Here we go with chapter nine! This one is something special~
Please review, I enjoy reading them!
Disclaimer: I don't own "The Hunger Games" or "Naruto," they belong to their respective owners.
Turning the Tide
"It's okay… it's okay…" Naruto consoled Katniss and she rocked herself. The hour was finally up, but it felt like an eternity for Katniss and Finnick. They had to go through their suffering.
Katniss didn't respond to Naruto, instead choosing to accept his embrace. She stayed that way for a while, allowing the blonde to stroke her hair and whisper soft nothings into her ear.
Beetee had also joined them during the chaos. He had finally found his way to Johanna and Naruto about ten minutes into the jabberjay attack.
As for Johanna, she walked over to Finnick. Kneeling beside him, she got a good look at his expression.
The dull pain in Finnick's thigh was long forgotten when the jabberjays attacked. To Finnick, he hadn't felt his wound at all, instead feeling his mental defenses crumble.
"How are you holding up?" Johanna consoled with genuine care in her voice, worried for the tribute.
Looking into space with a blank stare, Finnick responded, "I'm good. Just give me a moment, please."
Nodding her head, Johanna left Finnick alone while he stayed silent.
"No one touched Prim, the Capitol can't hurt her," Naruto reassured his lover while caressing her back.
Johanna then spoke up, "He's right, they can't touch your sister. The entire Capitol would practically rebel if they hurt her. For all we know, those jabberjay sounds you heard were faked."
Beetee then chose this time to add his advice, "Johanna's right, they could have easily faked those noises you both were hearing. It's not difficult for them at all."
Raising her axe in defiance, Johanna shouted at the cameras nearby. "You sure do get off on torturing us Snow, what if we did the same to you? Wouldn't it be great if we killed your loved ones?"
Katniss then looked over at her fellow female, confused by the sudden outburst. It was risky and only put Johanna in the target of Snow personally.
Seeing the group's look, Johanna defended herself. "What, you think I'm scared of that asshole? He's already killed anyone I loved…"
Hearing this revelation made Katniss relate to the girl. They were all victims in the Capitol's sick games.
"Let's head back to the beach," Naruto commented while helping Katniss up, "It'll give us time to recover and talk strategy."
Just like that, the group slowly trekked their way through the jungle. They walked a nearby trail until the group of five made it to the beach. It was deadly silent but at least they didn't run into any complications along the way.
Everyone decided to sit down on the sand while Finnick walked into the water. He stayed there for a moment before deciding to sit down, letting the waves crash along his legs. This made him feel very comfortable, the sensation of water bringing him back home.
Katniss sat between the legs of Naruto while his arms wrapped around her. She glanced over at Finnick, seeing how he was handling his grief.
She then looked over to Johanna, "I was wondering, who's Annie?"
Johanna stopped sharpening her axe and looked over at Katniss. "Annie is the girl from District Four, the girl Mags volunteered for."
Staring straight ahead, Johanna then muttered, "…I don't understand love…Why volunteer for something that could cause your death… just to save someone else?…"
Katniss then felt a pain of sympathy in her heart for the girl. She didn't have a good relationship with the emotion.
Beetee then finished fiddling with his coil and spoke up, "I have an idea. A plan."
Nodding her head, Johanna called over Finnick. The tribute glanced over before slowly standing up and making his way back to the group.
Each tribute listened intently to Beetee's strategy, eager as to what he was going to say.
"The careers aren't here on the beach, correct?" Beetee asked. Everyone nodded at the simple question. "And why is that?"
"Because we claimed it and they don't have the superior numbers to take it back," Johanna said
"So if we left, they would come back," Beetee said with a small smile.
"They could," Finnick said with boredom in his eyes, "Or they would just stay hidden in the jungle."
"Which would be perfect for us, since it'll be hit with a colossal wave in about four hours," Beetee said. "And at midnight, lighting strikes that tree over there," Beetee pointed out.
"Get to the point," Johanna snapped back, annoyed.
"Here's what I suggest," Beetee said with darting eyes, "At dusk, we leave the beach and make our way to the lighting tree. This should draw out the career tributes back to the beach. Just before midnight hits, we run my wire from the tree into the water, effectively creating an electrical trap."
"So then anybody in the water or standing on the damp sand is electrocuted, right?" Naruto spoke up for the first time.
Beetee nodded.
"And what about the wire? Are we sure it won't burn out on us?" Katniss asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It won't," Beetee assured, "I made it myself and I can guarantee you it won't burn up."
The group then took a moment to have a silent conversation with their eyes. Each tribute stared at the other, seeing if everyone agreed with the plan. After a few seconds of silence, Johanna spoke up.
"I guess it beats trying to track them down."
Katniss added, "I agree, I say we go for it."
"So then what do you want out of us?" Finnick asked, "How can we help?"
Beetee smiled, "That's easy, just keep me alive for the next six hours."
Each tribute was off doing their own thing, waiting for dusk to arrive. Johanna talked with Beetee, Finnick practiced with his trident, and Naruto spoke with his fiance.
The couple sat in the sand together, soaking in the situation around them. They stayed silent for a while until Katniss spoke up.
"I think…I think we should leave the group…" Katniss said after slight hesitation.
Naruto looked over at her, "And what about the plan?"
"I think the plan will work, and that's what I'm worried about. Once the careers are dead, we only have each other left to fight." Katniss gripped her arm tightly, "I don't want to be the aggressor."
Naruto placed one hand on her thigh, "What if nobody wants to fight first? What if nobody throws the first punch?"
"Then we might still all die in the end," The girl on fire retorted with a clenched jaw.
"I guess so…huh…" the blonde responded while looking into space. He didn't say anything for a few moments.
Katniss closed her eyes, "We both know there can only be one winner. They won't allow for multiple victors again, they're too smart to make the same mistake."
Naruto rubbed Katniss's thigh while responding, "I say we stick with them till midnight… and if we hear a cannon boom while we're out there… then we split."
Katniss looked over at the other tributes before nodding her head. She could agree to that.
Retracting his hand from Katniss's thigh, Naruto placed both palms into the sand before leaning back. "You know if it comes down to it Kat…I'm not letting you die. I don't care if you have to kill me, but I'm not killing you."
"No," Katniss shook her head, "I'm not killing you, ever," she emphasized.
"You can't die here, love," Naruto said with a sad smile, "You have people to care for. Your sister, your mother, and even the people back home. You have to keep up hope for those around you."
"And what about my hope, huh?" Katniss said, refusing for tears to come out of her eyes.
Naruto looked over, confused by her statement. Seeing his gaze, Katniss elaborated further. "Everyone's so worried about me being the pillar of support and being the symbol of hope… but what about my hope? What about the light of my life? Don't I at least get a say in that?…"
Naruto sat there stunned, not sure what to say.
Seeing this, Katniss continued, "I need you in my life, Ruto. If you die…I lose my hope for this world."
The blonde felt his heart clench at the confession, as he didn't enjoy putting that kind of pressure on his fiance. Deciding to do something, Naruto gently grabbed Katniss by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss.
