It's been a week, Madge has given Darius two more bloody noses, brought Gale closer to tears than I thought possible and threatened to set Haymitch on fire. The Mayor says she's yet to leave her mother's bedroom for more than ten minutes. Peeta's mother threw a hunk of firewood at me when she found me at the back door and proceeded to shout curses down the street at me when I took it for my own.

The woods seem like a good idea.

Gale is sat hunched over in the dirt, head bowed and shoulders sagging. Around him, dozens of small strawberry plants, the fruit spoiled and rotting

"She won't tell me why" despite being weak, his voice still spooks me "I asked her, if that- if Clarke- if it was him. She won't tell me what they did to her there, it's killing me"

"Gale … we all care about Madge"

"No. It's not the same. I can feel her slipping through my fingers. She's the one this is happening to but I'm the one losing her" it's strange for me, to understand something so profound, but I do understand, that losing someone like Madge, in the way we're losing her can make you feel so helpless

"I never thought things were simple before" I huff, taking my bow and game bag from my shoulder "but turns out they were"

"Things are simpler now. Snow has to die, the Capitol has to fall. That's all there is to it"

"Gale. Was being whipped not enough? Do you want to be shot?"

"You know I always loved you don't you Katniss?" I balk, leaning away from him immediately "well lately I've been wondering why. I've always thought we were the same but where it matters, we couldn't be more different. Or maybe it's just the lengths we're willing to go to"

"You don't think I'd go to any length? Do anything to protect Prim. I'd kill Gale. I'd fight in the games, go to war, shoot Snow in the heart, if it meant keeping Prim safe. The difference is only one of us finds that necessary"

"Don't you get that they're just going to keep doing this? It's not about keeping us in line anymore, we're so beaten down they're just doing these things because they can"

"So this thing with the Peacekeepers, you want to do it?"

"We'd have done it already if it were up to me"

"Peeta says that too" Gale raises an eyebrow high on his forehead "he says, he says he knows I would have gone if Madge hadn't and that he won't see anyone else he loves suffer"

"Loves huh?"

"He says so"

"That's intense?" I shrug

"It's unexpected"

"I don't know about that".

It's terrifying, having Haymitch explain each step of our 'mission' in detail. I don't have a huge part, not like Darius or Gale but if even one aspect doesn't go according to plan, we all die.

It begins on a Sunday morning. Darius takes a flask of Sae's stew and a bottle of the Mayor's best whiskey to the jailhouse to celebrate his birthday before beginning his rounds. Exactly six minutes later, when the sleeping draught has worked it's magic, he returns with Gale to move the unconscious into cells where they should remain for the rest of the day.

I watch anxiously from my perch on the roof of the head peacekeepers living quarters. I can hear Thread moving beneath my feet, boiling water and moving cans. I'm lookout and yes this is the tallest building in town besides the Justice building and the mayor's mansion but it's still the head peacekeepers roof.

'You're light-footed aren't you?' Haymitch had winked

There's a yell and some scuffling within the jailhouse and I hold my breath, anticipating whether or not Thread will hear it too. After a moment of silence, Gale pops his stupid head out of the jailhouse window facing me and gives a thumbs up. I relay his message to Haymitch, on the roof at HQ, to which he nods. He's surprisingly focused for a drunk.

We convene at HQ, where Darius and Gale show up with the guns taken from the jailhouse.

"We're really doing this then?" I ask, wary of the weapon in my hands

"You probably won't have to use it, just leave the safety off, point and shoot" Darius tells me sternly

"It'll be okay Katniss" Peeta adds, placing his hand flat on my back

"Just be where you're supposed to be and watch your backs" Haymitch speaks over us.

Now comes the hard part.

We move over to the hob, in pairs or alone and as discreetly as possible. I mull around Sae's stall, the two of us warning people to move away. Darius is at Ripper's, so is Thom, I watch as they do the same, guiding people away from the clearing where Gale and Rye are about to come to blows. It's very believable. A townie and a miner, no love lost between them, getting into a tussle at the hob. I'd wager they're relishing this chance to knock lumps out of each other.

It takes the peacekeepers that are around, longer than expected to rush over and break it up, but they never get the chance. Before the first of them can get their hands on Gale, he and Rye let go of each other and turn on the peacekeepers. It happens so fast I almost forget my part. Seeing Peeta and Thom pull their guns out of hiding snaps me out of it and I pull the firearm hidden in my game bag.

