Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was only after the ice hit her feet that Marinette thought about how bad of an idea slippers in snow was. One step and the usually comfortable, squishy layers were suddenly frigid, sopping wet pads of misery. 

Had she been going any further than across the street, Marinette probably would have forced herself to double back for some more appropriate clothing, but as things were she pressed on. Nevermind her wet slippers and the wind cutting through her robe like a knife. 

The lights in the manor across from hers were on, which was an oddity given that it was that block of time where one questioned whether to call it night or morning. They shouldn’t have been up. But then again, neither should she. 

Marinette whimpered slightly as she jammed her cold toe on the steps leading up to the door, and she felt tears building in her eyes by the time she reached the door. It was a stupid thing to cry over, but her hurting toe was just the cherry on top of a sundae of horribleness, and she was reaching her limit of coping ability tonight very quickly. 

She raised her hand to knock on the door, but hesitated, shivering in place for a moment. It was so late. She shouldn’t be bothering them–

The door opened without her knocking, startling her. 

Fashion genius or not, Marinette would never understand how Gabriel Agreste always looked so perfectly put together no matter what was going on. She’d seen him close to a breakdown over his son going into murder Games, and he’d still managed to look stylish even then. And that went for right now too. 

He was clearly low on sleep, but he was still somehow the picture of composure and strength with his bedhead and nightwear as he leaned on the doorframe. 

“Marinette,” he greeted, his robe and long-sleeved pajamas fluttering in the winter wild. He didn’t give so much as a shiver. 

“I… um…” Marinette bit her lip, feeling pathetic for not the first time in his presence. He’d dealt with everything she had and more, and he’d done it alone. He was probably tired of her invading his house. Especially in the middle of the night. 

But he just stepped to the side, gesturing for her to come in. “Adrien’s already awake due to nightmares as well. Come in before you freeze to death.”  

Was she that predictable? 

Marinette garbled out a thank you, scurrying out of the cold and into the welcome heat created by the fireplace in the Agreste manor. Adrien was probably on the sofa in front of it. That was common these days. Just like her being over here. 

Her family was so supportive, but they could never understand. They hadn’t been in the arena. 

But Gabriel and Adrien… They all had the same horrible shared experience. They got it. The three of them could just… sit without a word needing to be said. 

“You really need to throw on a coat before coming here,” Gabriel said lightly as they walked together to the living room. “Could be a scandalous moment of ruin to your career if you were caught in mismatched pajamas after becoming a fashion designer.” 

Marinette spluttered out a small laugh. His sense of humor was so dry. It had taken her some getting used to, but she appreciated his attempt to lighten her mood all the same. 

But nothing brightened her nights after a nightmare quite like Adrien’s smile. 

There he was – wrapped in a blanket on the sofa just like she’d expected. He looked about as great as she felt, but his whole body perked up as she walked into view. 

“Marinette!” He shifted on the sofa, making room for her. 

She instantly took the spot, snuggling up close to him and laying her head on his shoulder. “Hey.” 

Safe. She always felt safer around him, and she was sure he felt the same around her. They’d relied on each other so much in the Games, and now it was like that was ingrained in them forever. 

Gabriel dropped a blanket over her shoulders from behind before relocating to his armchair that was by the sofa. As per normal, there was a cup of coffee, a sketch pad, and a pencil there waiting for him. 

Marinette sighed, closing her eyes as she relaxed to the feeling of Adrien’s heartbeat and the sound of Gabriel’s scratching pencil. 

Here she could sleep. Here she wouldn’t stare at the ceiling for hours and then wake up screaming with no memory of actually dozing off. Here her parents wouldn’t rush in and fuss over her and make her feel terrible about being the cause of the worry in their eyes. 

Here was just… peace. Just her and Adrien, watched over by Gabriel’s steady presence. 

It was the most she could ask for anymore. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛🦚

“...yes, she’s here. No, it’s no bother at all. I’m sure she’ll prefer to eat breakfast back at your house. Yes, I will. You’re very welcome. Goodbye.”

Marinette blinked awake slowly, taking in the low fire in front of her and the lack of Adrien beside her. Actually, she was alone in the room, but Gabriel wasn’t far – she could hear his voice. 

Marinette sat up, rubbing one eye with a yawn. She wondered what time it was, but it didn’t really matter. It was the weekend, so she thankfully had no school to worry about. She’d missed more than a handful of classes due to her night terrors, but the teachers had thankfully been understanding. 

Gabriel’s sketch book was within reaching distance, and Marinette’s curiosity motivated her into shuffling fully to the end of the couch to grab it. 

She smiled as she looked over the designs. They were as immaculate as always. And for her and Adrien, it looked like. He always linked their designs back to the Miraculous they’d held in the arena. Mostly her with the Ladybug and him with the Cat, but he did weave in some influences from the other Miraculous they’d wielded for shorter periods of times occasionally as well.

“Are you trying to steal my designs, Miss Dupain-Cheng?” Gabriel had an eyebrow raised at her as he reentered the room and placed the phone back on its stand.  

“Sorry,” she said sheepishly, setting the book back down. “I was just curious.”

He hummed, sitting back down in his chair. “You’re always welcome here, but you really should start leaving a note for your parents. They seem more frantic every time they call. Though I can’t say I understand why – I’m the first call they make, and you’ve been here every time.” 

Marinette swallowed, feeling guilting. She never thought about that stuff during the night. She just was always in a blind panic to get here. 

“Sorry to bother you again,” Marinette said softly. 

“You are anything but a bother, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel assured, taking a sip of another cup of coffee. At least she assumed it was a new one. “You might be thankful to Adrien and myself for being here for you, but I promise you we are equally thankful in return.”

Marinette pulled her knees close, staring into the fire. “How did you do all this alone? How did you get over any of it?”  

Gabriel arched an eyebrow as he took an even larger sip. “What makes you think I have gotten over it?”

Marinette opened her mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again. “Well, you never wake up screaming in the middle of the night.” 

Gabriel coughed. 

“...What?” 

“If you’d like to stop worrying your parents, I recommend soundproof walls.” 

Marinette blanched at the implications of his words. 

Had he… Did he get soundproof walls put in this mansion for Adrien’s sake, or had it been even earlier than that? 

“Emilie was the only thing that truly helped in my first few years,” Gabriel admitted. “Fortunately, you and Adrien didn’t have months without someone there for you.” 

Months. That would have been awful.  But only months? When had he met Adrien’s mother? Sounded like pretty quickly after his Games if they’d already had Adrien by the time Adrien’s mother went into hers. 

“Where is Adrien?” Marinette asked. Usually he was there when she woke up. 

“Shower. He didn’t want to wake you.” Gabriel finished up his last sip of coffee. “You should talk to your parents.”

“Yeah…” Marinette grumbled. She loved them dearly, but dealing with their worry took so much mental energy. They wanted to help so much, but they really just couldn’t. 

She wiggled to the edge of the couch and got up, regretfully leaving her blanket behind. Gabriel must have moved her slippers while she was asleep, because they were by the fire and dry. 

Always looking out for her health… He really hadn’t stopped since the Games. 

“Take a pair of Adrien’s snow boots by the door home,” Gabriel said. “You can return them later.” 

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing her slippers. She paused by the door of the living room, squinting back at his book. “When do I get to see the finished product of those designs?”

They’d always enjoyed talking fashion together, but the look he gave her this time was concerningly grave. 

“Your Victory Tour.” 

Oh.

Suddenly, she wasn’t so eager. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛🦚

18 YEARS AGO

Gabriel sniffled, pawing the tears on his face away before he tried to focus on his designs again. The first page would probably go in the trash due to his shaky hand. It almost always did after he woke up from his nightmares, but even just trying to draw his designs helped calm him down a little, so he’d scribble something all the same. 

Or at least they usually calmed him down. That hadn’t really been the case with this latest one, and it was easy to realize why. 

The Victory Tour was coming up. His Victory Tour. He was going to be paraded back into the spotlight. Gushed and fawned over for events and actions he’d like nothing more than to forget. And he was going to be wearing this design. 

He’d never wanted to trash his own work more. But it was better than being but through the same affair and looking awful at the same time, he reminded himself. 

If the Capitol was going to force him into this position year after year, he was going to be there on as much of his own terms as possible. 

They would not see him like this – sobbing on his bed in the middle of the night covered in sweat while his hands trembled. They would not see how much they’d broken him. Never again. He would be strong. He would be a survivor, not one of the weak Victors that the Capital liked to pretend didn’t exist. 

They put him in this position, and now they were going to be stuck with him. 

Gabriel took a deep breath, feeling the tremor in his hand ease a little. Yes, that was good. 

There wasn’t much he could do to actually hurt the Capitol, but he could at least annoy them by looking better than everyone else. 

Just a few days… 

Soon, he’d be back in the Capitol. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛🦚

14 YEARS AGO

Back to the Capitol. 

Nathalie stared out her window blankly, a numbness that she was growing used to blanketing her whole form. 

What was the point of this Victory Tour? Nobody liked her. The Districts hated her for being a Career. The Careers hated her for not winning the way Careers were supposed to win.

She was an outcast to everyone. 

Everyone, it seemed, except Emilie. Nathalie had been worth saving to her for some reason. And because of that, Nathalie’s only true friend she’d ever had was dead, leaving behind a child and a husband. 

Nathalie sighed, rubbing her forehead. She’d cried herself out already for the moment. She didn’t have any more to give. 

At least she couldn’t be treated any worse in the districts and the Capitol than she already was here.

Chapter Text

Gabriel wondered if there was ever going to be a time when he wasn’t on edge. One would have thought that his son making it out of the Hunger Games would ease that given that he couldn’t be selected again, but no. Despite the now months it had been, that feeling of high alert wasn’t leaving. 

…Especially since he kept waking up to Adrien waking up screaming. 

Logically, he knew exactly what was going on every time, but being startled awake by the terrified screams of his child never had him thinking logically for the first few seconds.

He had never been more thankful for Marinette and her family. They were keeping Adrien grounded in ways he couldn’t. 

Gabriel walked back towards his home, his shoes crushing against the freshly fallen snow on the ground. He’d escorted Marinette and Adrien into town to her parent’s bakery – he knew they were more than capable of walking the half-mile on their own, but he’d felt the need to get out of the house so he’d tagged along with them.

…That was a lie to himself and he was fully aware of it. He just hated letting Adrien out of his sight for too long these days. Adrien had probably known that when Gabriel had offered to go with them, but he’d said nothing. 

A lot of things between them went unsaid lately, but they were making it work. 

Gabriel gave friendly smiles to those who passed, and they were returned, but there wasn’t any conversation. There were a few people who’d become more friendly with him since he’d brought Marinette and Adrien back home, but it seemed none of them were out today.

Gabriel’s brain wandered to his priorities list for the day. He had been working on a dress he envisioned Nathalie wearing one day – although he doubted she’d ever get to – and Marinette had left a few designs for him to give feedback on. He tried not to be too harsh with her, but he also knew that she wouldn’t make progress if he was subtle or too complimentary. Her designs were usually solid, but she still had a lot to learn. As did he when he was her age. 

He was still zoned out as he entered his home but he froze before he even closed the door completely.

The atmosphere was off. Something was different. 

It was too cold, but the fire was still going. It was as though someone had already let in cold air before he’d gotten here. 

Gabriel adjusted his glasses as he looked at the floor. 

There were tracks ahead of him where he hadn’t stepped yet – clumped chunks of dirt-mixed snow that had clearly been tracked in by someone who hadn’t wiped their feet.  

Someone was definitely inside his house.

It wasn’t the first time he’d had this feeling. Far from it, actually. Especially in that first year after he’d won his Games – the paranoia was a constant feeling. But this was different. This was undeniable proof.

Gabriel’s pulse kicked up, his adrenaline pumping in a way it hadn’t in years. 

Who would be so foolish as to break into the house of not one, but two Hunger Games Victors? There shouldn’t have been many people starving with the Capitol benefits Adrien and Marinette’s victory had brought the district. 

Gabriel cautiously walked towards his kitchen, planning to grab a knife in case the intruder was a true threat he’d need a weapon to face– 

Except he straight into the intruder as soon as he turned the corner instead.

Gabriel didn’t hesitate in throwing a punch toward the figure’s stomach and lunging forward, twisting them and slamming their torso over the kitchen island.

The Peacekeeper groaned, uttering various curses under his breath as he struggled in Gabriel’s grip on his arm and the back of his neck.

Gabriel paused. A Peacekeeper? In his home?

A scoff startled him out of his thoughts.

“Gabriel! My, those Victor’s instincts certainly haven’t vanished over the years! Do let him go, would you? Peacekeepers’ families are so utterly expensive to pay for when they die!” An annoyingly familiar voice chided him, all energy in the air evaporating with her mere presence.

Gabriel instantly dreaded his entire existence even more. He would have preferred to deal with a murderous robber. 

“President Bourgeois,” Gabriel greeted coldly, releasing the Peacekeeper to join the other three in the room. He stood up straight and pulled off his gloves. “What brings you to District 8?”

He felt just as much like strangling her now as he did on the podium all those years ago.

The President wore a fur coat that was so blazing white it hurt Gabriel’s eyes. A black sweater sat underneath, matching the large hat she was wearing on her head. She was sitting down, but the heels she was wearing would’ve increased her height by at least six inches in a way that Gabriel could only assume was pure torture. Maybe that’s why she was always so irritable. 

She stood up – sure enough, she was half a foot taller with those shoes – and crossed over to him, her heels clicking on the tile menacingly. Putting her hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, she leaned towards him with a sickeningly-sweet smile on her face. “Oh, Gabriel. We’ve known each other for a long time. Eighteen years now, if I’m doing my math correctly. You can call me Audrey.”

“With all due respect, Madam President,” which isn’t much, “I’d rather not.”

Audrey patted his shoulder gently. “Well, whatever makes you comfortable. We need to have a discussion.”

“Regarding?” Gabriel asked, even though he had zero doubt of what it was. Marinette and Adrien’s ‘rebellion’ against the Capitol had caused quite a stir, but Gabriel knew that immediately and he was proud of the kids for doing it.

“Make us some tea, if you would.” Audrey’s voice betrayed the tone of a question, although Gabriel knew he had zero choice in the matter. “I’ve traveled quite a ways to talk to you about your son and your… protege? Student? I understand you’ve been teaching Miss Dupain-Cheng about fashion recently.”

“I have, yes. She has a natural talent for it.” Gabriel reluctantly filled up the kettle and set it on the stove to heat. There truly weren’t words for how much he detested having to obey this woman. But she had Adrien and Marinette’s lives in her hands. 

“Much like yourself, if I recall.” Audrey sat back down, crossing her legs. “You hadn’t been out of your Games for two days before you designed your outfit for the closing ceremonies. It was magnificent, Gabriel, utterly magnificent. Far better than those garish curtains your predecessor had District 8’s tributes tripping around in.”

“Appreciated, Madame President.”

This small talk was intolerable. Although Gabriel couldn’t but agree about District 8’s previous stylist. He was almost sure than man had been color blind. 

“However, as much as I utterly adore your designs, they’re not what I’m here to talk about.”

Oh thank God they had a chance of making this eternal meeting slightly-less eternal. Even if Gabriel wasn’t looking forward to talking about the real topic either. 

“Gabriel, your tributes were a hit in the Capitol, we both know that,” Audrey began. “But their stunt with the Cataclysm was unacceptable.”

“They were merely trying to survive,” Gabriel explained calmly. He took a moment to remove his glasses and clean them.   

“And everyone in the Capitol believes that story. The districts though, well, not all of them bought it.”

Gabriel glanced at her slightly blurrier form. Of course he’d hoped that their act of rebellion would spark something, but he hadn’t known for sure. Most of his contact to the other Districts was extremely limited. Sure, he could make phone calls, but he only ever called Nathalie and a couple other Victors, and they talked in such cryptic codes that he was unsure anything ever truly got across.

“If the Head Gamemaker had had any sense, both of your tributes would’ve been dead the second your son lifted his hand,” she said dismissively, as though she were commenting on the weather. “Unfortunately, he didn’t and now we have to clean up the mess he left behind.”

Based on the ‘left behind’, Gabriel didn’t need much more to piece together what had happened to Denis Damocles.

Audrey cleared her throat. “I can’t let two teenagers from District 8 so blatantly disrespect the Capitol and walk away unharmed. That sets too dangerous a precedent, and no one wants another District 13 on their hands. So, here’s what’s going to happen. When their Victory Tour comes, you have one job. You make them convince everyone that they are just two kids who couldn’t bear the thought of living without one another.”

“Considering that’s the truth, it shouldn’t be too difficult.” Gabriel replaced his glasses smoothly. He didn’t care that he was talking back to her. Audrey was a woman who did everything maliciously and assumed everyone else did too. He wouldn’t be surprised if the idea of them being truly innocent in this matter had never even dawned on her.

“Maybe so, but you have to prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt. It doesn’t matter what they intended to do, this will run amok if left unchecked. If even one person thinks there’s a chance that they’re lying, you could have a lot of blood on your hands, Gabriel. Children, families… Married couples.”

The way she paused chilled Gabriel to his very core, but the chill was quickly chased away by the heat of his anger. The fact that she dared to use Emilie against him, even now.

He took a deep breath. Several. Fighting to keep himself calm. Audrey wanted a reaction, and Gabriel refused to give it to her.

“I will do as you ask, Madame President.” Gabriel’s voice came out calm and collected, but the undercurrent of rage was present even as he tried to hide it.

Her face lit as though she’d been presented with her favorite dessert. “Splendid, Gabriel! I knew you would understand! You’ve always been one of the more… well behaved Victors. That’s another reason I like you so much! Always keeping to yourself. I never have to worry about you starting a drunken brawl or spawn youth outside your district. Well, Adrien aside, but you were so young then. You know better now. Much like how I’m sure your little tributes will mature as they get older.” 

Gabriel bristled internally, suddenly feeling the urge to knock a candle over at the next Capitol dinner and light a tablecloth or Mike Rochip’s hair on fire. Maybe Amelie’s if he was lucky. 

“I aim to live my life with few ripples, Madame President,” Gabriel said instead. 

That wasn’t exactly a lie, and she wasn’t exactly wrong. Gabriel had been doing as much as he could to stay under the radar and not upset the Capitol for over a decade. But that wasn’t because he was obedient – he just couldn’t risk the Capitol using Adrien against him, or them finding out about Nathalie. 

“As all good citizens should,” Audrey said very patronizingly. She pointed to a collection of mugs on the counter that were from Marinette’s parents. “Would you mind parting with one of those? I’d hate to leave the tea after you went to the trouble.”

“Of course,” Gabriel forced out smoothly through gritted teeth. 

Audrey beamed at him as she stood again. “Oh, and you there. Jean, isn’t it?”

“...Armand, Madam,” the Peacekeeper that Gabriel had fought with before corrected.

“Yes, Jean, dear, you’re fired.” 

Gabriel winced as he poured tea into one of the mugs. He might have felt sorry for the man had he been a District 8 Peacekeeper, but he was from the Capitol, so he probably deserved it. 

Armand’s face – what little of it was visible with the bulky Peacekeeper helmets – paled. 

“Oh, don’t look like that,” Audrey waved her hand dismissively. “I could have had you executed for failing to protect me.”

She wasn’t wrong. Firing was merciful by her standards.  

Gabriel was just going to have to hope she kept being her version of merciful when considering Adrien and Marinette. 

Convince the population. Killed any notion of rebellion. 

Gabriel had a feeling that what Audrey wanted wasn’t so simple, and he wasn’t sure he wanted it to be.

Chapter Text

Adrien needed to pack. He didn’t want to. He’d been putting it off for days. But he was running short on time before the tour, and he doubted his dad would appreciate him having no clothes past the first day. Or even worse – having the same outfit multiple days in the row. That was probably criminal in his father’s eyes, and it would certainly be a scandal that the press would immediately gobble up. 

They focused on stupid stuff like that instead of important things like child murder, as always. 

…He really didn’t want to go on this trip. He’d spent the last six months trying to forget everything possible about the Capitol and the arena – not that he could, especially given all his vivid nightmares nearly every night – and now all of that was going to be shoved back in his face. And Marinette’s. With instant replay, most likely.

Adrien would have taken every nightmare in the world if it gave her some peace, but he couldn’t, and she was drowning in all even more than him. 

It was her family, he realized. And even Alya. They were trying so hard to support her, but they just didn’t get it, and their worry was making Marinette feel worse. Smothered. 

Adrien had never been so thankful to his dad. They didn’t need to say anything. His dad just… knew. Knew when to be there for him… when to leave him alone… when to say something, and when to just be there…

Going back to the Capitol would be horrible, but maybe it would do Marinette some good to just be with them. 

…Yeah probably not so much with all the focus on the Games. Nothing about that was going to be relaxing or reduce their stress. They’d be lucky if they got past this without on of both of them breaking down into tears mid interview speech.

Adrien sighed as he trudged into the house, a single loaf of bread tucked under his arm. 

“I’m home!” he called. 

He hadn’t used to do that, but his father had seemed jumpy lately, and he’d asked Adrien to start calling out so he could be sure if it was him or somebody else. Maybe he just wanted to know when Marinette showed up to their house again. She didn’t even knock anymore. 

Adrien frowned as he shut the door and hung his scarf up, but still hadn’t received an answer. His dad always called back. 

“Dad?” Adrien headed for the kitchen since he could see a light on in there. He needed to drop their bread there anyway. 

Sure enough, his father was there – standing by the counter and staring into what looked like a completely untouched cup of some beverage that had gone cold long ago. 

“Dad?” Adrien asked again.

The father blinked, looking over at him finally. “Adrien. You’re back already?” 

Adrien tilted his head. “I only went to the bakery to get a loaf of bread.” And he’d still ended up talking with Marinette’s dad for like thirty minutes. 

“I assumed you’d spend at least an hour there if Marinette was present,” his father said with a wry grin. 

Adrien’s cheeks used to heat when his father made comments like that, but it had been months since then. 

“She wasn’t there.” Adrien laid the bread on the counter. “She’s at her house getting ready to go.”

His father nodded. “Are you ready to go?”

Adrien’s stomach dropped. He was nowhere close to ready, although that implied that he’d started at all.

“I will be before we leave,” he said.

His father narrowed his eyes. “I’ve been telling you to pack for a week now.”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “I know…”

His father sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I get it, Adrien. The Victory Tour isn’t going to be a vacation of any sort. If anything it might just be the toughest challenge you’ve had so far. But you’ll pull through it. You have me, and you have Marinette. We’re a group and we’ll get through this together.”

Adrien took a deep breath. He knew his father was right, but that didn’t make this any easier. He dreaded what was coming more than he’d dreaded the actual Games. He didn’t want to let the Capitol tote him around like a shiny trophy bragging about his and Marinette’s ‘victory’ at the cost of twenty-two other kids' lives. And in front of their families no less.

“I’ll start packing.” His voice was tinged with resignation as he turned to leave the kitchen.

“You don’t have to pack for every day,” his father reminded him. “I have plenty of new designs.”

Of course he did. His dad dove into his designs when he was stressed.

…It was a wonder why Adrien needed to pack any outfits at all. Probably because half those designs went to Marinette.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

“Just be careful!”

It was probably the eighteenth time Marinette had heard those words in the last half hour alone, but still she promised she would. Just like she did every time.

“There’s no danger this time,” she reminded her father, though she felt a little in danger from the strength of his hug. 

“Tom, don’t send her off with a broken rib,” her mother chided, laughing slightly. 

Marinette’s father set her down sheepishly. “We’ll miss you every day, sweetie.”

“I won’t be that long,” she assured. “The Capitol likes to keep their schedules.” 

“We know, honey.” Her mom brushed her bangs away from her face a little. “We just worry.”

Yes. Yes they did. All the time. Smotheringly so. 

“It’s only two weeks. I’ll be back before you know it.” Marinette forced a smile on her face.

The truth was that no part of her wanted to go on this trip. It sounded like hell. And having seen every Victor show up in her District as a kid every year didn’t exactly make her fantasize about being in their shoes. Of course, the hope then had been to never have to be in the Hunger Games but that ship had sailed six months ago.

It didn’t help that she constantly had to reassure everyone that she was alright. There were only two other people in the District that could understand what she was going through. Everyone did their best, but she could feel their worry on her, and it made her feel like she had to perform to make them believe she was okay.

After giving her parents yet another set of hugs to placate them, Marinette grabbed her suitcase and took it towards the front door, pulling it open to find Alya waiting on the other side.

“You didn’t think I’d let you leave without saying ‘bye’, did you?” Alya laughed.

Marinette hugged her and waved her inside. “Get in here! It’s freezing out there!”

Alya came in and Marinette shut the door, tugging her scarf down off her face. 

“I assumed that you’d meet me at the train station,” Marinette told her.

“Didn’t want to compete with the cameras.” Alya smirked. “You’re famous now, unless you forgot.”

Marinette chuckled. “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. I’m just ready to get this over with.”

Alya nodded. “Well just don’t forget about us lowly denizens of District 8.”

“Couldn’t if I tried.” Marinette smiled. 

She was thankful to Alya. At least with her it was overbearing gratitude instead of overbearing worry. It was still a lot, but Marinette could act a little more like herself. 

…A little. She didn’t want Alya to feel any more guilty than she already did about Marinette volunteering for her. She’d made her choice, and it had turned out to be the right one. She’d made it out. Alya probably wouldn’t have. Alya was skilled, but too many things had been down to luck in that arena. 

A thousand goodbyes later – at least that’s how it felt to Marinette – she finally left and met up with Gabriel and Adrien to head to the train station. 

Their walk through the District was silent as the three carried their luggage to the train station. Marinette preferred their silence compared to what she got whenever she walked through the door of her parents’ bakery. Everyone’s heads turned to look at her and conversations would cease the second she was around.

Their silence was one of worry – one of fear for Marinette’s mental state. She vividly remembered hearing some people murmuring about how ‘she was such a sweet girl’ after she got back from the Games. She’d changed and people didn’t know how to react. No one knew how what she had done in the Arena for survival had affected her mentally, or at least the extent that it had. Everyone either underplayed it or exaggerated it.

Not Gabriel or Adrien though. They both knew perfectly what she was feeling. They were the only sense of companionship she had where she didn’t feel like she was constantly being watched for signs of damage. The three of them all had damage, it was just about managing it together.

Once they got into town it was a short walk to the train station and Marinette was surprised at how few Peacekeepers were there waiting for them. There were a handful, of course, but nothing close to the amount that had been there when she’d boarded the train for the Games or when they’d arrived back home. She figured that more security was probably needed during those times compared to a Victory Tour.

The three of them boarded the train without much discussion.

Marinette swallowed against the lump in her throat. The last time she’d boarded a train leaving District 8, things had been so different. The her from then never would have believed something could be worse than the Games, yet here she was. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

14 YEARS AGO

“Go to your room. You’ll be called once we’re about to arrive.”

Nathalie silently complied with her mentor’s instructions, making herself as small and unseen as possible as she retreated to her room. 

Funny. She’d never even considered the Victory Tour being the difficult part. All the difficulty was supposed to be in the arena. Win in the arena, and the public would love her. She could have whatever she wanted. 

But that wasn’t the case. Her mentor didn’t want to show her off and talk about how perfectly she’d followed directions, or how brilliant her tactics were. Her mentor would have rather seen her die over winning like she had. It was shameful more than anything. Now she was just an embarrassment – not just to her mentor, but her district as a whole. 

Nathalie’s best bet was doing nothing notable from here on out and fading into the background like so many before her. She’d done nothing noticeable or different. That had been Emilie, and she was gone. 

They wouldn’t even really need Nathalie to mentor given how many Victors District 2 had. Actually, they probably wouldn’t want her mentoring anyway. Well, that suited her just fine if that ended up being the case. 

She just had to make it through these two weeks. Read off some cue cards and hope she could get through it without too much trouble. She expected just about every audience ahead to glare at her, and she couldn’t even find herself able to get excited about the banquet waiting in the Capitol. It would be no different than what District 2 had thrown when she’d arrived home from the Games in the first place, just with a more exclusive guest list.

She wondered if Emilie’s windower would be there, being a past Victor. Hopefully not. And she would make an effort to avoid him if he was. She knew what he looked like. She’d rather face the Capitol’s disappointment. 

Nathalie flopped down on her bed, staring at the ceiling but seeing the face of Gabriel Agreste floating in her mind instead. One didn’t think of a face so young when they thought of a widower. 

He deserved an apology, but she didn’t feel brave enough to give it. Hopefully she could avoid him at every Capitol event for the rest of her life. 

Chapter Text

Gabriel’s breakfasts might have improved a great deal since his days as a starving orphan, but everything lately might as well have been ash for all the appetite he had. Ever since the president had invaded his own home and threatened him and his family while sitting in one of his favorite chairs, it had been hard to stomach anything.

He hated keeping things from Adrien and Marinette. They deserved to know what threats were hanging over their heads. And he trusted them, but… well, he trusted their acting far less. Particularly Marinette. If they knew their relationship itself was what was under scrutiny, neither of them would be acting natural at all, and that was the last thing they needed to happen. 

So here they all sat quietly at the breakfast table in the train, forcing down food likely none of them were in the mood for while Nadja yammered on and on about their schedule. Gabriel couldn’t really fault her for doing her job and keeping them informed, but he really wanted her to shut up all the same.

“...and then we’ll finish the whole thing up in the Capitol with the biggest party you’ve ever been to!” Nadja gushed, growing more excited sounding with every word. “And you’ll be the stars!”

Adrien smacked his fork down on the table. Loudly. “Can you stop? ”

A stunned silence fell over the room, and Gabriel’s lips twitched into a half smile while Marinette blinked owlishly. 

They’d all been thinking it, but it looked like Adrien snapped first as he glared at her. 

What a sight. Even the Games hadn’t ruined Adrien’s kind disposition, so seeing a look so scalding from him was a rarity. 

Nadja dabbed her mouth with a napkin even though she’d been talking too much to even take a bite before then. “I was just trying to tell you what to expect, Adrien. This is a big deal, after all, and I want you to be prepared.” 

“No, you’re gushing over the Capitol's murder ball!” Adrien corrected. “Honestly, do you just forget what we went through whenever there’s a celebration involved?” 

Nadja shifted in her chair. “You’re going to have to be there regardless of whether you want to or not, Adrien. You might as well enjoy what good things have come out of your Games instead of always focusing on the bad.” 

Adrien rolled his eyes, taking his napkin out of his lap to throw it on the table. “I’m suddenly not very hungry.” He was moving to stand when Nadja spoke again. 

“Your father would have died of starvation without the Games, you know,” Nadja reminded. “And your whole district benefited from both your victories! Not to mention the nice life you’ve had growing up–”

“That’s enough, Nadja,” Gabriel said coldly. He wasn’t about to sit here and let life be used against Adrien, especially when he was right. “Just because we’ve managed to make some good out of the hand dealt to us doesn’t mean he has no right to be upset about the frivolities we’re forced to partake in alongside the people who put us through hell in the first place.” 

Most of the time, Gabriel liked Nadja okay. She was one of the more sane Capitol citizens he’d met. But she was very much on his nerves this morning. 

Adrien finished standing and stalked away from the table. 

“I’ll be in my room,” he grumbled under his breath. 

Nadja sighed. Marinette sat quietly with her fork still halfway between her plate and her mouth, her wide eyes following Adrien out the door. 

Gabriel rubbed his forehead. “You’re welcome to go after him.”

Marinette was out of her chair before he’d even fully finished speaking. 

Gabriel waited a few moments after they were both gone to shift his gaze to Nadja. “They aren’t me, Nadja. Their pain is too fresh for you to tell them to look on the bright side of things. They need to acclimate to what’s expected from them now.”

Nadja finally looked a little guilty. “I’ll try to be more sensitive towards their feelings.”

Gabriel gave a nod of thanks. Honestly, he was so used to everyone talking about celebrations related to the Games it rarely made his blood boil anymore. It just made him tired.  

The room darkened momentarily as the train went through a tunnel, and Gabriel almost dropped his spoon as he caught sight of something through the train’s glass wall opposite to him. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Adrien wasn’t a naturally violent person – Games aside, because that was not normal – but he really wanted to hit something at the moment. 

Nadja had been so nice last year during their Games, but now that they were over, she was just so flippant. How could anyone look forward to a party held to celebrate them murdering people? Not to mention that all the awful people that held the murder games in the first place were going to be there, probably smiling at them and telling them what a good job they did. 

Adrien shuddered at the very thought. Too bad he couldn’t just call in sick or something. 

Adrien threw himself onto the bed in his room of the train, punching the bed a few times with his fist as he buried his head in a pillow. It wasn’t really helping. The bed was too soft to give any satisfaction from hitting it.

The sound of the door opening behind made him pause his assault.  

Please don’t be Nadja, he willed. He was so not in the mood to talk to her. 

“Hey,” came Marinette’s soft voice. 

Oh. Okay, that was better. 

“Hey,” he muttered back, voice muffled by his pillow. 

“You okay?” 

The bed shifted as she took a seat on it beside him and then laid down on her arm beside him. 

He turned his head so he could see her with the one eye not buried in his pillow. “Are you? ”

“Nope.”

“Same.” 

At least they always seemed to be on the same page.

“It’s all so sick, ” he said.

“Yeah.” She reached the hand she wasn’t lying on to grab his. “I’m just glad we have each other. And your dad. I don’t know how I could do this alone.”

“Same.” He squeezed her hand. 

The room darkened a little as the train went into a tunnel, but there was just enough light inside for Adrien to still see the walls. And what was on them. 

Just past Marinette’s head, there was a splash of color. 

Adrien jerked his head up. “What the…”

“What?” Marinette twisted around, but the train was moving far too quickly for her to see what he had. “What is it?”  

Adrien sat up with a scowl. “It was my pin.”

“Huh?” Marinette mirrored his new sitting position. 

“I mean it was graffiti or something on the tunnel wall, but it looked like my pin!” Adrien reached up to touch the sewn-in version of his pin that was on the casual shirt he was wearing – a golden ring surrounding a golden version of the Peacock Miraculous in honor of his mother. It had kind of become his symbol, so his dad had been putting the design on a lot of things. 

Marinette cocked her head to the side. “I guess they were fans?”

“Yeah…” Adrien muttered, but he wasn’t totally convinced. Maybe it was just because the graffiti had been blood red instead of gold, but it seemed like it meant more. 

 “I’m just gonna…” He trailed off, sliding back to the floor and heading back towards the dining car. “Dad! Did you see anything on the tunnel walls a second ago?” 

“I’m afraid not, Adrien. Must have been a trick of the lighting.” 

Whoa. What was that tone his dad was using? It sounded so dark and tense. 

Adrien frowned, now far enough into the room to see his dad’s expression as well. “Are you sure–”

“There was nothing there, Adrien,” his dad said sharply. 

Adrien’s words died in his throat at the look on his father’s face. 

He absolutely had seen it, and it meant something his dad was warning him not to talk about. 

His father gave a very subtle shake of his head before Adrien could speak again. 

…Right. Maybe he could ask another time when it was just the two of them. Or just when Nadja wasn’t around. 

“I really think we should all finish breakfast,” his dad said with some very forced cheer. “We have several big days ahead of us, after all.” 

Adrien hadn’t thought this meal could get any more uncomfortable, yet here they were. And he knew it was only going to get worse as this trip went on. 

It wouldn’t be long until he and Marinette were back on stage, giving pretty speeches to the parents of dead children. Speeches Nadja had written, no less. 

Somehow he doubted those were going to be very tactful. He hoped he got to read over them before they got out there. Maybe make some adjustments. 

There were a few things he wanted to say to some particular families…

Max. So many of Adrien’s nightmares were about Max. 

They shouldn’t have been. Out of everything that happened in the arena, Adrien shouldn’t have felt guilty about that one. But he did. He always would. 

He doubted he’d stop seeing Max dissolve beneath his touch when he closed his eyes any time soon, but maybe saying a few words to his family would help. 

Yeah. Just maybe... 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

14 YEARS AGO

This was the stop Nathalie had been looking forward to the least on this tour, yet it wasn’t even where Emilie was from.

District 8 was her fifth stop on the Victory Tour, and after having to flaunt herself in front of four struggling populations already, she already wouldn’t have been looking forward to this one. But this is where Emilie’s husband and son were. It was Nathalie’s fault that the boy would grow up without a mother – that she’d left Gabriel to be alone.

But instead Nathalie faced forward, reciting the speech that had been prepared for her – sentimental garbage about perseverance and how she’d overcome all the odds and anyone could do the same. It was all crap – she’d trained for years to win and she’d done it. Yet it was the most hollow victory she’d ever felt.

Looking out over the crowd in front of her, Nathalie saw so many families gathered together in a desperate bid to stay together. She absently wondered which two of the kids would be in the arena in six months, but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. If they were thinking the same thing about her that she thought about every Victor who came through District 2 every year – that she was just a prop for the Capitol to give people an annual reminder of the Games between them – then eighty percent of the ground wouldn’t even be listening to her at all.

Her least favorite part was the fact that they elevated the fallen tributes’ families in the back. She hadn’t known either of the actual District 8 tributes enough to feel anything there, as cold as it sounded, but nestled right in the middle of the platforms was the lone mentor of the District cradling his son in his arms. 

Nathalie was tempted to just throw away the cards. Say what she needed to say to Gabriel then and there. But the words didn’t come. She just kept automatically reciting the cue cards she’d rehearsed fifty times on the train. 

She owed him an explanation. Whether or not she was equipped to give it was a different question.

She almost managed to make it the entire speech without messing anything up. Almost. She’d stuttered a little when Adrien started crying and Gabriel picked him up to comfort him. 

She was probably going to get a lecture about that from her mentor once she got back on the train…

Chapter Text

18 YEARS AGO

Gabriel suppressed a scream as he shot up out of a nightmare. It wasn’t the first he’d had on this awful tour and he didn’t expect it to be the last.

And of course it just had to be about Harry. 

In the morning they were due to arrive in District 5, Harry’s home. Gabriel would have to stand on a stage and look upon his family, saying a few small sentimental words about his friend that could never sum up his true feelings.

Gabriel knew for a fact that he wouldn’t have survived the Hunger Games without Harry. Harry had been the one thing that had kept him from fully succumbing to the darkness he’d made with the Akumas, but then he’d dragged Harry down into that darkness himself and had gotten him killed.

