IMPORTANT NOTE: This will take place in the second book. But the tributes are from the first book and it will be the first time Katniss is reaped. So it's the 75th Hunger Games and the Quarter Quell. For the Quarter Quell, instead of past victors being reaped, THE CAPITOL WILL BE REAPED. And the tributes will be from the first book, just to clear it out.
Surviving
Chapter 1: Awakening
If the sky had sprayed a little more blue, Damian wouldn't have widened his eyes. One look at the clouds and he knew something was wrong. It was the color of some bluish gray, with the high sun blasting a ray of sunshine to an already shining city down below, it was about one of the strangest views Damian had seen about the weather. It looked like it was going to rain, but the sun told it otherwise.
But behind the tall glass windows was the room he woke up in, a wave of confusion seemed to settle in his head. His room was as bright as the city, white and silver danced in his vision. He crossed his arms and realized he was wearing his silk maroon pajamas, and that was the only thing that seemed familiar to him. He clutched the covers of the bed, he actually felt afraid for once. The city and his room wanted to welcome him in the brightest of salutations, but all he received was a terrifying threat of loneliness.
It couldn't be a dream, Damian had pinched himself enough times to confirm it. It didn't feel like an illusion, the bed covers and his clothing seemed real. On his left he heard faint sounds of silverware tapping into plates, people were eating outside his door. Damian immediately stood up and opened the door wide enough for him to go through and what he saw couldn't have been more strange.
The rectangular room was the total opposite of the room he was just in. To the left looked like a living room with so much colorful décor Damian couldn't take note of them all. And to his right was a dining room with a glass table and odd looking chairs, on those chairs sat three people.
"Damian," A woman addressed him like she'd known him all her life. Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable, where the hell was he? Where was his real family? Who were these people? He felt like an actual ten year old, having lost his mother in the supermarket and being scared. He felt the urge to run and as he was about to make his move the woman spoke to him again.
"Damian, wait… please," her tone turned serious and commanding. "We don't mean any harm."
"Where am I?!" He demanded, seeming to believe her words. The city below them didn't look very welcoming.
"Just calm down and we'll tell you want you want to know." The lady beckoned Damian to a chair beside her, her face hinted anxiety and she was trying her best to hide it. If they were assassins, they were definitely doing it wrong, inviting him to the table. But they got him cornered, bringing him to an unknown area with only his pajamas, he needed answers. The place seemed all bright and happy, but if he ever went down there, it could be a minefield, they would find him again.
Damian reluctantly walked across the room to meet his kidnappers. They all put fake smiles as he neared, which only made him angrier. There was a teenage girl sitting beside the lady, she just looked down and played with her food and seemed to be serious at it. And at the other end sat a man with a straight face and it was obvious that the lady always did the talking. If they were playing as a family, their daughter, the girl, didn't look like any of her parents. Damian remained standing as he thought of this.
"Look, I understand that you're probably confused right now," the lady started speaking again. "You can trust us and I swear we're here to help you. At least sit down and see that we're not going to hurt you."
"If you're here to help me then who brought me here?" Damian realized that they were afraid of him, and he found confidence in that. An advantage he used to enjoy in fighting, but after all that had been through, fighting evil along with his father, he actually felt guilty. He eyed the door about two meters from the dining table, the lady seemed to notice this.
"If you escape now, they'll find you. And they won't hesitate to kill children. You have nothing to find there, Damian because you're over a hundred years into the future."
Damian didn't have many friends in Gotham, he had his family and a hell lot of enemies. He was pretty sure none of them would have played this kind of game. It was too thought out of, probably even too expensive for Talia Al Ghul. He was running out of options, he was trapped. Yet the situation was too impossible to even think about. The future… it was all some cruel sick joke.
"We have proof," she brought out a small thin square with buttons all over it. Damian had almost concluded it was a phone, but there wasn't any screen. She pressed a button and a hologram screen flashed from the living room wall. It viewed an anchorman, Damian couldn't understand what he was saying but it was English. In the corner of the screen showed the time, it was late morning. Nothing seemed to bother him except the date, the year was over hundred years from his time. As he was noting this he continued staring blankly into the screen. Only when the girl stood up and spoke did he snap of his reverie.
"Enough introductions, can we just please explain the mission to him?" she demanded.
"Patience, Alix we still have time," The lady assured her. "I'm sorry to take you from your home but we are in need of your talents, Damian Wayne. We believe you can stop a war that is currently waging in this time."
"So you bring me to the future to stop a war? And you just can't do it yourselves? I thought the future would be more advanced than this."
