Saving the Tributes || Demigods in the Hunger Games

.oOo. Hazel .oOo.

My throat still stung from the fire, though I was better off than the rest of the careers. Another perk with being around Leo so often was that, after a while, part of your lungs sort of became used to smoke; he set himself and other things on fire so often.

"I can see her!" Clove suddenly shouted, and our slow pace turned into a full out sprint without even asking who 'she' was. Ahead, I could spot three people. Percy, Annabeth, and Katniss. My mouth went dry, and it had nothing to do with the heat from before.

The three splashed out of the pool and began running, and we increased our pace as we followed them. They had the advantage of being rested and watered beforehand, not to mention that all three of them were fast, limber, and strong. All we had were stupid sharp swords.

"Where you gonna go?" Cato shouted to Katniss as we broke our way through the forest. "Where you gonna run, Girl on Fire?"

Then Katniss and Annabeth looked at each other. Without a word, they both sped up the nearest oak tree. Percy halted a couple of steps, then turned to face us.

I readied my sword. A flash of bronze appeared in his hands.

Wonder how he's going to play that one off to the cameras, I thought as Percy got in a fighting stance, Riptide gleaming. Hopefully it looked like he had it all the time.

"I'll take him. Don't let them escape," Cato ordered, striding forward almost lazily. His sword swung from his hands.

"Come at me, Katie," Percy said, his eyes challenging.

Cato snarled. "It's Cato!" He swung his sword. Percy lifted Riptide and parried the blow, letting the power from the swing drive him back a little. Cato pressed on, slashing and stabbing all in one, overhand cut, jab at the ribs, slash downwards, backhand. Percy dodged and parried all the blows, stepping backwards. Cato advanced menacingly, his sword strikes growing slower and more wild. He pushed Percy against a tree, sword up to Percy's neck.

Then Percy smiled.

"Good warm up, Two. Now let's get to the good stuff."

In a flash, Percy had ducked past the sword and spun around, slashing at Cato's back. The tip sliced through his shirt, drawing a thin line of blood. With a cry of surprise, Clove abandoned watching Annabeth and Katniss and stepped forward with her knife drawn. She and Cato attacked from both sides, but Percy managed to parry them all, gently flicking his sword blade every now and then to draw blood.

"You're dead, Four!"

"I'd like to see you try, Two."

"Marvel! Hazel! Peeta! Allie!" Cato yelled. Then suddenly, there was a light rustling sound as Annabeth dropped from the tree. Marvel shoved me forward, hefting his own spear.

"C'mon!" He snarled.

But I knew we were doomed as Percy and Annabeth fought back to back. Peeta, with no experience with weapons, moved forward to throw a few punches, all halfhearted attempts. Annabeth blocked them and let her knife blade scrape across his face before ramming the butt of her knife in his skull.

Allie was the second worst career there, her sword too long and clumsy for her. "Traitor," she spat at Percy.

Percy swung his blade. It cut deeply into her upper ribcage.

Allie fell and didn't get back up. A cannon boomed.

Clove and Annabeth fought, pulling away from the group inch by inch. Clove was quite skilled in the dagger, but Annabeth was a master knife wielder.

Cato snarled at Percy again, but there was a spark of hesitation. Percy smiled at him. It was unnerving.

I quickly filled in for Clove as Clove fell back, her knife as spotless as it was when she started. Annabeth's had angry red streaks dripping down the blade. I fought to keep my face neutral as I stabbed at Annabeth, a technique Annabeth was still getting used to. But I wasn't used to slashes either, and my wrist twisted awkwardly as I blocked them.

Then suddenly Clove was back. She launched herself at Annabeth, and Annabeth barely had time to parry her blows before Marvel joined in for us. Three at once. Percy was still toying with Cato, twirling around like a ballerina and still beating him. Annabeth gritted her teeth, ducking and slashing. Finally, she made eye contact with me. We didn't need to mind-message to communicate.

Without speaking, I sidestepped and she ducked and rolled under my arm, grabbing Percy's shirt. She turned back for a split second, looking up at the tree Katniss was in, her mouth moving in silent words. Then they vanished into the brush.

"Hey!" Cato turned around wildly, but no noise could be heard, no movement could be seen. It was like they simply vanished into thin air.

I tried to keep the amused expression from my face. Where did you guys go?

There was no response. Guys? Percy? Annabeth? I focused harder. Where did you go?

There was a long pause. Then, we're right behind this tree. What's up with the connection?

I don't know.

There was another long pause. It can't be wearing off already, Apollo said at least the first two weeks! This time, Piper spoke. She sounded panicked. I understood why. Without the connection, we were completely isolated from each other. There was no way of communication other than meeting face-to-face.

Cato screamed in frustration, ramming his sword into a tree. It cut into the wood and clattered on the ground. Then he glared upwards at Katniss, who was still crouched.

"I'm going to kill you!" He roared at her, gripping the branches as he tried to heave himself upwards.

I watched as Cato, Clove, and Marvel tried and failed to reach Katniss, even with Clove throwing a knife and Marvel trying to shoot at her with the one and only bow in the arena.

"Oh, let her stay up there!" Peeta finally said. "It's not like she's going anywhere. We'll deal with her in the morning."

Cato stepped back from the tree and began to set the things down directly under it. "Alright, Lover Boy," he sneered at Peeta. "If you let her escape, I'll kill you. Hazel." He snapped his fingers at me. "You and Lover Boy take first watch. He makes any suspicious movements, you kill him. Understand?" I rolled my eyes and leaned against the tree, my eyes catching on Katniss's. Her angry gray eyes bore into mine, and I looked away. She didn't know I was on her side. If I was on a side.