The Reaping
"Ok everyone lets get to the reason why we are all here! Ladies first!" He moved towards the golden bowl, stuck his hand in, and pulled out a name. Happy once again had an award-winning smile.
"For the Ladies, Pepper Potts!"
This is not real, is her first thought. This is not happening. Pepper doesn't move, rooted to the ground in shock. She is dimly aware of the shocked muttering of the people around her because this is unprecedented, but then the ringing in her ears drowns it out. He sways and the two girls on the other side of her reach out to steady move away. And then they push her forward.
It was then that Antonia realized that the crushing grip Pepper had on her hand was gone. She looked around until her brown eyes spotted her strawberry-blond best friend. Pepper was being practically dragged to the stage. Antonia couldn't move until a piercing scream met her ears. Her head whipped around catching the horror on Mrs. Pots face. Her horror broke her out of her trance-like state, as her body now moved without her command. She pushed through the crowd until she got to the walkway, and pushed through the Sentinel. She ran up the path just passing the 16-year-olds before getting stopped by the sentinels once again. She then made an irrational choice that would either make her a hero in many peoples eyes or just a soon to be dead-man.
"I Volunteer!" Pepper was let go only to stare at Antonia, still not fully comprehending what was happening. The Sentinels fully let her go as she began to walk to the golden stage. she walked up the steps and met Happy Hogan on the farthest side. He smiled and slightly extended his hand to her.
"And what is our volunteer's name?" He then held the mike to her face.
"Tony Stark"
She didn't really pay attention after that, it's not like needing to. she misses the rest of the reaping, Happy's speech, the speech from the Mayor and only has a vague recollection of shaking the male tributes hand. She only seemed to re-enter the world when the two were ushered into the justice building and a hand laid on her shoulder in a suggestive way. Tony turned as fast as she could, grabbed whoever arm it was and held it in a crushing grip.
She saw that it was just, Justin Hammer, a man she was thinking of getting a restraining order on him. he was obsessed with her, he tried to be smart like her, and create weapons, but they were only half as strong and half as good as hers.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm the Male tribute of this year! When I saw you volunteer I had to myself so we can be together, We shook hands remember?" She gave him this face as if he seriously thought she was paying attention to something so trivial. Guess he was as stupid as she thought. Tony was ecstatic when the sentinels came to bring them to the visitor room.
He said to wait as they will bring in the visitors soon. She waited for what was probably about 20 minutes before she saw a face she knew would be disappointed in her, her best friend, and her best friends mother who had been the closest thing to a mother figure she had since her own mother had passed.
"What the hell were you thinking?! Volunteering like that? are you out of your fucking mind?" The expression on Howard's face explained enough to her to know if she made it out alive her father would be the end of her instead.
"Father it's not like I was going to let my best friend go into the games! She wouldn't have even the slightest chance at making it", She turned to Pepper an apologetic look was on her face,"No offense Pepper"
"None taken Tony", She replied with a small smile, as Tony turned back to her father. Her face hardened once again as she continued.
"There was something I could do for her dad, I have more of a chance at winning this and coming home than she does! And if there was even the slightest chance I could protect one of the greatest thing in my life? You know damn well I'd take that chance in a heartbeat." Howard had scowled at her before replying.
"Yeah, but what if you don't make it out Antonia? What if you die in the games? You're my only daughter, I tried to protect you from this So I didn't lose my higher to this family!"
"That's all you ever cared about dad was your stupid heir to your fucking company! Now if you could so kindly move I have limited time here and want to say goodbye to people who actually care about me." Tony had pushed past him to envelop Pepper into a tight hug. Pepper had smiled at her when they reluctantly pulled away.
"Tony I need you to win the games, if not for yourself, then me please."
"Don't worry peeper I will win I promise I will come back alive." Tony gave a warm smile to her and Mrs. Pots. Pepper then moved out of the way for her mother to come talk to Tony. The first thing Mrs. Potts did was hug tony before pulling away and looking at her.
