A/N: Hey guys just want to give you all my thanks, as I always will, for continuing to support me and this story. Particularly peetagrl3, even though she doesn't have an account, I truly appreciate your reviews. Also, I'd like to thank Meadowlark27 who I had a PM conversation with and she gave me some good advice for the future of the story. Now, I know that this is an Everlark story, but I'm going to try and shift just a bit to show Katniss and Peeta's respective relationships with the other characters and how they'd develop if they were both in 13. This process will begin in this chapter and continue throughout. Don't worry though, there will be plenty of fluff for all of you ;). Get ready for a twist, and let me know what you think please! Also, I've got a few tests coming up next week so it might be about a week before I update again, just a heads up.

Change of Fate

Chapter Eight: Game Change

President Snow

Things are getting bad. Far worse than I anticipated and far more quickly than I thought possible. The mishap in District 8 has set us back months. Iago and I believed that it would be a crippling blow to the rebellion, we would destroy the Mockingjay and rip the the Rebels of their 'mascot.' We were wrong. But only because it did not go according to plan. The move was brilliant, I'll admit, but flawed. Giving a thug like Romulus Thread command of it, a man who had a past with the Mockingjay and her lover, was a mistake. While I admit, I thought that his uncontrollableness and fits of rage would be amusing for the cameras... It turns out that it was quite the opposite. People see the Capital as the Rebels have portrayed us: evil and power hungry. Willing to do whatever is necessary to hold on to our power. Yet, if Thread had simply acted, driven Ms. Everdeen to her breaking point, killed the boy, and then her, the cameras would have shown a different story. One where anyone who defies us will die after watching their loved ones perish first. Instead, the act has merely continued to stoke the flames of revolution and the entire system is in chaos. Funny how one miscalculation can ruin an otherwise very well planned scheme

I do not blame my Gamemaker Iago Saváge for the failure. We both agreed on putting Thread in command. But we need to fix this, and quickly. War has engulfed the entire country, and we are seemingly on the losing end of it. Despite the many casualties the rebels have suffered, they continue to march upon us. Despite public floggings and executions, we watch as their ranks swell and they continue to defy us. Defy me. So today Saváge and I are at my Research and Development lab deep beneath the Capital itself meeting with my top bioengineers and weapons designers to see what they can present to us that could potentially turn the tide in the war. We take the elevator down to the depths of this building and as we exit and begin our way towards the R & D lab, the darkness of the room takes a hold of both of us. This is an odd place. But it is an odd place ran by a very odd man.

The head of the R & D department is a man known as Professor Egan Cuthburt. Personally, I have no taste for him. He is the brother of one of my former political enemies that I had to... deal with many years ago. He is a recluse, a social outcast, but he is bloody brilliant. If anyone could help us in our most dire time of need, it would be this man. Saváge and I approach him, and it is apparent just how 'mad' he really is. He is sitting behind his desk with some sort of chemical concoction in front of him, the fumes of which are noxious and make me ill to my stomach. His hair, which you can tell should be blonde, has been bleached almost as white as my own, no doubt from the chemicals he works with. The oddity about this is that Cuthburt could not be older than 30 years of age. We stand right in front of him without him even noticing. He continues about his business for several minutes, frequently turning his back on us and then back to his experiment, before finally I grow tired of this charade.

"Cuthburt!" I boom with my powerful voice.

He bolts upright straightening his entire body so quickly, you'd think I electrocuted him. He shuffles indecisively behind his desk, readjusting his glasses before looking up at us. "Oh Mr. President! I wasn't expecting you till tomorrow."

"I sent for you yesterday Cuthburt, it is tomorrow..." For a man so brilliant he is truly quite... Unique. I guess the best ones are.

"Ah. Right. Well, I didn't sleep much. I don't sleep much," he speaks at a rate nearly a mile a minute in his weak wiled, light voice. "But that is because I have been working nonstop on projects that can help you win the war Mr. President! I am sure that you will be pleased!"

