I am Katniss, Daughter of Apollo (Percy Jackson/Hunger Games Fanfic)

Chapter 5

Katniss' POV

Capture the flag. A strategy game. Two teams, two flags. Whichever team finds and captures the other team's flag first wins the game.
It seemed simple enough, but I still found myself twisting the end of my long braid nervously. Luckily, you aren't picked one by one for the teams. Otherwise, I can't help but feel I would be picked last because nobody knows what skills I have yet. At least, I think to myself, that can be an advantage for my team, even if they don't know it.
My thoughts were interrupted as a cheer arose from the gathering crowd. I looked up to see Annabeth's blonde head bobbing over the sea of campers. She was carrying a very large, gray silk banner that had a barn owl and an olive tree painted on it. Her entrance was answered by more cheers from the opposite side of the crowd, where a burly girl entered with a similar banner, this one blood-red with a boar's head and a bloody spear on it.
I looked around for Connor and Travis, spotted them, and hurried towards them.
"So who are we with?"
Travis (I think?) turned at the sound of my voice and smiled. "Katniss, hi! Okay, so we made an alliance with Athena, we'll be with them. They're the red team. Now don't get confused, 'cause we are the red team and we are also trying to get the red flag. The Ares side wanted red, but we did a coin toss so they're blue."
He paused and turned to whisper something to his brother, who seemed to communicate back with him mentally before saying, "Katniss....Please don't be upset, but you're being put in the worst possible capture the flag position. You've gotta play defense. Now, Travis and I, we like offense, being in the thick of the action. You strike us as the same way, but the Athena cabin wants to keep you on D. for this one. And, well, their mom is the goddess of war strategy and wisdom, so they're kinda hard to argue with."
I think through how to answer before saying, "I agree that I would much rather be on the front lines, but I guess it's hard to argue with wisdom."
Travis and Connor both nod, then we turn our attention back to the two teams announcing who they've allied with. Athena is with Dionysus, Hermes, Hades, Zeus, and Apollo, plus some minor gods and goddess cabins. Ares is with Demeter, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Hephaestus, and the rest of the minor gods and goddesses cabins. It looked like my team had the advantage of numbers, Hermes and Apollo were two of the largest cabins. I didn't really understand all the names, but I figured it didn't matter too much at the moment since I just needed to know who was wearing red.
Chiron whinnied loudly to bring everyone back into focus.
"Campers, the rules, as you may or may not already know: the entire forest is your battle grounds. The creek is the boundary line. Any and all magical items are permitted. Each banner must be visibly displayed, not hidden. If your team has captured prisoners, you may disarm them, but not harm them. There shall be no maiming or killing. As always, I serve as the referee and battle medic. And on that note, arm yourselves!"
I was about to ask Connor and Travis what with, but lost my words as I looked back at the Dining Pavilion. All the tables were loaded with supplies. My stomach flipped as I immediately thought of the Cornucopia. I gulped and marched towards my table. I was disappointed, there were no bows. But I guess that made sense, they were generally used to kill. Instead I picked up a small dagger, shield, and a light sword. I figured lighter was probably better for someone who hadn't really fought with a sword before.
"Defense?" A small voice from behind me said.
I turned around to see a blonde girl, about 13 or 14 years old, standing behind me, holding a shield and sword.
"Uhh, yeah. You?"
She smiled, and I was painfully reminded of Prim and Rue, and how I lost them both.
"Me too. You're new here? That's okay, they don't always get our flag. Just sometimes. But I bet we can make a great team, and maybe we will win!"
I smiled and said, "What's your name? I'm Katniss. Katniss Everdeen."
"My name's Elizabeth, but you can call me Eliza, or Liz, or 'hey you'. That's what Connor and Travis call me. Not in a mean way though, they're just jokers."
I was really warming up to Elizabeth. I silently vowed to myself that I would never let harm come to her as long as I stayed at this camp.
"Come on, looks like Annabeth's rounding up the red team."
We turned and jogged over to Annabeth's huddle.
"Okay, red team. Time to move out. Follow me."
Everyone cheered, and we rushed into the woods, metal armor and weapons clanking noisily. We came to an opening in the dense trees to a creek, the boundary line.
Annabeth stopped and spoke up to our team, "Okay so we are on this side-" she gestured to the left of the creek, "-Liz, you and Katniss follow Connor, he's going to show you guys where the flag is."
