The Forty Eighth Annual Hunger Games


Introduction

After the fiasco of the plane escapade from the previous year, Zealand Cruxe "resigned" under the pressures of his peers and, most importantly, the ever-powerful President Coriolanus Snow, who still kept his firm, unrelenting grip around the throat of the nation, keeping it bent to his will. President Snow gave new life to the fallen Head Gamemaker Cyndala Clargy. After Zealand had won the popular vote over which of the duo should become the true Head Gamemaker, Cyndala had been demoted to a lowly assistant Gamemaker position. Now she had risen back to the very top of the pecking order once again, and she would relish every moment in the seat as Head Gamemaker, as she knew that the job slot was a tough one to keep filled for a long period of time. However, Cyndala would at least be Head Gamemaker for more than the measly two years that the imaginative Zealand Cruxe had lasted. This year and those following would be dominated primarily by Cyndala's favored type of arena: one hundred percent natural. Hosts Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith were excited to return for yet another year. Having time off, unlike two years prior when they'd had to take care of the Sweet Sixteen Games on their usual off season, had rejuvenated them and made them more vivacious and excited than they'd been in several Games. Cyndala returned with her minimal approach of spoilers, which was in stark contrast to Zealand's plethora of hints. She released a single clip of a crisp Panemian flag whipping atop a rocky black slope, which didn't provide much information at all and seemed more like a Capitol propaganda shot than a arena spoiler, but that didn't matter much. The Career Districts were again excited to send in each a pair of their best recruits. 1 had two (mostly) natural beauties as always. The girl was a renowned model that had appeared in several Capitolite ads, while the male wasn't famous but was a master with throwing knives like Nefertiti, the Victor from the year prior. District 2 produced two interesting tributes. The male was weaker than many of his predecessors, and was openly transgender. Fully transitioned, he hoped that the pack would embrace him. Meanwhile, the female was very strong, especially with daggers, and secretly had rebel relatives, but somehow the Academy never caught wind of this; this would lead to problems later on. District 4 produced a pair of pretty tributes this year. The girl was a ballet dancer and was very soft spoken and quiet, and she preferred bow and arrows. The male was also quiet, but in a grumbly and authoritive manner. He was a born leader and didn't like fooling around much, and he excelled with swords. The Outliers were more memorable than the year prior. There were many vibrant personalities and strong tributes. Two of the strongest Outliers, in fact the strongest this year, were Enzo Faithlen of District 9 and Bette Mileu of District 10. Both were built like oxen and had scored impressive 8s. They were strikingly similar and had allied with one another. Arax of District 7 also scored pretty high with his 7, which was actually just shy of an 8. These three, along with several other striking Outliers, seemed to fit into the formula for an interesting Games. Again there had been a lack of youngsters; no 12 years olds, a single 13 year old, and a few 14 year olds. There was one volunteer besides the Careers: Cyanna of District 8, who volunteered out of desperation. She was ill with terminal cancer, and her only hope of treatment was to win the Games. Here are the tributes:

District 1: Blessing Rodesian, 18 (9) 9-1 and Cosmo Itala, 17 (9) 9-1

District 2: Orestilla Chandler, 18 (11) 3-1 and Drusillus Hagen, 18 (9) 10-1

District 3: Katya Faris-Marsche, 16 (5) 34-1 and Hye Mauris, 15 (4) 46-1

District 4: Rilletta Esteban, 18 (10) 7-1 and Aft Crocker, 18 (11) 4-1

District 5: Yolanda Pierce, 17 (6) 22-1 and Alexis Reyes, 14 (5) 36-1

District 6: Camden Versta, 18 (3) 54-1 and Wyatt Bellamy, 13 (4) 48-1

District 7: Zephyrine Bayliss, 15 (5) 32-1 and Arax Iende, 16 (7) 15-1

District 8: Cyanna Rowe, 16 (4) 42-1 and Velcro Isaacson, 18 (6) 21-1

District 9: Eugenie Montijo, 17 (5) 33-1 and Enzo Faithlen, 18 (8) 12-1

District 10: Bette Mileu, 18 (8) 12-1 and Leonor Castile, 14 (2) 63-1

District 11: Ireland Shayfer, 17 (5) 34-1 and Harrod Malthez, 14 (5) 37-1

District 12: Mira Teschen, 16 (3) 51-1 and Albany Macore, 17 (6) 25-1

HGBA Odds: 22% on Orestilla, 19% on Aft, 15% on Rilletta, 12% on Blessing, 11% on Cosmo, 8% on Drusillus, 4% on Enzo and Bette, 1.5% on Arax, 1% or less on Katya, Hye, Yolanda, Alexis, Camden, Wyatt, Zephyrine, Cyanna, Velcro, Eugenie, Ireland, Harrod, Mira, and Albany.


The Games

The wind was cold and biting as it whipped across the faces of the tributes as they rose into the arena on their pedestals. Buffeted by sharp gusts of wind, the twenty four tributes found themselves on top of a tall rocky mountain, dressed in simple black athletic long sleeved shirts and pants. Made almost entirely of a slippery, thick, and tough black rock, the mountain towered over the rest of the arena. The slope of its sides was sharp, and the way down was steep and rough, with few easy trails down and many chances for injury. The mountain was barren of all life excepting a few patches of scraggly mosses. A few small brooks wound their way down the mountain and out into the rest of the arena, which was made up of forested foothills. The thick forest was teeming with plant and animal life, and was a normal deciduous forest; no conifers were in sight. The ground around the mountain was hilly and uneven, with several large, lazy rivers cutting through the dense woods. Deer, wolves, songbirds, foxes, and groosling all populated the foothills, along with several giant eagle mutts, which roosted in a cavern halfway down the mountain's slopes. The Cornucopia sat in on the flattened top of the mountain; it was almost as if the peak was sliced off, leaving a circular pad of most flat rock. The pedestals were on the very outer edge; one too-big step backwards, and a tribute could have tumbled thousands of feet to the sharp, unforgiving rock of the farther down reaches of the mountain. Swords, throwing knives, spears, sickles, scythes, daggers, and two bow and arrows were found inside the golden Cornucopia, along with moderate amounts of food, water, and survival gear. The foothills were nearly invisible from that high up the mountain, and many tributes thought that the entire arena was just the stark, rocky cone. Therefore, most tributes would run into the Bloodbath, leading to a large number of casualties at the opening minutes; half of the tributes would be cut down by the end of the Bloodbath.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

The tributes sprinted forward. Only Camden from District 6 headed away from the Bloodbath from the get go; the other twenty three tributes rushed towards the golden Horn and the supplies strewn within and around it. Surprisingly enough, the male from 12, Albany, seemed to be leading the dash at first. However, halfway through, he faded out, and he tripped on the rock and fell on his face as the others ran past him. As Albany struggled to his feet, all of the Careers and several Outliers were already armed.

