Fierce and Beautiful / Cato Hadley

06 ▬▬▬▬▬▬ fiery rides

"I volunteer!" I hear a voice exclaim, and my eyes widen in horror as they watch Cato Hadley step up and suddenly invade the screen. He wears a confident smirk, playing the public, as usual. The female tribute and him hold their hands up in the air, both their faces translating the feeling of excitement. What an idiot.

"Fucking hell." Haymitch grunts while I burry my head in my hands. "Now, Jade--"

"It's fine. I'm fine." I interrupt, grinding my teeth together, clearly not fine. "Let's just watch the other reapings. Please." Haymitch peers towards me, possible worry tinting his eyes, but he keeps his mouth shut, which is enough for the moment.

"Wiress and Beetee, not fighters, but brilliant. And weird, real tech-savvy. He won his games by electrocuting six tributes at once." Could be useful.

"The Morphlings. Basically won their games by hiding until everyone was dead. Self-medicating since then, which I applaud. Not a threat."

Then, when District 4's Reaping starts to play, I recognise the handsome bronze-haired guy who was crowned ten years ago at the age of fourteen. "Finnick Odair, right?"

Haymitch nods, "Extremely humble." he adds, though his words lack credibility as he grins confidently towards the camera, lifting his arm proudly.

"You're kidding."

"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock, a total preener. But he's the Capitol darling, they love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled in combat. Especially in water." Haymitch describes, and I wonder how I'll compete against a man that's not only extremely talented but has won over most of the sponsors. Especially the female ones.

"Any weaknesses I should know about?" I ask, desperate.

"One. Mags." he says, pointing to an old woman on the screen, that seems to be volunteering for a hysterical young woman with flowing ginger hair and shaking hands covering her mouth. Pity blossoms at my heart as I watch the scene unfold, and it's clear the fragile and aged woman won't make it. It's incredibly brave of her to volunteer, almost signing her death sentence. "Mags was his mentor, and practically raised him. If he's trying to protect her in any way, it exposes him."

"Come on, a guy like Finnick has to know she won't make it. I bet when it comes down to it he won't really protect her." I mutter, not believing in his supposed love for the old woman. How could an arrogant man truly dedicate his time in the arena to caring for Mags when it means slowing down his victory?

"Well, Jade, I just hope when she goes that she goes quickly. She's actually a wonderful lady." he speaks as Finnick and Mags hug tightly in the background. Though, even when I finish watching the readings, there's one thing that can't get out of mind. A thing that makes my heart sink in an ocean of desperation. 

Yet, Haymitch probably notices the shifts in my expression, and I scrunch my eyebrows as I watch him catch another tape. The year of the Games is fifty. That would make it the second Quarter Quell. And the name of the victor is Haymitch Abernathy.

"Really?" I whisper, because Haymitch has made it repetitively clear that it was forbidden to watch his own hunger games. So, his initiative does shock me a little. I curl up on the couch, tugging my knees and getting ready to watch my mentor win the Quarter Quell, at loss of what I should expect.

I don't open my mouth when his reaping, his interview and the games play, simply dedicating my entire attention to the tape. His alliance with Maysilee Donner ends and I watch him squeeze her hand as she breathes her last words and all I can think of is Rue and how I was too late to save her, too.  That leaves Haymitch and a girl from District 1 to vie for the crown. She's bigger than he is and just as fast, and when the inevitable fight comes, it's bloody and awful and both have received what could well be fatal wounds, when Haymitch is finally disarmed. He staggers through the beautiful woods, holding his intestines in, while she stumbles after him, carrying the ax that should deliver his deathblow. Haymitch makes a beeline for his cliff and has just reached the edge when she throws the ax. He collapses on the ground and it flies into the abyss. Now weaponless as well, the girl just stands there, thinking perhaps that she can outlast Haymitch. But what she doesn't know, and what he does, is that the ax will return. And when it flies back over the ledge, it buries itself in her head. The cannon sounds, her body is removed, and the trumpets blow to announce Haymitch's victory.