Raging Storms

"You're the no-good special grade who doesn't take on missions and bums around overseas?" Geto says, his face a blank stare as he raises his eyebrow. Clearly judging Yuki.

"Huh?" She responded with, her face blank as she looked up at Atlas and then back at Geto.

Sighing she leaned back further into the bench as she said. "Well, it is true that me and Society don't see eye to eye. What they want to do is treat the symptoms, I want to get-"

"You want to bum around overseas," Atlas said, interrupting what she was saying with a joke playing off what Geto said, he honestly didn't want to hear any more from her. After all, she was the one who gave Geto the terrible idea he had in the original.

Staring at him for a moment Yuki smirked as she leaned forward. "I guess you could say I do that. But I am trying to do something more than just that." She said, goading them into asking her about it so that she could talk about it.

But Atlas wasn't having any of it. "Well, why you were trying to do something I actually did something," Atlas said, tilting his head to the side. "I have been changing this society, and I will continue to do so."

"Oh that's right, I heard about your little scheme that happened a year back. Killing a Higher-Up and revealing the existence of a Curse-User that had been hiding among them." She said, her face growing curious as she leaned her chin on the back of her poised hand. "You know what my type is?" She asks, her eyes growing predatory.

"I'm 17," Atlas said.

Looking at Atlas in confusion Geto knew for a fact that Atlas was 19... Oh.

Ignoring the clearly false comment she continued. "It's a hard-working strong guy that isn't scared of getting his hands dirty." She revealed as she stood up and approached a few steps closer to him.

Tilting his head to the side Atlas just waited to see what she would do next. He wasn't too dense to realize what she was implying.

"And you definitely got your hands dirty dealing with the higher-ups. I mean what you did was necessary but really that was intense from what I heard. I'm actually fairly eager to have a spar if you're up for it." She said, smiling as she put two fingers on his chest at the bottom of his rib cage and started walking them up towards his neck.

"You're like twice my age." Atlas said, "I'm only interested in someone my age or a bit younger."

Going to smack him over the head with the hand she was trying to be seductive with she yelled. "I'm only 22!" Feeling her fist make contact with his head her eyes widened a bit as she felt that her attack had no impact behind it. She didn't mean to hurt him badly but she did want to hit him a little bit.

The 'mass' that she applied with her technique wasn't working.

Grabbing the wrist of the hand that tried to slap him Atlas stepped forward pinning her to the wall, her hand above her head as he looked down at her. "I'm sorry to say but you wouldn't stand a chance against me Yuki. You wouldn't even have a way to land a hit on me." He said, a small smile playing across his face.

Waiting for a minute holding her gaze he felt her try to use her technique but it didn't do anything… her 'mass' was in another plane. Pulling away Atlas let her go, turning to Geto as he said. "Come on, we have some things I want to get done." Turning and starting to make his way out of the corridor although keeping a careful ear out for if Yuki tries to plant any more ideas again.

Following behind Atlas, Geto just looked over his shoulder at Yuki who despite what was happening was smiling as she stared at the back of Atlas… weirdo.

---

"What did you need my help for?" Geto asked as he stared at Atlas. "I have some training that I need to do." His voice slightly annoyed, he was being dragged around today and he didn't like it. It was good to rest but he was eager to get back to work.

"Sorry, was just giving you a ticket away from that nutcase," Atlas responded as he turned and looked at Geto. "Let me know if you need my help, otherwise Good luck. I do actually have some things to do however so I will get going."

Watching as Atlas stepped into a rift Geto sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He hated how hot this summer was…

Pulling away from Jujutsu High Yuki smiled slightly before a thought occurred to her, she was meant to ask Atlas about Toji if she found him. Word that the two were friends had gotten out after all. Oh well, she felt like she would be seeing Atlas around anyway.

---

Appearing out of folding space the next day Atlas walked up to Mizuki who was waiting for him at one of the entrances to the school. Her silver hair was even longer than it had been when he met her, going all the way to the top of her thighs. He honestly didn't know how she maintained or fought with hair that long, it wasn't his problem though.

"Yo, Mizuki," Atlas said as he stepped through the folding space and towards her. A smile on his face as he waved his hand.

Seeing him emerge she smiled as well as she said. "Hey, ready to get going?"

"Yeah, just had to grab a few things and now that I've finished dealing with something I can leave for now. I'll just have to keep an eye on the place in case anything does happen. And I've finished helping Haibara with his mission, it was a first grade after all and not a weak one so I am glad that I went along." Atlas mumbled to himself. Waving a hand and dismissing her curious look, "it's nothing."

"Alright…" She said, her head tilting to the side even more. "So, why are you bringing me on this mission? Not that I am complaining." She quickly clarified it was just so rare for Atlas to actually go on a mission and ask her to come along as well.

"It's to do with that Kenjaku, The summer is calming down now so I think this is the best time to deal with all of this." He revealed.

"Wait? Do you have a lead?" She asked as she stood up. Her curiosity grew even more.

"No, but I want to start investigating who Frank was and more about any other failed experiments that Kenjaku has buried. Since you might have some involvement with him with how you were born as you are I think it is best if you help out." Atlas explained.

Nodding her head she said, "That makes sense. Do you know where we are going to start?"

"First we are going to pick up Toji," Atlas said, noticing her drop in mood when he said that they were bringing along someone else but ignoring it.

"Then, we are going to the abandoned Industrial district," Atlas said, his eyes already gazing in that direction. Where this all started… where he first came into this world. It was time to revisit it all.

