“I will call you if I can go to the dance” Said Atlas.

Atlas was still damaged and didn't know if it was the best idea to go. Levy had told her friend dispute their hundreds of calls and texts that she had to take care of her brother. Evelynn was checking to make sure that Atlas had all the pills that he needed. Havana had a test to take back with the Noah Elders. Atlas had shown her a few tricks from his book. She would have no problem with the tests. Atlas heard a knock at the door. He was unable to sit up without running the risk of ripping his stitches open.

“Coming” yelled Levy with joy.

Atlas heard her scream and yell “Mom!” With more joy than the rest of the world had combined.

Atlas looked at Evelynn and asked “Would you mind helping me up?”

She slowly lifted him and saw his mom holding Levy.

“How's my baby?” Said Jane.

She glided over and looked over his body. She lightly touched him and looked into his eyes. He smiled feeling the words my poor baby in her eyes.

“Better now” Said Lucius with a smile made of pure joy.

Atlas and Levy hugged their mother and asked “Is mom and dad here too?”.

“Just me,” Said Jane

“Now let me get a look at you”.

Their mother set them down and looked at them.

“Levy you have made plenty of friends as always didn't you.” Said their mother.

“Yes” Said Levy with the brightest smile to have ever stood on Mars.

“And you,” Said Jane. “You didn't, oh you did! What's her name, Aurora? She has brown hair and brown eyes am I right? And what about this girl Morrie. She was your first friend at school wasn't she”.

“How do you know all this?” Asked Atlas dumbstruck.

“I'm your mother I know everyone that matters. What about Hex and Scarlet. They seem nice. Are you going to let me meet them or keep them all to yourself. I think they like you.” Jane’s voice bounced with happiness.

“Well there's a dance at school today. You could go with us to meet them” Said Levy.

“I'll go on ahead and get myself acquainted. You get something without blood stains. One more thing. If you're wondering why I'm here it's because we're safe they caught the people that have been hunting us. Only a few are still in hiding. We can live a normal life now” Said his mother tapping his nose and kissing Atlas on the cheek.

He nodded and was walked back down to his room by Evelynn.

“You look happy” Said Evelynn.

“I haven't seen her in the past three years so I'm excited” said Lucius.

He took about ten minutes to change clothes. He wanted to give his mother time to become friends with them.

Atlas, Levy, and Evelynn were all ready. Atlas texted Aurora and she replied with “Already there”.

The sun had hidden behind the world. Atlas could see the massive arch that stood in front of the school. The Roman architecture with large pillars and stone slabs on top looked beautiful. The wooden pillars were also beautiful but we're only their for that purpose. The stone held everything up.

“Hold up a few minutes I forgot my tierra. Just wait a few minutes” Said Levy running away.

They stood waiting and after three minutes started to walk towards the building. An enormous explosion collapsed a large part of the school. Several smaller explosions collapsed the exists. Atlas knew it was napalm by the way it attached itself to everything and kept burning. The thought shattered his mind. They were inside. Atlas sprinted into the flames and attempted to find a way in. “Why hadn't the fire extinguishers gone off” was one of millions of thoughts racing through his mind. He heard the arc begin to crumble. Atlas moved out of the way and could feel his skin boil and blister. The massive arch smashed the halls behind him.

"Atlas!" Screamed Evelynn through the flames.

She was attempting to find a way to reach him. Atlas grasped the stone support beam and felt the napalm that covered him burn deeper into his flesh. He could feel the bones in his fingers snap as he forced his body to its maximum. He could see the students running to the exit. If he didn't move it they would all die. He needed to save them. He needed to save Aurora, Hex, Morrie, Scarlet, his mother, everyone. His bones pushed through his skin. His shirt had become ash and he could no longer see. He had not seen it or heard it move. He had shifted it only an inch. Atlas could feel his skin char. He screamed out as the people who knew him as a kind selfless child watched him burn. Atlas had not seen her run up behind him.

"I'm sorry" Yelled Levy placing her hand on the large glass door the support beam had forced shut.

She picked Atlas up the best she could as her shoes melted to her feet. She could see Atlas had almost no skin left on his body. Levy smashed through more wooden beams and felt the napalm cover parts of her body.

"I couldn't save them. I wasn't strong enough" Atlas whispered through cries.

He would have cries but his tear ducts had been burned away and his eyes resembled the eyes of a dead animal.

