𝔖𝔱𝔞𝔯 ℭ𝔯𝔬𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔡 - Clove and Cato/Clato

XXI

After the carriage rides, I met up with Enobaria and Cato who were accompanied by Brutus. We entered the elevator, but as it was closing, a woman stepped in. The elevator began to rise, and she began to undo her hair and remove her accessories while complaining about her stylist.

"So what do you think, now that the whole world wants to fuck you?" She asked.

I scoffed, "I don't think the whole world wants to-"

But I couldn't finish my sentence as she whipped around to interrupt me. "I wasn't talking to you," she looked at Cato and flashed him a wink before turning around and asking him to unzip her dress. I shot him a look, but he shrugged and unzipped her dress anyway. She began to strip in the elevator wearing nothing underneath. I caught Brutus and Haymitch shooting looks at each other and Enobaria sent him a death glare causing him to look down at the floor.

Haymitch was still staring with a smug little grin on his face. Cato was looking everywhere but straight ahead at her, feeling slightly uncomfortable. I caught him glance at her a few times though. Enobaria and I shot each other looks as the boys didn't know how to react.

The door opened on the seventh floor and the naked Johanna Mason smiled and winked before walking out. The rest of us rode up to twelve to talk strategy. Since I was originally from two, districts twelve and two were automatically allied together. This is an alliance that I would have never thought of in any prior years. In fact, this alliance has never been done before in the history of the games. But this was a quell, and the capitol would eat it up.

"Are we also going to ally with district one?" I asked Enobaria as we exited the elevator to the twelfth floor.

Enobaria nodded. "Yes. We need all the allies we can get. Cash was reaped and Gloss only volunteered to protect her. They don't want to be here any more than we do. Us all allying with outlying districts as well will definitely be a big fuck you to the capitol."

I pulled Enobaria off to the side so that the boys couldn't hear. "And what makes you so sure we can trust the other twelve tribute?"

She smiled a trusting smile. "Oh, I'm sure."

"Well that's vague as hell," I scoffed. But I did somehow believe her. I am putting my trust in this woman, which means putting my trust in this Haymitch fella as well.

-

After talking about allies, my original district members went back downstairs, and I was left alone at the top of the building with Haymitch. We sat at the couch drinking in silence. Finally, I spoke up. "I'm sorry I killed your tributes," I stated, looking at him.

He took another sip of his drink. "Not your fault."

"I just wanted to get him home," I explained, referring to Cato.

"And how'd that work out for ya?" He joked, knowing very well how it did.

"I hope you know that I'm putting my trust in you. But when it comes down to it, I will do whatever I can do to get him home again."

He shrugged. "Oh, I don't doubt it, princess."

We sat in silence a bit more before I struck up another conversation. "What did the capitol do to you?"

This time, he chugged his drink and hesitated before responding. "The same thing they do to everyone if you go against their agenda." He poured himself another glass and then continued. "25 years ago, I was involved in another quell. 48 victors instead of 24. Somehow, I managed to win by using the game's forcefield as a weapon against my last opponent. They didn't like that. When I came home, there was no one left to come home to."