13th Annual Hunger Games

The 13th Annual Hunger Games (Youtube/Tiktok) was held one year after the 12th Annual Hunger Games. A boy and one girl from each District, between the ages of 12 to 18, were reaped to be taken to the Capitol and fight to the death in an arena. June Naysmith from District 2 was this year's victor.

This year was very popular, as it was Coriolanus Snow’s first year taking the main reins of the arena, and previous victors from the old Games were summoned to be properly presented to Panem and take part in the mentorship program.

## Background

Despite the outrageous victory result of the Hunger Games last year, the Capitol hosts and everyone involved managed to characterize Holly as a villain and market her accordingly during her Victory Tour, which had a good result in the end, just in time for preparations for the 13th Hunger Games to begin.

Although Snow began his internship as a Gamemaker shortly after the events of the 10th year, this would be the first event with him taking the main reins of the Games, and the student made a point of publicizing it accordingly - preparing everything very well to ensure that he would meet all expectations.

This year started off well with the announcement of previous victors being summoned to take part in the mentorship program, alongside Mags and Holly - last year's mentoring program was considered a success with Mags as guest mentor, as it attracted more donations to the event due to Capitol public figures and other citizens wanted the opportunity to meet the victor in person. As the War Department already had discontinued the use of students from the Academy and were thinking of limiting the opportunity to interns from the Capitol University - and few were interested in going that route for their internship, the decision was made to integrate all future victors into the program - including the integration of victors from previous years, through a program titled The Old Victor’s Summoning. Such a decision would not only allow better promotion of the Games, allowing citizens of the Capitol the opportunity to interact with their favorite victors, but it would also give the victors themselves the opportunity to integrate more into life in the Capitol, part of the various benefits that could encourage district citizens to volunteer for the Games. Additionally, this would also allow the Capitol to monitor the victors more closely.

## At the Capitol

Now with Aaron and Vibia in the Capitol, the union between tributes from districts 1, 2 and 4 was even more solidified, following the older victor’s invitation to Mags during her Victory Tour. Some other alliances were also formed, but in fewer numbers.

### Interviews and Evaluation

In addition to the tribute interviews, the old victors were also interviewed, so that the public could get to know each of them better, which increased the popularity of some of the tributes that had charismatic or well-informed victors as mentors. These were also the tributes that seemed more comfortable with being interviewed, as they were properly prepared to do so by them. The mentors made sure to indicate to their tributes to fake their confidence even if they were scared or were weak, as the spectators were still very wary of tributes that could show any behavior similar to Holly’s.

Roxie, the female tribute from District 1, was asked about her relationship with her district partner. *"No, Lancelot and I are friends. We've studied at the same school forever and we're the same age. We'll definitely be allies in the arena, along with some friends we've made here."*

Upon being asked about his mentor, Lancelot, the male tribute from District 1, answered *“Onyx is a really nice guy! He's doing everything he can to help us and he said that one of us will definitely come out victorious... But obviously it will be me! No offense, Roxie!"*

Lucky had asked June if she had the opportunity to watch the games of last year, and her thoughts about District 2 almost bringing home their third victor. With a very nervous laugh, she made a comment about how she was glad it was moths being released and not spiders, as just the thought of seeing those arthropods would have made her turn away from the television.

Her district partner, on the other hand, told Lucky *"I know I'm younger than most of the tributes, but I don't think they should underestimate me for that."*

Pixelle, the female tribute from District 3, had been teased about her district being one of the few with no victors so far, to which she answered *"Very funny, Lucky. Very funny indeed! But I don't think you should underestimate District 3 tributes like that. In the right situation, we can be as deadly as any other tribute here."*

*"One of us from District 4 will be victorious in this edition! There is no one who can stop us from winning."* Lilly from District 4 told Lucky, during her interview. Her district partner, Rio, added *"Of course we from District 4 are the strongest! Not only are we strong, but also intelligent and capable of killing".*

Timber, from District 7, did not have a mentor from his District to help him out, but he still showed some confidence to Lucky. *"I may be small, but I'm very fast. And I climb trees very fast. I'll run and no one will be able to catch me!"*

As in the previous year, tributes from districts 1, 2 and 4 topped the betting tables, followed by the male tributes from Districts 6 and 7.

