finnick odair did not expect to die at the teeth of lizard mutts while navigating the capitol to get katniss into president snow's manor for a much needed assassination to hopefully end the conflict once and for all with a statement. yet, here he was.

at least katniss was safe, he supposed. most of their squad was dead at the claws of the mutts, eyeless mutts that were a morbid combination of human and reptile dna that were released into the underground tunnels to chase them out. he was bleeding, the life he lived on the edge of snuffing out like a simple candle wick when katniss had dropped the holo so it would self destruct. it was the most she could do. end things for him quickly.

the explosion came, wiping out the remaining mutts, but inexplixably, finnick was still alive.

his explaination came half an hour later, as you fussed over him in a makeshift first aid attempt, the corpses of the muts half submerged in the shallow water of the underground. he recoiled at the touch of your hand. "fuck, that does not feel good."

"-i'm surprised you got your hands on a force field pulse." he muttered dryly as he tried to sit up and failed miserably, the wounds along his body throbbing in complaint. his bravado was still intact, however, even if his will and ability to live really wasn't.

"smart move, darling, smart move indeed."