7 months before the 128th annual reaping
-Alvis Shirogane, District 3 Male-
Debt.
Each day makes the debt bigger. Each day pressed on, accumulating the weight on his shoulders. The collector, coming to death's door with bags that swung in wind, empty.
Oh, if only the debt was money.
If only it was something that could simply be paid away in a day by his privilege, taken off his shoulders so that he would no longer have to see faces in his dreams, lost souls that would forever sail on the River Styx in their stupid gray ships.
Memento mori.
He would never forget.
As soon as the light was on, Drake was fluttering, close to the glass, greatly anticipating breakfast. He was amused, but he didn't smile. He so rarely did nowadays.
He put some food in the tank, having to watch them to make sure that Knut and Duff were able to eat and Drake didn't hog all the food. Once he was satisfied, he went to the bathroom to get ready for his day. It should be a simple one today… If any day at work could be considered simple, that was. Things could change in the blink of an eye.
Just like he did, every morning.
Jun took his time getting ready – he usually didn't have this much time, but he had awakened early this morning. Unable to sleep. Too worried about… about this unpaid debt, which would never be paid in full. Never. But he was trying, that was why he got out of bed each day. And, maybe he would be able to pay the debt, make it up to them, make it up to himself, and his family. What would they say if they knew who he was? They could see, they could feel the shift in his person. He knew, because they were becoming so distant. Even his own mother. His cousin, practically his older sister. They could all see it. They all knew. The shame burned like the words on his arm. At least one of those things had stopped burning.
He just didn't want to burn forever.
He didn't expect to see mom out this early – his commute to work happened much earlier than those around him. So when he came out to her sipping tea, he was immediately concerned about her. They didn't talk much over breakfast. There wasn't much to talk about – her being a hacker for companies and him with his job, they were both sworn to some degree of secrecy. But at least there was some form of company over breakfast.
Jun looked at the time and realized he had to leave, giving his mother a kiss on the cheek before he left the house, looking both ways to make sure he wasn't being followed. After so many days of not, it felt almost silly to check. But he knew first-hand what happened the one time you didn't check. The one time you were too excited about chocolate and condoms to look behind your shoulder…
The commute took much less time that he would have wanted. He was glad to be greeted by his coworkers, at least. They were still much better than him, in most every way. Or, most every way that mattered. Why did it matter that he was good at his job, when his job made him into such a monster? Allowing the President to be killed like that, all on the orders of a boss… And that wasn't even the worst sin he'd committed.
"Morning Eight!" Red put up a hand in acknowledgement.
"Still didn't shave that goatee? God," he said, shaking his head as Red smiled at him and bounced his eyebrows.
"We're going to have to hold him down and shave him one of these days."
"I'll get the razor!"
"After everything we've been through, man? You monster!"
He laughed, but Red had no idea how true his words were. Thankfully, there wasn't enough time for the ever-perceptive Red to notice the smile that didn't reach his eyes before a voice boomed into the room.
"Agents, fall in!" All of them looked over to where the siblings approached. He still got nervous around Agent Apollo, and it was easy to see why. He barely thought about anything, and if he wanted to pummel his agents, who was going to stop it? Not Junius, he was too busy sucking Apollo's dick. Thankfully, Agent Artemis was with him. Not that she was much more comforting, but she could at least talk her brother down.
Her eyes lingered for just a moment on V before snapping back to the rest of them.
"Red, Eight, you're out in the field today. So go doll your pretty selves up and be ready to leave around six," Artemis said. "V, you'll stay here. We need some… Information put into some files. I will explain shortly."
"If it's about the Spades, you know that's Eight's thing."
Apollo scoffed at that. "We're not going to waste your time, or Eight's, on that nonsense. No need to keep our best guy from the field!"
He was going to say it wasn't a waste of time, but he knew better than to start this bickering again. Apollo knew that he was truly the best of the bunch, but he wasn't about to entertain Eight with petty bickering. If only Grandpa Deck knew about what Jun did – researching on the very organization responsible for his mother's death, all those years ago! He would never know how valuable the information he gave about the Spades was.
He and Red knew the process, though. Transforming into their other selves took longer than it seemed – putting that extra volume in his hair and coloring it steely blonde. Slate gray contacts, navy glasses. It was the same process every time they were going to go out. You would think that living a double life was exciting, but it was mostly just stinky of perfumes and really irritating to your roots.
