Endgame
Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins and I do not own the Hunger Games, or any of the quoted lyrics.
Chapter 4
"Nothing seems to affect him."
"What do you mean?"
"We're not getting any information out of him."
"Keep trying."
"Sir, I'm not sure he even has any information. Don't you think this is pointless?"
"I told you to keep trying."
"Yes, sir."
Command is the second thing on mine and Peeta's schedule the next day. Might as well present my plan to Coin before I start to rethink my decision. After my family, Peeta's family, and the Hawthornes eat breakfast all together, Peeta and I head down to the Command room. On the way there, I fill him in on my little plan, and he actually smiles a bit.
"I bet that'll work," he says. "They really need you to be the Mockingjay, Katniss. They'll give you the moon if that's what you want."
We continue to walk in silence until he adds, "You know you don't have to do this if you're not comfortable, Katniss. And if you need me to be there with you, I'd be happy to help." I pause for a second, standing on my tiptoes to hug him. I don't know what caused the sudden burst of uncharacteristic affection, but Peeta's still so pure hearted and untainted by everything that's happened to him. He's too good for me.
"Thank you, Peeta," I say, pulling away. "I need to do this, though. The rebellion's gone too far for me to just drop out and decide I don't feel like ending what I started."
Peeta nods.
Once we arrive, Plutarch, Coin, and all of their other required members are already assembled, patiently waiting in their own seats. As soon as Peeta and I walk in, I ask for a piece of paper and pencil so I can list all of my conditions. My accumulating mental notes have become too jumbled up to make much use of. Everyone in the room is surprised by my sudden sign of interest in the rebellion. Coin personally hands me a piece of paper and pencil, shooting me a smile before settling back down into her seat. I could've done without the smile.
I start my list, and everyone busies themselves with other tasks, trying not to look at me. First comes the obvious. Gale's immunity, announced in public. After that, though, I struggle to come up with anything else. What else could I possibly ask for in a place like District 13? I keep racking my brain for ideas, knowing very well this is probably the only opportunity I have for bargaining with Coin.
I don't know where I get the idea from, but I add Buttercup to the list for Prim's sake. The concept of useless pets is not well-known in 13.
A few minutes later, I add hunting to the list.
People are starting to get impatient, and I can hear some fiddling with pencils or tapping their foot on the floor.
I try to take a mental step back. Look at the big picture. There has to be something I'm missing. There's only three items on my list. Closing my eyes briefly, I feel a surge of anger and write down messily, I kill Snow. When he's captured, I want to do it. I need to do it so that I can know for sure he's dead and gone.
"I'm done," I announce, pushing the paper away slightly from me. Coin looks up.
"Well, let's hear whatever you want to say. There's not much time left," she says, glancing at her communicuff.
"I'll be your Mockingjay," I say as a way of starting. I pause, making time for the mandatory sighs of relief and slaps on the back that follow. "But I have conditions." Everyone falls silent.
"My family gets to keep our cat," I say. Chatter erupts in the room. I share a glance with Peeta and he shrugs. I thought this would be the least bothersome condition, but judging by the arguments going around, it's still a pretty big deal. I wonder how everyone will react to the other conditions I have in mind.
"Silence!" Coin says after a few minutes of absorbing all of the different viewpoints. "Let them keep their cat. They'll be moved to a compartment on the top floor, one with a small window. He will be expected to feed himself, Soldier Everdeen, and if he misses curfew, he'll be shot."
I nod. It doesn't sound too bad, except for the bit about shooting him. I'll tell Prim to keep a careful eye on him.
"I want to hunt outside," I say, deciding that it's best to go in order of my tiniest requests to my bigger ones. "I'll give all of the meat to the kitchen and I'll use my own bow." Everyone has to mull over this one for a bit. Quickly, before too many people can object, I add, "It'll help me get better. Fresh air would be good for me."
