The Fifty Fifth Annual Hunger Games


Introduction

With Cyndala Clargy abdicating the throne of Head Gamemaker, dozens of her underlings clamored wildly to take her spot. The race eventually tightened between two frontrunners: the first was the aging Rufana Hallispel, a Gamemaker who had been working in the Gamemaking Center since the 18th Hunger Games and had much experience. The other was a young protege of Cyndala named Creon Baxter, who was barely in his 30s but had made a meteoric rise through the Gamemaking ranks. Eventually, Creon received Cyndala's blessing and thus he was picked over Rufana to become the next Head Gamemaker, although many in the Center were displeased with the elder not being chosen for the spot. Creon was determined to prove he was the right man for the job, and set about planning a familiar yet deadly arena. He went even further than Cyndala, and refused to reveal anything about his arena before the Games began; this trend would continue for many years after the 55th Games. President Coriolanus Snow was excited to see what Creon would conjure up in his arena, but he made one requirement in order to punish the Districts further. The bitter cold of the 54th had not squashed all of the vocal rebellious sects across Panem, and there had been several riots and vigilantes scattered throughout the Districts. Snow made sure to make this Games painful as well along with executing the rebels to remind the Districts to stay in check. Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman returned as the hosts for the Hunger Games, and with this change in Gamemaking leadership and lack of hints about the arena, they worked the mystery hard to excite the Capitolites. The Careers produced a strong group this year. District 1's tributes weren't their best fighters, but both had stunning golden hair and perfectly sculpted bodies that left the Capitol thirsting after both of them. The girl excelled with a spear while the boy preferred a sword. District 2 produced two dark-skinned tributes rippling with muscles; the girl was renowned in District 2 for her leadership abilities as the daughter of a head Peacekeeper, while the boy was a cunning tactician and preferred to fight with long daggers called dirks. District 4 produced the most interesting pair of the year; the girl's skin was deep brown, and black tattoos covered her arms and legs. She rarely spoke and her tattoos started a small craze before the Games even began. The boy was this year's standout; he was leanly muscled, with shaggy light brown hair, but he scored the highest due to his proficiency with a weapon rarely used in the Games, the morningstar, which was similar to a mace. He was very charming and the Capitol fell in love with his boy-next-door persona. The Outliers produced a few stronger tributes this year. From District 6 came the standout, a tall boy rippling with muscle named Titus. He earned an 8 for his strength and skill with knives which he learned from fighting for his life in the alleys. He aligned himself with a similarly tall, muscular boy from District 5 named Shock who earned a 7. The other standout Outlier was the dark-skinned Moniqua from District 10, who had a wild beauty that the Capitol adored and was skilled with a butcher knife. The rest of the tributes scored between a 6 and a 3, and there were no other volunteers besides the Careers. Here are the tributes:

District 1: Chanelle Yeadley, 18 (9) 8-1 and Admiring Fallon, 18 (9) 9-1

District 2: Aenea Gaffen, 18 (10) 5-1 and Lucullus Cuerer, 18 (10) 5-1

District 3: Becky Linner, 17 (6) 22-1 and Chipp Henry, 14 (5) 38-1

District 4: Tonga Rainier, 18 (10) 6-1 and Sander Uticene, 18 (11) 4-1

District 5: Bethann Luddite, 16 (5) 31-1 and Shock Laricks, 18 (7) 17-1

District 6: Jolie Hendesson, 13 (4) 49-1 and Titus Sordel, 18 (8) 12-1

District 7: Rose Hardwig, 15 (4) 47-1 and Yew Harrolls, 16 (5) 33-1

District 8: Delaney Twill, 15 (6) 28-1 and Twine Darmouth, 13 (4) 43-1

District 9: Savana Herzog, 16 (4) 41-1 and Plower Frane, 16 (5) 36-1

District 10: Moniqua Burrell, 18 (7) 16-1 and Cammell French, 15 (6) 25-1

District 11: Hilea Trinite, 12 (4) 46-1 and Dorian Mukko, 14 (5) 38-1

District 12: Kensie Torcan, 13 (3) 56-1 and Orrin Blaine, 16 (3) 54-1

HGBA Odds: 24% on Sander, 17% on Aenea and Lucullus, 12% on Tonga, 9% on Chanelle, 7% on Admiring, 4% on Titus, 2% on Shock and Moniqua, 1% or less on Becky, Chipp, Bethann, Jolie, Rose, Yew, Delaney, Twine, Savana, Plower, Cammell, Hilea, Dorian, Kensie, and Orrin.


The Games

The tributes rose up into the middle of a sweltering hot savannah, all dressed in combat boots, t-shirts in their District color, and cargo shorts. The arena was mainly made up of tall golden grasses that made up the savannah. There were small groups of thorny acacia trees scattered throughout the arena. To the north, the ground slowed downward and a large watering hole could be found, and this is where the most animals and plants existed. To the east and west was plain savannah with several groups of acacia trees thrown in. To the south, gray rocky formations dominated the landscape, providing lots of places to hide. Throughout the arena, there were a wide variety of African animal mutts, including giraffes, wildebeest, gazelle, zebras, rhinoceros, and the most fearsome of all, lions. The golden Cornucopia glittered in a circular middle part of the savannah where the grass had been mowed short to provide easy access from the pedestals. Piled in the Cornucopia's mouth were a vast array of weapons, including a morningstar for Sander and dirks for Lucullus. There were also dozens of giant jugs of water in the Cornucopia and littered around the field surrounding it. However, there was no food found inside the Horn, not even a single pack of jerky, under the command of President Snow. He wanted the tributes to be wracked by starvation in order to further punish the Districts for their insubordination. More tributes were willing to run away from the Bloodbath this time due to the sheer amount of weapons and more hospitable arena. Only 9 deaths would occur in the opening moments of this Games, leaving many tributes to wander the savannah arena that Creon had meticulously designed.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

The girls from 6, 9, and 11 as well as the boy from 9 ran away from the Bloodbath and into the savannah as the other 20 tributes charged in. Chanelle was the fastest sprinter of the Careers, and none of the other tributes matched her speed. She found a brace of thin, silvery spears waiting for her at the mouth of the Cornucopia, and she snapped it onto her arm before ripping one of the spears free. She tossed it at the chest of the nearest girl, who went down in a spray of blood as she screamed.