How was he supposed to just move past it? Say a few words and on to the fishing district?

He knew he couldn’t. But he had to. They hadn’t stopped to dally in any of the other districts he’d visited so far and he knew this wouldn’t be any different. Not that his mentor cared in the slightest – the man was so drunk that half the time he didn’t even leave the train.

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep, Gabriel grabbed his sketchbook and a pencil and headed towards the back of the train. He’d discovered a small sitting area in the back with a panoramic window that allowed him a view of the landscape. No one ever bothered him there.

It was still dark out, but he could see the hint of a sunrise on the horizon and knew it was only a matter of time until the stars went away.

He opened his sketchbook and let his mind wander as his pencil moved. He stayed that way for a few hours until the sun got at an angle that blocked his vision. He readjusted and turned his eyes back towards the page only to find that he’d drawn a portrait of Harry, who’s eyes bore straight into Gabriel’s soul.

Murderer.

He closed the sketchbook and suppressed the urge to throw it off the train at their next stop. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

PRESENT DAY

In the thousands of hypothetical thoughts Gabriel had had in his time as a mentor of his tributes winning, never did he think the Victory Tour would be the hard part.

To be fair, most of his hypotheticals tended to end at the tribute winning the Hunger Games though. 

He’d almost forgotten how much more terrible it was to be on the train instead of in the audience. Adrien and Marinette had known what that was like, having to stand there while a child who’d just six months ago outlived two of their classmates gave a speech about how great the Capitol was. But being the one giving the speech was a million times worse.

Gabriel was eternally grateful that they had the other up there with them – that they weren’t alone like he’d been. That stage had felt so suffocating despite being by himself. He hoped that the two of them walking out hand-in-hand could help alleviate that.

And he hoped they’d stick to Nadja’s cards and not accidentally say anything that would worsen the situation. Once again, he debated telling them about the president’s visit, but once again, he remembered why it was a terrible idea. The two of them were some of the most awkward individuals he’d ever met, and he was absolutely sure that telling them to act natural would have the opposite effect. 

Still, he hated lying to them. Or omitting things, rather. It wasn’t technically a lie since neither of them had exactly asked if the president had visited. 

…That really didn’t make it better. They trusted him. He was the only truly steady support they had since they were both picking up the pieces of their lives, and he had no desire to do anything that would jeopardize their faith in him. 

But what else were his options? 

Hopefully they wouldn’t be running into any more conversation-spawning… artwork on this trip. 

“If I told you to relax, would it help?” Gabriel asked Adrien dryly as he watched his son’s leg bob incessantly. 

It wasn’t long now until Adrien and Marinette were to give their first speech, and the two of them were getting visibly more anxious by the minute. 

“Not really…” Adrien mumbled. 

It probably didn’t help that he’d been given about thrice as many words to say compared to Marinette. That was a wise decision on Nadja’s part given Marinette’s habit of sticking her foot in her mouth, but it did put more pressure on Adrien. 

“You’ll do fine,” Gabriel assured, projecting far more confidence than he felt. “Just stick to Nadja’s cards. You won’t even have to think of anything to say since she’s done that for you.”

“What if I don’t like what she’s having me say?” Adrien grumbled. 

“You’re not going to, but it’s not that bad.” Gabriel could be honest there. “I looked all her material over just to be sure.”

That seemed to reassure Adrien a little. 

“What if I fall on my face on stage?” Marinette blurted out suddenly. 

Then you’re unlikely to inspire anyone to start a rebellion, Gabriel thought. 

That would be one way to get the president off their backs. Marinette’s clumsy luck might have endeared her to the audience during the Games, but no one was going to go to war for someone who tripped on air and mixed the most basic of words when slightly out of their comfort zone. 

Perhaps he should have had Nadja give Marinette most of the reading after all.

…No. Terrible idea. The girl had managed to get a Career-high score before the Games by complete accident. She probably would start the war the president was concerned about if they let her speak too much, and it wouldn’t even be on purpose. 

“You won’t,” Gabriel told her, choosing his words carefully. “You two will be up there together. As a team. Just like you have been.”

He was trying to inspire them, but he could already tell it wasn’t doing much for either of them. They were either too nervous or he was just bad at giving pep talks. Possibly a mix of both.

The train started to roll to a stop and Gabriel bristled slightly. He felt like they’d still need a lot of time to get them even close to prepared for an audience, but their time was up. He had trust in them though – he knew they could do this.

Nadja ushered towards them quickly. “Alright, we’re here! Everyone, welcome to District 12!”

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Adrien hated every second of it, but at least it was over. Well, a twelfth of what they had to face was now done, at least. He and Marinette had been marched out like prize-winning animals to a crowd that was mildly-enthused at best – forced to be that way at worst – and they’d delivered the pre-written speech without any trouble.

He wished that would’ve made it easier, but it was still just as torturous as he’d figured it would be even without one of them messing up their words. 

How any Victor did this alone was a mystery to him.

One of the only things Adrien was actually glad for on this tour was his dad’s clothes. District 12 was even colder than home and his father had designed his Marinette’s outfits with that in mind, keeping them in thick warm jackets and boots, even if they were only on-stage for a few minutes.

Adrien’s jacket was black with some green trim with his peacock pin incorporated in as a patch on his shoulder. Marinette’s was red with a matching black trim and she’d been given golden jewelry to match Adrien’s pin.

Giving the speeches may have been awful, but seeing Marinette nerd out about fashion never failed to make Adrien smile and had put him a little more at ease – even when he only understood about every one in ten words she was saying.

Too bad that slight improvement on his mood had been smashed into pieces at the sight of the tributes’ parents standing on a pedestal beneath their pictures.

He hadn’t really interacted with Soqueline all that much, but the way she’d died was just unfair. Any other year and she might have come out on top, but the Capitol had wanted Adrien to face his cousin for the final fight and ensured that that would be the outcome.

And then there was Kim. Adrien wasn’t sure if Kim being adopted made things better or worse. Worse, probably. His parents had chosen to specifically take him in and love him when he wasn’t theirs biologically, only to have him get reaped away. And not even just reaped away to die in the Games. No, for probably the first time in all of history, that would have been the better result. 

Adrien knew that saving him from that cliff wouldn’t have been able to really help in the long run, but he still felt guilty about not being fast enough to stop Kim from taking his final step. 

The memory looped in Adrien’s most of the day, leaving him exhausted by the time they got back on the train for a few hours break to change clothes while the District set up a ‘banquet’ for them. 

Adrien had never wanted to attend a meal less. His father had made it clear that especially in the poorer districts they’d seem pitiful and while Adrien didn’t doubt that, he hadn’t had an appetite in days anyway.

It was just another sick tradition – making the districts that didn’t get any sort of benefit from the Games give their best to the winners that may or may not have killed the children from that district. District 8 was less hungry than before, and that was nice, but even if Adrien had been hungry he wouldn’t have wanted to take from places like this. Even in the first few minutes of them being there it was clear that District 12 needed extra food more than District 8 ever had.

But they remained humble and thankful. It was truly the best they could offer and Adrien was grateful, even if he wished they’d never had to offer it to them in the first place. 

The banquet wasn’t as bad as making speeches, but it sure wasn’t good either. Adrien only had a couple of bites to eat, and then the rest of the time he’d been forced to socialize. 

What he would give to go back and hide in the train for the rest of this trip…

After a few hours, his father brought them over to two people. They looked vaguely familiar to Adrien, but he couldn’t quite place them.

“Marinette, Adrien, I’d like you to meet Fei and Fu, the Victors of the 70th and 25th Hunger Games, respectively.”

Adrien tried to stop his jaw from falling to the floor. The Victor of the 25th? Nearly fifty years back? How was he still even alive?

He didn’t voice any of that though, and instead shook their hands politely. 

Marinette did the same. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You too.” Fei smiled at them.

It was odd. Adrien hadn’t really thought about interacting with Victors that were as reluctant as him and Marinette, but not that he was he suddenly felt… better. Like less of an outsider than he had since he and Marinette had first made it home after the Games. 

Adrien sensed a camaraderie between all of them. These weren’t Careers. They weren’t Capitol citizens that Adrien was forced to smile for. They hadn’t wanted to be part of the Games anymore than Adrien and Marinette had. They’d all experienced the horrors of the arena and lived to tell the tale. It was an odd club, to be sure, but it helped Adrien to feel like him, Marinette, and his father weren’t quite so alone.

The Victors had a community too.

Chapter Text

Marinette was almost sad when they had to leave District 12. Not because of the District itself – the word ‘revolting’ came to mind to describe the state the Capitol had let the District become – but she’d really liked both Fu and Fei and she would miss them.

She knew she’d see them again in six months when the Games happened – they’d all be mentors after all – but Marinette had a feeling that that probably wasn’t the best space to grow friendships. It would be nice to have some friendly faces around during that horror, though.

The train rolled out of the station, and Marinette couldn’t help but stare out the window. She was naturally curious what the world outside of her little bubble in District 8 looked like, but so far it had just felt like more of the same poverty-struck wasteland aside from the manufactured perfection of the Capitol.

A hand landed on her shoulder, jerking Marinette from her thoughts. She spun around to see Gabriel looking down at her.

“Is everything okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah.” Marinette shrugged, turning back towards the window. “Fei and Fu were nice. I’m glad we got to meet them.”

Gabriel’s hand didn’t leave her shoulder as he led her to the dining car, where a few sketchbooks were laid out on the table.

“Fei and Fu are exceptional, yes. The only Victors to come out of 12.”

Marinette knew that the Career Districts won most of the time but, only two winners in nearly seventy-five years was insane. Maybe the only living Victors from her own District had come out of only two Games, but there had been another one. Gabriel really didn’t talk about his mentor, though.

She glanced at the closed sketchbooks on the table. “What are these?”

Gabriel cleared his throat. “Ah, yes. I wanted to go over some designs with you. You’ve made amazing progress but there’s a few specific things I would like to show you. If you don’t mind, of course.”

Marinette was beaming inside, but tried to keep herself collected. “Totally! Yeah, I’d love to.”

It wasn’t like she had much more to do on the train ride to District 11, but it wouldn’t have mattered even if she did. This was a chance to get direct feedback from her mentor. More than just notes – even as valued to her as they were. 

She sat down next to him and let herself get engrossed in his designs.

Maybe this was just Gabriel trying to help her cope with everything, but whatever the case, she was embracing it. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

18 YEARS AGO

Gabriel had been dreading this. Every second since he’d gotten out of the Arena he’d known that he’d have to face this. He’d tried preparing himself, but even with six months of preparation it didn’t feel like enough. 

Stop number seven on the Victory Tour brought him to District 5. Gabriel would walk out there, read out the speech that had been prepared for him by his Capitol liaison, and just try and make it through the night so he could keep going onward to the next District.

Except for the fact that this was Harry’s home.

And the tributes’ families were put on a platform for the Victor to confront what they’d done.

Gabriel would have to face them and try to read his speech without thinking about how he’d failed Harry.

He might have survived if Gabriel’s Akumas hadn’t corrupted him. Hadn’t gotten him hit with a Cataclysm.

Hadn’t made Gabriel drown him to end his suffering.

Telling himself it was a mercy kill never made it easier.

Gabriel was pacing in the small office that had been converted to a sort of green room for him in the Justice Building. The stage was right outside the front doors and the entire District would be waiting for him to come out and spread more Capitol propaganda. It was exactly what the Victory Tour was for, after all. That knowledge didn’t stop him from nearly vomiting every time he ‘thanked’ the Capitol for allowing him to live. 

Twenty minutes of pacing later, Gabriel was summoned out to be brought before the people of District 5. He’d taken more ‘calming’ deep breaths than he’d thought possible, but he took another to try and ease his nerves before he stepped out.

Same song and dance as the others… he told himself as his eyes adjusted to the sunlight outside.

Then he saw them. 

Gabriel didn’t know the girl from District 5 and he wasn’t going to pretend like he did. Her face on the giant screen behind her family didn’t ring any bells for him, not even from training.

Every screen of the tribute would show the emblem of the Miraculous they’d used in the corner if applicable, and when Gabriel’s eyes drifted to the corner of the girl’s screen he almost turned and ran.

The Ladybug.

The damn Ladybug.

Technically his first kill. Also drowned.

He hadn’t even known she was from District 5. Why had Harry chosen to help Gabriel over her? District alliances were normally the most common, so what had happened between them to make that evaporate before the Games had even begun?

Gabriel didn’t know and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.

Nevertheless, he continued walking towards the podium as he tried to fight his eyes from looking towards Harry’s family. 

It didn’t work. 

It was almost worse that they just seemed normal. More family than Gabriel had ever had – although that wasn’t a high bar. Harry had two parents and multiple siblings. Only one of them looked old enough to even be eligible for the Games.

The constant knot of guilt in Gabriel’s stomach was throbbing in time with his racing heartbeat. He was the sole reason Harry hadn’t come home. If Harry hadn’t met him, he probably had a solid chance of making it out.

Instead Gabriel had held him underwater until the bubbles had stopped. Until he’d stopped thrashing. Until the cannon had shot off.

Gabriel’s grip on the note cards in his hands was so tight that he was making holes in the cardstock with just his fist.

“Greetings, District 5,” Gabriel said, trying to hide the quiver in his throat that was threatening to ruin everything. “I am Gabriel Agreste, the Victor of the fifty-sixth annual Hunger Games.”

As he spoke, Gabriel tried to drown the voices in his mind. Just like he’d drowned the two corpses standing before him.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

PRESENT DAY

The districts themselves were blurring together, Adrien noted. Everyone was varying degrees of poor. Every stage and speech brought back varying levels of guilt and trauma. Every banquet made him sick to his stomach. 

But this district… this might have been the one Adrien was looking forward to the least out of the non-career districts. As horrible as this whole affair had been, there were a few nice moments in the past few weeks. The support from several of the other mentors had been an unexpected joy. Fu, Fei, Marianne, and Alix were all really kind. 

Adrien didn’t think he and Marinette were going to get anymore of that comfort from District 5, though. Everything about this district was just… bad. Adrien was going to have to look Théo Barbot’s parents in the eyes while he made his speech, and on top of that Juleka’s father was one of the victors from here. 

The worst part was going to be Théo’s family. Juleka’s death had been awful, but Adrien and Marinette hadn’t caused it. They hadn’t really had a connection with her at all, but he would have said they were closer to allies than enemies. The same could not be said for Théo. Adrien had driven a sword through the other boy. He was the reason Théo never came home, pure and simple. 

Adrien stared at the uneaten food on his plate, absently pushing it around with his fork even though he hadn’t taken a bite in over twenty minutes. It made him feel bad. People in every district they’d visited so far were starving, and here he was barely picking at his breakfast. 

Nadja cleared her throat, and for the first time, Adrien snapped out of his thoughts to realize that she’d been oddly quiet up until now. In fact, the whole table had been quiet. 

What was up with that? 

Nadja actually looked hesitant as she dabbed the corner of her mouth and set her napkin down. “Gabriel… I can handle the kids for this district if you like. In and out! No need to mingle as much as the other–”

“I’ll be fine, Nadja,” Adrien’s father said tightly. 

Adrien was taken aback at his tone for a moment, and it was only then that he noticed he hadn’t been the only one not eating. 

What was– 

Oh. 

Adrien swallowed. 

His dad had once kept everything about the Hunger Games from him, but ever since he and Marinette had made it back, he’d been a lot more open about his own experiences. 

Harry. 

Adrien still had never watched his father’s Games, but he’d gotten the gist. Harry had been the first friend his father had ever had. And he’d… more than watched him die – he’d killed him to spare him a worse death. And this was Harry’s home district. 

Adrien suddenly felt lucky that he hadn’t known Max better. Théo and Felix tended to haunt his nightmares the most, but Max was still in there pretty often as well, and he’d barely known the other boy. How much worse would it have been if he’d spent the whole rest of the Games with him before having to turn him to ash?

“Dad,” Adrien said gently. “We can do it if you–”

“I appreciate the thought, but I will manage,” this father said not unkindly, but still with an edge of tension. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t. Capitol reporters would be all over my absence.” 

Adrien deflated a little. Of course his dad was right.  “Yeah… Okay.” 

“Don’t feel bad, Adrien,” his father said, looking at him intently. “Don’t forget, I’ve been dealing with this a lot longer than you. It does get better with time.”

That was so hard to imagine. Adrien did not have one waking thought where the Games were not on his mind. 

“The Victors here are both kind souls.” His father noted, changing the topic. “Albeit one is a bit… eccentric.” 

“Jagged Stone.” Marinette spoke up for the first time, an odd amount of excitement in her voice. “I’ve been listening to his music for years!”

Adrien hadn’t even realized they even got his music back in their district, but it made sense. Jagged was a bit odd in that… no one really seemed to dislike him. People tended to either love him or not care, but Adrien had never really heard any hate. 

Probably because he was famous for being the only Hunger Games Victor to never kill anyone, and then he’d decided to use that fame just to make music. 

He must have had an easy victory tour, honestly. He didn’t have to feel guilty about any of the other kids. None of the families would have had a reason to hate him. If anything, they’d probably like him for embarrassing the Capitol while still technically playing by all their rules. 

Adrien’s father suppressed a laugh at Marinette’s enthusiasm. “I’ll be sure to introduce you, then. Along with the President’s daughter.”

Adrien and Marinette’s puzzled faces must’ve been more than clear to his father and Nadja.

“ Alleged daughter,” Nadja said.

“Alleged. Of course. ”Adrien’s father’s tone was dripping with sarcasm, and he added a wink that Adrien could see but Nadja couldn’t. 

…Right. As interested as Adrien was to all the clear drama happening there, he also could barely focus on anything. Every time he blinked he could picture Théo’s family standing there, watching him smile and be happy that he survived as if he wasn’t the reason their son had never come home.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Normally, Marinette would have been worried about messing something up on stage, but not today. Not here. She was so concerned for Adrien she couldn’t even find time to panic over things for herself. She was not the center of attention here. All eyes – Capitol and district alike – were going to be on Adrien today. 

Things would have been highlighted enough with Theo being Adrien’s first kill, but the whole deal with him managing to best someone with a Miraculous without one and then using that Miraculous to carry him to victory…

Ugh. The Capitol would be tripping over themselves to report on whatever happened here today. They would comment on every little detail to the point that the next district would probably get less air time. 

And Theo’s family was going to have to stand there and take it. 

And Adrien was going to have to act like he was grateful. 

Marinette spotted Adrien’s hand shaking to the point of almost dropping his cards as the speeches were made leading up to them stepping on stage. She gently linked the tips of her fingers with his, trying to help in what little way she could. 

“It’s okay, Adrien. We’ll get through this just like the others,” she babbled, trying to say anything she could to reassure him. “We’re all here for you!”

…Sort of. For once, even Gabriel looked ready to bolt. 

Marinette really hated that. He’d been such a constant source of stability that it really unnerved her to see him actually struggling with something. 

…Wow, she sounded horribly selfish for that. 

“Just stick to the cards,” Gabriel muttered hollowly after a few moments. 

Marinette wondered if his mentor had told him the exact same thing. 

She was so deep in thought she almost missed their cue to go onstage. And so did Adrien. It was only Nadja stepping forward to give them a joint nudge on their shoulders that got them moving. 

Gabriel didn’t even give them any final words of encouragement like he had all the other districts so far. 

One foot in front of the other. This was fine. They were fine. 

…Or at least more fine than Jagged Stone was. 

Nervousness and worry gave way to awkwardness and bewilderment as loud crying rose above their introduction music, and Marinette shared a look with Adrien as the sniveling man came into sight. 

Jagged was not even trying to keep his crying subtle as he stood with the other victors from District 5. Huge crocodile tears rolled down his face, and his cries seemed to get even louder as the introduction music tapered off. Then Jagged pressed a tissue to his face and blew his nose. Loudly. 

Wow. This was, uh, something. 

Marinette understood his distress, of course. He’d lost a daughter. Who wouldn’t be upset? She just couldn’t believe he seemed to care so little about the Capitol’s eyes on him in such a state. Especially when his daughter hadn’t even been from this district. 

The families of the actual tributes seemed oddly indifferent to the noise from their platforms, and it made Marinette wonder if they were used to this kind of thing. 

Adrien wavered awkwardly, whispering out of the corner of his mouth. “Am I supposed to just pretend he’s not doing that, or…?”

“I guess so,” Marinette whispered back, all too aware that the cameras were on them, expecting them to be perfect little Victors. 

Adrien let out a shaky breath, cleared his throat, and stared very hard at the cards in his hands. Every other time this tour, he’d mostly addressed the crowd with just a few peaks down, but not this time. 

Addressing the female tribute’s family seemed easy enough for him, and they didn’t look like they were holding any anger directed at Marinette or Adrien. Not that they’d expected any. That poor girl had died in the blood bath to XY. Marinette and Adrien had literally nothing to do with her. 

But then came Theo’s family. 

Adrien’s words grew noticeably quieter and more subdued when he got to that part, and Marintte felt her heartbeat kick up at the glare he was getting. 

Theo’s mother seemed more depressed than anything. She was crying just as much as Jagged, but quieter. But Theo’s father and older brother… Yikes. Theo’s father looked livid, but he actually seemed to be directly that anger at the ground in front of the stage more than anything. The younger brother, however… There was the pure hatred Marinette had been expecting. He was glaring so hard Marinette was pretty sure he hadn’t even blinked since they got on stage. 

Adrien made the mistake of looking up once, and he stuttered his words upon making eye contact with the boy, but he quickly recovered and looked back down his cards. 

That just seemed to tick the brother off more. 

His nostrils flared, and a rock was flying at Adrien’s head a moment later. “Use your own words, you coward! At least have the decency for that!”

Marinette yanked Adrien down given that he hadn’t spotted the rock in time to react properly himself, and it missed his head by little more than an inch. 

The boy’s parents tried to rein him in, but the damage was done – peacekeepers were headed straight for him. 

“Oh no, leave him alone!” Adrien started to step towards the edge of the stage, but Marinette caught his sleeve. 

“Don’t!” she said, thinking back to every warning Gabriel had given them. “You won’t help.”

Adrien’s shoulders slumped as he watched the boy getting beat up and hauled away in clear dismay. 

His voice was not as steady for the rest of his speech.  

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Gabriel was happy to see Marinette and Adrien being able to enjoy themselves at least a small amount after earlier events. It hadn’t been easy to get Adrien’s mind off what had happened earlier, but it had been long enough that his nerves had seemed to settle. Or he was just better at faking his mood now. 

Whatever the case, he wasn’t currently stirring up a rebellion, and he didn’t look on the edge of the breakdown. That was about all Gabriel could ask for right now. 

Despite his… inadvertent spotlight stealing earlier, Jagged Stone appeared to be raising everyone’s spirits at the banquet.  

He had taken to the kids instantly, especially after he’d heard that Marinette liked his music, and he’d started treating her to a live performance then and there. Gabriel tried to ignore the fact that the man had clearly been drinking and hadn’t even attempted to warm up his voice. Adrien and Marinette were entertained and distracted, that’s what mattered for the moment.

Just a little longer at this forsaken banquet then they could move on.

Someone leaned on the wall next to Gabriel, startling him slightly, although the only real indication was a slight shift of the drink in his glass.

“Ms. Lee,” Gabriel greeted.

“Mr. Agreste.” Zoe chuckled, deepening her voice in an imitation of his. She knew his stoic face was just a facade. 

“Enjoying the banquet?” Gabriel asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“I was going to ask you. Although this is what, your seventh one of these at this point?”

“You know as well as I do how they start to blur together.”

Zoe nodded. “So what’s new with you?”

“Your mother visited me,” Gabriel remarked as casually as he could. 

Zoe nearly dropped her own glass as she processed his words. “Did she? Why?”

“The usual,” Gabriel said. 

It was no secret to the Victors how many times Audrey had threatened her own daughter to keep their relationship private. It would do no favors to Audrey to have word get out that she’d had a child with a lowly District 5 citizen.

Of course Zoe had agreed to Audrey’s terms, but pretty much all of her friends knew the truth. 

Zoe gestured to Marinette and Adrien, still over with Jagged. “About them?”

“And their so-called rebellious act with the Cataclysm.”

“So they’re still on that, then?”

“Indeed. She wants them to prove that it wasn’t the case – that it simply was an act of self-preservation.”

“Which it was,” Zoe said simply. Most people with eyes could see that their final act in the Games had been that, but Gabriel wasn’t naive enough to think that there weren’t people who could use that as a justification for a rebellion. “Do you think they can pull it off?”

“So far I believe they have.”

“Do they know about it?”

“They do not.”

Zoe sighed. “You should tell them, Gabriel. Tell them what they’ve gotten themselves into.”

“I don’t want to worry them more. This tour is hard enough without added stress.”

“But if they don’t pull it off–”

“They will,” Gabriel said sternly. “But they likely won’t if I make them have to act. Now, how about I introduce you to them?”

He walked off without another word, forcing Zoe to follow him. He didn’t even want to face the possibility of them not meeting Audrey’s criteria. The alternative would be too dangerous.

Gabriel was certain that they’d be able to get out of this, and he was determined to make sure that Marinette and Adrien would have people to connect with when they had to go back to the Capitol in six months as mentors.

Chapter Text

Gabriel was absolutely exhausted, mentally and physically. District 5 had been rough, and he’d been expecting a reprieve in District 4, but he hadn’t gotten that. Not really, anyway. Nothing terrible had happened, but Gabriel couldn’t shake his growing anxiety over the fact that Luka hadn’t been there. 

Sick. They’d been told he was sick, and that was why he hadn’t been present to meet them. Gabriel didn’t buy that for a minute. Luka had absolutely no love for the Capitol, but he was good at getting them to like him. He never did anything he couldn’t spin into a move that the population would dote over. So, where was he really? 

As upset as Luka had been over the death of his sister, he never would have let keep him from Capitol events. Especially not this many months later. He valued the rest of his family far too much to risk angering the Capitol. 

Gabriel swallowed uneasily, staring out the train window at the stars. He was the only one awake at the moment. Normally, he might have enjoyed that peace, but right now it just left him with too much time to think. 

The President’s threats were hanging over every aspect of his life right now. What had happened in District 5 was already too close to what she didn’t want. Grief wasn’t rebellion, but it could sure lead to it. He’d heard of the president killing for less…

…Mercy, he hoped Luka’s body wasn’t in a ditch somewhere right now. That sounded exactly like something the Capitol would do – say someone was sick, but then they had a mysterious accident before anyone ever saw them again.  

What if– 

Gabriel flinched, nearly jumping out of his skin as some ringing blared from his room of the train. It wasn’t actually loud with the distance, but it had been so quiet with him so deep in thought that it might as well have been a gunshot. 

Gabriel scowled as he quickly scrambled up from his chair and bolted for his room. Anyone calling at this time of night was not a good sign, and he doubted anything good would come from him missing the call. 

He only had a moment to spare to hope that it wasn’t the President herself calling as he fumbled with bringing the phone to his ear.

“Yes?” he said neutrally, hoping he didn’t sound as disheveled as he felt. 

“ Agreste. Sorry I missed you before. I hope District 4 treated you well. ”

Gabriel covered the speaker for a moment to release a relieved sigh. Not dead in a ditch, then. That was good. Now Gabriel wanted to kill him himself for causing so much worry. 

“The weather was kind,” Gabriel said evenly. “The smell less so.” 

Honestly, the smell of rotting fish was one of Gabriel’s least favorites. At least he’d been fortunate to be orphaned and on the streets of a district that didn’t stink. 

Luka chuckled. “ You’d get used to it if you lived here. ” 

“Oh, well, I must see if I can get a move approved then,” Gabriel said dryly. 

Why had Luka really called, Gabriel wondered. Just to ease Gabriel’s worries when he hadn’t even known he’d had them? 

“ Well, I just wanted to let you know that the flu didn’t kill me and that I’m sorry I couldn’t meet your Victors. ” 

He’d called to say that at this time of night? Unlikely. But if he wasn’t saying the real reason, maybe he couldn’t. 

This line was absolutely bugged by the Capitol. There was no doubt there. 

Luka needed him to know something, he just wasn’t able to blurt it out with the Capitol listening. 

“Well, it would have done no good for you to run yourself into the ground and get my Victors sick for the rest of their tour, so I suppose you’re forgiven. You’ll just have to meet them during the next Games.” Gabriel yattered out, hoping something he’d say would give Luka the opportunity to slip him whatever the real message was. 

“ Yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Beats having to huddle under this feather blanket all day and then fan myself for fifteen years while my body decides to rebel and overheat. ” 

There it was. That comment was too randomly specific to mean nothing. Feathers. Fan. Fifteen years. That was most definitely a reference to Adrien. And the word rebel was in there too.

Luka had most definitely been absent for some other reason than being sick. 

Gabriel hummed, trying not to sound like his heart was slamming into his rib cage. “Illnesses are always inconvenient. Have you been sick often this year?”

Understand, Gabriel willed. Tell me what I need to know. 

“ A few times. In May I had another flu, and December I had a cold. ” 

Districts 5 and 12. They were on the edge of rebellion because of Adrien and Marinette. 

Were it anyone else’s children as the source of the turmoil, Gabriel would have cheered. He would have signed up for a rebellion. 

But these were his kids, and they had no idea what they’d started or just how much danger they were in right now. 

“Well, I hope you get some rest and recover well.” Gabriel almost forgot that he had to speak back. “Thank you for the call, Couffaine.”

“ Of course. See you next Games, Agreste. ” 

If there were any next Games.

Rebellion. This was more than just a spark now. It could grow exponentially.

…Especially if the flames were being fanned.  

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Aesthetically, District 3 was no different than what they’d seen in the others. Same poor people, same Capitol banners promoting how amazing they were, and the same Marinette and Adrien stepping off the train to promote said propaganda.

Marinette had heavily considered pretending to be sick to avoid this stop, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t have helped given what Gabriel said before. They’d probably just throw a bunch of painkillers down her throat and tell her to suck it up.

District 3 is where the Capitol had been looking forward to them coming the most – Marinette was absolutely sure of that. Both her and Adrien had allies here, and both had died in terrible ways.

With Aeon they’d been too late to save her.

With Max they’d chosen to end his suffering quickly.

Marinette was glad to see that Nadja didn’t have the TV tuned to the Capitol news channels at breakfast. She was sure that all they were showing was clips of those two deaths to make sure the viewers freshly remembered the trauma that they’d bestowed on the two Victors.

And yet she’d get to go out there and give a speech about how thankful she was to the Capitol for letting her be with Adrien. The thought made her want to jump off the train. While it was moving. Over a bridge. 

Marinette was terrified to face their families. She hoped things wouldn’t go down like they had back in District 5 with Theo’s brother – that wouldn’t bode well for anyone. 

Thankfully, she doubted it would. Aeon’s mother wouldn’t have helped them in the arena if she’d been mad at them, and Max’s family had to know they couldn’t have actually helped him.

Adrien walked into the dining room with a melancholic look on his face. The past few days hadn’t been good for either of them, that was apparent to just about everyone they crossed paths with. He wordlessly sat down at the table next to her and picked at his food, but it was clear that neither of them had an appetite for anything.

Marinette longed for this to be over, but no part of her wanted it to happen any faster than it already was. If it were up to her, this part of the tour would be delayed indefinitely until she had time to adequately come to terms with it. 

Which would be never.

Tour over. They could go home and hopefully never have to leave again.

Regardless of her personal hypothetical plan that had absolutely zero holes in it, the train slowed to a stop anyway, settling into the train station.

Unlike her and Adrien, Gabriel seemed to have a renewed sense of energy. Maybe he’d actually gotten a decent night of sleep or something. It was still weird though, the last few days had felt like all of them had been down.

It was weirdly comforting, though. Marinette would rather have him weirdly upbeat than the way he’d been in District 5.

“Today isn’t going to be easy,” he told them bluntly. “But you two can do this.”

Adrien nodded absently as he traced his finger along the wood grain in the table. Marinette tried to stay engaged, but it was a losing battle.

Gabriel picked up on their lack of focus and sighed. “You’re almost done. Just three left, then the Capitol, then we’re back home.”

“Until we get to go through it all again in six months.” Adrien’s voice sounded uncharacteristically hollow. The empty tone sent a chill down Marinette’s spine.

“Yes but Adrien, you can’t focus on that right now.” Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Right. That might ruin our image with the Capitol. Because we know they value us so much.” Adrien’s sarcasm was somehow making the tension in the room thicker than it had been this whole time.

Marinette placed her hand over Adrien’s gently. “Aeon valued you. So did Max. Now we have to go out there and honor them. Together.”

“I just wish…”

“If we finished every sentence that would start that way, we’d never leave this train,” Marinette said simply. “It sucks. This is all terrible, Adrien. But at least we get to honor our friends' memories.”

Adrien hesitated before nodding. “Yeah… Yeah, we got this…”

Marinette wished she could say that she felt any level of confidence going into this, but it would’ve been a flat-out lie.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur until they arrived at the doors of the Justice Building, ready to head out and deliver the speeches. Nadja had written these speeches out for them just like the others and all they had to do was read them out.

Marinette’s knuckles were white from how hard she was gripping the cards. She’d loved Aeon like a sister in the short time they’d known each other, and all she knew about her family is that her mother had been a Victor. Not much else beyond that.

She knew nothing at all about Max’s family, she just hoped that they wouldn’t be mad at her and Adrien for what they’d done. At the end of the day they’d just been trying to help him the only way they could.

Adrien’s hand settled in hers comfortably as the doors opened in front of them and it dawned on her how she’d grown used to the weight of their connected fingers at this point. They walked out onto the platform to the lukewarm applause they were used to, although it did seem slightly more enthused than the others. Maybe they were somewhat liked here.

Marinette forced herself to look up as they approached the podium. Aeon’s mother was standing under her portrait by herself, smiling at them through tears in her eyes. Max’s mother was also alone, clutching what appeared to be a small toy robot in her hands.

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

No matter how many times she repeated the mantra to herself, it didn’t seem like it was doing Marinette any good. She was very glad that Gabriel had gone for waterproof mascara.

As the two of them settled at the podium, Marinette reached up and wiped away her tears. She started on the speech, giving the same inflections that Nadja had gone over with her a dozen times the night before. 

Before she knew it, it was over. The speech was done. 

Yet it felt like she hadn’t gotten out any of what she’d actually wanted to say.

They turned to leave, back into the Justice Building and onto the next stop, but before Marinette even knew what she was doing she’d turned around and grabbed the microphone.

“One more thing,” she blurted out, interrupting the closing music and causing a slight feedback.

She cleared her throat, now suddenly very aware that she hadn’t actually planned what she was going to say.

“Aeon saved my life. More than once. If it weren’t for her and how she helped me and Adrien, I can confidently say we wouldn’t be here today.”

Adrien leaned over and gently took the microphone from her hands. Apparently she wasn’t the only one with unsaid words.

“Same to Max. I would’ve died several times over if he hadn’t helped me out. My greatest regret is that I wasn’t able to do the same for him.” Adrien paused and took a deep breath. “And to honor Max and Aeon, we’d like to donate a portion of our winnings from the Hunger Games to the people of District 3.”

Immediately there were roaring cheers. Adrien had just promised them a way to feed their families. Marinette wasn’t going to argue with it – these people certainly needed it more than she did.

The cheers slowly but surely started morphing into chants. Several in protest to the Capitol.

Oh, no. That was… not what Marinette had intended to happen, and she was sure Adrien hadn’t either. Not that either of them would disagree, but–

A Peacekeeper clamped his hands on Marinette and Adrien’s shoulders, quickly ushering them back inside the Justice Building. She turned back just in time to see hordes of Peacekeepers emerging into the square, taking down anyone who tried to fight them–

The door slammed closed, and the Peacekeeper dumped Marinette and Adrien next to Gabriel before stepping away.

“Are you two all right?” Gabriel asked, his tone tight.

“Y-yeah,” Adrien said.

Marinette nodded, her heart slamming into her ribs again and again. “Are they going to be okay?”

Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck, looking torn between worry and absolute frustration. “Not all of them. What were you two thinking? ”

“I was thinking that those people needed it more than we did! …And that I needed to make up for what I did to Max.” Adrien crossed his arms, seeming to make himself as small as possible.

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, looking more stressed than Marinette had seen him since she and Adrien were going into the Games. “You two have just made things so much worse…”

“Made what worse?” Marinette asked.

Gabriel eyed the Peacekeeper in the corner of the room. “Leave us. Now.”

The Peacekeeper hesitated but left the room. He was probably just outside the door, though.

Gabriel took a deep breath before he spoke in a hushed tone. “This is not how I wanted you to find out about this. Your objective on this tour was more than just spreading some Capitol propaganda. The President gave me a personal visit before the tour to make sure that I’d keep you two from inciting any rebellion after your Cataclysm inside the arena.”

“That wasn’t rebellion!” Marinette protested. “That was survival.”

“Which I explained,” Gabriel said sharply. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s sparked something, clearly you saw it out there. And you two just fanned the flames. We have two districts and the Capitol left on this, let’s just try not to make this worse. Deal?”

Chapter Text

Gabriel was running on the minimal amount of sleep that he could function on, which was to say not much at all. Caffeine would probably end up being his fuel for the day. Between the worrying about yesterday in District 3 and the knowledge that he’d get to see Nathalie today while they were in District 2, Gabriel’s mind had been way too occupied to get anything productive done, much less sleep.

Nathalie was going to chide him on not getting enough rest, he was sure. She always noticed things like that. Whether it be his appearance or his mental state, she could always read him. 

If they even got to truly speak. He had to remind himself that she wasn’t what he was here for, as much as he would have preferred that to this nightmare of a tour. 

Gabriel had gotten used to the motion of the train as it barrelled down the tracks, but that wasn’t the cause of the constant nausea he’d had since they’d left home. The President’s threat still hung over his head at every moment, and after what Marinette and Adrien had pulled back in District 3 it was a wonder that the train hadn’t ‘mysteriously’ crashed yet.

And now that he’d confessed the truth to them, Gabriel worried that it would just get worse. How much more might Marinette stumble over her words? Or how much more difficult would it be for Adrien to put on a charming and innocent front? 

