LEGENDS ▹ the hunger games au

xxviii

THE 101ST HUNGER GAMES

KATNISS threw herself into training with a vengeance.

Besides, that was what she was after. Vengeance. She had to be stronger, better, faster, and then she could find her way to the Capitol to put an arrow in Valeria Snow's eye. Yes, that was the thought that lulled her to sleep at night. Then, in the morning, she woke to eat, live, and breathe the workouts, drills, weapons practice, lectures on tactics. Peeta was with her every step of the way.

Katniss and Peeta found surprising training partners: Johanna and Gloss.

Peeta and Gloss seemed to get along better than she would've imagined. They both had found a healthier method of releasing their anger, and channeled it into training. A while ago, Gloss had convinced Peeta to stop punching walls and got into a ring with him instead. They sparred together, matching one another's strength and need for justice.

After he made an attempt to show her some tricks with a knife, Katniss took the time to teach Gloss how best to dodge taking arrows — and better yet, bullets. He was a quick learner, as well as eager, and she knew he had as much to be angry about as she did.

Most of the time, however, Katniss trained with Johanna. Every day, they spent a few hours stretching — which hurt — then a couple of hours of strengthening exercises — which hurt — and a five mile run — which hurt like hell. But Katniss found the will, even with her bruised ribs, with Johanna's motivational insults driving her on. She didn't know if anyone would define them as 'friends', but the word 'allies' would be more accurate.

They needed all the allies they could get.

Katniss was in the middle of gun assembly when suddenly some soldier appeared to say:

"Soldier Everdeen. Special Defense believes they've found a way to reverse Willow's hijacking."

Katniss fairly ran through the halls, skidding around corners, bounding down the steps because the elevator was too slow. Mind racing a mile a minute, she flew down the final steps to Command and burst through the door with no subtly whatsoever.

Everyone turned to stare.

Peeta. Haymitch. Effie. Plutarch. Many others in the room had already arrived and they were all sat at a circular black table, leaving the chair in the middle empty and waiting for one person.

Coin barely looked up from the screen, "Soldier Everdeen, please sit."

Cautiously, Katniss did, placing herself between Peeta and Effie, receiving small smiles from them each. Haymitch had been working with Plutarch and the Latier's to get results ever since they got Willow back, but so far, there had been no results worth mentioning. She looked at Peeta for some explanation, but he just briefly shook his head at her. Apparently, he knew as little about this as she did.

Haymitch stood over a wide, flat panel in the center of the table. His black cap was pulled low over his forehead, and he looked just as exhausted as she imagined she did herself.

"Alright. So. Let's get started." He snuffed hard and continued, "The doctors here have tried a lot of methods to bring our Will back, and so far they've done jacksh—t."

Haymitch's speeches were as eloquent as always.

"Most recently, they tried hijacking her back," the old mentor went on with an intense air of annoyance, "Bringing up distorted memories and then dosing her with some calming drug, like morphling."