Becky Linner, District 3 Female; 24th, Killed by Chanelle, Bloodbath

Admiring and Aenea scooped up swords, while Tonga took a brace of spears like Chanelle, Lucullus grabbed his twin dirks, and Sander picked up his morningstar. Sander was eager to show the damage he could do with his unconventional weapon, and he slammed a boy to the ground by the mouth of the Horn. He then proceeded to bash his brains out as the boy kicked and moaned for mercy.

Twine Darmouth, District 8 Male; 23rd, Killed by Sander, Bloodbath

Tonga watched a portly girl stumble away from the Horn, having turned around halfway through the sprint when she realized running to the mouth was a fool's errand. She was too close however, and Tonga was able to take her down hard with a spear throw to the neck.

Bethann Luddite, District 5 Female; 22nd, Killed by Tonga, Bloodbath

Lucullus made quick work of a girl who was quivering, trying to defend herself with a machete she found on the ground. He disarmed her in moments, and she wept in utter fear as he slashed open her front with several strokes of his dirks before she fell to the ground twitching.

Rose Hardwig, District 7 Female; 21st, Killed by Lucullus, Bloodbath

Aenea had been trading blows with a boy on the side of the Cornucopia, teasing the boy and letting him think he had a chance at survival as he batted at her with his mace. However, Aenea sooned became bored and gutted the boy with a quick sweep of her sword before going to look for more victims.

Dorian Mukko, District 11 Male; 20th, Killed by Aenea, Bloodbath

The alliance of Titus and Shock had been placed near each other behind the Horn, and they worked together to sneak up on the supplies and grab daggers and water jugs before turning to leave. Admiring made after them with his sword, but Titus surprised everyone by going on the offensive and slashing a deep wound across the boy's side. The 1 boy staggered into the Horn for medical supplies as Titus and Shock fled.

Sander had laid his eyes on a screaming girl who had yet to leave her pedestal, too terrified to move. He grinned as he raced towards her, and she began to run in utter fear. However, her mind, blinded by fear, had her run closer to Sander, making his job easier. His morningstar slammed into her chest twice before she stopped sobbing.

Kensie Torcan, District 12 Female; 19th, Killed by Sander, Bloodbath

Tonga and Chanelle had teamed up with their spears to go after some of the tributes that were fleeing. One boy was heavily encumbered by the several water jugs and belt of throwing knives he was lugging, and the girls were able to pounce on him and shred him to pieces with their spears.

Yew Harrolls, District 7 Male; 18th, Killed by Tonga and Chanelle, Bloodbath

Back at the Horn, Aenea was dicing apart the chest and arms of the struggling boy from 3, who had found no supplies for snares and traps inside of the Horn. He wailed pitifully and she brought her sword down deep into his heart in the death blow.

Chipp Henry, District 3 Male; 17th, Killed by Aenea, Bloodbath

Lucullus made the final kill after discovering a cowering boy hiding behind his pedestal, hoping to steal some supplies once the Bloodbath had ended and the Careers had gone off to hunt. The Careers knew they had not made many kills, and Lucullus made the boy's death long and bloody, digging shallow gashes across his body for almost a half hour until his screams quieted and blood loss finally claimed him.

Orrin Blaine, District 12 Male; 16th, Killed by Lucullus, Bloodbath

After only 9 kills at the Bloodbath and letting their three biggest competition get away, the Careers were notably upset. Admiring had also been gravely wounded by Titus from 6. The alliance was able to patch him up with bandages and healing creams, but he could not leave the Horn for the time being. The alliance agreed that they needed to go hunting and make another kill right away; they had put up a lackluster performance, had an injured ally, and had no food at the Horn. Chanelle offered to stay and play guard with Admiring while the 2s and 4s went off to hunt in the night. No one found any of this disagreeable. Thus, soon after the nine cannons fired signaling the end of the Bloodbath, the 2s and 4s headed out to make another kill while the 1s guarded the Cornucopia. Chanelle and Admiring stood some distance away for the bodies to be collected once their allies left, expecting the Horn to disappear into the ground like the year prior. However, it did not move, and all of their supplies remained intact. Chanelle helped Admiring limp back to the Horn and she checked over his injuries before they began to sort their supplies.

While the Careers began to stalk hungrily for prey, the large remaining group of Outliers started to spread themselves throughout the African savannah. The two strongest Outliers, Titus and Shock, stalked through the arena and made their way towards the northern lake where they expected to find other tributes. Unlike many Outlying alliances, they were eager and willing to hunt down prey like the Careers. They found no one to murder that night, but they set up camp on the lake's shore and received a sponsor gift of ribs soaked in BBQ sauce for their valiant efforts at the Bloodbath. Titus's District partner, the diminuitive Jolie, also sprinted north after the gong rang, noticing the signs of water and life from training. She had no supplies, but she managed to survive and slept in an acacia tree near the lake safely out of sight. Sandy-haired Delaney had escaped the Bloodbath with a wickedly serrated dagger and a water jug, and she headed east, settling down in a depression in the land, covered by the golden grasses of the arena. Both tributes from 9, Plower and Savana, had avoided the Bloodbath entirely, and they both headed south towards the rocky formations that would be able to hide them. Plower attempted to ally with Savana, but she threw a rock at him and this scared him off. The two settled on opposite ends of the rocky formations, both too scared and full of District pride to fight each other. Moniqua had found two butcher's knives waiting for her in the Cornucopia field, and she had run after grabbing these. She was intent on finding a good, defensible place to set up camp and hide at, and she chose a dense copse of acacia trees in the west where she settled. Cammell had scooped up two water jugs and a dagger from the Bloodbath, and he made his way east, sleeping at the base of a lone acacia tree. The final tribute, little Hilea, had not gone into the fray of the Bloodbath, and she too ran north to the lake. She wanted to make an alliance with Jolie, but could not find the girl and settled down in the open by the lake, too tired to find a good hiding spot.

