~~The Love Beyond~~

Chapter 1

"Katniss," I shout, pulling her to a stop as Messalla gets caught in an unmarked pod. I look away as he is frozen with a look of horror and his skin melts to a puddle. I'm not squeamish, goodness knows I've killed my fair share but since I married Annie every death is accompanied by a fear of Annie meeting the same fate.

Through all this Peeta is surprisingly the calmest as he shouts, "can't help him! Can't," with this he starts pushing us forward and with the extra push we start moving.

I can tell Katniss is still inside her mind reeling from the deaths and Peeta seemingly okay. He's a dang idiot for trying to insist we kill him multiple times considering Katniss wasn't going to go for that in a million years. I still remember when I first realized it wasn't just an act for the capitol. When Peeta almost died it became obvious that no matter how much either denied it they were in love. And I saw it breaking Katniss every day we were in 13 without him but it was nothing compared to *after* he came back.

I'm pulled from my thoughts when Katniss skids to a stop in front of me. We are forced between the oncoming peacekeepers and an untriggered pod and our only option is to shoot back. There's six of us and we aren't trying to shoot while running plus most of us are precise shots. Sure, I'm better with a trident but I'm pretty good with a gun too and we all know Katniss is a perfect shot.

Red starts to appear against the bright white of the peacekeepers uniforms and once again I'm hit by a wave of nausea imagining Annie in their place and suddenly it's not so easy to pull the trigger, but I remind myself if I die here, she'll be left alone, and I can't let that happen to her.

Just as the others were dwindling down a second wave appeared around the corner. As they crawl closer realization hits all of us and we realize those aren't peacekeepers. The mutts swarm the peacekeepers in a nightmarish way, pulling at their heads leaving decapitated bodies as a second wave of nausea hits harder than before. They start making their way towards us and I hear Katniss shout, "this way," as she takes off running with the rest of us at her heels.

Once we've all successfully avoided the pod Katniss fires into it activating the giant meat grinder. I sincerely hope the mutts aren't smart enough to find a way around it. The hissing countries and the smell of roses is strong which proves they were designed to kill Katniss. Snow has a habit of doing things like that; he must think it makes it fun. My lip curls slightly at the thought of him. Annie was lucky she went 'crazy' in the arena, so they didn't do to her what they did to me and every other attractive victor.

Katniss grabs Pollux's arm and says, "forget the mission. What's the quickest way above ground?" It's smart of her to ask him then to check the Holo since there's not much time. As Pollux moves through the tunnels the rest of us follow along. I glance back when Katniss does and realize Jackson and Leeg One aren't behind us.

Katniss must notice as well as she says, "wait! Where are Jackson and Leeg One?"

"They stayed at the grinder to hold the mutts back," Homes replies from behind me.

"What?" Katniss starts going back to the bridge and I'm about to reach out to stop her when Homes does instead.

"Don't waste their lives, Katniss. It's too late for them. Look!" Homes angles his head towards the pipe and I notice the mutts climbing along it making their way towards us again.

"Stand back!" Gale shouts, pulling out an explosive arrow and firing it at the bridge in an attempt to block the mutts. For some reason I doubt it'll stop them for long.

With them closer we get a good look. They are scaly white with four legs and reptilian tails. But their heads have a human shape that leaves me shuddering. They are covered in blood from presumably the peacekeepers and whoever else they killed to get down here. They are so desperate to get to us that they are hurting each other as they hiss Katniss's name over and over.

We all start open firing. I don't find it hard to pull the trigger against these foul beasts, but it doesn't matter. They may as well have been immortal with how difficult it is to kill them. Katniss is deep in thought and panic as we start shouting at her that we need to go, finally I shout to the others to go ahead, and I'll get her up the ladder but only Pollux listens the rest insisting they need to wait for Kat. Gale picks her up just as she blows one of the mutts' heads to oblivion. He slams her onto the ladder and Cressida and Peeta make their way up behind her. I'm shooting at the mutts as I see Gale also make his way to the ladder.

I can briefly hear Gale shouting at Katniss to climb as I feel something reach me from behind. A quick thought hits me that I'm not leaving these tunnels as the world begins to go black. I faintly hear an explosion I think but I'm too far into my dreamland and thoughts of my love I may never see again to know for sure. Then even thoughts of Annie disappear and everything is black.