A/N: It's finally here! This chapter is quite a roller coaster, it was a huge effort to write and string together and I really hope you enjoy! I also hope you're seated comfortably, as this 22k (!) word chapter isn't going to be a quick read.
THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES, THE FOURTH QUARTER QUELL
"The Piggy Back"
INTRODUCTION
Orestilla Frondel gladly stepped up to the head gamemaker position after Edison Jayasinghe's "mysterious disappearance" several months prior. Orestilla was younger, livelier, and much feistier than Edison, and President Stinn Hawke was confident he could entrust her to craft a dastardly games to please the screaming crowds and placate the rebelling ones. After an entire year on the sidelines of the games, watching her sworn enemy steer the games ship, Orestilla's mind was bursting at the seams with ideas. All that was needed was a pack of colored pencils for the riddles and secrets of her imagination to be transferred onto paper, and a team of strong builders for them to be willed into solid reality and into the nightmares of little district children. She was more than ready to try out the head gamemaker post, torturing the tributes and playing God with the arena. The Capitol was wild with games fever; speculations about the upcoming quell twist ran rampant. Nobody had any doubt that Coriolanus Snow had planned a particularly dastardly twist for the finale of the first century. Though Snow's ashes had been windswept across District 1 for over two decades now, the fear and terror of his reign could still be felt. Rebellion popped up in all twelve districts, spurred on by Ujomo Perois' impertinent spiel from atop the wooden deck of a broken ship in the ninety-ninth Hunger Games. Websites and newspapers across the Capitol exploded with fake details of "leaked" information about the arena, twist, and mutts, supposedly taken from "reliable" sources. This sudden surge of popularity was bad news for the victors. The more desirable victors like Poseidon and Mars were being auctioned off like the finest candy in the candy store of the Capitol, and they were spending virtually every night in a different hotel room with the highest bidder. At long last, the mandatory announcement was declared. Parties were scheduled, bottles of wine were cracked open, district parents held their children close, and the whole of Panem tuned into their televisions. They heard with either excited or terrified ears that, "On the 100th anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that the Capitol is forgiving and believes in second chances, twenty-four dead tributes from recent Hunger Games will be revived for a second chance at victory." With twenty-four "veterans" in addition to the normal batch of twenty-four "newcomers", this was another forty-eight tribute games. Adjustments ranged from buying more chariots and horses to splitting the interviews into two days, just as had been done fifty years prior for Haymitch Abernathy's explosive second Quell. Orestilla Frondel carefully selected twenty-four tributes that had fought between the third and fourth Quarter Quells, choosing each veteran because he or she inspired her in some way.
Before the names of the veterans were announced, the twenty-four newcomers were reaped as usual, with one boy and one girl being chosen from every district. District 1 provided their typical dazzling pair, and they were both tall and blond and extremely seductive. The male was the most popular of the twenty-four newcomers: the son of District 1's head peacekeeper, Zealand Cruxe wowed the gamemakers with his looks and his mastery of weaponry, particularly with bows and axes. Glitterdust, his junior by one year, was shier than most but had definitely earned her promotion into the games via her hatchet skills. The tributes from 2 were second cousins, and they were training partners and close family friends. Both Laureate and Nadia were skilled tricksters and talented swordfighters, and they were sure to go far. District 4's tributes were strong and healthy, but were ultimately overshadowed by their flashier peers. The boy, Urchin, was openly transgender, and he was fully transitioned from female to male. The second transgender tribute to ever enter the games, he hoped the pack would embrace him. He was younger and liked whips. The girl, Undine, was older, and she had an exotic beauty to her and an aura of mystery plaguing her. She was a fan of tridents. The newcoming careers earned two elevens, two tens, a nine, and an eight.
Admittedly, there were not many strong tributes or memorable personalities among the outliers, but there were a few. Strapson from District 8 was a rebel's child, rigged into the games after his parents lead a riot that burned down several textile mills. He was playing several beads short of a full bracelet; he was a registered psychopath and was extremely bipolar, and he would likely be this year's crazy. Fumer from 5, Flannelette from 8, and Ranger from 10 earned sevens for a variety of reasons. Fumer was the younger brother of the District 5 male from the year prior, Sooty, who had killed several tributes before his demise. The boy had some rather large shoes to fill, as he was going into the games with high expectations. Flannelette and Ranger allied prior to the games, as they were both rather similar in demeanor, personality, and even in appearance. They both had sufficient natural skills, and Ranger was particularly popular in the Capitol for his aptitude for weaponry. The rest of the newcomers scored between six and three in their private sessions. There were no volunteers outside of the careers.
On June 24th, the day after the newcomers were reaped, another mandatory viewing was aired to all Panem. Orestilla appeared on a stage in a dazzling silver dress, carrying a list of names written in her own handwriting. She listed each of the veterans one by one. When their names were called, the veterans appeared onstage, dressed to the nines, and sat on a purple couch. Hoping their favorite fallen tributes would be chosen to compete again, the Capitol leaned into their televisions and listened as Orestilla began the list.
"As the District 1 Male, I have selected Fifer Golden of the ninetieth games. Mr. Golden inspired me with his charisma and his idealistic attitude, and with the way he saw killing not only as a duty, but as an art form."
"As the District 1 Female, I have selected Nouvelle Harris of the eighty-ninth games. Ms. Harris inspired me by displaying all the finer things a young woman can be: devoted and well-mannered, while also being strong and smart."
"As the District 2 Male, I have selected Saturn Talbot of the ninety-third games. Mr. Talbot inspired me as one of the historic Talbot siblings; I respect the strength, grit, and honor of his family, and I want to give one of their tributes another chance here, especially one unlucky enough to have placed so low."
"As the District 2 Female, I have selected Ofelia Tessard of the ninety-fourth games. Ms. Tessard inspired me with her determination, with the way she refused to stop hunting until she'd avenged her friend's death. Her dedication to her cause and to her friends inspired me also."
"As the District 3 Male, I have selected Rimno Kiely of the eighty-eighth games. Mr. Kiely inspired me with his sheer intellectual power, assembling a fully-functional murder device out of only a bucket and a few spare parts, reminiscent of the electrifying Beetee Latier. He also inspired me with his sense of dignity: the way he took his own life to deprive his career attacker the delight of taking it from him."
"As the District 3 Female, I have selected Calculata Barns of the eighty-seventh games. Ms. Barns inspired me with her loyalty and her devotion; with the way she remained at the side of her district partner and love interest Hector until the very end."
"As the District 4 Male, I have selected Swell Hager of the ninety-third games. Mr. Hager inspired me with his strength and his charisma, even in the difficulties of that year's deadly swamp arena. I feel he can give us all many more laughs in his second shot at victory now."
"As the District 4 Female, I have selected Dory Krillgood of the eighty-third games. Ms. Krillgood inspired me with her blind spiritual mettle. She wore her emotions and morals on her sleeve and projected them out for all the world to see. Her constant search for her Mr. Right ended with a demonic conclusion, and I want to continue her story here."
"As the District 5 Male, I have selected Theo Upsdell of the seventy-eighth games. Mr. Upsdell inspired me with his dedication to his wife Cynthia, who entered the games nine months pregnant. Theo never complained under the hot sun of that arena, not even throughout the difficult birthing process and the fatherly duties of the following days. He defended his wife and son until his final breath, all the way up until his tragic demise."
"As the District 5 Female, I have selected Cynthia Upsdell of the seventy-eighth games. Mrs. Upsdell inspired me with her selflessness and motherly love, which she showed through every lullaby she sang to her newborn baby. She also inspired me when she committed suicide so that her baby could leave the arena as the sole victor. Now twenty-two years old, Surge sits in the Victor's Village of District 5 as I speak."
"As the District 6 Male, I have selected Cylinder Gauntlet of the eighty-fourth games. Mr. Gauntlet inspired me when I learned he had faced harsh conditions as a child, going from the seedy backstreets of 6 all the way to fame through his talent with brute force weapons. His "zero to hero" story is another one I am very eager to see continued."
"As the District 6 Female, I have selected Sentra Bootshoe of the ninety-third games. Ms. Bootshoe inspired me by being one of the strongest young women I have ever seen on screen: if not in a physical sense, then in a psychological sense. She laughed, fought, and did her anti-career duties even as malaria slowly killed her."
"As the District 7 Male, I have selected Mikey Jonah of the eighty-fifth games. Mr. Jonah inspired me with his witty sense of humor, but also with his strength. He and Sycamora fought valiantly in that year's bloodbath, fending off the careers for the first time in history and even managing to fell a few."
"As the District 7 Female, I have selected Itsuki Tanner of the ninety-sixth games. Ms. Tanner inspired me with all of the stereotypes she defied. After years of stocky, red- and brown-haired District 7 tributes, Itsuki graced the screen with her unique Asian heritage and her curvy form. She defied many stereotypes and flourished in the arena until she met her end."
"As the District 8 Male, I have selected Gingham Drains of the ninety-ninth games. Mr. Drains inspired me with his dedication to his faith even in the clutches of the shipyard arena. His respect and peacefulness toward every tribute he encountered proved his gentleness to me in particular."
"As the District 8 Female, I have selected Lacey Stitch of the ninety-second games. Ms. Stitch inspired me with the way she kept her cool throughout her games, remaining quiet and solitary as tributes were felled around her. I hope we can all learn from her strength as she rises to compete again."
"As the District 9 Male, I have selected Wheaton Naysmith of the eighty-eighth games. Mr. Naysmith inspired me with his willingness to break the norm: allying with the eventual victor Sickle despite their differences, fighting against the career pack at multiple occasions, and fighting with a spear, which I have never seen a 9 tribute use at any other occasion."
"As the District 9 Female, I have selected Elizabeth Becker of the seventy-ninth games. Ms. Becker inspired me with her curiosity and her love of learning, as well as her bubbly attitude and her childlike innocence. Unfortunately, she was made to grow up far too soon, cursed by the boy from 12 before she could raise her own wand in defense."
"As the District 10 Male, I have selected Bear Theodos of the ninety-eighth games. Mr. Theodos inspired me with the way he kept fighting and kept his head up, despite the odds against him and his origin story, a stinky ranch in District 10."
"As the District 10 Female, I have selected Honey Sadler of the eighty-fourth games. Ms. Sadler inspired me the way she always looked for peace and friendship, and her refusal to fight back against her older brother Milk despite his constant torments."
"As the District 11 Male, I have selected Bechi Ulson of the eighty-fifth games. Mr. Ulson inspired me when I learned he was an open member of the LGBT community. His simultaneously cocky and funny relationship with his ally and romantic partner Hye brought a little light to my day. To this day, their dynamic is one of my favorite to have appeared in the games."
"As the District 11 Female, I have selected Hydrangea Tinsel of the ninetieth games. Ms. Tinsel inspired me with her fiery personality, with her grit and willingness to fight despite entering the games at the age of twelve."
"As the District 12 Male, I have selected Coalson Fires of the ninety-third games. Mr. Fires inspired me with his aptitude and confidence, and how he fought against the oppressive mutts and careers of the arena until the very end."
"As the District 12 Female, I have selected Julia Frost of the ninety-first games. Ms. Frost inspired me with her grace and her poise, as well as her humility, as she did not like displaying her half-naked body to the cameras as she bathed in the hidden cove of the island arena. Despite coming from a victor's family, she was not cocky or brash, fighting with self-respect and dignity until she met her end."
District 1 Veterans: Fifer Golden, 17, (9) 15-1 and Nouvelle Harris, 18, (11) 6-1
District 1 Newcomers: Zealand Cruxe, 16, (11) 5-1 and Glitterdust Keane, 17, (8) 21-1
District 2 Veterans: Saturn Talbot, 16, (9) 16-1 and Ofelia Tessard, 16, (10) 10-1
District 2 Newcomers: Laureate Matthews, 18, (10) 11-1 and Nadia Brutt, 18, (10) 12-1
District 3 Veterans: Rimno Kiely, 16, (4) 54-1 and Calculata Barns, 16, (4) 57-1
District 3 Newcomers: Socket Martien, 16, (5) 48-1 and Tessa Corner, 12, (3) 68-1
District 4 Veterans: Swell Hager, 18, (11) 6-1 and Dory Krillgood, 13, (6) 45-1
District 4 Newcomers: Urchin Wrangel, 18, (9) 13-1 and Undine Kimble, 18, (11) 6-1
District 5 Veterans: Theo Upsdell, 18, (5) 47-1 and Cynthia Upsdell, 18, (2) 98-1
District 5 Newcomers: Fumer Shacklebolt, 15, (7) 30-1 and Bex Kavanaugh, 13, (4) 63-1
District 6 Veterans: Cylinder Gauntlet, 16, (10) 10-1 and Sentra Bootshoe, 18 (7) 32-1
District 6 Newcomers: Rivet Hurst, 12, (3) 85-1 and Odessa Permutt, 14, (5) 52-1
District 7 Veterans: Mikey Jonah, 18, (8) 23-1 and Itsuki Tanner, 18, (7) 26-1
District 7 Newcomers: Dylan Stocklin, 13, (4) 62-1 and Listra Harington, 16, (6) 32-1
District 8 Veterans: Gingham Drains, 13, (5) 56-1 and Lacey Stitch, 17, (4) 57-1
District 8 Newcomers: Strapson Irving, 18, (8) 18-1 and Flannelette Richards, 16, (7) 29-1
District 9 Veterans: Wheaton Naysmith, 14, (4) 60-1 and Elizabeth Becker, 12, (4) 69-1
District 9 Newcomers: Tunis Marbie, 15, (5) 44-1 and Indre Cubbard, 12, (3) 74-1
District 10 Veterans: Bear Theodos, 17, (7) 29-1 and Honey Sadler, 12, (2) 100-1
District 10 Newcomers: Ranger Hambert, 18, (7) 28-1 and Dorothy Jordan, 14, (3) 66-1
District 11 Veterans: Bechi Olsen, 16, (7) 24-1 and Hydrangea Tinsel, 12, (8) 26-1
District 11 Newcomers: Gourd Humphries, 18, (4) 56-1 and Zinnia Davis, 18, (5) 47-1
District 12 Veterans: Coalson Fires, 18, (7) 26-1 and Julia Frost, 18, (4) 50-1
District 12 Newcomers: Jacobi Clarke, 14, (5) 48-1 and Abia Clarke, 14, (5) 51-1
HGBO Bets: 16% on Zealand, 15% on Nouvelle, 8% on Swell and Undine, 6% on Ofelia, Laureate, and Nadia, 5% on Fifer, Saturn, and Urchin, 4% on Glitterdust, 3% on Cylinder and Strapson, 2% on Mikey and Hydrangea, 1% or less on Rimno, Calculata, Socket, Tessa, Dory, Theo, Cynthia, Fumer, Bex, Sentra, Rivet, Odessa, Itsuki, Dylan, Listra, Gingham, Lacey, Flannelette, Wheaton, Elizabeth, Tunis, Indre, Bear, Honey, Ranger, Dorothy, Bechi, Gourd, Zinnia, Coalson, Julia, Jacobi, and Abia.
