꧁𝙢𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣꧂
<Time skip>
𝙰𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚢
Once we got through the tunnel the Avox guy took the lead keeping us out of sight and away from cameras. — I felt slightly bad always calling him Avox guy, or beetle man, but in honesty he hasn't told me his name so what am I meant to call him? —Since it was day the pods were deactivated, not that there were many since we were underground. This was how they still got things in and out of the Capitol, food, weapons, peacekeepers, anything and everything comes through here. Passing through the underground wasn't the funnest of things considering we were not to far away from the gunk below.
Every step we take we stop for a moment to check the surroundings or we go even quicker to a safer spot. Although there weren't many cameras there were still some and we needed to do everything in order to stay out of sight as the capitol believes us dead.
At some point everyone had grew tiered and although I want to say otherwise I had too. My legs were numb as the pins and needles shot through them throughout our trek.
"Hey, are you okay?" A familiar voice rang in my ear oh so quietly.
"Mhm, just fine," I nod turning my attention back to where we were going.
"If you need anything I'm right here, remember that," they told me once again. I swear the phrase never gets old for some people.
"Yeah, and I don't need you right here, right now," the words shot through my teeth like venom.
A huff of air escapes their lips, and with that a wash of guilt washed over me. "Sorry, I was just tryna-" they started but I cut them off.
"Please do save it for when I actually care," I remind them. In all honesty I didn't know why I was being so relentless towards Finnick, I mean he's only trying to help me. Maybe it was the lack of sleep and nutrition getting to my head? Maybe it was the way he thought himself as better than me? But somewhere deep down I know it's that he had taken my sister from me, the only true person that cared for me he had taken and though I'd never dare to admit it I'm jealous. Why can't the world let me keep one person.
"I think it's best we camp here tonight," Katniss breaks all silence that engulfed the team around us. Down here we had no idea on time or anything of the sort, what we did know is we've been walking for longer than needed and we need to rest.
I found myself on the first shift of the night, even though I was tiered as one can be there was very little chance that I'd get to sleep if I tried.
Nothing much happened, people went to sleep and once again Peeta stayed silent, fiddling with what he had in his hands.
I didn't dare try to start a conversation with him, I was fully devoted to keeping me and the others safe from him.
"Is she safe?" His raspy voice sprang from nowhere.
"Who?" I ask leaning in closer as if interested.
"Blair," he thought for just a moment before whispering something to himself I could barely make out, but I knew what it was. "Orange, green, rooftop, bakery, cakes, cave, stew, the meadows, Blair," why is he asking about her?
"Yes, she should be fine." I tell him sitting back to where I was before.
"But is she right now?" He asks once again, I notice how he watched me, watched every move and emotion.
I huff a large breath of air before speaking again, "we can't tell, we assume she's okay and if anyone really knew, it'd be you as you were the last to see her."
By the look on his face my answer was not what he wanted to hear, it was far from it. He sat back against the cold cement his blue eyes were dull and lifeless all emotion had been washed away.
•••
Someone was shaking me awake as my eyes adjusted to the dark, when I turn to see who was awakening me and it was Finnick. He had a worried expression piercing through his eyes as he tried to get me up, oh no, did Peeta get away when I fell asleep? Had I really failed this already?
I quickly got up to see Peeta was still very much here, sound asleep. That can't be right, why have I been woken up? It took a second as I fully awoke but the whispers and snake like noises weren't just in my head. They were real, hisses, like from a pipe but I knew that couldn't be. Then as if a switch went off in my head I realised they were mutts, and they were hunting for us.
They've been sent to find us. They've found out our bodies weren't among the rubble of the apartment they exploded. They've lost their ways of getting us so they've sent mutts.
Katniss shushed everyone, trying to figure out what they could be saying. It was a word, a name, being repeated like a broken music box.
It was her name, and her name only. Katniss.
