Chained

Feeling very controversial about this and the last chapter. Let me know what you thought of them and the direction that things are moving!

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The slow grind of steel against stone rasped through the air, the faint sound of grinding, a dull hiss in the back of Geto's ears. His thumb ran over the edge of the sharp blade that he was holding. Looking at the light that caught on the edge, the sheen of polished metal he smiled in satisfaction.

Getting back to work he kept on sharpening his blade, polishing it on the high grit stone he was using. The act was calming. Peaceful. Something that could be done over and over again, without much thought.

Looking out the window he saw the moon hanging in the sky, he should be sleeping but he underestimated how long it would take him to polish Atlas' sword. Now that he started he wanted to finish.

Just as he was about to get back to what he was doing he swung his blade to his right instead. The metal hissed through the air as he felt the cursed energy of someone that appeared behind him. The blade stopped as he felt it hit an immovable wall.

Leaping back in shock Geto started to pull out his cursed spirits only to see Atlas standing there. Holding the blade on either side of the edge, his face was shocked as he looked at Geto.

He looked like a mess.

His hair and clothes were covered with ash and cuts. His chest was rising and falling quickly from the exertion he was facing. His energy fluctuated as fast as the emotions and confusion were passing over his face.

---

Atlas appeared in Geto's room. Stepping out of the crack, his hand caught a blade that was swung towards him. Kenjaku was attacking him?

No. Geto was still fine, his head bore no scar and the confusion on his face was clear as he leapt back to Atlas to properly evaluate what was happening.

Why was Geto fine? Surely Geto would have gone after him.

None of this made any sense, he had pieces, parts of the puzzle but he couldn't see the whole picture. What Kenjaku was doing didn't make any sense.

Cursing opening Geto gained his footing and started to stutter out. "What is g-going on?! Is everything alright?" Atlas' agitation clearly affected the younger boy.

"I'll explain later. For now, stay safe." Atlas said, dashing forward and putting a palm on Geto's chest, pushing him into another plane as his body became ghostly.

Geto could do nothing but watch in shock as Atlas suddenly pushed cursed energy through his body and before he knew it shapes changed. As if his view 'twisted' the walls suddenly gained opening and holes appeared in the once solid floor before everything settled into this new not quite right reality. Where matter was littered with small gaps.

"I've put you into another plane to keep you safe. I think that someone is hunting you down." Atlas explained as he dashed out of the room leaving an absolutely baffled Geto behind.

Dashing into Gojo's room Atlas phased through the wall and looked at the sleeping form of the six eyes user.

Kenjaku couldn't take them yet, he was sure that they had to reach a certain age or maturity or something or else Kenjaku would have already taken Geto's body. Maybe. He didn't know, he couldn't know anything for certain. But the man might be trying anything right now.

Thinking back to the fight he couldn't help but grit his teeth as he made his way out and into the hall. Where was Kenjaku? Was there something more going on or had he just been aiming to do something to Frank? Because if that was all then he was back in hiding but if he missed just one thing…

He didn't know, he couldn't know. Kenjaku was just out of his league. He had fought both him and Toji together, yes Toji wasn't at full strength because he had to fight without active thinking. And Atlas couldn't land any good hits because his mind was being messed with by whatever remnants of Hoshi remained behind…

He had pushed things forward and changed plans too much. He was sure that the culling games would still happen. For all he knew Kenjaku could try and 'fail' at something big to give Atlas a false sense of security for a time while Toji can then kill the vessel as happened in Canon. He didn't know.

Everything was too much, the stress of what could be happening to Frank and the now unknown status of Kenjaku's plan.

Sitting on the roof of a building Atlas pulled a knee up to his chest. Staring at the moon he clicked his tongue in annoyance. He couldn't help but feel that he was missing something.

Going back down to Geto's room he pulled the boy out of the plane that he had clearly started to explore as Atlas found him in the schoolyard. Making sure that Geto wasn't freaking out Atlas just vaguely explained that he thought there might have been an attack on the school from a curse user that attacked him and a friend.

Leaving Atlas made his way back to Frank's house.

---

Sitting at the table Atlas stared at the news that was going on about a fire at a forest nearby. The news was saying it was an arson attack.

Toji hadn't talked all night, his head hanging as he held onto the neck of the bottle that he was drinking from, the dregs of alcohol that were left in the bottom catching the morning light.

Turning to him, he saw Toji just staring off into space as he sat on the floor. Staring at the far wall like there was nothing left.

"You okay mate," Atlas asked, although he knew the answer he still felt like he should ask.

"No." Was all the man responded with. Seeing that he wasn't going to get any more answers out of the man Atlas just sighed and hung his head.

"Do you want me to go get your son from the Zenin estate? If they have left him alive…" Atlas asked, Megumi was an important character in Canon and the user of the ten shadows technique that could match the Gojo's limitless and six eyes combo apparently.

"I have no family at the Zenin estate Atlas, not anymore. I have no ties to the Jujutsu Society." Toji said. Standing up from where he was sitting. Letting the bottle drop to the floor with a crash.

"Goodbye." Was all Toji said as he walked out the door.

Watching it swing shut Atlas looked at Frank who was still asleep on the couch.

