The Fifty Second Annual Hunger Games


Introduction

After showing last year that she could also master indoor arenas, Cyndala had fully established her legacy as a strong and versatile Head Gamemaker. This variety and skill allowed her to retain the position although many of her underlings jockeyed to take it from her. In order to keep her place at the head of the Games, she fashioned a stunning, brutal arena, based off of the Capitol's favorite component of one of her other arenas. The clip she released was of red orange lava oozing out of a crevice in the ground, enveloping a flowery bush and burning it to cinders. It was obvious what this year's arena was, and the Capitol was hyped for the volcanic insanity that laid ahead. President Coriolanus Snow remained at the front of Panemian politics despite having a true rival for the first time in a while. A young man by the name of Jolyon Ericson tried to usurp him with a more modern movement focused on younger people that gained decent traction in college age Capitolites. However, Snow easily dispatched of Jolyon by cooking up a complex sexual assault scandal that burned any chance of the man getting elected anywhere. Snow reaffirmed his power, and Jolyon's disposal was a reminder to other politicians of how strong Coriolanus truly was. Caesar and Claudius once again commentated over the pre-Games and the Games themselves. A staple, they weren't going anywhere soon and they were beloved by the Capitolite audience, while the Districts were accustomed to them. The Careers this year were a pretty tough bunch, however most of them weren't enormous standouts. The star of the year was Citrine from District 1; insanely attractive and extremely talented with a spear, she was a force to be reckoned with. She was also by and large the Capitol favorite. Meanwhile her District partner was much weaker; rather snobby and lanky, but blindly loyal to Citrine, who was one of his best friends. From District 2, two muscular murderers were produced as usual. These two were both quieter than most Careers, and especially Venus was focused on honor. Venus preferred a sword while Vulcan liked a mace or club. For District 4, the female was willowy and unassuming, but pretty in a ethereal way, and she was rather talented with throwing knives. The male meanwhile was standard 4 fare; pretty confident, handsome, and talented with a trident. The Outliers also had some standouts this year. The first notable one was Alder from 7; he was very handsome, and very very muscular. Skilled with an axe, he was the Capitol's Outlier favorite and managed an 8. Then there was Stacy from 3; tall and slender, she was decently pretty. She was the oldest of eight kids and had a very motherly way about her, and bonded with some of the younger tributes, allying with them. She had gotten a 7, just like Tex from District 8. Tex wasn't as memorable as the other two, but was strong and had a nice boy next door vibe. The other Outliers scored between 6 and 2. There were no volunteers besides the Careers. Here are the tributes:

District 1: Citrine Scarborough, 18 (11) 4-1 and Luxus Chamberlain, 18 (8) 12-1

District 2: Venus Borne, 18 (10) 5-1 and Vulcan Dolmer, 18 (10) 6-1

District 3: Stacy Otero, 18 (7) 18-1 and Neal Gutte, 15 (6) 25-1

District 4: Tetra Shillings, 17 (10) 6-1 and Tilapia Rozario, 18 (10) 5-1

District 5: Rosalyn Greer, 15 (6) 26-1 and Ehvan Brigham, 13 (4) 45-1

District 6: Arabelly Smoulders, 12 (4) 49-1 and Scottie Blouton, 16 (2) 67-1

District 7: Holly Braxton, 17 (5) 32-1 and Alder Mullaney, 18 (8) 13-1

District 8: Cordura Gavforth, 16 (4) 42-1 and Tex Hannon, 17 (7) 16-1

District 9: Susannah Damor, 18 (5) 34-1 and Kyle Oesterle, 12 (3) 52-1

District 10: Downy Varill, 15 (5) 33-1 and Aidan Keller, 14 (5) 36-1

District 11: Keira Fallon, 13 (5) 38-1 and Redd Santorini, 16 (4) 42-1

District 12: Odesa Tariant, 14 (2) 60-1 and Marcus Liang, 13 (6) 21-1

HGBA Odds: 21% on Citrine, 16% on Venus, 15% on Tilapia, 12% on Tetra, 11% on Vulcan, 8% on Luxus and Alder, 3% on Tex, 2% on Stacy, 1% or less on Neal, Rosalyn, Ehvan, Arabelly, Scottie, Holly, Cordura, Susannah, Kyle, Downy, Aidan, Keira, Redd, Odesa, and Marcus.


The Games

The tributes of the Fifty Second Hunger Games rose up in what seemed at first to be a luscious paradise. The Cornucopia and the surrounding pedestals stood on a raised platform of black porous rock, and it was surrounded by verdant jungle. Numerous flora and fauna could be found here. However this was all located inside of a caldera, which is a giant crater made from the collapse of a volcano after eruption. The jungle laid at the bottom of the crater, and around the edge of the caldera other volcanoes could be seen. The caldera was rather small, while there was vast land outside of the caldera. However this land was filled with other volcanoes, lava rivers, and desolate rock formations. It was a rather dangerous place to be in. And while the caldera was rich with supplies, it was small and would be easy for the Careers to control, so it seemed as if this arena was much more terrifying than at first glance. As the timer ticked down, the castaways could hear a far off volcano erupting, and it sent fear through many of their bones. Most prepared to run into the Bloodbath for supplies despite the beautiful rainforest around them, knowing this place was more dangerous than it seemed. 9 tributes would perish in the opening minutes of these Games as they scrambled for supplies.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Four tributes ran straight away from the Bloodbath. Arabelly from 6 and Kyle from 9 hid in the jungle to await their allies, Stacy and Neal, while Downy from 10 and Marcus from 12 ran away separately without allies. The other 20 tributes ran in as the gong rang.

The Careers had competition at the opening sprint this year; Stacy, Alder, and Keira from 11 were all very fast runners, and kept up with the pack as they arrived at the Horn. Stacy focused on gathering supplies quickly for her allies with the help of Neal, while the Careers, Alder, and Keira searched for weapons as the others arrived. Keira was speedy, but young and weak. As she picked up a serrated dagger, suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her back. Venus, with a sword she'd found on the side of the Horn, had stabbed the girl. Keira squirmed as Venus drew out her sword, and moments later her death marked the first of these Games.

