Pollux led the squad underground to the tunnels where he had worked sanitation after becoming an Avox. The dreary concrete walls and dimly illuminated lights were a stark contrast to the grand architecture of the Capitol above them. Did the citizens even know what was going on right beneath their feet? Did they realise how many people were suffering under Snow's regime? Or were they aware of it the entire time and just chose to ignore it? Stick their head in the sand and look the other way? Anything to maintain their own position of superiority in Panem.

With the gentle thrum of the Holo guiding them all the way, they steadily traipsed along the tracks of the underground. Dahlia and Finnick were settled behind the Mockingjay as she scanned ahead for pods, their heads constantly swivelling to check for possible threats. But the threat that headed for them was danger of a different kind.

They heard it before they saw it. The distant roar of a train zooming along the tracks in their direction. But the squad leapt into action before the glow of the headlights was even visible. Sprinting forward, Katniss steered them towards a tiled wall separating the track from another never-ending tunnel. She sheltered against it as the rest of the team tucked in behind her, hiding along the curve of the wall as the train came thundering past. Once it was out of sight, Dahlia and Finnick breathed a momentary sigh of relief. That was close... Too close.

"We're too exposed here." Katniss announced to Pollux, shaking her head slightly as she glanced around the open area.

Pondering her words carefully, Pollux nodded his understanding and devised a different idea. Gesturing his hand deeper into the tunnel, he directed her a few metres down the track with the rest of the squad immediately following behind without hesitation. As he slowed down into a jog, Dahlia noticed he had led them to a door built into the wall of tiled concrete. A maintenance corridor that would take them even further underground.

Pollux opened the door and ushered Katniss inside. But before they could go any further, Dahlia called out, "Wait." The pair stopped at her urgent cry, turning to face the woman as she strode out from the rest of the group. Her face was stony, eyes hardened as she motioned them back out of the door. "I know the Capitol. They see everything." She explained bitterly, remembering the dedicated surveillance team that watched over the Capitol and informed her of targets. Peeking her head into the area, Dahlia easily spotted the camera tucked away in the corner of the ceiling. Smirking at the predictability, she smirked and smugly murmured, "Bingo."

Dahlia retrieved one of the small knives from the sheath strapped to her thigh, twirling the sleek black metal between her fingers. Then in one swift flick, she let the blade whip through the air and smash directly through the lens of the camera. Just like Cove had once taught her all those years ago. The device fizzled with electricity, sparking madly before powering down with a mechanic hum. Just like the camera she'd once destroyed in her first Games. Wan't it funny how times moved on but some things stayed the same?

"Did they see us?" Katniss asked nervously, paranoid that her plan to kill Snow without the man knowing she's still alive was now compromised.

"I can't be sure." Dahlia mumbled in reply, stepping aside to let Katniss and Pollux continue through. "But we need to proceed with caution. The Capitol is always watching."

•——————•°•✿•°•——————•

Egeria hurried into the President's office with some troubling news to share, only to find the man lying face down on his desk. This was not an uncommon sight to witness in recent times as the President's health seemed to decline more and more each day. Approaching carefully, Egeria took notice of the blood-stained handkerchief clutched in his right hand and the sickly colour of his skin.

"Sir," She whispered gently, leaning over to rouse the man from his dazed slumber. "Should I call for your doctor?"

Snow shot up with a startled gasp, his eyes hooded with fatigue as he wearily turned to the intrusion. "What did you say?" He asked weakly, blinking tiredly as he tried to regain his focus.

"Shall I call for your doctor?" Egeria repeated the question, her tone soft and attentive in an attempt to soothe his disturbance.

"I hope you've wakened me for something more urgent than an old man's health." Snow muttered in response, skirting around answering the question as he started to sit back in his comfy chair.

But his relaxation was interrupted as Egeria finally blurted out the inconvenient information she had come to share, "They survived." Snow's eyes snapped wide open in shock, his body tensing up before his back could make contact with the cushioned leather of his chair. "I don't know how. We picked them up on a surveillance cam moments before it was destroyed."

