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KILL FOR YOUR LOVE.

act two. 

(chapter twenty, and again. and again. and again)

the justice building / capitol train, 75 ADD.

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FOR THE THREE-YEARS since her Games, one would think she had absorbed too much liquor and morphling to even run down the muddy road, even Juniper herself thought that, but over the few months of training, the Hale woman found herself to be in a good shape. Lucy couldn't say the same. 

Every morning, the mentor insisted they do exercises to strengthen their bodies. They lifted things and stretched their poor muscles. Juniper found this simple, so did Lucy. Then every afternoon, they worked on combat skills such as hand-to-hand fighting and weaponry. Juniper found this, as well, to be easy, whilst Lucy always finished breathless. Then in the evenings, it was their sprints around the district, timing each other to see how fast they went. Juniper found this less simple, but still rather okay while Lucy never managed to make a full lap. 

The older woman was not fit, far from it, but Juniper didn't blame her. She won around fourteen-years-ago when she was sixteen. She was thirty now. She wouldn't have the same stamina and strength she had all those years ago. But she wasn't a drunkard nor a morphling addict. She was simply Lucy Stevens. It was age and long years that had changed her fitness. But she was determined. Despite the aching muscles, the tiredness, the near-fainting into the mud, she would knock loudly on Juniper's door morning, afternoon, and night, making her train.  

But there were benefits with working their bodies until they couldn't no longer. Brent Higgins was not joining them. Lucy had visited him and asked if he would like to join, but apparently the man didn't say anything and slammed the door in her face. Juniper skipped around the Village with glee when her mentor told her that. 

And with every day finished, the two women would come back to the Hales's house and be greeted with only the most nutritious, healthy meal that Orion Hale had cooked, who had placed them on a special diet to gain weight. And after dinner, he would tend to their sore muscles with treatments he had gathered up from the district's nurse, who was really just an old woman in the housing strip that divided the Justice Building and the Breeders.

Juniper supposed she should have been grateful to Lucy Stevens and Orion Hale for even making her train because it took her mind off of the Quell. With the amount of exercises and combat that the two women were doing, the fear that she would be put into the arena again disappeared. But with the excessive training and forgetfulness, time flew. 

And then suddenly, it was Reaping day. 

Juniper didn't even realise it until she saw the look on her father's face that morning. Defeat. And it still didn't strike her that she could possibly be going back into the arena when she got showered and dressed. And it didn't even feel real as she, Lucy Stevens, and Brent Higgins were escorted out of their homes in Victors' Village, going through the district, past the Barn of Death, through the strip of housing, passing the Milking Station, strip of housing, the Breeders, housing. Finally, the Justice Building. 

And it was there when Juniper was blinded by the vibrant banners hanging off the columns, eyeing the camera crews perched on the roofs, and as she stared at all of the grey, woeful faces of the children of Ten, that it struck her. 

She could possibly be going back into the arena. 

All because of Katniss fucking Everdeen. 

And as she, Lucy, and Brent were escorted down the centre of the square, passing the children that stood waiting for them in two separate crowds, Juniper's dislike for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark grew. It grew so quickly that Juniper knew the minute she saw them in the arena, she would slaughter them like the pigs they were. 

But suddenly, that all disappeared once Juniper and the other Victors' took the stage. There were only two seats, a microphone, and duo bowls. But standing in the centre of the stage was none other than Nadine Groves. 

Nadine Groves. 

Juniper rarely saw her. The only time she did was the Reaping and at the Capitol when she mentored. Other than that, the Hale woman had nothing to do with her. But she had never forgotten her undeniable beauty. She was still as tall as ever, but her features were even more defined as she surely got more subtle plastic surgery. She looked gorgeous.

Like every year, she wore pink, but it was a dark pink this year. A flowing dress was flapping in the slight wind of District Ten, her sleeves only going down to her biceps. There were lacy, see-through gloves that were slipped onto her hands that went to her elbows, matching the colour of the dress. And her makeup was minimal, only harbouring rose lips and dusted eyelids with her blonde wig arranged in an intricate knot at the base of her neck. She was beautiful.

But all of Nadine Groves's beauty was forgotten when the mayor stepped forward, a short, skinny man with no body hair, commencing the Reaping. And as he quickly described the Treaty of Treason, which seemed rather rushed, Juniper tried her best to calm her racing heart. She looked to her left to see Lucy looking out at the crowd. Nadine, to her right, was nodding along to the mayor. And then Brent, whose nose was bent with faint bruising, was looking down at the ground. He was going to die. It was inevitable. Definite. And Juniper didn't feel bad.

"Well, thank you." Nadine stepped to the microphone as the mayor went to his seat. She cleared her throat and looked out to the crowd of silent children who had skipped death this year. "I suppose it is time to pick the tributes, yes?"

No-one responded. 

Nadine nodded her head meekly before heading towards the bowl that was on her left. The female Victors'. There were only two slips. Juniper Hale and Lucy Stevens. And it was down to Nadine Groves to pick who would go to their deaths. And it was then as the escort dove her hand into the ball, swishing the papers around with her gloved-hand, that Juniper felt her heart race. 

