thecapitol | [OPEN] You don't want to be around when it all goes down

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[OPEN] You don't want to be around when it all goes down

WHO | Sigma and Eponine, Sigma and Wyatt; Sigma Klim and YOU!
WHAT | Reactions, emotional and political, to Eva's blackout.
WHERE | All around the Tribute Tower, inside and outside.
WHEN | Immediately after Eva's final announcement.
WARNINGS/NOTES | Absolutely looking for people on both ends of the spectrum to tag in! Suspicious Pro-Capitol people, suspicious pro-Rebellion people, I'm game for everything.

When the last of the lights blinked out, Sigma's was left staring witlessly into a black room.

He stood stiffly, a hand hovering over his lips, expression frozen. Instinctively Sigma denied what he had just seen. His nerves had been on edge since his death in the Arena- his treatment had certainly not helped with the matter- and it took him some time to summon the strength to accept that the woman who had comforted him when he had needed it most, the woman who had been a mother to a child he considered his own, his one true friend and ally, was gone. It takes a long while, digging his nails into his arms and hunched over in a chair, before the prickling of tears in his eye leaves him. In the darkness his gaze searches for the bedside table on which he kept his mementos: soon there would be one more memorial among them. One of a woman far braver than he had ever been, he who greedily clung to his miserable life.

Sigma took a deep breath. He could not do nothing as Eva was sent to her grave. It was time to make an impression on both sides - preferably leaving his support for the Capitol for when the lights came back on.

He quickly disassembled the expensive frame he had placed by his bed, folding the photograph inside into neat quarters. He needed to find Eponine. He needed to find Wyatt. Either one of them was suspect to leave the tower immediately- one for the sake of apologizing for her mother, the other to make her sacrifice count- and Sigma would have to work quickly to locate them both before it was too late. If he failed now, there would be no second chances, no reprieve from the Capitol's cameras.

As soon as he had gathered the nerve, Sigma was out his door like a shot, the photo of his own son tucked neatly into his breast pocket.

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No light. No electricity. No power, whatsoever, for three hours.

Homura didn't intend to waste the moments, and indeed, even before the broadcast had ended, she had casually started making her way towards the stairs, hopping over the rails and landing a flight down with each leap. She knew what she wanted, and had somewhat of an idea of where to get it.

And, ideally, she would be back before anyone suspected that she'd done much of anything wrong. The night would be her cloak, as would the noise of what was likely to come from within the Capitol itself.

However, she nearly jumped right onto someone as she cascaded to the second floor. With a grunt, she managed to change her direction before jumping, landing on the stair above the newfound figure.

"My apologies." She quickly flipped her hair, keeping her voice casual, in case it was a Peacekeeper. "I was just getting exercise."

Sigma was no stranger to women with acrobatic expertise - so much so that it is not the sound, but the familiarity, that startles him. He turns around with such alarm that he nearly falls backwards: he catches the guardrail with a clang of metal on metal and tries to focus. Even in the darkness his cybernetic eye can make out the figure of a small woman, and when he hears her casual, calm voice, a precious name gets caught in his throat as he finds his balance.

"Phi-?"

Then the true identity of the girl before him registers and Sigma clears his throat. He isn't certain if he is relieved or disappointed, but he is at least pleased to have run into a close ally. Someone he, without a doubt, could trust with his life. "Homura," he corrects firmly. "That is you, isn't it?"

It is clear that Sigma had been fleeing the Tribute tower with intentions similar to her own.

Homura froze, as she hear the voice, the name. Not here. But she knew the person the voice belonged to. She straightened up.

"Dr. Klim." She nodded, keeping her voice even. "What are you doing out...?"

A silence passes between them before Sigma finds the resolve to answer. He could trust Homura; perhaps it was not wise to rely on a gut feeling, but she had confided in him already and Sigma was prepared to do the same in return.

"Causing trouble," he says through a smile. He knew Homura had wondered where his loyalties truly lied and now she had her answer. "I am relying on the Capitol's opinion of me to allay suspicion, I suppose. Yourself?"

He didn't have any ideas in particular, only that he could not let this opportunity go to waste.

The ghost of a smile play on the ends of Homura's lips as she casually flipped her hair. She knew it. She knew Sigma had been lying. That the support of the Capitol had been a facade.

"Get myself a gun. I'd rather be prepared for when things get even more serious, after all."

"Perfect. I would be more than happy to offer my assistance," Sigma says cooly. Getting a weapon while they had the opportunity would be an intelligent move, both for the Rebellion and for their personal safety. "I may not be the most experienced at breaking and entering, but I will do whatever I can." Whether she needed protection, someone to carry the guns, or another pair of eyes to watch her back, he would offer his help gladly.

