"Okay, let's go," Annie sniffed and wiped her face. "It had to happen, I know. If you break the law you get punished. It's just weird that I will never again see two people I've seen every day since I was 3."
"I understand your grief, Annie." Finnick solemnly stood up with her and she led the way down back into the academy and to the arena, where Tobias was testing out various weapons. He looked up from a rack of knives and smiled warmly at her. "Just me and you now, baby!" He grinned. She returned his smile and was filled with the familiar warmth of excitement and anticipation.
"Copy Tobias and test out all the weapons. Let me know which you're most comfortable with and which you'd like to work on," Finnick patted her back and Annie saw him, for the first time, as a friend as well as a mentor.
Her fingers skimmed the tips of blades, all lined in a neat row. She surveyed the bows and arrows, the spears, the swords, the daggers... Hundreds of unique weapons lined the walls of the model Cornucopia.
Finnick watched them intently, noticing the way Tobias treated Annie as a little sister. The two obviously had a close bond, which could either work in their favour or totally against it. Only one person could come out of the arena; since both Annie and Tobias stood a good chance, it meant one would have to experience the death of the other. It could be enough to break them.

Tobias helped Annie in the target practice they were both doing, correcting her stance and angle. When Finnick called time, Annie chose a belt of throwing daggers, a long, silver sword and a bow and arrow. Tobias had chosen some more brutal weapons: an axe, spears, and a chain encrusted with solid silver spikes. This was usually used to strangle the player whilst simultaneously cutting their throat.
Finnick led the two deeper into the arena, to a target practice made of dummies that were startlingly realistic. They had been provided by a past victor who had died and left a donation to the academy in his will.
The two got started and rallied up points according to how their weapons hit the dummies: 100 points for a blow to the head or a dagger to the heart, 70 points for fatal blows to the stomach, 50 points for severing main arteries and 40 points for more than superficial harm to limbs or other body parts.
By the end, Tobias and Annie were tied on 730 points and the dummies were now sponge-like due to the amount of holes in them.
"You two are a dream," Finnick grinned.
Tobias enveloped Annie in a big bear hug, and Annie grinned at Finnick and pulled him in. "Four's going to have a Victor this year," he murmured against her hair.
"What a lovely picture," Abate had approached them without them noticing. "I wish we could use this for publicity!"
"These kids are amazing," Finnick ruffled their hair fondly. Tobias laughed, "Kids? You're the same age as us, man!"
"But I'm probably much wiser and experienced in life," Finnick joked.
"Panem's sex god has an ego," Annie muttered, smiling.
"You think I'm a sex god?!" Finnick nudged her, winking. Annie glared at him, blushing slightly. "That's not what I said..."
Finnick just smirked and turned his attention back to Casio. "What's next on the agenda, boss?"
"Take them into Mags for survival skills, if you don't mind."
Mags blitzed through their weak spots, just as Finnick had done at the training session after hours. Annie knew she needed help with making traps, and Tobias was weak on identifying edible plants and animals. Tobias left to a classroom to revise whilst Annie stayed with Mags. She still found the knots difficult to handle, but she was glad she could manage a few basic ones for if she ever came across some rope in the arena.
The day passed quickly, with Annie getting some time alone in the assault course and in combat with Tobias.
That evening, District Four's mentor arrived; her name was Xena. She'd had cosmetic surgery to split her tongue like a serpent. Her lips seemed to have been adorned with hundreds of tiny scales. The visual effect of her serpentine tongue skimming over her scaled bottom lip was extraordinary.
"How do you do? You must be the lovely Annie!" Xena kissed her cheeks. "And Tobias - my, what a warrior!" She stood on her toes to reach his face and kiss him.
"Finnick, darling, don't just stand there, give me some sugar!" She puckered her lips and closed her eyes, opening them again after a few seconds as no kiss had been received. Finnick was holding a sugar cube and smirking. Xena rolled her eyes and hit him playfully, then he kissed her cheek.
They were in the Justice Building - Mags, Finnick, Annie and Toby. The Mayor was due to arrive with Casio shortly. With the reaping in just a few short days, the mentors had thought it wise to begin preparations for how the tributes would behave in public.
"Annie," Finnick motioned to her to stand to one side with him. "Be yourself tonight, just a little bit better," he said with a wink. Annie pouted. "I don't know what you mean," she laughed. "I'll cut down on profanities, sarcasm and ingratitude, maybe..."
"Good girl," Finnick pressed a sugar cube to her lips and she received it, scowling playfully.
"Come along, kids!" Xena called to them. Finnick clenched his jaw but offered Annie his arm. She blushed furiously as she accepted it but turned her head so he wouldn't notice.
They joined Mags, Tobias and Xena at the bottom of the marble staircase in the Justice Building, awaiting the Mayor's arrival through the grand oak doors. Annie grinned at Finnick as the Peacekeepers moved to clasp the handles of each door. He smiled down at her, bemused, and nudged her with the arm she was linked onto. "Just remember, the Mayor likes to be centre of attention – what he wants, he tends to get."

