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Chapter 33

"Mr Stone this is Mackenzie Hawthorne, my son," Mackenzie looked up and turned down the music. The man was big, with dark hair and tanned skin. Mackenzie didn't like him; the man was looking down on him. Mackenzie stood and shook his head. "I don't need him, I told you it won't happen again, those guys were from District 2 anyway." Mr Stone bit his lip but didn't talk.

"You might not need him, but I'd like you to just accept it, alright? Put my mind at ease." Mackenzie looked at his dad, and frowned. "But dad…"

"No. No. Look, you won't even know he's there, he's a professional don't worry about it." His dad tapped his shoulders, smiled and turned away. Mackenzie sighed and nodded. "Won't even know he's there?" he asked too low for his dad to hear, he glanced at the man named Stone and doubted that very much. Annoyed Mackenzie stood and began to walk, wondering if Stone would follow. He did.

Franklin was sitting on a bench when she saw him. Lilac didn't approach like she would normally, this wasn't the place she expected him to be, the place he wanted to be. The crowds of foreigners moved around them not even noticing. She stepped forward, then back, then forward. Then back. She sighed and moved forward. She sat down next to him without him noticing who she was. She didn't talk to him, he stared at the crowd going passed, waiting, waiting. She knew what he wanted but he didn't know. He didn't know.

"You know…" he jumped suddenly, as if just noticing her. He stared, breathing hard, and stood, stepping away. "No…no…you can't…please no…" Then he fell to the floor, clutching his face. "Please…no…don't look at me don't look at me…I can't…please, Lye, just don't talk to me. I'm not one of you, I never was, I'm sorry." Then he stood in a rush and disappeared. Lilac watched not going after him. Not going after him.

"This, my good sir, is a credit card. That's how I'm paying for it." Mackenzie waved the card at Stone. Stone's eyes watched it then he forced himself to look away. Mackenzie smiled and passed the card to the shopkeeper. The eastern districts were so out dated, even here in the tourist markets. He took the card back and glanced at the box on the counter. "Carry it." Stone looked surprised and looked at him as if he had suggested something insane. "You might as well be useful."

Stone stood silent for a few seconds; his eyes boring down at Mackenzie, Mackenzie looked back with equal ferocity. He always had his card up his sleeve, all poor people needed work, Stone would have to do anything he said unless he want to get fired because his dad always believed Mackenzie no matter how outrageous the lie. "Fine," Stone said picking up the box. Mackenzie smiled at him, not in thank you but in victory. "See, now we understand each other."

He turned at walked out of the stall. Looking around for anything that caught his eye, he saw the food stall. "Oh, perfect," Stone frowned when he realised what Mackenzie was talking about. "You just ate lunch."

"Lunch is food, sugar is entertainment. And aren't you supposed to be a professional, my dad said I wouldn't even know you were here, if you keep talking to me, I will obviously know your there." Stone nodded and fell back a few paces. Mackenzie smiled and brought a box of lollies for the trip. "Hold this." He said passing the box after picking out a dozen. Stone frowned but took the box. "This may impare me, if the objects are broken at some point if you are attacked I will not be infringed, correct?"

Mackenzie frowned at the man, "I don't know," and turned back to eating his lollies.

"Guys, guys Franklin's trying to rob someone, by himself!" Zack and Jack looked up together but wearing the same expression, shock. Jasper stood. "What do you mean, Franklin? He can't do that."

"Yeah, he's Franklin." Jack said.

"But…Lilac, didn't he fail the test." Zack said and nodded seriously. "We have to stop him." Lilac said. Jasper stood.

"You sure him right?" Lilac nodded again. "Then why wouldn't you stop him." Lilac shook her head and scowled. "Because he bloody started crying that's why, I don't know how to deal with that!" Jasper breathed in deeply and then began to run. Lilac turned on her heel and followed him. "I saw him at the tourist zone!" Jasper nodded.

"Hey wait up!" Jack's voice came from behind them, she didn't slow, every second counted.

Mackenzie bit his lip, not because the item was ridiculously overpriced, he hadn't even looked at the tag on the side, he was just trying to work out if he really needed another pair of shoes, was it worth the effort? They looked cool, for District 12; he could even stick his name on it, now that would be cool. But… "Do they come in black and white?" The lady, who looked permanently surprised nodded and pulled out yet another pair of shoes. He handed his card to her and she looked down at it. "I'm sorry, we only take cash." Mackenzie stared at her.

Cash? Cash? Cash! He hadn't used cash, since….since…never! He turned to Stone, who was standing a metre away. "Stone do you have any cash on you?" He nodded. "Give it." He shook his head. "Don't you carry cash?"

"No."

"Well then I guess you can't get it," Mackenzie looked at the man for a long time. The woman started packing up the other boxes. Mackenzie sighed. "Mr Stone, do you know who I am?"

"Your name is Mackenzie Hawthorne."

"Yes, it is. Now you may not be entirely familiar with my name, apparently you're from District 13 so I understand if you don't recognised the name but one defining thing is about me is that, I always get what I want. So you are going to give me your cash, or my father will hear about it." Stone looked at him with distain. "This time you don't." Then Mackenzie was angry, "No. No. No. No! You have to give it to me. You have to! Please. Please. Please."

Stone shook his head. Mackenzie grabbed at him and unbalanced the man. He pulled up the wallet out and sifted through it. He pulled out the two hundred dollars and passed the rest to Stone who was now fuming with rage. "Never have I…"

"Denied me," he finished the sentence, "You won't do it again that's an order." He said, glaring at the man as he stood, the lady took the money and handed him the shoes. Mackenzie felt satisfied.

Franklin moved forward. That one. Perfect. The boy's eyes glanced over everything with bored greed. In his hand a card. There was no one with him. Franklin rose. He pulled out the knife, his hands shook with effort. He stepped forward. "For Muma. For Muma." The told himself as he stepped forward. The boy stopped, looking at tourist trinkets. "For Muma." Franklin dove at the boy.

Lilac stopped the world was in slow motion. "Franklin!" She watched the knife. Zack moved forward, not stopping, not braking, still running. It was too late. Too late. Zack grabbed Frankiin's shoulder.

Mackenzie watched in amazement as the big fat boy attacked the skinny one. The knife buried itself into his leg. Then the boy screamed. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Mackenzie watched away the knife turned back to him. He didn't step back, he didn't move, entranced by the weapon coming towards him. He felt himself suddenly pushed back. The knife didn't get closer.

Stone moved forwards.

The knife came out of his hands too quickly. He hardly noticed. Still moving forward. He didn't notice it as it went underneath his hands. A flash of metal. He noticed when it buried itself into his stomach. He stared at the huge man. His eyes were cold. Then Franklin began to cry, "Muma. Muma." Slowly, slowly he fell to the ground. The knife clanged as it hit the bitumen.