"Why couldn't I save them" said Atlas attempting to move.

He didn't know it but be had burned nearly all of the tendons in his body. His hands were locked in the position that he had been in before Levy pulled him out. His body looked as if he had been pulled from the depths of hell. Parts of his bones could be seen in the gaps where his skin should be. Levy cried but not because she was in pain but because she could see how hurt her baby brother was.

"It's going to be okay just hold on Atlas just stay with me Atlas" said Levy as rows of tears fell down her face.

The sound of an ambulance could be heard as Atlas gave out a final "I'm too weak". Evelynn looked at her medical equipment and knew nothing she had could help him. Atlas could hear their screams. He knew some belonged to his friends. Hex, Aurora, Scarlet, Morris, Allison, Raven, they had all gone because he said he would be there. He knew he had failed them. He had killed them. Evelyn saw the face of death, the headmaster himself. They were coming.

“Levy run!” Cried Evelyn.

“I won't leave without him!” Screamed Levy.

Evelynn slapped Levy as hard as she could.

“Run you idiot! Get out of here!” Screamed Evelynn.

Levy began to run.

“I won't let them take you. I won't let them” Said Evelynn.

She could see them. The Masters of the order themselves had come out to capture Atlas and Levy. She knew she didn't stand a chance. If she stayed they would kill her. She cried knowing her baby sister had been inside the building.

“Leave me!” Yelled Atlas his voice quickly fading.

“I'm sorry but I'll always be with you” Said Evelynn wiping away her tears.

Evelynn saw Darwin galloping at one of the Masters of the order in a valiant attempt to protect them. He kicked Darwin straight into the fire. Darwin began to yip and whimper as his fur caught fire.

He once again charged yipping “protect you!”

As he was kicked a final time. Evelynn felt light headed. Like the breath had been taken out of her lungs. Atlas began to feel the same and was soon out cold. When he woke he knew only ashes remain of them. He couldn't see the world around him. The water in his eyes had boiled and left white pearls behind. His thick contact lenses had fused to his eyes. “Don't worry Atlas, I'm here for you” Said Evelynn. Atlas knew as long as she was with him he wouldn't brake. “Shut your fucking mouth” Said a woman. Atlas could hear her fist dislocate Evelynn’s jaw. Atlas wanted to scream but his throat was damaged. He could barely breath. Atlas didn't care about the pain he was in. It was nothing.

“If you don't I'll kill you like that pretty little blonde” Said the woman Atlas felt a part of himself crack and fracture.

His minds were doing their best to shield him. They knew what he would become of him if his mind became completely aware of what had happened. The nearly endless sea of minds all worked to keep the idea suppressed. They had killed his mother, his sister, his friends. They shielded his mind to protect themselves from what he truly was and had alway been. Atlas spent the next day listening to them interrogate Evelynn. They had attempted to get information from Atlas but all he would do is look dead into their eyes. They tried everything to get information from Atlas. They tried torture for the first month but gave up. They focused their efforts on cracking what made him weak. They knew he was the gold mine of information. After the second month Atlas had regained the ability to fluently talk. They still tortured him but it was just for fun. Atlas knew each of them had somehow obtained powers. One of them had the power to create vacuums of air. With this, she could cause explosions and rip the air out of their lungs. Another could move at almost supersonic speeds. But out of the fifteenth know the most powerful of them all was Francis. He had the monstrous power to control the body of any living thing within a short range.

On the third month Atlas was able to see but just a few feet around himself. Atlas had thought about describing pain or agony but knew Evelynn would be unable to cover her ears. Atlas could see the hole in his chest. He could almost see his own heart.

“Today's the day you sack of shit. Tell us where your father and sisters are hiding or we will kill you” Said Francis.

Atlas only smiled and said “Fuck you”.

Francis smiled and placed a gun on his lap. None of them had ever touched Atlas without their gloves. They were disgusted by his body. They could see his bones and organs. His skin was like paper. Evelynn sat a few inches away from him. Atlas could not move his hands. Someone behind him removed his chains and he felt his hand move towards the gun. He felt his hands grip the cold dead steel.

Evelynn was looking into his eyes and said mouthed the words “Everything will be okay”.

Atlas could not stop as his hand as it aimed the gun at her head.

“Please don't! Please, please, I'll do anything!” Atlas began to crying and screaming, his skin tearing and oozing blood as he attempted to resist.

