Hey, thanks for reading on! :) This chapter begins Part 1, and it's canon (my definition of canon is that it happened/could have happened in the story, whether you read about it or not XD) I apologize for skipping most of the Games; this story is, after all, all about the ending of The Hunger Games. Hope you enjoy reading about the end of Cato's Games! :)

PART ONE: You Know The Story

Chapter 1: The Beginning of The End

It's so quiet.

I've been sitting in the same place for an hour or so, waiting impatiently for the Capitol medicine to work its magic on my knee. The sharp tearing sensation of pain has been replaced by a dull throbbing. I fiddle with the silver parachute that accompanied the medicine, biding my time. Normally, it'd take even longer for an injury like this to heal. But the Capitol has been holding out on the rest of Panem, with their miracle meds—

The shelter collapses with Thresh still inside. I slam my fists into him repeatedly, but I don't hear him make a sound. He strikes back once. The force of the blow leaves me gasping, long enough for him to tear a hole in the flimsy fabric of his tent. And then, we're both on our hands and knees.

As we struggle to our feet, he grabs a rock from the ground, and I pull my sword from its sheath. In an instant, he plows into my left side, knocking me to the ground. I scramble out of the way as he draws back his arm, and the rock smashes into my knee with a stomach-churning crack.

I blink once, and I'm at my camp again. I don't think I left it in the first place. I glance around at the familiar surroundings. The pine trees encircling the small clearing, the three medium-sized supply packs piled against each other. I edge away from the tent.

Don't lose yourself now. You're almost there.

Three of us left. I have two more kills to add to the four I've already made, and then I'll be a victor. Lover Boy and Fire Girl, the star-crossed lovers of District Twelve.

"Clove!" My voice sounds strangled. I crash through the bushes just in time to see my ally slump to the ground, like a marionette with severed strings.

Thresh and Katniss run away in opposite directions, but I don't follow either of them. I fall to my knees beside Clove and shake her shoulder. There's a visible dent in the side of her skull, and her hair is sticky with blood.

"No, no! You have to say something. Clove?" Her eyelashes flutter, and she moans. I take her hand and give it a squeeze.

"Just stay with me. Please, Clove. You can't leave. We can win this together, I promise. Please, just stay with me!" Her hand goes slack in mine, and a cannon sounds.

"No—"

My eyes are squeezed shut, my fists clenched. I feel a sharp ache in my chest, and it isn't from my fight with Thresh.

I need to keep myself distracted. In a few more minutes, I can go after the Twelves again. If I don't stop reliving these memories, I'll lose my mind. I take out my sword and dig it into the ground, trying to draw a map of the arena. I make an X. There's my camp. Then, I draw a circle for the lake, a few lines for the forest, and some squiggles for the field of wheat. In the end, it's not an accurate map at all. But at least—

"The air's better up here. Why don't you come on up and try it?" jeers Katniss, looking down at me from her high perch.

"Think I will," I smirk. Despite how carefree she appears, there's no escape for her, and she knows it.

"Use this, Cato," says Glimmer, holding out her bow. I shake my head and push it away.

"No. I'll do better with my sword." I unsheathe my weapon and start climbing the tree. Fire Girl's eyes widen slightly. She starts to clamber up higher in the branches.

"I've got you now," I mumble, reaching up to grab another limb.

Crack! Suddenly, I'm falling through the air.

Crack! My eyes snap open. What was that? Crack! It's coming from the bushes on the opposite side of my camp. I get to my feet immediately. My knee doesn't protest as I expected it would. My grip on the hilt of my sword tightens as the noise gets louder.

Suddenly, it occurs to me that the Twelves could be hunting. Maybe they're hunting me. I start to smile.

"Come on out, Fire Girl. I know you're here," I taunt, the grin spreading across my face. I still can't see her, but the sound of her footsteps has ceased.

"Get over here, Everdeen!" I shout at her. "Let's end this, now!" I wait for a response, and hear a different noise. A low, feral growl that makes my blood run cold. Images of mutated bears, wolves, and panthers dance across my vision. I take a step back.

It's then that the snarling creature leaps from the bushes, razor claws aiming for my chest.

There's going to be one more chapter to Part 1 (This is going to be the shortest Part, definitely XD) Sorry for the shortish chapter, I didn't want to combine the two and have a one-chapter Part. Anyway, I would love to read a review or two if you could write me one! :)