Avengers Fic: Five Avengers who were Hunger Games Champions (and one who wasn’t)
Title: Five Avengers who were Hunger Games Champions (and one who wasn’t)
Fandom: Avengers & The Hunger games
Summary: As a punishment for rebelling against the Capitol, each year the Districts must supply two tributes, one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight to the death in the Hunger Games.
Warnings: Character death, violence.
Word Count: 2,496
Notes: Many thanks to Katie for looking over this. Summaries of the districts are taken from the Hunger Games Universe wikipedia page & Hunger Games Wikipedia page on Panem. I do not own any of the Marvel characters or the Hunger Games universe.
District 2 - Thor Odinson
District 2 is in charge of masonry... it is also a center of training for the Capitol's army of Peacekeepers. District 2 is a large district in the Rocky Mountains, not far from the Capitol itself. Its citizens have better living conditions than most other districts; support for Capitol control is stronger here than in any other district. ...District 2 tributes are often volunteers who have trained (illegally) for the Games since before they are eligible for the drawing.
Thor and Loki were born within a year of each other, the Reaping always fell between their birthdays. The All-Father was responsible for selecting the best among the young people of the District. He was a former winner himself, and it fell to him to train the youth of District 2 in preparation for the games. It was always known his own sons would be competing for honor of volunteering in the same year. The brothers were raised as warriors, every task, every hardship, all was leading up to their reaping. When it would be decided who would represent their district.
When they were 14 years old, their friend Hogun returned triumphant with the Victor’s crown and a new nickname: Hogun the Grim. The next year Volstagg was eager to prove himself. He was considered a favorite to win with his considerable size and strength, but succumbed to smoke inhalation. It was a painful, lonely death that few ever spoke of. The year before Thor & Loki's 18th birthday, Sif and Fandral volunteered as tributes. Fandral never returned. At the celebration feast in her honor Loki whispered to Thor that he doesn't believe Sif ever really returned either, but Thor just gave him a confused look before carrying on with his conversation. Loki recognized the look of loneliness and regret between forced smiles. He wondered what cost she had paid in return for her victory.
All the same, when Odin decided Thor would be the tribute in their final year of eligibility, it felt like a bitter betrayal.
Thor was the favorite from the moment he arrived in The Capitol; the favored son of District 2. Draped in gold, hammer in hand, wild grin and booming voice, the people took to calling him the God of Thunder. In the game he was a thing of beauty to watch. His joy at the triumph and the violence was unparalleled. The more sensitive among the crowd even cooed over his sense of honor. They near swooned at his handsome smile as he told the 12 year old girl from District 11 that she was dying a good death, that her District would be proud, right before he smashed in her skull.
District 3 - Tony Stark
District 3 specializes in the production of electronics. Most of its inhabitants work in factories and are very adept in skills such as engineering, which its tributes have used to their advantage in the Games.
When the 16 year old son of Howard Stark was called in the reaping, it was a shock. Howard Stark was the wealthiest man in District 3 - the announcers made solemn statements about how Tony's reaping showed that the burden of the districts was shared by all, no matter their wealth. Still, it seemed to stun even Howard that no amount of money, no number of favors he called in could keep Tony from the arena.
From the moment he arrived at the Capitol Tony was a divisive figure. He was cocky and flippant, in spite of a rather poor showing during training. Everyone agreed he would have a rude awakening in the arena. Howard Stark could bankrupt himself sending parachutes into the arena - it would never be enough to save his only son.
They were wrong.
Tony did have a rough start. After stepping off the platform a tribute from District 1 went after him - right after picking up a knife. Tony was stabbed in the chest, but as luck would have it the boy managed to miss his vital organs. Tony gouged his fingers into the boy’s eyes and was able to beat a hasty retreat, empty handed. His chances for survival were not deemed good. It was only an hour later that he received his first gift - a screwdriver. It was all he would need to change his luck.
He soon teamed up with the handsome tribute from District 6 who went by Rhodey. No one quite understood how or why the partnership worked. Rhodey seemed to be the one doing all the work - finding food, water, shelter, and fending off the other tributes. Meanwhile, behind the scenes the Gamemakers had another problem. Cameras were disappearing. On top of that, systems kept pinging warnings that various traps designed to manipulate the environment were being tampered with. It didn't take long to figure out what was going on. Tony Stark was building something.
