AN: Next chapter they will see the arena for the first time!
Disclaimer: All rights go to Rick Riordan and Suzanne Collins
Chapter V: He's still preparing.
Percy's P.O.V.
"Watch out!" I shouted at Finnick. He ducked just in time for the arrow to miss him. It was a stray arrow, fired by me. But then again, all my arrows go astray. "And that's why you never ask me to shoot a bow."
'Come on, that was just one. Try again.' Finnick said. I rolled my eyes and did as he asked. I aimed at the center and drew the string back. I let loose and the arrow went straight up. I groaned in frustration. "See? Most don't even know that it's possible for an arrow to be fired that way."
My demigod senses tingled but I ignored it. Something flashed before my eyes and imbedded my foot. "Fuck!" I cursed before lifting up the foot that got hit. It was my arrow. "Dam it. I'm never shooting again!" I complained to Finnick. But then I noticed something weird, my foot didn't hurt at all. The arrow went right trough it.
He laughed in reply. 'Alright then. To restore your wounded pride, why don't you show me something that you can do?'
My face lit up at that but then I frowned. "That will have to wait. You are here to practice."
'Can't we just fight each other then?' Finnick argued.
"I don't see how me beating you up counts as training." I retorted with a teasing grin. "And the others will think you are fighting with an invisible enemy. Which you are, to them."
Finnick pouted but accepted it. 'Okay, so what am I supposed to practice? Surviving, fighting with weapons I can't use, or fighting with weapons I can use?'
"Eh, Mags advised us to learn how to make a fire. We won't have to worry about water." I told him. "And we already fight good enough."
Finnick nodded. 'But we are going to practice fighting. Otherwise the rest will think of us as an easy prey. Well, me. They can't see you.'
"That's fine with me."
#Line Break#
"We're alone now." I told Finnick when we entered his room. "Let's fight"
'Without weapons?' He asked confused.
I shook my head with a grin. "We can, but I was thinking about a water fight." I walked over to the bathroom and turned the water on. When there was enough to make two weapons I turned it off again. "What do you want to fight me with?" I asked him over my shoulder.
'A trident.' He replied from the other room, not knowing that I was making the weapons out of water.
I made a replica of Riptide for myself and walked over to Finnick. "Here" I threw the trident straight at him. His eyes widened and he used his arms to cover his head. Lucky for him the trident stopped a foot from him and fell down. I blinked astonished, I planned to make it stop a few inches from him, so that means…
"You did it! You made it stop!" I shouted at him.
'I did?' He asked when he was sure that I wouldn't throw my sword at him too.
"Yes!" I grinned.
"Yes!" Finnick copied, before slamming a hand over his mouth. He had said it out loud.
I laughed at him, harder than ever. We had a weird kind of friendship, laughing at each other and then laughing with each other. But it worked for us, and that's what matters most.
"Can we finally fight now?" I asked him after a while.
"Right, the fight." He remembered. "What are the rules?"
"First one without a weapon loses?" I proposed. He nodded.
We walked to the center of the room and took a moment to stretch. We got into our fighting stances. "Ready?" He asked me. I nodded and the fight began. He made the first move by swiping at my feet; I jumped to avoid it and took a swing at his head. He blocked it with the trident and used it to push me backwards. Unfortunately for him he forgot that I was stronger and older. I pushed him back instead so he stumbled and I slashed at his arm before he could recover. "You're lucky it's just water." I told him.
"I still have my trident." Finnick retorted with a stab at me right side, which I blocked. I countered with stabbing at his right side that also got blocked. I took a step back before parrying his attack and swiping at his leg, and then he took me by surprise. He slammed his trident against my sword and I almost let it slip out of my hand. He quickly slashed at my thighs and I couldn't block it in time.
"You're lucky it's just water." He shot me a cocky grin. I smiled amused. "I still have my sword." This time I made the first move. As quick as my uncle's lightning I swiped him of his feet. I shook my head and chided him. "Talk less and start paying attent-"
He grabbed my foot and pulled me down with him, not letting me finish the sentence. He rolled us over so he was on top. "Pay attention, Percy" Finnick whispered into my ear. I held my breath in shock. His face came closer and closer, until he suddenly jumped up and shouted: "I won!"
I blinked confused and in a daze. Then I understood; he held my sword in his hand. It was a trick. I blushed, half in anger and half in embarrassment. "You tricked me!"
He smirked. "Yes, yes indeed."
I frowned. "I want a rematch. And try to stay silent this time."
Now it was his turn to blush. "It's hard to speak in your head while fighting."
#Line Break#
"Finnick Odair" A voice called out. Finnick and I were waiting with some other tributes in a room. He was supposed to show of his skills and get graded. 'Good luck.' I told him. 'And pay attention.' It has become some sort of inside joke by now.
He shot me a nervous smile before he entered the room. The doors closed and I heaved a sigh. I couldn't go with him because otherwise I might get noticed. Actually, I wasn't even allowed to be with other tributes, but as long as I acted like a peacekeeper or an avox it was alright.
I discovered that their lives were really difficult, peacekeepers weren't allowed to move that much, avoxes can't talk and are practically slaves of the capitol.
