Apparently there was an issue with last chapter and the email didn't go out to some people. If that was the case then I'm now going to inform you that YOU HAVE MISSED A VICTORY TOUR CHAPTER! Go back one and then read this one.
Also, I had a weird dream that Gloss (who I have a crush on) was about to kill me (yikes) but Willow saved me by killing Gloss like she did Charm. I got up to thank her but then she started chasing me around the arena while I screamed at her "I MADE YOU VICTOR!". I managed to escape her, don't remember how.
It was creepy and kind of funny since all the tributes from the 76th Games were there (they appeared the way I always pictured them). They didn't really do anything except stand around and talk and I could never hear what they were talking about because I don't know how their voices sound :(. Well... I do remember Cyra sighing in boredom and I heard Raven screaming about evil religion, his voice was really deep and sounded demonic. MAYBE HE HATES RELIGION BECAUSE HE'S THE ANTI-CHRIST... GASP! (Well... I guess it's 'hated' & 'was the' now)
Anyways, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 47 The Victory Tour - Sins of the Family
District 8
Chaos was all that Mayor Tabatha Crumplefoot saw playing across her private office screen. Chaos descended upon District 9, a District that had succumbed to the religious fever that had been building for almost a year. Now the Capitol and the Peacekeepers were suffering from it, struggling to put out the flames of rebellion.
District 8 would suffer as well, in fact all of Panem would suffer because of District 9's rebellion. The damage being shown on screen was traumatic to put it lightly. Granaries were burned or torn down, Peacekeepers were dragged through the streets before being killed, and government buildings and institutes were vandalized and broken into. The District was in chaos and at the center of it was that continuing mantra.
"GOD IS WITH US!"
God is with us... what a curious phrase. Tabatha thought it over to herself, her staunch atheist views biasing her to the group's beliefs. If there was a God who was merciful and caring than he was doing a shit job of showing it. Still, Tabatha could feel her empathizing with the rebels as she too had felt the sting of the Capitol's evil when her son was killed in the Games.
Somewhat. Tabatha had always had an aloof relationship with her son and in the past few years, it had digressed to the point of mere tolerance. She had prepared herself for the possibility for her son being Reaped. There were always rumors, and somewhat circumstantial evidence, that mayor's children are singled out and Reaped to show people that no one is above the Game's influence. Since Choux had apparently been rigged to go into the Games, Tabatha had supposed that the rumors were true. It made sense why the Capitol would do it, to either spread fear or to placate the District citizens if they were disgruntled with their mayor, allowing them some small sense of satisfaction when their child died. Tabatha remembered how in the 25th Games, where the Districts choose which children they sent into the Games, a few Districts had chosen their mayor's child to enter just out of spite. It was cruel and very Capitolite of them, but then if there was one thing Tabatha learned in her eight years as Mayor it was that most people were morons.
No matter though. Tabatha was allowed to keep her position as mayor and that was what was important. Choux had always been a drain on her anyways, emotionally and financially. Tabatha had worked all her life to get where she was, working her ass off everyday to gain her position as mayor. She took pride in her hard working nature and career, but Choux had no drive while alive. He couldn't survive in the real world of Panem like that and had shown so with his descent into insanity.
Despite her son's death, Tabatha couldn't spend time to grieve, however short a period it might have been. Her District needed her and she was more than willing to help. She organized various crews to deal with the rising issues of disease and waste in the District, offering money from her own paycheck to down and out homeless masses. She organized sewer cleaners, street cleaners, and delivered the yearly tesserae to families personally. She was trying to make herself a symbol of good in a District that appeared to be turning against her. For the most part it seemed to be working as the rebellious air come down to a more controllable level. Two years ago, workers attempted a strike in their sweatshop factories by taking over and killing the Peacekeepers on duty. Instead of negotiating or igniting further rebellion, the Head Peacekeeper rolled up with others and ordered the factories burned to the ground. It had taken days to pull all the charred remains from the factories, the majority of them belonging them to young teens that got caught up in the adult's rebellious fever.
District 8 would not survive another attempted rebellion, and it was Tabatha's duty protect them, even from what they thought best. It was her responsibility and hers alone as her husband had left her high a dry after his death two years ago. She needed to hold onto power if this District had any chance at surviving.
"Ma'am," Tabatha's secretary interrupted. "But the Dashwillow children are here now."
Tabatha dismissed her secretary, moving to the main foyer of the Justice Building to greet Danielle's two remaining siblings. They both stood to the side, the twelve year old twins brothers holding each other tightly. Noah and Metrice were still orphans on the street, just like their sister had left them. They were worse off though then six months ago though. Any bit of fat on them had been cannibalized by their bodies, making them look like stick figures that would collapse at any moment.
"Noah, Metrice." Tabatha began, stepping forward to them. The twins' eyes shot to their mayor, though seeing her comforted neither of them. Instead of offering an apology, Tabatha simply nodded her head and turned away from them.
