The masks' hands are rough as they practically shove her through the first door on the right in the slick, metal hallway. Picking up her head after catching her balance and shooting the masks a nasty look the moment their backs turn, Hye-jin examines the room cautiously.

It reminds her of dressing rooms she remembers seeing in old movies. Ridiculously large, yellow lights around a wide mirror vanity, decorated in simple colors, and with an ambiance that almost makes her feel like she's about to star in a musical. Almost.

Hye-jin wanders around the room, examining the makeup and hair accessories on the vanity and the clothes on the racks until she finds a slim black athletic fit that looks like a uniform, and with her name attached to a tag on the hanger, she realizes that that's exactly what it is. Her uniform.

She swallows forcefully, shoving the bile that rises in her throat back down to the empty pit in her stomach. Hye-jin changes into the black clothes, resigning to at least play along. She can do this.

"Play the part until the time comes when you never have to play it again."

Her eyes turn back to the rack of clothes she found her uniform on, glancing over it until she sees a tag just like the one that came with her own. Hye-jin pulls it from the rack, examining the dark green outfit to determine whether or not it's the same. Seeing that it is, and seeing the name on the tag, Hye-jin tries to trick herself into believing that everyone is going to have an equal playing field. Lies, lies, lies.

The uniform of the person destined to join her in the dressing room is not other than Laverna Srinivasan — the daughter of a previous winner and someone who has too much pull in the games as it is.

The bundle of nerves sitting in the pit of her stomach twist and turn, like a snake disturbed from a long sleep. Hye-jin is desperately trying to make herself remember all the words her father ever told her. "You're ready. You can do this. You know exactly what to do to win." Her breath comes in short little gasps, questions running rampant in her mind.

Where is she?

Where are the others?

When do the games start?

Her questions will be answered soon, so instead of spiraling into her concerns, she tries to relax and simply take in her surroundings. Every few minutes she can hear people going through the hallway. Most of the time it is silent except for the heavy footsteps of the masks taking the next child to a room. But every so often, Hye-jin would hear soft crying or talking from the other kids being taken into the rooms. Begging, pleading for answers to any question that might come to them as their fate is settled into stone.

Because no matter what — they are all going into the Puzzler; and who the hell knows if they'll all get out alive?

The door to her room opens and Hye-jin freezes, calculating eyes watching the door through the mirror of the vanity she sits at as the masks open it and lead another girl into the room.

Laverna Srinivasan walks into the room as though she owns it. The masks' hands haven't touched her, merely ghosting around her as she confidently takes her place.

Hye-jin watches as the older girl examines the room before turning toward her.

"Hello, I'm Laverna. Laverna Srinivasan."

"Hye-jin Hak."

Hye-jin's hand meets Laverna's open one, shaking it once before dropping it quickly. Laverna's eyes drag over the younger girl, picking apart every single thing that she can see just from looking at Hye-jin.

"Did you see one of those uniforms for me?"

"Yeah, I put it on the couch."

"Thanks, sweetie."

Hye-jin's eyes don't leave Laverna's figure as she makes her way to the couch where the green uniform lays. There's something incredibly unsettling about her. The softness of her words drips with honey. How casual she acts, how relaxed she appears. The way that the masks seemed to be guided by her rather than guiding her.

All of her father's teachings rush through Hye-jin's ears until she recalls the one thing her father told her about the Srinivasans.

"Two have already gone in, and come out. That doesn't happen regularly unless someone like Mrs. Srinivasan wants it to. That woman went into the games with your mother, Hye. Don't trust her daughter."

Laverna's voice cuts through the memory. Her smile seems to have a jagged edge, sweetening her voice as her eyes sweep over the girl. Laverna's mother had told her to make alliances; find at least one person that she could manipulate into the perfect aid until the end. And from what she knows about Hye-jin, well Laverna knows that she is perfect.

"You know, my mother told me before I got picked, that it's good to have a friend when going into the games."

She steps closer to Hye-jin; still smiling, still using her voice to relax the girl and coax her into a safe bubble that she will only find with her.

"How about we make a promise to try to stick together, an alliance of sorts?"

Hye-jin looks at Laverna, pausing as Laverna's hand sticks out, extending the offer now and never again. But the green of Laverna's uniform makes her aura tense, like a snake preparing to strike.

