Hi guys!

Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I know I say it every time but they all mean so much to me and I look forward to them every time I update! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed this story and who regularly updates.

Answers to reviews –

- John is definitely going to man up and do stuff soon. He's just going through a little blip at the moment because Sarah just died.

- I will definitely add more humour but I haven't had many chances lately. But I will try and add that soon.

- Ella and Sam are coming up soon! Hopefully Alicia will become more likeable soon!

So a final thank you for everything and please enjoy!

Chapter 34 – Unfolding Plans

Maren – Day 2 (3 PM)

"Another one dead…just like that," I sigh, my fingers tracing patterns in the sand. "I've lost count of how many are dead at this point," Marina watches me nearby, her face kind.

"At least it wasn't one of us," she says softly. I bristle at that, even though I know she meant well. By one of us, she means one of our friends and I know that she's right. But I can't help but let my anger take over.

"One of us? They're all one of us," I snap. "Every damn tribute in here is one of us! The careers are one of us! Joslyn was one of us! We're all the same race!" I yell in ager. Marina pales and looks down at the sand, her face hidden.

"You're right, I'm sorry," she whispers. Seeing her apologise makes me even angrier but I don't say anything. She's not the reason I'm angry; she doesn't deserve to get the brunt force of it. I look down at the sand, angrily wiping away the useless pattern I drew. I just want to go home to the safety of my old house with my mother and sisters. I don't want to be here.

"I have a plan," I'm interrupted from my moping by Melvin, who stands up with his precious coil of wire. He adjusts his glasses that balance on his nose and a weird pang runs through my chest; he reminds me so much of Sam with his glasses, shy demeanour and crazy intelligence. I wish Sam were here yet I'm glad he's not. I know he'd end up in the same place as Sarah.

"What's that?" Stanley walks over, kneeling in the sand next to Melvin. The others draw closer and I shoot Marina an apologetic smile, which she replies to with a gentle smile. I look away, a pang of sadness racing through me. Someone that nice shouldn't be in here.

"We want to kill the careers," Melvin points out and I see Sophia roll her eyes nearby. I hide my smile and concentrate on Melvin instead.

"Yep, you got that right," Stanley mutters, and there's definitely a sarcastic edge in his voice. Melvin ignores him and gently brushes a bit of wet sand off his wire.

"Why aren't the careers here now? Because we claimed the beach for ourselves," Melvin explains. Sophia nods, her face calculating.

"So if we leave, the careers come back," she points out. Melvin nods, a feverish look in his eyes. His hands are shaking with excitement and I can't help but think that this genius is slightly mad.

"Yes, exactly!" he nods. "And that's the perfect time to strike. When they're on the beach," I roll my eyes, leaning back onto my heels.

"No way. They'll sense an ambush," I point out.

"Yes, but they won't be expecting a trap," Melvin says. "Using this wire, we can kill them and be far away," He grins. I frown in confusion, noticing the same expression on the other's faces. Stanley seems pretty keen for it though and I admit that it would be nice to have our main combatants out of the way.

"How?" Joseph asks politely. Melvin settles down, his fingers lightly tracing his beloved wire.

"At 12, lightning hits that tree over there," he points to the tallest tree in the arena, stretching up high in the air. "I was awake last night and saw it happen," Marina nods along and so does Stanley, so I decide to trust Melvin on this. "Imagine that the electrical current from the lightning strike could travel down the wire and onto the beach where the tributes are hiding," I grin as the idea starts to make sense and I can see the same look on the other's faces. It's genius.

"Yes, but the sand will be dry. Will that conduct the electricity?" Sophia asks. Melvin shakes his head but gestures to me.

"That's when Maren comes in. She has element manipulation and can use her legacy to wash waves up onto the beach to wet the sand where the wire will be buried. Water doesn't like electricity," Melvin says lightly and Stanley grins, a crazy look in his eyes.

"And then goodbye careers," he laughs. I nod, a grim smile playing on my lips, but Sophia looks slightly concerned.

"How will we do this then?" she asks.