When they attacked it came out of nowhere. Tony and Rhodey seemed to know the gang of tributes' every move, every hiding spot. Tony had rigged explosions to go off at key locations, backing the other tributes into a ravine. Everything was going according to plan until the gamemakers decided to interfere.
Normally with this action going off on their own, they would have let the drama unfold on its own. This was a special case though - Tony had played fast and loose with the rules. The Head Gamemaker couldn't allow him to get away with it - especially not after the personal visit from President Snow on the matter. Another trap was set, meant to collapse the ravine wall just as Tony moved into place. In the moment before he was crushed, however, Rhodey spotted the falling rocks and slammed into his side, throwing Tony out of harm’s way.
Once the dust settled a bereaved Tony launched himself at the pile of rocks, even as the cannons went off. He was the only one to have survived the landslide. He dug until his hands bled, until white gloved hands pried him away and into the waiting hovercraft. He never saw Rhodey again.
In the interviews after he seemed to be back to his old self. Handsome, charming, flirtatious - but with a new sharp edge. Back in District 3 a red-haired girl watched the interviews with a conflicting swirl of emotions. Everyone around her was celebrating, but couldn’t they see that something was terribly wrong? His smile never reached his eyes.
Tony's flippant quotes about the Capitol and the Games received amused twitters from the crowd. There were others who were less amused. President Snow was no stranger to facing enemies, but never before had he seen the kind of cold hatred he found in Tony Stark's eyes as he placed the champion's crown upon his head. Tony Stark had gone into the arena a cocksure boy and had left a very dangerous man.
District 5 - Bruce Banner
District 5 specializes in power
Bruce Banner was only 13 years old when his name was called. His selection was, by all standards, something of a disappointment. Even his mentor seemed to think of him as nothing but a hopeless cause. In the interviews before the game he was shy and sullen. He was quickly ushered off the stage so that Caesar could spend more time with the female tribute from District 5: a sturdy looking 17 year old girl, who was sure to have better luck than he.
He did terribly in most aspects of training, though he proved to have a nimble mind. While he thrived at the survival tactics such as identifying plant life, Bruce had terrible aim and little to no strength to speak of. When the scores were announced his mentor squeezed his hand and gave Bruce a pitying look. Bruce Banner, 4. He would be receiving no help in the arena. No one would waste their money on him.
Somehow Bruce managed to avoid the initial blood-bath. He barely appeared on screen at all the first three days. No one cared about the awkward boy from District 5, hiding among the bushes. After a day of no deaths, the Gamemakers decided it would be the prime time to get a quick and easy thrill for the crowd. A brush fire sprung up with no notice, sending Bruce racing straight towards the two vicious tributes from District 4.
With glee the boy clubbed a terrified Bruce in the head, sending him careening into some brush. The girl went to follow but quickly reared back - Bruce had run into a nest of tracker jackers. The two tributes raced away, leaving a bleeding Bruce behind to die. The cameras caught his agony - screaming as he was stung over and over. After a few minutes the tracker jackers left and Bruce stilled. The cannon sounded for his death.
Then, before his body could be collected, something strange happened. No screens were showing him at the time, but later the footage would be replayed and analyzed and then replayed again.
Bruce moved.
Something in his internal chemistry reacted to the venom of the tracker jackers in a way never seen before. With a primal scream Bruce dragged himself up. He raced down the same path where the two tributes had fled earlier. The games would be over before nightfall.
Bruce Banner was a man possessed. When the boy from 1 hit him again, it was as though Bruce didn't even feel it. With a snarl Bruce leapt upon him and ripped his throat out with his bare hands. He slammed the girl against the ground until she stopped moving - showing a strength that seemed impossible coming from the scrawny 13 year old boy. He sniffed out the remaining tributes and it wasn't long before the 24th cannon rang out.
Bruce was screaming and covered in blood when they came to collect that year's champion.
District 7 - Natasha Romanoff
District 7's industry is lumber and many of its residents have experience with hatchets, axes, saws, and other tree cutting tools. ...This district's children begin work at an early age.
Childhoods don't last very long in District 7, and Natasha was no exception. From a young age she learned the value of hard work, keen observation, and quick reflexes. Her name was called when she was 16, though frankly she was surprised it took so long. Her name was in there enough to populate an entire game.
