The Degenerates: We Made It Out Switch Kim, a hunger games fanfic

Chapter 19: Switch Kim

A/N: District Five is back with the Nineteenth Victor! I'll definitely make use of Switch's name to create her story. Nothing much to say except enjoy!

"Switch huh? What kind of a name is that?" Katniss scowled.

Peeta shrugged. "I mean, it's better than Coriolanus. Half of Panem can't even spell that correctly."

"I suppose you're right. What did she do?" Katniss asked.

"I heard she won by flicking a switch," Peeta said.

Katniss gave him a dead stare. "Switch won with a switch."

Peeta chuckled. "I know, right?"

The pair sat in silence, gazing at Switch, nothing more needing to be said.

Switch Kim

District 5

Aged 15

5 Kills

District Fourteen was a nice place. Sure, it could be a little chilly during winter but Oakette didn't mind. District Seven's winters hadn't exactly been much better. Besides, the impeccable heating system in the interconnected cabins was more than enough to keep them warm and cosy. While District Thirteen was a dark, dreary underground bunker with strict rules and disciplinary enforcement, District Fourteen was a cheerful, cosy place located near a glacier, where the Capitol certainly wouldn't come knocking and was made up of a close-knit community of rebels. There were no strict schedules and regulations were pretty lax. Of course, this pretty much relied on everyone being diligent and hardworking but everyone seemed determined to strive towards a common goal: burn the Capitol to ashes and free the Districts. Oakette had forced herself to watch all the Hunger Games, scanning the tributes for potential rebels and occasionally sending secret sponsor funds over to the mentors, mainly Hassan because he'd been her best friend back in District Seven. She was glad he'd finally been cured of his dyslexia. The boy deserved to be able to read and forget what had happened in that horrible arena. Oakette grabbed a cup of hot cocoa and braced herself for the reaping of the Nineteenth Games. Her friend Ash Tackett, a young coal miner from Twelve who'd teamed up with a rebellious peacekeeper named Nolan before they made their way to Fourteen, sat next to her. "I hope no twelve-year-olds get reaped," she whispered softly.

Ash nodded. "To be fair, all the tributes are too young to die. But the twelve-year-olds don't even stand a chance."

The Reapings began, starting with District One, who, as usual, had two volunteers from the noble families, Chanel and Dior Ashton, a particularly vicious pair of twins with classical good looks and menacing eyes. Oakette shuddered. Those two could be strong favourites for the top prize. The pair from Two were no less impressive. Buster Chavez was a burly quarry worker who accidentally left a hole in the stage by stepping too hard on a spot of rotting wood. Slate Beckett was a sly girl whose father was recently appointed Head Peacekeeper of District Six. The Threes consisted of a bespectacled factory worker named Futura and a scrawny programmer named Boolean. The Fours were two trawlers named Aqua and Gully. When District Five came round, she didn't have much hope for them. Shocker had turned over a new leaf after his Games, but the lad's mental state was in shambles. Exactly why he hadn't been given any rebel information yet. They planned on, they just needed to make sure he was stable. Still, having a down-in-the-dumps mentor who drank a lot and cried himself to sleep wasn't very encouraging for the Fives. Shocker tried his best, but he was powerless against the charm the Ones and Twos commanded. Oakatte watched as the escort, one she nicknamed 'Stupid Hatty', pulled out a name from the girls' reaping bowl. "Switch Kim!"

A bubbly young girl somersaulted up the stage, a nervous smile on her bright face. "Hey guys!" she squeaked, forcing a goofy smile. "Don't you worry, I'm gonna switch my way to victory!" The district didn't respond. The girl was a dead corpse walking to them. Oakette, though, was taken aback by her peppiness. It was almost infectious. She couldn't help grin a little as she quickly gave the nation a quick-change performance, shouting," Aaaand switch!" as she emerged wearing a completely different dress. Five gave her a rousing applause, cheering and whistling. Stupid Hatty was practically brimming with excitement and Oakette couldn't blame her. Switch could earn herself some sponsors with that attitude. Problem was, could she kill? Oakette didn't have time to think that through as Stupid Hatty had already pulled out another slip.

