OPEN — there was a cat that really was gone

[Atticus Roux]

As his brother spoke, Atticus cowered in fear. The empathy Ivan once held visibly slipped away. With every word, he plead for his brother's mercy. His eyes watered. Similar to his mother's death, the world felt like it was crumbling around him. He felt his chest cave in and his legs grow weak, guilt overtaking his system. The extroverted boy was holding himself back, allowing his brother to stick daggers in his back and claw at his mind. Atticus was allowing himself to succumb. Did he deserve to suffer for abandoning them? Survivor's guilt said so. After all, the torture Ivan endowed on him continued.

Something had changed though. Ivan's intelligence no longer dominated the situation, but instead he threw out a final hypothetical question with damning rage. Atticus hesitated, blinded by his own bewilderment. Before he could reply, the flash of sharp teeth and ivory claws came his way. The Pittians who tried to step in were unsuccessful. Their timely arrivals were too late. Unable to dodge, his brother's claws sliced through his face. He bowled over onto the floor with a thud and let out a cry. Every slash of Ivan's claws caused him to beg, scream, and yowl for forgiveness. "Brother, p-please," he muttered weakly.

His own hesitance soon faded and adrenaline fueled his need to escape. Atticus' patience was wearing thin. Finding no end to the madness, he attempted to kick at Ivan's chest and proceed to pull away. The bleeding kitten rolled over onto his paws, pushing himself to a standing position. Despite The Pittian's now behind him and trying to intervene, the kitten remained in place. His pained expression faded. Concealed rage overtook his system, slowly driving him towards Ivan. Claws slowly escaped their sheaths, dwindling over the thought of digging in. The sides of his maw pulled back, revealing stained teeth. A low growl left him. "Go home, Ivan," Atticus spat, saliva and blood shooting towards his brother. "Now."

Despite Gael's request to step back, the kitten remained in his place. Unwavering yellow eyes glared up at Ivan. "My brother-" His voice faltered, thinking back to when Ivan told him he lost a brother. It was unclear to him whether he meant Winston or Atticus, but he took it personally nevertheless. "-is angry because I had the pleasure of watching our mother DIE." Sarcasm riddled his tone. Tears welled up in his gaze. "He doesn't understand I left to escape the reminder of her, our papa's wrathful sorrow, and his ill-conceived intelligence." He choked, ears pinning to the back of his head. "Can't you see?" he called out. At this time, he was addressing Ivan directly again.