Okay, this chapter may not be as intense as the last one, but, SPOILER, plot-twist-cliffhanger at the end of the chapter. Just warning you guys.
Okay, as always, I must speak to my loyal reviewers.
Y.O.L.O So do it right: Nah, the Disney movies are locked up in President Snow's mansion for Friday Night Movie Night, nobody else has ever seen 'em unless they've traveled to the Capitol for the party. But, anyway, your question as to Cato being bent on killing Peeta is in the chapter!
plaidprincess3000: You have to read to find out on Peeta, and sadly, yes, there are only a few chapters left, but I'll be working on other works that run along the same AU line like in this fanfic and Panem High. Thanks for reviewing!
alyssa: Thanks! I would also like to see it as a movie!
The Knife Throwing Expert: Cato kills his crush's crush in hopes of not being found out and being there to comfort the crush when their crush is all dead and stuff. The exact reasons for killing everyone are in the second A/N at the end of the chapter, but they are vaguely explained in the chapter. Thank you, and I guess I will do behind-the-scenes and interviews!
The Mockingjays Flames: Congrats on your correct guess, and I can't spoil if Peeta died or not. You've gotta read it!
CloveDiedForYourSins: Yeah, it was Cato. I've had the sword fight between him and Peeta planned since chapter 1! Anyways, this chapter has a whole section dedicated to some Clato! Yay!
Loyal2Artemis: Can't spoil, sorry! You've gotta read to see what happens to our dear Boy With The Bread!
HogwartsDreamer113: Yep, Cato is the crazy murderer! And on Peeta, I know! He's too cute, and he bakes bread!
KarmaKnives: Thanks! Here's the update!
drea29: Yep, I hope so too.
Emma: First I lol'd at your review. Then I serious'd. Sorry that Cato had to be the one, but I've had it planned since I started! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and here's the update!
Arianna: Yep, there's something interesting that happens during this chapter revolving around him.
vampirepanda12: Thank you! I don't know, is Peeta dead or alive...? Hmm...
Well guys, you're all dying to know whether or not Peeta even survived the fall, and so are the characters! So, I'm going to let you read on!
Night of No End
by SassySunshine
Interrogation and More Hijacking
"PEETA!" Katniss shrieks, watching him fall over the edge. Cato begins to laugh maniacally, with lightning conveniently flashing in the background. Tears sting at Katniss's eyes. Madge looks on with concern, and Gale's fists clench. The Seam boy taking a running start, and he tackles Cato, wrestling him to the ground.
"Marvel, stay here and help Gale. HELP. GALE. Not Cato! The rest of us are going to see if Peeta somehow survived that fall," Clove says. Marvel nods.
"SOMEHOW?" Katniss screams.
"Kat, calm down!" Madge says.
"He'll have survived," Johanna tries to reassure Katniss. The four girls bolt down the stairs and out the front door of the mansion and make their way down a rickety old series of stairs to a beach. The sea breeze makes it colder in the driving rain. Katniss kicks off her shoes and runs into the ocean.
"Peeta! Peeta, PLEASE be okay!" she screams.
"I see him!" Johanna shouts.
"Where?" Katniss cries, looking frantically for Peeta's blonde head.
"Katniss, turn to your left," Madge instructs. Katniss turns to her left and sees Peeta floating in the water, choking on the seawater.
"Peeta! Guys, get over here and help me get Peeta out of the water!" Katniss shouts. Madge, Johanna, and Clove all wade into the water with Katniss, and they all make their way over to Peeta. They all hoist him out of the water and put him on the wet sand.
"Peeta…please live," Katniss whispers to him. Peeta grins weakly at her.
"I'm not going anywhere, Kat."
"Stay with me…"
"Always."
"You guys sicken me. It's cute. But it sickens me," Johanna mutters.
Katniss ignores her.
"Peeta, where are you hurt? You seem in pain," she says to her boyfriend.
"Everywhere. I hit the water with a really hard force, I still had the marks from where Gale hurt me, and Cato only made them worse," Peeta mutters.
"You poor thing. We need to get you out of the rain. Gale is still on that balcony, pounding Cato right now," Katniss says.
