A/N: SURPRISE!
THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES
"Hunger Games 101"
INTRODUCTION
The first Hunger Games century had come and gone, and it had brought Panem some of the most memorable games and victors of all time. Beginning with Cordin Frey's forest victory and ending with Rimno Kiely's tracker trickery, the games had transformed from an utterly chaotic brawl among twenty-four clueless kids to the thrilling and highly-anticipated reality show that it is today. By the third Hunger Games, the first three career districts (Districts 1, 2, and 4) had emerged. Beginning with the eighty-fifth Hunger Games, an anti-career alliance began to form every year from the strongest outliers, often bringing home victory for those involved. District 2 had the most victors (a whopping twenty-three). It was followed by District 1 with sixteen victors, District 4 with fourteen victors, District 3 with twelve victors, District 5 with eight victors, Districts 6, 7, and 10 each with five victors, Districts 8 and 11 each with four victors, and Districts 9 and 12 each with three victors. Head Gamemaker Orestilla Frondel was relieved of duty after the failure of the fourth Quarter Quell. She mysteriously disappeared, never to be heard from again, shortly after Rimno's victory tour. President Stinn Hawke, once again weary of detractors, personally selected the next head gamemaker. One of his cronies, the young and imaginative Garnet Russo, had been one of Stinn's most loyal followers for years. He had spent only five years as a minor gamemaker, but he was dynamic and charming and Stinn trusted him to make a recovery from Orestilla's most recent disaster.
The career pack this year was pretty standard fare, but they were sure to put up a fight in the arena. District 1 provided the weakest pair. The male was definitely the weakest of the careers, pulling in an eight, but he could work well with a spear. His district partner earned a nine and probably would have gotten an eight if not for her looks. She preferred bows. District 2's careers had been dating for about four months prior to the reaping. The male was strong and silent, but he had the natural qualities of a leader and would probably lead the pack this year. He also had a short temper. Both tributes from 2 were master swordsmen, but the girl was pretty average-looking and not very muscular. The boy from District 4 was a real showstopper, with impressive strength and aim. His abilities definitely gave competition to the boy from 2, and this would lead to conflict later on. The girl was an archer just like Silena from 1, and this would lead to an interesting friendship between the two careers. The scores of the pack were decent, with two tens, three nines, and an eight.
The outliers this year were remarkably bland, with very few standouts. Vector from 5 was tall and comical and pretty popular in the Capitol, but wasn't very fierce at all. Aspen from 7 had a natural talent for climbing things, but he wasn't the best fighter, while the third and final tribute to earn a seven, Rosita from 11, was great at hiding due to her small size. There wasn't an anti-career alliance this year, and there would not be one for several years thereafter; the utter chaos of the fourth Quarter Quell had seemingly ended that tradition. There were no volunteers besides the careers. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Lapis Trujillo, 18 (8) 8-1 and Silena Hague, 18 (9) 7-1
District 2: Wysten Rendon, 16 (10) 4-1 and Roshelle Counter, 17 (9) 5-1
District 3: Bevin Allaway, 18 (5) 22-1 and Adaline Puccino, 18 (3) 32-1
District 4: Aqua Brymer, 18 (10) 3-1 and Nereid Vogel, 18 (9) 6-1
District 5: Vector Chamberlain, 17 (7) 15-1 and Crynn Mueller, 13 (3) 42-1
District 6: Saren Atil, 15 (4) 29-1 and Lara Jack, 13, (4) 33-1
District 7: Aspen Sprout, 18 (7) 13-1 and Eilen Vardaman, 12 (2) 48-1
District 8: Jacquard Flynn, 16 (6) 15-1 and Cate Whitton, 16 (5) 24-1
District 9: Derick Goff, 14 (3) 40-1 and Charissa Conrad, 18 (5) 23-1
District 10: Raymond Nielsen, 18 (4) 25-1 and Janel Ranch, 18 (4) 25-1
District 11: Barney Haight, 16 (5) 24-1 and Rosita Dickinson, 16 (7) 18-1
District 12: Verlen Latham, 14 (2) 45-1 and Chassidy Pipkin, 15 (3) 38-1
HGBO Bets: 22% on Aqua, 20% on Wysten, 18% on Roshelle, 13% on Silena and Nereid, 10% on Lapis, 2% on Vector, Aspen, and Rosita, 1% or less on Bevin, Adaline, Crynn, Saren, Lara, Eilen, Jacquard, Cate, Derick, Charissa, Raymond, Janel, Barney, Verlen, and Chassidy.
