*November 25, 200*

SHOOT ME, DAMMIT! SHOOT ME!

I try my best to mouth that to Katniss as strong white-gloved hands haul me up. Don't know what's going to happen once these assholes find out who I am, but I do know I'd rather be taken out with a quick shot than whatever they have planned; especially since I gave that pill to Mellark. Instead of complying though, my oldest friend chooses that time to freeze like a deer caught in the crosshairs; little does she know that she had probably just consigned me to a worse fate than death. But I guess I can't really hold it against her; I've already done that with too many things than I could count.

So the next best thing I can do, as I'm dragged into the apartment, is to simply yell, "Go!" Hopefully she'll at least take that course of action.

The moment the door slams shut I'm dropped unceremoniously on the ground. As I try to get my breath back, I take a quick look around the room. It looks like there are at least two Peacekeepers, though I'm not sure if another nearby. They don't seem to be paying much attention to me, so if I just lie low enough possibly I may be able to get a jump on them.

The Peacekeeper that dragged me in — the tag on his arm reads "Lee" — seats himself on the floor and lets out an exhausted huff of air. "Have they gone insane in the control room? They're killing more of our guys and the civvies than they are the rebs."

Lee's colleague — I think that tag says "Carson"; dammit, I really shouldn't be reading these… — peers outside of window and mutters, "You could say that. Whole damn place has gone bonkers. Which is why we kinda NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" he bellows before sending a scowl up the stairs. "What's taking Talc?"

Great, that means there are at least three Peacekeepers here. Okay, they seem distracted; if I can just…

Of course just in line with my luck lately, Lee takes that time to peer down at me. "Hey, dude, you alright there? That was a pretty clo—… oh hell…"

Judging by the way his eyes widen, I've just been found out. I try to reach for my gun, but he tackles me and calls Carson over before I can do anything. Before I can get my bearings straight, the cloak and rest of the disguise has been stripped away, along with all of my weapons.

Damn it… damn it… damn it…

"Well if isn't Gale fucking Hawthorne…" Carson sneers as he binds and hauls me up to a standing position. He also makes sure to securely fasten my bow and quiver to his own back. "Thanks for the souvenir. Bout time I got something useful out of this place."

"Valen, what are we supposed to do with him?" Lee hisses. "It's not like we're going to stop someplace and drop him off. And if Talc finds out—"

"I guess you'll have to kill me…" I grit out.

"Heh, pay up Geta; told you these guys never seemed like the type to surrender." I hear a sidearm being withdrawn. "Frankly, Hawthorne, this is going to be a blessing compared to—"

Whatever Carson was planning on comparing a summary execution to, he doesn't get a chance to say as a series of footsteps heralds a group of people coming down the stairs. Soon the Peacekeeper who I assume is "Talc" comes walking down with a Capitolite family in tow; presumably a husband and wife with a baby in the latter's arms, a teenage girl that looks distressingly like Prim, and an elderly man being helped down by the Peacekeeper. The moment they reach the bottom of the stairs and Talc gets a good look at me, everybody momentarily freezes.

At that point, as if in slow motion, several things simultaneously happen: Carson mutters a choice string of profanities under his breath as he holsters his gun; he and Lee let go of me and quickly move in opposite directions; a collective look of comprehension and fear emanates from the civilians as they hunker down and look away; and something contorts Talc's face has she withdraws a sidearm of her own. That's when time seems to return to normal, and a flash of muzzle fire accompanies something punching my left shoulder.

As I topple to the ground, a wave of searing, eye-blurring pain blossoms and spreads from the point of impact and is accompanied by the sound of a ragged scream; it barely registers with me that the scream is mine. My vision manages to clear shortly, though when it does, I'm graced with the view of a very pissed-off Peacekeeper advancing upon me.

Well, this is it… Show me what you got, bitch.

To my surprise however, she's just a few feet away when Carson and Lee move to restrain her. What are they doing?

Talc is probably just as confused as me, though it appears that anger takes precedence as she struggles against them. "Let go of me!"

"Hey," Lee states through gritted teeth, "now's not the time."

"He's right here! Now's best as time as any!" What's her problem? I've dealt with loud and fanatical Peacekeepers before, but there's something else about this woman. "You know what he did! He knows what he did!"