"The tree is able to conduct the electric lightning strike without combusting or breaking, which means it's a good conductor. I'll wrap the wire around the tree," Melvin begins. "Whilst I do that, with the rest of you guarding me from potential threats, Joseph and Maren can go off and uncoil the wire. Joseph can then teleport you back to us and we can all back off as a group," Melvin explains. Sophia nods, a relieved look on her face.

"And we'll all stick together," she looks pointedly at Melvin and I feel like I'm missing out on something. Nearby, Stanley shakes his head at the idea, a frown on his face.

"No, it doesn't make sense. Joseph and John should stay as guards; the two of them will be more than enough to guard the tree. After all, Joseph can shape shift and Johnny there can set shit on fire," Stanley points out. I nod along; it's too risky to stay together in a huge group.

"Yeah, and Sophia and I should unravel the wire. Sophia will be able to hear out for careers with her mind control and I will be needed down by the beach," I add. Sophia looks concerned but then Marina jumps in, her face animated.

"Stanley and I can be far guards. We both have super speed so can make it back in time quickly and I have night vision so I can see careers," she pauses and looks at Stanley, as if wondering how to phrase something. "And Stanley is a dedicated fighter," she says delicately.

"You mean he's aggressive and likes to hit things," John says bluntly. Stanley pretends to look miffed but I can tell he's pleased.

"I don't know, we'll all be split up then," Sophia says nervously. I shake my head, smiling reassuringly at her. I never took her for one to like being in large groups.

"Marina and Stanley can run us back to the others once we're done. Or, even better, Joseph can teleport the other two down to us," I suggest. Joseph nods, smiling confidently.

"Two is the perfect number to teleport," he agrees. "We can meet up on the centre island; that will be the only safe place because it's rock and shouldn't be harmed by the lightning strike," Melvin frowns, exchanging a worried glance with Sophia.

"No, we meet by the tree. The beach is too dangerous. The ground won't be wet and we'll be perfectly safe. I think that's the best place to meet," he suggests. "We'll need to meet up as soon as possible," he stresses. I shrug, deciding to play along with Sophia and Melvin's apparent fear.

"Fine, we'll come meet you and hope for the best," I agree. The others nod and we all look around at each other, determined. This is it. If this works, then there won't be many others left in the arena and we'll have to split up. I don't want to have to fight the others but I feel like the chance to avoid that is long gone. I take a deep breath, and reach for one of our water bottles, but it's empty.

"I'll get some more water. When are we going to the tree?" I ask, standing up. Stanley hefts the axe, apparently coming to help.

"We'll leave around ten to be on the safe side," Melvin says. "That way, we'll have plenty of time beforehand," I nod, and then head for the trees, ignoring the chiming that means it's three o' clock. It's starting to become so normal now that I barely pay attention to it.

"Man, that sound creeps me out," Stanley grunts as he thuds the axe into the tree. I can't help but think there must be an easier way to get water, like a near pond, but when the liquid trickles out of the hole in the tree, I decide to ignore my thoughts and fill up the water bottle.

"I know," I agree. "It's so weird," The bottle is full and I take a drink, passing it on to Stanley. I hear a flutter of wings above me, and my stomach growls, as if it knows there's passing food. "Come on, let's head-"

A scream fills the air. Not a scream from one of my fellow tributes but from a young girl, who's been tortured to the point of death.

The scream belongs to my little sister.

"Lilia," I mutter, dropping the bottle. I hear the scream getting away from me but I need to find it, need to save her. "Lilia!"

I run after the scream, shouting her name. I crash through bushes and vines, needing to find her. I need to protect her. I hear Stanley behind me but I'm faster, whipping my head around to find her as I sprint to find her. What are they doing to her? My sister makes a noise that sends a shiver down my spine, and I don't know what they must have done to her to get that noise. I yell her name as I come to a stop in a clearing, the screaming louder and even worse than before. I spin in a circle, expecting to see her nearby on the ground, blood covering her. But I just see a bird in the tree with its mouth open.

