Return of the Mockingjay

Chapter 21

It's been two weeks since I woke from my coma. To begin with I was so tired, my body and muscles unused to day to day life but as time passed by my strength has returned and my arm is now just an annoying ache instead of a throbbing pain. For the most part I've kept myself out of the spotlight during the healing process but Plutarch and Peeta think it'll be a good idea to show myself once again. Not on the open stage but with a simple visit to the training ground, to be honest I'm looking forward to it. It'll be good to see my squad in training as well as seeing how the other new recruits are coming along. I ride up in the elevator with Ellie and Gibbs by my side.

"How's the training of the new recruits coming on Ellie" I ask while we ride up.

"It's much better now Katniss, for a while it looked like we were in trouble what with you being injured and all but once you made that speech to Panem we've never looked back"

The elevator stops, the doors open and we're greeted by the view of hundreds of new recruits busy training. The newest are slowly jogging round the running track, building up their fitness while the ones who are most ready are busy disassembling and reassembling weapons.
As we walk out, people start staring and pointing, some rush over and take my hand, or just want to touch me. Gibbs tries to push them away but it's clear it's never gonna work, there's simply too many of them. I make an effort to talk and shake hands with as many as I can as we make our way through the throng of people but after a while the instructors order them back to their training classes.

We continue on to the far side of the training ground to find the Mockingjay squad all grouped around one person while they shoot arrows on the target range. For a moment I think it's Steph they're all watching but then I hear that tell tale scream of the arrows as they fly through the air. I know it can only be one person who has arrows that sound like that and I turn to Ellie to see her struggling not to laugh.
As I walk over Gale and Johanna step aside to allow me through and I see Peeta, still dressed in his suit firing arrows on the target range.
I smile and shake my head at the sight,
"So, Mr President, thought you'd come and have some fun with the squad!" I shout just as he releases another arrow. I catch him off guard and the arrow misses its target and buries itself in the grass bank behind.
Everyone falls about laughing and I come over to him and kiss him on the cheek as he laughs with the others.

"Sorry sweetie, did I put you off your shot?" I say sarcastically with my best innocent look.

Once again the squad falls about laughing at me teasing Peeta when we're all suddenly distracted at the sound of hovercraft flying overhead. As I watch I notice they seem different to the others that we have in our hanger and they seem to be flying in a circle to swing round and overfly the training ground. Steph comes to my side.

"Something's not right" she says

"What do you mean, it's probably just Alek showing off" I say offhandedly.

"I think Steph's right, we've seen this before Katniss, remember district 8, and those aren't hovercraft I've ever seen before?" says Gale.

I look back at the approaching bombers and remember the day the Capitol bombed the district 8 hospital. Bombers circling overheard, dropping firebombs on the wounded, Gale and I shooting at them with explosive arrows.

Then the air raid siren blares out across the district as the closing hovercraft open fire on the hundreds of recruits on the training ground. Before I know what's happened I've been knocked to the floor with Peeta laying on top of me, protecting me. I manage to look across the training field, fire bombs rain down and I watch in shock as people are engulfed in flames, some just collapse immediately, others run around or roll about on the floor trying to smother the flames. Luckily for us we're at the top of the training ground near the woods, away from the worst of the bombing. I feel Peeta climb off me then yank me to my feet, but before I've even got my breath I'm being dragged off, not toward the elevator, that's cut off by the flames. Peeta pulls me the other way toward the surrounding woods following the rest of the squad who are also making for cover. When we reach the trees Peeta lets go of my arm and takes my hand to lead me while we run on deeper into the forest. I feel a hot blast from behind and I know they're now bombing the forest, trying to kill the fleeing soldiers as they seek safety in the woods. I look round us and see the whole squad running with us. Steph, Gale, Johanna, Blane, Cressida and Pollux while Gibbs and Ellie run close to me and Peeta. Steph is screaming into her communicuff while she runs, it sounds like she's yelling at Alek. Peeta's communicuff starts bleeping and we all stop running as he answers the call. I can hear Plutarch on the other end...