Staring down Haymitch Abernathy was entirely unlike staring down anyone else Johanna had ever met. When others would back down, or simply avoid eye contact altogether, Haymitch didn't. Haymitch Abernathy stared back - not for the challenge, for his expression could almost be perceived as bored. Almost. There was something else in those eyes that Johanna knew only too well, and it chilled her to the bone.
Anger. Hurt. Despair. Defeat. And the most terrifying of all: indifference.
When Haymitch and Johanna looked into each others' eyes, they saw everything. Everything began with the Games; life before them was a long-forgotten dream. Every death they'd seen, every death they'd caused. And they'd won, but it wasn't over, no, it was never over. They saw the true power of the Capitol, and they lost everything… everyone they'd ever held dear. Haymitch broke, he turned to the drink, and the Capitol kept him around as an example to every soul in Panem:
This is your hero, this is his destruction. You cannot stop us.
Johanna regarded Haymitch and wondered why she was still alive. What message was the Capitol sending through her? She was strong, she was healthy, she was sexy. Perhaps they feared the repercussions of her execution. After all, District 7 still worshipped her, and with the threat of the rising Mockingjay…
Something new flashed in Haymitch's eyes, the most subtle hint of determination, and Johanna knew they were on the same track. She knew what he wanted of her. Ever since Katniss Everdeen had stepped onto the podium in District 12, valiantly taking her sister's place, Haymitch's awareness had slowly begun to inch back towards the real world. Katniss had sparked a rebellion, and of course, Johanna was needed as an ally. She hardly needed to consider where she would stand in this battle, because if nothing else, Haymitch's belief in the cause was better reasoning than anyone else could give.
So with this resolve, Johanna gave Haymitch a small nod of consent - her allegiance - and strode over to join the District 12 victors in their flickering-ember suits. The older man watched her go and allowed himself a smile. He knew that although Johanna would not make it easy, Katniss Everdeen would come to appreciate having the provocative young woman beside her before this battle was through.