Who: Katniss Everdeen with special guests Effie Trinket & Haymitch Abernathy What: A terrible discovery Where: The riverfront When: Early Wednesday morning Warnings: Just the typical Hunger Games stuff Status: complete Note: thanks to Lis for writing the NPCs
Katniss liked to get up early and go out before it got too hot to enjoy being outside. It was a carryover from her hunting days, when it was easier to be successful the earlier you started. Since she wasn’t hunting as much these days, she didn’t always go walking in the woods, and today, she’d decided to go down to the river walk. There were a few other early risers out and about, but she largely had the place to herself.
The cruise had been nice, though the rash of disappearances immediately after left her unsettled for a while. She was terrified that the dome would send Prim away again. If she could do anything to ensure her sister got a chance at a life here, she would. Her sister deserved better than ever setting foot in Panem again.
Suddenly, she felt like she was stumbling, only realizing that there was a weird shimmer in the air when it was too late and her heart stopped the moment she recognized her surroundings. It was like she’d conjured it up and no, no, NO, this could not be happening, she had to protect Prim. This was all wrong, she realized, whirling around to take in the pristine Capitol around her. No bombed out buildings, no war, no… nothing. It all looked the same way it looked the first time Katniss laid eyes on it.
A familiar face crossed her path and she gasped. “Effie?”
***
Effie looked up from the clipboard in her hands and found herself looking at Katniss, who she was sure shouldn’t be here. She’d been working out the new strategy for quarter quell sponsors and so focused on that she hadn’t noticed the young girl there until she spoke, “Katniss, what are you doing out here? You should be in the training center. Has anybody else seen you? You cannot just go wandering off like this. Come on now let’s get you back. Maybe we can say I asked you to help me, yes, that might work” Effie may be panicking quite a bit but if anybody saw Katniss out here rather than training with the others it would not look good.
***
The training center? Why would she be… oh no. Thanks to the weird time shenanigans of Madison Valley, she was back in Panem before one of her Games. This was bad. Really, really bad. She couldn’t go to the training center because no doubt there was already a version of her there. And she needed to get back to Madison Valley to warn everyone away from the portal.
“No, Effie, wait,” she said. How did she even begin to explain this? Was this her first Games or the Quarter Quell? If it was the latter, maybe she could find Haymitch, explain to him what was going on. He would also probably think she was crazy, but if she told him about the rebellion, that she knew his plans, maybe it would work. “I know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m not the Katniss you think I am.”
***
“Oh Katniss, the games change all the victors I know but you are still you. The quarter quell won’t change that. You and Peeta will emerge triumphant once again, I’m sure of it” Effie tried to bolster her young victor, she knew it wasn’t fair, even if she didn’t say so too loudly but it was her responsibility to encourage Katniss and Peeta no matter what and that was what she did.
“Don’t let yourself worry, we’re here for you” she laid her hand on Katniss’ arm reassuringly.
***
That at least answered one of her questions and made this slightly less terrifying. It was just too bad Effie hadn’t been part of the plan to end everything. “I appreciate that,” she said, trying not to think about the torture that lay ahead for the vivascious woman.
“You don’t understand though,” she added. There was no easy way to explain things. All she knew was that she could not allow herself to get locked into the training center. “I really need to talk to Haymitch before I go back to the center. It’s really important.”
She knew that Effie felt guilty over her and Peeta needing to return to the arena and hoped that maybe she could play on that guilt a little to get some help.
***
Effie hesitated, the chance of them getting into trouble increased the longer Katniss was away from the training center but she couldn’t deny her young victors request. “Fine, fine, he has been unusually helpful recently. I don’t quite know what has gotten into him” she admitted, “Come with me, at least if anybody questions us going to speak to your mentor won’t be frowned upon quite so much”
She toddled along on her heels as she led Katniss back towards the suite they had been given in preparation for both children to return to the games. She had no idea what had gotten into Katniss today but only hoped Haymitch would be able to help her, and quickly before her absence was noticed.
***
“Thanks, Effie.” Katniss knew she was taking a risk by helping her out and she appreciated it more than she could properly express. She wanted to explain everything to Effie, wanted to tell her about the coming rebellion, about taking down Snow, about her life in Madison Valley, but knew she couldn’t.
When they arrived at the suite, she impulsively gave the woman a hug. “You’ve been very kind to us,” she said. “I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know you.”
***
“Oh” Effie was surprised by the hug but returned it, “You have been the very best I could have hoped for,” she told Katniss softly in response, hoping Haymitch was going to be able to help her because something was obviously going on with Katniss and it wasn’t something Effie felt she could help with. “Now chin up” she smiled, “I’ll go and make sure nobody is missing you while you speak to Haymitch”
***
Katniss nodded and hoped that her mentor wouldn’t think she was completely off her rocker when she told him what was going on. Her number one concern right now was getting back to Madison Valley and making sure that no one else, especially her sister, ended up slipping through the portal by mistake.
***
Haymitch was drinking in the suite that had been assigned to them for the quarter quell preparations, though his mind was half on drinking and half on planning. He knew he needed to keep his wits about him for what was coming and he needed to be ready to move, which meant he needed to keep his drinking in check a bit more.
