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IT WAS IF THE WORLD CAME TO A STANDSTILL AS ARYA'S EYES STARED AT THE FIREY BLAZE BELOW. It didnt feel real. Her mind rushing with every moment she ever shared with the man. How he took care of her, of her siblings when their father died. How he did everything for them. And when she lost them, at least he was still with her. He never left her side. And that was ultimately his downfall.

Because Matthew knew they werent all making it out of this alive. It became true when Boggs died, then the sisters, Jackson, Castor... and when Finnick was the one falling behind-- trying to make sure Matthew made it to the ladder. He knew that it was a choice, him or Finnick. And he wasnt the one that arya needed the most.

Matthew had served his purpose, he had got her to this point and seeing the love that the two had grown for each other, he'd sacrifice himself in a heartbeat for them to have a future together. A future where they didnt have to worry about war or fear anymore.

"Arya." A hand places itself on her shoulder but as a lone tear strays down her cheek, she couldn't take her eyes away from the scene in front of her. "Arya, we have to go." The voice registered as Xander but once more, she didnt move a muscle, even though she could hear the commotion coming toward them.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her and pulled her to her feet. Her head was turned away from the fire and she was met with Finnick's saddened gaze. "I'm so sorry." He blamed himself. How could he not? That was gonna be him. But Matthew made sure that it wasnt.

Grabbing onto her hand, Finnick pulls her through the tunnels as they try and get out before more mutts catch up with them. "Keep moving!" Cressida calls out as they all run into the open passage. Thats when they are met with Peacekeepers immediately opening fire on them. Ducking behind the wall, Katniss was the first to make a run for it, the others following closely.

Arya was barely processing what was happening, bullets flying everywhere, shouting, bright lights. As the light shines down, Homes running straight through it, it vaporizes him into thin air. Cressida stumbled, her eyes widening but Katniss grabs her, pulling her so she didnt come to a stop.

"Keep going!" Katniss demands, picking up her speed. The floor below them breaks apart behind them, spikes appearing suddenly and closing in with every step. They jump just before the spikes hit, hitting the cement floor.

Finnick holds Arya closely, pulling her up but as they went to leave, they noticed Peeta still on the floor. Katniss moves over to him quickly. "Peeta, come on!" She knew the peacekeepers were right behind them, they couldnt stop for even a second, but he just hits his head repeatedly. "Peeta! Peeta, we have to keep going!" Katniss bends down in front if him but Peeta shakes his head.

"I'm a mutt!" Aryas heart breaks even more than it could as she watched the man unravel. "Leave me, I'm a mutt!" Peeta shouts but Katniss doesn't even budge.

"Look at me!" She shouts back, grabbing his face and forcing him to meet her gaze. Katniss doesnt waste a second before kissing him deeply. Peeta's eyes close and he reciprocates the kiss almost immediately until she pulls back. "Stay with me." Katniss pleads and the smallest smile forms on his face.

"Always."

"Okay, I hate to break it up, lovebirds. But we have to go." Finnick declares, moving toward the exit behind cressida, still pulling Arya closely along with him.

"I know where we are! I know a place, up those stairs." Cressida tells them as they quickly make their way through the streets. Once they get to a door, she frantically knocks upon it. Arya glances around, a sense of familiarity hitting her.

"Someone's coming." Peeta announces as they see a shadow moving closer to the door. Once its open, Cressida forces her way in, wanting to get out of the open.

"Shut the door, shut the door!" Cressida says, ushering the group in and Gale shuts it, locking it instantly. Katniss goes defensive and she points her arrow toward the woman who had let them in. "No, katniss. It's okay." She assures the woman, stepping in front of the arrow. Katniss slowly lowers it down.

"Tigris do you remember me? I'm with plutatchs underground." Cressida says and Tigris simply looks back at her. "I need your help." She admits but Tigris's gaze only flickers to someone behind her.

"Arya." The softest smile forms on her face and a sigh of relief leaves her as she passes Cressida to move toward the woman. Finnick didnt interfere, having heard about Tigris and knowing she would never harm the girl.

"Tigris." Arya's voice cracks as she instantly rushes into the womans open arms. Tigris holds her tightly as she could hear the light sobs leaving her lips.

"What happened?" Tigris asks gently, running a hand up and down Arya's back before pulling away slightly.

"Matthew... h-He--" She couldnt finish her sentence. She couldnt say it out loud. But she didn't need to. Because Tigris understood purely from the pure grief in her eyes. Tigris strokes her cheek, remorse filling her features. She turns to where they are standing next to a rug, lifting it and opening a secret hatch that showed a ladder.

"I know you. You were a stylist in the games." Katniss says, trying to seemingly place the woman who glances toward her. Tigris let's out a scoff as she takes down her hood.

"Until snow decided I wasn't pretty enough anymore." Tigris responds. Her hand moved to Arya's giving it a comforting squeeze. Her gaze flickers to finnick for the slightest moment and she just nods her head to which he does the same.

"I'm here to kill him." Katniss admits and Tigris didn't seem the slightest bit surprised. She knew her cousin was bound for death for a while now.

