Exousía
Prologue
Do you know what "Exousía" means?
It's the Greek word for "power".
Power can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. But the definition of power I am referring to is the kind of force that makes you tremble in its presence.
And nothing spelled power better than the man walking down the ISI hallway absolutely pissed. His combat boots thumping against the ground with every step.
His tatted arms were intimidating and so were his charcoal eyes. With each step he took, the people around him whispered more. People crowded each part of the hallway to make way for the man.
Atlas Levison. Captain of the Pyro Unit. The highest-ranking agent currently in the building except for the higher-ups and the commander-in-chief. The ones he was on his way to meet.
The building was a secret underground base where new agents were trained and where large meetings were held. I.S.I- Italian Secret Intelligence.
When the agents were ready they would be assigned to one of the five units. Vince, Paradox, Hector, Pyro, or Cyan.
Vince unit contained all the assassin-type agents. The Paradox unit had all the tech geniuses, Hector unit was for defense. And Atlas's unit Pyro was known for its immense attack power. The only unit with the highest offense skills. And as for Cyan, it was the unit people least knew about. The only thing they knew was that this unit was based on the most secretive undercover agents. Their Infos were highly confidential and only the higher-ups knew about them.
Not many Cyan squad members socialized with other unit members mostly because they were stationed all across the country. And nobody has ever seen the top agents of Cyan, nevertheless the captain.
Pyro and Cyan being the two top units, had invincible track records.
The two units were always neck to neck when it came to achievements and always at the top of their game. No one in the history of I.S.I have seen the two units fall short even in the slightest. Their rankings and skills always the best.
Hence making Atlas one of the most influential and powerful men in the association.
The tall ravenette walked with vigor, tongue rolling at the interior of his cheek. He was in a bad mood since this morning. His coffee machine broke and now he had to walk into a meeting with a massive headache.
Each step held purpose as the male walked swiftly past the curious eyes of the trainees and changed his direction to the left hallway and barging in straight into the meeting room.
officials
"Glad you made it captain Levison"
The voice of one of the officials greeted the ravenette as soon as he barged in. The male didn't heed them any mind and just sat down on one of the conference chairs with the most boring face anyone has ever been able to muster.
The officials just sighed. They were too used to his behavior to even care at this point. (He was in a bad mood rather too often)
Atlas
"Are you going to tell me why I'm here instead of punching a bag at the gym?"
The captain asked the officials. The elderly men and women sighed at his behavior. The commander-in-chief looked like he was about to bust a nerve. And it was only seven in the morning.
Sam
"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed"
A mocking voice was heard from behind the ravenette. The all too familiar voice making Atlas clench his jaw tightly.
All turned to the newly arrived male. The blonde was standing tall and proud with his head held high. His body frame wasn't as nearly as bulky as Atlas's but God knows this man could do some serious damage.
None of them said a word as he walked in with a smug face. It was safe to say the officials would prefer Atlas's rude ass over this individual any day.
The captain of the Vince unit Sam Levoy. He was like a sly fox and took pleasure in making people angry. Especially Atlas. He just couldn't shut up and stop provoking him. He was infamous for that.
And Atlas didn't know why this guy was still the captain of an assassin unit with such a repulsive personality. Yes, Atlas was rude and blunt most of the time but he didn't voluntarily go around ruining people's day. He kept to himself and his work, unlike Sam.
officials
"Do you have anything you would like to discuss with us, captain Levoy?"
One of the ladies asked, her aged blue eyes piercing through the male's face.
Sam
"I wanted to talk about getting my unit a bit more resources,"
Sam said smugly. Atlas could almost hear the frustration radiating off of the others. He would be too in their position honestly. This was the third time he has asked for more resources in the span of one year.
No unit needed that many resources, but Sam seemed to believe he would be on top of the others if his squad had more.
Atlas's charcoal eyes observed the people around him, noting down the way their eyes twitched to how they shifted in their seats.
officials
"if you wish to apply for more resources then please write a report to the commander and he shall decide the rest. You should know this protocol by now"
The same lady said straight to Sam's face. The captain visibly deflated a little.
Atlas internally smirked at the reaction.
officials
"if that is all then you may leave"
The lady interrupted him and ended the conversation.
Sam just huffed and walked out grumbling underneath his breath. Once the captain of Vince was gone, the commander locked the door and sat down beside the raven.
commander
"You and I are gonna have a little talk after this"
The commander whispered sharply against the ravenette's ear. Atlas groaned as he knew what was going to come next.
officials
"Captain Levison"
One of the officials called out to him. The raven snapped his head towards them and his face turned serious. His professionalism kicked in once they started to explain the reason behind his visit.
commander
"Take a look at this picture"
The commander slid a photograph towards him. The raven scanned the individual's face carefully. His eyes roaming around every visual key he could find.
commander
"This is Simon kelsey,"
officials
"Have you heard the recent news?"
