Finnick Odair's Story: Dark Secrets (The Hunger Games Fanfiction)

After the Quell - Johanna

I'm in a cage, like an animal. My cuts and bruises from the arena have been bandaged up, and I'm lying on the metal ground of the small box. Frowning, I stagger to my feet and press my face up to the bars - the room is completely empty apart from me, which is eerily suspicious.

When they exploded the force field, all I remember is being picked up by a giant claw - that must have belonged to the Capitol. Presumably, they drugged me and knocked me out, but healed all my injuries to keep me alive for questioning. I wonder whether Finnick, Katniss, Beetee and Peeta made it out safely.

Groaning, I stretch out slightly and feel my limbs cracking one by one. The cage doesn't have much room to move in, but it's sufficient for a refreshing stretch. Then, I'm lost. I don't want to sleep, but being trapped in here is making me feel helpless. How long have I been here? A day? A week? More?

As if by magic, just as I'm recognising my depressing isolation, there are suddenly footsteps into the room. Perhaps they heard me moving around, or were watching me on a monitor.

"She's awake," mutters a tall Peacekeeper, walking in through an invisible when closed door. A shorter man follows, who has blonde hair instead of dark like his counterpart.

"Good, I've been waiting long enough," laughs the short guard morbidly.

I rattle the bars of the cage. "Do you two want to tell me where the fuck I am and why the fuck I'm here? That would be lovely," I call out sarcastically, and both men raise their eyebrows.

"Alright, darling," the taller one smirks, walking towards me.

"Don't call me darling," I say through gritted teeth.

"I can call you whatever I like," snaps the Peacekeeper whilst the blonde man shakes his head with a smile on his face.

"Answer my question, bastard," I curse, and watch their facial expressions turn to fire.

"Don't call me that," the tall man says, a bit flustered now that the tables have been turned.

"Oh, sorry," I smile sweetly but maliciously. "I thought I could call you whatever I liked? Or in the general hierarchy of things, are lowly, pathetic Peacekeepers above victors of the Hunger Games and, as you seem to believe I am, rebellious revolutionaries?"

Neither man seems to know what to say, so the tall one bangs his fist on the cage and presses his face nearer to mine.

"I suggest you keep your pretty little mouth shut, because you don't want to get on our bad side," he spits, and I smoothly wipe flecks of saliva from my cheekbone.

I mock him, shaking my knees and hands as if to mime fear. "I'm shaking, I'm terrifed. Shit, should I be worried?"

"You'll be sorry, Johanna Mason," the blonde Peacekeeper chips in. "If you had just shown a little more respect, we might have treated you nicely. Nicer, anyway."

I laugh. What can they do to me now? They can't break me, or take anything away from me, or hurt my family. They could hurt Finnick, but I'm still holding on to the hope that he's safe and away from the Capitol.

"You won't be laughing soon," the tall man says, pushing back on the bars of the cage with a violent shove and stepping backwards. "Keep an eye on her."

He marches out of the room and leaves me alone with the blonde Peacekeeper, who doesn't look very intimidating at all. Cross legged, I sit on the floor of the cage and stare at him, wondering when he'll break his creepy gaze on me.

"So, this is your full-time job, right?" I ask, starting to make sarcastic small talk. As if I'm actually interested in this man's life. "No family? No wife?"