He wasn't the only one that knew the double life. And he didn't mean Red. He enjoyed talking to Red as they both waited for everything to dry out and do its magic. He pulled the sleeve of his sweater over the writing on his arm as they chatted, but his fingers absently stroked the still-healing scars and scabs.
Soon, he was looking in the mirror at Alvis. He would have to get used to seeing his reflection… If all was well, he wouldn't be changing back soon.
He was curious when Agent Apollo came to get them – mumbling something about another waste of time as they took all the necessary precautions to go into the general public seamlessly as possible.
"What's the mission today?" asked Red as they were taken out to the Presidential limo. It wasn't every day they got such a glitzy form of transportation. He almost missed the unassuming extermination van they liked to ride in. But when his ass hit the comfortable leather, he had no feelings for that stupid thing.
"Well, it's not really a mission…" Apollo was grumbling again. "Junius wanted me to take you on a… Field trip."
"Are we going to the zoo!?" Red asked teasingly, his voice raised like a little kid.
"Oh shut up, would you? No." Alvis opened his mouth to ask for a different place, but Apollo caught him before he did. "Don't even start."
"No fun," he said, shaking his head.
"Junius sent us out to meet the group we'll be responsible for protecting at the party. They need to know who you are if something were to happen."
Alvis frowned. Did Apollo not know about his proposal… He might not be available for this particular duty. That is, if Junius listened to him, and went along with his plan. Eat them out from the inside. Surely he would let Alvis enter the Arena, knowing that he had someone on the inside to find the tributes that were silently chattering about rebellion, and put them to their end. Anything to make it up to them, for what he did.
"Stay here," Apollo instructed, putting on his Peacekeeper helmet and getting out of the car. The door was held open and in the car came the cutest girl he'd ever seen. Her green eyes shot open in surprise when she saw the two men there, immediately becoming tense and cramming her flat ass back away from them until her friend came in, already cheering and hooting about the limo. He was followed by the small bass player, and last came the band's drummer, who squinted at Alvis's matching glasses and reeked of distrust.
They were his age, and yet they were just so easy to read. Lizzie was nervous about the strange men, probably due to her past. Why wouldn't Artemis have come along, knowing what she knew about the group!?
Freddy was torn between protecting her, which he was by putting himself close to her, and being awed about the limo. Mari was shy, trying to be as small as possible, perhaps not feeling that she deserved this. And Bonnie, he was a thinker, just like him. He knew that kid – worked for the government, after all.
But… Bonnie couldn't be just like him… He didn't wish that on anyone.
"One Man Circus, here you have our best agents, sworn for your safety."
"Heya! You can call me Red." He leaned forward to shake their hands.
"Alvis Shirogane. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He leaned over to do the same. Bonnie's handshake was just begging for dominance. Mari's was practically a dead fish – her hands were bony and cold. Freddy's was too active, betraying his nerves and excitement. Lizzie's hands were clammy, but she squeezed his hand anyways, keeping her other arm protectively around herself and making brief eye contact with him.
"Bodyguards! Alright!" Freddy cheered.
"They're not bodyguards, Nitwit. They're agents. Their job is way more than just being a bodyguard."
"He's right, Freddy," Red said. "We are going to do a lot behind the scenes to ensure your safety. You probably won't see much more of us, but if something were to happen, you'll at least know that you can trust us."
"Are the rebels going to try to hurt us?" Lizzie asked them, swallowing nervously as she forced herself to look at the three men. By the way she was grabbing Freddy's arm, Alvis knew it required a lot of willpower from her to do.
"We can't say for sure that they won't," Red said, and seeing the fear that crossed her face broke Alvis's heart. Nobody should have to live in fear like this.
"Miss Afton, it's our job to be a step ahead of them, to prevent anything from happening. Security measures have increased drastically from last year for this purpose. We will pre-approve those allowed to be on the stage with you, and monitor them closely." He cocked his head a little bit and offered a smile, trying to look as unintimidating as possible. "I promise you. You're safe with us, Ma'am."
Lizzie was still frowning, but her mouth wasn't as tense around the corners. At least he stopped tears.
"So, do y'all guys protect Out of Spite too?" Freddy asked. "Or are there just lots of super hot super secret agents running around?"
"Out of Spite is a… Different situation," Apollo said. They weren't hand-picked by Commander Junius, were they? They just didn't know how different the situation was.
"Suspected rebels? Come on, their manager was part of Upward Voyager." Bonnie's voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Alvis. He was just too close to the truth.
