Author's Note: A shorter chapter this time and another of the more unpleasant victors. They can't all be Mags or Chloe! But this one isn't exactly Abraham either. Let me know what you think.
A note out of caution for more extreme arena-based violence and injury.
….
The Twenty-Sixth Annual Hunger Games: Satin Alexandrite, District One
"Well, that's Twelve out this year. At least one of them went in a more interesting way than usual!" Twelve's escort said, as she left the Mentor's Centre. She was looking forward to joining her friends at a Hunger Games first night party, now that she was relieved of her mentoring duties.
Orchard and Maria looked at her, disgusted, as she walked out.
….
"What is wrong with you all!" Orchard raged at the mentors from Districts One and Two. "A serial killer and now her! You better keep watch of this one when she gets out, or there'll be more trouble. Maybe then you'll realise. You are enabling this, bringing more interest in our children killing each other. Nothing will ever be enough anymore! You are part of the reason this all continues!"
Orchard left the Centre as Satin carved her name into his girl's arm.
…...
Abraham laughed. Maybe this victor will like him.
Maria looked on in horror. She thought her friend would have better sense than to choose someone like this. Gem better keep the girl away from Abraham.
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The victors from Nine rarely showed any emotion when their tributes passed away, but this year they thought their boy stood a chance. Now they could only sit, frozen to their seats as the vicious girl from One tied their boy to a tree, taunted him and then carved patterns onto his arms, face and neck before slitting his throat.
….
Woof felt sick. The older girl plunged her knife into his tribute's throat and carved out an 'S' as the younger girl bled out onto the forest floor.
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When their tributes' attack on the volunteer alliance went wrong, Seven's victors were relieved that it was not Satin who got to them first. They thanked Mags, Shai and Chloe as they departed for their floor on the Training Centre, relived that the pair from Four delivered quick kills.
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For once, Max was pleased to see mutts. Normally death by a mutt attack was a slow messy affair, but this year, their poison was fast enough acting that it was much better than being carved up by the District One girl.
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Ellen's girl was the final tribute to be killed with Satin's now signature style. She slit the girl's throat and then carved her initials into the girl's exposed chest. Five's victor was furious. Her girl would be buried with the mark of her killer on her front. She would be spending a long time in the tribute morgue this year, persuading the diener to cover this up as best he can.
….
Mags was nervous. She did not like this Satin girl at all. Gem better know how to handle a victor like this. It was obvious that she would win. Mags made a note to herself to instruct her volunteer candidates to never torture another tribute, or else they would never receive sponsorship gifts.
Shai also knew how these Games would end. He saw the uneasy looks on his boy's face and hoped he would have a quick ending.
Chloe was confused. Slate, the volunteer victor before her turned out to be a serial killer and Satin, the almost certain volunteer winner after her, was torturing outliers and mutilating their corpses. But she was a volunteer and never dreamed of any of that. What were they doing in Four that was so different? Were they doing anything different, or was it just luck that none of their candidates were unhinged? Or were they all like this? All monsters. She knew what Orchard really thought, and could he be right? Liev assured her that she was different, that Mags and Shai were different. But she was not convinced.
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Pluto's tributes died in the bloodbath and he left the Mentor's Centre once Satin had begun her madness. It was all so unnecessary, so uncivilised, and absolutely disgusting. He could not watch. Killing other children cleanly had to be enough surely? So why was it not for this girl?
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Tiber was saddened at the loss of his boy as the volunteers turned on each other. He wanted a victor. He wanted Two to have another victor to erase the image of Slate. He really did not feel cut out for mentoring year on year with no victor. Apparently, career victors were permitted, just not from his district anymore.
Cleo wanted assurances as the District One girl was being pulled from the arena alive that they were not going to have another Slate situation on their hands. It would be catastrophic for the future of volunteer tributes if this new victor continued to be dangerous.
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Gem was relieved. Finally, District One had another victor. Finally, the Academy lived up to expectations and delivered as it was supposed to. The pressure on her could finally ease. It was not how she would have played it and it did make her uneasy, but Satin was coming home alive. She had told her to pick an angle, that mean and vicious would work for her but Gem thought she took it a little too far.
She did not like the insinuation that her girl could be another Slate, however. District One always vetted their likely volunteers properly, something that Two was late to do. But she would take Cleo and Tiber's advice on watching the girl closely and ensuring that she was supervised as much as possible for the foreseeable future.
Amadeus did not like it. Training the tributes was one thing but this was too far. It made him feel sick. What were they turning their district's children into?
Tanzanite was thrilled at the prospect of another victor. Their Academy was working. Although he could not help but think that he would not enjoy living alongside this girl.
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Deputy Head Gamemaker Coriolanus Snow was delighted. The Capitol loved Satin Alexandrite. The districts hated her. District One was currently more unpopular than District Two after this showing. But the ratings reached an all-time high. He would tell Gem to keep up the work. They would expect yet more interesting tributes from her Academy.