Half an hour later, everyone is seated in the living room. Cato is bruised and tied down to a chair. Gale has minor cuts and scratches and sits on the couch with an arm around Delly. Katniss and Peeta hold onto each other and they sit on the love seat. Johanna, Clove, and Marvel all sit on the floor in between the couch and the love seat.
"Cato, before we call the police, we're going for an interrogation," Katniss announces.
"Why just me? Have you forgotten, Marvel was in on it from the start?"
"You did all the killing! I just helped you plan it! I know I'm guilty, but at least I have the guts to feel bad about it! You have no heart, Cato! NO HEART! AND WHERE DID THE FREAKING LIST COME FROM? WE NEVER AGREED ON A STUPID LIST!" Marvel yells.
"Marvel, calm yourself! We'll interrogate you later. It's Cato's interrogation time," Katniss says.
"Alright Cato, why'd you do it?" Clove asks curiously.
"I was jealous. I was jealous of Annie and Finnick. They had a happy relationship. I was jealous of Gale and Madge because they were in a happy relationship. I was especially jealous of Katniss and Peeta. They had the closest relationship. Peeta has the good looks and a loving girlfriend, not to mention he can smooth-talk his way out of every darn thing. I wanted to make Finnick suffer, so I took Annie from him. I wanted to make Gloss suffer the loss of his twin sister, who I pretended to love. I took her down next so people wouldn't assume it was me. Gloss was next because I was jealous of him…because Clove liked him. Finnick was next. He suffered long enough for my standards without Annie, and his whining was irritating. Glimmer was next because though Marvel had a crush on her, I knew they would end up together some day. I could tell. I chose Delly to make the rest of District Twelve suffer, because they were all in relationships while Delly was a fifth wheel. I killed Farrah to throw you all off. Peeta Mellark was supposed to be next, but he just had to survive that fall!" Cato explains.
"You're sick!" Johanna says with a glare.
"Am I?" Cato asks.
"Yeah, you are. Even I didn't see that coming and I was helping you," Marvel says with a grimace.
"You were all too dumb to realize who the murderer was, even though there were many hints. I had a crush on Clove, but she liked Gloss. I thought you could all tell by the way I looked at her and she looked at him. Clove should've figured it out right after Cash died. I joked that she sounded like she was the murderer when she said whoever took her knives is dead meat. She said she knew it wasn't her because she slashes up faces, and abdomens are for the unskilled. So I slashed Cashmere's face up. Before Cashmere died, Farrah had said murderers loved to kill in chaos. So I tried to keep the room chaotic. I stole Clove's knife to kill Cashmere and slashed up her face so I could frame Clove. I even lied, saying I liked Cashmere, as I said earlier, and that would only further put the blame on Clove. I faked the tears at Gloss's death and asked who would do such a thing so I would seem as innocent as possible. During the course of the night, I put tracker-jacker hijacking powder in Gale's drink, even before you all noticed it. Hours before that. That way, Gale's hate of Peeta would be shown to a very high point so those two would draw the attention from me. I distorted my voice with a sound system and used a fan to scare the crud out of Katniss, just so that would make her seem crazy and I could prepare my next kill. I argued with Peeta when only that few of us were awake, maybe giving you some form of mercy by trying to blame him as another hint. I kept saying one of us has to be lying to even further pawn the blame off of me. I knew someone would find that blood-soaked note I wrote during the death of Finnick. I purposely ripped part off to leave you in suspense. I wrote Sexy Boy for Finnick to make it look like a girl wrote it. I wrote with my left hand instead of my right hand so the writing would be unrecognizable. I made the list and told Marvel to calm down because he wouldn't blame me, and that would make it seem like it was someone else. I kept asking questions about Gale's madness with the tracker-jacker stuff. I timed some of the deaths so to occur when Johanna was out of the room so you would all blame her. Then the evidence started to stack against Peeta after Gale tackled him in the living room. I comforted Clove to make me look innocent and kind. I told you all Katniss would be fine so I could go kill her, but I decided against it. That's all of my hints," Cato says.
"You're…you're insane!" Clove shouts at him.
"I probably am. Too bad you all didn't figure it out quick enough. A lot more of us could have been alive tonight," Cato says.
