Saving the Tributes || Demigods in the Hunger Games

.oOo. Percy .oOo.

Peeta slipped in and out of consciousness for three days as we slowly worked our way to a river. At noon on the third day, he let out a small groan which was an improvement from the incoherent words with the occasional "Katniss" here and there.

After the third groan, and a whole lot of squinting, Peeta's eyes snapped open. "Oh god. Katniss. Did she-- is she--"

"Calm down, Peeta." I tried to keep him lying down on the rocks we were sitting on. He tried to stand up. We settled for a sitting position. "You're wounded. Come on, we're almost at the water."

"Is Katniss okay?" He asked anxiously as we shuffled to the water nearby.

"Yeah," I lied. I didn't know if she was okay okay, but I knew she was alive. That was a plus. "What happened to your leg?"

"Cato's sword." He grimaced at the memory. "But it was worth it. Katniss is safe."

I nodded understandingly. I would sacrifice anything to keep Annabeth safe.

Peeta let out another groan as he set himself slowly down on the rocks. Blood trickled down, staining his shin. We were right by the water's edge, and I crouched down, inspecting it.

I quickly took off my jacket and shirt and crouched down by the waters edge. It was cold and moved quickly, good signs that it was drinkable. Annabeth was rubbing off on me. My shirt was quickly drenched, and I lifted it above the wound. "Hold still," I warned Peeta. He pursed his lips and looked away. The water trickled from the cloth, and I let it hit the wound before controlling it. Washing out all the dirt and muck that had gathered in.

It was pretty gross, to be honest.

"Stop it." Peeta's voice was strained, his fists clenched. I paused, then wrung my shirt out back in the river. There was nothing to bind the wound with in this boulder-filled terrain, except for the vines that hung around the rocks. After a brief moment of hesitation, I wrapped my now damp shirt around the wound and quickly sliced off several vines, wrapping it tightly. It was quickly soaked through with blood, but at least there was no sign of black dirt in the dark red. That was a good sign. I quickly put my jacket back on, even though it was pretty burned and thin and worn and smelled gross.

"Tell me again, why are you helping me?" Peeta managed. His voice was thin.

I shrugged, my mind blank. "Uh... um... er..." Shoot. "Well, a couple other tributes and I decided that we would rather make the games more bearable for everyone else than win for ourselves." I internally patted my back. That sounded good.

"But you're a career," Peeta reminded me.

"Yeah. Hazel from One is a career too."

"Who else is doing this?" He asked.

"It was me, Annabeth from three, Jason from... five, Piper from eight, Leo from three, Frank from ten, Hazel from one, Thalia from ten, Nico from... six, and... nope, that's it."

"Wow." Peeta leaned back on his hands, looking impressed. "That's why Hazel was so nice. How's this plan working for you?"

"Well, only Piper, Frank, and Thalia have died, so I'd say pretty good."

"Why didn't you go with the careers?"

"You are just full of questions, aren't you?" I exhaled through my nose. "I didn't want to. Why'd you join?"

"I had to save Katniss," Peeta said quietly. "It was the only way."

He clearly didn't want to elaborate. That was fine with me. The sun was beginning to set, and the cold was setting in. Thank the gods I still had my heat-reflecting jacket.

"No deaths today," I muttered as the anthem played.

"I almost don't want this peace to hold," Peeta said in the fast darkness. "Otherwise there's going to be some capitol-forced action."

I thought of the tracker jackers. "That's not good," I agreed.

.oOo. Annabeth .oOo.

My eyes were screwed tightly shut. I knew if I opened them, I would see another horror. Percy fighting an unstoppable foe, perhaps. Camp Half Blood being swallowed by a wave of dirt, then the ruins being sucked into a vortex. Luke with golden eyes, standing above the bodies of the campers.

"Annabeth," An unfamiliar voice said.

I couldn't bring myself to speak. My throat felt raspy, as if I hadn't drunk water in days.

"Annabeth." This time, I knew the voice. Jason. One eyelid lifted against my own will, and I saw the concerned face of Jason Grace. I was too exhausted to notice the rhyme.

"Oh, thank god. She's not dead." I thought for a moment before matching a name with the voice. Katniss Everdeen.

"Jason, can you get the leaves?" This was a new voice. Small and soft and gentle. I looked around and spotted a miniature, two-year younger Hazel. But she had brown eyes.

"You've been out for three days," the girl said softly. "It's a miracle you're still alive."

I managed to open my mouth. "I've been through worse," I croaked.

"I hope not," she said. "Considering your state right now."

I let my head drop, exhausted from the effort. Suddenly, I felt a cool relief wash over me. It was wonderful, like iced nectar. I could feel poison leeching out of me, and for a moment I thought Percy was here, controlling the poison out of me. The thought terrified me.

"Annabeth, you need to get up." Jason was commanding, and I opened my eyes and scowled at him, propping myself up on my elbows.

"Jason, she fought the venom twice as fast as a normal person," small Hazel said. I recognized her now. Rue. Rue kept talking. "She's going to be exhausted."

"No, I'm fine." I stood up. "Let's move."

Rue looked at me with concern, but didn't say anything aside from, "you're still drained."

My joints cracked like bubble wrap, and I sighed at the satisfaction. "You're not mad," I noted to Katniss as we set off. "And you didn't kill me in my coma."

She shrugged vaguely. "Now we're even."

"Friendly," I muttered. She ignored me.

I didn't like Katniss very much.