Shoutout to rising-balloons for letting me borrow her formatting style! Go check out her fics!
Warning: Allusion to drug use.
Angel de la Cruz
Age 18
District 1 Male
Date: July 10, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: This Year's Games
[Thread is Encrypted. De-Crypt?]
[Yes] [No]
[Password] ********
Mr. Casper,
You are aware that these Games were nothing but disastrous. President Ravinstill is considering going back on his promise to allow the Games through next year, and the Academy Dean is on his side. The addict still carries a lot of sway, believe it or not. I need you to write up a full report of what happened during the Games. Be precise and honest in the draft, and I will propose the necessary edits so that we might embellish the good and tone down the bad. Please have this report in my inbox by tonight.
Sincerely,
Dr. Volumnia Gaul
Head Gamemaker
Date: July 10, 9 ADD
To: Volumnia Gaul
From: Magnus Casper
Subject: RE: This Year's Games
Dr. Gaul,
I will get right on that. I am concerned as to how effective this will be. I am not questioning your judgment, just the President's, and I say that with the utmost respect for him. Additionally, are you sure you want me to be accurate here?
Magnus Casper
Deputy Gamemaker
Date: July 10, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: RE: RE: This Year's Games
Leave the president to me. I'll reign him in. Just get me that report. We cannot let my Games be discontinued. We lose the Games, we lose the districts, and they will rebel. And yes, be accurate. You still have a lot to learn about controlling the narrative, and while I can teach you, in this case, it's better to let me do it.
Date: July 10, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: RE: RE: RE: This Year's Games
Attachment: [9HG_Report]
See attached.
Ninth Annual Hunger Games Report
The Reapings
The way we at the War Department see it, the trouble began with the Reapings. Many of the Reapings weren't of note, but there were a few that had some hiccups.
District 1, the district that produced this year's winner, is first on the list. Angel de la Cruz is the son of District 1's former mayor who was brutally murdered alongside his wife during the war. He had neutral views during the war. He wanted more food for the districts, fewer quotas, and better health care. This made him a rebel in the eyes of the loyalists in the district, and he was executed by his own people for it.[1] Angel de la Cruz was considered deceased so he wasn't in the Reaping pool. The current mayor was almost smug when he was reaped. He was likely rigged in. [2]
District 8 had two girls reaped. One of them fled the square after being Reaped and was shot dead by a Peacekeeper. The mayor was instructed to draw another slip. Instead of a strong tribute girl, we wound up with a scrawny fifteen-year-old. [3]
District 6 produced a very sick boy as well. He showed all the signs of a virus strain that was unleashed on the district during the war as a biological weapon. There was an outbreak there recently. All the afflicted were purged as per the contagious disease protocol, but this boy somehow escaped. [4]
District 12 was the final Reaping of note. The mayor notably went pale when he pulled the slip from the bag. He hesitated and then called out the name of a wealthy-looking girl. His daughter is of Reaping age. I suspect he attempted to alter the Reapings as well. [5]
[1] Frame the mayor as a rebel. There are no such thing as moderates. We need to push the narrative that you're either in full support of the Capitol and its methods, or you're against it.
[2] This is a common issue that we're working to address. The president is aware of this, but don't mention it here. He doesn't need to know how rampant it is.
[3] We removed all mention of the first girl from the footage. Remove this paragraph.
[4] Just mention that the boy was severely ill. Until an investigation is performed, it is best not to acknowledge it. No one outside of Six knows what happened. Hopefully, the next morphling shipment will keep their mouths shut.
[5] Remove this paragraph as well. I'll look into this.
The First Incident
It is worth noting that the train rides came and went without incident, aside from the boy from Six's condition deteriorating. His district partner also started showing symptoms. The tributes were also transported to the stables without incident as well. However, when night fell, the pair from District 3 suddenly shot out of their pens and rushed the Peacekeepers. [6]
The girl was shot dead, but not before she got ahold of the keys and tossed them to the boy, who was able to unlock a pen before he succumbed to his wounds. The situation escalated into six tributes attempting to escape, and two more unlocking pens. When the dust settled, ten tributes were dead: the girl from One, both from Three, the girl from Five, both from Eight and Ten, the girl from Eleven, and the girl from Twelve. [7]
Five others were injured, and in the chaos, the Sixes exposed several others to the illness. They too became ill within hours. Angel, who had brought a scarf with him to the Capitol, placed it over his mouth and nose upon hearing the coughing, and I believe that is why he was unaffected while almost all the remaining tributes ultimately tested positive.
