His entire body felt like it was on the verge of breaking as he pushed himself upwards. He felt his lips pulling themselves apart as he screamed, he felt his eardrums bursting in agony as he felt the softness of hands gripping his face with desperation.

"Rave..... Raven it's okay, it's just a nightmare" the man let out shaky breaths as sweat ran down his body. He grew tense as he tried to speak, his mouth didn't form any words, they pressed together in frustration.

He pressed his forehead into Johanna's shoulder, the woman holding him as she let out shaky breaths of worry. His hands twitched as he gripped her waist aching for a sense of comfort in her embrace.

He'd watch innocent children's names be reaped today, that'd be the very last thing he would ever see of this place before he ran away. He licked his lips as he moved back, he pushed his hands to his sides as he let out a soft exhale. "I'm fine, it passed" he scratched his neck slightly as he stood up off the bed.

He heard the soft creak of it as Johanna followed after him "i made coffee, it's not very good but it's better then drinking alcohol all the time, you should have a clear head for once". He knew she was worried about him, that was something that would never go away.

He smiled weakly, trying his best to appear like he wasn't on the verge of tears. His body still felt on high alert from that stupid nightmare, his gaze looked at the small cup of coffee. It rested on the small table beside his couch, the steam floating along the air as he grabbed a hold of the cup.

He didn't flinch at the hotness of it, the way it burned his skin slightly as he took a large sip. He could see Johanna roll her eyes from the corner of his eyes as she caught sight of the television turning on.

The capitols big logo present as he cringed in discomfort "you think the bastard would stop reminding people about the hunger games when half of the districts mark this day on their calendars".

He set his cup down, feeling his head grow fuzzy at the sight of snow appearing on the screen. He looked so happy with himself as he smiled brightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the seventy fifth year of the hunger games and it was written in the charter of the games that every twenty five years, there would be a quarter quell to keep fresh for each new generation".

The old man looked pleased with himself as he read aloud for the entire world to hear. Johanna sat down on the couch, looking bored of the man all together.

Raven sighed as he sat beside her, he wanted this announcement to be over with already, he'd likely drown his sorrows in as much liquor he could hold.

Snow flipped over the card he held onto his loud voice making Raven's living room vibrate slightly. "Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by games of a special significance and now on this the seventy fifth anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion. We celebrate the third quarter quell".

Raven rolled his eyes as he took another sip of his coffee, he could feel Johanna grow tense beside him when Snow took a long pause. 

"As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of the capitol. On this, the third quarter quell games, the male and female tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of victors in each district. Victors shall present themselves on reaping day regardless of age, state of health or situation".

The screen turned black after that,  Raven didn't speak his eyes wide in horror as he tried to form any words on his lips. Instead he felt frustrated rising along his very being as he stood up quickly.

The cup in his grasp was lunged forward with a heavy swing, the shards of it collapsing along the screen in front of him. He watches as heaps of coffee coated the mesh material and stained it with dots and splotches.

"Fuck!" he screamed as he pressed his shaking hands against the back of his head. He felt the tears pricking along the corner of his eyes as he paced back and forth. "He... he can't do that... he can't fucking do this to us, we won. We won our games".

He whimpered as he felt the ghosts of all those children he killed tugging at the back of his skull. He licked his lips harshly as he laughed weakly as he looked down at his hands in defeat.

Johanna sat on the couch, her body still as she tried to process everything, she was silent and looked pissed off as she stood up. "It's a punishment... for the victors from twelve! I mean come on, like snow would let two victors walk freely when riots are happening! Probably thinks we're a part of it".

She rolled her eyes as she looked around in defeat, Raven grew tense at the sound of cars parking outside. "Peacekeepers, coming to collect us like animals" he sneered angrily as he stormed towards the door.

"Rave don't! If you latch out, he'll kill you" he ignored Johanna's pleas as he pulled the door open. His violent demeanor relaxed in a manner of seconds at the sight of Blight, the man looking depressed.

"They want us at the reaping, everyone's already there, like this shit is even slightly entertaining. The peacekeepers were heading this way, but I managed to get those bastards to back off, if we go willingly".

—

   He could feel the look of every single person as he stood on the stage. Blight stood beside him, the man fidgeting with his neck collar like crazy as he kept eyeballing the bowl with the names.

To think at one point in Ravens life his name was inside of that damn thing thirty times. Now all that remained inside was just two little names, one his and the others Blight. A man who Raven knew as a friend, even if they never spoke outside of banter and drinks.

