Nice to see people are interested. I hope I can keep it that way.
Disclaimer: Characters are owned by their respected parties. I'm only working with the idea.
She's not sure how long she'd been sitting there. The room they had placed her in was cold, dark, and ominous. A stainless steel table was in the center of the room with a very uncomfortable chair to accompany it. The room she was in was clearly used for interrogation purposes. Katniss was beginning to feel more like a criminal than a witness with every minute that went by.
Katniss was replaying what she was going to say to theses people when they came in. The day had started ordinary; plain, like any other. Then craziness, panic, and death. Katniss had to shake the image of her friend's lifeless body on the floor of that cubicle. What could she have done to deserve what she got? Madge was possibly the nicest person in that office. She hoped it was something she could leave in the past. There was nothing that could had tipped off how horrible the day would turn out.
Katniss sighed in annoyance, in frustration, in everything. She pushed herself away from the menacing table she was seated at and stood up. She ran her hands furiously through her hair. She was just about to let it all out in a ear piercing scream, when the door opened.
"Miss Everdeen." The man gestured to the seat. "Please have a seat." The man took a seat opposite her.
"I rather stand." Katniss let the man know. He nodded his acknowledgment. "I've been sitting for the past hour." Annoyance evident in her voice.
"My apologizes for the wait. It's been a rather hectic day." The man tried easing the tension by giving her a smile. Katniss sighed. In her head she thought, Alright, but only cause he's cute. She pulled the seat back and sat down. The man smiled again. The door opened shortly after.
"Sorry to interrupt." The second man came in and sat next to the first.
"Right, let's get started. I'm Agent Hawthorne," he pointed to the man next to him, "And this is my partner, Agent Cato." He nodded at Katniss.
"Where am I?" Katniss asked.
"Federal building, miss," Agent Cato responded.
"FBI...have I done something wrong?" Both agents looked at her somewhat bewildered.
"No, miss. We're just going to ask you a few questions." Katniss was tired and impatient.
"Well, come on then! I feel like a criminal, being cooped up in here. I never even got anything to drink!"
"We...could do that." Agent Hawthorne stuttered out. He looked at his partner. Agent Cato got up and left in search of what Katniss wanted. They sat quietly until his return.
The door opened a couple minutes later. Agent Cato gave her a can of soda and sat down again.
"Thank you," Katniss quietly said.
"Okay. Miss Everdeen-"
"Can you just call me Katniss, please?"
Agent Hawthorne nodded, "Fine. Katniss, do you know the men that came into your office today?"
"No."
"Ever seen them before?"
"No."
"Could you recognize them if we showed you pictures?"
"Only one. Everyone else had a mask on."
Agent Hawthorne opened the brown folder he had brought with him and began sifting through pictures. "Describe him to me."
"Uh, tall, older, bright white hair..." Katniss looked at her hands then back up at the two men. The two agents looked at each other uncomfortably. "What?" She asked.
Agent Hawthorne cleared his throat. He pulled a picture out and placed it in front of her.
"That's him!" Katniss let them know. Again, the two men shared an awkward look. "Is anyone going to tell me what is going on?"
"Miss Everdeen-" Agent Cato started. He stopped when he noted Katniss' scowl. "Katniss, the man you pointed out..." He moved, obviously uncomfortable in his seat. "His name is Coriolanus Snow. Does that name mean anything to you?" Katniss shuddered at his name. That man had tried taking advantage of her just hours ago. He was also responsible for the countless deaths that day, including Madge's.
"We've been trying to get Snow for the longest time." Agent Hawthorne told her.
"So, go get him!"
"It's not that easy."
"What do you mean? Do you know where he is?"
"We generally do, its just-"
"I don't get it then!"
"Katniss, Snow doesn't make it a point to hide from us, but that's because he doesn't need to." Agent Cato says. Katniss looks at him strangely.
