James
#3 of The Hunter and The Rabbit
Part 3 of this suddenly Chaptered Work of mine! Whoop?
Nothing exciting, actually, now that I look at it. Oh well.
Day had begun to break the dark horizon, the early rays of the rising sun peaking over and bathing Rejalion in the warm light of morning. Upon a rooftop not far from the edge of the Factory District, a young man, with skin as pale as the clouds, hair as fair as gold and eyes like the cerulean sea, sat at a lonesome table with only one other seat beside his own, the table standing only a metre away from the edge of the rooftop railing.
The man wore a clean and rich blue-dyed cotton suit with matching white shoes and tie, with a silver watch around his left wrist as he watched the dawn of the new day. His right hand rested on the table's marble-like surface, and beside it sat a full glass of sparkling white wine, an empty antique bottle just next to it. The young man often glanced away from the horizon to the expanse of rooftop that was so barren and empty, and always were his eyes drawn back to the empty seat beside him as he waited, the very quiet allowing him to hear and feel the ticking of his watch.
Down below, Axel walked on towards the building with his hands chained behind his back, his head downcast and his eyes hollow, as if the windows to his soul were broken... Shattered by the man behind him that held his chains attached to his belt.
A man in a black suit with black sunglasses stood at the door. The man nodded and opened the classic elevator doors when he saw Axel and the Hunter approach. Axel's blank expression didn't change as the both of them stepped towards the elevator.
"Watch your step..."
Axel glanced at the Hunter suddenly as he heard him speak, a shocked look crawling into his expression as he felt bewildered at how soft and gentle the hunter's voice was. The man's face itself was calm and relaxed, very much unlike the sadist mask he had worn the night before, a look that Axel could remember so vividly as his own screams echoed from far away.
It was as if he was an entirely different person with the same appearance...
"What are you waiting for?" The man then asked. Axel realized he had stopped, and he shook his head apologetically without a word, before stepping onto the elevator. The Hunter tilted his head, but chose not to break the silence. He stepped onto the elevator beside Axel as the bodyguard closed the classical iron elevator doors behind them with a bolt. The Hunter nodded to him and pushed a button on the panel in the wall of the elevator.
Axel jumped slightly as the machinery of the elevator clanked to life, his chains slightly rattling for a moment before the Hunter grabbed the chains to deaden the sound. Axel looked at him for a moment once more, but the Hunter's face was unchanged, and his eyes stared out towards the view before them, just on the other side of protective metal framing for the elevator. Axel glanced out towards the city as well, the morning light a blessing to his eyes and the sound of early traffic a slight grace to his ears, his eyes drooping a little dreamily.
Axel hadn't slept at all through the night, even as he was given the opportunity to do so after being captured. A full three or four hours were wasted feeling broken and shattered like glass, wrapped in cold chains while his captor watched him.
Why didn't he sleep...? Axel wondered now. When I was so wrapped in chains with no escape... Why? The Elevator coming to an abrupt halt cut Axel away from his thoughts, and he realized they were final at the top. The Hunter turned around and opened the doors to the rooftop, and glanced at Axel, ushering him through with a gesture. Axel hesitated for a bare moment, before stepping out.
The young man at the table looked up towards the elevator as Axel and the Hunter stepped outside. The finely dressed man smiled and picked up his wine glass, twirling it slightly to circulate the sparkling wine inside, as if to make his poshness ever more obvious.
A gentle breeze blew that licked at Axel's fur through the tears in his clothing, and Axel shivered a little, pausing in his footstep. The Hunter bumped into him with a gentle grunt, and he tilted his head. Axel bowed his head apologetically once more, before stepping forward again, scared of being punished. The Hunter said nothing, and simply followed Axel onward towards the man at the table.
The rich man at the table chuckled.
"Well done, Chase Kruger." He began aloud, his voice as silky soft as his wealthy garb. "You managed to recover a significant part of our investment towards Project TGM. I'm impressed." He praised, standing up from his seat as Chase and Axel stopped only a metre away from him. "On behalf of the Maximillian Corporation, I thank you for your services." He said, taking a courteous bow. Chase simply smirked.
"You can take a seat, Mr. Rinsford. You just look silly bowing to the likes of me." Chase retorted. Mr. Rinsford chuckled and did as Chase told him, taking a sip from his glass as he sat down.
"You're a rather humorous man. I hope we do business in the future, Mr. Kruger." Mr. Rinsford murmured softly as Chase sat Axel down at the table as well, the confused rabbit looking up at Chase in wondering as Chase put a hand on the table surface to lean on it. He then noticed the empty wine bottle as well and picked it up, looking over the aged label.
"I see you've mostly finished the bottle. Not very sporting of you to leave me without a glass for myself." Chase jested.
"Oh?" Mr. Rinsford tilted his head curiously and held out the glass in his hand. "In that case, feel free to take my glass if you please." He offered. "I insist, since real wine is hard to come by these days. You most certainly deserve it." Mr. Rinsford noted.
Chase smirked and took the glass out of Mr. Rinsford's hand. Axel watched as Chase brought the brim of the cup to his lips, and started to chug away rather than take a sip. Mr. Rinsford's expression didn't change as he glanced out to the horizon, the sound of Chase's gulping loud and clear as the wind blew gently once more, sending further shivers up Axel's spine.
Chase put the glass down gently on the table when he was finished, a sigh of satisfaction.
"I think I might keep the bottle and glass, if you don't mind Mr. Rinsford..." Chase said with a small smile. Mr Rinsford chuckled.
"As you wish. Just call me James from now on. Charmed." He replied. Chase folded his arms behind his head with a happy sigh once more.
He then glanced at Axel, who stared down at the table surface sadly, and the smile faded from Chase's face.
"I won't keep you long then, James. I'll take my money, bottle and glass, and leave you two to it." Chase murmured. James paused for a moment, and then nodded in understanding. He reached out under the table and procured a bag packed with stacks of C100 bills, plopping it onto the table and smiling once more.
Chase picked up a few stacks, flicking through the bills to check them out. Once he was satisfied, he slung the bag over his shoulder and picked up the glass and bottle, putting the empty bottle in his bag.
"A pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Kruger." James then said. Chase nodded with a smug look as he unclipped the chain on his belt and passed it to James.
"You have a nice day now, and we'll see each other again maybe." Chase said in farewell. James chuckled and waved goodbye. Axel simply stared at the chain in the businessman's assumedly pitiful grip, and began contemplating escape.
But Axel's hope was a fleeting dream, and he cast his head down as a helicopter came around towards the building. James stood up and tugged on the chain slightly, pulling Axel out of his seat suddenly.
"Looks like you're going back to your subject cell, little brat." James murmured with slight contempt, as Axel glared at him with anger to match. The helicopter landed on the roof, and James pulled Axel along towards it, the both of them boarding before the helicopter began to make its leave once more.
Axel sat down and looked out the open door of the helicopter as the rotors began to howl. Axel watched as Chase entered the elevator once more, and as he closed the doors behind him, the helicopter set flight and departed from the rooftop, sailing over the city in a matter of moments. Axel sat back in his seat once more, closing his eyes and just waiting to be returned to the imprisonment he tried so hard to escape.
What... Am I meant to do now?