THE GAMES
Orestilla really outdid herself for the quell: she did not relent one bit with the dastardly arena of the one-hundredth Hunger Games, and the results were certain to be spectacular. The forty-eight tributes found themselves standing in a desolate wasteland that was deteriorating and crumbling. It was the largest arena in Hunger Games history; it was the only way to fit double the number of tributes and provide enough space to keep them accommodated. The center of the arena was taken up by a carnival that might once have been colorful and festive, but was now abandoned, spooky, and dead silent. The cornucopia held more supplies than usual, even on proportion, and it was practically overflowing with water and medicine and everything else that would bring life in the arena. A soft wind blew, but it was silent and faint. The amusement park was made up of collapsed, twisted roller-coaster tracks, swimming pools and water games that were muddy and dried up, shattered mirror mazes, tunnels and buildings filled with mold, candy shops that were caved in and deteriorating, and much, much more. Most noticeably, an enormous Ferris wheel towered over the arena, creaking and groaning like a dying beast as though it might collapse any moment. It was actually set to topple later in the games. To the east and west of the amusement parks, the arena broke into two different landscapes. If the tributes travelled east, they could find a small swamp of thick, soupy murk and drooping mangrove trees. Deadly alligator mutts roamed the water, and mosquitoes flew in swarms, inflicting their disease-ridden bites onto any unsuspecting tributes. The swamp took up roughly a sixth of the arena, but it was jam-packed with dangers, and it was boiling hot. The largest region of the arena was to the west: it was a forest, if you could even call it that. The trees were dead and thin, like the hands of undead skeletons. Most of the mutts that lived in the forest were rotten and zombie-like: between the bony vulture mutts that roosted in the flimsy branches and the skeleton deer and squirrels that roamed through the trees, practically nothing was healthy enough to eat. The little water the arena provided was too muddy to be drunk without straining it through some kind of filter first. The arena was vast and deadly, but for now, the cameras focused on the cornucopia and the four-dozen terrified tributes. Their pedestals formed a tight circle around the horn of plenty: so tight that they probably could have held hands if they outstretched their arms. The record-breaking bloodbath would claim nineteen lives, just barely breaking the record set by the second Quarter Quell. This left plenty of tributes for Orestilla to play with after the dust settled.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Zealand and Glitterdust, the fastest runners, sprinted at the head of the onrush. Zealand paused about halfway between his pedestal and the cornucopia. The gamemakers had placed a hatchet there specifically for him, and Zealand scooped up the weapon. He took a quick moment to wipe the dust off of the blade before leaping into action. A nearby boy was zigzagging to avoid attacks, screaming as he thundered toward the cornucopia. The axe landed in his head with a crunch, and he fell to his knees, gasping as his lifeblood was squished away.
Tunis Marbie, District 9 Male (Newcomer); 48th, Killed by Zealand, Bloodbath
Glitterdust was quick to find a hatchet of her own, nestled between two small packs near the mouth of the cornucopia. She turned sharply on her heel and saw a girl trying to off her with a hatchet of her own, hoping to eliminate competition early. Glitterdust had her disarmed in seconds, and the pitiful girl could do nothing but scream helplessly as Glitterdust cleaved her skull cleanly in half.
Zinnia Davis, District 11 Female (Newcomer); 47th, Killed by Glitterdust, Bloodbath
Nouvelle was pleased to find a sword near her pedestal: she'd proved her worth with swordplay back in the eighty-ninth games, and she was eager to make the most of Orestilla's generosity and force her way out of the arena. A nearby boy was the first veteran to fall, helpless as Nouvelle's sword connected with his front. His knees buckled, and he collapsed onto his elbows, winded. Nouvelle flipped him over and cut open his chest with two heavy chops.
Coalson Fires, District 12 Male (Veteran); 46th, Killed by Nouvelle, Bloodbath
Swell turned his lethal weapon, the cornucopia's sole trident, over in his hands, waiting for a victim. After several seconds, he let the trident fly. A grin seated itself deep on his face as the weapon flew across its path, hitting its target with perfect accuracy. A girl's screams started up, but they quickly faded to silence as she stopped breathing.
Lacey Stitch, District 8 Female (Veteran); 45th, Killed by Swell, Bloodbath
The insane Strapson from 8 tackled a willowy girl, Odessa from 6, whose pedestal had been situated next to his. Odessa tried to fight back, but one of Strapson's flailing fists hit her in the jaw, and she fell still, dazed and subdued. Strapson grabbed her by either side of the head and slammed it against the steel pedestal with astounding force. Bits of gore flew through the air, and Strapson grinned wildly as Odessa's parts stopped twitching.
Odessa Permutt, District 6 Female (Newcomer); 44th, Killed by Strapson, Bloodbath
Having wrenched his hatchet out of Tunis' skull, Zealand fluidly attacked his next victims. About ten feet away, two boys were on the ground, tussling over a pack containing loaves of bread. Zealand tackled the taller of the two boys, bringing down his axe and splitting his head in half with one fell swoop. He moaned and gurgled as he died, and the other boy froze in terror, awaiting death.
Gourd Humphries, District 11 Male (Newcomer); 43rd, Killed by Zealand, Bloodbath
At the other end of the cornucopia field, Laureate and Nadia ganged up on a tall girl with dark hair. Both of the careers were armed with swords, and Julia had nothing but a knife and a fold-up spear. Laureate swung his sword, and Julia danced out of the way, stumbling straight into the path of Nadia's blade. The sword cut an inch into her side, and the friends from District 2 continued to chop her to ribbons as she collapsed in a heap.
Julia Frost, District 12 Female (Veteran); 42nd, Killed by Laureate and Nadia, Bloodbath
With seven tributes already dead, things were starting to organize in the career pack. Zealand and Glitterdust raced wildly through the cornucopia field, abandoning all forms of coherent strategy in favor of slaughtering as many tributes as possible. Fifer, Saturn, and Urchin proceeded similarly, but they stayed relatively close to the cornucopia, trying to guard its supplies from the outliers. Nouvelle, Ofelia, Swell, and Undine stuck close to the golden horn, standing their ground as they fended away the droves of oncoming outliers. Ofelia made her first kill as a tiny girl attempted to worm her way past her. The outlier girl fell under Ofelia's twin daggers. She tried to drag herself to safety, but she was losing blood at an alarming rate. She bled out in due time.
Indre Cubbard, District 9 Female (Newcomer); 41st, Killed by Ofelia, Bloodbath
Zealand bore down on the second of the two boys. Adrenaline replaced his blood, but his mind went blank of everything, even his instincts. One swing of Zealand's hatchet was all it took for his life to leave him. He didn't even flinch.
Rivet Hurst, District 6 Male (Newcomer); 40th, Killed by Zealand, Bloodbath
The careers guarding the cornucopia, Nouvelle, Ofelia, Swell, and Undine, decided to attack the four tributes inside of the horn: Theo and Cynthia, Flannelette, and Bechi. Theo and Cynthia ran together the instant they realized they were under attack. They narrowly dodged Undine's spear, and Theo let out a short groan as Nouvelle's sword hit him in the side. Theo stumbled, and Cynthia slowed slightly. That was all it took for Nouvelle to catch up to her. They both screamed as the point of Nouvelle's sword protruded from her chest. Cynthia fell still in a matter of moments, and Theo ran for his life, pushing past a rejuvenated Nouvelle and out of the horn.
Cynthia Upsdell, District 5 Female (Veteran); 39th, Killed by Nouvelle, Bloodbath
Flannelette had snatched up a two knives; she was not completely defenseless as Ofelia and Undine ganged up on her. However, she was both "outmuscled" and "outgunned" and she met her end relatively quickly. She managed to land a small hit in Ofelia's shoulder, and a fuming Undine charged, barreling into her and knocking her straight off of her feet. Flannelette knocked into Bechi from 11, topping him in her descent, and Bechi fell straight into the path of Swell's trident. Both Flannelette and Bechi were gone in moments.
Flannelette Richards, District 8 Female (Newcomer); 38th, Killed by Undine, Bloodbath
Bechi Olsen, District 11 Male (Veteran); 37th, Killed by Swell, Bloodbath
Out in the cornucopia field, Urchin made his first kill. He'd been stalking the siblings from 12, Abia and Jacobi, around the cornucopia for several minutes. When the siblings kneeled to pick up a pair of black backpacks, Urchin leapt out of the darkness, the leather strap of his whip flying overhead. Abia screamed as the leather strap of the whip wrapped around her arm, the teeth digging deep into her flesh. A heavy tug was all it took for the limb to be torn off. Jacobi staggered away, and he stumbled into Dory from 4, who was trying to escape west with a thermos of water and a bag of dinner rolls. Jacobi and Dory sprinted away together while Abia bled out, the teeth of the weapon tearing her flesh into strips before it severed each of her limbs.
Abia Clarke, District 12 Female (Newcomer); 36th, Killed by Urchin, Bloodbath
Cylinder from District 6 was back from the dead and just as ferocious as ever. He'd grabbed a sword near the start of the bloodbath, and he was now looking for the perfect opportunity to target a career tribute. Fifer was occupied helping his ally Saturn kill a small boy from the textile district. Fifer opened his mouth wide in shock as the blade of Cylinder's sword hit him in the jaw. He roared in agony and turned away from the 8 boy, who was trying to run for his life now that one of his killers was distracted. Fifer fell noisily under the blade of Cylinder's sword, bleeding out as the several gashes in his abdomen leaked torrents of dark blood.
Fifer Golden, District 1 Male (Veteran); 35th, Killed by Cylinder, Bloodbath
The 8 boy ran as fast as he could, but he was quickly outrun by a sword-wielding Saturn, who was fixated on taking him down before he could escape into the amusement park. The boy collapsed as Saturn hooked him by the neck with his sword blade, and he vomited on the ground. Saturn quickly subdued him with a bit of expert swordplay, and he fell into the puddle of his own bile.
Gingham Drains, District 8 Male (Veteran); 34th, Killed by Saturn, Bloodbath
Glitterdust leapt at the stocky boy from District 3, who was trying to escape west with a pack containing various mechanical parts. His body seized up as the hatchet landed in his side, and the boy fell to the ground with a loud noise. Glitterdust reclaimed her hatchet and continued to hack away at his body, slicing deep into his chest and neck relentlessly with her weapon.
Socket Martien, District 3 Male (Newcomer); 33rd, Killed by Glitterdust, Bloodbath
Undine was digging through the horn's supplies, searching for a wrist strap for her spear. She saw two eyes glaring at her out of the darkness like cats': a small girl had climbed inside of the cornucopia. She was hoping to wait out of the bloodbath and leave the cornucopia once it was all over. She had no such luck. Undine leapt at her, skewering her spear through her neck, and she was dead before she knew what had hit her.
Bex Kavanaugh, District 5 Female (Newcomer); 32nd, Killed by Undine, Bloodbath
Laureate and Nadia from District 2 were still good hunting buddies, and their alliance was still unshaken at the tail-end of the bloodbath. However, Laureate was not nearly as friendly as he was making himself out to be. The two of them had momentarily left the bloodbath, and they were searching the nearby streets and locations for fleeing outliers. They turned around to go back to the cornucopia, and suddenly Nadia was on the ground, screaming as Laureate cut into her abdomen. She was too stunned to do anything but stare into the eyes of the boy she'd thought to be her friend. Laureate didn't even say sorry as he sprinted back to the bloodbath, leaving her dead body in the dust.
Nadia Brutt, District 2 Female (Newcomer); 31st, Killed by Laureate, Bloodbath
He arrived just as the last bloodbath kill was made. Mere seconds after the gong, Urchin had attacked a tiny girl with his weapon, tearing several long gashes in her front with the teeth of his bladed whip. The girl had climbed under a small crate, and she was still there at the very end of the bloodbath, softly crying to herself as she bled out. Urchin saw her softly shaking and kicked the crate off of her, finishing the job he'd begun almost five minutes prior. She was mere moments away from death already, and she barely felt it.
Tessa Corner, District 3 Female (Newcomer); 30th, Killed by Urchin, Bloodbath
With the largest bloodbath in history at its conclusion, the twenty-nine remaining tributes scattered in all directions. It was difficult to cover them all; at first, the cameras focused on the career pack. There was no way to keep order in a pack so large, so they split into three different groups coinciding with the sects they had formed during the bloodbath. Nouvelle, Ofelia, Swell, and Undine formed the main pack (nicknamed the standards), and they stayed at the cornucopia for the remainder of the first day. Saturn, Urchin, and the conniving Laureate formed the second group, and they headed in the direction of the fog-laden swamp, eager to unearth the tributes hiding in the dense landscape. The smallest group consisted of Zealand and Glitterdust. The duo from District 1 was able to move the fastest due to the small size of their group, and they headed for the barren forest, ravenous to thin the crowds of outliers. The only careers to have died in the initial bloodbath were Fifer and Nadia. Nadia's body was absent, and Laureate managed to keep his cool when the careers started questioning each other about her disappearance. He would be killed if his secret was discovered, but he was confident it would not be.