"We rarely get many eye witnesses, but the ones we get, tend to disappear." Agent Hawthorne tells her.
"And their families." Agent Cato adds. Katniss stiffens at his comment. Her family? Her father died when she was young and her mother had passed away a couple years back. Prim instantly runs through her mind.
"Snow is a very dangerous man. He's got eyes and ears everywhere. And right now, we don't know where he is." Agent Hawthorne tells her.
Agent Cato stands to leave. Katniss runs for the door when he opens it. Agent Cato manages to stop her from leaving.
"You have to let me go! If my sister's in danger, I need to protect her!" Katniss struggles against Agent Cato.
"Calm down!" Agent Cato tries. He picks her off the ground trying to control her. She elbows him in the gut causing him to let go. She thinks she's free when Agent Hawthorne grabs her.
"Miss Everdeen!" A man in a suit walks up to her. She stops squirming around. "Let her go, Hawthorne." He does as he's told. "I'm Director Haymitch Abernathy." He laughs as he looks over at Agent Cato, who is still hunched over. "Maybe we should have you working here."
"Please, if this Snow guy is really going to do something to me, to my family..." Katniss can't help but think the worst.
"Miss Everdeen." He places his hands on her shoulders. "I figured this was Snow's work. So I've already relocated your sister and her husband." Katniss sighs in relief. But if Snow was as bad as they say, would it be enough?
"Relocated?"
"She's been moved to a safe location." Katniss goes to ask something, but Haymitch puts his hands up, "Please don't ask me where, for her safety and yours. Right now, your safety is my top priority."
"So what's going to happen to me?"
"Heard of witness protection?" He smiles at her.
"On TV..." Katniss tells him right before her face goes pale. "I'm going to be buried next to Jimmy Hoffa, aren't I?"
Haymitch laughs at her. "Not when I set you up with my best agent!"
"You think you can take a break from that?" A voice behind him startles him. Peeta Mellark turns around and faces his boss. Peeta tries soothing his hands from the beating he was giving the heavy bag.
"Just keeping in shape, sir." Peeta takes the glove off his right hand. He extends his hand out to him.
Haymitch shakes his hand. "You wanna go a few rounds?" He motions over to the ring.
Peeta hesitatingly looks at his boss, "Sir...?"
Haymitch grabs a set of gloves and gets into the ring. He jumps around like Muhammad Ali. "Come on!" He eggs Peeta on.
Peeta just shrugs his shoulders and follows his boss. They knock gloves before going at it.
Haymitch throws a few punches which Peeta easily avoids. Peeta refuses to throw any punches. Haymitch was not only his boss but his mentor. He didn't feel like being disciplined for beating up the boss man.
"So, how's my star pupil?" Haymitch throws a particularly heavy punch, which he misses and ends up in the ropes.
"I'm good. How about you, old man?"
Haymitch laughs at his nickname. "Busy." He throws another heavy punch. "How's your wife?" He asks Peeta.
Peeta chuckles. "No wife! You know that."
"Girlfriend?"
"Nope."
"Kids?"
"Haha." Peeta shakes his head. "What's with the twenty questions?" Haymitch puts all his weight into the next punch. Peeta ducks through with a laugh. "You're losing your touch, old man." Peeta stops laughing when he notices Haymitch hunched over, holding his gut in pain. "Old man?!" Peeta runs over to him quickly. Haymitch finally lands a punch to Peeta's gut. He falls onto one knee.
"That's for calling me old man!" Peeta rolls out of the way.
"Why do you have to cheat?" Peeta asks him. He stands up readjusting his stance.
"Hey, Peeta?" Someone outside the ring calls for him. That distraction is enough for Haymitch to hook Peeta in the face.
Peeta hears the crowd exclaim in "oohs." Peeta looks up. He narrowly escapes Haymitch again as he throws another punch. Peeta ducks and grabs Haymitch in a sleeper hold.
"Cheating old man..."
