The Modern Hunger Games: The Games

These are the games for the Modern Hunger Games, Jabberjay78's fourth on the Hunger Games Wiki. The games were started on September 14th, 2011 and were finished on October 2nd, 2011. They earned 555 comments.

Rankings
 Part One 

26. Paige Bennet: Shot by Peacekeeper (Day 1)

25. Rush Leafs: Shot in chest by Peacekeeper (Day 1)

24. Autumn Lush: Shot in stomach by Peacekeeper (Day 2)

23. Vulcan Olympus: Shot in stomach by Peacekeeper (Day 2)

22. Steel Plate: Knife to chest by Oceana Blowfish (Day 2)

21. Everett Frazier: Shot in the head by Peacekeeper (Day 3)

20. Mystique Cirque: Sword to back by Aaron Blue (Day 3)

 Part Two 

19. Jade Sycamore: Shot in the stomach by Tux Golden (Day 4)

18. Dusk Shivers: Shot in the heart by Tux Golden (Day 4)

17. Ora Gaffe: Shot in the heart by a Peacekeeper (Day 4)

16. Zuan Klowc: Shot in the heart by a peacekeeper (Day 4)

15. Lexi Strong: Knife to the stomach by Oceana Blowfish (Day 5)

14. Bradley Ward: Knife to the heart by Tux Golden (Day 5)

13. Fawn Sage: Knife to the back by Tux Golden (Day 5)

 Part Three 

12. Sapphire Rolland: Shot in the stomach by Tux Golden (Day 5)

11. Lion Coy: Killed by earthquake and falling injury (Day 5)

10. Tux Golden: Fell into fissure crack during earthquake (Day 5)

9. Echo Stone: Bridge crumbles beneath him and falls (Day 5)

8. Summer Fest: Falls off of beam during bridge collapse (Day 5)

7. Oceana Blowfish: Falls off bridge during earthquake (Day 5)

6. Fall Sky: Dies in bridge collapse (Day 5)

5. Venus Olympus: Dies in bridge collapse (Day 5)

4. Anya Showers: Incinerated by Fireball (Day 5)

1. Ridge Hillsong: VICTOR!

1. Genevieve "Jenny" Sparks: VICTOR!

1. Aaron Blue: VICTOR!

Entering the Arena
At the center of what anyone would describe as an ordinary, upscale city, 26 young and aspiring children suddenly appeared, rising on metal plates that surrounded a flowing golden fountain. The kids were given a minute, the usual amount of time, to get their bearings before the next games began. But these games would be so different.....as they were the first in over one hundred years. This time, the tributes were placed in a city full of unsuspecting "civilians" and were going to be chased by peacekeepers, who were going to be released into the arena in about two hours. These civilians had no idea that they were in an arena and, under the impression that construction was taking place, were prevented from seeing these seemingly harmless children get released into their city.

Every tribute this year had at least a partial following, or at least some type of promise.

Dusk Shivers and Fawn Sage decided to present themselves as best friends, though they didn't know each other much. But nevertheless, the Capitol loved them.

Tux Golden made sure the Capitol was quite afraid of them...and it didn't really take much for this to happen. He was a favorite to win for sure. Jade Sycamore shocked the Capitol by presenting herself to them as polite and kind, and they expected that this was just a ploy and she would become ruthless any day. But that certainly wasn't in her plans.

Bradley Ward loved to make the Capitol laugh in his interview, and they would sure be sad that he may not come out of this alive. But he allied himself with Tux and Jade, so he certainly wouldn't have a hard time surviving for at least a while. Genevive "Jenny" Sparks used her intelligence as her main asset when presenting to the Capitol, and she sure made an impression on them. But, against her plans, she would not be with the careers, knowing the rule about an alliance of more than three.

Steel Plate left the Capitol heartbroken when he professed his love for Lexi in front of the entire nation, Peeta Mellark style. But Lexi was a little less impressed with this, and now she was reluctantly forced to ally with him.

Aaron Blue didn't say much, and the Capitol could tell he was a shy boy who probably wouldn't last very long. On the other hand, Oceana Blowfish just wouldn't stop talking!

Fall Sky was nearly as good as Bradley at making jokes for the Capitol's amuesement. However, they don't ever really appreciate when tributes present themselves as a great friend. Ora Gaffe tried her best to make them all think she was a cold-blooded, sexy, killer but she really couldn't pull it off that well.

Zuan Klowc practically had to be pulled off stage when he wouldn't stop talking, but the Capitol still got a kick out of him. Autumn Lush was much less talkative, and the Capitol didn't really seem to notice her that much.

Just after Bradley had made the Capitol practically pee their pants with laughter, Rush nearly made them die from laughter. They loved him and assumed he'd be the first to kill other tributes by making them laugh themselves to death. Paige Bennet presented herself as both friendly but also smart. Yet, she didn't seem to want to make any friends for the arena.

Everett Frazier was as cynical as ever, and didn't pass the chance to strike up a snarky remark. But eventually, this got old. Mystique Cirque, claiming: "The games are just like a circus!" However, the Capitol was a little confused by her crazy circus-remarks.

But more than anyone else, the Capitol loved Sapphire and Echo's love story. Boyfriend and girlfriend who, out of their whole district, happened to be reaped. Echo loved the attention, but Sapphire came close to tackling the interviewer. She hates this.

Vulcan and Venus were both by each other's side just as much as the D3 and D9 tributes. A very kind and compassionate aunt-and-nephew duo, these two were certainly going to be a pair to watch during these games.

Lion Coy, a poor lonely boy from District 11, managed to elicit the Capitol's sympathy. Their hearts broke when he talked about the girls who turned him down and how he knew now that he really will die alone. Meanwhile Summer Fest, was too upset to be interviewed, as she was and still is in love with a boy named Stan Grain form District 11.

Ridge Hillsong was unable to talk, but still seemed a mysterious tribute to the Capitol, who could end up a very skilled tribute in the arena. And finally, Anya Showers, was very kind during her interview, until an innocent remark about her family ended up in a temper tantrum.

Every one of these tributes stood now on their plates, ready to run any second. The announcer's voice rang out, greeting the tributes enthusiastically. "Welcome tributes of the 1st Hunger Games! It is my earnest hope that you do your best in this arena, and remember to avoid the peacekeepers!" He says this like its all an innocent game. It makes the other tributes sick. "But keep in mind, this year there can be more than one victor! But first, you have to figure out the secret of the arena! I wish I could tell you, but alas, I cannot. So I will give you a hint! Just keep in mind, it's always useful to retrace your steps! Now let the 1st Hunger Games begin!" Was that it? Was that the hint? The tributes are caught in their thoughts, and sixty seconds quickly go by. Then the gong rings, and the games begin.

The Not-So-Bloody Bloodbath
This year, no tributes have to kill each other, though Tux Golden certainly wants to. Most tributes run off into the city, knowing that they'll find supplies they need somewhere else. But some run to the fountain, filling containers with water and grabbing weapons that lay at the bottom of the glistening water. No peacekeepers yet, it won't be another two hours before they make an appearance. And that's when everyone will start to die.

Tux Golden (D1), Jade Sycamore (D1), and Bradley Ward (D2)
Tux, Jade, and Bradley get as many weapons as they can, but don't get a chance to kill anyone. Bradley is ecstatic. Hopefully the peacekeepers will take care of Tux for him. They then run off, heading into town, where many civilians look at them like they are completely crazy, carrying weapons around with them.

Oceana Blowfish (D4)
The first thing Oceana does is head off for a hotel, even though she'll probably have to break into a room. But all she knows is luxury, and she certainly doesn't want to leave it behind now.

Echo Stone (D9) and Sapphire Rolland (D9)
Echo tries to convince Sapphire to come to a restaurant with him, to no avail. "Echo, these are a games! People are going to die! And you're thinking about going out to eat with me?!" Echo doens't understand her anger. "Oh come on, we have two hours to do whatever we want!" Sapphire is annoyed with his lack of fear. "Echo, do you want to win or not? We have to be smart if we're going to come out alive, okay? So we have to figure out the secret of the arena. 'Retrace your steps,'" she recalls. "What can that mean?"

