Puzzle Pieces • Finnick Odair

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The mutts kept coming and they weren't stopping.

Launching themselves at the group from every direction. The tunnels both left and right of the ladder, the platforms and openings above them. Right as you shot one, another would launch itself off a wall straight at you. It was like the ultimate training hologram except it was real. It wasn't a training technique to impress the other tributes or to get sponsors, it was real and everyone fought like their lives depended on it, because they did.

Cressida dragged Peeta off the floor, where he had just killed the mutt that broke his cuffs, and led him over to the ladder. She pushed him up first before following herself, looking down to shoot the mutts as she climbed.

Back down with the mutts, Finnick killed one that was about to end the Mockingjay's life with his trident as Jessica slashed two mutts at once with her twin blades, effectively saving Leah's life.

Finnick guides Katniss to the ladder, killing any mutts in their way, as she and Gale climb the ladder.

Pollux, Peeta, Messalla and Cressida help the two up, waiting for Jessica, Leah and Finnick who were still stuck with the mutts.

Jessica and Leah stand back to back killing the mutts that come at them whilst Finnick fights some a few metres to the side. Leah moves out slightly and helps Finnick. She is then almost dragged under water but is quickly saved by Jessica and her twin blades, "Leah! Come on, hurry!"

There's a hint of an unknown emotion Jessica can't quite place in her eyes as she turns to her friend, "you go first," Jessica goes to protest but is quickly cut off before she can start. "I told you I'm forever in your debt," she refers to Jessica looking out for her brother, "let me pay that debt." Leah stepped closer to her best friend, her only friend really, she was close enough that when she spoke, only Jessica could hear her quiet words, "I have nothing left to offer... and no one left to offer it to. Let me go."

Jessica sees there's no point in arguing, seeing this is what her friend wants so she sends her a nod before turning to run to the ladder, "Finnick! Come on!"

"Right behind you," Finnick shouts back as Jessica starts to climb up, as fast as her limbs will allow her.

She reached the top, being dragged in by Katniss, before looking down to see Finnick about eight steps up the ladder before a mutt launched at him, claws digging into his shoulder causing him to release a scream of pain.

He kills it, only to be attacked by three more and dragged off the ladder into the water. Jessica makes a move to go help him as she screams his name fearfully but is stopped by Katniss and Cressida who have to forcefully stop her from jumping down to help.

Finnick's head emerges from the water, a small pile of mutts jumping on him, more still coming at him from every direction, clawing at him and ripping skin as his screams are muffled by their weight on his chest.

Leah throws a couple of daggers at the mutts grabbing him and cuts the others with her machete. "Go!" She shouts but he hesitates slightly before hearing her say, "she needs you." It was too quiet for anyone up the ladder to hear over the mutts but he heard. He gave her a last look before climbing up the ladder, stabbing mutts on his way, Leah stands at the bottom killing any mutts that come close.

Finnick was covered in claw marks and cuts by the time he reaches the top and is dragged in by Pollux and Peeta.

Jessica has no time to embrace him as she hears one of her best friends scream. She looks down the ladder again, "Leah! Come on, climb up."

Leah looks up at her, giving her a pained smile but made no effort to climb up. She'd made her choice. Though it made a sob rip through her chest as she saw her friend being fully submerged by lizard mutts, she knew Leah had made a choice. She chose to see her little brother again.

Finnick leaned forward, despite the pain it caused from the deep claw cut in his shoulder and smaller cuts littering his body. He reached out, grabbing Jessica by the waist with one arm and dragging her back as she struggled against him, away from the hole so she wouldn't see Katniss throw the self destructing Holo down.

Katniss put Jessica's friend out of misery, giving her a quicker, but still honourable, death as the Holo exploded, taking out both Leah and the mutts.

Jessica let herself collapse into Finnick's tight hold and stopped struggling once she realised it was him holding her and not a Capitol lizard mutt. There was no time to mourn their fallen team members now, not yet, they still had to keep moving, keep running. Forever running. Jessica wanted to stop. She wanted to stop running, to stop fighting, she just wanted peace. Away from Snow, away from the Games. Just her, Finnick, and the ones she loves and cares about.

But, in order for that to happen, for now she has to keep running. She has to fight for her peace, her future. She had to fight for the life she wants, so that's exactly want she did. She let her legs lead her away, following the group, ignoring her aching body just as Finnick ignored the many cuts and claw marks that marked his skin from when he was dragged into the small pile of mutts, as he almost died. Almost.

AN: there is absolutely NO way I could've killed fishface <3