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"𝐊eep going! Keep going!" Shouted Gale while everyone ran out of the tunnel. They all hurried while blindly shooting in the direction of incoming peacekeepers. Despite the aching in her heart that somehow managed to travel all the way down to her limbs, burning every inch of her legs, Quinn was forced to continue. A peacekeeper shot an arrow that whipped right past her face, slicing right beneath her eye in the process. The girl slapped a hand over it in before continuing on in pain.
𝐓hey all ran towards an exit when all of a sudden, a member of Cressida's team disintegrated before their eyes. The overhead lights switch on and off, another pod. Quinn's lungs felt like they were about to explode. Despite the blood that coated her hand and ran all the way down her face Quinn still continued. Her body burned more then ever and she was forced to quicken her sprinting at the sound of the ground breaking beneath them. "Hurry!" Katniss screamed over the chaos. The blades were closing in on Katniss and Peeta.
𝐐uinn was lucky enough to be near the front of the pack, leading them to safety. The pain in her legs was so unbearable that she was forced to stop and catch her breath, just catching a glimpse of Katniss and Peeta leaping to safety. Katniss got up and continued running while Peeta stayed on the ground, holding his head in his hands. "Peeta come on!" Cressida yelled causing Katniss to turn back to the bakers boy. "Peeta!".
"𝐏eeta, we have to keep going!" The girl begged. "I'm a mutt! I can't keep control!" The boy yelled profusely while shaking his head. "—yes, you can! Look at me! Look at me!" She forced his eyes to meet hers eyes pulling the boy into a kiss—reminding Quinn of the love she has just lost and breaking another piece of her heart. Her grief only grows stronger when they continue running outside and they pass a billboard with Finnick's face on it. His sweet, beautiful face. "I know where we are! I know a place over here!" Cressida led them to a small building.
𝐆ale banged on the door while everyone waited anxiously behind. "Someone's coming.." Peeta whispered just as the door opened. Both Quinn and Gale pushed their way inside while everyone else soon followed. "Shut the door, shut the door!". Katniss instinctively drew an arrow, aiming at the owner of the building. "No Katniss it's okay! It's okay!" Cressida reassured. "Tigris, do you remember me? I'm with Plutarch underground. We need your help" Quinn kept a close eye on the woman who seemed like they had just given her the fright of her life.
"𝐈 know you" Quinn squinted her eyes while slowing coming to a realisation. "You were a stylist during the games" The girl continued while Tigris led them to a corner. "Before Snow decided I wasn't pretty enough anymore" The woman huffed as she pulled back a rug, revealing a hidden basement. "I'm here to kill him" Katniss said, prompting what seemed to be a smile of relief from Tigris.
***
𝐄veryone settled into the hidden basement. Katniss sat on the ladder as a guard, Cressida helped Gale who seemed to be in pain from some sort of injury, Pollux sat by himself, sobbing silently at the loss of his brother. Quinn found a corner where she continued weeping in. She felt a sharp pain through her abdomen and immediately went to clutch her stomach. Her thoughts instantly went to the baby in her womb and she refrained from letting out a loud hiss of pain. She forced herself to calm down but it was no use. Her heart thumped so hard in her chest, she felt as if it were one beat away from leaping out.
𝐐uinn's quiet whimpers of pain alerted the Mockingjay. "Quinn you need to calm down.." Katniss spoke causing all eyes to fall on the pregnant girl. "Don't fucking tell me to calm down at a time like this!" Quinn scoffed. "I know you're upset.." Katniss began but was soon cut off. "Upset?! Yeah that's one way to put it!" She threw her head back against the wall as another cramp rippled through her body. It was hard to tell to whether her stress was what made it more painful or her body just aching in general.
"𝐐uinn—" Peeta attempted to shuffle towards her to which she threw an uninterested hand in his face. "I'm fine!" She snapped between grunts and he hesitantly backed away. Eventually, she let out a shaky breath while placing a hand over her heart and somehow managed to relax herself despite the tears still running down her bruised cheeks. "Gales gonna need stitches..." Cressida sighed causing Quinn to look at the rest of the group. Her eyes scanned over Pollux who was still sobbing. The girl watched knowing exactly how he felt.
"𝐈 made it up.." Katniss spoke briefly. "All of it. There is no special mission from Coin, there's only my plan.." The girl admitted. "Everyone that's dead is dead because of me. I lied..". "You think we didn't already know that?" Quinn almost chuckled at the girls confession. "We know, we all knew" Cressida added. "The soldiers from 13?" Katniss said in confusion. "They did, too" Cressida confirmed. ""Do you really believe that Jackson thought you had orders from Coin? She trusted Boggs and he clearly wanted you to go on".
𝐊atniss stares at her with a puzzled expression. "I never meant for this to happen" She denied. "I failed..I- I killed them. I killed Finnick.." She looked at Quinn who was looking up at the ceiling to prevent any more tears from falling. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Quinn...". Quinn wanted to reassure her. To tell her that it wasn't her fault. But instead she just shook her head while tears continued to stream down her face. "Glimmer, Marvel, Mags, Clove, Wiress, Rue" Peeta spoke "What do all those deaths mean? They mean that our lives were never ours" He stated before answering the question himself.
"𝐓here was no real life, because we didn't have any choice. Our lives belong to Snow and our deaths do too" The boy continued. "But if you kill him Katniss....if you end this, all those deaths, they mean something" Quinn nodded. "He's right" The girl agreed. "Cinna, Boggs, Castor, Jackson...Finnick" She glanced at the ground before continuing. "They chose this, They chose you".