Mystique Cirque (D8) and Rush Leafs (D7)
Though they don't know it, Mystique and Rush are both heading for the same place. A place where, even in the seriousness of the arena, still is near and dear to them. Almost oddly placed, both of them both enter under the yellow and red striped tent, not even noticing the presence of the other. They both enter the circus.

Aaron Blue (D4) and Jenny Sparks (D2)
Out of nowhere, Jenny tackles Aaron to the ground, holding her knife to his neck. "Hey what gives!" yells Aaron, not even considering that she could be about to kill him. "I want an alliance!" she brusquely demands, not letting him go. "Okay, okay!" he concedes. "Now get off me!" Jenny steps off of Aaron, helping him up from the ground. "I'm Jenny by the way." Suddenly, a voice rings out through the pairs' earpieces, the ones that will make a buzzing noise whenever a tribute dies and announce the names of the day's deaths. "Let the carnage begin," the voice announces, and then fades out. It's been two hours.

Paige Bennet (D7)
The tributes have cleared away from the fountain, leaving hardly anything for Paige to take with her. But there's still enough supplies to satisfy her. There's something about the city that puts her on edge, but she can't quite figure out what it is. As she begins to leave with her various supplies, a loud crashing noise comes from one of the buildings. Paige turns to face it, and a squadron of peacekeepers emerge, brandishing their guns. Oh crud, Paige thinks. Then the lead peacekeeper pulls the trigger.

Vulcan Olympus (D10) and Venus Olympus (D10)
As Vulcan stares out the window of the apartment he and his aunt have broken into, a loud buzzing suddenly goes off in his ear. "Someone's died," Venus reminds him as she tries to get some rest by lying on one of the beds. "These will be the easiest games yet...." Vulcan is quick to interject her, panicked. "Venus!" he exclaims. "The peacekeepers are here! They shot Paige! And they're coming!" Venus runs to the window and stares out, watching as one peacekeeper carries Paige's body off, probably to a building where it will be stored until the games are over. The rest then run into the building. "We have a problem." Venus tells him, as if he isn't thinking the same thing.

Anya Showers (D12)
As she marvels in the 'genius' of her hiding spot, Anya thinks to herself as if preparing for her victory interview. These games...they're just one big version of hide-and-seek. Deadly, but still similar. And the basic rule to winning hide-and-seek? Hide somewhere that the seeker wouldn't think to go. And where would the peacekeepers would never think to go? Easy...their own offices. But I'm not going to make myself that obvious, that would be like hiding behind the seeker in hide-and-seek. So instead, I sit in a nice little apartment directly above their offices. They'll think that we're not stupid enough to hide so close to them. Well guess what, they're wrong, and this stupid girl is going to win.

Zuan Klowc (D6)
Zuan travels as far as he can, finally reaching the edge of the city. There, townspeople do not venture, again under the impression that the area is under construction. A bridge leads out over a giant valley, which most likely has a forcefield before the bottom of it, and to a giant wall. The wall is designed to look like mountains with closed off tunnels leading out of it. Zuan walks into the wall, delighted that it didn't turn out to be a forcefield, and then turns back around. Walking leisurely back into town, the buzzing noise indicating a death plays in his earpiece. His walk quickly transforms into a sprint.

Vulcan Olympus (D10) and Venus Olympus (D10)
Venus takes a lamp and smashes the window open, letting glass rain out the seventh floor window and onto the street below. "Grab onto me!" she yells to her nephew as she climbs out onto the windowsill and grabs onto a nearby clothesline. "Venus these things only work in the movies!" Vulcan yells to his aunt. "Just trust me!" Vulcan jumps onto the windowsill and grabs onto her in an embrace. As the peacekeepers burst through the door, Venus cuts the clothesline with her knife and the two swing down, Tarzan-style, into the city center below, landing just next to the fountain. As the peacekeepers shoot at them from above, the pair escape into the streets, unharmed, but surely shaken up.

Tux Golden (D1), Jade Sycamore (D1), and Bradley Ward (D2)
Tux sharpens his knife with a stone, he and his allies sitting in the basement of one building in the city. Like the rest of the tributes in the arena, they now know that one tribute has died, and have now realized the reality of their situation. But Tux is apathetic as usual, while Jade's worries annoy him. "We need to figure out the secret of the arena," she reminds the two. "That way, all of us can get out of here unharmed." Tux doesn't even look up from sharpening his knife. "Why would we want that?" he asks. "The more victors, the less glory," he arrogantly explains. "Whatever," Jade says. "Come one Bradley, let's see if we can figure this out without him." The two walk off to another area of the basement, and Jade flashes Tux an angry look.

Dusk Shivers (D0) and Fawn Sage (D0)
The first buzzer went off thirty minutes ago, a wake-up call to the remaining 25 tributes of the arena. And Dusk and Fawn do not waste any time panicking. Keeping a cool demeanor, Fawn puts on sunglasses and a ridiculous-looking fuzzy pink hat. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Dusk asks her as he places a gold chain necklace over his head. "Of course it is, we'll be fine if we just hide in plain sight," she tells him, though she isn't so sure herself. The two then race into the crowd of townspeople, trying to conceal themselves as best as possible.

Steel Plate (D3) and Lexi Strong (D3)
Although Steel seems to be determined and joyful, Lexi is dying slowly inside as his ally. It's not that she hates him, which she doesn't considering they are friends, but all she can think about is how he said he loves her and how she doesn't return these feelings. Already she is planning on how to leave him without hurting his feelings. But there is no way to do this, unless he dies. He cannot die, she knows that, because he is her friend. Maybe this alliance won't be too bad after all, she thinks. Then, Steel comes over and whispers in her ear. "So when do we kiss for the cameras?" Okay, scratch that thought.

Rush Leafs (D7) and Mystique Cirque (D8)
As Mystique runs around, attempting to tame a lion with a stool and a whip, Rush juggles three bowling pins expertly for the crowd. Who knew the games could actually be fun? Just then, peacekeepers break into the circus, wielding guns. The audience doesn't even bat an eye. Mystique notices first, turning fearfully to the peacekeepers. But Rush notices to late. He is shot, a bleeding red hole forming in his chest and the pins dropping to the ground with loud noises. Everything goes silent, the last fun seeping out of the arena forever. Mystique turns and runs, managing to escape in the nick of time. A loud buzzing rings in her earpiece. It's too late to save Rush.

Lion Coy (D11)
As Lion sits at the bottom of a dumpster, he thinks to himself. It's almost nighttime now, I can see the lights of the city from my hiding spot. A dumpster in an alley. It's smelly and horrible, and I have to periodically remove the trash onto the street so I don't get sick. But I'm not dead, so it's paid off. Two have died today, and I can only imagine who. The thing is, I really don't care. Because there's no way I have a chance of winning these. If I did....oh if I did....I could finally get attention. Oh yes, that would be great! I know now, I must win these games and go back home. I curl up and go to sleep, happy I have a clothespin on my nose blocking the stench.

Fall Sky (D5) and Summer Fest (D11)
Fall and Summer have allied, the two hiding in a hotel room. They both know it's risky, but they surely aren't the only ones who are now living in luxury. Oceana and Ridge both have the same idea, the two both in separate rooms elsewhere in the city. The rest of the tributes risk the wilderness. At around ten o'clock, the tributes' earpieces list off the day's deaths in a sinister voice. "Rush Leafs of District Seven and Paige Bennet of District Seven. May the odds be ever in your favor." The voice laughs evilly and then fades out, making Summer shudder. "We're going to be okay," Fall tells her, though he doesn't even believe his own words. The two then go to bed, both wishing they could be somewhere else. Anywhere else.

