Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, its characters or its world. Non-canon characters, Allie and Phoenix belong to RandomNerdyKilljoy (here and on Wattpad) and Phoenixsword24 (here on Fanfiction) respectively and Cat and other OCs mentioned are mine. Go check them out! And happy reading.

Author's Note: Hello! Here it is! Chapter Seven!

Author's Note 2: The credit for the power for Phoenix goes to Phoenixsword24 and the power for Allie in this and the last chapter goes to RandomNerdyKilljoy.

Chapter Seven: The Fight

"Okay, this is futile!" Johanna bursts out, the sun lowering slowly in the sky. "We've been out here, baking hot, for three days since the faded pink loon flew us all here with no way back! This is ridiculous! We're not being picked up, we're out in the desert and we're all going to die out here so why are you not accepting this?!"

Allie snaps "Hey, she didn't do this to you intentionally! I thought we'd moved past this already! Cat is doing her best to get us back, she brought provisions with her and you should be grateful she's even trying! Now shut up with your whining and let us carry on!"

Cat sighs and holds up a hand. "It's okay, Allie. Let her vent. She's got a point," she says softly, focusing her gaze on Johanna. "Well, go for it."

"Do you even know what you're doing out here?" Johanna growls.

Cat looks down, sadly. "I'm afraid not. I said this when we got here."

Johanna snaps "How are you so sure you're not going to just do your weird thing again and drag us all back?"

"I've been trying," Cat admits. "I've done everything I can think of. It's failed."

"Clearly!" Johanna yells. "You're going to get us all killed! You're a failure!"

Phoenix steps in before Allie can attack. "Jo, that's harsh. You know she's trying."

"Whose side are you on here?!" Johanna yells, furious. "We've been forced to go to the toilet behind a tent for three days, we all need a shower and this is all because this stupid mutant Capitolite can't control her teleportation powers that shouldn't even exist!"

"Johanna, you realise that we've had all this explained, right? Cat is doing her best to help us here. For the last few days, she and Allie have done their best to make us both safe and comfortable. Calling Cat stupid and a mutant isn't going to get us home, it'll just hurt her and give her a perfectly good reason to abandon you," Phoenix tells her, his voice calm and placating.

"She's the reason we're dying in a desert!" Johanna screams. "She's the reason you and I aren't celebrating Snow's death! You, of all people, should be desperate to get home!"

"I am! That's why I'm trusting Allie and Cat! They've done this before, we haven't, it's time to shut up and let someone else take the lead!" Phoenix hisses.

"You're crazy!" Johanna yells.

"You're ice cold!" Phoenix yells at her, losing his temper entirely.

"And you're hot tempered!" Johanna shouts. Anger overtaking, Phoenix's eyes flash and he bursts into vivid blue flames. Johanna growls under her breath, something that sounds like "Mutants everywhere."

Phoenix, as his flames disappear, snarls "If you aren't mature enough to accept a friend's help, reason or the fact that this happens, you're really not mature enough for a relationship."

"Like you're suddenly some wise man," Johanna growls.

Phoenix's eyes flash again, a flicker of blue flame vibrating over his body. "Honestly, Jo," he sighs. "Just... Let me know when you're ready to be an adult about this. Until then, this is over."

The group travels in silence, Johanna and Phoenix totally ignoring each other, Allie focusing on Cat's thoughts and getting nothing, Cat being her usual self, just a lot quieter. Allie whispers into her ear, "Cat? Hello in there?"

Cat jumps a little and looks at Allie. "Yeah?"

"You okay?" she asks softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Cat murmurs, smiling, though the smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Just worried about you three. Nothing different."

"Then why can't I read your thoughts?" Allie asks softly.

"I just don't want to worry you," she whispers. "It's all good."

That evening, as the tent is set, Johanna faces Allie. "Allie, will you trade shifts with Phoenix? He and Cat can do the watch and sleep while we do our watch?" she asks.

"Uh, I guess? Won't you worry about Phoenix and Cat?" Allie asks curiously.

"No way. She's all hung up on that Tenebrae guy from Two and he's not into her like that," Johanna scoffs, watching the two of them chase each other with toy knives, quoting shows at each other. "They act like kids."

"They have rights to," Allie says, watching them with amusement. "You're right, though. They aren't attracted to each other like that. Look at them, they act like siblings."

"Does she have siblings?" Johanna asks, knowing Phoenix doesn't from their hovercraft trip to Seven.

"She did. Before she teleported to Panem. She'd left a letter. I guess they're terrified," Allie sighs. "They're good people, her family. She hasn't been as carefree since the teleporting. She spent six months trying to force us back. All she did was hurt herself. Now she's trying to protect us three."

Johanna watches as Cat grins and sits down on a fold-out chair, breathing shallowly and laughing. "So she has family?"

"Did. She hasn't seen or been able to contact them in three years. It's nearly driven her mad. She only stopped focusing on that when some guy attacked us in the alley way while we were going shopping," Allie says, watching Cat sadly. "After that, she did everything in her power to protect me. She doesn't get time to be carefree."

Johanna feels a sudden surge of regret for her outburst. "Think she and Phoenix will forgive me?"

"Phoenix will. Cat probably never blamed you anyway," Allie tells her bluntly. "She's got a thing for taking people's anger and assessing it, then forgiving them immediately if she finds it justified. She was studying law before we arrived here."

Allie and Johanna are taking the second half of the watch. Allie, not really capable of staying up much longer, falls asleep next to Johanna. Johanna gives her the blanket and gets up to stretch her legs. She hears someone scuffling behind the tent and goes around, seeing Allie asleep and softly calling "Phoenix? Cat? Which one of you is it?"

The figure jumps out and Johanna screams, the sound lasting just long enough to wake her three companions before the figure's blade pierces Johanna's throat, cutting off her scream in its tracks.

That's it for this chapter. Please feel free to drop a comment on what you thought of this! Hope you enjoyed! Until next time, hugs! BlackCat46 xoxo