Unable to sleep, Katniss sits awake with the few possessions she carried from the arena, especially the pearl Peeta gave her. Prim wakes, joins her, and gently gets Katniss to admit that she will agree to be the Mockingjay in the morning. When Katniss confesses that her real fear is that the rebels will kill Peeta as a traitor even if they win, Prim points out that Katniss now has enough value to demand his safety. That advice leads Katniss to a key strategy: any promise must be made publicly so District 13 cannot easily deny it later.

The next morning, Katniss sees that she is scheduled for Command and goes to breakfast, where Gale slips her extra food despite the strict rationing rules of District 13. Their talk reminds Katniss how controlled life in 13 is and makes her add another demand: she and Gale must be allowed to hunt above ground, giving them freedom and a piece of their old lives back. Nervous about facing Coin alone, Katniss asks Gale to come with her.

At Command, Katniss writes out her conditions before agreeing to serve as the Mockingjay. She asks that her family keep Buttercup, that she and Gale be allowed to hunt, and that Gale remain with her as part of her work. She then makes her most important demand: Peeta must receive immunity after the war, and she extends the same protection to Johanna and Enobaria. Coin initially refuses, but Katniss angrily argues that the rebels abandoned them in the arena and insists Coin publicly guarantee their safety before all of District 13 and the survivors of 12, or she will refuse the role. Coin finally agrees, and Katniss adds one last condition: if Snow is captured, she wants the right to kill him.

Once Coin leaves, Plutarch and Fulvia shift immediately to turning Katniss into a propaganda symbol. Plutarch shows Katniss a sketchbook Cinna prepared in secret, full of Mockingjay uniform designs and a note telling her he still believes in her. The gift deeply moves Katniss and confirms her choice. Plutarch then explains the rebels' plan to create and broadcast propaganda spots featuring Katniss, while Fulvia argues that Katniss's appearance must be carefully constructed to sell rebellion to Panem.

Plutarch leads Katniss, Gale, and Fulvia to a deep underground level for another surprise, but the area feels wrong as soon as they arrive. A guard tries to send them away, yet Katniss hears a faint human whimper from compartment 3908. Working wordlessly together, Gale distracts the guard and Katniss slips inside. There she finds the shocking source of the sound: her prep team, half-naked, bruised, and shackled to the wall.