Chapter 31: Jolien Fisher

A/N: Here we go, District Four is back with a bang! Hope you'll enjoy this odd twist of events that eventually lead to a victory for a girl who really should not be in the Games! Pls review and tell me what you think about Jolien and all her fellow Victors! Cheers:)

Katniss frowned. "What's with her name?"

Peeta shrugged. "I don't know. It sounds like she's a foreigner or something. But hey, District Four finally have a 'Career' Victor."

"Was she Reaped? If so, she doesn't really sound like much of a Career," Katniss noted.

"District Four don't usually volunteer, according to Annie," Peeta told her. "But they still train, just in case they get Reaped."

"Seems like that training saved Jolien," Katniss remarked.

"Definitely," Peeta agreed. "Just like how it saved Timmy, Finnick, Nemo and all the rest."

Jolien Fisher

District 4

Aged 16

5 Kills

Jolien did not belong to Panem. She was born in a foreign country, in a state known as Belgium, to a pair of explorers for a European empire. When she was two, her parents took her on one of their expeditions around the world, to a land shrouded in mystery. Jolien's parents called it 'Amerique', although the actual name was lost in time over the past few centuries. They were on a large boat, one that could accommodate hundreds of people. Their goal was to search for new land to establish trade and diplomacy. But they ran into one little problem as they drew near the coastline of District Four. It wasn't the Capitol's navy, it wasn't a storm, no, it was none other than Molly's Red Crew. The pirates ransacked the ship, slaughtering half the crew and holding Jolien's family captive. Her parents begged Molly to set them free, promising to give her anything she wanted. Molly simply smirked, knowing that there was something they would surely never give up to her. "I want your daughter Jolien," she replied haughtily. To her surprise, they handed the little toddler, who had been jabbed with a syringe when the attack began, over to her without hesitation.

"Here! Take her!" her mother cried out, her eyes showing not a single bit of remorse.

Molly gaped at her, unsure of what to do. Usually, she would torture children to death, but with Jolien, it was different. Sure, she loved killing infants in the most brutal ways possible, it satisfied her hunger for death, but she hated betrayal even more than her love for bloodshed. This was pure, classic betrayal. She snatched the girl from her parents, ordering her crew to kill them in the most painful way possible. They did, locking the horrible parents up in a honey-coated chest full of bees after flogging them, breaking their arms and stripping them naked. They died over two, nightmarish days. Meanwhile, Molly had Jolien under her custody, ordering a crew member to take good care of her and taught her English. But most importantly, she taught Jolien to remain strong. No crying, no whimpering, nothing. Just maintain a steely expression when faced with challenges. And of course, to never abandon a fellow crew member. These lessons would stick by Jolien for the rest of her life. Finally, after seven months with the Red Crew, she became the first child to walk away from the Red Crew unscathed, with Molly finding a willing couple to adopt and take care of her. That couple was Urchin and Kailani Fisher, a pair of fishermen who lived in a modest house near the beach and were desperate for children. They had a son of their own, a newborn baby named Timmy, named after a captain of a rebel fleet during the Dark Days, but they longed for a daughter too. They didn't care that Jolien wasn't from Panem. They loved her just as much as they loved Timmy. This would usually be the happy ending of a story, but sadly, Jolien was never quite so lucky. By the time she turned six, she had two more siblings, Iris and Rafael. They were the happiest family around, until the hurricane came.

It couldn't have come at a worse time. Urchin and Kailani were out on a fishing trip as the family's food supply was dwindling. They had a shortage of money and Jolien was dealing with a pretty nasty toothache. She thought she was suffering until at the stroke of midnight, rain began to smash into the coastal areas of District Four. Soon, the waves followed, along with winds howling with the Capitol's rage. It felt as if Snow himself had engineered the storm. Jolien had been forced to evacuate her siblings to a shelter a mile away. Turning back, she could only watch in horror as a strong gust of wind smashed against their house, blowing it apart. She blinked back tears. Be strong, she reminded herself. Molly told you not to show weakness! She and her siblings made their way to the shelter, hoping to be reunited with their parents, but by then, Urchin and Kailani's bodies had been washed up on the shore, completely devoid of life. Jolien could feel her heart shatter just like their house. Her life had been so good, why did it all have to go wrong now? It didn't help that the Capitol refused to give any aid to the District, instead, they increased prices and lowered wages. Jolien and the Fisher siblings were left with nothing. Nothing at all. The Community Home was full. They were left homeless, impoverished, starving and absolutely miserable. In fact, they almost starved to death when winter arrived. They had no fishing boat, no food supply, no money, nothing. But life has a way of preserving those who had a future ahead of them. Crystal came along on her Victory Tour. She was by no means popular, and she was a noble, but Jolien was desperate. As Crystal and Sapphire strolled around town, she ran up to them, begging for some food and maybe a couple of coins. To her surprise, Sapphire pulled out a fat wad of money and placed it in her hands. "Wait, what?" Jolien blinked, astonished.