"Epsilon Kraft!" A seventeen-year-old boy scowled as he trudged up to the stage, his parents wailing in the crowd. He couldn't quick-change like Switch had, so he just introduced himself and said he was a worker at a nuclear power plant. But the spotlight was clearly on Switch. Bartomeus kept on rambling on and on about her even as the Sixes were reaped, two morphing addicts from the tire-making industry named Pirelli Bridgestone and Michelin Goodyear. The Sevens seemed pretty decent. Two lumberjacks, Mildew and Grover, who seemed pretty muscular. Oakette thought they might have a shot if they played all their cards right. The Eights were pitiful, a small, crying girl named Chenille and a crippled factory worker named James. After Gwen's shock victory, Oakette knew better than to underestimate the Nines, even though Chua and Bran would be really fighting the odds as neither looked strong at all. The Tens consisted of a food production factory worker named Mink and a shepherd boy named Buck. The Elevens were a pair of apple grove workers named Kelly and Durian who didn't look like they would even put up a fight. Their faces looked resigned to defeat. Oakette felt a pang of sympathy but it wasn't like she could do anything about it. The Twelves were as pitiful as usual. Hopper and Alvin both wet their pants as they stood trembling on the stage. Oakette sighed as the Reapings ended.

"I like Switch," she admitted. "I'd want her to win."

Ash sighed. "Yeah, but the odds are in Chanel and Dior's favour. They'll probably win, but hey, let's hope for the best."

Oakette stood at the construction site of the district's new missile launcher. It was almost completed. "Like it?" Leroy, the rebel from Five and the designer of the launcher, asked with a satisfied grin.

Oakette nodded. "Looks good. I guess we'll be safe from Capitol attacks, then?"

Leroy gave her a thumbs-up. "Definitely! We just need a couple more of these babies and we can get started on some of my other projects!" That was the good thing about Leroy, he was always enthusiastic and raring to go.

Oakette smiled. "You've outdone yourself, Leroy."

He laughed. "Thanks. Oh-" He turned serious. "I knew Switch when I was in Five. She's a really nice girl. I promise she'll help out here! And-"

"Leroy," Oakette said calmly. "I'll give her sponsor funds."

Leroy blinked back a tear. "Switch was always the life of the party, you know? Her quick-change acts livened the mood for us dam workers. Oh, and she's the only one who actually remembered what all the switches in the dam are for. Most of their uses were kinda lost in time."

Oakette laid a hand on his shoulder reassuringly." Don't worry, Leroy. She's coming home. I know it."

Oakette never quite saw the point of the Tribute Parade. The costumes were always so embarrassing! She could remember her own parade costume and how she'd been tempted to stick an axe into her stylist's face for dressing her up as an axe. And an absolutely ridiculous one too! But here she was, watching the Tribute Parade as she always did year after year without fail. After all, she needed to get to know her potential allies. The Ones came out first. Chanel and Dior were dressed in luxurious dresses embroidered with expensive gems. She rolled her eyes. One and Two always got the best stylists. It was never fair for any of the outliers. Two came out next, looking strong and ready for combat in Viking costumes. In comparison, Three looked absolutely horrible in their computer outfits. Ash sighed as he made himself a cup of coffee. "Twelve are probably going to be naked and covered in coal dust again." Oakette couldn't understand why the Twelves were always dressed up like that. It was beyond humiliation! Clearly, the Gamemakers hired the most naive stylists to style their outfits. Suddenly Oakette was grateful for her own stylist all those years ago. At least she had clothes on. She turned back to the TV, where the Fours, dressed in dive suits had come out. Their costumes were usually pretty decent, save for last year, when they were dressed as tuna fish. When it was the Fives' turn to come out in their costumes, Oakette sat up straight.

"Oh, please let it be a good one," she pleaded, thinking of Switch. She could easily make a huge impression but she needed a good costume. And she did not disappoint. Oakette had to lower the volume drastically because the Capitolians let out a deafening cheer when they saw Switch. She was dressed in a power plant jumper but that wasn't the point. She was standing in a cloth sack and every once in awhile, she would pull up the sack and three seconds later, come out in a different costume before doing a backflip in the air and landing on one foot and repeating the process, all with a big grin on her face.

