"Mr DiNozzo, are you sure about this? We have plenty of highly trained…"
"You heard me the first time." Tony didn't look at the handler as he spoke. He was still looking at the slave; he couldn't seem to look away. The slave was matching his gaze, chin lifted in defiance. Tony barely managed to suppress his smile.
"You got a name?" He asked, already tired of mentally referring to this man as 'slave'.
"Yeah," came the one word reply, and Tony had to laugh aloud. He heard a sound beside him, and only the tension in the slave's body warned him of the presence of another person. The man in question moved forward, and Tony noticed in his periphery the bludgeon in his hand. Without taking his eyes from the slave, Tony grabbed the man's wrist, effectively stilling his movement towards the slave.
"Don't." The simple word was punctuated with a tightening of his grip, and the man made a small sound. Tony didn't let go, and next addressed the handler. "This is how it's going to go: in about two minutes I'm going to hand you a very large check. The numbers on that check will make you weak at the knees. In return for this, you will remove these chains and we will walk out of here. If my father calls to check up on me, you will tell him I was here for a few hours, that I looked thoroughly through your stocks and did everything a good Owner is meant to do, before deciding on the fine specimen before me. At no point will you offer your opinion on my choice, are we clear?"
"Yes sir," came the quiet reply.
"Good." Tony released his grip on the man he was holding, who made a hasty retreat. The slave, who still hadn't broken eye contact with Tony, gave a wry, almost approving smile. Tony smirked back before turning away to address the handler. "And get me my coat; it's cold out."
There was a short flurry of activity as helpers moved in to release the chains, fetch the coat, and otherwise make sure Mr DiNozzo was pleased with the service. The slave rubbed his wrists when they were released, and Tony took a moment to mentally catalogue any possible injuries. The slave caught him looking, and tilted his head in question.
"Are you injured?"
The slave simply shook his head at this. The action worried Tony. It seemed the defiant man he'd met was fading, and Tony supposed it couldn't be helped. Reality was beginning to kick in for him too. He'd just bought a person. Another human being was now legally his property, and he was expected to be this man's master, his keeper… his Owner. Tony was thankfully distracted by someone bringing his coat over. Without a second thought, Tony handed the coat over to the slave. He could feel the stares from the helpers, and the handler stopped to look at him.
"No opinions." Tony reminded, and the handler continued on. The slave took the coat; confusion etched on his face, which Tony now noticed was sporting signs of fatigue. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Tony turned once again to the handler.
"Almost ready?" The handler asked before Tony could speak.
"Just about," Tony replied before handing over the check. "This should cover the… upset."
"Yes, Mr DiNozzo, very good. Thank you."
Tony rolled his eyes and turned in time to see the slave holding in laughter at the scene. Shaking his head, Tony approached him once more. "Let's get outta here."