Reversed Roles: Hijacking Katniss

by mockingjaygatsby

This is an idea written hundreds of times, but all the ones I've read never feel quite right to me. I decided to give it a swing. My first fanfic reverses the roles of Peeta and Katniss. It begins at the end of Catching Fire and goes into Mockingjay. While Peeta is safe in District 13, Katniss is facing endless horrors in the Capitol.

1. Chapter 1

Reversed Roles: Katniss' Hijacking

I awaken to the sound of shuffling footsteps. Groggily, I attempt to sit up, and realize there is an oxygen mask on my face. I swipe clumsily at it until it slides off. I push myself to my feet and look around me. I am alone in a room of a hovercraft. What am I doing here? I lean against the nearest wall while I try to gather my thoughts. I close my eyes and will my mind to take me back to the moments before I blacked out.

I am in the Quarter Quell arena. Finnick and I are guarding Beetee while he finishes looping his wire around the lightning tree. Beetee's plan to electrocute the careers is almost ready, and I have no doubt that it will work. Johanna and Katniss have taken the coil-

Katniss! Immediately my mind begins to race and my body tenses. I need to find her. I push through the doors of the tiny room and find myself in an empty hallway. "Katniss!" I call, desperately hoping to hear her reply. "Katniss! Where are you?" Adrenaline courses through my veins as I sprint down the hall and burst into the doors on the other side. "Katniss! Are you-" my words are cut off by the surprise of what I find myself looking at. Finnick, Plutarch, and Haymitch stand gathered around a table.

"What is this? What's going on? Where's Katniss?" I demand.

"Peeta." Plutarch begins. I don't let him finish.

"Where is she? What did you do with her? Tell me!" I yell, my voice rising in anger and panic. I direct my gaze to Haymitch, my eyes pleading. "Haymitch. Where is she? Please." Haymitch takes a deep breath, and I hold mine as I wait for his response.

"Peeta, we are on a hovercraft on our way to District 13-" I begin to interrupt him, but he silences me with a sharp look. "This plan to rescue you tributes from the arena has been growing for some time. About half the tributes were in on it. We couldn't risk you and Katniss knowing-" unable to wait anymore, I finally break.

"WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?" I howl, rushing towards Haymitch. I grab his shoulders firmly and shake his entire body. "WHERE IS KATNISS?" Plutarch puts a hand on my shoulder and I shake it off. He clears his throat and I turn to him.

"Rescuing Katniss was our main mission. But once she blew out the force field, Capitol hovercrafts were swarming her almost immediately. We managed to save you, Finnick, and Beetee, but….the Capitol got Johanna and Katniss." As Plutarch says this, he averts his eyes to the ground. My mind is reeling. I turn my attention back to Haymitch and deliver a harsh blow to his jaw. He staggers back.

"You were supposed to save her! You promised! You…" My anger turns to despair and I sink to my knees. "She was supposed to live." I can feel the tears welling in my eyes, feel my throat begin to close up. I release a howl of anguish, but before I can release another, I feel a swift prick in my arm…. My last thought is of Katniss, picking a single dandelion. Then darkness consumes me.

. . . . .