thecapitol | Suspects' Holding Cell

The vans drive for what seems like an hour before they come to a stop, and Peacekeepers blindfold and forcefully drag even the most cooperative suspects into a building.

The suspects are all held in one cell, a large, metal room with a thick door and a single ledge that serves as a bench. Bright fluorescent lights beam from overhead. There are no windows and no clocks, no sign of where they might be.

The Peacekeepers take off the blindfolds, though without much care for whether they come off all the way or chafe or stay slung around the suspects' necks. The suspects' hands are left cuffed behind their backs, and even the most ingenious of them won't be able to pick the lock on their restraints, but they're otherwise left to roam freely through the space.

Suspects are removed, one at a time, at unpredictable intervals, by Peacekeepers armed with tasers. Some take three hours to return, while others are back within only a minute. Each of them comes back having been clearly roughed up and pressed for information that they may or may not hold; some are bleeding or sporting the beginnings of black eyes.

They'll be sleeping here tonight.

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Sandy was a bit confused by that and opened her good eye to fix her attention on Mindy once more.

"So you were supposed to be laying low and living a normal life but you were trying to set up some kind of superhero secret team? I'm guessing it wasn't your dad who told you to lay low."

Sandy didn't know a ton about Mindy, but she had the distinct impression that Mindy wouldn't disobey her father.

Mindy shook her head. "No. Daddy didn't live long enough for that part. But I still lived in a world where you sort of have to obey the law, and I'm a minor. Wherever I went I'd have to go to school, you know?"

She sighed, straining her neck. "Just as well. Going to school after the shit I did would have sucked. You already see hwo good I am at social interaction here."

"Yeah, you're really charming." Sandy muttered with what could have almost been a smirk, but she hid it in her knees.

"You can't stab a math test to death." She added. "Probably not too many girls who would tease you about how you dressed."

School seemed like a million years away from her current situation. Things as mundane as standing in line to get her lunch or standing up and reciting the pledge of allegiance all seemed like a dream she had once.

She'd never been very popular in school either. Drifting about among the rebellious older kids she would try to be included and end up running away at the first sign of trouble.

"Don't I know it," Mindy joked, shaking her head. "People are just naturally drawn to my shining personality."

She blew a raspberry. "I don't know what other girls would do. I don't even know if I can think like them, pretend that all that meaningless bullshit they talk about matters. Lip gloss. Boys. Celebrities."

She shook her head. "Don't think I could manage that with a straight face, and I've dealt with sponsors."

The silence drew out for a moment as Sandy reflected on something.

"Daddy told me once when I wasn't sure if I'd ever have any friends "No matter where you go, you'll find people like you." I didn't believe him back then but...well look at where we are now."

Even in a place as strange as Panem Sandy had found people like her, and more importantly people who liked her.

Mindy smirked. "Yeah, I hear you. Hell, I didn't think I'd find people who were my friends, and well, I made a few the first day. Met you, Ellie, Katniss. I can't complain."

She drew her legs up to her chest. "Despite myself, I still have people I give a shit about. Otherwise I wouldn't have felt anything when Guy and Hawkeye and Doc were gone."

"Well then I can't let you take the fall for me after all." Sandy decided with defience and a bit of a smirk in her voice.

"Because those people who care about you wouldn't want me to. Besides don't you wanna make it to District five?"

Sandy had only heard the rumor, but if there was even a chance it was true she expected Mindy would be there as soon as she could.

"That you want to protect the skin on your hide ought to be enough reason, don't you think?"

She stopped. "They must have hit your head harder than you though, Sandy. I'm District 9, remember?"

Sandy's head rose up from her knees and she cast a dumbfounded expression at Mindy.

"I know that. But...District five. Didn't you hear?"

Casting a wary glance around the cell she tilted her body closer and whispered softly "Rumor has it that's where everyone's special visitors were shipped off to."

So Mindy got to break the news about Pruna and Sandy got to break the news about this. fair trade.

Mindy's eyes narrowed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Yes she did. She learned that information from Stephen himself when she stayed over during the infection. What Mindy would never, ever, EVER do was say that she knew something like that HERE, in a place that they chose themselves, that they could only be overheard but TORTURED to give out the name of the informant.

"Be careful about spreading lies like that. It'll just get the captors angry."

Her eyes say she knows, of course, and that saying it at all was stupid as shit because something could happen to her. There was also a hint of pain back there too: her dad was in that District, and here she was, captured.

Sandy drooped, clearly robbed of the sensation of bringing good news to a friend. Planting her chin back in her legs she sighed.

"Yeah because our situation can get so much worse right now. Whatever."

She could figure out why Mindy was shutting her down like this, but it didn't make it any more tolerable.

"Yeah, it can," she said quietly. "Don't ever say it can't, because you don't know. It can always get worse."

She paused. "But thanks. I know you were trying to help me. I appreciate it."

It didn't help that it was in the back of her head making her feel like shit, of course, but that was certainly not Sandy's fault.

And on that incredibly optimistic and cheerful note Sandy nodded and fell silent once more.

Things were going to get worse, she knew they would. But she was hard pressed to admit it out loud as if that would somehow draw those horrible things into reality.

She was young and so she justified this denial to herself. After all children should be allowed to play pretend once in awhile.

And right now Sandy was going to pretend she didn't deserve any of this.

Suspects' Holding Cell

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