The Wrong Victor

Chapter three: Peeta

I wake up with my head pounding. Memories rush back of being on the hovercraft with Haymitch, Finnick, and Plutarch. Katniss is in the Capitol. Alone. I don't want to open my eyes. I don't want to sit up. I don't want this to be reality. I don't want Katniss' fate to be real. That should be me in the Capitol getting tortured. Not her. She doesn't deserve this.

"Peeta? Peeta are you awake?" Prim's sweet soft voice rings in my ear as I feel her small delicate hand rest on mine. "It's going to be okay. We'll save Katniss. I know we will."

I sigh and open eyes to see the cute little sister of Katniss staring down at me. I relax my hand and hold hers. "Thank you." I whisper to her as I sit up. I have a new prosthetic. Not as good as the one the Capitol gave me, but it'll do. I look around the room and the room is cold with just this bed covered in a thin sheet. I rub my eye and look at her. "Where are we?"

"We're in District Thirteen. They bombed us. They bombed Twelve. Gale got as many of us out of there as he could." Prim sits on the bed next to me and holds my hand tighter. "Your parents.... they didn't come with us. Neither did your brothers. I'm sorry."

My family... first Katniss was taken from me now this. I look at the floor and tears come to my eyes. "It's okay. It's okay. I'm here with you. That's enough for me. To keep you safe while Katniss is away. That's my job." I say forcing a smile as I look at her. She leans on me and I kiss her head. "I'll get her back. I promise."

The door opens catching my attention from the little sister of Katniss and standing there is Haymitch and Plutarch. "You demanded President Coin, let's go. Meeting time." Haymitch says. I nod and stand on the new prosthetic and follow them through this area. The walls are metal and clean. The floors are metal. Everything is metal.

"So where exactly are we in Thirteen. It should be a flat no where because it was bombed." I say as we enter a bigger area where the walkways are mesh wiring and the bottom floor is really the only floor you see.

"Underground. We're safe here. It's the safest place in Panem." Plutarch says with a proud smile as if he built it himself. I just want to smack that smile off his face and throw him over the railing for taking me instead of Katniss. Plutarch doesn't notice me glaring at him, but shifts away from me as if he knows he's on thin ice.

"President Coin has a few issues with your behavior on the hovercraft." Haymitch says a hint of amusement in his voice. I turn to see him trying to smother a smile. "You did attempt to attack Plutarch."

I roll my eyes as we continue walking down stairs and through winding halls. "It's his own fault. Had he just saved Katniss this would have never happened." I say as Plutarch moves to distance himself from me.

This time Haymitch does laugh looking at me. "No offense kid but I'm more scared of Sweetheart than of you. Had we saved her one of us would have been actually injured or even dead." Haymitch claps me on the shoulder as we reach a door. Like everything here it's metal. It slides open and inside is a table surrounded by people. People I've never seen before.

I walk in with my head high as I try to pick out who President Coin is. When I reach the table a woman nearly as tall as Katniss stands. Her hair is pin straight and grey. She's an older woman older than my own mother was. She has a cold expressionless look to her face and her eyes look like dead pebbles. This must be her.

"Peeta Mellark, a pleasure. Sit, your leg must be tired. I am President Coin of District Thirteen." Her voice is level as she offers her hand toward an empty chair across the table from her. Probably to keep her safe. I reluctantly sit down and watch her. "I understand you have some questions."

I nod and clear my throat. "When will the other victors; Katniss, Johanna, Annie, and Enobaria be rescued from the Capitol?"

"Mister Mellark, I assure you they will be rescued."

"When?"

"When we see fit."

"You see, that's not going to work. I'm the stand in Mockingjay for you right? Since Katniss isn't here you need someone the people are familiar with. Someone who has broken a few rules. That would be me. So you need me. However, what I need comes first. And what I need is for the other victors to be rescued as soon as possible. Are we clear?"

"Mister Mellark you do not make demands." Coin hisses at me obviously angry I challenged her power. I shrug and stand from my chair.

"Then this meeting holds no importance to me. You don't scare me, President Coin. I have lived through two hunger games. You cannot scare me into doing what you wish. So, until you play by my rules this conversation is over. You have no Mockingjay." I say before patting the table and walking out. Katniss is my number one priority. She needs to be saved. I can't even begin to think of the torture she could be going through.

I get lost in the hall and find a small secluded area where I can just sit and think without anyone intruding. And that's when it hits me.

Katniss is gone. She's being tortured and I can't be there to help her. I can't help her. I curl into myself holding my head as the worst images possible flash in my head. Images of her being taken advantage of. Of her being beaten and cut. Of her dying in a cell all alone. I can hear her calling for me to save her. To keep her safe and I can't! I can't be there to save her. I can't be there to keep the nightmares away. I'm sorry Katniss. I'm sorry.