Athena Hadley.
Like everyone in 2, force fed with the ideas of grandeur and fame.
Only for her life to collapse into a heap after her victory in the 66th, realizing all was just a dream.
From a proud 2 to a young woman that lost her childhood and li...
Athena, despite it all, was given by far enough time to contemplate how the Capitol stood above all else and yet relied on such archaic methods.
"You must be proud of yourself." Snow shook his head as she stood stiff as a board, as if this was something to be proud off. "Head too the victor's party, it is badly seen if a mentor is missing, trust me, it is noticed."
She gave a curt nod, turning away and walking off.
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Despite the sound of the bustling metropolis the Capitol was, Athena could hear nothing over the ringing in her ears, her eyes void of life and she wished her body had been too.
The whispers and laughs weren't heard as she marched quickly, staring almost at her feet, not caring for the stares of others.
It was just all consuming pain but it was worth it, it was all worth it, her brother would be safe, Cato would be safe.
She gritted her teeth.
Well.... Safe was a relative term now.
Not only had she suffered through.... Not only had... Not.... She took a deep breath.
Snow.... That bastard, basically made her understand in his own twisted way that no matter what she tried to sabotage it, no matter what she tried and did, what she begged for, what she pleaded for.... No matter what, at 18, Cato will be reaped.
That hurt her more then anything she was currently feeling, that one thought was worst then the back of her shirt glued too her skin with her own blood, worst then the red dripping down her arms, worst then the bloody boots prints she left of the walkway, worst then the agony of the new injuries left on her body.... Cato would be reaped and she could do nothing anymore to stop it.
She bit on her tongue.
Ignoring the glances she got even as she entered the tribute center, walking wordlessly for a while until it got too much.
"Do you want to fight me too?!" She yelled at the victors in a cold snap, it is much better that they think this is someone else's blood and with Athena, it was not hard for them to believe it as they looked away.
She made her was to 2's floor, slamming the door behind her and sighing.
"Seems like the sheep was actually a wolf." Johanna's annoying evening became even worst.
Not only did she look like a tree: A tan pencil dress with bark patterns and similar markup with a branch looking hair clip put in her hair to hold it, but now that person too.
She turned to 2's smirking victor that came up behind her.
"Do you never change clothes or is your stylist just lazy?" Johanna shot back, never having seen the woman in different clothes then what she always saw her in.
"Be polite." She smacked the newest victor on the back of the head lightly. "They like me dressed like this, I'll change when I get boring, I have several versions might I say."
"So you do what the Capitol wants?" Johanna scoffed.
"Yes and you will too." She warned. "Don't underestimate them." Before switching topic. "Anyhow, that was some impressive technique for having seen it only once." She flexed her claws as if she grabbed something and yanked.
Johanna lifted a brow tho not at what she did, knowing she was talking about that, she was the one to tear another girl's throat open after all, the memory made her shiver. There was something different to this woman.
"You are staring little wolf." Athena flicked Johanna on the forehead, it hurt more then it should because of her metal finger covers.
"Hey!" Johanna snapped, rubbing her head. "And really? Little wolf?"
"You are no sheep anymore." Athena grinned. "You showed your fangs.... Welcome too the life of a victor, I hope it will fill all of yours wants." There was something in her words but she had gone back to staring, lifting her hand and tapped her own nose.
Athena lost her smile for a moment tilting head too the side, a small grin coming back.
"Gloss." She pointed at the victor from 1, waiting until Johanna saw him in the crowd. "Was not really happy about how you killed his tribute and I am the one that has claws, he thought it was me that told you."
"But it was you."
"He doesn't need to know that." Athena chuckled. "He'd break my nose the other way too."
"Jeez, an actual break?" The swelling was minor since Athena snapped it in place but there would still always be a small permanent bent near the base of it, makeup doing wonders in covering up the bruising underneath it.
"Mhm, but I had worst, are you worried?" She asked, leaning closer. "Worried about lil ol' me?"
"As if." The younger victor shoved Athena in the chest, making her laugh again.
"Well see you around 7, we'll see each other quite a lot now that you are a victor." Athena waved over her shoulder, walking away. "See you little wolf."
There was something in the gait of the victor that made Johanna look a bit longer, trying to figure out just what was different about her now then before the games.
Oddly fascinated.
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Athena sat on the sink of quarters 2, twisting so she could look at her back in the mirror, a frown etched on her face.
So archaic, she thought again just like when she left Snow.
The long slashes in the skin held close by sticky strips piled on, not really a fan of bleeding out after all.
"You could play checkers on my back." She muttered, touching the bottom of a cut and hissing, much smaller ones on her upper arms and rest of the body, the bigger and deeper ones being on her back, all in places her usual clothes would hid to not tarnish her look as a victor and once in bed and few blemishes on her back would bother no one as only the front was important.... Not her words but those of their gracious president.
Going higher filled her eyes with tears but she didn't cry, she hadn't cried when they did this too her, when they said her brother would be reaped, not when all she wanted to do was cry, she couldn't let herself.
Because if she breaks once, all goes, and she can't let that happen, she needs to protect him.
But that mark burnt deep in her skin, the mark that pulled on her skin, it almost broke her resolve.
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Branded as property of the Capitol, the hot metal having been pressed on the upper left of her back, held down, the boarders of it clean and regular.
All she wanted to do was to cry but she couldn't... She just couldn't.
