Disclaimer; I own nothing.
The growing night-air is cool, the cold breeze blowing into the smouldering capitol. The once gleaming city of marble now a darkened, slated landscape still burning from the bombardment of hove-crafts, soldiers and mutts alike. Myself, watching the final s light of day, the sun darkens as it slips behind the mountain tops so far in the distance. Home. They remind me so much of the home I was forced to leave, the home that for now will always hold a reminder of the scars left by the capitol after they burned the district to the ground. Many people died that day and I've yet to set foot on those ashes, thought with my current imprisonment and impending execution it's unlikely I ever will.
Perhaps I should explain, my name is Peeta Mellark I'm a victor of the 74th and 75th Hunger Games, a survivor of capitol high-jacking and the Mockingjay revolution. I'm going to die after the trial for killing the late President Alma Coin of district thirteen. Funny in a way, two presidents dying at the hands of victors the other being President Snow. Former tyrant who along with those before him set up and murdered countless life, most being children in the annual sport they called the Hunger Games. 73 games and 73 victors, for them it was going smoothly until me and Katniss Everdeen came along. Katniss becoming known as the girl on fire, eventually the Mockingjay whilst I leant my voice, my silver tongue and created the elaborate star-crossed lovers. Act. Because that's in the end, for one of us all it ever was. An act but now, sitting in the tribute penthouse I begin to think if I truly did love Katniss Everdeen. Even though my mind was tortured and ripped apart by Snow and his capitol lapdogs, even though I tried to kill her something that'll haunt me till the day I die I still felt something for her. Under it all, the hate and confusion there was still an undying love for the huntress, watching her for all those years, seeing the way I was around her from the videos of the past I thought I must have loved and known her unlike any other but I was wrong. Gale Hawthorne was her other half, for any could see that the way those acted together, the connection they shared was deeper than anything I could ever have with her. The times I thought she might have felt something for me, sitting her in the dark I chalked them up to her being confused and I couldn't blame her. She did, after all have an entire nation resting on her shoulders but that gave her no right to do what she had done, the lives she was willing to destroy. For this all started with her trying to protect the life of her most beloved little sister Primrose and grew into to something that changed the nation, only now she was will, out of revenge and hatred to throw everything away and become as bad or worse that what Snow ever was. With that final though my mind flashes back to the day everything changed, the day the thought, talked and decided on the capitol games.
-flashback-
walking through the mansion, seeing the rooms that where bigger and more lavishly designed than his own victors house amazed me. The elaborate colours, beauteous jewels encrusted on the walls, the marvellous paintings that I could never hope to reach the level of. My quiet time, solitude is interrupted when three district thirteen guards come to fetch me, a meeting with the victors i'm told. Funny that, how no one really considers me an actual victor but then I suppose I can't really blame them. I did get carried through it all by Katniss. Something at this moment I find really embarrassing but I try not to dwell on those negative thoughts. Following them, being lead into a large auditorium I find myself face to face with all the remaining Victors, new President Coin as well heading up the table. As I take my seat, next to Finnick and Beetee Katniss sitting by Coin and Haymitch next to her I'm beginning to wonder more and more why they've called this meeting. Trying to catch the eye of Katniss, failing I take a good look at her after only now just seeing her from the last time in the square. The square where I almost lost my life, where the burns, cuts and bruises I'm sporting are from. Snow knowing he was about to lose the war, surrounded himself with children and as a final act of hatred ordered the bombing of the square though I doubt he knew that Primrose had been sent into the square as a field medic but I did, well not know but I saw her and the parachutes and for some strange reason I ran for primrose. Seeing her there I just knew that this wouldn't be good and I was right, just as I barreled into Prim, knocking her over and dragging her away from the crowd the went off. The burning, liquid fire rolling over and around my back. Melting the armour and flesh away, while I pushed prim over the edge and into one of the fountains that dotted the square. Blocking out the pain and warnings signs as I held us both under the water, only allowing us up to gasp for air when I could see the flames leave the air. Seeing the horror as we came up, the burnt and burning corpses of the dead and alive and hearing Prim's far off voice before I blacked out.
The next I knew I was in a hospital, on my front with nice new raw pink flesh covering the mangled mess the flames left my back in though the pain was worth it to keep Prim alive, learning she only hand minor burns to her face but some serious ones to her arms they where sure she'd make a full, complete recovery. My thought are pulled back to the meeting, Coin's voice.
"Now there are a few matters as such that need to be addressed, first it has been decided that Katniss will be the one to end the life of the former president. Snow. Second is the more important of the two, while I believe that for the country to heal properly and with a sense of justice that a final hunger games should be issued that will host the children of the capitol." what! I can't even believe she's thinking this, this can't happen.
"NO! we went to war to end the hunger games, to put a stop to them once and for all. Not become like snow and hold one just for the sake of revenge!" I shout, looking around at everyone.
