FAILURE TO COMPLY ┃ f. odair

3.12 know the enemy, know yourself

The screen within their apartment came to life, illuminating the room and sparing Gale of having to answer the question. The broadcast, immediately labelled as mandatory viewing, had everyone's attention. Calypso tried her best to ignore how it burned her eyes in favour of seeing what was being shown. After all, these kinds of broadcasts were once her only form of entertainment in an otherwise white and empty world. Not only that, it was a welcome distraction from her show of weakness.

"Good afternoon, I'm Caesar Flickerman, here with our continuing coverage of our defence of the Capitol," the usually charismatic man addressed the nation. He was so solemn and serious now, despite his ridiculous pink hair and suit that matched. "Today, as our Peacekeepers valiantly hold off the rebels, our story takes a surprising twist."

The screen changed from Caesar's face to footage of the courtyard and the black wave chasing them into the building. Calypso watched herself go in and out of clarity, reaching for Peeta, then Monica, keeping her eyes on Finnick.

"Katniss Everdeen, our once favourite daughter, has infiltrated the city with some of the victors, whose names are all too familiar," he continued. She shrank down further, leaning into Finnick's side. "Finnick Odair, Calypso Silva and Peeta Mellark."

"Calypso Odair," the man muttered to himself. She smiled, even as the footage showed Peeta's attack on Katniss, his shoving of Monica and killing of Mitchell.

"Hmm," Caesar hummed mockingly. "Clearly some alliances don't last forever. Take a look at what happened just a moment ago, when our Peacekeepers cornered Katniss Everdeen and her band of foolish rebels. Whatever arrogance brought this treacherous girl back to us, you are about to witness a great victory, not only for the Capitol but for Panem."

Explosions. Gun fire. A building collapsing. Calypso turned her gaze away from the screen. She locked eyes with Peeta, who wore an expression only she could read. He'd lost it, she knew, or at least he thought he had. His last shred of humanity was gone from his eyes. He was a hollow shell of a human. It was a kind of impermanent death she had experienced several times over.

"So there you have it," Caesar finished. "Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire, a girl who inspired so much violence, seems to have met a violent end herself. Stay tuned for more information. Caesar Flickerman. Thank you."

"So now that we're dead, what are we gonna do?" Gale wasted no time in asking.

"Can't we take just a moment?" Calypso mumbled, her exhaustion catching up to her. In response, Finnick pressed her head against his shoulder.

"Isn't it obvious?" Peeta replied to Gale. "The next move is to kill me. I murdered one of our squad members. Katniss is right. I'm a mutt, and it's only a matter of time before I snap again. I'm not in control. I need a nightlock pill, so I can die when I need to."

"If it gets to that point, I'll kill you myself," Gale said, once again with no hesitation. Calypso hated that. She hated it.

Blood Mutt. The name came back to her like a violent whisper. Maybe it was who she was now, but not who she wanted to be. Swallowing the nightlock pill would be easy for her. But what would she be leaving behind? Somehow, Finnick and Monica had found room in their hearts for her, and she could not take that for granted.

She reached up to her shoulder for the small compartment where she kept her nightlock pill and pulled it out, rolling it between her fingers as she contemplated. If Peeta was going to go, it would be best to go on his own terms. Not for the Capitol. Not for anyone else. For himself. She'd make him promise not to use it until he absolutely had to. But better he died than be recaptured and tortured all over again. Somehow, it was something she felt she could stomach going through all over again so long as her loved ones did not.