Sorry for the delay in updating—I needed to take a break from writing for a little bit Thanks for all of the reviews and favorites while I've been away!
As usual, I don't own "The Hunger Games" or the characters mentioned. No copyright infringement is intended.
Gale's POV
I wake up the next morning feeling disoriented. It was strange not having Katniss next to me last night and I slept poorly. Stretching, I rise and begin to ready myself for the day. Down the hall, I hear Katniss doing the same thing, slamming in and out of the bathroom. I remember that she is going to accompany me to Command. Mentally, I curse Blaze for the millionth time for ruining my plan to keep her out of this. Unfortunately, being on my own this morning is giving me all sorts of time to think. About Blaze, about this mission, about the fight last night—my mind is running wild. I know that Katniss didn't mean what she said about how she felt about me, but her words stung all the same. She always seems to know exactly what to say to hurt me the most.
After sweeping water through my hair in an attempt to tame it, I step outside just in time for Katniss to walk by. She looks at me like she is about to say something, then thinks better of it, turns away, and stomps down the stairs. I smell eggs and bacon, and feel a rush of gratitude for Annie. She's been so gracious, letting us use her house like this, and all we've done is put her through hell since we arrived.
Katniss and I sit at the breakfast table and eat without speaking. A horn honks outside, letting us know that it's time to leave. We rise and proceed to take the longest, most silent ride I've ever taken in my life. Not that I've been in many cars. We didn't really have cause or money for cars in District Twelve.
As we make our way carefully through the city streets, I sneak glances at Katniss, who has firmly planted herself as far on the other side of the car as possible. She would probably be more comfortable if she was just sitting outside, I scoff. Her head is turned completely away from me so she is facing the window. I sigh loudly, hoping to catch her attention and move my hand over to let my fingertips gently brush hers. She snatches her hand away and keeps her head turned pointedly.
Disgusted, I huff at her stubbornness. Of course, she's going to drag this fight out as long as she can. Letting things go easily is not one of her strong points.
The car pulls up in front of Command and Katniss all but jumps out in her haste to reach the door before me. We walk to the elevator bank silently, shoulder to shoulder. The awkwardness of the situation is palpable and I can see others staring at us, the Mockingjay and Gale Hawthorne locked in a silent battle of wills. Katniss impatiently jams the elevator call button in an effort to summon it more quickly. Once it dings open, she darts inside and I watch as she stealthily tries to push the "door close" button before I have a chance to board. I let out a soft laugh at her absurdity. She is in rare form today. As the elevator rises, I absentmindedly wonder when she is going to break the silence between us.
After another silent walk to Blaze's office, we are finally in a situation which necessitates conversation, if only between us and our commanding officer. Blaze is bent over his desk, brows knit together in thought. I see plans strewn all over the desk and it looks like he has the blueprints to the entire city in front of him.
He looks up when we enter and, for the briefest moment, I think I see worry cross his lined face. Just as soon as it appears, it's gone and he again is impossible to read.
"Soldier Everdeen, Captain Hawthone—welcome. You've got a busy day ahead of you both." He motions for us to take a seat as he folds the plans to make room in front of him. "We've got to clear out some of these mines in order for our men to make any inroads to the insurgents. You and Soldier Everdeen are the only two here with experience doing this sort of thing, so today you'll be leading a group of soldiers through a few marked streets in order to show them exactly how to get through these mines."
I glance over to Katniss and see her face whiten, her grip on the arms of the chair tighten. I knew she wasn't ready for this, I think, involuntarily shaking my head. Blaze narrows his eyes as he looks at both of us. Our reactions are not up to military standard. We are supposed to take orders without hesitation, not exhibit fear or, in my case, disgust.
He rises again and walks to the other side of the room. After searching for a moment, he returns with two Holos. "These are programmed to show you the layout of the entire city," he says as he hands us the devices. "Again, this mission is nothing new to you two. After today, you should be able to monitor the soldiers' progress from here at Command. We just need a day of training before we allow our boys to roam loose in the city never having disabled a mine." I breathe a quick sigh of relief at hearing that last piece of information. One day. That's all we have to get through. One day and then we're safe here at Command again.
