Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games, They belong to Suzanne Collins.
Note: A bit of a delayed update, but hopefully it'll be one worth waiting for. Had a fair few personal issues and such going on this month, but everything's all under control now and ideally this means faster updates in the future. Guess we'll see for sure soon enough. Not got much else to say, so I'll sign off here and hope that you enjoy reading. :)
ACT 1: THE INSPIRATION
Part 2: The Ruined District
Walking through District Four, I can only stare and slowly shake my head. No matter where I look, it's nothing but pure destruction. Everything I once knew is gone. The bakeries, the candy store, all the homes that stood so neat and tidily by the sea... all of it, gone.
Well, technically not gone. After all, a lot of the buildings are still here. Just burnt, broken and smouldering. It hurts to look at all of them as I walk on by.
This is just one place in District Four. There are lots of towns all over the District, but I don't doubt that all of the others look as bad as mine does. Whoever wins this war, is there even going to be any chance of Four being restored to how I remember it? It'll take so long to clear up the terrible wreckage and rebuild all of the houses and stores. Not to mention the way the sea is flooded up with horrible toxic waste of some kind. The air is breathable, but I'm still wary. If any gas masks remain in the area then I'm putting them on. Lucky for Coral and I, Peacekeeper helmets work just fine as gas masks and chances are some are laying around here somewhere. After all, we've seen the charred remains of Peacekeeper uniforms here and there...
I grimace as I walk just ahead of Coral along one of the winding streets towards the Victor's Village. Already we've passed by the broken school we once attended and the practically melted remains of our favourite toy store from when we were little kids. The smell of the smoke is nasty. It's like the odour of heartbreak, if that makes sense? I... I just can't right now.
"Still hanging in there Coral?" I ask her. "We can take a break if you need us to. That was quite a, well, scare you just went through."
Coral sniffles and shakes her head. She wrings her hands, mortified as she looks around.
"What do we do Urchin? Even if we win, what comes after? We don't have a home anymore," Coral says, distant. "I just... I just..."
"Yeah," I say, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know. I've thought about that too, honestly. Maybe I'd go to Eleven, with Rue. But it's not home, not really. Have you and your parents thought about where you'll move to? Maybe Seven? I've heard they have decent lakes to swim in."
Coral flinches, her face paling more than it already had. I wait for her to find the energy to talk, glancing around for any sign of danger or the rest of the group.
I guess we're always surrounded by danger, come to think of it, but if there are mutts lurking then I'd like to see them coming. I hold my knife tightly. It's all I've got right now. Well, I do have a pistol but we were going to get ammo to load in after we landed. Boggs had the ammo. See the problem?
Well, I've done more with less.
"Urchin," Coral mumbles, looking very uneasy. "My... my..."
"Take your time," I tell her, gently. "Deep breathes if you have to."
"My parents are gonna be so furious at me," she says, shivering. "They didn't know I snuck off. They're gonna know... they're gonna know I nearly got myself killed! Urchin, help me..."
I pause, wondering what I can do here. On the one hand I understand Coral meant no harm at all and only wanted to come and provide help for her home. It's the same thing I'm doing, after all.
On the other hand, she nearly fell to her death! She's only here because of me. If her parents are going to punish her for it, well, is it wrong that I feel Coral deserves it?
"I'm not gonna sugar coat it, you're gonna be in serious trouble," I tell her. "If your parents have harsh punishment in store for you, take it like a big girl. Whatever they'll do, it's better than the Hunger Games. Besides, you did almost get yourself killed."
"I'm sorry..." Coral sniffles. "Ok, I'll accept whatever awaits me."
"Good. Just remember, it can't be worse than either Hunger Games I was in," I say as we step over some rubble. "Mutts, people trying to kill me, all kinds of traps..."
I trail off as we pass by a few houses. It was once a rather pleasant neighbourhood, but now it's nothing but a broken wasteland that smells of ash. Conch Avenue, that was what this place was called. Both Coral and I flinch when we pass by what used to be house number thirty two on this road.
It used to be Dory's house.
My heart aches as I think of my fallen friend. The friend who died in my arms. The thought of her funeral has my eyes teary. She deserved better. She deserved to grow old and live life to the fullest, same as any kid. Alas, that's not the world we live in. Just a cursed, unfair country built on pain.
"Come on, let's go..." I say, speeding up.
"Wait, Urchin, I see something," Coral says, wiping her tears away. "Look."
I look to where Coral points, letting out a choked gasp. How did I not see those before? Laid around the wreckage of Dory's house are white roses. The same sort that President Snow is known for loving; he's never without one when he appears on TV nor face to face.
Snow's favourite flower laid around the wrecked house of my dead friend? He's trying to mess with my head. As if my head wasn't already messed up as it as. I guess there's no kill like overkill, right?
"C'mon, we're almost there," I say, taking Coral's hand.
We jog on our way, not looking back for a moment. Not at the wrecked houses, not at the broken streets, not at the smouldering fires and especially not at Dory's house. It's too painful.
"Oh, wait, we should probably signal where we are," I say, taking a flair gun from my pocket. The one loaded gun I was given. Better than nothing. "Hopefully they'll see it and catch up to us."
Aiming up at the sky I pull the trigger. The bright flair shoots off up above, crackling brightly. It's pretty, but against the pale green sky above District Four it just looks so unnatural. This whole place does.
Maybe we'll feel less creeped out once the rest of the squad catches up. Honestly, as unnerved as I am I don't believe that I am scared either, per-say. After two Hunger Games arenas, I know I an handle this place.
It's just the heartbreak that's giving me issues.
(Not much later...)
Walking through the mangled gates of the Victor's Village I let out a quiet gasp. All the magnificent homes have been broken to bits, hardly anything left of them except rubble. My own house is certainly in bad shape. I don't see any roses laid around here, but I'm not assuming the place is safe.
A hole has been blasted upon to reveal the sewer below, full of toxic looking water. This and the fact the pool by my house is still on fire make it obvious the Victor Village is as unsafe as the rest of Four.
"Remember when this place was intact and we were training to be Careers?" I ask Coral.
"Yeah. Seems so long ago," she mumbles, sticking right beside me. "Looks like the training worked out for you, at least."
It didn't work out for Dory. I can't get that off of my mind. Maybe if I had trained her better or told her to run from the bloodbath or even just followed her around the entire time... maybe I could've saved her before it was too late.
"Think training may have helped the tributes in the graveyard?" Coral asks, pointing a distance away to the tribute graveyard.
Or, rather, what was once the tribute graveyard. Now it's just a smoking field of broken gravestones and bones. A sickly sight, one that has me more queasy than sea sickness ever did. You don't disturb the dead. You just don't! Even in death, those poor children aren't free from the Capitol's torment.
"How many children were buried in there?" Coral asks, her voice light.
"Well, we've had seven Victors. Was Dory buried here?" I ask, quietly.
"No," Coral says, softly. "They never got around to it before..."