The couple then made out for a few moments, enjoying the other's company. Separating, Naruto placed his forehead atop Katniss's.
"You're the love of my life, Kat," Naruto chuckled, "I can't let you die, no matter what. If you die, then I have nothing left to live for."
They both then heard Johanna shout, "Okay, let's get a move on! We don't have all day!"
Smiling, the couple gathered their supplies and walked over to the other tributes. They had a plan to stick to after all.
The group of five made their way through the jungle. They watched their step in the dark, not wanting to accidentally trip. There was no conversation between any of the members.
As they walked up the trail, they heard the anthem of fallen tributes. Looking into the sky, the group saw the updated list of slain tributes.
Gloss, Cashmere, Wiress, Blight, Chaff, and Mags were the immediate identifiable tributes to the group. The female tribute from District Five and the female tribute from District Six were also shown among the dead. This moment created a temporary grief for Finnick, as he pondered about Mags.
Johanna also showed a grimace at seeing Blight's image, feeling sorry for her deceased tribute partner.
Once the anthem was over, the group took a second before continuing their trek through the jungle. They walked once more without making any conversation.
They eventually made their way to a clearing that showed the large tree ahead of them.
Beetee smiled at seeing the construct, "Would you look at that! Almost no burn scarring or damage, what an excellent conductor!" This would be much stronger than he initially thought.
Setting his coil down, Beetee began wrapping the wire around multiple tree branches. He wrapped it around fifteen times on each side before continuing on to another branch. This resulted in nearly every branch and trunk around the conductor in the tree, being wrapped in wire.
Finishing his work, Beetee grabbed his coil and looked around.
"A lightning strike can carry around five billion Jules of energy, so that means we don't want to be anywhere near here when it strikes."
Handing his coil to Katniss, Beetee spoke once more, "Take this with Johanna and make sure the entire coil ends up in the water. Once done, meet us at the tree near the two o'clock center. We'll be there."
This immediately set off alarm bells in Katniss and Naruto's heads. This would cause issues for their plan of splitting off from the group.
"Can Finnick and Johanna stay behind instead while I go with Katniss?" Naruto asked while looking at Beetee.
"It's his plan, let's just follow it as is," Finnick retorted with crossed arms.
"I need two strong guards to protect me, that was the deal. Given that you and Finnick are the best fighters, I chose you both to stay here." Beetee said with a serious expression.
"Is that a problem?" Johanna asked while looking over at the couple.
Katniss shook her head, "No, it's not a problem at all." Looks like they would both need to compromise.
Giving up on trying to fight it, Naruto instead chose to give Katniss a passionate kiss. He then whispered in her ear, "I'll see you soon, Kat."
With a smile full of love, he stepped back. Katniss smiled back.
Taking the coil in hand, Katniss walked off with Johanna deep into the jungle. She carefully unspooled each piece of the wire across the jungle.
They walked for minutes before Katniss felt the line in her hand go slack. Becoming alerted instantly, she whispered out to Johanna. "The line's gone dead! Somebody cut it!"
Dropping the coil to the floor, she drew an arrow in preparation to defend herself. She could see Brutus and Enobaria off in the distance, the likely culprits of cutting the line.
Bringing up her bow high, Katniss aimed for Brutus's head. She was on target and nearly let the arrow loose before she was smacked in the back of her head violently. Falling on her face, Katniss went unconscious while Johanna turned her body over.
Nearby both girls was the rock that Johanna used to smack the girl.
Grabbing her axe, Johanna delicately used the sharp point to cut into Katniss's forearm. After some light slicing and digging around, she removed the tracker in her arm.
Throwing it aside, Johanna smeared the blood from Katniss's arm onto her neck. She rubbed it all over, looking like she had stabbed her in the throat.
"Stay down," Johanna whispered to Katniss.
As for the girl on fire, she was fading in and out of consciousness. Katniss didn't even feel the cut on her forearm due to the delirious state she was in. She had barely heard Johanna's words before passing out.
Just as Katniss closed her eyes, Johanna threw her axe at Brutus and Enobaria. They had gotten close so the axe was meant as a distraction before Johanna sprinted deep into the jungle.
"After her!" Enobaria commanded.
"What about the girl?" Brutus asked, glancing over at Katniss's prone body.
"Can't you see?" The female tribute said, "She dying or already dead. Her throat is slit and she's not moving. Now let's stop wasting time and chase this other girl down!"
Nodding his head, Brutus joined his tribute partner in chasing after Johanna. They ran deep into the jungle, looking for any signs of the girl.
As for Katniss, she would periodically wake up only to pass out again. She didn't know how long this went on, but she eventually stayed awake. Groaning from the pain in the back of her head and forearm, Katniss slowly stood up.
As she did, she could hear Finnick screaming in the distance. He screamed for Johanna and her, causing Katniss to grab her bow and duck under some bushes. She heard Finnick call out for her multiple times, but she didn't respond. Eventually, she heard his frantic footsteps go away.
However, Katniss's heart then sank. If Finnick was here, then that meant Naruto was either dead or all alone. Both options that she couldn't afford right now. Grabbing some of the coils near her feet, she charged back to the lighting tree.
"Did they devise this on purpose? Were they trying to separate me and Naruto to kill us?" Katniss thought while sprinting back to the base of the tree.
She didn't know who to trust except her fiance, and she didn't even know where he was at the moment.
Coming back into the clearing, Katniss saw a body fly backward after hitting the boundary of the arena. Fearing it was her love, she ran over only to see it was Beetee. He was shaking and convulsing on the floor.
Looking at the object he had in his hand, she realized it was a wooden spear with Naruto's trench knife attached at the top. There was even the coil wrapped around it.
"RUTO! RUTO!" Katniss called out, screaming for her lover to make an appearance. She was worried sick and needed to know where he was in this chaos.
This screaming however attracted Finnick and not her fiance. Finnick ran to her location, holding his trident in hand. He sprinted over as fast as he could.
Seeing the blonde tribute, Katniss drew an arrow and aimed it at Finnick's throat. She had murder in her eyes and was ready to let it loose.
Placing his hands in a surrender motion, Finnick spoke out, "Katniss, don't forget who the real enemy is!"
These words jarred Katniss for a moment, realizing Haymitch had told her the same thing before entering the Games. She looked at Finnick for a few more seconds before slowly putting her bow back down.
Hearing thunder crackle above her and the sounds of gongs going off, Katniss realized that lighting would strike the tree right behind her very soon. Thinking of a new plan on the spot, Katniss grabbed some nearby wire and wrapped it multiple times around the tip of her arrow. The base of the wire was wrapped around the lighting tree.
"Katniss, get away from that tree now!" Finnick warned. He saw that Katniss had ignored his words completely, "KATNISS! GET AWAY NOW BEFORE IT STRIKES!"
Tightening the knot, Katniss let go of the wire and aimed her arrow into the arena's sky. She waited and waited until the perfect moment came. Once Katniss saw the flash of a blue lightning strike, she let the arrow loose. Its aim was true, as it hit the roof of the arena.