THE GAMES
The first thing the tributes noticed was the smell of the underground. The cornucopia was in the central hub of an enormous cavern system stretching on for miles. However, this was not just any cave system. The tributes were surrounded by towering selenite crystals the size of buildings, formed over millions of years deep in the earth. In some places, the crystals were sparse, but in others, they were so close together the tributes would be forced to scale them if they wanted to get past. Despite the seeming plainness of the arena, there was food if you knew how to find it. Old wooden chests, ranging in size, were scattered generously around the arena, which contained everything from medicine to clean water to extra clothes. If the tributes listened carefully, they could hear the roaring of the subterranean river that cut through the arena. Anyone unlucky enough to fall into it would be instantly swept away, with virtually no hope of survival. Temperatures were intense, over ninety degrees Farenheit, but the air was cooler near the river. Garnet hoped this would keep the tributes close together, so that bloodshed was bound to ensue.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Aqua was the first tribute to find a weapon, taking a trident placed about halfway between his pedestal and the cornucopia. His path was only dimly lit by the glowing crystals, so the tributes looked like blobs of shadow racing through the darkness. One outlier came too close, failing to see Aqua, and the boy from 4 dispatched him by thrusting the prongs of the trident into her chest.
Chassidy Pipkin, District 12 Female: 24th, Killed by Aqua, Bloodbath
In distress, Chassidy's district partner turned sharply on his heel and ran away from the cornucopia, screaming with terror. He was easy prey for Wysten, who had armed himself with a sword. The boy from 12 was dead before he knew what had hit him, and Wysten smirked as he tore the blade of his sword out of his first victim's chest.
Verlen Latham, District 12 Male: 23rd, Killed by Wysten, Bloodbath
Silena and Nereid, the best girl friends from the career pack, scooped up a pair of twin bows and instantly went in for the kill. Two outlier girls had made an uneasy truce not to kill each other during the bloodbath. So much for survival. Silena attacked the older girl, sending her to the cave floor with a well-aimed volley of two arrows. The other girl fell to her knees a moment later, clawing at her throat as Nereid's arrow skewered her through the neck. Silena and Nereid retrieved their arrows and fled.
Adaline Puccino, District 3 Female: 22nd, Killed by Silena, Bloodbath
Crynn Meuller, District 5 Female: 21st, Killed by Nereid, Bloodbath
Aqua had already located his next victim. Nearby, the boy from 9 was flopping around like a dying fish, slowly bleeding out from a sword wound inflicted by Roshelle from 2 moments earlier. Aqua finished him off with one stab of his trident.
Derick Goff, District 9 Male: 20th, Killed by Roshelle and Aqua, Bloodbath
Meanwhile, Roshelle had rendezvoused with her boyfriend Wysten, and they were working together to corner Raymond from 10, who put up a good fight with his sword despite having only trained for one day. Sweat poured down Raymond's forehead as utter terror crept into his mind; he couldn't hold off the pair from 2 forever, so he figured he may as well take a big risk. He pounced at Roshelle, tackling her off of her feet. Raymond slashed the triangle-shaped blade across Roshelle's neck. Raymond got to his feet and ran for his life as Roshelle gurgled, coughing up blood.
Roshelle Counter, District 2 Female: 19th, Killed by Raymond, Bloodbath
In a bout of rage, Wysten tackled the running Raymond from behind, pinning him the ground before he could split away. Raymond had killed his girlfriend, and he was not about to let the perpetrator go unpunished. Wysten began digging the point of his sword across Raymond's chest, and the outlier shrieked as his consciousness gradually left him.
Raymond Nielsen, District 10 Male: 18th, Killed by Wysten, Bloodbath
Lapis made his first kill. He'd managed to find a spear near the cornucopia, and he dispatched the nearby morphling addict. The boy had been stumbling around the cornucopia field for almost an entire minute, utterly terrified and confused. He was easy meat for the boy from District 1, who ended his entire life of suffering with the point of his spear.
Saren Atil, District 6 Male: 17th, Killed by Lapis, Bloodbath
The duo of Silena and Nereid were doing an awesome job fighting together. They'd relocated nearer to the crystal cornucopia, trapping a small girl inside the horn. She blanched and tried to run for safety, but found two arrows in her chest before she could take five steps.
Eilen Vardaman, District 7 Female: 16th, Killed by Silena and Nereid, Bloodbath
Wysten made the final two kills. He was in a fit of utter rage after Roshelle's death, and he was a murdering machine, racing through the cornucopia field maiming whatever outliers he came near. The farmer boy from 11 fell under his sword, and he knocked down another tribute in his descent, the microchip factory worker from 3. He couldn't get out from under the dying farmer boy fast enough, and he fell victim to Wysten's lethal blade soon after.
Barney Haight, District 11 Male: 15th, Killed by Wysten, Bloodbath
Bevin Allaway, District 3 Male: 14th, Killed by Wysten, Bloodbath
Moods were tense as the careers threw things into order at the cornucopia. Silena and Nereid volunteered to organize the supplies so they would have plenty of time to talk about archery and various feminine matters. Aqua was furious; he had more bets than Wysten and thought he should be the leader, but was apprehensive about challenging the boy from 2 until he settled down a little. Only Lapis could calm Wysten down. Lapis carried him through a short meditation session and then suggested he do the nearby hunting to let off some steam. Liking the idea, Wysten sprinted away with his sword, and Lapis helped Aqua sort the weapons while he was away.