"That remains to be seen... I trust that you have not met my new head Gamemaker, Iago Saváge. Iago this is Professor Egan Cuthburt. One of the most brilliant scientists in the history of the Capital."

Iago turns his pointed face towards the mad scientist and sticks his hand out to shake, but Cuthburt jumps back and flatly refuses. "Oh no Mr. Saváge, I cannot touch you. Can't tell where you've been. I once made the mistake of touching someone of whom I did not know where they'd been, and became sick for weeks!"

I sigh and roll my eyes as my look meets Iago's. This man is just that mad, but madness often brings with it many good things. Many good things that can help me win this war. "Professor, will you show us what you've been working on now?"

"Of course Mr. President! Please follow me!" He bolts off down the hallway so quickly that if I didn't know my own way around this place, I would have surely already lost him. He completely ignores the other workers down here, as do I. I can barely handle one insane Professor, having to deal with anymore of them would be unbearable. He leads us to a room that is sealed with multiple layers of thick glass separating us from whatever it is he's been working on. "This," he begins, "is something that I'd been working on for the next round of the Hunger Games. It is a virus that attacks the red blood cells in humans in a peculiar way... As it infects them, the cells become useless, and prevents them from ever multiplying ever again. As it spreads throughout the body, killing your blood cells, it will eventually prevent your body from carrying oxygen to your muscles and organs. If infected with this, you will die within days, which is why it is so safely secured behind many layers of reinforced glass."

"Is there a cure?" Saváge asks.

"At the moment, no..." Cuthburt replies.

"Then Mr. President I'd suggest we move on to the next... idea. If there is no cure and it spreads rapidly through human contact, it may kill all of the rebels, but that is not our goal. Our goal is to defeat the rebellion and regain our control over them. We still need people to rule over when this war is over," Saváge astutely points out.

He is correct. "I believe Saváge is correct Professor. While this may indeed be something we use in future Hunger Games, it is not what I am looking for at the present time."

The poor man looks nigh on offended. But he quickly gulps down whatever semblance of pride he has and nods. "Of course Mr. President, very well. To the next one!" He exclaims and hurries off down the hall, and once more we follow. "This one, Mr. President, is one of my favorites! It is a new muttation I've developed! They are feline based, much like a Jaguar or a Tiger of some sort, but larger and faster. They also have been modified with skin that is over an inch thick!" I look into the room and see this precisely. Very large, vicious looking cats. I for one would not want to be hunted by them.

"What do they do?" I ask.

The Professor smiles gleefully. "They hunt by the scent of fear! Once they are released on the battlefield and enemy soldiers see them, they will release a fear pheromone. Once that happens, these mutts will be able to find them, no matter where they are or how quiet they are. They see through scents, and the scent they love to hunt most is fear. They are perfect by design and have no real fault!"

I nod. These will certainly do. But this is not something crazy that could turn the tide of the war. Mutts I have, and while these will be a pleasant addition to my collection, it's not what I was looking for. I am looking for something that will change the game. "Good work Professor. But I must say, I am looking for something more innovative. I am looking for a... Game Change."

I expect him to freak out as I have seen him do so before when I've criticized his work, but he does not. Instead, I see a crazy, wily, mad smile slowly work it's way across his face. "Yes Mr. President. I do believe I have something you'll be interested in..." He turns and begins to move down the hall, yet this time he does not sprint away like he has done before. He walks carefully and cautiously. "I must warn you, this is my latest project. One I am not sure I've quite perfected as of yet, but it very well could be the game change you are looking for..."

"What is it Professor?" I ask, yet he does not answer right away.

"I think it would be best, if I just show you." We continue down the corridor before we turn into a large room with a large glass window separating us from some very large cylinders, cylinders large enough to contain humans... "I may be underground most of the time, if not all the time, but I am not oblivious as to what's going on in the war. I know that the former victors are giving you lots of trouble." He couldn't be more correct on this matter. "So... I've taken the liberty to begin making you..." he pauses with some sort of satisfactory happiness and excitement, "Your own collection of victors!"

