CHAPTER 3.26
There's a line for tomorrow
And that line's gettin' shorter
I'm behind the trigger
What if I am the target?
Bleary eyed, Cato blinked rapidly to clear the sleep that fought to stay in his vision. Panic overtook him when his mind shifted to a light sleep and he no longer felt the warm presence of his wife pressed against him. Hand darting towards his sword, the blond man was alert and on his feet within seconds. Frantically scanning the camp, he was relieved to see her seated next to Katniss. Safe and relatively unharmed. Whilst the tension in his shoulders relaxed, his brows furrowed when he noticed that she was sat across from Peeta. Both of the girls were engaging the fragile man in conversation.
"You keep pulling that face and you'll have wrinkles before you turn 25." Finnick teased, coming to stand by Cato's side.
The startled actions of his closest friend had roused the brown haired man from sleep also. His trident hung loosely in his hand as he too had come to the realisation that there was no imminent threat. Forcing his face to relax, Cato grumbled something about how his face would remain handsome until the day he died and that Finnick was the one who would be wrinkled before stalking off. Laughter burst past Finnick's lips and Indiana's head turned in their direction at the sound.
A smile split across her face as the man she loved seated himself behind her, pulling her into a cocoon of safety. He pressed a kiss to her temple in greeting when Indiana asked how he had slept.
"Morning Finn," she grinned at the man from Four, glad to see his long-lost, devastatingly handsome returned to his face.
Muttering a 'good morning' to Peeta and Katniss, Cato berated himself for the shock he had felt when Peeta politely returned the greeting. After all, the only person Peeta had been brainwashed into disliking was Katniss. Other than that, the usual friendly disposition and kind personality of the boy remained. Gale and Peeta resumed their conversation; Indiana fell silent and leaned back into her husband's embrace. Finnick, catching on to what they had been attempting to do, filled in some details about Peeta's Games. Not only had he been there during the 75th, Finnick had been mentoring during the 74th so had witnessed everything that had happened that perhaps Katniss and Indiana hadn't been privy to.
"What are they doing?" Cato whispered in Indiana's ear, warmth breath sending a shiver down her spine.
Despite it being neither the time nor place, her mind flashed through memories of another time where Cato's mouth was near her ear. His chest against her back, her chest flush to the bed, sinful sounds escaping from his mouth. Katniss was in the middle of answering questions about the colour of her dress in Seven, whether she liked cheese buns, her favourite colour, and so on. They were the simplest of facts that he was learning but every piece of information was a step closer to helping Peeta regain his memories (and hopefully emotions) about the girl who had tried her hardest to keep him alive. The girl he had loved since they were children.
Explaining that they had devised a game called Real or Not Real to help Peeta get a grasp on his reality, Indiana tensed when her name was called. This was the worst part of the game – being asked about the Capitol.
"We were separated. It was dark and I couldn't hear you anymore. Real or not real?" Indiana squeezed Cato's hand as she attempted to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat.
"Real. It was the hardest part about being in there. I almost gave up because I thought you were dead." Peeta nodded as he absorbed the information before moving on to the next question.
Being forced to relive some of the darkest moments of her life was having an adverse effect on Indiana. She had tried her hardest not to think about it since she had been dismissed from her therapy sessions. Regardless of how much it affected her, she powered through the questions directed towards her. All that mattered at the moment was getting Peeta back to his original mental state and not allowing him to live his life in fear of his own mind.
Smiling at how easily Peeta began talking to the dark-haired woman again, Indiana smiled before turning to face the man who had his chin rested on her head.
"You never answered about how well you slept," she smiled, eager to take charge of the conversation before he could ask about the question.
"I never thought I would miss the soft sand of the beach." Cato attempted to joke but they both knew there was some truth to his words.
Most nights, his mind forced him back into the arena and whilst he knew there was a soft bed beneath his back, the nightmare made him feel as if he were asleep on the forest/jungle floor yet again. For both of them, a soft mattress was a comfort they struggled to grow accustomed to. Sand was the softest material they could bear to withstand.
