Forum Thread

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WARNING - There will be disturbing themes in this Roleplay, such as gore, abuse, and many others. Please do not participate if you are sensitive to these topics. Also, the events in the series never happened here, and nothing mentioned will be canonical

The Hunger Games have come once again, and this time,
the tributes aren't the only ones who've suffered.

Welcome to the 100th annual Hunger Games, the cruel yearly how the Capital displays each and every year. A female and a male from each of the twelve districts are put against each other in an elaborate arena to fight to the death. This year, however, is much different. It's the 4th Quarter Quell, an event hosted every 25 years with a special twist on the games, and things are getting spicy.

You see, there has been an invasion within the Capital, a mysterious and powerful group that has essentially taken over and now had full control of the games. This was only a few days before the Reaping, the day when tributes from each district are chosen at random, and everyone thought they were saved. Maybe this group would save them, maybe they would end the games, but their hopes were shattered when the day came. Everyone was still ordered to attend the Reaping. To everyone's disbelief, this group had something else in mind, and it became apparent when the President was first shown to the public after the invasion. It wasn't long until the people of Panem realized that everyone at the Capital was just puppets to this group, prominent public figures that stood on an indestructible tower. If that tower ever crumbled as it did now, that only meant there was a greater threat than the most powerful beings on earth.

They still wanted the games to continue, and they would put the tributes through a hell much worse than Panem could handle.

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What a bright, beautiful day to wake up to. The sun was rising over the fields, with no traces of any clouds in the sky. A perfect day by any regards. In a small house on the outskirts of the town, Neo groaned as he got out of bed. he pulled open the thin curtains, letting the sun in.

"Wonderful! What a perfect day, it is."

He pulled on a tattered white shirt, the only shirt he owned. It didn't fit him very well and was pretty torn up, but whatever. His family couldn't afford to buy new things anyways. Not with his father's drinking problem. He exited his room, heading to the sink. Of course. his dad was sleeping in the chair again, empty bottles of cheap booze on the floor around him. Neo scoffed. He quickly brushed his teeth, and splashed his face with water.

"Again? Whatever. I have things to do, so I'll let that old man clean up after himself."

he went to the kitchen. he opened a cupboard, examining the contents. He grabbed a loaf of, admittedly, stale bread, and left the kitchen. He made his way over to the door, putting on his shoes. He sighed as he opened the door, putting on his biggest smile. He then stepped out of his house, into the town.

"Reaping day! My least favorite day, here I come!"

---

As sunlight broke in Mako's room from the window he was facing,feeling the discomfort in his eyes,he turned to the side and stood up from the ground he was sleeping on using his hands as support. He took the initiative to take away any sort of comfort from himself,including his bed,in case he was selected. Saying that he trainied twice as hard would be a lie since there are only 24 hours in a day and he was from District 4, but he thought getting used to the lack of comfort beforehand would give him a slight edge.

After he got up from the wooden floor he was sleeping,he half-assedly swept it to clean the outline he created,almost making it look like a crime scene, and prepared breakfast. Half a portion of course. Mako then washed his face and dressed up,wearing a brown leather tunic and whatever pants he could find. He kissed his mother goodbye and hugged his father,bidding them farewell for the time being. His father seemed more worried but that was understandable since it was with him Mako spent more time with. Part of him wished to stay back and keep fishing with his father and train with the rest of the District 4 lads,he lead a good life.The other part of him wanted to make his District as well as his family proud,though that would be a much more difficult task.

Taking a deep breath,he took one good final look at his parents before opening the door and walking away,heading at the place the District 4 youngins were training.

---

There weren't a lot of sounds that could be heard within the Rhys mansion at this hour. Maids lightly pace through the halls, silently dusting crooks and corners and preparing breakfast for the family. Kara's mother was still asleep in her room. Somehow, her mother managed to get a good night's rest, despite today being the day of the Reaping.

