Chapter Text
As soon as order had been established in the underground strongholds, Jay, Daisy, Jordan, Evangeline Fawn, Fitz, Max and Affron sought each other out immediately.
"First things first, we need to rescue Nick." Jordan said as soon as they all met up.
"Agreed. But there's more criteria we need to look at. We can't just storm out, right?" added Evangeline Fawn.
"Right. So, what do we need to consider for this...hypothetical plan?" asked Affron.
"Getting Nick out safely," started Jordan.
"Not being seen," continued Jay.
"Keren not finding out," added Daisy.
"Making sure Wolfsheim isn't alerted," Evangeline Fawn put in.
"We can't be seen by their airspace," Fitz contributed.
"Watching out for traps?" suggested Max.
"Not being captured or tracked," finished Affron.
"OK. So, it's going to be a tight plan. First things first, how do we leave without Keren or someone else noticing?"
"The same way we originally got to Jay?" suggested Fitz. "There's this tunnel that we took the hovercraft out, but I think there's a network of underground passageways."
"You think there's one which leads to the Capitol?" Jay asked.
"We used to study maps. Pretty sure there's an underground tunnel connecting to the Capitol from District 11, on their western border," said Max.
"So if we could really subtley take a hovercraft to 11, then use the tunnels?" Jordan asked.
"Technically, yes. Only problem is, we've lost our resident hovercraft flyer."
The group was silent for a moment.
Affron spoke up. "I've studied their mechanics. It's not a good safety precaution, but we don't have a better option. I can try and fly it."
"It's only a short distance," Daisy said anxiously.
"So say we're in the tunnels. We'll need weapons, gear, that sort of thing."
"On it," said Max. I can get some for the store. If someone were to distract Eve and Dale-"
Jordan and Evangeline Fawn simultaneously raised their hands.
"Great. I can get weapons and load them onto the hovercraft."
Jay cut in. "Where do we know where Nick's being held? He could be anywhere in the Capitol."
"During the Dark Days, prisoners were held in what is now the Tribute Centre or the Preparation Rooms. I'd say those are our best bets."
"We could split up into two teams?" Jordan suggested. "We'll cover more ground."
"And then supposing everything goes to plan, we get Nick out and escape through the tunnels, I'm assuming?" Affron asked.
"Yes. If all goes according to plan."
"And in the very unlikely event that it does?" Jay asked.
"Any ideas for a backup plan?" Daisy looked around.
"Contact Keren. She may be strategic, and willing to sacrifice Nick, but she won't give up eight more of us." Fitz said firmly.
"You sure?" Jordan muttered.
"That really put the 'backup' in backup plan," Evangeline Fawn said.
"Well, hopefully it won't come to that. When should we set off?"
"Tonight," Jordan said immediately.
"Which means we need to find a way out of the bunkers, into the main compound. There are supplies of guns down here that we can use, but everything else is above ground," Max said anxiously. "I suppose I could try to bypass some of the security...but there's no guarantee it'll work."
"We could always try the time-tested strategy of blowing things up?" Fitz suggested nonchalantly.
"I fear we can't blow up the stronghold of the side we're fighting for..." Jay reasoned.
"We just need to be quick. Really, really quick." Daisy finalised.
The group spent the rest the hour planning their escape route and how to secure all the equipment they needed. Finally, they decided on a somewhat shaky idea that involved the least chance of them getting discovered, captured or killed.
"Can we go over this one more time?" Affron asked.
"Alright. First things first, we'll wait until everyone's asleep," Jay started.
"Evangeline Fawn and I will distract Eve and Dale, and maybe Keren, if she's there," said Jordan
Evangeline Fawn continued. "We'll bring them as further away from the door as possible, and then leave and get to the door."
"I'll get the weapons from the store down here," Max confirmed.
"Meanwhile, I'll disable the door and Affron and I will make our way to the launching room." Fitz nodded.
"I'll try to start up the hovercraft and opened the hatch," Affron continued.
"Daisy and I will wait until everyone's out, and then we'll meet you all in the launching room, double locking every door we pass through behind us," Jay said.
"Which will hopefully give us some time when Keren realises we're gone," Daisy added.