And suddenly, as Nadine plucked a slip out and went back to the microphone without glancing at either woman, Juniper could feel and hear everything. She could hear the blood coursing through her veins. She could feel her head thudding with every breath Nadine took. She could hear screams. Cries. Groans. She could feel blood seeping into her flesh. She could feel her palms itching for a blade, for a sword. 

But it all stopped immediately when Nadine began to drawl, "The female tribute to represent District Ten in the Third Quarter Quell and Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games is..."

Nadine undid the slip and stared at the name for a while. Juniper swore she could see an 'L'. She was certain the escort had chosen Lucy Stevens. Yes, she surely had. Nadine would just need to hurry up and say her name and then go and send Brent to his death. Yes, Juniper could feel that weight coming off her shoulders—

"Juniper Hale."

And then suddenly, it all came crashing down. 

All eyes were on her. All the camera lenses zoomed in on her. All of the Capitol would be talking about her now. But, surprisingly, instead of crying or screaming in rage, Juniper Hale started to laugh. She started to cackle.

("The female tribute to represent District Ten in the Seventy-Second Annual Hunger Games is...." Nadine started to say as she slowly unfolded the slip of paper.

"Juniper Hale.")

She didn't know what she was feeling in that moment. All she could do was laugh. Of course she was chosen because when did Juniper Hale ever get what she wanted? Never. She never did and so, continuing to laugh, she walked to Nadine's side. The escort looked at her like she was crazy, which she was because Juniper Hale was insane. The girl who just snapped. The twin-killer. 

"Right..." Nadine mumbled, but her voice was being drowned out by Juniper's relentless cackles. "Well... time for the boys..."

Nadine raised a brow at Juniper before heading to Brent. It didn't take long for her to walk over to the glass bowl, dig out the single slip, and retreat back to the microphone. She looked at the Hale woman wearily. Her cackles turned into giggles. 

"Well, the male tribute representing District Ten in the Third Quarter Quell and Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games is Brent Higgins."

Nadine didn't even open the paper slip. Everyone knew Brent Higgins was already doomed considering he was the only male Victor in Ten. And everyone knew he was going to die, even the man himself as he sighed greatly, stepping forwards to Nadine without glancing at the Hale woman. 

But suddenly, as the escort went to say more, Peacekeepers' came forward and grasped the arms of the two Victors', of the two tributes, and Juniper, who had ceased her laughing, was sure that the burly soldier's clutch on her bicep would bore bruises. She winced as she felt herself be pushed towards the Justice Building, looking over her shoulder to spare a glance at her father. 

He was standing far back with his head hanging low. Juniper couldn't see his eyes or his face. Orion Hale was just standing there, looking at the ground as he shook slightly. And as Juniper was taken into the Justice Building and as the doors slammed in-front of her, she wished her father would have looked at her because she soon realised that they were not going into the little rooms to say their goodbyes. They, instead, were taken out the back door of the Justice Building, into a car that was waiting for them, and taken to the train station. 

There were no cameras, no crowds, no journalists. It was just the Peacekeepers', Juniper, and Brent. And as Nadine and Lucy appeared, being escorted by guards as well, Juniper had a bad feeling. She had a bad feeling that this was something to do with Katniss Everdeen and her rebellion. 

"Well... that's that then," Nadine grumbled as they were all shoved onto the train, the wheels immediately turning. 

"What the hell was that all about?" Brent muttered. He spoke to Lucy and Nadine, not Juniper. And now that the Hale woman was closer to him, she could see the bruising better around his eyes and nose. It looked horrible, even if it was faint. "We didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Goodbye to who?" Lucy scoffed. "Your dealer?"

Brent went to go say something, but Juniper immediately interrupted the two, saying, "I'm going to my room."

Nadine went to speak and so did Lucy, but Juniper disregarded them. She left the group and wandered through the halls, right to where her room was. It still looked the same as it did three-years-ago, extravagant and beautiful in every way. But Juniper was not mesmerised by its appearance. Not anymore. Instead, she rushed to the bathroom. 

She didn't know whether it was the intoxicating smell of disinfectant in the room or the sudden realisation that she had gotten Reaped again, but Juniper bent down near the toilet and threw her breakfast up. The sounds of her puking echoed around the tiled-room as well as her deep breaths for air. 

She was going back into the arena. Nadine had chosen her name. 

She was so sure that it was Lucy's, but no, it was hers. Juniper Hale had gotten Reaped once again, she was going back into the arena. She had to go through the entire process again. Why didn't she just run away? She had so much time to make up a plan to escape District Ten and the grasps of the Capitol, but she had used up the months training.

Once Juniper had finished vomiting, she wiped her mouth clean and stood up, clutching the sink as she stared at herself in the mirror. She had deep, dark purple patches underneath her dead eyes, her flesh sweaty as she felt her temperature rising, the cold and heat battling each other as it made her feel faint. And her hair was sticking to her face. It stuck to her skin and sweat and suddenly, Juniper got a bad thought. A bad thought that she knew would make Nadine Groves and Yara Give kill her. 

