Everyone was aware of how much Dahlia Odair hated her Capitol persona, none more than Katniss Everdeen. The Black Dahlia had taken over her life, nearly destroyed her mind and warped people's perception of who she was. She never wanted to become that person again and Katniss never wanted to force her into it. She didn't want to ask this of her closest friend, but they were left with little choice. To end tyranny once and for all, Dahlia Odair would have to take on the mantle of the Black Dahlia one last time.
After Effie had finished fussing over Katniss' look, she was hurried off to get to her spot for the execution and the two girls were left alone. Katniss stood like a true warrior, determined and strong, unwavering and powerful. Dahlia gazed proudly at the younger girl who had come so far over the difficult years of being thrust into chaos and war. To come out the other side with her head held high was a feat not many could manage. And yet both she and Katniss had done it. In a few moments, they would also be the ones to finish it.
"One shot." Dahlia announced quietly, approaching Katniss from behind as she stared numbly at her reflection. "One shot to end the reign of a dictator."
"Never has there been a more deserving target." Katniss quipped back, turning on the spot to face her greatest ally and most surprising friend. Her sharp eyes softened, tough facade faltering as she revealed her true vulnerability to the woman she now trusted more than anything. "I know what I need to do... But I don't want to do it alone."
Dahlia stepped forward to place a hand on Katniss' shoulder, gently assuring her, "I have your back, Katniss. I'll be with you all the way through."
But her support made Katniss feel so much worse. Because now she had to ask Dahlia to become the person she hated more than anyone else. "I'm sorry to make you do this, Dahls. I know you're trying to put your past behind you and move on." Katniss muttered apologetically, head hanging in guilt for the pressure she was about to place on the woman's shoulders.
Yet Dahlia shook her head, holding her hand up to cut off Katniss' heartfelt speech and bluntly ask, "What do you need?"
Katniss couldn't believe she had ever thought that Dahlia was a mad selfish Victor. This woman had sacrificed everything to protect the ones she loved and now, even after everything she'd been through, she was still willing to aid Katniss in her hour of need. Her loyalty knew no bounds.
Sighing in defeat, Katniss reluctantly admitted her requirements, "I need you to become a killer again." Dahlia's face remained neutral, giving absolutely nothing away to Katniss. Of course, she didn't want to do this. She'd been working so hard to regain control and stability in her life. She was eradicating all the aspects of her life that had caused her pain, including putting her swords away forever. But Katniss needed a killer and Dahlia needed revenge. "I need you to slay a monster."
One last shot... One last kill... One last time.
•——————•°•✿•°•——————•
When the Mockingjay emerged from the tunnel with her trusty bow in hand, the Black Dahlia was right by her side with her swords strapped to her back. In a show of strength and unity, the pair defied everything the Capitol did to turn them against each other and ignored every rebel who argued that they were enemies. They were a power that no one should ever have trifled with, a combination that would change the very course of history.
The drums rang out like a war chant, accompanying the pair as they marched resolutely down the Avenue of the Tributes. All eyes were glued to their figures, solemn faces gazing down at them on this momentous yet solemn occasion. There was no sign of fear in either girl's features, no hesitation or faltering in their step. Simply a desire for revenge burning in their hearts, a need for vengeance spurring them towards the ones that had wronged them.
As the rebels joined on behind the Mockingjay and the Black Dahlia, the crowd swelled significantly with each passing second. Katniss and Dahlia felt the support of a huge army at their backs, citizens who had fought a war with them, for them, answering their call for justice.
But the closer Dahlia got to the execution site, the heavier the swords strapped to her back seemed to weigh. After all the lives she'd destroyed, all the people she'd killed, she vowed to put down her blades once the war was over and finally find peace without weapons. Now she found herself carrying the very weapons that had caused so much pain across Panem with the intent of breaking the sworn promise she had made. Was the Madame right all along? Would she ever be able to live without a sword in her hand?
And then she spotted the reason she was able to discard her weapons to the side in the first place.
