Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter. Hope you like this one.

Let's get to it.

the mysterious Mr.E: I meant that, for the most part, the Capitol will be sending the Cabal against the rebels and Avengers in pairs and trios. My plan is for the only exception to be Abomination.

Chapter 16- To the Capitol

I slowly make my way into the massive hangar. I got the call from Robert less than half an hour ago, alerting me that I needed to come to the hangar, as the hovercrafts meant to take us to the Capitol are ready to leave.

It's been 10 days since our briefing on the Cabal. Since then, the team has been training extensively, preparing for our inevitable confrontation with them. It's been intense, but it's slowly brought our team even closer together.

I've also heard from Robert that they've slowly been training Peeta. For the most part, they've just been getting him used to his new strength. However, Robert told me just this morning that yesterday they gave him the shield for the first time and started teaching him to use it. I still feel nervous about that, but I keep my concerns quiet.

I walk up to the hovercrafts and see that everyone else is there, including Haymitch. He's already undergone the gamma ray treatment, and apparently it worked. The attempts to help him control the Hulk have apparently worked because I've never seen the Hulk accidently come out. He's only coming with us for when we run into Abomination. Robert says he's still very dicey as the Hulk, so they don't want to risk having him out in the Capitol too much. So, he'll only join us when the Abomination shows up.

"Alright, team. Let's go," I say. Everyone nods, and we board the two hovercraft, with Gale, Finnick, Flint, and Johanna following me into one and Cressida, Pollux, Castor, Haymitch, and Vision board the other one. Once we're all aboard, the hovercrafts take off and begin their long flight across Panem towards The Capitol.

(Hours later)

I am jolted out of my brief nap by a hand on my shoulder. I look up and see it's Gale.

"Hey, Catnip. We're getting ready to land," he says.

I nod and stand up. I make sure my quiver and other gear are secured, then grab my bow. I see Finnick holding his tridents, Flint activating the Black Panther suit, Gale deploying his suit, and Johanna letting out the She-Hulk.

I feel the hovercraft get a little bit shakier as it slows to a hover and slowly lowers to the ground. Then, the ramp lowers, and I lead my teammates out of the hovercraft. As we walk out, I glance to the right and see the other five walking out of the other hovercraft.

The entire team assembles behind me as I walk into the camp. Slowly, the rebels begin to notice me and the rest of the team. Some cheer and clap for us, while others raise their three middle fingers in the old salute of District 12.

We all stop and kind of stare at everyone us, smiling reassuringly. After several more moments, Boggs materializes out of the crowd and approaches us.

"Welcome, Avengers. Come with me," he says.

Boggs leads us through the crowds to a square where hundreds of rebels have assembled to hear a speech from Commander Paylor from 8.

As we all take our positions near the front, Paylor begins her speech, "I'm Command Paylor from District 8. I'm a soldier just like all of you, so, here's what I know. For the first time in our lifetimes, we're standing here together with 13 districts. From what I see here, we've already made history."

There's clapping from all the rebels. Once the clapping dies down, Paylor continues, "But history doesn't stop to celebrate, and we're facing an enemy that will not change and will never surrender. President Snow has pulled back Peacekeepers to fortify the center of the city. He's evacuating residents from the outer blocks. These civilians will be confused and desperate. You are under orders not to target them. We're deploying medical brigades to help anyone in need. We'll show the Capitol people who we are." As Paylor says this, I look over at the people of the medical brigades, examining their uniforms.

"TO slow our advance, President Snow is building a minefield of traps, and lethal devices called "pods". The sadistic inventions of Gamemakers meant to make sport of our deaths. Not only that, but he has raised a team of his own, the Cabal, to counter our Avengers."

She pauses for a moment, then says, "If we can make it past Peacekeepers and other defenses, and our Avengers can defeat the Cabal, we will converge at the center of the city at Snow's mansion, where we won't just unlock his gates. We will unshackle all of Panem."

Everyone cheers wildly. Paylor continues speaking, "If we die, let it be for a cause, and not a spectacle. If we succeed, let it be for all of Panem and let it be forever. Yes, you've already made history. But the future, our future, starts tomorrow at dawn when we march together into The Capitol."

Everyone cheers wildly, but I remain focused on Paylor's display, which is currently showing Snow's mansion. Yes, the time has almost come. Soon, I'll end it for good.

