Chapter 5: Ragnar Sveinsson
A/N: So, here's the first Career victor! I'll try a different format this time to keep this interesting! Pls review!
Katniss scowled at him. The photo showed a fierce boy with a stern expression on his face. Even so, if you looked closer, you could see a tinge of regret in his eyes. "He volunteered, didn't he?"
Haymitch stood up. "Well, kids, the answer is yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go have another drink."
Peeta rolled his eyes. "He's still an alcoholic. No surprise there."
Katniss laughed, but as she gazed at Ragnar's photo, she caught a glimpse of a peacekeeper pointing a gun at him at the far corner of the background. What if, there was more to him than met the eye?
Ragnar Sveinsson
District 2
Aged 18
8 Kills
In the Hunger Games, there are four different POVs. That of the tribute, the Capitol, the mentors and the districts. In a person the Capitol deems a killer, the mentors could see a rebel. These POVs are always varied and often stray far from the truth. All of them, except that of the tribute himself.
RAGNAR:
Let me get this straight. I NEVER WANTED TO VOLUNTEER. Commander Rudy threatened to kill my parents if I didn't. In fact, I never wanted to attend the Rudy Career Academy. But it was compulsory for all children in Raven Town. And I had been the unlucky candidate chosen for the Reaping. It was horrible. I didn't want to kill anyone! I wasn't ready to die yet! And besides, if all those rumours about what happened to Sapphire were true, well, I wanted none of it. The girls in my town always fawned over me. Sure, I might win the hearts of the Capitol, but what if, like Sapphire, I won them over too much? I shuddered at the thought. My district partner, Lozen, on the other hand, was a cold-blooded killer. She was taller than me, and her spear-throwing skills were frighteningly accurate. Captain Caesarius, our peacekeeper mentor, decided to completely ignore me and focus on training her instead. I rolled my eyes. Great. No support from anybody. Just great.
BARTOMEUS:
Bartomeus Flickermann donned his suit proudly. The previous announcer had died in a car accident, which meant as his assistant, he automatically got the job. He couldn't resist giving an excited squeal as he commentated on the Reapings. There was an abundance of brilliant tributes: the judo wrestler pair from One, the spear-thrower girl from Two, the cyber terrorist siblings from Three, the handsome boy from Four, the wrestling champion girl from Five, the wily thief boy from Six, the convicted criminal girl from Seven, the daughter of the mayor of Eight, the muscular bodybuilder boy from Nine, the cool cowboy from Ten, the lightning-fast girl from Eleven, and the big bully girl from Twelve. But most impressive to him was Ragnar Sveinsson. The way the boy carried himself, with an eye roll that his victory was even in question, the impatience to get into the arena, his refusal to wave to some of the poorer district children as a direct result of his fury that these dirty scumbags were disgracing the proud nation of Panem, oh, he was loving Ragnar! He was truly an announcer's dream come true!
HENRY:
I felt bad for Ragnar. I could never forget the day he offered to pay for my school bills after my parents gambled away all our fortunes. He was always so kind, so generous, always helping out the poor, helping below-average students get on with their schoolwork, giving everyone big smiles as he passed by. Hearing Bartomeus's interpretation of a patriotic murderer who wanted only to get into the arena and start killing, I nearly threw up. We, the people of District Two, knew this couldn't be farther from the truth. The Career academies were brutal. He didn't have a choice! I was always a nerdy kid, and after seeing me getting beaten up by Commander Rudy every day, Ragnar just didn't want to get beaten up. Besides, a strong boy named James once tried to fluke it at the academy, but Rudy wasn't buying it and had him hanged for treason. It was horrible. Ragnar just wanted to make it out alive! He wanted nothing to do with this! But the Capitol, Rudy and all those other freaks couldn't care less. All they saw was a cold-hearted child murderer.
MARINA:
Marina groaned when she saw him. Great. Another one of those insufferable Careers. She couldn't stand their greed, their desire to kill.
