BY NOW everyone in the van had their eyes on the two academy students. Vienna still had her back to the tributes, too scared to turn around.
Out of fear, she grabbed Coriolanus's hand, hoping he would provide a sense of comfort for her. He did for a split second before he let go of her hand, turning around with Vienna following his action.
"Hi." Snow greeted the tributes, although it was in a rather sarcastic tone. None of the tributes seemed happy with his attitude—or maybe it was the fact the two Capitol students were in the van with them.
Vienna peered from behind Coriolanus, who was standing in front of the girl, trying to hide her from the tributes. As she moved her body, she noticed Treech at the opposite end of the van. His arm that had been set on the railing above him had fallen to his side as his eyes set on Vienna.
"What's the matter, pretty boy? You two in the wrong cage?" A dark-skinned male interrogated as he looked directly at the two out-of-place students.
"No, not at all. This cage is delightful, isn't it, my dear Vienna?" Coriolanus looked toward the girl, eyeing her as a sign to play along.
However, she refused to play whatever game he was trying to play, mumbling a quick "I'm not your dear, Coriolanus."
The district boy grew pissed at Coriolanus's response. Vienna moved out of the way as she noticed the same district boy had begun moving toward Coriolanus.
"Get him, Reaper." Another district boy had called out to the boy who had slammed Snow against the wall of the van.
"I will kill you, right now." Reaper, as Vienna had just learned, threatened Snow as he kept him pinned under his arm.
Unfortunately for Vienna, while she had moved out of Reapers way, she had fallen backwards into the laps of a couple of the tributes. The main one being a short red-haired girl who had immediately pushed her off of her as she stood up.
Landing on the ground, the tribute had placed one foot on each side of Vienna's body, ultimately stopping her from getting up. Saying Vienna was scared was an understatement; the girl was absolutely terrified.
"Why don't we kill them both? I'll take sweetheart over here." The red-head spat as she picked up Vienna by her collar and pushed her against the same wall as Coriolanus.
The only difference in the way Vienna and Coriolanus were being handled was the fact that Vienna had begun to be chocked. The redhead had placed both her hands around Vienna's neck and started to squeeze.
Vienna gasped, her eyes wide with fear, as she looked around the van before they landed on Treech. He just stared at her as she struggled, clawing at the redhead's grip. He saw the way her eyes were pleading for help, yet he just stood there—though he did wish for someone to help her.
The girl was slowly starting to lose consciousness; her head was weary, and she felt lightheaded. Coriolanus tried to intervene, reaching to the side to help the girl, but Reaper's hold on Snow prevented any immediate action.
"Wait, stop; don't kill her." Coriolanus begged the redhead, who had tightened her grip on Vienna's neck.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't, Blondie," the tribute replied as she turned her head toward Coriolanus.
"If you kill her, the second we step off this train, they will kill you and everyone you love back in the district."
The redhead rolled her eyes at his pleading. "Everyone I had is already gone."
"Coral, leave her. She's my mentor, or whatever she said. 'mma need her." Treech had finally spoken up, causing Coral to scoff and let Vienna drop to the floor.
Vienna brought her hand to her throat as the air slowly returned to her lungs. She lied on the floor, gasping and trying to recover from the intense chocking.
Vienna felt a presence kneel on the ground next to her. She soon realized it was Treech who had rushed to her side. "You okay, butterfly? Let's get you up." The use of the nickname caused a surge of blood to rise to her cheeks. His hands found their way onto hers, and he pulled her up gently.
Vienna, grateful for Treech's unexpected support, managed a weak smile as he helped her up. The tension in the van lingered as everyone was silent. No one dared to speak, afraid of who would attack who next.
Everyone was so lost in their own thoughts that no one realized how the van had stopped. That was until the van suddenly jerked forward before it began to tilt.
As everyone began sliding, Vienna instinctively grabbed onto Treech, who just so happened to be the nearest person. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist.
Even if he hated the girl, she had almost died two minutes prior. He did not want to see her in any more pain. Treech is a gentleman, helping those in need—no matter their social status or if he despises them or not.
Treech tried his best to keep Vienna locked to his side, but his attempt was useless as the van tipped into an even bigger slope, this time the back door opening. One by one, the tributes and two mentors were dumped into a fenced area.
The Capitol girl had landed with her back against the floor as someone landed on top of her. Her eyes were shut in pain as she groaned at the weight that had fallen on top of her.
"Oh my god, can my lungs please get a break?" Vienna groaned out as she felt the air get knocked out of her lungs once again. Opening her eyes, she saw Treech face-to-face with her, their lips centimeters apart.
"Oh butterfly, I'm so sorry." Treech was quick to get off the girl, who was whining in pain. He once again reached out a hand to help her up. Vienna looked up at the man in front of her, taking his hand.
The two scanned the area, their hands still entwined. The area was fenced by tall metal bars, and people gathered on the opposite side looking in.
The entire area was an open space—no shelter, no food or water, and no beds. There were only trees, rocks, bushes, and dirt.
Vienna couldn't help but feel pissed. "The Capitol Zoo." She mumbled in disbelief, "What kind of sick entertainment is this?"
Treech, still holding Vienna's hand, gave her a look of concern as she watched Coriolanus and his tribute make their way to Lucky and his camera crew. Vienna had no idea what Snow was trying to do, but she realized she would need an explanation as to why she was in the area with the tributes.
Vienna quickly turned to Treech, taking his other hand in hers. "Ok, listen to me; I had no idea they would be keeping you in here. I'm sorry, this is unacceptable." The girl looked into her tributes eyes, making sure she knew how true she was.