"Oddly, the sound of the waves was a nice sound to fall asleep to." Indiana admitted, head resting on his shoulder. His arms wrapped tightly around her midsection, hand stroking her sides.
"Perhaps Finnick wouldn't mind having us for neighbours once this is all over."
"That sounds nice," she hummed contentedly.
Even if the midst of a battlefield wasn't exactly how they envisioned spending their honeymoon, they were still grateful to be together.
Broken glass crunched beneath black boots as the squadron, accompanied by the propo crew, crept through the picturesque streets. Coming to a halt in the middle of a block of apartments, Squad Four-Five-One was ordered to remain still until the surrounding area had been cleared. The Holo projection indicated that there two pods nearby. Boggs instructed them all that these pods would need to be triggered in order for the propo to look as authentic as possible.
Disgust marred Indiana's pale features as she watched Katniss get her hair rebraided and her 'imperfections' covered with makeup. Cameras were set in place in order to catch every angle of the action. A revolution needed a face to survive, a figure that they could look up to but parading around a damaged and angry girl was cruel. Katniss needed closure, she needed therapy and time to rest. She didn't need to be paraded around in order for the world to finally gain morals and see that the Games were wrong. After everything that had happened, Katniss didn't deserve to have an even larger target painted on her back for Snow to aim at.
Once everything was in place, Four-Five-One proceeded down the street as one unit. Fake smoke added aesthetic to the whole operation. From a safe distance, Gale triggered the gun pod and the entire squadron ducked for cover. Some hit the floor whilst others ducked into doorways. Indiana flattened herself against the light orange and pink paving stones and Cato's arm protected her head as bullets swept over them.
Before they had even had the chance to pull themselves back to their feet, Cressida demanded that they re-enact their reactions to the pod. Unfortunately, only Finnick and Indiana (trained in the art of retaining a smile when a grimace is trying to push its way forward) had any semblance of acting abilities, and so the squadron were too busy laughing at each other to obtain any quality footage. All the humour drained from them after Boggs reprimanded them. Not because his tone was so severe but as he finished talking, he took a step back and his foot landed on an orange paving stone.
An explosion erupted from beneath him and Cato yanked his wife away from danger and into his chest just as Boggs' legs were blown off his body. Windows that had once been intact shattered and glass rained down on them. Screams ripped across the air as blood spattered those who had been too close and stained the pastel stones. A second explosion rung out but the smoke (now very real and thick) impaired their vision and they were unable to locate where it had come from.
Instantly springing into a protective formation, Cato and Indiana defended Katniss' back as she bent down to talk to Boggs in his final moments. Both Hadley's knew that his wounds were fatal, no matter how quickly they got him medical attention. There was no saving Commander Boggs now. Believing that their luck was as rotten as it could get, the leaderless group was terrified when black oil spouted from the street, rising higher and higher. A seemingly impenetrable wall of darkness rose above the buildings, rolling towards them. Cato aided Katniss in grabbing hold of Boggs as they attempted to flee from the lethal black wave that loomed ever closer.
Commotion pulled Indiana's attention away from Finnick – who she had been urging forward to safety – and towards yet another danger. Peeta, who had been taken by the Tracker Jacker lunacy, launched Mitchell off of him and into the pod. A net lined with spikes captured him, killing him instantly.
'We can't trust you to do what needs to be done,' Soldier Jackson's voice echoed in her head. Without hesitation, she moved towards the blond man.
"Indie, no!" Cato's voice boomed after her but she didn't stop until her body collided with Peeta's.
Pinning him to the floor, she tried to hold his arms down even as he writhed beneath her, attempting to buck her off. His elbow connected with her nose and Indiana grunted with pain, biting down on her tongue to stop herself from yelling out. Still, she held him down until Jackson shoved her out of the way and slapped handcuffs on the maniacal man.