***
𝐀 mix of dried blood and tear stains painted Quinn's face. Cressida was knelt beside her, stitching the cut by her eye. Quinn winced at the sting of the wet cloth being dabbed against her skin. "How bad is it?" She asked seeing a worried look brew on Cressida's face. "It's pretty deep. Not too bad, but it'll scar" She answered with a sympathetic glance. Quinn sighed in exhaustion. "God, as if I didn't have enough scars already now I have this" She pointed to the scar in annoyance. "Just try not to rip your stitches" The woman warned while finishing up. "I can give you an eye patch if you'd like?" She prompted causing a loud scoff from Quinn. "Not bloody likely".
𝐀 distant boom caught everyone's attention. "What is that?" Quinn spoke. "Mortar shells" Gale stood up in realisation. "It's not ours. Peacekeepers must be shellin' the rebels outside the city". "That's not outside the city" Cressida said with a nervous look. "We should prepare" Quinn stood despite the aching in her legs and went to grab her bow. All her knives were still strapped to her waist except one that was probably still lodged in a dead mutt. "The suns coming up" Gale announced after coming back downstairs. "There's some small-arms fire. Could be Paylor, maybe Lyme. Rebels are close". "This is it" Cressida said with a shaky breath. An announcement began playing on the TV and everyone turned to listen.
"To all Capitol citizens more than half a mile outside the City Circle, I am announcing a mandatory evacuation. Come to the mansion. I am promising you shelter and sanctuary. All refugees, come to my home. And there you will be provided with food, medicine, safety for your children" Quinn scoffed at that line. "As if he gives a damn about the safety of children" She commented bluntly. "And you will have my solemn oath to protect you until my dying breath". "Wish he'd hurry up with that last part" Cressida commented, prompting a slight chuckled from Quinn.
"Our enemy is not like us, they do not share our values. They have never known our comfort and our sophistication. And they despise us for it. Make no mistakes. They are not coming to liberate us. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming to bury us" It finished. "Is he still in the mansion, Peeta?" Katniss asked. "Yeah..I recognise the room" The boy confirmed. "Where's that?" Katniss laid out a map. "About five blocks away. We're right here, off the avenues. Mansions here" Cressida pointed. "What about the pods?" Quinn asked. "Well, they'll probably deactivate the pods around here for the residents safety".
"𝐓hat could work. I could get close enough" Katniss nodded confidently. "Every peacekeepers gonna be waiting" Gale commented. "Next to our faces on every billboard" Quinn added. "Snows offering shelter to all the refugees" Katniss shrugged. Every shared a look of hesitation before eventually agreeing. "Me and Katniss will go" Gale said. "I'm coming too" Quinn instantly intervened while following them towards the door. "I'd hope so" She heard Katniss snicker prompting a satisfied smirk on her face. Cressida began giving them directions while Tigris fixed up a quick disguise for the girl.
"𝐓his is our chance" Quinn stated. "We got one shot" Cressida agreed. "Let's make it count" Gale nodded before the three said their goodbyes. "Quinn" The girl heard Peeta call. When she turned back around the bakers boy stood before her with an unreadable expression. "Yes?" The girl raised a brow and was surprised when the boy went in for a hug. "Thank you.." He whispered in her ear. "For everything". A sad smile grew on the victors face as she pulled back from the hug. "Don't die" She pointed a finger in the boys face as if it were more a demand than a warning. He let out a light chuckle before the trio turned to the door. "I mean it".
𝐓he three exited the building, heading the exact way Cressida told them to. Silence was the best option for them at the moment considering the danger they were walking into. And with their faces popping up on every billboard followed by the constant reminder of Finnick's death, it wasn't exactly the time for a conversation. As they turned a corner into the main square, a long line of civilians stood in front of them. The trio swiftly made their way into the flood of people, blending in perfectly amongst everyone else.
"𝐇ere we go.." Quinn said in a not so confident way, while realising a shaky breath. Peacekeepers stood on every corner of the street. Guns ready, eyes scoping the parade of people. A young girl in a lemon coat, being carried by her mother caught Quinn's eye. The child stared back at her oblivious and confused about everything going on. Quinn was so focused on the girl she hadn't noticed the peacekeepers ahead checking everyone's identity before letting them continue. "Shit" She mumbled before the trio came to a hasty stop and turned back around only to see more peacekeepers coming in from behind, also checking people.
𝐓he next moments came in a blur. There was a sudden explosion caused by rebels. Everyone was screaming and the three were quickly running to safety. The sound of gunshots and explosions were so loud Quinn felt as if she were on the verge of going deaf. "Come on come on!" Gale hurried the two girls as they continued. Another massive explosion hit causing all three to go flying. Quinn hit the ground hard. She blacked out almost immediately. When she woke, it was to the deafening sound of silence. The sound of her ears ringing.
𝐓he girl laid on her back, watching as smoke rose in her peripheral vision. And just then. Like a gift from the heavens, came a voice. A sweet, melodic voice. Like one you would hear in a lullaby before falling into a deep slumber. The light vanished from her blurry vision and when she managed to focus, she realised a woman was knelt over her. A woman whose face she could never forget. A woman who she could always recognise no matter the situation. "Mom?".
|𝐓𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐬|