The Beginning of the End (Clove Kentwell)

Chapter 32

   "Knock knock" Iris heard someone say from her doorway. She didn't move or readjust on the bed to where she could see them instead she just laid there numb. She felt someone come sit on her bed as it dipped down behind her. "Iris....." she heard the voice say again. She didn't bother speaking back when she heard her name and she was afraid even if she did try to speak her voice would break instantly showing that she was in pain, and that was the last thing Iris wanted. "Iris..." the voice kept talking but Iris didn't listen to what they were saying instead she got lost in her mind thinking about how Clove held her, how her gentle eyes always calmed Iris, how anytime Iris heard Cloves voice it made her smile. Clove had some sort of hold on Iris but Iris didn't know why. Her mind was still a little blurry from being in the capital even though her memories were pretty much healed she still had her doubts sometimes. A hand on her side scared Iris making her look up and see Finnick looking down at her with concerned eyes. She quickly averted her eyes and sat up shaking his hand off of her. She ran her fingers through her messy hair as she stared at the wood floor in front of her. "Are you okay?" Finnick stated clearly putting his hand over hers. Iris looked at him and nodded without a word then looked back down. "Iris-" "I'm fine Finnick." Iris said standing up making his hand fall off her own. "You should get dressed we need to start moving." Iris said gesturing for him to leave. He slowly stood up and left the room without another word.

Iris slipped on her vest with her throwing knives in them and a few minutes later she went around knocking on everyone's doors. "Okay we need to start moving in five minutes." Gale and Finnick both stepped out of their rooms ready to go but Pollux was still in his room. Iris walked up to Gale, "You okay?" Gale nodded his head without a word. Iris nodded then knocked at Pollux's door. "Hello Pollux?" She said through the door." "Pollux!" she yelled but there was no answer and no commotion coming from the room like he was changing. She opened his door but she was met with an empty bed and his window smashed. Iris let out a sigh. "Welp there's one more down." Finnick and Gale rushed to the door and saw the same thing as Iris. "Well I don't know if it's just me but I think it's finally time we put the show on the road." Iris went and knocked on Mag's door but there was no answer. "Tigress and Mags went ahead and went to the capitol." Finnick said. "Why!" Iris shouted worried turning around facing Finnick. "Tigress said she could hide Mags and that they could help us once they get into the capitol." Iris sighed deeply before nodding. "Tigress said that there are coats for us in her room." Gale said walking into her room. Iris followed behind him and behind her was Finnick.

Three coats lay perfectly beside eating other on her bed two of the were black and one was a dark blue." Gale grabbed both the black ones and handed one of them to Finnick. Iris walked over kid grabbed the blue one slipping it on her easily.

"Ready?" She asked grabbing her axe from the kitchen table and slipping it under her jacket. Finnick and Gale both put guns in their pockets and nodded. All of them left the building heading towards the capitol. Thoughts started racing through Iris's head as they made their way. What if they failed what if they died and made it worse for all the rest of the districts. What about Clove, Max, Prim, and Mrs. Everdeen? Are they alright? What if they are dead then Iris wouldn't be able to live with herself. Iris tried her best to push the thought aside as she saw the capitol in the distance. There were still a few stragglers running around them to get to the capitol quickly.

They were quickly approaching the capitol as fear started to grow in Iris's chest making it hard to breath. There were crowd upon crowds of people outside the gates of the capitol. "If we go around to the side we should be able to get in." Finnick said eyeing the crowd and how all the guards were fixated on them. "Now let's go." Finnick said taking the lead and jogging over to one of the side fences. He put his hand out for someone to step on so he could help them over. Iris stepped on it first as he lifted her up and she hopped over the fence with ease. Next was Gale, Finnick tried to help him as best as he count but Gale still had to climb a little bit before hopping over to the other side of the fence. Finnick was the last to make it over as his feet his the ground lightly. They all were ducked behind a water fountain in the front yard. "We have to be sneaky about this." Finnick said trying to think of what to do next suddenly Snows voice came booming through the air loudly, "Please pass your children to the front." That was all he said he didn't give any explanation or anything and the people did as he said. "Go now while everyone is focused on that." Iris said. Finnick nodded and all three of them made their way to the front doors which were not blocked by and guards because they were all at the gates. They all three slipped in but as soon as Iris stepped in Snows voice came into her head. "What do you think you are doing Ms. Stoll?" Iris pushed him out of her brain as best as she could as they made their way down the corridor. "Iris do you by chance know where any of our crew may be." Iris looked around, "I don't know they had to rebuild this place because last time y'all practically tore it down." Iris got in front of Finnick and started leading the way off of her terrible memory.

   After taking a few turns Iris froze as she heard faint screams coming from the walls. This was one thing Iris knew about was the door. She turned to Finnick and Gale, "Go find the others they should be just along this corridor." They both nodded and headed off to open the first door they found. Iris got her axe ready as she opened the secret door behind the curtain. There sat Clove in a chair with two guards standing next to her with their fists up. "Hey idiots." Iris said making both of the guards turn around. Iris took off her coat letting it fall to the ground. She grabbed her axe and pointed it cautiously towards the unarmed men. They put up their fists unable to do anything else. Iris smirked and look at both of them as she made the first move in between both of them separating them. Iris turned to the one on her left as he swung at her, she ducked then took his legs out from under him with her own. She turned to the guy on her right and pulled out one of her throwing knives and threw it at him hitting the glass of his helmet making it shatter. Iris quickly turned back to the man on the ground and plunged her axe into his chest as he groaned of pain then died on the spot.  She turned around to the guy with a shattered helmet, he had her small axe in his hand ready to fight. "Iris!" Iris heard Clove scream making her look at her just as the guard jumped for her making her fall to the ground. He quickly got on top of Iris and tried hitting her with the little axe but she always ended up moving her head out of the way of it. Once Iris finally got her foot free she kicked the man where he most definitely did not want to be kicked. He fell down beside her laying in fetal position. Iris kicked him over with her foot, "you done?" She asked he nodded his head up and down quickly. "Good." Iris said walking away and heading over to where Clove sat. But just before he reached her the guard threw the axe that was still lying on the ground towards Iris barely hit Iris's side leaving a small scratch. The axe fell to the floor with a loud clank of metal hitting the ground. Iris turned back around and looked at the guard on the ground slowly walking over to him. He held up his hands, "Please show me mercy!" He yelled. "Yeah I tried that once and you tried to kill me." Iris said running her tongue over her dry lips. She held her axe above her head and swung down landing right into the man's skull. She shouted just before he died on the spot. Iris pulled her axe out of his head so focused on the guards that she almost forgot Clove was behind her. "Iris..." she heard her voice fading out almost like a whisper. Iris quickly turned around and saw Clove looking up at her with sad brown eyes making Iris want to cry.