Bringing up the rear of the group, Indiana and Finnick watched as Castor and Pollux heaved a restrained Peeta into the building the rest of the group had taken refuge in. Hauling Messalla over his shoulder, Finnick followed after them. A large shadow fell over her form as the wave passed over the building behind Indiana.
Inside the building, Katniss watched helplessly as Peeta was locked into the closest, still screaming. Stood by Cato's side, the unlikely duo realised two integral members of the team (and their lives) were missing.
"Gale!" Katniss shrieked, taking a step towards the door.
Cato's hand wrapped around her wrist as he stood rooted in place. A blonde figure stumbled in, blood pouring down her face and Gale's hand pulling her along. Shoving the man from Twelve aside, Cato used one hand to tilt her head back slightly whilst the other gently prodded her nose to assess the damage. Pounding came from the closet as Peeta kicked at the locked door. Indiana winced. Mistaking her grimace for pain instead of horror at what her friend had turned into, Cato reassured her that the damage wouldn't last.
Passing her into the capable hands of Finnick, he looked away as Finnick set her nose back into place. Raised voices had the trio turning to face Katniss, who held the Holo protectively in her arms. Respect swirled within Indiana when Katniss announced that President Coin had assigned her to a special mission; assassinate President Snow before any more innocent lives could be lost. After their conversation the previous night, Indiana knew that Coin wanted Katniss dead before she wanted the current President gone. Apparently the girl from Twelve had learnt that she could use Boggs' death to her advantage. She was more than prepared to follow the Girl on Fire all the way to Snow's mansion. The white-haired monster had taken everything from her and even if she wasn't the one to shoot the arrow, watching the light leave his eyes would be penance enough.
Hissing as Finnick used the blonde's distraction to clean her nose from blood, she scowled at him. Before Jackson could interrogate Katniss about her 'orders' further, Gale demanded that the squad move out before anyone found them hiding there.
"Lead on, Soldier Everdeen." Indiana said, voice muffled by her nose but her underlying message clear.
She would take orders from no one but the Mockingjay. Pulling their masks over their faces so as to prevent any toxic fumes getting to them, all of them followed Katniss out, willing to complete their mission.
Back out in the street, every thing in sight had been painted in the glossy black substance that had made up the wave. Several blocks down, evidence of the wave remained. The remnants of triggered pods lay everywhere. Golden bodies glittered in the sunlight and Indiana saw Peeta flinch at the sight of them. An apartment building had collapsed and triggered another pod so the building next to it was smoking, flames licking the roof. The wave, whilst dangerous, had done the squadron a favour.
As night fell, Four-Five-One took refuge in an abandoned apartment that had remained relatively unharmed by the lethal tidal. Whilst the scent lingered, the fumes were no longer hazardous to them. Seating herself beside Peeta in order to keep an eye on him, Indiana unstrapped the bow from her shoulder. Despite him being cuffed and unconscious, Jackson refused to drop the gun she had trained on him.
An emergency broadcast caused the small television set to flare to life, unsettling those who were unaware of what it meant. The report identified Gale, Finnick, Boggs, Peeta, Cressida, Katniss, Cato and Indiana by name. The entirety of Panem was aware that the rebels had managed to breach the Capitol – that it wasn't as well defended as Snow had made out. The broadcast continued as a live feed showed Peacekeepers launching shells into the row of apartments where they had camped out. The building exploded and Squad Four-Five-One was pronounced dead.
"Finally," muttered Homes. "A bit of luck."
"Not only has he just murdered the Mockingjay alongside other beloved Victors, but Snow just admitted that he made a mistake." Indiana pointed out. Quizzical eyes turned to look at her.
"When he executed Enobaria, he told Panem that I hadn't joined the rebels. Portraying me as being on his side meant he kept the favour of those who loved me. Now they know that he lied to them and then killed me. I know many of you don't hold me in particularly high regards but the citizens of the Capitol did. Many of them will turn to our side now. President Snow murdered the Mockingjay and the Capitol's Sweetheart."
