First Reply So, What Are You In For?

[Levi]

Holding Cell Aurek
Somewhere in the Galaxy

"Gentlemen, please, surely we can still come to some kind of agreement?"

A pair of lawmen hoisted Levi up by his arms, dragging him off the street and into his new temporary residence (also known as jail). The white-haired devaronian slipped a few fingers into his vest pocket, presenting a pittance of credits to his apprehenders. The offer was met with silent grimaces.

"Inflation's a real schutta," he rolled his eyes, resigning from the effort, "Back in my day, all it took was a few chits and I'd be on my merry way."

Not getting caught is the easy part. The problem is when that doesn't pan out, Levi usually has a bit of a hard time getting un-caught.

And so with his blatant attempts at bribery falling on deaf ears, he was unceremoniously dumped to the floor of a cell, catching himself on his hands and knees with a grunt. The lack of consideration for the old vet's bones left him feeling quite offended.

But as soon as the fuzz left the block, his eyes glinted with intent, quickly landing on the only other figure in the holding cell. Far be it from Levi to skip out on old fashioned pleasantries first, "So… what are you in for?"

 

[Mercy]

Levi

"How long are ya in for, cus that list be a long 'un." Mercy drawled as she leaned out of the shadows and looked down curiously at the heap that constituted her newest cell partner.

Once it became clear that Levi wasn't a threat (as far as Mercy could judge anyway) she settled back down on the bare bed. Top floor, of course. And laid down once again. "This time 'round it be assault an' robbery. Was a bit dum, but... what kind 'o crime ain't, if ya think about it?" It wasn't the real truth, but the new cell occupant had no way of knowing that.

They didn't know that Mercy was here to carry out a hit.

And that the easiest way to do that was to get herself incarcerated.

"How about you? Did they catch ya tryin'a steal candy from a lil' babe?" A raspy chuckle at her own joke there. Oh, yes, Mercy did think she was absolutely hilarious.

 

[Levi]

"Yes, yes. Well it's only dumb if you get caught, I say." Which, they both apparently had, in this case. Levi stood up and dusted himself off, reconstructing that confident shyster demeanor. He chuckled back at the jab, if just for the sake of conversation.

"Hm. 'Larceny by false pretenses'." Another chuckle, "Allegedly." He tapped the side of his nose. No official charges had been made just yet. Always leave room for deniability.

"Oh, and I suppose attempted bribery now, as well." The corner of his lip curled into a vulpine smirk. "Not my finest hour, I admit. But I've done this song and dance so many times I stopped counting a few decades ago."

All the more reason to make himself sparse, actually. Before the guards find a criminal record positively dripping with unscrupulous conduct.

"They're never as thorough as you'd think. Some things always manage to slip through the cracks." He continued his monologue, sliding a pack of cigarettes out from under his sleeve, then lifting his boot to reveal a hidden sole, and the lighter stashed inside. He ignited the tabac, then extended the lighter and another cig to Mercy, should she be the smoking type.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

"Ah... yar already growin' on me, buddy." One arm lazy stretched out from the bed and plucked out a smoke. Letting it hover there long enough for Levi to light it up an' then pushing it between her teeth.

It didn't take long for both of them to flood the little cell with smoke.

That was fine enough for Mercy. Her lungs would regenerate eventually. Oh, right, nobody was actually guilty when they were in jail. "Right, right, I keep forgettin' da cardinal rule o' ours." As she chuckled and shook her head. "We be all innocent. All the time, every time, even if the coppers catch ya jabbin' someone with a bloody cleaver."

Mercy stretched as she puffed out a bit more smoke.

"Dun suppose ya brought a set of lockpicks witcha." Not that Mercy wanted to get out. She'd need to get into the yard tomorrow morning. Her target was apparently an avid bodybuilder on the side. When they weren't setting up a crime syndicate from the comforts of their cell block. It would be a tough hit to make, but... that's why Mercy took the job.

Instead of some two-bit baby criminal.

"An' what did they falsely accuse ya of stealin'?"

 

[Levi]

The mention of lockpicks brought another smirk, followed by a more hushed response, "Actually, I do. But I prefer to not show my hand too early."

