It may look enticing but don't walk that line

[in_the_latin]

Characters: Mal, Low Key, Reno, and anyone else who volunteered
Content: Low Key's been a lying little snake. Time to shake some answers out of him. Literally.
Setting: First Low Key's quarters, then the Engine Room
Time: In the wee hours of the morning, after Mal's post
Warnings: Death threats, very questionable interrogation methods

Comments

[electro_phoenix]

As soon as Reno had heard Mal's footsteps coming down the hallway, he went in to wake their sleeping beauty up.

"Hey, Lyesmith." Before Low Key had a chance to respond, Reno's fist connected with the other's face. "Get up."

That was...extremely therapeutic.

[putmeinstitches]

That was...entirely unexpected.

Reno's voice had woken him up just in time to feel the full impact of the punch. Wincing, Low Key rubbed his jaw with one hand as his brain kicked into full awareness. What exactly was he in trouble for? And he was in trouble, Low Key could tell. Not that he hadn't given Reno more than enough reason to punch him, but somehow the grifter doubted that the captain would get involved in whatever jealousy Reno might feel over Anko, and that was definitely the captain standing over there.

Best to play it off like he wasn't bothered until he knew more about what was going on. Though Low Key had plenty to hide, he didn't expect Mal to discover his ties to Denouement -- and even if Mal did, Low Key had him pegged as a very unscrupulous sort, and doubted Mal would care so long as Denouement didn't trouble Serenity. That, truthfully, was why Low Key hadn't made his escape already: he didn't feel like he had to

[in_the_latin]

"Got a few more questions," he said as he strode over to Low Key's bunk. His voice was curt and the scowl on his face left little room for a warm greeting. However, it wasn't just simple anger that he felt; something darker, something that was cold and hungry seeped down to his very bones. As soon as he was close enough, he grabbed Low Key by the arm and yanked him off the cot. Any resistance was ignored as he dragged him out of the room.

"Give me a hand, will ya Reno?"

[electro_phoenix]

"With pleasure." With a bit more force that strictly necessary, Reno grabbed Low Key's other arm. Yeah, he was pissed. Partly because of this bastard's thing with Anko, but mostly because this bastard was...well, a bastard. Reno wasn't one to point fingers, but if half of the stuff Mal said was true (and Reno was inclined to believe his boss), Low Key was worse than Reno could ever be, even without the information he found from searching through Low Key's journal.

[putmeinstitches]

"Whoa, hey, take it easy," Low Key protested, but offered no resistance. They know something, he thought. Why else would they be this forceful about questioning him? It had to be incriminating, whatever it was. But was it about the clank? His involvement with Denouement? Or was it something else...?

They really weren't taking chances with him. Low Key was confident that he could talk himself out of this once he figured out what they had figured out, but being pulled out of the room this fast meant he wouldn't have on the boots that he'd kept on him at every waking moment as insurance, just in case

[in_the_latin]

When Mal saw that look on Low Key's face, he couldn't resist a sick sense of satisfaction. We've got you, he thought. Low Key was one smooth customer, but he couldn't lie out of this one. Not after everything he'd done.

"Thanks for the hand," he told Reno. There was no response to Low Key as he dragged him out through the corridor and towards the engine room. Now, Low Key was a smart man; a part of Mal, the same part that celebrated Low Key's fear, hoped he would recognize where they were going, and would put two and two together.

[electro_phoenix]

Oh ho, someone was a little panicky without their magic boots. Reno smirked. "Not a problem, sir. You goin' to need me when we get him to his, heh, appointment?" he asked, kicking at Low Key a little to get him to move faster.

[putmeinstitches]

He wasn't stupid. Low Key knew he was definitely in for some less than ethical interrogation -- they weren't going to kill him, or they'd have done it already. But they weren't headed for the brig. Actually, if he knew the ship's layout (and he did), they were headed for the...engine room?

What the hell were they going to do to him in an engine room? Nothing gentle, he was sure. Low Key was too-conscious of his bare feet as he half-walked, half-was dragged through the ship, though he did manage to school most of the apprehension out of his face.