"Take it," Sapphire told her. "Buy yourself a fishing boat. You're not gonna die anytime soon." With that, she and Crystal had to move on as a Peacekeeper called for them. Jolien stared at the pair of Victors, speechless. She hadn't even been able to say 'thank you'. It would be another ten years before the pair met again, and this time, Jolien gave her a big hug and she thanked her for saving her life, but that's a story for later.

The years went by. Jolien earned a decent wage from fishing with her brother Timmy, who was proving to be quite the charmer in his school. He could get almost anyone to do his bidding. One time, he even convinced a Peacekeeper to let him off with nothing more than a warning after he was caught stealing some salmon from the local market. Iris, who had been named after a rainbow that guided lost crew during the Dark Days back to safety, had grown up to be beautiful, with her long, flowing blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. She was also the smartest sibling around, able to trick her neighbours and enemies on a constant basis. Rafael was the youngest and most energetic sibling. He was the District's best surfer, fastest swimmer and best knife-thrower. But his speciality was soccer. At the age of ten, he was already one of the best soccer players Panem ever had, scoring goals from outrageous angles and sprinting across the pitch with such pace, the defenders were left scratching their heads. When Marina and Mags established the Career Academy, the Fishers had been one of the first to enrol. Jolien wanted to make sure they were all well-trained in the unlikely event one of them ever got Reaped. Jolien herself hated the Games, but she knew she would never stand a chance without training. So she trained, every day and night, balancing training with her already busy schedule. She was the District's second-best knife thrower, behind only her brother Rafael, and was the best survivalist around. District Four's Academy had a twist, though. Instead of focusing merely on skills, tactics played a key factor in the training sessions. Every day, they would watch a recap of some of the past Hunger Games, studying tactics employed by Victors and mistakes made by the fallen tributes. "Traps and snares will get you a long way into the Games," Marina told them. "Jill, Gadget and many more won with their traps."

"Oh, yeah," Mags agreed "Also, during the Bloodbath, just get a damn backpack and skedaddle. Don't be an idiot and run into a Career's sword. If you do, then you're beyond anyone's help."

The one thing that caught Jolien's eye, though, was the news that District Four were to be included in the Career pack from then on. Marina had broken the news just the week before the Reaping, Mags towing along beside her with the biggest scowl on her face. "Mags gave an apology to Draco. If the kids who are Reaped are deemed strong enough, like Bali last year, you'll be able to join!" The news that they would no longer be targetted in the Bloodbath and forced to endure the harshest deaths was cause for celebration for everyone, including Jolien. She smirked, thinking that District Four's losing streak might finally end and that their District might finally receive some handy supplies from the Capitol. Never in a million years did she imagine that the person who would break that streak would be her.

The day of the Reaping arrived. Sometimes, Jolien imagined that there was a real grim reaper awaiting her on that stage. The escort. She was like Death himself. After all, she dragged poor, usually innocent souls into the arena to die. That morning, Jolien didn't feel like waking up. Timmy had to dump a large bucket of salty seawater on her head to get her moving. And know this, kids, getting seawater up your nose is never a good thing. Jolien got into her Reaping 'dress', a skirt and a shirt, in a rather grumpy mood, grumbling all the way about the salty wake-up call. "Don't be so salty," Timmy teased, prompting a groan from the entire family. Rafael was not of Reaping age yet, so they dropped him off in the sea of underage children with their parents.

"Look, we'll come get you after the Reaping, okay?" Jolien assured him. "Just stay put."

"Yeah, I know," he responded, rolling his eyes. "And don't be late! I've got a match after this."

Jolien frowned. "What match?"

"School tennis championships," Rafael replied.

"I didn't know you could play tennis," Jolien muttered, a little puzzled.

"I can play pretty much every sport in the book. You, on the other hand," he clucked his tongue. "Have zero sporting ability."

Jolien frowned. "Hey! I'm one of the best Academy recruits!"

"Yeah, but you couldn't catch the easiest wave at the beach," he calmly retorted, smirking. Jolien couldn't argue with that. Her surfing skills were pretty pathetic.