"Thank you so much dear, you saved my daughter, you are a true hero. I know you will come back alive, you tony, are a conqueror you conquer things to make them your own. So pardon my french, but make The Avenger Game your bitch." She looked at her smiling before a sentinel said their time was up. Tony gave one last hug to Pepper and her mother before they left.
"Wait, Dad", She said before her father left. one of the sentinels tried to see him out but he held up his hand to silence him.
"What", His cold gaze soon broke as he saw a flash of dark brown hair before his daughter's arms wrapped around him. He didn't reactor and for a second didn't move his arm, but soon he melted into the hug. He wrapped his own arms around her in a protective hug
"I Love You Dad."
"I Love You too, Antonia" He was then ripped from her grasp and forced out of the room, leaving Tony in silence for what was another 20 minutes before someone came to get her to bring her to the train to the capital.
As she got onto the train she was lead into what looked to be a dining cart. There, sitting at the table, was Happy Hogan and Peter Quill. The table was almost littered with different kinds of food she'd seen every time they had a banquet or fancy dinner to meet investors or potential partners for stark industries. Happy had smiled toward her and motioned for her to sit down.
She took the seat next to Peter Quill while Happy sat on her left. Soon Justin Hammer was escorted in and set across from her in the trains square table. He gave Tony one of his creepy smiles she hated so much. Always sends shivers down her spine.
"I suggest you eat as much as you can from now to the games, but I believe you already know this since your careers." Peter Quill said with a small smile on his face as he ate his salad. Tony Gave His a look of confusion before as, she will call him, creepy idiot spoke up.
"What we aren't Careers? Well, I'm not i don't know about Antonia over there."
The look Peter had on his face was as if someone told him his father killed his mother with brain cancer. Pure unadulterated shock. Happy's regular smile changed to a confused one as well before Tony spoke up.
"No, you Creppy Idiot I'm not a career, I volunteered for my best friend because I have more of a shot at this that she does."
"Wait, why the hell did they allow you to volunteer?! God, what the hell is District 3 coming too."
"Well Mr. Quill, I decided I loved my best friend more than my life."
Peter had sighed, but ultimately understood what she was talking about. The only thing he didn't understand was why the hell Justin Hammer was there. So he turned his attention toward Justin and asked the question both him and Happy wondered.
"Ok, Antonia you have a good reason for being here, what about you Justin?"
"Oh, I'm only here because she is", He looked lovingly at Tony while she sent back a look of disgust," I wouldn't let her go into the games alone, she the love of my life."
"Yeah ok whatever lets you sleep at night", She sent back before quietly replying,"you're going to be the first one to die, and I'm going to be the one to do it."
Tony spends most of the night on the train thinking, its the only thing her brain would let her do. The train doesn't feel like it's moving at all, even though Happy told her that they're moving almost two hundred miles per hour, but the bed is too soft to be comfortable. Her bead at home is usually a lot harder than this, But this train care one feels like a marshmallow compared to hers.
A couple hours after the sun begins to rise, its pale light creeping into the compartment and illuminating the lavish decorations, beautifully-patterned wallpaper, thick purple curtains and soft carpet. An attendant knocks on his door and when Tony answers, she frowns at her now crumpled dress, she also bets her hair is a tangled mess. The makeup Pepper did is probably a mess as well.
"Did you sleep in those?" he asks, his eyes vibrant orange. They can't be natural, can they? "There are pajamas in the dresser. You should probably also change for breakfast. Mr. Quill and Mr. Hogan would like you in the dining car in half an hour." He squints his eyes at Tony's messed up makeup. "You are also encouraged to use the facilities, " and gestures to the tiled room in the corner of Tony's room that she's guessing is her bathroom.
"Okay," Scott says, but she looks like she has something to ask.
"What?" the attendant asks skeptically.
