I guess this could be construed as spoilers in a way, so read at your own discretion, darlings x

also, bad things happen to good people

)o(

"Right, time to get out of here,"Johanna said, eyes flitting between the big screen, her watch and the entrance. Effie, her bright smile at odds with the fear in her eyes, shook her head."They don't have enough of a headstart yet."

"They do, Trinket, we're already over Plutarch's schedule,"the Victor replied, though she couldn't help but be impressed with the other woman's determination to make sure Haymitch and the kid got away safely."Come on, now, or I'll leave you behind."

It was an empty threat. Through the years, no matter how much Trinket annoyed her, she had sort of grown on her; in her own irritating way, she was part of the odd little almost-family the Victors had built for themselves. Not to mention that Johanna didn't even want to think about what Haymitch would do if she left his precious Escort behind.

Effie eyed her warily, either wondering whether she meant it or maybe just realising Johanna was right. Whatever her reasoning, she sighed and nodded."Fine. I suppose you are right."

They had barely made it two corridors when Johanna knew they wouldn't make it. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was off, but an icy dread coiled in her stomach when they rounded a corner. The guards didn't look particularly threatening, nor was their presence surprising, but there was the sudden knowledge it was too late, the same feeling she had when she'd stepped into her too silent home after defying Snow's orders, knowing what she would see before she'd found the bloodbath in her kitchen.

Trinket's hand on her arm brought her out of the memories."Johanna,"she whispered, and that she used her first name was enough for the Victor to realise she knew, too."Those aren't Emmanuel's men."

For a few seconds, Johanna searched for a way to get them out. Then she realised there was none, her mind still racing frantically."Scream. Tell them I tried to kidnap you. You don't have to go down with me."

It was a chance in a million, but it was surely better than nothing.

"I don't,"Effie agreed."But I will, if it comes to that. Keep moving."

Side by side, they marched by the guards, who gave them strange looks but didn't act. Guard after guard they passed, Johanna full of annoyance and swears when they stopped them, Trinket feigning polite indignation - she was Twelve's Escort, afterall, and since last year, that meant something. Not to mention her cousin was their superior.

They almost made it out of the building. But almost never won anyone the Games, and this was not so different.

Johanna was actually rather impressed with the slew of curses the Escort could come up with. That was her last thought before the gurad she was struggling against slammed something hard into her temple.

Johanna awoke with a throbbing head that was bedded on something much more comfortable than the rest of her body. Blinking open her eyes, she found Effie's face right infront of hers. Well, that made no sense."Trinket?"

"Oh god, I thought you wouldn't wake up,"Effie said, her eyes gleaming with tears."They just threw us in here and left."

Now everything came rushing back to Johanna. The Games, the failed plan, the guards. Which explained the dank cell and why she was laying in Trinket's lap. She sat up slowly, not bothering to shrug off Trinket's hand."How long was I out of it?"

"Two hours,"the Escort supplied readily, and Johanna raised her eyebrows at the exact answer. Effie shrugged."I counted. There wasn't anything else to do."

"You counted. For two hours."Johanna dropped her aching head into her hands."You know, I'm not even surprised."

"I need to know when it's midnight,"Effie admitted quietly, and Johanna's head snapped up to stare at her. Pity, understanding and a begrudging respect made Johanna reach out and squeeze Effie's hand."They got away. They would have already rubbed it under our noses if they hadn't."

Johanna was right about that, of course. Because when they brought in Terra, bruised and bloody and snarling insults at her captors, they made a point of stopping infront of their cell just long enough for the three women to stare at eachother in horrified silence before dragging her further down the corridor. Johanna kicked at the wall in frustration."I'd hoped they wouldn't get her. She's in more shit than I am."

"What do you mean?"Effie said, hardly able to keep the tremor out of her voice. Her mask was cracking, and fast. Johanna considered lying, but didn't think it would do any good."I'm nothing to them, but they can't prove shit as long as I don't crack. Not that I'm assuming they won't kill me without prove. But Terra? She can't deny anything, not if our people get her niece out. She's dead the second they get their hands on Olive's parents. Then they have new leverage on the girl and Terra can be made the example. Traitor, rebel, all that shit."

A shudder went through the Escort, but she shook her head determindly. "If they start killing traitors, I'd be first in line. It's high treason for a Capitolite to -" She trailed of, vaguely waving her hand to encompass all her missteps in the eyes of Snow's regime.

