Where a dead man called out for his love to flee.

[etcircenses]

Who| All those on the liberation mission and all those being made to fight against them.
What| The liberation of District 10.
Where| District 10.
When| This week.
Warnings/Notes| War, violence, death. Please warn for more in headers.

Fields of grass are all that can be seen in any direction for at least an hour while the hovercraft come in. These fields are broken only by the occasional color change (marking different kinds of grass and even the occasional wheat field) and a farmstead every now and again. It’s easy to see that the animals here far outnumber the people as it’s more likely to see a grazing horse or cow or even something stranger like llamas and elephant before one would ever notice a human being. The temperature is mild in this season, not too cool in the shade and not too hot under the sun, although as the hovercraft come in and the people of the main city come into view, quite a few are dressed in long pants and sleeves, their clothing worn and dirty from hours of hard labor. In wide open fields like these there are only a few groves of trees to park a hovercraft out of sight behind. It’s one of these far off groves the craft lands. It would be a shame to have to hoof it all the way into the city.

If you’re from the Capitol, this doesn’t apply, as they can land wherever is most convenient. For those in the rebel forces... well just be glad someone knew what to expect and has procured more than a few horses to carry you into town.

District Ten has always been overlooked by the Capitol. A large district by landmass alone, its people are perceived to be just as domestic as the livestock they tend to, so despite whatever political climate it may hold, rebellion is not seen as a concern here. Consequently, those on the rebellion’s side will find they’re the first ones on the scene.

They’re greeted by friendly, if not guarded, faces. These are people who stick to their own community, their own families, but they’re not an unfriendly group. They know who you are and why you’re here. They’ve said for ages that the Capitol needed to go down, that something ought to be done about Snow and his Games, but no one ever paid them any mind. Probably because all that talk may be there, but it’s only ever been that. No one expects an uprising from the countryfolk.

Being so laid back, there's really not much in the way of graffiti. No one particularly has anything to say that has been said and shrugged off. One might hear laughs and mutters about the compliance video or a morose mention of Bison and the call to fight. There are also others pointing out that this is just the way things work.

Even the peacekeeping forces here are limited and laid back, not nearly as strict as might be found in other districts, but they are still there, so it’s best to keep your heads down as you move through the town.

As for how the Capitol forces are greeted upon their arrival, well, that all depends on how successful those rebels are.

The war continues, and in the back of everyone's mind is a familiar phrase; may the odds be ever in your favor.

Comments

Battlefield

[etcircenses]

The battlefield is the entire district city by the time the fighting starts, but the Capitol is at a slight tactical disadvantage. While the terrain of the battlefield ranges from wide open grass and wheat to the halls and levels of the meat processing factory and transport, the only ‘safe’ place injured can fall back to is Peacekeeper headquarters near the edge of the town, whereas rebels will find plenty of families sympathetic enough to at least house the wounded and tend to their injuries. If the rebels can do their job on the town, this will be a short and uneven fight. If they can’t, it’ll be arduous all around.

Ota

[foundafamily]

For once, Firo's in his element, aside from the whole thing about being forced to fight for a bunch of assholes. That aside, cities are where he does well, and the sight of District 10's layout brings a mixture of reassurance and discomfort. The former because it's the kind of battlefield he's spent his whole life on; the latter because he's not the same desperate, vicious person who wouldn't have allowed himself to feel any qualms about this fight.

He keeps to the alleys and tight quarters, trying to avoid open areas and anything that looks like a family home. There are lines he can't cross.

He doesn't set out looking for fights, though he's always alert for them. If he sees a fellow Capitol soldier, he'll hail them with a wave. "How're you holdin' up?"

Anyone else will receive a guarded look and a conspicuous raising of his knife.

hi

[inrestlessdreams]

James and Firo did not have the best start, and worse yet, Sunderland had been proven right from the last Arena. Now they were on opposite sides of the war and James was looking livelier than he'd ever was. He was fighting for someone, for this damnable nation and it fueled his own bubbling desire for revenge.

