Chapter Fifteen

"It's just a walk," Katniss stated as she walked down the road. "Is this really nessecary?" Peeta's footsteps followed a couple of metres behind her, in sync with her own steps. It didn't take long for the cellar to become stuffy and small, making her in desperate need for some air. Of course, with her new found discovery of Peeta's episodes, she didn't want to leave him alone.

But, according to him, he could only walk with her if he followed behind her.

"It's either this, or a leash. And I pray you're not a leash person," Peeta replied. Katniss frowned at the pavement ahead of her.

"I'm not, don't worry," she said. "Effie? Maybe. She's always wanted a puppy to walk . . ."

Peeta groaned. "Oh God I can see it now. Knowing Miss Trinket it's probably a hot pink collar with little sparkly diamonds studded around it."

Katniss couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, that sounds like her." They neared the main sqaure, where Peeta got whipped for throwing the sponge at the Law Abiders, and she stopped at the top of the hill, noticing the amount of people swarming around. It was an aburpt stop, so Peeta banged into her back.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His breath brushed across her neck and she suppressed a shiver.

"We can't go down there," she said. "I did something . . . something I shouldn't have . . . and now they all know."

Katniss couldn't imagine going down there after what happened with Rory. There was bound to be women down there who remembered her and who knows what they'd do if they saw her again.

Another thing was that she still needed to tell Peeta that she had to get pregnant in a month which just piled onto the stress.

"What . . . what did you do?" Peeta asked.

She ran a frustrated through her hair and moaned. "I helped a slave to his feet. I wasn't thinking. He . . . he was just a child and he fell and . . . and I helped him up. The women saw and they pelted us with fruit. They'll hate me now."

"You helped him up?"

"I know, I wasn't thinking. I was stupid-"

"Katniss, do you realize what this could mean?"

"No, what?"

There was a pause and Katniss could tell that Peeta was suddenly distracted by something. Not caring about having to kept him behind her, she turned and asked, "What? What's wrong?" He was looking past her, down into the square. Instead of responding verbally, he lifted his hand and pointed.

"What's that?"

Frowning, Katniss turned back around and followed the line of where he was pointing. Down in the sqaure, at the far end, there's a brick wall that seperates the market area from another estate. The wall was normally covered in a thin layer of coal dust but now it was clean. So clean that Katniss could make out the bright red colour of the bricks.

But that wasn't the problem. There was something black on the wall as well. Something she could make out. Curious, Katniss ran down the hill, forgetting about the woman hating her and consumed in the wonder of what the black was. She pushed through the crowd that had gathered around the wall and stumbled out at the front.

The black was . . . words. Scratched in graffitti across cement bricks was a phrase. A phrase that made her heart drop into her stomach.

WE ARE NOT YOUR SLAVES

~THE MEN OF 12

"Oh my God," she whispered, covering her mouth with her hand. It was then she noticed that there was no men what-so-ever in the square. Katniss backed up from the wall and bumped into Peeta, who caught her as she stumbled.

The women around them chattered fearfully.

"Is it a strike?"

"Have they gone mad?"

"Should we call the abiders?"

A movement out of the corner of her eye dragged Katniss' attention away from the wall and onto the platform in front of the Justice Building. It was a stone podium flanked by two staircases on each side to get up to it. The movement was a slave climbing up the steps with a microphone obviously stolen off one of the Law Abiders.

Gale Hawthorne.

Rory's brother.

When he reached the center of the podium, a blonde girl emerged from the Justice Building. Her hair flowed past her shoulder in silky waves and her blue eyes pierced the crowd judgmentally. Gale handed her the microphone and she thanked him with a smile. Holding the mike up to her blood red lips, she spoke.

"We are looking for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark," she stated in a melodic voice. Katniss' eyes widened and she felt Peeta slip his hand into hers, squeezing it reassuringly. The blonde girl's eyes scanned the crowd and when they landed on Peeta and herself, she smiled. "I repeat, we are looking for Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Come on, don't be shy."