The remaining outliers scattered across the cave system, virtually all of them travelling toward the river for fresh water and a more bearable temperature. Vector from 5 was armed with two hunting knives and a jar of fruit preserves. Feeling confident, he travelled down a tunnel parallel to the river, where there were few crystals but lots of shadowy places to hide. Lara from 6 was terrified. She'd initially run into the bloodbath, but turned around as soon as she saw the first death. She reached the river and sat cross-legged on the rocky shore, crying softly as droplets of condensation formed on her light skin. Aspen from 7 had no trouble navigating the cave. He'd learned a thing or two about climbing by working in the lumberyard back in 7. When he scaled one of the giant selenite crystals in less than ten minutes, his mentor Johanna rewarded him with a basket of dinner rolls and even a few headache pills. He was armed with two knives but was hoping to find or receive a hatchet at some point in the near future. Jacquard from 8 had a sword, but it was pretty cumbersome in his small and untrained hands. He spent the day searching for a quiet, out-of-the-way place to practice. He finally found it around noon, a circular chamber lit by a single crystal that ran across the ceiling. Jacquard settled down and ate a little bread from the cornucopia before beginning his practice. Cate from 8 tried to make her way toward the river, but found her path constantly blocked by dead ends and turns that took her away from her goal. She wasn't worried about dehydration (she had a full thermos from the bloodbath) but the labyrinth-like arena was beginning to drive her up the wall. Charissa from 9 and Janel from 10 hadn't spoken to each other before the games, but when they bumped into each other halfway through Day 1, they decided to ally. They shared supplies and then set up camp at the riverside, where they drank some icy-cold water and fed themselves on a metal tin of berries Janel had snatched from the bloodbath. Rosita from 11 found the first chest, tucked behind a crystal about a mile from the cornucopia. She wiggled the chest out of its hiding place and found it filled with canned goods and clean water. Grateful for her find, Rosita hydrated herself and had a snack, then settled down near that place to rest. Things were pretty peaceful as Day 1 came to its conclusion. With no way of telling night from day, the death recap was the only way for the tributes to tell what day it was, and even then, exact times of day were hard to discern.
Day 2 was similarly uneventful. The careers left the cornucopia around six o'clock in the morning. Aqua stayed at the cornucopia, not because he didn't want to hunt, but because he wanted some time away from Wysten. He knew any more conflict between himself and Wysten would probably split the pack apart, and he wanted the group to stay together. He was even willing to sacrifice a few days of hunting just to keep the pack in one piece, an odd decision; time would tell whether this would pay off.
Jacquard stayed put in the circular chamber he'd chosen for sword practice. Unbeknownst to him, Aspen was travelling in his direction, and by the end of Day 2, he was just a little too close for comfort. Bobbin sent him a note cryptically warning him of the nearby 7 boy, and he tried his best to decode the puzzle, but had no luck. He wasn't stupid enough to discard the note, but he tucked it into his pocket and promised to continue working on it once he felt confident with his sword.
Cate finally found her way to the river, a sigh of relief tumbling from her throat the second she felt the spray of fresh water on her sweat-caked face. Earlier that day, she'd found a chest containing rope, and she used this to her advantage to fill her empty thermos. She tied the hook of the thermos onto one end of the rope and lowered it down into the treacherous river, where she could fill it up without risking falling in herself.
Vector kept up his strategy of moving parallel to the river without actually walking along the riverside. He knew that was where most of the tributes would be, possibly including the careers, and he figured his current position gave him a good balance of distance and closeness (he didn't want to wander too far from the river, because it was a fantastic source of clean water). Vector found one of the largest tunnels of the cavern system, where there were about fifty yards between the building-size crystals. Once, he had to climb up about ten feet to squeeze past a net of selenite crystals, but ultimately the crystals posed little trouble.
Unbeknownst to him, the careers were in the same tunnel, moving the other direction. He was curled up on the ground in the early morning of Day 3, sweating profusely in his sleep from the relentless heat of the underground. Lapis was the first career to see the sleeping boy, and he went in for the kill before any of the other careers had time to notice. Lapis had the fewest kills of the career tributes, and he was thirsty to prove himself to his allies and earn his lasting place in the pack. Vector woke with a start as Lapis' spear pierced his abdomen. He tried to stumble to safety, but he was disoriented and sleep-addled and ultimately unprepared to fight for his own survival. Wysten, Silena, and Nereid stumbled into sight as Vector's cannon sounded, and Lapis turned with a grin on his face to welcome his allies to the scene.
