Johanna

"They won't take her body until you leave, you know?"

The boy looks up from where he's kneeled. Beside him lies the crumpled body of Circe from Four, sprawled out like a chewed-up dog toy. He frowns, and I can see the gears turning in his head. I reckon a Career from Two has far more important things to worry about that recognising a pitiful outer-District girl. I'll give him a pass. I don't remember his name either.

"Which one are you?" He asks. "Didn't you die the other day?"

"That was Twine," I say. We stand, a few metres apart, attempting to get a read on the other. Neither of our eyes meet, both locked in on the weapons in the opposite's hand. His spear would slice through me before I could get close enough to even attempt to use the axe. "I'm Johanna. From Seven."

"You're the one who cried at the parade," he remarks. In the dim light I can just barely make out the bruised black-and-blue of his skin. "I'm Chess. Where'd you get the axe?"

"Your district partner. I killed her."

I see him frown again, as if trying to process the words. He must have hit his head or something if he fell, because the words come in slightly too jumbled. "Wasn't that the brute from Six?"

"No. He's dead. Just now."

"How'd you do it?"

"With my knives," I gesture at my belt. "And those geysers. It was mostly her own fault."

Chess shakes his head. "I'm not surprised. We told her not to go off on her own."

"You're not upset?"

"Nah. She was a bitch. You did most of us a favour."

"But," I gesture at Circe's body. "You're upset about that one?"

He avoids my hand, eyes fixated far from her body. His mouth is pulled into a thin, tight line and it takes a long time before he responds. "You're not really a crybaby, are you?"

"What tipped you off?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Is all of our conversation going to comprise of questions?"

"Maybe," I shrug. The spear remains steady in his hand. Why haven't either of us attacked yet? He seems disoriented enough, I could just do it. But something seems to hold me back. "I'm surprised your buddies aren't around here."

"They're back at the camp. Circe and I were doing the perimeter sweep to see if we could find any stragglers when the avalanche happened. We were nearly at camp when the snow caught up with us. If I hadn't landed on top of her, I would've been dead too. And they're not my buddies."

"I thought all you Career types banded together," I say.

"They're One. It's complicated. Look - I don't expect you to understand."

"Because I'm from Seven?" I raise an eyebrow. "How many kills have you guys made since the bloodbath?"

"I killed the boy from Twelve."

"You killed an underfed boy from the poorest district. Congratulations. I killed your district partner. I think I'm winning."

To my surprise, Chess lets out a small bark of laughter. "You play a good game, Johanna."

"When are we getting this over with?" I ask. My grip on the axe is still painful. "Either you kill me, or I'm a step closer to getting out of this place. Both are better than my current situation."

"I don't know," he frowns. "Brutus is probably yelling at the screen right now, telling me to slice you open and be done with it. But I didn't like killing that boy from Twelve."

Fuck. A Career with a conscience. I let my arm drop slightly. I really can't kill him now.

"Brutus is your mentor, right?" For a moment I contemplated telling him I didn't like killing his district partner either, but that wouldn't fly with the Capitol. This boy's already cut his chances at winning with those words. "Have you gotten anything from him?"

"Some fire-starters and an extra spear," he shrugs. "Love and Circe got most of the sponsor gifts this year. You?"

"This coat. Some painkillers for my fall," I smile slightly. Let him know I'm valuable. "Love and Circe aren't the only girls the Capitol favours this year."

He raises an eyebrow. "So you think you're on par with Love?"

"I think Love has a very high opinion of herself. And if she didn't see me coming, she'd be fucked."

Chess grins. He has a nice smile; not too toothy or cocksure. I could see the Capitol eating someone like him right up. "What about Paris?"

"What about Paris? I don't know anything about him."

"He's good with knives. A bit of a dick. Fast."

"I'm good at throwing axes fast."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Do you really want to test that out?" I hold up the axe again. Chess raises an eyebrow, but I can see the way his grip tightens on the spear. Got him. "Point taken."

"So, if you can kill them both so easily, why haven't you taken me out?" He asks. "Johanna?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we're stuck in here," I gesture up at the narrow, rocky gorge we stand in. I'd sussed out my surroundings to the best of my ability on my walk, and these walls are far to high to scale solo. "We need each other if we want to get out."

"Right," he sticks his spear into the ground and gestures with his other hand out towards the space. His eyes narrow in a barely-hidden wince, and I can tell he's hurting. "What do you suggest, then, since you're such an expert?"

I click my tongue and survey our surroundings. It's dark, and a lot of the rock is covered with ice, making it hard to climb up. There's only a small bit, a few metres back when I came from, which appears sheltered enough from the sleet. Just up near the top, barely, but I can make out a small divot where I could fit my feet. Aha.

"You help me up there," I point. "Once I'm up I use my rope to help you down." Chess' mouth twists. "Why don't you look convinced? You're strong enough to carry me, aren't you? Or are you not a Career after all?"

"How do I know you won't leave me down here?"

"You won't," I smile. "Come on."

