Four

"Who took my knife?"

Cato's scream made the whole gym stop to look at him. Katniss raised her eyes from the survival strategies booth and directed her attention to the area where the knifes were kept.

"You!" he shouted, looking at a boy, maybe from 6 or 7. Katniss didn't even know his name. The poor boy stepped back as Cato moved closer to him, with a threatening expression on his face.

"W-What?" he stammered. "No! I-I haven't…"

"Where did you put it? No one touches my fucking things!"

A couple of Peacekeepers appeared to separate them, even though they were late, since Cato had already grabbed the boy by his collar and immediately pushed him against the spear metal structure. Katniss was able to hide her surprise by stepping back with discretion. She swallowed as the weapons fell to the floor with a loud thud and one boy jumped on top of the other. Everyone was staring at the scene in pure horror, quiet, as if they were being reminded of what they were doing there, what would happen in just a few days.

Katniss, however, hadn't forgotten death was breathing down her neck. She followed the intervention of the Peacekeepers with attention and when she turned to go somewhere else, a slight shine coming for above made her look up. In the ceiling, she couldn't phantom how she had managed to get there anyway, was the little girl from District 11, the one who reminded her of Prim. She was holding the knife that "was" Cato's, smiling happily.

Although Cato's tantrum had unsettled her, a grin escaped from Katniss' lips. It was ironic that someone as small as that girl had provoked such chaos. Their eyes met for a moment and Rue smiled at her again. How had she climbed so high? Cato's rage was expected, but not Rue's ability. Then, Katniss took note of it: expect the unexpected from everyone. Rue was lucky no one else had spotted her. Katniss turned to look at Robin, Estee's partner, who was roaring with laughter and seemed not to care about the girl from District 2, looking daggers at him. Katniss felt like telling that idiot that even if she defended him, Cato would end up killing her too and he wouldn't lose sleep over it, District's partner or not.

"Busy morning, kids?" Haymitch mentioned later, while Katniss was unsure if he was joking or hiding the same horror she felt under the sarcasm.

"That boy is a psycho," she replied instantly. "He has a favorite knife."

When she looked at Alder, who was sat in front of her, Katniss saw a platter full of meat to his side. She perceived the scent of a fruity smell when she moved, which distracted her from the conversation.

"What's that?"

The boy looked at her calmly, something that astounded her for some reason.

"Some sort of poultry with orange sauce, I think. You should try it," he suggested, before he moved the dish towards her.

"Thanks, Alder."

"They'll have plenty of time to kill each other inside," she heard Haymitch muttered. Seeing him pigging out on a piece of lamb was quite unexpected, an addition to his usual intake of alcohol. "How are you doing making friends? Any alliance worth mentioning?"

Alliances, Katniss thought, almost shivering. He had suggested it to both of them and she would've rather not having asked at all.

"I hate the Careers."

"I'm scared of them," Alder added, with his face down.

At least Haymitch had the decency not to mock him.

"Well…and what about 4? You've spend some time with that girl."

"She isn't letting on about what she can do."

"Then she must be as nice as you are, sweetheart."

Katniss stared blankly at him, in silence, and decided to share what she thought had learned about her.

"She's faster than we thought. Alder was watching her run yesterday and I watched her throwing knives." The boy nodded to her words. "She isn't a bad shooter, even if she isn't that strong. I think she knows how to adapt to the circumstances."

Katniss had seen her five consecutive knives to a bullseye, almost grazing the center, which had led her to believe maybe Estee wasn't as innocent as she appeared. At the same time, thinking the worse of her made her feel strangely guilty. Maybe the rest thought the same when they looked at her. That was what they achieved at the Games too: they forced them to mistrust everyone, become even more divided, they were also there for that reason. They wouldn't only kill each other, but reinforce the differences among the districts.

"Mmm, " Haymitch pondered, with his face resting on one of his hands, listening, but looking like he wasn't at the same time. "Not bad. If we have their support…4 would attract more sponsors by extension. And Finnick Odair has mentioned you."

He had dropped the last comment so casually Katniss thought she hadn't heard it right. At least until Haymitch turned to look at her. Then she almost choked with her food.

"Me?"

"Yes, you, sweetheart."

Katniss clenched her jaw. Alder was right there, being reminded he wouldn't be considered a good bet. Haymitch could be a drunk, but he didn't seem to be a cruel drunk.

"Why?"

"I figure that girl only trusts you two," he answered, and Katniss felt rapid relief hearing he included both of them. "Odair also said something about you seeming to have a strong personality."

She felt the sweat in her lower back as she finished chewing. What if he told him he had caught her sniffing around? She was certain talking to other mentors wasn't allowed.

"An alliance with 4 cannot be rejected so easily."

Katniss sipped her water and shook her head.

"I'm not sure."

Her mentor groaned.

"What do you mean you aren't sure?"

She couldn't grow fond of anyone. Well, growing fond was an exaggeration. She could leave it at being actual allies. She couldn't trust anyone, no one apart from Alder.

"Who do you want?"

"I don't know," she replied, after shrugging a bit. "Rue."

"That little girl from 11?" Haymitch asked, to then let out a snort. "Alder?"

"I'm fine with Estee and Robin. He's right, violence isn't good, and she's not a lunatic like everyone else. If she has to kill me, she'll do it quickly and I won't suffer."

As if the conversation was already ended, Katniss watching him clean himself with the napkin and stood up. However, she noticed how he trembled a little when he moved his chair. In that moment, she realized the reason for his apparent calm the whole evening. He was simply giving up.