As lighting struck the tree behind the girl on fire, it erupted in many sparks appearing due to the wire's appearance. This energy combustion caused Katniss to go flying through the air, Finnick included. However, the arrow that struck the arena also managed to carry the lighting's current.
As electricity traveled up the wire and through the arrow, it came into contact with the arena's ceiling. This caused all power in the arena to short-circuit and shut down. Not only did the power cut off, but the structure's integrity collapsed as well.
Groaning, Katniss opened her eyes to see large debris fall all around her. Metal beams and arena panels slammed into the ground near her. Some parts came very close to crushing her.
As Katniss cleared her blurry vision, she could see a hovercraft far above her. It lowered a crane before scooping her up into the air. As she was taken, Katniss could only think about her fiance.
Her last thought before blackness filled her vision was of his smile.
Katniss jolted awake, surprised to see that she was still alive. Assessing her surroundings, Katniss could see that she was inside a hovercraft. To her left, was an unconscious Beetee. He seemed to also have a similar forearm wound to hers.
Taking off the oxygen mask that was placed on her, Katniss slowly stood up. She examined Beetee one last time before walking towards the door in front of her.
However, she made sure to grab a nearby syringe that was left unattended in a box. After grabbing her weapon, she cautiously opened the door.
Inside was a sight that shook her to the core. Haymitch was speaking with Finnick and Plutarch, the Head Gamemaker. This confused, startled, and scared her as she didn't know if Haymitch was always in cahoots with the Capitol.
"How could you?!" Katniss screamed, "Why are you working with them?!"
Rushing the mentor, she tried to stab him with the syringe. Haymitch however proved why he was a past victor and managed to restrain Katniss with her arms above her head. Prying the syringe out of her hands, he spoke, "Calm down, just calm down."
"Why is he in here?!" Katniss yelled out while looking at Finnick.
"Stop, let her go," pleaded Finnick with tired eyes. He was extremely exhausted and didn't want any more issues.
"We couldn't tell you the plan while Snow was watching, it could have jeopardized everything. It was better that you were left in the dark," Haymitch said before finally releasing the girl.
"Where's Naruto?" Katniss said while darting her eyes across the room.
"Katniss," began Plutarch, "You and Naruto have been critical to our plan, but you were our goal. You are the Mockingjay, and this is the rebellion. Half of the tributes were in on getting you out, Naruto too."
"I don't give a shit about ANY of that!" Katniss screamed out with spit flying from her mouth, "Where is Naruto?!"
Plutarch then walked off to the side, allowing Haymitch to answer the question.
"Naruto still had his tracker in his arm. The same tracker that Johanna cut out of yours."
"That didn't answer my question," Katniss said in a calm rage, "Where. Is. Naruto?"
Haymitch sighed. "He's in the Capitol, Snow got him first before we could. Both him and Johanna are back there."
"I'm glad I met you."
"You're the love of my life, Kat."
"I'll see you soon, Kat."
The person who kept her sane, who watched over her, who protected her, who listened to her… who loved her, was no longer with her. All because they weren't told about some plan beforehand.
At that moment, Katniss felt an unbridled rage fill her body. She felt the fury of hundreds of suns while gazing upon Haymitch. At that moment, Katniss truly hated Haymitch.
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Katniss screamed out while delivering the harshest slap of her lift onto Haymitch's face. The blow was so great it managed to make the mentor stumble and force him to place on hand on the hovercraft's wall to steady himself. "I TRUSTED YOU! WE TRUSTED YOU! AND YOU LEFT HIM BEHIND!"
Getting back up, Haymitch tried to restrain Katniss but she placed one leg behind his and pushed at the same time. This caused him to fall back with a thud. Instantly, Katniss was on top of him and grabbed his shirt. She placed her face near his and screamed with ferocity. Her face was extremely red from the anger she felt.
"YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD SAVE HIM, NOT ME!" Katniss screamed while tears fell from her eyes, "YOU'RE A FUCKING LIAR! I HATE YOU HAYMITCH! I HATE YOU!"
Seeing that he needed to intervene, Plutarch retrieved a sedative before injecting Katniss on her side. The effects were almost instant, as her eyes grew heavy.
"You used us just like the Capitol did…you're no better than them…" Katniss mumbled out before slumping over, "…I hope you rot in hell…Haymitch…" She was out before she even hit the floor.
Katniss awoke feeling groggy, but alright. She felt a soft hand caress her hair and she realized it was her mother. They were in some medical wing of the hovercraft.
"M-Mom?" whispered Katniss with a raspy throat.
"Yes honey, it's me," said Mrs. Everdeen with a smile.
"W-what happened? Where am I?" Katniss asked with a strained expression on her face.
"You were taken here, we're currently on our way to District Thirteen."
Katniss's eyes almost popped out of her head, "District Thirteen? I thought that was destroyed?"
"We've all been lied to, they're thriving but they're all underground."
Katniss leaned back and took in everything she was being told.
Mrs. Everdeen then clenched her daughter's hand and looked her in the eyes, "We don't have a District anymore, sweetie. The Capitol bombed our home, there is no more District Twelve."
This shocked the girl on fire. Her home was gone and now they were heading to a District she thought to be destroyed. There was so much happening at once.
As Katniss lay there in shock, she turned to her mother with teary eyes, "They got him, Mom. They got Naruto."
Mrs. Everdeen gained a sad look and kissed her daughter's forehead, "I know darling, I know."
Reaching into her pocket, the mother gave her daughter two pieces of jewelry. "Haymitch told me you weren't very happy with him right now, so he wanted me to give you these."
Placing it into her palm, Katniss gazed upon what she was holding. There in the palm of her hand were two things.
Her wedding band and Naruto's jewel necklace.
It had been one month since the end of the 75th annual Hunger Games and Katniss was trying her best to not lose her mind.
She was in a medical ward within District Thirteen. She had been sedated due to her inability to sleep. She would have constant nightmares of the arena as well as leaving Naruto behind. She was scared to imagine the horrors he was going through at the moment.
As she awoke in her medical gown and hospital bed, Katniss almost wished for death. Nothing in her life was the same anymore. Her nightmares which were previously quelled by her fiance, were no longer restrained. Her PTSD had come back stronger than ever in this past month.
Swinging one leg over the bed, Katniss got herself up. She wanted to leave this place, so she did. Opening the door to her room, she entered a long hallway. Deciding to go left, Katniss began pacing down the corridor.
As she did, a familiar glimpse of blonde hair caught her eye. Stopping, she saw Finnick Odair sitting up in his hospital bed. He was staring at the wall with a blank expression.
"FINNICK!" Katniss screamed out, angered by the sight of the man.
Finnick turned his head slowly towards Katniss, his face holding no emotion. Staring at her, he began to speak, "I planned to go after Johanna and Naruto in the arena. I did…but my nerves were shocked and I couldn't move an inch. I felt horrible, seeing as how your fiance did so much for me in the arena, even without knowing about any of this…"
Finnick bit his lip in frustration while choking back sobs, "They got Annie too, you know. She's in the Capitol…"
Tossing his head back, Finnick spoke in a low tone, "I wish we were all dead. I wish I was dead."
