Phoenix and Cassian walked shoulder to shoulder into the newly opened training center. As the doors opened, it became apparent that they were the only tributes present. Cassian's strategy was to arrive early, aiming to establish a powerful impression on the other participants.
The two tributes from District 5 looked around the new training center, and both noticed how much larger and more enhanced it looked since their last games. It was a surprise they hadn't anticipated.
Cassian leaned his head towards Phoenix's ear. "Maeve told you, right?" He asked, reminding Phoenix he wanted to work alone. "Yeah, do whatever you want Cassian," Phoenix said watching Cassian nearly run to the combat station.
Her gaze eventually wandered to the Gamemakers, situated above everything. Phoenix locked eyes with Plutarch Heavensbee. Both of their expressions remained neutral as if any acknowledgment between them could jeopardize the entire operation.
Phoenix soon found herself at the station, staring down at the array of knives. She picked up one of the blades, examining it in her hand, her thumb running up and down the handle. Memories of her previous games flashed in her mind, recalling the fortunate moments when she secured several throwing knives during the Cornucopia. Placing the knife back down, her eyes fell on a Butterfly Knife.
She picked the knife up, flipping it open smoothly. It had been some months since Phoenix had practiced with any kind of knife. She believed she wouldn't need the skill anymore. Now, looking down at the knife, she realized how wrong she was. Suddenly, the thought of a girl came into her head, a girl Phoenix had not thought about since her games.
Calla, the dark-haired girl from District 2.
Despite being warned to avoid the Careers, Phoenix couldn't shake off Calla's persistent presence, and the truth as to why remained a mystery to her. The pair had crossed paths at the knife station many years ago, with it being Calla who took it upon herself to teach her the intricacies of the skill. Before her games, Phoenix had only toyed with it a few times, always holding a somewhat morbid fascination for tributes who excelled in the skill of throwing knives.
She starts flipping the Butterfly Knife around, recalling the time Calla mentioned how she saw similarities between Phoenix and her younger sister in District 2. At 14, Phoenix never questioned it, simply being grateful to have someone other than Maeve or her District partner, Jasper Moss, to talk to.
During the 74th Hunger Games, Phoenix couldn't comprehend why Clove, the District 2 tribute, constantly stared at her. She recalls coming across a picture of the girl and noticing the shared traits of similar eyes and freckles, reminiscent of Calla. Despite this resemblance, Phoenix remained oblivious to any actions that might have piqued Clove's interest.
Phoenix tried to shake the memories out of her head, only now realizing she never saw Calla much during the games. This might have been a good thing, sparing her from witnessing Calla's death unfold in real time. And even though Phoenix would never understand why the girl helped her before the games, she knew she owed her life to Calla.
" I see you're wasting no time. "
Startled by the voice behind her, Phoenix jumped. "Finnick, you scared me," she exclaimed, turning around to find a smirk plastered across his face. Setting the knife down, she approached him, and her arms instinctively encircled his neck, while his arms embraced her waist.
The hug was brief, yet both Finnick and Phoenix found it desperately needed. They both understood the other's involvement in the plan, heightening their mutual anxiety for each other's safety. Neither of them knew what they would do in the event of the other's demise.
"Come on," Finnick walked over to the buttons that started the simulator, aiming to change the mood and redirect their focus. "I wanna see if you still got it." His head turned, fingers grazing over the button. Phoenix gathered enough knives and nodded toward Finnick.
"You know I do."
Before long, the yellow pixels in the simulation charged at her swiftly, yet she landed each knife into the chest of the pixels. Phoenix understood that there was no better time than now to showcase her skills, and that's precisely what she did.
With her final knife gripped in her left hand, she expertly flipped her wrist, watching the knife go over her head. Phoenix extended her right hand, swiftly catching the handle before hurling it straight into the forehead of the last pixelated man advancing toward her.
The simulation stopped around her and Phoenix turned her head. Locking eyes with both Katniss and Peeta, who had been observing her, she offered a satisfied smirk to the two teenagers before breaking the eye contact.
As she watched them walk away, Phoenix leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. "I told you," she replied, slightly out of breath. Finnick placed a hand on Phoenix's back, letting out a chuckle. "I never doubted you for a moment, Nixsie."
" If you help me at throwing knives, I'll help you with the knots and hooks. " Standing upright, Phoenix patted his chest before gesturing into the distance. " Bold of you to think I want your help and not hers." Finnick's eyes followed her finger until his eyes fell on Mags, who was already working on different knots.
He breaks away from her grip and grabs a knife. However, his motion halts when Phoenix places her hand over his. "Here," she says, taking the knife and adjusting the position of his hand before settling the knife into his now correctly positioned grasp. "Now, pretend it's a trident."
Picking back up her butterfly knife, she starts swinging it around, watching Finnick lodge the knife straight into the center of the target. He glances over at her with a smirk. "Let's go make those hooks."
Phoenix soon found herself imitating Mags' movements with the fish hook she was crafting. "How does this look?" Phoenix held up the hook, glancing down at Mags, who wore a wide smile. The older woman nodded, radiating pride at the hook Phoenix had fashioned with her guidance.
Phoenix noticed Mags looking behind her, prompting the girl to turn her head. She spotted Finnick with a noose around his neck. Phoenix turned back to the older woman, who gestured towards the boy, insinuating for Phoenix to see what he was doing. " What are we gonna do with him? "Mags' smile grows wider as a laugh slips from her lips.
She offers the older woman one final smile before placing her hook down and heading towards Finnick. The girls from Districts 5 and 12 pass each other, both flashing a polite smile to the other. Even though Katniss is already amused by Finnick's stunt, she still manages to share a smile with Phoenix.
