PSL: Travels outside the Barge (w/Malcolm)

[empathicfault]

Piloting their new ship is a little difficult. It takes reading the (somehow enclosed) manual back-to-front and learning the control panel, now situated in what looks like a little closet on the window side of the living room. It's in the new hallway that leads to the small courtyard, which Will intends to decorate once they get this one chore done first.

Thankfully, the majority of the controls are intuition-based, going off the person who puts their hand on a small orb on the panel. The rest, as it turns out, is tweaking. And luckily (or otherwise), no tweaking is necessary for their first flight.

They're heading to Will's home world.

But Will doesn't specify where, just a year later than he left. he inadvertently brings them to where he'd left. The door opens from a wall of Hannibal's cliffside home, and looks out onto the driveway. The Dragon's wings are still there, staining the cement. They overlook the grey day and the churning seaside.

Will finds himself stuck in the doorway, unsure whether he's compelled to walk out and remember or slam the door shut and take them elsewhere.

Comments

[empathicfault]

Will breaks out into a chuckle at Malcolm's call out to him, even as his fear spikes. Malcolm certainly does love pushing buttons, doesn't he?

"I haven't had the pleasure," Hannibal replies calmly. "It would be an engaging game with the both of you. That said-"

Two things happen. Will activates their ship, essentially teleporting them to that tree down the hill on Molly's property. And Hannibal audibly gasps.

He recovers quickly. "I believe you'll find me outside. It's encouraging to note that dear Will is no longer bound by the laws of this earth. A fitting state for him."

Will joins Malcolm, staring at the phone. But he lets Malcolm speak for both of them. He might be in agreement about his 'state,' but he's not giving Hannibal more ammunition. They'll be face-to-face soon enough, apparently. He looks up at Malcolm, eyebrow-raising. A silent question if they're both ready for this.

[abrightboy]

"Yeah, like I said. He's absolutely ethereal." He meets Will's gaze. "Shines like a star," he says with complete confidence. "See you soon."

He hangs up before Hannibal can respond.

"Are... we sure we want to give him the high ground? Maybe we should pop inside the house first and check on the condition of Molly and her son."

[empathicfault]

"He's outside," Will states plainly. "He wouldn't have slipped at all if he hadn't seen a door pop into existence in front of him. But he was surprised. That's a sound neither of us will ever hear again."

He makes his way to the living room, then to the front door. He stops in front of it. "Hannibal will have Molly and Wally with him. He'll want to make a show of it, so they're relatively safe until we get out there. He would have...tried to set up some clues for us, but we sidestepped that part. That's impressed him, which means he'll be even more dangerous than usual."

Despite the serious tone, Will's face softens and he smiles. His eyes droop to half-mast as a look of adoration crosses his face. "But of course that's never been a deterrent for you. For either of us."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm puts his hand on the door, to prevent Will opening it for a moment.

"Let me go first," Malcolm says in a soft, grave tone. "I can get him to release the hostages. But only if he can't see you. I'll connect with you on the phone and keep mine in my pocket so you can hear everything. So you know when to come out. He'll have me by then, but I'm not prey." Not like Molly and Wally. He gives Will a wicked little smile. "I only look like it."

[empathicfault]

At first, Will looks like he might argue. But the plan is solid. Will's intake of breath is excitement, not the fear that it should be.

But oh, does he life it when Malcolm smiles like that. "I trust you to handle his capriciousness. Dangle me just out of reach. -and yourself, if you can?"

He rubs his thumb over Malcolm's lips, then kisses him deeply. All of his passion and love pours into the action.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm hums as the kiss breaks. “You’re going to make me forget what I was doing,” he teases with a grin, giving Will one more brief but ardent kiss.

He takes a breath and moves to open the door, when he pauses and gives Will a cheeky look. “I hope he can smell you on me,” he says wickedly, then presses the call button on his phone, slips it into his pocket, and lets himself outside, closing the door behind him.

“Oh. Hey. You’re taller than I was expecting. I guess we’ve both got something to be jealous of now,” Malcolm says glibly. He looks at Molly and Wally, then looks at Hannibal, his face saying ‘Really?’ “I can’t really blame you for being out of the loop while Will was dead, but those hostages are so last year. I think you know he doesn’t run with bunny rabbits anymore. You saw to that.” Credit where it’s due, after all. “He runs with wolves now.”

[empathicfault]

Hannibal is no longer wearing a suit, instead dressed in sharp-looking activewear that just happens to be all in black. He has a faint look of hope in his eyes, before they glass over and become impenetrable again. He doesn't appear to be holding any weapons, but of course Malcolm knows how much he likes hidden blades.

More noticeable are Molly and Wally's state. Wally is ties to a tree with rope that wraps all the way around and over his throat. Ultimately, the rope is attached to some kind of pulley system made out of camping equipment. Molly, meanwhile, is hung up on a hook, wearing a straight jacket and facing forward. Neither look particularly happy to be there.

Hannibal actually smiles at Malcolm as if he's betraying some kind of gentleness. "I saw to many things. One thing I did not see to was his sudden resurrection. Does he not want to come out and see me? Perhaps he's worried he'll leave wedded bliss to join me once again. We could go make a visit to our dear friend Jack. Or perhaps Freddie Lounds."

[abrightboy]

“Oh, we just came from Jack’s place,” Malcolm says with a slight cringe like they showed up to a gala in the same dress. “In fairness, we didn’t know you were here or that you and I would hit it off so well,” he points out.

He glances over at the contraption.

“I see you’re a fisherman these days, like Will.” He looks at Hannibal. “You’ve baited your hook and now you’re waiting for your fish to bite. I’m more of a hunter, like you used to be. A predator of predators. There’s a term for that, isn’t there? Apex predator? Here’s the deal: Will does intend to come out, but” He holds up one finger. “Only if you let them go unharmed,” he says, tilting his head to indicate Molly and Wally. “You get to keep me, though. Hell, I’ll even put on the straitjacket if you want.”