"That's sick, dude! You never told me any of that! I can't believe I ever helped you! I can't believe you killed Glimmer! To make me jealous and suffer no less!" Marvel shouts at him.
"Cato…you disgust me," Johanna says.
"I'm going to call Haymitch and tell him to get us, and bring the Peacekeepers," Katniss says, leaving the room.
"Cato, I can't believe you," Clove says sadly, with a shake of her head, "Gloss was in college, I was in high school. It was like having a celebrity crush. It's probably not going to happen. Had you not done this, I probably would've ended up with you. You just screwed yourself, Cato. You were stupid to go around killing everyone just because of me. That was rude and dumb and impulsive. I don't think I'm going to forgive you for this for a long time."
"Clove!" Cato says.
"Watch out! He's kill-crazy!" Madge shouts, jumping behind Gale.
"Shut it, Madge!" Cato says.
"Don't worry, if he can't keep calm and starts to kill before Haymitch and the Peacekeepers come, I'll whack his head off with my axe. It'll be totally legal, too, in the name of self-defense," Johanna says, shooting a glance at Cato. Madge nods and glares at Cato. Cato glares back at the two girls looking at him. Gale moves closer to Madge protectively. Cato snorts.
"I need some time to think about this. I'm going into the kitchen. If you hear anything crash, I probably have gone into a fit of rage. Don't come in," Clove says, storming out as Katniss comes back in with a concerned look.
"Okay, Clove aside, I have bad news. In this storm and with power out, I have no cell service. We're stuck here until someone can drive back to Twelve and get Haymitch tomorrow morning," Katniss says.
"So we're stuck with killer Cato all night?" Gale asks, eying him.
"Yup…we're stuck here with him alright," Peeta says. At the sound of Peeta's voice, Gale's head snaps in his direction. Madge feels Gale tense up and places her hands firmly on his shoulders.
"Not again!" Katniss groans.
"Not real, Gale! Gale, it isn't real! Peeta is innocent! Cato is the killer!"
"It's Peeta…," Gale growls, stare locked on Peeta.
"Katniss, I recommend taking Peeta out of the room for a while. Maybe bring him to the kitchen?" Madge suggests, massaging Gale's shoulders in an attempt to calm her boyfriend down. Katniss nods and she and Peeta go back to the kitchen. Peeta leans against the counter, and Katniss puts a hand on his shoulder.
"I can sense you're not alright, Peeta. Tell me what's wrong," Katniss says to the blonde boy.
"We're stuck in this mansion until tomorrow morning with a murderer and someone who wants to kill me every other time he looks at me. We're all tired. We could fall asleep at any given moment, and who knows what's going to happen in that time, Kat?" he says.
"Oh, Peeta. Nothing's going to happen. I'll stay up all night if I have to protect you," Katniss says.
"Kat, you need your rest. I'll stay up to fend for myself, okay?" Peeta says to the girl.
"Peeta, you're in a weak state! What if they—"
"Katniss, you can't change my mind. I have had one goal all night, and that was to make sure you got home alive. So far I've stuck to it and it's been working. If you don't go home alive, I don't know what I'm going to do. Okay, Kat? You're going to pass out eventually, and Cato could take advantage of that at any given moment. I need you with me," Peeta says.
"Peeta, I'm not leaving you, and I'm not letting you stay up for me, either. You're vulnerable, and you're going to pass out at any given moment just as much as I am," Katniss tries to reason.
"Then look. We're both at the same vulnerability. Why don't we go into one of the rooms upstairs and sleep there for the night? Nobody else will know which room we're in, or which floor for that matter," Peeta says. Katniss nods slowly, lips pursed.
"That'll work, I suppose," she says.
"Good. You go grab the weapons and I'll go find a room. It's only going to be on the floor above this one, probably near the stairs," Peeta says. Katniss nods and walks off as Peeta heads up the stairs. Katniss walks by the living room, gathers up her bow, arrows, and Peeta's sword. The others eye her but say nothing as she heads up the stairs.
Peeta is three doors down on the right waving her over. He pulls open the door to let her in to a bedroom with a king-sized canopy bed that has black silky sheets on them. Katniss sticks the weapons in a corner, and she and Peeta sit down on the bed and flick on the TV.