But instead of engaging, James tossed Firo a small bag, full of fruits. "Better than you by far," he commented, being a little petty about this.

hi :D

[foundafamily]

To say that Firo wasn't happy to see James would be an understatement. The gift just made him angrier. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Firo didn't need help from anyone. At least, that was what he told himself.

He was wary of bending down to pick up the bag--it could leave his back open, even if only for an instant--so he kicked it right back in James's direction. A little bruising wouldn't hurt any of the food.

"What do you want?"

Was he here to gloat, maybe? Firo hadn't forgotten the words they exchanged during the Arena.

Closed to Bucky, Albert, Black Tom, and Clint

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[catch all for death and seize threads, nesting them below!]

For Bucky and Clint

[sizeofyourbaggage]

This is the second time that Sam’s been out on the battlefield since - well, since everything, and this time it’s harder to stay focused on what’s real. The Capitol’s had longer at him, and though they haven’t completely taken over, if Sam’s honest with himself he’s starting to get a little scared about going back. So he tries not to be honest with himself.

It’s better after seeing Bucky, and being out here with Clint and Albert. It gives him something more concrete to hold onto, to keep himself from really fighting for the Capitol like they want him to. Which mostly when that when some chaos breaks out nearby, Sam does his best to ignore it. He doesn’t trust himself to step in, not when he can’t be sure who he might end up fighting.

But that goes out of the window when he sees Albert at the center of it. Or, more specifically, when he sees Albert and Black Tom. There’s a flash of memory of fighting Tom in the arena, of Clint dying in his arms, of Albert dying in his arms, and the two bleed together a little bit.

Enough that without consciously thinking about it, his wings snap open as he turns towards the chaos.

Before the distraction

[silberfuchs]

Sam.

It's routine with them now, Albert starting with Sam's name in a particular way that means 'focus on me if you can' but also 'I'm here for you.' It's just not normally transmitted through to Sam's brain directly, but with powers on Albert thinks its best for Sam to get used to it. Its their best communication tool, and if there's ever a chance to use it if they get separated, Albert wants Sam to at least have a feel for it.

He walks up beside his brother, bits of paper folded into tiny, easy to carry and easy to miss shapes and tucked into the palm of his hand. I want to give you something, just in case.

[sizeofyourbaggage]

He's doing a hell of a lot better this time around than he was the last time the Capitol shoved him onto the battlefield like this, but he still startles when he hears Albert's voice in his head.

For a moment he almost rebels - he doesn't need anyone else in his head - but it's Albert. It's not like Albert hasn't been in his head this whole time, if Sam wants to get metaphorical. In a way, it's almost comforting.

Sam doesn't argue about the 'just in case,' because there's no point pretending like the chances of something happening to them aren't pretty high. Instead, he tilts his head at Albert.

Something aside from a way to communicate long distance that I wish we'd had before?

It's the first time he's expressed anything positive about what'd happened - but the middle of a battlefield isn't the place to look at that.

For Albert and Black Tom

[silberfuchs]

It's funny, going into something like this with the knowledge that he'll most likely die and not bring frightened in the slightest. In fact, he can set it up to his advantage once the fear of the unknown is removed. He'd already given Sam the messages he'd intended, and now all he needs to do is create a distraction, some opportune moment for Sam to make a run for it. Preferably something flashy and distracting for more than just those in their general vicinity, but subtle enough that it can't entirely be pinned on him when he's inevitably revived and there's a possibly inquiry. So he needs a dupe, and it doesn't take long to find the perfect person whose buttons he's well accomplished at pushing.

"Cassidy," Albert jogs up beside Tom, fresh from the field with the scent of ranch dirt on his boots. "There's fighting creeping towards our camp. We may be able to put it down if we're quick, otherwise they might get it in their heads to set a fire."

[pimpcanes]

"Aye, and that'd be a pity, wouldn't it?" Tom's mostly stuck to the field, because even without powers he prefers the lush terrain. It's made sneaking up and sniping stragglers that much easier.

No one is under any illusions that there is love to lose between him and Albert, but the powers that be are under the impression that the two of them can cooperate towards a common goal. Tom's fine to let them labor under that delusion, but he doesn't plan on fulfilling it in any way. The first chance he gets to club Albert over the head and leave him for dead, he'll take, consequences be damned.

