The Life of A Victor || Finnick Odair

CHAPTER 44

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"I love you," Ron kept repeating to Dove as the night came to an end. The two tributes and their mentors were in the living room, Ron hugging his daughter desperately as Mags did the same with Finnick, who was like a son to her.

"I love you too, dad," Dove muttered, closing her eyes as she let the darkness take her prisoner for a few seconds. The rebel plan was driving her nuts. She was already frightened to go back to the arena. But, to top it all off, she probably had to protect Twelve, which surely had to be the faces of a rebellion she barely knew about since no one had told her anything. "Tell the rest I love them, too. It's not their fault. Make sure they know that."

"I will." Her father replied, surprisingly confident, as if he knew something she didn't. Well, who doesn't? Everyone seems to know something I don't. Dove thought. She got the bigger picture of what could happen once in the arena, but it would have been nice to be told.

One, if we both make it to be Katniss' and Peeta's allies, we've got to keep them alive. I don't know until when. Like, what will happen when it's only the four of us left? Or will we not get to that point? Are the games going to be stopped somehow? No. The Hunger Games cannot be stopped from outside. . . But what about from inside? Her thoughts suddenly stopped as the two stylists appeared through the door.

"Are you prepared to leave?" Kala asked, entering the fourth floor alongside Ohan. Everyone in the room was chatting. Mags kept hugging Finnick as Ron stroked Dove's hair gently, kissing her head as they said goodbye.

"Is it time already?" Rhett asked incredulously, glancing outside the room to see dawn was already upon them. "Then, this is goodbye. . ." He whispered, hugging both tributes tightly.

"Take care, Mags," Dove said, hugging the elder, who patted her face softly as if trying to reassure her.

"I'll miss you two," Muscida said, giving another round of hugs as a few tears ran down her cheeks. Her voice cracked every few words, but it wasn't too difficult to understand. "Do your best to keep each other alive."

"We will," Finnick promised, letting go of the hug. Kala motioned him to approach. Each tribute entered the arena alone, so the two tributes wouldn't see each other until the bloodbath, which, with some luck, both would survive. "I'll see you later. Don't come to the fight. Hide, I'll go look for you."

"OK," Dove replied, grabbing a hold of his collar to kiss him. The moment couldn't last long, as Kala deliberately cleared her throat and pointed at her watch. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm not around."

"I promise nothing," he replied with a chuckle, giving her a soft kiss before walking to Kala.

"Ready?" Ohan asked on their way to the hovercraft. Dove shook her head. The thoughts of a rebellion still clouded her mind, not allowing her to sleep, although she, nor anyone, even tried.

"Are we ever ready?" She questioned in a whisper. The rest of the flight until the Launch Room, where she took a shower before dressing for that year's tribute outfit, passed by in the blink of an eye. After dressing on simple undergarments, Ohan helped her put on her outfit, which included a fitted blue jumpsuit, which zippered up the front. A padded belt covered in some kind of shiny purple plastic. A pair of nylon shoes with rubber soles.

"Any idea?" Dove asked, raising her arms for her stylist to analyse the fabric.

"It offers little protection from cold or water," Ohan replied, braiding her hair into a braid that fell on her back, almost reaching the back of her knees.

"So, it'll be sunny," Dove commented, not needing an answer to know she was right. "Oh, do you have my necklace?"

"Yes, I wanted to leave it for the last. Here you go," he replied, helping her put it on as they tried not to undo the braid. "Perfect. The songbird is ready to sing."