Author's Note: it's coming to a head people! Sad but true this story will meats its end in 23 chapters, and some of you have said you'll miss Miss Crane. None to fret, if you're the savvy reader you must have gone to my bio page right?

Thanks goes to RR (who decided to use all Ari's nicknames in one fell swoop) and DAK for the reviews

Chapter 77

Briefing

Ari POV

I've had meeting with Coin, Plutarch. Heck even Haymitch had his hands in my communicator alerts.

This is the first time I had a combination of Boggs and Ziggy.

Neither looks happy. In fact they have identical stone faces when I enter the auditorium. I crane my neck to find my friends but the whole force is out. We even have someone on a laptop communicating with Paylor I bet.

"Good news" Boggs says, "we have confirmation that peacekeepers are not going to give any resistance to our forces, they are having a hard time as it is. Intel has filled us in that many may not know our Sparrow's little tune has made capitol citizens turn on the people who they thought were there to keep them safe. No casualties yet from each other but there have been casualties of a different sort"

No….what I was so scared of has happened. How many have been tripped?

Ziggy adjusts her glasses, "this is the bad news" she taps on her keyboard and on the screen behind her is a schematic of the Capitol, it's lit up with dots of different colours. "Each light is a trap, we are calling them PODs acronym for 'Point Of Detonation' some are by pressure like old-school land mines used in ancient wars, some are by movement, and some are on timers. All were activated by some dolt who saw the video from their control center. President Snow is sequestered in his mansion, so he has no access to shutting them off. So when we go in we are going into a city bent on killing us."

"We have sorted you all into different squads" Boggs takes over, "Most of you are going to do damage control, get people to safety and if not possible to keep them with you, each squad leader will be equipped with a holographic emitter to show the map we have, it also has information on each sector. There are two squads for securing the control center and getting Ziggy and her team of technicians in to try and shut them off." He nods to Ziggy who taps something and four glowing spots appear, "we will be setting up medical centers in each sector so any medical personnel wishing to volunteer their services will be greatly appreciated."

Boggs clears his throat, "before any of this actually happens however every single soldier be they special ops or general military has to go thru the exam. We was expedited it and all commanding officers should report to the exam level as soon as the briefing is over" he looks around, "questions? Ask now or don't ask at all!"

"Yeah why are we helping the Capitol?!" Malcom, I knew he would ask this idiotic question, "I mean they are the ones who made everyone suffer, their kids never got reaped, I lost two brothers and a little sister to them! T'hell with helping these morons!"

I dart to his voice, forgetting formalities as apologizing for shoving people aside, Malcom just realizes who has bull-rushed him and has him now pinned to a wall.

"There are kids out in those streets, younger than twelve, picking up a stone and tossing it on a land mine, there are elderly strolling and tripping a motion sensor and being torn to bits" I growl, "they didn't know what we were put thru they were kept as much in the dark as us!" I feel people prying me off him, "tell you what Carrow stay here! Feel good about being an ass, if I was a commanding officer I wouldn't want you on my team" I spit at his feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen the CO of one of our teams has spoken!" Ziggy says as she posts on the overhead the list of commanding officers.

I'm there, next to Boggs and a dozen others. Gale isn't.

"Right people time to get our company prepped, dismissed!" Boggs orders. Our eyes meet across the auditorium and he gives me a small nod, he had agreed on how I reacted.

Gale catches me up, "hey" he says falling in step with me, "look, I'm sorry I was protecting you back in command" he looks at me, "commander Crane" he smirks, "do you know who's in your team?"

I don't respond for a moment or two, "Gale I'm sorry for being an ass before, for giving you a cold shoulder it's just-"

"It's okay I get it, I guess I'd feel the same with people leaping to my defense either to be killed, maimed or otherwise" he takes my hand and we stop, "I won't do it, but I'm telling you it ain't easy because how we feel for each other, I am sure we'd take a hit meant for the other right?" he looks at me concerned, "promise me that we won't be on the same team okay? I know we'd make an excellent pair but"

"But we'd be preoccupied with how the other is" I finish he leans down and we rest foreheads against each other, "make sure to wear whatever armor they give you okay? No stupid stunts, that's my job"

He chuckles, "I'll make sure to have Boggs make sure you have armor before your transport leaves, wrestle it on you if needs be"

'All commanding officers to exam room one. All commanding officers to exam room one.' Comes over the intercom

"That's my cue" I say quietly, going in alone does not feel right. Gale has always been there but now he won't be, now I will be with strangers.

"Be good in school" he bends down and steals a kiss, "I'll see you after okay? We'll all have a meal before being shipped out"

I nod, "you be good at the exam, no boyfriend of mine only passes by a hair's breath" I look at him, we share an identical smirk and I steal the kiss back before heading off.