Tatiana Emery, 21
The Capitol
Two Days Before the Games
13:00 hours
Tatiana pushes District Two's apartment door shut behind her. She rubs her baggy eyes and heads over to the kitchen to pour a drink. It's not that she doesn't enjoy hanging out with the other mentors occasionally, it's just that so many of them are so old, yet they seem to know so little of the world. Their ignorance tires Tatiana beyond belief like they are missing key pieces of the puzzle of the world that they'll never find.
She spins around to the sound of a lamp being flicked on behind her. There is a woman dressed in a dark suit, sitting on the armchair in the sitting room - an agent of The Table.
"Why do you people never knock?" Tatiana says jokingly.
The woman remains stone-faced.
Tatiana sighs. Now is not the time for childish jokes, she knows that. "I take it my presence has been requested?"
The agent nods.
"By who?"
"The Director of Espionage."
Tatiana sighs deeper. "Of course."
"Make it quick." The woman pulls the cord for the lamp, shrouding the room in darkness like a sheet has been cast over it, and then promptly disappears with the light.
Who does Estaban think he is? He is nothing. He had to be bought to join the cause, Tatiana has been fighting for it for her entire life. He is a traitor at heart, his allegiances lie with the highest bidder. She won't allow him to play his little mind games with her or President Storm.
Tatiana does not waste any time making her way to Estaban; his office is in the dark, glass tower, across the city centre near the Presidential palace. She takes the elevator to the 6th floor where two peacekeepers, acting as guards, are standing. The District Two mentor swiftly pushes past them, not paying them any due, and marches directly to Estaban's office.
Tatiana decides not to waste words with a man with no honour. "You summoned me."
Estaban, the head of espionage, glances up from his desk. "Yes." He gets up out of his chair and heads to the meeting room, which contains a long, dark, oval table. Tatiana follows him inside. She always feels an air of uneasiness around him, like he could have an assassin from his web waiting in any room if he decides that she has become a liability to his schemes.
"Two things," he begins, and Tatiana's heart relaxes.
"Make it quick, I haven't got all evening. This whole mentor business is a lot of work, yer know," Tatiana states.
Estaban leans on the table, locking eyes with his rival. "Footage from the training centre revealed some alarming things… breaking into other District's apartments is an extreme offence. Get Romulus under control. You're lucky he's one of the Capitol's star tributes, otherwise there will be consequences for both of you."
Tatiana raises an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?"
"Yes it is," Estaban smirks. "And don't think The President will be there to save you. You're not special. You never have been."
Tatiana's heart picks up speed again, but her eyes maintain a cold glare. "And don't you forget that you need me to fight this duel. I've already spoken to Romulus. It won't happen again."
"He broke into the Escort's room and went through the tribute's files. Did he tell you anything about what he saw?"
Two people in suites appear by her side at that moment - the woman from her apartment and a man.
"He mentioned that Brizio used to be a mercenary back in Four or something like that," Tatiana shrugs. "But what's so important about the Four boy?"
Estaban does not answer.
Tatiana rolls her eyes. "So… the other thing?"
Estaban lifts his finger. "Ah yes, the real matter at hand." He reaches into his jacket, and produces the parchment which Conrad issued to President Storm, containing her signature.
"When did she give that to you?" Tatiana demands.
Estaban ignores her question, and hands her the parchment. The mentor unravels it, her eyes study it left to right. "In twelve days?" She reads.
"The duel had to take place in twelve days at midnight, which…" Estaban smugly tilts his head. "Will give me enough time to eliminate him myself."
Tatiana grits her teeth under her lips. She still sees Conrad as her friend. He is destined to have an honourable death at my hand. "So, why are you giving it to me?" She asks.
"These are our terms. We are tasking you with delivering them to Conrad in a parley in New Alexandria, outside the library. Champion to champion - it's the rules."
Tatiana takes a step back. Her eyes grow wide. The line between what is a "rule" and what is not is becoming thinner each day and becoming more transparent.
(Maybe there are no rules? Maybe they were all made up?)
