The 102nd Hunger Games:
INTRODUCTION
The 101st Hunger Games had been a huge success. After Rimno's Capitol-undermining victory in the fourth Quarter Quell, President Stinn Hawke was furious – the kind of furious that destroys districts. However, Head Gamemaker Garnet Russo managed to pull things together with has cavern-themed games. As a result, things were pretty tame and relaxed in Panem as the 102nd Hunger Games rolled around. There were a few scant riots in Districts 8 and 11, but they were easily beaten down. Garnet Russo returned as head gamemaker. He was a big fan of closed, indoor arenas. That was how he kept his tributes on their toes: by never allowing them the cover and protection an outdoor arena could provide.
This year's career pack was far from normal. District 1 provided the two strongest players. The boy, Charmian, was an extremely talented swordsman with more muscle mass than any tribute District 1 had seen in several years. The girl, Iras, wasn't a great swordsman but a stellar archer, and she was dangerously clever. District 2, for strange reasons, did not provide any careers this year. A very vengeful young man from the academy poisoned the two chosen volunteers. Their dead bodies were found mere hours before the reaping. The culprit was found and arrested, but there wasn't enough time to designate two other volunteers, and so the masonry district sent two untrained kids into the arena. District 4 provided a strong pair as usual. They were both skilled with spears and bows and they knew how to play a crowd. However, neither Shipwreck nor Nila managed the highly-coveted ten, placing them below Charmian and Iras from 1 in terms of training scores.
The outliers weren't terribly memorable, but there were a few standouts. District 11 provided the strongest tributes by far. Their names were Dandelion and Wildflower; they were cousins and extremely close friends. They were larger and stronger than any of the other outliers, and they would certainly be deadly threats if they survived the bloodbath. The only other alliance consisted of Thane from 5 and Hebon from 7. They weren't terribly strong, but they were skilled knife-users and they were both laser-focused on taking home the victor's crown. Camilla from 6 was another standout: she was the sister of Odessa Permutt, the newcomer District 6 female from the fourth Quarter Quell. There were no volunteers outside of the careers. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Charmian Lux, 18 (10) 3-1 and Iras Furth, 18 (10) 3-1
District 2: Cadmus Ratchford, 14 (5) 25-1 and Amazon Leary, 16 (5) 24-1
District 3: Devon Orfield, 14 (2) 44-1 and Charli Garneck, 17 (4) 23-1
District 4: Shipwreck Whistler, 17 (9) 5-1 and Nila Lilus, 18 (9) 4-1
District 5: Thane Doddis, 18 (6) 18-1 and Ursa Done, 16 (4) 26-1
District 6: Luis Lafler, 18 (4) 29-1 and Camilla Permutt, 18 (7) 13-1
District 7: Hebon Fielding, 14 (7) 17-1 and Dua Conrad, 16 (5) 24-1
District 8: Gage Galwey, 15 (3) 30-1 and Mya Lartigue, 14 (2) 43-1
District 9: Stalk Miller, 13 (2) 47-1 and Susanna Gerber, 16 (3) 32-1
District 10: Duncan Jax, 16 (5) 24-1 and Trudy Pastor, 16 (5) 24-1
District 11: Dandelion Linwood, 18 (9) 5-1 and Wildflower Linwood, 16 (8) 7-1
District 12: Nevel Crass, 15 (2) 48-1 and Sadie Berns, 15 (2) 49-1
HGBO Bets: 22% on Charmian, 20% on Iras, 15% on Shipwreck and Nila, 10% on Dandelion and Wildflower, 8% on Camilla, 5% on Hebon, 3% on Cadmus and Amazon, 2% on Thane, 1% or less on Devon, Charli, Ursa, Luis, Dua, Gage, Mya, Stalk, Susanna, Duncan, Trudy, Nevel, and Sadie.
THE GAMES
White. That's the only color the tributes saw when they entered the arena. From the pedestals to the cornucopia to the walls and ceiling of the enclosed room in which they were trapped, everything was spotless white. Garnet Russo played strongly to his taste for indoor arenas: this entire arena was completely enclosed by white walls. The room housing the cornucopia was a large circle, with a seemingly endless network of hallways, stairwells, twists, and turns stretching out in all directions. A scared tribute lost in the blank white maze could easily go insane. There was no doubt several tributes' sanities would break as the games progressed. The supplies at the cornucopia were all white: white backpacks, white sleeping bags, white weapons. Even the food, soup and rice, was completely devoid of color. Because every surface was white, the blood of the tributes would stand out clearly wherever it was spilled. Within minutes, the entire floor of the cornucopia room would be dark red.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Charmian and Iras, the beautiful and skilled duo from District 1, instantly grabbed their favorite weapons. Charmian swung his sword back and forth, getting used to the feel of the heavy white blade as scared outliers thundered past. Suddenly, he slashed open a nearby boy's abdomen, sending him careening to the ground. In the boy's descent, he knocked down his district partner, who soon died with one of Iras' arrows in her neck.
