𝙏𝙄𝙇𝙇 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙀𝙉𝘿 - 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝑮𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔

Ten

The familiar anthem of the Capitol suddenly echoed throughout the luxurious living room, gaining everyone's attention once more as holographic photographs appeared on the screen, accompanied by the sound of a cannon, just how they would when someone died in the arena in the official Hunger Games.

Sidney's mouth was slightly agape with the corners of her mouth slightly perked up as they watched their squadron appear one by one.

Sidney and Finnick exchanged a small look when they saw each other's faces on the screen, they were only slightly smirking, but the second they turned to each other, they very obviously held back their loud laughs.

"So, Katniss Everdeen, a poor unstable girl with nothing but a small talent with a bow and arrow is dead." President Snow spoke evenly, a sinister glint in his eyes as he addressed whomever was listening. "Not a thinker, not a leader. Simply a face plucked from the masses." He continued his monologue. "Was she valuable?" Snow asked rhetorically, "She was extremely valuable to your rebellion because you have no vision, no true leader among you. You call yourselves an alliance but we saw what that means. Your soldiers are at each others throats-"

A sudden static had overthrown Snow's calm appearance significantly as he faltered slightly, eyes darting to the left. The broadcast started to malfunction and another face replaced his.

"Good evening," Alma Coin spoke, well collected and calm. "For those who do not know me, please allow me to introduce myself. I am President Alma Coin, the leader of this rebellion. I have interrupted a broadcast from your president in which he tried to defame a brave young woman."

Something about her tone, or maybe the chosen words in that moment, irked Sidney as she uneasily listened to the message from the District Thirteen leader. Katniss was dead to all the world but them, but this woman didn't seemed that bothered, not really. Sidney knew pain and loss all too well. But the way Coin spoke didn't feel sincere at all.

""A face picked from the masses," he called her. Plucked. As if a leader, a true leader could be anything else. I had the privilege of knowing a small town girl from the seam district in District Twelve who survived the Hunger Games and the Quarter Quell and rose up and turned a nation of slaves into an army! Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen will remain the face of this revolution. She will not have died for nothing." Coin's voice cracked, emotion suddenly taken over, but to Sidney the same uneasy feeling remained. It looked fake, just another sad story to spark a flame for the revolution.

Coin was playing games, just like Snow was. The only difference was what side they were on.

"I had no idea I meant so much to her." Katniss muttered softly, focusing her gaze on the grey haired woman on the screen.

"Her vision and ours will be realized. A free Panem with self-determination for all. And in her memory we will find the strength to rid Panem of its oppressors." Coin spoke confidently. "Thank you. And be Safe."

The words hung heavily in the air as they watched as a holographic picture of Katniss appeared, the familiar Mockingjay tune with it.

Remember the Mockingjay.

Katniss didn't not dwell long as she stood up abruptly, a newfound determination in her eyes. "Snow is in his mansion, where's that?" She questioned as she placed the holo in the middle of the room, activating it to show a hologram of the Capitol.

Cressida leaned forward, eyes skimming over the map before pointing at one particular place. "That's us. That's the city circle." She moved her hand along the map towards Snow's mansion. "It's at least seventy, seventy-five blocks north."

"Seventy-five blocks?"

"Uh-huh." Cressida confirmed with a hum.

"Seventy-five isn't bad, I expected much farther." Sidney said with a slight smirk, Finnick nodding from next to her.

"Nobody knows we're alive." Katniss told the squad. "This is our chance."

"We should take advantage of it." Sidney suggested, looking around the room. "We're here already, we should continue on without all these propo clips and half-assed speeches, like we were supposed to do in the first place. Now we can really fight."

"These buildings." Katniss pointed out quickly. "Do these overlook Snow's garden?"

"I-"

"They do."

"If he goes outside at all, I could get a clear shot." Katniss thought out loud, eyes darting between her friends.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves." Jackson spoke up with a sigh. "Whether they are looking for us or not, we're pinned down." She crouched down next to Cressida "Hit that button. Scan for pods."

Katniss did as she asked and the hologram map lit up with small blue lights, indicating the various traps laid out ahead. "Just about every ten steps."

"Yeah, that doesn't even show the new ones."

"So we can't go anywhere on the streets." Finnick broke the silence as he stepped closer.

"And the rooftops are just as bad." The lieutenant added solemnly.

Sidney thought for a moment. "Then we just take underground." She snapped her fingers. "Easy."

"Just like that?" Jackson questioned.

"Yeah. Just like that." Sidney nodded. "It's not like the Capitol doesn't have a sewage system."

"She's right." Castor spoke up, everyone's heads turned to him. "My brother knows these tunnels really well."

They were coming, for sure this time.

President Snow was gonna die.