Iri walked beside Clove as they made their way inside the training room. The other Tributes made their way inside not long after. A former Peacekeeper, who was now in charge of training walked out, her name being Lilite.
"In two weeks 24 of you will be dead. One of you will be alive. Who that is...depends on how well you pay attention over the next few days. Particularly to what I'm about to say. First: no fighting with the other Tributes. You'll have plenty of time for that in the arena. There are four compulsory exercises, the rest will be individual training. My advice is: don't ignore survival skills. Everybody wants to grab a sword but most of you will die from natural causes. 10% from infection. 20% from dehydration. Exposure can kill as easily as a knife." Lilite explained.
They started training. Iri grabbed several daggers, throwing them each a different target, hitting exactly where she aimed. She could be low or high and still aim and get the target. She was a threat to the other Tributes, and everyone knew it too. Of course, as soon as alliances started to begin in training, Clove wanted to ally herself with Iri. Since Iri was already a Victor and knew how to survive she would need her. Iri agreed but didn't know that through her alliance with her sister, she would also ally herself with Cato, Glimmer (District 1 girl), and Marvel (District 1 boy). She didn't care as much but would keep an eye on them as she didn't fully trust those three, only her sister. And of course, as soon as alliances started, fighting did too. A District 8 boy was minding his own business when a fumed Cato came over, shoving him around.
"Where's my knife? Where did you put it? I put my knife-" Cato yelled.
"Don't touch me," the boy yelled back.
This caught Iri's attention as she stood up, putting the daggers back on a table. She walked up beside Katniss who was watching the conflict.
"Should we do something?" Katniss asked Iri.
"No. Cato is stupid, strong Tribute, but stupid. He's always starting shit, he just needs someone to blame." Iri answered.
"Fuck! You took my knife!" Cato yelled at the boy.
"I didn't touch your knife, I didn't touch it!" the boy yelled.
"You liar! You little punk! You took my kn*fe!" Cato continued.
Marvel started shoving him too which only made things worse, this is about the time Peacekeepers started to come in.
"Get off of me!" Cato yelled at the Peacekeepers.
"Just sit here." a Peacekeeper told the District 8 boy.
Katniss and Iri both looked up as others did, seeing a little girl up in the nets, holding Cato's knife. To Iri, something was familiar about the girl, then she realized.
"Rue." Iri said, her heart dropping.
"Yeah. Rue Barnette, District 11's female Tribute." Katniss said, not realizing Iri was turning pale with shock.
"She's only 12... why is she here?.." Iri said.
"Hey, is everything okay? What's wrong?" Katniss asked finally realizing.
"I-I can't be here." Iri said.
Iri walked away, her heart beating faster and faster as she kept thinking. Iri finally sat down somewhere and saw Katniss sit beside her, Katniss followed her over.
"Are you okay? Did you know her?" Katniss asked.
"Know her? No. Not exactly. I knew her older sister though. Reena Barnette, she was one of the final 3 last year. The Capitol killed her because they only wanted one winner, they could've killed me but they didn't. I'll never understand why. Reena was only a year older than Rue and I couldn't save her." Iri explained, tears falling down her cheeks.
Katniss put her hands on Iri's cheeks and turned Iri's head to look at her.
"Hey. Hey. Look at me. It's not your fault. None of it is, it's all Snow. He wants to see you weak, he wants everyone to see you weak. Don't let him hurt you. You're stronger than he is. You're the Yellowjacket, be the Yellowjacket." Katniss explained.
Katniss put her forehead on Iri's forehead and held it there for a moment.
"How'd you know about the Yellowjacket? Cinna and Clove always called me that." Iri asked.
"Either your pin or a lucky guess," Katniss answered smiling.
Iri calmed down and lifted her head up to face Katniss.
"Thank you. You didn't have to do that-"
"But I wanted to. You needed someone." Katniss smiled.
Iri smiled before hugging her and then getting up, resuming training. After training, everybody went to their rooms but Iri snuck out and went up to the Penthouse where she knew Katniss was. She went to knock but before she could the door opened, Katniss standing at the opened door.
"Hey."
"Hey. I-uh, I wanted to fill you in on some Victor secrets that could help you with the Games, if you'll have me."
"Of course, come in."
She walks in and Peeta protectively, holds up a knife, Iri reacts fast and does the same. They're at least 10 feet apart from each other but they both are ready to fight for some reason. Katniss gets in the middle of them to break them both up.
