Cato POV

The outrage and abandonment that I experienced when my parents condemned me to the academy was nothing compared to what I felt to that announcement. In a few seconds, my victory, my glory, had been stripped from me; handed back to me gift wrapped in pity and shame. I was sullen and withdrawn on the walk back to the Cornucopia, already feeling the disdain that the people my District projected.

The closer we got to the beach, the tenser Katniss' frame became walking next to me. I knew that she didn't enjoy leaving our alliance the way that she had, but it was necessary, if not a bit messy and premature. As we rounded the corner to the mouth of the Cornucopia, she was immediately pulled into a hug by Peeta. While they had their awkward reunion, I looked around at the tributes that were assembled there. Thresh looked happier than I had ever seen him reclined against the interior wall of the Cornucopia, a smile playing on his lips and a hand resting on bent knee, as Rory paced as far as the chain would allow him, a bright grin splashed on his face. Finnick, however, seemed to understand how I was feeling. He had a resigned yet relieved expression on his face, shaking my hand as I approached him.

"You guys do ok?" he asked, grinning slightly.

"Fine," was my clipped answer. "Never want to eat another rat in my life," I added, catching him rolling his eyes at my attitude.

"Look man," he muttered. "I know you wanted to win outright, but your district won't see it as you being handed a victory. They've seen what you've done and what you're capable of. You couldn't control Snow's death, and while I'm not particularly thrilled about it, we get to go home. I can see Annie again, and I'm sure there are people in 2 you're looking forward to getting back to."

Snorting, I turned away from him, staring out into the jungle that had been home for the last week. His words held merit, but it still would not be the same as if I arrived home the sole Victor, or, the best case scenario in these Games, co-Victor. At least Katniss, Peeta, Finnick, and Thresh had mentionable skills that I could console myself with. The boy we encountered in the jungle had almost pissed himself when I approached him with my sword. I noticed then that he was not with the group right now. In fact, no other tributes than what was left of our alliance had come as ordered. I wondered if they were all dead; we had no nightly announcements since the second night.

Bored, I set down my backpack, and started sorting through the food. Might as well eat it now before it goes to waste. Noticing what I was doing, Finnick sat down next to me.

"We went through that food pretty quickly," he admitted, eyeing the dried fruit enviously. "From the beach, you could see where every silver parachute landed with a pair of packs. Looks like everyone got them. Must have been from the Capitol."

I passed him the bag, eyeing a pair of tributes that were edging slowly out of the forest. They were the same ones that Finnick had let go, the ones that had ultimately been responsible for Brutus' and Rue's deaths. Realizing I wasn't paying attention to him rant about fruit, he looked up, his face thunderous when he saw who was coming up the beach.

"Hey, Finn," the girl greeted, nervous at his unexpected expression. "Looks like we'll all make it out of here in somewhat the same shape we came in, huh?"

"Do me a favor, Johanna," he snapped. "Don't talk to me for a while."

"What's your problem, Odair?" she shot at him. Receiving no answer, she turned and stalked away, dragging her partner with her.

A little while later, two more aging Victors emerged from the jungle, enthusiastically greeting Finnick and exchanged barbs with Johanna. Shortly after their arrival, a hovercraft appeared overhead, a ladder quickly descending. An entire squadron of Peacekeepers descended, their guns pointed at the ground but kept at the ready as they assembled a perimeter around the Cornucopia. Alarmed, I rose to my feet, suspecting some sort of treachery on the part of Coin's new government.

"Relax, District 2 tribute," barked a tall Peacekeeper, the last to descend from the hovercraft, as he swaggered his way toward me. "We're just here to escort you to your prep teams, and to make sure that you all arrive safely. We are also here to retrieve the bodies of the District 8 tribute and the female Victor from District 1."

"When was the boy killed?" Katniss questioned, skeptical.

"We received notification that his arena partner was killed a few days ago," the lead Peacekeeper explained. "But the Gamemakers had abandoned monitoring the arena except for life support systems, so technically he died 3 days ago. We're just here to finish the job."

"Wait so he could still be alive?" Katniss shouted, confusion and outrage clear on her face. "You're going hunting for him? He can't be more than 13!"

"District 12 Victor, I suggest that you control yourself before you face consequences for your actions," the Peacekeeper warned. "The rules of the Games were clearly stated at the beginning of your training, and President Coin made the final decision herself."

He then turned to a small squad of 4 men assembled behind him, two of them carrying folded, black body bags under their arms.

"I'm not going to just-" Katniss ranted walking toward him, until, seeing the danger she was putting us all in, I once against clamped her mouth shut and pulled her back tightly against my chest.

