a flicker of hope | tmnt 2012 hunger games au

All Over Now

The sound of bustling footsteps awoke Leonardo. Slowly and weakly, his eyes fluttered open, and a low groan let itself loose in the back of his throat. His body felt sore, and he himself felt groggy and tired. He was laying down on something soft and comfy, and he was staring up at a plain white ceiling.

Where am I?

The air around him was warm and pleasant, nothing like the harsh cold winds that had nipped at him in the arena. Which definitely meant he wasn't in the arena. Straining his tired muscles, Leo forced himself to sit up. He found himself sitting in the middle of his bed, in his room, in his Capitol apartment. Through the huge glass window leading out to a balcony, he could see that the sun was gone, replaced by a dark sky dotted with a few glittering stars. Confusion made his head spin.

I'm...back at the apartment? Why?

Then he remembered where he'd been before his blackout–surrounded on all sides by flesh-devouring zombies, jumping into the fray with Michelangelo, being lifted out of the arena by a hovercraft.

That hovercraft! It must've taken me back here. But why? And where's Michelangelo?

Suddenly, the door to the bedroom slowly creaked open. A familiar woman stepped cautiously into the room–Florence, one of his stylists. When she saw him awake, she perked up, a smile instantly appearing on her face.

"Oh, Leonardo! You're awake at last," she chirped. "You've been unconscious ever since those Peacekeepers brought you back from the Arena. We were worried you would never wake up!"

She looked around, as if she were checking if anyone was watching them. Then her expression grew serious as she looked Leo dead in the eye.

"The whole Capitol has seen that video of you and Michelangelo, of you about to get mauled by those beasts," she warned. "You almost made it so that there would be no victors in the Games this year-that's a risky move, standing the Capitol up like that. I can't imagine President Saki will be happy about that."

"I don't care what Saki thinks," Leonardo spat. "I–"

"Just be careful, Leo," Florence told him. Then with a huge smile, she added, "so, can I get you anything?"

***

The final interview with Caesar came around the following night. Once again, Leo and Mikey were primped and polished up, put in tuxes and even given new masks to wear, then shoved out onstage in front of what appeared to be the entire Capitol. People whooped and hollered and cheered as the two mutant turtle's came onstage, waving and squealing and flashing pictures with their cameras. It all made Leonardo feel sick to his stomach.

Twenty-two innocent kids die the most brutal death possible, and they have the nerve to cheer and scream about it? What insensitive idiots!

"Well, I can definitely say this year's Hunger Games has been...interesting," Caesar remarked. "Two victors instead of one? That's  a first! You two made Hunger Games history last night, y'know. What do you have to say about that?"

"I say that's nothing to celebrate," Leo told him curtly.

"Okay..." Caesar suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well, I don't mean to sound nosy, but the whole of the Capitol has been dying to know–what made you two want to jump off that Cornucopia?"

There was silence for a moment. Leonardo opened his mouth to respond, but Michelangelo beat him to it, his eyes blazing with anger.

"We wanted to face our fears," he said sharply. "We spent the whole Hunger Games bein' scared, so we decided we wouldn't be scared anymore and jump. At least before your guys ruined it."

A few shocked oooohhs rose up from the crowd. Backstage, the stylists and mentors for the two Tributes cringed. Everyone in that stadium knew how angry President Saki would be to hear such words directed at him.

"Ah, understood," said Caesar. "Well, on behalf of me and all the citizens of the Capitol, we'd like to wish you congratulations on winning this year's annual Hunger Games. Have a safe travel home tomorrow!"

"Thank you," Leo responded tersely. Michelangelo seemed to enraged to respond.

"Now, I think it's about time you two received your prizes for winning, don't you think?" Caesar asked, his eyes flashing with sympathy for just a brief moment before he turned to look at the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our wonderful leader, President Saki!"

The crowd burst into a round of even louder applause as a tall, muscular man in a suit and tight emerged from the wings of the stage. He truly was huge, with muscle bulging from beneath the tight sleeves of his dark suit. He seemed to radiate power, giving off an authoritative sort of aura that told anyone nearby not to mess with him. One of his eyes was colorless and sightless, never to see again. But the most menacing thing about him was the hideously scarred half of his face, something that made Leonardo feel nervous every time he saw it.

In his hands, the president held a large velvet pillow, with two glittering golden crowns placed on top. He approached the two victors slowly, each step regal and filled with power. He stopped before the mutant turtles, his gaze traveling over them both briefly, as if analyzing them.

"Congratulations on winning this year's annual Hunger Games," he rumbled at last. "You have proven yourselves truly worthy of being victors. Take these as a token of your victory, and return home safely."

He made quick business of placing a crown on each victor's head; Leonardo resisted the urge to shudder as he was crowned a victor.

"Th–thank you," he stammered. Michelangelo said nothing.

Saki nodded. To both turtles' surprise, he leaned in close, so close that they could feel his warm breath on their faces. The president's one good eye glittered with hate as he glared coldly at them.

"I don't appreciate being stood up by two of my subjects, especially not two mutants," his voice was low and dangerous. "Remember who your leader is. Remember to stay in line. Or we will have a problem."

With that, he turned away and waved curtly to the audience before walking off the stage, leaving Leo and Mikey to stare at him in shock.

"Well, that's all for tonight, folks," Caesar said, waving to the audience. "Give it up for the victors of this year's Hunger Games, Hamato Leonardo and Michelangelo Bertolini!"

The crowd continued to scream and cheer as Leonardo and Michelangelo left the stage. As soon as he was offstage, an enormous wave of relief washed over Leo, so strong and intense he staggered and almost fell.

It's over. All the death and the violence and the suffering. It's done.

This nightmare is finally over.

***

A/N: Only one chapter left.