The Champion | Finnick Odair x oc | PJO & THG crossover

❊ Chapter 13 | Let the Games Begin...again | ❊

I was not ready for the next day. I didn't get any sleep. I just stayed in Finn's arms until Pixie found me and took me away. I'm put onto the hovercraft with Pixie and then the tracker is in my arm, and then I'm in the catacombs. I felt like a robot being controlled by a remote in the hands of President Snow.

I took a shower and brushed my teeth before putting on the tribute outfit. There's a light weight jacket black shirt and black leggings and brown boots made for running. It was all I could do not to throw up.

It feels like everything is standing still except time. In what feels like only a minute, I'm told to go into my tube and my head pounds with nervousness as I'm lifted into the place where my death is going to take place. I try to find Austin or Alec, but they're nowhere to be seen. I caught sight of Aviva, and then my eyes landed on something precious. There was a sash of knives set on a crate.

I'm set to run to them and the second the gong goes off I do. The sash is over my shoulder in seconds and a knife is in the boy from twelve's neck even quicker. Oddly enough the knives made me feel powerful and forget about the lives being taken. I navigated my way to the cornucopia unscathed and got my hands on a sword. No matter how good I was with the knives, it didn't hurt to have a sword because I was already down three knives. I find Alec, Austin, and Aviva and we run, having gotten a pack each.

We make it about a mile away before I trip and scrap my shoulder on a thorn. "Are you okay?" Austin asked, and I nodded. "Yeah, just a scratch." I said, before pulling my jacket sleeve back down.

After an hour, it's obvious I'm not okay. I vomited up the entirety of what was in my stomach. The thornes must've had some sort of poison shortly after I black out. Huh, an hour was shorter than I thought, but okay.

My unconsciousness was filled with all of my best memories. The poison must've been dulcimas, which was a failed attempt at the tracker jacker venom. Instead of targeting all your fear, it finds your best memories. The only reason they kept it was because of the fact that if it wasn't treated immediately after you were hit with it, you'd be dead in a week tops. It was heard to be really painful.

Suddenly, my favorite memory soared through my mind. The time I met Finn.

My five year old self sat on the beach, crying from all the teasing at school. "Hey! That's my spot!" A sandy haired boy cried from the left. I turned my head and I'm met with a boy from school. He was two years older than me so we didn't have much contact.

He noticed my tears and frowned. "Why are you crying?" I wiped my eyes furiously, hiding my face. "I'm-I'm not!" I hiccuped, and the boy rolled his eyes. "Yes, you are." He said, and I glared at him through my tears.

"No, it's just raining from my eyes." I sassed, and the boy grinned. "Yeah, from clouds of sadness." He said, and I huffed. "I'm not sad, just merely miffed." I said, and he wrapped his arm around me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, and he stared at me. "Giving you a hug." He said, frowning. "Well, I don't like it. Stop." I demanded, and he rolled his eyes. "No."

"Why not?" I whined, and he grinned. "Because if you want me to stop, then that means I have to keep hugging you." He whispered to me, and I looked up at him.

"Now, why are you crying?" He asked again, and I trembled. "No one wants to be my friend. They all think I'm a freak because I have dyslexia and ADHD." I said, turning away from him to wipe my tears off my face.

"I want to be your friend." He said, and I smiled. "Really?" I asked, shyly. "Really." He said, and I hugged him. "Am I doing it right?" I asked, and he nodded. "I'm Aria." I said after leaning back.

"I'm Fishstick."

"Fishstick?"

"What?! I said Finnick!"

"Shame. I like fishsticks."

Nothing could match the happiness I felt when I met Fishstick. It was like discovering a whole new world with a whole new level of happiness.

I was perfect at peace until someone shook me from my sleep. "Aria, wake up. We found some water to clean the poison from your cut." I snapped awake, and felt fairly tempted to punch Austin.

"How long was I out?" I croaked out. I can tell it was days by the way my voice sounded.

"Nearly two days." Austin said, pouring the water over my cut. It was a sickly purple, and I knew, even with the water, I wasn't gonna make it. I may be a daughter of Poseidon, but unless I had the cure from the Capitol in the next few days, I would be dead.

"Two days? How many are dead?" I asked, taking a sip of water. "Fourteen." Alec said, and I took a deep breath. We already only had ten tributes left. I grabbed my sword. "Better get hunting then." I said, examining my sword. Small flecks of blood showed that it had been used.

"What?" Austin questioned me. "But your arm-"

"Is my left, so we can still hunt down tributes if I use my right." I said, and Austin knew better than to fight me on this. "Where are the careers?" I asked, and Austin lost it.

"Careers?! With your arm all messed up?!" He shrieked, and I clamped a hand over his mouth. "My arm is fine enough to fight them." I snapped, and I turned to Alec.

"It's a bit of a walk, but I think you can make it. The only thing they're strong, Aria." He said, and I nodded. "I know. That's why we need to take them down before they get stronger." I said, and he sighed and nodded.

With plenty of water, I manage to make it to the career camp and still have enough energy to destroy them. I slip around until right behind Cotton. "Hello." I whispered, and he jumped, spinning around, sword pressed against my throat. "Oh, we both know you won't hurt me." I teased, lowering his sword with my own.

"Oh, it's the little princess from four! You should probably give that sword to someone who knows how to wield it, kid. Besides, aren't you better at singing than playing pretend?" He taunted, and I clenched my eyes shut and started to sing as a way to keep me sane.

"The kid has got the darkside
Best believe it
Push to hard you'll see
The kid has got the darkside
Back against the wall
Lalalalala,"

As I sang to myself, I slashed his chest two times making an x before stabbing him in the center.

Silk doesn't have any time to run before I stab her in the neck, and then Moira decides to try to attack and it's a short battle because my sword finds her heart before her spear can find mine. I knelt down beside Cotton and sang in his ear,

"The kid has got the darkside
Best believe it
It's the last trick up her sleeve
The kid has got the darkside
That you don't want to meet at all."

I knew my sanity was already wavering. It wouldn't be long before I lost it completely. But who cares, I'll be dead by then.

The cannons go off and I rejoin the others. "That was...kind of terrifying." Austin said, and I hugged him. Alec stiffened before asking to talk to me alone.

"Aria, I know you might have thought I just said I loved you for the cameras, but I didn't. I love you for real, and I need you to know that." Alec said, and I try my hardest not to start crying. No one could understand my feelings right now. How did my life get so complicated?

"But I love Austin." I choked out, and Alec nodded, sympathetically. He didn't get it! He thought I had feelings for him, but couldn't show it because to the cameras, I was in love with Austin. "But you said you had some attraction to me at the interviews." Apparently to him, that was real. I hate my life. Luckily, it'll be over soon.

Then he did the most surprising thing ever. He kissed me. "I'll let you figure things out." He said before helping me back to camp.

~~~A/N~~~
Short but I'm bored.