"That stupid boy has gotten himself killed." Victoria growls furiously as they hear the boom of a cannon. The Cornucopia had become significantly more flooded in the last few hours, leaving the two Careers submerged in several feet of water. Their supplies were now soaked through, floating uselessly around them with the graveyard of dead tributes. All they had left was the weapons in their hands and a hunger for revenge. "We can't wait around for the Black Dahlia to strike. We need to take the fight to her."

"That's exactly what got Caspian killed." Ryker argues back, leaning against the edge of the Cornucopia.

"All this time we've been playing into her hands." Victoria grumbles, pacing around impatiently with her knives drawn and ready for battle. "I'm sick of waiting around for her to strike. I want to attack first."

"How do we know that isn't what she wants?" Ryker points out, more threatened by the District Five girl than he's been letting on. The paranoia had begun to sink in for the remaining Careers. The Black Dahlia always seemed to be one step ahead of them. She seemed to know their next move before they'd even thought of it themselves. "She could be waiting for us and we'll walk right into a trap."

Victoria groans in frustration, kicking the water childishly with a huff. "I don't care. I want her dead!" With a loud shout of fury, Victoria storms over to the tunnel in determination. "I'm going to kill her if it's the last thing I do. Are you with me or not?"

Ryker sighs and tightens his grip on the sword. "Let's go kill The Black Dahlia."

•——————•°•✿•°•——————•

After the fight with Caspian, the pair decided it would be best if they move away from the area. Dahlia slung Cove's arm over her shoulder and helped her limp along as they waded through the watery tunnel.

"It's definitely rising." Cove states, glancing down at the water that was now up to their thighs. Soon the whole cave system would be flooded and everything would be sunk underwater.

"We need to get to higher ground." Dahlia concludes decisively, knowing that if they didn't start climbing soon, they would be trapped in the tunnels.

"Lia, I can barely walk." Cove says, hissing as she puts pressure on her injured leg. "There's no way I'll be able to climb."

"We have to." Dahlia insists firmly, refusing to leave her ally behind to drown. "We'll find a way, Cove. I'm not leaving you down here."

"Lia--"

"No." Dahlia interrupts, sensing what Cove was going to say. "I'll think of something... Anything. But I swear, I'm not abandoning you now." Cove doesn't try to argue back, knowing Dahlia won't hear a word of her protest. Instead, she slips her hand into Dahlia's and squeezes three times. The younger girl smiles at the gesture. "Family doesn't give up on each other." They continue on in silence until they find a tunnel leading up to the surface. Dahlia props Cove up against the wall as she stares up at the rocky wall they have to scale. "Now... How do we get you up there?"

"I'm telling you, Dahlia, just leave me behind." Cove asserts with a defeated sigh. Dahlia barely pays attention to the girl's rambling as her mind swirls with various ideas on how to get Cove to safety. "I'm only slowing you down. We're getting near the point in the Games where we should be splitting from our allies anyway. You'll have a better chance of winning if you don't have to worry about me-- What are you doing?"

Dahlia has sunk to her knees and ripped the backpack off her shoulder, a confident grin on her face. Reaching in, she reveals the long piece of rope she's been carrying since the beginning of the Games. "I knew this would come in handy eventually." She declares smugly, placing it back in the bag and swinging the pack onto her shoulder. "I'll climb up, attach the rope to one of those rocks up there and then throw it back down. You can use it to climb up."

"It's--"

"Risky. I know." Dahlia cuts in, already planning her route upwards in her head. "But it's the best plan I've got and we're running out of time." They both knew that statement was true. The water was rising faster than it had been previously and the longer they stayed in the caves, the more they were at risk of remaining trapped. "I'll go as fast as I can."

Though her arms and legs were screaming out in exhaustion, Dahlia pushed herself to keep climbing. It had been their worst day in the Games, with a couple of close calls for both of them. Yet they were still alive and Dahlia was determined to keep it that way. The scratches on her hands made by the bats were still stinging and her throat was still raw from coughing up the water. But she was a fighter. She wasn't going to give up now.

Pushing the hatch wide open, Dahlia let the faint morning sunrise light up the tunnel. She was finally able to put the noose knot instructions Cove had taught her in training to good use. It was the only knot she'd been able to practice and master to near-perfection. She definitely wasn't as skilled as Cove, but it would do for now. She found a sturdy rock protruding from the ground and tightened her knot around it. Tugging harshly, she smiles in relief as the rope holds up before dashing back to the opening.

