Reunited (Fourth book to the Finnick and Annie series)

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Finnick Pov.

The glass plate lifts me up, I see the arena. It was designed for me, it's all water and jungle. They must want me to win, I think to myself. I see the other tributes, looking deadly as ever. I'm still going to kill them. They were my friends, now they're my enemies. I see the amazing trident sitting right in front of me. I dive as soon as I hear the gong. I swim as fast as I can. I get on the jetty and run towards the trident. I grab it and come up behind Katniss.

"You can swim too?" I ask. "Where'd you learn that in twelve?"

"We have a big bathtub." she answers sarcastically and I know she's lying but I don't say anything.

"You must," I say. "Like the arena?"

"Not particularly, you must though, they designed it especially for you." she says bitterly.

It hit me that they didn't have a pool in training, if you don't know how, no ones going to teach you. You either learn as fast as possible, or drown.

"Good thing we're allies right?" I show her my bangle from Haymitch.

I can tell she's debating on how to answer. "Right!"

"Duck." I command and throw my trident into the man from district five "don't trust one or two."

"Should we each take a side?" she asks.

I nod and take one of the sides. "Anything useful?!"

"No, nothing, nothing but weapons!" she yells back.

"Same here, grab what you want and let's go!"

I see the panic on Katniss's face when she sees Peeta, still standing on his metal plate. I wonder why, and then I remind myself that although swimming is overly easy for me, not everyone grows up in district four.

"I'll get him," I put a hand on her shoulder.

"I can," she doesn't trust me yet, she's smart though, you shouldn't trust people in the arena, but this arena is very, very special.

"Not in your condition." I pat her stomach. Haha, baby card. She can't refuse that. "Cover me."

I dive into the water perfectly, lugging Peeta across back to Katniss.

"Hello again." he gives her a kiss. "We've got allies."

"Yup, just as Haymitch intended." She says annoyed. She probably didn't want to be in an alliance with me. I honestly like the people that don't like me. They don't treat me like I'm so perfect, but they're rare.

"Remind me, did we make deals with anyone else?" he asks her.

"Mags, I think." she looks at Mags.

"We can't leave Mags behind," I tell them. "She's one of the few people that likes me." I say it because it's true.

"I have no problems with Mags," agrees Katniss. "Especially now, seeing the arena. Her fishhook are probably our best chance at getting a decent meal."

"Katniss wanted her on the first day." Peeta tells me.

"Katniss has remarkably good judgement." I tell him.

We watch as Mags uses her flotation device to make her way over here slowly. All of the older tributes do this. Beetee figured it out first, it wouldn't surprise me if he was the mastermind behind the invention.

We make our way through the jungle. I notice Katniss, pointing her bow and arrow, a little too sneakily in my direction. "What's going on down there, Katniss? Have they all joined hands? Taken a vow of nonviolence? Tossed the weapons into the sea as a defiance to the Capital?"

"No," she says sadly.

"No," I say. "Because whatever happened in the past is the past. And no one in the arena was a victor by chance." I look at Peeta, who was a victor by chance. He refused to kill. "Except maybe Peeta."

Peeta steps between Katniss and I. "So how many are dead?"

"Hard to say, maybe six?" Katniss guesses. She probably wants Peeta to move so that she can shoot me. I hope she knows that I will stab her before she can shoot me though. I don't care if she is the Mockingjay, I need to get home to Annie.

"Let's keep moving we need water."

"Better find some soon," I say. "We need to be undercover when the others come hunting us tonight." They're not stupid and we all know that we are the ones with the best chance which puts huge targets on our backs.

"Maybe we'll find some better luck on the other side. Find a spring or something." Katniss suggests.

All of this sudden, as Peeta chops down the annoying plants Katniss is about to yell his name, a millisecond late. The force field shocks him and he flies backwards.