"...Yeah. So, seventy five hunger games with two tributes each is a hundred and fifty, with two extra added for the second Quell. Take away seven for the Victors we have, and one more for the fact I went in twice," I exhale, sick at the thoughts of death. "That's one hundred and forty four dead kids."
We stand and stare out at the broken graveyard for a while. No words are spoken between us. Not like there is really much that we can actually say, is there? Nothing that isn't sobbing or anger at the cruel Capitol.
"So, why did we come here?" Coral asks me as we approach the ruins of my old house.
"Well, the houses are pretty big," I say as I look over the broken doorway. "I figure maybe if any house could protect people from the firebombs it'd be one of these. Maybe somebody could've taken shelter in the basement of one of them?"
"You know, it does remind me... I saw Tack running for this place before the second wave of the bombs dropped," Coral whispers, a hand to her sickly gut. "Maybe he's here. Though, he might be-."
"-He's alive," I say, unsure how much I even believe this. "Nobody ever saw him die. There's no proof of his death. Maybe he's here right now."
So, we start searching. It's a hard effort, of course. Whatever the experiences we've had, we're still fairly small sized and actions like moving rubble or raising fallen panels is something we're having trouble with. If the rest of the squad was here this would be a lot easier, but right now we've got no time to waste waiting around for them. Not when Tack, or any other survivors, could be right beneath our feet.
Before long Coral pleads for a break, worn out. My own muscles feel a painful ache, but I'm not done yet. I won't be done until I've checked the basements of all the houses. But, Coral's already in a pretty bad state... yeah, I can keep going alone.
"Take as long as you need," I tell her as she settles outside the wreckage of my house. "But keep an eye out for the squad. Call them over as soon as you see them."
"Can do," she replies, taking some deep breathes.
Part of me wants to just destroy the floor to get down to the basement, but there are two issues presented to me. I might cause rubble to land on survivors - if anybody is actually down there, that is – and the floor is pretty solid. Whatever it's made out of, it's far stronger than a normal floor like what other houses in Four have. Not just wood or cheap concrete, but probably some kind of metal? So, I'll have to clear the wreckage to the basement door until I can get through.
I really wish the window to the basement wasn't covered by a toxic sort of substance. It'd make this so much easier. Every second passed is a second longer Snow has Ula in his clutches and could do anything to her!
What might they do to her, and Prim? I've never really stopped to consider what fates befall Capitol prisoners, but I do at least know what an Avox is. I try not to vomit at the idea of either Ula or Prim becoming an Avox.
"It won't happen, you can save her," I scold myself. "Think positive! Be brave!"
I freeze, hearing something beyond the rubble. It's faint, but I am sure I heard somebody. A moment passes before the same muffled noise is there again. I don't know what they're saying, but it's a person!
"Somebody's alive!" I yell, working as fast as I can to tear the rubble out of the way. "Coral, somebody's here!"
"The Squad are here too!" she tells me, staggering over. "What should I do?"
"Just help me get all this rubble out of the way," I say, shortly. "There were food and water supplies in the basement, but after a month it's probably gone. We don't have much time. Hurry!"
I feel bad for the way I snapped at Coral, but she doesn't complain. She grabs a rock and drags it from the rubble pile. That's when I see Valkri sprinting up with a sword in hand. Or, is that just a huge combat knife? Doesn't matter, she's already ran up and started moving the rubble without a word.
"Are the rest close?" I ask her.
"The camera crew was right behind me," she says, not looking anywhere besides the rubble she's moving. "The rest should be here soon. There were mutts."
Mutts. Demons, all of them. I can't help but swallow nervously at the thought of them being here in Four. Every mutt that I've seen has been one horror story after another. The dogs made from the dead tributes of my first Hunger Games, the snowmen with the face of Glimmer, the horrible scorpions... no such thing as a good mutt!
"So long as the mutts are killed and no others make it here, I'm more than fine with that," I say after a moment.
I glance back, seeing that the camera crew have set up and are filming me as I work on removing all of the rubble. They're just standing there!
"Hey!" I yell at them, frowning. "Put down the damn camera and help us dig! Somebody's down here!"
They at least have the decency to look shamefaced, all four of them setting down the equipment and running over. They work fast, having an easier time than the rest of us kids were. The three men, two of whom are twins I think, tear out chunks of the rubble and throw it all away while the women uses a sort of pick axe to strike holes in the wreckage and loosen more of the rubble amongst it.
I'd assumed them to be from Thirteen, but the vivid green vines on the woman's head make me do a double take. They're from the Capitol! Though, with Plutarch being on the rebel's side amongst other Capitol people too, is this a huge surprise? I guess not. For a brief moment I glance at the name tag on her uniform, seeing that her name is Cressida.
"Almost there!" she says, smashing the pick down.
She's right. It's not a minute longer that we finally break through the rubble. I leap through it alongside Valkri, not waiting another moment. We thunder down the stairs, three at a time and skid into the basement.
I drop my knife at what I'm seeing.
"...Tack..." I whisper, hardly daring to believe it. "...I knew it! I knew you were alive!"
My joy is short lived. He may be alive, but my old friend certainly isn't well. He lays upon a sofa, groaning in pain. He's very thin and sickly, looking like he's hardly aware of the world around him. Does he even know we're here to save him?
Did he even respond to our calls, or did he just groan in pain and pure chance allowed us to find him?
It doesn't matter. We're getting him out of here, right here and right now. One look at all the empty food packets and bottles around the room make me glad we got here when we did. Another day or two and he'd be a goner.
"Can you hear me, Tack?" Valkri asks as she approaches him.
She carefully holds Tack up in her arms. She brushes some grime out of his curly red hair, concerned. I stand by her as Tack opens his eyes weakly. He's silent for a few moments as he looks at us.
"...Are you an angel?" he asks Valkri, soon passing out once again.
"Tack!" I check his pulse, panic surging throughout my veins.
"He's alive," Valkri says. "He's still breathing. I know over five hundred ways for people to be killed, and this isn't one of them. Well, not yet."
"TACK!"
Coral runs up, her eyes as wide as saucers when she sees Tack. Behind her are the camera crew, their camera turned on once again.
"Is he..." she trails off, shaking.
"He's alive," I assure her. "But he needs help, fast."
"I think I saw first aid kits on the hovercraft," Valkri says, holding Tack protectively. "If we can get him there, he'll probably live."
"Then let's get him there right now. We have no time to lose," I say, grabbing my knife back up and holding it tightly. "Where did the hovercraft land? ...Has it even landed yet?"
"It has, but it's three miles away," Cressida says. "There are mutts out there, you're lucky you didn't come across any of them on the way here. It'd be safer to wait for Boggs and-."
"There's no time," I tell her, already moving for the stairs. "Tack needs help right now. Plenty of others might as well. We can't afford to play it safe!"
I look at Valkri, still holding Tack while Coral fusses over him. He's in a bad state... but, I saved Coral. I can save him too! We can save him.
"Maybe some of us can take Tack to safety and some of us can stay here to dig up more survivors?" one of the cameramen suggests after a few moments. "Me, Cressida, Urchin and Valkri can get Tack out of here. Everybody else stays behind to look for survivors."
