Katniss is in the midst of a face-off with what appears to be a uniformed Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper holds a gun, and Katniss is armed with her bow and arrow. She is in the wilderness, armed, and poaching, all of which are serious offenses in District 12. However, before she can fire, the Peacekeeper reveals a cracker with a mockingjay on it. Looking closer, Katniss realizes that the woman in the uniform is no Peacekeeper.

However, Katniss does not lower her weapon. Slowly it becomes clear that Katniss is in charge, until a second person comes out of a cottage at Katniss’s back. Katniss quickly regains control of the situation and has the two strangers stand in front of her. The woman and girl introduce themselves as Bonnie and Twill. They claim to be from District 8, which Katniss knows has rebelled against the Capitol. They claim to be on Katniss’s side.

Bonnie offers an account of the uprising in District 8. It is an industrial district responsible for textiles—including the Peacekeepers’ uniforms. Beneath the din of the factory machinery, the workers of District 8 planned their rebellion. The day Katniss and Peeta agreed to marry, everyone in District 8 was called to a public square to watch. However, they used the broadcast as an excuse to gather, then they overthrew the local authorities. However, their victory was short lived. Before long, thousands of Peacekeepers were flown in and brutally reasserted the Capitol’s control over the workers. Bonnie and Twill were able to escape because they showed up to work late one day—the day their factory exploded.

Now the two refugees are headed to District 13. Katniss objects that District 13 was destroyed during the rebellion. However, Bonnie points out that the footage of District 13 has never changed, even after seventy years. It always shows a Justice Building with a mockingjay flying in the top right corner. They say this suggests that District 13, which was responsible for nuclear development, might have survived the war and continued to operate independently since. Katniss dismisses this as wishful thinking.

Katniss shares food with the refugees and then heads home. She ponders their story and begins to wonder why President Snow had Katniss play her lover’s game with Peeta for Panem. There was no way her kisses could have prevented the rebellion in District 8. She realizes that President Snow must have had another plan and the Victory Tour was a distraction. Just before slipping under the fence that surrounds District 12, she realizes it is electrified.