I don't understand. "For the last games I reaped many victors and the only ones who are still alive are either part of the Rebellion or in prison..."

His smile continues widening. "Yes sir, you are correct... But these victors, the ones who can help restore confidence in your government and inspire the people still loyal to the Capital are not the same victors. They are not the ones who died in the arenas..."

"What are you talking about Professor?" Saváge asks.

His joy and excitement are uncontainable at this point and I feel like he could explode any moment now. "These victors may resemble the ones who died in the arena, they may retain the personalities of the victors who died in the arena, but they are not the same..." He says this as he presses a button on the side of the wall.

Beyond the glass veil one of the cylinders begins to move and one lifts up to reveal something. Rather someone, who I know. A former District 1 Victor by the name of Gloss. Well built, blonde, and a chiseled jawline, just as I remember him. Despite the fact I watched Katniss Everdeen's arrow go right into his chest during the Quarter Quell, here he stands before me. "I do not understand..."

Finally his excitement bursts and the Professor is outright screaming from his elation. "Don't you see, Mr. President? I have cloned the career pack! And not just the careers from the Quell! But those from the 74th games as well! I have genetically modified them to make them 100% obedient! I have made them at their physical peak! I have made them 100% loyal to the Capital and you above all else! And they are more than willing to do whatever you ask without question." He is doing some kind of odd dance as he hops and skips around the room humming and singing. I do believe that I've never seem him quite like this. It's like a child on their birthday. As I turn back to the glass I see the other cylinders rising as well. Brutus. Cashmere. Cato. Clove. Glimmer. Marvel.

I smile very genuinely for the first time today. I was looking for a Game Change, and I've certainly found it. My own collection of victors to be the rallying point for the Capital. My own symbols to combat the Mockingjay and her star-crossed lover routine... Plutarch Heavesnbee was certainly right, it's all about moves and countermoves. Your move Ms. Everdeen...

Katniss

In the weeks since the disaster in District 8, things are seeming to go well for the Rebellion, and many districts are beginning to cede away from Capital control. Most of District 11 has won its freedom, as have parts of 10 and 7. The southern parts of District 4 are entirely in Rebel hands, and now almost all of the Capital's access to the ocean is gone. We got word that people in the Capital had a protest demanding more shrimp... I wonder what Snow did about that, there isn't a whole lot he can do. District 6 has been one of the most violent battlegrounds in the entire war, but they're doing well too. They've faced heavy bombardment from the Capital Air Force, but their guerrilla campaign is working. The Rebellion continues moving closer and closer to the Capital and things are looking good. We have heard rumors that the Capital is about to unveil some crazy new mutts and weapons which unnerves me slightly.

Still, I really can't complain with how things have been going lately. Now that we are past that awkward, 'what are we' stage, Peeta and I are doing great. We spend a lot of time together, but we each have our own responsibilities that we deal with. We've got our basic training together in the morning, every morning, that we have with Finnick and Johanna, but we're all grouped with the rest of the rebels. We all have to go through the same training as they do, and there's no preferential treatment, not even for the Mockingjay. After that though, we split up for a good part of the day. I'm forced to sit through Rebel leadership meetings by Haymitch, who has insisted that I know what's going on in Panem at all times. I'm not crazy about it, and I get the feeling that neither is President Coin, but she allows it regardless. While I do that, Peeta spars with Finnick and others before volunteering to cook in the kitchens. There isn't much variety of the food they serve us here, but knowing that Peeta helps make it, does make it easier to eat even when it looks unappetizing. I have also made a concerted effort to spend more time with Prim. I may have Peeta now, but she still means the world to me. I am making a more concerted effort of letting her in too. Given everything that we've lost, given how much Peeta has lost, he's reminded me that I have to hold on to Prim.

"What are you thinking about over there?" She asks me as we are both sitting down on my bed.

I smile. "You. And Peeta." She returns my smile with a beautiful, yet knowing, one of her own. "You always knew it was going to be him, didn't you?"

