Chapter 59: Enemy of my Enemy

Blackout curtains drawn and the only exit and entrance locked shut, everyone in the room gathered around the screen. On the other side of the screen was that woman. The woman, Sera, wasn't sure if she trusted or feared her. She was different from Snow but too similar at the same time.

Oddly calm and in control just like Snow. The one thing that set her up were the sudden moments of kindness that Sera was sure were an act but it was so genuine that it even had Zephyr fooled in the past.

President Alma Coin was a very confusing woman, so damn hard to read. Sera didn't know how to label her in her mind. To Sera, it was even strange addressing her as a President. Like she'd declared Thirteen independent of Panem, unlike the other Districts who referred to their heads as Mayor.

"Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's win is a win for us all." Plutarch took the center stage with Sera right next to him. "We can move on to the next step and start gathering for the next step."

"And that's all I needed to know." President Alma Coin gestured to something off camera without taking her eyes off Plutarch even once. "Your side has been telling me to be patient for years and I've been patient, more than patient. My people were getting antsy about your delay."

"There was no delay." Beetee stated firmly. "We were just waiting for all the pieces to fall into place."

"You've waited over a decade, a few more months should be nothing." Zephyr chimed in. His lighthearted comment actually made Sera shut her eyes and purse her lips.

Any other person might've ignored it but Sera knew that Alma Coin was not one of them. That woman held a grudge and would pick apart even the littlest of mistakes.

President Coin's ice-cold eyes hardened. "While you were all waiting, my people were dying." She spat out. "I should remind you that while the rest of the districts managed to live above ground, live off the land and rations from the Capitol, my people had to resort to scraps. We had to grow our food in labs for years before we even managed to get an underground farm going on."

The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees following Coin's rant. Wiress hugged herself and looked forlornly towards the dead fireplace. The culprit of Coin's anger, Zephyr was unphased like always.

'The other districts also suffered.' Sera wanted to say and the more she thought about it, Thirteen didn't suffer nearly as much.

There were artificial food shortages in 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. District 6's morphling addiction and District 5's silent problem of radiation poisoning from failed attempts to create a nuclear power station and random droughts that killed many from the Slog.

'And of course, the Hunger Games.'

Thirteen had scurried to live underground but it was the rest of the districts who had to send their children to die, not Thirteen. They managed to keep their weapons and technology while the rest of the districts were stripped bare of all it had, bleeded dry and left to fend for themselves.

Sera took off her coat and draped it over Wiress. The older woman hugged Sera's coat close to her, mumbling a quiet 'thanks' as she laid her head down on her own shoulder, far too tired to engage with anyone.

"And we're barely getting by." Coin carried on. "My people are running out of time. You and District 5 might have all the time in the world but District 13 doesn't!" She spat out.

Oh, and another thing Sera had noted about the President of District 13 was that Alma Coin seemed to have a natural dislike for all the districts. There were a few despised more than the others like Two and One and then there was her strange behavior towards Districts 3, 5 and strangely 12.

It was like she blamed them for something. She never said it outloud, she didn't have to. Her sharp tone whenever she spoke to Sera, Zephyr, Beetee and Wiress was enough of an indication to tell her so.

She was also the only one on their side to be against Katniss Everdeen being the face of the rebellion, spitting out how Twelve didn't deserve the honor and she'd rather someone from Five did it. She went as far as to try and contact Zephyr in an attempt to persuade him to take up the mantle after Sera had made it clear that she would never fully show her part until the war, if it ever happened, ended.

"We are aware of that and we fully sympathize with District 13. We have everything in control and in place to move to the next step as Plutarch said." Sera jumped in, an attempt to ease the tension. "If it helps, I did send some food and medicine to Thirteen during the last cargo. I'm not sure if your people received it."

Coin's steely glare softened alongside her frown. She raised her hand and held it out to the side of the camera. "I…did. I wasn't expecting a package—no, cargo from you, let alone a two years' supply for medicine. We have enough bandages now, thanks to you, to last us five years if there's no incidents, two years if the revolution starts soon." A tablet was slid into her hand, strangely more advanced than the ones they used in the Capitol. "As for the food, the grains and rice were a good choice. We don't have enough of those and that should give us more time." She passed the tablet along and looked at Sera. "...Thank you for your work. It seems working in Capitol hospitals has its own benefits."

