Author's Note: It's a fast paced-Games so we're in that lull between the chaos of the first night and the chaos that's to come when the alliances meet at the Cornucopia.
….
United
"I guess I've been sitting on the money long enough," Haymitch laughed as Katniss shouted at him from inside the arena.
Noah laughed in response and watched as Haymitch released the sponsorship gift to send the alliance the salve they would need to help recover from the effects of the fog. District Four's man had returned to Eleven's desk as Chaff began to move around the jungle in search of Twelve's tributes.
"She understands now," Haymitch said to Noah. "If she plays the game how I want, she gets sponsors," he laughed once again.
"Or if she asks directly," Noah replied.
"Well, that too. I admire her gall. But I've got the money and it will help Finn too."
"Saves Coral having to sort something out," Noah said as he looked across to where his fellow victors were sitting.
Coral was deep in conversation with Pluto whilst Chloe and Liev were at one of the sofas behind the desks, trying to console each other and seek comfort in the company of an equally bereft friend.
"How are you holding up?" Haymitch asked, noticing the direction Noah was looking.
"As well as I can be," Noah replied. "It's Chloe and Coral I worry about. They're Mags' girls. They love her like they would a mother, in fact, I think they love Mags more than they loved their own mothers."
"She has that effect on people."
"You were hers too. As much as any of us were in Four. We're both her boys. Finn too."
"We'll look out for him."
"You better do. You're going where he's going," Noah said, leaning in closer to minimise the risk of their conversation being overheard.
"I will do. You're looking out for Chaff; I look out for Finn. But come with us, Noah. Chloe and Coral would allow it. They'd want you to have the chance," Haymitch replied.
"I'm going back to Four, Haymitch. I'm needed there."
"And would that be to do with a certain woman who is supposed to be dead but anyone with a brain could tell is alive and well in Four?"
"I'm needed on the water. But maybe that's part of it," Noah said. "But seriously, Haymitch, it is obvious?" he asked, a degree of worry creeping into his voice.
"Not to most, no," Haymitch laughed. "But I've seen the way you looked at her and I've got the measure of her. She's a good one and I hope she's all okay in Four."
"She's thriving," Noah said, his pride in Dora evident in his voice.
"She's got you good hasn't she!" Haymitch said. "Shit timing though."
"Tell me about it."
"You want to use some of your money next? Split the cost of something? They play friends, they get food? They'll understand that. And Finn will know we care."
"Sure. Coral won't mind, it's for Finn after all. Chloe is past caring. We'll send something from Four if that's okay?"
"Well, Twelve's food is nothing to shout about. Give Finn something from home. Besides, they already had one gift from me."
With that, Noah went to Four's station to set up the gift, confirming his plan with Coral who shrugged and let him get on with it. It wasn't as if they were having to watch their money. As long as Finnick remained in good enough health and had what they could spare, leaving enough for an emergency, they could siphon off the rest to send home. It would soon be time to visit the sponsors again and with their popularity, they would soon make up whatever was spent. Coral trusted Noah to make sure it all worked out.
"We should sort something for Chaff too," Haymitch said from across the room, noticing that Eleven also had ample funds and that Chaff could use some assistance. With Noah's permission, Haymitch arranged to send Chaff a spile too. He would know what to do with it.
….
"Finally," Sawyer sighed. "They're getting closer."
"As long as Finnick keeps them on the beach," Liev replied.
"He's not leaving the shores. Jungle's too dangerous and he's upset. Besides, I will break into that arena and throttle him if he leaves. I can't cope with this anymore. Johanna is at her wit's end, I've reached the end of my tether, and oh no, she's singing again, I've had enough," Sawyer said, referring to Wiress who had begun yet another version of 'Hickory Dickory Dock'.
Hearing Sawyer's anger, Halley looked over to Seven's station, "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't know she would react like this. But there is a way to stop this. If Johanna or Beetee could just-"
"Just what, exactly," Sawyer snapped. "We're not all Threes and right now I'm counting my blessings that some of us can keep it together. Because there's only so much of this I can handle. No Blight, Nuts has snapped, and Volts is about to collapse."
"And none of that is my fault," Halley snapped back. "It's not just you who is out of their mind with worry."
"Sawyer, stop," Liev said warily. "This is not helping. It's not Halley's fault and Wiress means the world to her. It's hurting her to see them all like this."
"I just need this part to be over."
"It will be, soon. They're getting closer, almost to the beach now. Just a few more minutes, Johanna," Liev said as if he were talking to both Sawyer and their victor inside the arena.
….
Liev's thoughts were interrupted by Luna's screams. She had now spent twenty-four hours terrified and alone in the jungle, desperately trying to move on and escape her living nightmare. But she was lost in the thick of the trees, too afraid to reach the shores of the Cornucopia in case the careers lay in wait.
The jungle was too similar to her arena forty years ago, only hotter and without an obvious water source. She was dehydrated, exhausted and scared, too distracted to notice the vibrations of the arena under her feet.
But Porter noticed in the Mentors' Centre and became the next victor to try to talk to a friend from outside the arena, "Come on, Luna. Run. Run away now."
Luna had not realised the arena was a clock, only that it was the jungle, and the jungle meant her worst nightmare. So, it was too late once the wave started crashing towards her. She screamed at the sight of the wave rising in front of her and the immense noise as it came crashing down. Then it was too late. Luna tried, as she promised Porter she would, and threw herself towards the nearest tree, trying to climb and screaming for Porter to help her. But the wave was too strong and too high. She was swept away and under the water in a matter of seconds. The next canon fired, and Luna's body drifted towards the shore.