She laughs, "I never pretend to know anything is certain with you Katniss," and we both roll around on the bed in hysterics. "But I guess I always had a hunch. I think that it was only going to be a matter of time before you realized how good he was to you, and how good he is for you."

"We're good for each other," I point out. "At least I like to think so."

"Are you kidding me? You help that boy as much as he helps you. Can you imagine where you'd be without each other?"

Dead, I think to myself silently. "No... And I don't want to."

"Then don't let him go."

"That's the last thing I plan on doing. Especially after what we've just been through."

Prim pauses and chooses her words very carefully. "I can't even comprehend what it must've been like to watch Thread do what he did to Peeta..." Prim says very gloomily.

I try not to think about it too often myself. Sitting there, mere feet away from him as Thread slowly blew his body apart... It was like having my heart torn out of my body bit by bit. Watching as the life left his body. I know that if he had died, it would've been stuck in my mind that it was my fault for the rest of my life. I still feel that way to some degree, but Peeta refuses to let me say it out loud. We've agreed that it was ultimately the Capital's fault, and Snow trying to get in my head... And I hate him even more than I did previously for it. "Yeah, me neither Prim. I can't understand how a human being could possibly take as much joy in hurting people as Thread did. And Snow does..."

Prim cradles my head in her arms, "Don't worry about him. We're here, we're safe, and we're winning the war. We are gonna be fine."

"I know. But we aren't the only ones I care about anymore..."

Prim understands this to mean I'm referring to Peeta and how he lost his entire family. "For all intents and purposes Katniss, you are his family now. We all are." I smile at this. "Haymitch not being drunk all the time is letting those two spend more quality time together, and Peeta seems to have formed a real friendship with Finnick."

"Well living with someone can force that on you sometimes. And I know, he's definitely doing better." Privately I know that Peeta is helping Finnick a lot with coping with not having Annie. It has hit Finnick hard knowing that she's suffering for what he's doing.

"We're all doing better Katniss. So enjoy your leisure time like this, it's not gonna last forever."

And she is 100% right. There is a knock on the door, which I expect to be mother, although it would be odd for her to forget her keys. I am mildly surprised when I find a collection of Peeta, Finnick, Haymitch, and Johanna all waiting outside. I chuckle slightly, "Um... Hey?" Peeta smiles and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek as they all file into the room. "What are you all doing here?"

"Nothing, just finished doing prep work in the kitchen and had an extra round of sparring, we thought we'd come up and hang out." Peeta replies.

I am a little curious as to why everyone came, and clearly Haymitch reads this on my face. "You know sweetheart, if I'd known you were going to be this warm to your house guests, I'd probably have gone to Johanna's room instead," he says with a grin.

"Well, I don't have any alcohol here for you Haymitch, and I know that's the only thing that you would consider a 'warm' gift from your host," I snap back and everyone in the room begins to laugh. It's odd, all of us in here together. We're all vastly different, yet bonded together by the fact that we've been dragged into this war without our consent. We share more laughs as we spend the next few hours just talking and not doing much of anything.

After quite some time, the TV turns on on it's own accord. It's a Capital announcement, so the rebels must've turned on the TV's remotely.

Snow is standing at a podium with a large extravagant red curtain behind him. "People of the Capital and the districts still loyal to the Capital, I need not tell you that we are facing a critical impasse in the war against the 2nd Rebellion. It is in these dire times that we must look to heroes to help us. We must look to heroes who can help us change the game. Now, I know my decision to reap the tributes for the Quarter Quell from the existing pool of victors was not the most popular, but I must inform you all, I never truly intended on letting the Capital darlings perish..." My mind and heart are racing, and Peeta notices this as he moves across the room and sits down next to me and takes my hand in his. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a reassuring smile before we both turn our attention back to the TV.

