Author's Note: We're back with a district that has more than its share of victors. We can't go too many years without returning to them, only this time, with someone a little different.

….

The Eighty-Sixth Annual Hunger Games: Antigone Corbel, District Two (18)

Antigone had heard what the other victors said about her. A lot of it was correct. She was resistant to authority, and it was not the Institute's way. But it was the way she was, and she was not about to change. The other victors would have to get used to her because she would join their ranks in a matter of days.

Lyme did not want Malachite, or anybody for that matter, to pick her at their tribute selection. Antigone had defied authority to listen in at the door she heard how the conversation about her played out. Malachite wanted a victor and he wanted to try something different. Lyme and Brutus, with the ruckus Antigone had caused in the older girls' dormitory the night before fresh in their minds, were set against it. But Malachite stood up to his mentor and chose Antigone anyway.

He had picked her, and Antigone respected him a little for that. She did not trust him enough to let him in entirely on her plan, however, because she knew he would try to talk her down. If that did not work, Antigone was concerned he would go to Lyme who would read her the riot act about the 'District Two way' and 'longstanding alliances', but Antigone did not care. She had overheard Lyme telling Malachite after the interviews that if Antigone came out alive, she would be his problem alone. Antigone had observed Lyme enough to know that would not be the case and it was probably why she was so wound up about Antigone's being. Lyme knew she would become her problem one way or another.

She had promised the Capitol some fun during the interviews and Antigone knew she would deliver. Even now, as she stood in her wetsuit in the tube awaiting launch, she was confident and her plans unchanged. Tributes had not been dressed in a wetsuit for years, not even for the waterfalls of the Eighty-Second Hunger Games, so Antigone expected to find herself in District Four territory. But she would make it hers soon enough. The fact she would have to swim had not changed her prospects.

She had spent hours learning to swim with Ember back in District Two. Ember was the second victor Antigone had some respect for. She had pulled herself back from one of the worst scenarios Antigone could think of. Ember's arena had almost destroyed her, and she had built herself back up, taken on a new role and owned it completely. She never hid her prosthetic limbs nor shied away from swimming without them. She had reinvented herself and prioritised herself in a way Antigone thought she could look up to. Ember had also told Antigone that she would support her in the Capitol, so Antigone supposed she had good taste too.

They had spoken a lot during training and Antigone realised that Ember did not particularly care for a lot of the trappings of her victor status. Her domain was the pool and that was where she stamped her authority. She did not hold lofty ambitions and did not delude herself as to her status. She held power in the Institute because she was a victor, and victors were in charge there. But she did not take herself too seriously beyond that setting because that was where her authority ended. Lyme's ideas about responsibility to the district and duty were unnecessary. Antigone was going to be a victor. She would rule the arena and get to live a good life afterwards.

She wanted to return home in the way she knew best. She was going to have fun from the second the countdown started. The arena was to be the highlight of her life and she could live out her reward afterwards, free of responsibility and forgetting about the sense of duty Lyme wanted her to have because her job would be done.

Antigone joined in with the countdown and distracted half of the tributes. She could see the puzzled look on her district partner's face and could imagine Lyme's reaction in the Mentors' Centre. Malachite would find it funny. He wanted something different, and he was about to get it.

The Cornucopia stood on an island made of jet-black rocks surrounded by water. As Antigone looked around, she could see other similar islands. There was no beach, and the skies were grey. It was bleak but strangely beautiful. Antigone knew she would enjoy this, but she figured she would enjoy any arena unless perhaps it was as cold as Enobaria's nightmare.

She resisted the temptation to shout 'Happy Hunger Games' as she started her run towards the weapons. She did not want to distract her district partner just yet. He would get a shock sooner rather than later, however.

Antigone favoured long swords and a katana, and she got her hands on both. She pocketed some knives too for good measure and got to work. The girl from District One made her way towards Antigone as if to discuss their plan but Two's girl took hold of her first sword and beheaded the girl, laughing as the blade sliced her neck as if there was nothing to it. She then found One's boy fighting the girl from Nine and ran a second sword through them both.

Four's girl looked up in horror and Antigone decided to throw a knife right to her chest. Disappointingly, the girl stirred, so Antigone gestured to her district partner to finish the job. He had known from the look on her face that she had an unorthodox plan and had decided to go with it. His compliance would get him as far as Antigone wanted it to. The same went for Four's boy who had seen what had happened and got on with his role regardless. They could both be of some use to her for a while.

With three kills and an assist to her name and the fighting continuing, Antigone danced around the Cornucopia to re-arm herself and continue the task at hand. She pirouetted between her next victims before going back to the supplies to finish getting the best weapons for herself and hiding smaller items on her person. She had done enough work for now and needed to let the excitement die down.

