Chapter Text
Light Yagami stood calmly with his year mates as the reaping continued, easily tuning out the boring speech. He was seventeen. He'd already heard it five times. This would be the last time he'd have to go through this bullshit. It was unlikely he would be picked, and he didn't have to try to put on a confident face for Sayu, who he caught watching him nervously.
Both their names were only in there once. Their family did not struggle for food, not with their father as one of the higher ups in the peacekeeper ranks. Not in District 2.
If she were his little brother he'd volunteer for her in a heartbeat. As it was, he made sure there was always a girl ready to volunteer should an…unworthy individual happen to be picked to represent their home. If he just so happened to paint his younger sister as one of them at his prep school, where he was number one ranked, then them choosing to participate in the games was not his fault.
It was, after all, an honor to die in the name of peace.
Just not an honor he was interested in having. Number one ranked or not.
No one could be certain of victory in the games. He was sure he could earn sponsors, that he would be entertaining enough that the public would be outraged should he die by any means other than another's hand…no, he knew himself well. He had kept the dark side of him hidden for his entire life.
He was the light of district 2. He would join the peacekeepers and lead Panem into a brighter future.
He was everything he was expected to be and more. He would not risk his perfectly crafted mask to the insanity of the games. Victors were never allowed to pursue real careers once they won. They turned to means of escape. Alcohol, sex, drugs, whatever it took to survive being paraded around the country as an idol. He was not like the idiots closer to the capitol.
He saw things for what they truly were, not for how he was told to perceive them.
That didn't stop him from saying what they wanted to hear, but in his heart, he hated all of them. They glorified murder. They talked nonsense as they laughed over children killing each other. It was a good thing he had learned to control his emotions early, or he feared what he would have brought upon himself.
As much as he loathed the way society was, he was powerless to change it.
What chance did him rebelling have of changing anything in District 2? What would happen to his father, a peacekeeper, a blind supporter of the law, should he take any action the President disliked? What would happen to his mother, his sister?
No, rebelling was for those who didn't have anything left to lose but their lives.
They lived in a society ruled by fear, that fear reinforced annually through the games.
Perhaps this was the only form of peace humanity could have?
All records of civilization before Panem had not survived the wars that had created their current government. He had seen in the games and through his father's work the dark side of human nature. There were scum, and it was only though a show of force that the scum didn't drag the rest of humanity down with them.
It was uncertain what a successful rebellion would replace the current government with anyways, and he was not one to take leaps of faith. Better to stick with what they had than accidentally create something worse.
"Light Yagami!"
He blinked, but plastered on a confident smile. His name being called was unexpected and unwanted. He forced his body to move as his mind calmed itself. The game began as soon as his name was called. The camera footage of him walking to the stage would be aired in the upcoming days, the first glance the sponsors would have at him, though many already knew of him.
They had thought he might volunteer the last few years after all.
"Light!" He heard his sister scream, and he stopped.
It wouldn't be out of character for him to comfort her, and it would garner sympathy.
The peacekeeper hesitated to touch him as he turned around, "You need to go to the stage, Mr. Yagami."
"In a minute." He walked to where his sister was breaking free of the crowd, sending a look at the other peacekeepers that made them freeze. Good. Let everyone realize he was someone they needed to respect. It would make it easier to cement his spot in the Career pack, for however long they might be useful to him. If they were useful at all.
He picked his sister up in a tight hug, a subtle display of strength, both of purpose and body. A person with someone to fight for was always stronger than those who gave in to despair. He could feel her tears wetting his shirt, "I'm going to come home, Sayu." He said in a reassuring voice, just loud enough to be picked up by the microphones that were everywhere.
"You better." She sniffled, "Otherwise…otherwise I'm gonna kick your butt."
He didn't bother pointing out the logical fallacies of such a statement, but he chuckled, kissing the top of her head, "Watch out for Mom and Dad for me, okay?"
"Just until you come back." She reluctantly let go, looking up into his eyes, "You can do this, big bro!"
"I will." He let his own eyes get watery, "I promise."
He turned away, letting a little of his internal anguish show. He was confident in his abilities, but who knew what the gamemaker was thinking this year? There were the occasional years where they deliberately targeted the Career group, wanting to make the game more 'fair' to those in the outer districts. Appeasement years. If he was unlucky enough to end up in one…
No, he could adapt. He could make it alone if need be, and from the amount of crying girls around him, he could seduce a competitor, or a sponsor, to get what he wanted.