A jabberjay. It's a bird that is able to copy and then replicate perfectly the sounds and noises from human being, such as the screams of a tortured girl. The images of my sister being strapped down to a metal table whilst doctors in white coats extract those sounds from her for the bird to overhear run through my mind. The world spins around me and I fall to my knees. I kneel on the ground, throwing up, when the sound stops. I look up blearily to see Stanley there, the dead bird on the ground. He has concern on his face and he runs over, kneeling by me.

"It's ok, Maren, it was only a jabberjay," I'm shaking so badly and more bile rises in my throat. Lilia. What did they do to Lilia? I can't get the screaming out of my mind.

"But where do you think they got those noises from?" I rasp. Stanley whitens and then he grabs my hand, heaving me to my feet.

"Come on, we gotta go back to the beach," he says. I stagger behind him, still feeling sick and shaky when another scream pierces the air. A man's scream.

"Sandor," Stanley spins on his heel, his face transformed, dropping my hand. His eyes turn dark with panic and then he's running like I was, bolting after the noise of the tortured voice. "Sandor!"

I follow him, tripping over vines and bushes until I find Stanley in a clearing, desperately trying to kill the jabberjay that's just out of his reach. The screaming carries on and I recognise the voice as Stanley's mentor. I reach up, snapping the bird's neck with telekinesis and the sound stops. My heart pounds and I feel sick, shaky.

"We need to go!" I yell and Stanley nods, looking sweaty and sick as he grabs my hand. We run through the forest to the beach. I can see the others up ahead, waving at us but they're standing by the edge of the forest. Why didn't they come and find us? I can't hear what they're shouting or gesturing but I can hear the fluttering of wings and I know the jabberjays are coming.

I slam into an invisible glass wall and I fall backwards, gasping, winded. I sit up, trying to break the glass but I know that the others will have done anything to get to us. Stanley slams his fists into the wall but even his strength doesn't make a dent. I continue to pound my fists against the wall, adrenalin and fear pounding in my veins. I notice my hands starting to bleed from my strength but I carry on, desperate to escape this nightmare. Horror starts to rushes through me and that's when they find us. The jabberjays.

A chorus of screaming starts as the birds replay what they heard. Lilia, Katarina, Catia, my mother, Sam…and there are others for Stanley. He just seems to crumple into a ball, giving in at once, as he rocks back and forth. The others are just on the other side and try to comfort us but I can't hear them. I can see the horror on their faces, knowing they can't help us but have to watch us suffer.

At first I put up a fight. I kill every bird I can with telekinesis but more and more come. Lilia, Catia, Katarina, my mother, Sam…their voices go on and on and on. I sink to my knees, the screams going right through me, sinking into my brain. All I can hear are the screams; all I can hear is their pain. What happened to them? Are they dead? The birds keep coming and the screams gets louder, filled with even more pain. I press my hands to my face and then I'm screaming too. Hearing their pain drives me mad, and I can feel myself hunching over into a ball to escape the noise. I ignore the others from behind the wall; I just kneel and scream and scream and scream.

Xxx

"It's over, it's over," I'm shaking, lying in a ball. "It's over, Maren, I promise" Their screams, oh god, their screams. Someone reaches out and holds me, their arms around me tight. It's Marina.

"They were hurting them," I whisper, numb. My sisters…what have they done to my sisters. "They were being tortured," Marina strokes my hair, her touch so soothing. I could almost pretend it's my mother. Oh my mother…

"It wasn't real," John kneels in front of me. Nearby, Sophia hugs Stanley and Joseph kneels by him, saying the same reassuring words to him.

"It's true, it's not real," Melvin adds softly, adjusting his glasses. I just stare at him, feeling too numb to cry or throw up. Their screams…they were filled with so much pain. I want to be sick, but I've already thrown up everything in my stomach.

"They'll be interviewing them back home because we're in the final ten or something like that" Sophia stands up, Stanley still sat on the ground. John reaches out and gently rubs his back, whilst Joseph continues to reassure him. Stanley just looks shell-shocked. I notice his hands are shaking and there are tears in his eyes.

Melvin nods. "It's possible to genetically alter a voice. Your sister could have been talking normally like you or I, but it's possible to alter it so it sounds like she's screaming in absolute agony," he says softly. I look up, hope filling me for the first time.

