Beetee wanted to inspect the tree before executing our plan.
On the way Johanna built the vanguard followed by Peeta and Finnick, who were switching between carrying Beetee. Katniss was the rearguard and I cleared everything from above.
At the tree we distributed the tasks.
Finnick and I staid with Beetee to watch over him. I was not a strong and skilled fighter like many other victors, but you should not underestimate a surprise attack from above.
Johanna got water and Peeta nuts, while Katniss hunted some animals.
After a while the others returned and soon later the clicking noises in the adjoining sector began. It was way louder inside the jungle than at the beach yesterday.
"Doesn't sound mechanic", Beetee thought aloud.
"I suggest insects. Beetles or anything like that", I stated.
They sounded like they would be able to get down to the bones in seconds.
"Anyway, we should get out of here before the lightning hits", Johanna reminded us.
Hence we moved on to the blood-rain sector and ate the food we had collected.
Beetee asked me to climb up the twin tree of this sector which I skillfully did.
I observed the lightning tree and explained everything to Beetee, though I did not understand what the information revealed him.
Then we went back to the beach of the ten clock wave sector. As we had enough time we took the chance to sleep.
A few hours later we were all wide awake due to the nervousness.
Finnick showed us how to hunt down the sea animals and we prepared a feast.
Another parachute arrived, this time not only with the twenty-four buns but also with a hot red sauce. The food was delicious. We were more than full and still had not been able to eat everything.
Now everyone parted ways. Katniss and Peeta were sitting together at the water. Finnick was weaving another net which he would never use before we set off. And Beetee was busy with his wire again.
I decided to climb onto a tree. To be high up here gave me a feeling of control and safety as the trees had saved my life many times before.
After a while Johanna joined me. The tension in the air was unsettling. The games were nearing their end.
"You wanted to say something yesterday when the hymn interrupted you", I remembered suddenly. "What was it?"
Johanna seemed surprised by my question. She held her hand in front of her mouth to hide it from the cameras and lowered her voice: "Protect Katniss."
"What?", I replied confused.
"Why are you saying that?"
"No matter what. It's important. Promise me that you'll prioritize it over everything else."
I felt irritated by her request. Why did she want me to do that?
"Johanna. You hate Katniss, don't you?", I reassured. I let it sound like I had changed the topic.
"I can't stand her! Her whole attitude is making me furious!"
Then it did not make any sense at all or rather I could not understand Johanna's reasons. Was there a greater goal behind everything? Katniss was the face of rebellion after all. Was Johanna part of it all? Who else was in on it? And why did I not know anything? Maybe because Snow's surveillance over me had increased? At least that would make sense and explain Johanna's odd behavior. Usually she thought of herself first.
"Johanna. I promise under one condition", I declared earning a questioning frown. "Answer my questions honestly."
She crossed her arms and waited for me to continue.
"What am I to you? Your behavior is confusing", I stated.
"Of course it is. I don't understand it myself. You are just always on my mind and it's freaking me out! Not to mention it pisses me off that you come along with Katniss! But it's your decision and it's not like I own you or anything. So I have to deal with it. But it would already help if you could stop being so fucking reckless. Since your own well-being is everything you have to worry about you're acting carelessly."
Woah, I had not expected a scolding! Though she was right.
"Did you ever consider it being real? Our relationship?", I asked her.
The people in the Capitol were probably glued to their screens right now, eager to listen to every word. But blowing covers or not did not matter anymore.
Johanna stayed silent. Therefore I decided to change my question: "What did you feel, when we kissed? Or when you were holding me to make me fall asleep?"
"I can't tell. It's a feeling I dunno", she admitted while inspecting her axe. I had not even noticed her axe until now.
"Alright. I don't want to bother you or make you uncomfortable. I will keep my promise."
I moved to get down the tree when Johanna's hand stopped me. Our eyes met. For a moment it felt like I could see right through her. See her scared and vulnerable side. "Don't die", she demanded before letting go.