“To late” Francis smiled and pretend to pull the trigger himself as the flash of the muzzle ended the last hope he had in the world.

Atlas could not move he could not think his mind had broken. He had no way to cope with what he was looking at. He had killed the last person on the planet that loved him. His mind had reached the limit. He had broken. He looked into the eyes of Francis. Francis felt fear overwhelm him.

Those eyes could not have belonged to any human. Those hollow broken eyes. The void itself, the hunger that had eaten worlds, galaxies, entire dimensions was ripped apart by the beast in his eyes. The void, the hunger, all but the final spark had died. Frances took a step back and felt a cold rush through his chest. A hole had formed but the gun had not been used. Francis could see his hand reaching deep into his chest. Francis fell to the floor as his heart left his chest.

Atlas screamed as the shadows attempted to flee. Hundreds of thousands of the shadows now stood around him. Each fully capable of wiping the planet clean. They knew nothing but this. He would never stop until only he remained. And if they could slow him they’d give it their best shot. They knew they were that last thing that stood between Atlas and the world. Atlas swayed his hand and instantly half of them had fallen prey to the hunger. Their bodies eaten by the broken boy within. Octillions of centillions of minds had been held in every body. But so many more had not been able to leave his body and suffered a fate far worse.

Atlas began to laugh. He killed nearly all the so called guardians with nothing more than the twitch of his finger. Even the most primal and soulless parts of his mind attempted to protect the world fearing the monstrosities he who inflict upon them. Frances was still living simply because Atlas had not yet finished with him. Atlas fused Francis to a wall and dragged his claws across his face.

A woman with a ring on her finger stepped in “Francis!, did you do this to him you little bastard!”

“What gave it away” Said Atlas.

She was unable to move. Atlas had mastered the power he had stolen. She was unable to do anything as Atlas ripped off her arm and ate her heart. He smiled and created a vacuum in her lungs. Her chest explored splattering her blood on his face. He tore off her head and fused it to Francis. Atlas glanced back and cleaned the remaining guardians that had been frozen beneath his will. Atlas walked through the building killing everyone he came face to face with. He wanted to watch them all die. They screamed and begged for mercy. They attempted to run and hide but they could not hide from death. Atlas didn't want to be waist full so he used their bodies as a weapon to kill even faster. Atlas no longer walked after he realized it place far too much strain into his heart. Atlas hunted and killed every living thing in range when he reached the cities he smiled. Darkness shrouded him as he slaughtered millions. Atlas reached the city of Dawn.

The beast he controlled stood miles tall and reached for what seemed like forever. He had kept everyone alive. He could hear them cry out for mercy but he had none. Atlas looked down at the world and heard something up above. He had spent the past few weeks killing entire cities. And they simply decided to attack now. Atlas used the flesh of the millions he had killed and hid from the atomic blast. The hydrogen bomb didn't do any better. For days they attacked as Atlas hid beneath living corpses. He had broken the will of every single human in his puppet. Atlas created smaller chunks of his pet to find and kill elsewhere around the world. Military could do nothing to stop him. Nothing could stand in his way.

Atlas slowly made his way to the school where his friends and family had died. Of all the things that could have been in the remains there sat a rusted bed with a pit beneath it. He didn't want to desecrate the grave of his loved ones. He lay between the bones of the people he had known and cried. After the first day he began the hardest task he had ever undertaken. He was unable to tell whose bones were who's or were not his loved ones so he treated them all as if they were. He made a grave for each and every body. He had left his pet to devour the world. After the second week of digging without stopping the second to last body had been laid to rest.

He knew his body had nothing left. His will to live had long since died. And he longed to slumber. He lay in his own grave waiting, knowing his body would soon give in to the will of death. He knew no one would be left to save him. He had killed all within reach. He looked up at the star he could no longer see and would never see again. Death would give his the greatest kindness and he would no longer feel the pain of losing them. As his heart gave it's final stand he could hear his sister calling. He had missed her. He only wish to see her again in life. He closed his eyes and heard her cry out for him to return. He felt the embrace of death.

“Atlas!” Yelled Levy. He didn't move.