"The clothes in the dresser just dresses or are there tank-tops and shorts, or like long pants? Anything other than dresses, they aren't my thing like at all," Tony ask fidgeting with her dress. She wasn't kidding, they always got in the way when she worked so she just stuck with tank-tops and shorts. Tony is brilliant and chaotic and usually covered in engine grease, and she wishes she were like Pepper sometimes, organized and clean, with nail polish and makeup and well-done hair. But nail polish scratches off when you work with machines, makeup sweats off, and her hair just gets in the way. She always has it in a high ponytail or bun just to keep it out of her face or work.
The attendant looks at her in slight annoyance, but apparently decides he has to reply sometime.
"No there are only dresses, but I'll go grab you some. While your eating I'll switch your clothes."
"Ok, that's great I'll go take a shower."
The attendant was about to leave before her voice stopped him, "Oh, can you bring some hair-ties in too that would be great!" The attendant sighs before leaving the room.
She walked into the bathroom only to look at the mirror and understand why the attendant gave her that 'You need a shower' look. Her hair was a curly rats nest and most of the eyeshadow had rubbed off and left the smudged mascara and eyeliner. Her engine red lips had also been smudged across the side of her face. And this is why she doesn't wear makeup. Wel one of the reasons. She moved and unzipped her dress and shut the door. Her dress hit the ground with a 'plop', as she started to take off her undergarments. she turned on the shower and waited for a bit until it was hot. In those few minutes she just stared at her tanned skin, and then her arc reactor. Tony started to tap on it sub-consciously until the mirror had steamed over. She stepped in and cleaned herself up.
When she got out she was a lot more happy with how she looked, her dark brown hand laid unchanged and flat against her back, and she has a clean non-smudged face. As Tony unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out she was happy to see a few hair-ties on the bed on top of a black tank-top, dark brown belt, and some blue jeans. As she got ready the ever president matter came to mind. Soon the gears in her brain started to tick as she thought of strategies.
When she is finished, she stared at her self and put her hair in a high-ponytail. She was pretty content with her appearance, but did think it was missing some mechanic grease on her face. that thought has caused her to laugh at her thought of a normal appearance.
Tony kinda felt like just staying there, in her room away from people. Her room here was the closest equivalent to her lab at home. She also didn't want to face the facts that the only ways out of this was murder, going to breakfast would fully confirm that she, in fact, was in the Avenger games. Tony was about to sit down-
“Miss. Stark, it’s time,” the attendant’s voice comes from outside the door.
Tony opens her eyes and takes a steadying breath, as she stood back up and walked over to the door, and putting her expression in the infamous 'I don't care I'm Tony Stark' face.
Justin is already in the dining car when she pulls open the door, scarfing down a large stack of pancakes without bothering to look at her. Tony sits down next to him, across from Peter and Happy, the latter looking disgusted at Justin’s lack of manners.
Tony is very hungry at this point, but he gets himself some eggs and toast and eats it very slowly, worried that he might throw up if he eats too fast. Still, even with his terror at being here, the food is delicious.
"Alright, let's begin, " Peter says seriously, leaning forward and pushing his plate to the side. Justin goes stiff in his seat next to her and Tony out down her fork and knife, and stared at Peter as he begins to talk again.
"I'm going to be very frank with you two," Peter says calmly. "Unless I'm seriously mistaken, neither of you are fighters. "
"I once punched a guy and knocked out his two front teeth, for slapping my ass once if that counts", then she put her hand on her on chin," well I've done worse, I guess especially if you count that one time where-"
Quill had cut her off,"Ok, well have you ever been in a hand-to-hand combat situation?"
"No, that I haven't been, totally doubt shrimpy here has either, maybe with an old woman but I feel like he lost anyway."
"Hey! That's not true," he then pouted like an incessant child," and she didn't win ok!"
"Well that proves my point"
Quill felt like giving up here, they were both acting like children, and in his opinion, neither of them are going to make it out of the games.