"I made the decision to reap the victors because I knew that there were rebels in their ranks, such as Finick Odair, Johanna Mason, Peeta Mellark, and Katniss Everdeen..." He says my name with a dramatic sneer. "I admit that I wanted to see them die at the hands of the real victors, the great men and women who spend much of their young adult lives preparing for the Games because it is such an honor for them. I miscalculated the resolve of the Rebels to defy the Capital, I admit. But, I want you to know the great victors, the great career tributes that we have all grown so fond of in the time since they were victorious, are not dead."

I feel my jaw fall open and I'm sure everyone else in the room is doing the same, but none of us can take our eyes off of the TV. "What has he done..." I murmur, but there is no response.

As if on cue, Snow answers my question. The great red curtain pulls back revealing many people lined up with their backs to the cameras. My heart is beating faster and faster and I can't even comprehend what I believe is about to happen. Snow's voice booms loudly over everything else, "From District 1, I give you Gloss, and Cashmere!" And sure enough, right before my eyes, the twin siblings from District 1 turn around, step forward, and reveal themselves to the cameras with wide grins on their faces. The flashing of the cameras snapping photos of them makes the screen one giant white blur for a moment.

"Oh my fucking god!" Johanna exclaims. "I killed that bitch, and Snow had planned on keeping them alive the entire time?"

Yet Haymitch is shaking his head. "No. It's not possible..."

"Clearly it is Haymitch, look, they are right there!" Peeta says.

"No. I don't care what Snow says those things are. They aren't Cashmere and Gloss. Once you are dead, there's no coming back. And if that cannon goes off in the arena, you're dead."

"Then how do you explain it Haymitch?" Finnick asks.

He has no time to respond as Snow speaks again. "From District 2, I give you Brutus!" Again, it is real. The giant hulk of a man that Peeta defeated in the arena turns around and steps forward to thunderous applause from the Capital. I cannot believe my eyes, and no one else in the room can either. Yet I notice how there are still four more people that have yet to turn around on the stage. My mind races through who it could be.

Haymitch speaks again, "My only guess is that they're some kind of Mutt the capital has designed. They may look like the victors you know, they may talk like the victors you know, and they may act like the victors you know, but there is absolutely no way it's really them."

"Like... a clone of some sort?" Peeta asks.

"I guess you could call them that, sure." Haymitch says. "But I promise you, you killed those people when you were in the arena. This is some ploy of Snow's to drum up support."

Again Snow's voice booms through the TV. "Please, settle down people, settle down. I am as excited to see them alive as you are. But now, I must introduce some other special guests I have. While they may not necessarily be as famous as the three victors standing before you, you should recognize them. They are valiant, courageous, and brave in the face of adversity. While they were not victorious in their year in the Hunger Games, they are devoted to the cause of the Capital in our war against the rebels. I give you the members of the career alliance from the 74th Hunger Games: Cato! Clove! Glimmer! And Marvel!" The applause deafens the room as we sit in silent disbelief.

As they turn around and face the cameras one by one, and I see the faces of the people I killed, I feel terrified. It's like a real live nightmare. I hear myself screaming as hallucinations of Cato and Marvel being in the room with me trying to kill me appear. They are coming for me. They want revenge. My screams continue as I clutch on to Peeta for dear life. He holds me tight in his strong arms as the screams subside. Prim is holding me too, and Haymitch looks over me as only a father figure could, with Finnick and Johanna looking on in concern. The idea of facing the careers again haunts me. Their faces have haunted my dreams ever since the first games, and now they are back among us. I know for certain that I will meet them again.

"Sssshhhh, it'll be alright Katniss," Peeta says softly. "It'll be ok. I promise."

"But-but-but they're alive! And - " but he cuts me off with a powerful kiss. It's still odd that I am comfortable enough with our relationship now that he can do this in front of people and I don't hesitate or pull back. But I needed it. He is able to calm me down. Everything is ok.

But I realize something... Snow is still playing the Games. This is like another round of the Hunger Games for him, and he just added more tributes. The Games will never end for him. And he just changed the game.

What'd you think of that lovely little twist? Please let me know!