"Evelyn Brinley, better known as Lady Red, victor of the 72nd Hunger Games. Won her games at 15."
"Why Lady Red?"
"Because she always wears red. Oh, and she won her games by burning the remaining tributes alive."
✮
"𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆? 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒄...
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"DO YOU KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE?" Evan asked as he stood in the elevator with Evelyn.
Evelyn watched as the number changed with each floor and listened for the clinking of metal chains, but there was none. That was one thing about the Capitol Evelyn would never get used to. The elevator they had in the justice building was hardly an elevator. It was an unsteady, chainlink platform that caused more deaths than the peacekeepers in the district did.
"No," Evelyn muttered after a few seconds, "No clue. Haymitch told us to go up here and not tell anyone else where we're going."
Her brother nodded and pursed his lips as the elevator came to a stop. "How nice."
They stepped out and felt the cool air as it stung their face. Finnick and Mags, Johanna and Blight, and a few other of the tributes were sitting out there. Sasha and a few other mentors were standing in the corner. Evan took a seat next to Finnick and Evelyn sat next to Johanna as Haymitch started to address the group.
"I know it's not ideal to sit out here in the middle of the night and listen to an old man speak," Haymitch said, "But we have something important to discuss, and this is the only place where the Capitol's cameras and bugs won't pick up our conversations."
When the mentor finished talking Plutarch Heavensbee stepped out from the shadows, and nobody knew how to react. The tributes just sat there and stared at him while they tried to decide whether they could trust him.
Johanna was the first one to voice her thoughts. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Please, Ms. Mason," Plutarch told the tribute with a smile and kind voice, "Let me speak before you draw conclusions."
"Fine," Johanna sighed, sitting back with her arms crossed.
Plutarch cleared his throat before he began his little speech. "I'm sure you're all aware of the uprisings after last year's game. The uprising we've been waiting for for about 75 years. We need to get Everdeen out of the arena alive, she's the only hope we've got if we want to keep this rebellion alive and going. We're working with District 13, we have a plan, but the rest is up to you guys. You need to keep her alive when you're in that arena. We don't trust 1 and 2, but we hope we can trust you guys."
There was silence. The only sound was the wind blowing and the cars driving on the street below. The tributes were exchanging glances, and Evelyn looked at her brother. He met her eye and she could see skepticism in his gaze. Nobody knew what to make of this. It was true that the Girl on Fire was on the verge of starting a rebellion, but could they trust Plutarch? He was still a gamemaker, the head of them at that, and he was talking nonsense about District 13.
"I'm sorry," Evelyn raised her voice and the rest of the tributes went silent, "District 13? The same district that was destroyed during the war?"
