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Title: Seeing Red
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will Graham/Everett Hobbs (Original Character)
Fandom: Hannibal
Rating: PG-13
Table: Table 2, 20 in 20 Challenge, tv_universe
Prompt: 1, Red
Author's Note: Everett's face is Benedict Cumberbatch.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Will Graham or Lee Fallon, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Everett almost jogged up the front steps of the Baltimore State Hospital For the Criminally Insane; he'd gotten a late start to the day, and he wanted to make up for it.

He was anxious to see Will, to talk to him, to start their consultations. He wanted to lay all of his evidence in front of the young man, and to see if Will had anything that could add to it. He was ready to get the ball rolling that would free Will from his prison cell.

He would get Will out of jail, no matter what it took. He had spoken with Jack Crawford about some evidence that could free Will, and things looked promising.

From what Jack had said, the killer they had been assuming was a copycat had made the mistake of using fishing lures in his rituals that had been attributed to Will. It was fairly obvious that Will hadn't made those if they were still being used by a killer.

Jack had made a halfhearted attempt to postulate that Will could have a partner in crime, but Everett could tell that he didn't believe his own words.

Will would be out of jail soon, Everett promised himself. Very soon.

As Everett approached the top of the steps, the doors opened and a man came out -- a man who Everett recognized, and the last person he wanted to see.

He hadn't been face to face with Hannibal Lecter before, but he knew the man. He knew him from pictures, as well as from reputation. And he knew him from that horrible night in his London flat, when he'd seen that profile after Hannibal had committed a horrible atrocity ...

All he wanted to do was lash out, to plant his fist squarely into that hideously ugly, death's-head of a face, and send Lecter tumbling to the bottom of the steps.

Preferably with a broken neck, he thought savagely. But that would only cause him to be put behind bars in the same place where Will was incarcerated, and that wouldn't do. No, he had to rein in his temper, control it and look towards the future.

He would have his vengeance, and Lecter would be behind bars, where he belonged. He couldn't do anything to jeopardize that vision of the future.

And at this point, he doubted that Lecter even knew him.

When he took his revenge, he wanted Lecter to know exactly what he was paying for. Not only the deaths of who knew how many people, but one person in particular.

"Hello, Counselor." Hannibal had stopped in front of the door, effectively blocking Everett's way in. "I assume that you are visiting Will Graham, to begin your campaign to set him free." His brows rose, his expression questioning. "I hope you manage to do so."

No, you don't, Everett thought in disgust. You made sure that Will was put here, to take the blame for the crimes you yourself committed.

But he didn't say those words aloud; instead, he only inclined his head as though he was merely wishing the other man a pleasant good morning. "Yes, I'm here to talk with Will," he said, keeping his voice level. "I didn't realise that you knew I'd taken on his case, Doctor. Lecter."

"Oh, I make it my business to know all about Will Graham's case," Lecter said smoothly, his dark gaze never leaving Everett's face. "I was quite surprised that you would defend him pro bono, Mr. Hobbs, given that he killed a relative of yours."

"Will did what he had to do, to keep Garret from murdering his daughter," Everett said briskly. "I don't have any anger towards him for doing what was right."

"Yes, it was the right thing to do." Lecter cleared his throat, the corners of his lips quirking in a wolfish sort of smile as he regarded Everett. "And now he himself is accused of killing her. A rather strange turn of events, don't you think?"

Everett wanted to snarl at the hideously ugly man standing in front of him, to tell him in no uncertain terms that he knew Will Graham was no murderer.

But he couldn't do that. Not yet. It wasn't the right time.

Oh, sooner or later he would let this monster know that he'd been discovered, and that there would soon be enough proof to put him behind bars for life.

But not now. Not yet. He had to gather that proof, and add it to the evidence he already had -- which was considerable. He'd kept it to himself for a very long time, rather than play his cards too soon and have the way forward blocked by a very clever killer.

He wasn't going to let Hannibal Lecter get away with what he'd done, either in the past or in the present. He was going to see that the bastard paid for his crimes.

Just looking at that death's-head of a face made him see red. In fact, he felt as though he was looking at the other man, his nemesis, through a red haze of anger that could quickly turn into unbridled rage if he didn't keep a tight rein on his emotions.

Everett took a deep breath, forcing a smile to his face. "Yes, it's an odd turn of events. But I don't believe that Will Graham is a killer, Dr. Lecter. And I don't think you do, either."

There. Let the murderous bastard chew on that for a while.

"I'm sure that we'll run into each other again, Mr. Hobbs." The voice was smooth and silky, with a heavy accent. He hated that voice, as well as that ugly face, Everett thought.

"I'm sure we will. Good day, Dr. Lecter." Everett turned and went into the building, trying to keep his anger from showing on his face. He was sure that Lecter had been here to see Will, to gloat over the young man's imprisonment, to pour more poison and lies into his ear.

The fact that Lecter was even allowed anywhere near Will made him see red. But he had to let that haze of anger lift before he was in his client's presence.

Everett had to stop before he went through the doors, taking a few deep breaths and waiting until he felt less angry. He didn't want to talk to Will when he felt like this; he wanted to be clear and focused when they were speaking about the case, to concentrate on the here and now.

Seeing red wasn't going to do either of them any good, he told himself firmly as he pushed open the doors and entered the building. Even though at the moment, it was bloody hard for him not to.

***