A/N: still on a roll with this! Here's the next chapter and i'm almost done D: Let me know what you'd like for an epilogue in the upcoming chapters!

Chapter 34
Peeta
I break the mug that is in my hand, I can feel the screams escape my lips, and I quickly try to erase everything I just saw. But nothing will ever erase this memory. It will be another that will haunt me for the rest of my life, just like the Games and the Quell. Another nightmare.

I feel the blood from the smashed mug and the glass that rests in my hand, but the pain is numb, my pain is nothing. Madge is beside me, screaming and crying for them to do something, screaming for the bastard who did this.

I must admit, the woman has a colorful vocabulary.

An attendant rushes in to take Vick and Posy away, but they fight her until I snarl at her to let them stay. I don't know what possessed me, because I certainly wouldn't want a ten and five year old to see their brother consumed by flames.

But that's what's happening, and all we can do is watch. Haymitch, on the other end of the communications line is silent. Only one person is barking orders and retaining control, but Coin's voice only floats to me as if it is on a dream wave.

Sure, the cameras show us a view of the entire courtyard, but we are only focused on one tiny portion of the screen.

When the parachutes landed, everyone looked to each other in confusion and back to the screen, except for three. The color drained from Beetee's face, and he screamed, "Oh my God," realizing what those parachutes were, and how they were about to be used. On the screen, Gale had the same reaction as he yelled for Finnick and Johanna to get down, squashing Katniss in the process. In the room, Coin was silent.

As the recent events played over in my mind, someone had the good sense to mute the screams so Gale and Finnick's antagonizing screams could be silent. Posy and Madge were openly sobbing next to me, but I couldn't find anything inside me to comfort them. I looked at Vick, and the rage I felt inside myself was also within him.

I rose from my chair and marched to the front of the room, where Coin sat surrounded by her computers. I spun her around so she faced me and got inches from her face. "Who the fuck organized that? Who sent those hovercraft, with a seal of district 13?!" I was spitting venom, I hoped to hell I scared the bitch. "WHY WEREN'T THEY TOLD?" I bellowed, echoing throughout the entire room.

To her credit, she never moved a muscle. She just made a move to stand up, and I forced her back into her seat. "What the fuck was that? You just sacrificed children, for God's sake!"

She looked dead me dead in my eye, "Some sacrifices need to be made for the better good, Mr. Mellark. I believe you, Miss Undersee, and the Hawthorne children are dismissed."

I started to see red and threw punches, not giving a damn who I hit. "You could have at least told them! They didn't know!"

I was sobbing by the time Plutarch grabbed my arms and held me back, but he was seeing his own rage, "This is on your hands, Coin. This blood is on you! And you can explain to this country and to these families why you thought it was necessary to sacrifice innocents!"

They led me from the room with Madge, Vick, and Posy. All of us were streaming tears, trying to keep it together so we could figure out what to do. Plutarch walked beside me, suddenly stopping and grabbing my shoulder. "I will make sure she pays for this, Peeta. I'll let you know the list of the injured and what's going on as soon as I find out. You probably need to lay low for a little bit." He released me, and we walked back to my compartment.

I didn't know how or why, but Coin was going to pay for what she had done.

Johanna
When I wake up, the first thing I notice is Finnick's screams. He had covered me, just like Gale had covered Katniss from the explosion and the flames. I started to panic, seeing the flames lick up their unprotected arms, legs, necks, faces. Their armor protected from flames, so their chests and backs were saved. Luckily, Katniss and I didn't have to panic for long, because nurses and doctors came with water and blankets to get the flames away.

Both Gale and Finnick were unconscious when they were loaded into the ambulance, and I was grateful. The pain would've been too much. The doctors checked out Katniss and me, bandaged our tiny burns and scrapes, and confirmed that the President's Mansion hadn't been taken yet, but they had heard the President was still inside. I reached for my helmet with the microphone inside, "Haymitch. I'm sorry to go against orders, but we gotta do what we gotta do." I weakly smiled to Katniss, "It'd be a wise idea to send reinforcements if you have them."

I pulled out my earpiece and stomped on it so it broke; Katniss copied my movements and grabbed her bow. She was trying not to let tears roll down her face, I grabbed her shoulder. "I know I'm not as good as Gale, but I can try."

She grinned slightly before setting her jaw, "Let's go hunting."

Since we had found a closer spot to entire the mansion on the side, we started there. We had found two soldiers on our way there who were obviously at a loss for what to do and figured the Mockingjay would be a good leader. One was blonde and well fed, probably from 2 or 4, the other was dark skinned with dark hair and well-muscled, probably from 11. But the each had guns, and the darker one looked like a good fight in hand-to-hand, so I said nothing when they followed us.

Katniss had been leading the way, but she turned to the three of us. "He probably has hostages, but I don't give a shit. If you see him, start fucking shooting."

A smile played at my lips, "You mean the Mockingjay doesn't want her own kill?"

She smiled back, "Bastard deserves to die."

