Held Together By Forces and Sparks

by KTstoriesandstuff

This is the prequel to "Perceptions of Shattered Brain." After Wiress Carpenter achieves an engineering feat in honor of her late parents, she is noticed by another young inventor by the name of Beetee Tesla. Over time, they share more than their love of engineering and discover a depth of love that can sustain both of them through the 54th Hunger Games.

23. Chapter 23

Beetee was still crying and screaming Wiress' name when he was thrown onto a concrete floor. The wind was knocked out of him and he lay sprawled out on the cold floor gasping for air. He heard several sets of footsteps and realized that there were only three people in the room with him. "We meet again, Mr. Tesla." A tall sturdily built peacekeeper said sneering. He grabbed Beetee by the collar of his shirt and yanked him to a standing position. "I visited your house after you and your dear intern turned tribute forgot to register her little machine with the Capital." He said before spitting in his face.

"Technically it was an improvement on an existing component of Factory Four." Beetee said muttered back tears. He was jolted out of the memory of offering Wiress her internship with a slap to the face.

"What were you two playing at?" The peacekeeper asked. He snapped his fingers. Two male assistants grabbed Beetee and pushed him up against a wall. He blacked out momentarily as the back of his skull crashed against the wall. Beetee stared at the ground not bothering to hold back the tears. He was struck across the face again. His glasses flew from his face and shattered on the floor. "ANSWER ME! DID YOU PULL THE MENTOR-TRIBUTE LOVERS THING TO INCITE AN UPRISING?"

"You killed her." Beetee whispered as pain overwhelmed him at the mention of his and Wiress' relationship. "There's nothing more to say. There's nothing more you people can do."

"Are you aware that we nearly had an uprising? ARE YOU?"

"How could I? I went from the mentoring room to here." Beetee's answer was met with more blows to his face and body. He sank to his knees as the beating continued. "Wiress -" He whispered. The pain of seeing her death hurt more than any kick by a Peacekeeper's metal toed boots ever would. "I'll always love you honey -" He broke down sobbing as the Peacekeeper gave his orders to his attendants to back up.

"EXPLAIN THIS!" Beetee looked at a computer tablet shoved under his nose through his tears. He recognized the scene as a view from one of the many security cameras mounted above the town square of District Three.

People were gathered for the required viewing of the Hunger Games. The cameras panned in on Wiress in the operating room of the hovercraft. Beetee's heart constricted painfully as he watched her death again. The crowd immediately gave the district sign to the TV and began chanting her name. Beetee shook his head, a mix of emotions tumbling through his head. He was feeling the sharp raw pain of grief for Wiress, yet pride and gratefulness to his district for immediately acting to honor her memory. Suddenly Peacekeepers began firing on the crowd. They dispersed, but several people lay in the square dead or dying. "EXPLAIN!"

"I - They - they were upset - that a respected up and coming engineer died. For your games." Beetee stood up to face the Peacekeeper. "They gave her honor as her life ebbed away. Unlike the Capital." He said. He stood unmoving as the peacekeeper and his assistants rushed at him. The thought that sustained him through the pain of their punches and kicks was this: if he were to die at their hands, he'd soon be reunited with the love of his life. As he blacked out yet again, he felt her love as if it was being sent to him from beyond this world.

"Get up." "A guard said harshly some time later. "GET UP!" Beetee opened his eyes. How long he had been lying on the floor he didn't know. His cuts and bruises smarted. His own blood was spattered on the walls and the floor of the concrete room. "Change." The guard threw a clean shirt and pants into the room. Beetee peeled off his blood soaked clothing as quickly as he could wincing as he looked at his beaten body. He stood up and was promptly blindfolded. Muffs were put over his ears and his hands were cuffed in front of him. "They're ready for him. Let's go." The guard said to his colleague somewhere else. Beetee was grasped by the elbows and jerked around as he was led down numerous hallways. A door opened and he was walked near the wall of a small room judging by the echos of his and the guards' footsteps. He was pushed down onto a mat. The cuffs were taken off his wrists. His hands automatically went up to his face before they were slapped away. "Not until we leave the room and the door is locked!" The guards footsteps grew fainter before a door slammed.