Finnick Odair was waiting for her with the other Victors, standing tall next to Annie as he watched his wife approach with adoring eyes. He always knew what she was capable of and he always knew she'd be the reason behind Snow's downfall. But he also knew how difficult it was for her to slip back into her Black Dahlia mindset and kill again, no matter how much the victim deserved it. At the end of the day, the choice was now hers. And he would support her in whatever decision she made. Because he knew she would do the right thing.
As Finnick nodded at her in solidarity, Dahlia felt the weight lift from her shoulders. Her utter devotion to the ones she loved was the motive behind every move she made in this game. She had always fought to get back to them, to protect them, to keep them close. And now she had Finnick, she had everything she needed... All that was left was to secure that happiness.
Because there would never be peace as long as Snow landed on top. And there would never be justice without first staining the pure white roses with the blood of the corrupt.
Snow would have to fall for the flowers to grow again. And ocean waves would douse the flames when the Coin was struck.
As the Mockingjay and the Black Dahlia held fierce eye contact with a restrained Snow, Coin's voice boomed out across the avenue, "Welcome to the new Panem. Today, on the Avenue of the Tributes, all of Panem, a free Panem, will watch more than a mere spectacle. We are gathered to witness an historic moment of justice. Today, the greatest friend to the revolution will fire the shot to end all wars. May her arrow signify the end of tyranny and the beginning of a new era. Mockingjay, may your aim be as true as your heart is pure."
There was no mention of Dahlia's presence, no acknowledgement of the sacrifices she went through to advance the rebel cause. Coin had sat back and allowed the citizens of the districts to die for her. Now she expected Dahlia to stand by and allow her to snatch power for herself? She refused. They had all suffered enough.
A light breeze rippled through the air, kissing Dahlia's skin with a feathery touch and whipping the loose strands of hair from her face. To her, the right course of action had never been clearer. As Katniss discreetly glanced in her direction, Dahlia tilted her chin up in a subtle gesture of defiance and support. They were both in agreement. The Presidents must die.
Adjusting her stance, Katniss plucked an arrow from her quiver and slotted it into the string as she pulled it back. Coin stood proudly on top of the podium, her arms spread out as if she were a goddess expecting the inferiors below to worship her. The smug grin dominating her features gave the impression of a woman who had finally won and could now revel in the triumphs of someone else's efforts. But it was also the face of a woman who was about to meet the real heroes of the war, the ones who had given their lives. It was only right that she now do the same.
"Katniss." Dahlia hissed quietly through her teeth as her friend kept her sharp glare trained on Snow's knowing expression. Despite having no indication that Katniss was even paying attention to her, Dahlia knew she was listening to every word and continued with a tight-lipped smile, "Don't miss, little bird."
Smirking slightly at the girl's teasing tone, Katniss retorted without loosening her posture, "I won't, Dahls... As long as you finish what you started."
Then in the blink of an eye, Katniss flicked her gaze from Snow to Coin, raised her bow and released the arrow. It soared through the air before hitting its target dead centre. Coin's body stiffened in shock as the arrow pierced her chest, mouth falling open at the impact. The crowds gasped at the sudden betrayal as she collapsed to her knees and tumbled forward off the platform, landing limply on the grey stone beneath.
Katniss hadn't missed. So Dahlia had to finish it.
Before anyone could recover from their confusion, she surged forward with large striding steps. Snow had burst into manic laughter, blood spilling over his lips as he delighted in the chaos raging on around him. With each crazed cackle, Dahlia's pace increased until she was sprinting at the disgraced president like a lioness pursuing its prey. Snow's wide eyes landed on the scorned woman racing in his direction and felt a brief pang of fear flood his body. He had known he wouldn't survive and he knew he wouldn't be killed by Katniss, but now he was about to be destroyed by the monster he had failed to control.
