Vendetta

Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark.

Chapter One: Reintroduction

Katniss sighed, slipping the pack off her back and throwing it on the couch, flopping down on her chair. She rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in them from crouching in that tree for so long. All she wanted right now was a hot bath and a good meal but she was too sore to even get off the couch. Katniss looked at the place that she and Peeta had called home for the last two years; they had decided to move out of Katniss' old house and out of the Victor District, both of them agreeing that they held too many bad memories. It was a small, wooden house that was on the outskirts of District 12—recently renamed Skarslet—with two bedrooms, one bath, a fully equipped kitchen (for Peeta of course since Katniss couldn't cook more than stew) with a sizable back yard.

Katniss felt herself nodding off and shifted so she was more comfortable when someone knocked on the door. The Mocking Jay jerked awake, reaching for her bow—an old instinct from the war she couldn't quite shake—before relaxing but she didn't let go of the bow.

She slowly got off the couch, her aching muscles instantly protesting. She made her way to the door, finding it odd that the person hadn't tried to knock again. Probably had lot of patience or it was one of Peeta's fans that didn't get that the blond was taken.

The 22 year old swung the door open, "What do you…want…"

Katniss trailed off at the sight of who was at the door, she heard her bow clatter as it dropped to the floor but she was too stunned to care.

"M-Madge?" Katniss stuttered in shock.

"Hey Katniss," she looked the exact same as the last time Katniss had seen her but she was…different somehow. She still had golden hair with sun-bleached white strands of blonde mixed in, her hair plaited in a heavy French braid, no ribbon though. The same multi-colored eyes, one sapphire blue, the other a dark forest green, but they were harder like jewels. She had the same straight nose, high cheekbones, long tangled lashes, and full lips that were a pale shade of pink but she had lost her baby fat and her face wasn't as friendly any more. She was still on the skinny side (even if she was the mayor's daughter she was still from District 12) but it might've seemed that way because she was so tall. Speaking of which, she was tall, taller than Katniss and she wasn't quite as tiny as the other girls in District 12 either—mainly because she got a somewhat steady diet of protein. She was, by her estimate,an entire head taller than Katniss was.

"You-you're alive?" Katniss managed to choke out.

Madge's lips twisted into something that wasn't quite a smile, "Yeah, I guess so."

Before she knew what she was doing, Katniss moved forward and engulfed the older woman in a hug, "I've missed you."

Katniss felt the woman tense and awkwardly pat her on the back before stepping out of the hug and smiled weakly, "I've missed you too."

That's when Katniss noticed how different Madge really looked. She had dark circles under her eyes, her multi-colored gaze was always scanning and taking in her surroundings, her tan skin was littered with scars of all sizes and shapes, her long, nimble fingers were calloused and always twitching or doing something, whether it was tucking her hair behind her ears, smoothing out her clothes, or reaching for something that wasn't at her side.

This wasn't the mayor's daughter anymore.

This was a total stranger.

A stranger with her friend's face but with eyes of a fighter.

"Madge," Katniss breathed. "What happened to you?"

Madge blinked at her, at least one thing hadn't changed. Her big eyes that always seemed wide and innocent even with that hardness in them now, "What do you mean Katniss?"

Katniss cleared her throat, shaking her head, "Nothing. You want to come in?"

Madge shook her head, "I'd love too but I can't be gone for too long or they'll start getting nervous."

"They, who Madge?" Katniss was finding it hard to believe the Mayor's daughter—the one who's only friend was even more anti social than she was—had friends. No matter how harsh that thought seemed to be.

Then again, Katniss thought scanning Madge again. I'm not the only one who's changed.

Madge gave her that smile again, the one that looked like a smile but didn't feel like one, "Don't worry about it. I just came to tell you I was in town for a couple days and I was hoping you could help me find some information."

"Of course, I'll do whatever I can to help you." She answered automatically without even thinking, she didn't have too.

Madge smiled, a real one, one that made her eyes light up and her face soften. Katniss couldn't stop the sudden flush of warmth that flooded her because she had the feeling that it wasn't often that Madge smiled like that.

"I need information on a guy named Hetov Kees."

Katniss immediately froze, "Y-you're crazy. Why would you want to know about him?"

Everyone knew who he was; he ruled the black market and the underworld of the Capital and the Districts back when it was still in charge. The guy made a good profit before the war, selling the districts stuff they couldn't get at home and selling rebel information to the capital for a pretty penny all without anyone ever making move to end him—he was too valuable to both sides. Hetov also flourished during the war, making good money selling weapons, ammo, and supplies to the Rebels and information to the Capital.

To Katniss, he was nothing but scum. But he was also extremely dangerous.

"You shouldn't go after him Madge. It's not a good idea." Katniss warned her friend.

The blonde's face darkened, "I don't care Katniss. Just tell me what you know."

Katniss gave a disbelieving sigh and shook her head again, "Absolutely not. I am not about to let you go rushing off to your death."

Madge's face smoothed out and became unreadable again. Katniss had seen her like this before, when they were younger and the blonde was showing government officials around town.

"That's fine. Thank you for your concern." Generic response, a pre-programmed answer said in a voice that was smooth and low, and designed to cover all her thoughts. The war hero gritted her teeth, she'd always hated seeing that mask on Madge, even when it wasn't directed at her.

"Don't do this Madge, not to me." Madge turned to leave but Katniss' hand shot out and gripped her arm. "Don't hide, please, not from me."

Her cool eyes trailed from where Katniss was gripping her arm to the young woman's charcoal gray eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Madge gently shook her hand off and walked away, Katniss wanted to shout and run after her but she knew that if she said anything Madge would just respond with lies in that stupid voice. Silky, smooth, and too damn emotionless, and loaded with secret messages no one could ever decode. She used it on the Capital's officials lying in a sweet voice and saying only what they wanted to hear, she just never thought Madge would use it on her.

Katniss let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the door frame, she really wasn't the only that changed.

Just testing this out to see if it's any good, please review if you want me to continue. I have some ideas but I just want to make sure this isn't a waste of yours and my time.