Well, one good thing about being in District 2 was that the chance of inciting rebellion was about as slim as causing it in the Capitol itself. Adrien and Marinette could outright call for it here and nothing would happen. 

They would either be adored for their love story, or hated for ruining Aurore’s chances at victory. 

How ironic that a Career district had become one of the safer stops on this god forsaken tour.

Gabriel stared out the window at the passing scenery as the train continued on its journey. Part of him wished to enjoy it but he knew that that wasn’t going to happen, not with this much on his mind.

The sun slowly crept over the horizon, bathing the fields before him with a golden glow as it rose. Almost like the Cornucopia in Marinette and Adrien’s Games, a golden beacon reflecting across the Arena. 

Gabriel sighed and turned away, heading back towards his room. All of his thoughts these days drifted back to the Games in one way or another. They refused to leave his mind.

Funny, he’d never thought they’d gone away after his own Games, but now… He supposed one needed a sharp knife to realize how dull the one they’d had had become. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Nathalie had spent the entire banquet intentionally as far away from Gabriel as possible. Not because she didn’t want to be with him – if it were up to her she’d be right beside her husband – but because that was the facade they’d put up over the years. They wouldn’t use the word ‘rivals’, but Nathalie having direct involvement in his previous wife’s death left scars for both of them. Or so the public thought. 

That didn’t mean she didn’t watch though. Gabriel had such a close eye on Marinette and Adrien it was like they’d vanish if he looked away for even a second. All three of them had glanced at her multiple times during the night, but they obviously knew why she was avoiding them. 

Gabriel publicized one marriage and the Capitol took that away from him in the flashiest way that they could. Neither he or Nathalie saw any reason to take that risk again.

But when Adrien looked at her and started whispering to his father, causing Gabriel to also glance at her from across the room, Nathalie couldn’t help but wonder what they were discussing. Her, obviously, but the specifics. 

Gabriel shook his head, shooting down whatever idea Adrien had. But Adrien doubled-down, seemingly insisting on what he was telling his father. Gabriel sighed, but picked up his drink and started to walk towards Nathalie regardless.

She straightened herself up as he approached. “Agreste.”

“Sancoeur,” Gabriel replied in the same cool, impartial tone.

“It’s good to see you.” Nathalie allowed the slightest of smiles to play across her face. No one was even paying attention to them – they were too focused on Marinette, Adrien, or the endless assortment of alcohol and food around the room.

“You as well. I must admit, Adrien encouraged me to come over here.”

“Well then, you’ll have to tell him thank you for me,” Nathalie said, attempting to hide the swell of joy in her at that information. 

For years she’d been worried about how Adrien would react when he inevitably learned about her and Gabriel, but when he’d found out he was more than supportive of it. Adrien going out of his way to push Gabriel towards her just confirmed that he truly was happy for them and that brought Nathalie a sense of peace.

A lot of children likely felt that a parent remarrying meant that their mother or father had been replaced, and the circumstances surrounding her and Gabriel could have been taken as the greatest betrayal a child could feel. But not Adrien. The boy was wise beyond his years and kind beyond what this world liked to allow. 

Nathalie adored the boy. Maybe some day she’d get to spend some actual time with him, but for now… his approval was enough. 

“I’ll be certain too,” Gabriel said, his voice still set in that more haughty tone he used for when they spoke in public. 

He was never able to fully let his guard down without being behind closed doors – even if they were far from the center of attention – but then again, neither was she. 

They never knew what bored party goer might start people observing and decide to start some very much unwanted gossip. Or worse, for one of the other Victors from District 2 to notice they weren’t as rigid around each other as they liked to pretend. 

That likely wouldn’t be a problem tonight, though. The Career districts, like the Capitol, would take any excuse to party hard. They didn’t care that much about Adrien and Marinette, but they’d be all over the delicacies and alcohol. 

“They are all going to be blacked out well before the scheduled end to this party,” Nathalie commented, eying the other Victors. She rarely ever sat with them, so she doubted they’d notice she was missing. Especially not with how much they were chugging their beverages and drunkenly laughing. 

“How fortunate for us,” Gabriel noted. 

He was right. Not being a popular Victor but still being a Career Victors had left her in a strange grey area among the Victors over the years. After the initial shocking end of her Games, she’d been able to fade into the background a little. She barely even mentored most years, which suited her just fine. 

Watching children she’d trained die wasn’t her idea of a good pastime, but Nathalie hated even more that she could barely feel anything when her district lost tributes. They were still victims – raised to believe that violence was fun and the Games were a good thing by terrible role models they had no choice in  – but they were so brainwashed by the time they reached the Games, it was difficult to mourn them anymore. They were too sadistic by that point. 

Felix of all people was the most human-acting tribute Nathalie had seen from the Careers in years. That had been painful to watch, honestly. He’d reminded her a lot of herself, even without them sharing the same Miraculous. Raised one way but with a heart pulling another…

“Are you obligated to be on that train all night?” Nathalie sipped a small amount of her champagne, which she honestly hated. Champagne was terrible, and she never could understand why people enjoyed it. There were better alcohols at the very least. 

“...Officially,” Gabriel answered under his breath. 

“What about unofficially?” 

Gabriel looked as though he were about to reply, but then he frowned. “...I really need them to stop looking at us, they are not at all being subtle.”

Nathalie flicked her gaze back over to Adrien and Marinette, and she almost choked on her drink in laughter. No wonder Gabriel seemed so distracted with the peppy, ogling glances that were being tossed at them every few seconds. 

 …No wonder those two were about to start a rebellion with those acting skills.

Well, at least she knew Adrien’s approval of her was genuine. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

”Good morning, Mr. Agreste!” Marinette said, far too loudly to even her own ears as she entered the breakfast car to join them all at the table. 

“...Good morning,” Gabriel returned, giving her a raised eyebrow as he shut the door behind him.   

She wasn’t good at playing things cool. She really, really wasn’t. Marinette wished she could have Adrien’s charm and ease with words, but she didn’t. That was part of the reason they were in this mess with the Capitol. How was she supposed to keep it together for the whole world when she couldn’t even act normal right now?

“You look a lot less stressed today,” Adrien commented neutrally, although there was a hint of a smirk on his face. 

Gabriel was giving them both a dirty look by the time they sat down at the table. It was a very clear, wordless order to knock it off . 

Right, right. Couldn’t draw attention to things, even if they were keeping silent tabs on them until the party had ended and the two of them had slinked away into the night. Good thing Nadja normally went to bed before all of them so she hadn’t noticed Gabriel hadn’t returned to the train at any hour that could still be considered the night. 

“Oh good!” Nadja said obliviously. “Then everyone should be in top shape for our visit to District 1, and then we get to move on to the best part of the tour in the Capitol! You two are just going to love the party they’ve put together for you there!”

They’d been partying all week, and it was exhausting. At least in the Capitol Marinette wouldn’t have to feel bad about taking their food, though. She’d tried to eat very little in some of the other districts, but in the Capitol…

Marinette decided she was going to eat as much food as possible just to be petty. There was her act of rebellion. Maybe she’d even be her usual self and accidentally knock several bottles of something expensive onto the ground too. 

“Petition to change all these parties to scheduled naps,” Adrien muttered. 

“Seconded,” Marinette said instantly. 

“Signed,” Gabriel agreed. 

Nadja blinked at them, then cleared her throat. “I don’t think that would get quite the viewership the Capitol is after.”

“Just have them leave the TVs on for nap time. There. Ratings.” Adrien shoved part of a cinnamon roll in his mouth, definitely looking in need of that nap he was proposing. 

Funny. He’d been so upbeat a minute ago when teasing his father about his relationship, but one mention of the Capitol was enough to send him back into a slump. 

No… Not just the Capitol. District 1 was up next. 

Adrien’s mother’s district. Where Amelie would also be waiting. Where Lila had come from. Where Felix came from. 

This wasn’t going to be easy on any of them. 

Maybe Marinette was looking forward to the Capitol after all. Or better yet, home. They were so close to being back home, they just had to get through this final stretch of the Victory Tour without starting a full-on rebellion and then they’d have some peace again. 

…At least for a few months until the Games started again. 

This was never really going to be over for them, no matter how much they wished it would be, but District 1… it might be the most difficult yet. 

Chapter Text

18 YEARS AGO

Gabriel was a wreck yet again. It was almost over. There was only one more stop – the Capitol – to go once he left here. But it had been such a long and overwhelming, seemingly endless series of days. 

Gabriel never liked crowds before he’d had to stand in front of them and pretend to be happy about murdering people. The speeches… the stares… the parties…

The him from before the Games would have given anything to have access to so much food. But now… now it all just turned his stomach, and his memories of what it felt like to be starving were the only thing that managed to get him to eat. That was too ingrained in him for him to truly skip too many meals, but he still wasn’t enjoying them. 

At least not the banquets. No, the only time he was finding himself able to enjoy right now were the late nights on the train. His mentor barely acknowledged him, and nobody else roamed around the train so late, so Gabriel was free to sneak into the dinner car, take what snacks he liked best, and settle down by the window with a blanket. 

Oh, how he wished he was there now. But he wasn’t. He… wasn’t sure where exactly he was, actually. He’d managed to slip away from everything after his speech to District 1, and he’d just… walked. 

Gabriel rubbed the tears from his eyes, looking around to try and figure out where he’d wandered while his brain had been shut off. He’d just needed away after his speech, and this was where that had landed him. 

It was a busy area, he noted. He was just tucked away in a part of it most people wouldn’t notice. Who in the luxury Districts would walk around to check under an escalator, after all? Nobody. They all just rode on top, laughing away at their easy lives. And he was down underneath them in the shadows. 

There was some symbolism to be had there, but Gabriel was too tired to really think on it. 

“You’re really good at hiding in plain sight.”

Gabriel flinched hard as a girl’s voice spoke to him from close by. 

He leaned, giving him a better view around the corner at about half of a girl. She was peeking around the pillar that held up the elevator, and she was looking right at him. 

“...Apparently not good enough,” he muttered. 

She giggled. “Good thing this isn’t the arena. I’m sure I never would have found you if you were really trying.” 

Gabriel was about to make a snippy reply – consequences of snapping at a luxury district girl be damned – but then she stepped out from behind the pillar, and he suddenly found himself much more inclined to keep talking to her. 

It was stupid of him. Given where she was from, he knew she was bound to think some horrible way like everyone else in the rich districts. But her smile was so bright, and her eyes so gentle and… pretty. 

Gabriel could admit it to himself. She was beautiful. Definitely around his age. And she looked far more natural than most of the other people he’d seen in the recent districts he’d visited. No strange modifications. No completely outlandish clothes. The most outlandish thing about her was just the copious amount of glitter she had as her eyeshadow, which matched the color of her glittery skirt. Even her hair seemed normal, which was a real rarity in this district. Almost every person he’d seen thus far had some ridiculous color or absurd style, but not her. She just had hers in a simple golden braid.  

“How did you find me?” Gabriel wondered. 

She smiled sheepishly. “I saw you sneak away and I followed you.”

It disturbed Gabriel that he hadn’t noticed that. He’d been on such high alert since the Games that he really should have. 

“Why?” he asked dryly. “Did you want an autograph or something?”

Fans of Victors… Ugh. They really raised children like that around here…

“I mean, I’d take one…” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “But no. I wanted advice!”

About what? How his stylist kept gelling his bangs to stand up?

He had to remind himself to play nice. It didn’t honor Harry or any other tribute’s memory to get himself executed for yelling at some rich girl.  

“And what advice might I have that you seek?” Gabriel worded as civilly as he could. 

“Why, about the Games of course!” She glanced around, lowering her voice to a whisper. “I’m going to volunteer in a few years!” 

Gabriel thought he might vomit on the floor right then and there. A Career. This girl in her pretty little glitter skirt was going to end up dirty, bloody, and dead just like the other Careers he’d faced off against in the arena. 

“You want advice?” Gabriel snarled, unable to keep himself in check any longer. “Stop buying the lies of the Capitol about life as a Victor being anything other than hell!”

The girl blinked back at him with wide eyes, her smile frozen. “...You don’t like being a Victor?”

Her tone was so dumb that Gabriel could tell the thought had never even crossed her mind before that second. 

“There’s nothing to like!” Gabriel doubled down, despite knowing how much trouble he’d be in if this girl told anyone about this. “I killed my best friend, and I’m expected to stand up on stage and gush that I’m thankful about it! I don’t want fame! I never did! All I wanted before the Games was enough food to live! ” 

The girl’s doe eyes grew wider and wider as he ranted on, and by the time he was done she could have passed for a kwami. 

He heaved a sigh, rage giving way to exhaustion once more. “Why am I bothering telling you this? You could never understand. No one raised in this backwards District could. You live in luxury thanks to the pain and suffering of people like me.”

He’d really done it now. Stupid of him. All that fighting in the arena just to probably be executed by the Capitol because he was too stressed out to keep holding his tongue. 

I’m sorry, Harry… Gabriel thought. At least he had no family that would suffer because of this. 

Gabriel let his head fall back against the stone surface behind him that was holding up the escalator, and he closed his eyes. He’d been far from free anyway, but this was about to be the last of what little breathing room he’d had. 

The girl’s heels clicked on the ground, and Gabriel expected her to go by him. She didn’t. Instead, the clicks stopped close to him, and there was a rustle of fabric. 

Gabriel opened his eyes to find the girl sitting by him. No longer was her face the definition of shock. She seemed… curious now. 

“You think I can’t understand because of how I was raised?” she asked. 

“That’s exactly what I think.” Gabriel shook his head. 

“How were you raised?” 

Gabriel stared at her, expecting her to be sheering and haughty. She wasn’t. She looked completely genuine. Like she really wanted to know. 

“Help me understand,” she added. 

…Was this some sort of trick? A trap? No, that made no sense. He’d already said enough to get himself executed. Why would she need more at this point? 

Did she… genuinely want to learn? If she did, then he couldn’t pass up the chance. Maybe his life would actually be worth something. If he could talk this girl out of using her life to train to murder other children, maybe everything he and Harry went through wouldn’t be for nothing. 

“What’s your name?” Gabriel found himself asking. “If I’m going to tell you about my life’s story, I think it’s only fair I know.” 

“Émilie,” the girl responded clearly, pulling her knees closer to herself. “Now I better get that story.”

“...Very well, Émilie. Where would you like me to start?”  

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

PRESENT DAY

The atmosphere in District 1 was an odd and horrible contrast. On the surface, everything was bright and shiny and happy. But the mood … Oh, it was anything but that. The mood seemed to match the thunderstorm that had followed them into town. Marinette could feel the hatred that everyone here had for them. 

For the first time, Marinette was more afraid of the District’s people than the Peacekeepers and Capitol itself. Apparently, no amount of Capitol brainwashing telling people to celebrate the Victors was going to make the people here forget that Marinette and Adrien had single-handedly cost them a victory in the Games this time around. 

Marinette held Adrien’s hand tighter than ever before as they stood on stage and delivered their speeches, and she tried desperately to ignore the cold glare they were getting from Amélie the entire time. Somehow, Lila’s weeping mother was getting under Marinette’s skin less than that. 

…Maybe because she wasn’t even sure Lila’s mother was actually mourning. After seeing how Lila lied as much as she breathed, Marinette wasn’t convinced her mother wasn’t exactly the same. She was a Career’s mother, after all. She was probably more mad about Lila losing than she was actually sad about the loss. 

Yeah, Amélie was definitely worse. Marinette and Adrien were definitely not finding any fellow Victor friends here. What they did have, though, was a mentor that was very good at leering at anyone that came close to them. 

Gabriel had been protective from the start of this trip, but he seemed especially so in this district. He was… lurking closer to them. Usually he’d go and mingle and play nice with people at the banquet, but not tonight. Tonight he seemed set on planting himself behind Marinette and Adrien and glaring at anyone that got too close. 

It probably would have been comforting had Marinette not been wondering why he felt that was necessary. 

“Is everything okay?” Marinette asked softly after the fourth person attempting to approach them had been scared off by Gabriel’s piercing glare.

“Just keeping an eye out,” he remarked casually, taking a sip of his drink.

“For who?” Adrien asked.

“Your aunt.” Gabriel’s face darkened, as if just the thought of Amélie could sour his whole mood. From the limited interaction that Marinette had had with her, it seemed warranted.

It was a little odd that they hadn’t spotted Amélie yet after the speeches. Her usual gimmick seemed to be to try and jab at Gabriel at every possible opportunity, and there were few opportunities as obvious as him sitting in the middle of her district’s banquet hall, and yet she was nowhere to be seen.

“Where do you think she is?” Marinette asked, attempting to stomach one of the admittedly delicious desserts they’d been handed, although she hadn’t had much of an appetite in days.

“Probably skinning puppies, if I had to guess,” Gabriel said in a voice so calm that Marinette almost immediately fell to the floor in laughter.

“No but seriously,” Adrien said. “It’s not like her to miss a chance to… you know…”

“Degrade me and your mother’s relationship at every possible opportunity? I agree, it isn’t like her, but with the storm outside she may be trapped inside her home.”

Adrien made a sound of confusion.

“Witches tend to melt in the rain, Adrien.” Gabriel’s voice was tinged with such seriousness as he took another sip of his drink that Adrien snorted only a second after, causing Marinette to have to use every ounce of her willpower to stop from breaking into a laughing fit.

Everything around them was so serious most of the time that Marinette forgot how funny he could be.  

“Well…” Adrien grinned. “I’m not going to complain if we don’t have to talk to her.” 

“Me neither,” Marinette agreed. 

Gabriel grunted. “I would agree if it didn't make me more concerned to not see her.” 

That was a good point. What could she be off doing that she was allowed to not be at the banquet?

Chapter Text

District 1 had been stifling, but thankfully it hadn’t ended up the worst experience they’d had so far on this trip. Adrien was grateful for that – just the thought of what they’d seen back in 3 was still making his stomach churn.

The train kept running, though. Onwards to their last stop before they got to go home: The Capitol.

Adrien and Marinette had been roused at dawn to prepare for their arrival even though their speeches and subsequent banquet weren’t until sunset. His father had insisted that it would take all day and considering that they were due to arrive in the Capitol in an hour and they still weren’t even close to being ready, he was probably right.

His father had gone all out with these outfits – catering to the Capitol’s fashion sense of bold colors and even bolder styles in a surprisingly tasteful way. Adrien was wearing a black suit with a bright green thread running through every seam, providing a sense of structure and keeping the accent light but definitely not unnoticed. His shirt was the same blue that his father liked to use to represent the Peacock Miraculous, therefore tying him to his mother’s legacy. Adrien’s pin was fastened on his lapel and his hair had been styled in a way that compromised between his normal wavy hair and the complete mess it had become in the arena – which had apparently become a sort of fashion statement in the last six months.

Marinette’s dress was a deep red that seemed to shimmer with her every movement, with a black trim on the neckline and sleeves to match the heels she was wearing. Her jewelry was a healthy mix of gold – to tie in with Adrien’s pin – and a shining black metal. Her hair had been done in cascading curls that went down her back and over one shoulder, looking flashy without being excessive. 

“I just don’t see how anyone who values comfort can find this good,” Marinette muttered as Adrien’s father adjusted a bracelet on her wrist.

Adrien snorted. “It’s funny that you think they care about anything other than vanity and murdering children.”

His father shot him a look and Adrien shut his mouth. 

“Tonight you two are to be on your best behavior. You know what’s on the line with the President. We can’t risk any other… complications arising.” His father instructed.

“Is anything different this time?” Marinette asked.

“It will be the same general show as all the Districts – you two will give your speeches, attend  the banquet, then we get to leave. But this is the Capitol. There’s a lot more at stake here.”

Adrien didn’t need that thought running through his head anymore. Of course there was more pressure. There always was. The President wanted absolute proof that they were just two teenagers willing to make the ultimate sacrifice out of love, but there wasn’t any physical way they could prove that to her. 

He hoped they’d done a good enough job this far on the tour to make her believe it, but it didn’t stop him from being worried regardless. This was the most powerful woman in the country – if Zoé was to be believed then she was willing to even put her own child into a death ring just to keep her quiet. Adrien dreaded thinking about what she could cook up for him and Marinette if they pissed her off.

Who was he kidding, they already had pissed her off. She just didn’t want the trouble of killing them if she could avoid it. They would be too much of a symbol then. The Capitol couldn’t be promoting any martyrs, after all.

Eventually, the train arrived in the Capitol and they were escorted into a limo to take them to the stage they’d be giving their speeches at. It had been erected in the same city circle they’d gone through on their chariots last year during the start of the Games.

Adrien wanted to be able to appreciate how admittedly stunning the Capitol was but he would never do that out loud – admitting that the Capitol had any measure of beauty to it just felt like a betrayal. He had twenty-two kids he’d outlived to balance that out.

Everyone here was basically an enemy. This was not the districts. The people here relished in the Games. They looked forward to them every year. They would have been cheering just as much if Félix and Lila had managed to win. They wouldn’t even care if he and Marinette died tonight at the party itself as long as it was entertaining for them. 

But Adrien didn’t get to act on that resentment. Tonight was all manners and smiles more than ever before. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Even after Districts 1 and 2, it was hard to believe that an event this fancy even existed, and under any other circumstances, Adrien would have been in awe. Everything from each plate of food to any one part of the outfits everyone was wearing had to cost more than anyone in District 8 got paid in a month. 

“How much do you think I’d be in trouble for accidentally knocking wine all over the Gamemakers?” Marinette muttered under her breath as they approached the feast hand in hand. 

“Please do not,” Adrien’s father said behind them, sounding exhausted. He’d probably only just started feeling the relief of them not messing up their speeches about thirty seconds ago, so even hearing Marinette joke about instigating something must have raised his blood pressure. 

Adrien chuckled a little. Even in the worst circumstances, he was glad he got to listen to his father and Marinette bantering. It always put him more at ease. 

As they went through the banquet hall, Adrien tried not to pay attention to just how extravagant everything was, but he was failing. The Capitol’s architecture and decor truly were just some of the most magnificent sights he’d ever seen in his life. It just sucked that he only got to see it because he and Marinette had managed to outlive twenty-three other kids.

Adrien was so distracted that he almost bumped into a girl who was standing in the middle of the path he and Marinette had been following.

“Oh, sorry,” Adrien apologized immediately.

The girl stepped back with an intense rage that Adrien hadn’t seen since the arena. “How dare you! This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!”

Oh, no. After all their careful planning with the speech, had he just ruined everything by not quite running into some snobby Capitol girl?

Adrien thought that phrase sounded familiar though and the girl finally clicked into place.

He’d just run into the President’s daughter.

Adrien had seen her a couple times – she liked to shoehorn her way onto TV, and he’d caught her staring at him multiple times during his and Marinette’s victory celebrations after their Games, but this was the first time they’d truly one-on-one interacted.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien apologized again, although he wasn’t even sure if he had done anything wrong. Even working off the very limited information he had on her, it seemed like something she’d do to put herself in a position that he couldn’t avoid.

The girl – Chloé, if he was remembering her name right – scoffed. “It’s just what I’d expect for someone from the districts. Your groveling was enough. Just don’t do it again.”

It had been a long time since Adrien had wanted to punch someone so quickly after meeting them. He was pretty sure the last one had been Lila, but unfortunately he wouldn’t be able to end his relationship with Chloé the same way.

Chloé was wearing a dress that almost seemed like it was made out of real gold – and considering the fabrics that his father liked to work with that seemed relatively likely – and her blonde hair had been done up in a high ponytail that had gold weaving running throughout. Honestly, it was pretty simple for Capitol fashion, but Adrien figured she was probably trying to kick start some minimalist trend and didn’t think much of it.

Marinette put her free hand out. “Hi, I’m–”

“I don’t care.” Chloé dismissed Marinette with a wave of her hand, although Marinette just looked confused and returned to gripping Adrien’s hand a little tighter. She redirected herself towards Adrien with a smile that reminded him of the faces he’d seen in his nightmares. “Now you…”

“Adrien, it’s a pleasure to–”

“Don’t interrupt me while I’m talking!” she ordered loudly. “It’s utterly disrespectful!”

The urge to punch this girl was intensifying with every second.

She reached out and grabbed Adrien’s forearm, her grip tight enough to start leaving a bruise under his jacket. “Come on, Agreste. I have things I want to show you. The Capitol is truly gorgeous, don’t you think?”

Chloé began to drag Adrien away and he planted himself in place, looking between her and Marinette. The truth was that he’d rather stay rooted in place in the middle of this banquet hall than go anywhere with Chloé, but it was looking like he wouldn’t have much of a say in the matter, especially if they were trying to please her mother.

He could see in Marinette’s eyes that she’d come to the same conclusion. She gave him a small nod and squeezed his hand before letting go.

Adrien hoped that Chloé would trip on something soon. Preferably off a balcony.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Gabriel felt bad for Adrien as he got whisked off by the President’s daughter. Even from the brief glimpses he’d caught of that girl he just felt bad for anyone who had the displeasure of interacting with her. He wondered if he should interfere. 

No, he decided. He would have liked to spare his son the unpleasant experience, but the risk of angering the president’s brat and her tattling to her mother wasn’t worth it. 

He could, however, step in and assist the now very lost looking Marinette since Adrien had been forced to abandon her. 

“Champagne, sir?” a waiter passing him with a tray asked. 

“No, thank yo–” 

“Ah, Gabriel!” a familiar voice came from behind him, bright and filled with false joy.

Speaking of displeasure…

Gabriel snagged one of the champagne glasses wordlessly. 

“Amélie,” he greeted, plastering a smile on his face as he spun around to face her. He’d almost dared to hope he wouldn’t have to talk to her for the entire year after they’d managed to dodge talking to her in her own district. 

Amélie had clearly had a rough six months, which was understandable considering her only son had died in the Hunger Games and defamed her family on live television – easily a highlight of Gabriel’s recent memory. She was haggard and weary, although the metric ton of make-up on her face would fool most people it wouldn’t fool Gabriel. He was too familiar with that face. It had belonged to his late wife, who had died because of her twin sister’s insistence that she participate in the Hunger Games.

He’d always be able to read that face…

“I have to admit, I’m surprised to see you here,” Gabriel said. “We’re a ways away from District 1.”

Amélie smiled, a sight that terrified Gabriel down to his core. As history had proven, when Amélie was happy it usually resulted in Gabriel being anything but. “Oh well, I’ve actually gotten a promotion! Can you believe it?”

“Congratulations. How so?” Gabriel asked, resisting the urge to down his entire glass of champagne in one go in an attempt to make this conversation somewhat tolerable.

“You are looking at the newest Head Gamemaker.” Amélie crossed her arms victoriously. 

Gabriel’s heart sank. As if the Capitol wasn’t cruel enough already, they put someone who was a top contender for Gabriel’s least favorite person on the planet and put her in charge of his least favorite event to ever exist. The District 8 tributes would have no chance at survival with her in charge – she was clearly biased against Gabriel and would definitely try and make things easier for the Careers. Especially now that Adrien was going to be a mentor. She might have more of a vendetta against him than even Gabriel after the last Games. 

“How ever you manage that?” Gabriel asked innocently. “Did they see your resume of sending young kids to their deaths and deem you perfect for the job?”

Seriously. How? Her own son turning against her on live television in his most desperate hour was hardly a good look. 

Amélie laughed lightly at his jab, the fire in her eyes showing her true colors. “Oh, Gabriel, you’re hilarious! I’ve actually been quite close with the Gamemaking scene for the last few years. And after Félix, I gave a few suggestions to the President on how we could improve the Games – you know, keeping up entertainment and drama while leaving out all those pesky grievances that kept popping up last year.”

A ‘pesky grievance’ was a hell of a way to talk about her son, but Gabriel decided to just let her keep talking and tire herself out. At least it gave him an excuse to get more alcohol in his system to numb him out, and maybe she’d say something he could make note of and put to use at the next Games.

“And after what happened to poor Damocles months ago, the Gamemakers were left without a leader to guide their vision. But the President agreed that I knew what direction the Games should take and believe me, Gabriel, we have some excellent surprises in store for the 75th.” 

Oh, he was sure she did. Even without her involvement, this year would be another Quarter Quell. Which was… basically an excuse for the Capitol to be extra terrible. Last time they’d reaped double the amount of children. It was still a mystery to Gabriel how Fu had made it out of that arena and still remained such a positive and genuine person. 

“But I assume you don’t want to spoil any of those,” Gabriel said dryly. 

“And ruin the fun?” Amélie gasped in fake offense. “Oh Gabriel, please! You know me better than that.”

Unfortunately, she was right. Gabriel did know her all too well, which meant that he knew that these Games were going to be more difficult for him than any that had come before.

Wonderful. Another thing to add to his list of growing threats and worries.

Chapter Text

Adrien hated this. So much. In every conceivable way he could think of. This was just the worst. Chloé was the worst.

She had dragged him around like a trophy from the moment she’d gotten her hands on him, ‘introducing’ – showing him off – to just about every single person in attendance at this party. He’d given more anecdotes about the Arena than he’d ever wanted to relive thanks to her.

They finally stopped by one of the tables set out with ornate snacks, which Chloé just knocked off without a second thought – or even a first if Adrien’s suspicions were correct – and he finally was able to take a breath.

“Hey so–” he started before getting almost immediately interrupted.

“I was thinking we could do some dancing and then another circle to get all the guests we missed the first time around. The music is utterly ridiculous, but it’ll be tolerable for our first dance.” Chloé’s voice seemed almost detached from a reality that made Adrien unsettled.

“What exactly do you think is going on here?” Adrien asked warily.

She grabbed his arm, her fingers curling around his bicep in a death grip as she gave a horrible laugh. “Don’t be so dense, Adrikins! Obviously, I want to date you! And I always get what I want.”

Adrien tried to pull away, but she was stronger than he’d anticipated. “Look, Chloé, I’m sure you’re great and all but Marinette and I–”

Chloé scoffed. “What? Is she your girlfriend or something?”

Adrien hesitated. He and Marinette hadn’t put an actual label on anything, but their relationship clearly existed. It was too deep for ‘friends’ to summarize all of it. They were a couple of some kind even if they hadn’t had the privilege of being a normal connection with cute dates. Adrien was unsure exactly where they sat, he knew they were both committed. And he absolutely knew that he felt uncomfortable doing anything with Chloé – and not just because she was so clearly delusional that he wondered if she was wearing the Fox Miraculous under that dress. 

And how did she even think this was an option? To the rest of the world, there was no question on whether or not Marinette and Adrien were a couple. That was their entire image. One barely even existed without the other. How could Chloé think Adrien would be at all for this?

“Well?” Chloé asked again, her voice holding enough barely-contained rage to break through a wall.

Adrien sighed. “Chloé, we’ve only just met, and I’m spoken for. I won’t go through with this. It wouldn’t be right.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I already told you, Adrien, I get what I want. I’ve been waiting six months for you to come back to me and I’m not letting you leave until that train leaves the station. Understand?”

Chloé’s sense of entitlement was so surprising to Adrien. It made Lila and Félix’s reactions during the last Games seem normal and justified by comparison. And six months? Was she talking about their brief encounter when he and Marinette had been crowned Victors? They hadn’t even spoken… 

Adrien shook his head. “I’m sorry, Chloé, but you know your mother has us on a set schedule, and I need to get back to Marinette so we can–”

“My mother says you’re putting on an act,” Chloé whispered harshly. “None of what you’re claiming to have with the poor baker girl is true. Come on, Adrien! You know you can do better than her now that you used each other to get out of the arena.”

“I really don’t.” Adrien pulled away from her and turned to leave.

He didn’t expect to hear glass shattering on the ground and a string of curses from Chloé. Adrien pivoted back to see a poor waiter with his tray of champagne glasses now in a shattered mess on the floor.

“You’re fired!” Chloé yelled at the waiter. “How dare you get in my way! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! Get out of here! Now! ”

Adrien felt bad but knew he couldn’t do anything at this point. It just hastened his get-away even more. Maybe the commotion would cover his exit. 

His heart thudded away rapidly as he did. 

He’d just angered the President’s daughter. That couldn’t be good. But what was he supposed to do? Getting cozy with her wasn’t going to help the image of him and Marinette that President herself wanted sold. 

He really, really hoped he hadn’t just messed up big time. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Marinette didn’t know how to explain that she could tell Gabriel was troubled. She just could. His face may have been as neutral as ever, but she sensed the storm cloud. 

Not that she expected him to be all sunshine and rainbows after talking to Amélie, but this seemed like more than just his general loathing of her continued existence. The tight grip he kept on his champagne glass after she walked off and the tense set of his jawline told her he was concerned. 

Not good. Very, very not good. Gabriel worried about basically everything – with good reason, and it was the only way she and Adrien had managed to live this long – but he was usually right, and him seeming extra worried in the middle of a Capitol event made her nervous. 

“Everything alright, Mr. Agreste?” Marinette asked warily, even though every ounce of her already knew the answer to the question.

“Of course, Marinette,” Gabriel said with a forced smile, confirming to any doubts she’d still had that she was right. “Just a long night.”

“Tell me about it…” Marinette leaned back against the table. Her feet were killing her. Gabriel may have had the best clothes, but she hadn’t had a chance to break in the heels before tonight because everything had to be new for the Capitol. Panem forbid the press saw her with the same pair of shoes twice. That would ruin hers and Gabriel’s image. Because that was super important when child murder Games happened every year. 

And speaking of shoes…

The sound of heels approaching them – somehow loud enough to cut through the barrage of sound echoing across the ballroom – caused Gabriel to stiffen and quickly nudge Marinette back to a proper standing position. Marinette pivoted her head towards the source of the sound and had to fight the urge to scrunch her face in disgust.

“President Bourgeois.” Gabriel put out a hand for her to shake, which she just stared at as if it contained the plague.

“Gabriel,” she greeted, no hint of warmth in her voice, just the pure contempt she seemed to have for everything around her. Even at the speech she’d given during Marinette and Adrien’s celebration earlier in the evening, she’d just exuded nothing but hatred for everything in the universe – contradicting her kind words about them winning the Hunger Games.

Gabriel’s hand dropped back to his side. Marinette looked the President up and down, trying to see where they stood with her. She’d changed outfits from the formal presidential attire she’d had on at the ceremony to a dress that was bejeweled with every kind of precious stone Marinette could think of, making her a colorful cascade from head to toe. Her earrings were a clear diamond, matching her shoes that–

No way. There was no way – even with the ridiculous fashion they had in the Capitol – that the President’s eight-inch heels were made of solid diamond all the way around. 

And yet Marinette was looking at it. 

The President laughed lightly at Marinette. “Try to keep your jaw off the ground, dear, lest you drool on my shoes. That would just be utterly embarrassing for all of us now.”

Marinette took a deep breath, trying to contain herself. She could understand why Gabriel liked working with the Capitol’s fashion standards, they could do the impossible all day every day. But also this woman was just… the absolute worst in every way.

“Audrey, enjoying the party?” Gabriel took a sip from his drink. A large one. 

She held up her hand. “Don’t bother with insults, Gabriel, I know this party is a wreck. I’ve exiled the planner and he won’t be heard from again in any way that matters. I know what you want to know.”

Before Marinette could wonder anymore about how this insanely extravagant party could ever be a flop, the President continued on.

“The Victory Tour has gone off swimmingly with the Districts, everyone just loves your little tributes together,” the President said. 

“Yes, a definitive morale boost, I’d say.” Gabriel was clearly fishing for her to say whether or not they’d sold the illusion that she’d been looking for – even though there wasn’t any ‘illusion’ to it, just an interpretation of Marinette and Adrien’s actions in the Arena. 

Marinette looked between them nervously, like watching a sport she had a stake in. She supposed she did in a way – everyone she cared about was on the line here. The President exiled a party planner for doing something substandard, Marinette dreaded to think of what would happen to her, Adrien, and Gabriel if the President decided that they failed.

The President’s thin line of a mouth curled upwards into what Marinette took to be a smirk. “Well, I have other matters to attend to. I hope you can attempt to enjoy this utterly abysmal party, I’m sure it’s still better than anything you’ve experienced in the districts .”

She spat the word with so much venom that Marinette almost expected acid to come out of her mouth. It wouldn’t even have cracked the top ten worst things Marinette had read about the Capitol doing to human subjects.

With that, the President turned and walked away, the clicking of her heels echoing as she left.

“...Well that was helpful.” Marinette crossed her arms.

“At least we weren’t taken away by Peacekeepers.” Gabriel finished his glass and grabbed another one, immediately taking another from a passing waiter. “I doubt we are out of the woods yet, though. Stay vigilant. Keep smiling for the cameras.”

“You never have to smile at them,” Marinette grumbled. “You get to scowl.”

Ironically enough, that did make Gabriel smile slightly. “Being an adorable spotted insect was never part of my image. My victory was forged with Miraculous steel rather than luck.” 

Right. He stabbed things and corrupted people into turning on each other. She summoned magical funny objects and fell in love. 

And they both had to stay true to what the public expected – no, wanted from them. 

What about Adrien, though? He was more… in the middle. Love and destruction. 

Marinette envied that flexibility a little. 

She was so ready to go home and not have to worry about cameras at all for a while. Obviously she and Adrien wouldn’t be escaping them forever once this was over – the next Games were only a few months away, so the media would be back in their lives in full force for that – but even just a break would be so welcome. After this they could blend in with the other Victors. Not everything would be all about them. 

…Assuming everything was fine with the President and they weren’t all mysteriously killed before then anyway, that was. 

All they’d have to do was mentor the tributes and do their best to make sure they got out of the Arena alive. She hated the idea of that so much – of essentially sending two kids to their deaths – but Gabriel had been doing it this long and Marinette knew that it’s what would be awaiting her for the rest of her life. 

Adrien slid in beside Marinette, looking more than a little frantic and out of breath. 

“Hey!” Marinette chirped, a little startled. “You okay?”

“She’s nuts, ” Adrien hissed. 

“Who, the President? Or Chloé?” Either way, Marinette was pretty sure he shouldn’t be saying that out loud. 

“Chloé.” Adrien looked around the area, seeming paranoid. “Just help me avoid her for the rest of the party, okay? She could be real trouble for us.”

“Got it,” Marinette said nervously. 

They could manage this. They could. Just a few more hours and they’d get to go home. It was alllll fine. 