"You would need someone to accompany you," Coin says, her eyes cutting into mine. I close my fist around my thumb, feeling the dented metal of Gale's ring. Coin's gaze shifts to Peeta. "You'll be given permission if he goes with you."
"Okay," Peeta says. I look at him questioningly. He can't take a single step without scaring off all of the game. But he's my only option. They won't let me go without him.
"Sounds good," I say in a falsely happy voice.
"Of course, you'll have tracking anklets and communication units. Quarter-mile radius only," Coin adds. Plutarch starts to say something about the risk of injuries, but Coin cuts him off. "Let them. What else?"
"I'll have to do all this with Peeta," I say, and by the look that passes between everyone I can tell they expected this.
"Done," Coin says. "It will be better like that, anyway." She's right. Peeta can use words to convey any message he wants while I fumble over them and end up making a mess.
"We'll keep the romance thing going," Plutarch says, jotting down a few notes. "He'll be by your side at all times." I suddenly feel a pang of guilt as I think about how Gale would react to this. Clenching my fist around the ring, I force myself to nod. I'll never be able to do this alone.
"Anything else on that list of yours?" Coin asks.
I pause. "You'll do whatever you can to rescue Gale," I say. Dead silence. I know I shouldn't add it, but I do anyway, "And the other prisoners. Annie and Johanna. And Enobaria." I barely know Enobaria, dislike her, even, but it doesn't feel right to leave her out.
"No," comes Coin's flat reply.
"Yes," I shoot back immediately. "You let Gale get taken. You let Annie and Johanna get taken."
"It wasn't our place to interfere with Gale. We have no association with his or Annie's capture whatsoever," Coin says coolly. "All of them will be tried as war criminals." Anger bubbles up in me. I feel Peeta's hand on my shoulder, but decide to ignore it.
"You could've saved Gale! You let him get taken! Your hovercrafts were just sitting while the Capitol snatched him up!" I say, my voice louder. I can feel myself rising out off my seat. "You will bring him and the others back!"
"Please sit down, Soldier Everdeen," Coin says, using her unfalteringly calm voice.
"No," I say, my voice firm and resounding in the tiny room. "You'll do your best to save them, and if they can't be saved, they'll be granted immunity! You'll pledge this in front of all of District 13, soon. Today, even. You and your government will be responsible for their safety, or you'll have to find yourselves another Mockingjay!"
"That's her. That's what we need," I hear a woman named Fulvia whisper oh-so-carefully to Plutarch. "Can't you see it? A bit of grime on her face, gunfire in the background."
I want to glare at them both, but I don't divert my attention from Coin.
"Katniss, I'm afraid a rescue mission can't be organized with our limited resources, especially since we're preparing to go at war," Plutarch says, and I finally tear my gaze away from Coin to look at him. He tilts his head so he's speaking to Coin. "You could issue an official pardon, though, President. Her cousin's barely even of age. Nineteen at the most, I'd guess."
"He's not my cousin," I snap. A look of confusion crosses the Capitol rebels' expressions, but the people of District 13 hardly look surprised. I look back at Coin. "He's nineteen," I say, confirming Plutarch's estimate.
Coin hesitates slightly before saying, "Fine. But you'd better hold up your end of the deal."
"I will once you make the speech," I retort.
"Call a national security assembly during Reflection," Coin says to Plutarch, "I'll make the announcement then. Anything else, Katniss?"
The paper in my hands has long since been crumpled into a ball.
"I kill Snow."
The ghost of a smile appears on Coin's lips. "When the opportunity comes, I'll flip you for it."
I nod. I'm not the only one with a claim on Snow's life.
Coin glances down at her communicuff again and starts out the door, her whole team following her. "They're in your hands, now," she tells Plutarch and Fulvia.
(A/N)
Thanks for reading, everyone! You might want to flip back to the beginning of each chapter, because I replaced the song lyrics with short dialogues to give insight into what's happening to Gale.