The Hunger Games: Mashup

Chapter Eleven

District Ten

“Dude! I already told you, I'm not chopping that up!” complained Beastboy loudly, holding his nose away from the large corpse of the cow.

“It's already dead, doofus—just make it prettier and easier to eat!” ordered Natsume Hyuga furiously. Beastboy turned to him.

“Are you kidding me—I've already transformed into that before! I'm not cutting it up!” complained Beast boy. Natsume flared up, his fire already dancing along his shoulders in his rage.

“I don't care if you were the thing's mother! Hurry up and skin it, or we won't make payroll this week!” he yelled at him. “Who do you care about more—a stuck cow, or your own district?!!”

Beastboy glared at Natsume angrily.

“I can't! It's against my code! It would be like killing my brother!” he cried back at him. Footsteps came behind the two fighting children and a teenage girl held out her butcher's knife to Natsume. He and Beastboy immediately stopped in their prattle at the sight of her.

“I'll take his cow, as long as you quiet down,” she told them calmly. Natsume blew out one last breath of hot air before glaring at Beastboy.

“Man up, or I'm reporting you to the Peacekeepers! This is the last straw, kid!” he snapped at him. “You're one to talk...” Beastboy muttered to the child. Natsume turned on his heel and turned away, heading out to lecture another slacker. Beastboy turned to the girl with a sheepish grin.

“Thanks, Yuuki. You sure saved my butt,” he told her. She looked at him with a cool eye.

“Don't thank me...you still have to cut up some cattle at some point to keep your family fed,” she told him. Beastboy sulked, looking away from her.

“What family? You know I live alone,” he told her. She frowned in sadness.

“I'm sorry...I forgot,” she told him. He turned back to her, sticking out his lower lip.

“Don't worry about it...worry about yourself. You're seventeen. The Hunger Games are tomorrow, and you still haven't controlled your blood lust,” he told her. She frowned at him.

“You should talk. You're sixteen, and you've got as much chance as getting picked as I do. Why are you so nonchalant?” she asked him. She cut off the cow's head, making Beastboy wince and look away from the blood.

“In fact, you're in a worse off boat than I am. At least I'm used to chopping the meat up. People from our district are notorious because we're fast enough to catch runaway cattle, and we're brave enough to cut up pigs. Why is a human so much different? If we put our minds to it, it's not hard for us to imagine the other tributes as just giant meal-tickets.” Yuuki stabbed at the cow's stomach and proceeded to cut out its organs.

“You're too naive, Beastboy. You wouldn't last a minute in the Games,” she told him. Beastboy looked at the ground sadly.

“I know...but I don't have a choice. I'm a Shape Shifter. I naturally change into animals. It's not easy for me to kill those who's appearance helps keep me alive in this village,” said Beastboy sadly. Yuuki looked up at him sadly.

“You do have it much rougher than most people. I'm sorry I'm not being sensitive to your emotions,” she told him. Beastboy gave her a small smile.

“Don't worry about it...I might be chosen for the Games anyways, and even if I'm not, I've got to cut up chicken for my food, right? There's not a lot of tofu in this district anyways,” he told her, trying to keep his attitude upbeat. He took a look at the cow, and the blood made his head swim. Still, he held his hand out for the knife.

“Give me that think, Yuuki. I've got to kill one of these things eventually—I might as well start now, “ he told her. He swallowed hard as the blade pierced through the cow's bone. He wanted to throw up, but Beastboy knew it was inevitable. Of course—why wouldn't it be? He lived in District 10, known and specializing in livestock. He had to cut them up at one point in his life. And if he was in the Hunger Games, every bit of cruelty he gained in advance he had to hold onto. Naivety never won the Games—monsters who turn their faces away from the horrors they had committed, did.

“Do you really think you'll be in the Games?” asked Yuuki.

“I might as well be prepared—I know I don't have a chance in the Games, but if I get in, I'd rather die trying than to just lay down for some sadist to finally put me out of my misery,” he said. Beastboy had dark green skin, and even darker pine hair that was spiked up. He had one fang out out of his mouth from his lower jaw, and emerald eyes that were mischievous in every way. Still, right now, he looked sad. Wearing a black and purple jumpsuit, he had a bloody apron covering it. His ears were pointed, and his mouth was curved down in an unusual frown. Yuuki stood by, watching him. She had short, brown hair, and even darker eyes. And yet, her appearance didn't match the looks. She was also forced to wear a black shirt and jeans that were too big for her. She had the sleeves rolled up to keep out of her way. She also wore her district's signature apron, of course splattered with the blood of the beings she had butchered earlier.

“So? What are you planning on doing if you win the Games?” asked Beastboy. She gave him a sad smile.

“I honestly don't know...Both Kaname and Zero are gone. If anything, I guess I would have to return to this district and try to help people out with my winnings,” she said lamely. Beastboy narrowed his eyes at her.

“Come on! No video games?! No comic books?! No 'Crash of the Nebula: Return of the Eyeball Consumers Part Three, Saga Six'?!” he asked her. She gave him a meek smile.

“I'm just...not into those kinds of things. I don't even like comics. I want other people to be happy from my winnings—I don't want them!” she told him with a small, sad smile. Beastboy knew exactly what was going through her head. She didn't think she would win.

Beastboy frowned, proceeding to cut up the cow without a second thought. He was calm now, and he knew he would kill when the time came.

“You've got as good a chance as anyone else, Yuuki. Have more faith in yourself,” he said to her. He heard her fading footsteps, and he knew she was gone.

Have more faith in yourself, or you'll die, he thought, stabbing through the cow's heart as he did.