AUTHOR'S NOTES: It's pretty much smooth sailing from here on out. Every Monday-Wednesday-Friday should contain an update for this story until its completion, including the upcoming "2nd Golden Age" in the 90s (91-99) in the near future. Thanks everyone that has participated so far. I enjoy every bit of feedback. Also, For those wondering about the number of victors in District 3 in my AU... there were 8 as of the 94th Hunger Games, but a 9th one joined them between then and the 99th games. But back on topic, the books mentioned that "5 years ago the arena was a burning desert". So... spoiler alert about the arena, but not much else.
Either way... Happy Reading!

The 69th Annual Hunger Games

There was a certain level of artistic dedication that went into designing the Hunger Games arenas. Some of them took years to plan and then even longer to actually build, but the Capitol's technology was second to none, and they had all the time, money, and resources they ever needed to construct these magnificently terrible structures. Even the simplest ones still had a lot of complexities to them that didn't meet the eye. The environment was under the Capitol's control, and they had to be able to unleash traps, hazards, mutts, or other game-changers into the arena as they pleased.

The arena for the 69th Annual Hunger Games was one of the deceptively simple ones. A barren, rocky desert that practically radiated heat all on its own was the setting of choice here, which meant that there would be a struggle for water, and fights would break out at the cornucopia more than usual if there was any of it there. The tributes that would have the sharpest edge in this year's games would be the tributes from District 5 and District 2, which were both located in mostly rocky, desert terrain. District 3's cunning would also serve them well, while those from District 1 might also do fairly well by virtue of being careers. Garrett Mendez and Marian Sandega would definitely be viable threats in the arena, considering that the former scored a 12 in training, and his partner scored an 11.

Over in District 5, Corbin Red and Bethany Shanza were also poised to become viable threats. While they both only scored 9s, they were as analytical as the District 3 pair, who they formed an alliance with. While District 2 went for their usual friends in District 1 (with the boy, Marco, scoring a 10, and the girl, Glitz, scoring an 11), Corbin and Bethany went for District 3's Zak Matu and Leto Nohr, both of whom scored fairly high as well.

The cameras that captured the tributes' expressions during the 60-second countdown caught on to the highly analytical expressions plastered on the visages of District 3 and District 5. By coincidence of placement, they were about equidistant from each other in the semicircle of tributes. Depending on how they played their cards, this would either benefit them greatly, or be their downfall.

When the gong sounded, it did not take long to see that it was beneficial. Leto and Corbin took one side, while Zak and Bethany took the other, forming a pincer attack on several tributes before seizing some supplies including much-coveted water, before hauling their alliance out and into the rocky desert that awaited them. Garrett, Marian, Glitz, and Marco all huddled under the shadow of the golden horn, ready to hide from the oppressive sun that would surely scorch the arena, and dry up the blood of the 10 tributes that had lost their lives in this small clearing.

The first night was not terribly eventful, other than most of the tributes noting that the lower evening temperature was not as low as they had thought it would be—or hoped it would be. It was hot enough that some tributes shed a few layers of clothing, while others sought shadier refuges. Many tributes shifted their sleep schedules to try and sleep during the day in the shade and move at night where the temperatures were less unbearable, and those that didn't were likely some of the cannons that had fired the 2nd day. Corbin and Bethany figured that this year's games would not be very long.

Even then, with the way they rationed their water, there came a point early in day 5 where their supply was depleted. None of them considered the cornucopia as a place to check, figuring the careers had likely taken control of any bottled water that had remained. Bethany was sponsored a bottle of water that she pretended was medicine, and did her best to diffuse any tension that was rising from an impatient and thirsty alliance. Otherwise, they didn't run into very much in the ways of life of any kind, except for a few poisonous snakes. Bethany and Leto both collected some of the venom for their weapons, but even then, the rest of the evening did not give them anyone to use them on.

During the day as the others went down for sleep, Bethany broke away from her old alliance, heading out into the sun, figuring that the careers still travelled by day. She was right about this, running into Marian before anyone else. She proposed an alliance, reminding her that there were still 6 other tributes besides the career pack, ("7 if you include me…") and for Marian, that was enough. Bethany was welcomed into the career alliance, who were on the trail for water like most of the other surviving players. They had a limited supply, and no one suspected that this District 5 girl had just hatched one of the most devious schemes in the Hunger Games.

She returned to her old alliance shortly before they woke up, telling them that she knew where the careers were going to make camp the following day. They bought her story, but in truth, she was leading them to a trap. She let them make camp at a certain location, seemingly out of sight, and when they went to sleep, Bethany returned to the career pack, warning them of the would-be ambush that was waiting for them at the nearby waterhole in question.

As such, the careers fell upon Bethany's old allies, bringing three more deaths on day 7 (in addition to one more somewhere else in the arena), and the final tribute count down to 7. Bethany's schemes weren't over yet. Taking the snake venom that she had been saving this entire time, she slipped drops of it into the careers' water bottles, waiting for the moment they left the waterhole.

