I apologize if the characters are a little ooc but remember it is AU-this is my first ever Katoniss story and I am afraid to hope for too much. I do have an idea of where to take this story. So for those of you that are confused, this is an universe where Katniss is a Mockingjay. In this AU a Mockingjay is basically a human with giant feathery wings sprouting out of their back, although they are not considered humans by most, including themselves. They are treated as rare, exotic creatures and usually people purchase them as slaves. Katniss is a Mockingjay and she has just been bought by none other than Cato.

Katniss

I open one eye, blinking away the rays of the sun. I stretch my wings and yawn, eager to take off into the sky. To feel the cool breeze on my face, to sniff the fresh morning air. But something is wrong. Something is very wrong. I cannot move my wings.

The world comes in blurry at first, but then my vision goes into focus, and I am shocked to see two men stand before me. I blink, then frown. There must still be something wrong with my vision. Where am I? Why are there metal bars seperating me? I take in my surroundings. There is a soft loft of a bed behind me-I must have been sleeping on it. And there is a dresser with a small mirror on it. A clothesline hovers above, hanging many dresses and shirts. My frown deepens. I don't like this place. I flap my wings to again prepare for flight, but instead discovered that they are bound together with some kind of special rope. It is useless. I cannot escape. And my mouth falls open as I finally look up; the metal bars don't just stand in front, they surround me and join together at the top. I furiously try to flap my wings to no avail. I have to face the truth: I am in a cage. And the door is locked. And the men outside. They have the key.

Cato

"She's magnificent," I breathed, taking in the sight of her. Having a Mockingjay here still does not fail to amaze me. I click the pen and sign my name. Having my own Mockingjay can take me into flight. Mockingjays have been endangered since the Rebellion. People began capturing them and selling them for outrageous prices, thus making them even more rare and desired. President Snow had me pay an unusually high price for her, but I can now see that she was worth every cent. Skin glowing like soft candlelight, raven hair tumbling in a majestic waterfall, and eyes that sparkle with fire and life. Not to mention the beautiful feather wings encrusted with jewels and gemstones. She was a vision for men, even men such as myself to dream of.

Beside me, a soft voice clears his throat. He chuckles a little as I hurriedly thrust a bribe into his hands. Even though the president's in on it, selling Mockingjays is still a part of the black market and can be punished severely if identity gets leaked out. The sellers and their representatives play dirty, but I'm used to giving bribes. He leaves rather quickly, his footsteps hopping excitedly as he counted the money in his hands. I smirk to myself and turn my attention to the Mockingjay.

I read a book about Mockingjays once. Most of the things I already knew but some was worth learning. Mockingjays are more human than bird-they look just like a regular human woman but just with wings sprouting from her back. They fly swiftly through the skies and love to hide behind the shadows of trees in dark forests. There were not many of them and there certainly aren't many now. The only male Mockingjay alive in the world is Finnick Odair, but he was bought by some Cresta family for their daughter Annie. My chest swelled as I remembered the book said only very wealthy, very high class citizens of Panem could afford to illegally buy a Mockingjay. They are often purchased for sex and to produce amazing offspring for their owners. But their offspring is even more rare, because Mockingjays that were pregnated by their owners usually committed suicide before the offspring was born. The only half-human, half-Mockingjay ever known to existance is Haymitch Abernathy. He is considered a celebrity in Panem and because he is so well-known nobody dares to capture or buy him. I have spoken to him before; he is an intelligent man with a good career and wife. I have often dwelled in envy of him because he has found true love, and true love is a thing I have always yearned for more than any other. The girls that have thrown themselves at me were either after my money or my good looks, not because they were in love with me. I cannot stand the idea of being a lonely man for all my life. That just infurirates me. I am still young, only twenty, and since finding true love seems to be impossible in this bloody world why not purchase a rare, pure Mockingjay to keep me company.

I slowly make my way towards the cage. She is awake, and seems to have been for a while. She has been observing me. I wonder what she has seen, what she knows. I know that Mockingjays can speak and think like humans- which makes them dangerous if they are in charge. I need to show her who her master is. I must tame her if she is to be part of my company. I reach into my pocket and take out the key but I don't insert it into the lock. Her sparkling dark eyes follow my every move. Already, I sense distrust, which is normal for a new owner and Mockingjay. But soon I will change that. I will make her love me. I will make her mine.

With every move forward I make, she takes a step back. Soon I am inside the cage, the key safely at my disposal, and she has pressed herself against the bars, big dark eyes watching my next move. They shimmered with deep emotions and I took a long look into them, finding fear and something that pleases me: curiousity. I give her the kind of smile I would give to a girl I was attracted to; it didn't stretch all the way across my face, lighting up my eyes with a slightly mischevious look.

"Hello," I whisper the first word softly. I expect her to freak out or something but she just sneezes like a child. The moment makes me want to chuckle but instead I keep the smile on my face. She just blinks, keeping her large emotional eyes locked on mine.

After five awkward minutes of this I finally say something else. "What is your name?" I don't expect her to speak to me, but if I was to make her a part of my life we need to start somewhere.

Katniss

He tries to keep his face straight, but I can see he's beginning to form the outline of a smirk. His eyes are an icy shade of blue and remind me of some of the sapphires on my wings: cold and hard. He stands there tall and muscular, with golden blonde hair gleaming from the lights shining above. I bit down on my bottom lip, knowing that I am trapped, understanding now that he has purchased me. A rage of fury overwhelms my body. I am not something to be bought with! I puff my chest up with all the dignity I can muster and look at him in the eye. Two can play at this game the humans invented.

