Boom.
As people screamed around her, Johanna sat in silence, Finnick next to her, tying his knots to calm himself.
Those bastards.
She knows Snow was trying to hurt her and everyone, not only Katniss.... And he was winning.
"Hey." She looked at Katniss. "Can I sit?"
"Feel free." She said as the girl sat with them.
"Snow's using Annie and Paige to punish you." She said sadly.
"He's taunting us with them." Finnick added as he looked at her.
"And I didn't understand until just now watching that stupid cat." Katniss said with anger.
"After your first games, I thought the whole romance was an act." Finnish said. "We all expected you to continue that strategy but it wasn't until Peeta's heart stopped and he nearly died that...I knew I'd misjudged you. You love him.... I'm not saying in what way, maybe you don't even know yourself but anyone paying attention can see it."
"How do you live with it?"
"I must, I must live with it for her." Johanna said.
"I drag myself outta nightmares and there's no relief in waking up." Finnick added on again. "But... It's better not to give in to it....Takes ten times longer to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart."
--------------------------------------------------
"They are going to get them."
Johanna's heart couldn't take these highs and lows anymore.
Those six words meant everything to her as she stood in the command center.
"I have to go help." Johanna said at the exact same time as Katniss did.
"Hey, hey, whoa children. Wait." Heymitch grabbed Katniss and tripped Johanna to stop her from leaving, She glared as she stood back up. "Come on. What, are you just gonna jump out of the vent and go storm the Capitol? Besides, it's already under way. Six soldiers went in. Volunteer only and guess who was the first brave soul to sign up."
"Gale." Katniss said.
"Heymitch." Johanna spoke up. "Please don't tell me a guy named Cato went too."
"He did, why?"
"Dammit.... That's the guy Paige begged on here victory tour to never volunteer. I don't think, depending on her state of mind, if the two meet and he tells her that, that she'll take that well."
"And you tell me this now?"
"You didn't warn me before!" Johanna threw her arms in the air.
"This is Finnick Odair. Winner of the 65th Hunger Games and I'm coming to you from District 13, alive and well. We've survived an assault from the Capitol but I'm not here to give you recent news." His face appeared on the screen, making the brewing dispute die down.
"Why is Finnick doing a propo?" Katniss asked
"It's a lot more than that. Beetee's commandeered the system." Heymitch said.
"Now that they're down to generator power there's a more limited range of frequencies available to them and I'm filling them all up with Finnick. Not many will see it, but whoever does will think it's another propo. What they don't know is this broadcast is jamming their entire system with noise. Early defense warning, internal communications, everything as long as the broadcast goes through, our team should be able to get in and out undetected." Beetee explained fast.
Johanna's eyes went wide and she left the room, quickly making her way up, knowing exactly what Finnick was going to say.
"--an survive the arena." She arrived outside and heard him still speak. "The moment you leave, you're a slave... President Snow used to sell me or my body, at least. I wasn't the only one. If a Victor is considered desirable, the President gives them as a reward or allows people to buy them. If you refuse, he kills someone you love." Finnick waved Johanna over, him being the only one to notice her. "Johanna Mason winner of the 68th." He called out holding his hand out to her.
"Oh fuck." She thought. She took a deep breath, she knew she'd be called to speak if noticed but still, she needed a moment.
"Unlike Finnick who, for protection of his family and friend, accepted the toll of being a victor." She said, hands behind her back. "I had refused him my body and are you aware of what he did?" The more they talked the more time there was to save the victors, two people are better then one. "He killed everyone I love and covered it up, murders committed by your great president because a traumatized girl that just survived games no one should ever live through didn't wish to be sold off, that's my offence."
"See, I know all the depravity, the deceit and the cruelty of the Capitol's pampered elite but the biggest secrets are about good President, Coriolanus Snow."
"Such a young man when he rose to power."
"Such a clever one to keep it. How, you may ask, did he do it? One word."
"Poison."
"He stopped every mutiny before it even started. There are so many mysterious deaths to adversaries. Even to allies who were threats. Snow would drink from the same cup, to deflect suspicion but antidotes don't always work, which is why he wears roses that reek of perfume. Help cover the scent of blood from sores in his mouth that will never heal.
"But he can't hide the scent of who he really is. He kills without mercy."
"He rules with deception and fear. His weapon of choice is the only thing suited to such a man. Poison. The perfect weapon for a snake."
And despite not wanting too, wanting to forget what the Capitol did to them, both victors kept talking, unaware what went on bellow.
YOU ARE READING
.Forest Fire (Johanna Mason X F.OC).
FanfictionLife for victors is still hard. Nobody wins the game; there are only survivors. Johanna knows that well since her win in the 68th game and her family suffering the consequence of her not bending the knee to the Capitol. She grew cold, distant, and s...