[6] Use attacked.
[7] Don't identify the dead tributes here. We'll have a final placement report at the end.
The Games and Aftermath
Three more tributes, the girl from Six, the boy from Seven, and the boy from Nine [8] all succumbed to their injuries. The boy from Six also succumbed to his illness, while the girl's condition worsened. She had to be dragged to the arena, as she was unable to even stand. [9]
When the buzzer rang, only six tributes ran for the weapons, as many of them were too sick or scared to move. The girl from Two grabbed an axe and immediately took out the boy from Four. His District partner, Betta [10], saw this and the two began to fight. Angel grabbed a spear and quietly stabbed the boy from Two. The girl from Two was distracted by her own district partner's death and was run through by Betta's trident.
Angel and Betta finished off the other two at the cornucopia and looked as though they were about to fight each other when they stopped, looked at the other competitors too sick to fight, and seemed to come to an understanding of sorts. [11]
Angel and Betta made their way around the arena, efficiently [12] taking out the others before meeting in the middle of the arena to battle.
The battle took several minutes, but Angel was able to take out Betta. He stayed with her as she died. [12] He was then removed from the arena, tested for the illness that afflicted many of the other tributes, and sent home.
Angel made it home, but then after a few days, vanished off the face of the earth once again. A missing person case has been opened to try and locate him, but given how he stayed under the radar for nine years, the odds of him being found are slim. [13]
[8] See Note 7
[9] An amusing image, but the president doesn't need to know that Panem's up-and-coming source of entertainment consists of competitors that cannot stand.
[10] No one cares about her name. The only reason we're even including Angel is because he won.
[11] This portion has been removed from the footage. As far as the public is concerned, they went straight to finishing off the others. Please update this paragraph accordingly.
[12] This is not the time to show the tributes being merciful.
[13] Just keep the part where he went missing. If he's not found in a few days, we'll declare him dead of the illness.
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: Final Report
Attachment: [9HG_Report_VG]
[Thread is Encrypted. De-Crypt?]
[Yes] [No]
[Password] ********
See comments.
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Volumnia Gaul
From: Magnus Casper
Subject: Final Report
Attachment: [9HG_Report_VG_MC]
Updated.
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: Changes
Mr. Casper,
Despite our report, the president still isn't happy. He is willing to approve one more year of the Games, but changes will have to be made. It's not just the escape attempt he's worried about. In fact, it perfectly encapsulates who the people in the districts truly are. He's worried about viewership. No one is watching the Games. He can't fund something that doesn't generate enough revenue to make it worth it, as if the safety of our country is something that can even remotely have a price tag. I plan to take this to the Academy. The bright young minds of our future leaders can provide a different perspective.
Sincerely,
Dr. Volumnia Gaul
Head Gamemaker
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Volumnia Gaul
From: Magnus Casper
Subject: RE: Changes
Dr. Gaul,
You want to involve students in the Hunger Games?
Magnus Casper
Deputy Gamemaker
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Magnus Casper
From: Volumnia Gaul
Subject: RE: RE: Changes
Is that a problem?
Date: July 12, 9 ADD
To: Volumnia Gaul
From: Magnus Casper
Subject: RE: RE: RE: Changes
Not at all. It simply gave me an idea if you're interested in hearing it.
Phew! We finally made it! This will be the last Games with a massive breakout or other chaos, I promise! Next chapter will be the BOSAS chapter, and it marks a turning point in the Games, as not only do they begin to evolve into what we see in Year 74, but a new player enters the game! This isn't the last we'll hear of Angel either! He'll be in the trees and in the breeze!