Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.
Knight in Rusted Armor
by FanficAllergy & RoseFyre
oOo
Theme: 46: Wicked
Words: 1467
Summary: Haymitch didn't want to be Katniss' champion. Someone else had other plans.
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"What are your plans for Katniss?"
Paylor didn't bother looking up from her desk, seemingly entranced with a stack of papers in front her her.
He knew was she was doing; she was pulling the same bullshit Snow and Coin liked to pull. The 'I'm too busy to deal with you right now' game. He'd played that game before, with people better at it than Paylor was, and he'd won.
He intended on winning again.
Time to deploy the first counterattack. Haymitch flopped into the chair opposite her and lifted his legs onto the desk, crossing them at the ankles.
"Do you mind?" she asked, still not looking up.
"Nope, not at all." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a crystal cut bottle, and took a swig. "Even got me some refreshments." He moved his feet so they were resting on top of the pile of papers in front of her. Check.
Her hand tightened around her pen. "Don't you have anything better to do?" The annoyance permeated every syllable.
"Nope." He grinned, enjoying her irritation. "I can wait here all day."
"I have a country to govern." She pulled another paper out from the stack as if to prove her point.
He needed to up the stakes. "I appreciate that," he drawled, setting up for the kill. "But it's a country you won thanks to the Mockingjay. You owe her. I'm here to collect." Check.
She finally looked up, steepling her fingers in front of her face. "You don't look like an Everdeen." Her eyes narrowed, telling him that the game was only just beginning. "And unless the Capitol's records are wrong, I'm 90% convinced that you're not her father."
"Only 90%?"
"Many of the records have been modified and manipulated. None more so than the Mockingjay's. I know that Latier is responsible for some of the changes, but not all."
That was information he didn't know. But he recognized it for what it was, a feint. A distraction from his current mission. He wasn't going to fall for it. "Nope," he said, popping the 'P.' "I'm better than her father. I'm her mentor. I'm the one who made sure she survived not one, but two, Hunger Games. I'm the one who made sure that you have a Mockingjay. So not only do you owe Katniss, you owe me. You owe Peeta. You owe Effie." Silently he added more names to list - Finnick, Cinna, Mags - but he didn't want to bring them up right now. Not yet.
"What, exactly, do you want?"
Good, she was forgoing the mind games. Capping the bottle, he said, "I want to know what you got planned for Katniss."
"She killed President Coin."
He held the bottle toward her in a toast. "And you can thank her for that later." Check.
Paylor's mouth twitched a hair. Too small to tell if it was a smile or a frown. "I'm not going to thank her for it at all. She committed a crime; she needs to be punished."
"But did she, though?" He leaned forward, knowing this was one argument he was going to win. "I've got several people willing to testify that the bombs that killed Primrose Everdeen, along with over a thousand Capitol children and most of our own Medic Corps, were dropped on President Coin's orders." And that'd been one hell of a revelation. He'd damn near had to stop Beetee from offing himself when he found out. Only Cresta's quick thinking and Effie's supply of sleeping pills kept him from following Wiress into that great big microchip in the sky. But Paylor didn't need to know that. Not yet. "I say that Katniss was ridding us of a problem before we needed another revolution. And I'm sure your government wouldn't like to go down on the wrong side of history as supporting a baby-killing fuckhead, now would they?" Check.
Paylor inclined her head. "She still needs a trial. We can't encourage people to kill leaders just because they disagree with them; that'd set a dangerous precedent."
Haymitch switched gears. Gambits. "You do know your Mockingjay's unhinged. How's it gonna appear, you trying a shell-shocked kid who just won your war for you? Not the image I'd want to portray." Check.
Paylor frowned. "My hands are tied, Mr. Abernathy."
He stamped down on the urge to smile. He was on the right track. Now to take this into the endgame. "Haymitch."
"Fine. Haymitch. Doesn't change that my hands are tied. In order to show that the new Panem is different from the old Panem, we have to hold even our icons accountable for their actions. Everyone must be equally subject to the rule of law."