Painted nails through its gloved covers dug into Sera's palms as if they would cut through the satin to pierce her flesh. She'd gone still enough to be mistaken for a statue and she stared at Coin with dull yet sharp eyes. Her silvery gaze cut through the older woman yet she didn't flinch.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Coin's face and Sera's jaws tightened. She did not trust this woman. But she was the only hope they had.

"Some of us don't have the luxury of choice, Madam President." Plutarch cut in before Sera actually started speaking her mind. "Seraphine does what she can and she even managed to secure your people some supplies. You can't complain that we only send you people now."

"I'm thankful for that."

Plutarch grinned. "You won't have to send your men to hijack and scavenge trains. Seraphine took care of that too."

Coin let out a tired bitter laugh. "You haven't gotten over that." She said through pursed lips. "It was only twice."

"Twice too many." Plutarch calmly threw back. "If it wasn't for your…impulsiveness six years ago, the Elite Guards in the Capitol wouldn't have strengthened security and started suspecting me. I was poisoned."

"You didn't die."

"Ha." Plutarch sat back in his seat, fingers drumming a quiet death march that were just loud enough for the ones around him to hear. "It sounds like you almost wanted me to die…"

"You didn't keep up your end of the promise, we were lacking in provisions."

"And you set us back six years."

"Still," Coin ignored Plutarch's accusations. "Did you have to get a girl from Twelve of all districts? Did you forget how they were the weakest of all the districts during the Dark Days?"

Wiress frowned and stood up, her hands tucked under Sera's coat. "Twelve was the last district standing while…"

For a second, Beetee hesitated. He bit his lips and thought about not saying anything. Wiress' expectant gaze on him was heavy. He sighed, giving in. "District 13 was the one that turned its back on us."

Coin visibly flinched. She wasn't ashamed, she had no reason to be and she wasn't going to pretend like she was. But her words said otherwise.

"We had no choice. It was either that or risk an all-out nuclear war." She bit out. "Back then, the Capitol had nuclear weapons and now, we know they don't."

"So you all came out of the gutter to finish what your people left." Zephyr had to get a word in and just refused to sit back. His open hostility towards Coin was going to be the death of him.

A small tug at the back of his coat, pulled him back to Sera. "Zephyr." Sera hissed out under her breath. She agreed with him, she just wouldn't say her thoughts out loud. She never did.

A part of her resented Thirteen when she'd found out about their secret dealings with the Capitol in the Dark Days. They were the reason the other districts were punished so harshly.

She couldn't help but think that Thirteen was just as responsible for the Hunger Games as the Capitol. They were the same and yet, she knew that they needed them.

'The enemy of my enemy…'

With his fingers on his forehead, Plutarch sighed. It was naïve for anyone to think it would be easy to burn a city with just a kindling. They still needed a spark. Even if Katniss Everdeen was that spark, Alma Coin was not convinced.

Rising from his seat, he grabbed his coat and turned to face the President of Thirteen, unflinching. "Whether you like it or not, Katniss Everdeen will be the face of our rebellion that we've been preparing for decades. District 12's win for this game is the perfect symbol." He declared as if he didn't focus on Twelve from the start and carried on swiftly when Coin showed signs of objection. "There's no greater rebellion in recent years than what transpired in the 74th Hunger Games."

Still as a board, Coin was assessing Plutarch's words. Her perpetual wintery gaze fell on Sera. She felt like she was sucked back into the cold arena of the 68th Games and she had no choice but to look away.

"What's wrong with Seraphine?" She asked. "I don't understand why she can't be the face of our resistance. The people of Capitol seem to oddly like her and what more can we ask for than having someone the Capitol people adore."

"The rest of the districts don't exactly think too highly of me." Sera answered for Plutarch. Not a lie but not the whole truth. She didn't know what the other districts thought of her, she never checked. All she cared about was going back home to Five once she was done in the Capitol. "We need the districts too."

"I'm sure you're humble as always."

"Flattering but no, I don't think the rest of the districts like me." She pushed back. "I spent too much time next to President Snow for anyone to think I'm not worth much outside the Capitol."

"That just means you're worth more to this rebellion than Miss Everdeen."

"We could go back and forth and I'll keep reminding you that there's a reason why I turned down Plutarch's offer initially, Miss Coin." Coin flinched and her mask threatened to crack. Her lips twitched in silent fury and her breathing turned heavy. "Ah, I'm sorry. It's 'Mrs', isn't it? You are–were married. My mistake."

