Real or Not Real? ~Coriolanus Snow AU

5-Halen

Halen's POV:

When the hour was up, the peacekeepers unlocked our chains and escorted us to the outside of the arena where we would stand side by side with our mentor. Coriolanus still hadn't returned though. I was going to be the first one to enter the arena since I was the final tribute selected. Kanan was rather silent but that wasn't unusual.

I stood with my hands at my sides as I stared at the doors that would ultimately determine my fate tomorrow. I heard footsteps growing closer and before I knew it Coriolanus was at my side. "Hey," I smiled. "You left this," I said and handed him the notepad along with the pen.

He smiled faintly, "Thanks," He stated and tucked it in his pocket.

"Alright let's go," The peacekeeper said.

We walked into the arena and we had to walk through turnstiles to enter the arena fully. My heart was racing and my breathing was quick. Coriolanus and I walked through a turnstile that was next to each other. When we walked through and every time another person walked through a woman's voice spoke out, "Enjoy the show," I shook my head, that's all they think of us. We're just some show, how pitiful. 

I reached over and took Coryo's hand and he glanced at me but I kept my gaze on the arena and how there was literally no place to hide. Coriolanus let go of my hand when he saw the cameras, I looked at him and then I looked down, disappointed but I didn't know what I'd expected. He's capital, I'm not, and I might not make it out of this arena. He'll still be able to live a happy and healthy life.

One of the mentors literally forced the camera onto Coral and I just shook my head as I continued to look around the arena with Coriolanus. We walked to the exact center of the arena and I just gazed around. Reaper had Dill at his side and Kanan was near them, they were plotting. Dill was coughing horribly, and I worried for her health. The doors to the outside closed and there we stood in the darkness, I turned to see the doors closed since they made a loud bang. I looked up at Coriolanus and he was looking at the windows that were now opening to bring in some light. "Welcome to the arena of the 10th annual Hunger Games. Tributes, Mentors, you have 15 minutes to survey the space and discuss strategy."

I watched Reaper say something to Dill and Kanan nodded. There was a group of four plotting as well and it included Coral. She was glaring at me the entire time and I just stared back at her. My brother was waving me over, I held up a one on my finger and turned to Coriolanus. "Please," He turned to look at me with concern in his gaze. "Coriolanus, please don't let me die in here tomorrow."

I was barely able to get that sentence out when there was an explosion that knocked the both of us off our feet. The explosion went off in every direction and bodies went flying. My heart dropped and I reached for Coriolanus as he lay there, but he got up which was a relief that he was okay. His head was spinning in every direction as well trying to understand what was going on. Coryo got onto his knees, reached his hand out to me, and tried to cover me from the blasts as I got up. 

We both stood up and watched the chaos unfold and then there was another loud noise, we looked up and the ceiling was falling. Coriolanus and I both took off running, I was trying not to trip over debris or twist my ankle in a hole that was caused by an explosion. I heard a loud thud and with all the dust I hadn't even realized that Coriolanus wasn't with me. I backtracked as the door opened, "Coryo?" Through the dust and debris, I found him, he was pinned beneath a part of the ceiling. "Coryo!" I looked towards the door and watched as tributes yelled to head towards the door. I however ran towards Coriolanus, escape wasn't even a thought that crossed my mind, I was going to save my mentor, just like he was going to save me tomorrow. 

I dropped down to my knees and looked at the debris that was on his back. Some metal rods were running through the cement, I grabbed onto one of them and began to lift. "Come on!" A boy from District 2 called and tried to lift me off the ground, making me lose my grip on the debris, the weight was put back onto Coriolanus and I heard him groan. "The gates open, come on," I shook my head and looked at Coriolanus. "He wouldn't save you!" He stated before getting up and running.

"Yes he would," I muttered to myself and grabbed back onto the metal bars. I found all of my strength to lift the cement block, if I could lift it enough even just for a moment, he could get out. It started moving and I used what strength I had left to hold it and Coriolanus was able to roll out from under the debris. 

He groaned in pain and I dropped the debris back onto the ground. I looked at him and could see the pain that he was in. Even through his pain, he held a faint smile on his face, "Halen," He called out quietly and reached his hand out. I sighed and was about to take it when a peacekeeper roughly grabbed onto me and yanked me away.

"No, wait!" I yelled. "Coryo!" At this point, the peacekeeper was dragging me, "Please you have to help him. I'll cooperate just please get him to a doctor!"

"If you don't cooperate now, I'm going to put a bullet in your head," He remarked.

I took one last look at Coriolanus and then he was out of view. I was worried that I might not ever see him again especially with the games being tomorrow. There's no way that they'd cancel, even with the arena being in shambles they'd throw us in a field and let us strangle each other with cornstalks.

I was tossed roughly in the back of a vehicle and the door was shut. I jumped when a hand touched my shoulder, it was Dill. "Are you okay?" She asked.

I sighed and saw the tears that fell from her eyes, "I'm okay, are you okay?" I asked bringing her into a hug.

"Yes, d-did you see Reaper or Kanan?"

I shook my head and my emotions were getting the best of me. I had to hope that nothing bad had happened to them, they were the only chance that Dill and I had in that arena tomorrow. On top of this nightmare of a situation, we still had to worry about the stupid interview tonight.

I wasn't worried about Kanan being okay, I know him. He knows how to survive and Reaper is so much like him. It's Coriolanus that I'm worried about, his injury worried me a lot since his back was the point of impact. I was worried that his spine might have been hit and the only reason he could roll over was because of the adrenaline.

We were taken back to the cage we had called 'home' the last day or so. Dill and I were the first ones back, I went straight to where I sat and had lunch with Coriolanus yesterday and rested my head on the bars. "Halen! Halen, they're back, they're okay!" Dill called. I looked up and turned around, there they were, both Reaper and Kanan were back and they didn't appear to have a scratch on them. 

Reaper and Dill had a sweet reunion, I rushed over to Kanan and was taken into his arms, "Thank goodness, you're okay,"

I let a few tears fall from my eyes knowing that Kanan was in fact okay. I also let the tears fall because I knew this might be the last hug I ever received from my older brother. 

Reaper gave me a kind smile and I returned it as I wiped my eyes. We chatted for a bit as they tried to figure out what they were going to do for their interviews, I excused myself and went back to my spot at the fence. I rested my head on the cool metal bars and continued brewing up lyrics for my unfinished song. "Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time," I breathed out thinking about the relief I felt knowing Kanan was alright but the anger I held not knowing Coryo's fate. "You and I drink the poison from the same vine," I was thinking about how Coriolanus and I are more alike than I ever thought to be possible. "Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time," I repeated and then thought of how I took Coryo's hand and he let go when the camera was on us. "Hiding all of our sins from the daylight."

My thoughts dwelled on Coriolanus for the rest of the evening. I just hoped that he would be okay and that maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to see him one more time.

A/N:

Hello! This is my first note for this book. I hope you have all been enjoying it so far. Please give me feedback on what you like along with what you dislike!

I will also be setting up a schedule now since I am a college student. I'm thinking twice a week, probably Wednesday and Saturday. I may miss a day here and there but I would count on those two days from now on! The time of the updates should be around 11:30 AM Eastern American time!