Thanks to everyone who read, fav'd, alerted and to Layla Knowe for reviewing! Seriously, though, we're approaching the end with this one, and I'd love a few more reviews to go with that ;)
So Long
The squad was just giving out another round of lamb stew and cookies, but I had snuck out of the room in an unobserved moment and was now leaning in the doorway to the bedroom. Everything was so orderly... as if Seneca himself had made sure of it. Undoubtedly, he would have wanted everything to be perfect, knowing that strangers were coming into his home.
The television had lightened up about half an hour ago - Snow himself had given a speech, announcing that we were all dead. He called his victors by name and never hid his glee about Katniss' supposed demise. I wondered if this would be seen in District Thirteen. If Uncle Tycho and Ligeia had seen and now believed me gone.
On the plus side, this meant we were safe from the Capitol's troops for now. They would be busy celebrating and searching for our bodies in the blackened streets.
"Is this really Crane's home?"
I looked over my shoulder and found Katniss watching me with her eyebrows drawn together tightly. Certainly, I thought, she had more important matters to attend to. I turned my head back to the empty bedroom and nodded.
"Did you know him well?" she continued, her footsteps indicating that she was moving towards me.
The usual answer was on the tip of my tongue: yes, I knew him. He was one of my best clients. Helped me a lot. But somehow, in the emptiness of his apartment, knowing that Soldier Gale Hawthorne was currently sprawled on the couch where I had once broken into tears, that answer seemed too wrong to give. Therefore, I settled for something more honest.
"We were friends," I said.
"Finnick's not happy with it," she noted, now resting her head against the wall next to me. "Us staying here."
"Finnick understands," I told her. I truly thought he did - Finnick had always understood me, simply because we had been thrown in the exact same situation. "He just needs to disapprove for the sake of his own sanity."
She frowned slightly at me. "What d'you mean?"
My lips twisted into a bitter smile. "The Capitol's evil, the rebels are good - real or not real?"
We had been playing that game with Peeta for days and while he got increasingly better at it, it was still obvious how much his captivity had damaged him.
"I'm not sure," Katniss answered.
At that answer, I straightened up and turned to face her properly for the first time since our conversation started. There was nothing I wanted to do less than save the bloody girl's life, but now it seemed like I would have little choice in the matter. In that case, I would rather she knew what I was doing.
"I know you don't have an order from Coin," I said. She opened her mouth to protest, but I did not let her. "Look, I won't rat you out. But if we're going to kill Snow, I want a front row seat. Matter of fact, I promised him a painful death."
She sighed heavily, but nodded in response. Obviously, she had finally gained some sense.
"We can't trust any of the rebels, though," I added. "Not even your precious Gale."
"Gale is my friend-"
"He admires Coin," I said pointedly. "He was ready to murder hundreds of innocent people. Who says he wouldn't sacrifice me, or even you if it benefited the cause? I barely trust myself, maybe Finnick, but that's about it. So, please, promise me you'll be careful."
She pulled a face - it was very obvious that she did not agree with me. But I could not care less about her little love triangle. This was about survival - mine, hers, that of countless other's. I would not risk it, just because she wanted to trust someone who was so utterly untrustworthy.
We joined the others again after Jackson had called for us. They were sitting around the holo again, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. The Peacekeepers would still need some time until they figured out we were in fact not dead - then, they would go searching for us. Now, I thought our hiding place was a rather safe bet, but there was still a chance that they would check here just to be safe.
Going back was no option, either - we would be giving up on killing Snow, possibly forever. Neither of us wanted that. We could not just walk the streets, either and the rooftops would be equally surveilled. There was only one way left, then: going underground, using the tube channels. No one seemed particularly happy with that idea, but there was no better option.
"Then let's go right away," I suggested.
"We're all tired," one member of the film crew said. "Can't we sleep here and move on in a few hours?"
"I would really rather move through the night and hide away again in the morning - now, there'll be fewer guards," I said. "But that's clearly not my decision to make."
All eyes turned to Katniss, who was clearly uncomfortable in her new position as leader. She looked to Gale and then back to me and nodded. "Berenice is right," she said. "Let's get a move on."
We descended through a maintenance shaft that forced our film crew to leave most of their equipment behind. It was horribly narrow and uncomfortable to climb down - no wonder they had Avoxes do this kind of work. We arrived safe and sound at the bottom of the shaft, even though the darkness took some getting used to as did the chemical stench that wafted through the tunnels.
We avoided the main tunnels which were used for trafficking, and instead used the many utility shafts and drainage tubes, all built leisurely enough for us to pass them without problem.
