The Story Of An Allie And Cat - Journies In Panem

Chapter Nine: Snow VS Rebels

Disclaimer: I do not own this world. All canon characters belong to Suzanne Collins. Non-canon characters Allie and Phoenix belong to RandomNerdyKilljoy (Wattpad) and Phoenixsword24 (FanFiction dot net) respectively. Check out their works! 

The door slides open and instinct kicks in. Allie and Cat immediately draw small obsidian daggers and hide them behind their backs, standing quickly. Cat motions to Phoenix to stand, giving him the chance to run if needs be. The door reveals a shortish, white haired man with puffy lips and snakelike eyes, smiling at them. "Hello, there. Who might you ladies be?"

Cat glares at him. "What are you doing here?" she asks, her eyes blazing.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty. What's your name?" Snow asks, though the false kindness in his voice is fooling nobody.

"Names are irrelevant. Look, I don't know who let you out, but rest assured, I'm not happy about it," Cat snaps, her voice sharp and cold.

Snow takes a step forward and Cat sweeps Allie and Phoenix behind her. "Whoa, no. You're not touching them."

"Them?" Snow questions. "I only see your friend. Who is the other person?"

Before either Allie or Cat can react, Phoenix has stepped out from behind Cat. "Me," he smiles. 

"What are you doing with the radicals, Phoenix?" Snow asks, looking and sounding surprised.

Phoenix smirks, looking pleased. "What do you think I'm doing?" he asks calmly.

"I am rather hoping that you are holding them hostage," Snow replies. "After all, what cause would you have to join them?"

"I don't know, maybe the slaughter of over one thousand of Panem's children? Maybe the bombings? The war? How about the fact that you ordered the murder of Capitol and District citizens alike? Or maybe your poisoning anyone who posed a threat to you had something to do with it. It could be all of these things," Phoenix smiles.

"How long have you been working with them?" Snow asks.

"The whole time. Since before the Quell. When Katniss Everdeen started the uprisings in Eleven. I have every reason to. And this entire time, you thought I was working with you," Phoenix tells him, proud of himself. 

"When you changed your hair, you told me that the colours were in support," Snow says, still trying to comprehend it.

"Yes, I said that... But blue and violet fire is hotter, therefore will melt your reign faster," Phoenix states, his voice showing pride.

"You betrayed me. I told you a vast majority of my strategies!" Snow exclaims.

"And I relayed them, in extreme detail, to Plutarch Heavensbee," Phoenix tells him. "Didn't they teach you that in war school? Never tell anyone your strategies, you never know who'll put a knife in your back."

Snow lunges for him and both Allie and Cat dive in front of him, daggers drawn. "Don't even think about it," growls Allie, her dark eyes flashing. "You try it and Katniss Everdeen'll have one less death on her shoulders."

Snow gives an evil smile. "Well, well. Phoenix, I underestimated you. Two young ladies both willing to sacrifice their lives for you. Impressive," he hisses coldly, sounding for all the world like the snake he is.

"Oh, please, they're my friends," Phoenix tells him.

"And we don't ever turn against our friends," Allie smirks. "You should have been more careful."

Cat adds "Now, do as you're told and this won't go anywhere bad. Phoenix, press the call button, we could do with some Peacekeepers."

Phoenix calls the Peacekeepers, while Allie and Cat hold the blades to Snow. "Dear girls, do you really think you can cause any damage with those? You'll only hurt yourselves," Snow tells them, the false kindness not convincing them.

"We've had practice," Allie clips at him. "And neither of us are injured."

Cat smirks as Phoenix stands between them. "All you have to do now is stay still," Cat says, her eyes trained on him.

Luckily for them, the Peacekeepers arrive at that moment, Haymitch, Effie and Alma Coin in tow. Immediately, both Effie and Haymitch start looking the three of them over while Coin and the Peacekeepers take Snow back to his cell. Haymitch looks at Allie's blade and asks "Where did you get this?"

Allie grins. "I got mine from Cat. Birthday present. At the time, I called her paranoid," she laughs.

"And now you're safe and defended in the aftermath of a war. Paranoia pays," Cat shrugs. 

Effie winces at that. "Don't shrug, dear, it's not ladylike," she automatically reprimands.

"I'm not a lady," Cat replies, brushing it off.

Allie laughs "I can attest to that."

Phoenix  and Haymitch snicker. Cat turns to them and pokes her tongue out, laughing with them, then faces Allie. "You'd know all about not being ladylike, wouldn't you?" she teases.

"Who isn't ladylike?" asks a new voice, curiously from outside.

Johanna Mason walks into the room, surveying the scene in front of her. "Cat," Allie responds.

"Charming, Allie," Cat laughs. 

Johanna looks at them, then spots Phoenix. "Wasn't he one of Snow's loyalists?" she asks.

"Not since the Rebellion started," Haymitch says, looking at Phoenix.

"Okay, then," Johanna says, though there's blatant distrust in her eyes. "What's he doing for the execution?"

Phoenix looks at her and shrugs. "Not sure yet. I'll think of something."

Cat looks at him and grins. "I think I know what we can do..." she muses aloud, excitement in her eyes as she twirls her dagger.

"I hope this doesn't mean you're going to stab me with that thing," Phoenix mutters, eyeing the blade warily.

"No, I'm not going to stab you with it. I've just got an idea," Cat grins.