𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 || 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐎'𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐱 𝐎𝐅𝐂

(xxi). the future we dreamed of is fading to black

A train passes over the squad as Malia is helped down from the sewer ladder by her waist. Finnick places her down on her feet and she gives him a smile.

"My brother knows these tunnels really well," Castor explains. "He worked sanitation down here. Right after they made him an Avox."

Pollux slowly turns the corner, his back towards the group as he stares down the long tunnel of the sewers. His hands came up to cling onto his harness as he began to breathe heavily.

"Hey, hey," Castor says, walking up to his brother. "You gonna be okay? Look at me. Look at me."

Pollux turns to look at Castor, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

"We are going to get through this," Castor tells him, reassuringly. "I promise."

Pollux lets out a sniffle and nods his head before lifting up his hand in a slight gesture that Castor nodded at. He took slow steps forward down the tunnel and Castor turned back to look at Katniss.

"Took us five years to buy his way outta here," Castor explained. "He didn't see the sun once."

"Damn..." Jake mumbles. "And I thought we had it hard..."

"Come on," Katniss says, leading the way with the holo held out in front of her.

The task force follows after her, only speeding up their pace when they all see a train approaching and they rush to hide behind a wall.

Malia presses her back against it, her eyes closing shut as the train zooms past all of them.

"We're too exposed here," Katniss says, looking over at Pollux.

Malia opens her eyes, lifting her head slightly off the wall to glance at Katniss.

Pollux understood and it's like an idea popped up in his head as he gestured for everyone to move and ran across the tracks towards the other side where a door stood.

The task force quickly ran after him, finding relief when the door was unlocked and they all rushed inside.

"It stinks in here," Jake states.

"It's a sewer," Malia says. "What did you expect it to smell like? Roses?"

"Well, no– but, can't they like, I don't know, light a scented candle down here or something?" Jake asks. "Get rid of that awful stench."

"Nah, I think that's just Gale you're smelling," Finnicks says, patting Jake's back.

"Oh my god, I think you're right," Jake nods, sniffing the air.

"It's not me," Gale says.

"You don't shower that often, do you?" Jake asks.

Gale opens his mouth to reply but when he sees Jake, Finnick and Malia all snickering he shakes his head and walks towards Katniss.

"How can she stand to be around him after everything he said about pregnant women being a liability?" Jake asks, crossing his arms. "She was pregnant once too. You didn't see him saying anything about that."

"She lost the baby in the arena," Malia replies. "I just don't think he cares now that the baby isn't tying her down to Peeta. If anything, I think her losing the baby is his way of seeing himself one step closer to winning her over."

"That's fucked up," Finnick says.

"He's Gale Hawthorne," Jake snorts. "He's always fucked up."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Gale asks. "These tunnels echo."