The Marvel Games {An Avengers/Hunger Games Crossover}

Chapter 7: The Scores

Chapter 7: The Scores

I’m always dragging that horse around,
Our love is pastured such a mournful sound,
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground.
So I like to keep my issues drawn,
But it’s always darkest before the dawn. –Shake it Out; Florence + the Machine.

~

Just because the Marvel Games Council loved being difficult, they decided to switch the order around. Instead of being in the middle, I was going last. The heroes were being scored first and then the civilians, again the order we’d been called out in.

Thor went first and I wished him good luck, just like he had done to me before my interview, he nodded gratefully before the steel doors slid shut.
For the next few minutes we heard the sounds of metal hitting metal with incredible force.

Steve was next and Tony went so far as to get up and shake his hand, Bruce too. I was stunned by this, and so was Steve. It wasn’t a secret that they didn’t exactly get along too well.
I wished him good luck as well. I didn’t know him very well, but he had been nothing but a sweetheart to me.

We didn’t hear anything when the steel doors shut on him.

Tony went straight after and I got up to hug him. Besides Johnny, he was the only other hero that I trusted with my life. I didn’t wish him good luck –specifically because he told me not too; apparently he wouldn’t need it. Bruce gave him one of those really nice bear hugs that you only get with best friends. Johnny gave a high five before he disappeared behind the doors.

We only heard two words after the doors closed. “Performance issues.” And Bruce couldn’t help but laugh.

Bruce was next and Johnny and I both gave him hugs. We knew he was stressed, and that could have ended badly for everyone if the Other Guy decided to make a special guest appearance. Although, I could tell Johnny was secretly hoping that he would spontaneously turn into a green rage monster while he was behind the doors.

Turns out he did. We heard the enormous bellow of a sound that resonated out of the Hulk’s mouth.

Most Scorings took about five minutes on average, the Hulk’s took less than a minute, so when Johnny was called he swallowed hard and didn’t give me a chance to wish him luck.
He disappeared behind the thick doors before I had the chance to say anything.

While I’d been wishing the heroes luck, my fellow civilian tributes had been glaring at me with intense expressions. Luke and Jackson’s eyes were filled with pure hatred and disgust, as if they couldn’t believe I’d allied and befriended the enemy. But they didn’t understand. They didn’t know the truth behind the Games, if they did maybe they would act differently, but they didn’t. And they never would.

Nora was confused; her head was titled to the side like a lost puppy and her big, blue eyes were wide and filled with tears. She was scared too. I didn’t blame her. Ryan was just as confused and conflicted as Nora.

But one by one, Lucas, Nora, Ryan and Jackson disappeared behind the great big steel doors and didn’t return to the waiting room so I was the only one left.

I was alone, waiting for the doors to reopen. Jackson had just gone in, I knew that he would take a while considering his massive skill set. All I wanted to do was to see Clint. I had no idea what to do behind those doors. What if they didn’t have any knives in there? What was I going to do? Run across the room? Grab something that resembled a ball and shoot a few hoops?

I’d be the laughing stock of the entire Marvel Games, past, present and future.

While I was caught up in my head I failed to notice the doors slide open and my name being called over the inter-com.