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#15

District 2 Male
Name: Panzer Jones
Age: 18
Training Score: 9
Odds of Victory: 5-1
Fact: He once concussed a girl by throwing a snowball really damn hard.

Normally Panzer rather enjoyed rain, but he'd begun to get really sick of the endless downpour of it all across the arena.

That was why he'd been adamant that the pack start exploring the mines already and search for tributes who had surely hidden themselves in the dark.

Pearl and Admirable had wanted to keep searching the surface, convinced that there were still more tributes out there. Panzer had just shrugged, geared up and headed off on his own.

With five others left outside the alliance, why would they all need to be together anyway?

Lotus had soon fallen in lockstep with him before he'd even fully entered the salt mines, while Clawdette had headed off with the others.

Personally, Panzer thought Clawdette just wanted to rub things in with Admirable even more. He'd gone chasing after a cat mutt that had stolen his token - a fancy pocket watch - and by the time he'd returned to the cornucopia an hour later several things had been stolen.

Food, water bottles, some weapons and gizmos, even one of the bear traps.

Secretly, Panzer wouldn't have minded if the thief had laid in hiding and slit Admirable's throat when he'd returned, but clearly they didn't have the nerve for it.

Truthfully Panzer had no idea which tribute had actually stolen their supplies, or if it was more than one. He didn't care much. He'd kill them just the same.

Though he'd be sure to take his time if it was the girl from 8. She'd stolen from them already and that felt like a wound to Panzer's pride. If Pearl was to be believed, that girl was still down the mines somewhere.

The day - at least, he thought it was daytime - had been slow. He and Lotus had been exploring the tunnels, but hadn't found any tributes just yet.

Salt mines, that's what they were. Well, better than the coal mines they had in that filthy hovel called District 12.

The tunnels went on for a lot longer than Panzer had expected. There were quarry pits and mines connected to them back home in District 2, but none of them were quiet as long nor echoing nor utterly empty as these ones were.

If he were to raise his voice, it would echo across the tunnels for half a minute, fading out slow and gradual.

It wasn't his first choice for an arena, but he'd make the best of it. He'd survive, he'd thrive, he'd win and bring home the glory.

That's what it was all about for Panzer. The glory. Performing what he saw as a truly vital, respectable and honourable service in aid of the country. He was here to give his home the best chance possible and prevent war from ever consuming Panem ever again.

Only the worst of people got reaped anyway, that was what his Father, a war hero, always told him and what Mr. Overwhill at the academy had often stressed, along with only victory being the thing to absolve a reaped tribute of their crimes. The only true downside of volunteering was sparing somebody that the nation surely didn't truly need.

But, if it made the nation safer and his home all the better, then Panzer would volunteer for the runt who'd been reaped a hundred times over. It only made sense for the bravest, the boldest and the strongest to enter the Games.

It only made sense for the very best tributes to be rewarded for their efforts. Panzer could only smile at the thought of moving into the victors village with his district's current victors. Baron, Runa, Olga, Rook, Boulder and the quell winner himself, Vercingetorix.

Being a neighbour to the quell winner, the one of a kind victor… the thought of such a thing pushed Panzer forth more than anything else.

He wasn't sure how his Games' finale was going to top an angle grinder duel within the eye of a storm of nerve gas, but he hoped whatever awaited him was going to be good.

But first he had to hunt down more tributes.

And to do that, he had to find his way through the salt mines.

And to do that, he had to focus… which was hard with how much Lotus was complaining.

Of all things for her to be whining about, it was her inability to make a single kill. Panzer didn't pity her at all; she just wasn't fast or skilled enough, and that was that.

"You better stand back once we find the next tribute, no matter which one it is," Lotus huffed.

"Uh huh," Panzer said, unenthused.

"I mean it, I came here to kill and win, not just stand around looking pretty!" Lotus snapped.

"You're so good at standing around, though," Panzer teased.

Lotus huffed, earning a snicker from Panzer. But amusement soon gave way to concentration. He hadn't come to the arena to walk around looking cool, he was here to fight.

It had been too long since his last kill, whether tribute or mutt.

"How deep do you think we are?" Panzer asked.

"Deep enough," Lotus replied.

"Hm, helpful," Panzer grunted.

They followed the downward incline of the tunnel, coming out into a wider chasm. Rubble littered the ground and four more tunnels led off into darkness. The only reason the careers weren't trapped in darkness was their flashlights, and occasional glowing gems on the walls.

Panzer knew gems didn't glow like that normally. It was obviously the gamemakers' doing.

