Oh, once you get involved, everyone will look this way - so you must maintain your charm…

[john_thane]

While, back at the Kashtta, an offensive against Thane is being planned, Thane himself is just getting back into the unfinished construction site he's made his bitch headquarters. He ordinarily prefers not to leave his projects, but the atmosphere in there is getting... strange. Stranger than usual. And, besides, while he has no intention of

Comments

[sarkraticmethod]

Speaking of invisible ickle terrorist boys...

In a lot of ways, this is probably one of the most idiotic things Sark has ever done, and he doesn't think the odds are even remotely in his favor, but at this point, they're not in anyone's favor and he's better suited than most for this endeavor. Dedicated focus, spy training, plus the whole invisibility thing, which is going to get him absolutely nowhere if he gets close enough where his biosigns might trip something off

[sarkraticmethod]

Now that's a bit of a problem. Answering that question means selling out the Vesmier, and if there's one person who is going to be able to make this right, it's him, and if Thane develops an interest in him... Well, he doesn't want to consider the option that Ves might lose and wind up one more trophy on Thane's sick little mantle

[john_thane]

And he'd been so cooperative, up until now

[sarkraticmethod]

That was spectacularly stupid, and this is precisely why his loyalties have always been flexible- to avoid this sort of situation. He doesn't spare much of a glance at the kit on the floor- nothing he hasn't seen before (well, okay, the slide rule is a bit disconcerting, but that's not what concerns him). Funny thing about being on the opposite end of the torture is you already know what most everything can be used for and you know what it can do, and you just pray you never have to be the unlucky sod who gets to experience them

[john_thane]

Thane nods, and takes the skewer away from Sark's skin. His hand remains on Sark's chest, but it's just holding his place. Not doing mush of anything.

"'The Doctor in the Watch,'" he identifies. He's putting together pieces, but he has no idea how they add up to a cohesive picture. "I understand they're Time Lords. Tell me about the Vesmier."

[sarkraticmethod]

This is not the best time to think that Sydney would have told him to go to Hell, but he's not Sydney and he never has been, and that's precisely why the idea of her in his place terrifies him. She'd be dead by now, that mouth of hers. Thank God between the two of them, it was him, even though he'd really prefer it to be someone else right now.

His eyes flicker over to April giving her a look that might be apologetic, before flickering back over to Thane. "Senator. An extremely powerful psychic. I honestly don't know much more than that." He pauses, panting a little out of sheer anxiety if nothing else. "And even if I did, what would it matter? You don't intend to let me live. I suppose I'd be just as well off allowing you to torture me to death." Not that it matters, now that he's started talking. If there was to be a betrayal here, it's already been made, and resisting now isn't going to do much.

[xiaomei_mei]

April has her hands pressed over her mouth and has been looking pointedly terrified since the skewer came out.

It's also made the dart in her lung that much more noticeable, somehow, and every time she breathes, there's an almost-imperceptible flicker of pain across her face and her mind.

:: Don'tfighttelleverythingbegoodtellcooperatedon'tgethurtpleaseiloveyou :: is projected very firmly at him, even as she stands frozen and near tears.

[john_thane]

Thane lets a smile pass over his face.

"You might be right about that. You made a mistake walking in here, and now it's my move, and I have to figure out what puts me at the greatest advantage. That's my immediate goal. But here's a quiz - you've been in this for nine years. Decipher the deep bargain in it for you."

[sarkraticmethod]

Sark squeezes his eyes shut at April's projection. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. This isn't as easy as it was back home. Contacts, places to hide, ways to find favor back with the people he betrayed, Irina's tender mercies when she was willing to give them... Here he has nothing. It's not a matter of giving a damn whether he betrays Torchwood or not, because he could really care less... It's a matter of not having anywhere to run after he does it. Selfish desires, really

[john_thane]

There we go.

"You can start by giving me a proper briefing on Torchwood's strategic posture," he says. "None of this game of 20 questions. Anything you think it might be relevant for me to know. Once that's dispensed with... well." He smiles. "We'll see where we feel from there, won't we?"

[sarkraticmethod]

Sark resists the urge to snort derisively. Right. He may have pointedly avoided actual briefings, but from what he could tell, Torchwood wasn't exactly huge on strategic anything, which means he has absolutely nothing to offer.

He still doesn't look up. "They don't have one." And oh dear God, is he snickering? At this point, it's probably the only thing he can do to keep from having a nervous fit. Ridiculous. Torchwood's utter incompetency is going to be the death of him. "I'm sure they're just making it up as they go along, honestly."

He's dead. He is so very, very dead and if he wasn't still snickering right now or wasn't so genuinely controlled enough to keep that from happening, he'd probably be on the verge of a nervous breakdown right now. So apparently looking like he's cracked is the better option here.

[john_thane]

Thane stares. Okay, so... he's useless and crazy. And probably not someone the Doctor knows, but he's a runner for Torchwood and right now, things are adding up to suggest that he'd be most useful dead and wrapped up with a bow for Torchwood command.

He exhales, taking his hand away from Sark's chest and dropping the skewer in favor of a penknife.

"That isn't useful," he says. And your only chance here is to be useful. "So, listen. Either you're going to prove yourself, or I'm going to sever your interior jugular, vertically, along the right side of your neck. Pretty much a death sentence, right there. Don't worry, though - aside from a knife cutting through skin and a few layers of muscle, and whatever process of exsanguination you're conscious for before you black out, you won't feel a thing."

He turns the blade.

"What do you have to offer me?"

[sarkraticmethod]

It may not be, but it's all he knows, and unless he just starts making up things about Torchwood's defenses off the top of his head, there's nothing to say. He doesn't even know most of them well enough to be able to discern potential weaknesses... Well, except Flinkman exists to be a weakness

[xiaomei_mei]

April's been sitting back. Not saying anything. Not doing anything. But she catches a wisp of thought from Thane's mind, and... well, it's not something she can ignore.

"No!" she yells, rather abruptly to any non-psychics, leaping forward and grabbing his arm. Not violently, just to get him to stop. Look at her. "No, please!"

[john_thane]

Thane startles visibly and tears his arm out of April's grip, Backing up a step with a snarl. This sort of thing is not why he let her out of the cuffs in the first place, and he's not at all happy that she's willing to go up against him to protect one of his enemies. He gets a firmer grip on the knife, ready to snap it through her chest and into the heart and let her bleed out on the floor.

It might be good for her to moderate this before he starts registering her as an enemy.

[xiaomei_mei]

April starts to panic. She doesn't want any of this happening. Not any of it, not Julian being here, not John being mad at her. Nothing. She casts about, in her mind, their minds, for anything that would make this better.

John wants to send a message to Torchwood.

Julian is only working with Torchwood because they have more intel on the situation.

"They don't care about him!" she blurts, not even processing it before she says it. It's pertinent information. "He's not part of their team, he's only here 'cause of me!"