Vector Chamberlain, District 5 Male: 13th, Killed by Lapis, Day 3
The rest of Day 3 contained minor conflict between the outliers. Rosita from 11 was relocating when she saw the pathetic form of Lara from 6 curled up on the ground, shaking with terror. Lara thought Rosita was going to kill her, but she didn't have the heart to do so, so she pretended not to see her. Charissa and Janel were getting along pretty well, but Janel was starting to get suspicious. She woke on the morning of Day 4 to see Charissa sharpening her knives, and a part of her mind suspected Charissa had been planning to kill her in her sleep. The seeds of paranoia had been planted, and a plant of conflict was sure to bloom.
Aspen discovered Jacquard's hiding place on Day 4. He'd continued to impress the audience with his climbing skills, so much so that he'd received enough fresh food and water to last him at least half a week. However, he had yet to get the hatchet he desperately wanted. When he saw Jacquard relaxing against the cave wall, he pulled out his knives, ready for the kill. Jacquard stumbled back in horror, even his instincts leaving him as his face turned white with fear.
Luckily for him, there was just enough light for Aspen to make out Jacquard's face. They'd talked in the training center, having spent almost half a day at the shelter-building station together, and that was what saved Jacquard's life. "I'm not going to kill you," Aspen said. "I'm Sprout. Remember me from the training center?"
Jacquard slowly lowered his spear, contemplating whether to run for his life or stick with Aspen. He ended up deciding to trust an old friend. The boys wandered the arena and compared notes on their observations of the arena as the day passed.
Day 5 was the most uneventful day so far. The careers returned to the cornucopia, where Aqua was still waiting, beyond eager to go hunting. Fortunately, Wysten was much less upset after a few days of hunting, and the two boys didn't grate much. The other three careers (Lapis, Silena, and Nereid) were glad the two strongest tributes were getting along again. They thought it was all behind them. Lara continued to do absolutely nothing, cowering in a distant pocket of the cave system. She was experiencing extreme symptoms of morphling withdrawal, and while it wouldn't kill her, her inactivity probably would sooner than later. Aspen and Jacquard continued to explore the arena together. They had a great dynamic, and Aspen taught Jacquard the first few things about crystal climbing. Cate continued to travel along the river, hunger beginning to set in. If she left the riverside, she might have found a few chests filled with helpful supplies, but the comfort of the river blinded her from logic somewhat. Tensions grew between Charissa and Janel. Janel became more and more paranoid by the day that Charissa was out to kill her, and Charissa tried her best to keep Janel comforted, but Janel suspected Charissa was only being nice to lure her into a false sense of security. Rosita continued to hide and relax. Vine sent her dark makeup and some brushes to help her blend into the arena, and she was so good at camouflage that the Capitol didn't mind her staying relatively solitary and stationary as Day 5 progressed.
On Day 6, Janel's sanity broke. The oppressive heat of the arena and the stress of survival in inhospitable conditions had shattered her sanity. When Charissa nonchalantly suggested they start to hunt for other tributes, Janel leapt up without warning, yelling at her and calling her a murderer. Charissa smartly stumbled backward, unnerved by Janel's sudden tantrum. Janel began to chase her; Charissa could have definitely overpowered her, but she couldn't bring herself to harm her ally. She hoped Janel would come to her senses if given enough time.
Unfortunately, Charissa quickly found her path blocked by two crystals jutting through the cave. The gap between was too narrow for her fit between, and Charissa turned around, words falling from her lips in incoherent strings as she tried to reason with the crazy girl. Janel scooped up a big rock in each hand, and the rest went exactly as you would think. Charissa tried to escape but found herself met by both rocks, which hit her head from different angles and sent her spiraling into death as Janel scoffed at her fall.
Charissa Conrad, District 9 Female: 12th, Killed by Janel, Day 6
Lara finally got moving on Day 7. The gamemakers played footstep sound-effects nearby. Lara thought they were real footsteps and stumbled away as fast as he weak legs could carry her. She found a chest of food and had her biggest meal since the Capitol. With newfound energy, she broke into a run, racing into the trap the gamemakers had set for her. Lara Jack was about to unleash chaos upon the arena.
Lara found her path blocked by a net of sticky strands. Each strand was the thickness of her gnarled fingers. Thinking of creatures with eight legs, she turned around to run, but two crystals had emerged from the walls in a cross-shape, trapping her with the large web. She had no direction to go but into the web, and she made the journey with surprising courage for a girl so small.
Rosita had crafted quite the disguise. She'd smeared her clothes with mud and caked all of her exposed skin with dark makeup. She was almost impossible to see, and her disguise saved her life less than an hour after she completed it. She heard the footsteps of Silena and Nereid, who'd split away from the rest of the pack to hunt with only one another for a few hours. Rosita would have definitely been seen if not for her disguise, and she let out a deep sigh when the girls passed, thankful for Vine's gift.