Katniss didn't realize her feet was moving until she noticed Peeta was walking ahead of her, his hand still in hers. The crowd parted for them both, the women seeming too shocked to speak or stop them. Katniss couldn't comprehend what was happening and almost stumbled on the steps up to the podium. Peeta turned around and steadied her though. She was thankful he was there or she'd have already attempted to run for it.

As soon as they'd made it to the top of the steps, the blond girle began to speak again. "My name, for those of you who don't know, is Madge Undersee. And I have been fighting for the rights of males for five years now and I would just like to inform you that we are going to win the fight that has now been inciated."

The crowd was stunned. Only one woman caught on and whipped out her phone, dialling the number for the law abiders.

"They are not you slaves!" Madge shouted into the microphone. She quickly turned around and made a face. "We've done it now," she muttered, ushering Katniss and Peeta into the Justice Building.

Katniss realized with a start that there wasn't a single woman inside the building. It was all men, working at the reception desks, walking around, treating the wounded. Gale melted into the group, walking out a door at the back. "What's going on?!" Katniss exclaimed.

Madge smiled, leading them up the stairs to a small office on the second floor. "Yesterday morning the slaves claimed control of the Justice Building, kicking the women inside out and solidizing the place as their own," she explained. "It seems your little spectacle in the square has sparked up a fight in them. They're not going to take it any more. They're going to fight back."

Katniss felt dizzy and had to sit down. "But I didn't . . . I didn't do anything. I just helped the boy up!"

The blonde nodded. "And that's all it took," she said. "There was stirrings anyway . . . all it needed was a push."

"What does this mean then?" Peeta asked.

"A rebellion. In 12 anyway. We're hoping to expand it."

Katniss shook her head in disbelief. "It can't just happen! If the slaves took control of the Justice Building, wouldn't the authorities have already done something to stop it?"

Madge sat down on the edge of the mahogany desk in the middle of the room and shrugged. "The Capitol didn't believe it was possible. Just in case though they sent two of their best people to check it out." She glanced down at a sheet of paper on the desk. "Jackson and Harper. I trust you've met them?"

Katniss' blood ran cold and a shiver jumped down her spine. She nodded mutely. "But they said-"

"I know," Madge interuppted. "They were here for him. They are. Partly." She turned her attention to Peeta. "You spoke of rebellion, yes? From when you were in the compound?" Katniss turned to Peeta and waited for his response.

"Yes, I did," he said.

Madge smiled. "Good. Because it worked. Not only did Miss Everdeen's actions aiding the boy helped but when the slaves in the Compound got wind of it, they used your words to convince others to join. The Capitol has been thrown into diaster. They aren't telling the Districts because it would just make things worse. Uprisings and what not. That's why Jackson and Harper went to you two. To threaten you to stay in place because they know you're the biggest problem right now. The catalysts."

Katniss' eyes widened. "Catalyst? Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. I can't be a catalyst, I can barely speak out in debate class!"

"If you don't want to speak, you don't have to. It's Mr. Mellark we need more anyway. We just need to protect you from the crossfire," Madge said. "It was your actions, and Mr. Mellark's words that began all this."

"It's still not the point! Effie would kill me!"

"Um, Madge, Miss Undersee, can I speak to Katniss for a moment?" Peeta asked.

Madge sighed and nodded. Taking papers of the desk, she brushed past them and exited the room. Katniss sat back in her seat, her arms folded, and huffed. "I can't do this Peeta," she said. "You don't know what's at stake if we do."

"What do you mean?" Peeta frowned.

"Jackson and Harper . . . they're . . . they're crazy!"

Peeta scoffed. "You think I don't know that already?"

"No," Katniss said. "Of course you did. What I mean is that Madge is right. They did threaten me. And it's sure as hell enough to make me keep my mouth shut!" There was a pause and Peeta sat down on the seat beside Katniss.

"What did they say to you?" he asked.

