Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

C H A P T E R 5 3

Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne had just arrived back from their trip to the surface to hunt, which they had instead spent exploring the greenery of District 13, to catch the interview between Peeta Mellark and Caesar Flickerman.

"She was arguably one of our favourite Tributes, after our Princess of Panem. And I think that's what we all find most astonishing, is that this girl was adored in the Capitol. And I think for you, Peeta, it must be particularly painful," Caesars voice echoes throughout the empty eating hall.

The camera moves to Peeta holding a white rose, "I wish I could give this rose to you, Katniss."

Katniss thinks out loud as her eyes stay glued to the screen, "he's changed so much already. What are they doing to him?" She asks rhetorically.

"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 says.

Katniss points out that Peeta was shaking.

"Unless of course, Peeta, you think that perhaps she's being forced into saying things that she doesn't even understand," Caesar continues as the camera shows Peeta's dead eyes again.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I think," he speaks in a lifeless voice that Katniss points out. "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." The edge in his voice was evident.

"Now, Peeta, I doubt the rebels will ever let her see this. But if they do, what would you say to her?" Caesar asks. "To Katniss Everdeen, the once sweet Katniss Everdeen."

"I would tell her to think for herself." Peeta's breathing was shaky. "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." His eyes started to tear up. "The rebels have made you into something that you're not. Something that could destroy all of us. So if you have any power of 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?" Tears fall down his face, just as a few escape Katniss' eyes, "do you know what they really want?"

"We need to respond," Gale says to Katniss as Caesar wraps up the interview.

"Did you see what he looks like?" Katniss asked in a broken voice.

"I see a coward." Gale states.

"You don't have any idea what he's going through," Katniss replies angrily.

"I don't care. I would never say what he just said. Not if they tortured me. Not with a gun to my head." Gale spits back.

"That is the same Peeta that defended you at the whipping post." Katniss argues.

"No, it's not," Gale argues, "now he's only defending himself." His device rings. "Coin's called a meeting. We need to respond."

"When did 'we' become you and Coin?" Katniss asks bitterly.

"Everyone had a choice. How can he sit there in the Capitol and defend the people who destroyed his home and murdered his family?" Gale raises his voice again.

"He doesn't know." Katniss realises. "How could he? Nobody's seen what the Capitol did to 12. I have to show them."

Katniss and her crew arrive in the remains of 12 to shoot a respond to the interview.

Gale explained what happened from his firsthand experience.

They went to the Everdeen house in the victors village to look over the footage.

The crew sat on some rocks overlooking a beautiful blue lake as they ate and drank.

Katniss and Pollux, the man with no tongue, noticed a Mockingjay bird land nearby. Pollux whistled a tune to which they copied.

Pollux smiled at the teenager, motioning for her to sing.

Katniss sung 'The Hanging Tree', unknowingly being recorded by the crew.

The video created was shown to all the Districts, resulting in District 5 bombing and disabling the hydroelectric dam causing a loss of power in the Capitol.

Moves and countermoves.

AN: I rlly hated Gale in that scene :/