Zoya was alone.

Finnick was with four, Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss with twelve, Joanna with seven, Roz at home. Her stylist were kind to her, delivering a gold hair pen from Haymitch, that was secured in her hair tie. The count down echoing in her head as she walked toward the little tube. She gave a small smile over her shoulder, nodding her head at her stylist as she stepped in. It sealed shut.

Though it was very close, Peeta and Zoya didn't manage to pull off the child act in order to cancel the games. They were prohibited to be anywhere near each other though, that was final.

The countdown was going as she saw the light, squinting her eyes as she was brought toward the top on the platform. Zoya felt blinded by the light, hiding her eyes slightly as the sound of the waves caught her attention. With an adjustment, she realized the arena was in an ocean of some sorta, the cornucopia in the middle while the platforms were feet away. Zoya looked around as quick as she could, any sight of Peeta or Katniss, knowing they'd be farthest from her.

Zoya turned, locking eyes with Finnick, he gave her a small nod.

Zoya tried to secure herself, but she was internally panicking. The speakers rung in her ears. "Let the 75th Hunger Games begin."

Zoya held her head up, inhaling and trying to ease her breathing as much as she could, knowing she was about to be even more out of breath and each inhale was valuable. "May the odds be ever in your favor. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."

The cannon fired, Zoya dove into the water, traveling deep as she swam. Finnick was there first, yanking her up quickly. "I'll find Katniss, you get what you can and i'll find you!"

Zoya ran off immediately, darting down the thin trail leading to the cornucopia. Her and the girl from eight ran into each other. Zoya huffed as she hit the rock hard, the red haired woman over her and trying to clearly take Zoya out. The Butterfield girl had to fight with aggression, no weapon to save her, only her bare hands that latched onto the woman's head and yanked her down, her skull hit beside her head. The red haired woman yelled out in pain, Zoya shoving her off of her and took off, grasping a belt of knives.

She spun around, sending a knife at the girl from 8 that was coming for her, doing a forward roll and stabbing upwards at the male from 10.

"Zoya!" it was Finnick, coming around the side with Katniss, a trident in hand. "Mags found Peeta!"

Zoya ran after them immediately, following behind Katniss' bow. They came across the water, Peeta fighting with the male tribute from Five. Despite being in the same district, they hadn't spoken much, and he made it clear was no fan of Zoya. Peeta was trying to climb up the platform, the tributes yanking him back.

"Peeta!" Zoya yelled when his body was yanked under the water, Finnick diving in while Katniss rose her bow incase the male from Five swam up. A cannon fired in the air, a body floating up from the water. Zoya jumped off into the water quickly, kicking her legs and scooping her arms to try and get over.

Peeta splashing up infront of her, Zoya screamed at the sudden movement. Peeta grasped onto her, taking deep breaths while Zoya sighed in relief, her arms going around his waist to help swim over, Finnick coming to their rescue while Katniss helped them back up on land. Zoya rubbed Peeta back as he caught his breath, coughing up some water.

They ran to the shore, going through the jungle as quickly as they could. Finnick was in the back, Mags on his back. "Katniss, go, go, go."

Zoya lead them, running first, and fast, with Peeta close behind her. She wasn't entirely sure where she was headed, but it was clear they needed to get as far away from the ocean as they could, so she kept running, and she kept leading.

"Okay. Hold up. Hold up." Finnick called, making them all pause.

"Did you see Joanna?" Zoya panted as she faced Finnick, pushing some of the stray haired out of her face. "I couldn't find her."

"I saw her run." Finnick nodded his head, setting Mags down and making sure she was okay.

"God, it's hot." Peeta admitted as they all kneeled down together. "We gotta find fresh water."

A canon blew, Zoyas head zipping around the area they were in in fear of someone following them. Finnick gave a laugh. "Well, I guess we're not holding hands anymore."

Katniss looked in disbelief. "You think that's funny?"

"Every time that cannon goes off, it's music to my ears." Finnick rose his eyebrows, pointing toward the sky when he said it. "I don't care about any of them. 'Sept Z."

Katniss pulled the machete from her bow holder. "Good to hear."

"Want to fact the Career Pack alone? What wound Haymitch say?" Finnick mocked her way.

"Enough." Zoya spoke to the pair sternly. "We can trust each other."

"Can we?" Katniss looked over at her. "After what he just said?"

"You don't have to trust him. You just have to trust me." Zoya met her eye with a questionable look, Peeta watching her. "Do you?"

Katniss frowned her eyebrows. "Of course."

"Good." Zoya nodded her head, standing up.

"Let's keep moving." Peeta agreed, taking Zoyas out reached hand to stand up with her.

Peeta took the lead this time, Zoya staying between Finnick and Katniss at all times to in-force some type of alliance between the pair. She looked back at Katniss over her shoulder, the pair locking eyes and giving each other reassuring nods every few seconds. Peeta chopped away at the weeds infront of them, clearing a path as well as he could with a small machete.

"Peeta, no!" Katniss yelled out, Peeta hitting a force field as his body flew backwards, a sizzle going through the air.

Zoya ran toward him immediately, falling down quickly and trying to wake him. "He's not breathing!"

"Zoya, move." Finnick shoved her to the side, Katniss pulled her arrow out quickly, stopping as she saw Finnick give him mouth to mouth, pushing on his chest. Zoya crawled over while Katniss got on his other side.

"Come on, Peeta." Zoya begged in a whisper, letting Finnick do the best CPR he could, because he'd been the best at it. "Please!"

She was crying, his lifeless hand clutching hers.

"Wake up." Katniss cried over him, scanning over his face while Finnick pushed on his chest.

"Do compressions when I come up. Fifteen." Finnick spoke to Zoya quickly, pressing his mouth on his to blowing in two breaths. When he came up, Zoya pushed on his heart.

She mumbled as she counted, going to fifteen. His heart still wasn't beating under her hands, Zoya shook her head quickly in a panic, salty tears on her face. Finnick pushed in another two breaths. "Come on, Peeta."

"One, two, three-"Zoya counted, pushing hard against his heart. "Wake up. Wake up. Come on. Please, please, get up. Peeta, get u-"

She was cut off by a breath coming from his lips, his heart faint under her hands. Zoya sighed in relief, and wanted nothing more put to collapse and hug him. But, Finnick protected her from doing so, getting up and pulling her off him immediately. Cameras were definitely watching, and while crying for your friend dying was logical, being the one to hold him while his pregnant wife was next to him was not the most platonic thing in the world.

Zoya knew it the second Finnick pulled her upwards, and she hated how her mind blanked like that.

"Carful, there's a force field up there." Peeta spoke up, Zoya slapped her hands over her face to cry in relief, not wanting it to be broadcasted though. Katniss hugged him on the ground, asking if he was okay to get up. Peeta slowly rose to his feet, looking around immediately.

"Zoya." he spoke, she hugged him tightly, her hand pressed to the back of his head. It was risky, and it was dumb, but it was impossible not to react when he was just dead under her palms, now breathing again.

•

kylie speaks

literally could not
imagine the loml dying
and then having to stand
back and not react the way
i wanted to when they were
saved.