"If only they knew…" she sighed, turning to her fellow victors. They were like family to her, but none of them could recover from the effects of the arena. Everyone knew what happened to Sapphire, the poor girl spent her days yanking her hair whilst screaming and bawling her eyes out. Axel was constantly drunk and while he was generally a fun guy, there was no denying that he was an alcoholic who sometimes even did drugs, Hassan would often space out and stare blankly into space, something the Capitol viewed as a sign of insanity. Marina wasn't in such bad conditions, but she still had severe PTSD and hadn't quite been able to cope with all the stress and trauma. It was clear when she saw them, District Two would have their first victor. Nonetheless, she tried her best to train Tilapia and Netto, hoping that they would spring a surprise and take down Ragnar. She grimaced when Netto told her how Ragnar had tried to intimidate him in training. He was nothing more than a crazed killing machine, not deserving a place in the victor family.
RAGNAR:
They told me to look fierce, to look strong in my interviews. They made me intimidate those poor kids. If I didn't play along, my parents would be executed by firing squad the next day. Bartomeus rambled on and on during my interview. It was annoying. I just wanted to get it over with and sleep. I never wanted to be here in the first place!
Richie from One cornered me after my interview.
"So, you think you're a tough guy, huh?" I narrowed my eyes.
"What do you want, One?" I snarled, aware that a pesky reporter had sneaked in to get an exclusive scoop. "An alliance," he told me with a smirk.
"Imagine all the tributes we could kill!" That's it. I couldn't take this anymore.
"Killing children isn't alright!" I roared. Richie looked taken aback.
"You volunteered, you moron!"
"Just shut up and leave me alone!" I growled, marching away as more pesky reporters arrived at the scene.
PINKIE:
Pinkie grinned, aware that by the end of the Hunger Games, she would be filthy rich. She had placed a huge bet on Ragnar winning, and oh boy, he was already the winner. The interviews, he was so annoyed that he had to go through the formalities, but alas, even the strong killers were district savages. Still, it showed that he wanted to get in the thick of it and spill some sweet, sweet blood. Pinkie loved it! And that argument with Richie, she couldn't help but agree with Ragnar. Killing children outright, that was awful! But torturing them slowly, oh that was it! That was what Ragnar planned to do! Win the right way! She giggled with glee. She placed another heavy bet on Ragnar mutilating Richie during the Bloodbath.
REYNA:
I couldn't believe it. Being an orphan, things hadn't exactly gone well for me in life. Everyone was so mean! But Ragnar, he was different. He always lent a helping hand, buying me food, helping me train, giving me those flirty winks. . . oh, shut up! So what if I have a teeny weeny crush on him. I stood absolutely no chance with him! None! I sighed, picking up the newspaper, and nearly gagging. They had reported on his fight with Richie Irvine, the boy from One. And they had gotten everything wrong.
"He literally said killing children was horrible!" I groaned. "How could they not understand?"
"People believe what they want to believe," Henry grumbled, sliding over to me.
Ever since our parents overdosed last year, he's taken great care of me by taking up two jobs: a morning postman shift and afternoon engineer shift. For my part, I designed toys for little kids. It wasn't a popular trade, but I made the most out of it. Toys were supposed to be fun playtime objects that made children happy! So, forgive me for spewing out my morning coffee when I realised that the arena was, in fact, a toy factory.
RAGNAR:
The first thing I noticed was that it wasn't a forest. It was a tall building with many floors. Conveyors belts snaked around and up and down floors. And on these conveyor belts were large piles of toys. Everything, from stuffed bears to tricycles to even Marina Bluebell action figures (that didn't even look like her). Tables and chairs were dumped all around, probably to act as obstacles during chases and fights. The toys, though, reminded me too much of Reyna, the prettiest girl in town and my best friend's sister. She was a toy designer, and the stuffed bears bore a striking resemblance to the ones she always made. Oh, gosh, she's probably going to see me murdering all these poor kids in her favourite atmosphere and hate me for life! I made a silent vow to snap Commander Rudy's neck one silent night after making it back home. The gong rang. It was go time.
HASSAN:
Hassan didn't like him from the start, but his expression upon seeing the toy factory was off-putting. He'd seemed, concerned? He didn't think Careers were born killers. There had to be some humanity in them, surely! And that reaction had told him just as much. Still, the District Two instincts clicked back in time, because soon, he was slicing off Hassan's tributes heads. Hassan sighed. He should've known that two, frightened twelve-year-olds, of whom the boy had leukemia, were never going to make it past the Bloodbath. Still, he had dared to hope. It was dead like his tributes. He sighed in exasperation as Ragnar butchered the girl from Three and slammed the boy from Twelve's head into a Cornucopia, hard enough to make a dent into the hard material. "Stupid Careers," he muttered, grabbing his drink. He watched as Ragnar and Lozen split up the Cornucopia supplies, and split up. Lozen took an elevator filled with boxes while Ragnar opted to take the stairs, prompting an eye roll from Hassan.