The only thing stopping him now is that he doesn't trust himself not to be overpowered if he waged some sort of attack, and so he'll play nice for now.

"If we can clear the area and keep them pinned down long enough, they'll have to retreat when the flank falls." He gestures with his hand and they both head towards the border of the camp. Tom keeps his palm on his holster.

Closed to Jeremy Fitzgerald, Albert Heinrich

[didnothing]

Main battlefield; for Jeremy
After the disasters surrounding the fighting in District Nine and the personal shame of propaganda stardom, Luna's almost glad to return to normal work on the battlefield. She still hates being at war at all, but she never had much of a choice in that matter anyway. While there's fighting she's obliged to help, and at least she welcomes the relative anonymity of an environment where nobody cares about whatever was on TV.

She's sticking to the battlefield again this time, covering a rough perimeter around the Peacekeeper headquarters in search of Capitol soldiers who need medical attention. She has a wide distance to cover: staying too close to their base won't help anyone. Too far in is dangerous territory with the likelihood of encountering rebels, though, and in the end that's how she finds Jeremy. It's been a long time since they last met in the Arena, but she can still recognize him. In fact his name is burned into her memory thanks to Sigma, and she can't help but gasp and step back when she sees him. "It's you."

Peacekeepers HQ/Capitol base; for Albert
She's bleeding, and it's a mess. Luna's in no danger of dying at the moment, her metal skeleton and internal hardware very much intact, but if things keep up she's going to lose a lot of the white liquid that passes for her "blood" and her artificial skin is going to have some rather interesting problems.

She's glad because it means she's no good anymore and better to be useless than to try and drag someone back to the Capitol, but it does make the trek back to the Capitol's station very unpleasant. Luna feels the irony of the situation keenly as she approaches the Peacekeepers' headquarters, intending to find the area they're using for a hospital this time and explain her situation. She may not be in danger in dying, but some proper dressings would be useful all the same right now.

[leiche]

Having been on several failed specific missions previously, the battlefield is - ironically - the safer option. As much as Jeremy doesn't want to be hurting anyone anymore, he's a (relatively) able-bodied fighter for the rebellion, and he can't stay hiding behind the lines forever. He's not helping anyone that way. If he's going to work through any of the guilt of what he'd done under the Capitol's control, the best way to do it is to fight back, and show he's not their little puppet anymore, especially after the disaster that happened last time.

It's better not to think about it, and instead focus on now. Despite being out at least half his arrows and his best efforts to aim for not vital areas, it's still hard to get over the motionless bodies on the ground and he eventually has to duck into a nearby shelter to catch his breath and wait for his hands to stop shaking. But that's when a nearby voice catches him off guard, and Jeremy's first instinct is to notch another arrow as quick as he can before a Capitol soldier takes him out first.

"-- Luna?" he hesitates once he recognizes her, and the bowstring is loosened and the arrow aimed towards the ground instead. He does remember her, somehow. They met in the arena, and they agreed to look for each other once they were out, didn't they? "Wh- ... are you okay?"

[silberfuchs]

The acrid scent of non organic fluids has Albert checking himself for injuries before he catches sight of Luna and the deplorable state she's in. The magnetorheological fluid mixture must be a similar one to the one that Gilmore utilized in the zero zero build to smell so similar, though the coolant and oil and whatever else used is likely all different.

He watches her walk towards the medical unit that the Capitol forces have set up, the outfit much better stocked and manned than its mirror on the Rebellion side. He knows they can't help her there, nothing more than a patch job unless they have trained engineers among the medical staff, which he doubts. She's just a robot though. However it happened, it doesn't matter. She can just be repaired later so there's really no reason for him to care, much less step in...

Only that look on her face...

"Luna." He calls out before she disappears into the tent. "Let me patch you up. They won't know what to do with you."

for Albert Heinrich

[biiowiired]

Psii ventured out into the fields away from the safe haven of rebel communication tents. He was on scouting duty, looking for hidden dangers. He had a a few tools, a walkie in his belt, and an earpiece, but unlike the other rebel soldiers, Psii didn't have weapons on him. A high-level psionic had no need for any particular weapon. Red and blue sparks danced from his forehead and gently pushed aside the wheat in the direction of the wind. Occasionally his sparks thumped at the ground, looking for mines.

