Title: Bread and Water
Rating: K
Summary: There are strangers in Panem, and Katniss isn't sure what think.
Genre: Humor/Friendship
Words: 261
Disclaimer: Katniss and Korra aren't mine.
A/N: Written for my buddy Asa.
Bread and Water
Katniss frowned. "You're a ben… what?"
"Bender," the newcomer corrected, giving a tiny smile and a what-can-you-do shrug. "Water, earth, fire, whatever you need."
"I'm not entirely sure what that means," Katniss said warily. "Is that like some sort of magic?"
She shook her head. "Not magic. I mean, it's not science, but it's like… a manipulation of science. A spiritual practice combined with the physicality of martial arts."
Katniss was still lost, but decided not to say so to avoid further explanations that she knew she wouldn't be able to understand. After a two am wake-up call and five-hour train ride into the Capitol, her head was killing her, and she knew that any further attempts at analyzing this strange girl and her companions — "Bolin" and "Mah-ko" — and their strange clothing and weird accents would just add to the thick pounding in her skull.
Korra, she said her name had been. Katniss eyed her baggy pants and heavy boots. She didn't see how anybody could fight in clothing so bulky, but Plutarch had recommended her with the highest honors after she had apparently taken down twelve ex-Peacekeepers single-handedly while one of her friends collapsed a tunnel on an army of spider-mutts and the other disabled three pods hidden in a pedestrian mall.
She settled with, "Plutarch tells me you're great at hand-to-hand combat."
"I guess I'm not bad."
Katniss sighed. "We've got a bunch of Snow sympathizers running around over in District Three. Think you can help us take care of them?"
The new girl smirked. "It'd be my pleasure."