The Careers had taken their weapons of choice. Blessing and Rilletta had snatched up the bows and arrows, while Drusillus and Aft took swords, Cosmo took a belt of throwing knives, and Orestilla grabbed three serrated daggers. Meanwhile, Enzo ran ahead and grabbed a scythe for himself and a sickle for his ally, Bette. He ducked a swing of Drusillus's sword and started to make his way to where Bette was fighting over a pack with another girl. Not all were so lucky. Zephyrine from 7 also was in the front of the opening sprint, and she ran inside the Horn to search for a hatchet. She settled on a dagger, and upon trying to leave, she felt the bite of Aft's sword in her gut. Blubbering, Zephyrine fell to her knees. Moments later, Aft buried his blade in her side again, and she bled out.

Zephyrine Bayliss, District 7 Female; 24th, Killed by Aft, Bloodbath

Albany tried to make up for lost time, even managing to slide past a preoccupied Rilletta into the Horn. As he leaned forward to grab his weapon of choice, a spear, Drusillus spotted him. He pounced and hacked open the boy's back with several precise strikes of his blade as his allies fanned out to cause more slaughter. Albany screamed and dropped his spear, struggling on the ground as Drusillus kept slashing until the boy was dead.

Albany Macore, District 12 Male; 23rd, Killed by Drusillus, Bloodbath

Moments earlier, Blessing had pulled back her bowstring and fired at a running girl. Katya now lay on the rock, gasping as the blood pooled around her. She flopped around like a dying fish, just getting the arrow buried deeper in her chest, before her life force was fully extinguished.

Katya Faris-Marsche, District 3 Female; 22nd, Killed by Blessing, Bloodbath

As Blessing jogged out to inspect the body of her first ever kill, in wonderous shock, the others continued to fight. Cosmo had been chasing a shorter boy for the ten seconds since Zephyrine had fallen, and he finally managed to get a good shot. He threw a knife and watched with satisfaction as it slammed into the back of the boy's skull, killing him almost instantly.

Wyatt Bellamy, District 6 Male; 21st, Killed by Cosmo, Bloodbath

Meanwhile, Rilletta had been looking her intended target. She finally spotted the boy, a profane gangster from Eight who had rudely cussed out Rilletta during training. She smirked and released a volley of four arrows in quick succession. All of them smacked into the boy's front; two into his stomach, one in his left knee, and the fourth hit in his groin. Velcro screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, bleeding out quickly.

Velcro Isaacson, District 8 Male; 20th, Killed by Rilletta, Bloodbath

Drusillus gritted his teeth as he dueled with the slender girl from 11, who had managed to snag a spear that had been propped up against the right side of the Cornucopia. The lucky girl managed to scrape the spearhead across Drusillus's left shoulder, drawing a few drops of blood. In response, a furious Drusillus swiped forward with his sword violently, beheading Ireland in one clean, forceful sweep of his blade.

Ireland Shayfer, District 11 Female; 19th, Killed by Drusillus, Bloodbath

Enzo arrived at Bette's side. She and Enzo's own District partner, Eugenie, were wrestling over a very full indigo colored pack that they'd both grabbed onto. Eugenie also had a small dagger, and she had already made a small cut on Bette's left ear with the measly blade. Enzo bit his lip as he tackled Eugenie off of Bette and threw her to the ground. His District partner screamed as her head smacked against the rock, and he finished her off, slicing open her throat with his scythe.

Eugenie Montijo, District 9 Female; 18th, Killed by Enzo, Bloodbath

Rilletta pulled back her bowstring and fired at a running boy. The stunted boy from 5, Alexis, screamed as the arrow dug into his left side. He fell to his knees, coughing up blood, and Aft bounded over to the nearby boy, slicing deep into his neck and finishing him off. Aft gave Rilletta a thumbs up as the 5 boy sagged onto the ground, dead in seconds.

Alexis Reyes, District 5 Male; 17th, Killed by Rilletta and Aft, Bloodbath

Meanwhile, Blessing was almost to Katya's slain corpse when Orestilla tackled her out of the blue, stabbing her dagger into her back. Blessing looked at whom she had thought to be her ally and struggled as the stronger girl picked her up, snapping her bow and smashing her quiver underfoot as she lifted the wisp of a girl and threw her over the side of the mountain. Blessing keened as she tumbled hundreds of feet down the mountain, screaming as long as she was alive. Six hundred and fifty feet down or so, her head hit a sharp rock especially violently, and it sliced through the bone and pierced her brain, killing her. Orestilla then tumbled down the slope of the mountain with a bulging pack and her three daggers; someone had decided to desert, and take out a fellow Career in the process. This would be the first time in decades that a 1 Female fell before the Top 9.

Blessing Rodesian, District 1 Female; 16th, Killed by Orestilla, Bloodbath

The tributes were starting to scatter, most of the survivors making their way down the mountain's treacherous slopes. The Careers picked off the few lagging tributes. The little boy from 10 was trying to carry a loaded pack along with a spear all at once, and he was too weak to do it. He kept falling to his knees and dropping things, yet he couldn't bear to leave any of it behind. As he fell again, Cosmo drew near and sank a throwing knife into the nape of the boy's neck, ending him.

