Katniss groaned and opened her eyes. After her blurry vision sharpened, she took a look of her surroundings. She was in some sort of hospital. But it felt like she was moving in a vehicle. A car? A train? A limo? Who knows. Looking at her body she was covered in bandages but she seemed to sustain no major injuries. She found a couple of needles, and she remembered what it was. It was sleep syrup in a syringe. It was made in District 12 but also sent to Capitol for means of knocking patients out to do operations and treatments when they are uncooperative. She hid them in her dress pocket, stashing them as ammunition.
She silently got out of her bed and realized she was in a hospital gown, tied at the back. She made sure the strings were tided securely so her dress wouldn't fall off to reveal her in her undergarments. For some reason, they didn't touch her rings or the gloves Cinna gave her. Touching the palm of her right glove, she felt the hard pearl. She smiled. Her little piece of happiness was with her.
Stealthily with the quick reflexes of only a Hunger Games Victor possessed, she quietly snuck out of her little hospital room. She saw curtains of another makeshift room next to hers and she opened it, to see Enobaria knocked out. Katniss grimaced and hoped she wouldn't claw out her throat. Katniss padded down the hallway, making a few twists and turns and heard the voices of someone talking…someone she remembered talking to at her Victory Tour. Plutarch Heavensbee.
Suddenly fear gripped her. She was worried. What is the Head Gamemaker doing on the same hovercraft as her? Don't tell her that they're being sent back to Snow! Maybe Snow killed her family, and she's going to be a prostitute for the rest of her life! Maybe he killed Johanna and Finnick off, or maybe they're going to be whored out together.
But she saw Haymitch, Beetee and even Gale. Gale?
"What's going on?" Katniss said loudly, gaining their attention.
"Can you piss off-" Gale started.
"Fuck off I wasn't asking you," Katniss bit back and looked at Haymitch for his answer.
"Sweetheart I don't know how to tell you this, but-" Haymitch started but was cut off.
Katniss dug her arm into her pocket and pulled out her first syringe of sleep syrup and held it in a threatening manner, "Tell me where I am?"
"We're going to District 13," Plutarch answered for Haymitch.
"13? There is no 13," Katniss said, panicked.
"There always was," Gale said, "It was hidden."
"I want to go home," Katniss glared at Gale.
"Katniss, there is no 12!" Gale yelled.
It felt like her heart dropped into her stomach. It was all because of her that her home is gone. The same place where she grew up, the place where she went to school, the place where she learned to hunt, the place where her dad died, the place where she experienced most of her firsts as a child. It is all gone.
"What do you mean gone?" Katniss asked, petrified.
"Snow bombed 12 the moment you blew up the arena. He sent hovercrafts to 12 and they dropped bombs on us. I was able to save your mom, Prim, my mom, Rory, Vick, Posy, Madge, Greasy Sae and her granddaughter. But everyone else is gone, Katniss," Gale said.
Katniss felt horrible and happy. Horrible because most of what she considered 'home' was gone, but happy because her loved ones were ok. Even though they probably hated her guts for being an 'attention seeking whore' like her mom called her.
"Where is Finnick? Johanna? Peeta?" Katniss asked, "I didn't see them on this ship."
"They were captured by the Capitol," Beetee said sadly, "Finnick shoved me on the hovercraft and told me to tell you he loves you. And he intends on marrying you the moment he is rescued."
Katniss's silver eyes burst into tears and Beetee offered her a tissue. But somehow, what Beetee said made Gale angry.
"So, you're marrying a Capitol whore, huh? I didn't think you would be low to stoop to that level," Gale snarled.
"I love him and he loves me," Katniss growled, "And you no right to tell me who I can and can't fall in love with."
"I knew you for about 6 years, and Peeta had known you for over 11 years. I thought you would choose to fall in love with someone you knew for a while, not in a matter of a couple of measly weeks!" Gale yelled.
"I regard you a good friend and Peeta is an acquaintance. I can't be expected to fall in love with someone just because I knew you for a while! Love doesn't follow some sort of cookie-cutter approach! I am 17 years old and when I turn 18, I will be a legal adult. And besides, legal age to marry is 16 so you have no right to control me," Katniss snapped back.
"Don't come crying to me when you two get a divorce," Gale growled.
"Don't worry, we won't get a divorce," Katniss bit back.
Beetee made a 'T' with his hands and said to Gale, "I think you are in no place to tell what Katniss can or can't do. You are both adults. And if she loves Finnick then so be it. She isn't obligated to love you back just because you love her. That's not how it works, and if you think that way, I am sad to say you are delusional. Katniss, let's go."
Gale huffed and stormed out of the room. Katniss didn't even look at him as he left. She didn't really look at anybody, she just looked at the floor until she felt a hand rest onto her shoulder. She looked up and saw Beetee who was staring at her sympathetically.
"Let's go back to your room, shall we? You still need some rest for your recovery. When we rescue them, you will need to be healthy for his sake, right?" Beetee asked her.
She wordlessly nodded and they walked back to her room. She sat on her bed and pulled out the syringes out of her pocket and placed them on the tray next to her. Looking blankly at the wall she could spot from the corner of her eye that Beetee had dragged a metal chair to sit next to her bed.
