Chapter Four: Watching the Life Drain Out of Their Eyes

I'm not sure how many throats I slit, how many eyes I gouged, or how many times I bashed open some worthless carcass's skull up with my rather crude and ancient Roman weapon.

I moved with a fluid grace. Sometimes it captivates my pursuers so that they are sitting ducks. Not that it would take any less effort to annihilate them. Just less time.

"Katniss! Let's go!" Gale called. He slung the duffel bags over his shoulder. I tossed him some C4 blocks.

"Blast your way out of here! I'll finish up! Meet at the rendezvous point!" I turned away from him just as he started blasting his way through the bank vault's walls.

"I love you!" He called. "Don't forget to come back to me!"

"Just go!" I screamed. I can no longer love.

There was one last man standing. He was firing all his weapons at me, but everything bounced off my newly manufactured skin. He had nothing now. I grabbed his neck and held him off the ground.

And the last thing I love about my job?

Watching the life drain out of my enemies' eyes.

I looked around at the mess before me. What a waste of pathetic human life. I felt the usual sickness overcoming that came after every slaughter. The one percent of the old... me that recoiled from my new ways. From these utter massacres. I forced myself to swallow the acidic bile. I pulled the napalm foot pads from my running shoes. I ignited it and waited for it to detonate. I was not disappointed by my latest improvising. And the next thing I knew, I was blown sky high, leaving a burning crater behind me.

A/N: This I probably the most favorite chapter of all the chapters that I've posted so far. I guess it's because I didn't need any help with the weapons and it really reveals the dilemma and internal, mental fight that Katniss is going through as she tries to let herself be overcome by the machine but at the same time fighting to resurface as herself. Peeta and Katniss will most likely meet up in the next two chapters because I don't really want to prolong things anymore than that. At the end of the next chapter it might be them meeting and then like a cliffhanger (aren't I evil?) to leave you pondering how Katniss and Peeta might react or something like that. Or it might just be Katniss deciding to go after Peeta. You're choice although I reserve the right to go with whatever side I choose. I just like having my reader's opinion.

Still looking for a beta.

Enjoy Writing,

RIOTH