"The Mayor of District Four," a Peacekeeper announced. Xena clapped her hands enthusiastically, positively beaming. The oak doors swung open and a tall, powerful looking man strode through. He was engaged in conversation with Casio, who almost looked short in comparison.
"Ah!" He threw his arms open, seeming delighted. "And here they are!"
"Mr Mayor, it's an honour to meet you again," Xena's hands were clasped over her heart. The Mayor took her hands in his and kissed them. "Miss Britvic, the honour is mine as always."
"Best behaviour, Annie," Casio murmured. Finnick snorted with laughter and quickly disguised it as a cough. Annie nodded, however, and dropped Finnick's arm to smooth down the front of her dress. It was a blush of pink, encrusted with diamantes on the bust and on the hem of the flowing skirt, ending a little above her knees. "You look lovely," Finnick breathed. Annie looked up and saw the Mayor speaking to Tobias and Mags. She took a deep breath and grinned welcomingly at the Mayor as he approached.
"My," he smiled and held her at arm's length. "Miss Cresta, you are a diamond, aren't you? A rose, an absolute rose! I've heard great things about you, Annie."
"I hope I do our District proud, sir," she was blushing and grinning breathlessly.
"I'm sure you will, we have every faith in you. And you too, Tobias!" He stepped away and held his arms out. "This is a picture… a marvellous sight to behold; victors and tributes in harmony."
"Shall we begin, sir?" A peacekeeper interrupted with a slight bow. The Mayor nodded and motioned for them to follow the peacekeeper.
The dining room was as lavish as the entrance hall, with an incredibly high ceiling with oak timbers and tapestries depicting the Dark Days tumbling down the walls. The table was set with the Mayor's cutlery in gold at the head of the table and place-names meant Casio was on his right and Mags on his left. Tobias and Annie sat together, opposite Xena and Finnick.

"Do let's begin," the Mayor smiled. Avoxes removed the lids from the silver platters to reveal a feast. The scent of meat wafted through the room and entwined with the scents of soups and freshly baked bread.
"Awesome," Tobias grinned, piling his plate up already. Xena narrowed his eyes at him and he relented from his apparent mission of making a food mountain.
"That's what I like to see, a boy who likes his food. Tobias, eat up, I'm afraid you may never eat like this again!" The Mayor was smiling but his words resonated in Annie's mind. He was looking at her. "What are you thinking, lovely Miss Cresta?"
"Just that if I never got to eat like this again, it would be a real shame. Maybe I can remember this meal and keep it as a reminder of why I want to win," she smiled.
"You have a rare, unfaltering determination. I daresay Mr Odair would have been toppled by you if you were in his Games."
"There's no doubt about that, sir," Finnick piped up. Annie covered her face. "Oh please, Finnick, don't embarrass me!" she giggled.
"Annie here is the first girl to have ever beaten me in the virtual assault course, Mr Mayor. And the first student in quite a while, too."
"That's most impressive, Miss Cresta. You shouldn't be embarrassed, you should be pleased. If that were me I'd not let anyone forget it."
"It's very exciting to have someone so skilled on our side for once, you see, Annie." Casio smiled at her. "I apologise for embarrassing you; you never cease to amaze us."
Annie saw Tobias shift in his chair and heard his sigh. She felt ashamed, all of a sudden. "Thank you," she muttered. A silence veiled the table for a few moments. Annie's mind frantically tried to think of a way to change the subject from herself.
"The food is wonderful, is it your own recipe?" She managed. The Mayor smiled and looked at Casio. "I'm sure Mr Abate has kept this on the quiet, but he's actually an excellent chef. All of my recipes are taken from a little black book he gave me."
Xena seemed in awe and, thankfully, the conversation turned to Casio's cooking.

After the wonderful meal, the guests were ushered into another room, which was dimly lit with candles behind stained glass panels. A string quartet played a graceful melody and Tobias offered his hand to Annie with a flourish and asked her to dance, bowing. She smiled and curtseyed and they swept across to the middle of the room and began to waltz.
"I know what you did back there… You changed the conversation so I wouldn't feel bad." Tobias smiled sadly. "It was really nice of you, maybe you're not such a bitch after all!" He teased. She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I'm not. They're just like this about me because I'm a girl, though. You know you're so much better than me."
"Oh, I know that. It's a shame I'm gonna beat you…"
Annie scoffed. "Beat me? Not remotely possible."
"You want to fight now?"
"Yeah, let's go. Outside."
The song finished and the Mayor tapped Annie's shoulder. "May I?"
"We'll have that fight later, Cresta," Tobias smiled and offered his hand to Xena. Mags was dancing with Casio and Finnick was stood with a drink in his hand, watching. Annie caught his eye and smiled, but his face was stone cold.
The string quartet began playing again and the Mayor twirled Annie around and pulled her slightly too close for comfort. As he spoke to her, his breath whispered over her neck. His speech was slurred and movements awkward.
"I think you've had a little too much to drink, sir. Maybe I should get you some water," she tried to move away from his lazy, slack grip on her waist and hand. He tightened his arms around her and pulled her even closer.
"That won't be necessary, darling," he sneered, towering over her. Annie glanced at Finnick again to see him already watching, his fingernails white from the tight grip on his glass.
Finnick noted Annie's pleading face and slammed his glass down on the table next to him, striding over. "Annie," he choked, smiling politely at the Mayor. "The song's nearly over, can I have the next dance?"
She nodded and reached out the hand that was awkwardly crushed against the Mayor's chest. He scoffed, "You can have it when it's your turn, I'm sure she's used to giving out pleasure to plenty of men."
"I don't- I'm not like that," Annie stuttered in a meek murmur. Finnick met her eyes once again and shook his head, exasperated. The Mayor span her away from him and dipped her down low. The blood rushed to her head and felt the wine making her movements sluggish and reaction slower.
"I don't know what to do," she gasped aloud.
"Feel the rhythm," he smirked. He was too close, a dark shadow in his eyes. As he raised her up again, she desperately looked for Finnick, but saw him being dragged through the door by Peacekeepers. They were alone in an empty room.
Annie choked out a profanity.
"Yes, that's the idea."
"I don't consent to this," she whispered.
"No matter to me," he laughed.

Hours later, she awoke in a bedchamber that could only have been in the Justice Building due to its splendour. "Finnick!" She screamed.
In the distance, she heard a loud clatter of wood against wood. He cursed, his voice a snarl. "We're locked in, Annie!" His voice was muffled.
"Finnick," she cried again, whimpering.
"I know, baby. I know." There was another clatter. "He does this every year, Casio."
"They're usually willing," Annie heard Casio's exasperated tone.
The sound of a key in the lock to Annie's chamber made her conscious of her nakedness. She hid under the covers. The visitor made no noise and Annie realised that maybe it was because they couldn't. She peeped out to see an Avox, who presented her with her own underwear that had been washed and a man's shirt.
"Is it the Mayor's?" Annie grimaced. The Avox nodded.
"Can I see my friends?" Annie whispered. The Avox's eyes seemed searching. "Please," Annie grabbed her hand. The searching eyes widened in shock. You weren't supposed to touch them. She nodded and dropped the shirt on the bed. Annie could do little else but put it on or allow the others to see her in her underwear.
"Finally," Finnick stormed through the building. "Which room, Annie?"
"In here," she said meekly. The door swung open and, surprisingly, Mags was the first through the door. She rushed as fast as her aged feet could take her and embraced Annie.
"We're sorry," she murmured. Mags was a woman of few words, so this was touching.
"You couldn't have stopped it," Annie smiled sadly. "None of you," she said firmly, glancing at Finnick and Tobias, who were bristling with anger.
"What are you wearing?" Tobias said through gritted teeth.
"The Avox brought it. It was this or letting you see me in my underwear, and I don't think we're quite there yet," Annie tried to lighten the mood. Tobias was unsmiling as he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it towards Annie. "If you don't mind, I think we'd all prefer you to wear something else."
"Thank you, Tobias."
"Oh, Annie..." Xena whispered. "We're so sorry. He likes to... To sample - the girls. They usually don't object," she shook her head. "We knew you were a fighter..."
"But I was offered up on a silver platter just like the meals."
"Do you still want to enter the Games?" Casio sat on the edge of the bed.
"Yes. I will fight. And I will expose him. If I reported him now, no one would listen. Maybe if I win I have a better chance." She got up and grabbed Tobias' shirt. "I'm gonna put this on. Then can we go?" She opened the en suite door, but no one answered. She looked towards them and saw them all exchanging worried looks.
"What?"
"We have to have breakfast, Annie." Finnick frowned. "We can't leave."
Annie sighed resignedly. "I understand. So I have to enjoy tea and toast with my rapist? Awesome," she slammed the door and switched shirts.
Her reflection's cheeks were flared red, with fiery, angered eyes. She splashed her face with water and took deep breaths.
When she emerged out of the room, everyone was still sat on the bed. "Breakfast, then," she sighed. "Happy faces. Smile."
She held the door open for everyone. Tobias stopped, took her hand and kissed her cheek. "When I'm gone, I hope you'll wear that shirt sometimes."
"Don't say that, Tobias."
He shrugged and dropped her hand with a squeeze. Finnick was stood behind him and was the last out of the room. He pulled the door to and looked at her as she leant against the wall. She seemed exhausted. "Hey," he took her hand. She sighed and rested her head on his chest, welcoming his strong arms encasing her. After a few moments, she stood upright and he wrapped his arm around Annie's waist as they walked.
"So, every year?" She whispered. Finnick just looked at her sadly. She leant her head against Finnick's shoulder. "I'll win, Finnick."
"I don't doubt that for a second, Annie."
"I feel like you're the only one I can talk to," she murmured. They were just out of earshot from the others. "I mean, Tobias is lovely but he's a contestant. Xena is... Xena. And Mags doesn't talk much. Can we be friends?"
"I'm your mentor, Annie. It's part of the deal."
"I'm going to win," she said, but it was unclear whether she was reminding Finnick or herself.