"It…it wasn't real?" I ask, desperate for it to be the truth. John takes my hands, his eyes genuine and I know he would never lie to me.

"No," he promises me. I nod, shaking, but I feel a tiny bit better. If it's not real, then I can get over it. As long as I know that my sisters and friends are safe and unharmed.

"They wouldn't do that," Sophia snorts. "Torturing little girls for fun? They'd have an uprising" Her voice rises to a shout and she looks up at the sky. "How would you like that, Ra? An uprising in the Capital?" she laughs, kind of manically. We all stare at her in shock and she turns defensive, a small blush on her cheeks.

"What?" Sophia scowls as we all stare at her in shock. "Someone had to say it," she turns away, grabbing the axe. "I'll get you some more water,"

I relax into Marina's arms, as John leans next to me, the two of them protecting me from the world. I can feel both their arms around me, holding me close, until the shaking finally stops.

Xxx

Marina – Day 2 (9 PM)

It's beautiful in here. The sun sets over the arena and the sky is painted in differing shades of orange, yellow, blue and pink. The leaves in the trees rustle with the wind and I can hear a chorus of crickets and birds in the jungle. The sea gently laps against the rock spoke I'm sitting on, whilst the washes gently crash onto the beach where the others are. If I shut my eyes, I could be on a different planet, somewhere peaceful and calm.

Maren and Stanley are still quiet after their ordeal earlier and I can only imagine what they went through. Hearing your loved one's screams of pain must be unbearable, even if it isn't real. I can see John sat nearby, his face slightly shell-shocked. It's barely been twelve hours since Sarah died, yet this is the first chance he's had to really mourn her. So much has happened since her death; it feels like it was years ago that Marcus died but that was only last night. I can't imagine how John feels either after Sarah's death. If Joseph had died…no, I can't even think that.

I draw my knees up to my chin, enjoying the moment of calm here on the rock spoke. I needed time to think, to get away from the others. After tonight, there won't be many tributes left at all, and I don't want to have to hurt my friends. I'd rather be caught in a Gamemakers' trick than kill one of them. I knew this time was coming but now that it's here, I'm terrified of leaving. I don't want to go, to leave them but I have to. There can only be one winner and I promised Ella I would fight. Yet if I die, there's only one other person who I want to win this. And really, I'd rather he win than me. The thought of him dying is just too painful.

"You all right?" I look up, a smile appearing naturally on my face when Joseph joins me. He settles down on a nearby rock, his sword in his belt just in case. He's unzipped the top half of his jumpsuit and tied it around his waist, so that his vest is showing. He sits with his arms propped up on his knees and I try to ignore his muscular arms, and how much I wish they would wrap around me.

"Needed some time to think about the plan," I admit. Joseph nods, looking out over the jungle, his face shadowed in the evening night. I forget just how good looking he is and I feel a blush on my cheeks, glad he won't be able to see as well in this low light.

"It will work tonight," Joseph reassures me. "The plan will work and the careers will die," I nod, my stomach churning with nerves.

"I think so too," I agree. "And once the careers are dead that barely leaves anyone but our group," I point out. Joseph nods, biting his lip. I can sense the same turmoil in him that I'm suffering. I look away from him and towards the beach where our friends our, all silently staring at the scenery. I'm not the only one thinking of what will happen after tonight. And I know that some of them will turn to be our enemies as quickly as they became allies.

"We have to go," I finally say. "We have to leave the others after tonight," I sigh. Joseph looks at me, his eyes focused on my face intensely.

"We might not have to," he says gently. I shake my head, looking into his eyes, desperate for him to see the truth.

"Once the careers are gone, we know what happens next," I say bitterly. "I don't want to be the one to shoot first, Joseph. I don't want to be the one responsible for starting this. But if it means that I have to choose between saving you and killing them, then I will shoot first,"

"Maybe you won't have to. Maybe we all refuse to shoot," Joseph takes my hand, a smile on his face. He's filled with so much faith that it kills me. He just doesn't know. He doesn't know how serious the situation is. He truly thinks we can get out of this, because he's too good to think that the others will turn against us. He doesn't think they can do that, but I know better. I saw how easily Sophia killed that boy on the cornucopia yesterday morning. I saw John's face when he was talking about avenging Sarah's death. I saw Stanley's determination to kill Callum after he killed Joslyn. I know they would never ever kill us willingly, but their survival comes first.

