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SHALL WE RISE?

act two. 

(chapter thirty-six, midnight tonight, we shall rise)

the arena, 2313.

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EVERYONE BEGAN TO STIR awake, Valencia and Finnick still sitting on the beach with smirks on their faces. Commie raised his brows at them and she just shrugged, but before he could question anymore, a parachute joined them at the sand. It was more bread from District Three, twenty-four rolls. Midnight tonight.

In total, there was about thirty-eight rolls and so they somehow managed to split the bread up so everyone had a bit. No-one had enough room to carry thirty-eight loaves of bread so the food disappeared quickly. And as it did, Valencia sat next to Finnick and Johanna as they munched on their rolls. It was all in their heads. Midnight tonight.

Valencia found it funny that despite no-one in the alliance knew about what happened last night between her and Finnick, the entirety of Panem did. Surely all of Finnick's admirers would be appalled. Valencia chuckled when she thought back to his poem and nearly all the girls fainted because they thought he was talking about them. What a shocker it must be for them.

They all watched as Peeta and Katniss went out to the water, but they all lost interest pretty quickly. Johanna went off to take a nap whilst Valencia watched Finnick weave a new net out of the vines. Beetee was playing with his wire with Commie beside him, occasionally looking up at the tree where the lightning bolt would hit. They all knew what to do, but they somehow had to make another plan so it didn't look suspicious to Peeta and Katniss. More especially Katniss.

"Hey, Finnick, Valencia, come on in!" She suddenly waved at them. "We figured out how to make you two pretty again!"

They joined Peeta and Katniss in the water, them showing how they could rub off the itchy scabs from their body. The four of them quickly rubbed the debris of the blisters off, helping with each other's backs. They then applied another layer of medicine because the skin was too delicate for the white sun.

"Hey, you don't look like a zombie anymore." Valencia pointed to Katniss's skin, which was all smooth.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you."

Soon after, Beetee called them over and it turned out he managed to find a way to disguise their true intentions, saying, "I think we'll all agree our next job is to kill Brutus and Enobaria—"

"Not if my spear landed in the right spot," Valencia said. 

"You hit her in the back." Commie scoffed. "How is that going to do anything?"

"I don't know, make her bleed out? Paralyse her?"

"Anyway, I doubt they would attack us openly again, now that they're so outnumbered. We could track them down, I suppose, but it's dangerous, exhausting work," Beetee told them.

"Do you think they've figured out about the clock?" Katniss asked. 

"If they haven't, they'll figure it out soon enough. Perhaps not as specifically as we have. But they must know that at least some of the zones are wired for attacks and that they're reoccurring in a circular fashion. Also, the fact that our last fight was cut off by Gamemaker intervention will not have gone unnoticed by them. We know it was an attempt to disorient us, but they must be asking themselves why it was done, and this too may lead them to the realisation that the arena's a clock," Beetee explained. "So I think our best bet will be setting our own trap."

"Wait, let me get Johanna up," Finnick said. "She'll be rabid if she thinks she missed something this important."

When she joined them, Beetee made them go back a bit so he could have room to draw in the sand. He drew a circle quickly and divided it up into twelve wedges, asking them, "If you were Brutus and Enobaria, knowing what you do now about the jungle, where would you feel safest?"

"Here on the beach," Commie said.

"So why aren't they here then?"

"Because we're here," Johanna told him impatiently.

"Exactly. We're here, claiming the beach. Now where would you go?"

"I'd hide just at the edge of the jungle. So I could escape if an attack came. And so I could spy on us," Katniss murmured.

"Also to eat," Finnick spoke up. "The jungle's full of strange creatures and plants. But by watching us, I'd know the seafood's safe."

"Yes, good, you do see." Beetee smiled. "Now here's what I propose: a twelve o'clock strike. What happens exactly at noon and at midnight?"

"That lighting bolt hits the tree." Valencia nodded her head. An electrical surge big enough to destroy the force field...

"Yes. So what I'm suggesting is that after the bolt hits at noon, but before it hits at midnight, we run my wire from that tree all the way down into the saltwater, which is, of course, highly conductive. When the bolt strikes, the electricity will travel down the wire and into not only the water, but also the surrounding beach, which will still be damp from the ten o'clock wave. Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocute," Beetee explained. 

There was a long silence as everyone process his words. The plan about killing Brutus and Enobaria was not also an excellent way to eliminate them, but it was a brilliant cover up. Whilst they used the coil to go down to the beach, he could also use it to destroy the force field. The wire was so long that it could do both jobs at the same time. Then it came with the trackers. Someone would need to cut out Katniss's and Peeta's whilst also doing their own.