Following the Reaping, Tabatha had invited the boys to dine with her often, hoping to provide them some form of comfort and boost her image in the District. Her and the boys actually became close during that time, closer than she had been with her own son in a long time. However when the interviews aired, everything changed. Danielle's rebel ties were broadcast to all of Panem and the boys became a stain on her image. Tabatha couldn't associate with them if she hoped to keep power, least the Capitol think she was showing favor to children with rebel ties. Their relationship officially ended though when Choux drove his knife into Danielle's gut and left her to bleed out. Tabatha hadn't seen the boys in almost six months, something she began to feel some guilt over.
Her guilt was pushed aside however as the Victory Tour began. Tabatha led the boys onto the stage and began addressing her District with the same speech she read every year. The crowd couldn't care less though, all of them looking like they just wanted to leave and get drunk off the cheap, abundant alcohol made available by the coming Feast.
She finished her speech and introduced Willow to the restless audience. Willow appeared from the Justice Building, smiles and all even though she was dressed horrendously. Tabatha wasn't too surprised by her mismatched outfit however as she remembered reviewing the order forms for the year from the Capitol. Apparently, mismatched colors and design schemes were the newest fashion in the Capitol and Willow's stylists wanted to show it off for the textile District.
'Be Bold!' The promotion for the new fashion was claiming. 'Be Rebellious and Stand Out, Not In!'
Tabatha had promptly tossed the advertisement into the trash, disgusted by the terrible marketing and the terrible people behind it.
Willow's speech was quick and to the point. She finished in record time and was applaud by the District reluctantly while the representatives met with their Victor to congratulate her. Tabatha's remarks were quick and ceremonial, as she had met with Willow earlier. Willow had treated her with a mean spirited attitude, oblivious to social grace. Exactly what Tabatha expected from the psycho Victor and she was prepared to deal with it.
Noah and Metrice were not however.
"C-congratulations, Victor Willow." Noah stated, offering his hand to shake. Metrice stood a little behind his brother, watching Willow with a nervous look. Willow smiled at the two boys and stepped forward to shake their hands. When she finished, Willow frowned at them. "Wait... who are you representing?"
Noah swallowed nervously. "Our sister... Dani..." he said.
Willow scoffed. "Who the hell was that?" she asked. "Was there a Dani this year?"
Metrice was crying while Noah shook with rage and sadness. "Danielle! She was our sister!" he whimpered.
"Whatever." Willow responded with a laugh. "One less name to remember is fine by me."
Noah and Metrice could do nothing as Willow mocked their dead older sister. Danielle may not have meant much to anybody else, but she had been the boy's older sister. Their mother after their own had taken her life. Their sister meant nothing to anyone but them it seemed, she would only be remembered as some nameless bloodbath for the rest of Panem.
Not as a great older sister, not as an amazing caregiver, just a statistic for the Games.
Tabatha looked at the crying twins, knowing that their suffering would only be continuing. As son's of a rebel family, the Capitol had not forgotten about them and still considered them a possible threat. There was only one fate for traitors besides death and that was being turned into an Avox.
Tabatha had her contacts in the Capitol confirm it, Noah and Metrice were to be abducted quietly in the night and shipped off to the Capitol to be turned into Avoxs. At twelve years of age, the twins were at the perfect point for the Capitol to mold and break them however they wanted. Tabatha could only stand back and hope that the boys got the job of household servant and not the role of laborer or sewer cleaner where death was guaranteed. Though there was a worse fate in the sex trade. Capitolites had weird tastes in bed and pre-pubescent twins were... well Tabatha couldn't even think about it.
No, she had to think of other things. Without another thought, Tabatha left the stage without a second thought to the well fair of the two little boys who would live the rest of their lives in misery.
District 6
The Kale's were prisoners in their home.
Or more properly, the mayor's assigned housing.
It had been three days since the crowds had begun to form outside the mayor's house, three days since the protests began that called for Mayor Kale's head on a platter. After three days stuck next to her abomination of a husband, Sheila Kale was very much considering it a viable option to ending the mental anguish of listening to her husband.
"I am their Mayor!" Warren Kale screamed into his telephone as he talked to somebody at the Justice Building. "You tell those filthy people out there to make way for me before I call the Peacekeepers down on them! What? Of course I can do that? I'M THE FUCKING MAYOR, THAT'S WHY!"
Sheila got up from her comfy couch and poured herself yet another glass of hard liquor, straight. Anything else made Sheila feel weak.
"Just get it done!" Warren shouted into the receiver before slamming the phone down. His face was red with rage and features resembling a spoiled boy who hadn't gotten what he wanted for his birthday. Sheila snorted derisively at her husband and finished her drink in one deep gulp, immediately pouring herself another. Warren stared at his wife in disdain. "Can you do nothing else but drink?" he asked her angrily.
As an answer, Sheila finished her second glass quicker than the first. The liquor burned her throat as it went down, but at the same time invigorated her.
