Disclaimer: The Hunger Games Trilogy is property of Suzanne Collins. This is a parody fanwork by fans for fans. No money was made off of the creation of this fanwork.

Came Back Wrong
By FanficAllergy

-Z-

6. The End

-Z-

Tomorrow comes too soon.

We eat breakfast together as a group one final time. No one wants to acknowledge that this is the last time we'll be seeing Beetee and possibly others. No one wants to acknowledge that this might be our last meal.

Thom distributes our packs while Mitchell gives out our weapons. I have the bow Beetee and Gale designed for me while Finnick has his trident. We each have two sidearms with additional ammunition. In fact, other than Posy, all of us are carrying a handgun. Mitchell and the Leegs went over basic firearm safety with everyone last night. What no one says is that the only reason we each have a gun is so we can put a bullet in our own brain rather than be turned into a ghoul.

When we're ready to go, we cluster around the door as Beetee hands out the few communicators that we have left.

"You could come with us," Haymitch offers.

Beetee smiles and shakes his head. "No, my friend, you need me here. Out there I'd only be a burden to you, here I can help you."

"You wouldn't be a burden, old man."

"It is kind of you to say that, but we both know that is a falsehood. Don't worry about me. I am content with my choice and I have lived a good life. Please let me have the honor of choosing the manner and the time of my death."

Haymitch nods his head and reaches out to clasp Beetee's arm.

Beetee returns it. "Now, you'd best get going. The early bird gets the worm, you know."

"Yeah," Haymitch says thickly. "I do. Thank you."

Nothing else is said between them. Nothing else needs to be said. For some reason the exchange reminds me of Effie and her insistence that the early bird got pearls because worms were disgusting. I wonder where Effie is now.

We get into a loose formation with Mitchell, Linda Leeg, and myself up front with Finnick, Cressida, and Messalla in the rear. The rest of the group forms a ring around Leslie Leeg and the children. Leslie's too important to put in danger, and no one is willing to sacrifice the children.

Mitchell takes point, with one of Beetee's communicators in his ear. A native of Thirteen, he knows the layout better than any of us transplants. As we walk, Thom grabs any supplies he can and shoves them into a bag he brought along. There isn't a lot, since most of the common areas have been well looted, but anything of use and not covered in bodily fluids is fair game. We pass several barred and chained doors with the words 'Dead inside' painted on them. According to Beetee, the rooms contain trapped ghouls. We move past those quickly.

We're all on high alert. Beetee guides us around ghouls and scavengers as much as he can. But we're not going to be able to avoid everyone. Our group is too large and we've got too far to go. Still, when our first encounter comes, we're not ready. Two ghouls, a man and a woman dressed in blood spattered coveralls, charge us from where they'd been feeding on a dead body. Beetee warned us about them but there's no way to go around the two since they're right in the middle of the junction we need to take to the elevator to take us up to the hangar level.

I'd forgotten how quickly the ghouls move. My first arrow goes wide, missing the man's head. I set another arrow to my bow, while Mitchell fells the woman with a well aimed headshot. Linda slows the man with a bullet to the knee and I'm able to finish him off with my second arrow.

It's all over in a matter of seconds.

Mitchell fires a second shot into each of the ghouls' heads to make sure that they're down, then motions for us to continue on our way to the elevator.

We get there and Beetee has it there and waiting with the doors open. We crowd inside, when there's a commotion at the rear of our group.

It's another ghoul and one I recognize. Gale. He must have heard the shots from earlier and came to investigate. Finnick is shooing the Hawthornes and what's left of my prep team into the elevator while Messalla and Thom engage Gale.

The two aren't as well trained as the soldiers and their initial shots hit Gale in the torso. Gale swipes at Messalla, which gives Thom an opening. He shoots Gale in the head and the ghoul and Messalla collapse to the ground in a heap.

Haymitch and Pollux help lift Gale's body off of the film assistant. When they do, Cressida lets out a small cry.