We made our way through the mansion, having memorized the floor plans for it back in 2. We knew that the President would be holed up at the center of the building, so we began making our way through the hallways. It was weird, because no one was there. no lights were on, no TV's were running, it was deserted.

Katniss looked back to me, wanting to know if we should move on, I nodded, and looked back to the boys. Blondie nodded, but the other one didn't.

"Let me go first."

Katniss raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

He smiled, "They'll start shooting the second the door opens. Better me than you."

He forgot that we were wearing bulletproof vests over our chests, but I like that he wanted to sacrifice himself. Katniss opened her mouth to object, so I held up a hand, "Gale would want someone to go in front of you, brainless." That shut her up.

"My name is Ruben, by the way. I knew Thresh and Rue very well. We were always rooting for you after what you did for them, Mockingjay. I guess now is no different."

Katniss's eyes watered, threatening to cry again, so I hit her forward in the shoulder. She sniffled, but followed Ruben through the door. As we had known, it was the room the President and the Peacekeepers were in. As Ruben had predicted, everyone started shooting on sight. He took out two of the ten peacekeepers while Katniss and I made work of the other eight. The President was the only one left, besides some blonde strapped to a chair. I figured she wasn't here willingly, so she could be spared.

Katniss loaded another arrow and pointed it at his heart, "It's all over now, Snow."

The snake smiled, "I'm glad we aren't lying to each other, Miss Everdeen."

"It's Hawthorne now," she snarled.

"My apologies, it appears I have made a mistake. So that was your husband then, on the television?"

I knew it took everything Katniss had not to shoot him, since he was being so cavalier.

He took a step towards her and continued, "You see, Mrs. Hawthorne, you were always more of a threat to me than I was to you." This confused me, but I kept my gun trained on him, waiting for him to make one movement our direction too quickly.

"I see your confusion, let me explain. I have known for a long time that this rebellion was in the works, but there's also been more here than I've been able to fix. I had hoped a symbol such as yourself could see the dangers of a rebellion, and you would work for me instead of against me. But the thing was, you would come after me no matter what."

"That's the first true thing you've said all day," she spit.

The blonde struggled with the gag in her mouth, trying to say something, but all we heard was mush.

He laughed at her, "Well, I could have killed your family, your best friend, anybody, but what would that give me? You have more fight than anyone who has tried to stand up before. I could've killed your family, but you would've come after me with more vengeance than you are now. You aren't Miss Mason or Mr. Odair; you would have sought me out regardless of what I'd done to you."

He smiled again, "I know you have come to seek me out and to kill me. And I know you will succeed. But the only thing I ask of you, Mrs. Hawthorne, is to examine who you work for. I'm sure you noticed the 13 seal on that hovercraft?"

Her eyes grew wide. I think she had noticed it, but she hadn't really believed that 13 could've sent it until just now. The blonde was struggling furiously now, obviously with some important information.

He smiled, knowing Katniss hadn't contemplated 13's involvement. "Why would your dear President Coin launch the strike that killed your love?"

She couldn't stand anymore; she cocked back the loaded arrow and sent it straight into his heart.

Finnick
Black. My whole world was antagonizing black. I was functional enough that I realized what areas were in pain, which was basically anything my armor hadn't been covering, and I realized how bad my pain was.

Personally, I'd rather get stabbed repeatedly. I hadn't had on my helmet when the explosion hit, so I had bandages over my eyes, not that I could move them open anyway, it hurt too bad. Since one sense was impaired, the others kicked into high gear.

I could hear someone breathing in what I could only assume was the bed next to me. This person had a deep breathing, and light snores, which meant it wasn't Johanna—thank goodness. I had tried my hardest to protect her, and I could only hope I succeeded.

I didn't know what time it was, or where exactly I was. But since I was in soft bed and I could hear beeping, and since i could feel the bandages on my body, I assumed I was in a hospital. A few seconds later, someone's light and skipping tread entered the room. "Finnick Odair? Are you awake?"

I tried to speak, but no words came out. It was like my throat had been ripped apart. Whoever my nurse was giggled, and the noise sounded like a peal of bells. Where had I heard that before? I searched through my foggy brain, trying to counteract the morphling in my system.

"Here, Finnick, the doctor said you'd want some water." She guided the cup to my lips and helped me drink it, "I know you can't see me, but it's Prim, by the way."

Prim. I was so happy she was alive.

I tried to speak again, "Where am I?" I choked out.

She laughed again, "A hospital inside the Capitol. To answer your other questions, you've been asleep almost three days. While you were out, Katniss and Johanna stormed the mansion by themselves and ending the war. They killed Snow and rescued Miss Dawn Harpstring, who would like to see you when you can take visitors. They're rebuilding for another four days before they official appoint Coin as the head of the new Panem."

"No," I choked. Prim grabbed my less bandaged hand. "Gale?"

I could feel Prim's hand tighten, and I heard the sniffle of tears rolling down her face.