Author's Note: Into the final stretch before the Capitol. It's been a slow burn so far but the pace will start to pick up as the net closes in around the victors.

….

Crackdown

There was no containing Eight's uprising any longer and a full-scale revolt was beginning. It would only take the smallest trigger and the entire district would be in flames. In many respects, Cecelia was thrilled that it was finally happening. Decades of work in the district, initiated by Woof and his earliest associates were going to come to fruition. But he would not understand and would not be here to witness their success. Neither would she.

Officially, a curfew was in place over the entire district and people were being shot on sight in the night. But the peacekeepers were losing control. Instead, they were often the ones being shot at. During the day, workers were escorted to the factories, kept in the building until the end of the shift and escorted home. But still, there were skirmishes everywhere. Spot checks were being carried out and Cecelia had found her own activities strictly curtailed. She was permitted to leave the Village to take her children to and from school and for one peacekeeper-accompanied shopping trip in the central market. She was searched on entering and leaving the Village and her home had since been searched too. The restrictions meant that both Woof and Cotton were unable to leave given the distress caused.

Her husband had given up his market stall, the constant peacekeeper presence surrounding him was off-putting to customers and making his underhand activities impossible. He was finding new, more dangerous routes in and out of the Village whilst Cecelia ran distractions.

Away from school, the children were now isolated, unable to meet friends or play in the streets. Their lives consisted solely of school and the Village where they lived. Their eldest son was attracting suspicion in his own right as he had been deemed old enough to be a participant in his parents' activities, whatever they were. But Cecelia would never risk her children like that. They had not been told what their parents were engaged in. Her boy was smart, he knew something was about to happen beyond the Games, but he was intelligent enough to never raise the subject beyond whispers with his parents, in the hope that he would receive more than the vague responses they were giving him.

Woof had officially moved into Cecelia's home and with Cotton's constant presence, the house felt crowded. The older victor could not be kept safe in his own home any longer and he needed to be kept secure in the night in case he started to wander. They were not going to risk Woof being apprehended by peacekeepers. It would be a fate worse than the arena, where he would at least be surrounded by familiar faces, those who he still recognised at least.

Cecelia was trying to prepare him for the Capitol, trying to inform him that he would be a tribute once more instead of a mentor. But Woof could not fully understand. She was also trying to assist Cotton in mentoring. The younger woman had only been to the Capitol on two occasions since her survival and would struggle to mentor effectively. Cecelia knew that her friends would help but there would be actions and decisions that only the official mentor could make.

She was trying to think of the positives. She was spending more time with her husband before the inevitable. The children were at home whenever they were not at school and in their better moments, she did enjoy Woof and Cotton's company. It was all she was going to get. The constant peacekeeper presence surrounding her was making her a social pariah with even those closest to her too wary to say hello.

But this curtailment of her actions and the peacekeeper response in Eight meant that law enforcement was on edge and that the Capitol were nervous too. The people were taking control. It was slow and it would be messy, but peacekeeper error was already too frequent for any superiority they had left to endure.

Cecelia needed to stay under the radar until the Capitol. It was vital that she remained uncompromised otherwise the entire operation in the Capitol would be under threat. If she were caught, then suspicion would naturally follow Halley and Poppy who were instrumental in their district's plans. Cecelia had to think it was better this way. She could live her remaining days in Eight with her family and leave the plans to others. She had done her part.

….

The restrictions on their movements had increased further. Eleven's victors were now escorted to their workplace by a peacekeeper and permitted one other excursion per day either for business purposes or their own shopping. Their staff were also accompanied by peacekeepers when making deliveries or otherwise travelling for business purposes. Seeder and Chaff had instructed them to be wary of being followed outside of work and several had reported that they found themselves being trailed by a peacekeeper. They had all fallen under suspicion.

Orchard was finding himself increasingly housebound. Chaff and Seeder checked on their employees on alternate days so someone could take care of him, but with one visit out per day and their own errands to run, they could not take him outside every day. The older man felt certain that his days were numbered and now he was spending them under peacekeeper watch.

But like Eight, Eleven was ready and the uprisings could spill over at any given moment. The peacekeepers were losing control and Seeder believed that their control over the three victors was them making a statement in the only way possible. Three people, all likely to die in the coming weeks, were all they could try to contain. It might send a message that people were under suspicion, but Eleven's people were past caring if their actions could be construed as rebellious. They were ready and willing to go.

