Zev disliked torture. He found it did not satisfy his persistent, secret desire to take human lives. Instead, he considered it a waste of his time and skills, especially when Team Rocket counted eager torturers among their ranks. [break][break]

That was why he picked dorian westcliff to assist him that night. The man had a reputation for gleefully carrying out violent orders, from arson to murder. He seemed to possess a sadistic streak that Zev did not understand. That was the difference between the two of them, he supposed. [break][break]

He was a professional, and Dorian a junkie. [break][break]

The assassin stopped in front of the bound man. Zev reached out a hand covered in his trademark black glove. He seized the black sack over the victim's head and yanked it off, revealing a man in his thirties with dirty-blonde hair and a close-cropped beard. [break][break]

"Liam Hawthorne," Zev said, his blue eyes scrutinizing the Ranger Captain with the same clinical detachment of a coroner studying a corpse. [break][break]

"You can probably guess why you're here. My associate and I have a few questions," he gestured between Dorian and himself, "and if you cooperate, we'll let you go." [break][break]

"Fat chance I'll help the likes of you!" [break][break]

Zev continued to stare, unfazed. "We thought you'd say that, so we came prepared." [break][break]

He stepped back, giving Dorian room to apply a warning of his choice to the bound man.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

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Zev did not blink as Dorian produced a set of pliers. He had an idea of what the other man would use them for, but he neither acknowledged them with his eyes nor commented on them. Instead, he addressed the bound Ranger once more. [break][break]

"We have reason to believe an attack upon the new government is being planned by people you know. People with whom you're close. Do you know anything about that?" [break][break]

In truth, the tip had come from a younger Ranger caught buying supplies for homemade explosives. While the items themselves were ordinary, the combination of them had alerted vendors. When the police had sniffed her out, she readily gave Hawthorne's name as the man who'd given her the order to procure them. [break][break]

The Ranger captain, to his credit, seemed uncowed. [break][break]

"I don't know what you're talking about," he spat, looking directly at Zev. Perhaps he was pretending that the pliers in Dorian's hand did not exist at all.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

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Zev did not flinch at the scream. He stared at the Ranger with an apathy that bordered aloofness. When he spoke, his voice was calm and measured, as if he was reading from a list of groceries. [break][break]

"Give us the details of the plan, Hawthorne." [break][break]

"Even if I did, you'd never find us!" the Ranger snapped through unbidden tears. Twisting and writhing in the chair, he tried to wrench his jaw from Dorien's grasp. "Even if you killed me here, you'll never be able to kill freedom or rebellion!" [break][break]

Suppressing a roll of his eyes, Zev pressed on. "Maybe, or maybe not. But there are certain things—certain people—that we can kill." Glancing at Dorien, he asked, "Where did we learn his wife and son had escaped to, Mad Dog?" [break][break]

Zev knew Dorian did not hurt children, but Hawthorne did not. The captain stilled. His face paled with fear.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

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Each new photo reduced Hawthorne into an emotional mess, at turns swearing vile obscenities and begging them to spare his family. The live video feed, however, broke him. He thrashed against his bonds, screaming through hateful tears. [break][break]

Zev stared at him, unmoved. In fact, he did nothing except wait for the tantrum to end. [break][break]

Finally, after five minutes of cycling through the five stages of grief, the Ranger captain sagged against his bindings. With his head bowed, he explained details of the rebels' plan. Not only that, but he shared his accomplices' names and where Team Rocket could find them. [break][break]

"Thank you for cooperating," Zev said, when Liam Hawthorne fell silent once more. "Once we've rounded up your friends, we'll let you go. For now, you'll wait here before we transport you somewhere else." [break][break]

The assassin gave Dorian a nod of his head, the signal to finish the torture session. Perhaps to Hawthorne, whose expression colored with incredulous belief, it seemed he had been spared. But the signal did not mean it was time for the two Rockets to leave. [break][break]

Instead, it was Dorian's signal to kill their captive, by whatever means he saw fit.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

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Zev removed his gloves and pocketed them, replacing them with a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. While Dorian beat the doomed Ranger to a bloody pulp, Zev lit up a cigarette and took a long drag. [break][break]

When the Mad Dog strolled up and offered the Black Hand a bite to eat, the latter shook his head. Not because the sight of a battered corpse curdled his hunger, but because he simply preferred to be alone. [break][break]

"I'm going to collect the rest of my payment," Zev said by way of explanation. Without another word or any gesture of farewell, he turned on his heel and left the warehouse.

TAGS – dorian westcliff[break]
NOTES – mission (repeat) | Kanto in the past

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