"Only if you don't die yourself", I replied with a grin and jumped down the tree. "Finnick! Let's get some water", I suggested. Going alone with the careers out there would be too dangerous and I had just decided not to die.
The hymn announced no death tonight. If it had not been for our plan, the gamemakers might have tortured us in any way for entertainment. But they seemed to be curious about the plan.
At the tree Beetee prepared everything before handing Johanna the spool with the rest of the wire.
"The girls lay out the wire. Peeta and Finnick, you stay here to guard me", Beetee instructed us.
"I will go with them as a guard", Peeta interjected.
"No, I need you here to watch over me. The girls will be fine on their own", Beetee answered back.
"Finnick can watch you alone", Peeta suggested.
"There are two careers. So I need two guards", Beetee insisted.
"Is there a problem?", Finnick interfered.
"It's Beetee's plan and we all agreed to it", Johanna added.
"No problem. We will see us at midnight", Katniss ended the discussion.
While Katniss and Johanna alternately laid out the wire I observed them from above. We did not really talk. The combination of Johanna and Katniss was not the most talkative anyway. At least as long as they did not fight, discuss or insult each other.
When Johanna handed the spool over to Katniss the wire suddenly snapped. Johanna did not hesitate to hit Katniss' head with the spool making the latter fall to the ground. Then Johanna cut Katniss' right forearm. I was wondering why until I remembered the tracker. What was she up to?
In the meantime I looked around searching for the cause of the snapped wire and noticed Brutus and Enobaria. Though as long as Johanna was busy with Katniss, I could not recklessly attack them. They were skilled and would most probably kill me if I attacked them. So I observed and evaluated the situation waiting for the right moment to strike.
But Johanna immediately threw her axe toward the careers and ran away luring them after her. Had she lost her mind sacrificing her weapon like that? Of course, she had another axe, but still.
My legs were ready to jump to follow Johanna and help her when my promise came to my mind. Johanna was risking her life for Katniss and she had wanted me to protect Katniss. Why was not important right now. I had to trust her and keep my promise.
So I followed the stumbling Katniss, who had apparently forgotten about me due to the confusing situation and the hit to her head. We were moving back to the tree. Had the hit turned her insane? The lightning would soon erupt!
"Johanna! Katniss! (f/n)!" Finnick had come after us when he had noticed the snapped wire. But Katniss quickly hid behind some bushes.
Why? Was she thinking that Johanna had wanted to harm her? That would explain why she did not trust Finnick anymore, if she had ever really trusted him to begin with.
I did not react to his voice either. Firstly, because I did not want to remind Katniss that I was here. And secondly, because I wanted him to help Johanna.
When Finnick was out of sight, Katniss set off again.
Soon later I heard a cannon sound making my heart race as panic filled me. "Don't let it be Johanna or Finnick", I pleaded in my mind. I did not want anyone to die, but I just could not lose those two.
Katniss had to be worried about Peeta too. She was so upset that she got caught between the wire.
We continued our way toward the tree. The anxiety inside of me rose, but as usually this was not the time to freak out.
Katniss moved over to Beetee who was laying on the ground. He seemed to be injured, but I could not make out any visible wounds from up here, except his bleeding arm which did not seem severe. Wait! His arm was bleeding, but no enemy in sight? Had he done it himself? The careers would have killed him. But then why? And why had Johanna done the same to Katniss?
Absentmindedly my left hand stroke over my right forearm. They were cutting the trackers out! Without wasting another thought on it, I cut mine out as well. There had to be a reason behind it and I trusted Johanna.
In the background I heard Katniss calling out for Peeta and the other way around.
Suddenly Enobaria and Finnick appeared and Katniss hid quickly, not answering Peeta's screams anymore.
Another cannon sound.
"Katniss!", Peeta continued calling out her name.
My breathing quickened. Beetee was still breathing and Peeta yelling. Finnick, Enobaria and Katniss were here as well. As much as I wanted to feel relieved that Finnick was alive, I could not. Not when the possibility of Johanna's death was so high. Chaff. Brutus. Johanna. Two of them were dead.
