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Later that night, Athena was startled awake by the hushed echoes of voices. At first she was uneasy, but then she realised that they belonged to her squad, so she relaxed. But only a little. When in the Capitol, relaxing was not something to do; you always had to keep on your toes, there was never not something to endanger whatever aspect of safety you previously had.
"...Then ask." She heard Finnick softly suggest to Peeta, who was currently sat across the room, in a state of confusion and frustration.
"What's wrong?" Athena innocently questioned whilst forcing herself into a seated position.
"Nothing honey, get some more rest." Finnick whispered back, gently kissing the woman on her temple.
"Ask who?" Peeta continued, blue eyes fixated on the floor in anxiousness.
"Ask us, I'm guessing. We're your unit now, and I know that our job is to protect and help you." Athena kindly answered, even after having just woken up.
After a silence of contemplation, in which Athena settled back down to rest, Finnick following suit, Peeta spoke directly at Katniss:
"Your favourite colour is green, real or not real?"
"Yeah, that's real." She immediately answered with tenderness.
Before either could continue, Athena handed over the couple's deserved privacy, by returning back to her tense slumber. Tomorrow, they would continue their journey through the Capitol, hopefully inspiring surrenders, in Cressida's words, and taking down Panem after too long of leaving its ownership in the unequal city's filthy grasp. The job was not a fun one, nor a calm one, but what mattered is that the outcome would be future generations living care-free in a liberated nation.
.+**+.
A clearing dispersed around the group's view, revealing a beautifully-structured crescent of apartments, with the welcoming arch leading into the courtyard towering ten metres high, looming over Squad 451. Except this arch wasn't very welcoming to them at all.
The fastening pace of the Holo's beeping directed the group to tensely press against either side of the stone arch for protection from the incoming Pod. Some members of the group had faces with emotions of fear and shock when the gunfire began, whereas other members, like Caspian, Athena, and Finnick, who had each seen so much danger that this event didn't faze them, just smirked at each other in reaction to the predictability of the Capitol.
"Finally, they decided that three hundred bullets is enough for an enemy army." Athena jokingly whispered to Caspian, whilst the painful noise slowly drew to a halt.
"All clear. Gale, Homes, with me. Everyone else, take the wings." Boggs directed after cautiously inspecting the scene. The two soldiers selected ran to assist the commander, whilst others just slowly got up; still impacted by the hostility of the attack attempt.
