The Angel (Finnick Odair x OC x Johanna Mason)

18

"Who do you think those two cannons were for?" we see Diamond from district 1 asking the rest of the career pack when the screen cuts to them over at the Cornucopia.

"Probably the girls from district 11 and district 7," Ajax speculates. "That leaves only Watt from district 5."

"Then in that case," Kai interrupts, "should we just split up now? There's only 6 left, including the 5 of us."

"Probably," agrees Diamond as she spins her dagger with her right hand perhaps a bit threateningly, her fingers nimbly showing off her skill. "Unless one of you don't mind being the cause of the next cannon."

The four other careers immediately look at her in alarm, their stances getting ready to either fight or flee. Even Luster seems wary of his district partner; there can only be one victor left standing at the end of the day.

"I take it that means our alliance is over," Beatrix declares as she unsheathes a sword, holding it out in defence in front of her warily.

Diamond smirks and opens her mouth to reply, most likely a snarky retort, but before she can say a single word, a dagger flies at the speed of sound and embeds itself into her exposed neck.

The screen shifts, changing the camera lens to show the attacker instead — Johanna Mason standing at the top of the hill overlooking the ruins, the dagger she's thrown already replaced by another in her hand.

There is something about her that just makes my heart skip a beat, especially with that dark subtle smile curling her lips and the majestic aura surrounding her as she stands there. But then when I turn to Finnick and notices the way he's captivated by her and the screen, my heart clenches again and I don't know what to feel.

Turning my attention back to the games, I observe as the scene cuts to the perspective of the 4 remaining careers. Their expressions are mostly revolved around shock at seeing the girl they've underestimated becoming a threat to them. Gradually, shock gives way to fear and panic when it dawns on them that they'll be the ones Johanna targets next.

Beatrix is the first to wake from her stupor as a wave of calm — or at least a pretence of it — sweeps over her, and she steadies herself in preparation for the battle that's undoubtedly coming.

Without warning, Johanna launches another dagger in the careers direction, this time aiming for Kai. Luckily for the male tribute, his focus returns and he swerves just in time to avoid getting pierced by the blade.

Johanna sprints down the hill towards the Cornucopia, her footsteps as fleeting as the wind, bringing her to the centre of the ruins in just mere seconds. As she unsheathes the sword that she took from Watt, she swirls and attacks skilfully in and out between the 4 careers.

It's clear to anyone that the careers have the advantage in this battle. First of all, it's 4 against 1, since it seems that they have come to the mutual silent agreement to take down Johanna before battling the final victory out themselves.

Johanna, on the other hand, is being forced to attack and defend against several tributes at once, which even seems tiring to me from where I'm just watching on the screen. However, she seems to be faring quite well, using strategy and tactics to maximise her chance of victory and tire the careers out one by one.

As we watch the final battle play out, I hear Enobaria asking the rest of the victors present, "Who do you think will win?"

Her voice carries in the room, entirely silent apart from the speakers broadcasting the sounds in the arena. I don't turn to face her or the others, my attention entirely focused on the games, but I keep an ear out for any answers that the victors provide or muse over.

"Kai or Luster, most likely," Cato says then adds, "perhaps Beatrix as well."

"It's a bit too early on in the battle to tell," protests Jason as he watches, his attention captured by the fight playing out in the arena.

"But there's no way that the girl from district 7 can win," argues Brutus, gesturing to the screen where Johanna is currently defending against Kai's attack and simultaneously making a swipe with her sword at Ajax. "She has to divide her attention four-way. Even if she's doing alright now, she'll get tired sooner rather than later and lose her momentum."

"Well, nothing's certain until we see the end of the battle," Finnick jumps in ominously in a quieter voice.

The fight continues, and I lose track of the time, even though it can't have been that long since all of the tributes are still full on energy and attacking with just as much force and vigour.

However, one wrong move can cause the tides to turn.

In this case, Ajax is the first to fall due to his impulsiveness. He only makes a minor mistake when he momentarily exposes his left side which isn't guarded, but that's enough for Johanna to deal him a fatal blow that forces crimson liquid to gush out of the wound. She thrusts the sword violently, and Ajax's cannon sounds no longer than a few seconds later.

Morale for the careers have fallen, and that cost them.

For just a minute after Ajax is killed, Luster makes another mistake, and Johanna doesn't miss the opportunity to get rid of yet another of her opponent with a knife to his head.

"Damn it," Clove mutters under her breath when Luster's cannon sounds. Now that both tributes from district 1 have fallen, there's no chance for them to yield a victor in this game.

The odds have now tipped. The battle has turned from 4 to 1, to only 2 to 1. But it still won't be easy for either side; there's no clear winner in sight just yet.

However, the odds tip once again — this time also in Johanna's favour — when she forces her two remaining adversaries deeper into the Cornucopia. She takes the chance to restock her weapons as she rolls and dodges, and she stumbles across a large beautiful axe on the floor.

No one has claimed it. It lies there unused and untouched. But Johanna's lips curl up into a wicked smile as her hands close around the haft.

After that, the battle proceeds at a faster pace with the odds in Johanna's favour. Her skill with an axe is incomparable, even though Beatrix and Kai try their best to catch up.

I intake a sharp breath when Johanna's axe pierces Beatrix's flesh, and my heart aches for the girl from my district when the flowing blood turns from a slow trickle into a never-ending waterfall of crimson.

I can already tell from the wound and the blood loss that she's not going to make it.

I see her take her last breath and fall still, the life draining away from her body as the definitive cannon marks her death.

Even though I haven't known Beatrix for long, I was her mentor for the games and deep down I really wished that she would survive and win, even knowing what winning would cost.

The scene switches away from Beatrix, her lifeless body no longer having any entertainment value in the Capitol's eyes, and we turn to the final 2 tributes: Johanna and Kai.

Both stare at each other with determination in their eyes, and the final battle to determine the victor continues.

A jab there. A strike here. Another swipe. Another parry.

My vision blurs as my eyes focus on the screen to keep up with the swift movements of both tributes. Beside me, I know that the other victors with us here are watching intently as well, eager to observe the battle.

It isn't long before one overpowers the other.

With an exhausted but relieved laugh, the girl from district 7 wipes the blood from her chin and hoists her bloody axe up in the air like a flag as the final announcement of the games broadcasts:

"The victor of the 71st Hunger Games, Johanna Mason!"

A/N: Yay!  We finally got here.  In the next part, we'll be seeing Harmony meeting Johanna, and hopefully we'll be moving on to the Catching Fire arc soon!!  Stay tuned for more!