Before I could analyze the situation further, a bright light blinded me and I hit the ground. My whole body hurt. My senses were not working properly. What had just happened? My eyes were fixated on the fake sky crumbling down.
I tried standing up but immediately sank back to my knees.
A hovercraft lifted Katniss up. No! They could not take her! I had promised Johanna to protect Katniss! But my body refused to obey me. It was pointless. I could only helplessly watch Katniss, Finnick, Beetee and me getting pulled up.
When I entered the hovercraft, I was confused. That the gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee, was here was odd enough. Should he not be dealing with the break down of the arena or the television broadcast? But what confused me even more was the fact that Haymitch was here as well.
I looked around noticing that Katniss and Beetee were unconscious and Finnick awake, although he did not move. Probably because he could not, like me.
I struggled when someone injected me with something. My mind was too overwhelmed to process the situation. Too many questions were blocking out my ability to think clearly. Slowly I felt the pain of my body subside.
Now that I could move again, I went over to Haymitch and Heavensbee who had gone to another room.
I almost screamed when Finnick touched my shoulder. "We should talk a little, before you go to them. So, you understand the situation properly."
The idea of getting an explanation was tempting. Hence I agreed to sit down with him and listen.
"This is part of the revolution. Plutarch Heavensbee is a rebel, who infiltrated the Capitol. He is a Capitol citizen, but wants to change Panem. The plan was to ensure Katniss' and Peeta's survival to present Katniss as the mockingjay, the face of the rebellion. About half of the tributes were part of the plan, including Johanna, Beetee and me. Katniss and Peeta didn't or still don't know as they had been watched by the Capitol the whole time. That's also why you didn't know. It would have been too risky, because Snow has been watching you closely as well."
"So you wanna tell me that the man who put us inside the arena and made us suffer, is actually on our side?"
"Exactly." Finnick nodded.
Disbelief, rage, helplessness, frustration, fear. So many emotions seemed to overpower me right now. Therefore, I shut them away, leaving only a feeling of painful numbness.
I got up and moved over to the other room. Frantically I looked around hoping that my senses had been too foggy to perceive everything correctly. But she really was not here. "Where is Johanna?", I asked anxiously.
Heavensbee sent me a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. The Capitol got her before us. And Peeta as well."
Haymitch and Finnick both had to hold me back despite my awful state to prevent me from attacking Heavensbee. I was just screaming and thrashing around.
Actually, I was grateful that Haymitch and Finnick held me back, because I was not even angry at Heavensbee. I was excruciatingly angry at myself and Snow of course. The guilt was immense. I should have been relieved that she was alive, but being at the Capitol now was most likely worse than death. Why had I kept my promise instead of helping Johanna? She would have been furious, but at least I would be with her. Instead I was the one sitting here 'safely' once again, while the Capitol had stolen another precious person from me. I was completely helpless, useless. What had I even fought for, when nothing had changed?
My whole body hurt again, but I could not care less. It was nothing compared to my mental state. Though my last strength left me and I sank to the ground, staring blankly at it. I had failed her. Why did I always fail to protect the people I loved? Pathetic!
Haymitch helped me to get to the table they all sat at. I did not even consider touching the food on it.
"No contact to 7, 10 and 12. But district 11 managed to get control over some traffic routes. We can at least hope that they will get some food out", I heard Heavensbee proclaim the current situation.
"What about Annie? Can you bring me to 4 now?", Finnick requested.
"No, I'm sorry. I can't take you to 4. But I have made a special order to get her out, if possible. There isn't more that I can do", Heavensbee stated sadly.
"What if I offer myself in exchange for her?", Finnick suggested desperately.
"Don't be stupid! That'd be the worst thing to do. As long as you're alive, they will keep her alive, as bait", Haymitch remarked.
Suddenly the door opened revealing Katniss holding a syringe in her hand.
"Hey, did you knock out yourself, sweetheart", Haymitch greeted her, frustration evident in his voice.