## The Games

### Overview

The tributes were placed in an empty marbled hall, with weapons scattered on the center of the floor. To escape from there, there were two ramps in opposite further points of the hall, that led to the level above. Going up the ramp, tributes would find themselves in a shopping mall, a once state-of-the-art establishment that had been affected by the destruction of the war, now renovated and fully stocked to hold the 13th Annual Hunger Games.

The arena was composed of four floors, with stores of different types offering different products.

### Outfit

The arena uniform of last year was slightly modified to accommodate for this arena, though it looked virtually the same.

### Day 1

As the bell rang, most of the tributes fled straight to the ramps. From the few that were brave enough to try to grab a weapon, seven died attempting to do so, with five of them having their deaths credited to one single tribute: June Naysmith, from District 2.

Being part of the alliance with the strong contenders from Districts 1 and 4, her allies had realized from the beginning from her behavior during her interview that they could easily take advantage of June, letting her do the dirty work while not taking any risks in battle themselves. What they hadn’t realized yet though, is that June was also incredibly paranoid due to her fear of dying, and this kind of secretive behavior between them as they planned how to use June in their favor, also made the girl suspicious that they wanted to get rid of her.

### Day 2

On the second day, the District 4 tributes went out to explore the arena, while tributes from Districts 1 and 2 stood guard of the weapon pile. June observed the District 1 tributes having a private conversation among themselves, not including June and her district partner, which made her quite tense as it fed into her paranoia.

Later that day, a voice came out of the speakers installed in the hall, with a somewhat threatening warning from the Gamemakers. The notice was that given the low number of deaths on the first day and the lack of action following the Bloodbath, they would release spider-like mutts in the arena starting from the lowest floor unless there were to be at least two kills in the following 30 minutes. Upon hearing the announcement, June started panicking, as spiders were her biggest phobia. Remembering what she had said during the interviews, June began wondering if this announcement was targeted at her, in case she was not performing according to the expectations everyone had of her due to her being from District 2 and having to follow the reputation of her mentor, Aaron. Panicked and afraid that her allies could attempt to make a move first, June did not hesitate anymore and killed Lancelot, the boy from District 1, right there in front of her other allies. Roxie, Lancelot’s district partner, started screaming in panic and tried to run away - but June managed to catch up and also kill her.

Leonis, June’s district partner, watched the entire scene completely terrified. Upon seeing her partner’s reaction, the girl started worrying that he would tell the tributes from 4, putting everyone against her – she knew the alliance was done for and that floor was not safe for her anymore, so she decided to flee.

However, what the tributes did not know is that it hadn’t been really the Gamemakers behind the announcement – everything was orchestrated by the female tribute from District 3, Pixelle Oliphant, who had found the arena's electronics store and had spent the entire first day attempting to hack the shopping mall’s security system, gaining access to the security camera’s broadcast spread throughout each store and hallway of the mall, as well as its communication system.

Pixelle studied every one of her opponents prior to being sent to the arena and found her weapon in June’s fear, using it against her with her first attempt at using the communication system. Going according to plan, she now knew that June would be her best way of getting out alive, so she continued sending fake announcements to her, this time following the girl through the security cameras and making sure that she would only use the speakers in the rooms the girl was in, to minimize the risk of any other tribute figuring out her plan. Hiding in the electronics store, she managed to use the security system to lock herself inside to be safe, though every time her mentor would send her something, it would be delivered outside the door, having to juggle between unlocking and locking the doors due to that. Other Gamemakers questioned Snow’s decision to let Pixelle orchestrate her little plan, as access to the shopping mall’s system was not intended but the girl’s orders to the system could be easily contradicted by giving the opposite order through the panel in the Gamemaker’s control room – however, Snow ultimately decided to let thing unroll and see what other things the girl had in mind, assuring to his colleagues that he had everything under control.

