Wren's Finale

[Wren Hartwood]

Challenge #1
Wren was hopeful that the peacekeepers would hear his speech, but like most of his friends throughout this war, they heard him but didn't really listen to what he was saying. He looked down the line as he and his new family were handcuffed and chained...Holly, Gwen, Thomas, Cal, Val, Syd...No Eloise? Wren's heart sank as he realized what must have become of his pseudo-little sister. He needed to remind himself that she had chosen to leave the group. She had chosen her fate. And this was his.

As he was chained up, a thought came to mind -a thought Wren felt slightly guilty to admit. In his love-making with Cal, Wren had imagined some...elaborate fantasies, particularly one involving handcuffs similar to the ones used on the rebels this very moment. Wren attempted to think through his fantasies, of him being chained up, freeing himself, and becoming alpha to Cal as usual. He used this detailed thought process to walk himself through the logistics of slipping out of the cuffs under a time constraint. He was already so scrawny and had lost weight from starving that he figured it couldn't be that difficult. He looked over at Cal and winked as he attempted to slip out of the cuffs.

Hack out of handcuffs via kinky fantasy logic
zz3x8gm|1d10+2


A. Wren easily slipped out of his cuffs, dropped down, climbed up to the top of the pole as if it were a tree in Seven, and leapt across to the other poles to help out the others.

B. Wren broke his wrist trying to get free, but managed to get one hand free. He yanked the cuffs free from the chain, climbed up to the top of the pole as if it were a tree in Seven, and leapt across to the other poles to help out the others, the cuffs dangling from one wrist.

1d10+2

[Wren Hartwood]

From the top of the poles, Wren saw a crate fall from the sky and watched as his friends scrambled to arm themselves. He noticed an adrenaline shot in the mix and decided that, although his adrenaline was pumping rather quickly in this scramble, it might do him some good. He'd done his most effective work when angry...The routine in the past few days had included nearly everyone else doing most of the physical damage while he sat back. He decided to take a different type of action...

He managed to find Cal in the crowd of terrified Capitol citizens, peacekeepers, and rebels. He tried his best to hold back tears as he kissed Cal quickly and said, "Thank you. And I love you. I always will. Goodbye, Cal."

Wren knew there was no happy future with Cal in it. He knew Millie had not seen his pardon note. He knew Cal would give his life if it meant the others could live. He knew these peacekeepers in uniforms were nothing like the peacebringers. He knew that his efforts were worthless, but he also knew if he had given up hope on the pardon, the rest of the Accord would have, too. If he'd given up hope, the peacebringers would have died sooner, or never have become peacebringers. What they had created in the Accord, working together...it was beautiful. But beauty can't last forever.

Wren couldn't bare to look at Cal any longer. He turned and ran to grab the adrenaline shot.

Scavenge for adrenaline shot
0GBUdq5V1d10+2

A. Wren snagged the adrenaline shot, amidst a handful of birdseed from the ground that had been thrown at the rebels by angry Capitol citizens. From his view, he could just make out the garden on the other side of the runway...

B. Wren missed and ended up with just a handful of birdseed, which had been thrown at the rebels by angry Capitol citizens. From his view, he could just make out the garden on the other side of the runway...
1d10+2

[Wren Hartwood]

Wren saw the hovercraft attempt to fly low, but it was being shot with an anti-aircraft gun. When he squinted- he could just barely see a flash of Millie's red hair in the cockpit. Millie. I won't let you down... Wren leapt from the top of the pole, over the heads of the fighting peacekeepers and rebels. The peacekeeper manning the gun abandoned it for a moment, to assist in the larger rebel fight and to keep the crowd from further rioting. Wren sprinted towards the gun, but turned around to the sound of maniacal laughter.

Wren turned around. Vester was standing over Cal's body, both of them covered in blood. Either a peacekeeper had killed Cal, or Vester had beaten him to death. It was the same thing, to Wren.

Vester turned around. "I said, don't test me." Vester stood there with an evil grin, covered in burns and scrapes, but was unarmed.

Wren dropped to his knees momentarily as strange, guttural animalistic sounds erupted from his throat. He fully expected this fate, but wasn't prepared to actually witness it, especially with such gruesome detail. Cal's actually gone...he can't...I can't...! Vester came up to Wren, kicking and punching at him. Wren couldn't even cry. He'd taken worse beatings from gangs of bullies back home. Nothing could touch him. He was numb. Vester's punches were nothing compared to the loss and shock Wren was experiencing having seen Cal die. Wren's body went limp, and everything went dark.

Assuming Wren was dead or near-death, Vester had stopped throwing punches and ran to man the abandoned anti-aircraft gun to take down Millie and Agni's hovercraft. Wren opened his eyes with much effort. No. I have to go on. This isn't about us. Cal wouldn't want this. The Accord wouldn't want this.

Wren injected the adrenaline shot into himself and rose from the ashes. "Not so fast, Mr. Lombard." Wren's expression was unlike ever before. He'd completely snapped.

