Impediment (noun): barrier; obstruction

“So you rigged the votes to get elected as captain, and then you kicked him off the team?”

His voice was incredulous. Broken, angry, regretful.

The new team captain started to shake his head, but stopped, realizing that was exactly what he had done. “Well… yes, but not like how you describe it. The way you put it… it almost seems like I’m evil.” He offered a half-hearted laugh that pointed at nothing in specific.

“Yeah. You are.” The air of finality was coupled with sadness. He looked at his friend, now captain, and unconsciously took a step back.

“What are you talking about? I was just trying to reform things around here.” Confusion and hurt leaked into his voice. “I don’t want you to get bullied again. I don’t want anyone new going through what you had to. I’m trying to fix things, you know?”

“No.”

Even though he appreciated the thought behind his captain’s request for validation, he shuddered at the thought of the “reform” that he would do. The other players on the football team used to pick on him for his smaller size, and while he did fear their endless taunts, he was more afraid of the sheer ruthlessness and cold-hearted joy as his captain beat them into a pulp. He never said anything, since he’d thought his then-friend was protecting him in his own way.

A pair of predatory eyes narrowed at him, an unfamiliar bloodlust lining the irises that had looked upon him with friendliness before. “I did all this because I saw so many terrible schemes against you. I never thought you’d be the one to oppose me.”

He pleaded the foreign figure of anger before him with silent eyes, but all he got was a chilling warning.

“I did unpleasant things to get this position… and I’m prepared to do more, if that’s what it takes to remove my obstacles.”