Carson, in turn, lets off a sigh, "Yes, we all know this prick killed your folks and baby brother," What? "but—"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I yell back as best as I can with a shoulder wound. "I never killed anybody's family! You're the ones who—"

"Don't lie!" Talc screams, her voice breaking in the process; it's then that I see the tears fall and figure out what was so different about her rants. "I saw what you did! I heard you! You were fucking proud of burying them!"

That's when it hits: my plans to cause an avalanche to block entrances; everybody telling me that the majority of people in the place were civilians; Katniss looking at me with an air of condemnation. But it had to be done, and those "civilians" knew what they were getting themselves into. And if they kept children in there, then that's on them.

I'm shaken from my musings when Carson retorts, "I know. We all saw it too. And if you're going to shoot him, shoot him. But what you had planned… we don't have time for that."

"Valen's right; Pyke just sent out the last call a few minutes ago," Lee states before giving a pointed look towards the cowering civilians. "And it's not just us you have to worry about."

The moment Talc follows her colleague's line on sight, something in her seems to gradually deflate, and she finally gives a small nod. Once they let her go, the Peacekeeper walks towards me with a demeanor that's the complete opposite from earlier; I can't see a single trace of emotion on her whatsoever.

Knowing what's coming my way, I manage to muster up a look of defiance towards my executioner as she raises her gun. At least I can die knowing I brought you all do-AAAARRGH!

I have just enough awareness over my own screams to figure out what just happened. Suffice to say, the bitch didn't shoot me in the face… or the chest; she shot me right above the elbow through the arm. The fact that my hands are still bound behind me doesn't help anything, so the best I can do to minimize the pain is to roll onto my right side and instinctively curl up.

The Peacekeeper doesn't bother to finish me off; instead, she holsters her gun and walks past me to lock the door before walking back towards the group waiting for her. However, she takes the time to kick my wound in each pass — the doubled wave of pain keeps me from doing anything other than balling up — and briefly stops to say, with flat voice completely devoid of any emotion, "If by some chance you survive, I hope this will all come back to haunt you."

Then everybody departs through the back door; though not before Carson takes the time to taunt me further about his latest acquisition.

So I get to be left in this wonderful situation. Even through the pain blanketing me right now — it's actually up there with the whipping — I'm of clear enough mind to know that, if I don't get attention soon, blood loss is going to be a problem. Also, even if the doors aren't locked, it's doubtful that the rebels — from the sounds and shouts of outside, our lines have just past through this area and are about to break through — are just going to stumble upon me; so I'm going to have to get to them.

Between the cuffs and the wounds, I don't know how I manage to find the strength and patience to do it. Yet somehow, I'm able to unlock the door and push it open. It's fortunate that my uniform is now visible and that I fall forward to hit the ground as the door opens up; because immediately gunfire strafes the spot above me before there's a call to cease fire.

By this time, I'm loopy from blood loss — or it could be the nerves — to the point that the only thing I can do is look at the bullet holes riddling the door and let off a small giggle. As a medic begins examining me, I finally feel myself going under.

Though not before I hear the sound of explosions accompanied by a collective set of screams…

~oOo~

*Now*

The glass I'm holding almost slips out of my shaking hand. Ah damn it; not again…

Capitol medicine may have more or less fixed my left arm, but it's still much weaker than it should be — I can't even hold the smallest of bows straight — and goes into a jittery state intermittently. This is especially the case whenever I recall that unpleasant day a couple weeks ago; the twinges I feel where those bullet holes were don't help. Fortunately, I'm able to put those shakes back under control.

However, it's not enough to stop my adviser from noticing. "Sir… are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Wilson," I mutter before looking him straight in the eye. "And what do you care?"

Just like that, any trace of concern on Wilson's face vanishes as he growls, "I don't." And he goes back to glowering at me with that now-familiar unmitigated hatred. Just like most of the people in this forsaken district…

I really don't want to be in Two. However, Coin and Command want me here to help put down any potential uprisings by loyalists. Granted, there's another reason they sent me here: there's an asset that they now wish to claim; an asset which currently looms inactive over the district's square as a testament to my handiwork.

Because what I once buried… I'm going to have to recover.

A/N: As can be surmised, this fic is a critical look at Gale's role and mentality during the Rebellion through the lens of his actions and interactions after the Capitol fell.

I do feel the need to add that while this story is fairly critical, its purpose is NOT to bash Gale; actually the opposite, if anything.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy.