FOUND: A Hannigram Devil AU

14

     "What do you mean, he's not a suspect?"
     Jack avoided Will's gaze, hands shoved in his pockets. "We have no evidence for Hobbs committing this crime. I have your take on it, and that's completely useless in court. There's no fingerprints on the letter, no camera footage, no DNA on the girl..we have no idea if this was Hobbs or someone else."
     "That doesn't mean he didn't do it. He's the one to be searching for!"
     "We are searching for him. And whoever took him."
     "That letter was full of so much bullshit! He's clearly trying to draw attention away from himself, Jack, and you're falling for it. He's going to get away because you're too busy trying to find him by proxy, or whatever the hell it is you're doing."
     "Will, I'm not taking this disrespect," Jack snapped. "We're doing everything we can! We're looking for Hobbs, but we don't think it's going to be easy. Whoever has him will be trying to hide him."
     "He's going to get away. While you're peeking into the alleys, he'll be hiding in the middle of the street. You have to look in the expected places."
     Jack swiveled around, leaving Will to come to a sudden stop. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
     "Will, we're going to figure it out." His eyes softened slightly. "I understand. We're working as hard as we can, okay?"
     Will forced himself to nod. In truth, he hated being treated like a child because of what happened to his sister. It had been thirty years— he wasn't going to come apart at every moment.
     Or was he? He'd just seen Katie's face, after all. He suppressed a groan and stormed back to his car, unlocking it before throwing himself into the seat.
     Hannibal sat in the passenger seat, watching him with interest. Will started slightly at his unexpected presence. He leaned his head back.
     "I was wondering where you went. The car was locked," he mumbled.
     "Yes, it was. Doesn't stop me."
     "..They don't believe me about Hobbs."
     "I do."
"Do you? Or are you supposed to say that?"
"You disappeared for a moment, Will. You transported yourself into your own world in which you were the killer. You knew exactly who you were, and what you wanted. I believe you over Jack any day."
Will was surprised by the awe on his face. To him, being on the job was such a natural thing— he hadn't thought about how it might look to others. "It's a blessing and a curse," he said.
"There is an exponential weight on your shoulders, Will, and I finally see the source. You have the curse of feeling too much."
"It only goes so far. I can't see myself in Jack's position if I wanted." Will gripped the steering wheel, wanting to drive off but reluctant to leave the scene. "It's just the evil ones. Those are the easiest."
"And yet the reason I kill is such an enigma to you?"
"I can't take your position, Hannibal." He shook his head. "You know that. You've got too much going on in there."
Hannibal's response was swallowed by a loud banging on Will's window. Will stifled a yelp, his heart rate increasing. He turned to see a very angry Jack gesturing for him to roll down the window.
     "We've got another one a few miles from here," he said. "Fucker's leaving a trail. Let's go."
     "But—"
     "No buts. We've got some people staying here and some coming with us. We're going."
     Jack took off, heading for his van. Will waited until he pulled away to follow him.
     "Shit," he whispered. "This is getting really out of hand."
     "Hobbs doesn't seem to care anymore."
     Will increased his speed to keep up with Jack, who was frantically racing down the country road. "I have to find him, Hannibal. I don't care what Jack thinks. It's Hobbs, and I have to find him."
     "I'm with you, Will. I want to help."
     "What does it matter to you?" Will retorted. "You're a killer, too."
     "Finding Hobbs is beneficial to you. That's what matters to me." Although Will was facing the road, he could feel Hannibal's stare. "I promised you peace, and this is one step towards that."
     "..You're pretty morally strict for the Devil. No lying, no deal breaking."
     Hannibal paused. He tilted his head down slightly, eyes fixed on the floor of the car. "I've always been serious about my deals, because it's the courteous thing to do. But..when I was banished from Heaven, God didn't want me to be able to deceive humans," he said. "He took away my ability to lie." He gave a bitter smile. "I couldn't lie to you even if I wanted to."
     Stunned, Will couldn't find a response.
     "He also cursed me with human emotion. Sadness, anger, jealously, hatred. I've yet to find joy."
     "Not even when you kill?"
     "I get satisfaction when I kill. Nowhere near joy."
     "Hm." That was one reason off of Will's list; Hannibal didn't kill just for the fun of it.
     "I understand what it's like to feel more than you want to feel. To be overwhelmed with emotion that comes from outside yourself."
     "Then you know how awful it is?"
     "Yes."
     "Funny how emotion is a curse." Will chewed on his lip. "It's the worst punishment God could think of."
     "Definitely not the worst. It simply suited the crime, in His eyes."
     Will hesitated, not wanting to intrude and possibly anger Hannibal. The curiosity got the best of him, though. "..Which was?"
     "My pride got the best of me. I assumed I was better than God. Tried to overcome him."
     "And what on earth made you think that?" Will replied in disbelief.
     Hannibal's face darkened. "We were equals, the two of us. I created dark while He created light. Cold and warmth. Hatred and love. And then He left me behind to wallow in the shadows while mankind basked in His light. I was betrayed."
     "Never heard that story in church before."
     "There is always a true story, and then there is the one that is told. You cannot believe that God is perfect while also believing that he created death. Disease. Violence." Hannibal turned to look out his window as the car came to a stop at another cabin. "I am responsible for the world's imperfections. And where would we be without death?"
     Without thinking, Will responded, "Overcrowded."
     Hannibal burst into laughter, the corners of his eyes crinkling. Will did the same, guilt flashing through him at the insensitivity of his thoughts. "Oh, God," he sighed. "There's a dead girl in here, and we're laughing."
     "Laughter and tears. Tragedy and comedy." Hannibal continued to smile. "Opposites, yet every once in a while they meld together. It creates something unique.
     "That's how we cope."
     "Can you cope with another dead girl?"
     "No." Will opened the car door.
     "Do you want to do this?"
     "Absolutely not." He got out and met Jack at the driver's side of his black van. Hannibal watched with a smirk before following behind.