The Non Mortal Games

4: Metallucia: The Reaping

One hour later, I was standing with Saxon and Markus at the front of a crowd of mortals. They looked at us smugly, glad that none of them or their children were at risk of becoming tributes this year. Whoever was going to be picking the names out was running a bit late that day, so I kept saying to myself, Someone, just get up there and pick out the names already! Put us out of our misery, why don't you? Preston could sense my anger and impatience, as he said, "Metallucia, remember the voice exercises. Do them." He was trying to calm me down and I was glad about that. When I had been awake in the 21st century I had been a fan of the video game series "Ace Attorney" and in the games, characters would do voice exercises sometimes, when they were feeling nervous. Preston had gotten the idea from that. It worked though, so I breathed in, and yelled out for all the district to hear, "MY NAME IS METALLUCIA AND I'M FINE!!!!!!!!" I had failed to realise that Saxon was really close to me when I yelled that. He flinched at the noise, then I explained to him and Markus about the voice exercises. We all did some to calm ourselves down until the person from the Capitol arrived. The mortals gave us some funny looks as we yelled at the top of our lungs:
"MARKUS KANE IS FINE!!!!!"
"SAXON CROSS IS FINE!!!!!"
"METALLUCIA SILVERIA IS FIIIIIIINNNNNNEEEE!!!!!!!"
We were all laughing really hard by the time the Capitol person arrived. He stared at us, his mouth hanging open. We didn't mind. At least we were all feeling a bit better about our fate. We just stared back. The man had spiky green hair and huge dark sunglasses on. He was wearing a leather jacket and bright yellow pants. He had a multitude of rings and bracelets on too.

The man spoke up. "My name is Spekky Trinket and welcome one and all to the one hundredth Hunger Gaaaaaaames, yeah!" After the word "Gaaaaaaames" he started playing the air guitar. Saxon, Markus and I looked at each other.
"Quite a character, isn't he?" Preston said. I nodded.
"Alrighty then, now let's see who will be crowned Mr and Ms Three this year! May the odds be ever in your favour and all that, yo!"
Good grief. I had heard that Capitol people were a bit eccentric but this...was ridiculous. Spekky looked at each of us and then said, "Well, my sister Pinky usually says 'ladies first!' but I want to shake things up a bit this year. It IS the Quarter Quell and all, yeah? So let's go with the guys first, shall we?" Honestly, by that point Spekky was driving me and Preston a bit mad because he was just so...hyper. Preston gave Spekky a death stare, but because Spekky was a mortal he couldn't see it.

Saxon, Markus and I all held our breaths as Spekky plunged his hand into the almost empty ball. He grasped one of the two pieces of paper and held it up for a couple of seconds before unfolding it and announcing the name of the unfortunate who would be entering the arena with me.

"Markus Kane, demon-angel hybrid!"
Markus walked up to the platform and stood beside Spekky. Spekky turned to Markus and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Three. Now let's see who will be joining you in the arena, eh?" By that point I couldn't take it any more. I walked up to the platform and said, "It's me. I'm the only female in the tribute pool this year. Please get on with it."
"O...Kay," said Spekky. "And you are?"
"I am Metallucia Silveria, goddess of mechanics and mathematics. Frankly, you mortals have NO right messing with non-mortal-kind like this, so you can't blame me for being mad, can you?" I was fuming. Just thinking about what the mortals of Panem had done to us made my blood boil. To show the world how mad I was, I used my ability to manipulate machines to make the microphone in Spekky's hand explode. I then set his hair on fire with my fire touch because an exploding microphone wasn't extreme enough. Poor Spekky looked a mess after someone had finally fetched him some water to put his hair out. I then changed into Sage form and helped Spekky up to show the world I wasn't usually that mean, but that I was a force to be reckoned with. I WOULD come home from the Hunger Games, and Markus would be coming home with me.
"Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. District Three's hopes ride with this...unique pair. Something tells me we have some real potential in these two, am I right?" The crowd-who were mostly mortal, need I remind you-cheered at Spekky's little speech. Then it was off to say our goodbyes and then to the Capitol for Markus and me.

Saxon, Mr. Kane and my parents were there to say goodbye. They wished us luck. I showed Markus my token. It was a locket with a picture of Mount Olympus in one side and London in the other. Those were my true homes. My places of power, where my non-mortalness would truly shine. I wanted to have them close to me when I was facing death in the arena. "Is that where you're from?" Markus asked, pointing to the locket.
"Yes, and I would do anything to go back there, except that the Cap-"
"Time's up, you two," a Peacekeeper interrupted. I had a feeling that they didn't want the terrible truth of what Panem did to my home to come out. Markus and I were herded onto the tribute train like sheep. Before we knew it, the train began to move.
"Happy Hunger Games!" I called out. "And may the odds be ever in your favour!"
At least I was being positive.

The train ride was relatively uneventful, except that Markus and I bumped into Beetee, our mentor, as we were getting something to eat.
"So you must be Beetee?" I said. I had heard of him because he was our only surviving victor, and because he was an inventor, like me.
"Yes, I am," he said. "Nice one setting that guy's hair on fire, by the way. I couldn't stand much more of him."
"Join the club," added Markus.
"He was right about one thing though," said Beetee.
"Oh? And what's that?" I questioned him.
"'Something tells me we have some real potential in those two'" Beetee quoted Spekky's words. "He was right. Metallucia, you've been protecting the people of District Three for ages and we've not had any major disasters or monster attacks."
"Apart from the major disaster that is the Hunger Games," I muttered to myself.
Beetee, probably wanting to change the subject, said, "so where are you from? That's an interesting accent you've got there."
"Yes, I suppose nobody apart from an immortal has heard it before." I opened my locker and showed it to Beetee. He said nothing and Markus and I walked on to get some food. After that, I decided to have a small nap. It was a bit longer than I'd hoped, because when I woke up, I could see the lights of the Capitol, like eyes watching my every move.