"Will that wire really be able to conduct that much power, Beetee?" Peeta asked. "It looks so fragile, like it would just burn up."

"Oh, it will. But not until the current has passed through it. It will act something like a fuse, in fact. Except the electricity will travel along it."

"How do you know?" Johanna asked.

"Because I invented it," Beetee told them. "It's not actually a wire in the usual sense. Nor is the lightning natural lighting nor the tree a real tree. You know trees better than any of us, Johanna. It would be destroyed by now, wouldn't it?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry about the wire," Beetee assured them. "It will do just what I say."

"And where will we be when this happens?" Commie asked.

"Far enough up in the jungle to be safe."

"The Careers' will be safe too then, unless they're in the vicinity of the water," Katniss pointed out.

"That's right," Beetee.

"But all the seafood will be cooked," Peeta said.

"With that amount of electricity, it would be more than cooked." Valencia shook her head. "But it doesn't matter, there's nuts and meat in the jungle along with the bread we have. And don't forget we have a bunch of sponsors."

"Valencia's right," said Beetee. "But as we are allies and this will require all our efforts, the decision of whether or not to attempt it is up to you six."

"Why not?" Katniss said. "If it fails, there's no harm down. If it works, there's a decent chance we'll kill them. And even if we don't and just kill the seafood, Brutus and Enobaria lose it as a food source too."

"I say we try it," Peeta agreed. "Katniss is right."

"Comm? Jo? Finn?" Valencia looked over to them, eyebrows raised. They had to agree, it was the only way for the original plan to commence.

"All right," she said. "It's better than hunting them down in the jungle, anyway. And I doubt they'll figure out our plan, since we can barely understand it ourselves."

"Yeah, why not?" Commie nodded his head. "I need some exercise anyway."

"Seems like a good plan." Finnick smirked. 

The plan was about to commence. Beetee wanted to inspect the lighting tree before he was to rig it. It was about nine in the morning and they had to move anyway because of the hourly horrors. They packed up their things and walked over to the beach that bordered the lightning section and headed into the jungle. Beetee was still weak and so Finnick and Peeta took turns carrying him, Valencia behind them. Johanna took lead and Katniss was at the back.

When they neared the tree, Finnick began to suggest that Katniss take the lead since she could hear the force field.

"Hear it?" Beetee asked.

"Only with the ear the Capitol reconstructed."

"Then by all means, let Katniss go first," he said as he wiped the steam off of his glasses. "Force fields are nothing to play around with."

They all knew when they reached the lightning tree, for it towered all the others. They watched as Katniss gathered up some nuts and slung them at the force field. She stopped and surveyed the area before throwing one up high.

"Just stay below the lightning tree," she told them.

They then all divided up with different jobs. Finnick and Commie stayed and guarded Beetee whilst he studied the tree, Johanna went to go and get some water, Peeta gathered nuts, and Valencia and Katniss went to go hunt nearby. Valencia just stood there as she watched Katniss kill three tree rats easily, merely being there so she didn't run off or got herself killed, not wanting another monkey episode. When the sound of the ten o'clock wave rang out, the two quickly hurried back.

Beetee was still with the tree, Valencia wandering over to Finnick and Commie as she unclipped one of her knives and began to flip it around in her hands. When it hit eleven o'clock, the clicks they heard on the beach were much louder in the jungle.

"It's not mechanical," Beetee concluded.

"It has to be some insects," Commie said. "Or a mutt."

"Definitely something with pincers," Finnick muttered.

When the sound got louder and louder, Johanna suggested they get out of the jungle before the lighting started at noon. They didn't go far, only to the same looking tree that was in the blood rain section. They all squatted on the ground as they munched on their jungle food, waiting for the noon lightning. Beetee had Katniss climb up one of the trees and report what she found when the tree was hit with the lightning. As she did, Commie looked at Valencia quizzically.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said slowly, glancing from her and then to Finnick. "Nothing at all."

When Katniss came back down and reported what she found to Beetee, he seemed very pleased. They all then took a short route back to the ten o'clock beach. The sand was damp, signalling that the wave had been here. Beetee gave them the afternoon off as he worked with his wire.

They all tried to nap in the edge of the jungle, but no-one could and so they decided to make a meal. It would most likely be their last chance at having seafood and so, under Finnick's watch, they speared around for fish, gathered shellfish, and dived for oysters. Valencia and Katniss highly enjoyed the last part as they both dived down at the same time, admiring the school of brightly coloured fish and sea plants that were on the sand floor. Valencia decided that if she ever had the chance, she would definitely move to District Four and leave Nine behind. 