End of Day One

Ridge Hillsong (D12)
Ridge wakes up to find a bad feeling in his gut, like something unfortunate is about to happen. He slowly walks to the door, but the knob beings to jiggle unsuccessfully from the outside, as it is locked. Instinctively, he runs right into the closet with his sword to hide, right as the peacekeepers break down the door. For a while it is quiet, but Ridge doesn't take the risk of relaxing. Suddenly, the closet door opens and Ridge stabs his sword....straight into the chest of a peacekeeper. Running out of the room, Ridge cuts the head of another peacekeeper off and barely manages to escape. As they run out into the hall, the mute District 12 tribute is already gone.

Everett Frazier (D8) and Autumn Lush (D6)
Even though Everett and Autumn haven't heard the buzzing noise that indicates a death today, they don't take their chances. Running through town, they push civilians out of the way and eventually head into an arcade. "What are we going to do?" Autumn asks, knowing that there are peacekeepers right outside. As she asks this, the peacekeepers break in and Everett pulls Autumn into the employees only room with him.

Fall Sky (D5) and Summer Fest (D11)
Fall and Sky run through the streets of the city, eventually pushing themselves right into an office building. They almost forget how out of place they look to the fancily dressed people who really think that they are in the Capitol. "What are we doing here?" Summer asks as Fall frantically presses the button for the 47th floor. "Getting help," he answers. "Since we can't get any help from the peacekeepers' office, we might as well get help from someone that this town will listen to. The doors open and the pair enters, the only ones in the elevator. "This isn't going to work," Summer tells him. Fall shrugs. The elevator door closes.

Everett Frazier (D8) and Autumn Lush (D6)
The back room is big enough to hide, and hopefully the peacekeepers won't find the two of them. It is filled mostly with out of date arcade machines that no one wanted to play, or ones that don't work at all anymore. As Everett and Autumn make their way through the room, trying to find a door outside, but suddenly, the peacekeepers break down the door. Everett and Autumn start to run, and most shots from the peacekeepers hit the arcade machines instead of the frantic tributes. Suddenly, Autumn seems to weaken, most likely because of her ankle that she rolled yesterday. So Everett carries her right out the door and into the alleyway where Lion Coy happens to be hiding. Then he hears the buzzing in his ear. He turns to Autumn and sees the gunshot wound in her stomach. Surprised, Everett steps back, deciding to sprint away from the scene. Because she would want him to live, he knows that.

Ora Gaffe (D5)
While most of the tributes stay and hide in buildings, Ora has taken a much different approach. Over at the edge of the arena, she hides on the bridge, keeping low to the ground. This way, she'll she peacekeepers coming much before they reach her. Even though she doesn't seem to realize that there is nowhere for her to run. Only the valley below. And jumping is not an option.

Venus Olympus (D10) and Vulcan Olympus (D10)
Venus and Vulcan aren't shocked enough by yesterday's events to prevent them from staying in yet another apartment. They broke in, and knew any second they could get thrown out, but they were willing to take this risk. Then a knock comes on the door. "Vulcan, stay in the bathroom and hide, just in case," Venus orders him before she heads for the door. But as she approaches it, she knows immeadiately that something is wrong. As the door breaks down, she steps back in fear, hardly noticing Vulcan jumping in front of her, receiving a shot to the stomach by the peacekeeper. Venus doesn't hesitate to drive her knife into the peacekeeper's chest, seeing that he is apparently the only one who came to their room. "Vulcan please," Venus pleads with him, holding his nephew's hand as the both of them cry. "You have to win Venus," Vulcan croaks. "Figure out the secret of the arena," he tells her. And then he closes his eyes and the buzzer goes off in Venus's earpiece. She never thought hearing that noise would hurt so much.

Mystique Cirque (D8)
Mystique walks through the Capitol streets, wearing a cloak to keep her shielded from the rain. Several business people pass her, carrying umbrellas. They walk leisurely, not even knowing that they are in an arena at the very moment. One person passes her and bumps into her, noticing her whip, cloak, and purple hair. "Freak," he mutters, and then passes by. I'm not a freak, she thinks to herself. Am I? Mystique walks into an alley and slumps down next to a dumpster, which happens to be concealing Lion Coy. She curls up and decides to go to sleep, wishing she had something to eat, and something to reassure her that she wasn't a freak.

Jenny Sparks (D2) and Aaron Blue (D4)
Jenny and Aaron, like most tributes, have taken up life in an apartment, waiting to be attacked by peacekeepers any moment. "Retrace your steps..." Jenny repeats as Aaron sits on the windowsill and stares out at the rainy city. "Ugh! This is so frustrating!" she yells and throws her knife at the wall. "I guess tommorrow we're just going to have to go back to all the places we were before and see if that helps." Aaron turns away from the window and looks at Jenny, who is trying to pull her knife out of the wall. "Well as much as I'd love to revisit you tackling me and asking me to be allies....I'll pass." Jenny manages to yank her knife out of the wall and nearly falls over. "Oh ha ha," she sarcastically remarks. "Well I'm going to figure this out, and you need to help." She goes and sits next to Aaron on the windowsill. "As much as I'd love to help, isn't it obvious? The games are going to turn out the same way they always do. Everyone is going to start to kill each other, and only one person is going to get out alive." Aaron stares back out the window unhappily, and is taken by surprise when Jenny turns and kisses him out of nowhere.

Oceana Blowfish (D4)
Oceana still sits in her apartment, holding two knives and ready for peacekeepers to come any second. She would rather go out with a fight than not go out at all (if that makes any sense). Suddenly, a knock comes on the door. "Here we go," Oceana mutters to herself, and flings open the door. She stabs the person standing in front of her without looking, and Steel Plate falls to the ground, a knife in his chest. Lexi screams in horror, trying to help Steel, even though her efforts are futile. Oceans slams the door and sits up against a wall, hearing the buzzing noise ring in her earpiece. Holding the knife, she waits for Lexi to break down the door and attack her, but it never happens.

Echo Stone (D9) and Sapphire Rolland (D9)
Hiding out in an abandoned newsstand, Echo and Sapphire huddle for warmth in the pouring rain. Their earpieces are waterproof though, and the anthem soon blares into their ears. Then come the names. "Steel Plate of District 3....Autumn Lush of District 6....Vulcan Olympus of District 10....May the odds be ever in your favor...." The evil voice fades away and Echo and Sapphire suddenly feel even colder than before. Five have already died, and either one of them could be next. This certainly isn't a time to grab a bite to eat, Echo thinks to himself.

End of Day Two

Jade Sycamore (D1) and Bradley Ward (D2)
Jade and Bradley spent the last three days trying to figure out what the secret of the arena was. And after many scrapped thoughts and ideas, they had finally figured it out, and wrote it down on a piece of paper. Now, they have a map and set of instructions sitting in front of them on a table. "I can't believe we figured this out!" Jade exclaims, though keeping quiet enough so Tux can't hear. "You're brilliant Bradley!" she gives him a kiss on the cheek and he blushes. "So now we can get out of here...is it really that easy?" The two contemplate the idea of the Capitol actually allowing 22 victors. Of course, they would never allow that. "We just have to get away from Tux," Jade continues. "No," Bradley tells her. "Not now." Jade gives him a look of confusion. "Tommorrow," he says eagerly. "Tommorrow...we'll...kill him." Bradley is nearly sick to his stomach at the thought. "Okay," Jade responds. "Tommorrow."

Fall Sky (D5) and Summer Fest (D11)
It takes Fall and Summer a whole day (they ended up sleeping in an abandoned office) to find the owner of one of the most important 'businesses' in the faux town. But unfortunately, the man isn't particularly kind to them. "You are crazy, now stop following me!" he yells at them, as he frantically presses the buttons on the elevator pad, anxiously waiting for it to descend to him. Now on the fourth floor, the two watch helplessly. "Please sir," Summer begs, but he has no sympathy for them. "Security!" the man yells, and a squad of peacekeepers immediately show up. Fall grabs Summer into an embrace and pushes her out of the window with him and into the water just outside of the building.