"If, Daisy, if. Positive thinking, remember?" Affron told her.
"There are so many things that could go wrong with this," muttered Jay.
"And then the plan after?" Max interrupted him.
"Locate the tunnels in District 11. Walk through the tunnels into the Capitol," Fitz recited back to him.
"Jordan, Evangeline Fawn, Max and Affron will head to the Tribute Centre. Jay, Fitz and I will go to the Preparation rooms," Daisy followed.
"Then, when we know where he is, the other team will meet there. Then, we leg it down the tunnels," finished Fitz.
"Sounds good. So we all know what to do, and what our roles are, and-"
"What's my role?" a voice interrupted them. They turned to see Courtney walking towards them.
"You can't come," Max told her. "Not with your injury-"
"What injury?" Courtney raised her arm, showing the others. Instead of her hand, a metal band attached to a small metal pistol met the end of her wrist. She looked smugly at Max as she moved it around.
"I requested weaponising it in some way. They agreed. I mean, I still have to pull the trigger with my other hand, but it works fine."
Fitz raised his eyebrows. "Wow. That's..."
"I can also attach a knife to it. So, I think we'll all agree that I'm coming?"
"Fine. Only if you're really up to it. You can help me take the weapons and then go with Fitz to the Prep Rooms." Max said.
Jay looked at the others. "Meet here at two?" Everyone nodded.
Fitz rose and patted Max on the shoulder. "Good. See you soon, everyone."
"You have to go to bed with the birds if you want to greet them at dawn," Evangeline Fawn cheerfully commented even as some people gave her odd looks.
Max began to leave with Fitz and Courtney. "Get some rest. I have a feeling it's the last we're going to have in a while."
***
Jay didn't think he would be able to sleep for the few hours they had available, so he stayed up. Fortunately, Daisy had the same idea.
"Do you really think it's all going to go to plan?" she asked, sitting down besides him.
Jay laughed. "In all our time in this rebellion, how many of our plans have gone exactly to plan? I anticipate something to go wrong. I just hope we can get Nick out safely and don't trigger a full-blown war."
"I trust us, though." Daisy smiled at him. "We've got a smart team."
Jay tried not to think about that. Out of their team, Nick had definitely been their smartest asset.
"And we've got good motor skills. Jordan and Evangeline Fawn are incredibly energetic and bring the energy, and we've got excellent fighters like you and the Green Lights."
Excellent fighters. Jay shifted uncomfortably.
"Daisy, I..."
"Yes?"
He sighed, ashamed. "I haven't been completely honest with you about something."
Daisy said nothing, but looked quizzically at him for an explanation.
"When we were doing training and fighting, and I was good at assembling and using guns. I said I'd never used them before. That's not true."
"Go on," said Daisy, reaching for his hand.
"It's a long story."
"We've got a long night ahead of us."
Jay breathed in, preparing himself. "It was 18 years ago. I think it was the 52nd Games. I was still living in District 12. I made a friend, his name was Burdock, he was seventeen. His father made weapons, stored them as well. He made bows, and knives, and somehow had a store of guns somewhere. I don't remember how we met, but Burdock was convinced that there was going to be a rebellion at the time. Something to do with the 50th Games, a couple of years back. Something then had triggered others to believe an uprising was imminent. I was young at the time, only eleven, but I think I was aware enough of our world to want to take action against the Capitol. Burdock offered to teach me how to fight. I agreed. So he taught me how to use weapons."
Jay paused to look at Daisy. She smiled reassuringly back at him. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to fight, Jay."
"I know. There's more..."
Daisy motioned for him to continue.
"I told you that my parents were killed by Peacekeepers in 12. They were rebel spies. After, I was coming back from school when Burdock ran out to tell me the news, and ordered me to run away. He gave me a gun for protection. I headed up to the train station, but near the woods, a Peacekeeper discovered me. He was clearly under orders to shoot me, but my fear took over first. It was muscle memory. I fired the gun."
Daisy was looking at the floor, biting her lip.