Chapter Text

Adrien didn’t think he’d ever be as happy to see his home district as he was right after the Games, but this was a close second. As soon as they got away from the cameras and back into the safety of their home, Adrien was going to crash for as long as he could and hope that house didn’t get blown up by a strike ordered by Chloé or something. 

This was their actual last stop on the tour though. They always saved the Victor’s home district for last. Luckily there was no way this would be as torturous as any of the other districts and especially the Capitol – Chloé’s face was going to be joining the lines of those haunting his nightmares.

One more banquet with their actual friends and then Adrien could do what he really wanted to: go back to his house and not leave for as long as he could possibly get away with. 

These proceedings were shaping up to be slightly less formal though, sure they still would have to give some quick speeches before the party but the fact that there wasn’t a small army of Peacekeepers waiting right outside the train when they arrived like the others was already a good indication of what they were looking at. 

“You aren’t done yet,” Adrien’s father reminded him and Marinette gently. “But just one more performance and then you can rest.”

And rest was the one thing Adrien was striving for. The beds on these trains were made with probably the finest materials Adrien would ever see in his life – he wouldn’t be surprised if someone told him the sheets were weaved out of unicorn hair – but he would never be able to get used to moving while he slept. It was just uncomfortable, all the shaking and the noise and the Peacekeepers checking in what felt like every five minutes to make sure he wasn’t dead. 

Marinette squeezed his hand softly as they got off the train. Adrien took it as a reminder that he wasn’t alone in this. Everything he was feeling, she was too. They were in this together. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

The speeches were the same dull drill they’d spouted in every district for the cameras, but now they’d left to head back to the Capitol, probably to edit the best clips into a highlight reel to be broadcasted on every television and billboard they could possibly slam it on. There had been a B team at the banquet capturing some extra footage for the Capitol to air on the morning news but they’d headed off too as soon as it was done. Adrien and Marinette were free from the constant surveillance. 

Adrien felt an apparent weight off his shoulders at that. He was back home in District 8. It was as safe as he could possibly be. 

He’d hung out with Marinette and Alya throughout the party, although he mostly stayed silent and just let the two of them catch up. There was something off, though. Something he couldn’t place for a few hours. But then after he’d gone to grab a glass of water and almost ran into a literal wall of Peacekeepers, it clicked.

Adrien was used to the Peacekeepers being stoic, sure, but usually at some point in the evening they’d be decently friendly and some would even join in the festivities. But instead they’d all stood in a perimeter in a perfect formation. Keeping an eye on everything.

Clearly someone still thought Adrien and Marinette were trying to incite a rebellion everywhere they went. Back on the train Adrien had asked his father and Marinette if the President had given them any sort of indication while they were in the Capitol and – aside from ‘the vaguest sentence I’ve ever heard’ in Marinette’s words – she apparently hadn’t given them any indication on whether or not they’d succeeded in her task. From the evidence available at the moment, Adrien doubted it. 

Now the party was over, though, and Adrien and his father had headed back to their house in silence. Someone had delivered their bags from the train into the entryway, and the second they were through the door his father locked it behind them.

Adrien took a deep breath, letting out so much pent-up stress that he hadn’t even realized was there. They were home. He would be able to wake up tomorrow morning without a camera in his face and a speech shoved down his throat to regurgitate to the masses with a forced patriotic attitude. 

“You did well, Adrien,” his father said with a hint of pride, although exhaustion was still written clear as day over both their faces.

“Thank you,” Adrien said softly. 

Adrien followed his father into the kitchen, working up the nerve to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind the whole tour. “Dad, I…”

“What is it, Adrien?” His father put on the kettle to make some tea.

“How were you? After your tour, I mean.” Adrien sat down at the counter. 

He regretted the words once they were out of his mouth. He tried to avoid bringing up these kinds of things regularly, but since Adrien’s Games his father had become more open about it, even though the topics still clearly caused him pain.

His father sighed. “Honestly, son, I was a wreck. I think that nearly every Victor is after their tour. Think about the last two weeks we’ve gone through, but from the perspective that you have no one you can trust by your side. No Marinette, no me, no Nadja to help guide you. Just someone who has no actual care for you as a person but only as an asset, parading you around as a ‘winner’ of the world’s most abhorrent game.”

Adrien stared down at the countertop, his hands clasped in front of him. This tour had had enough strain on him this whole time, and yet he knew his father was right – it could’ve been way worse. He could’ve been alone. But he wasn’t. 

He had his father and Marinette. He knew the other Victors out there felt the same. Nathalie, Fei, Zoé… they all went through the same thing he did, except according to his father it was probably even worse for them.

“I… I’m sorry you had to go through that…” Adrien finally said, his voice soft.

“I am just eternally grateful that you didn’t have to,” his father whispered. “Get some rest, Adrien. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”

Adrien nodded, slipping off the stool to head towards his room. He’d missed his bed a lot and he was ready to embrace his warm sheets with open arms and crash for as long as he could.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Marinette hadn’t wanted to do it, but Alya had insisted. To celebrate the end of the tour, she’d claimed. A sleepover, just the two of them like old times. 

Except Marinette had gone through so much that for her there was no going back to old times.

They hadn’t had a sleepover since the day before the Games when Marinette had volunteered in Alya’s place – mostly due to the regular occurrence of Marinette waking up screaming from a nightmare. It had been happening multiple times a week since she’d gotten back from the Games and it worried her parents enough to hear it from across the house that Marinette didn’t want Alya to worry too by hearing the full extent of it from inside Marinette’s room.

But Alya’s insistence had won out at the banquet – a celebration that the Capitol wouldn’t be splitting them up again anytime soon. So now here they were in Marinette’s room with Alya toting a sleeping bag under her arm and her backpack slung across her shoulder.

“I know I say this every time, but your new place is so cool.” Alya laughed as she tossed her stuff on the floor and sat back in Marinette’s desk chair, spinning around slightly.

“Thanks.” Marinette sat back on her bed. She was entirely exhausted and could’ve slept for a week, but Alya had insisted that they’d have fun tonight.

“I mean even with everything, it’s nice that you were able to get something good out of it.” Alya smiled at Marinette.

“Yeah,” Marinette said simply, fidgeting with a small ring on her finger.

Alya couldn’t understand that a big house and the rewards she’d gotten as a Victor was nowhere near worth everything she’d had to go through in the arena to get it. All of the people she’d seen die all the while the Capitol cheered them on for their own sick, twisted version of entertainment.

“So how are things going with you and Adrien?” Alya asked.

Marinette almost fell off her bed, causing Alya to laugh. It was like old times, almost. “I- we, uh- I um… We’re friends. Really good friends.”

“You’re telling me that you two walk around town together all the time and spent the last two weeks riding around the country together while holding hands at almost every possible opportunity as ‘really good friends’?” Alya asked with a chuckle.

“I… I don’t know, Alya. We haven’t really defined anything.”

“Because you’re scared to?” Alya ventured a guess.

Marinette sighed. She knew Alya was right. What if Marinette asked Adrien to be her boyfriend and he said no? He could just write her off into the wind and Marinette would have ruined a relationship with the only people who truly understood what she felt because she knew that if her relationship with Adrien fell apart Gabriel would soon follow. 

Then she’d be more alone than ever.

“Something like that…” Marinette whispered quietly.

“You’re scared of losing that friendship, yeah?”

Marinette nodded softly, grabbing a pillow and holding it tight against her chest.

“I guarantee you that the last thing he wants is to ruin it too,” Alya said gently. “Do you trust him?”

“With my life,” Marinette said with no hesitation. They’d saved each other’s lives in the Games more times than she could count, there was no doubt in her mind that she could trust Adrien.

“Then you know that you can trust him here too. Worst case, he doesn’t feel the same way and you two can just continue the friendship you’ve already built up. But I don’t think he’d do that. Go back and watch some of the footage from your tour if you want proof. Adrien couldn’t keep his eyes off you.” Alya laughed.

“Really?”

“Really, girl. I’m not going to pressure you either way, I’m just saying, it might be worth a shot.” 

Marinette shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”

They sat in an awkward silence for a few moments until Alya spoke up. “Was there anything cool in the other districts?”

Marinette wanted to tell her about all the great technology she’d seen in District 3 or the luxury items she’d seen in District 1 and the Capitol, but she couldn’t. Everything that Marinette could remember from any of the other districts just boiled down to the depressing state the people of every District had been in. 

Even in the Career districts there was an underlying sadness from what the Capitol had done to push them all down. The war between the districts and the Capitol had been seventy-five years ago and yet the Capitol refused to even attempt to try and move on. Instead they just pushed harder and harder, driving the districts into the ground in service to the Capitol.

The Hunger Games may have been their most public exploit, but by no means was it their only one. The Peacekeepers, the isolation between districts, every small thing that enforced the Capitol’s rule over the districts was there hiding in plain sight. And they had no choice but to accept it.

Except now people had seen Marinette and Adrien and had taken their actions in the arena as rebellion. As a glimmer of hope in the darkness. Something to rally behind.

Marinette never wanted to be a symbol of resistance. She never wanted to be a martyr, which so many had taken her volunteering to be. She’d just wanted to save Alya and her family the pain of losing another family member in the Games. It had been an impulse decision, not a strategy.

It had spiraled so out of control that these last six months felt like a whole other lifetime.

“Uh… the beaches in 4 were nice,” Marinette finally said.

Chapter Text

Marinette had a better time than she’d believed she was going to. There really was just something nice about being able to sit around with Alya and talk through all the crap that was running through her head non-stop these days. Even if Alya couldn’t fully understand everything, she did her best and really just having a sounding board for Marinette to process it all out loud was more valuable than she’d be able to give Alya credit for.

Unfortunately though, morning eventually came and Alya had to go to school. If there was at least one pro from winning the Games it would be that Marinette and Adrien had no obligation to attend school anymore since they weren’t expected to participate in District 8’s main industry of textiles. They were Victors, they were a different class now. 

Instead of jobs, every Victor’s main duty was to mentor in the Hunger Games every year. Marinette dreaded having to even think about that. She’d seen how stressed Gabriel was during their Games and just the knowledge that he’d done it for seventeen years before they’d managed to win was terrifying to her. No wonder Gabriel had seemed so cold to the rest of the District for her whole life – the guy had to try and help two kids survive every year just to watch them get slaughtered. 

No part of her could blame him for being that detached from society, but Marinette desperately hoped that she and Adrien wouldn’t end up the same way.

In order to keep the Victors occupied – and, Marinette assumed, stop them from inciting rebellions – they also were all encouraged to have a ‘talent’ that the Capitol could proudly show off a few times a year. Jagged Stone and Luka Couffaine’s music careers immediately came to mind, but Marinette knew that every Victor was always working on something even if it wasn’t quite as public. 

Marinette’s was an easy choice: fashion. It was barely a choice at all, if she was being honest. It had been her passion long before she had the opportunity to work with Gabriel as a mentor. Adrien had experimented with a few things but none of it really seemed to stick. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to try anything or that he was just being lazy as far as Marinette could tell – he would throw his all into whatever he tried, but he hadn’t found anything that brought him the same ‘spark’ that Marinette and Gabriel had about fashion. Except fencing. Which was… not something the Capitol really wanted him to encourage others to learn. Great for arena drama, yes, but they didn’t exactly want citizens learning out to fight proficiently.  

“You really didn’t have to come,” Alya said yet again as they approached the school.

Marinette shrugged. “I needed to get out of the house.”

“You’ve been out of the house for two weeks, Marinette,” Alya pointed out. “You could use some rest.”

“I needed to visit my parents anyway.” Marinette waved her off.

The truth was that staying in the Victors’ Village all the time was almost suffocating to Marinette. It was at the top of a hill, away from everyone else and almost completely isolated. Her only community was her parents and the Agrestes. She didn’t hate it, she loved being right across the street from the only people who actually understood her, but she had to go into town a few times a week or else she would’ve gone completely insane.

It didn’t matter that ninety-percent of the time she’d just end up sitting in her parents’ bakery just staring out the window while she worked on different designs – which was exactly what she was planning on doing later – what was important to her was not being cooped up in her bedroom. 

Alya stopped suddenly, bringing Marinette out of her thoughts. 

“Alya? What’s wrong?” Marinette noted the way she was tightly gripping her school bag. 

“Marinette…” Alya didn’t so much as blink, and Marinette followed her gaze to the school doors… where there were Peacekeepers standing. 

What? Peacekeepers guarding the school? Since when was that a thing? And why?

“That’s so weird…” Marinette muttered under her breath.

The two of them walked towards the school, and while they let Alya in with no issue besides the metal detectors that Marinette saw through the doors, they put up a hand to stop Marinette from heading any further – as if she’d intended to in the first place.

“Not you, ma’am.” The Peacekeeper seemed polite enough but his voice was firm. “We have orders to make sure only students go inside.”

Marinette smiled gently at them as she turned around and left without another word. She was surprised though. This level of security was unheard of. All it did for her was confirm what she, Adrien, and Gabriel had already suspected – the President was not planning on letting them off the hook anytime soon. She thought they would incite a rebellion, and for all Marinette knew, they probably had.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Gabriel was accustomed to Marinette knocking on his door in the middle of the night, but frantically beating on the door in the middle of the day was new, and he’d never dreaded seeing her so much. 

Please oh please let this just be her just being dramatic…

Gabriel opened the door quickly, sending her off balance as he did since she’d still been knocking so hard. 

One look at her face told him this was not some childish teenage drama. Not that he’d expected it to be, but he’d been hoping. 

“What is it?” he asked quickly. 

She huffed, clearly trying to get her breathing under control. “Peacekeepers! School!”

Two words in and Gabriel could already feel his stomach sinking with dread. “What were they doing?” 

Marinette shook her head frantically. “I don’t know. Guarding? They waved me off before I got to the door. But that can’t be good, right? Why would they be here at all?” 

Gabriel paused, paranoidly checking the street behind the girl before he said anything. “...Get inside. This isn’t a conversation to be had near watching eyes and listening ears.” 

Marinette didn’t need to be told twice – she scampered past him, quickly moving to her usual spot in front of the fireplace before he’d even closed the door. The girl was as pale as snow when he got a good look at her. 

“Deep breaths,” Gabriel advised, shoving down his own panic in order to calm her. He took his time, heading into the kitchen to make her some tea. Yes, the situation might be urgent, but the more he panicked, the more she was going to, and that would do neither of them any good. 

A few minutes later, Gabriel returned to the fireplace with two mugs in hand. He handed one to Marinette before sitting down in his usual chair. “Tell me what happened.”

“First, Alya and I noticed that there was more security at the school. They had metal detectors inside and just a whole lot of them out front, like they were waiting for someone to step out of line. But that wasn’t it. I went to the bakery after and all around town square there were dozens of Peacekeepers. Something made security here increase a bunch!”

Gabriel sighed. He should’ve expected this, if he was being honest with himself. He’d tried to rationalize Audrey’s words as anything other than the threat they were and here she was following through – and using the whole District as collateral to prove her point. 

He’d seen the barely-contained rage in the other Districts while they were on the Victory Tour. There was something simmering under the surface all throughout the country and he doubted that anything Marinette or Adrien had said on that tour would’ve defused the bomb that was winding up.

For a few seconds the only sounds in the room were the crackling of the fire and Marinette slurping her tea. 

“It’s because of us, right?” Marinette asked softly.

“Yes,” Gabriel said. “But you two were just trying to survive. This has snowballed so far that it’s beyond either of you. It’s an unfortunate consequence.”

“What do we do?”

Gabriel sighed. “For now just try not to escalate anything further. I don’t think anything we could do would pacify this even if we tried.”

Gabriel was worried about what this meant for the other districts. Audrey would’ve wanted to make her point to Gabriel and the kids but Gabriel wasn’t naive enough to think it would stop there. She’d want the other Victors and districts to remember her power. That’s all this was, of course, just another display of the Capitol’s unyielding authority over their lives. 

He just hoped that none of the other Districts would take the bait. A few dozen extra Peacekeepers weren’t worth starting a revolution. Not yet, at least.

If someone had asked in the years following his Hunger Games if he’d support a rebellion, Gabriel would’ve been willing to go in guns blazing. But after Émilie things had changed. With Adrien, everything was different.

Rushing into battle wasn’t smart for anyone, especially those who he loved. Gabriel knew that first-hand and he knew other Victors who had experienced the same thing. It wasn’t luck that Adrien had been picked for the Games. Same with Zoé, Luka, or Juleka. The Capitol punished those who they thought were on the verge of treason by reminding them that they had no true control and that everything they cared for could be snatched away in a second.

Adrien was Gabriel’s biggest concern. Adrien was easily, without a single doubt in his mind, the thing that Gabriel cared for the most on the planet. Gabriel wouldn’t do anything to risk his safety, that much he was one-hundred percent certain of. He would protect his son as much as he was physically able to. 

“What if someone else escalates things?” Marinette wondered, biting her lip. “So many people are upset.”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” 

And he would have a lot of calls to make. In fact, he needed to make some calls now. See if he could sneak in some coded questions about the status of the other districts. Luka might have some news for him. 

Oh, how Gabriel was dreading the Quarter Quell this year. Of course the extra part of those Games were supposed to be unknown even by the Capitol, but they seemed just as random as the reapings tended to be when it came to the children of Victors. If the districts acted out, there was sure to be hell to pay these Games to show them their place . Especially with Amélie leading things. Gabriel dreaded to think what they’d have up their sleeves to one-up that horrid idea from last time. 

The Quarter Quells supposedly had been planned back when the Hunger Games had first been invented over seventy years ago, but Gabriel doubted that more every second. The first one had made the Districts vote on which children to send in. Gabriel could scarcely think of something that could divide a community more – which was exactly what the Capitol wanted. 

The second Quarter Quell had sent in double the number of tributes from each District, making for a total of forty-eight tributes in the Arena. It was conveniently timed right as the Districts were starting to have larger population growth. Almost as if the Capitol was telling them that numbers didn’t matter, that they could strike them down regardless.

Every Quarter Quell adapted with the landscape of the country at the time. And with Marinette and Adrien’s dual-victory last year and subsequent civil unrest, Gabriel could only run through every horrific possibility he could think of for what Audrey would pull out of that envelope this year. Or rather… what Audrey or Amélie might put in the envelope after burning what was originally there because they had a better idea.

Chapter Text

It had been a month now since they’d returned from the Victory Tour, and the increased security hadn’t let up at all. If anything it had started getting worse, and Marinette wasn’t sure what she could do about it.

Most people in the district turned a blind eye to some of the less-than-legal things that would happen around town for a few reasons. Namely it being none of their business. This new regime of Peacekeepers, though? They weren’t going to let anything slide – especially when it came to their new leader, Armand D’Argentcourt. 

“He’s the worst!” Alya ranted to Marinette. The girls were in Marinette’s house, where Alya had been seeking refuge from the ‘totalitarian dictatorship’ that was the main part of the district. Having met the President, Marinette was inclined to agree with that description – Audrey definitely valued absolute control above all else.

“But what can he actually be doing?” Marinette questioned. “Like, it’s not like they could actually hurt anyone, right?”

As the words left her mouth Marinette realized how idiotic she sounded. It was a private army slinging rifles around and pointing them at anything that moved – according to Alya one of them had fired at a bush that had moved the wrong way – and they had put the entire district into a borderline-lockdown to keep their hold secure. 

Marinette sighed. “Don’t even answer that.”

Alya glanced out the window. “Speak of the devil…”

Marinette followed her gaze to see Armand coming into the Victor’s Village with three heavily armed Peacekeepers on his tail. He wore his Head Peacekeeper uniform with more pride than Marinette thought was even possible, and in addition to the rifle he kept slung across his back, he also had an ornate sword at his hip. Marinette absently wondered if he ever even used the sword or if it was just there for dramatic effect, but she quickly realized that the entourage of Peacekeepers was heading towards Adrien’s home.

“What are they doing?” Marinette asked.

“Let’s find out.” Alya grabbed Marinette’s hand and started dragging her towards the door.

“Alya, wait–”

“You said it yourself! We need to see what they’re doing.”

Marinette sighed as she pulled on her coat. She knew from experience that once Alya was determined to do something that there was almost nothing anyone could do to talk her out of it. 

“Fine,” Marinette agreed reluctantly.

They stepped out and crossed the street – standing far enough back to not be an immediate target to the Peacekeepers – as Armand knocked on the Agreste’s door. Although it seemed more like he was trying to knock it down with how hard he was hitting it.

“Peacekeepers! Open the door now!” Armand shouted, his face already red between the remnants of the winter chill and the force of his shouting.

The door creaked open to reveal Gabriel wearing an expression holding enough disdain that Marinette would’ve expected it to be reserved for Amélie or the President only. This pushover definitely wasn’t on their level, but he was annoying enough to be.

“May I help you?” Gabriel asked, his voice hollow – which is how Marinette was able to tell how annoyed he actually was.

“We’d like to speak to your son,” Armand said.

“Why?”

Armand’s calm facade dropped for a fraction of a second. It was almost sad that he couldn’t even seem to fathom someone not obeying to his every whim. “Just let him talk to us.”

“I’m his father. You’re not seeing him unless I allow it. I’ll ask again. Why do you wish to speak with him?”

“It’s no secret that this backwater district has no respect for the true order we’re offering. As a show of goodwill, we wanted to talk to young Mr. Agreste about potentially enlisting in our forces.”

“He’s fifteen,” Gabriel deadpanned, moving to shut the door.

“Wait!” Armand said quickly. “We understand that. In the future, of course, once he’s of age. He’s a bright young lad, who has faced death and lived to survive just like me!”

Marinette could feel the tension rise immediately from across the street as any sense of composure that Gabriel had came dangerously close to snapping.

“Faced death and lived to survive?” Gabriel repeated lowly. “Tell me, Peacekeeper – you’re claiming that your experience is relatable to him?”

Armand put his hand on the hilt of his sword proudly. “Yes, indeed, dear sir! My legend stretches far and wide–”

Gabriel interrupted him without what seemed like a second thought. “So you also outlived over twenty other children in a death match rigged for the entertainment of the masses?”

Armand hesitated. “Well, no, I–”

“You also went through betrayals stretching left and right that will haunt you for the rest of your days knowing that you had no true choice in the matter and just have to live with it the best you can?”

Armand swallowed nervously. “I can tell I have crossed a line. My apologies, Mr. Agreste, for the intrusion, my men and I–”

“Will be leaving this very instant,” Gabriel finished for him. “And if you ever try to claim that whatever tale you’ve spun about your success to land you this high in your forced enlistment is even remotely similar to what me or my son went through, well the President will have to send her regards.”

Armand’s face drained of color so quickly that Marinette would’ve thought it had never been there in the first place as he rounded up his men and left without another word. 

“Move!” he snapped as one of his men failed to dodge his angry stalking fast enough. 

“...You know I used to not like Mr. Agreste,” Alya muttered. “He’s kind of a badass, though.”

Marinette smiled a little. A lot of people hadn’t liked Gabriel before the last Games, but things had been different since the Capitol had put him on air so much with Adrien in the arena. 

The President was worried about Marinette and Adrien starting a rebellion, but Marinette wondered if Gabriel was in that mix just as much as them. Sure, he hadn’t bent the rules and made fools of the Capitol to win, but his temper was… Well, he held his tongue most of the time, but pretty much anyone could see the anger in his eyes at basically any Capitol function if the cameras weren’t on him. 

“We’re lucky to have him around,” Marinette noted, then frowned at Armand and his men. “Where are they going?” 

“...Not back where they came from,” Alya said, though Marinette had already figured that much out. “We should follow them!”

“What?” Marinette squeaked. “Why?” 

“In case they try to do something terrible but having witnesses around will stop them!” Alya said confidently. “Things are tense! They won’t do anything they think will cause them more trouble! Especially if we have proof of it!” 

“Alya!” Marinette nearly choked on air as Alya proudly pulled out and displayed a camera that was too fancy to be anything but Capitol made. “Where did you get that?”

“Not all the Peacekeepers are complete monsters,” Alya said brightly. “Some of them are just greedy and will take bribes.” 

Marinette gawked. “Bribes of what? ” 

Alya’s family didn’t have any real money. Yeah, they were living more comfortably now that they were in a Victor’s district, but that didn’t mean that they had enough money to spare for bribes .

“Um.” Alya scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. “You know how you and your parents bake a bunch when you’re stressed and give some of it to my family? Well… we were up to five boxes of cookies that were going stale.”

Marinette didn’t know how to reply to that. Upset the cookies she baked with love went to Peacekeepers? Happy they actually went to use instead of going bad? 

She sat there with her mouth hanging open for a moment, and Alya yanked on her sleeve to get her moving before she could find her voice. 

“Come on, we’ll lose them if we don’t hurry!”

Marinette wasn’t so sure that was a bad thing. Gabriel had told her not to make things worse. This sounded exactly like some risky action that might make things worse. 

Marinette yanked her arm free, stopping Alya in her tracks. “Alya, I can’t.” 

Alya frowned at her. “You can’t? What do you mean, you can’t? You can’t be scared after…” 

She trailed off, but Marinette knew exactly what she meant. How could she be scared of something like this after surviving the Games? 

Well, she wasn’t scared. Not like that. She’d looked death in the face so many times during the Games that nothing here could come close. 

But she was scared of the repercussions of… well, anything she might do. One wrong step and Adrien was in trouble too. And that meant Gabriel as well. And the whole district. 

Marinette shook her head. “I can’t risk being involved with anything, Alya. Not now.”

Not ever, really. But the rebellion threats had a chance of dying down as time went on. She wouldn’t always have the Capitol paying so much attention to her. 

…Right?

Alya swallowed, understanding washing over her face. “Okay. I get it. I can go alone, don’t worry!”

“Alya–”

“I’ll be fine, Marinette!” Alya assured, already moving again. “I’ll be careful, I promise!”

Marinette swallowed, and she felt like there was a stone in her stomach as Alya ran off. Alone. 

She didn’t like this. She didn’t like it one bit. 

But there was nothing she could do about it. Not with the Capitol tying her hands. She just had to stand there while her best friend ran into trouble without her. 

She stood there a while, staring blankly in the direction Alya and the Peacekeepers had gone. 

What if something happened and Marinette wasn’t there? She couldn’t shake her bad feeling. 

Her feet moved before she could stop them, taking her down the same path. 

Bad idea, bad idea, the logical part of her brain warned her. 

“Marinette!” 

Marinette skidded to a stop, looking over her shoulder to see Gabriel frowning at her as he stood just inside his house with the door open. 

“What are you doing?” 

Did he have a radar for when she was about to do something stupid?

“You’ve been standing in the street for at least five minutes,” Gabriel noted. 

Oh, yeah. She guessed she was. In front of his house. No wonder he’d noticed her. 

Marinette bit her lip. “Alya followed those Peacekeepers to make sure they didn’t hurt anyone. I’m worried about her.”

Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “And what exactly does she intend to do to stop them if they did?”

Marinette shrugged. “Film them, apparently. Spread word around so they can’t get away with things.”

“What?” Gabriel was out on his porch in an instant, slamming the door behind him. “Of all the foolish… Where did they go?”

Marinette pointed, and Gabriel was moving in that direction instantly, causing Marinette to have to break into a jog to keep up with his longer legs. 

“What are you going to do?” Marinette asked, thankful to have him there. 

“Keep your friend from instigating a rebellion in yours and Adrien’s place,” he grumbled. “This is exactly the type of landmine we don’t need. Your connection is well known. If she sets off something, you won’t even have to do anything – the repercussions will come back on us regardless by association.”

Crap. Marinette had thought her staying behind would be the smart move, but now she wasn’t sure. If everything would come back on her anyway, all she’d done by staying behind was put Alya in more danger.  

“...Do you hear that?” Marinette’s heart skipped a beat as she heard some sort of commotion ahead. 

Gabriel swore under his breath in a way he didn’t normally when he thought she and Adrien were in hearing range, and he picked up his pace. 

Marinette bit her lip as they moved. 

How could something have happened so quickly? It had only been a few minutes. 

Please be okay, Alya…

Chapter Text

Marinette wasn’t entirely sure what she was about to see when she and Gabriel rushed into the square, but her stomach had been dropping the whole time nevertheless, and that was not helped by what they eventually did see.

Alya was being restrained by two Peacekeepers while Armand held up her camera with an amused smirk.

“Give it back!” Alya struggled against the Peacekeepers, trying to pull out of their grasp.

“Well, well, what a nice little piece of Capitol technology you have here…” Armand mused as he held up the camera to snap a picture of Alya’s suffering. “Tell me, girl, how did you come upon this?”

Before Marinette could even start thinking about what she was doing, her legs had carried her right into the middle of the commotion. “It was me!”

Armand and Alya both looked at her with expressions of shock.

“It was me,” Marinette repeated, gasping for breath. That run into town had taken it out of her. “I… I bought it for her while I was in the Capitol.”

She could practically hear Gabriel’s internal screaming already. It was a flimsy lie and she knew it. Anyone who’d actually paid attention to the coverage of the Victory Tour would’ve known that there was no actual window for her to have been able to go shopping of all things, but Marinette hoped that Armand would fall for it anyway.

A stupid gift wouldn’t be a great look, but it was a lot better than the truth being out about the bribery .

Armand narrowed his eyes, examining Marinette’s demeanor. “Really?”

“Yes.” Marinette nodded, her voice raising an octave. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel it in her throat.

Armand sighed, seeming to buy Marinette’s lie. “Okay, then. Regardless, this young lady was trying to use this camera to catch my Peacekeepers in an act of treason which they were not committing. She was attempting to frame them, which is punishable by–”

“Mr. D’Argencourt,” Gabriel’s voice spoke from behind Marinette, a cool tone masking the anger that Marinette could detect underneath. “I think it would be better to have this discussion in private, no?”

“No!” Armand argued. “An example must be made!”

“Then take the camera, make that your example,” Gabriel suggested. 

Armand paused, considering Gabriel’s words. 

“This girl is the best friend of one of the Capitol’s favorite people. Do you really want to jeopardize her reputation over a simple misunderstanding?” Gabriel asked. “Miss Cesaire, I believe you told Marinette that you were going out to take landscape pictures for a school project, correct?”

Alya didn’t even hesitate to nod in agreement. “Yep. Definitely.”

Gabriel nodded. “See? Just a misunderstanding.”

Armand’s face was red, still itching to take out his anger and rule with an iron fist, but Gabriel had seemed to disarm him for the moment. “I will be confiscating this camera until my techs can prove that there was no treasonous content on it.”

“Of course,” Gabriel said. “I would expect nothing less from our nation’s finest.”

Armand raised his hand. “Troops, disengage.”

He led them away, muttering under his breath every angry thought that entered his head.

Marinette released a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding.

“Gabriel, I… thank you,” Marinette said.

Gabriel looked between her and Alya with a sigh. “You are smart children. For the life of me, I can’t understand why you keep doing such idiotic things. Just be careful and think things through. We cannot afford events like this.”

“Events like what?” Adrien asked as he came down the hill to approach them.

Marinette didn’t even know where to start. The last half an hour had felt like a week to her.

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose in a gesture that screamed ‘these children make me tired’ . “Events such as Miss Cesaire almost getting herself arrested over trying to stalk the Peacekeepers to prove their totalitarian regime.

Adrien glanced at Alya in confusion. “Who would you have reported it to?”

Marinette and Alya exchanged a look. Neither of them had thought that far into the plan at all.

“I was in the… collecting evidence stage of the process,” Alya said evasively.

“Which is to say she had no idea,” Gabriel said bluntly. “Look, you have to be intelligent about this. None of you can afford to have anything worse happen. Promise me you won’t do anything else rash.”

All three of them gave muttered agreements. Marinette tossed an apologetic look at Adrien. He’d really just wandered in at the worst possible moment.

“I came here because I was looking for you two,” Adrien said. “The Capitol announced a broadcast tonight with mandatory viewing.”

“Meaning that it can’t be anything good,” Marinette finished with a sigh.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

That evening, Adrien sat down on the couch clutching a mug of tea in his hands. He had no indication of what the Capitol was going to be bringing out tonight, but he already knew it couldn’t be anything good.

His father settled in next to him with a sigh. Marinette was at her house with her parents and part of Adrien wished that she was here with him instead. There was just something about being around her that made him feel calmer. 

But he understood why Marientte and her parents wanted to be together as a family for the broadcast. He could see her later. He was sure she’d probably end up coming over to talk with him and his dad about whatever this was eventually anyway. 

…Hopefully nothing rebellion related. They’d tried so hard to play their stupid part.  

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the Capitol News banner flared brightly across the screen to reveal Alec Cataldi and Bob Roth, the long-time hosts of the Hunger Games. Adrien’s stomach instantly dropped. If they were here, that meant it had to be a Games-related announcement. 

“Hello, citizens!” Alec greeted brightly. “Thank you so much for tuning in!”

As if we were given a choice… Adrien thought bitterly.

“Tonight we’re revealing this year’s special Quarter Quell twist.” Bob leaned on the table in front of them. He didn’t look great, if Adrien was being honest. Bob’s son, XY, had died in the last Games, and he had clearly taken it hard. No part of Adrien could blame him for that – even if Bob was one of the worst people Adrien had ever met – but he was just surprised that they’d put him back on-air at all.

“The Quell?” Adrien’s father muttered next to him. “I thought we still had a month or two for that…”

Adrien hadn’t been alive for the last Quarter Quell – celebrating the fiftieth Hunger Games – and his father had still been a kid when they’d happened. A special variation of the Games to ‘celebrate’ another twenty-five years of senseless child murder for entertainment.

Yeah, special was an interesting word for it, Adrien mused. Sadistic was probably a more accurate one though. A nice exciting way of making their child murder Games even more exciting. Like they weren’t bad enough already. 

The news feed cut to the President standing in front of a crowd of excited Capitol citizens. Even with her rabid mob in front of her, Audrey’s face still radiated disdain and annoyance. Chloé stood next to her, holding a small wooden box. 

Adrien grimaced. Even if the President was far more actually evil, Adrien was sure he’d rather deal with her personally than ever run into Chloé ever again. The President just terrified him. Chloé made his skin crawl. 

“Greetings,” Audrey said coldly. “When the Hunger Games were established, there was a condition put into place that every twenty-five years, a glorified variant of the Games would be put on to refresh the memories of those killed by the districts’ rebellion.”

Adrien couldn’t help but think of the fact that some of the districts were probably rebelling right now as a result of his and Marinette’s actions. The Quell would’ve happened anyway, but Audrey would definitely want to push her power out even more after that.

He wasn’t really sure how she thought a fancier version of the things the protests were primarily about was going to make people rebel less, though. 

“To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Hunger Games, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their utterly ridiculous choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it.”

Adrien shuddered at the very thought. It was repulsive, being forced to choose who would have to go into the arena. He definitely preferred the random drawing to that, even if the suspense was so much worse. How could someone even have the will to fight when they knew they’d been voted the least liked or important person in their whole home district? 

The cheers must have been low in the districts that year… Except for the Careers, for course. Pretty much business as normal there. Voted… volunteered… what was the difference? 

The President continued. “On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes.”

Forty-eight. There had been forty-eight tributes in those Games. Adrien and Marinette had barely outlasted twenty-two, and they’d been together. Trying to take on forty-seven opponents alone… that had to have been hell.

How Fu had made it out was a real mystery, but how he’d made it out and still seemed like such a nice person was an even bigger one. 

“And now the third Quarter Quell is among us!” Audrey announced. 

Adrien tried to swallow against the lump in his throat. As much as he didn’t want to mentor at all, he wished he and Marinette could have at least gotten a normal year to figure out the ropes. 

Chloé stepped forward, allowing Audrey to open the box in front of the cameras. Rows of yellowed envelopes sat inside – centuries of Quells just waiting to be unleashed upon the country to remind them of their lower place in comparison to the luxury of the Capitol. Audrey pulled out an envelope with 75 written in large letters on the front, slipping her fingernail under the flap and opening it in one smooth motion.

She pulled out a small card and with no hesitation read, “On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of Victors.”

Adrien’s cup fell out of his hand, the hot tea spilling over his socks as the mug clattered on the ground. 

This couldn’t be real. No, it had to be a joke of some kind. The Capitol wouldn’t…

No.

He’d won. They’d won. 

They’d gotten out of the arena. 

They’d won the Hunger Games. They were supposed to get to live. That was the deal.  

Adrien flinched as he heard something crash behind him, and he snapped his head around to find his father leaning heavily on the sewing table he had in the living room. Except that the sewing table now had nothing on it because it was all on the floor. 

His father swore. Loudly. Many times. With language Adrien hadn’t even heard him use during their week leading up to the Games themselves. 

Adrien didn’t know what to do. He just… sat there. Trying to think. Trying to breathe. 

Some districts had larger pools of Victors than others. Plenty for the Career districts. Less for everyone else, but there were at least two to each one. But that was a recent development, because up until last year there hadn’t been a female District 8 winner. 

Adrien didn’t think his heart could get any heavier, but it did at that thought. 

Marinette was the only female District 8 Victor. She had no chance of not getting picked. Zero ways around it. 

And going in with her… would be Adrien or his dad. 

Tears blurred Adrien’s vision. 

Two of them going in. Only one coming out this time because the Capitol for sure wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. 

There was no way for all three of them to get out of this alive. 

Chapter Text

Gabriel wasn’t sure if he wanted to throw up or kill someone with his bare hands more at the moment. 

The absolute bastards. Randomized special event his ass. This was planned. There was no doubt in his mind. This was Audrey’s answer to the rebellion. To the camaraderie that had grown among so many of the district Victors. 

This would be no match of strangers as it had always been with the children. These were going to be friends forced to murder each other to survive. Audrey had done this to break them – destroy all those friendships and get rid of so many of her problems entirely. 

The mistrust would grow, even before the reaping… And Gabriel could guess well enough at most of the tributes even before then. They wouldn’t be random either. 

Nathalie…

Gabriel’s heart ached. She was an outcast in Career circles. It didn’t matter that her district had plenteous Victors to be in the pool – she would no doubt be thrown in. Sure, there was the small chance that one of the Victors from 2 would want to go back in to try and gloat how they’d won twice – and Gabriel was sure there’d be a few of those – but Nathalie had never hidden her opinions from the other Victors. They’d find a way to get her back in.

Audrey was going to get rid of as many non-Capitol loyal Victors as she could in one swoop–

“ We have some excellent surprises in store for the 75th. ”

…Amélie. Damn her. Damn her . 

