𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙡, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙊𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙧

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 26: 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝒶 𝒞𝒶𝑔𝑒

Cages confine you to small spaces, leaving you with nothing but your thoughts and your emotions to keep you company. And after a while, even they leave you.

        She doesn't know what this poor couple has done to deserve their death. All she knows is she is about to create one more parentless child.

        Raven makes sure her knives are secure in her belt, and her fingers aren't stiff from fear. She inhales a shuddering breath, clearing her mind and reminding her of the objective.

        Kill them. Save your brother.

        As she shimmies across the windowsill, peering inside to wait for the right moment, her eyes catch onto the mother combing her daughter's hair as the father makes dinner in the kitchen. Both their eyes show joy and all their mouths are open in giddy laughter. Her heart drops, as she realizes what is about to stomp in and ruin and trample.

        Ravens are ruthless. Once they are released from a cage, they will soar and be a demon until their little bellies are satisfied. But the Raven of the Capitol isn't as ruthless as the birds she is named after. She refuses to be chained to the cage of the Capitol. Her eyes flicker over to the camera overlooking the windowsill. No doubt that the Capitol is watching her. What if she just... destroys with the intention that her victims don't catch her? Seems innocent enough. She flicks out her knife, handle side out, and crouches and walks over to the camera. She moves her hand back, beginning to hit the camera ruthlessley until it breaks and falls onto the cement 2 floors below her. The moment she looks down, she regrets it, realizing how high up she has come. She inhales, slowly going down and to the entrance door. 

        Raven walks casually, making her way to the door of the house. She knocks, holding out a knife in one hand. The moment the door opens, she holds the knife to the woman's throat, putting a finger to her mouth in shushing moment. "Don't scream, I'm trying to help you," she whispers urgently. "Blink if you understand." 

        She blinks. "Are there cameras inside?" The woman shakes her head, no. "Good." She puts her knife down, beginning to speak in a normal voice, shocked when the woman knees her in the stomach and holds her against the wall with her forearm. "Wait-You know who I am?" She nods. "I've been sent to kill you and your family but I can't do that," her voice wavers. The woman's voice falls in pity. "You and your family need to get out of here and never come back. If the Capitol ever find you, you all will be dead and my family will be dead." The woman steps back. "Do you know how to leave without getting caught?" 

        "Yes," she says, finally speaking. 

        "Good." 

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

"It's done," Raven says, feeling exhausted. Her mind is racing: Both at the sight of the disgusting peacekeeper in front of her and the thought of her brother dead and in pieces if her disobedience is ever found out. 

        "Are the bodies gone?" Raven nods. "All traces?" She nods again. The peacekeeper stands up, patting her shoulder with an odd smile. "You truly will become our best peacekeeper, Raven." His hand slowly goes down, touching Raven in ways she knows she shouldn't be touched. She forces her body to remain rigid and her anger and hot tears to remain in the back of her eyes and in her clenched fists. "I can see why the Capitol loves you," he says in a daze. He snaps out of it, a smile of satisfaction still playing in his eyes. "Goodnight, Raven." 

        Raven bursts into her room, immediately feeling as if her skin is cursed. She rips off her clothes and jumps into the shower, rubbing her skin dry with hot water and soap. Yet even when her skin is bleeding and is raw and pained, she still feels like a dirty piece of disposable garbage. She screams, water entering her nose and mouth. 

        When she is dressed in her pants that were covering her cut up legs the other day, she goes more ballistic as her wings try to fly away from the chain keeping her stuck in the cage that kept getting shorter and tighter. Her hand punches the first thing it meets: A glass decoration on a side table. She doesn't feel the pain just yet and her knee finds it's way through the glass side table. Just as her tantrum is about to find its next victim, she finds her arms closed around her as she sobs and falls onto the ground.

        "Calm down," the familiar, husky voice says. "Please," it says, more softly this time. 

        "Finnick," Raven sighs, attempting to calm herself down. "Please get out of here," she sniffles, doing her best to shut off her upsetting response to her overwhelming thoughts. 

        "I can't, you're hurt," he says. He walks in front of Raven, assisting her onto her feet. "I'll leave once you're all bandaged up." Finnick leans down, looking directly into Raven's eyes. "I promise." He puts his hands on her shoulders to guide her, causing her to flinch, with the memory of earlier still fresh in her mind.  She eases when she realizes she is with her friend. He slowly guides her to the bathroom, washing her hands, patiently waiting for her to talk. "Raven?" He's confused at the sudden response. "What's wrong?" 

        Raven finds her voice gone. She isn't able to say a single word. All that comes out of her mouth is a groan of pain when the adrenaline finally disappears.  

         "C'mon..." He softly urges. 

        "How do you deal with it?" Raven finally says. 

        Finnick pauses. How does he deal with being a bird in the Capitol's cage? 

        "I don't." 

A/N: 

Thank you for over 10k reads 😭

I know this chapter is kinda fast but is it toooooo fast???? I feel like it is 😬