Chapter 7: Saving a Friend or a Foe

"Run boy run..."

~~~~~~~

"Hey I'm going to go get some water. Do you want anything?" Emme asked looking at Coriolanus.

"I'm good. Thanks." He replied, Emme nodded.

Before walking out to go to the cafeteria but was stopped when Dr. Gaul came up to her.

"Ms. Reinswood, I'm gonna need you to come with me." Dr. Gaul said. Emme gave her a confused look but not wanting to make her aggravated Emme followed.

"W-what's this about?" She asked walking back into the auditorium.

"Emme? Dr.Gaul? What's going on?" Coriolanus asked getting up from his seat.

"Unless you can put a leash on your deluded classmate, she might as well be dead as far as you're concerned." Dr. Gaul said. Emme's eyes widened as did Coriolanus.

"Sejanus?" Coriolanus asked.

"Bread crumbs. I believe sustenance for a fallen comrade on his final journey." Dr. Gaul retorted as she motioned to the screen.

"A District 2 superstition. I'll work on finding the Peacekeeper he bribed to get him in, and cut out their tongue. In the meantime, I need someone to get him out right now." Gaul stated. Emme's face turned knowing she meant they had to go into and get him out.

"You should send Peacekeepers in." Coriolanus said his voice stringing with aggravation.

"Only to have him bolt and hide like a rabbit?" Dr. Gaul asked.

"Felix Ravinstill is fighting for his life in the hospital, Mr. Snow. I will not have these rebels make a further mockery of my Games." Dr. Gaul snapped.

"Anyone sees us lose control of this arena, it might as well be sounding a horn to the districts to revolt." She then looked between you two.

"You choose to be friends with this radical. You want him to end the Games tonight?"

"It'll look a lot worse if the tributes kill us." Coriolanus stated. "So don't let them."

"Who knows? You get him out unscathed, I'll whisper your name in his father's ear. You still want that Plinth Prize, don't you? Mr. Snow?" Dr. Gaul threw in his face.

"I'll freeze the feed for an hour. I estimate that's all we have until the people notice." Dr. Gaul exclaimed.

"But why Emme too? Don't you think two would be enough?"Coriolanus asked. Dr. Gauls eyes snapped to him than to you.

"Ms.Reinswood is more... quaint.. than you are Mr. Snow. She'd have more of a chance than you of getting him out. Whether alive or... not" She explained. Her last sentence made Emme pale staring at her.

"Unless of course you'd rather have her go in alone-" "No! No we both will go."

"Good. Now go." Dr. Gaul instructed pointing towards the door.

Coriolanus walked off irritated as Emme followed neither of them said a word as they made their way towards the entrance of the arena. The peacekeepers open the gates and slams it shut. Coriolanus grasped Emme's hand pulling her close.

"Don't let go." He said sternly. Emme nodded as they walked into the arena their hands letting go to pass the turnstile.

"Enjoy the show!" Emme cringed at the animated voice.

Coriolanus froze making sure the coast was still clear before he gripped her hand again as they walked over to Sejanus.

"I thought they'd send my ma... or Marcus." Sejanus whispered.Emme let her hand slip out of Coriolanus's as he moved closer to Sejanus.

"Yeah, I wish they had." Coriolanus hissed as he came face to face with Sejanus. Emme stayed back surveying the area they were in making sure the coast stays clear.

"You need to go, Coryo and..Emme." Sejanus said now noticing her behind Coriolanus.

"I'd like to. I really would. But we promised to get you out." Coriolanus said.

"Why?" Sejanus asked looking at the both of them. Coriolanus hesitated for a moment before Emme invasied in.

"Because you're... our friend." Emme said, giving Sejanus a half smile and Coriolanus nodded slightly.

"I have to do this. I had to go where the cameras are."

"You think anyone's watching this?" Coriolanus asked his tone filled with irritation at the boy.

"Gaul cut the feed. Tributes kill you in here, she's just gonna say you died of the flu."

Emme looked around seeing figures moving as they all heard Debris clattering and weapons clinking.

"Guys we need to go." Emme whispered as the noises moved closer. Coriolanus looked at Emme equally as scared before turning back to Sejanus.

"You need to decide right now. Do you wanna fight these tributes, or fight for them? Because if you wanna make real change, you need to stay alive to do it." Coriolanus persuaded.

"How can I make any change from out there?" Sejanus asked still being stubborn to leave.

"You're rich. Smart. You care. You're the only one who stood up to Gaul in that class, right?" Coriolanus assured him.

"Guys.." Emme said as Metallic Clangs echoes throughout the arena and the figures getting closer Coriolanus gasped.

"We're dead if we don't leave right now." Coriolanus seethed. Sejanus sighs.

"Come with me. Spend your father's money, do some real good. Or just be another dead body in Gaul's war." "Guys!" Emme said more urgently.

"Please. Trust me." Coriolanus said making Sejanus look at him. "I..."

Then the sounds of footsteps and shouting cut Sejanus off. As Coriolanus turned grabbing Emme's hand tightly.

"Go! Go!" Coriolanus shouted pulling Emme and Sejanus next to them as they ran.

"Run!" Emme shouted as she also grabbed Sejanus's hand. As they got to the turnstile Sejanus fell. Emme stopped letting go of Coriolanus hand helping Sejanus up.

'Come on, get up!"Sejanus tries to regain his feet but his knee refuses to take any weight, "Emme, get to the gate!", Coriolanus commands.