This was probably all her doing. Her grand idea that had landed her that promotion in the first place. 

The question was… did she want to see him gone or him suffering more? Would it be his name or Adrien’s pulled out at reaping day? 

In truth, it didn’t matter. Gabriel had already decided that he’d be going in either way. If Adrien’s name was called, Gabriel would volunteer in his place. Adrien probably would protest to that, but Gabriel wasn’t going to let that sway him. 

No death could be worse than watching Adrien, Nathalie, and Marinette all die to people he considered allies and friends while he sat in the safety of an overly-quiet Victor’s viewing area. 

Gabriel was drawn out of his thoughts as a slight sob reached his ears. 

Oh, Adrien…

Now was not the time for Gabriel to rage or plan. He had time. Not a lot, but enough. Right now he just needed to be a father. 

Gabriel pushed off the sewing table, swiftly moving over to the couch to crouch down and pull his son into a hug. He could feel the fabric of his pants leg soaking through with spilled tea, but he didn’t care. 

“...It’s not fair,” Adrien wailed into his shoulder, sounding younger than he had in years.

“I know,” Gabriel said hoarsely.

It wasn’t. Nothing was.  

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Silence. 

Shock.

How was this even legal?

Then again, Marinette was fairly certain that the Hunger Games lost any moral standing seventy-five years ago when they were first conceived.

Marinette was the only living female Victor from District 8. Her fate was already sealed as far as she was concerned. She was barely fifteen – there was no way she was going to survive against twenty-three people who were older and stronger than her. 

All of that registered within the first fifteen seconds of the announcement. Everything else the President continued to drone on about was drowned by Marinette sobbing into her mom’s shoulder while her dad cradled them both in a strong hug. 

She was unsure how long she actually sat there, but it got to the point that her tears had dried up with nothing left. Her dad brought her a glass of water, and she’d downed it quickly, but it didn’t help. 

Her mouth still felt dry, and her cheeks were hot and irritated from all the pawing she’d done at her tears. 

She couldn't even just be sad about herself. It wasn’t just her. Either Adrien or Gabriel would be going in there with her. And this time it would be certain that only one person would come out. And Marinette was more than willing to bet that it would be whoever the Capitol wanted to win, which definitely wasn’t any of them.  

Adrien and Marinette weren’t just star-crossed lovers anymore, they were symbols of revolution. The Capitol wanted them dead, Amélie was probably already plotting terrible ways to kill them that wouldn’t make them come out as martyrs. 

“...I thought Gabriel would have called by now,” Marinette’s mom noted shakily, her tears slowed but not entirely used up like Marinette. 

If possible, Marinette’s heart sank even further. She could just tell her mom was hoping that Gabriel would have a solution or a plan. He’d always been in control these last few months. Always had an answer for them. 

Not this time, Marinette thought glumly.

Gabriel’s years of being a Victor and his connections weren’t going to be advantages anymore. He was in the reaping pool, and all his Victor friends and contacts were too. Why would they help him now? That was sabotaging their own chances. 

“Maybe we should… go over there?” Marinette’s dad suggested, wringing his hands. “Maybe us all being together would be for the best?”

Maybe. That sounded like a good idea. Or maybe Gabriel hadn’t called because he needed time.

They leaned on him so much. He always seemed so strong. But news like this… what it meant for him and Adrien…

Marinette jumped as the phone rang. 

Well. That was probably him. 

Marinette’s mother practically dove for the phone. “Gabriel?” she asked hastily as soon as the receiver was near her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she listened to the reply. “Yes, of course. We’ll be right over.” 

She visibly swallowed as she set the phone back down. Despite her rushed words, she hovered there for a moment with her hand still on the phone. 

“Honey?” Marinette’s dad asked. 

“What did he say?” Marinette wondered. What could he have said in that short of a conversation to make her mother seem even worse? 

“He… He said we should all come over…” Marinette’s mom whispered. 

Marinette frowned. “Was that all?” 

Marinette’s mother nodded faintly. “Yes. He just… sounded different. That’s all. We… we should go.”

Different. Different as in probably not the picture of composure they were used to seeing. 

Marinette had seen Gabriel pretty low before leading up to her and Adrien going into the Games and whatnot, but her parents… They’d only ever seen his public self. Her mom hearing even the slightest crack in that carefully crafted persona must have been jarring. 

Maybe going over wasn’t such a good idea. It would just further break her parents’ hearts. But then again, what was the point of sugar coating things for them? For any of them?

This was a nightmare likely worse than the worst ones they’d all dreamt of. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Adrien’s father said nothing as he let them into the house. He didn’t need to. He just dipped his head in a silent gesture towards the living room, where Alec and Bob were still droning on about what a great surprise this all was and how good of a show it would give them. Bob was even yacking about volunteering himself . 

Crazy moron. But Adrien guessed he didn’t have a lot to lose. He looked more alive and actually present than Adrien had seen him since his son died. 

“Adrien…” Marinette said in a weak voice as her lip wobbled. She wasn’t crying, but it was clear she had been. 

Adrien wasted no time in pushing off the couch to meet her halfway into the room and hug her tightly. 

There was no point in asking her if she was okay, or what was wrong. Those answers were obvious. All he could do was just… hold her. 

Meanwhile, his father started pouring several glasses of alcohol. 

…Wow, things really were bad. His father usually refused to ever have bottles of alcohol out around Adrien at home. He hadn’t wanted Adrien to be tempted by it after a rough night of nightmares or something.   

Adrien guessed that really didn’t matter now, though. 

The silence was oppressive as everyone took their seat around the living room, and Adrien and Marinette pulled apart to join the adults a few seconds later. 

It wasn’t hard to tell that Marinette’s parents were waiting on his father to start things off, but Adrien didn’t know what they thought his father could possibly do this time.

His father took a deep breath after a few more seconds of silence. “I know what you’re hoping for. But I have no solution to offer you. Marinette is the only female Victor we have.” 

Marintte’s mother visibly slumped, and she grabbed Marinette’s hand tightly. Marinette stared blankly at the floor like she’d expected as much. 

“...Did we do this?” Marinette asked softly. 

His father gave a faint shrug. “There’s no way to know if this was triggered by other events or your accidental spark of rebellion. I don’t believe it was truly random by any means, but perhaps the district Victors were just growing too close for the Capitol’s tastes. They definitely are seeing this as a solution to the two of you, though. They won’t make the same mistake of allowing two Victors to walk out twice. This time they’ll ensure one or both of you fall in there.”

Of course. Adrien’s dad may have technically been in the running, but the Capitol wouldn’t want him in the arena. He wasn’t the one whose relationship was instigating rebellion. The Capitol would have fun sticking Adrien and Marinette right back in and making things go their way this time. 

“Why couldn’t they just shoot us?” Adrien spat bitterly. “I think I’d rather have that than have to go through the Games again. And it sure would have sent the message.” 

“But not the one they want to send,” this father said dryly. “If they executed every Victor they didn’t like, we might die, but we’d die united. They want to show the public that when it comes down to it, we’ll all choose ourselves. No martyrs. No role models.” 

Adrien wasn’t sure how she could even reply to that. It was just a fact, not anything he could argue with. Pretending like the Capitol didn’t see them beyond being assets would’ve been a ridiculous notion in the first place, much less after this announcement.

“So what do we do?” Marinette asked, her voice a soft whisper.

Adrien’s father looked between them. Adrien could see the gears turning in his head, desperately scrambling for a plan that would get the best outcome for everyone. The only problem was that any combination of variables was going to end with at least one of them dead.

“For now, I suggest we start a training regimen. You’ll need to be as equipped as possible before the Games.” 

Adrien bristled slightly. “That sounds like something the Careers would do.”

“And it’s won them multiple Games before,” his father replied simply. “Anyone coming from the Career districts has been training the ones that we’ve seen ever since they won. They’ll still be in excellent physical condition. The ones that decided to slack off in their comfortable lives likely won’t be the ones going back in. The other tributes may or may not have that advantage, but I want to make it certain that you will. You’ll need the best chance to survive.”

Best chance. Even with training, what chance did he and Marinette have against adults?

Adrien nodded anyway. It made more sense than doing nothing, but something was still rubbing him the wrong way about this whole thing, aside from the whole unjustness of it all.

“But…” Adrien started, searching desperately for some sort of hope he could hold onto. “At least we’ll have people outside to help, right? With sponsors and stuff? You, Nadja, and Nathalie…”

His father made a sound at Nathalie’s name. Something between a choked sob and annoyance.

“What is it?” Adrien’s stomach managed to somehow drop even more.

His father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Do you really think Nathalie won’t be in there too?”

Adrien paused. He supposed that was right. As usual. His father had said this was targeted at the Victors the Capitol wanted off the table, and he had no doubt that Nathalie was on that list. But that meant… Was his father going to have to choose between his own wife and Adrien? That was horrible. 

Or maybe it wasn’t. All of them being in there was awful, yes, but really… what circumstances in the arena would even lead to Adrien’s father having to actually choose between them? Adrien was sure they’d never end up fighting Nathalie. No, it was more likely that his father would just be stuck watching and mourning as they fell until one or none of them was left… No choosing, just suffering on his part… 

Despite knowing he was going back in, Adrien knew his father had the worse job, and he pitied him. 

Chapter Text

Nathalie glared at the TV in front of her through the streaks of still-running purple liquid that were strewn across the screen, her chest heaving as tears of rage threatened to escape her eyes. Throwing her wine at the TV hadn’t changed the results, and it honestly hadn’t made her feel better either. 

She wished that she could say she was surprised. Amelie had been teasing in the Career circles for way too long now that this Quarter Quell would be something to remember, and so Nathalie had naturally done all she could to find out what it was, but she’d gotten nowhere besides a few murmurs of how it was intentionally going to be weeding out the Victors. She wasn’t popular enough for the others to really talk with her, and she certainly wasn’t on good enough terms with Amelie to pry it out of her directly. 

Now she knew exactly what that meant, and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she’d be the one picked. There were probably at least ten other women in District 2 who would volunteer in an instant to go back into the Games – and for all Nathalie cared they could all go in together – but she knew better than to think it would actually happen. If they were going to be pruning the Victors that the Capitol knew weren’t on board with their program, she was not exactly low on the list. She was a Career Victor in name only, and everyone knew that. No matter how much she acted, the whole country has seen her Games. There was no hiding that. 

Her name was going to be called, and none of the other possible tributes would volunteer. They’d either paid off or threatened to keep quiet.

Nathalie glanced at her phone hanging off the wall in the hallway. There was a large part of her that just wanted to call Gabriel right now, even though they typically avoided that at all costs since their lines were certainly bugged. They’d protected the secret of their marriage for this long, and she wasn’t planning on slipping up anytime soon, although Marinette and Adrien were making that more likely by the day.

No, she’d try getting in contact tomorrow through other methods. Safer methods. He’d be busy tonight anyway. 

Still, her heart was heavy with the need to hear his voice. She wasn’t too lost in her own dismay not to realize all the horrible implications of these Games for him. As horrid as this was for her, it would be even worse for him. 

She loved Adrien like her own son, but her time with him had been so limited. Gabriel had been there for nearly every second of that boy’s life, and he’d only just gotten through almost losing him to the last Games.

And then that made Nathalie feel a pang of sympathy for Adrien and Marinette themselves. They’d just won. Unlike the other Victors, who’d at least been able to experience life and cope as best as they could after the Games, the two of them were most definitely still in the thick of that process. Their tour had been barely a month ago, after all.

And now Marinette would be going back into the Arena with either Nathalie’s husband or her step-son. 

Nathalie wanted to choke out Amelie and Audrey more than was socially acceptable, that was for sure. Maybe she should try. That would be one hell of an exit. Maybe rid the world of a problem or two. And then the Capitol would have to send in one of the other Careers after all. 

…She was considering this plan more than she cared to admit. Because it really wasn’t that outrageous. Nathalie had killed before, after all. 

Don’t be stupid, she chided herself. The Capitol would be expecting Victor backlash. They’d no doubt already planned to up security. Nathalie would never be able to get close. 

Instead here she was, standing in front of the TV with wine dripping through the cracked glass, knowing deep in her soul that there was no way she was going to get out of this. That left her with one goal: to help Gabriel or Adrien get out of that Arena at any cost.

She would do whatever it took to help her family. And she certainly wasn’t going to let someone she cared about give their life for hers in those damned Games again. 

Never again… 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

15 YEARS AGO

Strategize. Train. Strategize. Train. 

Those were the two most important things in her life. In any Career’s life. This was what they lived for, and it was finally her time. She was finally getting to go into the arena soon, just like she’d been craving for years. 

It was every Career’s dream. So we didn’t the District 1 Career girl look excited when she volunteered? 

Nathalie tilted her head, watching the footage of their future enemies and allies with interest. The District 1 Career boy seemed to be acting like normal. But not the girl. If anything, she looked like she was about to be sick. 

“What’s her problem?” Nathalie asked her district partner as he jeered and cheered at the screen depending on what it was showing. 

“Huh? No idea. Hope she looks more useful in the Games, though.” 

Yeah. Nathalie hoped that too. They would of course start out the Games working with that girl, and Nathalie didn’t want allies that were useless or would get them killed or anything. Nathalie was going to keep a close eye on her during training. 

If it came down to it, they could always kill her first in the arena. It was weird though. There had to be plenty of other Careers if this girl was that bad. 

She did look oddly familiar, though. Almost like Nathalie had seen her volunteer before…

“Oh wait, it’s Amelie’s sister!” Nathalie’s district partner caught up right when she did.

He was right of course. After her win last year, Amelie hadn’t made any attempt to hide her and her sister’s shared plans of winning back-to-back Games. With Amelie’s win they were already half-way there.

“Maybe she has jitters or something? A lot of pressure, you know, having to win right after her sister and all.” He shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe…” Nathalie agreed, although something still felt off.

Careers didn’t have jitters. Nervousness was flushed out of them quickly. If they got nervous during training then it would stand to reason that they’d become just as much of a wreck inside the arena as the other kids. They were trained to stand tall and push their emotions down until they won.

District 2’s training wasn’t that different from District 1, after all.

There was something else going on with this girl, and Nathalie was going to find out what it was before it became a problem in the arena.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

PRESENT DAY

The next few weeks passed in a blur for Marinette. Constant motion and activity to try and prep her body for the Games as much as she possibly could. She and Adrien had been training non-stop, but she didn’t feel anywhere near as mentally prepared as she probably should’ve been.

Marinette hadn’t had time for any actual training before the Games last year, especially not compared to the Careers. She’d spent most of her time just trying to catch up to make it as far as she could without dying. Now that she’d succeeded there, she’d have to up her game. Everyone going into the Arena this year knew what to expect… what it felt like to be in there… what it felt like to take a life. While Marinette was sure that the Arena itself would be a wildcard, the basics always boiled down to the same thing year after year.

Survive.

Kill or be killed.

The Hunger Games were a tool to remind the Districts of just how savage they were, although it was presented by a cruel Capitol in a taunting manner, making it into a show to draw a crowd. This year was going to bring that out more than ever.

Even the strongest among you… The announcement echoed in Marinette’s head even now. She was just an ordinary girl – she wouldn’t be able to compete with someone who’d been training for most of their lives to win the Games and then spent the rest of it training other kids to win.

But she was going to try.

If she could even breathe after this run was over, that was.

Maybe she’d get lucky and Gabriel would be wrong and all the other Victors would actually be out of shape now too from their pampered Capitol lives. They weren’t expecting to ever have to work or fight again in their lives until that announcement, after all. For once, the lower districts might be ahead because of that. A lot of them had jobs despite not needing the funds as Victors– 

“Come on, Marinette, you can do it!” Adrien called back towards Marinette, seemingly not out of breath at all despite the three miles they’d just ran.

Marinette gasped for air, her thoughts fully back on the sharp pain in her side. “Yeah I just… Need a… A minute…”

“We’re almost there! Just to the top of the hill, come on!”

Logically, Marinette knew he was right. Over the hill would take them right back to their homes in Victor’s Village. It wasn’t very far at all, and then they’d actually be done with the run. Yet her entire body screamed at her in rebellion – ha ha, the Capitol probably would have laughed at that irony – at the very thought of going uphill right now.

But if it came down to life or death, she’d have to push through whatever rest her body wanted to take. So reluctantly she started jogging again, following behind Adrien with his perfect posture and perfect breathing and perfect emerald-green eyes and–

Okay so maybe she was getting a little distracted.

…Actually, maybe that was a good thing. Any focus on Adrien was less focus her body would have on bemoaning the pain of exercise. Probably not a good tactic for the arena, though. That was a great way to be unaware of her surroundings. 

Eventually they did indeed overcome the hill, arriving back home. They went into Adrien’s house, where he grabbed her a glass of water that she downed quickly. 

“You okay?” Adrien chuckled, raising an eyebrow at her.

“How are you not dying?” she asked, still catching her breath.

Adrien shrugged. “Practice? I don’t know. It’ll come easier to you the more you do it.”

“You’ve been saying that for weeks.” Marinette poured herself another glass. Being hydrated felt like the one part of this whole fitness thing that she was good at.

“And are you running better than you did when we started?” Adrien asked before taking a sip of his own water.

“...Yeah,” she admitted. It was still her least favorite part of the day but it had been a different kind of excruciating at the start. At least she knew what to expect now, even if all she expected was to feel gross and tired and like her body was screaming at her.

Marinette spied Gabriel sitting on the back porch, pencil flying over a sketchbook.

“Has he talked with Nathalie at all?” Marinette asked Adrien softly.

“Yeah, I think so,” Adrien said. “But you know him, he’s not exactly the most open guy in the world. And I’m not really the person he’s going to talk to about his relationship worries.”

Of course not. He took everything off their plates that he could. Even if he’d been comfortable talking about Nathalie to Adrien, he sure wasn’t going to lament to him about the sorrows he was bound to be facing now. 

It really must have been killing him that he’d have to sit on the outside of the arena again while even more people he cared about were on the inside this time. 

It wasn’t even just Adrien, Nathalie, and Marinette either. Yeah, maybe Gabriel cared more about his son and wife than the other Victors, but a lot of those people were still his friends. Legitimately almost everyone Gabriel cared about were going to be gone by the end of these Games. 

She really didn’t know how he held it all together. She didn’t want to know. She never wanted to live through enough to become that strong. But well… she guessed there was some morbidly good news about the Games: she was almost definitely never going to have to. 

Chapter Text

Adrien was getting worried about his father. He knew that was kind of stupid considering the circumstances, but his father seemed… off. 

…Which, again, felt stupid to think given the circumstances. Of course he was distant and reserved and exhausted given the ever-looming reaping. Adrien had just thought… Well, he’d hoped that he and his father might get to spend a little more time together before the Games, but of course that had been foolish. His father wasn’t the type. He wasn’t going to just embrace having good times with Adrien while they still could – he was going to pour every second he could into trying to help Adrien come back alive. Or Nathalie. Or Marinette. 

It hurt Adrien’s soul to think about, but he knew Marinette had fallen a bit on his father’s priority list with Nathalie in the mix. Not that Adrien blamed him. And definitely not that Adrien wanted Nathalie to die either. Marinette was just… Marinette. She was Adrien’s priority. 

But he could worry about her when it came time for the arena. Right now he was just worried about his dad. 

For Marinette, Adrien would at least be able to stand beside when the worst came. Adrien wouldn’t be able to be there for his dad for what was coming. 

In some ways, all this extra time before the reaping was worse. It gave so much more time to think of all the worst things possible. 

Adrien gnawed on his lip, hovering just outside the living room as he watched his father scribble on some paper with an intense focus. There were already several crumbled balls of paper on the floor that spoke of designs that weren’t good enough for him. Adrien almost didn’t want to interrupt him so he could get some actual work done. But no. His dad would always have another design to get to. If he waited, he’d never be done. 

“Dad?” Adrien finally spoke up. 

His dad’s scribbling didn’t even stutter, nor did he look up. “I wondered how long you were going to stand there without saying anything.” 

“You seemed busy,” Adrien said sheepishly. 

The pencil stilled. “I am. But it can wait.” He finally looked up, and Adrien tried not to wince at how tired he looked. “What did you need, Adrien?” 

Another reason he hadn’t wanted to interrupt. He didn’t really need anything. He just wanted to have some time with his dad. 

It was never going to happen. Not like Adrien wanted. There would never be a time when they could have a normal conversation. Before the Games, Adrien hadn’t understood his dad. After, it had been all advice and Capitol news. And now it was back to prepping for the Games again. 

The Capitol had ensured that normal, carefree bonding time with his dad would never be a thing. 

“I just thought…” Adrien scratched the back of his head. “I dunno. Maybe that you could use a break? To talk about… anything. I just wanted to spend time with you.” 

His father’s expression softened, and he set his pencil and paper down, standing abruptly. “Let’s take a walk.”

Adrien blinked. He’d almost expected to get shooed away since his dad had a deadline with the Games coming up, but he wasn’t going to complain. 

His father led him outside and they began to walk through the Victor’s Village out a side path that Adrien rarely thought about. It just led to a walking trail that no one ever used that ended up being a long, winding trail into town. It was in disrepair, with a few fallen trees blocking some side paths that were now inaccessible and so many weeds and tall grass growing that Adrien could barely see the outline of the man-made path that remained.

And yet, here he was with his father, walking it like it was nothing. His father seemed to not even notice the state it was in and Adrien realized that his father seemed almost… comfortable here. His own little private piece of nature. 

“How are you doing, Adrien?” his father asked him after a few minutes.

Adrien held back a sigh. He’d wanted his father to open up but he was just trying to get to Adrien instead. There were worse things, at least, and maybe he’d end up opening up to Adrien after he’d started the conversation.

“I’m… alright, I think,” Adrien said. “It’s a lot… I’m scared. For you, Nathalie, Marinette. Everyone, really. This situation is terrible.”

His father nodded. “That is more than true. I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“Don’t be. It wasn’t your call.” Adrien sidestepped a weed that he was pretty sure was poison ivy. “You’ve done so much for me and Marinette. Especially me. Even before the Games. I used to think you were… colder than other kids’ parents, but after the Games… I get it. You were never not protecting me.” 

It had taken Adrien longer than he’d care to admit to settle on that conclusion. He’d spent years thinking that his dad either just didn’t care about him or had locked up his feelings so tight after losing his mother and mentoring in the Games for so long that he’d just made himself inaccessible to Adrien. But after going through the Hunger Games himself, Adrien understood now. 

His father sighed. “I’m sorry that I led you to think that way. After your mother I… I’ll admit that I was reluctant to be open with anyone else. That never should’ve applied to you and I apologize.”

“Don’t,” Adrien dismissed, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I really do get it. I have so much more support than you did. I can’t imagine going through all this without anyone who understood.” 

His father hummed. “There were those that understood, I just wasn’t keen on trusting them at the time.”

“The other Victors?” Adrien pieced the meaning of his dad’s words together fairly easily. 

“Yes,” his dad confirmed. “I’ve had years to observe them now. To see what they’re like behind the cameras. But you know how we’re influenced. How much you’ve had to act. When I was younger, I didn’t know who any of them truly were. If they were like me, or if they really were happy to win and grateful to the Capitol.”

“Yeah, so there’s another thing you did for me.” Adrien pointed out. “You just told me which ones were good people. I didn’t have to worry about any of that.”    

“...Very few good people win the Games, Adrien,” his dad muttered. “Though there are some that manage it. Nino Lahiffe’s victory painted him as a far more violent individual than he is. He’s quite the gentle soul, really. I doubt he’ll even be selected for the Games, despite not being a Capitol supporter. He’s managed to well toe the line of being liked by the Districts and Capitol alike in a short amount of time.”

Nino Lahiffe… Adrien knew that name. 

Oh. Right. The kid who had won the year Alya’s sister had been in the Games. The year right before Adrien and Marinette’s. He wasn’t too much older than them. Wait, actually he was the same age as them. He’d won at thirteen.

No wonder his dad was counting the kid as a good person. He really would have been just a terrified kid trying to survive in his Games. 

Try as he might, though, Adrien couldn’t remember meeting him. 

“Did you not introduce me and Marinette to him during the tour?” Adrien wondered. He’d thought his dad had tried to introduce them to all the non-horrible Capitol supporters possible. 

His dad chuckled. “I would have, but he was managing the music all night. His hobby is DJing.” 

Adrien guessed that was one way to avoid getting roped into suffering through the social part of those parties – just drown them out all night while still being a major part of the activities. The Capitol wouldn’t be able to fuss at him about avoiding the functions, but he could still limit dancing around any uncomfortable conversation. 

Adrien almost laughed at the thought of Chloe trying to talk to someone and them just turning on a song that would drown her out. 

Nino might be a genius. Or maybe Adrien was just way overthinking things. 

“You two could be good friends, I think,” Adrien’s dad mused. 

“Yeah… Sounds like it…” Adrien muttered. Too bad they’d never get the chance. Adrien would be lucky to get an introductory handshake with the guy before he got shoved into the Games. 

“I know it’s rather hypocritical coming from me, Adrien, but try not to lose all hope.” His dad ducked under a tree branch that was hanging low enough to be in the way of his taller height. 

Those words definitely did not have the intended comfort they were meant to have. Being told not to give up hope just made him think about how he really had nothing to be hopeful about. 

Adrien blinked back tears. He wanted nothing more than to cry and have his dad wrap his arms around him, but making his dad feel even worse about everything was the last thing he wanted to do.

“I’ll try,” Adrien choked out, his voice wavering more than he’d hoped it would. 

“Adrien.” His dad stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, turning him to face him as he looked at him very seriously. “You are not going to die in that arena. I swear to you.” 

The was sweet of his dad to promise even if Adrien knew he really couldn’t keep it. 

“I’m not worried about me.” Adrien lost his battle against his tears as they started rolling down his face. “I-I mean. Yeah. I’m scared. I don’t want to die. But Marinette…” His breathing hitched. “I love her, Dad.” 

He… really meant that. It was so hard to sort through all his feelings with everything going on, but he knew. What he felt for Marinette was not just the bond they’d formed by surviving together. And it wasn’t the stupid Capitol influencing them either. Maybe it was the worst set of circumstances to ever fall in love during, but it had still happened. 

Adrien genuinely couldn’t imagine living without her. Even if he did luck out and make it out of the arena a second time, his life would just be empty without Marinette by his side. And then his dad would probably be mourning Nathalie at the same time. 

What kind of life would that be for them? What would be the point? 

Adrien startled as he heard his dad chuckle. 

“Was that supposed to be news to me?” his father asked with a soft smile.

Adrien felt his cheeks heat as he looked down. 

“Shut up…” he mumbled with no real fire in his voice. 

His father just chuckled again. “If you’d had to rely on your acting abilities to convince the Capitol you two were smitten, I would have given up before the tour.” 

“ Dad, ” Adrien protested, but he was suddenly laughing too. “We’re not that bad!”

His father’s single raised eyebrow in response to that had Adrien full-on cracking up. 

Adrien realized something, though. His father had tossed that jab at both of them. Not just Adrien. 

“...You really think Marinette is smitten with me?” 

His father ran a hand over his face. “Son, do you have eyes?”

Adrien sputtered. “It was hard to tell if I was just seeing what I wanted to–”

“You weren’t.” 

Wow. Adrien didn’t realize his dad was going to be so blunt about all of this. 

“Man…” Adrien wiped his last tear from his face. “And I thought you were going to give me a lecture about being too young to know what love is or something…”

“...You do realize I met your mother on my Victory Tour?” 

“Oh.”

Adrien hadn’t really thought about that. His dad really had been young. That was so weird to think about. 

“You know I… don’t know much about you two,” Adrien noted. “You never talked about her much. Not that I blame you with… everything. I picked up on her being a Career a long time ago, but nobody ever really goes into detail.” 

Probably because she lost, Adrien noted. The Capitol didn’t pay much attention to the losing tributes years after their Games. Plus, Adrien got the impression that those Games weren’t the type the Capitol really liked to look back on. Yeah, he could have watched her Games to see why himself, but who wanted to see their mother killing people and then dying? 

“How’d you two even manage to somewhat get along?” Adrien wondered. 

His father let out a dry laugh. “She was different from the others. Your mother was special, Adrien. She managed to draw out parts of me that I wasn’t even sure was there after my time in the arena. My hope, my joy, they all came from her. And she passed them down to you.”

“And that came from your tour?”

“That’s where it started.   District 1 isn’t exactly the most hospitable place, you know that as well as I do, but she was a light in the darkness, even though I definitely didn’t realize that at first.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say my initial impression of her was more similar to the Careers you’ve dealt with than who she truly was.”

“What changed your mind?” Adrien eagerly pushed on in the conversion now that his dad was talking. This was… the most he’d ever gotten about his mother at once. 

A fond smile played across his father’s face. “We had a conversation.”

And so they kept walking. And talking. And talking. 

Finally – after so many years – Adrien’s dad opened up. He told Adrien everything he’d ever wanted to know about his mother. 

Except the Games. No, his dad stayed far away from that. But he got the rest. The good. 

How his parents had met… How they’d managed to keep up a relationship between districts… 

They were together for so little time, yet they’d managed to have so much happiness. 

Adrien could only hope he and Marinette could get a portion of that before their time was up. 

Chapter Text

The months leading up to the Games passed faster than they had any right to. Marinette tried to cling to the seconds with her family. With Adrien. With Alya. 

School didn’t matter. The teachers barely expected anything from her, assigning her the most basic and easy projects that took her next to no time, and their pity let her throw more of her time into training and just… living. 

Finding a balance between Games prepping and letting herself try to enjoy life was next to impossible, but she did her best. 

She had never been less successful than the last week before the Games. The closer they grew, the more people looked at her with pity in their eyes. The more her parents tried to wipe away tears when they thought she wouldn’t notice. The more forced Alya’s smiles became. 

The only thing that actually seemed to get better was her relationships with Adrien and his father. 

Gabriel had always been nice – or at the very least civil after the first reaping – to her, but it really seemed like he’d accepted her as family as of late. And Adrien… Well, Adrien always seemed perfect to her, but even more so in the last few months. He always knew how to take her mind off things and put a smile on her face. With him, she could pretend that all their training was just them spending quality time with one another. 

Marinette had still never really asked what they were for fear of upsetting the way things were between them, but she wasn’t sure she needed to at this point. They were in everything together. The upcoming Games. The training. The more pleasant moments between.  

No label would do their connection justice at this point. 

Marinette stared in the mirror, feeling very unlike herself at the moment. The weight of the neat bun on her head was unfamiliar, and her makeup was darker and harsher than it ever had been before while her nails were a dangerous blood red. Not to mention Gabriel had actually risked sticking her in heels after making her practice walking around in them the last three days. 

She looked… harsh. Dangerous, even. Exactly what Gabriel had been going for. She may not have had her stylist team back yet, but that didn’t mean Gabriel was going to let her appearance be anything less than perfect. 

Marinette figited, tugging at the short red dress that sat over her black leggings that led down to her matching red shoes. 

This was probably the only time she’d ever hated something Gabriel had made her wear. Not that it was bad – it was of course up to his usual quality. It was just… not her. No pigtails. No spots. 

She understood, though. The time for being an adorable love-struck child was over. That wasn’t going to work when she was being reaped with all other Victors. She needed to be taken seriously now. 

It had been months since the cameras had been focused on her, so now was the time to make a rebranded type of entrance. She was going to hold her head high when she was called. 

Marinette took a breath, schooling her expression into one more cold and calculating. She wouldn’t let the Capitol see weakness in her today. 

“Marinette?” Her mother called through the door. “It’s… almost time.”

“I’m coming,” Marinette said evenly. 

She wondered what Adrien would be wearing. If Gabriel could make her look this menacing with her theme being a ladybug, what could he do with the Miraculous of Destruction?  

…Nothing threatening at all, apparently. 

Marinette blinked upon meeting them between their houses in the middle of the street. This was… not what she’d been expecting. Or anything like it. 

Not to say he looked bad. Absolutely not. He just didn’t look intimidating at all. He looked… older. His neatly styled hair and simple black suit with a white tie gave the impression that he was respectable. Like someone who would be in business, not fighting in a death game. 

What was Gabriel going for here? Was this supposed to be some sort of deal where one of them was the threatening one the other tributes feared and the other was the nice one that was going to warm the public and sponsors up to them? Because if so, he definitely should have picked Adrien to be the threatening one. Yeah, he was great with people, but he was also the one the whole country had seen win a sword fight against someone with a Miraculous when he hadn’t had one. 

Ugh. One trip in heels and no one was going to take her seriously. The whole thing would be ruined. 

“Are you two ready?” Gabriel asked, and Marinette blanched upon seeing him. 

Speaking of intimidating . Geez. Maybe he’d toned it down for Adrien, but he’d gone all out for himself. 

Gabriel wore a dark purple double-breasted tuxedo with black satin lapels. In his breast pocket sat a small square of gold fabric folded into an origami bird placed neatly inside, a peacock. A simple white dress shirt was underneath his jacket where a silver tie sat on his chest, matching the cufflinks at his wrists. It was simple, but more than effective. This was a man who had a message, who was focused and wasn’t going to break.

Marinette eventually managed to regain control of herself and thought about Gabriel’s question. Was she ready? Absolutely not. She’d rather hide in her bedroom and never come out, but that wasn’t an option. She’d known that ever since the announcement.

“As I can,” she said evenly. As nice as he’d been to her lately, she was sure she’d get scolded for muttering if she did so right now. He was trying to paint a very specific image for them and he needed her not to ruin it. 

Knowing they’d get their goodbyes later, Marinette’s parents and Alya didn’t walk with them to the reaping – Gabriel had insisted on that. He wanted to push the toughness of the three of them, and a train of people crying or at the very least trying not to cry trailing behind them was not going to send that message. 

Marinette even resisted reaching out to grab Adrien’s hand. 

Despite that lack of contact, she still felt even worse when they were split apart to the male and female sides of the reaping… pool. 

What a joke. Two people on their side and just her on the other. With the whole of District 8 staring up at them with pity. Or anger for some people, Marinette noted. 

Marinette crossed her arms to avoid fidgeting, shifting her weight to one hip as she put on her best Gabriel impression as her expression. 

…This was so stupid. She was fifteen. If they were facing other kids again then maybe this would work, but they weren’t. Not one adult Victor was going to be scared of her. 

Nadja joined them on stage shortly after they got there, and her speech didn’t sound half as peppy as had last year. 

Marinette didn’t know whether to be flattered or disgusted. Had Nadja’s perspective changed, or was she just only fine sending kids to their deaths when she didn’t know them that well? 

Whatever the case, it was easy to hear her voice crack at multiple times as she led up to drawing their names. 

“As usual, ladies first…” Nadja muttered, her words barely getting picked up by the mic. 

Marinette snorted. There was one small slip of paper in the bowl. Why were they even bothering at this point? 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” Nadja announced half-heartedly after barely giving the paper a chance after she’d unfolded it. 

Marinette sighed to cover the fact that her heart was trying to beat out of her chest. Which was stupid. It wasn't like she hadn’t known this was coming for months. 

It wasn’t surprise she was feeling, though. It was just dread. 

“Now for the boys,” Nadja tried to force some chipper into her voice, but it absolutely did not work. 

Her hand hovered uncertainly between both of the slips in the second bowl, and Marinette realized then that she… was expecting a different name to be on each paper. 

Wow. She actually thought this was random and that she was deciding who lived and who died here. 

There was zero doubt in Marinette’s mind that the Capitol had already determined exactly who’s name was about to be called. Gabriel had said that as soon as the announcement had been made. They wanted her and Adrien back in that arena so that they would wind up ending things properly this time. 

Finally Nadja swallowed visibly and committed to one of the slips, snatching it out of the bowl. The absolute dismay on her face confirmed what Marinette already knew anyway. 

“A-Adrien Agreste,” Nadja seemed to force out. 

There it was. Just like they expected. The two of them–

“I volunteer.” 

Marinette snapped her gaze over to Gabriel with a gasp at the same time Adrien let out a loud, “ What? ” 

But Gabriel looked perfectly collected. Like everything had gone… right according to plan.

Because it absolutely had, Marinette realized. He hadn’t lied when he said that the Capitol wanted her and Adrien in the arena, but he had always intended to do this. 

Gabriel had the audacity to smile at Adrien as the crowd started a hesitant applause. “Did you seriously think I’d ever let you go back in there?” 

“Dad–” Adrien protested. 

“Don’t,” Gabriel said seriously. “It can’t be undone now. We’ll talk later.”

Adrien snapped his mouth shut, but Marinette could see that he was positively fuming .

It was then that Marinette realized that the applause was different than normal. They weren’t forced and sad like usually were in the districts, but they weren’t happy like in the Capitol either. 

All eyes were locked on Gabriel, and Marinette could see the respect on the faces of each person there. 

Volunteers. Both of them. 

Last year, Marinette hadn’t anticipated leaving the arena. Honestly, she didn’t now either. And it wasn’t much of a stretch to assume that Gabriel was thinking the same thing.

But Adrien would stay out. 

That was what Gabriel was willing to sacrifice himself for. 

Marinette felt a rush of relief that was immediately followed by yet another rush of dread. Adrien would be safe. But Gabriel… 

It was another lose-lose situation, but Marinette couldn’t deny that she was thankful. She cared a lot for Gabriel, but between him and Adrien… Well, he wouldn’t be offended at her picking Adrien. He always would too. 

Almost immediately, Peacekeepers were escorting them off the stage. Escorting might’ve been too nice a word for how aggressive they were being though. Apparently D’Argencourt wasn’t leaving anything to chance.

Marinette assumed that they would be taken to the Justice Building like last year so they could say goodbye to their loved ones before getting on the train. But then the brigade of Peacekeepers took a different route, directing them straight to the train station.

“Wait, what?” Marinette asked.

Gabriel looked at her. “This isn’t protocol.”

“There’s been a change of plans!” D’Argencourt’s voice came from the front of the line in a proud voice. “Our glorious Capitol has decreed that all Victors head immediately to the train to depart. No time to waste!”

Marinette began to breathe heavily. “No! No, wait! I have to say goodbye!”

Her parents, Alya – she wouldn’t be able to have any closure. They wouldn’t either. The Capitol, even in marching Marinette to her death, had found even more ways to be cruel. 