"How are you feeling?" Beetee asked her.
"I want to fucking die," Katniss said plainly as if she were simply describing the weather outside.
He sighed and shook his head, "Katniss don't think like that."
Katniss turned her head to look at him and said, "They could've been tortured, hijacked or even killed. Snow could have them killed if they refuse to give out any information that doesn't profit him."
"We will get them back," Beetee promised her, "They won't be hurt nor harmed in any way."
Katniss didn't say anything so Beetee decided to start a conversation of different sort.
"I have always wanted to know what your wedding will be like," Beetee mused, "What kind of dress will you wear?"
"Cinna had said he made some dresses for me," Katniss answered, "That he would want me to wear to my true wedding. But I don't know where they are."
"Well, all of his creations are packed and waiting for you in 13, at least every single one he made for you. Some you have seen and some you haven't," Beetee said.
There was another awkward silence because Katniss didn't bother to reply to him. So, he coughed and asked, "Who would be the maid of honor?"
"Johanna."
"Best man?"
"You."
"I can see you have the rings chosen out," Beetee observed, "You have any idea for the cake?"
"Strawberry with crème frosting," Katniss replied breathlessly.
"Nice, and you going to get it as a 3-tiered cake and all?"
"If that's what he would like."
"What about the ceremonies special to your districts?"
"We will do both."
"Who is on the guest list?"
"Anyone who can attend, really."
They had talked for hours, about every single detail. With every single question Beetee asked about her wedding, the more hopeful she got. And the way he worded the verb tense with such positivity as in 'will' instead of 'would've' made her feel like her wedding will happen. Sometimes she felt like he's the kind of friend who everybody needs.
-o-
Katniss awoke to her annoying alarm. Right on the dot at 6 AM. Groaning, she shoved her covers off of her and trudged towards the bathroom. After taking fifteen minutes to shower and ten minutes to untangle and braid her hair, she got dressed. It was the same mundane clothing she wore every single day in District 13: a grey t-shirt, black sweatpants, white socks and grey shoes with black stripes; the typical uniform. A 13 was stamped on the back of the t-shirt.
She used to try to do her hair in an elegant braided bun, hoping that each day would pass would be the day Finnick, Peeta and Johanna came. But when she saw no bronze hair, tan skin and green eyes, she just lost motivation after a couple of months and she just either opted for a simple braid or a regular ponytail.
Breakfast was at 7 in the morning. And the food was bland all three meals of the day. It was a little brighter to see Greasy Sae and her granddaughter serving food in the line. They always slipped her and Beetee an extra heap full of whatever they were serving. After her first couple of days, she used to sit alone. But then Beetee joined her and then surprisingly Enobaria.
Enobaria had been surprisingly easy to get along with. Granted, she's a Victor, but she understands Katniss in ways her closeminded family and friends from 12 don't. It was very memorable how she came to be her friend.
Beetee and Katniss were sitting at a table together. Gale, Prim, Katniss's mom, Hazelle, Rory, Posy, and Vick sat at another table. Katniss had wanted to sit with them because of Hazelle and that they had good formal relations. Hunger Games had somewhat loosened her tight knit relations with Gale's family, but they weren't rude to her. If anything, Hazelle felt a bit disappointed that Katniss had no interest in marrying her son, so she kept a formal relation with her in hopes of convincing her to be her daughter-in-law. But Gale had forbidden her from even sitting next to them in meals with the hateful glares he sent her. So she sat alone and Beetee sat next to her gradually.
The two were picking at their bland food dumped on their trays. Katniss was contemplating dumping it in the trash but she knew she would be hungry and she gets no seconds. She forked some of the grey bacon and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Hey, can I sit here?" Enobaria asked, tray in hand.
"Yeah sure," Katniss nodded and gestured to the empty seats around her.
Enobaria sat across from Katniss and one seat away from Beetee. She made a face at the food, baring her gold-tipped fangs at the atrocity that was called 'breakfast'.
"God, who makes this shit?" Enobaria gagged as she pinched her nose and forced some eggs down her throat.
"I dunno, but one thing is for sure, we need to beat that person up," Katniss rolled her eyes, "It tastes like dirt."
"Or even worse, crap," Enobaria choked on her eggs but swallowed it anyways with some tasteless orange substance labeled as 'orange juice'.
"I have no idea how the residents of 13 even eats this," Katniss shook her head.
Beetee pushed up his glasses and said, "Well they must've eaten this their whole lives so they are used to such a mundane, boring lifestyle."
"That is true," Enobaria nodded, "Let's start this all over. I don't think we even had a good introduction with the stupid Quarter Quell. My name is Enobaria Gold. I'm from 2. As you saw from my Games, I was famous for ripping out the throats of my enemies."
They shook hands and Katniss said, "I'm Katniss Everdeen. I'm from 12. Capitol branded me as this 'Girl on Fire'. I was forcefully engaged to Peeta Mellark when I refused to let him die. I won by the means of bow-and-arrows which is painfully obvious from my Games."