After the anthem and the faces of the dead from the Bloodbath, the Careers finally tracked down one of their prey. They had headed east after Tonga had mistakenly seen Titus and Shock running in that direction, hoping to take out the two strong tributes and cause a show in order to receive a feast from their sponsors. They found no Titus or Shock, but they found the beautiful girl from 8 curled up in her depression in the ground. Delaney screamed with fright, woken up by the feeling of Sander's morningstar tearing into her right calf. She tried to stab him with her dagger, but Tonga kicked it out of her hand easily. Sander and his District partner worked together to make the girl's death long and painful, stabbing and pummeling her for almost an hour until the tortured girl finally slipped away.

Delaney Twill, District 8 Female; 15th, Killed by Sander and Tonga, Night 1

After Delaney's murder, the Careers all received several packets of jerky each, including Chanelle and Admiring back at the Cornucopia. It wasn't much, and this made it clear to the pack that food was expensive this year in sponsorship. They realized that soon they would not be receiving food from their Mentors, and that they would have to figure out a way to find food in the arena, or otherwise starve. However, the hunters returned to the Horn, and the pack slept in peace and no other deaths occured during the first night of the Games.

The next morning, the Careers were hungry for more victims, as their jerky packets were already almost gone, and they knew they would become hungry very soon. Chanelle played guard with Admiring once more, while the 2s and 4s crept out into the northern sector of the arena. Aenea's leadership skills were put to the test as she led the group north in hopes of finding tributes clustered around the watering hole. Lucullus was the best tracker of the group, and they followed the obvious trail a frantic tribute had left behind during their flight from the Bloodbath. By noon, they arrived to the place where little Hilea had been asleep the night prior. However, she was now cowering in the branches of a nearby acacia tree, having heard the Careers approaching. She sobbed quietly as the Careers inspected the area near the lake's shore, looking around for thier victim in order to get more blood on their hands and earn more sponsors for themselves.

They were immediately distracted when they heard a loud splashing in the lake. They all perked up and walked to the edge to inspect. There was another loud splash, and they saw that boulders were being thrown into the lake from far down the western side. The four immediately sped in that direction, recognizing that the only tributes strong enough to toss large boulders into the water were Titus and Shock. By the time they reached the area where the boulders had been thrown from, however, the only signs of life were the discarded rib bones from the meal the night prior. Angry, the Careers continued to comb the lake shore but found nothing.

Meanwhile, Titus and Shock had looped around through the savannah, having thrown the boulders into the water in order to distract the Careers from little Hilea. Shock was hesitant to be so gung-ho about murdering, especially such a little girl, but Titus insisted it was their only way to get food in this arena. So they distracted the Careers from their quarry and snuck up on little Hilea. She spotted them from her tree and relaxed, hoping that the strong boys would be able to protect her; Shock had been nice to her in training, after all. She hopped from her tree and ran towards Shock with open arms, but then Titus was there, and he threw her to the ground. Hilea screamed for help, and Shock started to cry softly as Titus stabbed the girl in her chest over and over again until she stopped struggling and fell still.

Hilea Trinite, District 11 Female; 14th, Killed by Titus, Day 2

After Hilea's death, Shock was still very emotional, and Titus taunted him about being a sissy as he washed his bloody hands in the lake. An orange fell for the both of them, and the boys shared it before moving on to find another campsite. Titus was eager to continue hunting, knowing there would be other tributes around the lake as it was the only notable source of water in the arena. Shock just wanted to rest, still spinning from Titus's messy murder of Hilea and his guilt at not helping her, but the 6 boy just told Shock he would abandon him if he didn't keep hunting. So Shock followed Titus as they hunted along the lake's shore throughout the rest of the day and found no other tributes; Jolie was hidden well up in her acacia tree's canopy, and they did not spot her when they walked beneath it.

Hearing Hilea's cannon, the Careers were angry that someone or something had made a kill before them, and the tensions swiftly began to rise in the pack. Sander was annoyed that Aenea was the leader of the group despite being the inferior fighter, believing his 11 should allow him to be the leader. Aenea and Lucullus had allowed him and Tonga to kill Delaney the night prior in order to sate their anger, even though it was traditional for the pack leader to get the first kill post-Bloodbath. However, tensions continued to grow between the two pairs, as Tonga believed Sander's leadership would be superior, while Aenea was annoyed her efforts were being thwarted, and Lucullus just wanted the pack to stay together. Further trouble was brewing for the pack back at the Cornucopia; Chanelle and Admiring both noticed how the pack was on uneven ground this year, and they discussed potentially gathering supplies and abandoning ship once Admiring was healed enough. They both agreed that this pack would not last long, especially with the lack of food in the arena, and they didn't want to get cut down in a showdown.

While the Career pack had tensions throughout the day, the rest of the tributes were relatively motionless. Jolie stayed hidden in her little tree by the lake, unwilling to leave it after hearing Hilea's screams and seeing Shock and Titus prowl beneath her branches. Plower and Savana both remained in the rocky formations in the southern area of the arena. Plower began exploring the formations, looking for a cave to sleep in. However, he was also working closer to where Savana was hidden, still wanting to work with her as he had a small crush on her. Moniqua was perfectly concealed within her thick copse of acacia trees in the west, but she had grabbed no water from the Bloodbath and was quickly becoming dehydrated. She knew she would have to go find a water source sooner than later and leave behind the protection of her acacia thicket. Cammell was still to the east; he had been close enough to where Delaney had been tortured by Tonga and Sander to hear her screams and see how long it lasted. Scared out of his mind, the boy had walked to almost the very edge of the arena, and Creon had to send a flock of vultures to scare the boy away from the force field. Cammell managed to gut a couple of the vulture mutts with his dagger, and Jaguar was able to scrape enough together to send him a can of rice, which the 10 boy devoured eagerly.