The outliers this year had three choices: stay in the amusement park, head to the forest, or head to the swamp. Those that stayed in the park were testing their luck, but there were a few of them. Most of the large buildings and attractions were collapsed and downtrodden; it was too flat for anyone to feel safe without some form of cover. Dory from 4 and Jacobi from 12 found themselves together, and they were too tired to travel very far on the first day. They hunkered down in a small building near the Ferris wheel and munched on the crackers Jacobi had grabbed from the cornucopia. Elizabeth from 9 and Honey from 10 had allied prior to the games. They were terrified of the careers; they were kept back from reaching the woods not by weakness of spirit, but by weakness of body. They chose the large mirror maze as their hiding spot. It was pitch-black inside, and Elizabeth and Honey had to be careful to keep from cutting their faces and hands whenever they touched one of the shattered walls. Sentra from 6 was headed toward the swamp, but she turned back when she saw the first line of mangrove trees; she'd died from a combination of malaria and dysentery in her original games, and she was not eager to suffer the same fate once more. She curled up in the queue area of a destroyed roller coaster and tried to sleep. Hydrangea from 11 was small, but she was fast and very clever. She spent the first few hours leaping between various gift shops in search of valuable supplies. She eventually opened a cash register and unearthed two wicked-looking hunting knives. She closed herself in a storage closet nearby, vowing to begin hunting the next morning.
The most tributes ultimately headed to the forest. There, they had the most cover, but they also faced the most threats, from mutts to proximity to other tributes. Rimno from 3 was peeved by a throbbing pain in his shoulder as he walked. He'd grabbed nothing but a small tool kit and a single strip of dried beef from the cornucopia. When night fell, he took a few small bites and settled down in the shadow of a large oak tree. Calculata from 3 and Theo from 5 spotted each other about halfway through the day, and they walked toward each other, effectively allying. They'd both lost romantic partners to the Hunger Games, so they made friends rather quickly. The duo conversed quietly as they travelled through the barren trees. Cylinder from 6 was on the hunt. He'd taken a sword from the bloodbath, and he was eager to cement his place as a strong tribute early on in the games. Around noon, he spotted Dorothy from 10 sleeping at the bottom of a steep slope. Cylinder began to walk down the slope, but tripped. A rock the size of a basketball, dislodged by his sliding weight, ran down the hill and woke the sleeping Dorothy. She ran for her life, terrified, and climbed up into a tree before she could be seen again. Wheaton from 9 discovered a great hiding spot: three or four trees had fallen around a small hole, creating a hidden space within. He crawled inside with his supplies, feeling secure in his fortress with wooden walls.
Dylan and Listra were from District 7, and the district partners readily allied for company and safety. Their mad sprint slowed to a walk when they reached the forest. Night had already fallen, and the skeletal birds trilled terrifyingly. Strapson from 8 was the last member of the forest crew. He'd taken a crowbar and a pair of night-vision goggles from the bloodbath. Goggles strapped to his head, he was exploring the forest only a few minutes into the second day when he spotted the allied 7s moving quietly through the trees. Strapson pounced, and Dylan let out a shrill shriek as the crowbar hit him in the chest, winding him. Listra ran for her life, bounding over the earth as fast as her legs could carry her while Strapson continued beating him with all of the force he could muster. Bits of gore flew left and right, and Strapson grinned as he fell still, a crazy glint in his eye. Already someone had broken. Many more were to come in this terrifying quell.
Dylan Stocklin, District 7 Male (Newcomer); 29th, Killed by Strapson, Day 2
The third region, the swamp, was rather inhospitable. There was virtually no clean water, and almost no shelter, but the tributes didn't know that; they only travelled there hoping the thick fog would shield them from the wandering eyes of the careers. Fumer from 5 waded through the thick, soup-like water for most of the day. He saw a strange shape, likely an alligator mutt, spinning through the water in the evening, and he climbed up into the nearest mangrove tree, scared and tired. Mikey and Itsuki from 7, another pair of allies, waded through the chin-high swamp until they came across a floating collection of logs. They found the logs could hold their weight, and the allies floated on their makeshift raft while the sun set. Bear from 10 had an encounter with an alligator mutt, which nibbled slightly at his shoulder before deciding he wasn't tasty enough to be worth its time. Bear had to struggle to keep from screaming as blood flowed from his shoulder. His mentor, Steer, sent him a thick bandage to bind the wound, but this did little to prevent the infection that was sure to take root before long. The last tribute, Ranger from 10, was the best off. He'd grabbed a thick net from the horn, so he was the only tribute safe from the swarms of mosquitoes that filled the smelly swamp air. They landed on the net in swarms, but couldn't reach him. Thanking himself for having the whim to grab the net, he drifted through the water, well-disguised and well-protected in his moving safe haven.
Hydrangea had promised to begin hunting in the early morning of the second day. She woke up several hours before sunrise, eager to catch at least one sleeping tribute off-guard. She momentarily disembarked from the forest, unable to see well through the trees in that dark hour of morning. It was easier to hunt in the wide-open field of cement, where she knew the weaker tributes were likely to be hiding anyway. Hydrangea had hunted for roughly forty minutes when she discovered her victim. Sentra had fallen asleep rather quickly the night prior, and she was snoozing still. Hydrangea probably would have passed her over if her small light hadn't glanced off of Sentra's tribute token, a thin silver bangle passed down through eight generations of her family.
Sentra woke up screaming as the first of Hydrangea's knives sank into her chest. Sentra let out a loud scream, and Hydrangea bit her lip, knowing it was far too late to turn back now; she had to make her stop screaming before the loud noises attracted any of the nearby careers. Hydrangea slashed the second knife into Sentra's neck and tore both of the weapons back in unison. It had been a wise move to go for the neck: her screams were already choked and quieted by the sound of blood. Hydrangea bounded away as quickly as her feet could carry her, returning to the forest just as Sentra's cannon sounded.
Sentra Bootshoe, District 6 Female (Veteran); 28th, Killed by Hydrangea, Day 2
The remainder of the second morning was relatively empty of conflict. The standards quickly ate breakfast and then left the cornucopia, wanting to thoroughly explore the amusement park before too many of the arena's mutts and tributes would be awake. It was hard to get lost with so many notable landmarks, so they didn't bother to keep track of their movements while exploring. Nouvelle, Ofelia, Swell, and Undine made fast progress through the park, but they found no tributes.
The career trio (Saturn, Urchin, and Laureate) reached the swamp around dawn. Saturn was slightly nervous: his original games had taken place in a swamp, and he had many bad experiences with that type of landscape. However, his protests were overruled, and he submitted to scope out of the thick bog alongside his allies, Laureate and Urchin.
Zealand and Glitterdust crashed through the forest, ultimately covering the most ground. They were fast and extremely agile: on the second day alone, they managed to cover nearly a third of the woods. Being so fast, they passed multiple tributes by. For now, their sole goal was to take down the tributes who were poorly hiding out in the open. Later, they could hunt more finely for the better hiders, who would also likely have better combat skills.
Saturn, Urchin, and Laureate remained in the swamp as afternoon arrived. Saturn's gut was telling him to leave the swamp, but he knew Urchin and Laureate would never listen, and he didn't want to come off as a scaredy-cat by admitting he was afraid. His yells shattered the silence of the bog as he felt a chorus of sharp teeth close around his ankle. The thickly-armored alligator mutt managed to chomp off his entire lower leg in one bite, and Saturn was tugged down under the water in a matter of seconds. Laureate and Urchin quickly paddled away, leaving Saturn behind in hopes of reaching safety. Laureate peered over his shoulder and saw a few bubbles float the surface: then a cannon sounded, and all traces of Saturn Talbot were gone.
Saturn Talbot, District 2 Male (Veteran); 27th, Killed by alligator mutt, Day 2
The other tributes in the swamp reacted differently to the loud cannon. Fumer was spooked by the cannon shot and remained still in the crook of his mangrove tree. For now, he was surviving completely off of sponsored water and food. He knew he would have to leave soon and search for such things himself. He thought of ways to travel safely through the water as the day passed. Mikey and Itsuki decided to keep moving on their makeshift raft, but to keep their eyes peeled in case the danger that had affected the careers came in their direction. By then, infection had begun to take root in Bear's wound. He knew what was likely coming: a long, agonizing death drawn out over the course of days or weeks. Ranger was rather unfazed by Saturn's cannon, and he continued floating on his back, the net keeping the arena's various flying insects and other pests at bay.
Early on Day 3, Zealand and Glitterdust disembarked from the forest. Exploring the entire thing was too large a task to tackle this early in the games, so they decided to scope out of the amusement park while the standards were likely to be hunting in the forest. Zealand and Glitterdust ate breakfast in a small gift shop, eating stale pretzels and drinking warm bottled water with a plasticky taste.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Honey were out and about. They'd left the mirror maze because they were thirsty for a drink, and they were now moving quietly through the abandoned streets. Wind howled against the various metal structures scattered around the park, masking the sounds of their footsteps. Honey was glad to have an ally other than her older brother. Wanting to thank Elizabeth for her company and safety, Honey suggested she wander away by herself to explore the park and be a brave little hero. Elizabeth was apprehensive, but Honey could not be shaken, and she sauntered away all by herself. Big mistake.
She'd wandered less than half a mile when she felt the bite of Zealand's hatchet near her shoulder blade. She turned her head quickly around and saw both Zealand and Glitterdust creeping out of the shadows. The careers were both fast runners, but Honey was pumped up with adrenaline. She raced in Elizabeth's direction to warn her of the threat. She thought she'd lost of the careers, but they were still following her close behind. When Elizabeth came into sight, Zealand took a big risk and threw his hatchet. It landed in the back of Honey's neck, killing her instantly. Zealand retrieved his hatchet, and the careers ducked down into the shadows.
Honey Sadler, District 10 Female (Veteran); 26th, Killed by Zealand, Day 3
Elizabeth heard Honey's screams and rushed to her side, checking her vitals even though her cannon shot had already sounded. Blood quickly stained Elizabeth's fingers, and the realization set in that there was nothing she could do to help her. Elizabeth turned her head slowly around and let out a loud scream: Zealand was standing there, his hatchet lofted overhead. Zealand brought down the hatchet before Elizabeth had time to run, and the weapon landed squarely in her face, nearly cleaving her head completely in half down the center. Glitterdust fell back; her heart hurt terribly for the poor girl. Elizabeth died, and Zealand ordered Glitterdust to follow him away. She followed slowly behind, realizing for the first time how terribly unprepared she was for these games.
Elizabeth Becker, District 9 Female (Veteran); 25th, Killed by Zealand, Day 3
True to the duo's prediction, the standards were headed toward the forest. With four members, they were still the largest sect of the career pack. The four of them had different skill sets and personalities that fit together well and only grated slightly. Each of them was also well-liked in the Capitol. In the woods the standards were headed for, much was abound. Rimno had proved his worth with survival skills over the past few days, and he completed his shelter about halfway through the third day. It was very smartly assembled, with a thick roof that kept in the rising warm air given off by his body. Now, the audience was eager to see his mechanical talents exhibited again; he'd assembled quite a clever electrical contraption back in the eighty-eighth games, and the Capitol was eager to see once again what Rimno Kiely's brain could do. Calculata and Theo split up to search for food. Unbeknownst to them, they were in the center of a large ring of berry bushes. They filled their pockets and fists with berries and began moving back toward each other. They were mere feet away when the two cannons sounded. Terrified and shaken, they met up and sat cross-legged on the ground to munch on their berries. Cylinder had been hunting ravenously for several days, so nobody could blame him for taking a short break. He was the strongest outlier in the forest and shouldn't have been nervous about tribute attacks, but he couldn't help but be slightly paranoid as night fell and he curled up in a ditch to sleep. Listra was still running for her life, traumatized after the death of her ally. She was terrified by the thought of Dylan's bloodied corpse, and even more terrified by the thought of such a terrible fate coming for her. Wheaton decided to explore the outer stretches of the forest, hoping for some reward or treasure hidden there. It was a stellar distance to the outer edge of the arena; he knew it would take several days of walking to accomplish his goal. As Wheaton walked, he took short breaks for naps. That way, he didn't have to lie down for one long sleep at night.
Strapson was as crazy as ever, and he was now attempting to "kill" dead twigs and branches as he shuffled awkwardly through the forest, weighed down on one side by his weapon. It had been nearly two days since fresh blood had stained his crowbar, and he smiled as a small girl's silhouette came into focus. The fourteen-year-old Dorothy from District 10 had managed to narrowly avoid Strapson several times throughout the first two days, and the insane boy was determined that he would not let her escape this time.
Strapson leaped out of seemingly nowhere. For several seconds, Dorothy thought his movements were the sounds of a moving animal, like a deer or wolf. In the darkness, she thought she could remain safe by staying still to keep from being spotted. However, Strapson's night-vision goggles gave him clear vision in an environment so dark. The moonlight glinted off of the crowbar, and Dorothy ran for her life. She could hardly take three steps before she was overtaken, whacked unconscious with a single swing of the inefficient weapon. At least it was a fast and painless death, her mentor would later tell the press.
Dorothy Jordan, District 10 Female (Newcomer); 24th, Killed by Strapson, Day 3
During the morning of Day 4, the tributes in the amusement park began to notice a strange creaking sound coming from the large Ferris wheel. For the entirety of the games, it had been slowly sliding and falling off of its axle: sooner than later, it was expected to fall off and roll for several miles, flattening anything and anyone in its path. The gamemakers had originally planned for the event to take place later in the games, but there was no stopping it. Alarms sounded in the gamemakers center, and the gamemakers rushed to their positions, preparing for a show.
