Lightning don't strike twice

“Hal?” Rooster tried to shake him awake. “Hal, you need to get up now.”

“Hm?” Hal blinked sleepily, the loss of blood and the heat doing him no good. “Rooster? How?” He tried to grasp the reality. “You’re alive.”

“Yes, honey, I’m alive, but we need to move. Somethin’s comin and it don’t sound pretty.”

“The mean one? Lucius? Good.” She kissed him on the nose. “Don’t apologize.”

“Yeah, him. I think I broke some bones.” Hal said, frowning a little at that. “Are you by yourself? Come on, let’s not stay out in the open. Stay with Daphne and I.”

“Good.” She pondered. “Okay. If Daphne’ll have me.”

“Nope. But they wouldn’t leave us with no water, would they?” She tinkered with the flashlight. “Looks like the battery’s broken. The rest of it’s fine. If we can get a new one, it’ll be good as new.”

“They probably would. I mean, they’re supposed to kill us.” She wrinkled her nose a little. The whole idea of the Games didn’t seem as bad when she didn’t know anyone, but a lot of the tributes were actually nice. She didn’t want them to die. “Maybe Mr. Bran can send me a new battery.”

“Well, we can certainly ask Mr. Bran.” She frowned. “They want the games to last. If there’s no water we’ll all be dead in three days.”

“Amphora! Come here! I found some food and water!” Her enthusiasm wasn’t dampened by the shock.

Amphora’s eyes lit up when she learned that Rooster had found some sustenance. She moved forward quickly witha grin on her face. “I’m so hungry, oh my goodness. Are you doing alright, though? Have you been hurt at all?”

“Yep! Doing fine. Are you hurt?”

“No. I’m fine. I got outta there as soon as I could. Is that where you got the trident?”

“Good.” Hal nodded. Without a moment of hesitation, he leaned in, kissing the girl. “Sorry, I had to.” He said with a tiny smile. “Yeah. I won it against a tribute from One.”

“The mean one? Lucius? Good.” She kissed him on the nose. “Don’t apologize.”

“I was so worried about you. I was terrified that something had happened and I would never get to hear your voice again.”

“You know I’ll survive. I got Daphne to protect.” Hal smiled a little at her, simply happy to have Rooster alive. “You’re not hurt, are you? I didn’t see you during the Bloodbath.”

“No. I’m fine. I got outta there as soon as I could. Is that where you got the trident?”

Rooster shoved a snack bar in the pocket of her outfit. She was going to open another cabinet when there was a sharp zap in her arm. She yelped in pain, knocking a pot off the table. “Shit!” She turned around to see if someone had heard.

Amphora was just about to check inside a room to see if there was anyone else present when a sudden shock ran through her arm. She jolted and jumped back against the wall, looking around as if it was something that had been shot at her. When she heard something fall in the other room, she didn’t move at all. As she stared down at her arm where the shock had registered, she heard a voice in the other room that it took her a moment to recognize. Peeking around the doorway, she let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the familiar and kind redhead. “Rooster!” Amphora exclaimed, though she tried not to let her voice be too loud.

“Amphora! Come here! I found some food and water!” Her enthusiasm wasn’t dampened by the shock.

“Would you like me to take a look at your flashlight?” She held out her hand. “Well, We’ll find some water. There’s go to be some somewhere.”

“Ok.” She handed over the flashlight. “I haven’t seen any water anywhere. Have you?”

“Nope. But they wouldn’t leave us with no water, would they?” She tinkered with the flashlight. “Looks like the battery’s broken. The rest of it’s fine. If we can get a new one, it’ll be good as new.”

“Hal? It’s me.”

Hearing Daphne’s voice, Hal snapped out of his darker persona, lowering the trident. “Rooster? You’re alive.” He breathed out in relief, ignoring the possibility that she might be after him as he ran up to her, pulling her into his arms.

“I was so worried about you. I was terrified that something had happened and I would never get to hear your voice again.”

Hearing the footsteps behind him. Hal turned around swiftly, raising his trident in defense. “Back away. Now.”

“Hal? It’s me.”

“Sure thing.” She passed the bear over to the girl. “I didn’t get anything. So I can’t exactly exchange the favour.”

She took Wilson, hugging him to her chest. “I beat a Career for this stuff,” she said as she started to pull out her things. “I grabbed this backpack, so I could put Wilson in it, but it had other stuff in it too.” She held up the flashlight. “I dunno if this works anyone, I kinda broke it by accident.” More like Daphne knocked it out of her hand, but she was a little embarrassed about that. “And this thing,” she said, holding up the empty canteen. “It doesn’t do me much good without water in it though.” 

“Would you like me to take a look at your flashlight?” She held out her hand. “Well, We’ll find some water. There’s go to be some somewhere.”

Rooster turned, compassion in her eyes. “Alright. I’m gonna come over and give it to you now.”

“Ok.” She was relieved in a way to not be alone. “Do you wanna see what I got from the Cornucopia?”

“Sure thing.” She passed the bear over to the girl. “I didn’t get anything. So I can’t exactly exchange the favour.”

Rooster patted the teddy’s soft head. It belonged to Maxine, she remembered. “Maxine? I ain’t gonna turn around, I just want you to know that I don’t wanna hurt you.”

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, still clutching the flashlight just incase. “I don’t want to hurt you either. I just want my teddy.”

Rooster turned, compassion in her eyes. “Alright. I’m gonna come over and give it to you now.”

Rooster pressed her shirt sleeve against her face and walked through the halls. She was terrified. She couldn’t see anything that could be used to keep herself alive. But she could see a teddy bear. Which was odd, considering where she was. She entered the cell and picked up the teddy, furrowing her brow.

At least her hiding spot was good, considering how closer Rooster was standing and yet she had yet to notice Maxine. She fumbled with the flashlight for a moment, probably a little too loudly, before her fingers gripped it, ready to use it as a weapon if need be. She held her breath, waiting for Rooster to turn and notice her. She didn’t want to be noticed, but it was inevitable, wasn’t it?

Rooster patted the teddy’s soft head. It belonged to Maxine, she remembered. “Maxine? I ain’t gonna turn around, I just want you to know that I don’t wanna hurt you.”

After finally managing to secure the backpack Maxine ran. She ran and ran, pulling open the doors of the first building she found and rushing inside. She slowed down, quickly realizing that her feet echoed against the hard floor. Her eyes scanned cell after cell, all lined up next to each other. This was a prison. She’d left one prison, only to end up in another. She frowned at that though, quickly slipping into one of the cells and pushing herself into the darkest corner. It was only then she took off the backpack to see what was in it. She quickly pulled out an empty canteen and a flashlight. She placed both on the ground next to her, and unzipped the backpack even further. Wilson would fit perfectly in here. She smiled at her teddy, but the smile was quick to leave her face when she heard more footsteps. She pressed herself further into the corner of her cell. But Wilson! Her teddy was clearly visible to anyone passing by, even if Maxine wasn’t. She held her breath, her eyes locked on the bear, afraid for her friend.

Rooster pressed her shirt sleeve against her face and walked through the halls. She was terrified. She couldn’t see anything that could be used to keep herself alive. But she could see a teddy bear. Which was odd, considering where she was. She entered the cell and picked up the teddy, furrowing her brow.