Training

588 30 6
                                    

Even on their sparsely colored training outfit.

Even on that was bright and proud, the logo of the Capitol, a huge one on their back and a smaller one on the chest.

It lets Percy count five other candidates without counting herself, which means six out of the 24 are candidates with four careers, ten highly dangerous tributes in total this year... This is bad.

"You'll train here for a week." The trainer said, Atala or something was her name, Percy didn't listen. "Only four stations are obligatory, other then that you get to train what you want as much as you want. Any injuries gotten here will be ones you enter the arena with so be careful. 23 of you will soon be dead and one the victor, use all the time you can get."

Percy was a close range fighter which would be a real disadvantage here, seeing three already head to the bow and arrows as the tributes scattered.

And she knew she couldn't trust them, looking to her side but... Where is she?

Looking around, she found Katniss not that far.

"Hey little hunter!" She called out.

"Stop calling me that, I have a name."

"I have one too but you don't call me that."

"I don't know it."

"Really?" Percy was genuinely surprised as she is sure to have told her once... Right? "Well Percy but whatever, we need to talk."

"About what?" The younger girl crossed her arm, feisty. "We have nothing to talk about."

"Oh but we have, you see 1, 5 and 6 over there? They are archers." Pointing over her shoulder at the training tributes. "I am a close ranged fighter, I fight with knives, swords or anything that cuts, even my hands but nothing long ranged."

"And?"

"Think a bit, you can shoot a bow. We could form an alliance as I can't trust the other districts. You'd cover us with range and I'd be the brawl close up."

"Why would I ally with you?"

"Are you hearing yourself girly? If you want to survive you know I am right."

And sadly it was true, with so many peacechildren and careers her chances were falling day after day, minute after minute.

"And the others will start making alliances too, we'll already need to deal with a career pack and soon enough one or two candidate groups I am sure of it. So little hunter." Hand held out. "Will you form an alliance with me?"

"And what if we survive to the end? We'll still need to kill each other, I have no chance."

"Rock paper scissors, the victor will be the one to win the point point match so it is left up to chance."

"Fine." She grabbed and shook her hand. Hoping she wouldn't regret it.


----------------------------------------


Percy gutted another sandbag man.

"You are good with a sword."

She looked up.

"2." She said back, looking at the boy that looked like he had eaten a fridge for breakfast.

"I never expected a 12 to be this good with a blade." He nudged her nerves with his words.

"I am a candidate, I was trained like you are in 2 to be a peacekeeper."

"Yes but you still bleed 12 if cut."

She swung up towards him and he avoided it.

"I don't know 2 but you sure have a stick shoved up your ass, I'll kill you myself."

"Oooh bite-y, tell you what, want to join the careers?"

"What?"

"Yeah, so you won't be dragged down by miss volunteer."

Percy looked at him as he just smile and pat her shoulder, a hand she instantly slapped away from her, only making him laugh.

"I'll let you think about it." He said, leaving her alone with her switched out training dummy.

Scoffing she looked away and back at the dummy, stabbing the short sword through it.

It would be a powerful alliance... But that would be breaking her promise to Katniss... It is something to think about...


---------------------------------------------


The dinner in the tribute quarters were tense, knowing death was on the horizon. 

Katniss was not in the mood to talk, Percy didn't care, Haymitch was already partially drunk and Effie was talking enough for the four of them.

Percy had a shallow want to win while Katniss didn't, yes both wanted to survive but the peacechild wanted to win because she needed too, the volunteer because she had a family home waiting for her, her reason felt so shallow.

And thinking about it, if she wins, she cannot be a peacekeeper so she would have wasted her life, having no other skill in her arsenal.

This is all so complicated for her.

Slap.

The hand touching her back was smacked away, it was just Haymitch trying to get her attention as Effie asked her something.

"Don't touch me." She hissed but payed attention.

So complicated.

The Trackjacker And The Mockingjay (Katniss Everdeen X F.OC)Where stories live. Discover now