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Description
Indy jumps slightly, reacting reflexively as the clamps on the case are snapped open. She squirms on her seat, held sitting upright by the tight cuffs on her wrists and ankles. Her breathing quickens, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths as the lid is slowly opened.

"A good girl always tells the truth," Harvester says.

The leather-clad women draw wires out from either side of the case, bringing them back to Indy's hands. She is relieved when they only attach soft little cuffs to her index fingers on the ends of those leads.

"We'll start with some base-line questions," Harvester continues.

He moves around the table, coming to stand behind Indy. The red woman takes his place at the case while the green one moves to a videocamera mounted on a tripod. It's a lie detector, she realizes, sighing with relief.

"What's your name?" Harvester asks, his strong hands beginning to massage her shoulders.

"Indy Reed," she answers softly.

"And where do you live, Indy Reed?" his fingers press in deep as he speaks, making her wince.

"New York City," she breathes.

"What color are my gloves?" he asks.

"Red," she answers.

"Did you know that Janey was a superhero?" he asks more firmly.

"No," she answers quickly.

"Do you like being tied up?" he asks.

"What?" she asks, brow furrowing as the question catches her off guard. "No."

"Did Janey tell you she was being hunted?" he asks. "Ask you to hide her?"

"No," Indy shakes her head.

"Are you afraid of what I'm going to do to you?" he leans in close to whisper in her ear through his mask.

"Y-yes," she stammers softly, curling her toes inside her sneakers.

"Do you know any superheroines?" he asks.

She opens her mouth to speak, but can't find her voice. If she says "no" and the machine catches the lie, she'll be opening herself up to all kinds of problems. If he pressed, if she broke, she'd have to admit her own identity in order to protect her best friend.

"I told you!" she snapped, angrily. "I didn't know anything about Janey! I didn't know she was a superhero! I didn't know you were hunting her!"

As soon as she opens the door to the anger that has been broiling just beneath the surface, there is no holding it back. She doesn't have to act in order for her frustration to be convincing, because she feels her control weakening under the pressure of it all.

"Let me go!" she screams, her voice cracking. "You can't do this to me!"

Losing herself in the moment, she pulls hard at the tight cuffs on her wrists and ankles, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes. She twists her hands, trying to somehow pull them through, but only succeeds in making the metal bite into her flesh.

"Poor little chipmunk," Harvester says when she stops. "And you said you were going to be a good girl."

Indy pants for breath, nostrils flaring, as the two women remove the leads from her fingers and then close up the case.

----------------------------------

This is the next entry in my ongoing story for 's BURST LION ART CONTEST!

So, based on the comments on the last image, I bet that a bunch of you are disappointed to discover that the case contains just a regular old polygraph... I can only imagine the sorts of wicked torture devices that were going through your minds!

But this story is a little more grounded than others... and the torture for poor Indy is a bit more mundane... I believe, however, that it will be devilishly powerful nonetheless... so stay tuned!

The Story BEGINS here: Civilian Blues, Starring Burst Lion - Part One

The NEXT Installment is: Civilian Blues - Part Eleven

The PREVIOUS Installment is: Civilian Blues, Starring Burst Lion - Part Nine

Description
Indy jumps slightly, reacting reflexively as the clamps on the case are snapped open. She squirms on her seat, held sitting upright by the tight cuffs on her wrists and ankles. Her breathing quickens, chest rising and falling with shallow breaths as the lid is slowly opened.

"A good girl always tells the truth," Harvester says.

The leather-clad women draw wires out from either side of the case, bringing them back to Indy's hands. She is relieved when they only attach soft little cuffs to her index fingers on the ends of those leads.

"We'll start with some base-line questions," Harvester continues.

He moves around the table, coming to stand behind Indy. The red woman takes his place at the case while the green one moves to a videocamera mounted on a tripod. It's a lie detector, she realizes, sighing with relief.

"What's your name?" Harvester asks, his strong hands beginning to massage her shoulders.

"Indy Reed," she answers softly.

"And where do you live, Indy Reed?" his fingers press in deep as he speaks, making her wince.

"New York City," she breathes.

"What color are my gloves?" he asks.

"Red," she answers.

"Did you know that Janey was a superhero?" he asks more firmly.

"No," she answers quickly.

"Do you like being tied up?" he asks.

"What?" she asks, brow furrowing as the question catches her off guard. "No."

"Did Janey tell you she was being hunted?" he asks. "Ask you to hide her?"

"No," Indy shakes her head.

"Are you afraid of what I'm going to do to you?" he leans in close to whisper in her ear through his mask.

"Y-yes," she stammers softly, curling her toes inside her sneakers.

"Do you know any superheroines?" he asks.

She opens her mouth to speak, but can't find her voice. If she says "no" and the machine catches the lie, she'll be opening herself up to all kinds of problems. If he pressed, if she broke, she'd have to admit her own identity in order to protect her best friend.

"I told you!" she snapped, angrily. "I didn't know anything about Janey! I didn't know she was a superhero! I didn't know you were hunting her!"

As soon as she opens the door to the anger that has been broiling just beneath the surface, there is no holding it back. She doesn't have to act in order for her frustration to be convincing, because she feels her control weakening under the pressure of it all.

"Let me go!" she screams, her voice cracking. "You can't do this to me!"

Losing herself in the moment, she pulls hard at the tight cuffs on her wrists and ankles, feeling tears beginning to well in her eyes. She twists her hands, trying to somehow pull them through, but only succeeds in making the metal bite into her flesh.

"Poor little chipmunk," Harvester says when she stops. "And you said you were going to be a good girl."

Indy pants for breath, nostrils flaring, as the two women remove the leads from her fingers and then close up the case.

----------------------------------

This is the next entry in my ongoing story for 's BURST LION ART CONTEST!

So, based on the comments on the last image, I bet that a bunch of you are disappointed to discover that the case contains just a regular old polygraph... I can only imagine the sorts of wicked torture devices that were going through your minds!

But this story is a little more grounded than others... and the torture for poor Indy is a bit more mundane... I believe, however, that it will be devilishly powerful nonetheless... so stay tuned!

The Story BEGINS here: Civilian Blues, Starring Burst Lion - Part One

The NEXT Installment is: Civilian Blues - Part Eleven

The PREVIOUS Installment is: Civilian Blues, Starring Burst Lion - Part Nine