"Oo, Bonnie dating a suspected rebel!?" said Freddy. "It's like Romeo and Juliet! Wait, I thought you hated rebels."
"That information is classified," Apollo said. Effectively putting him in his place.
"I don't trust them. In fact… I have a theory about this group."
"My theory? They're AWESOME!" said Freddy, putting up his hands in rocker signs.
"Will you not do that!?" Bonnie asked, swatting him across Mari, who would have sunk into the seat if she wasn't so skinny. The baggy hoody was a Jun classic, but he could see how skinny her little legs were. "Listen. I truly think that the members of Out of Spite are resuscitated tributes. It all lines up, with the group members from last year to this year."
The limo was silent for a moment. In any other situation he would have sweat. But this time, he knew what to do. Alvis started laughing. He had a good hearty laugh, and when he laughed, his fellow agents joined, and so did the other band members. Mari was laughing just a little too loud, which Alvis noted. Bonnie's face went red at being laughed at, and he crossed his arms, the pout setting in.
"What proof did you have?"
"Did you not see the camellia flowers?! And –"
The camellia flowers were definitely not the more subtle choice.
"So you're saying you are convinced that these people are tributes, all because of a bouquet of flowers?" he asked.
"How else do you explain them suddenly deciding to expand after a year, right after the end of a Hunger Games?!"
"They didn't expect to get big, then they did. Their three other members were chosen from hundreds of other Capitolites. Are you implying that Rose, Pierre, and DJ aren't talented?"
Freddy audibly gasped. "Hosanna would beat your ass if she knew you thought that!"
"That's not what I'm saying!" Bonnie said, glaring over at Alvis for backing him into a corner.
"Come on guys, let's hear him out," Red said. "Driver! We gotta go to the store for some tin foil to make listening hats."
"Be nice, Red," Alvis said, shaking his head at his friend as the rest of the limo laughed, save for Apollo who was still wearing his RBF. "Bonnie, we appreciate you trying to protect Panem. You are a true patriot." He reached over to pat Bonnie's knee. "But why don't you leave the sleuthing to us professionals?"
Bonnie glared at Alvis, still obviously not buying his innocence. His mind went too fast. Why he chose to go into government and not be an agent was beyond Alvis. But it was better that he didn't. He was too sharp.
"I want to be a secret agent too!" Freddy said. "How do I sign up?"
"It's… Quite a process. You all just have to do what's best, and perform. The Capitol loves you all, and every time you get on stage, you're bringing the nation closer together."
That caused the band to smile amongst themselves. Alvis kept that cool expression on his face, but he couldn't help but laugh internally at how stupid that comment was. They were all four being used as pawns, just like he himself and the agents were. It was just so sad to see the light in their eyes that came from such… lies. It was all a false pretense.
The rest of the car ride was spent trying to make the group comfortable and dispel any fears. And conspiracies. They even took some time when the car stopped to sign shirts for the two agents. Nobody asked for them, but the group agreed they had to work on signature practice. And it was evident that they weren't lying when Freddy misspelled his name on Alvis's shirt and had to try and turn an "i" into a "y." This group had quite a long way to go.
Bonnie was polite in telling them goodbye, but still had an evil eye pointed right at Alvis as he left the car. Hopefully that would dispel his nonsense for a little bit. Mari gave them all a silent wave. Freddy shook their hands again and tipped an imaginary hat to them. He got out of the car, but Alvis could see him lingering in the doorway, still waiting for Lizzie.
"Can you really prevent them from hurting us?" she asked them, now looking into Alvis's face as she shook his hand one last time.
He held her hand gently with both of his for a moment, gentle enough that she could pull it away at any time if she wanted to. "I can't promise that I can prevent it completely. But I can promise that we would die trying."
Can I really promise that? Oh, how her face lit up from such a blatant lie… He couldn't take it back now. How could he do that to her? But for how relaxed her hand became in his, it was almost worth the lie. Hopefully, she would never have to know that he wasn't telling the truth.
"Ok. Thank you, Mr. Shirogane. I promise, I'll try to keep my friends out of any bad news for you."
"Keep an eye on that conspiracy theorist of yours," Alvis said. "I wouldn't want him to run his mouth to the wrong person and get punished."
"I'll try to keep him under control," she promised. That would be great, if she could do that. It would make everything so much easier.
