UNDERDOG | FINNICK ODAIR

Chapter 12

The next morning I was awoken by Calibos. "Darling wake up. Today's the big day!" He said shaking my shoulder lightly. I sit up and look around. He opens the curtains and I flinch as sunlight burns my retinas.

I shuffle to the bathroom despite his requests. I turn on the faucet and brush my teeth. I know I won't be able to do it in the arena so I want to savor this moment.

"Come darling. We must board the hover craft now." He said, steering me to the roof where I climb on the latter that freezes me in place. Once we are both on board and the tracker is in my arm, we're off.

I snack on crackers and fruit but mostly have my fill of water, knowing it could be days until I drink some again.

Once we land and are escorted to the launch room, I take a shower and thoroughly wash my whole body. I dress myself in under garments before stepping out of the small bathroom.

Calibos sits me down on a stiff chair as he starts braiding my hair into two Dutch braids. They both start at my hairline and snake down to my back, getting tighter as it goes. He stops them after he runs out of pieces to braid and ties them there.

He dresses me in a tight fitted blue suit that has a purple belt and nylon shoes to match. Over head a voice says "60 seconds til launch."

Calibos attaches the necklace my Nona had left for me when she died around my neck. Nona had always promised me that it had protective powers. She would tell me the story of how there was a witch in our family hundreds of years ago who had enchanted a necklace to protect whoever wore it.

Of course, I don't believe the story. She just told me it to make me feel safe. And I do, but not because of it's safety charm, but because I'm able to carry a piece of my Nona with me always.

Calibos gives me one final hug before sending me into the tube that will take me to the arena above.  I step into it. The glass tube closes around me and I hold my breath.

I wait but nothing happens. I look to Calibos and see him shrugging in confusion about the wait. Then I'm moving upwards. Must have been a fluke in the system.

I look around at the land scape. Now this is something I can work with. We are standing in the ocean, in front of us is a island that houses the cornucopia. Behind us looks to be a thick jungle. Being from district four, I should have no problem swimming across to the cornucopia.

I took a deep breath and noticed the smell. It smelled a lot like home which meant this was saltwater. Not drinkable on its own. The male morphling was to my left and to my right was a long, narrow strip of land that connected the shore to the cornucopia.
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The gong sounded.

I jump in the water without hesitation, and swam toward the cornucopia. It's a 40 ft swim and I'm there in less than 30 seconds. I crawl onto solid ground. I see weapons over flowing out of the mouth. I grab three throwing daggers and a thin sword that was closer to a long dagger. It wasn't too heavy. I attach them to my belt.

I run around with a dagger drawn, trying to see where the best place to swim to shore is. Ahead of me I see Finnick picking up a trident and I run over to him.

"Finn! Finnick." I say as he looks up. "We're allies right?" I ask. "Always." He grins down at me and I take a second to notice how beautiful he really looks. His bronze hair was curling up from the sea water, sunlight glinting off every stand making him look blonder. His green eyes had a different fire to them, like he was in his element. This is so not the time to drool over your best friend.

He shakes me out of my reverie by grabbing my elbow and pulling me over to a troubled looking katniss. We walk up behind her. She turns with arrow drawn. I take a step back and poise my knife at the ready.

"You can swim too huh?" I ask. Keeping the knife ready to throw at her in a moments notice. "How did you learn?"

She glared a little at Finnick who was ready to take her down also. His lean body positioned with his trident at the ready and a net in his other hand.

"We have big bathtubs in 12." She said cautiously.

"You would have too. Do you like the arena?" Finnick asks.

"Not particularly, but you should. They must have built it for you two." She says bitterly.

We have a mini stare down before Finnick breaks the silence. "Lucky thing we're allies right?" He asks holding his hand up to show the gold flamed bangle that I'm just noticing he's wearing.

"Right!" Katniss says after a moment of hesitation. "Duck!" Finnick demands, tossing his trident at the male from district 5 who was charging at Katniss.

"Don't trust one or two. Each take a side? And Beck check inside the cornucopia for anything we could use." Finnick orders as he removes his trident from the mans chest. We split up, katniss covering for me as I search through weapons.

"Anything useful?" Finnick calls out a few minutes later. "Nothing but weapons." I call back.

"Grab what you want and let's go." I grab another dagger and a awl as katniss doubles up her archery stuff.

Katniss shoots at Enobaria and Gloss who have snuck up behind us. We meet Finnick at the front.

"Do something about that would you?" He asked us as I turn to see Brutus heading toward us. I throw a knife that was heading for his chest but he blocks it with the purple belt we were all given.

Purple goo springs out and hits him in the face. He drops to the ground and rolls to the water. I grab my knife from where it bounced off his belt. The belt must be strong enough to act as a shield.

"Let's clear out." Katniss says.

She looks around in search of Peeta. "Peeta can't swim I guess." I say pointing to where he is standing, still on his metal plate. Katniss takes off with me and Finnick close behind.

"I'll get him." Finnick says. He starts taking off his weapons and hands me his trident. "I can" Katniss says starting to disarm herself.

"Let him do it. He's a good swimmer and despite the size of the bath tubs in 12, I'm sure he's better than you. 

"Well, anyway it's still better to not exert yourself. Not in your condition." Finnick says gesturing to Katnisses stomach, indicating the baby within.

He dives in the water and paddles over to where Peeta is stranded. They talk for a few seconds before Finnick has Peeta floating under his arm as he paddles towards us.

I crouch down and grab under Peeta's arms to pull him up. Katniss joins me and together we lift him on to land.

"Hello again." Peeta said, greeting her with a kiss. "We've got allies." Peeta tells Katniss.

"Yes. Just as Haymitch intended." Katniss said bitterly.