Everett Frazier (D8)
Still recovering from the shock of watching Autumn die, Everett runs through the streets of the city, pushing civilians out of his way. He has one mission: find out the secret of the arena. And he thinks he knows what it is. Today is sunny, and the rain from yesterday has barely left a trace bar the occasional puddle. Running past several buildings, Everett reaches his destination. He smiles, holding his lucky gold coin in his hand. But a squad of peacekeepers form behind him. He turns around just in time to get shot between the eyes, leaving Bradley and Jade as the only living tributes who had figured out how to escape the arena.

Mystique Cirque (D8) and Lion Coy (D11)
Lion hops out of his dumpster, ready to face the day, while Mystique sits nearby. He jumps out a is surprised by her presence. She stands up, whip in hand, remembering his name....well if she can't tame a real lion....Mystique takes her whip and chases after Lion through the near empty streets of the city, no one in site to help him. And she is gaining on him. He trips, falling to the ground, and she stands over him. This surely will be a painful experience...well it would be, had it not been for his heroes. Just as Mystique raises her whip to go in for the kill, a blade protrudes from her back. She falls to the ground and the buzzer goes off in everyones' earpieces.

Aaron Blue (D4), Jenny Sparks (D2), and Lion Coy (D11)
Aaron stares at the dead body of Mystique and his bloody blade in horror, disturbed by what he has done. But Jenny seems unaffected, knowing that it's kill or be killed in the games. "Are you okay?" she asks as she helps Lion off of the ground. "Yeah, I think so," he responds shyly. "Would you like to be our ally?" Jenny asks, though her tone is serious and not cheery. Lion nods. "I just...." Aaron trails off, not able to finish his sentence. "You won't feel so bad when you're sippin' lemonade and bathing in money in the Victor's Village," Jenny reminds him. The group of three walk away from the scene.

6 are dead, 20 are left

And finding the secret of the arena is the only thing that can save them

Let the 1st Hunger Games begin for real...

End of Part One

Tux Golden (D1), Jade Sycamore (D1), and Bradley Ward (D2)
Tux takes his knife and jabs it into a wall in a fit of anger. "When will you two stop planning this stupid secret and start coming with me to kill tributes!" Tux has just returned from another unsuccessful attempt to search for other tributes in the arena. "Are we careers or not?!" Jade and Bradley exchange uneasy looks. "We'll help you tommorow," Jade assures him. "Tommorow?! Help me today!" he screams. "If I don't kill anyone else by tommorow, I'll kill the both of you!" Tux then stomps off to calm down. Both Bradley and Jade are thinking the same thing. It's already almost nighttime, too late to go searching for more tributes, and tommorow, the two are planning to escape from Tux. Then, they will get the remainder of the tributes out of the arena for good.

Venus Olympus (D10)
Venus runs out through the city, pushing past anyone in sight. Tears were still welling in her eyes, though Vulcan had died yesterday. But she couldn't get over it. Running faster now, she ran past a giant building surrounded by people. A peacekeeper was being rolled out on a gurney into an ambulance. He was dead. Suddenly, a hand grabbed Venus from behind and pulled her out into an alley.

Fall Sky (D5), Summer Fest (D11), and Venus Olympus (D10)
"What are you doing here?!" Summer exclaims, though still in a hushed voice. She releases Venus, who stares right at Fall Sky and Summer Fest. Both are drenched in water. "What happened?" Venus asks shakily. "Peacekeepers found us, so we jumped out the window of that buliding and landed in a lake," Fall explains. "Then when we got out, peacekeepers started to swarm out of the buliding. We managed to kill two and then escaped." There is a silence for a moment. "So," Summer starts. "Wanna be allies?"

Anya Showers (D12)
The anthem begins to blare in all of the tributes' earpieces, waking Anya from her sleep. Everett Frazier and Mystique Cirque are announced, both of them being from District 8. These games are the easiest yet, Anya thinks to herself, staring at her plentiful food supply next to her. But at the same time she is uneasy. Only 7 tributes have died after 3 days, these games may take a while. And who knows how long until the peacekeepers find her....

End of Day Three

Tux Golden (D1), Jade Sycamore (D1), and Bradley Ward (D2)
Jade and Bradley wake up, and it's already around 10 o'clock. They've slept in much too late. "We have to go now," Jade orders anxiously, knowing Tux is out scouting for more tributes. They both pack their stuff swiftly, Bradley taking the instructions on the secret of the arena and stuffing them in his pocket. He also puts a knife in his other pocket, just in case Tux finds them. "Are you ready?" Jade asks him. He shrugs. "I guess so." The two of them make their way out of the basement and into the streets, seeing the sun for the first time in four days. Both squinting, they check to see if the coast is clear. "Come on," Jade commands, and the two run into the streets. Just then, someone calls out from behind them. "Hey!" yells Tux. "Don't you leave! I'll kill you!" Jade and Bradley run and Tux sprints after them, vengence flowing through his head.

Echo Stone (D9) and Sapphire Rolland (D9)
Still huddling together in a newstand, Echo feels a sudden burst of sadness, afraid his life could be soon over. "I think we should hide somewhere else," he tells Sapphire anxiously. "Why?" she interrogates. "I like this place for your information, and no peacekeepers have found us yet." Echo still isn't resaaured. "Can we just go somewhere else? I feel like they're going to find us soon." Sapphire isn't too happy, but decides to agree with her nervous boyfriend. "Fine we'll move," she tells him. "Hap--" she is interruptedd when the blast from a gun scatters the newspapers from the stand. "Run!" Echo yells, and he grabs Sapphire, pulling her into a nearby building. The two run up the stairs, not daring to look back. They finally reach the top of the building, which turns out to be a jewelry store. But it's not time for Echo to buy Sapphire a present. They stare out the window, seeing the single peacekeeper walking away, apparently not wanting to chase them. The gamemakers will probably repremand him for this. But this does mean one thing, the peacekeepers have split up, deciding to divide and conquer.

Tux Golden (D1), Jade Sycamore (D1), and Bradley Ward (D2)
Tux chases Jade and Bradley through the streets, with only a knife in hand. Bradley looks back, wondering if he should throw his own knife at Tux. But he knows it's too risky. Suddenly, a peacekeeper runs into the streets, and Tux takes him out with a clean swipe across the throat with his knife. He takes the peacekeeper's gun and continues pursuit. Tux begins firing, luckily not taking out a single townsperson. If he did, he would be punished with death. One shot goes straight for Jade, and she falls to the ground, gripping her stomach. Bradley stops and looks back. "Go!" Jade yells in pain. The buzzer goes off in Bradley's ear. He turns around and runs.

Tux Golden (D1), Bradley Ward (D2), And Two Other Tributes....
Tux runs like a madman, shooting like crazy and trying to kill Bradley Ward. Bradley approaches a crowd and attempts to conceal himself within it. Tux screams and the townspeople see his gun, attempting to flee. But he fires a shot into the crowd, hoping it takes out Bradley. But it doesn't. Someone screams, and Tux turns around, running away from the scene, knowing he'll come back for Bradley later. And hoping the Capitol doesn't kill him for killing a townsperson. Except he didn't kill a townsperson. Bradley runs over to see someone crouched over the civilian who was shot. The buzzer goes off in his ear and he understands what has happened. Bradley places his hand on Fawn Sage's shoulder, who is crying, crouched over Dusk's unmoving body.

Ora Gaffe (D5) and Zuan Klowc (D6)
Ora, who is still hiding on the bridge, is slowly approached by another tribute. Zuan Klowc walks over to her, but she resists the urge to shoot him with her bow and arrow. "Would you want to be allies?" he asks her cheerfully. "Um....I think I work better solo," she answers, but then realizes that he could kill her now. "On second thought, sure, I'll be your ally." Zuan smiles. "But I don't think that we should stay here," he tells her. "I think we'd be better off taking our chances hiding in a building. We'd probably be harder to find in a buliding anyways. Ora is a little annoyed, but still agrees. As they turn a corner, a peacekeeper darts out of nowhere. Ora gasps, but is quickly shot in the heart. She falls backwards, and Zuan can only look up in horror as the peacekeeper shoots him in the head.

Fall Sky (D5), Summer Fest (D11), and Venus Olympus (D10)
Four buzzes go off in the trio's earpieces, with not much space between them. Panicking, they run through the streets, understanding that the peacekeepers have done something to find and kill more tributes faster. The three run into one of the bulidings near the fountain, the same that Venus and Vulcan hid in on the first day of the games. "This can't be happening!" Venus exclaims, still thinking of her dead nephew, and not wanting to be dead herself. "Well it is!" Fall responds as they run. "This is what the games are!" They enter a vacant apartment and Fall slams the door. "We're going to die aren't we?!" Venus exclaims. "No one is going to die!" Fall responds. "Four people just did!" Summer yells. Everyone goes silent for a moment. "Well we aren't going to. We are going to escape. We are going to win." Although Fall's comment calms the group, none of them actually believe him.

Ridge Hillsong (D12)
Ridge, still in his apartment near the fountain, is probably doing better than any other tribute in the arena. He doesn't care for the secret of the arena, planning to be the one and only victor. Plus, he's killed four peacekeepers since the games started. By now, the Capitol must be afraid to send anyone to kill the little mute D12'er. But Ridge does have one problem: he's running out of food. Even though he still has the $100 he started the games with, he is afraid to go buy anything. And the gamemakers turned the water off. Leaning his head against a wall, Ridge wishes for some food. But there are no sponsers in the arena. And there aren't genies to grant wishes either.

Bradley Ward (D2) and Fawn Sage (D0)
Hiding out in a meeting room on one of the top floors of a business building, Bradley shows Fawn the secret of the arena. Written down by Jade's careful hands on a mpa of the arena, the instructions are specific and easy to follow. "This is ingenious!" Fawn exclaims. Bradley shushes her. "So if we do this, then we can get all 15 tributes out of the arena?" Fawn asks in a whisper. Bradley nods. "So when should we do this?" Fawn asks eagerly. "Tommorow," Bradley answers. "And we better hope Tux doesn't find us first." Their earpieces then buzz to life, the announcer reading the deaths of the day. "Dusk Shivers of District Zero....Jade Sycamore of District One....Ora Gaffe of District 5....and Zuan Klowc of District 6.....Happy Hunger Games...." With his usual evil laugh, the announcer fades away. Fawn and Bradley are quiet for a second, thinking of their dead friends. "We're going to get out of here you know," Bradley tells her, and she smiles. "But we have to make sure Tux doesn't."

End of Day Four

Lexi Strong (D3) and Oceana Blowfish (D4)
"You killed him!" Lexi yells in despair. Oceana had stepped out onto the street in hopes of finding some food. The gamemakers had turned off the water in the apartments and she was dehydrated as well. Lexi flicked her knife in her hand. "It was an accident!" Oceana yells. "An accident you're about to pay for!" Lexi responds. Oceana doesn't want to fight, but she doesn't seem to have a choice. Lexi charges forward, angry, weilding her knife. Oceana charges forward, holding her knife too. The girls collide, one falling to the ground, a bloody knife sticking out of her stomach. Oceana stands up and looks down on Lexi. "I am so sorry," she says honestly. The buzzer then goes off, signaling the first death of the day. The first of many.

Tux Golden (D1)
A career on his own, Tux roams the streets, his knives in every available pocket of his jacket. He has left his peacekeeper gun back at his hideout. He wants any kills he makes today to be as long and painful as possible. Walking down the street, he hasn't yet seen a single peacekeeper. Not that he cares; he'd just kill them anyways. Approaching a buliding, Tux throws the door open and enters. Hopefully, he'll find some victims inside.

Anya Showers (D12)
Anya has a bad feeling, but she can't identify why. She stares out of her window, looking out upon the fountain where the 26 tributes had entered nearby. It was only 5 days ago. Taking a deep breath, Anya tries to relax. But she can't. Then a horrible thought enters her mind. What if today is my last day? Anya runs to the window and stares out, but the streets are empty. The peacekeepers aren't here....yet....

Fall Sky (D5), Summer Fest (D11), and Venus Olympus (D8)
Walking through the streets, Fall, Summer, and Venus soon worry, noticing that not a single person seems to be in the city today. "Where is everyone?" Venus asks the group, and they shrug in response. "I guess the gamemakers got bored," Fall answers. "It's time to kick things up a notch, and it's harder to hide when there aren't a bunch of clueless people getting in the way." All three stop in their tracks with the statement. "Maybe we should go back inside..." Summer suggests. They then break into a run.

Jenny Sparks (D2), Lion Coy (D11), and Aaron Blue (D4)
Jenny, Lion, and Aaron move through the barren streets, heading for the fountain. Lion has come up with an idea, saying that the secret of the arena, hinted by "retrace your steps," is most likely escaping using the plates on which they first entered. If they can find a way to lift the plates, maybe they can escape. "Lion you're a genius!" Jenny exclaims, Lion blushes. "Are you sure about this," Aaron asks nervously. "It's all we got," Jenny answers. "Well what if peacekeepers catch us?" Aaron asks back. The three stop. "Then we go down with a fight," Jenny answers, though her voice is shaky as she tries to stomach the thought. Suddenly, the top floor of the buliding next to them explodes into a fireball, and the force sends Aaron, Jenny, and Lion to the ground. A buzzer goes off. "Oh my god...." Jenny mutters.

Tux Golden (D1)
Tux runs faster than ever before. The top floor of the buliding he was just in has exploded, but not until after he killed one tribute, and wounded another. Soon, there will hopefully only be twelve tributes left in the arena. As smoke billows from the building, Tux runs down the stairs. But the door swings open. Without even checking to see who it is, Tux jumps out the window of the first floor and into an alley. He runs like a maniac through the streets, too happy to care if a peacekeeper comes near.

Jenny Sparks (D2), Aaron Blue (D4), and Lion Coy (D11)
"What are we doing!?" Aaron yells between coughs. "Seeing what happened!" Jenny yells back as she bursts into the room that has just exploded. The inside is blackened, but doesn't look too bad for a room that has just been destroyed. It is a big office room, and filled with fire. Suddenly, a voice rings out, begging for help. Jenny runs over to the yelling tribute while Aaron and Lion observe the dead body lying on the floor. "It's Bradley," Aaron yells to Jenny. On the ground sits Bradley Ward, a knife in his heart.

Jenny runs to Fawn, who is coughing blood, and lying on the ground. "Tux put a knife in my back Jenny..." Fawn weakly tells her. "It isn't too deep, but it's enough..." On the ground next to her lies a bloody knife; apparently she pulled it out of her back. "Fawn please..." Jenny pleads with her. Fawn reaches into her pocket, and hands Jenny a piece of paper, oddly with no blood on it. "This is what you need to do to get out of here," Fawn tells Jenny. "Get everyone out of here please..." Jenny quickly pleads with her again. "Fawn you can survive, just hold on..." Fawn then grabs Jenny by the shirt and pulls her close. "Get everyone out of here Jenny, but whatever you do, make sure Tux does not get out of here...." She then falls to the ground and a buzzer sounds. Jenny cries as Aaron and Lion walk over. She stands up to face them. "He did this," Jenny mutters. Aaron grabs the paper from her. "This is how we get out of here," Jenny tells them. "We can finally leave..." but Jenny's tone is melancholic rather than happy. A cold gust of wind blows through the room, and the three look up as if it was a bad omen. "It ends now...." Aaron remarks, and another ominous gust of wind blows by.

