Introducing your District Eleven tributes! This chapter is done a little differently, more through flashbacks then the actual reapings, which I hope you still enjoy. I also unintentionally quoted Hamilton during Aila's bit, so if you spot that, brownie points to you!

D'ante

D'ante could swear he felt his whole body shake as the gloved hand made contact with his bare skin. He trembled against the Peacekeeper, the cries of his brother a few rows away, giving him the motivation he needed to fight back against the man's grip. He cried out, not in pain or even sadness, but in frustration. In annoyance that he had survived sixty-nine years only to have it ended in the name of Capitol entertainment. D'ante's eyes locked with his brother's and for a brief second, he forgot everything that was currently happening to him.

Flashback

"You hear that, you bastard? You dare come within three metres of me and my men and you won't see tomorrow." The man in the white suit spat. At first D'ante didn't realise that there was a man on the floor, but as he rounded the corner and things came into focus, his heart stopped.

He looked already dead, barely moving and he was sure he couldn't see the steady rise and fall of the man's chest. For a second, D'ante thought he was too late, cursing himself for walking the longer way home when he should have been helping. Briefly he paused, unsure if he should intervene, it wasn't his fight after all. And he was a young, dark skinned male, hardly a favourite among authorities in the district. But still, this was a person, a real human life, he couldn't just sit and watch it be destroyed, if he did, it would make him as bad as the Capitol and their games, something he detested so deeply.

Making up his mind, D'ante edged closer and closer to the scene hiding behind trees in the forest that surrounded the field. Eventually, he was in prime position to watch the proceedings play out, waiting for the right moment to intervene and catch the Peacekeeper off guard. For the first time, D'ante caught a glimpse of the body slumped on the ground, being beaten within an inch of his life. He was black, like D'ante, but that fact wasn't a surprise, most of those targeted by Peacekeepers were. But what struck D'ante wasn't the colour of the man's skin, or even the fact that he was being beaten, but the chain he was wearing around his neck that glistened in the sun. Given the situation it shouldn't have even been something he noticed, but it just looked so familiar. D'ante looked down at his own neck, an almost identical copy hanging around it. He took a sharp breath, the reality of what was happening suddenly becoming clear and very very real.

"No!" D'ante cried, emerging from his cover, charging forward and barrelling straight into the Peacekeeper. It should have been more calculated and thought out, D'ante knew he probably possessed the power to knock the man out with one blow. But that was his brother on the floor, his face beaten so out of shape that he was barely recognisable, there was no way he could have hesitated any longer.

For a brief moment he turned his back on the Peacemaker, bending down to check on the state of his brother. It was a mistake, D'ante realised that as soon as his knee made contact with the ground. He spun backwards, just in time to receive a punch straight to his nose, the crack echoing around the empty field.

Instinctively he raised his sleeve to cover his face, the fabric instantly soaked with blood, stunning him for a few seconds. D'ante could feel himself begin to shake, he may have been in good physical shape, but so was his brother. If the Peacekeeper in front of them had overpowered him, who was to say he wouldn't just do the same to D'ante. It seemed that that would be the case as he was met with another blow, this time to the ribs, sending him backwards, his body falling on top of his brother's. The longer D'ante laid there, helpless, the more angry he got. His life so far had been filled with serving the district and the Capitol, providing for them more than he provided for his own family. And this was it, this was the thanks he got.

As breath and calmness slowly returned to the man, he saw his chance. The Peacekeeper thought he had been successful, that he had beaten the pair into submission, but D'ante was not prepared to let him get away without a scratch.

He lunged forwards, slamming his weight against the man's kneecaps, sending him backwards. This time, D'ante knew he wouldn't waste a second so he climbed upon the man's chest, ripping off his helmet and pounding his fist against the Peacekeepers now bare face, making his way down his torso, jabbing at every inch that wasn't covered by protective gear.

D'ante knew from the start that it wouldn't be enough. This man had had training from the Capitol, it didn't get better than that, he didn't even look wounded despite his efforts to give him down, and within minutes, he was laughing. Laughing at D'ante and his desperation, laughing at the way it was hopeless. D'ante wasn't a small man by any stretch of the imagination. His body was of a big build, he had strong muscles that he had worked on over the years and he was fit and young, more toned and active than most in the district. But it wasn't enough, D'ante could have told that from the start, but he could never have left his brother there by himself, or anyone for that matter. Built into D'ante was a duty, a duty to care for people and protect them, he could never have dealt with the guilt he would feel had he left a man to possibly die.

Slowly D'ante was running out of energy, the passion was still there, but no matter how much the Peacemaker bled and gasped, it didn't seem to weaken him. It was almost as if he were a machine, programmed so carefully by the Capitol. D'ante's blood ran cold at the thought of it, he wouldn't put it past the Capitol to do something like that.

"You done, man?" The Peacekeeper spoke to D'ante for the first time, causing the man to halt his attack. "I'm sure we all have places to be and this really isn't doing it for me anymore." He threw D'ante to the side with such ease, standing up and brushing himself off. Dant'e followed his lead, on edge at how quickly the tone of the situation had changed. The thoughts of the Peacekeeper being a robot was more prominent than ever, the way his mood had changed almost at the flick of a switch.

D'ante should have known he wouldn't be so lucky, as a pain ripped through his legs, sending him spiralling once more to the ground. He cried out in pain and anger, having felt nothing like this before, willing to give anything to make the sensation stop, ripping fistfulls of grass which gave him no relief. His vision began to blur, and D'ante could feel himself slowly losing consciousness, the last image he saw was a shovel, repeatedly banging down on his exposed knees.