"Hello, what is your name?" His voice is soft but I can tell it's a test. A test to see if I'll talk when spoken to. A test to see if I will obey. But I know. I know why people capture us. I know why humans buy and sell us. They want slaves. I will be no slave to anyone. I will never belong or be a part of anyone's property. I frown. What would this man do if I were to ignore him? To shun him out of my world? Will he eventually sell me? Or beat me to death, like his fellow humans do to helpless and already-endangered Mockingjays? I am not a fool; I know that I may have to tread water and tread it carefully for awhile. I do some calculations in my head and come to the conclusion that if I am ever to go back to my freedom again, it will have to be accomplished by some form of communication between slave and master.

No! I scolded myself. Do not think of him as your master or you as his slave. Speak to him when he speaks to you, but don't do anything you don't want to do. Talk your way out. Play this game right. And then let go and be free, little one.

"Katniss," I find my voice, a little hoarse at first. "Katniss Everdeen."

His face is lit up with a new smile. "Marvelous, I am Cato. You have a surname, unlike others of your kind." I freeze. My surname was a symbol of my freedom, a symbol that I don't belong to anybody. "It was my mother's name," I find myself whispering the half-truth, "I took it with me because it was the only thing I had of her when I was...brought into your society." I have to blink away tears; hearing about what happened to previous crying Mockingjays makes me decide never to cry in front of a human. I glance up at Cato. He is staring at me with something warm in his icy eyes. No...could it be...sympathy? Why would he, out of all, provide me with sympathy? Why would he, out of the humans, have a heart?

To pretend, I realized. To trick me. He wants me to think he is kind, that he is good and fair. Manipulate me so that I like him and will be a good servant to him. Well, two can play at that game. I wipe some of the gathered tears from my eyes and forced the first smile that had came to me in years.

"I apologize for my drowsiness earlier, sir Cato," I make my voice as smooth as possible, "I was simply exhausted...being shipped here into your...civilization. I also am to be blamed for the late introductions; I have not spoken to many humans before. I do hope you'll forgive my rude manners upon having my meager abilities to serve you here." That was too long and it simply sounded wrong coming out of me. Every nerve, every brain cell screamed in protest while I delivered my sweet little speech. The torment was worth it though, Cato's eyes are sparkling and he's untying my hands and feet. I am unable to believe how fast the effects are, but as soon as that rope comes off I am breaking out of here. I stand with my eyes fixated, seeing the whole image play out in my mind.

It doesn't work.

My plan had been that once the ropes came off I was going to swipe the key in the quick dash I make for the door. It is too unrealistic, too much of an imagination. Cato towers over me by a whole head- and he is a mountain of pure muscle. When my tiny, frail hand reaches out to swipe the key he already has one large hand gripped firmly around my wrist, stopping my every move. I eye him warily. This is it, I decided. This is where he tortures and kills me. Or worse...

To my surprise, he laughs and breaks into a boyish, playful smirk. "I won't let you get away that easily, Katniss," he says, letting me go (my wrist is red and sore where he gripped it). "You have to learn me out as well. First, don't you ever try anything like that again. I will not let something I paid an arm and a leg for get away just like that. If you ever do escape, which isn't possible since my house is practically a maze in a manor, I will find you and bring you back. More attempts of escape and you will be punished, each more severely than the next. I am only letting you off this time as a warning and because this is your first day here. Believe me when I say I don't want to hurt you, Katniss." In his soft voice a deadly threat hovers there, and it makes me tremble and gash my teeth in my subconcious mind. I nod frantically, causing me to fall backwards onto the mattress. His words clouded some doubt over my future, but in no way am I giving up. I will still find a way to freedom, I vowed to myself. Seeing no reply from me he continues. "You do not have to worry about your meals. Once you have grown accustomed to indoor living you will be allowed to explore the manor. Do your given duties and chores. Take care not to get lost because it may take awhile to find you. I expect you to sleep in your cage at night with the door closed and the door to this room locked. I will always come check if you are here." He leans down until his face is only inches from mine. "Do I make myself clear?"

I should be focused on otherwise, but his warm breath completely overtakes me. His eyes are such a clear shade of blue, you can easily see through them but they can also hide things from you. His jaw is well-defined and clenched when he's not speaking. Cheekbones like the mountains of muscles that make up his body. I can't help but see something over than leadership flashing in his eyes. I cannot name it as of now.

"Katniss," he growled, snapping me back to my senses, "Have I made myself clear?" I was tempted to say no, just to see what he would do. I do not think he is empty of compassion- in fact, I think it is well-defined in his eyes. That perculiarity only makes me question his "punishments" and the severity of them. But since I am in fact exhausted and hungry I give him a weak nod. He sees it and stands up, walking out of the cage and locking the door. He slips the key into his pocket and said, "You should get some rest. You must be exhausted after your trip here. I will bring you some food later. Have a goodnight." I am fighting to keep my eyelids open as I watch him locking the door to this room. He sees me and then offers me a small smile. I am too weak to return one back. As he is shutting the door he whispers, "Welcome, Katniss." Then the door is shut and he is gone and my eyelids close.

Let me know what you think please! Should I continue? I have written another part to this and I honestly appreciate feedback!