Chapter Text
It began with burned bread and kindness.
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The Capitol surveillance room was confounding in its juxtaposition. Images of crimes yet to be committed filled the screen that ran along the length of the room - scenes of chaos and pain - while specially trained Peacekeepers sat coolly in high-backed chairs, detached as they watched the screens and occasionally spoke into their headsets.
Their methods weren't fool-proof. After decades of using the software created in District Three - called Watcher, jokingly, by the Peacekeepers who used it - they'd discovered it had about a 75% success rate. Some crimes slipped through, either from software error or user error. Some they deliberately chose not to prevent, particularly if another Peacekeeper was the guilty party - a Peacekeeper stealing food or causing a few casualties was often overlooked.
Some of the crimes were prosecuted and then found to have been predicted incorrectly, but it was usually too late for all parties involved to do anything about it. The typical punishment for being "guilty" of a crime was removal - not even the Peacekeepers running the software knew what removal meant, whether death or being sentenced as an Avox or being held for torture.
Watcher was known throughout the Capitol as an effective crime-prevention tool. In the Districts, it was another tool of oppression.
That day, Peacekeeper Jace sat in front of his portion of the large screen. He was from District Twelve originally, taken from the community home into Peacekeeper training due to his build and propensity for getting into fights. The olive skin and dark hair seemed to be all he retained of his childhood in Twelve - he felt Capitol through and through now, after so many years of service.
He scanned through a few crimes that were anticipated to be committed in the coming months - murder of a Peacekeeper in District Eleven was reported quickly; stolen food in District Eight was reported as a lower-priority issue; and he had to tinker with his controls to make sure that an anticipated arson in District Seven was accurate. And then it happened.
A video of two teenagers - the male blond and fair, the female with a dark braid and olive skin - popped onto his screen. The first image showed, as it always did with Watcher, their current state - he was standing in the rain, throwing out what looked to be bread, and while she huddled under a tree. Odd, but nothing too notable. Peacekeeper Jace's screen sped forward several years as Watcher's algorithm calculated their anticipated crime. They were bloodied and exhausted, and they each held a handful of berries. The clip took on a bright red hue as a high-pitched alarm beeped in his headset. The words "IMMINENT THREAT" flashed over their faces, followed by the one crime he'd never personally seen picked up by Watcher: "REVOLUTION".
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One month later
President Snow had summoned his advisers immediately after getting the notification from Head Peacekeeper Thrall about what the other Peacekeeper - Jace, was it? - had seen on the crime prevention software. The lesser Peacekeeper had been summarily sent to be processed as an Avox, of course, as had the others on duty during his shift. Seeing the faces of the people who could bring revolution to Panem had made all of them a threat. Really, when he thought what an inconvenience these two District 12 children had already created, he was quite angry.
President Snow knew he could only let a handful of people participate in his strategy to remove this threat: Peacekeepers he had complete control over because they knew what he could do to their illegitimate children. They had been fools to ever get involved with District citizens, but Snow was pleased he found a way to use it to his own advantage.
As President Snow entered the room, Peacekeepers Thrall, Shad, and Tenley stood. Here were his most trusted - and most controlled - Peacekeepers.
"Please, at ease", said the President, gesturing to the seats. "I will get straight to the point. While Watcher has picked up on revolutionary activities before, those incidents were confined to one district or minor enough that they wouldn't result in a full-scale war. We now have a scenario that is quite different. First, Watcher has predicted a crime of revolution of total revolution at 99.9% probability - the highest probability the software is able to offer. Second, it involves Panem citizens who are not yet of reaping age. As my most trusted Peacekeepers, I've brought you here to inform you that your mission is to execute one of these would-be revolutionaries." He paused to gauge the reaction of each of the Peacekeepers. Neutral faces all around, good. While even President Snow would admit that eleven was quite young, it was worth it for the stability of Panem.
"You may wonder if this reaction is too extreme or heavy-handed", continued the President.
"Not at all, Sir," replied Peacekeeper Thrall.
"Good," said Snow. "After speaking with my most trusted advisors and exploring multiple options and scenarios through Watcher, this form of removal is the surest course to guarantee the safety of Panem. May I remind you what you swore when you became Peacekeepers?"
"To protect and preserve Panem at any cost, even our own lives," intoned all three Peacekeepers, reciting the Peacekeeper oath.
Oath my ass, thought Thrall, he knows he has each of us by the balls. And don't worry Watcher, I'm not going to do anything stupid. Thrall often found himself reassuring Watcher that he wasn't going to do anything stupid, despite the fact that he knew it couldn't hear him or read minds (at least, he was mostly sure of that). Just in case it might make a difference. He was under enough pressure from Snow and didn't want any trouble with the software.
"Both of our troublemakers are in District 12, and it appears they could have been quite the item if one of them didn't have to meet such an untimely end. You will depart for District 12 immediately and will arrive at 5:00 am local time. You have the choice of which one to kill. Ensure you follow removal protocol to make it look like an accident. You will be in charge of monitoring whichever one you don't kill closely for your remaining years as Peacekeepers."
The Peacekeepers looked at each other uneasily. "Sir?" said Peacekeeper Thrall, unsure of the President's intent. They were to decide which one to kill?
"Fine," sighed President Snow. "I was rather hoping to not spend one more minute on this issue. No matter which way we calculated it, Watcher showed us quite clearly that it doesn't matter which one of them is disposed of - either way the threat is neutralized. Apparently they're quite useless, one without the other. I thought I'd give you the choice of whether you'd rather follow the boy or girl around for the rest of your days, but since it's all the same to you..." President Snow took a coin. "Heads for the girl, tails for the boy."
He flipped it and, glancing cursorily at it, said, "Goodbye, Mr. Mellark. You have your target, gentlemen. Dismissed."