75 Years: A Hunger Games History

by Sleepstar of Shadowclan

Many years after the Mockingjay Rebellion, Panem Museum's director Mercedes Vonheli receives a collection of "Master tapes" of the Hunger Games, and decided to write a history book about each Games as well as the culture and society of Panem. This story was published on AO3, and is rated T for violence and because it's The Hunger Games

29. The Two-Way Arena

75 Years Chapter 29

Following on from the 28th Hunger Games the Gamemakers decided to go for a two-way Arena. The surface was covered with grass, with the underground being a network of caverns. There were a few openings in the ground behind the Cornucopia that allowed access to the caverns below. The Reapings were unusual in that the oldest Tribute in the Games was 18-year-old Ptolemy of District 2, with the rest of the Careers being seventeen years old. Away from the Careers, District 3's Skarloey Rowe and District 10's Hengist McDonald were among the favourites, with Huyen Le Duc, Mentor to Tilda Boateng, hoping her protege and fellow Mentor Rheneas Rowe brings home his younger brother.

The Tributes:

District 1: Lama Seadeaux (17), Tinsel Windsor (17)

District 2: Cleopatra Wallis (17), Ptolemy Harris (18)

District 3: Tilda Boateng (14), Skarloey Rowe (17)

District 4: Star Markle (17), Driftwood Heard (17)

District 5: Susan Hulton (16), Alec Molyneux (15)

District 6: Hera Okonkwo (16), Volvo Nketiah (15)

District 7: Miriam Patino (15), Oak Trossard (13)

District 8: Goldenrod Gore (16), Thread Osimhen(12)

District 9: Olive Moyes (15), Barley Ferguson (14)

District 10: Josephine Cantwell (14), Hengist McDonald (17)

District 11: Lori Moreno (14), Swallow Maupay (15)

District 12: Poppy Dendocker (12), Bruce Collins (16)

The Games:

As usual, the Tributes entered the Arena in a circle around the Cornucopia, the horn filled with weapons and supplies. As the gong sounded Skarloey Rowe got off, quickly grabbed a bag and hid in the undergrowth before vanishing into the tunnels. At the same time, Lama Seadeaux, Tinsel Windsor, Cleopatra Wallis, Ptolemy Harris, Star Markle and Driftwood Heard all teamed up at the Cornucopia and started to hack at any Tributes brave or reckless enough to arrive. It was Driftwood that made the first kill, stabbing a small girl from District 10 as she attempted to grab a bag

24th: Josephine Cantwell, District 10. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Driftwood. Bloodbath.

Lama then ran her sword through a slight boy from District 5.

23rd: Alec Molyneux, District 5. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Lama. Bloodbath.

Ptolemy speared a girl, the weapon impaling her.

22nd: Lori Moreno, District 11. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Ptolemy. Bloodbath.

Cleopatra, now wielding a bow, shot at a girl from District 9, the arrow entering the girl's back.

21st: Olive Moyes, District 9. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Cleopatra. Bloodbath.

The next kill was by Star, who armed with a trident, ploughed the weapon through the heart of a small boy.

20th: Thread Osimhen, District 8. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Star. Bloodbath.

Cleopatra made her second kill, a girl carrying a large bag.

19th: Miriam Patino, District 7. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Cleopatra. Bloodbath.

Driftwood would add to his kill tally by hacking down a sturdy boy.

18th: Bruce Collins, District 12. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Driftwood. Bloodbath.

Ptolemy, picking up a spear, impaled a fleeing girl.

17th: Hera Okonkwo, District 6. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Ptolemy. Bloodbath.

Lama swiftly decapitated a boy, knocking his District out of the running.

16th: Volvo Nketiah, District 6. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Lama. Bloodbath.

The final kill of the Bloodbath would be made by Ptolemy, who speared a small girl from District 3 through the chest.

15th: Tilda Boateng, District 3. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Ptolemy. Bloodbath.

In the Mentors' Room, Rheneas Rowe let out a sigh of relief that his Tribute and younger brother made it out alive.

Days 2, 3 and 4 passed by without deaths, but on Day 5, just as Skarloey of District 3 was hard at work removing the landmines from where Tilda once stood, a small girl fell into a hole and into the cavern below, breaking her neck in the process.

14th: Poppy Dendonker, District 12. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Skarloey (unintentional). Day 5

For many years after the 29th Hunger Games, many people have debated whether Poppy's death should be credited to Skarloey Rowe or not. However, what most people have agreed on is that the death was accidental. Meanwhile, Star made her next kill, hacking the limbs of a slight boy.

13th: Barley Ferguson, District 9. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Star. Day 5.

Later that day, Ptolemy threw his spear towards a small yet burly lumberjack, the spear entering through the back.

12th: Oak Trossard, District 7. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Ptolemy. Day 5.

Shortly after, another Cannon went off, as Susan was killed by one of Cleopatra's arrows.

11th: Susan Hulton, District 5. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Cleopatra. Day 5

The last kill of Day 5 was made by Lama, who stabbed a boy from District 11 in the gut.

