The Mutant Games (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 8

A/N- Just so you guys know the dress that she wears to the parade is attached on the side. Also I'm really sorry I haven't updated in a long while but I'll be updating as much as I can lately. I've been caught up with school work and trying to read the 2nd Percy Jackson series at the same time but I'll be making my best effort to update at  the least 3 times a week total including my other stories. If you haven't checked them out yet please do. They are also Marvel FanFictions. Thanks guys! 

"Aria. Aria wake up." I woke up to Logan frantically shaking my shoulder. 

"I'm up I'm up. What is it?" 

"If you want to survive in that arena, your gonna need to be liked kid." He responded. I looked up at him confused. "We're nearing the Inner Country now, so you should wave out the windows and do crap like that to get their attention set on you." 

I was disgusted at the thought of me being a celebrity and waving to millions of people who were sending me to my death, but if I even wanted to try and  survive I'd have to make a good first impression on the crowd. 

I put back on my black leggings, purple T-shirt, and black combat boots and put my long black hair into a high pony tail. When I walked into the main cart I saw Mystique was back into her Estelle form. I was confused as to why but I didn't say anything. Logan motioned to the cart behind him and I could faintly make out the shape of a guard against the wall. Now I understood. 

"You should get ready to wave now." 

I simply nodded in response and made my way to the large window in the corner of the room. We were in a dark tunnel, so I guessed once we emerged we would be in the center of the action.

Suddenly, I was blinded by a bright light that could only be the sun. I opened my eyes slightly and saw people of all ages starring at me and waving. I put on my best fake smile and waved back to them. They reacted with a huge cheer and that's when I noticed the video camera following my every move outside of the train. 

Great. My life is on display.

The train went down and into another tunnel and my stomach dived with it. When we came to a hault, the silver doors opened and six guards rushed over to me and dragged me out of the train and onto an elevator where Logan and Estelle met me. 

"Alright. We're going up to the living quarters now, where you will meet your stylist and the parade will begin shortly after he beautifies you." Estelle/Mystique spoke. The elevator doors slid open and revealed a beautifully decorated living room complete with red velvet couches, a huge flat screen, and designer curtains, rugs, and other types of decorations. The shiny chandelier in the middle of the room looked elegant in the large space and it shinned in the light reflecting off of the windows. 

A man who looked to be in his late 20s walked into the room. He was about six foot two and had short blonde hair. His style was what I liked best about him though. He had on a simple plain black T-shirt and dark blue jeans. A silver bracelet was around his wrist and it stood out against his pale skin. 

"Hey Logan, Estelle." He finally spoke his voice deep but loud. "And you must be Aria." He looked at me with admiration, at least that's what it looked like. "What you did for that girl at the reaping, that was quite amazing." 

I felt my cheeks blush but covered it up by answering calmly. "Yeah. Deliliah is my best friend, like my sister." I said almost in a whisper. Logan must have caught the quiver in my voice and started to talk. 

"This is Jace, your stylist for the parade and so on." 

"Speaking of which, I have to get you ready." Jace said with a small smile. "Follow me." He led me down a hallway and into this giant room complete with comfortable couches, and again the signature chandelier. "I was thinking to make an impression on everyone," Jace started. "you should wear something simple, that tells the people about you." I raised an eyebrow confused. "What do you like?" 

I thought hard for a moment. "Well before the Sentinels killed my father, we always used to love to watch the Avengers battle monsters on the news and read the comics that would come out after that by Marvel." I swallowed to keep down the lump forming in my throat. He nodded and looked like he was thinking about something. Jace turned around and went into a closet that I had not seen when I walked in. 

"How about this?" Jace came out of the closet with a short dress with straps that looked like it would fit me perfectly. The best part about the dress was that it was covered in Marvel characters like the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Spider-man. I gasped as he brought it over to me. 

"Jace- how did you know?" 

He shrugged and said "I just had a feeling." as he winked at me. "Go try it on." He motioned to the bathroom behind me and I grabbed the dress eager to change into it.

When I stepped out of the room I felt like myself again. Wearing that dress made me feel like my overly-confident self again. "It's perfect." I said to Jace. 

"I know. Now let me just add some minor touches and you'll be on your way." Jace had everything set up on a table in front of me. He curled my hair and made sure that my purple streak stood out agaisnt my dark hair. "It shows you're special." He had said to me. I put on the black converse high tops he had set out and the silver bracelet that read "I still believe in heroes." Jace finally applied a faint lip gloss and some mascara to bring out my purple eyes. 

When he finished I stepped in front of the tall mirror as he asked "What do you think?" 

"I think, you know me better then I know myself." I said and smiled at him. "Which is creepy by the way." 

"Time to go." Logan said as he barged into the room with a cigar in his hand. I followed him out and down the elevator where he led me to where my chariot was stationed. "Since your from Section 10 you'll be going last." 

"Great." I muttered sarcastically under my breath. 

"When you get out there, I want you to smile and wave. Sponsors can mean life or death in the arena." 

"I gotcha." The clock started counting down for the tributes to get onto their chariots as the crowd started roar outside. Logan left me alone with my thoughts as the parade was about to begin. Every section but mine had left the station, and finally my white horse started to drag me out and into the open. All the lights and cameras were trained on my face as I managed a warm smile and waved to the crowd in front of me. My face was on the big screen of the jumbo-tron and everyone was calling my name and I even saw some posters with my name on it. 

If you love me so much then get me out of here. 

Still, I kept a happy face until my chariot came to a hault. President Kelly came out onto the stage to talk about his crap about welcoming the tributes and how he was so thankful to have us here. 

"Welcome, tributes. I admire your bravery for standing out here today." 

Pff, like we had a choice. 

"Without anymore intrusions, let us take you all to meet our famous host, Josh Davidson!" My chariot started to moved again, and I was pulled into a dark tunnel along with the other tributes, and into the unknown.