Nevel Crass, District 12 Male: 24th, Killed by Charmian, Bloodbath
Sadie Berns, District 12 Female: 23rd, Killed by Iras, Bloodbath
Thane and Hebon, the allied outliers, had reached the cornucopia. They were wildly searching through the supplies, filling some white backpacks with whatever could fit inside. The career girl from 4, Nila, went in for the kill. Her spear missed Thane's neck by inches. Hebon retaliated by swiping his knife at Nila's neck, fiercely defending his ally. Nila collapsed onto her back, swiftly dying. Thane and Hebon fled the bloodbath before her allies could seek vengeance.
Nila Lilus, District 4 Female: 22nd, Killed by Hebon, Bloodbath
Dandelion and Wildflower from District 11 were eager to prove their worth to the Capitol; they'd already made a splash on interview night, but that meant nothing unless they could give the viewers the bloodshed they wanted. The 11s tackled Gage from District 8, a small boy who was trying to escape the bloodbath with a pack containing first aid supplies. Dandelion and Wildflower sliced open his neck and chest, ruthlessly landing their first kill.
Gage Galwey, District 8 Male: 21st, Killed by Dandelion and Wildflower, Bloodbath
Shipwreck picked up a spear and felt the polished white handle, eager to put the weapon to use. He crossed the front of the cornucopia and planted it in an outlier girls' back, killing her in moments.
Trudy Pastor, District 10 Female: 20th, Killed by Shipwreck, Bloodbath
Iras made her second kill moments afterward, firing a volley of arrows at two girls fleeing the cornucopia. Most of her arrows missed, but one of them landed in Ursa from 5's neck, killing her instantly. Iras retrieved her arrow and then raced back to the horn to join Charmian and Shipwreck.
Ursa Done, District 5 Female: 19th, Killed by Iras, Bloodbath
By this point, the outliers were divided into three groups: those who had already left the bloodbath, those who were fleeing the cornucopia, and those who were still collecting supplies. Charmian raced to the cornucopia to pick off victims there, while Iras scoped out the outer reaches of the cornucopia room, able to hit fleeing tributes with her deadly arrows. Charmian made the next kill, burying his sword into the gut of Luis from 6. The boy flopped around like a dying fish, and Charmian fluidly turned to attack his next victim.
Luis Lafler, District 6 Male: 18th, Killed by Charmian, Bloodbath
The aforementioned next victim was Luis' district partner, Camilla. She saw Charmian's sword swinging in her direction far too late to escape. Charmian slashed open her torso, and the 6 girl fell to her knees, dying in the bloodbath just like her cousin from the quell. Shipwreck finished her off by skewering his trident through her neck.
Camilla Permutt, District 6 Female: 17th, Killed by Charmian and Shipwreck, Bloodbath
On the perimeter of the circular room that held the cornucopia, Iras shot down a pair of tributes who were trying to escape with a pack containing loaves of white bread. Her aim was true, and the older of the two tributes staggered to the ground, an arrow in his forearm. The other outlier came to a halt, paralyzed with terror at the sight of his dying friend. Iras killed him by shooting an arrow through his face.
Duncan Jax, District 10 Male: 16th, Killed by Iras, Bloodbath
Stalk Miller, District 9 Male: 15th, Killed by Iras, Bloodbath
Dandelion and Wildflower were on a roll. They had armed themselves to the teeth; they each possessed at least one spear, and Dandelion had an entire belt of throwing knives. Dandelion made quick work of the boy from District 3, ending his life with a knife lodged into his chest. As soon as he fell, Dandelion and Wildflower left the bloodbath behind. Despite their strength, they didn't want to risk an overwhelming career encounter now that so few tributes remained in the central room.
Devon Orfield, District 3 Male: 14th, Killed by Dandelion, Bloodbath
Eleven cannons shattered the silence of the arena, representing the eleven dead bodies strewn around the cornucopia room. The ground, which was once as white as snow, was now covered with stringy dark-red liquid. Splashes of blood stood out on the white cornucopia, ceiling, and walls. The careers divvied up the necessary tasks as usual. Charmian sorted the weapons, while Iras measured rations to last for a week. A hole opened up in the ceiling for the hovercraft to collect the bodies. Shipwreck was chosen to drag the dead bodies underneath the hole, and not because he was the most popular. Within an hour, they were finished with their chores. Shipwreck stayed at the horn while Charmian and Iras began hunting, following the trails of blood on the white floor.