Levi took a long drag, and watched the puff of smoke disperse into the increasingly polluted air of their cell. "Nothing, really. All I did was buy a rather luxurious starship off a young, rich, stupid man." He began to meander around the cell, casing both it and the rest of the block as he talked, "I managed to convince the owner that it was worth much, much less than it really was. In fact by the time we had finished, I managed to convince him it was a wholesale knock-off of the real deal." He gave a toothy grin, seemingly quite pleased with his double-dealing.

"So I got a SoroSuub Personal Luxury Yacht at an astonishingly cheap price. He signed away the title like it was nothing. Buuut turns out such… misrepresentations are not well-received when Johnny Law catches whiff. I guess being persuasive is something to be chastised," He sighed in mock disappointment.

"Not the most exciting act of malfeasance, I suppose, but I'm not quite the proper pirate I used to be." He spun back around to face Mercy, "Unlike you, surely? Armed robbery? There must be something more exciting to that than negligent jet-setters."

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

A snort there.

Probably for the best, because then Mercy would have to explain why her cell mate walked out of the cell. And why Mercy stayed behind instead of following along.

Another puff of smoke. In the meantime Mercy's grin was getting wider the longer he talked on. By the end of it the woman let out a barking laughter that echoed through the cell. The lungs on this lady. "That be a good 'un. Those coppers should'a given ya a standing ovation instead o' throwing ya into jail."

But coppers always worked for the rich people in charge.

So it wasn't that surprising really.

"Not all chit gotta be exciting, buddy." Mercy considered her own sentence and then amended it. "Well, a lil' bit o' excitement be nice." Once he asked for details she shot him a lazy glance. Another drag, another puff, this one aimed in the general vicinity of his face.

"Attempted a bank heist. Lil' did we know the job was a sting operation from the start. Some initiative to bump up the crime stats, so instead of arresting us in the hotel room, they let us execute the heist. 'Conspiracy to' ain't as sexy as catching us, while we shoving shotguns in the face of the bank teller, eh?"

All casual like she wasn't discussing a violent bank robbery gone wrong.

"I broke a copper's jaw, snapped another's arm, before they tranq'ed me. Threw another one outta the second floor an' then they jumped me."

Strangely enough Mercy looked fine. No bruises, wounds or anything.

"How be that for excitement?" Grinned as she stretched lazily.

 

[Levi]

“Aye, most of my exciting adventures were about twenty, thirty years ago.” Good times, that. But right now, his focus was on his cellmate.

Levi waved the smoke out of his face, and absorbed the details of Mercy’s own story, only offering a high-raised brow as he listened. If there’s anything Levi was good at, it was reading people. It was practically instinct to comb over the minutiae. So while she spoke, he began to connect these points in his mind.

Far from an impossible story. But Levi learned to never take anyone at first glance. He began to pace the room once more as she finished recounting the event. “Exciting indeed. Sounds like quite the mess. Going down swinging, though, I respect that.”

The easiest way to unravel a story is by simply asking a few questions. For a flicker he looked back at her out of the corner of his eye, “Where’s the rest of your crew now?” He didn't necessarily have anything to gain from learning if she was being secretive after all, but he was always going to take the opportunity.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

She glanced down again once he mentioned that kind of year passage.

"Buddy, how ol' are ya anyway?" Mercy wasn't really that great in gauging ages at the best of times. But this guy wasn't a human. Devaronian? Probably, they had those weird arse devil faces. Those that made them seem like they walked straight outta a horror show. Mercy didn't mind, of course. But it made it hard for her to judge properly.

"Ah well, ya kno' how it is, when the fire shoves through ya veins." Mercy shrugged and it wasn't clear if she realized he was probing her story. Maybe it didn't really matter, because what was Levi gonna do?

Call the guards and scream that she did not BELONG here?

Which didn't prevent Mercy from smiling around the cigarette when Levi asked about her crew. "Dunno. I ain't their bed nurse." Lazily as she puffed out another smoke cloud. The way she smoked, it would be embers in a matter of minutes, clearly she didn't do anything slow and considerate like. "So, what's a ol' an' wrinkled grandpa still doing getting himself thrown in an' outta jail?"

"I thought folks ya age had one last great job in their history that landed them with their retirement fund... o' their death. Dun' hear much about grimy gangers living to yar exalted ages."

 

[Levi]

Levi began a bit of mental math, shifting the cigarette from side to side in his mouth while he mused, "Hmm.. must be fifty… fifty three now? Fifty four? No, Fifty three sounds right." He nodded, finding agreement with himself. "I'm no geriatric yet, but it's true you don't usually see gentlemen of my age still getting their hands dirty, least not in this line of work."