Katniss took a moment before realizing that the once over-confident man had been broken. He seemed dead inside and didn't hold any joy for life. In that instance, she thought that perhaps he had it worse than she thought before.
Katniss sat with her sister on a bed in the medical wing within District Thirteen. It seemed only her loved ones could keep her sane for long periods.
Prim didn't say anything, instead choosing to draw and hum. She was drawing a portrait of her sister, while Katniss looked at her and smiled. It was a beautiful moment, but it was soon interrupted.
Hearing two knocks on the door, the sisters turned their heads to see a tall man enter the room. He was equipped with combat gear and had thick clothing on.
"Ms. Everdeen, it's nice to finally meet you. I am Colonel Boggs, head of security for the District. President Coin requested to meet with you."
Katniss jumped at the chance for information, "Any updates at all?"
Boggs shook his head, "I'm only here as an escort."
Looking at her sister one last time, Katniss got up from the bed and followed the man. They walked together silently, neither making conversation.
As they entered an elevator, Boggs hit a few buttons on the wall. The elevator then began descending into the District below.
Katniss looked over the edge, seeing the many miles of underground infrastructure within the District. Even she had to admit, it looked extremely impressive.
"As a young girl, we were always told District Thirteen was gone," Katniss said in amazement while looking over the edge.
Boggs nodded his head, "All of Panem believed we were wiped from existence, but we weren't. We're military, so we learned how to survive. We've trained, fought, and lived down here for decades. In our minds, the war never ended."
Boggs then opened up the elevator after it hit the bottom of the shaft. Hundreds of people could be seen bustling around, each going to do their duties.
The duo kept walking until they arrived at a large room, at which point Boggs left Katniss alone. The first person she noticed, was Beetee in a wheelchair. He looked at her but didn't say anything.
"There you are."
Hearing a voice, Katniss turned her head and saw Plutarch turning the corner. President Coin was also with him.
"Katniss, meet President Alma Coin." Plutarch announced before taking a seat at the table beside them.
President Coin then went up to Katniss and shook her hand, "I wanted to say how much of an honor it is to meet you. I know going through those Games wasn't easy at all, and I applaud your bravery. I hope you can find some comfort here at District Thirteen, we've also known loss."
Katniss didn't say anything to the woman, choosing to blink a few times instead. She glanced over a Beetee as well.
"Well, let's sit," Coin said while taking a seat herself, "I'm sorry for the rush, but we don't have the luxury of time right now."
Staring one last time at Beetee, Katniss sat down next to Coin.
President Coin then leaned forward, looking at the girl on fire. "I have no idea if you know this, but there have been uprisings in seven of the Districts so far. All of this was thanks to your act in the arena. When you shot that arrow into the force field, it sent ripples across the nation."
Katniss leaned back in her chair.
"While we still have the spirit of the people, we need to act. This momentum should be used before it gets snuffed out," Coin said with a serious tone. "Everyone in District Thirteen is ready to act."
"And Naruto?" Katniss asked, "Is he fine?"
"We don't know," Plutarch answered, "I can't contact my inside sources, so we have no idea about his current condition."
"The Capitol is trying their best to suppress all forms of communication," Beetee piped in, "But I can help tear it down. I helped design their system after all."
"Katniss, we need your help," Plutarch said in a gentle tone, "We plan to show that the Mockingjay is alive and ready to fight. We need to show everybody else that they have something to fight for. If we're going to win this battle, we need to have every District on our side."
Taking a brief pause, Plutarch continued, "So our goal is to shoot a series of videos and clips. These will be propaganda videos but I like to call them 'propos' myself. We just need the Mockinjay to stoke the fire, to show the world we're ready to fight."
Smiling at his explanation, Plutarch asked with a grin, "So…what do you think?"
"You left him there. You left Naruto back in the Capitol to die."
Plutarch's grin died instantly.
"Naruto was supposed to live!" Katniss snapped in anger.
"Mrs. Everdeen," Coin interrupted, "We need you to be the voice of the rebellion, for Naruto's sake included."
"You'll never get your Mockingjay," Katniss spat out, "If Naruto dies in the Capitol, consider this revolution to die with it."
Getting up abruptly, Katniss stormed out of the room without saying anything else. There were a few seconds of silence with no one saying anything at first.
"Well…that didn't go well," Beetee said while cleaning his glasses.
President Coin ignored the man while turning over to Plutarch, "You should have saved the boy instead."
Plutarch shook his head, "The funny thing is, I was considering it too. Katniss has always been the Mockingjay, there's no doubt about that. But that boy has a leader's charisma, a charm that attracts others. He made many allies and admirers without trying…" Plutarch rambled on.
"So then why not rescue him instead?" Coin asked with interlocked fingers.
"Because I thought Katniss was the better choice for the rebellion," Plutarch answered, "And I think we need to remind her who the real enemy is."
"We can't, those Games destroyed who she once was. She's not this fierce fighter anymore, just a broken girl."
"Let her see what they did to District Twelve," Plutarch said.
Coin wanted to refuse at first, but then she thought about it. If Katniss did see what the Capitol had done to her home, maybe it could rejuvenate the fire deep inside her. Nodding her head, Coin approved the order. "Go ahead and send her."
Departing from the hovercraft behind her, Katniss laid her feet on her home soil for the first time in a while. She had decided to come to District Twelve alone, despite Gale wanting to join in. He had talked with Katniss before she left.
Looking around her home, Katniss could only feel despair. Homes, businesses, and other buildings were nothing but rubble. Animals such as dogs and cats were eating what little scraps they could find. It was nothing how it used to be.
Walking through the District, Katniss recognized where certain things used to be. The mayor's home was distorted, along with the Reaping stage that was used.
"The Hob… the Seam… even the market district…it's all gone…" thought Katniss as she looked around. She kept her pace slow but deliberate, taking everything in.
Hearing a crunch below her foot, she looked down and covered her mouth in shock. There, under the heel of her foot, was a human skull. It was missing an eye socket and a few teeth, but it was recognizable.
Taking a closer look around her, Katniss saw that there were hundreds of bodies all around her. They were hard to see at first under all the rubble, but they were there. Some bodies were hugging while others held children's toys.
Katniss held back tears, understanding that these were the bodies of couples and children respectively. It seemed that nobody was spared under Snow's cruelty.
Looking off into the distance, Katniss saw that the Victor Village was left relatively untouched. A few homes were destroyed, but they held no occupants. Walking into the area, she headed straight for her house.
Entering, she looked around only to see nothing. Grabbing one of her coats and a leather satchel, Katniss got to work. She began taking herbs from her kitchen while also grabbing a few personal possessions. While opening one of her kitchen cabinets, something caught her eye. She snatched it and held it up to her eye, confirming what it was.
It was the black disc that Naruto recorded his song on for her. She assumed that her mother may have found it and placed it there without telling Katniss.
Placing it in her pocket, Katniss felt a little better. At least she could hear her lover's voice whenever she wanted now. Hearing a noise come through their window, Katniss jumped up in surprise.