"Let me see. I... I need to see for myself." Snow demanded, his voice still husky with disbelief as he sat forward. The footage appeared in front of him, grainy and out of focus, but he could clearly see who it was. "It's her... It is her." He chuckled incredulously, staring at the image of a very much alive Katniss Everdeen standing in the doorway of the tunnel. Not removing his stare from the screen, he prompted Egeria, "You said the camera was destroyed?"

"Yes, Sir." She confirmed, nodding her head as she gestured for Snow to continue watching the clip. "Whoever it was, they knew what they were doing and they knew exactly what to look for."

They saw Katniss being moved aside and pulled out of shot. Then a quick flash of black before a blurred flash of steel flew towards them and the footage went dark. There was only one person who knew enough about the surveillance system's important role in the Capitol regime and had formidable combat skills with any type of blade who would be able to make a hit like that.

"The Black Dahlia." Snow mumbled under his breath, coming to the realisation that his old weapon had also survived the explosion. Just his luck. The women on a warpath to kill him were alive and stronger than ever. But he wasn't going to make it easy on them. "The arena has moved underground."

•——————•°•✿•°•——————•

As the squad moved into the sewers of the Capitol, light was more sparse and darkness became their frequent companion. Then the tunnel began to narrow and the space became too cramped to remain walking side by side. Finnick ensured Dahlia was in front of him in the line so he could be reassured that he had eyes on her at all times. But Dahlia was just reassured that she could feel Finnick's presence lingering behind her, his warmth seeping through to her as they travelled. She knew she couldn't have done this without him and knowing he had her back made her feel more confident than ever.

She was even more grateful to have Finnick there once their path forced the squad to wade through water in a slender tunnel. It reminded her too much of the arena from her first Games, where the water level rose so rapidly that she was nearly trapped underground. She would've drowned that day if it wasn't for Cove. And even now as the water sloshed at her chin, Dahlia found herself wishing that Cove would open up a hatch to pull her into the light.

"You're alright, little flower." Finnick murmured quietly into her ear as he heard her breath hitch in panic at the limited air pocket awaiting them. "You're safe with me. I won't let you drown."

He'd said those exact words when he helped her overcome her fear of water. She had believed his promise back then and she believed it now. Dahlia and Finnick were always safe when they were with each other.

Reaching behind her, Dahlia slipped her hand into Finnick's and laced their fingers together. Physically feeling him there was all she needed, holding onto him gave her all the strength she required. She pushed onward.

Eventually the water lowered to just cover their ankles as a faintly lit service corridor came up on their right. Sensing the exhaustion among the squad, Jackson declared, "All right, everybody, we're gonna stop here for a bit and get some rest, yeah?" No one complained about that. Katniss climbed up onto the metal grate with Peeta, Dahlia and Finnick not too far behind. "I'll take first watch."

"Hey, Peeta." Finnick called out gently, making the handcuffed boy turn to face the couple that had taken him under their wing. "Just tuck in there."

Placing a hand on his wife's back, Finnick guided Dahlia to sit next to Peeta before collapsing beside her. Her body was relieved to finally be off her feet and stationary for once after what felt like miles of non-stop walking. The rest of the squad filed in after them, each one more than glad for whatever kind of rest they could take.

"All right, settle in, everybody." Jackson commanded as she took up position at the opening to the corridor.

"With pleasure." Finnick retorted loud enough for him and Dahlia to hear. She smiled lightly at him as the two gravitated towards each other in the uncomfortably cramped space.

"Get some sleep, Finn." Dahlia mumbled tiredly with a fond grin on her face, shifting her body to lean against his.

With a tender kiss on Dahlia's hairline, Finnick whispered his reply, "As long as you fight off the bad dreams."

Her head fell to rest on his shoulder, body curling into his warmth as she answered, "Always."