Chapter 5
(Peeta's POV)

"I lie breathless on the floor of the mess hall while the place goes up in chaos. "Peeta?" Hands are shaking me "Peeta snap out of it…you gotta get up," I look to my right where Joanna is kneeling down next to me. I feel blood trickling from the cuts on my face and a lump forming on my cheek right under my eye. Everything happened so fast. I watched Finnick wheel over the POW girl I carried up from the mansion. She looked a lot better but her face is still is so swollen and deformed from her imprisonment at the capital. She looked so skinny and fragile bandaged from head to toe it made my heart ache for the girl. None of us can even try to imagine what she has been through. And then this tinny girl goes rigid at the mention of my name. Finnick tried to console her, but before he could do much she launched herself at me with a surprising amount of power. Next thing I know she's on top of me screaming that it was all my fault screaming that I'm the reason she was in the capitals clutches. I can't even wrap my head around the series of events that have just transpired.

"She said 'It was [me], it was because of [me]? Jo, what did I do to her? Why is it my fault" I ask looking for the answer in her face? My head is pounding and I feel overwhelmed. Everyone occupying the cafeteria is on their feel looking to me to see what has just happened.

"I don't know, but you won't find out laying on the ground," she helps me to my feet. "Let's go to the hospital to see what we can find out. Haymitch and Finnick dragged that lunatic back down there." We push through the crowd to make it to the exit. We walk in silence until we reach the elevator, which is when Johanna speaks up. "They definitely brainwashed the lunatic. She's prob just someone they picked up who looked like she wouldn't hold up in a fight and kept her in the capital as a backup plan if we invaded," I scoff at her but she continues " No really, listen to me. It was inevitable we would invade the mansion at some point so Snow had a backup plan. Knowing you'd be leading the charge he left behind one POW who looked harmless, but they brainwashed her or something to assassinate you." She looks quite pleased with herself for coming to this conclusion.

"Or shes just a young girl that is suffering cause I didn't just die like an obedient little tribute in my first games. And now she blames me for having her country ravaged by war." I look out of the corner of my eye at Johana whos leaning against the elevator wall.

"I like my theory better." I glare at the elevator door in response.
"Once the doors open and we make our way down the hall to the Hospital we find Haymitch standing guard outside of a room with the shades down. He comes to head me off before I get within twenty feet of the door "What are you doing here Boy?" he asks exasperatedly. I glare at my mentor sizing him up. There is something behind his eyes something that he's hiding. Why is Haymitch standing guard that not his responsibility/

"I want to know why she blames me. I want to know why she attacked me out of nowhere," I gage his reaction.

"There's nothing to tell shes insane. The capital drove her mad. What do you think you'll get out of this?" Haymitch hisses at me between clenched teeth. I hire my voice cause he insists on keeping his low.

"Just let me see her so I can come to my own conclusion about what I want to get out of it. It's none of your business anyway. Why are you even here Haymitch? Why is any of this something you're concerning yourself with?" I narrow my eyes at my mentor who finally seems to be giving up on withholding information.

"Damn." he pinches the bridge of his noes "Why are you so fucking difficult. You're more of a pain than she was" the reference to Katniss stings but I push down my feeling. Haymitch turns and motions for Johanna and me to follow him into an empty room.

Johanna lounges out on the empty bed while I stand at the foot of it waiting for Haymitch to talk. "They erased her entire memory," he states after closing the door behind himself "She has no idea who she is where she's from. The damn girl thinks shes 16, but I think it pretty obvious she's older." the way he's talking it sounds like he's still trying to work through the information and fit it all together to see the big picture. "After we searched the mansion I found files in Snow's office," He pulls out a file from under his jacket. "This," he waves the file "only list the gory details of how they tortured her," he pauses.

"What Haymitch?"

"They used a process called Hikacking. It's when they take trakerjaker venom and target memories and then torture her on top of it to really mess with the mind. She had to be a rebble of some sort she has a mockingjay brand on her chest for godsake. Who knows what she did" I pick up the file and start to read snippets from each page I come across. There aren't many details, but there are dates, names of doctors, and peacekeepers on duty, the different drugs that were being utilized and so on. The even list the number of full-body polishes and healing treatments they performed. To bring her back to a healthy state just to start the process over.