"I was horrified and disgusted with myself. I threw the gun into the forest and jumped on a train to 9. But I didn't forget how to use weapons, and I didn't forget that Peacekeeper." Jay closed his eyes. "It's probably terrible of me, but now, I don't blame myself much anymore. I was acting in self defence. I don't know if I'm just making excuses, but..." He trailed off. "But that's it."
"You realise that this sounds like what victors experience after the arena, right?" Daisy said quietly. "After the fear of being hunted makes you do things like that. Living with the guilt, it's another part of what the Capitol does to us. How can I blame you for that?"
"I...I never really thought about it that way before."
"You were right not to blame yourself, Jay. And I don't blame you either. It wasn't your fault."
Another time, maybe Jay would've doubted her, or turned back to regretting what he did, but now he knew the best thing to do was to let it go and accept that it happened. He had seen victors whose guilt had torn them apart.
"Do you think Nick’s alive?" Daisy asked him.
Jay was grateful to change the subject, but he wondered whether this topic was any better.
"He has to be. Wolfsheim wouldn't kill his leverage so easily."
"How long did he say we had to decide?"
"A day. And he sent that two hours ago, so we've got twenty-two hours to get to the Capitol."
"That's...doable," said Jay, trying to sound upbeat.
"Well, we meet at two, giving us fifteen hours left. Getting out of here will probably take an hour, so that's fourteen. Flying to District Eleven will maybe take us down to twelve hours, say eleven for locating the tunnels. Then walking from there could take any matter of time."
"There's still time, Daisy," Jay insisted. "We're going to save him."
"I don't want to put anyone else in danger," she whispered.
"None of this is your fault," he reminded her.
"I know. But you feel it too, don't you? The pressure that somehow, if anything goes wrong, it's because of something you did or didn't do?"
"I feel it," he replied quietly. "I sometimes feel like if my past hadn't been what it is, we wouldn’t be here, and everyone would be alright."
"Well, we'd still be in the Capitol, and Nick or Jordan would be dead. So I'd say your past helps us in this case."
"I hope so." Jay stood up.
"I'm going to try and sleep- you should too."
Daisy nodded and began to walk with him towards where the others were resting.
"See you soon. It's going to work. I love you," she added.
"I love you too."
***
"Nick," said the figure, extending a hand down to him.
Nick blinked. It was the man who had temporarily saved him from the Peacekeepers- Olly.
"What are you doing?" he mumbled, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"How much do you remember?" Olly narrowed his eyes.
"Um...I..." Nick tried to recall what he had before. "You told the others to stop electrocuting me. Thank you for that." He suddenly remembered how he had gotten here in the first place. "You also, ah-"
"Right," Olly interrupted. "You need to get out of here."
"But- why are you doing this?" Nick struggled to get up.
"Just follow me."
"But why? You work for the Capitol. I think, but then I also remember you being a part of this rebellion, and I feel like you're not supposed to let me go, so-"
"I'm not a part of the rebellion anymore."
"So, were you? Or-"
"Don't you remember?" Olly turned to him impatiently.
"Not much. I think electrocution will do that to you."
"You belong with your victor friends in the District 13 rebellion. Wolfsheim wanted me to spy on them and feed him information, so I did. We were meant to capture Jay, but got you instead. You need to go back to them."
"I see. Is Jordan one of the victor friends?"
"Yes."
"OK." Olly started leading him out of the compound, down some shadowy Capitol streets. "Be as quiet as possible. Follow me."
"Sorry, but-" Nick tripped as he tried to keep up with Olly. "This doesn't really explain why you're helping me escape. I don't really think you're supposed to do that."
"That's not important. Do you want me to leave you to Wolfsheim's mercy?"
"No," he decided.
"Then shut up and follow me."
They travelled down some narrow alleys and stayed close to the walls. Nick felt some of his strength return, as well as his memories.
"Is it because of your friends?" Nick asked suddenly.
Olly tensed for a moment. "No."
"You always seemed so close. When we landed in District 3..." Nick struggled to remember. "Fitz seemed really betrayed."
"Well, he would. I betrayed them, Nick, that was the point," he replied, sounding slightly strained.
"Why,"
"Because I was ordered to."
"Wolfsheim said..." He searched his memory. "He said you weren't giving him a lot of information from thirteen. Was that because you didn't expect to get so close to them?"
