THE ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH ANNUAL HUNGER GAMES
"Emerald City"
INTRODUCTION
Fear was brewing in a dark cloud over Panem; even after an entire year of geopolitical tension involving nuclear weapons, the Panemian Cold War was far from over. The governments of the first two districts, fearing violent interference from the Capitol if their stockpiles continued to grow, urged their scientists to dismantle their arsenals, but such a thing was impossible; there were hundreds of crude weapons all over these two districts. In the early months of the new year, District 4 became the third district to establish a nuclear stockpile, purifying and processing enough uranium to fashion approximately ten bombs. The nation waited with bated breath to see what would happen; at any moment, it seemed, the explosives could be launched and human civilization suddenly ended. Even worse was the fear that a rogue officer or scientist, without regard for the consequences of his actions, would start an attack that would escalate irreversibly into full-on war. President Stinn Hawke used this fear to his advantage, keeping the outer districts under his control with his trademark iron fist. Stinn claimed to be installing force fields around the large population centers in some of the outer districts, which could suddenly be activated in the instance of a nuclear attack to prevent mass deaths. None of this propaganda was true, but it kept the districts kneeling at the Capitol's feet, acting with loyalty and respect toward the political entity "protecting" them from mass destruction. Eventually, it was time for the annual Hunger Games, and the career districts started paying less attention to growing their arsenals and more attention toward training tributes for the games. If these districts refused to provide trained tributes, conflict would sure arise; there was no use doing anything but follow the Capitol's rule for the time being. Garnet Russo returned as head gamemaker; the Capitol had liked last year's arena. Though some criticized the slanted landscape as making the competition too random, there was no reason not to let Garnet back. Also, Ciara Grant returned as the host. She was wildly popular, and she was more than ready to fulfill her job of pacifying the terrified Capitol for another year. As the Hunger Games team cooked up edition number 108 of the games, the nation's hundreds of nuclear weapons sat waiting silently, wondering if they would ever be used…
This year had the usual six-member career pack, and they all scored well. The female careers all outshined their male counterparts this year. District 1 provided a varied showing. The boy, Lush, was one of the weakest careers; despite competent swordplay abilities, he wasn't conventionally attractive and his crowd-pleasing skills were unspectacular. The girl, Ivory Thibault, was the belle of the ball. She was the strongest of all the Thibault siblings, one of the most remarkable careers the games had seen since the fourth Quell. Ivory had mastered archery and axe throwing, and she had a knowing look in her eyes that made Capitol men three times her age go crazy. District 2's tributes were consistently strong, and they were both named after characters from literature, coincidentally. The male, Dante, was unusual for choosing the bow and throwing knives over the sword, and he was strong if not exactly attractive. The girl, Nausicaä, knew more about swords, and they were her preferred weapon. She had dark skin and hair and a distinct look that really helped to sell her to the crowd. District 4's boy, Skipper, was one of the smallest careers ever, scaling in at just over five feet tall. He was incredibly fast and smart, and he would sure be dangerous in the arena. The girl, Tetra, was broader and more classically powerful and dignified. She stood at a statuesque six feet tall, making Skipper look miniature. They both preferred spears to do their fighting.
The outliers were unremarkable, to say the least. There were only two standouts. The boy from 6, Carnegie, was one of the few citizens who'd begun intense steel manufacturing work from an early age. He had huge muscles, and while he was originally awkward with the crowds, he caught on quickly and earned more than his fair share of fans before the games started. There was only one outlier who scored higher than Carnegie. She was the girl from District 13, and her name was Manhattan. She was a master of all kinds of knives. Appealingly tall and dignified, Manhattan was sure to go far, having snatched a remarkable nine in her private session. The rest of the tributes scored between six and three in their private sessions, and there were no volunteers besides the careers. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Lush Reindel, 18 (9) 8-1 and Ivory Thibault, 17 (11) 3-1
District 2: Dante Fielding, 17 (10) 4-1 and Nausicaä Galwey, 16 (10) 5-1
District 3: Nickel Taube, 14 (4) 28-1 and Cellie Chantry, 12 (4) 37-1
District 4: Skipper Bonner, 18 (9) 8-1 and Tetra Minnow, 18 (10) 4-1
District 5: Gusten Woods, 16 (5) 24-1 and Mona Doppler, 14 (3) 35-1
District 6: Carnegie Hart, 17 (7) 14-1 and Odessa Seto, 15 (4) 27-1
District 7: Autry Hiddlesworth, 16 (5) 23-1 and August Macrae, 13 (5) 25-1
District 8: Twine Beland, 17 (4) 26-1 and Delaney Lurie, 16 (3) 31-1
District 9: Plower Ransom, 18 (6) 19-1 and Pomona Kendall, 18 (5) 26-1
District 10: Woodie Bunson, 15 (5) 30-1 and Linda Fields, 13 (3) 37-1
District 11: Decker Stockly, 16 (4) 27-1 and Paisley Goldner, 12 (3) 42-1
District 13: Toni Symonds, 17 (6) 19-1 and Manhattan Osk, 18 (9) 8-1
HGBO Bets: 22% on Ivory, 14% on Tetra, 13% on Nausicaä, 9% on Dante, 8% on Lush, 7% on Skipper, 5% on Manhattan, 2.5% on Carnegie, 1% or less on Nickel, Cellie, Gusten, Mona, Odessa, Autry, August, Twine, Delaney, Plower, Pomona, Woodie, Linda, Decker, Paisley, and Toni.
