"It's airing." Mitch mumbled as he tied his shoes.

"Attention!" James called to all of the civilians inside the cafeteria. Everyone turned to look at the TV screens in the middle of the room. Snow's form was placed in the very center of it. A glow seemed to emit from her body and she was smiling as happily as ever.

"Like I was saying, what is your opinion on the recent attacks by the rebels?" Caesar asked Snow.

Her face morphed into a slight grimace. "They're killing innocent people. And no, I'm not talking about just the murder of Peacekeepers. District 13 has no regards for bystanders. They're lack of concern for loss of life, well, it sickens me."

Coin frowned. "Not good."

"How much 'not good'?" Boggs asked

"Very, very much." Plutarch muttered. "She's pinning this all onto us."

"And doing a good job of it." Cressida added.

"They hide behind their squadrons, behind their guns, bullets, and bombs. They bury down underground because those cowards know that if they showed their face, well..." Snow laughed harshly. "I have a bone to pick with some of them, to say the least."

Caesar laughed. "Now that this whole situation has progressed, what do you have to say?" It felt like the whole room tensed as everyone waited to see if Snow would make traitorous comments against District 13 yet again.

"I despise anything that claims human life." Snow stated immediately.

"So you're saying we should stop all of this and go back to the way it was?" Caesar asked.

Murmurs of anger rippled throughout the crowd of people.

"No." Snow shook her head.

The whispers stopped, if only briefly.

"No, we shouldn't just revert back to our old ways. And I know that...certain people will be unhappy with what I'm about to say, but it needs to be said. The Capitol has made some wrongdoings. A lot of blood remains on its hands, but a war and so many more bodies will not solve the problem. Things need to change, yes, but this is not the solution!" Snow turned to the screen to address the audience. "People of Panem, if I have said it once, I've said a thousand times. Stop this war. Stop this rebellion. I swear to you, my life is yours. I will make a change. I will end the Hunger Games. I will keep your children safe. But I can only do that if you keep them from fighting a battle they cannot win. I will fight for you, but I can not do that with bodies littering the streets and blood staining the pavement."

The screen flickered and for a second, another image replaced the screen.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I don't know." Coin furrowed her brow. "I wasn't aware we were making an interruption in the feature."

"We're not." Beetee responded, sounding equally confused. "This isn't us."

Snow's image flickered again and was replaced with the rubble of another District.

"District 5. That's where the bombings just were." Thalia mumbled.

"You mean the bombings we partially caused?"Jerome asked.

"Yes." Plutarch responded. "But why-"

"That's why." Cressida pointed. Her finger was aimed at the image of Snow wandering around the rubble. Her face was covered in disbelief, shock, anger, and a million other emotions. Occasionally, images of present day Snow and Caesar would pop up as the Capitol 'fought' to regain the connection. Clips of Snow walking through the hospital filled with wounded intervened.

"We're stronger than you think." A voice boomed over the clip. "And we will not back down."

Videos of bombs raining down on District 5 filled the screen. A computer animated clip of explosions spreading across the Capitol followed. "You're next." The voice threatened.

"Holy shit." Plutarch muttered.

"This is bad." Coin fumbled with the communication device on her wrist. "Someone interrupt the signal. Stop this. They're posing as us."

A clip of a Peacekeeper and a District woman flashed across the screen.

"Wait." I murmured. "Maybe it's not all bad."

The Peacekeeper looked to be threatening the woman. They were waving their gun around while the woman cowered. Just as the Peacekeeper raised their gun to hit the woman, a body jumped in between them, and a fist connected with the Peacekeeper's helmet.

"Back down." Snow's voice boomed even louder than the original voiceover. "Leave her alone."

The screen flickered some more. More images of explosions and wounded, more gunfire, until it all suddenly cut to the symbol of District 13.

"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Are we back on?" Caesar's voice asked as the screen faded to black. "Okay good."

The segment returned to Snow and Caesar sitting across from each other. Snow's face was horrorstruck. Her hands were shaking. Tear streaks stained her face.

"Sorry." She wiped her face. "It's just like reliving it."

Caesar nodded sympathetically. "Tragic, isn't it?"

"Repulsive as well." Snow snapped as she fiddled with a bracelet around her wrist, pushing up her sleeve ever so slightly. "They're cowards, hiding behind their screens. Though from a group hiding people like...well...I can't say I didn't expect as much."

"The lives lost-"

"Absolutely horrific. I hope they're all in a better place." Snow wiped her eyes again.

"Maybe onto happier things? I hear your birthday is coming up soon." Caesar winked.

Snow laughed. "Yes, well, I suppose I have to get older sometime."

"Rumor has it there will be a ball."

"Well," Snow laughed again. "President Snow likes to spoil me. He knows that Panem has been under such distress, and he hopes this party will lighten the mood."

"What do you think?"

"I think that there will be a lot of food, and that makes me happy." Snow shrugged and giggled. "But yes, I'm looking forward to it. Kern will be taking me."

"Kern? From your old District?"

"An old friend of mine." Snow nodded. "It'll be fun and I hope many people will join us in the celebration."

"It sounds like a lot of fun." Caesar laughed. "Anyone who's anyone will be there."

"Yes, well, this celebration shouldn't just be for me. It should be for the people too. Which is why President Snow and I have come up with what I think is a fabulous idea!"

"Oh, do tell." Caesar leaned in excitedly.

"Two people from each District, a boy and a girl, will be selected to attend the festivities." Snow smiled. "Of course they'll be screen intensively, but it's mere safety precautions. I hope that in the future, with my help, the Capitol will be able to reach out more to the citizens. This is the first step."