"Hey, look at this!" Peeta laughed as they all sat and cleaned the seafood. He held up a pearl that he find from the oyster he opened up. "You know, if you put enough pressure on coal, it turns to pearls."

"No, it doesn't." Finnick shook his head whilst Valencia furrowed her brows. 

"Doesn't it just turn into diamonds or something like that?" Valencia asked. She had no idea how mining worked.

"Doesn't grain turn into cupcakes with enough pressure?"

"You're not funny, Katniss," Valencia said, trying not to laugh as Finnick shook his head.

As they were about to eat the food, a parachute appeared again. This time, it brought along a pot of spicy, red sauce and another round of twenty-four rolls from Three. Just a few more hours.

They divided up the bread and began to eat the salty fish, the shellfish, and the oysters which were doused in the red sauce. They all stuffed their mouths full until they couldn't get another thing in, groaning when they saw leftovers. Instead of making themselves puke, they threw it back into the water so the Careers' didn't get it. 

Afterwards, there was nothing to do but wait. Katniss and Peeta sat by the water, hand in hand. Finnick and Valencia sat closely together, her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. She nearly bursted out laughing when she saw Commie's face.

"I bloody knew it," he muttered before walking back to Johanna and Beetee.

"He's going to kill me in my sleep, isn't he?" Finnick murmured as he too rested his head atop hers.

"Comm's harmless, really." Valencia sighed. "He's a fifty-eight-year-old man with a hunch and a limp. You'll be all right."

They all watched as the anthem began, but no faces were shown. And when it was about nine, they all slowly left their messy camp, crossing to the twelve o'clock beach, hiking up to the lightning tree. The massive meal they had seemed to make it harder to climb and Valencia debated whether or not she should make herself puke to be lighter.

When reaching the tree, Beetee asked Finnick and Commie to help him whilst the rest stood guard. The plan was starting. It was starting the moment Beetee had Finnick and Commie secure yards of his wire around a broken branch that laid on the ground. They then stood up and began to pass the coil back and forth as they wrapped it around the entire trunk. When they finished, the ten o'clock wave began.

Valencia's heart began to pound as she heard Beetee begin to reveal the rest of the plan. He asked her, Johanna, and Katniss to take the coil down through the jungle, unwinding the wire as they went, and to lay it across the twelve o'clock beach, dropping the metal spool into the deep water, and making sure it sinks. Then they were to run for the jungle. If they went now, they could make it to safety.

"I want to go with them as a guard," Peeta said without hesitation. 

"You're too slow. Besides, I'll need you on this end. Valencia will guard whilst Johanna and Katniss unwind the wire," said Beetee. "There is no time to debate this. I'm sorry. If the girls are to get out of there alive, they need to move now."

"It's okay," Katniss told Peeta. "We'll just drop the coil and come straight back up."

"Not in the lightning zone," Beetee told them as he handed the coil to Johanna. "Head for the tree in the one-to-two-o'clock sector. If you find you're running out of time, move over one more. Don't even think about going back on the beach though, until I can assess the damage."

This was it. Johanna and Valencia both looked at each other, nodding as they realised what they were to do. Cut Katniss's tracker out. It was the best moment they had to do it. Then they were to cut their own.

Before they left, Valencia quickly went running to Finnick, wrapping him in a tight embrace that he reciprocated. They both gave each other a tender kiss, ignoring the gasps that came from the others. When they released, Valencia went over to Commie. Whatever he had to say, he swallowed it down as he kissed the top of her head. This was it. This was the moment.

"Ready?" Katniss asked.

"Why not?" Johanna shrugged and the three of them went traipsing off into the jungle. "Lennie, you can guard whilst me and her unwind and watch the wire... also, later we need to talk about what just happened."

Without any further discussion, they headed down to the slope. Valencia was beside the two of them, two knives raised as Johanna managed the coil and Katniss checked it. When they were halfway down, the clicking sound began to rise as it turned eleven.

"Better hurry," Johanna said. "I want to put a lot of distance between me and that water before the lightning hits. Just in case Volts miscalculated something."

"I'll take the coil for a while," Katniss said. 

"Here," Johanna said as she passed the wire.

Their hands were still on the metal cylinder when suddenly, the thin wire sprang down at them, curling around their wrists. It was severed. The women looked at each other, but they didn't say anything. When Katniss turned around and began to lift up, grabbing one of her arrows, Johanna and Valencia both nodded. 