Kara was in the gym. She was busy punching and kicking a punching bag. The heavy bag swung with each punch and the slightly rusted chains groaned under the weight when Kara landed a particularly powerful kick onto the bag. Sweat dripped down her face. Her hair was wild and messy. She had woken up feeling unwell and decided that working out was a great way to calm her nerves.

"You will win." A voice tells Kara. She bares her teeth and punches the bag with more force than what's necessary. Her skin cracks and immediately starts bleeding.

"Dear, you have no choice. You have to win." Kara does the same thing, but with her other hand now. She doesn't even notice the pain.

"You understand right? It'll make your mom very happy." Kara suddenly screams out her rage, she slams both fists against the bag, visibly wincing when she feels a sharp pain. She slowly lowers herself down onto her knees and rests her head against the bag.

She was already exhausted. She didn't want to die out there... No, she wouldn't die! Afterall, this is what she has been training for. She'll win all right, and play a hand in strengthening the Rhys' name.

Slowly she rises and prepares for the day, doing whatever is necessary to put on a good look for the Rhys name. She wears a sleeveless red dress with black high heels, she fixes her hair and puts on light makeup. She bandages up her hands and hides them under black gloves. Nobody would guess by appearances alone that she were terrified.

After eating breakfast she hangs by the door, leaving at the last moment necessary. Her mother hadn't come to wish her luck. She hides her hurt under a charming smile. Her eyes, which should be filled with rage are soft and gentle. This would the normal life of Kara Rhys. Appearances were powerful, she wouldn't allow insignificant emotions to potentially ruin people's perception of her.

---

Atsuko woke up to the sun shining on her face. 'It's already morning' she thought 'We better get out of sight before we are noticed. She shook Carol "Wake up sleepy pants. It's morning. We got to get out of sight". Carol woke up slowly, yawning. She whispered "Why do we do this? Why don't we have a home?" Surprised, Atsuko just sat there silently, sitting quietly for a moment. Then she composed herself and hitched Carol onto her feet and 'herded' her to a small fox den, where a small she-fox watched with curious eyes. When the fox recognized them, she jumped out into Atsuko's arms. "Sumi!" Atsuko cried and hugged her. Then remembering the position that they might be in, she quickly recomposed herself (again!) and said, "Remember, it will be better for us if we stay hidden. Today's the reaping, and one of us could get selected. We don't want that". Carol looked scared, so Atsuko quickly added, "But if we stay hidden, they won't find us if we are chosen."

---

Ari couldn't sleep.

The fragile, weak little girl of district 11 had stayed up all night, reading as many books that seemed to be of use. Medical works, botany, wilderness guides, records of every single game before her. She read it all. Ari was so anxious, so desperate, so unbelievably terrified of today.

...How? How was this day still happening?! The Capitol... The Capitol had fallen! They were supposed to be saved! Why... Why did these things have to be so cruel?! They just swooped in, obliterating the power that held everyone at gunpoint, only to be an even more unstoppable and tyrannical force? It was unfair! Why couldn't Panem just be free for once?

Ari sobbed, and Ari wept.

Crying wouldn't do her any good. She had a big day ahead, she couldn't spend it like this. Her sleep-deprived body slowly closed the book she had been fumbling through, setting it aside before her stick-like arms lifted her malnourished body off the cold floor.

Mother... I have to take care of her first... Yeah, that's right, focus on her first...

Ari brushed her hair slowly, washing her face and changing out of the rags she had worn to sleep. The clothes she put on weren't much better, but they did the job. It was a plain white t-shirt with forest green pants, each worn and torn. She carefully slipped on her long, black boots and navy blue cloak, then wrapped her neck with a bright red cloth. Her fingers shook at every movement, her eyes twitched from exhaustion. Ari was wide awake though, no matter how much her body protested.

Going downstairs was a task in and of itself, the floorboards creaked and groaned under her minimal weight, the holes in the wood begging to swallow Ari whole. But she made it, she had a bedridden mother to take care of.

The little girl began by heating up some water and mixing some of the crops she had gathered. Ari poured the mix into a small wooden bowl, then carefully walked over to the room her mother resided. She was still sleeping, of course, and she would be for most of the day... The poor woman had been through a lot, and all she got at the end of her life was an incompetent daughter and a life-threatening sickness. She didn't deserve this...

