Be Free, Be Strong

The city was covered in the voices of people as they moved around, the loud clatter of conversation filled the lively air. The smiling faces of everyone going about their lives, it was kind of… fun, at least Atlas thought it was. To walk amongst a crowd that knew nothing of what was going on.

Walking down the street, dried blood still caked to his skin under the long coat that he wore, the thick hoodie torn from the previous fight. After running out of cursed energy Toji decided that today's entertainment was over. It was funny, how one-sided that fight had been. He was no match for that monster right now. Gojo had been able to beat them by the time he was 16… Atlas had some work to do.

Being 16 himself, it was time to up his game. But with this new power in his arsenal, he was feeling much more confident. His power was steadily growing. And now that he somehow figured out how to output positive energy he was feeling better than ever. He knew that techniques could be reversed but for special properties? That was interesting. His property was practically a technique on its own.

He was wondering if he even had a technique anymore. If he did it was only a matter of time until he found it. And when he did it would be fantastic.

Seeing some people looking at him, some even pointing fingers he just shook his head, he wasn't surprised, he looked like shit.

Continuing his walk back to the abandoned district that he lived at he looked in a window that he passed. It was honestly shocking seeing his own appearance. The black hair was matted with grime and the dirt smeared his cheeks held on by caked blood. Scabbed over wounds from split lips and eyebrows from his brawl and the beating he had received.

It was a tad… disconcerting. Seeing himself look so beat up. Hell no wonder there were looks, it was probably only a matter of time before the police found him and either arrested him or asked him what the fuck happened.

Looking at the glass for a moment longer he saw that he was looking into a jewelry store. In the store, he saw an earring, a single one. It had three jewels, each hanging below another. The first was a diamond, simply a stone set on the piercing for the lobe. A sapphire hung below the diamond on a small golden chain that looked like a rope. A dragon winding around it. The next and last one was another sapphire, this one wrapped in angel wings. Tassels were attached to the bottom of that one.

Staring at it for a moment, a thought emerged, a memory of wanting to get his ears pierced. But his father hadn't allowed it. Tilting his head to the side he found his mind going to what Frank would think…

Shaking his head he used positive cursed energy, reaching through the glass, through the more secure box, the limits of the third dimension no longer hindering him. It barely took any effort. And because people couldn't see cursed energy, people walked past him none the wiser. In the middle of a crowd, he reached his hand through the glass. And took the earring that was priced at over 500,000 yen. Through the glass and the box that it was inside behind that. Picking it up and just pulling his hand back. With the earring now in it. Cold metal against his palm.

Part of him knew that he should put it back. But it really didn't matter in the end did it. Looking almost sadly at the item in his hand he just reached back, laying it down on the cushion. His eyes settled on it for a moment longer. He would buy it. It wouldn't be hard to get that money from Gangs. May not be any better but he wasn't going to steal, from innocent people at least. That craftsmanship deserved to be acknowledged.

Turning he started to make his way back to the apartments again, a small limp in his step. It was about time that he got cleaned up.

---

Walking up the steps he looked at Frank who was poking at his fire with a long stick of rebar. His hand was covered in a thin dusting of rust. "You're back lad? Thought you had left this old man for good." He said with a small smirk as he turned around, his amused expression turning to one of concern in a single moment. "You alright?" His eyes further widened when he started to see the extent of the wounds.

"Yeah, I am all good now, healed on the walk back here. Wonders what a little stroll can do for the soul ey?" His voice was merry as he threw the blood-stained coat out of the window with a mild look of disgust on his face. Yeah, that was well and truly done.

"I think I am tired of being homeless, I'm gonna beat the shit out of some of the worse gangs around here and take their money, then go live somewhere," Atlas said as he peeled the shirt off his chest, the dried blood cracking and sticking to his chest, gross strings of it stretching and snapping. The congealed mess was horrid.

"God, you look awful, what happened lad? You get in the fight with a special grade curse?" His voice filled with concern.

"Nah, you should see the other guy though... just a few scratches on his part. Maybe a minor gash. Damn, the dude was tough. Outcast of the Zenin family? A dude named Toji, he is pretty chill once you get past his outer shell." Atlas said as he also threw the shirt away. Looking down at his blood-soaked chest. He had already healed himself but… he had seen better days.

