Chapter 1: The Arena

Katniss pov

I aim one of my arrows at Cato's head, knowing it'll have no effect on his body or limbs, which are clothed in body armour.

Cato just laughs "Shoot me and I'll take him down with me." He's right. If I take him out and he falls to the mutts, Peeta will die with him.

Peeta lips are turning blue. I need to do something quickly. Cato will probably use his body as a weapon against me if he kills him. In fact, I'm sure this is Cato's Plan, because while he's stopped laughing his lips are set in a triumphant smile.

As if in a last ditch effort, Peeta raises his fingers, dripping with blood from his leg, up to Cato's arm. Instead of trying to wrestle his way free, his forefinger makes a deliberate X on the back of Cato's hand. Cato realizes what it means after I do. I can tell by the way the smile drops from his lips. My arrow pierces his hand and he cries out and starts to fall backwards taking Peeta with him. I dive forward trying to catch Peeta but I'm too late. They both fall to the ground.

I hear the snarls, Cato is up and running but Peeta is unconscious on the ground. The mutts close in on Peeta. Cato runs for the Cornucopia leaving Peeta to the mutts. I aim an arrow at the mutt closest to Peeta and take it down. I turn round to look for Cato when I am knocked off my feet.

Cato's pov.

I've made it back on to the Cornucopia, I can see her aiming at the mutts trying to save him, she doesn't even see me coming as I climb up behind her, knock her down onto her back and hold my knife to her throat.

This is it, one last kill and I'll have everything I've ever wanted. I guess I'll never find out how she got the 11, once she's dead I'll never know. "Please just make it quick" she says staring at me with the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen? I don't want her death to be quick, I'm not even sure I want to kill her at all. What I do want is for her to tell me how she beat me. I'm trying to decide how I'm going to kill her when the cannon fires to signal the death of her district partner. "Peeta" she sobs and tears start falling from her eyes and I realise that no one will ever cry for me in that way when I die. I decide there and then what I am going to do.

I pull her to her feet with one hand keeping the knife at her throat and I shout. "I have won these games, I can kill her in a matter of seconds, but I want this tribute as my trophy for winning." There is nothing but silence coming from the sky for what seems like an age. She is struggling against me but she is too small to dislodge my arm. Then it come's, the announcement I wanted to hear. "I am pleased to present the victor of the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Cato Antitheus. "No" she shouts "kill me". I squeeze her throat just enough to knock her out, there is no way I'm going to kill her now.

The hovercraft arrives and lowers its ladder; I put her over my shoulder and step onto the ladder.

Doctors in sterile white, masked and gloved, already prepared to operate come towards me and take Katniss from me. I feel a sharp pain in my arm and I start to fall.

When I wake up I'm in a room where the entire ceiling glows with a soft yellow light, allowing me to see that I'm in a room containing just my bed. No doors, no windows are visible. The air smells of something sharp and antiseptic.

I try and sit up, but some sort of wide restraining band around my waist keeps me from raising more than a few centimetres. A portion of the wall slides open and an Avox girl carrying a tray comes in. She sets the tray across my thighs and presses something that moves me into a sitting position. I ask the one question I need to know the answer too "Is Katniss alive?" She gives me a nod and hands me the spoon. I'm not sure why but I feel relieved that she's alive. I eat the food on the tray on my lap, once I have finished the Avox removes the tray and leaves.

I then feel a cool liquid seeping into my vein from one of the tubes and I lose consciousness immediately.

This continues for the next few days until I eventually wake up naked on the bed of my room, within the training centre. I get up and look in the mirror, they have removed every scar on my body even the ones I had earned in my years of training. I touch my hand to the empty area on my chest where the scar Azrael had given me, used to be. I'm sad that it's gone; it was a reminder of why I had to be the best at everything. I see clothes laid out for me so I put them on and walk out of the room and walk towards the living area.

The smell of blood and roses is the first thing that alerts me to his presence. President Snow's snake eyes staring at me from across the room is the next. " Congratulations on winning the games Cato" he says. "Thank you" I reply. "Tell me Cato" Snow says "why did you ask for Miss Everdeen as a trophy?" "Why do you want to know?" I ask. His snake eye bore into me as he says " When Miss Everdeen volunteered for her sister she started something that will be hard to suppress, she gave people hope that they could be saved, I need to quash the hope before it gets out of hand. Killing her will make her a martyr to the cause. I want her broken and I think you're the man to help me do that."

I have to think fast, I don't know why I asked for her to be spared I just know I had to have her. I want her to love me the way she did Peeta. I smile and say "Then we have the same goal President Snow. Give me a year and I'll give you a broken Katniss Everdeen. " "I'm glad to hear that Cato, you'll find Miss Everdeen in Clove's old room. Oh and I've left a letter on the table for Miss Everdeen just to let her know that if she tries to escape, I will make sure that sister of hers is drawn at the next reaping. I will then fire bomb her whole district." He walks towards the elevator and leaves.

I walk to the table then pick up the letter, turning back to the corridor I walk towards the bedrooms. I can see that there is a key on the outside of Cloves old room. I turn it and enter the room and there she is unconscious lying naked on the bed. There's not a mark on her body "You're perfect." She starts to stir at the sound of my voice. I turn and leave before she wakens.

Katniss pov

I wake up in a strange room, I've never seen this place before but it reminds me of my room in the training centre. There are clothes beside me on the bed, so I quickly dress. I know he'll be coming for me, now that I'm back in the training centre, I need to find a weapon and I need to defend myself. I start to search the room but there is nothing, all the closets are empty, and the only piece of furniture is the bed.

Cato's pov

I can hear her running about the room looking for a weapon. Brutus walks up behind me "You have to get ready for your interview tonight; your prep team is waiting for you. Arrangements have been made to move Miss Everdeen to the train before we leave tonight." I nod and leave.