Tatiana hastily disregards that thought. She pushes the parchment back into his chest. "I only take orders of this magnitude from President Storm."
Then, another deeper voice cuts into the room from behind. "Don't make the same mistake as your parents. Your loyalties are not to one person but to this organisation."
Tatiana turns in shock. It's him. It's the one they call "The Elder." He's never shown his face to her before. So why now? Except for his voice and the ancient rings on his fingers, and his flashy, colourful suit, he looks so… ordinary. He just looks like a guy, roughly in his late fifties.
"You're t-the E-"
He holds his hand up. "I have gone by many names, but I am simply an emissary of destiny, here to make sure it is fulfilled. Nothing more."
Her parents died for their disloyalty; that was all she was told. She betrayed and killed her friends. But it was all for a better tomorrow. It has to be.
Yet, Tatiana's breathing begins to intensify, and she feels as though she could pass out at any moment. "The President… I-I wanna speak to Saskia."
"She is… unwell and is not taking any visitors. Don't worry, she has confidence that you will complete this assignment. As do we." The man's smile is so cold and assured. He can't be that confident that Tatiana will defeat Conrad… it almost seems like the duel is irrelevant to him and his plans.
(How long will it be until she is cast aside like the rest of them?)
She sucks in a breath and takes the parchment from Estaban's hands. "It will be done," she states.
As she leaves to head back to her apartment, she pauses as the mysterious man says one final thing to her. "Remember, destiny is guiding your hand. The outcome of that duel is already written, no matter what you do."
Tatiana nods to him before taking her leave.
Conrad Martell, 24
New Alexandria
District Three
Day of the games
20:00 hours
As the rain crashes down over the city, drenching Conrad's face and clothes, he finds himself glad that most of the people have their faces glued to the various screens, where the first day of the games is in full swing.
Conrad keeps his eyes on the path ahead, guided by the lights from the streetlamps that shimmer in the rain.
When not in the spotlight of the streetlamps, the young man keeps to the side of buildings in the shadows, and occasionally peers around for someone not focused on the games.
(If they are not focused on the games, they could be an assassin.)
The thought of seeing Tatiana again is causing butterflies to swarm relentlessly in his stomach. It's not just that she destroyed his trust in almost any human being, it's also that he knows he'll have to kill her eventually. What about when the next Tatiana comes along? When will it end?
A dark figure is leaning against one of the walls of the buildings. It's obscured by the torrential rain but not too much that Conrad doesn't recognize him. He freezes like he's staring at a ghost, but then he continues on when he realises, he is. The figure is a young man, with a fresh slash across his eye and a pointed face - Taliesin. The rain isn't affecting him, making him the only dry thing in the street.
Taliesin lets out an exaggerated snarky yawn and taps his mouth with his hand.
Conrad tries to ignore him, stepping past him but Taliesin's gaze follows him.
"We both know what you have to do. We both know there's only one way this ends. The Conrad I fought on that train would kill them all in a flash. They killed your parents, they're no better than me," Taliesin says with a cackle.
Conrad stops to turn back to answer him. However, he finds that he's only staring at rainfall in front of an empty wall.
"Martell." Kate's voice echoes through his comms, interrupting his thoughts. His tension eases, even if he doesn't realise it.
"You doing ok down there?" She asks.
He continues striding on through the deluge. "Uh-huh, walkin' on sunshine. How's it looking up top?"
"Nothing yet but I've got you covered, don't worry."
(Kate is perched up on a tower with a sniper, ready to take out any assassins.)
Conrad stops. The huge library stands in front of him - it is an old-fashioned building made of granite. Hundreds of steps lead ominously to the top.
"I'm here," Conrad mutters through his comms as he heads up the stairs, his footsteps echoing against them. "Let me know if you spot her."
"She so much as looks at you wrong and I'm putting a bullet in her," Kate says sternly.
"We need her alive, remember?"
"No guarantees. Anyway, I'm not the one she locked in a burning room."
Just then, Conrad spots a woman in a dark black jacket and hood at the top of the stairs. It can only be her.
