Victors : A Catching Fire story

02

    The ride to the train station was quiet. Me and Finnick didn't say a word to each other, and Venia didn't say anything either. Once we go to the train station we were rushed onto the train and the three of us sat at the long dining table. A few Avox's came in and placed a bunch of dishes on the table. They made our plates for us and put pork, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and rolls all on my plate. I obviously ate it but not as quickly as I did during my first games since I was used to having luxury food. "These games are going to be very different." Venia said while cutting a green bean in half. 
"Who else has been reaped?" Finnick asks.
"Gloss, Cashmere, Enobaria, Brutus, Wiress, Beetee, Johanna, Peeta, and Katniss. That's all the ones I know." Venia said.
"Hm tough competition." Finnick said. 
"Johanna, you know her Finnick." I said. 
"Well, there's one ally. You two know these people, you will have no trouble with making allies." 
"Having allies isn't what I care about. It's the killing." I say. 
"Well, there isn't any way to go around this, oh and I forgot to mention Byron." Venia said. Byron Hawke. He was a victor in District ten, and he was one of my best friends. I don't exactly remember how we became friends but he's one of my favorite people ever. 
"I wonder what the arena will be." Finnick wondered. 
"Anything is better than snow." I said and Venia smiles at me. 
"You two should get some rest, we'll be at the Capitol tomorrow." I nodded and got up. I walked to my room, and it was very nice, everything was silky grey. I put on my silky pajamas and laid down on my bed. I forgot how comfy Capitol beds are and I almost immediately fell asleep.

    "Up, up, up." Venia shouted in the hallway. I woke up and put on the same thing I was wearing yesterday and walked out into the dining room. Finnick was already there, and I grabbed a plate and piled sausage, eggs, rolls, and some type of soup on my plate and sat down to start eating. "We'll be there just after breakfast, and then it's time for the tribute parade."
"How exciting." I say while rolling my eyes.
"I'm sure Laviana has made you something nice to wear." Venia says. 
"Hopefully it's better than what I wore the last time I had to do this."
"I thought that was nice." Venia says and I roll my eyes. As we finished up breakfast we arrived at the Capitol. The peacekeepers took me to a room, and I was stripped of my body hair and any other 'imperfections' on my body. After a while I was finally alone and sat on a cold metal bed while wearing a grey robe. My stylist Laviana walked in and shut the door. 
"How curious to see Haymitch Abernathy walking into dear Finnick's room." She said as she set her styling book down next to me. 
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"Oh nothing. But oh dear, it is so good to see you again." Laviana gave me a small hug. "I've missed styling you, and now that you're older I can finally dress you in whatever I want." 
"During my games you put me in a fishing net." She shrugged and instructed me to stand up, which I did. She put me in a weird straw like skirt with a matching bikini top. Before Laviana came in my other stylists put something in my hair to make it look wet and they kept it down and made my curls look tighter.
"Finnick is matching just without the top." Laviana said.  
"Lovely." I say while flicking my hair back. 
"He's waiting for you downstairs by your chariot." Laviana said while opening the door. I stood up and walked out of the room and down to the elevator. After a few second the elevator came down and when the doors opened, I saw a familiar yet strange face. The very face of Peeta Mellark. I stood next to him, and I didn't bother pressing a button because I could tell where he was going by his outfit. 
"Are you and Katniss still doing the fire thing?" I asked. 
"Oh... um yeah." He said, Peeta was clearly caught off guard I could tell by his shift in stature. 
"Hm, you two really do make everything harder for us all." I met his eyes and he got confused.
"What do mean?" He asked.
"The whole fire thing, and the star-crossed lover's thing. It just makes it hard to survive here at the Capitol but trust me in the arena I can't wait to put my knife in you two." I looked straight back in front of me, and the elevator doors opened and Haymitch was there waiting for Peeta. 
"Marina." Haymitch said. 
"Haymitch." I replied while walking out with a smile. I walked over to where Finnick was standing, I looked around and I met Byron's eyes and smiled. 
"This should be fun." Finnick said, "I just talked to Katniss." 
"How funny, I just talked to Peeta." I said. Finnick's stylist rushed us into the chariot and eventually we started moving. The crowd was cheering, and I noticed some the people I recognize from last time I had to do this. I looked straight ahead and prayed the wind in my hair made me look more 'powerful'. All I am to the Capitol is the pretty little knife thrower from District Four but hopefully as I've gotten older, I don't look as sweet anymore. I'm glad I didn't end up like Finnick, but I have my own form of punishment. Suddenly the crowd starts cheering even louder and I just know it's for Katniss and Peeta. I looked over at Finnick and he looks back at me reassuringly. These games are going to be hard, everyone in the Capitol with be so focused on Peeta and Katniss, I just have to try harder, I can play the Capitol, I have before, and I can do it again. The horses took us back to where we first started and once we stopped I ran over to the District Ten chariot. "Byron!" He turns to me and smiles, he's wearing a brown suit jacket and pants with bull horns on top of his fluffy brown hair. 
"Hey Marina, nice outfit." 
"Nice horns." He chuckled. "It's good to see you again even under these circumstances." 
"Yeah, I hope things don't end up with just us two left." He said and I slightly smiled while looking at the ground. 
"Marina, come one." Finnick yelled from the elevator. 
"I'll see you later." I said before walking over to Finnick. We got in the elevator and Finnick pressed the button to where we're staying. 
"We have training tomorrow, we need rest." Finnick said plainly. Once we got to our compartment Venia, Laviana, and Finnick's stylist were all sitting at the dining table. 
"Ah there they are, come eat." Venia said and me and Finnick sat down at the table. An avox placed a bowl of soup in front of me and walked away. I wanted to just go to my room, but I couldn't help myself, the food in the Capitol was just too good. "You both looked absolutely stunning, I'm sure the crowd with love it."
"Thank you, Venia." Finnick replied. 
"I'm sure they love Katniss more." I said while rolling my eyes. 
"Well, it's not like we can set you on fire, and I'm not in the mood for causing a flood." Laviana said. 
"I'm just saying isn't it your job to make us look better than them? You're clearly failing." I clearly hurt Laviana which isn't what I wanted to do it just kind of came out.
"Marina! You need to excuse yourself." Venia shouted and I did just that. I walked down the hall and into my room and took a shower. The hot water felt great on my skin, I feel as if it's calming me down and it's getting all the weird gel stuff out of my hair. Once I got out, I put on silk pajamas and sat down on my bed. It's gotten quite late and quite dark, everyone's probably in bed. I got up and walked into the living room, I sat on the floor and hugged my knees, it was raining out tonight. The lights in the Capitol were mostly off and it kind of felt like home just without the water. 
"Marina, it's late." Finnick's voice came from behind me, "The last time I saw you like this was before you went in the arena so what's wrong?" He sat down next to me. 
"Nothing's wrong." 
"Something's wrong. You yelled at Karya, and you won't stop complaining about Katniss, so please tell me what's wrong." 
"She's ruining my chances of going home, I'm too young to die." I whisper.
"I need to ask you something. We need to keep her alive, even if that means death, will you help me do that?" I didn't answer and I just got up and walked back to my room. 

