Shallow Shamir, 15

Avox

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how to dispel a threat." Ezra leans back in his chair, a satisfied sort of smirk on his pale face. He clasps his hands together, eyes jumping from person to person as Geo's cannon fires on the screen. He suddenly snaps in Shallow's face, saying, "Why don't you refill Sidra's glass, hm?"

Shallow keeps his face collected as he does as he's told. He quietly walks around the table to Sidra's seat, doing his very best to avoid eye contact with anyone in the room.

It is, quite possibly, the tensest situation Shallow has ever sat in on. Ezra must have called some sort of meeting so his advisors could watch his handiwork play out. The five others seated around the circular tables—four flaming Capitol loyalists and a woman of uncertain origins—look nervous, to say the least. After all, if Ezra could do away with a tribute in the Hunger Games, what's to stop him from doing the same to them?

There is, however, one empty seat. Shallow believes it belongs to Caius Hearst, the disgraced man currently wasting away in a hospital bed. It doesn't surprise Shallow that Caius wouldn't be here; after his numerous affairs and attempts to bribe Silas Euphemia into rigging the tribute he wanted most to fuck to Victory came out, there are certainly no well-wishers sending cards to his room. Definitely not his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Shallow has never sat in on one of Ezra's fabled meetings, but he's heard about them. The things discussed in here...well, if he knew half of it, Lanai would have aneurysm and die.

See, Shallow is working as a spy for Lanai's slowly forming rebellion—he's the least assuming person in the room, someone most people forget is there entirely. Besides, he's not supposed to be able to communicate with anyone.

It happened fast—he had been serving the party that ended Divinity's Victory Tour. He had been standing by the wall near the bar when a man suddenly came up to him and said his presence was requested by Silas Euphemia.

Avoxes tell each other things. Whether it be through writing, sign language, lip-reading...whatever. They spread information all over, and Shallow quickly became a funnel for it all. It's not liked the force of Avoxes is filled with any violent loyalists.

Shallow trains his eyes on the screen as he returns to place behind Ezra's chair. He watches as Everett stumbles out of the caverns full of dolls, wondering when the creatures are going to attack him. But Everett makes it out without issue, finding that the horses are gone as well. It seems too convenient if you ask Shallow. Suspicious, almost, and he knows what Ezra did.

"Very impressive, sir," says Cassius Grammer, a twenty-something college student that befriended Ezra a few years ago. He's an odd choice to be one of the Ezra's confidants, Shallow has heard. A poor bartender, with little social standing and pull in politics...well, there has to be a reason that Ezra has pulled the man so close to his side.

Perhaps it's a "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" sort of thing, Shallow muses.

"Yes, very," agrees Bishop Smirnov, a young Gamemaker that Shallow has heard will replace Caius after this year. "but are you not concerned that it looks too suspicious? I mean, allowing Everett to walk away from all of the mutts completely unscathed? Is that not suspicious?"

Ezra stands up. "I'm glad you asked, Bishop. See, once Stryker was dead, the mutts returned to their original states. Meaning, they only attack when they are provoked. And since Everett did not provoke the dolls, they did not attack."

"What about the horses?" asks Xerxes. Shallow must admit; he hasn't heard much about this particular man. He's only ever in the City Center for Ezra's meetings, and even then comes into little contact with his fellow Avoxes.

"The horses are programmed to return to their carousel after a certain amount of time," Ezra says. "It may look suspicious to a more...simple-minded person, say, a District resident, but we have full-proof evidence should our honesty come into question."

Shallow isn't surprised that Ezra would rig the death of someone who slighted him. From what he's heard, it's not even the first time it's ever happened. Rumor has it, Ezra had a cousin once. Marivia Snow, her name was. She got into an argument with Ezra, went home, and was never seen again.

It used to sound far-fetched. However, after Ezra's performance with Geo's death, it really isn't that far off.

The camera cuts away from Everett, going instead to Sterne as he investigates what all of the noise was. At first, Shallow thinks he's going to run into Everett, but he eventually gives up and goes back the way he came.

"Everything is, at last, falling into place," Ezra says, quietly dropping back into his chair. He eyes everyone in the room, aside from Shallow, and adds, "We're just getting started. I've been looking into our current lineup of tributes, and I believe I've found an answer to our dilemma. We need another Career Victory, and I mean a true Career Victory. No rebels, no Reaped Tributes. Someone like Scoria or Shad—"

"With all due respect, sir, wouldn't an outlier be better?" Bishop asks. "With the tumultuous state of the Districts right now, wouldn't they be more satisfied with, say, Quinn?"

"You make a valid point," Ezra says in a low voice. "But, you would do well to remember not to interrupt me next time."

Bishop swallows hard. "Yes...sir."

Ezra's eyes jump to the screen, where Ottilie and Calista are leaving the Cornucopia to hunt for other tributes. "Outliers are wild cards. We cannot be certain that Quinn Bayers would not be swayed to join the rebellion."

Shallow glances at the final person seated at the table, thinking she likely has something to add to this discussion.

This final person is a woman that Shallow knows very well; Selenium Carlisle, a rare Capitol-born Avox, now freed from her life-sentence and serving on Ezra's council. It seems too convenient to Shallow, but he knew the woman when she was nothing but a lowly Avox. He never learned what she was in for, but the other Avoxes avoided her. She had, through it all, remained a Capitol loyalist.

The thought disgusts Shallow. Growing up, the Capitol itself wasn't discussed much in the Shamir household. Shallow never really cared until it affected him directly.

But now? Oh...now, he wants to watch the Capitol burn for everything it has done to him.

"What makes you think none of the Careers could be swayed as well?" Bishop counters, leaning forward in his chair.

Ezra exhales angrily and says, "Smirnov, enough questions. I want a Career Victor, so I will make the proper arrangements for it. And if our Victor tries to stray to the dark side? Well, the heads of their families will be on the line."

He makes eye contact with his advisors once more before he says, "You're all dismissed."

Cassius, Bishop, Selenium and Xerxes quietly leave a moment later. The air becomes even more tight in their absence, as Shallow is now completely alone with just Ezra and Sidra. Although, he isn't certain either of them remember that he's even here.

"Everything is finally going to work out," Ezra says. "I just need a loyalist Victor, and the Snows will be back on top. I'm sure you remember the old adage—Snow always lands on top." He glances at Sidra and says, "Alright, I've got to go meet with Auntie Graciela now. I'll—"

"Ah, sir? Aren't you forgetting the Avox?" Sidra says.

Shallow cringes at being referred to as "The Avox" but keeps his eyes trained on the ground.

Ezra barks out a laugh. "What, do you think he's going to tell someone? He's an Avox, for Panem's sake!"

Sidra purses her lips and side-eyes Shallow. "Mm. Yes, sir. Let's go."

Shallow leaves shortly after they do, trying to keep the smirk off of his face. He may not be able to speak, but he sure can write, and all he needs to do is find Macy.

A/N: Surprise subplot chapter! This was actually supposed to be at the end of Day 3 but I completely spaced it out and published before I realized it lol.

1. Do you remember Cass (he's a very minor character from Die A Hero)?

2. Do you think Ezra will get away with rigging a Career victory?

3. Will Shallow ever be found out?

4. Why do you think Ezra wants a loyalist Victor?

Anyways, Day 4 should be out in a few days since I'm on Thanksgiving break now.

-Amanda