Blaze quickly finishes his instructions and sends us to Weaponry to be outfitted for the day. As we walk, I can tell Katniss' silence now stems not from anger, but from fear. I reach out to take her hand for reassurance, but before I can grab it, she turns and walks into Weaponry. I stop for a moment, shake my head, and then follow her. Jayvon is there, waiting for me with a smile on his face. "Hawthorne-welcome back, man!" he says enthusiastically. We shake hands and he shoves a bow and arrow at me. I recognize it as the one he built for me back in Two. I turn it over in my hands, once again admiring the craftsmanship. "It's been waiting for you, Hawthorne," Jayvon says, grinning.
Katniss is on the other side of the room, talking quietly with a Weaponry soldier I don't recognize. I watch as she also receives a bow and arrow and takes a few practice shots at a target placed by the wall. My heart beats faster as I watch her focus in on her target and send an arrow singing through its heart. It's strange to be this turned on by something so deadly, but I can't help myself. I turn away in an attempt to keep focused. Today is going to need all of my energy and attentiveness. Katniss and I can work out our feelings tonight at Annie's. Ducking my head as I grin, I realize that I'm anticipating that make-up more than I probably should.
Before I know it, Katniss and I are giving orders to a group of young soldiers, none of whom I've met before. "…keep focused and learn to develop eyes in the back of your head," Katniss finishes. "This mission is a team effort, not every man for himself." In that moment, she loses focus and I know she's remembering our last experience with this mission. Finnick, Peeta, Boggs. Two disastrous deaths and one crazy Capitol rescue. I don't know how she's here doing this again. I'm not even sure how I'm here doing this again.
She looks at me expectantly, ready for me to pick up my part of the instructions. "Right," I clear my throat. "Soldier Everdeen is right—this is a dangerous job, one that can't be done if you're only thinking of yourself. We both have Holo's of the city layout. It's our job today to begin sweeping for mines. The more mines you can get rid of, the safer the citizens of this city are and the faster you get to the insurgents. We need to put this uprising down quickly, so let's get in, do what we came for, and get out of there unharmed. Got it?" I let my eyes roam judgmentally over the soldiers, hoping to intimidate them into following my orders. They look terrified. "This is going to be a long day," I mutter under my breath.
Katniss and I lead our group down a side street and pause to consult our Holos. A few streets over, the road blinks madly—it must be littered with mines. We share a glance. "It's as good a start as any," I say. She shrugs and nods. Waving my hand above my head, I motion for the group to follow us. Keeping the Holo on in case any mines decide to blink in our path, we pick our way over to a deserted street with businesses on both sides.
From the color scheme blinking on the Holo, I can tell that these are simply leftover mines from the Capitol. Purple means trackerjackers, yellow means an outpouring of some acidic, oily substance that entraps anyone who has the misfortune of touching it, green is the toxic gas- the list goes on. It's surprising to me how much I remember from a year ago. Then again, those days weren't something that I'm likely to forget easily.
As we draw closer to our target street, a shot of adrenaline runs through my body. I sneak a glance at Katniss and see that her face is as white as a ghost, but determined. Maybe I have underestimated her, I think to myself. I look down at the Holo once more, checking our position in relation to the first mine. Twenty more paces and we should be there. I hold up my hand to motion for our group to stop. The light blinks purple, meaning that we have to detonate the mine carefully in order to give the tracker jackers room to fly off without targeting us. Choosing the arrow that will explode as soon as it touches a target, I aim carefully and let the deadly weapon swish off my bow. Flawlessly, it hits the ground, explodes loudly, and I hear the deadly hum of tracker jackers fill the air.
Instinctively, I drop to the ground and expect everyone to follow. Clearly, I was mistaken. While approximately eighty percent of the group dropped with me, there were a few left standing. Not many tracker jackers made it our way, but each and every sting can possibly be fatal. We had to stay on the ground while listening to the anguished screams of those who failed to follow my lead. I heard the pounding of their boots as they ran around, trying to escape the stings and only serving to enrage the insect hybrids more.
Suddenly, the air filled with the earsplitting whine of bombs and the ground began to shake. My instincts were mixed—stay on the ground or get up and try to escape? I tuck my feet up under me and spring up, hoping to make a decision mid-move. Looking down, I see Katniss getting to her feet as well, just as an unexpected swarm of tracker jackers was making its way to her. Without thinking, I leap sideways and forward to knock her out of the way. My foot touches a cobblestone that is slightly more raised than the others and almost trip over it.
Strange, I remember thinking before my world goes black.