Again, Taiya was flaked out on Romulus' couch whilst he and Kenna whispered about her in the next room.

She acted as though she didn't know what they were doing, but she did. She wasn't that out of it, she just didn't care. They couldn't do anything to help her besides let her sleep when she got to the apartment, so joining in on their whispering and brainstorming sessions was a waste of time.

She'd turned on the television so that her friends would think her brain and mind were more active than it was. In reality, she was staring at a spot on the wall above the television. She really didn't care what was on. She was just too emotionally drained.

"Look, she's worse than she was last time," Kenna whispered. "She's just getting worse. We have to do something."

"She said she doesn't want to talk," Romulus argued his point. "Look, she has next to no autonomy as soon as she leaves here, we can't take away her power to decide how she wants to handle this here, the only time she can make her own decision."

"But I know her better. She's a notoriously crap decision-maker. I still think throwing her in the bath is the best way to go."

"That's just… weird and seems borderline like torture," Romulus shook his head.

"The others would be on board," Kenna grumbled, crossing her arms. Kenna couldn't quite convince him that throwing their vulnerable friend in a cold bath would be therapeutic. She missed her friends from 4, they wouldn't even think twice. The water reset button was the go-to any time someone got stroppy.

By this stage, Taiya wasn't even listening. She was staring at Peeta, whose face was currently on the screen.

He looked horrible, much worse than the last time she'd seen him. His face was thin, his cheekbones jutting out, his eyes angry and unfocused. She'd last seen him when they had their joint interview. He looked so devoid of life, it hurt her to look at him. Sweet, kind Peeta, he'd been broken.

Then all of a sudden the screen switched and Katniss was in the living room with them, her face blown up on the screen.

Romulus and Kenna immediately ended their quiet conversation and rushed to the couch to watch.

It only lasted a few seconds before Peeta was back, looking confused and dazed. He'd seen her too.

"Was that…"

"Yep," Kenna nodded. "That was her. The rebels, they're breaking into the broadcast."

Peeta's body jerked slightly as he was clearly urged to continue. "The bombing of the water purification plant is…" he began before being cut off again.

"The whole nation fell in love with her. Rue. She was young. So innocent, and murdered so cruelly. That is what the Capitol is to the Districts. A cruel entity that murders our children."

It was him. It was him. It was him.

"Turn it off," Taiya forcefully demanded. Kenna and Romulus froze as they looked at her. Finnick was on the screen. It was him there, talking about Rue, and yet she wanted to shut it off. "Didn't you hear me! Turn it off!" she panicked her eyes filled with tears.

Kenna quickly leapt forward and hit the power button, killing the signal and removing his face from the screen.

"Tay, what was…"

"Don't want to talk about it," Taiya cut her friend off sharply as she turned around to stare at the couch cushion. "It could be him," Taiya muttered to herself as she rocked backwards and forwards. "But the rebels could fake it. What if they're right? What if he's dead and this is all a lie? He's dead. They said he was killed."

"Wow, Taiya," Kenna grabbed the girl's arms and turned her body to face her. "What are you talking about? You're not making much sense"

"That's what the voices say," Taiya explained. "All the voices, they say the rebels killed Finnick. The television's not real. I don't think that was him, Kenna," Taiya grabbed her hand. "They're all lying to us. That's what they say."

"Taiya…" Kenna exchanged a nervous glance with Romulus. "What voices?"

"The voices!" Taiya yelled in irritation. "You know them."

"Tay, sweetie. I don't know what you're talking about."

"My dad! Mom! Theo! Shark! Everyone! There are so many of them. But they're telling me the truth. I trust them."

Kenna looked behind her to look at Romulus with despair. Had she lost her mind?

"When do you hear these voices?" Kenna asked cautiously.

"When they take me to the room in the tribute centre," Taiya breathed in relief. "At first what they said hurt. They'd say horrible things. But they didn't really mean them, they were just so disappointed in me for following the rebel plan. But now they tell me things. True things."

"What did they say about Finnick?"

"He's dead. The rebels killed him. He started to see the truth. He saw how flawed the rebels are, and they killed him for it."

"Finnick was just on the television then though Taiya, as part of the broadcast," Romulus tried to reason.