Before Ari could sob anymore, the brittle wooden door was knocked down and marching would echo through the walls of her house. She was late, and the "Peacekeepers" were going to make sure she knew that.

The poor girl could only scream and cry, kicking her feet as she was being dragged across the dirt and into the square. But... It's not reaping time yet! Ari was sure of it, this couldn't be right!

The townspeople could only sit and watch in pity as the child was being dragged, staring as if they were frozen in place. Ari looked back at them, screaming, begging for help, but it was no use.

There was a boy across the street, much older than she, who caught Ari's eyes. She knew his name, she did! But... Why wasn't it coming to mind?

"Please! Let go of me, someone stop them!" she bawled, her cried directed towards Neo.

Neo had been going about his day quite normally. He had been catching up with friends, and was now whistling as he walked through the streets. As he walked though, he heard something. He heard a desperate cry for help. Neo glanced over.

Across the street, a little girl was being dragged along by a group of Peacemakers. What? That's not right. There were still a few hours until the reaping!

Without a second thought, he dropped the plastic bags he had been holding and made his way across the street.

"Yo! Peace-bastards! What're ya' doin, draggin' a lil' girl around the streets on Reaping day? What did this girl even do to warrant breaking into her home and taking her away?"

---

Lost in thought,it was like Mako was on autpilot,heading to what seems to him to be a playground. It was odd how he felt like all these years have been leading up to this. Same emotions as last year and the year before...and the year before... It was surprising how he wasn't chosen all those years and it will be unfortunate if he's chosen this year,the last year he is able to participate. Sure, he doesn't mind fighting since he's been doing that from a young age but killing a man is very different from impaling a fish.

Eventually, he got there and started sparring with one of the very few people that were already there. It could very much be the last time he saw the people he grew up with. It was safe to assume that most people were already at the District's plaza to be with their loved ones for one final moment. The group that now had the most powerful people of Panem were of no concern to Mako. No matter how different they make this year's Hunger Games,he'd still brute force his way through it. Or so he thought.

---

The "Peacekeepers" whipped around to face the boy who tried to stop them, their masked faces covering their deadpan stare. "Mind your business, kid." The first one said, their voice sounding much different from a human's. The second one jumped in and added, "Unless you want to be like her..." He gestured over to the other Peacekeepers around town, all staring at the little group as if they were anticipating something. So even the Peacekeepers were replaced by them...

Ari was still kicking and struggling, trying to break free from their grasp. The little girl was no longer screaming, as her expression changed from desperation to anger. The effort was futile though, and their grip remained as tight as ever. "Let go of-!"

Ari was cut off, cut off by the terrifying words that followed. "Change of plans, take him too." The first Peacekeeper ordered, looking at the second one. The latter nodded, then waved his free hand over to the nearby Peacekeepers. 3 more approached the group and quickly grabbed onto Neo, their strength was overwhelming.

Ari watched as the boy who had tried to help her was captured as well. No... No, why...? Did she... Did she do this? She begged for help, and Neo was brave enough to do so, and now he had to pay for it? This wasn't supposed to happen..! Neo didn't deserve this! What were they going to do to them?! "N-No! Let him go! He didn't do anything wrong!" The little girl pleaded, only to be met with a knee to the back, which knocked the air out of her lungs. She fell to her knees and began to cough and heave for air, not even able to look up from the ground. Her fragile little body couldn't handle blows like that, even something as light as that kick could've caused permanent damage.

