Coriolanus Snow had never fathomed this could happen.

His deputy, the vice president of Panem, was lying in that soft hospital bed, white sheets covering her, body completely stiff, chest completely unmoving. The vice president of Panem was dead. Dead.

The corpse of Nerissa Verity could tell him nothing, but Snow was appalled that she had been murdered in such a manner, in a party that she and Matthew had been overlooking, and they were both here, in this hospital. She had had too much of that toxic champagne; she never had a chance. Coriolanus shut his eyes for a second, trying to figure out how to go about it. there was no time to mourn, plus he didn't really like her as a person anyway. However, she was his vice president, his choice, and despite everything was loyal to him and his reign.

She had to be avenged.

He was walking down the hospital corridors now, Peacekeepers forming a circle around him, and every person just recoiling from his presence as he walked. Snow did not care though, he wanted to see him.

Of course, Matthew Hayes was still unconscious, and still quite critical. The doctors had done whatever they could, but they had said it will take at least a couple of hours to know whether he would make it or not.

Snow entered the ward, where the nurses got to their feet and bowed their heads just a little bit in greeting. He smiled at them unemotionally, and then walked over to the young man… a mere boy for him. Snow was quite fond of him, and he put his hand on his forehead that was drenched with sweat, and he looked so weak right now, so small. Snow was glad to at least feel the heat on his forehead, and he hoped he wouldn't die too. If both the vice president and the head gamemaker died in a rebel attack, how was he supposed to convince his supporters that everything was okay? Another death would be a personal blot on his legacy, and Snow couldn't let that happen. He had an image to maintain.

He asked one of the nurses to call for the doctor who was treating Matthew, and when he saw the man, young and timid, Snow couldn't help but smirk.

"Whatever you do, doctor," he whispered, walking closer to the doctor, "Make sure he survives."

It seemed that Snow's threats had managed to threaten Matthew's failing health as well, for in about a week, he was quite healthy.

He was still in the hospital, for he was feeling weak for some unknown reason, but he was out of danger. The question right now was why his body wasn't recovering completely, and why it was still too weak to actually stand for more than five, or maximum ten minutes.

He didn't mind though. He recalled how he had woken up a week ago, only to be informed of Nerissa Verity's passing. Matthew had cried then, cried bitterly, and had requested the nurses to let him see her one last time. The nurses were, obviously, quite oved by this gesture, and soon he had been escorted to the late Madam Verity's ward, where her body rested, ready to be buried the next day with full state honours. Matthew burst into tears again, throwing himself on her, sobbing, and to the onlookers it looked like the most touching moment they'd ever seen. Unknown to them, Mr Hayes was crying tears of immense joy, and probably that was why they missed it when he whispered in her ears 'Rest in pieces, Madam Verity. Love you.' And maybe that's why they missed his light smirk too when he had been taken back to his own ward.

A week later, he was here, with a certain 'cousin' of his. Matthew wished Regal would stop visiting him in hospitals. One day, he would be caught if this were to continue, and he voiced his concern to his friend, who simply retorted that he shouldn't land up in hospitals all the time.

"I still can't believe you did this," Regal muttered, looking ridiculous in that electric blue face paint.

"What can I say? I like taking risks."

"I think it was a certain risk-taker who had been wailing about how he didn't want to die."

Matthew couldn't help but laugh at that, but his jaw hurt at that, and his throat went dry, so he stopped, wincing in pain. Regal sighed, and took his friend's hand gently.

"Did they tell you when you will be discharged?"

"No," Matthew replied, shoulders slumped, "I don't think it's happening for at least another week though. Doing anything, even going to the bathroom, is a difficult task right now. I think the poison was really strong."

"Don't worry, you'll get better."

Matthew nodded, suddenly very exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to sleep at the moment, and he hated himself for it because these days he was sleeping for at least fourteen hours a day, and still feel tired. It seemed his friend got what was in his mind, so he pushed him gently into the bed, drew the curtains, and put the sheets on him, only to find that Matthew was already asleep.