The outliers aimlessly ran for their lives. Cadmus and Amazon, the untrained tributes from 2, weren't planning on being allies. However, they ran into each other in their mad rush to escape the bloodbath, and they decided hesitantly to be friends. They alternated between jogging and walking all day until they came to a stop in a secluded, shadowy room with a low ceiling. Charli from 3 was terrified. She was shaking from head to toe as she ran through the labyrinth of rooms. Whenever she saw a red smear, her face turned pale and she ran the other direction. All she'd taken from the horn was a simple yo-yo, hardly something useful. She ran around aimlessly until she was too tired to continue, praying that nobody would find her. Thane from 5 and Hebon from 7 were pretty well-to-do as far as outliers went. Not only did they have a kill under their belts from the bloodbath, they were armed with knives and willing to kill any tribute who crossed their path. They told jokes to the audience until some sponsors sent them food for the evening. Dua from 7 had narrowly escaped death multiple times by the end of Day 1. Not only had one of Iras' arrows missed her shoulder by inches during the bloodbath, she would have run straight into Dandelion and Wildflower around noon if not for a cryptic note from Sycamora instructing her to travel the other direction. Mya from 8 wasn't a terribly interesting tribute. Running straight to the horn had rewarded her a knife and a sleeping bag, but she settled down for the day mere hours after leaving the bloodbath, curling up inside the sleeping bag before noon even arrived. Susanna from 9 was surprised to have survived the bloodbath. Unable to do anything but run cluelessly through the blank white catacombs, she passed her single knife back and forth between her hands, paranoid beyond belief about the possibility of attackers. Dandelion and Wildflower from 11 got more screen time on Day 1 than any other tributes except the careers. They had two kills, they were armed, and most of all they were a deadly threat. They received endless sponsor gifts as Day 1 passed, including a bowl of white soup, some sweet pudding, and a bundle of white flowers sent affectionately by Wildflower's mentor, the elderly Lily Eckel.
A cannon fired in the early morning of Day 2. Charmian and Iras were hunting in the outer reaches of the arena, at a time when they knew most of the outliers would be asleep and easy to kill. Iras noticed a trail of red droplets and instructed Charmian to follow her to wherever it lead. In a matter of minutes, they found Charli from 3 curled up on the ground, shuddering as though having a bad dream. Charli had been injured during the bloodbath by the 11s, and her inability to cover her trail spelled her doom. The girl woke from one nightmare into another as an arrow pierced her chest: Iras' expert work. She tried to drag herself to safety, but Charmian skewered her through the torso like a shish kebab, setting off the first cannon since the bloodbath.
Charli Garneck, District 3 Female: 13th, Killed by Iras and Charmian, Day 2
The rest of Day 2 was deathless. Charli's cannon shot was a warning to everybody that there was no safety in the winding hallways of the arena. As such, there was a lot of movement. Thane and Hebon were wandering the arena when they turned a corner and saw Susanna. The boys were fast runners, but Susanna was literally running for her life, and they lost her within a few minutes. She continued travelling for two more hours, eventually settling down close to the place where Dua was hiding. Mya's overwhelming feeling of hopeless intensified throughout Day 2. She was a fourteen-year-old with a two in training – she would be hard-pressed to make it to the final eight, let alone victory. Before long, she started to weep, muttering both her worries and nonsensical strings of words. Her sanity was clearly breaking hour by hour.
In the latter half of Day 2, the careers toned down their hunting somewhat. Half of the tributes were already dead, and they didn't want to rush the games too much. Using directions from sponsor notes, Iras and Charmian made their way back toward the center of the arena. At the horn, Shipwreck was getting bored, itching to start hunting. He knew he was better than the District 4 scum Iras and Charmian thought he was. He knew he could kill if he had the chance. What he didn't know was that his first victims were coming to him on their own accord…
Cadmus and Amazon from 2 were faced with a tricky situation. They had the audience's interest, if not their support, being from District 2 and all. They were relaxing on the morning of Day 3, eating breakfast, when Cadmus put out the idea. "We could steal something from the horn and they'd never forget us." "They" was the audience.
Amazon's response was less than enthusiastic. "Or we could get killed."
"We're gonna get killed anyway, wandering through this fuck off arena without any weapons."
Amazon was still apprehensive, but Cadmus could not be shaken. On Day 3, they began journeying back toward the cornucopia, using a compass they found on the ground (Thane had dropped it by accident the previous evening). In absolutely no time, Cadmus and Amazon had reached the cornucopia. Cadmus peered eagerly at the horn, his eyes combing over the weapons and food rations held within. Amazon stayed several strides behind, anxiously refusing to step forward.
Cadmus' poor judgement lead to his doom. He had no plan. He had no weapon. He simply stood, paralyzed with terror, as Shipwreck burst out of the cornucopia, tackling him and sending him sprawling out onto the ground. Cadmus died as Amazon ran for her life, fleeing into the depths of the white maze. Shipwreck's lips curled into a slight smile as he stood over Cadmus' dead body, feeling like a real career.
Cadmus Ratchford, District 2 Male: 12th, Killed by Shipwreck, Day 3
Dandelion and Wildflower were getting nervous. Things were going too smoothly – far, far too smoothly. They knew they were the most memorable outliers in these games, which meant the gamemakers would most likely send some kind of threat their way sooner than later. They spent the first half of the day practicing with their weapons. Then, in the afternoon, they continued wandering the maze. They picked up on the trail of blood left by Charli, but when they followed it, there was no tribute, only a massive dark-red stain where she was killed.
In fact, everybody was on their toes as Day 3 came to a close. Charmian and Iras were out and about, and they nearly landed a kill that night when they saw Mya about fifty yards away. She dodged one of Iras' arrows before turning around and fleeing. Mya managed to escape in a matter of minutes, shaking like a leaf from head to toe. Thane and Hebon heard the noise of her footsteps, but didn't move toward them because it sounded like she was being pursued by fearsome tributes.
