CHAPTER 3.23
'Hear the voices surround us.
Hear them screaming out.
We'll be crying for mercy.
We'll be crying out loud.'
Muscles burning, Indiana powered through the aches of her body and continued with her jogging, pushing herself to the front of the soldiers. She refused to allow herself to fall behind, as she never had before. Past memories fluttered in her mind and she forced herself to push them away before any 'distractions' could arise. The last thing she needed was for Marvel to appear at her side (as he had done each time they had to do their lap of District One) and allow her to fall behind in her shock.
Training had proved to be painful but the pain was a pleasant reminder. During her imprisonment, her body had undergone various forms of trauma. Even having been denied the right to walk around for days on end. She was paying for that now with each strained muscle and each wrong move she made. However, the adolescent years of her life had been spent stretching, running and learning to fight. Bruises and aches had been a constant during her teenage years – a sign that she was working hard. As the pain began to fade with each strenuous day, she knew it was a sign that she was improving.
If she were to go to the Capitol, she had to prove that she was better than even their most able bodied soldiers. Getting Coin to sign off on training for the three women had been an arduous enough task as it was. Reluctance was written all over her face when Indiana and Katniss stood before and begged her to let them join the mission. Indiana was sure that it was the most emotion she had ever seen the cold woman display. Pleading for permission to go to the Capitol to fight against their oppressors had been degrading. After everything the past tributes had been through, they had earned the right to go.
As Katniss and Johanna collapsed on the floor once their training was over, Indiana chugged down the water she hadn't used during the run. A melancholy smile graced her lips as she watched the two women on the floor, in a similar position to how she and Marvel were often found after a particularly gruelling session at the Academy.
Soldier York didn't allow the women to dawdle for longer than five minutes as she had to make way for the older group of recruits that were due to start their training. Pulling Indiana to one side, she congratulated her on the progress that had been made, informing the blonde woman that she would be moving up into one of the older group of trainees.
Elated at the praise, Indiana's mind once more wandered back to her days during District One. Brief flashes of her final year flickered as she tried to blink them away. Another time, another mentor smiling down at her with pride.
Exhausted from her advanced training sessions, Indiana rested her head against Cato's shoulder as they ate their dinner that evening. Whilst the quality of the food was far richer than their past meals, she barely registered the mouthfuls as she put more focus into keeping her eyes open.
Chuckling at the droopy eyes of his wife, Cato held her left hand tightly, smiling at the glittering wedding band. A solid reminder of their unification. Married life seemed to suit the young couple perfectly as they were always found with a smile when in the others presence.
Feeling his gaze on her, Indiana tilted her head back to look at him, barely avoided having her blonde tresses dipped in the stew. Meeting his amused eyes, she smiled up at him and leaned into his kiss. Keeping it short and simple whilst in front of company, she grinned when he whispered his promises of passion the moment they were behind locked doors. Pretending to be invested in Finnick's story of a sea turtle, the young spouses' facade was used to distract from the fact that Cato's hand was slowly tracing its way up her thigh. Heat curled in her stomach as he drew little circles on the inside of her thigh. His fingers noted the muscles that were slowly being rebuilt on her legs and he leaned down to praise her on the progress she had made since her rescue.
Katniss froze mid laugh.
Indiana turned only to see Peeta stood behind her. Practically leaping out of her seat, she darted towards him reaching for a hug. The two hulking guards behind him barred her from wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm not quite trustworthy yet." Peeta admitted, giving his short shackles a shake.
"That doesn't mean you can't receive a hug from someone who does trust you." Indiana shot the two guards a look before she barged past them to give her friend a tight squeeze after taking the tray from his hands, seeing its precarious position atop his fingertips. "I'm so happy to see you outside the hospital."
Cato watched warily because even though the joy on Indiana's face brought him happiness, he knew Peeta was still prone to volatile outbursts. The last thing he wanted would be for Indiana to get hurt at the hands of the friend she trusted most.
Placing his food on the table, she gestured for Peeta to sit between herself and Johanna but he didn't dare move a muscle, glancing uneasily at the men on either side of him. Informing them that he was not allowed to sit without their permission, Johanna brushed off any of his nervous concerns with her aloof nature. Unfortunately, those who had safely made it out of the arena (and Annie) found her reminder of the terrible time spent in the Capitol less than favourable.
"Of course he can sit here. We're old friends. The three of us had adjoining cells in the Capitol so we're very familiar with each other's screams."