"I don't think my brain has fully comprehended what I've been reading until I reach the pictures. That's when I feel bile rise in the back of my throat. She looks gruesome and distorted. If we thought her injuries were bad when we rescued her they don't even compare the images of the 'Jane Doe' hanging from chains in a pristine white room with blood dripping down her wrists both her legs obviously broken and hanging at odd angles. The lacerations across her back from a whipping. Her face completely black and blue with both eyes swollen shut and blood trickling down her chin. I shut the file cause I can't bear to look at them anymore. Looking at these pictures reminds me of the lump of meat the Cato was after being mauled by the mutts.

"I don't even know her. Why would the focus her highjacking around me?" but before he can answer Johanna interjects.

"They wanted to create an assassin to take Peeta out. They Hijacked her cause she is the last person anyone would see as a threat, but with all that..." She pauses eyeing the folder with a disgusted glare "It doesn't matter how small or weak you are. You would do anything to kill the person responsible" Haymitch noded.

"So that's it. Snow, basically destroyed this girl, and her memory just to create a weapon out of her. So he could have a good laugh when eventually either she did succeed in killing me or we killed her, an innocent girl because of what he put her through?" The words taste like acid on my tongue. and when Haymitch confirms this with a nod I feel hatred boiling up inside me. Before I can act on my feeling though there is a knock at the door.

"Haymitch?" Gale walks in "Coin asked me to come get you," Haymitch nods, and gets up I follow him to the door "We're no allowed to go Peeta," Gale says he sounds annoyed.

"Why?" I watch Haymitch head down the hallway.

"I don't know, but she said 'go get Haymitch, but there's no need to come back or get anyone else'," Joanna walks out into the hallway as well and stands next to me.

"I feel like we're not getting the whole story," she breaths barely audible enough for anyone but me to hear. I follow her gaze to the room Haymitch was guarding before.

"I want to talk to her," I start towards the door.

"I don't think that's a good idea Peeta," Gale steps in front of me.

"You have a better one?" I glare a Gale.

"Wait for Haymitch to get done with Coin, then talk to him about it," Gale stands in front of the door. He really has a way of pissing me off with his nose so far up Coins butt. "It's not our place to get involved especially if she's a danger to you or anyone else.

"Don't tell me where my place is Gale" I push past him and passed 'Jane Doe's" room. I head straight for command seething. I refuse to be kept in the dark by Coin or Haymitch. They will tell me what they know about this girl and they don't have a choice.

"Before I can get to the floor the command center is on, Plutarch enters the elevator. And I get that sinking feeling in my stomach knowing that he requires me to shoot a prop.

"Oh, Peeta good. Cressida and I have an idea for a new prop," I decide I'll corner Haymitch after filming cause I know I won't be able to get out of this. So I zone Plutarch out as he continues to talk about how 'the mansion invasion was so anticlimactic we will have to give the country something else to 'sink their teeth into'. Whatever the hell that means.

Twenty minutes later I stand out in the cool winter air surrounded by trees. "So just let the country know we've taken the Capital-"

"And now I'm coming for Snow I got it," I refrain from rolling my eyes at Plutarch who is almost giddy with anticipation. The lights from the cameras point at me. I wait for the little red light then start talking. "Panam, I'm glad to say that the rebels have taken the Capital," I paused "We are now a free nation that can live by our rules and not be dictated by any higher power. Each district will not have to worry about their children being reaped for the pleaser of the Capital Citizens. We will no longer have to watch or participate in the slaughter of innocent lives. The Districts will be able to govern themselves and work together to build a strong nation that we can all co-exist in. My war is not over yet," I step towards the camera. "Two years ago Snow set me on this path. I have watched you take away so much..." I ignore the stinging behind my eyes "You've taken my district, my Mother, Father, and brothers, and then you took Katniss," I stare into the camera imagining that I am staring into the black eyes of our former president "Snow," It comes out as a whisper, but I feel the venom dripping from my words "you may have alluded me at the mansion, but I am coming for you. You will pay for everything you put us through. Now it's your turn to be hunted, but this time you're in my arena," the red light on the camera turns off and then it is done.

