| THE LOVE HE HATES | HUNGER GAMES | COMPLETED

24 | THE BLACK TAR

     THAT NIGHT ATHENA found herself staring at the ceiling as she and Katniss watched over Peeta. Aeschylus was beside her, asleep, one hand gently resting on her leg. She had been staring at him for a while, but soon shifted her gaze away. It was like a battle inside of her, she knew what was real yet she still had doubts.

"We've been here before, you know." Peeta suddenly spoke. 

Katniss answered back, confused. "What?"

"That look. I've seen that look." He slowly sat up. "You're trying to decide whether or not you should kill me."

"I never wanted to kill you." She replied, turning away from him. "And that's not what I'm doing."

He shook his head. "I saw it with my own eyes. In the first Games."

"In the first Games, I thought you were trying to help the Careers kill me. After that, I always saw you...as an Ally."

There was a pause. "Friend, lover...Victor...fiancé...enemy, target, mutt. And now Ally? Yeah, I'll add that to the list of words I use to try to figure you out."

A few others awoke from Peeta's raising voice, including Chy and Finnick. They all watched Peeta, who noticed and hung his head in shame.

"I'm sorry. I just can't tell what's real and what's made up anymore."

"Then ask." Finnick spoke. "That's what Annie does."

Peeta looked at him. "Ask who?"

Chy took a small breath, his hand slipping into Athena's. "Us."

There was another pause as Peeta took Chy's words in, he then faced Katniss. "Your favourite colour is green. Is that real?"

Katniss nodded. "Yeah. That's real. Yours is orange. Not bright orange. Soft, like the sunset."

"Thank you."

"You're a painter. You're a Baker. You always sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. You always double-knot your shoelaces." Katniss sniffed. "You were right. I can't do this."

Katniss stood up to leave, walking past everyone as she took a new spot beside Gale. Athena sighed softly when she saw Peeta's hurt look for a moment. Chy squeezed her hand gently and the shift changed. Athena quickly fell asleep, leaning against Chy as he stayed up for his watch. He gently brushed Athena's hair from her face, looking over her features.

The next morning arrived quickly, everyone on their feet and waiting on Henry to lead them to their next location. "Listen up. Mag's empty. It's only for the Propo."

He handed the unloaded weapon to Peeta, who held it loosely in his hand.

"Let's move." Boggs then spoke. "We're headed five blocks north."

Athena walked beside Chy, who was glancing back at Peeta and Finnick as they practiced the speech Peeta would give for the video. Athena kept her eyes forward, wondering how the city had been to destroyed by its own President. But eventually, the group came upon a spot that Cressida believed would be a good place to shoot the Propo.

"This is a good spot, through there, in the courtyard."

Boggs and Henry nodded, going first to ensure that the area was safe to shoot in beforehand. Henry handed the Holo to Boggs before they walked in, however the item started to beep once again, showing that there was a danger there. Henry ordered the group to take cover on the sides of the arches. 

Athena stood beside Henry and Chy, making eye contact with Finnick who was on the other side. Henry then threw something at the pod and it activated guns, which shot round after round in the area of the object thrown. Athena covered her ears and looked up to see Finnick smiling, she gave him a 'what the fuck' look but he just continued to smile in enjoyment. 

Soon the guns were empty, allowing for them to move forward. Henry stood, calling Gale, Boggs and Holmes to join him while sending Leegs to take the wings. Everyone else stayed to the side, waiting for conformation to follow. 

The sound of an explosion and Boggs screaming caused everyone to look around the corner, Boggs and Henry had been caught in the explosion. Both Katniss and Athena ran towards them, ignoring everyone telling them to come back. Athena skidded to her knees, damaging them with the rouble. 

"Henry." She spoke, looking over his bleeding out body.

The former Peacekeeper looked at her, his breathing slow and painful. "Athena." His attention turned to Boggs for a moment, giving him a nod before turning back to the girl in front of him. "I'm sorry about your mother."

Athena shook her head. "It wasn't your fault."

He pulled her closer. "Don't trust Coin."

The girl watched as the life drained from his eyes, tears coming to her own as she watched him die. Her mind went back to Jason, her mother, everyone she had ever seen die. She didn't know if she could handle anymore. Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the Leegs twins tried to get to her sister, but stepped on another trap. 

Athena looked up to see that both the exits of the courtyard were closing, it quickly became obvious that they had been caught in a trap. It was planned from the start. A black goo, tar like substance began to flow towards them. Athena was quick to her feet, but stopped for a moment to grab the dog tags from Henry's body before racing alongside the group.

Athena then watched as Peeta suddenly dragged Katniss's body back, swinging the gun above her. Luckily, she moved out of the way. Athena and Mitchell raced over, the latter tackling Peeta while Athena pulled Katniss to her feet. But Peeta got the upper hand and pushed Mitchell into the tar, where it covered him and burnt him.

Finnick and Chy grabbed onto Peeta, who stared at the man he had just killed. The group raced into a building and up the stairs, hoping it would eventually stop rising and give them a chance to live. However, a few flights up, they found the stairway gone. 

"It's slowing down." Cressida noted.

The tar barely reached the top step before draining back down. Athena let out a breath, relief coming over her. She looked around at the group, noticing everyone else looking relieved. She looked down at her hand which was still clutching Henry's dog tags. Chy placed his hand over hers, offering comfort to her.

"The Gamemakers are still putting on quite a show."

"451 to base, over." Jackson spoke into her radio.

Finnick looked out of the window. "Hey, we better move. If Peacekeepers didn't know where we were, they do now."

Castor nodded. "Those surveillance cameras caught us."

"451 to base. Come in."

"This is a bad spot, we need to move now." Gale agreed.

"451 to base. Over." Jackson sighed. "I can't get a signal. But I can get us back to base. Everdeen, give me the Holo. Everdeen, what did I just say? The Holo. Come on, let's go."

"Boggs gave it to me." Katniss spoke, looking at the object.

Jackson stared at her for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

Gale nodded. "He did. He transferred security clearance to her."