As usual the Tributes are woken up early for the start of the arena, leaving the Tribute Centre before dawn. A few hours ride in a hovercraft delivers them to their destination where their excited prep teams will outfit them in skintight suits that are colour coordinated by District (D1 is White, D2 is Red, D3 is Orange, D4 is Aqua, D5 is Purple, D6 is Pink, D7 is Light Green, D8 is Blue, D9 is Yellow, D10 is Dark Green, D11 is Lavender, and D12 is Black) over which they will be put into what is instantly identifiable as a spacesuit, complete with oxygen tank and helmet before being loaded into the tubes.

They rise up into what appears to be outer space and immediately upon emerging from the tubes Tributes will find themselves floating upwards with a length of rope the only thing holding them to their podiums. The countdown crackles out from speakers built into each Tributes helmet.

20

19

18…

The Cornucopia sits in the middle of a dusty crater with buildings surrounding it, made up of a number of chained down cases and cubes in limited numbers. Cubes which sharp-eyed Tributes will note look like they fit into the slots beside the doors that lead into the spaceport.

8

7

6…

The mirrored visors of the uniformly white spacesuits make it impossible to tell friend from foe. Tributes fighting for goods will have to risk harming their friends but the alternative, floating off into space or suffocating when their oxygen runs out, leaves them little choice.

3

2

1…

The gong rings out and the countdown’s voice announces, “the Arena is now open” before the line goes dead. The Games have begun.

Who| Bucky Barnes (616), anyone who wants to run into him trying to do some heroics, and then Black Tom Cassidy.
What| Stupid, foolhardy heroics, and a crashed car.
Where| Starting on the second floor, then heading up to the third floor and Avengers World.
When| Right after the car crash.
Warnings/Notes| Violence, injury, and eventual death.

( C'mon, shake my helping hand; I'll show you around. )

WHO| Everyone in the food court
WHAT| Black Tom lives up to his career terrorist profession and bombs the buffet.
WHERE| Food court
WHEN| Week 2
WARNINGS| Explosions, blood, gore, death.

It takes him the better part of working through the night to make anything useful of the contents of the CELL-U-LAR store, but once he's on the right track it ends up being easier than he thought it would. He's familiar enough with the grenades, and the phones just need a little caressing, a little tinkering, to turn into a useful way to detonate the trap without putting himself at any risk. No unsightly blood, no chips of bone and hair whipping through the air.

Tom might delude himself into thinking it's easier to live with himself if he doesn't see any of the carnage happening, but the truth is that he doesn't particularly care. Being away from the site of the bombing means little more to him than not having to cover his ears or look out for flying shrapnel when he kills however many people are in unfortunately close proximity to his trap. People have died at his hands before, and they will again; this isn't personal, this isn't traumatic, this is just Wednesday.

Maybe the Roombas will even clean it up before he has to stomach the smell before the dinner buffet.

He hits a button on the flip phone and waits for the muted sounds of bangs and screams that are sure to follow.

-/-

In the food court, the grenades go off pop pop pop pop, six of them, within a space of twenty seconds. Two of them are taped under tables, two stashed by the hot water that keeps the seafood warm, two near the nacho cheese and fryer oil so scalding liquid is thrown into the air with everything else. The sound would be deafening, like a crack in the universe near anyone unfortunate enough to be within range, but by then they're unlikely to be able to hear it, given that they may be in several pieces at that point.

Within seconds the food court has become a nightmare.

Who| 616!Bucky Barnes and MCU!Bucky Barnes
What| These biographies ain't worth two Bucks, they gotta go.
Where| The bookstore
When| Towards the end of the opening week
Warnings/Notes| /points at Bucky's

( do you think they'll be kind? )

It’s pre-dawn when the Tributes are roused from their beds and sent to their tubes. Those who’d been imprisoned for the past few weeks had their heads covered before transport to the staging area, and there’s an air of confusion surrounding just about everything that’s happening until the stylists and managers arrive on the scene and try to calm everyone down. The reunions may be happy, but they're sadly very temporary.