He let her comment regarding her partners in crime slide for now, content to humor the current topic a bit longer, "I suppose that's the romantic ideal, yes. For a while I even tried clean living, but the truth is I like what I do. That call to adventure still lures me, and I don't think it's far-fetched to say I'll keep answering it until it kills me."

…

"Also… I don't really have the retirement funds needed to be resting on my laurels. Not anymore." He seemed unperturbed by these facts, content to play the game as long as body and mind would allow. It was clear he had given a great deal of thought to the matter.

"They weren't brought in here alongside you?" He asked again, regarding any fellow bank robbers.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

Fifty three sounded positively ancient to Mercy.

She had enough tact not to say that- well, that wasn't really true. Mostly she was busy trying to imagine herself at that age. The concept made her shudder just a little bit. "Have Mercy on those that force me to live for that long," The woman drawled with a smirk at her own pun. Not that Levi would be aware of it, since they hadn't exchanged names.

"I am twenty eight an' give me a glorious death. Nothing past forty, when glory fades, bones hurt an' things stop to work the way they should."

It wasn't entirely clear if Mercy was serious about it.

Could very well be she was karking with him some more. But the way she was behaving? You could certainly imagine her not looking forward to an age where she wasn't at her glorious prime.

"That's good, I can't imagine anything more dreadful than retirement. Sitting in a dusty house until the day yar bones turn to dust as well." Agreeing there with Levi's sentiment. The next question however. That one? Made an eye open up to study Levi pointedly. "Yar be askin' a lot of questions about mah team, mate."

"Ya do know what 'appens to those askin' lots'a pointy questions, no?"

 

[Levi]

Levi chuckled, “Well, more power to you, then.” Though happy to end his tale in a blaze of glory, he was never much one for wanton waste of life. Certainly not his own.

The conversation seemed to take a bit of a turn, though, as Levi prodded a little too closely with his questions.

“Oh, I most certainly do,” He lifted up his hands in a gesture of surrender, “You don’t get as old as I am, in this industry, without knowing when to shut up.” Still, he smiled with confidence. The reaction was enough to assure him there was something left unsaid. Figuring it out was simply a game to him.

“Then again, maybe some of it is just dumb luck. My curiosity has gotten me into as much trouble as out of it. But everybody’s got an angle, and now I’m trying to figure out yours.” A confession, in the hopes that a gesture of honesty would be enough to abate a potential rising of tensions.

“After all, someone who got out of such a scuffle as you describe, without any evidence of injury, must have more to share.” A bold follow-up, but also perhaps the most verifiable evidence that her story was, at least in part, fabricated.

“We’ve got to pass the time somehow. I’m confident we’ve no reason to be adversaries.” Levi flicked open the carton of cigarettes once more, an offering, as her current cig continued to dwindle.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

Looking at him for a moment longer, a grunt and then closing her eyes again.

"Oh, I think ya can, if ya can back up ya words with some muscle." Clearly that was Mercy's tactic. She was big, brash and blunt. It would be a surprise if she ever shut her mouth in the face of adversity. That was a privilege afforded to her by her skills however. Not something any odd one out can just do like that.

Trying to figure out your angle.

Mercy shifted there mildly uncomfortable. The previous threat aside, she'd prefer not to have to wrench the guy's head off. For one chatting to him passed the time and Mercy was incredibly bored in here. Secondly, it would elicit a lot of questions and presumably would get her thrown into solitary, which is distinctly not where she should be tomorrow.

Not that Levi needed to know any of this.

Though the next thing that the devil-man said made Mercy laugh out loud. Which was presumably not at all the expectation his keen observation warranted.

"Mah injuries? Ahhh... welll... see?" She rose up and as Levi offered her a new cig? She used her old one, still simmering, to push it deep into the palm of her hand. Did not even hiss. Nothing besides look at Levi with a lazy smile as if nothing was happening. The blunt was pulled off and revealed a burn.... the strange thing about it?

It was already healing. Right in front of his eyes.

She plucked the newly-offered cig out of his hand with a smirk. Dropping the old one on the ground. "Takes a lot before it sticks to me for a while, so that's why ya dun' see anything on me now, dig?"

As Mercy let him lit up the next cigarette she puffed the smoke out above. Smiling. Then again... didn't the old man deserve a little more? Two cigarettes in, some amusing tales, the night was already more entertaining than before he came in.