It was not the nicest place to be, but the tunnels were undoubtedly perfect for speedy travel. I did not need to check the holo every other minute like Katniss did to know that we travelled much faster than we would have above ground.
Peeta's hands were still bound, but he seemed rather sane for the time being. He had insisted we give him some nightlock, in case of capture, but no one dared leaving him alone with it. The knowledge of his insanity was eating away at him and he could not be trusted with neither our nor his own safety.
Katniss insisted that we rest after a few hours and no one had much energy left to protest. It was probably close to morning, anyway - perhaps we could stay hidden here and escape when the first rush of morning work started.
I took a shift with Finnick, but we did not talk much. Both of us were much to occupied with thoughts of who we had left behind and what they were experiencing now.
Nero was probably blaming himself by now for not going with me. Ligeia would be crying, Uncle Tycho barely holding it together in an attempt to comfort his daughter. What would Johanna do, I wondered, when the news of our death reached her in the hospital? Would she cry? I had never seen Johanna cry.
Jackson and Homes took over after about an hour and Finnick and I lay down in the hopes of getting some rest. It felt like I had barely closed my eyes when I was shaken awake again. I could not quite figure out how late it was, but my sense of time was thwarted, anyway. All I knew when I sat up was that Katniss seemed worried.
Only when Homes tipped on his ear did I hear it - a low hissing sound that did not make much sense until I strained my ears a little more. It was her name, the bloody girl's name, over and over again.
I was stunned for a moment, but pulled myself together quickly. While the others were still staring, Katniss starting to shake with the implications, I had gotten up and grabbed my weapons.
"Have you gone mad?" I snapped when no one else seemed to move. "Let's get out of here!"
"What is there?" Katniss asked in a small voice.
"I don't know, but I bet it's not very nice!" I retorted.
By that time, the others had come to their sense and had made preparations to leave, as well. We distributed extra weapons in the hope of arming everyone but Peeta, though I did not know how good our Capitolites with guns. Probably lousy.
Katniss took the lead again and we exited through another overflow tube. The hissing grew more distinct and it made my hairs stand on edge. Who knew what kind of horrific creatures was following us now, it could be anything.
We had moved for about half an hour when the screams started. Muffled, gagging screams that Peeta identified as those of an Avox. The hissing never stopped, but grew closer and the screams only grew louder. The muttations had obviously found some prey, but they were not satisfied. Katniss' name still echoed through the tunnels and made my stomach turn. Not her, I thought defiantly, you won't get her.
The panic shone clearly in Katniss' eyes and she started running, all of us bounding after her down the tunnel. The hissing grew steadily louder behind us. By now, I could also hear the pounding of claws on metallic ground, though I might have been imagining that. We stumbled out into the Transfer tunnel and Katniss started shooting the pods down.
We ran again when the first exploded, but had to skit to a harsh stop at the next intersection. Katniss searched for a proper target and I was, too, when Finnick pulled me around.
One member of our film crew had been trapped in one of the pods - a pipe of bright glistening light that melted the flesh right off his bones. Jackson screamed in horror - I wished I could have done the same, but I still had some semblance of common sense. We could not stay here, we had to move.
Fortunately, Peeta shared my opinion. It was perhaps one of the clearest moments I had seen in him since our capture as he started shoving people forward.
"Can't help him!" he told them. "Can't! Move!"
It was too late already. We had not even reached the next intersection when the gunfire began. I whirled around to see a squad of Peacekeepers rushing towards us. Any sane person would have maybe fired back in style, but I was not sane. I was a victor, and therefor pulled out my knives instead of my gun.
Beetee had perfected some boomerang knives and I had loved them since I first was allowed hold one. The first one missed the actual target and only sliced a Peacekeeper's arm - the second one brought him down for good.
Meanwhile, people had gone down on either side. Beside me, Jackson had fallen to the floor with a shotwound on her stomach that did not look at all good. The Peacekeepers were already down on third.
That was when they appeared. They were terribly ugly - a combination of lizard and human, tall and white and scaly. And absolutely deadly, I had no doubt. They came from behind the Peacekeepers and they knew no mercy. They crawled over them and buried their sharp teeth in the men's necks so viciously that the blood splattered everywhere.
Katniss frantically called for us to follow her and we made a sharp right turn along the wall in the hopes of escape. Through the dying screams of the Peacekeepers, the hissing could be heard again.