THE GAMES
Unlike most years, when Garnet was given free rein to create literally any arena he wanted, President Hawke tasked the head gamemaker with creating a specific kind of arena this year. With the threat of nuclear war running precariously high in Panem, Garnet was tasked with setting this year's Hunger Games in the remains of a city that had been destroyed by nuclear forces during the Great Disaster. Garnet chose a city in the northwest reaches of Panem. It was technically part of District 7 but was completely uninhabited, a ghost-like wasteland of broken buildings and ruined cars. Part of the city had been flooded when nuclear activity caused the melting of the ice caps, so the city was actually a collection of islands. The cornucopia was on the large, central island. When the tributes saw it, they were dressed in dirty and tattered linen, and were actually smeared with mud-like makeup in the launch rooms for the full effect. The cornucopia held only knives and swords this year; all other manner of weaponry would have to be found within the arena itself. Just beyond the cornucopia island, a large metal structure stuck out of the water. It had once been one of the most famous and photographed buildings in the world, but was now a ruined mess, barely held up by Garnet's reinforcements. In fact, the tower was rigged to fall midway through the games, crushing the cornucopia and anybody unlucky enough to be inside. The arena had both large islands and small islands, housing the skeletons of broken buildings. There were patches and spots on the sidewalks, like the ghosts of the millions of people who had been suddenly incinerated. As mentioned previously, many useful goods were found within the buildings themselves; weapons, food, and water. The floodwaters were salty; the city had been on the west coast of the country once known as the United States, and a mile or so of the western ocean was actually included within the force field. Seeing the barren, ruined quality of the arena around them, every single tribute decided to run into the bloodbath this year. It would have been too dangerous to try and fend for oneself in the wasteland that surrounded the cornucopia.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Skipper was the first to reach the cornucopia. Despite being the weakest and smallest career, he was the fastest runner, and he had made his first kill by the time most of the other careers even reached the horn. Skipper armed himself with a curved blade in each hand and tackled the tiny girl from District 3, who was half-heartedly running toward the horn. She had already given up trying to win the games, and she did nothing but glare sadly as Skipper gashed her open and ended her life.
Cellie Chantry, District 3 Female: 24th, Killed by Skipper, Bloodbath
Tetra, Skipper's district partner, snatched a rapier from a large pile of weapons near the mouth of the horn. It wasn't the spear she had been hoping for, but it would have to do. Nearby, two district partners were running together, trying to guide one another out of harm's way as weapons flew around them. Tetra skewered the male tribute through his shoulder, and the blade went straight through his heart, killing him almost instantly.
Gusten Woods, District 5 Male: 23rd, Killed by Tetra, Bloodbath
The girl, Mona, blanched at the sight of her district partner bloody and lifeless. Consciousness suddenly leaving her, Mona tumbled into the path of Ivory from 1, who had spent the first few moments of the bloodbath shoving her pockets full of throwing knives. She launched a pair of them into Mona's throat. At least she had passed out and didn't feel it.
Mona Doppler, District 5 Female: 22nd, Killed by Ivory, Bloodbath
Dante and Nausicaä, the tributes from District 2, tried to kill a trio of tributes inside the cornucopia. Twine from 8, Plower from 9, and Linda from 10 had allied prior to the games, hoping they'd find safety in numbers if they ever encountered the careers. Unfortunately, that meeting took place far earlier than they'd anticipated. The 2s decided to take down Twine and Plower first, deeming them the bigger threats. Dante tackled Twine, forcing him to the ground and messily jabbing his sword into his gut. Meanwhile, Nausicaä dueled with Plower. He was slightly more difficult to kill; he was armed, and adrenaline made him fight with impressive strength. Eventually, Nausicaä triumphed, disarming him and sending him sprawling with a few strategic blows.
Twine Beland, District 8 Male: 21st, Killed by Dante, Bloodbath
Plower Ransom, District 9 Male: 20th, Killed by Nausicaä, Bloodbath
The last of the three allies, Linda, thought she'd escaped, but she was wrong. Immediately after killing Twine, Dante chased after her, running her toward the part of the cornucopia field where most of the other careers were located. At last, Dante swung his sword into her waist. Blood went flying in all directions, attracting the attention of a nearby career, Lush from 1. Lush finished her off with a knife to her throat.
Linda Fields, District 10 Female: 19th, Killed by Dante and Lush, Bloodbath
Nausicaä heard a rustling noise behind her and turned suddenly around. Two strong outliers, Carnegie from 6 and Autry from 7, had been trying to ambush her. Without hesitating for an instant, Nausicaä launched her blade into Carnegie's chest. He fell to his knees, gurgling and coughing up blood.
Carnegie Hart, District 6 Male: 18th, Killed by Nausicaä, Bloodbath
Autry froze in place, trying to decide whether to fight or flee now that his stronger ally had been dispatched. He turned around and ran, but Nausicaä was hot on his trail. Autry screamed as a blade came flying out of nowhere – Ivory's sword – and pain exploded through his chest. As he fell, Nausicaä hacked open the other side of his body, effectively finishing him.
Autry Hiddlesworth, District 7 Male: 17th, Killed by Ivory and Nausicaä, Bloodbath
After Autry died, Ivory quickly attacked her third victim. A tiny girl, Paisley from 11, had been faring very well so far; she was small enough to stay out of sight as she gathered supplies. There was a sour twist of fate when Ivory saw Paisley a few meters away, finally making the decision to run for her life now that she had everything she needed. Ivory came careening out of nowhere, and Paisley let out a tiny yelp before her life force was quelled, several knives planted deep in her chest.
Paisley Goldner, District 11 Female: 16th, Killed by Ivory, Bloodbath
Skipper had made the first kill of the bloodbath but had made no additional kills since then. Mere seconds after Paisley died, he saw the perfect opportunity. Two girls, Pomona from 9 and August from 7, were fighting with Lush from 1. Lush was strong, but both girls were fighting hard, and it was unclear which side would win. Skipper rushed to the aid of his ally, helping Lush force the girls to the ground. Skipper slashed open Pomona's chest, bringing forth an explosion of blood. August saw a split-second opportunity to escape and jumped to her feet, racing like a headless chicken into the wasteland. Lush chased after her, but she escaped, and he returned somberly to the horn to finish off Pomona with a blow to the chest.
Pomona Kendall, District 9 Female: 15th, Killed by Skipper and Lush, Bloodbath
The last kill was made collaboratively by three careers. Tetra was fighting with the gruff boy from 11, Decker, and the task wasn't nearly as easy as she'd anticipated; Decker had a sharp eye and fast reflexes, making him difficult to kill. Tetra barked for one of her allies to aid her, and Dante rushed to her side, corralling the boy into the path of Tetra's sword with his own blade. They both thrust their blades into his chest, sending him to the ground. The others gathered around to watch him die. After a few minutes, an impatient Ivory did him in, triggering the eleven bloodbath cannons.
