broken pieces {odysseus one-shot}

[Knuckles]

Odysseus Hammerfell-Alezander

After leaving Orion behind in the justice center, anger surged throughout my entire body. Specks of red flashed before my eyes, and right away my fist connected squarely with a concrete wall. Shock waves of pain ricocheted deep into my spine. Red droplets trickled from my knuckles running over my dark skin before dropping towards the ground. Peacekeepers swarmed me. All of them standing with their beady eyes fixed on me. "Do you have a problem?" My voice quiet as I turn to each of them waiting for an answer. One of them moves towards me, and the same fist that just connected with the concrete wall slams into his jaw. I can feel it crack. I can see the tears sitting on the brim of his eyes. A large grin laced with malice twist its way across my face. "I didn't fucking think so."

It's quiet. None of them say a word as they stare at me in disbelief. Yes, assaulting a peacekeeper is wrong, but right now I don't care. Let them shoot me. Let them kill me. Let them tear my hide with a whip they have lurking somewhere hidden deep in the district. Isn't that what Orion wanted? To die? To suffer? To have the rest of the family suffer? Might as well make it worth while. Make myself feel the pain because right now all I can feel is a broken heart hammering rapidly behind my chest. I told him I respected his decision, but I don't right now. He volunteered to die. Hell, if he wanted to die, all he had to do was steal a gun from the peacekeepers and shoot himself in the face. Wouldn't it be easier? Wouldn't it have saved me the pain of watching the tributes tear him apart like I want the peacekeepers to do to me right now? It's one question I'll never know because he choose the stupidest route possible. I want to hate him, but I can't. He's my family. He's all that I have left.

The sound of my feet pounding against the ground echo loudly with every step I take. My hands swinging rapidly by my side. Each person who stands in my way moves before I can reach them. My eyes narrow as beads of sweat roll down my face. Tears sit on the brim of my eyes, but I blink them away because crying for a coward is pointless. He's leaving me for the last time. He's leaving me because he's selfish. He never once asked for help. He never tried. All he did was sit alone crying over Mason. Losing Mason was one of the hardest things in the world, and now I have to watch the only remaining piece of my sanity battle through the games hoping he somehow returns home alive, but he just flat out said he wouldn't kill anyone. Not a single person. Giving up on him isn't an option though. Letting him find his own way is now the only option. Maybe my words will help him. Maybe he'll understand that I need him. That I don't want him to die. Oh what am I playing at? He won't ever understand because it's too late.

People stand around chatting with one another, and this kid stops in my path. Without missing a beat, I stop in front of him. Anger radiating from somewhere deep within as my eyes lock on his. "If you know what's best for you, you'll get out of my way." I hiss before shifting my gaze elsewhere. Within in seconds my path is clear once more. The sounds of him blubbering ring through my ears, but it doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore because if I don't get my hands on a sword within a matter of seconds, the tears will roll from my eyes, and everyone will see me as a weakling, and that's the last thing I want. My goal is for everyone to see me as a strong being. One that doesn't break with family goes into the games. One that doesn't break for anything. Stone encases my heart making it strong, and on the outside that's how my buddies know me. A cold person with a heart of stone, but today the stone case shattered. My true emotions showed. Thankfully only Orion saw them.

I'm alone. Standing on a desolate street with my favorite gym standing in front of me, and I'm running with all that I have left inside. My lungs screaming for air as I frantically search around praying that nobody sees me. Inside hides my favorite weapon. A sword. One that I know how to use. One that I'll always use while I'm standing at home, and on the opposite side of the sword sits dummies waiting the torture. Waiting to be torn limb from limb. I push through the double doors in front of me. Tears leak from my eyes, yet somehow, using every ounce of strength, I manage to push them away. No more roll from my eyes. My hand wraps around the hilt of the sword lifting it from the weapon rack. Fixing my gaze on one of the dummy standing across of me, I turn towards it. Sword raised high in the air, and I charge. Swinging with all my might. Tearing the dummy to pieces. The sound of it breaking brings music to my ears, but suddenly it's all gone.

The sword clashes against the ground in a split second, and I'm staring at the mess caused by my own hands, and all I can see is the mangled body of Mason resting in the snow after the feast. After everyone else fled. Alone as he died, and his face quickly changes to the smiling face of Orion. My heart rips in half. The weight of the world forces my knees to give way sending me crashing towards the ground. On my hands and knees, I crawl away from the dummy heading towards the furthest corner of the room. Resting my back against the white wall, I bring my knees to my chest before laying my head down on them, and every bit of pain flows through my ears. All I can hear echoing throughout the gym is violent sobs escaping from my lips, and I only hope that nobody walks inside. That nobody sees me at my weakest because they'll only kick me further.