FINNICK WAS IN COMPLETE AND UTTER SHOCK. His stomach had dropped as soon as he saw Leia on the screen in the cafeteria. He could barely breathe, and Katniss had to sit there and mutter that it would be okay for about an hour before disappearing to talk to Coin.

A little bit later, they were all summoned to the hear the President speak. Finnick made it there with the help of his nurses, but he had lost even more of the light in his eyes.

"Katniss Everdeen has consented to be the face of our cause to help unite the districts against the Capitol. In exchange, I have promised several concessions," Coin informed them. "First, we'll assess all opportunities for the extraction of the Victors held hostage in the Capitol. Peeta Mellark, Johanna Mason, Annie Cresta..."

The Everdeen girl pushed through the crowd to stand next to him. "Finnick, I made the deal for Leia, too," Katniss informed him just as Coin added Leia's name to the list. Finnick smiled at her gratefully.

"Once freed, they will be granted full pardon for any and all crimes committed against the rebel cause," the woman informed the group. That caused a lot of people to start shouting angrily. Finnick wanted to tell all of them to shut up because they had no idea what the captives were going through in the Capitol. "If Katniss Everdeen fails to fulfill her duties the deal will be off. Thank you for your attention. Please, resume your daily schedules."

People then shuffled out of the room and returned to what they were doing.

The very next day, Katniss was sent out for the first time. She had bodyguards and a full team of videographers to keep her company, as well as Gale. She was wearing armor that would break a bullet, so she was hopefully going to be completely safe. She was going to visit a hospital in District 8.

However, things had gone south while they were there, and the Capitol had arrived to blow up the hospital and try to kill her. Thousands of people had died, and it was absolutely devastating. Finnick stood with Prim behind Katniss and President Coin as the promo video played for the district to see.

"We know who they are and what they do. This is what they do! And we must fight back. You can torture us and bomb us and burn our districts to the ground," the Katniss on the screen yelled, her voice coarse and angry. It was perfect. She pointed behind her to the huge fire that used to be the hospital. "But do you see that? Fire is catching. And if we burn, you burn with us!"

The people of the District clapped loudly as the rebellion slogan came on the screen as well as a burning Mockingjay pin, just like the one that Katniss had. Coin stepped forward with the Everdeen girl and smiled. "There is no progress without compromise. No victory without sacrifice. But I stand here with The Mockingjay to announce that our moment has arrived. Beetee has increased our use of the airwaves tenfold. We will broadcast this message to all the districts tonight. The Mockingjay's words inspiring everyone to join the rebellion. Together, we will become an alliance to be reckoned with."

"You don't like hearing a fight song at a funeral?" Finnick asked Katniss as she joined them. Her silence was the only answer that he needed. None of them were pleased that people had to die for the Capitol and the rebellion to actually pay attention to them, and none of them liked that Coin and Plutarch were using the burning hospital and twisting it into something else. "The more people on our side, the closer we are to Peeta and Leia and Annie."

《✵》

LEIA COULDN'T MOVE BECAUSE SHE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN. She knew that she had messed up as soon as she left the room. They dragged her into a room where they then ran a lighter up and down her arms while she kicked and screamed. She was grateful, though, because they could've done something so much worse, something to kill the baby.

She was thrown back in her cell, and she threw up in the corner while Johanna rubbed her back through the bars. She honestly wished that she could die right there. If it weren't for her unborn child, she would. She had to live for her kid, at least long enough to make sure her or she was safe.

All of their heads shot up when the TV turned on, and Peeta's face appeared on the screen. "And I think for you, Peeta, it must be particularly painful," Caesar told the boy.

The Mellark boy looked worse than the rest of them. He was skinny, and Leia wanted to sob because she knew that they gave him the brunt of her torture. "I wish I could give this rose to you, Katniss."

"A sweet gesture for a girl who has inspired such violence. You must love her very much to be able to forgive her. I don't think that I could," Caesar said, and Leia rolled her eyes. Even that made her dizzy, though. She felt like throwing up again, but there was nothing left in her stomach. "Unless, of course, Peeta, you think that perhaps she's being forced into saying things that she doesn't even understand."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly what I think. I think they're using her to whip up the rebels. I doubt she even knows what's happening. And what's really at stake," Peeta responded.

The Flickerman man raised his eyebrows at the blonde boy and leaned forward. "Now, Peeta, I doubt that the rebels will ever let her see this. But if they do, what would you say to her? To Katniss Everdeen, the once sweet Katniss Everdeen. What would you say to her?"

"I would... I would tell her to think for herself. Don't be a fool, Katniss. I know you never wanted the rebellion. The things that you did in the Games were never intended to start all of this. The rebels have made you into something that you're not. Something that could destroy all of us," Peeta spoke into the camera. Leia could tell that he was begging Katniss to understand what was happening on the other side of the screen. "So if you have any power or any say in what they do or how they use you, please, please, urge them to stop this war before it's too late. And ask yourself, can you trust the people you're working with? Do you know what they really want?"

"Thank you, Peeta Mellark, for these revelations about the real Mockingjay," the media man answered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

bro these chapters are so short i'm sorry