### Day 3

Pixelle's next move was with the intention of luring June to the supermarket. She had watched on camera how ever since she got access to the broadcast, several tributes had passed through the place to stock up on food and other supplies, with some small fights unleashing as they fought for food that was present in lower quantities, such as some baked goods. However, as none resulted in eliminations, Pixelle was now waiting for the ideal time to catch a considerable number of tributes or a strong opponent at the supermarket to lure June there, in order to hopefully reduce the number of contestants.

Upon observing the couple from District 6 looking for some items at the supermarket, and knowing that the boy was one of the favorites of that year to win, Pixelle used the speaker nearest to June to impersonate a Gamemaker once again, this time pretending to make commentary over each tribute’s popularity, indicating to June that hers had been dropping ever since she betrayed her alliance and that it was recommended she’d find other source for food and drinks.

As June enters the supermarket and goes straight to the alley dedicated to drinks, she finds Mercury, the boy from District 6. Upon seeing the girl holding her axe, he shouts to his district partner that was in another ally getting supplies, to run – the only thing he had time to do before June killed him. Following the agitated footsteps of Lullaby, Mercury’s district partner, June exits the alley just in time of seeing a big, metal door slamming down as Lullaby attempts to exit the supermarket, getting her leg in the process. Pixelle, observing everything through the cameras and seeing how Lullaby was going to escape, had lent June a hand by controlling the door through the system, allowing June to finish the job.

### Day 4

On the fourth day, Nubian, the male tribute from District 10, found June asleep inside the mall’s furniture store, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to steal her weapons. Pixelle, afraid of losing her main weapon in the Games, retaliated by activating the store’s anti-fire sprinklers. Sleeping next to her weapon, June got up startled, taking hold of her weapon and swinging around in panic. As her eyes laid on the intruder, she quickly took care of him.

### Day 5 and 6

Seeing through the cameras that the girl from District 9 and the two kids from District 12 were hiding in a candy store not too far from the furniture store where June was standing, Pixelle thought of using the opportunity to play the inactivity card again to lead June to other contestants, as on the previous day, only one tribute was eliminated. She once again pretended to be a Gamemaker by indicating to June that due to the inactivity, the threat of spider mutts being released was back on and that again, two kills were required to put it to stop.

June walked from nearby stores to stores looking for potential victims, until she got to the candy store. Upon entering, a jingle played to indicate a customer entering, which startled the children hiding inside, having chosen that store specifically so they could have some time in advance to act upon hearing the jingle. However, June’s fear grew by each second she couldn’t find another tribute, immensely worried that the spiders would be released at any time – and quickly cornered the tributes.

May, the girl from District 9, begged for mercy as June held her axe up high, telling her that they were just kids and didn’t plan on harming anyone, while the couple from District 12 sobbed.

*“I have no choice, you heard them, you know I don’t! If I don’t do it, they’ll release them – the spiders…”*, June stuttered, to which she was met with nothing but confusion from the other tributes, who gathered the courage to ask who she had heard.

*“The Gamemakers”*, she answered, *“Did you not hear the announcement?”*

Being met with more confusion as the tributes answer her with a no, that nothing was announced by the Gamemakers at all throughout the duration of the Games, June thought of two things – whether she was losing her mind - another fear of hers - or the three tributes were trying to lie to her to be spared. Not willing to take any risks that could lead to the spiders being released, June did not hesitate anymore, killing the three right there.

### Day 7

On the seventh day, the couple of tributes from District 4 had decided to take some action to the upper floors. By then, Pixelle had taken extra measures to make sure she’d stay safe at the 4th floor, by cutting the elevator’s connection to it and blocking any doors leading to the ramps that would allow access to that floor. However, the tributes from District 4 had some ropes and other equipment in their possession that they grabbed from one of the stores, and throughout the days, they managed to engineer a way to quickly climb up and down from floor to floor using the ropes, which they used to quickly move around and have advantage over other tributes. As they had installed the ropes from up to down, without access to the 4th floor they had no connection to it, up until now – that they managed to get a rope thrown with a knot steady enough to hold their weight and allow them to climb up.