"Good." He let go of her hand first and gestured to the door. "You should be on your way, now. I hope we meet again, Miss Afton."
"Okay, I hope so too!" She shook Red's hand quickly. "You too, Red. Thank you."
"No problem, Little Lady." She climbed out of the limo and Freddy put his arm around her and took her back inside, where the other bandmates already were. Apollo got back in the car with a huff.
"Now that that bullshit is over, let's get you two knuckleheads on a real mission!"
…
He knew how to get them off his tail. He had to take a walk. A quiet, unassuming walk, while Red recovered from their mission and V scouted the area for the next one. It was in between shifts, and there wasn't a lot of time. Punctuality would be very much appreciated by Alvis. Everything was so tightly regimented where he worked, and he was sure that his… companion… would have a very similarly packed schedule.
He could see the figure approaching. Well, he was smart enough to not shine a flashlight, at least. That would have really gotten both of them in trouble.
"Who are you?" He could hear the voice of a man that was just so exhausted, but still ready to put up a full fight. He could see the gun in his hands – probably not trying to hide it from Alvis on purpose.
Alvis knew when to pick his battles, and showed his hands. "I'm not here to hurt you, or anyone. Just like the note said."
"What do you want then?" He was stepping closer.
"I just wanna talk."
He could hear laughter, bitter laughter, come closer to him. "What do you want?"
"Please. I just want to help." He was close enough so he could see Alvis's face, who quirked up a smirk. "You and your girlfriend in the bushes can aim at me as much as you want. Principato here too? Not sure how well sword combat translates to using a gun, so maybe not wise to bring the one with the shortest fuse."
"Why the hell should I not kill you right fucking now?" Wolf asked, glaring at him.
"You can't kill me. You need me. You need me alive. My name is Alvis Shirogane, otherwise known as Agent Eight. I work for the Secret Service, and quite frankly Wolf my dude, I'm risking both our pretty trans asses to be out here like this. You need what I know. And I want to help you."
"Why should I trust you?"
"At this point, you and Kat – hi Kat, by the way – you don't have a choice. You need my intel. You're already juggling six fugitives, Anna Magdalena, and Joelle. And you're up against someone that knows the truth, and is trying everything to prove it… Including dating one of your own."
"We know what's up with Bunsen already, and we're handling it."
Alvis was genuinely surprised about that, but didn't let it show. "Oh? Found his files? Know he's close to figuring out every little detail, right?"
Now Wolf was caught off guard- he was just worse at hiding it. "And yet even with the coughing and stopping trick you guys choreographed, he still thinks Elliot is involved." Alvis shook his head. He could practically feel Trap simmering behind him, somehow knowing he wasn't going to let Wolf and Kat brave it on their own. Imagine being so loyal. "But I'm running out of time, so I need to know if my services are of interest to you. I can tell you all about the plan to wipe out rebels, in and out of the Arena. And I do admit that I am worried about Ms. Rose." Alvis could hear the clicks of a gun behind forcefully loaded behind him, which were quickly silenced. "What do you say?"
Wolf stared at him for a long second, but Alvis didn't need him to talk to know what he was going to say. "I don't trust you still. But I'll allow you to prove it."
Kat stood up behind him, followed by the tall tribute in question that still had a leaf in his hair.
"We're in."
~.~.
Six months before the 128th annual reaping
-Ridley Ostreuck, District 4-
That damn alarm, always having the gall to snap Ridley out of their dreams. Dreams were the only variety in their life. Dreams could be anything. They could be real, they could be completely out there. They could be sweet, they could be nightmares, hell, they could be horny as hell! Those nights were always good nights. That was the one place that all those damn people weren't harping on Ridley's style all the time! And if they did, at least they got to give all those people a bigass middle finger in their dreams! Didn't matter if they told off all those stuffy adults to go fuck themselves in their dreams, nobody would know or remember it.
If only they could just live in that world forever. Not have to worry about getting up every morning and going to work, or training. Just… Coasting through a dream.
If only it could be true. Ridley closed their eyes again, wanting to drift away, try to get back to that place… But it just wasn't going to happen. The alarm clock was soon blaring again, having only been snoozed and not turned off… Dammit! They always forgot which button to press. Ridley rubbed their eyes and squinted at the clock. Oh damn, it was getting kind of late. If they didn't get their ass up and over to the Center, Scarlet was going to fucking kick their ass. And Ridley did not want that to happen to them today.
