𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 ❦ The Hunger Games Sequel

twenty

The only Titan boy had never seen the President in person, it was important to note. Not even before his games did he get to glance at his white hair, which was just as polished in person. He had no reason to be in the old man's presence; when he thought about it, there was no reason mighty enough besides winning the Hunger Games which called for a personal meeting with the leader of Panem. Everything seemed to look the same as the winner's ceremony on TV (besides the overly large crowd), and the President continued to smile as if he hadn't sent children to their deaths for sport. Remy's heart monitor was consistently high as he finally got a good smell of his surroundings.

It was a crude smell that made Remy curl his nose up in disgust.

"You're awake." The President noted as another man closed the door. Behind the President, was Remy's mentor.

Alec looked solem as he followed after the leader of Panem. The many studs in his eyebrows were taken out, and the tattoos that were always on show had been respectuflly covered up. Most noteworthy, was his inability to look Remy in the eye.

"Lorna." Remy stated immediatly to Alec. He ignored the President in front of the broad man.

Alec looked different, his face was more hollow than he'd ever seen him (not that Remy was particularly familiar with his mentor before the start of the games) and yet, he managed to pick up on Alec's different stance beside the door. It was funny how Remy could distinctly remember the way Alec slouched forward slightly under his own weight last time they met. Now he stood tall, with his shoulders back and his chin up.

"Don't worry Mr. Titan, your sister is with us too." Snow stated as he sat in a plush white chair beside the bed.

Remy released a sigh that made his chest ache.

"That, is my exact problem." Remy was tense once more; staring into the eyes of the leader of everything.

"You were in a similar condition when we brought you back to the Capitol. I'd say it would've taken her another minute to bleed out; you, I'm surpirised you woke up at all. Most people would've already called you dead."

Remy shuffled in the thin duvet so that he had his back against the metal wire of his bedpost. There was something about the man he barely knew that put him on edge, particularly the underlining threat, which hadn't gone unnoticed.

"But I'm not." Remy replied with a tight lipped smile.

"No." The president agreed. "You're not."

"But, there can only be one winner Mr. Titan. You must understand that. To suggest you both win would throw the whole Games into uproar; next year, whose to say three of you wouldn"t try your luck?"

Remy nodded, barely following the President's trail of thought between the bushes of cloudy memories.

"Unfortunately for you, the Capitol have taken a liking to your sister. She's just the more exciting Victor: most kills in the Hunger Game's history; beautiful and most of all; she's the one who killed the District One boy. The Capitol is screaming out for Lorna Titan to be crowned- that requires your death."

Alec didn't have the time to formulate his suprise. Remy did; he glanced at the man so many times that he was sure he would get whiplash from the speed at which he begged his mentor for salvation. And yet, he stood like a robot without a care in the world.

"So. . . you're going to kill me?" Remy asked, barely able to contain the shiver than ran through his limbs. Beside him, his monitor began to rise.

He was unable to snatch his composure back from the grasps of his panic; he tried his hardest to look unshakable as the pair closed the space between him further. Snow, in his powerful position, simply chuckled at the boy's question.

"No. I want you to help me."

There was a distinct taste of bile in the back of Remy's throat. It didn't seem to matter as the President pulled out a remote from the inner pocket of his blazer and turned it on. It was silver and white, with ten buttons on the top side of the object which were all unlabelled. The man pointed it at Alec and pressed the third button down from the top; Alec's shoulders seemed to rise, before he advanced further towards the hospital bed. Remy's mentor wasted no time in grabbing him by the neck and gently applying pressure. There was nothing the 18 year old could do except grab at his fingers as Snow stood with the remote raised, his hand on another button.

"You can agree to aid me Mr. Titan, or Alec can kill you on this very bed."

Snow pressed the remote again, and Alec stood back again. He looked as still as before his unexplainable attack, while Remy was left heaving right before the President's hands.

"I nearly lost all my Victors this year; did you really expect me to present Panem with two? No. There is only ever one winner. Alec gets it, you see. He was so very sorry for his mentee's action; the young man even went as far as offering his body up to my scientists as repayment."

Snow gestured to Alec, still unmoving.

"Doesn't he look better now? With no emotions getting in the way- no heart? We replaced it all with wires and coding before stitching it up so tightly, nobody could take it out with him alive.

He isn't gone, per say. When I need his services - like now for example -  Alec just gets to take his hands off the wheel for a little bit. In a few years, maybe he'll be a full time hit man, but I wouldn't want to overwork the system just yet. I want you to do the same Mr. Titan, or your blood will be the first he'll have to clean up."

What else was the boy to do?

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1537 words