A/N: I know the tributes' names suck. I've recycled them from an old story and am honestly too lazy to go back and change them. I figured most of the names would be insignificant since it's such an early Games, and in that 25 of them have to die anyway. Naming conventions will improve after a few chapters, promise.

The 1st Hunger Games

Preface:

Following a Capitol victory during the Great Rebellion, the districts are still reeling from their loss. Regardless, the Treaty of Treason has been signed, hereby instating the annual Hunger Games. The rules are simple. In penance for the uprising, each of the thirteen various districts of Panem are to offer up a male and female tribute, between the ages of 12 and 18. The twenty-six tributes are to be transported to an arena where they will fight to the death in a gladiatorial competition until a lone Victor remains. This Victor will return to their home district and be bathed in wealth, fame, and glory. President Regulus Corsican, a truly violent, sadistic, hateful man who presided over Panem during the war, is eager for blood and lots of it. Corsican is sure that his bloody Games will put the districts right back in place. He has the entire nation under his thumb, and the citizens of Panem will have to work to keep from being squashed. The Capitol is recovering from the Great Rebellion at a decent rate, though recovery will likely take a several more years to be complete. It's a different story in the districts. Starvation rates have doubled in most districts, tripled in others, and quadrupled in Districts 6 and 11. As a result of the Great Rebellion, 428,117 Capitol citizens and 957,809 district citizens lost their lives. The Games will be run by President Corsican himself.

The Reapings throughout Panem are a wreck. Unruly crowds lead to deaths in Districts 3, 8, 9, and 11. Mayors and escorts alike are unsure of what the process is supposed to look like, forced to glance at cue cards in an attempt to help them stumble through the event. The Pre-Games events are few and primitive. Following the tributes' arrival in the Capitol, an event called the Congregation is held, which is in short a simple party for the President to welcome the tributes to the Games and for the tributes to meet one another. Why Corsican wants them to meet each other isn't outwardly clear. The tributes are then given three days of training with various weaponry. The following day is a final day for the Mentors to get through to their tributes. The day after, it's game time.

Due to a lack of a ranking system such as the Private Session-Training Score system, there isn't yet a way to put a number on the promise of any individual tribute. There are a few tributes, though, that seem menacing from the start either due to a bigger build, a scarier glare, or both. Many of the tributes, such as Gedo from 3, Farley from 5, Rebekah from 6, among others, are direct descendants of prominent rebels who took part in the Rebellion. The largest tribute is Ron from 4, stands at 6'6" and is muscled from his years working as a stevedore. No betting system exists yet, though if one did, it's clear that a majority of the bets would be placed on Ron. As for who may have ended up with the least bets, Rebekah from 6 is a good candidate. The sniveling girl is on the younger side, with no experience with weaponry whatsoever. She is about as thin as your average windshield, and about as strong as a potato chip. She stands at a mere 4'9", weighing in around 70 lbs. In a competition such as this, the poor emaciated girl likely won't make it far. As it was not yet part of the rules, there were no volunteers this year.

The Tributes:

District 1: Reidan Callows, 16, and Gianna Haylei, 15

District 2: Rome Artiman, 18, and Hera Mirrow, 16

District 3: Gedo Vatera, 12, and Kristy Larend, 15

District 4: Ron Hasting, 18, and Calli Revon, 18

District 5: Lawson Graves, 15, and Farley Rossin, 17

District 6: Marvin Jarvis, 17, and Rebekah Regent, 13

District 7: Kent Cervin, 16, and Eliza Rotiz, 16

District 8: Brocade Nolett, 13, and Arly Mirsten, 18

District 9: Marren Bestow, 14, and Delia Fastin, 13

District 10: Butch Aldanto, 17, and Bess Lackard, 16

District 11: Weston Hayes, 18, and Tulia Mogoni, 14

District 12: Luis Morton, 14, and Alaina Valley, 15

District 13: Inficio Dresen, 17, and Paula Kreddon, 14

Into the Arena:

The twenty-six tributes rise up into a giant Capitol sports arena. They stand on metallic pedestals each about a meter high, all equidistant from one another, in a large circle. The circle surrounds the Cornucopia, a boxy, metallic structure shaped like, you guessed it, a cornucopia. The Cornucopia will give the tributes life in the arena, providing things such as weaponry, food, water, medicine, garments, and other necessities. A countdown at the Cornucopia counts back from sixty. At zero, the Games will begin. The sports arena has been terraformed, and now contains grass along with spotty trees and ponds. No Mutts can be found within the arena, as the concept of using them in the Games has not yet come about. The arena is around 1.3 miles in diameter. Miniscule compared to future arenas, but huge for a sports arena. A seemingly countless of Capitolites sit on the bleachers surrounding the arena. They're fitted with padding and backboards for comfort. Workers walk through the stands selling everything from food to beverages to merchandise to sexual favors. Giant screens are placed sporadically throughout the stands, eager to provide the audience with a better close-up of the action. Several scoreboards have been placed throughout the stands as well, displaying an active count of which tributes remain alive. A special stand is set up high in the stands for the President himself. These Games are of his creation after all, and he'd like a good view.

The Cornucopia Countdown reaches zero, and one by one, the tributes step down from their pedestals and head for the Cornucopia. After a few minutes, the tributes have all obtained various weapons and supplies, though nobody is sure what to do next. Are they actually supposed to kill each other?

Marvin from 6 stacks several crates on top of one another and climbs onto the structure. "Alright guys, you better run," he jokes, raising his knife. "Rah, rah."

A few of the other tributes snicker, while the crowd's unrest becomes apparent. They were promised blood, and they want it now. Corsican considers making some sort of announcement when a spear flies through the air and embeds itself in Marvin's chest. It isn't a direct hit to the heart, though it's clear that the 6 boy won't be recovering. He drops from his little crate-tower like a rock. Marvin his the ground hard, and bleeds out in moments. The lights illuminating 6M on the Tribute Scoreboards go dim.

Marvin Jarvis, District 6 Male, 26th Place; Killed by Bess, Bloodbath

Two dozen of the tributes stand stock still as Marvin's killer retrieves her spear. Bess from 10 yanks the weapon out of the deceased boy, splattering herself with blood. She flips her spear around and rests it on the ground, the blade pointing towards the sky. It was a hot day before, but all of a sudden, Bess is feeling much warmer.

"What?" Bess snaps at the other tributes. "Somebody had to do it. Don't you understand that they're not letting any more than one of us out of here? If any one of us ever wants to leave, the rest of us have to die first. And really, I'd rather get this the fuck over with than stand here like idiots and dance on crates." Bess's Southern Panem accent is thick, though her words have no trouble getting to the other tributes.

"So, we're just going to murder each other at the snap of a finger?" asks Marren from 9.

"I don't see why not," says young Rebekah from 6, narrowing her gaze at Bess.

Rebekah charges at Bess, brandishing a short sword in her hand. Bess sidesteps her without issue, and Rebekah tumbles right into the stocky Rome from 2. Not wanting to be killed by such a pitiful little tribute, Rome slashes his machete through the air. By that time, though, Rebekah has already moved. Instead, Rome's machete finds itself cutting through another girl's chest. Kristy from 3, not even the intended target of the blow, is dead in seconds.

Kristy Larend, District 3 Female, 25th Place; Killed by Rome, Bloodbath

Weston from 11, who had befriended Kristy during Training, bounds toward Rome as quick as his legs will carry him. He swings his sickle at the larger boy, prompting Rome to block it with his machete. Metal clashes against metal as Rome kicks Weston back without much effort. Weston falls backwards right into another tribute. His face turning red from rage, Weston drags his sickle across the boy's throat, blood bubbling up in an instant. Weston pushes himself upwards as the boy dies with a pitiful gurgle.

Gedo Vatera, District 3 Male, 24th Place; Killed by Weston, Bloodbath

Unaware that he had just killed Kristy's District Partner, Weston runs back in Rome's direction. On his way, he shoves young Brocade from 8 to the ground when the boy is in his way. Brocade's District Partner, upset at this, slams her crowbar into a passing Weston's leg. Weston screams bloody murder as Arly from 8 continues to bludgeon his lower body. The harvester boy begs for Arly to stop, though his pleas are soon silenced by Rome's machete piercing his skull.

Weston Hayes, District 11 Male, 23rd Place; Killed by Arly and Rome, Bloodbath

From here, the tributes go into an all-out frenzy. None of the tributes trust each other much anymore, and all want to get the hell away from the carnage, even if it means causing more of it themselves. Instead of collaborating and instating alliances, the tributes kill anybody else that they can out of paranoia that the other may try to kill them first. Nobody wants to be the next Marvin, or Kristy, or Gedo, or Weston.