"You think the bad guys play fair..." Haymitch groans through his teeth. For an older man, Haymitch was still a strong man. He powers through his hold, pushing Peeta's arms away. Peeta stares at Haymitch incredulously. Haymitch tries to kick him, but Peeta catches his leg this time. Balance was never Haymitch's strong suit. Peeta sweeps Haymitch's leg causing him to topple over onto the mat. He tries to scramble off the floor, but Peeta jumps on top of him. Peeta locks the arm bar in place. He waits for Haymitch to tap out, but he's stubborn.
"Don't be a fool, Haymitch! I'll break it."
"Okay!" Peeta keeps his hold.
"No more cheating! I get it!"
"Okay!" Peeta lets him go. The crowd cheers. He hears a few "Go Peetas" as he helps Haymitch to his feet.
He pats Peeta on his back. "Good job, kid. Beating up an old man."
"Cheating old man." Peeta corrects him.
Haymitch laughs, "Get dressed, kid. We need to talk."
Getting called into Haymitch's office was generally never a good thing. To Peeta, it was like high school, where he was the rebellious teenager and Haymitch was the principal. So, Peeta was lounging in the comfortable chair opposite the director's desk. He stroked his tie in anticipation.
Haymitch closes the folder on his desk before talking. He gives Peeta a serious look. Peeta sees that and straightens up in his seat.
"Graduated top of your class at West Point." Peeta only stares at Haymitch. "Spotless record. Knowledgeable in five languages. Proficient in Krav Maga, Tae Kwon Do, and Jiu Jitsu. It goes on and on." He circles Peeta who plays with his tie, nervously now. "But can't tie a tie for shit!" Haymitch pulls Peeta up. He rips off his tie. He wraps it back around his neck and ties it for him. He pushes Peeta back into his seat.
"Haymitch what's going on?"
"You know about Cornalius Snow..."
"Of course, sir!"
"Then you know he's bad news. You know that all our witnesses are delivered to us in pieces. Dead." Peeta just nods. "We are always this close to getting him, when 'poof' a witness disappears or they conveniently forget certain facts."
"I know, sir."
"Then, I don't have to tell you what it would mean to finally get Snow and all his posse."
"No, sir."
"We have a witness." Haymitch looks to Peeta. "Until we can find Snow, she's in danger. I need her alive, Peeta." Haymitch sighs.
"Speaking to you as your boss: You are the best I have." Haymitch extends his arm out to Peeta. He takes it. Haymitch pulls him up again. He places his hands on Peeta's shoulders. "As your mentor: it's a doubled edged sword."
"I don't understand, Haymitch."
"I never had a son. You are the closest I have to that. I give you this assignment..." He sighs. "I shouldn't have to worry because you are the best, but I will. Snow isn't like your regular criminals. He lies, he kills, he cheats."
"As opposed to every other criminal…" Peeta tells him with a smirk.
"This is a dangerous assignment. Frankly, you both could die."
Peeta doesn't know what to say. He squares his jaw and deepens his voice. "Then, I won't let that happen. What's the assignment?"
Haymitch circles his desk. He grabs another folder. He slams it in front of Peeta.
"The shooting and theft at Riggers & Sons. Katniss Everdeen. She's our witness. Snow's got a thing for this one."
"Sir...?" Peeta doesn't understand.
"He tried to rape her." Peeta lifts his eyes suddenly to look at Haymitch. "Unsuccessfully." Peeta goes back to looking through the file.
"So he's more than likely to want to finish the job. And he knows she's seen his face. She's in worse danger than the rest of them." Peeta remarks. "So, no protective detail, then."
"Too risky. We have to move her. Witness protection ASAP."
"Where do I come in?"
"You are to go undercover with her. As man and wife." Haymitch tells him. Peeta nods his head slowly. "Should be fun!" Haymitch laughs.
"I don't see the humor in this matter, old man."
"Oh, you will when you meet her!"