||ODDS|| Newt x Reader In The Hunger Games

34. Aren't Roses supposed to be Red?

"I wanna be on the rescue team." Finnick said suddenly.

"What?" I asked in a pointed, sharp tone.

Newt placed an arm on his shoulder and said, "Mate, it's too dangerous."

"It's my girlfriend that's being tortured in the Capitol, I need to go get her back. You should be coming too! She is your sister!"

"Unfortunately, Newt will not be on the rescue team." Coin interrupted. "Beetee needs all the help he can get to keep the Capitol's defences down. And Mr. Odair, I'm sorry but neither can you go. You were just released from the hospital and you still may be experiencing trauma from your time in the games. It may be a liability to the rest of the team."

"What am I supposed to do here!? Sit around and wait for Annie to come frolicking through the front doors!?" He practically yelled.

"C'mon, let's go get some air." Newt said and took Finnick by his arm and went outside the room before Finn said or did something he would regret.

"Well, can I go?" I volunteered.

"I would've allowed it, (Y/n), but we need you here more."

"What use am I here?"

"We might need to come up with a distraction for the Capitol to see while the rescue is taking place. Something to jam their signal to get our team in and out without being detected. And because of Katniss's recent outburst, it's safe to say that she won't do anymore filming for now."

"You want me to record a propo for the Capitol?"

"It will be telecasted live across all districts and yes, including the Capitol. We have limited amount of time and we need to come up with negative news about the Capitol or Snow that you should speak about."

"Oh I know exactly what to talk about." I said, remembering all the cruel and horrible things Snow did to me and my loved ones. "But I need Finnick to do it with me. I can't do this alone."

"Very well then. Go talk to him about it."
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"So we're just supposed to tell everything?" Finn questioned after I told him the conversation I had with Coin.

"Yup. The murder of my parents... Your sexual exploitation... and every little secret we've learnt along the way."

He nodded and buried his face in his palms. "What if he kills her when the telecast is going on?"

"I have a strong feeling our rescue team will reach them before he does. Let's hope for the best, yeah?"

"Okay." He mumbled.

Night had fallen and Newt was called in to help Beetee, while Finnick and I were getting ready to speak.

Gale and 5 other volunteers along with Boggs were currently on their way to the Capitol to bring back Peeta, Annie and Johanna.

We were escorted to the same place outside where Katniss was supposed to film her propo. Lights had been installed, illuminating the area with a warm, orange glow. The sound of crickets chirping filled the air as Finnick and I made our way to the centre of the small crater.

"You both okay?" Cressida asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Finn answered for the both of us.

I held his hand when I began to get nervous. He gave a small squeeze before the both of us faced the camera, side by side. I let my hand fall to my side, and straightened my posture.

"Castor, to the left. Pollux you're with me. So we'll go straight to camera." Cressida instructed. "Finnick? (Y/n)?"

"Alright, let's do this." I mumbled.

"Okay. Take your time. Just remember to keep talking and don't stop."

We nodded in confirmation. A small red light on the camera indicated that we were now live.

Finnick took a deep breath before beginning. "This is Finnick Odair. Winner of the 65th Hunger Games."

"And I am (Y/n) (l/n), winner of the 72nd Hunger Games. And we're coming to you from district 13, alive and well."

"We've just survived an assault from the Capitol, with no casualties. But we're not here to give you recent news. Instead we're here to tell you the truth. Not the myths about the life of luxury. Not the lie about the glory for your homeland. You can survive the arena. But the moment you leave, you're a slave." There was so much venom in his voice when he said the word. "President Snow used to... sell me... well my body, atleast. But I wasn't the only one. If a victor is considered desirable, the president gives them as a reward or allows people to buy them for an exorbitant amount of money. If you refuse, he kills someone you love."

"I refused. All the people I considered family and friends were all victors of the past games and yet... He killed my parents. They were known by many and yet he murdered them in cold blood right in front of me." I clenched my jaw, thinking about the horrifying memories that I experienced a few years ago. "Just because I refused to give up my last shreds of dignity. But Finnick couldn't because at that time, he was just a young boy, defenceless. And the people he loved were defenceless too."

"To make themselves feel better, my patrons would make presents of money or jewelry, but I found a much more valuable form of payment." He gave a dramatic pause. "Secrets."

"And this is where you're going to want to stay tuned, President Snow, because so very many of them were about you." I said with a sneer.

"Such a young man when he rose to power. Such a clever one to keep it. How, you must ask yourself, did he do it? One word. That's all you really need to know. Poison."

"He destroyed every mutiny before it even started. So many mysterious deaths of adversaries. Even allies who were a threat. Dropping dead at a feast or slowly, inexplicably declining into shadows over a period of months. They blamed it on bad shellfish, elusive viruses, or an overlooked weakness in the aorta."

"Snow used to drink from the poisoned cup himself to deflect suspicion. But antidotes don't always work. That's why he wears the roses that reek of perfume. It's to cover the scent of blood from the mouth sores that will never heal."

"But he can't hide the scent of who he really is. He kills without mercy. He rules with deception and fear."

"His weapon of choice is the only thing suited to such a man. Poison. The perfect weapon for a snake." Finnick spat the last word out, as though the meaning of the word left a disgusting, vile taste in his mouth.

Cressida placed a hand on her ear, listening intently to the person speaking to her. She motioned for the cameras to stop filming. "Cut!" She called out. "The Capitol's systems are back online. They're trying to broadcast Katniss in order to keep them on air for a few more minutes. Must give the rescue team enough time to get the hell out of there."

I let a sigh of relief, knowing that being so vulnerable and open in front of hundreds and thousands of people, was over. All we needed to do now, was wait.

Finnick pulled me into a hug and I immediately wrapped my arms around him. I wouldn't have been able to go through this without him. At that moment, I was reminded again how much Finnick Odair, the charming blond who I was so proud to call my best friend, meant to me.
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