"Good plan Castor," Cressida says. "Pollux and Messalla, stay safe and keep the kid safe too. She's already had one nasty scare, she doesn't need anymore."
"You can count on us," says one of the men, the thinner and younger one. The other, a burly bearded man, just gives a nod as he stands protectively by Coral.
"Before we go anywhere, put this on. Both of you," Cressida says, passing Coral and I a gas mask each. It only now occurs to me that the rest of the group are all wearing one.
I'm quick to put mine on, Coral doing so a few seconds later, and suddenly the air tastes a lot cleaner. Much less foul than it was a few seconds ago. I frown, glancing at Tack.
"Is there one for him?" I ask, hopeful.
"There were no spares," Cressida says, apologetic.
I'm halfway through taking my gas mask off, intending to use it on Tack, when Cressida quickly puts it right back on me. She shakes her head.
"You need to think of yourself first," she tells me, shaking her head. "You cannot be replaced, not after all the wonderful things you've done and the people you've inspired already. If your friend can survive here for so long, he can survive a few minutes out there in the open."
I frown, but soon enough I just sigh and nod. I might as well drop it as I don't see me getting my way on this one. Every second spent arguing is a second Tack goes without the help he's in severe need of.
"...Ok, let's move," I say, leading the group up the stairs. I can't help but wonder, for a moment at least, how the adults feel about the fact a twelve year old is leading them through this mission. If I were them, I guess I'd be embarrassed but they show no signs of complaining.
We're out of the wreckage of my old house in a flash, quickly running out of the Victor Village and into the streets. I let Cressida lead the way as it's not like I know where the hovercraft actually landed. I keep glancing at Valkri, making sure that she isn't falling behind or losing her grip on Tack. Thankfully, he's fine. For now.
"So, what were the mutts?" I ask Cressida as she runs along.
"Some kind of skinless dog. I hear some in the Capitol call them Groaners," she tells me. "Castor, this boy needs ammo."
Right away, a clip of bullets is pressed into my hand by the burly man running with us, the one I think is the twin of Pollux.
"Load it," he tells me. "This place is dangerous and we can't afford to lose you."
"Or Valkri, or Tack," I add as I load the gun. "We're all getting out of here."
I'm not sure if I believe my own words. Any of us could die on this mission. Coral almost did not long ago! She still might if anything goes wrong.
I sure hope the Groaners are weak to bullets and easy to hit.
(Not much later...)
Cressida says that the hovercraft landed near an old factory, one used to make chowder. I think Gill's mother used to work there, or at least she did before the bombs dropped. Seems like the factory has been left more or less fine though. Well, not fine... it's pretty busted in some places, but it looks like the worst of the bombing missed this particular area. Sure enough, the hovercraft is parked near the dormant factory aquarium.
No Groaners have come after us, but I'm not holding my breath. Knowing how life often is for me, there will be plenty of them coming sooner than later. I keep my gun at the ready, prepared to fire any second.
"Careful with that thing," Valkri mutters. "Don't shoot unless you know what it is you're shooting at. Don't accidentally shoot me!"
I nod, assuring her I won't hurt her. Admittedly gun safety was a short class, but I'd like to think that I'd know better than to shoot one of my friends. I'm in the business of saving people, not killing them!
Then again, I'm sure some people would disagree. Cato, Glimmer, Pike, Isaak, Meadow, Colm... six people dead by my own hands.
We're able to reach the hovercraft without any incidents and get Tack loaded on board. He's quickly laid upon a stretcher, a sort of medical oxygen mask put over his face and a medic looking him over. Not the same kind of mask I've got on and it's connected to an oxygen canister, so I get why it couldn't be bought along. I just hope Tack's not been poisoned. The grim look on the medic's face doesn't make me feel any better.
"You got him back just in time," she says, checking his pulse and heartbeat. "He's very weak."
"Is he gonna live?" I choke out, sickened over seeing my friend so thin and frail.
"It's possible," is all she says.
We sit in place for a bit, all of us restless. Valkri kneels beside the medic, watching over Tack without losing her hold on her sword while Cressida and Castor talk quietly with each other. Too quiet for me to really pick it up, but I do hear Finnick's name spoken.
"What's going on with the others?" I ask them as I walk over. "Is Finnick ok? Any of them in trouble?"
"Last we heard they were alright. The Groaners sent them off course," Cressida tells me. "If there's any trouble then they'll call us. Walkie talkies... and you never got one, did you?"
"I was supposed to get it upon landing, right?" I say, holding out my hand awkwardly.
She passes me the walkie talkie and I'm quick to use it. It's not hard to figure out really; it's just like the toy ones I had when I was a little boy. Though, I guess on a much grander and high-tech scale. One press of the button and the device turns out with a low sort of hum.
"Finnick, are you there?" I ask the device. "Come in Finnick. Uh, over."
"Hi, you've reached Luigi's Pizza. May I take your order?"
"Hopper, I know it's you," I say, shaking my head. "We're on a mission, we have to be serious."
"Ok, ok," he says. "But seriously, we're actually near a pizza parlour. I didn't know Four had those."
"Does Twelve?" I can't help but ask.
"No, but I saw a picture of a pizza in a magazine once," he says chuckling "Anyway, what's up?"
"Where are you guys now? What's going on with you?" I ask him, crossing my fingers in hopes of nothing awful being about to happen.
"We're near a pizza parlour," Hopper replies, giggling some more.
I hear Hopper complain for a moment and the sounds of movement over the walkie talkie. A moment later I hear the familiar voice of my uncle.
"Urchin, you're ok!" Finnick's relief is touching to hear. ...I bet he's still gonna have words me being so reckless as to jump out of the sky. "Where are you? We're currently at the Capitol Clam Boat Yard. Those mutts sent us off course, but we're all fine. We've found two survivors. How about you? Everything ok?"
"Well, I saved Coral," I say, sitting on a crate. "Took a bit of a hit on the ground, but I'm alive."
"Good work Urchin. I'm proud of you," Finnick says, sounding delighted. "Not bad for your first sky dive, huh?"
"I never want to do it ever again!" I exclaim. "I'm back at the hovercraft with Valkri, Cressida and, uh, Castor? Yeah, Castor."
"What about Coral, Pollux and Messalla?" Finnick asks, quick and to the point. "Are they hurt? Separated?"
"They're at the Victor's Village digging into the basements in case there are survivors down there," I tell him. "We found a survivor Finnick. He's alive... Tack's alive..."
I feel myself getting emotional, wiping away a few of my tears. I can hardly dare to believe it, the fact we found one of my closest friends. I bet it'll be a very long road to recovery ahead for Tack, but so long as I am alive and standing by then I vow that he'll live!
Honestly, the more friends of mine that die... the more dead I feel on the inside.
"Good work Urchin. Tack's parents are going to be relieved," Finnick says, practically beaming. "You did great. We'll be... aw, shit."
"Finnick? What is it?" I ask, shaking the walkie talkie. "What's going on?!"