The first clue that something strange is happening comes from their clothing: figure skating costumes with bright colors and sequins and ice skates strapped to their feet. Some may even find it difficult to stand with the blades on their feet, but as they're placed into the arena, all becomes clear. The mall skating rink seems quiet and quaint, especially after weeks of uncertainty and stress. Too bad the peace and quiet can’t last.

20

19

18...

Above the ice rink (which houses all 100+ Tributes) there are floors with shops looking over them. Large, bright fluorescent lights dot the multi-storied ceiling and create a warm, nostalgic glow to the place. Benign music is piped in from various hidden speakers to compliment the intended mood of fun and commerce.

17

16

15…

The countdown continues and the Tributes, some of whom haven’t seen each other in weeks, stare at one another helplessly. That is, until one of them boldly decides to speak.

"We're expected to fight here today," Steve's voice suddenly cuts through the tension in the room. It commands attention without demanding it, a conviction of truth in his tone.

14

13

12...


"To turn on each other through fear and self preservation. And we could give them what they want. A bloodbath," here he pauses longer, lets the reality of his statements sink in. Let people realize what he's saying, that this is a choice.

"Or we can choose not to fight. To instead work together," an option so many seem not to even realize they have. "No one here has to die by our hands today," he knows his speaking won't be without consequence, but he does want to believe he'll be the only one to pay for this.

"This is a risk. One many of you are hesitant to trust, let alone take. But everything we do here is a risk to ourselves and those around us," nothing in the arena comes without putting your life on the line.

"I, for one, am willing to take this risk, to choose not to fight," Steve looks around the room, making eye contact with a few people as he does. He's not telling anyone what to do, this is for them to decides for themselves; their freedom of choice.

But he's got faith in the his fellow tributes. "And I've got a feeling I'm not alone.”

… 3

2

1…

After the countdown ends, there’s a moment of utter still and silence. Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOOM

The room seems to erupt with noise and concussive force. The explosions are so violent that the muzak is paused in its tracks and shakes some of the Tributes off of their pedestals, and after the ice fog and smoke clears, it becomes apparent that fifteen of the Tribute pedestals and exploded there on the ice rink. Fifteen corpses lie mangled on the bloody ice: Deanna Winchester, Danny Fenton, Fili, Kili, Kain Highwind, Perry Kelvin, Julian Bashir, Clint Barton, Karkat Vantas, Sirius Black, Rahm Kota, Cinderella, Bunnymund, Robin, Rock Lee, and Rokk Krin.

The center of the ice rink remains completely intact and stocked with a few dozen keys of varying shapes and sizes. This is the Cornucopia and the Gamemakers are compelling the Tributes to skate for it.

The gong rings out, and the countdown's voice announces “The Arena is now open.” The Games have begun.

Who| Bucky Barnes (616) and Joel
What| After being badly injured in his fight with his counterpart, Bucky meets an end.
Where| The amusement park
When| Week five, the morning after the start of the Hell-rena.
Warnings/Notes| Violence, gore, and death.

( It can turn your heart black, you can trust. )

Who| Bucky Barnes and...the other guy who once went by that name.
What| A fight that really shouldn't be happening, but it is.
Where| The amusement park
When| Later in the fifth week, just before and then during the start of the second full Hell-rena.
Warnings/Notes| Violence, lots of violence.

( Your fingerprint's on file, left clumsily at the scene. )

WHO| Joel and YOU!
WHAT| Joel gets paid a visit by his long-dead daughter in weird zombie form. Things will only go downhill from here.
WHEN| Week 4/whenever the zombiefied loved ones show up
WHERE| Probably various places around town.
WARNINGS| Trauma conga line.

( Read more... )

Who| Steve Rogers & 616!Bucky Barnes
What| Backdated ta couple days before Steve dies.
Where| Around town
When| Mid to End of Week 4
Warnings/Notes| Death of Zombie Peggy

( Now and then I think of when we were together )

Who| Steve and Anyone!
What| This feels too much like sitting around and waiting to die. Or a catchall for before and during the first Hell-rena.
Where| Everywhere.
When| Weeks 1 & 2 (or the week before and week of the first Hell-rena)
Warnings/Notes| Mild language and violence, update as needed.

( come in come in dearie )