On the fleshy part of Messalla's left ear is a small crescent shaped wound. A bite mark.

In shock, the pierced man reaches up and fingers the wound, pulling back when he feels blood. He stares at the blood on his fingers for several moments then draws a ragged breath. He squares his shoulders and his whole demeanor changes.

"Go," he says raggedly.

"No..." Cressida whispers.

"Please, just go." He looks at the tattooed woman with his heart in his eyes. "We both know what this means. We both know I can't come with you now."

"That's right, you can't," Haymitch says before Cressida can say anything. "But that doesn't mean you can't still help the rest of us escape."

The man considers his words and nods. "I can do that. At least this way I can go out fighting."

"Always a good way to go," Haymitch agrees. "Why don't you switch off with Katniss up front?"

He agrees and we pile onto the elevator.

Messalla takes point as we get off the elevator. And it's a good thing too; as soon as we reach the hangar floor all hell breaks loose.

There's a group of scavengers waiting as the elevator doors open wielding knives and clubs. They descend on us with a loud cry.

Messalla, perhaps knowing he has nothing to lose, is completely ruthless, firing point blank into the tattered remnants of District Thirteen's population. A thin, scruffy man hits him with a heavy club and he goes down.

Cressida screams and dives into the fray, shooting several scavengers until one of them gets a lucky break and knifes her in the leg.

While this is going on, Haymitch is shouting for the rest of the group to run for the hangar entrance visible from the elevator. Hazelle picks up Posy, while Delly grabs Vick and Rory's hands. Then they dash for the hangar and the relative safety within. Linda Leeg is in the lead with Haymitch right beside her. Leslie is just behind them.

Finnick acts as their guard, his trident extremely lethal against these untrained fighters. One by one, they go down.

As soon as I have space to draw my bow, I wade into the fray. And with Mitchell's assistance we're soon able to overcome the ragtag group of scavengers.

But not without casualties. Messalla is down, permanently. While Cressida has sustained a nasty blow to the head, probably from someone's foot, in addition to being knifed in the thigh.

My mother ties a quick tourniquet around her leg before allowing Thom to pick her up. This isn't the right time or place to be performing first aid. Better to get her into the hovercraft where there's less chance of an attack.

In the distance, I can hear the sounds of a skirmish coming from the hangar. There must have been another group in there. Mitchell, Finnick and I look at Thom and my mother.

"Go," my mother orders. "We'll be fine." She pulls out a handgun and steps in front of Thom. "I'll cover them."

"See you soon," Mitchell acknowledges with a salute.

We take off down the hall and from behind us we hear a single gunshot. My mother must have put a bullet through Messalla's head to make sure he didn't get back up as a ghoul. The thought unsettles me a bit. My mother is a healer, not a killer. But this disease has twisted and changed people so much that they're no longer recognizable.

The three of us enter the hangar and skitter to a stop to take stock. Leslie is kneeling over the fallen body of her sister while Castor and Pollux grapple with two scavengers. Haymitch is standing guard over Leslie, his handgun out, waiting for a clear shot. I can see three more bodies of scavengers on the floor by one of the hovercrafts. They must have been holed up in one of the hovercrafts for protection.

I pause and take aim at one of the scavengers. He's got his back to me and I have a clear shot. I take it.

He collapses and Pollux smiles at me gratefully.

Castor finishes with his scavenger and looks around to see if there's any more coming. There aren't.

We're safe, for now. There's no way to shut the doors to the hangar, not anymore. One of the doors has been ripped off its hinges at some point and the other won't close.

Haymitch manages to rouse Leslie and is talking to her in a low tone. We need her functioning. She can mourn her sister later.

The woman nods and wipes her eyes. Then she surveys the hovercrafts in the hangar briefly before selecting one. Hazelle and Delly lead the children up the ramp while Leslie starts the pre-flight check.

"We're going to need fuel!" she calls down. "This one's about empty."

