Hunger Games AU
↳ Madge Undersee is kidnapped and tortured by the Capitol due to her father’s disobedience.
Gale and Madge are in the 74th Hunger Games, and despite his alliance with Thresh out in the wheat field Gale can’t help but wonder what’s happening in the woods.
“I was starting to think the cannon was you,” he notes.
“Could’ve been,” I mutter back, tossing a bottle at him. He reaches into the bags and pulls out the purification drops, squeezing in the right amount before I send another his way.
He raises an eyebrow at the state of my clothes and snorts, “It’s the first night.”
“Thanks, I’m well aware of that,” I grumble. “Quicksand.”
AU where Madge and Gale are reaped instead
“Tell my team they were great,” I whisper, pulling Portia into my arms. In her heels she’s nearly as tall as me and I can’t help but smile at the awkwardness of the situation. “Even Prisca.”
Portia smiles, “Tell them when you get back.” She leads me over to a circular metal plate. “I’ll see you soon, Gale.”
“Portia,” she takes a step back and keeps her face calm and collected. “Thank you. For everything.” My hand reaches around and grabs at the nape of my neck, my eyes scanning the room for the last time. A glass cylinder lowers around me and I catch her wink. A steady smile spreads across her face. And then she’s gone. Suddenly its dark, its dark for what feels like forever although I know it must only be a few seconds, and then I’m raised up, the scent of pine trees smothering me, the light of the sun blinding.
I blink once or twice, confused, momentarily thinking I’m back home, that this has all been just a terrible dream, but then the voice of Claudius Templesmith rings out around me. “Ladies and gentleman, let the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games begin!”
AU where Gale and Madge are forced into the Games.
“So you never considered your feelings for her?”
“Of course I thought about it, I thought it was stupid. She’d never go for a guy like me.” The audience sighs and Caesar’s hand is reassuringly on my shoulder again. “Then we’re both Reaped… there’s not much I can do anymore.” My voice is surprisingly steady, the words leaking out of me naturally. “Like she said… odds aren’t exactly in our favor. I could win and be Victor and still wouldn’t be good enough for her… well, you know why.”
“I do,” Caesar nods. “I do.” I rake my fingers through my hair and lean backwards in my chair slowly. The thought of Undersee dying hits me again and I frown.
“I don’t want her to…” don’t say die, “…to lose. She’s so sweet, so innocent.” Honest truth, that’s what this is right here. “She’s beautiful, she’s kind… Madge is everything a person should be.”
“It’s a child’s scream, a young girl’s scream, there’s no one in the arena capable of making that sound except for Rue.”
I just wanted to slow it down to see if I could actually figure out what is HAPPENING HERE but alas I cannot. Maybe she’s in her prep room and this is her first glance of the arena or something.