Johanna stood alone, her face full of rage as she looked at Fern, the woman who every year didn't give a shit about who was reaped as she said the name. She looked cheeky as she smirked and tapped the microphone. It squeaked making Raven wince as she smiled brightly, her red lipstick bold as she looked around at the crowd in front of her with disgust.

"We shall now begin the reaping" her high heels clacked loudly as she approached the bowl, the one piece of paper looking so small. "As always, ladies have the honor of being first" Johanna rolled her eyes as Fern took her time opening the paper.

"The female tribute from District 7..." she was cut off when Johanna walked forward and ripped the paper out of her hands as she stood beside the microphone. Fern sneered "how rude... once again the female tribute for district 7, Johanna Mason".

Raven felt himself grow light headed as Fern neared the next bowl "now for the men" she reached her hand inside so slowly. Raven would cut it off if he could to make this process easier, but he held inside his thoughts. She opened the paper with ease as she tapped the microphone to be sure it was still on.

"The male tribute from district 7, Blight..." she didn't get the full name out Raven walked forward "I volunteer as tribute, I'll take his place instead"

Blight looked like he wanted to cry as he looked at Raven with such sadness. He didn't speak but Raven knew he was thanking him in a way, as he walked off the stage in a fast manner.

Raven let out a sharp exhale as he stood beside Johanna, his face blank as he looked at the crowd. "Well and with that then, the tributes from district 7. Johanna Mason and Raven Corven, may the odds be ever in your favor".

Raven didn't have time to process his thoughts as two peacekeepers grabbed a hold of him. He would have objected but instead he stayed silent, afraid he'd end up dead before he even stepped foot on the train.

As if a reflex his fingers latched onto Johanna's the second the train doors pushed themselves shut. He couldn't help but kiss her with desperation.

Her lips soft as her tears trailed down her cheeks slowly, he pressed his thumb underneath her eye as he wiped away the tears with one movement.

"Don't let snow break you, that sick bastard doesn't get to watch us fall apart, he'll never get the satisfaction of watching me die in that arena".

Johanna sighed in frustration "we were supposed to be free from the hunger games. The second we won our games, we never had the chance of going back in. Now we're going back and winning won't be easy".

Raven sighed in defeat as he walked towards the dining table "like I'd kill people who are suffering just as much as us, best bet I'd butcher Katniss Everdeen for even starting this stupid shit in the first place, bet snow would let me walk free if I did it too".

He chuckled as he grabbed a bottle of vodka off the table "gosh like I'd do anything for that man, he can kill her himself if that's what he's pissed about, to think he's scared of one little girl who cheated the games and shoved it into everyone's faces...".

Johanna leaned into the wall "he obviously wants all of us dead now, clearly we're a threat to him. He used this to his advantage and now he's gonna just watch his problems disappear while we die".

—

   The train felt so much faster than before, Raven looked outside the small window watching as the world around him turned into blurs and clouds. He watched the moon as it grew brighter in the distance, his body refused to sleep. It was like he was already in that arena, fighting to stay awake so he wouldn't die.

The soft hum of his door opening made him turn away from the window. Johanna looked miserable, her hair was sticking out in all types of directions as she walked inside the room. He didn't say anything, he felt the bed weight downward as she sat beside him.

Her hand was freezing when she held onto his "you think we could win?" her voice was like a soft whisper as he ran his hand along her hair. "I think we could do anything in that arena, show Snow how much he's gonna regret putting us back in".

He couldn't help but smile, a part of him felt relieved for once that Johanna was beside him. She'd die for him in that arena and he'd do the same, if it meant she got to win and be free of the capitol again.

"I'll make sure they don't hurt you Johanna, we have no idea what's gonna be inside of that arena. But I do know one thing, I'll kill anyone who even thinks about trying to kill you, I don't care if it haunts me".

Johanna sighed "you don't have to do that, we both know I'm capable of protecting myself, I won the games once, I can do it again just fine". He looked outside the window, watching as everything grew more and more closer to death.

"You won because of me Jo, I told you how to win those games and you did, you took down every single person who got in your way. Made them think you were weak, the second you won you proved to snow you weren't a scared girl, you were a survivor. The moment we step foot in the capitol we show him we're not going to back down from this".

—
authors notes:
writing for Raven and Johanna makes me realize I'm lonely asf.... Anyways after three nights of writing this chapter due to me being slow asf with writing it. The second chapter is out! Also, I'm currently working on a Katniss story, it'll likely be out in a few days after I finish writing the summary and what not.