"It won't work like that," I say gently. "The mogs will never let another rule change take place, not like they did last year in Round 1. There's only one person coming out of this arena," Joseph looks startled, his eyes filled with sadness.

"I know it's bad when you're saying this," he says softly, reaching out and brushing some hair away from my face. "Ok, if it makes you feel better, we'll go tonight. Once the careers are dead, I'll teleport us away from the others," he says softly. He trusts me implicitly, won't even comprehend the thought of the two of us splitting up, and I know that I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Deal," I nod. I look away from his beautiful green eyes to the beach where the others are gathered. Maybe it's the light, maybe it's the conversation, but they all look so threatening.

"I know what you're doing, you know," I turn back to him, confused. "I know you're going to try and keep me alive, to win this thing," I blush at once, but what can I say? He knows me too well. I just can't bear the thought of being alive without him, and the thought of him dying is so painful, that I want him to live. Someone as good and as kind as him shouldn't die. He should live, have a future. He deserves it.

"What's wrong with that?" I whisper. Joseph laughs gently, his hand still in mine. It feels so nice that I never want to pull my hand away.

"Nothing, only it doesn't work with my plan to keep you alive to win this," he says. I look up, our eyes meeting, and warmth floods through me. If only there could be two winners, then everything would be all right. If only both of us could walk out of this arena instead of one. I feel tears in my eyes and Joseph reaches out, gently wiping them away.

"I won't let you die for me, Marina," he says softly. I shake my head, blinking away my tears. I can see the same pain in his eyes but he hides it better.

"That's not your choice to make," I say roughly. Joseph smiles sadly and then reaches out from under his vest to pull a necklace off his head. It's not the blue one that we all have, it's a gold one, and I can see it's a locket. He opens it but doesn't show me the pictures yet and I can only imagine what's in them.

"It's not just about me," he says. "There are people that need you, Marina. Ella, Hector, Adelina…they all need you. If you die, then some part of them will die, especially Ella. You can't leave her all alone," he says softly.

He shows me the pictures and more tears fill my eyes as I see Ella's smiling face in the locket. Her red hair waving around her face, her huge smile…Pain races through me and I press my hand to my mouth to stop the sobs. I miss her so much. How can I let her down? Knowing that she's watching my every move, how can I let myself die? And Hector, dear Hector who was beaten so badly before I came in here. Who I'd had to try to forget otherwise I'd go mad from worrying. I swallow back my sobs, trying to stay strong, but seeing Ella's face breaks me.

"That's not fair," I whisper roughly. Joseph wraps his arm around me tightly, and I lean into him. I can tell that it hurts him to do this, that he doesn't want to upset me, but he's using every bit of his arsenal to make me relent. Only…I can't. I can't let him die for me.

"It's the truth," he says softly. "I don't mean to hurt you, not at all, but it's the truth. Ella needs you and so does Hector and Adelina. If you die, then they have nothing," he says. I pull back, anger replacing my grief.

"And so what, if you die then everyone is ok?" I demand. "No one cares?" Joseph smiles calmly, trying to placate me but my grief over this conversation is making me angry. I can't have him think like this, I can't. He's too special to die; he's too special to sacrifice himself.

"It's different," he says, without self-pity. "Nobody needs me the way they need you," he says, his eyes filled with peace. It's like he's already come to his decision about his death and nothing will change his mind. Yet nothing is going to change my mind either.

"Someone does," I say slowly. If he dies, I'll never escape the arena. I'll never be able to leave the arena, stuck in here for eternity as I replay his death over and over. "I need you,"

Joseph shakes his head but before he can try and persuade me, I lean forwards and kiss him. He gives in at once, as if, like me, he can't fight his feelings anymore. My eyes flutter shut as his arms wrap around me tightly, his lips so soft against mine. He tastes salty but sweet at the same time and his hair is so soft as I curl my hands into it. I lose track of everything in the kiss and lean into him, one of his arms around my waist, the other hand tangling in my hair. Nothing matters, only this, only right now. I don't care if the whole world is watching; this moment is just for the two of us, and it's perfect.

"We shouldn't," Joseph pulls away slightly. His lips are redder than normal and he's slightly out of breath. I'm aware of how close we are, curled into the other, and I don't want to leave this, ever. "We'll just make it harder,"

"I don't care," I whisper, and then this time he leans down to kiss me, his hand cupping my chin. My arms wrap around his neck and I shut my eyes once more, giving into my feelings. Time just seems to stand care and my mind goes blank as we kiss. Instead of sating me, every kiss makes me want more and it's such a new feeling, one that I never thought was possible. He eventually pulls back but he stays right in my arms, not going anywhere.

"I should have done that a long time ago," Joseph rests his cheek against my forehead. I'm wrapped up in his arms, my head resting on his chest, safe for the moment. I can hear his heart beating and his chest moving with every breath, and it's so wonderful. I could stay here forever.

"At least you did it now," I whisper. He nods, pressing his lips to my forehead for a sweet kiss. I close my eyes, his fingers tracing patterns on my arms. I never thought something so simple could feel so wonderful.

"I love you," Joseph whispers so quietly that only I can hear. I smile, feeling like my whole body is being filled with light, and I look up, meeting his eyes.

"I love you too," He looks as happy as I feel, a huge smile on his face, despite everything. I can tell he's about to bend down and kiss me again, when we hear a wolf-whistle nearby. Stanley stands on the beach, a huge smirk on his face, and the others are grinning. Oh great, I can already imagine the teasing. I blush at once, but I don't regret a thing.

"All right lovebirds," Maren calls, a huge smirk on her face. "Time to go!" I sigh, and sadly push away from Joseph, but that doesn't stop him taking my hand. He zips up his jumpsuit and I can feel my mood becoming serious once more. It's time to go. I grab my bow, slinging it onto my back, and walking down the rock spoke, Joseph next to me.

He doesn't let go of my hand once.

Xxx

Adam – Day 2 (11:30 PM)

"What are you doing now?" Alicia paces around the control room, her face lined with fear. My fingers fly over the laptop, my heart thudding in my chest. I've got to keep calm, but my hands are shaking badly. If the Gamemakers come in they won't suspect me of anything but they'll know something is up when they see Alicia. A Loric girl with a gun in top-secret Gamemaker rooms? Definitely something wrong.

"Why couldn't you just stay behind?!" I snap, ignoring Hannah's reproachful look. Even though she agrees with me, she doesn't like me shouting at her sister. "I had it all planned out. The mogs were assuming I was doing this because of the tributes' plan in the arena. I had permission to be here! Now, if they see you, everything will be over!"

"I had to make sure you weren't betraying us!" she says but I know she's lying. I can tell by the guilty look in her eyes, the same that Hannah gets when she's fibbing. And I know she'd want to be here for the same reasons Hannah would be here.

"Liar," I snarl. "You wanted to be a part of something big. Well, you got your wish. If this goes wrong, you'll be remembered as the girl who ruined the rescue plan and potentially the revolution!" Alicia winces and Hannah shoots me another warning look.

I turn back to the monitors with a harsh sigh, my fingers flying over the keyboard. I hack the camera system in the room, replacing current views with feeds from an hour ago to make it look completely normal. I admire my work for a second; according to the cameras, there are two mogs in here, not a teenage Loric girl and a traitor.

"Have you got the helicopters yet?" Alicia asks. She's dressed head-to-toe in black, a gun in her hand, looking every inch the spy. She paces the room, her eyes taking in every potential exit but there's only one door. I hope that no one has spotted anything unusual and I managed to hack the cameras in time. If not, we're dead.

"I was just hacking the camera system so that no one would see us enter," I reply. "There, we should be all right. Now I better do what I was supposed to do," I shoot her a pointed look and she glares back, but I can see the guilt in her eyes.