Suddenly, another group of Peacekeepers ran into their forest, wielding weapons. "Halt!" they yelled and aimed their guns at the group of three. Atsuko looked at them, with a blank face "What do you want from us? We did nothing wrong,". Slightly terrified, one of the Peacekeepers began to pull the trigger. Carol looked terrified out of her wits and hid behind her sister. Sumi, however, growled at the Peacekeepers. The terrified Peacekeeper redirected their gun at the fox, and Sumi kept on growling, only stopping when Atsuko puts her hand firmly on her back. Standing up, Atsuko tells them, "What do you want from us, I repeat. What have we taken from you?" and pulls out her bow. A supposed Peacekeeper leader barked at her, "If you dare raise a weapon from us, both the fox and the little girl will face the consequences." Atsuko slowly lowered her bow and glared at them darkly. The leader barked, "Peacekeepers! Surround them!" and exactly, to his orders, the Peacekeepers went in a circle around the group of three. More orders: "Peacekeepers, grab the big girl and leave the others!". Atsuko tried to resist, but was soon rendered defeated by 4 Peacekeepers. She screamed, and tried to fight, but they grabbed one of her pots and hit her on the head, as everything went black.

---

Footsteps pound towards Kara, heading directly towards her left side. She eyes the group, a flicker of annoyance filling her gaze before turning into surprise when they were still heading directly towards her!

"Heh, I've already been having a long morning. I'm sure mother will forgive me for this" Kara mutters to herself while discreetly removing a glove the moment the 'Peacekeepers' approach her.

"Are you Kara Rhys?" One of the three ask. Kara couldn't put her finger on it, but something about his voice sounded unnatural. But she didn't take the time to consider why, because first of all, how dare he-!?

"Of course I am, and who are you?" She snaps. "I'm heading towards the Reaping and I am plenty early, now go bother somebody else!" She strides forward, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing her wrist. What the-?

"Miss Rhys, we have orders to take you with us" the same man tells Kara.

"Is this a joke!?" Kara demands, her voice unintentionally rising due to her anger. She could feel the eyes on her, but she chose to ignore them. "Leave me alone!" She shouts while smashing her palm against the exposed skin on his neck. It causes him to loosen his grip enough for her to wriggle free.

Footsteps sound behind her. She doesn't have time to regret her actions, she was too focused on the Peacekeepers quickly surrounding her. She moves quick, with a surprising amount of balance she manages to lift and whirl her leg around to kick one of the Peacekeepr's legs, making him collapse onto the ground. Hm, pretty good for a girl in heels. The poor Peacekeeper groans in pain and Kara calmly steps over his slowly recovering body with a smirk. "That was a warning shot. Don't you dare put your hands on me again!" She takes another step forward only to suddenly feel her body tense up.

She feels her muscles tense followed by excruciating pain. She falls towards the ground and would've crashed if not for an arm grabbing and supporting her. She doesn't fight- no, she can't fight the two Peacekeepers, who grab her arms and haul her onto her feet like a ragdoll. She was too busy trying to catch her breath, otherwise she would have demanded an answer as to why they tazed her!

She isn't able to resist them as they drag her... Somewhere. She wasn't really focusing on the direction they were going. What is happening?

---

Echo woke up, pushing her sheets away, and getting out of bed, which was essentially a bunch of cardboard covered by a torn and holey piece of cloth. She bid her sister goodbye and left the alleyway they called home, frail arms wrapped around her body pulling the sweater tighter around her body. Life was far from easy, but Echo knew how to keep her and her sister alive….for now. Passing by a grand mansion, she stopped to glare at it, making some very rude hand gestures before deliberately stepping into a mud puddle and getting mud on the front step. It wasn’t much, but it was bound to irk her parents, and anything that pissed her parents off made Echo happy. She had only been out for an hour when she was rudely accosted by several Peacekeepers. “Stop right there Miss Darkthorn” One of them yelled. She ignored them and continued walking. She didn’t answer to that name. She didn’t have a last name anymore, because she certainly wasn’t taking the last name of her parents. The Peacekeepers grabbed her roughly by her arm, to which she screamed, flailing in their arms and weakly hitting them. “Lemme go you hairy buffoon—“ She screeched, sounding more and more animal-like as she pretended to it up a weak fight. After five minutes of acting like a spoilt brat, she stopped resisting and began crying like a pathetic baby would. As long as it wasn’t her sister, she was mostly okay with anything.