A tight smile formed on Homura's lips.

"There's a Peacekeeper cache nearby. Follow me."

With that, she flipped over the banister again, down onto the next story.

Eponine was in the Common room. She had been sat in there before Eva's broadcast, unable to sleep. Or no. No, Eponine was unwilling to sleep in her bedroom. There were too many memories of happy times. There were too many ghosts of lost loves to haunt her dreams in that room. And now there was to be one more.

Eponine had sunk to the floor, mouth open in disbelief as she watched Eva's broadcast. And, as it ended, as it had sunk in, as Eponine realised that Eva was as good as dead, she opened her mouth and she screamed. She screamed a scream of pain and grief and loss and betrayal. She didn't even hear Sigma. She didn't notice him. Though her voice had ran out, her mouth was still wide in a silent scream, and she looked, wild eyed, at her blank communicator, as if telepathically sending Eva frantic messages to stop and repent and stay with Eponine forever.

He could hear her scream from floors away. Having run to her as quickly as his old body could move, Sigma drops to his knees beside her so quickly that the carpet burns his legs. From behind her, he lays his hands gently against her shoulders and pulls her towards him, her back against his chest, whispering softly in her ear to calm her down.

"Shh," Sigma begins gently, his voice low. "Shh, Eponine. Quiet, now. Listen to me, Eponine..."

He calls her and calls her quietly until he knows she can hear him, rocking her gently in a half-hug. It is dark enough that she could not see how red his eyes had been from crying, but it takes great effort, still, to stop his voice from breaking. Doubtlessly, this had come as as much of a shock to Eponine as it had to him. Sigma could not know why Eva had not said goodbye to her own daughter, but he could hazard a guess...

She lets him hug her, lets him pull him back against her. Her eyes never leave that communicator, and her mouth never closes from her silent scream. It's over. It's all over. Without Eva -

His words reach her fogged over mind, like ghost fingers trying to find a reality to grasp. No, no it can't be real. No - no, it's a dream. Her body's shaking. She can feel herself shaking, feel him shaking with her. Who is him? Him - Sigma. It comes back, his name seeming so far away from her in her little hell. Even his arms tight about her don't seem quite real. She grasps for his fingers, her own scrabbling over his to find purchase. She needs to wake up.

"Make it go away, Papa. Help me wake up. Please, Papa. Please find Eva for me." Her voice breaks when she says Eva's name, and it's only then that she begins to cry. Why has Eva done it? Why has Eva left her all alone?

She is not clad in barbed wire; Sigma can reach her now. Eponine's begging for her mother is too much, and his tears spill over with his heart, he clings to her as if he could snatch her sadness away.

Hands entwining with hers, his grip only shifts after a moment to run his fingers through her hair. "Oh, love. I am so sorry." He cannot get through to her until she has mourned. "Eva loved you so much. She was so proud of you... Be strong for her..."

But Eponine can't. She's a child again, sobbing unashamedly, unrepentantly. It's everyone - everyone she loves - God, is this love? She feels like she's breaking up, dissolving, disappearing. She feels... lost.

"Please tell me it's not true. Please, Papa. Please. I want my Mama. I want Eva. Why won't she come? Why can't she just come to me? Why doesn't she answer? Papa, help me."

Sigma holds Eponine in his arms a moment longer, silent, unable to find the words to answer her. Then, for perhaps the first time in his life, some paternal instinct of his kicks in and he feels an overwhelming sense of calm - he has a duty to protect this girl, to make her feel safe. He breaks away from her and moves to face her, replacing a hand on her shoulder and wiping away her tears with the other.

"I know why Eva did it," he says quietly. "She did it for you, Eponine. Someday, you will be free from the Capitol, and we will have your mother to thank for it." Sigma brushes away the hair over her face to give her a kiss on the forehead. He imagines the bullets from the Peacekeeper's firing squad landing on her soft skin and it makes him sick. He wants the Capitol razed to the ground, now, more than ever. "Now, sweetheart. Do you remember what we spoke of? I want you to continue to play along, to pretend to be their star. It will be very dangerous outside, so you must stay in your room no matter what happens. You will be safe, there, until I can figure something out..." He pulls her into his arms one last time, giving her a firm squeeze, hoping she will keep his secret guarded. "Please. Please, trust me. I love you so much, Eponine."

Her Mama, dying for her... Eponine shakes her head. "I don't deserve it." She whispers, miserably. But it's too late to stop Eva. She's dead. She's going to die. "She didn't even say goodbye."

