WINGS - Coriolanus Snow

SIXTEEN

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, CORIOLANUS WAS WORRIED FOR SOMEONE OTHER THAN HIMSELF. He sat in the filthy cargo train, thoughts consumed only by Aria. What were they going to do to her? Was she okay? The last thing he had seen was blood gushing from her head. She didn't look okay. What if they had hung her? No, surely they wouldn't have done that. Coriolanus would've been hung too, by now. Perhaps they were planning on doing something much worse.

Once the train had halted to a stop, Coriolanus was dragged off, feeling confused when he caught sight of his old academy. It was empty, as it was late at night, so at least he didn't have to go through the shame of being seen by his former classmates in the state that he was in. He was being forcibly led to Dr Gaul's lab. Of course it's her, he thought. The woman was always scheming about something. Once he entered the room, he felt his heart drop. Aria was there, hardly awake, being held upright by two workers. She had a large gash on her forehead, which was still dripping with blood. Coriolanus tightened his jaw, glaring at Dr. Gaul.

"Mr. Snow, we meet again," she grinned. It was at that moment Coriolanus noticed the girl stood next to her.

"I see you've met my daughter, Aryadne," she said, as Aryadne gave him a sly smirk, looking just like her mother. How could he not have realised she was Gaul's daughter before? She'd been out to get him since the day he arrived in District 12, so this shouldn't have been a surprise. She wasn't just a crazy stalker who coincidentally almost ruined Coriolanus and Aria's relationship, no, she had been purposely trying to separate the two.

"Coriolanus, I know you're a smart boy, so I'll give you one last chance. As I'm such a forgiving woman, I'll allow you to return to the Capitol, and leave Miss Thorne to her punishment, or you can reject my kind offer join her in death."

Coriolanus's head told him to take the offer. He'd know the girl for what, 5 months? He couldn't save her either way, so why should he die with her?

His heart, though, told him he'd never forgive himself if he left her to die alone. He'd regret it for the rest of his life, the guilt would eat him alive and he'd probably end up dead by his own hands.

"Thank you for the kind offer, Dr. Gaul," Coriolanus began, seeing Dr. Gaul's face looking triumphant, "but I have to reject it. Just because you'd betray the people close to you doesn't mean that I would." The woman's face contorted into an angry expression.

"You've made your bed, then. Now, you have to lay in it. Don't come crying to me when you change your mind," she snarled. "Aryadne, lead them to their cells."

Gaul ushered them out, slamming the door behind. Aria and Coriolanus were still being dragged along by the workers, but with Aryadne now in front of them.

"This is what happens to rebels," she laughed, throwing a pointed glance at Aria specifically. It was clear she despised the districts; she was nothing but an entitled Capitol child who couldn't fathom the fact that people from the districts were people too.

"If rebellion is choosing a life of peace, then I guess we are rebels," Coriolanus retorted.

"You know you could never live like that, squatting in the forest like a peasant. You're a Snow. You are your father's son at the end of the day, and you can't change that," Aryadne replied.

"I can't change that, you're right. There will always be a piece of my father in me, but I'm also my mother's child," Coriolanus said.

Aryadne didn't answer this. She continued walking until they arrived at a room Coriolanus didn't even know existed. It was huge, with at least 50 cells inside it. Why was a room like this even inside of an Academy?

"Someone will come get you later. Sit tight," Aryadne said in a teasing voice as Aria and Coriolanus were tossed into two cells across from each other. Aria was slumped against the wall, eyes barely open.