  She doesn't turn, running towards Sejanus instead of away. Emme took his other arm over her shoulder, trying to assist Coriolanus. The screaming of the tribute came closer, and before Coriolanus could move, the sharp edge of a blade hacked into his shoulder. It was a far swing from the tribute but with enough force to split skin. He drops Sejanus to dodge the next attack. Emmme's breathe hitched as she was dragged to the ground by her shirt being ripped.

"Hey gorgeous.." the tribute who you realized was Bobbin smash your head to the ground as he dragged her down. Coriolanus pushed Sejanus forward towards the gate.

"Please! I don't wanna hurt you!" Emme said trying to get away from him.

Coriolanus takes hold of a metal ruin that was stuck between cement, determined that not one hair on your head would be touched. Emme managed to kick Bobbin off which made him grunt in pain. Coriolanus scrambles off the ground and swings the cement at the tribute with a loud scream. Bobbin stumbles off balance, but readies himself again. He swung back with the blade which Coriolanus narrowly missed before bringing the cement down across the boy's head. He bringings it down once more on the boy who threatened his girl.

"C-corio we have to go." Emme said shakily getting up and trying to get him off.

Sejanus came up pushing through the pain as he tugged both your hands pulling you both as the loud announcer speaker went off.

"Open the gate!"

"Emme, Open the gate!" Coriolanus shouted. She ran towards the gate pushing herself out with the gate as it opens, turning back to look at the boys with wide, fearful eyes. Coriolanus pushes himself to be faster, taking nearly all of Sejanus' weight onto him. You three backed up Coriolanus holding onto you pulling you back as Coral came running up to the gate grunting.

"Watch those screens, gorgeous. 'Cause I may have missed that little girlfriend of yours tonight, but your songbird's next on my list." Coral seethed.

  The Peacekeepers demand that her group get back and the tributes disappear back into the dark tunnel. He had followed Corals gaze to Emme who was kneeling on the ground trying to catch her breath. Noticing how ruffed up she got as he almost lost her in the arena. Emme's shirt was half ripped off with cuts that littered her soft skin and dirt on her cheek. Coriolanus helped her off the floor putting an arm around her.

"Let's go." A peacekeeper said as he hailed you three out of the arena.

  Emme went to go sit on the curb with Coriolanus following a suit as well as Sejanus.

"I'm... I'm sorry." Sejanus whispered. "Coryo, Emme, I'm so sorry."

"I'm so sorry. For all of it." He said bring his head in his hands. Emme gave him a small smile and nodded slightly letting him know she acknowledged his apology.

  The three sat in silence until they heard a car pull up and a door open. Coriolanus looked over and Emme just kept looking off into the distance knowing nobody was coming for her.

"My father." Sejanus said with a sigh and a groan. "Let the buying begin.."

  Sejanus got up and walked over. Marcus was the first one out of the car slamming the door.

"What the hell were you fucking thinking Sejanus?!" Marcus erupted looking at Sejanus and over at Emme and Coriolanus.

"Going into the arena? And almost having two of your fucking friends killed?!" Marcus spat.

"Marcus!" Their father said sternly. Marcus gave Sejanus one last look before heading back into the car.

"Ma! I had to do something. I'm sorry!" Sejanus cried as he got into the car. As it pulled out of the area.

"We should probably head back..." Emme whispered as she got up.

"Aren't you going to wait?" Coriolanus asked as he also got up.

"Nobody's coming." Coriolanus gave her a wary look. "Trust me.."

"I'm sorry for what-" "I understand and um if you didn't who knows if I'd still be here... you saved m-" Emme was cut off by a pair of soft lips. She was surprised but kissed him back. After a few seconds Coriolanus pulled back leaning his forehead against hers.

  After a few moments, Emme sighed before getting up.

"We should probably get back.." She mumbled Coriolanus nodded as he got up.

He looked at her for a moment before taking her hand as they walked back to the academy. Once they got back to the academy they were me with Dr. Gaul leading them into her lab.

"Snow stormed down, down on his head." Dr. Gaul said clicking her tongue. "It stormed down on his head, and now the boy is..."

Neither Emme nor Coriolanus said anything trying to get their minds off of what happened and not to make it a spectacle. Dr. Gaul sighs at their reaction before laughing.

"You've both had enough of the Games tonight, I see." Dr. Gaul amused. "Ms. Reinswood I suggest you go home and clean yourself up. Don't want your father in a raft now seeing another ruined uniform now do you?"

Emme paled before giving her a Kurt nod before rushing out of the lab avoiding Coriolanus's eyes.

"Now, Come, sit." Dr. Gaul motioned to the patient table "I'll stitch you up."

"Who could imagine Crassus Snow's baby boy fighting for his life in the arena one day?" She asked Coriolanus as she stitched him up. "What happened in there, that's humanity undressed."

"Fueled with the terror of becoming prey, see how quickly we become predator." Dr. Gaul pushed. "See how quickly civilization disappears."

"Those tributes don't have a choice.." Coriolanus said as tears slightly fell.

"I was talking about you.." Dr.Gaul directed. "All your fine manners, education, background, stripped away in the blink of an eye, leaving a boy with a club who beats another boy to death to stay alive and save the girl."

"You wanna protect people, Mr. Snow?" She asked. "To govern them like your father?" Coriolanus wiped his tears from the mostly unwanted tears.

"Then it's essential you accept what human beings are and what it takes to control them."

(A/n: Two characters in 1 day?! Making up for lost time I am!😂 also 2+k words wow..)