No other action occured on Day 2, and nothing much happened on Day 3 either. On Day 3, the Careers combed the western part of the arena, and their search turned up empty even though they inspected the acacia thicket where Moniqua had been hiding hours earlier. She had made the trek north to the lake along with a canteen she had been sponsored. She filled up her canteen and drank heavily several times before camping out by the lake for a while, making sure to hide in an area covered by brambly bushes as to avoid being seen. She avoided Titus and Shock, who had settled on the other side of the lake after their hunting had turned up empty.

With Moniqua out of the western quadrant of the arena, there was nothing for the Careers to discover, and the tensions were reaching a fever pitch with no food and no kills. Sander and Aenea bickered for a couple of minutes before Lucullus calmed the situation. Creon wanted to force the group together, not wanting the alliance to dissolve yet as there were many weak Outliers left in the arena. Thus, he sent a couple of zebra mutts at the pack. Usually these creatures were complacent herbivores, but like everything in the Hunger Games, they had been corrupted. They know had gnashing fangs and a thirst for tribute blood whenever Creon activated that setting. Thus, the trio of zebras rushed at the Careers. They were able to dispatch them rather easily with injuries, but it did not stop the bickering of the pack, and they received no sponsor gifts for their gutting of the zebra mutts. This further maddened the group, as the well fed volunteers were becoming upset without much food.

Upon returning to their campsite on the night of Day 3, the hunters from the Career pack were angry with each other. Aenea refused to speak to Sander and Tonga until they quieted and accepted her authority, as their Mentors had all agreed she would be the leader. Sander and Tonga meanwhile insisted Aenea was being like Tullia of the year prior and was a rude, dull person. This angered Lucullus intensely, as Tullia had been a dear friend of his in the Academy, and he joined in on the fighting. The pack almost split, but with the calming words of the 1s and a pack of crackers that their Mentors managed to send for all of them, they were placated for the night.

Early in the morning of Day 4, Sander woke up earlier than expected. As he groggily opened his eyes, he found Chanelle and Admiring whispering about their plan to leave the Horn with supplies after the other four went hunting. Angered, Sander roared and woke everyone up as he brandished his morningstar at the 1s, saying that they were playing traitor. Tonga had no mercy for the two 1s she had befriended, and stood beside her District partner, ready to dispatch them. Another pack of crackers came from their Mentors, sapping the last of their alliance funds dry, but they were ignored as the 1s grabbed weapons of their own and the 2s watched warily.

Sander and Tonga challenged Chanelle and Admiring to a fight, unwilling to let the alliance heal itself or let the 1s walk away scot-free. Chanelle and Admiring were nervous, as they were the two weakest fighters in the pack, and Admiring was still minorly injured from his scrape from Titus at the Bloodbath. However, their only other option would be to run, and they'd be cut down if they did that. Thus, they took their weapons and prepared to battle the 4s while Lucullus and Aenea watched from the sidelines out on the Cornucopia field, unsure if they should engage in the fight or not yet.

The four began to circle each other, and Sander lashed out first, slamming his morningstar towards Chanelle's chest. She ducked and barely avoided his manuever, and Admiring leaped to protect her as she regained her balance. He fended off the stabs of Tonga's spears and the smacks of Sander's morningstar as Chanelle readied herself again. She joined the fray and the four began to battle even more intensely.

Soon, Tonga was able to lash the tip of her spear deep across Admiring's stomach, making him fall to his knees, his stomach almost cut entirely open. As he tried to hold back the blood, Tonga and Sander eagerly advanced upon Chanelle, intent on polishing her off in an easy 2 on 1 battle. However, they neglected to think of the fact that the 2s had been standing off to the side this whole battle. Lucullus and Aenea had been sharing glances, and now they charged forward as the 4s advanced upon Chanelle. They came from the side, and Tonga didn't even see them until it was too late and Aenea's sword was buried in her throat. The 4 girl toppled, dead, as Sander roared in fury and Chanelle looked emboldened by the defense of the 2s.

Tonga Rainier, District 4 Female; 13th, Killed by Aenea, Day 4

Sander was a phenomenal fighter, but three on one was not a fair fight. He managed to disarm Aenea and send her sword flying across the Cornucopia field, but Lucullus's dirks and Chanelle's spear were still able to fend off his attacks until he was cornered against the side of the Horn. Sander managed to crush Chanelle's spearhead with his morningstar, sending her staggering backwards. He leaped at her to kill her, but she lunged out of the way and Sander stumbled. Lucullus took the opening to shove one of his dirks into Sander's gut. The 4 boy screamed in terror and pain as Lucullus then stabbed the other one into his forehead, killing the strongest competitor in the Games.

Sander Uticene, District 4 Male; 12th, Killed by Lucullus, Day 4

Aenea was kneeling by where Admiring lay by the mouth of the Horn, holding in his guts from the grevious wound Tonga had given him minutes before. Chanelle rushed to his side, but soon realized that his wounds were too grievous. She did the honors of polishing him off, shoving a dagger from the Cornucopia into his throat in such a way that the boy was dead instantly without any further pain. Chanelle wiped a tear from her eye as her loyal District partner's cannon boomed.

Admiring Fallon, District 1 Male; 11th, Killed by Tonga and Chanelle, Day 4

Chanelle was prepared to run, expecting the 2s to team up on her now that Admiring and the 4s were dead, but they extended a promise of an alliance, saying that this fight of the Careers would satisfy the Capitol but that they needed each other to hunt down the other Outliers. Chanelle gingerly accepted their promise of reforming the shredded remainders of the pack, and after the bodies of their former allies were removed by the hovercraft, they were sent a feast of bread and jerky from their Mentors in response to the bloody show they had put on. The trio feasted and began to bond as the day wore on.

