Thank you so much for reading my story and I hope you're enjoying it! As always, I appreciate any feedback you have and feel very humbled by the response I've had so far.
I do not own the Hunger Games nor its characters.
Chapter Fifty-Four
I head down to the entrance of the Training Centre just before the ceremony ends and wait for the tributes to arrive. As Chaff and Seeder enter, looking ridiculous dressed as grains of wheat, Chaff beckons for me to approach his chariot.
"She's never going to ally with us," says Chaff once I'm close enough to his chariot. "She's too aloof."
"I know," I reply, "But you need to keep her alive, somehow."
"Maybe we should introduce ourselves," suggests Seeder.
I nod and all three of us walk over to Katniss and Peeta with Seeder throwing her arms around our little mockingjay and whispering something in to her ear. I'm guessing she's asking about Rue's family.
Chaff leans in and whispers to me, "Watch this." He gives me a wink and once Seeder has let go of Katniss he throws his arm around the young girl and kisses her square on the lips. I don't even hate myself for laughing.
I let them go on ahead in to the elevators and notice that Johanna squeezes herself in next to Katniss before the door closes. I'd love to see how those two are going to get along.
Effie catches up with me and we get in to the next elevator. Once it opens I can see a burst of red hair behind Katniss and I can feel my face drop. One of the avoxes is Darius. A clear threat from Snow.
"Looks like they've got you a matching set this year," says Effie as we walk in.
Katniss turns around just at the same time that I grab her wrist. I don't want her to do anything stupid that gets either her or Darius in trouble. Luckily, she behaves and just twists her wrist from my grasp and goes in to her room.
Dinner is a very quiet affair and I can't help but stare at Katniss the whole time, despite the many other members of our party that sit around the table. Cinna and Portia are making polite conversation but I just zone them out. At one point Katniss drops a dish on the floor and Darius runs over to help her, my heart stops as they come in to contact for a few seconds. It looks like Snow is getting inside everybody's heads this year.
After we watch the Opening Ceremony recap we head to bed but not before Effie grabs me and secures a gold bangle around my wrist.
"Really?" I groan.
"Yes," she snaps. "You're the one who wanted them to be a team last year so you should stand by that!"
I pull my wrist away, grab a bottle of wine and head to bed. Of course, I don't sleep all night. Instead I'm trying to think of a strategy to keep Peeta and, more importantly perhaps, Katniss alive. The Careers are going to be gunning for them from the start and even if either side were prepared to form an alliance I doubt it would last very long. All I have to do is keep them alive until Thirteen comes in with the hovercraft, no matter what. It sounds simple enough but I still feel like someone is stamping on my chest repeatedly.
Peeta and I head for the dining room at the same time the next morning and I mention that they will need to form alliances this time around, although Peeta is sceptical. I wonder if that's him speaking or if he knows that Katniss will hate the idea.
We sit down and begin to eat, although my stomach feels a little queasy. Katniss walks in half an hour later and I can't hide my annoyance. "You're late," I groan.
"Sorry," she says, "I slept in after the mutilated-tongue nightmares kept me up half the night."
"All right, never mind," I scowl, "Today in training, you've got two jobs. Once, stay in love."
"Obviously," says Katniss.
"And two, make some friends."
"No," she says, "I don't trust any of them, I can't stand most of them, and I'd rather operate with just the two of us."
"That's what I said at first, but-" begins Peeta.
"But it won't be enough," I interrupt, "You're going to need more allies this time around."
"Why?" Asks Katniss and I'm finding it increasingly difficult not to scream at her.
"Because you're at a distinct disadvantage. Your competitors have known each other for years. So who do you think they're going to target first?"
"Us. And nothing we're going to do is going to override any old friendship. So why bother?"
"Because you can fight. You're popular with the crowd. That could still make you desirable allies. But only if you let the others know you're willing to team up with them."
She makes it quite clear that she doesn't want to form an alliance with the Careers, which is fine with me as I don't want her anywhere near them but I think she's starting to come around to the idea of teaming up with the others. After all, they're all trained killers. This is my moment to suggest who she should ally with and I easily drop Chaff, Seeder and Finnick in to the conversation.
"Find someone to team up with who might be of some use to you," I say and she seems to be more on board with the idea than she was fifteen minutes ago.