Keira Fallon, District 11 Female; 24th, Killed by Venus, Bloodbath

Meanwhile, Alder had gathered two hatchets while the rest of the Careers were finding their preferred weapons. Citrine eagerly swept up one of the silvery spears set in the back of the Cornucopia specifically for her. It was the perfect length and weight, and she grinned rabidly as she bounded out of the depths of the Horn and tossed it into the chest of a nearby tribute. Little Aidan squealed as the weapon sliced into him and killed him in moments, puncturing his heart.

Aidan Keller, District 10 Male; 23rd, Killed by Citrine, Bloodbath

Nearby, Tilapia and Vulcan were working together to tag team on some of the older tributes. Vulcan had found a club while Tilapia had settled with a spear, and the two were chasing a frightened Holly. The girl screamed as Tilapia managed to lurch forward enough to stab his spear into her right shoulder. She tumbled to the ground near a pedestal, and she tried to crawl behind it. However, Vulcan bashed in her head with his club violently before she could even try to escape.

Holly Braxton, District 7 Female; 22nd, Killed by Tilapia and Vulcan, Bloodbath

After killing Aidan, Citrine had spotted the morphling addict from 6, Scottie, wandering aimlessly along the edge of the rocky hill, everything a blur to him. He was leanly muscled and pretty handsome, but completely debilitated by his addiction. It was much too easy for Citrine to rip her spear from Aidan's corpse and throw it onto him. He was down easily, and Citrine bounded back into the Horn for another spear, not even waiting to see his body hit the ground.

Scottie Blouton, District 6 Male; 21st, Killed by Citrine, Bloodbath

In another part of the Cornucopia clearing, Alder from 7 was making a dash for it with two hatchets and a full pack, well equipped to battle out these Games. Luxus from 1 spotted him running away, and decided to pursue him. He knew he was perceived as the weakest Career and was determined to change that. He sprinted towards Alder, machete in hand, to attack. Alder spotted him and quickly thought of a plan. A nearby girl was trying to run away as well. He dropped one of his hatchets and used his free hand to pick her up. As she was screaming, he threw her in Luxus's path and then tore away into the jungle. Luxus couldn't resist the easy kill, and slaughtered sniveling Odesa before realizing Alder had escaped.

Odesa Tariant, District 12 Female; 20th, Killed by Luxus, Bloodbath

Tilapia and Vulcan spotted another victim, and dashed towards him. Ehvan screamed as the two Careers closed in on him, dropping his pack and trying to outrun them and reach the relative safety of the jungle before they could get him. However, the thirteen year old was no match for the two eighteen year olds' strides, and they easily caught him. Vulcan sent him reeling with a sharp blow to the back of the head, and Tilapia finished him, spearing him through the throat.

Ehvan Brigham, District 5 Male; 19th, Killed by Vulcan and Tilapia, Bloodbath

Back in the Horn, Tetra had been hanging back and waiting for the right moment to strike. It had taken a moment for her to find her weapon of choice, a belt of throwing knives, and then she had been unable to find a suitable target as various tributes, both her allies and enemies, swirled around her. However, she soon spotted a girl who stopped running to pick up a loaf of bread about twenty feet away. Tetra sprinted out of the Horn, pulled back her arm, and threw her knife. It landed in the nape of the girl's neck, and she whimpered as she collapsed to the ground, spasming.

Rosalyn Greer, District 5 Female; 18th, Killed by Tetra, Bloodbath

Meanwhile, Stacy and Neal from District 3 had gathered the last of their supplies and were running towards the rainforest where their young allies Arabelly and Kyle were waiting in fear. Stacy had throwing knives while Neal had taken a machete, and they also had a pack each with food and water inside. Venus had been pursuing them, however, and wouldn't let them get away so easily. She dodged a knife thrown by Stacy, and managed to tackle a surprised Neal. The boy struggled, but Venus was able to stab him before he could injure her in any way. Stacy made her getaway and escaped with both Arabelly and Kyle while Neal bled out.

Neal Gutte, District 3 Male; 17th, Killed by Venus, Bloodbath

The number of tributes left was starting to thin, as most were either dead or escaping. Citrine spotted a girl sprinting past the pedestals and towards the tree line with a full pack and a dagger, and she went in chase of her. As the girl almost reached the jungle, Citrine threw her spear and it sliced into her thigh. She staggered and fell to the ground. Citrine ran to her side, pulled the weapon from her leg, and jabbed it into her chest thrice to finish her off, making the final kill of the Bloodbath.

Cordura Gavforth, District 8 Female; 16th, Killed by Citrine, Bloodbath

After the Bloodbath ended, the intact Career alliance organized itself at the Cornucopia and decided to wait until the morning to go on their first hunt. Citrine was their prime leader, and she wanted to make sure they knew the intricacies of the arena before diving into it and beginning to hunt, and the rest of the pack agreed. Stacy and her little 12-year-old allies Arabelly and Kyle found themselves trekking through the jungle together. Stacy, who came from a large family and dreamed of being a mother one day, hoped to protect the two youngest tributes for as long as she could. She wanted to get out of the caldera, realizing it was too small from them to stay in safely, but Arabelly and Kyle were too tired to continue, so they stopped and slept in a tree with thick, low branches near the walls of the caldera. Alder had a hatchet as well as a pack bursting with rations, and he trekked throughout the night, climbing the steep walls of the caldera and crossing over into the rocky, volcanic terrain. He made it about a half mile from the lip of the caldera before settling underneath a rock formation for the night. Tex had managed to get away with a machete and a water purifier, and he settled by a small river in the jungle, drinking plenty of water before climbing a tree to sleep near the edge of the caldera. Susannah from 9 had grabbed a pack from the Bloodbath, but all she had inside was a loaf of bread. She ate half of it and fell asleep in the middle of the caldera's jungle, thinking it was a good place to rest. Downy had run the moment the gong rang, as she was a cross country athlete back in 10. She didn't stop until she had climbed out of the caldera and found a small cave in a rocky structure to sleep in. Redd had only grabbed a water bottle near his pedestal before running into the caldera, and he stayed in the middle of the caldera, finding some edible fruits to eat before he slept inside some bushes. Marcus from 12 had run away when the Games began, and he attempted to leave the caldera. However, he became too tired and passed out on the ground with no protections, as he was a malnourished orphan with little athleticism.