The woman on the other side, pulled the collar of her military-like coat and forced herself to talk. "...We all make mistakes." Her voice had turned raspy when she did speak. "But I should remind you I'm the 'President' of District 13. I'd prefer to be addressed as such."

"But I'm not from Thirteen and you're not the President of Panem." Sera replied with a sickly sweet hollow smile she'd typically reserve for Scarus Redcliff. "And we're going off topic. I'll just remind you again that the main reason I'm not at the helm of this rebellion is because I don't really care about it. I just want to make things better for my family so we don't have to worry about my niece and nephew being reaped for any upcoming games."

Wiress shut her eyes in silent disappointment, her grip of Sera's coat loosening and almost falling off of her frame. She made no move to grab it either.

"Of course, I'm on limited time as well." Sera added like it was nothing. "You don't want a spark that'll die before the entire Capitol's in flames now, do you?"

"That'd be a bomb and it's not a bad idea."

Zephyr covered his face, hiding a grin. Sera tugged at the back of the coat again, trying to stop him. "I don't mean to remind you but the last time, Thirteen said they'd bomb the Capitol, they turned their back on the districts and hid away while leaving the rest of us to suffer. Forgive us for not trusting you."

"Enough! We're all on the same side now and the past doesn't matter." Plutarch had to jump in before Zephyr made a huge mistake and made Thirteen their enemy. "We've made our choice and it's now or never. I'll be the Head Gamemaker for the Quarter Quell."

"We could attack now." Coin suggested. "Everyone's too preoccupied with the victors to pay much attention to the borders. District 11 had a riot recently a—"

"Too soon." Beetee countered, not letting Coin go on. Her plan was weak and thankfully, she wasn't the only one calling the shots. "President Snow and the rest of the Capitol would be on their guard. For now they think Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark's little stunt was a novelty act. We need them to keep thinking that."

"The people might be distracted but President Snow isn't." Sera said, supporting Beetee. "The borders between the Capitol and the district have been reinforced with the former Elite Guards; not to mention, there's now a curfew for all the districts that's yet to be announced formally in light of recent events in District 11."

Coin clicked her tongue, cutting Sera off. Sera raised her brow and looked at her blankly, motioning her to make her point.

But she never did, not until Sera attempted to speak again. "And District 11 is vital—"

"I think we're moving too slowly and we could take the Capitol by surprise."

Sera and Plutarch shared a look. That subtle fear she felt before had dissipated and all that was left in its wake was annoyance. Could they even work with her? She wouldn't if the situation didn't call for it.

"Understandable." Plutarch tried to placate her. He needed to. Thirteen had the weapons and trained men to fight in the war. "But not all districts have decided to rebel. Eleven was the start but that's not enough. We rush into this and we'll have ourselves another Dark Days…" Coin flinched at Plutarch's words. "And I can't imagine what President Snow would come out with if we fail this time. His father was one of the architects of the original games, he won't be any different if we fail."

"The Citadel isn't as open as before and it took Zephyr and Beetee a few years to get inside. We don't have much intel on Capitol military and weapons apart from the fact that their nuclear firearms have degraded over time unlike Thirteen's."

"Which means we have more reason to attack now." Coin said.

"That also leads to more casualties." Sera pointed out. "And before you remind me of my own…occupation, I'd like to remind you that right now Districts 1 and 2 stand firmly with the Capitol at the. Those two are far more prepared for any war or signs of rebellion than the rest of the districts. They won't be standing with us when the time comes if we attack this quickly."

Clasping her hands together, Coin looked like she regretted allying herself and her district with us. She wasn't even hiding what she felt.

Her mask slipped before rebuilding itself into another, much kinder mask. Her brows knitted together in faux concern. A soft smile that seemed almost motherly was painted on her face.

"Do they not care about the damage the Hunger Games caused their districts and…to their children?" Her words were carefully chosen with a hint of concern just enough to show that she was being sincere…or trying to be.

"They do." Plutarch answered directly. "But the Capitol has taken steps to reward the majority of them for their submissive ways. It doesn't help that they had a huge campaign a few years back about the glory of Hunger Games. Most don't think the Hunger Games is…necessarily bad."

"Is that so?" That motherly smile was gone in an instant when Plutarch spoke. "So not everyone's against the Hunger Games."