Johanna swung the metal cylinder harshly into the side of her head, causing Katniss to collapse on the ground. She was dizzy as Valencia quickly sat on Katniss's chest, pinning her to the ground with her knees as she grabbed her left arm. She flipped her knife around once before stabbing it into Katniss's left forearm. She jerked away at first, but Johanna held her still as she tried to hunt around for the tracker. When she found it deep in her arm, she twisted her knife around and popped it out. The shadows of Enobaria and Brutus appeared.

"Stay down!" Johanna hissed as she began to coat Katniss's face with blood. To stop the two from killing her. A trick. "Lennie, come on!"

Leaving Katniss behind, the women went racing off through the jungle, leaping over creepers and smashing away vines that threatened to whack them in the face. It was when they heard Brutus's and Enobaria's yells that they stopped.

"Lennie, go back to the others," Johanna mumbled quickly as they hid behind a tree. "You know what to do."

"And what are you going to do?" Valencia hissed. "You may be strong, but you can't take them on yourself! Let me help you, I told Enobaria I'll lop her head off and I still stand by that."

"No. I'll be a distraction," Johanna hurriedly said as the two Careers' footsteps became louder, their yells getting nearer. "Go back to the others and tell them what's happened. You know what to do on your way there. Go! I'll be right behind you!"

"I swear, Jo," Valencia muttered before she went racing off. 

No. No, she shouldn't be leaving Johanna with the Careers'. But Peeta. Katniss was fine, she would make her own way back. She wouldn't trust her again, which slightly hurt Valencia, but she would be okay. Peeta. The others who were in on the plan knew what was going to happen, but Peeta. But the wire. They must have noticed the wire was severed. She was too busy running towards the lightning tree that she didn't notice the sudden footsteps that were behind her. 

Valencia went tumbling to the ground, someone tackling her into a bush of moss. She narrowed her eyes when she felt someone sit on her, their golden, sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. With a sudden urge of power, Valencia head butted Enobaria, causing her to go stumbling as she now gained a massive headache. The jungle was dark as Valencia unclipped her throwing knives, holding them up as she tried to find where Enobaria was. 

"What are you doing alone, Barlowe?" Enobaria hissed as she came up beside her, knocking her to the ground with a single punch. "Where's Mason?"

"Mason? There is no Mason that I know of." Valencia smirked, tasting blood in her mouth as she licked her teeth clean of it. "I think you mean Jo—"

Enobaria picked Valencia up by the shoulders, pounding her into nearby tree, her warm breath on her cheek as she unclipped one of Valencia's knives. 

"How's your back?" Valencia asked. "I think you had a spear in it earlier. I was just wondering how you were."

"You're a moron," Enobaria hissed. "You could have killed me with that spear, hit me in the back of the head, but instead you went for the back. Absolutely pathetic."

"I will be honest." Valencia sighed. "It was poor spear throwing on my part. But also, the spinning Cornucopia is to be blamed as well."

Valencia went to go and kick the woman away from her when suddenly, she felt a blade imbed itself in the side of her abdomen. Her strangled gasps echoed around the air as she fumbled around for her machete. Enobaria's cackles echoed around everywhere as she twisted the knife around and around, a searing pain rippling through Valencia.

"I told you I'll rip your insides out." Enobaria chuckled.

"And didn't I tell you I'll lop your head off?"

Enobaria raised a brow when suddenly, using all the power she could, Valencia thrusted her machete up, slicing it across Enobaria's neck. Her head went toppling off as her cannon echoed around the arena, causing Valencia to slide down the tree as she watched Enobaria's head disappear into a bush of moss. 

Valencia chuckled slightly when she felt the blood from the woman's neck squirt onto her, the warm liquid running down her cheek. Enobaria was dead and Valencia felt a sense of glee. In some way, she had avenged Dominica. This woman had mentored the boy that killed her. And whilst Valencia killed Jacob, she now had killed Enobaria. (Valencia gasped as she watched Dominica's eyes go dull, her head toppling off of her body as it collapsed to the ground)

But her sense of glee diminished as she remembered the blade that was sticking out of her. And so, she gasped as she pulled the knife out of the side of her abdomen, throwing it away as she held her hand to the wound. Valencia screamed with pain as she felt the contact, gritting her teeth as she bashed her head against the tree she was sitting up on. When she drew her hand back, it was coated in blood as was a large area of her flesh where the knife was. Sweat began to bead onto her forehead as she, trembling, forced herself up, nearly blacking out when a round of pain soared through her. Her tracker. She needed to get her tracker out. 

With a shaking hand, Valencia unclipped one of the daggers on her belt. Blood was trickling down her flesh as she slowly raised her forearm up, stabbing it with her knife. She bit her lip as she felt herself become faint. She dug around for the tracker, panting when she found it, twisting the knife around as an excruciating ripping sensation followed. The little tracker fell onto the ground and if Valencia did not currently have a large hole in the side of her abdomen, she would have stepped on it harshly. 