After they leave for training Effie and I head towards the Sponsorship Room but once we arrive Plutarch quickly accosts me and suggests that we walk to a nearby park. As usual, the walk there is a huge pretence with discussions of food and the weather dominating conversation until we reach a small pond at the corner of the park.
"So who have you told?" Plutarch asks and I quickly reel off the names. "Excellent. I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to talk to you properly, again, so I thought I'd better give you some background on Thirteen."
"Well it's taken you long enough," I reply.
He ignores my jibe and goes on to tell me that the whole district lives underground and their president, Alma Coin, is ready to wage war on Snow but she wants Peeta and Katniss to be the figureheads of the rebellion.
"And what if they don't want to?" I ask, "Katniss might be rebellious but everything she's ever done is only to protect those around her."
Plutarch sighs, "I know but I couldn't tell Coin that. Thirteen have the weapons and the power to truly help our cause, Haymitch. We just have to keep them sweet for as long as possible."
The whole situation still doesn't sit right with me; Thirteen have done nothing to help us all of these years and now, all of a sudden, they're preparing for war. I don't say this, though, because Plutarch is right. We don't have weapons, nuclear or otherwise, and we can't win a war against the Capitol without them.
I go back to the Sponsorship Room where I'm met by even more wailing women and arrogant men but I try and suck it up so that they promise to sponsor Katniss and Peeta. I spend most of the day there and as late afternoon rolls in I'm approached by almost half of this year's mentors requesting Katniss as an ally for their tributes, even the Careers want her!
I try not to let my shock show on my face and thank them for their interest, telling them that I'll ask my tribute what her preferences are, although I'm sure I already know the answer to that.
When I return to the apartment for dinner Katniss and Peeta are already sitting in the lounge looking fairly relaxed considering the circumstances.
"So at least half the victors have instructed their mentors to request you as an ally. I know it can't be your sunny personality," I say.
"They saw her shoot," says Peeta proudly, "Actually, I saw her shoot, for real, for the first time. I'm about to put in a formal request myself."
"You're that good?" I ask. "So good that Brutus wants you?"
"But I don't want Brutus. I want Mags and District Three."
I'm secretly over the moon that these are her choices but I know that her best chances of survival are teaming up with Finnick, Johanna and District 11 so I keep up the façade of the annoyed mentor and sigh. "Of course of you do, I'll tell everybody you're still making up your mind."
The next evening, before dinner, I visit Finnick and Mags in their apartment and suggest that we head to a bar. Their awful Career mentors kick up a fuss but I tell them in no uncertain terms to get lost. Mags and Finnick may be tributes but they're also victors, the Capitol expects to see them out and about.
After we've ordered a round of drinks and sat down I ask them how things are going in training because I know that Katniss isn't exactly the best judge of character.
"I'm trying to get her on side but I think my reputation puts her on edge," says Finnick, "She's not the easiest person to get on with." I guffaw, he's not wrong.
"Despite what she's been through she's still a pure young woman," says Mags. "And she's the symbol of the rebellion, we need to help her, Finnick!" Mags starts coughing and I shoot Finnick a look as I pour her a glass of water.
"I know, I'm signing my life away, remember!"
"Oh, poor you," I say and all three of us chuckle. It's the only way to stop yourself breaking down, sometimes.
As training goes on I check in with as many of the rebels as I can, Johanna seems to actively loathe Katniss, Chaff says that she's being very cool with him and Beetee says she's been very kind to him and Wiress. Katniss may not be the best of friends with our clan but at least she's trying, I just hope she keeps it up in the arena.
On the final evening of training I arrive at the apartment just in time for dinner after I've spent all day in the Sponsorship Room. I thought last year was hard but this has been truly exhausting; each Capitolite has their favourite victor and trying to make them switch allegiance is no easy feat.
"All right, so how did your private sessions go?" I ask my tributes as we eat.
"You first," says Katniss to Peeta, "It must have been really special. I had to wait for forty minutes to go in."
Peeta suddenly becomes nervous and reluctant to answer the question but Katniss begins to coax it out of him, saying that she saw dyes on the floor covered by a mat when she was called through. Eventually he reveals that he painted a picture of Rue on the floor, which instantly agitates me.