"Wait…" she tried to say, but the boy was already hurrying to his room. "Alder!"

"Let him be," Haymitch said, sighting a bit, before leaning forward. "Look, Katniss…training and learning other people's weakness is great, but you also have to be appealing."

She was about to answer back when he raised his hand to stop her from talking over.

"Not physically," he clarified. "It's all about people liking you. No more being so cutting. Alliances aren't a whim of mine, girl, so stop treating them like it. A lonely wolf goes nowhere, without a pack it's not even a wolf anymore."

Katniss glanced at Alder's door for a second and back to Haymitch again, pursing her lips. He was trying to conceive her, it appeared.

"You use metaphors now? Why are you telling me without him being present?"

"You and I both know that boy has nothing to do," he murmured.

For a moment, while their eyes met, Katniss thought she could notice the tiredness hidden behind her mentor's voice.

"He knows more than he seems."

Those last days she had discovered he was an attentive observer and a quick learner. He was only afraid, like everyone else. Like she was too.

"Maybe. But he's completely without malice."

Katniss' annoyed expression became a grimace. She could dislike Haymitch's behaviour but that didn't give him the right to judge her, or believe he knew her. She couldn't help but feel her heart sinking a little, was that what he thought of her?

"And I am?"

"You're Beton Everdeen's eldest," Haymitch replied, before drinking.

That wasn't a proper question, just a distraction, but Katniss went along with it. Malice and her father in the same sentence couldn't go together.

"How do you know my father?"

Haymitch repressed a bitter laugh, as if the question was stupid and Katniss felt herself reddening. Truth be told, almost everybody knew each other in 12 one way or another.

"I'm not much younger than him and I know what he does, or what he did, rather. What you do now. Your father is a survivor and I'm not saying it because he survived the accident." In his mouth, it sounded like a praise, since she had hardly heard him compliment anyone. "You are one too. You have what it takes."

Ever since the accident, ever since her father had to give up hard work because of his leg, they had had to juggle to survive. Her mother had been a decent healer and with her father's job in the mines they had a very humble life, but sufficient, because they had each other. There were no luxuries, but they were happy. Her father had a limp but he was alive, unlike many others, and shortly after her mother's heart failed. Innocence was gone. Escaping into the forest in secret went from being a childish adventure to their sustenance.

"Perhaps to kill a turkey or a deer," said Katniss. "People aren't beasts."

"Are you sure? For most of the tributes you're just a number. They won't think about it twice." She didn't doubt it, but she wanted to think she wouldn't become them. "Do you know what your problem is? You want to protect everyone."

Katniss listened silently, without giving him the satisfaction of reacting.

"Your sister. How could you not do it? I won't argue about that," Haymitch admitted. "Now there's Alder, because he is from home. And that little girl. Because she's too young to die, isn't she?"

She wanted to scream at him, tell him she didn't know her, that less than a week ago they had been two strangers who hadn't even crossed paths in their District, so he had no right to analyze her or her family. She bit her lip instead and stared at him angrily.

"So what? Why do you care?"

If she had already been forced to volunteer, to be a tribute without wishing to, at least they wouldn't take away any more decisions from her. What reasons did she have to act as she did, to protect others? She could only think of Prim's honest smile, the way her mother would've cried helplessly had she seen her, but also how she would've been proud of her bravery. She also thought of her father's efforts to keep them afloat, even though he could no longer go down to the mines. There was goodness everywhere, even in people she thought she didn't know. Estee was also there, accompanying her and Alder in silence, perhaps moved by the human instinct that impelled all of them not to be left alone. She thought of herself and Gale, how they shared everything they had, of Madge's friendship, asking for nothing in return. Deep down, Haymitch was right. Her wishes were impossible, because there would only be one of them left, no matter how badly she wanted to change the world. They wouldn't only dehumanize them, but they'd kill all their hope as well.

"You have to go beyond that," she heard Haymitch say. "Forget about your morals, if you need."

Katniss shook her head and cleared her throat to prevent it from closing up. She didn't mind crying, but she didn't want to do it in front of him.

"And why are you telling me to make allies, then? You aren't making any sense." At that moment, she stood up, ready to imitate Alder. However, she ended up halfway, tracing a circle with her footsteps, in front of the TV, as if she could soothe herself that way. Haymitch had more than two coherent sentences to offer for once, so she would have to take advantage of it. "Do I care too much or am I better left alone?"

He didn't rise from his chair, but leaned back nonchalantly.

"Allies are a tool, a protection. You'll get some tributes off your back if you can help each other out for a few days. If you haven't been killed already, you then separate and pray you don't come across each other. Meanwhile, the sponsors see what you are capable of, decide who their favorite is…," he explained, gesturing with his hand. "Nobody bets on a bad-tempered girl who has nothing to offer to the other tributes because that doesn't generate any comment. This is television."

Katniss didn't look up, because she didn't want to see him smirk, or tell her how nice and polite she would have to appear. His reasoning made some sense. Was that what he had done? The truth was she knew nothing of his Games or how he had been able to win.

"I'll think about it," she gave in, causing Haymitch to look at her with triumph written all over his face. If he truly believed it was for her own good, she had no choice but give it a thought.

"I'll know the world is ending the day you say something nice, sweetheart."

"And you something useful," Katniss mumbled, before slipping away into the silence of her room.

Hello once again! I'm very glad you are reviewing and enjoying this fic. You are making such good points to discuss, I'm living for your comments haha. I'm trying to build it up slowly so we'll see how everything unfolds.

Until next week!