Masked Enemies

Chapter 17

Katniss

I awoke to the sound of the doctor's footsteps again. I opened my eyes and stared angrily at the confused doctor that was standing in the doorway of my room. Only....this wasn't my room. It was much warmer, and much brighter.

"Where am I?" I look around sleepily, confused.

The door on the far side of the room bursts open. I blurred figure rushes in, looking around wildly. As the figure stills, I could tell it was Finnick.

"Katniss. They need you." He tells me.

I get out of bed and rush back to my room. Finnick comes with me. He is already dressed.

"What are we doing?" I ask him as we walk along the corridors of the makeshift hospital.

"They wanted to execute Snow today. I would've told you yesterday, but you were asleep. They wanted you to do it." Finnick tells me.

"Okay. I can do that. Next question. What was I doing there?" I question him.

Finnick blushes. He looks down, his hand moving to the back of his neck. He smiles as he answers me. "Well, you fell asleep in the Estate, so I carried you back to your room. It was really cold there, so I took you to my room. I slept in your room instead."

I smile at him. "That was really nice of you. Thank you."

Finnick looks up at me and smiles. I can see some of the twinkle I loved to see in the Quell return to his eyes. The eyes that shone in the light of victory, and that dimmed in the darkness of defeat. The eyes that I had grown to love.

"It was really no problem. You-" Finnick's voice breaks. "You remind me a lot of Annie."

We walk in silence after that. I suspect Finnick doesn't want to talk or doesn't feel like talking.

We reach my room, and I put my hand out to open the door. Finnick tells me he will wait outside, and I go in to change.

I slip of my shirt and look at myself in the mirror. My body is covered in horrible burns. Burns I have gotten so many times. I open the tattered backpack I have carried with me through good and bad, and take out another shirt. This one is blue with a round neck. I take of my leggings too, which are torn up, and replace them with a new and fresh pair of pants. Over my clothes I wear my Mockingjay outfit. It is new. Cinna has probably kept many of those just in case.

I sighed. I missed Cinna. The only reason I was even doing this was to avenge the deaths of the ones that died. The ones I loved. Rue. Cinna. Peeta. Prim.

Sobs shook my body as I grabbed my bow and quiver. I restocked it with arrows, my eyes warm with tears.

I open the door again, and walk outside. Finnick is still standing there, waiting for me to finish dressing.

"Ready to go?" he asks me. His eyes narrow with concern as he notices that I am crying.

"What happened?" Finnick looks into my eyes and understands. I am glad. I really don't feel like talking.

"They're all dead. It should've been me. I should be dead." I tell him. That's really what I am thinking.

"I should've been the one to get speared by Marvel. I should've been the one to get killed during interrogation. I should've been the one to jump into the flames. I should've been the one to die helping the wounded." I continue in a whisper.

"No." Finnick says sternly. I glare at him. "You are the face of this rebellion, Katniss. If you were dead, who would lead us?" Finnick demands. His features are tight and hard, and his green eyes that normally twinkle are now glistening with anger and tears.

Suicide had to be a sore topic for Finnick. I decided not to rub salt into such a huge wound.

We walked to the Estate sadly. I gasped at the sight of Coin in a dress as blue as the sky above us standing on a podium, gesturing towards the old man tied to a pole, his mouth stained red with blood. He smiles at us, showing his blood-stained teeth.

I wait for Coin to finish speaking. She looks at me and smiles sadly.

"I would like everyone- especially our Mockingjay- to know that the bombs that we thought were sent by President Snow, were actually sent by me. For motivational purposes, obviously." Coin booms to the large crowd, who are tightly packed in the Victor's Avenue.

Rage bubbles inside of me. Coin killed Prim? So I would be motivated? That action has motivated me. So I look up to Coin and say that I'm ready. She nods at me.

I set my bow and pull back the string. I kneel down, aiming at Snow. He smiles. Snow knows his time was up.

Instead, I aim up and fire the arrow. I watch in satisfaction as the arrow sinks into Coin's chest. She gasps, and falls. Coin rolls down the steps of the pavilion, leaving a trail of blood behind her. I walk over to her, and smile. What was wrong with me? I felt alive, so maniacal.

I watch Coin as the light leaves her eyes, oblivious to the uproar behind me. Perhaps I had truly believed that Coin was here to help me. Anyone who had anything to do with the death of my sister, however, had to pay. With their life.

I turn around and face the crowd. Peacekeepers are holding them back. Are they working for Coin or Snow? I swivel my head towards President Snow, who remains tied to the post. He leers at me, all of his red teeth showing. The expression on his face is full of glee. Snow was a true psychopath.

I look back at the crowd and say in a loud voice-

"People of Panem! I assure you that our country is rid of tyranny and injustice with the execution of these two leaders!"

I don't think they cared. I was about to shoot Snow, but for them, Snow was alive. So I set my bow, but it's too late. The crowd has swarmed the pavillion and has taken over the pole which Snow is tied to.

I scream for them to stop, but it's too late. The crowd is now ripping Snow apart. I scream again, louder this time, but they do not hear me. I catch a glimpse of Snow's face as they tear him to pieces. He is smiling at me. I think he has gone insane, knowing that his death would be inevitable.

I give up and run from the scene of the execution. Peacekeepers catch me and haul me towards another chamber. I yell in protest as they force me into a smaller room.

They throw me into the room and leave, shutting the door behind them. I slump against the walls and look around me. An Avox boy is standing in the far corner of the room. Other than that, I am alone.

The door opens and Haymitch walks in, his flask hanging by his side.

"Good afternoon, sweetheart." he says.

"Don't call me sweetheart." I tell him.

Haymitch ignores me. "What was that?" He asks.

"She killed Prim." I reply. "She deserved that."

Haymitch shook his head and took me out.