16

ALIVE OR NOT

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Evelyn limped into the room as several pairs of eyes glued to her frame but she didn't recognise any of them. She did, however, recognise the copper hair of Katniss Everdeen. A smile almost reached her lips but not quite. The man at her side was unfamiliar to Evelyn.

Katniss' eyes widened before she hugged Evelyn tightly, making her wince in pain. "Shit, I'm sorry. I honestly had no idea if you were alive or not, they wouldn't tell me anything about you at all."

Evelyn eyes up the plate of food in front of Katniss and her friend who she had yet to meet, "That's because I don't think they knew if they wanted me alive or not."

Katniss' eyebrows furrowed but Evelyn ignored the topic with a wave of her bandaged arm before she focused her attention to the man next to her. He was handsome, to say the least, and had a muscular frame, "Hi, I'm Evelyn," she offered her hand out for him to shake, which he did, "You're my brother's new roommate, right?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm Gale," he softly smiled back to her, "It's nice to meet you, especially after seeing what you did for Katniss in there."

"Well, someone had to look over the girl on fire so that those flames didn't extinguish," she smiled and earned a dry chuckle from Katniss.

"Honestly Evelyn, you look like shit," Katniss remarked and pushed the food around on her plate. Katniss eye's fluttered to the guard who stationed himself by the door, his eyes never once leaving Evelyn. "Nice shadow."

"Well, not as shit as that garbage you aren't eating. But yes, I know I look like literal shit. That's what happens when you get struck by lightning, survive not one but two Hunger Games and aren't allowed to see anyone for over a week because you are, and I quote, 'mentally unstable'," she laughed blandly and sarcastically, but it was obvious that Evelyn was just hurt. Regardless she looked over to Katniss, "You should eat something."

Suddenly the Presidential Place music started to play until the screens in the room turned on to show Caesar Flickerman sat in an armchair, "Hello, good evening and a big welcome to all in Panem. I'm Caesar Flickerman and whoever you are and whatever it is you are doing. If you are working, put down your work, if you're having dinner, stop having dinner because you are going to want to witness this tonight. There has been rapid speculation about what happened in the Quarter Quell and here to shed a little light on the subject for us is a very special guest. Please welcome, Mr Peeta Mellark."

The camera shifted onto Peeta who sat beside Caesar wearing a suit as white as snow; it was a message within itself. But Katniss was already to her feet and walking closer to the television in the canteen to get a closer look, her face filled with nothing but shock and despair.

"Peeta, a lot of people feel as so they are in the dark."

Peeta showed a bright smile on his face, "Yeah, I know how they feel."

Caesar once again took over the interview, "Now, so set the stage for us. Talk us through what really happened on that final and controversial night."

"Well, first of, you have to understand what it's like to be in the Games. You only get one wish, it's very costly."

"It costs your life," Caesar tried to state as if he knew what Peeta was talking about, but how could he? Flickerman had never been in the arena and forced to kill to survive. He commentated over the deaths and murders of children. He made crude remarks and jokes as their cannons echoed.

 "It can cost more than your life. To murder innocent people, that costs everything that you are. So you hold onto that one wish, and that night my one wish was to save Katniss. You know, I should've just run off with her, earlier in the day like she wanted to."

"But you didn't, why? Were you caught up in Beetee's plan?"

Peeta shook his head ever so lightly, "No, I was caught up in trying to play allies. Then they separated us and that's when I lost her. Then the lightning hit and the whole forcefield around the arena just blew out."

"Yes, but Peeta, Katniss is the one who blew it out," Flickerman said to him, "You saw the footage."

But Peeta was having none of it, "No, she didn't know what she was doing. Neither of us knew there was a bigger plan going on, neither did Evelyn. We had no idea."

"You had no idea?"

"No."

Caesar Flickerman sat up in his chair ever so slightly, "All right, well, Peeta, there are many who find this suspicious, to say the least. It seems as though she was part of the rebel plan."

The frown only grew on the poor District 12 boy's face, "Do you think it was part of her plan to be almost killed by Johanna? Or part of the plan to be paralysed by the lightning? No, we weren't part of any rebel plan. We had no idea what was going on."

"All right, I believe you, Peeta Mellark. Thank you," Caesar raised his arms defensively, "And I was going to ask you to speak about the unrest, but I think you might be too upset."

"No, I can," a small sparkle of hope washed over his eyes but disappeared within seconds. Peeta disappeared within seconds, replaced with a crafted look that she had never seen on his features before.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, absolutely," Peeta sat forward in his chair to look directly into the camera and into the eyes of everyone watching the Capitol broadcast, "I want everyone whos watching, to stop and to think about what a Civil War could mean. We almost went instinct once before and now our numbers are even fewer. Is this really want we want to do? Kill ourselves off? Killing is not the answer. Everyone needs to lay their weapons down immediately or else that's it."