Hearing the door open he shook his head, “What the hell do you want now?” he growled before realising it wasn’t Effie come to annoy him again but Katniss, “What are you doing in here? You should be with the others”
***
It was startling to see Haymitch drinking and it took Katniss a moment to gather her thoughts when she caught the scent of the strong alcohol he always favored. She wasn’t sure if him being under the influence would make this conversation easier or more difficult. “I need to talk to you,” she said, going over to the counter and pouring him a strong cup of coffee. “And I need you to be at least relatively sober.”
Seeing him like this after so long was hard. She definitely wanted to avoid Darcy seeing this.
She handed him the coffee and then sat in a chair near him, leaning forward a little. Just as she was about to speak, it occurred to her that the room might be bugged and she certainly didn’t want to screw up any plans. There was a pen and some paper in front of him, so she grabbed that and scratched out a quick note.
Is it safe to talk here or is it possible someone is listening?
***
Haymitch’s eyebrows rose but he said nothing, in fact he picked up the coffee wincing as he took a large gulp. He truly disliked mixing his drinks but it was rare to see Katniss take charge this much. She looked different, grown up in a way he couldn’t explain. It was offputting.
Reading her note he looked at her for a long moment, “It’s fine. I’ve taken care of it” he admitted to her, “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” he added taking another swallow of the coffee even as his hand twitched for the whiskey.
***
“I’m not the same Katniss that is at the training center right now,” she said. “I know this is hard to believe, but there are multiple universes and I am from one of them.” She paused, wanting to make sure she hadn’t completely lost him yet.
There was one easy way that she could prove what she was saying and, after a moment of hesitation, she decided to use it. “I know what you’re planning. With Plutarch and the others.”
***
“Multiple...” Haymitch wasn’t even sure what to do with that, maybe things had been getting to Katniss more than any of them had realised. Was she losing it? It had been a shock to all of them when the quarter quell details had been announced but they needed Katniss on form for what they had in mind.
When she mentioned Plutarch he froze, “I don’t know what you mean. You just need to focus on these games Katniss, they won’t let you get out of it no matter what crazy things you start saying” She couldn’t know, he’d been too careful, he was sure of it.
***
Katniss leveled her gaze at him. “You know exactly what I mean. District 13. It’s real. The arena is a clock. Johanna, Finnick, Mags, Beetee, Wiress. They’re all part of it.” The anger she felt about being left out of the planning, of being left in the dark about so many things, was long resolved and she spoke dispassionately, her tone matter-of-fact.
“I know they’re not going to let me out of it. But you’re going to get me out. And we’re going to end it.” At much too high a cost, in her opinion, but she knew that she couldn’t change that.
***
“I...It...shit, sweetheart” Haymitch said, bypassing the coffee to down the rest of the alcohol this time. It was rather a lot to take in so Haymitch decided to ignore what he didn’t understand which was almost all of it, and instead find out what she wanted. “So why are you here? And what do you need?” He really hoped all of this was actually happening and not some random alcohol fuelled hallucination. Or actually he wondered if that might be preferable?
***
Of course he opted for the booze. Katniss rolled her eyes at his choice, hoping that this version of Haymitch would get the same help hers did. Eventually. “There’s a chance that some people from the town where I live are going to end up here. I’m going to warn them to stay away, but can you get out word to your network that if they see any strangers around, to try and keep them out of trouble?” She knew it was asking a lot, knew that some of the people in Madison Valley were trouble magnets, but she wanted to do what she could to keep them safe.
She paused. “And, Haymitch? When everything is said and done? Try to keep Prim away from here. Please.” There was a desperation in her tone that she hoped he would not ask questions about.
***
Haymitch ignored the eyeroll, he was well versed in ignoring that, had been pointedly ignoring Effie for years. “I’ll do what I can,” he said, still not sure quite what was going on but definitely not happy she seemed to know all about his behind the scenes plans. But he would do what he could and try and keep any new strange faces out of trouble, the last thing they needed was anybody in the Capitol getting suspicious that things might not be as they seemed.
He frowned but nodded, “You have my word” he promised, not knowing that it would be yet another life he’d carry on his shoulders. Another failure.
***
“Thank you,” Katniss said. She hesitated for a moment and then moved to hug him. “You can have a good life. You deserve to have a good life, Haymitch. Please don’t kill yourself with alcohol.”
She hesitated again and then pulled her phone out of her pocket and pulled up a photograph of her Haymitch with Darcy and Stephanie. “This is your family where I live,” she said. “My Haymitch hasn’t had a drink in years.”
*** Haymitch was shocked when Katniss hugged him, she wasn’t the sort to show a lot of emotion much like Haymitch himself. “Never happen, we’re old friends” he said trying to joke it out. Though the smile dropped from his face when he looked at the picture she was showing him. A family, that was something he’d given up on a long time ago, and that was how he knew her world was definitely not his.
“Good for him, but that’s not me. Sorry to disappoint but wherever you’re from that’s not my future” he told her gesturing at the picture before returning to fill his alcohol glass.
***
Katniss wasn’t surprised by his response, but she hoped maybe she’d at least planted the seed that things could be different. “He used to be you,” she said mildly, putting her phone away.
“I’m going back so I can warn everyone. Hopefully no one will be stupid, but thank you for keeping an eye on things if they do.” She knew that he might not be able to do much, but it did help to know he was here and at least aware of what was going on.
***
Haymitch grunted before downing his drink, “Keep them away if you can but I’ll do as much as possible to keep people safe” It was after all supposed to be what he did, even if he’d failed miserably up until the last games anyway.