"You wanna walk me?" Finnick extended the loose rope of the noose, raising an eyebrow. Phoenix grabbed onto the knot and started loosening it. "Not funny," she remarked, and Finnick looked down as she continued to untie the knot.
"You know that's the most important knot to know in the arena." Phoenix removed the rope from his head and tossed it aside, rolling her eyes at Finnick's comment. She then noticed a crowd gathering behind him.
Upon closer inspection, she noticed Katniss with her bow and arrow, entering one of the simulations, accompanied by Mags. "Well, it's useless to you, so come on," Finnick said, nodding in agreement. He then placed a hand on the small of Phoenix's back, guiding them towards the small group forming to watch Katniss showcase her skills.
"We gotta be good allies," Finnick whispered, watching Katniss make every shot perfectly. Phoenix felt a sense of excitement watching Katniss excel in front of everyone. Seeing the other tributes visibly concerned as they watched Katniss showcase her prowess brought a smile to Phoenix's face.
Katniss's final arrow landed squarely into the pixels, and she glanced over at the assembly of tributes watching her. Ensuring no sign of nerves showed, Phoenix and Katniss locked eyes. With a smile on her face, Phoenix nodded, visibly impressed with the girl's skill.
"Give me a break." Groaned Johanna, before she broke off from the group, making Phoenix chuckle.
Quick to follow, Phoenix broke away from Finnick's grip as he headed towards Mags. Aware that it was almost time for the tributes to depart, she encountered Cassian on her way to the elevators. "She's good," Cassian muttered as they entered the elevator. Phoenix nodded in agreement, with Finnick being the last thing she saw before the doors closed.
"Do you have any idea who you want as allies?" Phoenix inquired as the elevator ascended to the 5th floor. Cassian nodded, the Career tributes immediately crossing his mind. "I have a few options." Before Phoenix could inquire further, the elevator doors opened.
"How was it? Tell me everything!" Ivanna was the first to greet the sweaty tributes at the door. "Can we at least shower first, Ivanna?" You could almost hear the exhaustion coming from Phoenix's voice.
"Of course, dearest, you two go," Ivanna said, looking at the two with sympathy. That's when Maeve entered the room, Cassian's new mentor close behind. Maeve assesses Cassian and Phoenix up and down as if assessing the damage. "As soon as you two are done, I want you both back here. We need to talk to allies." Despite Cassian's separate training, he still complied with Maeve's directive.
Freshly showered and dressed, Phoenix and Cassian took seats on the couch, both their dark hair still slightly damp. "Let's discuss allies!" Ivanna chirped, joining them on the couch. Phoenix and Cassian exchanged glances, fully aware that Ivanna lacked substantial knowledge about the other tributes.
" So who are we thinking? " Maeve asked, with the question coming out as a sort of sigh. She secretly dreaded this, internally bracing for the potential argument between Cassian and Phoenix, as had become the norm lately.
" Finnick. " " Enobaria "
The two tributes looked at each other, noticing they spoke at the same time.
" Johanna " " Brutus "
" Katniss and Peeta. " " Cashmere and Gloss "
"And Mags," Phoenix finished, this time it was only her voice that named a tribute. Cassian glanced at her as if she were speaking another language. While Maeve sighed to herself, pressing two fingers to her temples.
"And each other, I'm assuming?" Ivanna asked, and a hush fell over the room. Both of them realized neither had mentioned the other's name. Had they grown so distant that the idea of becoming allies with each other didn't even cross their minds? The unspoken rule of The Hunger Games was that district partners were meant to stick together, a principle that seemed to be fading.
"I think we both have different goals in these games." Cassian declared, and Maeve and Phoenix's heads snapped towards him. Had he uncovered the plan? What other goal could there be in The Hunger Games besides survival?
"What goals do I have, Cassian?" Phoenix's tone held a hint of frustration, her patience wearing thin with their ongoing disputes. "Well, I want to survive, and you just seem content to play house with Finnick," Cassian retorted, causing Phoenix's eyes to nearly bulge out of her head.
" Are you serious? " Phoenix laughed, hoping this was a big joke. " Phoenix come on. " Maeve pleaded, feeling the strain of their ongoing feud and hoping Phoenix would be the mature one in this situation.
Ignoring Maeve, Phoenix stood up from the couch, looking down at Cassian. "What did I do to you to make you hate me? Huh? You wouldn't be alive without me." Cassian's expression remained unchanged as he stared off into the distance.
Gathering a deep breath, Phoenix tried to articulate her thoughts. "This is about survival, Cassian, not this little feud you've convinced yourself we have. None of that matters the moment that cannon goes off." The words slipped from Phoenix's mouth without much consideration, her frustration evident.
"And I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you hate me, I am. And I know it's too late to fix our friendship, but please just stop believing everyone is out for you." Phoenix couldn't even bring herself to look at him anymore, aware that she'd be met with his emotionless face. She turned her back to the group and walked towards her room.
"That comment was out of line, Cassian!" Phoenix heard Ivanna say before she closed the door. Lying in her bed, Phoenix stared up at the ceiling, deliberately ignoring the muffled conversation still taking place in the living room
Had she acted immaturely? Maybe she did, but it was too late to try and mend their once close bond. Phoenix reminisced about training him, reflecting on the first time they had officially met. He looked so helpless and scared but eventually transformed into the Capitol favorite for the 73rd Hunger Games.
Phoenix even remembers the feeling of triumph that filled her when Cassian won, marking him as the first victor she had ever trained. Memories of the sibling-like bond they developed during his victory tour came flooding back, only to crumble as he spent more time in the Capitol. All of that was now history, and as the night deepened, Phoenix grew more fatigued. She simply hoped she wouldn't be the one forced to end Cassian's life.