Fanfic / Showdown: No Holding Back

Showdown: No Holding Back by Anla'Shok is a The Hunger Games story set in an Alternate Universe where a different President than Snow is in power during the 60’s, and tries to use the Hunger Games and the tributes to really get out to the people and enact change, even as assassins lurk in the background. The story gives as much focus as possible to each of the 24 tributes, to keep it from being obvious who will win.The story can be read here: [1].

Overall, there’s not to much novel about the ‘’premise’’, just another example of a story following 24 kids (in reaping order -in this story, boys are reaped before girls-: Argmanac, Carnelia, Corsair, Aurora Algor, Mercury, Orvis, Paloma, Victor, Mouse, Drake, Hawk, Yolo, Gamina, Tesu, Georgie, Harrow, Rosemary, Messenger, Rachel, Mesmer, Apple, Dash and Bryony). 23 of them doomed (as well as the aftermath of the games), but there’s a real strength to the characters that added to the stories popularity. Several characters, such as the eventual victor and said victors mentor, would become Canon Immigrant’s to a second, non-AU Hunger story by the same author. Checkmate

Tropes

• Abusive Parent: Aurora’s father raped her (something she makes little effort to hide in her interview, ensuring he’ll pay for it) and also inspires a lot of fear in her little brother. Tesu’s mother is neglectful, shrill and mean to him and his sister.
• Anyone Can Die: It’s the Hunger Games. Only one of those kids will make it to the end, and even the victor will be in danger comes the Rebellion, featured in the final chapters.
• Badass Family: Paloma’s grandfather was a victor. Carnelia and Orvis both had siblings who also trained for the Games.
• Big Beautiful Woman: Rosemary’s nickname is “Fat Rose” but she carries those extra pounds well.
• Broken Pedestal: Although it doesn’t make him hold back in the arena, Corsair is dislusisoned by the Capitol, thinking them as unworthy, decadent leaders, especially after the interviews
• Category Traitor: Mesmer is viewed as a collaborator to the peacekeepers by some, and Apple is made to find her odldest brother doing the same when he comes to say goodbye to her.
• Combat Medic: Rosemary is her Districts best healer and declares she will respect the hippocratic oath in the games and treat any hurt people she finds.
• Cool Old Guy: Encouraging, dutiful, grandfatherly District 3 Escort Dante.
• Courier: Chester “Messenger” Fowl is a pretty good mail carrier, to the point here he’s well known and regarded in his District.
• Doomed Moral Victor: Those who try to challenge the system or go against the careers on moral grounds, like Georgie and Apple, don’t fare well.
• Executive Meddling: It is implied the President ordered charismatic and engaging tributes reaped to invest the Capitol more in them and try to make them realize the wastefulness of the games.
• False Reassurance: Its noted how Aurora’s father has been confined to his residence supposedly for his own protection, until those “heinous rumors” die down, with the man who made those assurances already having picked the man who will replace him once they throw him to the wolves.
• Fat Bastard: Distirct 7’s apathetic escort, Tapir is also the heaviest of the escorts by far.
• First-Name Basis: District 9 escort Aegis encourages Harrow to call him by his first name.
• A Hero to His Hometown: Rosemary doesn’t make a huge impression in the Capitol but is beloved by her District due to her healing services. No less than 3 girls try to volunteer for her, but she refuses to let them.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: Many of the tributes who do harsh things in the arena have some Pet the Dog moments or sad inner monologues, as do Angel and Berenice, the District 5 and 11 Escorts. Angel is described as detached-looking but silently offers words and gestures that help Victor and Mouse appear strong-looking on the reaping stage. Berenice is a bit over-dressed and seems kind of snotty during the reaping but goes out of her way to be nice to Apple and give her good advice (with Mesmer commenting she’s starting to care too much for her own good), although in a way Apple sees as Condescending Compassion.
• I Die Free: Yolo could win at the end, but realizes how unbearable the life of a victor would be and chooses to die.
• In Spite of a Nail: Snow still becomes President, and the 74th Hunger Games, 3rd Quarter Quell and Victors Purge take place.
• Kilroy Was Here: Yolo finds a spot on the wall in his bedroom where two other past tributes wrote their names and what Hunger Games they were about to be sent into, and adds his own next to them.
• Kindly Vet: Rachel is a vet back in District 10 and while she’s terse with people, she’s caring and respectful towards animals, and doesn’t want to kill anyone or anything in the Games.
• Little Miss Badass: Most of the younger female tributes, either in physical skills (Mouse and Bryyony), personalities (Apple) or both (Georgie).
• Made a Slave: Apple was sold into slavery at a young age, which apparently isn’t uncommon in 11.
• Mercy Kill: Tesu kills Apple to keep the career from doing it slowly. Also possibly why Victors mother gets killed on the victory Tour.
• Moral Myopia: One Distirct 2 official dryly notes that Aurora’s father is doomed because “Only the Capitol had the right to manhandle the hallowed tributes”.
• Motor Mouth: District 6 Escort Carol, in a snide, condescending way.
• Mummy: District 9 Escort Aegis dresses as one and Harrow wears one as is interview costume.
• Old-School Chivalry: Dash;s actual name is Tindal Soot, everyone calls him “Dash” because of his dashing and chivalrous nature, which wins over both Gamina and the Cpaitol audiences
• Parent with New Paramour: Rachel’s mother is dead and her father has a girlfriend who Rachel doesn’t dislike but is kind of indifferent about. After she’s reaped she tells her dad to be happy with the woman anyway, largely to make sure he still has someone.
• The Pollyanna: Yolo is a very hard person to leave downcast.
• Product Placement: Carnelia makes sure to compliment the circus she learned her skills at in her interview.
• Puppy Love: Thiteen year old Bryony and her boyfriend Briarare very affectionate.
• Second Place Is for Losers: Since the second place tribute dies, yeah. Subverted in the eyes Yolo’s little sister Shae, whose too young to get this is confused and asks why he hasn't come home, saying he must have done good to get to second place.
  In most games winning wasn’t such a big deal, but in this one, everyone said it was very important that Yolo not get caught by the hovercraft who got the losers.
• Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: The District 8 male originally reaped, Florian came from one of the richest families in the District and called out that he would generously pay the family of anyone who volunteered for him. Tesu took up that offer.
• Scary Black Man: Mesmer is black and is one of the more ruthless tributes and a guy whose good with knives and poisons.
• Sins of Our Fathers: District 12 escort Selina is still vindictive about the Dark Days, saying it justifies the games and her own contempt for the tributes.
• The Social Darwinist: District 8 escor Ambrose, who says the weak kill the strong, and mocks the idea that everyone deserves the same kindness and worth.
• Stage Magician: Mesmer throws magic shows back in 11.
• Teacher/Student Romance: Mercury and her mentor Aster eventually have some sparks.
• Til Murder Do Us Part: Aurora’s father killed her mother.
• World Half Full: Yolo takes being reaped this way, as it brought his siblings (separated and estranged by their parents divorce) back together.
• Working with the Ex: Rosemary and Harrow are ex lovers and become allies.