Seeing Albert was like seeing a ghost. This was an all-too-familiar feeling. When his headaches returned at the start of this operation, so did his visions, and the people he knew in them.

"Albert human? Hey, get over here."

He'd thought about keeping his prophecies to himself, but that would be like denying part of who he was. Even if Albert pulled a Signless in the space arena and discounted the whole thing, he still had to tell him. (And if Albert was under the influence of the Capitol and attacked him, he could pick him up with his brain and see how far a cyborg could fly.)

[silberfuchs]

He's in the fields because it's easier to be overlooked there, to keep his head down and at least attempt communication with his mental transmitter. He'd only just gotten out this far, about to try, when he's interrupted by a familiar face. Not so much friendly, but certainly on the side he wishes he were on overtly and not stuck in this web of clandestine plans and doublespeak. He's not good at that. He's never been good at it.

Life is much easier when you can just point and shoot, but it's rarely ever that simple.

"Psionic?" He doesn't elongate the I sound, too tired to worry overmuch about proper speech. He does static his internal transmitter though; the Capitol doesn't need to hear this conversation. "Good to see you alive."

Or, good that Albert's alive to see him. In war, it's the same difference.

Closed to Clara Murphy

[inrestlessdreams]

It's stupidly dangerous to be out here in the District, with James knowing that if he gets caught or killed, he's back at the Capitol. But there was a plan forming in his head as he made his way around the muddy fields of tall grass. He is going to try his damnedest to see Clara again after weeks, no months of fighting and capture. He left her messages for her to find in the news footage: "I AM STILL HERE." It's the same message he left her during the last Arena, now repurposed for the war. Sometimes he had dead Peacekeepers returned with wild flowers, letters were too expensive in that time...

He heard intel that Clara was being shipped to her representing District to help in the effort. This was make or break...and he left her a trail of breadcrumbs that led to an abandoned farm he could hide out while the fighting took place. If she made it here, they could finally reunite.

[seestheman]

Clara had been certain that the Capitol would send her to Ten when the time came. It was the obvious choice, even if it was for all the wrong reasons, and before they could assign which District she'd be assisting, she put in her request. She had her reasons of course. She owed it to Bison, she owed it to the people who she represented without even knowing, she needed to see that maybe there was a reason for all the shit she'd been through and maybe she'd done something good in her time here.

And then there was that tiny selfish reason: that maybe James would connect the dots and she'd be able to see him again. Even with his train confession, she couldn't squash those feelings down, even though she'd tried for both their sakes.

Finding an excuse to get away from the field hospital she was helping man was the hardest part, it took some well placed lies and mentions of how it was a goodwill mission while she was on the ground here. If nothing else, she could try to lay some seeds of good will towards the Capitol, try to remind District 10 that the Capitol truly did care (a lie, it was all a lie, but it was a lie that fell in perfectly with their goals).

She approached the farm with caution, trying to make sure that 1) she hadn't been followed and 2) this wasn't some sort of trap planted by the Capitol to prove that she was disloyal. She tried not to think about what had happened so that this farm was abandoned in the first place, and proceeded on, eventually peering through the barn door. "Are you still here?"

A Call To Arms

[etcircenses]

What Peacekeeper forces are in town is not enough to combat the rebels who show up, so a call for help has been sent out to the Capitol, along with a warning about the main meat processing and packaging factory. That leaves about an hour and a half for the rebels to deliver what stirring speeches they can and hopefully rally the Districters into action. There’s enough people in the city to overwhelm Capitol forces and they already hold a hatred for the Capitol. If you can only push them into action and put a weapon in their hands, then you (and they) will have no problem taking back and holding the livestock district. You’ll just need a little charisma.

Those on the Capitol side will get the call about a disturbance in District 10 and they’ll go in expecting a small riot, not rebel forces. However, Capitol forces are always armed and ready, so the only question will be: are you facing a handful of cranky townsfolk or a small army of those rebel forces?