"My father also told me a few things before I got picked."

Hye-jin smiles, standing up from her seat at the vanity, a hand moving out toward Laverna. Yet instead of taking her hand, Hye-jin's hand goes to fix Laverna's jacket collar that's not quite laying flat.

"He told me only to trust someone when they could prove it was worth it," she whispers, matching the grin Laverna wore only moments before.

The shock on Laverna's face slowly subsides as the younger girl copies her smile, grinning like a little Cheshire cat. Laverna's signature smirk takes its place on her lips. She's impressed, for someone this little and young, Hye-jin Hak is already proving to be both a valuable and tricky accessory.

"Well don't worry, if you ever decide I've earned your trust, I'll let my offer stand just a little longer... just for you Hye-jin."

"I'm not worried at all."

The two stare into the other's eyes, Hye-jin turning away first. She settles back on her stool, hands shaking in her lap as she checks the braids she's twisted close to her scalp. Laverna stands, still watching the younger girl with a smile on her lips.

Her mother always told her that the Puzzler is fun.

Colt can't keep still. He was born bouncing off of walls and being locked in a room in the high-security headquarters of the national death trap of the entire country, he feels more adrenaline in his veins than he's ever felt in his life.

He was placed in a room, the first door on the left of a long, metal hallway, by the masks' who didn't seem too keen to answer his questions. The room inside is unlike anything he's ever seen. The walls are half-exposed brick and cream paint. There are old leather couches, racks of clothes up against one of the walls, and a large mirror taking up a large portion of a different wall.

He found a maroon uniform-like athletic outfit on the rack of clothes next to a white-gray one. The maroon suit had his name on a tag attached to the hanger, meanwhile, the gray suit had the name "Jasper" on its' tag. He doesn't know who "Jasper" is. He doesn't know how they knew what size suit to give him when he volunteered for his sister. He doesn't know what he's going to do to survive. And the missing answer that scares him the most, he doesn't know when the Puzzler is going to begin.

Colt hasn't prepared for the Puzzler like most kids. He has the athletic parts of the Puzzler down though. He's more agile, flexible, and competitive than most. He knows that he has a steady skill set when it comes to strength, durability, and stamina. But Colt sucks at math. He's not great at puzzles, he doesn't really have the patience for them - unless Cassie makes them into a competition. As twins, their skills equaled out. He's the brave, strong, street-smart one, and Cas has the smarts to rival the world.

He's worried about her still. He doesn't know how she's going to be able to handle watching the games, hearing the hourly updates. All Colt knows is that no matter what, he's not going to let Cassie hear that he died to a government death trap. He won't die and leave her to blame herself like Colt knows that she will.

Then the door opens.

Jasper hits the floor hard, faceplanting and muttering a much louder curse than he intended.

Colt only stares, watching the frozen masks and the lanky teen who's at least attempting to have a staring contest with one of the masks who heard him cuss.

"Watch your tongue."

The mask veering over him threatens, the modulator making their voice cold.

"Or what? You'll kidnap me- oh wait."

Colt bursts out laughing, too tense to hold it together as the mask who spoke nearly growls and throws their hands up in frustration before being dragged out by another mask.

Jasper smirks, looking the blond kid up and down as he laughs.

"Not big on talking are they?"

"No, not from what I've seen."

Jasper smiles again, Colt matching it as Jasper pulls himself up from the floor.

"You're Colt Trennon, right?"

Colt nods, assuming that Jasper got to see his profile when it was announced, "and you're Jasper?"

Jasper's eyes widen with shock.

"How'd you know?"

"These suits," Colt motions down to his, "seems like they already had everyone's size and color ready. Here's yours."

He hands Jasper the white-gray suit, watching as understanding floods his features.

"So, if you found out from this... I guess that means there's no tv or radio in here?"

"Nope. Wish there was though. I have no clue how many more they've picked, how long I've been in here, or how much time we have left with our sanity."

Jasper cracks a sad smile, "I can answer two of those questions. I'm unlucky number twelve. Which means that if the Puzzler still works like it did the past two years then we don't even have an hour until opening ceremonies begin."