Two girls are escaping the Cornucopia side by side, and the two exchange a glance. Rebekah may be young, but Calli from 4 remembers the look the girl had in her eyes when she had attempted to attack Rome. Being a fisherman's daughter, Calli has wielded spears since she was small. It's no trouble at all for Calli to hurl her spear through the air and land it in Rebekah's abdomen.

Rebekah Regent, District 6 Female, 22nd Place; Killed by Calli, Bloodbath

A stronger girl trips on a crate, sending her sprawling to the ground. Unwilling to turn down an opportunity to off a threat, Lawson from 5 knocks back an arrow and fires. The girl screams as the arrow pierces her right shoulder. Hoping for a better shot, Lawson reloads and fires again. The arrow finds its mark this time, digging right between the girl's eyes.

Eliza Rotiz, District 7 Female, 21st Place; Killed by Lawson, Bloodbath

Bounding away from the Cornucopia, Bess makes a second kill. Delia from 9 steps right out in front of her to lecture the older girl on starting the whole mess that would soon be coined the Bloodbath. Instead of listening to the girl's nonsense, Bess trips Delia with her spear before thrusting the blade straight into her heart.

Delia Fastin, District 9 Female, 20th Place; Killed by Bess, Bloodbath

A tribute wielding a hatchet tries to jump Rome in an attempt to please the cheering crowd. The boy swings his hatchet at Rome, though Rome manages to sidestep in time to remain unharmed. Rome's machete clashes against the boy's hatchet, and Reidan from 1 manages to disarm his larger opponent. Enraged, Rome pulls a dagger out of his belt, adrenaline giving him the strength he needs to tackle Reidan to the grass. Rome pulls Reidan's mop of blond hair back as he slides his dagger across his throat.

Reidan Callows, District 1 Male, 19th Place; Killed by Rome, Bloodbath

Brocade reaches down for a basket of bread at the same time as stocky Kent from 7. The two boys meet eyes for a moment before Brocade slowly reaches for the basket. Kent punches Brocade square in the nose, the cartilage crunching under his fist. Brocade lands on the ground with a whimper as Kent places the basket of bread behind him. He brings his axe down onto Brocade's throat, decapitating him in one clean swing. Kent grabs his basket of bread and flees the scene.

Brocade Nolett, District 8 Male, 18th Place; Killed by Kent, Bloodbath

Giant Ron from 4 spots a spear-wielding girl facing away from him, watching another tribute rummage through a pack. Brandishing a trident, Ron decides to off this girl before she kills somebody else without any rhyme or reason. Without hesitation, Ron thrusts his trident into the girl's back until the prongs poke out of her abdomen. Ron removes his weapon, sealing the girl's fate. Ron makes a getaway as her pained moans get quieter and quieter.

Hera Mirrow, District 2 Female, 17th Place; Killed by Ron, Bloodbath

Hoping to make a splash with the crowd, Alaina from 12 prepares to make her first kill. The hardy 12 girl swallows her fear and notices a boy with a quiver of arrows inspecting a sleeping bag. Deciding the distracted boy is a worthy target, Alaina jogs over behind him as quietly as possible. She raises her pickaxe above Lawson, and sensing someone nearby, he turns around. He's too late, however, as Alaina buries her pickaxe deep in the boy's throat as soon as he turns around. She wrenches the weapon around a bit, ensuring Lawson's death, before yanking it back out again in a spray of blood.

Lawson Graves, District 5 Male, 16th Place; Killed by Alaina, Bloodbath

Eager for revenge following Weston's death, Tulia from 11 swings at Rome with a machete of her own. The two have a brief sword fight, before Rome disarms Tulia without much effort. Now defenseless, Tulia raises her hands in the air and apologizes. Rome shakes his head. He slashes his machete across Tulia's throat and chest, leaving a second District 11 tribute to die.