One elderly official spoke.
Atlas
"What do you mean specifically?"
The raven rose an eyebrow.
officials
"The minister of defense was murdered. And this man is confirmed to be the killer"
Atlas's eyes widened slightly before going back to normal. His eyes landed back on the photo once more trying to burn it into his brain.
Atlas
"Am I going to be capturing him?"
commander
"For now, no. You will be stationed in a location near his last quadrants. We want you to monitor him closely till further orders."
Atlas
"He is the murderer of one of the high-rank ministers in our nation and I am to only monitor him?"
commander
"The matter is recent and the investigation is still going to see if he has stolen anything from the minister's files. He held a lot of confidential files in his mansion, so we must take cautious steps. We don't know how dangerous this situation could turn out".
Atlas said as he read through the male's file.
officials
"So, do you accept the mission?"
One lady official asked with a light smile on her lips. Atlas chuckled lightly,
Atlas
"oh, I have a choice in this, do I?"
The raven said sarcastically because he knew the moment he stepped into this room his mission was set.
officials
"no. Not really."
The raven just signed at their amused expressions and laid back on his chair. His dark eyes stared at them in a new sparkle.
Atlas
"I accept this mission"
He declared and stood with his file and left after giving one last glance.
Chapter 1
commander
"Alright Levison, sit your ass down"
The chief ordered his subordinate. Atlas just sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in the office. The raven knew what was coming after this.
Every time Atlas misbehaved he'd get an hour's worth of lecture. So the agent was preparing himself.
commander
"Did you read through the file thoroughly?"
The chief asked instead. Atlas was very confused since this has never happened before. He was sure he'd get an earful today.
He shortly answered. The commander hummed and sat across from him.
commander
"I know what you're thinking, but this case is too important than a scolding that I know, falls into deaf ears"
The chief deadpanned. Atlas just grinned slightly.
commander
"Your coordinates have already been set. You'll be leaving immediately. That's why I needed to talk to you a bit. Make sure your cover doesn't get blown. No one should even suspect you. We want you to monitor the convict's every move. And mail me a daily report"
Atlas nodding along to everything he said, making sure to memorize every instruction.
Atlas again shortly replied.
commander
"Get going then. The car is already on its way so start packing accordingly"
And with that Atlas was free to go.
Usually, the initial moving to a different quadrant in an undercover mission would take a week or a little less than a week. But due to this being a high-profile case with a higher threat ratio, this mission had to be executed immediately.
So just as expected, Atlas was in front of his new apartment complex in less than six hours. he was in the B section of the King castle neighborhood in unit no. 436.
The raven pulled up his hood a bit more before he unlocked the door and walked in. He put his bag down near the doorframe and started taking off his shoes. But he froze in his tracks once he saw the pair of big doe eyes staring at him.
The petit woman had honey brown hair and a very pretty face. A little too pretty to be human. Shorts and a loose t-shirt making her look small. She was holding up a frying pan as if she would throw it at the raven any moment. But seeing her posture Atlas could determine that the latter was too in shock to actually do anything.
The sight was more adorable than frightening really. At least for the buff dude with the most intimidating aura on the planet.
The two said at the same time. Atlas was surprised at how deep the stranger's voice was in contrast to her baby face.
？？？
"This is my apartment"
Atlas
"This is my apartment"
The two again replied in unison.
？？？
"Your apartment? What are you talking about?!"
Atlas
"Your apartment? What are you talking about?!"
They were so in sync by now that it looked rather comical.
Atlas
"I just moved in. My contract is already signed and paid for. Who the hell are you?"
Atlas asked now disrupting their synchronization. The brown-head blinked cutely and tilted her head. The gesture was far too adorable for a grown woman.
？？？
"Mister, I've been living in this apartment for the past three years. What do you mean your contract is already signed and paid?"
The stranger asked innocently. To Atlas, who's been trained to know people by their body language, it was easily noticeable that the petit female wasn't lying.
With great confusion, Atlas pulled out his phone and politely told the other to wait a second. The stranger finally decided to put away the pan as well.
Atlas's phone rang and a familiar voice greeted him.
Atlas
"Dad! Why is there someone else in my apartment? Or should I ask why do I have the keys to someone else's apartment?"
The raven asked through gritted teeth though it was unnoticeable to others.
The chief from the other side laughed lightly.
commander
"I see they forgot to inform you. You'll be sharing an apartment with a civilian. Think of it as part of your undercover training. The person you're staying with doesn't know anything about you. So be careful"
With that, the commander hung up.
Atlas just stared at his locked phone for a few seconds with his jaw open. He couldn't believe what was going on right now. He was sent here to observe one of the most wanted criminals in the nation, and Atlas was supposed to stay at a civilian's house?!