Seeing it through the cameras, Pixelle worried that their hideout would be found, together with her plan – especially if she were to receive something from her sponsors, as it would be impossible for Rio and Lilly not to notice it arriving the electronics store’s door and also too risky for her to come out and get it. However, the girl had another trick up her sleeve – she had been keeping a file to herself with photos of each tribute still alive, their district and some notes she had been writing about them, to help her keep track of who was still in the competition. Hacking the electronic billboards scattered around the shopping mall, Pixelle projected the face of the remaining tributes alive onto them, removing hers to pretend that she was already dead. Together with their faces, she also transmitted a map of each floor of the mall, marking their location in it. That way, she hoped the tributes from District 4 would either see that there was no one on the 4th floor they could hunt, or be scared enough that someone would know where they were heading that they’d want to change their position – however, the tributes' curiosity in checking out the top floor was bigger.

As her plan did not work, Pixelle decided to use June to take care of the job. Transmitting another message to her pretending to be a Gamemaker, she informed June – while pretending it to be a general message to all tributes still alive – that the only way to defend oneself against the spiders that will inevitably be released sooner or later would be through a special insecticide only found on the 4th floor, and that there was only one can of it available. To allow her access to the floor, she unlocked all the doors except the one of the electronics store.

Upon finding the couple from District 4 there and not seeing an insecticide can anywhere, June assumed they had already grabbed it and tried to desperately get to the tributes. Startled by her behavior and knowing how June was, Rio and Lilly knew it was more prudent not to fight and instead attempt to outwit her by using their rope system to quickly get to another floor and escape. However, June ran fast to where the couple were and quickly thinking, she used her axe to cut down the rope. Both tributes fell to the first floor, dying on impact.

After getting down to scavenge the bodies looking for the insecticide and finding nothing, June knew that the only way to be safe from the Gamemaker’s threats would be to end the games once and for all. Now having the map available, she decided to use it to hunt down the remaining tributes.

Noticing that only two points were flashing in the map, one of them in the parking lot under the mall – that she knew definitely belonged to her district partner – she decided to go towards the other location first, finding the boy from District 7 hiding in one of the stores, who she managed to defeat with not much effort.

Not being able to postpone the confrontation for much longer, June then moved towards the parking lot, where the tribute she thought to be her last opponent stood – Leonis, her district partner.

She found the boy hiding behind one of the pillars that supported the parking lot under the mall, visibly shaking as he held onto his sword. The boy seemed already weak, but had no visible wounds – it was all hunger, as she could see that no food packages or sponsorship capsules were lying around. After the incident in which June killed both their allies, the kid was too scared to leave the area to try to get food in the stores, as he was afraid of finding June around. As soon as June moved towards him, Leonis dropped his sword in fear and started running around the parking lot, in hopes of tiring her out – but there was no other way around it, and June knew it, eventually catching up to the boy and ending his life.  June then ran up to the entrance from where they were brought into the arena, desperately banging against it in hopes for it to open and for the Games to finally end – but it was still shut down.

The speakers at the parking lot then turned on once more, with Pixelle congratulating her for the victory – but adding the detail that due to a technical error, that entrance was closed, and June would have to exit the arena throughout the restaurant on the third floor, which had a balcony on the furthest side of the store where a hovercraft would pick her up from. As soon as June enters inside, Pixelle remotely locks the automatic door behind her, proceeding to then drop the temperature inside the restaurant drastically, by messing up with the AC and unlocking all the walk-in freezers inside, knowing that from there, it would be just a waiting game until June would pass from hypothermia.

Coriolanus Snow had been curious to see how far Pixelle would take her little game, especially wondering how she had planned to get rid of June – but now that it was clear, he knew very well that the citizens would prefer a victor like June, or at least to see one final fight. Additionally, he did not want to set the example that someone taking advantage or a fault in the system could win the Games so easily, and as such, it was time to put Pixelle’s game to an end. Regaining control of the mall’s system, Coriolanus and the other Gamemakers unlock almost all doors again, making sure to keep the restaurant’s door open so that June would realize and get outside.