If he played his cards right, it was unlikely he would have to get his own hands dirty, that he could get through this and still be himself.
He was the light of District 2.
His people were the ones that filled their ranks, they were the ones raised near weapons, born to be fighters. He had the advantage in training, in charms, even in connections. His father would be devastated should he die, and he knew plenty of wealthy people who respected him. The only ones that posed a threat to him were the two from District 1, and 4 should it be an arena where swimmers had an advantage.
Before he could be ushered away into the building, he turned and offered the people a proper peacekeeper salute.
It was promptly returned by everyone.
"I'm glad you were chosen." Kiyomi Takada informed him as they walked down the hall together. He raised his eyebrows and she blushed, "I'm sorry. That came out wrong. I only meant that you will perform admirably."
"The better we fight, the more honor we bring to our home." He replied, reaching out to touch her shoulder. He'd known her for most of his schooling, she definitely was one of his fangirls even if she managed to stay politely quiet about it, "You are going to be a worthy adversary."
"Or ally." She smiled teasingly.
"Or ally." He agreed.
They were soon separated, giving him time to think again. Kiyomi was much like himself, which could be dangerous. So long as she believed his affection for her was genuine, she wouldn't betray him. He just had to make sure no one put doubt into her mind. He stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't make any plans until he saw the competition and the arena itself.
He didn't support the games, not in his heart. He was disgusted at the thought of having to kill someone innocent. Criminals, sure, he was training to be a peacekeeper after all, but kids younger than him? Kids Sayu's age? Children that were innocent?
Though again, wasn't that the point? That anyone could die in this country, regardless of whether or not they were good? That their children could be taken from them and fashioned to die…that inspired more fear than mass capital punishment could.
It worked.
But if he won…that would give him power. That would make him untouchable.
He wouldn't be able to win without killing. He could try to avoid it, but he was from District 2. No gamemaker would let him get by without forcing him to stain his hands with innocent blood.
Was he willing to murder so that he could win? So that he could become an idol in this country? Basically a god? Was it even murder if it wasn't against the law? The games were sanctioned sacrifice. Nothing was against the rules in them.
The door opened, and he put those thoughts aside for later.
Winning would cost him his soul, but was it worth it if he could actually do something meaningful afterwards?
***********************************************
"It's Reaping Day." Near informed them unenthusiastically.
L glanced at him in the mirror, then continued to wash the oil off his hands. It would be his final one, and he wondered if his luck would hold out. Their family wasn't exactly poor, not with Mr. Wammy's inventions being an essential part of the transportation industry, but he didn't seem to understand how expensive every mouth he took in was.
That was why his name was in the reaping so many times.
That was why it was a miracle he'd never been chosen as tribute.
This was his last year, and then the responsibility of bringing in the extra food would be divided between Mello, Matt, and Near. He secretly hoped that if one had to be chosen, it would be the blond, because he honestly didn't need the excuse of the games to murder people, but he worried nonetheless for the upcoming years. He put on a clean shirt and tried to look presentable.
Not that he cared about presentation.
District 6 had its fair share of winners, but it was an often overlooked district. Most people travelled by train unless they were peacekeepers or from close to the capitol. For the peacekeepers vehicles they were barely allowed to do more than make the basic vehicle, all weaponry was added in District 2. It made for a very frustrating lack of supplies needed to rebel.
Was he planning a rebellion?
Certainly. He and Matt had spent the last few years building a computer that would put them in contact with District 13 without alerting the authorities. Since Wammy had so many inventions lying around, the peacekeepers hardly noticed it. The computer was a long way away from being able to hack into anything important, but he had hope.
What the government was doing was wrong. What their society had been led to believe was abhorrent. There was no entertainment to be found in watching children kill each other, there was no true peace that could be achieved through fear.
Not all power should be centered on one man.
If he had his way, he would overthrow the President and reinstate a democracy.
Yet his way would take a long time, and for now his movements were restricted to his District. The main issue they had was the lack of communication. Many people also hated the way they were living, but they kept it to themselves. They were too afraid of being alone in their thoughts to dare act on them. If he could start a conversation without it leading to death…
Then he could spark a rebellion.
"Do you think you'll be picked?" Matt asked as he cleaned his face with a towel.
"I haven't so far." L shrugged, "And you know what to do if I am."
Just as the government shouldn't be dependent on one man, neither should his plan.
He could not say that he would perform well in the games. Even if it was his life on the line he would not kill for their entertainment, he would not grovel for their sponsorship. That put him at a severe disadvantage when faced with opponents from wealthier districts. He couldn't think of the last time that someone had won the games without resorting to murder…
He thoughts drifted to B. The boy who would have been his replacement should he have been chosen. It was two years since his Backup had been reaped, two years since he watched his descent into insanity. He violently killed three of the other children, carved up their bodies after they died as a deliberate challenge to the capitol.
He'd caused a small spark, but it hadn't caught.
For that, the gamemakers killed him.
The winner had to be someone the country could idolize afterwards.
It couldn't be someone like Beyond. It couldn't be someone everyone could tell would continue to kill once the games were over.
It wouldn't be someone like him either.
In all likelihood, he would anger someone during the days leading up to the arena and die at the cornucopia.
That was all if he was picked.
"You better not die." Mello scowled as he fixed Matt's collar. They didn't go out of their way to please the government, but they didn't want to draw attention to themselves yet.
"I don't intend to." He said blankly as he reluctantly pulled his shoes on.
"The probability of your name being pulled-" He held up a hand to stop Near's accurate calculations.
"If my name is pulled, it's pulled." It was a risk, but something they had no control over. It was more important for those in their house live to see the next year than his life, "Everyone dies eventually."
"But you shouldn't die like this." Mello growled.
L paused slightly. The boys had always showed that they cared about him more than he thought they should. He had never tried to be an older brother to them. If anything, he was their mentor and they were his insurance that even if he died, by the games or the peacekeepers, that what he stood for wouldn't fade to nothing. Emotional attachment in that situation…
Perhaps it was just him.
He had been alone for a long time, and even with A and B closer in age to him he'd never gotten attached. He'd never considered them friends. He avoided being too close to the younger trio after what happened to the duo. Adam couldn't handle the pressure and took his death into his own hands and Beyond lost his mind as well.
Overall, not a good track record for those that got close to him.
He shook his head as they piled into the car and he drove them to the reaping. In the end, the cause mattered more than the people fighting for it. They would all give their lives without hesitation if it was necessary.
The ceremony passed as it always did, with the fear so poignant no one dared mourn for the unfortunate girl chosen. It wasn't someone he recognized.
He waited to hear his name, but it didn't come.
"Mail Jeevas."
That was Matt's real name, the name he was born with. Not the name he'd chosen to go under when they started their illegal (but morally superior) activities. That way, even if communications were intercepted, they could remain anonymous.
"I volunteer." He stepped forward immediately.
Matt was the one who understood the computer better, he was the one with better odds of hacking into something important. Not to mention Mello would be uncontrollable should he die. He didn't think Matt would be able to win. They were all trained to survive in a fight, but his area of interest had always been technology, and that was always lacking in the arena.
No, he may not view them in the same light they viewed him, but they were important to the mission. The three of them could go further than he could alone, and maybe they'd be inspired to fight harder if he died.
When he died was more realistic.
"No!" He heard Mello shout, breaking the tense silence.
He didn't turn back as he took to the stage. From here on, he was part of the game. A game where any misstep could lead to his death. He had to look strong, and that meant not allowing children to cling to him. The peacekeepers wouldn't allow it anyways. It was supposed to be an honor to participate in the games, people from wealthier districts volunteered for it.
He had been comfortable hiding behind a fake name, hiding behind a screen, as he went against the government. They had forced him to take action in person. Those who were defiant didn't last long in the games.
But they had never met him.
He wondered what he would come up with to infuriate the President.
He smiled slightly as he looked directly into the camera. He wasn't afraid to die. If they thought Beyond was bad, they truly were out of their depths with him. Whether that promised a quicker death or garnered him support…no, it didn't matter.
The games were watched by everyone. If he could create a big enough event that the cameras had no choice but to film him…then he could air a message to all the citizens of Panem.
He could work this to his advantage.
He sat as he usually did on the couch while he waited for his last visitors. He wouldn't kill for their entertainment, but he wouldn't survive if he didn't kill in self-defence. It was murder either way. The taking of a life was evil, regardless of the justification. He knew he should prepare himself to take them, there was no way his rebellion would be bloodless, but…
He wouldn't kill for them. He wouldn't kill for the Capitol.
If he could take out the Careers, show the other districts that simply because they were thought of as lesser didn't make them lesser…
The door opened, and he put those thoughts aside for later. He had a week until the games began.
In a month, it was likely he'd be dead.
He'd do all he could for his cause before then.