For several interminable moments Piper heard nothing but screams, smoke, flames and a terrifying ringing in her ears.

The rebels had come to the gates of the Presidential palace but so had the people of Capitol running wildly to escape the blind rage of the enemy.

Piper wiped the blood and dust from her face.

She had been thrown backward several meters by the blast of a bomb, one from Capitol, dropped from a hovercraft and descended on the crowd with drones. The same ones that were used during the games to bring supplies and weapons to the tributes.

She was conducting the live broadcast near the palace when Snow had come up with the ingenious idea of bombing the rebels and his own people to try to escape.

One of his worst ideas.

Perhaps she'd fainted because she didn't remember much of what had happened after the blast.

She tried to stand up but kept tripping over the corpses of the people killed and wounded in the bombing, irreparably staining herself with blood.

The man who had been filming her during the final stages of the conflict had been gutted by a bomb; she had also been injured but not seriously.

Jill, her assistant, grabbed the camera from the ground. The young woman from District 7 was covered in blood and wounds, she must have been in a lot of pain but that didn't stop her.

-What are you doing?- Piper questioned her bewildered. All she was thinking about was getting herself to safety from that hell.

-What a question! Does your microphone still work?-

Piper asserted, her clothes were a mess but the microphone seemed intact.

-Great. I keep recording, you're live on Rebels News.-Jill asserted confidently.

The woman nodded, her ears still ringing from the explosion earlier. She took a breath, really struggling to breathe due to smoking.

-We're here, in front of President Snow's building.-she began:-I am fine but my cameraman was hit and killed by an enemy bomb. As you can see the rebels have taken over Capitol and-

Booom. A second explosion.

This time Piper wasn't hit by the shockwave but Jill was and with her the camera, which shattered into a thousand pieces and stopped recording.

-Delayed bombs...- she realized in horror as the people around her cried and screamed in panic.

.

Getting stitches without anesthesia was no picnic but at least she had survived the bombing.

In fact, the double bombing.

-You had three shrapnel in your arm and two in your leg.- told her one of the doctors as he stitched her up:-One of them was only two centimeters from the femoral. You got lucky.-

Pip, however, wasn't listening to him; she kept her gaze fixed on the other room where a dark-haired girl was being medicated. She was in pretty bad shape.

-I thought she was supposed to be safe in the back.- she commented with a resigned sigh.

-She'll be fine.-the doctor reassured her by bandaging her leg:-Her burns aren't that serious.-

-I'd hoped she was safe.- she sighed:-What happened?-

A man in his forties entered the room:-You know what Katniss is like. She went her own way, her and Gale.-

-Katniss may be impulsive but she's certainly not stupid.- stated the woman then sketched a smile:-You look well Haymitch.-

-I'm still alive and sober. And you're alive too.- he commented:-This is a new beginning for all of us, Capitol has fallen.-

-This is just a fitting conclusion to a very painful chapter of my life.- Piper got off the crib with a hop:-I plan to return to District 4 as soon as possible.-

Haymitch didn't seem very convinced:-Do you really think Coin and Plutarch will let you go when they need you the most?-

-They don't need a field reporter Haymitch, war is over.-

-Go tell that to Coin. She is so thirsty for revenge, hatred. She's ready to slaughter Capitol with her own hands if necessary.-

Piper shushed him:-You must be careful how you talk.-

The annoyed man started to leave:-By the way, Coin wants to see you. She's waiting for you in her office.-

-Great, I'll let her know my intentions.-

He huffed annoyed:-Good luck, you'll need it.- then he went out, slamming the door.

Piper put on the clothes the doctor had found for her:-I prefer him drunk.-