"It's not that, you see about seventy five years ago…" The lady started explaining how the earth faced the apocalypse forty years from his time. Few people survived, and the remaining of America grew a new country called Panem. Panem was divided to thirteen districts with one tall city called the Capitol on top. While the districts sought to survive, the Capitol bathed in its richness and ruled Panem with an iron fist. The whole system was unfair because the districts were working so hard for a living and all their produce went to the Capitol. This resulted in uprisings and soon a revolution. The districts fought and waged the first war against the Capitol, but it wasn't enough. The Capitol had all the power and the districts were defeated, they bombed the thirteenth district and started the Hunger Games. The games was the most selfish act the Capitol had inflicted on Panem. Every year, two teenagers from the ages twelve to eighteen in each district will be picked and will be forced to fight to the death with only one winner. The games forced the districts to their knees and this time the Capitol will not take the slightest act that could lead to an uprising. And every twenty five years, the game will be teaked a little to remind the districts of the Capitol's power. The games were so cruel, so brutal and aired all across the country for everyone's viewing pleasure.
"And that's where you come in, Damian," the lady ended her story. "I'm Jackson and this is Alix and Homes." She gestured to the two other persons in the table.
"And why would I help you?" Damian snorted.
"Because we're also the only way to get you back to your time," this time it was Homes who spoke.
Damian eyed the trio, what if they were manipulating him? If they could kidnap him and bring him in the future, they could definitely change the story and let him do their bidding. Damian wasn't even quite sure he was really in the future. Then another question rang in Damian's head.
"So you're a part of the districts?"
"We're from the districts, we're spies from the rebel group against the Capitol." Alix answered.
Rebels. They weren't actually the heroes in a story and fought against their leaders. Most of the time, it was sensible for people to revolt as there was abuse and suffering by the government. Damian didn't want to take any chances, trust was more a difficult word than he'd imagine. Try living with his father for once. Damian didn't have any choice, he was trapped in the future in enemy territory with spies, spies that are forcing him on a mission or else he'll never get home. It didn't seem as bad as it sounded when he thought it through, and if they were lying, Damian had two choices: force them to bring him back to his time or run. They must have a time machine somewhere, it was the only logical reason to travel through time, but of course in the future, anything can happen.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You're going to be reaped to the Hunger Games and compete." Jackson said bluntly, yet the air seemed to grow cold when she said this. The spies looked at Damian and waited for his reaction.
"But I'm not qualified" Damian answered with a straight face. "You said teenagers twelve to eighteen can only compete and I'm not in a district, I thought only districts will be reaped."
"This year is the 75th year in the games, a Quarter Quell," Alix replied. "This year they will be reaping the Capitol… probably to get the districts on their side."
"And we changed your identity and altered your height a bit," Jackson continued.
"And what is the point of me competing?"
"You will start a spark, a spark that will ignite a revolution against the Capitol."
"This is nonsense, you are asking me to start a war," Damian countered. He would gladly fight in the front lines but starting a war is ridiculous. If the Capitol won the first revolution then it is bound to happen again. The district will die one by one like thirteen and Damian wouldn't want to be held responsible. His thoughts startled him inside, here he was, about seven years of lethal training of assassination from his mother and he was going against war. The things a family could do to him, which made him miss Wayne Manor so much. If the rebels won the war, he would be a hero, a name which did not fit him yet he forced it into his heart. He thought of Dick, Alfred, and Bruce, how proud they would be if he helped save the future.
The room turned silent as the trio in front of him pondered over his words as he pondered in theirs. For a second Damian remembered his alter ego, or whom he was trying to hide ever since he woke up. He was already a hero, a Robin and he was to fight crime or its back to living with his mother.
"Who am I?" Damian asked before any of them could say a thing. None of them questioned his odd inquiry instead answered it.
"You are Damian Kyros, twelve years old and you will compete along with your sister, Vyra Kyros," Jackson held up a hand towards Alix. "I am your mother and Homes is your father."
"I'll inform you of the rest of the mission once we're inside." Alix said before Damian could ask any more questions.
This left Damian with only one: "When is the reaping?"
If Damian were walking through the streets of Gotham now, he would be a fashion crisis, but down at the Capitol, it was pretty normal. His silver suit was actually altered because he refused to wear the previous design, it was even too disgusting to think about. Instead of the triangular shape the suit made in his chest, it was square with a glossy black bow tie on top. They put too much gel in his hair, or whatever they called it and even suggested dyeing his hair silver. Even though Damian wasn't conscious of his appearance, he still had some dignity in that ten year old heart of his. So they added a few silver steaks on top of his head so he would 'fit in' a little more, though he was nowhere close to the other children. They had wings and capes to their backs, gowns even longer than Damian and make up that would make the Joker jealous. Damian instantly loathed all of them.
But all of them seemed frightened and nervous, their parents angry and scared as well, if this is how it went every year for the districts, then Damian hoped the Capitol would experience their pain.
