The Capitol's Darling - The Hunger Games

twenty-four: legacy upheld

KATIA'S POV

I had nothing in my mind but complete rage as I walked through the forest with a spear still stuck in my leg. I couldn't even focus on the immense pain it was causing me as I used every ounce of strength left in my body to carry me back to the cornucopia. I needed Cashmere to fix up my leg before I could do anything else.

Despite the amount of pain I was in from the spear and the burns that covered my entire body, i had hoped that everyone watching me like this frightened them. No matter what, my legacy in the Capitol as the Capitol's Darling must be upheld.  I was chosen as Panem's favourite hunger game and victor and although many would have a lot to disagree about that, I had to prove myself. Prove to them why I have this title and why I should be feared.

As I continued to slowly walk through the rainforest, I started to hear faint voices coming towards me.

I sighed and carried myself over to the nearest tree for cover. I didn't know who was approaching and with my current state, I didn't know if I had enough strength in me to fight.

Then that voice in my head reminded me that there are people watching me all across Panem, and seeing Katia Odair hide instead of fighting, would disappoint them.

Once again I sighed to myself quietly. The voices stopped but I could still hear their footsteps approaching me. I muttered a 'may the odds be in my favour' under my breath before pulling the spear out of my leg with a pained scream and turned to chuck it towards the sounds.

I watched as one of them easily caught the spear before it could hit anyone and was about to chuck it back when we both realised who each other were.

"Katia thank gosh!" Enobaria cried as she ran towards me. I let out a breath of relief, thankful the careers had found me and I could finally catch a break.

Before Enobaria could reach me, my legs gave out and I fell to the ground. Removing the spear had hurt more than I had hoped and plenty of blood started gushing out of my leg.

"Cashmere bring the kit! She's covered in blood I don't know where to start!" E called out to the others behind her as she kneeled beside me to take a look at me.

"It's not all my blood, just fix my leg." I assured her. Her eyes widened at my leg as Cashmere popped up beside her with a small bag in her hands.

"We found these hidden in the cornucopia. You're losing too much blood I can't do anything but wrap up your leg." She explained as she began taking things out of the bag.

"What do you mean you can't do anything!? I'll die if you don't stitch my leg up!" I ranted. I knew Cashmere knew that since she trained for years about these things but I didn't know what else to say or do.

I couldn't die like this. No I refused.

"Katia the wound is infected. We need to put medicine on it first and we don't have that. I'll wrap it up in the meantime while we look for medicine." Cashmere explained calmly.

I nodded quickly looking around and seeing Gloss and Brutus walking around guarding the area while E was beside me holding my hand.

After a few moments Cashmere finished wrapping the bandage around my leg. The pain was still there but it was much better than before. She also managed to clean up majority of the blood from the rain. "You're all good." She announced. Gloss and Brutus both nodded towards each other before approaching the three of us.

"Now Tia, who the hell did this to you." Enobaria asked sternly.

"Better yet, why don't you explain your whole thought process. You know, since you left in the dark when I repeatedly told you not to." Brutus spoke up.

He was angry. Very angry. His tone said it all. "You scared the shit out of me Katia. When I heard that cannon go off, my heart stopped. I though you were dead! You can't do that!" He let out.

I looked down at the ground in guilt. Enobaria and I was all he had left and my intentions were never to hurt or scare him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you guys, I just let my thoughts get the best of me but I learnt my lesson now. I'm sorry." I apologised. Although I hated being so vulnerable like this, after the scare I put them through, they deserved a genuine apology.

Brutus looked away, avoiding eye contact. I knew he wasn't actually mad at me, he was just worried and scared to lose me. I would be the same if the roles were reversed.

"Now tell us what happened while you rest your leg." Cashmere spoke.

I closed my eyes for a second, letting out a tired breath before explaining everything that had went down. "I ran into District 7 and 3, they're allies. Still shocked and confused about that. I tried to kill them when rain started pouring. But it wasn't just normal rain, it was blood. And it was hot. I tried to kill Beetee from 3 but Blight from 7 sacrificed himself to save him. He's the cannon that went off. It caught me off guard and that's when Johanna threw a spear at me and they got away."

"Wait- Wait, Johanna Mason? From District 7? The one you specifically told us to keep out of the picture because she was your friend and that she would never do anything to hurt you?" Gloss spoke up for the first time after us being reunited.

"Forget about what I said before. Johanna took something that belongs to me. Once I get that back I couldn't care less what happens to her." I replied coldly.

This was the hunger games and I should've listened to the words my dad told me all those years ago.

"A friend outside the arena is never a friend inside the arena."

"The arena is no place to let your personal emotions get the best of you and stop you from doing what is needed to survive."

Even if Johanna didn't aim to kill me, she still hurt me. Emotionally
and Physically.

"What'd she take?" E asked still beside me.

"My trident."

Brutus sighed a few feet away from me. He knew exactly how much my weapons meant to me and how I don't take it lightly when someone takes something of mine.

"So what's the plan?" He asked cautiously.

"Find them. Take it. Kill them."

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