☆°.˙ ▍𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘
⎰𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞⎱
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐘 was still fresh in Fleur's mind. Ben's screams that sounded so lifelike, Finnick's confession, and the kiss.
Fleur's eyes caught the silver glimmer of the parachute and watched it as it descended onto the beach. It was another delivery of bread, identical to the one they had received yesterday. Twenty four rolls from District Three. That gave them thirty rolls in all. They each took four, leaving six in reserve.
Finnick and Fleur looked at each other, both of them knowing that the plan to get Katniss and as many Victors as possible out of the Arena would be put into motion tonight.
Fleur chewed on her rolls slowly as her mind ran with thoughts. She knew that Plutarch Heavensbee would try to get out as many Victors as possible, but the main mission was Katniss. Now, she didn't care if she lived or not, or even if she was in the Capitol's jaws. No, what she wanted was Ben to be out of Snow's reach and safe.
"Don't worry. It's going be okay." Finnick stated vaguely, but Fleur knew what he was saying.
He was telling her that Ben would be safe and out of Snow's reach. If only she would be able to be assured of that fact. But she couldn't be, not after what she knew the president was capable of.
"Come on. I'll teach you how to swim." Katniss stated as she pulled Peeta away from the rest of the group and into the water.
"You shouldn't worry." Finnick stated causing Fleur to glance at him in confusion. "I know when you're worried, and now you are."
Fleur shook her head and opened her mouth to argue with Finnick about all the reasons she should be worrying but Finnick cut her off by pressing a soft kiss against her lips before pulling back. Fleur looked at Finnick in shock as he smiled softly.
"Sorry about that. I didn't want you to get into an unnecessary rant that will magnify your worry." Finnick stated.
"Thank you." Fleur replied as she pressed her lips together and glanced at Finnick. "For keeping me calm."
"Hey, Fleur, come on in! Finnick, we figured out how to make you pretty again!" Katniss exclaimed as she waved over Finnick and Fleur,
Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and Fleur scrubbed all the scabs from their bodies by rubbing the sand against it. Their skin turned extremely pink and delicate, prompting them to apply another round of the medicine.
.: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆
"I think we'll all agree our next job is to kill Brutus and Enobaria." Beetee stated. "I doubt they'll attack us openly again, now that they're so outnumbered. We could track them down, I suppose, but it's dangerous, exhausting work."
"Do you think they've figured out about the clock?" Katniss questioned.
"If they haven't, they'll figure it out soon enough. Perhaps not as specifically as we have. But they must know that at least some of the zones are wired for attacks and that they're reoccurring in a circular fashion. Also, the fact that our last fight was cut off by Gamemaker intervention will not have gone unnoticed by them. We know it was an attempt to disorient us, but they must be asking themselves why it was done, and this, too, may lead them to the realization that the arena's a clock." Beetee explained. "So I think our best bet will be setting our own trap."
"Wait, let's wake up Johanna." Fleur stated.
"Yeah, she'll be rabid if she thinks she missed something this important." Finnick added as he walked over to a sleeping Johanna to wake her up.
"Or not." Katniss muttered causing Fleur to smile softly.
After she woke up and joined the rest of the alliance in a circle, Beetee shooed them all back a little bit so he could have room to work in the sand. He swiftly drew a circle and divided it into twelve wedges. A rough drawing of the Arena.
"If you were Brutus and Enobaria, knowing what you do now about the jungle, where would you feel safest?" Beetee questioned the younger tributes, causing Fleur to feel like a child in school all over again.
"Where we are now. On the beach." Peeta replied.
"It's the safest place. Majority of the attacks don't come on the beach." Fleur added.
"So why aren't they on the beach?" Beetee asked.
"Because we're here." Johanna replied, clearly getting impatient.
"Exactly. We're here, claiming the beach. Now, where would you go?" Beetee questioned again.
"I'd hide just at the edge of the jungle. So I could escape if an attack came. And so I could spy on us." Katniss replied.
"Also to eat." Finnick added. "The jungle's full of strange creatures and plants. But by watching us, I'd know the seafood's safe."
Beetee smiled at them all. "Yes, good. You do see. Now here's what I propose: a twelve o'clock strike. What happens exactly at noon and at midnight?" Beetee asked.
"The lightning bolt hits the tree." Katniss answered.
"Yes. So what I'm suggesting is that after the bolt hits at noon, but before it hits at midnight, we run my wire from that tree all the way down into the saltwater, which is, of course, highly conductive. When the bolt strikes, the electricity will travel down the wire and into not only the water but also the surrounding beach, which will still be damp from the ten o'clock wave. Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocuted." Beetee sated
There was a silence as everyone attempted to understand Beetee's plan. It seemed a little outstretched, but it seemed like it could work.
"Will that wire really be able to conduct that much power, Beetee? It looks so fragile, like it would just burn up." Peeta asked awkwardly, not sure of what he was saying.
"Oh, it will. But not until the current has passed through it. It will act something like a fuse, in fact. Except the electricity will travel along it." Beetee replied.
"How do you know?" Johanna asked in clear disbelief.
"Because I invented it." Beetee answered in slight surprise. "It's not actually wire in the usual sense. Nor is the lightning natural lightning nor the tree a real tree. You know trees better than any of us, Johanna. It would be destroyed by now, wouldn't it?" Beetee asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes." Johanna replied glumly.
"Don't worry about the wire — it will do just what I say." Beetee assured everyone.
"And where will we be when this happens?" Finnick asked.
"Far enough up in the jungle to be safe." Beetee replied.
"The Careers will be safe, too, then, unless they're in the vicinity of the water." Katniss pointed out.
"That's right." Beetee confirmed.
"But all the seafood will be cooked." Peeta stated.
"Probably more than cooked." Beetee replied. "We will most likely be eliminating that as a food source for good. But you found other edible things in the jungle, right, Katniss?"
"Yes. Nuts and rats." Katniss replied.
"We also have sponsors." Fleur added.
"Well, then. I don't see that as a problem." Beetee replied. "But as we are allies and this will require all our efforts, the decision of whether or not to attempt it is up to you four."
"Why not?" Katniss stated after thinking for a minute. "If it fails, there's no harm done. If it works, there's a decent chance we'll kill them. And even if we don't and just kill the seafood, Brutus and Enobaria lose it as a food source, too."
"I say we try it." Peeta agreed. "Katniss is right."
Finnick looked at Fleur. "Fleur, what do you think?" Finnick questioned.
Fleur sighed. "It's a situation we can win either way. I'm in."
"Me too." Finnick replied before he and Fleur turned to look at Johanna.
"All right." Johanna caved after a couple of minutes. "It's better than hunting them down in the jungle, anyway. And I doubt they'll figure out our plan, since we can barely understand it ourselves."