Leonor Castile, District 10 Male; 15th, Killed by Cosmo, Bloodbath

Aft found a boy reclining against the right side of the Cornucopia, hiding behind a crate and wheezing. He was pressing his hands against a huge gash on his stomach, given to him by Bette's sickle, and he struggled to breathe properly. Aft grinned as he finished off the boy, thwacking his sword deep into the tribute's chest.

Harrod Malthez, District 11 Male; 14th, Killed by Bette and Aft, Bloodbath

The final kill was made as the Careers inspected the slopes for any stragglers. All of the tributes except one were gone. The sneaky little Mira Teschen of District 12 was hiding behind a large boulder twenty feet down the eastern slope, waiting for the Careers to go to sleep so she could snatch some supplies and then run off. Drusillus discovered her, and he made quick work of her, chasing her fifty feet down the slope before managing to lope off her left arm. The girl screamed, and Drusillus subdued her by cutting open her throat and ending her swiftly.

Mira Teschen, District 12 Female; 13th, Killed by Drusillus, Bloodbath

The Careers regrouped at the Cornucopia. Aft was seething, and Drusillus's jaw was set. Cosmo and Rilletta soon noticed the lack of both Blessing and Orestilla. They immediately set out to search, worried that they might have gotten lost or wounded on the slope of the mountain. Cosmo was the one who discovered Blessing's scrambled remains a half hour later, splayed across the rocks. He bit his lip and called out to his allies, and they gathered around her broken body. Aft gingerly flipped her over to reveal the blatant dagger wound on her back, and they all knew who had carved such a hideous mark.

"Traitor," Drusillus sighed, dry and hollow. The four Careers, Aft their leader, marched back up the slope to the Horn. They settled down within it after collected the strewn supplies and ordering them somewhat within the confines of the Cornucopia. While the Career pack remained atop their alpine retreat, the other tributes were spreading throughout the arena. The deserter, Orestilla, made her swift way to the eastern base of the mountain, where she set up her little green tent that was in her pack from the Bloodbath among other supplies. She'd coined herself the Career Hunter, and she was determined to make a beautiful show and kill off her former allies in a rebellious act that wasn't so riotous that she wouldn't be allowed to win. Hye had grabbed a scantly filled butter yellow pack that contained a grappling hook and a half a loaf of bread. He forayed deep into the western foothills, trekking until the sun dipped below the horizon and his legs were burning. He settled near a small brook, a tributary of one of the large, rushing rivers that carved through the wooded hills, and slept within a clump of bushes. Yolanda sprinted down the mountain and almost sprained her ankle on the way down. Half limping, she found a small clearing in the woods not that far from the mountain's southern base atop a small hillock. She started constructing a structure out of sticks and logs, using the rope and the dagger she'd gotten from the Bloodbath to help her. She also had a small bottle of iodine capsules. Camden was a weak runner, and she collapsed three fourths of the way down the northeast side of the mountain, out of breath and too tired to continue. She curled up on the ground, wedged between two boulders, and she hoped that she blended in well. Arax had gotten two daggers and a pack with jerky and a half full water bottle in it. He ventured deep into the northern foothills, looking for a good resting place. By dusk, he found it; an old oak tree that had grown out over one of the largest rivers in the arena. He could easily get water without leaving the safety of his tall tree because it dipped that low towards the water, but other parts were high enough to keep him safe. Cyanna was a small, lithe girl, and when she found extensive animal burrows furrowing through several northern hills while she looked for a hiding place, she found the perfect home. After throwing rocks inside of them to make sure no one was home, Cyanna dragged her spear and her empty canteen into the biggest burrow she could find. It was dank and dark but abandoned, and she also found some edible roots in there as well. Enzo and Bette had ventured southeast from the mountain. Both having made kills, they proved to be dangerous on their own, and they were just as lethal as a duo. They came upon a deer, and they tracked it all night. As the sun began to set, the deer settled to sleep, and the two tributes pounced, slaughtering it. The mutt was dead, and its venison could keep these two full for the rest of the Games. Enzo made a special smokeless fire and Bette roasted the meat on a stick spit, and they feasted. They had amassed quite the stockpile of supplies (a scythe, a sickle, a half full canteen, an empty water bottle, two granola bars, a water filter, a coil of wire, and a small booklet about birds that mentioned things about the birds of the arena). They seemed to be the best set Outliers so far.

The second day of the Games was almost entirely uneventful. The Careers were all a little apprehensive about travelling farther down the mountainside, knowing that the dangerous and traitorous and ready-to-kill-them-all Orestilla was probably lying in wait for them somewhere near the base of the central landform. Their logic was correct, and they dilly dallied, sorting supplies, sparring, talking, doing anything to avoid having to traverse down the slope. Orestilla herself stayed silent in her lime green tent, poised for action in case she spotted anyone. She did not; this would be a game of patience between the 2 girl and the other four remaining Careers. Hye woke up around noon. No one was within more than two miles of him, but the Gamemakers left him be. He found a better camp, settling at the bottom of a ravine wall surrounded by vegetation where he was shielded from sight from almost all angles and had good water access. Yolanda woke up and put the finishing touches on her shelter. It blended in with its surroundings decently and covered her body well. Yolanda's next job was to make herself camouflage. She used dirt, rocks, flowers, and grass to streak herself in natural colors until she looked like someone had dunked her in the material essence of Mother Earth. She blended in very nicely, and she rested most of the rest of the day, letting her hurt ankle heal. Camden dragged more rocks around her boulder home, forming a miniature fortress of sorts. By nightfall, she'd made a barely noticeable citadel of rocks that protected her and helped her blend in. Arax stayed in his tree, not doing much besides telling corny jokes to the viewers. In response, sponsors sent him a lemon flavored cookie. Cyanna's burrows did belong to a certain someone: a pair of ticked off gophers. They scurried back into their burrow to find the dark skinned girl curled inside the biggest section, and the male leaped forward and gnashed its teeth across her thigh. She used her spear to awkwardly spear one of them in the leg, scaring them both off. Enzo and Bette continued to feast off of the venison, and they preserved with will sponsor supplies. A squirrel stole their granola bars, but they still had lots of supplies.