Porter barely had time to process it. She knew Luna was in the active wedge but for a few moments, nothing seemed to happen, until the arena began to vibrate. As the waters rolled in, Porter felt more helpless than ever. She knew what being a mentor entailed, she had played the role for years. But sitting helpless as the end approached for a woman she had spent almost forty years alongside, is something she never thought she would have to witness.
Luna was her closest friend, and now Porter was alone. Luna had died as she watched, both of them helpless. Porter could only will Luna to cling on and climb further but no tribute would survive a tsunami. Luna had no chance, both against the waters and, as Porter knew, of making it out alive.
She had tried to be realistic and prepare herself, but nothing could ready her for the overwhelming sense of loss and loneliness. She had moved to the Victors' Village alone, and it was Luna and her family who remained alongside her and Luna with whom she had spent every major event since her own survival. Now Porter sat alone, head in hands, unable to bear looking at the blank screens in front of her.
Chloe tentatively approached, placing a hand on Porter's shoulder, "I am so sorry, Porter. There's nothing I or anyone can say to make it better, I know that. But I'm sorry that was the end for Luna and that you had to watch."
Porter clasped Chloe's hands, offered her quiet thanks and was surprised when Chloe leaned in closer towards her ear, "Gather yourself, take some time, then leave. Get out of the Capitol. This afternoon."
"What? Why?" Porter asked.
"You don't need to be here. You can't be here, not if you want to return home alive. Leave. Today."
Porter did not want to ask questions of Chloe, so she simply nodded and watched as Chloe returned to Coral, and Noah took his place at District Four's station once more.
….
"We're nearly there, Johanna, come on girl," Sawyer said as his tribute dragged a seriously injured Beetee through the remaining thick of the jungle, followed by Wiress who had resumed her ongoing chanting.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock," Three's woman continued whilst Halley and Pluto winced and muttered their apologies to Seven's victors.
Sawyer ignored Three's victors whilst Linden shrugged and said, "It is what it is. Can't be helped. If Beetee hasn't realised, what chance does Johanna have?"
Finally, the three blood-soaked tributes made their way out onto the beach as Johanna spread her arms and inhaled deeply, relieved to be free of the jungle. Beetee stumbled behind her, becoming increasingly slow and losing his ability to focus as he suffered from the continued blood loss. He had to coax Wiress out of the jungle, the woman seemingly comforted by the darkness and familiarity of her previous surroundings.
It was not long before the alliance was spotted. To the relief of their mentors, it was Finnick who identified Johanna first before Katniss decided to attack. He ran towards his friend and embraced her eagerly, relief coursing through him at finding his friend and staunch ally. He met eyes with Johanna as he could see the woman searching for his allies.
Sure enough, Katniss and Peeta emerged from behind the tree line, but Johanna realised that Mags was nowhere to be seen. She looked right at Finnick, into his eyes and mouthed her name, "Mags?" Finnick simply shook his head and turned back to focus on the arrival of Twelve's tributes, leaving a frustrated Johanna to turn back to Three's tributes and Beetee who had by now, collapsed on the sand.
In the Mentors' Centre, Pluto and Halley were visibly panicked. Pluto was quickly checking Beetee's vitals whilst Halley was tearing through the list of available sponsor gifts to try to find something within a suitable price range that might help.
"It's all too expensive. We can't risk spending this much on the treatment for the wound itself, not when food is so expensive, and we need to send that in as the priority. It's the only gift that makes sense if we need twenty-four," Halley whispered.
"More painkillers?" Pluto asked. "Four and Twelve can get him water, that will help with the dehydration. No point in dressings, we'd have to send in too many with how hot the arena is. Antibiotics?"
"We could afford those today. Along with the bread. But not tomorrow and what if Wire needs something? These prices are ridiculous. We'd never struggle with this much money in a normal year!"
In the arena, Wiress gasped once more and resumed her chanting, "Tick-tock, tick-tock," and Johanna snapped.
There was immediate tension across the Mentors' Centre. It was obvious to all that Johanna and Katniss would clash. Two personalities that were too similar to survive in this environment unscathed.
So, it was no surprise when Katniss launched herself at Johanna in defence of Wiress. Even Halley and Pluto were shaking their heads. Wiress had been no easy ally for Johanna, but they could not afford for everything to fall apart now at the hands of the seventeen-year-old who was supposed to pour petrol on the flames they had spent years igniting.
Haymitch began to mutter under his breath once more about how his girl just can't help herself and is doing nobody any favours. But luckily Finnick managed to break the pair apart and Haymitch added Noah to his list of victors to buy drinks for on his next trip to the bar, which if Katniss and Johanna continued to aggravate one another, would be soon.
But Halley and Pluto soon softened in their attitude as they realised that Katniss was at heart, a kind young woman who swiftly took care of their friends. She did the best she could with Beetee to try to stem the bleeding and to clean his and Wiress' clothes of the blood that had soaked them.
The girl climbed even higher in their favour as it was Katniss who finally realised what Wiress had known all along. Johanna and Finnick were too focussed on the survival of their remaining allies and the deaths of their district partners and Beetee was in shock from the violent start to the Games. But Haymitch's girl had realised the arena was a clock and that the active segments would soon catch up with them.
"Finally," Pluto breathed. "Your girl's not as stupid as you've been making out, Haymitch."
"I'll give her this one," Twelve's mentor started. "Really, it's obvious, should have been clear to them all, but it's stressful in there. Hopefully, we don't have to worry about Finn and Johanna's brains if the girl is thinking faster than they can."
"They're focussed, Haymitch," Sawyer replied.
"As long as they're focused on the right things, the girl can figure out the arena for all I care, she's still clueless about the rest."