"It's about time." She responds before shifting her attention back to Arya. Everyone starts to move down the hatch one by one, Xander and Finnick lurking near the entrance. "I'm glad to know youre alive. I was terrified he would kill you after everything thats happened." Tigris admits, seeing Xander behind her as well and being glad that she still has someone left from her district. Not that there were many people in her district that truly cared for what happened to the woman.

Tigris heard what happened to Wesley but was unsure of his condition since he was rescued from the Capitol. "Its not for a lack of trying." Arya denies.

"You go join your friends, I worry peacekeepers may be here soon." Tigris informs her, not wanting her to get captured again. "Its good to see you again, darling." She admits and Arya sends her the smallest smile before heading down the ladder with Finnick and Xander.

"Gales gonna need stitches." Cressida tells them. Arya couldnt help but roll her eyes. A few stitches was nothing.

"At least hes alive." Arya mutters as she leans against the wall. No one was about to tell her off for being insensitive. She was right. A lot of them had died getting them this far.

"I should've fought harder." Finnick says, shaking his head and Arya hated how he was believing that he had anything to do with what happened. She steps forward, taking his hands and making his gaze shift to hers.

"It wouldn't have changed anything." Arya denies. She wish it had, she wished Finnick possibly fighting harder couldve saved Matthew. Or it couldve killed them both. "Snow did this because he needs to win." She admits, biting her tongue as she feels her emotions trying to force their way up and out her throat. "And he did." Her voice was hoarse as she brings her eyes to the ground. "He won." Finnick doesn't say anything, just wrapping his arms around the woman.

Snow knew what he was doing releasing those mutts. Every single thing he did was intentional. Because if he had to live miserably just because the woman he supposedly loved 'betrayed' him in his eyes, then everyone else did too.

"I made it up." Katniss speaks up out of nowhere causing everyone to look toward her. "All of it. There is no special mission from Coin. It was all me, it was my plan. Everyone who's dead is dead because of me. I lied." Her voice shakes as she could barely look toward Arya. She felt like it was really her fault why all of this happened. If she hadnt lied, they wouldn't have come with her and everyone who had died, would still be alive.

"We know, we all knew." Cressida responds and Katniss seemed surprised.

"The soldiers from three?"

"Them too. You really believe that Jackson thought you had orders from Coin? She trusted Boggs and he clearly wanted you to go on." Cressida explains to her but it didnt seem to help Katniss feel any better as her eyes fill with tears.

"I never meant for this to happen. I failed, i-- I killed them, I killed Matthew." Her eyes flickered to Arya who she believed would be looking at her with such hatred but instead, it was understanding, it was pain but it wasnt directed toward her. "I-im so sorry Arya, I'm sorry Pollux." She apologizes but Arya would never hold Katniss accountable. Her, Finnick, nobody. Nobody except for snow.

"Glimmer. Marvel. Mags. Clove. Wiress. Rue. What do all those deaths mean?" Peeta asks, looking over toward Katniss who frowns slightly, remembering all those who have lost their lives. "They mean that our lives were never ours." He denies and Finnick glances away, feeling Arya's hand squeeze his own. "There was no real life because we didn't have any choice. Our lives belong to snow and our deaths do too. But if you kill him katniss, if you end all of this, all those deaths, they mean something. Cinna. Boggs. Castor. Jackson. Matthew. They chose this. They chose you." He assures her.

"Peeta's right." Arya agrees and Katniss looks back toward her. "We all chose to go through with this... with trying to overthrow Snow. We knew it was always a risk." She says. It was like another hunger games in Snow's eyes. But instead of them being against other tributes, they were against the capitol. But thats how it always was. "So did he." Arya adds, swallowing deeply. Matthew wouldn't have come with them if he didn't believe that doing this would bring Snow down.

"I am so sorry." Katniss apologizes once again but Arya just shakes her head.

"I remembered him." She admits. Katniss already knew this, having heard her but the others all stared at her in shock. Finnick pulls her closer to him, trying to give whatever comfort he could while Peeta closes his eyes, resting his head against the wall. "But it's too late now, right?" A laugh leaves her lips but it wasn't happy, it wasn't humourous. It was void of anything but grief and pain.

•••

THE ROOM WAS DEAD SILENT. No one knew what to say, or even how to break the tension. Everyone was on edge. It was all coming to an end and no one truly knew how it was going to work out. If it even was. Snow seemed to have been victorious for decades, who's to say they would even be the ones to stop him?

"We will get justice for him, Arya." Peeta's voice breaks through, lingering in the air for a moment. He was on one side of her as Finnick was on the other. Peeta placed his hand on her knee but a scoff only leaves Aryas lips.

"Is it even worth it?" Arya asks quietly. Peeta was a bit surprised by her words, his eyes flickering over to Finnick who shared the same expression.

"Why would you say that?" He asks, confused. Arya wanted to bring Snow down for years now and just as they were on the cusp of doing that, she didn't seem to care.