The older boy starts putting on the white-gray uniform. The materials feel tight and heavy. An unnatural fit, he feels like he's slowly being wrapped in a spider's web as time ticks by ever so slowly.

Colt only nods. Sitting down heavily on one of the couches. Reality sinking in like an anchor headed straight for the ocean floor, and he begins to wonder how long he has til he drowns.

Beckett sits in his room alone. There was no other suit in the room except for the navy one he found draped over the couch. He has it on now, picking at the clingy material.

He scoped the room for anything he might consider sneaking into the Puzzler. But it seems the masks already went to the trouble of doing that for him. Not so much as a comb remains in the bins under the clothing racks. The clothes are an odd collection, from old dresses to half-burnt suits he hopes are from past victors. None are useful to him now.

He supposes that this is another mind game the government is playing on him. The Perplexor program is being more annoyingly perplexing than usual today. He supposes that this makes him the only "criminal" in the games. He supposes that's why he's already been separated from the others.

Beckett stares at the old box tv set on the floor across from him. The pixels are scattered and the screen loses focus every few minutes, but it's at least telling him exactly what's going on. He had had to break a few plastic bits to tear open the back for repair.

And Beckett, well, he begins to get jittery as an announcer's voice fills the already too-quiet room.

"Forty minutes..."

The clothes feel heavy in his hands. Elijah has only been staring at the dull yellow suit, almost like a sunflower that has been stripped of its' life but not its' full color. He's been in the room for some time now. He can't bring himself to change into the uniform he knows he may die in. He can't bring himself to admit that this is it.

The door to the room the masks shoved him into opens with an offending screech. And in walks a tall teen, about his height, shaking off the masks tight hands.

James feels too much in his chest. Questions swirl in his stomach painfully. Doubts roam where they shouldn't. Fear begins to take root.

His own father. He arranged this. His father wanted him in the Puzzler. He can't stomach the idea that his father set him up to die.

James' eyes meet the teen standing defensively across from him. Elijah Griffin is what his profile had said when James was still able to watch the Puzzler's draw.

James' gaze darkens as Elijah makes eye-contact with him. A volunteer. He chose this.

There's a foreign feeling bubbling in his gut as he stares at the boy who chose this. At the boy who at the very least got to decide his own fate.

Elijah takes a more defensive stance as the teen in front of him seems to glare. His hands tighten around the uniform and he gruffly points toward the dulled blue suit sticking out of the other clothes on the racks.

"I'm Elijah. That one's yours."

James merely nods, replying with his name before his eyes move from the dirty blond to the cold blue uniform with his name scribbled onto its' tag.

Elijah moves away, beginning to change into the uniform. If they're beginning to put more than one person in a room, than surely they're getting closer to the start of the game.

James yanks his from the hanger, letting the hanger fall to the ground carelessly. A sharp metal clang flies through the air, causing Elijah to flinch at the unexpected noise.

"Would you watch it?"

"Why," James asks lazily, pulling his shirt over his head to put on the blue top of his suit.

"If you start messing things up, both of us could get in trouble for it! I don't want to enter the Puzzler with any enemies!"

"You already have an enemy."

James' warning is meant to allude to the government, to the Perplexor Program. Elijah doesn't take it that way. The teen's brows shoot up in surprise, silently turning away from him.

An unnatural silence falls between the two teens, backs turned toward the other. A cold tension spreads among the space between them, taking over everything and influencing the misunderstood feelings trickling into their stomachs.

And then the cold voice of a mask fills the silence, an unwelcome intrusion in every dressing room.

"Thirty minutes..."

There's a clock in her room, echoing that time slipping away.

Tick tock. Tick tock.

Her thoughts spiral in her head. Is her sister okay? Did her parents rush home when they knew that she was chosen? Is she going to survive this? Did it have to be her?

Fear seems to have taken a firm hold of her throat, cutting off rationality and blood to her head. Her arms squeeze around herself, Venus' last hold on reality. That this is real. No matter how desperately she wishes that she'll wake up any moment now, the past hour just another nightmare.

Venus' room feels soft for the last place she'll see before the Puzzler begins. Gentle couches that she's sinking into, cold concrete floors, soft lights around the room and the three vanities, and the clothes racks along one of the walls is covered in soothing colors.