"Shut up unless you want to get us all killed," I hissed into her ear. As she continued to struggle against me, I grew concerned about the amount of attention we were gathering from the tense, gun wielding guards, and shifted my hold on her. Releasing her mouth, I squeezed her neck into the crook of my elbow in a chokehold, until I felt her go limp against me a few seconds later. Sighing in relief and annoyance, I dropped her onto the sand, rearranging the tilt of her head when she landed awkwardly.

Guard lowered, I did not expect the heavy punch that landed on the back of my head or the one that followed to my ear. Stunned, I turned toward my attacker, arms raised to defend. What I found was Peeta, yelling furiously, being restrained by Finnick, whispering angrily into his ear.

"Tributes, desist!" snarled the head Peacekeeper. "Separate immediately and put 10 feet between you and the next pair of tributes; keep within our line of sight."

Finnick dragged a still struggling Peeta backwards, where they engaged in an impromptu wrestling match when they fell backwards. As entertaining as that was, my attention was drawn back to the jungle when rapid gunshots rang out; looked like they had found the boy. Glancing down at Katniss, I was glad she was not conscious to see this; she seemed absurdly attached to him and I had not looked forward to the tantrum she would have thrown.

As soon as the four Peacekeepers returned, each pair carrying a body bag between them, their leader ordered each of us to ascend into the hovercraft in pairs, Katniss and I last. Since she was still unconscious, I tossed her body over my shoulder, and the ladder drew us up.

Our mentors were there to greet us, Haymitch glaring at me from where he sat with Peeta and Finnick. I felt Katniss stir from her uncomfortable perch on me, and dropped her down onto a row of seats next to them. Opening her eyes, she first registered Peeta's worried face and then noticed Haymitch. Offering them a tight smile, her eyes landed on me, looming over her.

"Did they get him?" she asked quietly, sitting up. At my nod, her face fell. "I guess I just assumed when Coin had said surviving tributes…"

"Well, sweetheart, remember he was living on borrowed time anyways," Haymitch grunted. "The rules are the rules."

Something about what he said must have struck Katniss as odd, because she flashed him a concerned look, and he gave her the faintest of head shakes.

"Where's Prim?" Katniss inquired eagerly.

"She was transferred back to District 12 after Snow was hospitalized," he answered sharply. The look he sent her afterward was enough to silence her, a warning that I even recognized that too many ears were present and that further answers would have to wait.

I turned to my mentor, who had come up and sat with us. He clapped me on the back and shook my hand, grinning broadly.

"How is home taking all this?" I asked quietly.

"Are you kidding?" he asked, baffled. "They're ecstatic! I got a call from your sister just about every few hours for the last several days since they cut off coverage of the Games about an hour in when Snow was hospitalized."

"Wait, so they didn't show anything else at all?" I questioned, incredulous.

"Nothing as far as video went," he answered, shaking his head. "We got to see you behead Enobaria though. Shame, she was…talented." His lascivious grin made me roll my eyes, but I was glad he wasn't too torn up about her death. Laughing, he went on to tell me about how mentors could monitor their tributes remotely through information their cuffs provided. He asked me how Brutus died, and I repeated their encounter with the electrified water. Looking over at Beetee, I could see new respect for the aging Victor in my mentor's eyes, but also resentment. I knew he and Brutus had been on friendly terms before the Games. A quiet voice interrupted our conversation.

"So, nothing other than the first hour of the bloodbath was broadcast," Katniss intoned flatly. "None of the other tributes deaths were shown. Thirty-eight people killed in Games that weren't even watched, completely unnecessarily; Cecelia and Justine, Brutus and Rue…" Her voice cracked and tears began running down her cheeks as she stared blankly at the opposite wall of the hovercraft.

"The Games will still be broadcast," Haymitch interrupted. "They're planning to air it 2 days from now, after the funeral, and running through the entire 3 days that the Games were played out before the arena was essentially shut down." Turning to Katniss with remorse, he added that it was required viewing and that Coin planned on keeping us in the Capitol until the Games were aired and interviews conducted.

That was fine with me; I would be able to see how well they portrayed me in the arena. I sincerely hoped they didn't emphasize my time with my annoying, emotional arena partner.


Katniss POV

Thirty-eight completely unnecessary deaths. Why had the Games not been halted the minute that they stopped being televised? And now they're going to make us watch it, relive each moment again. I would be forced to witness how Justine finally met her demise, once again feeling the guilt and regret of discarding her life for a cause which I ultimately abandoned myself. I would have to watch Rue, possibly playing happily in the surf of the beach, suddenly tense and jerk sporadically as the life from her body was electrified, screaming, out of her and Brutus.

We had all been through that, and now, immediately after, would get the chance to experience it again. This Coin sounded as much a sadist as Snow was. I stared blankly down at the cuff and chain, distantly wondering if it was Coin's plan to keep us together permanently.