Levy could see his heart moving. She looked back at the hell she had walked through. She smiled. She found her baby brother. All that remained was to walk back through hell. She held him close and walked slowly. She didn't want to hurt him. Those weeks she spent fighting through the strange world was all worth while. The odd beings she had seen never once came close to her. She opened her backpack and gave Atlas food. He didn't chew but he drank the nutrient rich liquids she had packed. Atlas opened his eyes and could see his beloved sisters. He knew he had died. His beloved sister had come to join him in death or he had joined her. He closed his eyes and knew death had finally beaten him.

Levy walked through the world and held the most valuable thing in her life. When she reached the military base they could not believe their eyes. She looked like the angel of death carrying the fallen. But what left them absolutely terrified was when the dead body she held reached out. They got every spare medical officer they had to get a grasp of how this child had managed to survive. Atlas heard something familiar.

“His heart is going to give out at any moment. We don't understand how he's still living. He had burns on his vital organs… but his heart” Said a man that could have been the chief medical officer.

“Take mine! Take it! I can't let him die!” Cried the voice of Death.

“He won't survive, there's no point” Said the man.

“That's an order. And if he dies because of your inability to follow orders I'll wipe this place from the world” Said Death.

Atlas was unable to remain conscious. He slipped in and out of reality. He could see the light falling down onto him from the object that hovered over him. He felt something tug at his chest. He slowly faded. He could hear her cry. He felt like he had done something wrong. He wanted to tell his mother that everything would be okay. That he loved her but he couldn't speak. He wanted to tell her he missed her. He wanted to hold her. His mind could not cope with what was going on. Atlas woke some time later with Levy. She was attempting to teach him to walk. His body had been almost catatonic. He didn't eat or move unless Levy was with him.

But it changed the day she said “do it for them”.

He didn't understand why but he felt like she was asking him to become stronger for her. Atlas had one goal and one goal alone. To become the most powerful being in the history of the human race and any race. He never stopped. Every second of every day he spent trying to become stronger. He only stopped when Levy would feed him. He hadn't talked to his sister in years but she stood beside him. Sometimes at night he could hear her cry. He knew it was because of him. If he had been stronger nothing bad would have happened to her. She could have had a normal life. Atlas knew he would only stop once he could end anything that hurt her. He had always been a burden to her. He didn't want her to bare the weight the world on her shoulder. At least not alone. He wanted to redeem himself for what he had done. He had failed her and she paid the ultimate price. He would never allow his weakness to ever do that again. Levy had found Darwin during her search and he now lived with them. Atlas was laying in bed one night after Levy made him rest. She had fallen asleep and heard her voice. The voice of the last friend he was before he was broken.

“Hi my name is Trinity, I'm here to help you”

“Hi Trinity,” Atlas began to cry “I missed you”.

The next day Atlas saw his father. It had been years. Atlas missed him more than he thought possible. Atlas was guided to an operating table by his father. His father pumped his now massive six foot tall body full of drugs to numb the pain. Atlas woke but could not feel his body.

“It was the only way. He was a threat to the human race.” Said his father.

Atlas wanted to ask why he couldn't move. He wanted to ask Levy but she was crying. He reached out to her and for the first time she pushed him away. Atlas felt someone else move his body. Atlas began to feel choked up and cried out.

“Dad! Why can't I move? Dad help me! Please dad I'm scared!”.

His father turned to him and smiled. His voice had never escaped his lips.

“He won't hurt anyone ever again.” Said his father.

He could see John and Logan. They had their heads held low with a the remnants of tears on their faces.

“Logan, John! Tell him it's me please. Tell him I won't hurt anyone! Please it's me!” Begged Atlas.

Levy stood before him her face grim and soon vanished. Atlas wanted to hold her and ask her what was wrong but he couldn't move. He couldn't take his own breaths. Levy ran away from him.

“Levy please don't leave me please! Levy please I'm scared!” Cried Atlas.

“I'm in control now” Said a strange voice.

“Who are you, where is Levy? Why can't they hear me!” Cried Atlas.

“Because you're a monster and monsters don't deserve to be heard.” Said the voice.

“Come on don't be afraid, come meet your big brother” Said his father.

He could see his little sisters hiding behind Matt.

“Where’s Atlas?” Asked Valery.

“I'm in here please, can you hear me!”

She seemed confused and said “Where is big brother?”

They hadn't heard his cry.

“Dad please listen to them this thing isn't me!”

“They can't hear you. And I control you now. He gave me control.” Said the voice as Atlas lost the ability to see the outside world.

“Don't do this, please don't do this. I don't want to go! I don't want to lose them again”.