However, she calmed down once she saw it was her sister's cat, Buttercup. Gently picking up the feline, she placed it in her satchel. "C'mon Buttercup, we'll go see Prim together."
With everything ready, Katniss went to head out. However, just as she did, she passed by her library. Contemplating, she decided to enter through the door. As she did, Katniss noticed that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Nothing was taken or rummaged through, but there was something that caught her eye.
There, lying on her desk, was a single white rose. Lifting it, she examined it and her heart sank. This rose was too fresh to have been here for an entire month. Dropping it in shock, she dashed out of the house and back onto the hovercraft.
In the back of her mind, Katniss knew what that rose meant. Snow had been in her house and left it on purpose. She understood the message he was sending.
He would be watching her.
One Month Prior
Naruto groaned in pain as he slowly woke up. He was waking up and a flood of memories entered his mind. Katniss had just shot an arrow into the arena's ceiling before everything went dark for him.
It was a confusing set of circumstances for him, but Naruto was starting to remember what happened. After Katniss had run off with Johanna, he was left behind with Finnick and Beetee.
Hearing combat further deep into the jungle, Finnick ran off to help the two tributes. This left the blonde alone with Beetee. That was when they were approached by Johanna running. She was huffing and puffing, with Brutus and Enobaria right behind her.
Calling out, he told Beetee to hide while he and Johanna fought off the two tributes. He had managed to kill Brutus in hand-to-hand combat but Enobaria had run off after narrowly avoiding her death at Johanna's hands.
This caused Johanna to chase after the tribute, hungry for revenge. Not wanting the girl to be left alone, he joined her. That was when the three heard a buzzing noise up top, and saw one of Katniss's arrows flying with a wire attached. An electrical 'boom' happened before Naruto was knocked out by something.
After waking up, Naruto was held in a cell with only a bed, toilet, and sink. It was all nailed down and he was dressed in a simple black t-shirt, pants, and shoes.
It had taken some time before Naruto realized he was in the Capitol. Johanna screamed obscenities from the cell beside him, making him believe she was also captured. Some other girl next to him screamed out as well, but he didn't recognize the voice.
He had only been in the cell for a day before two guards knocked him unconscious and dragged him away. Waking up brought him to his current predicament.
Feeling a restriction around his arms, Naruto looked down to see that he was tied to a chair. Three guards were surrounding him, all armed with assault rifles. Footsteps could be heard clacking against the pavement, which revealed President Snow with a frown.
"Greetings, Mr. Uzumaki." Snow said with tight lips, "I'm sorry for your circumstance, but we need to have a chat."
Shaking away the dizziness, Naruto responded with a grin, "Well, I'm not sure what you want to talk about, but I don't think I'll be any help."
"Quite the contrary," Snow shook his head while pacing around the tied-up blonde, "I need to know what the rebels planned in that arena. Talks about revolution, rebellion, uprising, everything of that nature."
Looking confused, Naruto said, "I'm sorry, a rebel plan?… I'm lost… I don't know anything about some plan."
Snow bit his lip before nodding his head, "I don't think you realize how much you need to cooperate with us, Mr. Uzumaki." Snow snapped his fingers, "Bring him out."
Hearing a chair scrape against the concrete, Naruto saw Edwin tied up in a chair just like he was. However, Edwin had duct tape over his mouth.
"ED!" Naruto shouted while trying to jump out of his chair, "LET HIM GO YOU BASTARDS!"
The guards raised their rifles at the blonde, but Snow lifted his arm. Slowly, they retracted their guns.
"You will tell me everything you know about the rebels, or else…." Snow let the threat hang in the air.
"I don't know shit!" Naruto spat out, "Let Ed go, he has nothing to do with this!"
Snow responded, "I know he has nothing to do with this, which makes this even sadder. Life is unfair Mr. Uzumaki. While your fiance is parading around carefree, you are left to take the consequences for her. She is gone and you are left behind, how does that make you feel?" whispered Snow in Naruto's face.
Naruto spat in Snow's face. Wiping the spit from his face with two fingers, Snow looked back at the blonde. With a chuckle, he gave out his orders.
"Beat him in front of his mentor. Make him look."
Edwin then had his head forced back by two men, forcing the older man to watch Naruto's suffering.
Naruto was hit with multiple batons at once, constantly smacking him in the side of the ribs. A few batons hit his head while others smacked the side of his jaw. One of the batons even managed to bust his lip open, causing a slight trail of blood to appear.
Naruto clenched his teeth and breathed out slowly, taking in the pain. He wasn't going to give these people the satisfaction of crying out in pain.
"Reminds me of your wife, doesn't it Edwin?" Snow asked while never taking his eyes off of Naruto. "Just like how we killed her in front of you, your student seems to fall to the same fate."
In a deep part of his mind, Naruto felt relief at hearing these words. He could accept death, he had already accepted it multiple times in his life. If they were only going to kill him but keep Edwin alive, he could deal with that.
"Hit him harder and bring out the sparks," Snow commanded. "Let's see if he still knows nothing about the rebel plan."
Sparks of electricity then rippled out of each baton, causing even more pain to the blonde when they connected. However, despite the rise in pain, Naruto still didn't cry out. He would make this difficult for them every step of the way.
Batons were swung at the back of his neck, on the side of his chest, and along his kneecaps. It was forming bruises all around his body.
Throughout this entire ordeal, Snow kept his analytical gaze upon the blonde. He realized Naruto either knew nothing about this, or he wasn't going to talk even under the threat of death.
"I've had enough, let's finish this and pick it back up later," Looking over to the guard behind Edwin he commanded, "Ensure everything goes according to plan, everything."
The guard nodded and Snow walked out of the room. He had other things to attend to for the moment.
As for Naruto, he spat out the blood pooling in his mouth from his busted lip. Seeing Snow leave, one of the guards kicked Naruto on his side. This caused the blonde to fall on his side, his head smacking against the pavement.
His vision was slightly blurry from the blow, but he could see the outline of a barrel in his peripheral vision. "So this is it…I'm going to get shot here…" Naruto pondered.
Edwin tried to resist, but they had sedated and beaten him before being tied up. His duct tape was applied because he would try to bite anybody near him. To his credit, the retired Peacekeeper killed four guards before they took him hostage.
It was abrupt for the old man, as he was asleep when his home was broken into. Only having time to grab a knife under his pillow, he fought hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough and now he was here.
"Any last words?" The guard asked while pushing the safety off his gun.
Naruto looked back at the guard and smiled, "I hope you don't miss, that'll be embarrassing." He was going to go out on his wit.
Smiling darkly, the guard pulled the trigger.
CLICK
Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he realized the gun was empty. The guard didn't look surprised either like he was expecting this to happen.
"There was never any bullets in there…." Naruto thought to himself in confusion.
Was this interrogation a ploy? Did Snow try to get him to confess to something last minute, hoping his death would be enough?
BANG
Feeling a spray of blood hit his face, Naruto flinched from the unexpected contact. One of his ears was also ringing from the closeness of the gunshot.
