Saving the Tributes || Demigods in the Hunger Games

.oOo. Peeta .oOo.

Percy is a guy I can trust, I finally decided. At first, his story about helping all the other tributes and not trying to survive was almost too good to be true, even if it fit with Hazel and Leo's personalities. So I was pretty wary around him for the first few days out of my daze, but Percy was a genuine guy. There was something weird about him, Hazel, and Leo, but then again people who basically gave themselves a suicidal mission were a bit off.

"You good there, bro?" Percy asked as he straightened up from the edge of the river. I shrugged. We'd be much much better with food, but neither of us had gotten a single sponsor gift. I guess the Capitol didn't like Percy cutting down his own district partner, and I'm guessing Katniss was absorbing all the love. Not that I blamed her. She probably didn't even know it.

"Just worried about... life," I finally said back. "And food."

"Food is life," Percy said in the most serious tone I had ever heard him speak in. I grinned.

"I second that."

"Well, there's like no fish in the river. Which is good, because I don't want to eat any."

I frowned. "But you just said food is life."

"Fish are friends, not food."

I bit back a laugh. There it was again, that dead serious tone. He probably wouldn't appreciate me trying to eat his friends.

"Do you know how to find berries?" Percy asked. "We have plenty of water, but we're lacking in sustenance."

I shook my head. "I'm a baker's son. I know how to work with ingredients, not the wilderness."

Percy sighed. "Shame." He cracked his back. "I'm going into the forest a little. See if I can spot a strawberry bush."

"Don't die," I called mindlessly back. I'd go with him, but as well as he cleaned my wound, it still hurt like crazy. I'm pretty sure it was infected too.

I wished Katniss was here.

.oOo. Annabeth .oOo.

Jason, Katniss, Rue, and I walked through the forest, gathering bundles of green firewood.

"When you light it up, it'll send off plenty of smoke," Katniss instructed Rue. "Wait until you're certain they're in the forest, then get rid of the bundle and get out of there. What next?" She quizzed me expectantly, like a teacher calling on a student who she doesn't think will know the answer.

Of course I knew the answer.

"Cato and Clove will undoubtedly go to hunt us out. I light the second fire when Rue gets rid of the first one. Then I wait for the Careers and distract them," I recited with a small eye roll.

Katniss nodded. "By then, the supplies will have blown up. Cato will probably stay to finish you off, and Clove will run back towards the base. Then Jason and I will get her, and you get Cato."

"Got it." No one mentioned that once the careers were gone, we'd have to fight each other. Well, first get rid of the last two stragglers, Thresh and Audrey. But then we'd have to fight each other. I almost hoped that one of us dies in this process, then immediately regretted it. I just triggered the Fates, I know it.

"Good luck," I said, and we parted our ways. Jason set off to help Katniss, Rue left for the first fire, and I headed towards the second stack.

.oOo. Nico .oOo.

I was wandering around in the forest, searching for any sign of anyone. But I had no idea how large this forest was, and I was bound to get lost soon. Maybe if I could go back to the Careers base and wait for them to leave, I could get Leo to come with me. That way I'm not just wandering alone. But I was really deep into the forest, and it would be a day's walk back. Maybe even two. No, I just had to keep going.

.oOo. Jason .oOo.

Katniss and I walked in silence. Her silver bow, which she had yanked from Marvel when he died, was in her grip, strung and ready to shoot. A three quarters full quiver was slung over her back. I was hit with an impression of Thalia, but with better hair.

"So you go take care of the other kid from Three," Katniss instructed. "While I get the supplies."

I nodded as we reached the edge of the forest. "Got it."

Katniss crouched by the bushes as I slipped behind a tree. Cato and Clove were doing whatever they were doing, and Leo was sitting on the top of the cornucopia looking absolutely bored to death.

Then Clove gave a shout and pointed. For a moment, I felt a lurch of panic as I thought Clove had spotted us. But she was pointing above the trees, where a thin trail of smoke could be seen wafting through the air. Perfect. Cato grabbed his sword as Clove pulled on her jacket which was bulging awkwardly, and they both sprinted into the forest. Rue and Annabeth were doing their jobs.

I emerged from the forest and stepped forward towards Leo. My foot crunched on the dug up dirt, and Leo glanced at him, looking absolutely overjoyed.

"Jason!" Then he suddenly looked panicked, then scowled. "Oh, ew, it's you. Um, don't come closer, or I'll have to kill you!" He picked up a spear next to him and brandished it threateningly. I laughed and put my hands up.

"It's fine, Leo. Annabeth and I explained our agreement to Katniss and Rue, and the cameras must've picked caught it."

"Agreement?" Leo asked, then his eyes widened and he nodded. "Oh, right. The agreement."

"Yeah." I took a step closer. "And hey, can I get some food? Or a weapon?" I scanned the pile of goodies for a sword before my eye caught on a straight, long sword leaning against a black case. "That one's nice."

"NO!" Leo dropped down, his hands out as if to stop me, but it was too late. My foot crunched on the dirt and the ground exploded.

.oOo. Annabeth .oOo.

I stood with the knife ready in my hands when I heard it. A faint explosion, like something just blew sky high. The noise died down, followed by two cannon blasts.