Happy Hunger Games indeed…

Marinette’s protests were ignored all the way to the train.

She only calmed when Gabriel settled a hand on her shoulder. 

“Breathe, Marinette. Don’t give them the satisfaction of your desperation.”

Marinette let out a shaky breath. “...Why didn’t you tell us?” 

Gabriel gave her a raised eyebrow. “Do you think Adrien would have agreed?” 

“...No.” 

“There’s your answer,” Gabriel said simply. “I told you both I would do everything in my power, and I will.”

Chapter Text

Adrien wasn’t taking the news well. He’d fully prepared himself to go back into that arena and die. Was it his preferred situation? Absolutely not but he’d accepted it and hoped that he could just go out with dignity, hopefully to get Marinette out. If that failed, he would put his focus towards Nathalie. 

But now he was supposed to just stay on the outside of the arena and watch his father and Marinette go through that hell while he was powerless to do anything?

Except he wouldn’t be powerless. He would have to try and get them sponsors. His dad always said that Adrien was popular in the Capitol – now he’d just have to leverage that for all it was worth to try and get them out alive.

The Peacekeepers had dragged both Marinette and his father away from the Justice Building. Adrien wasn’t sure whether or not he should follow, he never really knew what the mentor was supposed to do during this part.

A poke in the small of his back with a rifle got him moving pretty quick though. “Come on, they want you on the train.”

Unlike the brigade of troops that had accompanied the tributes, Adrien’s status as a mentor seemed to only require a two-man escort to get him to the train. He didn’t see Marinette or his father at first when he boarded, so he began to walk through the train cars in search of them. He’d spent way more time on this train in the last year than he would’ve liked and he didn’t like just how familiar it felt at this point.

It all made sense now. His father had been talking about his duties way more often the last few months. Actually saying details he’d avoided Adrien’s entire life. Just… little bits here and there. 

He’d been preparing without him even realizing, dammit. 

Adrien was fuming as he kept going through the train. Sort of. He couldn’t be fully mad at his dad because he’d done this to save him. But he also couldn’t be fully sad because he was so mad about it. 

Eventually he found the two of them in the very back of the train, glancing out the windows at what would be – at least for one of them – their last looks of District 8. 

Adrien managed to keep his mouth shut long enough for District 8 to grow distant. He wasn’t cruel enough to ruin his father or Marinette’s last look at home. Especially when Marinette looked like she was about to cry all that dark makeup of hers off. 

“I didn’t… I didn’t get to say goodbye,” Marinette whimpered. “They’re already trying to kill us – how could they be so cruel?”

His dad didn’t look surprised. He didn’t even say anything. He just gave Marinette a comforting pat on the back before he met Adrien’s gaze. He didn’t even have the decency to look sorry. 

“How could you not tell me?” Adrien demanded, his tone far more calm than he felt as he clenched his fists. 

“Because I knew you’d never agree,” his dad said simply. 

“Of course I wouldn’t!” Adrien snapped, his calm vanishing. “This wasn’t your decision to make without me–”

“Yes, it was,” his dad cut him off, his tone factual. “I’m your father, Adrien. This was every bit my decision and my decision alone to make.”

“I didn’t want this.” Adrien’s voice hitched, and he felt himself dangerously close to tears. “I thought at least you would be safe–”

“For what reason?” His father’s tone was perfectly even. Like he’d thought everything over a million times. Because of course he had. “Adrien… You were going into that arena. Nathalie. Marinette. What few people I have that I consider friends. And chances were you all were not coming out. What good would living do me at that point? Do you really think this life would have anything left for me? What would I do? Pretend I didn’t feel the emptiness of your room every day? Just move on from losing my second wife the same way I lost the first? Act like I wouldn’t feel the stares of Marinette’s parents every time I passed them in the street?”

Adrien’s mouth hung open, but he couldn’t make himself speak. Because his dad was right. His dad might have been alive if Adrien had gone in, but the best result of this mess would be him losing all his friends and one of the two people he cared about the most. What kind of life was that?  

The one Adrien himself was likely to end up with now, that was what kind. 

“...I don’t know how to do this, Dad,” Adrien said quietly. “What if I get you killed because I couldn’t do enough out here?” 

“You’ll have help,” Gabriel assured. “I’ve taken what steps I could in advance.” 

…Always thinking ahead. 

“I am sorry you won’t have each other like you did before.” His dad glanced between him and Marinette. “But Adrien, rest assured I will keep her safe to the best of my abilities.”

Adrien felt another wave of dread wash over him. He had no doubt his dad would protect Marinette as best he could. And Nathalie. He probably had no plans to walk out of the arena himself. Especially when he was having to fight his friends. 

Adrien never thought he would find a worse hell than the Games, but he had. He was going to have to sit and watch as the people he loved most were there instead of him, and that was so much worse.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

15 YEARS AGO

Nathalie walked into the training room with a practiced confidence. Not so bold to be arrogant, but she wanted it to be known just from looking at her that she was above all this lower District scum. She was a Career. She was going to win the Hunger Games.

The other Careers were over at the weapons station, training with a variety of different knives, swords, spears, basically anything they could stab or throw to murder someone. Nathalie didn’t need any more training with weapons – she’d have her time to show off to the Gamemakers.

She spotted the District 1 girl over by a station that educated the tributes on food safety – mostly how to spot if something was poisonous or what to do if you got poisoned. Nathalie had a hunch that there might be something trying to poison them inside the arena this year.

Well, she knew she could handle the rest of the Career pack and wrangle them together, but this girl was a wild card. Nathalie needed to know everything she could and try to get this girl to trust her before that gong sounded and the Games began. Or figure out if she needed to get rid of her early.

Squaring her shoulders, Nathalie headed towards the station. She absently listened to the lecture for a few minutes, but no new ground was being broken. This was stuff she’d been taught years ago, although the refresher definitely didn’t hurt. If the Gamemakers were providing this information it was going to be better for Nathalie to know about it than to not.

Meanwhile, the girl next to her was taking notes on a small pad, probably to review later that night.

“Let me guess, you’re going to be studying that later?” Nathalie whispered, trying not to get the lecturer’s attention on them as he droned on and on about nightlock.

The girl nodded. “I’ve studied it all before, but you know, we can’t play it too safe.”

“I’m the same way. The second we got here I asked for some pen and paper and put together some flashcards. My district partner thinks I’m crazy.” 

The girl laughed lightly. “Well, when you recognize a threat in there that he doesn’t, then we’ll see who’s crazy.”

Nathalie returned the laugh. “I’m Nathalie, by the way.”

“Emilie.” She smiled at her. “You’re the District 2 girl. So I guess that means we’ll be working together in there?”

Nathalie hesitated. The Careers didn’t always team up. Sure, usually Districts 1 and 2, and occasionally 4 in the past, had allied to take out the weaker tributes but it didn’t always shake out that way. It didn’t help that there was clearly something different about Emilie from the other Careers.

There was a different type of determination in her eyes. Unlike most Careers that volunteered to go into the Games, this wasn’t just about winning for her. Meaning she had something to go back to outside the arena. Most tributes only went through it for the thought of returning home with all the riches and glory, and from how Emilie’s sister had described their ‘plan’ during her Victory Tour, Emilie should’ve been the same way.

But no, there was another kind of fire in her eyes. Something almost protective. She had a drive that stretched outside the Hunger Games and that was more dangerous than any weapon the other tributes could have.

“Sure.” Nathalie nodded. It would be better to keep Emilie on their side. It was easier to stab someone in the back if they’re right next to you.

Emilie seemed like a nice girl, but Nathalie hadn’t come here to make friendship bracelets. She was here to win – to do what she’d trained her whole life to do. 

As they turned back towards the lecture, Nathalie couldn’t help but wonder why Emilie would’ve volunteered in the first place if she was that determined to go home.

Once the lecture ended, Nathalie decided to get a drink of water and invited Emilie along with her. She wanted to know more about Emilie. What made her tick, the things she was best at for when they got in the arena…

Emilie, for her part, was extremely kind towards Nathalie. She told her about her sister, how they’d planned to win back-to-back Games for years now, how she was kind of the worst, especially when it came to Emilie’s husband.

Nathalie almost spit out her water. “Husband?”

Emilie laughed, pulling up her left hand to show Nathalie her wedding ring. It was a simple thing but even then the diamond in the middle must have cost a fortune. Although from how Nathalie had heard Amelie talking in the past, it didn’t seem like their family was poor by any stretch. They were from District 1 – they were raised in luxury. 

“Yes, my husband. Gabriel Agreste.” 

The name struck a chord of recognition for Nathalie but it took her a few seconds to place it. “Oh, a Victor?”

Emilie nodded. “We met on his Victory Tour.”

“Hmm.” Nathalie took another sip of water.

Inter-district relationships were extremely rare. Honestly, this was the first one Nathalie had actually heard of. Occasionally a Peacekeeper from the Capitol would get together with a District citizen but even then that almost never happened and the Peacekeeper would usually get relocated when caught. The districts were so separated that trying to maintain a relationship would’ve been almost impossible. 

Unless one was in the luxury district and had a telephone to talk to a Hunger Games Victor in another district. 

“Lots of talking then, I presume?” Nathalie asked with a smirk. “Mostly talk over the phone, if I had to guess.”

Emilie returned Nathalie’s smirk. “You think fast. I like that. Yeah, definitely a relationship of the minds but we’re doing great.”

Before Nathalie could ask another question the bell above them blared out, signaling that it was time for the lunch break. 

“Oh, I have to take care of something real quick. Meet you in the cafeteria?” Emilie asked.

“Sure.” Nathalie nodded. She began to turn around but watched as Emilie ran up to a man – Gabriel, if Nathalie had to venture a guess – and grabbed a bundle of blankets from his arms.

It took Nathalie a second to realize that there was a baby inside those blankets.

So Emilie had a child. That definitely explained that determination Nathalie had seen inside of her, but it left one gaping question unanswered: why had she volunteered for the Hunger Games?

Chapter Text

Marinette had thought she was as prepared for this as she could be, but she was quickly realizing that that couldn’t be further from the truth. The whole time she’d been banking on being able to actually say goodbye to everyone that mattered to her but – in perfectly ordinary Capitol fashion – they’d snatched that away too.

She’d been on this train too many times and every time it just got worse. The first time she’d thought she was going to her death, and she’d been trying to process that while grappling with her volunteering for Alya, being here with Adrien, and once again the whole ‘probably about to die’ thing. 

On the Victory Tour, Marinette knew that they’d come home eventually, but there had never been any peace. The cameras were always around trying to get a new piece of content to broadcast in the Capitol. Adrien and Marinette were commodities that were to be exploited for all they were worth. Couple that with the nightmares from her time in the arena and she wasn’t having much of a good time whatsoever.

And now? Now she truly had no hope of going home ever again. She was going to try, that was for sure, but she didn’t expect to get too far. Most of these tributes were going to be much older than her – stronger and ready to fight to get home to their families and the lives they’d clawed out for themselves after winning the Hunger Games the first time.

At least she’d have Gabriel on her side, she supposed. She had no doubt he’d be formidable and do his best to protect her, but the very thought of her surviving while he and Nathalie didn’t filled her with a massive amount of guilt. They’d been through so much already, and Adrien would be crushed. And she and Adrien would be… lost. She couldn’t imagine navigating any of this without Gabriel at this point. 

“How are you holding up, Marinette?” 

Speaking of Gabriel, Marinette startled a bit at his voice, bringing her gaze away from the window she’d been staring out of. She hadn’t really been looking at anything anyway. Too many thoughts in her head. 

Marinette shrugged weakly. “I guess about how you’d expect. I know the Capitol is cruel, but they keep finding new ways to make everything worse.”

Gabriel snorted softly, his usual confidence and poise on display as he casually took a seat in the chair that sat across from her. “They are quite good at that.”

He didn’t look like a tribute, Marinette noted. He still looked like the smartest one on the train. Like he had everything under control and belonged there. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she wondered. “We could have had months to strategize.”

“And make you lie to Adrien?” Gabriel arched an eyebrow at her. “I think we both know how that would have gone.”

…It wouldn’t have, Marinette knew. She was a terrible liar in general, but to Adrien? Yeah, she would have cracked in no time. 

“Yeah…” Marinette admitted. “I guess you’ve still had months to strategize.” 

“Of course.” A slight smirk turned the corner of his lips up. “I even ensured all our outfits were done ahead of time.” 

“They’re still letting you be the designer?” Marinette asked, surprised. “Even as a tribute?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Oh, they wouldn’t let me back out if I wanted. My designs are popular in the Capitol. They wouldn’t forgo a chance to have a last fashion line from me to exploit if I perish in the arena. Besides, I refuse to go to my potential death for a second time in hideous rags.” 

Despite the situation, Marinette giggled. 

The door at the end of the train opened again, and Marinette perked up… only to be instantly disappointed. Oh. Nadja. Not exactly the person at the top of Marinette’s list that she wanted to see. 

Marinette wasn’t sure whether to be touched or annoyed that Nadji looked like she was about to start crying any second. Yeah, she’d always been nice to them, but she was still a willing part of the whole Games setup. Unlike the rest of them, she’d chosen the job.

…She looked like she was regretting the choice right now, though. 

“Nadja,” Gabriel greeted with a nod. 

Nadja’s eye twitched, and her fists curled. “You didn’t think I needed to know?”

“Not particularly.” Gabriel stood smoothly. “Your tasks remain largely the same whether or not it was Adrien or myself that ended up in the Games. It hardly matters.” 

Nadja gritted her teeth. “You’re lucky tributes aren’t supposed to be harmed before the Games.”

Whoa, okay. That was extra violent for her. Even Gabriel tilted his head in surprise at that one. 

And then Nadja threw her arms around Gabriel’s shoulder in a hug that Marinette could see him blink in surprise at.  

“I care about you, you idiot,” Nadja said with a shaky voice. “We’ve been friends for years. Of course it matters. ” 

Gabriel looked supremely uncomfortable as he gave Nadja a soft pat on the back. “...I can’t say I realized you held me in that high regard.” 

Nadja abruptly pulled back and swatted his chest. “Frigid idiot.” Then she turned on her heel and stomped back out of the car, tears beginning to fall as she did so. 

Marinette and Gabriel shared a baffled look. 

“I guess that was nice of her?” Marinette said a few moments later, breaking the silence. 

Gabriel sat down beside her. “We’ve worked together for over a decade, I can’t pretend like we don’t have a connection. She’ll help Adrien, keep him grounded through this.”

Marinette sighed. “This isn’t going to be easy for him…”

Not that it was going to be easy for any of them, of course, but Adrien would have to sit there and watch them go through the arena while trying to get them sponsors throughout. Marinette was confident they’d have more than a few – if their popularity as the latest Victors and their general adoration in the Capitol was anything to go by – but she was willing to bet that Adrien would still have to sell her and Gabriel to some. They were long shots compared to these Careers even with their training they’d gone through these last few months.

After a few minutes, Adrien entered the train car. He glanced between Marinette and Gabriel. “There you two are! They’re about to start the rebroadcast of the reaping. We can get our first look at our competition.”

Marinette noted that he kept saying ‘our’ even though he wasn’t going to be in the arena. Their trio was a team though, Adrien would just be working on the outside. 

Gabriel nodded, grabbing the remote to turn on the TV. “Already thinking like a mentor. Good job, son.”

Marinette pretended not to notice the look of sadness that went across Adrien’s face as he sat down on her other side. She just reached over and grabbed his hand gently, offering comfort however she could.

Honestly though, Gabriel probably needed the comfort more now, even if he was better at hiding it. He was about to watch all his friends get chosen…

Marinette focused her attention on the screen. Every District had managed to wrangle together at least two Victors within the past seventy-five years, so no one was left behind. The broadcast started with a clip of the President’s announcement from so many months ago.

The reaping started in District 12 like usual. Marinette’s heart dropped as Fu and Fei got picked to represent. Neither of them deserved it, but it confirmed to her that Gabriel had been absolutely correct about the purpose of this Quarter Quell: The Capitol was weeding out anyone who’d ever shown that they weren’t entirely on board with the Hunger Games. 

District 11, which had more Victors in the reaping pool than Marinette had expected, ended up with two older Victors who had volunteered in place of the younger ones. Marianne seemed like a sweet old lady but there was a certain coldness in Su-Han’s eyes that told Marinette that he wasn’t just going to lay down and die. Good for him. Not so great for Marinette and Gabirel. 

District 10 was… honestly two people Marinette did not recognize in the slightest. She was going to have to ask Gabriel about them later. 

District 9 was the same for one of the tributes, but Marinette did recognize the woman even if she didn’t know much about her. Barb. Not a Career, but not exactly one of the softer or nice seeming Victors. Not one of the ones Gabriel had introduced her and Adrien to either. 

District 7… Marinette didn’t even know what to make of District 7’s tributes. Ariah Khan and Simon Grimault. Ariah Khan didn’t seem like a Victor at all. She just looked like a normal lady. Whereas Simon… looked like he’d been in the Capitol life way too long and definitely didn’t have as good a tailor as Gabriel. 

Gabriel swore under his breath when they reached District 6, and Marinette’s heart sank a little bit too. Alix. Marinette had really liked her when they’d been introduced. She was sassy. Spunky, even, despite her past. She’d seemed like she’d actually figured out how to enjoy life again without being a horrible person after her games. 

Then came District 5, which got raised eyebrows from all of them. 

“ Jagged Stone? ” Adrien wondered. “They didn’t have anyone they wanted dead more than him? ”  

“He’s a continuous embarrassment,” Gabriel said dryly. “A laughable victory, relationships in the districts… He’s not good for their image.” 

Marinette shook her head, more focused on the other person she recognized from the set. “You said before that Zoe… Really? The President would send her own daughter in again? ”

“Probably Chloe’s doing,” Adrien said with disgust. 

And then came District 4, which was when Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin at Gabriel throwing a glass against the wall. 

Luka Couffaine. Gabriel had wanted to introduce them to him before, but he’d been sick at the time of the tour. Oh, and his mentor from the time he’d been in the Games, Vivica. 

Marinette tried to think back to what she did know about Luka since they hadn’t gotten to meet yet. Jagged’s son. And Juleka’s brother. Wow, the Capitol was really going for their whole family. She was almost surprised they’d want to get rid of him given how popular he was in his short amount of time being a Victor. He’d won the 72nd Hunger Games just a few years ago. 

A collective groan went up from them all when Olympia Hill and Mike Rochip were reaped. 

“Well, they’re going to be a pain in the ass…” Gabriel muttered. “But at least it wasn’t Nino.” He gave Adrien a clap on the shoulder. “He’ll be a good ally. He can help you with mentoring.” 

Marinette wondered why on earth he would do that given his tributes, but she trusted Gabriel. He knew all these people far better.

Time for the career districts…

Despite knowing it was coming, Marinette's stomach dropped as Nathalie was reaped. She looked perfectly composed. Dangerous. Not a hair out of place. Marinette never could have guessed how sweet she was had she not met her before. 

The attention wasn’t on Nathalie for long, though, because the whole district crowd there lit up with cheers when Bob volunteered before the male tribute could even be called. 

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Idiot.” 

“I didn’t even realize it was just Alec today until now,” Adrien noted. 

Oh, yeah. He was right. It was just Alec hyperactively rambling right now. 

The reaping was wrapped up with another female tribute Marinette didn’t know and Cash, who also volunteered. The Career pack was sealed – ready to run everyone else into the ground in the name of pure victory. Except Nathalie, of course. At least she was bringing down their numbers some.

Definitely a record for volunteers this reaping… 

Well, there they had it. That was their competition. 

Now they had to plan how to kill them all…

Chapter Text

Nathalie stared out the window of the train, watching the barren countryside rush past as she absently ran her thumb over her ring finger – where her wedding ring would be if her marriage to Gabriel were allowed to be public.

“Sancoeur!” Bob’s voice rang through the door before he’d even opened it. “Knew you’d be moping back here! C’mon, we got some planning to get to!”

Nathalie knew her patience was going to be tested on this trip, but she never would’ve guessed to this extent. She knew that security was going to be tight, she knew Bob was going to be a pain in the ass – he’d been bragging for months now about how he was planning on ‘avenging his son’ inside the arena – and she knew that this train ride was going to be excruciating, but actually going through this all again was just… worse in person. 

But at the end of it she’d get to see Gabriel. She doubted how much they’d actually be able to interact with each other until the Games started – security was going to be on them a lot more closely since they were tributes now – but it didn’t matter. She’d be in the same building as her husband and that was enough for her.

For now, though, she’d have to suffer through this horrible ‘planning’ that the other Victors of her district had subjected them to. 

She’d never imagined that she’d think it, but they could not get to the Capitol fast enough. 

At least she wasn’t stuck with Cash, though. As bad as Bob was, at least he was usually rambling about something a little more understandable than money money money . She could resist rolling her eyes at Bob talking about his dead child, no matter how horrible they both were as people. The same could not be said for Cash.

What kind of motive was being the richest Victor? They were all stupidly rich. That was the one good thing about being a Victor. They couldn’t have spent all their money if they tried. So why in the world did he need even more? 

Goodness Nathalie wished she could drink her way through all these matters… But that wasn’t an option. She had to go into these Games far more prepared than her last. People were depending on her, and she wasn’t going to fail them like she did Emilie. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

If there was one thing Adrien could always count on, it would be that his father’s fashion designs would always be absolutely jaw-dropping.

These may be the last pieces he ever designs… The little voice in the back of Adrien’s head whispered.

He tried to ignore that voice, but it had been getting progressively louder the last few hours. He wasn’t planning on letting it win though. Adrien had won the Hunger Games, he wasn’t going to let himself lose to these terrible thoughts.

“You’re going to look amazing, Marinette,” Adrien said as he scrolled through the pictures on his father’s tablet. 

The fabricators in the Capitol had already been putting together the designs his father had sent them and they’d sent back pictures for approval. His father had designed chariot outfits for all three of them to preserve the ‘mystery’ of who was going to be reaped – even when he’d planned to go in no matter what. Adrien wondered if that made it better or worse, to actively have to design what his son would have to wear as he marched to his death.

He’d done it last year though. And for so many kids in the almost-twenty years now that he’d been mentoring. 

Adrien tried to focus on the outfits instead of the fact that no matter how this went, he was still doomed to keep mentoring kids year after year.

Marinette’s outfit consisted of a black dress with a gold circular pattern embroidered on the arms – to emulate the polka dots on the Ladybug costume, if Adrien had to guess – and a scarlet red belt, matching the ribbon that would be tying her hair back and the shoes she would be wearing – simple flats that would be considered fashionable purely because of their simplicity, at least that’s what the small note written next to it said.

Adrien chuckled slightly at Marinette’s obvious relief that his father hadn’t given her heels. Marinette may have had extraordinary luck in the face of disadvantage, but there was no reason to tempt fate.

His father’s outfit was a black suit with purple pinstripes with a black shirt and purple tie with embroidered golden butterflies. He had a lapel pin of the Butterfly Miraculous and gold cufflinks matching the shape of–

Adrien’s peacock pin?

Adrien hadn’t been expecting that but he supposed it made enough sense, his mother’s symbol belonged to his father just as much as it did to Adrien – if not more since it was also the Miraculous that Nathalie had won with. And the one that his mother had used for a short time. 

Adrien’s unused outfit was decently similar to his father’s, although his suit lacked the pinstripe and the butterfly detailing was swapped out for that of the Cat Miraculous. His shirt underneath would have also been dark green instead of the black his father had gone with for himself. Adrien would be wearing a variation on it with the Cat detailing removed. He still had to look sharp for the Capitol, but there was zero plan of him upstaging any of the tributes. The less attention on him the better.

“You would’ve looked good in that,” Marinette said softly, a slight blush on her face the second after the words left her mouth. “I mean, I’m glad you’re not wearing it, obviously. Otherwise you’d be going into the arena and everything and that would be very… not… good…”

Adrien couldn’t help but laugh. “I knew what you meant, Marinette. But you’re going to be even more beautiful once you’re all set. There’s no way the sponsors will be able to say no.”

Unless you fumble your one job of keeping them focused on your father and Marinette, the little voice spoke again.

Adrien sighed and set the tablet down on the table in front of them. He fished the peacock pin out of his pocket and absently ran his finger over the bird. His mother had been brave to go into that arena, knowing that it would likely lead to her death. Now it was Adrien’s turn to be brave while watching everyone he cared about face the same fate – even if only one of them could come out alive.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Marinette asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I… I’m worried. How am I supposed to get you guys sponsors and keep you alive in there? My dad has been doing this for longer than we’ve been alive, but now I just have to step up and figure it out?”

Marinette moved her hand down to hold his. “Adrien, you are one of the smartest people I know. You’re kind, and diligent, and I know for a fact that you are going to give it your all.”

“But what if my all isn’t good enough?” Adrien asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“It is,” she said fiercely, with determination in her tone that showed how much she actually trusted him. “Adrien, you can do this. Besides, didn’t your dad say there would be people to help you?”

Right. Yeah. His dad did say that. More than said, really. He’d been prepping Adrien for being a mentor and dropping names to him ever since the announcement, Adrien just hadn’t caught on to what was really going on there. 

He really should have. Sometimes, he still felt so naive. 

Help from someone his dad trusted was really welcome, but Adrien was also a little… warry. His father must have had his reasons, but it seemed very odd to him that the help his dad was pushing him towards was almost the same age as him with barely any more experience than himself. Like yeah, it would be nice to have someone close to his age to bond with about this stuff, but surely someone with more than a single year of mentoring would have been a better pick? 

…Or maybe it was just because everyone else his dad trusted would be in the arena with him and this Nino guy was the only one left. Yikes. 

Whatever. No matter what Nino was like, at least Adrien would have someone and not be stumbling around clueless or having to ask Capitol workers for help. He never wanted to give anyone in the Capitol the satisfaction of thinking that a lowly district boy like him would need their help.

Adrien squeezed Marinette’s hand. “You’re right… Thanks. And, for what it’s worth, you’re the smartest person I know.”

She blushed yet again. “Come on…”

“I’m serious,” Adrien insisted. “There’s a reason I gave you the Ladybug Miraculous when we were inside the arena. You put together how the Lucky Charm worked, that there’s a solution to its puzzles. You might be the first person in history to have made that connection. You’re an actual genius.”

“Don’t sell yourself short.” Marinette bumped his shoulder gently. “You’re clever and cunning and the best weapons guy I know. We’re stronger together. I want you at my side every minute of every day, Adrien.”

And yet, you’ll only get a few more days.

Adrien ignored the little voice, slipping his pin back into his pocket. Right now he had Marinette next to him and he was going to relish that moment for as long as he could.

…But did he really have time for that? 

“...I’m sure you and my dad will make a good team too,” Adrien forced out. Not that he didn’t believe it, but the image of his father and Marinette in the arena wasn’t one he liked to dwell on for very long. “I wish I could be there with you–”

“I don’t,” Marinette cut him off sharply. “I mean, yeah, I just said… but I didn’t mean like… Oh, what am I saying?” 

Adrien let out a little laugh. “I get what you mean.” 

She could want him with her without actually wanting him with her in the death arena. Just like how Adrien didn’t want to be in a death arena with her but he wanted to be in a death arena with her . 

“If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?” Adrien asked, trying to get both of their minds off of the Hunger Games.

“As far away from the Capitol as I could possibly go,” Marinette said with barely any hesitation. 

“Yeah… That’s the obvious answer.” Adrien smirked. “Come on, Marinette, there’s so much to nature. Beaches, forests, oceans, mountains. You don’t want to see any of it?”

“We’ve almost been killed by half of those,” she pointed out. “I’m not exactly itching to cross the other two off either.”

That was a bit more pessimistic than she usually was but Adrien wasn’t going to hound her about it. She was about to go back into the Hunger Games after all. Still, Adrien felt like he had to at least try and keep her spirits up. She’d done the same for him after he’d discovered the true horrors of the Hunger Games last year.

“Well, I want to go to the top of a mountain.” Adrien led her over to one of the couches and sat down, reclining into the plush fabric. “The peak, where I could see everything coming. I’d have a nice warm cabin with a fire going and the knowledge that everyone I care about is safe inside. And the Capitol wouldn’t have a say in our lives whatsoever.”

Marinette leaned into his shoulder. “I could get on board with that plan.”

The two of them looked through the window as the train barrelled forward on the tracks. The sun was starting to set now and neither of them were particularly looking forward to watching it rise.

Chapter Text

Marinette was exhausted and it wasn’t even noon. She’d spent half her morning having to console her prep team because every time one of them even thought about the fact that Marinette was going back into the Games they broke into hysterical sobs. The irony didn’t cross their minds for half a second.

Once Marinette got into Gabriel’s outfit for the opening ceremonies though, it was different. She looked different. She’d seen the design on paper, sure, and it had looked beautiful there but now that she was wearing it there was just an elevated sense of confidence in her. She looked older, she carried herself differently. She was a Victor. She may be the youngest tribute in these Games by a few years, but she had won just like the rest of them and Gabriel’s design wasn’t going to let them forget that.

Gabriel had also instructed her makeup team to do something more bold and daring than ever before. Up until today, he’d always limited her makeup because he wanted her to look young and innocent still. Not a causer of rebellion and all. But that was just not what they were going for anymore. 

Even though she was sure the makeup was the special Capitol stuff that wouldn’t easily smudge, she resisted touching any part of her face because the colors were covering so much of it that she was afraid touching anywhere would ruin things. Her eyeshadow was inverted from her usual dresses and matched the one she was wearing today – all black with red spots artistically dotted over it. The black wasn’t round like most of the ladybug designs, though. It was sharp and in the shape of wings. 

Marinette felt a little like a clown with so much on, but she couldn’t deny the cold, intense look that it gave her. 

She was escorted out to the stables for the ceremonies by two Peacekeepers who were nice enough, but their very presence just reminded Marinette that every step she took in the Capitol would be watched and supervised. At least they’d hopefully protect her from any of the tributes who were giving her scathing looks if they tried anything. 

Marinette took in Gabriel and Adrien as she approached them by the horses designated for their chariots. Gabriel looked like the epitome of professionalism as always, but he’d ditched his glasses, so Marinette assumed that he was wearing contacts so as to not advertise any sort of weakness going into these Games. Although it was probably a little late for that given all the times he’d appeared on TV. 

Marinette had gotten so caught up in analyzing Gabriel’s outfit that she’d almost missed Adrien’s jaw-dropped stare in her direction.

“Marinette, you… You look… Just… Wow…” he stumbled out. 

Marinette blushed, although it wasn’t like he’d be able to tell under the makeup covering half of face. “Thank you, Adrien.”

Gabriel smiled at her. “You look great.”

“That’s an understatement,” a voice said behind her, sounding friendly.  

Marinette spun around to see Luka Couffaine, winner of the 72nd Hunger Games. She couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her.

Juleka’s brother. 

She couldn’t dwell on that though, not now. 

Luka looked like he’d accepted some of the Capitol’s wacky fashion, but he was still grounded about it. Yeah, his hair was a sort of turquoise color and his nails were painted, but other than that he looked like someone Marinette might run into on the street. An attractive someone, if she was being honest. Not that he was more attractive than Adrien or anything. 

Luka approached her and Adrien with what seemed like a warm and friendly smile, putting out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I’m Luka. Sorry we didn’t get to meet on your Victory Tour. I was under the weather.”

Marinette didn’t even know what to say. Should she accept his friendliness whole heartedly? Be guarded and cold to play up the dangerous look Gabriel had been going for? She knew he and Gabriel were friends of a sort and that Gabriel had wanted them to meet, but that was before the… conditions of these Games were announced. Maybe things had changed. 

But no, it didn’t seem like it. Gabriel stepped forward first, shaking Luka’s hand with a firm grip. “It’s good to see you, Luka.” 

“Likewise, Gabriel,” Luka said earnestly before looking back at Marinette and Adrien. 

Adrien – apparently taking that handshake as a go ahead from his father – stepped forward to confidently take Luka’s hand as soon as his father was done. “Happens to all of us. I just wish we could have met under better circumstances than this.”

“Yes, well, there’s rarely any good circumstances for Victors to meet under in the first place.” Luka pointed out. “We work with what we’re handed.”

He wasn’t wrong. The Victory Tour would have been a better time, but it was by no means good . 

“And with our luck, we’ve been given the worst hand possible,” Marinette said, reaching out to take Luka’s hand as Adrien moved back.

“From what I’ve seen, you’ve got luck to spare,” Luka said with a slightly mischievous half smile. “You came within inches of multiple traps last year and just… sidestepped them like you knew. It was amazing. I’d take some of that.”

This was the first Marinette had heard of any traps she’d narrowly avoided inside the arena but she wasn’t necessarily surprised either. Her ‘luck’ had been the stuff of legend in the Capitol since the Games, although Marinette herself considered her luck to be honestly terrible based on the fact that she was in the Games at all. And twice, too. 

Marinette forced a little laugh. “Here’s to hoping that luck keeps up.” 

She had no idea how to even strategize without knowing which – if any – Miraculous she’d end up with. Last time she’d just… survived until Adrien had given her the Ladybug. And again… that had been against other children. Not trained adults. 

Before they could speak more, an intercom sounded out over the stables.

“All tributes to their assigned zones immediately. The proceedings will be beginning shortly.”

Luka sighed. “I guess we’ll call it here. It was nice to meet you two, finally.”

“You too,” Marinette said, trying not to focus too much on the fact that she’d been right there when his sister had…

That was still one of the nightmares she hated thinking about the most.

“Ally,” Gabriel said under his breath, just loud enough that Marinette and Adrien would be able to hear.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Gabriel had anticipated that it would be odd to ride aboard the chariot again after all these years, but even then it was extremely different from what he remembered. Granted, last time he’d been mostly focused on the god-awful outfit he’d been forced in, but it was far more than that. Everything had seemed so big and daunting, and all he’d wanted to do was get it over with so he could enjoy what little time he could eating real meals before the Games. This time he had different priorities, and everything was smaller, and that wasn’t just because he’d grown so much. 

No, he may have been taller, but everything seemed smaller in terms of the splendor too. He’d gotten used to these types of sites over the years. 

All in all, the opening ceremonies went better than he’d hoped for. The Capitol citizens loved them as always – seeing this as a ‘reunion’ of sorts for all their celebrity Victors. None of them seemed to care that twenty-three of them were set to die within the week. Not that Gabriel expected them to. They never did. Gabriel had just wondered if perhaps they’d care more about losing their favorite stars than random district children. 

Marinette had been carrying herself excellently, and Gabriel was getting more proud of her by the second. If he’d been told after his own Games that he’d have to go back in for round two he could confidently say that he wouldn’t have made it through, but Marinette was resilient and had been taking it in great stride. Or at least as much could be expected under the circumstances.

They were herded to the training center as per usual but Gabriel noticed the increased security. It wasn’t a secret that a majority of the Victors weren’t happy with these Games, but it wasn’t like any of them were able to protest. Not even the superior citizens of the Capitol were allowed to do that.

Gabriel also tried not to notice the looks he was getting from the other Victors now. Like he was somehow beneath them now that he was a tribute. He tried not to let it get to him. Most of these Victors that he considered friends were in the same boat, but it did hurt to see people he saw as acquaintances at the very least look down on him.

He caught sight of Nathalie across the hall wearing a stunning dark blue gown. Her hair was streaked with red and the whole effect just made her appear somehow more beautiful than she already was. As always, a part of him just wanted to storm up to her and embrace her, but he couldn’t afford that. Even in this situation of them being marched towards their inevitable deaths, they couldn’t be reckless about anything, especially this. 

The Capitol had ruined his first marriage and Gabriel would die before he let them ruin his second.

That said… it was probably about time to think about how they could use their marriage to their advantage. As much as Gabriel hated it, their relationship was not going to remain hidden for much longer. There was a very high chance that one of both of them would die in that arena, and he wasn’t about to pretend to be indifferent towards her the whole time. It wasn’t like the Capitol would even be able to penalize them more than them already going back into the Games, so what would even be the point?

And if that information was going to come out… Well, Gabriel would prefer it to be on their terms. 

Hm. What would be the best way to go about it to throw matters back in the Capitol's face, Gabriel wondered. What would tip some scales in their favor? 

They made eye contact for a second across the sea of people separating them. Her eyes held the same quiet intensity they always did, but he could read her. They were thinking the same thing, they needed to talk soon.

Less than fifty feet away, yet they were going to have to be more careful to hide their relationship than when they were back home in their districts.

Gabriel knew that the President would just be waiting for someone to step out of line, someone to make an example out of. A large part of Gabriel was desperately hoping it would be a Career trying to pick a fight but all the Victors seemed like they just wanted to retreat to their respective floors and call it a night.

Gabriel didn’t disagree with that plan whatsoever as they started filing into the elevators one group at a time.

It was a stark contrast from every other year, usually the mentors would stand around for a while and catch up, talk about the upcoming Games and everything. Not this time. No one seemed to want to talk, not even the Careers who had to just be loving this.

Gabriel did manage to slip into an elevator with Nathalie after making sure Marinette and Adrien were on their way, but two Peacekeepers joined them on either side. He wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her in his arms, but instead he stared straight ahead at the doors as they rocketed up the skyscraper. As the elevator stopped on District 2’s floor, a Peacekeeper began to escort Nathalie out. She bumped into him and Gabriel felt a piece of paper get shoved into his hand.

The doors slid shut behind her and Gabriel slipped his hands into his pockets. 

He tried to relish every moment he had with Nathalie, even silent ones like this, but it was never enough. Their opportunities were few and far between and the windows just seemed to be getting tighter and tighter now. 

Chapter Text

Gabriel paused just outside the elevator doors.

The District 8 floor looked exactly the same as it did every year, yet somehow it managed to feel completely different. Every year before, it had been a sanctuary. A place for respite at the end of the long days of chatting up sponsors and prepping his tributes. A place where he and Nathalie could steal a few precious moments before the horrible events of the next day began. 

But that comforting atmosphere was now gone. This wasn’t a retreat anymore. It was a prison to keep him until his entertainment execution . 

He would not have Nathalie visiting him in the evenings to look forward to. No freedom to leave and take a walk to clear his head if he’d wanted. 

Funny. Gabriel had never forgotten how terrifying being a tribute had been, but he had forgotten what it was like to be so restricted. There had been some benefits to being a Victor. Now he wouldn’t even be able to so much as visit that cafe many of the kinder Victors favored for a cup of coffee. 