"Whatever, I'll see you later, okay? Then I can watch you win your seven millionth sporting medal."

With that, Jolien, Iris and Timmy headed to the square. It was Iris's first Reaping, and Jolien promised that in the unlikely event that she got Reaped, Jolien's hand would shoot straight up and she would volunteer for her. And if Timmy got Reaped, well, Jolien couldn't volunteer for him. But she did promise to sell the fishing boat and all her possessions to sponsor him to Victory. Jolien stood amongst her fellow sixteen-year-old girls, none of whom she knew very well. Their faces were a blur to her, their names lost in memory. She never had many friends. Actually, she never had friends, period. She liked being a lone wolf who took care of her siblings. Several boys had tried to flirt with her, but she merely backhanded them as soon as they came near her. She had a hard hit, one that proved very useful in those situations. The escort came up on stage, and did all her usual stuff. Jolien was half-asleep by the time the actual Reapings began. Up on stage, she could see that Marina and Mags were fidgeting nervously, awaiting their first pair of 'Careers'. No one was going to volunteer, least of all Jolien. She wasn't going into the arena. Not willingly, at least. The escort stuffed her hand into the Reaping bowl and Jolien gritted her teeth. The escort pulled out a slip, a small one, and Jolien felt her teeth chatter a little as the escort unrolled the slip and a smile spread on her face. "Ooh, we've got a nice name here," the escort remarked. Jolien held her breath. Nice name? Did that mean- "Jolien Fisher!"

"Oh, crap," she muttered, jamming her hands in her pockets as she shuffled her way up to the stage. Well, this wasn't good. Looking back, she spotted Iris crying her eyes out as her best friends comforted her, Timmy was groaning in frustration, and Rafael was nowhere to be seen. She stood next to the escort, her thoughts racing wildly in her head.

"Ah, Jolien!" the escort chirped, grinning. "What a lovely name! It's certainly unique!"

"Yeah, thanks," Jolien muttered.

"Are you excited for the Games?" the escort asked.

"Yeah, sure. Totally," Jolien snarled, sarcasm dripping in her voice. Sadly, the escort didn't catch it and clapped her hands eagerly.

"Wonderful! And now for the boys..." She pulled out another slip, and read out, "Davit Clarkson!"

Jolien didn't care who Davit was. For all she cared, he could be some strong eighteen-year-old or a shrimpy twelve-year-old. Either way, she was going into the Games. She might die, but she wasn't going down without a fight. Don't show weakness, Molly had told her. It would be hard, but Jolien told herself she had to remain true to that. She hadn't shown weakness in well over a decade, she wasn't showing it now. What she didn't realise, however, was how hard it would be to keep all her 'weakness' within her, especially after she left the arena...

Davit was a jerk, it turned out. He was just like Bali, a former pirate crew member, and one who didn't give a damn about other people's lives. "I'm ready to kill as many as I can," he proudly declared to the bemused pair of Victors from Four. "I'll be the strongest Victor of all!"

Mags rolled her eyes. "You'll be the biggest loser of all. Hey, Marina, I call dibs on the girl, yeah?"

Marina sighed, but she nodded her head, unwilling to argue with Mags. Mags grinned and scooted over to Jolien. "So, kiddo, what makes you different?"

Jolien blinked. Different? She didn't know. As far as she was concerned, apart from her name, she was pretty boring, at least, by Capitol standards. "Uhh, I was once part of the Red Crew?"

Mags scowled. "Another pirate? My gosh, you're dead meat!"

"Wait!" Jolien pleaded, quickly regretting her choice of words. "I wasn't actually a pirate. Molly, she kidnapped me when I was a kid, and-"

"Molly kidnapped you, huh?" Mags frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "And yet, you're still alive."

"She took care of me," Jolien said, shrugging. "I don't know why. I can't really remember much from before I got on her ship."

Mags nodded slowly. "Uh-huh. Hey, fancy telling the Capitol a pirate story or something?"

Jolien raised her eyebrow. "Erm, a pirate story?"

"The Capitolians are suckers for a good tale," Mags pointed out.

"Should I just tell them my life story, then?" Jolien asked.

"You could," Mags said. "Or, you could sensationalize it and throw in some swashbuckling details. Like, say, you were a part of one of Molly's raids!"

"Okay..."

"And your parents were killed by a hurricane, right? Make it emotional, make it sound like they died in your arms or something as you raced away from a large wave bursting towards you!"