Tulia Mogoni, District 11 Female, 15th Place; Killed by Rome, Bloodbath

Paula from 13 stands idle, pickaxe at her side. Gianna from 1 had hit her in the shoulder with a throwing knife earlier, and Paula is debating whether to take it out or leave it in. Knowing that ripping it out will allow it to bleed even more, Paula decides to let it be for now. As Butch from 10 makes his way by, Paula trips him with a blow to the leg. Butch hits the ground, then cuts right into Paula's ankle using one of his daggers. The 13 girl joins Butch in the grass, and the two struggle for a moment. Butch pushes Gianna's throwing knife further into Paula's shoulder. He plunges his dagger into Paula's heart while the girl is distracted with the pain, killing her in a blink of an eye.

Paula Kreddon, District 13 Female, 14th Place; Killed by Gianna and Butch, Bloodbath

Stepping over the corpse of his District Partner, Inficio from 13 watches a smaller boy run in his direction, barely escaping Alaina's pickaxe. Fresh poison dripping from his blade, Inficio intercepts the boy and slashes him across his abdomen. Inficio pillages the boy of supplies, and leaves him to die either of blood loss, internal injuries, or the poison. Whichever kills him first.

Marren Bestow, District 9 Male, 13th Place; Killed by Inficio, Bloodbath

Arly and Alaina had been fighting over a pack for around a minute. Each girl has inflicted minor injuries on the other, but nothing major at all. Arly eventually slips up, giving Alaina the advantage she needs. Alaina slams her pickaxe into her adversary's chest in a spray of blood. Alaina wrenches the thing around inside of Arly, as she had done with Lawson. The 8 girl opens her mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. Alaina rips the weapon back out of the dying girl, having won her pack fair and square.

Arly Mirsten, District 8 Female, 12th Place; Killed by Alaina, Bloodbath

Remaining at the Cornucopia, Rome hears a soft crying sound from under a stack of blankets. Rome pulls the blankets up one by one, to reveal Luis from 12 crying in the grass. Rome decides it best to end the pitiful boy now, rather than ensuring him a worse end later on. Rome drives his dagger into the middle of Luis's back, leaving the boy to bleed out alone.

Luis Morton, District 12 Male, 11th Place; Killed by Rome, Bloodbath

Sixteen tributes lying dead around the Horn of Plenty, the first ever Bloodbath comes to a conclusion. The final two tributes at the Cornucopia, Rome and Alaina, meet in front of the Horn. Both are soaked in sweat and blood from recent kills, and both are running low on energy.

"According to the Boards, there's still eight others left. And two is always better than one," says Alaina.

"Well, maybe not always," replies Rome. He looks over the bloodied 12 girl for a moment. "You seem worthy enough of a deal."

Alaina smiles. "Shake on it."

With a simple handshake, a tribute from the second poorest district in Panem binds herself into an alliance with one from the richest. After ensuring that neither tribute is about to attack, Rome and Alaina sit in the grass like old friends until they're prompted to move in order for the Hovercraft to collect the bodies of the dead. After that's done, the unlikely pair return to the Cornucopia and begin to make sense of the abundance of supplies still scattered around and inside of it.

The other survivors scatter across the arena in various stages of disrepair. Gianna fled the initial bloodshed with a belt of throwing knives and a small pack. She settles down near a small pond and begins to nurse a wound on her shoulder courtesy of one of Lawson's arrows. Gianna has to bite her tongue to keep from screaming as she applies some medicinal cream, but she knows it's for the best. Ron escaped the Bloodbath with his trident, a pack, and a full canteen of water. He doesn't go far from the Cornucopia before stopping to rest against the trunk of an oak tree. Ron is confident he could take anyone who may remain at the Horn out if need be. With her spear, a pack, and a water jug she stole from the late Rebekah, Calli distances herself from the Bloodbath. She travels to a little pond where she sticks her legs to cool off a little bit. Farley from 5, the only remaining tribute without a kill, managed a lead pipe and a bag from the Cornucopia. Farley goes about as far from the Horn as a tribute can, settling down in the grass in the far north of the arena. Kent managed a pack, his axe, and the basket of bread that he killed Brocade in order to get. The stocky boy jogs until he finds a sturdy tree, which he scurries up with surprising speed. Kent ties himself to a branch with a length of rope from his pack, no plans of leaving his tree any time soon. A bandage wrapped around his leg, Butch hobbles to a little pond of his own. The wound that Paula inflicted during their fight is far from fatal, though it's still bloody and hurts like a bitch. Butch stretches his leg out in by the pond, hoping it won't be too bad once he garners up the courage to give it a second look. Bess is able to climb an oak almost as fast as Kent. She sets her pack and spear down in a strong branch, and rests for a moment in a branch of her own. The feisty 10 girl figures two kills is enough to earn a bit of rest. His katana wet with poison and blood, Inficio strolls through the arena as though he doesn't care if one of the others sees him. He passes by Ron, but decides to leave him be for the time being. He settles down dangerously close to Gianna, unaware of their close proximity.

