Multifandom Crossover

Chapter 3: Katniss Everdeen

"Peeta, come on! Effie's waiting!" I yelled up the stairs. I heard footsteps running around the upper level as Peeta got ready. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He called back. I decided to wait by the front door. I opened the door and was welcomed by a fresh autumn breeze. The flowers in the garden rippled as the wind blew by. Crouching, I stroked one of the yellow roses; A primrose. I smiled, thinking back to Effie's invitation.

It has been a month since the second war against the Capitol; A month since Prim had moved on. . . I tried not to dwell on it too much, but on some nights, her death haunted my dreams. The last thing I saw was her duck tail as she rushed forward to heal the dying children; Then there was an explosion. On those nights, I woke up, screaming. I was mostly all rights when Peeta came to comfort me.

I started calling the Capitol more frequently, trying to get my mind off the nightmares. Just one week ago, Effie had called, inviting us to a celebration. "The Capitol's celebrating the one month anniversary of its newly established democracy!" She'd told me over the phone. "President Paylor wanted me to invite you two. It'll be so much fun!" "Thank you, Effie." I'd told her. "We'll be there." "See you in a week!" And then she'd hung up.

Between the blooming primroses and the upcoming celebration, I was able to take my mind off the thought of all the blood on my hands. "Katniss, you ready?" Peeta asked from the door, holding a bag. I nodded, getting up. We're planning on going early so I could hunt for a while; The best game was near the Capitol. So instead of formal wear, I had slipped into my father's hunting jacket. "Let's go," I agreed.

The Capitol had arranged for a train to take us there. We walked towards the burnt remains of Town Hall, finding the Capitol train waiting for us. Except it wasn't the Capitol train. At least, not the ones we were used to. Peeta gave me a confused look; I shrugged in return, eyeing the train suspiciously. There was no one waiting for us. Warily, we got on the train.

It had none of the usual Capitol comforts: Gone were the plush couches and tables of delectables. Instead, the interior of the train was made of cold steel, looking much more like the trains I'd seen in the history books at school. The train suddenly jerked forward, leaving the doors handing wide open. "What the...?" Peeta muttered, looking around. There was nothing to do. I grabbed the bag Peeta was holding, fumbling for my bow. "What are you doing?" Peeta asked. "There's something off. This whole ride seems off, the lack of people seems off. Heck, just failing to leave us any food makes the Capitol look bad." "So?" Peeta asked. "Maybe they're low on money?" "This is the Capitol we're talking about." I reminded him.

"If the driver won't tell us what's going on I'll find out myself." I said, heading to the front of the train. My quiver was slung across my back, my bow in hand. I marched up to the front of the train. I was almost at the front car when I heard a sound like shattering glass, followed by the sound of a punch. I grabbed an arrow, placing it in the ready. Slowly, I walked for the door. Before I could reach the control panel, then door to the next car hissed open.

Standing there was another girl, around seventeen years old. She had a petite form, dressed in all black. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her blue eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me. She had three birds tattooed at the base of her neck, on her collarbone. I tensed, ready to fire if necessary. I didn't need much convincing that this girl was dangerous; After all, she was pointing a gun at me.

"Who are you?" I asked the girl, slowly walking forward. Her steady gaze met mine and I heard the bullet chamber click.  I stood my ground. "Who are you?" I asked louder, tensing my bow. "Who are you?" The girl countered. "I've never seen you here before. What faction are you from?" I froze, giving her a bemused look. "Answer me!" She yelled, squeezing the trigger. I rolled out of the way as the bullet flew past me, shattering the glass window. I let my arrow fly. The girl barely dodged, the arrow embedding itself in the metal walls behind her.

"Hey!" I yelled, another arrow already in place. The girl looked slightly shaken, but her aim didn't waver. Suddenly, I felt the cold metal of a gun being pushed into my back. "Who are you?" A male voice hissed in my ear; It wasn't Peeta.

The girl looked at the person behind me, exasperated. "Four, I told you, I got this. I told you not to come." She said. The guy behind me—Four—sighed. "The cut on your cheek says otherwise." He said, nodding his head toward my arrow. The girl reached up to touch her cheek. Neither of us had noticed that my arrow had grazed her. "I'm fine," the girl grumbled, wiping away the blood. There were more footsteps behind us, and a new voice appeared.

"Katniss, I heard shooting. I got worried and I—" Peeta stopped, looking in confusion at the other two people. "What's going on here?" He asked angrily. The other girl adjusted her aim from me to Peeta, sliding another bullet into place. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Peeta yelled, raising his hands in surrender. "Can we just talk about this?"

"Typical Amity," the girl muttered, shooting a look at Peeta. He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What Amity?" He asked. The girl's expression went from one of hard anger to one a shock. "What faction are you guys ever from?!" She yelled, looking at us like we were crazy. "Faction?" Peeta asked, still confused. "We're from District Twelve." The girl slowly lowered her gun.

"Okay, we need to talk."