Day 4 passed without much action. Charmian and Iras returned to the cornucopia, where Shipwreck was eagerly awaiting their return. He was looking forward to going hunting, but he wasn't sure how he was going to convince either Charmian or Iras to stay behind so he could hunt. None of them hunted on Day 4; they relaxed at the horn and told stories to the audience. Amazon ran aimlessly through the arena, terrified after witnessing Cadmus' death. Amazon stopped running every few seconds, listening carefully for attackers. Her paranoid mind pegged every creak in the ceiling, every bump in the distance as the footsteps of a tribute trying to kill her. Thane and Hebon continued practicing with their knives, alternating between hunting and dueling at sporadic intervals throughout the day. After a few days of spotlight, they were beginning to be overshadowed, meaning their supply of sponsor gifts grew thinner and thinner as the day progressed. Thane was pretty disappointed after losing his tribute token (the compass), but Hebon managed to cheer him up. They were a great duo. Dua didn't move much; the pressure of the games was weighing down on her too heavily. She was torn between many decisions: should she lay low or move constantly? Should she hunt or hide? Her mentor, Sycamora, sent her a note instructing her to keep a low profile until the "natural threats" of the arena knocked down the tribute count. What "natural threats" entailed, Dua wasn't sure, but the note didn't exactly cheer her up very much. Mya managed to pull herself together somewhat after a few days of sniveling. Surprisingly, sponsors sent her a slingshot and ten pieces of ammunition, which could be a priceless treasure if she was ever attacked. Susanna was going somewhat insane from wandering through the blank, meaningless hallways. She passed her knife back and forth between her hands with increasing fervor, tracing it along her palm lines and the veins on her wrist. Before long, she was cutting herself with the blade and beating her temple with the wooden handle of the weapon. Time would tell if Susanna would go all the way off the deep end. As always, Dandelion and Wildflower were the Capitol favorites. The white flowers Lily sent them continued to puzzle them – they must have had some kind of use. Were they edible? Dandelion wanted to eat them, but Wildflower stopped him, not wanting to risk it.
The first half of Day 5 was similarly uneventful. Amazon and Dua bumped into each other around ten in the morning. Dua just couldn't sleep, and Amazon had risen early that morning with the intent of hunting. Despite not being trained, she was from District 2, which meant she was healthy enough to carry her weight in a fight to some degree. For a moment, they stared blankly at each other, wondering what to do: fight, ally, or run away?
"You're that kid from 2, aren't you?" Dua asked nervously.
A laugh tumbled from Amazon's lips, almost inaudible. "You could say that."
"So.." Dua wasn't sure what to say. "Wanna hang out for a bit?"
But they never did – because at that moment, two cannon shots fired, and Amazon and Dua ran in opposite directions, fleeing in horror. The cameras cut to the scene of the attack. Wildflower's daggers were dripping dark red liquid over the bloody dead body of Mya from District 8. Mya was fast asleep when the pair from 11 found her, and she was completely helpless as Wildflower went in for the kill. Her cannon fired, and Dandelion wrenched her slingshot out of her cooling fingers. Wildflower gathered the ammo (small stones) from her pocket and then sprinted away from the dead body with Dandelion at her side.
Mya Lartigue, District 8 Female: 11th, Killed by Wildflower, Day 5
By Day 6, the "natural threats" that Dua's mentor had warned her about began to occur. At the north end of the arena, the gamemakers unleashed a cloud of dark purple gas that spread at a slow but unstoppable rate. The gas was incredibly toxic and lethal upon contact. As the gas spread, it stained the white surfaces of the arena pale purple.
Thane and Hebon were the first tributes to notice the threat. They were relaxing a few hundred feet from the north end of the arena, and they smelled the toxic gas: a revoltingly sweet scent like an entire flower garden tainted with poison. Within minutes, they were coughing uncontrollably, their bodies shutting down from the poison. They started running like headless chickens, hoping to evade the gas, but they were only running closer to it.
Hebon screamed in panic when he saw the rolling purple heart of the gas leak; only a few more seconds, and they would both be dead. He grabbed Thane by the wrist and dragged his half-functioning body toward safety. Miraculously, both of the boys survived. They climbed several staircases to reach the highest levels of the arena, where the dense gas could not easily reach. They spent the entire day coughing and vomiting, trying to expel the poison from their bodies. They were badly damaged, but they were alive. A few other tributes could not claim the same.
That morning, Shipwreck was sleeping in a broad triangle-shaped room, with Charmian sleepily standing guard. Shipwreck woke up gagging and retching, alerting Charmian of the threat. They were several precious strides ahead of the purple gas; their escape wasn't too difficult. They returned to the horn where Iras was guarding and hoped they would be safe there.
Amazon ran like a mad woman, muttering panicked nonsense as the purple tendrils swept into the room where she was resting. She was ill-rested and ill-fed, meaning she didn't have very much energy, and that was what led to her doom. If she'd eaten a meal that morning, she might have been able to make her way to safety. But as the poison caught up to her, curling up around her arms and spreading into every orifice of her face, she knew escape was hopeless.
