𝐌𝐀𝐃 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍, finnick odair

― 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲

TW: SUGGESTIONS OF SELFH@ARM, NEAR-DROWNING, SUICIDAL ACTIONS.

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chapter twenty: whatever it took to win

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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒, 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄. The hovercraft had materialized out of thin air moments after her victory, picking her up and flying her from the arena back into the heart of the Capitol. 

The doors to the Tribute Centre open and, standing right behind them, is Hunter. His eyes light up when he sees her. 

Visha forgets about everything and runs to him, jumping into his arms. She knows she must be a sight right now― tangled hair, dirty face, blood everywhere; a complete mess― but she can't bring herself to care. 

"Oh my god," she mumbles as she buries her face into his shoulder. 

Hunter only laughs and spins her around. "I knew it would be you," he whispers as he sets her down. "Whatever it takes to win, right?" 

"Whatever it took to win," she confirms, nodding. 

He kisses her forehead, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Come, let's get you all cleaned up and ready to meet your adoring fans," Hunter says wryly, raising an eyebrow as he steers her through the doors and down a hallway. 

They enter the third room on the left side of the hallway. 

Visha finds herself in a glowing room with a soft yellow light. Hunter hangs between the doorway and the actual room, not willing to come in. An avox appears from an adjacent chamber and leads Visha towards a large metal tube, motioning for her to lie down. 

She raises her eyebrows and glances back at Hunter. 

"It's a reconstruction chamber," he tells her, cracking a smile. "Takes away all your wounds, injuries, pains, scars, et cetera." 

Visha frowns slightly. "What if I want to keep my scars?" Her left hand flew to the scar on her collarbone which she had gotten while training with her brother. That was the only permanent reminder she had of her brother― well, excluding the bracelet Hunter slash Gideon had given her. Visha didn't want to lose Mayan. 

Not again. 

"The Capitol would never let you do that," Hunter says. When Visha's face falls, he lets out a sigh and crosses the room. He takes her hand in his and squeezes gently. "As a Victor, you have to learn to never defy the Capitol. Not even with something as small as this. The consequences are severe, Visha. Trust me, I would know."