DUSK ~Peeta Mellark~

District 2

I need to stop getting into these situations. I don't even know how they convinced me to go to district 2 with them, but they did. And now here I am on a hovercraft to said district. Most of the bunks are full. Only a few are left unoccupied.

I felt bad for leaving Cason and Lilly back in 13 but I couldn't just bring them into an active warzone, so I had to. But the good part about being on this hovercraft is the drama. I've heard some juicy stories from bored people.

I sat on my bunk watching Katniss and Gale talk. Next thing I knew they kissed. It didn't look romantic though. It seemed more like Katniss was feeling bad for Gale and gave him a kiss out of pity. Gale got up from the bed and walked away looking upset.

A little while later the hovercraft shakes a bit, and the pilot says we will land in thirty minutes. I sit up in my bed. I look over and see Katniss walking over to Gale and Beetee. I got curious and stood up walking over there with her.

"You scare the people, so they flee in this direction into what they think is a safe haven." Gale says moving things on the screen in front of him. "Two-tiered explosion." "You allow people enough time to rush in, help the wounded, and then..." "A second bomb." Katniss interrupts their conversation. "Right." Gale says, turning back to the screen.

"Second one goes off here." "I guess there are no rules any more about what a person can do to another person." I say. "I don't think Snow used any rulebook when he hijacked Peeta."

-

The hovercraft lands in district 2 and we all file out. "Welcome to district 2. I'm corporal Homes. Follow me please." A man greets us as we walk out into the open. Just as we start to follow him there is an explosion.

"Don't worry. It's just how the loyalists say, "Good morning." How can they stay so calm? I guess they're used to it by now but still. I would be shaking in my boots.

"President Coin we are indebted to you for the reinforcements and the Mockingjay." President Coin is on the big screen in front of us. She nods as if saying "You're welcome." "But I'm not sure anyone out of 2 knows what we've been up against. This is The Nut." The woman says pointing to a hologram in front of her.

"The capitol's headquarters for all offensive operations. It's manned by both military and civilian personnel from district 2. As you can see the fortress lies so far beneath the bedrock it's untouchable. Yesterday we attempted to take the northeastern gate. The enemy counter from higher up and we were forced to pull back. We took heavy losses."

"Could we create a decoy?" The district 5 commander asks. "Send troops towards one gate, launch a staggered attack on another." "Whose troops do you propose as a decoy commander?" Paylor asks. "We have the Mockingjay." Coin interrupts. "Don't underestimate her. We could use her to erode support. She may be able to sway some of the loyalists."

"You've been underground a long time madam Coin. This isn't like the rest of Panem. Support for the capitol runs deep here." "Then there is no sacrifice too great. We need to control the arsenal inside that fortress. Even with every district in this alliance, we are outgunned."

"I won't commit my people to a ground assault just to pillage weapons." "Commander Paylor your people have suffered more than just about anyone else at the hands of the capitol." "Which is why I won't condone a mass suicide." "If we don't take district 2, we won't get into the capitol."

All this bickering is getting annoying. I just want to be back in district 13 or better yet district 4. I shouldn't have come with them. "Would it be enough to disable the fortress instead of taking it?" Gale questions. "What do you have in mind?"

"You think of it like a wolf den. You're not gonna fight your way in, so you've got two choices. You trap the wolves inside or you flush them out. If we can't attack straight on, then couldn't we use our hovercraft to strike around it? We'll use the mountains. We'll hit the weak spots in the peaks."

"We could design the bomb targets in sequence using seismic data." Beetee says. "Trigger avalanches." "Block all exits, cut off their supplies. You make it impossible to launch their hovercraft." "Bury them alive."

They can't be serious. We are killing more people? "We'd forfeit any chance to control the weapons." Coin says. "Yes, but we'd face a weakened capitol." Beetee states. "There's civilians in there. They should be given a chance to surrender. Could use one of the supply tunnels for evacuees." Boggs says. I agree with him. They should be given a chance.

"It's a luxury we weren't given when they firebombed 12." Gale says. "There's gotta be a better way." "I agree with Katniss." I say quickly. "I suggest we try the avalanche but leave the train tunnel alone. Civilians can escape into the square where our armies will be waiting for their surrender." Coin says. Of course she'd want to try the avalanche.

"We should have every available medic standing by." "And if they don't surrender?" "Then we will need a compelling voice to persuade them." Obviously, Coin was talking about Katniss. I could tell she didn't like the idea. But what could she do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Katniss and I watch from a window as hovercrafts lift off into the air. I have my hand on the glass careful not to cut myself on the broken parts. Katniss turns away from the window as Gale walks up to us. "What's the difference? Crushing the enemy in a mine or blowing them outta the sky with one of Beetee's arrows. It's the same thing.

"We we're under attack in district 8. And that hovercraft wasn't filled with civilians." "Doesn't matter. Even if those civilians are mopping floors, they're helping the enemy. And if they have to die, I can live with that. No one who supports the capitol is innocent."

"With that kind of thinking you can kill whoever you want." I say. "You can send kids off to The Hunger Games to keep the districts in line." "It's war Kora. Sometimes killing isn't personal. Figured if anyone knew that it was you." "I of all people know it's always personal. Both Katniss and I should know that by now. You wouldn't. You didn't have to go through what we did."

I walk away from both Katniss and Gale. While I was walking, I ran into Beetee. "Oh. Kora. I've been looking for you. There is a hovercraft coming to take some of us back to 13. I thought you might want to come as well." I immediately accept his offer and thirty minutes later I'm on the hovercraft back to district 13.