"Whoa!" Bartomeus gasped. "Switch is really good at switching things up, huh?" Oakette rolled her eyes at the pun. She never liked Bartomeus. He always showered praise on President Ravenstill at completely inappropriate times, like he was doing at that moment. "You know, if our beloved President never thought of these Games, we'd never have discovered such a terrific talent among those District scumbags!" Yeah, he was pro-Capitol all the way. He rambled on about Switch, even as the Eights, dressed up in jester costumes for some bizarre reason, came out. Oakette wanted to throw her remote at the screen. He was supposed to give all the tributes equal attention, not dote on one of them! Sure that meant Switch could earn more favours but still, the Sixes, Sevens and Eights deserved a shot at life too. As the Nines were coming out, she heard a thunk on her cabin window. She yelped, startled. It had begun hailing. Oakette sighed. The connection began to crackle a little. Soon, it would go out. But chances were, she would at least be able to watch the Twelves come out before that happened.

"I bet a dollar that Twelve will be naked again this year," Ash muttered. Fourteen's dollars had become the standard currency in District Fourteen. Oakette, as the president of the district, obviously had the most money but she spent most of it funding rebel projects and helping the poorer rebels. The Twelves came out. Sure enough, in that same awful costume. She was grateful she didn't have to watch their miserable, sobbing faces any longer, as the TV connection went out just then. Ash stuck his hand out and Oakette gave him his dollar. "My District never wins," he lamented, sipping his coffee.

"Better luck next time, then," Oakette told him. "You'll win when a new stylist comes in. Don't worry, it won't be long before they get someone good in." Little did she know, it would take another fifty-five years before they did, but that's another story.

Just her luck. The telephone lines had been cut by a gigantic blizzard. The district itself had remained unharmed but she needed to contact Marina. She wanted to ask her about Gwen's involvement in the rebellion and how the tributes were doing in training. "Damn it!" she screeched, slamming the phone against her desk.

Ash stood warily to one side. "Oakette, chill," he tried to calm her down. "I'm sure they'll work soon. Have you tried the walkie-talkies?"

She sighed, nodding. "Batteries won't work. The new supplies only come in tomorrow."

Ash grimaced. "Seems like these blizzards are a real problem, huh? I thought it was summer."

Oakette snorted. "Well, Alaska post-nuclear apocalypse is a very abysmal place. This place was once brimming with life, you know? But now, it's a frozen wasteland, even in the summer."

She tried ringing Marina one last time. After a minute, she was ready to put it down and go read another novel when suddenly, she heard a crackling "Hello? Marina Bluebell speaking."

Oakette nearly did a victory dance. She grinned broadly as she squealed, "My gosh, Marina! I've been trying to reach you for ages!"

"Whoa, Oakette, you seem excited."

Oakette chuckled. "Yeah, being stuck in a blizzard is no fun. How's Hassan?"

"He's doing fine," Marina replied. "I mean, besides the occasional nightmare of course but he's making really good progress."

Oakette smiled. It was good to know her once best friend was getting a hang of his life. "Is Gwen with us?"

"Yeah," Marina answered cheerfully. "Both her and her orphan friend Amaranth. Don't worry, you can trust both of them."

"How about Franc?" Oakette asked. She knew the large Career from One hated the Capitol, but both he and Onyx were unsure about joining. They worried for their families and Oakette couldn't blame them. They were, after all, under intense supervision at all times.

"Emma convinced him to join us. Onyx wants to wait until we get more support before he changes his mind. But I'd say One's Victors are pretty much on board with this. You know how much Sapphire hates the regime."

Oakette winced. Sapphire's story was a heart-wrenching one, one that she wished to eradicate after a second rebellion. The Victor Prostitution Ring was horrific, only made worse by the fact that Draco himself had endorsed it. Not wanting to dwell on it, she decided to change the subject. "And the tributes?"

Marina sighed on the other end. "My tributes are pretty weak. I just hope that a miracle will happen and they'll be saved."

"And Switch?"

Marina seemed surprised. "You mean the girl from Five? You want her to win?"

Oakette shrugged. "Leroy is desperate for her to win. I think he was her cousin or something. Besides, I like her attitude. It's almost contagious." She giggled, thinking of Switch's antics.