Lara kept on moving through the thick web. She knew what she would encounter eventually, and she was hardly surprised when she heard the noise of scuttling legs. If she was in her right mind, she would have hidden and taken a weapon, but her central nervous system was way out whack from her morphling withdrawal. She approached the enormous spider with incredible calmness, and it was more than happy to make Lara her first victim. The mutt was borrowed from the twenty-sixth Hunger Games, where it had killed Silvana from 7 and Romeo from 1 before its removal. Now, the mutt was back, and it was thirsty for tribute blood. Lara hardly fought back as the mutt enveloped Lara in its eight furry legs. Each leg was six feet long, with hairs that turned and felt her skin like they had minds of their own. The spider sank its jaws into her neck and destroyed her instantly, her skin sizzling at the kiss of the acidic poison. The spider tossed her aside and scuttled the way Lara had come, squeezing between the crystals in pursuit of more blood.
Lara Jack, District 6 Female: 11th, Killed by spider mutt, Day 7
"You shouldn't have done that," Aqua said, with his arms crossed, when Silena and Nereid got back to the cornucopia. "Going off by yourselves? We're a pack. We have to stay together." Silena and Nereid had left when Aqua was resting, knowing he would be adamantly against divisions forming in the pack. Aqua was worried the two girls would split away.
"Smaller groups move faster. It's their lives, they can leave when they want," Wysten countered, getting to his feet. In twenty seconds, the wound in Wysten and Aqua's friendship opened right back up. Lapis, Silena, and Nereid backed away slowly as Wysten and Aqua tossed insults at one another, circling each other with their hands on their weapons.
"It's too early for in-fighting. We're a pack, like you said, remember?" There was pleading in Lapis' eyes, but this time, he couldn't calm Wysten down. Wysten lunged, and he almost skewered Aqua straight through the chest with his sword before he leapt out of the way. Aqua momentarily lost his grip on his trident, and that was all Wysten needed to get the upper hand. He put his sword on Aqua's neck, preparing to push it into his skin.
The three others observed with horror. Did they interfere or let the fight play out by itself? In a moment of sudden clarity, Silena and Nereid leapt into the fight. Silena sided with Wysten, while Nereid helped defend Aqua, trying to thwart the path of the sword about to kill him.
"We're a pack, remember! Friends!" Lapis shouted helplessly. He found himself swept up in the fight against his will, when Nereid begged for help keeping Wysten away from the unarmed Aqua. Even the combined effort of Lapis and Nereid couldn't hold back Wysten's rage, however, and Aqua's eyes rolled back into his head as the sword went straight through his neck. He fell at the 1s' feet, and a cannon fired as the surviving careers struggled to decide whose side they were on.
Aqua Brymer, District 4 Male: 10th, Killed by Wysten, Day 7
Silena had helped Wysten, and Nereid felt betrayed because she had sided with Aqua in the fight. "I thought you were my friend," Nereid spat, anger glittering in her eyes. "You and Wysten are the reason Aqua is dead!"
And in that moment, Nereid fired at Silena and Wysten. Her first arrow missed Silena by inches, but her second arrow was true, piercing a furious Wysten's chest. Wysten fell to the cave floor, bleeding out. Silena gasped, putting her hands over her mouth; she'd narrowly escaped death at the hands of her best friend. Wysten died as Lapis shouted, "Friends, remember? Friends!" and Silena's face contorted with betrayal.
Wysten Rendon, District 2 Male: 9th, Killed by Nereid, Day 7
That left the final eight: Lapis Trujillo and Silena Hague from District 1, Nereid Vogel from District 4, Aspen Sprout from District 7, Jacquard Flynn and Cate Whitton from District 8, Janel Ranch from District 10, and Rosita Dickinson from District 11.
Surprisingly enough, Days 8 and 9 were deathless. Silena and Nereid's friendship hadn't been completely ruined, but Silena was more than just a little upset at her best friend; she'd tried to kill her! Lapis did an okay job at getting them comfortable with each other again, but ultimately, the career girls would never see each other the same again. Aspen and Jacquard continued to impress the Capitol, slaying a few smaller mutts sent their way by the gamemakers. Jacquard was getting better and better at climbing from Aspen's lessons, and before long, they could go basically anywhere in the arena by climbing over and under the selenite crystals blocking their path. Cate gave up her dependence on the river and began to explore the outer reaches of the arena. Out there, the crystals were bigger and closer together, but Cate was small and could often fit through the barriers given enough time. She was terrified of getting stuck somewhere and having no choice but to wait for death or commit suicide. Janel had not gone completely insane; killing Charissa had seemingly satisfied her sudden manic urge. She was relatively calm at the beginning of the second week, hunting occasionally but mostly relaxing toward the outer reaches of the arena.
