"Teslas, you're crazy." Haymitch began as he poured himself a drink of clear strong alcohol. Blinking he stared at the two inventors standing by his workstation. Their disheveled clothing from the previous day and the bags under their eyes indicated they had a sleepless tear-filled night, but their presence indicated their resolve to fight for their children.
"Your girl." Wiress insisted before placing a small plastic card on the desk of Haymitch's workstation.
"She reminds us of our girl." Beetee explained. "So, we figured we could help her. Both our kids saw something special in her."
"Ok." Haymitch muttered glancing at the plastic sponsor money card before sliding it along a magnetic strip on his tablet. A beep indicated the transaction was complete. "Well, Katniss had a quiet evening. She slept under the bush and the Careers managed not to find her."
"And Peeta?" Beetee asked. "Noah was his little friend for a bit." Haymitch sighed.
"Peeta's here." Wiress gasped as Haymitch showed them Peeta's tablet.
"Haymitch, you're not getting the feed, I don't see -" Beetee was cut off by Wiress pointing at a point on a log near the creek bed. He gasped as he realized Peeta had painted himself into the scenery. "Why is he just laying there?"
"Can't really move if the Careers nearly amputate a leg, can ya?"
"Oh - medicine -" Wiress gasped.
"I wanna see if Katniss can find him first." Haymitch reasoned. "The whole star-crossed lovers bit."
"Oh." Wiress nodded. "Interviews." She trailed off as images of Estelle in her dress and Noah in his suit filled her brain and comforted her heart.
"Yeah." Wiress and Beetee were silent as they sat at their workstation watching the main broadcast featuring the Careers picking through their food as well as Katniss and Rue making their way to their gathering spot.
"Noah got them good." Beetee whispered after a while as Cato nearly burst into tears after finding whole roast chicken burnt beyond being edible.
"Good boy - " Wiress whispered through her tears. Both inventors gasped as the Careers approached a clump of trees where Rue was picking berries. "Oh no -"
"Is that Noah's trap?" Beetee asked.
"No - too simple." Wiress said as Rue stepped onto a circle of rope that cinched onto her boot before she was pulled into a net. "Premanufactured -"
"KATNISS!" Beetee gasped as Wiress nearly broke his hand as she gripped it in a white-knuckled grip. Looking at her scared face, he knew she was reliving a time when Estelle was scared.
"Sister's coming, baby -" Wiress whispered, her heart twisting as she saw Rue's scared face. Estelle had been Rue's age when she narrowly escaped a factory fire caused by the overseer's negligence.
"KATNISS!" Rue screamed again before crying in pain as a spear impaled her chest.
"NO! BABY GIRL!" Seeder wailed. "My baby Rue!" Wiress hurried to the District Eleven station and placed her hands on Seeder's shoulders. The women cried as Katniss held the small girl and sang for her last moments of her life.
"You get him, girl!" Chaff hissed as Katniss sank an arrow into Marvel's neck.
"What is she doing? Rue's gone." Seeder said as Katniss began arranging flowers around Rue's face.
"Rebelling." Wiress whispered. "Showing them -"
"How horrible this is." Beetee choked through his tears joining his wife at Seeder's side.
"Sweetheart better hurry up before the craft comes." Haymitch muttered before taking a swig out of a glass bottle.
"Send her bread." Seeder directed as she handed her plastic card to Haymitch.
"From you?" Haymitch asked. Blinking back tears. Seeder nodded. The group was quiet as they watched Katniss wander aimlessly and attempt to hunt and forage for food. "Damn. She's giving up."
"Grieving - lost - sister -" Wiress observed through her tears. Just then, there was a knock at the door to the Mentor room before Seneca Crane entered.
"Good evening, Victors." He called as everyone rose to their feet.
"Good evening, Head Gamemaker." The victors said in unison.
"Prepare yourselves, because tomorrow the Games will change. Drastically." Everyone in the room nodded while exchanging puzzled glances. As night fell in the arena, Beetee and Wiress bid everyone good night and returned to their District Suite.
"So, you are helping the other districts." Seneca said as he made him self quite at home at the Tesla's dining room table. "A bit more carrots, please." He directed as Gearton served him a plate of food. Wiress and Beetee gaped at the Head Gamemaker as they entered the dining room. "Serve the Teslas a plate each."
"Alliances are formed in the mentor room as well as the arena." Beetee remarked. "Hence the plastic cards allowing us transfer sponsor funds between districts."
"And, obviously that's not against the rules. Relax." Seneca reached into his shirt pocket and extracted a small black card resembling a credit card.
"Scrambler -" Wiress whispered.
"Yes, your audiovisual surveillance scrambler." Seneca replied. "I -" He began. "I'm sorry -"
"Save it, boy." Beetee growled. "You feel sorry for us, great. Don't say you understand! Killing children is the main element of your profession." A tense silence filled the air as Beetee glared at the Gamemaker.
"Why Katniss?" Seneca asked after a moment.
"Rebellion." Wiress answered. "She can fight. For them." Seneca nodded knowing the Teslas weren't just talking about Katniss Everdeen's potential victory in the arena. "Today -"
"Today with Rue, she showed it." Beetee finished.
"Yes." Seneca conceded. "With the flowers." He paused. "These past few days, the Peacekeepers have been having some issues with your district, Mr. and Mrs. Tesla." The inventors exchanged glances. "If two victors from a Career district win, it will show the lower districts who's in control." Wiress pinched Beetee's elbow as he glared at the Gamemaker for referring to the 'lower' districts. "If two victors from one of the poorest districts in Panem win, well -"
"We win." Beetee said simply.
"Do you see my dilemma for the rule change announcement?" Seneca asked heavily.
"Two from the same district -" Wiress began, her eyes widening as Seneca nodded. "Seneca - you - rebelling?" Reaching into his pocket again, Seneca withdrew two pictures. One was of Estelle during her interview, and another was a still photo of Noah once he completed his mine trap. Looking into Estelle and Noah Tesla's parents' sorrow-filled eyes, he knew there was no turning back.
"I am now."
Oh yeah, things are about to get interesting! The subsequent chapters will feature main events from the Games, but focus more on the emerging rebellion. There will also be a minor deviation from the plot of Catching Fire, but for a good reason.