The Tribute Returns (Percy Jackson Hunger Games crossover)

To Panem and Beyond! Wait, actually not Beyond! Go Back!

Spending time with Calypso was heartbreaking. Everything she did was tentative and shy, as if one wrong move could shatter this illusion and send her back to Ogygia. Percy could tell that she didn't fully believe it was happening, herself. Somewhere deep inside, she felt that she knew she had gone insane. The worst part about it is that she clung to it so much.

Calypso, on the inside, felt completely sure that everything around her was fake, but she would rather be stuck in her fever dreams than wake up to the real world. After so long, she thought she had gone insane, and her only thought was that being insane was better than the crippling loneliness that she had felt for so long.

Percy had been splitting his time over trying to help Calypso feel true happiness and accept her new reality, and finding the dimension of Panem. It was very illusive, and he had already found several versions of it. The most dominant one seemed to not have him in it at all, and Peeta Mellark played his role, mostly. Peeta's kind nature allowed him to forgive instead of seek revenge, and Percy had to admit that's exactly what Katniss's fiery personality needs.

Well, she already got it, at least in that dimension. In his, she would have to make do with Percy himself. Or Gale, he supposed. He would respect her decision.

He tried to locate Katniss herself and connect using the 'power of love' or something like that, but really that kind of connection was irrelevant in respect to dimensional travel. Either way, he would still probably definitely tell her that was how he did it. His new goal was to locate Finnick, since he was his only living relative in that dimension.

Dang it! He though angrily. I was in that other dimension for six whole months, and I never went to see my mom...

Percy sighed. He would get his chance, and the prospect of giving his mom another hug was just one more reason to succeed in his current mission. The faster he destroyed the Capitol, the faster he could go see his mom and build a life with Katniss. Or... maybe some other girl, if Katniss decided to stay with Gale.

He stood on shaky legs and made his way silently to the dimensional travel unit Leo installed in the Argo III. He had just woken up from over-exerting himself last time he tried, and Rue had strictly forbade him from trying again for an entire week until he had regained his energy. But... he just had too much riding on this to stop right then. Wars aren't won by taking luxuries for yourself.

Percy placed his hand on the panel and pushed his power into it. His energy was severely depleted. Within seconds, it was a struggle to stand. This wasn't the first time he had kept going in that condition, though. Even as his vision started tunneling, he ignored everything but the task at hand. Normally that would be impossible with his ADHD; it was like having fifteen channels on all at once in his head, all about a different topic. At that point, however, he was so exhausted that only one channel had enough power to function.

Vaguely, he registered tiny hands trying to pry him away from the machine, but he ignored it. He had found a light. A bright, pure connection to Finnick in his own dimension. His senses were all sent into a black, roaring silence, but still he latched onto that connection and pulled.

His exhaustion made the energy unstable, and the ship started shaking around him. He pulled harder, completely oblivious. Right as he fell into unconsciousness, the Argo III burst into the beautiful night sky... In Panem.

*                *                *

Percy groaned. He was incredibly comfortable, but his senses were telling him to wake up. He trusted his instinct, and he forced himself awake. He was in water. Salt water. He was in the ocean.