REVIEW SHOUT-OUTS:Peeta's and Finnick's mistress, peoplebtrippen, & TheLovelyOne
ALERTED & FAVED SHOUT-OUTS: Ansleyrocks
DISCLAIMER: NOT MINE! Chapter sorta sticks to canon lol
Chapter Ten
The 74th Hunger Games: Such a Heavy Burden
Katniss couldn't believe Peeta died of blood poisoning before she could give him the medicine.
She lets out one final sob before shutting down all emotions. She wanted to do something for Peeta like she did for Rue however flowers didn't seem appropriate for him.
Bread! Katniss suddenly thought, she reached in her bag for the rest of the bread that District 11 sent her.
Katniss laid the bread on his chest and crossed his arms over it
He looks so peaceful.
Katniss let the tears fall down her face as she pressed her lips to his forehead, cheeks, and finally his lips one last time.
Katniss stood up and backed away from Peeta then she presses her three middle fingers of her left hand against her lips and holds them out in his direction.
"Bye, Peeta."
Look after little bird for me and thank you for being my boy with bread. Panem is an even worse place without you, Peeta Mellark. Thank you giving me hope.
With one last sorrowful look, she walked away from the cave so the hovercraft could collect his body.
BOOM
"No! Little fox!" Katniss Everdeen whispered into the night horrified.
Should I hope it is her so I don't have to face her or should I hope Thresh killed Cato? Do I really want to have to face Thresh or Foxface? I don't want them to die….it's the fucking Hunger Games! Of course this was how it was going to turn out! Fucking Capitol Bastards! Fucking President Snow! I want them to pay for Haulm, for Cole, for Dante, for Ember, for Ted, for Rue, for Peeta, for Vixen, for Thresh, for every living Victor there ever was and hell even for Blair! None of us should ever been in these god damn disgusting Games! What purpose does the end twenty-four children's innocence serve? For their amusement? For their entertainment? To show the Districts that they own us? That we're dispensable? That we don't matter? Bullshit! They need to pay for the young lives they are ruining!
Katniss' furious internal rant was interrupted by the list of fallen tributes as it filled the night sky.
Marvel Knight
District One
Clove Isenhower
District Two
Alden Tennant
District Three
Rue Jarvis
District Eleven
Thresh Klopp
District Eleven
Peeta Mellark
District Twelve
"Oh, Foxface. What are we going to do? I guess tomorrow will be the last day in the Arena." Katniss said mournfully before she fell asleep for the night in one of the trees.
Katniss decided to gather some food before the big finale.
Just as she was entering a clearing she heard it.
BOOM
Katniss paled, she had a sinking feeling that it was Vixen's cannon.
Katniss spotted the tell-tale sign of vivid long red hair and rushed over to Foxface.
Nightlock!
"'I don't like admitting it but I'm color blind so berries look the same to me.'" Katniss quoted Foxface quietly to herself.
You chanced it on purpose didn't you little fox? You wanted me to win but you didn't want me to feel guilty about your death did you little fox? Sorry, Foxface but if I survive your death will just be added to the ever growing list of people that died so I could live…that's not something that will ever leave my conscious. However, I won't disgrace you, Rue, Thresh, or Peeta by letting them win.
Katniss covertly snuck Nightlock berries to hide in her jacket, then she tucked Vixen's hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.
"Goodbye, little fox. Look after little bird and try not to tease Peeta too badly by calling him my 'boy toy'" Katniss whispered sadly with a week smirk on her face before she gave Vixen Ripley the District 12 goodbye.
Katniss starts to head toward the Cornucopia when Cato suddenly smashes through the trees but he has no weapon. In fact, his hands are empty, yet he runs straight towards Katniss. She then on instinct aims her arrow at him it hits his chest and inexplicably falls aside.
He quickly smirks at her
"As glad as I am it's just the two of us left and not your ginger ally. Now's not the time, Beautiful."
That's when Katniss noticed the sweat pouring off Cato's purplish face, which shows that he's been running hard a long time. Not towards her but away from something instead.
Katniss scans the woods just in time to see the first creature leap onto the plain. As she's turning away, Katniss sees another half dozen join it. Then Katniss begins to stumbling blindly after Cato.
Fuck! Muttations! This really is the worst fucking Hunger Games I have ever been in! Third time is definitely not the charm! Fucking, Caesar he practically jinxed me! I'm getting too old for this shit! No question about it. I've never seen these mutts, but they're no natural-born animals.
They resemble huge wolves that Katniss can see from a distance.
Up close, I'm sure their more menacing attributes will be revealed.
Cato has made a beeline for the Cornucopia, and without question Katniss follows him figuring it is probably the safest place since they shouldn't be able to climb up.
Let's fucking hope not!
As, Katniss began to climb she observed the mutts, there's something else about them, something that makes the hair rise up on the back of her neck, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Katniss let out a horrified shriek when she realized what was so disturbing about these muttations.
They're the tributes!
Cato lies on his side at the very top of the horn, twenty feet above the ground, gasping to catch his breath as he gags over the edge.
"Figured it out, didn't you, Beautiful?" Cato rasped.
