The Black Widow | A Hunger Games Fanfiction

74th Games

After 10 pitiful tributes and the 1 winner not being picked by her, Cashmere had officially lost the priviledge of picking volunteers. I had as well since I had technically seconded all her suggestions. So this year, we were stuck with a beautiful girl with blonde hair and green eyes called Glimmer. It was like me and Cashmere all over again.
To make things worse, she was proficient with a number or weapons and was playing the flirtatious strategy. There was literally no good ending for her.

On reaping day, we lined up outside like normal and the escort who I still hadn't learned the name of began the ceremony. Glimmer and Marvel volunteered without a hitch and we went to board the train. On the train, we sat down to watch the reapings. Two looked strong, four not so much (Finnick said still no-one wanted to volunteer). We were about to turn off the TV when the escort came in and demanded we turn it on and watch until the District 12 reaping. It took ages and I couldn't help but take a look at the tributes. 5's girl looked quite intelligent and 11's boy looked strong in contrast to the fragile looking 12 year old beside him but none of the others looked too interesting.
Until 12's reaping came on.
It began with the girls and a small, blonde 12 year old was reaped. It looked like her older sister was shocked and then she began running towards her sister. And then the dark haired girl did the unthinkable: she volunteered.
"12's never had a volunteer before, have they?" I asked. Gloss shook his head,
"She's the first ever. The people in the Capitol are going to pay attention to that. Everyone loves an underdog." Glimmer looked at me with fear,
"Why don't you guys go sleep," I said, "You're going to need to conserve your energy."

When the kids were gone, I turned to Gloss,
"That girl's going to win the games."
"No shit," he replied, "as long as she's not a complete weakling, she'll have the Capitol begging to sponsor her."
"She won't be," I said, "She looks better fed that most of 12. She seemed to have some muscle as well. I recon' she thinks she can win this."

When we arrived in the Capitol, I sat with Finnick and Johanna in the mentor's viewing area while Cashmere and Gloss went over to chat with the district 2 mentors.
"How are your tributes?" I asked,
"Same as always," Finnick replied bitterly. Johanna nodded to indicate the same. "The rest of the careers look okay though," he added, nodding to the chariots for one and two that were beginning their ride.
"Yeah," Johanna said, "But my money would be on two. No offence Rose."
"None taken. I think there's something about 12 though."
"12 never wins," Johanna said, "especially not with Haymitch too drunk to send sponsor gifts even if they got any." But just as she said that, Haymitch entered looking surprisingly smug and actually sober (for the first time ever). He went over to sit with Chaff from 11 and began to talk, telling him to watch.

And a minute later I knew why.
"Are they on fire?!" Johanna exclaimed as the pair from 12 emerged covered in flames. I turned around to Haymitch, who was smiling and being congratulated by Chaff. I almost wanted to congratulate him as well- he'd been the only victor from 12 for so long and now he might have one of his tributes survive.

After the parade, we went back to our quarters, where Victoria was waiting to take some more measurements of Glimmer,
"Hi Vic," I said, "Cinna coming with you tonight?"
"Cinna's got his own tributes now," she said, "his internship finished last year."
"Which district?" I asked,
"12," Victoria replied slightly bitterly.
"12?!" I exclaimed. I don't know why it surprised me so much: that was exactly the kind of thing Cinna would do. I guess I understood now how he planned to make a difference as a stylist
"Don't sound so surprised," I heard him say from behind me. I spun with a grin on my face,
"Those costumes were amazing!" I told him, "It was all anyone was talking about."
"I'm glad," he replied, "I wanted to make sure 12's first ever volunteer wasn't forgotten. She was too brave for that." He added sadly.

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At the end of the week, we gathered to watch the scoring. I congratulated both Glimmer and Marvel on their 9s. But that was forgotten almost immediately when the 'Girl on Fire' as she had come to be called, was given an 11. She really was breaking all the records.

The next day, I spent the entire day coaching Glimmer for the interviews. In the evening, Victoria dressed her in a very short strapless pink dress.
I spent the first minute grimacing and then Glimmer said that her dress 'felt good too' and had to slap Caesar's hand away and I was out.
I didn't watch the rest of the interviews but I heard the Girl on Fire's dress was on fire again and then the boy from 12 confessed his love for her.

I skim watched the games that year. I was annoyed when Glimmer brought a poisoned ring into the arena, and then conveniently forgot how to use a bow.
I hadn't even been there when 12 dropped a tracker jacker nest on her and killed her although I heard it was horrific.

Nearly 2 weeks after Glimmer died was one of the first that neither me nor Finnick had had an appointment in a while. We went up to the roof of the tribute training centre and began throwing pieces of gravel at the forcefield.
"Have you ever thought what your life would be like if you didn't volunteer?" I asked,
"Oh all the time," he said, "I'd probably be a fisherman."
"I wish I could go back," I said, "just be Rose Gold and not the Black Widow even if it was just for one more day." Finnick looked like he wanted to say something, but then, Johanna emerged from the door that led to the rooftop and said,
"Come on, the finale's starting," and we left. It was only then that I realised how close we had been sitting.

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My heart stopped when she held out the berries.
"They can't do that, can they?" I asked to no-one in particular, not expecting an answer.
The pair lifted the berries to their mouths. They were going to do it. There wasn't going to be a victor.
"STOP! STOP!" Seneca Crane's voice echoed through the arena, "May I announce the victors of the 74th annual hunger games: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark."

Johanna insisted we go out that night to celebrate the biggest 'Fuck you' the Capitol had ever received. And I was celebrating for another reason: there was no way Seneca Crane wasn't going to be punished for this. I smiled at the though of his impending death.
We had a few drinks in a bar just outside the tribute centre, toasting to the capitol with masked insults.
"Quarter Quell next year," Finnick said as we were heading back to the tribute centre, "what do you think it'll be?"
"Nothing good," I replied, "But that's next year's issue."

It was only when we got back to the the tribute centre that I found out what this year's issue was.
I had had an appointment tonight. And I had missed it.