"Both of you, put the knives down." Katniss said.
Peeta does and then Iri does.
"Are you out of your mind Peeta?" Katniss asked.
"In his defense, we're all mad here." Iri answered.
"She's got a point, but what the hell is a District 2 Tribute doing here?" Peeta asked.
"District 2 Victor and Tribute and her name is Iri. And she's come to help you," Iri answered.
Katniss nodded and Peeta, Katniss, and Iri all sat down on the couch. Haymitch (Katniss and Peeta's Mentor) and Effie (Katniss and Peeta's Escort) walk in to see Iri.
"Oh my goodness, I wasn't expecting guests. Let me make some tea." Effie said.
"No, no, that's alright. I was just here to give some advice to Katniss and Peeta." Iri smiled.
"Why would you do that?" Haymitch asked.
"Don't ask that, Haymitch, she's just trying to help. That is very sweet of you," Effie said.
"It's no problem, really, sort of like returning the favor to Katniss," Iri said.
"So, before the accusations start on whose side you're intending to be on, what did you want to tell us?" Peeta asked.
"Well for starters, let me explain Careers. Remember Cato, the one who threatened District 6's male Tribute? He's a Career. You know what that is? From District 1...and 2...and sometimes 4. They train in a special academy until they're 18 then they volunteer. By that point, they're pretty lethal. But they don't receive any special treatment, they stay in the exact apartment as we do. (laughs) And I don't think they let them have desert, and you can." Iri explained.
"So how good are they?" Peeta asked.
"They win it almost every year, but... They won in almost several yeas but..."
"Almost. They can be arrogant. And arrogance can be a big problem. Katniss, I hear you can shoot." Iri said, referring to a bow and arrow.
"I'm alright," Katniss smiled.
"She's better than alright, my father buys her squirrels. He says she hits them right in the eye everytime." Peeta said.
"Peeta's strong." Katniss added.
"What?" Peeta asked, confused on Katniss's reply.
"He can throw a hundred pound sack of flour right over his head. I've seen it." Katniss answered.
"Okay, well I'm not gonna kill anybody with a sack of flour." Peeta said.
"No, you might have a better chance of winning if somebodycomes after you with a knife," Iri replied.
"I have no chance of winning. None. Alright?!" Peeta yelled.
The room goes quiet from Peeta's outburst, Katniss looks over confused and concerned, Iri also confused.
"It's true. Everybody knows it. You know what my mother said? She said, "District 12 might finally have a winner!" But she wasn't talking about me. She was talking about you." Peeta explained.
"My mother wasn't the best to me either. As much as I loved her, she almost resented me. I looked just like her and she felt I was better than her, she hated it. She stopped speaking to me when I was 8. My dad taught me to fight since then. Clove was only 6, and my mother loved her... more than she could ever love me. I am sorry that something of that sort has happened to you, Peeta, but there's always hope. Reena got out alive with me, even though she was killed by the Capitol afterward, we still both left as Victors. Two... Victors. It's possible." Iri explained.
Iri put her hand on Peeta's, squeezing it softly. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Both now had an understanding of one another as well as a connection. They both knew they've gone through something of the same trauma, and they were both still working to mend it.
"What is it that you do?" Haymitch asked.
"Did you not watch the Games last year?" Iri laughed.
"I'm a Victor and a Mentor. When my Game was done, I was done, so nope, not really." Hyamitch answered.
"Fair... I'm good with knives. I can hit a target from miles away. Down on the ground or up in a tree. That's how I won last year, the other Tributes never suspected it." Iri said.
"So we have a strong boy, a girl with a bow and arrows, and a crazy knife girl." Haymitch said.
"I wouldn't say she's crazy." Effie laughed.
"It's alright, really. I should probably go... I'm just a couple floors down from you if anyone needs anything... anything at all." Iri said.
"Thank you again. I know you didn't have to help." Katniss smiled.
"It's an honor." Iri smiled back, leaving afterward.
After Iri left, Katniss turned around and smiled.
"Seems someone got a friend." Haymitch laughed.
"I didn't think I would but... You know, I like her." Peeta laughed.
YOU ARE READING
The Yellowjacket and The Mockingjay
Action"You would've never survived what I had to," "I guess we won't have to find out if that is indeed true." Iri is a Teenager from District 2 who is already a Victor when she volunteers for her sister and becomes a Tribute once more. She has to fight f...