I sighed again. Where am I supposed to go now? Would it be suspicious if I stood up and walked away? I can't stand not moving.
#Line Break#
"So, how did it go, Finnick?" Alice asked. Everyone looked at her in surprise; she didn't talk to Finnick much. "Uh, it went great. You?" He answered awkwardly.
She bit her lip nervously. "Not really, I-" She got cut of by her mentor. "Be quiet! They're going to announce the scores!"
At once all the heads shot up and looked at the TV. Sure enough, there was Ceasar Flickerman.
"District 1, Lissa Grills, 9 points… District 3, Tyrone Locke, 10 points… District 4," We sat up straighter. "Finnick Odair, 10 points." We cheered, before quickly going silent again to hear Alice's score. I smiled in relief that he didn't mess up, and I saw Finnick smile too. "Great job." I complimented him.
"District 4, Alice McCall, 5 points." A gasp was heard. I looked over at Alice who was close to tears. "E-excuse me." She stood up and went to another room.
The rest stayed behind to hear the other scores. Most of them where not really important, but it was good to know that the district 10 boy and girl scored a 6. That meant that they would be an easy prey. There were others like those, a weak district 7 girl for instance. Sadly most others scored a 7 or higher.
#Line Break#
"So, Finnick, is there something bad about you? I mean, you're good looking, isn't he?" Ceasar turned to the audience who all cheered for Finnick. Percy didn't like the attention that Finnick got, but it was a good thing. More fans, more money, more help in the arena. That's why he is up there, charming the capitol with a cocky grin and a sea green suit. "Good looking, funny and a good fighter. But you can't be perfect, can you?"
Finnick smiled at Ceasar and looked in the camera. "Well, I won't say I'm perfect, but I won't say that I have a bad side either." Ceasar laughed a little bit exaggerated and the crowd joined in.
"Okay, that's enough about your personality. Let's get on to more important things." Ceasar looked dead serious for a moment. "Who is the person you love the most?"
"Never thought about that…" Finnick bit his lip. 'Percy, what am I supposed to answer?'
I thought about it. He's single, stepfather is a dick, mother is dead… his sister. 'Your sister.'
He gave an almost invisible nod. "My sister, Jasmine."
The crowd cooed. And I heard whispers around me. "So sweet…" "Is he single then?" "He's hot…" I looked in the direction of the last whisper in annoyance.
More fans, more money, more help in the arena. I chanted in my head, trying to keep calm. Why did it affect me to begin with?
"Jasmine, how old is she?" Ceasar asked interested.
"She's eight years old." Finnick answered with a far away look in his eyes.
"And why her, and not your mother or father?" he continued to prod.
"My mother died and my father blames me for it." Finnick blurted out. "She burned to death last year."
Ceaser Flickerman looked shocked. "I'm sorry. Let's talk about something else then. Girlfriend? Boyfriend?"
Finnick laughed. "I don't really mind the gender. Both are fine with me." I blinked, didn't know that before. We never really talked about that…
"Both genders… You hear that, people? It doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl, and he's still single!" Ceasar announced loudly while standing up, arms spread to the crowd.
Finnick faked a laugh. 'Oh gods, now they won't stop chasing me ever again.'
I chuckled dryly. 'No they won't. Not until you find a boy-/girl friend.'
After a formal goodbye the interview ended and the next tribute came up the stage.
#Line Break#
"Alright, listen up." Dinosa told Finnick. "The arena will probably be a forest of some kinds, not too hot and not too warm." We were standing in the Stockyard a.k.a. the Launch Room.
Dinosa had given Finnick a jacket and a pair of comfortable jeans, just like Mags had given me. I still wore the camp-shirt underneath it, of course.
"Tributes are allowed one token from their district, do you have yours?" Dinosa asked him. Finnick nodded and showed her a picture of his sister. I already saw it on the train, so I knew that she was smiling in the camera with flowers in her hair.
"Okay, remember you must wait a minute before you can step of your Launch Plate."
"30 seconds before launch." A computer voice sounded in the room. Finnick and I tensed.
He stepped onto the launch plate and I followed him. It was a little bit small for two people, but we managed. "Have you got more tips?" Finnick asked Dinosa while trying to look trough me and at her. He didn't succeed.
Before she got to answer the glass door closed. "20 seconds to launch." I frowned in confusion, why did it close so early? Then it got even stranger. We went up already.
Dinosa disappeared from sight and we suddenly came to a stop. "Guess we departed too soon." Finnick said, and I could feel his chest moving as he spoke. Why did they have to make these things so small?
"I've got a tip for you." I told him quietly. And leaned in, just like he had in the fight. When our lips almost touched I whispered: "Pay attention."
Then it happened. "10 seconds before launch." The voice said, and it startled me.
I lost balance and our lips met. My eyes widened and I could feel Finnick freeze. But after a while my eyes closed and we both relaxed into the kiss, so we could actually start kissing for real.
"5 seconds before launch." My hands went to his hips and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. In response he put his arms around my neck.
"Launching." I felt us moving upwards again, but only started caring about it when it got lighter than before.
I unwillingly ended the kiss that left us both gasping for breath.
