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

Chapter Fourteen | Champions...not Victors |

    It was already the final seven. I realized that the next day. My cut didn’t look good. It looked like I’d only have two more days before the inevitable happened. The remaining tributes were the guy from five, Nathan, the two from six, Molly and Vikram, and then us. If we didn’t break up sooner or later, then it’d just be us.

    Suddenly, we were being attacked. By the three of them. The spooky dude, geeky dude, and dude like girl. They had knives and spears and were fighting non stop. Nathan was missing an arm, but was still fighting amazingly well. I was taken by surprise and didn’t notice the spear coming my way.

    “Aria!” Alec yelled, and he threw himself in front of me. “Alec!” I cried, falling to my knees. “Couldn’t watch you get hurt.” He muttered to me, and my last stand of sanity snapped. Soon, Nathan’s head was in the river, followed by Molly and Vikram’s.

    Four cannons. One scream. I fell to my knees screaming as loud as could, my hands over my ears, my eyes clenched not wanting anything to do with this awful place. Then something pulls me up short. Another cannon. I spun around Austin lying face first with a knife in his back.

   “Austin!” I screamed, and I don’t have any time to do anything because Aviva is on me, slashing every part of me. Of course. She killed Austin. “Get down, bitch.” She hissed, her good girl act gone. I fall down on my back, weak from injuries. She kicked me and I rolled onto my stomach groaning as I did so. Aviva’s laughter faded, I assumed it was either because I was dying or she was clearing out for our bodies to be collected.

    Then, it clicked in my head. The river! It was right in front of me. It didn’t  work on my poison wound because it was too infected. Surely, if I managed to even touch the water, I would have enough time to filet that bitch and the Capitol to heal me because it was me and her, and there was no way Austin’s killer was gonna win.

    I extended my hand and my fingertips barely grazed the water before I felt it. The feeling of myself healing. Maybe, as an apology for getting here, my father decided to give me a fighting chance. All of my injuries dissapeared when I had enough strength to pull myself up from the ground and I spotted my sword and Aviva. I grabbed my sword and my stealthily to her.

    “Don’t you know, Aviva.” I pushed her hair off her back with my sword. “Champions aren’t born, we’re built. Built just a little stronger. You should’ve finished what you started.” I hissed before my sword pierced her throat. In some ways, my games were boring. But to me, they were pure hell.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, the victor of the 67th Hunger Games, Aria Kaywell!”

    The next few days in the Capitol, I don’t make any sound. No words have slipped from my mouth at all. The only thing playing through my head were Alec’s words. “Couldn’t watch you get hurt.” His death was my fault.

    “Couldn’t watch you get hurt.” Did Austin die for me too? Did he see Aviva about to throw the knife at me? Who cares? I lived and they didn’t. They got what they wanted. No. That was just selfish of me. They didn’t get what they wanted. They didn’t want to go into the games. They didn’t want to die.

    I thought of Austin’s mom. Mrs. Jones already lost her husband and her unborn baby in an accident that caused her to be really sick. She still is sick, and I’m sure she’s not gonna last much longer knowing the last person she cared for is dead. Dead because I got to live. Dead, dead, dead. Why couldn’t I be dead?

    Days later when they let me out, I felt no motivation to leave. Why should I in the first place?

    I was forced to put on the outfit from the arena, and the second I stepped out, I ran into Finn’s arms, sobbing no matter how hard I tried not to. “Dead. They’re all gone.” I mumbled, and he held onto me.

    “I know, but you came back. You’re here not there. You’re safe. Deep breathes, Ari, deep breathes.” He managed to calm me down as always, but I don’t want to leave him. But I’m forced to and Pixie takes me to the elevator to be attacked- I mean made-over- by my prep team. I eat, but only a roll. I can’t bear anything else.

    My prep team takes me to my room as they start their very difficult process of making me look ‘amazing’. They put dark makeup on me. Kind of matched how I felt inside. I frowned at how skinny I was, but then Pixie slid the dress over my head. I do look amazing, but I don’t want to be here. I wanted to be at home with Finnick and Austin.

    They take me to the place where the new victor waits until it’s their turn to go up onto the interviews and I couldn’t breathe. Maybe it was the musky air or the fact I didn’t want to.

    Suddenly the metal disk that’s supposed to take me up to the interview started to go up, and I have all these thoughts on the games. Flashes of Austin and Alec’s and everybody I killed bodies.

    The lights nearly blinded me when I stepped off. The roar of the crowd was so loud my ears could have started to bleed and I wouldn’t even be shocked. I walk to the victor’s chair. It was painful enough living it, why did I need to watch it? I’m careful not to let any emotion fall onto my face. The only time I showed any emotion is when Austin died. He was watching me as I screamed. He didn’t notice Aviva getting ready to throw a knife at me. She threw her knife just as Austin started to move towards me. It hit his back and he fell to the ground.

    When the president came and placed the crown on my head, he whispered, “Well done, Miss Kaywell. I would like to have a small chat with you after the banquet.” I couldn’t breathe. What the hell did he want with me?

    The banquet went by and everyone treated me like a mourning lover. The second it’s over I’m taken to the president’s office. “Hello, Miss Kaywell.” Snow said, slowly.

    “Hello,” I muttered, and he gave me a ‘friendly’ smile.

    “Please, take a seat.” He said, and my feet move on their own.

    “Now, let’s cut to the chase. We both know that you and Mister Odair have an…affair going on behind the Capitol’s eyes.” President Snow said, and I nodded slowly. “I believe it would be best if that ended.”

    “What?” I exclaimed, jumping to my feet.

    “I believe it's best if you have little to no contact with Mister Odair. People might get ideas with Austin out of the picture. I believe, with your sanity not being in the best state, that you shouldn’t even have it in secret.” He said, and my heart raced. No Finnick? For life?

    “What if I say no?” I said, and he laughed. “Then certain repercussions should take place.” I translate this into, talk to Finnick and my family has an accident.

    The interview the next day went by quickly, and then we’re on the train again. Finn has tried to talk to me on several occasions, but I left before he could say anything. This is just what I needed. A break from the one I’m desperately in love with and can put me back together when I’m very destroyed. Could you tell I was being sarcastic?