PREY.
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After winning the Sixty-Ninth Hunger Games, the thing Ansel Watts dreaded most every year was having to mentor tributes of his own. Kids, the same age as him or younger, would be forced into to an arena to either be slaughtered like cattle or kill their own peers barbarically. Ansel hated getting close to the tributes and beginning to care about the teenagers as individuals - only for them to be mercilessly killed a few days later. For the next three years Ansel would never have a winning tribute - until Joaquin Anderson.

Joaquin Anderson was fifteen years old when he won the 73rd Hunger Games. He liked to boast to Ansel about the fact that he had won his own games when he was a year younger than his mentor. Ansel sometimes wished the boy hadn't had made it out of that arena - but that was too cruel a thing to wish on even your worst enemy.

The hardest thing for Ansel to do with a winning tribute, was to go on another Victory Tour. His own was still burned into the back of his mind and he hated seeing the faces of the family of those that had died - some he had even killed with his own two hands. Joaquin, however, was all too eager to show off how much of a ‘killer’ he was and bared his teeth at those who passed him by for the fun of it. Ansel refrained from mentioning that Joaquin had been the most weak minded and scared person when he arrived from just being reaped. But he understood how the Hunger Games could change you in more ways than anyone could even comprehend, unless you had gone through it yourself.

The one light in the tunnel of death and sadness and parents weeping as Joaquin boasted about how he had killed their children - was Finnick Odair. The boy from District Four was only a few years older than Ansel, and had won the 65th Hunger Games at only fourteen years old - the youngest in history. Ansel had remembered watching Finnick's games but as he had been only eleven at the time, he couldn't quite grasp the concept that the other boy was actually killing tributes as Ansel simply thought he looked cool swinging around a trident.

Finnick was tall, much taller than Ansel by at least a few inches, he was athletic and chiseled with beautiful tanned skin. His hair gleamed bronze in the light but was most mesmerizing about him were his sea-green eyes. Finnick was just as gorgeous in his personality as he was looks-wise. The boy was charming, talented, witty, kind and so much more. Ansel and him immediately hit it off and became fast friends. The two went together so perfectly, both similar enough to get along but also different enough to keep things interesting. For a brief moment, things had been perfect.

Yet of course things could not be perfect forever in Panem as it didn't take long for Ansel to hear word that Finnick had had many partners in his time in the Capitol. Now, the boy didn't mind whatsoever, he wasn't jealous, he simply cared about his new friend. He had picked up that Finnick was the long lasting relationship type of person so he didn't see why the boy went around with many different Capitolites. Ansel never believed the rumours that Finnick did so due to the showering of gifts and praise he received, he knew there had to be another reason. Finnick later confided in his friend that President Snow had forced him into prostitution and Ansel had been horrified at the mention. The Hunger Games was one thing, that had been going on for so long and it wasn't like President Snow had actually created them - he simply enforced them. Yet, to force Victor's (who have already been through enough trauma to last several lifetimes) to sell their body against their will - Ansel had never hated someone more in his entire life.

Over the next two years, Ansel and Finnick kept in close contact through letters, as well as seeing each other at Capitol parties. Ansel never wanted to attend the events as the loads of people and crowded spaces brought back his past trauma, however, he always pushed on and forced himself to, to see Finnick. Anything was worth getting to see that dimpled smile.

But when the 3rd Quarter Quell had been announced, Ansel's first emotions were shock, anger and worry. He was shocked that the Capitol would betray them so much as it was always said that when you won the games, you would never have to step foot into the arena again. He was angry for the similar reasons and this simply added fuel to the fire of hate Ansel had burning inside of him for their President. And then he was worried, not just himself as he would be okay with going into the arena once more - as he believed that if he died it would have been his time. But he was worried for his friends, specifically Finnick. Ansel knew that Finnick could handle himself well enough yet still, the boy wished he could be with his friend in person to support him.

When Finnick Odair was reaped for the second time in his life, Ansel Watts had made up his mind: he was going to volunteer for the 75th Hunger Games and go back into the arena once more.

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AUTHORS NOTE (ANGIE) : so heres just a little intro into the story, ansel,  and his and finnicks friendship. Comment down any predictions you have about the story and I'm so excited for you guys to read the rest of the story and katherine and I hope you'll enjoy :)