The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Three | Radical Runaways

        The square was crowded, everyone from the Disrtrict had been packed in like they were for the Reapings every year. Only nobody was separated by age and gender, adults were mixed with he kids, boys were mixed with girls. There was virtually no organization to the mob-- it would be too easy for a riot to start while the peacekeepers made a line at the from of the mob in front of the Justice Hall and a few others littered the sides and behind the population of Four.

        Quinn stood next to Mags at the edge of the group. Finnick and Annie stood behind the two of them. There were two peacekeepers who stayed close to the Victor's. Quinn couldn't tell if it was because that was just because they were Victor's, or if they were worried she might start something. So she did her best to keep her eyes off of the two of them. Instead, she left her eyes glued on the big screen that had been put up over the entrance to the Justice Hall. The screen was black, and a shimmering golden Capitol shield slowly turned on the screen as the anthem softly played. They had all been gathered there so suddenly, it was the middle of the day, nearly dinner time.

        Suddenly the shield faded away to reveal President Snow sitting at his desk. He wore a nice dark blue suit, and he was sporting a white rose as always. The sight of him made Quinn cringe, her blood boil, and frustration and anger built up all at once. Just because he was on the screen.

"Hello, citizen's of Panem." he began, Mags nudged Quinn sharply. They only glanced at each other, and Mags quickly glanced at Quinn's hands. Quinn checked herself and slowly uncurled her hands that had formed into fists and shoved them into her pockets. "My apologies for disrupting you day, but I must make you all aware of something that has happened. Because of it, all security in your Districts will be stricter, rules will be set in place, and they must be followed." he explained, there was a menicing sound in his voice as he said it and a cold look in his eyes as he looked into the camera. "As of this morning, fifteen Capitol citizen's have fled because of crimes that they had committed."

        The crowd in the square collectively began to mummer things. But Quinn's eyes stayed glued to the screen, she could have sworn that he was looking right at her. Blaming her.

"One being my very own grandson," he said as a holographic Wanted By Capitol sign appeared beside him. "He is part of a group that we call The Radicals, many of you may agree with their notion, but I assure you they are not your friend."

        Quinn felt her stomach drop. At the Presidential Party, she should have taken Orion Snow much more seriously...

"It could happen," Orion said as the two of them stepped in time with the song that seemed to be on repeat and had been for the past hour or more. "There's got to be something else out there, outside the Districts."

Quinn shrugged, "Not much, nothing to help at least."

"You don't know that," he replied sharply. "You've heard of the Drifters, right?"

Quinn sighed heavily, "Yeah, I've heard of them."

"There's a group in the Capitol, they don't really have a name. But they support the Drifters and whatever it is you are trying to do--"

"I'm not trying to do anything," she said sharply, "Everything that has happened was on accident."

Orion rolled his eyes, "Yeah, whatever." he dismissed her, the arrogant sound of a Capitol accent was obvious for the first time duirng their whole conversation. "Whether you like it or not, you started something. And some of us are glad you did, now we can actually do something." his voice was quiet, practically a whisper so other dancers around them couldn't over hear them.

Quinn scoffed a bit, "Like? Every time someone pisses off your grandpa, someone gets killed."

Orion shrugged a bit, "Everything comes with a price, doesn't it?"

"People dying for something they didn't do isn't a price, it's a punishment." Quinn stated, "Something I don't want to go through again."

"Why can't you just accept it?" he asked, "You're the Rebel Victor. You want to fight against the Capitol just as much as the Drifters and the group in the Capitol. Even if you haven't figured that out yet."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "What does this have to do with the group in the Capitol?" she asked.

"Nothing, you got me off topic." he said, smirking a bit before he got serious again. "Anyway, the group's got this...this stash of stuff waiting in a safe house in District Three. They're just trying to figure out a way to get out of the Capitol."

"Out of the Capitol?"

"It's pretty difficult to fight the Capitol when you're in it."

"If anyone is caught aiding these Radical's in any way, shape, or form-- there will be a price to pay for that act of treason." Snow stated, his voice snapping Quinn out of the memory she had been engulfed in. "If either of these Radical's approach you, or you sight them in your District, is your civil duty, as a Citizen of this great nation that you report their presents immediately. These posters will be posted in your Justice Hall, see to it that you knew each face."

        Once Snow's speech ended, the mob formed into a line. The peacekeepers then told them all to wait a moment, and they let the Victor's enter the Justice Hall first to take a look at the posters. Quinn glanced at each of them, there was nothing about that group that made them look like a group. They all looked quite average for Capitol people. Some were woman with colored hair that had gone flat, some were men with designs shaved into their beards. They looked no different than anyone else there. But the few of them that were younger all had one thing-- a lip piercing. While mouth piercings weren't all that popular anymore, they all still had one. It may have been because Orion had one, he was looked up to by other kids in the Capitol. That may have even been why there were other kids in the group of Radical's.

        Quinn was only looking for one poster, Orions. Mainly because she knew he was there, and he was the only Capitol person she really knew. But that wasn't until she saw a familiar face...

"Not you too, Ciruss..." Quinn said softly looking at her stylists face on a poster. She decided against reading his details, she knew what he looked like and she knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to go to Four. If he was, she wouldn't report him.

        Mags saw the same poster. A look of grief fall upon her face, she placed a hand to her chest and pointed to his picture. But then her hand changed to a quick thumbs up as if she was happy to see him there.

"You think he knows what he's doing? That't he'll be alright?" Quinn asked looking down at her.

She nodded.

        Quinn sighed and looked at a few more faces until she finally found Orion's. She stopped infront of it, and began reading through it out of curiosity.

Orion Hue Snow

18 Years of Age

Height: 6'4"

Crime: Destruction of Capitol Property, Robbery: Money, Destructive Goods, Other

Suspected Whereabouts: The Wild, Districts

Prize: Dead: 1,000 in cash, Alive: 2,500 in cash

IT IS ILLEGAL TO AID THIS RADICAL