As the morning of Day 2 peaked over the arena, it became clear that volcanic activity was only beginning in the Games. While there were lava flows and active volcanoes in the arena, they were farther out. However, new fissures were erupting, and slowly the lava was beginning to creep towards the caldera. However, for now, most of the rocky terrain around the caldera and the caldera itself were safe. Around noon, the Careers set out hunting, leaving Luxus to guard the Cornucopia. The other five fanned out over the southern part of the caldera, where only Redd was resting. However, he was able to hide high in a tree, as his climbing abilities were great from working in an orchard in District 11, and he was able to evade death from the pack as they came up empty handed on Day 2.

Meanwhile, other tributes began to continue their trek out of the caldera. Stacy attempted to get Kyle and Arabelly to follow her out of the caldera, but they were both struggling to climb up the side of the caldera and were scared of wait laid beyond the luscious jungle. Stacy realized she would have to carry them, but she couldn't carry them both at once. She picked up Arabelly, who was slightly stronger but also more naive, and told Kyle to hide in the bushes until she came back. Stacy was able to climb the caldera walls and hide Arabelly safely in a crevice. However, when she returned, Kyle was gone; a Gamemaker-sent snake had bitten him and made him flee. Stacy realized she wouldn't be able to find him, and she returned to Arabelly. The two kept hiking until they found a rock formation to rest at. The rest of the tributes generally stayed in the same places; Susannah, Tex, and Alder didn't move much, while Marcus decided to stay in the jungle for food and water. Downy kept running after emerging from her little cave, determined to get as far away from the action as possible.

On the morning of Day 3, little Kyle woke up early, shivering. He had fallen asleep in a bush after running from the snake that had bitten him, and not his snakebite was bright purple and painful to the touch. He was feverish and quickly dying from the snake venom. As the hours slipped into the afternoon, the venom overcame Kyle's weak immune system, and his cannon fired.

Kyle Oesterle, District 9 Male; 15th, Killed by snake mutt, Day 3

Meanwhile, the Careers were thirsty for more blood, and they began to scour the caldera in a quicker fashion, splitting into two teams; Citrine and Tetra hunted together, while Venus, Vulcan, and Tilapia stuck with each other for the day. Luxus was left to guard the Cornucopia once more. Citrine and Tetra took the north end of the caldera, while Venus, Vulcan, and Tilapia took the west side. While Venus, Vulcan, and Tilapia turned up empty handed, Citrine and Tetra were surprised to spot Susannah gathering pale red berries from a bush and stuffing them in her mouth hungrily. She saw Citrine and Tetra approaching her, and she began at a dead sprint. Citrine and Tetra pursued the lanky girl, and chased her to the caldera wall. Susannah was already scrambling up it, already having climbed about ten feet up the wall. However, Citrine hefted her spear towards the girl, and it slammed into her right shoulder. Susannah toppled from the wall, rolling back into the jungle. She tried to crawl away, but Citrine pried the spear from her shoulder and stabbed it into the girl's throat, finishing District 9's chances of Victory.

Susannah Damor, District 9 Female; 14th, Killed by Citrine, Day 3

The Careers discovered no other tributes that day, as Marcus, Redd, and Tex, who were all still in the jungle portion of the arena, had gotten lucky by not being in the areas they searched. Meanwhile, the other four Outliers that had ventured outside of the caldera all took different strategies. Stacy and Arabelly, both distraught by being separated from Kyle, camped out at the rock formation they had settled by the night prior. They discovered a small cave hidden under one of the outcroppings, and Arabelly hid inside while Stacy kept watch for enemies outside of the little hidey hole. Alder began to prowl for anyone else that had ventured out of the caldera, knowing he was still the underdog favorite to win the Games, but also knowing if he stayed put for too long he would lose the Capitol's interest. However, his search turned up blank, and he returned to his own porous black rock formation to sleep. Downy was focused on getting as far away as possible from the caldera and the rest of the tributes, deathly afraid of being hunted down. She went much farther than anyone had yet dared to go, and when she settled down for the night, unbeknownst to her, she had settled close to the newest fissures and lava flows.

The next morning, Downy awoke to the feeling of heat nearby. She sat up straight and found that two wide lava flows had sliced around where she had dozed; a sponsor gift of a single cracker meant to warn Downy from her Mentor Elaine had gone unnoticed while she had slept. She had been so tired from running so far to the edge of the arena that she hadn't heard it descend. Now she was trapped on a small, slowly shrinking island of rock, and the lava flows seemed too wide for her to leap across. Panicking, Downy ate her single cracker and looked around in absolute panic as her little island slowly was eaten away by lava.

Back at the Cornucopia, tensions began to crackle in the pack as they prepared to go hunt. Luxus wanted to go hunt since he'd been left as guard for the past two days, but Venus, Vulcan, and Tilapia all agreed he was best to keep guard. Upset, Luxus whined about not being allowed to join in on the alliance's fun, and Vulcan made a snide comment about getting a better score in training if he wanted to complain about being left as the guard. Luxus was fuming, but Citrine calmed him, and Luxus agreed to be the guard once more. The pack split in two again, with Citrine and Tetra heading south while Vulcan, Venus, and Tilapia headed east.