A small voice snapped him out of his inner fit. The raven turned to the small woman in front of him who was smiling at him shyly and fiddling with her shirt.
The sight was too adorable. Atlas had a feeling "adorable" would be his most used word the entirety of his stay here.
'Why did she have to be this cute and innocent? Why couldn't she be a shallow brat? Now I can't even ignore her without feeling bad. Damn it!' the raven whined in his head.
He asked the pretty stranger.
？？？
"The landlord just texted me. It was partially my fault, I had given a notice that I wanted a roommate about a year ago due to some problems and I forgot to take the notice down. That's why this happened."
？？？
"And unfortunately there aren't any vacant apartments left. The construction of the new units will take a lot of time and since your contract is already official, we're kind of stuck together. So, I hope you wouldn't mind having me as a roommate. I'm terribly sorry. I promise to not cause you trouble!"
Atlas's new roommate blabbered out cutely.
Atlas couldn't help but admire how sweet the other was. Making it even harder for him to even think about ignoring the latter.
There was just something so sweet and innocent about the other that it made Atlas want to protect her. But he held himself well and not let his sudden feelings cloud his judgment.
Atlas
"I'm more than alright mam. I'm sorry for intruding on your space like this. I promise to not get in your way. Please take care of me."
Atlas said respectfully and bowed.
He lifted his head up when he heard a giggle.
？？？
"You're very nice compared to how you present yourself,"
The stranger remarked with a soft smile.
Atlas
"How do I present myself?"
Atlas asked with an eyebrow raised. The action for some reason making the brown-head flustered.
？？？
"Um, it's just that, you look unapproachable from the way you carry yourself. It is kind of intimidating. But you are actually very nice"
His roommate said hesitantly.
'if only she knew' Atlas thought to himself.
Atlas
"Thank you. I am Atlas. Atlas William. Pleased to meet"
He said and extended his hand for a handshake. His roommate beamed at him.
Ivy
"I'm Ivy Miller! Nice to meet you!"
Ivy introduced with a wide smile.
The smile was so contagious that Atlas found himself smiling too.
Ivy
"Let me show you your room,"
Ivy said and led him further inside.
And that is how the fate of two strangers tangled together.
chapter 2
Atlas woke up the next morning before the sun could even rise. His body moved like clockwork. After cleaning himself up he changed into workout clothes.
The raven walked out of the room while whistling a tune. His wristwatch told him it was four in the morning.
Ivy
"You seem to be in a good mood this morning Mr. William."
Ivy's sudden voice made him almost jump out of his skin. The raven stared at the brown-head with bewilderment
Atlas
"Ms. Miller, I thought you'd be sleeping this early in the morning"
Atlas said with an awkward smile.
Ivy
"so you were planning on going out while I was sleeping? Why? Do you not want to see me?"
She said and playfully pouted. The raven chuckled.
Atlas
. "That's not the case at all. I was going for a jog actually. I just didn't expect you to be up so early"
Ivy
"I always wake up early so I have time to do all my work. Did you sleep well?".
Atlas
"Yes, I slept just fine. This place is rather calm and quiet. It's a great environment to live in"
Ivy
"I'm glad you like it so far. Welp, you should get going for your jog. Do you want me to make breakfast for you as well?"
Atlas
"Oh no that's fine. Have a nice morning Ms. Miller"
Ivy
"You too. But are you sure you don't me to make you breakfast?"
Atlas
"Yes, it's not necessary. I'll see you around"
the raven said one last time and turned around.
The brown-head yelled slightly as the raven was closing the door. Atlas sighed before pulling his hood up and went into the elevator.
The sun was now slowly starting to rise as Atlas jogged casually around the neighborhood. Eyes taking in all the detail of his surroundings. His sneakers thumped against the pavement as he made his way to the other side of the King castle area.
He stood underneath a tree and held onto his knees and waited. Exactly five minutes later a man walked out of one of the buildings. With a gray tracksuit adorning his body the man started walking somewhere.
Atlas got to his feet and started following him. The raven's strides were intentional yet laid-back. His eye wandered around from time to time so the mysterious man wouldn't feel his stare.
The man walked into an alleyway where a few people could be seen talking or smoking around. The raven swiftly walked past them and saw the tracksuit male pull something out of his pocket and hand it to another man. The guy was tall with dark hair and a scar on his face.
The raven subtly took a picture of the interaction and walked away. His feet led him to a small Café near his apartment complex. He couldn't possibly let Ivy cook for him, so this was the next best option.
A small jingle of a bell alerted the people of his entry. Atlas casually walked and sat on a window seat. The menu looked pretty decent for such a small Café. Atlas's eyes roamed around the different items and prices before he decided on his order.