Cato's grip on Indiana's thigh became bruising and not in the way she had come to love during moments of passion. Annie clapped her hands over her ears as if trying to force the horrendous sounds from her head. Finnick comforted her, glaring at Johanna for upsetting his fragile wife. Silence fell over the small group until Indiana was unable to contain her snort of amusement. Knowing that she had suffered the most at the hands of Snow and his torturous minions, her companions looked at her in shock and mild confusion. Indiana was unable to help herself though. After all, if the prisoners themselves were unable to make light of their disastrous situation, how were they ever expected to move on?
Returning to her meal, Indiana pretended to be invested in the food before her as she discreetly surveyed the interaction between Katniss and Peeta. Sensing the rising agitation of her friend, she slipped her hand into Peeta's and rubbed soothing circles on the back of them in an attempt to ease the spasms. Grey eyes flickered to the gesture and Katniss fell silent. It was still difficult to accept the reality that the brutal girl from One had replaced her as the comforting presence in Peeta's life.
"Indie?"
"Katniss."
Alone in the Training Room, the two women had been given the chance to remain behind after practice had finished up because the room wouldn't be in use for the remainder of the day. Examinations were commending tomorrow and all three of the battered women had been put forward to take them. Whilst Peeta's presence at Training had initially been disconcerting for Katniss, she had refused allowed it to throw her off her goal.
Johanna had had to leave immediately after Training ended because she had been scheduled in for a session with her therapist thus leaving the two women alone together for the first time in a while. Shockingly, both of them found they were no longer uneasy in the other's presence. Katniss almost felt comforted by the brooding silence that Indiana so often provided. Indiana was no less dangerous than before but knowing they know shared a sense of camaraderie made Katniss feel safe in a place where so many enemies could be lurking around the corners.
"Could you really hear each other?"
Indiana froze midway through perfecting her stance, knife tilting perilously towards her foot. Barely glancing at the dummy, the blue-eyed woman let the knife fly, not turning to watch as it embedded itself perfectly where the left eyeball should be. Katniss flinched at the ease of her shot, reminded once more that she had perfected multiple ways to kill a being.
"You really wish to know?" Indiana sighed, gracefully seating herself on the mat in front of Katniss. "The short answer is yes. Every day. Every night."
"And, uh, the longer answer is...?"
"Time didn't matter down there. The only constant you had you had was your pain and the comforting cries of those beside you. It helped remind you that you were still alive. Trust me, hearing Peeta's screams was far better than hearing Peeta's silence. Screaming meant that it still hurt; that there were still things to feel. Silence meant that you were too far-gone for the pain to reach you. Silence is what you need to fear in the Capitol."
Sympathy wasn't an emotion Katniss was prone to. After all, she had lived in the poorest District in Panem, her father had been lost during an explosion, and her mother had emotionally abandoned their little family. When she envisaged herself feeling sympathy for a person, it was never for the pampered princess she had watched parade around the Capitol. Looking at the woman Indiana Summers had become, Katniss knew that she would never trade places with the woman with such broken blue eyes. Fractured glass had replaced the cold winter ice.
Whilst living in District Twelve meant learning to survive in harsh conditions and growing up too quickly, Katniss had come to learn that life in luxury had been no kinder to some. The blonde had lost both her parents before she had even learnt her own name and the rare privilege of childhood was a luxury that had never been granted to her. In the end, the numerous training exercises she had been forced to endure and the various methods of incapacitating a person she had learnt had done little to spare her the agony of losing everything she loved. District Twelve may have been reduced to nothing but rubble but Katniss still had her friends and most importantly, her family. Despite having gained a loving husband who cherished her, nothing could fill the void of those Indiana had lost forever.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Katniss inquired, changing the topic.
According to other trainees that originated from Thirteen, their examination consisted of four parts. An obstacle course to gauge your physical capabilities, a written tactics exam, a test of weapons proficiency and a simulated combat situation. Rumours had been floating around that the simulation was designed to target the weaknesses of each individual and they would be forced to face their struggles alone.
"No. All my weaknesses have already been used against me."
Hands shaking, Indiana attempted to calm her nerves with the comforting knowledge that whatever waited for her behind the door couldn't compare to the hell she had faced over the past two years. Any horror District Thirteen was intelligent enough to dream of would be a walk in the park compared to the nightmares that the Capitol had dredged from her brain. Seated side-by-side, Katniss and Indiana watched Johanna enter the room and waited patiently for their turn.
Rising at the sound of her name, Indiana smiled at the wishing of luck that Katniss offered before walking over to Soldier York.
"You can do this," whispered York, looking down at the blue-eyed girl. "I have watched you suffer through far worse. Now, take a deep breath and in you go."
The first thing Indiana became acutely aware of was the fact that she was not alone in the room. Huddled tightly together, a small pack of children shrieked at the sight before them. Some called out for help whilst others accepted their fate. Dressed in small grey jumpsuits, Indiana identified their tiny faces as the children of District Thirteen. All of them varied in age but the range was clearly those not yet eligible for the Games. Tears streamed down the faces of the youngest children – one tottered dangerously on unsteady feet, not used to standing.
Before them stood a row of Peacekeepers, helmets masking their (likely) emotionless faces. Eyes widening as they pulled their weapons from their sheaths, Indiana realised that the children before her had been sentenced to face a firing squad. Due to the defiant acts of their rebel parents, these children were forced to meet Death. Prepared to protect the young ones from the monsters that wished to end their lives prematurely, Indiana started towards them when a call of her name caught her attention.
Shackled to a wooden post, President Coriolanus Snow had been presented to the furious woman like a lamb to slaughter. A few feet away from lay a table with a gleaming silver bow placed atop it. One singular arrow rest beside it.
"On your knees!" The Peacekeepers screamed at the young group. Petrified shrieks filled her ears.
"Have you come to kill me, Mrs Hadley?" Snow chuckled humourlessly, shaking the chains that bound him.
Red light filled the room as a countdown appeared on the wall before her, harsh numbers blaring into the room.
60 seconds.
One foot headed towards Snow but she halted her she could go much further. Sixty seconds to make an easy decision didn't seem like much of a test and so Indiana glanced back the District Thirteen children who had begun to beg for mercy. As one, the white warriors raised their guns, aiming for the small fragile bodies.
Deliberating the consequences of each action, Indiana realised the thought process that had gone into her simulated combat situation. There was no mental demon she had to battle with and this exercise contained hardly any physical combat whatsoever. Instead, it was a test of her inner strength. Indiana was very fond of making choices that would benefit her long-term goals or even her short-term as long as it brought her the satisfaction that she craved from getting ahead of others. Somehow that had been noted by the rebels of Thirteen.
Forced to ignore every molecule of her body that strained to end the life of the gloating president, Indiana turned her back on Snow. Picking up the bow, she notched the silver arrow before aiming for the nearest Peacekeeper. Noting an exposed area of his neck, she watched as the arrow sailed through the air, hitting the perfect mark. Using the momentary distraction she had created, Indiana sprinted to snatch up the fallen Peacekeeper's gun before firing three separate rounds into the cruel enforcers of Panem law. Waiting until their bodies fell motionless to the floor, the strong woman turned to comfort the children but found herself entirely alone.
Snow had disappeared, the bodies and the blood were gone from sight and the door behind her opened. Exiting the simulation room, Indiana was greeted by a solider she hadn't seen before her, who congratulated her and stamped her hand with a 451. Elated that she had actually managed to pass, she barely registered the order that she make her way to Command. Nervously entering the room that contained a mixture of voices, she was greeted by Boggs who explained that she had earned herself a place in the squad that was part of a special unit of sharpshooters.
"Meet your squad."
Noticing the group lined up along the wall, Indiana returned the exuberant grin that Finnick shot her and smiled at the impressed nod she received from Gale but only one member truly caught her attention. Shuffling across the room and into Cato's arms, she pressed a kiss to the side of his neck to thank him for his congratulations.
"I never doubted you for a second."
"Liar," she whispered back when Finnick commented about how he had been nervously pacing around the room the entire morning.
Discreetly pinching her backside as revenge, he chuckled into her hair when she scolded him, kissing the top of her head. News of her examination had been passed along to him by Boggs and he had never been prouder of her than when he learnt that she had sacrificed her chance of revenge against the evil tyrant to save the children of people she didn't know. Beforehand, Indiana had wanted nothing to do with the rebellion after her rescue but now she was an active part of taking down the Capitol. Indiana had made such wonderful progress from the ruthless woman that had entered the 74th Hunger Games.
Through the warmth, through the cold.
Keep running till we're there.
We're coming home now.
We're coming home now.