Rosita was the first tribute unlucky enough to be found by the spider mutt. It had been moving somewhat aimlessly through the cavern for the past three days, hoping to find tributes. Rosita could hide from the human eye, but the mutt had excellent vision, and she did not go unnoticed. Rosita was calmly eating lunch when the spider burst out of nowhere, roaring viciously as venom dripped from its fangs. She screeched and ran for her life, leaving all of her supplies behind. Soon she had no choice but to fight back; she couldn't run forever, and, in fact, she was already getting tired. She turned around and shakily drew her single knife. She fought pretty well, but there was no way she could overpower the creature. The only damage she'd made was a medium-depth cut in the spiders front-left leg before she was killed, pierced by the sizzling fangs of the bloodthirsty mutt. Having caused two kills, the mutt was removed by the gamemakers.
Rosita Dickinson, District 11 Female: 8th, Killed by spider mutt, Day 10
Silena stayed at the cornucopia while Lapis and Nereid hunted on Day 10. The stress of her dissolving friendship with Nereid was eating away at her on the inside, and she hoped some time apart would be beneficial. Nereid did most of the work while Lapis trailed behind; Lapis wasn't the most confident fighter, and he trusted Nereid to kill almost anything they would encounter.
Janel had started to teach herself to climb the crystals. She started by forcing herself through gaps that were only a little too high for her to reach without lifting her feet off the ground. Then she began scaling the crystals themselves, feeling their surfaces for small handholds to pull herself up. She was doing pretty well by herself, a great recovery after her sudden mad episode. The Capitol had once considered eliminating her (writing her off as a lunatic who wasn't allowed to win) but the general public was beginning to like Janel again somewhat. Anyway, a decision didn't have to be made yet; Garnet had plenty of time to let her live before making a decision.
Aspen and Jacquard continued to hunt. They'd been casually searching for weaker tributes for over a week, but it wasn't until Day 11 that their hard work finally paid off. Earlier, they'd settled down in a circle chamber similar to the place Jacquard had spent the first few days of the games practicing with his sword. They never kept still for very long because they really were eager to find prey. Jacquard wanted to put the duo on the map as far as victory was concerned, while Aspen's ulterior motive was getting the hatchet he so desperately wanted.
Meanwhile, Cate had returned the river. It had an oddly magnetic force on the girl; she could never stay away from it for very long. She alternated between walking and jogging, scared to go too fast for fear of slipping on the slick stone. At one point, she went just a little bit too fast, and her thermos slipped from her grasp as she slid over the rock like an ice skater. Cate cursed in frustration as her thermos fell in the river. Thinking it may not have fallen all the way down the riverbank, she lay down flat on her stomach and reached over the edge, feeling for her thermos.
At that moment, Aspen and Jacquard arrived. They'd been following the late Vector's strategy of sticking close to the river without actually moving along the bank. However, they hadn't drunk from the river in almost a day, and they took a left turn for the river, eager for a drink. Jacquard began to push Cate over the edge, but Aspen rudely pushed him away. He wanted to make the kill himself, and not by pushing the girl into the river. Cate screamed and tried to run, moving away from the edge of the river, just like Aspen wanted. She fell under Aspen's knives, gasping and sobbing with fear as the 7 boy messily cut open her chest and abdomen. Her cannon fired, and ten seconds later, a silver parachute twinkled through a hole in the ceiling, carrying the hatchet he had been lusting after for so long. Smiling crazily, Aspen lifted the weapon, gesturing for a disgruntled Jacquard to follow him into the unknown.
Cate Whitton, District 8 Female: 7th, Killed by Aspen, Day 11
Day 12 was deathless. The career pack constituted half the remaining tributes. They were starting to make Garnet a little uncomfortable. If they didn't wipe out one or two of their own members on Day 12 or 13, Garnet would send his own threat after them to cut down the size of their group. Silena and Nereid still had bad blood, and Lapis was beginning to develop a thicker skin. He accepted that conflict was bound to occur within the trio, and he began to conspire to take down the girls and make it home to his family and friends. Aspen was obsessed with his new hatchet. Jacquard was not obsessed with the hatchet. The giant weapon made Jacquard extremely uncomfortable, and he felt threatened every time Aspen swung the weapon jokingly. Aspen had changed significantly from the boy he once knew, and with only six tributes left, Jacquard knew he had no duty to stay allied with Aspen any longer. He vowed to quietly break up his alliance with Aspen the next morning. Janel was a curious creature, frequently alternating between seemingly two or three different personalities. She hunted and fought well against the mutt Garnet sent her way, so there was no reason to kill her, but if she lost her mind again, it was game over for her.
The moment Aspen started snoring after the death recap on Day 12, Jacquard ran for his life. It was a smart move; Aspen was good friends with Jacquard, but they weren't so close that Jacquard felt completely safe in his company. Jacquard explored the cave of crystals, giving himself time to relax when he wanted. It felt great to be free of his alliance with Aspen, and with a sword of his own, he felt confident enough that he could reach victory if he played his cards right.