Ivy
"Hello sir, what would you like to have?"
A familiar voice spoke. And when he looked up he almost gasped.
He asked bewildered for the second time this morning.
Ivy
"Ah, Mr. William! So this is why you didn't want me making you breakfast"
Ivy said and pouted. Atlas was having a tough time not cooing.
Atlas
"It's not that. I just didn't want to bother you"
Ivy
"You're no bother. Never hesitate to ask me for something okay?"
She said unconsciously puckering her lips in a pout. Atlas chuckled once more,
Atlas
"alright. I didn't know you worked here though"
Ivy
"You don't know anything about me yet Mr. William. But I assure you we'll be great friends!"
Atlas
"I'm sure we will be"
Ivy
"Now, what did you want to order?"
Atlas
"One black coffee with no sugar and some apple Chaffles sound good,"
the raven said and put down the menu.
He received another bright smile and nod before the latter turned to ring his order.
Atlas sighed and leaned back against his chair as he looked at the outside view. King castle was a very serene place. Everything felt in harmony here.
Atlas
*"wish I could stay here forever"*
But Atlas knew that wasn't possible. His life was in constant danger and if he stayed here for the long term, other people would get hurt. And Atlas hated the thought of someone innocent getting hurt because of him. Especially someone like Ivy.
The deep voice chimed and snapped the raven out of his daze. He smiled towards the latter and took a sip of his coffee, letting the bitter taste linger in his tongue just like the truth.
He complimented only to see the brown-head's face scrunched up cutely in mild disgust.
Ivy
"How can you drink coffee without sugar or milk"
the brown-head again scrunched up her nose. Atlas chuckled at the action.
Atlas
"Are you judging me Ms. Miller?"
The raven asked while deepening his voice. The action seemed rather intimidating, though he didn't intend to be.
Ivy however just shrugged with a small "yep" and giggled. Atlas grinned and shook his head before dropping the argument.
Ivy
"Can I sit with you? I'm on my break and I was hoping we could know each other better. If that's okay with you that is"
The brown-head suddenly sounded shy. Atlas smiled
Atlas
"of course. Take a seat please,"
He said and gestured to the seat opposite to him. Ivy grinned widely before occupying the empty spot.
Ivy
"Did you meet with any people around here?"
Ivy asked. Atlas's mind instantly went to the guy he followed a few minutes ago.
Ivy
"You should interact more Mr. William,"
Atlas
"I'm not that good with people Ms. Miller"
Ivy tilted her head at the remark.
Ivy
"You seem to be doing just fine with me. Making good friends never hurts Mr. William. Besides, you never know when they could come in handy"
Atlas just hummed and ate his food. The bell suddenly rang signifying someone's entry. Ivy's eyes traveled to the door so she could greet the customer but a large smile adorned her instead.
A cheerful voice greeted that made Atlas turn around as well.
A male with bright red hair and equally bright personality was smiling wide at the brown-head.
Ivy
"Hi brother! How was the trip?"
Ivy replied just as brightly and stood up to hug the latter.
？？？
"It was good. We had lots of fun. We missed you there though"
The red-head pouted exaggeratedly.
Ivy
"No way was I going to crash your family outing josh!"
The brown-head exclaimed and laughed.
Josh
"Oh, who's this Ivy? A new friend?"
The redhead asked gesturing towards the raven. Atlas just blinked at them confused.
Ivy
"Let me introduce you guys! Josh, this is Atlas William. He's my new roommate who moved in yesterday. And Ms. William, this is Joshua Collis. My brother"
Atlas stood up to give Josh a handshake.
He said before he was unexpectedly pulled in for a hug.
Josh
"Good to meet you too brother. Take care of Ivy for me"
Josh said after they pulled away. Atlas blinked,
Ivy
"joshh~ I can take care of myself"
Josh
"Aww, of course, you can dear~"
Josh cooed and pinched the other's cheeks then laughed when Ivy whined some more.
The redhead again turned to Atlas and patted his shoulder before whispering in his ear
Josh
"take care of her okay?"
Before leaving for the counter not waiting for an answer. Atlas turned to Ivy bewildered as the latter smiled at him cheekily
Ivy
"now you have a new friend".
Another customer came in the next second and Ivy went to take their order, leaving Atlas standing there blinking.
Atlas
"Why did it feel like I got the elder brother's approval?"
Atlas mumbled and thought to himself deeply before shaking his thoughts away and finishing his breakfast.
That night the raven sat down on his laptop writing his first report. Ivy was fast asleep in her room, so Atlas took his time to complete the full mail.
Attaching the picture he took this morning he sent the email and logged into a tab. He popped in his earphones and leaned back against the headboard and listened to the voice recordings of the wiretaps he set before coming here.
The night was still young.
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