Himeko Nakamura, S-Tier Assassin
3 months after the announcement of the Quell Twist:
The call came so sudden, out of nowhere.
As per usual Himeko prepared her morning coffee, slipped under her covers, and switched-on her favorite television program, a very interesting series about a woman who abandons her previous life to seek revenge on the people who harmed her by becoming an assassin. It was a story Himeko could relate to very much… except maybe the revenge part. She loves it here in the Capitol. Everything is so luxurious unlike back in District Two.
Himeko's cat decided to plop down on her lap and purred loudly indicating the utmost comfort. Everything was splendid. Then the call came.
'Anomaly detected in Sector C'
As an assassin, Himeko has to be very flexible. A call can always appear out of nowhere. What differentiates assassins from peacekeepers is that they undergo special training to handle situations that peacekeepers wouldn't be able to handle. They are trained to be elusive, ghost-like, unseen, ruthless. Only the richest of the rich can afford to hire an assassin through a program known as Killjoy. Killjoy is dedicated to getting rid of people you don't like, mostly political competition. And since Killjoy is very expensive, only the rich have access to it. But obviously it isn't that easy. There's paperwork you have to fill out and there's a counter-program to Killjoy, knows as Pr0tect where you can higher a trained bodyguard to keep you safe from assassination attempts. Soon it became clear to Himeko that even in the Capitol there was a clear hierarchy of power. It was easy for Himeko to climb up the assassin tiers and it wasn't long before she became one of the most sought-after assassins.
And then there were cases like this. Cases that required the special techniques and expertise of assassins.
Himeko gets into her car and drives in full gear towards Sector C. Her heart is pounding heavily, an exhilarating feeling. What is this Anomaly? Soon Himeko arrives at the target location. Shutting the car door behind her, she shoots her grappling hook at one of the skyscrapers and elevates herself to the top. 'Himeko, glad you made it,' someone behind her says. Timmons, another S-Tier assassin. 'Follow me.'
With no further comments, he grapples from building to building, Himeko close behind him, trying to keep up. The silence starts to fade as shrill screams become more apparent and the sound of car sirens dominates the empty space. Then Himeko sees...it.
A beast, covered in fur, muscles protruding from everywhere, taking over the whole being's body. It's almost comical. Two ears stick out of its head and a long, furry tail drags behind it. Himeko's eyes fall on the creature's claws. Long, sharp, deadly, they could probably rip her to pieces in a matter of seconds. Timmons, next to her, looks scared. He never looks scared.
'Let's get to it then.' Himeko smiles and pats him on the back, causing him to wince. 'You're not scared, are you?'
'Pff, no. Of course not. Let's go.' They give each other one last look before jumping into action.
Anargi Fontana, Daughter of the President
'Unbelievable…' Anargi walks around her room frantically, hands clawed to her hair. 'I told him, didn't I? I told father. I told him this Essence wasn't a good idea, that it was going to cause destruction. That it was going to get people killed.' she turns to Himeko. 'I told him, didn't I?!'
'Oh, yes, you definitely did.' Himeko stuffs more caramel-salted popcorn into her mouth. 'It's fine though. Timmons and I handled the situation. That creature is dead now. For good.'
'It doesn't matter! Don't you see that if my brother and that professor are given the liberty to do as they please, they'll just continue with their wicked experiments?!' Anargi, realizing that she might have lashed out a little too much, sits down on her bed, alongside Himeko, stroking her girlfriend's hair behind her ear. 'I'm sorry, you know how much it means to me that we're all safe…'
'I do.' Himeko gives Anargi a peck on the lips. Anargi blushes, getting off the bed and continuing her tantrum.
'Then there's also the ethical aspect to it… I'm pretty sure that used to be human.' She points at a picture of the feline beast on her laptop screen. 'Are we just going to let our civilians be used for these experiments. Is that what our society has come to? We just sacrifice our own for… entertainment?'
Something changes in Himeko's demeanor. 'How is what you're saying any different than the Hunger Games? Every year you people force 24 kids to fight to the death. Children who actually had a future, who had lives to live…'
'That's… different.'
'No, it's not. Sorry to break it to you, but everyone in the Capitol is kind of a hypocrite. As soon as one of your own gets hurt, it's unethical and inhuman, but does anyone care about what we've done to the people in the Districts. No. Because what we do to lower folk is for entertainment. You do see how this is developing, Anargi, don't you?'
'Yes… we're killing our own. We're sacrificing our own to maximize our entertainment.'
'Exactly, when predators get sick of the prey, they start to turn on each other.'
'And what if people actually enjoy this Quell Twist? Maybe these Games will be a success, maybe the people will crave more and then we're forced to continue these experiments and… what if it develops into something more. What if we really start to turn on each other?'
Himeko shrugs like she's got nothing to say anymore. Anargi halts for a minute, proceeding to open her bedroom door.
'Where are you going?' Himeko asks.
'I have to stop these Games from happening.'
Cynthio Fontana, Head Gamemaker
Yes, he might have gone a bit too far with his first specimen. How was he supposed to know that Cat man was so strong that he'd be able to just break out of his cell and cause so much chaos? But now that he knows the limits of the Essence it won't happen again. He just has to find a way to get out of this mess and that might be a problem.
His father stands tall in front of him, fuming with anger.