District 7’s mentor for the year’s Games was Nick Fury. At first he wrote off the strange, quiet girl. She seemed strangely unaffected by it all, attending to her tasks with quick efficient movements. Her unwillingness to play the game would make her an unappealing tribute - who would want to be a patron to a sour puss with no discernible skills? It wasn’t until her interview with Caesar that Fury changed his mind.
The second Natasha stepped onto the stage it was as though she became a whole other person. She smiled coquettishly at Caesar and answered his questions with a flirty breeziness. She batted her eyes at the crowd and they ate it up. She worked them like a pro.
Fury had to re-visit his evaluation of Natasha Romanoff. This had come out of nowhere, it seemed, he never saw her coming. No one had.
In the games Natasha easily made and broke alliances. She was strong enough to make herself seem useful to the other tributes, but appeared weak enough that she wouldn't be seen as a threat. When tributes in the group started disappearing one by one, no one suspected she was the cause. It was something of a frustration for the Gamemakers. Natasha worked so quickly and discretely that it was hard to capture the moments with the drama the viewers craved. They wanted blood, and Fury knew Natasha would not give it to them without a reason.
Slowly her resources dwindled to nothing. She was half crazed from dehydration when she slaughtered the girl from District 9. Natasha was sloppy as she went to break the girl’s neck. The girl from 9 had been able to slip out of her hold and a brawl had followed. Natasha regained the upper hand and turned the girl’s own knife on her. The cannon went off at the same time a parachute fell into Natasha's hands - water. The message was clear. This was reality TV. Natasha didn't need to be told twice.
When she slit the tall boy from District 8's throat, she made sure that everyone could see.
District 8 - Steve Rogers
District 8 specializes in textiles (including at least one factory in which Peacekeeper uniforms are made). District 8 was one of the first districts to rebel...
Steve Rogers watched the games every year with a sense of conflicted hunger. He believed in Panem. He believed in the Games. Everyone sacrificing to build something better, to show they were unified. He wanted to be the person to unite his District; he loved his home. Yes, things were hard, but that was all the more reason they needed someone to rally behind. Someone to stand up and fight for District 8. The idea of being able to provide for his loved ones, to give the entire District a reward greatly appealed to him on a very basic level. It was horrifying to watch, especially with the younger tributes, but wasn't it all worth it in the end?
When he first became eligible he promised he would volunteer once he was older, once he had a good shot at winning it. Bucky always laughed at him, especially as it grew more obvious that getting older didn't really mean getting bigger for Steve.
His intentions never wavered, but reasons kept popping up that prevented him for volunteering. When he was 16 Steve’s mother fell desperately ill. She begged him not to volunteer and he promised her he wouldn't - not that year. She died before the Games ended, with her son by her side. The next year there had been an accident in the factory. His leg was broken and he could barely get around anywhere. That wouldn't have stopped him from being called if his name was picked, but it was enough to let Bucky convince him to keep his mouth shut.
It was his last chance. He was 18 and it was now or never. Up on stage Bunny Telagin smiled at the crowd with her too-white teeth and called the first tribute, a young dark haired girl. Steve could hear a cry from behind him, one of her parents no doubt. He frowned and kept his eyes forward as the girl came to stand next to Peggy Carter, one of District 8's mentors. The wailing was as ominous as the overcast sky. The air felt electric. Steve knew everything was going to change.
When Bunny picked out a name from the boys’ bowl he held his breath. If it wasn't him, he would volunteer. It wasn't him. Instead, Bunny read out the name, “James Barnes.” Steve whipped around to face his friend, shocked. But before he could open his mouth, Bucky took one look at him and punched him straight across the jaw.
Steve crashed to the ground. By the time he had pulled himself back up Bucky was jogging up the steps of the stage. He stood next to a bewildered looking Bunny who was applauding and still smiling, did the woman ever stop smiling? Steve was at a loss for what to do. He stood there holding his jaw, breathing hard, staring up at Bucky. Bucky refused to meet his eyes. Steve didn't have a chance to talk to Bucky before he was hustled off to the train.
Later Steve would watch with horror as the red-haired girl from 7 slit his best friend's throat.
It wasn't worth it.
District 12 - Clint Barton
District 12 specializes in mining (mainly coal) and is the farthest from the capitol.