Meanwhile, the rest of the tributes knew that three cannons in a row could only mean that the Career pack had fractured, as there were no large alliances this year, and it was doubtful three Outliers who were not aligned would die so closely together. Emboldened, Titus began to hunt in a wider area, eager to discover other Outliers or wounded Careers. Shock stuck with him out of duty, and also because he hoped Titus's hunting would bring them food; they were both beginning to become very hungry. However, Shock and Titus were faring the best out of the Outliers. Jolie remained hidden in her tree, while Plower and Savana remained in their rock outcroppings. None had any food, although Jolie had water from the lake, and they were becoming extremely starved. Plower was continuing to inch towards Savana's hiding spot, waiting until she would be desperate enough to work with him. Moniqua was doing the best of the Outliers besides Titus and Shock; she had managed to find some worms in the lake's shore and had eaten as many as she could find before filling up her canteen and returning to her acacia thicket in the western corner of the arena. Cammell was becoming very hungry as well, although his can of rice from Day 2 was holding him over. He remained camped out near the edge of the arena, too terrified to get closer to the action.

Day 5 and Day 6 passed without much action. Chanelle, Lucullus, and Aenea had all sustained minor injuries during the breakup of the Career pack, and they spent Day 5 healing before hunting fruitlessly in the west for tributes. They stalked past Moniqua's acacia thicket, missing where the 10 girl was crouching out of sight. The knives of hunger began to dig into all of the tributes during this time, even the Careers, as food became too expensive to be sent as a sponsor gift. The Careers worked together to hunt down a scraggly gazelle mutt, and they cooked it at the Horn, dining on the stringy meat as their only sustenance. Titus and Shock began to hunt farther and farther from the lake, trekking through the fields. Shock kept talking about remaining by the lake for water, but Titus was eager to find prey and would not stay in one spot for long. Jolie could barely move out of her acacia tree, too starved to move. Both Plower and Savana down in the rock formations were struggling hard too. Plower worked up the resolve to approach Savana on Night 6, knowing they needed to work together if they wanted to survive much longer and find food. Moniqua continued to eat the worms and other insects she found at the lake's shore. Cammell was too scared to leave the edge of the arena to forage for food, huddling at the base of an acacia tree and hoping no one would discover him.

On the morning of Day 7, Plower crawled over to the rock formation where Savana was sleeping. He poked her to wake her up, and she started screaming in fright at the sight of him. He clapped his hand over her mouth and told her that he wanted to work with her to find food. Savana was panicked but didn't struggle, knowing that working with Plower could get them sponsors and that he could overpower her if she fought him. Thus she followed him as he began to scour the savannah for any food.

With no action and the tributes beginning to waste away from starvation as Day 7 wore on, the Capitol was thirsty for action. Creon instituted a poll over which tributes should have a lion mutt sent after them, and the top two vote getters were the Career alliance and the alliance of Shock and Titus. The Careers easily dispatched of theirs, working together to corner it on the side of the Horn and stab it until it bled out. However, the fight between Shock, Titus, and their lion was more savage. They only had daggers, and Shock was too scared to help much in the fight. However, Titus went all in, and at the end he was bloodsoaked and the lion was dead. Titus began carving up the lion, and soon started eating the raw, bloody flesh, as he was starving. Shock was repulsed, but he did not abandon his ally yet as he wanted him for protection, just refusing to partake in eating the raw lion mutt flesh.

On Day 8, the Gamemakers were upset with the lack of action since the breakup of the Career pack, and they were preparing to sicc another type of mutt onto some of the weaker Outliers who had done nothing thus far in the Games. However, Titus saved them the trouble. As he and Shock were patrolling the area around the lake's shore, they spotted a little girl tiredly dragging herself back into her acacia tree after leaving for a drink from the lake. Eagerly, Titus bounded after the girl. She shrieked as he ripped her from the branches of the tree. Shock watched in horror as Titus broke the nose of his own little District partner with the pommel of his dagger, his eyes glinting crazily. Titus completely lost his sanity as he ripped open his mewling District partner's chest with his dagger until she was a bloody mess and her cannon fired.

Jolie Hendesson, District 6 Female; 10th, Killed by Titus, Day 8

What happened next would be the reason that these Games were remembered as some of the most revolting and dark. After Jolie's cannon fired, Titus began eagerly licking her blood off of his fingers, all of his sanity gone. Shock puked into the grasses and shrieked at Titus to stop as the 6 boy began to eat a glob of Jolie's flesh. The 5 boy launched himself at his ally, trying to tug him away from Jolie's body, but Titus would not be dissuaded from his feast. Angered that he was being interrupted, Titus threw the muscular boy off of him and slammed his dagger into Shock's throat. The 5 boy gurgled and scratched at the dagger buried in his neck as Titus returned to his feast. As Titus slurped down more flesh to sate his empty belly, Shock's cannon fired.

Shock Laricks, District 5 Male; 9th, Killed by Titus, Day 8

That left the Top 8: Chanelle Yeadley from District 1, Aenea Gaffen from District 2, Lucullus Cuerer from District 2, Titus Sordel from District 6, Savana Herzog from District 9, Plower Frane from District 9, Moniqua Burrell from District 10, and Cammell French from District 10.

Titus gorged on both Jolie and Shock's corpses for about five minutes until the Capitol sent electrical pulses on him in order to drive him away from the desecrated corpses so they would not be totally damaged. Titus screeched and tried to take some flesh with him, but he was soon driven away by the pain and the bodies were retrieved. The damage was done, however. The Districts watched in utter fear and disgust at what the Capitol's Games had turned Titus into, while the Capitol was drawn in with a disgusted curiosity. President Snow was thrilled, wanting Titus to be a symbol for what the Capitol could do to the District savages if they did not comply to the nation's will, and instructed Creon to not kill off the boy yet despite his insanity and cannibalism.