Blair used to tell me about mutts when we were young, before her games, before Marcus, before mum and dad, before Finnick, before everything. She used to tell me what was told to her or how she saw the patterns in them by observing. She used to tell me how they were out to get you and you only, seek what can't be caught, bring fire to the fun. She used to tell me how people got away from them or how they simply couldn't. She used to tell me why they were as they were and she used to tell me that no matter what she could've done, she couldn't have of saved the ones she lost to them in her game.
Katniss aimed her bow at the Peeta who now began to stir in his sleep. She's contemplating letting the arrow go, but then the boy lurches forwards and whips his head to face her.
"Katniss!" He cried , his eyes bulging from their sunken-in sockets. "Katniss you need to get out of here." Peeta was the one shouting, he looked as if he himself was worried. But not for himself, but for Katniss.
"Why?" She hisses in reply, "what's making that sound?" She questioned, refusing to put her bow down quite yet.
"I don't know, only that it's not going to stop 'til it kills you, Katniss." Peeta reply's. I feel Finnick inching closer, closing the distance, trying to give me more protection from whatever is out there. "Run! Get out! Go!" Peeta repeats once again, trying so hard to get to leave Katniss, to get Katniss to go to safety.
At that moment Katniss finally let her bow string relax, turning to face us once again. "Whatever is out there is after me. It might be a good time to split up."
"But we're your guard," Jackson argues.
"And we're your crew," Cressida adds.
"I'm not leaving you," Gale announces and Finnick nods his head.
"I'm not letting Ash out of my sight," Finnick says firmly, he was now a step in front of me as if he himself, was my protection.
Sort of nudging Finnick out of my way I step forward to face Katniss in a shorter distance. "Look Katniss, I came here to fight with you, not for you. So now if we could hurry up a plan to get the hell out of this shit show," I announce my voice growing stronger as I speak.
After finishing my little rant a clamp on my wrist hauls me back and a male voice whispers in my ear, "enough of that Ashley. I'm here to protect you so don't go off tryna get Katniss over there to shoot you between your eyes. Got it," his words were harsh yet soft, strong yet weak, protective yet joking.
We haven't got much more time, so whatever plan she has in the making I hope she finishes quick. She scans her eyes across the room before suggesting Finnick gives one of his guns to Castor. Then, she ejects the blank cartridge from Peeta's gun and replaces it with a full one. She hands her gun to Messalla and Gale does the same to Cressida, they both quickly show them how to aim and pull the trigger before we hurry out of here.
The hissing instantly becomes louder when we're outside the room, which is frightening, but this means we get a better idea of where these mutt shits are. They're definitely behind us, still a fair bit of distance away so we won't be caught immediately.
We hurry through the tunnel so that we can escape the mutts, moving as quickly as possible as still trying to be careful, and we manage to make it about three blocks when a noice makes me freeze in my tracks. My heart now in my throat from the noise. Thick, guttural, pain-filled screams echoing off of the walls.
"Avoxes," Peeta says immediately, his eyes staying off of whoever was looking his way. "That's what Darius sounded like when they tortured him."
An ill feeling finds it's way through my bones making me shiver to get it out.
This is what they heard. This is what they had to hear whilst sitting there, unable to do anything but sit and listen. My own sister, these sounds and memories buried deep in her that not even I knew she went through anything like this. I should've guessed it would be like this, things to make her feel bad, powerless and the reason poor innocent people suffered.
Now I realise what I've done. Now I've realised I was all the family she truly had left. Now I've gone and left her all alone without me. Now I've got to make it back, not only for myself but for her; Blair Sutherland, victor and surviver of the 68th and 75th hunger games. My sister, my family, my life, my reason. My reason.
"The mutts have found them," Cressida says.
"So, they're not just after Katniss," Leeg 1 says, fear invading her voice.