But Sigma's words quieten her. She has to be the Capitol's star. She has to look like she's on their side, especially now. She has to make everybody hate her for that. She has to, to save their lives, like Eva's saved her life. She has to, to be brave and strong like her mother. But at Sigma's request, she shakes her head.

"I'm not going to let her die alone. I'm not going to leave her alone. I won't let her be frightened. I want to hold her hand when they kill her so she knows that someone is on her side. Don't ask me, Sigma, for I love you too, and I do not want to lie and say I will stay here. Please. Help me find my Mama. She leans in, hugging him close, but in the process, she puts her mouth to his ear, forgetting that the networks are down.

"They think you are one of them. Use that to show me where she is. Please. Please don't let her die alone, for it is so frightening."

"We don't look after you so that you might deserve us," Sigma corrects gently. When Eponine whispers into his ear, Sigma stays silent, a moment. He is thankful she understands him, while also afraid she might betray him if he subverted her expectations. He decides he is willing to risk his life to make her happy.

Whispering may not be necessary, but he lowers his voice for his own sense of security. "I will try," he promises. "Leave it to me, my little girl. I will find out what happened to her. But I will be most convincing on my own." He watches her, his eyes pleading. "Stay safe. Both sides will be out for blood and many will die tonight. At least promise me you will not be one of them."

"That I can swear." She nods. Not tonight. No, not tonight. Not until she has done right by Eva and at least found her body. Not until Eva is in a beautiful grave, and the prayers have been said. Then... well, Eponine doesn't know if she can stay alive after that. But for now, she can kiss Sigma's cheek, and properly hug him to her.

"I just want to say goodbye. Please. And... just in case... I love you, Papa."

He did not want there to be any 'just in case' measures. If Eponine died tonight, it would destroy him. He could no longer keep up some semblance of sympathizing with the Capitol, for he would descend into madness. To lose his son and daughter in such a short amount of time...

But Sigma does not want to make the mistake of failing to say his goodbyes, either. "I love you, too," he says emphatically. "So much, Eponine. You are precious to me." He returns her hug as if it would be the last time he could touch her.

He wants to freeze time here, right here.

"Goodbye, my little girl."

He releases her and slowly gets to his feet. From here on out, a single mistake will kill either of them, and he must force his legs to move away from her.

Sigma didn't have to look far. After the broadcast had ended, after the lights had gone out, after he'd peered through the windows in the common room - looking out at the dark city as if in a daze, Wyatt had torn back to his room.

He was in there when the man came looking, feeling through a small pack, checking the contents by touch. Running through a mental list.

Either way, he knew, there wouldn't be any coming back, so he had to be sure, now.

At the sound of footsteps in the hall, unnaturally loud in the strange quiet (funny, how he'd stopped noticing how loud everything was until it was gone again) of the Tower, he whipped around.

Expression making it clear that there was only one way anyone was going to stop him.

Sigma appeared at the doorway with the intention of blocking him in, uncertain Wyatt would listen otherwise, and holds firm in spite of the warning. The mentor had not made mention of Sigma's past as a Gamemaker after he'd revealed it, and the Doctor assumed he was being avoided. Based on their rocky history, he found it doubtful that Wyatt would play nice. But if he did not, Sigma's would make himself one of the Rebellion's targets before he even had a chance to share what he had learned...

He uses his first name to remind him that they once shared drinks, before the Games made him bitter with loss. "Wyatt, it is Sigma. I am not here to stop you, but you must listen to me once more." It's not a request. "My life depends on it. You're the only one I can trust."

It's a lot to wager between men who had once been enemies.

"Trust goes two ways, Doc," Wyatt said coldly, jerking the bag closed. "An' funny enough I don't trust anybody who's signed on with the Capitol."

He pulled the pack on and faced Sigma square, every bit the district's namesake bull.

"Get out'a the way, Klim."

"No."

If Wyatt is prepared to become a violent force, Sigma is a concrete wall, fists tight, cybernetic muscles pulsing. He will not lift his hands against Wyatt to strike, but is prepared to endure anything until he is heard.

He tilts his head, gesturing in the direction of the common room. "Two years ago, I saw my boy on that screen, Wyatt. Two years ago, Eva found me losing my mind, and sent him aid after I begged her to help him - even after she had refused. My boy was simple, in some ways. This should not have been his first experience outside of his home." Sigma struggles to take a deep breath, shaking with rage. "It is not as though I have not told you before. You have had much time to corroborate my story. Do I sound like a man who would shake hands with his killers?" He is still in the doorway. Should he be overheard, he is already dead.