Treech looked at the girl but kept quiet; he was still in shock. He didn't know what to say. Vienna realized this, so she continued—she didn't want to leave him in the dust. "Technically, I'm not supposed to be here if my parents find out I'm screwed."
"Well, that's odd; the other student has been holding her tributes hand the entire time." Vienna heard from a man she noticed to be Lucky Flickerman.
"I need you to follow my lead. Just trust me, Treech." Vienna whispered to him. He softly nodded his head. He just met her, and he knew he should hate her, but he couldn't help putting his trust in her. Vienna brought a sense of comfort and safety that Treech had never felt before.
As Vienna walked closer to the man with the camera, he noticed who she was. "Oh my, is that Miss Vienna Hawthorne? Come over here, sweetie."
Vienna's family was very close with the Flickermans. Lucky adored her, always making her laugh as a child. With Vienna's family being very strict during her childhood, he was her only source of entertainment. They weren't related, but Vienna did consider him family.
"How are you, dear? Do your parents know you are here?" Lucky sounded worried for the girl.
Vienna forced a smile, nodding at Lucky as she replied, "Oh, Lucky, you know how I am, always getting myself into unexpected situations." She glanced at Treech, tightening her grip on his hands as a plea for his cooperation. Treech, although still confused, managed a quick nod, mirroring her calm and casual demeanor.
"As for my parents, they won't notice this little detour. They are always stuck in their own world." Vienna assured, her tone carefully measured. The Capitol's twisted sense of entertainment had forced her into a delicate dance of deception.
Lucky chuckled, a mix of amusement and genuine concern on his face. "Well, you were a wild child, always wanting to play in the trees. Just be careful, with, well—who is this young man?"
"This is my tribute and new friend, Treech. So don't you worry about me—he is the sweetest boy I have ever met!" Vienna exclaimed, putting on her best smile for the audience.
Treech finally decided to speak up and play his part for the Capitol. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Flickerman," he paused as he turned from Lucky to the citizens next to him. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
Just as Treech tried to leave, dragging Vienna with him, the pair heard a little girl's voice. She looked around the age of six or seven and was alone, with no parent around. She reminded Vienna of herself, always running off and leaving home without her parents.
Vienna's eyes softened as she observed the young girl, a pang of empathy cutting through the intricate web of deception. The child's innocence stood in contrast to the grim reality of the games.
The little girl approached the two with wide eyes that were filled with curiosity, seemingly unfazed by the current events. "Hello! You are really pretty, miss!" she said, addressing Vienna, who knelt down to the girl's level.
"Why thank you. Aren't you just adorable?" Vienna smiled at the young girl. The more she talked to her, the more she realized just how similar she acted at her age.
"Can you come closer?" The little girl whispered to Vienna, who nodded her head and moved closer so the girl could continue. "Your friend is really cute. Can you ask him where he got his bracelet?"
Vienna chuckled at the girl—Treech was attracting girls of all ages in the Capitol. "He is, isn't he? Why don't you go ask him yourself? He's really nice. I promise." Vienna called Treech over, causing him to kneel down right next to her and take her hand in his for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
"Mister, where did you get the bracelet around your wrist?" The little girl asked him, her eyes still filled with curiosity.
Treech, caught off guard by the innocence of her question, gave her a warm smile. "My mentor, here, gave it to me. Said it's a symbol of hope and freedom— her way of making a promise to get me out alive." The little girl's eyes sparkled with fascination as she listened.
Vienna watched the interaction with a smile on her face. The once harsh, closed-off tribute she met was talking to the little girl in the sweetest way.
The little girl thanked the two before skipping away. This left Treech and Vienna to continue their act for the Capitol. Upon hearing a throat clear above them, the pair stood up.
"What a nice gesture, Miss Hawthorne! Unfortunately, it seems like you are going to meet the same fate as Mr. Snow," he warned the girl, referring to how Coriolanus was previously dragged off before you entered the camera's view.
Just as Lucky said, two peacekeepers appeared behind Vienna, putting their hands on her shoulder so they could drag her out of the fenced area. However, Vienna pushed their hands off with a defiant glare.
"Boys, give me a moment to talk with my tribute." The two peacekeepers nodded, knowing it was best to obey her with how much power she had over peacekeepers.
Vienna dragged Treech far away from the camera, closer to the other tributes. "I'll be back later. I will bring food and water. Just stay safe and take care of Lamina."
Treech nodded at her words before mumbling, "We still don't need your help."
Vienna sighed while still offering him a wry smile. He was back to his stubborn ways now that the cameras were off the two. "Still being stubborn, I see. Either way, know I am here for you—whether you like it or not."
As Vienna walked out with the two peacekeepers by her side, Treech's gaze lingered on her retreating figure. Standing among the tributes, he glanced at Lamina, who had made her way over to him.
"She seemed nice. She's also really pretty. Why don't you let her help you?" His district partner asked him as she watched the whole conversation go down.
"We don't need help from the Capitol Lamina; they are the reason we are in this position in the first place." Treech scowled at the younger girl, resulting in a sigh from her as she walked away.
Looking around to see if he was alone, Treech whispered to himself, "Just because she's nice and pretty doesn't mean I can trust her."
Treech thought about the comfort she brought just by standing next to him. He thought about the way her hand fit perfectly in his and how he felt safe whenever she squeezed his hand in reassurance. He thought about the bracelet that matched her necklace and how she promised to help him be free.
Sadly, it wasn't enough to convince him to let her help him, as he sighed and whispered one more time.
"She's still Capitol."
— haiii sweethearts!!
i hope you guys had a great christmas!!
this chapter took me a while due to the holidays
but I'm going to be writing a lot more now.
i hope you enojoyed! dont forget to comment
and vote— it motivates me!!
stay safe, ily 🦋