"I hope nobody finds us. They were all looking at me suspiciously when I went to get the weapons," Katniss says.
"Don't worry, Katniss. I won't let any harm come to you up here."
"Cato, I still can't believe you! "
"Clove, I said I'm sorry!"
"Sorry? That's all you have to say? You killed some of my best friends and the guy I liked that I knew it would never work out with! You overreacted, Cato! You have no idea how much I would like to stab you right now! I hate you so much. You drive me crazy! And before this, that used to be a pretty darn good thing! But now? Ugh, you disgust me. I still don't know why I'm talking to you."
Clove spins on her heel and turns to walk out the door when Cato calls her name.
"Clove, wait. Please…don't go."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't," Clove snaps, turning back around and crossing her arms.
"I'm lonely."
"Gee, I wonder why that is."
"Clove, please…don't walk out on me yet. Can't I get a chance to redeem myself?"
"You're going to be sent to juvie when we get home, Cato."
"B-But—"
"No buts."
"Clove, give me another chance, I beg of you!"
"No! You ruined my life Cato! This will take decades of intense therapy to finally be erased from my mind, and it'll probably end up coming back anyway!"
Cato grabs Clove wrist as she attempts to leave the living room. Clove tries to jerk her hand away, only to be pulled closer to Cato.
"Let go of me!" she cries, "Johanna! Marvel! Get in here! Oh, where are they?"
"Listen, Clove. I'm not going to hurt you," Cato says lowly.
"Let me go, Cato!"
"Clove, no. Listen to me and then I'll let you go!" Cato says.
"Fine," Clove huffs to him.
Cato nods with a small, grateful smile.
"Look Clove. I know I acted irrational, and I doubt I'll ever get out of juvie when we go back home. But I need to tell you," he says, stroking her cheek. Clove calms down the slightest.
"Yeah?"
"I've loved you…for the longest time…," Cato says, pushing stray hairs from Clove's face. Clove blushes furiously as Cato's face inches closer to hers, and an impulse overtakes her. She closes the small gap between her lips and Cato's. The two teens pour all of the events of the night into the passion of the kiss. Clove's hands get entangled in Cato's hair, and Cato's hands press Clove even closer to him.
"Yuck, you two! Get a room, would you?" Johanna shouts, walking into the room.
"Huh?" Clove asks, breaking away from the kiss.
"You screamed for Marvel and me. So we delayed ourselves, naturally," Johanna explains.
"Okay, so if he had been killing me for real, I would be dead now is what you're saying?" Clove snaps.
"Yep, pretty much," Marvel says with a nod.
"Okay…that's just plain rude, and get out of here now. I don't need you, since you delayed yourselves," Clove says, shooing the pair out.
"Mellark. He's gonna kill us all. We need to get away, Madge. He's going to come after us and kill us. I say I shoot an arrow through that heart of his and we make our escape," Gale says to Madge, breathing heavily as they sit in another bedroom on the second floor. Madge shakes her head at him.
"Gale. Peeta is innocent. Cato is the killer. Cato. Cato. Cato."
I'm running breathlessly for my life. Madge is at my right, Katniss is at my left. And behind us is a rabid Peeta, laughing maniacally and swinging his sword about, shouting at us about how gruesome our demises would be. Madge screams in fear as we hit a dead end, and Peeta grabs Katniss by the arm. Frantically, I grab her and yank her back to me. But Peeta's pull begins to overpower mine, and Katniss screams for my arms to be around hers. I hear the sound of a blade cutting through skin, and a sickening thud. Madge and I hesitantly look to see Katniss's decapitated head on the ground. Peeta grins, laughing at the sheer insanity of it. He hacks up the rest of Katniss and turns toward Madge. The only girl left. The only girl left I truly do care about, minus my little sister Posy, and Katniss's little sister Prim. I lunge for Peeta and tackle him. The sword flies from his hands and clatters to the floor a few feet away. Peeta struggles under my grip to get back his weapon.
"You evil idiot. Prepare to die," I growl out. Madge tosses me my bow and arrow. I get up in a swift, fluid motion and draw back the string. The arrow sails into Peeta's heart, and I have done justice. I just know I have. Madge is safe with me. It is a shame Katniss had to go, but now her killer is done with.
"Gale!" Madge shouts, slapping the boy across the face. Gale's gray eyes widen into vicious pools of hate.
"Out of my way, Madge. I'm finding Mellark and taking him down before he kills anyone else."
Madge jumps on top of Gale, and both go crashing to the floor before Gale can reach the doorknob.
"No! Gale! Stop it! CATO IS THE KILLER!"
Later that night, when Katniss is sure everyone is sleeping, she quietly tip-toes out of the room, and she shuts the door behind her. She makes her way down the hall and hears the snoring of Gale and Madge as she passes one of the rooms. On the couch downstairs, Clove is asleep with a big groove next to her; Cato's shape. Katniss's blood runs cold as she hurriedly walks into the kitchen. Marvel is passed out on the floor, snoring. Johanna is slumped across the table, a can of soda still in her hand. But there is no sign of Cato. Katniss freezes when she hears footsteps behind her, with mad laughter. No, Cato was much calmer earlier. Katniss spins on her heel, and there Cato stands. His eyes are wild, and his mouth and hands have a bluish tint.
The tracker-jacker powder.
"Going somewhere, Miss Everdeen?" Cato asks snidely.
"Cato," Katniss says nervously.
"Little Everdeen. I'm about to save your life. Did you know that boyfriend of yours is going to kill us all?" Cato says.
The tracker-jacker venom doesn't just make them crazy…Cato made it so it turns everyone against Peeta…
"No. No, Cato, he wouldn't. You purposely had some of that tracker-jacker powder. You're trying to hurt Peeta and I with a justified reason. You…you're crazy," Katniss says in a low voice, looking to Johanna and Marvel, to see if they will wake up. But no such thing happens. Instead, before Katniss can see it coming, she feels metal collide with the back of her head, and her whole world falls black.
"Kat…Katniss? Katniss, where are you?" Peeta asks groggily, sitting up in the darkness. Katniss's side of the bed is empty, and Peeta begins to get the suspicion someone is watching him. Before Peeta can process it, three different people lunge for him. One of them has him pinned by the arms, the other has the legs, and one towers over him as he lies down on the bed, looking at the ringleader of his attack.
"Cato," Peeta growls.
"Peeta Mellark, the killer of everyone at this party," Cato snarls back. Peeta takes notice of the blue dust on Cato's mouth and fingers, and then looks at his attackers, Marvel and Gale. Both have the same trademark of the tracker-jacker poison on them. Peeta glares up at Cato.
"You're sick," he snaps.
"I always am. Marvel, Gale, take him to the torture room."
The torture room is only a short ways away from the bedroom. Peeta at first thinks the room is empty, minus all of the torture equipment. But Peeta notices someone struggling against three more hijack victims, Clove, Johanna, and Madge. That someone is Katniss herself, being strapped down to some sort of examination table. Peeta grimaces at the sight as he is thrown into a cell. Katniss's gray eyes dart across the room to the blonde boy.
"Peeta!" she cries.
"Katniss!" Peeta shouts in response.
"Yes, yes, the two little lovebirds," Cato says, "I'm about to be your worst nightmare, if I wasn't already."
"I thought you hijacked yourself!" Katniss and Peeta shout simultaneously.
"No, I put that there as evidence. Even if I did, I concocted the poison, and I know how to control it within me. The others are hijacked into following me, you brainless two," Cato says.
"So what exactly are you going to do to me, now that you have me?" Katniss asks curiously.
"I don't know, maybe I'll hijack you, too. Then we'll all just gang up on Peeta and kill him, so he won't be too much of a problem anymore," Cato says.
"No, don't you do anything to her!" Peeta shouts from his cell.
"And why shouldn't I?" Cato responds.
"Because, she really didn't do anything to you, and it's clear it's me that you want," Peeta tries to talk Cato out of it.
"Yeah. It's you that I want. To suffer," Cato replies.
"I still don't get why you're doing this. All of us know your tactics and why exactly you went into killer mode. So why are you doing this now?" Katniss asks.