For what it's worth, Chess follows after me without much hesitation. He takes one last look as Circe's body, paler then the snow, and seems to want to say something, but whatever internal struggle that happens, my side wins and he steps forwards With his spear strapped to his back, I can see he has a lot less supplies than I thought. A single black bag, with enough to maybe carry a sleeping bag and a bottle of water. I raise my eyebrows. No wonder the Careers never make it when their food is destroyed.

"I can probably get you on my shoulders," Chess says, once he's gauged the height. "It'll hurt like a bitch though. Dunno how badly the fall hurt me."

"You're alive and walking," I say. "Up and at em'!"

He rolls his eyes, but drops his bag and spear, gesturing for me to follow his lead. It's odd, being so close to someone. Especially not a Career boy from Two. The last person I was this close to was Twine. Suddenly, I catch another flash of her body, beaten to a pulp. A take a deep breath to steady myself.

"Second thoughts?" Chess grins.

"Fuck you." I say, and place my foot on his outstretched hand. He lets out a grunt of pain as I clamber onto his back, and I can feel all his muscles and tendons tensing up under my weight. I know exactly where to step, but I take my time with the action. Career boys can survive with a little bit of agony, for all I care. Builds character.

Climbing this is like being back home, and I'm up with a few quick steps and a pull of my arm. Immediately I'm back up the side of the mountain I'd been climbing down, seeing the dizzying scope of the arena, now drenched in darkness. My fall had been a stroke of genius luck, by all accounts I should be dead. But the small gorge, stretching barely a few hundred metres seems to have been nestled in the exact right spot on the mountainside.

"Johanna!" Chess calls. "You going to be a team player?"

I should let him down there to die, but my hands reach into my bag on autopilot to grab the rope. I've already tied it and slung it down when I realise what I'm doing, and I have to bite down the curse that reaches my lips. Chess and the Capitol need to think this is on purpose.

Chess is heavy, but it's not much exertion to get him up to the side. He's just reached up when the hovercraft appears to pick up Circe's limp body from the inside of the gorge. Chess takes a deep breath, and I can't help but feel some kind of pang for him.

"She was my favourite of them all, you know," he says, quietly. "Didn't bullshit anyone."

Suppose that's a good trait to have," I shrug. "Listen, are we killing each other, or can I go?"

"No, wait!" Chess' voice is urgent. "What if we took on One together?"

I laugh. "Bet that was your plan. Lure me to them so you can kill me together? No thanks, Chess."

"No, really," he grabs my shoulder, and I swing around, axe inches from his face.

"Touch me again and I'll send you flying back down there."

"Johanna, I don't care how good with an axe you are, if you take both of them on, you're dead."

He might be right, but that doesn't stop me from narrowing eyes and keeping the axe right there. I hadn't thought of how I'd tackle the Careers. I guess I was just going to take it like the rest of the Games; as it came.

"Circe and I were going to turn once it got to the final four. We're pretty sure they were going to do the same. I can't take them both either - not two trained tributes by myself. But with you, maybe both of us would stand a chance."

"And we'd duke it out after they're dead?" It's not a bad idea. Maybe thinking strategy isn't the worst idea. "What about Eleven?"

Chess frowns. "She's still alive?"

"You don't keep track, do you?"

"Let's hope she's a goner by then. Otherwise, whichever one of us that's still alive can deal with her. Deal?" He stretches out his palm. His spear is still strapped on his back. I could kill him so easily right now. "Johanna."

Fuck. I lower my axe and take his hand. "Deal."

-

As it turns out, Chess isn't bad company.

We talk for a bit as we head back up the mountainside and to the woods for the night. I learn his parents work in the quarries and he enrolled in Two's training academy when he was fourteen because it cost less than going to school.

"It was between me and the other guy, but he had a few too many anger issues, so they chose lucky me," he finishes, just as we reach the treeline. Even at the threshold of greenery, I feel myself relax. "What about you?"

"Who gives a shit. Let's find somewhere to stay for the night," I say. Behind me, Chess stops. "What?"

"Nothing - it's just, fuck, I'm in pain." Taking a second look at him, I can properly take in the extent to his injuries. Bruised in a million shades, a bloody eye, slashes up and down his arms and legs. Probably some pretty fucked up internal stuff. I sigh, and grab my bag. "What's that?"

"Here," I pull out Hazel's pill capsule. "Take one, it'll help with the pain."

Chess smiles again, but this time it's not the same, cocksure smile he'd used in the ravine. It's something softer. More genuine. His hand is gentle as he takes the pill. "Thank you, Johanna."

"Save it," I snap, stuffing the bottle back in my bag. "Come on. We need rest."

"Sure there are none of those wolves here?"

"Wolves?" I frown.

"Yeah, ran into a few on the second night. Fucking nasty Mutt things. Scared the socks off of Love."

"Don't know anything about that. I came across some nasty birds, though."

"Birds?" Chess laughs. "Would've thought you were tougher than that."

"Fuck off, Chess. Come on, before I regret not beheading you."

"You'd never!"

"We'll see…"