Zoya woke in a state of panic when she heard Peetas voice. "I'll add that to the list of words to try and figure you out."
Zoya rubbed her eyes, placing a hand on his shoulder. Peeta looked down. "I'm sorry. I just can't tell what's real and what's made up anymore."
Zoya frowned. " But, Peeta, at least you're trying. Better then most would do if they were you."
"Just ask." Finnick spoke up. "That's what Annie does."
Peeta turned his head to meet Zoyas eye. "You don't ask."
She swallowed, because she forgot she was his greatest influence now. "I do ask, just not infront of everyone."
"You ask Finnick?" he blinked.
"And Roz. Haymitch sometimes." Zoya inhaled as she nodded her head. "You can ask too."
Peeta swallowed. "Who?"
"Any of us." she shook his head, thumb running across the back of his hand. "Whatever isn't all there."
Peeta looked in Katniss' direction. "Your favorite color is green. Is that real?"
"Yeah. It's real." she spoke in return. "Yours is orange, so is Roz's. Zoyas is blue, Finnicks is too. I realized this when you two were gone, and it was just the three of us."
Zoya looked over, Katniss was hurt, that much was clear. She wasn't good at showing love or affection, but not having Peeta or Zoya was rough on her, it was terrible. Now, they were back, but different. Peeta nodded. "Thank you."
"You're a painter." Katniss went on. "You're a baker. You tried to teach Zoya, and she tried to teach me. You sleep with the windows open. Never take sugar in your tea. You always double knot your shoe laces."
They all watched in worry as Katniss stood. "You were right. I can't do this."
She walked as far away as she could, sitting with Roz as the curly haired girl took her hand. Zoya held Peetas hand as he looked over at her. "I don't think anything changed with you."
"What do you mean?" she faced him.
"My memories." he said in return. "I did try to teach you, but you did terrible and mixed up sugar and salt. Real or not real?"
"Real." she nodded.
"You snuck into the bakery to visit me but Snow scared you after so you ran to Katniss and her mother." Peeta blinked. "Not real?"
"That's real too." Zoya encouraged him.
"In the games, you fell off a cliff and I thought you were dead for a few second." the blonde looked down in worry. "I know that was real."
"But, we're okay." she promised, holding his face in her hands. "We're still real."
Peeta nodded as he shut his eyes. "Real."
"Listen up." Boggs got the unit's attention earlier that morning. "Mag's empty. It's only for the propo."
He gave Peeta the gun as Zoya rubbed his back, staying close. Boggs met her eye in confirmation, getting one. "Let's move. Headed five blocks north."
Peeta looked over at Zoya as they walked together. "They trust me only with you?"
"They trust you because I trust you." she reassured him with a small head shake. "Stay close to me and Finnick, okay?"
"Wanna practice a speech?" Finnick lingered back with the two, Roz walking forward to go after Katniss.
"Okay." Peeta nodded.
"To the citizens of The Capitol, our war is not with you." Finnick read from the paper, having Peeta repeat it back to him. "You will be a vital part of the democracy that follows our victory."
"You will be a vital part of the democracy that follows our victory." Peeta repeated.
"Look at you." Zoya praised with a smile. "You got it."
"Okay." Peeta inhaled, the three following the group down a narrow part of the city.
"Boggs." Jackson called to stop him. "This is a good spot. Through there at the court yard."
"Okay." Boggs confirmed, Zoya locked arms with Peeta and Finnick as they walked down the narrow steps together.
"Jesus." she spoke. "How many people do you think fall off of these?"
"Daily?" Finnick questioned, getting a nod. "Eighteen."
"Like, a thousand eighteen?" she asked.
"Sure, that's what I meant." the blonde cracked a grin as Zoya did in return, their shoulders hitting.
"We got a pod." Boggs spoke up as the Halo started to beep loudly. "Split. Take cover."
Roz and Zoya went to one side, kneeling behind Katniss. Roz held Zoyas shoulder as the groups lined up, shielded behind the wall. Boggs tossed a rock down the alley way, loud gun fire going off as he did so. Zoya shut her eyes immediately
"No, please!" she begged as the electricity sounded loudly, having her body drug closer to it. "Please, i'm sorry!"
"Zoya." Roz grabbed her shoulders in worry as she squeezed her eyes tightly, breathing heavy. "Z, hey. It's okay."
It wasn't okay, the sound was too familiar as her hands pressed into her ears. Katniss looked back at her in worry, the way she was shutting down and falling still and quiet. The state she was when she returned from The Capitol still haunted her. Peeta wasn't going okay himself, but Finnick had him.
"Hey." Katniss turned back to hold her face. "Look at me. You can not go away right now. I need you here with me, okay? Look at me, in my eyes."
Zoyas glossy stare met Katniss's eyes as the Everdeen girl nodded. "You can't disappear."
Zoya inhaled deeply, finding herself. "I'm here."
Katniss nodded, removing her hands from her face. They stood up after Boggs began to order them off, Zoyas eyes locked onto Peeta as he cried and held his face. She walked over in a panic, Finnick meeting her eye.
Her left foot sunk into the ground, a loud boom echoing from feet away.
"Boggs!" Jackson called out in a panic.
Zoya froze, completely still. Her step had blown Boggs in two, her fault. Her heart was in her stomach as she watched Katniss and the others run to him. She was frozen, in fear and guilt. Roz ran to her quickly. Zoya shook her head. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. Not your fault." Roz spoke fast, looking to Finnick in hopes he'd step in. "Z, hey, remember what Katniss said."
Zoya could feel herself start to slip into a void state again, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. Zoyas voice started to echo. New hands were on her, holding her face. "Zoya."
Peeta.
"It's okay." he held her fece as she took deep breaths. "It wasn't your fault."
Zoya nodded, coming back fully as he pulled her in tightly for a moment.
They went to the rest of the group as Katniss let Boggs die into her arms. She looked to Zoya as she whimpered. "I'm so sorry, Katniss."
"He's gone." Gale whispered.
One of the Leauge sisters cried out, her leg getting hit by the explosion. Her sister ran to her, like Zoyas foot had, sinking into the ground. Peeta gripped onto Zoya tighter, Roz pulled Katniss to her feet as the walls of the area closed.
Black tar began to spill.
"Let's go, let's go!" Gale shouted in a panic as they all took off, Finnick dragging Zoya and Peeta with him to keep them close, neither fully trusted to do much right now. Zoya took off toward Katniss when she was struggling with her bag and the halo, taking her bag for her quickly.
"I got it!" Zoya announced, running up the stairs before Peetas hands latched onto Katniss, yanking her back. "Peeta!"
She tried to go for him, he was yanking Katniss so hard that his fist collided with her nose. Zoya yelped at the contact, stumbling to the side as Finnick tackled her before the tar splashed up onto her. They stumbled, standing quickly to see Peeta shove a squad member into the tar after saving Katniss.
Roz tackled him next, putting each of them in a panicked state that he'd over power her. Roz yanked Peeta harshly toward the building opening, Zoyas hand latching with Katniss' to yank her up as Finnick pulled them both toward the opening.
"Zoya, im sorry!" Peeta called over his shoulder as Roz yanked him.
Zoya realized her nose was bleeding from how he'd hit her, running up behind him quickly. Jackson made the call though. "Sedate him!"
"Peeta." Zoya panicked, catching his body as it limbed from the shot, laid into her arms as they sunk onto the ground together.
•
kylie speaks
sorry boggs, zoya was
just worried about her
man and didn't mean to
blow you up in the process