(If he doesn't get the adrenaline shot: Wren bit his lip and tasted blood. He dragged himself closer to Vester, who was shooting away at the hovercraft. Wren finally was able to stand, and rose from the ashes. "Not so fast, Mr. Lombard." Wren's expression was unlike ever before. He'd completely snapped.)

Vester whipped around. "Don't you EVER shut up?! I thought I killed you!"

Wren calmly approached Vester, who was exasperated and confused. He tossed the birdseed at Vester's face, and whistled some chirps he'd perfected in Seven.

Attack Vester via birds, using adrenaline shot
dWfeQZDV1d10+4 (if no adrenaline shot, -2 from this total)

A-best ending. Like a damn fairytale princess, Wren had summoned hundreds of birds and jabberjays from the garden. They flew at Vester, pecking at him and knocking him over. Vester stumbled onto the ground, leaving the anti-aircraft gun unattended. Wren laughed as the jabberjays took on his own voice and chirped and chatted at Vester, each phrase overlapping with each other. Vester swatted at them and even tried to clamp a few beaks shut.

"-Wren Hartwood, District Seven! -Mr. Lombard, thanks for gracing us with your presence tonight! -You seem to know us all more than we think. I-'m certainly trying to make the most of these social events! -We were just talking about our thoughts on the Peacekeepers aspect of this year's games. -Most of us are going to die within the next few weeks. And honestly, I'd like to die with at least one friend in the world. -Actually, I wasn't very familiar with the Primrose Accord thing, sorry. -Call me cynical, but I just didn't see much point in talking about home and memories when only one of us is going back to that...and everything would be so different it's like everyone loses. -I would love to hug my sister again. -And I guess I should have spent more time with Robin. -My whole family has bird names, actually. -That would be a hilarious slap in the face to the Capitol. -I hate the Capitol. -I hate the Games. -I was considering like a continuation of Primrose Accord. Maybe Phoenix Accord? -I don't turn my back on friends. -I'll fight for you, Cal. -This is a story of peace. -If a kid like me can create something so beautiful working together with a peacekeeper, why can't we all live in peace together? -Wren Hartwood, Founder of the Phoenix Accord. -Maybe THIS is the reason I was chosen for the Games. -Goodbye, Cal. -So one day, I dunno, I just sorta lost it. -I’m not sorry."


Then, a little wren went straight for Vester's eyes! Vester screamed in agony as he was blinded. He rose and stumbled around with blood pouring from his eye sockets, swatting at the birds and yelling at the incessant chattering of Wren's voice coming from the jabberjays.

Wren laughed. "No, I won't ever shut up. You can't silence a songbird."

Wren whistled a second time, and a second flight of birds came -larger birds. They flew to Wren's feet and remained close together, creating a bed of sorts across their backs. He settled himself onto their backs as they carried him into the air. Wren took flight, towards the hovercraft. Millie and Agni let down a rope ladder, and Wren climbed up to safety. As he reached the top of the ladder, he could have sworn he saw a hand reach down towards him...leading up to Cal's smiling face.
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(If you don't like that...but why wouldn't you like birds?!)
Another option: Upon seeing the horrific site that was a blind, bleeding, stumbling Vester, Millie and Agni landed the hovercraft at the end of the runway, and Wren climbed inside. He could have sworn he saw a hand reach down towards him...leading up to Cal's smiling face.


B-low roll ending. Like a damn fairytale princess, Wren had summoned several birds and jabberjays from the garden. ETC. Wren jumped onto Vester, throwing punches faster than he'd ever thought imaginable. One after the other, after the other. A little wren went straight for Vester's eyes...etc.
(OOC: mostly same story as above, without as many birds and with Wren throwing punches instead of the birds beating him up. Still blinded, etc.).

Epilogue: (You don't have to include one, but this is in my head)
The hovercraft took off over the districts. After a long ride, Millie finally announced. "You guys. We're here."

They landed and were greeted by a woman with silver hair wearing a grey jumpsuit. She held out her hand. "Welcome to District 13. We've been expecting you."

Wren did fall into a period of silence over the years, breaking it only to speak and give lectures to students about Panem history and to soldiers about what 'peace' means, motivational speeches, and to offer strategic opinions. He spent his days giving profound lectures and speeches, but grew silent by evenings. He never told anyone this, for he'd be found unfit for work, but every day...Cal was there. Wren could see him clearly -in the back of every lecture hall, in the empty seat at every meeting, in the empty bed across from Wren's in his bunk. He was always there. Like a ghost.


Death scene: IF Wren somehow dies...
Wren fell next to Cal's body. His head rolled to face Cal's. He's like a ghost... Wren's eyes fell shut as he felt himself floating. He felt a breeze, as if soaring over the treetops in Seven. He saw Cal's face beaming down on him. He finally found the peace he had been searching for...
1d10+4