Decker Stockly, District 11 Male: 14th, Killed by Tetra, Dante, and Ivory, Bloodbath
In the aftermath of the bloodbath, the careers swarmed the cornucopia, unsure what to make of the situation. The cornucopia held literally only blades; there were no signs of water, food, medicine, or other weapons. Even the careers could not survive off sponsor gifts for long; they'd have to do their own hunting for food and water, which would lead to stress and tension as the days passed. Keeping order would be difficult in such a large group, so Skipper proposed they split. The male careers (Lush, Dante, and Skipper) would form one team, while the females (Ivory, Nausicaä, and Tetra) would go their own way. Each career shook hands with someone from the other trio, and then they split apart, never to meet on friendly terms again.
The boys were eager to travel to the outer edges of the arena, suspecting clean water would be hidden far away from the cornucopia. On the other hand, the girls thought Garnet would put water sources near the center of the arena, drawing the tributes into close quarters as the need for water rose precariously high. All of the careers settled down comfortably as night fell. With Skipper guiding them, the boys made good time, passing through the flooded areas of the city with efficiency and speed. They spent the night in a small motel with a working sink, planning to leave early the next morning. The girls had less of a concrete plan, deciding to rely on sponsored water for the first two days. They holed up in the women's bathroom of a small park near the horn, trying to ignore the unpleasant smell as the dark hours passed.
Seven outliers had survived the bloodbath. None of these survivors were part of an alliance; every man was fighting for himself. Nickel from 3 had almost died several times trying to retrieve a large sword from the mouth of the horn, and he'd finally succeeded in taking it. He was bloodied and bruised but ultimately unharmed. Nickel bandaged and disinfected the wounds using supplies given by impressed sponsors, then settled down in a partially flooded bank to rest and practice with his strong weapon. Odessa from 6 had run into the bloodbath hoping to find food, but turned tail once she realized there was none available. She found a large mall and began to search feverishly for food. She had to scrounge up enough to eat by digging through the trash, which would have been humiliating if she hadn't been doing it for years back in District 6. She began popping open cupboards in hopes of finding weapons, thinking back to the ninety-sixth games. She found nothing on Day 1, but would continue her search in the morning. August from 7 struck lucky shortly after the bloodbath ended. She was scrounging through a pile of twisted steel for hidden weapons when she saw the glint of an axe. August wrenched the weapon out of the pile and ran it through her fingers, feeling like she was at home in the lumber district. She hunkered down in an antique music store for the night. August was intrigued by the hundreds of records and CDs around the store and eventually decided to give them a listen. She found herself captivated by a light brown pressing of a folk-pop album released during a pandemic long ago. August listened to it several times before turning in for bed. Delaney from 8 was lucky enough to be the first tribute to find food. She managed to catch a few fish from the floodwaters, using a hook she expertly crafted herself. Delaney was apprehensive about starting a fire, but the thought of eating cooked fish pushed all doubt out of her mind. She had a nice meal and then relaxed in the ruins of a nail salon. Part of the ceiling had been blown off in the explosion, but it was still relatively comfortable inside. Woodie from 10 was lost and confused, having taken only a few small blades from the bloodbath. The empty streets terrified him as night fell; suddenly, his childhood fears of being attacked by monsters at night didn't seem so unrealistic. He found a skyscraper that was relatively intact and ventured up several stories, dropping down in a maintenance closet filled with mops and tissues. Toni from 13 ventured away from the cornucopia for all of Day 1, alternating between walking and swimming as necessary. He had a pack of small blades but no food or water; soon, these would become huge concerns. He made himself at home in a stadium at the north end of the city. After pillaging it of the small stores of food it contained, he ventured even farther. He slept at the base of a large highway sign that read, "W L AT E". The tribute with the most screen time, though, was Manhattan from 13. She was the strongest outlier by a country mile, and she was fearsomely well-armed. She'd taken a large rapier from the bloodbath, and large sponsor stores of food and water kept her nourished as the day passed. Manhattan stealthily made her way through the city with strategy and style, eventually arriving at a fire station around nightfall. She began to practice with the various fire axes within the building. A short experiment told her that the fire trucks contained gas; driving them did not seem like a good idea, but she would keep it in mind. Manhattan hid in one of the bathrooms as night fell. Every tribute was in good health and good standing as the first day ended.
Mere hours into Day 2, disaster struck. The three female careers had been asleep in the women's bathroom since nightfall. With the door firmly locked, they didn't deem it necessary for anyone to stay awake and stand guard; any activity that could have opened the door would have instantly awoken all of them. But the biggest threat didn't come from outside the restroom; it was right underneath them. In the centuries since the city was inhabited, thousands of tons of toxic gas had built up in the sewer system. In the morning, the sun heated up this matter, causing toxic fumes to flow from the toilet, drain, and sink. All three of them would have died if Tetra hadn't had a nightmare that caused her to jerk suddenly awake. She was groggy and weary, about to pass out again from the gas issuing from every pipe in the room.
Tetra bolted for the door and hurriedly broke the lock, opening the door just as Ivory suddenly stopped snoring. Panicking, Tetra dragged her allies out into the open, fanning her hand over their faces to let fresh air flow in plentifully. Nausicaä woke up quickly, so sick from the fumes she could hardly speak. Ivory took longer, and she was in worse condition. There was no way they could hunt; it would take them days to recover from this sickness. Even Tetra herself was feeling queasy. They found a cool, dark place to rest and fell back asleep, wondering with horror whether the damage done by the toxic fumes was irreversible. The girls smelled like rotten eggs and looked like they'd just been dug out of the grave; it was humiliating for the career districts to see their finest exports in such terrible condition. Ultimately, nothing could be done but hope they would get better soon.
That morning, only two outliers were out and about. Delaney continued to reap food from the water itself, even catching a squid in one of the large traps she'd set the night before. She had no idea how to cook it and didn't want to risk poisoning herself, so she let the squid go. It was a good thing she was out of the water when she did that; the squid was a deadly mutt. She travelled from island to island, ultimately scoping out a third of the arena by the time Day 2 reached its close. Food presented itself in dozens of small ways, from handfuls of nuts to bits of old snack stuffs left on tables by the gamemakers. Delaney wasn't sure what to do about water, but she would think of something.