    The next day was just a training day but after I got dressed and was making my way to dinner Venia walked up to me and hugged me. "He wants to see you for breakfast." She whispered in my ear before letting me go. I nodded and I walked over to the peacekeepers waiting for me by the elevator. They led me outside and into a car which took me to the presidential palace. They took my inside and into a big dining room with just President Snow sitting at the head of the table. A short woman pulled out a chair next to him and I sat down, there were already plates of food all across the table, everyone walked out, and I quietly served myself.
"The last time I got the pleasure to see you was a week ago." President Snow said. 
"It has been a busy week." I replied with a smile.
"So it has, I miss visiting your home in the Victor's Village, you made the best pies." He said before eating some sausage. 
"I miss my home as well, hopefully I'll be able to go back." I say. 
"Have you met our newest Victors?" He asked.
"I met Peeta, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Katniss." 
"You will soon, very soon. I have missed your beautiful face; I have but I brought you here for an important task." I shift uncomfortably in my chair. Sometimes when the Capitol finds a Victor 'desirable' they'll be sold just like Finnick, but in my case instead of the Capitol our dear President found me 'desirable'. "Can you guess what this task is?" 
"No sir, I can't." 
"I need you to kill Katniss in that arena. Will you do that for me? If not, you'll never go home and you'll join your brother and that boy you killed. The one you fought at the end of your games." I looked at President Snow as I fought the tears in my eyes. I hated when people brought up how I won my games, I hated even just thinking about it. I was chased by a boy from two and after a while of trying to run away he thew a swear at my arm which struck me to the ground, and he got on top of me and started choking me. I was lucky enough to be able to grab my knife and drive it into his neck over, and over, and over again. Just at the thought I put my hand on my neck. 
"But-"
"No buts Marina, just say yes and you can go." President Snow tilted his head.
"Yes." I said. 
"Yes what?" 
"I'll kill Katniss Everdeen."