"What the hell is this?" one exclaims, staring at the barrel pointed at him

"Just drop your stunners and get on the floor" Darius tells him coolly "no one has to get hurt"

"Fucking traitor" he spits, doing as Darius said

"Why thank you. I suggest anyone who doesn't want a part in this goes home" Darius calls out to everyone else on the hob. Most leave with a few glances over their shoulders but a number linger

"What exactly is this?" a miner asks from his spot in the corner

"Revenge" Gale grits, his fingers twitching at the trigger

"For the games" Thom adds

"It's an uprising" Bannock tells him "we're taking back our district"

"It's the beginning of the rebellion" Darius says finally

"Peacekeepers!" a young boy yells, running back in to the hob after leaving with the crowd "a bunch of them"

"Alright Peeta get these three tied up, tight, and watch them" Haymitch orders "Darius, Gale, at the doors" he points "the rest of you, be ready. You better get out of here kid" the boy takes a look around the empty factory, usually bustling, the peacekeepers tied up and our guns and nods before taking off.

I shoot someone in the shin and Bannock catches someone's shoulder but the rest of the peacekeepers are subdued without bullets. Once they're tied up, Darius removes their helmets

"Everyone's here"

"Even Thread" I point out

"You'll all be put to death for this, all of you!" he shouts, glaring at us all "you'll be tortured" he yells at Darius "I'll see to it personally"

"You see, the thing is Romulus, even if we were stopped, somehow, the Capital isn't going to take too kindly to the man who allowed it to happen. That's you" Darius smiles falsely "now then, who just wants to pretend this didn't happen. Maybe carry on with your life, just without the uniform?"

"Darius" a woman hisses "what are you doing? Stop this now"

"So Dee is out. Anyone else?"

"You want us to join you?"

"Not necessarily" Darius shrugs

"Shut up all of you" Thread shouts, saliva gathering at the corners of his mouth "I'm going to kill all you sons of bitches, so help me. You're going back on the post you gutless pig" he spits at Gale

I hear her footsteps only when she's half way across the factory floor to us. She looks like she did in the games. Natural, not so put together, a little scruffy and tired, but most of all she looks a little bit terrifying, like something has snapped, something that has to snap in order for you to be able to kill.

"Madge .." Gale whispers, seeing her like this is breaking him, I can hear it in his voice, even his breathing has changed. As Madge passes Thom she slips the strap of his gun off his shoulder and flicks the safety on and off.

Thread's eyes cross as he follows the barrel of the gun that comes to rest on his forehead

"Would you like to repeat that little remark Romulus?" Madge asks softly, her voice steady, cold and monotone. She's met with a few moments of silence and lowers the gun "that's what I thought" Thread exhales heavily and a bead of sweat rolls down his forehead and over the raised bruise the barrel of the gun left between his eyes. Madge crouches down to be eye level with him and tilts her head a fraction as if studying a cornered rodent "you're just a coward" she whispers and I can't help thinking anyone would be cowardly looking into Madge's eyes the way they are now

"You'd never have done it anyway, they wouldn't have let you" he says jerking his head towards the Mellark's and I. Madge glances at us over her shoulder then leans in closer to him than anyone ever should and I watch her lips move as she speaks in his ear, so low he's the only one to hear. Whatever it is she says has the desired effect because his eyes widen then focus on a few wisps of Madge's hair that have come loose around her ears and he swallows hard.

"An audience always likes to see the bad guy get his comeuppance. Look around Romulus, look at who your audience is"

Thread's eyes dart around, coming to rest on a few people "just remember that Romulus" Madge murmurs threateningly before straightening up and handing Thom's gun back to him. As Madge leaves Gale tightens the grip he has on his gun and grunts as the strap digs into his shoulder

"Back giving you trouble boy?" Thread murmurs just a fraction louder than he should have and Madge turns on her heel, striding back towards him

"Just had to test the theory didn't you Romulus" Madge seethes "Thom?" Madge holds her arm out for the gun and turns to glare at him when he doesn't immediately hand it to her. Gingerly Thom hands over the weapon and Madge knocks off the safety "anyone have any objections to me putting a bullet in his head? No?"

"Wa-" Thread's plea is cut off by a shot, a deafening explosion from the small source in Madge's hands

"I'm sorry you all had to see that in person, it's a little different than seeing it on a television screen I bet"

"Madge!" I call after her as she leaves

"Don't follow me" she demands, I watch her round the corner before my eyes are drawn back to Romulus Thread. His eyes are lifeless, unseeing and as dark as the bullet hole nestled between them.