"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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Katniss was terrified. Two of her closest allies were battling alone against an onslaught of savage reptilian mutts and she couldn't see them anymore. Her heart had dropped when Dahlia backed away from the ladder with a scream of her husband's name and she tried desperately to call out to the pair. But no one had heard any reply from them. All they could hear were vicious snarls and teeth ripping flesh. Her hand shook as it tightly gripped to the Holo, the word nightlock resting on the tip of her tongue like a death sentence waiting to be carried out.
"Ni..." She whispered faintly before a shuddering breath interrupted her words, tears blurring her vision as she stared at the churning waters beneath her. "Night..."
Down in the tunnel below, Dahlia had wrenched the mutt off of Finnick and stabbed it through the gut with her sword. As her husband returned to the surface spluttering for air, Dahlia fought against the rapidly advancing mutts desperately clawing their way towards the pair. She held them back long enough for Finnick to stumble to his feet. And, for a moment, he was completely mesmerised.
"Nightlock..."
Dahlia was proving exactly how she earned such a fearsome reputation. After pulling a handgun from her belt, she was alternating between shooting the mutts and spearing them with her blade. Each move was calm and collected, yet ruthless and strategic. The perfect balance of rage and focus, leading with her head to protect her heart just like Alaric had taught her. What a beautiful fighter his wife was.
"Finn!" He was snapped from his temporary adoring daze just in time to catch Dahlia's gun as she threw it towards him. Now that he had a proper weapon of his own to fight back with, the two could work together in their hasty retreat.
As Finnick provided her with gunfire cover, Dahlia withdrew back to his position where he boosted her up onto the platform. Then Dahlia took possession of the gun to beat back the mutts while Finnick climbed the railing to join her. One daring mutt attempted to pounce on him while his back was turned only to quickly meet its end by the sharp steel of Dahlia's sword. The gun was switched back into Finnick's hands and the pair inched their way over to the ladder, killing any mutt that tried to get in their way.
"Up you go, Lia!" Finnick urged, nudging her closer to the ladder as he shot at the endless wave of mutts. She was hesitant to leave him there surrounded by the inhuman creatures with only her small handgun for protection. But as she went to voice her concerns, Finnick turned to her pleadingly and begged, "Lia, please!"
The desperation in his gaze melted her cold stubborn heart and silenced any arguments. He needed her to be safe. He needed to assure himself that she was out of harm's way first. She was his priority as much as he was hers. So just for him, only for him, she would comply without fuss.
"Nightlock..."
"I swear to god, Finn, you better be right behind me." She commanded firmly, a gleam of fear present in her eyes that conveyed her own desperation for his safety.