"Show off," he murmured, cringing as Ragnar took off his shirt in the hot factory, undeniably attracting the attention of the Capitol's female population. Show off, that's what he was. A show off with only a miniscule heart.
RAGNAR:
I hadn't made it to the second floor when I heard Lozen screaming inside the elevator. "Lozen!" I shouted, dashing over to the landing and jamming the elevator button furiously. The elevator was made of glass, and I could see that the boy from Nine had jumped out of the boxes and was strangling her.
"Come on, come on," I smashed the button in frustration. Lozen was dying! Sure, she was my most lethal opponent, but I would never abandon someone from my district. See? Told you I wasn't a born killer! In one final desperate attempt to save Lozen, I grabbed my spear and hurled it at the elevator. It pierced through the glass with a sickening crunch, and lodged itself into the boy, I think his name's Phil, right as he smashed Lozen's head through the glass. Their cannons fired, and I could feel my heart sink. I had failed to save her.
"ARGH!" Filled with frustration, I grabbed my knife and threw it as hard as I could. Someone gasped, and a cannon boomed. I screamed, not with rage, but with desperation and anxiety. This was the breaking point. I had killed Tilapia from Four. I was a murderer.
BARTOMEUS:
Bartomeus couldn't contain his excitement. Ragnar was making the Hunger Games the Ragnar Games! He could see the fire in his eyes to destroy the other tributes in a toy factory that invoked too many harsh memories of his terrible childhood in the district. He could see the fury in his eyes when he killed the tribute from Nine for employing the weakest method of killing on the other girl. This was the Ragnar Games! The kills had to be brutal! Bartomeus didn't even care when Richie slaughtered the boy from Four. Ragnar had stolen the show. The bloodthirsty scream proved just as much.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Ragnar has the heart of a true victor!" he announced. "Now let's see if he can live up to it! My advice, place your bets wisely!" This was the year that betting was introduced officially, and Bartomeus had placed nearly half of his monthly salary on the line. Still, he could sense a proud citizen of Panem when there was one. His proud stance as the anthem played proved just as much.
RAGNAR:
Proud stance? Ha! All I did was lean against a wall and blank out for a minute or two! I hate this stupid Capitol!
AXEL:
Axel hated Ragnar so much, he decided to start a new trend of Ragnar jokes.
"What does Ragnar wear to school? Rags-nar!"
"What's Ragnar's personality? Rag-narcissistic!"
"If Ragnar is Svein's-son, then why isn't Svein his father's name? Because he's too busy gossiping in the local rag to actually go home and teach his son some bloody manners!"
Granted, they weren't his best punchlines, but they got the message loud and clear. A Career like Ragnar would never be a part of their victor family. Especially not after he sliced off Richie's arms before killing him. That part made Axel throw up all over the floor. Sapphire screamed and wailed as the peacekeepers, realizing she was no longer needed as a mentor, dragged her out for more of their 'routine sessions', which only made Axel throw up even more.
RAGNAR:
The damn boy just wouldn't stay still. He kept on rolling over every time I thrust my sword forward. He wasn't too quick, however, and instead, I sliced off his limbs one by one. The blood and the screams of pain sickened me.
"Please," I hissed. "Just let me get this over with! I can't stand this anymore!"
"NO!" Richie shrieked as my sword lodged itself in his gut. This time, he stayed still. I pulled my sword out, wincing a little and turned to the cameras.
"Reyna, I'm so sorry." I finished him off and ran away, not wanting the Capitol to see my tears flowing down my cheeks. I didn't go very far though, as something pinned me to the ground. I yelped, slashing my sword around, expecting blood to ooze over me and signify the mark of the deranged murderer everyone thought I was. But instead, to my surprise, soft cotton floated to the ground. And then I saw them.
"You're joking!"
REYNA:
I nearly sobbed when he apologized.
"See, Reyna?" Henry told me. 'He loves you too." Then he clamped his mouth shut, realizing he'd said that just a little too loud. I buried my face in my hands. Nice going, Henry. Now EVERYONE knows about that little crush! Thankfully, everyone quickly forgets it. Because teddy bear mutts have begun to attack Ragnar.
