The Rebellion

Decisions

"About done there?" Plutarch asks me with a discreet cough. I look up at the clock on the wall and notice I've been sitting here for twenty minutes. Almost every eye is on me while others stare at the walls, their hands, feet or each other.

"Yeah." I answer. I clear my throat to get everyone?s attention, and when I do I begin.

"Here's the deal." I say loud and clear for everyone to hear and understand. "I'll be your Mockingjay." I pause. I expect for some of them to let out sighs of relief, slaps on the back, congratulations or even smiles; instead they stay seated without any expression of impressed in their faces, but instead they stare at me.

"But I have some conditions," I continue. " My family would like a new cat. I want to hunt. With Gale. . . In the woods." This gives almost everyone an awed look on their faces. Unlike Haymitch, he seems to be bored. Coin shakes her head slightly.

"We won't go far and we'll use our own bows. All the meat we catch you can have it for your kitchen." Gale adds quickly.

"It's just. . . I can't breathe shut up here like a--" I cut myself off. "I would get better and faster if I could hunt. . . with Gale."

"Look, Katniss," starts Plutarch. "We understand what you mean, and I do agree on letting you get fresher air in the woods, but if you are caught by the Capitol, you put in danger the ones you love. It's a huge risk and--" but Coin cuts him off.

"Let them. 2 hours a day exactly. A quarter mile with communication units and tracker anklets." Coin says. Plutarch lets out a small sigh and me and Gale exchange a half smile. We get to hunt in the woods but not the sort of way we wanted. Free. We'll have the with us even though their not with us.

"Anything else?" Coin asks me.

"Um, yes." I say. "I demand for Peeta's immunity." Everyone exchanges looks at each other.

"Katniss, you do know that this means--"

"That people would have to know that I'm alive." I finish.

"If you ought to be announce that your are alive for Peeta's immunity, you will let the Rebellion begin. And put your fellow Victors in a dangerous position." One of Coin's men says.

"How?" Gale asks.

"Well, of course everyone knows that Katniss, Finnick, Beetee and Posy escaped somewhere, otherwise they'd be with the Capitol right now with Peeta, Johanna, Enobaria and Annie. Once everyone knows Katniss is alive, they'll know their alive." The man answers.

"Other than that, they will all know District 13 wasn't destroyed. That were living underground." Another man adds. "Also that citizens of 12 escaped here."

"Look, I know it's a lot of risk here, but with me being the Mockongjay, I'm sure you'll beat Snow somehow. . . someway." I say. Dead silence.

"How are you announcing Katniss's lifr?" One of Coin's men asks her.

"Cameras. It'll be broadcast all over Panem." Coin says.

"Are you sure about this, Coin?" Plutarch asks.

"She's the Mockongjay." Coin says. Plutarch lets out a sigh and leans back in his chair.

"On-screen, Gale would simply be a fellow rebel or something else?" Coin asksAa me.

"I think we should just continue the current romance between Peeta and Katniss. Either way, people think Gale is just her cousin." Plutarch says.

"We're not cousins." Gale and I say at the same time.

"Right. But we should keep that up for the broadcast." Plutarch says. "Off camera, he's all yours."

"Anything else?" Coin asks me. There is one more thing that has crossed my mind and stayed in the back.

"The immunity, may also go for the other captured Victors. Johann, Annie and Enobaria." To be honest, I don't care about Enobaria, but it seems wrong to leave her out.

"No." Coin says flatly.

"Yes!" I shoot back and feel myself rising from my seat in anger. "They'll be granted immunity! Who knows what the Capitol is doing to them right now?! They could be tortured right this moment, trying to get information they don't have, about us! You will announce this in front of the entire population of District 13 and the survivors of District 12 today! You and your government will be responsible for their safety or you'll find yourself another Mockingjay!" My words hang in the air for a long moment.

"What do you say, President?" Plutarch asks Coin. I keep my attention on Coin, not wanting to look away.

"All right." She says finally. "But you better perform."

"I will perform once you made the announcement." I say. Coin nods.

"During Reflection call a national security assembly today." Coin orders. "I'll make the announcement." Her men nod.

"Anything else left on your list, Katniss?" Plutarch asks me.

"Yes," I stretch out the paper as I sit back down, I clutched it into a ball in my fist when I got up and I didn't even notice.

"I kill Snow." They all smile.