"Look at all Snows taken from us." Arya was exhausted of all of this. The fighting, the backstabbing, the endless cycle of violence. "It'll never end." She denies. And she knew that was true ever since she met Coin. Everyone else may see her as some fearless hero, but Arya saw her for exactly who she was. A manipulate enemy. The same as Snow. She only cared for her interests.

"I was wrong, Arya." Xander states, looking at her from across the room. "Revenge is worth it. I was just trying to save you from being consumed by it when your brothers died." He admits, remembering their conversation the day they had met. "But now... with everything thats happened, it's really no use to save you anymore because what am I really saving you from?" He asks her, his eyes moving down to his hands.

"Youve done a lot for me, Xander." Arya assures him. Xander was the main reason she even survived in the arena. If he hadn't trained her the way he did, she wouldn't have made it two minutes.

It was quiet for another moment before Xander spoke again. "You know, your father, Matthew and I were actually best friends." The truth that had been hidden for many years finally coming out causing Arya's eyes to widen.

"What?" Arya was shocked by this news. When she had met Xander as her mentor, he had never mentioned knowing her father. Matthew hadn't said a word about it either.

"But I distanced myself from them when you turned three." He admits, his eyes placed on the ground. Arya racks her brain for a reason, until she remembered that it had been the year he was reaped.

"Because you won your games."

"I knew there was a possibility that you'd grow up and be chosen." Xander states. Jacob had only been a year younger so there was a double possibility he'd have to train one of them. And when her father knocked up a third, Xander had to admit he was a bit upset with him. Not only for not giving his family an actual mother figure since Arya's died and Jacobs abandoned them after giving birth, but it meant these children were brought into the world only to be reaped into a game of death.

"I didnt know if i could watch you go into that arena if i had been there as you grew up." Xander denies. Just seeing her around district five was hard enough which is why he spent most of his time in the capitol even though he hated every second of it. "When your father died, i couldnt bare to walk back into that home again. Because all i saw was the man i abandoned as he raised his children without their mothers." He admits and Arya frowns as she sees him only fiddling with his fingers, barely able to glance at her.

"He would never have blamed you for your decision." Arya denies. Her father may not have been the absolute best, but he understood that the games were not a joke. He had lost the love of his life, which was more so the reason he could never settle afterwards and one of his best friends almost died as well. He knew the role of a mentor and he knew how many tributes from district five had been killed and how much of a toll it took on not just the families, but the people who were tasked to help them survive.

"I know." Xander let's out a small sigh. "When Wesley won... i knew there was a possibility that I wouldn't have to train you. He was the latest winner, so it would fall onto him." He explains. It was usually only the most recent winner who trained the next kids in the hunger games. Sometimes it would be more than one, it just depended on the year.

"But Ash was chosen." Her voice was almost inaudible. She never understood why Wesley wanted to be here ally in the quarter quell. Why he was so eager to have her survive. Until she remembered the fact that he had been Ash's mentor and it was because of all the guilt that he had inside of him.

"I saw how it broke him. Seeing your little brother go into that arena with no fighting chance. How he blamed himself for it." Xander could see all of Wesley's hope vanish within those moments. And it seemed the piece of light that he had left, seemed to vanish. It didnt help that his little sister had been getting to the age to be reaped as well. "I saw your reaction and i knew you would never be able to live with his death as long as Snow was alive. And when jacob--" He cut himself sort, closing his eyes momentarily. "You were vengeful. Anyone could see it. And who could blame you?" Anyone who didn't seem to understand why she was so angry had never lost anyone inside of that arena, let alone multiple.

"You were after revenge and i think part of the reason why I told you to not go for it is because I knew that if Matthew lost you... he wouldn't survive. Your mother died, you father... the last nail in the coffin was your brothers." Xander explains to her as he wipes away the tears that had fell. "He felt like he had failed protecting his best friends children." He admits. Matthew had come to him the night before Arya was taken to the capitol and pleaded for him to somehow get her out of it. Xander had promised he would do everything that he could.

"So you trained me so i would make it out of the arena."

"He never saw you as the monster who our district made you out to be." Xander denies, trying to give at least a little bit of comfort. He never understood why the district turned on her. She only did what everyone else had in order to survive. If it was her brutality, the number of people she killed, if he was being honest, most of them deserved it with the way they treated her during the training.

"Because he wouldve done the same thing in a heartbeat." Arya nods. She already knew Matthew didn't give a shit what anyone had said about her. Because if the roles were reversed, it would've happened the exact same way.

"You knew killing those other tributes, although you truly didnt want to, would get you closer to Snow."

"But it didnt work, right?" Arya knew that was the reasoning she told herself but what actual help or leverage did that give her? "I said i wanted revenge, i killed all those people for what? For him to make a show out of it? For it to just continue for more years and turn into something worse? I can't have killed them all for nothing." She didn't want to believe that she had killed all of them, that she had lost nova only for Snow to win once again.

"And you didn't." Finnick denies, his voice flowing like music in her ears. He takes her hand in his, his eyes gazing down at her as she sniffles silently.

"We're gonna get him, Arya. And he's gonna pay for every person that he is responsible for."

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Authors note;

The good news is at least we get Matthew back in the prequel 🥲

Let's just hope no one else dies....