"You're a disgrace." Warren spat, storming from the room.
"Just like our son, right?" A tipsy Sheila shouted at her husband, her balance off as she spun to face the man she once loved. "Is it my fault he turned out such a failure to you?"
"You certainly didn't help." Warren said, turning to rush towards his wife in a rage. Sheila didn't flinch though, knowing her husband would never dare lay a finger on her. He got his kicks though verbal beat downs, not physical ones. Even in her drunken state, Sheila knew she could still kick her husband's ass.
"I knew it..." Sheila muttered, putting down the glass and holding the bottle to her lips. "I knew you blamed me..."
Warren sighed, trying to take the bottle from his wife. Sheila fought back, struggling to hold the bottle to her lips as her husband's hands tried to tear it away. Liquor spilled from the top, splattering the carpeted rug and Sheila's dress. In a rage, Sheila tore the bottle from her husband's hands and threw it against the nearest wall. The crack that followed though was nothing compared to Sheila's scream of rage.
"IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT JONATHAN TURNED OUT THAT WAY!" She shouted at her husband. "You turned him into that monster! Into the rapist! Into the very thing that our District hates us for!"
"We disowned him!" Warren shouted back. "He's not our responsibility anymore!"
Sheila laughed angrily, giving her husband a death glare. "Let me tell you something, buddy!" she hissed, jabbing Warren in the chest with her pointer finger. "He will always be our responsibility because he's our son! And I take back what I said, Jonathan is only one reason why this District hates us!"
To confirm that fact, the crowd outside only grew fiercer in it's battle cry. The group was the pre-lynching mob that wanted the Kale's dead or at least removed from office. Over the past six months, things had only gotten worse for District 6 as the promise of reward that Warren thought Jonathan would bring fell threw. Starvation was at an all time high throughout the District as citizens died by the hour. Along with starvation came the usual other problems such as crime, violence, and disease. The Capitol could only be blamed for so much, and with a mayor who for the longest time did not seem to care for them, the District was ready to take action.
That and the accusations of rape.
A nasty word for nasty people. The Capitol had edited out in the final version of the Games Azzura screaming about Jonathan raping her, but in the original live version where producers would not dare edit any part of the Bloodbath, the entire nation of Panem heard the accusation and watched as Azzura was killed before she could exact revenge.
Needless to say, accusations of rape did not go away easily and actions were taken to make the Kale's suffer for their rapist son. Whether or not he actually raped anyone became irrelevant to the masses. The first to lead the charge was Azzura's own sister, Datni. A maid in the Kale's household, Datni came out publicly to denounce Jonathan and the Kale's, claiming that Jonathan had extorted her for sexual favors.
"He... he threatened to have me fired if I didn't comply!" Datni had cried to the masses. "He said I would never get any other work in the District! That he would see to it! That his father would see to it!"
Before long, other maids had started coming forward saying that Jonathan had taken advantage of them as well. The final nail in the coffin came moments before Jonathan's death in the Games, when he seemingly attempted to force himself on Isabella. Even though Caspian snapped Jonathan's neck, the crowd was not quelled as it continued to demand that the Kale's pay in some form for their son's actions. This, matched with the ever worsening conditions of the District, only led to the entire District hating Warren Kale. It had started off as simple jeers on the street when people saw him, but in the past few weeks it had escalated to thrown rocks and attempted assault. Three citizens were nearly whipped to death by Peacekeepers, but it did nothing to deter the District from their hate. In fact, the Peacekeeper intervention only increased the hate.
There was a knock on the door and a Peacekeeper entered, looking around curiously at the mess of spouses. "Sir, ma'am, we're ready to take you two to the Justice Building."
"How?" Sheila laughed, collapsing on the couch. "The crowd hasn't dispersed like their noble mayor requested!"
"There is an underground passage between here and the Justice Building, we will take you through." The Peacekeeper explained.
Both Kale's looked at the man curiously. "Why were we never informed of this passage?" Warren snapped.
"F-For personal, official, Capitol reasons." The Peacekeeper fumbled. It wouldn't do the Peacekeeper any good to tell them it was built for Peacekeepers to easily 'eliminate' a mayor if he became an issue.
The Kale's complied and walked through the long, white painted tunnel to the Justice Building. Upon arriving, they were forced to wait with the one family they wanted nothing to do with. The Blue Family.
"Datni," Warren said with a forced smile. "So sorry for your loss."
Datni stared pure hatred at the mayor, her two younger siblings, no more than ten, also echoed this expression. Their mother and father did not appear too. The father just appeared tired while the mother actually seemed spiteful, though more towards her daughter.
"Why do you insist on wasting this effort on that pathetic girl?" Datni's mother hissed. "Azzura was a fool for volunteering! I always knew she'd end up dead in the Bloodbath!"
"Shut up mother!" Datni shouted. "She would have survived if it wasn't for their son!"
"Or Charm." Datni's mother muttered.