After about an hour, Butch finds the courage to remove the bandage from his leg. Getting the bandage off is a slow and painful process, though Butch sticks it out. Butch winces at what he sees once the bandage is gone. The area around the wound is a deep red, beginning to fade into a sort of purple in spots. The wound itself is deeper than Butch would like it to be, and without proper medical attention, it will be infected within a few days. Butch grits his teeth as he puts some cream on it from a small first aid kit in his pack. The cream doesn't help much, and only seems to make it hurt more. Figuring there's nothing he can do to help it, Butch wraps his leg back up with another bandage.

Back at the Cornucopia, Rome and Alaina continue sorting through the remaining supplies. The two allies engage in light conversation for innocent teenagers who've killed other innocent teenagers mere hours ago. They had survived the recent Great Rebellion, however, both Rome and Alaina seeing horrid things during the war. Unbeknownst to Corsican and the Capitol as a whole, most of the tributes were hardened before they even stepped foot in the arena. The 2 boy and the 12 girl continue sorting chatting and supplies, letting themselves forget where they are, even if for a mere moment.

As the first afternoon blends into evening, Ron is on the move. He isn't sure what he's looking for per se, though he's hoping to find something that may give him an edge (as though he doesn't already have one). Instead of finding a magic button that makes the other tributes drop dead once you push it, he finds a tired Butch sitting at his pond with his legs outstretched. Butch's eyes widen at the sight of Ron, but it's too late.

Butch screams at the top of his lungs as Butch comes closer. He tries to get up and run, but trips over his own legs. Butch falls into the small pond with a splash, though the larger Ron pulls him out with ease. Ron drops the dripping boy on the ground hard, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Butch puts all his effort into breathing a simple breath, while Ron thrusts his trident into the other boy's chest. Ripping the weapon back out, Ron thrusts it back into Butch, this time in the submental. Ron pillages the dying boy of supplies while Butch lets out a barely-audible gurgle. It's the last sound he ever makes.

Butch Aldanto, District 10 Male, 10th Place; Killed by Ron, Day 1

Across the arena, Farley starts to freak out. The girl buries her face in her hands and screams, unable to get the gory images from the Bloodbath out of her head. Farley sits mere yards away from the giant metal walls that bleed into the stands about twenty feet up, screaming into her hands until her throat is so raspy no more sound will come out. Farley looks up from her hands, eyes wet with tears, and looks over at the knife she found within her pack.

It's time for Gianna to apply another layer of cream to the arrow wound on her shoulder. The wound is healing far better than Butch's was, though it's painful nonetheless. Gianna applies the cream, finding that it hurts slightly less than last time, but not much. In the dark of the night, when the pain starts to cool down a bit, Gianna decides she's earned herself some rest. She rests her head on her pack, curls up into a fetal position, and wills herself to fall asleep.

Around eleven o'clock that night, Farley makes her choice. Farley had spent the past several hours rocking back and forth like a psycho, forcing her eyes closed and begging the memories in her mind to go away in a raspy voice. Unable to do anything but remember the gore of the past morning, Farley reaches for her knife and plunges it right into her heart. Farley closes her eyes, allowing herself to fall back, and waits for death to take her.

Farley Rossin, District 5 Female, 9th Place; Suicide, Day 1

As the sun rises on the second day, a mere eight of the original twenty-six tributes remain. This number would be the eventual catalyst of the Final Eight Interviews, though those don't come about for several years yet. If there was a Final Eight declared this year, it would have included the following: Gianna Haylei of District 1, Rome Artiman of District 2, Ron Hasting and Calli Revon of District 4, Kent Cervin of District 7, Bess Lackard of District 10, Alaina Valley of District 12, and Inficio Dresen of District 13.

