trigger warning for familial abuse in Logan's POV

Cypher "CT" Torres, 15

District 3 Male

The messy blueprints sat on my desk, my error staring judgmentally at me. It was such a simple mistake. Anyone could have overlooked it - and it resulted in almost two dozen deaths.

I felt stupid and it only made the guilt worse. I wasn't a dumb kid. I was the top student in all of my classes. I was set to inherit Torres Enterprises. I was a genius inventor. And I killed the people I was meant to work alongside.

Torres Enterprises had been a leading tech company in District 3 since the Dark Days and everyone in my family was a scientist or an inventor. My mom didn't work in a Torres lab, but my dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins all did. As a kid, I dreamed of the day when I could join them.

My dad always said the company's goal was to use technology to make the world a better place. I thought my contribution could be weapon advancements. My gun was supposed to emit toxic gas that could then be sucked back up. But it didn't work. The filters weren't strong enough and I flooded an entire building with deadly gas. My dad and I were the only survivors.

Frustrated, I knocked the old blueprints off my desk and flopped forward, my head thumping against the wood. Tears came to my eyes and I didn't fight them. I was a murderer. But now I knew I could perfect my weapon.

But should I? Did I deserve the chance to make things right? Could I make things right? I killed my cousins; my own flesh and blood. I killed people who were developing vaccines and testing new life-saving medications.

I moved to sit on my bed and fisted my hands in the blanket. I couldn't do it. I wanted to make things right and creating something so deadly wasn't the way to do it. I just didn't know what was.

Sometimes I wished I could tell my mom about the accident. She could tell something was different and I wanted nothing more to fall into her arms and confess what a horrible person I was. But my dad's frightened eyes and tight grip as he told me we could never let the secret out kept me from saying anything.

My hands were stained with blood and there was nothing I could do to wash it away. I'd failed my family and I'd failed myself. I knew I had potential. But it just wasn't right for me to continue inventing.

We were supposed to improve lives with our technology. I ended them.

Edam Cabrales, 17

District 10 Female

I examined the plans I'd scribbled in a notebook, double-checking my work. Susu, my right-hand woman, stood over my shoulder, analyzing them as well. I was grateful to have an extra set of eyes; specifically her eyes. Although I liked to pretend they were, complicated plans were not my forte. Susu was the expert.

Luckily, I wouldn't be leading this raid. I put Rajya in charge instead. She was a newer member of the gang but she had a head for finances, a knack for placating others, and strong leadership skills. If she pulled this raid off, she would definitely be a contender for a big promotion.

"Do you think this will work?" I asked Susu, tapping the page.

"Yeah, if Rajya can pull off the timing," she said. Then she gave me a strange look. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a bad strategist." Then she laughed nervously and I did too.

When Myzithra was still in the gang, she was our strategist and I was the face of the group. Her brains and my charisma kept things on track. But when she decided she didn't like the way I ran things, I knew she had to be out of the gang. If she spilled my secrets, I was screwed.

Myzithra lived on the other side of the district now, in a house I paid the rent for. We didn't speak, but I helped her out financially and she kept my secrets. We both knew if she came back, she'd be viewed as a traitor. And in a way, she was. But so was I.

Shaking the thoughts of my older sister from my head, I stood up and went to find Rajya, with Susu right behind me.

The old cowshed we were in was only one of our many bases, but it was the most secure due to its location - way out in the middle of the farmland, far away from town. Most of our higher-ranking members spent their time here.

I spotted Rajya playing a game of cards with Minnie, another one of the girls going on today's mission. I joined them at the table.

"Hey ladies," I said warmly. "Are you two feeling ready?"

"Definitely," Minnie said. "I'm dying to kick some Peacekeeper butt."

"It's a no-contact mission, if we can help it," Susu said. "We just want to establish ourselves in the area."

"And mess with Seraphina Redthorne-Simmons," Rajya added. She grinned and nudged Minnie. "We're slashing the tires on a very important car."

"Well, I'll let Susu give you the final details," I said. "I've got somewhere to be, but I know you two are the right women for the job."