Open

[hollowvictor]

He wasn't sure he'd even come here, much less do anything more than land and stay on the hovercraft. But he'd lost so many people already, Sam and Steve and Hannah...if any of them showed back up safe, it'd mean everything to him. And if Hannah was brave enough to search for family she hadn't even met, what did it say about him that he was too scared to search out the family he'd abandoned.

So he got off the hovercraft, took one of the horses and rode with practiced ease into town with everyone else. He could feel eyes on him the moment he was in the town proper and it wasn't until he gave orders and left the group that he could tell they were there because of who he was and not who he was with. But the question was: did they think he was him or James? His stomach twisted into knots as he walked up to city hall. He climbed the steps and stopped, turning to face the people he'd grown up with. People who'd spent almost a decade thinking he was crazy or dead or both. Would they listen? Would they care? Would they hate him for leaving or hate him for living? Would he be able to save them?

A small crowd gathered and a careful look into each of their eyes told him what he needed to know to get past the dryness in his throat: he knew them all by name...and they knew him.

"It's been a while." His voice was low, rough, but held a warmth put there from the pang of family. These people had watched him grow up, if not grown up with him themselves and more came as friends called them or he caught their eye. Anyone who he didn't know by name didn't always stop, but that didn't matter. He wasn't the only one trying to help here, he just had to reach these people. If he reached them, maybe they'd reach others and so on.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry to bring you pride and then bring you shame. I'm sorry I wasn't here to help all these years, but I've been helping somewhere else. We all know of District 13, it's something whispered at every night out, beer and rebellion hand in hand under hushed whispers or even blatent conversation, but it didn't matter because the peacekeepers didn't care. That wasn't out of kindness, it was indifference. They didn't, don't, fear us and that's our advantage. They should.

"These last eight years, I've been in district 13 helping to build the rebellion, the rebellion that's here now, here to help us see that fight we always talked about. I know: 'you're scared, it was just talk, it'll never work,' it doesn't matter. Be scared, you can still fight. It's falling from a horse in the middle of a herd, you're scared of being stepped on, crushed, but if you don't take charge, you'll lose everything. It was just talk, but talk has to lead to action or nothing will ever change and it will be your fault, not theirs. How long does it take for an egg to hatch after being incubated? Not nearly so long as a rebellion, but this one's ready to break loose. Maybe it won't work...but maybe it will how much longer are you willing to sit around waiting for the peacekeepers to snap and take everything you've loved? They've already taken too much, don't lay down for them."

He looked into the eyes of each member of his hometown as he talked, willing some of his determination into them. Let them hate him, let them fear him, anything to get them moving, to get them to take up arms.

"This is still my home and always will be, I'll fight for it just as hard as I fought in the arena. Me against 23 people, us against the Capitol's forces, who do you think will win? So fight with me, take up one of our weapons or make some of your own, but when the sun sets tonight, this district won't be the same anymore. It's your choice as to what it'll turn into."

He gave them all one final look, daring them, before ducking his head and stepping down from his make-shift stage, the small crowd parting as he went. They would listen or they wouldn't, he done everything he could for them. Eight years of sacrifice and fighting and it came down to this and what would happen in the next few hours.

For now, there were some people he needed to find.

[ridingrevolt]

There was a change in the air of District 10 this morning and Rachel Barnes had been the first to figure out why. She'd seen the aircraft in the distance on her morning ride - the one she takes every morning to clear her head and to make sure there were no critters trying to sneak in in the night and get at the cows or anything like that. She'd ridden faster than she needed to and put Soldier - her horse - away wet in her haste to get into town quickly. She threw her leather jacket on, one that once belonged to her brother but has long since borne more wear and tear from years of Rachel's steady ranching than it ever had from Bucky, and ran into the square with her ponytail bobbing on top of her head.

She missed most of the speech, but she probably wouldn't have taken in the words anyway, considering who gave it.

It doesn't take much to get past the throng of her friends and neighbors; she has the same broad shoulders her whole family possesses and she deserves to get a word in regardless. It's not every day someone comes back from the dead.

