Not real.

Chapter Nine: The Second War

*Gale*
    As soon as she raises her three fingers to me I know what she wants me to do. It's like our minds are in sync and I not only know what I'm supposed to do but I also know what she's thinking. She's prepared to give her life to ensure mine and the rest of New Panem's. But I'm not going to let her.
I'm not letting you go Catnip. Not again. I think to myself.
   Katniss's body hits the floor and something inside me snaps. I yell and scream at the black screen and pound on the glass. My knuckles begin to bleed heavily. Then I lean my head against the glass.
"Katniss..." My voice cracks. She's not going to die. I won't let her.
   I hit my head against the glass, not too hard but enough to bring an echoing bang in my cell. I fall to the floor in pretend unconsciousness.
   15 minutes pass by and I begin to get anxious. Is Katniss alright? Could she be...No no not possible. What if the wrong guard comes in? What if they know I'm faking?
   Suddenly the door is opened.
"How long has he been out?"
"Bout fifteen minutes."
"You couldn't have called me sooner?"
"Wanted to see if he was faking it."
"Fair enough. Flip him over for me."
The man who beat Katniss walks nonchalantly over to my slumped body. The idiot grabs my cuffs first to flip me over on my back.
This'll be easier than I thought I scoff in my head.
   As he flips me over I grab his glove and pull it off. I stand up and head butt him in the face as hard as I can. He falls back and I use this time to my advantage and get the paper clip lose from the glove. It still has her blood on it. As the torturer regains his composure I set to work freeing myself from the handcuffs. Thankfully creating snares for most of my life has made my hands deft with intricate and small tools. Within seconds one hand is free.
   The torturer comes at me throwing a punch for my face, I duck and and pop him in the nose. Blood splatters everywhere. His head goes back and then as it comes back I lay a good punch to the temple and he's out cold. The doctor, I'm assuming, shakes in his pale green skin and drops his clipboard. He runs out the door not caring to close it behind him. Alarms start to sound as I run out the door.
"Time to put an end to the games." I mutter under my breath.
   I make my way down countless passageways and staircases on hunter's tread until I finally hear the hum of computers. I figured that the best way to stop these games was to target where they're controlled. So the control room is my best bet.
   Most people on security were sent on a mission to find me. So, I don't have to avoid cameras all that much. Gosh Capitol citizens are such idiots. No wonder we won the first war.
   I near the door of what I think is the control room and crack it open. Sure enough, there's Kora herself speaking with at least ten other gamemakers.
   I look around for any possible weapon and remember how sharp my handcuffs are. They're still attached to my right wrist so it'll have to do.
   I burst through the door, the impact immediately knocking out the only two security guards. I hold my hands in fighting position. And the gamemakers gasp or faint. Those who don't faint flee the room. I roll my eyes. You'd think that someone who invents things to kill people would actually know how to kill someone.
But Kora stays behind. She smiles murderously at me with those snake-like eyes of hers and pulls two knives from her hair, posing as pins. She makes a slash at my neck but I block with the chain of my cuffs.
   As I do I scan the room. Where is the power source? If things went wrong it'd have to be where everyone knew. Hidden in plain sight. I look towards a the hologram of the Nut in the center of the room and sure enough there it is. Right under the hologram is a large red button. I have to get over there
   I spin around Kora and swing my handcuffs trying to connect with her temple but she blocks and makes a stab for my stomach. I jump out of the way but her knife slices at my arm sending a spurt of blood onto the new computers. She makes for a stab at my chest but I catch the knife in the loop of my empty handcuff and throw it to the floor.
   Then I realize my mistake. She grabs the empty handcuff and yanks. Pulling me behind her she judo flips me over her shoulder and pins me down hard, her second knife to my throat.
   "So heroic, but just a tad too late. You see this button?" She asks as she pulls a small black button from her dress pocket. I glare at her in answer. She smiles as she traces my face with the point of her knife.
"This is a safety measure. This button can start the show all by it's self. So though I applaud your bravery I'm afraid your just too..." She gasps and her eyes widen in pain. Her grip on my arms tightens and then weakens completely. She rolls to the side and looks down her chin at the knife point sticking out from her dress. A bubble of blood pops from her mouth and her eyes go blank.
   I look to where her killer would have thrown the knife from and see Katniss collapse to the ground. I rush to her side. Am I too late? No, no I can't be. I pick her up and hold her in my lap. My fingers immediately go to her neck to find a pulse. Relief floods my mind when there's a very soft drumming against my fingertips. But too slow and very light. I have to work fast.
   I lie her against the wall and make my way to a working computer. I send out a distress call to the Nut, giving them the all clear and to send a rescue party and troops to capture all the New Capitol members. Then I make my way to the middle hologram and press the red button. I watch as all the pods filled with all manner of horrible things are deactivated and safely self destruct as if they were never there.
   I then focus my attention on Katniss. I find her pulse again and remind myself that the rescue team will be here in minutes. I hold her in my lap again. Her body is covered in hundreds of bruises that are all sorts of colors. Blood stains her tattered clothes from metal studded gloves or worse. Her breathing is shallow and raspy and even though it's been only a week she looks very underfed. The sight of her brings tears that sting my eyes.
"I thought I was gonna lose you..." I whisper to her unconscious face.
I force my tears down and gulp. Sniffing I tell her, "But don't you worry Catnip I'm here now m'kay? Everything's gonna be fine. Nothing's gonna happen to you while I'm around ever again."
I kiss her forehead and hug her close and as I do soldiers invade the room. I stand up with Katniss in my arms and let the troops lead us to a hovercraft.
   Katniss's Mother is there and gives me a brief hug before her attention is immediately turned to Katniss. She calls for a stretcher and I lie her down onto it. I watch as they take her into a different room. I know I've put her in good hands and a small smile is brought to my lips as I hear Katniss's mother yelling at the other medics on board.
   I'm tended to by her apprentice, a young medic, and she stitches my arm after Kora's knife cut it. With no pain meds on board it hurts more than I'd like but I don't complain and flinch every so often. Before I head to the room where Katniss is, the apprentice takes my hand and squeezes it. She's a young girl probably not much older than Prim. I bet that's why Katniss's mother took her on as an apprentice.
  "Thank you. For saving my family." And with that she's gone.