Now outside, June could see an update to the mall’s main electronic billboard that stood high in the center of the arena – the face of Pixelle was now on the list of the remaining tributes alive, together with June’s. Using her own system against her, the Gamemakers also added her location on the map, marking the electronics store on the 4th floor – the only store they remained locked after they regained control of the security system.

After a couple failed attempts of getting the system back on from her end, Pixelle knew all she could do in the little time she had before June got to her was to try to take her by surprise. As soon as the doors unlocked and June appeared inside, Pixelle – who was hiding crouched by the side of the door – stabbed June in the left leg and attempted to get through the now opened door. However, June acted fast and managed to grab onto the girl’s clothes, pulling her back with one hand and finishing the job with the other that held her axe. June was then now properly announced the victor of the 13th Annual Hunger Games.

June’s interview with Lucky Flickerman had to be postponed until the next day, as she seemed very unstable and aggressive the moments following the arena. However, the girl ended up losing her left leg due to the injury, being treated at the Capitol which made them postpone the interview even further – when she was finally dispatched from the hospital, Lucky Flickerman tried to get as much as he could out of the girl, but she was so drugged that she could barely respond. Despite this, June Naysmith from District 2 became one of the most popular victors of that time, mainly due to her title as the victor who claimed the most victims in the Hunger Games.

Despite most spectators really enjoying the events of that year’s Games due to Pixelle’s plan, Coriolanus’ decision of allowing so much control from someone who’s district became somewhat controversial between other members of the War Department. Explaining his reasoning, the young boy argued about the innovative minds of District 3, and how curious he was to see how someone like them would do in a position akin to Gamemaker, explaining that in some situations, it takes someone from the districts to better know how to mess with their own kind. Snow ended up taking inspiration from Pixelle’s actions and the events of this year into future years he was Head Gamemaker of, integrating new concepts into the Hunger Games such as The Fallen.

## Placing

* 1st - June Naysmith (District 2) - victor.
* 2nd - Pixelle Oliphant (District 3) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 7.
* 3rd - Leonis Cavanaugh (District 2) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 7.
* 4th - Timber Atlanta (District 7) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 7.
* 5th-6th - Rio Senior (District 4) and Lilly Mussel (District 4) - fell for their death after June Naysmith (District 2) cut their rope - day 7.
* 7th - Nyro Colton (District 12) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 5.
* 8th - Smoky Bellard (District 12) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 5.
* 9th - May LoGiudice (District 9) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 5.
* 10th - Nucleo Westergreen (District 5) - succumbed to the injuries caused by Leonis Cavanaugh (District 2) with a sword - day 4.
* 11th - Solara Metzger (District 5) - killed by Leonis Cavanaugh (District 2) with an axe - day 3.
* 12th - Nubian Shepherd (District 10) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 3.
* 13th - Lullaby Aldar (District 6) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 2.
* 14th - Mercury Frigoff (District 6) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 2.
* 15th - Roxie Rhodolite (District 1) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 2.
* 16th - Lancelot Rugward (District 1) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - day 2.
* 17th - Acre Scissom (District 9) - speared by Rio Senior (District 4) - day 1.
* 18th - Marany Hendershot (District 10) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - bloodbath.
* 19th - Sower Zanfel (District 11) - speared by Rio Senior (District 4) - bloodbath.
* 20th - Chicory Lambert (District 11) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - bloodbath.
* 21th - Chiffon McClenney (District 8) - killed by Sower Zanfel and Chicory Lambert (District 11) with scythes - bloodbath.
* 22th - Xavier Kasiske (District 3) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - bloodbath.
* 23th - Zingana Duran (District 7) - killed by June Naysmith (District 2) with an axe - bloodbath.
* 24th - Jeany Neslund (District 8) - speared by Lancelot Rugward (District 1) - bloodbath.