I hear the sounds of angry snarls and vicious barking before the line goes dead, the last sound being Finnick yelling. The sound went off from his side before I could tell if it was a yell of pain or just a battle cry.
"Finnick! Come in, Finnick! Over!" I yell, shaking the walkie talkie. "No!"
"They should be fine," Castor says. "Boggs is tough, and Finnick is a legend. No way Mutts would take him out."
I don't hang around to listen; I'm already walking out of the hovercraft and back out into the open air of the District. I'm sure that they would appreciate some back-up. All this saving people business is making me feel all sorts of dazed inside, but it's what's expected of me as the Mockingjay. If I'm gonna be the face of the rebellion, then I'm gonna act like it.
Besides, Finnick is family and Hopper is a friend. What kind of a shrimp would just leave them to fend for themselves? Magus is there too and may need a hand just in case. Besides, we'd need to get back for Coral and the men with her too. Oh, and let's not forget Boggs. He's one of the highest ranked people in Thirteen; without him, the whole thing goes belly up. Kinda like a dead fish...
"Urchin, come back!" Castor calls after me. "It's dangerous-."
"So is the rebellion! So is the Capitol!" I yell back. "If we're taking them down, and if I'm getting my sister and Prim back, then I have to face danger one way or the other! Yeah, it's scary as a shark attack, but I'd do it anyway to save people I love!"
I don't stay to hear more, with every second that passes being a second longer that any of the squad could be getting killed by the Groaners. However, I do have one advantage on this mission.
I used to live here. I know the area like the back of my hand. If anybody could find the fastest route to the Capitol Clam Boat Yard it would be me. Sure enough, I can already picture the route I'll take in my head. Second right, third left, onwards past the intersection and so on. I can do this.
Footsteps alert me to the fact I'm being followed. I glance back for only a moment, seeing that Cressida is running behind me with her camera in hand.
"I hope you can shoot and film at the same time," I tell her as we leap over some rubble.
Cressida gives a thumbs up, confidence shining in her eyes. I'll give her one thing, she's one talented film director.
I just hope I can be one talented rebel.
(Some time passes...)
Fog is starting to gather by the time we make it to the boat yard. I'd worried about it being toxic, but Cressida says the gas masks will keep us safe from any sort of danger. This poison sure looks nasty though; what if she's wrong?
I can only hope a few hours of being in this place won't cause me any long term health issues. It makes me wonder just what problems Tack might have after being in this place for so long.
Cressida has been filming me as I jog, a feeling that still feels a bit awkward. I didn't think I'd care about it, having bigger problems and also having been on camera a lot in the past. The arenas were surely full of thousands of cameras. I guess it's just that seeing the camera and the person holding it makes it feel a lot more personal.
"We're almost there," I tell her as we run through a cracked, battered street. A fissure has formed in the road, forcing us to carefully edge our way around the side of it. "We should be able to hear them soon."
"What do you plan to do when we're there?" Cressida asks me. "What's strikes you as the best course of action, Mockingjay?"
Is Cressida asking me because she wants to know, or is it more for the camera and the propo? I'm hardly sure, but I guess it won't hurt to answer the question. I had an idea on the way, luckily.
"Shoot at the mutts," I tell her, not looking back. "If Mutts can die from knives and swords, then they can die from bullets. Uh, right?"
"It seems likely," she replies. "What will you do for the survivors Finnick spoke of?"
"Anything they need," I say, quickly. "A month in this place that was once my home, they're entitled to anything they need."
No sooner have I said that, gunshots and distant screams enter my ears. We're close and by the sound of it there's plenty of trouble going on. Exactly what I was afraid of! It can never be easy, can it?
But, the right thing is rarely easy I guess.
"Come on!" I yell, speeding up. "They need help!"
I race on as fast as I can, dodging wreckage and leaping over small rubble piles. It's as if I am back in the Seventy Fourth Hunger Games, making my charge to the Cornucopia. I'd beat everybody except Thresh to the Cornucopia that day. I know I'm fast enough to get there on time.
"Finnick!" I yell. "FINNICK!"
I'm like a curly haired blur as I run through the gates of the destroyed factory. The fog makes it hard to see the entire area and all the wreckage, but I can see enough to have an idea of what's going on here.
Magnus and Finnick are back to back with a sword and trident between them, striking at various demonic, decayed dog mutts that try to jump and gnaw at them. From upon a metal container Boggs stands with a rifle in hand, taking careful aim and firing off shots at the mutts. A hoard of these beasts lay brutalised upon the ground, staining the concrete red. So gross...
It seems these must be what Groaners are. Horrible dogs. They look so unnatural, like some sort of starving demon hounds. Creatures like them shouldn't exist! You and I both know that.
It takes me a few moments to see where Hopper is, but before long I manage to spot him. He's up on a container much like the one Boggs is upon and it seems he's kneeling by two people. I cannot make out any details of them out from here, but I'd guess those are the survivors that Finnick mentioned.
The moment I see another Groaner emerge from the mist I fire upon it. It feels strange, unsettling even, to fire a weapon at a living creature... but I won't dwell on it. Mutts only exist to hurt people, or worse. Taking them out is the only thing to be done.
The Groaners are fast, just like real dogs, but every shot makes them flinch and stop their movement. I breath deeply, shaking as two of them lay dead from my gun.
"Urchin!" Finnick calls to me, urgent. "Get down, now!"
I drop to the ground in an instant, Finnick's trident soaring over me a moment later. I don't have to wait even a second for the sound of a fleshly splatter to enter my ears. I glance back, gulping at the sight of a Groaner sprawled out with the trident right through its neck. The beast almost snuck up on me...
"Where are they coming from?!" I shout, trying to keep my breathing stable. "So many dogs..."
"The Capitol must have left them here," Finnick says, sprinting by to grab his trident back up. "They must be able to smell us for miles."
I try to be brave. I'm on camera right now – indeed, Cressida has perched herself at the top of a street lamp. She films the battle from above, firing off a bullet at the Groaners every few moments with her pistol. The only sounds my ears pick up are the terrible noises of gunfire, skittering feet and snarling. Oh, and the screams. Many screams!
"Clear the area!" I yell, my gun trembling in my grip. "The sooner they're all dead the sooner we can take the survivors back to the Hovercraft. How many left?"
"No idea," Finnick says. "Urchin, you should get back to the Hovercraft. You can't be replaced."
"Neither can you," I reply. "Nobody can! We're all people, Finnick. All unique."
More gunfire rings out, more of the Groaner pack dying seconds later. Finnick tries to respond to me, but he's off in an instant to help Magnus take down more of the beasts. I turn around on the spot in a constant circle, trying to peer through the fog at any danger that's surely lurking near.
I pull the trigger three times, quick as I can. The Groaner moans, slumping over lifelessly. By now the broken, grey concrete is starting to be more red than grey. The blood is all over the place, like some kind of meat factory. But the numbers of rapid footsteps and snarls seems to be getting lower; it's getting quieter.
AAAAARRRGGGHHH!