….

With production at a standstill, strikes and absenteeism, a crackdown was supposed to be in place in Four. But the peacekeepers simply walked with the fishing crews to the docks and stood aside as they either pretended to fix their vessels or ventured out a short distance to return empty-handed long before the sunset.

The few remaining loyal peacekeepers eagerly attended the protests and riots and willingly chose guard duty at prominent locations. They did not understand what was happening with the fishing crews or why their colleagues stood aside until fellow loyalists started drowning once they had tried to force the crews into work.

The most senior peacekeepers who had not bought into the rebellion were being kept busy with reports of bandits in the borderlands, close to Four's territory. They were sending their men on fruitless excursions and reporting no new developments back to the Capitol Guard whose frustration was growing.

The victors were having the last laugh. Most of the peacekeepers had now joined up to their plans and were coexisting with the ordinary citizens of Four. Plenty had already thrown off the uniform and were joining Noah's 'bandits' or being hidden by the people. They were in control and their plan to completely overwhelm the remaining loyalists was firmly in place and could be actioned on the victors' request.

When the arena fell, Rowan or Song would deliver the signal to begin. As leaders of their land and sea forces, they would remain at home during the Games, defying the Capitol's orders that demanded each of Four's victors' presence during the Quell. They knew what to do and, on their order, an assault on the Head Pecakeeper's barracks would begin along with the deposition of the Mayor.

They expected pushback to arrive, but it would take time for forces to arrive from the Capitol. They already had most of the peacekeepers on their side and they would be willing to fight. The attempts at a crackdown and curfews on Four's people had failed already and the people's spirits were high.

….

Luxor could not understand what was happening. District One was comparatively rich, its people had good jobs, they were producers of all the luxuries and fineries that the Capitol wanted and now they were throwing away that favour.

He watched as demand fell and people found themselves out of work. This was the fault of the other districts, and his people were paying the price. He could understand why some were attracted to the thought of rebellion. But it would never work, and they would ruin what prosperity they had for a pipe dream made elsewhere. This was not his District One. It was not how they behaved.

But as the rebel movement grew, those who had jobs went on strike, destroyed goods, and most recently started riots, inciting chaos. Now they were all suffering.

Everyone was included in the new measures. Nobody could leave home after dark and the businesses in the district's centre had no choice but to close their doors. Luxor found he had nowhere to spend his money or live the life he enjoyed. Instead, he went to and from his home and the Academy under the watch of the peacekeepers and could not even run his usual errands without being watched by peacekeepers or hassled by the ordinary residents.

People were losing respect for him. They no longer liked what he represented, and Luxor decided he did not like what they were representing either. They had order, peace and a good life and they were giving it up for something that would never work.

….

It was as if Abraham were watching over her again. Maria was being followed whenever she left the Village. News from around Panem was making Ten's peacekeepers nervous and Maria had to withdraw from attending various meetings in case she bought her associates unwanted attention.

Charo and Adan were taking more risks. Passing messages and putting money into the right hands during their training runs in and around Ten's centre. The pair were regularly seen out running in an attempt to build up their fitness and prepare for the arena in any way they could. But they were popular figures and were comfortable spending time together in the district's centre and their regular presence did not raise suspicion in and of itself.

It was Maria whose activities were most closely monitored as she had built up years of connections and was known to be associated with those who first started campaigning for better pay and conditions decades ago. Charo and Adan had been restricted in their involvement due to the threat of Abraham but had gradually increased their involvement since his demise. But their roles were shadowed by all that Maria was involved in.

Together they were setting up ruses for the peacekeepers as they did their rounds. Maria steered clear of the fields and farms where the workers were surrounded by peacekeepers each day. She chose to move at the busiest times of the day in and around the centre. Charo and Adan would pretend to be spending time with their fellow victor or feigning caring for her in a bout of illness whilst she attended meetings without suspicion. But these were excuses that could only last so long.

They had to hope that the increase in peacekeeper activity that was creeping up in Ten would not escalate to the levels seen in the other districts. They had business to attend to. Each of the districts needed to unite and Ten was somewhat behind many of the others. Before the Capitol, the victors wanted to add some extra weight behind the rebels and further the cause. They were determined to not let the peacekeepers and the Capitol's orders prevent this. Ten had a fighting spirit and it needed to be unearthed.