It was almost exactly noon with the enormous metal wheel rolled off of its axle. For years, games fans thought that it had slid off of the bent axle, but after careful examination of unearthed footage, it was shown that the axle itself was actually torn off of its supports. It rolled slowly at first, but it began travelling at an incredible speed as soon as it hit the first downward incline. It travelled extremely quietly over the cement, flattening nearly three buildings before it reached the cornucopia. Nouvelle, Swell, and Undine were sleeping in the back of the cornucopia, while Ofelia was sleepily standing guard.
Ofelia didn't see the enormous wheel coming until it was too late. Numerous trees toppled at once, and Ofelia snapped awake. The Ferris wheel loomed out of the darkness like death itself, and she had no time to do anything at all before she was flattened. The wheel crashed into the cornucopia, and the three tributes inside prayed that the horn would remain intact under so much weight. The cornucopia stood strong and only rerouted the Ferris wheel: now, it was rolling toward the forest and the tributes hiding within. It was only after the wheel rolled away that they realized the terrible fate that had befallen Ofelia.
Ofelia Tessard, District 2 Female (Veteran); 23rd, Killed by Ferris wheel, Day 4
By Day 4, Dory and Jacobi's relationship had progressed far past the point of mere friendship. There weren't any kisses yet, but they were definitely stealing glances at each other. Dory was a heavy sleeper, but Jacobi was quickly woken by the faint noise of the rolling wheel. Jacobi called Dory's name and tugged her to her feet. They didn't have enough time to get out of the wheel's path: it was all they could do to find shelter and hope it would protect them. The nearest building was the mirror maze, and the allies sprinted inside. The wheel merely grazed the edge of the maze, crushing about a fifth of the structure under its weight. The noise of grating metal was deafening in their ears, but Dory and Jacobi were ultimately unharmed.
The other inhabitant of the amusement park, Hydrangea, was nearly half a mile out of the wheel's path. The night before, she'd sat down on the cleanest bench she could find and nodded off to the sound of crickets. When she woke, she couldn't do anything but watch in earnest as the wheel bowled over the park. She jumped slightly when it hit the cornucopia, but Hydrangea stayed pretty stoic as the wheel crashed toward the forest.
Two more deaths were caused by the wheel. It had an incredible amount of momentum, but the many branches and trunks of the forest worked to slow it down slightly. Calculata and Theo woke up to the faint rumbling noise of the wheel and knew it couldn't be anything good. They hurriedly shoved their handfuls of berries into their mouths, preferring to fight any potential threat on full stomachs rather than empty ones. The wheel was getting closer and closer, but they couldn't see exactly what it was through the thick net of bare branches. The gigantic metal structure flattened both of them instantly, like a rolling pin, and neither of them had any idea what had hit them. The gamemakers had to make their cannon shots especially loud, just so that they could be heard over the noises of so many snapping branches.
Calculata Barns, District 3 Female (Veteran); 22nd, Killed by Ferris wheel, Day 4
Theo Upsdell, District 5 Male (Veteran); 21st, Killed by Ferris wheel, Day 4
The wheel reached its stop a short distance after that. After a long downward slope, the forest terrain broke into a steep upward incline. The wheel slowed gradually until it came to its stop, then, tugged down by a slight downward slope to the left, toppled over like a domino. It creaked, groaned, and wobbled slightly, then fell dead still as though it had sat in that forest for a hundred years.
Strapson took the opportunity to start hunting immediately after the Ferris wheel stopped moving. He knew most of the forest's inhabitants were likely to be shocked and off of their guard after the event, in which state they would be easier to kill and put on a show with. The forest crew was weirdly unfazed by the event; there were no more movements, or lack thereof, than usual throughout the remainder of the fourth day. Rimno remained pretty unshaken, and he whiled the day away by slowly assembling the parts he was gradually being sponsored. He started by assembling a small motor, then adding a trigger mechanism, and working off of that. He was strong enough to climb a tree but small enough to remain well-hidden through the branches, so Rimno felt pretty secure as he slowly assembled his masterpiece. Wheaton was exploring the outer reaches of the arena when the gamemakers sent a terrifying mutt after him: a skeletal deer creature with only a few strips of flesh hanging from its bones. Wheaton ran for his life, and he stumbled down a deep slope, rolling and thumping nearly a hundred feet to the bottom. Down there, he was too battered and tired to do anything but wait for his body to heal on its own.
Two inter-tribute clashes occurred in the forest, but neither of them let to deaths. Sword-wielding Cylinder and crowbar-wielding Strapson spotted each other from about a quarter mile off in the late morning. The boys both charged, and they clashed in an open clearing with no branches overhead. The bright sun was veiled by a thin layer of fog, giving both the tributes and the cameras clear vision of the fight. Strapson struck first, lashing out with his crowbar, and Cylinder quickly retaliated with a swing of his sword. It hit Strapson's shoulder hard enough to send him reeling. Their battle continued for roughly half an hour before Cylinder forced Strapson to the top of a steep slope. He stumbled backward and instantly fell down, rolling down the hill. Cylinder was covered with dried blood and had no wishes to continue the fight; by the time Strapson regained his footing and sprinted up the hill, Cylinder was gone.
Urchin and Laureate were now hunting alone after Saturn's death, and they had relocated to the forest. It had taken them several hours to trudge out of the swamp, and they were instantly attacked by a trio of skeletal bird mutts sent after them by the gamemakers. Laureate and Urchin fought the birds off over the course of about ten minutes. By the end of the fight, they were both covered with mud and blood, and they were hoping to come across somewhere they could clean themselves. They quickly came to one of the arena's few rivers, and they were about to step into the cool water when they spotted Listra standing on the muddy shore. The careers charged, and Listra quickly made the decision to ride the river to safety. Keeping afloat was not easy, but she was a good swimmer, and she quickly managed to lose her career pursuers. She floated the river for about thirty more minutes before she washed ashore.
Days 5 and 6 were both deathless. The gamemakers had a devious plan in place, which they would enact as soon as the tribute count dwindled to eighteen. For now, however, there were twenty tributes still kicking, and the gamemakers wanted to coax them all toward the forest, where there would be more opportunities for fighting and bloodshed. Nouvelle, Swell, and Undine had effectively abandoned the cornucopia, and they were now hunting in the forest. Zealand and Glitterdust were still wildly hunting in the amusement park. Other than the two of them, Hydrangea and the Dory-Jacobi duo were the park's only inhabitants. Hydrangea was moving regularly, and Dory and Jacobi were hidden well inside of the mirror maze.
Glitterdust was more and more reluctant to do work, and she was slowly losing her will to fight while Zealand was only growing more ravenous by the day. Hydrangea made the decision to travel to the forest, and Glitterdust caught a glimpse of her around noon but didn't pursue her or tell Zealand. Jacobi and Dory were starting up a heated love affair in the center of the mirror maze, and they started hugging for more reasons than just to keep warm. Jacobi was glad to have a partner again after the death of his sister Abia, and Dory was happy to have found her Mr. Right in her second life, after the non-successes of her first one.
Everything going on in the forest around that time was pretty tame and relaxed. Urchin and Laureate talked quietly to each other as they wandered through the trees, and they were so focused on each other that passed multiple tributes past, including Rimno and Listra at different points throughout the day. When night fell, the duo rested on a small hillock and set up shifts before passing out. Rimno continued assembling his sponsored parts, peeved by the pain in his shoulder. He was developing a headache as well, and he had to stop halfway through the day to sleep off his pains. The Cylinder-Strapson conflict continued. The boys met and retreated five times over the course of the two days, inflicting small cuts and scrapes but nothing major. Strapson was fully insane, but Cylinder was merely eager to eliminate the other tributes and make it home as quickly as possible. Neither of them had permanent shelters, like most of the tributes inhabiting the forest. Listra holed up in a tree after her narrow escape from Laureate and Urchin. She was one of the least popular of the remaining tributes; if she refused to do anything but run for much longer, she was likely to receive nasty threats from the gamemakers. Wheaton had travelled onward for nearly a week, and he finally reached the chasm signifying the arena's end. He wasn't stupid enough to use the force field: the last time a tribute had done that, he'd returned home to find his mother and girlfriend dead. He wandered along the edge of the arena, stopping at berry bushes and small streams to hydrate himself from time to time.
Only five tributes were still in the swamp region of the arena. Fumer was as inactive as ever, floating on his back and climbing into trees whenever alligator mutts came near. He was not living up to the expectations set by his older brother. Mikey and Itsuki still used their do-it-yourself raft made out of logs to get around. They hadn't found any victims since the very start of the games, and they were ready to leave the swamp altogether in favor of the amusement park or the forest. The boys from 10, Ranger and Bear, met around sunset. Ranger saw Bear quietly floating on the rippling water surface and swam in his direction. Bear's infection was incurable now: puss oozed from his skin whenever he moved too suddenly, and sinister streaks of green and black had begun to form around the wound inflicted by the alligator mutt back on Day 1. Ranger felt bad for him and floated next to him for the remainder of the night, mosquito net draped over both of them. Bear never woke up, and one of Ranger's sponsors sent him a note suggesting he end Ranger's misery. He squinted and shoved his body underneath the water. He drowned in a matter of seconds, signifying the first death in over two days.
Bear Theodos, District 10 Male (Veteran); 20th, Killed by infection and Ranger, Day 7
The first half of Day 7 was filled with little but Hydrangea's arrival in the forest. She finished her trek through the amusement park to find herself at the first line of bare, skeletal trees. Her knives had been completely clean for a long time: while she was no longer actively searching for conflict, she was more than prepared in case it arrived.
Jacobi and Dory kissed for the first time later that morning. Magnet Lisagor's miniature drone mechanism had to be used to deliver their sponsor gifts to them, including several warm blankets and copious amounts of food and water. They were also sent several changes of clothes; the Capitol wanted them to change in front of each other. However, Dory pointed out how inappropriate that would be due to the three-month difference in their ages. Neither of them knew that one of the most terrifying deaths in Hunger Games history was about to befall them.
Nouvelle, Swell, and Undine arrived back in the park after several days spent in the forest. The three of them were exhausted, and they were eager to return to the cornucopia, where they could catch up on their sleep. They quickly realized that reaching the horn before midnight would not be an attainable goal, and so they settled on the mirror maze to sleep the night away. They stuck together as they wandered through the maze. They reached the center, and Nouvelle's light shone on the sleeping tributes.
"Cover the exits!" Swell shouted, and thus began the hour-long game of cat and mouse. Dory and Jacobi scattered, screaming and running in separate directions. Dory had only been running for ten seconds when she saw the faint silhouette of Undine charging toward her out of the darkness. The outliers ran back and forth, turning left and right, slamming into walls and turning whenever they saw the silhouette or shadow of a strong career. The maze was only faintly illuminated; Dory and Jacobi were both helpless in the darkness. Nouvelle had one of the arena's two pairs of night vision goggles (the other belonged to Strapson) and she figuratively ran into Jacobi after nearly fifty minutes. The point of Nouvelle's sword came out of nowhere, and Jacobi only had time to let out a single loud scream before his life force slipped away. Nouvelle kicked him away and continued running, trying to hear out the noise of Dory's screams over the thundering symphony of eight pounding feet.
Jacobi Clarke, District 12 Male (Newcomer); 19th, Killed by Nouvelle, Day 7
Dory tried to run, but with three careers chasing after her, she could only survive for so long. Later investigations of her body showed that every inch of her flesh was covered with thousands of tiny mirror shards. She ran face-first into a wall mere moments after Jacobi's cannon shot. Consequently, Swell and Undine quickly closed in on her. Dory fell almost immediately under Swell's trident and Undine's daggers. She tried to wiggle her way past Undine's left elbow and reach safety, but she found her wrists pinned against the wall by Nouvelle. Her screams faded quickly.
Dory Krillgood, District 4 Female (Veteran); 18th, Killed by Swell and Undine, Day 7
The gamemakers had been planning to reveal their strange twist when the tribute count dwindled to eighteen; however, due to the rapid nature of Jacobi's and Dory's deaths, this number was changed to seventeen.
The next morning, the seventeen tributes suddenly found themselves together. They were standing in a plain white room, wearing plain white clothes. Head Gamemaker Orestilla Chandler stood in front of them, wearing a spring-green suit and a smile. "Welcome, tributes, and congratulations on making it this far," she said. "I'm sure you all need an explanation. First, I think I should explain how you've come to be here. You aren't you. Your original body is down there, in the arena."
Orestilla pointed through a glass hole in the floor. From their height thousands of feet up, they could see the entire arena: the central cement wasteland, the swamp, and the forest. They could even see the fallen Ferris wheel, the size of a coin from that height. "What we've done is taken each of you and built you a second body. Your thoughts, personalities, and even memories are linked. It's like there are two copies of you now, and each one is updated whenever a change is made to the other. Weird, huh?"
The tributes murmured in agreement, and a few of them seemed surprised that they could talk.
"At different points during the games, we'll have you engage in three intermissions. Every intermission will have a different task for you to complete. A certain number of tributes who fail to complete said task will be eliminated from the games. Now, I present you with your first intermission. Your first goal is simple: run a single mile down this track. I'll meet you on the other side."
"What track?" one of the tributes asked, but an open cement track suddenly appeared before them. They realized they could move at various moments. The thought of being inside of a copy of their body was a thought many of them found extremely disturbing.
Undine was the first tribute to finish the mile, with Zealand pulling in a matter of seconds later. Swell finished next, then Urchin, Laureate, Glitterdust, Cylinder, Wheaton, Mikey, Strapson, Itsuki, Rimno, Hydrangea, Ranger, and Fumer. Listra was the last tribute to finish the mile. The tributes now stood in an identical white room, where Orestilla stood, wearing a yellow suit this time.
Orestilla spoke again. "Undine: as you were the first tribute to finish the mile, you are completely exempt from this task." She snapped her fingers, and a peacekeeper appeared, carrying Undine away from the strange room.
"As for the sixteen of you: the last eight of you to finish the mile, please enter the tanks."
Mikey, Strapson, Itsuki, Rimno, Hydrangea, Ranger, Fumer, and Listra did as they were told.
"The eight of you who finished the mile first, please sit on one of the stools."
They did as they were told.
"At my command, the eight tanks will begin to fill with water. The rules are simple: the first tribute to drown is out! The tribute sitting in front of the tribute that drowns will receive a reward when he or she re-enters the arena. Good luck."
Orestilla snapped, and the eight tanks started filling with water. The water came seemingly out of nowhere: weird things like that could happen in this strange, distant place. Strapson remained completely still as the water passed his ankles, taking small breaths to preserve the oxygen within the small tank. Hydrangea tried to stay calm, but involuntarily took large gulps of air. Mikey, Ranger, and Rimno proceeded similarly. Itsuki began to panic as the water passed her waist, but not nearly as much as Fumer and Listra. Both of them were freaking out, smashing their fists against the locked doors of the tanks as the water rose higher and higher.
Listra managed to calm down, but Fumer kept thrashing in terror, smashing the walls of the tank and going completely nutzo. Soon enough, the tanks were completely full, and bubbles began streaming from Fumer's mouth. He promptly drowned, and the water in the other tanks suddenly disappeared. The tributes gasped with relief as fresh air flowed in from nowhere. Orestilla unlocked the tanks individually and helped the seven survivors out.
Fumer Shacklebolt, District 5 Male (Newcomer); 17th, Killed by drowning, Day 8 (Intermission 1)
Orestilla smiled and patted Nouvelle on the back. "Ms. Harris, as you seated yourself in front of Fumer, you will receive a unique perk upon re-entering the arena." She turned toward the other tributes. "That's it for now. I'll meet you back here when there are twelve of you. May the odds be ever in your favor." Orestilla snapped, and the tributes jerked awake in the arena down below, in the exact same places they had fallen asleep the night prior.
The tributes got back into their day-to-day routines pretty quickly. They all had memories of the first intermission, but they were faint, like memories of a dream. Nouvelle woke up to find a large silver package in front of her. Remembering the perk she was promised, she eagerly tore up the packaging, with the other standards huddling around to get a good look at whatever was inside. There was a double-edged sword, an entire belt of throwing knives, a jug of cold water, and a plastic bag of juicy beef strips, not the dried ones that were supplied in the horn, meant to dehydrate the tributes. Nouvelle insisted on keeping the weapons for herself, but she shared the food and water with the others in small amounts. The standards, three of which (Nouvelle, Swell, and Undine) were still alive, left the park, thinking it was clear of tributes (they didn't know about Hydrangea, who had evaded them well for the entire games). It took them about half a day to reach the forest. Now, all of the remaining careers were in the forest. Laureate and Urchin were about a mile away, with Zealand and Glitterdust resting about three quarters of a mile in the opposite direction. The groups were far enough apart to keep them from meeting, but they were likely to clash at some point before the quell ended.
Rimno's treetop home was less than fifty meters from the small clearing the standards chose as their resting place for the night, but he was quiet enough to remain unheard. His small light, which allowed him to work through the night, was far too weak to penetrate the blanket of leaves that shielded him from the standards' sight. His creation was beginning to take on a taser-like form. After several hours of work, it began sparking. Rimno was too exhausted to fix the backfired mechanism, so he wrapped it up and crossed his hands over his chest, hoping a good night's rest would give him the energy he needed to continue.
Glitterdust was growing more and more stubborn. Completely questioning her position as a career, she was refusing to do the work Zealand assigned to her. Zealand wanted to hunt, hunt, hunt, and Glitterdust wanted to rest, rest, rest. Zealand didn't want to soil his reputation by killing her or abandoning her when she wandered away to gather berries, so he decided to keep her hanging on for a few more days. Unless she turned around, however, she was likely to meet a grim fate.
Urchin and Laureate were the most active of the three career groups. Because of the small naps they took throughout the day, they never needed to sleep in one big period at night, meaning they could hunt with the valuable cover of darkness.
Cylinder, exhausted by the constant conflict with Strapson, had travelled far out of the insane boy's range earlier on Day 9. By doing so, he inadvertently moved into the path of the ravenously hunting Urchin and Laureate. The day of travel had taken Cylinder up and down many hills, and he had been scraped by so much dead forest brush that small cuts and scrapes littered his body. When evening began to darken, he settled down at the base of a small tree, sword in his grip.
Urchin and Laureate were hunting around eleven at night when they saw Cylinder, silhouetted against the bright moonlight shining through a gap in the trees. Cylinder hadn't fallen asleep yet, but was slowly drifting off, and he snapped to full attention when he picked up on the light footsteps of the travelling duo. He tightened his grip around his sword, but waited until they drew closer to leap to his feet.
Laureate didn't have time to breathe before he was tackled by the strong boy from District 6. Urchin gasped and whirled around and grabbed Cylinder by the shoulders, desperately attempting to tug him off of Laureate. However, his damage had already been done: the point of Cylinder's sword was lodged deep into Laureate's gut, and Urchin knew at one glance that his ally was beyond saving. Now, it was all he could do to kill Cylinder in revenge.
Laureate Matthews, District 2 Male (Newcomer); 16th, Killed by Cylinder, Day 9
Cylinder turned quickly around, facing the spot where Urchin had stood moments before. However, Urchin was nowhere to be seen, as though he'd been lifted straight off of the ground. Cylinder slowly turned his head around, and he only caught a flash of movement before Urchin was on top of him. Having torn his sword out of his hand and tossed it to the forest, Urchin had Cylinder defenseless. A kick was all it took to wind him, and Urchin prepared to go in with his whip.
The first deafening crack of his whip sent the nearby forest life scattering, and Cylinder tried to wriggle to safety, or at least to a position where he could properly defend himself. He had no such luck, and his back was quickly peppered with splotches of blood and dozens of tiny holes. Cylinder's cannon fired, and Urchin sprinted away, taking on the dark cover of the forest to hide him from any mutts that may have been woken up by the cannon.
Cylinder Gauntlet, District 6 Male (Veteran); 15th, Killed by Urchin, Day 9
Days 10 through 12 were all deathless. The Capitol was enthralled by the first intermission, as well as the deaths of Laureate and Cylinder, and Orestilla wanted to let things cool down a little before she unleased further threats onto the tributes. Zealand and Glitterdust wove rapidly through the woods and the park, able to move so quickly due to the small size of their group. Nouvelle, Swell, and Undine took a break from hunting to practice with their weapons. Nouvelle had her sword and knives, Swell had his trident, and Undine had her spear. They didn't bother to keep quiet while they practiced, tearing up the sides of the trees and scoring the dirt ground with long gashes. They knew they could easily fight away or kill any tribute who picked up on the noises and approached. Urchin was now alone. He had never found out about Laureate's secret: the real cause of Nadia's death had died along with her killer. Urchin hunted and rested on his own watch; however, his schedule largely remained the same, with lots of naps and a long hunting session while it was pitch-dark. None of the careers found victims as the days trickled past, despite the many outliers inhabiting the forest.
Rimno continued holing up in the treetops, assembling his taser-like contraption. The pain in his shoulder was only soothed by the aspirin his sponsors sent him. It was possible he was taking on a serious infection, but none of the sponsors though it was anything more serious than a minor injury from a fall he'd taken earlier in the games. Mikey and Itsuki spent almost two straight days assembling a shelter out of branches. They spent the majority of that time on the roof, which they reinforced repeatedly in hopes of keeping out the cold rain that fell regularly. About halfway through Day 12, they heard the footsteps of Zealand and Glitterdust and abandoned the bulky shelter. By the time the careers were gone, Mikey and Itsuki couldn't find their way back to the shelter. They resolved to continue searching the next morning. Listra had been wandering down a thin, dirty stream for nearly a week. The dirty, soup-like water wasn't working wonders for her digestive system, and dehydration was starting to become a serious concern. She had several small homes assembled along the river, and she made a new one on the twelfth night for lack of anything else to distract her from her cramps. Strapson was as batshit crazy as ever, and the gamemakers were beginning to seriously consider terminating him. Some famous Capitol journalists were calling for the 8 boy to be put down. However, Orestilla wanted to keep him around a little longer. He was putting on quite a bit of entertainment with his mad ravings, and he wasn't particularly breaking any rules (namely cannibalism), so the gamemakers let him be. Wheaton left the chasm at the edge of the arena, having come to the conclusion there was nothing there worth his time. He gathered various berries in a basket he'd woven with his mother's technique while he wandered. He spotted Listra resting at the streamside about halfway through the day but decided to leave her alone. Later, when he'd settled down for the night, he wondered if that had been the right choice.
Only two tributes were not in the forest: Hydrangea, who was in the theme park, and Ranger, who was floating quietly through the swamp. The few sponsors that hadn't abandoned Ranger sent him notes frantically urging him to leave the swamp, but he ignored the notes. He couldn't have followed the instructions if he had wanted to: he was completely lost, and his visibility was terribly reduced through so much thick fog. Hydrangea was the complete opposite: she began sprinting toward the forest as soon as she was urged to do so. Despite her strength, she was too small to complete the journey in one day. With only a mile left to the first line of trees, Hydrangea crouched down in a cluster of old garbage cans and tried to sleep.
By Day 13, Rimno was officially on the hunt. He'd completed his device, and he was willing, if not eager, to find a victim. Besides Zealand and Glitterdust, who he could never take down, there were no tributes nearby. Having abandoned the treetops in favor of the more versatile ground, he was more of a nomad than anything, and he rested in a thick bed of crumbling black flowers at night.
Wheaton could think about nothing except the little girl he'd passed by the day before, and he made the decision to return to the place he had last seen her and see what he could do about her. He was definitely planning on killing Listra, but didn't want to make any promises to the audience in case Listra was more powerful than she appeared. The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon when Listra's screams shattered the silence of the forest.
Moments earlier, Listra had stood up and wandered away from the edge of the stream. She hoped she could find some sort of juicy berries to satisfy her thirst: even though such berries weren't likely to be found in the dead forest, she was in a desperate place and couldn't afford to drink the dirty water anymore. Mikey and Itsuki, who were still searching for their lost shelter, crossed her path almost instantly. Listra mistook the tributes as two harmless deer, unable to see them clearly through a web of whimsically curved branches. When she saw her district partners heading toward her, Listra screamed at the top of her lungs and dashed away. A third of a mile away, Zealand heard Listra's loud scream and urged Glitterdust to follow him toward it.
Listra had been running for less than two minutes when Zealand and Glitterdust barreled out of the forest. She turned around to run the opposite direction, but quickly found herself trapped between the careers, who had their hatchets drawn. Zealand charged, shattering four of her ribs in a matter of moments, and Glitterdust was thankful she never had to lay a finger on the small girl as she sprinted back to their camp in Zealand's wake.
Listra Harington, District 7 Female (Newcomer); 14th, Killed by Zealand, Day 13
Hydrangea was on the move with her two hunting knives and her various other supplies. She spotted Strapson multiple times throughout the day and was tempted to run for the hills, but knew that there would likely be more tributes nearby where he came from. The second intermission was meant to take place when the tribute count reached twelve: with thirteen tributes left, only one more death had to occur before they were taken to that strange, distant place again. Ranger continued floating through the swamp, stubbornly refusing to even try and escape the clutches of the bog. The Capitol had completely given up on helping Ranger: he would not budge, and he would most certainly pay the price.
The first alligator mutt lifted itself out of the water slowly. Its eyes poked out of the water first, and Ranger exhaled heavily, trying to control his breathing but struggling due to panic. In a matter of moments, he was surrounded by two more of the thickly-armored reptiles. They had not eaten in several days, and they were eager to gore and feast.
One of the mutts approached, and a panicked Ranger punched it between the eyes. The alligator reeled, but its place was quickly filled by two of its comrades: one of the original three, and a new, light-green alligator that had spun out of the murky depths mere moments earlier. Despite his best attempts to fight off the mutts, Ranger was quickly overwhelmed. It was one of the most gruesome murder scenes in games history as a total of eight alligator mutts dove in in unison, tearing off strips of his bloody flesh and mutilating the various chunks of his body that floated away from one another. Now only a quarter of the tributes were left.
Ranger Hambert, District 10 Male (Newcomer); 13th, Killed by alligator mutts, Day 14
In the blink of an eye, the twelve remaining tributes found themselves standing in the strange place where Fumer had drowned six days before. The walls, ceiling, and floor were as white as the tributes remembered: in fact, the room's lighting seemed to coming from nowhere. Each of them had much more space in the small room than last time: their numbers were much fewer. Orestilla stood at the far end of the room, wearing a pastel pink gown. It was several moments before she spoke.
"Welcome, tributes. Congratulations on making it this far. You've survived longer than seventy-five percent of your fellow tributes. I hope you understand how special you are."
Orestilla continued without introducing herself. "Now, let's get down to business." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a plain white pill bottle. She unscrewed the lid and emptied the twelve pink pills into her hand. Orestilla handed one pill to each tribute and ordered them to swallow.
"The pill I have just administered to you contains a deadly poison that takes exactly two hours to kill you." A number of the tributes shuddered as one of the room's four walls disappeared, revealing a room that contained hundreds of shelves. "But don't worry. There are ten bottles of antidote in this room. You heard me correctly. There are ten bottles of antidote and there are twelve of you."
Orestilla smiled again. "You may begin searching. And remember, you have two hours."
The twelve tributes rushed into the room and frantically began glancing over the thousands of empty bottles, desperately looking for the bottles containing the antidote. It was forty minutes before Hydrangea's eyes landed on a bottle containing an inch of thick black liquid. She quickly downed the antidote and stood in the corner with Orestilla, who congratulated her for being the first tribute to find the antidote.
It was five more minutes before Mikey found a bottle of the elixir and drank the entire thing in a single gulp. Rimno found the next bottle, shoving aside a rabid Strapson, who tried to steal it from him. Zealand and Glitterdust were searching together, and they found two bottles of the cure sitting close together near the back edge of a shelf. Strapson was the next tribute to find the cure, retrieving a slim bottle of the liquid from a remote back corner of the room.
Six tributes were still searching, with only four bottles of the antidote remaining. Fifty-five minutes had passed when Undine took a drink of the black liquid. Seconds later, Wheaton found his own bottle of the cure, tucked into the center of a cluster of empty bottles. Nouvelle was next, snatching a hit of the antidote from one of the lowest shelves in the room.
Three tributes were still searching: Urchin, Swell, and Itsuki. They were now searching more feverishly than ever for the single bottle of antidote remaining. The minutes ticked past rapidly, but the last bottle of antidote continued to evade the searchers. Finally, with only three minutes left until the poison activated, Itsuki saw a bottle of the inky-black liquid sitting high on a narrow shelf. Too short to reach the bottle, she used the lower shelves as footholds to reach the bottle. The moment Itsuki had wrapped her fingers around the bottle, she felt Urchin's strong fingers wrap around her waist and pull her down. Itsuki's feet slipped off of the shelf: thousands of empty bottles flew and crashed in all directions. Urchin fought to grab the bottle out of Itsuki's fingers and succeeded. He swallowed the elixir and stood in the corner of the room with the nine others who were cured. In a matter of seconds, both Swell and Itsuki were on the ground, screaming and spasming rapidly as the poison began to do its deadly work on their exhausted bodies. They were dead within seconds.
Swell Hager, District 4 Male (Veteran); 12th, Killed by poison, Day 14 (Intermission 2)
Itsuki Tanner, District 7 Female (Veteran); 11th, Killed by poison, Day 14 (Intermission 2)
Orestilla smiled like two humans hadn't just died right in front of her eyes. "Now that you ten are very much cured, I think you deserve a rest day. I mean, you're all probably exhausted."
The tributes murmured in agreement, eyes horribly transfixed on the fields of shattered glass bottles and the two dead tributes.
Orestilla lead the tributes through a side door into another strange room. The room had eleven doors: the one they had entered through, and ten others. Each of the ten doors was marked with a number. A small black bag sat in the center of the room. The bag was bulging in some spots, as though stuffed with many objects.
The head gamemaker scooped up the bag. "When I call your name, you will reach into this bag and draw a number. You will draw in alphabetical order of your first names. First, Glitterdust."
The girl from 1 reached into the bag and drew a large foam cube labeled with the number seven. Orestilla pointed to door number seven, which Glitterdust entered hesitantly. Each of the tributes had their turn to draw a cube, and soon enough, every tribute had entered a door.
The doors led to ten different arenas used in past Hunger Games. Nouvelle found herself in the shopping mall arena of the ninety-sixth Hunger Games, along with that year's victor, Pluto. Nouvelle and Pluto spent the entire day talking and window shopping before settling down for an extravagant dinner in the food court. Zealand ended up in the sixty-third games' underwater arena with a famous Capitol scuba diver. Zealand took a day-long tour, observing the various colorful ocean life. Finally, they visited a hidden underwater cave filled with air, where they feasted on calamari and fried fish. Glitterdust was on the dinosaur-infested island of the eighteenth games. She washed herself off in the warm ocean water, and two avoxes applied various shampoos and cleansers onto her skin to scrub off the dirt that had built up on her body. Rimno found himself in the town arena of the sixty-first games. He and two victors, Vine and Larke, went on a scenic drive through the town. At noon, they ate a picnic in the park and then attended a barbecue with hot dogs and several exotic fried meats. Urchin entered the sandy lagoon arena used for the seventy-sixth Hunger Games. He rested in an earthen hut for several hours, attended to by avoxes dressed stereotypically like indigenous tribespeople, then went canoeing in the lagoon with friendly dolphins trailing behind.
Undine stepped through the door and saw the abandoned city arena of the second Hunger Games. A number of famous actors dressed like zombies put on a play for her. Next, a pilot gave her a helicopter tour of the city. He even let Undine put her hands on the steering wheel for a brief moment. Mikey visited the circus tent arena of the ninetieth Hunger Games. An extravagant show containing elephants, monkeys, magicians, and tightrope-walkers was put on for him while he watched with a big bucket of buttery popcorn. Strapson was taken to the Japanese garden arena of the fifty-fifth arena, where the air smelled like cherry blossoms and the water was clear like glass. A victor, Sickle, gave Strapson a gardening class, where he learned how to plant seeds and transfer various flowers between different pots. Strapson found himself interested, and even managed to form a few complete sentences when talking to Sickle. Wheaton was in the midnight palace of the forty-third games. The castle was made of thick black stone, but it was warm and cozy now, as opposed to the freezing-cold temperature it had had during its games many years before. He was allowed to sit on the throne like a king before being treated to an elaborate banquet and a warm bath with sweet-smelling water. Hydrangea was in the psychiatric hospital arena of the eighty-second Hunger Games. However, the building had taken on a serious makeover: it was now brightly and warmly lit, it had clean walls, and there were merry doctors waiting at every corner to treat the small injuries the games had given her. Later, she was allowed to rest on a bed with candy, warm blankets, and a friendly-looking brown teddy bear.
The tributes stayed in their various paradises for roughly one and a half days. They were transferred back to the arena in the early morning of Day 16. They were all clean, relaxed, healed, and reenergized. The skies cleared; the first half of Day 16 was sunny and warm. However, the temperature dropped rapidly around noon, as though the gamemakers were slowly adjusting the tributes to the cruel environment they were in. They couldn't stay in paradise forever.
The first half of Day 16 was relatively uneventful. The standards' trio was down to two after the poisonous death of Swell Hager, but Nouvelle and Undine were slightly relieved, glad for the larger shares of food and water now that they had only two members. Every tribute was now in the woods, but the terrain there was very uneven, which kept Nouvelle and Undine from finding victims easily. Zealand and Glitterdust faced similar issues, unable to find victims ever since their last kill back on Day 13. Urchin decided to move ever-so-slightly in the direction of the theme park, hoping more tributes would be hiding there. The terrain was slightly flatter in that region, but the only tribute there was Hydrangea, who was hidden well in a small cave half-filled with clean water.
The latter portion of Day 16 was much more action-packed, with three deaths. Rimno was hunting wildly still. His taser was wrapped in cloth, but it was only bound shut lightly, so that he could draw the weapon at a moment's notice if a tribute or dangerous mutt crossed his path. This quell did not have many mutts: the gamemakers had chosen to focus more on the action between the tributes. Rimno hunted about halfway between the chasm and the start of the forest: the thickest region of the wood and the place where the most tributes were hiding.
Rimno's breath caught in his throat when he heard deep, soft snores. The forest was quiet enough for him to follow the sound, and Rimno pushed aside a spiny branch to get a full view of the sleeping Mikey. He'd taken most of the day to relax and was nearing the end of his sleep cycle, so he was quickly woken by Rimno's footsteps. Mikey jumped to his feet and tried to run, and Rimno panicked, momentarily forgetting how to active his handmade device and Mikey ran. Rimno flicked the weapon on, and electricity arced from its tip. As he caught up to Mikey and pressed the point of the weapon against his neck, the victim collapsed, stunned and knocked unconscious by the strong electrical current. A moment later, Mikey began to stir, and Rimno hurriedly scooped up some dirt and stuffed it into his mouth before dashing away.
Mikey Jonah, District 7 Male (Veteran); 10th, Killed by Rimno, Day 16
A second cannon shot fired less than an hour later. Strapson's crowbar had not been put to use for several weeks, and he was itching to make more kills and satisfy his thirst for blood. Nouvelle and Undine, continuing their hunting program, broke from a brisk walk into a jogging pace when Mikey's cannon shouted. Moments later, Strapson came into sight.
The career girls charged and found their opponent to be much stronger than he appeared. Strapson even managed to slam Nouvelle in the head with astonishing force, knocking her out. Undine ended up fending Strapson away with a mixture of fist and spear blows. After nearly half an hour, Strapson finally retreated, and Undine dragged Nouvelle to the nearest river, where she drizzled water down her throat and waited for her to come to.
Nouvelle regained consciousness in a matter of minutes, but night was falling quickly, and soon it was time to go back to sleep. They were both nervous about sleeping with Strapson nearby. What neither of them knew was that Strapson had followed them from a safe distance, and was now waiting in the shadows for the moment it was dark enough to draw near without being seen.
Nouvelle went to sleep first, with Undine sleepily standing guard. Strapson hunched over his crowbar in the distance, waiting patiently as the sun disappeared. The girls had lost their night-vision goggles nearly a week earlier; Strapson had the only other pair, and therefore the overwhelming advantage. Undine barely had time to open her mouth before the crowbar hit her in the head, cracking her skull down the back and making a noise like a deep ringing bell. Undine was killed instantly, and Strapson continued to beat her up and down while Nouvelle ran for her life, knowing victory was hopeless when her opponent had the cover of darkness.
Undine Kimble, District 4 Female (Newcomer); 9th, Killed by Strapson, Day 16
That left the final eight: Nouvelle Harris, Zealand Cruxe, and Glitterdust Keane from District 1, Rimno Kiely from District 3, Urchin Wrangel from District 4, Strapson Irving from District 8, Wheaton Naysmith from District 9, and Hydrangea Tinsel from District 11.
Glitterdust was in better spirits following her day of relaxation on the island beach, but the stress of the games was beginning to close in on her again. Now that she had reached the final eight, she knew she had no choice but to either turn on Zealand or abandon him. Regardless of what she did, she knew she would likely have to commit murder multiple times if she ever wanted to see her family again. Completely regretting her choice to enter these games, Glitterdust decided to split apart from Zealand as quickly and gently as possible.
At midnight, the faces of Mikey and Undine were displayed in the sky for all to see. About an hour earlier, the 1s had stopped on a small hillock to relax and unwind.
"It's midnight," Zealand barked. "Time to start hunting again."
Glitterdust got to her feet and shakily said no. "I'd like to strike off on my own. Anyway, it's too late in…"
The last part of her sentence was never heard as Zealand whipped out his hatchet and buried it into her head, nearly cleaving her skull completely in half. Glitterdust died instantly, and Zealand yanked the blade back to watch his worthless district partner collapse like a rag doll. He'd promised his parents that he would turn on his fellow careers at the final eight, and that was a promise he intended to keep. Zealand quickly wiped off his hatchet and then marched away. Now he was one of three remaining careers, and he was confident he could take down Nouvelle and Urchin.
Glitterdust Keane, District 1 Female (Newcomer); 8th, Killed by Zealand, Day 17
Days 18 through 20 were deathless and empty of conflict. Nouvelle, Zealand, and Urchin were now hunting separately. Nouvelle was closest to the amusement park, Zealand was toward the thick center region, and Urchin was closest to the force field. The four outliers were distributed evenly throughout the forest. Rimno and Hydrangea were hunting much like the fractured career trio. Rimno moved quickly with such a light weapon, and Hydrangea's small size served as both a hiding advantage and a survival advantage: she didn't need nearly as much food and water to make it through each day. Strapson was also hunting, but his movements were much more spontaneous: he bounced around the forest like a pinball in a pinball machine being piloted by a maniac. The blood on his crowbar slowly dried as he was unable to find new victims, and he turned to beating up the harmless mutts of the forest to satisfying his manic urges.
Wheaton was the only tribute to refrain from hunting. He had come to a stop in a field of mud and fallen sticks, as well as plenty of dry leaves. When he smeared his skin with the mud, he blended well into the landscape, and the leaves and sticks only served as additional camouflage. For now, Wheaton was playing a defensive game, as opposed to the offensive game that the others were playing.
Rimno was the first tribute to wake on Day 21. After taking a sip from a small stream and washing off his knees and face, he got on the move in an attempt to track down more victims. A basket containing a thick napkin and three dinner rolls drifted down to him, and Rimno sat cross-legged in an area of thick brush to eat breakfast. Ten minutes later, he licked off his buttery fingers and started away. Just in time, too. Moments later, Strapson passed by, growling slightly with his crowbar swinging at his side. That fight had been avoided: however, two other fights occurred at various points throughout the day.
Hydrangea woke up just as the sun rose. She blinked hard and wiped the sleep from her eyes, then sneezed from the dirt and dust that had built up on her face over the course of the warm night. She had travelled nearly five miles the previous day and would have liked to have slept longer, but she heard soft footsteps and snapped to attention. Wheaton's sickle made quite a lot of noise as it scraped along through the forest, and Hydrangea stood up, hunting knives in her grip. Wheaton had passed by Listra, but he'd made up his mind about killing, and he wasn't about to pass by the girl from 11. Their fight lasted roughly eight minutes, with the tributes taking turns lunging. They both had their own strengths, and their various wounds and injuries evened them out even more fairly. Hydrangea retreated after sustaining a deep gash to the lower portion of her chest, and Wheaton sprinted in the opposite direction to take care of his own injuries.
The biggest fight of the day transpired in an open field in the forest, about half a mile from the location of the fallen Ferris wheel. Zealand and Nouvelle had been travelling near each other for several days, but they came nearer than ever just as the sun began to set. Orestilla set off a loud banging sound between the two of them. One of the nearby tributes, Rimno, travelled a short distance toward the noise to see what the ruckus was all about, but turned around to return to his evening cat nap moments later.
At the same time, Zealand and Nouvelle rushed toward the noise. They spotted each other from twenty meters off and drew their weapons immediately, preparing for a long fight. Nouvelle's sword and Zealand's hatchet were very different weapons, but they were both incredibly skilled. In fact, they were the two strongest tributes out of the original forty-eight, and viewers all over the Capitol leaned back in their seats with their favorite snacks in hand, preparing for a show.
Nouvelle made the first blow, confidence bolstered because she had the longer weapon. Zealand quickly retaliated with a heavy swing of his hatchet, nearly grazing Nouvelle's shoulder until she leapt out of the way. Nouvelle's next blow came even closer to Zealand's chest, but he swerved to one side so that the blade meant for his torso only scraped his side.
