tushanshu_logs | [closed]

Entry tags:

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Characters: Hannibal Lecter, Lois Lane, Clark Kent, Tony Stark, Billy Costigan, Hayley Stark, Bruce Banner, Sharon Carter, and Evandau
Date: Early January
Location: Hannibal's Suite
Situation:
Warnings/Rating: Violence, discussion of the Emperor's murder as well as the September murders. General Hannibal cannibalism talk warning.

[He knew he'd been somewhat sloppy with the murder of the Emperor. He wasn't used to having to slip in and out so quickly, nor was he used to sneaking in to such an elaborate palace, with so little time to plan. He didn't regret doing it - the murder of such a powerful, influential being was well worth any price he'd have to pay - but he knew it was only a matter of time before someone put all the pieces together.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to try and delay it for as long as possible, though. There were many beings here more powerful than he could ever be, but most of them seemed the ethical sort that wouldn't act without reasonable proof. He could work with that.

He stood on the first floor of his suite, brushing off the dust that had accumulated on the bronze stag statue he had found a few months ago.]

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[Hannibal wasn't used to being caught. he was only a teenager when he killed for the first time and has, so far, at the age of almost fifty had the only living person who would dare suspect him of anything locked away where he couldn't do any damage.

Things were different here. It was a smaller world, for one thing. There would be no fleeing to another country if anyone was too hot on his trail. And, while he was capable in hand-to-hand combat, mostly because he was quick-thinking and resourceful, there were so many people here he could never hope to defeat.

And then there was the big one: So many people here were just so damn clever. Here he was, restrained and watched like a hawk, and so soon after the crime was committed, by his standards. Well, clever ones were always more fun to chat with.]

The plot thickens. Are you surprised to see me?

[He knows she'd been keeping tabs on everyone trying to work out who the killer was. He'd been purposely quiet, because absence was less noticeable than 'yes, I didn't do it but I fit the description exactly and have no alibi', but he wondered how small the list of suspects was before now.]

[ She leans against her desk, arms crossed as she watches him. So. Superman is real.

And wears really tight spandex.

She'll have to chat with Bruce about that sometime. The Superman-showing-up-bit, not the spandex bit.

And Superman had dropped off a package. A super being who drops off perps like Santa drops off presents. She could learn to like the guy. ]

No, actually. Once I started ruling people out, I realized you were our strongest suspect. You're intelligent, methodical, self-controlled. You match the description of the killer.

One thing I can't figure out, and since this may be your last chance to boast, I hope you'll indulge me. Why kill the Emperor?

Such kind words. Flattery will get you everywhere. And I do love to boast every now and then.

[More like whenever he could.]

Do you recall an announcement the Emperor made a few months ago? Regarding our general purpose here, and the health of Asti? [Referring to this.]

[ After a second, she nods. ]

The Emperor told us that the enemy she thought had been destroyed had a foothold on the turtle.

[ She doesn't say any more. She's curious. Better to let him talk, since he's feeling chatty. ]

She insulted every single one of us. Called us insignificant, and the tone she took was completely inappropriate in addressing guests. I thought it might be a moment of weakness in a desperate situation and gave her a chance to apologize, but...

[He shakes his head, as if he were a well-intentioned person that tried his very best but had to give up.]

I would have welcomed an apology afterwards, too, but one never came. There's nothing that disgusts me quite as much as an ungracious host. Especially since none of us chose to be here.

[He spoke so casually as if killing for a slight breach of manners was perfectly normal. It was, to him, not that he expected others to understand.]

[ Sharon has to mentally repeat his words several times as she tries to comprehend them. She can't have heard correctly, after all. ]

You... killed her because she was rude?

Was Tony Stark rude to you? Hayley?

Some may tolerate rudeness. Not I.

[He thinks. One of his victims had been rude to him, but not those two.]

That...was different. I was suddenly bestowed with great power and figured it would be a waste not to use it. I had heard the dead would be revived anyways. [Because that makes it totally okay.]