She was a District Two fighter. Yet she quite literally danced between her moves and was light on her feet. She was a performer but a born fighter all the same. She had killed six tributes in total and started the job on a seventh. It was a stellar performance, but Antigone knew she needed to leave some work for later as her allies had also followed her and only half the field remained.

That evening, Malachite sent her a full meal complete with a note that he was impressed with her audacity and that Lyme was working on diplomacy with District One. Antigone would have loved to see it, but she supposed she would have to ask Malachite when she next saw him. Lyme would have no doubts in her mind by now who she would be sharing the Victors' Village with.

Buoyed by her evening meal, Antigone told her allies they were to go hunting. To show her what he was made of Antigone had ordered Four's boy to take the lead and he followed her instructions with ease. To her credit, Lyme was correct in her estimation of the Fours, with the boy at least. She said that they would be adaptable and would fit with the dynamic. Ultimately, they would opt for whatever served them best so she should be on the lookout for the moment when Four's boy decided this alliance was no longer suiting him. He was also apparently Noah's boy and Antigone supposed she was to take from that that this boy was good, so she decided he ought to show it.

She hung back whilst he picked the first island to search. From her view, she could see just how good a swimmer he was, and the boy was good. Fast too, and Antigone thought he might be testing her to see if she could keep up with him. She deliberately slowed her strokes to try to give the impression that she would be significantly slower than him, but she was not sure if he believed her. Antigone had noted she was certainly a better swimmer than her district partner and that would not have gone unnoticed by District Four.

When they reached dry land, Antigone announced their presence, confirming that she wanted the waiting tributes to fear what may await them. She jumped and danced around the rocks, searching with glee for hidden tributes until Four's boy signalled to them that he had found the girl from Eleven. He ordered her out from within her rocky hiding place and the frightened girl complied. Antigone laughed at her whilst Four's boy did the job. It started raining and she decided to call off their hunt and return to the Cornucopia whilst confirming to her district partner that it was his turn the following morning.

Her orders were duly complied with the next day before she received a note from Malachite telling her to cool things down. He had also provided a whetstone for sharpening her weapons. She took from that that he wanted her at her best and most poised but that things were moving too quickly. There were already only nine tributes remaining and Antigone supposed she should let the fun draw on for a little longer.

So, she sharpened her weapons and begrudgingly offered the whetstone to her allies in a brief show of togetherness before announcing that she was going for a nap and that they ought to stand guard.

When Antigone woke up, she figured she should have some food from the Cornucopia so Malachite could save his funds for the event she might genuinely need them. It would also fit with his instructions to keep things cooler as she knew they would have to spend the rest of the day doing very little, so the other tributes had a chance to do something of note. She could resume her show tomorrow.

She threw some of the energy bars at her allies and suggested that her district partner take a nap if he wanted and then Four's boy could sleep later. They had nothing better to do and she wanted to speak to Four alone.

Once she was sure her district partner was sleeping, Antigone started, "I'm impressed."

Four's boy shrugged, "Better for me than the alternative."

"You're smart. You didn't flinch like the girl from your district, and you can face up to me."

"You're not the only one who can be good at this. We just have different styles."

"You don't have to justify yourself. I already said I'm impressed. You're a worthwhile ally and opponent."

"I'm glad to have your approval," he laughed.

"We'd make a worthwhile final two."

"What about him?"

Antigone leaned in closer before whispering, "You're better. District partner loyalty only goes so far in an arena."

"We agree on that."

"What do you say?"

"I'm not going to shake on it. No offence, I don't exactly trust you. But why not!"

"Good choice. I wouldn't trust me either. I don't you and I don't trust him. So, we're even, except I've chosen to keep you around that bit longer."

To prove her point, the next day, Antigone killed a tribute who had mistimed a trip to the Cornucopia. The unlucky tribute had found her waiting, dancing around until her victim came into range before immediately turning on her district partner.

"You don't mess about, do you?" Four's boy laughed.

"Oh, I'm having plenty of fun!"

The pair spent the rest of the day kissing and fooling around in the water together before climbing to the top of the Cornucopia during the brief bright spell brought on by the Gamemakers. They were showered in sponsorship gifts before the rain brought them down from the Cornucopia to take shelter.

They were both given short-range weapons by their mentors which made the pair face each other before Four's boy confirmed, "They're wanting us to end this."

"It's a shame when we've been having so much fun," Antigone laughed. "But there's more than just us left so let them come to us."

"There have been a couple of cannons we haven't been responsible for."

"I noticed that. A shame to let them slip through our fingers, but we're sure to meet who's responsible soon."

"Unless it's just the arena."

"Then I'd be disappointed. I'd like a surprise."

"I think you're tempting fate, Antigone."

"Good job I don't believe in fate. You win the Games because you make sure it happens."