Day 8 started normally, with the five tributes waking up to seek out the other two. They all took a swig of water to quench their parched mouths, and were on their way. It only took a few minutes for the venom to kick in, and it was almost comical to watch all four of the careers fall dead nearly simultaneously. Four cannons fire, and Bethany knew she had this game in the bag.

Day 9 was the final day of these fast paced Hunger Games. The boy from District 11 died of natural causes (or possibly mutts), and Bethany ambushed the boy from District 7 as he slept, and put an end to the games. She became the 8th victor from District 5, and the 69th victor of the Hunger Games.

Bethany Shanza was a reminder to Panem that while a lot of the District 5 tributes were sort of wildcards (what with that unlike the careers, there were plenty of these children that died in the bloodbath), that they were still a dangerously cunning and formidable force. Bethany did not ever become a very trustworthy individual, especially after her stunts in the arena, which made her somewhat intimidating, and even the Capitol kept tabs on her—just in case. The biggest change that happened to Bethany after all was said and done was that she drank much more water than she used to—and to this day, still enjoys an ice cold shower or two…

VICTORS BY YEAR:
1HG: Fukaya Kerezaki (#1, District 5)
2HG: Lucy Takamatzu (#1, District 11)
3HG: Naseru Litzak (#1, District 3)
4HG: Naisha Szasz (#1, District 2)
5HG: Jade Prima (#1, District 1)
6HG: Cedar Hardin (#1, District 7)
7HG: Susan Jackman (#2, District 5)
8HG: Malcolm Reed (#1, District 6)
9HG: Mags Cohen (#1, District 4)
10HG: Faren Dragmire (#2, District 1)
11HG: Maius Karuha (#2, District 2)
12HG: Iunius Karuha (#3, District 2)
13HG: Hilda White (#1, District 10)
14HG: Minali Otoyome (#2, District 3)
15HG: Willow James (#3, District 1)
16HG: Lark Chandnea (#2, District 11)
17HG: Woof Casino (#1, District 8)
18HG: Leah Holden (#2, District 7)
19HG: Zeruda Mezkiel (#2, District 6)
20HG: Muscida Lee (#2, District 4)
21HG: Kada Lahka (#4, District 2)
22HG: Gleam DiFronzo (#4, District 1)
23HG: Ivette Coronado (#3, District 5)
24HG: Olivia Thurman (#1, District 9)
25HG: Laurel Fox (#1, District 12)
26HG: Daron Armstrong (#5, District 2)
27HG: Cobalt Evans (#5, District 1)
28HG: Lyme Golding (#6, District 2)
29HG: Ash LosDias (#3, District 7)
30HG: Challis Worth (#2, District 8)
31HG: Beetee Latier (#3, District 3)
32HG: Fletch Crossley (#4, District 5)
33HG: Seeder Howell (#3, District 11)
34HG: Price Emerson (#6, District 1)
35HG: Leto Irizari (#7, District 2)
36HG: Jackson Kjelle (#5, District 5)
37HG: Zerviah Hawke (#3, District 6)
38HG: Wiress Plummer (#4, District 3)
39HG: Nephi Lott (#3, District 4)
40HG: Miriam Luxio (#7, District 1)
41HG: Marcelina Kovac (#6, District 5)
42HG: Niles Lincoln (#8, District 2)
43HG: Blight McKay (#4, District 7)
44HG: Sagittaria Svenja (#4, District 11)
45HG: Dezna Meraxa (#4, District 6)
46HG: Alice DeSiete (#3, District 8)
47HG: Aurum Zianja (#8, District 1)
48HG: Layla Aranai (#9, District 2)
49HG: Chip Sangster (#5, District 3)
50HG: Haymitch Abernathy (#2, District 12)
51HG: Derrick James (#7, District 5)
52HG: Chaff Mitchell (#5, District 11)
53HG: Brutus Gunn (#10, District 2)
54HG: Tiffany Waxler (#2, District 10)
55HG: Zak Dreggite (#4, District 4)
56HG: Zoroka Chandaki (#9, District 1)
57HG: Cecelia Sanchez (#4, District 8)
58HG: Meili Meisha (#5, District 6)
59HG: Zhin Lyautey (#6, District 3)
60HG: Lucas Drazen (#10, District 1)
61HG: Kara Petersen (#5, District 7)
62HG: Enobaria Taos (#11, District 2)
63HG: Gloss Zianja (#11, District 1)
64HG: Cashmere Zianja (#12, District 1)
65HG: Finnick Odair (#5, District 4)
66HG: Elroy Trujillo (#12, District 2)
67HG: Varric Svenja (#6, District 11)
68HG: Carver Tabris (#2, District 9)
69HG: Bethany Shanza (#8, District 5)