An archer from District 12? You wouldn't want to hear that story.
Fandom: Avengers & The Hunger games
Summary: As a punishment for rebelling against the Capitol, each year the Districts must supply two tributes, one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight to the death in the Hunger Games.
Warnings: Character death, violence.
Word Count: 2,496
Notes: Many thanks to Katie for looking over this. Summaries of the districts are taken from the Hunger Games Universe wikipedia page & Hunger Games Wikipedia page on Panem. I do not own any of the Marvel characters or the Hunger Games universe.
District 2 - Thor Odinson
District 2 is in charge of masonry... it is also a center of training for the Capitol's army of Peacekeepers. District 2 is a large district in the Rocky Mountains, not far from the Capitol itself. Its citizens have better living conditions than most other districts; support for Capitol control is stronger here than in any other district. ...District 2 tributes are often volunteers who have trained (illegally) for the Games since before they are eligible for the drawing.
Thor and Loki were born within a year of each other, the Reaping always fell between their birthdays. The All-Father was responsible for selecting the best among the young people of the District. He was a former winner himself, and it fell to him to train the youth of District 2 in preparation for the games. It was always known his own sons would be competing for honor of volunteering in the same year. The brothers were raised as warriors, every task, every hardship, all was leading up to their reaping. When it would be decided who would represent their district.
When they were 14 years old, their friend Hogun returned triumphant with the Victor’s crown and a new nickname: Hogun the Grim. The next year Volstagg was eager to prove himself. He was considered a favorite to win with his considerable size and strength, but succumbed to smoke inhalation. It was a painful, lonely death that few ever spoke of. The year before Thor & Loki's 18th birthday, Sif and Fandral volunteered as tributes. Fandral never returned. At the celebration feast in her honor Loki whispered to Thor that he doesn't believe Sif ever really returned either, but Thor just gave him a confused look before carrying on with his conversation. Loki recognized the look of loneliness and regret between forced smiles. He wondered what cost she had paid in return for her victory.
All the same, when Odin decided Thor would be the tribute in their final year of eligibility, it felt like a bitter betrayal.
Thor was the favorite from the moment he arrived in The Capitol; the favored son of District 2. Draped in gold, hammer in hand, wild grin and booming voice, the people took to calling him the God of Thunder. In the game he was a thing of beauty to watch. His joy at the triumph and the violence was unparalleled. The more sensitive among the crowd even cooed over his sense of honor. They near swooned at his handsome smile as he told the 12 year old girl from District 11 that she was dying a good death, that her District would be proud, right before he smashed in her skull.
District 3 - Tony Stark
District 3 specializes in the production of electronics. Most of its inhabitants work in factories and are very adept in skills such as engineering, which its tributes have used to their advantage in the Games.
When the 16 year old son of Howard Stark was called in the reaping, it was a shock. Howard Stark was the wealthiest man in District 3 - the announcers made solemn statements about how Tony's reaping showed that the burden of the districts was shared by all, no matter their wealth. Still, it seemed to stun even Howard that no amount of money, no number of favors he called in could keep Tony from the arena.
From the moment he arrived at the Capitol Tony was a divisive figure. He was cocky and flippant, in spite of a rather poor showing during training. Everyone agreed he would have a rude awakening in the arena. Howard Stark could bankrupt himself sending parachutes into the arena - it would never be enough to save his only son.
They were wrong.
Tony did have a rough start. After stepping off the platform a tribute from District 1 went after him - right after picking up a knife. Tony was stabbed in the chest, but as luck would have it the boy managed to miss his vital organs. Tony gouged his fingers into the boy’s eyes and was able to beat a hasty retreat, empty handed. His chances for survival were not deemed good. It was only an hour later that he received his first gift - a screwdriver. It was all he would need to change his luck.
He soon teamed up with the handsome tribute from District 6 who went by Rhodey. No one quite understood how or why the partnership worked. Rhodey seemed to be the one doing all the work - finding food, water, shelter, and fending off the other tributes. Meanwhile, behind the scenes the Gamemakers had another problem. Cameras were disappearing. On top of that, systems kept pinging warnings that various traps designed to manipulate the environment were being tampered with. It didn't take long to figure out what was going on. Tony Stark was building something.
