Ficlet: No Good
Title: No Good
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Mary, Tosh.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 629
Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts, Fragments.
Summary: Mary needs a way into Torchwood, and she’s found one in Tosh.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Prompt: "You're no good for anyone but me. You're no good and neither am I. We both deserve each other," at 1_million_words.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
She’d studied each of the Torchwood team over the last few weeks, learning about them, dipping into their minds, seeking the weakest link, and she’d found it in pretty, lonely, Toshiko Sato, so desperate to be noticed, to be loved and wanted by someone, anyone, that she would do almost anything to earn approval, a kind word, a pat on the head. She was perfect, because she was broken inside, even more than her colleagues.
The other woman was a goody-goody, still too new and blinded by optimism to be of any use. She had yet to become jaded and disillusioned. The two men, despite being damaged goods, had found their own methods of dealing with their pain; they were still strong enough, both physically and mentally, to put up resistance. As for Torchwood’s leader… She couldn’t get inside his head at all. There was something about him that gave Mary pause; he was an unknown, someone she couldn’t get a handle on. She’d have to be careful around him.
No, Toshiko was the one. It would be simple; all it would take was some careful manipulation, and poor, dear Tosh would surrender to her, desperate to please in return for whatever crumbs Mary threw her way. Toshiko was Mary’s ticket into Torchwood, her way to reclaim the transporter device, and get off the planet, go wherever she chose, back to her own world, or perhaps somewhere else. It hardly mattered.
Besides, she and Tosh were kindred spirits; both betrayed by their own people, both consigned to prisons for going against the rules laid down by those in authority. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were criminals who deserved their punishment, but Mary knew better.
Back on her world, they’d called her a dissident, a rebel, a renegade, a heretic, and worse, but Mary had revelled in her status, refused to toe the line, and so they’d punished her by sending her to earth, a feral outpost, out of sight and out of mind. It was better than execution, but only just, and once on earth, free of her jailer, she’d done whatever she’d needed to survive, killed over and over, for more than a hundred years.
And now she’s ready to leave.
By the reckoning of her people, she’s not a good person, but neither is Tosh, traitor and thief, stealing secret documents to build a dangerous weapon. She might not realise it yet, no doubt still believes her actions were justified, but she’s only fooling herself. She and Mary are alike, for all that they’re from different planets, far more alike than Tosh will ever be comfortable admitting, even to herself, but Mary will show her, really open her eyes, blow her mind, among other things.
One evening in an upscale bar, she makes her approach. The lies come easily to her lips, the excuses for wanting to sit with Tosh, and the truths, after a fashion, of how, and how much, she knows about Toshiko Sato, Torchwood agent. It’s almost too easy. Mary sets the hook, gives Tosh the pendant, then over the next few days she reels Ms Sato in, and it’s good. They’re good together, as Mary knew they would be. The human body is so deliciously suited to physical pleasure.
Sated, Mary lights a cigarette, sips her drink, and smiles. Two bad girls who don’t deserve any better than each other. They could do great things together, if Mary was so inclined, but she has other plans; Tosh has only ever been a means to an end, which is almost a shame. Still, maybe she’ll play with sweet Toshiko a little longer, draw her in a little bit more before going after what she really wants. There’s no need to rush.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Mary, Tosh.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 629
Spoilers: Greeks Bearing Gifts, Fragments.
Summary: Mary needs a way into Torchwood, and she’s found one in Tosh.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Prompt: "You're no good for anyone but me. You're no good and neither am I. We both deserve each other," at 1_million_words.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
She’d studied each of the Torchwood team over the last few weeks, learning about them, dipping into their minds, seeking the weakest link, and she’d found it in pretty, lonely, Toshiko Sato, so desperate to be noticed, to be loved and wanted by someone, anyone, that she would do almost anything to earn approval, a kind word, a pat on the head. She was perfect, because she was broken inside, even more than her colleagues.
The other woman was a goody-goody, still too new and blinded by optimism to be of any use. She had yet to become jaded and disillusioned. The two men, despite being damaged goods, had found their own methods of dealing with their pain; they were still strong enough, both physically and mentally, to put up resistance. As for Torchwood’s leader… She couldn’t get inside his head at all. There was something about him that gave Mary pause; he was an unknown, someone she couldn’t get a handle on. She’d have to be careful around him.
No, Toshiko was the one. It would be simple; all it would take was some careful manipulation, and poor, dear Tosh would surrender to her, desperate to please in return for whatever crumbs Mary threw her way. Toshiko was Mary’s ticket into Torchwood, her way to reclaim the transporter device, and get off the planet, go wherever she chose, back to her own world, or perhaps somewhere else. It hardly mattered.
Besides, she and Tosh were kindred spirits; both betrayed by their own people, both consigned to prisons for going against the rules laid down by those in authority. As far as anyone else was concerned, they were criminals who deserved their punishment, but Mary knew better.
Back on her world, they’d called her a dissident, a rebel, a renegade, a heretic, and worse, but Mary had revelled in her status, refused to toe the line, and so they’d punished her by sending her to earth, a feral outpost, out of sight and out of mind. It was better than execution, but only just, and once on earth, free of her jailer, she’d done whatever she’d needed to survive, killed over and over, for more than a hundred years.
And now she’s ready to leave.
By the reckoning of her people, she’s not a good person, but neither is Tosh, traitor and thief, stealing secret documents to build a dangerous weapon. She might not realise it yet, no doubt still believes her actions were justified, but she’s only fooling herself. She and Mary are alike, for all that they’re from different planets, far more alike than Tosh will ever be comfortable admitting, even to herself, but Mary will show her, really open her eyes, blow her mind, among other things.
One evening in an upscale bar, she makes her approach. The lies come easily to her lips, the excuses for wanting to sit with Tosh, and the truths, after a fashion, of how, and how much, she knows about Toshiko Sato, Torchwood agent. It’s almost too easy. Mary sets the hook, gives Tosh the pendant, then over the next few days she reels Ms Sato in, and it’s good. They’re good together, as Mary knew they would be. The human body is so deliciously suited to physical pleasure.
Sated, Mary lights a cigarette, sips her drink, and smiles. Two bad girls who don’t deserve any better than each other. They could do great things together, if Mary was so inclined, but she has other plans; Tosh has only ever been a means to an end, which is almost a shame. Still, maybe she’ll play with sweet Toshiko a little longer, draw her in a little bit more before going after what she really wants. There’s no need to rush.
The End