Shark Plushy (Enobaria X F.OC)

Tesserae

"You will let me through."

A simple demand, a simple task.

Yet all knew it wouldn't happen.

"I cannot per--" That's all she needed, a 'cannot'.

Bera kicked up her heel in the least protect part of the peacekeeper's outfit, no not the groin, right into the throat with so much force the cartilage smashed in under her kick.

Grabbing the baton off the man and with two hands, with half a spin, slammed it in the helmet of the second guard, shattering the black visor, the shards of it impaling in the skin before the metal stick went to impact the nose.

As the peacekeeper fell over, Bera drove the baton down on their throat, sinking it deep enough to hit the vertebrae even without breaking the skin.

She dropped the weapon, standing up and pushing the double door open.

Such an important place, such little security... Then again, Bera had observed them and she chose this time as the switch between platoons was taking place and leaving only two to guard this treasury.

Tho this place didn't contain money like the word treasury might entail, these were worth more then any money could buy.

She walked in the simple building, it was square outside, just a grey block of concrete with no windows, decorations or slanted roof, just a block with a door.

Inside the walls were cowered floor to ceiling with square drawers, many of them with files, way more with tesseraes.

This building was filled with all the tesserae ever issued and files on each person that had put their name into it.

She sat on the single ominous looking table, that being the only other thing in the room that wasn't the shelves with the drawers.

She only knew what was in here because of threats to the mayor's life, knowing her minutes here are counted before he'd report her and the dead or dying guards would be found.

Still, she took her time, flipping through a file left on the table, each page being dedicated to a child with their basic info and how many tesserae they had in rotation.

She dropped the files next to her and tapped her fingers on the desk before standing back up.

She had around 50 in it if she remembers correctly, which was actually on the lower side when looking at the actual numbers, she spent five, close to six, years struggling on the streets but tesserae can only be taken by those in reaping age so that number goes down to four years, 50 in four years... That's like... Twelve each year, one per month.

Some families were forced into having all their children asking for food, many each week, maybe more.

Reaching into her pocket as she pulled a drawer open.

She opened the little box and struck a match.

Watching the little fire burn on the end of the little stick but knowing the huge repercussions that would come from it. She flicked it in the drawer and pushed it closed with a finger, pocking the matchbox.

The reapings will forever be rigged, the Capitol will kill who they want, whoever Snow chooses, but the tesserae always played a roll since they were not only for food but also given to kids disobeying and being trouble. 

This way no record would be left of any of these and for once, the reapings will be left up to chance since of course she waited for them to come around and caused this 'incident' only weeks before them.

The mayor wouldn't know who was chosen in advance, V was not smart enough to know about it and too close to Bera to be trusted with that knowledge, the peacekeepers were closely surveyed about their intentions with all of the district ready to explode at them if they stepped out of line by declaring the tributes were chosen in advance, and Bera or the other victors couldn't be asked to designate or pull a tribute because it would be favoritism.

A true impartial reaping, something the districts had never seen.

-----------------------------------------

The news of the tesserae reached far and wide, crossing district barriers and Capitol halls.

It was just an event so powerful all heard about it.

The true reasons were covered up, called a freak accident, but there were those that knew the truth.

Bera, bruised black and blue, smiling in her cell.

Valerius, stripped of his rank and status.

Enobaria, rolling her eyes with a head shake.

Or even Snow, the dear president that was slowly losing grip on the situation.

The victors all new who could have caused that in district 8, Snow was sure of it too.

But Bera had not attacked the Capitol, it was her own district, she was still distracting people from the true troubles brewing, she was still being her perfect little pawn.

And so, way before the time of swam potatoes, Snow already knew what he needed to do for the 75th without anyone prompting his thoughts.

Tho Snow was not ready for the fire that would rise like it did from the tesserae in 8, no one was ready for the fire burning underground ready to erupt with how things were going.

But one thing was for sure.

Bera would ride that fire straight to his front porch and do it smiling.