The tributes wake up from varying amounts of sleep and begin another day in the Live Arena. Gianna checks on her shoulder, which is once again showing marginal progress. She applies another layer of medicine, still feeling the need to bite down on her sleeve as she does so. Gianna allows the wound some air while she munches on a cracker. Rome and Alaina indulge in a quick breakfast before readying themselves to depart the Cornucopia. They figure that it's unlikely that the other tributes will return to the Horn. They plan to hunt down the remaining tributes by the end of the day, though if that isn't possible, they'll return to the Horn at nightfall. The audiences both in the stands and at home are enjoying the platonic relationship Rome and Alaina share. Munching on a peach he raided from Butch's pack, Ron dips his legs in a cool pond. After finishing his peach, the giant 4 boy manages to catch a small fish with his bare hands and sets it on his pack to dry out. Ron knows well how to prepare a fish, and has the knife to do it. Now all he needs is a way to cook it. Calli remains at a pond of her own. She allows herself several sips from her massive water jug, savoring the coolness of the water. Calli figures she should get back to fighting, though she can't bring herself to leave the pond, as the cool water and the fish remind her of home. For the time being, Calli stays put. Following a delectable breakfast of jerky, bark, and water, Kent unties himself and leaves his tree. Like Rome and Alaina, Kent doesn't seem to have any aversion to killing, and heads out on the prowl for the others. In an arena so small, it's only a matter of time. After killing it with a spear, Bess skins and guts a squirrel that had been residing in her tree. The resourceful girl is able to start a fire with some leaves, some sticks, and two rocks. Bess watches for others while the fire goes, putting it out as soon as possible. Also finding crackers in his pack, Inficio allows himself a few before packing his stuff up for the day. Inficio is about to turn to the east when he hears a whimper of pain from the south. Nearby Gianna had unintentionally rolled on her injured shoulder.

It takes Inficio less than a minute to find Gianna's camp due to their close proximity. Gianna screams upon sight of the boy standing over her with his poison katana. Inficio swings his katana with a sudden sense of urgency, right across Gianna's throat. Her head is holding onto her neck by mere shreds. Gianna's gone in an instant.

Gianna Haylei, District 1 Female, 8th Place; Killed by Inficio, Day 2

Half an hour after Gianna's death, Rome and Alaina leave the Cornucopia. They each carry a pack on their shoulders, stocked with necessities such as food, water, medical supplies, survival tools, and extra clothing. Both are armed with their chief weapons, Rome with his machete and dagger and Alaina with her pick axe. The two allies begin to trek northward, coming up quick con Calli's comforting little pond.

While he's searching for others, Kent begins to sniff the air. In such a primitive and plain arena, the smell of cooked meat sticks out like a sore thumb. His mouth set in a thin line, Kent uses his nose to follow the scent like his bloodhound would back home. Or, would have, if she hadn't been another one of the endless casualties of the war. Thinking of home, Kent searches for the source of the smell with fervor, willing to do whatever it takes to get back to what's left of the home he loves.

It takes Rome and Alaina less than fifteen minutes longer to find Calli's pond. The girl screams and reaches for her spear, nearly tripping into the pond in her haste. Rome slashes Calli's shoulder open with his blade, spraying him with fresh blood. Calli screams and tries to ignore the pain, thrusting her spear in Rome's direction. Rome dodges the blow, while Alaina runs behind the girl and slams her pickaxe into her spine. Calli's eyes widen as Alaina wrenches her weapon from her back. Rome adds a slash of his machete across Calli's face for good measure.

Calli Revon, District 4 Female, 7th Place; Killed by Rome and Alaina, Day 2

Ron, who isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, finds a pack of matches in the backpack he got off of Butch. Ron gathers some kindling and starts a small fire with which he uses to cook the fish he caught from the nearby pond. The fire is setting off some smoke, though unlike Bess, it doesn't faze the massive dockhand. He's willing to take on any tribute that follows the smoke to his camp.

Bess savors the warm meat of the squirrel, not seeing much reason to rush the meal. During the war, many in the districts were reduced to eating things such as squirrel, so Bess doesn't mind. The meat's almost gone when she spots a figure in the distance. Bess sets the remainder of the squirrel down on a scarf from her pack and wipes her greasy hands off on it as the distant figure draws nearer.

Brandishing her spear, Bess secures the weapon just in time to block Kent's first blow. The two tributes go back and forth for a few minutes, both inflicting minor injuries on the other. About five minutes into their fight, Bess manages to trip Kent with her spear, sending him crashing to the ground. Bess feels a bit of relief, pointing her spear at her adversary, when Kent plants a small knife into Bess's boot. The 10 girl screams as Kent rips the knife out as crudely as possible. Now back on his feet, with Bess clutching her wound on the ground, Kent gives a smirk. As Kent raises his axe over Bess's head, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.