Haymitch nods. "Castor. Pollux. You two find fuel and help Leeg get this bird ready to fly." The two men nod and head up the ramp to talk to Leslie and find out what they need to do.

My mother and Thom join us and get Cressida into the hovercraft so my mother can start treating her.

"Mitchell. You, me and Thom will stand guard by the doors," Haymitch continues with his orders when Thom joins us. "Venia. Octavia. You two store our gear and check any nearby crates to see if there's any useful items that we can take with us."

The two nod and scamper away.

Finally Haymitch turns to me. "Katniss. You and Finnick make a sweep of the room and make sure that there aren't any more surprises."

I make a noise of agreement.

Finnick and I stand guard while the three covering the doors get themselves situated. I slip into my hunter's mindset, hyper aware of everything around me. I hear Castor and Pollux fumbling with a large battery to my left. Behind me, I hear Venia and Octavia huffing loudly as they stow all of our packs. To my right, I hear something shuffling along the far wall.

Signaling to Finnick that I hear something, I half draw my bow and tiptoe toward where I heard the noise. Finnick follows.

We round a stack of boxes and I let out a low anguished cry. It's Peeta. His prosthetic leg is missing and his clothes are torn from dragging his body across the ground.

He looks up at me with vacant lifeless eyes and reaches for me with one hand. There's no recognition or love in his face. The essence that made Peeta, Peeta, is gone. All that's left is an empty husk with one terrible purpose - to destroy.

"Do you want me to do it?" Finnick asks, his voice low so it won't carry.

I shake my head. "No, Snow did this to break me."

"And did it?" he asks intently.

I don't answer. I don't need to answer. He knows the answer is yes. Snow broke him too.

Handing Finnick my bow and arrows, I pull out my side arm. It's the most efficient weapon for what I need to do.

"I'm sorry, Peeta," I tell the thing with his face. "Snow did this to you because I loved you. He knew I loved you. Love you," I amend. "Because I still do, you know. I never got to tell you." I kneel down. "I do love you. I think I've always loved you. That moment we had on the beach, it was real. I need you, Peeta. I don't want to live without you."

Then, before Finnick can stop me, I lean down and kiss Peeta's dead lips. The ghoul bites at my lower lip and I can taste blood in my mouth.

I don't care. Snow did this to Peeta to destroy me; I'm going to let him. But I'm going to do it on my terms.

"I love you, Peeta," I murmur against his lips. "I guess the lie we told in the Games came true. We really are the Star-Crossed Lovers of District Twelve. And the odds just aren't in our favor." I pull back far enough to aim my handgun and pull the trigger.

The ghoul that was Peeta slumps to the floor. Dead.

Inside, I feel what's left of my heart shatter.

"What have you done, Katniss?" Finnick whispers, aghast.

"Snow wanted to beat me with this disease. I'm going to use it to beat him," I say simply.

"How are you going to get to him to do that?" he asks.

I spit the blood out of my mouth. "Leslie can show me how to pilot a hovercraft. We have time."

He shakes his head, his eyes wide. "You're going to kill everyone, Katniss."

I regard him steadily. "I don't care so long as I kill Snow. He unleashed this disease on the world. He killed Peeta and Prim and Gale and Johanna and Annie!" The last has him reeling back in shock. "Snow did this!" I continue heatedly. "He killed them all. He wanted us to burn. Well, he's going to burn with us!"

"Katniss..."

"I've made up my mind." I glare at him. "Don't try to stop me."

He kneels down next to me and pulls out a handkerchief and gives it to me. "You might want to wipe your face. People will have heard the gunshot. They'll want to know what happened."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Finnick shakes his head. "No."

He gets it. He understands. "Thank you."

I wipe my face clean and leave the soiled handkerchief over Peeta's face. I don't want to look at it and I don't want anyone who investigates later to see the telltale blond hair.

We finish our sweep and meet up with the others. Haymitch raises an eyebrow at me.

"Ghoul," I say shortly, in answer to his unasked question. It's not a lie, but it's not the whole truth either.