They got out of bed begrudgingly, but that annoyance didn't last long. After all, it was a new day. The sun was shining through the clouds. Ridley was going to go train, see their friends, and would get to spend some quality time with Hurley. And then spend some quality time with him. Heh. Ridley couldn't help but bite his lip with a smirk as they got dressed and brushed their hair. It was going to be a good day, they could just feel it. The brush made its way easily through Ridley's hair, which was soon put up away from their face. Was it particularly glamorous? No. But was the life of a Victor glamorous? Completely.
Ridley sighed contentedly at the thought of the great things that were to come as they went downstairs two by two to the kitchen for some breakfast. The hustle was nothing compared to what they would go through today at the Center.
"Mornin' kiddo!" Dad said.
"I'm not a kid anymore," they said indignantly, sitting down at the table. "Now bring me my Fruity Patooties!"
Mom laughed softly as she poured milk into the bowl of fruity cereal and delivered the bowl to Ridley.
"You know, this isn't the most nutritious breakfast for someone that's about to go train all day," commented Pearl gently. "Maybe grab a banana with that?"
Ridley huffed and puffed, but they did it for their sister. They did like bananas and was going to take advantage of the food they had. Ridley knew what it was like to not have… It was never a pretty time. But they weren't in one of those dips so it didn't matter anymore. Those times were beyond Ridley and their siblings. That was what mattered.
"We all know that those Fruity Patooties are just plain sugar in different colors. No wonder you can't ever focus."
Ridley shifted their weight to look at Drayton. "Do you even know what fun is, Dray? What's the point of life if it isn't fun anyways? And don't give me that pompous-" they puffed out their chest- "you can still have fun and be responsible- garbage."
Drayton let out a long sigh at his sibling, shaking his head. "Well, your training will end today. So don't come to me when you don't know what else to do with yourself."
Ridley looked around the table in confusion, their face becoming annoyed at the agreement that was written on their faces. "Why would my training end today? It's Tuesday, y'all. Tomorrow is Wednesday."
They didn't understand the expressions they were seeing around the table.
"Oh, honey," said Pearl under her breath.
"Is anyone gonna tell them or do I gotta do everything around here?" asked Lavaca, the youngest of the siblings. At the silence around the table, she sighed quietly. "Today's the day they'll choose the volunteers."
"Wait, that's today!?" Ridley asked, eyes as wide as dinner saucers as reddish brown cereal milk dribbled down their chin and into their lap. "Why did nobody tell me!?"
The expressions of the family members told a story of guilt, especially Ridley's parents.
"Sweetie, is this really what you want?" asked Mom finally, at the tense silence that was filling the room. "You have such a future here at the farm! You've been doing such a great job with the oysters, even while training. This is really something you can do, Ridley!"
"It is the family legacy, isn't it Rid? You have a gift!" said Dad, trying to smile and pat Ridley on the back, but Ridley was over their little sayings like this.
"This is what I want… I have to go! I'm going to be late for the choosing of volunteers!"
Without even kissing or hugging their family goodbye, Ridley ran out the door, still frowning. They left behind a family that was stunned silent at their sudden departure. It was unlike Ridley to be so upset, usually they just shook everything off…
"This is serious," Pearl said.
"They surely won't pick a volunteer that ran so late," said Marin, worried about her child. "Especially not one like Ridley."
"They'll come around, my dears," said Ned with a smile. He enjoyed so much laughter with his child and knew that Ridley would recover quickly from this blow. "There's nothing to worry about."
"Okay, I gotta go, see ya!" said Lavanca, sitting up and pushing in her chair.
"Where are you going Lavanca? School has off today for the ceremony."
"I'm going to the ceremony! I have to see this shit go down!"
…
Ridley was already halfway to the Center at that point. Their footsteps thundered down an empty pathway, as everyone was already there. The prospective volunteers were already there, warming up, ready to show the Victors what they're made of.
Ridley had to shape up with the rest of them. There was no other option! They could not stay here and farm oysters forever. They just couldn't stand the thought of living that way. Living in that same damn cycle of being dirt poor and maybe being able to have a Winterfest. They needed more, and right now, this was the only way they could possibly get more that they knew of.
Ridley burst through the doors of the Center, heaving with the effort of having run so fast for so long. That survival instinct, that adrenaline… That really proved they were made for this!