"Then agaaaain.... maybe there is something to ya suspicions... mebbe... there ain't no crew at all. Mebbe it's jus' me. But why would I lie?"

Challenging there with a grin.

 

[Levi]

"True enough. I'm sure for someone with muscles so… intimidatingly large as yours, that's a non-issue."

It seemed he was getting somewhere after all. Then the laughter came. Unexpected, but he remained unfazed on the surface. The healing demonstration, though, that let the facade flicker, giving way to impressed surprise.

"Y'know, I'll give that one to you. Can't say regeneration was at the top of my prediction list,"

He took a long drag from his own cigarette, nearly ready to resign, when Mercy seemed content to let the game continue. He grinned in return.

"Why would you lie, indeed. Alright let's say, as a hypothetical, you were lying. Perhaps… you're hiding something even worse you did? No, downplaying your conviction would be discrediting. And you strike me as someone who is all too happy to be known as the biggest, strongest, and most dangerous person in the room. It's more likely you did something light, and want to present yourself as someone 'harder', if you will."

He paused for another smoke, and tried to not lean too harshly into cliche noir holodrama territory.

"But again, that would be all too discrediting. And no secret stays hidden from jail gossip for long. So why would you, someone who, physically anyway, has nothing to prove, feel the need to fake your charge? Quite the puzzle."

Another pause. Levi hummed low in thought during that time, before another smile crept across his face,

"From that, it seems to me, you don't expect to be stuck around here for the long haul. Some unplanned parole, if you will. Am I on the right track?"

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

Mercy was enjoying this a lot.

It was almost like being in the middle of a detective noir holodrama. Kal and his chef holo-program already gave Mercy a taste for being on set and she absolutely loved every moment of it. Now she wondered if she could swing some minor part in a- okay, no, you are getting ahead of yourself as always Mercy.

"Way I 'ear it... puzzles that make ya brain crunch be the best ones, eh?" Not that she wouldn't know. Positively hated puzzles and everything that came with them. From sudokus to rubik's cubes... absolutely awful infernal contraptions.

It was a good thing Levi was talking in hypotheticals however.

Some of these situations would have otherwise hit Mercy straight in her ego. It was never advisable to hit her there. It was the most fragile one and as such the one most pumped up and ready to go. At a moment's notice. Instead it was a fun thought exercise. One with Mercy as the central figure and she always loved herself some attention.

"Mm, might be, yes. Eye be sharp for someone with one foot in the grave already." Mercy teased lightly. No sharpness now. "What else ya got, mistah grey-hair? Ya got a lady with a strong arm... who has a nice story 'bout big thingsss she did, which got 'er into jail.... an' who may or may not be on the way out soon in spite of da charges."

She grinned.

"What is she doing 'ere?"

 

[Levi]

It was getting good. Though his veracity was accepted as more of a possibility, Levi remained confident that he was still headed towards the truth. Reciting his stream of consciousness aloud made it all the easier to build upon his own theories. With each sentence, a new shedding of light.

“With an escape plan already set, she’s little motivation to be honest if it doesn’t suit her. But why would it be so unsuitable to reveal herself? Not to mention she’s clearly quite confident in the plan. Someone on the outside? Or inside, even? Maybe. But more broadly, she’s eager to hide the truth because…”

He gave a dramatic pause, though it did also serve as a moment for him to ensure all his information lined up.

“...She’s not supposed to be here.”

Drive it home.

“Or rather, she has some larger scheme at play, in which jail time is merely a step of the process. Both in, and out, organized with intent.”

And maybe get a little dangerous with it.

“There’s something in here you need. Or more likely… someone.”

He smiled with newfound revelation. Even still he couldn’t be one hundred percent sure, but con artists aren’t known for displaying uncertainty.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

Levi was clearly showcasing two things here:

Both his intelligence that allowed him to live as long as he did in this business. As well as his tendency to take bigger risks than were necessary, which this time ended up with him in jail. With someone he was currently labelling as an assassin to be. It was a good thing that Mercy appreciated the hell outta ballsy moves that didn't try an' hit her in her own pride.

"Mah oh mah..." Mercy drawled lazily as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed. Sitting there now instead of resting. "Yar definitely a smart one, Gray-Mane."

But perhaps not a wise one.

