A/N: Trigger warning for unintentional deadnaming in Hampshire's POV.
Chapter 5: Bloodbath
Hampshire Fairway, age 17
District 10 Tribute
Night Before
I've changed into my sleepwear and I'm getting ready for bed when I hear a knock on the door to my bedroom.
"What is it?" I yell out.
"Hampshire, it's me, Rahina," my elderly escort says from the other side of the door. "I'm just letting you know that the boy from District 6 is here to see you."
Adam? If my ally wants to see me at this hour, it's gotta be urgent. I open the door.
"Lead the way," I say to my escort, who guides me to the District 10 common room. Adam Rider is standing in front of the elevator. My ally gives me a wave and a small smile.
"Hey Adam," I say, moving to stand in front of him. "What's up?"
Adam takes a deep breath. "Virginia… I can't believe I'm saying this, but… I have feelings for you."
This takes me completely by surprise. Sure, Adam was very friendly with me during Training and insisted on keeping our alliance as a partnership, but this is the Hunger Games. Only one can live.
"Oh, uh, okay," I get out.
"That's why we need to stop being allies," Adam says firmly. "If I want to win, staying with you while I have feelings for you will only get in the way. You understand, do you?"
"Fuck," I sigh, understanding completely but disliking the situation nonetheless. "Couldn't you have told me this a few days ago?"
"I'm sorry, I just realized this during the Interviews," Adam says, looking down. "You looked so beautiful in that outfit and - I should go."
I'm silent as Adam disappears into the elevator. Maybe this is a good thing, because it was hard having Adam deadname and misgender me during Training. It'll be good for my well-being to not have to deal with that in the Arena. But I've always been a sociable person, so I'd rather not be alone in the Games.
No matter what happens, I'll do whatever it takes to stay alive, I think. For my family.
Athens Prescott, age 17
District 8 Male Tribute
Launch
"Anything I can get you?" my Stylist, Annalisa Brady, asks for the millionth time. "Anything at all?"
"Nothing really," I sigh as I sit on the couch in the Launch Room. I'm not hungry, thirsty, hot, or cold. I'm bored, though. I tell this to Lisa.
"I can tell you a story, if you want," my Stylist says. "You know how at least once every Games season I like to bring a pot of my famous chili to the Stylists? The trick is to undercook the onions…"
I find myself only half-listening as I stare at my sleeve. I could be dead within an hour and the last person I'm with is at the soup store. I guess I could prepare for the Games, but there isn't much I can do in these final moments.
"Tributes, please prepare for Launch," a female voice rings out.
Finally. Lisa stops rambling and gestures at the metal plate at the edge of the room. "Well, it's time," he says with a bright smile. "Good luck, Athens."
"Thanks," I say as I take a deep breath, stand up, and walk over to stand on the plate. A glass cylinder descends from the ceiling of the room, surrounding me. Then I'm moving upwards into darkness.
My heart rate is quickening and I'm breathing heavily as I continue moving in darkness. Then cold air hits me. I'm confused because it's still dark, but my eyes quickly adjust to the dimly lit surroundings.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Sixty-sixth Hunger Games begin!"
As the countdown starts, I take in the Arena. It looks like we're in a claustrophobic underground dungeon, its walls lined with fiery torches and oh my god those are skulls and bones. The ring of tributes sits in a plain of hard-packed dirt, the Cornucopia at the center. I see backpacks, supplies, and weapons - a spiked mace, another spiked mace, and a different spiked mace.
Wait. The maces are the only weapons. There aren't any other weapons in the Cornucopia.
Aurora Underwood, age 17
District 1 Female Tribute
Bloodbath
When the gong rings, I sprint forward and grab a mace that's heavy enough to deal significant damage but light enough for me to wield. After I got over the initial shock of seeing just one kind of weapon in the Cornucopia, I knew what I had to do.
The first tribute I see is Cari, the girl from Six. She's reaching for the mace next to me. I bring my mace down onto her shoulder, and she yells out in pain. She manages to grab the mace with her other hand, but I clobber her head with my own mace. I whack Cari again and again until she slumps down onto the ground.
There's no time to make sure she's dead if I want to help secure the Cornucopia with the other Careers. I look around. Giselle from Eight clobbers Pryce from Eleven on the head with a mace. Marco and Marth are dueling, trading blows with each other. Ivy is standing over Raya from Five and beating her up. Max and Pri are fighting Dessa and Lexy, while Opalite throws her club at the fleeing siblings from Nine.
Out of the corner of my eye I spot Demi from Twelve running away with a backpack. I'm about to run after her when my conscience tugs at me and I set my sights elsewhere. Palatino from Three, Cedar from Seven, and Barkley from Twelve are running down a tunnel. I'm about to run after them when I remember that I didn't want to stand out. That means only getting one kill in the Bloodbath.
It's a good idea for me to make sure Cari is dead, anyways, so I leave the trio of young boys and jog to where I fought Cari. Opalite is standing over her motionless body with a mace in hand. It looks like most of the carnage is over. Marco finishes Marth off with a final heavy blow to the head.
There are six cannons. Then Marco falls to the ground, and there are two more.
Eulogies
24th place: Iridessa "Dessa" Parks, District 3 - Clubbed by Max (2F), Bloodbath. RIP to my claustrophobic but cheerful gardener from Three, who brought a softer side out of Lexy.
23rd place: Lexy Bloom, District 11 - Clubbed by Pri (2M), Bloodbath. RIP to my secretly caring mathematician from Eleven, who brought a more responsible side out of Dessa.
22nd place: Raya Nelson, District 5 - Clubbed by Ivy (7F), Bloodbath. RIP to my lonely but unpleasant average girl from Five who just wanted a friend and was at the wrong place and the wrong time.
21st place: Cari Spokane, District 6 - Clubbed by Opalite (4F), Bloodbath. RIP to my cold-blooded killer who was simply not strong enough to beat two Careers in a fight.
20th place: Marth Sakurai, District 1 - Clubbed by Marco (4M), Bloodbath. RIP to my feminine boy with a hero complex who died as he lived: defending the innocent.
19th place: Pryce Wheaton, District 11 - Clubbed by Giselle (8F), Bloodbath. RIP to my rude loner - Giselle doesn't know that she killed him just yet.
18th place: Marco Garcia, District 4 - Clubbed by Marth (1M), Bloodbath. RIP to my talented but ignored jerk who tangled with the wrong hero.
17th place: Marley Staten, District 9 - Clubbed by Opalite (4F), Bloodbath. RIP to my responsible younger sibling who died of her wounds as she fled.
Alliance and Location Recap as of the end of the Bloodbath:
Careers: Aurora (1F) / Max (2F) / Pri (2M) / Opalite (4F) / Ivy (7F) (Cornucopia)
No Girls Allowed: Palatino (3M) / Cedar (7M) / Barkley (12M) (East tunnel)
Tangled: Giselle (8F) / Athens (8M) (North tunnel)
Loners: Newton (5M) (Southwest tunnel), Adam (6M) (Southwest tunnel), Buck (9M) (West tunnel), Hampshire (10F) (South tunnel), Milton (10M) (South tunnel), Demi (12F) (Northeast tunnel)