Jackson nodded in agreement. President Snow had not only done them a favour but he had just ruined whatever hope he had had of keeping control over those who lived in the Capitol. Not that he knew it yet but President Snow had just ensured that he would never win this war.
"What's our next move?" Gale asked the group.
"To kill me." Peeta declared, informing them that he had regained consciousness.
Tears swum in his eyes, making it apparent that he had seen the clips of himself on the television. His skirmish with Mitchell had been filmed and his eyes kept glancing at Indiana's broken nose.
"Absolutely not." Indiana said outraged, before wincing as her face scrunched up and a wave of pain shot through her. Peeta frowned.
"Indie, I can't go back. I'm a liability to your safety and to the group. I would rather you kill me than allow Snow to make me his prisoner again. You once promised that you would never allow that to happen. Did you mean it?"
Nodding, Indiana whispered. "Of course I did. I won't let them get you again. If the time comes, I'll do it."
"No. You might not be there. I want one of those pills."
Securely tucked into Cato's side, Indiana let out a quiet giggle when he swiped some cream from his cookie across her chin. Originally, he had reached for her nose but the small splint and bandage had reminded him that it would only cause her pain.
"Am I still attractive? She joked, staring up at him with black doe eyes.
Both had been bruised from the impact and her right cheekbone had swelled, Finnick had suggested it might have a small fracture. When she spoke, she sounded congested and dried blood had welled up in her nostrils.
"You're as beautiful as the day I met you," he promised, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"And you're still not a very good liar," she laughed, pulling his hand up so she could place her lips upon it. She wanted an actual kiss but he was hesitant, afraid his nose would bump hers.
"Princess, I would never lie to you," chuckled Cato, but all he received in return was a jab to the side.
Smiling up at each other, both of them realised how lucky they were to still be together. They had already lost three members of the team and the real fight hadn't yet begun. Beeping pulled them away from each other as the anthem played yet again. Images of the 'dead' appeared on the screen one-by-one. Each member of the squadron flickered on before ending with Gale, Finnick, Peeta, Katniss and Cato. Before she could see her own face, the canned dinner she had consumed churned in her stomach.
Darting from Cato's arms, she rushed to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Five pairs of eyes followed her escape but when President Snow's voice floated out of the television, they become preoccupied by the devil who praised the Peacekeepers for their valiant efforts of ridding the country of the rebels. Just as Snow announced that the rebels have no leader and no real cause, the scene changed until President Coin was now addressing Panem.
"I had no idea how much I meant to her." Katniss said after the woman rebuffed Snow, claiming that Katniss would always be the face of the rebellion.
Her death would only serve to ignite the flames. A snort escaped from Indiana as she exited the bathroom and Katniss laughed alongside her. Not included in the little inside joke that the two girls shared about Coin's hidden agenda, the rest of the team looked at them with confusion. Silence settled over them again as Snow returned to the screen, carefully contained rage hid behind his eyes. The seal ended the announcement and the squad began packing up, preparing to move on before they could be caught. The world thinking them to be dead was not a benefit they could afford to lose. Flipping cushions to hide traces of blood on them, Indiana jumped when Cato's hand landed on her hip.
"Is everything all right, baby?" He asked, referring to the fact that she had vomited not five minutes ago.
"The physical trauma and the canned beef didn't mix well," she laughed, brushing it off. Before he could push the matter any further, Indiana noticed that Peeta was making a fuss.
"Peeta Mellark, you get up right now and into that tunnel. I did not save your life, countless times might I add, just for you to sit here and die. Not when I like you more now than I ever did back then. So either you haul ass down that tunnel or I will handcuff myself to you and allow you to decide whether we both die."
