"The Games took everything from me - long after I thought I was through with them."
Strong and nimble-handed from years of working in his father's mechanic shop, Vernon's high training score was enough to earn him admittance to a small Career pack that included both tributes from One and the boys from Four and Seven. But then, to the shock of the audience, Vernon turned on his own allies in the bloodbath, slaying two and wounding a third before fleeing from the stronger boy from Seven. With the Careers disabled, several smaller alliances moved in throughout the Games, trying to lay claim to the Cornucopia and the supplies inside, but none of the miniature alliances held it longer than a day before another came to take its place, leaving the defenders dead or on the run.
By the fifth day, only three tributes remained - Vernon, the boy from Seven, and the girl from Eight. Deciding to attack her stronger opponent first, the girl ambushed the boy from Seven, nearly killing him before he struck a deadly blow to her chest. Bleeding heavily, the boy from Seven sought out Vernon, knowing his only chance was to kill his opponent quickly. But Vernon was ready at the then-abandoned Cornucopia with an array of weapons, and quickly slew his former ally.
Returning to District Six, Vernon did his best to resume a normal life, but struggled to come to terms with his guilt. In an attempt to atone for what he had done, Vernon adopted three boys - a number to match those he had killed during the Games. At first, this seemed to help. But after Luke's death in the first Quarter Quell, Vernon retreated further into himself, eventually turning to drugs as a comfort. The other boys moved out, leaving Vernon truly alone. Even Nicodemus' victory - only a year after Luke's death - did little to assuage his grief. Vernon sees only a poor reminder of how much more he could have done to help Luke.
Age of Victory: 17
Reaped
Training Score: 9
Kills: 3
Arena: Airport
Length of Games: 5 days
Current Age: 54
Successful Mentorships:
Nicodemus Ford
Nicodemus Ford
Victor of the 26th Hunger Games
"There's a reason I'm still alive. If I can help someone else find even a small measure of peace, then it's worth it."
Quiet, physically unremarkable, and painfully shy, Nicodemus blundered through the Capitol festivities in a state of constant anxiety. He quickly isolated himself from his fellow tributes, not wanting to get attached to anyone who was going to die soon, anyway. Once in the arena, however, Nicodemus quickly found his element, hiding in the caves beneath the domed underwater arena by day and emerging at night to strike unsuspecting tributes, killing them for their supplies. Within a week, he found himself one of three remaining tributes, along with the pair from Four. The two Careers, not wanting to fight each other until there were no other options, hunted Nicodemus down together. But he was lying in wait for them at the mouth of a cave, and managed to spear the girl with a lucky blow. Enraged, the boy didn't think twice about following Nicodemus into the cave, where Nicodemus had already laid a trap. The boy had no time to react before a stalactite smashed his skull.
Since the Games, Nicodemus tried to move on, and, surprisingly, mentoring other tributes became a source of comfort and healing for him. But the year of the 41st Games, Nicodemus' gentle nature finally caught up with him. Arriving back in District Six in the midst of a series of brutal executions, Nicodemus stepped in to prevent the torture of a young boy named Byron, killing him before the Peacekeepers could. Taking Nicodemus in the boy's place, the Peacekeepers crushed his limbs and left him on display in the district square for hours before newly elected President Grisom ordered his release. Despite this, Nicodemus has become a silent force for peace in a district thirsty for revenge. Attempts by the rebels to paint him as a martyr for their cause have failed, as have Peacekeepers' attempts to sweep him out of the way. Nicodemus doesn't want more bloodshed - on either side. And if he must play a part in the Games, all he wants is to help his tributes find some comfort and peace.
Age of Victory: 16
Reaped
Training Score: 5
Kills: 6
Arena: Atlantis
Length of Games: 7 days
Current Age: 40
Successful Mentorships:
Duke Ballard
Duke Ballard
Victor of the 47th Hunger Games
"I beat the odds, but that ain't my real victory. My real victory's having the sense to appreciate still being alive."
Everyone knew the reapings were rigged. Ever since Vernon lost his son Luke to the Games, the tributes who were reaped were increasingly those who wouldn't be missed. So when Duke and Kelvin, the leaders of rival gangs in the inner district, were reaped in the same year, no one was surprised. Believing his fate was already sealed, Duke decided to play up their rivalry. His act caught the Careers' interest, and they offered him a deal: If he could kill Kelvin in the bloodbath, he would have a place in their alliance. Unbeknownst to Duke, they had also made the same offer to Kelvin. The Gamemakers got wind of it, and the pair of them were positioned next to each other in the bloodbath, with a single short sword between them. Kelvin hesitated. Duke didn't. Within seconds after the gong sounded, the sword was buried in Kelvin's chest. The Careers were clearly disappointed with the quick finish, but they kept their word, allowing Duke to join them.
Together, they traversed the prison, hunting tributes where they could and fighting off giant rat mutts and chains that seemed to have a life of their own. On the tenth night of the Games, Duke struck out on his own, and by the thirteenth day, only Duke and the boy from One remained. Mutts drove them together, but, just as they entered the same cell, chains wrapped around their legs, holding them in place as the mutts closed in. Both struggled against their restraints, but both only managed to free one limb. Too far away to reach each other, they could only wait and see whom the mutts would decide to devour first ... until Duke found a way out. With the same sword he had used to kill Kelvin, Duke cut through his own right leg at the knee, freeing himself and hurrying over to finish off his opponent before passing out.
To everyone's surprise, Duke refused the Capitol's offer of a prosthetic leg in favor of a simple peg leg he fashioned himself. He maintains that his mentors taught him by example that it's better to be broken physically than mentally, and that his leg is a reminder that, when it really mattered, he was truly unbreakable.