'I just had to hold a speech, as the President of this country, and excuse my son's foolish behavior. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? To apologize to the Capitol for what my son did?'
'Dad, trust me, after these Games, people will love it. They'll ask for more Essence. You know how our society is driven by the idea of entertainment, right? We cover our sadness through entertainment. Forget money, this is the real currency.'
'NO!' Demacius hits Cynthio's desk with his fist, causing his tea to spill all over his paperwork.
'Da-'
'The only reason why we are going to go through with this is because we've already announced the Quell Twist and we're too far in, to go back now. And tell me, who are you using for these experiments, huh?'
'Just criminals, don't worry.'
'Just? What do you mean just?'
'I mean, it's not like we're using anyone of importance. They're outlaws so they should be...punished.'
'And who has a say over their fate? You?! Who are you to have so much power?! The whole point is to teach outlaws a lesson so that they can integrate themselves into society again. Not to kill them! You will have no access to the prisons anymore and if I ever find out that you are continuing with these illegal experiments I'll come over here and strangle you with my own two fucking hands!'
Whenever his father gets really angry, a certain vein on his forehead becomes visible. That vein has now popped up which is not a good sign. Cynthio has to think quickly. He has to go into cooling mode. The fire burning in his father needs to be calmed. 'I'm sorry, dad. It won't happen again, I promise.'
Demacius scoffs. 'Unbelievable…' he mutters, slamming the door to Cynthio's office shut as he stomps out of the room.'
Obviously it was a lie. The only way Cynthio can have full control of the Essence is by seeing what true potential power it possesses and Cat man was only one out of millions of possible results. So why stop? Why give away his key to success? He's going to be more careful next time, that's for sure. If his father finds out that he disobeyed him, he might actually kill him.
'Don't worry about having specimens,' Inez says. She's been hiding in the shadows while his father threw his tantrum. 'I have access to all military facilities and prisons in Panem. I'll get you what you need.'
Cynthio smiles wickedly. 'You know I love you, right? He laughs.
'Of course. We're going to take over the world together after all.'
Here's the problem. Inez has other goals in mind. She's thinking beyond the spectrum of the Hunger Games. She's thinking about conquering the world, about using it to actually harm other people and that was a problem. The moment Inez becomes a hindrance to his plan, he'll have to dispose of her. But for now, he needs her.
Only three more months and then the Games can begin…
Bellmore Sergeyevich, Fashion Designer
'Somebody needs to help him!' she screams. Blood gushes out of his leg, torn flesh visible, bone sticking out. Bellmore calls for help repeatedly. It takes several minutes for someone to notice her and the man lying on the floor in the chaotic mess of it all.
'I'll call an ambulance!' a stranger shouts over to them. Bellmore nods at him.
Quickly she unties the belt around her waist and tightens it around the man's thigh, above the wound. He screams in pain. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. You're going to be fine, okay? You're going to be fine.' Bellmore has watched enough medical dramas to know the basics of what to do. He continues to squeal like a tortured animal. A parade of ambulances arrives to carry all the wounded men and women to the hospital. 'Over here!' Bellmore screams. A group of three medics approaches Bellmore and her patient.
'Thank you, madame, for helping out.' they carry him away and drive off.
The smell of the thick smoke is still stuck in her nose and so are the screams of the injured. The president's speech was bullshit. So they're just going to keep going as if nothing happened? Bellmore never trusted politicians. She never liked politicians. She ever liked politics in general.
And for some reason now, more than ever, is she determined to speak up. Many people around her have formed little demonstration groups to protest against the Essence. Surprisingly enough the Capitol is divided into different parties with different opinions.
There are the Capitolites who want this to stop. The ones who think that this is a dangerous game. One that can spiral out of control very easily. Bellmore is one of these people.
Then there are the Capitolites who support the Essence. They're main argument is that we can't be hypocrites. They think that if the Hunger Games are supported, then any method to make the Hunger Games better should also be supported. The people who support the Essence are mainly Hunger Games fanatics.
Then there are the ones who are torn between the two opinions who don't mind the essence but want it to be controlled better for the safety of the people.
But if it one thing that Bellmore knows, then it is that she's not just going to sit back and do nothing. All her life she just looked the other way. She stayed away from the darkness that politics had to offer and distracted herself with television, clothes, and other superficial things. But after witnessing what happened that day when that feline creature killed and injured so many people, she can't look away anymore.
'Is everyone ready?!' Bellmore shouts into the microphone.
Cheers appear from all corners as the mass of people in front of her, hold their protesting signs high into the air. Everyone wants to make their voice heard and together they're going to cause change.
'Let's make an end to this!'
And we can finally begin! This was the last prologue where it became apparent that this is a game of power and everyone supports different opinions and will do anything to accomplish their own goals.
I have great news. The tribute cast is complete and you can go and check it out right now! But first, a ginormous thank you and applause for Mae from TheMayflyProject who was kind enough to create this amazing blog for me since I would have been far too inept to do so myself. Not only is she an amazing character creator but she also has her own story, Inferno: The 118th Hunger Games which is on hiatus but should start soon again. So go and check that out!
I love all the tributes I've received and I am super excited to start this story and I hope that everyone who submitted reads and reviews because that would mean the world to me :D
You can find the blog on my profile!
I'll also update my profile with the tribute list soon.
See you guys next time with the train rides where we'll meet our first four tributes! Have a great day and goodbye!
