This sub and I have a long history and he would know immediately that I would never seriously put him in that position. His mind would work and turn a little bit to try and figure out what he was supposed to do, but it would eventually be a fail. Something less severe than branding might work though.

I learned a long time ago that there is no such thing as "temporary branding".

An added thought: A friend once suggested that I have a real "A" brand made. As part of a MindFuck I could place it in dry ice and brand a slave that had been blindfold and told that he was going to be branded. The blindfold comes off the brand lands on skin and for a short time the slave thinks it's the real thing. Supposedly it would leave a temporary red A. I told him to let Me test it out on him and that's where the whole scheme ended. Obviously, I still fantasize it from time to time.