Picking fights
Cato attempts to pick a fight with Katniss, and he insults her family.
Cato had been terrorizing the tributes who weren't in the career pack. Unfortunately, Katniss was one of those people. Her district partner, Peeta, had betrayed her, and was in the career pack, even though she'd advised him not to. After this, it had seemed that Katniss was their main focus, attempting to crack her. They had so far been unsuccessful, until Cato finally decided to corner her.
He sneered distastefully, "What are you? A twelve-year-old, or a sixteen?" Katniss shrugged, "People take me for a twelve-year-old, apparently. I'm thinner and shorter than some my own age. Probably from lack of food," she glared at Peeta, "Not like he'd know anything about it." There was a moment of silence, before Clove, intrigued, stepped forwards towards her, "Why wouldn't he know?" Almost immediately, Katniss laughed darkly and sarcastically, "Because he's the richer side of town. The district's poor, but most of the packages and deliveries go towards the rich, he's part of it. The poor don't get anything except whiplash, scars, and empty plates." She paused, "Oh, and they get picked most of the time. Probably why Peeta decided to join you, thinks he has a better chance because he's eaten more, and is probably stronger than most of the district."
Cato simply shook his head, freeing it from the unwelcome distraction, "Well, I don't care! You're going to die!"
The entire room was so silent that you could hear a feather drop if you listened hard enough. Then the room erupted, the careers hooting and cheering, eager for Cato to continue. Meanwhile, some of the instructors looked ready to pounce in case something happened. The game makers in their box looked eager, and the mentors in their room, froze, wondering what her reply would be.
Soon enough, their question was answered, when Katniss said with a monotonous tone, "I know." It was an understatement to say people were shocked, why had Katniss reacted so…carelessly? Cato, outraged his threat hadn't been received the way he had intended, asked, "You don't care?" She shrugged in reply, waiting before she replied, "Not really. If I die, I die, If I survive, I survive. I'll just go with whatever happens, I don't really care that much." Before Cato could reply, Peeta shouted, "You're not scared of dying!?"
Katniss stared at him coldly, before turning her head away from him and replying, "No. If I was afraid of dying, I wouldn't embrace it so freely. Don't you get it? I want to die; I don't want to suffer through what happens after the games." Everyone except the victors had the exact same expression on their faces that practically screamed, what happens after the games?
Cato recovered quickly, shouting the most insulting thing he could think of, "Well, I bet your mum was a slum rat, and your dad a miner freak!" The instant the words were out of his mouth, Katniss swivelled on her feet, fixing Cato with a murderous expression as Peeta paled. "What!? What did you just say about my family?" Cato, oblivious to what was going on inside Katniss' face, replied, "I think your mum's a slum rat, and your dad's a miner freak!"
That's when it happened, Katniss struck out, pinning Cato to the floor in unmasked anger, "Don't you even dare talk about me family like that!" Everyone was shocked, her anger came out of nowhere, but Cato simply arched his eyebrow, "What you gonna do about it?" That just angered Katniss more, and as she slapped him across the face, a tear rolled down her face.
This seemed to stifle everyone in shock, giving Katniss the perfect opportunity to reply, "Everything I can and more." She silently composed herself, her eyes glistening dangerously, daring anyone to say anything while she did so, "You have no idea of the danger you have just stumbled upon, and I hope you never do understand. The pain-it's too hard to overcome, and even though you're a jerk, I would never wish it upon anyone." After recovering from his shock, Cato sneered and replied, "What can possibly so bad that you've gone through? Besides, I only mentioned your rat parents, and you have a sister, right? She's a rat too!"
This officially seemed to set Katniss off more than him insulting her parents, apparently her sister was the person she valued the most, as soon after hid words sunk in, she was hitting Cato in rage, no longer attempting to console him. "How dare you call my sister a rat!?" With one last hit, she ran out of the room, not even bothering to maintain her reputation, something the careers would no doubt scramble to do.
Everyone turned to Peeta for an explanation, who clearly hadn't recovered from his thoughts, still as white as snow, gaping like a fish that had just witnessed another eat a shark. "What the-what just happened!?" Glimmer demanded, pressuring Peeta - who had just seemed to notice people staring at him - to answer. Finally, he answered, "Well…Cato just made a simply terrible mistake, one that is almost impossible to be righted," he spoke in an unusual manner, different to how he normally did, more…sophisticated. He continued, "He insulted her family, and everyone in the district knows not to cross her when it's about her family." He breathed out deeply, continuing, "Well…her family is dead. And the reason her family is dead is because they were executed, executed because they were unlucky and were framed by another. Do not cross her, at all costs."
Everyone nodded, especially the careers, for fear they couldn't do much to prevent their deaths anymore. Peeta, of course, knew better, Katniss wouldn't go after them, but if they did, she would kill them, and it would hurt.