"Please," Sheila said softly, stepping closer to the Blue's. "I'm so sorry for the behavior of my son. You have to believe me!"
Datni stepped back, along with the other members of the family, actually gagged at her. "Ugh! Were you dumped in alcohol?" she asked Sheila, face scrunched in disgust.
Warren grabbed his wife by the arm and dragged her back. "I apologize for my wife, she hasn't been herself since the boy's death."
Datni snorted. "It's cute how you refer to him as the boy instead of Jonathan."
The two families were allowed no time to bicker further though as the Victory Tour was commencing. Warren stepped up to the podium first, welcoming his District to the Victory Tour and giving the usual spiel. He attempted to ignore the muttering from the crowd and their stares of hate, but eventually he gave up and wrapped up his speech half way through. He introduced Willow who came bouncing out of the Justice Building in preppy fashion. Warren went to his wife's side, angrily taking the lesser seat as he was forced to be representative to his son.
For the most part, Willow was relatively tame and did not act like anyone thought she would. The Blue family stared at her angrily, but reserved their true rage for the Kale's. Datni actually felt an odd sort of appreciation for Willow as she killed Azzura's killer. Meanwhile, Sheila had completely zoned out from the speech. She desperately craved some form of liquor to make the whole proceeding easier. Her drinking hadn't just started when Jonathan had passed, it had started well before that when she allowed her husband to take over Jonathan's life, allowed him to twist her sweet boy into the monster who appeared in the Games.
'It's all my fault... I could have stopped it if I tried...' Sheila thought in misery, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She angrily wiped them away and looked out at the crowd. Nobody seemed to be paying attention to Willow, most of the crowd's eyes instead set on the Kale's. Warren was trying to ignore them while Sheila embraced their glares with twisted satisfaction.
'I know what you people want.' She thought with a smile. 'And I'm willing to give it.'
Willow's speech ended and the crowd began to cheer as the Capitol wanted. Willow stepped down from the podium and was then approached by both families. The Kale's went first, with Warren shaking the Victor's hand with a smile for the camera. Willow smiled briefly before opening her mouth to spit on the mayor. Warren recoiled, shocked by the Victor's actions. He was even angrier when the crowd of District citizens genuinely cheered after a shocked pause.
"I don't appreciate rapists." Willow said simply, her eyes showing a look of vengeance for previous trauma.
The Peacekeepers stepped forward and dragged the mayor and his wife back into the Justice Building. Datni looked at the procedure happily, walking up to Willow with a forced smile on her face. She too offered her congratulations and a side note as well. "Thank you." Datni said. "For killing that bitch who killed my sister."
Willow raised an eyebrow. "Wow, that's the first real compliment I've gotten on this tour." Willow said with a smile. Datni said nothing else as she walked off stage with the rest of her family, eagerly thinking of the next step in her plan for the downfall of the Kale family.
The Victory Feast consisted of straight liquor for Sheila as she was forced to sit next to Willow and her husband for it. Warren gave a few more remarks complimenting Willow, which only soured the mood of the guests even more, before turning to his wife and asking her to leave. "Your behavior is disgraceful. You should excuse yourself and make things easier." He whispered harshly.
Sheila thought it was an excellent idea and laughed giddily as she stumbled down the stage with a bottle of alcohol in hand. Peacekeepers had to help her down the steps as people watched her go in disgrace. Warren shook his head in anger at his wife, who was now screaming hysterical in the other room. Warren excused himself from the table and left the festival to deal with Sheila. He stormed into the side room, angry to see his wife struggle to be released from the Peacekeeper's grasp.
"Release her!" Warren commanded, "I'll deal with her."
The Peacekeepers were only to happy to leave them be, closing the door behind them as they left. Sheila stood with her husband in the side room, giggling drunkenly to herself. "Why must you continue to make a spectacle of yourself?" Warren demanded. "Do you think that this will somehow make you more appealing to those filthy masses that we lord over?"
Sheila laughed. "You think you're so much better than everyone else, don't you?" she asked her husband, a bemused smile on her face which betrayed the rage she felt. "I got news for you bub, you're not! You're just as pathetic as everyone else!"
Warren stepped forward and smacked his wife across the face. Sheila stumbled back and fell to the ground, the bottle of alcohol smashing onto the ground and spilling its remaining contents onto the ground. She looked to her husband in shock, the sting from his slap burning despite the numbing alcohol coursing through her. They had never had a happy marriage, but their unhappiness had never turned to physical abuse before today.
"I AM BETTER THAN THEM!" Warren screamed at his wife, face red with rage. "I am their mayor! I am their leader in this fucked up world! They owe me everything and have to trust that I know what's good for them!"
Sheila shook with rage, grasping behind her for the broken bottle. No words escaped her mouth, the words that she would use to damn her husband's actions and thoughts. The words that would tell her husband that there was only one thing he could do for his District at that point which would make them love him again.
An action that Sheila would take upon herself to preform.