Pain explodes in my left shoulder, the clothing around it feeling damp from blood already. I smack my gun back at whatever it is, making the beast yelp. I turn and fire off a shot.
The gun clicks.
No, no, no!
This isn't a Groaner, or at least it's not like the others. This one has worms all over its face! It's like the flesh of its skull has been removed and just had worms put all over it. It growls, its maw opening.
I swing the knife right as it lunges. The 'Wormhead' gazes right at me with an eyeless face, trying to bite me. I feel blood from its stab wound leaking upon me.
"Get off, get off!" I yell, struggling around. Not like this, please not like this...
If I die, nobody will be able to save Ula, Prim or any other hostages that might be kept under Capitol lock and key. The thought lights a fire within me.
"Piss off!" I bark, tightening my grip around the Wormhead's throat.
I flinch as my fingers tear right into its decayed flesh, letting more blood out. The hound writhes, slumping over as it bleeds out. I grab my knife and rise, panting rapid and fast. I'm breathing, but it feels like I'm unable to get any oxygen in me at all.
I stagger, my shoulder burning in pain. The bite feels horrid, but not enough to stop me. Though, my vision flashes a bit. I stagger, unsure of what's going on around me. Owwwwwwww...
"Stay with me Urchin, you're gonna be fine," Magnus says as he runs over, standing guard by me in an instant. "They're just about all dead."
"You sure?" I ask, shuddering.
The gunfire going silent a minute later seems to be my answer. There's no more barking of the beats nor even the sound of any of them fleeing the area. Just many damaged bodies laying around and massive amounts of blood pooling around. I gag as I glance down at myself. Some of the blood is mine and some of it isn't... I'm having a hard time working out which is which.
A maniacal laugh takes me out of my thoughts. Hopper! I make my way over to where he is, just barely visible amongst the fog. Coming near, I see that he's taken no hits at all. Can't say I'm not a little jealous of that.
"That was awesome!" he cheers, though... something seems different about his voice. Not quite pure glee, but he's certainly not miserable. "What a battle that was. Holy crap, I feel so alive..."
He looks a me, his wild expression becoming concerned in an instant.
"Urchin, what happened man?" he asks, dropping down in front of me. "Geez, that looks nasty."
"Feels nasty too," I shudder. "I'm fine, sorta. Taken worse than this before now. I got shot in the shoulder with an arrow once and lived. Just a bite, that's all."
Hopper doesn't look convinced. He practically forces a bottle into my hand, one look at the label telling me it's some kind of painkiller liquid.
"Take a sip," he tells me. "If you die, we're all in deep trouble. If anybody is gonna be in deep trouble it's gonna be Snow, so... don't you dare die Urchin."
I give him a nod, taking a sip. I don't feel any different, but what sane kid refuses medicine? I pass the bottle back, wiping my knife against my pant leg to get the blood off it.
It's a few moments before anybody speaks.
"So, we found two survivors," Hopper says. "Maybe you know them? One of them is out of it, but the other one was well enough to tell us they hid in the basement of the main factory building when the bombs dropped."
He pauses, frowning as he flicks some blood off his palms.
"Well, she said that before she passed out too. I think she was really thirsty," he explains, glancing up at the metal container in concern. "That, and traumatised. I guess we're all a bit messed up in the head these days, wouldn't you say?"
"The Hunger Games do that to people," I agree.
"Eh, I was messed up long before I got reaped," he says, almost pleasantly.
The rest gather around soon after, working to get the two survivors off of the container. Good thing those Groaners couldn't jump that high...
As soon as I lay eyes upon the pair held in the arms of Magnus and Boggs I realise exactly who these two are. The pale skin, the ragged outfits that I know were once colourful and even a little fancy, the fiery red hair... no doubt about it, it's Nella and Zabrina. All of Four, more or less, know who these two are. After all, they're the daughters of Mayor Reefbait.
I can't help but wince, knowing that the Mayor was one of the confirmed causalities of the bombing. Mom says she saw him set ablaze by one of the explosions and left as charred as smoked seaweed...
The poor young ladies. They lost their dad, possibly their mother too... but at least they still have each other. I can only wonder how they lasted so long here. The basement, like my own, must have been well stocked.
"Nella, Zabrina!" I say, moving closer. "Can you hear me?"
They clearly don't, both of them passed out and looking a nasty sort of thin. No longer of a healthy weight, quite the opposite. Rich or poor, we all suffer from the Capitol.
"We need to get them to the hovercraft, now," I say, clutching my throbbing shoulder harder. "I need medical attention too."
"Where are the others?" Boggs asks me. "Anybody dead?"
Boggs' walkie talkie beeps before I get a word out. He answers it, holding Nella with just one arm as he does so, giving a short response to what he is told every now and then. Putting it away he turns to us all with a satisfied, grim expression.
"I'll say this once and then we're moving out to the hovercraft immediately," he says, his eyes narrowed. "Everybody else has made it back to the hovercraft and I've gotten word from the navigator that there's a tidal wave coming in. With all the toxins in the sea, it'll be corrosive. Lethal. We need to go, now!"
"Tidal wave?" Finnick asks, just as grim.
"I'm just saying what I've been told," Boggs states. "It's not far from the shore and it's huge. It'll cover the town. Move, move, move!"
Before I can even react I find myself raised up off of the ground and set upon Finnick's shoulders.
"I trust that you'd be fine, but time is of the essence," he tells me. "You're in pain, you'd run slower."
"Fair," I say. "Wait, no! There might be more survivors, we need to help them!"
"We've done the best we can," Boggs says as we all set off into a swift run. "None of us are going to be any use to the rebellion if we're dead. Move, move, move!"
That's what we do. I hold on tightly to Finnick as he sprints along with the rest of the group. I should be feel some sense of accomplishment, right? That's three people we saved before it was too late and surely a lot of this footage would be great for propos. But, I just can't be happy.
I know all too well that I'm taking my final glances at my home. The toxic tidal wave will surely wash it all away into nothingness, if not dissolve it outright. Same for any survivors that might still be trapped.
I want to beg the group to stop and take the chance to rescue more people, but I force myself to keep quiet. If we stay, we'll die. There's no time left and I'm not willing to get myself killed. Not when Snow still has my sister in his vile clutches.
I'll have to make plenty of difficult choices to survive and win this war, and right now... I choose escape.
(Not much later...)
The fog is clearing up, but right now we have bigger issues to contend with. The tidal wave looms near, casting a shadow over the District. It's not reached the shore yet, but the fact that it's distant and still has a nasty shadow over us tells me this is one wave we don't want to get splashed by. Saltwater in the eyes is one thing, but toxic acid all over our bodies? That's a whole different level of agony.
Our footsteps pound upon the broken ground as we head in the direction of the hovercraft, our hearts surely pounding just as hard. Mine certainly is. If we stay here then we're doomed, and we still have a ways to go before we reach the hovercraft. If anybody falls behind or gets lost then it's all over for them. We don't have any time to spare running back to help people up, according to Boggs.