Citrine and Tetra's search turned up empty, as Redd had migrated to the western portion of the arena, and Tex had moved to the north area. However, the trio of Tilapia, Venus, and Vulcan came up much luckier. As they were scouring the eastern portion of the caldera, they found footprints and several peels of eaten fruit. Venus was the best tracker of the group, and they slowly tracked down little Marcus Liang, spotting him as he rested in a tree branch, half asleep and not on alert. Wanting to have fun with this weak boy, the three Careers made noise, which caused Marcus to panic and fall from his perch. He bruised his left ankle but attempted to run away fearfully. The Careers kept chase, and after a while Vulcan broke off, wanting the kill for himself. Venus and Tilapia fell back, knowing Vulcan needed to vent his anger about the drama of the Career pack. Marcus screamed as Vulcan hefted his mace and crushed his right knee cap into bits. Marcus staggered to the ground, and Vulcan beat his head to a pulp until his cannon fired.

Marcus Liang, District 12 Male; 13th, Killed by Vulcan, Day 4

The pack reunited in the evening at the Cornucopia, and while tensions were still taut, the group did not split yet. Meanwhile, Tex and Redd were the last two tributes left in the caldera. Redd was having a great time of dining on the various edible fruits he recognized in the jungle, but seemed focused on little else and set on just attempting to outhide and outeat his competition. Tex had a machete and his water purifier, and he recognized some of the edible fruits, so he was in good shape. He was itching to make a move to get some sponsor gifts, but he also knew the pack was still together and nearby, so he didn't want to risk anything yet.

Out on the rocky plains, Alder continued his hunt on Day 4, and came dangerously close to where Stacy and Arabelly were concealed. Stacy managed to squeeze herself into the tiny crevice with Arabelly, and gave the little girl a knife. They both prepared to throw them at Alder if he noticed them, but he passed by them without noticing them, meaning the two had barely escaped having a fatal fight. Alder found no one else and was getting frustrated with how his hunting was not turning up results.

However, the castaway with the most pressing problem was Downy. Over the course of Day 4, her rocky island had continued to shrink, and now she had barely enough room to stand. Realizing it was her only choice, the girl steeled herself and tried to fling herself across the lava flow. She made it admirably far, but both legs past the knee landed in the burning hot lava. Screaming, Downy dragged herself out of it, but her shins and calves were seriously burned, and she couldn't stand. She crawled away from the lava flows, leaving a bloody trail in her wake, and laid still on the black rock, breathing shakily. However, she clinged onto life throughout the rest of Day 4.

On Day 5, a cannon pierced the early morning air. Downy's injuries had been too great; despite healing ointment sent to help her from generous sponsors who admired her feat of bravery by trying to jump the lava flow, her legs were too far gone and too much blood had been lost. The ointment hurt too much to apply, so Downy accepted her fate and let herself bleed out, painfully passing away as the sun sizzled over the horizon in a scorching dawn.

Downy Varill, District 10 Female; 12th, Killed by lava flow, Day 5

Early in the morning of Day 5, tragedy befell another tribute. Redd was swinging from tree to tree like a monkey, gathering the ripest fruits he could find and trying to enjoy himself after being careful in his travels through the jungle thus far. However, he swung onto a new branch that was weak and gave out under his weight. He fell to the ground hard, and landed on his right arm, fracturing it and also breaking two fingers. Groaning, he dragged himself into a thicket of flowering bushes and tried to set the fracture with a stick. Chaff was able to scrounge up enough sponsors to send him a basic cloth sling, but it seemed like Redd's lively jaunts through the jungle would be coming to a close now as he slowly crept along and gathered fruit.

In the center of the arena, the Careers were preparing to go hunt once more. Luxus mentioned that he wanted to get out and go hunting with the pack today, and Tetra offered to guard the Cornucopia and let Luxus hunt with his ally Citrine. However, Vulcan, Venus, and Tilapia had all agreed they were worried the Ones might break off if they hunted together, and they wanted to keep Tetra with Citrine. Vulcan said he thought it was smarter if Luxus stayed at the Cornucopia, and the two began to get into a spat, arguing over their feelings for one another.

The rest of the pack watched apprehensively as the two's insults gradually began to deepen in their anger and hatred. The two had very different personalities, as Luxus saw Vulcan as a classless brute, while Vulcan saw Luxus as a snobbish, lazy child. They had been grating since the pre-Games, and now these differences were truly materializing. Luxus landed a strong blow about Vulcan's abilities with weaponry, and Vulcan picked up his mace, warning Luxus that he needed to leave the Cornucopia clearing or her would bash in his brains without a second thought.

The rest of the pack seemed shocked by this adamant split, but Citrine didn't. Instead, she shifted the spear she was holding at her side and cleanly stabbed it into Vulcan's side. The entire pack gasped, even Luxus, as Vulcan staggered to the ground, skewered like a shis kebab. Citrine told Venus and Tilapia that they were no longer welcome at the Cornucopia as she picked up Vulcan's dropped mace, and that if they want to survive, they would leave now. Tilapia immediately started to back away, but Venus did not want to leave her District partner. However, Vulcan croaked for her to go, and she begrudgingly left with Tilapia, only armed with their weapons and nothing else.

As Venus and Tilapia disappeared into the jungle, Citrine promised Tetra she trusted her, and that she had only done this to save Luxus. Luxus thanked Citrine profusely, and the two hugged as Vulcan coughed up blood at their feet. Tetra seemed horrified by how easily the 1s had killed their ally even if they had been fighting, and she feared their power together against just her. However, she also knew that if she tried to leave now, they would kill her instantly. Citrine and Luxus walked back to the Cornucopia to rest, and Tetra whispered that she was sorry to Vulcan before following them. Vulcan watched angrily, in the bloody throes of death, and he eventually bled out about ten minutes later, his cannon firing loudly.