Oh, how he’d come to take those meetings for granted. Now likely everyone that attended that cafe was likely going to be fighting for their lives before long. Not even Jagged would be left to fill the corner of the cafe with that drivel he considered music. 

Gabriel wondered if the cafe runners would be sad to see them in the Games, or if they’d cheer like all the rest. Every citizen in the Capitol truly felt like a coin flip. For every half-decent human being there was someone who would dress their pets up in clothes to imitate the tributes. Such was the way of the Capitol. 

The elevator opened behind Gabriel, and he glanced back to find Adrien and Marinette getting nudged out by Peacekeepers. Well… Marinette, anyway. Adrien was being given the same “respect” that Gabriel himself was used to.  

Amazing how the Peacekeepers in the Capitol seemed to value human life only for the people the Capitol told them to. 

But, like normal, none of them had time to dwell on matters. Every second they had was time they couldn’t afford to waste.

Gabriel looked at Adrien. “You have work to do, and it starts now. Come – let me explain the steps you’ll need to take in further detail.”

Yes, Gabriel had been providing him with hints and strategies for months, but politely listening and absorbing to apply matters were two very different things. 

Gabriel knew Adrien would do well, though. He was much better with people than Gabriel himself was, honestly. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

It was weird for Adrien to be heading down to the floor of the training center without being a tribute. Sure, he’d expected to be coming here as a mentor this year before the Quell announcement, but after that he’d mentally prepped himself to go back into the Games. Now he’d been whiplashed back into the mentor role that he was extremely unprepared for.

His father had kept saying all through breakfast that he knew that Adrien would do great, that it wouldn’t be difficult to sell Gabriel and Marinette as tributes since they were already in good standing with the Capitol’s citizens, and he’d have Nadja at his side the whole time. It didn’t change the fact that Adrien had no idea whatsoever what he was doing. Verbal explanations weren’t the same as experience. 

The many Capitol luxuries all around did nothing to calm his mood. From the perfectly fluff pillow to the most comfortable bed sheets he’d ever felt, the sense of unease that had been following Adrien since the reaping refused to leave him. He’d accepted that he was probably going to die in that arena. Him and Marinette winning last year had been a once in a lifetime exception – the Capitol wasn’t going to allow two Victors again. But now with his father going in instead, it just left Adrien with even less hope than before.

No matter what, he was going to lose someone he loved in these Games.

Despite the cheery introduction they’d gotten upon arriving into the training center last year, it seemed that the Gamemakers had decided that since all these tributes had gone through it before that there was no reason for such trivialities as entertainment and explanation. They knew why they were here – they knew that it was time for them to train and prepare to be the Capitol’s entertainment.

Adrien’s father led him across the training hall to a boy his age who wore glasses and a red cap over his dark hair. Adrien recognized him, even if it took a second to place. Nino Lahiffe, Victor of the 73rd Hunger Games.

“Nino, this is my son, Adrien.” Gabriel directed them towards each other, his tone oddly… stiff. Like it was scripted. “Since you both are mentoring and you’ve done this last year – quite well, I might add – I thought he might be able to learn from you, if you’d be up to it?”

Nino smiled, reaching out to shake Adrien’s hand. “Of course, Mr. Agreste! I’ll show him the ropes, don’t worry. Just focus on your deal and we’ll focus on ours.”

Adrien pretended not to notice the slight reaction of displeasure his father showed at Nino’s entire demeanor. He was relaxed, chill, and overall seemed to just not be taking anything seriously. Not in an aloof way, but Adrien knew that his father valued a sense of professionalism that Nino clearly didn’t.

…Honestly, Nino did seem a little too chill even by Adrien’s standards. There was no way he’d just agreed to that so readily after being asked the spot. Adrien was sure it had probably already been discussed. The asking was likely for show if anyone in the Capitol was watching them right now. 

“Nice to meet you,” Adrien said as his father walked off towards his training before one of the peacekeepers forced him away from the Victors. “So you’ve done this whole mentor thing before? I gotta admit, I’m a little nervous.”

Adrien wouldn’t have admitted that to any of the other Victors, but given what his father had told him about Nino, Adrien figured it was an okay thing to say. 

Nino slung his arm over Adrien’s shoulder. “Don’t be, it’s not that bad. The other Victors in my District helped me out last year, but I’ve got it in the bag. I mean, as far as we got it wasn’t that bad.”

Adrien tried his best to remember what District Nino was from but it just wasn’t coming to him. He’d helped Marinette study the facts about the Victors she was going to be facing today but Nino’s Games hadn’t come up and despite him only winning two years back it was still enough for Adrien to have been sheltered from the Games as much as his father could.

“What District are you from again?” Adrien asked sheepishly.

“District 3,” Nino said brightly.

Oh.

Max and Aeon. Adrien and Marinette’s closest allies last year. Not to mention Nino himself had been allies with Alya’s sister, now that Adrien was thinking about it.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien said after a moment. “Max and Aeon were… They were the smartest people I’ve ever met.”

Nino nodded. “Yeah, they were. But it’s okay. I know you did your best in there and it’s what got you here today. So let’s not let their sacrifice be in vain, okay?”

Adrien swallowed down the remnants of his guilt with a forced smile. “Okay…”

“Great.” Nino clapped him on the back. “So first, here’s what you’re going to need to do. Network. I’m sure you got the basics from your dad, but now we’ll get you the face-to-face experience. All these sponsors want to feel important – they want to be able to brag to all of their friends that they are the reason that the Victors got out of the arena.”

Adrien held up a hand. “But what about strategy, or skill, or our part in actually making it happen?”

“Doesn’t matter to them. They want to be seen as the hero of their story. Your job is to enable that. Get them to believe that you are their best chance of being the hero.”

“That’s sadistic…” Adrien muttered, though he didn’t know why any of this surprised him anymore. 

“Not more sadistic than the rest of this show,” Nino said, his voice suddenly serious. “Adrien, this is the best way that you can help your dad and girlfriend get out of that arena. I know it sucks, but it’s really the only thing you can do. That we can do.”

Adrien didn’t even bother to correct him on Marinette being his ‘girlfriend’. She might as well be even if they hadn’t said anything officially to the Capitol yet.

“You’re right…” Adrien sighed. “So where do we start?”

As Nino marched him off to begin his ‘training’, as he called it, Adrien couldn’t help but wonder whether or not his father had set him up to just have a friend regardless of what would go down in the arena in the next few days.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Nathalie had been waiting all morning to find an excuse to get close to Gabriel. Any moment that would seem natural. Not too obvious. Nothing that would draw eyes to them.

They found one as they crouched over a pile of wood at a training station meant to teach the tributes how to light a fire with nothing but a stick and friction.

“Do you feel the tension in here?” Gabriel whispered as they pretended to follow the instruction sheet that had been left for them.

Nathalie nodded. “Morale is not high, even among the Careers. A few are excited, yes, but most… this is going to backfire in some way.”

“Unrest is good. The Capitol won’t be able to contain all of it.” Gabriel’s tone was as even as ever. She could detect the slightest hint of amusement in his tone but even that was masked. He was still being practical about this. They had to be. 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Nathalie said bluntly. “Especially with Amelie in charge. Who’s to say they won’t unleash a horde of mutts the second we’re in the arena to punish us for it, Gabriel? We have to play it smart.”

“There’s word that some of the tributes are going to try and use their interviews to convince the Capitol to cancel the Games,” Gabriel mused. 

Nathalie nearly dropped the stick she was holding from shock, but quickly composed herself. “It would never work.”

“I thought much the same, but you said it yourself. Morale isn’t high. The Capitol citizens don’t like seeing the people they’ve celebrated for years be thrown back in–”

“I’m sure the majority do, Gabriel. They call us animals but…”

Gabriel reached over and put his hand over hers for just a second before removing it. They were still in view of others, after all. “I understand. All I’m saying is to not give up hope. We can make a difference.”

Nathalie locked eyes with him. “I know we will.”

“Matters are in motion,” Gabriel noted with a gleam in his eye. “They’ve trapped themselves as much as us.” 

Nathalie wished not for the first or even the millionth time that her position among the Careers didn’t leave her so in the dark when it came to other Victor’s passing around planning and information. But she understood. She was a liability and in one of the more risky positions to pass information to. Some years she was able to help gather intel but this definitely wouldn’t be one of them. Not with the Peacekeepers keeping an eye on them every second of every day.

“We need to find a time we can really talk soon,” she muttered. She had her own matters to tell him, and here wasn’t the place for them either. 

Gabriel gave a slight nod. “I don’t know how or where, but we’ll find a way.”

Chapter Text

Marinette had trained hard before the reaping and she was going to train hard now. She had to prove herself to the Gamemakers, to the other tributes, and most of all to herself.

She was the youngest one here but she wasn’t going to be the weakest.

The day had been long, and lunch in the cafeteria had been so quiet you could hear a pin drop – except for the non-Nathalie Careers who were practically celebrating every second in the training center. Marinette tried not to think about the fact that all but one of them would probably be dead within the week. She was about as successful as she had been for her first Games. 

These Hunger Games were anticipated by the Capitol and the Gamemakers. Between them and the Careers there was no doubt in Marinette’s mind that these Games probably wouldn’t last very long in the grand scheme of things. There wouldn’t be any big chunks of time without action like last time. 

Gabriel had seemed distant for most of the day, leaving Marinette to her own devices. She spotted him across the room with Nathalie at one point but she wasn’t going to interrupt them, they probably only had a few sparse moments left together and she’d be damned if she was the reason it was cut short.

Instead she’d drifted over to a station that was showing off all the different ways one could sharpen a blade where a few people were already standing. The banner above brightly displayed, Whether an axe or a sword, always be ready to reap a reward!  

“The presence of an axe is telling – it means there will probably be trees inside the arena.” Fei’s voice carried before Marinette even recognized her. 

“Or it’s a red herring,” Zoe said next to her. “It would be far from the first time we saw something in training that didn’t come back in the arena.”

Fei shook her head. “The hints are always there. And they want us to fight well , so the training they’re offering is going to reflect that.”

“Both things can be true,” Fu said from her other side. 

Marinette was still shocked that he was even able to be standing here. The man was ancient – enough so that Marinette didn’t even want to try and assign a number to it. He couldn’t have been as old as he looked, but that didn’t change that he carried himself like a man who’d been around for centuries. 

“What do you mean?” Zoe asked.

“The Gamemakers want us to train so that we’ll fight. They also want us to survive long enough for that to happen. This training is to equip us for both. I highly doubt the arena will be anything extremely complicated. The Capitol would want the tributes to be the stars of the Games, not a twist on the arena.” Fu leaned on his cane as he scanned over the room.

“Last time you thought that they made the whole thing out of mirrors.” Fei crossed her arms. “We have to be prepared for anything.”

“You’re right.” Fu’s eyes landed on Marinette, standing a few feet back from the rest of the group. “Marinette! It’s good to see you.”

“Oh, hi, sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt–” Marinette started, her cheeks involuntarily flushing.

“Nonsense!” Fu declared, tapping his cane on the ground. “Join us.”

Zoe smiled at her and Fei had the slightest trace of a smirk on her face. Marinette looked over the tools at the station. Some high-tech Capitol knife sharpener that definitely looked like it belonged in an armory – although knowing the Capitol it probably was used in their kitchens – and next to it a whetstone and a spray bottle of water. Two very different kinds of approaches.

“So the sharpener itself is one-hundred-percent only something that would come as a sponsor gift, and realistically we’d have to be pretty late into the Games for weapon maintenance to be a concern,” Marinette began. “So using a stone is more likely than anything. Fei is probably right, the axe implies trees, even if it is one of the Gamemakers’ favorite weapons to have around for brutality sake. If they want us to know how to sharpen them it’s because they’ll get damaged somehow and as bad as it is to say this, killing someone won’t damage a blade as much as a utility use would, right?”

Marinette looked over at the others as she finished her ramble, hoping she didn’t come off like a complete idiot. Fei and Zoe were in shock while Fu just smiled innocently.

“You sure you aren’t from the lumber district?” Zoe asked with a slight laugh. 

“I knew you could strategize but…” Fei’s stare turned into a smirk. “What do you say to an alliance in the arena?”

Marinette smiled as she wondered how to answer that without running to Gabriel like a toddler seeking parental consent. 

Then again… these were all people Gabriel had wanted her and Adrien to meet before, weren’t they? He’d been sad to see them reaped. Was that not already an endorsement from him? Or would things be different given the circumstances? After all, being civil as fellow mentors was a lot different from trusting someone to watch their backs in the arena.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Adrien’s day with Nino had been more productive than he’d expected. He hadn’t had many friends growing up – with his home being mostly isolated from the rest of his district and the kids at school only seeing him as the son of the anti-social Hunger Games Victor – but he could confidently say that Nino was a friend even though they’d spent less than twelve hours together. Nino was kind and he was one of the few people who could actually understand Adrien in a way that only the survivors of the Games could. 

Adrien’s father had been completely right – as usual – to introduce them, and Adrien was surprisingly not dreading every second of existence anymore. 

The Capitol skyline – despite everything it represented – never failed to take Adrien’s breath away – especially now as he and Nino rose from the ground in a glass elevator. The architecture was exquisite and the way the sun reflected off each skyscraper just managed to accentuate the stunning cityscape even more. Adrien could understand the beauty here, but deep in his gut he still felt the absolute horrors that ran through its veins.

Nino had decided to take Adrien to a lounge across the street from the training center where a bunch of high-profile Capitol citizens were having a party. Adrien was pretty sure their definition of ‘party’ varied wildly from his own since they were all just standing around sipping from champagne glasses while discussing statistics. He’d been expecting something closer to what he and Marinette had experienced on their Victory Tour but there wasn’t even music playing here. Just… talking.

As it turned out, the talking was more helpful than Adrien could’ve expected. Nino managed to introduce him to people that he’d met the prior year as a mentor, and since Adrien had been a Capitol darling since birth, it wasn’t hard to get them to like him.

He was pretty sure he’d spied his aunt from across the room but he tried his absolute best to go around the room the other way to avoid the woman if it was her. It seemed to work until he and Nino decided to call it a day and started heading towards the exit.

Where the woman who absolutely was Amelie was talking to someone right next to the elevator.

“Oh and let me assure you, every aspect of the Games has been stepped up this year. From–” She stopped herself once she spotted Nino and Adrien, giving a little tsk at the sight of them. “Well, I can’t be letting any spoilers slip, I’ll catch up with you later.”

Adrien desperately hoped they could avoid any interaction but he knew that that wasn’t going to happen.

“Adrien, darling!” Amelie smiled at him in a way that was so forced that it physically pained him to look at. “How are you?”

“Alright,” he said passively. He wasn’t going to give her anything to work with. Even with his mother barely having been around, it continued to make him uncomfortable that his horrible aunt looked so much like her. 

“I see you’ve made a friend!” she gushed, eyes raking over Nino in a predatory way. “Good to see you branching out. Gabriel always did keep you a bit… confined.”

“Madam Gamemaker.” Nino tipped his hat – a cap that looked normal at first glance but lit up with a holographic turtle waving whenever he did that – at her as he gave a charming grin.

“Trying to help him find sponsors to aid his lost cause instead of your own tributes?” Amelie asked. “That’s not very strategic.” 

“The only lost cause was your son,” Adrien spat out icily. 

…Okay, so much for passive. Adrien understood why his father hated Amelie with every fiber of his being – she was constantly asking for it.

The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. For a slight second her fake smile slipped. “He will be avenged.”

With that, she turned and stormed back into the party, her plastic grin back on her face.

“Dude. When I said you needed to make friends, did you just tune that out, or…” Nino asked as they climbed into the elevator.

Adrien sighed. Okay, maybe he should have controlled his temper better there, but really, could Amelie hate them anymore than she already did? What more could she throw at them that she wasn’t already planning to. 

“She already hates me – that won’t change anything,” Adrien told Nino. “She’s going to try and kill my family anyway. No point in letting her walk over us while she does it.”

Nino scratched the back of his head. “That’s… a way of looking at it. Just try not to make any new enemies then.” 

“Yeah. I just pissed off the devil, I don’t need any more…” Adrien muttered.

Nino snorted. 

“...She has had a point, though.” Adrien hated to admit it, but it was true. “What do you get out of this? I’m just holding you back. What, did my dad intimidate you into helping me?”

Nino laughed like Adrien had told a normal joke rather than them discussing murder games. “I have my reasons, Agreste. And you have your uses. Don’t sell yourself short!”

What did that even mean? 

Why did Adrien feel like Nino had the same weird knowing things aura that his dad did? His dad made sense. He’d been a Victor for years. But Nino? He was new – just from the year before Adrien and Marinette. Yet he carried the same confidence if not more than the other Victors. And Adrien’s dad trusted him enough to send Adrien off with him. 

Why? What was the deal with this other kid? 

Adrien liked Nino. He really did. He felt he could trust him. But that didn’t mean he didn’t have any questions. He had a lot of questions, actually. 

…Yet he bet they were ones neither his dad nor Nino would be willing to answer any time soon. 

This – whatever it was – had probably been planned as soon as the announcement about the Quarter Quell had been made. 

…How could Adrien ever hope to compete with Victors that were used to planning that far ahead? His dad was so much better at this. 

Adrien hadn’t even orchestrated most of their plans in the last Games. Marinette was the one who’d figured out the Lucky Charms – the best plan he’d come up with was killing himself so she’d survive. 

But he wasn’t going to give up, he wouldn’t just let them go in there with no support. He was going to do whatever he could to get them through the Games. And if Nino was here to help him with that? Adrien wasn’t going to try and sabotage his potential chance at getting his father or Marinette out of that arena alive. Plus he wouldn’t dare give Amelie the satisfaction, that was some of the highest motivation he could possibly ask for. If all failed he could run on spite if nothing else. 

He could do this. He would . 

Chapter Text

They were running out of time before the interviews. Ideal setting or not, they needed to talk. 

Gabriel sighed in frustration, trying to appear casual as he wandered over to the section of the training area that had to do with identifying plants. Not a section that he would normally spend a lot of time in, but it appeared it was going to be the best place for him and Nathalie to attempt a real discussion. They wouldn’t be side-eyed nearly as much as for having a conversion here compared to elsewhere where most tributes would be swinging around weapons, and it was more private in general because most of the other tributes ignored it. 

Once again, not ideal, but it was apparently going to be the best option they were going to get. 

The Capitol was many things, but they weren’t stupid. They’d known they were going to be dealing with adults used to the city this time, not children. The security was so much greater than it had ever been before that it was impossible for him and Nathalie to leave their respective floors and meet in the night. 

Nathalie keyed in the last three plants that the test on the screen before her had posed questions about, and the machine flashed that she’d been correct on everything. 

Gabriel smiled faintly. Of course. She’d always been so smart. Even before she’d realized the horribleness of the Careers, she’d been leagues beyond the usual ones that focused everything on weapon wielding. She’d realized the value of having a balance of talents. 

“Mrs. Agreste,” he greeted as stepped up and took the spot beside her. 

Her hand stilled midway to starting another test, an eyebrow creeping upward as she tilted her head to side-eye him. “You don’t usually risk calling me that in public, even if it seems like no one is close enough to hear.” 

“Yes, well, I believe our time out of the public’s eye is at its end,” Gabriel said gravely, his eyes scanning over the room for the thousandth time. The coast was still clear. 

If possible, Nathalie’s eyebrow arched even higher. “Why do I feel like you’re hinting at something?” 

“Because you know me well, and I am,” Gabriel said with a wry smile. That smile faded quickly, though. “Nathalie, I don’t want to spend our time in the arena pretending we don’t care for one another. What would even be the point? They can hardly make our lives worse anymore.”

Nathalie snorted. “You’re not wrong.” She lay her hands flat on the terminal, taking a breath. “This is a big step after all this time, though. What did you have in mind?” 

Gabriel grunted, regretting his suggestion before it was even out of his mouth. “As loathe as I am to give the Capitol something to leer at with our marriage, the smart move would be to use it to our advantage.” 

Nathalie huffed. “I hate that you’re right, but you are. You want to get out in front of things and win us audience favor?”

“And make the Capitol look a bit foolish in the process,” Gabriel added with a smirk. “They haven’t noticed all these years. That missed coverage will surely hurt some egos. And the public should be fawning over the mere idea of a secret marriage between Victors. …Especially given our history.” 

Gabriel hated how dirty this made him feel. He’d done much over the years he wasn’t proud of, but he’d always respected Emilie’s memory. This felt like using her for public favor, and he didn’t care for it. 

…She would have told him to go for it, though, he knew. She would have been all for rubbing something like this in the Capitol’s face. 

“Well then… How do we want to go about it?” Nathalie still seemed equally uncomfortable, but clearly she saw the necessity as well, just like she’d said. “Leak a rumor to the news and drive up speculation before the interviews?” 

Gabriel thought about it. “No. Best it be live at the interviews themselves where Amelie has no way to twist matters before they reach the public.” 

“Oh, I’m so referring to her as family to piss her off at some point.” Nathalie gave a wolfish smile. “Maybe I won’t be able to see her reaction, but I bet I can make her squirm while all her lackeys pretend they aren’t sneaking looks at her about it.” 

Gabriel chuckled. He’d forgotten how petty Nathalie could be when she wasn’t holding herself back. “You should plant the seed of mystery in your interview. Reference our relationship, but not give a name. The curiosity and speculation will keep the audience focused on you, and then I can reveal myself once it’s time for mine. If we play it right, it will not only win us some positive attention, but that will bleed over to Marinette and Adrien as well.” 

“...Yeah. Yeah that’s a good idea.”

Alarms went off in Gabriel’s head immediately at her tone. “What’s wrong?” 

Nathalie evaded his gaze. “Don’t worry, I’m onboard with the plan. Just… Gabriel, I need to–”

“Are you going to stand at that plant machine all day, Sancoeur?” Bob yelled from across the training area, making both of them flinch and look at him. “Come on, I need a partner that can help take out the competition, not hide out and live off berries!” 

Nathalie didn’t even try to hide her withering glare, but her voice was low as she muttered, “Partner my ass. Not even if hell froze over.” 

Gabriel smirked. “He doesn’t need to know that yet.” 

Apparently, Bob would be getting a clue about Nathalie’s true allegiances soon, though. Along with everyone else. 

Gabriel couldn’t wait to see all of their faces once they were in the Arena – even if it did mean that it would make both him and Nathalie more of a target. They’d been hiding their relationship for so long now that Gabriel could barely contain everything he felt at the idea of finally being able to embrace his wife in the light. 

Their days of stealing moments in the shadows were almost over. 

His only regret was he wouldn’t be able to see Amelie’s face when she found out. Not that Gabriel wanted to think about her when he could be thinking of Nathalie, but shoving her smugness in her face always improved Gabriel’s mood. 

Although part of him dreaded the fact that this knowledge would only fuel Amelie’s plans to make Nathalie suffer in the Games. Right now Nathalie was just a pain in her ass – and that pain went both ways – but after this news it would be deeply personal. Amelie wasn’t above hurting the people Gabriel cared about to get to him. He just had to hope he could protect Nathalie long enough to avoid that. 

…Not that Nathalie couldn’t do that herself. Oh, if only they could settle matters by letting Nathalie act on the murderous impulses she’d had for Amelie for years…

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Marinette made her way from the training center to the District 8 floor with exhaustion running through her very core. She’d intended to push herself today and wow had she succeeded on that. She did heavily enjoy spending time with Zoe and Fei though, both girls were really fun and easy to work with. They’d make good allies in the arena – that was if Gabriel was okay with it.

She needed to talk to him but he was nowhere to be found. Probably off in his room or something, Marinette wasn’t entirely sure. Marinette had lost track of him during training earlier and had never quite managed to catch back up.

Heading to the fully-stocked kitchen that had every single appliance possible – all of them of course safe-guarded to the highest degree to prevent a tribute from harming themselves or others – with the intention of getting glass of water, Marinette found Adrien sitting at the counter with a book open in front of him.

“What are you reading?” Marinette asked as she reached into a cabinet for a glass.

Adrien jumped, clumsily knocking the book off the counter. Is that how she acted around him? Her cheeks flushed with her own embarrassment.

“Sorry…” Marinette apologized, grabbing a pitcher of water from the fridge.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Adrien said, bending over to pick the book up. “It’s uh… not a good read anyway.”

As Adrien set the book back on the counter, Marinette spied the title in golden lettering on the front: The History of the Hunger Games .

“Oh yeah, I’m sure that history is great,” Marinette’s voice dripped with sarcasm as she poured the liquid into her glass.

Adrien laughed. “Nino suggested it to try and find ways to appeal to sponsors, but this thing is made for literal torture, I promise you...” He opened the book back up and read a passage aloud. “ After the Dark Days, the Districts – recognizing their futile attempt to rise above their station – willingly submitted to the Hunger Games as a constant reminder of how many lives had been lost during the war. ”

“There is no way it actually says that.” Marinette looked over the text and sure enough the propaganda stared her right in the face.

“No wonder all of them here are the way they are.” Adrien sighed. “It’s been ingrained in them their whole lives.”

Marinette shrugged, taking a seat beside him on one of the barstools. “When you’re raised a certain way, it’s hard to break. But if anyone can get through to them I’d place my bet on you.”

Adrien raised a finger at her with a smile. “Ah ah ah, those involved with the Games aren’t allowed to place bets. It’s against the law.”

Marinette snorted. “Learning fast, yeah?”

“Gotta know all the mentor-y stuff, right?” Adrien smiled at her. He reached out and grabbed her hand. His eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at her.

“Adrien, is everything okay?” Marinette asked gently.

“Can we talk?” he asked, finally making eye contact. “I just… this is going to probably be awkward but I know I’ll regret it if we don’t…”

“What is it?” Marinette felt a twinge of anxiety in her chest. What wasn’t he telling her? What could be more awkward than their entire relationship thus far?

“What are we?” he asked. “Like… to each other. Nino called you my girlfriend earlier and I realized that we never have really defined anything…”

Marinette couldn’t help that her face turned red. She got nervous thinking of her and Adrien together still, even after everything.

He was right, of course. They’d gone through so much in the Arena that they were definitely bonded closer than most couples could even dream of and even if they didn’t have romantic feelings for each other they’d definitely be best friends. 

But they did have romantic feelings for each other. That’s what had gotten them out of the Arena together in the first place. The Capitol saw it – they’d both seen it and leveraged it to get out. 

Marinette’s feelings had come from well before the Games. She didn’t know when Adrien’s had started, but it didn’t seem to matter now given that they were coming up on a year of being… whatever it was they were.

“I’m comfortable with being your girlfriend, if that’s alright…” Marinette said slowly.

Adrien replied by pulling her in for a kiss that couldn’t have lasted for more than a few seconds, but felt like an eternity to Marinette. A moment she never wanted to let go of, a moment she wanted to stay in forever. The Hunger Games weren’t a concern here. There was nothing else, just her and Adrien. Together.

He pulled away after a moment. “I’d like that too.”

Marinette pulled her boyfriend back in. She wasn’t ready to let go of the moment yet.

Even if they didn’t have a lot of time left, now they knew exactly where the other stood. There was nothing the Capitol could do to take that from them. 

Chapter Text

Gabriel had been distant the past few days. He was always guarded and careful, sure, but Marinette hadn’t known him – especially since she and Adrien had won their Games – to be this far removed from them. Even when they were in the same room it felt like his mind was somewhere else.

They had their Gamemaker evaluations today, and while all the other Victors were chatting away with each other – a sharp contrast to the silence that had permeated the hall last year when Marinette and Adrien were waiting for theirs – Gabriel just remained resolutely silent.

Poor man… He was probably worrying about himself, her and Adrien, and Nathalie all at the same time constantly. Marinette could relate. She was plenty worried herself.

Eventually Gabriel was called in for his own evaluation, leaving Marinette alone. Over half the tributes had already left, and the only people she’d feel comfortable enough with in the room would be Fei and Fu, but they were at the far end of the room by themselves. With the increased security, it wasn’t worth the risk to break the rules and drift over to them.

Marinette went through her plan for this evaluation. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. Just because she’d gotten a nine last time was no guarantee that she could replicate it – especially with how she’d ended up with it last year.

She still cringed when she thought back to it. She really had been the luckiest tribute ever even before her Games started. 

After what felt like an eternity, they called her in. 

She almost tripped on her own feet when she saw what she was walking into, though. It appeared not even the Capitol was fast enough to fix a stone floor being carved into . 

The Gamemakers stood above in their shielded booth, chattering to each other anxiously long enough for Marinette to take a second to really look at the curved lines. Her lips parted in a silent gasp when she finally recognized the shape. It was hard for her to see on the ground, but she was sure the Gamemakers had a great view. The angles were a little weird in some places, but there was no mistaking it for anything other than Adrien’s peacock pin from their Games. 

Marinette swallowed, suppressing a grin. It must have taken Gabriel an insane amount of effort to do that, but he’d managed. And there was no way it was getting fixed before the rest of the evaluations, so the rest of the districts would be seeing it too.

Marinette shook her head, returning her focus to her own evaluation as the Gamemakers finally started to take notice of her. They were definitely not as jovial and distracted as last time. This wasn’t a party. This was a challenge. Her chance to show them what she could do, so that they could turn around and use that information to torture her in the arena.

Marinette quickly took stock of the options they’d left her. 

She had a plan. 

If Gabriel was going to be rebellious, well… she considered that a go-ahead to do the same. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

“What did you do?” Gabriel asked the moment they’d returned to their floor. He didn’t sound super worried. Just… wary. Like a tired parent finding the house too clean or something. 

Marinette gave him a small innocent smile. “It was an accident?” 

Gabriel snorted. “Why do I doubt that to be the case this time?” 

“...I may have tied one of those fan blades to the regular yo-yo they had in there and used it on the weapon tables’ legs so they dumped everything on the floor and left a mess.” 

Gabriel laughed. “I feel l should scold you for provoking them, but the fact that we’re here at all rather indicates we’re well past that point.” 

“Yeah…” Truth be told, she was kind of liking getting to be dangerous instead of cutesy and innocent. “I liked your artwork, by the way.” 

A smirk pulled at Gabriel’s lips. “You should have seen the Gamemaker’s faces at the noise it caused.”

Ew. That made her cringe thinking about it. Probably way worse than nails on a chalkboard.

Now to wait and see their scores. 

Funnier enough, Marinette wasn’t dreading it nearly as much as last year. She’d been sure she was going to get a zero then. Now even if they gave her a zero for being obnoxious and causing a mess, her Games were still fresh in peoples’ minds. She’d more than proved herself.  At least that was one advantage to her being the youngest and most recent – a lot of the other Victors’ Games would be way hazier in peoples’ minds.   

Marinette was… oddly optimistic as she snuggled into Adrien’s shoulder on the couch for the rankings viewing. It was like something had clicked in her mind and she was no longer drowning in stress. She was suddenly able to accept that this was how things were, and she was going to make the most of it. 

“You did great,” Nadja assured, a pillow clutched tightly to her chest as she stood by the couch. “I’m sure you did great!”

“Nadja,” Gabriel said cooly, gesturing to one of the empty chairs in front of the TV with his glass of… something clearly alcoholic. “You’re not suddenly exiled from our group here due to these Games.”

Nadja looked like she might cry. “I wasn’t sure if you’d want me here with me working for the Capitol and–”

“Nadja.” Gabriel hit her with a deadpan look. “I tolerated you here when my son was being sent into the Games. I assure you, I was far more disgusted with you then than now.” 

Adrien tried to smother a snicker. Marinette giggled, but she didn’t even try to hide hers. 

Nadja blinked. “I… Thank you?”

“Sit,” Gabriel said flatly. 

And so Nadja did, just in time for the show to start. 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this… but I miss Bob,” Adrien noted. “He actually made this more bearable by toning things down compared to Alec.” 

Gabriel grunted in agreement. “That said, if there’s anyone I hope I get to kill…”

“Dad,” Adrien said, looking disturbed. 

“Don’t pretend you haven’t wanted to strangle Bob at least half a dozen times already,” Gabriel said. “And you’ve only had to put up with him for two years. Imagine how the rest of us feel after this long.”

Adrien snapped his mouth shut as the scores started coming. 

The scores were insanely high on average this time. Way higher than any other year. All victors and whatnot. Nobody got below an eight for the first seven districts.

…Except Jagged. He got a four. Which was actually an improvement on his first Games, where he’d gotten a three – something Marinette knew because Alec was ever so helpfully telling them the old score of the Victors before their new ones.  

That poor man was going to die in the blood bath, Marinette was sure. Granted, that was what everyone thought his first Games too, so maybe he’d surprise them all again.  

Gabriel made a noise of disapproval when Nathalie’s score came up as eight, which was the lowest of all the careers. “She should be higher than that…” 

“Well, the Capitol hasn’t ever liked her, right?” Adrien pointed out. “They’re probably scoring her lower on purpose.” 

Gabriel kept scowling. “I suppose.”  

The numbers kept coming, becoming a bit of a blur after a while with everyone being so much of a threat. 

Then it was their turn. 

Adrien took Marientte’s hand. Gabriel’s grip on his glass tightened. Nadja held her breath. 

“And onto District 8!” Alec said in his grating, overly peppy tone. It went with his horribly tacky sparkly gold suit and matching wig. “Last time a very young Gabriel Agreste got the pretty lackluster number of six before surprising everyone by becoming one of the most ruthless Victors to date! Let’s see how a few years of experience might have changed that, hey?”    

If looks could kill, Marinette thought as she snuck a glance at Gabriel’s face. His expression wasn’t doing a lot to disprove that ruthless claim. 

Alec opened the envelope with the same over the top flourish as all the others, and he flapped the paper around a bit. “Ha ha! Almost like a butterfly, isn’t it?” 

Gabriel dragged a hand down his face. “Get on with it, you obnoxious–”

Gabriel trailed off as Alec finally brought the slip in front of him and froze. 

There was a pause as Alec’s face remained comically completely frozen.   

Finally, he blinked. “Ah… Well.” Alec shook his head. “Congratulations, Gabriel Agreste! Setting records then with his new tactics, and now with the previously never before seen score of twelve! ”

Marinette saw Adrien’s jaw literally drop in her peripheral vision. 

Nadja gasped, then squealed. “Oh, congratulations Gabriel! That’s fantastic!”

Gabriel himself just… rolled his eyes. “My word, she’s not even attempting to be subtle…”

“Who?” Adrien asked. “Amelie?”

“Hm.” Gabriel nodded. “That was no ranking on my performance – she’s painting a target on my back. That just ensured I’ll be the priority kill for anyone that actually wants to be in there.”

Marinette’s heart sank. She’d been so happy for him for just a minute there. 

Nadja gasped again. “Oh wonderful job Marinette!” 

“What?” Marinette triple blinked, looking back at the screen, but not in time to catch her number since she’d been so distracted. “Wait, I missed it! What did I get?”

“A ten!” Nadja said cheerfully. “One up from last year!”

“Great job, Marinette.” Adrien placed a kiss on her temple. 

Marinette beamed. A ten. That wasn’t the best score ever, so it wasn’t the same slanted scoring that Gabriel had just gotten, but it was actually something she’d meant to do this time. She was proud. 

…But she couldn’t stay happy. 

Gabriel… That had just made this so much worse for him than a low score would have. Sponsors weren’t helpful if he was dead from all the other tributes specifically gunning for him. 

The rest of the districts passed in another blur of high numbers. Fu – unsurprisingly just given his age – ended up with the lowest apart from Jagged with a six, but Fei got a ten, so they’d probably still do well on sponsors. 

“Well, you guys just made my job a lot easier with those scores,” Adrien muttered. “At least Amelie just handed you that advantage.” 

“I hope you win specifically because of a sponsor item you get out of that,” Nadja spat with more venom in her voice than Marinette had ever heard, causing all of them to look at her. She didn’t look remorseful. “What? I hate her. There, I said. I hate her and this whole stupid idea.” 

Gabriel chuckled softly, and a genuine smile stretched his lips as he brought his glass up to take another sip. “I most definitely like you better this year than all the rest.” 

Nadja’s gaze fell. “...I always cared, Gabriel. It was just easier to pretend not to.” She sniffed as the tears started welling in her eyes again. “And you’re lucky I did! Somebody else probably would have taken that secret marriage of yours right to the news.”

Oh, snap.

Gabriel choked on his drink so hard it started coming out his nose as he scrambled for a napkin. 

“Sorry, sorry!” Nadja reached the napkins first and shoved them at him as she kept babbling apologies. 

“How long have you known?” Gabriel demanded as his eyes started streaming tears at what had to be a killer amount of burn in his sinuses. 

“...I mean I didn’t look at the date!”

“ Nadja. ”

Marinette could have almost cried herself. She’d always liked Nadja, but not trusted her. She’d always been worried Nadja’s position was more important to her than the lives of the tributes every year. And that… was probably exactly what Nadja had wanted the Capitol to think, going off of what she’d just said. 

Looked like there were genuinely good people from the Capitol after all. 

Chapter Text

”Dude, relax,” Nino said, giving Adrian a pat between his stiff shoulders as the two of them sat in the mentor section of the audience. “You’re not even getting interviewed, and your dad’s a pro at this stuff.”

“...I was trying to look confident in case the cameras ended up on us,” Adrien mumbled.

Nino was right, though. There was going to be plenty for Adrien to do once the Games began, but this part of the mentor duties was more than taken care of for him. His dad had everything to do with the interviews already planned, and he’d be down there to coach Marinette until the second she walked on stage. Adrien honestly didn’t even know what the exact plans were given that his father had shooed him off to learn more from Nino while the two of them were interview prepping. 

“Buddy, you look more like you need to take a dump,” Nino said flatly. 

“I do not–” Adrien cut himself off with a sigh, shoulders slumping out of their firm posture. 

Nino laughed. “Confidence is more relaxed, man. Like things are going your way so well you’re just kicked back and enjoying yourself.”

“...My dad and my girlfriend are going into a death match, if I look like I’m enjoying myself then the people back in the districts are going to think I’m a psychopath,” Adrien pointed out.   

“Yeah, that is a balance you’re gonna have to wrestle with,” Nino admitted. “The Capitol and the districts respond pretty differently to stuff. Play too much to one, and you put a target on yourself for the other, and alienating either one is going to be bad news for your tributes.” 