"And a grand one too." Caesar looked briefly away from Snow and the camera. "Well, it seems that's all the time we have for today. Thank you for joining me Snow."

"Anytime Caesar." Snow replied as she waved goodbye to the camera.

Coin's rapid chatter distracted me from Caesar's outro.

"Yes, I know what they're doing." She snapped. "I'm not an idiot. Yes, I know it's disastrous. We'll have to think of something. Oh, I don't know, give me a minute."

"What's going on?" Mitch asked. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal," Beetee explained, "Is that they're now fully taking advantage of Snow."

"Weren't they already doing that?" Vena snorted.

Beetee sighed. "District 13 is powerful. But by no means can we stand up to the Capitol alone. The thing is, the Capitol is only strong with the Districts behind it. The Districts provide everything for the Capitol. Like blood and veins to a heart. Cut off the Districts, and the Capitol becomes weak and vulnerable, giving us our chance. For the past few months, we've been winning. Pulling over Districts to our side, making deals, but now-"

"They're using Snow to win the Districts back." Jerome finished.

"Precisely. If she started this fire, surely she can put it out? Her public favorability is undeniable. By posing as us, they made us seem like monsters in that clip. Bombing a poor, defenseless hospital? Despicable. What's more, they show Snow being vulnerable, charitable, and kind to the people. They show her as the girl from the Games, the girl everyone fell in love with."

I scooted on the bench uncomfortably.

Beetee ignored me and continued. "But at the same time, by having a clip of her standing up to the Peacekeepers, and stating that she knows what's wrong with the Capitol on live television, despite the risk of President Snow's wrath, well, that also shows that she's still for the people. She's willing to stick up for the people. Snow is strong, powerful, and very capable. They're using that image to their advantage."

"So what do we do?" Thalia asked.

"We could kill her." Beetee shrugged. "It would be difficult, but-"

"That's quite possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say Beetee. That would be a horrible Plan A." James sat down next to Thorne and us as he eyed his aunt nervously.

"Why is that? Makes sense to me." Vena shrugged. "Get rid of Snow and the Capitol loses their weapon."

Thorne looked up from his soup and glared at Vena. "Get rid of Snow and the Capitol will make sure everyone knows that we killed her. Why don't you just go kick a puppy while you're at it, you heartless bitch."

"Hey, back off." I frowned at him and put my arm around Vena. "What's your deal with us anyway?"

James rolled his eyes. "I've studied under my aunt for a long time, worked with the people for a while. Let me be frank, you guys aren't likable."

"What do you mean? I think I'm pretty lovable." Mitch looked over curiously.

Despite his previous statement, James chuckled. "Well, it's mostly those three." He pointed at Vena, Jerome, and me. "But you and Thalia got tacked on too. I'm sure you haven't seen it, but the Capitol airing of the Hunger Games doesn't exactly make you guys look like the best people in the world."

"They looked like assholes." Boggs grunted. "Even half the people in District 13 hate them."

"More like ninety percent." Thorne corrected. "Myself included by the way." He gave me a fake smile.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Are you really that stupid?" Throne muttered.

"Look, I may not be District 13's number one strategist, but why would everyone hate us?" Jerome asked. "Including District 13? We stood up to the Capitol."

"Uh, no, you idiot. You stood up to Snow. I mean you tried to murder her, like multiple times. She stood up to the Capitol." Throne retorted. "Hiding you guys here isn't exactly upping our public opinion. If the General Pristeens had their way, we'd drop kick you out of here."

"But you haven't. So what did you tell Coin to do?" Thalia prompted.

"I figured that we should at least put you guys in a cute, little gift-wrapped cage with a bow on top before we dump you right on President Snow's doorstep." Throne shrugged. "Unfortunately I was vetoed. Seems like some people want you alive."

"Like who?" Jerome wondered.

"Ugh, you people and your questions. Can't you be like the rest of your ex-tributes? Just shut up and disappear."

"James and I managed to convince a majority of the council's mind." Beetee interrupted. "Consider it a, what do you call it? A solid."

"What good are we to you?" Vena said. "Considering most of you hate us."

"Preach." Boggs lifted his head up. "No offense or anything."

"Well, I mean to be offensive." Thorne laughed sarcastically. "You guys are average soldiers at best from what I've seen, but Beetee and James made a compelling argument."

"We don't want to kill Snow." James steered the conversation back to the original topic. "Like I said, bad idea. Getting her on our side would be better. We hoped that you guys would be our ticket to that."

Vena burst out laughing. "Now that's dumb. She hates us!"

"It's not hard to see why." James sighed tiredly. "But feelings are hard to forget, especially for a girl like her."

"And what if that doesn't work?" Mitch asked. "Are you going to bribe her with our deaths?" His joking tone and slight laugh slowly faded away when no one responded. "Wait, for real?"

Beetee hurriedly tried to switch topics. "Either way, we don't have any way to take Snow away from the Capitol at this point-"

"You'd execute us?" Thalia demanded.

James was just about to reply when Coin rushed over. "Meeting in Room 302. Now. Forget the rest of your schedules."

"That's a bad idea Alma." Thorne spoke up. "Those guys have training in the afternoon and God knows they need it."

Coin managed a small smile, but it quickly faded. "Yes, well that will have to wait. This is just a bit too important."

"What's going on?" James stood, immediately ready to assist his aunt. "Is everything okay?"

Before responding, Coin briefly glanced at her watch in hesitation, then looked up. "I think we found a way to rescue Snow."