𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 || 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐎𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

Ready?

Elliot woke up to distance exploding, and for a moment it was as though she was back in the Games. Her breathing went erratic.

"No, no, no." she muttered to herself as Finnick sat up from her lap. She cradled her head in her hands and whispered to herself, "My name is Elliot Young, I'm from district 5..." she trailed off. "I was in the Hunger Games, twice, I survived." her breathing started to go back to a normal pace. "I was in the capital. I escaped. I'm safe." She took a moment to gather herself and looked up to see Finnick sitting in front of her. His eyes were soft and warm, and for a moment it had felt as if they were the only ones in the room, the world.

He raised an eyebrow and she nodded, answering his unspoken question.

"Mortar shells, It's not ours." Finnick spoke, the others had sat up abruptly a few seconds after Elliot had. "Peacekeepers must be shellin' the rebels outside the city."

"That's not outside the city." Cressida inquired, Elliot's head snapped to the blonde woman. Elliot stood up, walking away from Finnick and towards the hatch.

"Lemme see what time it is." Then she was gone, through the hole. As Elliot left Katniss began to prepare more arrows, the district 5 tribute snuck up the stairs and back into the shop and walked towards the front.

She peaked her head through the window and saw the bright light of the sunrise, the orange hue was coming from behind the dozens of tall buildings in the city. Something else had caught her eye, a few dozen small gray dots from the distance, she looked further and saw a white peacekeeper suit behind it. She moved the curtain back and walked back towards the hatch once more.

Elliot lifted the rug from where it rested on top of the silver handle and lifted the trapdoor. While she made her way down the stairs she saw Finnick twiddling with his hands, she noticed he liked to keep his hands busy.

"Sun's comin' up. A few dozen peacekeepers, but nothing too big." she said as she landed on the stone flooring of the basement.

"This is it." Cressida spoke softly. It was finally time, they all knew what this meant. It was the end of a long excursationingly tortuous chapter. Before anything else could be spoken a beeping went off, they all averted their eyes to the small hologram screen. It read 'Mandatory viewing, Attention all Panem residents.'

Snow's face was the next thing to be shown on the screen. "To all Capitol citizens more than a half mile outside the city circle, I am announcing a mandatory evacuation. Come to the mansion. I am promising you shelter and sanctuary. All refugees, come to my home." He was dressed in a maroon brown suit with a leather chair behind him and of course in his pocket lay his signature white rose. "And there you will be food, medicine, safety for your children, and you will have my solemn oath to protect you until my dying breath."

"Wish he'd hurry up on that last part." Cressida inquired.

"Our enemy is not like us, they do not share our values. They have never known our comfort and our sophistication. And they despise us for it. Make no mistake. They are not coming to liberate us. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming to bury us." and the screen shut off.

"Is he still in the mansion?" Katniss asked, "Peeta?"

He slowly nodded, "Yeah, I recognize the room."

"Where is that?" Katniss questioned Cressida.

"About five blocks away." she pointed to a spot on the map. "We're right here off the avenues." then to another spot, "Mansion's here."

"What about the pods?" Katniss inquired, at this point the entire group was circled around Cressida and the map.

"They'd probably deactivate the pods around her for the resident's safety." she spreaded out her palm, and hovered over a good chunk of the map with her hand.

"That could work, I could get close enough." She looked up and matched eyes with Elliot.

"Every peacekeeper will be waiting." she spoke with her arms crossed, she stood leaning against the wall.

"Next to our faces on every billboard." Cressida agreed.

"Snow's offering shelter to all the Refugees." Katniss spoke, Elliot could practically see the gears shifting in her eyes, she got an idea.

"Okay, but not all of us can go." Finnick said from where he stood behind where Katniss sat.

"Two at max." Elliot agreed.

Cressida looked to Katniss, "Well, who do you want to go with you?"

Her eyes traveled along the group but it was an essay decision. Finnick or Elliot. Her eyes jumped between the two of them. "I'll go." Elliot stepped forward.

"Okay." Katniss spoke as she heard Finnick let out a deep sigh, he knew there was no stopping her. When Elliot put her mind to something there was no getting her to stop, he just needed to make sure that she would be back to him. To everyone.

"Head straight north." Cressida spoke as Tigress grabbed two dark cloaks, "There's gonna be thousands of refugees. Just get into that stream and don't look up."

Tigris handed Elliot and Katniss their cloaks, they wrapped the thick fabric around them.

"We got one shot." Katniss said to the brunette who was packing her different knives into the cloak, leaving the biggest in her hand.

"Let's make it count." Elliot spoke as she looked up, Finnick stepped forward to her and started to fuss with her cloak.

"Don't die." that's all he said before he pulled her into a tight embrace. "We need you." he paused, speaking into the crook of her neck. "I need you."

Elliot closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him. His hands were warm against the small of her back, his breath against her neck caused goosebumps.

It wasn't until he pulled back that she opened her eyes, his lips wore a soft somber smile. Her eyes fell upon his, she stared at his sea-green eyes hoping to get lost in them, falling so deep that she would no longer be able to reach the surface.

"I'll try my hardest." she nodded, keeping eye contact, he moved closer to her and planted a soft kiss onto the top of her forehead and stepped away from her taking his warmth with him, leaving her in the cold.

Cressida walked over to her and gave Elliot a swift hug, wishing her luck, Pollux doing the same.

Katniss turned to Tigris, "Tigris, thank you for all that you've done."

The two girls turned to the door, "Katniss, let me come with you I'd be a good distraction, they know my face-"

"No." Katniss interrupted Peeta, "I'm not losing you again."

"You'll be safer with us." Cressida reasoned.

"What if peacekeepers start searching houses?" Finnick asked, "If we're captured."

"Then give me a nightlock pill, okay? I'm not goin' back." Elliot looked down and wrapped her finger around the capsule that held the little circular pill, she slowly detached the pill from her jacket and held it in front of Peeta. He took it as Katniss walked in front of her, unlocking his hand cuffs.

"Stay alive." Katniss spoke as she hugged the blonde boy.

"If I see you again it's gonna be a different world." Peeta spoke with his head resting on Katniss' shoulder.

They broke from the hug and Elliot took Katniss' place, "Be safe." Peeta said to her, "You too." Elliot spoke back.

"You ready?" Elliot asked Katniss as she stepped away from Peeta.

"Let's go."