Their fight continued for hours, long after the sun had set. Two hours later, they were both caked in a thin layer of sticky blood and were both still fighting as ferociously as ever. Zealand was apprehensive about tossing his hatchet: he didn't want to risk missing, leaving him defenseless against the onslaught of blows from his opponent's sword. However, Nouvelle made a devious move, attempting to disorient him by showing left then swinging to the right, and Zealand decided to take a big risk. He threw the weapon, leaning into the toss to garner additional force, and Nouvelle was too shocked by this sudden burst of energy to sidestep. The blade of the weapon landed in her chest, and Nouvelle collapsed, moaning and gurgling as blood drizzled down her chin. Her cannon promptly fired, and Zealand sauntered away, eager for a river or stream in which to wash himself.
Nouvelle Harris, District 1 Female (Veteran); 7th, Killed by Zealand, Day 21
The next morning, Day 22, the tributes awoke in the now-familiar place where their intermissions were held. With only six of them left, they had been gathered for their third and final intermission, and Orestilla had a day of most certain terror planned for them.
"Welcome, once more. I don't think I need to introduce myself," Orestilla said, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She was wearing a white sun dress, and a necklace with six unique beads sat around her neck. Each bead represented one of the tributes: a dazzling diamond for Zealand, a silver microchip for Rimno, a beautiful blue gemstone for Urchin, a thimble for Strapson, a golden bead the color of wheat for Wheaton, and a pristine white flower for Hydrangea.
"This intermission has two phases, both of which will test your mental strength to the most serious degree. These tasks are not for the faint of heart, but I'm confident you'll be able to handle them. You're all my favorites." She snapped, and the room's far wall disappeared, revealing six hallways that stretched on seemingly forever. After a few meters, the hallways were lost in inky darkness. "Each of these hallways is exactly one mile long. Your first task is to cross them. Simple enough, right?"
It did seem simple. The tributes stepped into the hallways. "Good luck crossing your halls of horror, tributes. I'll see you on the other side." The wall reappeared behind them, sealing them inside. Now there was only silence, and an entire mile of darkness.
Zealand took the first bold, uncertain step forward. Immediately, the darkness began to warp and bend around him, like the landscape of a dream. In a matter of seconds, the dirty and moist smell of the underground surrounded him, lit with harsh electric lights. He quickly realized where he was, and he was helpless as he watched his younger brother crushed to death under a toppled pile of rocks. It had happened five years earlier, but Zealand was presented with a vision as clear as if it were happening for the first time. Each of the tributes would be forced to relive the worst experiences of their lives, but no matter what, they had to keep moving down their hallway.
Rimno saw visions of an innocent childhood: a tinkling butterfly wind chime, moss springing under curled toes. Then he was shown the moment school bullies had drowned his pet cat in a bucket of water: the moment he realized the world was a cruel, cruel place. Then he saw visions of peacekeepers beating innocent civilians, family after family starving to death in his neighborhood; the slow but sure loss of his childhood innocence. Urchin saw fleeting images of his miserable life before his gender transition: hating sparkles and bows as a child, being teased for only playing with boys, crying for two days straight when he bled for the first time, cutting the first line down his arm when he noticed breasts developing. Urchin was sixteen when he told his parents he wanted to be a boy, and they took it just as badly as he'd imagined. When he asked if they'd rather he be addicted to drugs, his mother sneered that at least drugs could be fixed. Strapson was taken back to his school days, where he was treated like a complete social outcast due to his various mental illnesses. He had wanted more than anything to be treated like a normal kid, but had been rejected, bullied and beaten to the point he lost all emotion and felt nothing but hatred. Wheaton had almost suffocated in a grain silo when he was twelve, and he was made to relive the feeling of helplessness as the grain rose higher and higher around him, from his waist to his chest to his neck to his chin. He was seconds away from certain death when his father heard his screams and lowered a rope to help him out. Hydrangea was taken back to her early childhood, when she'd been home alone with her abusive father and all of his strange friends. They started off merely touching her in weird ways, then making her do things she was way too young to understand.
The noises of screaming, crying, and flailing arms crashing against narrow walls reverberated and echoed like a scene in a horror movie. Closing their eyes was no use, as the sounds told just as much of the terrible story as the sights: You couldn't save him. This isn't your body. Survival is hopeless. Nobody will ever love you.
It was nearly two hours before the last tribute, Wheaton, reached the end of his hallway. The other five had been waiting at the ends of their own hallways for varying amounts of time, and they all blinked hard as the walls dividing the hallways sank down. The room flooded with light. All six of the tributes were crying, and even Zealand was shaking like a leaf in a heavy wind.
"You all did very well." Orestilla appeared once again. "But that was only the first part of this intermission." She snapped, and the room's back wall disappeared, unveiling six doors labeled with the tributes' names. "There is a small room behind each door. Inside is a person I think you'll recognize. I think you'll also recognize these."
Orestilla reached into her handbag and pulled out six small guns. "These have one bullet. Upon entering the room, you have one minute to shoot the person inside."
The tributes took the guns with shaking hands, then stepped into the rooms. Zealand stepped through the door and saw his girlfriend strapped to a chair with thick rope. Her wrists and ankles were bloody from fighting against her constraints. "I hear you've come to kill me," her voice warbled, and Zealand raised the gun. He couldn't pull the trigger without closing his eyes. His girlfriend screamed, gore flew, and Orestilla pulled Zealand out of the room. He'd completed the task easily. The others would have much more trouble.
Urchin was presented with his aunt, who'd welcomed him into her household after he'd been kicked out by his parents. Urchin raised the gun and started crying: he'd killed multiple strangers in the games, but the thought of harming someone who had done him so much good was out of the question. However, as the seconds ticked down and the urgency rose, he found himself pulling the trigger. Strapson's room contained one of his classmates, an autistic boy named Yarn. Yarn was Strapson's only friend and the only student who had talked to him. By this point, Strapson had no morals left in him, and he had no problem firing the gun. He even laughed a little.
Rimno entered his room and saw a thin woman with black hair bound to a chair: his mother. Rimno raised the gun and closed his eyes; he knew how realistic the Capitol's simulations were, and he knew the woman sitting before him was not his mother: it was nothing more than a holograph, a simulation, a fake lady. Rimno pulled the trigger. The moment she began screaming, Rimno realized this was not a simulation; his mother was very much real. He let out a scream of his own and raced toward the dying woman, but Orestilla grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him out of the room. He kicked and tried to escape her grip, but he was momentarily sedated with a needle and blacked out. Hydrangea saw a close friend strapped to the chair: a girl whose name she didn't know. She had provided Hydrangea with food and water during the time she had lived on the streets, and shown her the best places to find shelter and stay out of the peacekeepers' watch. Hydrangea found herself unable to fire the gun; she could not kill her friend. When there were only three seconds left, a loud beeping noise began, and fit of panic took her over. Hydrangea fired. Her friend died in seconds. Orestilla pulled Hydrangea out of her room. There were only seven tributes there: one tribute had failed the task.
Wheaton stepped through the door and saw his brother. They were twins, but his brother had aged by several decades, while Wheaton had stayed at age fourteen during his time on the "other side". His brother had been his companion through good times and bad times, his sole protector and the home's main breadwinner. Wheaton involuntarily dropped the gun, then dropped to his knees, screaming, "I can't do it! I can't do it!" One moment, there was Wheaton and his brother: the next moment, there was pure hellish fire. When the dust settled, there was rubble, no chair, and no Wheaton Naysmith.
Wheaton Naysmith, District 9 Male (Veteran); 6th, Killed by explosives, Day 22 (Intermission 3)
"That's all I have for you five," Orestilla said cheerily. "When you wake up down there in the arena, you're there to stay. Your pasts are all filled with pain, but I hope you remember that you must keep fighting hard even when the road looks rough. May the odds be ever in your favor."
The sun was rising when the tributes re-entered the arena. While the first two intermissions were foggy in their heads, they had vivid memories of the most recent one; it would have been impossible to forget such horrific things. Zealand and Urchin were at opposite ends of the forest, but Urchin began to move in Zealand's direction as the sun rose. A rabid deer mutt chased Zealand to a thin stream that looked clear, and he took a large sip of the water, exhausted from the long run. The water was laced with deadly poison, and the stomach cramps began almost immediately. Zealand hadn't consumed enough to kill him, but it was definitely enough to put him through a world of hurt. He curled up in a copse of bushes and shook lightly. The other career, Urchin, was much more active, traversing several miles of the forest as the sun rose and set for the twenty-third time. After spending several days in one of the flatter forested areas, he decided to head west, where the terrain was much more hilly and uneven; he hoped more tributes would hide there for cover and shelter.
Rimno was almost completely consumed and empty, but now he was filled with something else: anger. The Capitol had made him kill his own mother, and a look of hatred was seated deep in his face as he sulked around the arena. If anything, he was motivated to end these games as quickly as possible, and was now hunting more ferociously than ever. Hydrangea was shaken like a leaf by all of the terrible things she had seen and done, and nobody could blame her for taking a break. She'd found a new treetop home; nestled into the crook of a broad-branched tree, the expanses of sharp, bare branches hid her from the others' view.
The Capitol public urged the gamemakers to put down Strapson more strongly than ever; he was demonstrating more and more insane behavior by the day. Having fallen deeper and deeper into the pit of insanity, and now spent most of the time on the ground babbling nonsense, occasionally stopping to kill a roaming forest mutt or two. His insane behavior had transitioned from entertaining to off-putting. Orestilla still kept him alive: the only way to kill him naturally would be to send one of the careers in his direction, and each the careers were several miles away. Strapson's death would have to wait for the time being.
Speaking of the careers, Zealand was on the prowl. He'd spent most of the day practicing throwing his hatchet, and as the sun rose on Day 24, he spotted his tiny victim scampering quietly through the trees. Hydrangea had left her cave shelter moments earlier to collect the outputs of her various traps and snares. A trap snapped under Zealand's foot, and Hydrangea whipped her head around, sparing only an instant to identify her hunter before bolting for her life.
Hydrangea was an extremely fast runner, but she quickly grew exhausted, and she could not evade Zealand for long. Even if they had broken out into a duel, Zealand's trusty hatchet would have easily overpowered Hydrangea's two hunting daggers. Hydrangea's vision grew blurry and splotchy with panic, and her fate was sealed as soon as she ran face-first into a dead oak tree. She slid to the ground, and Zealand was on top of her in seconds, ruthlessly hacking away at her back and neck with the lethal blade of his weapon. Hydrangea's cannon fired, and Zealand took a quick moment to pilfer her of her supplies before dashing away.
Hydrangea Tinsel, District 11 Female (Veteran); 5th, Killed by Zealand, Day 24
The next three days (Days 25, 26, and 27) were the most uneventful days the fourth Quarter Quell had seen yet. Progress slowed to a crawl. With the four tributes staying still or moving slowly, the Capitol was beginning to thirst for a bloody finale. Zealand, healed from the poison water and rejuvenated by his killing of Hydrangea, was the only one actively hunting. Once, he came within thirty meters of Rimno, but the 3 boy was drawn away by the noise of a scampering animal. Rimno hadn't made a kill in an extremely long time, and was beginning to get bored of the constant and fruitless hunting efforts. Urchin was jogging on the morning of Day 25 when a sudden downward slope appeared. Urchin was too shocked to stop himself before he ran over the edge, rolling and tumbling down the rocky slope. It tore up his skin and drew copious amounts of blood. His sponsors hurriedly supplied him with bandages and disinfectant, but Urchin could do little for himself but wait patiently for his wounds to heal. Strapson got into another conflict on Day 27, reminiscent of his past duels with Cylinder. Rimno was eating lunch near a small, grassy hillock, when Strapson burst out of the shadows, salivating with his crowbar lofted overhead. Rimno managed to stun him long enough for him to escape; Rimno was tempted to kill him, but didn't want to get any closer until his taser had time to recharge.
Day 28 contained little besides the continuation of the Rimno-Strapson conflict. They clashed three times between sunset and sundown, but neither boy could land a lethal wound on the other. Once, Rimno managed to stun Strapson for nearly an hour, giving him more than enough time to escape. He wanted to place several miles between himself and the insane boy, but found his path blocked by deadly bird and wolf mutts spurred on by Orestilla. These games had fallen into a stupor that was slow even for Orestilla's tastes. She was contemplating doing something crazy, like lighting the forest on fire or sending deadly mutts on a rampage through the forest to slaughter the remaining tributes. However, Zealand and Urchin were wandering toward each other, and Orestilla would not let them evade one another again.
Patience paid off, and the audience was treated to another thrilling fight as Zealand spotted a lightly snoozing Urchin in the late morning of Day 29. The night before, Urchin had fallen asleep on the shore of the arena's largest lake, which was crystal clear and sparkled like polished glass in the morning sun. Zealand emerged from the forest on the other side of the lake; he had travelled there for a drink and a quick wash, but was more than happy to tack on another kill to his growing count.
Zealand raced around the edge of the lake. By the time Urchin realized what was happening, it was too late. He hurriedly reached for his whip, but Zealand leapt up behind him, bringing down his hatchet with incredible force. He tried to crawl away, involuntarily flipping onto his back, and Zealand brought down the hatchet into a stomach. His guts began spilling immediately, and Urchin could do nothing but flail like a dying fish as his body slowly failed him. Zealand now had an impressive ten kills, the most of any Quarter Quell tribute in history.
Urchin Wrangel, District 4 Male (Newcomer); 4th, Killed by Zealand, Day 29
By Day 30, it was apparent that the gamemakers had made a decision regarding Strapson. Orestilla had her fun keeping him around and watching him rave, but it was far too late for such petty motives; insane tributes were not allowed to win the games. Orestilla couldn't let him live any longer, but she could certainly make his death amusing.
