||ODDS|| Newt x Reader In The Hunger Games

40. Never been so Defenceless

Most of the time when people have a terrible nightmare, they wake up sweating, minds frantically spinning trying to get back to reality while their hearts hammered away. The intense relief experienced once they realize that it was just a dream is like lifting a huge weight off their chests, they can finally breathe freely. Every member of our unit was currently wishing for that relief. We hoped it was all a terrible nightmare that we desperately were trying to escape from, because it all happened so fast.

I couldn't spare another glance at Boggs's lifeless body, I didn't have the time. My feet pounded against the ground as I ran as fast as I could, away from the thick, black liquid of death. One of my hands clutched Newt's arm as I pulled him along with me, but he kept glancing back at Finnick, making sure the blond was close by. Odair, meanwhile, was busy trying to get Peeta back to his normal senses, dragging the boy from 12 by his vest as they tried to keep up with the rest of the crew.

Jackson kept shouting for everyone to keep moving, and Mitchell made sure nobody was left behind. Newt had a panicked look on his face when he turned back around to see Finnick and Peeta slowing down, the latter had his eyes set on Katniss who was a few feet to my right. We were running up the stairs towards the mansion when I knew that Newt constantly checking up on Finnick, was only slowing the both of us down. And Newt knew that too.

"Keep running forward! Don't look back! I'll get Finn!" I yelled amidst the chaos and Newt was hesitant before nodding once.

He fastened his pace until he reached up with Cressida and then I turned around to help Finn. But my blood froze when I saw Peeta push Katniss to the ground and he lifted his gun to strike her, but she was quick enough to roll away before the fatal blow had landed. The oil had now reached the step below them and they were only a few feet away from it. The liquid rose threateningly. Mitchell tackled Peeta before he could try killing her again, but the once humble baker boy grabbed the sharp-shooter by his collar and pushed him into the pool of death. Four cables, attached to tracks on the buildings, broke through the stones, dragging up the net that encased Mitchell, the man screaming in agony. With wide eyes and laboured breathing, Finnick and I ran towards Peeta and pushed him to the ground while Gale pulled Katniss in the opposite direction. I could vaguely hear Newt scream my name as Finnick and I scrambled to stand up, Peeta thrashing about in our hold.

"WE NEED TO MOVE, NOW!" Finnick yelled as we ran towards the group, the black horror chasing behind us. The rest of the group were huddled near the door, waiting for us, and they ushered us to go inside. Finnick grabbed both of Peeta's hands and held it against his back before pushing him inside the large mansion.

Newt met me halfway up the stairs and yanked my hand as he dragged me to the landing of the first floor. Our plan to get to higher ground was pulled to a screeching halt when we saw that the steps that led to the floor above were completely destroyed, so we pressed ourselves against the window of the landing, as the crew gathered around us. Finnick pressed Peeta into a corner and Homes inoculated him with a rather scary looking syringe.

"It's slowing down." Cressida said, referring to the liquid that was now a few feet below us. It sploshed against the landing but did not rise further. I let out a relieved breath and looked at Newt, who was slumped against the glass, breathing heavily. "Gamemakers are putting on quite a show."

"451 to base. Over." Jackson talked into the radio communicator but received no reply. "I can't get a signal." She concluded after a few tries.

"Hey, we need to move." Homes said. "If peacekeepers didn't know where we were, they do now."

"Those surveillance cameras caught us." Castor pointed out.

Gale looked around the place we were in and had a grim expression on his face. "We're in a bad spot, we need to move."