It's a twisted irony isn't it? We come here to save people, but we're ready to abandon people if we need to. Well, I'm not ready to, not really. But I'm not willing to die here, not yet. My work isn't over with just yet. I glance at all the buildings we pass, unable to shake the idea that there might be survivors trapped in some of them.
"Why would a tidal wave even hit on the same day we came here?" I cannot help but ask. "There's never been a tidal wave around here before!"
"Might be a result of the bombing messing with the sea," Magnus says. "Or maybe the Capitol knows we're here. I don't know."
I shudder at the thought of Snow watching me right now. But, where could he be watching me? I've not seen any cameras' how could they be set up in the rubble? Perhaps I'd be happier not knowing. Whatever the reason for the tidal wave striking today of all days, the end result remains the same. Destruction for everything left here!
Distant howls and echoing snarls break me from my thoughts. Groaners! How many of those horrible beasts are there? Just how many did the Capitol put here... was it really that obvious that I was going to return to District Four one last time? I must be getting predictable.
"Keep running, don't fight them!" Boggs says from the front of the group. "It'll only waste time."
"We might have to," Finnick says, his voice grave. "There's more of them ahead!"
A screech pieces the air, followed by what I can only call a demonic sort of flapping. It's not like any bird I've ever heard, that's for sure.
It quickly becomes clear that this is because it's not a bird. It's like some kind of flying lizard, with scaly wings, barbed feet and a scaly, twisty form. It flies towards us, screeching on and on. It makes my ears throb awfully, but at least it's a distraction from the searing pain in my shoulder. Always gotta look at the bright side of things...
From behind us the Groaners run fast, surely starting to close in. From ahead, those flying monsters – Air Screamer seems like a good name, maybe? - home in on us. We're sandwiched!
"I saw those flying beasts in my Games," Magnus says, shuddering. "Hard left! They can't turn very well."
We do as instructed, the Air Screamers unable to stop themselves from shooting past us harmlessly. I glance back at the one that came nearest to me. Sure enough it's having a hard time turning itself around to continue to the chase; it doesn't seem like it has the brainpower to land, turn on the spot and then fly after us. It just takes a long arc around and...
I hold back a snicker. The dumb mutt flew right into a wall. The mutt lays dazed, before it starts to come back after us. The speed it pursues us, faster then the pack of Groaners, makes me stop snickering and starts screaming.
"Go, go, go!" I yell, swallowing down the vomit that almost comes flying out. "They're getting close!"
"So is the tidal wave," Hopper adds. It's amazing how he runs so fast despite his poor, underfed upbringing. "Don't suppose we could surf it if all else fails?"
"Don't count on it," I tell him.
The area starts to rumble, the sound of the ocean getting louder. It can't be long now until the wave hits the shore and covers the entire town. Can't be more than a few minutes, if even that. I try to think of something I can do to aid the escape, anything at all, but there's nothing. I can only stay balanced on Finnick's shoulders and try not to fall off.
Mercifully, the hovercraft comes into sight as we arrive at the landing site. Of course, the mutts haven't given up their pursuit and the tidal wave is visible now. It looms above the buildings, hardly a mile from the shore. The green colour of it makes my heart pound; I'd surely be dissolved if it splashed me!
"Come on!" Valkri yells from the Hovercraft.
"Go, go, go!" Castor yells, pounding the inside wall of the hovercraft. "We need to move, now!"
Boggs runs ahead of us and swiftly gets in, laying Nella down beside Tag. It's only a few moments later that the rest of us start to arrive. Castor and Messalla start to fire off shots at the mutts, holding them at bay for now. I let myself collapse to the ground, shuddering from the pain in my shoulder.
"Wait for me!" Hopper shouts.
Hopper continues to run to the hovercraft, having fallen behind us a bit. I hadn't even noticed! Did he trip? No, no, no! He's fast, but so are the Groaners and the Air Screamers that pursue him relentlessly.
"Hopper, come on!" I yell. "Keep running, you can do it!"
"Time is up. Preparing for take-off," says the pilot over the intercom.
The engines of the hovercraft burst into life as it starts to rise from the ground. I see the panic in Hopper's eyes as he makes a final charge towards the hovercraft. He lunges, grabbing onto the back ramp with both hands as we take flight. I hear the snarls of the mutts and the snapping of jaws, but Hopper gives no reaction. He just glances down and cackles.
"So long suckers!" he taunts the mutts, before glancing at us. "Uh, can somebody pull me in? Kinda worn out right now and the ground is far below... come on!"
Finnick and I quickly move over to pull Hopper back into the hovercraft. No sooner have we done so, the back ramp starts to close itself up as we take flight. As the ramp closes I take my last look at my home far down below.
I can't help shedding some tears as a massive tidal wave covers everything, much of what was left being washed away and anything that remains already being eaten away at by the acidic sea water.
It's all gone.
I slump down in one of the chairs at the side of the hovercraft, lost. My mind is a blur and right now I have no idea what to think or feel. My home is gone. Gone. It's not even a wreck anymore. It's been literally splashed out of existence!
I pull up my knees, hiding my face behind them as the hovercraft soars through the sky. My shoulder feels horrible, but somehow the aching in my heart hurts even moreso.
Everybody is silent for some time, getting our breathes back. I briefly look up and wipe the tears away. Valkri kneels beside Tack, as if standing guard over him. Hopper does much the same for Zabrina, while Magnus is watching over Nella, The twin daughters of the mayor are on life support, hardly looking like the pretty young ladies they once did. I wasn't there fast enough to see them conscious, but I can only imagine how traumatised they'll be when they wake up. They're so thin and pale.
Coral sits beside me, pulling up her knees just like I am. Her eyes are watery and occasionally she sniffles. I put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze.
"We'll get them back for this," I tell her. "Snow's gonna pay for this."
Coral seethes, wiping her tears away. Like me, she's depressed... but there's a fire in her eyes too, one I've not seen ever since shortly before the second time I was reaped. A flicker of the outspoken, tough girl she once was is still in there somewhere.
"He's gonna fucking pay..." she hisses. I don't even react to her cursing; compared to arenas, swearing is nothing. "I mean, once I pay for sneaking off on this mission and almost dying. Oh, this won't be fun."
"Was it worth it?" I ask her. "Feel you got what you needed?"
"I honestly don't know," Coral says, looking down at her feet. "Think we did any good here, today?"
I look around the room in search of the answer to that question. My bloodied shoulder certainly isn't what I'd call good, but then I gaze in the direction of Cressida and the rest of her crew. She seems happy as she looks over the camera, no doubt having tons of great footage to use. Certainly enough to make an excellent propo for the rebellion. I wasn't trying to inspire people back there, I was just trying to survive and do what seemed right. I guess that's the thing, sometimes doing right is exactly what inspires people the most.