Amazon Leary, District 2 Female: 10th, Killed by poison gas, Day 6
Amazon's dying screams awoke Susanna, who was sleeping nearby. She was tired after a day of rambling madly, and she probably would have slept right through her death if not for Amazon's strangled cries of fear. If Susanna was a little off her rocker on Day 4, she was completely insane by Day 6: cackling, stumbling, yelling to the hidden cameras about Glennis Garvey, the District 11 male of the thirteenth Hunger Games. She apparently had quite a crush on the dead boy; she also cursed Jewel Amaral, the career girl who'd killed him in the bloodbath using an arrow. Susanna was stumbling crazily through the arena when she saw Shipwreck treading quietly over the bloodstained ground.
Secretly, Shipwreck had left the cornucopia behind: he was so tired of being overshadowed by Charmian and Iras that he decided to strike off on his own, leaving behind his career allies in favor of a more solitary strategy. Big mistake. Susanna pounced on him, when he was off-guard and therefore vulnerable. She slashed open his throat with one clean swipe of the blade, ending his life almost immediately. After he stopped breathing, she carved out a big smile on his face, grinning broadly herself as his cannon echoed around the arena.
Shipwreck Whistler, District 4 Male: 9th, Killed by Susanna, Day 6
That left the final eight: Charmian Lux and Iras Furth from District 1, Thane Doddis from District 5, Hebon Fielding and Dua Conrad from District 7, Susanna Gerber from District 9, and Dandelion Linwood and Wildflower Linwood from District 11. Miraculously, there were three pairs of districts partners still alive, a rare spectacle.
Susanna continued playing with Shipwreck's dead body. She shouted "Bentley! Bentley!", possibly referencing the finale of the 73rd Hunger Games (In which that year's victor, Remus from 2, beat his final opponent Bentley with a brick until long after he was actually dead). The audience and the gamemakers were astonished by Susanna's wild behavior, but they hadn't even seen the worst yet.
For now, though, the cameras suddenly switched to Dandelion and Wildflower. Fortunately, they had been warned by the girl's mentor Lily of an imminent threat. They were so far ahead of the threat that they never actually found out what it was. Eventually, they heard the screams of Amazon and Shipwreck, and they said a quiet thank-you to Lily for warning them in advance.
It was only a matter of time before the pair from 11 encountered other tributes. After nearly half an hour, they decided to take a break, relaxing in a small not-yet-bloodstained room that was barely large enough to hold both of them. Within seconds, Dua burst into the room, coughing furiously from her encounter with the poison gas. Dandelion and Wildflower attacked her instantly, digging into her face and torso with their knives. Dua wasn't one to go down without a fight, though. Her fists were powerful, and she smacked Dandelion in the mouth so suddenly that he immediately lost consciousness. Wildflower tried to support the falling body of her friend and ally, giving Dua time to escape.
Dua stumbled through the arena, coughing up blood now that she was badly wounded. She was injured terribly, but survival was not hopeless. She came to a rest in the upper levels of the arena, covering the knife wounds with sponsor bandages. The audience was so sympathetic that the gamemakers kept the gas away from her for the rest of the day, not wanting to kill a fan favorite tribute so plainly.
Susanna was still having fun, digging her knives into Shipwreck's dead body and cackling her insane musings. Suddenly, she screamed, "Titus! Titus!" and began to sink her teeth into his bloody neck. She was, of course, referencing the endlessly-iconic Titus Ezekiel of the 68th games. But Head Gamemaker Garnet Russo could not have cannibalism in his games. It didn't play well with the audience, and it was one of the two unspoken rules of the games: don't eat the other tributes and don't rebel. Within seconds, the poison gas was sweeping up around her, burying her in its toxic tendrils, and she didn't put up a fight. She just fell onto Shipwreck's corpse with a smile, muttering mindlessly about Glennis, the long-dead tribute she was obsessed with.
Susanna Gerber, District 9 Female: 8th, Killed by poison gas, Day 6
No more tributes died that day. After Susanna's death, Garnet ordered the purple gas to be removed from the arena. Charmian and Lux weren't sad when they saw Shipwreck's face on the ceiling that night. They only ate their rations, continued practice-dueling, and talked to the audience. Thane and Hebon were sent a large supply of food and water by some sympathetic sponsors. Hebon delivered a long, sappy, patriotic speech about the love and generosity of the Capitol, and that got him a bit more food. Dua was in a dark place: she couldn't stop thinking about death as she rocked back and forth, fearfully nursing her wounds. That day, she'd seen the trails and splatters of blood: the ones that were fresh and damp. Her mentor Sycamora sent her a few more encouraging messages, letting her know that her entire district was rooting for her. That cheered her up a little bit.
Throughout Day 7, Dandelion and Wildflower did nothing but think and plan. They were developing a plan to storm the cornucopia and either steal the supplies or take down the remaining career tributes. It was an incredibly risky plan – and it hadn't ended well for Cadmus from 2 – but desperate times call for desperate measures and the last thing they wanted was to fall into the background now that the stakes were so high. Unlike Cadmus, they were well-armed. Also, their popularity with the Capitol gave them enough plot armor to defend them to at least some extent.
