| THE LOVE HE HATES | HUNGER GAMES | COMPLETED

20 | THE END OF THE GAMES

     "WHERE DO THE Careers feel safest? The jungle?"

"The jungle's a nightmare." Johanna stated. 

Peeta nodded. "Probably here on the beach."

"Then why are they not here?" Beetee questioned.

Johanna shrugged smugly. "Because we are. We claimed it."

"And if we left, they would come?"

"Or stay hidden in the tree line." Athena spoke.

Beetee nodded. "Which is just over twelve hours will be soaked with water from the ten o'clock wave. And what happens at midnight?"

"Lightning strikes that tree." Katniss replied.

"Here's what I propose. We leave the beach at dusk. We head to the lightning tree." He pointed towards it. "That should draw them back to the beach. Prior to midnight, we then run this wire from the tree to the water. Anyone in the water or on the damp sand will be electrocuted."

Johanna scoffed. "How do we know the wire's not gonna burn up?"

"Because I invented it. I assure you, it won't burn up."

There was a moment of silence as they thought over the plan.

"Better than hunting them down." Athena spoke.

Katniss nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why not? If it fails, no harm done anyway, right?"

"Alright, I saw we try it." Peeta spoke. "What can we do to help?"

Beetee looked at everyone. "Keep me alive for the next six hours. That would be extremely helpful."

The small group stayed on the beach until dusk, Athena sat in the water, her eyes closed for a moment to take in the sounds of the water crashing against the beach. It was somewhat peaceful in the situation they were in. Finnick sat beside her, joining her in closing her eyes.

"Athena." He spoke softly. "You trust us, right?"

She opened her eyes to see Finnick looking back at her, she said nothing for a moment. "I do, but if we're the last two Finnick, I expect you to go home...back to Annie."

He smiled slightly. "Don't worry about that."

Soon the group were on their way to the tree, trekking through the forest. But they paused to see the fallen tributes, their hearts focused on Mags and Wiress as their faces showed. But once it was over, they continued, arriving at the tree.

Beetee examined it for a moment. "Minimal charring. It's an impressive conductor. Let's get started." They began to wrap the wire all around the tree, following Beetee's orders as he explained the science behind what they were planning. "Typically, a lightning strike contains five billion joules of energy. We don't wanna be anywhere in the vicinity when this hits."

He handed the wire to Katniss and Johanna, telling them to get it to the water while the rest of them stayed to protect Beetee. However, Peeta and Katniss began to argue about who was going where, both of them wanted to stay together. Eventually, Katniss was forced to go with Johanna, although she seemed suspicious.

Peeta and Katniss said their goodbyes before the two girls left. Athena stood with Finnick, looking around confused. She did wonder why it had to be Johanna that went with Katniss. Suddenly the wire went limp, meaning something had gone wrong on the girls end. Finnick took off running, wanting to find them. Athena stopped Peeta from following. Johanna and Finnick were good fighters and they needed to stay to protect Beetee.

Athena suddenly felt a breeze go past her and Peeta collapsed to the floor, seconds later she felt something land in her neck and she fell to the ground beside Peeta. She attempted to keep her eyes open as she saw figures coming towards them, she assumed it was Finnick coming back with Johanna and Katniss. But all she saw next was black.

Aeschylus stood with Finnick, anger growing in his voice as he speaks with him and Haymitch. "What do you mean? How could you leave her?"

Finnick shrugged helplessly. "I needed to make sure they were okay."

"She's gonna lose it when she finds out about the boy." Haymitch sighed.

Plutarch placed his hand on Aeschylus' shoulder. "She'll still cooperate, though?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Without Peeta? There's no guarantee."

The door opened to reveal Katniss, looking slightly out of it and holding a needle in her hand defensively. The girl stared at the four men before going to attack Haymitch, she believed that all but he were the bad guys.

"What are you doing with them?"

Haymitch took the weapon from her hand. "Oh, you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one let's you make the plans."

"What the hell are you doing in here?"

Finnick held his hand up in defence. "Stop, stop. Just listen."

"We couldn't tell you with Snow watching." Haymitch sighed. "It was too risky. Better for you to know nothing."

Plutarch then spoke up. "Now, Katniss. You have been our mission from the beginning. The plan was always to get you out. Half the tributes were in on it. This is the revolution. And you are the Mockingjay. And we're on our way to District Thirteen right now."

Katniss furrowed her brows. "Thirteen?"

"Thirteen, yes."

"Where's Peeta?"

Haymitch sighed. "He still has his tracker in his arm. Johanna cut yours out."

"Where is he?"

"In the Capitol. They got him, Johanna, Athena."

Katniss launched forward, slapping her mentor. "You son of a bitch! You son of a...You promised me that you would save him over me!"

Plutarch gently pushed a sedative into Katniss, calming her down instantly. She fell against Haymitch, still trying to scream at him in anger and pain before passing out. 

Athena's eyes opened slowly, she felt something cold around her wrists as she tried to move. Her eyes tried adjusting to the light as she looked around the white room. It smelled of something medical and it scared her. Footsteps appeared faintly, then grew louder. A door opened and Athena turned her head to see multiple doctors walk in, their face covered. They said nothing as they began to sort something out.

"What's happening?" Athena asked weakly. "Hello? Where am I?"

One doctor came towards her with a needle, she began to thrash against the restraints, begging for them to say what they were doing and asking them to stop. The doctor ignored her and pushed the needle into her arm. She felt nothing for a moment before her head began to be fuzzy and painful. She let out a small scream of pain, tears slipping from her eyes and then it got so much worse.