10th: Swallow Maupay, District 11. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Lama. Day 5.

Days 6 and 7 passed by quietly, and while the Career Tributes was going on hunts, the alliance between Hengist and Skarloey would dig up the landmines, rebury them around the Cornucopia and make a wire net around the horn. However, on Day 7, just as he was about to finish off tying the wire, Skarloey found himself surrounded by the Careers, and as the Careers prepare to cleave him apart Hengist jumped forward, allowing his ally to escape with the wire.

9th: Hengist McDonald, District 10. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Careers. Day 7.

The Final Eight had been decided: Lama Seadeaux of District 1, Tinsel Windsor of District 1, Cleopatra Wallis of District 2, Ptolemy Harris of District 2, Skarloey Rowe of District 3, Star Markle of District 4, Driftwood Heard of District 4 and Goldenrod Gore of District 8.

Days 8 and 9 passed by, but on Day 10, Ptolemy successfully speared the District 8 girl.

8th: Goldenrod Gore, District 8. 29th Hunger Games. Killed by Ptolemy. Day 10.

As the Careers returned to the Cornucopia, they entered the horn to look for the remaining outlier. Above the horn, Skarloey draped the netting in front of the entrance, trapping the Careers in. Taking a deep breath, he climbed off the horn, ran into the bushes and threw a grenade, a Sponsor gift to make up for a lack of action in previous Games, towards the Cornucopia. No sooner than the grenade bounced onto the mines did it trigger a chain reaction. As the mines exploded Skarloey ran down the tunnels of the cave system, hiding in one of the chambers as far away from the explosion.

7th: Tinsel Windsor, District 1. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

6th: Lama Seadeaux, District 1. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

5th: Cleopatra Wallis, District 2. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

4th: Ptolemy Harris, District 2. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

3rd: Star Markle, District 4. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

2nd: Driftwood Heard, District 4. 29th Hunger Games. Tribute caused explosion. Day 10

All over Panem, people sat and watched with bated breath. In the Mentors Room Rheneas Rowe had his head in his arms, fearing the worst. "Huyen… Are you there?" A voice called from over the communications system. "District 3, can you hear me?" Huyen muttered.

"I can, Huyen"

At that moment, Rheneas looked at the board, noticing that the border around his brother's name was lit up in gold as the music played.

1st: Skarloey Rowe, District 3. 29th Hunger Games. VICTOR

Aftermath:

District 3 celebrated their fourth Victor. Known for his outside-the-box thinking, Skarloey Rowe would inspire many District 3 Tributes to use their wits in the Games. Occasionally, he rotates Mentoring duties with either Huyen or his brother, with his last known Tribute he Mentored being Ada Burns during the 68th Games. Like Huyen and Rheneas, Skarloey would die during the Victors Purge by committing suicide through a glass of fruit juice mixed with Nightlock. Most notably, Rheneas Rowe would become the only Victor to mentor a sibling to Victory. Interestingly, the Arena of the 29th Hunger Games would be the first to be demolished.

List of Victors:

1st Hunger Games: Edgar Parlour (District 1)

2nd Hunger Games: Virgil Barde (District 8)

3rd Hunger Games: Ginny Canova (District 11)

4th Hunger Games: Horsa Georges (District 10)

5th Hunger Games: Mmseyone Musk (District 3)

6th Hunger Games: Paris Curl (District 2)

7th Hunger Games: Chive Carmichael (District 9)

8th Hunger Games: Samson Wilson (District 6)

9th Hunger Games: Hestia Curl (District 2) *

10th Hunger Games: Lucy Grey Baird (District 12)

11th Hunger Games: Mags Flanagan (District 4)

12th Hunger Games: Tammy Winchester (District 5)

13th Hunger Games: Molly Frost (District 1) *

14th Hunger Games: Dinah West (District 7)

15th Hunger Games: Kronos Jackson (District 11) *

16th Hunger Games: Woof Casino (District 8) *

17th Hunger Games: Bailey Thornton (District 7) *

18th Hunger Games: Maxmillian Jaaskelainen (District 1) *

19th Hunger Games: Imogen Roosa (District 6) *

20th Hunger Games: Caelus Harris (District 2) *

21st Hunger Games: Alexei Gandy (District 2) *

22nd Hunger Games: Helios Molyneux (District 5) *

23rd Hunger Games: Rachel Oakley (District 7) *

24th Hunger Games: Huyen Le Duc (District 3) *

25th Hunger Games: Eric Vega (District 9) *

26th Hunger Games: Aaron McFall (District 5) *

27th Hunger Games: Rheneas Rowe (District 3) *

28th Hunger Games: Taliesin Georges (District 10) *

29th Hunger Games: Skarloey Rowe (District 3) *

District has more than one Victor.

One more chapter left and that's this decade done. This is the reason why Victors were banned from Mentoring relatives in my headcanon, a rule that basically prevented Gloss from mentoring his sister decades later. Thankfully, the next victor won't be a male. Another hint is that you've seen her already.