Early on Day 8, Charmian left the horn to hunt by himself. If this was any other year, the final two careers would probably split or fight one another, but Charmian and Iras had such a close relationship that they didn't do either – at least not yet. Some of Dandelion's and Wildflower's fans sent him a phony note, falsely telling him where Thane and Hebon were hiding. Now, Iras was alone at the cornucopia.
Dandelion and Wildflower began to move toward the cornucopia, quietly re-hashing their plans. Dandelion, wanting to be a brave hero and impress the Capitol, would go ahead first, attacking Iras. If he needed help, he would stomp three times on the ground, and Wildflower would join his side. Otherwise, he would hum, "all the little stars" (the first four words of a District 11 folk song) to signal that the coast was clear.
It worked almost too perfectly. Wildflower stayed back while Dandelion barreled into the cornucopia room, attacking Iras before she had time to breathe. Iras didn't even time to reach for her arrows before she was overwhelmed, hundreds of pounds of District-11-male pinning her to the ground. Dandelion's knives made quick work of the mighty career girl. He hummed the tune loud enough for Wildflower to hear him, and she joined him instantly, looking excitedly over the mountains of supplies now at their disposal.
Iras Furth, District 1 Female: 7th, Killed by Dandelion, Day 8
By this point, Dandelion and Wildflower were the most beloved tributes in the Capitol – even more popular than Charmian, who for the entire first week seemed to be the audience's favorite. They spent the next hour feasting on all the food in the cornucopia: creamy white stews and potatoes and rice and anything else they could find. They gathered backpacks and filled them with whatever food and supplies they could find – including knives, spears, first-aid kids, and much more. The agriculture district hadn't been so hopeful for a victory in decades.
Charmian was enraged when he reached the cornucopia on Day 9. Not only was his ally and friend dead, most of the supplies were missing or destroyed. He begged his mentor to reveal the identity of the killer, but his requests fell on deaf ears. Right before "nightfall" (though given the indoor arena it wasn't really), some sponsors who were die-hard District 1 fans told him that the pair from 11 were the culprits.
"Of course it was them," he spat, fidgeting furiously with his district token. "I'll make them pay for it." And he left the cornucopia with all of the remaining weapons and supplies, never to return unless it was for the finale. Now the horn was mostly barren.
Charmian's thirst for blood was soon satisfied. Thane and Hebon had mostly recovered from the damage inflicted by the poison gas, but their lives became a whole lot more dangerous when they heard the noise of the career boy's angry footsteps. They fled for safety, but the sound of their own footsteps made enough of an uproar to let Charmian know that prey was close. Charmian's first arrow missed Thane's shoulder by mere inches, and the allied boys broke into a run as they attempted to stay ahead of their attacker.
They didn't last long. Hebon was the first to fall, dying with a knife lodged into his back. He fell to his knees, his life gradually leaving his body, and Thane glanced over his shoulder, his face turning white at the sight of his dying ally. That moment of hesitation was all Charmian needed to kill him as well, flinging a spear into his neck. Both boys were gone in moments.
Hebon Fielding, District 7 Male: 6th, Killed by Charmian, Day 9
Thane Doddis, District 5 Male: 5th, Killed by Charmian, Day 9
The next two days were deathless. Dandelion and Wildflower were unstoppable. They had enough food to feed an entire crowd of twenty-four tributes, and enough weapons to arm them all to the teeth too. There was quite a lot of product placement going on, with some notable brands sending the 11 tributes their food and clothing products hoping for an endorsement. They'd won the hearts of the Capitol, and all the outlying districts except 7 (because their Dua was still kicking). Speaking of Dua, she did a lot of preparation as Days 10 and 11 passed. She was jogging in place now, and practicing with the knives her sponsors sent her. District 7 sent her some loaves of their bread, and the smell reminded her of home. She was as far away from the other tributes as it was possible to be, meaning she was safe enough for now. Of course, it would not stay that way for long.
Charmian was on the prowl. A belt of throwing knives adorned his waist, daggers were tucked into his shoes, and his pockets and packs were bulging with weapons. He was pretty unstoppable; after a few days of being overshadowed by the pair from 11, he was starting to come back into the spotlight, and he was thankful for that.
Charmian was fast asleep in the early morning of Day 12, tired out of his mind after several days of nonstop hunting. Though dangerous when he was awake, he was a heavy sleeper, and that was what lead to his downfall. Dua was moving quietly through the arena, and she had to stop herself from gasping when saw the career boy curled up on the ground. What was she to do – did she attack him? Did she dare?
She did. Dua silently kneeled beside a snoring Charmian, hardly daring to breathe. Charmian woke up screaming as the point of the knife landed in his chest. He sprung into a sitting position and reached for his knives. Dua panicked, unsure whether she wanted to risk staying next to him for a single instant longer. She decided that she didn't want to risk leaving him alive. She yanked the knife out of his chest and continued peppering his body with wounds, sobbing with horror and with guilt as she took his life. His cannon boomed, and Dua stared at the ceiling, unable to believe she'd just made her first kill.