---

"I've already told you! I have no idea what you're talking about!?" Someone begged, their face dripping with blood and tears. The sniffling sobs of them echoing down the empty hall.

Dropping them to the floor Toji kicked them in the ribs hard enough to send them hurtling into a concrete wall. The impact destroyed both body and stone in a gory mess.

Sighing Toji turned and started to make his way down the empty corridor, the glass littering the floor cracking beneath his shoes as he left the place in disarray. Nothing but ruin having followed his latest goal.

To find and kill the people that were responsible for the death of his family.

The progress was slow but once he had found a trail he had followed it relentlessly. He would much rather kill Kenjaku but he knew he would have better luck catching wind. The man had vanished once Atlas had forced him into hiding. No one even knew where to begin to look.

However, he had found that Kenjaku hadn't been the ones to do the killing. It had been some other bastards he ordered to do it. So he would settle for their heads for now. He would make them suffer for not only killing his family but bringing a curse with them to make them suffer as much as they could.

"When I find them…" He muttered to himself. The death of his wife was not something that could be atoned for through just suffering.

Feeling his blood start to boil he looked down at his phone. With Joben's death, the people he had hired had all gone dark. The sight that they were hired from as well was removed from the internet entirely. Too thoroughly for it to be a normal wipe.

It was like he was hunting a ghost.

But he could see things that didn't exist, he could feel and hear things that made no sense. If there was one person that could hunt a ghost, it was him.

And he would.

Climbing up a set of stairs he emerged into the back storage room of a tattoo parlor. Seeing the girl who managed the cash register picking up a box full of something he watched her eyes go wide.

Before she could scream he was in front of her, his hand over her mouth. His body was covered in blood and dust from what he had done. His eyes were cold and his face emotionless.

"It would be best if you just don't mention this to anyone. It's clear you know nothing about what was going on down there but if people find out you do know even something is down there you better get you and your family out of this country as fast as you can." Toji said, making most of it up.

But terror was a good motivator. If she thought something criminal was happening down there with whatever mob she would probably never mention anything she saw to anyone for fear of her safety and those she loved.

As she nodded her head frantically in agreement Toji pulled his hand away. "I promise, I won't say a word. I swear." She said, the desperation clear in her eyes.

Didn't even matter if she did though really.

Not even responding Toji just walked out the back door and into the car park behind the building. Sighing as he looked down at his appearance

, he should go jump in a river somewhere.

---

It was finally time. With this Frank could finally start recovering, It had taken him a long time, but his mind had finally self-stabilized enough that Hoshi could enter his mindscape and try to talk to him.

It was a shame that Atlas couldn't do it himself, but he had no way to enter the mind of another. Hoshi could only do so because of his connection to the soul. His body not being entirely human anymore, he had lived in a mind. He understood the mind.

Taking a deep breath he put his fingers on each temple of Frank and with a thought felt for the soul. Souls were warm, glowing, like a soft candle burning gently away, the warm light that danced from the flame painted orange and gold images along the walls of your soul. Intentions, feelings, emotions. Things that made you, you.

"It is so tragically beautiful." Hoshi softly whispered to himself.

Frank's soul, his candle, was currently on a rowboat in a raging storm. The small flame still burning despite the howling winds and crashing rain. A rowboat drifted out to sea. A single sailor, a weary man huddled around the small candle.

So desperate to keep that tiny flame going. Because despite the storm it was light, and without that light all hope would be lost. There would not nothing but darkness and raging seas. So as long as he huddled around the candle and kept it going he could look at the tiny source of light.

The crashing waves of constructed feelings and false memories did their best to extinguish the fragile light.

A soul in turmoil and doubt, a broken confused soulscape of desperation and peril.

Watching the rowboat climb to the peak of a giant wave Hoshi's eyes widened. He was going to go under.

Floating forward Hoshi did his best to calm the storm, leaping into the boat from where he was and huddling around the candle with the image of Frank. The crashing of the wave barreling over their backs. Flooding the boat with water and sending everything on board sweeping out to sea.

Everything but the candle and it's now two residents that both huddled around the extinguished. The pummeling storm swept them into darkness.

Seeing the image of Frank slowly looking at the lump of wax, his eyes widening in shock and horror Hoshi leaned forward to the candle and with a breath blew on it. A light came from his chest setting the wick once more flickering to life.

Looking up Frank stared at Hoshi, his eyes wide as he pleaded for answers.

Reaching out Hoshi cupped the cheek of the distraught and tired man. The cold had seeped into his bones so deep that his lips were blue and his eyes sunken as if he had never slept once in his long life. His skin was pale and wrinkled from the wetness of the waves.

Holding his head Hoshi spoke, his voice soft yet sounding over the storm. "Rest now, I will protect your precious candle."

Seeing the figure of Frank slowly nod before mouthing something that was torn away by the ripping winds.

Smiling Hoshi spoke, the tear hidden by the endless storm. "He is okay, he is doing well, he would be so proud of you for making it this far. He forgives you, for everything… It's okay."

As those words hit Frank's ears his body slowly dissolved into countless lights that drifted out to sea.

Curling around the candle Hoshi protected it from the rain, protecting the candle on the small rowboat. Protected it from the brutal storm. It was Frank's soulscape, he would protect his soul until Frank was able to fix his mind.

He knew he could do it, but until then someone had to defend the little candle.

Smiling Hoshi couldn't help but huddle a bit closer to the candle. He would protect it.