CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
betrayal

( content warning - discussions of premeditated rape / sexual assault )

ELEANOR SWALLOWED HARD THE MOMENT SHE SAW MITCHELL AND ROBB, WALKING SIDE BY SIDE. Her heart was jammed in her throat as she stared at the two boys from the safety of the tree, her breath staggered as she finally comprehended just how close they were to her. She could practically hear their breathing. Her eyes widened with worry as she peered down from the tree, hiding her frame behind the bark in order to conceal herself. August had moved up to the next branch, doing the exact same thing. Mitchell and Robb carried their weapons on their backs, chattering happily as though they totally weren't in the Hunger Games. She could barely make out what they were saying, their voices replaced by a terrifying high pitched sound as her eyes bore daggers into their backs.

Eleanor turned to look up to August, her eyebrows furrowing together with only one question.

What do we do?

This is what they had been waiting for. They had been searching for Mitchell and Robb since the aftermath of Kai, Jaime, Marlene, and Sage's deaths had hit them. Did they go after the boys right here, now? Did they wait?

August practically answered Eleanor's question with the shake of her head. Slowly, she crept down to Eleanor's branch, her hand snaked over to Eleanor's waist, pulling at the rope and untying it with a sudden amount of gentleness that Eleanor was shocked to see the girl possess. She put her finger on her lips, tilting her head to the side. Eleanor's eyebrows furrowed and August sighed, leaning forward.

"Let's follow them." Her voice was light yet distinct and Eleanor nodded. She watched August cautiously, watching as the girl reached forward on the next tree, quietly moving from branch to branch.

August Hastings was elegant in many ways. She was as quiet as a mouse, her movement barely present to the human ears as the moved quickly. Eleanor peered down to the ground, watching Mitchell and Robb momentarily before copying August.

In truth, Eleanor had no clue what she was doing. She was no person of stealth, hoping to whoever was listening to her prayers, that she wasn't too loud. Though, she knew any random sounds she made were concealed by Mitchell and Robb's howls of laughter. They seemed too gleeful that they were now in the top four left behind, conversing happily on any plans they had once they reigned victor.

If Eleanor did not have a need to remain quiet, she would have scoffed. She would have laughed at the absurdity of the glorifies of victor-hood.

She doubted any glory came from surviving the Hunger Games. Unless glory was synonymous with guilt and shame.

She hands gripped on the tree branch tighter as she watched horrifically as Mitchell and Robb made there way through the wooded area. She wondered how they could exist without the guilt of having several people be dead because of them.

Were they even living?

Eleanor wasn't so sure.

Mitchell Braws and Robb Dawns had 4 lives on their conscience. Alina Scaro, Marlene Woods, Sage Crossley, and Jaime Ashers. Knowing them, there were more dead because of them. Eleanor had no doubt that they killed several in the Cornucopia, only adding to the guilt which would eventually consume them.

Eleanor had guilt on her conscious too. She wasn't innocent, nor was she immune to the Games. Alina Scaro may have gotten hurt by Mitchell and Robb's abandonment, but it was Eleanor who slit her throat.

Kai might've died from the blood loss caused by those butterfly mutts, but Eleanor didn't try helping him. She let him die, afraid and untouched, covered in the colour that used to comfort him because his Ma always wore it.

And now, if this worked out, she'd die with the blood of Robb and Mitchell on her conscience.

Eleanor watched August's movements carefully, quickly moving to perch on the branch next to her the moment she gestured for Eleanor to do so.

She leaned next to Eleanor's ear. "We should wait." She watched Eleanor's face, watching as her eyebrows furrowed together and her forehead creased. August wanted nothing more than to commit that look to memory, shakily her head quickly to get rid of the thought. "They'll expect us."

Eleanor could only hope that Mitchell and Robb were not expecting them.

Finnick Odair had been terrified the moment he saw Eleanor notice Robb Dawns and Mitchell Braws. He saw that look in her eyes, something so unrecognisable in a soul like Eleanor Eves, and immediately knew that she wouldn't be the same after this.

He sat by the TV in his apartment, Odette sat in front of him as he braided her hair. Years of braiding Eleanor's hair absentmindedly taught him a valuable skill. The pair of them were attentively watching the screen, though Finnick tried not to watch too much. Years of practice weaving baskets down the docks down the Quay gave him enough experience for him to be able to braid hair. He had practiced so many times on Eleanor, who's hair was sometimes way too curly to maintain. She'd always ask him to braid it, just so it was out of her way whenever she was working at St Magdalene Rossetti.

A simple braid. just down her back, out of the way, so it wasn't in her face.

In the arena, the stylists had done her hair in a similar manner. Though Finnick knew it was not the same as his own braids he had done for her.

Intricately, he finished off the first braid, tying it with a hair tie and grabbing the front of Odette's other side of hair. He was gentle enough for her not to flinch, something that made Finnick sigh out in relief.

"Finnick?"

He hummed, carefully focused on each strand of hair he pulled into the braid.

"You like Eleanor, don't you?" Odette's question took Finnick back for a moment. He paused, not knowing exactly what to say.

"She's my best friend." He went back to braiding, ignoring her question. He only stopped the moment she turned to face him.

Odette's eyebrows furrowed together, her forehead creasing slightly. She shook her head. "No, you like her more than just best friends, don't you?"