End of Part Two

Echo Stone (D9) and Sapphire Rolland (D9)
Echo and Sapphire sit on a park bench, daring peacekeepers to come near. It's almost as if they have disappeared now, though the two know that this is improabable. Echo brushes away Sapphire's hair and kisses her on the cheek. "I love you, you know," he tells her, but she doesn't even so much as smile. "I know," she responds, staring out into the distance. "We're not going to die today, I won't let it happen," he promises her, though she remains unconvinced. She turns back and kisses him. "I love you too."

Ridge Hillsong (D12) and Anya Showers (D12)
Ridge walks to his window and leans out, staring down upon the fountain. Sighing, suddenly someone calls him. "Hey!" the girl yells, sitting on a windowsill a few rooms down from him. It's his district partner, Anya. "What'cha doing over there?" she asks casually, forgetting he can't talk. Ridge makes a few hand motions in sign language and she realizes. "Well I'll just come over there then." With amazing agility, Anya manages to swing over and into his room. "This'll sound stupid, but I completely forget your name, do you have something to write on?" Ridge takes his sword from his hand and moves over to the wall, carving his name in huge letters. Anya smiles. "We should definitely be allies."

Oceana Blowfish (D4)
Oceana roams the streets, a loner waiting to be killed any second. But she knows she won't go down with a fight, not when she's came this far. With even the quietest of sounds, she turns her head to make sure a peacekeeper isn't following her. But they aren't. No yet at least. Holding her knife in hand, she remembers how she killed two people thus far. The realization hits her hard, and she falls to the ground. She starts to cry. "I wan't to go home," she pleads, looking upward, as if this would elicit an ounce of sympathy from the Capitol viewers.

Fall Sky (D5), Summer Fest (D11), and Venus Olympus (D10)
Fall, Summer, and Venus move through the streets, rushing for where they saw the explosion a while back. "Oh my god," Summer mutters as they approach the building, which is still spewing smoke. "What do you think happened?" Venus asks. "Peacekeepers, definitely. Either that or a gamemaker trap," Fall responds. The group is silent for a second. "Well I guess this is where the two deaths just happened," Venus remarks. "What should we do now?" Summer asks, and the group turns to Fall. "Um...how about...we go back to the fountain?" he asks, though he is unsure of himself. But his decision is still obeyed, and the group has no idea that Jenny, Aaron, and Lion are at the fountain as they speak.

Aaron Blue (D4), Jenny Sparks (D2), and Lion Coy (D11)
Aaron, Jenny, and Lion arrive at the fountain after a long sprint though the city streets. "We don't have much time to do this," Jenny warns them, reaching her hand into the water and feeling around for something while Aaron and Lion read the instructions Fawn left to them. Suddenly, Jenny finds a button and presses it down. The fountain sinks into the ground with a loud noise that rings throughout the city, leaving a simple circular hole. Jenny turns around and looks at them. "Well, who's going down there?" She grabs the long rope that she managed to snag from a hardware store and looks at the two boys. After a moment, Lion speaks up.

"I'll do it," he tells them to Aaron's surprise. "Are you sure?" Jenny asks. "You want me to go down there?" Aaron asks her in surprise. "No, I'm just sayin'..." Jenny is then interrupted by Lion. "You saved my life, I'm ready to save yours' he says, and walks over to the hole. Jenny has him hold onto the rope. She then turns and kisses him on the cheek. Lion blushes and Aaron is suddenly jealous. "Any woman who would turn you down isn't worth your time anyways," she says to him kindly. "You are the bravest boy--I mean man---I have ever met." Aaron scowls, but he and Jenny quickly grab hold of the rope, and Lion begins to climb down into the ground. "You know what to do when you get down there Lion?!" Aaron yells to him. "Yeah!" Lion answers, his voice echoing up through the hole. And then, as Aaron and Jenny begin to lower Lion into the hole, they realize how much trouble they'd be in if peacekeepers decided to show up.

Aaron Blue (D4), Jenny Sparks (D2), Lion Coy (D11), Echo Stone (D9), and Sapphire Rolland (D9)
As Aaron and Jenny continue to lower Lion into the hole by rope, Echo and Sapphire suddenly arrive. "What the heck are you doing?!" Sapphire yells, her arrow pointed towards Aaron. "Please!" Aaron pleads. "Don't shoot!" Sapphire lowers her bow and waits for an explanation. "We figured out how to get everyone out of the arena! We're lowering Lion somewhere where he can signal the gamemakers and they'll get us out of here! Remember, they promised that at the beginning of the games?" Echo and Sapphire advance towards them, but they seem to believe them anyways. "What do you want us to do?" Sapphire asks. "Guard," Jenny answers. "In case any peacekeepers show up." Sapphire nods, and her and Echo surround the hole, facing the city. They raise their weapons and wait for an attacker. But they get something else instead.

The Five at the Fountain, Fall Sky (D5), Summer Fest (D11), and Venus Olympus (D10)
An arrow from Summer Fest shoots right past Echo and hits a building. "Cut it out!" yells Sapphire, and the three look confused. "This is a hunger games, there is no cutting it out!" Fall responds, and readies his sword. He then sees Jenny and Aaron. "What the heck are you guys doing?" Venus asks. "Getting us out of here," Jenny answers, already sweating from lowering Lion. "So are you going to help or not?" The three seem to understand, and they move to guard with Echo and Sapphire, forming a large circle of protection around Jenny and Aaron. "How deep is this thing?" Aaron asks, but Jenny shrugs. "I don't know, but I'm more worried for Lion than for us."

The Eight at the Fountain, Ridge Hillsong (D12), and Anya Showers (D12)
Anya and Ridge exit a buliding nearby the circle around where the fountain once stood. "Put down your weapons," Anya orders. "We come in peace," she says to them in almost annoyance. The two heard the entire conversation about Aaron and Jenny's plan from the balcony. And if they hadn't? The two warriors from District 12 proabably would have decapitated half of the tributes by now. They join the circle, leaving Oceana and Tux the only tributes not with them at the time. But peacekeepers are permitted to track any alliance of over 3 people, and it is only a matter of time before the group is inevitably found.

The Tributes of the 1st Hunger Games
Oceana Blowfish scopes out the scene, knowing the tributes won't accept her in their group after what she's done. But they don't know that she has killed the two tributes from District 3. She approaches them, and they don't even move to kill her. "Aren't you going to shoot me?" she asks. "Why would we do that?" Summer responds. "We're all a team now." Oceana smiles and runs into the group. "Oceana, could you take this rope for me?" Jenny asks, and hands off the rope to Oceana. She walks out of the group. "Fall, could you hold onto this for me," Aaron then asks, and quickly hands off the rope. Fall and Oceana continue to lower Lion into the seemingly endless hole.

"Where are you going?!" Aaron calls off to Jenny, who turns around. "I made a promise to a dying girl, and I'm not going back on it, not now," Jenny answers, weilding her knife. "You're going to kill Tux?" Aaron asks in surprise. "That's suicide! Jenny, we're going to get out of here, who cares if he comes with? Fawn is dead now, and you will be too if you go after him." Aaron grabs Jenny by the wrist as she tries to walk off. "I have to do this for her," she says as she tries to pull away. "I can't lose you..." Aaron pleads as she walks off. She turns around and walks back, giving him a long kiss. "Aww, how sweet," Tux Golden says as he emerges from a street. "It's too bad you're all about to die."

