When the Mockingjay Sings - Coriolanus Snow/Treech

Chapter Twenty - Six

She had little time to think before the countdown began and the siren sounded.

Athena sprinted to the cornucopia, grabbing a sharp sword and staff. She lowered herself and observed her surroundings.

The Capitol looked identical to when she met Coriolanus and his cousin Tigris. She looked over to the pillar where her mother died; she felt herself freeze up when she saw a body. The once-blonde hair was covered in soot and snow, and her mother's body was replicated.

Athena could feel the tears swelling in her eyes but didn't get much time to comprehend it before someone swung at her.

In a fit of anger, she sheathed her sword and slashed the throat of the District Nine boy. She used so much force the boy's head nearly came clean off his shoulders.

She didn't feel any guilt; instead, she felt anger. It swelled in her stomach and spread nerve to nerve; she swore she saw red as she observed the remaining tributes slaughter each other.

Athena gathered some food from the cornucopia, not being bothered by the killing around her as Azriel kept anyone away from her.

After a few minutes, the remaining tributes scattered, leaving Athena with her allies.

Azriel had an axe in his hand when he stalked towards her. He was covered in blood as he slaughtered Fletch, the District three boy, and Dusk, the District 12 girl brutely.

"What's the plan?" Rose asked as the five gathered around in a circle. They had gathered some bags with water and food, each with at least two weapons strapped to them.

"We s-" Azriel started, but Athena cut him off.

"We go there," she pointed to the houses with roses on the roof.

"There?" Azriel raised an eyebrow, pointing at the house with his axe.

"Yes," Athena brushed past the blond boy and stormed towards the house. She had expected her anger to settle but wanted nothing more than to burn anything in her path.

The door to Coriolanus's house was locked, but with all her anger, she kicked it open. Not caring when the door slammed into the wall, cracking slightly.

Athena quickly blocked off the door from her allies.

"What?" Jason asked, trying to get past her arms, but she wouldn't let him.

"We need to make sure there aren't any traps," she explained, eyes scanning the area.

"How would we know?" Maple asked.

"Give me rocks," Athena outstretched her hand. They gave her two rocks; she rolled the first on the ground. She took the second one when nothing happened and lunged it through the air.

She heard a wire being tripped and arrows starting to fly across the room. She could hear the tributes behind her gasping in shock. Athena stepped into the room and looked around.

It was just as cold as she remembered; the only light illuminating the room was from the windows. It made the house seem extremely vacant compared to the last time she was there.

The rest of the crowd behind her begins to pile in. She grabbed the rock she had rolled onto the ground and threw it in each room. None had any more booby traps besides one.

She had slept in the room during the two weeks she was with them. Her bed was still made in the corner of the room, left exactly the way it was when she left.

She threw the rock, flinching when a fire lit up the room. She stumbled away, blocking her face from the heat, noticing that the fire didn't burn anything when it stopped.

"How did you know it would be booby-trapped?" Athena looked over her shoulder to see Azriel staring at her intently. He was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, while the rest of the crowd began to put all the blankets and pillows together in the centre of the house.

"It's something Coriolanus would do," she turned around and thanked Rose, who had given her a bottle of water.

"Who is Coriolanus?" Rose asked, leaning against the wall. She had put one of the blankets over her legs but removed her hat with her braided brown hair resting on her shoulders.

"He is the owner of this house," Athena looked around.

"How do you know him?" Maple piped in. She has gotten the whole group's attention.

"You were a Capitol kid, weren't you?" Jason said.

"I remember Flickerman saying it at the interview," Jason clarified when he noticed everyone's confused looks.

"Yes, I am." Athena started to feel very uncomfortable.

"Finally, a Capitol kid is getting a taste of their own medicine," Azriel grinned, causing Athena to grind her teeth.

"Do you know what this arena is?" Athena changed the topic.

"It's just some rundown city," Maple shrugs, biting at her nails.

"It's the Capitol, during the Rebellion War." Silence washed over them.

"When I was young, I remember lying in the streets, hiding from the rebels that were shooting up the streets. My mother was already dead; my whole family was dead, leaving me to be an orphan. With the rebels closing in, I thought I was going to die. If it weren't the hunger or the cold, it would've been the rebels." she took a deep breath, and each one of the tributes listened.

"I just remember the hunger and pain I was in. My fingers were nearly black from the cold or the soot; I couldn't tell. It wasn't until a short blond boy and his cousin saved me." She found herself smiling at the memory. How happy she felt when she was brought into a warm home.

"This house?" Rose suddenly spoke up. Athena nodded.

"Coriolanus and Tigris saved me, which I always think about." Athena noticed all eyes were on her, causing her to awkwardly clear her throat.

"let's get some sleep, I'll do a second watch." Athena offered. The group of five agreed, and it wasn't long before she welcomed sleep.

Coriolanus was sitting in his living room, identical to the one on his screen. He felt his hand clam up at the mention of what he did during the war. It was broadcast all across Panem, and he couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Athena was giving him a good image.

"How is she doing?' Tigris poked her head out of her bedroom door. Coriolanus gave her a weak smile, telling her to come out.

He gazed at the screen to zoom in on Athena and her group one last time before moving on to the other tributes.

"Coryo, is that our house?" Tigris softly spoke in shock. Coriolanus nodded. Tigris parted her lips but shut them quickly; she gave Coriolanus a disapproving stare before going back into her room.