It took the blonde a second to realize what happened, but when he did, his heart dropped. There, behind Edwin, was the guard with his handgun. The barrel was still smoking while there was a gunshot wound through Edwin's head. His body slumped forward, unmoving and lifeless.
"…Ed…t-they didn't just…they can't…" Naruto mumbled in his head, unable to come to terms with what just happened.
It finally made sense to the blonde. Snow wanted Naruto to leak anything he knew about a rebel plan, so he was going to beat it out of him. He made Edwin watch for his suffering, knowing the man had to watch his wife die as well in the past.
However, this time, Snow killed Edwin instead. Now, in a sick sense of tradition, Naruto carried on the legacy of seeing someone close to them killed before their eyes.
"…No…You can't be dead…" Naruto thought with wide eyes and tears streaming down his face. That was his last thought before the butt of a rifle smacked into the backside of his head, knocking him out.
It had been about three days since Edwin's death, and Naruto felt like dying. His father figure was murdered in front of him, and he couldn't help. It almost broke the blonde if he was being honest.
It was only thanks to Johanna's comforting words in the adjacent cell that kept him sane. They had become friends rather quickly, looking out for each other. Johanna had also been interrogated, but she hadn't been touched. At least, for now.
Naruto would often catch himself looking at his cell's ceiling and contemplating life. He would run Edwin's words over and over in his head often.
"I endured."
Two simple words, but it was serving the blonde well. He would endure, he would last, he would not let the Capitol break him. Edwin would have wanted him to keep living, so he would.
His body was fine physically, the Capitol had healed him back up after his interrogation. He assumed it was to ensure he could take more damage without dying. It was scary how advanced their medicine was, as he didn't have any scars or bruising after waking up. Even his busted lip was completely healed, almost like he never took any damage.
This made him jump to the conclusion that the Capitol wasn't trying to hurt him physically, but instead mentally. They were trying to break him.
Hearing the door to his cell hiss open, Naruto jumped off his bed.
"Come with us," commanded a Peacekeeper while holding out their handgun at the hip.
This was something he would soon get used to, being escorted at gunpoint.
After some walking, Naruto was led into a room with only a desk and one chair.
Being forced to sit in the chair, Naruto watched as a hologram was placed on a desk in front of him. After some buzzing, it fired up and Snow could be seen in his own office.
"Ahh, Mr. Uzumaki, it's a pleasure to see you again."
Naruto didn't say anything, choosing instead to glare daggers at the President.
"Chatty as always," Snow chuckled, "I am terribly sorry I cannot be there in person today, but I had other matters to attend to. However, this doesn't mean our meeting is any less valuable to me."
"Go to hell, Snow," Naruto said with a snarl.
He was rewarded with a rifle to the back of the head for that comment.
"I thought we were past that?" Snow said with a smile, "Anyway, I wanted to catch you up on some things. First off, there is no longer a District Twelve." Images of District Twelve's state were flashed, showing the blonde his own home destroyed.
"That's not all, however," Snow continued, "We have had incidents of these… heathens within the Districts rebelling. We all know how much Katniss loves you and given that she will be at the forefront of this uprising, I want the world to see your perspective."
"Cut to the point Snow," Naruto said with a clenched jaw.
"Always so hostile, Mr. Uzumaki," Snow said with dark eyes, "All I'm asking is that you do a series of interviews with Mr. Flickerman in hopes of turning the tide against these rebels. That's all, nothing more."
"Have someone else do it," Naruto said, "I'm not doing anything you want."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Snow shook his head, "And to think I thought you loved your friends."
"What?" Naruto asked in confusion.
The hologram flashed, showing Peeta and his family being surrounded by Peacekeepers. They were then escorted off camera before Snow reappeared. "Given that your best friend is captured along with his family, I'm sure you would like for them to stay alive. Am I correct in assuming that?"
Naruto grit his teeth in anger, feeling nothing but pure hate for the man, "So you'll kill Peeta and his family if I don't do these interviews, is that it?"
"So sharp," Snow said.
Naruto felt conflicted about what to do. He didn't want to go against his fiance at all, but they were holding his best friend's family hostage. The same friend that he volunteered for in the Reaping is now under the control of the Capitol.
"Fine," Naruto threw the word out like it was poison, "I'll do your interviews."
Snow displayed a smile, "Excellent Mr. Uzumaki, I knew you would make the right choice….Unfortunately, it took more convincing than I would have liked. Let's make sure that doesn't happen in the future, hmm?"
Leaning back in his chair, Snow finished up, "You'll be coached on the direction to take the conversation before speaking with Mr. Flickerman…I hope you cooperate, we wouldn't want Peeta to meet the same fate as Edwin now, would we?…"
With that said, the hologram cut out and Snow was no longer there. Feeling a gun point at his back, Naruto was escorted back into his cell.
Present Day
Katniss walked back into District Thirteen with her belongings. She managed to sneak everything past security and walked into her living quarters. Walking inside, she saw her mother and Prim talking.
They both rushed Katniss, giving her a group hug. The family of three clenched tightly, happy to be together. Hearing a meow coming from Katniss's bag, Prim was surprised to see her cat jump out.
"Buttercup!" Prim said excitedly, picking up her cat gently. She walked over to grab some food for the feline.
"I was able to sneak him in," Katniss said with a small smile.
"I just hope we can keep her," Mrs. Everdeen said with a sad smile, "They're strict about these things here."
Katniss then thought about her mother's words for a few moments. She wanted to make sure Prim could keep her cat.
Lunch soon came for the District, with all occupants sitting at their respective tables. Katniss sat by herself at first, her lunch tray untouched. She just wanted this entire nightmare to end.
Hearing footsteps, she looked over to see Gale, "Can I sit here?" he asked.
After hesitating, the girl on fire gave a nod. Sitting down next to Katniss, Gale began to slowly eat his food.
"You should try eating," Gale said, "It'll help with the hunger."
"I'm not hungry."
"You sure?" Gale questioned with a raised eyebrow. Katniss just nodded without saying anything. At this point, Gale let out a sigh.
"Listen, Katniss…" he began, "I know I messed up kissing you when you were in a relationship. I realize now that your feelings for Naruto are true… and I apologize for that."
The girl on fire was shocked at the confession, not expecting Gale to own up to his mistakes. It seemed he matured, which was refreshing for the girl. Gale had been a longtime friend of hers, and she was sad to cut him off. Perhaps he was turning over a new leaf.
Before she could say anything back, a broadcast was heard all around the District. All of the televisions were showing the same feed. There, on screen, was Caesar Flickerman in a chair.
"Dear citizens of Panem, please direct your attention to the broadcast. If you are doing something, pause it. If you are about to eat, please wait. You are not going to want to miss this at all."
Clearing his throat, Caesar continued, "Ever since the ending of the third Quater Quell, there has been much confusion and speculation. Now we have a special guest to help provide some insight into that night. Please welcome, Mr. Naruto Uzumaki."