Katniss didn't respond to busy staring in ever growing horror at the Rue, Vixen, Thresh, and Peeta mutts.
They really are heartless aren't they?
Cato then decided to take advantage of Katniss distraction by tackling her and pinning her down.
Katniss thrashed in his grasp, trying to find a way out of his hold but his strength greatly outmatched her own.
Cato let out a moan, "You squirming underneath me isn't really a smart idea little squirrel."
Katniss stilled her movements in revulsion
Eww! I swear if Telstar grows up to be a perverted teenage boy I will smack it out of him! My little monkey will be a gentleman that doesn't discover girls tell he's twenty-five and I will not let Gale or Fish Boy corrupt him. Fuck! Why am I thinking about Finnick again?
Katniss was called back to the present as Cato trailed his hand down her face to the curves of her body.
"You really are more beautiful in person, Katniss Everdeen. It wasn't supposed to end like this, Firegirl. I really don't want to kill you but I have to." Cato whispered regretfully, his eyes full of remorse.
Katniss rolled her eyes before taking advantage of his slackening grip on her to knee him in the crotch. Cato let out a pained groan before Katniss used both of her legs to kick him in the stomach to send him over the edge and in the reach of the mutts.
Katniss can't watch, but she can hear the snarls, the growls, the howls of pain from both human and beast as Cato takes on the mutt pack. She doesn't understand how he can be surviving until Katniss remembers the body armor protecting him from ankle to neck. It takes a few moments to find Cato in the dim light, in the blood. Then the raw hunk of meat that used to be her enemy makes a sound, and she knows where his mouth is when she hears him let out a pained plead of "Please."
Pity, not vengeance, sends her arrow flying into his skull. Katniss takes out the Nightlock berries and puts them to her mouth.
They don't deserve a Victor, she thinks hatefully but before she could sallow them the Gamemakers send in a hawk to steal and fly away with the poisonous berries.
BOOM
Katniss lets out a growl of frustration before sending an arrow at the bird that stole her chance of freedom from her.
Serves you right stupid bird!
Claudius Templesmith shouts rang out through the arena, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present for the third time as a winner of the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen. Victor of the Seventy-Forth Hunger Games, — tribute of District Twelve!"
Fuck my life, Katniss thinks bitterly as the hovercraft comes to collect her.
President Snow looked at her critically
"What you tried to do Miss. Everdeen was very unwise of you. As, of right know I don't know what I am going to do with you to punish you. When I know I'll be sure to let you know however in the meantime for your Victory Tour you will continue your vast appointments. Also, you will record something called 'Music Videos' the citizens of the Capitol are captivated by your singing so you will perform for their entertainment. Try to stay on my good side, Miss. Everdeen or your loved ones will suffer the consequences." Snow said very menacingly.
Snow left the room taking the smell of bloodied roses with him, leaving a shaken and unsettled Katniss behind.
Katniss turns and sees everyone waiting in a big chamber at the end of the hall — Effie, Haymitch, Dean, Annie, Finnick, Johanna, Seeder, Chaff, Cinna and Cecelia. Her feet take off without hesitation.
Maybe a victor should show more restraint, especially after her third time of winning, and should show more superiority. Especially when she knows this will be on tape, but I don't care.
Katniss runs for them and launches into Haymitch's arms first.
When he whispers in her ear, "Nice job, sweetheart," it isn't sarcastic, it is an exhale of relief and happiness.
Effie's somewhat teary and keeps patting Katniss' hair and talking about how she told everyone that Katniss was a pearl.
Dean, Annie, Seeder, and Cinna just hugs her tight and but they don't say anything.
Johanna, Chaff, and Cecelia either smirk or smile at Katniss.
Everyone distances themselves from Katniss so Finnick can greet her.
He comes up to her beaming at her with happiness
"Glad to see you alive, gorgeous." Finnick said sincerely.
Finnick leans towards her starring meaningfully at her lips but then hesitates and looks in her stormy fiery grey eyes. Katniss can't even begin to decipher all of the emotions in Finnick's stunning sea green eyes before she grabbed his hair pulling him towards her crashing her lips to his in a sudden passionate kiss. Finnick is unresponsive at first completely stunned before he placed one hand on her waist dragging her closer to him and placing the other hand on her face to deepen the kiss.
Katniss felt like her whole body was on fire, that she was finally complete. Her body, mind, and soul melted into Finnick's to the point where she didn't know where she ended and where he began.
Katniss entire being felt like a never-ending inferno. Finnick was hers. Katniss was his. There was no questioning it. It just was.
Finnick and Katniss were startled out of their haze of passion by cheers and giggles from the others in the room. Katniss backed away from Finnick as if she was burned she didn't even realize her legs had been wrapped around his waist until she stumbled a bit trying to regain her footing. Katniss blushed embarrassed that she forgot that they had an audience and mortified at her actions.
This can't be happening. I won't let this happen! Katniss thought abashedly before running away leaving a dumbstruck Finnick and a stunned room behind.
AN: Yay they kissed but Katniss is gonna be Katniss and push him away cuz shes romantically challenged like that lol Tell me what you think! Poll on profile go vote please and thanks!
Rd, Enjoy, Review!