Hunger Games

40

I am with Plutarch and Coin in the meeting room and we are talking about what Peeta said yesterday

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, I've decided I'll be your Mockingjay. But i have some conditions, Peeta and the other tributes, Johanna Mason and Annie Cresta, will be rescued at the earliest opportunity. If and when Peeta is liberated, he will receive a full unconditional pardon, no punishment will be inflicted and the same goes for the other tributes" I say to them both

"No" Coin says to me

"It's not their fault you abandoned them in the arena, there doing and saying whatever they can to survive and you'd do the same" I say to her

"Individuals don't make demands in 13. There will be a tribunal and a fair judgement . Thank you" Coin says with a smile

"The Victors will be granted immunity and you will announce that to the entire population of 13 . You will hold yourself and your government responsible or you will find another Mockingjay" i say to her while raising my voice

"That's it, that's her right there. Isn't that what i promised you? She wears the costume, gunfire in the background , a hint of smoke. Our Mockingjay. Madame President we're losing ground because people are losing heart, this is worth the risk, she's worth the risk" Plutarch says to her and i can tell she is thinking abut it

"Do you have any other conditions" Coin asks me

"Prim gets to keep her cat and you get Haymitch to come back here as soon as possible " I say softly

"Okay" Coin says to me and i send them a smile before leaving them both too it

Coin made her speech earlier about my conditions and how the tributes are not going to be punished for their actions as they were doing what they had to do to survive , some of 13 weren't happy about it but got over it. Finnick was happy when i told him about Annie and Katniss when i said about Peeta.

"Effie" i say as i see her sitting at a table and i put my food down and i pull her into a hug "What are you doing here" I ask her as i sit beside her and Gale sits the other side of me

"I'm a political refugee" Effie says

"Plutarch rescued you" I ask her

"Rescued, yes that's what he calls it. You and i were both in the dark. Now I'm condemned to this life of jumpsuits. Its wonderful to see you again" Effie says to Gale as she takes a sip of her drink " Can you believe this place, i miss coffee. I never knew anyplace could be so strict i mean i thought at least in the higher ranks there'd be some side action, i miss my wigs. Luckily i remembered this was all the range when i was coming up. You know everything old can be made new again" Effie says as she points to her hair that's all rapped up in a scarf
"Which brings me to this" She says as she shows me a big book and puts it down in front of us and i open it up so see drawings of clothing

"Cinna, he's dead isn't he" I ask Effie

"Yes, dear. He made Plutarch promise not to show you this until you'd decided to be the Mockingjay on your own. He knew the risks as we all do. He believed in this revolution, in you" Effie says as i look through the book

"There beautiful " I say

"They have it, They have the Mockingjay outfit. There's not much of a prep team here in 13 but we will make you the best dressed rebel in history" Effie says to me

Plutarch, Katniss and Coin are in the meeting room and are looking into the room with me and Effie in. We now going to shoot a video that we will then show to the other districts. I am nervous as they have given me a script for what i have to say and I'm struggling to remember it. I'm standing on a plat form with a fan either side of me and everyone is looking at me

"Cinna's final touch" Effie says as she puts a black Mockingjay pin on " Everyone's either gonna wanna kiss you, kill you or be you" Effie says before moving to the side

"Perfect, okay Victoria we're gonna start you down on one knee, and you rise up" Plutarch says through the speaker and i go to one knee slowly" Your gonna hold your flag and deliver your line and remember you've just stormed the outskirts of the Capitol arm in arm with your brothers and sisters " Plutarch says and i adjust the pole n my hand "Whenever your ready "Plutarch says

"People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we.." Start to say but i forget the next words

"Do you know the line" Plutarch asks me

"I know it , I'm sorry" I say as i go back to one knee

"She's warming up" Effie says

"Okay, go" Plutarch says

"People of Panem, we fight! We dare to end this hunger for justice " I say raising the pole in the air and standing up

"You've just been in battle! I'm sorry excuse my outburst , you've just been in battle. Try again"

"People of Panem, we fight! We dare to end this hunger for justice" I shout standing with the pole in the air and i see Plutarch sighing and i know i have to redo it, great. I hear someone slowly clapping and Effie moves to the side and i see Haymitch clapping his way over to me and I'm shocked he's back so quick and i cant help but jut stare at him.

"That my friends is how a revolution dies" Haymitch says as he stops a bit in front of me and he seems sober? "Hello Sweetheart. This how you greet your fiancé " Haymitch asks me

"Maybe, i didn't recognise you sober" i say carefully placing the pole on the floor

"I guess it looks as bad as it feels" Haymitch says as i walk over to him and i pull him into a bone crashing hug and he wraps his arms around me .

"I missed you" I say to him as i pull him into a kiss

"I missed you too, both of you" Haymitch says while putting a hand on my slightly swollen stomach

I am sitting between Haymitch and Katniss as we watch the video and i did awful and i think everyone is thinking the same thing. The video finishes and everyone is silent until Haymitch clears his throat and stands up.

"Um, Madame President indulge me for a moment, if you would . Lets everybody think of one incident where Victoria Black genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hair or her dress went up in flames or she made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. And not where someone made you like her. No, id like you to think of one moment when she made you feel something real" Haymitch says to everyone while i put an arm around Katniss

"When she volunteered for Katniss at the reaping" Effie says

"Excellent example, okay" Haymitch says as he uses his arm to rub everything of the board " I hope that wasn't important, okay what else" Haymitch says s he writes it on the board

"When she sang to me the night before my games for comfort" Katniss says from beside me

"Okay" Haymitch says writing it " Now what do these have in common" Haymitch asks

"No one told her what to do" Gale says from beside Effie

"Unscripted, yes. So maybe we should just leave her alone" Beetee says

"And get some of that makeup of her face. She's still a girl , but you have made her look 35" Colonel says and Effie scoffs

"The opportunities for spontaneity are obviously lacking below ground. So your suggesting we throw her into combat" Plutarch says

"That is exactly what I'm suggesting, put her in the field" Haymitch says

"No we cant protect her there "Coin says

"It has to come from her that's what the people respond to. You want a symbol for the revolution, she cannot be coached into it. Trust me, i know" Haymitch says to her

"Maybe there's somewhere less dangerous" Plutarch suggests

"District 8, they reported heavy bombing last week, there are no military targets left" Beetee says

" We cant guarantee her safety " Coin says

"You'll never be able to guarantee my safety. I wanna go" I say to them

"And if you and the baby are killed" Coin asks me

"Make sure you get it on camera" I say and Plutarch chuckles at my response and Katniss rolls her eyes as me , but i want to go . I need to go