Bess Lackard, District 10 Female, 6th Place; Killed by Kent, Day 2

The action in the arena slows for several hours following Bess's death. Rome and Alaina raid Calli of supplies before continuing their hunt. The two decide to rest for a while under a sturdy pine tree, taking turns sipping from Calli's massive water jug. Ron eats his fresh fish, savoring the white meat that reminds him of home. After finishing his fish, Ron strips down a bit (much to the pleasure of the audience in the stands) and cools off in the pond. While in the pond, he catches a second fish, letting it dry out a bit before preparing the thing. Kent raids his latest victim of supplies while munching on what remains of her squirrel. Not satisfied with the insufficient amount of meat, the 7 boy plucks an apple from a tree he finds on his travels. Kent munches on the fruit while he continues searching for victims. After raiding the late Gianna of supplies, Inficio rests under a sturdy oak tree. He's getting tired from all of the walking he's been doing as of late, among other things. Inficio leans against the tree and closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep without meaning to do so.

Ron gathers more kindling and uses another match to start his second fire of the day. He roasts his fish over the fire at a careful pace, making sure it doesn't overcook. Ron hums a little song to himself as he does so, completely disregarding the fact that any of the other tributes could find him with minimal effort. The simple dockhand remains intact for the time being, though his time may be limited.

Kent had finished his apple mere minutes ago, discarding the remainder of the fruit in the grass, when he picks up on the smoke coming from Ron's camp. Kent shakes his head, muttering to himself that he's lucky the other tributes are so stupid. This is the second time today he's tracking a tribute down due to their own culinary mishaps, and it is true that Ron Hasting is an idiot. Kent follows the smoke from Ron's fire like he would a big red arrow on the ground pointing towards his opponent's camp.

"Fucking moron," Kent mutters to himself, spotting Ron from yards away.

His bloodied axe in hand, Kent dashes in Ron's direction with as much speed as he can muster. Upon noticing the incoming lumberjack boy, a shocked Ron drops his fish right into the fire. Ron ignores that, scooping up his trident, as he's got bigger fish to fry. Ron's fingers close around the weapon as Kent's axe whizzes through the air and slams directly into Ron's skull. Kent didn't want to give the much larger Ron time to flinch, and he succeeded in that. Ron hits the ground with a dull thud, dead in an instant.

Ron Hasting, District 4 Male, 5th Place; Killed by Kent, Day 2

The remainder of Day 2 passes by without any other deaths. Rome and Alaina return to the Cornucopia, not wanting to stay out in the arena overnight. They make a meal from the remaining abundance of supplies within the Cornucopia, engaging in light conversation as they do so. Rome and Alaina are quick to ignore the fact that they now account for half of the remaining tributes in the arena. High off his killings of Bess and Ron earlier in the day, Kent sets up camp at an apple tree near a pond not too far from the late Ron's camp. He paces around the tree for several hours in an apparent craze, eating apple after apple and often glancing at one of the Tribute Boards. At around two fifteen in the morning, Kent tires of this, and curls up to sleep underneath the tree with his trusty axe by his side. Inficio stops for the night next to one of the ponds. His poison katana lies in the grass next to him as he rests his head on the pack now containing his original supplies and those he pillaged from Marren and Gianna. Before going to sleep, Inficio spends an hour practicing with the katana. With only four tributes left, the finale will soon be inevitable.

Rome and Alaina eat a quick breakfast after waking up with the sun on Day 3. With so few tributes remaining, they're eager to end the Games today. Rome and Alaina gather supplies as fast as they can following their meal, ready to scout the arena for any signs of life.

Kent wakes up several hours later than Rome and Alaina. He's also quick to get moving, allowing himself a mere sip of water before packing his things and preparing to leave camp. Kent continues to glance at the Boards every few minutes to make sure that the tribute count is the same. Like Rome and Alaina, the lumberjack boy is ready to end these Games.

Inficio is the last one to wake, doing so around nine forty-five in the morning. He takes things slower than his competitors, savoring his breakfast of dinner rolls, an apple, and water. The audience starts urging him to get moving after about a half hour. Inficio obliges, packing his stuff up and leaving his pond.

Inficio crosses paths with Rome and Alaina not even half an hour later. The hospital boy takes the allies by surprise as he charges at them at full speed. Inficio's poison katana collides with Rome's machete as Alaina digs her pickaxe into Inficio's spine. The boy screams bloody murder, whipping around and managing to slash Alaina's arm open before Rome drags his machete across his throat. Inficio hits the ground, leaving the world with an ugly, muffled gurgle.

Inficio Dresen, District 13 Male, 4th Place; Killed by Alaina and Rome, Day 3

It's obvious that the Games won't be lasting much longer, though Rome and Alaina pillage Inficio's corpse of supplies anyway. In his pack, they find some bandages that they use to slow the bleeding from Alaina's arm. Unfortunately, there isn't much they can do to counteract the poison that's sure to be entering her bloodstream. Their best bet is to track Kent down and end the Games as soon as possible.

Around two thirty in the afternoon, Rome and Alaina spot Kent from fifty yards away. Knowing that it's now or never, Kent is the first to charge, belting out some sort of battle cry as he does so. The two allies start running themselves, and they clash in no time. Kent manages to dodge a swing of Alaina's pickaxe, though Rome is able to slash the hospital boy's shoulder open with his machete. Kent hollers in pain and knees the nearby Rome right in the groin. Rome is temporarily out of commission as Alaina's pickaxe meets Kent's axe. Beginning to feel the effects of Inficio's poison, Alaina is at a disadvantage. They go back and forth for a few moments before Kent trips Alaina with a sweep of his leg. Alaina's no moron, and she knows it's over the second she hits the ground. Kent raises his axe high in the air, bringing it down on Alaina's skull and killing the miner girl in an instant.

Alaina Valley, District 12 Female, 3rd Place; Killed by Kent, Day 3

Getting up after watching the brutal death of his ally, Rome screams as he knocks Kent to the ground. With loads of anger and adrenaline powering him on, Rome is a bit stronger than he would usually be. Kent is sent sprawling to the ground, and hits hard. Rome stands over the now-weaponless Kent, whose axe is now several yards to his left.

"Interesting how the tables turn, isn't it?" Rome teases.

Kent can only stare back up at Rome as the 2 boy's grin grows wider. Eager to avenge his ally, Rome swings his machete with as much force as he can muster, nearly severing Kent's head from his shoulders. Rome stabs Kent over and over again as the lumberjack drowns in his own blood. The 7M slots on the Tribute Boards go dim, as the lighting around the slots marked 2M change from silver to gold.

Kent Cervin, District 7 Male, 2nd Place; Killed by Rome, Day 3

"Citizens of Panem, may I present to you, the Victor of the First Annual Hunger Games, Rome Artiman of District Two!" the President shouts over the intercom of the arena.

Rome drops his bloodied machete, a small smile creeping onto his face as the crowd cheers, screams, and whistles until their faces turn blue. Rome waves at the crowd with a surprising sense of composure, waiting to be escorted out of the bloody arena.

Afterwards

District 2 was ecstatic to have Rome back. They were equally as pleased to be able to boast bringing home the nation's first ever Victor of the Hunger Games. Rome was quick to find that with being the first ever Victor of the Games came a great responsibility. Not only was he expected to remain formal and composed throughout numerous public appearances, he was also to take on a sort of persona and a talent to display to the Capitol. He was also a sort of guinea pig, as he was the first Victor, after all. Rome's Victory Tour went well enough, though the process was a bit clunky due to how new of an idea it was. District 7 was a little sour after losing Kent so close to the end, though no attempts were made on Rome's life. Rome would grow to be a decent Mentor, having been there to watch the Hunger Games take shape from the very beginning.

While Rome had no shortage of sexual partners and relationships throughout the years, Rome would never marry, nor would he have children. He never saw himself as a parental type. He would often turn to alcohol to quiet the memories of his Games, though he would manage to sober up for important events such as Mentoring and Victory Tours. Rome would live to age 80, dying of a heart attack in September of 63 PR.

Victors of Panem

1st HG: Rome Artiman (#1, District 2)

A/N: And there we have it, the first ever Hunger Games. A bit different from what they are by Katniss's time, though they'll evolve over time. While this is the first ever chapter, I hope it was worth the read nonetheless.

Until next time.