She breaches the front of the crowd as Bucky steps down from in front of city hall, where she'd watched him walk up seven years ago when his name was called. She'd been proud then, proud and frightened and angry, and that anger is the only thing that's grown. It's what still fuels her now.

She breaches the front of the crowd and keeps right on moving, stepping into the solid punch she clocks right in her dead brother's jaw, using her momentum and her rage to make it count.

"You asshole!"

[sizeofyourbaggage]

As soon as they'd touched down in District 10, Sam had gone looking for Bucky. Clint's somewhere close by, he always is, and Sam keeps tabs on Albert, too, but it's District 10, which means Bucky is the first thing on his mind.

Last time - last time he hadn't done so well, the changes still new and the drugs strong in his system. His only instinct had been to protect Bucky, and a lot of it is a blur, though he remembers being able to tell Bucky that he loved him. He hopes that actually happened, that it isn't just what he wants to remember.

Honestly, Sam's not sure he's any more in control of himself than he had been last time, but for Bucky he tries. He remembers their whispered talks about Bucky's home, about the way he'd left his family, his regrets and fears, and he remembers - he's pretty sure, it bleeds together sometimes - he remembers Bucky talking about District 10 courting customs and telling Bucky that he'd love to meet his family and he wanted to be there if Bucky ever went back.

That hasn't changed. Nothing about the way he feels about Bucky has changed - except maybe he's letting it get a little too intense, clinging to him so tight, but he doesn't know how else to effectively fight the hold the Capitol has on him without the Capitol knowing they haven't gotten to him as much as they'd like - and he still wants to be the guy in Bucky's corner, to support him however he can.

Holding on to that makes it easier to hold himself together right now. But he still stays hidden as he watches Bucky give his speech, perched up somewhere high, until Bucky leaves the stage. Then he drops down, zigzagging his way around through the crowd. He loses sight for Bucky for a little bit, but it doesn't take more than a quick scan to find him again, and then he finds himself in front of his boyfriend.

There's a flash of memory - did you write that down first or was it off the top of your head - but he dismisses it quickly.

"How does it feel being home?" he asks quietly, same as he would have if he'd come here with Bucky in the first place instead of having to fight his way to find him.

Bringing Down The House

[etcircenses]

District Ten’s exports are largely meats and hides. For all the space out here, it’s not a very traversed district, so the one train track leading through Ten and right up to the factory has always been more than enough. A perfect target for rebel forces. Rebels have a chance to get into the factory first and they’ll find they have aide in most of the workers on the floor that day. However, there’s more than the foreman to worry about. As this is the main factory in all of the district, it has the most protection and policing assigned to it. Not to mention that contingent of Capitol forces coming in to stop the rebels.

Between the machinery and other work stations, there’s plenty to hide behind and make a stand. Just be careful not to get caught in the machinery itself, plenty have been mangled if not killed in the past. The largest space is the main floor, but there’s a second floor with offices that would grant a wonderful vantage point for whichever side can claim and hold it.

This won’t be the most important place, however, as the fighting here is merely a distraction. The real obstacle is the bombs rebels are placing along the tracks. If you’re from the Capitol, you have to stop them from blowing up those tracks and damaging the main food source for the Capitol. You can’t afford to lose the necessity of food or things will become pretty slim back home.

(frozen comment) Results

[etcircenses]

(frozen comment) A Call To Arms

[etcircenses]

Your words were like matches set to light dry grass, thirsty for rebellion. The town quickly caught fire with encouragement and by the time those reinforcements were sent in to handle the ‘small uprising’ they found their numbers not nearly adequate for the force of the entire town. Despite injuries on both sides, the rebels eventually overwhelmed the Capitol forces and took what hostages they could before the rest could escape. Good thing you have an entire district on your side.

(frozen comment) Bringing Down The House

[etcircenses]

Those rebels didn’t stand a chance. The people of the district may be on their side, but the Capitol has force and resources and the pressure of needing to feed those hungry Capitolites on theirs. The meat processing plant sustains some damage, but its minimal and the rebel forces are either killed, captured, or pushed out, saving the factory and the train tracks leading away from it. A hands-down victory for the Capitol.