The third day was not as uneventful. The four giant golden eagle mutts that roosted in a large cavern on the northern side of the mountain were woken up by a small, Gamemaker triggered landslide. They were size of pickup trucks. Every tribute heard the screeching calls of the eagles as they hopped out of their den and into the sunlight. One ruffled it feathers, while another lunged and nibbled up a rat in one snap. The other two went back inside the cave, but the two already out prepared to take flight. An hour before noon, they both took off. One soared high into the air, while the other coasted down the slope, heading south.

Yolanda was waking up after hearing the eagles' calls. She sat up and bumped her head on her shelter. Cursing, the structure fell apart around her. In the night, her body paints had rubbed off somewhat, and her brazen coppery orange hair was plainly visible as she tried to put together her shelter, still seething. The eagle heading south, soaring overhead, spotted the glint of the sun against her hair. It dove towards her, and by the time she spotted the golden brown blur, it was too late. She tried to run, but a razor sharp talon hooked itself around the back of her shirt. She screamed as she was lofted into the sky. The eagle carried her all the way back to the cavern, keeping her in its tight grasp. It dropped her from ten feet in the air onto the uneven rocks outside of the cavern. Her left arm fractured, and she curled up in a ball, weeping, as the other two eagles emerged. The three began to peck at her, and then they tore her apart. Yolanda was helpless to stop them, and she died four hours after being picked up by the eagle, half of her flesh digested and her body a mangled mess of gory parts.

Yolanda Pierce, District 5 Female; 12th, Killed by eagle mutts, Day 3

Meanwhile, the Careers spotted the high flying one, and they quickly picked up their weapons and prepared to fight. It dive bombed them, swooping down swiftly after reaching the height of its ascent. Rilletta yelped as she released an arrow with such vigor that the bowstring stung across her arm. It sliced into the joint connecting the left wing to the eagle's side. The giant bird spiraled out of control, one of its wings mostly out of action. Rilletta fired a second arrow that nicked its beak, and it crashed to the ground, breaking its other wing in the fall. It struggled to its feet, but Aft was already whooping and leaping onto it. He cleaved open the bird's thin skull with his sword, grinning rabidly as he heard the satisfying crunch of bone beneath his blade. He stepped back and the slain mutt sprawled out on the rock. Together, the Careers hauled the corpse off of the side of the mountain, letting it roll down on its own until it plummeted out of sight.

The Careers took the giant eagle mutt as a sign for them to get hunting. On the morning of Day 4, the quartet traversed the eastern side of the mountain, tactfully making their way down the slope. They started to meander north, and soon enough they were coming on course to meet up with Camden's rock fortress within the hour. Orestilla, using a sponsor gift of binoculars, spotted her former allies making their way across the mountainside, and she grinned. Determined to take the offensive, she grabbed her daggers and stalked them, tailing them and making sure they couldn't see her.

Camden spotted the Careers coming her way, and she bolted in fear, jogging as quickly as she could down the slope. Cosmo decided to give chase, following the girl while the others hung back. Cosmo quickly closed in on the girl, and she began to weep pitifully as Cosmo threw a knife at her. It smacked into her right side, and she keened, stumbling away from the 1 boy. She sprinted past the mouth of the cavern where the eagles slept, and as Cosmo passed by, the three eagles who'd perked up at Camden's passage attacked. He yelled as their beaks tore into his flesh. He stumbled away down the slope after fending them off, his clothes blood soaked.

Moments later, he lay at the feet of a smugly grinning Orestilla. She'd let Camden tumble past her, intent on subduing the 1 boy instead. As Camden reached the bottom the mountain, running as fast as her tired, battered corpse could, Orestilla lifted ones of her daggers. Cosmo weakly tried to squirm out from where he'd gotten trapped beneath her, but it was to no avail. He was too weak from blood loss. The girl cackled as she slammed her dagger into his throat, ending him.

Cosmo Itala, District 1 Male; 11th, Killed by eagle mutts and Orestilla, Day 4

Orestilla leaped to her feet, wiping Cosmo's blood off of her dagger with a scrap of her shirt as his cannon shattered the chilly mountain air. She sprinted diagonally up the slope, leaving behind Cosmo's corpse and the nearby cavern, where the eagles roosted. They were still ravenous after wounding the 1 boy, but Orestilla wasn't willing to face the golden feathered monsters. Her long strides carried her swiftly towards where Rilletta, Aft, and Drusillus were, several hundred yards up the slope, calling out for Cosmo. They'd lost him once he'd taken off in pursuit of Camden, and now they were a little worried after hearing the cannon and seeing someone disappear into the woods that didn't look very manlike.

Drusillus was the first to spot their ex-ally. Rilletta was sprinting up the slope to get a better vantage point, while Aft had ambled off to relieve himself behind a clump of grayish boulders. Drusillus shouted and drew back his arm, sword lofted. Rilletta didn't hear him, she was too far away, and Aft was preoccupied. As Aft zipped up his pants and lunged for his sword, he called out to Rilletta loud enough that she heard him. The two 4s both began to try and make it back to Drusillus, who they knew would probably fall if he faced the conniving Orestilla alone for too long.

Drusillus lifted his blade and hacked right at his District partner once she was in range. The blade narrowly missed her left shoulder, and Orestilla vaulted towards the 2 boy, a dagger in each hand. One dug into his left foot, tearing open his boot and cutting off his left pinky toe, while the other scraped across his right calf. Drusillus screamed and heaved his blade down. Orestilla ducked, and the only piece of herself that got cut off was her long, silky black ponytail. Roaring in anger, Orestilla tackled Drusillus and slammed his head against the rock. She buried her dagger deep in his gut, and then wrenched it out, ready to make the final blow to the throat.

