Forbearance • A Cato Hadley Story

1.12

It was bright outside when Livia stepped out of the elevator with Augusta and Cato by her side. The girl squinted into the sunlight, giving her eyes a moment to adjust. Once she was able to see again she looked up to her left where Cato walked next to her as they went towards the hovercraft. Her eyes lingered for a moment on the boy who didn't notice her, as his focus stayed in front of him.

The girl ripped her eyes away from the larger figure and went back to facing the hovercraft as she stepped inside. Augusta stopped walking when they made it to the ramp and gave each tribute a quick hug, saying a silent goodbye, and sending them off. Inside of the hovercraft were two rows of seats, all made out of a metallic material. On her left sat Katniss on the second to last seat in the row along with a few other tributes that Livia didn't bother to learn the names of.

It quickly occurred to Livia that neither Glimmer or Marvel were on the hovercraft and she realized she wouldn't be able to see them before the games, which disappointed her. To her left were a select few male tributes that she wasn't familiar with. A peacekeeper stepped towards the pair from District Two and demanded that the small girl sit at the end of the left row next to Katniss, the girl from Twelve that she hated with every bone in her body.

Livia smiled as she walked to her seat, enjoying the thought of being able to intimidate the slightly older girl. She already seemed scared so the smaller girl thought increasing the fear factor would be fun. Three seats down the other row sat Cato, who smiled for a split second at the blonde. She smiled back at him, growing serious and leaning back in her seat when a peacekeeper stepped in front of her holding a needle filled with a mysterious blue liquid.

"Arm." the women under the mask said seriously. Confused, Livia stuck out her arm which was quickly snatched by the women. Within a second a needle was in the girl's forearm, a white flash of light coming from underneath her skin before disappearing. It stung a bit but the blonde kept her straight face on and didn't move a muscle, not wanting to show any sign of weakness to the other tributes. Once the needle was out of her arm the peacekeeper moved onto the other tributes who flinched and winced at the contact with the needle.

The flight was a boring thirty minutes, spent sitting in silence with the other teens on the hovercraft. After everyone was escorted off the ship, they were each sent to separate rooms where their stylists would send them off to the arena. Annette immediately wrapped Livia in a comforting hug when she stepped into the room. The blonde held the blue haired woman tightly and they embraced each other for a minute or so. A reddish-brown jacket that hung on a wall across the room caught her eye as the pair let go.

The two silently walked over to the clothing article and Annette grabbed it off of it's hook and helped the teen slip it on, then stepped back in front of the girl. She didn't say anything as Livia looked at her stylist confused. Annette simply reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold necklace. The blonde looked at the item, a shocked expression taking over his face. It had been her mothers. Or at least it was partially her mothers.

When her mother had passed away, her father kept the woman's engagement ring. When the girl turned thirteen, he had a small piece of the diamond from the ring made into a charm for a necklace and he gave it to his older daughter for her birthday. She just wasn't sure where the stylist had picked up the item. She had only taken it off for training and when she showered. "It was on your nightstand. I assumed you'd want this as your token." the Capitolian woman said simply.

Livia gave a nod of understanding and let her clasp the necklace around her neck. The chain hung around her neck, the cold piece of jewelry lightly touching her warm skin. Annette then grabbed the hem of the teens jacket and zipped it up carefully, then pulled the girl's blonde locks out of her jacket where it had been trapped when the clothing tightened around her body. Within the silence Livia mentally reminded herself of the plan her and the other careers devised.

Once the games started she would run to the cornucopia, find either knives, a spear, or bow and arrow, a backpack, and find a fellow career, whoever that may be. Livia's thoughts were then interrupted by the blue haired woman's soothing voice. "With the jacket I assume the arena will be something slightly cold. Try and find a sleeping bag or maybe a box of matches." she told her. The blonde nodded just before a voice sounded in the room informing that she would soon be launched into the arena in a matter of sixty seconds.

The two wrapped each other in one last, almost bone crushing hug, saying a final yet silent goodbye. Around the ten second mark the teen stepped into a tube, the clear door shutting behind her and before she knew it she was being lifted towards the top of the tube. When she reached the top the sun blinded her momentarily for the second time that day.

Her eyes adjusted slightly quicker then the time before and everything came clear into view. Each tribute stood in a circle, getting ready for the countdown to hit zero. To her left was a red headed girl with what she recognized to be space buns on the top of her head. She knew the girl to be Finch; otherwise known as Foxface. She met eyes with the redhead, leaning forward for a moment to intimidate the girl, causing her to inch to her left in fear.

To her right stood a boy who she didn't know the name of. He had dirty blonde, curly hair and seemed to be around thirteen or fourteen. And although she wasn't sure of his name, she knew him to be the boy from District Four. The girl considered scaring the boy but ultimately decided against it as he seemed scared enough as it was, which she knew she could use to her advantage later on. Her eyes then searched around the rest of the circle, part of it being covered by the cornucopia.

That's where she assumed Marvel was since she didn't seem to spot him anywhere in sight. Five or six spaces down to her right Livia was able to recognize Cato. At the same time, he found her and gave her a nod; a wordless reassurance. Seven spaces down to her left was Glimmer who didn't bother looking around and just locked her eyes on the cornucopia, most likely at the bow and arrow that seemed to stare right back at her, begging to be taken.

She had ten seconds. Ten seconds before the fight of her life started Ten seconds before she would become a murderer. Ten seconds before she would be potentially murdered. Five... The blonde took one last shaky deep breath. Four... Her hand reached her necklace that held her last memory of her mother. Three... Her hand left the necklace and she steadied herself, prepared to run once the countdown would hit zero.

Two... She took one last glance at two out of three of her fellow allies. One... It was time for her to defy the odds. Zero... She ran. She ran as fast as her short legs would carry her. She ran for the cornucopia, not daring to look behind her as she neared Cato. She had now officially begun the Seventy-Fourth Annual Hunger Games.