A Mockingbird In The Crows Nest

Tommy's First Patrol

"So." Hypnos says, the moment the elevator shuts- and Tommy tenses. "What time did you get to the gym this morning?"

Tommy didn't really want to tell him what time he got to the gym. Sure, there was nothing wrong with him getting to the gym a little after 4- but for some reason, Tommy felt like Hypnos wouldn't be too thrilled with him if he knew. But before he could respond, Hypnos continued.

"Erebus said he found you there around 5:30, but he left at 8." He said, his tone seemingly calm. "But then Soulfire found you there at 11. So how long were you at the gym for?"

Tommy shifts on his feet, keeping his eyes on the floors. "Um..5 hours? Maybe 6? I'm not sure, honestly..I wasn't really paying attention."

"What time did you get to the gym?"

He shifted on his feet, debating on whether or not he should tell the truth. Technically, he's supposed to be pulling long hours during training, right? That's what the villains did. He had to do a certain amount of hours per week, but it didn't matter how you got it done. Once, Tommy stayed up for nearly 48 hours to finish his training hours on time. But still..For whatever reason, he felt like Hypnos would be upset if he knew.

But he also had the feeling that the man would know if he was lying. So, he sucked in a breath and said "..A little after 4."

Hypnos was silent for a moment.

Then, "4 am?" Tommy nodded, and the hero took a deep, deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Uh oh.

"Tommy," He flinched, pressing his wings against his back. "That's nearly 7 hours. Please tell me you at least ate breakfast before you went there."

Tommy shrugged, picking at his nails. "I had a protein bar before Erebus got there..And I had energy supplements once or twice..It's fine."

"It's not fine." Hypnos stresses, and Tommy winces again. "You can't just..." He waved a hand vaguely. "Disappear into the gym for 7 hours. Not only would no one have known where you were if Erebus hadn't found you; but it's also unhealthy for someone to train for 7 hours with no real breaks."

It's not like I'm not used to it . He thinks, bitterly.

What right did this hero have to scold him like this? He hasn't even been here for 2 weeks- how dare he scold Tommy for training? Is it stupid for him to be angry about something like this? Probably, but he's stressed, ok? He's in the middle of enemy territory and is under near constant surveillance. He has the right to feel angry at stupid shit every now and then.

He wouldn't ever express it, of course. But he's allowed to feel it. To let it out later at the gym or by screaming into his pillow. So instead of yelling or getting annoyed outwardly, he says "How long am I supposed to train for?"

"Unless you're an idiot like Peleus or Mirage- hell, even Charon sometimes -you shouldn't be training for longer than 2 hours at a time. Especially not without a break. Your body needs the rest in order to keep going. If you just train for hours on end without any breaks, you're just gonna end up hurting yourself." Hypnos shook his head. "You'll burn out."