We hit camp and night was already upon us. I wrapped myself in the sleeping bag provided to us and I looked at the tent that surrounded me. I never really knew how to make a tent, and actually had to get a fellow Soldier to help me. I curled into the sleeping back and squeezed my eyes shut.

I wished I had a way to contact Finnick. I missed his advice already. It feels weird not seeing him, not knowing when I'd see him next. Sure, he'd sometimes disappear, but that was because he was on official business. Where would he think I was?

I let out a sigh and tried to get some sleep. But none would come. We were all informed that tomorrow a squad would be sent off to try and get rid of pods. We would have a squad leader who had a Holo, which is a watch that provided a holographic diagram of the street we'd be on and would have special highlighted spots where the pods would be. Sadly, we weren't completely sure where all the pods were. So we were instructed to be especially cautious. That's why they sent people like me here. So if one of us died, it wouldn't be a big deal.

I finally gave up sleeping right before dawn and left my tent. I had gotten dressed for the day and I sat around until breakfast was served. Soldiers got out of their tents and made their way to the breakfast tent, but I already ate mine and was awaiting orders.

"Soldiers!" a voice called. We all turned to see a very muscular man, with buzzed hair just like us, and a scar that ran from the top left corner of his forehead, down his nose, and the right of his jaw, right below his ear. I grimaced at the sight. That's what was awaiting us in those streets, I knew. "I will be reading lists for the squads and the dates you will depart!"

So he started reading names for today. The people called would grab supplies and leave in ten minutes sharp. I tried my best to block out the voice until I heard my name on today's list: "Paisley Greenwald ..."

My eyes widened. Today? I couldn't help but be angry at the Rebels. I didn't get to say goodbye and I'm called the first day. Fantastic!

I quickly grabbed my supplies with disdain and looked at my crew. They were all shapes and sizes. They all examined each other, and I realized, with some anger, I was the only female. I rolled my eyes and held my gun firmly in my hand as the scar face came towards us.

"Hello, Soldiers! My name is Piper." I could tell the crew were stifling laughter. He fixed his hard, beady black eyes on us. "We will be activating pods and ensuring the safety of later crew members as we make our way into the heart of the Capitol. And don't worry, if you die, you'll get replaced." I furrowed my eyebrows. Not only was he certain we'd die, he was counting on it. I instantly imagined Gale's face on him and hated him even more.

So we marched to the nearest street and started our trek through the maze of pods. Piper took out his Holo and pointed to a pod. "One there," he declared.

Before we knew it, we were halfway through the street without any casualties. And that's when I really should have kept my mouth shut.

One of my crew members struck a pod and I could hear the faint beeping.

"Get down!" I shouted as we all hit the pavement. Right as we hit it, the pod the Solider was on went off and exploded. I saw the black gas and quickly put on my gas mask, crawling away from it, towards camp. I couldn't see my own hands in front of my face, the black gas was so thick. I could hear coughing and choking noises. I could tell it was made to smother its victims, like soot. Maybe it was soot. I continued crawling until I heard a voice.

"Paisley."

I sat up and looked around to see a faint shadow in the mist. I frowned deeply as the shape got bigger and bigger. And then a girl collapsed in front of me. She had green hair and she looked like my mother—it was my sister. And this time, she was real.

My eyes widened as I grabbed her and pulled her out of the gas. She was probably dead from the smothering gas and she was covered in it. The black stained her clothes, her hair, her face... I stood up and dragged her, unable to pick her up since the black gas was now burning my arms. Finally, we got out of the range of the gas and I took off my mask, shaking my sister. She remained unconscious, so I took the clean part of my shirt and wiped her face down, cleaning it of the black mess. I put the gas mask on her face so she'd have a plentiful supply of oxygen and pressed my fingers to her neck. Her pulse was there, but only barely.

I turned around to see the black cloud dispersing. A few Soldiers had their masks on, but they couldn't move. I could almost hear the sizzle as the black dust on my arms started to burn them. I looked around and grabbed the canteen that was around my waist, hastily washing off the corrosive black dust off of my arms and any skin that had been exposed to the cloud. I did the same to my sister and held her close as Piper walked up to me.

He looked completely unfazed. He had his mask on, and the dust covered him from head-to-toe, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Let's get back to camp," he grunted.

I frowned. "The remaining Soldiers," I said.

He shook his head. "As good as dead."

As a child from Six, I refused to believe someone was beyond helping. I shot an angry glance to Piper before I walked over to a writhing Soldier. I knew the ones without gas masks were already dead. They had been exposed to long, their lungs were smothered in the dust by now. Not to mention, their insides would be sizzling and burning. I took the Soldier's canteen and washed him off. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to my sister, lay him there, and ran back.

Piper just stood at me.

In the end, I was able to save three of the ten people from my crew. I looked at the bodies of men, some of them with gas masks, but their skin was already putrefying in the heat. I let out a soft cry for them, and bode them well. I sent condolences to whatever family and loved ones they had and grabbed my sister and a soldier. I knew I could not carry the second and third.

"Piper!" I shouted. He turned to me, his eyes blazing at my tone. "Are you going to stand there or help your fellow crew?"

He growled at me. Questioning authority was always a bad thing to do, but right now I didn't have a choice. They had to get better medical attention. I dragged my sister and the other soldier, while Piper easily picked up the two other soldiers, to the camp.

The medics were immediately upon us and they rushed them to the emergency tent. I collapsed on the ground, panting. I refused any help from the medics, and so did Piper. I'm sure my reason was different than his—the three soldiers and my sister needed all the medics they could get.

I closed my eyes, breathing in the oxygen of the outside air before my collar was grabbed and I was choking on the sudden pressure on my throat. My eyes flew open and Piper's black eyes were boring holes into my skull.

"Soldier Paisley," he growled. "You dare question my authority?"

This was going to come sooner or later. I just preferred later more than sooner. I tried to take his fingers off of my shirt collar, but he held a firm grip. "No, Sir, but those soldiers—"

"Were dieing! We are wasting perfectly usable supplies on soldiers that are going to die anyway."

I glared at Piper. I couldn't disagree more. "With all due respect, Sir, we are a crew. We are supposed to help each other! Demanding a Soldier dead on field without examining him is condemning him to death, when he could otherwise live. It's wrong, immoral. What you just did makes you no better than the Capitol... Sir."

He growled at me and threw me to the ground. Isn't this familiar? I caught myself before my head hit the ground and I stared at Piper. "Next time, Soldier Paisley, I will not let it slide." And he walked away.

I rubbed my throat and coughed, taking in shaky breaths. Piper was most definitely two feet taller than I was. But I had refused to cower. I looked at the emergency tent and got up. I walked to a doctor.

"Are they going to be alright?"

"Most definitely," he said cheerfully. "They're recovering nicely. Great work on the field, Solider Paisley." I nodded. I didn't want a thanks, I just wanted to see them, especially my sister. I had many questions for her. The doctor told me I could in the morning. But, with my luck, I'd be sent on another pod-mission the next day.

I rubbed my neck, which was sweating, and walked to the showers. Well, they weren't really showers. They were baths in tents. You asked someone to pitch a hot bath and they'd prepare the hot water. So once they got the bath ready, I immersed myself in the steaming water.

It stung my burned skin, but I ignored it and looked at my legs and elbows. My elbows were scraped and bleeding because I had hit the ground with such a force, and all the crawling. I cleaned the wounds and tended to my legs. They were pretty bruised, but nothing major. I sighed. I got lucky, but the other seven Soldiers...

I allowed myself to cry for the second time that week.