Scorpan had been subjected to intense interrogation almost more times than he cared to count. He had suffered torture that would make even the toughest cases break, all to prepare him for moments like this, when he would be captured by the enemy and subjected to their questioning.
Mi Amore Cadenza standing before him, at the other end of a small table – upon which were several photographs of people he recognised – and Sombra standing behind him, his hands unbound only because the room had been sealed. They were performing a typical good-cop-bad-cop routine, likely at the behest of Cadance, who was playing the 'good cop'. And playing the 'bad cop' was…
"He won't talk," Sombra said, grabbing the back of Scorpan's head and driving it down into the table. Scorpan grunted as the world shook and rang around him. "Yet."
Cadance stayed Sombra's hand. "Wait." She leaned down and checked the wound on Scorpan's forehead, treating it with the gentleness of a loving parent. "I told you to wait, Sombra. Go sit in the corner and let me handle this."
Sombra simply groaned, before moving over to one of the small room's dark corners. Scorpan's eyes followed him, and he could see, through the dim light of the room's sole lamp, that Sombra was sharpening something on a block of stone.
"Scorpan," Cadance said, gathering his attention, "We want to help you. We do. But we can't do anything unless you speak to us. If you tell us what we need to know, we will arrange for your placement into the Witness Protection Program. Tirek will never be able to find you, no matter what resources he has."
Scorpan knew of the program well. Indeed, there had been people that even Tirek had lost track of due to the meddlesome bureau's program, and Scorpan himself had considered it many times. But he couldn't. Living would be meaningless if it just meant running away, and abandoning his only friend in the world was unthinkable.
"Scorpan," Cadance urged. "Please."
"Forget it," Sombra said, approaching the two with a knife in his hand. "He's had his chance. He won't talk without appropriate 'encouragement'."
"Sombra-"
Before Cadance could stop him, Sombra struck the knife down into Scorpan's hand. Scorpan yelped, but he had endured worse. Was this their pathetic excuse for torture?
Sombra reached for something behind himself. It was a box cutter. What was we going to do with that? The slender blade was placed at the tip of Scorpan's fingernail. Oh. This was going to hurt.
"Sombra, wait!"
But Cadance's plea fell on deaf ears. Off one nail came, and then another. Scorpan flailed and screamed. His hand was unable to move with that knife pinning it to the table. Tears streamed down his face, but he did not speak. Not even to beg for mercy.
"STOP!" Cadance grabbed Sombra's hand just as he moved to remove the third nail. She turned to Scorpan, genuine panic in her eyes. "Please, just tell us what you know!" The tears were a nice touch. "Please stop this!"
Scorpan didn't speak, and after half-a-minute had passed, Cadance simply sighed, and let go. She turned around and covered her ears, whimpering as she awaited the inevitable screaming. But it never came.
Sombra, looking into Scorpan's eyes, could see that the man felt fear, but only the base, primal fear that any animal possesses in the face of a predator. There was no fear of the coming pain, nor the continued confinement, nor even for his own life.
"Do you not care how many finger you lose?" Sombra asked, bringing the cutter to the base of Scorpan's index finger. "Do you not miss the sunlight? Once we leave this room, you will be returned to the darkness where the passing of time becomes an enigma." Scorpan said nothing. Sombra brought the cutter to his throat, but still, nothing. "… I see. It seems that torturing you is truly useless." Sombra leaned forward, and whispered, "They must be important to you, the one whose life is at stake."
It was just a flicker, but there was definitely a new fear in Scorpan's eyes. He also gasped, before quickly getting his breathing back under control. Sombra's theory was confirmed. He knew then that Scorpan was a dead-end. So long as Scorpan was intent on protecting this important person to him, no level of torture would bear any fruit.
Sombra backed away just as the door to the room was unlocked and opened. Blueblood stood there, gagging and covering his mouth as he saw the blood pouring from Scorpan's fingertips. "My word! I said to get him to talk, not to mutilate the poor man!"
"How did you expect us to do that?" Sombra asked as he withdrew the knife, pocketing it as he approached the exit. "Sorry. I was under the impression that you knew what means I would take."
Cadance was the first out of the room, taking deep breaths as she was finally out. Scorpan was sure then that she really wasn't acting when it came to her being the 'good cop'.