"Why not? Why not out of revenge? I mean for fuck sake Peeta, look what they did to you! To me! To Annie! To us all!" johanna shouts right back at me.
"It wasn't the children that did it, nor the families we'll be destroying. It was Snow! You want him to suffer put him in the games-"
"Why not his children, his granddaughter? Let them know how it feels to play in them! I vote yes." just like that, that one victor saying yes they rest speak up voting in agreement. I turn to Finnick look to him for help but his gaze lands on his lap.
"I'm sorry Peeta but you don't know what it was like to truly be a victor... the things they did I will never forget, nor forgive. I'm voting yes." I can't believe it and slump back down in my chair, the fight ends with Haymitch agree to side with Katniss and she voting with the rest but Coin isn't finished.
"Mr Mellark while I know your answer I need you to verbally say the words please. All victors shall vote, the voting being kept confidential it will only be released that the vote was amanuensis."
"You right Finnick, I never was a victor because if this is what it means to be one I'll have nothing to do with it or anyone here. I vote no and at the reaping I'll be there to volunteer for who ever I want." I shove the chair away, ignoring the looks of horror over my announcement that I would willingly sacrifice my life for one of the capitol's children's. Ignoring their shouts, the pain of the new skin breaking under the strain I put on myself I walk back to the room I'm staying in. bolting the door locked and refusing to leave for anyone. For those few days before the reaping my life becomes nothing but a short routine. Wake, eat the meal I order form the servants, shower, work out and fall back asleep into the darkness that awaits me in my nightmares. Waiting for the reaping day to come and it does all to soon. As the capitol children are rounded into the tribute parade street, me following as one of them the plan I've already thought of already in act as I stand amongst them receiving scared and frightened looks I along with them wait. Watching as Coin and the victors, Katniss in Mockingjay armour and gale by her side mount the stage and bring Snows weakened body out. Tying him to a post, familiar to the whipping post in twelve I listen to Coin talk about the crimes Snow has committed and how the capitol stood by, watched and laughed. They know will watch as their children are made to endure the same fate as the districts. One final hunger games with twenty-four capitol children to fill the places and so the final reaping begins. I listen and watch as the children names are called out and one by one the victors discover who they'll be sending to their death because I understand Coin, there'll be no victors in this game or the next. Finally it comes to the tributes, the lambs for district twelve. First a small thirteen year old boy gets pick but its the second one that I've been waiting for, that I knew would be picked from the moment Johanna said it.
"Cassandra Snow!" as soon as the name is called a small circle appears around her and I along with three guards make my way to her. I get there first, picking up the petrified twelve-year-old.
"I volunteer!" the collective gasp comes from everyone, the guards freezing with wide eyes and confusion. The mother of Cassandra screams her name and I ignore the guards taking her over to the side line and handing her, her daughter before turning and making my way back through the crowd, the guards beside me onto the stage of and before Coin and the other victors I stand. As I expected, coin smirking walks over to me and leans in close before whispering.
"You'll die in the arena like them all and next year, next year I'll have that little whore as well." I turn to her before smirking myself.
"No you wont." with those final words I slip the knife from my sleeve and run it across her throat. Her eye's wide with horror and anger as she stumbles back before diving head-first of the stage to the ground below.
There's a moment of pure utter silence before the blood curdling hackle of Snow's laughter filled the area and everything explodes into a fury. I drop to my knees, smiling and happy that before I die I die knowing Snow and Coin will both be joining me in hell. Pulling the Nightlock pill from my pocket I look at the dark violet pill, slowly rolling in the palm of my hand, I raise it to my mouth thinking about the sweet death and release it grants but before anything happens I feel the hand slap of a hand across my face. Looking up I see none other than Katniss before me, eye's with tears flowing.
"No! you don't get to do that! you don't get to leave me Peeta!" with those final words I'm dragged off and away form Katniss, thrown into a dark room I curl up on the bed and let myself fall into the oblivion.
-End of flashback-
That's been my life from the moment I felt, the moment I dragged the knife across her throat and watched the life leave coin I've been stuck here in this suit watching the world slip by. Waiting for the time they come to take me to the firing squad but I can't really be bothered to wait for them, which leads me full circle back to now. My last wish, from myself to myself was to watch the sunset before I end it all. Funny how they put a psychotic in a room still having access to sharp objects so the shard of mirror in my hand will act nicely as a blade. Laying on the bed, I run the shard up the length of my wrist and watch the final remnants of the sun disappear as I follow closely behind.
A/n; first story and I wanted to make it different from others. I wanted Katniss to be the one to bring, to chase after Peeta. To help Peeta recover. Chapter two up in a few days. Please tell me if I can improve anywhere or if it's just a review about the story I'd loved to hear.
Thanks for reading.