[ She nods. She'd suspected as much. He'd taken advantage of the abilities to kill.

She grabs her chair and drags it over to him. She'd already made certain that his wrists were secure, and she's confident that she can catch him if he runs.

She takes a seat. ]

Why kill in the first place? I take it you did it back in your world, too. Is it habit? Compulsion? Hobby?

[Oh, he hadn't been properly questioned like this since he was a boy. How exciting.]

Are you familiar with the system of philosophy known as Epicureanism?

[ She has to think about that one. She hasn't heard of it for a long time. Not since... had that been India? India or Cambodia? ]

It's a form of hedonism, isn't it?

[ Holy... crap. He's saying he killed them because he wanted to? As much as she'd expected something like that, she hadn't thought he would admit to it so easily.

He's so much more disturbing than what she'd expected. ]

You could call it that, yes. The pursuit of pleasure - joy, happiness, love, whatever form that pleasure takes - is what we live for, no? Most people allow themselves to be restrained by the standards society has given to them, they deny themselves pleasure to follow someone else's rules. I set my own.

[Which would be: Do what you like, and be courteous to those who deserve it.]

I suppose some could live as I do without harming anyone, but I've developed a bit of a...taste for it. [Ha, yes, now is the time for puns.]

[ The emphasis placed on that one word makes her pause and look at him anew. ]

The knife.

[ Tony's reaction, Hayley's... If he'd done things to them while they were alive, it might explain how shaken they'd been (or maybe it had been their first time dying). ]

Did you kill them immediately, or did you... do something first? Did you develop a taste for that, as well?

[ With any luck, "taste" just means "liking." But she knows better than to believe the best about people. ]

If you mean torture, no, I'm not usually one for such brutality. Too much can spoil the flavor.

[Hi I'm Hannibal and I'm a cannibal it rhymes.]

Some of them like to put up a fight, and that can't be helped, but I try to get it done quickly.

[ Please no, please no, please no. ]

You have medical training, correct? You used it to keep them from suffering. That's... [ disgusting, but if she says that, he might shut down, and she wants answers. ] kind of you.

[ She can't put it off any longer. ]

I wouldn't say eating them after was kind, though.

[ Okay, Hannibal. Tell her she's wrong. Tell her that "taste" and "spoil the flavor" doesn't sound as ominous as she thinks it does. Tell her you just like the chase and the kill. ]

I don't see why not. There's no point in being wasteful.

[And it's delicious.]

[ She stares at him. Her stomach is threatening to make a statement of its own, and she takes a deep breath to try and get herself under control. ]

You ate them.

Was that not clear?

[And here he thought she was reacting rather well to it.]

'Hannibal the cannibal' - I'll get that out of the way, because I know it's a rather odd coincidence.

I felt I needed to verify it, yes.

[ The rhyme may be a coincidence, but in retrospect, she feels silly for not having seen it sooner. ]

As you can imagine, I have a few more questions before I escort you to the authorities here. [ She's careful to keep her tone polite. A part of her would like nothing more than to hurt him, but she wants to keep him talking. ]

I don't know if you'd feel it's too much like revealing your trick, but how did you manage to break into the Palace? The kedan are convinced it's so difficult only kedan can do it. I haven't tried, but I imagine it must have been impressive.

It was rather impressive. I suppose this'll sound a bit like boasting...

[Not that he minded.]

I've always had a strong memory. If we were to leave this room and I had paper and pencil, I could draw it exactly as it is. The Palace is only complex when one has difficulty remembering the various twists and turns. I have no such issue.

[It's been a while since Bruce has had to engage in the kind of lightning quick reasoning he needs here, but he's used to long periods of monotony being abruptly interrupted. And this particular incident, this crisis, he's ready for. He's been planning on and off for months, turning over in his head what he'd do if he had the chance, and now he has it.

Of course he can't have planned exactly; he couldn't anticipate these exact circumstances. But the moral decisions are made, the commitment is firm. Once Superman returns to take care of Lois (he'd never leave her injured and alone, even now) Bruce heads out to find Sharon, his vague plans rapidly turning more concrete. Now he has specifics; now he knows who's involved.

He has to make a quick stop at his lab to grab a few things, and then he's using all of his experience running to move quickly to where Sharon has the murderer. Hannibal Lecter. Bruce has a name now, not anyone he's met before, which is better. Less guilt.

He knocks on the door and announces,] It's me. Banner. [If he were her, he wouldn't open the door without knowing who it was.]

[ At the sound of the knock, she spends a couple seconds making certain that Lecter is secure. He's made no indication that he intends to run, but she has no intention of losing him if he's faking it.

She opens the door, her ears straining from any sounds coming from her bedroom. ]

Banner. This really isn't a good time.

I know that.

[He swallows his underlying impatience. Outwardly, he's a calm, sharp eyed figure, much more visibly alert than his usual patient caution.]

I've heard you have a... guest. I want to help.

[Beat of silence. That's probably not enough for her, so he adds preemptively, in a completely calculated move,] I make for a good deterrent. [Lecter wouldn't be going anywhere with Bruce as a guard, that's for certain. The Hulk is a trump card he doesn't often pull, but he has no reservations whatsoever about using it when he has to.]

[ She spends several seconds watching him. He seems calm. Under the circumstances, calmness is odd. He's one of the few people that Tony trusts, and if he knows she has Lecter here - Superman. Who else did he tell? - then she'd think he'd be more upset.

Or maybe it's resolve. Sharon doesn't work enough with Banner in her world to know the intricacies of his character. She knows better to take the Hulk on black ops missions, and that's it.

But as a deterrent?

Slowly, she nods before opening the door wider and pulling him inside. She locks the door and meets Banner's eyes. ]

I'm talking with him now. You can stand in the doorway. If he says anything - no matter what - don't freak out. Remember. I live here, and I don't have Tony's money to rebuild everything bigger and better.

[ That done, she leads the way back to her room, pointing at a spot just inside the door where she wants him to stand. She reasons that if Lecter tries to escape, Banner will have time to do... whatever he feels necessary to do from the doorway. She goes back to stand in front of Lecter. ]

Apologies for the interruption. I do have a couple more questions before Dr. Banner and I escort you to the police.

Did you have plans to kill anyone else? Would you have killed someone else if you felt it worthwhile?

[ She knows he would. But she wants to know. A part of her needs to know. Apprehending someone is one thing, but some people will want revenge. While Sharon can understand that, while she's even wanted it herself in the past, she's always felt that it was more important to prevent future loss of life. She just... wants to know that this wasn't all about revenge and holding someone accountable, though she'll never regret that part. ]

[For Bruce, calm is normal; it's when he's perceptively not calm that someone should start to worry. Right now, he has an iron grip on his emotions, and his mind is racing at lightning speed, setting plans and contingency plans and discarding the ineffective ones.

He does intend to be a deterrent. Much like a nuclear weapons program, the efficacy is in not setting the bomb off, in holding it as a threat. Of course, he doesn't expect Lecter to understand the seriousness of this threat, but Bruce will warn him once he has a chance to. That's all he can do.

He walks in after Sharon, nodding silently at her instructions, accepting them with all sobriety. Any slight irritation at her questioning his control is promptly stamped down. Now's not the time, and she doesn't really know him. But he's far, far from losing it.

No. This is for Banner, not the Hulk. Bruce hovers in the doorway and doesn't say a word, lets her question him as she wishes. It's not like he's not interested in the answers himself.]

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[closed]

HANNIBAL, SHARON, and BRUCE

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GUESS WHO FORGOT TO TRACK THIS THREAD GUYS

annnd I went on vacation, lol

No problem! So did my brain!

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