Suddenly she felt a sting as one of Rilletta's arrows pierced her right forearm. Screaming in agony, Orestilla shuffled away from where Drusillus was sprawled on the rock, trying in vain to hold his guts in. Rilletta fell to her knees at Drusillus's side, tending to him expertly with the small roll of gauze that they'd brought with them as Aft chased Orestilla down the slope.

The 2 girl was fast, but the 4 boy had a longer stride and more anger. Orestilla tripped over a small hiccup in the rock that she didn't notice, and she stumbled, losing all of her momentum. Aft was on her in moments, drawing back his arm and digging his sword into the space between her left shoulder and her neck. Orestilla screeched like a banshee as Aft drew out his blade. Teeth clenched, he cut off her right hand and left foot as she was unable to move, the blood pumping out of her too much to stop. She heaved and gasped, and Aft just walked away, grimacing cruelly, leaving the traitor to a nasty fate. As Aft and Rilletta worked together to gingerly lift the heavily damaged Drusillus back to the Horn, Orestilla began to go through her death throes, shivering and spasming on the ground. By the time Drusillus had been laid down on a tarp within the Horn two hours later, Orestilla gave her last breaths, her blood having formed small rivulets that had poured down the side of the mountain like streams after a rainfall. Her cannon was enough to make the mutilated Drusillus weakly smile.

Orestilla Chandler, District 2 Female; 10th, Killed by Aft, Day 4

Drusillus clung onto life throughout the entirety of Day 5. His injuries were horrendous; survival would require surgery and other medical actions that were unavailable to him in the arena. However, he was strong willed despite being weaker physically than most Careers. Rilletta and Aft were actual friends of his, and they couldn't bear to leave him be or polish him off. They just tended to him and tried to help him as much as possible. Nothing else transpired on the fifth day; the Outliers all stayed in their positions from the days prior, excepting Camden, who upon leaving the mountain had plopped herself down in the open in the woods and had fallen asleep from exhaustion. She neglected to tend to her side wound, which soon became infected without her knowledge.

The morning of Day 6, it began to drizzle as the sky was marred with legions of puffy charcoal colored clouds. All through the night, Drusillus had been struggling, his breaths coming in labored heaves and puffs. There was no more gauze that they were willing to spare for the dying boy, and they let him slip away upon his request. As dawn spread across the arena and a few stray shafts of sunlight glowed across Drusillus's broken form, he finally let in and let death take him.

Drusillus Hagen, District 2 Male; 9th, Killed by Orestilla, blood loss, and organ failure, Day 6

That left the Top 8: Hye Mauris from District 3, Rilletta Esteban from District 4, Aft Crocker from District 4, Camden Versta from District 6, Arax Iende from District 7, Cyanna Rowe from District 8, Enzo Faithlen from District 9, and Bette Mileu from District 10.

After the past couple of days that were relatively busy for a first week of the Games, Cyndala was determined to slow things down. With only two Careers left, things could either end very quickly or go for a very long time, and as typical of Cyndala Clargy style, she wanted them to go a long time. She pelted the tributes with heavy rainstorms throughout the rest of Day 6 soon after Drusillus passed. Rilletta and Aft remained holed up in the Cornucopia, while the Outliers hid the best they could. Cyanna was dry in her burrow, but the others scrambled to find better cover.

At exactly one minute past midnight, Cyndala had a symphony of thunderclaps resound through the arena as a single blinding bolt of white lightning seared across the sky and hit an old elm in the southeast. The wizened tree caught fire, and the Gamemakers carefully controlled the fire. It was not meant to kill, only to ruffle the feathers of two lucky tributes who Cyndala wanted to force a harder time upon.

Enzo and Bette woke up to the smell of their supplies being roasted as the fire raged towards them. Their own fire coupled with the forest flames had destroyed most of their supplies; only Gamemaker intervention had saved them from being fully cooked alive themselves as they slept. They both sputtered and coughed, tumbling to their feet and abandoning their campsite, running to the southwest with only their weapons and their water filter. The rest, including the deer carcass, was melted or charred to nothing. By the morning, another severe bout of rainstorms had subdued the fire, but now Bette and Enzo were not well off, both a little singed and without most of their supplies.

The rest of the seventh day was uneventful for most. Hye laid out in a clearing for a while, letting his drenched body dry off in the heat of the sun before he returned to his home at the base of the ravine. Rilletta and Aft searched the upper slopes of the mountain for anyone in hiding, careful as they were the only two Careers left. Their allegiance to each other was unbreakable, and they would not kill one another until they reached the Final Two if it came to that. Camden was in fits; her infection was rapidly getting worse, and she was also thirsty and hungry. She had managed to drag herself into a clump of saplings that hid her from sight decently, but she was in a bad spot. Arax left his tree; with it now the Final 8, he was determined to get a kill in and bring about the end of the Games sooner. Cyanna stayed in her burrows, sleeping peacefully most of the day. Enzo and Bette trekked throughout the day, finding the perfect resting place by dusk: a small grove of willow trees hidden deep in the southwestern corner. A small brook gurgled nearby the grove. They settled there and rested.

The eighth and ninth days were much of the same. Hye rested and foraged near his ravine. Rilletta and Aft combed the entirety of the mountain and almost awakened the three remaining eagle mutts. Rilletta spotted them and the 4s ran for their lives and disappeared before the eagles could get roused enough to chase them. Camden's state gradually worsened, and her Mentor, Mercedes, didn't have enough funds to send her anything to help her. Arax hunted diligently in the northern quadrant of the arena. He even stepped over the hill where Cyanna hid in her burrows, but he didn't discover her since Cyanna had heard his approach and had plugged the hole of the burrow until he was gone. Enzo and Bette remained in their willow grove, and healed.