"They'll probably kill anyone. It's just that they won't stop until they get to Katniss," Gale replies. I feel Finnick's body stiffen near mine, his breathe catching in his throat. The older boy glances down reassuring himself I'm still there, not gone, not dead. Katniss was quick to offer her plan of splitting up again.
"Let me go alone," she offers. "I'll lead them off. I'll transfer the Holo to Jackson. The rest of you can finish the mission."
"No one's going to agree to that!" Jackson argues aggressively, now sick of Katniss's plan of splitting up.
People begin to argue with Katniss of their reasons to stay together when a voice stops them.
"Listen," Peeta whispers. We all stop, listening closely to the sounds of the tunnel. It had all turned suddenly quiet again. The screams are gone, the Avoxes are dead. The whispers are slithering their way back to us. And it's startling to hear they're no longer just behind us. They're below us as well.
Everyone quickly got their things and we passed out the guns so everyone had a weapon; including Peeta.
The more we walked the louder or fainter the slithering got. It was now we had to make a choice, either we all die or we try.
We run again. This time it feels like it never stops, the running of us on eggshells that's already cracked and is now decaying beneath us. Will we ever get out? Will I ever get to see my sister again? Will I ever get to meet my niece or nephew? Will my sisters child have a dad to wake up to every morning, a second parent to show it what love is like, to tell it stories of how they fought in the rebellion?
The words circle my head I barely even noticed that we had stopped running now we stood at steps that lead to the lower level of tunnels and Katniss along with Pollux begin hurriedly searching for another route.
I tried hard not to let the stench of the tunnels get to me and we ran, it was something about not knowing that only made everything worse.
We crawl through a tight, crawl space and the avox - who's name I've heard him being called was Pollux - goes first, checking our path was clear. Acknowledging it was he signalled the rest of us through, now we were running again.
I tried to keep notice of my surroundings but it was hard with my mind only screaming at me for being selfish. I know what I must do. I know that even if it risks my life I need Finnick to get back safe. Blair has lost me before and she got through it with the help of Finnick, he knows her more than me for my life's sake even Peeta knows her better.
So caught up in my thoughts I hadn't registered that the mutts had caught up to us, I was the only one not fighting, I was the only one being dragged along to safety.
"Stop pulling me with you I can go myself," I snarl at Finnick as he continues to act like my personal guard.
"Get off me Finnick, I can fight for myself," are my words not registering in his head or something?
I pull back from his grip and start shouting into the blaze behind me that the mutts were crawling through before continuing the run for freedom.
I don't know when it happened but all I know is, we've made it to the main sewer.
"I promised her," he whispered.
"Well I don't care, I don't need your help and I don't want it." He visibly gulps down at my words, something changes in his eyes. Did I hurt him?
I don't even dare to look down and into the poisonous sludge of human waste as we move quickly onto the slippery ledge, moving onto a narrow bridge and slowly, making our way across. Managing to cross it without a casualty of someone falling in, we then make it into an alcove where Pollux smacks his hand on a ladder and points up.
Easy, this is our way out.
But, Katniss turns and looks over our squad, quickly counting, making sure everyone's here. "Wait!" She calls, her brows furrowing, "where's Jackson and Leeg 1?"
"They stayed behind to hold the mutts back," Parker answers and Katniss's eyes go wide, falling from their sockets.
She moves to go back over the bridge and help them, but Parker is quick to stop and haul her back in place. "Don't waste their lives, Katniss. It's too late for them. Look," he motions to the pipe and Katniss turns to see the mutts already begging to slither their way out into the ledge. Shit.
They're all white, four-limbed, fleshy creatures that look like the size of a full grown human. But they're not humans at all; quite far from it in-fact. They're completely naked, with long reptilian tails, arched backs and heads that jut forwards. I immediately know what they are, or at least what they represent. They're the mutts that attacked my sister in the hunger games, the reason her friend died, the reason I nearly lost both my sister and brother.
