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Dusty grey rubble littered the once bustling streets, heavy smoke rising from nearby buildings, a dark ash tinting the once clean structures. It was a strong contrast to the blue sky above.

Boggs leads, with the Holo in hand, closely followed by the rest of the team. The camera crew in the middle to film the well known victors whilst the others stay near the back.

"I've never seen this place so empty," Katniss states, walking besides Gale.

"Keep your eyes open," Boggs warns, keeping his gaze forward.

The group walked in near silence for the majority of the time. Finnick kept stealing glances at the girls beside him, worrying for his wife and closest friend. Johanna kept a blank expression, Rosalie did the same but he could recognise the worry etched into her features.

The Holo begins to beep more rapidly, "we got a pod. Let's take cover."

Following Boggs' orders, everyone jogs over to a safe spot of land whilst he tells Katniss to shoot through some buildings.

Once the camera crew are all set up in place, Katniss takes her aim. She becomes clearly agitated when she's told to wait whilst they fix the camera frame, but she does as she's told anyway. Once the arrow is released, soaring through the gap between the buildings, the pod is set off causing strong flames to erupt from hidden spots on the wall followed by an explosion. A car flips, setting aflame.

The group decide to stop for a break in an abounded building, allowing themselves to drink whatever they find.

Katniss and Gale are off to the side talking. Rosalie is sat curled into Finnick's side and her legs are thrown over Johanna's thighs as the girl absentmindedly traces patterns against the material of the suit on her shin. Boggs sat nearby, he always tried to stay close to them.

Everyone's momentary peace was disrupted when they hear a vehicle approaching.

"Peacekeepers?" Rosalie asks Boggs, having stood up and joined him.

He looks down at the girl with a small shrug before grabbing his gun.

After talking with some people, Jackson tells the group to stand down.

They're told it's friendly but the second Peeta walks out of the vehicle, two men with guns at both sides of him, the majority of the group become on edge.

He's muttering some words under his breath but Rosalie can't quite hear them. She recognised his name and the number twelve from reading his lips and figured he's reminding himself of something? Who he is, maybe?

Katniss aims an arrow at the boy whilst Gale tells him to stop, aiming his gun at the boy.

"Wow, ease up," Rosalie tells the man, pushing down his arm so the gun is no longer threatening Peeta.

"Relax," Finnick tells them as he approaches the blonde boy.

They cuff him, as a precaution, before going back into the 'safety' of the wrecked building to figure it out.

"They want us to add him to the propo. Show that he's on our side now," Boggs explains. "We'll move forward a few blocks tomorrow to shoot the new footage."

"He's not in control of himself," Gale tells him.

"I say we schedule an around-the-clock watch on him," Jackson suggests. "The Leegs till 1700, Homes and Mitchell till 1900."

"Give me a watch," Katniss speaks up, surprising Lieutenant Jackson.

"And if it really came down to it, you think you could shoot him?" Jackson asks.

Katniss replies, "I wouldn't be shooting Peeta. Be killing a Capitol mutt."

"Hey!" Rosalie warns Katniss from the other side of the room after seeing Peeta's face fall into confusion and upset.

"I'm not sure that kind of comment recommends you for the job either, soldier," Jackson argues but Boggs tells her to put her in the rotation.

Katniss leaves the room, following Boggs outside. Finnick and Rosalie exchange looks, their distrust for Coin growing by the second at the fact that she sent Peeta, a fragile abused boy, into a battlefield, with a girl he was hijacked to murder, with no warning.

Rosalie sits cross legged on one of the benches, her head resting on a sleeping Johanna's shoulder whilst Finnick was lay down with his head in her lap.

She ran her hands through his hair until it soothed her to sleep.

She was so deep in sleep that she didn't even wake when Finnick lifted his head from her lap after hearing Peeta's voice begin to raise as he spoke with Katniss.

"I'm sorry, I just can't tell what's real and what's made up any more," Peeta says, hanging his head as he looks down at his cuffed hands.

"Then ask," Finnick speaks up, alerting his presence to the boy. "It's what they do," he gestured to the two sleeping girls behind him.

"Us, we're your unit now," Jackson tells him.

Finnick blocks out the rest of the conversation as the pair begin talking to each other.

He's vaguely aware of Katniss standing and walking away as he lays his head back onto his wife's lap, taking her hand in his and placing a soft kiss to her palm before resting their entwined hands on his chest as he smiles at the wedding ring on her finger.

Heart of Gold • Finnick OdairWhere stories live. Discover now