Jolien wasn't quite following, but she still pretended as though she did nonetheless, nodding along with Mags's weird plan. She was a Victor, after all. Jolien decided to trust this seemingly batty woman. Mags led her to another room as Davit continued to brag about his strengths to an unimpressed Marina. She grabbed a small, black rod with several buttons on it and pressed a large, red one at the top left corner. A TV flicked to life in front of Jolien's eyes. "Whoa," she breathed. Jolien had never seen a TV being switched on before. It seemed impressive, how advanced Capitolian technology was. Then again, she realised, scowling, they kept it away from the Districts, refusing to give them much comfort in their lives. Jolien was never loyal to the Capitol, she'd very much like to punch that tyrant Snow in the face. But now wasn't the time. The Reapings went live and Jolien had her first look of her new allies. The pair from One, Peridot and Jasper, weren't as snooty as noble children from One usually were, but one look at their muscles told Jolien everything she needed to know. They needed to be rid of if she were to stand a chance of winning. The pair from Two were worse. She could betray Peridot and Jasper, and no one would bat an eye, least of all the Victors from One, but if she so much as laid a finger on Zenobia or Arthur, the monstrous pair from Two, Draco would almost certainly cut the deal between Four and the Careers, severing a nervy peace that was already teetering on the edge of a slippery cliff. She had to make sure her involvement in their deaths was subtle. After all, her siblings were far from safe from the Reaping. She wanted to make sure everyone from Four who entered the Games after her could join the pack and survive. "How do I deal with them?" she asked Mags, biting her fingernail as she did.

"Lure them into a Gamemaker trap, then abandon them right off the bat," Mags suggested. "I'm sure Draco wouldn't mind as long as you grovel after you win."

Jolien's eyes widened. "Grovel?"

"Oh, yes," Mags growled. "That sneaky son of a bitch made Marina and me grovel at his feet before he allowed Fours to be in the pack. You might have to do the same."

Jolien gasped. "That's horrible!"

Mags sighed, biting her lip. "Kiddo, that's not even the worst of it."

Jolien frowned, backing away a little. "What? What do you mean?"

"Ever heard of the Victors' Prostitution Ring?"

Jolien could barely bring herself together for the Tribute Parade. Her stylist had dressed her up as a mermaid, with spiked stone crowns and shell necklaces, along with a long flowing turquoise fabric to represent her tail. But what grossed her out was that she was forced to wear a bra made of starfish, which seemed all too real. It felt sickening, and while she should've been grateful she got a nice costume, after what Mags had told her about the VPR, it seemed like a double-edged sword. She gazed at the ground as she walked past the crowd of tributes, some of whom turned and stared at her. Jolien wondered what her siblings would think. Timmy would probably make a joke out of it, Iris would compliment it, and Rafael would gag at it. But none of them knew about the VPR. None of them knew the implications of wearing such a dress. "You look like a slut," Davit sneered, although he himself was bare-chested.

Jolien rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him. The Careers from Districts One and Two walked up to them, vicious looks in their eyes and small hints of murderous sneers on their lips. They were barely human in Jolien's opinion, more beast than human. Of course, she wasn't going to say that out loud. She had an alliance to preserve! "Hey, Four," Arthur called out, his voice deep and booming. Jolien stood her ground, raising her chin a little and folding her arms. Arthur sneered at her, showing off his yellowed set of teeth, some of which appeared cracked. "Well, you look good."

Zenobia swatted his arm. "Eyes on the prize, Arthur! She's a fisher girl, remember?"

Jolien frowned. "What's wrong with fisher girls?"

Zenobia shrugged. "You lot are weaklings, you know?" (By the time of Katniss's Games, she would be proven very wrong indeed as more and more 'fisher girls' won the Games, but that's a story for later.)

And Career girls are monsters disguised as normal humans, Jolien wanted to retort. "I'm stronger than you think," was all she could say.

Zenobia raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Oh, really? I guess we'll see in training, then."

"We're supposed to be allies, you know," Jolien pointed out. "Not enemies."

"Oh, we know that," Arthur assured her, but his devilish sneer never left his face. "It's just, you're sixteen. The rest of us are eighteen. Besides, you didn't volunteer. You're definitely the weakest in the pack."