Adrien shook his head. “How did you learn all this so well already? You haven’t been a Victor for long at all, but you act like you’ve been doing this for a decade.”   

Nino arched an eyebrow at him, taking a sip of his fancy flute glass. “So you’re saying I seem… confident?” 

…When put that way, suddenly Nino’s advice managed to seem better and worse at the same time. How much was he faking to seem confident to Adrien himself? And did that make Adrien more impressed in his abilities or more wary? 

Ugh. No, he wasn’t going to doubt Nino. Maybe if Adrien had run into him all on his own, but his father had vouched for him way too hard for his advice not to be bad. 

“Is that even alcoholic?” Adrien wondered, looking at Nino’s multicolored frozen beverage. 

“...Dude, I’m still fifteen.” 

“Oh, right. I forgot the Capitol was so serious about underageed drinking.” Adrien rolled his eyes. 

He was pretty sure he’d been offered alcohol at every Victor related function he’d attended so far. It was a wonder how nearly every Victor wasn’t an alcoholic with all that surrounding them right after the Games. Adrien guessed even the Capitol realized how dumb it would be for kids to be considered to be old enough to fight in death games but for a line to be drawn at drinking. 

Nino snorted. “Well, they aren’t, but most Victors don’t want to be drooling on their seats during important events. Even if some of them would prefer to drink themselves to the point of not remembering anything, they usually don’t want to risk the Capitol’s wrath at ruining the show.” 

Wow. Yeah, it didn’t surprise Adrien that the Capitol would pull something like that, he just hadn’t thought about it before now. 

Music started blaring, and both of them shifted their attention to the stage. 

“Here we go…” Nino muttered, taking another slow sip of his drink. 

Adrien tried to relax. He desperately wished that Marinette could be sitting next to him in this crowd like they were nothing more than a normal couple here to watch a show – not that he was here to help coach her through how best to outlive twenty-three people, including his father and stepmother. 

That train of thought was not going to help with relaxing.

He studied the people around them. The mentors’ section was near the front of the stage, settled to the right so they could quickly duck for the backstage doors when necessary. Nino had taken him near the back of the section though, so behind them were rowdy Capitol citizens just roaring to go.

Adrien saw a woman sporting what looked like an actual live black cat on her head, matching the fur jacket she was wearing. Another man had painted his skin red with black spots dotted all over his body, clearly attempting to emulate Marinette’s ladybug motif but looking more like he had some infectious disease. Marinette and his father had been right about one thing: the people in the Capitol had absolutely no taste no matter how much they tried to pretend otherwise.

He turned back to the stage to try and distract himself, looking at the sparkling lights above that seemed to imitate the starlight in the Districts. The sight was calming in a way, reminding him that there was a world outside of the Capitol, that there was a whole sky they could never tame.

Adrien’s thoughts were interrupted as a hand clamped down on his shoulder with a laugh that chilled Adrien to his bones. “Oh my gosh! I thought you’d be in the back, Adrikins! I bet you’re excited to not be part of the show this time.”

Right when he thought he could start to relax…

“Chloe…” he said through gritted teeth.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

15 YEARS AGO

Keeping an eye on Emilie had been oddly fascinating. It was one thing for the normal District reaped tributes to act differently to the Careers – that was to be expected. But Emilie… she was meant to be one of them, but her approach could not have been more different. 

Her interview didn’t focus on her strengths or skills one bit.  

Even though she’d managed to score a ten in training – more than enough to be able to flex and brag slightly once she got onstage – Emilie just talked about one thing: her family.

More specifically, her husband and son.

Nathalie made a silent note that every time the commentators brought up Amelie’s win the past year and ‘their’ goal of winning back-to-back that Emilie would dodge the question and circle back to Gabriel. It was an odd angle to take for sure but Nathalie would’ve had to be blind to not see that the folks in the Capitol were taking the bait.

The fact that a mother would be going into the Hunger Games garnered so much sympathy that Nathalie was already envying just how many sponsor gifts Emilie would get. They were implicit allies in the Games but they all knew they’d stab each other in the back eventually. 

And yet Nathalie couldn’t shake the feeling that even with knowing about Emilie’s family, there was something more at play here. Shouldn’t she be upping the Amelie angle too? The family motivation was more than enough to win over the Capitol but the back-to-back twin winners angle wouldn’t have hurt at all.

That didn’t change that Emilie herself had never claimed to be into it. All of Amelie’s coverage last year and on her Victory Tour did, yes, but as far as Nathalie had seen Emilie hadn’t corroborated it.

Every moment Nathalie spent with Emilie just made it more clear to her that Emilie wasn’t going to be like the rest of the Careers. She had plans to win these Games and things to get back home to.

It was a shame that Nathalie knew that she couldn’t let Emilie win.

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

PRESENT DAY

Adrien wanted to die. Cataclysm to the face – get it over with as quickly as possible. But Plagg was going to be in the Games, far away from Adrien. Too far away from his desire to end this horrible interaction with Chloe as soon as possible.

She’d dragged away from the mentors’ section – away from his Capitol assigned job – because “the show isn’t even starting yet, Adrikins!” Once again, she’d ran him around, showing him off like a pet to people in the lobby, on the balconies, in the audience, with all this talk about how they were such good friends and how amazing his suit was and how much Chloe adored him. Adrien hated it. So much. 

“And after the Games, we’re thinking about even having Adrien come in from the poor impoverished District he suffers in to visit me!” Chloe laughed.

Adrien would rather get his face mauled off by one of the Capitol’s mutts before that would ever happen. 

Thankfully, Nino saved him just in time, somehow having managed to track him down. “Adrien, bro, we have to go. Pre-show’s almost over, interviews are about to start.”

“Oh okay, gotta go! Capitol calling and all!” Adrien said quickly, making his way to follow Nino and leave Chloe as fast as possible. Surely not even she would protest that since it would upset her mother’s precious Game rules.

And yet she dug her claws into his forearm as they started to move. “I’ll see you after the show, okay?”

Everything from her mouth sounded like a threat, despite the sickeningly sweet tone they were delivered with. It reminded Adrien of Lila, although even Lila hadn’t been this overly zealous about everything.

Adrien pulled away from her. “Yeah, sure.”

He walked as fast as he could – bordering on a jog at more than one point – with Nino by his side.

“I think you just saved my life,” Adrien said as they ducked into a backstage door.

“Yeah, you looked like you would rather be anywhere else.” Nino chuckled. “She’s a piece of work, isn’t she?”

“I was eyeing the railings of those balconies more than I probably should’ve been,” Adrien agreed. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t stepped in.”

“Suffered, probably.” Nino smirked. He led him back to a green room area, where a few of the tributes were scattered around with their mentors. Adrien didn’t see Nathalie, his dad, or Marinette around – probably still in their dressing rooms, if Adrien had to guess.

Nino led him out through a side door back to their seats right as the lights dimmed and Alec came striding out with a golden suit matching that same god-awful wig Adrien had seen him in for these Games. Dress shirt, tie, cufflinks, even his socks were shining so brightly that the lights had to dim slightly to compensate for it. Alec was a walking disco ball.

“Hello, everyone! The seventy-fifth Hunger Games is here! Returning favorites are heading back into the Arena to prove who is the true Victor. I know you’re all excited for these interviews…”

A roar of the crowd gave their approval. Adrien tried to ignore the drop in his stomach.

Alec laughed heartily, like someone had just told him the funniest joke in existence. “I am too! So let’s not waste any time and get it going. We have twenty-four veterans here tonight and we want to make sure each of them get their time. Starting off, from District 1 let’s say ‘welcome back’ to Cash!”

And so it went. Adrien knew he should be paying attention, but he couldn’t help his focus drifting to the crowd until Nathalie came out. They… weren’t actually enjoying all this as much as he would have expected. The cheers had seemed louder last year. Was that his imagination? No… No, people were definitely not as excited. Some of them even looked legitimately pissed off. 

Huh. Maybe they weren’t so keen on watching the stars they’d followed for years die. Audrey maybe should have considered that bit.

Adrien refocused as it came time for Nathalie, eying one of the side screens that had come up with her statistics.

Nathalie Sanceour

Victor of the 60th Hunger Games

Wielder of the Peacock Miraculous

Gamemaker Score: 8

“Still too low…” Adrien muttered to himself. He hadn’t known Nathalie long but one didn’t win the Hunger Games by mistake – least of all a Career.

From the first sight of her Adrien could tell that his father had designed what she was wearing. This wasn’t a Capitol stylist’s idea of beauty but the gasp the crowd gave said otherwise. Her dress radiated blues, purples, and greens all coming to a head at the peacock-shaped back of the dress reaching behind her head. The fit of the dress was loose but if anything that just made Nathalie look more amazing, like she knew that she didn’t have to try. 

Alec shook her hand and set her down on the couch across from him. “It is so good to have you back here again, Nathalie!”

Nathalie didn’t give him the dignity of a kind smile back. Just a practiced neutral expression. “I wish I could say the same, Alec. It’s been a long time–”

“Fifteen years, to be exact!” Alec interrupted with a grin. “An oddly quiet fifteen years, I might add! Not one for the spotlight much, are you?” 

…Someone probably should have told Alec the Capitol didn’t like Nathalie, because he didn’t appear to have gotten that memo. 

“I like to keep the mystery factor sometimes,” Nathalie said with the perfect tone to draw in the crowd. 

“Ohh, well you know our audience! They love unraveling a mystery!” Alec punched the air. “Aren’t you just itching to share with us after all this time? What does the elegant Nathalie Sanceour do in her free time.”

Nathalie gave a soft smile. “Well, for starters, that hasn’t actually been my last name for quite some time.” 

Oh. 

Adrien’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t realize she and his father were planning to out themselves after all this time like this, but it made sense. 

Gasps and whispers rustled around the crowd. They were already fully invested from just that. 

Man, when they found out who…

Adrien pretended to act cool in case anyone was looking at him for hints. 

“Oh, really? ” Alec dramatically cooed. “A Victor love story and we never knew?” 

High score or not, the confident gleam in Nathalie’s eyes told Adrien she had people of the Capitol right where she wanted them.     

Chapter Text

Even from backstage, Marinette could feel the unrest in the audience. There was just something off compared to last year, when they’d laugh at every stupid joke the hosts made and ate up every piece of propaganda thrown at them. Now they seemed… passive? No, it wasn’t that. From the scattered crowd shots she’d seen – which the Capitol broadcast seemed to be avoiding for the most part – the audience was ranging from annoyed to angry to even a few people sobbing at their favorite tribute going back in.

They definitely were still looking at them as entertainment but they weren’t happy about it.

Once the first two districts had come and gone and the Careers were out of the way, the tributes themselves were entirely encouraging this approach. That it was unfair that they had to go back in. They’d won, they’d made it through and earned their survival. To throw them back in? Didn’t just that spit in the face of everything the Games stood for?

Of course not, the Hunger Games existed to keep the districts in check and this was just a natural evolution of that. But not to the citizens of the Capitol. The Capitol was watching these people that they’d been following for years – some for decades – get sent back into a death match where they were almost certainly doomed. And so far they seemed to be in support of this narrative.

Olympia’s interview had consisted primarily of Alec bringing up Aeon at every opportunity just to rub salt in the wound about her death. Marinette clenched her fists and forced herself to take deep breaths to calm down from that. She hadn’t interacted with Olympia herself much at all, but Marinette had known Aeon, and if her mother was anything like her then she couldn’t be that bad. Aeon had been prepared for the Games in a different way than the rest of them. Aeon had known how to win, she’d been the reason they were able to blow up the Careers’ supplies – of that Marinette had no doubt.

If Aeon hadn’t been in that arena, there was a very good chance that neither Marinette or Adrien would’ve made it out alive.

And to have her sacrifice rubbed in her mother’s face in front of the entire nation as ‘entertainment’? 

Marinette wasn’t the only one upset by the absolute lack of awareness that was happening there. The crowd wasn’t pleased. It was tasteless, it was a terrible thing to do to a woman who had to still be grieving the loss. After all, a year ago Aeon was up on that same stage for her own interview. 

Alec wasn’t blind, he could read the room and see that nothing he was doing was landing. He pivoted to try and highlight Olympia’s Games – the 57th Hunger Games, just a year after Gabriel had won – but the damage had been done and there wasn’t enough time left allotted to get the crowd back on his side.

Funny. Marinette had never really thought about Bob and Alec balancing each other out, but that seemed very obvious now. Alec’s peppy disposition was just… too much by itself. It almost felt like old times during Bob’s interview, but not quiet. He was too angry for that. All about avenging his son even though the people that had actually caused his death were already dead. Of everyone, he seemed the most okay with going back in. Not exactly great news for Marinette. 

Olympia walked off the stage with a smile that dropped the second she wasn’t on screen anymore. Marinette wanted to say something, to walk up to her and try to offer some comfort – but she had no clue where she would even start.

Mike Rochip was up next. He seemed to be willing to play into the Capitol’s narrative well enough, with Alec choosing to highlight how he’d won his Games – the 54th Hunger Games – by electrocuting the lake and shore where a majority of the other tributes had been. It definitely sold him as a deadly mix of intellect and brawn. He’d already been built when he was eighteen in his Games and he’d just gotten bigger ever since. Marinette wondered if he’d decided to go into bodybuilding after his Games or if he just did a push-up everytime he thought about what had happened in the arena.

Some of the crowd was eating up the interview. Some were still upset. And others… seemed like they were trying to buy back into the entertainment between Mike and the mystery Nathalie had left behind.

Marinette had not expected for Nathalie and Gabriel to go that route whatsoever but when she’d glanced at Gabriel during Nathalie’s interview she just found him with a slight smirk as he drank from his champagne glass. They wanted to reveal their marriage on their terms, and Marinette could one-hundred-percent understand that considering her first serious romance had been engineered and broadcasted on live television for all to see.

Marinette morbidly wondered if Gabriel revealing he was Nathalie’s husband would bring people back into the drama or make them more angry. Maybe both. 

Before Gabriel and Marinette, though, there were still a lot of tributes to go through. 

Starting off District 4 was Luka, who clearly did not have a fashion designer who was anything like Gabriel. Gabriel understood fashion – he understood how to solicit emotions and reactions from how someone looked and how to put together magic through fabric. Luka’s stylist on the other hand seemed to hate life and had thrown this together in a drunken state right before he walked out on stage.

Luka wore a deep v-neck t-shirt that showed off more of his chest than should’ve been allowed – although the audience didn’t seem to mind – and had about fifteen various necklaces dangling around his neck. His pants looked like they were made out of canvas, and just from the sight Marinette could only imagine how uncomfortable those were to wear. They just looked so itchy . 

He handled everything as if he were wearing a million dollar suit, though. He wasn’t angry like the others. It was like… how it was so much worse when a parent was disappointed than mad. 

Luka had been a favorite from before his Games even started and then one of the most beloved Victors. His subtle judgement was probably way worse than a lot of the other Victors outright screaming. 

He had a guitar slung across his back that Alec eyed nervously, as though he wasn’t briefed that he would have it. Luka was going off whatever script they’d given the presenters.

“Luka!” Alec hid his unease with a fake smile. “It’s so good to have you back with us!”

Luka sighed. “I wish I could say the same, Alec. But after everything that’s happened…”

He took a deep, dramatic breath.

“Your sister?” Alec questioned.

Luka nodded. “This song is for her.”

He swung his guitar around and began to play a haunting melody. Alec couldn’t have stopped him if he’d tried and the audience was so captivated that the Capitol wouldn’t have risked doing anything to stop him.

“No tears,” Gabriel murmured behind Marinette, making her jump since she hadn’t realized he was that close. “Not this time. You have to play a different part now.”

Right. Right… No more scared little innocent klutzy girl. She was a Victor. She was dangerous. And she was ticked off. Luka could be the disappointed one. She was the one who’d only just won her Games and now had her whole future stolen from her. 

Focusing on those facts did help her keep dry eyes throughout the rest of Luka’s song. His song didn’t have any lyrics, it didn’t need them. The music alone was able to summarize how Luka felt about the Games. 

Getting reaped, his victory, his sister going in, her loss, and now back in for another round. Each its own phrase that stretched out and touched everyone in the room.

The broadcast actually cut back to a few reaction shots from the crowd showing many people crying and even a few who seemed more pissed off than when he’d first come out. These Games were not shaping up to be the hit the Capitol expected them to be.

How ironic would it be if the Capitol's “biggest and best Hunger Games yet” were the ones that finally caused the downfall of the Games as a whole? After all, what would be the point of running them if the Capitol citizens weren’t excited and watching them anymore?

Although as Vivica came out for her interview, Marinette began to doubt that outcome with how much the Capitol loved their drama. Vivica wasn’t advocating for the Games – definitely the exact opposite – but her method of rebellion was… less subtle.

Her time was cut two minutes short just to get her off-stage, which only happened when the music swelled loud enough to drown her out.

After a break from the Capitol’s sponsors, they returned to start off District 5 with Zoe. Alec started with a brief recap of Zoe’s winning Hunger Games: the seventy-first. 

“And of course, your reaping was always a standout!” Alec gestured to the screen as it showed the footage from Zoe’s reaping four years ago.

She wasn’t scared, she wasn’t surprised, and she held her head up high. It didn’t look like she was going to give into what they wanted from her.

Honestly, she looked a little terrifying. Marinette hadn’t had a chance to really get to know her when they’d been introduced, but she’d seemed so sweet at the time. But, like Marinette, she’d been given the intimidating makeover and outfit treatment.

Unlike Luka’s, Zoe’s stylist actually seemed to know what they were doing. Zoe had won using the Bee Miraculous, but her outfit was definitely not themed after some cute little bumblebee. She was clearly a wasp . 

Unlike all the other female tributes, Zoe wasn’t in a dress. She was in a sharp, fitted suit with all the perfect angled lines to make her seem threatening. There were even subtle accents of red in places that made her look like a more dangerous type of wasp. That was an interesting call given that the Bee Miraculous never had any red in the suits it made, but it worked . 

“Well, Alec, I can’t say I was surprised when my name was drawn,” Zoe said, a slight glint in her eye.

“She wouldn’t…” Gabriel muttered from next to Marinette.

Alec raised an eyebrow, but there was a hint of a warning on his face. “What do you mean?”

“My sister had it planned the whole time. Wasn’t much of a secret, honestly.” Zoe sounded disinterested, like it was just a casual conversation..

“A sister? Aren’t you an only child?” Alec’s voice was laced with caution, as if there was a gun pointed at his head.

Marinette supposed that his life was probably expendable to the Capitol though, so maybe there was a precedent here.

“Half-sister.” Zoe smiled slightly. “Like the President would let her real daughter be from a lowly district.”

It was enough. The crowd gasped. Marinette looked over at Gabriel, who was stifling a laugh.

“I can’t believe she’s actually going through with it…” Gabriel whispered.

“Not like she has much left to lose at this point.” Marinette shrugged.

“Zoe, are you implying that you’re related to the President?” Alec asked, almost with a hint of desperation for her to take it back.

“Biologically, sure. But she wasn’t exactly around. I mean I only found out when my lovely, amazingly kind half-sister rigged my name to come out in the reaping. No birthday presents or family visits, just saying ‘I love you’ via attempted murder, like every family, right?”

Alec clearly didn’t know how to reply to that. The audience was hanging onto her every word. No one was going to challenge it. Marinette was sure that in the morning the Capitol news programs would have Audrey’s official statement on the matter plus all the evidence they could find to link Zoe to her.

Either way the secret was out and they couldn’t do anything more to Zoe to make it worse. Killing her ahead of the Games would not only be a scandal leaving them one tribute short, but it would make it seem like Capitol security wasn’t as good as claimed, not to mention pretty much just confirm what Zoe was saying.  

Gabriel was positively grinning at Marinette’s side, and she wondered briefly if the Capitol citizens weren’t the only one getting into the drama. Even if nothing else came up, the dual reveals of Zoe being the president’s daughter and Gabriel and Nathalie were enough to really get the media going. 

At this point, Marinette understood where the citizens and Gabriel were coming from. She couldn’t wait to see if there were any other big reveals tonight too.

Chapter Text

Adrien fought the urge to bob his leg anxiously. That really didn’t give the appearance of confidence, but the closer the interviews had gotten to his father, the more difficult it was to push back not only his anxiety about the situation, but his curiosity and odd amount of excitement. 

Nathalie had done a flawless job of drawing the crowd in but giving them no actual clues about the identity of her secret husband. Adrien could hear the buzz of the whispers around him and Nino between interviews. Others were being discussed, yes – especially Zoe’s reveal about her parentage and Alix’s given that she’d straight up cursed the Capitol  – but the crowd kept coming back to Nathalie. The mystery and lack of information was clearly driving them crazy.

Adrien almost grinned. Nathalie had never even hinted at her secret husband also being a Victor, and Adrien just knew the crowd was going to lose it when that truth bomb dropped. It would be all anyone could talk about after the interviews. 

At least, that’s what Adrien assumed Nathalie and his father were building towards. He really wished they’d involved him in this plan a little more, but he trusted them. They could play the Capitol in the way his father had always tried to get him and Marinette to do. They were actually good at it. 

Adrien just wished he’d Amelie was around for once so he could see her face when the news dropped. She really thought she was in control of everything, and his dad just kept reminding her that she absolutely was not. 

Adrien swallowed, his spirits dampening yet again as he remembered how Amelie was absolutely going to throw everything she possibly could at his dad in the arena. His father was so resilient, but how could anyone actually stand a chance against that?

That went for Zoe too. Sure, they couldn’t target anything more about her at home in District 5, but Adrien was sure that the President had already instructed Amelie to make Zoe’s death in the arena as memorable and painful as possible. And if the President hadn’t, Chloe definitely would.

The fanfare started up after the break and Alec strutted back onto the stage in his horrendous golden outfit with a grin so forced that it looked painful. Adrien would have felt sorry for him having to deal with this mess if he wasn’t such a terrible person and a walking eyesore. 

“And we’re back! District 7 had some high notes, but let’s get right on into last year’s winning district. That’s right, welcome to the stage Gabriel Agreste from District 8!”

Adrien’s father walked out just as composed as ever. He was calm and ready to go. 

But actually… it was more than just his usual composure. Like several of the other tributes, there was a gleam in his eye. Like he was in control of the whole world and he knew it. 

Oh, the Capitol was not going to know what hit them. They were probably so focused on all the other disastrous interviews so far that his was about to sock them in the face completely off guard. 

The screens off to the side of the stage highlighted his statistics to the crowd.

Gabriel Agreste

Victor of the 56th Hunger Games

Wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous

Gamemaker Score: 12

“Gabriel, it’s been quite a while since you’ve been on this stage. Almost twenty years, can you believe it?”

“No, Alec, I really can’t.” His voice was monotone, like he really couldn’t care less. Which Adrien of course knew was true, but he also knew his father well enough to know that anything he did during his interview had been calculated. His father didn’t go into anything without a plan, least of all this.

Alec gestured to the screen behind them, where images of Adrien’s father’s Games appeared. “The 56th Hunger Games – for those in the audience who need a refresher – was the first appearance of an Akuma! Gabriel, tell me, what had to happen for you to fully reengineer the use of a Miraculous like that?”

“I did what I had to do in the moment, Alec. It wasn’t easy and I regret the pain that the Akumas have caused.”

Adrien saw a slight tinge of disappointment in Alec’s eyes. It was clear he was trying to highlight how his father had changed the Games forever and prop him up for that, but that was the last thing his father would want. The Akumas were one of the things he hated the most about the Games for both their cruelty and his part in popularizing them.

If there was anything Adrien had actually learned about his father’s Games, it was that even though he still hadn’t watched them himself. 

“Well regardless, they led you to victory – the second win from District 8 in history, folks!” Alec brightened up, clearly trying to keep things on the positive side – definitely something they’d chided him about during the break after Zoe and Alix’s interviews. “And let’s not forget your fabulous mentoring that resulted in the first-ever dual Victors last year!”

His father smiled slightly at that. “It was a challenge, helping Marinette and Adrien win, yes.”

“And now you’re going back in with Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Has your experience mentoring her last year impacted anything this time around?”

“Oh, I’d say it impacts everything. After everything she went through last year, just to be thrust back in…”

“Yes, but let’s talk about Adrien for a second. His name was called in the reaping and yet you volunteered to go into the Games instead. Why?”

…Wow. Adrien had heard a lot of stupid questions from interviewers lately, but that had to take the cake. And apparently his father agreed given the dead stare he gave Alec at that. 

“...He’s my son,” his father said flatly. “I trust you and the audience can figure out the implications, but for the poor children watching this to-be murder fest, I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to spell it out. Had Adrien gone into the arena, I would’ve ended up losing the three people I care about the most.”

Alec’s face scrunched in confusion. “Three?”

“Well, Marinette, Adrien, and of course also my wife.” 

The auditorium fell so silent that Adrien was sure his breathing could be heard across the room. His father had said it so casually too, like he was reciting the weather and not dropping a major reveal. Adrien found it hard not to laugh based purely on the image of Amelie’s face backstage. Not to mention the mental image he had of Marinette trying not to laugh. 

“Your… wife?” Alec questioned, seeming at a bit of a loss despite all his attempts to stay on top of things. He let out a little awkward laugh. “Ah, as we all know, Gabriel, your wife didn’t quite make it to the finish line of her Games! Unless you’re talking about losing her before, of course! Little slip of the tongue there?”

“Oh, no, I said what I intended,” his father continued on in the same casual tone. “She was out here earlier.”

Adrien stifled a laugh yet again. His father looked somewhat insane but knowing where it was going just made it all the better.

“Out… here? Ah…” Alec leaned back in his chair cautiously, looking like he was prepared to make an escape at any second. “Emilie’s been dead for over a decade, Gabriel…”

“I’m all too aware of Emilie’s fate, Alec, but thank you for the reminder,” his father said, his tone even flatter than before, if possible. “She will always hold a place in my heart, but, as you noted, it’s been quite some time, and I eventually moved on with someone I know she’d approve of. They were friends, after all. And I must agree that your description of her earlier this evening was quite apt, Alec. Nathalie is indeed elegant.”

And that was the moment that Alec’s jaw dropped to the floor as he mumbled out a sequence of incoherent syllables as he tried to process his words. If he had said anything, though, it wouldn’t have been audible anyway with the way the crowd exploded. 

Adrien leaned back in his chair, not even having to fake his confidence as he sat in complete relaxation despite the chaos around. Beside him, Nino laughed hysterically. 

Adrien let his body language speak for himself as he sipped on his drink. 

Yeah, I knew. And? was exactly the message he was sending. 

Alec was still blubbering. “That… Uh… Well. That’s quite the revelation there, Gabriel! You and… Nathalie. The woman that… That…”

“That my first wife died to save?” His father filled in with an arched eyebrow. “Yes, that was a bit of an awkward topic when we first met, I’ll admit.” 

“But… but how long? And where? And…”

“I believe we’re coming up on eleven years now.” His father nodded. 

“I… And why go public now? ” Alec asked.

His father took a second to breathe – which was definitely more for show than actually needed – letting the audience take in everything he was about to say. “Well, we’ve always enjoyed our privacy, but with both of us going into the arena, it wasn’t worth hiding any longer. We didn’t want to spend the rest of our time together pretending as if we didn’t care for one another.”

Alec nodded, seeming to grasp for some amount of control back. “I see, I see! A little time together is better than no time?”

Adrien’s father sighed. “That’s what I would think too, Alec. If it wasn’t for the baby.”

Adrien barely had time to think before the crowd started roaring again. Cries of outrage, injustice, just how horrific all of this could possibly be… His father had lit a bomb – one that all the Victors already had been building towards. The Capitol would have to pay for this.

And Nathalie… she was pregnant? 

Adrien didn’t know how to even start to process that. Was that for real, or just his dad helping fan the flames a little more? 

The crowd was screaming like animals, an uninterrupted noise that refused to end until they were all heard. The cameras showed a shot of Nathalie from backstage, standing quietly by herself. She too was composed but a single tear ran down her cheek as she placed a hand over her stomach, betraying her true emotion – or at least the one she wanted the crowd to see.

Adrien knew that his father and Nathalie were going to play that Capitol audience to their advantage but this? This was a different level.

Alec was talking but nothing he said could be heard over the unending shrieks of the audience. Only when the Capitol anthem began blaring – amped up so loud that Adrien could feel it in his very bones – did anything change. Adrien’s father simply nodded to Alec as he stood from his chair and began to take his leave to return backstage. He paused, though, facing the crowd to give a last bow. 

And that was when his deep purple suit changed. A shimmer of gold rushed over his whole outfit, and the fabric shifted. Iridescent shades of blue began to mingle with the purple, leaving the entire suit shimmering. The shape of his coat seemed to change too, growing in length to end at his knees with a peacock-like golden trim along the edges. 

Gasps from the crowd mingled with their constant shouts. His father’s designs always managed to be jaw-dropping even when people were enraged, it seemed.

His father turned to head backstage, giving one last piece of the outfit for the audience to see: on his back in golden trim was the design of Adrien’s peacock pin.

The crowd's roars did not dull. If anything, they grew in a mix of support and increasing anger. This was an outrage, something that could not have possibly happened. But it was happening. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Gabriel grabbed his handkerchief out of his pocket the second he was backstage to wipe away the sweat on his brow. It had gone better than he could’ve possibly hoped. The crowd had played right into his hand, and now his marriage was public. He could be with Nathalie and there was nothing the Capitol could do to them anymore.

He found her outside the green room and quickly embraced her with a long kiss. People were watching and for the first time ever he couldn’t care less. Gabriel just wanted his wife.

They broke for breath and he smiled at her. “Good job on your interview. You set everything up splendidly. ”

There was something in Nathalie’s eyes though. A hint of shock. Gabriel pulled her a little further down the hall so they were alone. Or at least out of earshot. He had no doubt that there were Peacekeepers still close.

“Apologies for the baby matter,” he whispered. Gabriel knew it would be exactly what the audience would need to truly push this over the edge. Yes, the fact that he and Nathalie had had to hide their marriage for so long cast more than enough blame on the Capitol, but a child? That changed everything.

Nathalie looked up at him and took a shaky breath as she clasped her hands over her stomach. “How did you know?”

Chapter Text

Gabriel was frozen in place.

Surely he was misunderstanding her meaning? Surely it was the stress and buzz all around him lately that was causing his mind not function at its best?

But… no. Her words were simple. And not just her words, but the placement of her hands over her stomach, which… had been concealed by various flowy garments ever since they’d arrived.

Hell… He even remembered noting when they’d first arrived that her current style was a change from the sleek, form-fitted outfits her stylist usually favored.

It wouldn’t have been a difficult matter to hide. Not with Capitol fashion options. Obviously children weren’t the most valued here. The women here no doubt wanted their clothes to keep them looking as thin and perfect as ever. There were probably whole lines of fashion out there designed to keep pregnancies unnoticeable, Gabriel had just never particularly dabbled in that part of the industry. 

Whatever the way, though, the facts remained. He had not misunderstood her words at all. He knew exactly what she meant. 

He had roughly a million questions, which all came spilling out of his mouth as soon as the disparate parts of his mind came back together.

“What? When? How?”

“You didn’t know?” Nathalie asked, a double take visibly crossing her face.

Gabriel could barely do more than shake his head. The pieces started coming together though. 

What were the odds of his lie to manipulate the crowds actually being accurate without his knowledge?

“How long have you known?” Gabriel whispered. They rarely ever had any true time together. 

“A while,” Nathalie admitted. “That night on the Victory Tour… we got…”

“I remember.” Gabriel nodded. Because of course. When else could it have been? Six months ago and yet it still felt like yesterday.

Six. Months. Oh, those Capitol clothes weren’t merely disguising – they were working overtime with some sort of tech to be able to keep things this unnoticeable. He would have noticed immediately were she wearing normal clothing, he was sure.  

He didn’t have to ask why she didn’t tell him, it was no secret that their phones were bugged – especially after the Quell announcement. The Capitol would’ve been watching them like hawks from that day all the way through the training rooms.

She’d almost told him before, he realized. He’d known something was off with her during their hushed conversations in passing. But telling him then would have been risky. Peacekeepers all about, them trying to pretend they meant nothing to each other… It was no wonder she hadn’t broken the news to him then where he wouldn’t have been able to embrace her or even react without drawing attention. 

He just wished he’d known sooner.

“I can’t believe…” he started before Nathalie placed a hand on his cheek. Because she could do that now. There was nothing here forcing him to stifle his affection. 

“It’ll be okay, Gabriel.”

“How?” he asked. His wife was pregnant and was about to go into a murder arena tomorrow morning. And not just any murder arena, but one where they were certain to be the prime targets of the woman in charge. There was so little change of this ending well, even if the plan–

“Because this doesn’t change anything,” she said firmly. “Not in the grand scheme. Our strategies won’t change.” 

“How are you even going to function?” he found himself blurting out. Yes, it had been a long while since he’d observed the process with Emilie, but for her to fight in her condition…

Nathalie rolled her eyes, and Gabriel felt bad for a moment before he realized it wasn’t aimed at him. “They want a good show. They’ll make sure I can give it to them, whether it’s the specialized clothing or medication before I’m first sent it.”

Right… Because giving her a fighting chance out of kindness certainly wasn’t the reason. It was all about what entertainment she could provide. 

“ ...welcome last year’s Victor… the Game’s luckiest lady: Marinette Dupain-Cheng! ”  

Gabriel tore his gaze from Nathalie to find one of the various screens that showed the stage. Right. He’d left Marinette with that act to follow now that the crowd had finally settled back down enough for the interviews to continue. 

🐞🦋🐈‍⬛ 🦚

Marinette’s heart was beating out of her chest. She had to follow that ? Even her Adrien bomb from last year was nothing compared to what Gabriel had just done. Sure, she was pretty sure he was lying to try and manipulate the Capitol audiences, but she could never be truly sure with him. Gabriel was always a bit of a wildcard, and he sure liked his secrets when they were useful.

“Marinette! It’s truly a pleasure to have you back on this stage!” Alec said cheerfully. He still looked panicky and ready to bolt at any second. The borderline riot from the crowd a few minutes ago probably wasn’t doing great things for Alec’s headspace, but he was trying to march Marinette to her death so it was hard to feel sympathy for him. She wondered if any of this mess would be blamed on him. It wasn’t his fault the tributes and crowd were causing all this, but no one smart ever said the Capitol placed blame fairly. He was probably only still here now since they’d recently already lost Bob and people actually liked seeing them year after year. For… some reason.

“Yeah uh, me too…” Marinette said, taking her seat thankfully without tripping. She was trying to project the confident, could-easily-kill-you persona that she and Gabriel had discussed, but she was so rattled that that was definitely not happening at the moment. She needed to focus. She couldn’t follow up Gabriel’s interview with a disaster. 

Alec’s eyes flitted around, and Marinette could see the sweat collecting on his temples even from her few feet away. Much more of that and his wig was probably going to slide off. “So! You know I just have to ask: did you know about Gabriel’s announcement? You’ve always seemed pretty close with your mentor, after all! Most of us here at the Capitol had money on him being your father-in-law in a few years!”

Seriously? It was like he liked rubbing in things they never get to experience. 

“I didn’t…” Marinette said through gritted teeth, her anger making it easier to play that lethal role she was supposed to be doing. “It’s quite a shock.”

“Oh come on! You can give us more than that! What’s your true thoughts?”

“Well, it looks like I’m getting another historical Games.” Marinette let the sarcasm drip off her tone. “First one with two Victors, and now the Capitol accidentally sending in the first ever 25th tribute.”

…Was that too much? Had she just stuck her foot in her mouth again? Everyone else was being salty with the Capitol tonight, so it seemed only right that she point out their mistakes too. Especially the ones they were embarrassed about. 

The audience laughed, although she caught more than a few glares as well. Some of them were tense after the reveal Gabriel had given. Marinette almost envied the earlier districts that got to avoid this.

Alec looked absolutely terrified at Marinette’s words. “Let’s talk about your dress! Did Gabriel design it?”

What a subtle topic shift. He really was losing his touch. 

“He did, yeah.” Marinette nodded. “Well, actually, we worked on it together.”

“It looks great.” Alec smiled at her. “You’re clearly as talented as him.”

Marinette wasn’t naive – or at least not as much as she used to be. She saw that Alec was trying to steer them away from everything controversial that had already happened tonight with a mundane fashion conversation instead. But if this was the last of Marinette that her parents were going to see of her on their screens before the Games began, she was determined to make it count. 

She steeled her face, trying to appear stoic like she’d practiced – like some of the other tributes had been. She was already doing a pretty good job but she would really have to nail it home.

“I’ve spent the last six months training for more than just making pretty dresses,” Marinette said. “Last year I went into the Hunger Games as an unprepared kid who’d volunteered to save her best friend’s life. I was scared, I knew absolutely nothing but I was trying my best anyway. That’s not who I am anymore.”

“Then who are you?” Alec asked.

“I’m a Victor. Just like the rest of the tributes here tonight.” She forced a smirk. “Only I haven’t been living carefree for years. I didn’t get to enjoy that Capitol promise. An unfortunate sequence of luck for me, I guess.” 

“I suppose Lucky Charms can only get you so far, yeah?” Alec smirked. She was sure he felt really proud of himself for jumping on that line. 

“I don’t think I’ll have to rely on the Capitol or luck for much longer.” Marinette crossed her arms. “This time I have the skills and allies I need to win.”

“So confident!” Alec crowed. “That sure is a change from the version of you we thought we’d gotten to know over the last year!” 

“Well Alec…” Marinette smirked. “We all know kids go into the games, but they don’t come out.” 

The crowd cooed and gasped at her words, and Marinette fought the urge to punch the air. She was really proud of that line. She hoped Gabriel was too. Everyone else was laying out all the good drama. She needed something to stand out too, and she was pretty sure she’d just found it. 

Alec stuttered again, so that was another pretty good sign she was doing well. “M-most of them, no! That is the point of the Games, after all–”

“No.” Marinette stopped him so he couldn’t try to play off her actual meaning. Most of the crowd already got it anyway, but she was going to double down so the Capitol couldn’t try to play off her words as meaning something else. “ No children come out of the Games. The Victors are well past that if they made it that far.” 

“Well, biologically–”