Orestilla collected half of the mutts in the forest, from birds to deer to wolves to golden squirrels borrowed from the second Quell. There were at least two-hundred of them, and they were gathered in a large circle around Strapson, who was murmuring quietly to himself in his sleep. He woke from one nightmare right into another as the surrounding forest creatures were sicced on him at once. One of the cat-sized squirrels leapt onto his arm, and Strapson tore it off, hissing slightly as its claws tore deep gashes in his forearm.
Strapson slowly looked up and saw the wide line of mutts closing in on him. If he was to go down, he wanted to go down fighting. Strapson pulled out his crowbar and swung it with full force, sending a skeletal deer mutt reeling. A bird dug its claws into his scalp, and he smacked it with his raised fist while he fended off a crowd of sinister bird mutts with his crowbar. He fought violently and relentlessly, but he was quickly overwhelmed. He was forced the ground gradually as the mutts kicked and clawed at him. Soon, he was lying flat on the ground as the various forest mutts bit small chunks of bloody skin out of his body. The mutts cleared away gradually, leaving behind an unrecognizable pile of scraps and bones. His remains were unsightly, and the gamemakers cleaned them up quickly.
Strapson Irving, District 8 Male (Newcomer); 3rd, Killed by forest mutts, Day 30
After an entire month, the crowd of forty-eight tributes had been whittled down to a final two. Fortunately, it contained two of the games' most beloved tributes. Zealand was the cream of the crop as far as District 1 tributes were concerned; having wowed the gamemakers in virtually every standard, he had gone on to slaughter a fifth of the tribute group. If he won, he would bring District 1 its second Quarter Quell victor. However, Rimno was the true underdog. He'd spent half of his life slaving away in the microchip factories of District 3, and had been quite a popular competitor in his original games; while he wasn't the most physically powerful tribute in the games, he was clever and sly and extremely intelligent. With nine of the districts rooting for him, it didn't seem impossible that he could take home the victor's crown.
Days 30 and 31 were filled with lots of preparation for the finalists. Zealand was confident he could take down Rimno. His only weakness was that he didn't know about Rimno's handmade taser weapon; he figured Rimno was merely armed with a knife or other weak weapon. Zealand knew the gamemakers were unlikely to drive the tributes toward the cornucopia for the finale. There wasn't any preparation he could do beyond practicing with his hatchet, chopping down an entire circle of trees and wowing the Capitol for the millionth time.
Rimno's sponsors hurriedly sent him a second weapon, a long machete with a razor-sharp edge. While his taser weapon functioned well, his fans didn't want him to be helpless if it was lost, destroyed, or stolen. The pain in his shoulder had faded by this point: now, he could focus on nothing but the tasks at hand. He was determined to force his way out of the arena at literally any cost, and Rimno Kiely would not give into his career opponent. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
On Day 32, Orestilla let the world blaze. Fires started in the north and south: Rimno was in the north, and Zealand was in the south, and the tributes were driven toward each other. Clouds of noxious black smoke rose into the sky, blocking out the sun as the forest was lit by the swelling flames. The finalists spotted each other from opposite ends of a long valley at nine in the morning, and they raced down their respective hills, meeting each other at the valley's lowest point. Both tributes were prepared to kill the other or die trying.
Zealand's first few blows were powerful. The very first swing of his hatchet disarmed Rimno of his machete, sending the weapon flying. Rimno took the risk of turning around and bending over the retrieve the weapon, and he leapt back to full height to see Zealand bearing down on him.
The duel continued for thirty minutes as the fire roared. Rimno took to the tactic of lashing at his opponent's face, slicing Zealand's eye in half in a single swipe. Zealand let out a loud scream as the slimy ball fell to the ground in several small chunks. He then clapped a hand over his empty eye socket. Things were getting reminiscent of the final duel between Katoptris Parker and Haymitch Abernathy back in the second Quarter Quell. However, neither of these tributes were rebels. President Stinn Hawke was pleased that this Quarter Quell would not be a failure.
The duel ended after nearly an hour. The flames had completely closed in on the valley where the boys were dueling: flames were pulsing and roaring ten meters behind Zealand's back. They were both littered with hundreds of tiny cuts and scrapes, and the final blow was dealt as Zealand tossed his hatchet. Rimno's shoulder was cut, his tracker stopped detecting a heartbeat, and the trumpets sounded in declaration of Zealand's victory.
Both tributes were carried into the hovercraft. Stinn greeted Zealand with a hearty welcome to the victor life, while Rimno's seemingly dead body was carried into the freezing-cold room where the corpses of the forty-six other tributes were lying down in neat rows. He was laid on the ground next to the bodies of the other District 3 tributes. After the Capitol team rushed out of the room, Rimno slowly opened his eyes.
If the gamemakers had done more research on Rimno, they would have known where the pain in his shoulder was coming from. Rimno's parents were some of the many District 3 residents who were still rebellious. When the veterans were brought back to life, Orestilla had given each of them a single day to reunite with friends and family who had thought them dead and gone, and Rimno's rebel family had seen that as the perfect opportunity. They'd embedded a small device into his shoulder: a device that could make him appear dead for a short period of time, only to bring him back to life to wreak havoc in the tribute hovercraft.
Rimno slowly stood up, checked his own heartbeat as if to make sure he was alive, then grabbed a loaded gun from a countertop nearby. "This is for Diamond, Haymitch, and Struve," he murmured. Then he sprinted out of the tribute room and shot Zealand straight through the heart. The medical teams immediately began screaming with confusion and panic. Zealand was dead in a matter of seconds, while Rimno stood smugly in the doorway. The Capitol's scientists couldn't believe it. Rimno had been dead and still only a minute earlier.
One thing was certain, however: Rimno Kiely had beaten the system. For him, there would be hell to pay.
Zealand Cruxe, District 1 Male (Newcomer); 2nd, Killed by Rimno, Day 32
Rimno Kiely, District 3 Male (Veteran); Victor of the One-Hundredth Hunger Games, the Fourth Quarter Quell, Day 32
AFTERMATH
District 3 welcomed their controversial twelfth victor with open arms. Like each of the Quarter Quell victors before him, Rimno returned to his home district to find his friends and family mysteriously gone. President Stinn Hawke was furious that the Quell had slipped through his fingers just when he had it in the palm of his hand, and he raised taxes and work quotas in the technology district for years as punishment. The process of cloning Zealand using a sample of his DNA would have taken months or years, and there was no way it could be done in time for the victor interview or even the victory tour. To their chagrin, the Capitol had no choice but to accept Rimno Kiely as their victor. Rimno lived his entire life in pure hatred of the Capitol; they had made him kill his own mother, and he would never forgive them. He was much like Johanna Mason in many respects, and he hated how dependent on the Capitol he was for food and survival. He donated almost ninety-eight percent of his victory's payouts to the poor of District 3 and to the families of the fallen tributes. Rimno was somewhat lax with rebellion for the rest of his life, but he encouraged many other citizens of District 3 and Panem as a whole to take advantage of the small chinks in the Capitol's armor. These Quarter Quells just kept blowing up in the Capitol's face.
The payouts on his victory were stellar, as 0.2% bet on him.
His victory tour was decent. He was cheered on in spirit by the rebellious outlying districts. District 8 even began cheering for him before the crowd was quieted by peacekeeper gunshots. He was hated most by District 1, where he was ignored and degraded for the entirety of his stay.
Rimno would live to age sixty, dying by assassination around the time of the one-hundred forty-fourth Hunger Games. He would remain completely clean of drugs and alcohol, though he struggled with morphling addiction for roughly a year following his victory. He would never marry, but would enter a deeply committed relationship with a niece of Sickle Salgato's.
NEWS
Rimno moves into the Victor's Village of District 3, across the street from Chipson's home.
Poplin Amsden marries his girlfriend of six years, Threada Collins.
Dock Elizabeth receives an abortion.
Sycamora Bromley bears twin sons, Lumber and Hatchet.
Discordia Komine, the victor of the twenty-ninth Hunger Games, dies from appendicitis.
LIST OF VICTORS
1HG: Cordin Frey (#1, District 3)
2HG: Sapphire Waber (#1, District 1)
3HG: Molly Toliday (#1, District 4)
4HG: Amelia Spangler (#1, District 2)
5HG: Misty Sablone (#1, District 12)
6HG: Olivia Seager (#2, District 2)
7HG: Flux Stafford (#2, District 3)
8HG: Brandi Coyne (#2, District 1)
9HG: Isaac Crandall (#1, District 5)
10HG: Velvet Farrow (#3, District 1)
11HG: Mags Flanagan (#2, District 4)
12HG: Slate Ogston (#3, District 2)
13HG: Woof Dozier (#1, District 8)
14HG: Blaze Skalnik (#4, District 2)
15HG: Dina Wilmarth (#2, District 5)
16HG: Beatrice Toland (#1, District 6)
17HG: Amelia Bankston (#5, District 2)
18HG: Markus Gardd (#2, District 6)
19HG: Odius Ruttler (#6, District 2)
20HG: Seeder Kaiser (#1, District 11)
21HG: Freya Digard (#7, District 2)
22HG: Gold Carson (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ashlyn Breston (#3, District 6)
24HG: Dayta Albrand (#3, District 3)
25HG: Diamond Griego (#5, District 1)
26HG: Thor Rosner (#8, District 2)
27HG: Magnet Lisagor (#4, District 3)
28HG: Maria Dutra (#3, District 4)
29HG: Discordia Komine (#9, District 2)
30HG: Barley Chisolm (#1, District 9)
31HG: Marlin Coppi (#4, District 4)
32HG: Wyatt Kerdler (#5, District 3)
33HG: Molly Soltan (#5, District 4)
34HG: Grover Handa (#1, District 7)
35HG: Troy Stiles (#6, District 4)
36HG: Lana Voltaire (#10, District 2)
37HG: Lucy Said (#7, District 4)
38HG: Porter Tripp (#3, District 5)
39HG: Penelope Turek (#8, District 4)
40HG: Beetee Latier (#6, District 3)
41HG: Radiance Clinton (#6, District 1)
42HG: Technik Hartline (#7, District 3)
43HG: Dylan Levitt (#9, District 4)
44HG: Rye Boyum (#2, District 9)
45HG: Chaff Korsmun (#2, District 11)
46HG: Nolan Wrack (#11, District 2)
47HG: Klink Byrae (#4, District 5)
48HG: Brutus Cordley (#12, District 2)
49HG: Wiress Freid (#8, District 3)
50HG: Haymitch Abernathy (#2, District 12)
51HG: Lyme Mabbett (#13, District 2)
52HG: Ruby Rayfuse (#7, District 1)
53HG: Lily Eckel (#3, District 11)
54HG: Blight Holzer (#2, District 7)
55HG: Emily Pollick (#5, District 5)
56HG: Sally Vasilia (#6, District 5)
57HG: Mason Kittridge (#14, District 2)
58HG: Margaret Cartmill (#1, District 10)
59HG: Tiger Sterne (#8, District 1)
60HG: Cecelia Rieffel (#2, District 8)
61HG: Valerie Easton (#15, District 2)
62HG: Enobaria Rigatti (#16, District 2)
63HG: Gloss Linden (#9, District 1)
64HG: Cashmere Linden (#10, District 1)
65HG: Finnick Odair (#10, District 4)
66HG: Victor Xhang (#17, District 2)
67HG: Augustus Braun (#11, District 1)
68HG: Iuna Mosier (#12, District 1)
69HG: Alexander Westlake (#2, District 10)
70HG: Annie Cresta (#11, District 4)
71HG: Johanna Mason (#3, District 7)
72HG: Remus Daley (#18, District 2)
73HG: Apollo Reinold (#4, District 6)
74HG: Meredith Powell (#4, District 7)
75HG: Struve Lockman (#19, District 2)
76HG: Porcelain Wing (#13, District 1)
77HG: Router Lowell (#9, District 3)
78HG: Surge Upsdell (#7, District 5)
79HG: Kasey Slosser (#5, District 6)
80HG: Tarquinius Orfe (#20, District 2)
81HG: Talisa Plummer (#12, District 4)
82HG: Poplin Amsden (#3, District 8)
83HG: Pixel Watt (#10, District 3)
84HG: Dock Elizabeth (#13, District 4)
85HG: Sycamora Bromley (#5, District 7)
86HG: Bobbin Chern (#4, District 8)
87HG: Organdy Karat (#14, District 1)
88HG: Sickle Salgato (#3, District 9)
89HG: Admired Thompson (#15, District 1)
90HG: Chipson Harris (#11, District 3)
91HG: Mars Talbot (#21, District 2)
92HG: Arnold Scruggs (#3, District 12), Wystella Knapp (#22, District 2), and Robina Caite (#3, District 10)
93HG: Taj King (#16, District 1)
94HG: Steer Drudgers (#4, District 10)
95HG: Diode Cooper (#8, District 5)
96HG: Pluto Talbot (#23, District 2)
97HG: Vine Lilard (#4, District 11)
98HG: Larke Jean (#5, District 10)
99HG: Poseidon Odair (#14, District 4)
100HG: Rimno Kiely (#12, District 3)
A/N: Wow. Wow, guys. I was expecting, I dunno, 16k-17k words. But this ended up 22k words. Like, how the heck does that even happen? Double the tributes, the longest games in history. I'm totally exhausted, but this was so worth it. I personally think the intermissions were a nice touch :D
Now that this story is over, I'd just like to say thank you. Several dozen people have come in and left at different points of this long chronology, and I'm so grateful for how hugely it has evolved not only my writing skill but my relations with users on this site. I get messages often with people apologizing for not reading and reviewing in months or years. Please don't feel bad, as this story has been SO much fun to write and post, and I know it's unrealistic to expect everyone to read the whole thing ;)
Nearly two years after writing about a boy from District 3 named Cordin Frey, I can say that "23 Cannons: The Victor's Compendium" is finally complete.
Oh, but what's this? An epilogue? Hmm…
