Why Can't There Be Another Way

Chapter 21

Athena

While Katniss Everdeen heals in the hospital, Coin makes me shoot more propos. Specifically, how I managed to escape the arena. As far as punishments go for threatening her soldiers, there's not much Coin can do. I've got the entire country in a chokehold with my reappearance. It makes for good propo footage.

We reach the site where I crashed the Capitol's hovercraft. Cressida and her team instruct me on what to say. I try to make it as entertaining as possible, but I sound like a professor explaining something to her students. Cressida said it's good enough.

Later, I get called over to Command to see what the Capitol made of my reappearance. The screen turns on, and Caesar Flickerman is there, reminiscing about my Games. Then President Snow comes on screen. "My dear Miss Cadoret, I must say, what a surprise to see you alive. You must have had a touching reunion with your brother. A person as smart as you must know what I can do to him while you hide away in District 13. The Games are still on, Miss Cadoret, and they will not stop until there is a sole victor."

I know a threat when I see one.

"We've got eyes on your brother, Athena," Plutarch says. "He's under Lyme's protection."

The things I would give up to go to District 2 to make sure Horus is safe. However, I know my place, and that is in District 13. "Thank you," I say. "I hope the propos are enough to unnerve the Capitol."

Plutarch laughs. "I'm sure they are. No one gets out of the arena alive apart from the victor. Speaking of which, we're going to start sending soldiers to the Capitol. Make sure to train well for that. But first, a wedding."

"A wedding? Who?" I ask dumbfounded. "Is this another propo?"

"Finnick and Annie. And yes, we're going to make it a propo, but Finnick and Annie truly want to get married."

"The celebrations should be quick though," Coin says.

"Nonsense," Plutarch replies. "It's a wedding Madame President. The Capitol should see two happy souls united in a celebration."

I decide to leave Command, not wanting to be part of this debate. I do, however, leave a suggestion. "At least allow them to do it the traditional way in District 4."

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I stand guard as Peeta decorates the wedding cake. He's hyper focused on it, but when he goes back to his room, he asks me a few questions. He remembers my face from a past Hunger Games. I answer them. I know it won't help his hijacked state of being, but he's been through so much, and this is the least that I can do.

Plutarch is abuzz the day of the wedding. Finnick and Annie wear some of Peeta and Katniss's old clothes. They say their vows, kiss, and then we spend the rest of the night dancing. District 12 is surprisingly good at dancing. I hang at the edge, happy for Finnick and Annie.

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For the next three weeks, we spend hours vigorously training for the Capitol. The final test is what the people in 13 call Simulated Street Combat. Everything goes on too fast for any information about this to be passed, but I find out soon enough. I go in, listening to my commander's voice. I hide behind buildings and blow up some stuff. Then, I hear my brother's voice. He sounds to be coming from a few blocks down. My commander tells me to stay down, which I do since I know my brother isn't here. This is like the jabberjays in the Quarter Quell.

I survived the simulator, not quite sure what the test was supposed to be. Will-power maybe? A soldier tells me it targets a person's weakness. District 13 really doesn't know me well. Or they think too little of me. Instead of going to get my hair chopped off, I'm directed to Command.

We wait for the rest of the squadron to assemble. There's Hawthorne, Finnick, Katniss, Boggs, Jackson, and a few other District 13 soldiers. We'll be sharpshooters. Except instead of going off to the Capitol, we wait back in Thirteen, training.

Eventually, Plutarch comes to join us. "Squad Four-Five-One, you have been selected for a special mission. We have numerous sharpshooters, but rather a dearth of camera crew. Therefore, we've handpicked you to be what we call our 'Star Squad.' You will be the on-screen faces of the invasion."

Complaints get shouted here and there. I stare and listen. It should have been obvious we weren't going to fight. And it makes sense why. Katniss is the Mockingjay. She can still be influential. Then there's Finnick and Hawthorne who have camera ready faces. Finnick, also a victor just like Katniss. And then there's me. The girl who cheated the Capitol. But the Capitol is familiar with my face. Which is why I am here.

To get to the Capitol, we stop by District 12 to take cars. It's a long drive, and then we have to walk a few more hours before we make it to the base in the Capitol.

For days on end, we shoot pod after pod, making great propos for Coin and Plutarch, but feeling useless in the war effort. I feel like I am being made a mockery of. While the Districts are raiding the Capitol and getting killed, we're here doing nothing.

Things start to pick up once Leeg 2 dies while we were shooting some pods. Obviously, it weighed down on us, especially her sister, but soon we got Peeta to replace her. Boggs goes over to call Coin. While everyone is on their feet now that Peeta is here, I sit down and clean my gun. Of course Coin would send him here. She hopes Peeta will kill Katniss the same way the Capitol hoped Peeta would kill Katniss. I wonder how long it will take the others to realize this.

Boggs looks pretty pissed off about the arrangement. They take away Peeta's gun and handcuff him. Jackson assigns watches.

The next day, we walked around the Capitol, looking for pods. According to Plutarch, we've been delivering underwhelming footage. That was when Boggs stepped on an unlabeled pod. We all ran to the shelter of the buildings as the explosion went off. Homes was trying to staunch the bleeding, but it's too late. Jackson, Hawthorne and I hoist our guns up, looking around for danger. That's when the black wave came.

We ran for a building. Someone triggers another pod, and he gets wrapped in wires. I have no time to assess who it is, other than Finnick is struggling with Peeta.

Jackson and Katniss have an argument about the Holo, which is quickly resolved with the help of Cressida. I mention how the cameras would have caught us, so as soon as the wave receded, we decided to head out. I stayed with Finnick and Peeta. We passed several blocks before we went to rest in a house.

A/N: I'm going quick with this part of the plot since you should all know it. Adding Athena here won't change much.