He didn't know what to say. He could easily deny it, saying that what Odette was saying was not the case. But, as he tried to do that, his voice got caught in his throat. He couldn't say it. He couldn't say he didn't have some sort of feelings for Eleanor because the reality was that he did.

Finnick Odair had no clue why, but he had feelings for Eleanor. There was always a reason he smiled so much more around Eleanor and it wasn't something he ever wanted to admit.

President Snow had used the very thing Finnick loved to destroy him.

It was as he had told the boy just a few months ago.

"It's the things we love the most, that destroy us."

Loving Eleanor Eves destroyed Finnick Odair more than he could ever imagine. If she died, there would be a hole in his heart forever in the shape of her. It made his heart pound with a fury he could never have imagined, it made his hands clammy and it made him forget every ounce of his pain. Loving Eleanor destroyed his mind as he watched her widened eyes watch the remaining careers with fear and hatred. He hated himself for what he had done to Eleanor. This was her fate, all because he loved her.

How cruel loving someone could be.

If Eleanor miraculously survived, Finnick doubted she would ever forgive him or herself for who the Capitol would make her become.

He went back to braiding Odette's hair, careful not to hurt the girl. He lightly brushed the back of her neck, sighing lightly when she jumped. He didn't mean to look, but he did. He saw all of what they had been doing to her.

A girl of fifteen, forced into a choice between her virtue and her family. He had been in her position just a year prior, but he had made the wrong choice. The marks on her neck were more prominent than ever and Finnick didn't miss the way she flinched at the feeling of his cold finger tips brushing against her skin.

He didn't know why, but he spoke up, "If you- uh - if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." His voice was weak, a small smile on his lips which seemed too tight and almost forced. Odette turned and looked at Finnick, her brown eyes softened. She leaned forward and practically buried herself in his arms.

He didn't need her to tell him her story, he knew enough.

"That girl from 4, she's mine, got it?" Finnick's entire body froze as the screen in front of him focused on the remaining careers. Mitchell Braws and Robb Dawns were brutal, but watching them now was worst. It had been Mitchell who expressed that wish, piling wood in the middle of where he had previously helped massacre Marlene Woods, Jaime Ashers, and Sage Crossley. "I wanna have my way with her first."

Robb Dawns copied his actions and checked the bark, making sure it was dry. He rolled his eyes at Mitchell's comment. "Got it, Mitch. Y'know, you may as well just kill her straight. She seems like an easy kill."

Mitchell shook his head. "And waste her? Bodies like hers shouldn't be wasted." A sick laugh rang out through the speaker.

Finnick Odair knew exactly what Mitchell Braws intended in that moment, and it made his stomach drop. Odette paused too, her mouth a-gap as she leaned back.

"They gonna hurt her," Odette whispered to no one in particular, shaking her head back and forth in denial. She turned to Finnick with wide, fearful eyes. "No, no, they can't just do that. Can they?"

She looked Finnick's way, praying for a loophole, but all the Odair boy could do was press his knuckles on his mouth and tightly shut his eyes.

Laws didn't apply to the arena. Sure, you couldn't cannibalise other tributes (it wasn't popular with the audience), but rape? Unsurprisingly, many of the audience found it exhilarating to watch a district kid get publicly defiled by another kid. It fuelled the idea that the districts weren't culturally the same as the Capitol, not to mention it fuelled so many people's hidden sexual fantasies.

People didn't like admitting that second part. But it's true. There's an industry fuelled by it.

He watched the screen once more, Eleanor's wide eyes appearing as her and August were sheltered behind some shrubs. The pair of girls watched as Mitchell and Robb lit the bonfire, staring into it contently.

"Y'know," Robb began and Finnick leaned on the edge of his seat, his knee nervously bouncing up and down. "After this, it'll be us and your district partner."

Mitchell nodded. "Yes, August, vicious bitch she is. You should've seen her back home, totally pathetic but vile. I'm not surprised the bitch from 4 has her wrapped around her fingers. Wouldn't surprise me if they've messed about a bit."

Finnick clenched his jaw at the comment. He didn't know what infuriated him more, the way Mitchell spoke about Eleanor or the potential of Eleanor and August's relationship. It was undeniable they had something going on, but Mitchell implied something that made Finnick's stomach drop.

He didn't know why it went like that.

"Well, whatever happens here on out, we don't got each others back, okay man?" Robb reached a hand out to Mitchell, wanting them to shake on it. Finnick's eyes widened with shock at Robb Dawns' passive behaviour. He could easily grab the knife wedged on his belt and stab Mitchell here on out, but it seemed he wanted to stay true to his alliance with the fellow career. Robb Dawns may be a brutal career, but Finnick had to hand it to him, he was a man of his words.

Mitchell grabbed onto his hand and firmly shook it. A wide smile - no - smirk found it's way on his face, gleaming in the bonfire. "From here on out."

And with that, he shoved Robb Dawns into the bonfire.

**sight** the curse of the fanfic writer is upon me

so

finished my mock exams and just a few hours ago my dog gave birth spontaneously. she's rejected the puppy completely, won't help keep them warm and so i'm writing this with my phone as the newborn, bloody puppy is nuzzled against my boob

boobs save lives.

amen to that

also THANK YOU ALL FOR 100K????

UH

WHAT

(it's 107k now but still)

i love you all so much

i hope you all know that

the next chapter is the final chapter of act one and i'm scared for you all

but anyways, pray for baby puppy, your girl's a mother now 🫶🫶🫶🫶