"Cut perfect Peeta," Cressida pats me on the shoulder and walks past me back towards the district as if nothing of importance has just transpired.

"Yes Katniss would have been proud," Plutarch says giddily coming to stand next to me. I feel the blood pounding in my ears as I turn and grab him by the shirt.

"You do not talk about her," I shake him "It's because of you and your stupid rescue mission that she ended up in the Capital and that she's dead," I push him away from him "You take as much of the Blame as Snow, in my book. If you talk about her in front of me again I'll kill you," I spit at him turning and beginning to walk off, back to thirteen.

"When I make it to my room the anger consumes me I begin to throw, hit, and kick everything in my path. Everything in this room is meaningless. This whole place is meaningless. Everyonesexcitemen about the war being over is complete shit. How can it be over when Snow is still alive and he is still ruining lives. I continue to wreck my room until I'm sitting in a mess of broken furniture. There's are several knocks at the door which I don't acknowledge. The door opens and there's a chuckle "Shut up Haymitch," a snarl.

"I like what you've done with the place," He walks into view with the dislodged cabinet door in his hands "They could use you in the Capital for interior decorating,"

"Damn you're so funny," I stand up and snatch the door out of his hand and sit on the bed.

"So what provoked you to do this?" He leans against the opposite wall.

"Plutarch," His name enough is self-explanatory "How was your private meeting with Coin?" I roll my eyes there's only silence. "Haymitch?" I look at him and his mouth has formed a straight line "What happened?" he looks like he's about to say something then changes his mind.

"Nothing boy… just some ideas about where Snow might be hiding,"

"And she had to discuss that with you without me or Gale?" I raise my eyebrow at him "What are you keeping from us?"

"Nothing," he says exasperatedly. "Don't glare at me boy," he growls "Clean up this damn mess," he shouts as he storms out the door. That's the last I see of Haymitch. He seems to be avoiding me, but I genuinely couldn't give a damn about my mentor's secrets.

The next week goes by as normal as life can be in thirteen. I continue training and begin working in the kitchen to take up some of my free time. A lot of refugees have left 13 and have headed back to their previous districts. Now that there isn't the impending threat of a raging war all seems almost calm. In command meetings, we narrow down locations where Snow could be hiding out. I don't see any more of the Jane Doe, but I do continue wonder about her.

There has been a lot of talk about relocating command to the Capital now that Coin will be stepping in as president until an election can be held I wonder what will become of my would-be assassin. Will she remain her or will they rehabilitate her into a new distric? Or will they take her back to the capital to be cared for? I cant see that being a very attractive option in her eyes.

I've caught myself on multiple occasions trying to peek through her blinds as I wait for Prim in the Hospital before we go to dinner. Today I don't hear her approach and she catches me "Whatcha looking at Peeta?" she says knowingly. I almost jump out of my skin when she catches me staring, but even as I try to cover myself she sees right through me "she hasn't left her room and I'm not allowed in," she takes my hand and we walk towards the elevator "Mom said they handcuffed her to her bed, because they were trying all different kinds of treatments, and it was triggering hijacked memories. She isn't allowed in to see her either because only 2 of the best doctors are on her case," she shrugs.

"It must be awful to have gone through all that," remembering the images in the folder sends a chill down my spine.

"We've all gone through some pretty awful things," Prim states. I examine how much she has grown since she was reaped. She isn't the little girl anymore she's seen she sister go through two hunger game, she watched district 12 burns, and watch Katniss die.

"Yeah, but we shouldn't have had to,"

"I agree,"

"We eat dinner with Johanna, Gale, Finnick, Annie, and Beete who has made one of his rare appearances. We all talk very little. After we finish dinner and say goodnight to everyone I walk Prim back to the hospital after dinner. Prim heads off to find her mother and assist with anything she can. Once she is gone I can't help but glance at Jane Doe's room. I notice that the door has been left ajar. I look around the hallway, but no ones there. I walk toward the cracked door and I nudge it open just enough to see inside. It's dark, but I can see that she's asleep. I don't know what comes over me but I slip inside closing the door quietly behind me.