The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Three | The Capitol

| AUTHORS NOTE |

Song: Rules by Jayme Dee

And also, I have a few things I would love your help with! How do you want Quinn and Orion's lives to go in the Capitol? How do you think Quinn/Orion could help Katniss? And finally, who would you like to see Quinn's romantic interest to be and why?

Stay classy!

________

The hum of the motors in the hovercraft were loud enough that Quinn couldn't sleep. Or maybe she couldn't sleep because she was on the hovercraft in the first place. She shouldn't have been going anywhere, she shouldn't have left District Thirteen in the first place. Leaving Thirteen was like she was leaving Four all over again. Only this time, she wasn't running away from anything. She was running to the Capitol, to be two things-- a fake traitor of the rebellion to get people to stop fighting until the time was right, and someone to help the rebels from inside the Capitol. But the more she thought about it, the more she began to see the holes in the plan. What if Snow figured it out? What if as soon as they landed in the Capitol, they'd be killed for treason? Or what if he still sent hovercrafts to District Thirteen? How was she supposed to try to help Katniss Everdeen while trying to convince the rest of Panem that a war was possibly the worse thing that could happen to their nation? There were so many holes in the plan, and Quinn had no idea how she could simply just...go with it and hope for the best. The plan was so big, and there was no definite way it could end. There was no definite time it would end either, it could be years or it could never end.

I'll probably never see Thirteen again, Quinn thought to herself. Coin may have sent her and Orion there, but she had no idea how or when it would end. Quinn and Orion could end up stuck in the Capitol for the rest of their lives. There was no way President Snow would let Quinn go back to District Four, if he didn't just kill her, she'd be stuck in the Capitol. Until they found the right person to lead the rebellion which seemed more and more unlikely the she thought about just how much Snow could do if he wanted to.

Vessalmen had himself seated next to Quinn, a few soliders had been sent with the hovercraft to make sure they got into the Capitol safetly. Vessalmen and Otto were the only two that Quinn knew the names of.

"Nearing the Capitol, five more minutes." the piolet said over his shoulder loud enough that everyone could hear them. She and Orion were getting dropped off on top of the old Tribute Centre. It had only been used for fourty-eight games before the Capitol got the newer one that had been used ever since. The first one was out of sight to a lot of the Capitol, and inside there would be waiting peacekeepers to escort them to a stylist who would freshen them up before they went to see President Snow.

Quinn sighed heavily as everyone began to sit down and buckle themselves in. On one side of her was Vessalmen and the other was Otto. Then on the other side of the hovercraft was Orion in between two others. Quinn could feel the tension, it was so heavy that it was tangible. Neither Orion or her wanted to do this, but they knew there was a bit of a plan on District Thirteen's part-- but once they were in the Capitol, they would be completely cut off from Thirteen.

"You'll be careful," Otto started, his voice was quiet enough so everyone knew that he only meant to talk with Quinn. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

Quinn nodded, but it wasn't sincere. "Yeah, promise." she added, "But do you have any advice? What should we do?"

"Be honest, be a kiss-up," he paused, "But most importantly, don't let them stomp you out."

"Easier said than done." she replied as the hovercraft began to swoop down, a weightless feeling filled Quinn's stomach as it descended downward.