[PRIVATE: DGFone & Thewhistlerify]

[DGFone]

Delano tensed when Hatari jumped off the branch, a part of him still afraid of being attacked. However, Hatari didn't do much other than to start pacing back and forth, and so Delano was able to get a grip on himself. It also looked like Lina was feeling confident enough to let go of him, which he used to roll over to a more comfortable position.

Taking some time to think properly, Delano was still coming up with blanks. "When... when you were still, you know... working for him, was there anyone else?" he asked eventually, "was there anyone who acted like they really wanted him around?"

[TheWhistlerify]

Looking at Delano, Hatari sat down and shook his head. "Not even a single individual, as far as I'm concerned." he said. "Everyone was either too scared to so much as give him a funny look or were also keen on getting rid of him so that they could take his place." The former member of the underworld doubted that this information was unexpected, as both Lina and her mate didn't look very surprised.

"Assuming some goon did want him to live, they shouldn't be in any position of real power that would allow them to achieve this without attracting any attention..." He continued, before finally remembering that disturbing visitation he'd received just a few days ago. Hatari himself had said that pulling something like this off would require help from the police elite... "Tell me," he said, his expression unreadable. "What do you think of the new Chief of Police? Kato always complains he doesn't like him when he comes to see me." And then there was his own encounter with the lion... But Kato has yet to visit him since then so he hasn't told the prince about it.

[DGFone]

While Delano was hoping that Hatari would have an idea on who it might be, he was disappointed to to find out that the other lion also didn't have any ideas. It wasn't unexpected, because now that he was starting to finally let go of his fears that it was Hatari all along, he knew that it would have been very unlikely to be someone who was with Sanders from the beginning. No, it had to be someone new and unheard of, who can keep their head down.

So Hatari asked about the new Chief, at which pint, Delano froze. The replacement had always seemed to him him as an odd fellow, which had struck him as odd for someone at such a position. Letting out a loud curse, surprising both Lina and Hatari, Delano stared at the ground. his mind racing. "That crazy guy? No! It can't be! It... it can't be!" But as he was saying this, he couldn't come up with anyone else, and as much as he hated to admit it, the lion just seemed crazy enough to do something like that.

[TheWhistlerify]

At first Hatari had expected Delano and Lina to know nothing about the new Chief of Police, seeing how they and Muroki obviously didn't want much to do with the organization anymore, so he was surprised when Akili's father suddenly cursed in frustration, letting the former member of the underworld know that he and Lina had in fact met him before. "So you've met him, then."

"Somethings just might be wrong with his head..." said Lina, her tone indicating that she was stating her opinion rather gently. "And saying that Kato dislikes him is quite the understatement..." He really did seem like someone who could do this, not to mention that he was very much in a position that would allow him to achieve that goal and get away with it.

"He's nuts." said Hatari bluntly. "Trust me on this one; he was here just a few days ago."

[DGFone]

Delano remembered how much Kato would complain about the lion, but didn't know if he agreed with Lina in that he just might be jumping to conclusions again. Although, he really did want to find out who might be responsible, now that Hatari mentioned that it could be the replacement, now suddenly everything was in fact pointing to him.

However, a part of him was still lingering on that Hatari could be in on it as well, so when the exile mentioned that the new Chief had visited recently, he felt his anger and distrust rise up again. Letting out a low growl, he turned towards Hatari. "What did you just say? What did he want from you? You... so you were part of this after all-" He lunged at Hatari, only to be intercepted by Lina and pinned to the ground again, struggling to get free.

[TheWhistlerify]

Hatari couldn't help but roll his eyes as Delano's anger and agitation once again got out of control, but luckily Lina interfered and stopped him from doing anything stupid so the former member of the underworld didn't have to do it himself. "In the position you are in now I could snap your spine with my jaws so easily..." He muttered, slightly tilting his head and blinking a few times. "Crush it, in fact. But let's not get carried away here." Standing back up and leaving that indirect warning as another example of how he'd had opportunities to attack in which he hadn't, he resumed his pacing.

"Yes, he was here." he said, stopping in front of the waterhole to briefly stare at his own reflection. That was clearly the most disturbing conversation he's ever had. "I can read you like an open book." he added, referring to his deduction about Delano's thoughts just earlier. "And after encountering him for the first time I can say that that lion is a sadistic, twisted maniac. It would shock me if Sanders really is alive without his involvement..." A brief silence followed. "Maybe he was here to form an opinion of me. Or just mess with me for his own amusement..." That could definitely be it. "Let me remind you that Sanders hates me just as much..."

[DGFone]

Held down by Lina, Delano felt completely helpless as Hatari slowly approached, and seemed to take great enjoyment in threatening and showing him just how much more powerful Hatari was at the moment. It was all to easy to see again the murderous lion who was still known as Gakuru standing where Hatari was, and so Delano had to close his eyes in fear to clear the image away. When he opened them again, the lion had walked off to pace back and forth again.

Trying to take his mind away from the fear he just felt, he again wanted to get to the bottom of what he saw earlier today. "So... what exactly did he say? Did he want anything from you or what?" he finally managed to ask, although he wasn't able in hiding just how much Hatari had just scared him.

[TheWhistlerify]

Looking at Delano in the corner of his eye for a brief moment as Lina silently comforted him, Hatari really hated having to recall his conversation with that new chief of police. "It was as if he wanted to know whether I'd really moved on or not..." he said eventually. "Told me that no one really changes and asked me if I miss the way they screamed..." The former member of the underworld shook his head for a second or two. "You don't want to see the smile he had on his face... He was enjoying every second of it... It seemed like he knew everything about him but I honestly don't recall ever meeting him before..." Sanders being alive could explain that, though.

[DGFone]

While Lina perhaps didn't know what smile Hatari was talking about, Delano knew all to well. He had seen it on Hatari himself, a sight that had haunted him ever since, and was one of the many things that prevented him from being able to ever truly let go of his reservations of the other lion.

So hearing Hatari himself describe another lion as having the same kind of twisted humor was the last thing he wanted to hear. "So it really is him, isn't it?" Delano asked quietly, wishing more than ever that this whole thing was just his imagination. How would anyone believe them if they will try to talk? They might get laughed out into exile, or worse, executed for trying to brand someone high up a traitor. There wasn't anything he could think of that he could do.

[TheWhistlerify]

Hatari sighed as he sat down, rubbing the back of his head with a paw as he did. "If Sanders is alive," he said, still not allowing his mind to focus on the danger that such a situation would put him in, "then I would be very much surprised if the Chief isn't involved." A short pause followed. "Even if he's not alive, I don't think that having such a lion in this position is a good idea..." Whatever his intentions might be, Sanders or no Sanders, he had a very bad feeling about him.