Then the door opens and in steps a girl who looks older than herself, and a lot more resilient.

Adella's cold eyes turn away from the masks and meet the sad eyes of Venus Bellamy, the girl chosen one person before her. Adella's expression softens, giving the girl she knows is younger than herself a gentle smile.

"Hi, I'm Adella Adams."

"Hi, I'm Venus Bellamy."

Venus gives the girl a genuine smile, the anxious feelings swirling in her gut beginning to fade. Adella's eyes turn toward the clothing racks and a small frown finds its way to her face. She starts to go through the clothes, and Venus' brow scrunches in confusion.

Venus stands up to join Adella when the girl lets out a soft little "haha" in some kind of victory as she pulls three hangers away from the racks. Adella spreads them out on the back of one of the couches, pulling the uniform's toward her to read the names on the tags. Venus grabs onto a soft, dull green suit and finds that the tag has her name scrawled out on it. Adella holds up a matching suit, except in white, against her frame.

Adella smiles at it fondly.

"This is the same color suit my cousin wore last year."

Venus looks at it sadly, still smiling.

"I suppose they want us to change into these now?"

Adella nods her head and the two girls quickly change into their suits. Adella feels oddly comfortable in the white clothes. The material is flexible and she feels as though it matches exactly how she should feel before entering the Puzzler. Venus doesn't feel as comfortable in her own green uniform, but her smile remains as Adella seems to naturally bring it out.

The older girl smiles at Venus, examining her own suit still.

"I feel like Natasha Romanoff right now!"

Venus can't help laughing.

"Please tell me that that doesn't make me the hulk?"

Yet, despite their smiles, their eyes turn to the dark purple uniform still on the couch with the name "Veronica" written on the tag. Another fifteen minutes passes by, Venus sitting on one of the couches with Adella on the floor in front of her as Venus finishes braiding Adella's hair.

Adella turns around to say thank you, a wide grin on her lips that immediately drops as she turns just in time to see the door handle of their room twist open.

The girl that the masks shove inside is a mess.

Veronica Evans has mascara running down her cheeks, hiccuping as unreleased sobs threaten to rip her in two. The masks' hands are rough around her arms, holding on as tightly as her mother did when she was forced to let Ronnie go.

"Get your disgusting hands off of her."

Ronnie's blurry eyes find the figure of two other girls in the room. One looking at her horribly worried, tense, and seemingly ready to run forward and pull her into a safe place. The other is the one who spoke, glaring down at the masks and looking as though she'll make the masks let her go.

One of the masks laughs gruffly from behind her and the pair toss her forward. The brunette who nearly yelled at them starts toward the masks, however, the dark-haired girl Ronnie saw first catches her before she hits the ground. Instantly, Venus shushes the new girl, almost cradling her in her arms. Venus watches as Adella backs the masks out of their room before fully focusing on the girl in her arms.

"Hi, I'm Venus. And that's Adella."

Ronnie nods, sitting up now that she knows that the masks are gone, rubbing at her eyes and the ruined mascara.

"I'm Ronnie, Ronnie Evans. Thank you both."

"It's no big deal."

Adella down on the couch, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to steady her out of control heart. Panic leaks out of her slowly but surely. She was terrified standing up to the masks, however, she's glad she did as Adella listens to Venus calm Ronnie down.

Venus gently takes Ronnie's hand, pulling her up and off the ground and in the direction of one of the vanities with a soft smile.

"Let's get you back together, yeah?"

Something beats in Ronnie's gut, seemingly taking the place of her fear as Venus pulls her off the ground. There's a soft atmosphere in the room, even if Adella's eyes are a little harsh and Ronnie knows that there are probably masks outside of the room — for now, she feels safe. Even if it's only for a moment.

Venus brushes out her hair, pulling loose a few tangles with her fingers before her hands begin to twist and style her hair into intricate braids. Venus finishes the braids and moves to twist them up against the back of Ronnie's head so that her hair is completely out of the way. Ronnie uses a makeup wipe to gently clear away the ruined makeup on her face. She doesn't apply anymore despite the overwhelming amount on the vanity. Ronnie knows it's useless where she's going, where they are all going.