The other early riser was Toni. The boy from 13 was perfectly used to enormous fields of nuclear wreckage. In the three years since 13 was integrated into the Hunger Games, the Capitol had led an enormous initiative to clean up the district, wanting it to look at least presentable on television. Even so, there were huge areas of destruction where poorer civilians scrounged for supplies. Toni travelled quickly, moving back toward the center of the arena after reaching the force field the night before. By some insane coincidence, he passed two tributes by. First, he walked past the music shop where August was hiding, a gentle classical CD playing on loop in her ears so she didn't hear the tribute walking outside. He also came near the bank where Nickel was hiding with his sword and even peeked inside, but the boy from 3 had hid well and stayed out of sight.
For the second half of Day 2 and the first half of Day 3, the cameras mostly focused on the male careers. Tensions were breaking out already; their personalities were nothing similar, and this wasn't helping. Both Lush and Dante felt resentful toward Skipper, disdainful toward the way he'd asserted himself as the leader of the trio. Dante even cleverly convinced Lush that Skipper was stealing some of his supplies, when the stealing had really been done by Dante himself. Each boy was furious at both of the others for some reason or another; they got nothing done, and even their hunting was uneven and sparse. This really was a humiliating year for the career districts.
The very next day, though, the male careers struck lucky. It was just after eight in the morning when Skipper turned suddenly around, holding up a hand to signal his allies to stay still and quiet. He'd heard a small shuffling noise up ahead and wanted to check for tributes. Skipper scampered up ahead and peered silently around the corner of a large brick tower. Mere meters away, Nickel was sitting cross-legged on the ground, munching on small berries.
Skipper tried to thrust his knife into Nickel's torso but hit his basket of berries instead, splattering himself with an explosion of juice and seeds. Nickel ran for his life, with Skipper following in hot pursuit. Lush and Dante were more than happy to join the chase, eventually cornering him at the end of a dark alley with nowhere to run. Nickel wasn't defenseless; he had his sword, and he figured he may as well try and use it. His first few blows were surprisingly powerful; he sliced a heavy gash through Lush's chest, sending him reeling. Skipper hissed in fury and tackled Nickel, pummeling him repeatedly against the brick back of the alley. With the last ounce of energy he had, Nickel planted his sword into Skipper's side. He stumbled away, nearly yelling from the pain. The boy from 3 died in due time, and Dante scrambled for his first aid kit, unsure whether it was practical or even possible to heal the wounds both Lush and Skipper had sustained.
Nickel Taube, District 3 Male: 13th, Killed by Skipper, Day 3
Dante tore back Skipper's shirt and yelped in shock, dark fear taking over his gaze. Skipper's entire abdomen was covered in blood. Lush turned weakly over and let out a gasp. In the training center, Lush had developed a brotherly and possibly even amorous connection with Skipper; the sight of seeing him so close to death made him scream even louder. Dante tried his best to fix them up and succeeded at least partially. Neither's life seemed to be minutes from ending as he had initially suspected. Dante relocated his friends behind a nearby mountain of trash bins and hoped it would conceal them until they could move on their own again.
Meanwhile, the intriguing Manhattan had officially begun hunting. She worried she wouldn't be able to find the fire station if she left it behind, but ultimately dismissed this fear; it was surrounded by several notable landmarks, including a big cement tower missing its upper half. The top half of the building had fallen onto an apartment complex nearby, crushing its foundation which eventually turned to ash amidst the million-degree air issuing from the fireball. Manhattan would be hard-pressed to find any sign of life in the ruined city, but she didn't let that discourage her.
A few hours before nightfall, Manhattan stopped dead in her tracks. Up ahead, she could vaguely see a human body moving nervously through the streets. This tribute was Odessa from 6. She'd been away from the mall ever since the morning of Day 2, and now she was on the hunt for another suitable home. Manhattan chased after her, poised to kill, but Odessa easily escaped; there were so many twists and turns in the city that she had lost her hunter within moments. Odessa raced into an apartment building and took the stairs up several floors, coming to a stop in a small closet in one of the rooms. She didn't close the door completely, remembering Glisten Raybould from the aux. 105th games. For now, she was safe and sound.
The next day, Day 4, an alliance was made. The forgettable boy from District 10, Woodie, was now exploring one of the largest streets of the city. This was near the place where the enormous needle-like tower was situated, and it had drawn his eye and his footsteps ever since he left the mop closet he'd initially called home. Woodie stopped in front of a small music shop, intrigued by the faded wooden logo over the door. Inside, August was quivering with fear; she was unsure whether the tribute who'd just entered was an outlier or a career, and her life flashed before her eyes as he slowly approached the counter. Woodie stepped behind the counter, and they both screamed, scrambling away from each other. August quickly sized Woodie up and realized he was no threat. Rather than killing each other, they decided to ally. Woodie showed August some of her favorite music she'd found in the store, and Woodie shared small pieces of food with her in exchange for her company and safety. Their alliance was hesitant but seemed pretty stable.
For the remainder of Day 4, there was a lot of movement but little action. The male careers were still in the process of healing. Dante was out of disinfectant and bandages, but it didn't matter; both Lush and Skipper could walk again, and they were regaining their strength minute by minute. They moved to the top of a large skyscraper that seemed stable and pilfered the cupboards of whatever food and water they held. The boys were too exhausted to be angry at each other, but the tensions were still there. It was looking much worse for the female careers. Tetra was recovering okay, but Ivory and Nausicaä were in terrible condition; they were coughing, gagging, and vomiting at all hours of the day, their organs damaged by the toxic fumes they'd directly inhaled. Tetra wasn't sure what to do. Did she continue nursing them, abandon them, or kill them out of pity? Neither option seemed particularly honorable, so she decided to wait a few more days to see how they would fare. Maybe they'd even make an unexpected recovery.