The Careers were worried after two cannons fired close together, and they had heard Jolie's screams coming from the northern end of the arena. They trekked out to confront whatever had caused the two deaths, but Creon sent a swarm of wasps at them that drove them back to the Cornucopia. He did not want them to kill Titus yet as the President wanted Titus alive for now, and the Careers could polish him off. The Careers were covered in wasp stings but were otherwise no worse for wear. However, tensions were boiling as the Careers continued to starve. Aenea and Chanelle began to dislike one another and thought the other was treacherous. Chanelle was annoyed at how Aenea still acted like the leader and made all of their decisions, while Aenea thought Chanelle would betray them sooner than later. Lucullus once again became the mediator, attempting to assuage the group's issues and keep them together. The pair from 9's search for food was fruitless around the rock formations. Savana wanted to go north and look for food up there, but Plower was too worried to leave the safety of the rock formations. Ultimately, they split up, although Plower begged Savana to stay with him. He wept himself to sleep behind a rock formation while Savana crawled through the grass towards the north in search of food, wracked by hunger pains. Moniqua had stayed gorged on worms and insects by the lake, but the Gamemakers wanted everyone to suffer from hunger so they made her insects disappear. Moniqua started hunting around her acacia thicket for tributes, knowing she would go hungry soon if the Games didn't end quick. Cammell also had a horde of wasps sent at him by the Gamemakers in order to get him to move from the fringe of the arena, but he would not budge, letting the wasps sting him. Creon then sent tracker jackers after him, causing the boy to thrash with hallucinations throughout the night although they did not sting him enough to kill him.

In the morning of Day 9, Chanelle woke up before daybreak and before the 2s woke up, as Aenea had fallen asleep on guard. The 1 girl grinned, gathering every spear in the Cornucopia and putting it into a brace. Lyme sent Aenea a simple needle as a sponsor gift to wake her up, but as the girl was stirring, Chanelle striked. She then stabbed her spear into Aenea's throat, unwilling to go further with whom she saw as her biggest competition in the Games. Lucullus woke up with a start, scrambling to grab his dirks as Aenea's cannon fired, the dead 2 girl slumped at the mouth of the Horn.

Aenea Gaffen, District 2 Female; 8th, Killed by Chanelle, Day 9

Lucullus did not hesitate, leaping to his feet and telling Chanelle that if she wanted to play nasty, he would make her death nasty. Chanelle taunted Lucullus, telling him that they had been stupid to trust her and should've killed her. However, she also told Lucullus that there was still strong tributes out there, and that she would prefer to not injure herself gutting him. Lucullus snarled at the manipulative 1 girl but agreed with her; Titus and Moniqua had both been high scorers pre-Games, and if they fought, one of them would die and the other would be injured, leaving the field open for an Outlier victory. Thus, the two agreed to go their separate ways. They set all of the supplies at the Cornucopia alight and then headed in opposite directions, with Lucullus heading south and Chanelle heading north. Chanelle stopped to rest under an acacia about halfway between the Cornucopia and the lake, while Lucullus trekked out to the rock formations and began hunting eagerly. He knew that the Capitol was thirsting for blood, and if he didn't provide it they would be rooting for the Outliers instead.

Plower spotted Lucullus as he was picking his way through the rock formations, looking for caves where tributes would be hiding. The 9 boy let loose a startled yelp when he spotted the ragged-looking 2 boy, thinking more Careers were behind him. He began to flee, weaving his way through the rock formations. Lucullus spotted him and began to pursue him, his dirks glinting in the light as he threw down the water jug he'd taken from the Cornucopia. Lucullus was faster and stronger, but Plower was used to hunger and knew the layout of the maze of rock formations well. He was able to avoid Lucullus for about twenty minutes until his legs gave out, his body too weak from starvation. He hid behind a pile of boulders, but Lucullus spotted him and advanced. Plower weakly tried to throw rocks at Lucullus, but the cunning 2 boy dodged them before leaping onto Plower. He gritted his teeth as he took his sweet time carving up the boy as he weakly thrashed, too tired from his running to fight back much. About fifteen minutes later, Plower had lost too much blood and his cannon fired as Lucullus stood, wiping his bloody dirks on the grass.

Plower Frane, District 9 Male; 7th, Killed by Lucullus, Day 9

Lucullus hunted around the rock formations for the rest of Day 9, finding no one except a small rodent that he cooked over a fire he made with flint sent from his Mentor Gnaeus. Meanwhile, the rest of the tributes minus Lucullus and Cammell had congregated around the massive lake at the north. Chanelle made the rest of her trek there after hearing Plower's cannon, and she bathed in the lake naked in order to attract sponsors, hoping for food. Due to her kill of Aenea and this show, Nefertiti managed to send her a small can of peaches, and Chanelle savored them heartily. Moniqua had left her acacia thicket for more water in the evening of Day 9 and settled by its banks, not wanting to waste energy going back to her thicket and knowing she needed to seek out enemies now. She camoflauged herself in mud and leaves as she rested. Both of these girls were on the eastern bank; Titus was madly wandering around the western bank, incoherently muttering to himself and still drenched in his victims' blood. He killed a few small songbirds and devoured them, feathers and all, to the perturbed delight of the Capitol. Many were disgusted by his actions, but more were curious to see how far the boy would go. Dozens of District citizens were revolting against Titus's actions, saying he should be subdued, but Snow had them arrested, wanting Titus to remind the Districts of what the Capitol could do to them. Savana managed to make it near the lake before collapsing from exhaustion, quickly falling asleep from her trans-arena trek for food and water. Meanwhile, Cammell was starting to awaken from his tracker jacker-induced visions but was now covered in unslightly swelling. He moved a bit away from the force field, but was still the farthest out tribute by far.