Olly wheeled round to face him. "This is not important right now! Do you want to get out alive, or not?"
Nick looked down, nodded and continued walking.
"What's going on in the rebellion right now?" he asked, eventually.
"I don't know. The President issued some ultimatum. He wants Jay and Keren, and he'll give you back and not bomb them. If not, he'll attack again."
"But once I'm discovered gone, won't Wolfsheim attack them anyway?"
"Let's hope your friends have thought of something," Olly said grimly.
"They're your friends too, you know- sorry," he cut himself off as Olly glared at him.
The streets gradually faded into a more rural area.
"What's the plan from here?" Nick asked.
"I drop you off outside the border. You get on a train headed to the nearest district to 13 and from there you try to get helped by your friends."
"Sounds very thorough."
"I go back to the Capitol and pretend nothing happened."
"Wolfsheim's not going to fall for that," Nick warned. "He'll know you did something."
"Believe me, I know what he's capable of." Olly looked pained. "I'll make something up."
"He'll probably kill you."
"Are you usually this cheerful?"
"I'm being serious."
"Probably," Olly said after some consideration.
"And you're alright with that?"
Olly shrugged. "Maybe I can get out to another district before they can find me."
"You don't sound convinced."
"You're really quite annoying, did you know that?"
"I think it's called being realistic. Do you really think he's going to let you get away?"
Olly deliberated. "So, I die. Nothing changes."
"Don't you have any family?"
"No."
"You could always..." Nick thought about it. "You could always come back to thirteen."
"Out of the question," he said immediately.
"Is it?"
"Think about it. Nobody would trust me, my team wouldn't talk to me, Fitz would kill me. Not going to happen."
"So why let me escape?"
"Can you please stop bringing that up?"
"Sorry. Alright."
They walked for a few minutes in silence. Finally, they reached a large hedge running alongside a wire fence.
"Here's the border. There's a hole underneath, it's hidden by the hedge. Go now."
"Is it electrified?"
"Yes, but the gap should be big enough."
Nick glanced around. "Aren't there cameras around?"
"Yes. But you don't have to worry about them if you're gone. Now go."
"But you have to worry about them."
"This isn't about me. Go, Nick. Get out of here."
"I-" Nick stopped by the fence. "What's going to happen to you?"
"What indeed," came a voice emerging from the streets, accompanied by a series of clicks.
Nick and Olly turned to see a squad of Peacekeepers moving up the road towards them, rifles aimed directly at their heads.
Nick shot a desperate look at the hedge. Could he make it?
"I wouldn't," one of the Peacekeepers said. "We're under direct orders to shoot you if you try to run."
"Why not just shoot us now?" Olly challenged.
The head Peacekeeper took a step towards them. "The President isn’t done with you just yet."
***
"Let's go," whispered Daisy. She and the others were gathered as non-conspiciously as possible in one the corners of the bunker. "Good luck. If all goes to plan, we'll meet in the hovercraft launch centre." Fitz saluted and went towards the door.
Jordan and Evangeline Fawn nodded at each other and ran off towards the lighted area of the stronghold, followed stealthily by Max.
As they approached the storage area, they noticed Eve and Dale sitting outside, as they had suspected. Jordan gave Evangeline Fawn the thumbs up, nodded to Max to stay hidden, and then two girls ran forward.
Eve and Dale stood up immediately upon seeing them. "What's going on?" Eve asked immediately. "Is something the problem?"
"Yes," answered Jordan immediately. "There's a-"
"Fire," Evangeline Fawn interrupted. The other three stared at her with mixed responses of exasperation and panic, before Jordan cleared her throat. "Don't worry. What Evangeline Fawn means is, it's like a fire. It's very heated."
"What's heated?" Dale asked, narrowing his eyes.
"An argument." Jordan pointed to the far wall. "Keren's getting in a fight with some of the advisors. I think you'd better go see if it's alright."
"Where?" Eve looked where Jordan pointed.
"Go up to the far wall, then around the corner."
"And then go round the other corner," Evangeline Fawn told them, "And possibly there's another corner. I forgot."