Odessa was utterly traumatized after her near-death run-in with Manhattan, and she stayed very still throughout Day 4. Midway through the day, she left the tiny room where she'd trapped herself and explored some of the hallways and staircases. Odessa decided not to use the elevators, and it was a good think she didn't, because they were rigged to drop any tribute to their death. August and Woodie got along well. They engaged in quiet conversation in the small music store, deciding they liked each other enough to stick together as long as possible. They noticed faint creaking noises, but didn't realize they were coming from huge space needle nearby, instead blaming them on the buildings shuddering generally in the wind. If they didn't realize what was happening soon, it might spell their doom. Delaney was hydrating herself via condensation, licking the moisture off the walls of a little underground cellar she'd found near the water. It was better than nothing, and it kept her alive. The sponsors were impressed by her remarkable ability to draw food from the arena itself, keeping her in good standing with the audience. Toni and Manhattan both hunted on Day 4. That morning, Toni scavenged a curved sword from a pile of weapons. He didn't realize how dull it really was; it wasn't an effective weapon at all, really, but it boosted his confidence. Toni found no tributes and rested in the partially flooded subway system. Manhattan planned a long path around the city to follow over the course of the day. It was a clever plan; it allowed her to scope out most of the habitable ground, and to end up at the fire station when the day ended. However, she'd underestimated how much time it would take. She had to cut a few corners to make it home in time, and Manhattan went to sleep feeling little other than exhaustion.
On Day 5, Manhattan finally got her moment. She rose early, fed herself scantly, and set out to hunt. Within minutes, she saw movement in one of the upper windows of a nearby apartment building. Manhattan wasn't sure whether the vision had been real or just a hallucination, but she decided to investigate anyway. It was terribly unfortunate that Odessa had decided to peek out the window at that moment; her fate was sealed as soon as Manhattan walked through the front door. She found the general area of the building where she'd seen the movement and began searching.
At least, she reached the last door in the hallway, the one where she'd seen the movement. Manhattan began pounding at the door, which a panicking Odessa was holding shut from the other side. Within moments Manhattan had overpowered her, sending her sprawling backwards on the rough carpet. Odessa leaped to her feet and charged the invader. It was sad how helpless she was. Manhattan lifted the fire axe she'd taken from the fire station back on the first day and brought it down into Odessa's abdomen. It took several chops of the rusty weapon to end her life, and Manhattan stumbled away, racing down the stairs and out of the building as she died.
Odessa Seto, District 6 Female: 12th, Killed by Manhattan, Day 5
The rest of Day 5, and all of Day 6, passed without any deaths. These games were a shocking change of pace for Garnet Russo; normally, he preferred to start out his games with high energy and rapid deaths, drawing things out only toward the end. Nobody knew it, but Garnet was planning to unleash a twist on Day 7: a feast. There hadn't been a feast in nearly two decades; the last one was in the eighty-ninth games. Feasts had fallen out of favor over time, and they were seen as a lazy way to end a boring games quickly. But Garnet wanted to give the feast another chance. At nine in the morning on Day 6, the voice of Garnet Russo bellowed over the arena, ringing over the empty streets and barren buildings.
"Attention, tributes! At noon tomorrow, a feast will be held at the cornucopia. As fighting is a patriotic duty, all tributes are required to attend. Besides, you won't want to miss it." His voice chirped a little, the vocal equivalent of a wink. "This will be the only announcement. May the odds be ever in your favor."
The tributes all reacted differently to the news. When Dante heard it, he straightened and turned toward his healing allies. Secretly, he'd been planning on killing them that morning, but now he knew that wasn't an option; he'd need their assistance to help fend off the droves of other tributes at the feast. Lush and Skipper were far from tip-top condition, but they were ready to fight valiantly when the time came. The female careers were even farther from ship shape. Ivory and Nausicaä had been unconscious for days. Ivory's face was a sickly shade of green, and ugly bands of color ran through her veins. The activity of her heart and lungs was faint and uneven. Nausicaä didn't show the physical symptoms of serious poisoning, but she did not move or speak and was obviously near death also. There was nothing Tetra could do to help them; they were going to die no matter what. She steeled herself to kill them but decided to wait until evening, when it would be more difficult for the other tributes to see the hovercraft that might give away her location.
August and Woodie spent the day nervously chattering in the music store. Their conversation had gone from light-hearted to dark as tar, and they idly wondered what the worst way to die would be. August thought the worst death would involve unbearable quantities of physical pain: perhaps, she said, being burned alive. Woodie thought it would be worse to die from a degenerative disease that made him forget everyone that mattered to him, even forgetting who he was and what it meant to be human before death came. They were a few minutes' running time from the cornucopia; there was no reason to start moving now. They hunkered down and continued their dark chatter while they waited with bated breath for the feast to come.
Delaney was much farther from the horn; it would take hours of walking to reach the feast. She did most of the movement on Day 6. She had an entire backpack filled with food, including mashed potatoes, her favorite. Her training score was only a three, but she'd displayed tact and style throughout the first week of the games; clearly, she hadn't been showing her full potential in her private session. Eventually, Delaney set up camp in Nickel's old bank. Toni decided to stay in the subway system, finding it a fantastic way to get around the arena without risking contact with other tributes. The water was filled with deadly mutts, but Toni avoided them well. Using maps on the walls, he moved toward the center of the arena. Manhattan spent the entire day at the fire station, filling the fire truck with water. It took her hours to figure out how to use the nearby fire hydrant, but it eventually worked, and she waited with a tense feeling that was almost excitement as the truck filled with water. The cameras intentionally didn't show what she was doing to build tension; suffice to say, Manhattan would make an unusual entrance at tomorrow's feast.
Moments before midnight, Tetra finally decided to do the deed. She'd been steeling herself for hours; despite her love of killing, the thought of killing allies made her feel sick. She wondered whether she should warn them they were about to die, or kill them before they knew what had hit them. She went with the latter. Ivory's life ended instantly when Tetra shoved her blades into her throat. Just like that, the strongest of the Thibault siblings – and, in fact, the strongest tribute in these games – was nothing but a memory.
Ivory Thibault, District 1 Female: 11th, Killed by Tetra, Day 6
Tetra turned to attack Nausicaä, and suddenly a hand flew out of the darkness, closing itself around her throat. Tetra yelped in terror, so shocked that she dropped the sword. With incredible strength, Nausicaä slammed Tetra in the stomach, winding her. Nausicaä rose to her feet, completely alert and completely healthy. She'd merely been pretending to be groggy and unaware after her quick recovery. Tetra could do nothing but glare helplessly, the moonlight reflecting in her eyes as Nausicaä slammed her head repeatedly into the brick wall of the little alley where they were living. Gore flew in all directions, and Nausicaä turned toward the entrance of the alleyway. She had a feast to attend, and there was no use dallying.
