Reprisal

CHAPTER TWO

     Ice blue eyes glance over the sheet of scribbles, each line of writing numbered.

"Why would we allow them to take weapons into the arena when weapons are already provided?" He questions, raising his brows in anticipation for the thoughtless response that's a stuttering, "W-Well..." from Philo Marius as he struggles to keep up with the Gamemaker's stride.

The young man was five years Coriolanus' junior, having been assigned as his apprentice.

Gaul had to have been punishing them both for some unknown misdemeanor.

"The more weapons one has, the greater their chance of survival." Philo suggests, hopefully.

Snow takes in a deep breath, his knuckles itching with irritation at the answer while Philo adds, "I mean, we don't want them to survive. We want them to maim one another to the death. Any victor left after the fact is merely fortunate enough to have grown the gal to defend themselves, or fortunate enough to stay hidden away for long enough time," to which Coriolanus hands him back his list of ideas.

"We don't arm pissed off barbarians until after they're no longer a risk to the safety of Capitol citizens." Snow says it as if scolding him for being so empty minded, the two of them approaching the laboratory that a familiar face is seemingly guarding.

"Darling?" Livia questions, seeing her husband growing closer to her.

"Is Dr. Crane occupied?" He asks her, accepting her chaste kiss to his lips.

"Oh, she's...gone. Abandoned her students there by themselves in the middle of an exploratory lesson."

"What?" He glances inside the lab, seeing the small group of students circled around a table, disguising how bothered he is by the revelation.

"There is a cut-open mutt on the table. And she left it. With her gaggle of amateurs." She shakes her head, disappointment lacing her quiet voice.

"Did something happen?" He asks next, casually, to which his wife's dark lashes bat rapidly.

"She's just off her rocker, Coryo. I mean...the only reason she's still employed here is because her aunt is Dr. Gaul."

"Liv." It's her he's scolding, now, only for her to raise a brow and state, "If I did what she does – if either of us did what she does – we'd be gone in less than a day."

He won't argue with her, not here, his eyes instead going back to the group of students his wife is monitoring before he's taking a step inside.

"It's a sterile environment." Livia insists, grabbing at his hand to keep him from going.

"What are they working on?" He nods to the Avox lying sedated on the table.

"I have no idea. That's probably just a next door neighbor she hates." She scoffs.

"Or a rebel." Philo reminds them both of his presence.

The sound of shouting from down the hallway pulls their attention, Livia grasping his hand a little tighter as if keeping him in his place before asking, "Is that..?" trailing off at the sound of Tawny, her eyes widening.

She has to hide the grin that wants to creep to her lips.

There is no way she could come back after such a ruckus – especially if she's screaming at one of her bosses.

Coriolanus has to plant his feet on the ground, refusing to move them despite his skin growing hot and prickly at the sound of her.

Something had to have happened to get her so upset she'd leave her students just to cause a scene, here of all places.