The Runaway Victor | Book II

Chapter Nine | The Radicals

The five of them all sat on the ground of the damp, foggy forest. Marcus and Wade, they each leaned against the heavy packs that they had been carrying and each had a specially made rifle that the technicians in Three had been able to make across their laps. Orion was actually surprised that they had made it this far without getting hurt or something-- those backpacks weren't light. They had extra hand guns, ammunition, and a few other small, one time use weapons from Three. Jules was the only girl in the group, she hadn't been too thrilled about that. When they had been in Three and Orion along with Percy, had assigned everyone to their groups, she had thrown a big bit of a fit about it. But she had gotten used to it, and now she just wanted to keep moving to get there faster. Then the oldest of the group was Ciruss Hayeden. He said he had been hoping to get out of the Capitol, out of the Districts even.

Over all it was a good team, as the others called it. Orion wouldn't have called it that. To him they were all just trying to get to Thirteen and they just happened to be in a group.

"Why couldn't they get her?" Wade asked, "Who says she'll listen to us?"

"She wouldn't listen to them either," Ciruss replied. "Besides, a ship landing in Four or just outside of Four would be suspicious."

"Coin doesn't want Thirteen to make any big moves yet," Orion added.

"So she has use try to get there from the Capitol and hopes we don't get caught, or get her killed? Brilliant." Jules stated bitterly.

Orion couldn't disagree. While they were pissing off his grandfather and planning to try to get Quinn Maverick to go with them-- to help the rebels and Thirteen's cause, Coin was barely keeping in touch and keeping a close eye on District Twelve where they'd be picked up-- if they made it that far that is.

"I don't see you going into Four," Orion retorted. They all knew it had to either be Orion or Ciruss to go find Quinn in the District. They were the only two in the group that she would listen to. They finally decided it had to be Orion. He knew the ins and the outs of all the Districts because he had to study the layouts of all of them otherwise President Coin wouldn't have send help to Three to help them. One of them had to know the Districts perfectly, so they would know where all the safe houses were. "So you shouldn't be the one worried about getting anyone killed."

"If you don't want to do it, I'll do it."

"No, I'll do it." Orion replied. Then he swiftly took out his piercings. Those would make stand out more than he already would. Then Marcus opened his backpack and pulled out one of the extra maps. District Three rebels had redone them so they could track the other stolen maps. He handed it to Orion and he shoved it in his jacket pocket.

"Remember, if you get caught we could all get killed." Marcus said, "So no pressure." he finished with a smirk.

Orion glared at him, "Thanks for the encouragement."

The two of them never got along, even back in the Capitol they hadn't gotten along. Marcus was a few years older than Orion was, and he had never liked Orion. So when they found out they had to basically live together for who knows how long, they made a deal to at least not be at each other's throat until they got to Thirteen-- if they made it that far.

* * * * * *

The weather made it easy for Quinn to get away with locking herself in her house and not bothering to get some fresh air. The only downside of it was that she hadn't been able to stock up on anymore morphling. So she had to make her morphling paper last another two days.

Quinn had made herself comfortable in her living room. She laid on the couch, looking around the room from that angle, the houses' set up really was exactly the same as the mayors house. The Capitol didn't want to put the effort into at least making them a bit different. Not that she really cared, she hated the fact she was in Victor's Village in the first place. The moment she won the games she regretted it.