I turn to the next monitor, typing commands to release two helicopters from our nearby hovercraft centre. It doesn't take long, it's a piece of cake for me, but it does take longer to disable the wireless command system that allows Gamemakers to control the hovercraft. It might look suspicious to the mogs flying it but they won't ask questions; they'll assume there might be a network error and it's safer to have hands-on flying. That's happened before. I also disable the tracking system so that the mogs won't be able to find the crafts once they're in Loric hands. That doesn't take long and fortunately, the pilots won't be able to see that happening.

"There," Ten minutes later, I lean back in my chair. "It's done. The first craft should be here within five minutes, the other one a few minutes after that. The others better be ready to take down some pilots," Alicia nods, grabbing her communicator and relaying the information to Henri. I hear static voices and Alicia shoots me a thumbs up, relief on her face. It's probably the only sign of approval I'll ever get from her.

"They're ready. Is there a way to log out the system so mogs can't interfere with the crafts if they come in here and see what's happened?" Alicia asks. Her hatred of me has been shoved to the side and right now, we're two allies on a time limit. And my anger over her interference has disappeared now that our part of the plan is over.

"I can change the password," I suggest, turning around on the chair. It barely takes me seconds; it's easy work for me. I've been raised to work computers without thinking and this is as easy as breathing. "There, they should find it very hard to get back in. And when they do, we'll be long gone," I log out of the system, breathing a sigh of relief for the first time. We've done it.

"We should be ok," I reassure her. Alicia nods, reaching for her communicator after there's a noise from it. A grin appears on her face and she puts it down, gesturing towards the door.

"The first one came quicker than expected. They killed the pilot and are on their way to the arena. Let's hope they get there in time," she says, an excited smile on her face. She reminds me so much of Hannah it's uncanny. I feel sick, shaky, but excited too. I'm making a difference, saving Loric lives, and it's thrilling in a terrifying way.

"We better go and get the second one. It'll be coming any minute now," I say, heading for the door.

Alicia nods, swapping her communicator for her gun. "They said that you did a great job. They said everything was pulled off perfectly…Thank you," she pauses, almost looking vulnerable. "I know you did that for Hannah, and-"

The door flies inwards and hits us, sending us flying. I hit the back wall and I hear Alicia's cry of pain, as she crumples to the ground, the door on top of her. I hit the floor, my body aching with pain as I struggle to breathe through the acrid smoke pouring through the door. I see a pair of legs walking towards me, but I crawl to Alicia, pulling her away from under the door. She has blood down the side of her face, but she's half-awake.

Adam, get up! Get up! Hannah screams, paying attention to the threat. I turn just in time to see Ivan there and then a hand locks around my throat, lifting me from the ground. I gasp for breath as my brother holds me above the ground, a glare on his face. He looks furious, but there's more than that: betrayal.

"Nice try, Adam," he whispers, hate in his eyes. "Trying to get away? Trying to hide from your crimes?" I kick out at him frantically, desperately breathing for air. Ivan slackens his hold, still painfully tight, but enough so that I can breathe. He wants me to suffer.

"It's too late," I hiss. "The crafts have gone and you'll never stop them! I disabled the systems! It's too late!" I don't know if I'm trying to persuade him more than me. I hear a moan and watch as Alicia tries to sit up, rubbing her head. I can't see any other mogs behind Ivan, which makes me think he's working alone. But why?

"Yes, it's too late for that," Ivan snarls, hatred and fury in his voice. "But it's never too late to kill you," I try to fight him off but he's just too strong and he delivers a powerful punch to my stomach. I gasp desperately for air as Hannah hovers nearby, furious, scared, helpless. Alicia tries to reach for her communicator, but Ivan kicks it out of reach. It flies against the wall, smashing into pieces when it hits it.

"How…did…you…know?" I rasp. Ivan smirks, looking proud of himself, and hatred races through me. I could kill him for this, but more importantly than that, I have to get Alicia out of here. I can't let Ivan kill her too.

"I knew you were up to something," he tosses me into the corner, and I hit the wall with a cry of pain. Agony races through my back and I scramble back, gasping for breath. Panic races through me as I look at Alicia, still groggy. I don't know how to get out of this; Ivan has always been the stronger one.