Tetra Minnow, District 4 Female: 10th, Killed by Nausicaä, Day 6
When the sun rose on Day 7, a holographic countdown appeared over the cornucopia, alerting all of the tributes to its location. One tribute was within sight and earshot of the cornucopia: Toni, who was in the subway system. Finding an exit that wasn't flooded or covered with infectious-looking dirt and mold was easier said than done, but he made it up eventually. Toni found that a circular cement wall had been raised around the cornucopia, encircling the horn and the pedestal ring. At noon, the wall would lower, letting the feasters reach the goods housed inside.
August and Woodie waited until the last minute to start their journey to the cornucopia. They were even worried they wouldn't make it in time, but they did, and they ducked into a shadowy little area just outside the wall to wait for it to lower. August had the axe she'd garnered from the pile of rusty metal back on the first day. However, Woodie was less comfortably armed, holding only two small knives. He resolved to find a better weapon immediately once the feast began. One other outlier, Delaney, reached the cornucopia mere minutes before the wall lowered. A sponsor had sent her a small hatchet, which packed a punch even though Delaney didn't really know how to use it.
The careers had been lurking in wait for hours by the time the feast began. Lush, Dante, and Skipper were hunkering down together in the ruins of a high-end clothing store, hiding in a row of tattered suit jackets and waiting for the wall to lower. Once it did, they would rush forward and begin killing. Nausicaä arrived separately. She was, in all truth, not feeling her best because of the toxic fumes. But she was far from the mindless zombie she'd pretended to be for so long, and she was ready to kill and impress the sponsors and gather goods at the feast. Only one tribute was missing: Manhattan. She was pumping the fire truck full of yet more water. She was going to be fashionably late to the feast.
At exactly noon, the wall lowered, and the tributes rushed forward. It was the thrill of the opening bloodbath all over again. Nobody knew it, but the feast of the 108th Hunger Games would produce two of the most iconic quotes in Hunger Games history. They were repeated many times and eventually entered popular parlance, remaining well-known for decades. The context behind both of these quotes is included below.
Nausicaä was at the head of the onrush. Normally, Skipper would have been the fastest runner, but he was still somewhat wounded and wasn't feeling his best. Nausicaä grabbed a humungous iron sword from the table in the horn, much better than the shoddy rust-covered weapons they'd been given up to that point. She grinned once and then leaped into action. The other careers quickly armed themselves. Lush and Dante ditched their blades in favor of newer, flashier swords, while Skipper abandoned his blade and grabbed a glittering golden trident.
The four outliers scrambled for weapons, amazed at the enormous wealth of supplies before them. August grabbed a much better axe, Delaney took a spear, Woodie found a belt of knives, and Toni wielded two twin hatchets. Fights broke out instantly: Nausicaä dueled with Delaney, while Skipper and Lush teamed up to take down August and Woodie. Dante circled the scene, trying to find the perfect moment to dive in and help out.
Toni appeared out of nowhere. He'd been hiding inside the dark cornucopia, and the others had completely forgotten about him amidst the chaos of the feast. Toni buried the first of his twin hatchets into Dante's back. He fell forward, roaring with agony, and turned around onto his back. Toni could never have known that the words he were about to say would be famous forever.
"You know what Toni is short for? PLUTONIUM!"
Toni brought down the axe, ending Dante's life. Meanwhile, Nausicaä turned toward him, now untroubled by Delaney (who had joined the fight against Skipper and Lush). Nausicaä skewered Toni through the abdomen with her sword like a shish kebab, and his life ended immediately. He fell beside Dante, who died mere seconds later. The ghost of Toni's cringeworthy yet iconic final line was still on his lips.
Toni Symonds, District 13 Male: 9th, Killed by Nausicaä, Day 7
Dante Fielding, District 2 Male: 8th, Killed by Toni, Day 7
Because of the rapid nature of Toni's and Dante's deaths, this year had a final seven instead of a final eight: Lush Reindel from District 1, Nausicaä Galwey from District 2, Skipper Bonner from District 4, August Macrae from District 7, Delaney Lurie from District 8, Woodie Bunson from District 10, and Manhattan Osk from District 13.
Progress came to a stall at the cornucopia. Lush and Skipper were collectively fighting with Delaney, August, and Woodie, while Nausicaä crawled to her feet, disoriented and battered from the fight with Toni moments earlier. Nausicaä was frozen for a few moments at the sight of her dead district partner, and she locked eyes with Dante, getting the creepy impression he was looking at her even in death. Rather than join the fight, Nausicaä slinked away toward the cornucopia. She'd suddenly realized that one tribute was missing, but she couldn't quite remember who…
Suddenly, Lush let out a bloodcurdling scream. August had swung her axe straight into his gut, a powerful blow he hadn't seen coming. Lush collapsed, and Skipper kneeled at his side, roaring with sadness at the sight of the boy he loved in such pain. Nausicaä handled the three outliers while Skipper said his goodbyes, torn between knowing he should help Nausicaä and wanting to stay at Lush's side until his life left him.
"How does it feel?" Skipper asked.
Lush let a tiny smile onto his face. "You know that word that starts with F, and ends with U-C-K?"
This was a joke about how the mentors had cautioned them not to swear in the games. "Yeah," Skipper said. "I know a word that starts with F, and ends with U-C-K."
Suddenly, so suddenly that nobody could have seen it coming, a firetruck came barreling toward the cornucopia at sixty miles an hour. All six of the feast participants screamed simultaneously, unable to do anything but stare helplessly for the split second the truck barreled past the horn. The truck rolled over Skipper and Lush, killing them both. Nausicaä stared in awe at the statuesque girl behind the steering wheel, suddenly realizing it was Manhattan who had been missing from the feast.
Lush Reindel, District 1 Male: 7th, Killed by August and Manhattan, Day 7
Skipper Bonner, District 4 Male: 6th, Killed by Manhattan, Day 7
Manhattan leaped out of the driver seat, scrambling for the hose that she knew could blast the rest of the tributes to death. Nausicaä, one step ahead of her, tackled Manhattan to the ground. Meanwhile, the others ran for their lives. August and Woodie ran away together, while Delaney took her own path down a small alley that led toward the area of the arena where she'd caught the squid back on Day 2. None of them spared even a single backward glance. They couldn't have cared less whether Nausicaä or Manhattan won the fight. Either outcome would eliminate a huge threat to their lives.