At the cornucopia, someone else was stirring trouble in the dead of night. It was Lapis' shift to guard the horn. Silena and Nereid knew him to be peaceful and gave him the longest shifts because they never suspected he would turn on them or abandon them. They were wrong; Lapis Trujillo had changed significantly over just a few days. He spent ten minutes looking back and forth between Silena and Nereid, wondering which girl he should kill first. As soon as he killed one girl, the other would wake. Did he kill Silena and risk facing Nereid's wrath, or take out the stronger Nereid right away and then flee?
If he didn't make his decision now, he never would. Lapis gripped his spear so hard his knuckles turned while as he approached a lightly snoozing Nereid. He inhaled sharply and thrust the point of his spear through Nereid's chest before he could change his mind. Nereid and Silena both woke up instantly. Lapis was a few precious strides ahead of Silena, and Lapis sprinted away as fast as his legs could carry him while Silena followed in hot pursuit. As Silena chased the traitor over and under the giant crystals, Nereid cried to herself, calling out for her friend Silena to be with her in her final moments. Silena did not return.
Nereid Vogel, District 4 Female: 6th, Killed by Lapis, Day 13
Karma's real. Lapis had been running for less than a minute when he found his path blocked by a net of treacherous crystals. He screamed out a curse word as his spear fell out of his hands, clattering along the cave floor for a few seconds before coming to a stop. He glanced around to face a rapidly firing Silena and knew he had no choice but to climb. He put up a good effort, shinnying up the mammoth crystal like the jungle gyms he'd used as a child in District 1. But Silena was a very talented archer. One of her arrows landed in Lapis' back, and he immediately fell from his perch, tumbling nearly twenty feet to the cave floor. Meat and blood flew like confetti. "Traitor," Silena muttered, returning to the cornucopia as Lapis' cannon shot fired.
Lapis Trujillo, District 1 Male: 5th, Killed by Silena, Day 13
For the final four, Day 13 was filled with lots of preparation. Silena stuck to the cornucopia and armed herself to the teeth, ready to either defend herself to her final breath or leave the horn at a moment's notice to off the remaining outliers. It was pretty clear she had not been showing her full potential in her private session. Aspen was a little shocked when he woke to find Jacquard missing, but he was still elated to have his new hatchet, and he spent the entire day practicing. He had incredible talent with the weapon, and he was looking like fierce competition for the victor's crown. Jacquard spent most of the day moving back toward the cornucopia. He was pretty far away from the center of the arena, and he knew moving even farther away would just increase the risk of Garnet-sent threats, especially this late in the game. He was getting pretty good with his sword, and he was starting to seem like an actual competitor for once. The least likely contender, Janel, wandered aimlessly without straying too far away from the horn. There weren't many threats besides the other tributes, and none of them were in the area of her arena. At one point, Garnet sent a hoard of rats with razor-sharp teeth after her, just to drive her toward the other tributes. Janel killed all of the mutts within minutes.
A short skirmish between Aspen and Janel on Day 14. The gamemakers sent off a loud banging noise between them. They both moved toward the noise to investigate, and they spotted each other from opposite ends of a long, crystal-free tunnel. Aspen raced toward Janel, but the 10 girl freaked out and raced in the opposite direction. She found her path blocked by a newly-summoned crystal barrier. Janel scooped up a baseball-sized stone nearby and lobbed it at Aspen. He cried out in pain as the rock connected with his shoulder, giving Janel enough time to slip under the crystals and escape. Neither of them had died, but they were now in the same part of the arena, and more fighting between the two tributes was bound to ensue.
The Aspen-Janel conflict was resolved early on Day 15. Aspen had been on the hunt for the elusive Janel ever since she escaped him the day prior, and this time, Janel didn't have enough warning to make a run for it. Aspen heard her footsteps and hunkered down, worried it might be Silena, but when he saw the size of her silhouette, he knew it was none other than Janel. Aspen pounced, trapping her against the wall of the cave before she had time to scream. Aspen cut open her chest with two heavy chops, and she fell like a sack of rocks, landing in a heap as her cannon sounded. He took a quick moment to pilfer her of her supplies before leaving the scene.
Janel Ranch, District 10 Female: 4th, Killed by Aspen, Day 15
Jacquard was in a sticky situation. He knew he was the least popular of the three remaining tributes, and he wanted to make a big splash to bring attention to put himself on the map, or at least draw a little attention away from the others. He had his fair share of fans in the Capitol, but he could not be dissuaded from getting closer and closer to the cornucopia. Bobbin urged him to seek out Aspen rather than Silena, but Jacquard wanted to go for the last career and eliminate the biggest competition before the finale. If he let Silena survive until the finale, he didn't think he would be able to take her down.
Silena was standing guard in front of the cornucopia, bow in hand, when she heard Jacquard's footsteps. He'd smartly approached the horn from behind, but Silena's hearing was stellar, and the boy could not evade her for long. Silena backed up slightly, entering the horn itself; she wanted to ambush Jacquard when he came around to the front of the cornucopia.