Thankfully, the room was still hustling and bustling with trainees warming up. Many of them were holding fake weapons, giving them swings at trainers or their fellow trainees, but everyone constantly had to outdo each other. They were swinging their dicks around, trying to prove who had the biggest. That just really wasn't Ridley's style.
Ridley stopped in the doorway and looked up for Hurley. It took a few seconds to find their boyfriend in the crowd, but as soon as they did, Ridley was full of determination.
"Name?"
Ridley jumped at the voice calling out to them, but was quickly filled with excitement as Bri Garza was approaching them! Ridley lit up like a light at that.
"Ridley Ostreuck, ma'am. Or, well, not ma'am really. I guess, uh… Sir? No, still gendered. How about, my liege?"
Bri quirked a smile at that as they squinted at the holoboard of names, scrolling through and searching. "Uh, which position are you applying for?"
"Volunteer!" Bri raised an eyebrow at them. "Oh, uh, female. Sorry."
"That's quite alright. The binary system is certainly… Outdated." Bri checked the name off of the list. "You do know you were late to being early, don't you?"
"Yes. I'm sorry. It definitely will not happen again!" Hopefully Bri could not see Ridley's record. Hopefully Scarlet also didn't' mention their record. They really didn't try to be late or anything… Sometimes, it just did be like that.
"Alright. You will now not be Ridley, you'll be #269A."
Ridley couldn't help but giggle a little at that. "Sixty-nine," they said under their breath with amusement.
"Go start getting warmed up kid," Bri said with a sigh, sticking the number on Ridley's back.
"I will, my Liege!" Ridley said obediently, not waiting for Bri to walk away before they ran over to an empty spot along the wall where they could start stretching. They wiped sweat off their brow and stretched out their legs and arms, trying to get into the right mindset for today. But at the same time, it was just so exciting. There were people all over from all parts of the District… Rich or poor, they were all here and they all had the same dream as Ridley. Now talk about exciting! This was way different from every day back home at the oyster farm!
"Yo! Rids!"
Ridley looked up at the voice calling for him. From the bleachers, Lavenca was waving to him. They crossed over to her, blushing a little at their little sister bringing so much attention to them.
"You forgot to take any water." She smiled a little bit as she handed them the sparkly blue water bottle. "Go get 'em out there, big sib."
Ridley couldn't help but smile up at her, glad that she had their back. "Way to go sis, you acknowledged your big sib in public with minimal blushing and pouting!" Ridley took her cheek and squeezed it, which immediately started both the blushing and pouting. She swatted their hand away quickly. "Ridley, cut it out!"
Ridley just laughed a little bit and ruffled her hair. "There's that blushing and pouting. Alright, go tell Hurley I love 'im now. I have to finish warming up."
They left her before she could say that she didn't want to and/or refused to do that.
Ridley took a sip of water, and was just barely able to finish stretching before the Victors were calling attention to the meeting.
"Attention!" Microphone feedback caused everyone in the room to cringe.
"This goddamn microphone!" grumbled Scarlet, tapping it with her fingers which caused it to screech again, which caused some of the thirteen-year-old girls in the audience to scream as Port quickly turned down the microphone and then provided a thumbs up for her to try talking again.
"Alright. There we are." With an irritated sigh, she continued. "Good morning, prospective tributes. It is our honor to welcome you here to the Hub here in the center of our beautiful district. Today, two of you will be selected to represent our proud District in the 128th annual Hunger Games." She stopped for the crowd of kids to applaud and cheer, and was not disappointed.
"We will now begin the first round of cuts. If you are cut, you will hear your number be announced on the microphone. Once you hear your number, you will immediately stop training, pack your belongings, and join your friends in the stands. Please give us your very best effort today – we want to pick someone that will win for our District. Now, please take the station of your selected primary weapon and demonstrate your skill, just as if you were performing for your private session."
The teens in the bleachers clapped and hooted, some of them cheering the names of their friends as Ridley went to the station for tridents. Ridley was surrounded by others – many of them much prettier than they. Some were much bulkier as well. But Ridley had something they didn't: sheer determination. Ridley took a trident and swallowed nervously. They weren't completely warmed up due to being late, but that wouldn't stop Ridley. They had to put their best foot forward.
The room was bustling with people, all of them continuing to talk and scream in the echoing chambers of the center. Ridley knew that the Victors were walking (or wheeling) around and checking for form. The first number was announced not long after. It was a B number, so a guy was the first cut. Ridley's heart was pounding, but they pushed through the nerves, refusing to let those get in the way of their dream.