"Go wash yourself off. There is a shower connected to the rainwater tanks a few floors down. Cold as fuck though. Probably the first time you're gonna use them." Frank said as he put an ankle on his knees, getting comfortable as he looked at Atlas. "You know what, let me help."

With a quick activation of his technique, all the blood and scabs turned to ash.

Staring down at his now soot-covered chest Atlas tilted his head to the side, the minor burns stung against the cold air. "Thanks? I guess?" Atlas said as he turned and walked away, dropping down the ladder to find this shower he never actually knew existed.

As he turned the water on and stepped in, the water was absolutely frigid, forcing him to let out a small hiss as he felt his body start to shake. Feeling the painful sting of the slight burns against the water he quickly pumped them full of positive energy letting them heal, he was so damn glad that his energy recharged fast right now. As he showered he heard Frank call from above, "So how do you plan on buying a place? You probably don't exist in any official records or have been dead for a long time if you do."

"Shut up and let me shower in peace!" Atlas yelled back, hearing some muttering from above that he couldn't make out. But Frank did have a point, damn it. Honestly, he might just join Jujutsu High, he was 16 so he would be in his second year if he could show his strength. But then came the problem. What was that 'asylum…'

He didn't want to test his luck. He didn't think it was them, nothing was indicating that they had done anything like this in either the manga or the anime so he was fairly confident with his chances. But a small chance still existed. He was willing to bet it was something maybe done by Kenjaku, then why had he come to look at it when it was destroyed? Who destroyed it? All questions of these rose in his mind with no good answer to any of them. Things were not pretty.

The thing is, he needed to be able to defend Geto and set him on a better path, the boy was going to become a pawn otherwise and cause a lot of problems. And he liked the character, he was selfish, sue him. But seriously, it wasn't fair that someone that strong had been shoved into the situation he had been in because his best mate was literally the strongest in the world from the age of 16 or 17. At least that was how he thought about it. Might have been something else.

The thing was while he didn't want to be at the school, he also didn't want to keep living like this. But then Frank came into the picture, he wasn't just going to ignore the old man. There was too much going on in his head.

Turning the water off he finally felt clean, it was something that he hadn't felt in a while. Going to the room he used he put on a new pair of semi-clean clothes. Okay, he was going to get some money either way though. Even if he didn't get a place to live he actually needed to stop living like a homeless man, it was grinding him down a bit.

Maybe he wouldn't join the school just look in from the outside. But then he might be labelled as a curse user and unable to help… honestly, in his mind. The easiest way was to become a student and if that went wrong run away. Hell, he was really good at running now. He didn't see another way, if he wanted to protect Geto from the events that happened in 2 years then he would need to.

Hell, he could change them already by forming a friendship with Toji, but he needed to give Geto some guidance or stop him from going down the wrong path. He had to keep Geto a 'good guy' so that Kenjaku couldn't get his body. Because as far as he saw it. There was no fucking way that he could beat Kenjaku right now.

The man was too strong, he was over 1000 years old. He couldn't win, not right now, but maybe soon enough that option would be on the table. But he needed to play it safe.

Walking back to the fire he saw Frank staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "You're deep in thought kid, did you even hear what I was saying?" His voice was curious, a small smirk playing at the corner of his lip.

"Nope, I've learnt to tune out the annoying drone of your voice over the months," Atlas responded as he plopped himself down on one of the plastic chairs, the oversized t-shirt hanging off his chest. Baggy cargo pants covering his legs with a few holes in them.

"Well, this annoying voice was trying to help you lad," Frank responded a slight annoyance to his tone. "As I was saying, and have said multiple times now. I can help you find some gangs, I do think that a young lad like you deserves more than an abandoned district can give you. I know you have your reservations about the Jujutsu Society but in the end, they can at least give you a chance at a proper life." Frank spoke, his tone softening as he said so.

"You're not wrong. But still no, not for now at least, maybe next year, I have no reason to go there until next year. Only suffering one or two years of that shit seems much more worth it. Maybe the end of this year or something." Atlas responded as he stared at whatever stew Frank was making. The slowly bubbling mixture actually smelled really nice.

Next year he would have a reason as that was when Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto were going to join the academy as first years. That was when he wanted to influence some things. And he could just be like Yuta. Barely show up to school since he went away on long missions. And if he was strong enough by the time he joined he wouldn't have to worry about the Higher-Ups, it was starting to sound like a decent plan. Then he could only be at school when he wanted to and just spend most of his time fighting and messing around.