Her plan went exactly as she hoped. Jacquard was a decent fighter, but his skills just couldn't compare to the trained career. Within ten seconds, Silena had put three arrows in his torso, and she didn't stop then. He fell to his knees, wailing in pain. Before long, his body was peppered with holes from Silena's arrows, and blood flowed downhill like a miniature river. She retrieved her arrows and then took a seat inside the cornucopia so his body could be collected.
Jacquard Flynn, District 8 Male: 3rd, Killed by Silena, Day 15
That left Aspen and Silena to vie for victory. Aspen took a few minutes to get his head back on his shoulders. He'd started to worry about whether he should wait to fight Jacquard away from the cornucopia or move straight toward the horn to challenge the career herself. He wasn't sure who the last cannon shot had belonged to. If it was Jacquard's, he should start to move toward the horn. If it was Silena's, he wouldn't need to. Either way, he figured the gamemakers would like him closer to the horn, and he was antsy to get moving.
Silena wasn't sure who her last competitor was, but whoever it was, she got tired of waiting for him. She refilled her quiver of arrows and put a dagger in her shoe, then left the cornucopia. The gamemakers used mutts to guide her toward Aspen, who was conveniently moving in her direction. Aspen heard nearby movement, but wasn't sure who it was; the other tribute or a mutt? He peered in the darkness for answers. As soon as he saw the sprinting career girl, he lofted his hatchet, ready to take her down or die trying.
As Silena approached, Aspen's confidence began to waver, and he ducked behind a nearby crystal for protection: not only from her sight, but from her deadly arrows. The crystal stretched diagonally across the tunnel, and it was thick enough to hide most of Aspen's body when he hunkered down at the end touching the floor. Aspen didn't think Silena had seen him, but he was wrong. One of her arrows hit the small of his back, the small area exposed overtop of his crystalline shield. Aspen howled in pain as blood trickled down his back. She broke into a run, grinning. She only needed one or two more arrows to kill him and go back to District 1.
When she reached the crystal, Aspen was nowhere to be found. She glanced upward as Aspen came crashing down, 140 pounds of District 7 Male accompanied by his hatchet. Aspen brought down the blade with all the force he could muster, nearly cleaving Silena's skull completely in half. Her cannon fired instantly, and Aspen stylishly broke his fall with a roll.
Silena Hague, District 1 Female: 2nd, Killed by Aspen, Day 15
"Aspen Sprout of District 7, you are the victor of the one-hundred first annual Hunger Games!" Titanius exclaimed, rubbing his neck.
Aspen forced a smile onto his face as the ceiling opened up to show the hovercraft that would remove him from his prison.
Aspen Sprout, District 7 Male: Victor of the One-Hundred First Hunger Games, Day 15
AFTERMATH
All of Panem took a deep breath when Aspen won the games. Stinn's temper was running extremely short after the fourth Quarter Quell, and another rebellious victor was sure to make the president mad: the kind of mad that destroys districts. Aspen was well-liked by the president, and he was paraded around Panem especially flamboyantly in an effort to overshadow Rimno Kiely as much as possible. Aspen tried his best to fill the victor role, and though he didn't like it very much, he always aspired to be the best version of herself he could be and set a good example for the young people of Panem. He did not go without trauma, however. He became terrified of forests, scared someone would jump out of the trees and kill him, just like he had done to Silena. Lofty train stations, and any high-ceilinged buildings in fact, also made him nervous. He briefly struggled with alcohol addiction shortly after his victory, but made a speedy recovery.
The payouts on his victory were good, as 2% bet on him.
His victory tour was quite a spectacle, with extravagant speeches and bright colors set up by the Capitol. It was a little entertaining even for the outlying districts, who were glad to see one of their own make it out of the arena.
Aspen would live to age seventy-eight, dying from heart problems three months before the one-hundred sixty-first annual Hunger Games. He would marry and have four children.
NEWS
Aspen settles into the Victor's Village of District 7, across the street from Sycamora's home.
Admired Thompson bears twin sons, Gild and Trim.
Mars Talbot gets married to his girlfriend of four years, Hyda Willon.
Arnold Scruggs has his third child, a girl named Sylvia.
Taj King marries a renowned Capitol jeweler, Carmine Smithers.
Organdy Karat marries her boyfriend Asher Lenehan.
Dayta Albrand, victor of the twenty-fourth Hunger Games, dies from blood pressure problems.
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)
101HG: Aspen Sprout (#6, District 7)
A/N: Well, well, well. This idea started when I saw a picture of the Cueva de los cristales in Mexico. My first thought was that it would be an absolutely awesome arena for the Hunger Games. That made me realize how much I miss writing 23 Cannons, so I went back and wrote this! I'm pretty out of shape with writing in the 23 Cannons format, so please let me know how I did, and if you want to see more! I'm not sure if I'll continue to update this story (this was kind of like a bonus chapter I guess). Maybe just from time to time. Either way, hope you enjoyed the surprise :D