Her son had been a force of evil in this world, empowered by her corrupted husband's desire for continuing power and the benefits a Victor brought him. She had failed to stop this evil from spreading, failed her son and her District, but she would make it up this instant.
Grabbing hold of the broken bottle's neck, Sheila launched herself from the floor in a moment of clarity. Warren turned to his shrieking wife, screaming in agony as she plunged the broken edges of the bottle into his chest. Sheila removed the bottle and kept stabbing anywhere she could, opening up wounds all across her husband's body. One strike managed to stab Warren underneath his left armpit, rupturing major arteries surrounding his heart. Blood spurted from his side and he collapsed to the ground while his bloody wife continuing to stab his now lifeless body.
The doors burst open and Peacekeepers rushed in, too late. One of them ran towards Sheila to disarm her, but she caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and reacted. She backed towards the edge of the room and raised the broken bottle to her throat, smiling through her bloody face.
"Let me do this!" She shouted at the Peacekeeper's, adrenaline keeping her mind clear of the foggy influences of alcohol. "I'm going to find my son, and beg his forgiveness."
Before the Peacekeepers could talk her down, Sheila stabbed the bottle's serrated edges into her throat, puncturing her windpipe and artery. She pulled it out quickly, allowing blood to leave her system faster. With a smile and a dream of meeting her son once more, Sheila fell to the ground dead.
The Kale family was no more.
District 5
Everyone dealt with grief in different ways. Some people laid it all out there, crying their eyes out and wailing to the world about their misery. Others channeled it into rage, screaming and raging against everything around them as they wished the world to feel the grief they do. Then some shut down entirely in fear of experiencing grief's harsh whip or obsessed over other things to keep their minds busy and distracted.
Watt and Elin Brites had taken to the last two roads, their grief for their two lost children, Rory and Daira, to overpowering to deal with properly.
Both parents went through their daily routines without change. They would wake up at dawn exactly, dress for the day, and leave their cramped apartment space without a word. Watt would go to work at the power planet and sit in front of monitors for eight hours, making sure that the energy was flowing and being processed as it should. It was a relatively easy job that he had gotten through some smart office maneuvering two years ago. Light goes off, press it and phone the respective department that if responsible. After work, Watt would return home where he would strip down to his underwear and sit on the edge of his bed, waiting the appropriate time to drift to sleep.
In comparison, Elin was more active than her husband. Her job was in the Justice Building where she served as a worker drone for the Capitol. All day she would sit at her small desk with her computer and type out or forward messages to ensure District 5's smooth running. Elin would completely devote herself to the work, typing furious onto her keyboard messages to plant mangers and other worker drones such as herself in other Districts to ensure they were receiving appropriate amounts of energy. All the while, Elin would ignore the whispers from her co-workers who looked at her with pity for her losses. Elin ignored them the best she could and went home alone, walking through the smog filled streets of District 5 as quickly as she could. Upon arriving at her apartment, Elin would begin cleaning it to make it spotless until it was time to sleep next to her spouse.
The two had not said a word to each other in almost two months.
The Victory Tour did little to help the two as an armed Peacekeeper escort forced them into the Justice Building. Stuck in their routine, both parents had completely forgotten that the Victory Tour was coming and they would be forced to attend. The Peacekeepers rushed them from their complex, not offering any sympathy. The majority of their family friends had been kind, but after a few months they had moved on and expected the Brites to as well.
If only it were that easy.
Ushered into the Justice Building, the Brites took a seat on a dusty couch across the room from the two remaining members of Delvin's family, his mother, Veronica, and his ten year old sister, Nora.
Everyone knew what happened to the other two members of the Winter's family, it was what most people expected to happen a long time ago. Nolan, terribly drunk one night, stumbled home to begin abusing his wife. His only remaining son, Lucas, twelve years of age, tried to stop him but got a brutal smack down for it. The beating was too much for the twelve year old to handle and Nolan ended up killing his own son. Nolan had a break down at that, falling into completely insanity as he attempted to kill the rest of his family. Veronica managed to escape with Nora to the Peacekeepers, who arrested Nolan for manslaughter and promptly executed him. Peacekeepers didn't care about family matters, but murder would affect public order and action had to be taken then.
Both families sat across the room from each other, starring at each other in stony silence. They said nothing, but at the same time said more than enough. The looks on their faces showed all, their shared grief and uncertainty for the future etched into them.
For the first time in a while, Elin's hand sought physical comfort from her husband. She intertwined her hand with his, squeezing it tightly. Watt returned the gesture, looking at his wife with a sad smile. They were old, almost fifty in age, and their children both killed by the Capitol. Rory because he dared to speak out against the horrible machine that was Panem and Daira because she got sucked into the machine's evil games.
They could die any day and nobody would remember them, no one would carry on their legacy.
Their lives meant nothing anymore.
They wanted nothing to do with Panem anymore.