"Great, where are we gonna go now?" Lotus complained. "Sure would love a map right about now, just saying."

"Yeah, because arena maps are sponsored all the time. It'll just take time, and we have time," Panzer firmly asserted. "C'mon, help me look for clues."

"You think there'd be clues around here?" Lotus asked.

"You can tell the ground's been disturbed by footprints. See the way the rubble's been scattered? See the dust? It's been interfered with," Panzer shrugged. "Don't they go over tracking in your district?"

"We favour the art of slitting throats," Lotus huffed.

"Well, be sure to show me on the next tribute we find if you can beat me to them," Panzer said, snickering.

For a time the careers searched around the wide cavern. Time passed uneventfully, until Panzer called Lotus over, having found something caught on a sharp rock.

"What is that?" Lotus asked. "Fabric?"

"Green fabric," Panzer told her. "District Nine female. She's been this way."

"She's mine," Lotus said, hurrying down the tunnel past the fabric.

"Yeah, be my guest," Panzer shrugged.

"...You don't sound as enthused about killing that one," Lotus noted. "What, are disabled tributes not good enough for you?"

"She's the Niece of the very first victor," Panzer explained, suddenly awkward. "Look, it's just a bit complicated, OK? Mizar was the first, his victory is what led to victors as we know them. Feels a little… I dunno, there's just something weird about killing his family."

"More kills for me then," Lotus shrugged, apathetic. "And anyway, didn't you say only the worst of people get reaped? She was reaped and so was her Uncle."

"...It's complicated," Panzer repeated, not readily having an answer.

The tunnel was dark and twisted, the air tasting staler as the pair made their way deeper into the salt mines. Panzer was sure they were close to the bottom now, but it was impossible to tell.

The tube had taken much longer than he'd expected to launch him into the arena…

Up ahead the tunnel split in two. The path to the right led straight on, moss growing all up its walls. The path to the left led somewhere lower.

The tiny girl from 3 had just walked out of it, right into the beam of Panzer's flashlight.

"Get her!" Panzer yelled, yanking his sword from its sheath and charging forwards.

"She's mine!" Lotus snapped. "You've had plenty!"

Lotus tried to shove Panzer down, but he was easily able to counter her grab and throw her back in return. The girl from 3 wasted no time in running for her life deeper down the tunnel.

She was fast for such a little thing, but Panzer knew he was faster. He knew catching that girl would barely be a workout for him.

"Come back, little Three!" Panzer called down the tunnel, the steep incline speeding him up if anything. "I'm gonna do to you what I did to your bastard partner, only worse!"

The girl said nothing, continuing to sprint away. She surely hoped to vanish into the darkness, but she was never too far ahead to be out of sight.

Panzer grinned. It wouldn't be long now.

The tunnel began to rumble violently. Rocks began to fall, few in number at first but more and more tumbling within mere seconds.

Panzer lunged forth, managing to perfectly dodge a large cluster of debris falling behind him. He looked back, seeing the tunnel had been blocked all the way from floor to ceiling by rubble.

There was no sign of Lotus.

"Lotus!" Panzer shouted. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine!" Lotus called back. "I'll head back and go through the other tunnel, I'll see you soon!"

"Got it!" Panzer said.

"And don't you dare steal my kill!" Lotus snapped.

"Sorry, can't hear you, too busy stealing your kill!" Panzer mocked her.

Panzer grinned at the sounds of Lotus throwing a fit on the other side of the rubble before turning his attention further down the tunnel. The girl from 3 had gotten ahead, but he would ensure she wouldn't get away.

"Three! I'm coming!" Panzer shouted, enjoying how his ferocious voice echoed. "My sword's bigger than your whole body which, in a word, means… heheh… you're fucked!"

Panzer charged down the tunnel, one fast and heavy foot in front of the other, with his sword raised high. One slash, one swing, that's all it would take.

The little brat would probably be outright cleaved in half.

He emerged in a dark clearing. A trio of tunnels led elsewhere, while the clearing was full of stalagmites, rubble piles and a lone pool of stagnant water.

That, and an old mining digger gathering plenty of dust. Peering closer, Panzer could tell it had been messed with. He was no expert with tech of any sort, but the hood was raised and the engine seemed to have had a part of itself removed.

"Where'd you go?" Panzer muttered as he began to move around the clearing. "Come out and fight me. I'm honourable, I'll give you a free hit."

He was slow, careful, always keeping his sword drawn and his eyes firmly alert.

He still ended up stepping into a bear trap hidden in the shadows. The teeth dug right into his lower leg, piercing deep through the muscle and entrenching towards the bone.