Jolien had to resist punching him in the face there and then. She wasn't weak! In fact, Jolien thought she could easily overpower Davit and maybe even Peridot. Her long hours as a fisher allowed her to develop skills with spears, nets and knives. Oh, and she could tie a mean knot. Besides, she was brilliant with survival skills. After all, she was the only Career pack member who had ever suffered from poverty. Jolien figured her odds should be the highest, especially when you factor in her grit and determination to win for her siblings. She glared at Arthur, who was grinning smugly at her, as she fiddled the copper medallion in her pocket. It was a strange item, one she had always had since she was aboard Molly's ship. Molly claimed it was from her original parents, who were lost sailors from Four, but the writing on it was cryptic. It was basically gibberish to everyone. Everyone except Jolien, that is. For some reason, she could roughly make out the message on the medallion. It said something along the lines of 'Explore your dreams'. She didn't know how she knew, she just knew. It was like second nature to her. Engraved along with it was her name, in English, thankfully, and a tiny picture of all her adopted family members, her deceased parents, Timmy, Iris and Rafael, all smiling at her. Touching it brought comfort to her, for some reason. It reminded her fondly of not just District Four, but also of her biological family, whoever they may have been. She had never been able to meet them, but she had always imagined that they were a nice, loving couple. She didn't know about her father's alcoholism, her mother's narcissism, their constant affairs, or their final betrayal. She would never find out, in fact. But one of her siblings would, eventually.

As soon as the head instructor finished briefing them at the Training Centre, Jolien headed straight for the knife-throwing station, the Careers following closely. She approached the station with the utmost determination, her fists balled, her eyes steely and fierce, her lips tight with confidence. She hated to admit it, but Rafael had been the one who had taught her how to properly throw a knife. And now she was going to do him proud. She thrust her hand at the instructor, her gaze focused on the target, placed just more than 15 feet away from her. The instructor placed a knife on her palm, and in a split second, her fingers closed tightly around it and she whirled around in a circular motion before hurling the knife with deadly power and precision. The blade sunk itself smack dab in the middle of the target. Jolien turned around, cocking an eyebrow as her fellow Careers nodded, seemingly impressed. "Was that good enough?"

"Do it again," Jasper told her. Unlike the others, he didn't look convinced at all. His eyes looked bored, as though he'd seen this trick a thousand times. Jolien bit her lip. Clearly, she had to do something extra to impress him. Without even waiting for the instructor to hand her another knife, she dashed for the box of knives and grabbed one, before leaping into the air and throwing the knife from between her legs. Again, the blade sank into the bullseye.

"How 'bout that?" she asked Jasper, who gave a half-smile.

"Well, aren't you a show-off," he snorted, but he seemed approving of her talents. Personally, Jolien didn't see this as very fair. How come Davit's skills weren't questioned? Or even Peridot's for that matter? She constantly stared off into space and didn't seem to care much about training. As usual, though, Jolien didn't say a word. All she could do was follow quietly as the Careers took turns intimidating the younger tributes, wincing as the little children cried and wailed in agony. She was particularly upset that they goaded the pair of twelve-year-olds from Ten, bone-thin, helpless, and begging for mercy as Arthur and Jasper taunted them. "We'll slice your arms up," Jasper told them. "Then pour some lava in your ears. And we'll dump you in a chest filled with wasps and throw it into a toxic river! Oh, and during the Victory Tour, I'll take everything your parents ever owned!" Their screams, their desperate run for the bathroom, it struck Jolien in ways she couldn't imagine. They reminded her a little of Iris and Rafael, her own siblings. Their childhood innocence, and the simple fact that they really should not be anywhere near the arena. So, after training, Jolien walked up to them and tried to comfort them, but it was no use. They were already contemplating jumping off their pedestals.

"Don't give up, yet," Jolien tried to encourage them. "There's always a chance." Sadly, to her dismay, it didn't do much help.

Jolien's interview dress was literally the exact same thing she wore for her Tribute Parade. She could practically hear Timmy moaning about his lack of creativity, grumbling on and on about her having to embarrass herself in that costume twice. But he wasn't here now and thus she couldn't hear those grumbles in person. Mags gave her a tight hug right before her name was called. "Just wing it, okay?"

It wasn't the most encouraging piece of advice Jolien had ever received, but the calming smile on Mags's face as she said it, the jest in her tone, it filled her to the brim with confidence. Jolien smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mags."

Mags chuckled. "Now steal the show, kiddo."