Willow's speech was faster than they anticipated, probably because the Brites weren't paying her much attention. After her speech, they congratulated Willow on her victory in hollow voices. Willow seemed to be making some smart remark about their daughter's death, but neither of the Brites cared to respond. They left the stage quickly, returning to their apartment to be away from the mob of cameras and pity filled faces.
Elin finally spoke to her husband. "There isn't any point, is there?" she asked, the weakness in her voice surprising even her.
Watt turned to his wife and shook his head. "There's nothing left for us." he responded, equally as weak.
An unspoken conversation between the two of them occurred as they remember something they mentioned months ago. It had seemed like a moment of weakness to them then, but now it seemed to be a very real possibility. Without any words, husband and wife walked to their small, broken down bathroom and shut the door behind them. Elin stuffed a blanket under the door just like they had discussed while Watt began breaking down the wall above their toilet. The gas lines ran right past their bathroom, a dangerous utility failure on the part of the construction crew but a god sent to them now.
With a quick bang, the gas line was broken. A haze entered the adult's minds as the gas began to take hold of them, numbing them to everything else. They reached for each other and held each other tightly in their final moments, breathing in the gas willingly. They had tried to move on, tried to move on after the death of their children, but were unable too. They had only survived Rory because they had Daira, but once she was taken from the world they had nothing. The Capitol would continue to punish them for their thoughts on rebellion and never let them be at peace.
The only true peace would be found in death, along with their children.
The complex's landlord began banging on the Brites door the next morning. He would find their bodies and report it to the Peacekeepers, who were also busy with another death that morning as well. A call had come in late the previous night about noises heard in the Winter's household, sobbing and screaming in nature. The Peacekeepers had entered only to find little Nora suffocated by a pillow and Veronica lying on the ground with her wrists slit.
They too had found fallen prey to the futility of life in Panem.
District 4
"Sweetie, it's time to get off."
Ten year old Elise was pulled out of her restless sleep by her mother, Katerina, as the ferry pulled up next to District 4's main city. Her father, Jameson, got up from his seat silently and carried his daughter off the ferry. "Let's get this over with." He muttered to his wife.
The West's had never been big on the District 4 social spotlight, but Isabella's involvement in the Games forced them into it. People they had never talked to suddenly became their friends and eagerly lined up at the Justice Building to begin making sponsorship contributions to their daughter. People came up to the West's, wanting to wish them good luck with their daughter, as if their words could somehow influence the Games. Other's however, well aware of Isabella's parents activities as Gamemakers, spat at them and wished for their daughter to die as petty revenge.
For the most part though, the Wests ignored these people and remained in their secluded home near the beach. They sat everyday in front of the TV, watching the Games to root on Isabella. Katerina and Jameson were happy that their daughter was competent on her own, able to make alliances - even if it was with a District 3 tribute and not the Careers - and managed to get a weapon of her own. They were less thrilled though when Isabella admitted to being unable to kill. Even little Elise knew that Isabella's odds of coming home had dropped considerably. No one wanted to sponsor someone who couldn't do what the Hunger Games required. All the sponsors in the Capitol wanted to believe that all tributes, no matter how young or innocent they might appear, were capable to killing. Hearing that they weren't was a major turn off for sponsors.
Koi, Isabella's boyfriend, would occasionally pop by to be with the Wests in order to watch Isabella and support them. Elise was happy enough to see him, though her parents were not as thrilled. Koi was much older than Isabella and to them he appeared to be taking advantage of their beautiful daughter. Elise was happy with him around though so Koi was allowed to stay when he came over.
Everything came crashing down when Genevieve arrive on screen though.
Katerina began screaming in horror when she saw her deceased daughter facing off against her live one while Jameson ran from the room into his private study. He dialed rapidly, demanding to speak to Crane about the mutt of his daughter, to beg him to call it off. He was not granted his wish though and Isabella was forced to kill Genevieve, driving her into insanity, before Willow Bark ended her own life.
Six months later, the pain hadn't gotten any easier. The people who had been sympathetic while Isabella was alive were still there to attempt and cheer the family up, but were usually brushed off in quick fashion. Koi had tired to be one of those people, but Isabella's parents wanted nothing to do with him. He was now just a symbol of their lost daughter and they refused to associate with him. Elise had been heartbroken and had cried for days, but it seemed like most days she cried at least once. Katerina was well aware of her failure as a mother to Elise and Isabella, and that didn't show more than now when she had no idea how to cheer Elise up.
The wait in the Justice Building was unbelievably long for the Wests. The adults wanted to leave as soon as possible, knowing that such a public ceremony surrounding their daughter would only make them, and Elise, into crying messes. It was unwarranted, but Katerina couldn't help but feel rage towards her daughter for not winning. If she had been able to kill then Katerina had no doubt that Isabella would have been Victor and not this evil bitch of a girl who killed her daughter.
'No...' Katerina thought. 'Willow was merely the tool the Capitol used to kill Isabella. The Capitol is to blame.'