She dropped onto her feet and looked down on Levi there. Pondering. It wasn't immediately clear what she was gonna do next until- "Well, I think ya deserve a reward for having such'a good head on yar shoulder, dun ya think?"

It was not immediately clear what Mercy had in mind.

Could it be anything good with arms like that? They seemed capable of twisting someone's head off.

 

[Levi]

He nailed it.

…

Ah shit, he nailed it.

Well, if her approach was anything to go by, it was almost certainly a person she was after. And almost certainly a hit job. Surely no mere object of worth (not one tucked away in a jail at least) would deem measures so extreme as potential murder, just for the sake of keeping things silent. Probably.

But perhaps Levi should take his thoughts away from proving himself right, and more on maintaining custody of all his appendages.

"Oh, well, you know, the game is its own reward, eh?" He chuckled, the slightest falter sneaking into his tone.

"Beyond that, though, can't say it's any of my concern. Business is business." Levi mimed sealing his lips, then took a long, long drag of his cigarette. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then decided it would be best that he demonstrate that whole shutting up ability he praised himself on. And so, he ended the display with little more than a sheepish grin.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

"Dunno about that, lad, where I be from ya always need a proper reward..."

She crunched her fists. The most stereotypical chit you could ever find. It would be hilarious if not for the fact her muscles bulged and the bones cracked fiercesomely. Yeah, if Mercy wanted to, she could probably snap in half without breaking a big sweat about it. It was clear that Levi was picking up on the undercurrents now.

Wouldn't be backing down so quickly otherwise.

Mercy smiled at that and his next words.

"Aw, ya understand discretion." Mercy drawled and it almost sounded like she was disappointed. Maybe she was a little. Even if she liked Levi, two days without a fight was a long time to spend in a cell as small as this one.

"Still tho... a fella like ya self probably needs some more motivation once he outta my sight..." Thoughtful there. After all, the moment the devil-man wasn't staring at her arms anymore. No longer scared of the potential of being wrecked or left for dead. What would stop him from just running his mouth anyway?

"How would ya like to get out alongside me?"

Well, that came out of nowhere.

 

[Levi]

Well, maybe this was it after all. You'd really done it now, Levi. In hindsight, revealing that you know the true intentions of a musclebound Amazonian contract killer, while in a confined private space no less, was not the most shining example of wisdom and long-term planning. At least it would probably be quick, right? Having your head obliterated by a bicep of equal girth (give or take the horns)? Then again, she didn't exactly seem-

"How would ya like to get out alongside me?"

Oh. And as soon as that surprise turn of events registered, Levi was back to his typical, confident self like the flip of a switch. "Ahh, I knew I liked your style." As far as he was concerned, their conversation was on a clean slate.

"I'll do you one better, actually. Though my proposition does involve asking another question to ask of you. And, by all means, feel free to respond in a way that doesn't involve extracting my spine…" Played as a joke, but as with every joke there was some honesty to it, "…Who is it you're after in here? I have my suspicions, and believe our interests may be more aligned than you realize." That practiced, salesman's smile returned.

If nothing else, he deserves credit for his brazen persistence.

Most jailbirds wouldn't be worth the blood money an assassin like Mercy was probably charging. Most, but Levi knew it wasn't exclusively small-time crooks incarcerated here. Sometimes it pays to keep contacts.

Mercy​

 

[Mercy]

Levi

If Mercy was as smart as she believed to be this would have filled her with suspicion.

It was entirely possible that her target caught wind of the plot. Then slipped his own agent into the cell with her to end her, before she could try and end him. Mercy... did not think about this possibility whatsoever. This was her fatal flaw. Always and forever. She believed she was smarter and sharper than anyone and stronger than everyone.

One day?

It might get her killed. Let's just hope it's not today.

"Dun' worry, babe. I dun' extract spines... too messy. I prefer a nice an' clean neck snap." Mercy responded lightly and patted Levi on the shoulder. It must have been a consoling gesture. The weight of that meat slab was hard enough to make a grown man bounce on their feet however. "Who... now that be the question, innit?"

Bemused.

"Say a local crime boss got incarcerated a while ago. Say instead of fading away like they ought to, they decide they wanna keep controlling their shindig from prison itself. Say... someone ain't a huge fan of paying lip-service to a mouthy arsehole in a prison cell."

Smiling as she squeezed Levi's shoulder. Oh, yes, her hand was still on his shoulder.

"Are our interests aligned, Grey-Mane?"