Vulcan Dolmer, District 2 Male; 11th, Killed by Citrine, Day 5

Citrine, Tetra, and Luxus worked together to reorganize their rations now that only three of them were left. Luxus and Citrine continued to bond closely, while Tetra seemed very cagey but was attempting to show the 1s she was loyal to them. Meanwhile, Venus and Tilapia were seething after the way that Citrine had murdered Vulcan without giving him a chance to defend themselves. Now on their own with only their trident and sword, the two realized they were in hot water. They received some District 2 and 4 bread from sponsors, but they were worried about how they would fare, especially with the other three having full access to all the supplies in the Cornucopia. However, they knew they would need sponsors if they were going to strengthen themselves against Citrine and her allies, so they began to prowl for victims in the jungle. They found none, and settled by a small brook in the jungle.

Tex and Redd remained in the jungle; Redd barely moved after his accident, not wanting to hurt his arm more than it already had been hurt. In contrast, Tex was getting more restless, and he began to prowl around, abandoning his campsite at a tree near the fringe of the caldera and creeping through the jungle with his machete lofted. He was starting to struggle to find recognizable edible fruit in the jungle, and knew he needed sponsors as well if he didn't want to go hungry soon. However, due to the lack of people in the caldera now, he found no one. Out on the rocks, Stacy and Arabelly stayed on their rocky outcropping, but were forced to fend off a couple vultures sent by the Gamemakers. Stacy killed them with her throwing knives while Arabelly hid. Alder continued to hunt, travelling through a section of the arena where no one had travelled. He soon spotted the biggest volcano in the arena, and saw that lava was bubbling over its sides. He realized the lava was closing in around them, and soon they would eventually be pushed into the caldera. However, that day was not today, and Alder's hunting turned up empty once more.

Day 6 brought more action on into the arena. While Citrine, Luxus, and Tetra had stayed at the Cornucopia after the split of the pack, they decided to go hunting now. Tetra wanted to guard the Cornucopia, planning to desert the 1s, but Luxus was strangely happy all of the sudden to play guard. Citrine and Tetra set off to go hunting together; Citrine knew Tetra was nervous around her, but also knew the girl wouldn't kill her yet. Citrine wanted Tetra's help hunting for now, and didn't plan on turning on her.

With so many tributes prowling the smaller caldera, clashes were bound to occur. However, the Careers did not meet up. Venus and Vulcan agreed that there were probably several tributes hiding out past the caldera's walls, and they were curious to see what laid beyond since they had not left the caldera the entire Games. They climbed up the side and began to hunt around the black rock plains for tributes. Citrine and Tetra found no one as well, coming up empty in their hunt. However, Tex and Redd tumbled upon each other towards the middle of Day 6.

Redd was sitting at the base of a tree, slowly eating a hybrid of a peach and an apple, when Tex spotted him from a distance away. Tex did his best to creep up on the boy, but he broke a branch underfoot and alerted Redd to his presence. Redd stood up immediately, telling whoever it was that he didn't want a fight. However, Tex noticed his right arm in the sling, and attacked from his right side, leaping out from the undergrowth. Redd screamed as Tex hacked into his right shoulder with his machete, falling to the ground as he tried to run away. Weaponless, Redd was defenseless as Tex straddled him and pressed him to the ground. Redd weakly beat on Tex's back with his balled left fist as Tex drove his machete into Redd's throat, officially ending the 11 boy.

Redd Santorini, District 11 Male; 10th, Killed by Tex, Day 6

Up on the rocky plains surrounding the caldera, Stacy moved Arabelly to a new rock formation, intent on not endangering her just because they weren't moving. She knew Kyle had been lost most likely because of Gamemaker influence, since they didn't like one of their star Outliers wasting her efforts on 12 year olds. It would remind the audience of the frality and innocence of some of the children chosen for the Games. So Stacy moved Arabelly a great distance, hoping it would be enough to keep them safe another day. The Gamemakers let them rest because trouble was brewing in another part of the arena.

Alder had begun hunting once more, but was tired of finding nothing in the vast, barren expanses of porous black rock. Five days of hunting had turned up nothing, and he was running low on food and water. So he decided to take a gamble and head for the caldera, hoping to find a weaker tribute to pick off and some food or water to replenish him. It just so happened that the way he was heading was near where Venus and Tilapia were scaling the caldera wall in order to hunt on the black rock plains. They were near the edge of the caldera still, surveying their surroundings, when Alder spotted them. Not wanting to face two Careers yet on his own, Alder turned to flee, but Venus spotted him, and the two Careers began to give chase. Alder started running, trying to think of a place where he could gain tactical advantage, while Venus and Tilapia tried to make up ground on the brawny 7 underdog.

He eventually ran to one of the outcroppings where he had been sleeping, climbing up the rocky formation so he'd have the advantage of height. He grabbed some large, loose rocks at the top of the structure and prepared to throw them as Venus and Tilapia came close. They waited at the base of the rock formation, eager to fight Alder. They easily dodged the stones he lobbed from the top of the formation, and when he was out of larger rocks, Tilapia began to climb with Venus right behind him. They knew Alder wouldn't throw his hatchet and when he only had one and there were two of them to fight.

At least, that is what they assumed. However, Alder was desperate, and desperate times call for desperate measures. He flung his hatchet hard into Tilapia's skull as they closed in on him. Tilapia staggered backwards and collapsed on the rock as Alder leaped down and began to sprint away. His cannon fired as Venus sprinted after Alder angrily, sword lofted high, intent on avenging her fallen ally.

Tilapia Rozario, District 4 Male; 9th, Killed by Alder, Day 6

That left the Top 8: Citrine Scarborough from District 1, Luxus Chamberlain from District 1, Venus Borne from District 2, Stacy Otero from District 3, Tetra Shillings from District 4, Arabelly Smoulders from District 6, Alder Mullaney from District 7, and Tex Hannon from District 8.

Alder was tall and had long strides, and was able to evade Venus as the two ran hard across the hard block rock covering the arena. Alder was making a break for the caldera, hoping to reach the jungle before Venus caught up to him and lose her in the sea of trees. However, Venus knew she couldn't let Alder slip away, and she bent down and picked up a loose rock off of the ground. She paused just long enough to lob it with great aim at Alder. It slammed into the back of his head, sending the boy tumbling to the ground. He tried to pick himself up onto his feet, but Venus was already closing in. Alder managed to start running again, but Venus had the momentum on him, and shoved him to the ground hard.