Marina chuckled. "Yeah, she's a bright bulb around here. She's doing really well, actually. Shocker seems determined to bring her home. It's the most effort I've ever seen him put into a tribute."

Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Sorry, Marina. I have to go. See you soon!" With that, she hung up, feeling pretty good about Switch's chances. District Five was going to have another Victor, and one that hopefully wouldn't be drowning in severe trauma.

Switch's seven had been pretty good. But it was her interviews where Oakette knew she would shine. Leroy sat next to her with his fellow District Five engineer, Plasma. Both were staring intently at the screen, muttering prayers for Switch. Once Gully had stepped off the stage, the crowd began buzzing excitedly. They knew what was in store for them. Their favourite tribute. Oakette gasped as Switch skipped up the stage in a beautiful yellow dress with cyan electricity running down the side. The electricity reminded her of Nikola's tuxedo a while back. They probably had similar stylists. To top it all off, she entered the stage with a sack and a trunk of clothes. There was no doubt as to what would happen next. Another jaw-dropping quick-change act plus a couple of acrobatic flips and a disappearing card trick thrown into the mix were all it took to drive the fanatic Capitolians into mass hysteria. "Switch, baby!" Switch squealed, giggling excitedly.

Bartomeus heaped praise on her before loudly booming out, "Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Switch Kim!"

Leroy and Plasma clapped excitedly, cheering on the entertainer girl from back home. Oakette couldn't suppress her smile. Considering how dreary the atmosphere always seemed with all the crying tributes, seeing Switch so happy even in the face of death, it was refreshing. And yes, her smile was infectious. The entire district had tuned in and spent the whole day grinning happily, effectively increasing productivity. Oakette decided that she was going to do whatever it took to bring Switch Kim back home safely.

The day finally arrived. The last time Oakette had been this nervous before the start of a Games, it was the Second Games. Hassan had gone in and she could vividly remember the sheer terror of having to watch him brave the arena. Now, looking at Leroy and Plasma's nervous faces, she couldn't help but feel the same as she did seventeen years ago. The arena was revealed. A dam. Leroy's eyes widened. "She works at a dam!" he exclaimed. "This could be home turf for her!"

"Don't jinx it, Leroy," Plasma pleaded. She had always been more than a little pessimistic and somewhat superstitious.

On either side of the dam were forestry but the area of the forests was pretty small. A thick, unpassable hedge prevented the tributes from hitting the forcefield on either side. The main focus would be on the dam. Footage showed that it contained seven floors and had numerous hiding spots and hidden chambers riddled with traps. The tributes rose on their pedestals. Oakette held her breath as the countdown began. Switch was launched between the strong Career boy Buster and the nervous Durian. She eyed a small backpack near her pedestal. Thankfully, it seemed that Buster was eyeing Aqua, not her. Durian was close to tears and certainly would not be a threat to Switch. The gong rang and Switch grabbed the backpack and bolted away, zooming down the corridors as fast as she could. No one came after her, they were all busy fighting in the Bloodbath. Chanel and Dior both claimed the two swords in the heart of the Cornucopia and began their rampage. Chanel started the ball rolling with a nasty slash to Boolean's chest. James, who had been trying to hobble away from all the action, met his end with a stab by Dior. Oakette's stomach churned. She squirmed in her seat at the sigh of Buster slowly torturing Aqua to death as Slate smashed Pirelli's head with her shoe. The blood was unbelievable. Innocent blood. It was the very reason District Fourteen was around in the first place. To ensure this barbaric show would stop and never have to happen again. She winced even further as Dior snapped off Gully's arms before stabbing him. Mildew had gotten into a fight with Hopper for a backpack but managed to land a lethal blow before rushing to join Grover down one do the corridors. Chenille, who'd stayed stuck on her pedestal, crying and wailing, was stabbed repeatedly by Chanel before dying. Alvin tried to punch Buck but he dodged and swept him off his feet, leaving him for dead as Buster approached to finish him off. Buck himself ran into trouble, running straight into Dior, who relished the chance to slowly kill both him and Durian. Futura's leg was slashed by Mink but she managed to escape with a first aid kit when Slate grabbed Mink and beat her to death. She then ran over to Chua, who was hiding behind a crate and smashed her with the crate. Bran had lost his arm in a fight with Michelin and was awaiting his gory end, sobbing and crying for his parents as Chanel ended his sorrow painfully. Thirteen cannons boomed in total. Oakette whimpered in her seat, disgusted when she saw the Careers piss on the corpses on the fallen tributes. That was definitely crossing the line. She ran to the bathroom and had a nice, long vomit.