Adella sighs, pushing herself off the couch and grabbing Ronnie's dark purple uniform.

"Here's your suit."

The older girl says it, almost uncaring. But Venus smiles softly between the two, a feeling growing in her stomach. She doesn't know when it got there, yet the hope that bursts inside of her only multiplies. Maybe, maybe they will survive this.

And maybe they can do it, together.

Athena sniffles into her sleeve, tear trails still fresh on her cheeks. They're two more minutes of out of control thoughts before a panic attack.

Athena is absolutely terrified. More than that even. They're drowning in fear, frozen by the panic flooding her mind and body. She hates this feeling. This utter helplessness. It isn't like her.

She's used to being the one that helps people get through things like this, not go through these things herself. Athena flounders in their own mind. Begging to any deity listening to pull her out of this. To save her because she's not sure she can save theirself.

"You know what? Fuck you!"

Athena twists toward the door of the room the masks placed her in to see an older girl cursing the mask that threw her into the room. Margaux pants angrily on the floor, wishing she could do more than just cuss the masks out.

She's sure that would give her mom a real heart attack.

"Hello?"

Margaux sits up taller from the floor, spotting the young girl with remants of pink beginning to fade from her hair. Margaux forces herself to lower her voice to a kind tone as she addresses the kid.

"Hi there. I'm Margaux Royce."

"I'm Athena Rivers."

Athena tries to smile, but Margaux can see the teat stains on their cheeks and hear the sniffles she seems determined to hide.

Margaux picks herself up off the ground and makes her way over to the girl she now knows is several years younger than her. Margaux gently places a hand on the girl's shoulder, rubbing her thumb in a small circle and helping the kid calm down.

"Hey, look at me Athena, okay?"

The younger girl picks her head up and meets Margaux's eyes.

"You are going to be just fine. I saw your file before they picked me, and I can tell that you are going to do great. We'll both make it out."

Athena nods, closing their eyes as they take in the older girl's words.

"Yeah. I can do this! It's not like I haven't prepared or anything."

Margaux smiles as Athena does, but a sinking feeling nearly carves out her heart and shoves it up her throat as the lie sinks bitterly into her stomach. She shouldn't have said those words. She shouldn't have given this kid a hope that may become nothing. She shouldn't have said anything that would get her attached.

"Come on, kid, let's find our uniforms for the games."

"Okay!"

Athena pushes herself off the couch and bounces over to the clothing racks to begin searching for their and Margaux's suits. Margaux's smile dims as she watches them, but she pulls it back brighter than ever for Athena when she sing-songs that she found them.

Margaux lifts the light pink and lavender suits from the rack. Looking down at Athena with a wide smile as she hands them the pink one.

She shouldn't have gotten attached.

But if there's one thing that would give her mother a real heart attack, it's if Margaux does everything that she can to keep this kid alive.

Once the two change into their suits, they settle down on the couch and talk.

Athena talks more than Margaux does, but both are welcome for the parts the other plays. Athena needs to ramble, needs to release the nervous energy building up in her. And Margaux needs to think, needs to process and plan and prepare for whatever she- for whatever they are about to face.

The cold voice of a mask slices through their conversation. Dull and lifeless and a merciless warning deep in it's message.

"Ten minutes..."

Margaux takes a deep breath.

Show time.

01.08.2023

if there's one thing I want to do this year, it's finish this book. it may not happen, it probably won't. but I'm going to try my hardest to get close.

I know that it's been quite a while, but I appreciate everyone who has still been so excited for the next update!! I hope that it was at least worth the long wait <3

Please remember to comment as wildly as you want. This is an apply fic. Many of you reading this have your babies here, and many of you will have the opportunity to apply for the next act as well!! I want to know all of the emotions and feelings you have🫶🏼💕

here's a chart with everyone and their suit color; so that I can better keep up with everyone's color, and you can see just about the exact color I'm thinking of!!

these colors are what identifies them in the game for the viewers, and how they'll identify one another until everyone knows each other names!! it may spark a few nicknames as well (wanted or not). very few of the colors have deeper meanings to them, however those meanings are something that you won't even realize until later... or until it's too late <3

I hope that you all enjoyed!! Thank you for interacting and thank you for even reading this💕

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