On the tenth day, the Capitol was hungry for action. The last fight had been on Day 4, and Cyndala could no longer resist the legions of Capitolites calling for further action. She prepared for a Feast to occur on the eleventh day. As Hye awoke, his ravine started to collapse. A half ton of rock and dirt tumbled down towards him, and he dove into the river. However, all of his food was destroyed, and he quickly became hungry as the day wore on. Rilletta and Aft wouldn't need any reason to come to the Cornucopia for a Feast; neither would Enzo and Bette, who were fighters and were ready to end the Games now that they were rested up. The same could be said about Arax. However, Cyndala had all of them lose a few supplies so they'd be more likely to go to the Feast. The groundhogs came back, and one of them bit Cyanna on the left ring finger. She killed it with her spear, but she was scared that her wound might be infected with rabies. Also, she was becoming weaker and more tired due to her cancer, and she needed the medication from the Feast. Camden was in fits, slowly dying from infection. She definitely needed the medicine, but one could not know if she was even physically capable of getting up and walking to the Feast, not to mention defending herself.

The night of Day 10, Cyndala had Claudius make the Feast announcement to the arena. It was scheduled for daybreak on the eleventh day. Rilletta and Aft had been combing the eastern forest now that they'd cleared the mountain, and they swiftly returned to the Horn. During Feasts, other supplies in the Horn were often obliterated, and the 4s wanted to move as many supplies as they could to a spot in the eastern woods that Rilletta rigged with traps. Enzo, Bette, and Arax all set off for the mountain immediately, Cyanna not far behind. Only Hye and Camden decided to not go. Hye had collected more food from the wilderness and didn't feel safe going to the Feast, while Camden was too sick to go and couldn't get herself to even stand.

In the morning, as the sun broke the horizon, the 4s were three fourths of the way down the eastern slope with supplies to be carried to their secret cache. They dropped them the second they saw whispers of sunlight over the horizon, sprinting up to the Cornucopia. A table, filled with bags labeled 3, 4, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 rose up. The Careers were too slow to get to the Cornucopia before all the others. Arax had been waiting behind the Horn, and he sprinted out and grabbed his bag. Enzo and Bette had also been waiting nearby, and they ran forward for their packs. Arax drew out a second hatchet, and he became nervous and bolted instead of attacking Enzo and Bette as he'd planned to do. The allies let him go as they grabbed their packs, which both held food and healing cream for their burns.

Cyanna was having a hard time climbing the mountain, and Aft spotted her from afar as he and Rilletta sprinted towards the Cornucopia. He hesitantly broke off from his ally and District partner to intercept the struggling girl while Rilletta surged forward, an arrow nocked. Rilletta reached the ring of pedestals, spotting both Enzo and Bette grabbing all of the other backpacks as well. She loosed an arrow, and it narrowly missed Enzo, hitting the inside of the Horn and falling to the ground. The two allied Outliers perked up and sprinted away, leaving only Cyanna and Aft's bags. Rilletta quickly inspected the meager things inside of them before going to search for her ally.

Aft had appeared out of nowhere to Cyanna, and he pounced on her not soon after Rilletta fired her missed arrow. He tackled her and threw her weak body against the black rocks. She screamed as he dug his sword clumsily into her left thigh, drawing lots of blood. She squirmed as he hacked into her several times, elongating her suffering for the Capitol's enjoyment. A couple of minutes later, he finished it, bringing his sword down on Cyanna's skull.

Cyanna Rowe, District 8 Female; 8th, Killed by Aft, Day 11 (Feast)

Enzo and Bette spotted the 4 boy hovering over his fifth kill as they sped down the slope. They shared a look, and they made their way towards him, circling south so they'd be behind him as he returned to the Cornucopia. Rilletta called that there were two other tributes escaping down the slope, and Aft immediately went on alert, looking around everywhere. Suddenly Enzo sprung out of nowhere, brandishing his scythe and ready to make a daring move to advance this Games.

His scythe dug into Aft's left buttock, and the 4 boy yelled and turned, wrenching the scythe out of Enzo's hands and his behind with the harsh movement. As blood poured forth, Aft gritted his teeth and lifted his sword, swiping at Enzo. The weapon sliced a gash across the inside of his right bicep. Enzo kept his trap shut and leaped forward with amazing speed and poise, both palms pushing into Aft's chest. The 4 boy stumbled, and the two tumbled two stories down the mountain as they grappled for control. Bette watched in horror, remaining in hiding, as Rilletta rushed down the hill, shrieking and forgetting her quiver in her haste.

When they finally came to a stop on a flat ledge, Enzo was on top and both had nothing besides their fists to fight with. Enzo quickly wrapped his hands around Aft's thick neck, throttling him. Aft struggled beneath him, and with his hands he battered the boy, smashing one fist into Enzo's nose. It shattered, and the blood gushed across Aft's face. Aft spluttered, spitting out Enzo's blood. Enzo grabbed rocks and broke both of Aft's hands as he was distracted Aft screeched like a little girl, and Enzo squeezed his large hands around Aft's neck once more. As Rilletta drew near enough to interfere, a cannon fired. Enzo had throttled Aft Crocker to death.

Aft Crocker, District 4 Male; 7th, Killed by Enzo, Day 11 (Feast)

Rilletta groaned in inner pain and distress as she watched Enzo stand and Aft's dead corpse fall limp against the rock. She reached back for an arrow to finish off the hulking 9 boy with, but she'd forgotten her quiver in her speed of trying to help her ally. She cursed and bolted back up the mountainside before Enzo could make any move towards her. Bette didn't attack the Fish girl as she raced past, and the two allies met up at the base of the mountain and slowly returned to their grove, tired and a little excited to be this far in.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Rilletta hugged herself inside the Cornucopia, depressed for all of three hours until she steeled herself and became thoroughly angry. She vowed to end Enzo and Bette in the most painful of ways. The Outliers stayed in their old positions, not doing much.

The next morning, several loud moans followed by a loud cannon awoke the tributes. Camden Versta's infection had truly set in, sinking its final attack into her body. The pain was worse than ever, and Camden began to moan and then scream half heartedly as the virus ate away at the last of her life force, sapping away everything that she was. She struggled and kicked and groaned until her body gave out after an eight day battle with infection.

