How It All Goes Down
- Now Katniss must consider the possibility that both Gale <em>and</em> Peeta will be lost to her – even more of a sacrifice.
- Haymitch offers to have Katniss drugged until the rescue is complete, but she declines – she's been drugged enough times for one week. She actually wants to be part of the rescue mission too, in fact, but it's too late.
- Katniss gets upset because she wants to do something. Haymitch tries to calm her by going off to find out what she can do.
- In the meantime, Katniss and Finnick talk. Haymitch comes back and says doing more filming of the fallout from the assault can distract them. It can be used as a distraction.
- So, Katniss and Finnick get ready and then head up to the surface, accompanied by the camera crew.
- She changes tactics and talks about her history with Peeta, on camera, while sitting amongst the damage. She says that the Capitol can't use threats on Peeta against her anymore; that the Capitol is in great danger.
- Then, Plutarch and Haymitch encourage Finnick to give a revealing speech too.
- Finnick tells the scary truth that President Snow prostituted him, under pain of death. He says the only way he got through it was by learning dangerous truths about all the famous and wealthy people he had to have sex with. He says he knows very damaging things about a lot of powerful people, including the President. "Revealing" speech, indeed.
- The list of truths goes on and on. Finnick ends by describing how Snow is really a murderer.
- Everyone, except Katniss, seems shocked by these last revelations.
- Everyone disperses, and Haymitch and Katniss have a conversation.
- Haymitch reveals that Snow killed everyone he loved right after his Games.
- Then, they go back inside to wait for the outcome of the rescue.
- Beetee televises the footage of Katniss and Finnick, to provide a distraction for the rebels on the outside. He explains the plan for the rescue. It sounds pretty complex.
- They wait, for what seems like forever. Katniss can barely bear to think about what will happen.
- Hours and hours later, Haymitch brings the news that the rescue team has returned. They're supposed to go to the medical area.
- Finnick and Katniss head over there together. They see Johanna, another tribute who appears totally brutalized, and Gale, who has been injured. Annie is there, and she and Finnick reunite in an almost painfully rapturous way.
- Boggs comes over to Katniss and Haymitch and says they have Peeta. Katniss and Haymitch are super relieved; they can barely believe it.
- They go over to see him. Peeta sees them, gets up, and hurries to Katniss. But instead of kissing her, he tries to choke her.