Mal-Zoe theft at the bank.

[badinlatin]

Shadow Planetary Financial Group. The global banking conglomerate that ate up any and all independent efforts folk laid out to control their own land. You either owed them somethin' or you worked for 'em, which meant you owed them somethin' anyway.

Mal and Zoe don't owe them jack shit. They owe Mal.

Collection's due.

It is just this thought of collection that hovers in Mal's head as he waltzes in through the front door of the bank and pistolwhips the first guard he comes across.

Comments

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe usually does her best to keep business and personal feelings seperate. Even so, sometimes she can't avoid mixing them. Sometimes she doesn't try.

The Warren farm on Agrona was family owned as long as it existed, but that wasn't for lack of trying on the part of folk like this. And it didn't mean they didn't have neighbors and friends who lost the struggle against being bought out.

So as she follows Mal through the front door and takes out the two security cameras, there's more than a bit of personal satisfaction.

[badinlatin]

Without turning to look at Zoe, Mal motions with his hand to the security guard coming hard onto her left while Mal walks straight toward the albeit unprepared security guard ahead of him.

"They don't pay you enough to cause trouble wi' me, do they?"

The guard quickly nods in agreement, his hands above his head before Mal even thought to ask.

"Duibuqi, then." Mal punches the guard. Don't have enough people with him to let him sit there and try anything.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

The other guard is apparantly more dedicated. He reaches for his gun, but doesn't have time to clear the holster before he finds himself looking down the barrel of Zoe's.

Very calmly, "These people's money ain't worth your life."

The guard seems to agree, and raises his hands. Zoe lowers her gun and swings her fist, and he's out.

[badinlatin]

The guards dealt with, cameras destroyed, there's only the lonely cashier behind the barred counter in the back of the room. Crossing the room in several long strides, Mal trains his pistol straight at the nose of the cashier.

"The deeds. Hand 'em over."

[badinlatin]

"These deeds, Mr. Reynolds?"

There's a shadow in the back doorway, lit from behind by old fluorescent lamps hanging over an older desk. There is an outline of a folded paper in his hand.

"I'm afraid you can't have them, Mr. Reynolds."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

Zoe's chin lifts a bit as she recognizes the voice of the hundan who'd been at the ranch, their first day on Shadow. She keeps her gun trained on the cashier, but her eyes flick briefly towards Mal.

[badinlatin]

"Ain't leavin' here without 'em, Eckhart." Mal takes one, two, three steps closer to the doorway. "Gonna take that one, and all the rest of 'em you been holdin'."

There's *got* to be somethin' here I can use...

[badinlatin]

"That's just it, Malcolm. You never did get it." Lance moves away from the doorway and into the room, keeping his distance from both Mal and Zoe.

"I finally won. You never thought I would, but I did. I hold the power. You hold your father's gun and nothin' else."

[badinlatin]

"I didn't get it at first, tell true." Mal attempts to stay calm, cool. It's hard, 'cause he sees his mother's livelihood being held on a piece of paper in this piyan's hand.

"Didn't even recognize you 'til you mentioned my ba's gun. You changed your name. Did you do it before or after my ma fired you?" Mal's mouth slid upward to a smile. "Ain't my fault you tried to steal from my mother, Denton."

[badinlatin]

"She didn't feed us, Malcolm! How could she expect anyone to live off o' what she paid us?!" Denton is getting careless. Careless means dangerous; Mal spots Denton's holster slung far back on his right side.

Denton continues: "'Course she invited David up for beefsteak and fancy dinners almost every night. He was too good to stay with regular folk like us."

Mal watches Denton's head tilt to one side and sneer, "Wonder if he's eatin' well in hell these days?"

[badinlatin]

A single fluid motion of the hammer of Mal's gun and boom and Denton falls to the ground dead.

"Go find out."

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

For a moment after Mal speaks, there's dead silence. Nobody moves. Then,

"Sir. We came here to do a job."

[badinlatin]

"I haven't forgot." I never forget.

Mal bends to pick up the piece of paper out of Denton's hand, and walks to the cashier's window, where the man behind the bars had placed all remaining deeds he had access to, as Mal shoves them roughly in his inside coat pocket.

[righthandwoman.livejournal.com]

They leave the bank in tense silence. When they're a good enough distance away, Zoe glances sidelong at Mal.

"Sir, what was that back--"

Mal doesn't say anything, but there's a shake of the head and a grim expression she knows well enough. Whatever that was, it's not open for discussion.

[badinlatin]

Mal wants to manage an "I'll tell you later." Can't though. Not yet. The whole realization that he just cut off pretty much any chance he had to stay on Shadow for awhile is hitting Mal over the head.

He'll tell Zoe later.

car battery lasts 848

[(Anonymous)]

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