We ran again and in a weird twist of the mind, I think back to training and find that it was a good thing they had me jog. Katniss had obviously given up on the mission for now and hurriedly searched for the fastest way out of the tunnels and above ground.
She lead us through a foul pipe and we emerged in the sewers. The stench burned my nose, but this was no time to be queasy. I followed as she ushered us forward, across a bridge towards the next ladder that seemed to lead upwards.
They were behind us again much too soon. The hissing send shivers down my spine and I spun around to watch their approach. There were so many, it would be impossible to get rid of them.
Katniss is the first we sent upwards, even though she barely seemed to respond. She climbed numbly, followed Cressida and Peeta, who looked about ready to snap.
I was about to follow as well when I heard a call for help. It was Finnick, who had opted to defend the ladder for as long as he could. One of the mutts had latched onto his ankle while another was approaching. He shot the first one down as I watched, but was then out of bullets.
The knife left my hand before I could think about it and sliced right through the muttations throat. Finnick scrambled backwards and then turned to face me with a bright grin.
"Thank you," he said.
"Quite welcome," I answered. "C'mon."
He rushed towards me, limping slightly and I waited for him, about five steps up the ladder. Screw survival, I figured, I would not leave Finnick here. Someone called for me from the opening above me, but in the midst of the muttations' hissing, I could not make out who it was.
Finnick reached the end of the ladder and I started climbing again. Above me, Gale was reaching out his hands for me. I had almost reached him when there was another scream.
I froze and turned slightly to look back. Finnick was still on the bottom of the ladder - the muttations had reached him again. He was backed against the wall, his trident ready to strike.
And he did strike. Two, three, four mutts were already laid out before him. But there were too many of them - while on attacked him afront, another made a strike at his side. All time seemed to slow down - my mind desperately searched for a way to help, a knife, a gun, anything that would still save Finnick while the creature sunk it's vicious teeth into his neck.
Finnick gave a gurgling scream, his trident scuttled useless to the floor. The muttation in front of him rose high and buried its own fangs in his chest.
This time, I screamed. I screamed his name, over and over, uncaring of who heard. Gale had descended again and was pulling me up the ladder. He hoisted me out of the shaft and I fell limply to the ground. Beneath me, Finnick would lie dead, his body torn to shreds by Snow's muttations.
Everyone around me kept moving, talking, living and in my mind, none of it made sense. How was it that any of them could function now? How could Katniss function right now, knowing that so many had just died for her? Knowing that Finnick had just died for her?
Dear God, Annie was still in District Thirteen, waiting for his return. Whatever would she do without him? They had barely been married for a month!
What would I do without him? Finnick had been the best friend I had ever had, my best ally, the most trustworthy mentor I had ever worked with. Everything inside me seemed to coil together tightly and I felt suddenly sick. My mind was spinning, trying to make out what had just happened. How could this have happened? How could someone be here one second and gone the other? I had almost saved him! I had been so sure we would make it.
"Berenice!" Gale was shaking me, his hands gripped tightly on my shoulders. "We need you. We need to move."
My eyes suddenly focused on him and all I could come up with was how much I loathed him for functioning right now. But loathing was familiar and I had felt that way for him before. Perhaps there was a possibility for me to work now, after all. Get out of here, into safety and mourn Finnick, then. Break down, then.
I looked over to Cressida who stared out of the window of the flat we had appeared in. I could see the tower of the Peacekeeper's headquarters from the small peek I got and figured we were closer to the town's center than ever.
Cressida turned around and sighed a little. "I have an idea," she said. "But I'm not sure-"
"Where do you want to go?" I asked.
She pulled a face. "I was thinking... Tigris, I mean I know she turned mad years ago, but Plutarch spoke very highly of her, so I figure it might be worth a shot-"
I held up a hand to interrupt her babbling. None of what she said made a lot of sense right now, but it might have been my lack of focus. I did not know what Heavensbee had to do with any of this and I did not know why on earth Tigris should have gone mad, but Cressida did have one point - it was worth a shot.
"No, that's good," I said. "Let's get moving."
We found clothing and wigs in a closet and made sure that we would blend in on the streets of the Capitol. Stepping out, I found that the destruction had not yet reached the inner part of the city. Still, the war was everywhere - people were hurrying along, keeping their heads down. Several were running with their suitcases - probably the only things they had been able to bring when they needed to flee their homes.
Sooo... what do you guys think? Will Nissa make it after all? She's not in good shape right now, is she, and she has yet to fight a final fight ;) Anyway, share your thoughts in a review. I'd appreciate it ;)
Two more to go!
