POV: Boron

Almost there.

Every trap in the arena that I've ever seen comes to life in these pods. Anyone in its area of influence is killed or at the very least severely wounded. The medics keep up with us and take care of the wounded as they appear.

My squad and a few others have taken to the roofs and shoot down at the Peacekeepers on the streets. Ahead refugees flee from the buildings further into the city and we let them go. Their screams get shriller as they run to warn others of our coming.

Sliding back down we go to the next intersection to something I would never expect. The refugees that we saw flee just minutes ago are lying dead and bleeding. Someone set off the pods before we got here. Their cries weren't a warning, but their death cries.

I hear a child's cry and I look for the source thinking one might still be alive. But before I can rush forward, the soldiers of District 13 block our way.

"Ignore it. That's one of their most basic traps. Lure you in with a crying child and then activate a bomb or something."

A few shots are fired behind us and a bird collapses from the building and the crying stops. Using the scope on my gun I can see that it's a jabberjay. They're still using those things.

"Down the next street," Luca orders.

Luca's squad moves forward and shoots out cameras and falls back. We push a car down the empty street detonating a couple pods, but we know that's not all of them. Luca's squad carefully goes down the street. And that's when the explosion hits.

Get angry, I think. Anger helped Mother ignore her fears in the arena. On the street ahead, Luca's squad is down. Pushing my horror to the side I race forward. Luca cups his stump of an arm. I throw him over my back and run back to the safety of the block we just secured.

Others appear with the wounded just as a second explosion goes off, setting the block on fire. My attempts to stop the bleeding are pitiful at best, but they're enough. The medics arrive descend on us quickly and get to work.

Luca turns to me, "You could've gotten yourself killed you know."

"A risk I'm willing to take for a friend," I say.

Paylor and her squad explore the street we were just on and then comes over to us. "Looks like you've cleared the street. Next time don't use yourself to set them off, eh?"

"I'll remember that," Luca says through gritted teeth.

She then turns to me looking slightly upset. "Line C is still two blocks closer to the city center than we are."

"My apologies," I say with a mock nod of my head. "All right everyone you heard the lady."

After Paylor is out of earshot Luca looks at me, "She's quite… tenacious."

I stare at the admiring look on his face and know he's at least a little more than interested in her. Rolling my eyes I tell him, "See you back on the line."

POV: Vixen

Without warning, Aurelia leaps up and leaves the office. Light rushes into the room when she flings open the drapes and I'm temporarily blinded by the dawn light.

"What's going on?"

She points outside to the president's mansion. Peacekeepers are escorting people, many of them, to a barricade just outside the mansion. Aurelia taps on the window and suddenly I can see closer. The window isn't really a window, but a screen that lets you see outside.

"They're all children. What's going on?"

Finding a piece of paper and pen Aurelia furiously begins to scribble.

Snow just ordered it. He's going to use the children as a human shield and as a sign of surrender. The camera crew was just summoned so he can film his official statement.

"Then it's almost over," I say hesitantly.

We go back over to the computer and stare at the surveillance cameras in Snow's office. There he sits poised while his prep team does final touch ups on his face. A document rests in front of him containing his official statement. Any moment now he will go live to give the official surrender.

Instead of President Snow, there is a shot outside of a hovercraft with the Capitol's seal.

"I thought all the hovercrafts were grounded," I say.

They were all supposed to be sabotaged, Aurelia writes. Father knew where all of them were kept there's no way someone would've missed one.

We watch as parachute after parachute rains down upon the children. And then I notice the code at the bottom of the screen.

POV: Boron

Elian comes and finds us from the camp. "They found Gale Hawthorne not far from here. He's got a couple bullets in him, but he'll be fine."

Everyone surrounds him all asking the same question. What about Katniss and Peeta?

"He doesn't know where she is only that she was going after Snow," Elian reports. "Gale's not sure how long ago it was but no more than an hour."

Again everyone is twittering about the latest news.

"Shut up!"

All eyes turn on Paylor.

"If that girl is to have any chance we need to keep the focus on us!"

"She's right," I say. "Keep your aim to the Peacekeepers. Drive the refugees to the side streets and keep in mind that the Mockingjay is probably dressed as one of them."

Forgetting to secure the other streets we all file down the one that Rotor's squad just secured. The screens flare to life again following that annoying set of beeps. A Capitol hovercraft appears on the TVs. Silver parachutes begin to rain down into an area full of children. But we don't have time to watch this. Just one more street and we'll be at the city center.

Up ahead an explosion echoes through the air. Thousands of people scream and we see why. On screen some of the parachutes exploded killing some of the children that were penned in there. Peacekeepers rip the barricades holding them there away and rush to help the children. Another group of white uniforms, our medics with Line C, rush forward and help as well.

"Come on!" Rotor shouts waking all of us from our stupor.

There it is, the center of the Capitol. There are no Peacekeepers to fire at and it appears all of them are running for the barricade to help the children. My feet carry me further into the city center. As I look at the screens I see some children already dead, most likely the ones that held the exploding parachutes. Then there's a flash and I don't see anyone and then I hear the blast.