He wouldn't try to stop Toji, the man needed to go and grieve. He knew that he had changed quite a bit from Canon now and Toji was one of the biggest things, the man wasn't the same. In gaining a friend he seemed to gain more care for his family which meant that their deaths hurt him.

The man had clearly had something break when he learnt of the death of his soon-to-be wife. They were already talking about getting married.

He clearly didn't care about Megumi either… the man didn't even remember his name in Canon.

But Atlas did, Toji showed some reflection and care for his son when he was about to die. Or at least he remembered him. He also asked Atlas a long time ago to take care of his 'blessing' when he learned that Atlas would be joining the Jujutsu Society.

Standing up Atlas hid himself in another plane before with one last look at Frank, Atlas left the house and teleported to the Zenin estate.

--- Hoshi (Flashback to Kenjaku fight) ---

There was barely a prick, the smallest bit of light on the edge of his vision. Not even enough to make out any details. Just the barest hint of something other than the darkness that was making him so… tired. Sleepy. He was ready to sleep.

Being angry was hard. It was exhausting and he had long since grown tired of harboring these hateful feelings to someone he gave his body to. He had done this himself, it was his fault. It was all his fault.

Maybe if he had tried, maybe, then just maybe. He could have been something special too.

But he wasn't… he was barely himself anymore.

Looking forward at the light he heard himself start to open his mouth, the sounds coming from his mouth that he hadn't tried to use for a while now a soft croak. He couldn't form words.

But he tried.

He thought it, 'Thank you Atlas, for making use of something I wasted.'

But as soon as those thoughts crossed his mind he felt something. He could smell, see, hear the outside world again. Although it wasn't through the speck of light. No.

It was as if he was alive again. Then he was forced, his will was ripped from him and chained onto Atlas as he tried to act, he felt it. His mind forcing compulsion onto the owner of his… no. Onto Atlas' body.

The sickening feeling of something breaking inside of him. His mind, the only thing that he had kept his own was being taken. His free will sucked out of his body slowly but surely.

It was wretched. Defiling. Violating.

As tears started to stream down his face he couldn't help but mutter softly.

"I'm sorry." His voice was hoarse and defeated.

He had tried, he had just accepted what was happening to him and now once again he was being a hindrance, he was useless. No, it would have been better if he was just useless. He was nothing but a burden.

'You are weak, it only took so little for you to break? And you thought that you could ever be something more than shackles for my creation. How laughable little chain.' He heard the voice that had kept him going for so long suddenly turning on him. Had he only been kept alive for this?

Had he only been built up just so that he could be broken?

Why was the world so cruel?

Sometimes it was easier just not to feel… anger was too hard.

So he just accepted this, looking down at the wrists of the figure his mind formed, the chains hanging from them.

Acceptance.

---

Megumi was still alive, being raised and trained at the Zenin estate. Toji seemed to have left it alone for now. Although he didn't know if that would change

.

With the next day soon arriving Atlas went about what he would normally do in the morning, showering, and brushing his teeth. Getting ready for the day before he sat down on the couch across from Frank and started to sew up the new holes in his clothes. Slowly his favourite Haori was turning into more stitching than fabric…

It had been something that Toji gave him when he told him about his plans. When they had become friends.

Pausing he let out a sigh.

Was he doing this all wrong?

Looking up at Frank, Atlas couldn't help but have questions and doubt plague his mind. Swarms of thoughts and feelings. His relationships that defined him were in peril right now. Toji was mourning and wasn't going to talk to him for who knows how long as he became the sorcerer killer. Who knows, he might never see the man again.

And Frank could possibly be brainwashed or put in a permanent coma. He didn't know and it was scaring him.

Pushing those thoughts aside, tired of dwelling on what happened he found old habits starting to kick in. Things that he had learnt to keep himself moving forward, always move forward. No matter what you lost, there was always something to move forward towards.

He could still save Geto. He could still kill Kenjaku.

He had to figure out what was happening with Hoshi in his head.

He had to sort out a lot of things.

Finishing stitching up the holes he threw the Haori over his shoulders before he stepped through folding space and into the yard of Jujutsu High.

Seeing the overcast sky he frowned as he saw students standing in the yard. It was the third-years. His year mates just talked with each other. Looking over at him as he emerged from the folding space. He didn't know his timetable very well. But he was pretty sure there was meant to be a lesson right now…

Seeing him appear Torio looks up and waves his hand, walking over with a somewhat nervous look on his face.

"Atlas was it? um." Torio started, he was a confident person, but Atlas was an enigma. So he didn't really know how to talk to him, especially with what he was about to say. Starting simply he asked, "Do you know what happened last night?"

Frowning Atlas turned to his year mate. Since Torio and the nervous Marcus that followed behind him rarely even engaged with him, it was odd that they were talking to him. Something felt wrong, and the question confirmed it. He had missed something.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Atlas asked, his voice dropping as his energy started to leak from his body fraying the boundaries of the dimensions around him.

As Torio responded the energy cut off. A storm that was brewing dissipated in a single moment. An instant. The shock from the words that left his classmates' lips made the world slow down.

"The principal Ayumu was found dead."