Neither of the girls died that day. They wrestled for several minutes until Manhattan gained control of the hose. She squeezed the nozzle and sent Nausicaä flying off her feet with untold levels of water pressure. Manhattan might have stayed to finish her off, but she was tired and bloody and knew Nausicaä could probably overpower her once she got her bearings again. Manhattan took a few packs and blades from the feast and then ran away, ditching the firetruck for fear it would be too easy to follow or track down. After four deaths, one surprise truck ambush, and two iconic lines, the feast was over.
After that, there were no deaths for two straight days. Days 8 and 9 were empty of conflict, and the gamemakers allowed the tributes these days to rest and recover after the feast. Manhattan began to grow jumpy and paranoid as she wandered the streets. Once she'd placed several miles between herself and the cornucopia, she began exploring, and the encounter with Nausicaä at the feast had left her shaken if not exactly traumatized. She peered over her shoulder constantly, as though expecting ghosts to be lurking all around her. Manhattan hadn't taken many supplies from the feast, but she'd made a splash, which would hopefully serve to her advantage in future conflicts. Nausicaä, meanwhile, was torn between staying at the cornucopia and living somewhere else. She eventually decided on the latter, knowing attacks and raids were likely. After filling several packs with all the supplies she needed, she hid most of the remaining supplies in the nearby buildings to make them more difficult to access and then set out to hunt. She covered little ground over the course of these two days, mostly resting in a small art studio she'd cleared out for herself.
August and Woodie did little but rest for the next few days. They were both injured from the feast, August more so, as he'd been sliced deep in the abdomen by Dante shortly before his death. August didn't have the resources necessary to kill him. The sponsors helped somewhat, but not enough; no amount of bandages could prevent the infection that was bound to take root in the injury sooner than later. Water was getting more difficult to find, so they settled down near one of the largest clean sources and tried to get some rest.
Delaney decided to head as far away from the horn as possible. She knew of a few large islands in the western reaches of the force field, having gone there herself in the early days of the games. She had to wade through large stretches of water to reach her destination, but it was worth it for the comfort and safety of the island "chain" she reached shortly before nightfall. Over there, there were very few buildings, only twisted metal skeletons where manmade structures might once have been. Delaney set up some nets to catch fish before going to bed. She didn't know it, but she was on the verge of an incredible find.
On Day 10, the large needle tower near the center of the arena began creaking again. It was rigged to fall the next day. There were no tributes in its path, but that didn't mean the collapse couldn't stir up some chaos in the arena. The creaking was loud enough to be heard from all across the arena. Nausicaä, the nearest tribute, was talking to herself at the time and likened the noise to the groaning of a dying monster.
Manhattan, also creeped out by the creaking noises, resolved to travel away from the cornucopia for the entire day. She had been trekking through the barren streets for hours when she perked up suddenly. This was more than paranoia, the fear of ghosts and spirits – she knew she was being watched. She took a few steps and stopped again. Indeed, she was being watched. August and Woodie had seen her and stopped suddenly in their tracks, knowing they could do nothing to avoid being seen other than stay perfectly still and hope she would pass them by. They knew Manhattan was a powerful tribute, and one willing to kill, but could they escape by sheer chance?
Luck was not on their side that day. Manhattan saw that and came barreling in their direction. August screamed for Woodie to run, and they booked it down the nearest alleyway, the mice in a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. Before long, August and Woodie came to a dead-end; they'd reached the water. Neither of them could swim well, and they froze in place, Manhattan still careening toward them out of the shadows. She attacked Woodie first, burying her fire axe deep in his chest. His cannon shot didn't fire until she'd delivered several more ruthless blows to his torso. Woodie screamed for August to run as his life left him, and Manhattan stared grimly ahead, knowing what she had to do next.
Woodie Bunson, District 10 Male: 5th, Killed by Manhattan, Day 10
August ran and ran, and Manhattan chased after, not tiring for nearly an hour. Suddenly, August remembered something Woodie had told her: another tribute, Toni, had been hiding in the subway system to travel quickly and avoid human contact. August followed a series of battered signs to the nearest subway entrance, knowing she was far enough ahead of Manhattan that she wouldn't see her enter. Manhattan caught up to that place in less than a minute. She was about to run past it when she saw muddy footprints leading down the steps, fresh and wet. Manhattan had a funny feeling she knew where August Macrae had run to.
She found her within minutes. As August moved, she had splashed the cement walls with water. Manhattan followed the markings to the place where August was curled up on top of a stalled train, crying helplessly. Manhattan lofted herself out of the water and raised her axe, and in the span of two seconds the 7 girl's world cut to black. August slipped away in only a moment, and Manhattan looked nervously around her, suddenly unnerved by the creepy atmosphere of the underground. She left the scene quickly.
August Macrae, District 7 Female: 4th, Killed by Manhattan, Day 10
The final three, all of them female coincidentally, stayed very still for the remainder of Day 10. Only Manhattan was moving, and that was only to find a more comfortable place to live after leaving the dank, musty subway where she'd killed August. Manhattan inferred that the loud creaking noises were coming from the needle tower and tried her best to gauge which way it would fall. Unsure what to do, she resolved to watch it carefully for the next few days. Nausicaä also had a premonition that the tower would fall. She was a medium distance from the cornucopia; she couldn't know for sure whether she was at risk if the tower fell. She knew the gamemakers would want her to be near the horn, so she found a stable place to hide: a parking garage that could hopefully shield her from the crash.
The last of the three finalists, Delaney, checked her nets on the morning of Day 11 and realized she'd caught something spectacular. A thin, wriggling creature had tangled itself in her trap: an eel, slimy and light green. Knowing the gamemakers, Delaney figured it must have been an electric eel, but she wanted to test her theory before deciding for sure. Delaney retrieved a small fish from one of her other nets and let it go near the eel. There was a small buzzing sound, and the fish immediately stopped swimming. Delaney smiled and carefully lifted up the net containing the electric eel, unsure how long it could survive outside of water but knowing she'd just acquired a formidable weapon.