Charmian Lux, District 1 Male: 4th, Killed by Dua, Day 12
There were no careers in the final three this year: only Dua and the formidable pair from District 11. Dua returned to her makeshift camp and couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the feast sitting before her, literally sitting in a silver platter attached to the parachute. She gratefully ate the meal. Though it was plain white, it was very flavorful. As she ate with the wooden utensils, she wondered if someone she knew back in District 7 has produced them.
Dandelion and Wildflower were living as fabulously as ever, comfortably well-off with all the food and supplies they'd taken from the horn. They were a bit nervous when Charmian's cannon fired – they were nervous about facing him and didn't know whether Dua or Charmian had died. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the 1 boy's chiseled face in the death recap that night. Dua would be easy to kill. They refused to think about what would happen after that.
On Day 13, the poison gas appeared again. It appeared all around the perimeter of the arena, forcing the tributes toward the horn as it spread. Dua was sponsored a note warning her of the threat, giving her plenty of time to run. Back in District 7, she was dating the mayor's daughter, which was one of the big reasons she was getting sent so many sponsor presents. Hopeful she could bring District 7 its second consecutive victory, she raced toward the horn, ready to kill the cousins/allies from District 11 or die trying.
The final three tributes barreled into the cornucopia room at almost the exact same moment. Dua had her weapons drawn, and she was ready to fight. Unfortunately, she was immediately overwhelmed. Sure, she expected Dandelion and Wildflower to be well-armed. But enough weapons to stock half a cornucopia? There was nothing she could do to defend herself. Dandelion stabbed her in the chest, sending her reeling in terror, and Wildflower finished her off, triggering her cannon shot.
Dua Conrad, District 7 Female: 3rd, Killed by Dandelion and Wildflower, Day 13
Now, the immensely popular and tight-knit tributes from District 11 were the only ones left. Tears began flowing down Wildflower's cheeks. She had to kill her cousin and best friend, or she had to die. Those were the only two options.
Dandelion's face was torn with emotion. Quickly, he decided to just get it over with. Gripping his knife so tightly his knuckles turned white, he stabbed Wildflower in the neck. Wildflower collapsed to the ground, howling with pain and the feeling of betrayal. Dandelion couldn't bear to watch her die; his guilt was too intense.
Wildflower Linwood, District 11 Female: 2nd, Killed by Dandelion, Day 13
"Dandelion Linwood of District 11, you are the victor of the one-hundred second annual Hunger Games!"
Dandelion's face was full of guilt. He had killed Wildflower to save his own life. It was selfish, yes, but self-preservation is and will always be the first law of nature. Trying not to look at the corpse of his friend, he forced a smile for the cameras.
Dandelion Linwood, District 11 Male: Victor of the One-Hundred Second Annual Hunger Games, Day 13
AFTERMATH
District 11 welcomed their new victor with bittersweet applause. On one hand, they were glad to have another victor: Vine and Lily were getting overwhelmed with mentoring tributes year after year after year, and they were glad to have a helping hand. On the other hand, the finale of the games had been one of the most emotionally stirring scenes in the recent history of the games. The guilt consumed Dandelion for his entire life; he made a habit of publicly apologizing for killing Wildflower every single day. He almost immediately joined the circle of victors who turned to alcohol to block out their worst memories. Dandelion was a quiet victor, so deeply haunted by the games that he almost never appeared in public unless it was for a required event. That being said, he did have a knack for singing, and he took up a singing career to keep himself occupied now that he never had to work. His songs were quite popular in the Capitol. He dedicated every single one of them to Wildflower.
His victory tour was pretty standard fare. His worst stop was in his own District 11, where he broke down crying within minutes, shouting, "I'm sorry," on repeat. This earned him the cruel nickname "Broken Record" in some of the districts.
The payouts on his victory weren't very good, as 10% bet on him.
Dandelion would live to age seventy-five, dying from heart disease the year of the 159th Hunger Games. He got married to his high school sweetheart, but the marriage failed within a few years. He would never have children.
NEWS
Dandelion moves into the Victor's Village of District 11, next door to Vine Lilard.
Admired Thompson bears his third son, Charmian, named after the District 1 male of this year's games.
Taj King has twin sons, Dazzle and Gleam.
Blight Holzer dies from alcohol poisoning.
