Trigger Warning: Mentions of self harm.


Binah

I'm carried through dark passageways over the shoulder of one of Coin's bodyguards. Normally, I'd be kicking and screaming, trying to break free, but I'm in so much pain. I think my legs were broken in the explosion. Just thinking about kicking makes spikes of pain shoot through my legs.

Eventually, I'm dumped on the floor. It's hard concrete. I cry out in pain.

Coin grabs me by the shoulders, fingernails digging in. She props me up against the wall.

"Let me tell you what I have planned for your boyfriend," she says. "I have just been told that he's managed to turn this entire country against me."

"He wouldn't have done it if you hadn't given him the ammunition," I point out.

Coin presses a hand to my throat. Her grip is so tight, I can't breathe.

"It doesn't matter who did what," Coin says. "I'm going to nuke the entire country. District 13 will be the only safe place. If your Phoenix makes it here in time, he'll have to watch as everything he fought for is destroyed. If not… he'll never even live to realise it."

Coin pulls her hand back and walks away from me. I gasp for breath.

She's going to nuke Panem. She's going to destroy everything.

There's no way I'm ever going to see Fawkes again. I'm never going to hear his voice again. I won't be able to to keep him safe anymore.

There's only one thing left for me to do.

"Coin," I croak. "I can think of one thing you can do to make it worse for him."

"What is that?"

"Let me help."


Manel

I feel like someone's cut out my tongue.

It'll take three more hours of waiting on the hovercraft before we reach District 13. I'm not alone with Fawkes. I have my peacekeeper bodyguards with me. But the peacekeepers don't speak. I don't have the confidence to start a conversation.

Fawkes is suspiciously silent. It occurs to me that this is the first time I've ever really heard him stop talking. He's a chatterbox. Maybe it's for the best we broke up. He would've been constantly drowning me out.

Now I look at him, examining his face in profile. He looks so vulnerable. There's a bruise blooming on his cheek. His eyes are fixed on the scars on his arm. He looks like he's being flown to his execution.

"Fawkes," I say.

"What?" Fawkes asks. He doesn't even look up.

"How are you feeling?"

His mouth opens and closes as he searches for the right words.

"If she dies," he says. "I don't know if I'll be able to live. It might not happen straight away but there'll come a point where the monster - the monster in my head - will find me and Binah won't be there to save me. I… I'll do it again. Please don't let me do it again."

"It's going to be okay," I say. "We'll save Binah. And, if we can't, I'll find you a therapist. If there's anything I learned when you dumped me, it's that you can't always rely on someone else for your happiness. You need to make yourself strong enough."

"I know," Fawkes says. "I've been getting stronger for the last three months but… it's not enough."

He puts his head in his hands. His entire body is shaking. I put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him but that just makes him tense.

"Don't touch me, Manel."

I draw my hand back.

"Sorry."

Suddenly, my communicuff rings. I walk away from Fawkes to answer it. He needs some space.

"Mr President," Vulcan says. He's one of my best hackers. "I just received an encrypted message from District 13. Coin is planning to nuke the entire country. Whoever sent the message is trying to stop her. The only way is to detonate all the nuclear weapons in District 13."

"What will that do?" I ask.

"The explosion will be far enough underground that all nuclear fallout will be contained but everyone in the district who isn't in the bunker will die instantly."

"How long do we have?"

"Four hours."

"Is that long enough to rescue Binah and get out?"

"You'll need to find her pretty quickly. District 13 is massive."

"Okay," I say. "Anything else from District 13."

"There's a message for Fawkes Chau," Vulcan says. "It's pretty personal. I'd feel a bit awkward passing it on so I'll send it to you. You can get it up on a screen."

"Thanks, Vulcan," I say. "Tell me if there's any more news."

I find a laptop on the nearest table and open it. Sure enough, Vulcan's sent me the message. I hand the laptop to Fawkes.

"It's a message for you," I say. "Can I read it with you?"

He nods.

I read the opening line and know instantly that it's from Binah.

Fawkes, my darling,

Coin might call you to gloat about how I'm working with her now. I'm not. I'm pretending to help her so she has to let me use a computer but, in reality, I'm sabotaging her plan. Coin wants to nuke Panem until nobody is left alive. I'm going to make sure the nukes detonate early and only District 13 is destroyed. Please don't do anything that tells her what I'm doing. I don't know if she'll be able to undo what I've done but I don't want to risk it.

I am in District 13. Coin has me locked in the bunker. There is no way you will ever be able to rescue me. If you try, you will be killed. Please, just stay somewhere safe. You are the most wonderful person in Panem. I love you and I will love you for as long as I have left alive. When I die, I will be thinking of you and hoping that you'll be able to live a full and happy life without me. When I'm gone, there will still be beauty in the world and good people who will help you find it. Don't give up.

Binah.

Fawkes sobs.

"We can still save her, right?" He asks, weakly.

"Maybe," I say. "Maybe Coin will let her out of the bunker. But we need to change some things."

"What things?" Fawkes asks.

"When we get to District 13, you are going to stay on the hovercraft."

"What?"

"If we're going to save Binah, we need to be fast. You've got a limp. You'll only slow us down."

Fawkes nods. His eyes are shining with tears.

"If she dies… she'll die because she saved everyone. She'll be a hero."

I nod.

"She'll be the greatest hero Panem has ever seen."


Coin really made a mistake trusting Binah with a computer. Now she's stopping the nuclear apocalypse. I think the moral of this story is, never kidnap a Three.