--- Frank ---

Frank sat there, staring at Atlas as he glared at the stew like it was personally planning to hurt him. His face was a mask of shifting contemplation. He got lost in thought like that quite a bit.

The corners of Frank's mouth curled up in amusement at the antics that the boy showed as he just looked back at the stew and stirred it using a wooden stick. The boy could take care of himself. That much he was sure of.

To hear the boy had fought Toji and had come back alive and with all his limbs. Was a surprise, to say the least. But with how this kid was going he wasn't actually too shocked when he stopped to think about it. Standing up he walked over to a box and took out two bowls. Dusting them off and putting the cleanest one in front of Atlas as he spooned in a few servings of the stew and put it in the lad's lap.

"Hm? Oh, thanks." Atlas said, clearly distracted as his fingers moved up and down like he was counting something. Taking the bowl with his other hand before starting to slowly eat.

Staring at the lad he found his eyes crinkling around the corners as he smiled, a real smile, a nice smile. It reminded him of when he used to camp with his son. The days spent under the stars, just the two of them sitting alone around a fire. The memories wet his eyes.

Turning back to the meal he knew that Atlas would have no idea what this type of food meant to him. The meaning behind this simple stew. He knew that but he enjoyed that Atlas was eating it. Hearing Atlas speak he tuned out of his thoughts.

"This is amazing? Never knew you could cook so well." Atlas said, his mouth full as he started to shovel down the meal, dinner clearly being enough that he snapped out of whatever trance he put himself in.

Watching the food get wolfed down he laughed, "Careful there lad, don't burn yourself… I do that to you enough already." His voice got quieter with that last sentence. "Thank you, lad, glad you like it." Frank finished as his eyes softened with his expression.

Staring out a hole in the roof he looked up at the thousands of twinkling stars and with a small smile. Thought that just maybe, he was making up for his mistakes.

Whatever had given him this second chance, he was grateful for it. Turning back to the fire Frank watched the similiarly twinkling coals. The soft warmth, a warmth that he hoped he could give one day.

---

Making his way to the edge of the roof, Atlas looked down at the multiple layers of the apartment building they called their home. The broken walls and crumbling supports made the entire structure seem as if it was teetering on the edge of collapsing.

If he wasn't able to reinforce his body he would never live here.

Stepping onto the ledge of the roof he looked down. The wind ripped through his hair, his gaze turning to look up the few other multistory buildings nearby, most of them were other apartment complexes for the workers of the industrial area or the office blocks that littered the place. It had a very… oppressing feel by nature.

Sitting down on the ledge of the roof he took the safety pin he was holding and staring at it for a bit shrugged. Why not, he was interested in doing it so let's do it. Taking the end of it he put it against his lobe, the sharp metal pricking his skin, some old part of him telling him this was wrong. That guys weren't meant to do this. But fuck it, no one he knew would tell him that right now… those thoughts were just ghosts in his past.

Taking a deep breath he pushed the pin through his lobe, the pain was something that he didn't even recognise. But the action? That hurt him more than anything else, but it was also, so, reliving. Freeing, he felt free.

Smiling he pulled his hand away and watched the slow drop of blood roll down the side of his fingernail, following the grove of it before continuing its path down his finger. His nail was now outlined by lingering red. Leaving the pin in his ear so the hole didn't close he healed it using positive energy and then pulled the pin out slowly.

Taking out the small mirror he had with him he looked at the hole, a slight bit of red under the skin because of the trapped blood from how he healed it. But there was a piercing.

Smiling he raised the pin again, and did two more. Two more holes one just above the first and the next at the top of his ear.

Taking out some small rings that he had gotten he looked at them. Simple iron rings, nothing special and no significant details on them. Putting two of them in the topmost holes, leaving the original lobe one open for when he finally got that earring he finally let his hands drop. Putting in earrings was hard, especially the first time one did it.

Finding his legs swaying a bit in the wind he couldn't help but smile. He was going to be himself in this world, he wanted to fight and to enjoy it. He wanted to live with thrill and excitement. He wanted to explore new possibilities.

"If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done." He said to himself slowly. Some quote he remembered being said to him once. He wanted to live freely, so he needed to act freely.

He would be free. He would be strong.