Return to the Sea (Gale Hawthorne x OC)

Chapter 31

"Where's Triton?"

They all look at me with solemn looks, Gale not even looking at me. Hamitch ushers Peeta and Katniss out, Gale mutters a small apology before leaving. Now only Annie, Johanna, and me are left.

"Ceto..." Annie trails off as she sits next to me on the bed.

"When we all thought your squad was dead, Triton wanted to avenge your death." Johanna took a deep breath. "He was with the rebels who stormed the Capitol...when you were there. From what the others recall, he saw you during the first explosion...He wanted to see if you were okay. He was about as close to the second explosion as you were. Apparently, a piece of shrapnel also hit him. It punctured a lung, we think it might've hit his heart."

Tears threaten to escape. He died...That's when I remembered. His fearful eyes looking into my eyes. He was the only family I had left. And now, he's gone.

"Oh, Ceto." Annie hugs me again.

Johanna soon walks over and hugs us both while I silently cry and mourn my brother. The doctors came in once just to make sure everything was okay with me. The two girls decided they wanted to stay the night with me.
                                      ***
"Ceto, dear, why don't you go see what's taking Katniss so long." Coin said.

I nodded and held back an eye roll. We arrived at the Manson yesterday. Katniss arrived this morning. All the living victors either sat or stood in the "conference room". I hopped off the table I was sitting on and exited the room. I walked the halls to Katniss' room. When I got close to the door, I heard Gale's voice. I knew it was bad to eavesdrop, but the mention of the explosion peaked my interest. I leaned in close to the doer to hear better.

"Was it ours? The bomb?" Katniss asked. "The delayed explosion. The trap. To draw more people in. Was that you?"

"I don't know." I heard Gale's voice crack. "All I know is...that I was supposed to take care of your family. Now I'm sorry I couldn't. I told Ceto I'd be there for her. But now...now I can't look her in the eyes without feeling that...that guilt. The quilt that I could've been the reason her brother is dead."

Gale killed Triton?

I felt bile rise from the back of my throat. My chest began to tighten. I was angry. Angry at myself. Angry at Gale. But mostly I was angry at Alma Coin. She shouldn't have let Triton go in the first place. I clenched my hands in a fist and walked away, angrily trying to wipe away my tears. I entered the room and went straight towards Alma.

I sent a right hook towards her, making her fall back. Hamitch and Johanna pulled me back from her.

"You did this!" I seethed.

"Ceto. Ceto! Calm down!" Hamitch said.

Annie helped Alma up. Hamitch led me across from Coin, on the other side of the table. I glared at Coin. When Hamitch figured I was calm enough not to go rabid again, he walked to his part of the table. That's when Katniss walked in.

"Welcome to the party." I growled lowly.

"What's this?" Katniss asked, noticing how Alma lightly touched her left side of the face, wincing slightly making me snicker and Annie give me a disapproving look.

"The remaining Victors. Won't you join us?" Coin answered.

Katniss walked over and sat between Peeta and me, giving me a questioning glance to which I shrugged off. I folded my arms and leaned back into the chair, resting my feet on the table, only for Hamitch to hit them off, shaking his head and mumbling, "Teenagers."

"I have invited you all here for several reasons, but first, I have an announcement." Coin started, looking at everyone else but me. "I have taken the burden and the honor of declaring myself Interim President of Panem." I started to protest but Hamitch put his hand on mine, stopping me.

"Interim? Exactly how long is that interim?" Hamitch scoffed.

"Yeah, I would like to know, too." I sat up and stared right at Alma.

"We have no way of knowing for certain. But it's clear that people are far too emotional right now," Coin gave me a pointed look to which I had to hold back sticking my tongue out at her. "To make a rational decision. We'll plan an election when the time is right. But I have called you here for a far more important vote. A symbolic vote.

"This afternoon, we will execute Snow. Hundreds of his accomplices also await their deaths. Capital officials, peacekeepers, torturers, Gamemakers. But the danger is, once we begin, the rebels will not stop calling for retribution. Thirst for blood is a difficult urge to satisfy. So, I offer an alternative plan. Majority of four may approve it. No one may abstain."

"What's this plan?" I raise an eyebrow.

"The proposal is this: In lieu of these barbaric executions, we hold a symbolic Hunger Games."

I clenched my jaw and swallowed harshly.

Johanna started laughing. "You wanna have another Hunger Games with the Capitol's children?"

"You're joking?" Peeta spoke up.

"Not in the slightest."

"I thought this whole," I wave may hand in the air. "Rebellion was to stop the Hunger Games."

Enobaria nodded with me.

"Was this Plutarch's idea?" Hamitch asks.

"It was mine." Coin states. "It balances the need for revenge with the least loss of human life."

"It's still murder!" I stand from my chair. "You're killing innocent children if you do this. Tell them to hit a wall. Throw darts at Snow's face. Anything but this."

"Sit down, Ceto." Peeta politely says.

I shake my head but comply anyways.

"You may cast your votes."

"No. No, obviously not. This is crazy." Peeta starts the voting.

Johanna speaks up next. "I think it's more than fair. Snow's got a granddaughter. I say yes."

"So do I. Let them have a taste of it." And when I thought Enobaria might be a little civil.

"You guys, this way of thinking is what started these uprisings." I could tell Peeta started greating agitated.

"I vote no. With Peeta." Annie's voice rings out. "So would Finnick, if he was here."

"Well, he's not." Johanna says. "Because Snow killed him."

My leg started to bounce again. My hands started to clench and unclench. The need of hitting something was becoming overwhelming.

Beetee looked at Coin. "No. We need to stop viewing each other as enemies."

"It's down to Ceto, Katniss, and Hamitch." Alma points out.

"I get to kill Snow." Katniss first said.

"I expected no less of you."

"Then I vote yes. For Prim."

"Hamitch?"

Hamitch looked at Katniss then down at the table. "I'm with the Mockingjay."

"Well, I vote no. We're killing the innocent. Why should the children have to pay for Snow's mistakes? They grew up this life. They didn't choose it. And I know for a fact...that Snow's granddaughter looked up to Katniss. And I sure as hell know that Primrose wouldn't want this." I looked directly at Katniss. "Or Rue, for that matter. Heck, even Hero, Dele, and Marshall agree with me."

"They're your imagination." Enobaria said.

"Maybe I can see ghosts." I sarcastically said.

"Since it's a tie, I shall make the final decision." Coin looks at all of us. "I'm with Katniss. Yes. That carries the vote. Excellent. We'll announce the Games tonight, after the execution."

I scoff and stand, exiting the room, accidentally hitting one of the guards with the door.
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This chapter got me angry to write. K. Have a good day! Or night!