There was something in the way she said it that gave Haymitch pause. Like she was trying to tell him something. Like he was missing something and she was about to sweep the board. "Fair enough. So what's the rule of law going to find?"
She pushed his feet out of the way and dug through the pile of papers on her desk. Pulling one out, she read, "That due to the traumatizing events of the war, as well as the shocking death of her sister, Katniss Everdeen was not in her right mind and did not understand the consequences of her actions. It is the findings of this court that Ms. Everdeen is unable to stand trial and should be confined someplace where she will not be a danger to herself or others." A counterattack, and an effective one to boot.
"So your plan is to lock her up and throw away the key."
Paylor put an elbow on the desk, leaning forward and placing her chin in her hand. "Do you have a better idea?" She pushed her advantage.
Except it played right into his strategy. "Send her back to Twelve."
"Send her back to a bombed out district filled with memories and moldering bodies?" She raised her eyebrows. "That's cruel, even for you."
He ignored the insult. He'd heard worse. Not to mention, he agreed with her assessment. Time to start his final assault. He'd sworn to keep the girl alive and he'd managed so far; he wasn't about to lose to some has-been tailor from Eight. "Look, I know Katniss. You keep her here in the Capitol locked away, you might as well start digging her grave now. But send her back to Twelve, where she can go out into the woods, be around people she knows and trusts? You might be able to save your Mockingjay."
She seemed to consider his words. "And just who would accompany Ms. Everdeen to District Twelve?"
"I'm sure the boy'd volunteer in an instant. Hell, both of them would volunteer."
"I assume you're referring to Mr. Mellark and Mr. Hawthorne."
"Got it in one."
"No."
He hadn't really expected that to work. Peeta was still recovering from the hijacking and the Hawthorne kid had been involved in making the bombs. Just like her DNA comment earlier, it was a feint. And unlike Paylor, he had other options. Better ones. "The kid's got a mother."
Paylor shook her head. "If I sent them back together, to use your own words, I'd be digging two graves."
He'd expected that too. But no need to let Paylor know that. "Well shit," he said instead of what he wanted to.
As he'd anticipated, Paylor swooped in for the perceived kill. "Tell me I'm wrong. Who do you propose I send to District Twelve with Katniss Everdeen?"
"Aw hell, I get what you're going for." He pulled his legs off of the desk and lumbered to his feet. "I volunteer as tribute. Is that what you're lookin' for?" It certainly was what he was looking for. He couldn't wait to get out of the Capitol. Save the Queen. Give the King space to recover and something to look forward to. This was the sacrifice he was willing, and eager, to make.
"It'll do for a start." She picked up the piece of paper she'd been working on when he'd first entered and handed it to him. "Draw up a list of others to take back with you to District Twelve. Then I suggest you start packing." Check and Mate.
Haymitch looked at the sheet and read the header, his eyes going wide as he did so: "Preliminary Settlers of District Twelve" and then immediately underneath "Katniss Everdeen" and "Haymitch Abernathy." He'd been played. With a shake of his head, he chuckled. "You know, I owe you an apology. You're much better at the game than I expected." It was just good manners to congratulate the winner.
Her lips curved up. "Apology accepted. You're not half-bad yourself. Now get out of my office."
"Yes, Ma'am."
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AN:
Written: 6/30/18
Revised: 7/4/18
Another part of our Conversations with Paylor series. We've got at least one more planned, but you'll have to wait and see!
The chess analogies were deliberate - Haymitch sees himself as the knight to Peeta's king and Katniss's queen. And for those of you who know chess, you know that the knight is the second-most sacrificed piece on the board. It's also the one that moves in the most unusual manner, and is hardest to anticipate. It really does fit Haymitch.
Also it's fun to have two master manipulators go head to head. But let's be clear, Paylor didn't become President because she couldn't play the politics game. And politics is all about manipulation, don't fool yourself otherwise.
You can get more information about our original writing here:
Website: RoseLarkPublishing
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