Disclaimer – I do not own the Hunger Games or any of the characters.
Chapter 5
Johanna pov
As we head towards a door marked 'Special Weaponry' with Beetee in tow, we are stopped by four guards. Apparently since we aren't officially scheduled to be in here they won't let us in. Gale eventually gets frustrated by them and calls up to that Coin woman, who struts around like she owns the place, with a communicator on his wrist. She seems unwilling to let me in but I can hear Plutarch arguing about how he wants me in a propo as soon as possible with my new axe.
Eventually we are granted entrance but have to go through a lot of pointless scans, DNA verification and finger prints.
"Is this really necessary, it's not like there's a Johanna Mason clone walking about the place!" I moan. "It's like being at the bloody reaping again!"
"You always have something to complain about don't you, Johanna" Beetee laughs.
" Well being in the arena twice and recently tortured has been far too much like a vacation for me I have to find something to complain about" I say rolling my eyes.
"Either that or she has to be a smart ass about everything" adds Gale.
I elbow him in the gut and he lets out a small groan. As we walk further into the room I'm immediately stunned by the sheer volume of weapons that district 13 has and I'm itching to get my hands on them and cause some destruction.
"Where's mine? Where's mine?" I ask excitedly. I'm practically jumping up and down with anticipation. Beetee just smiles and walks over to a cabinet where he produces the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It's a large, ornate battle axe with a black blade. He presents it to me and I take it in my hands expecting to feel the weight, but I don't its surprisingly light.
"It's made of a special light-weight metal that is being developed here, it means it will be easier to manoeuvre and carry in combat." He tells me.
I just stare at it in amazement, I've never had something so beautiful created just for me.
"Wow Beetee, I think you deserve a medal…first person to ever render Johanna 'always has something to say' Mason speechless" he says grinning.
I just scowl at him but it doesn't last long when he suggests I try it out. I test it out in an area with moving dummies and I'm instantly in love, I feel so free and happy and the weapon is so easy to use I feel like I'm at one with it. I pull off a rather spectacular display that includes me spinning the axe in my hand while I wait for more incoming dummies then, as a grand finale; I throw it in the air, forward roll, catch it as I'm jumping to my feet and decapitate the last dummy. I'm glad I haven't lost my touch anyway! And the weapon is so light I'm able to try out lots of new tricks.
I don't know how long I'm at it for and I'm so busy having fun that when I finally look up I notice Hawthorne just standing there with in arms folded staring at me with a grin on him face.
"What?" I ask
"Nothing!" He replies quickly.
"Seriously what are you staring at, Hawthorne?!" I demand.
"You're just pretty awesome" he shrugs.
"I know this" I say smiling.
"Plus, you should definitely smile more often….it looks good on you." He adds.
Then he gets a look on his face, as if that last sentence just slipped out without him meaning, and quickly turns away. He goes and gets his special bow and arrows Volts made for him and carries another box over to me.
Volts had also made me special throwing axes that explode when you press a button that you wear on your wrist. They are wicked.
I try them out on a target range.
"This is better than therapy; it's a great stress relief!" I tell him.
"Yeah, this is where I go when I need to get rid of built up tension. Nothing beats it." he adds seriously.
"I know one thing" I say with a smirk.
"What's that then?" he asks with curiosity.
I just laugh "You'll find out when you're older" and wink at him.
When the realisation of what I mean hits him he opens his mouth to say something then promptly closes it again and pick up his bow.
We practice for a while with our special weapons and end up having target competitions, of course we are both extremely competitive and it end in us arguing about who won….i still maintain I did.
Beetee leaves us to it and walks out the door chuckling to himself.
"If you are so brilliant at everything, let's see how you are with a bow" he teases.
"Fine by me, Gorgeous." I add cockily.
But unfortunately the bow and arrow is not my weapon and although I can hit the target I'm nowhere near as good as him.
"Here, let me show you" he says softly.
He comes behind me and places one of his hands over my hand that's holding the bow and the other on my shoulder.
"Relax" he whispers.
I can feel the heat of his body against my back and feel his warm breath tickle my neck and it sends a shiver down my spine that I try to suppress. I choose to ignore this feeling and release the arrow. It last right in the centre. I turn slowly to him and look up at him seductively.
"Now that you're done copping a feel, can we go eat….i'm freaking starving" I purr with a smirk.
We have dinner with his family, the Everdeens, minus the Flaming Bird, and the annoyingly chatty girl from district 12. I'm raving about my new weapons and the fact that I beat Hawthorne at target practice this afternoon.
"You did not!" he cuts in indignantly.
"Typical man, always has to win everything!" I roll my eyes and sigh. "If that's what you need to feel like a man then fine, you won." I pat him on the head and say "Aren't you a clever boy!" in the most patronising voice I can muster.
He doesn't like this one bit.
"I have to get to Command" he announces at the end of dinner. "Don't forget to go to your appointment this evening. He says looking at me.
"Sir, Yes Sir" I bark at him giving him a mock salute.
As I'm leave my Dr Jackass's office I run into Finn and Annie, Annie has an appointment after mine. Finnick kisses her goodbye then turns to me.
"So you and Gale?" he grins as it it's a fact.
"Me and Gale? There is no me and Gale! Why would you say that!?" The words rush out of me and slightly higher pitch than my voice should be.
"To get that very reaction out of you" he laughs, clearly pleased with himself. "You like him" he says in a sing song voice and pokes my nose.
I slap his hand away and he just bursts out in fits of laughter.
"No seriously though, Jo" he regains is composure, "he's different around you, before I saw him with you he was always so serious and angry. It's nice for him to get a respite from that, you clearly bring out the fun side of him….everyone has that one person that can always make them forget about all the horrors in this world." He says softly clearly thinking of Annie.
"Well you always were a soppy git" I add. "Plus he's clearly in love with someone else. Not that I care, you know I don't do love, not anymore." I tell him.
"You forget…I know you Jo. You like men, you love to control them, use them, get what you need and leave" he says with the hint of a smile.
"Get some, get gone…that's the motto" I nod.
"Well maybe his needs are the same as yours? Must be frustrating to have all these emotions of love, hate and anger floating around in there with no way to escape them…can't be much fun for him don't you think?" he asks with raised eyebrows.
"I don't think I just do" I shrug.
"Well go do!" he encourages. "Who knows? Maybe you both might find something you weren't looking for." He adds, almost to himself.
A/N Thank you so much for all the kind reviews!