"Well, You will be given three days to train, and my recommendation is to spend all of that time learning survival skills," Quill says grimly. "Neither of you will be able to significantly increase your strength or become skilled enough with a weapon in that amount of time. And I hope you don't try because I fell like you would either stab an eye out or cut off a hand."
"I'm pretty handy with mechanical devices like can stab someone in the eye with a screwdriver and I don't have that bad of an aim. I learn quickly too aswell I might be able to pick up a few things" Tony says, not minding the helpless look Justin's face.
"What about sponsors?" Justin asks cutting off the conversation, the look he gave said that might be the only thing he has, most likely from his family.
"I would say yes," Quill says confidently. "In general, the tributes from District 3 are usually sponsored because they were memorial and careers. Unless you manage to piss them off or disappoint them, then it's doubtful you'll not be considered as a potential recipient."
Tony nods carelessly. It's not anything new, after all. District 3 tributes always get sponsors because of being careers and the fact that they know how to win the audience.
"Even if you get sponsored you will still have to survive, and outlast the other tributes," Quill says. "That is ultimately your best hope since neither of you are fighters. You just have to be properly prepared."
And smart enough to use the information, Tony thinks mockingly.
"And since you both will make a big Splash at the capital, especially you, " Quill says pointedly, and points to Tony," We, Happy and I, will help you get sponsors, as long as you play your part, the two of you might have a chance at survival."
Happy's face twists into one of his award-winning smiles, but he takes a drink of brightly colored juice instead of saying anything.
"How do we do that?" Justin asks.
Tony zones out as Quill starts talking about ways to "wow" the Capitol audience. She already thinking of different senarios she will encounter in the capital like what questions the 'Master of Ceremonies', Aldrich Killian, will ask her. Tony's thinking of every way she can win the games and go home to Pepper, to her father, Jarvis and her inventions. To get her life back. She highly doubts that though, you never truly get out of the games. You win, the capital own you just a bit more. The only thing she knows for sure is she never plays by the rules. She'll win this game on her terms, by her hand.
"Tony?" Happy says worriedly, breaking her out of his reverie. "Are you alright?"
Tony smiles blankly. "Yeah, I'm okay, just thinking. "
She's not, of course. She's never been ok. She's hasn't been ok since the accident that almost took her life, and caused her to now have an arc reactor embedded into her chest. But there's nothing she can do about it all she can really do is keep moving. That's what Pepper told her when she had to get used to the arc reactor and heal from her wounds. Just keep moving.
Pepper smiled at Tony from the side of her bed. She spoke calmly, with so much tenderness, and warmth in her voice.
"Life is about how much you can take and keep fighting, how much you can suffer and keep moving forward."
"Why are you acting like we aren't going into an area to die?" Justin asks her almost bewildered, when they leave the dining car and head to another car to watch the footage of the other Reapings.
Tony gives him a confident smirk. "I'm thinking of every way I can survive this, because I actually have a chance to win this."
He looks at her searchingly for a second, and then turns away and puts a faltering smile on. Tony watched for a second as he down across from Happy. She then turns back to the Tv and watched the tributes. She studied and analyzed ever one that was on the stages. She knew a few of them, not personally, but names traveled as well as reputations. Like Stephen Strange, he was one of the youngest doctors in One. He finished surgery’s no one could finished, saved lives that should have been lost. It soon gave him a reputation among many of District one, that spread to many of the other Districts and The Capital.
The other one she recognized way Thor Odinson. He was the son of Odin, one of the oldest living Victors.
As her eyes scanned over everyone, they caught at a young boy from 11. His name soon showed on the screen. Peter Parker. He looked to be about 14, but that's not what she noticed. What she noticed was that when he was called no screamed for him. No one cared it seemed. Or no one was around. It made her visible frown that a boy as innocent looking as him was forced to be thrown into a game, forcing children to kill each other.
Soon the names of all the tributes played on the screen.