"That's not him," Taiya shook her head. "It's a mutt the rebels created. It's not really him."

"Oh my god," Kenna breathed. She had no idea how bad it had gotten. Her mind had deteriorated so rapidly. Just a few days ago she seemed coherent. Whatever the Capitol was doing to her had been ramped up. Maybe that was why she wasn't on the broadcast with Peeta. Whilst her injuries weren't visible like Peeta's, her mind was becoming more and more deranged by the day. Maybe they'd stick her in a padded room soon with Annie.

Before they could press her anymore, there was a loud knock on the door.

Peacekeepers. They were here to collect her. Early.

Romulus leapt up and aggressively stormed over to the door, putting on his Capitol persona.

"How did the rebels get into the broadcast!" he yelled as he opened the door. "Taiya!"

Taiya immediately leapt up and hurried over, leaving Kenna and her whirring mind on the couch. She may be losing her mind, but she would never endanger Romulus or Kenna.

"I want an investigation on how the rebels got into our system!" Romulus continued ranting at the Peacekeepers, who were gesturing for Taiya to leave. "Outrageous. I was under the impression the Capital had the best technological minds in Panem."

"An investigation will be conducted," the Peacekeepers assured before they gestured for Taiya to start walking as they led her towards the elevators.

As soon as they were out of sight Romulus shut the door and turned to look at Kenna who was still sitting on the couch. He let out a small sigh before he walked over and sat down in front of her. She didn't even acknowledge him. Not until he lightly took hold of her hand.

Kenna's eyes immediately darted down to his soft hold on her. It was grounding. It was supportive. It was kind. And it was foreign.

Tears immediately sprung to her eyes and she threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him support her whole weight as sobs wracked her chest.

"When will this be over?" she sobbed. How much war could they take? They were young. This was a fight for their future. All wars have costs and prices to bear, but what if it left them with nothing?


"Taiya?" Johanna's voice called out once the door to Taiya's cell had been shut.

"I'm fine. Just a visit to Romulus'," Taiya mumbled as she sat down on her thin mattress.

"Scumbag," Johanna growled. Taiya couldn't tell her the truth about what Romulus was doing for her. There were too many ears. They were pretty open with what they discussed, but she was determined to do everything she could to keep Romulus and Kenna safe. Even if that meant letting Johanna assume the worst. She couldn't risk being overheard.

"How are you Peeta?" Taiya asked the cell to her left. Only to be met with silence.

"They took him away for an interview hours ago. He never came back," Johanna answered on behalf of the silent cell. "I hoped he was with you. But now that you're back and he's not… I'm worried. He was so agitated. I couldn't calm him down, you were gone, and I didn't know what to do. He just kept muttering. Something about bombs and some numbers."

"They bombed the water purification plant, I heard him talk about that in his interview before it was turned off. What do you mean by numbers?" Taiya asked with a frown. He had always been fairly sane, even after his tracker jacker sessions, so to be murmuring strange things to himself was concerning.

"Yeah. I don't know. 13 or something like that. He's snapped," Johanna sighed. Ironically, the past couple of days Johanna had been the one trying to keep morale up. She couldn't see her friends, but she could feel the torment on their minds through the walls. She knew they were losing control over their minds. And it seemed Peeta had finally been pushed too far. It was only a matter of time until Taiya went over the edge, leaving Johanna alone. Again. She was going to be all alone, it almost seemed like her destiny. She may as well come to terms with it.

"HEY!" Taiya yelled loudly, making Johanna jump.

"What the hell!" Johanna hissed. "Shut up!"

"No," Taiya answered, and Johanna could hear her banging on her door. "We have to find out what happened to Peeta. HEY! COME HERE!"

Johanna groaned. Taiya was right. Prisoner solidarity and whatnot. "Oi!" Johanna yelled as she stood up and joined Taiya by banging on her own door. "We need to talk to you losers! You low-life scum! Get here and talk to us! We've got questions that need answering!"

"Yeah! Please!"

"Taiya," Johanna rolled her eyes at the manners.

"Scumbags!" Taiya added to make her friend happy.

"Better," Johanna nodded.