The hovercraft touched down on the roof of the Training Center, and Cato and I met with Cinna and my normal prep team who worked to clean us up from the arena. A Peacekeeper met us at the doorway of the room we had occupied before the Games began and informed us that our cuffs would be temporarily removed while we underwent makeovers. They would be reapplied when we left the room for dinner.

Reveling in being alone from Cato for the first time in a week and half, I allowed myself to be escorted into the bathroom for a full scrub from the prep team. They exclaimed over the filth I was covered in, Flavius' piercing scream echoing in the large shower when he discovered bits of dried blood stuck in my hair and ears. Venia had to shout back to Cato that everything was fine when he inquired about the shriek. When I was finally deemed clean, they allowed me to dry off and slipped a bathrobe over me, leading me back out into the bedroom. Passing Cato, I gave him a small smile, which he returned quickly as he entered the still steaming bathroom. We had kept each other alive in the arena; while he may have had the physical edge on me, he surely would not have eaten as well without my bow.

Snow's funeral felt like a farce to me. Hundreds of Capitol mourners filled the auditorium, wailing and lamenting how his judicial leadership of this fragmented country had been rendered short. Many stated that they saw him days before, healthy as a horse with many future plans for himself and Panem. This struck me as odd. I knew that Snow was old, but every time I had direct contact with him, he always projected an aura of intimidation and cunning, nothing I would associate with an ailing man on Death's doorstep. The speeches droned on and on, each black dressed Capitol citizen weeping from artificially colored eyes and sporting newly dyed, somber hair. I kept my head down lest someone see my less than mournful expression as the cameras broadcasting this throughout the country swept the audience periodically for reactions. Cato sat fidgeting next to me, clearly as bored as I was.

Coin approaching the podium, however, drew my attention. She went through the usual motions of complimenting Snow's shrewdness and his leadership qualities, speaking of their friendship through their years of advanced schooling and progress through the political system of the Capitol. She commended his steadfast nature and his unwavering ability to do the right thing to preserve the integrity of the country at all costs.

She then turned her attention to the Games, running through the list of Games that Snow had participated in while he had been President. She had us as survivors of the 75th Games stand, to which we received raucous applause and cheers unbefitting to the occasion.

"I look forward to meeting with each of the Victors over the next few days." Coin's eyes met mine, and she her mouth twisted ominously. Something did not feel right about our new interim President, and I was glad to feel the steady strength of Cato on my right and Peeta to my left as we sat again.

"We will be taking Coriolanus with us on the Victory Tour, which has been pushed up to 2 days after the final interviews are conducted. I will travel with the Victors and President Snow, where each District will be able to hold their own mourning ceremony for the day. We will also be making a stop near District 13, an area which Coriolanus always had a special fascination for. We will then conclude the Tour back at the Capitol for his burial with the other officials, which we invite the citizens of the Capitol back to. I thank you all for being here to celebrate President Coriolanus Snow's life, and hope to see you back here in a few weeks' time."

The memorial service had concluded, and we were escorted back to the Training Center by Peacekeepers. I spent the night against Cato's chest, waking both of us several times with my nightmares, fresh from the arena. Early the next morning, a Peacekeeper knocked on our door, stating that President Coin had requested my presence for a private breakfast. Exchanging a questioning look with Cato, I allowed my cuff to be removed and was led down the hall to a private room flanked by Peacekeepers.

They opened the door, Coin sitting at a small, square table lined with food. Waving me to take a seat beside her, she told me to help myself.

"So Katniss," she began after I loaded my plate with eggs and potatoes. "I heard that you and President Snow had a very candid relationship."

At my tense nod, she continued, "Then I hope we can maintain that openness and honesty."

Her gaze as I continued to shovel food into my mouth was unnerving, and I quickly lost my appetite. Seeing that I was done, she waved forward Avoxes who quickly cleared the table and bowed out of the room, leaving me alone with our new President. Resting her elbows on the table and clasping her hands together, she rested her chin on top of her interlocking fingers, surveying me as if looking for a weakness to exploit. If she was as close to Snow as she stated, surely she already knew all of them.

"This is only for your ears Miss Everdeen," Coin started, speaking slowly and deliberately. "I require your promise that you will not repeat a word that is said here today to anyone, not Mr. Mellark nor your arena partner, until the time is right."

"How will I know when that is?" I asked, confused and on edge.

"I think you're smart enough to figure that out for yourself," Coin smiled, cold as a winter's day. "Remember, total honesty between us, Katniss. The Capitol knows me as the long-time friend and advisor to President Snow. What nobody but a few handful know is that I am actually a mole for District 13, where I was born, raised, and educated up until I turned 18."

At my incredulous expression, she explained that District 13 had only been demolished on the surface, and, as part of a treaty with Panem, continued to thrive undisturbed underground. A rebellion had been in the works for several years now, but it was my refusal to obey the Capitol's ever changing rules last year that had put the spark to it.

