One shots

Hunger Games Oneshot 7: 5 Times (+1) District 3

This is a 5 times +1 style story, because I am such a sucker for those. Wiress and Beetee return once more, because the two of them are so underrated and have so much potential. On Wattpad, this is titled "5 Times (+1) District 3" because of the title character limit, but the alternative title on AO3 is "5 Times District 3 Lost Both Tributes (+1 Where One Survived)" because I liked that better and the character limit is higher. As always, I don't own the characters, Suzane Collins does, because she killed Wiress off and we all know I wouldn't have done that by now. Happy reading, loves!

The 70th Annual Hunger Games:

Wiress's girl died in the bloodbath that year, with a fast stab to the heart, courtesy of the male tribute from District 4's sword. It was a quick, mostly painless death. Wiress gave a soft squeal from beside Beetee, flinching at the sudden death, but recovered quickly. She resumed her position beside him, turning her attention to their remaining tribute. Wiress would react more when the cannons began to fire at the end of the bloodbath, the sound much too similar to the sound of bombs going off, like the ones she'd used to secure her victory in the 49th Games.

To their right, Mags offers an apologetic smile, and Finnick murmurs his apology, before both turn their attention back to their still living tributes.

The Cornucopia clears soon after and the Careers leave the site, leaving six bodies behind. Only one is from District 3 that year. Perhaps they would have a chance to bring home a Victor.

Wiress covers her ears as the cannons go off, Beetee gently wrapping an arm around her waist in silent support, and only returns her attention to the games once it is over. The bloodbath is small that year, Beetee muses, but it is over. The games have begun now.

When the faces appear in the sky that night, after a small amount of additional deaths from the rest of the day, Enobaria from 2 begins to read off the names. It was an old tradition the younger Victor had from her games, when she spent the nights recounting to herself who had died that day, honoring them as fallen heroes. She carried into the mentoring room, honoring each tribute that had fallen at night with her partner, Brutus. It was some sort of homage to District 2, Beetee believed, but he had long since found comfort in it, as did the other mentors, despite the way it could be viewed as a taunt.

They all acted as though it was one, in case the Capitol was listening in. Nobody wanted any of the mentors in the room to suffer for finding friendship and honoring their lost tributes.

"Nobody from 1, nobody from 2. The girl from 3, sorry, Wiress." Enobaria recounted as the first face appeared in the sky, Wiress's tribute.

In response, Wiress scowled, but Beetee knew that she valued the apology, and Enobaria was aware as well.

"Nobody from 4, boy from 5, sorry Jack. Girl from 6, rough luck Megan. Nobody from seven, well done Blight, all without Peter's help. Nobody from 8, boy from 9, sorry Juan. Nobody from 10, nobody from 11...Do I have to say it?"

Haymitch, the only Victor from 12, drunkenly chuckled bitterly. "Nah, I'll say it, Enobaria. Both from 12, like every year."

There is a silent wince and then murmurs of apologies to Haymitch. The poor Victor of the second Quarter Quell had been alone for twenty years now, mentoring forty kids and seeing all forty die without a fellow mentor from his district to help. His only assistance was from Effie Trinket, his escort, who filled in the role of the female mentor and assisted with the tributes year after year. She could have moved on from 12 ages ago, but everyone in the mentoring room knew that Haymitch and Effie had fallen in love. She wouldn't be leaving District 12 until she was forced to.

Beetee focuses on his tribute once more, watching with slowly dying hope as the boy struggles to find a reliable source of water. The dam in the arena is not to be trusted, as Jack's boy from 5 discovered that day, and Beetee had already sent some sponsor gift water. Using more sponsor money would run him into trouble later. The boy had to be smart. He had to preserve water. But he was already running low.