I clutch my wound, taking a few deep breathes. Holy barnacles, it hurts! But, seeing Tack alive and getting medical attention... it starts to hurt just a little less. Nella and Zabrina are also breathing, not showing any signs of severe wounds. Malnutrition maybe, but they'll live. They're pretty well known in Four; saving them will surely help the morale of the Four refugees back in Thirteen. Perhaps, with Zabrina set to have been the next Mayor of Four, she might be able to play some role in this whole thing? I don't wanna assume, but if there's any way she can help us... oh boy, I sure hope she'll do it.
I look back at Coral, considering what she asked me.
"I'd say we did," I reply, giving a firm nod. "We saved three lives."
"No. Four," she tells me, softly. "You saved me, remember? I... I was so stupid, and you gave me a second chance at life. I'll never forget that."
She paused, taking a deep breath.
"I'll also never forget how horrible free fall feels," she adds.
Coral doesn't talk much after that, becoming more focused on taking a rest. I'd love to follow her lead, but I soon find myself led away towards the medical room of the hovercraft. We're all checked over quickly for any signs of injury. Amazingly, nobody has taken any serious injuries. I guess that's the beauty of having actually decent equipment. Much better than the typical stuff one would get from any Cornucopia.
I sit on the medical table, my shoulder being bandaged up by a nurse. I'm silent, not making any sounds of complaint even with how much it stings. I'm more occupied on what comes next when we return to Thirteen. The mission was a success, so... now what?
"Wait here," the nurse says. "You need a new set of clothes, these ones have mutt blood in them. They need to be burnt."
"You're the boss," I say. "Uh... do I take them off now, or...?"
Please say later. Please say later.
"There's a changing room just over there," she replies, pointing to a door I hadn't noticed. "I'll be right back."
No sooner has the nurse left the room Hopper and Valkri enter. As is the case most of the time, Valkri doesn't react much. Same ever serious expression on her face, same self-disciplined attitude. She does seem a little... concerned, I guess, but it's hard to tell. As for Hopper, I'd expected him to be cheering in delight. It's not been long since we took off from Four and he was in high spirits after we pulled him into the hovercraft, but right now he looks pretty distant.
Valkri sits on a chair at the side of the room, deep in thought. Hopper, meanwhile, sits beside me.
"So... mission complete, eh?" he says, flicking some blood out of his hair. I sure hope it's not his own blood... "Rescued some survivors, killed some mutts, got that sweet propo footage... complete success, right?"
"I guess so, yeah," I say, nodding. I can't make myself sound anything more than distant. Not when thoughts of my destroyed home weigh upon me.
"If it was such a success then why are we not cheering?" he asks me, sighing. "Honestly, this feels like a load of crap."
I don't reply, just slowly nodding my agreement.
"I was hoping for one amazing adventure, but that was a lot more than I expected it to be," Hopper says, sighing. "You know, it's just so easy to slip into my 'wild side' and cackle over the mayhem, but it's not really making me feel better. That was really..."
He trails off, soundlessly snapping his fingers as he tries to think what to say next. He shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling.
"I'm following you everywhere you go in this war Urchin," he tells me. "But I'm starting to see I'm not as prepared for everything as I thought."
"People rarely are," Valkri adds, not looking up. "Lots of people in Two train for the Games and think they are ready, but they generally fail the final test before they volunteer."
"And, what's that?" I ask. I have to admit, I've never given much thought to how Careers in Two get chosen to volunteer.
"We have to kill a person. Generally somebody dying of an illness who wants to serve their District in their final days or somebody on death row for a crime, but they're still people," she says, softly. "That's why tributes from Two are almost never phased by death... they're already seen it."
"Did you...?" I trail off.
"We won't judge," Hopper adds, speaking for us both. He's correct, of course. I'd be a hypocrite to judge when I think I may have killed more people than Valkri has.
"I didn't. Not a single twelve year old in Two could bring themselves to do it. Not me, not Cassius, not anybody," she says, shaking her head. "That's why none of us volunteered. Nobody was chosen to step up. It's why I was so sensitive."
"I never took you as the sensitive type," Hopper says. "I always saw you more as the 'kill somebody by blinking at them' type."
Valkri gives Hopper a look, after which he quickly shuts up. She nods, pleased by this and looks down again.
"I cried for my mummy before we escaped. Careers never do that. In fact, not many people our age do..." she frowns, looking a bit awkward. "What's the plan now?"
"I honestly don't know," I say, shrugging helplessly. "We get back, tell Coin what happened and then go from there I guess. Unless you have any ideas, Hopper?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, zoned out a bit," he chuckles without humour. "Well, I'm sicking close to Boggs for the near future. The guy just knows, you know? He has all the skills of a cool commando! I wanna be somebody like that, a brave soldier who could do anything."
"You seem... different, lately," I say, curious.
"Hey, you changed a lot after you survived the Hunger Games," he says as he heads for the door. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. I'm gonna see how the survivors are doing... actually, Urchin, I have one very important question for you and you need to be honest with me, ok?"
I pause, seeing how serious Hopper is. His sleet grey eyes stare at me, pleading.
"...What's up?" I say after a moment.
All at once, the seriousness is gone and his normal sly expression is back. Oh boy, what's he gonna say now?
"Is Zabrina single?" he asks me, chuckling.
"I thought you liked Madge," I say, frowning. "I know there are plenty of fish in the sea, or at least there were before the bombing, but come on!"
"You said Madge is too old for me," he replies, not even slightly sorry. He smirks wider.
"One year younger hardly improves things!" I exclaim.
Hopper leaves, laughing as he goes. He practically doubles over as he leans against the door.
"Feels so good to laugh," he says between snickers. "Later guys, gonna ask Boggs if I can make my own propo for the cause."
Hopper leaves, and so I am all alone once again. Well, except for Valkri but she doesn't seem to be in much of a mood to talk right now. I wonder what's taking the nurse so long... she's not waiting for us to be done, is she? Nothing stopping her from just entering the room and getting to work again.
I sit silently, awaiting the nurse's return for a few minutes. Valkri just sits quietly in that time, barely bringing any attention to herself.
"I'm sorry about your District," she says eventually. "It must be horrible. If that happened to Two... I don't know what I would do. Home is precious."
"What's your home like?" I ask her, curious.
"...Nice," she says, simply. "Just me and mummy. We live in a cosy village built into a mountain. I'd love to see it again someday."
She sounds so longing. Just like I am. Difference is, her home still exists. With Two being the most Capitol loyal District, Valkri's got no reason to fear her District being destroyed. I wish I could go back to the days where Four actually existed. But, I can't. No amount of feeling bad can change what happened.
But, perhaps, a strong amount of feeling confident and doing everything I can to help the cause can change the future. There are still eleven Districts to save, twelve if Thirteen counts... though I'm still unsure as to how I am going to deal with District One. They've got reasons for being angry at me.
"Valkri, do you think Two will join this rebellion?" I ask her.
"I'm not sure. Life in Two is fine as it is, so it'd take some convincing," she says, trailing off for a moment. "...Or force."
"I don't feel good about forcing anything on your home," I admit, frowning to myself. "It's gonna be tough."
"One problem at a time," Valkri says,. "At least today was a success. Be content about that."