Haymitch nods and motions for us to get onboard the hovercraft. Leslie is ready to go.

The flight to the island takes about an hour and about halfway through it, Leslie informs us that Beetee has detonated the nukes in Thirteen.

No one says anything. We're all still in shock. We've all lost so much.

We land on the northeastern edge of the island that will be our new home. Off in the distance, we can see the ruined remains of what once was a magnificent city. There are forests and meadows and beaches for the children to play on. A few of the old houses might even be habitable once they're cleaned up. I'm not going stick around long enough to find out.

As soon as we land, Haymitch directs Thom and Mitchell to scout the immediate area and then has Castor and Pollux start setting up some kind of shelter for the group.

He turns to me and I know it's time.

"I'm not staying," I tell him.

He narrows his eyes at me. "What did you do?" I'm not surprised at the question. Haymitch and I have always understood each other.

I pull down my lower lip to show Peeta's bite marks.

Haymitch swears. "Dammit girl! Why'd you go and do that?"

"I don't want to live without him," I answer simply. It's the truth. I don't.

"And just what did you plan on doing with that?"

"I figured I'd give Snow a taste of his own medicine."

"Fuck! You know you're mental, girl."

"She's not the only one," Finnick says softly. He swoops down and captures my lips with his, his tongue seeking out Peeta's bites and worrying them open. The kiss is perfunctory, clinical. Finnick's not kissing me because he loves me. He's kissing me to turn himself into a weapon. He pulls back and looks at Haymitch resolutely. "I'm going with her."

"And just how did you think you're gonna get there? Last I checked neither of you could fly a hovercraft."

"No, but I can." Leslie's voice comes from behind us and we turn to see her standing on the ramp next to my mother.

"Katniss," my mother whispers softly.

"I'm sorry, Mom. But this is my choice."

She nods her head. She understands. She would have let herself die after my father did if Prim and I hadn't forced her to stay alive. I don't have anything or anyone to do the same now that Peeta's gone.

"Fuck," Haymitch repeats again.

"What are you going to do, Haymitch?" Finnick asks. "Are you going to shoot us?"

"I should," he says darkly.

"But you won't," I say. "You're as angry at Snow as we are. You won't try to stop us."

He sighs. "No, I won't. But I ain't happy."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

I smile. "No, I'm not."

Haymitch runs his fingers through his hair. "Let us finish unloading and then you idiots can get on your way. I don't want to see you anywhere near the rest of us."

Finnick and I nod. We understand. He doesn't want to risk us getting any of the remaining survivors sick.

We take off two hours later. I look down at the people gathered in the clearing below. Posy is crying in Hazelle's arms. My mother is leaning on Haymitch heavily while the rest just appear stoic. They understand why we had to leave and what we're going to do.

I tear my eyes away and force myself to look west toward the setting sun. Toward the Capitol. Toward Snow.

He's about to learn just how horrible the revenge of the star-crossed lovers can be.

-Z-

AN:

Written: 10/31/14
Revised: 10/31/14
Revised 2: 11/13/14
Beta Read by RoseFyre

So... rocks fall everyone dies. I'm kind of sorry about that only not. It's where the story took me. Coin was a whole lot more heroic here than she was in the books, and that's deliberate. She's a very cold person who would be one of those who sacrificed the few for the many.

I also had Katniss kill Peeta. In the books, it's what Snow wanted her to do because he knew it would break her to have to put Peeta down. And it does. She loves Peeta, make no mistake about it, but she also knows that the Peeta she loved died in the Capitol and all that's left is an empty husk with a horrible mission.

People seem to forget that being Star Crossed Lovers is not a good thing (TM). Star Crossed means that fate is not in your favor and that your love is going to end tragically and often they can only be together in death. So that's where I went. Katniss loves Peeta so much that she's willing to sacrifice all of Panem just for a chance to get her revenge on the people who killed her love.

I hope you enjoyed this and have a few tissues. I know I needed them after I finished writing this.

Let Me know what you think!