight, slight bow. Why should he bow any lower? He wasn't any slave. Some of the Gamekeepers narrowed their eyes, but didn't say anything against it. Holding back a snort, Robin noticed one in the group looked particularly pale. Poor guy. When Beast Boy wanted to scare the pants off of someone, he did it well and flawlessly.
A Gamekeeper stood, looking at a piece of paper. "You have...no powers. Everything you have learned comes from skill and skill alone?" Robin nodded. "I see. To help you through your assessment, we've invited one of our mentors to help us determine your rank."
Didn't Haymitch say that the tributes were only introduced to certain weapons laying around with props? Giving Robin a sparing-buddy didn't sound too promising for a high number. It was like the Gamekeepers were doubting him. Or at least giving him an unnecessary B.O.T.D, just because he came from a world where people with powers wasn't all that uncommon. Robin narrowed his eyes at the Gamekeepers. "I was told I was going to be doing this alone."
The pale-looking Gamekeeper stared at him warily. Why were they giving him such looks? "We understand. But there have been...a few change in plans, and it's required that you do with with a partner."
"I don't need anybody to show you what number I deserve." Robin knew that he might regret this later, but he didn't want them to doubt him. If he just accepted it, would they Gamekeepers give him a lower rank? Or was arguing with them just screwing him over?
Despite his attitude, the Gamekeeper on the far right made a waving action. The doors behind him opened, revealing another Gamekeeper. Robin glared at him, though the chances of that particular Gamekeeper being at fault for this was slim. He was just another unfortunate opponent.
"You may begin."
The Gamekeeper charged at Robin, but he was prepared plenty ahead of time. He caught an oncoming fist like a piece of cake. The man yelled in surprise when Robin yanked him even closer, followed by an elbow to the chest and a knee to the stomach. Needless to say the man was plenty stunned. Robin tightened his grip on the wrist and put his other hand on the same arm's elbow. With his muscles threatening to tense and a yell coming from his throat, Robin threw the man with his might, sending the man into his fellow Gamekeepers who were observing him with close eyes. The collision send two or three Gamekeepers falling on the back of their chairs with surprised grunts, leaving the rest of them to turn to Robin with surprise. Whether they were surprised by his actions or his disrespect, Robin didn't know. But he said nothing as he gave a curt bow, and left without a word.
. . . . .
RnR, yes?