The arena did surprise the final three tributes as the Gamemakers brought about an end to the Eighty-Sixth Hunger Games. The girl from District Ten emerged from the water having been completely ravaged by the arena before she stumbled upon the remaining volunteer allies who had been distracted from dancing and play-fighting for the cameras.

Suddenly the island holding the Cornucopia began to splinter and shatter, launching pieces of rock at the remaining three tributes. Antigone and Noah's boy soon realised why their mentors had sent them small, short-range weapons they could keep hold of. They must have known something they in the arena did not because whatever they were not holding as the island broke apart was now lost in the waters.

Ten's girl struggled. The weakest swimmer of the three was quickly overwhelmed as the once-calm waters that surrounded the Cornucopia turned violent and started to throw the tributes against the remaining rock formations. Unsurprisingly, the volunteers caught their bearings much faster, and Antigone girl snapped the girl from Ten's neck and discarded her body sharply against the rocks.

It was as the audience, and the final two tributes expected from the start. The strongest that year would face each other until only the survivor remained.

The boy from Four did not surprise Antigone as they said their final civil words to each other before starting. As she expected, he launched himself towards her in the water and it was Antigone who initially took him by surprise. But as he had done this entire time, Four's boy responded in kind and the two kissed violently as they started to stab and slice at each other's bodies.

Four's boy was the first to switch and threw them both under the water as he tried to reach for Antigone's neck. Two's girl managed to catch herself and use her feet to drive her opponent up through the water before launching herself in his direction to take control.

They grappled at each other's bleeding limbs, sliced with the daggers they each had clung onto and tried to land a fatal blow. The waters continued to increase in intensity with the waves becoming rougher and Antigone found herself having to use Four's boy for balance before she remembered what Ember had taught her and she regained her composure and ability to remain afloat.

With their faces barely above the water, they pressed on each other's eyes and nose, biting the other's fingers as they tried to break their opponent's jaw before forcing themselves under once more.

Noah's boy tried to keep them both submerged, guessing that he could hold his breath for longer, but Antigone found hold of her dagger once more and went for the throat. Blood pooled around them both, transforming the water and Antigone finally managed to end their battle.

In the first sign of respect she had shown in the arena, she let the boy's body drift away from her before launching her battered body into the air and trying to raise a bloodied arm in victory. She tried to cheer but to her surprise, her voice sounded weak. Then she was frozen as she was lifted from the arena in victory.

Unsurprisingly, it was Malachite who was there when she woke up in the tribute hospital.

"Good job, Antigone," he laughed. "Kept me on my toes, especially at the start."

"Thought you'd like the surprise."

"It worked and Lyme is still apologising to the Ones."

"They'll get over it. They should have already. We go for each other almost every year."

"Just not fifteen seconds in."

"Then we've got too comfortable."

"I think you're right."

"Would you have told Lyme if I told you before?"

"Probably not. Pitting myself against her is difficult and new for me, even after thirty years. But there are somethings she doesn't need to know."

"Agreed. What about the show with Four's boy?"

"It was a good match. You were playing the same game with each other, and he kept up admirably. Admittedly, there are some things I'd rather have not seen but here we are, what's done is done."

Antigone felt there might be more behind her mentor's words but decided she would save that for later. She wanted his appraisal of her victory first.

"But it worked."

"Sure, did and people loved it. Loved you both."

"Told you I could play a good game!"

Ember visited her later and then helped her move back to Two's floor in the Training Centre whilst Malachite was caught up in interviews and ceremony preparations. Both Remus and Brutus shook her hand before pulling her into a hug and welcoming her to the pack. Paulus and Diana were there too. But Antigone was not sure what to make of them. They were younger victors, but far more traditional in their approach and had the attitudes she expected of victors in Brutus' line. Antigone did not care for convention or tradition, but she would force her way into their lives whether they liked it or not.

Lyme was the last to greet her and Antigone dived straight in to make the first introduction.

"Told you I could do it!"

"You made that perfectly clear, Corbel. But well done," she said, smiling before pulling her closer.

"You're stuck with me now."

"I'm still getting used to that part."

Before her last big moment in the Capitol, Noah introduced himself to Antigone, "That was a game well played."

"Noah Atwater, I take it. The esteemed mentor I've been told about."

"My reputation precedes me. As I'm sure yours will too, Antigone Corbel."

"You make them good in Four. Keeps us on our toes."

"Well, I'm glad to have your approval, miss. I'll be sure to pass on your words to the others. They'll be delighted to know we have Two's blessing."

"Really matters to you, does it?" Antigone laughed.

"Not one bit. We're District Four you see. We don't do rules either."

"I'm sure we're going to see eye to eye, Noah. I know where your boy gets it from after all."

With that, Antigone leaned up to Noah, kissed him on the lips and walked off, leaving a bewildered Malachite in her wake. He shrugged his shoulders towards Noah and tried to catch up with his charge.

"Good luck with that one, Malachite. Looks like you'll need it."