"Because, all of them are hijacked, now. They don't know a thing about what's going on, and I am intent on keeping it that way," Cato responds cruelly.
"I. Hate. You. So. Much," Peeta snaps.
"Likewise," Cato responds before turning back to his work. Peeta and Katniss lock gazes while Clove, Madge, Johanna, Marvel, and Gale all stand around in the corners, every once in a while glaring at Peeta before laughing maniacally.
"It'll be okay," Katniss tries to reassure Peeta.
"I know it won't," Cato pipes up.
"Shut it, traitor!" Peeta yells at him.
Meanwhile, back in District 12, Haymitch gets a knock on the door in the middle of the night. Still suffering from the effects of a hangover before he fell asleep, Haymitch stumbles to the door and pulls it open to see Effie standing there, looking at him worriedly.
"Hey, Princess, why are you here in the middle of the night?" Haymitch slurs.
"Haymitch, I'm worried about the children up in that mansion. I've tried calling them but I think the storm knocked out power up there. Plus, I overheard Gale explaining things to the other four of them from here. I was outside talking to Mrs. Everdeen when I overheard him. Do you think someone could've murdered half the party?" Effie says.
"Listen, Pinkie, they know how to fend for themselves, 'kay? They'll be fine," Haymitch responds.
"I don't know, Haymitch…"
"If it makes you feel better, I'll get a group of Peacekeepers to escort us there. It'll only take an hour, okay? We'll just check up on them, and maybe we'll stay the night with them, to keep a watchful eye. It's a mansion, too, so we'll find a bedroom, one for each of us," Haymitch says.
"Well…alright," Effie finally agrees. Haymitch nods and pulls on a jacket, and begins to make his way toward the Hob.
"Where are you going?" Effie questions.
"To get Peacekeepers. Don't question a thing and you'll be fine," Haymitch replies.
Misery. Pure misery and anguish. He can feel the pain coursing through Katniss's veins as the whip lets out another lash. Cato laughs cheerfully, like a maniac, at the torture inflicted upon the Everdeen girl, and Peeta wishes it were him being whipped so harshly, and not the girl he loves. Peeta vaguely remembers another time, where this could quite possibly have happened to her in the town center back home in District 12.
This particular December afternoon was chillier than most residents of District 12 had expected. I was putting up a display in a window, and then I saw a band of Peacekeepers questioning Hazelle, Gale's mom. I knew my mom was out in 7, visiting a friend of hers. My dad was the only one home, taking care of me, and even then, he's out at a bakers' meeting at one of his buddies' houses in downtown. That left me to watch the bakery, all alone. I quickly put a sign on the door that read "Be Back Soon" and jogged out. I darted behind a tree and listened to them.
"Ma'am, we're demanding to know where your oldest son is. He's supposed to start work in the mines today, since he turned nineteen two weeks ago. He was set to show up this morning but we haven't found him," one of the Peacekeepers said harshly, a glare coming over his face. My breath hitched; Katniss and Gale were in the woods, I knew it for a fact. I slinked away from the scene and ran toward the fence at the edge of the woods. I could see Katniss and Gale starting to head back from my spot on top of a barrel of something, but then I noticed the Peacekeepers, four of them, chatting nearby. I didn't want to be seen, so I ducked down.
Katniss and Gale never really associated with me and I never really associated with them. We were from two different parts of District 12; I was a townsperson, a merchant kid, while they were from the Seam. I never really understood the big deal about it, just that they were unfortunate enough where they had less money and were considered dirty scum we weren't to talk to. My mother was very enforcing of this rule that I was not to help them in any way, or even wave hello.
It was stupid, really, to me.
I looked toward the Peacekeepers, in their pristine white uniforms, guns slung across their chests, whips in their hands, not afraid to hurt Katniss and Gale. I felt bad for them, genuinely, I did. I just hoped the Peacekeepers wouldn't find them hunting. That could result in a public flogging or death at worst. They've been doing this for years, too, and if the Peacekeepers found out, they would be dead for sure.
The saddest part was that they're doing this to keep their families alive.
