The Reckless And The Brave - Chapter 12
Pairing: Jalex, Riassadee, slight Rydon.
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Each year, the Capitol of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death on national TV - until Alex Gaskarth, of District 11, and Jack Barakat, of District 7, change everything.
Warning: Character death.
Disclaimer: Fictional. Title credit to All Time Low. Based on The Hunger Games.
Masterpost
Alex hardly notices the sky grow dark, hardly notices the tears slide down his face and dry.
He hasn't eaten or drank since it happened. The air still smells like burnt toast. Only the sound of the anthem makes him crawl out of his hiding place in the bushes. He stands up and looks towards the sky.
Jonathan's face appears first. Followed by Martin's. Followed by Christofer's. When Tay finally looks down at him, Alex can't stop the tears. He collapses, shaking and sobbing, onto the grass, and it's so good.
The Capitol is killing them, just like they killed Tom, and now he's right in the middle of it. He can only survive with blood on his hands. He can't. He'd break.
In the space between cries, a distant, familiar sound reaches his ears.
He bites his tongue, registering the two-toned electronic beeping that had come with Uncle Panini's parachute drop. He's barely able to stand and follow it on shaking, weak legs until he finds it. A limp parachute, a small silver capsule - and a crumpled body.
The capsule is marked 7.
Jack.
There's a bow and quiver slung almost carelessly over his shoulder. His skin is white, almost translucent. When Alex places three trembling fingers on Jack's neck, he can barely feel his pulse.
Alex reaches for the capsule. Inside is a clear tube, labeled Fe and filled with pills, and a note. He squints in the darkness to read it.
Use as directed, or the whole bottle in a pinch.
-Colussy
He reads the instructions on the tube. One pill per day. He unscrews the cap, carefully shakes a single pill into his palm, and then places his other hand on the taller boy's shoulder.
"Jack."
Alex almost starts to cry again when Jack opens his eyes. They're dull and unfocused, with dark half-moons underneath.
"Here."
There's slow, vague wariness in Jack's eyes. "It's... it's medicine."
Only then does Jack reach for Alex's hand. It looks like it takes all his strength just to swallow the pill.
"Thanks."
Alex unzips the pocket of the taller boy's jacket and places the pill bottle carefully inside. And then, as if to prove that he's not going to hurt the chestnut-haired boy, Jack gives him his bow and arrows. "Here. Put these away."
Alex hides them under the dark shape of a bush. Another cannon fires but he ignores it.
Then he lies down next to Jack, muffling his sobs against the taller boy's frail chest. Jack wraps his arms around him. It's so good, so warm.
District 9 Travis Clark
Rating: PG-13.
Summary: Each year, the Capitol of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death on national TV - until Alex Gaskarth, of District 11, and Jack Barakat, of District 7, change everything.
Warning: Character death.
Disclaimer: Fictional. Title credit to All Time Low. Based on The Hunger Games.
Masterpost
Alex hardly notices the sky grow dark, hardly notices the tears slide down his face and dry.
He hasn't eaten or drank since it happened. The air still smells like burnt toast. Only the sound of the anthem makes him crawl out of his hiding place in the bushes. He stands up and looks towards the sky.
Jonathan's face appears first. Followed by Martin's. Followed by Christofer's. When Tay finally looks down at him, Alex can't stop the tears. He collapses, shaking and sobbing, onto the grass, and it's so good.
The Capitol is killing them, just like they killed Tom, and now he's right in the middle of it. He can only survive with blood on his hands. He can't. He'd break.
In the space between cries, a distant, familiar sound reaches his ears.
He bites his tongue, registering the two-toned electronic beeping that had come with Uncle Panini's parachute drop. He's barely able to stand and follow it on shaking, weak legs until he finds it. A limp parachute, a small silver capsule - and a crumpled body.
The capsule is marked 7.
Jack.
There's a bow and quiver slung almost carelessly over his shoulder. His skin is white, almost translucent. When Alex places three trembling fingers on Jack's neck, he can barely feel his pulse.
Alex reaches for the capsule. Inside is a clear tube, labeled Fe and filled with pills, and a note. He squints in the darkness to read it.
Use as directed, or the whole bottle in a pinch.
-Colussy
He reads the instructions on the tube. One pill per day. He unscrews the cap, carefully shakes a single pill into his palm, and then places his other hand on the taller boy's shoulder.
"Jack."
Alex almost starts to cry again when Jack opens his eyes. They're dull and unfocused, with dark half-moons underneath.
"Here."
There's slow, vague wariness in Jack's eyes. "It's... it's medicine."
Only then does Jack reach for Alex's hand. It looks like it takes all his strength just to swallow the pill.
"Thanks."
Alex unzips the pocket of the taller boy's jacket and places the pill bottle carefully inside. And then, as if to prove that he's not going to hurt the chestnut-haired boy, Jack gives him his bow and arrows. "Here. Put these away."
Alex hides them under the dark shape of a bush. Another cannon fires but he ignores it.
Then he lies down next to Jack, muffling his sobs against the taller boy's frail chest. Jack wraps his arms around him. It's so good, so warm.
District 9 Travis Clark