Rating: To be advised (Still chugging along before ratings can be advised. My bad!)
Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence (Just to be safe)
Tags: Airship, Steampunk, Gore, police violence, Religious violence, torture, Hannibal killed, death of randomly made-up characters, dystopian world
Posting date: 21 July 2020
The world was not supposed to go to shit this fast. The Church would not have taken over if the Meltdown did not occur. Will would not have had to live a double life just to earn enough money to keep his house. The letter would not have been sent to him if only he was not that great at what he is doing but here he is waiting for his flight plan to take off before more could be taken from him.
“I can’t believe it,” Will whispered in utter disbelief in his finding, his voice felt small as it came out.
The turning of the knob alerted Will to the return of the owner of the room he had intruded and he turned quickly, doing his best to shove the coat back in and slam the cabinet shut. Unfortunately for him, his action was seen clearly and Will felt dread at being caught. Will did his best to pretend like he belonged in the room and had never intruded in the first place.
Hannibal stood by the door, unmoving and watching him like a predator sizing up his prey before the kill. His body was still and his breathing steady as he locked the door. Will felt like those eyes were peeling back layers of his skin and felt truly small, like a child that had been caught somewhere forbidden when they have clearly been told not to be there. Will wanted to do nothing but curl up at that moment as the atmosphere in the room thickened.
‘Fear. I feel fear.’ Will thought to himself as he averted his eyes away from Hannibal’s.
“What are you doing in my room, Mister Graham?” His voice was calm, but Will could hear the restraint he was putting on his emotion.
Will looked straight into Hannibal’s gaze and his sole hazel eye shone in the artificial light, now dark and stormy like the night sky threatening to unleash Zeus’’ wrath. They were eyes that held anger behind them. Will did not blame him, after all, he was in the wrong for entering the captain’s quarters without permission, despite being a guest onboard the vessel.
“I got lost,” Will tried to lie.
It was a stupid one, but it cracked Hannibal up.
“I’m sure you are not lost since there are labels on the front of each door to prevent exactly that.” Hannibal smiled, but his eyes did not.
“Oh, I just noticed.” Will tried to sound as sorry as he could as he gulps down the fear that arises with the lie.
Hannibal stepped closer and Will slowly stepped back involuntarily until his back hit the wall with a thud. “I’m sure you noticed more things than just the labels. So tell me, Graham, what are you really doing in my room, and with my cabinet.”
Will felt like a cornered animal about to be sent to be slaughtered and every fibre of his body told him to beg for his life even if it was futile. His hands shook and his throat dried as his brain flashed him all the horrific ways he could be killed right at this moment for his indiscretion.