"That's not what I said, President."

"But that's what I understood."

"Then it can't be helped." Sera said in a diplomatic tone. "But I can assure you as a victor with acquaintances from One and Two, those children are sold a false dream but that's not what we should be focusing on."

She was about to lose count on how many times she had to divert the conversation in the stream that they needed to go down under. Coin was almost refusing to keep up with them. It was like she had her own plan.

A quiet 'thanks' from Plutarch before he launched into a quick explanation over the next step. Quarter Quell would be the center stage for the beginning and naturally, Sera was nervous.

She wasn't the only one, Wiress who had made herself scarce and focused only on keeping herself warm and keeping the connection going, had visibly reacted at the mention of Quell. Beetee was no different, he distracted himself by looking around the room and scrolling through the tablet in his hands, doing anything but listening to Plutarch.

They were nervous. Too nervous. It was like they already knew about the storm that was coming or had a guess that it wasn't going to be pretty.

On the other hand, Zephyr seemed unbothered like always. He was pretending to listen to Plutarch and Coin but really he was looking up at the carved marble ceiling that seemed far too luxurious for an orphanage.

"The Quell will be the start of everything." Plutarch stated and turned to Sera, reminding her to pick up where he'd left off. "President Snow is on high alert and if we can utilize this to keep him distracted by throwing his focus at the star-crossed lovers from Twelve, we can use that to slip under the radar unnoticed."

"The seeds of dissent have already been planted in other districts." Sera carried on. "Eleven was a good indicator about the feelings of other districts at the current moment. I have no doubt that the other districts have heard about it even if the news was blocked about it, Plutarch's assistant sent anonymous tips to independent newspapers and broadcasters to spread news about Eleven's riots. That gives the other districts hope…"

"Hope." Coin echoed blankly.

"Hope." Sera echoed back. "It's what we need right now. The districts have been isolated from each other since the Dark Days. Despite Four and Five sharing an open border, we hardly know a thing about our neighbors. This is why Eleven's riots are important. I understand why you might think otherwise but this is the step in the right direction that we've been waiting for and the win for Twelve is a giant leap for us all."

"The Quarter Quell will cement that." Plutarch carried on. "I have plans for it that I have yet to disclose since it's not concrete yet but I can promise you once it is, we'll contact you until then I'll make an early request for some transport."

"You haven't even managed to move to phase two and you're already making requests." Coin said.

"It's just a few hovercrafts." Plutarch replied lightly. "Besides, it's not like Thirteen's been using them much."

Coin's face darkened and she waved off his request. "I'll grant you this favor for now but we'll see if you can pull it off."

"You don't trust me?"

"You're wearing my patience thin, Heavensbee." Coin coldly replied. "You've done nothing but send us burdens, at least Seraphine managed to send us what we really needed."

If Sera was a little naïve, she'd play into what Coin had tried to do. Sera instead smiled and said innocently. "I wouldn't be here with Plutarch, without him I wouldn't be here."

"Still, you've done more for us in the last three years than Plutarch Heavensbee and his people have done for the past few decades."

"I can't speak for Plutarch but I do work in hospitals and clinics alongside being a patron for an orphanage. It's easier for me to move medical supplies and raise money for supplies than it is for a Gamemaker." Sera pointed out. "We're all just as important as one another and we should be united in this crucial time, Madam President."

There was nothing else left to say and Coin had no room for an argument. Plutarch took over and said his last messages before ending the call.

Beetee immediately pulled the plug as Wiress severed the connection to District 13. The two worked diligently to gather their equipment with a little help from Zephyr, leaving Plutarch and Sera left with nothing to do.

"Fulvia should be here soon." Plutarch said, checking the time. "It's getting late, you should pack up and get on the train back to Five."

Sera nodded and spared a glance around the room. "What're you planning for the Quell?" Her voice was too quiet and sounded a little too pathetic for her own ears. But she couldn't help it.

"It's not set in stone yet."

"That's not what I asked."

"Sera…" Plutarch sighed, his jaws twitching and he looked away. He was in a difficult position. "I just need you to know that I'll do my best to keep my promise and you out of this."

"That's not—"

"What you asked? I know." He interrupted her with a sad pained smile and patted her shoulder as if she was a child. "Nothing's concrete yet so I can't tell anyone what's coming but once it's set, you'll know."