By the second day, Switch didn't seem very concerned. Oakette had sponsored her a lot of food and water that would last her quite a while as she explored the dam, plus a knife, just in case she ran into trouble. Futura's wounded leg slowed her down long enough for the Career pack to catch up and butcher her, Dior landing the final blow before she died. Switch, meanwhile, came across a control room with a lot of buttons and switches. She wandered in, a curious look in her eyes. "Ooh, what do we have here?" she murmured as she flicked a switch, turning off the lights in the small chamber outside. She pressed another button and heard the cannon boom. She blinked, then chuckled nervously. "Oopsie." Oakette watched as a replay emerged in the screen, showing Mildew being blown up by a sudden explosion that had been triggered by Switch. Grover had been right next to her and lost a hand, screaming in agony as he ran off. Oakette grimaced. Just like that, Seven's chance of a Victor, almost surely gone. She wondered how Hassan could deal with this, getting to know them before they died right before his eyes. It was enough to ruin anyone. The screen switched back to Switch, who was pressing buttons like they were toys, experimenting with them. Finally, she flicked a red switch in the corner of the room and gaped as the chamber burst into flames. She quickly turned the switch off, giggling and mumbling, "Switch, baby!" She turned and gave the cameras a big wink. "You want to see some quick-change? I'd perform right here but-" she gave a shy smile. "-I don't have any costumes so the only costume I can change into is a naked body." Oakette gagged when Bartomeus laughed and told her to do it anyway. Not that Switch could hear him, thank goodness.

Leroy glared at the screen. "Bartomeus, do us favour and shut up, you perv!" Plasma nodded in agreement, pointing a particular finger at the screen.

Switch continued walking around the dam, somersaulting and cartwheeling occasionally to keep the Capitol entertained. In the forests outside the dam, Michelin had gotten into a fight with Epsilon and managed to strangle him. Leroy and Plasma sighed. "There goes another innocent kid from Five," Plasma groaned. It seemed that if Five were to win this year, it would have to be Switch's year. Considering how Switch managed to acrobatically leap out of the way when Dior spotted her, it seemed like it was going to be Switch's year.

The blizzard finally ended and Oakette was the first person to step outside the interlocked cabins and buildings of Fourteen. She inhaled the fresh morning air delightedly. If hundreds of residents weren't staring at her, she'd have happily made a snow angel and built a snowman. Alas, now was not the time. "I think it's safe to go out, just ensure you are no more than five hundred meters away from the compound," she announced. The district cheered as a horde of kids swarmed to play in the fresh snow. Oakette smiled but she had other businesses. The Games hadn't stopped. She swiftly returned to the room, where Leroy and Plasma were still watching the screen nervously. Through the night, they'd taken turns taking short power naps, but it hadn't been very sufficient as they resembled zombies with the black circles around their eyes and bedraggled hair and clothes.
"Chanel's killed Kelly," Leroy told her. "And Michelin died in a nasty forest fire." Oakette's heart raced. Only six left. Grover was losing blood rapidly so all Switch needed to do was take down the Careers. She could win this sooner than she'd thought!

"Does she need anything?" Oakette asked.

"Maybe a deck of cards to entertain the audience?" Plasma suggested.

"Done," she said, grabbing her phone to contact Marina. She couldn't directly call Shocker, so all her sponsor funds had to go through the first Victor, who would pass the money to Reyna's brother Henry, who would then give the money to the tribute in question. It was a brilliant plan that had never aroused suspicion. Marina picked up the phone. "Hey, Marina," Oakette chirped. "I'm gonna sponsor Switch some cards."