"HEYYYYY!" Taiya drawled out loudly until her door was ripped open aggressively, making her leap back in fear.

"Keep your mouths shut," two Peacekeepers ordered her.

"Where's Peeta?" Johanna yelled from the next cell.

But the Peacekeepers just ignored her.

"Please tell us where Peeta is?" Taiya tried softly.

"He won't be back for tonight. He's being punished."

"What for?" Taiya pressed.

"Speaking out of turn."

Taiya could only frown, and the silence from the cell next door indicated Johanna was just as confused. Peeta was always so careful with his words. It was completely out of character for him to be getting punished for saying the wrong thing. That was precisely why Johanna was never put in front of a camera, it was just about a guarantee that she was not going to say the right thing. But Peeta? What was happening?

"What did he say?"

"He derailed his interview," they answered, giving more of an answer than the girls expected, but less than they needed.

If only Taiya hadn't turned off the interview she might've seen what the ruckus was about. She might've known about the imminent threat flying towards her rebel friends. But at least the worry about that wasn't adding to the already large plague on her mind.

"Now be quiet. President Snow has provided you with a gift that will arrive later. If you continue to yell we'll have it taken away," the door was immediately slammed.

"A gift?" Johanna asked, her cheek pressed up against the wall separating her from her best friend.

"What does that mean?" Taiya's voice shook as she crawled down to lean against the same wall. She couldn't imagine a gift from Snow being something good. "I've been so good though. Why is this happening?" a sob wracked through Taiya's chest.

Johanna didn't reply. She couldn't. She had to be strong. But the tears were streaming down her cheeks, they couldn't be stopped. And while Taiya audibly cried beside her, Johanna let the silent signs of her devastation and numbness roll down her cheeks.


It had been hours.

No Peeta.

No signs of anyone coming to take them anywhere.

No word of anything.

And then Taiya's door opened and she burrowed herself further into the corner she had been napping in.

She watched in confusion as an extra mattress was dragged into her room. She wanted to ask the Peacekeepers what it was for, but with one Peacekeeper holding the baton in her direction, she decided to stay quiet.

They all departed the cell but left the door open. Taiya had only just started to crawl so she could get a peek at what was happening when someone was roughly shoved into her cell, stumbling as they entered.

It was a large hulking figure. She couldn't see his face, but she'd recognise him from anywhere.

He hadn't noticed her yet though, no, he was too focused on charging the Peacekeepers. He just didn't manage to get there in time before the door was slammed in his face, leaving his fist to make a loud bang against the door.

"Ah!" he roared in both pain and anger as he clutched his fist.

Taiya was just waiting, she knew better than to run at an unsuspecting victor. So she waited for him to turn around.

And when he did, his eyes widened.

A small scream escaped Taiya's lips as she ran at him and threw herself into his arms.

He immediately wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off the ground and held her as her whole body shook.

"Oh my god," he breathed. This was the first familiar face he'd seen in weeks. He hadn't been told much, but he thought he was the winner of the 75th Hunger Games. He hadn't been told otherwise. He kept asking why there was no crowning ceremony, he kept asking why he wasn't being paraded around as soon as his arrow wound healed. But he also asked how he could possibly be the winner when he remembered seeing many other tributes very much alive before he blacked out. Tributes he knew wouldn't kill each other. It made no sense to him.

Seeing Taiya alive didn't clue him in much, but from this, he gathered it had not been a typical end to the Games.

"Taiya! Are you ok?" Johanna screamed.

"Johanna?" Gloss asked, his voice slightly muffled by the curtain of Taiya's hair that had been thrown all over the place.

"Who's that? Don't you dare hurt her!"

"It's Gloss. It's just me," Gloss assured, as he placed his hand on the back of Taiya's head, keeping her close to him.

"Gloss? You're in with Taiya?" Johanna asked in confusion. Surely this was a trap, she just couldn't figure out how.

"You're ok?" Taiya asked, finally pulling away. She touched his chest lightly, right where the arrow had soared into him. She hated remembering that moment, and the moment directly following it. Cashmere.

"They healed me all up. Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Gloss asked. "Did we all win?"

Taiya pulled back to look at him as she bit her lip nervously.

"You should probably sit down for this."