Ridley was soon in the zone. When numbers were announced, Ridley ignored them. They knew that once the others started to react nervously to the distractions, their chance of being cut was even greater. Ridley was not about to get cut for doing something dumb like that.
They kept demonstrating their skills, everything that they'd learned in their years of training. It was all for this moment.
With a cry, Ridley defeated the dummy, breathing raggedly for a moment. It was like the whole room was silent…
Because it was.
Ridley looked around, noticing Lavenca hiding away in her hoodie, and blushed faintly. Oops.
"Anyways," said Port pointedly, "Congratulations for everyone that has made it past the first round of cuts. The second round of cuts will come from technique on your secondary weapon. Please move to the appropriate station."
Ridley could feel eyes on them as they walked to the spear/javelin station.
"Way to go oaf, I bet they'll call you next," said someone next to them. No. Ridley had to focus, but maybe not quite so much this time. They called the second round, and Ridley gave it their all. This round went by without a big fuss, and Ridley was shocked that they made it through.
Now, they were down to 48. They would now do a virtual simulation of the Bloodbath. The only goal? Survive. Kill. If you survive but didn't kill, you would be cut. If you died, you would be cut. Ridley felt nervous as the countdown began. This simulated Arena was indoors – it was a castle made out of legos! The colors were all so beautiful, but Ridley knew what they had to do. This was just a game for Ridley to win.
The gong rang out, but Ridley hesitated for a moment. The front suddenly released a trap of spikes that swung over and took out the first competitor.
Ridley gasped, looking around the situation and trying to figure out what to do. Someone else tried to go around the back of the platforms, but triggered another trap of darts that came and took out her and another girl.
Ridley took a deep breath as another girl set off a trip wire. What was the pattern? They were all stepping on spots that were yellow. Ridley started off very carefully, staying focused, avoiding those yellow squares on the tips of their toes. Then, they jumped across the all-yellow barrier in front of the Cornucopia. Unfortunately, they weren't the only girl to figure it out, and soon they were being tackled by a grinning girl with a dagger in her hand.
It couldn't end like this… Ridley grabbed her wrist and used their strength to push her hand back with a groan. They reached over, trying to grab whatever they could while holding off the girl, and grabbed a knife just barely. They drove the blunt end straight into her forehead, and in her shock, stabbed her neck with the knife. She disappeared from the simulation.
Ridley saw other girls rushing forth. Now was the time for a risk. They took a deep breath and let out a great yell. They threw a backpack straight at the yellow band in front of the horn, which set off the mouth of the horn in flames. Girls shrieked and swatted at the fire, yelling in agony as they tried to put themselves out, running far away from the Cornucopia. Ridley pushed past them, not wanting to stay there and take on the other thirsty Career girls, using the fire as a distraction to make a clean getaway.
From there, it was just a matter of waiting until the Bloodbath was over. It took a long while, but soon, Ridley's eyes opened to the people cheering in the gym. Among them… Lavenca and Hurley. Ridley grinned and waved at them as the last guys were cut and the tournament continued.
The remaining competitors then went through an interview phase. Ridley felt they did alright, but probably shouldn't have mentioned how big that girl's forehead was that they killed in the simulation.
From there, the final battles happened. Completely real life, weapon on weapon, girl on girl. Now was the time for Ridley to shine.
"Alright Ridley!" Hurley's voice softened their heart, before it hardened with a fiery determination.
They were going to win these last few battles. They were going to defeat all of these girls.
When they announced the volunteer, they were going to announce Ridley Ostreuck.
Because damn… They were so ready to leave that boring oyster farm behind!
~.~.
A/N: Now that my horrific incident of terror is over, how about an update?
Snow day + submitter birthday? New intro chapter!
Thank you to everyone for your support. Last update was really revealing in a number of different ways, good and bad. Didn't expect to lose friendships over it, but I don't apologize for what I said. That whole chapter was a call for help and the people that were blind to it were either way oblivious or willfully ignorant. But, now that it's all over (dear God, please let it be over), I just want to continue this story as drama-free as possible. The blog has been updated and so has my profile with the new tribute list and featured tributes. Everyone that wanted to be featured is, so hurray! Now we have one more intro after this and we are a truckin' into the pre-Games!
Big thanks to Legend and VR for Alvis and Ridley respectively. And with that, I'll see you next chapter for the last two featured tributes to be introduced!