Boggs then gestures for us to follow him. We all follow Boggs through the crowds until we reach a pavilion with several attached tents. Once we get there, Boggs says, "Find a cot and get some rest and maybe grab a bite to eat. I'll be back to give you instructions shortly." He then turns and walks off.

All of us except Vision sit down on the cots inside the tents, taking a moment to eat from the ration packs inside the tents. As we eat, Gale looks at me and says, "You're not just here to support the troops and take down the Cabal, are you?"

I look up at him. For a few moments, I don't respond. Then, I say, "No. Once the Cabal are defeated…I'm going after Snow. He needs to pay for all he's done. And I need to see him dead. I need to be the one to kill him."

Gale is quiet for several moments. Then, he says, "You can't honestly expect me to sit behind and let you go on your own, do you? Or anyone else? We're your teammates, Katniss. No matter what, if you go after Snow, we're going with you."

I look up at Gale, not sure what to say. Then, I hear a woman's voice say, "Avengers! Come meet your unit!"

Me and Gale turn and look to see a woman standing in the pavilion looking at all of us. We stand up and walk into the pavilion with the rest of the team.

As we walk up to her, the woman says, "I'm Lieutenant Jackson, and I want to introduce you to your squad." She then turns to a man and says, "This is 2nd Lieutenant Mitchell. Best sharpshooter in Panem." She then turns to two women, who look like identical twins, and says, "These are the Leeg sisters. 1st Combat Division." She then turns a man and says, "And this is Corporal Holmes."

We all greet them before Boggs walks back in. "Alright. Everyone, listen up," he calls.

Everyone assembles in a half circle in front of Boggs. Boggs looks around at everyone and says, "Squad 451, you're my unit. Avengers, you will be working alongside us in this invasion. You are all elite in some form of combat, but we, for the most part, are a non combat unit."

Cressida then speaks up, "It's been determined by leadership that you are of most use on camera, so we'll be the on screen faces of the invasion. Squad 451 has been chosen to work alongside the Avengers to make the Avengers seem more relatable. Show that the Avengers are people like everyone else, and help them connect more to the populace."

Boggs pipes back up. "We'll be following behind the front lines. Our first job is to shoot propaganda footage on the battle scarred streets of the Capitol. Though we'll be behind the front lines, I guarantee you, wherever they send us, it will not be safe. We'll likely encounter both active pods and Peacekeepers."

He looks around at the Avengers and says, "But, our most important job is to protect the troops from the super team of the Capitol known as the Cabal. We will be on constant alert in case members of the Cabal show themselves. Hovercraft will be on standby to transport us to any spots where Cabal members are spotted."

I feel a little bit angry that aside from taking down the Cabal, we're being kept out of combat. If they would leave us the front lines, we'd win this battle so much faster.

"You are considered high value targets to the Capitol. In the event of capture, you'll be given a nightlock pill, a fast acting poison that acts immediately. Lieutenant Jackson, do the honors," he says. Jackson passes out the pills.

Boggs sets a device down on the crate in front of him. "Our unit has been given a Holo. It contains a detailed map of the Capitol and location of every known pod. These pods can trigger anything from bombs to traps to mutts. Whatever they contain, they are meant to kill you. Since we do not want the Gamemakers to know that we have this intel, it has a self destruct. Flip this switch, say "nightlock" three times, and it blows itself and anything within a ten foot radius."

I stare intently at the display being projected by the Holo. While most will just say a display of the Capitol and pods, as a victor, I know better. And so does Finnick, who walks up beside me and says, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games."

(District 13)

"Robert!"

Robert walks over to where Beetee is sitting. "What is it, Beetee?" he asks

"I tired getting into the Capitol's files on the Cabal to try and gain any new intel. I was almost through their defenses, but then something broke in and stopped me. I don't know what it was, but whatever it was sjut me out almost immediately. It was so good and fast…it almost seemed like it wasn't a human doing it," Beetee says.

Robert brow furrows. "See if you can figure out what it was," he says. He doesn't voice what he thinks it was, but if he's right, then they're in serious trouble.

And, I'll end there. Hope you liked this chapter.

Hope you liked how I still had Squad 451 in the mix. I thought it would be a smart choice for them to show the Avengers working with normal soldiers to make them seem more relatable and too much larger than life.

So, the next couple of chapters are going to deal with the first battles with the Cabal, as well as Peeta's arrival in the Capitol. Then, we'll get into the whole mess and them going after Snow. Hope you're excited.

Until the next chapter is up, please leave a review, and stay tuned!