I nodded, and Connor came up to us and motioned for us to follow him.
I was startled as something took hold of my hand, and looked down to see Elizabeth holding it.
"Sorry if I scared you. I just get a little nervous before the games. I'm sorry, I should've asked, do you mind?"
The way her eyes glistened in the fading light of the day, I couldn't say no. It was almost cute, but in a different sort of way than like a puppy or something. After all, she was about 14.
Connor stopped abruptly. "Here it is." He said, "I've got to go back with the others now, good luck guys!"
"Thanks Connor." I said as he turned and left the hiding spot of our banner.
A conch shell sounded in the distance, starting the game.
"So," Elizabeth said, "You like archery? I'm pretty okay at it. You're in Apollo now, that's my cabin too by the way. Archery's one of the daily activities we do here at camp. I hope we have it together so when you get perfect shots, I can say, that's right, Katniss is awesome! And she's my friend!"
I laughed. "I only wish we could use bows now. But I can see why they're not allowed. I mean, it's kind of hard to just block someone with an arrow..."
She smirked. "Yeah I can see how that would be hard."
We heard a rustle in a bush about 3 yards in front of us, and camper with a blue-plumed helmet emerged. He was armed, but alone. We outnumbered him 2 to 1, plus he hadn't noticed us yet.
Elizabeth nudged me, then motioned up the tree where our banner was hanging. I nodded and we both crept behind it, and then up it. A moment later, the boy turned and saw the flag hanging there, unguarded.
He gazed suspiciously at it, as if expecting someone to jump out from behind the tree. Good, he didn't expect anyone to be in the tree.
Are you,
Are you
Coming to the tree...
I thought instantly before I could help it.
...Strange things did happen here...
Shut up! I thought to myself, annoyed that I could even think that song at a time like this.
The blue team camper had come closer, and now appeared to be walking around the base of the tree. I spoke to Elizabeth, barely even a whisper, "Let's wait for him to make a full circle around the tree, then we should drop out of the tree and surprise him."
She nods her consent.
The boy is almost all the way around the tree now...
"3.....2....1... GO!" I yell as we drop from the tree like spiders from a web.
"Holy Hephaestus!!" The camper yells, dropping his sword in his surprise.
Elizabeth and I point our swords at the unarmed camper, myself from the back and Elizabeth the front, trapping him.
"What is your name?" Elizabeth asks boldly, daring him to make a run for it.
The camper scowls at her, but mutters, "Derek."
"Well, Derek, you are now our prisoner, and seeing as you've already dropped your weapon, we've no need to disarm you. Go sit down over there, and if you dare to even stand up, you can expect a knife at your throat from Katniss-right Katniss?"
"Right." I say, as Elizabeth marches Derek at sword point to a spot next to our flag.
I pick up Derek's sword and stick it far into the ground on the opposite side of the tree.
"Well then, now back to guarding this flag-" Elizabeth starts, but she is cut off as a camper from Demeter storms in, armed with a golden staff with a hoop at the top.
"Debbie, honestly it was a nice attempt to rescue your boyfr-"
But Debbie cuts Elizabeth off with a blast from her staff. The next second, Elizabeth is covered in a pile of little whole grain rings.
"He is not my boyfriend." Debbie says, her face pink, "I just came for the flag, which I will take now, since you're so conveniently trapped in that cereal mound. Cheerio-pun intended."
Debbie makes her way towards the banner, but freezes when she sees me. I raise my sword challengingly, even though I know I've never fought with one. She takes the bait, gives an apologetic expression to Derek, who just rolls his eyes. She makes to turn and leave, but I'm too fast for her. I'm in front of her, my sword level with her neck. She whimpers, then says, "Okay, okay, I'm your prisoner....ugh!" She gives one final attempt to blast cereal at me, which I dodge easily. I raise an eyebrow and she backs towards the tree to Derek, dropping her staff, and plopping down beside him.
I grab her staff, and push it into the ground next to Derek's sword, then go over to get Elizabeth out of the giant pile of cereal.
"Thanks." She says gratefully as I pull her out, and flick a last piece of cereal out of her hair.
In that instant, a conch shell sounds, meaning the other flag has been captured, and the game was over.

Wow! Ok so that's probs my longest chapter....or at least felt like it! I really enjoy writing this story so let me know if there anything you want in it! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!
That's all for now,
HOOtOwl417