Chapter Text
I am running around aimlessly. Trying to keep myself alive, looking if a distraction might be needed. It won't. There's no need for distraction here. Pods are going off everywhere, people are screaming in terror, both sides of the war shoot at everything that's moving. The only way to survive is by blending in with the Capitol population and not drawing attention. If that Peacekeeper realises that he brushed shoulders with one of the most wanted Victors, I'd be dead. So, no distractions needed. And either way, I haven't seen Katniss, the only person I'd cause a distraction for, and by extention risk my life for, since she and Gale left Tigris' shop.
I hear a sound, like something is breaking right in front of me. And then, I see it. The ground is breaking in front of me. I can see it, tilting and dropping the people in the centre into the abyss. The people on the edges are running to the buildings next to them, holding on to everything they can: Doors, windows, pillars, a curtain here and there (that's stupid; the fabric isn't strong enough). Some manage. Most don't. I look around, but I cannot spot her red coat. Not on her, at least.
She might be somewhere else. She might be in Snow's mansion, for all I know. But I saw her, at some point. I even thought I caught her attention. I kept an eye at her. And then, I was distracted. And then I couldn't spot her again. Why do I care? I don't love her, not anymore, not in this sense. But deep down I know. Just because I don't love her romantically anymore, doesn't mean I don't want her alive. That I wouldn't die for her. I know that she's the person keeping me sane. If she died, I'd go crazy again, I don't know why, I don't know at whom, but I would. If there's will, there's a reason.
Or at least that's what I tell myself to drown my doubts.
My thoughts are interrupted. I hear a voice, faint, but I would recognise it anywhere.
"Gale? Gale?" Katniss yells. I turn around and see her, gripping a lamppost. I evaluate how long will it take to reach her. Too long. I decide to wait to see where she goes, so I don't lose her out of sight again. Or, if I do, I might be able to find her again.
"Over here!" Gale responds in kind. I never expected to be so happy to see him. At least she has someone to protect her. Someone she trusts. I can't understand what they're doing, they are too far away to make it out. Yet, Gale makes it into a house, right before Peacekeepers take him away. Katniss doesn't do anything.
"Go!" he screams as a last resort, and Katniss obeys and runs as fast as she can.She stops and I am able to close the distance between us. I won't go near her or talk to her. The Peacekeepers might expect us to be together, and either way I don't know for how long I will have control. I already feel my hands trembling a bit. I don't know if I am losing my mind again or it's just shock. Probably both.
We have a good pace, and we make it a bit before the City Circle. Then, people around me stop and look in the sky. A hovercraft, from the Capitol. Snow most likely sensed he's a dead man, and will flee with it. Katniss is a healthy distance in front of me.
Well, apparently Snow decided that it wasn't worth it to try to flee. Because the hovercraft drops one bomb about three meters behind me. The whole world is just fire, smoke and ashes. I know vaguely that I am in pain, and that I am dying and most likely will die, but there's not a lot to do about it. Is Katniss alive? Is she conscious? Hell, I don't even know if I am conscious, let alone her. Is she worried about what happened to me, or Gale, or Cressida, or Pollux?
"Have you two heard about Romeo and Juliet?" Effie asks, once upon a time on the train to District 11 for our Victory Tour.
"Who?" Katniss responds.
"Apparently not. You cannot be our star-crossed lovers and not know your predessesors on the matter!" Effie exclaims. It's not the first nor the last time she has to educate us on Capitol culture.
"Then go ahead, tell us." I reply, not by interest but by politeness. If I remember correctly, at least. But I misjudged Effie, as the story was actually interesting. There are less deaths than in the Games, at least.
"So, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet were the youngest children from two very wealthy and opposing families. Initially, Romeo wanted another girl, Rosaline, Capulet's niece, but, because he was Montague, he couldn't meet her."
"One of his cousins proposed the idea for him to go to a party the Capulets were hosting, even though he wasn't invited. He did, and in the party, he saw Juliet, and fell in love with her instantly."
"Attraction of the opposites." I cut her off with a laugh. That makes Katniss smile a little.
"Yeah, because you two are the same person hon." Haymitch comments. He is right. On the outside we are polar opposites. She has black straight hair, grey eyes and a darker complexion, while I have blue eyes, blonde hair and I am whiter too. But the main issue is the inside. Someone would argue that I am better with words, that I am more likable, or maybe even that I care more about her than she does. But really, she's the reason we're alive. She's a fighter, and a protector. And if you have the privilege - because it really is one, to be on Katniss' good side, there is no way you will be harmed. At least, not if she can stop it by any means necessary. Yes, that's pretty ironic, considering that I did end up in a Capitol cell getting beaten by Peacekeepers. But now I know now she had done anything in her power to stop it. She's strong, and caring. When she can express it. Violent. Distrustful. Manipulative. Deadly. No, no. Definitely not.That isn't right.
And Effie continues "Then, Romeo stood under Juliet's balcony as she expressed her love for him, not knowing that he was listening. He let her know he had heard the whole thing, and they agree to get married. The next day, they got married with the help of Francis, who hoped the two families can unify again."
"One of Juliet's cousins, Tybalt, challenged Romeo in a fight. Still, Romeo's cousin Mercutio fought Tybalt and the former was killed. The later doesn't have a better ending, as Romeo murdered him for revenge. But Mercutio casted a curse so a member of both the Montagues and the Capulets would meet their end soon. Meanwhile, Juliet was forced to marry her fiancee, that she didn't want. So, she went to Francis, and asked him for help. He gave her a remedy that put her in a coma. She sent a letter to Romeo, explaining everything. However, it never reached him, so when he saw Juliet's 'dead' body, he angrily killed Juliet's fiancee Paris and then commited suicide. Juliet woke up, saw Romeo dead, and killed herself too. Mercutio's curse came true in the end"
"Hopefully it won't end up this way for us." Katniss says, half-joking half-serious.
"And why are we named after them? Our stories have big differences. Firstly, they weren't thrown anywhere to kill each other. And it's not like we weren't allowed to date." I ask
"Well, they did end up dead in the end. So, that's that. And people feel more comfortable reusing old names for similar occasions. It made you more memorable." Effie answers
"Well, I bet you haven't seen a lot of Seam dating Townies, have you?" Haymitch notes
"We are not first at it though." I say, as I look at Katniss. God, those eyes.