Ladies and Gentlemen...

[etcircenses]

The Capitol has ordered its people inward. Some move weary, knowing now some of the reason for their displacement, but they move, closer and closer to the reach of the President. It is said the children will be allowed in here past the heavy guard. But with all the distrust shaken into the core of the Capitol and the Peacekeepers at its heart, it’s not impossible to slip away. Surviving the traps to escape, however, is another story.

Outside the Capitol, the Districts line-up. In the month since the last battle, the stalemate Districts, 9 and 6 were won over. Districts 8, 10, and 1 have fewer of their number, but their rebel leaders have shown up and all the survivors with them. District 13 joins soon after, led by Webb and the Offworlders. It’ll be slow going for the Districts, but some of the Offworlders and allies have been tasked with leading the way in navigating the minefield that is the Capitol.

The Quarter Quell making up the 75th Hunger Games reached its end, but the Games themselves aren’t over yet. With all the war to prepare, the Gamemakers enlisted to work will be throwing out their best. Every arena needs it’s finale…

And there, patrolling, armed and ready to meet the traitors between the traps are the Peacekeepers. It’s their lives on the line too and they won’t be going down without a fight.

Welcome to the 76th Hunger Games.

Comments

3

[dividedgirlofmine]

There's a loud crack in the air and one of the komodimeras falls, a bullet through its head. Another crack from the shotgun and the other komodimera falls too.

On top of a nearby building, a sniper in white and a peacekeeper's helmet waits in position. Harley's rescuer?

[revvinguptheharley]

Harleen lets out a shriek as the first crack takes out half her problems. The second gunshot only elects a whimper from her as she stumbles backwards hitting a wall and looking up following the line of sight to spy the peacekeeping sniper.

Her heart racing, she waved nervously and then looked down over her own body to make sure the sniper's laser sight wasn't on her...was she even using one?

Well for now she would scurry towards the building the peacekeeper was perched upon. The least she could do is thank the woman in person. Thankfully despite being a trembling mouse of her former self she had the agility and upper body strength to haul herself up a fire escape easily.

"D-don't shoot please, I just wanted to thank you!" She called before peering over the lip of the roof.

[dividedgirlofmine]

Nope, no laser sight. She doesn't aim with her laser sight any more than she aims with her hand. Once Harleen gets to the top of the building, she'll notice one very important feature of the peacekeeper: she has no legs below the knee.

"No thanks required, honey," the tired voice replies, slightly distorted by the helmet.

[revvinguptheharley]

Harleen almost fell off the fire escape when she saw the legless peacekeeper sitting so plain as day in her uniform. Her heart stopped dead still for what felt like a solid minute before it wrenched itself back to life and jack hammered away sending a flood of adrenaline into her system to join the fear based adrenaline from earlier.

"N-no way..."

And then she spoke and it was like a bolt of lightning came crashing through her senses. Everything felt so light, as if the gloom and stress that had been dragging her down for one beautiful moment had lifted.

But she was afraid...this had to be a trick...a mistake a...a mental breakdown!

"S-susan?" She asked in a voice that sounded almost like a different woman then Susan might have remembered. Her accent had almost been completely beaten out of her after all and she didn't project her voice so much as whisper it. But even with the threat of a trap looming she crawled onto the rooftop and began to stumble towards the woman.

[dividedgirlofmine]

"Susannah," the peacekeeper gently corrects. "Not... that you're supposed to know, so you better pretend you don't. They sure did a number on you, Harley, didn't they? But... you're alive. Which is what they'd said you'd be. Now come over and be quiet. A sniper's no good if someone's drawing attention to her."

[revvinguptheharley]

Harley let out a squeak and she tripped over her own boots tumbling to the rooftop comically. But rather then laughing like she might have she silently crawled along her belly till she was at Susannah's side.

"B-but...why did they bring you back? How did they bring you back? We blew up the portal we...I saw your corpse...several of them in fact." Her big blue eyes were already watering and she was trembling like a leaf, but it was clear she didn't feel comfortable reaching out to her suddenly alive friend for comfort. Unlike the old days when Susannah could hardly keep Harley off her.

[dividedgirlofmine]

"I've been back for months, honey," the peacekeeper says. "Capitol's been holding me and some others in reserve for this. Gave us extra trainin' and everythin'." She sets down her rifle just long enough to ruffle Harley's hair. "How's Roland doing?" she asks in a low tone.

[revvinguptheharley]

Nope, that was too much. Tears started streaming down her face and she hiccuped into muffling her sobs leaning into the head patting.

"I-I haven't seen him since t-the Capitol got me again." She sniveled. "He was with the Rebellion." That much she knew. She didn't even know if he was dead.

"B-but h...he took care of me...h-helped me put my head on right b-before the war broke out." She wanted to tell Susannah everything but she could barely get the words out her throat felt so tight.