Despite knowing that truth, Katerina did not feel any less hate towards Willow. Maybe if Willow appeared to at least feel bad for taking Isabella's life it might have helped, or became insane as the Games progressed, then Katerina could be more understanding toward her. Katerina paused, sighing to herself.
'Does this make me a bad parent?' She thought. 'Trying to justify Willow's actions that cost my daughter life?'
'I was already a bad parent to start.'
On stage, Elise was a balling mess. Katerina and Jameson attempted to calm their child as Willow spoke, but nothing they could say would stop the waterworks. Jameson stared at Willow hard, hoping that she could sense his hatred for her and react. Willow appeared not to though, like she was completely unaware that she had killed a member of the family to her left.
On the other side of Willow sat the de Burghs, representing Caspian. Or at least what remained of the family. After the District found out about Caspian and his family sabotaging the tributes that were suppose to volunteer, repercussion slammed down on them. Caspian's father took the fall for the entire family and had subsequently been exiled by the District social scene. It was tricky to punish them though as technically there was no official Career academy as training tributes for the Games was illegal, so any action was taken without government sanction. One night while walking the fisheries, Caspian's father was attacked and killed. The official report held 'muggers' as the culprit, but whispers spread that he was killed by the families who had lost their children before they had chance to enter the Games.
Both Katerina and Jameson found it darkly comedic how families could willingly allow their children into the Games, yet feel extreme bouts of rage when their child died. Statistically, if all other factors were taken out, a sole tribute against 23 others only had a 4.17% chance of being crowned Victor. With those odds, the family was basically condemning their child to death.
Willow's speech ended to the annoyed applause of the crowd. While District 4 was by no means bad off compared to the other Districts, it had been a while since they had a Victor, their last being Annie in the 70th Games. Isabella had been so close to victory, only to be denied by the girl who stood before them. The sour atmosphere only increased when the representatives offered their congratulations. The de Burgh's congratulations were rather quick and the animosity limited to simply Willow being Victor instead of Caspian. Isabella's parents however were in a completely different situation.
"You should really be thanking me too." Willow told them after they congratulated her. "You're daughter had gone bat shit insane and that's no way to live. I should know since I'm bat shit insane myself!"
It took every bit of Katerina's and Jameson's will power not to attack Willow, but they somehow managed. Elise, who was still crying, screamed at Willow. "You're a monster!" she shouted at her. "You're an awful person and I hope you die!"
Willow rolled her eyes. "The only people who die in this world are pathetic souls like your sister, while monsters like me thrive. I swear, I keep saying that line to idiots like you all the time. Maybe I should make that my catchphrase? It's a little wordy though..."
Willow turned and left the stage with a smile, leaving Katerina and Jameson to deal with Elise.
They didn't stay for the feast, returning home as quickly as possible. Upon coming up to their home however they were treated to an unwanted surprise. A car with a Capitol seal and Peacekeepers surrounding it waited out front of the West's house.
"West family?" One of them called at the family.
Slowly, Jameson stepped forward to identify himself first, with his wife and child behind him. The Peacekeeper pulled up a holographic pad with their faces on it, confirming it was them. "You have a visitor. Act respectfully." the Peacekeeper grunted, stepping aside so the West's could enter their house. Upon entering, they were greeted by a purple haired woman who observed their house with a critical look.
"You have a very lovely home."
Both parents gasped as they looked at the intruder, instantly recognizing her by the purple hair.
"Dr. Novella!" Katerina breathed, shocked to see the Capitolite in her own home. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Thought I'd stop by and pay a visit." Dr. Novella smiled happily, not bothering to get up from her place at the driftwood kitchen table. "We have things we need to discuss."
Elise looked at her parent's confused, surprised by their shock. Then again, she was also in shock. Elise had never seen a Capitolite in person, and her first time had already set her parent's on edge. Katerina turned to her daughter, looking her sternly in the eye. "Elise, go upstairs to your room and don't come out until we call."
Elise thought about protesting but decided against it. Quickly she made her way up the stairs to her room, shutting the door behind her. As soon as that was heard, Dr. Novella dropped her pleasant act and began authoritative.
"I come on President Snow's behalf." Dr. Novella said icily.
The Wests stared at her in shock. "Y-you work for Snow now?" Katerina responded.
"I do." Dr. Novella said. "Surly you've heard about the changes in leadership for next year's Games?"
"We heard about Plutarch being the Head Gamemaker, not much else." Jameson replied, his expression tactfully blank.
"It's a very nice change." Dr. Novella stated. "Plutarch is a far more competent man than Crane. That drunk."
Neither West felt like defending Crane, he was their employer and that was it. They felt no real sense of loyalty to the man.
"You didn't come to tell us about your promotion though." Jameson asked, wanting to keep the conversation moving.
"No I did not." Dr. Novella stated. She sighed and removed her glasses, cleaning them casually as she talked with the Wests. "Snow's regretful that he had to send you another message, he was so sure you got the first one.," she said with feigned sympathy. "I mean, he poisoned Genevieve to turn you off to any rebellious thoughts. But no, you had to go and try and help the Rebels again, didn't you?"
