You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

The Reaping

"Watch my face as I pretend to feel no pain."
— Unknown

...

In the months leading up to the reaping, Cora had spent as much time with her loved ones as possible. She didn't leave District 4 before the games, but she stayed in touch with Xena, Johanna, and even Klavien, on occasion, by talking on the phone. Everyone was tense and scared for what was to come.

It was so bad that Finnick and Cora began having nightmares again, despite always sleeping beside each other. The strawberry-blonde didn't tell him, but the man knew she was planning to volunteer. He also knew that he couldn't talk her out of it.

Peacekeepers came to escort the Victors to the center of District 4 on the morning of Reaping Day. Cora had assured them that the four of them could walk just fine on their own, glaring at the soldiers. Finnick, despite being worried, couldn't help but chuckle at the woman for this.

Ambrosia's color this year was electric green. A color that did not suit her skin tone and made the woman look terribly unnatural— more so than usual. Of course, she was more excited than ever. How lucky she was to be an escort for a Quarter Quell! Cora wondered if the other districts' escorts were as brainwashed as Ambrosia. Surely there had to be at least one escort that cared about their Victors.

The electric green woman was practically bouncing with excitement as she walked over to draw the name of the female tribute.

"Annie Cresta!" The woman announced.

"I volunteer!" Cora shouted just as Annie began to scream and before Mags could even react. She didn't look at Finnick as she walked to the center of the stage, giving a brave smile to Blue instead.

Her brother had already known she was going to volunteer. And, for once, he wasn't angry at her for it. He finally understood that, everything she did, she did to protect her loved ones.

Ambrosia nearly screamed in excitement. "Coral Newport volunteering for Annie Cresta, just like in her first games! How nostalgic!"

Cora wanted to slap her. But she managed to refrain from doing so. Instead, she gave the crowd a confident smile.

The escort then made her way over to draw the name of the male tribute. As if Finnick wasn't the only option.

"Finnick Odair!" She announced.

Finnick smirked and waved to the crowd, turning on his Capitol persona.

"I present to you your tributes for the third Quarter Quell!"

A woman in the crowd put three fingers to her lips before raising them in the air. It was a symbol that Katniss Everdeen had used in her games when Rue, a young girl she had allied with, had been killed. It was now a symbol of rebellion among the districts.

Soon, the entire crowd followed suit. It was a beautiful show of solidarity. Too bad it was cut short when the Peacekeepers started shooting people. Cora moved to help but was immediately yanked back by more Peacekeepers, who took her and Finnick to the train.

"Don't we get to say goodbye?" Cora asked, angry.

"Not this year," the Head Peacekeeper smirked. It wasn't a good smirk like the kind Finnick did. It was an evil, sadistic smirk. He enjoyed her pain.

Mags was their mentor, though she had nothing left to teach them. Annie stayed back to help take care of Blue and Lyra.

When Finnick and Cora arrived on the train, they cuddled together on a couch and turned on the tv to see the other tributes. It made their hearts hurt to see Johanna chosen. Finnick laughed when Peeta volunteered for Haymitch, "Here we go again." Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark would once again be entering the Hunger Games together.

...

"Cashmere and Gloss. Brother and sister, District 1. They won back-to-back games, Capitol favorites, lots of sponsors... They will be lethal," Haymitch explained to Katniss and Peeta, who were sitting together on a couch. They were learning about their competition.

Haymitch clicked to the next clip. "And the other half of the career pack, Brutus and Enobaria."

"What's with her teeth?" Katniss asked, noticing how the woman had razor-sharp fangs instead of normal human teeth.

"She had them filed into fangs so she could rip people's throats out."

"She's committed, I'll give her that," Peeta commented.

"Wiress and Beetee," the man moved on. "Not fighters, but brilliant. And weird— real tech-savvy. He won his games by electrocuting six tributes at once."

Katniss' eyes widened in surprise.

"The morphlings, masters of camouflage. Basically won their games by hiding until everyone else was dead. Self-medicating ever since, which I applaud. Not a threat."

"Finnick Odair, right?" Katniss asked as the golden man appeared on the screen. He was smirking, as always, and waving. Confident as ever.

"Yes, we won his games at fourteen. Youngest ever, extremely humble."

"You're kidding?"

"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock, a total preener. But he's the Capitol darling, they love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled at combat— especially in water."

"What about weaknesses?" Peeta asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"One," Haymitch said, clicking to the next clip.

"Coral Newport?" Peeta asked, recognizing the woman.

"Yes, she volunteered for Annie— twice, actually. In her first games and now. Also won her games at fourteen, turned fifteen shortly after. Second youngest ever. Is just as adored as Finnick."

"She went into the games with her brother, right?" The blond said.

"She lost three of her brothers to the games. Her twin brother died in front of her as her district partner, her older brother was turned into a mutt, and her younger brother was decapitated in Annie's games."

Haymitch knew more about her story than he was telling his tributes. He and Cora had had a few deep conversations about their pasts while drunk. He knew just about everything.

Both Katniss and Peeta let the information sink in.

"What makes her his weakness?" Katniss asked, staring at the strawberry-blonde who smiled so confidently on screen.

"Finnick Odair and Coral Newport have been in love for years. There's no act, no angle, the Capitol doesn't know about them. They're deadly while separate, together, they're lethal. They will stop at nothing to protect each-other. This is both their greatest strength and their greatest weakness. You want them as allies, otherwise, they will kill you."

They continued reviewing the tributes until it was time for them to get some sleep. They would have a big day at the parade tomorrow.