Regular HG POV:

A regular day of hunting for me. I haven't caught anything much, just a few squirrels. Maybe everything's in hibernation. Then, there's a sudden flash of blue. "Some kind of hedgehog, maybe." I mutter. I know what kind it is. A muttation. A mutt. How else would it be such a shade of blue? I load my bow, but it's running too fast for me to aim. I charge after it. My bow is still loaded, and the creature jumps over a cavern, landing with a horrible crunch! On its left leg.

"ARGH! OH SWEET CHAOS, MY LEG!" It screeched.

Its voice sounded eerily human. Not like the mutts from the arena, all they could do was bark, but this one had a voice.

And it sounded about sixteen.

I load an arrow and aim in it's-I guess I should call it "He" because the voice is masculine- direction. Then, it holds up a gloved hand and yells, "whoa! It's cool! Don't shoot!"

I freeze. I tie an arrow with a string I keep in my pocket, and shoot it into the tree he's resting on. I then tie it to a tree on my side of the cavern and use my bow to zip line across.

Halfway across, he calls, "what's your name?"

"Katniss." I say over the rush of water.

"Can't-Kiss?! Who names their kid Can't-Kiss?!"

"Katniss," I say louder as I land on his side. "my name is Katniss. And I had it in my mind to shoot you. I kill anything out here and a mutt like you-"

"I'm not a mutt! I'm not even a dog in general! My name is Sonic. Sonic the- ow! - hedgehog." He's trying in vain to stand. "well, you can see I wouldn't be much good to kill." Then, he starts to imitate a woman's gruff voice: "bet half the carcass would be too rotten even for sausage!"

Now, how does he know Rooba's exact words about Lady? He wasn't in the Hob, I'd remember. Slowly it dawns on me. He's doing an impression of Rooba. It's really good, too. I smile. It transforms me from someone lethal to a girl you wish you knew. "come on, I'll take you back with me.

He starts to move backwards. "I can trust you?

"yes." Why shouldn't he?

"are you sure?"

"do you want to get home or not?"

He sighs, but gives me his arm. I gently pull him to his feet-

Forgetting his effing injury.

"AIEE! DEAR CHAOS, KILL ME!" he turns to me, an irked glint in his green eyes. "really… I mean kill me. My leg hurts like crap, and my dignity just flew out the window. Don't give me that look; I'm being rescued by a girl. If I'm going to die, an arrow through my throat would be quicker."

"Stop it," I say firmly, "you are NOT going to die."

"says who?" he asks mournfully.

"says me."

"dude, I barely know you!"

I ignored him. "hold on," I grab my bow, and we fly back across. I set him gently on a rock, reel in my arrow, and stuff the string back in my pocket. "ready to get back?"

We spend about an hour walking- or should I say limping and stumbling- back to my house, before I just say, "let me carry you."

"no." he says simply.

"it'd be a lot easier."

"I have my pride."

"I thought that it flew out the window." Two could play at this game.

Just like twenty-four can play at the Hunger games… and only one wins… all the others get murdered in horrible, slow, painful ways…

"…hey, did you hear me?" Sonics' voice pulls me out of my memories. "I said you can carry me if you want." I lift him- he's surprisingly light- and keep walking. "what's your thing about pride?"

He's silent then says slowly, "ever since my Mom died, I'm just used to proving myself, you know? I just didn't trust my Dad anymore. All he did was sleep. I had to look out for myself. I once asked him why he wouldn't move. Then, he started to slap me," he does another imitation, like the first only this time of his Dad, "you know damn well why I don't move anymore useless! Now stop bugging me! I didn't have a choice…" he falls silent.

"about what?" I press.

"I ran away."

Before we know it, we're at my house in the Victor Village. I say a silent "thank you" to Snow for leaving it standing. I take the wounded Hedgehog inside, and call out for Peeta.

Sonic cocks his ears. "Pita? You have a boyfriend named Pita?"

A.N: HEY, GUYS. SHOULD I CONTINUE MY STORY? ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR SONIC'S SNARKY COMEBACKS? I'M NEW TO THE WORLD OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SO LET ME KNOW WHAT I DID WRONG! R&R!

YES, THE PEETA = PITA COMMENT HAD TO BE DONE.