And Jolien did, telling swashbuckling tales about her adventures with the Red Crew and the horrors of the hurricane. "The wind was so strong, it nearly knocked over the Justice Building!" she would say, inciting more than a few gasps from the shallow Capitol audience. "But the wind was nothing compared to the one when Molly sailed us to Craggy Cove. Oh my, you could've sworn there was some sort of wind mutts around!" Then there was her family. "Look, I don't care what the odds are. I'm coming back for them. For all three of them. They'll never have to starve again!" That last part drew a few "awws" from the crowd. By the time the buzzer rang she was proving to be pretty popular amongst the Capitolians, and that night, Mags's sponsor phone kept on ringing all night long, depriving the now extremely irritated woman of any sleep.

When Jolien first saw the arena, her first words were, "Come on, seriously?" The Cornucopia was in a small, underground chamber, with twenty-four tunnels leading away from it. How the heck were they supposed to look for tributes in this place? She sighed, rolling up her sleeves and wiping away some beads of sweat that had begun to appear on her forehead. The gong rang. Normally, Jolien's best move would be to run away as fast as she could, but this year, she was a member of the Career pack. Nothing to be worried about. She dived right into the action, scooping up a knife and carefully observing the carnage around her. Zenobia, to her dismay, had slashed the pair from Ten's throats, both little kids crumbling to the ground in a bloody heap. They deserved better than this, Jolien thought. They didn't deserve to die. Jasper and Davit were taking turns stabbing the poor girl from Seven, laughing and cackling like witches as they drained the life out of her. Jolien gagged. The fact that people could be so cruel made her stomach twist and churn. But she couldn't feel sick for long. Peridot was struggling to fight that towering boy from Six, writhing and screaming as he tried to choke her. Jolien should have just let her die. That would lower the competition, right? After all, Peridot had gotten a nine. But no, instead, Jolien found herself kicking the boy away and stabbing him in the chest with her knife.

Peridot struggled to her feet. "Thanks, Jolien," she muttered. Good to know she had manners. Just then, Peridot pushed her aside. Jolien yelped in frustration but stopped when she saw the girl from Nine collapse behind her, Peridot's knife in her neck. Now it was Jolien's turn to say thank you. Peridot shrugged. "Don't mention it. We're allies, remember?"

Jolien nodded, quickly getting on her feet and whirling around for other threats, but it seemed that Jasper, Arthur, Zenobia and Davit had already spilled the blood of any tribute who looked even a little strong. At the moment they were busy torturing the girl from Twelve, a muscular miner girl who was currently missing both her eyes and nose. Jolien could feel the bile running down her throat as Arthur ordered for them to come closer and join in. "Look away, guys," she whispered, hoping the cameras caught it and her siblings could hear her. She trudged her way to the 'torture area' and whipped out her knife.

"Stab her," Zenobia ordered.

"Seal the final kill!" Jasper exclaimed.

"Come on, fisher girl, prove your worth!" Davit roared.

Jolien gritted her teeth and slowly approached the girl, who was whimpering like the wounded prey she had become. "I'm sorry," she muttered in a low voice, hoping that only the girl could hear. Then, with one quick stab, she ended the girl's misery. She spun on her heels, glaring at the Careers, who, except for Peridot, were grinning broadly. "Happy now?"

"What's the deal, Jolien?" Zenobia asked, rolling her eyes in an exasperated fashion.

"I wouldn't want my siblings to see me kill," Jolien hissed sharply.

Zenobia snorted. "Then your siblings are weak! Pathetic little wimps!"

Jolien saw red. She didn't mind it when others insulted her, the simple fact that she was Reaped for the Games was an insult. But Iris and Rafael, even fourteen-year-old Timmy, they were off-limits to insulters. She pushed Zenobia in the chest, completely forgetting about the alliance at stake. She didn't care about it either. Draco was a twat and he could do whatever he wanted, but if he ever so much as even thought of harming Timmy, Iris and Rafael, she would give him hell, no matter the consequences. "Don't you dare call them wimps," she snarled, her eyes red with rage. "They're some of the best fighters in Panem, even better than some of you pathetic Careers. I bet eleven-year-old Rafael could hurl a knife into your chest before you even thought about attacking him."

Zenobia's eyes widened, and she was just about to attack when Jasper stood between them. "Yo, ladies. Let's not cut each other's throats here, okay?" Jolien and Zenobia backed away, but there was still that fiery, burning passion and the strong tension in the air around them even as they left to explore the tunnels. It didn't matter, Jolien thought. Zenobia would be dead before she knew it, and so would Jasper, Peridot, Arthur and Davit, that disgrace of a Four.

