//So we Stand Together//[Becca]

Zakery didn't sleep last night. He hated sleeping in unfamiliar places, places where rebels could walk free, and places where he didn't feel safe. So he sat up on his bed, ful Peace Keeper uniform, which included his medals. They took up both shoulders and his entire chest, but he didn't wear them most days. It was just the fact that he was going into a different District from his own, and they needed to know that he meant business.

Zak thought about why he was forced to go to District Two, how his commander had called him in, and told him that rebel action was up in District Two and that he had to go and fight with an elite fighting group to squash them down. He sighed, guess you couldn't avoid orders.

He was knocked out of his train of thoughts by a knock at his door, "Sir, five minutes from Two. Here is the energy drink you requested strait from the Capitol labs." Zak nodded and stood up. He downed the shot and walked out the door, closing the door with a slam.

As he twisted his way through the complicated system of hallways, he pulled off to the side toward the window and watched District Two approach. The snow was melting from the ground, and he could faintly hear birds chirping. He could see the major buildings of the district expand, and then the train station expanded around in a tunnel.

Taking this as his cue, Zak walked over toward the opening doors, and felt the train slam to a stop. Fully awake curtesy of the Capitol, he watched as a small Avox boy handed him his suit case and back away just as the door opened.

A few people rushed about the train station but overall it was calm. Zak put his arms at his side, check to make sure his gun and knives were still firmly in place, and stepped off. He was told that a Peace Keeper would be waiting, so he expected a runt. That is, a new Peace Keeper who needs simple jobs.

Despite his expectations, Zak saw only one Peace Keeper not on patrol and he was highly decorated, too decorated for this type of job, but whatever. He took sharp steps over tothe Peace Keeper on the bench and stretched out his hand. "Peace Keeper Zakery Schoepf. District 1 Command and Special Forces Leader."

He waited for the reaction of the other Peace Keeper, who at first glance was someone whom he doubted even talked much, let alone to a stranger. He wasn't here to make friends, and it would take alot for that to change.

He thought about that statement in his head for a moment, then nodded internally. He didn't need friends in District Two. He had a few in District One, strong, powerful. He was called to District Two to do what they couldn't, they were weak. They didn't have the strength to accomplish a minor rebelion, so they have to call in the big guns. Wasn't this the training ground for Peace Keepers who made history, shouldn't leaders be able to accomplish something? He didn't know, but he had a good idea that it may be all rumors.

As Peacekeeper Teris shakes Zak's hand, Zak can't help but to notice the firm shake. That was a pet peev of Zak, because how can anyone respect someone who doesn't know how to shake a person's hand? He just couldn't figure it out. When Teris turns on his heel, Zak quickly rises and starts to move toward the heart of the District. He knew his maps like the back of his hands, but certain alleys weren't on the list of maps that the Capitol hand. This was rebel territory, and rebel alleys may be in use even by Peace Keepers.

Walking along about two seconds into the silence, Zak started people watching. He looked at the few people, most of the District waking up at this point; people bustled from place to place, store to store. He thought about what his own District would be doing at this point, waking up themselves. He would have been up already, working out, but still. He was as wide awake as ever thanks to the energy drink.

"I want to take a detour through a side crime alley on the way to HQ, will you show me?" Zak said in more of a statement than an answer. He wanted to either catch a rebel before he got there, or scare them enough that they will cool it a bit so he had less effort. On top of that he wanted to see what this Ging Teris fellow could do. Maybe this kid wasn't as good as his medals implied. That could be why he had no title but a medal collection that surely should have acquired one. Maybe District Two was different from one, but he figured that they were about the same set-up.

Zak smiled a bit under his surface features as he heard a gasp from a local shop owner at his attire. He thought briefely about saying something in their direction, but instead he settled for a level headed nod. Having bored himself with the locals, he started to study Teris himself. Teris seemed. . . how should he phrase it. . . exhaausted? No that wasn't it at all, more like run mentally ragged. He looked like he was conflicted mentally constantly. Stress could do that, but the body language wasn't right, the stress wasn't the cause.

Zak smiled, I have months to find out. . . though the sooner I get out of this hole of a District, the better.

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I couldn't help but glance back in slight surprise as he asks to go through one of the crime hot-spots. Why does he want to mess with rebels when he just got here? Just intimidation can't be it. That means he's trying to evaluate me.

How should I go, doing what he asks, or following the orders of HQ? No hints have been dropped over what kind of obedience he's trying to see. The chances that I'm going to be on whatever team he was called up to be on are pretty high. There's no other reason for me to pick him up. They're tying to get me to be his deputy, or just a local voice he considers his equal. In that case... the way to earn his respect at this point is probably action.

"I was ordered to bring you to HQ," I say flatly. Then, with a shrug: "but I guess the train could have been a bit later than it was." With this I change direction slightly, planning to bring us to the blocks where the black market and other similar sites are, places where there's almost always some rebel action. We're sure to at least see something.

A few blocks short of the area we're heading to I swerve into a side alley and motion for him to stop. Quickly I take off my Peacekeeper jacket, revealing a plain gray t-shirt beneath. I flip the jacket inside-out and motion for him to do the same. Before talking I check to make sure my gun is still easily accessible from under the jacket around my waist.

"We don't want to trumpet our arrival for all to see, but I don't know of any safe houses on this side of the crime area to leave the jackets." Then I step out of the alley and set off again at a brisk walk. After a few hundred yards we turn and the street becomes noticeably dirtier.

"Here we are."

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