.Forest Fire (Johanna Mason X F.OC).

-Train ride-

Paige had had several people come by to say goodbye to her, people she helped, the little girl and her family, even the mayor, all but one.

She felt hurt that her father hadn't showed but she understood, that would mean facing the reality of the situation.

When the peacekeepers brought her to the train, the doors closed right behind her and it started moving.

"Sequoia."

"Sapling." She hugged her brother as he ran into her arms before grabbing his face. "Don't worry, we are getting you home one way or the other."

"I don't want to win without you." He said, tears in his eyes.

"You'll need too, I'm not letting you die." She knew it was asshol-ish thoughts compared to her normal attitude but damn did she regret volunteering at this very moment. "Got it?"

"I'm not going to kill you."

"Sapling." She hugged him again. "It will be fine, all will be fine."

"As much as I love to watch children cry, quit it." She heard a familiar voice, her neighbor, her future mentor, district 7's first and only female victor, Johanna Mason.

The young woman was 20 and had won barely three years prior to the siblings game but she was a sly woman, feigning weakness to trick her enemy in not paying attention to her and murder them later, like everyone, Johanna holds one of the highest amount of kills as a none career tribute, Paige too was forced to watch the games and had seen what went on in them just like everyone else.

"Johanna, let the children have their moment." Manson said, making the woman roll her eyes and push off the wagon door frame she was leaning on.

"Well I have better places to be so get moving!" She waved with a snide snap at the end of her phrase, asking... No, ordering them to follow her with the gesture.

"I never really liked her, she is mean." Marcus said, holding Paige's hand as they followed the woman with Manson.

"Ah, I was getting hungry." Johanna flopped into a cushioned chair at the table filled with food they've never seen, compared to even victors's home, Capitol was always leagues ahead.

Marcus sat down first, taking a small bite of a little loaf of bread before beaming at the taste and looked at Paige who sat, refusing the piece he was offering her, not feeling like eating.

"First, lets watch the recap of the reaping, like always." Manson said at the screen on the wall turned on.

Paige looked over.

District 1 had volunteers like every year, the boy, Brendon Havres, looked dangerous, muscles up, the female Crystal Dikens, much less but she was confident, prime example of careers.

District 2, for once the female tribute was not a volunteer and no one volunteered for her spot, looking sickly, Jasmine Langre wouldn't last for long. Josh Patish was brown skinned which was rarer in the career district so a stand out for Paige and probably everyone else, easier sponsors for him, plus he was good looking an jacked. 

She didn't remember much of district 3 only their names, Denis Helis and Mark Render.

Then came the last career district, number 4, Nelson Odair, she felt bad for the victor, she met him once, it must hurt to have a family member in the games.... Paige would know how that feels, if anything she knows he could have been trained with the mentor himself, Finnick. Julia Lortho was forgettable. 

Paige didn't pay much attention to 5 and 6. (You'll still get to know the random names I came up with for them from mashing letters into a word.)

She looked at the screen sadly is it showed her and her brother before it switched and she only looked up at the mining district, 12, this year, their male tribute was an older boy, Kai Divan, muscle, if he survives the bloodbath, he could be dangerous... Paige knew she'll need to be observant to keep her brother alive.

"Thank god it is done, now lets eat!" Johanna said.

"Aren't you gonna do your job?" Paige said, a bit snappy.

"I am. I am sending you to your deaths for some rich assholes entertainment, what's your point?" She sipped from a glass of expensive wine

"You are a mentor, you are supposed to give up hints to survive." Paige said as Marcus put a hand on her thigh.

"What use anyway? Sure your golden duo is known as 7's careers but you stand no chance."

"I am not dying because you are not helping us." Paige smacked her fist on the table enough for the glasses to rattle but nothing more to happen.

"Then you shouldn't have volunteered, now you'll have to kill your dear brother of yours."

"Why you!" Paige launched up, across the table, squashing food on her clothes as she tried to grab the victor who jerked back with a grin, pushing her chair on its back legs to not get grabbed as Manson and Marcus pulled Paige off the table, her brother brushing the food off her.

"I hit a sore spot?" Johanna asked with a grin.

"You'll see." Paige stood. "This year the victor will be from district 7."

"I highly doubt it."

Paige turned and walked off who knows where but she knew she couldn't get off this train to hell.

 This train towards their ultimate fate.

She found toilets, locking herself in them and sinking down with her back against the door, hugging her knees and hiding her face in them.

An a little tear escaped.

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The victor watched without care her male tribute stared at his food before muttering about not being hungry and leaving too.

"Johanna."

"I will not do what the Capitol wants off me, I am not their puppet." She glared at Manson who just sighed, used to this woman by now.

"District 7 finally has a chance of winning again."

"I do not care." She said, the older man just sighing.

"And will we tell them?"

"Absolutely not." Johanna might be the way she is but even she knew that that was a bad idea. "If you reaaaaally believe they can survive a bit I wouldn't say, might distract them from the games."

"For once we agree."

Despite how she acted, most of it was not the woman she was before the arena, that person still existed in moments like this, the pity she felt for the tributes even tho it came out as condescending almost all of the time.

She couldn't imagine having to know that her or her sister would die if she was in the same position... But that didn't matter anymore, her family was gone, these kids would learn too.

Johanna looked where they left before sighing with a head shake, this announced to be quite a bumpy ride they are all on and it is just the start.