By the sixth day, the pack had hunted down and killed two more tributes. Jolien and Peridot usually stood to one side during the killing process, mumbling excuses about being on guard. Jolien grew to kind of like Peridot. She clearly had a greater sense of morality than any of the other Careers. So, why on earth did she volunteer? Peridot looked away and walked off every time Jolien tried to bring it up, so she didn't push it. Jolien made a mental note, however, that Peridot might be faking the good girl act so others would underestimate her. Jolien quickly decided she was no lesser of a threat than Zenobia or Davit was. They continued walking through the endless tunnels, some of which were flooded and inaccessible. It reminded Jolien of Shocker's sewer arena that her adopted parents had so vividly described when she was younger. It wasn't a good memory. She half-expected a lizard mutt to pop out of nowhere and maul them to death. Thankfully, none did. What did come, though, was much worse. Lizard mutts she could at least kill. Poisonous fog, however, she could not. It was nighttime, or something like that. Jolien had lost track of the time in the dark, soggy tunnels. She was having a particularly horrific nightmare about Timmy being forced to go into the arena and dying in the Bloodbath, when she felt someone shake her shoulders agitatedly. Instantly, she jolted upright, reaching for her knife to kill the intruder, but it was only Peridot. Her face was wrinkled with concern and she was fidgeting uncontrollably as she proceeded to wake the other Careers up. "What's going on?" Jolien asked.

Peridot didn't response. Jolien followed her gaze and saw a thick fog approaching them. "It's just fog," Davit snorted. "Here, let me show you." Before anyone could stop him, he had walked straight into the fog. Immediately, boils begun erupting all over his skin and he screamed in pain, stumbling on the spot. Jolien didn't hesitate. She ran for her damn life. The other Careers did so too, and soon, Jolien heard Davit's cannon boom. Jolien ran and ran until she heard a second scream. Peridot. She whirled around and saw Perifot struggling on the ground, her legs bloodied and covered in boils.

"Jolien, please!" Peridot begged.

"Leave her!" Arthur shouted but Jolien simply couldn't. She didn't want to live with the guilt of abandoning a girl who had shown her some respect. She dashed over, ignoring the blisters forming on her knuckles, and scooped Peridot up. Peridot was a slim noble girl, she didn't weigh too much. Jolien started to run after the Careers, her waist searing with pain as the fog licked it excitedly. Soon, they came at a crossroads, with a sign in the middle. But the problem was, the sign wasn't in English. None of them could understand it. None of them, except Jolien. She couldn't explain how she could, but she managed to pull out the oldest memory in her head and translated the words. To the left was danger. To the right was safety.

"Turn right!" Jolien shouted but the other Careers just scoffed.

"Don't trust you!" Zenobia shouted, before she, Arthur and Jasper ran off to the left. Jolien sighed, knowing that they would only be running to their deaths, but she had a chance to live and she was taking it. As the fog neared, she veered to the right, hauling a moaning and quickly bleeding out Peridot with her. She caught sight of some light at the end of the tunnel and when she turned, she realised the fog was nowhere in sight. Jolien heaved a sigh of relief, thanking her lucky stars as she walked at a steadier pace to the source of the light. When she did, sunlight burst through the exit and she had to shield her eyes as the glaring sun, one she hadn't seen in almost a week, shone right in her eyes. She was on a tiny islet, with a coconut tree and a wooden hut. The sand on the beach was golden, just like the one back home in District Four. Peridot groaned and rolled to the ground, wheezing and choking as boils began to burst across her body. Jolien knelt down next to her.

"Someone give her medicine!" Jolien begged, but no sponsor parachutes came floating by towards them.

Peridot coughed. "Jolien... I'm dead anyway."

"No!" Tears began to form in Jolien's eyes. She wiped them furiously. What had Molly told her about showing no weakness. "Peridot, you're staying alive!"

Peridot shook her head weakly and slipped out her knife from her belt. "Kill me. Make it quick."

Jolien gaped at the knife. She couldn't, she wouldn't! She couldn't possibly kill her! "Peridot, I-"

"You know, I never really appreciated my siblings," Peridot said, chuckling softly. "Not even my own twin sister. The Carmichael family is horrible in that sense. But seeing you defend your own siblings that way, wow. Made me realise, I've been living my life in the wrong way. I've trained so hard to volunteer, I never appreciated my life, you know? " She paused, coughing out blood. "Just do it, Jolien," she begged. "I want you to come home to your family."