"So will the rest of Panem."

He nodded, turning his back to her. He had nothing left to say and the conversation was over. Even if Sera followed him and went after him, he would offer her nothing.

So she left, going back to her apartment and ripped out all traces of her. She picked up her already packed bags, leaving behind only the clothes that she wore in the Capitol. It wasn't like those dresses, pants, shirts and blouses would be ever worn by her again when she came back.

They'd rot in the back of her apartment's closet like the ones from previous years or maybe she'd donate a few to some eager Capitolites like she'd done once or twice during the 72nd Hunger Games. Either way, they'd serve their purpose and she didn't need them anymore.

The only thing else she took with her was Plutarch's gift for her birthday, a chess set that he picked out personally. It wasn't her favorite thing but the thought counted for something. She liked chess, she just hated how gaudy and over the top the set was. She could sell it and buy a house in Lux with ease without selling anything else, she wouldn't even need to work another day.

"Ready to go?" Zephyr asked, his head peeked out from the half-open front door. He had his bags neatly piled outside her apartment. "Or do you need more time."

"I'm done." Sera picked up her bags and slung one over her shoulder, dragging the others behind her before dropping them in front of the apartment door. "You packed light." She dropped the bags and focused on locking the door.

"Didn't bring much this time." Zephyr answered and he leaned against the wall next to her door. "Finnick Odair doesn't seem to be home." He motioned towards the locked door on the other side of the hall with a carefree wave.

Sera said nothing for a second. A quiet click echoed through the silent hall and she tugged at the door to check if it was locked before looking wistfully over her shoulders at the door on the other side. "He's never home." She lied.

"Really?" Zephyr questioned, covering her vision the mop that he called hair fell effortlessly. "I thought they'd be working him to the bone."

"They let him go."

"They let him go?" His brows scrunched up and he turned to the door once more. "Well, I'd say I'm happy for him but I feel like there's a catch in there somewhere."

Dragging her luggage over to the elevator, she walked past Zephyr and let his words hang in the air. She pressed the button for the elevator while he waited patiently for her. "I'm not sure if there is a catch. I'd like to not think about it." She all but whispered to herself.

And he left it at that.

Zephyr might've been many things but he always knew when not to press Sera on something. Finnick Odair was just one of those things. He took one of her bags from her, slung it over his shoulder and led her downstairs where a car was waiting for them to take them to the train station.

The car ride should've been silent but Sera decided she'd fill the silence with empty words, catching up with him and discussing Faline and Celsi's deaths. Their bodies had already been collected when the games ended. Sera and Zephyr would be escorting them back to Five now that they were done with their duties in the Capitol.

Just thinking about Faline made her heart ache. If it was any other year, Sera would've gone the extra mile for her. While Celsi never stood a chance from the beginning.

"Thank you." Zephyr said to the faceless driver and held the door open for her.

A large crowd gathered around the other end of the outside of the station, forming a mob. "That must be the new victors." Their driver commented offhandedly. "It's always something everywhere."

"Not every year, we get two for the price of one." Zephyr dragged their bags out.

The driver laughed. "They'll get over it. They have more important things to worry about." He motioned to a small screen. "Tip? I know you two aren't used to it but I'd really appreciate a good tip, food prices have gone up and I have three kids…"

Sera smiled and pressed a few squares, tipping the man and backing off. That was new and something she hadn't seen before. Zephyr did the same; the man flashed them a thankful grin and let out a breath of relief as if he expected rejection or worse.

"Looks like we're not the only ones taking things hard." Zephyr said quietly as the two watched the car disappear over the horizon. "I didn't even know they had tipping in the Capitol. Thought that stuff was outlawed before the Dark Days."

"It is." Sera kept her head down and pulled over the hood of her coat that she'd gotten back from Wiress. Zephyr did the same with his coat. "Eleven did a number on these people." She murmured.

"Supply disruptions must've caused the prices to increase."

"Hmm." A quick glance at the mod and she spotted the victors from Twelve in the center of the storm. "I'm not surprised, I heard it took days to calm things down in Eleven and even then, everyone over there is probably waiting for another chance."

A few flashes from the cameras nearly blinded her, tripping her over her feet. Zephyr was quick, grabbing her and hurrying both of them over to the train. The Capitol media didn't catch a glimpse of them at all as the darkness of dawn hadn't yet lifted completely.