---

The little girl could scream no longer. She could struggle no longer.

Ari was pretty much lifeless as she was dragged towards the Justice building, looking over at Neo's seemingly unconscious body as he was being dragged along too. He had struggled as well, but he was actually a problem. They had to tase him just so he could come along.

At first, she thought they were just going to be thrown into the crowd in front of the only good-looking building in this district, but instead, they were led away from the sights of the people, never to be seen by them again. What the... What were they planning?

What were they doing to us?

Ari tried to call out to the noise from beyond, but her voice was low and hoarse, only heard by the Peacekeepers. No one noticed their presence, and no one ever will.

They finally entered the "back" entrance of the Justice building, where even more Peacekeepers awaited. In the center of them was a lady in a suit, her white hair pulled up in an exquisite bun on top of her head. She looked human enough, but her tremendous height was enough of an indicator that she was part of those guys, the ones who took over Panem. "I apologize for the unexpected abduction, but we have business to attend to." The woman spoke, then turned to walk deeper into the building, the two kids and the Peacekeepers following close behind. As she was taken away, Ari noticed that she could hear what was going on outside. The crowd seemed to be... cheering? Had they... Had they "canceled" the games? No... Then why would she and Neo be taken like this?

They haven't canceled the games. They were choosing the tributes by hand. There was a plan, something sinister was brewing.

Ari could only look at her surroundings as she was brought to an area where she was unable to go before. There had been restricted areas in this building, areas the poor souls of each district could not see. As soon as she was brought inside, she understood why. The hallway led downwards, deep into the ground. At least the men who had abducted the two put them on their backs before heading down the metal-plated stairs, that would've been painful. Too bad the clacking of the woman's heels pierced her ears, driving Ari crazy. The entire feel of this place suddenly shifted. The mood went from just plain and dreary to ominous and menacing, the grey walls and empty space only adding to the creepiness. At the bottom of the stairs was a short hallway, which seemed to lead to a large room that resembled the waiting room of a doctor's office, with two medical beds in the center.

Oh no... She did not like where this was going.

"Hey..." she whispered, trying to nudge Neo whenever she was close. "Hey, wake up..." Her anxious voice quivered, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the woman.

Everything was hazy, like a fog had filled his normally sharp mind. His arm ached from the taser earlier. He was so tired... but... was he moving? Wait... what? He blinked his eyes open. everything was blurry. he seemed to be lying on his back, and stared at the dark, gray ceiling. He tried to get up, but yelped in pain, when his arm gave out. it was still aching from getting tased.

"Jesus !@#@ing christ, that hurts!"

---

Atsuko woke up in a strange, white room. She was lying in a hard, metal bed, and there was something weird sticking into her arm. She shook her head, trying to make sense of what had just happened. 'Peacekeepers... Kidnapped...' she remembered. Then remembering her sister and Sumi, she tried to get up, but she was tied to the bed. She thrashed around, trying to break free. 'Oh no! What happened?!' she thought out, crying openly. She tried fighting the bonds again, but then 2 men in white coats came in and injected something into her arm. She tried fighting them but was soon rendered defeated. "Hush, girl. This will be good for you" one of the men said, sticking the needle deeper into her arm. Everything started becoming very blurry and dark spots appeared in her vision. Soon, she blacked out.

---

It took a long time for Kara to regain control of her muscles. Even then, she wasn't able to keep up with the two brutes who were dragging her between them. It certainly didn't help that the third Peacekeeper- the one who she had kicked, had injected her with... Something. It took a furious glare and a grunt of pain to make one of them pick her up and carry her in their arms. Why didn't they just do that in the first place?

If Kara didn't feel so weak, she would've probably attacked the one who was carrying her. But for some reason, it seemed to be taking a lot of effort just to keep her eyes open. Despite all this, she was vaguely aware that they were heading towards the Justice Building. Inside, a man whose face resembled an owls was waiting for them inside.