The next morning, the Capitol and especially Creon Baxter were upset with how Cammell was refusing to play their Games, just hiding on the fringe of the arena like a coward. Creon unleashed a mutt that had been costly to create but was by far his favorite. Cammell awoke to the sound of pounding hooves and snorting, and he screamed as he spotted a giant rhino mutt rushing him, its horns gleaming unnaturally in the morning light as it barreled towards him. The boy tried to run, but the rhinoceros mutt was far stronger and faster. It gored him through the back over and over for several minutes until he stopped twitching, reminding everyone that you could not hide from the Games forever.

Cammell French, District 10 Male; 6th, Killed by rhino mutt, Day 10

After Cammell's death, the Capitol expected the action to slow, but indeed it was only beginning. Creon was not a Games purist like Cyndala, who preferred only natural arenas and long, drawn out Games. He had made a painful natural arena under the orders of President Snow, and this Games was running long, but he didn't mind things ending quicker. Thus, when Titus began approaching the spot where an exhausted Savana was laying minutes after Cammell's death, he did not fend him off. Everyone watched with bated breath as the girl woke up to Titus's giggles as he dangled his dagger above her head.

She screamed long and loud, scrambling away and sprinting north towards the lake after Titus slashed across her right cheek. Titus gave chase, cackling as he tackled the 9 girl by the lake's shore. She thrashed and shoved dirt into his face, raking her fingernails across his chest, but this just egged Titus on. He wrapped one massive fist around her neck, choking her as he slashed open her face and stabbed her eyes. The tip of his dagger bit into Savana's brain when he stabbed out her eyes, and this brain bleeding swiftly killed her as she fell limp underneath Titus's bloodied body.

Savana Herzog, District 9 Female; 5th, Killed by Titus, Day 10

Titus carved open Savana's stomach then, watching in glee as her guts spilled out onto the sandy shore of the lake. He began slurping up her guts hungrily, gnawing at her insides madly as blood soaked his shirt and face. He then slashed Savana's body to bits for fun as he licked up more flesh. The Capitol let him have his degraded fun for a bit before electrical pauses drove him backwards so they could retrieve what remained of Savana's corpse. Titus licked the blood from his hands eagerly as her body was carried away.

At this time, Lucullus woke up by the rock formations, realizing that the rest of the tributes were up north as a horde of termites descended on him and bit at his heels, driving him towards the lake. Meanwhile, both Moniqua and Chanelle saw the hovercraft pick up the pieces of Savana from a ways down the lake, and they both began to approach the area in order to hunt down whoever or whatever had killed her. They were both eager to make their mark; Moniqua had yet to make a kill, while Chanelle was bloodthirsty and ready for the Games to end. Her can of peaches had not done much to sate her when she was used to 3 full meals everyday back in 1. As they were both converging towards the spot where Titus was laying, licking all the blood off of his body, they spotted one another.

Moniqua was unsure of facing a Career, but Chanelle barreled towards her and left her no choice. Armed with her butcher's knives, Moniqua stood her ground on the bank of the lake as Chanelle slid a spear from her brace and tossed it at the 10 girl. Moniqua barely managed to dodge it, and it scratched her left ear. Chanelle only had two more spears and she would not waste them, instead saving them for up close combat. Soon, the girls were in range, and Chanelle's trained spearhead met the desperate fervor of Moniqua's butcher's knives.

Chanelle quickly took the upperhand, her spear raking across Moniqua's left shoulder and then digging into her right thigh. The 10 girl screamed in pain, even more desperate to survive and end the fight. Chanelle became smug as she slashed across Moniqua several more times, toying with the girl and confident that she would be able to take her. This overconfidence would be Chanelle's undoing; as she lazily blocked Moniqua's advances and continued to slice open the 10 girl's skin, Moniqua knew her time was running up. With one last desperate push, Moniqua launched herself onto Chanelle. The 1 girl screamed as Moniqua landed on top of her; her spear dug into Moniqua's side, but the girl was hacking into her chest and throat with her butcher's knives eagerly, taking advantage of Chanelle's surprise. The Career girl gave an indignant gurgle as Moniqua chopped into her throat one last time and she fell still.

Chanelle Yeadley, District 1 Female; 4th, Killed by Moniqua, Day 10

Both Titus and Lucullus had been drawn by Moniqua and Chanelle's screams. Moniqua stood back from Chanelle's corpse, panting and watching as the blood flowed deeply from her many wounds. Lucullus was passing the Cornucopia as Chanelle's cannon boomed, and he stopped to take a quick swig from his water jug before running on towards the lake. Meanwhile, Titus bounded happily along the shoreline until he spotted Chanelle's body and Moniqua crouching on the ground nearby. The 10 girl yelped at seeing Titus slathered in blood, readying herself for another battle, but Titus instead sprinted right towards Chanelle's body. Moniqua released a blood curdling scream as she watched Titus tear at Chanelle's bloodied body for flesh, launching herself at him to stop it out of pure instinct and disgust.

The 6 boy snarled at the way his feast was being interrupted, pushing Moniqua off of him and turning back to Chanelle's body. As he stuffed more flesh into his mouth, Moniqua brought her butcher's knives down into his back. Titus screeched in pain and rage, turning to Moniqua. The 10 girl saw the pure fury in his eyes as blood and gore trickled down his chin, and she ran out of pure fear. Titus pursued her, screaming about how he was eager to dice her to bits.

Lucullus arrived at the lake in time to see Titus catch up to the wounded Moniqua. He watched in shock as Titus overpowered her easily and ravaged her throat with his knife. She barely could scream as she fell still beneath the stronger 6 boy, who was well fed from his cannibalism. She gave one weak punch to Titus's side before falling still.

Moniqua Burrell, District 10 Female; 3rd, Killed by Titus, Day 10

Lucullus advanced on Titus for the final fight, pleased that he only had one more opponent. But then his respectful and focused countenance shifted to one of pure horror as he watched Titus slash open Moniqua's stomach and devour the guts that spilled out. Lucullus couldn't help but puke as Titus gorged, completely unaware of the fact that he was one more kill away from going home. Lucullus saw the crazy glint in Titus's eyes and his cannibalism and knew that he would have to put down this boy well.