Sooner than later, the cards were in Switch's hands and she made a good show of some quick magic tricks. Oakette had never seen Bartomeus so fascinated by a tribute before. Suddenly a worrying thought crept upon her. What if Bartomeus wanted to buy Switch? She shuddered at the thought. It was too much. She was only fifteen, for goodness sake! And yet, Bartomeus was constantly talking about her, chatting nonstop and digging as much information about her as he could. He even seemed to have forgotten about the Careers, who were cutting Grover beyond recognition. That's when she decided that Bartomeus was as much a monster as Draco and that young man Snow were. She was freaking underage!

The grand finale came soon enough. Oakette bit her lip as the Careers chased Switch, who cartwheeled and leapt her way around the dam, screaming, "You'll never catch me!" as she ran.

"Get back here, switch bitch!" Chanel roared, leading the charge with her sword raised.

Leroy and Plasma held each other tightly, shouting words of encouragement for Switch, who seemed to be heading for the control room. Oakette remembered the red switch. She had a plan for the Careers, after all! "Relax, guys," she assured the pair from Five. "I know what she's doing." As she explained Switch's plan, their eyes lit up and they smirked.

"Switch is coming home!" Leroy whooped.

"Shh!" Plasma scolded. "Wait, don't celebrate yet!"

Switch entered the control room, the Careers hot on her heels. "Nowhere to run now, Five!" Dior cackled, brandishing her sword. He noticed Switch's smirk way too late.

"Switch, baby!" she yelled as she flicked the switch, instantly incinerating all four Careers to a crisp. Four cannons boomed. Oakette jumped from her seat, cheering in delight. Plasma heaved a sigh of relief as Leroy thanked his lucky stars. Switch stared at the charred Careers, and for once, her smile faltered. "Yikes," she whispered softly. Oakette didn't notice. She was too busy hugging Leroy and Plasma, congratulating their district's victory.

Three years later

"I hate Bartomeus," Switch murmured on the phone. Oakette sighed. She'd known it. Sure enough, Bartomeus had bought her at least six times over the years, treating her like an animal, just like how a romantic film director named Iggy had bought Woof ten times since his victory.

"It'll be rough, but you have Marina and the other Victors," Oakette reminded her. "You're not alone, Switch."

Switch managed a soft chuckle. "Yeah. One day, I"ll make Bartomeus pay. I'll switch things up in the Capitol. Their roles in Panems will be switched up. There's probably a switch of some sort that blows the city up. I'll flick it and yell, 'Switch, baby!' "

Oakette groaned. "It was funny at first, but the puns with your name are getting kinda annoying."

Switch giggled. "It's my job to annoy people."

Oakette was glad. At least Switch had somehow maintained her childish sense of humour.

"You know, at least she seems kind of happy," Katniss pointed out.

Peeta nodded. "Yeah, I think she's known for being the most optimistic Victor around. Far cry from Shocker and Flash."

"Yeah, but I guess that means she had two drunkards for neighbours," Katniss said.

"She didn't seem to mind. If I'm not wrong, Caesar's father kept on buying her, so she spent quite some time away from them."

"That's disgusting!" Katniss exclaimed.

"Makes you wonder, how did she stay so positive?"

Katniss shrugged. "No idea, but I wish I could have her attitude."

Peeta laughed. "You're fine just the way you are," he said, giving her a kiss.

He flipped the page, revealing a boy with messy black hair, a bunch of freckles, mischievous eyes and a cheeky smirk on his face. The photo was taken n his home district as the crowds seemed to love him, cheering him on rabidly. "Ford Hamilton."

VICTORS

District 1-Sapphire Huntington(4), Onyx Hibonite(9), Franc Montgomery(14)

District 2-Ragnar Sveinsson(5), Reyna Boudicca(6), Draco Hadley(10), Scipio MacAllister(17)

District 3-Nikola Johnson(13)

District 4-Marina Bluebell(1), Mags Flanagan(11)

District 5-Shocker Crimson(8), Switch Kim(19)

District 7-Hassan Greenwood(2), Jill Wilson(15)

District 8-Woof Casino(16)

District 9-Gwendolyn Whitfield(18)

District 10-Ringo Alvarez(7)

District 11-Orchid Bloom(12)

District 12-Axel Millar(3)