Real or Not Real? ~Coriolanus Snow AU

2-Halen

Halen's POV:

I sat down in the transport vehicle and admired the rose with a faint blush on my cheeks. I had never received any flowers before so this was a sweet gesture in my mind. A tribute took off running giving my mentor a chance to slip into the vehicle unnoticed and he stood next to me at the back. I looked up at him and gave him a curious look, he looked distressed, "Hi," He said.

"Now what are you doing?" I asked.

"Probably something stupid," He remarked.

"What's the matter pretty boy, you in the wrong cage?" Reaper questioned.

"No, this cage is delightful," My mentor replied.

Reaper rushed over to my mentor, "Get him Reaper," The boy from 8 spoke.

Reaper slammed my mentor into the metal wall of the transport, "I'll kill you right now," Reaper spoke and I looked at Kanan who shook his head.

"He'll do it too, Reaper killed a peacekeeper back in 11," Dill spoke.

"Quiet Dill," Reaper added.

"I say we all kill him," The boy from 10 said.

"I'm in," The girl from 10 added.

"Nothing left to lose now," Another added.

I stood up and managed to catch Reaper off guard and shoved him away from my mentor, I stood between them as the others began to stand, "If you have family back home, harming him will just result in their deaths as well as yours. Besides, he's my mentor, I might need him," Reaper backed off slightly now that I was involved.

"Now why do you get a mender?" The girl from 4, Coral, questioned.

"Mentor," He clarified making me roll my eyes, he just can't help himself, can he? "You each get one,"

"Oh, and we all just trust you on that?" Coral asked.

"I'm just here to help you," My mentor spoke.

"Well, why does greenie over here get special treatment? Where's my mender?" She asked getting in my face. 

Coral's actions resulted in Kanan standing and shoving her away from me harshly, he stood in front of me with his arms crossed, "You touch her again and I'll kill you,"

"I guess my mentor is just inspired," I said turning to look at him and he held a warm smile on his face.

There was a loud commotion and the transport stopped abruptly. The area we were sat in slanted toward the exit. My mentor grabbed ahold of a bar and then wrapped his other hand around my waist. As the other tributes started sliding towards the exit, the doors opened and the other tributes tumbled out of the transport, I grabbed tightly onto my mentor.

I watched as his grip slowly gave out causing us to fall onto the hard ground as well.

We were in a large cage and videos were being taken from every direction I looked. I glanced at my mentor who had just gotten to his feet, he looked distressed once more, "Excuse me! Hello, sir. Yes, you, in the red. Who are you?" The man with the microphone asked as my mentor straightened his top out. "Why are you in there with them? We're live!"

I stood up and heard my mentor let out a heavy breath and shook his head. He looked startled and speechless, "Own it," I whispered as I grabbed his arm.

"Are you alright? Sir? Who are you?" The reporter questioned once more.

"Halen Storm, may I introduce you to my neighbors?" He asked looking straight into my eyes.

I subtly nodded and saw the disgust on my brother's face. My mentor took the rose that I still had in my left hand and snapped the stem off. He then placed the rose behind my ear and let it sit in my hair causing me to smile up at him. My mentor offered me his hand and I hesitated before taking it and locking our fingers together. "Well that's something you don't see every day, they're holding hands." The reporter spoke again as my mentor and I walked over to the fence, "Who are you, sir? What are you doing in the caging?"

A little boy and a little girl were standing on the other side of the fence, "Hi," My mentor said with a smile. "How do you do? My name is Coriolanus Snow, and this is my tribute, Halen Storm from District 12,"

I knew it was an act but the way he was presenting me gave me butterflies, "Hi there, what's your name?"

"My name is Pontius," The little boy said.

"It's nice to meet you, and is this your sister?"

"That's Venus, she's only 4,"

"Well, I think 4 is a very smart age to be."

"Where'd you find that snake?" Venus asked.

I smiled, "Well, he found me. Must have been a music lover, my singing calmed him right down,"

"Can I touch your dress?" She asked.

"Of course, I like your dress too," I said and then turned to the man with the microphone, "Oh, and who might you be?"

"You don't know who I am? Don't laugh not everyone has televisions out in the districts. I'm Lucretius 'Lucky' Flickerman, but more enticingly, who are you Hailey from District 12?"

"Oh, it's Halen and I'm not actually from District 12. No, my brother and I were from the capital at one point but my dad had a breakdown so we left for the districts. My mom died when she gave birth to me and then my dad just kind of disappeared when I was six or seven. Then my brother and I fell in with the Covey, we're all like a family. We're musicians by trade and we used to travel from place to place until the Peacekeepers rounded us all up,"

"I see, but now you're District 12?"

"If you say so," I smiled through my hate, Kanan and I should've never been picked for this stupid 'game' we are capital.

"Now that's an interesting dress, with a last name of Storm I'd expect blue to be your color,"

"Well, green is my favorite color and my brother saved up all of his extra money to buy this dress for me. Do you know my mentor? He says his name is Coriolanus Snow" I grabbed onto Coriolanus and pulled him closer to me with a smile, "Clearly I got the cake with the cream because nobody else has even bothered to show up,"

"The game makers did tell you to jump in the cage with them?" Lucky asked.

"Well, they didn't tell me not to," Coriolanus smiled. "They just said that it was a mentor's job to introduce our tributes to the citizens of Panem, and I thought if Halen Storm is brave enough to be here then why shouldn't I be too?"

"For the record, I didn't have a choice,"

"For the record, I think you're about to be whisked away young man," Lucky said and there were two peacekeepers behind Coriolanus.

"Let's go,"

I grabbed his arm, "Hey, please get us some food, Kanan and I haven't eaten since the reaping,"

Coriolanus nodded and was taken away, I sighed and walked over to Kanan. "What the hell was that all about?"

"What?"

"Getting all cozy to you Mentor,"

I shook my head, "It's nothing, an act, that's all the people want. Besides, who cares, I'm just going to die in that arena in a few days anyway,"

"Don't say that," Kanan scolded, "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, you'll make it home and you'll get to keep writing and singing those lousy songs,"

I rolled my eyes with a faint laugh, "You really don't like my music, do you?"

He shook his head, "I love your music, but I'd never tell you that,"

I smiled, "I lied in one of my songs,"

"How so?"

"Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping. You're worth keeping, but I've never had to worry about losing you,"

Kanan sighed and pulled me into a hug, "Everything is going to be okay, I promise,"