Eve and Dale looked at one another and began jogging for the far wall. As soon as they were gone, Max slipped into the storage and the two girls ran for the door.
"A fire? Really?" Jordan whispered.
"Hey, it works a charm where I'm from. We have a flammable marketplace."
"Let's just hope it keeps them away for long enough. Where's Fitz got to with the door?"
"Ready?" Fitz asked Jay, Daisy and Affron as they stood by the door.
"We're ready. Are you?"
"Yeah. I just need my tools. Jay?"
Jay rooted around in the bag Fitz had given him, passing him several odd mechanical tools, some gloves and a pair of goggles.
A shadow passed over Fitz's face slightly as he took the equipment, looking at the goggles.
"You alright?" Affron asked him.
"I'm fine. I'll get to work." Fitz glanced behind him, seeing Eve and Dale run off. He attached the metal discs to the door handle, and began connecting wires and fiddling with pieces of apparatus. The other three watched him nervously for a few minutes, keeping an eye on the rest of the bunker.
Suddenly, Max ran up to them with his arms full of weapons and bulletproof clothing. "Quick. We don't have time to put them on, just get them to the hovercraft."
Fitz continued his work for several more nerve-wracking minutes before there came a series of hisses and popping noises. Fitz gingerly tested the handle. The steel door opened.
Max clapped Fitz on the shoulder and ran through the opening. Affron followed him. Fitz turned to Jay and Daisy, giving them a device that looked like a cross between a cork opener and a screwdriver. "Stick that in any lock we pass. It'll double lock." He disappeared up the stairs in pursuit of Affron and Max.
Jay and Daisy waited silently by the door. Finally, Courtney ran out also carrying a number of assorted weapons, followed by Jordan and Evangeline Fawn. "Quickly," Jay ushered her through, then turned to Daisy. "So far, so good."
Daisy turned to the far end of the cavern, where the sound of raised voices was gradually getting louder.
"You spoke too soon. Let's go."
The two of them ran through the door, using the device to double lock the newly opened door. They raced up the stairs to the stronghold in sync, following the noise of everyone else's footsteps. Locking all the doors cost them some time, but not much.
"Can you hear anything?" Jay asked Daisy.
She was quiet for a moment, listening. "Someone's definitely trying to open the door."
"Are they succeeding?"
"Not currently."
"Good. We're on track."
They continued on their way to the hovercraft room, finally entering and locking the door behind them.
Affron was in the pilot's seat, nervously testing out the different controls. Fitz tinkered with the lever that opened the hatch to outside. Max and Courtney were suiting Jordan and Evangeline Fawn up with armour.
"Here," Courtney tossed Jay and Daisy a bulletproof vest and arm guards. "Put those on. Take a gun and a knife as well."
They got into the clothes and received their weapons from Max.
"You're not fighting, though," Daisy reminded Jordan as she stuck two knives into her belt.
"Try stop me," Jordan said fixedly.
"Jordan-"
"When we're surrounded by Peacekeepers trying to shoot us, you might appreciate the extra support," she said, turning away. "We're going to defend ourselves, right, Evangeline Fawn?"
Evangeline Fawn was absently humming something to herself a few feet away. "Sorry?"
"We're going to fight."
"Oh! Yes." She nodded in agreement at Daisy. "We want to rescue Nick as well, remember?"
Daisy looked like she wanted to argue, but didn’t say anything more.
"I think I've figured this out!" Affron called from his seat. "Everyone get in!"
"Give me a few more seconds on this," Fitz called, working furiously at the operating panel.
Jay listened outside the door. "I can definitely hear voices."
Max ushered everyone into the hovercraft. "If they've gotten out, the first place they'll go is anywhere with a lockdown switch. We've got roughly five minutes before everything shuts down, possibly less."
"Got it!" yelled Fitz, pushing a final button. The hatch slid open as the rest of them rushed on board.
"We're heading out," Affron said over the intercom as he steered the hovercraft out of the building. Max and Courtney anxiously watched to see if anyone would appear to oppose them. Jay and Daisy joined them.
"We're all good," Courtney said finally.
Affron replied over the intercom again. "The sky's clear, and there's no sign of pursuit from behind. Next stop, District 11."