Camden Versta, District 6 Female; 6th, Killed by infection, Day 12

Rilletta used the cannon as her alarm clock. After it fired, she leaped to her feet, determined to hunt down the deadly duo of Bette and Enzo. She trekked down the mountain in the direction they'd escaped, dead set on finding them. There wasn't anything left in the Cornucopia anyway. Rilletta went to the hidden stash of food, water, medical supplies, and other things that Aft and herself had stored before the Feast in the eastern area of the arena. She filled herself up on food and water and then restocked her quiver before heading out to hunt for her nemeses.

After the Feast, Arax had not returned to his northern oak. Instead, he'd headed west to hunt. He'd rested in a tall maple, and now he descended and looked for water. He found some at the large river that snaked its way through the western forest. After drinking copious amounts from the relatively clear stream, he followed its slow, lazy current upstream. He knew any other tributes in this sector of the arena would probably be near this body of water. And he was right.

He spotted Hye three hours after his drink. Hye had left behind the ruins of his ravine, instead camping out on a small rocky islet in the middle of the river. The water around it was shallow enough to wade through, and Hye sunned himself on the rocks, grinning happily and eating berries he'd picked from the shoreline. He didn't see Arax, and he continued to laze about until he heard the splash of Arax stepping into the shallow section of the river.

Hye sat up and spotted Arax immediately, a deadly hatchet in each hand. He sprung to his feet and jumped into the river, slogging through it. He could swim decently, and he hoped to make his escape by reaching the deeper parts of the river where Arax would not be able to follow him. However, Arax could throw his hatchets. Hye screamed as a hatchet buried itself shallowly in his right shoulder. He wrenched it out and tossed it back towards Arax. What happened next was pure luck. The hatchet buried itself perfectly in Arax's chest, and the boy coughed up blood as he fell to his knees in the river. Hye gasped in horror and sprinted to the dying boy's side. He pulled out the hatchet with a wet sound, and watched as Arax spasmed and died.

Arax Iende, District 7 Male; 5th, Killed by Hye, Day 12

Day 13 passed without much event. Hye, astonished by his first kill, took all of Arax's supplies and his own and swam down river, finding a bigger island that was surrounded by deeper water. He holed up there, waterlogged and tired beyond belief. He passed out and slept throughout most of the thirteenth day, and he was awoken at dusk by a parachute that delivered medicine to heal his shoulder. He applied it. Rilletta continued her search, quickly sweeping through the forest and calling out for her enemies, wanting them to face her. Enzo and Bette were too far away to hear Rilletta's insistent calls, and they feasted on a sponsor dinner of BBQ ribs for their efforts thus far in the Games.

On Day 14, Enzo and Bette awoke to the sound of cackling. A half-insane Rilletta had been hunting throughout the night, and as the sun rose and painted the arena in pretty colors, she'd discovered Enzo and Bette's sacred haven; the willow grove. They both scrambled to their feet as Rilletta drew back her bowstring and fired. The arrow slammed into Bette's left side, and she squealed as staggered. A second arrow hit Enzo in the right thigh, and he groaned in pain.

"G-go!" Bette screamed at Enzo. "I'll take her! You have a better chance! Win this for me!" Bette grabbed her sickle and leaped forward at Rilletta, who drew out a dagger, ready for close combat now. As the last two females in the Games fought, Enzo followed Bette's demand, gathering their supplies and making a break for it.

Meanwhile, Bette and Rilletta tussled. They sent clouds of dust up around them as they stabbed and punched and sliced. Blood flowed freely and shouts of pain and anger were frequent. After forty minutes, Rilletta got in a good blow, burying her dagger deep in Bette's chest. The 10 girl choked out her last words as the 4 girl stood smugly over her.

"Go to hell," Bette coughed as she used the last of her energy to bury the entirety of her sickle's blade in Rilletta's slim gut. The 4 girl shrieked and fell to the ground, curling up in a fetal position and trying to hold her guts in, as Bette slipped away, a relieved and proud smile on her face.

Bette Mileu, District 10 Female; 4th, Killed by Rilletta, Day 14

Rilletta spasmed and squirmed on the ground, the blood pouring endlessly out of her. It came slowly and painfully, as she refused to take out the sickle and blood only could seep out from her mouth and around the blade. After six hours, her organs finally started to fully fail, and she gargled out nonsense as she died, only feet away from the cooling body of her third kill in these Games.

Rilletta Esteban, District 4 Female; 3rd, Killed by Bette and organ failure, Day 14

That left the two Outlying males to vie for Victory. Hye leaped for joy once he heard the two cannons puncture the haze of the fourteenth day. Enzo kept his jaw clenched as he heard both cannons, but he was also secretly relieved. He knew Bette and Rilletta had probably both died. While it sucked that his friend was dead, he wouldn't have to kill her, and she'd also taken out a big competitor in the form of Rilletta. Now he just had to face the 3 boy, who he was stronger than by leaps and bounds.

The Capitol was ready for the Games to end, so Cyndala hesitantly pushed the Final 2 tributes together on Day 15 instead of waiting a couple of days as she would have preferred to do. She roused two of the eagles from where they rested in their cavern. They both took flight. One went after Hye where he was camped out in the northeast on the river island, while the other swooped southward, where Enzo was trekking along, looking for something to eat.

The eagle wasn't meant to kill, but it did injure both tributes. Hye was still asleep, as it was around nine or ten in the morning. The eagle's squawking made him awaken, and he spotted it as it dove towards him. He yelped and shot to his feet, and a talon scratched the top of his head, making a small cut. He slogged through the water, then swam, and then sprinted onto the bank and through the forest, heading south to a clearing where the finale would take place.

Enzo's eagle cut open his back with its talons when he tried to fight it instead of running from it. Finally he got the message, and he sprinted through the woods, head whipping around as to keep track of where his final competitor would appear. Finally, the two met in a wide clearing filled with wildflowers and silky grasses that snapped in the bitter wind that was now blowing through the arena. The two boys appeared on opposite sides of the meadow. Hye had his two hatchets, scavenged from Arax's corpse, while Enzo had his trusty scythe that had ended both his District partner and Aft.