"There's no need for this," he protested. "Have I ever been reluctant to answer your questions, captain?"

[in_the_latin]

"Oh, you've been giving us answers, I'll give you that," he said. His voice was sharp, with an edge of bitterness, and his pace only quickened. "The problem is that none of them were actually worth a damn."

Soon they came to the engine room and, with his free hand, Mal opened the door. There a couple of other crew members had all ready gathered, presumably as part of the interrogation.

[electro_phoenix]

"And were probably worse than flat-out lies," drawled the redhead.

When they got to the engine room, Reno stayed by the door. Someone had to be ready to either get help or get Low Key if he tried to run, and it might as well be him. He nodded to the others. "Have at him, cap'n."

[causink_trouble]

Jenka grinned with anticipation when she heard the approaching footsteps. This was going to be fun. Granted, given what she knew about Low Key's past and didn't quite know about his current state, she wasn't sure it wouldn't end up more fun than the captain was bargaining for - but she sure like hell wasn't going to spoil it by saying anything early.

When Low Key was pushed into the room, she grabbed his free arm, not taking much care with the claws, and slammed him against a wall with her other hand against his chest.

"Dis hokay for now, captain, or hyu vants screamink?"

[phytotoxin]

Marluxia hung back for the time being, looking no less dangerous than the others, pink hair notwithstanding. He didn't have any of his plants with him, but he really didn't need to bring them from his room. Oh no, he had the fun and useful ability to summon vines whenever he needed to, so carrying around unwieldy pots was completely unnecessary.

It also kept them a surprise, which was always nice.

[putmeinstitches]

Ouch. Low Key hit the wall with a loud thud. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and the claws in his arm hurt like a bitch. His chest rose and fell quickly under her hand as he recovered from the impact. It hurt, yeah, but Low Key had felt worse pain. Though he was weaker now than he had been then, you didn't know how bad being angrily shoved into a wall could hurt until Thor had done it to you. Jenka had nothing on the thunderer -- at least this time, the wall hadn't cracked behind him.

Looking around at who was here, Low Key still wasn't entirely sure what they had in store for him involving the engines. He was sure that none of it was good. He half-coughed, half-laughed at Jenka. "You know, when I told you it was a shame you couldn't use your real talents more, I didn't think it would be on me." He was far, so very far from being in control of the situation, but they hadn't shut him up yet.

[in_the_latin]

"Not yet," he said calmly. "It's kinda hard to answer questions when someone's screaming, isn't it?"

Mal turned to Low Key, and said, "Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Easy way is that you actually come clean and we let you go, nice and easy. The hard way is...well, you can probably guess what the hard way is, and if not, you'll get to see in just a minute."

He paced towards him, and asked, "First question: who are you working for, exactly?"

[causink_trouble]

Jenka laughed at Low Key's comment, still holding him pinned to the wall and clearly relishing his discomfort. "Vot, hyu'd radder dey asked Dimo or somevun? Hy'z hurt."

Unlike Mal and Reno, she didn't look upset with him at all. She just looked like she would thoroughly enjoy making him scream, and not in the fun way, regardless of their friendly relationship.

That was what you got for getting friendly with Jägerkin. Not that Low Key was likely to be any better himself, if the situation was reversed.

[putmeinstitches]

"Well," Low Key muttered to her, "if it's a question of being hurt by a pretty girl and being hurt by someone else, I'll take the girl." And no, Low Key would have treated her no better if it had been her taking heat and not him. In fact, you could say Low Key was even worse than the Jäger -- at least she was loyal to the Heterodynes. Low Key was not loyal to anyone.

Then, he looked up at the approaching captain, trying to gauge from the man's expression how much Mal knew. "Who do I work for? I'm a free agent, captain. I can only assume you're referring to my acquaintances, the ones who built the clank." His manner was too easy, too calm, too collected for a man in the kind of danger Low Key was in. He was a little nervous, yes, but you didn't play poker without learning how to bluff.