Wrenching the swords from their holster, Dahlia reached Snow with a guttural scream of rage and slashed each blade from ear to ear. The largest, bloodiest smile she had ever created was her last and most deserving masterpiece. Snow, who had been ready to deliver his final words, was cut off by the swift and calculated strike. He choked on his own blood, coughing and spluttering in front of her as she just stared coldly. The man who had made her life hell from the moment she volunteered was finally experiencing a fraction of the pain she had felt. The man who had once been the strongest in Panem was growing weaker before her very eyes. The man who had held all the power in the country was now rendered powerless at her feet.
"Beg." Dahlia commanded viciously, glaring down at the desperate man suffering horribly from the lacerations in his face. "Beg me for death, Snow. Beg for it."
"Pl... Pleas--" Fountains of blood spurted from his lips as the pain grew unbearable enough to yearn for death. "Please. Just get on with it. Kill me... Please!"
Dahlia listened to his pleas in satisfaction, enjoying every moment of hearing him beg for an end to his torture. She remembered the many times she'd longed for mercy in her life. She remembered the many times she'd been denied it. Yet she'd never bent down on her knees and begged for it. She had never willingly bowed to Snow's authority. But he had just done exactly that for her.
Filled with contentment, Dahlia positioned her blades to deliver the final blow and put him out of his misery. Snow's eyes closed in relief as he struggled to remain upright in his restraints. He thought his suffering would be brought to an end, he thought Dahlia would do the right thing and show him mercy. But why would she do that when he had never shown leniency to her? She would never forgive him, but at least she had made him beg and bleed.
She wiped her swords clean on the white rose pinned to his lapel, tainting their purity with the sins of his crimes and taunting Snow with the cool steel of her blades. He flinched with every graze, expecting her to slice cleanly through his neck. But that would be too quick, too painless.
So she stepped back, arms outstretched on either side as a smirk danced on her lips. And then, she bowed. Just like Katniss... And just like someone else Snow once knew.
In that moment, all Coriolanus could see was Lucy Gray. Her spirit and attitude manifesting before his very eyes in the form of the Black Dahlia, his old love come back to haunt him in his final moments.
As the woman opened her mouth to speak, Lucy Gray's taunting voice left her lips, "It's not over until the Mockingjay sings... So I hope you enjoyed the show."
And she slowly began to back away from the man, her eyes never leaving his tormented expression as she let the angry citizens of Panem take the lead. Coriolanus called out to her, "Lucy... Lucy Gray." His own taunting words rang through his mind, It's the things we love most that destroy us. Desperation took hold of him and suddenly he was 18 years old again in that forest with Lucy Gray Baird. She'd come back for him, come to kill him just like he always feared she would. She'd returned to ensure his downfall. "Lucy Gray!"
But her smirking ghostly frame continued to disappear from his sight, becoming swallowed up by the charging crowd who didn't hesitate to unleash their rage. He saw her everywhere, his Lucy Gray, but he couldn't get to her. His last words, a cry out to the woman who had loved him. The woman who had sent forth her Mockingjays to hurt him in the form of a Black Dahlia and a Girl on Fire. Though the perfect revenge for a man who believed he was better than the commoners of the districts was being defeated by the very people he'd always endeavoured to oppress. Justice was served.
Dahlia could walk away with a grin on her face. She had made her mark, she had finished what she started. Her last kills were not kills at all, but they were all the more satisfying and deserving, both victims left with the lasting impression of crossing her path. She always got the last laugh by carving the bloodiest of smiles.
Dropping her blades to the ground with a clang, Dahlia finally turned her back on a lifetime of fighting and headed towards her golden boy. Hand in hand, they left the gruesome scene behind and ventured off into the great unknown of the future. Nothing was certain anymore and no one knew what was coming. This thought once would've terrified Dahlia, the idea of not knowing what lay ahead. But as long as Finnick was in her future, she didn't care anymore.
The pawns had defied the odds and freed themselves from the roles that defined them. The kings were defeated and the chessboard was flipped on its head. The Games were over and history would be written by the Victors.
In the end, the Black Dahlia perished with Snow and Coin that day, never to be heard from again. But Dahlia and Finnick Odair lived on to tell their story. The Tale of His Little Flower and Her Golden Boy.