Reputation (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 7

     Atlas and Mars make it down to the training center with only five minutes to spare. Only about half of all the victors have congregated in front of the training coordinator. Atlas couldn't help the relief that flooded over when she realized she wouldn't have to talk to half the people she would eventually have to kill.

Atlas' eyes slide toward Peeta and Katniss, the latter looking around grumpily. Peeta, though, smiles kindly when he catches Atlas' eye. Atlas tilts her head in confusion when he looks away, surely Katniss wouldn't approve of Peeta being nice to Atlas of all people.

Atlas doesn't have any time to dwell on this though when Mars' voice pulls her out of her thoughts, "I'm gonna throw up."

Atlas raises an eyebrow and simply stares at the older man, "I don't know what to say to that. Not a problem I've ever had. Just don't do it on me."

Mars lifts his head from where he had previously been staring at the ground, "Not a big drinker?"

"No. I just have a high tolerance."

Mars looks like he wants to respond to that but before he can, the instructor starts talking. She says a lot about what's available to practice and a bunch of safety stuff that none of the victors are probably listening to at all. As she talks, Atlas turns her head and asses the victors around her. Her eyes catch on Beetee, a man Atlas had spent many days in the capitol with, talking about his latest invention and her newest gossip she had heard about the state of the Capitols government.

Looking at a man she was so fond of, Atlas suddenly feels sick to her stomach. How was she supposed to kill any of these people when they had become the closest thing she'd have to family again. Sweat beads above the girls brow and the room feels like it's shrunk around her. Was it just her, or was it getting darker in the training complex?

"Atlas?"

"Yeah?" Atlas takes a second to let the ringing in her ears subside, "What's up?"

Mars' face comes into focus and he frowns, "We've been released to train," he hesitates before continuing, "You okay?"

It feels like everyone had been asking her that question recently. The only problem was just she wasn't sure she knew the answer herself.

So she just nods, "Yeah, I'm good."

"Okay," Mars looks at the girl skeptically but before he can ask her any more questions, Atlas s quickly walks off to the sword fighting station. If there was one thing she missed from the games, it was yielding this beautiful weapon.

"Chestnut," Atlas smiles at the familiar trainer, a man she had heard about from her very own tributes over the years, "Ready to get your ass kicked."

Chestnut laughs, "Probably, you're much better at this than I am, maybe you should be the trainer."

"This is probably more accurate to the games. I doubt none of these people know how to sword fight," Atlas grins, grabbing two swords and weighing them in her hands. She picks the longer and thinner one, setting the heavy one back down.

"No one would think you would know how to sword fight though," Chestnut tilts his head, weighing his own sword, "and here you are."

"Fair point actually," Atlas smiles, bringing the sword up to an attacking position, "Although, I don't just know how to sword fight. I'm probably the best at it of anyone you could find."

Chestnut laughs, bringing his sword up as well, "Wanna prove it?"

"Gladly."

An hour and a half later, Atlas has proven herself right, beating Chestnut in every single round. Atlas steps away from Chestnuts panting form, setting the sword back in its place.

"You finally giving up?" Chestnut says through heavy breaths.

"No, I've just gotten tired of beating you," Atlas laughs, reaching a hand out to pull Chestnut off the floor, "At least you get a rest. I don't think many other people will want to try this after seeing me kick your ass at it."

"You didn't beat me that badly," Chestnut says, leaning on the girl heavily.

"Uhuh," Atlas says, unconvinced. As Chestnut leans against the girl to catch his breath, Atlas' eyes survey the room. They catch on Finnicks turned form. But as soon as the girl catches eyes with him, he's already turned away. Atlas watches as Finnick wraps his arms around Katniss' neck while they both stand at the knot tying station.

Atlas rolls her eyes as she feels a pang of hurt in the base of her stomach, suddenly feeling sick. She decides to blame it on her extreme workout and lack of food. Just as Atlas is going to storm away from the station, Mars stumbles his way up to where she's staying.

"I would like to go home," Mars says, clutching his stomach. Atlas simply stares at him in confusion. Her eyes flicker up to Chestnut who just looks down at Mars before resuming his heavy breathing, staring up at the ceiling.

"Uh, why?" Just as Atlas gets the question out of her mouth, it's answered in the form of red barf spewing across the sword fighting floor.

Atlas jumps back to avoid the wine upchuck that had just been lain out in front of her.

"Ew," Atlas mutters quietly, unfortunately having seen grosser much more recently then you'd think.

She walks around the pile of barf to rub a hand supportingly across Mars' back as he sits sickly. He doesn't seem he's gonna throw up more but the idea is still putting Atlas on edge. She looks up to Chestnut who is just staring at the vomit blankly. Without looking up at the girl, he shrugs and turns around, sitting down next to the swords.

Atlas stares in disbelief before rolling her eyes. She glances around to see if there was anyone who could clean this but she instead comes face to face with one Finnick Odair.

"Yikes," he says with a deadpan and Atlas can feel the anger coursing through her veins, "What happened to him?"

"I'm gonna kill you if you don't find someone to clean this up," Atlas growls out and Finnick raises his eyebrow, a small smirk on his face.

He signals to a nearby Avox who quickly brings cleaning supplies and wipes the area clean. When the avox leaves, Finnick turns to Atlas happily.

"Problem solved."

Atlas stares at him in disbelief, looking up at Chestnut, "Can you watch Mars please. I've got training to do."

Chestnut just scratches the back of his neck before eventually nodding, "Yeah, sure."

"Thanks," Atlas stands up quickly, storming away from the sword fighting floor and making her way to a random station, praying Finnick doesn't follow her over.

But of course, with Finnick being Finnick, he follows her as her stomps echo across the concrete floor.

Because wherever she goes, he'll follow.

A/N
Weird place to end the chapter but it was getting long lol.
Happy Mother's Day!!!