"Hello Kara. It's wonderful to meet you, although I'm disappointed you didn't comply. I was hoping I wouldn't have to meet you while you were in this state. Your mother assured us..." By this point, Kara wasn't really listening. She just stared at the man's face. His eyes were wide and they almost looked like they would pop out of his head if he blinked hard enough. His nose was long and narrow, he had a thin mouth and very patchy hair. He almost looked like he was a cartoon character. Under better circumstances, Kara would've laughed. Instead, she just silently glares at the man.

"...Enough chatting, I do hope you were paying attention. It was very critical information, let's get going." The five, or more, the four, walk down some stairs. Kara doesn't have the energy to feel panic, at least until she enters the room.

It was painfully bright, and super clean. The smell of cleaning solutions and hand sanitizer made her eyes water. She found that she had to focus on the man because the whiteness of the room hurt her eyes. Her panic rises when she sees two hospital beds in the center of the room. A boy her age already lay on the further one. He appeared to be asleep.

She struggles, but whatever they injected her with was doing the trick, it took all her strength just to lightly slap their hands away as they lay her onto the bed, much like her friend on her right. Who is he? He looks familiar. Where have I seen him?... she winces when she feels a new needle jab her arm. "Don't worry Kara, this is just an insurance. We don't want you or your fellow tribute running away on us" the man tells her while placing a comforting hand onto her shoulder. "Now just relax."

Kara was vaguely aware of retreating footsteps. Then silence. She was awake, but her thoughts were foggy, almost as if it were a dream. She couldn't move, unlike before where she could, if even a little bit; with enough willpower. She also felt oddly calm, likely another side effect of whatever they gave her. She knew the Games would never be fully over, life was just that cruel. But this was certainly a surprise...

---

Quite a few minutes into the sparring session,Mako and the other man he was training with were still going at it strong. From exchanging light blows and blocking to improving grappling techniques,they were preparing each other for whatever's to come,much like the few others that could be seen nearby. Things were going as usual until people started to leave and exit the facility. The two men stopped sparring and looked around only to see two Peacekeepers approaching. They came to a halt.

"Our business is only with Mako Thoree. You may leave." one them said at the man. He,in turn,nodded and before taking a last good look at Mako,he exited the building as well. "We have orders to take you with us." the other added,pointing at Mako.

Mako sighed,he knew one way or the other he'd be taken away,unbeknownst to him as to why they wanted him and where they would take him. "Well...What are you waiting for?" he taunted as he assumed a fighting stance. He might as well entertain himself before being kidnapped.

The two Peacekeppers looked at each other before one of them approached Mako. He stretched out him arm,trying to grab Mako's shoulder or arm to limit his movement but Mako swiftly redirected it to the side,allowing him to strike the Peacekeeper's side. The Peacekeeper moved back from the force of Mako's hit but he didn't seem to be in pain,most likely due to the armor they were wearing.

Before Mako could continue his offense,a third Peacekeeper smacked the back of Mako's head with a baton causing him to fall unconscious. They stood and watched him hit the ground first before picking him to carry him.

---

Hwa woke up with a bang, the loud noise startling them out of their slumber. Exchanging nervous glances with Seyoung who too had been rudely jolted out of his slumber, the siblings glanced warily at the door. A second round of harsh banging made the old creaky wood shudder under the force and Hwa jumped to hug close to Seyoung, both of them keeping their eyes on the door. They whimpered, heart crawling up an already tight throat, as the door shuddered again and Seyoung stood up, gently extracting himself from their grip. "Don't worry, it's probably just a sheep or something." He suggested with a smile, gently patting her head before moving towards the door. Opening it up, he was met with two Peacekeepers, one who's hand was already raised to knock again. Both sibling's eyes widened at the sight but they barely had enough time to even process it before the fist was coming down again, cracking against the side of Seyoung's head.