They both sprinted forward and clashed in the middle of the meadow. It was obvious who would win soon from the start. Within a minute, Enzo half disarmed Hye, sending one of his hatchets spiraling out of his hands and into the tall grasses. Hye used his remaining hatchet to slash open Enzo's left shin. The 9 boy yelled in anger and slammed the blade of his scythe into Hye's chest. The 3 boy stared at Enzo's blankly as he slumped off of the weapon. In moments, the light had left his eyes, leaving Enzo the sole remaining tribute in this accursed forest.

Hye Mauris, District 3 Male; 2nd, Killed by Enzo, Day 15

"Enzo Faithlen of District 9, you are the Victor of the 48th Hunger Games!" Claudius and Caesar shouted along with a new addition, the melody of victorious trumpets. Enzo set his jaw and pumped his fist in Victory, setting down his bloody scythe in the grass and waiting patiently for the hovercraft to retrieve him.


Aftermath

District 9 heralded their third Victor heartily. They hadn't had a Victor since Deana over three decades prior, and he was their first Victor to make a kill since Dillon all the way back in the Second Games. They cherished him and he became a true District celebrity as the first "modern" Nine Victor. The Faithlen family is still prominent in the District. He wasn't the most memorable Victor by any means, and while his Games were pretty good, they weren't on any Top 10 lists really. Enzo was plagued with nightmares from his Games, and he drank and frequented strip clubs and brothels to quiet his demons. He was bisexual, and had many boyfriends and girlfriends throughout his life. His life was pretty crazy, but he enjoyed it thoroughly.

Enzo would live to age 67, dying from an STD around the time of the 97th Hunger Games. He would marry and get divorced twice, his first marriage was to a woman, his second to a man. He would never have any kids that he knew of.

The payouts on his Victory were decent, as 4% bet on him.

His Victory Tour wasn't anything of note really.

Fun Fact: This is the first time since 1 and 2 started supplying Careers every year for both slots that neither District had a tribute make it into the Top 8.


Victor's News

Enzo moves into the Victor's Village of District 9, in the house next to Deana's.

Caelinia becomes engaged to her future wife, Clodi Harper.


List of Victors

1st: Kelan Thather, District 4 (1, 1 Male)

2nd: Dillon Tripp, District 9 (1, 1 Male)

3rd: Tugra Ertra, District 5 (1, 1 Female)

4th: Noor Tuskararus, District 2 (1, 1 Female)

5th: Ishania Patel, District 7 (1, 1 Female)

6th: Guild Tonneroy, District 1 (1, 1 Male)

7th: Chaplin Nastaro, District 3 (1, 1 Male)

8th: Irmentrude Marley, District 5 (2, 2 Female)

9th: Vissarion Chamantel, District 11 (1, 1 Male)

10th: Greason Trails, District 6 (1, 1 Male)

11th: Mags Flanagan, District 4 (2, 1 Female)

12th: Salandra Valour, District 1 (2, 1 Female)

13th: Barcelona Sepias, District 10 (1, 1 Female)

14th: Freeha Indepp, District 11 (2, 1 Female)

15th: Clermont Lackrey, District 1 (3, 2 Male)

16th: Bex Martin, District 4 (3, 2 Female)

17th: Jaguar Crusoe, District 10 (2, 1 Male)

18th: Deana Mitchellson, District 9 (2, 1 Female)

19th: Romulus Armidale, District 2 (2, 1 Male)

20th: Grover Elms, District 7 (2, 1 Male)

21st: Fitore Renoro, District 2 (3, 2 Male)

22nd: Mascara Curler, District 1 (4, 2 Female)

23rd: Woof Parsons, District 8 (1, 1 Male)

24th: Dorsal Rance, District 4 (4, 2 Male)

25th: Venice Grammar, District 12 (1, 1 Female)

26th: Calculata Fenceley, District 3 (2, 1 Female)

27th: Florianna Urnston, District 2 (4, 2 Female)

28th: Mercedes Benson, District 6 (2, 1 Female)

29th: Fox Rennolls, District 5 (3, 1 Male)

30th: Tarquinius Isselhardt, District 2 (5, 3 Male)

31st: Ivelisse Horner, District 1 (5, 3 Female)

32nd: Pomona McCrea, District 7 (3, 2 Female)

33rd: Beetee Latier, District 3 (3, 2 Male)

34th: Flotsam Bresten, District 4 (5, 3 Male)

35th: Organza White, District 8 (2, 1 Female)

36th: Januaria Shale, District 2 (6, 3 Female)

37th: Gnaeus Deccum, District 2 (7, 4 Male)

38th: Porter Tripp, District 5 (4, 3 Female)

39th: Seeder Howell, District 11 (3, 2 Female)

40th: Zion Alvarra, District 1 (6, 3 Male)

41st: Indigo Arnett, District 6 (3, 2 Female)

42nd: Surge Tomlin, District 5 (5, 2 Male)

43rd: Syren Calanthe, District 4 (6, 3 Female)

44th: Brutus Asesino, District 2 (8, 5 Male)

45th: Chaff Abwenza, District 11 (4, 2 Male)

46th: Wiress Furuya, District 3 (4, 2 Female)

Aux. 46th: Elaine Canterbury, District 10 (3, 2 Female), Caelinia Thatcher, District 2 (9, 4 Female), and Bettyann Pulliam, District 8 (3, 2 Female)

47th: Nefertiti Kouri, District 1 (7, 4 Female)

48th: Enzo Faithlen, District 9 (3, 2 Male)


A/N: New chapter, just before I have to finish off my homework and get ready for bed! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it really was a fun one to write. I liked a lot of these characters, especially Enzo, Rilletta, and Hye, and I hope you did too!

What did you think of Enzo? Who were you betting on? What was your favorite part?

Please review! As always, I love hearing your thoughts :D

Until Next Time,

Tracee