"We won't let you down," Rajya said. She gave me a good-natured salute and I winked in return.

Once the girls were settled, I slipped out the side door to meet Rodoric. His old pickup truck was sputtering as he tried to get it to start.

"How's it going?" I asked as I climbed in. "Excited to see Byron?"

"Always," he said with a grin. "Ready to see Ellie?"

I rolled my eyes but couldn't fight back a smile. Ellie was Byron's old, scruffy terrier and I was her favorite person in the world. When I was home she was wherever I was. I had a feeling Byron was a little jealous, but he wouldn't dare say a word against me.

Legally, Byron owned the house. But I was the one who bought it. Growing up with no money and criminals for parents instilled a materialistic mindset in me. I redirected some of the money the gang made and used it personally.

Only a few select gang members, such as Rodoric and Susu, knew about my tricks. But they benefited just as much as I did, so they kept their mouths shut. Myzithra was the one who had a problem with it. But I'd worked too hard to build up my riches and I wasn't going to let my soft sister ruin anything.

Clementine Matson, 17

District 11 Female

I carefully examined my nails, legs crossed and back straight to complete my aura of indifference. Ava, my new potential dealer, fidgeted nervously across from me.

"How long have you worked with Oliver?" I asked. I tried to keep my tone neutral but I couldn't completely get rid of the disdain in my voice when I said my ex-boyfriend's name.

"About a year," Ava stammered. "But my cut is pathetic. I got word that you were offering higher pay so I got in contact."

"I am indeed," I told her. "And I have a bonus for anyone who used to work with him." Ava's eyes lit up and I smirked. This was too easy. "I just have to know that you won't go crawling back to him, or go around sharing our secrets… you have three younger brothers, right?"

Ava's eyes widened, but she nodded.

"It would be a shame if something happened to them… but I'm sure you'll do anything to protect them."

"I would," Ava said firmly. "And this isn't my first job. I know the stakes."

"You know where your bread is buttered, huh? Good girl. We'll get you set up with Franklin by the end of the week. You report to him and he reports to me."

Ava stood up and I did as well.

"I won't let you down," she promised. I smiled coldly.

"I'm counting on it."

After Ava left I picked up the phone and dialed Caper's number. He was the one who set me up when I first got into the drug business. He knew I had what it took to take down Oliver and I knew he could put his money where his mouth was.

"What do you want, kid?" he said, his voice hoarse from years of smoke.

"I want to let you know that I replaced Lee and got us a gal with inside info on Oliver," I said.

"Good. great. Why are you telling me this?"

"Well, excuse me for assuming you wanted an update. I won't bother you with trivial concerns in the future."

I hung before he could reply and sighed. Caper was a grump, but he needed me too much to truly be rude. I could take down his whole operation in minutes and we both knew it.

I checked the clock on the wall and jumped up. I was late! I opened my desk drawer and grabbed my favorite knife before quickly locking up and rushing outside to join Max and Keisha.

Max and Keisha were twins, and two of our strongest and most reliable enforcers. I'd worked with them many times and I trusted them to have my back. Their loyalty and their ability to keep a secret was why they were the ones joining me tonight.

I knew Caper wouldn't approve of my decision to confront Oliver. But watching my evil ex dominate the streets wasn't something I could stand for anymore; especially when he was using my money.

Oliver and I started dating when I was fourteen and he was fifteen. I thought we were in love. He didn't have much money, so my parents kindly allowed the two of us to move into a small guesthouse on their property.

But once we were settled in, things started to go missing. Oliver denied knowing anything. And then one day I came home and everything was gone. I swore to get my revenge on him by tearing down his empire and taking everything he cared about.

The only person besides Keisha and Max who knew about my plan was my dad. When he learned about Oliver's betrayal, he was ready to kill him himself. But I wanted to strike deeper. Oliver knew someone was carving up his territory and taking his clients. Tonight he would learn it was me.

One of our rats gave me the name of the bar he frequented. When he staggered out, drunk and slavering over some girl, I'd be there, knife in hand. Max, Keisha, and I settled down in a nearby alleyway and waited for him to show his face.

