deal with the devil /av+hades

There's a song stuck in his head, tugging a little too hard on his focus. He's waiting for a train, suitcase parked at his side on the platform while half-remembered words filter through his head.

And his fingers tap against his thigh in rhythm, pattering like rain against his jeans.

For a moment, there's nothing in his head. Just the half song, some vapid pop song that'd been playing on the radio this morning at the coffee shop he'd been sitting at, just wasting time until it wasn't too early to go to the platform anymore.

Avriel's been holding this thing inside of him for a few days now, this feeling of unease that's been trying to make a home between his spine and his heart. He doesn't want to let it settle there, until he finally gets on the train home it'll keep trying.

He's the only one on the platform, it's too early for anyone else who's sane.

But Eden was kind of pissed at him when he left Nine and though he told himself he wouldn't let it bother him, lately his friend's long silences on the phone have felt pointed. Which is strange. Silence has too many facets, like a helix cube, it feels like Avriel's constantly trying to figure out how all the pieces fit together.

Whatever, he just wants to get home.

A hand falls on his shoulder and Avriel is being turned. The feeling is strange, he's not really one for being touched by a stranger, let alone without his permission. He opens his mouth, Scout wiggling in the kangaroo pocket of his fleece at the sudden movement, he's twisting and then staring into his own reflection.

"You can't be here," says the Peacekeeper.

"I'm-"

The Peacekeeper steamrolls him. "Only those with dependants are allowed to travel between districts until further notice. Your sister is gone, your brother is in boarding school. You live alone, Correct?"

"I- What? Since when-" Avriel starts, frustrated, he hates being caught off guard like this, there's never enough time to think.

Besides, Eden's at home. He doesn't live alone anymore, and neither of them ever discussed how long he'd be staying, he just arrived in the dead of night and has never left. He's supposed to be in One still, he's been registered missing. Even if Eden's being there wasn't illegal, he's an adult and he doesn't need Avriel.

"I have chickens," he says finally because that's literally all he can think of. "And a cat." Except that's a lie, unless Eden counts.

"Animals are classified as non-vital," the Peacekeeper drones, then points at the gates leading back into the city centre. "Take it up with the council if you've got a problem with it."

Avriel blinks, then rests a hand on his pocket to keep Scout from squirming around. He's met a council member once or twice. They were as eager as anyone to shake his hand after they won, get a picture for their next campaign, whatever, but he's never actually sat down and spoken to one. He's never wanted to.

But then he's standing outside the gate, his suitcase in his hand and absolutely no plan on how to get home. Sometimes 'until further notice' means never. He bites his lip, the unease from earlier slowly climbing to rest in his throat and its hard to breathe around it. But his mind is blanking, and that old familiar shake is back in his hands, numbing them.

Maybe he's going to throw up.

But then Scout is one his shoulder, tapping its nub of a hand against his cheek to get his attention.

"I'm fine," Avriel says automatically, but the Kodama knows it's a lie and doesn't seem to care anyway, it's jumping up and down on Avriel's shoulder and pointing across the square to where the council works out of.

"I don't fucking want to go there," he answers shortly, "They're going to play with me, treat me like a dumbass." Most people tended to look at Avriel, listen to him speak once and then decide he was slow. Capitalites were even worse for that, especially the ones that held any power and being on the council is all power is these days.

Scout continues to poke at him, insisting. It's little inner light flickers red for a brief moment and if a Kodama's expression could change, it'd be looking very stern right now.

Avriel sighs and squats down beside his suitcase for a moment, head in his hands. Scout scrambles up onto his back as he moves, keeping purchase. His head is swimming, that feeling of wanting to throw up isn't gone still. Truthfully, he thought he could be better this year but then Patricia died and he's felt barely anything since. He can't sleep, that's not new but it was getting better for some reason with Eden around.

Feels like he's back at square one, the nightmares have been endless, heavy. He wants to go home.

"Fine," he mutters, "Fucking fine, I'll go."

Scout lets out a low note of triumph that sounds like heavy rain on a calm surface.

"Stop being so damn smug."

⟣ ⟢

There's no one there, of course.

The receptionist gives him an address though, and within five minutes there's a car waiting for him outside. His usual liason is tied up so they hand him off to another. He's heard the name in passing before but since it wasn't relevant to him, Avriel didn't worry much. Just another gamemaker anyway. As far as Avriel's concerned, if you've met one then you've met them all, just a bunch of child killers who got a rank for it instead of jail time.

Pot calling the kettle black, he strides into the building that Hades Lochlan, the district one liason works out of. He's not sure why they've sent him here, but there doesn't seem to be much other choice.

On the car ride over, there was one of Flynn's little morning updates playing on a tiny screen set into the back of the driver's seat. Statistics of deaths by district flash across the screen and there was district nine with one of the highest kill counts, just like always.

The Capitol was always loathe to send help to one of their most problematic district. Avriel twisted his hands up in his lap, clenched his jaw and tried to just breathe.

It didn't help, his heart still pounds in his chest as he crosses the floor to the reception desk.

A secretary glances up briefly, then hits a button out of Avriel's sight.

"Hades, your eight am is here," they drone into a receiver, staring daggers at Avriel, possibly out of hatred for the early morning start.

Avriel just stares back at them as if they have three heads. He's trying to remember that he's not just some kid from the bad side of Nine anymore, he's a Victor, a killer, dangerous too. But he doesn't like to weild that. Scout rattles menacingly from his shoulder, little chest puffing up, classic Kodama intimidation move.

They wait in silence for a long moment, then Av just sighs and breezes past reception, making a bee line for a large set of doors made of steel at the back of the entrance hall. "Buzz me in," he commands

"Um, actually, you have to wait until he's ready for you," the receptionist says, tone icy.

"No, I don't," Avriel answers, tone calm. If there's one thing he's learned after almost four years of this, it's that as long as he acts the part, he can do whatever he damn well pleases.

And this type of lie only gets easier the more he says it.

"Buzz me in," he says softly, "Now."

And he slips through the gate into hell.