District 2 reapings.

Bruck Jimenez 26 Victor of the 93rd hunger games

Mason climbed the stage, and sat down heavily in his seat. He was late. And he was only the second one here.

Bruck surveyed the assembled citizens of district 2, those ages 12 - 18 were in a roped off area by age. the younger children and those over 19 were surrounding them.

Bruck saw Bulla walking quickly through the crowd, she, unlike him, had been mentored by Mason, there first victor since the rebellion.

Mason, victor of the third quarter quell, in which 96 tributes faced off against each other.

96.

And mason had won, slaughtering and slaughtering, eventually killing 18 tributes. A record.

He had mentored Alexis to victory, and then Alexis had in turn mentored him, and then the year afterward, Bulla had won, mentored by mason.

Bulla climbed up the stage and sat down in the seat next to the mayor.

Doji vector. A rather pompous man who Bruck hated, but that didn't matter, Doji wasn't a victor. Unlike him. Unlike Bulla and Mason. And unlike Alexis.

but where was Alexis?

Then he finally spotted her, jogging through the crowd as Doji stood up to make his speech.

Bruck, like he always did tuned him out.

Doji had been mayor since Bruck had won. 8 years ago.

Apparently, Hero, his fellow male tribute from 2, had been his son.

Bruck hadn't killed Hero. But he wished he did. Hero had lorded over the rest of the careers, trying to become the leader of the pack that had been 12 strong.

But Hero had died the second day. Bruck only found out after he won that Hero had been killed by a 13 year old girl from 5. 13 years old. Bruck had laughed at that. Hero had been killed by a 13 year old girl and he had won, killing 6 of his fellow careers, and then 7 other tributes.

He won in 11 days. Not even two weeks.

Bruck shook himself out of his thoughts as Alexis sat down next to him, sweating from her jog.

Alexis was a strange victor, she had trained as a career, but in training only got an 8, and throughout the first two weeks she killed only two tributes.

until she murdered her remaining three allies. And then finally the last day of the games, killed the boy from 4 and was crowned victor. A careers victory, but then she washed her hands clean of the games. Didn't teach at Masons academy, unlike Bruck and Bulla, who had jumped at the opportunity. She hadn't even wanted to mentor, but the capital made her anyway.

And so here she was.

The mayor finished his speech, and then sat back down, leaving the stage open to Rissan.

The district 2 escort. He had been with them since the 75th hunger games, and had seen all of them win. He didn't look like he was going to stop soon.

He was balding but not in bad shape for a man who was 54. The thing about him was that he looked so normal, not like the rest of the capital people he had met. And Bruck respected him for that.

"Now, this year, boys first" as Rissan walked over the boys bowl, and reached his hand in.

"Declan Boton."

A boy walked out of the 16 year old section, short and rather ferrety looking, glasses balanced on the tip of his nose, long shaggy black hair.

Bruck waited, hoping that he would follow through as promised.

and then his voice rang out.

"I volunteer."

"Yes" Brock exclaimed, drawing looks from the mayor and Alexis, but Bulla and Mason shared in his joy.

Crag stepped out of the 18 year old section.

Crag was the best student Brock had had in a while. 6'6, hugely muscled and bloodthirsty, his hair cut into a short buzzcut, Crag was everything you looked for in a career.

"Do you accept?" Rissan called down to the ferrety boy, Declan.

Declan nodded his head yes several times, and then stumbled backwards into the 16 year old section.

Crag shouted out and ran towards the stage. Rissan asked him for his name and Crag shouted out "Crag Dennison."

Rissan shook his hand and then walked over to the girls bowl.

"Nesba gen"

A girl took two steps out of the 12 year old section, then fell to the ground, crying.

"I volunteer"

Loreen stepped out of the 18 year old section.

Bulla was nodding her head, Loreen was the best of the girls.

The 12 year old girl was already yelling out I accept, several times, as if she was afraid they wouldn't hear her. Two other girls stepped out of the 12 year old section and dragged Nesba gen back into place, while Loreen walked up to the stage. she had a white dress on, her long blonde hair falling down past her shoulders. Green eyes. She had clearly dressed knowing she would be going into the games.

Rissan asked for her name and she called out "Loreen Gregor."

Rissan shook her hand and then walked back towards the boys bowl.

"Tyreen Vucal"

Silence.

And then a burly boy stepped out of the 18 year old section, he was tall 6'4, had defined muscles, black hair cut into a neat buzzcut, he wasnt one of Bruck's students, but he seemed familiar.

And the Bruck remembered

A small 14 year old boy, he had always been good with throwing knives, telling Bruck he was quitting. He had to help his mom raise his siblings, something about his father dying.