Logan Acker, 16

District 11 Male

The front door creaked loudly and I rolled over in bed, pulling my blanket over my head in a futile attempt to block out the noise. Our mom recently picked up a night shift at a canning factory and her morning entrance was our new alarm clock.

She stomped around in the living room, kicking her shoes off and preparing herself a pathetic breakfast. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I sat up and kicked off the blanket.

"Mom! Be quiet!" I yelled.

"You be quiet," my younger sister Cici grumbled. I grit my teeth and got out of bed, going over to hers to pull her blanket off.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," I growled. "Now, get up and make breakfast. I'm hungry."

Cici opened one eye and looked at me for a moment. I clenched my fists.

"Now!" I yelled. She jolted at the shout and then got up as quickly as she could. She raced out of the room and I sat down on the edge of my bed. Cici was a coward and a waste of space, but it was worth having her around. She knew I'd hurt her if she didn't listen. I had control.

"You don't have to be so mean to her," Mackenzie said. My older sibling was waking up now too; they were a heavy sleeper and could snore through any noise our mom, Cici, or I made.

"She wouldn't do anything useful if I didn't make her," I told Mackenzie. "I'm keeping the household running smoothly."

"That's what Dad said," Mackenzie muttered, their voice so soft I almost didn't hear them. But I did.

"I am nothing like Dad," I said, my voice cold. "So don't imply that."

Mackenzie stared at me with an indecipherable expression. I frowned. I hated when they did that.

"What?" I snapped. They shrugged.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

Annoyed, I turned my back on them to grab my clothing and quickly get dressed. Our only bathroom was small and cramped, but getting to use it first was a privilege I'd claimed years ago. Mackenzie always went second.

The smell of bacon was in the air when I came into the main room. Cici was carefully cooking the meat, solely focused on keeping it from burning.

"Idiot!" I yelled, smacking the back of her head. She shouted and narrowly avoided burning her arm on the pan. "Why are you wasting meat?"

"I—I—I thought that since tomorrow was Reaping Day, we should celebrate another year of being safe."

"We're never safe," I said to her. "We live in a dump of a district and slave away for fat Capitolites who enjoy watching us die. But since you already started cooking, you might as well finish it."

I sat down in one of the mismatched dining chairs to wait. As I did, I examined my hands absentmindedly. They were covered in scars from various fights and work accidents, but the prominent one across my knuckles was the scar I was most proud of.

Our dad was a pathetic excuse for a man. He hit my mom and treated her like trash. She was just as bad though; she never stood up to him or fought back. But when he turned on Mackenzie I couldn't stand by. I punched him in the mouth so hard his tooth split, which was how I cut my knuckles. I beat the snot out of him and he left. None of us had seen him since.

Cici finished cooking the bacon and served each strip on a piece of hearty tesserae bread. She set a portion aside for our mom and selected the smallest one for herself. I took mine and bit into it, enjoying the greasy, fatty meat. I'd never say it, but Cici was a good cook. She was lucky I'd whipped her into shape.

Hi everyone! I've finally finished all of the tribute introductions! A big thanks to n3b for CT, SilverflowerXRavenpaw for Edam, Victoria the Bipolar Tribute for Clementine, and 03ibradley for Logan. These four are all very different, but equally amazing. I can see Clementine and Logan having some interesting interactions, can't you? Also, I'm sorry CT's POV ended up being a little bit shorter. I wasn't sure what else to add. I promise he's just as detailed and awesome as the rest of the tributes.

Based on your feedback, I think I'm going to write four reaping/goodbye chapters. They'll be in a slightly different order than the intros though. Vignette, Anahira, CT, and Dahlia will be up first. I'm hoping to get that chapter out sometime in the next week, but depression might say otherwise. We'll see.

QUESTIONS

1) Should CT be carrying as much guilt as he is?

2) Is Edam doing something immoral by hoarding funds?

3) What do you think will happen when Clementine confronts Oliver?

4) Is Logan redeemable?

5) Now that you've met every tribute, can you see any potential friendships? Alliances? Rivalries?

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!