"Dahlia Blossom. Don't let the name fool you. She's better known as the Black Dahlia. And she didn't earn that nickname by smiling and looking pretty."
"She sure knows how to perform for the camera."
"Because she knows how to play the game. She alwa...
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The Capitol had never looked so lifeless and dull. Dahlia could hardly recognise the place. No colour, no buzz of activity... One could almost mistake it for just another ordinary district of Panem. Without the threat of war looming over her head, Dahlia might've found it oddly peaceful. But they had a mission to fulfil. There would be time for peace when the war was won.
Stalking the decimated Capitol streets with her trusty twin blades strapped to her back (courtesy of Beetee's vigilant preparation) and clothed in a familiar combat suit of the darkest black, Dahlia refused to let her guard down. Sometimes the air stilled before a storm, and Dahlia knew not to underestimate the tranquillity of the silence.
The gentle hum of the Holo in Boggs' hand was their constant companion as Dahlia and Finnick traipsed behind their leader, the occasional rumble of bombs up ahead assuring them that they were travelling in the right direction. Katniss was the first who dared to voice their thoughts aloud and interrupt the tense atmosphere, "I've never seen this place so empty."
"Just keep your eyes open." Boggs ordered gruffly from his place at the front of the pack, Holo outstretched dutifully as he scanned the area. Finnick glanced to his side where Dahlia was already staring up at him with an uneasy look in her eyes. Yearning to assure his wife that everything would be fine, Finnick moved his trident to the other hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. The physical connection between them was enough to settle the nerves that had risen within them both.
And connected they stayed as the squad continued to move through the city, the devastation left behind in the wake of the bombings becoming more clear the deeper they went. Some of the majestically tall buildings had crumbled to the ground, nothing left standing but the deteriorating foundations. A once great city reduced to rumble, a once indestructible metropolis weakened by defiance.
As they passed by a blasted truck, the Holo's beeping increased rapidly and Boggs held his hand up to bring the squad to a halt. Using the device to accurately locate the booby trap, he declared to the members, "Got a pod. Let's take cover." Following orders, the squad jogged over to a large spiked monument in the centre of square as the cameras were prepared and Katniss briefed for another big onscreen moment. "Shoot through those two buildings."
Cressida directed Castor and Pollux into prime position to capture the shot, Katniss growing irritated by the long wait and lack of action. Dahlia and Finnick surveyed the area warily, nodding to each other when they believed the coast was as clear as they were going to get. Then they crouched down with the rest of their squad behind the Mockingjay.
"When you're ready, Katniss." Cressida announced, watching the scene play out on her screen as Katniss carefully selected an arrow from her quiver and drew back the string of her bow. "Hold it. Pollux, tighter." Dahlia could see the way Katniss' shoulders deflated at the delay, relaxing her hold on the bow as she contained a frustrated huff. She knew how the girl was feeling. The urge to properly fight and actually feel useful in this struggle was growing stronger amongst the members of the squad the longer they spent acting as glorified propaganda. "Okay."