District one
Stephen Strange District One Tribute
Clea Ross District One Tribute
District Two
Clint Barton District Two Tribute
Natalia "Natasha" Romanova District Two Tribute
District Three
Antonia Stark District Three Tribute
Justin Hammer District Three Tribute
District Four
Thor Odinson District Four Tribute
Jane Foster District Four Tribute
District Five
Aneka Dora District Five Tribute
Erik Killmonger District Five Tribute
District Six
Nobu Yoshioka District Six Tribute
Elektra Natchios District Six Tribute
District Seven
Jessica Jones District Seven Tribute
Zebediah Killgrave District Seven Tribute
District Eight
Scott Lang District Eight Tribute
Hope van Dyne District Eight Tribute
District Nine
Pietro Maximoff District Nine Tribute
Ororo Munroe District Nine Tribute
District Ten
Mantis Slee District Ten Tribute
Drax Troy District Ten Tribute
District Eleven
Peter Parker District Eleven Tribute
Bobbi Morse District Eleven Tribute
District Twelve
Steve Rogers District Twelve Tribute
Sharon Carter District Twelve Tribute
She couldn't help but feel bad that everyone but one had to die.
For peoples fucking entertainment.
Tony sat in on the couch with a few papers and pencils as she thought out plans and statistic fro the other tributes. She was certain he was going to last, but then again the world was an unpredictable bitch. The tributes from Districts 1 and 2 are all volunteers and 17 years old. Stephen even though he had volunteered for his brother, still looked quite deadly. The boy and girl from District 2 look like they could kill Tony 100 different ways each. Tony can tell that the girl from 6 is equally as lethal just by the look on her face. All of the boys are bigger than her except for the young boy from 11, Peter. The Tributes from Districts 7, 8, 9, and the girl from 10 look the least lethal but still the two from 8 still look like they have a decent chance.
Every once in a while Quill makes a comment about the tributes (don't underestimate the two from 2 and boy from 4, ) but mostly they watch in silence. The tributes from District 8 appear to be boyfriend and girlfriend, and Tony finds herself holding back a sad smile as they clutch at each other while the commentators coo at the drama of it all. The girl from 10 sobs all the way up to the podium and the girl from 11 actually tries to run, but most Careers had a type of smug body language about them. Tony cringes when The boy from 9 is called did a girl who looks to be his twin runs into the pathway and kicks and screams to get to him. She looks like she was about to volunteer when someone in the boy's section gave her a look as did her brother when he got to the stage. The commentators are clearly bored at this point.
"God I'm so dead," Justin says hopelessly when the screen goes blank.
"Don't say that," Happy says. "Physical strength isn't the only-"
"Other than my family sponsoring me I don't know what to do!" Justin says, leaping off the couch and yelling at Happy exasperatedly. "You think we have a chance against those Careers? Or the boy from 10?"
"Why do you think I won't have a chance? Huh? what the hell do you think I have been doing here drawing new weapon plans or something?"
"Well what am I going to do them," he says, eyes took a glassy look. "I don't want to die! "
"Then why did you chose to come into the games?" Tony shoots back when he runs from the room. "Because that was a stupi-"
"Tony," Happy says warningly. "Do not Push him."
Tony scowls and raises her hands defensively. "Hey, just trying to show him how idiotic that was. "
"I'll go talk to him," Quill says, wanting to get out of this room.
He leaves before they can call him back and follows Justin to his room. Tony just moves to pick up her one pencil and papers.
"Tony," Happy says trying to reassure her to stay.
Tearing her eyes away from the pile of papers on the couch, Tony says, "No, I'm going to my Room, I'm winning this no matter what and no one can bring me down with them," She stalks out of the room.
When she got to her room she locked the door, sat on her bed, as she went through all the papers in her hand going over the words she has written. When she gets to the training room she'll get more statistics from them.
Only thing she has certain is that she will win, even if she has to kill her way through.