Knowing that she would follow through on that threat, Peeta sighed in defeat before clambering to his feet. When they were stood around the opening to the tunnel, Katniss mouthed her gratitude to the blonde.
Finnick stared down at the bottomless pit. Noticing the unease on he friend's face, Indiana used her free hand (the one not encased in Cato's vice-like grip) to grip Finnick's hand tightly. Reassuring Finnick that she would not let the dark hurt him, she moved into the tunnel. With a deep inhale, he followed her.
Water splashed beneath their feet as they navigated their way through the damp tunnels. At her rear, Cato's warmth pushed her forward, even when fatigue made her lose the feeling in her legs and she stumbled. At her front, Finnick's hand trailed behind him, having held onto Indiana's hand the entire time. Her presence behind him and her urging nudges when he faltered forced him forward. When the darkness threatened to steal him, she was his lifeline.
Six hours had passed before Katniss suggested resting. Whilst they could only spare four short hours, the entire squad were grateful that they could take some weight off of their feet. Shuffling into a warm room filled with machines, they unloaded some of their gear in order to make themselves feel more comfortable. Grateful that she wasn't on first shift, Indiana pressed against Cato and waited until his breathing had evened out.
Knowing that he was safely asleep allowed her to feel more settled and the calming thud of his heart pounded against her back. A bemused smile flit across her face and she admired her husband's ability to fall asleep anywhere within seconds. Tossing and turning, she tried – and failed – for a full thirty minutes before she gave up on sleep once again. She felt sick to her stomach and sweat beaded her forehead. Taking small sips from her water canteen, she hoped some of the nausea would pass.
Eyes flickering to the body next to her in concern, Indiana was hoping to see Finnick fast asleep. But, his eyes were wide – alert. His pale hands shook and twitched, fingers tying knots with ghost rope. Seeing his skin pale still seemed so unnatural to Indiana, who was used to the golden tint of his muscles. Reaching out to him, she stilled his frantic hands and his eyes darted towards her. The dim flashes from the machines provided little light and the room plunged into darkness each time they blinked off. Moving through the shadows, Indiana reached out to stroke his cheek.
"What are you still doing up?"
"Probably for the same reason as you; I can't sleep. I just feel – I feel too anxious. Somehow being here makes me feel worse than being in the arena. It's too dark here." Finnick rambled. "It suffocates me. When I was fourteen, I felt like I didn't fear anything. These days, my own shadow sends me into a panic attack."
"I know what you mean."
"Of course you do." Finnick cursed. "I was being insensitive."
"No, you weren't. We're all entitled to our pain. But, I'm not scared of the dark. In fact, it comforts me. I welcome the black abyss. It's the light that I fear. It's too harsh, too unnatural. It brings pain." Indiana smiled sadly at him as they both remembered where she had been conditioned into that response.
Neither one of them had spoken about their time apart and both were shamed to admit it was the first in-depth conversation they had had since before the 74th Hunger Games. Finnick had once shared important secrets with her and now Indiana didn't even know what was going on his own head. Even though exhaustion plagued them, they used their inability to sleep to finally have a chance to talk to each other.
"I really missed you. I was terrified of what they were doing to you." Finnick finally uttered after two hours, straying on to the topic they had been avoiding.
So far they had covered their weddings and Finnick had pushed her for details about how her romance with Cato had blossomed.
"I missed you too, Finn. I was so glad to hear your voice when I came to."
"I'm sorry I didn't look out for you more."
"Don't. You looked out for Cato and that's all I could've asked from you."
"We looked out for each other."
On the other side of the room, Katniss leaned against the wall, gun in hand as she waited for her shift to end and everyone to wake. Leaning closer to her friend, Indiana closed her eyes for a few seconds.
"Finn, I think I-."
Katniss shot up from her position on the floor, demanding everyone fall silent. "We need to get out of here. Now."
I'm not scared of the dark
I'm not running, running, running
No, I'm not afraid of the fall
I'm not scared, not at all