The Fiction Games

Chapter Five - Lives on the Line

The black television deemed nervous conversations, if they weren't as quick-witted as Selina Kyle. She studied Bruce Wayne, eccentric billionare by day, nocturnal vigilante by night, staring at the screen, sipping his second glass of wine.

"Do I amuse you?" he asked, his eyes never wandering from the void.

Selina grinned. "Afraid they grew tired of your gadgetry, Batman?"

That name flashed in his eyes and quickly extinguished. "What?" Selina said. "You couldn't keep your secret from anyone. Here you might as well wear that suit, you're more popular with it on."

"Oh, my performance was spectacular," Bruce said matter-of-factly. "I'm worried of yours, Ms. Kyle. Kiss the Gamemakers, I'm sure."

"Charm only gets you so far, even with you, Mr. Wayne," she purred.

His butler burst out of the kitchen with a new bottle of wine. "Thought it would ease your minds, though not enough so you forget where we are."

"I think he's had his full, Alfred," Selina hissed. "One more glass and he won't make it to the rooftop."

"That's the thing Ms. Kyle," retorted Alfred, "I don't think you two should go to the rooftop tonight, get some rest before the interviews."

"We're making an alliance, Alfred," Bruce repeated.

Alfred sighed, "That's what you said before, but you need to think. That man can turn into the green monster, three times the size of Bane, and Bane had enough strength to sever your spine. Imagine what this man is capable of. You may not even have your suit to stop him if he can't control his power."

The television screen ignited. They dropped what they were doing and jumped on the horseshoe-shaped couch.

Cassius Offerman swallowed the entire screen with his glittering smile. "Hello, people of Narnia, this is your number one host for this year's Game of the Universes, Cassius Offerman. Tomorrow I will get close with all of these remarkable tributes, but tonight is their scores tallied by the Gamemakers. Scores were judged by their talent and skill. Tributes will receive a score of one to twelve, twelve being the highest. Starting with District Marvel..."

Bruce and Selina were not surprised. 10 for the redhead woman and 12 for the green monster. District Gotham followed, bringing an 8 for Selina and 9 for Bruce. They were too tense to throw remarks at their lower scores. The only ones who reached as high as them were the boy with blue tattoos and the stick-dueling duo from District Hogwarts.

"For Katniss Everdeen, District Panem, the Gamemakers gave her an overall 7. That concludes our scores for our twenty-four tributes. Stay tuned tomorrow for their interviews with yours truly. I'm Cassius Offerman. Good night!" 

The screen faded to black.

Bruce Wayne shot up. "Alright, Ms. Kyle. Shall we go?"

Selina rose elegantly. "I thought you'd never ask."

Alfred stopped them by the elevator, "Sir, remember who these people are. He's the only man to get a twelve."

"That makes him valuable," Bruce and Selina stepped inside and pushed all the way to the roof.

Once the doors close, Alfred called, "That make him dangerous."

They seemed to be the last couple to enter the rooftop. An exotic garden of thick foliage gave way to the secret meeting of six tributes. The man, who calls his counterpart "Hulk," greeted Bruce as an old friend. 

'Welcome, so glad of you to join us," Hulk said. Selina and Bruce merged in the circle of tributes. "As I was saying, this Game we're playing will not end well for any of us. People want to see us battle to the death, but why should we? Why should we kill each other for their entertainment? Easily, we are the strongest suit, so it's only logical if we form an alliance. Together, the eight of us can survive in the arena as long as possible, so none of us has to die. Whatever they throw at us, we'll be able to withstand it." 

"If you want all of us to survive, then why didn't you invite the rest of the tributes?" Luke said.

The Hulk searched for a diplomatic answer. "Some tributes wish to go solo, and I can't blame them. I wouldn't trust someone who can change into a monster when he gets angry, but thank you for taking the risk."

Bruce found his pockets. Two vampires, siblings from space, and mutants as allies...

"What about the others?" the sulky, pale teenager mumbled. "What do we do with them?"

The Hulk shrugged, "Simple. Join us, or die."

Plants rustled in the grove, just beyond their circle. Dead silence. 

"They're watching us," Black Widow said. She mouthed, Gamemakers. The Hulk glanced at the six of them, bid them a silent farewell, and adjourned the meeting. Stumbling inside a single elevator, the rooftop was abandoned in a matter of seconds. 

After moments of frozen movements, Katniss and Peeta revealed themselves in the open space. 

"No one should know of this place," Peeta said. "Why didn't they stay in their rooms to watch their scores?"

"We didn't," Katniss said. "But I think we've found our Careers."