"District 13 had been looking for a way to overthrow Snow, and we had found our entrance, or so we thought," she continued, looking away from me finally. "The districts were rebelling, led by other planted moles, and everything was set in place, until you renounced your support for the rebellion and declared your loyalty to the Capitol in your tribute interview."

She raised her hand to silence me when I opened my mouth to object, stating that she understood about my sister.

"But then we had a bigger problem on our hands. Namely, we had lost our symbol- you. You were our rallying point, but you had abandoned us. Luckily, I was able to convince Coriolanus to make the announcement about taking in your little sister, Primrose, to increase his popularity within the Districts, which had been rapidly sinking in the face of an uprising. He thought it would improve his image with the Districts, giving him a merciful appeal; I saw it as an opportunity to give you an excuse for why you acted the way you did during your interview. So once again, you looked like the victim. The first day of the Games, I poisoned Snow's breakfast. As he watched the Games unfold in the first hour, the chemicals mimicked a heart attack, thought by the public to be brought on by the excitement of the bloodshed of the Games.

"He was hospitalized, but even I did not anticipate how long it would take the poison to take effect. I got the idea to poison him from his own past actions. He would often slip it into his political rivals drink, and even some allies that had the potential to turn into rivals. But he would also put it into his own to mask suspicion. He would recover in a few days, sick and weakened from its effects, but his opponent would die. The number of poisons he purposefully ingested eventually granted him immunity to most types of poisons, but also weakened him physically. I'm sure you noticed the stench of blood that accompanied him everywhere he went. It took 3 days for doctors to finally administer enough poisons to kill him. Eventually, it was experimentation on their part that made it work."

I interrupted her at this point, finding it all a little hard to believe.

"Just how many people did you have working for you against Snow?" I asked incredulously. "It sounds like the entire Capitol staff was in on this plot."

"Not exactly," Coin replied carefully. "Working as high up as I have, you gain a lot of political friends as well as foes. When rumblings of rebellion began years ago, I started gathering people into my trust who were unhappy with Snow's leadership, introducing them to officials from District 13. By the time of Snow's death, everything had been carefully coordinated to only include members of the rebellion, from the guard that morning, to the ambulance that drove Snow to the hospital, to the nurses and doctors who treated him. Or, I guess I should say, assisted in his death."

"So," I said, slowly piecing things together. "District 13 had Snow assassinated."

"Correct," she replied swiftly.

"How did you become Snow's second in command if you were planning his death the entire time?" I asked, still confused.

Her eyes took a clouded look at my question, pain flashing faintly across her face.

"He knew I was from District 13, but he thought that I had purposely escaped it and despised the people there. Before he took me completely into his confidence, he had my parents kidnapped via spies he had in 13 and brought back to the Capitol. He told me that he had an important job for me; one that was a matter of national security and of the highest classification. He led me down to the dungeons under the city where we keep the traitors and suspected spies, and opened a cell to reveal both my parents, strapped to metal tables. He had me torture them for 6 days before they finally died. They were completely innocent of any wrongdoing, being common workers in13 and having been told that I had been killed in a training accident. The look in their eyes when they realized I was still alive, and then when they realized what I had become…" She rose from the table swiftly, walking to the tall window and peering out of them. When she finally spoke again, it was in a gentle, hushed tone that seemed out of place for the hard woman.

"So you see Katniss, some of us have sacrificed more than others to see that the country moves forward after Snow's death instead of continuing statically. I am determined to see this through, and I am not above threatening you or those that affect you to gain your cooperation, do I make myself clear?"

"What do you want from me?" I asked, suspicious.

"You are in a unique position right now," Coin replied, turning to me and leaning against the window frame, arms crossed. "You have the love of the rebellious districts for what you did last year, and you have the love of the Capitol and its loyal districts for your concocted love story as well as your declaration of loyalty this year. I want you to throw your support behind me, and the new government that we are planning."

"And if I don't?" even though I already knew the answer.

"Then I think your little sister, Prim, would be very unhappy."

Snorting, I looked away before I realized I had another question.

"Why did you stop the Games if you knew that you were going to air them later? Wouldn't it have made more sense to have it play out? You clearly care nothing for the tributes since you had that little boy from 8 killed after you told us we were safe."

"Well, Katniss, I thought the answer would have been obvious," she said, raising her eyebrows. "I couldn't risk anything happening to you."


Author's Note: I think the rest of the story will be mostly in Katniss's perspective. Hopefully this explained some of what happened in the previous chapter, which I get the feeling most weren't too happy with. I wasn't just trying to cop out of killing everyone :D. Thanks for everyone that's reviewed so far and I hope to get some feedback about this chapter as well!

Also, if anyone likes zombies, I am writing a new zombie HG story. Feel free to take a look!