RUINS ( FINNICK ODAIR ) ✓

xviii. ━━ the end is nigh

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▎ RUINS ▎
»»————-　act one. uneven odds
EIGHTEEN ━━ the end is nigh

you can try and take is but we are
the gladiators, and victory's contagious

— lorde

     IT WAS ALMOST DARK WHEN THE TRIBUTES LEFT FOR lightning tree but when the Capitol Anthem was played again and the sky lit up with holographic imagines of tributes they all turned their attention towards the air. Pictures of fallen tributes graced the sky showing how again families were thorn apart by cruel games. When the music stopped and darkness slowly returned over the arena they continued to walk in silence until the reached the tree.

     Erin was standing beside Finnick, watching as Beetee walked towards the tree placing wire after wire of copper around the trunk of the lightning tree, mumbling to himself every few seconds.

     Beetee's voice cut through the humid air, holding out the coil of wire to Johanna and Katniss when he was finished. "Typically, a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy. We don't want to be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits. You two girls, go together now." They took it from him, Katniss eyed Peeta from afar.

     Not sure what was going through Katniss mind at the moment, Erin glanced unsure between the two district twelve tributes. She had faith in Katniss and that she would do what was right but with the pressure of the rebellion it still seemed that the Girl on Fire didn't fully trust them.

     "Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water, understand? Then head to the tree at the two o'clock sector, we'll meet you there." Beete informed them.

     "I'm gonna go with them as guard," Peeta stepped forward.

     Beetee shook his head. "No. No, no, no. You're staying here to protect me, and the tree."

       "No, I need to go with her." Peeta repeated, looking towards Beetee.

     "There are two careers out there, I need two guards."

     Erin stepped forward glancing between Katniss and Peeta. She could feel they were holding something back and she knew she had to intervere if she wanted the plan to work. She placed a hand on Peeta's shoulder, causing him to look at her. "I can go with them. You know the Careers are still out there and Finnick can't fight them alone in this state. You nees to trust me okay." She said looking him straight in the eye.

     Slowly Peeta nodded and everyone turned to Beetee as he spoke again.

      "You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" He asked.

     "It's his plan, we all agreed to it." Johanna said giving Erin a small smile when she caught her stare.

      "Is there a problem, here?" Finnick stepped in with his trident clenched in his hand. He looked at Erin with confusion as she wasn't supposed to be the one leaving with the coil.

      "Excellent question," Beetee mused.

"No. There's no problem." Katniss kissed Peeta goodbye before she joined Erin and Johanna.

      Erin quicklt stepped toward Finnick who stuck his trident in the soft ground and wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her softly and he lingered for a moment after they broke the kiss moved his mouth to her ear and whispered, "be safe."

     She gave him a firm nod, determination flashing in her soft brown eyes that turned stone cold in a matter of seconds. "You too." She whispered before going back to Johanna.

     "Alright, let's go," Johanna said, discreetly sharing a look with Finnick.

     The hill was steep from the trek down and even as they tried to be as discreet as possible, twigs snapped underneath their feet and leaves scrunced.

     Erin had a firm grip on the handle of her katana, her gaze was narrowed and calculated instead of warm and welcoming.

     "Come on," Johanna said glancing over her shoulder at Erin and Katniss who had the coil. "I want to put as much distance between me and this beach. Frying is not how I want to go."

     Erin nodded in agreement, but hatled when Katniss suddenly stopped moving, tugging on the coil.

     "There's something..." Katniss trailed off, letting go of the coil and grabbing onto the wire.

     Erin squinted her eyes trying to see what could be te reason for their delay and she snuck in a quiet breath as Johanna picked up the coil just as Katniss realized the wire was cut.

    Brutus and Enobaria emerged from behind the rocks, her teeth bared and his eyes sinisterly as he focused on the three.

    Johanna reacted so quickly that Erin couldn't even comprehend what was happening. She watched shocked as Joahnna knocked Katniss in the back of the head and that was when she realised what Johanna was doing.

     Erin crouched down immediatley to cut into her arm and a scream emitting from Katniss. She found the tracker and threw it away

"Shh," Johanna said as Katniss let out a groan of pain. "Stay down."

     Brutus and Enobaria started making their way towards Johanna and Erin and the the quickly divert them. Johanna threw her axe at their heads, missing her targets.

    Erin cut out her own tracker, before taking off in another direction with Johanna.

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