You Can't Convince a Career
Sapphire is the first of the tributes to step forward. "Don't even think about it Tux; you're not going to kill anyone," she commands. Jenny keeps her eyes on the knife in Tux's pocket, stained with blood. "Is that the knife you used to kill her?" Jenny asks, stepping forward. Tux smiles and removes it. "No as a matter of fact, this is the knife I used to kill every peacekeeper in the arena." The group goes silent, most not believing him. It is only when he smiles, his teeth stained with blood, that they believe him. "You're crazy," Aaron says aloud. "Well they all came for me, all twelve of them, and I wasn't about to die...so...I think you can fill in the rest." Jenny can't decide whether to be relieved or disturbed. Tux aims his peacekeeper gun and steps forward. "Tux stop!" Sapphire commands. "We're trying to save your life! They'll send in more peacekeepers in no time, and expect all but one of us to die! But we found a way to get everyone out! Don't you see?! There can be twelve victors this year!" Tux is silent, staring at Sapphire. It is obvious he is trying to decide what to do. "No Sapphire, there can't be," he says menacingly. He aims his gun and pulls the trigger.

Three Bullets
The first bullet grazes Oceana Blowfish's hand, and she falls to the ground, writing in pain. Fall throws himself to avoid the bullet as well. The second bullet is aimed for Jenny, but Aaron pulls her to the ground with him and it whizzes over their heads. The third bullet hits Sapphire Rolland in the stomach, and she immeadiatley falls to her knees. Tux laughs. "I'll be back!" he yells, and then runs down the street. Echo is the first to run to Sapphire, calling her name in desperation. Jenny gets up and goes to chase Tux, but Aaron grabs her. "Not now!" he yells, and Jenny looks between where Tux has run off and Sapphire in deseration. "Echo..." Sapphire mutters weakly, but her boyfriend only cries as he hold her hand. "Get out of here....go back home...bring honor to District Nine..." she is adament, though her voice is weak. "Sapphire please don't go!" Echo shreiks between tears. "And one last thing...." she begins again. "Kill that son of a b*tch." Sapphire then falls back to the ground, and the buzzer sounds. Echo is hysterical, ignoring Venus as she tries to calm him. As Aaron and Jenny make their way towards Sapphire, another scream catches their attention. "Lion!" Fall yells in desperation, staring down the hole.

An Important Choice
Aaron and Jenny run over to join Fall, Summer, Anya, and Ridge, who all stare down the hole. Oceana still writhes in pain on the ground. "You let go of the rope?!" Aaron yells at them. "That maniac was going to kill me!" Fall yells. "And look what he did to my hand!" Oceana yells. "Shut up Oceana," Jenny orders in annoyance. Oceana wishes this was a normal hunger games, wishes she could jump up and stab Jenny without consequences. "Lion!" Jenny yells, staring down the hole. At first there is nothing, but then a weak voice responds. "I'm here...." Lion yells up through the hole. "I didn't fall that far." The group is relieved. "Except..." Lion takes a while to spit it out. "Guys I'm hurt....a bone is sticking out of my leg....I think I might black out." The group is silent in contemplation, but Lion suddenly yells something back up the hole. "You told me to push a button when I got down here and I think I see it now. Do you still want me to push it?" Aaron looks to Jenny in surprise, and they soon notice that the nine remaining tributes have all assembled in a cricle around the hole, even sobbing Echo. "Well...what do we do now?" Jenny asks Aaron, but the answer is obvious. "We get the hell out of here," Aaron responds, and no one in the group disagrees. Jenny leans down to the hole. "Do it Lion!" she yells, and the group can only wait.

The Secret's Secret
Deep in a cavern under the arena, Lion crawls towards the oddly placed button, a small red circle mounted carefully on the cold brick wall. Blood fills the cavern as Lion's vision blurs, and the only hope left for his life is the button that lies in front of his eyes. Crawling faster now, he starts to grapple with the feeling that his life may be soon over yet; it isn't a good feeling. But even if he dies, he will die a hero, and he knows that. The button is straight in front of him now, and he extends his hand, pressing down on it. And for a moment, nothing happens.

Up above, nine of the remaining tributes sit and wait. They decide to move away from the hole, so as none of them accidently fall in. Not a single one even turns to see if Tux has returned, but he has not. About two minutes go by in silence, which is quickly broken by Anya. "Is this it?" she asks in surprise. "Is this some kind of joke." Jenny turns to the group. "Of course it is," she tells them. "I was so dumb not to notice it before, why would the gamemakers let more than one tribute win?" The group is afraid for a second, but Aaron tries to reel them in. "Don't worry," he says. "Just wait, don't give up hope yet." As he says this, the announcer's voice rings out on the loudspeaker. "Congratulations tributes of the 1st Hunger Games!" he exclaims, and the group begins to rejoice, hugging each other, knowing now that they are about to be rescued. No one else has to die. "You have finally reached the grand finale of our games! It is a free-for-all now, and whoever survives this may be crowned victor! And the rest...of course they will die. May the odds be ever in your favor." The voice quickly fades away and the tributes realize that something is wrong. "They lied...." Summer remarks, distraught. The tributes exchange looks of worry, and suddenly, the ground begins to shake violently. Most tributes fall to the ground as they take in what is happening around them, but Jenny runs over to the hole. Without worrying if she will fall, she screams down to Lion. "Lion!" she calls, hoping she is okay. Aaron runs over and grabs onto her, trying to prevent her from falling. And then the buzzer goes off. They turn to each other in worry and Jenny begins to cry. It's too late to save Lion Coy.

The Beginning of the End
Jenny and Aaron are too scared to move, caught up in the reality of the situation. So it is Anya that gets them moving. "Run!" she yells in desperation, and the tributes take off down one of the empty streets. The ground shakes, fissures appearing in every direction, and buildings begin to fall. Ridge leads the group, determined to get out as fast as he can while Echo brings up the rear, still depressed over Sapphire's death. Then Ridge stops in his tracks. Not paying attetnion, Anya bumps into him and falls to the ground. "What the heck Ridge?" she asks in annoyance. The other tributes have stopped too, and they look right in front of him. "And we meet again," Tux says, giving a wicked smile. "So who is going to die next?" he asks mockingly.

Another Death
"You!" Echo yells, and runs at him. But Venus holds him back. "Well that was pleasant," Tux responds. "Where's the girlfriend?" Venus struggles to hold Echo back. "I'm going to kill you!" he yells. The ground shakes again and the tributes remember the issue at hand. "Tux this isn't the time! The arena is going to fall apart, and we have to get out!" Jenny yells at him, but he only laughs. "No Jenny, I need to get out, and I will by killing all of you." Aaron then picks up where Jenny left off. "Tux, I don't know what problem you have, but killing us is not going to solve it. So just stop rihgt now and come with us. Or we'll kill you." Tux only laughs. "I already killed twelve peacekeepers and multiple tributes, and you think you can kill me? Well, I think it's time we give the Capitol a victor. So goodye everyone. It was never nice knowing you." Tux takes out his knife and readies to kill. And then the ground shakes yet again, more violently than before. A crack forms between Tux's feet, and he looks down in surprise. But it is too late. With a scream, Tux Golden falls into the fissure while the other tributes watch. A buzzer sounds moments later. And then the tributes run. They run for their lives.

To The Bridge
It is obvious now that the city is going to be destroyed soon, and no place inside it is safe to hide in. So the tributes decide to head for the bridge that Zuan Klowc discovered the first day. Across it is a small rocky platform that doesn't seem to be as affected by the eartquake. Jenny and Aaron lead the pack as they reach the bridge, running for the safety that is only feet away from them. And then the two stop in their tracks, just as the section of the bridge in front of them falls away. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," Anya says. Aaron looks around for another way to cross. At one side of the broken bridge, a girder is still intact, serving as a small passagway to the other side of hte bridge. Aaron grabs Jenny and pulls her over to the edge of the bridge, pointing at the girder that connects the two broken sides. "Climb across Jenny," he tells her. Jenny shakes her head. "No I can't." Aaron won't let her give up. "Just do this Jenny, don't look down, and climb across. You can win if you just get across." Jenny looks from Aaron to the girder. Then, she gives him a quick kiss, and climbs down onto the girder, starting to crawl across it. Aaron runs to the other tributes, noticing a section of the bridge on the other side has survived, leaving a railing and a strip of the bridge intact. He grabs Oceana, who is closest, and pulls her over to the railing. "Grab onto the railing and walk to the other side," he instructs her, and she nods. The ground shakes again, and a small section of bridge near the city crumbles. There's no turning back now.

