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ODELIA KNEW she had her fair share of unresolved issues, and perhaps, in some ways, she had become an expert at avoiding them. But nothing could have prepared her for what was happening now—a woman standing on one of the highway signboards, teetering on a sliver of space, showing the world far more than just her grief.
She swallowed hard, shaking her head as she steadied herself. This was definitely something she would need to tell Felicity and Thea about later.
"Alright, Odelia, move into position," Bobby's calm voice came through the radio, steady and clear despite the situation. Buck, standing beside her, tightened the wires around her waist, securing her harness for the climb. There was an unspoken tension between them. They hadn't discussed that moment when Buck, high on some brownies, had blurted out how beautiful he thought she was. And sure, maybe Buck had forgotten—but Odelia hadn't.
The click of the final latch brought her back to reality. The cool metal pressed into her skin as she began the precarious climb over the bridge railing toward the signboard where the woman, Lola, balanced dangerously. Below, the team set up a huge inflatable airbag, just in case she jumped or fell. Odelia winced as the air hissed out when Lola shot the bag in a fit of panic. The entire crew ducked, Buck and Eddie, looking over the edge with wide eyes.
Bobby's voice cracked through the radio, urgency evident. "Odelia!"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Odelia raised her hands in the air, moving slowly, trying to seem non-threatening as she took in the situation. Buck's eyes locked on her from above, concern etched into his features. His body was tense, and she knew he hated every second of this.
"Lola! Listen to me!" Athena's voice cut through the chaos, firm but calm, a lifeline in the growing storm of emotions. "You have every firearm in the Greater Los Angeles area pointed at you. If you continue to threaten that woman, they will fire. Do you understand?!"
Lola's grip on the gun tightened as she looked between Athena below and Odelia in front of her, her voice cracking. "I don't wanna hurt anybody! I just... I just can't handle being ignored anymore!"
Odelia's heart squeezed. She knew that feeling. Too well. "I understand what you mean," she said softly, taking a cautious step forward.
Lola's eyes flicked toward her, wild and teary. "Oh, come on. You? I'm sure a woman as beautiful as you doesn't know the first thing about being ignored!"
"It's not about how I look," Odelia replied, her voice steady but full of empathy. "I know how it feels to scream for someone to notice you, only to feel invisible. I've been there." She took another slow step toward Lola, making sure to keep her voice calm.
Lola's attention shifted downward as her husband, Norman, spoke through a megaphone. "Lola, honey, it's me. I'm here. I see you."
"Liar!" she spat, cutting him off with a sharp edge of bitterness. "You look right through me! You don't notice me anymore! I'm just here to collect the mail!"