Bruck arguing that he should train, he had a chance to win when he got old enough. The boy yelling that why would he train, train to have a chance to live, while he had a definite chance to live if he didn't volunteer.

The boy had walked out. And here he was all grown up.

The boy still just stood there, motionless, but nobody was volunteering.

Several peacekeepers strode towards him. but still he stood there. One of the peacekeepers grabbed his shoulder. And Tyreen spun and punched him in the helmet, the peacekeeper fell backwards, and the other two converged on him, one of them swinging a baton, Tyreen dodged it and punched the other one in the stomach, and thats when the baton caught him in the head. Tyreen collapsed and another peacekeeper walked forward and helped the one that had knocked him out onstage.

Crag and Loreen were openly laughing on stage, as Tyreen was dropped in a heap.

Rissan stared at Tyreen for a moment and then walked to the girls bowl, and pulled out the final name.

"Reena jas"

A small dark haired girl walked out of the 16 year old section, she was smiling, like her birthday had come early.

"I volunteer" A voice rang out, and a girl stepped out of the 18 year old section, I didn't recognize her, nor did I recognize Reena, but the girl was already striding towards the stage when Reena called out "I don't accept."

The other girl spun and pointed at Reena, shouting "you'll get you turn, this is mine!"

but Reena stood fast. "I dont accept."

The other girl looked like she was about to start a fight right then, but a pair of peacekeepers jumped up and escorted her back to her spot.

And Reena climbed onstage.

The tributes shook hands, with the exception of Tyreen who was still out cold.

and then they walked, or in Tyreen's case, were dragged off towards the justice building.

Mason stood up and the rest of us followed suit.

"I'll take Crag" Mason announced

Bruck nodded, fair enough, he then turned to Bulla,

"The girl, Reena, she one of your students?"

"yes" Bulla replied "shes good, quite good, but only 16, she wasn't supposed to volunteer."

"She's got spunk" Bruck replied "I like that, i'll take her."

Bulla nodded "Ok, then I get Loreen."

we all turned to Alexis, she hadn't spoke up once

"what?" she said "you guys trained them, you get to pick them, i'll take Tyreen."

Bruck turned and walked toward the car that was waiting, waiting to take them to the train.

Tyreen Vucal 18 district 2

this isn't what he wanted, Tyreen thought as he sat on the floor of his room, he had trained, but he never really planned on going into the games, and then once his dad died, he couldn't, he had to take care of his mom, and his sister and brother. He liked it better that way, working in the quarry had made him strong, so that would help in the games, but what he needed now was his training, training that he had all but forgot.

His mom with his siblings in two came into the room.

"Listen to me" Tyreen said before they could speak "Listen to me, I'm not going to make empty promises, I'm not going to promise im going to come home, because I can't do that, all I can do is tell you i'll try my best. dont make me say anything more."

"But you can win Tyreen" said his mom "you're strong, you have your training-"

Tyreen snorted, interrupting her.

"Mom I quit training four years ago, what good is that?"

His sister burst into tears.

Tyreen realized he was being harsh, he had to be strong, for them.

"No don't cry" he said, patting her back, "I have my training after all, I'll try my best, alright?"

I'll try my best.

But his best wasn't going to be good enough, and deep down, Tyreen knew that, and nobody could stop him.

Reena Jas 16 district 2

This is what she wanted. Reena thought. Into the games at last.

She ignored her parents, sitting in the corner of the room, her mom, sobbing into her dads shoulder, her dad patting her moms back.

They didn't care about her training, all they wanted was perfect little girl who would do her work, and clean her room, and be nice.

But that wasn't what Reena was. Reena wanted to kill. She wanted to win. and this was her chance. and her parents, not even her parents, nobody, could stop her.

Crag Dennison 18 district 2

this is what he wanted. Crag thought. They were all here, his dad, his brother, his friends from the academy, telling him good job, that they were proud of him.

This was his chance to win, win like his older brother had failed to do, he had gotten into the top 6 last year, but had been killed, by wolf mutts, pesky little wolf mutts that had overpowered his brother. He wouldn't make the same mistake. he was ready. ready to kill. and nobody could stop him.

Loreen Gregor 18 district 2

This is what she wanted. Her chance to strike back. For her brother.

He had died four years ago, in the top 3, killed by Lance, the eventual victor from 9.

Lance, only 15, had killed her 17 year old brother.

She was going to get back at him. She would kill the tributes from 9. All of them. If it was the last thing she did. She would make it slow, torture them. Its what her brother would have wanted.

her parents hadn't shown up, they didn't get why she wanted to go into the games, after her brother had died, they had turned their backs on the games and the capital.

she was the patriot in the family.

And they couldnt stop her.

Nobody could stop her.