Katniss shrugged helplessly. "If I don't get pregnant by you within the month they're going to take you back to the compound and . . . arrest me." She refused to look at Peeta after she'd spoken and stared at her fidgeting hands.

"Oh Katniss," Peeta sighed. He took her chin and forced her to look at him. "Don't you see? If we do this then all this could end. The threats, the punishments, forcing people to the compound . . . all of it, gone. Can't you see?"

She shook her head. "I can't," she whispered.

"Believe me Katniss, it'd all end."

"Things like this don't just end."

Peeta smiled, his eyes sparkling. "Doesn't mean we can't try."

"FUCK!" someone shouted from outside. Madge burst into the room, panting for breath. "You've got to see this," she said. The three of them ran down the stairs and went back outside the podium in front of the building.

Standing in the middle of the podium was Jackson and Harper. They hadn't changed at all since their visit to Effie's house. Same clothes, same smiles . . . everything. Katniss grinded to a halt as soon as she saw them, Peeta and Madge stopping a couple of metres behind her.

"Wh-what do you want?" she asked them.

Jackson curled her lip. "For you to hand over the Justice Building," she sneered. "Or else."

"Or else what?" Madge demanded.

Both women parted and standing between them was Rory Hawthorne. The boy Katniss had helped up. "Or else we take the boy," Harper said.

"Rory!" Gale screamed, bursting out of the Justice Building and going to make a run for his brother. Madge had to stop him, holding him back with surprising strength.

"Don't bring Rory into our conflict," Katniss said fearfully. "It wasn't his fault I helped him up. Don't blame him, please!"

Jackson rested her hand on Rory's shoulder, her nails digging into his skin. The boy's face expressed fear. He looked frightened out of his mind. "Then stop this ridiculous show right now!"

"No!" Madge yelled, despite Gale protests. She spun around and threw him to the ground, hard. "Don't be an idiot Gale! We'll get him back, but we're not giving up! Not now when we're so close!"

"Just give us Rory," Katniss said. She glanced back nervously at Madge. "We're not stopping the rebellion but . . . take me instead! You can lock me up in the Capitol if you want! Just don't hurt Rory!"

Harper pursed her lips and sighed. "Fine. A hostage's a hostage."

Katniss nodded and took a step forward, but before she could go any further, someone grabbed her arm and threw her into Madge's arms. She yelped and Madge shrieked from the shock. Gale rushed forward and caught his brother as he was pushed forward. He hugged him tight and didn't let the boy go.

When she recovered from the push, she whirled around and gasped as Peeta stood beside Jackson, his mouth right by her ear as he whispered something into it. Harper stood by, watching curiously. The words were having some sort of effect on Jackson, as she smiled gruesomely and licked her lips.

After a moment, Jackson snapped her fingers and Peeta stopped talking. "Fine," she said. "I'm sure they don't need you that much anyway. What could you do to help?"

"Peeta?" Katniss said cautiously.

"Katniss, everything's going to be okay," Peeta said. Katniss barely heard him as she watched Jackson take his arm and hold it possessively.

"Peeta," Madge said, her tone bodering on warning. "What are you doing?"

Ignoring her, Peeta's eyes stayed firmly on Katniss. "I believe in you," he said. Harper scowled and Jackson started walking away, taking him with her. Everything was happening so fast that Katniss' head began spinning.

"Peeta!" Katniss yelled. "No!" She went to run after them but Gale stopped her, holding her back. "Let me go! Peeta!" She struggled helplessly in Gale's arms as the Capitol women dragged Peeta away, disappearing into the crowd of onlookers, most likely heading for the train station. "You can't take him! Take me instead!"

When she could no longer see them, she broke down and started to sob. She turned around in Gale's hold and started hitting him where-ever her hands could find purchase. "Let me go! I have to get him! Let me help him! Let me help Peeta!"

Vaguely, she heard Madge saying to one of the slaves,

"She's all we have now. She's going to have to lead the rebellion."

Then everything went dark.

A/N: So sorry for the delay guys! I hope it was worth the wait!

Please R&R! :)