Alder tried to kick and punch at Venus, but she unsheathed her sword and slammed it down on his left leg, sawing deep into the tendons at the knee. Alder screamed, and kicked Venus in the arm, sending her sword flying. He tried to escape once again, but all he could do was drag himself along the ground due to his tattered left leg. Venus could feel a large bruise forming on her arm, and her anger reached a fever pitch. She picked up her sword and hacked into Alder's left leg again, sawing it off completely from below the knee. Alder wailed and tried to fight her off, but she brought her blade down again on his right arm this time, almost completely severing it. Alder stopped crawling, bracing himself for the final blow, but it never came. Venus kicked Alder in the ribs, telling him a slow death would be his price to pay for murdering her last ally. She walked back to the rock formation where Tilapia had died to pilfer Alder's supplies as he bled out. Alder was quickly losing blood, and by the time Venus was back at the rock formation, munching on his last bits of jerky, Alder's cannon fired.

Alder Mullaney, District 7 Male; 8th, Killed by Venus, Day 6

The rest of Day 6 passed without consequence, and not much happened on Day 7 either. Citrine, Luxus, and Tetra remained together, although Tetra was getting cagier than ever and was plotting a way to escape the alliance without getting caught. The only other tribute in the caldera was Tex, and he managed to avoid contact with the Careers, foraging for food and water and replenishing his strength after killing Redd. Out on the rock plains, Venus relaxed for most of the time, grieving for Vulcan and Tilapia and regaining energy. She then began to hunt for tributes during the tail end of Day 7, but her search turned up empty. Stacy and Arabelly relaxed at their rock formation, not yet bothered by anyway arena events. However, Stacy was becoming worried as the two had done almost nothing all Games, and knew some big twist would be coming soon to shake everything up.

The next twist of the Games occured on the morning of Day 8. Each tribute in the Games had a small jaguar mutt sent after them, in order to spice things up. Three jaguars descended on the Cornucopia as Tetra, Citrine, and Luxus were suiting up to go hunting. The three worked together to easily dispatch the mutts, although Luxus received a pretty deep gash on his left forearm from the fangs of one of the creatures, and required treatment that the alliance found within the Horn. Venus faced her jaguar on the rocky plains, and was able to butcher it rather easily. She contemplated trying to cook and eat its meat for food, but decided it might be too risky and moved on from the mutt kill. Tex had his tangle with his jaguar while he was resting in a tree. From his height advantage, he was able to behead the beast without more than a few small scratches.

While everyone else fended off the jaguar mutts with ease, Stacy and Arabelly faced theirs with extreme fear. Stacy told Arabelly to climb to the very top of the rock formation they were on, and the little 6 girl obliged, crying softly as she climbed to the very peak of the formation. Stacy slowly began to climb as well, but had her throwing knives, and prepared to take down the one jaguar mutt in her view. Her first knife missed, but the next hit the mutt in the ribs, sending it limping away.

Thinking they were safe, Stacy turned to hug Arabelly, but instead saw her screaming as the other jaguar grabbed her by the foot and dragged her off of the rock formation. Stacy screamed in anger and shock, having not noticed the second jaguar mutt creeping around the other side of the formation to snatch Arabelly. Stacy jumped off and threw a knife at the jaguar mutt, hitting it in the neck and killing it. However, it had already mauled Arabelly pretty terribly, tearing up her legs and raking its claws into her gut. Stacy held the little girl and cried, singing a lullaby as she died in her arms.

Arabelly Smoulders, District 6 Female; 7th, Killed by jaguar mutt, Day 8

The Gamemakers let the tributes rest after the jaguar mutts killed Arabelly, as they had now successfully eliminated the last dependent tribute in the Games. Everyone else was a capable killer, and Stacy was the only one who had yet to kill another tribute. Citrine, Luxus, and Tetra hunted for wounded tributes in the jungle the rest of Day 8 and found no one, while Tex cleaned his few cuts from the jaguar mutt. Venus was becoming bored of the rock plains, feeling that most of the action was in the caldera. However, she remained on the rock plains for the time being, continuing to scout out places she had yet to look over for victims. Stacy was deeply agonized over the loss of Arabelly, but she also knew the Gamemakers would leave her alone for a bit now, and she had a chance of going home herself. She moved to a new rock formation and began thinking of ways to outwit the four remaining Careers.

In the very early morning of Day 9, Tex woke up early and walked to the edge of the caldera and began to climb the walls of the formation. While he had been able to live in the small jungle of the caldera without much trouble for the past week or so, he was concerned that his luck was running out and also felt that the only people left in the caldera besides himself were Careers. Hoping they would split before he would have to face them, Tex trekked out a decent distance before resting in a small crevice in the rock that hid him from immediate view.

Meanwhile, Tetra was at her wit's end with her alliance with Citrine and Luxus. She was paranoid and had no trust in the 1s, who were closer than ever. They had yet to make a move against her, but she knew if she stuck with them to the end that she would be killed before they faced off in a final duel. Desperate to escape, she offered Luxus that he and her go hunting. Both Luxus and Citrine were skeptical, but couldn't refuse or else they would reveal their growing distrust of Tetra. Luxus went on his first hunt of the Games with Tetra as they combed the caldera jungle, while Citrine nervously waited at the Cornucopia, knowing if Luxus was gone she would lose a lot of power and leverage in the Games. Freaked out, Citrine grabbed her spear and began to trail Tetra and Luxus as they hunted.

Venus had become bored with the rocky fields, and had also spotted the lava slowly closing in on the caldera. Deciding it was time to head home, she trekked back to the lip of the caldera and planned to discreetly slip into the jungle. From her high vantage point however, she spotted that the Cornucopia was unoccupied, as Citrine had left it unguarded in order to make sure Tetra didn't try anything with Luxus. Excited by the prospect of having the Horn's supplies at her disposal, Venus quickly ran down the caldera's sides undetected and made her way towards the Cornucopia happily.

