~Stillwater Hold~
"When your name is called, step forward out of the cell to receive your mail!"
In the depths of Stillwater Hold, prisoners lined up in front of their cells. Bare minimum lighting was provided in the cold dampness that was their new home. If it wasn't their cell, it was the cafeteria. If it wasn't the cafeteria, there was a small area where light bled through from the surface. It wasn't enough to feel satisfying, but enough to keep the prisoners healthy enough to live. And it was very brief.
One by one, the warden, towering a meter over most with his heavy metal cane supporting his weight and grey skin, called out names. Eventually he came to one that made his eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Prisoner five-one-six, Vi!"
From the shadows of her cell, an equally surprised and docile Vi slowly stepped out. Her face carried confusion and vulnerability after hearing her name called for the first time in years by someone other than another prisoner or Enforcer.
"I... have mail?" Vi asked doubtfully, though a hint of hope tinged the end.
The warden snorted. "I know. Surprised the hell out of me seeing it."
He held it out for Vi to take and, like a fragile moment unfolding that brought waves of emotion to her, she took it and opened it.
Surprise flickered across her expression, then a happy, sniffling gasp. Her eyes rose to the warden. His usual gruff and mean nature was briefly softened at the scene, especially because it was the usually tough Vi putting on the scene.
"There's, uh..." the warden pointed at the letter, "a return address on there."
Vi nodded, wiping away tears.
"Just give me a minute..."
The warden shook his head. "I can't let you respond to it due to your..." his gaze drifted to the cell, "...residence. But I can have someone inform whoever lives at that address that their letter was received."
Her expression twisted into something bitter before she nodded, clutching it carefully.
"Please let my sister know that I'm alive and well..."
The warden let out a "Hmph" before gesturing her back into her cell with his cane and continued calling out names.
In her cell, Vi teared up and sniffled quietly until mail-call was done.
------
A hunched-over mailman with a leather satchel slung around his shoulder stopped. He frowned, looking left and right while scratching his scratching his head as he stared at an arcade with a shattered window spilling inward. Evening light bled into the street and he let out a tired sigh.
"Hello?" he called out, his boot crunching glass as he peered inside. "Hello? Is anyone here? I have news from Stillwater Hold!"
"Hey there paper boy!"
"AH!"
The mailman jumped when Jinx appeared behind him, hands tucked behind her back, and eyes wide with excitement.
"Stillwater Hold? That's for me! Whatcha got for me? Is it something good?"
He let out a small breath, holding his chest before speaking.
"Y-yes. Well, it's in regards to Stillwater Hold."
"I know! Just give it to me!"
Jinx flopped her hand out like an expecting child waiting for candy. He glanced at it and scratched the back of his head.
"I'm sorry. They don't allow letters to be sent outbound due to the type of prisoners kept there. Y'know... political or—uh—dangerous types."
Her hand dropped and she leaned back, visibly beginning to deflate.
"Your mail was received by the recipient however..."
Her eyes snapped back up.
"The warden said to verbally pass along that prisoner five-one-six, Vi, is alive and kicking."
------
~Alleyway Hideout~
"How did you find out?" Jinx asked suspiciously, poking Atlas's head with a gun as he lay on the mat of cardboard boxes. "When did you find out? For how long did you know? Does Silco know? Does Sevika know? Am I the only one left in the dark?"
"I... knew for some time... ever since we first met."
She pressed the barrel harder against his head, her brows knitting together in anger. "Does everyone else know too?"
"No," Atlas breathed. "Marcus locked your sister away to keep her hidden from Silco. Otherwise she would've been killed. No one else knows but him."
"And you," Jinx whispered, tears marking her eyes. "Why did Marcus tell you? Was it some twisted fun to know that and still hide it from me?"
There wasn't an honest truth he could tell her. What could he say? That he watched some TV show in another universe and knew it happened?
"He didn't tell me anything. I saw it happen back then," Atlas said, a mixture of truth and distortion. Something that felt worse than a lie in the moment as Jinx hiccupped, a betrayed and hurt look spreading across her face.
"What difference would it have made if you knew back then?" Atlas asked desperately. "Silco took care of you! If I told you the truth back then, you might have been happy but Silco would've probably killed you if you weren't going to help him! He couldn't risk one of Vander's children surviving and becoming a problem against him!"
Jinx laughed hysterically, slapping Atlas across the face. "Oh-ho, so that's your reasoning? It was all for my benefit?"
"You lied to me."
She clutched his face, tears spilling onto his before her grip loosened. Her head tilted up and she began openly crying.
"I'm sorry..." Atlas said guiltily, finally sitting up. "After a certain point there never came a good time to tell you."
"And with everything that's been happening...with you confessing to me and helping me..."
Atlas gestured helplessly before sighing hopelessly, guilt heavy in his voice and emotion also starting to creep in.
"I didn't want to get into a relationship without you knowing that I knew... Though Silco was definitely a reason too."
Slap!
"You're a coward," Jinx cried tearfully, slapping him again. And again, and again. Not enough to hurt him physically, only emotionally with painful stakes impaling his heart with each one. "A coward!"
Amidst her flailing anger, Atlas gently grabbed her shoulders as he leaned forward, tears of his own finally falling free.
"I'm sorry..."