"Heads up, Cove." She calls out, making the blonde glance up before the rope tumbles down. Cove grins at her friend before taking hold of the rope and starting to ascend. The last-minute plan was working better than Dahlia had expected. It was all going so well... Too well.

Suddenly, Victoria appeared at the bottom of the tunnel, a wicked smirk spreading on her lips as she spotted The Black Dahlia hovering over the opening. "Ryker! They're here!" She yells to the boy she'd split with to cover more ground.

Cove looks down in horror as Victoria begins climbing the rope to pursue the pair. Uninjured, the District Two girl is much faster than Cove and quickly begins to gain on the blonde. Making a split second decision, Dahlia hops over the edge and starts climbing back down. Cove's eyes widened at the girl's actions and she hisses, "Lia, what are you doing?"

"I'll handle it. Keep going." Dahlia orders hurriedly as she passes the girl. Once Victoria is within closer proximity, Dahlia rams her heavy boot into the Career's jaw twice and sends her plummeting back down to the caves. Dahlia scurries the remaining distance, jumping down to face the Career.

Victoria rubs her jaw as she pushes herself to a kneeling position. With an animalistic snarl, the Career unsheathes her daggers and glares murderously at Dahlia. Just as Dahlia draws her sword, Victoria flicks a small dagger at the girl's face. Dahlia manages to dodge a fatal blow, but the blade nicks the girl's temple. Victoria quickly closes the gap between the two, jabbing her knife at Dahlia who barely manages to duck away. The Career's swipes are fast and calculated, each one backed by her roars of fury. She doesn't give Dahlia any chance to recollect her mind, being relentless in her attacks. She knocks Dahlia's sword out of her hand before aiming her dagger for the girl's face. As Dahlia catches the Career's fist clenched around the blade, Victoria pushes harder against her.

"Ryker!" Victoria shouts out again, wondering what was taking her District partner so long to arrive. "Why won't you die?" Victoria grits out in annoyance as the knife's sharp point hovers centimetres away from Dahlia's face.

"Why haven't you killed me?" Dahlia quips snarkily, delivering a powerful kick to Victoria's stomach and sending her flying backwards. "I thought Careers were supposed to be the best... Then again, everything has exceptions."

Thankfully, Dahlia picked up two swords in the bloodbath which means she isn't weaponless against the Career. As Victoria lunges again, Dahlia twirls the sword and slashes the girl's leg, just like Alaric had taught her. This move surprises Victoria, who stares down at the wound in shock. It just spurs her to attack with even more ferocity, letting her anger get the best of her.

"If your opponent starts to fight with their heart and not their head, that's when a chance opens up." Alaric had told her in one of their late-night training sessions. "Emotions make them sloppy. Prey on their pride. Use it to your advantage."

With Victoria's rage clouding her mind, Dahlia was in defence mode and waiting for the right moment to strike back. Her time arrives when the knife, clutched in Victoria's hand, comes flying at her face. Dahlia grabs the girl's arm and yanks her forward, hooking her foot round Victoria's ankle in the process. Slamming the Career to the ground, Victoria lands on her back in the deep water. Dahlia crushes Victoria's hand with her boot, making the girl cry out under the water. Managing to wrench the knife out of Victoria's grasp, Dahlia doesn't hesitate to stab it into the girl's stomach.

"Don't play with your food." Alaric advised sternly. "When given the chance to deliver the final blow, don't waste it. The tides can turn in an instance. Don't get cocky."

Dahlia plunged the dagger into Victoria's body a few more times just for good measure until she goes completely limp. The water pooling around her was now dyed red by the blood, staining Dahlia's hands and clothing as well. Fingers dripping with the crimson liquid, Dahlia takes the time to mark Victoria's mouth with the same smile as the other Careers using the girl's own dagger. Once she's finished, she tosses the knife aside, still gripping her sword. Her chest heaved with exertion as she stumbles away from the body. Looking up at the opening, she is relieved to find that Cove has managed to reach the top and now stares down in concern. Dahlia staggers over to the rope, ready to climb up as well when a new presence emerges. Ryker.

His eyes dart between the discoloured patch of water and Dahlia's tinged hands, quickly putting two and two together. His hand visibly clenches around the sword as his face turns savage. The Black Dahlia versus the last Career.