xiv. destruction
CHAPTER FOURTEEN!
DESTRUCTION.
A FEW SECONDS WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR President Snow to fall into a fit of rage. The so called 'star-crossed' lovers have now fallen apart in front of his very eyes, the facade he'd warned them to keep up has crumbled. They'd played him again, destroying an image that he'd put out for the Capitol so they wouldn't see him beaten at his own game. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark had defied him once for a love he knows now is not real, that the audience know is not real.
"This is the furthest thing from what we had planned. However, she is preparing to fight," Snow almost hisses to Plutarch who nods his head in response. "This is what you predicted,"
"We'll toast when it's done? In the meantime, make yourself comfortable," Plutarch responds before leaving the President to himself.
Snow moves his eyes back to the screen, watching as the arena turns dark for the night time. Elena Rogers, the very victor who had come to his home the year before to ask if she could defer being a mentor until the following year. Despite his reluctance, he gave in to show that he could be compassionate, at least so that people would believe he's capable of it. The last person he expected to be a cause of issues in these Games, partially because he didn't know if she'd even be there — Annie and Mags both eligible as well.
As she walks beside Finnick on screen, a soft smile on her lips as they talk about their home, he glares slightly. Whether or not it was intentional, she'd caused issues and now he'd have to rectify that.
Elena pulls on the wire as she helps wrap it around the large tree that the lightning will strike soon. She then stops as Beetee hands her the coil, looking at Johanna and Katniss before returning his gaze to the young blonde.
"Take this. Unspool it carefully. Make sure the entire coil is in the water, you understand? Then head to the tree at the two o'clock sector. We'll meet you there," Beetee explains and Elena slowly nods to show that she understands, her eyes moving to Finnick who gives her a small smile of encouragement.
"Maybe I should go with them as a guard?" Peeta says as he looks to the blonde who blushes when she sees his gaze on her.
"No, I need you here. You're staying here to protect me. There are two careers out there, I need two guards," Beetee insists which causes the boy from Twelve to frown.
"Finnick can protect you just fine on his own. Maybe Johanna can stay here?" Peeta is awfully persistent which doesn't go unnoticed by everybody else, his words almost frantic.
"You all agreed to keep me alive till midnight, correct?" Beetee asks.
"It's his plan, we all agreed to it," Johanna is the next to speak up, her stare almost threatening.
"Is there a problem here?" Finnick questions as he moves to stand beside Elena who tilts her head up so she can look at him as he speaks. "The girls will be fine. They all know how to defend themselves,"
Peeta seems to give up after those words and sighs, nodding. Elena starts to walk away with Katniss and Johanna but not before looking back at a worried Peeta. She reaches out and grabs his hand, squeezing it gently and smiling. He's quick to return it, the way her face lights up instantly causing a calming sensation to rush over him.
"I'll see you guys at midnight," Her statement is directed at Finnick and Peeta more so than everybody else, their eyes connecting before she leaves with the other girls — Peeta watching almost helplessly as the two most important girls in his life walk away from him.
Finnick, who can obviously sense his distress, smiles and pats his shoulder before moving back over to Beetee so that he can keep his eye out for danger. To be perfectly honest, he can feel that same worry building up within him, almost bursting from within him. However, he trust Johanna and he trusts Katniss to keep his District Partner safe.
"Come on. I want to put as much distance between me and this beach as possible. Frying is not how I want to go," Johanna comments to the younger girls as they move the coil towards the water on the beach.
All is going well until the wire gets stuck, stopping the three of them in their tracks. Katniss frowns and tries to free the wire when it snaps. None of them expect Brutus and Enobaria to jump out from behind the rocks, the intention to kill them painfully obvious. Elena pulls one of the only knives she has left out, readying herself for a fight. If she's going to die, she will go down fighting.
Katniss and Johanna have seemingly disappeared for the moment, leaving the young girl to take on the two career tributes on her lonesome. She takes a deep breath as Enobaria lunges, Elena managing to roll out of the way. However, it causes her to run straight into Brutus who is ready to grab her. She screams as he pulls her up by the hair, hoping that any of them will hear her — that somebody will be there to save her.
She throws her arm backwards, stabbing the large man in the leg which causes a noise of pain to fall from his lips. It does little to stop him though, his strength almost unparalleled. He lifts a sword and she is fully prepared to feel her death, have her life dissipate from within her. Not only would she not have to be in pain anymore, but she'd see her parents and Everett again — at the expense of leaving Jace without anybody. That's what causes her to keep fighting against him.
For Jace. Do it for Jace.
The large man seems almost amused by her struggle, his eyes moving to Enobaria. He nods and the woman leaves to hunt down the others in the arena. Brutus' arrogance emits from him, a smug expression plastered across his face. Then he crumbles against her, his blood soaking the back of her attire.
Finnick is there, pulling Brutus away harshly and bringing the girl into his embrace instead. He keeps one arm around her fatigued body and holds his trident in the other, ready to fight off any threats that come towards them — ally or not, rebellion or not, he is not prepared to let his little sister die. He won't let it happen.
He scans the horizon and his eyes land on Katniss who has her bow aimed at the two of them. Instinctively, he pushes Elena behind him and warily speaks to her.
"Katniss. Remember who the real enemy is," He breathes and she notices his hesitation, the words running through her mind.
He watches on as she wraps the wire around her arrow and looks up at the sky, ready to shoot. She does, striking the force field and causing a massive explosion. Finnick shields Elena's body with his as best as he can as they fly back, their bodies hitting the ground painfully.
Elena breathes as her vision begins to cloud over and she's left drifting towards unconsciousness, the only reminder that this is real being Finnick's tight grip on her.
As the spots dance over her vision, they seem to morph into odd shapes, floating about as the clouds did in the field behind her house. However, they aren't a fluffy white but a dreary black, coating the usually beautiful image in death and destruction. As the all collide in a mass of colour, she wonders if there was truly any beauty in that field at all or if the vibrant surroundings only masked the horror of the world — the horror that she has to see one last time before her eyes close.
END OF ACT ONE
CATCHING FIRE.
NOTE!
We're finally done with part one and are moving into Mockingjay! Thank you all who have stopped by, voted, commented and read this so far!
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