LEIA WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY SHE DECIDED TO CHECK HER MAILBOX. She never usually got mail in her work mailbox, and when she did, it was a newsletter or advertisement or something. However, this time, there was a note stamped with the Panem seal. It was a postcard-sized piece of parchment, and it had a time and room number on it, meaning that the location was somewhere in the building. She glanced around at the other mailboxes, but no one else seemed to have gotten one.

It was definitely suspicious. The stamp could only mean that it was some sort of government official or Gamemaker. It could be Snow planning to kidnap her. But she was too curious to not figure out what it meant. She had never received such a letter.

So, that night, she snuck out of her room in the District 4 suite and made her way to the room. She had to wait until Amethyst fell asleep, but she left a note under her mattress just in case anything happened. If she came back safe and sound, she would tear the card up, but if something happened to her, she had to trust that her friend would find it and come looking for her.

When she finally made it to the room, she knocked on the door. When she pressed her ear up against the wood, she heard talking, and it seemed like a lot of people. All of a sudden, someone opened the door, causing her to stumble forward a little bit. Her eyes widened when she saw someone she recognized — Cinna, one of the District 12 stylists — staring back at her. He simply gestured for her to step inside, and when she did, he closed the door behind her.

Her eyes scanned across the room in confusion, for it was the oddest group of people she could've imagined. Standing in the front of the room was Plutarch Heavensbee — the new head Gamemaker — and Haymitch Abernathy, the District 12 Mentor. Cinna joined them once he checked the hallway.

There were also about a quarter of that year's Tributes spread out on couches and chairs across from them. Her nerves eased when her eyes landed on Finnick, knowing whatever the hell this was, she had him. Sitting on his right was Johanna Mason. On another couch was Beetee and Wiress from District 3, and standing behind them was Chaff and Seeder from District 11. Huddled in a corner of the room were the Morphlings. Leia wasn't sure of their names, but she knew they were masters of disguise. Finally, Mags was sitting silently in a chair on the other side of the room.

All of them looked up when she entered, their conversations halting. Finnick seemed shocked that she was there, and she just looked at him in confusion. "What's happening?"

"Sit down. We have lots to discuss," Plutarch told her, and she was in shock for a second because the Head Gamemaker was speaking to her. She just nodded and moved to sit on the other side of Finnick. He placed his arm on the back of the couch behind her subconsciously, and she found it comforting as she looked up and waited for the men to start explaining. "I'd like to thank you all for coming. I'm hoping that each of you will assist us in our cause, but we understand if you don't."

"What's happening?" Leia asked Finnick, dropping her voice so that only he could hear her. She would be lying if she said she wasn't intimated by all of the Victors in the room. She was kind of scared because she assumed the reason that she was there was because of her involvement with Finnick, which meant that people knew about them.

He shrugged in response because he had no clue either. He seemed like he had had an idea until she arrived. "I know just as much as you."

"As I'm sure you all know, there have been revolts in the Districts, riots against the Hunger Games and President Snow," Plutarch reminded them, and they all nodded along to let him know throat that sounded familiar. "Him throwing you all back into the Hunger Games has made the people angry, and we're using that to our advantage."

"To do what, exactly?" Finnick questioned because they were really burying the lead on whatever the hell they were talking about. All of the other Tributes seemed just as confused as he and Leia were, wondering the exact same thing. However, the Calore woman noticed Beetee nodding along like he had heard this before.

The three men at the front of the room shared a look, and Haymitch turned back to the crowd of people. He hesitated for just a moment before announcing, "To take the Capitol down."

A silence fell across the room as everyone processed what he had said. Take down the Capitol? That would be almost impossible. "And how are you gonna do that?" Johanna questioned with raised eyebrows. She looked amused at the idea that those three men thought they could take down the entire Capitol.

"We have people on the outside, in District 13," Plutarch informed them, and that shocked everyone. District 13 had been destroyed by radiation and bombs years and years ago. There was nothing left there, at least that's what everyone had been told.