"Peeta, are you calling for a ceasefire?" Caesar asked intently.

There was a small silence on the screen yet the cafeteria was in chaos. People were arguing with one another or shouting at the screen itself. Evelyn even felt a few of the remarks landing her way or even to Katniss who looked just as traumatised by it all.

"Yes, I am," he calmly answered, not knowing the repercussions that his speech had just had, "I want everyone to stop the senseless violence. This is not the path to change and it's not the path to justice."

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Evelyn felt the three pairs of eyes in the room land on her as she stepped into the meeting room in District 13. Evelyn took a seat next Katniss who decided to stand up instead, but Evelyn still felt the pain in her whole body, her shoulder especially. The bruising on her back climbed up her back and was visible through the neck of her shirt, thankfully the morphling dulled the pain so it was bearable.

"I've decided that I'll be your Mockingjay," Katniss spoke loud and clear to Plutarch and Alma who sat on the other side of the large conference table between them, the girl behind her pulled the paper from her pocket. "But I have some conditions; Peeta and the other tributes, Johanna Mason and Annie Cresta will be rescued at the earliest opportunity. If and when Peeta is liberated, he will receive a full and unconditional pardon and no punishment will be inflicted, and the same goes for the other tributes."

Evelyn nodded in agreement, Katniss was being honest and the terms were everything but selfish; she could have demanded stupid things like bigger living areas, freedom to do what she wants and much worse but instead she still continued to put Peeta and Johanna first. Both girls turned to Alma Coin to see her verdict, "No."

"It's not their fault that you abandoned them in the arena," the girl on fire pushed, trying to be calm and collected but Evelyn could sense the anger radiating off her body. She felt it too. "They are doing and saying whatever they can to survive."

"Individuals don't make demands in Thirteen, there will be a tribunal and fair judgment. Thank you," the President put her head back down and continued to note down what she wanted to.

"The victors will be granted immunity and you will announce that in front of the entire population of Thirteen, you will hold yourself and your government responsible or you will find yourself a new Mockingjay," Katniss' eyes reddened with anger with tears brimming under her lashes.

Katniss's hands rested on the back of Evelyn's chair, dipping it down ever so slightly as both pairs of eyes rested on the two in front of them. Evelyn held back her tongue until it was the right moment. Only she knew how much she really wanted to shout at Alma for leaving Peeta and Johanna in the arena and allowing Annie to be captured but now wasn't the right moment.

"That's it," Plutarch's pen pointed at Katniss, "That's her, right there. Isn't that what I promised you? Now, if she wears the costume, gunfire in the background with a hint of smoke, our Mockingjay," he looked to his side, seeing the look on Alma's face, "Madam President, we are losing ground and our people are losing heart. This is worth the risk, she's worth the risk. Pardons, tribunals, power of the people, it can all be the matter arch of the new Panem. In times like this, I think that even the nobles of causes can be bent a little bit, right?"

"Do you have any other conditions?" Coin asked Katniss, crossing her arms on the table in front of her to convey any ounce of a threat she could but failed miserably. She looked like a child playing dress up.

Katniss looked down at her paper one more time before scrunching it in her hand, second-guessing if she should say it. Regardless, she did, "My sister gets to keep her cat."

A small smile broke out on Evelyn's face, gaining the attention of Coin and Heavensbee, the Presidents motioning her hands to the Miracle girl, "Miss Miracle, did you consider out proposition?"

Evelyn coughed ever so gently and sat up in her chair, "I have, my bother and I both think that the best thing for Aeliana is that we don't speak up too much about her. We don't want a target on her back. Lina is a child but that won't stop President Snow and we all know it. However, Jaime and I have agreed that we will join whatever task force you are setting up and I will be in whatever propaganda you need me to."

"Do you have any conditions to your agreement?" Plutarch asked, his pen in hand already to note down anything she asked.

"Yes, I do. As soon as they are brought to District 13, the victors will receive private care for as long as they need. Annie will be at the top of that list besides Peeta and Johanna as well. She might not have been in the arena but she is Finnick's best friend as she is innocent in all of this. She is yet another pawn and in no way shape or form does she deserve this at all," she ranted quickly, barely able to maintain her words in an organised sentence, but she had so much more to say about it all.

"Deal," they both stated from across the table, a respective nod was motioned on Evelyn's head as she stood up to be with Katniss.

Both victors turned to leave but Evelyn stopped, not even turning her head to notice that Alma was staring at her with a glare, "Oh, and my daughter is not to be mentioned by anyone at any time so you will personally keep her out of this at all costs. Or it won't just be me that you have to face. Her father and uncle won't be held back if Snow gets his hands on my daughter, thank you."

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finnick and evelyn are so hozier coded