She swallowed down a lump in her throat before opening up every cupboard in the bathroom in search of something sharp. She doubted there would be any blades in the entire train that weren't blunt considering the Capitol didn't want their tributes killing themselves before the Games even started, but somehow, Juniper managed to find a pair of scissors at the back of the cupboard that was below the sink. They were small and blue and probably the kind you would find in hospitals, but they were all right. 

Juniper took a deep breath and contemplated if she would regret this, which she probably would, but if she were to be in the arena, she didn't need her long hair flying everywhere, and so, she didn't hesitate when she cut a good majority of her hair off. And then again. And again. And again. And again until her locks fell just above her shoulders. 

Taking deep breaths, Juniper had the sudden urge to puke again, but she swallowed it down as she stared at herself in the mirror. It didn't look that bad. It was rough around the edges, but she was sure that Yara and her polka dot prep team could fix her up. 

Looking down at the tiled-floor, Juniper blanched slightly as she saw the reminiscence of her long hair displayed on the ground. There was so much of it and Juniper felt sick, but she soon swiped it into the nearby bin that sat beside the sink, cleaning up.

She knew Nadine would screech when she saw her and was not looking forward to dinner. She also wasn't looking forward to the recap of the Reapings. With that in mind, Juniper wandered out of the bathroom, feeling the air flow through her short hair as she did, and landed on her bed. 

Juniper contemplated who else got Reaped. From District One and Two, there weren't any indicators who would be chosen. There would be volunteers and multiple to choose from. It was just a matter of who was quicker. District Three, Wiress and Beetee. Nuts and Volts. They were the only Victors' from that district and people Juniper rarely spoke to. 

Beetee had won his Games after using his knowledge of electricity and was generally quiet with the other Victors', but Juniper knew he was highly intelligent and a competitor in the Games. He didn't fight, that she knew of, but he was cunning and could easily outsmart the others. Wiress, on the other hand, no. She was a shy and downright crazy person, but Juniper knew she too was an intellectual genius and was intuitive. But she couldn't fight. She could barely complete her sentences and was reliant on Beetee.

And then District Four. 

Juniper blanched at the thought of Finnick being chosen, but she remembered what Lucy said. There were plenty of other male Victors' than Finnick. He could be safe. And he would only volunteer if Annie was chosen. Annie. No, there were two other female Victors'. Mags and another woman that Juniper never met. If Annie was chosen, Juniper had the sudden realisation that Finnick's mentor Mags would volunteer. Yes, the old woman would volunteer. 

District Five was not important as Juniper could not think of anyone who could be a threat or was noticeable. The same was with District Six, but Seven. Juniper felt her gut surge with anger at the sudden realisation that Johanna Mason was a definite, being the only District Seven female Victor. And that was another name Juniper was sure to cross off on her kill-list. 

Johanna Mason. 

Katniss Everdeen. 

Peeta Mellark. 

Juniper Hale did not like Johanna Mason. She despised her. Hated her. She was too hard to swallow, too much like her to even find likeable. Johanna Mason was too snarky, too sarcastic, too deadly for Juniper to even think of friendship despite the many times Finnick tried to persuade the two. She was too fiery, too loud. 

And she reminded Juniper of Cedar and that was a reminder that the Hale woman definitely did not need. 

(And, yes, she was glad when she found those honey eyes looking directly back into hers, when she saw the brown hair done into a gentle bun, when she caught a glimpse of the freckled face that belonged to Cedar, District Seven)

Juniper closed her eyes as she tried to shake the memory of Cedar out of her head, focusing on the other possible tributes. District Eight wasn't that important. Most of the Victors' there were old and shrivelled or had started a family and had forgotten what it was like to be in an arena. Cecelia came to mind, a woman who had three kids. Juniper swallowed down her guilt at the thought of her and carried on with her guesses. 

District Nine wasn't important either. They always died during the bloodbath, had for the past few Games. The Victors' wouldn't be all that different. District Ten was, obviously, her and Brent. And then District Eleven. There weren't many Victors', but enough to not know which ones were picked. But District Twelve. 

Katniss Everdeen being chosen was inevitable and she was the reason why they were all here anyway. Juniper definitely was going to kill her. She was sure the rebellion had enough fire to carry on without her. If anything, Juniper killing Katniss could make her a martyr and help the situation. But she was just kidding herself. She just really wanted to kill Katniss Everdeen for surviving her Games. And then for the men, it was either between Peeta Mellark, which made the Hale woman's gut twist with anger, or Haymitch Abernathy. 

Juniper really didn't have a problem with Haymitch. She had met him multiple times before and had no reason to hate him. And when he wasn't drunk out of his mind, he was all right to talk to. But Juniper also didn't mind him being drunk either. And it would be... sad... but she would get over it quickly. 

And so, with her guesses finished and most likely incorrect, Juniper stared out the window from where she laid on the bed. She watched as District Ten rolled by quickly, watched as tears gently streamed down her cheeks.