In the jungle, Tetra and Luxus were turning up nothing. They rested by a brook and ate some edible fruits, and chatted quietly. Luxus became comfortable with Tetra as the two discussed their lives back home and their favorite things, and he dropped his guard, thinking Citrine was wrong for assuming Tetra had ulterior motives. However, Citrine had not been wrong. As the two began to walk back to camp after finding no kills, Tetra suddenly whipped out a knife and stabbed Luxus in the back of the neck. The boy gurgled, shocked at this sudden betrayal, as Tetra wrenched her knife out of Luxus's neck and gathered his supplies for herself. As she jogged away with everything they had taken hunting, Luxus's cannon shattered the silence of the arena.

Luxus Chamberlain, District 1 Male; 6th, Killed by Tetra, Day 9

Citrine had been stalking Tetra and Luxus, but once she overheard their relaxed conversation, she returned to the Horn, not worried that they would kill each other. As she was about to walk back into the Cornucopia field, she heard Luxus's cannon, and was worried it had been a mistake to leave. However, she realized it would be too late to track down Tetra now if she had in fact turned on Luxus and murdered him. Sighing, she walked back towards the Cornucopia and sat down in its mouth, opening a pack of jerky and nibbling on it.

Citrine was entirely unaware of what lurked behind her; Venus had made it to the Cornucopia in the time Citrine was out stalking Tetra and Luxus, and she had been able to hide within the shadowy depths of the structure when she spotted Citrine emerging from the jungle. Taking one of Citrine's specialized spears instead of her own sword, Venus crept up behind Citrine and pounced, slamming the spear forward.

The metal tip stabbed itself into Citrine's back between her neck and her right shoulder. The girl howled with pain, twirling and brandishing her own spear at Venus. The 2 girl left the spear in Citrine's back and instead pulled out her sword, and used it to block the stabs and parries that Citrine tried to make with her spear. However, Citrine was slipping due to the injury in her shoulder. She ripped out the spear and dodged a blow from Venus before turning tail and attempting to flee. Venus would not let the frontrunner of the Games escape so easily, and she sprinted after Citrine, tackling her. The 1 girl's spear crumpled beneath her, and Venus was able to hack into Citrine's neck with her sword, surprising the nation as District 1 was completely wiped out from the Games within an hour.

Citrine Scarborough, District 1 Female; 5th, Killed by Venus, Day 9

After killing Citrine, sponsor gifts of lavish foods and drinks poured down to Venus, and she dined on steak and soda as she camped out at the Cornucopia and enjoyed the bounty of supplies left within. Tetra stalked around the outer fringe of the jungle of the caldera, not sure of what her next move should be yet. Meanwhile, up on the rocky plains, more action was happening. Both Tex and Stacy left their hiding places and began to hunt; being in the Top 4, both recognized that they could no longer idly sit by and wait for more deaths to happen. As they were both walking across the rocky plains, their paths intercepted.

Tex immediately held his machete towards Stacy threateningly, while Stacy had a throwing knife in each hand ready to throw. However, the two closed in on each other, and neither moved to attack each other. They recognized one another as the other Outlier who had scored a 7 in training, and also as the only other Outlier left in the whole arena. They agreed that if either of them wanted to win, they would have to work together to take down the two remaining Careers. They made a pact to work together, and while things were tense at first, they began to bond, and by night fall felt comfortable with one another.

In the morning of Day 10, Cyndala decided to end these Games theatrically, wanting to have a dramatic and large final showdown. All four tributes awoke to the sounds of eruptions from all of the volcanoes that ringed the unreachable, treacherous edge of the arena. Lava poured down the sides of the volcanoes as ash choked the sky, blocking out the sun and bathing the arena in a gray darkness. The fissures in the black rock plains also widened and quickly worked their way towards the caldera, turning the entire black rock field into a frothing sea of lava.

Stacy and Tex quickly made their escape towards the caldera, avoiding the lava as it closed in on them and forced them into the center of the arena. Meanwhile, both Tetra and Venus recognized what was happening outside of the caldera, and were happy to be inside of it. Venus prepared herself for the final fight, arming herself to the teeth within the Cornucopia. Tetra began to scour the edges of the caldera, waiting to spot any tributes trying to climb down into the jungle from the now dangerous rock plains.

She soon spotted Stacy coming down the eastern wall of the caldera in a hurry, only carrying her throwing knives. She swiftly sprinted through the edge of the jungle in an attempt to intercept her, ready to take down one of the last two Outliers before her showdown with Venus. As she closed in on the 3 girl, however, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side. She gasped as she looked down to see Tex's machete buried in her side. The 8 boy wrenched it free, and blood poured down Tetra's side, making her stagger. Stacy sprinted over to Tex as the boy brought his machete down on the fallen Tetra again, polishing her off.

Tetra Shillings, District 4 Female; 4th, Killed by Tex, Day 10

Having spotted Tetra before she saw them, they had headed down opposite sides as a way to bait Tetra in one direction and then trap her on the other. Their plan had worked, and now the two Outliers only had to face Venus if they wanted to go home. They planned to rest and wait to face the 2 girl, but they soon saw lava bubbling over the edge of the caldera; as it poured down the rock walls towards the jungle, Tex and Stacy got the message and headed towards the Cornucopia, where they suspected Venus was laying in wait.

Back at the Horn, Venus waited for the two remaining tributes, unsure of who they were but ready to fight. She had her sword sheathed at her side, and then a spear in her hands, ready for both long range and short range combat. Meanwhile, Tex and Stacy reached the Cornucopia field, and attempted the strategy they had used on Tetra only a half hour before. Tex approached towards the mouth of the Horn, while Stacy circled around and approached from the tail, hoping to trap Venus.