"We don't know what you're talking about." Jameson said in a stern tone.
"We have proof so can we please drop the act?" Dr. Novella asked. "We know that you've been passing secrets to the rebels."
"What secrets could we possibly be passing?" Katerina countered, the elevation in her tone clear.
"You know very well which ones." Dr. Novella answered. "Anyways, Snow felt that another message was in order for you two. Something that would stick a little harder. So as you know, we had Isabella Reaped and sent off to the Games."
Katerina gasped and stumbled back in shock while Jameson's face turned red with rage. Dr. Novella looked at them with surprise. "Hmm, apparently you didn't know we did that." She said dismissively.
"YOU BITCH!" Jameson roared.
Dr. Novella shrugged. "I've been called worse." she replied.
The Wests attempted to find words, but none came to mind. The idea had come to them that they were being punished for their rebellious actions, but decided that since no action was taken against them it must have been chance Isabella was reaped. Besides, they had already been punished once before for helping the rebels when Genevieve died. The Capitol had poisoned her and made her suffer before her death as a message to Katerina and Jameson about helping the rebels. They were only spared because of their skill as Gamemakers, but the Capitol had their children to threaten them with.
"It was all to toy with you." Dr. Novella explained. "We kept Isabella alive long enough to make her crack and forced her to suffer from death after death. Though we didn't really need to do much after Ivy's death. All that was left to do was send Genevieve in to drive her past the point of no return mentally and then Boom! Willow took care of the rest."
"You sick bastard!" Katerina screamed.
"And you two are bastards with us." Dr. Novella said noncommittal. "You're both mutt specialists. You know that we've had the Valkyrie in design for the longest time. They were such a success this year that we're considering bringing them back next year! Maybe... we don't want to get to repetitive. But that's also why I came today, you're help is requested for next years Games."
The Wests looked at Dr. Novella in shock. "We're not helping you anymore!" Jameson spat.
"You will if you want Elise to live." Dr. Novella threatened. "You should be happy you are being offered this chance anyways, most traitors don't get it. You two just happen to be better mutt specialists than anyone else. You're also liked more than that asshole Dr. Sinclair."
Smoothly, Dr. Novella pulled out a hologram projector and shots and models of mutts for the 77th Games began appearing around the West's first floor. "As you can see, most of these are pretty simple ones. But the one that we need you take care of is this one."
Most of the mutts disappeared from sight, leaving only one remaining. Dr. Novella enhanced the size of it and the complexity of the creature was shown to the Wests, who gasped in shock at the monstrosity. Dr. Novella smiled at their shock.
"We call it, the Leviathan." she whispered to them.
The terrifying mutt disappeared from sight as Dr. Novella closed the projector, preparing to leave the house. "Plutarch will be submitting the model of the arena to the President in two days. The President will approve the arena and you will be expected to report to work in three days. I would recommend getting a nanny for little Elise as you'll be spending a lot of time in the labs. I know that isn't an inconvenience to either of you since you left Elise's parenting to Isabella anyways."
Jameson didn't care what happened to him, he was going to kill Dr. Novella. He screamed loudly and charged at Dr. Novella, though was stopped when he saw Elise's figure at the bottom of the stairs.
Katerina gasped and rushed to her daughter. "I told you to wait upstairs until I called!" he chided.
The door burst open and Peacekeepers charged in, ready to guard Dr. Novella from wrathful parents. They were surprised though by the peaceful room and Dr. Novella smiling at Elise. She walked toward her and ignored Katerina's hard stare.
"Stay away from her!" Katerina snapped.
"Hello!" Dr. Novella said, ignoring Katerina. "Are you Elise?"
Elise nodded her head, scared of the nice, purple haired lady who made her parents nervous.
"Such a pretty name." Dr. Novella said. "Tell me, when will you be added to the Reaping pool?"
"T-two more years." Elise told the woman.
"Ah... so not that long then." Dr. Novella said happily.
Elise suddenly began to cry, realizing the awful truth. Her parents did as well, scared of the very clear threat that Dr. Novella was giving them. Dr. Novella turned to the adults of the family and gave them a soft smile. "See you at work." she said before exiting the house and returning to her car.
As soon as the door closed, the Wests rushed to their last remaining daughter, desperate to comfort and protect the last of the children.
Genevieve had died because of their mistakes.
Isabella had died because of their repeated mistakes.
Elise would not meet the same fate.
Next up: Gloria ad Capitolio - Districts 3 to 1 & the Capitol
I feel that the final scene with Jonathan's parents is a little soapy and too leaning towards 'good ending' for Panem. But after this entire story of darkness and evil prevailing, I figured I could at least give one 'good' victory. I don't know if I'm 100% ok with it and I might go back and change that scene to Sheila forced to live in drunken misery with her husband. We'll seeā¦