The sound of a cannon going off caused Valencia to go back to reality. The plan. The plan was in full commotion, they just needed to destroy the force field. They just needed to wait for the lightning to strike. But Johanna. No, she needed to go back. 

Valencia nearly collapsed many times as she tried to make her way back to the lightning tree, blood dripping from her forearm as her hand held her abdomen. She felt faint, lightheaded. Whilst killing Enobaria was a good thing, Valencia felt her warm blood still trickle down her cheek. Valencia had just beheaded someone. And whilst this was a form of revenge for Dominica, she realised that she was not much better than Jacob and Enobaria herself. She suddenly had the urge to puke. 

Bending over a bush, an excruciating pain rippling through her body, Valencia emptied the contents in her stomach, hints of blood being spat out from when Enobaria punched her. The red liquid was dripping from her nose once more, but Valencia did not have any power left in her to raise her arm and wipe it away. That was until she heard Peeta yell through the jungle. 

"Katniss!" His voice was distant, but yet near. "Katniss!"

"Peeta!" Katniss's voice screamed, causing Valencia to sigh in relief, but that just caused her more pain. "Peeta! I'm here! Peeta!"

Valencia had to get to them, stop them from killing anyone in their sight. She had to explain to them, but they had to feel betrayed. Johanna and Valencia had 'attacked' Katniss, that would be hard to explain. 

The lightning. What was Valencia doing? The lightning was going to hit soon and she was heading straight for it. (We are currently in the process of adding in a massive electrical surge that can be strong enough to destroy the force field) 

The force field. Someone still had to destroy the force field. Beetee was too weak as is and Katniss and Peeta's first thought would not be to destroy it. And so Valencia must. She must sacrifice herself, become a toasted human being just so she could destroy the force field. It was what she had to do. She signed her life away for Plutarch. She gave him her word. And Finnick, Finnick and Commie still had to be there. They were supposed to protect Beetee. They could explain it to Peeta and Katniss. 

"Peeta!"

Valencia tried to crash through the jungle without fainting from her wounds. She sighed in relief when she finally reached the lightning tree. She must have looked like a mess, blood all over her with scratches and messy hair. But no-one was there. Not even Finnick or Commie. But Beetee was laying on the ground unconscious. Valencia was about to run over to him when suddenly, another cannon echoed around the arena. Three were dead, one being Enobaria. Brutus, Chaff, Commie, Finnick, Johanna. It was between them. The daunting fear that that cannon belonged to the man that was like her father, to the man she loved, to her best friend. It nearly made her collapse. Or maybe it belonged to Peeta or Katniss. Then she would be screwed.

"Katniss!" Peeta voice rang out through the jungle, squashing Valencia's fear that he was dead.

And then Valencia saw her. Sitting next to Beetee with her arrow raised was Katniss. Valencia swallowed a lump in her throat when she saw Katniss aim her bow at her.

"Katniss," Valencia tried to choke out, the pain making her see stars. "Katniss, think about what you're doing. Listen, you can trust me. I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you can trust me. Please."

As if something clicked in Katniss's eyes, she lowered her bow and Valencia took a sigh of relief. But then the glint of a knife near Beetee glimmered in the moonlight. Valencia watched in horror as Katniss began to wrap the wire around her arrow, securing it with a knot as she rose.

"Katniss!" Valencia tried to shout. "Katniss!"

No. She couldn't be. Katniss was aiming her arrow at the force field, the wire wrapped where the feathers were. She was going to destroy the force field. She must have pieced it together what Beetee was trying to do. Valencia went to go and shout at Katniss when suddenly, the lightning struck the tree, a flash of white running up the wire as Katniss released her arrow. 

Valencia and Katniss were both thrown backwards, paralysed. Valencia wanted to get up, wanted to run and try find the others before the chaos started. But the chaos already had. 

Trees began to burst into flames. Dirt and plant matter showering everywhere. Valencia felt the wind flap over her as she laid useless on the ground, a singe tear rolling down from her eye and onto the ground. 

A bright, blinding light appeared. And so did the hovercraft. The hovercraft dropped the claw and was reaching down for Valencia. The metal talons slid underneath her as they began to lift her up. And she could do nothing about it. She just hoped that the plan worked. That the rebellion was to begin.

Valencia would have to wait to find out, for she immediately fainted the moment she got lifted off of the ground. Blood was pouring from her arm and abdomen, dripping down to the arena as she got lifted, leaving her mark.