𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 - Finnick Odair

𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

   Phoenix was now standing in the shallow end of the water, feeling the waves splash up against her calves. She turned slightly, her gaze shifting from Finnick to Katniss and Peeta in the distance. For a moment, her eyes met Katniss's before both girls looked back to the men at their sides.

"I think we're losing her trust," Phoenix muttered to Finnick, keeping her voice low so no one else could hear her. She watched Finnick steal a glance at the tributes from District 12 before looking back at her.

Finnick raised an eyebrow at Phoenix's concern. "What makes you think that?" he asked, causing Phoenix to sigh. "I can tell she's pulling away. We just need to make sure they don't run after we get rid of the Careers." Phoenix explained, with Finnick nodding in agreement.

The thought of losing track of Katniss and Peeta after eliminating the remaining threats made both of them anxious. They were so close to finishing that neither could afford to let anything go wrong. "Maybe we should try and keep them apart as much as we can, at least until we can–" Finnick trailed off, careful not to let any cameras catch the end of his sentence. But it didn't matter, because Phoenix knew exactly what he was going to say.

Until they could remove their trackers.

Phoenix nodded as she finished the sentence in her head. Now completely on the same page, Finnick took her hand in his. He presses his lips against the ring on her ring finger, the ring Phoenix had almost forgotten was there. Seeing Finnick kiss her ring while holding her other hand made all her worries about the plan vanish.

"We'll be alright," Phoenix reassured after Finnick pulled his lips away from her hand. He nodded, about to reply, until Johanna Mason's voice cut through. "Alright, lovebirds!" She called to Katniss and Peeta as well as Phoenix and Finnick, causing both couples to walk towards her and Beetee.

The six tributes of the alliance moved carefully through the thick jungle of the arena. Yet, this time around, Phoenix stayed more alert, scanning every corner and sound. The last thing they needed was for anyone to die before they made it out of the arena.

Suddenly, a light surged from above them, followed by the blare of the Capitol anthem. Phoenix looked up and saw the faces of Gloss, Cashmere, and Wiress. Feeling Finnick tense up beside her, she pressed her lips together as Mags' face illuminated the sky.

Phoenix kept her eyes on the sky, a part of her hoped that Cassian's face would appear after Mags. However, when the face of Blight from District 7 stared back at them, she knew Cassian was still alive and out for blood.

Phoenix glanced down at the belt around her waist. "One, two, three," she counted under her breath, worried she might have dropped some during the jabberjay attack. With a deep sigh, she reminded herself she was more than capable of handling herself with only three knives, as there were only three threats left in the arena.

The sky darkened once again as the alliance continued making their way through the jungle until they faced the infamous lightning tree. "Minimal charring. It's an impressive conductor. Let's get started." Beetee said, breaking the silence that had overtaken the group.

Phoenix watched closely as Beetee finished wrapping the wire around the tree, listening carefully to his warning not to be anywhere near the tree when lightning struck. He then approached Katniss, handing her the coil of wire. "You girls, go together now," he said, glancing between Johanna, Katniss, and Phoenix.

Confusion flickered across Katniss's face as she held the coil of wire in her hands. "Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water, you understand? Then head to the three in the two o'clock sector. We'll meet you there." Beetee instructed, addressing all three of the girls simultaneously. Johanna and Phoenix nodded, but Katniss hesitated, still unsure why they wanted to separate her from Peeta, though she had a few guesses.

Before any of the girls could say anything, Peeta interjected. "I'm gonna go with them as a guard." Phoenix fought the urge to speak, knowing an objection from her might look suspicious. "No, no, no. You're staying here to protect me." Beetee said firmly, convinced that Finnick and Peeta were the best chance they had against the three remaining Careers. The tension between them was heavy, and every second felt like it could go wrong if anyone slipped up.

Phoenix's stomach twisted as she watched Peeta shake his head, frustration visible on his face. "No, I need to go with her," Peeta replied sternly, knowing that he and Katniss had a plan to flee once the Careers were dead. "The Careers are out there. I'll need at least two guards." Beetee explained, his tone calm but firm.

The back and forth hung heavy in the humid air, each second making Phoenix more anxious. Then Katniss spoke up, her voice steady but insistent, making the tension spike even higher. "Yeah, why can't Finnick, Johanna, and Phoenix stay with you and Peeta, and I take the coil?" Katniss asked. Phoenix's heart raced, aware that the three of them could face the Careers, but knowing the misstep would cost them everything.

Phoenix and Johanna exchanged a quick, tense glance, both of them growing anxious at the stubbornness of the tributes from District 12. Phoenix's eyes flicked from Katniss back to Johanna, silently signaling that they needed to stay with Katniss. Phoenix watched Johanna nod, quick enough for Katniss and Peeta not to notice.

Beetee's patience was thinning. "You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, right?" he asked, frustration lingering in his voice. Finnick, Phoenix, and Johanna all nodded, but the tension in the air didn't ease. Johanna shifted on her hip, her gaze snapping toward Katniss.

"It's his plan," Johanna said, her voice tight with irritation. Phoenix crossed her arms as Johanna finished speaking. "And we all agreed to it," Phoenix reminded the teens, her tone calm but firm.

"I'm gonna be separated from Finnick, and you don't see me worrying about it," Phoenix said, eyes glancing between them in a way that seemed sincere. "I think you guys can handle being apart until midnight," she added with a chuckle. She knew this was more than just separation, but she needed this plan to work. Every word and glance was carefully measured to hide the truth and ensure the plan went through.

Looking back at Finnick, Phoenix made eye contact, silently urging him to speak. She could already tell that his patients were beginning to run low. "Is there a problem here?" he asked, making Katniss turn around to look at him. "Excellent question," Beetee added, looking at Katniss from above his glasses.

You could almost see the thoughts moving through Katniss's mind as she thought of what to say. "No. There's no problem," she finally said. Phoenix let out a small sigh of relief that she disguised as a chuckle. In that moment, it became clear that she would soon be separated from Finnick. Although they both believed they would be reunited, neither could be sure.

Phoenix walked up to Finnick, wrapping her arms around his shoulders while he held her waist tightly. "We'll get out of this," he whispered into her ear, his voice low but steady, as if he was trying to convince himself it was true. Phoenix held on a little tighter, her chest tightening as a part of her wished she'd never have to let go. "I promise," Finnick added, as the two slowly detached.

She leaned in once more, placing a trembling hand on his cheek before pressing her lips to his in one last, lingering kiss. Finnick sighed into the kiss, holding onto the moment as if it could protect him from what's to come. Fear and longing hung between them, both painfully aware that the future was no longer guaranteed.

Breaking the kiss, Phoenix stared at Finnick, memorizing every detail of his face as if it might be the last. "We'll be back together before you know it, Little Birdie, " Finnick said with a small, strained smile, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Phoenix nodded, watching as he pressed one final kiss to her palm before letting go completely.

Turning to Katniss and Johanna, the three girls began making their way through the jungle, the coil in hand, bracing themselves for whatever or whoever the jungle had waiting.