"I bugged your jacket when I came to talk the other day. I got everything. The plans to get your friends out of the arena," Panic races through me and I lock horrified eyes with Alicia. No, no. They can't know, they can't know about the Resistance. The thought is so horrifying that I lie there, paralyzed, unable to breathe.

"What else do you know?" I gasp. Ivan frowns, as if there's something else to know, and I sigh a little in relief. I know at once that all he knows about is the plan tonight. He might know about the Resistance being a group but he probably knew about that anyway. I thank Henri in my head for not telling me much at all, otherwise this would all be over.

Yet…how did Henri and Katarina get away in the first craft?

"Why did you let them go?" I gasp, rubbing my face. Blood comes away on my hands and I'm aware of a sharp pain in my head. Alicia tries to get to her feet behind Ivan, but he spins around, backhanding her fiercely. She hits the floor and doesn't move. Hannah and I are both filled with a hatred and anger that's so strong I'm surprised I don't break with the force.

"Because I was going to stop the Loric scum when they thought they were safe," Ivan spits on Alicia, a look of disgust on his face. I feel a piece of broken door by my hand, its side sharp and jagged. If I stab Ivan with this, it could kill him, or maim him at the very least.

"I was going to tell Father at first," Ivan boasts, pacing in front of me. Nearby, Alicia's eyes open but she doesn't move. Her hand starts to move very slowly, towards her belt with her knife. "But then I thought of a better plan. I'm going to call officials about the crafts once I have you under control and then I'm going to drag you to Father. To show him I can do it all by myself," Ivan says, a smirk on his face. I can sense his pride, his arrogance that he could take this all down by himself.

"Don't you get it?" I yell in anger, in despair. "You're better than me in his eyes! You always have been! Why do you have to keep proving it?" Ivan's face fills with anger and then he lunges forward, grabbing me by my shirt. He holds me in front of him, my feet off the ground. I close my eyes, waiting for the blow, but it doesn't come.

"I'm doing my duty to my people," he hisses in my face, spit showering my skin. "It's about time you did the same," he drops me, kicking me for good measure, before turning away.

My mind races; Ivan's the only one that knows for now. He hasn't called anyone about the crafts. His arrogance could be his downfall and my advantage. If we silence him, then he won't tell anyone and our plan can continue. No one will know any better.

But can I kill him? Can I really kill my brother, despite everything? My body tells me yes, I'm in so much pain from his attack, but mentally I can't. He's my brother and I know I can't. He's a monster but he's still family.

"And now, who's this?" Ivan bends down to see Alicia. Panic races through Hannah and she tries to get me up, but my body hurts so much. "I'm going to carve your pretty little face up until- Arggh!"

Alicia rears up and slashes Ivan's face with her knife. He tries to tackle her at once, but she jumps out of the way, light on her feet. Her face is filled with concentration as Ivan looms above her and I know I have to help. My brother will crush her. I search about for something when I spot the chair that I was sat on. I get to my feet shakily, noticing Ivan lunge for Alicia. She jumps out of the way, but I can see the fear in her eyes. She's never fought, not against someone like this anyway.

Adam, please, save her! Hannah pleads with me. I grab the chair, lifting with all my strength, but it's so hard. Then it's like Hannah suddenly lends me her strength because I can suddenly lift the thing above my head. I stumble over to Ivan, who turns at the last minute to see a chair hit him.

He crumples to the ground, unconscious but not dead. Alicia's breathing hard, blood on her face, and looking as bad as I feel. We stare at each other for a long moment and then she lowers her knife, smiling shakily. It seems neither of us can kill him. Maybe if he stays out long out then we'll be gone before he can interfere. We still might be able to pull off the plan.

"Thanks, again," she whispers. I shake my head because she saved me as much as I saved her. I hear a groan from Ivan and fresh panic races through me.

"Come on, we have to go," I tell her. Alicia doesn't hesitate and we bolt out of the door, running for our lives.

Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter some big stuff is going to happen! And finally, there was Navrina!

Please review! :D