Regal frowned. He had not supported this particular idea of 'dying' at all, because there was an actual threat of it happening. And while that hadn't happened, Regal was worried why Matthew wasn't recovering his energy. The doctors said he would be fine, and he hoped they were right.

He was about to leave, when the door swung open, and in stepped the man he hadn't thought he would encounter here.

Hadn't Coriolanus visited Matthew just that morning, and had a good chat? Regal froze, heart racing at an abnormal speed, and Snow paused at the door too, his cunning eyes narrowed at him.

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything. The boy just stared at the old man, wondering what to do, and how could he have been such an idiot. Snow's gaze was fixed and cold too, and regal was probably waiting for him to just order his folks in and have him and Matthew killed.

"Who are you?"

Regal was perplexed at the question. Snow knew well who he was! It was then he recalled that he was here under a disguise, having changed his complexion to fine tanned one, face painted an electric blue, hair of the same shade, eyes greener than the lushest of grass. Relief washed over him, and he smiled brightly.

"Mr President, sir," he said, making his voice higher than it was, "Such an honour to meet you! I was just visiting Matthew, I'm his friend."

And Snow was bewildered when this person grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously with both of his own, face beaming with admiration. He pulled away his hand though, narrowing his eyes even further.

"He has been attacked a week ago. How do I know you're not a terrorist?"

"You can ask him, sir," Regal replied, smiling, "He was just telling me how happy he is that you care for him so much."

"I see."

Regal didn't know what to do. Should he make an excuse and just leave? But there was nobody around, no nurse, no doctor. What if Snow did something to Matt, and then blamed it on the 'terrorists'? But, he was also afraid that his cover might blow, that Snow would just see who he was. After all, the most powerful man in Panem was in the same room as the most wanted terrorist in the country, and if his cover was blown… he didn't want to think about it.

The disturbance seemed to have woken Matthew, for he groggily opened his eyes, groaning, when his gaze fell on the president, following which he sat up straight quite hurriedly. It was then that he noticed that Snow and Regal both were looking at him, standing side by side, and the poor man felt he would faint again. What on earth was happening?! He felt dizzy looking at them, and he braced himself for any attack, or anything. Immediately, he thought he would be killed now, and that made him gasp, with tears welling up in his eyes.

He saw Regal shaking his head ever so slightly, and Matthew wondered what happened.

"Matthew, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, sir. Just a nightmare."

That wasn't a lie, really. Waking up to Snow and Regal standing together was nothing less than a nightmare. He needed to compose himself though, before he ended up doing something incredibly stupid.

"How are you feeling?"

"Quite fine, sir. Just… a little tired."

"I understand."

There was a silence after that, and Regal and Matthew exchanged a glance, both asking each other, 'What's going on?!' It became even worse when Snow sat down beside Matthew, and held his hand gently. Neither of the younger men had known Snow to show any kind of affection, so naturally they were both getting more agitated. It was a task to act as if everything was okay.

"This young man says he knows you," Snow mused, "Please don't mind me interfering in your personal matter, but after all that has happened, I'm a little worried. Do you know him?"

Behind Snow, Regal nodded hard, and Matthew said a meek 'yes'.

"Yeah we know each other," he said, but completely misinterpreted what he was mouthing, and said without thinking, "He's my special friend."

Regal froze on his spot, eyes widening. What did he just say…? Special friend!

And Matthew smiled sheepishly, knowing he had made a big blunder, and even as his eyes met his friend's, or rather, special friend's, he wished he would just pass out again. He didn't want to deal with this.

Snow raised his brows at the reply, and turned to Regal, who smiled, almost grimacing.

"What's your name?"

"Tartarus."

"Mars."

Regal and Matthew's eyes met again, and this time the former was ready to kill the latter. Why did he have to say anything when he wasn't asked the question?! Now Snow would be more suspicious. Regal laughed lightly and smiled again at the old man.

"It's Mars Tartarus," he said, "I just find Tartarus to be cooler than Mars."

"Yeah! That's right," Matthew added, smiling. He hoped Snow wouldn't push for further details. He was usually a man of few words, and while Matthew knew he couldn't really be fooled this easily, he could hope. Fortunately for him, Snow didn't push the matter further, and dismissed 'Mars Tartarus'. It was such a ridiculous name that Matthew wanted to laugh.