"We're inseparable okay, just follow my lead." Alix put hand of Damian's shoulder.
"There are a million kids in the Capitol, how are you sure we are going to be chosen?"
"Because my name's been there six times, yours only once, if I'm reaped then you should volunteer."
"That gives us twelve percent chance of getting in."
"Our escort, as well as the one going to pick the names, is a spy from the Capitol and our friend."
"So why did you not say that earlier?"
Alix remained silent as they arrived at the square. More than a hundred chairs were aligned and divided into two parts, the right side for the males and the left for the females. Damian was about to walk to the right side when Alix caught his arm.
"They usually pick the girl's first, and when I'm reaped, I want you to start acting like the scared little brother."
"And I hope you start acting like the distressed older sister." Damian replied.
"Then I'm glad we understand each other. Now give me a hug." Alix bent and held up her arms and Damian had no choice but to accept it. This is was all a big show and Damian was risking his life for some spark of hope. No, if he was going to compete and broadcasted all over Panem, he was going for a full blaze. The hug lasted for three seconds then Alix gave her 'goodbyes' to her scared little brother. Luckily he had been taking acting lessons from Carrie Kelley or this would have been difficult.
Damian made his way to the boy's side, maintaining a sad expression as he took a seat a few rows from the back. Most of the boys looked about thirteen and sixteen, and he was the only ten year old. From across he spotted Alix a few rows in front of him, with her head down. In a few minutes music started playing and a lady in the silliest costume walked up the stage. Cameras surrounded the square which made Damian more uncomfortable.
"Welcome Capitol, to the 75th Hunger Games!" It must have been a hard task, reaping for the Capitol. Standing in front of what used to be a cheery crowd, but now is suffering the same fate. Damian would have anyone be reaped in exchange, but he was on a damn mission.
Damian was still lost in his thoughts as she made her introductions, trying to cheer up the crowd of children. Damian looked up to see her walk towards the girl's reaping ball.
"Ladies first," she proclaimed and brushed her gloved hands. The female section seemed to be holding their breaths as the lady's hand reached for a name. After one second her hand shot up from the reaping ball like a fishing pole that's caught a fish. She continued her way to the microphone and Damian swore he saw majority of the girl's section turn white.
"Vyra Kyros!" There was no shout, no cry of help, Damian only heard sighs of relief as none of them were reaped except his fake sister. She slowly stood up, an expression of pure fake horror on her face. Damian remembered their conversation earlier and decided to put on a show. He quickly stood up so everyone would see his face and cried of Vyra's name, but decided not to run, he was just a helpless twelve year old after all. Everyone turned their heads towards Damian as he broke down to his chair and started wailing. He wasn't an expert in fake crying yet but he tried his best. At this, Vyra looked down and continued walking to the stage. None of the boys beside him offered comfort and just looked away, Damian was glad of this.
"Now for the boys," this meant is was Damian's turn, he slowly looked up, a few tears in his eyes as the lady made her way to the boy's reaping ball. As she announced the name, Damian was about to stand up. It took him a second to realize it wasn't his name, it wasn't Damian Kyros. Another boy stood up, he looked about fifteen and Damian let out a silent curse, and quickly deployed plan B. He ran to the middle aisle and started running towards the stage shouting "VYRA!" He was stopped by the guards or whatever they called them here. More tears streamed to his face as he tried to remember his father, his family back home looking for him, something to cry about. He hoped he was making a scene because the words slipped from his mouth.
"I volunteer! Stop! I VOLUNTEER!" He really wanted to punch the guards for carrying him off the square like a baby. He wasn't going to be the scared little brother anymore. He was the brave twelve year old who just couldn't get away from his sister.
"Well, looks like we have a volunteer!" The lady announced and the guards let him down and started escorting him to the stage. He wiped the fake tears from his face and faced the crowd and tried to look brave. The announcer put a hand on his shoulder and asked what his name was.
"Damian Kyros" a few gasps were let out as they connected his last name to the girl tribute. Looks of pity and horror were planted on the faces of the Capitol citizens as they realized the scenario of the tributes. The boy who was reaped earlier had the expression of pure relief as the twelve year old took his place. Damian gave him a small glare before turning back to the announcer, who gave him another question.
"Then this must be your sister, isn't she?" she said with a comforting tone that wasn't comforting at all. Damian nodded, new tears were hard to conjure, he rarely cried because he would be punished for it. It didn't matter now for he was the star of the show. He ran to Alix and gave her a hug in front of the audience, the crowd went wild at this and because none of them were going to die. "How's that for a performance?" Damian whispered to Alix in their embrace.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our tributes for the 75th Hunger Games!"