LIST OF VICTORS
1HG: Cordin Frey (#1, District 3)
2HG: Sapphire Waber (#1, District 1)
3HG: Molly Toliday (#1, District 4)
4HG: Amelia Spangler (#1, District 2)
5HG: Misty Sablone (#1, District 12)
6HG: Olivia Seager (#2, District 2)
7HG: Flux Stafford (#2, District 3)
8HG: Brandi Coyne (#2, District 1)
9HG: Isaac Crandall (#1, District 5)
10HG: Velvet Farrow (#3, District 1)
11HG: Mags Flanagan (#2, District 4)
12HG: Slate Ogston (#3, District 2)
13HG: Woof Dozier (#1, District 8)
14HG: Blaze Skalnik (#4, District 2)
15HG: Dina Wilmarth (#2, District 5)
16HG: Beatrice Toland (#1, District 6)
17HG: Amelia Bankston (#5, District 2)
18HG: Markus Gardd (#2, District 6)
19HG: Odius Ruttler (#6, District 2)
20HG: Seeder Kaiser (#1, District 11)
21HG: Freya Digard (#7, District 2)
22HG: Gold Carson (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ashlyn Breston (#3, District 6)
24HG: Dayta Albrand (#3, District 3)
25HG: Diamond Griego (#5, District 1)
26HG: Thor Rosner (#8, District 2)
27HG: Magnet Lisagor (#4, District 3)
28HG: Maria Dutra (#3, District 4)
29HG: Discordia Komine (#9, District 2)
30HG: Barley Chisolm (#1, District 9)
31HG: Marlin Coppi (#4, District 4)
32HG: Wyatt Kerdler (#5, District 3)
33HG: Molly Soltan (#5, District 4)
34HG: Grover Handa (#1, District 7)
35HG: Troy Stiles (#6, District 4)
36HG: Lana Voltaire (#10, District 2)
37HG: Lucy Said (#7, District 4)
38HG: Porter Tripp (#3, District 5)
39HG: Penelope Turek (#8, District 4)
40HG: Beetee Latier (#6, District 3)
41HG: Radiance Clinton (#6, District 1)
42HG: Technik Hartline (#7, District 3)
43HG: Dylan Levitt (#9, District 4)
44HG: Rye Boyum (#2, District 9)
45HG: Chaff Korsmun (#2, District 11)
46HG: Nolan Wrack (#11, District 2)
47HG: Klink Byrae (#4, District 5)
48HG: Brutus Cordley (#12, District 2)
49HG: Wiress Freid (#8, District 3)
50HG: Haymitch Abernathy (#2, District 12)
51HG: Lyme Mabbett (#13, District 2)
52HG: Ruby Rayfuse (#7, District 1)
53HG: Lily Eckel (#3, District 11)
54HG: Blight Holzer (#2, District 7)
55HG: Emily Pollick (#5, District 5)
56HG: Sally Vasilia (#6, District 5)
57HG: Mason Kittridge (#14, District 2)
58HG: Margaret Cartmill (#1, District 10)
59HG: Tiger Sterne (#8, District 1)
60HG: Cecelia Rieffel (#2, District 8)
61HG: Valerie Easton (#15, District 2)
62HG: Enobaria Rigatti (#16, District 2)
63HG: Gloss Linden (#9, District 1)
64HG: Cashmere Linden (#10, District 1)
65HG: Finnick Odair (#10, District 4)
66HG: Victor Xhang (#17, District 2)
67HG: Augustus Braun (#11, District 1)
68HG: Iuna Mosier (#12, District 1)
69HG: Alexander Westlake (#2, District 10)
70HG: Annie Cresta (#11, District 4)
71HG: Johanna Mason (#3, District 7)
72HG: Remus Daley (#18, District 2)
73HG: Apollo Reinold (#4, District 6)
74HG: Meredith Powell (#4, District 7)
75HG: Struve Lockman (#19, District 2)
76HG: Porcelain Wing (#13, District 1)
77HG: Router Lowell (#9, District 3)
78HG: Surge Upsdell (#7, District 5)
79HG: Kasey Slosser (#5, District 6)
80HG: Tarquinius Orfe (#20, District 2)
81HG: Talisa Plummer (#12, District 4)
82HG: Poplin Amsden (#3, District 8)
83HG: Pixel Watt (#10, District 3)
84HG: Dock Elizabeth (#13, District 4)
85HG: Sycamora Bromley (#5, District 7)
86HG: Bobbin Chern (#4, District 8)
87HG: Organdy Karat (#14, District 1)
88HG: Sickle Salgato (#3, District 9)
89HG: Admired Thompson (#15, District 1)
90HG: Chipson Harris (#11, District 3)
91HG: Mars Talbot (#21, District 2)
92HG: Arnold Scruggs (#3, District 12), Wystella Knapp (#22, District 2), and Robina Caite (#3, District 10)
93HG: Taj King (#16, District 1)
94HG: Steer Drudgers (#4, District 10)
95HG: Diode Cooper (#8, District 5)
96HG: Pluto Talbot (#23, District 2)
97HG: Vine Lilard (#4, District 11)
98HG: Larke Jean (#5, District 10)
99HG: Poseidon Odair (#14, District 4)
100HG: Rimno Kiely (#12, District 3)
101HG: Aspen Sprout (#6, District 7)
102HG: Dandelion Linwood (#5, District 11)
A/N: i don't even know any more
This last year has been mayhem for all of us, and while I suppose my time as an avid fanfic writer is over, I'd love to still pop in every once in a while whenever inspiration strikes. So here's the tale of the 102nd Hunger Games! I might or might not get some more chapters out in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled.
Time for some shameless self-promotion. I have a new Hunger Games fic called Bread and Circuses. It tells the stories of all the victors in more intimate detail than this story. It also takes place in a different universe, with a different set of games and victors (canon victors are still the same) so don't expect Cordin and the whole gang to show up there. I hope you consider giving it a read (:
Hope you're all doing great, I know it's been a while. My inbox is always open if y'all wanna chat.