"Yeah, I saw that, I knew you weren't in love with Peeta Mellark. And his love confession on camera was creepy. Did he really stalk you ever since you were 5 and sang that song that made all the mockingjays silent?" Enobaria asked.
Katniss nodded, "Yes it's true. 11 years of stalking. He followed me everywhere. He was across the field from my house. Across the courtyard in recess. Across the classroom in class. In the bakery shop when I came to trade game. Always there, just staring at me. Sometimes I caught him and he would look away, maybe run away."
"And he thought that you would fall in love with his creepy serial killer stalking?" Enobaria asked in surprise.
"Pretty much," Katniss nodded.
"And isn't that your family over there? And your friends from your district? Why aren't they talking to you?" Enobaria pointed her fork in their direction.
Katniss explained to Enobaria how her life fell apart after the Games when she returned to her district. How they all turned on her when they found out she wasn't the same innocent girl she was when she went to the Capitol.
"I'm sorry, I understand what you're going through," Enobaria said in sympathy.
"You do?" Katniss asked in surprise.
"I do. In 2, children are trained their whole lives for a fight to death game they don't want to participate in. Our families always coerce us with physical threats that if we don't volunteer or if we do but we end up not getting picked, we would get beaten, shunned, thrown out of the house, handed in to the Peacekeepers, reported to Snow with some fake crime so we would be murdered or turned into an avox. One time a girl refused to volunteer and she got raped by her father," Enobaria shuddered in fear.
The blood drained out of her face when she listened to Enobaria. She thought the Careers were nothing but pompous, arrogant assholes who were to full of themselves. But listening to hear Enobaria talk about all the violence in her district made her happy she lived in 12.
"We always have to act arrogant, strong, and rude. It's who we are supposed to be, a superior race of Snow's cronies. I was told I would get starved to death if I didn't volunteer. And when I was to volunteer, I had to look like I was happy, like I wanted to go to that sick place we call the Capitol and fight for my death and kill innocent children and be happy about it. And when I got out of the Games my parents decided to sharpen my teeth to look like those of a shark's and tip them with gold. It was so painful, but I was forced to do it anyways. You know like any other Victor, I had to be a prostitute. To protect my so called loved ones. I did it anyways because I didn't want more bloodshed but I couldn't care really to sacrifice anything for the lunatics I call my parents," Enobaria sighed.
"And let me guess, they coerced you to volunteer for the Quell?" Katniss asked.
"No, I did that myself. I pretended to look happy but I used it to get away from my parents. You see, they moved into my house in Victor's Village of 2 after I won and always belittled me for the years I was a mentor and prostitute. I hoped the gamemakers would pull a huge stunt that would kill me in the arena and free me from Snow, the Capitol and my parents," Enobaria said.
Katniss was floored by her confession. She can't believe she hated this lady without knowing her background knowledge. Hell, even Finnick hated her. Maybe she could get them to get along. If Finnick and Johanna knows what she had been going through maybe they would accept her.
"I know that look," Enobaria smirked lightly, "I will try for your sake, Girl on Fire to get along with those two. It won't be easy but I will do it for you only."
"They will accept you as a friend," Katniss assured her, "I remember watching your games. My father covered my eyes when you ripped out a fellow tribute's throat. I couldn't see it but I could faintly hear it around my father's thumb pads pressed softly into my little ears. He made me go to bed early. I whined to stay up but he told me it was for the best. The Games are horrifying but we Victors are the only people who we can rely on. No one understands us. Either they are afraid of us, hate us, avoid us, or maintain a very formal relation with us. But none will truly accept us."
"I'm sure they will come around," Beetee assured her, "But it won't be the same."
"Once a Victor, always a Victor," Enobaria nodded.
Once Katniss had eaten breakfast, she ignored the schedule printed on her arm before she came in for the first meal for the day. The only thing she did follow was come for meals. But the rest of the schedule was meaningless and honestly not worth her time. With no one telling her how long she would be stuck in this goddamned place and when the revolution will start, she lost hope. Maybe she was going to live the rest of her life here and never come back to 12. Or have her dream house next to the ocean with Finnick and their kids. Or have their dream weddings.
As she sat aimlessly on her bed, just looking at the clock above her doorway with glassy eyes waiting for lunch to come, someone knocked on her door.
She saw Boggs on the other side. He cleared his throat and said, "President Coin has proposed a declaration-" but was cut off.
"Who the fuck is Coin?" Katniss snarled.
"The president of 13, of course," Boggs said.
"Districts have mayors, not presidents," Katniss said in speculation.
"Anyways President Alma Coin has come up with a proclamation. She wants you to be the mockingjay, the symbol of the revolution," Boggs told her.
"So that's it, she wants to use my face and control me like a doll so she can win this war and start a Hunger Games 2.0," Katniss seethed.
"No-"
"She wants to use me as a pawn in this game of chess!" Katniss fumed.
"Miss Everdeen, that's not-"
Katniss held the door securely between her two hands and said, "Tell your president that I have no desire to be her puppet or tool to bring about her desire for power. She can go ask someone stupid enough to stoop that low."
And with that, she slammed the door on his face.
TBC