Panzer's screams and swears echoed through the caves, both near and far. Hissing and muffling his screams into his arm, Panzer knelt down to try and prise apart the jaws of the trap.

Slowly, he began to pull them out, his muscles making such a task not overly difficult. Just a few more inches and he'd be free.

A heavy rock was thrown at his head from behind. He instantly fell forwards from the force. The jaws of the trap clamped shut once again, further ruining his leg.

Panzer screamed, louder than before. He fought to grab his sword, only for more rocks to be thrown at him. Though smaller than the first, they were numerous in number. He was soon dizzy and struggling to see through his blurred eyes.

Someone walked forth, kicking the sword towards the edge of the clearing. They stepped in front of him, looking down at him.

It was the little girl from District 3, and the hateful look on her face surely didn't belong on someone so young.

"That doesn't belong to you," she said.

She knelt down, grabbing Panzer's left hand and forcefully tugging off the ring that adorned it.

"This belongs to Mouse and his family," she continued, pocketing the ring.

Panzer paled when he saw the girl take a knife from her belt. The girl from 3 glared down on him, even as a bead of sweat trickled down her face.

"I'm gonna kill you, just like how you were gonna kill me," she said. "Just like you killed Mouse."

She stuck the knife down… right beside Panzer's head, where it harmlessly met the rock. The girl from 3 put the knife away, instead leering closer to him.

"But nothing quick," she continued. She backed away into the darkness, reaching behind a pile of rubble. "I want you to feel what you put Mouse through. A slow, miserable end! So, we're gonna play a little game together."

Panzer struggled to move. His struggles quickly slowed down when the girl from 3 hurled another rock at his head. Though half-conscious, Panzer still managed to retain enough awareness to see what the girl from 3 set down in front of him.

It was a battery from the mining digger mere metres away. Connected to it were a pair of jumper cables, charged with power.

At their end were a pair of metallic clamps. The girl from 3 snapped them open and closed, electricity flickering between them.

Panzer paled. He puked over what his fate was to be.

"We're going to play a game," the girl from 3 repeated. "It's a game I like to call 'ow my balls."

Panzer screamed even before the girl from 3 lunged and attached the clamps. From there his screams became louder, shriller, more bloodcurdling.

More despairing.

"Can you say 'ow'?" the girl from 3 asked.

Panzer could only scream unintelligibly.

"Can you say 'ow my balls'?" she continued, her face like stone.

Again, Panzer only screamed and writhed. The girl from 3 fiddled with the battery, upping the power from where it had started.

Panzer's screams became so high pitched that his throat became scorched. The pain was immense, never stopping. His screaming was intense, never ceasing.

The girl from 3 didn't stop. She kept picturing thoughts of what Panzer had done to Mouse. How he'd enjoyed what he was doing. How he made sure it hurt. How he'd said such cruel things.

He deserved what he was getting, she was sure of it.

Panzer barely had the ability to even be aware that he no longer had any hope of surviving. Thinking was impossible when the pain was all consuming. He couldn't think clear enough to fight back, let alone struggle.

Several long, torturous minutes passed before the girl from 3 switched off the battery. Panzer moaned, shuddered and sobbed. His limbs twitched, much of his flesh was seared and tears trickled down his face.

The girl from 3 took out a small pocket mirror, something she'd found lying around a tunnel, and showed Panzer his miserable, agonised and, above all, defeated face.

Panzer could hardly bear to look.

"What's the matter?" the girl from 3 asked, her high pitched voice lowering in contempt. "I thought seeing people in pain was what got you off. Honourable, my ass."

She leaned closed, until they were almost nose to nose.

"Fuck. You."

The clamps were put upon Panzer's face, the power was turned to the absolute maximum and his agonised screaming started up once again.

It felt like it lasted for hours, but it only went on for a further ten minutes. Panzer went still and the cannon boomed. For a time Ratchet was silent, just taking deep breaths.

She wasn't sure how to feel after what she had just done. But taking out Mouse's ring and looking it over… she felt better.

"Don't worry Mouse, I'll make it home. I'll give your ring back to your parents," Ratchet promised.

Ratchet looted Panzer's supplies, put away her own and trekked off into the darkness.

Panzer was left alone in the dark, his body far out of range for any sort of hovercraft to reach.

It was, however, in range of the rats.

Tribute Deceased
Ranking: 10th
Cause of Death: Heart stopped via electrocution (by Ratchet)
Time Lasted: 6 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes and 39 seconds
The odds weren't in his favour