The screen then changed images, focusing instead on Naruto's face. He was sitting in a chair directly opposite from Caesar, dressed in all white. He had no scarring, bruising, or marks to show the torture he had already gone through.
"Thank you, Caesar," said the blonde with a fake smile.
"Ruto… You're alive.…" Katniss thought in shock at seeing her fiance. She had almost come to terms with the fact that he could be dead, and now she was seeing him for the first time again. Getting up from her seat, she walked over to a nearby stone pillar and leaned against it. The television was only a few feet away from her face.
"Can you please describe for us what happened on that final night in the arena?" Caesar asked with a calm tone.
"Well, Caesar," Naruto said with a soft voice, "When you're in that arena, fighting for your life, you have to realize you don't get many options. You fight to survive and you're humanity is almost stripped from you. However, you get one thing…"
"And what is that?" questioned the host.
"You get to decide how you react to these situations. It doesn't matter if you're about to die, you can choose to accept it or deny it. It doesn't matter if you have to kill, you can either accept it or deny it," The blonde rambled on, "But I can tell you one thing, I chose to accept one thing that night."
"Hmm?" Caesar asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I chose to stay with Katniss. We devised a plan to run off together, but we were separated during the final night."
"Why did you both not decide to cut your losses and run off right away? Why wait another night with the group?" Caesar said while leaning back in his chair.
"She proposed we leave, I was the idiot who decided we should stick it out a little longer," the blonde chuckled. "Then when all the chaos happened, she was separated from me. Next thing I knew, the entire arena collapsed around us."
"You do realize that the arena collapsed because Katniss shot an arrow into the sky, right?" Caesar said, "I mean, we did show you the footage."
Naruto shook his head, "She didn't know of any bigger plan to escape the arena, neither of us did. She didn't know what she was doing at the time."
"Many people find that hard to believe," Caesar said, "How do we know that to be true?"
Naruto then placed both hands in his lap, "If we knew about some bigger plan, don't you think I would have stayed with her? Why would I remain in the Capitol without her, she is the love of my life after all," Naruto waved his hand, "Besides, it wouldn't make sense for her to almost get murdered by Johanna. It wouldn't make sense for her to nearly lose her life near the lighting tree. Neither one of us knew anything about some sort of scheme."
"Naruto…" Katniss whispered out, seeing as he was covering for her even on national television. She clutched the jewel necklace she was wearing, seeing as how it was Naruto's. She wore it in his memory as well as to return it to him when she saw him again. She would see him again.
Caesar raised his hands, "You do make some valid points, I can see that…." the host then took a brief pause, "I believe you, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Thanks, Caesar," the blonde said with a small nod.
"Just one final question before we end it off," Caesar said, "Could you please speak about the civil unrest going on around the nation?"
"Of course," Naruto said before turning his head straight at the camera, "I know a civil war can be costly for everyone involved. That being said, think about your actions. When you raise a hand against another, think about what can of damage that causes."
Some people began to murmur in the District, some taking this as propaganda for the Capitol while others just thought the blonde was giving his thoughts.
"And if you believe that you are in the right…then do it. Defending your home sometimes means going on the offensive."
"Are you promoting a call to action or a ceasefire?" Caesar asked with a confused expression, not expecting this response from the blonde. He was supposed to advocate for the Capitol, but instead, he was going off-script.
"Neither," the blonde answered, "I'm telling those to fight for what they believe in."
Smiling into the camera, Naruto gave one last look before the feed died.
"Traitor!" Some roared in the District, while others didn't see it that way. There was a split decision made among the people in District Thirteen, with some choosing to side with the blonde instead.
After the television cut off, Katniss took a second to take everything in. Naruto was alive, forced to speak for the Capitol, but alive. She could deal with that.
Walking off, Katniss forgot about her food while deciding to go into the living quarters. They were empty as everyone was in the cafeteria for lunch right now.
Staring at her hands, Katniss messed with her wedding band. She played around with the piece of jewelry, spinning it around her finger. Ever since her mother had given it back to her, she never took it off. If she was sleeping, showering, or eating, it stayed on.
Gale took a seat right next to her, not saying anything at first. It was Katniss who spoke up first.
"He's still alive, Gale…he's still alive…" she whispered out, "I was trying to come to terms with his death this past month… and he's alive…"
Gale nodded, "He is."
"…Seeing him on TV almost made me smile, reminding me of the charisma he always shows others… but now, it looks like the Capitol is trying to use him…"
Gale then spoke, "It's a form of propaganda on their end, they're trying to make him another tool in their arsenal."
"But it doesn't make sense," Katniss said while shaking her head, "He hates anything to do with the Capitol, why agree to this?"
"I bet he was forced in some kind of way to make that interview happen," Gale responded. "If he truly hates the Capitol, they probably used something against him."
Katniss thought about Gale's words and it started to make sense to her. The only way Naruto would willingly go through with an interview, especially after being captured, is because they were holding something against him.
But the golden question was, what were they using against him?
Later that night, Katniss tried her best to sleep. However, just like every other night this month, she couldn't stay asleep longer than a few hours.
Nightmares of Rue's dead body, Cinna's beating, and Snow's threats to her would flash constantly. She woke up abruptly, gasping deeply at the vivid nightmares.
Turning over, she spoke out loud without realizing it, "Ruto, could you pleas-" she stopped herself.
She was alone in bed, her sister and mother in the bed across from her. Her fiance wasn't here to comfort her.
"I forgot, he isn't here…" Katniss thought sadly, "…I always forget…"
It was hard being away from the love of her life, seeing as he would always comfort her. She felt like crying over his absence.
"Psst," Prim whispered out, "Can't sleep?"
Looking at her sister, Katniss gave out a tired smile, "Yeah, something like that."
Prim gently removed the blanket on her body and climbed into bed with her sister. They faced each other and talked.
"What's wrong?" The younger sister whispered, "I can tell something's been bothering you…you might be able to hide it from Mom, but not me…" she teased.
Katniss smiled while gazing at her younger sister. It seemed like only yesterday she volunteered for her, and now she was growing up to be a fine young woman.
Feeling anxious, the girl on fire spoke her mind in a low whisper, "I hate the Capitol, absolutely despise everything about it… but I keep thinking about Naruto. Even if we win this war… does he become another casualty? Is his name forgotten just because he wasn't important to the right people?"
Prim whispered with a soft smile, "Given the way you speak about him, I think he is important to the right people."
Katniss nearly got tears in her eyes at the comment, feeling the ring on her finger under the blanket.
"You're important to these people, Katniss. I don't think you realize the power you hold over them. They need you to be their symbol of the rebellion, not anybody else. Why don't you ask them for his safe return? If they need you, then they at least have to hear your demands."
Katniss raised one hand to softly stroke her sister's hair. They stayed that way for a while, enjoying the company of each other.
"You're a very smart girl, Prim…" Katniss said with love, "…You're turning out to be an amazing young woman."
Prim chuckled, "I learned from the best. After all, my big sister is the girl on fire," she joked. "Now you have to get some sleep, for me."
Smiling once more, Katniss placed a kiss on Prim's forehead before turning around. This time, the nightmares didn't come back for once.
Eating breakfast for once, Katniss felt rejuvenated. Her talk with Prim last night made her realize she wanted to make some conditions.
Putting away her breakfast tray, she walked into the Command room. She had a meeting with Plutarch and President Coin to discuss her conditions.
Walking into the room, Katniss was greeted by Coin and Plutarch discussing something before both members gazed upon her. Grabbing a sheet of paper from her pocket, she unfurled it.
"First off, I want to thank you for meeting with me," Katniss said while looking at President Coin. The woman simply nodded back.
"Of course," Coin said while waving her arm, "Let's hear what you have to say."
Katniss cleared her throat, "I will agree to be your Mockingjay on these conditions that I'm about to list," Katniss began. She held the piece of paper up to her eyes and read the words she had written earlier.
"My first condition is that Naruto Uzumaki, Johanna Mason, and Annie Cresta will be rescued at the earliest opportunity available, no exception."
Coin listened intently while Plutarch began writing down her terms.
"Secondly, if Naruto is rescued, he will have no punishment lifted against him. This means he will receive a full pardon for any crimes he may be associated with while working with the Capitol. This term also applies to the other two tributes as well."
President Coin gained a sharp look in her eyes at this condition, while Plutarch held back some chuckles. He was scribbling away on his notepad, keeping up with the girl on fire.
"Finally…" Katniss felt an embarrassed blush creep up, "…my sister Prim gets to keep her cat."
At this, Plutarch did give out a small chuckle while Coin rolled her eyes, not seeing this condition as serious.
Coin leaned back in her seat and thought about Katniss's proposal for a few seconds. A moment later, she gave her answer, "No."
This made Katniss feel more rage than she thought it would. "Naruto is doing what he is being forced to do, the Capitol is controlling his actions!" she snapped back.
"People do not make demands here in District Thirteen," Coin snapped, "We will have a tribunal to determine their fates if they are rescued at all. After that, their fates are to be judged accordingly."
"No, I don't think so," Katniss spat out, "You will grant these victors pardons and rescue when possible. Then, you are going to announce these terms to the ENTIRE population of District Thirteen. You will hold your government accountable or else you can find another Mockingjay to play the part!"
Katniss then stared at Coin directly in the eyes, "Do I make myself clear, President Coin?"
"And THAT!" Plutarch announced with a grin, "Is the girl on fire! This is the woman I described to you. You can practically feel the passion radiate off of her!"
Katniss took a step back, confused about what Plutarch was rambling about.
Looking over at Coin, Plutarch spoke, "President Coin, I think her offer is worth the risk. Our rebellion is starting to lose steam, we need to fire back or else this all collapses. If all it takes is the pardon and immunity of three people to win this war, I say it's worth it."
Taking in a deep breath, Coin said, "Alright, we can work with those. I'll announce these conditions to everyone within the hour."
Thanking the President, Katniss gave both people a look before walking out. They didn't see her victorious smile on her way out.
Plutarch walked through District Thirteen with a steady pace. He passed by some people and gazed upon rush hour within the District. His feet eventually carried him to a door that housed a special person.
Knocking twice, Plutarch heard a woman say, "Leave me alone!" from the other end. Chuckling to himself, he opened the door and closed it behind him.
There, inside the room, was Effie Trinket. She was gazing upon a pink dress in her hands while being dressed in a gray outfit herself.
"There you are again, bothering me as usual," Effie said with a sigh.
"Ms. Trinket," Plutarch said with a smile, "It's nice to see you again."
"What do you want, Heavensbee?" questioned Effie with tired eyes.
"First off, Katniss has finally agreed to be our Mockingjay."
"Oh…that poor girl… the pain she must be in…" Effie clutched her heart with one hand.
"Now that we have Katniss ready to go, we have to make sure our girl on fire doesn't burn up again. To do that, we need a reliable team around her that she trusts. I want to extend that offer to you, Ms. Trinket," Plutarch said with a smile.
Effie shook her head, "I have no experience in aiding rebels…." she began, "I can barely handle living here as it is."
"You need to come to terms that your days in the Capitol, are over," Plutarch said with a booming voice, "If you don't want to be a part of this team, fine. I can find another person to take your spot."
Plutarch began to walk out of the room and placed his hand on the door handle before Effie spoke up.
"Oh really? Somebody is going to replace me?" Effie laughed, "Nobody here knows the first thing about that girl, except me. If you want my help, fine, I'll give it. But only because your girl on fire is more than a symbol to me, she's a friend."
Plutarch smiled, happy to finally have her on the team.
All the citizens within District Thirteen stood in the assembly. They had been called to hear President Coin's announcement.
She stood on a platform, with a microphone near her face. She had a notepad in her hand.
"Greetings everyone, I thank you for personally coming here on short notice. Your attendance here is appreciated," Coin began with a smile, "I am here to announce that Katniss Everdeen has agreed to be the Mockingjay, the face of our rebellion. She will help in our cause to unite the Districts in this war."
Coin continued on, "In return for Katniss's cooperation, I have agreed to a few of her conditions." Coin then raised the notepad to her eyes, "Firstly, we will assess any opportunity to retrieve Johanna Mason, Annie Cresta, and Naruto Uzumaki from the Capitol's grasp."
This caused some murmurs of disagreement in the crowd. It was clear that not everybody agreed with this term.
Katniss then looked over to her left and saw Finnick in the crowd, listening to Coin's announcement. Walking over, she tapped Finnick on the shoulder.
"Finnick," the man turned his head to look at her, "I included Annie in my deal. I wanted her to be saved too."
The man looked almost ready to cry, "Thank you Katniss, that's wonderful. That's good."
Coin spoke once more. "Furthermore, I will pardon and grant immunity to those same tributes mentioned if they are rescued and retrieved." Now this announcement from Coin caused the murmurs to turn into shouts of contempt. It was clear that not everybody agreed with this.
Holding up one hand, the crowd was silenced with Coin's gesture. "If Katniss Everdeen fails to uphold her end of the agreement, then these conditions will be rescinded and abandoned. Thank you all for attending, please resume your daily activities."
With that said, everybody left the area with some people whispering their thoughts to others.
However, Katniss didn't care about what others thought. If she was going to be forced to lead this revolution, forced to take this image that she never asked for, then she was going to ensure her happiness.
Nobody in District Thirteen was there when Rue died. Nobody was there when she had nightmares. Nobody was there when she needed to be saved in the 74th Hunger Games. Nobody was there… except Naruto. She was the hope of others, but he was her hope. She would allow herself to be a little selfish for once.
She was going to fight for his return or die trying.
WE ARE DONE!
I know this chapter took a bit of a dark turn, with Edwin's death and Katniss seeing District Twelve's aftermath. But I hope it was enjoyable to read!
We are now coming to the part of the story that I have been anticipating wayyyy back since chapter one. Everything is coming full circle soon!
I hope you like the POV switches between Naruto and Katniss, as I want to include both of their perspectives throughout this journey.
I have some big things planned, stay tuned!
As always, please review!
Cheers!