I needed a plan. I knew that Peacekeeper, Darius, was a friend of Katniss's, and he knew she and Gale hunted. It was unusual for a merchant to go to the Hob, but not unheard of. I raced down there as fast as I could. Darius was heading back up the street toward me, and he grinned slightly when he saw me. He found out somehow about my crush on Katniss a few weeks ago, when I fell asleep on the job and he came for bread, when I was working a late shift at the bakery.
"Peeta, how are you?" he asked me with a bright smile.
"Eh. I could be better. Listen, Darius, Katniss and Gale are in some bit of trouble. I really need your help. Can you maybe call an emergency Peacekeeper meeting? They're out hunting and Gale was supposed to be in the mines today. They're heading back now and there are Peacekeepers at the fence," I said.
"Katniss and Gale…I suppose I can, since they kept me fed after I got sick a few weeks ago. Alright, Mellark, I'll do it," Darius said.
"Please, can I get you anything in return?" I asked.
"Just make sure they stay outta trouble, boy. I can see you like her, and it would be a shame for her to get in trouble," Darius responded.
"Thank you, Darius," I said, and I went back to the bakery. Later that afternoon, Katniss herself showed up and plunked herself down at a stool at the front counter. I turned to her, covered in flour and frosting.
"May I help—Katniss?"
"Hey, Peeta," she said to me, "Darius told me how you warned him about us. I wanted to thank you."
"Oh, err, it wasn't a problem," I had responded. It was that afternoon as well that our strong bond formed. I never really regretted saving her from that flogging.
But now her screams of pain ring in Peeta's ears, tearing his heart in half. Blood is beginning to mat down Katniss's clothes and hair, covering parts of her skin. Peeta tries to break through the bars with his own strength, to no avail. Cato grins and jeers at him.
"You can't win, Peeta. She's going to slip into unconsciousness, and then I'll hijack her, too! You can't win! You lost, Peeta!"
"Peeta," Katniss pleads weakly from her spot.
"Katniss! Kat, don't let him put you under!"
"It's too late for your wimpy begging now, Mellark!" Cato yells at him.
"Peeta!" Katniss screams.
"Kat! No!" Peeta yelps as Cato brings the whip down one last time. Katniss lets out an earsplitting scream, and then darkness overtakes her world.
"Katniss!" Peeta yells.
Cato smirks at him.
"You're too late now, Mellark. Soon enough, my next batch of tracker-jacker poison will be complete, and then I'll unleash all of them on you. You'll never live to see another day after that. I'll have finally beaten you," Cato says, grinning deviously as he walks over to a lab table, topped with a myriad of different chemicals for mixing.
"Why? I just want to know…why are you doing this to us?" Peeta asks.
"I told you! I hate you! You have everything I've ever wanted in life! You have a girlfriend, your parents love you! …Well your dad does at least, and so do your brothers! My family hates me! Clove never liked me back! I may live in District Two but that doesn't mean my life is perfect!" Before Peeta can respond to Cato's snap, the murderer suddenly stumbles, and he tumbles to the floor, blacking out as well.
"Wait…what?" Peeta mutters.
So, Cato decided that by hijacking everyone else, they won't remember this and he can get away with killing Peeta after all. Super nice guy, right? Note my sarcasm, please do. So, we've figured out Peeta's motives for most deaths, but specifically, here they are:
Annie: To begin the night with a bang, Cato killed her, also leaving no real purpose for her death other than her loving relationship with Finnick.
Cashmere: Gloss's sister, Cato pretended to love her and then killed her next to make the others believe he was not the one to kill her.
Gloss: Cashmere's brother, Clove liked him. Cato despised him for having Clove's affection, and he kills him out of envy.
Finnick: Cato got tired of his whining over Annie's death, and was envious of his loving relationship with Annie.
Glimmer: Marvel was starting to get away from the plan, and decide he didn't really like it, so to show him he had to stay with the plan, Cato killed his crush, Glimmer.
Delly: A hometown friend of Peeta, Katniss, Gale, and Madge, Cato killed her out of envy of the other four's relationships.
Foxface: To throw everyone off, Cato killed her next.
And he's still crazy, despite that moment with Clove. He never learns, does he? No, huh. Well, now what happened? WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Why did Cato pass out? You all want to know, but I already do. Ha ha!
See you all in the next (and possibly last) chapter!