He immediately jumped up and grabbed Katniss' wrists as she tried attacking him. "So what? You and a syringe against the Capitol? Now you know why nobody trusts you with the planning", Haymitch joked.
That officially settled it. Victor's had to be crazy and insane to survive.
"Drop it", he ordered her and she did.
Then Haymitch pushed her onto the chair next to Finnick.
Haymitch began explaining the whole situation from scratch. That there had already been the plan to get as many victors out of the arena as possible, when the Quarter Quell had been announced. That the tributes from 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and Chaff had known about the plan. That Plutarch Heavensbee belonged to an underground organization, who had the goal to overthrow the Capitol. He had put the wire into the arena to give Beetee the opportunity to destroy the arena. The bread we had gotten through the parachutes had been a code for the time. That was why Finnick had counted the buns so carefully.
Now we were on our way to district 13. It was a lot to process at once. It had to be even worse for Katniss as I had gotten a short explanation from Finnick, had known about the existence of district 13 and had suggested that there had been a greater meaning behind Johanna's strange behavior. It hurt to think about her.
"You didn't tell me anything", Katniss stated.
"Neither you, (f/n) nor Peeta knew. It would have been too risky. I have even been afraid that you would mention my unwariness with my clock", Heavensbee declared and got a pocket watch out. When he touched it with his thumb, there was the image of a mockingjay. "I wanted to give you a hint for the arena. You as a mentor. I thought of it as a great first step to gain your trust. I would have never dreamed that you would turn out to be a tribute again", he continued.
Heavensbee had given her a hint and yet it had taken Katniss so long to find out that the arena was a clock? Maybe she had forgotten about it. Or she had not thought a lot of it back then, whenever they had met for the first time, probably during the victory tour.
"I still don't understand why you didn't tell Peeta, (f/n) and me anything. Aren't you angry?", Katniss asked me.
I shook my head. "Snow watched me closely. So it's understandable. Besides I have already been a part of the rebellion long ago and had a reason to support you. Rue. Oh, and Johanna wanted me to protect you, too", I recalled.
"Johanna told you to protect me? No way", Katniss exclaimed in disbelief.
"Johanna hit you to cut your tracker out and lured Brutus and Enobaria away from you", I clarified.
"What?", Katniss wondered.
"We were all willing to risk our life for Peeta and you", Finnick agreed.
"Why?"
"We had to save you, because you are the mockingjay, Katniss. As long as you live, the revolution lives too", Heavensbee declared.
She stayed silent for a while before whispering Peeta's name. "Where is Peeta?"
"He got captured, together with Johanna and Enobaria", Haymitch answered while averting Katniss' gaze.
Her reaction was similar to mine with the difference that no one held her back. Her nails destroyed Haymitch's face. They insulted each other shamelessly while Finnick tried pulling Katniss away. I had to help him.
When Katniss was back in the other room laying on an examination table, they gave her a sedative.
Finnick and I got a sedative as well.
I was not sure if they did it to grant us rest or to get the control back. It was not like I cared right now.
I felt someone staring at me for a while and pretended to be sleeping.
"Katniss. Katniss, I'm so sorry", Finnick apologized. "I didn't want to leave Peeta and Johanna behind but I couldn't move. At least he's better off than Johanna. Soon they will notice that he doesn't know anything. And they won't kill him as long as they think they can use him against you", Finnick tried soothing her.
I did not want to hear that. I did not want to be reminded of the fact that Johanna was most likely being tortured while we were resting. That she had to suffer because I had failed her.
"As bait?", Katniss responded. "Like they will use Annie as bait for you, Finnick?"
I could hear him crying and forced myself to move over to him to pull him into a hug. I tried as hard as possible to send him the last bit of strength and hope left in me.
We had just turned into true victors of the Hunger Games. But we could not show Snow how much he had broken us. I was determined to make him pay.
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Sorry! I didn't manage to upload the new chapter yesterday, but here it is. What do you think about it? About Johanna's honest answers and (f/n)'s reaction to Johanna's capture? Please let me know your opinion in the comments!