The Broken Bridge
The tributes watch as Jenny makes it to the other side of the bridge, and Aaron quickly grabs Summer, leading her over to the girder. She begins to climb across, albeit slowly. Aaron looks over to Echo as sweat runs down his face, knowing that the bridge could collapse any moment. "Echo get over here!" he yells, but Echo stands far from the other tributes, looking down with a depressed face. "Sapphire is gone," he says quietly. "I have no reason to live anymore." he stands staring at the ground. "That's crazy! She would want you to live!" Echo shakes his head. "I can't live without her." Sighing, Aaron yells back at him. "Well fine then!" he turns his back on Echo, feeling upset that he cannot save everyone. Summer continues to climb across the girder, and Jenny kneels down at the other side, her hand extended so she can pull Summer up any moment. Aaron looks around and he counts only seven tributes besides himself. He can't see Ridge, but no buzzer has sounded yet. He wouldn't be surprised if Ridge had somehow snuck out of the arena. Suddenly, a scream comes from behind him. Aaron, Fall, Anya, and Venus turn to see Echo, who is now sitting on the ground. He clings to the asphalt as if it would stop the ground from crumpling in a circular fashion around him. "I don't want to die!" Echo shrieks, but the cracks in the ground grow deeper now. Aaron runs to help him, but he is too late. The other tributes scream Echo's name as a circular chunk falls from the bridge with the hapless District 9 tribute on it. It is a matter of seconds before the buzzer sounds. Oceana starts to cry, holding tight onto the railing. Only eight tributes are left in the arena.

And Then There Were Seven
Summer inches across the beam, trying to reach Jenny at the other side. Aaron looks around, trying to figure out where Ridge has disappeared to. Fall and Anya look around to see if there is another way they can get across. Oceana slowly moves across the section of the bridge, but it is soon clear that she is afraid of heights. "Oceana come on!" yells Anya impatiently, but Oceana doesn't listen. She wimpers as she slowly makes her way across. "Aaron?" Venus asks as she walks over to him. "This is taking too long, I think I'm going to have to try something else to get across." Aaron raises his eyebrows in confusion, and Venus points up at the bridge arc up above. "That's insane! You can't climb on that thing! You'll fall!" Venus shakes her head. "Ridge did it." She points across the bridge, where Ridge jumps down next to Jenny, startling her. "That crazy little--" Aaron remarks, impressed. "I have to live, for Vulcan," she tells him, and walks over to the bridge arc. She begins to climb onto it, slowly inching her way up. "Come on Summer!" yells Jenny as Ridge stands behind her. Summer slowly makes her way across the beam, starting to wimper in fear. The ground shakes again and Summer clings to the beam for dear life. One side of the beam disconnects from the bridge, and it swings at a ninety-degree angle, flinging Summer from it. Jenny, Aaron, Fall, and Anya all scream Summer's name. The buzzer goes off seconds later, and Jenny gives Aaron a terrified look.

Never Let Go....
"I'm sick of this!" Anya yells. She runs towards Oceana, who is clinging onto the bridge railing and refusing to move. At first, the tributes are worried that Anya is going to kill her, but she does something much more risky. Anya runs over to Oceana and jumps onto the railing. Like a tightrope walker, she makes it to the other side of Oceana and jumps back down. She then runs to join Ridge and Jenny. "Come on Oceana, you can do it!" Aaron yells to her encouragingly. She shakes her head in response as tears fall form her eyes. "I don't want to die!" she yells back. "Then move it!" Anya advises. Oceana grips tighter to the rail. From up above, Venus has made it halfway across the bridge arc and is almost on her way down. The ground shakes again, and this time it is more violent than before. It is clear the bridge is going to collapse very soon. Jenny, Ridge, and Anya move to the rocky area on the other side of the bridge for safety. "Come on Aaron!'" Jenny screams in desperation. Oceana breathes in deeply and begins to walk across the small strip of bridge again, her fingers tightly interlocked with the railing. And that's when the ground shakes even more violently. It catches Oceana by surprise, and with a scream she tumbles off of the bridge and into the canyon below. The other tributes call her name, but it's too late. A buzzer sounds. Jenny turns to Aaron. "Run!" she yells in desperation, and the bridge starts to crumble.

The World Comes Crashing Down
It becomes clear to Aaron and Fall what they have to do. They break into a sprint, heading for the section of bridge that Oceana had just fallen from. They push each other out of the way, trying hard to be the first to make it to safety. Behind them the bridge crumbles, and it soon catches up to them. Fall isn't fast enough, and the crumbling bridge catches up to him. He quickly falls down into the canyon with parts of the bridge, and a buzzer goes off. "Aaron!" Jenny yells as the boy she loves sprints towards her. From up above, Venus loses grip on the bridge. She thinks of her dead nephew, and knows now that she'll be with him, even though she must die for it to happen. The arc of the bridge crumbles and she comes falling down with it. Yet another buzzer sounds. Anya and Ridge both turn around, not wanting to see Aaron, who clearly has no chance, die. The last of the bridge falls into the canyon, and Aaron jumps towards Jenny. She extends her hand towards him. For a few precious seconds their fingertips graze each other, but it is not enough to save Aaron. He falls down into the canyon below, out of sight. Jenny becomes hysterical, and she breaks down crying, holding onto Ridge for support. But what Anya has noticed, and no one else has, is that no buzzer has gone off. Not yet.

The Three Victors
Jenny cries into Ridge as Anya stood solitary on the cliff, staring out at the burning city and the demolished bridge. No building stood; all had collapsed into heaping piles of rubble on the asphalt. The place that had been the death trap for 28 tributes for the last 5 days was finally destroyed. Yet only four of those tributes were alive now. The realization of this hits them all hard, especially Jenny, believing Aaron is dead. The worst part? This would happen every year. Every single year. And people would watch it for fun. Even now the people of Panem were staring at their TV screens, waiting for what would happen next. And they were certainly taken by surprise by what did happen.

Out of nowhere a hand, holding a knife, grabs onto the ledge. Anya looked down in surprise. "Guys!" she yells. "He's alive!" Jenny gets up and runs over, followed by Ridge. Another hand appears and Jenny pulls a dusty, dirty Aaron Blue up from the ledge. "You're not getting rid of me that easily," he tells her, and the two smile. "But how?" Jenny asks. Aaron lifts his knife. "When I fell, I drove this into the cliff face and just hung there for a second. I'm surprised the knife was that strong." Anya smiles as well. "I'm surprised that you are that strong." Aaron looks right into Jenny's eyes. "You'd be surprised what you'll do for love." The couple then kiss and Anya turns to the back arena again. "I can already hear them saying it: LADIES AND GENTELMAN I GIVE YOU THE VICTORS OF THE 1ST NEW HUNGER--" Anya suddenly screams, and the other three tributes whip around. A giant fireball that seems to have come from nowhere strikes the blonde tribute from 12, and the buzzer is drowned out by the trios' screams. They recoil and huddle up against the wall. "LADIES AND GENTELMAN I GIVE YOU THE VICTORS OF THE 1ST NEW HUNGER GAMES!" The announcer proclaims over the loudspeaker, and the hovercrafts materialize out of nowhere.

Ridge goes first, wanting nothing more than to escape the arena after the unexpected death of his district partner. He knows it was the Capitol's doing; apparently four victors was too much for them. Aaron and Jenny don't want to let go of each other, while Jenny cries over Anya's death. They are forced to seperate hands to enter their hovercrafts, but they go in for one last kiss. "I'll see you on the other side," Aaron promises her and they both smile. And Jenny sees comfort in that. Because through all the nightmares, all the horrible memories, and all of the death in the Hunger Games to come, at least she'll have someone who went through it with her. At least she'll have Aaron.

End of the Modern Hunger Games