RENEGADE [THE HUNGER GAMES - FINNICK ODAIR] - DISCONTINUED

CHAPTER 13

Another sharp pain rocketed through her shin like an explosion causing her to stop and brace herself against the wall. Breathing deeply through her nose, she slapped the wall with a bubbling rage at her physical weakness until the ripple of muscle jerked the slit on her arm and she was reminded of the tracker, the explosion...

"Where's Peeta?" She suddenly asked as her eyes widened but as her companion shook his head, she felt as if she had been punched in the face. "They got him..." She muttered rhetorically as guilt flooded her senses. In all her years, Quinn had never broken a promise. In all her years, Quinn had never failed to carry out her duties, never once shirked a responsibility. Never failed anyone but herself. Until Peeta. A lump grew in her throat as she clenched her jaw and descended into silence. It was no lie that she could have saved him from the clutches of the dictator; no lie that she could have removed his tracker first but in all honesty, she didn't want to. She had failed him because she had put herself first and for a girl who claimed to have nothing left to live for, she had been all too desperate to make it out alive – to make it home.

Haymitch sighed as she pushed herself from the wall and forced her feet forward, shrugging him off as he offered his arm. As they turned the corner, Quinn blinked hard to force the negative thoughts out of her mind. Grinded her teeth to banish the self-blame. Truth be told, perhaps she did have something to live for; it was him or her and she would never let Snow close enough to reopen the scars that she had spent years stitching.

"Oh." Haymitch muttered, pulling her from her thoughts as they entered a room plastered in technology and numerous maps marked with strategies in unfamiliar codes. "You might want to avoid..." His words were cut short as a fist collided with Quinn's face, forcing it to the left as the impact rippled through her skull. "Katniss." He continued through a sigh as the girl stumbled backwards, the pins in her leg doing nothing to steady her as it bucked under the weight.

"You promised!" The younger girl screamed like a wild animal. Quinn slackened her jaw as she lifted her head and raised back up into a prepared slump, eyes stony despite the shock. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth as Katniss continued. "He trusted you but you were too selfish to put him first."

The brunette girl drew dangerously close to the blonde, anger rushing through her as her arm raised subconsciously. As the men in the room moved to intervene, Quinn's hand caught the smaller fist and bent it backwards as her own fist pushed into the girl's torso. Her demons took over to eliminate the threat as the Mockingjay bend forward. Within the blink of an eye, Quinn's hand was around the girl's throat throwing her backwards into the wall. Adrenaline kicked in and her leg no longer irked her as she concentrated on allowing the girl to live. "I have just about had enough of being treated like the villain. I am sorry that I couldn't save your little boyfriend." She spoke, her voice deathly low and her face a mere inch from the brunette's as her fist provided pressure to her airways – the animal instinct threatening to spill blood. "But if you ever lay your hands on me again, it will be the last thing that you do. Mockingjay or not."

The fear in Katniss' eyes only seemed to spur her on as the blood trickled from her busted lip. All eyes were on her as she held her prey. All breaths ceased under the weight of her threat – her promise.

"Quinn." A voice snapped from behind her. Heavy, uneven footsteps approached as she felt Katniss swallow and their eyes remained locked with one another's. A large hand was soon placed on her shoulder as she felt a presence behind her. "Quinn, let her go." Haymitch's voice spoke as gently as his gruff tone would allow, forcing the animal to retreat into the jungle of her mind. Her eyes remained on her victim as she released her and she was pulled to the opposite side of the tiny room.

"He should have been here." Katniss rasped as her hand reached up, tentatively, to massaged her neck. Her eyes trained on the older girl as her mentor shot her a warning look.