"Attention citizens of District Three!" The mayor's voice called over the intercom in every apartment and factory as well as from loudspeakers dispersed at every other block. "Please assemble in the Central Square in two hours for the arrival of our Victors: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark."
"That's -" Wiress began as Beetee put his hand over hers.
"The sign. I know." Beetee replied. "Let's go." Nodding, Wiress dressed in the black dress she wore to her childrens' memorial service. Beetee also wore his black pants and black shirt. They knew the rebels had a briefcase carrying their inventing notebooks. However, they had their important papers and pictures of Noah and Estelle in envelopes stitched to the inside of their clothing. "Come, sweetie."
Wiress looked around the living room of their home. She had moved into Beetee's house after they came home from their honeymoon. They had both their children in the master bedroom and had raised them within the four walls of their home in Victors' Village. Looking at the table where the Teslas shared meals and where the family celebrated when Estelle and later Noah read their letters of acceptance from the Engineering Academy, Wiress blinked back tears. "Sweetie, even if -" Choking up, Beetee swallowed and put an arm around his wife. "Even if this house are gone, we have memories of our children. We have pictures. They won't fade, sweetie."
"I know." Wiress whispered before the Teslas closed the door to their house for possibly the last time.
"There they are!" One of the rebel leaders called. "Come on, Teslas!" From a Capitol viewers' perspective, the crowd cheered for their victors. From the Rebels' perspective, the crowd was cheering because they knew their time was drawing closer.
"Oh, just in time!" Effie Trinket squealed as the Teslas took the stage and shook hands with her and Haymitch Abernathy.
"Yes, we were fixing a few things in our invention shop." Beetee chuckled shaking Effie Trinket's hand.
"Oh - just like your tributes!" She laughed oblivious to the death glare mixed with hurt from Wiress' large eyes.
"Yes, our children quite enjoyed inventing -" Wiress trailed off forcing a smile through her tears.
"Of course." Effie replied offhandedly. Primping her hair, she approached the microphone, "Welcome welcome, District Three to the Victory Tour! I present -" Her words were drowned out by a deafening chant from the crowd.
"KATNISS! KATNISS! KATNISS!" The crowd cheered with their fists in the air as Katniss Everdeen appeared looking pale faced in her sliver dress. Meeting her gaze, Wiress saw the fear she felt during her Victory Tour in the young girl's eyes.
"Dear, just say your lines. Your presence -" Wiress whispered as she took Katniss' trembling hand in hers.
"Is enough." Beetee finished. "Head high, shoulders straight." He said automatically remembering coaching Estelle in giving presentations on her practical homework assignments in front of the class. "Good girl." He smiled at Peeta who was looking at Katniss with a concerned look on his face.
"I talked to her." Wiress said reassuringly to Peeta as she sat down. "We've been here before. Our first tours -" Beetee and Wiress sat down as Effie beckoned the new Victors to the stage.
"MOCKINGJAY! KATNISS! OUR MOCKINGJAY!" The crowd cheered even as Katniss' lips moved as she and Peeta gave their speeches.
"MOCKINGJAY! MOCKINGJAY! KATNISS EVERDEEN! OUR MOCKINGJAY!" The crowd roared even as Peacekeepers' boots pounded on the sidwewalks as several squadrons approached the center square.
"Oh - oh dear - very exciting!" Effie laughed nervously before practically shoving the two teens into the Justice Building. The doors closed behind the two victors a second before a series of deafening fiery explosions shook the square as the Peacekeepers and Panem National Guard platoons were engulfed by improvised explosive devices, most made from electric components. Beetee and Wiress hopped off the stage and blended in with the masses of rebel fighters taking down Peacekeepers and soldiers with improvised weapons.
"BEETEE - WATCH!" Wiress yelled before plunging a dart into a soldier's neck before activating its capacitor to deliver a deadly jolt of electricity.
"I'M WATCHING OUT!" Beetee hollered as he fought hand in hand with a Peacekeeper. Grasping his knife humming with electricity, he shoved it through the weak point of the officer's armor. "TAKE THAT!" He yelled before grabbing the Peacekeeper's taser. "Wiress, the clips -" Wiress handed her husband a handful of charges that could be loaded into the taser.
"HOVERCRAFT!" Someone yelled among the din of yelling, fighting, and explosions.
"Teslas, we have the square! Get back to the Justice Building! LET THEM THROUGH!" One of the rebel leaders yelled to the other fighters. Indeed, the Peacekeepers and soldiers seemed to have given up. Even so, the rebels weren't taking chances and electrocuting any non-rebel still standing. Beetee and Wiress made their way to the side of the Justice Building where they took cover behind one of the concrete pillars.
"AIM FOR THE SKY!" Beetee yelled before pulling a microchip out of his pocket. "ACTIVATE CODE 45!" Several rebels on the ground opened a wooden crate before a remote-controlled missile shot straight up hitting the engine of a Capitol hovercraft.
"DUCK! WIRESS, GET DOWN!" Beetee yelled as shrapnel fell from the sky setting the wooden platform built on the steps of the Justice Building on fire. Beetee shielded his face from the flames. Through the inferno, he saw the District Three citizens fighting hand to hand with the surviving Peacekeepers and Panem National Guard troops. A Peacekeeper ran toward them before a sizzling wire wrapped around his middle. Blood spurted from his mask before he succummbed to the electricity in the improvised weapon as he fell dead at Wiress and Beetee's feet. With shaking hands, Wiress disconnected the wire from its power source before wrapping it up and handing it to her husband.
"NERDS!" Haymitch yelled opening the doors to the Justice Building. "NERDS! GET THE HELL OVER HERE! NOW!" Trembling, Wiress stood up and grabbed Beetee's hand. "Get on the train! Now!" Grabbing the two inventors by the scruffs of their collars, he practically dragged them to a train car meant for maintenence staff for that particular train. "Plutarch's orders!" Haymitch explained to the surprised crew of mechanics. Muttering about leaving his bottle of vodka in the Justice Building, Haymitch slammed the door closed a second before the train began to move.
"There goes District Three." One of the mechanics said looking out the window. Wiress and Beetee watched as the Panem Flag flying from the Justice was set on fire. They cheered as a flag stitched together from pieces of material and the District Three seal painted on it was hoisted up the flagpole. "My aunt Lock would have loved to see this day."
"Oh -" Wiress gasped looking into the eyes of Lock's brother. Lock was her District Six ally in her Games.
"Yeah. It's an honor to meet you, Wiress Tesla." He said shaking her hand before they looked out the window at the free District Three. "Never mess with the smartest district of Panem. Gave us quite the show. Mark, by the way."
"Beetee." They made introductions. "So, hope you don't mind riding in the maintenence car."
"No." Wiress began looking at a book of blueprints. "May I?"
"Of course. We would be honored to have the most prestigous inventors of Panem - and two leaders of the revolution work on this train witth us." Within the humming of machinery, the inventors and the mechanics could talk freely about the revolution.
"Yes, we are in contact with -" Wiress began as she tightened a bolt.
"Plutarch Heavensbee and other gamemakers." Beetee began.
"So you will stop the Games completely?" Mark asked. Beetee and Wiress exchanged glances.
"Soon." Beetee said. "We will know more. But, the revolution will begin and end with the Hunger Games. Ending them forever." Wiress sniffed.
"So no more children dying like Lock - Taylor - my Estelle and Noah." Wiress whispered furiously, the burining of the district and the burning of her grief laden heart reflected in her large eyes.