Regal didn't want to leave Matthew alone with Snow, but he had no choice. And so, he left the ward, cursing his friend in his heart. He had just been given extra work to do. Regal was sure Snow would check whether there was a Mars Tartarus in the Capitol or not; he had looked extremely suspicious. Regal wondered for a moment what exactly Snow wanted to talk about with Matthew, but he could worry about that later. As he started walking towards the gate of the hospital, he realised he needed to create records, verifiable records, of this Mars Tartarus. The enormity of his troubled situation dawned on him now, and he wanted to slap himself for the stupidity of miscalculating that Sow could turn up to meet Matthew again. At least he had the sense to disguise.

What on earth did he get himself into…!

"Oh man, I'm so glad to see you both safe!"

The environment in that small cell in District Thirteen was jovial, albeit a little sad. Cress embraced Ryder and Nikona tightly; it had been months since they had met. Considering that the twins were dead too, Cress was happy to see these two alive and safe.

Both the boys had lost at least ten kilograms of weight. They kind of looked ill too. Cress knew they must be longing the sun and the outside world, he longed for it too, but at least the boys wouldn't be alone anymore. even as he released them, Anya hugged them tightly, sobbing hard. Cress knew Anya was close to the twins, especially Raylic, and it pained him to see her this way, a crying mess. It pained him even more when, seeing her cry, Nikona started crying too.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, arms wrapped tightly around her body, "I'm really sorry."

"I'm j-j-just happy t-to see-see you h-here," Anya sobbed, giving him a peck on the cheek, before giving Ryder one too. She cupped the latter's face in her hand and then turned back to Nikona, looking between the two boys.

"I'm sorry. I-I should've v-v-visited more often."

"You were busy," Ryder said, "It was childish of us to expect that you could show up."

"N-no. I sh-should have…"

And her shoulders slumped as she sank down to the floor. Cress understood what she was going through. She considered herself responsible for the escapees' safety, and considered that she had failed in that regard. She shouldn't blame herself though, Cress believed, for she had done whatever she could to keep those four alive. Regal had not wanted them to be brought to Thirteen, ever not even now. He had been in favour of another bunker in the Capitol, but Opal had simply disregarded his suggestion and brought them here. Cress was glad that she did; the whole reason this happened was because they had been locked in a bunker for months.

Cress knew just what t do to cheer everyone up.

He marched into the bathroom, aware that Alan's confused gaze had followed him, and locked the door. Thirteen was a place where not a lot of fun items were available, but Opal was a great friend, who arranged for everything Cress could ask for; toys, whoopie cushions, paints, video games… just about anything. And right now, he was quickly putting on the costume that she had given him earlier. He hadn't had the chance to use it yet, but now it was here.

So, when Nikona finally helped Anya get up again, enveloping her in another hug, he got the shock of his life when he saw an orange banana walking towards them. It was so bizarre in a place like Thirteen that Nikona just released Anya without even realising, and she did too, and everyone just stared at the human-sized orange banana in awe, jaws on the floor.

"Oooohhhh!" the Banana said, wagging its fingers like a ghost, and it was so stupid that inadvertently everyone started laughing, laughing hard.

"Seriously?!" Alan remarked, saying his first word ever since the boys got here, his eyes full of amusement.

"Cress, how on earth did you get that?!" Ryder asked, momentarily all the trouble forgotten.

"My good friend, Opal, gifted it to me. She said I'll be the most handsome guy at any place if I wear this, and I guess she was right. I mean, you guys are all staring at me."

"Obviously we are," Anya said, smiling although her eyes were bleak, "You're an orange banana. Ever heard of an orange banana?"

"I wish you could become a yellow orange," Alan winked.

"Ha!" Cress said, "Then you guys would have felt so insecure."

They all laughed at that, and Cress was glad that he could be of some help. Ever since Snow's people had discovered that he was a rebel, the victor of the 60th Games had been in hiding, and was unable to contribute much. That frustrated him beyond belief.