When they attacked it came out of nowhere. Tony and Rhodey seemed to know the gang of tributes' every move, every hiding spot. Tony had rigged explosions to go off at key locations, backing the other tributes into a ravine. Everything was going according to plan until the gamemakers decided to interfere.
Normally with this action going off on their own, they would have let the drama unfold on its own. This was a special case though - Tony had played fast and loose with the rules. The Head Gamemaker couldn't allow him to get away with it - especially not after the personal visit from President Snow on the matter. Another trap was set, meant to collapse the ravine wall just as Tony moved into place. In the moment before he was crushed, however, Rhodey spotted the falling rocks and slammed into his side, throwing Tony out of harm’s way.
Once the dust settled a bereaved Tony launched himself at the pile of rocks, even as the cannons went off. He was the only one to have survived the landslide. He dug until his hands bled, until white gloved hands pried him away and into the waiting hovercraft. He never saw Rhodey again.
In the interviews after he seemed to be back to his old self. Handsome, charming, flirtatious - but with a new sharp edge. Back in District 3 a red-haired girl watched the interviews with a conflicting swirl of emotions. Everyone around her was celebrating, but couldn’t they see that something was terribly wrong? His smile never reached his eyes.
Tony's flippant quotes about the Capitol and the Games received amused twitters from the crowd. There were others who were less amused. President Snow was no stranger to facing enemies, but never before had he seen the kind of cold hatred he found in Tony Stark's eyes as he placed the champion's crown upon his head. Tony Stark had gone into the arena a cocksure boy and had left a very dangerous man.
District 5 - Bruce Banner
District 5 specializes in power
Bruce Banner was only 13 years old when his name was called. His selection was, by all standards, something of a disappointment. Even his mentor seemed to think of him as nothing but a hopeless cause. In the interviews before the game he was shy and sullen. He was quickly ushered off the stage so that Caesar could spend more time with the female tribute from District 5: a sturdy looking 17 year old girl, who was sure to have better luck than he.
He did terribly in most aspects of training, though he proved to have a nimble mind. While he thrived at the survival tactics such as identifying plant life, Bruce had terrible aim and little to no strength to speak of. When the scores were announced his mentor squeezed his hand and gave Bruce a pitying look. Bruce Banner, 4. He would be receiving no help in the arena. No one would waste their money on him.
Somehow Bruce managed to avoid the initial blood-bath. He barely appeared on screen at all the first three days. No one cared about the awkward boy from District 5, hiding among the bushes. After a day of no deaths, the Gamemakers decided it would be the prime time to get a quick and easy thrill for the crowd. A brush fire sprung up with no notice, sending Bruce racing straight towards the two vicious tributes from District 4.
With glee the boy clubbed a terrified Bruce in the head, sending him careening into some brush. The girl went to follow but quickly reared back - Bruce had run into a nest of tracker jackers. The two tributes raced away, leaving a bleeding Bruce behind to die. The cameras caught his agony - screaming as he was stung over and over. After a few minutes the tracker jackers left and Bruce stilled. The cannon sounded for his death.
Then, before his body could be collected, something strange happened. No screens were showing him at the time, but later the footage would be replayed and analyzed and then replayed again.
Bruce moved.
Something in his internal chemistry reacted to the venom of the tracker jackers in a way never seen before. With a primal scream Bruce dragged himself up. He raced down the same path where the two tributes had fled earlier. The games would be over before nightfall.
Bruce Banner was a man possessed. When the boy from 1 hit him again, it was as though Bruce didn't even feel it. With a snarl Bruce leapt upon him and ripped his throat out with his bare hands. He slammed the girl against the ground until she stopped moving - showing a strength that seemed impossible coming from the scrawny 13 year old boy. He sniffed out the remaining tributes and it wasn't long before the 24th cannon rang out.
Bruce was screaming and covered in blood when they came to collect that year's champion.
District 7 - Natasha Romanoff
District 7's industry is lumber and many of its residents have experience with hatchets, axes, saws, and other tree cutting tools. ...This district's children begin work at an early age.
Childhoods don't last very long in District 7, and Natasha was no exception. From a young age she learned the value of hard work, keen observation, and quick reflexes. Her name was called when she was 16, though frankly she was surprised it took so long. Her name was in there enough to populate an entire game.