On the morning of Day 11, alarm bells went off in the gamemakers' center. The tower was falling right on schedule. It happened so quickly that – if not for the deafening noise – somebody looking the other directions for a few moments might have missed it. Nausicaä hunkered down in the parking garage, Manhattan took cover from the debris inside of an apartment building, and Delaney watched from a safe distance as the tower fell. It landed across the city like a fallen domino, the crash of millions of tons of iron roaring over the arena for several seconds. It rocked back and forth once or twice, then fell still as though it had lain there for a hundred years.
The tower collapse caused all three of the tributes to start moving again; the action had been jumpstarted, and, in fact, the games were ended that day. Delaney had the most distance to cover to reach the cornucopia. Moving through the water without submerging the eel was difficult, but she managed it eventually. Delaney could never have imagined how fast she would meet another tribute. Moments after she emerged onto the main island, there was a scuffling of feet: Nausicaä had seen her coming and was lying in wait behind a nearby building, waiting to ambush her. Nausicaä had seen the bundle of netting held by Delaney but couldn't identify the thing inside.
It all happened so quickly it was almost humorous. After a brief brawl on land, Delaney grabbed Nausicaä and shoved her into the water. She stumbled a few steps in, and Delaney let loose the electric eel. It crawled in the sand for a few seconds and then slipped into the water, and all of a sudden Nausicaä was screaming from the lethal electric current, her body contorting violently from the strength of the shock. Delaney watched the eel slip away into the depths of the ocean as Nausicaä's cannon fired.
Nausicaä Galwey, District 2 Female: 3rd, Killed by Delaney, Day 11
Now only Delaney and Manhattan were left in the games. Manhattan heard the cannon and looked at the clouds pensively for a moment. Which tribute had died – Delaney or Nausicaä? No matter what, she knew she had better start moving. The cornucopia had been completely crushed by the falling tower, so the normal locale for the finale was inaccessible. Because of this, Manhattan didn't know where the gamemakers wanted her to move. Her mentor Arnold sent her a note telling her what to do. That night, he said, a bright light would appear at the place where the finale was slated to occur. True to Arnold's word, a circle of powerful floodlights turned on that night. Despite how far away they were, they were easy to see in the pitch-black arena, and Manhattan reached the area quickly.
Delaney was already there, lying in wait. If she couldn't have the advantage of strength, at least she could have the element of surprise on her side. Manhattan came careening into the circle of floodlights, and Delaney watched her pensively from the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. She leaped out of the shadows with surprising grace, shoving Manhattan to the ground. They rolled around on the ground for several minutes, both of their blades having clattered away in the first few seconds of the fight. Manhattan was physically stronger, but Delaney was as slippery as an eel herself, always managing to slide out of the way whenever Manhattan tried to pin her down.
The fight continued for hours. By the time it ended, they were both covered in sweat, so much so that their fists slipped off of each other and their hair was dripping off the ends. The deciding moment occurred when Manhattan took hold of the fire axe Delaney had knocked away at the very beginning of the duel. Delaney's eyes opened wide as the axe bore down upon her, knowing her death was near.
It was one of the most perfect blows in Hunger Games history. The axe blade landed straight in the middle of Delaney's head, cutting down into her neck and cleaving her skull perfectly in half. Delaney's cannon shot rolled over the arena like thunder, echoing for half a minute through the empty streets.
Delaney Lurie, District 8 Female: 2nd, Killed by Manhattan, Day 11
"Manhattan Osk from District 13, you are the victor of the 108th Hunger Games!" Ciara Grant shouted.
Manhattan just staggered backwards and stared at the moon until the hovercraft came, feeling something she'd never felt before in her life.
Manhattan Osk, District 13 Female: Victor of the One Hundred Eighth Hunger Games, Day 11
AFTERMATH
District 13 gave their first victor the cold shoulder; nobody was sure how to feel about the young lady named Manhattan Osk. After three years of Capitol rule, District 13 was still not fully cooperative; many people were disgusted by Manhattan, seeing her as living proof that 13 was playing into the Capitol's games (literally) rather than maintaining some of the cultural and economic autonomy they had been promised after the Third Rebellion. Most of District 13 refused the wealth and food they were given after Manhattan's victory, even ceremonially destroying it in some places. Manhattan had to be followed by peacekeepers everywhere she went, afraid she would be killed by rebels at any moment. She was stuck at the nexus of two worlds, torn between her love of her home district and the wealth and glory that the Capitol had given her. After the games, Manhattan was a ruined woman. She hated all public appearances and developed a dependence on alcohol, ultimately joining the circle of substance-dependent victors that was growing larger and larger each year. Manhattan was ultimately reviled and hated for her entire life, living in unthinkable sadness everywhere she went. She is even thought to have said she wished she'd died in the games.
Her victory tour was chaotic; there were dozens of assassination attempts, and Manhattan was terrified of the urban districts because they reminded her of the arena where she'd spent her games.
The payouts on her victory were low; she was a popular tribute with 5% of bets.
Manhattan would live to age thirty-one. When she was twenty-eight, she was shot by a group of rebels, infuriated at how she'd abandoned the customs of her home district in favor of the victor life. She survived the gunshot, but it left her with permanent internal damage, and she died of resulting health complications three years later. Her short life was utterly miserable, and she hated every moment of it.
NEWS
Manhattan moves into District 13's brand new Victor's Village.
Poplin Amsden bears two children, named Yarn and Lauma (the latter is named after his district partner from his games).
Diode Cooper bears a child named Spark. Their sex is indeterminate.
Pluto Talbot bears his second child, Deimos.
Vine Lilard marries his fiancée of five years, a woman from District 8 named Lissa Brandon.
Larke Jean adopts twin children named Kine and Steer.
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)
102HG: Dandelion Linwood (#5, District 11)
103HG: Cherry Perlman (#7, District 7)
104HG: Syren Magretta (#15, District 4)
105HG: Fox Sikorski (#9, District 5)
AUX 105HG: Viveca Chatterley (#17, District 1)
106HG: Noble Drazen (#18, District 1)
107HG: Jeeter Castro (#6, District 6)
108HG: Manhattan Osk (#1, District 13)
A/N: Hey guys! I'm pretty happy with how this chapter turned out. This is an arena I've used a few times before but I still like what I did with it this time around. Me from 5 years ago never would have believed this story would turn into such a detailed, storied universe spanning literally more than a century. Hope you liked this new addition!
Hope your lives are going swimmingly, see you next time!