Venus spotted Tex charging from the jungle with his machete clenched tight in his fist, and laughed at his folly. She threw her spear at him, but it wasn't her best weapon, and Tex barely dodged the throw, continuing to barrel towards the Cornucopia. Venus unsheathed her sword excitedly, ready to face the 8 boy head on and earn her way to Victory. However, she suddenly heard noise behind her, and whirled to see Stacy running towards her from the other direction, throwing knives lofted.

Venus dodged the knives Stacy threw, running right at her with sword raised. Stacy tried to run away, suddenly realizing she couldn't take the 2 girl, but Venus was too close, and Stacy was not agile enough. The long legged, nurturing beauty from 3 screamed as Venus sliced deep into her side with her sword, making her fall to the ground. Venus finished her off with a violent stab to the neck, making sure to put the 3 girl out of commission.

Stacy Otero, District 3 Female; 3rd, Killed by Venus, Day 10

Tex was right behind Venus after she finished killing Stacy, and before Venus could turn, Tex was leaping on her, attempting to tackle the girl. Although they were about the same weight, Tex was taller, and that combined with his momentum allowed him to shove Venus to the ground right next to Stacy's bloodied corpse. Venus kicked against him, and brought her sword towards his side. The blade went wide and sliced deep into Tex's right leg, making him howl. He slammed the blade of his machete right into Venus's chest, and the 2 girl's eyes quickly went glassy as the tip went through her heart, killing her swiftly.

Venus Borne, District 2 Female; 2nd, Killed by Tex, Day 10

"Tex Hannon of District 8, you are the Victor of the Fifty Second Hunger Games!" Caesar and Clauduius roared into the arena happily as the trumpets sang their victory tune. Tex groaned as he rolled off of Venus, trying to hold in the blood pouring from his almost entirely severed right leg. As the medics wrapped him up and carried him to safety, though, Tex could be smiling softly in relief at having escaped the arena.


Aftermath

District 8 happily welcomed their 3rd official Victor into the fold. Only having 2 Victors, they had been the lowest of the low in that regard alongside District 12, but now they had a brand new Victor to celebrate and relish to prove that they were not the weakest District. Tex was a good but reserved Victor. He lost much of his right leg due to the grievous injury Venus gave him during their finale, and he wore a prosthetic throughout the rest of his life. Tex was happy to have escaped the arena, but was not one to enjoy the spotlight. Despite being a handsome, kind boy and being prostituted after his Games, he was swiftly forgotten as the Capitol moved onto more exciting and famous Victors, and Tex was able to achieve the relatively normal life he had hoped for his whole life. Tex was popular with most of the outer District Victors, as he was kind and unassuming. Although he is not a particularly stunning nor memorable Victor, he was still well respected. He served as a great Mentor, as he was so far the strongest of the 8 Victors, and would prove to be a helpful Mentor throughout his life.

Tex would live to age 80, dying from pnuemonia around the 115th Hunger Games. He would marry his high school sweetheart and they would have 5 children together, and they would remain together for the rest of their lives.

The payouts on his Victory were decent, as 3% bet on him.

His Victory Tour was nothing of note; he was not a remarkable public speaker or very charismatic, but he was appreciated by the Districts for his plain and simple demeanor.


Victor's News

Tex moves into the Victor's Village of District 8, in the house next door to Organza's.

Enzo divorces from his first wife.


List of Victors

District 1 (7 Victors): Guild Tonneroy (6), Salandra Valour (11), Clermont Lackrey (15), Mascara Curler (22), Ivelisse Horner (31), Zion Alvarra (40), Nefertiti Kouri (47)

District 2 (9 Victors): Noor Tuskararus (4), Romulus Armidale (19), Fitore Renoro (21), Florianna Urnston (27), Tarquinius Isselhardt (30), Januaria Shale (36), Gnaeus Deccum (37), Brutus Asesino (44), Lyme Harriott (49)

District 3 (4 Victors): Chaplin Nastaro (7), Calculata Fenceley (26), Beetee Latier (33), Wiress Furuya (46)

District 4 (6 Victors): Kelan Thather (1), Mags Flanagan (11), Bex Martin (16), Dorsal Rance (24), Flotsam Bresten (34), Syren Calanthe (43)

District 5 (6 Victors): Tugra Ertra (3), Irmentrude Marley (8), Fox Rennolls (29), Porter Tripp (38), Surge Tomlin (42), Shyanna Lowell (51)

District 6 (3 Victors): Greason Trails (10), Mercedes Benson (28), Indigo Arnett (41)

District 7 (3 Victors): Ishania Patel (5), Grover Elms (20), Pomona McCrea (32)

District 8 (3 Victors): Woof Parsons (23), Organza White (35), Tex Hannon (52)

District 9 (3 Victors): Dillon Tripp (2), Deana Mitchellson (18), Enzo Faithlen (48)

District 10 (3 Victors): Barcelona Sepias (13), Jaguar Crusoe (17), Elaine Canterbury (Aux. 46)

District 11 (4 Victors): Vissarion Chamantel (9), Freeha Indepp (14), Seeder Howell (39), Chaff Abwenza (45)

District 12 (2 Victors): Venice Grammar (25), Haymitch Abernathy (50)


A/N: Hello all! I am so sorry I have been gone forever! I just have had my life taking me in crazy places, with no time to write anything, and I've been exploring other interests besides Hunger Games fanfiction. However, I began rereading some of my favorite Games and I knew I had to take advantage of this extra quarantine time and write a new chapter or two for this story :) I have some great other Games planned so hopefully I can get more out!

What did you think of this Games and its arena? Who were you rooting for? Did you suspect Tex would be the Victor? I liked having a more unexpected Victor especially since we're heading into the territory of many canon Victors soon, so I hope you enjoyed it!

I hope you guys enjoyed this, if anyone is still reading please drop a review because I miss y'all and I hope everything's okay for everyone. also, P.S.! I may or may not be halfway through a BMO update as well... :)

Until Next Time,

Tracee