Never In Your Favor - Finnick Odair

9

"They don't give us any information on the arena beforehand," Thaddeus clicked his tongue as he opened a door for his tribute, "you know this. All they do is layout your outfit."

"There's no thermal or anything." She pointed out.

Her stylist put his hand on her back to guide her in the correct direction.

"Probably somewhere with a natural, constant heat," He nodded, "maybe a desert, or somewhere tropical?"

Kaianna let out a breath, that she was sure she'd been holding in all day.

"Hey," Thaddeus put his hands on her shoulder, "look. You've done this once, and I fully believe you can do it again. You know what's expected of you but, you also know what you expect from yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing you on the other side of this whole thing."

Without another thought, Kaianna wrapped her arms tightly around the man who had in such a short time become another mentor to her. She wanted to stay in his arms longer, especially when the other option could quite possibly bring her to the end of her life.

"Go," Thaddeus smiled proudly at the woman, "show them your force."

Kaianna nodded, and gave her stylist one last sad smile, before readjusting her wet suit nervously, and placing herself in the familiar tube. She winced when the glass wrapped around her. Locking her away from Thaddeus. Locking her away from safe. Except she had never been safe, and the silence had never been so loud.

She pressed her shaky hand to the glass, once again willing it to all be a dream but, it wasn't. Soon enough, the image of Thaddeus' thoughtful glance was sinking. Lower, and lower below her, as she rose into the arena. Every emotion she had felt, drained to nothing, as she rose to the pedestal. Suddenly, all she felt was instinct.

Kaianna had already started to plan her next move, knowing that truly every one counted. It felt like she was back to fifteen, and all she could think about was surviving. Except now, there was much more at stake.

Get to the cornucopia. Get what you need. Find Katniss. Find Finnick.

It would be easier to make her next move with someone watching her back. Then together, they could find Katniss, and Peeta. That was the plan, and it was a great one. Except for the fact that nothing ever went to plan.

The moment that cannon sounded, everything would turn into chaos for at least ten minutes. Until they could break away. If they could break away.

"Let the seventy-fifth annual hunger games begin," So many memories flooded back to Kaianna at the voice in the sky, "may the odds be ever in your favor."

The voice began to count down from ten, forcing Kaianna to take in her surroundings as fast as she could. The arena was tropical, just like she and Thaddeus had assumed it might be. The pedestal she was stood on, was surrounded by water.

She didn't have eyes on any of the people she had set to become allies with. That only made her needs to get to the cornucopia more dire. As the announcer got down to the last three seconds, Kaianna took a deep breath, and prepared herself for the fact that the water could quite possibly be freezing cold.

Then, with the sound of a cannon, she was diving into the water before her. She was grateful for the fact that she grew up in a district surrounded by water. This feeling only grew stronger when she ended up being one of the first ones to pull herself onto a rocky path that lead her straight where she needed to be.

Kaianna turned around just in time to duck, missing a strike from Cashmere, District one's female tribute. The woman from four quickly swept her leg around to trip the woman from one, before pushing her back into the water roughly and making a break to the metal center of the arena. There was barely enough time for her to grab a spear, before she had it plunged through the chest of the girl from district ten. Quickly, and quietly but, roughly. Kaianna winced at the impact.