Defenders: The Fighters of 13. Pt 1

Chapter 1

Jem's POV:

I wake up strapped to a table in a silky hospital gown...again. This has happened so many times, I wake up and I don't know how I got here. Wait...it feels different... Someone walks in and starts doing something with the empty syringes across the room.

"Hey! What's going on!?" But as usual the person just ignores me and continues with their work. "Please...just tell me why I can't remember what happened!"

The person just finishes their work and leaves the room. I wait for the guards to come get me, but they don't. Instead the straps of the bed loosen and I slide out of them. What are they trying now? A door on the other side of the room opens.

"What? Am I supposed to go through the door? Do you really think I'm that stupid?" I say. I know they're listening. And I get a response in the form of a sharp electric zap on my neck. My hand immediately reaches up and I feel a shock collar around my neck. "Fine! Whatever! I'll go through the magical door of pain!"

They zap me again and I flip off the room as I go through the door. The moment I go through the door closes and I'm left alone in the dark. "Well what now?"

The collar suddenly tightens and I feel a pinch on my neck, then it falls off. "What...what's going on..."

Adrenaline suddenly courses through me and the room begins to light up. A mutt. Meg. No mutt. Wait...what the hell...this mutt is Meg...but how....

The mutt snarls at me, its teeth sharp and eyes shiny, almost glowing. It looks like Meg, how she always used to look after training hard, in her work out gear, her braid a bit messy. But this is not Meg, it's a mutt...but its Meg...this is Meg...she's trying to kill me. The thing lunges at me and I stumble out of its reach. And then it begins to laugh, starting low and becoming the laugh I always heard Meg have when she beat someone at a competition in training.

"Oh Jem. I never needed you, why would I? I'm the god damn Mockingjay." She stalks towards me, spitting the words at me. "You're nothing but a pawn to the rebels, to me; and I'm going to kill you the minute I get the chance" she laughs maniacally "And I will enjoy watching you die. So just give up now. We don't need you. We don't want you."

The door opens behind her and Collin enters. But it's not him. It's a mutt. His eyes glow like Meg's and his teeth are sharp, his face the same but with a grotesque smile, unlike any I've seen on him before. The two stalk towards me. They're going to kill me.

"Jem," Collin says; his voice deep and concentrated like it always is when he's focusing in on a target, or leading us on missions. "You're so pathetic. I should've just killed you in the games. You were never even supposed to be on this team. You're just a stupid little bitch. You could never be like us Jem. You'll never be like us."

Meg cackles and lunges for me again, her razor like nails leaving cuts in my arm. I gasp in pain and grab my arm. She just shrieks with laughter and her eyes burn brighter

A door opens at the other end of the room, and a familiar copper-haired boy walks out. The one person I know will always be there to protect me. I immediately run to him and hug him without any hesitation.

"Dath!" I choke out as I hug him. But he doesn't return the embrace; instead I'm thrown back as he shoves me off him. No..not Dath...a mutt...he's a mutt too... "Please no...not you...Dath please..."

"Shut up" Collin stoops down behind me and puts me in a headlock, I struggle against him but it's no use, he's always been stronger than me. Dath looms over me, his eyes glowing just like the rest.

"You're so stupid Jem." He says; his voice smooth and kind. I expect him to crack a smile and help me up; maybe pull out a sugar cube or something. But instead his face is cold and heartless, like when he takes the last piece of cake. "You really think I like you? That any of us like you? You're just a bratty little kid who follows me around. It's embarrassing. You're annoying and yet you think people like you? No. They tolerate you. But we're not doing that any more Jem."

"We have to exterminate the weakest." Collin states, tightening his grip on my neck to where I can hardly breathe.

"In our Panem, only the strong will survive." Meg says sweetly "So we can't have people like you and Karter and Jace. Now can we Jem?"

"N-No...Meg please...it's me..." I manage to choke out as Collin tightens his grip.

They all laugh and Meg kneels in front of me. "I know it's you Jem, that's why we're gunna kill you."

She traces her claws down my cheek, following the trail of a tear. She chuckles and prepares for the kill. NO! THIS ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN! I kick her in the gut and she topples back. I wrestle myself away from Collin and bolt to the door. But it's locked. No way out.

"HELP ME!!! PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!" No answer. Guess I have to fight my way out. Collin runs at me and I dodge his attack. Then Meg attempts to roundhouse kick me in the face. I duck and swipe her legs out from under her. Then I'm slammed to the ground by Dath. He opens his mouth, his teeth sharp and prepared to rip my throat out.

The door opens and people run in. Dath is pulled off me and I'm picked up by someone. I hold onto them tight, I'm shaking, I don't know if it's fear or adrenaline.

"Shh...it's okay Jem...they were mutts...it'll be okay, you're safe." Wait...I know that voice...

I look up and see Dath holding me, I shove away and end up falling onto the floor "NO! YOU'RE A MUTT!!!"

"No Jem. It's me." The face flickers and I see Karter...no Dath...wait what?

"NO! YOU'RE A MUTT!!"

"Jem it's me!" The voice is Karter's but the face is flickering between Karter and Dath.

"YOU'RE A FUCKING MUTT!! GET AWAY FROM ME!!!"

"I'm not a mutt! Jem it's me!" Karter reaches for me but he's Dath and Dath's a mutt but it's Karter. The thing grabs me and shakes me hard. There's a sharp pain in my lower abdomen and it doesn't stop, he's stabbing me in the gut with his claws.

I jolt awake to the sound of shouting. It's not Dath or Karter or a mutt shaking me. It's Dr. Everdeen. Why do I feel so dizzy..and..wet? What's going on?

"We need to get her OB/GYN now." I hear someone say near my feet. I feel the bed begin to move as they wheel me out of the room. A sharp stabbing pain hits me again, and a horrible memory flashes before me.

I'm being wheeled down a hallway on a metal table, Karter and a doctor run beside me; Karter shouting at some people behind us and the doctor. Everything's blurry and too bright and I'm all wet for some reason. I can hardly move, my body feels like it's being stabbed and every time it hurts more.

"What's happening to her!? Why is she bleeding like that!? What's going on!?! Tell me!" Karter shouts as they send me into a bright white room.

The memory flickers as Dr. Everdeen grasps my hand "It's going to be alright Jem. We're going to help you. It will be okay."

"Sir, there is no choice. She's fading fast and it's already gone. If you want us to save her you have to make the decision now." The doctor says to Karter, I can't see, everything's dark and fuzzy.

"Come on Jem, stay with me." Dr Everdeen says; everything feels numb except for the pain.

"GET IT OUT!" I scream as the thing stabs its claws into me. "GET THE MONSTER OUT!"

"Jem, what are you talking about? What..? Wait...no, it couldn't..." I feel Dr. Everdeen suddenly let go of my hand and leave my side.

The monster inside me stabs and claws its way out of me. I hear Karter begging them to save it and me. Karter's monster he put in me.

The doctors are talking to each other and me. But I can't understand them. I hear shouting but it's muffled and wordless. The pain slowly begins to fade and I hear more shouting as everything slowly fades away.