A Bitter Pill To Swallow

As she fills out the form, she wonders about the metahuman abilities question. She decides not to mention hers if, in fact, it is one of those abilities at all because she hasn't had time to fully understand what actually happened with her vision.

As she follows the guard and enters the visitor's room, Melissa remembers it from before. If it's not the same room it's very similar and it gives her the creeps as it did on her last visit. It felt so confining and sterile. But then Belinda makes an appearance on the other side of the glass and her eyes light up.

"Hi!! Melissa's eyes inspect Belinda's body for signs of abuse. "You're so chipper for being locked up in a place like this. Is it ... are you actually enjoying it here?" Melissa is somewhat perplexed by her seemingly sunny disposition. Perhaps it's an act but still, why bother?

"We're here ... well I'm here because I'm worried sick about you. Are they treating you ok? And we never got to the part about why you are in here the last time. What on earth did you do? I want to help...." Mindful of the guards and possible cameras she doesn't go so far as to say, get you out of here.

Augusta also lies about her own abilities, and claims none. She accompanies Melissa to the visitor's room, and stands gracefully as is her way.

When Belinda greets her, she smiles warmly. "Well, thank you, Miss Hagman, you're very kind to say so." She's seen her before, at art functions. The stark contrast of high society to the TANC bothers her like maggots under her skin.

After that, since this is Melissa's friend, she watches the woman carefully, looking for signs of abuse, mistreatment, or deprivation.

Eva isn't sure what to do with the form they're asked to fill out. She doesn't have a last name (that she knows of), and there's no way she's self-identifying as possessing powers. She knows the bastards from Wyvern Lake are still looking for her, and Dave has previously mentioned some possible connection between the secret facility she escaped from and TANC. So, she scrawls an unintelligible last name, and just puts a line through the box that asks if she's powered.

The blonde then follows Parker and Draven down into the bowels of the place, getting a little more uncomfortable with each step she takes. She knows these kinds of places, with their security doors and reinforced walls and cold, labyrinthine corridors. She has the breathing exercises she's learned to calm her nerves, and she uses them now as their guide gives them a set of instructions and questions that Eva just answers with a nod and a curt, "Yes."

When they are face to face with The Terrapin, with Danvers Ellison, the tall woman is picking up a whole different vibe from him than she was the last time she saw him, in the rain, in her tattered clothing. When he asks who's your friend, Eva knows she should let David answer. Despite that, she hears her own voice first.

"I'm Eva. We've met. Don't you remember?"

"Well, yeah." Dave agreed. Their usual banter presumably goes over the head of whoever was on the other end of the cameras so keeping it more normal to include Eva would be important. "Eva, here, is a bit sheltered. Homeschooled, yeah, that's the ticket. I doubt she's seen any of the stuff we usually talk about... But what we probably should talk about is your recent window shopping trip. Christmas is over two months away so I hope you found what you were looking for."

Melissa catches Belinda's smile fade for the smallest of seconds. Hadn't she observed every subtle nuance in her bestie's face as she tried to emulate it? But why? What was with the facade? She was totally playing down being in the TANC and while it might not have been obvious to Augusta, it was to her.

Her eyes scanned her friend looking for marks and bruises. Maybe she was being threatened by someone to keep quiet. Feeling sorry for her and not falling for her act she decided to overlook the fact that Belinda appeared to be goading her.

"A file? You're imprisoned in this shithole and all you care about is your nails? Come on Belinda. What's going on?"

Melissa's eye catches the movement of Belinda's sleeve and is drawn to her arm. Quickly she looks away, brushing an errant strand of hair from her cheek.

"Ok. Yeah. Sure. Sorry." Panic flutters in her chest.

They're hurting her! I have to get her out.

Yeah, that's understandable, to want some kind of control of your circumstances. I get it. I do." Melissa sees her friend struggling and trying to keep up a brave face but she's calling for help. She's sure of it.

"I'm sorry I haven't come for a visit in a while ... I ... it's scary here. But I had an opportunity to come with someone so I jumped on that chance. I want to ..." she glances at the guard and if they aren't looking in their direction, she will quickly mouth, "get you out."

Augusta isn't as cagey as Melissa. "If they're hurting you, tell us exactly what they're doing. I've got vast connections throughout the city, and have spent my youth advocating for changes here. We had thought that the TANC had cleaned up their act, but look at you, needles? Are you diabetic, Belinda? Bruises? This is awful. I don't want to make this hard on you, but I'll bring cameras down here."

She is fuming, fuming that no matter what she does, they're too good at their lies and coverups to make any headway. If she makes enough noise, maybe they'll ease up on Belinda, or maybe she disappears.

Eva isn't even close to picking up what Danvers is putting down. And so she thinks her words are blockbusters when she lowers her voice, narrows her eyes, and whispers, "That was no dream..."

"Burning a Refugee Children's Hospital to the ground does carry a pretty stiff penalty under the UCMJ..." Dave agreed. "War Crimes are pretty high on the list of no-no's even for off-the-books folks. That tends to put a bit of a kink in most people's holiday plans."

"It's nice that you remember what 'outside' looks like, even in your dreams." Dave rubbed his chin as he considered Danvers' ruse. "What were you doing in your dream that was important enough to go shopping for?

"Augusta!" Melissa whispers."If you're not careful, you could end up here right alongside her." Placing a hand on the irate woman's arm she adds, "Chill. Ok?"

"Meds? I didn't know you were on .... wait a minute." Again she leans into the mic and lowers her voice, "You're taking drugs voluntarily? Oh, Belinda...." She continues to evaluate the truth of her friend's statements and almost blushes when her bestie says that she actually misses her.

Upon hearing the news about her old fame, Melissa's cheeks do redden. Brian. The jerk. "Yeah? Who is he screwing now? Ah sorry," Melissa says apologetically, waving a hand in the air. "That was a bit angry but he did cheat on me, the fucker. Can you blame me?" She had been in love with the guy. The bastard's cheating had devastated her.

"What did you mean about the guards slipping you something at the end of the day? What's the something?"

"I used to date a Brian. I had to ditch him though, for his own good. He wouldn't have been an inmate here though." Augusta doesn't try to interrupt the girl's chatter, and only speaks in turn so it isn't awkward that she's there.

Watching and listening as the two men speak in half riddles and codes -- she thinks -- Eva just keeps quiet and out of the conversation. Folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall, she tries her best to just fade into the background...