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 doesn't even look up at the scream. Malcolm, in this respect, is honestly better suited to handle the situation than he is. Besides, he's digging through Jack's files until he finds the tableau.

It's against one of the trees directly in front of the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. The subject was one Will had been reminded of recently, for much less nefarious purposes: Saint Sebastian. The man was secured up at the wrist, with literally dozens of arrows piercing him at all angles. The man looked very similar to Will, which was not a surprise.

He manages just a quirk of amusement on his lips at Malcolm's nonchalant declaration. Will glances at Jack and nods. It was a job well done.

"It's him," he says once he's in the room, tossing the picture down on the counter next to Malcolm. After another moment, he adds the one behind it- a recreation of a card left with Miriam Lass' arm, "What Do You See?" written in red ink. Something they never released to the public- and Freddie never managed to get her hands on.

"We have to go," he says to Malcolm, the words weighty. "Back to Molly. Now."

If that ice cold fury back at that chocolate shop was what he thinks it was? She's in imminent danger.

Jack perked up at the new information. "Molly? Will, is he in Washington? We can get people there. But you have to work with me on this. You know you're the only one who can-"

Will had been walking to the hallway. He stops and turns back, emotionless, to punch Jack directly in the face. That shuts him up for now, at least. Will looks back to Malcolm, a tired smile suddenly appearing. Malcolm can get his in too, if he wants.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm catches his look and smiles modestly, gesturing at Jack with his Twizzler.

"I already stabbed him," he says, heading to keep pace with Will for their door. He's not beyond Jack's earshot when he points out "it's fine if you kill him..."

They're inside the ship with the door shut by the time he adds "Just make sure he gets to know you like me better first. And that you think I'm hotter than he is."

[empathicfault]

Jack calls after them as they head down the hallway, desperate to gain Will's expertise again. Will throws one more disgusted look at the man, but the moment passes quickly and Malcolm has so many more interesting things to say.

"I...I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Hannibal," Will admits. He reaches us to cup Malcolm's jaw with his hand and smirks. "But I'll make sure he knows that. It'll enrage him."

Will's staring him in the eyes as he continues. He's almost still joking- it's an easy cadence to take, thanks to Malcolm's upbeat attitude. "You are going to have to be careful. His focus will be on removing you, and he's not as easy to deal with as Jack."

He continues down the hall to the console room. The dogs are away in the courtyard at the moment- Will didn't want to have them possibly at risk, on the off-chance something went wrong and Jack managed to get in. He doesn't think Hannibal would stoop that low (despite everything), but they'll stay there for now.

"Likewise, it's fine if you kill him. As much as that's not your style. These might be unique circumstances."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm sobers as he considers that, his hand absently finding fabric to cling to at Will’s waist.

“I’ll do it to save myself or someone else. But… I don’t think I can do it in cold blood.” He looks up at Will with suddenly concerned eyes. “Don’t let him take you with him this time,” he pleads in a sudden burst of urgent, earnest words.

[empathicfault]

Will had been moving with purpose, but when he feels that Malcolm's got his shirt, he stops cold and turns back to him. He takes the request with a deep breath inward and shakes his head.

"No. I won't, Malcolm. I've given enough of myself, far more than I should've. No one gets the rest but you." He reaches up and grasps Malcolm's hand in his, and he squeezes it.

He's been shaken out of his single-minded focus on getting to Hannibal 'in time'. And as such, he lets out a small sigh. "Say the word, and we're gone. I mean it. I hate that I've endangered Molly again, but maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't have interfered in the first place." Closure is clearly something that is going to keep eluding him. "I trust you to have a clearer head than me, here."

[abrightboy]

Malcolm presses his lips together. More than anything, he doesn’t want to lose Will, but… “We can’t just leave him here to hurt people. He’ll never stop. Just… I mean, I know he’s always in your head. That he always will be to some degree. Just don’t let him get under your skin. Don’t let him dance you into making a mistake.”

He’s not, these days, worried about Hannibal seducing Will away from him.

“I think… I think we might be the only people that can stop him. So… let’s go get him.”