Author's Note

I do not own The Hunger Games.

Etheria Arquette, 17

The detail in the game locations was amazing, even if the map didn't seem to stretch before. Etheria took a moment just to wander about the street of the District she'd been sorted into – Five. Did it really look like this there?

She'd been dropped in still wearing her silver blazer, too, complete with the intricate swirls up the sleeves. How had it managed that? It must have scanned her.

The occupants of the street – computer generated people with computer generated faces – were all talking about the reaping. Helpful signs pointed the way to the Town Square.

"No point hanging around too long," said a voice from behind. She spun round to face the boy. He was a touch taller than her, with ice blue eyes and close cropped silver hair, a faded streak of yellow running through the centre and slowly growing out.

"What?"

"You're the other player, right?"

"I– Yes, how did you know?"

He grinned. "Most of the simulations don't stand about gawping at things."

"Oh." She blushed. "I'm Etheria Arquette."

He thrust his hand out. "Radiance Sterling."

"Nice to meet you. Have you played before then?"

Radiance laughed. "Whenever I can. My siblings and I like to see who can get furthest." He grimaced. "And fight with the Gilmores."

Something flashed at the back of Etheria's mind and she frowned as she tried to place it. Sterling was a common enough surname in the Capitol, but she'd heard his name before, hadn't she? And the Gilmores…

"The Gilmores– Wait, Sterling. Are you related to a girl named Iridescence?"

Radiance nodded. "Yup. That's my sister. You know her?"

"Not personally, but I know Artemis Gilmore. She spends a lot of time complaining about Iridescence Sterling and her… clones?"

"For fuck's sake, she knows full well we're not clones. Iridescence has… parts Luminescence and I don't. We're triplets."

"Oh."

That was rich coming from Artemis Gilmore then. She had a twin brother!

"Come on, the reaping's this way." He gestured down the street. "You got any siblings?"

Etheria flinched. "Brothers. I don't… We don't…"

"Never mind. We don't need to spill all our secrets. C'mon."

"Are you sure we can't just…" She waved her hand at the street.

"If you want. But there's really not much here. They don't detail much in the Districts. It's the arena you want to see."

Ares Gilmore, 15

The District Three Town Square was boring.

But of course, District Three was boring.

What a place to end up for a special.

But then someone had to, and he supposed he'd drawn the short straw this time round.

Ares had seen all the Districts in the simulator by this point, and the most interesting ones were One, Two, and Four, followed then by Seven and Eleven with all their trees. Three was nothing but dreary buildings, grey stone, and a pump, balding, simulated Mayor.

The only interesting thing was the escort, Betalia Prize, who was a bundle of energy with cat ears and neon clothing.

"My, what a lot of eager faces I see this year!"

Ares folded his arms. He wished he could skip this part. Newbies enjoyed it, but he'd listened to it two dozen times.

"Welcome, welcome, to the reaping of the Second Quarter Quell, the Fiftieth Hunger Games!"

And now Ares was listening.