Valkri looks troubled. Maybe I was a bit too forward with my question. If Two isn't with the rebellion then, well... would they be treated the same way as the Capitol? As enemies? Once upon a time I'd have just accepted this, but now that I have a friend from Two I'm finding it harder.
The nurse finally comes back, muttering about the spare cloths being relocated without her being told. She passes them over, pointing to the changing room without a word. I take the hint and move in quickly.
You don't make a nurse mad. Dory's mother is proof of this fact, let it be known!
(Later...)
We returned to Thirteen and received quite a warm welcome. Cheering, applause and all the usual celebrity treatment. Me being a celebrity... still feels strange to call myself one of those.
Of course, I'd never say no to Rue hugging me and saying she's glad to see me. Whether it's a one armed hug or one with two hands I'll always love the way she holds me. Eheheh...
Cressida and her crew were quick to upload all of the footage they recorded into the computer systems of Thirteen, and right now they and several others are hard at work turning it into a propo. They say they'll have the final version of it done by tomorrow and after that they'll be airing it throughout the Districts. Coin was certainly pleased to hear about that; she says that I performed 'adequately'.
Personally I think I did a bit better than that...
Coin thinks that, based on what footage of the mission was acquired and the success of the journey to Four, we could get more of the Districts under rebel control and force the Capitol back. She called me 'determined, driven and dependable'. But that smile of hers... it certainly didn't make me feel relaxed, though maybe I'm just in a bad mood from fear, worry and the pain in my shoulder. I'm in a flurry at the moment... my home...
Thankfully, Coin had nothing but praise for me. On the downside, she had very much the opposite for Coral. She certainly made clear to her that she was in huge trouble for what she did and that there would be great consequences for going out of line. Though, I expect Coin will have to wait in line because Coral's mom and dad dragged her off as soon as we landed a few hours ago. I have no doubts that Coral's going to be grounded for life... however long that might be for any of us.
Can't say I envy her. Nor do I blame Coin or her parents for being furious... she did nearly die, if not for me. Still, I hope she'll be alright. She really did just want to help.
Right now I'm letting the adults do their thing. I'm taking a break from it all, trying my hardest to relax in my room. I'd prefer to be with Tack, Nella and Zabrina but all three have been put into the medical area and are not allowed to have visitors. They're being analysed for 'contamination' or something. At least Tack's safer there than in the basement of my destroyed house.
"Which District will we go to next?" I say out loud, staring up at the ceiling. "...I hear Seven is pretty during the winter..."
"Five prettier..." a timid voice says.
I pause for a moment, glancing around. No sign of anybody anywhere near me... oh, of course. I get off my bed and look underneath it. Sure enough, Electra is huddled up right in front of me. How long has she been there? Nobody has come into my room since I entered an hour ago... she's been here this whole time hasn't she? I wonder what made her go under my bed of all places...
"Oh, hello Electra," I say. I pause for a few moments as she silently observes me. "How long have you been under there?"
Electra pauses, slowly counting on her fingers.
"This many hours," she says, holding up three fingers. "Felt scared..."
"Why did you feel scared?" I ask her, reaching for her. She squeaks, backing away against the corner. "Hey, hey, it's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you. I saved you, remember?"
"Urchin hero," she says, slowly nodding. "Um, screams. Nasty screams. Screaming from the basement... monster... hiding from the monster."
It takes a few minutes of gentle coaxing and assurances, but eventually I get Electra to come out from under my bed. I don't think I'm going to get much out of her about the 'monster'. Thirteen doesn't have mutts, this much I am certain of. Though, she remains insistent between sniffles and continues to mumble about the monster being real.
Eventually, I manage to calm Electra down by talking about trains. It's amazing, honestly, how it puts a smile on her face so easily. I guess we all have our comfort topics.
"So... why didn't you tell me you were under my bed?" I ask her once I'm sure she won't start feeling afraid again.
"Um... you were, uh, relaxed. Didn't want to disturb... rude," she mumbles. "Rudeness not good."
"Indeed not," I agree, sitting on the bed. I pat the spot next to me, and Electra sits down a moment later. "How's Thirteen been while I was away? I mean, uh, besides the monster."
"Um, busy. Very busy," Electra says, tapping her fingers together. "People running around, talking a lot. Not sure what's going on. Timm wrote poetry for Coin... Timm nice. Oh; Rue's arm all better! Happy!"
"Already? That's great news," I say, allowing a smile to form on my face. "Rue's hated having her arm stuck in that cast. It'll be good to see her smiling."
After all, when Rue smiles it tends to make it easier for me to smile as well. If I'm the head Mockingjay, then surely she's the Heart of the group.
I'm not alone with Electra for much longer before Timm and Rue come by the room. Timm looks relieved to see Electra, saying he's been looking for her for hours and how he didn't want her to get in trouble for not sticking to her schedule. Electra holds his hand unprompted, smiling softly.
"So, what happened out there... uh, out in the warzone?" he asks, nervous.
"Four is dissolved," I croak out. "There's hardly even any wreckage now. Mutts, fire, poison... it was a mess Timm. Saved three people, but so much has been lost. If there were any other survivors we didn't find, they're dead."
"I'm sorry to hear it," Timm says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "If that happened to Eight... I just don't know."
Rue takes me into a hug, one that I return quickly. We embrace for a while, just enjoying the quiet, close feeling of it. She looks at me, weakly smiling.
"You still saved three people. You got the mission to happen... you're a hero," she tells me. "Well, more of one than you were to begin with and you were already pretty cool if you ask me."
"Heh, thanks Rue," I say as we part. "...What's wrong?"
There's no missing the uneasy look in Rue's eyes, the look that clearly suggests something is going on. ...Is this related to the 'monster' Electra claims to have heard in the basement?
"There's a broadcast starting in a few minutes," Rue tells me. "President Snow will be speaking. I think we're gonna want to hear this."
"Let's go," I say, already moving out of the room. "I want to hear what that snake has to say."
I find myself lost in my thoughts as the four of us head off in the direction of the cafeteria where the screens will be set up for us to watch Snow. What's he going to say? Is he going to address me specifically? I wonder if he knows where I am right now and is just biding his time before he attacks. The only thing holding him back is the nukes of Thirteen that are aimed at the Capitol, just as their nukes are aimed at us. I've spent my month recovering and getting into the swing of being a hero, but how's he spent his month?
Surely he's got plenty of war plans already written up. The Capitol has some formidable military power, but nothing can last forever... right? Dad once said that if something can be built, it can be broken. I sure hope he was right. I try not to let out any tears as I think of my dead parent, but it's hard.
Whatever Snow has to say, I'm ready to make notes and learn everything I can. He might let a fact slip or say something I could use against him. And maybe...
...Maybe I'll find myself a step closer to rescuing Ula and Prim.
Four is truly is a worse state than ever. One can only wonder what the other Districts are looking like, huh? In any case, the mission was a success but the war is truly only just getting started. What lurks ahead and just how much of a bloodsoaked mess is it going to be? Stay tuned to find out!