❝𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒❞ | k. everdeen

chapter 11: it's over.

After returning to the small camp they had set up, two things were clear: the first was that there were only eight tributes left alive, counting the six of them and adding Chaff and Brutus; and the second, that they had to manage to finish off Chaff and Brutus, but especially the latter. He was the last career, at least not a rebel, left, so he would have a large part of the public on his side, and if the sponsors supported him, he could easily kill a part of that group. Of course, added to that was the enormous hatred he felt for Nola right now; for even if she wasn't worried about that 'big guy', as she had called him more than once in return, the others had to admit that it did give them goosebumps that Brutus' first target was Nola.

For it was undeniable that they had grown fond of Nola. There was something about her that was appealing, not for nothing was she so beloved in the Capitol, but dealing with her after three days had led to the conclusion that her company was far less unpleasant than expected. Johanna, Finnick and Beetee had already known her from her Victory Tour, and during those three years they had had a chance to get to know each other somewhat better, but for both Peeta and Katniss, the discovery of Nola Bernacci had not been at all what they had expected.

So, to avoid any more surprises than were probably on the way, they agreed that the wisest thing to do was to finish with Brutus. He was alone in the jungle, who knew where, and although he was physically strong, intelligence was not his thing; so Nola didn't expect him to have found out that the arena was a clock. Beetee was the one who came up with a plan, as he was the smartest of them all and the weakest physically.

—This is my proposal —Beetee began, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose—. An attack at twelve o'clock. What exactly happens at noon and midnight?

—Lightning strikes the tree —Johanna replied in a bored tone, not quite understanding what the remaining tribute from District 3 was getting at.

—Exactly. So I suggest that after the lightning strikes at noon, but before it strikes at midnight, we run my wire from that tree to the water on the beach, which, of course, has a high conductivity. When the lightning strikes, the electricity will travel through the wire and not only enter the water, but also the surrounding beach, which will still be wet after the ten o'clock wave. Everyone in contact with these surfaces at that time will be electrocuted.

—Can that wire really conduct that much power, Beetee? It looks fragile, as if it's going to break.

—We've seen how things work in here —Nola interjected, approaching the group—. The monkeys, the power of the force field, the force with which the wave hits the Cornucopia. The lightning will be powerful, but Beetee's wire will drive it. Otherwise, the gamemakers wouldn't even have bothered to put it here, right in front of him. They knew perfectly well that he would know how to use it: the wire is the icing on the cake.

Beetee nodded in acknowledgement—. Nola's right. Nothing here is normal. The lightning isn't natural lightning, and neither is the tree; it should have been destroyed by lightning by now. And this wire isn't strictly speaking a wire either. I invented it —the faces around him were not very hopeful, except perhaps for Nola, who had blind faith in Beetee's invention. Besides, the man was too weak to try to fool them all. If he tried anything weird, it wouldn't be hard to get rid of him—. Don't worry about the wire, it'll do what I say. Besides, we'll all be inside the jungle; safe enough to be safe, at least. Brutus already knows we're here, he'll be around to try and hunt us down. And if we get Chaff while we're at it, so much the better —Beetee didn't look too proud, but, like everyone else, he knew they had to get rid of them.

—And then? —Johanna wanted to know, standing up.

No one said anything, but everyone knew what she meant. Assuming Beetee's plan worked, and they managed to kill Brutus and Chaff, then there would only be the six of them left. Who were they supposed to kill first? Nola would opt for Finnick, Johanna or Katniss, the only ones with a weapon. Taking out Beetee and Peeta would be easier, considering neither of them were proficient with anything they had on hand, and both were injured, one in the back and one in the leg. She'd hate the idea of having to kill them, but if that's what the situation called for, she had to do it, and she knew it.