"She's here," Conrad whispers to Kate.
Conrad approaches. Tatiana's face becomes clearer under her hood, and he can't help but clench his fists. He would do this duel right now if it was down to him.
The two champions stop in front of each other then walk parallel to the entrance of the library, which is sheltered from the rain.
After a brief silence, they greet each other.
"Six."
"Two."
"We haven't caught up in a bit," Tatiana says.
"Well, ya know, you left a little abruptly in our last meeting."
Conrad looks about ready to attack right now. So, Tatiana nods towards his chest where a red dot of a sniper is pointed.
"I figured you'd bring your goons for good measure," Conrad laughs. Then a red dot also lights up on Tatiana's torso from behind Conrad. Her eyes dart down to it and then back to Conrad.
"Wakai?" Tatiana asks.
Conrad doesn't answer, although he guesses that she already knows that it's Kate aiming the gun at her.
"Tell her… I send my greetings."
"Why don't you come tell me yourself," Kate mutters through his earpiece.
"Let's just get this over with," Conrad interjects, growing more impatient with Tatiana as the seconds go by.
"As you wish," she replies. She takes out the parchment, which Conrad issued the challenge on, and then presents it.
Conrad takes it off of her and begins scrolling through it with his eyes as best he can, although many of the long, formal words elude him. Finally, he halts at four words. "Twelve days at midnight?"
"That's what it says. Take it or leave it."
It's not an ideal date. It's when the First Renegades plan to take the city, so it will be in the middle of a battle. However, they could use it to their advantage as cover.
"Fine. It's done," Conrad says, rolling up the parchment and preparing to leave, glad that this conversation can finally end.
But, as always, Tatiana isn't finished. "What do you gain out of all of this?" She presses.
Conrad turns back to her. "We wrote it down very clearly. You release Darrah and all the other captives. The games end, so does your rule over Panem-"
"No. What do you get out of it, Conrad?"
He pauses for a second, caught off guard. "I'll-I'll finally be left alone by people like you." He steps close to her. His skin turns a bright shade of red. "I'll be free to go wherever I want. I'll be out of this… life."
She shakes her head. "You still don't get it, do you? There is no getting out of this life. We were born in it, and we'll die in it."
For the first time, he spots fear in Tatiana's eyes… but somehow, he senses that it's not fear of him.
"You think Kate values you? You think when you've completed her goals, she won't just toss you aside?"
"Well, at least she's never tried to set me on fire," Conrad retorts. "And what about your pals back in the Capitol? You think they see you as anything more than a tool? No matter what you do, you'll never be one of them."
Tatiana smirks, always expecting his quick comebacks.
Before they depart, she says one final thing to him, after subtly switching off her own comms. "You know, Estaban is sure he'll kill you before the duel even happens, but he doesn't know Conrad Martell like I do. I know nothing's gonna stop you from reaching this library at midnight in twelve days and we'll finish it the way we should have six years ago."
"You know it." Is Conrad's only response.
Tatiana gives him the first genuine smile she ever has. "Then it wouldn't inconvenience you to know that three assassins are waiting for you behind the walls at the bottom of the stairs." She gives him a nod and switches her comms back on.
Then, she offers out her hand and he guardedly shakes it.
"See you then."
"See you then."
They part ways. Conrad instantly reaches into his jacket pocket for a petit dagger. "Did yer get that, ma'am?" He asks Kate through the comms.
"That's if she's telling the truth. Forgive me if I don't trust her."
However, as soon as Conrad reaches the bottom of the stairs, lo and behold, two assassins leap out from behind the wall with guns. Kate makes short work of them with her sniper, putting a bullet in each of their heads.
"She said three," Kate muses.
Suddenly, another assassin assails Conrad from his right. But the champion is ready and he brings his knife swiftly across the assassin's throat. "Third neutralised," he states, wiping his blade clean of the assassin's blood.
As he pushes on through the rain, Taliesin's voice keeps repeating one phrase in his head - We both know what you have to do. We both know there's only one way this ends.