Author's Note: This is a collab story by myself(Rio2016Archer) and Yet to be Broken. :D
Ryker(District 3 Boy) By: Rio2016Archer
"Ryker, can we speak with you about something?" Now they want to explain? They locked me up in a room, strapped a neck brace on me, and haven't told me anything. I scowled, "Yes."
"Ryker, you're in the underground complex of District 13." I nodded, unsurprised that 13 was still around.
"You aren't surprised?" the woman asked softly.
"It makes sense. I've heard about rebels through the grape vine, and it makes logical sense. You're forgetting that I programmed the Capitol's computers, I've talked to lots of people. It shouldn't be surprising that I know something, especially since I've talked to some contacts here. How do you think they get into the computer system?" I replied my analytical side taking over.
"Alright then. Anyway, are you willing to join the rebellion?" the woman asked me.
"Yes. Now, can you please explain the extent of my injury, how I survived, and where the rest of us are?" I demanded.
"Of course. You're spinal cord was snapped at the base of your neck, we did emergency surgery on the hovercraft that saved your life. We thought your brain might have been effected but your brain waves are the same as before the Games. Your tracker was a device that kept you alive. With your close work with the Capitol, it probably doesn't surprise you that Seneca Crane was a rebel. You're rooming with the District 8 tribute, Jonah." I nodded slowly as she helped me up.
Jonah was incredibly nice, he was killed by Clove in the bloodbath. He needed stiches and a blood transfusion.
"How were you killed?" Jonah asked as I adjusted the neck brace.
"Cato snapped my neck," I explained.
"Why?" Jonah questioned.
"I reactivated the landmines to kill any tributes who tried to go after the Career's supplies. Fire Girl shot an arrow opening a bag of apples, which set the mines off. It destroyed all their supplies and Cato was angry," I told him.
"That sucks."
I was ready to nap when Sorrel entered Jonah and I's room, "Ryker, Cato would like you to know how sorry he is for killing you."
"I accept his apology but... It's gonna take time. It's gonna take everyone time..." I replied softly.
"I know, I was just asked to relay the message." Sorrel shut our door, leaving us to ourselves.
I sighed and sat on the bed looking at Jonah, "Jonah, how old are you?"
"I'm... Sixteen, I think. It depends on how much time has gone by. I lose track."
"Did you have a girlfriend?"
"A fiancee."
"What was her name?"
"Jaime... Her parents used a name from the days before Panem. Did you?"
"Her name was Rydella."
"Do you miss her?"
"Every day."
"I miss Jaime too. It kills me to know she thinks I'm dead."
"I hope that Rydella paid enough attention to me to know that I'm alive..."
"What do you mean?"
"I knew that District 13 was around, and I knew that the tributes weren't dying."
"How?"
"District 3 produces the genius's of Panem. I'm in the top one percent of District 3. I programmed the Capitol's computers, I put loopholes in for the rebels."
"So, you're the smartest of the smartest?"
"I guess..."
"That's impressive."
"Not really. I could be better."
"I'm from District 8. I have basically no formal education. You're smart."
"Oh whatever. You're smart in a different way."
"How?"
"You can run those machines."
"You can design them."
"So?"
"You're smart. You proved it."
"How?"
"Your test scores."
Cato By: Yet to be Broken
I awoke screaming. I was surrounded by nurses and doctors who were attending my wounds. "Glad to have you with us, Cato." One of them said to me when she noticed I was finally awake. "You've been screaming for weeks!"
I rubbed my eyes. "W-where am I?"
"District 13." She replied, peeking under my bandages.
"Impossible! District 13 is gone. And I'm dead!" I realized. Girl on Fire killed me... in the Games.
"No, Cato. You're very much alive. You see, your tracker was actually a device designed to keep you alive. We've got District 13 rebels planted throughout the Capitol. Seneca Crane was one of them." She explained to me. "We've kept you alive, hoping that you might help us."
"Help you do what?" I questioned.
"Rebel against the Capitol, of course. We've been collecting "dead" tributes for nearly ten years now!" She said excitedly. "I really hope you agree."
Ten years... I thought to myself. Costa died five years ago!
"Excuse me, but you wouldn't happen to know a District Two boy named Costa, would you?" I hoped.
"Costa? Oh, yes. He's been a bit difficult. He lost the ability to walk." She said absent-mindedly. I doubt she knew the connection between he and I.
"May I see him?" I asked.
"We've got to keep you here, in our "newly rescued tribute" building for a few months. If he comes to visit, then of course you may see him. But no visitors will be allowed for a while. You're going to be kept in near isolation. You may only see the tributes from this year's Games."
Clove! Marvel! Ryker! They're here, too! "Where..."
"Hush, boy. You'll see them soon enough." She said, and injected something in my arm.
I winced. I wish she had warned me about the shot before giving it to me. But it must've been some sort of painkiller, because soon all the pain that had captured my body subsided.
"I want to see them now!" I begged. "Please!"
She sighed. "I'll see if they're ready for a reunion. But I wouldn't count on Ryker wanting to see you at the moment."
I remembered that I had snapped that boy's neck. "Can you at least tell him that Cato said sorry?"
"Yeah, whatever. The name's Sorrell, by the way." She said, rushing from the room.
I was still surrounded by people, but I ignored the rest of them. I just sat there and tried to take all this in. I was alive? I was really alive? And Costa.. Costa was alive too! I wondered if I would be able to contact Vivay, but I figured I couldn't. We couldn't risk having her telling all this to the Capitol.
But Clove is alive! I'm so extremely happy! I mean, sure, I love Vivay, but Clove... Clove is special. I don't even know why I ever asked Vivay to marry me. I suppose... I suppose I just figured Clove could do so much better than me. Now that we were together in the Games, I just don't know. Didn't she scream my name as Thresh murdered her?
Sorrell came back into the room. "Well, Clove is asleep, and I'd really rather not wake her. She's suffered minor brain damage, but it's nothing to serioius. I think she lost her sense of smell."
"Marvel? Ryker?" I was desperate to see a familiar face.
"I was right, Ryker doesn't really want to see you. He accepted your apology, but he's going to need some space. And you'll be seeing Marvel very soon. You and him are sharing a room."
"When am I going to my room?" I needed to see him.
"Immediately." She smiled and helped lead me to my room.
She opened the door to a pale yellow room. There were two beds, two dressers, and a door that led to a bathroom. "Cato!"
I was so happy to see Marvel again. "Marvel!"
He jumped up from his bed and rushed over to me. He embraced me in a hug, which I suppose was a bit much, but I was so happy to see him I didn't care. Sorrell left us alone, telling me how I could find clothes in my dresser.
"How bad is it, Marvel?" I asked, seeing how he wore a neck brace.
"Not too bad, actually. I just have to wear this thing for a while until my injury isn't nearly so bad. Everdeen shot me." He said, absent-mindedly touching his neck brace.
"I'm sorry. Why'd she shoot you? Do you know? Was it just desire to kill?" I asked, suddenly interested in his death.
"I.. I speared District 11. The little girl." He confessed.
"Oh..." I said softly. Marvel had always had a bit of a soft spot for that girl.
"It's alright. We're here now. Alive." Marvel grinned at me.
"Yeah... alive." I agreed.
