Rick Riordan's Hunger Games [PJO AU]

Ep 3 - "Knife"

President Clair paced in front of the large screen. "Why do Calypso and that boy keep getting sponsors?"

"I don't know," Rick shrugged irritably. "The girl is daring, and the boy is an underdog. The Capitol loves both. I love both. They're excellent stories."

She jabbed her thin finger at the girl, frustration building, "Well, I don't care. Hurry up kill her. She's not controllable at all, and if it's dramatic enough they won't mind when she dies."

He sighed. "We can't keep sending mutts after her. They'll accuse us of, you know, the opposite of favouritism."

"Send something."

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Last night there were no cannons nor faces in the sky. Annabeth just hoped Luke would make it to them safely.

Thalia had started setting up snares while Annabeth gathered roots and more berries. Right now the latter was their only source of water.

She was starting to get the feeling that there was no water in the rainforest. The tree leaves were turning into autumn colours, and only things near the ground were growing alright.

They were well into the forest, so it would take a while for Luke to find them.

In a few hours, they walked towards the centre of the arena together. Annabeth had braided a whole batch of vines into green ropes, and as they went along they tied them to tree branches that led back towards their camp.

The vines weren't noticeable unless you really paid attention, and she hoped that Luke would. Food wasn't a problem now, but they really needed some more supplies.

She regretted not picking up the knife that had cut Thalia's shoulder, but at the moment she'd felt that getting away from the bloodbath was the most important task, and they couldn't waste seconds by running after the blade.

When they took a break by a tree with low branches, a parachute landed a few feet away. Annabeth opened it up. A large bottle of water.

Thankful, they both took a few sips. It was really nice to drink actual water instead of relying on the bit of juice in the fruits they gathered.

When they returned to the entrance cave, Annabeth saw that their snares had caught two lizards. One was the one she'd noticed the day before because it had no tail.

Annabeth told Thalia to go on inside and gut the other one while she made a thinner rope of vines. She tied it around the waist of the wiggling reptile and loosened the trap's noose to let it go free. It ran off, trailing the long green plants as it did.

◼▲◼

"Look who I found!" Bryce yelled cheerfully. Piper heard his cruel laughter and the shrieks and struggles of a female tribute.

He dragged the girl from 12 into the clearing by the arm. His axe was in his other hand, but she was fighting with all she had, clawing at his face and kicking him fiercely.

Bryce already had scrapes down his cheeks and across one eye, but they did nothing to diminish his maniacal glee.

Percy seemed close to vomiting, but Clarisse just stared at the scene with disdain, saying, "Why didn't you kill her right away? What if she has allies?"

He cracked up. "This girl? Unlikely. Little Nico ditched her the first second he could. Isn't that right?"

She glared at him, "My name is Katie." Her voice was very hoarse. Piper suspected she'd come to the forest to find water.