RAGNAR:
These bears were not cute. Reyna's bears were cute. These had claws and sharp fangs, and pounced off the conveyor belt, leaping into the air and sprouting wings. Like, seriously? These things were supposed to be cute! I didn't care about that stupid 'killer' stance anymore. I ran for my life.
BARTOMEUS:
Wow, look at him go! Certainly, the speed of a cheetah! He must think these silly mutts are not worth his time! After all, he is out for human blood, not soft kiddy cotton!
MARINA:
I had to close my eyes for the final battle. The remaining tributes had been killed by the teddy bear mutts, which was one of the worst ways to die, except for Ragnar and Ohm, the boy from Five. They charged at each other, and I could hear a sickening sound of metal hitting flesh, and an agonized scream. The cannon boomed.
"Please let Ohm live," I pleaded. I peeked out. There was no such luck. The trumpets sounded for the brutal Ragnar Sveinsson to be crowned as victor, a title he didn't deserve to be proud of. Still, I could see something in his face. Maybe it was the fact he closed Ohm's eyes. Maybe it was the fact he tried to clean the body with some stickers and towels from the conveyor belts. Or maybe, it was the fact that he whispered a girl's name before he passed out.
"Reyna…"
There was more to him than meets the eye, I could feel it.
SAPPHIRE:
Sapphire soon realised that Ragnar wasn't so bad after all. As usual, Sapphire had gone up to the roof of the Tribute Centre to cry in peace. She bemoaned her fate, wishing that she had been born ugly, or maybe had died in that stupid arena! Anything other than this.
"I just want to go home…" she begged softly.
"So do I." She shrieked as Ragnar approached her. After seeing his antics, she knew what he was here for. Her body.
"No, please!" she cried. "I've had enough today! I've had four customers and I don't need another one!" To her surprise, Ragnar blinked, confused.
"Um, Sapphire? What are you on about?" She gulped. He was clueless after all.
"Please. Just leave me alone. Go party with your fans or something."
Ragnar winced, and he seemed genuinely hurt. "Sapphire… That's not who I am. I'm not a cold-hearted killer."
"Oh, really?" Sapphire turned on her heels, glaring straight at him. Ragnar backed away. "I saw what you did! Despicable! Eight kills! Eight cold-hearted kills! At least Hassan tried to control the mutts! Go away!"
Ragnar stared at the ground. Sapphire wondered if she'd gone too far. But she didn't relent. She raised her chin defiantly. Ragnar shuffled his feet. "Sapphire, the academy told me, if I didn't volunteer, if I didn't act like a psycho mass murderer, they'd kill my family. And possibly Henry and Reyna too."
It was Sapphire's turn to blink. She gazed at him, for the first time, looking weaker than ever. "I hate the Capitol," she blurted out.
Ragnar nodded. "I want them to burn to the ground," he hissed sharply. "I never wanted to kill! Ask Henry! Ask Reyna! Ask anyone in Two! I love children! I want to help others, not kill. . ." His voice cracked, and this time, he could freely cry. Sapphire cried too, for the loss of innocence, for everything the Capitol had done to Marina. To Hassan. To Axel. To Ragnar. To the districts. To her. She walked over, and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug, and they cried in each other's arms for as long as they liked.
MARINA:
Hassan, Axel and I watched the pair embrace and cry their hearts out. "Maybe he isn't so bad after all," Axel muttered. I nodded. "He's definitely a part of the victor family."
Katniss couldn't help but wonder, was he really such a brute? Maybe Enobaria knew. She motioned for Peeta to flip the page. He did, showing a photo of a terrified girl pulling at her hair. Ragnar grasped her shoulders, and seemed to be muttering words of encouragement.
"Reyna Boudicca, Ragnar's girlfriend, I think," Peeta said.
Katniss frowned. "Maybe Ragnar had a heart, after all. She doesn't seem like much."
VICTORS
District 1-Sapphire Huntington(4)
District 2-Ragnar Sveinsson(5)
District 4-Marina Bluebell(1)
District 7-Hassan Greenwood(2)
District 12-Axel Millar(3)
A/N: Hope you enjoyed Ragnar! District Two's Careers always seem like big brutes, and while most of them prob are, ig some of them are misunderstood. As you can see, media portrayal plays a huge role in the Hunger Games. But now, what will Ragnar do when Reyna goes into the arena? How will he help her? Stay tuned to find out and pls review!