Jolien wanted to protest, but she couldn't argue with her. She had to simply face the facts. Peridot wasn't making it out. She grabbed the knife and with one, final, tearful goodbye, she slit Peridot's throat. The cannon boomed and Jolien was left all alone, sobbing uncontrollably as an additional three cannons boomed, one for each of the other Careers.

Once the hovercraft had taken Peridot's body away, Jolien hobbled her way to the hut. Creaking the door open, she found a hatch that led back to the tunnels. She had to get back down there soon, or the Gamemakers would likely kill her. There were also two tables, one orange, the other indigo. On each table was a basket of fruit, a jar of honey and some medicine. Judging by the stains of blood on the floor, an unlucky tribute had passed by and had eaten from the wrong table. On each table, was that same, foreign language. Jolien recognised it again. It had become like second nature to her, understanding this cryptic, strange writing. The orange table was filled with the most poisonous food in Panem, the indigo one filled with actual, edible food. Jolien slipped her finger into the indigo jar of honey and tasted the sweet, delicious honey. She wasn't dead. A smile crept on her bruised face. Once again, she had chosen right.

The final showdown was about to get underway. Jolien bolted through the tunnels, trying to evade a vicious group of crocodile mutts that could, for some strange reason, breathe fire. She had her knives ready, since she had taken Peridot's along with hers, and sprinted across the dry tunnels, ready to face off against any tribute that came charging her way. The only thing on her mind was how close she was to going home. Home. Her ultimate goal. She had spent twelve, long days in the arena, she wasn't going to spend another! This Games ended now, with her as Victor. "Close your eyes, guys," she warned her siblings. "This is about to get brutal." One of the crocodile mutts spat out a fireball, singeing her ponytail. "Get away from me!" she kicked it in the snout and kept on running. In the distance, she could hear a faint shout and loud banging noises. Tributes. She was getting close. Eventually, she came to an intersection, where Paul, the boy from Twelve, and Tech, the boy from Three, were clashing spears. They were so caught up with their intense battle that neither even noticed Jolien arriving at the scene. Paul dodged a lunge from Tech, before trying to jab his own spear at Tech's head, only for Tech to duck at the last minute and kick him in the shin. Jolien squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the aftermath of what she was about to do next. Two flicks of her wrist were all it took. Both boys lay dead on the ground, a knife sticking out of each of their chests. Jolien promptly collapsed to the ground. She had won, but the victory had taken out most of her energy. She needed a damn nap, on a mattress, preferably. But hey, at least her family could finally live in peace, right?

Katniss and Peeta had a moment of silence for the foreign-born Victor, but there was nothing much to add on. Peeta flipped the page and Katniss scowled. "You think Four's Reapings are rigged?"

Peeta nodded. "Definitely. Four siblings in a row? That doesn't just happen."

The next Victor was a boy with a cheeky smirk on his face. His hair was a tangle of beachy waves and his eyes glimmered green. But the most significant thing was Jolien, who had a protective arm around him. She seemed full of relief, and was in high spirits, even as the crowd stared emptily at them. "Timmy Fisher."

VICTORS

District 1-Sapphire Huntington(4), Onyx Hibonite(9), Franc Montgomery(14), Crystal Montgomery(21), Sterling Jones(25)

District 2-Ragnar Sveinsson(5), Reyna Boudicca(6), Draco Hadley(10), Scipio MacAllister(17), Freya Carson(22), Hercules Nichols(28)

District 3-Nikola Johnson(13), Gadget Schroeder(24)

District 4-Marina Bluebell(1), Mags Flanagan(11), Jolien Fisher(31)

District 5-Shocker Crimson(8), Switch Kim(19), Flash Morrison(27)

District 6-Ford Hamilton(20)

District 7-Hassan Greenwood(2), Jill Wilson(15), Olive Sanchez(26)

District 8-Woof Casino(16)

District 9-Gwendolyn Whitfield(18), Laurel Flamsteel(29)

District 10-Ringo Alvarez(7), John Gatwick(23)

District 11-Orchid Bloom(12), Seeder Crue(30)

District 12-Axel Millar(3)

A/N: There we have it! Jolien, the Belgian girl who ended up in Panem makes it out, but her problems have only just begun because Timmy is going to be Reaped next! A narrative that I often use in my writing is these four siblings, Jolien, Timmy, Iris and Rafael, in that age order, so I thought why not put them in here too? Jolien doesn't sound like a very American/Panemian name so I had to come up with an extra backstory to fit it in, and thus came the whole thing with Molly's crew! Hope you enjoyed and pls review if you have any ideas on how I should portray Timmy! Stay tuned for him and cheers:)