Until today, the beating had been the worst day of D'ante's life. It had ruined him and everything he worked for. He had never since felt safe in his district, convinced that everywhere he turned there was someone ready to fight him, nervous to let his brother out of his sight in case the same occurred again. The limp he carried was a constant reminder of what the Capitol had taken from him. They had snatched his security, his passion, his freedom, and D'ante had spent the last fifty years of his life desperately trying to recover it. He had had some success, with his marriage. Bishop was the man of his dreams, the person that gave him the will to continue, but even now that was lost.

It worried D'ante that he was more scared about being within inches of a Peacekeeper than of the fact he had just been reaped. It was stupid, the walk to the stage would end soon enough, but the horror of what was to come had only just started.

Aila

It hurt to know that it was over, to know that she would never see them laugh or smile again, she would never share another meal time with them or celebrate another birthday. It hurt to know that now someone else would get to see them all grow up, and that she would just fade into a distant memory, someone who had held their hands when they were young but had disappeared and left them, just like everyone else had.

Flashback

Blonde hair covered the girl's eyes as she focused. She made a mental note to herself to get it cut the next time she had a chance, when that would be, she didn't know. Free time was a luxury, and whilst Aila was thankful for the job and the life she had, sometimes it was just too much. Days like this were the perfect example of how shit it all was. She was dressing and feeding and preparing sixteen orphans for the reaping. Sixteen little lives that depended on her to keep them safe, and protect them from the world. So far Aila had done a good job of it, she knew what it was like to be all alone in the world, desperate to rely on someone. The orphanage had helped her so much, when she hit eighteen she just couldn't leave. The children needed her.

But today, the security and cushioned world she had fought so hard to build for them would be torn down. Like thousands of other children across Panem, they would be exposed to the reaping before their time. Aila had principled herself on ensuring that they knew nothing about the games, but that had been ruined a short week ago, when she held a meeting for the younger ones, explaining just what a fucked up world they lived in. What filled the girl with pride and hope and promise for the future, was that they had cried. It seemed sick to think of it that way, but Aila couldn't help but smile at the fact that none of the children had felt joy at the prospect of the games. More and more she was hearing horror stories of young children that were exposed to the games and felt happy and excited about watching it and one day taking part. But her children weren't like that. They knew that these games benefited no one, and that they represented truly the worst part of society. And Aila had been the one to teach them that. They had no parents or guardians or role models, only Aila and the other workers, yet they knew. Maybe there was hope for this twisted world after all.

It wasn't only the children Aila was scared for today, but more selfishly herself as well. This was her last reaping, or perhaps not if the Capitol decided to pull the same shit they had this year again, her last day of fear and worry that she would be thrust into an area with minimal training and preparation, expected to kill despite her life being dedicated to protecting. Aila had convinced herself she couldn't do it, that before she even got to the arena she would have ended it all. Worst of all, was that if she was reaped, she would have to leave the children, the children who relied on her and trusted her, for them she was the closest they would ever get to a parent or a sibling. Of course, she would much rather her name be called than one of theirs, she would do anything to protect them but the thought of leaving them all alone in the world was almost too much to bear.

"Aila," The girl felt a tug on the sleeve of her plaid dress and she bent down to level with the child that so desperately needed her attention. It was Peeta, or so they had named him, a tribute to the man who had fought for their freedom all those years ago. He had only been in the orphanage just over a month, left on their doorstep without a name or belongings, alone. It was rare that he spoke up, and Aila couldn't blame him but he trusted her for some reason and over the last few days they had formed a bond, she just prayed that didn't end today. "Can we say no? If they call our name, can we say no?"

She sat down and pulled Peeta close, bringing the boy onto her lap and stroking his hair, that was all she could do. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that he had no choice, that what the Capitol decided was set in stone, that in a few short hours his life might not be his own anymore, that the Capitol would have complete control. Aila couldn't say that to the children, she was the positive ray of light in their dark lives, something they needed more than ever. Gradually more and more kids surrounded her, until all plans of lunch and getting ready had been abandoned. Aila feared they were looking for answers, ones she couldn't provide, or rather ones she could provide but didn't want to. She looked around, at the faces that had made her life, the faces that had given her a sense of worse and purpose despite her being thrown into a world that told her otherwise. They were her family, the people she loved so unconditionally, who deserved everything good in the world but were left with this. She tried so hard not to cry, taking her time to find an answer terrified that if she spoke her voice would break.

"You're brave, all of you are so brave. Look at you, look at where you are, look at where you started." Despite it all, she smiled, so happy that these children had found their way here and been given the life they had been denied for so long. "You have all come so far, and made yourselves so proud, and whatever happens, you can't let the Capitol take that away from you, promise me that." Aila was met with a sea of nodding heads, children all trying to stay strong. "It's okay to be scared and nervous, but you need to know that we'll get through it." She let out a small laugh. "And after all this is over, I'm taking you all for ice cream."

The train moved slowly as District Eleven disappeared from behind the girl, the place she had grown up in and loved, the place that had taken so much from her, but given so much more back. She was alone for now, something Aila would have thought would be best, but she just felt so lonely. She never had moments like this, when there was no one around. It felt strange to hear nothing, complete silence, no children crying or laughing or telling jokes. She hated it and longed for her life back.

She just hoped someone was getting the kids the ice cream she had promised them.

Only two more tributes to introduce before the real fun begins! I hope you are ready, because I have really big plans for where this is going, it is the Quell after all!

I really can not express my thanks to all the people who have continued reading and reviewing this- your kind words really do keep me going and I appreciate every person that has ever taken the time to click on my little story.

As always, stay safe, wash your hands and remember that all this is temporary and we will get through this.

Until next time,

Alice xxx