This Isn't Me ↠ Sequel to INWYTIA ↠ Team Crafted and Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 7: Imitation Game

Snow

"You feeling okay?"

I stopped rubbing the orchid tattoo on my arm for a moment and looked up at Kern. "I'm fine. You know I hate these meetings."

"Doesn't everyone?" Kern laughed and put his arm around me. I scooted closer to him as we waited for the other Capitol officials to arrive. "It'll be fine, generic stuff like always." He tried to put me at ease. I nodded but didn't respond.

"What happens after all of this?" I looked over at Kern. His ice blue eyes narrowed in confusion. My mouth seemed to go dry as I tried to clarify. "If the Capitol wins the war-"

"When. When the Capitol wins the war."

"Right." I forced a smile. "When the Capitol wins the war, what happens to us? And not just us, but Panem? President Snow isn't just going to go sweet on the Districts. He'll want to punish them."

"They deserve to be punished. Have you seen the death count?" 

"And how many of those bodies are of the people of the Districts themselves?" I shot back. "How many friends, parents, and lovers have been killed by our own Peacekeepers?"

"Snow, don't." Kern muttered.

"I'm just saying-"

"I get what you're saying." His voice dropped to a whisper and the look on his face softened. "But talking about everything wrong with the Capitol right now isn't exactly the greatest idea."

"Something needs to be said. How can you just lie down and let them do this?"

"We can't worry about that right now. We have to focus on ending the war." When he saw my angry expression, he put his hand on my arm. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Not like Orchid."

I still didn't answer but didn't move away from him either. Instead, I closed my eyes and tried not to see that memory of Orchid getting hit with the spear, dying out in front of me. It was confusing. President Snow had told me what happened. During the Games, my old allies had attacked me right before District 13 came into the arena and all hell broke loose. In order to revive me, the Capitol had to perform an emergency surgery on the trauma in brain. But ever since then, it felt like there were gaps in what I remembered. The doctor said it was normal. He told me that everything should come back. Fast forward to now? I still couldn't recall everything. Especially about things surrounding the Games and the first few weeks I spent in the Capitol. I had the Capitol tapes of the coverage of the Games though. And Kern. I had Kern. He'd been saved, just like me.

"It won't happen like that." I finally said. "I know better now. If I ever see them again, I'll crush them." A replay of Orchid's dead body with a spear jammed into it filled my brain.

Jerome's choice of weapon had been a spear. 

I'd asked Kern about his time in the Games, his perspective. We hadn't been allies for sure. I remembered that. But the surgery had the same effect on him and his memory was fuzzy. Worse than mine even. He couldn't remember bits and pieces from when we both lived in District 2. 

"Snow. Kern. Lovely, you're already here." President Snow came in and sat down in his chair slowly. Age was starting to get the better of him. "Let's get started."

Usually during these meetings, Kern and I would stay silent. We'd speak only when addressed to. There was really no reason for us to talk after all. All I did in the Capitol was train and occasionally appear on TV in a pretty dress. Kern did the same. Minus the TV, dress part.

"First order of business, new weapons." Persei, one of President Snow's head advisors, stated. "Despite our limited knowledge on the arsenal of District 13, we can expect heavy fire. Our grade A, typical guns aren't going to cut it."