strong enough | Marcasite [HG Museum]

A chance to see him.

A chance to talk to him.

A chance to apologize.

A chance for closure.

Would it really be closure, though? It wasn't really him, after all, and they never knew each other growing up. Marc didn't even know Andy really existed until he was ten years old and Andy was eight. Then, he was reaped, and Marc had still never spoken a word to him.

It would be a hologram. It would be a copy- simply a memory, is all.

Marc knew it wasn't really Andy, but he still needed this. He'd never gotten to know his own brother. As soon as he heard about the National Hunger Games Museum opening up to the public in District Two, he knew he had to go to it. He had to see Andy, just to talk to him, at least once. To introduce himself to his own brother.

Marc had gone to visit his brother's grave plenty of times, talking to him there. Although, when he talked to him at the cemetery, Andy couldn't speak back to him.

Here, in the museum, Andy, or at least an imitation of Andy, could have full conversations with him. It wouldn't quite be like he was alive, but it maybe it would make him feel a bit better. It had been nearly twelve years at this point, after all, and Marc still felt guilt for not stepping up in his brother's place.
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Entering the Justice Building, Marc's palms were greased with sweat. He was nervous to go in there, no matter how excited he was at the same time. Besides, he didn't know what the imitation Andy would say to him. They'd never met in reality, after all. Marc just hoped that his went the way he wanted it to: he wanted to feel like he was actually talking to Andy again.

He had to give his name for some sort of "system log-in" when he came into the museum portion of the Justice Building. They told him that it was so that he could have a better experience in his interactions within the museum. Therefore, he obliged, then requesting what, or more like who it was that he wanted to see.

"Andesite Obsidian, District Two male of the Seventy-Second," he requested, his words enunciated clearly so that the interface could understand.

Then, a moment later, a couple of feet in front of him, the image of his brother flickered to life. It was a picture made of light, a hologram, but it looked just like him. Every single detail made him look like he had on the day of the Seventy-Second reaping.

The young blond boy wore a sky blue-colored, button-up shirt, recently ironed with few to no wrinkles or creases to be found in the fabric. His slacks were an ashy gray and a little bit too long for him. Andy hadn't been a very tall boy. He was definitely shorter than Marc was at his age, and Marc had been about five and a half feet tall. Andy was about a couple of inches shorter than that.

A smile crossed Andesite's hologram face.

Marcasite smiled back with a giddy, childish grin.

"Andy, I know we never met, but I wanted to come to see you," he said. "I'm Marc, your brother."

The smile immediately dropped from Andy's face, turning into a look of confusion.

"I have a brother?" he asked. Then, he looked a combination of upset and angered. Marc wasn't sure if Andy was going to yell or cry.

"Dad gave you up to Flynn when we were both too young to remember," Marc explained. "I'm sorry that I didn't stop him. I know Flynn was horrible to you."

Andy's hologram was quiet for a moment, as if it were actually thinking about what to say next.

"It's not your fault, Marc," Andy spoke. "I wish I could've gotten to know you better. We could've trained together, for the Games. We could've become strong together... I wasn't strong enough."

"You were plenty strong, Andy. You went in there with confidence." Marc paused a moment before he continued.

"You shouldn't have had to, though. I should've taken your place. I'm your brother. Your older brother. I was supposed to protect you, and now you're gone, and I'm still here..." Marc trailed off.

"It's too late for that, Marc," Andy said. "That's okay, though. Things went the way they were supposed to. I always dreamed of being in the Games, and I got to do that, right? So it's okay."

"I- I don't know..." Marc replied.

"It's okay, Marc. I love you, big brother." the hologram said.

It wasn't real, though, Marc had to remind himself.

His brother had never actually said those words to him. They'd never actually spoken.

Would Andy have actually loved him, if he knew him? Even after he didn't volunteer for him, would the love be there?

Marc looked down at his feet.

Then, he looked back up at Andy. Instead of speaking to Andy this time, however, he spoke to the interface.

"End the simulation, please. Turn off the hologram. Whatever it is I have to say, I'm done here."

Then, Marc walked away, out of the Justice Building, and just kept walking. He didn't know where he was headed, but he didn't care right then, either.