The Mason woman just scoffed, rolling her eyes, "Hate to break it to you, but ghosts won't be of much help."

"There's people there that survived, and they're willing to help us," Plutarch continued, and that resulted in a lot of whispers throughout the room. Leia just subconsciously slid closer to Finnick, and his arm moved to rest on her shoulder. "But we need you guys inside the arena to make sure that everything goes as planned. There's a rescue plan, and we have to get Beetee and Katniss Everdeen out of the arena."

"Why just them?" Leia asked almost immediately. Everyone except Finnick turned to her in shock, as if surprised that she spoke and that she was so blunt about it. She quickly felt uncomfortable with all of the eyes on her, but she tried to remain firm and not so shy. She wanted to know why Finnick and the rest of them weren't being rescued. It was a fair question considering that they would die if they were left in the arena, the Capitol knowing that they helped Beetee and Katniss escape.

Haymitch was next to speak up, but no one really wanted to hear it from him because his Tribute was the one being rescued. "We'll try to rescue as many people as we can, but they are our main targets. Beetee is the only person that can get us inside the Capitol software from District 13, and Katniss is the face of the revolution. We need her to lead, to inspire."

"And what about the rest of us?" Johanna asked, but she didn't seem like she was asking for herself.

"Like we said, we're trying to get as many people out alive as we can, but our main focus is Katniss and Beetee. We need them alive. Peeta too, if we can get him," Plutarch explained to them. "I understand this is a lot to ask, and we fully understand if you walk out right now." Despite everyone feeling really hesitant about the plan, no one stood up. "Good. Now, let's get to the specifics."

He explained a lot of details before allowing them some time to discuss among themselves before making final decisions. Leia turned to Finnick pretty much immediately, shooting him a hesitant look. "I don't like this."

"Why not? It's a chance for me to get out of there alive," he reminded her. That was true, but it could also completely sabotage his chance of winning and getting out alive. Either way could end in victory or death, and she didn't know what to do.

She pointed out, "But if they find out, Snow will have you killed on the spot."

"And I might die anyway," he said, and he was right. He turned further so that his entire body was facing her on the couch. He glanced around to see that other people in the room were shooting them looks, and he wasn't sure if they were waiting for his answer or confused about him and the Calore woman. "Leia, at least this way, I'm helping stop anyone from going into that hell again."

She started, 
"It this gets you killed—"


"It won't. You forget how sneaky I am, darling," he told her with a smirk, moving his face closer to hers. He was trying to charm her into agreeing with him, and she would be lying if she said it wasn't working, at least a little bit.

"Finnick Odair, you cannot flirt your way out of this," she scoffed, rolling her eyes, but she finally agreed. She pointed her finger at him. "If anything goes wrong, you save yourself." He nodded in understanding, and she looked up at the men standing in the front when she realized that she had no clue why she was there. "Wait, so what's my part in this?"

Plutarch smiled. 
"I was hoping you'd ask. We need you to be a messenger between me, Haymitch, and Cinna. They won't let mentors or head designers come speak to the Gamemakers, but if a makeup specialist was sharing a few words with me, I doubt anyone would bat an eye. You still need to be extremely careful, though." She nodded along as he spoke, already planning routes. "Your other job is get sponsors for everyone working with Katniss, and when we figure out the time and date for the rescue, you'll send them bread rolls and a note that signals the time. Can you do all that?"

"Anything to help," she confirmed. If Finnick was in on the plan, she was sure as hell going to do everything she could to get him out alive.

"All right, then. If anyone has any questions, talk to Haymitch at some point before the Games," Cinna told them, clapping his hands together. They all listened carefully, not wanting to miss any essential details. "This will require precision, courage, and sacrifice. If anyone wants to back out, now is the time."

Finnick looked around the room before announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready for the 3rd Quarter Quell."