"And what exactly were you trying to accomplish?" I ask.
"I'm not sure," says Peeta, "I just wanted to hold them accountable, if only for a moment, for killing that little girl."
"This is dreadful," says Effie, "That sort of thinking…it's forbidden, Peeta. Absolutely. You'll only bring down more trouble on yourself and Katniss."
"I have to agree with Effie on this one," I say, growing increasingly worried as to what is going to happen them when they get in to that arena.
"I guess this is a bad time to mention I hung a dummy and painted Seneca Ccrane's name on it," says Katniss and everyone's mouths gape open.
"You…hung…Seneca Crane?" Says Cinna.
"Yes. I was showing off my new knot-tying skills, and he somehow ended up at the end of the noose."
"Oh, Katniss," says Effie. "How did you even know about that?"
"Is it a secret? President Snow didn't act like it was. In fact, he seemed eager for me to know." Effie doesn't reply but leaves the table, increasing the tension that surrounds it.
"You'd have thought we planned it," says Peeta, smirking.
"Didn't you?" Asks Portia.
"No," says Katniss. "Neither of us even knew what we were going to do before we went in."
"And Haymitch?" Says Peeta, "We decided we don't want any other allies in the arena."
"Good," I snap, "Then I won't be responsible for you killing off any of my friends with your stupidity."
I avoid their gazes as we eat, furious at them for being so idiotic. How the hell am I meant to get them out of the arena before the Gamemakers kill them off? I have no doubt that they'll send a number of horrors Katniss' and Peeta's way just to bump them off and please Snow and now they're going to be even more eager to kill them.
We sit down for the training scores and, predictably, the Careers score high, the morphlings score a three each and everyone else scores somewhere in between. When Katniss' and Peeta's faces flash up, for the first time in history, a twelve appears underneath and all I want to do is punch the wall.
"Why did they do that?" Asks Katniss.
"So that the others will have no choice but to target you," I reply, "Go to bed. I can't stand to look at either one of you."
The next day Effie and I agree that our time would be better spent trying to gain sponsors rather than coaching Katniss and Peeta for the interviews, after all, they seem to be ignoring my advice, anyway. I leave Effie to chat up the rich men and women of the Capitol while I search out my fellow rebels to go over the plan. Chaff knows that Katniss doesn't think much of him so he's said he'll keep his distance in the arena but still keep an eye on her, especially when Beetee's plan comes to fruition. If he's not with them I'm not sure if we'll be able to get him out and the thought is starting to scare me.
"There's something I need to say to you," says Mags over a cup of coffee. She's treating Finnick and I to a luxurious hot chocolate and a plate full of pastries in a Capitol coffee sho pin a bid to calm my nerves. "Finnick and I have already agreed on this so no matter what you say, Haymitch, you cannot change my mind."
"What are you talking about?" I ask and Finnick shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
"There may come a point in the arena where Finnick will have to decide whether to save me or protect Katniss and Peeta and he must choose them. I've lived a long life and if I have to die in order for Snow to finally be brought to justice then so be it."
I look over at Finnick and his face hardens. I know that Mags is old but I've never seriously contemplated a time when she wouldn't be here and she, more than anyone, should have the chance to see Snow die.
I can't say anything in response so I just nod and sip my sweet drink. It's somewhat comforting, I suppose.
"You're going to need this, Finnick," I say and hand over the golden bangle that Effie gave me. "It might not work but I'm hoping that it will make Katniss realise that she should trust you. I'll also send her bread from District Four when you team up with her but she's so hard to predict I don't know if she'll listen to me."
Finnick takes the bangle and examines it. "I still don't understand how she can resist me."
Mags cackles and I guffaw at his statement. I should go and spend the rest of the day drumming up sponsors but I have a growing feeling in the back of my brain that this is the last conversation I'll ever have with Mags and so I treasure it.
When we say goodbye I pull her close and I can feel tears beginning to well in my eyes. "Mags," I whisper.
"I know," she says, also teary eyed. "You just get them out, okay? And don't forget about me or I'll come back and haunt you!"
"I wouldn't dream of it." I kiss her on the cheek and head back to the apartment, trying not to have a breakdown in the middle of the Capitol.