However, he was glad that, even if for a few minutes, he could bring a smile on the faces of his friends.

It had been a month since the attack on Matthew and Nerissa. The whole of Panem was on high alert now, the security tightened much more than earlier. Snow would have definitely found out about the rescue of the escapees as well. Whatever the matter, it had been hard for Regal to create fake records of the person called Mars Tartarus.

Had he not had enough contacts in the right places, it would have been impossible. But right now, the records were all present, and could be verified as well. He had even found a couple who would say that he was their son if questioned, and that they had home schooled him. He had enrolled himself in a distance learning History programme for Bachelors, so that it appeared that he was a student. Lastly, a kind fashion designer, who was also a rebel supporter, had agreed to say that he worked for her at the boutique. Regal was still angry with Matthew and himself for putting him through this mess, and had not been able to see his friend at all. What angered him even more was that he had to wear that stupid disguise much more often now, and he was getting allergic of electric blue now.

Right now, though, he was himself, and not that idiotic Mars Tartarus. Honestly, why did he have such a name? Well, that had been just fate. He was in his own bunker now, watching the TV for news. It was all the usual; how the rebels were hell-bent on destroying Panem, why every citizen should unite against them, and then a Capitol fashion show. Regal was about to switch off the TV, for he had absolutely no interest in a fashion show, when the words 'BREAKING NEWS' flashed on the screen.

Regal paused, eyes furrowed in anticipation. However grave the situation, Capitol news channels never interrupted fashion shows, despite them not even being news. He watched, and was surprised to see Snow and Matthew, in Snow's new office as Regal had bombed the old one, and they were both smiling. Snow had a cold and calculating smile, and Matthew too, had adopted his public persona, eyes cold, a smirk on his handsome face.

"This is a short message for Panem, and for these terrorists that are trying to destroy this beautiful country," Snow said calmly, "One month ago, our country lost our very talented vice president. Madam Verity has achieved martyrdom, for she was assassinated by these anti-national forces. We will not let the culprits get away. We will avenge Nerissa Verity, and bring these hate-mongers to justice! Panem, we will not remain quiet.

"These anti-nationals also tried to assassinate our head-gamemaker, challenging our very traditions. They tried to kill our son, but he's stronger than that. He has emerged again. His strength is commendable. Even when he was poisoned himself, his whole focus had been on Madam Verity, the brave daughter of our country. Thus, my council and I believe that he is the one who can continue her legacy."

Regal stared at the screen, wide-eyed. What on earth was happening?! Continue her legacy?! That could only mean one thing…

"Panem, I present to you your newest and youngest ever vice president- Matthew Hayes."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Regal cried out, unable to believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing. It was Matthew now who was speaking, thanking the president, thanking Panem, and giving a nice hate speech for the 'anti-nationals', but Regal couldn't register them at all. He just stared at his friend and Snow, his mind boggled. Matthew was not even thirty! He had no experience in politics! Sure, he did help out, but he was never actively involved. Why would Snow choose such an inexperienced boy to be the vice president?! Regal didn't doubt his friend's abilities, he knew he could be a capable leader when the time came, but this? Vice President?! A twenty-nine-year old guy?

This was too good to be true.

And Regal's heart was racing. Snow would not take any step without any reason. There had to be one behind this move too. Did he suspect Matthew? Did he know Mars was him? Was he in any way hoping to draw out the rebels?

This news had rattled him completely, and even as the fashion show started again, he shut down the TV, holding his head, thinking. He needed to get out of this mess. He needed to get Matt out of this mess.

"Oh man… why?!"

Ah so here's another chapter, and I hope this was interesting! I first thought about having last one long chapter, but then I decided against it, and the next chapter will probably be the last instead of this. Did you think Snow and Regal would walk into each other and the former would get away (as Mars Tartarus no less)? Would you like to have an orange banana or a yellow orange? XD Did you think Snow would make Matt the VP? Also, is Regal's concern over this news justified or is he just overreacting? Let me know!

Have a great day!

PS: I'll try my best to finish this before 26th so that it gets completed within a year. Yep.