Sigma meets Wyatt's eyes. His cybernetic enhancements make it easier to see in the dark, and he wonders if Wyatt could find the vulnerability in his face as easily as Sigma could find determination in the other's.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Get back in your room and listen to what I must confide in you." His pride breaks, like wood splitting down the grain, knowing that he could lose everything. That Diana would be punished for a misstep, here. "Please."

Wyatt's nose flared on a hard breath, his sharp blue eyes narrowing on the older man's face - what little of it he could see. He was loath to admit it, but Sigma had a point. Wyatt knew all too well how Sigma reacted to affronts against his own.

Still, it was more the clock that gave him pause. The too loud ticking of the grandfather down the hall.

Time was wasting.

"Fine. Go on an' say yer peace, then get out'a the way."

For a moment, Sigma worried that this was the end for him. Wiping sweat from his brow, he enters Wyatt's room gratefully and leans against the wall, arms folded. He'd intended on staying there, but within seconds Sigma is pacing the room, hands clenched behind his back, anxious to leave. A girl who had lost her mother was waiting for him. He does not stop to allow Wyatt to get in a word.

"The Initiate and I made a deal. I will use my history to curry favour with the Capitol, and I will do what I can to leak him information. Under the right circumstances, the Initiate and I are capable of speaking telepathically." It wasn't quite true, but it would suffice for now. "...But the Initiate alone is not enough. He was recently Avoxed, and there will be no more second chances. Should he be found out again, I will be at a dead end. I require another accomplice."

Commander Shepard was the ideal choice, but she was still in the Arena, and Sigma at least knew where Wyatt's loyalties laid. Even if he had no obligation to him, he would, at least, not betray the Rebellion. "My lie is my shield, and if there is even the remotest chance that it will be leaked through torture... the less people who know, the better. I am hinging my success on your cooperation." When the Capitol saw angry Tributes rail against him, it only strengthened the illusion.

"Wyatt. You must tell the Rebellion- only those whom you can trust completely- that I am on their side. I can see the future - their power suppression cannot last forever. If the opportunity presents itself, I will tell the Rebellion what to avoid. If I must, I will find a way to contact you specifically." He stops pacing to face him, deathly serious, ready to lay his life on the line for this cause. "Even if my plans fall through, there must be some advantage to having Rebellious eyes inside the Capitol. I will stay here until I see it fall. My only wish is to not be shot on sight when Snow breathes his last." He stares at Wyatt, long and hard. "Can I trust you with that?"

Wyatt hadn't intended on interrupting, wanting then for Sigma to get it out as much as the other man did. Every passing moment tied another knot in his spine, dark, blood-splattered images painting the backsides of his thoughts as they slipped to Max.

He didn't doubt that the man would be okay in a square fight with a few peacekeepers, but he knew, in the pit of his gut, that the gladiator wouldn't be satisfied with that. He knew where he'd go, given even half a chance, and how it would end when he tangled with Snow's armed guards.

A sword wasn't going to be a match for rifles, however gifted Max was with it.

So he listened, silent and still, trying not to count the ticks of the clock too closely as the Sigma went on.

"Yer actions will speak louder than any words'a mine," he told him, voice low and hard. "You come through, an' I'll do what I can, but no promises, Klim. I don't know those people any better than you -- an' seein' as they left me to rot in prison, so I wouldn't say my opinion matters all that much to 'em."

Edited (so many edits, i'm sorry D:) 2014-09-22 11:35 (UTC)

Sigma adds to the tense seconds as he watches Wyatt pensively, hand over his mouth, stone-faced. A moment later he nods, satisfied with his response, and a relaxed smile tugs at his lips. "That is the best I can hope for," he decides. He extends his hand to shake Wyatt's. The two of them publicly appeared to be of entirely opposite opinions, and this meeting was thick with a sense of finality. This way well be the last time they spoke until the war began.

"I do not know what it is you plan to do tonight, but I wish you luck," he admits. "And, I ask you forgive me; for what I have done and what I will continue to do." Things could have gone very differently if Sigma had not been blinded by his emotions, both for his own world and for this one. It was very likely that another universe existed where the two of them had been friends and Sigma had accomplished more alongside Wyatt than he had done alone, but so long as the Capitol suppressed his powers, it was a lost opportunity that he could only imagine. He laughs bitterly, shaking his head; "I have already asked too much of you. I will give you more time to consider your answer. Goodbye, Wyatt Earp."

Wyatt took a step to meet the man's handshake. Did Sigma mean what he said? Only the Doc knew for sure, but Wyatt would give him the small square chance that everybody else got.

He released him after and started to move past... but then, with a breath, turned back.

"Mind yerself, Doc," he told him. "An' mind those little ones, as best ya can. Things I expect are goin' get worse, before they get better."

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[OPEN] You don't want to be around when it all goes down

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