I just have a few simple questions [Closed]

[tidesnpc]

Characters: Deanna and our favorite neighborhood impostor. Other characters involved in his capture may show up later.
Content: There's a pesky shapeshifter chained up in the brig. It's time to get some answers.
Setting: The brig of the Amestris.
Time: Shortly after Bradley went AWOL
Warnings: Torture, references to death and violence

Comments

[illhaveyourmind]

Unhurriedly and leisurely, Deanna Troi walked down the hall of the brig, all the way to the end. Her bootheels clicked ominously over the metal floors, announcing her presence long before she actually got within sight of the prisoner. They were meant to. He was meant to know she was coming.

Finally arriving at the last cell, the demi-human telepath raised an eyebrow at her latest toy. Her trademark smirk was, surprisingly, not on her lips at the moment. She was working, after all. And as much as she enjoyed her job, she did always strive to treat it with a sense of professional detachment. At least for now. "Comfortable?" She did not waste time trying to sense out his emotions, which were of course, easy for her. The thoughts would come later, and she had all sorts of lovely things to help extract them.

It was going to be fun.

[tidesnpc]

If Troi expected fear or compliance, she might be disappointed. When he looked at her, the look in his eyes was anything but respectful. The only emotions his face betrayed were contempt and a vague sense of annoyance.

"What do you think?" he rasped out, with a rough edge to an otherwise boyish voice.

[illhaveyourmind]

The barest hint of a smile grew in the corners of her lips. Deanna was pleased that he did not seem cowed. That would change, and she very much enjoyed a challenge. His emotions were boring at the moment, so she did not dig deeper, though she did move to unlock the cell so that she could enter.

"I think it's quite probably going to get worse before it gets better," she practically purred. "Unless you simply want to make this easy on yourself?" She hoped he wouldn't.

[tidesnpc]

He smirked, and said, "In other words, you want me to spill my guts. Is that right?"

[illhaveyourmind]

Deanna raised an eyebrow, and entered the cell, locking the door behind her. There were security officers at the end of the hall, of course, should she need them. But she doubted it. She had rather unique methods of self defense when she was Interrogating, after all. "Your inner organs are not what interests me, though that may become an option. We'll see. I want your mind." The words were simple and matter-of-fact, but her voice went cold and dangerous, and bespoke that she would have it- or take it.

[tidesnpc]

He met her gaze head on, and his slitted, indigo eyes glittered in the darkness. For a moment he was silent, but soon his grin broadened.

"My mind? You really don't know what you're getting into here, do you?"

[illhaveyourmind]

Rather than be disturbed at his apparent bravado, Deanna only took it in stride, and came a bit closer to the prisoner, leaning over him. "Not yet. But I will."

From the pocket of her skirt, she pulled out a small device, only a few inches in length, and held it. It was flat but slightly curved, more resembling a piece of costume jewelry than anything else, and bore the shape of a parabola with a sword through it. "A rather ingenious device, this. Certainly one of my favorites. Care to guess what it does?" she purred, amused. Her tone was the sort a cat might use while toying with a mouse before killing it.

[tidesnpc]

He stared at it for a moment, brow furrowed in a cautious sort of curiosity, before his annoyance returned.

"Let me guess," he drawled, "Your toy's there to help 'encourage' me, right? That a little pain's all it will take to make this go nice and easy."

[illhaveyourmind]

"Oh, not at all, dear." Deanna was not an incredibly tall woman, but she loomed over her latest Target, carrying herself imperiously and dangerously. She brushed her fingers through the hair of the prisoner almost playfully, and then set to work attaching her little toy to him. "The Agonizer is a tool to help smooth the process along, true. But 'nice and easy' is far from how I want this to go."

[tidesnpc]

The prisoner winced and squirmed as she attached the device, and spat out a few half-finished protests until she finished.

"Hey, knock it off-watch where you're putting that thing!"

He huffed, and when she answered him, he replied, "You humans really are a vindictive bunch, aren't you?"

[illhaveyourmind]

She couldn't help but laugh at that, eyebrows raising in incredulity. So her prisoner wasn't human. That was hardly shocking, given his shape-shifting ability. Her laugh melted into a smile as she waited for the mana crystal in the Agonizer to pulse and fully merge with his nervous system. It seemed to take longer than normal. Interesting.

It finally emitted a solitary chirp, and Deanna's smile intensified. When her eyes met his they were dark, cold, and deadly. "...What makes you think I'm human?" she purred almost pleasantly. Without any further warning, she promptly activated the Agonizer.

[tidesnpc]

Before he could respond the device powered on. There was no slow, gradual buildup. Instead, the pain was sudden, sharp, and intense. The creature howled and writhed in pain and his chains scraped against the floor as he thrashed around, but it ended just as soon as it began. He panted harshly, but in a moment, he let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"Bradley was right about you!" he wheezed. "You're a lot more interesting than I gave you credit for."

[illhaveyourmind]

Oh this was going to be fun. Instead of being upset at his laughter, Deanna's reaction was just the opposite. She preferred for her Targets to be difficult to break. It made winning over them all the sweeter.

Her eyes glittered. "Thank you." She was rather sad she'd never gotten a chance to have such a fun little 'chat' with the Grand Admiral. Ah well. Her current playtoy would have to do. Still smirking, she paused before turning her device back on, giving him a chance to cooperate if he wanted, though she hoped he didn't. She tuned her empathic senses to him directly, wanted to be able to pick up the slightest emotion at her next question. "Flattery and appeals to my vanity are lovely, dear, but what else did Bradley tell you?"

[tidesnpc]

"Nothing much," he admitted, his voice steadier than it was a moment ago. It was still strained, though, and he took another deep breath. "Just that you were someone he needed to keep an eye on."

It wasn't an active deceit, but he wasn't entirely forthcoming, either; he suspected that she meant more than Bradley's thoughts on her. Other than that, there was a slow, low boiling anger, covered with a sense of genuine amusement.

[illhaveyourmind]

She chuckled darkly. "Not quite what I meant, as I'm sure you're aware, but good to know." The anger was dangerous, she knew. Anger was a tricky emotion, and could overwhelm her own abilities if she allowed too strong a mental link to be formed. She would not make that mistake, not with a Target she knew so little about.

She regarded him coolly, and moved her hand over the Agonizer, preparing to turn it on once again. "Enough pleasantries, then." She took a deep breath, preparing herself, and activated it. "Where is Bradley now?"

[tidesnpc]

He yelped - more in surprise than in pain - before he grit his teeth in an attempt to resist the device. His thoughts raced as a cold uneasiness ran through his veins; his tolerance for pain was usually quite strong, but this, this cut deep to his very core.

"Augh!"

The pain wasn't quite as strong as the last surge, but in a way it was worse. Last time it came and went quickly, but this time it lingered and festered. He closed his eyes shut, and shouted, "I don't know! If I knew, do you really think I'd be here?!"

It was true, nobody saw fit to tell him. He doubted she would believe him, though, which only caused his frustration - and anger - to grow stronger.