Lucullus shoved Titus off of Moniqua's bloodied corpse. He screamed in rage at being interrupted from his feast once again, and he launched himself onto Lucullus. The 2 boy staggered, surprised by the strength and weight Titus still maintained after 10 days of starvation in the arena. Titus used this momentum to shove Lucullus to the ground so he was on top of him, gnashing his bloody fangs in the 2 boy's face. The nation drew in a collective breath, afraid that somehow the crazed cannibal from District 6 would be coming home as the Victor of these Games. However, Lucullus Cuerer knew that could not happen, and he was desperate to survive. He was also smart, and as Titus had leaped on top of him, he had held out his dirks so that Titus would land right on top of them.

Titus screamed as he felt the twin blades bite deep into his stomach, and with his blades imbedded deep in the boy's gut, Lucullus was able to shove Titus off of him. Lucullus staggered to his feet, realizing that his blades were still stuck deep in Titus's gut as the 6 boy rolled around in the grass, moaning and scratching at the hilts of his dirks. Lucullus then spotted Moniqua's blood spattered butcher's knives next to her corpse and grabbed one, striding over to Titus with a snarl on his face.

"I'm going to butcher you like the animal you are," Lucullus growled as he stalked over to where Titus was writhing in the grass. Lucullus followed through on his promise, rolling Titus onto his back and slicing open his front to expose his guts. Titus shrieked in agony, and then Lucullus began chopping at his neck. Titus gurgled and thrashed and screamed and bled as Lucullus chopped into his neck over and over; even after Titus's cannon finally fired, Lucullus chopped into his neck until the boy was decapitated, the monster of the 55th fittingly butchered into bits.

Titus Sordel, District 6 Male; 2nd, Killed by Lucullus, Day 10

"Lucullus Cuerer of District 2, you are the Victor of the Fifty Fifth Hunger Games!" Claudius and Caesar cheered into the arena as the trumpets played their victorious tune, their voices tinged with relief that Titus had been subdued and punished. Lucullus just grimly smiled at the cameras as he threw his bloody butcher's knife onto the ground next to Titus's dismembered head, ready to leave the arena behind.


Aftermath

District 2 praised Lucullus grandly after his victory. While he was more of a planner and a mediator than a brute or slasher like most of their Victors, he brought much accolade to the District and had proven he was brutal in his final fight. Lucullus was officially their 10th Victor, making them the first District to achieve double digits in terms of Victors. He had also slain the infamous Titus, which made him extremely popular throughout the entire nation which was rare for a Career. Due to his strong show of patriotism by subduing Titus, Lucullus was afforded privileges many Victors were not, and he was not sold very much by President Snow as he was more of a national hero than a sex symbol. Lucullus was a large hero in the country for many years, although as time went on Titus's infamous cannibalism overshadowed his Victory. Lucullus was not the most fame-seeking Victor, preferring to stick to his home in 2 and attend to his talent of running a library for the District. He was often teased by his fellow Careers that he was more like a 3 or 5, but Lucullus loved learning and tried to bring intelligence and wit to the brutal fighting of 2's Academy. He had not been able to show much of his wit during his Games, but it was certainly there. Lucullus only Mentored tributes he personally believed could win, and they were usually smart tacticians like himself. However, when he did Mentor, he was often very successful and rarely had tributes that did not make it far.

Lucullus would live to the age of 86, dying from old age around the 123rd Hunger Games. He would stay married to the same woman throughout his life. He would have two children who would choose to not enter the Academy and took up more mundane District occupations.

The payouts on his Victory weren't that good, as 17% bet on him.

His Victory Tour was one to be remembered, the best of the 50s by far. He had a gift for public speaking, and the entire nation worshipped the intelligent man who had slain Titus and made sure that a cannibal was not a Victor. He was extremely popular and even District 6 was happy that he had won over their insane boy, making his Victory Tour very enjoyable and not fake or boring like many others.


Victor's News

Lucullus moves into the Victor's Village of District 2.

Clermont Lackrey, Victor of the 15th Hunger Games and the first Career Victor, dies from a drug overdose.

Shyanna has her first child, a girl named Plautia.

Lyme and Brutus's passionate, hidden love affair comes to a climax as Lyme becomes pregnant with Brutus's son. They keep this a secret, altering his skin color and other physical attributes so he will not look like Brutus with DNA technology from the Capitol. Later that year, their son Scipio is born, with Lyme claiming that his father is a random man from 2 and not its most famous Victor.


List of Victors

District 1 (8 Victors): Guild Tonneroy (6), Salandra Valour (11), Clermont Lackrey (15), Mascara Curler (22), Ivelisse Horner (31), Zion Alvarra (40), Nefertiti Kouri (47), Chaise Schauwen (54)

District 2 (10 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), Lucullus Cuerer (55)

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 (4 Victors): Dillon Tripp (2), Deana Mitchellson (18), Enzo Faithlen (48), Brandy Hooper (53)

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: And there you have it! Titus's Games! I'm sorry if I got too nasty describing the cannibalism and death this time, I just usually am descriptive about deaths but I might've gone too far sorry if it was too disturbing. I hope you guys enjoyed though! Let me know what you think about everything! We have a new Head Gamemaker, a unique Victor, and some crazy Victor's News. Definitely a jammed-packed year.

To the one guest review who asked if I will have a plant; I don't plan on it, I feel like it would be really awkward to have a tribute named Tracelynn or something it would be so obvious who would win LOL. maybe when we get into the 400s I'll drop a victor named Tracee. ;) xD

Anyway, I'd love to hear what y'all have to say! I know a lot of you read and don't review, but any comments would mean a lot to me so I know what to improve on and what I'm doing well :) I definitely would love feedback on which areas of the story I should write more or less about. For those of you who do review thank you so much! We're onto another canon Games next chapter for the 56th, and it's going to be exciting. Hope you guys are ready!

Until Next Time,

Tracee