in the eye of the storm {cato}

Odysseus Hammerfell-Alezander

Every hair stood on end as tears silently fell down his face. For Odysseus, it was a good thing the rain blotched his view making the tears invisible. A broken heart leaped into the back of his throat with each crack of thunder. It's impossible. The single phrase barely made sense anymore, and the longer he stood outside the door, the faster reality set in. It was late, and he knew Derek and his family were most likely sleeping, yet he went there anyway. Odysseus had no place to turn, no place to run, and right now all he had was the hope his friend would answer just like all the other times.

With each flash of lightning, he began wondering if it was worth it anymore. Surely all it took was holding onto a metal pole and a bolt of lightning, but only cowards ran from the reality the world placed them in.

It's impossible.

His heart clawed at his ribs begging for an escape, but before he could turn around, the door swung open. Time stopped, and in that brief second the world ceased to exist, but the normal smile that spread across his face when he looked his friend in the eye didn't happen. Odysseus met Derek with a crooked, broken grin -

"Yeah, come on in buddy."

It was all he needed to hear before stepping sloppily into the house. His shoes squished with water, and he was sure his feet were cracking from it, but that wasn't what he was there for. Rumors ran wild, and Odysseus wanted to shut them down, to pretend they weren't real. It's impossible.

But was it?

What if the rumors were true?

Blinking a couple times, he took the coat with a nod of the head and started drying himself off. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the floor, and get Derek's family caught. "Thanks." He muttered almost inaudibly. So much was happening, so much was racing through his mind, but for the first time Odysseus was afraid. Every breath caught in the back of his throat as he placed his hands on his knees.

"Something's happened, Derek. Something bad. Something so bad." His voice was quick and laced with panic. "Rumors going around. People talking. A war has been started. I don't know what to do man, but I'm going to find the culprit even if it's the last thing I do." His entire body shook as his hands balled into fists. "I'll kill them for it."

Odysseus Hammerfell-Alezander

The glass quivered inside the frames, and with each flash of lightning, Odysseus glared at the droplets of rain dripping endlessly outside. It felt like a horror story he read before - terrible things always happened when a storm raged outside. Time wasn't on his side, and the longer he waited the less likely he was to find who did it. But Derek didn't understand, and the confusion radiated from his body. His facial expressions said it all; Odysseus threw his hands up. Of course killing someone wasn't worth it, it never was, but what about what had happened? The rumors, what if they were true? They didn't care about it. They didn't care about the pain brought from it, so what was the purpose in playing nice?

And why would Derek assume it was directed at the peacekeepers?

It was something Odysseus would never forget. Peacekeepers showing up at his house, escorting him to the justice building, then sending him off to the detention center. He should've died inside, but somehow he survived. He made it back home, and trouble found him once more. Yes, punching the peacekeeper in the face gave him relief, but it wasn't worth it in the long run.

But right now wasn't about getting revenge on the peacekeepers. It wasn't about fighting for the blood his family shed many times. It was about seeking the truth. Odysseus was the judge and the executioner, and right now it was time for people to pay for their sins.

A heavy sigh left his chest before he turned his attention to his friend;

"No, it's not always the right answer, but it has to happen. I'm not afraid of them. I'm not afraid of the peacekeepers. I'm not worried about them killing me. Something happened, Derek, and I'm going to tell you what the rumors are." He was on his feet within a matter of seconds, steam rolling from his ears. "I was at a bar, like I normally am at night, and people were talking. Eyes were on me, and it's like they expected me to know, but I didn't know, and they told me and I found out." Odysseus continued on sharing more about the rumor. The longer he carried on the more tense his body became, but soon he reached the end. "I don't know who did it, but I'm going to find out, and I am going to kill them. I'm going to make them pay for everything they have done. I'm not going to sit back as a coward anymore. I can't let it happen again."

He sat back down on the couch.

"If it's a war they want, they've got it."