Except now they were bigger, stronger and they won't stop 'til Katniss is dead. It would be a lie if I said they didn't look more terrifying in real life, because they did. And I was trembling I'm my place.
"Stand back!" Gale shouts, firing an explosive arrow and ripping the bridge from its place. It's sinks down to be swallowed by the poisonous concoction below just as the mutts reach it. The mutts begin to shriek Katniss's name in rage as she stands, staring at the creatures as they lash out with their tails and claws; tearing huge chunks frown one another and even their own bodies. They're completely driven mad by their mood to kill Katniss.
The mutts begin to throw themselves into the toxins of the sewer and everyone opens fire on them. Katniss and Gale unleash whatever arrows they have on the mutts, everyone does whatever they can do in their own power to destroy them. And yet they keep coming. There's an endless supply poring in through the pipe, trying to cram themselves in the small place to get to us. We have no possible way to take out all of them at this time, so everyone begins to make their escape.
I find myself helplessly rooted to my spot as everyone else raves to the ladder. Whatever it takes, Finnick must meet his child, my sister must have someone she trusts left.
The mutts reach me as I begin to run out of bullets so I take my chances with the knives I was given earlier. I pull a large throwing knife from its pocket and press the button that makes it turn into a sort of staff but either end a long blade. It only took a few swings for them to start going down, I see everyone else fighting their own way to safety. The fatigue starts to catch up with me as the adrenaline rushes, seeps out of my veins yet something is screaming at me to make sure Finnick stays alive. For Blair, for me.
"Ashley, what are you doing? We have to go!"
I barely hear the voice over the screeches, but I knew they were right. There's no way in heaven and earth I can fight off all of these mutts by myself, as soon as I take one out it's replaced by another identical, harsher one. So, I drive my sword through the final one and turn on my heel to make a run for it.
I feel hands clawing at me as I make a run for the ladder. A sharp pain erupts on my back causing me to sway in my steps, but two strong hands haul me towards the ladder. Finnick.
"Go. Go first, I promise I'll be right begins you," I tell him taking the place behind him and shoving him up the ladder.
"But, Blair wante-" Finnick hesitates but I cut him off.
"I'm smaller, harder to catch, quicker. She needs you more than me right now so get the bloody hell up that ladder before we both get ourselves killed. Besides I don't need your help, I'm my own person, now go." I order him, once again shoving him up.
Just as he's getting to the top I notice something, someone, Katniss.
She's making her way to me and she's almost here shoving a hand out to me. Without a second thought I grab it, pulling her up onto the ledge and shove her halfway up the ladder. Then, not even waiting for her to get up I start climbing.
I clamber your the ladder, Katniss sat at the top looking down on me. Letting my hand raise to make it easier for her to pull me up I look into her eyes. Fear, regret and utter shock fogs her vision. She doesn't move.
"Katniss! Help me up!" I scream at the paralysed girl when a sharp pain shoots through my side. Letting out a wretched yelp of pain trying to claw my way up the last part of the ladder, loosing my weapon to the abyss below.
"Katniss, help her!" A voice cries from behind her.
Tears boil in my eyes, more hands tug my down, more mutts getting their claws on my body, more pain throbbing throughout my body, more and more of my vision slips away. Screams scratch my throat as I try to make any sound escape my mouth.
"Finnick! Make it stop."
My grip wasn't strong enough. My body is roughly torn to the ground. The slimy skin slivers around every inch of my body, ripping my clothes apart getting to my skin. Disgusting mutts are all they are now ripping my skin spilling the crimson red blood into a pool around me.
"Finnick, please," the sound barely left my lips, it's was hoarse and raw, breaking when I tried to use it.
Myself now drenched in unbearable pain, unable to hold on any longer. My eyelids grew heavy, keeping them open became a chore as well as taking in a breath and releasing it, now my vision blurring into black.
Heat. Heat radiating in the air above me, brushing against the bodies covering me.
Nothing.
•••
I'm sorry.