A shrill scream pierced through the grungy hut, a limp body crumpling over the entry way and the slow spread of red mixing in with the rusted dirt. Booted feet stepped over the downed body of Seyoung, advancing towards the only other occupant in the room. "No! No, no no, get away from me! Young-ah! Get up! Please!" Oh deities above, Hwa could feel tears gathering along their lash-line, threatening to spill over as they ducked underneath grabbing hands and past long legs. Blinking furiously to dispel their swimming vision, they fell to their knees beside Seyoung and shook his shoulders. "Come on, you have to get up. You can't just... Let go! Stop! We did nothing wrong!" Struggling against the hands that gripped her arms much too forcefully, Hwa was dragged out sobbing onto the streets, reaching out desperately even if they knew that Seyoung wasn't dead, just unconscious but that didn't stop the fear from lancing through her body.

---

It was late. Liliana had just left the tavern. The coins in her pocket she had won from poker (texas holdem' tonight) would go towards her capital fund. Lili knew that if she wanted to change the world, she would need to get to its heart first. And the only talent she had to get there was her woodcarving.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a group of figures standing near the flickering streetlight. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see people gathered on the street corners at this time of night, but she still couldn't help glancing over her shoulder. She was a fairly attractive seventeen year old; Lili knew how to keep herself safe.

They slowly started to trail after her. Lili picked up her pace ever so slightly. It was dark, and she really needed to be back to her father. They started accelerating too.

Lili abandoned all haste, and started to run. If she could just get to the bakery on the next street over, Mr. Constance would be awake still, and let her in. They tore after her, and began to gain ground. She wasn't going to make it. It was impossible.

Praying to whatever was in the sky watching over her, Lili, switched course, and ran for the nearest building. She scampered up the wall, and had nearly made it to the roof, when one of them grabbed her ankles. She screamed, the sound echoing down the empty streets.

They dragged her off the wall, and she slammed into the cobblestones. Her vision swam, stars swirling in front of her eyes as her head smashed on the ground. Painful agony lanced through her shoulder, her head felt like it was about to burst. They laughed at her, as she lay slumped on the ground.

She sat up slowly, and lifted her hand to her temple. It came back bloody. She fought to open her eyes, and gazed up at her assailants. Peacekeepers.

"Why are you doing this? What did I do to you?" She managed to croak out. Everything was so blurry.

Their only response was more laughter. Too late, she remembered the trio of carving knives in her pocket. They would have been useful a few minutes ago. Lili felt the prick of a needle, and the call of sleep, beckoning her to its welcoming arms. No! She couldn't give in!

The last thing she heard was a man's voice, with a thick attempt at a District Nine accent. "She's got a fighting spirit. Well, that takes care of District Seven... time to bring her to the capital with the others..."

---

The only thing that greeted Ari when she woke up was the painful needle digging into her thin arm. It hurt like hell, so much that her screams could barely come out. She tried struggling, but her body soon went limp, and all she could do was pray the pain would kill her.

The little girl lay there motionless, all except for her pounding heart and her shaking body. The pain was still coursing through her veins, and her skin felt like it was eating itself. Her muscles felt like they were on fire and her blood was boiling. She couldn't take it anymore, the pain was immeasurable.

She couldn't even pass out from the torture, something was keeping her awake.

It felt like ages since it had begun, and only now was the pain dissipating. She still couldn't make a noise, but she could see the ceiling move and hear voices talking around her. She and Neo were being moved somewhere, but she couldn't figure out where. Everything looked the same... That is, until she was moved to a train of sorts. Ari was still strapped to the bed, and she assumed Neo was too, but at least the scenery had changed...

Again, ages and ages seemed to have passed as the tributes rode on the train. When they arrived at their destination, the two, and presumably every other tribute, were being moved through a cheering crowd. Ari watched as the non-human peacekeepers shielded them from the members of the Capitol, only stopping when they entered a bleak building. It was another lab, surprisingly, but this time it seemed to be divided into rooms. Rooms with a glass window, facing all the other rooms with a similar look. It was round and large, so every room could see each other.

Ari was dumped into an area 20 rooms down from the right, and Neo was put into the one beside her. Hmm... So district partners were paired together, interesting. Still didn't change the fact that Ari was left on the ground, struggling to get up after the Peacekeepers left. Her limbs were weak and her eyes were having a hard time adjusting.