District 7’s mentor for the year’s Games was Nick Fury. At first he wrote off the strange, quiet girl. She seemed strangely unaffected by it all, attending to her tasks with quick efficient movements. Her unwillingness to play the game would make her an unappealing tribute - who would want to be a patron to a sour puss with no discernible skills? It wasn’t until her interview with Caesar that Fury changed his mind.
The second Natasha stepped onto the stage it was as though she became a whole other person. She smiled coquettishly at Caesar and answered his questions with a flirty breeziness. She batted her eyes at the crowd and they ate it up. She worked them like a pro.
Fury had to re-visit his evaluation of Natasha Romanoff. This had come out of nowhere, it seemed, he never saw her coming. No one had.
In the games Natasha easily made and broke alliances. She was strong enough to make herself seem useful to the other tributes, but appeared weak enough that she wouldn't be seen as a threat. When tributes in the group started disappearing one by one, no one suspected she was the cause. It was something of a frustration for the Gamemakers. Natasha worked so quickly and discretely that it was hard to capture the moments with the drama the viewers craved. They wanted blood, and Fury knew Natasha would not give it to them without a reason.
Slowly her resources dwindled to nothing. She was half crazed from dehydration when she slaughtered the girl from District 9. Natasha was sloppy as she went to break the girl’s neck. The girl from 9 had been able to slip out of her hold and a brawl had followed. Natasha regained the upper hand and turned the girl’s own knife on her. The cannon went off at the same time a parachute fell into Natasha's hands - water. The message was clear. This was reality TV. Natasha didn't need to be told twice.
When she slit the tall boy from District 8's throat, she made sure that everyone could see.
District 8 - Steve Rogers
District 8 specializes in textiles (including at least one factory in which Peacekeeper uniforms are made). District 8 was one of the first districts to rebel...
Steve Rogers watched the games every year with a sense of conflicted hunger. He believed in Panem. He believed in the Games. Everyone sacrificing to build something better, to show they were unified. He wanted to be the person to unite his District; he loved his home. Yes, things were hard, but that was all the more reason they needed someone to rally behind. Someone to stand up and fight for District 8. The idea of being able to provide for his loved ones, to give the entire District a reward greatly appealed to him on a very basic level. It was horrifying to watch, especially with the younger tributes, but wasn't it all worth it in the end?
When he first became eligible he promised he would volunteer once he was older, once he had a good shot at winning it. Bucky always laughed at him, especially as it grew more obvious that getting older didn't really mean getting bigger for Steve.
His intentions never wavered, but reasons kept popping up that prevented him for volunteering. When he was 16 Steve’s mother fell desperately ill. She begged him not to volunteer and he promised her he wouldn't - not that year. She died before the Games ended, with her son by her side. The next year there had been an accident in the factory. His leg was broken and he could barely get around anywhere. That wouldn't have stopped him from being called if his name was picked, but it was enough to let Bucky convince him to keep his mouth shut.
It was his last chance. He was 18 and it was now or never. Up on stage Bunny Telagin smiled at the crowd with her too-white teeth and called the first tribute, a young dark haired girl. Steve could hear a cry from behind him, one of her parents no doubt. He frowned and kept his eyes forward as the girl came to stand next to Peggy Carter, one of District 8's mentors. The wailing was as ominous as the overcast sky. The air felt electric. Steve knew everything was going to change.
When Bunny picked out a name from the boys’ bowl he held his breath. If it wasn't him, he would volunteer. It wasn't him. Instead, Bunny read out the name, “James Barnes.” Steve whipped around to face his friend, shocked. But before he could open his mouth, Bucky took one look at him and punched him straight across the jaw.
Steve crashed to the ground. By the time he had pulled himself back up Bucky was jogging up the steps of the stage. He stood next to a bewildered looking Bunny who was applauding and still smiling, did the woman ever stop smiling? Steve was at a loss for what to do. He stood there holding his jaw, breathing hard, staring up at Bucky. Bucky refused to meet his eyes. Steve didn't have a chance to talk to Bucky before he was hustled off to the train.
Later Steve would watch with horror as the red-haired girl from 7 slit his best friend's throat.
It wasn't worth it.
District 12 - Clint Barton
District 12 specializes in mining (mainly coal) and is the farthest from the capitol.
An archer from District 12? You wouldn't want to hear that story.