Rick Riordan's Hunger Games [PJO AU]

Ep 1 - "Bloodbath"

Riordan was enraged, "You told him to make them his first targets? You're interfering in my Games. Their story would be so fascinating. The Capitol would love it. Ratings would soar!"

"I am the president," Clair shot back. "You answer to me, and I want those two dead by the end of the bloodbath. If what we think is true, it could cause chaos..."

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Venus Aphrodite's perky voice rung throughout the Arena, "Tributes, let the countdown for the Twenty-fourth Hunger Games begin!"

Directly after her words, the tributes internally counted the 60 seconds until the gong would sound. Step off a second before, and the mines underneath would blow them sky high.

The tributes were on a grassy plateau on top of a small hill. From the centre of the Cornucopia, a good thirty meters of running would take the tributes down the slope, and in another half of that distance, into the rest of the Arena.

Around the hill were four types of natural environments split into equal quarters. Meadow, desert, rainforest, and frozen wasteland.

The sky was a brilliant blue, not a cloud to be seen. The sun shined down on the tributes, and they were already feeling the heat.

The tributes, as usual, were standing on platforms all around the gold Cornucopia, 10 feet apart from one another.

The Cornucopia, or the "horn of plenty," was filled with all kinds of supplies. Food, backpacks, weapons, medicine, clothes, fire starters...etc. Strewn around the Cornucopia were other items, their value decreasing the farther they were from the horn.

The Careers and Luke had their sights on the mouth of the Cornucopia and nowhere else.

Jason was eyeing a bright blue backpack ten paces away. Thalia and Annabeth had similar targets.

Octavian positioned himself to run for a fancy knife by the horn's opening.

Leo and Travis gave each other a cryptic look. Travis indicated his head to his right — the split between the forest and meadows, and Leo nodded to show he understood, then focused on minor items scattered nearby. Matches...rope...

Bianca searched for her brother. He must've been on the other side of the Cornucopia, because she couldn't see him. She spotted a nearby sleeping bag. It wasn't very cold now, but hot days almost always meant cold nights in the Arena. She found Will three tributes away on her right, and pointed towards Nico, mouthing that they should go that way — to the forest.

Will nodded, and he waved at Nico and passed on the information. In the process, Will caught sight of his district partner and her mischievous expression, and rapidly shook his head at her, seeing what her plan was.

In her skilled fingers, Calypso turned over the little pouch she'd weaved in the Training Centre. She'd filled it with coffee beans, so now it was like a sort of beanbag.

The closest malicious tributes were Octavian and Perseus. The latter was a Career, but he didn't seem very harmful to her...

She smirked at the sky, then hurled her token at Octavian's feet.

He only had time to let out a high-pitched shriek when his platform exploded.

Dirt and gore rained upon the plain, and the tributes gawked at Calypso in shocked silence. She only calmly brushed the dust off of her shoulders.

Gong!

There was no time to waste. Twenty-three teens leaped to action. Calypso and Katie retreated instantly, grabbing the supplies nearest to them. Katie to the meadows with a bundle of thin clothes, and Calypso into the forest with a roll of twine.