Sombra was stopped before he was allowed to exit. His 'tools' were taken from him, he was searched thoroughly, and then, he was returned to his binds. St. John and D'Coolette were waiting to follow him as he walked with Blueblood and Cadance from the room, and a doctor entered shortly afterwards to treat Scorpan's wounds.
"It's time to meet Catrina," Blueblood told them, turning to the gagged-Sombra. "I will monitor the situation myself from a hidden location. Cadance and Gilda will meet Catrina, pretending to be rogue agents wishing to sell information."
"Chances are that someone at her level will run background checks on us," Cadance said. "We can't forge any backstories on such short notice, huh?"
"We have prepared the papers for Radiant Hope's entry into the program. Sombra, you will be the sniper. You will take the shot from the warehouse's catwalk. The lights may still be working, so make sure that they are shutoff."
Sombra motioned that he wanted to speak, so Cadance removed his gag temporarily. "I will have no problems sneaking into the warehouse, but what of these two?"
"You don't have to worry about them," Blueblood said with a grin. "St. John and D'Coolette are both assassins that could easily give even you a run for your money. However, neither are snipers, and so this task falls to you. The shot will not be difficult, but we will only get one."
"Miss Hope said that she will give us a detailed report on the placement of Catrina's goons," Cadance said, receiving a nod from Blueblood.
"We have it. Just as she claimed, it was delivered to a P.O. box under the name 'Sombie'."
Sombra's gagged was replaced, and as they walked, his mind filled with thoughts of Radiant Hope, and what she would do when she was free.
Perhaps, one day, he could join her, and they could be free together. King Sombra's voice suddenly fell silent.
Following Radiant's guidance, the two teams got into their respective positions with no incident. Cadance and Gilda were aware they were being watched going into the warehouse, but inside, there was nowhere to plant any henchmen.
Sombra and his tow escorts had made it to the catwalk without being spotted outside, and after sabotaging the fuse box, Sombra got into position, assembling his rifle and waiting. St. John and D'Coolette kept their guns on him, ready to fire if his shot hit a friendly.
After thirty minutes, Catrina entered. Cadance and Gilda stiffened, subjecting themselves to a brief check and allowing their weapons to be confiscated. And then, the talks began.
"So, the two of you have something I would be interested in?" Catrina asked, her tone clearly doubtful. "And how much are you expecting me to pay for this information?"
"Enough for the both of us to leave the bureau forever," Cadance said. "Naturally, we want safe passage out of the country, as well."
Gilda removed a flash drive from her pocket. "This… is a list of non-official cover agents in all American branches of your group," she said, enjoying the twinkle in Catrina's eyes. Of course, it was just garbage data, password protected for authenticity. "We will give you this now for the money, and the passwords when we're sure you haven't followed us out of the country."
"Hmmm, that is tempting. Let me think."
Gilda grew concerned. She and Cadance could take the two henchmen that Catrina had brought with her, even without their guns, but why hadn't Sombra taken the shot yet?
Suddenly, Catrina's phone range. "Apologies," she said. "I will put it on speaker, so that you can hear, too."
"… This is Diana." The voice was Radiant Hope's. "I've secured the catwalk. Area is now secure."
Cadance and Gilda gasped, and before they could act, the warehouse's doors burst open and an army of Catrina's goons stormed inside. The two agents raised their arms as they were held at gunpoint. They had been had.
"How many rats?" Catrina asked, looking up to the catwalk. It was dark to see anything but the flashes of Radiant's gun. Two flashes. "Diana?"
"Sorry. Just two. They thought they could tackle me."
Catrina laughed. "Oh well. Two agents is still a nice catch. Good work, Diana. Now wait there for clean-up to arrive."
"Got it," Radiant said, and then closed the call. She turned to Sombra, standing before her. Her gun was trained on him, and she was ready to pull the trigger, but something was stopping her. Out of some impulse, she had lied to Catrina. It was too late for regrets now, but maybe she could save herself by telling the truth immediately?
Sombra's chilling gaze bore into her's, and her resolve wavered. How could she feel this way about somebody she had not even spoken to since she was a child?
Slowly, she reached into her pocket. She took out a key, and threw it to Sombra, who caught it skilfully. "Go," she whispered. "Take the back entrance and leave. Security's light there."
Sombra looked at the key for a moment, and then at Radiant Hope. She had lowered her gun. Reaching behind his head, Sombra removed the gag, and then ran past Radiant Hope, sparing no words as he faded into the darkness behind her.