Johanna barked out a dry laugh."You're bait, Trinket. Pressure point, leverage, whatever you want to call it. For the Mockingjay and Haymitch. They won't kill you."

Neither said it, but they both thought that execution might be preferable to the alternative.

They were huddled into the corner fartest from the door when it was suddenly opened, just long enough for something to be flung into the cell. Effie recoiled further and Johanna pushed her slightly behind herself without thinking. The thing lay on the ground, the dim lighting making it hard to tell what it was, especially after the bright flash of light from the corridor seconds ago. Effie hissed into her ear."What is it?"

Then, the thing made a sound, too soft to be called a whimper. Mutt, was the first insane thought to pop into Johanna's mind. But why would they throw a half-dead mutt in with them?

Effie was already pushing past her, half stumbling, half crawling towards the figure, mumbling Oh my god under her breath over and over.

"Trinket!"Johanna admonished, but it was too late. The Escort had already gathered the thing up, staring at Johanna in horror."It's Curie. Johanna, it's Curie."

Johanna scooted closer, the dismay in Trinket's voice seeping through her body. It really was the poor little thing from Three. Effie was rocking her, whispering meaningless reassurences.

"Did the others get out?"Johanna said, and Trinket threw her a glare."Surely that can wait!"

But she was eager to know herself, so she didn't protest when Johanna pushed the girl. Curie gave only jerky nods or shakes of her head, but it was enough to clear up some things. The Capitol had also gotten Madge, Katniss, Jonsa, Tia, and Sapphire. As far as the girl could tell, the rebels had rescued the others and gotten away.

"Where do you think they have the others?"Effie asked quietly, some time later when they'd retreated back to their corner, Curie curled up between them, half in Effie's lap. Johanna shrugged warily."At this point, I'd say no news is good news."

Johanna staggered along between the guards, trying hard to get a sense of where they were taking her this time. It was hard with the blood that kept trickling into her eyes. They kept changing everyone's cells, and she figured they wouldn't return her to the same one. She'd been in solitary for roughly the last three days, but now she was too battered for them to spare the others the sight of her. It was how it worked. On what she guessed was the second day of their imprisonment - meals were sparse, torture repeated, time hard to tell - they'd taken away Effie and thrown Terra in some time later, coughing blood and unable to speak for hours. Psychological warefare, that's what it was.

Most cells were still close enough that they could hear eachother scream.

She staggered into the dank room they pushed her into now, finding a lone figured huddled in the corner. Relief washed over her. Logically, she had known that they wouldn't kill the Mockingjay's sister, but none of them had seen hide nor hair of the girl so far.

"Katniss,"she said cautiously, and the girl looked up, a wild gaze in her eyes. Johanna moved closer and crouched down."You okay, there?"

The girl looked unharmed, other than what wounds she had gotten in the arena, but her eyes weren't really in focus. Johanna carefully reached out and touched her arm."Katniss?"

The girl pulled away, raising her arms as if expecting a blow, and started to scream. That's when Johanna, by now used to the constant almost-darkness, spotted the small puncture wounds on the inside of her elbow. Injections. She sighed, settling against the wall furthest from Katniss, deciding to give her some space until whatever was going on with her stopped. She pulled her legs to her chest and let her forehead drop to her knees."God, what have they done to you?"

Johanna jerked awake to screaming. She couldn't remember what it was like to hear anything else when you woke up. The terrified shriek was Jonsa, she knew, bile rising in her throat from the sheer thought that she could tell the others apart by that. She scrambled to her feet, but before she could do anything else, there was yelling and a commotion further down the hall. Johanna leaned against the door, remaining silent afterall. One of the others had beaten her to it.

Then a guards voice cutting through the other sounds."Leave the girl, take that one instead."

She stared into the corridor as Effie was lead past, somehow managing to look both smug and terrified. That first night, with the girl from Three huddled between them, they had promised eachother to keep the children as safe as they could, no matter what the cost. Later, they had roped Terra and Gloss in aswell, and so far, the guards were either too stupid to catch it or just didn't care. A bit of both, Johanna suspected.

She curled up in a ball and pressed her hands over her ears. That they had planned it didn't make the blood-curdling screams any easier to listen to.

)o(

now we have a general idea of what is going down

jo and effie are such lion mamas like this is canon don't argue

I made myself sad but I just missed them soooo much

there will be more

who do you want to see next? (madge and annie are my personal favs rn but I'm open for anything)

you can also ask for literally any promt, actually, doesn't even have to be for Inferno (i seriously neglected my thg os collection)