He took over.

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Two days ago

My body was resting in bed as I aimlessly stared into the ceiling.

I couldn't close my eyes throughout the whole night and I already felt the consequences of it. Not only that my head hurts like somebody smashed it against a brick wall, but I was mentally drained too. Blue fucking White delivered me a letter three days ago, which apparently my mother sent.

It consisted of twenty seven words in total.

"Atlas,
I found a husband, the one who will be able to provide me with anything I want. You are not welcome here anymore.
Good luck,
Lucy."

I burned it the moment I finished with reading it, after which I drank the entire bottle of whiskey by myself.

My eyes twitched towards an opened window - sun was already starting to rise and sky was coloured in golden shades of perfection.

As soon as I get released from this fucking hell hole, I will pay her and my new step-father a visit.

I got up from the bed and looked out of the window at nature that surrounded the facility. My hand reached towards it, but the bars stopped me before I could even continue with fantasizing.

I fucking hate this place. Unconsciously, I knew there was nothing I could do to escape. Everybody is always counting on me to plan the runaway, but I simply can't.

My mind is trapped in its own prison, just as I was.

Loud banging on the metal doors snapped me from drowning in my thoughts and I could only assume it was time for breakfast.

I quickly slicked my hair back, just as I do every morning, and left the cell, heading towards the cafeteria.

I was so spaced out, I almost screamed like a girl when strong armes pulled me backwards. "What the fuck?!" I growled, trying to get a glimpse of my attackers.

"Dude, what's up with you?" Gage said from behind, his grinning face soon appearing in front of me. "Loosen up," his white teeth blinded me.

"It's none of your business," I brushed him off and continued walking, staring in front of myself.

"You know you can talk to us," Jesus popped in and my eyes snapped towards Brandy, who was walking right next to him.

Her dark, yellow eyes analyzed mine, which almost seemed like she's asking me if I'm okay. Like she cares.

I quickly looked away, masking my emotions with a facade. Why would she care about me? I never showed any interest and I constantly pushed her away before she could even reach out to me.

My mother, the only woman I ever had in my life, left me alone after I gave her everything. I stole bread when we didn't have anything to eat and I never caused trouble. I killed for her.

That is enough for me.

Women have showed me what they're like and I don't plan on feeling like shit my entire damn life because of them.

"I am not a fucking girl, Messiah," I shot back, suppressing the anger I felt by clenching my jaw. "We don't talk about our feelings."

Although I would never admit it, it's not the insults I needed to ease my anger. My body is eager for a real, physical fight. My fists automatically curled into balls as I tried to think of something else to distract my urges.

Greatest books I've ever read?

The Great Gatsby, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Pride and Prejudice...

Fuck, I'm stuck!

Favorite colour?

Yellow. The exact shade of Brandy's eyes.

Wait, no. Fuck!

"Atlas, are you okay?" Emrys stared at me like I had a third eye growing on my forehead. My eyes slightly widened in shock when I realized we were already sitting at our table in the cafeteria.

When the fuck did we get here? We were just in the hall, walking towards the cafeteria.

"He looks like he just shit his pants," Canny commented and I instantly shot him a death glare. Does he know I can hear him perfectly well?

"Atlas," Brandy gently brushed her hand against my shoulder. "Do you need to get out for some fresh air?"

My eyes met Jesus' and I could feel the jelaousy radiating off him. I mumbled something like "no" while lowering my head to the plate in front of me. When did I get the platter with food?

Gage connected arms behind his head, leaning back in the chair. He looked at me with a grin spreading across his face and I could already sense something bad coming my way. "I saw an empty bottle of Bourbon under your bed," he told me.

"How the fuck is that any of your business?" I snapped, glaring at him. "I decide what to do with my fucking life."

Emrys scoffed and crossed arms on his chest. "And where did that get you? You have killed three people," he replied bitterly. "That bottle was meant to help us escape," he whispered with annoyance.

I locked my eyes on Brandy, who was playing with scrambled eggs on her plate. She looked sad. Stressed.

What the fuck am I doing? I quickly shook off the feeling I had, forgetting all about caring. I don't care about anyone.

"How was it supposed help us? I never saw it growing hands and picking up the lock to freedom," I scoffed, anger still manically running inside of my body and begging me to release it.

"Watch out, Atlas. You may be the most intelligent one, but you don't get to throw fucking insults at us like we mean nothing," Jesus warned me, his head lowered and eyes closed.

"Who the fuck are you trying to fool?" I let out a bitter laugh as he raised his head to look at me. "You are playing a good boy just because you are in love with Brandy."

He instantly got up, standing in front of me in a matter of seconds. We glared at each other as deathly silence overpowered everyone in the cafeteria. I got up on my feet, still staring at Jesus, while my body towered over his.

"Why the fuck are you angry? I'm just pointing out the facts-"

His fist connected with my jaw and I felt a burning sensation staining my skin. I stood quiet for a while, rubbing the place that was hit, as he panted in my face. His warm breath bounced off my cold skin like a ball does when you throw it across a playground, it just keeps rolling into the abyss.

Finally, my laugh echoed through the air and I looked at him with a smirk. "You shouldn't have done that," I grabbed the collar of his shirt and raised his body in the air as I kicked it wherever I could.

Brandy got up, looking at us with glassy eyes. "Stop it!" she screamed, but nobody listened. She looked like she's on a verge of an emotional breakdown.

"Penny," Gage softly said and quickly sat her back down, whispering something in her ear.

When he caught me off guard, Jesus grabbed my neck and started strangling me with all the strength he had. My grip around him eased and his feet finally met the ground as I looked at him with shock. He took over.

His blue eyes stared back at me with nothing, but rage. The way he acted - it surprised me more than I would like to admit. I would expect such behaviour from Gage or maybe Emrys on a bad day, but Jesus? Never.

Brandy is his soft spot.

As much as I wanted to escape his tight grip, I had no chance. His anger was stronger than my intelligence and I couldn't think straight either way.

"Okay, that will be enough," Gage meddled in, separating Jesus' murderous hands from my suffocating throat.

The reason he didn't do anything earlier is actually because of my words - we agreed nobody should separate two guys fighting, because everybody has their reasons for it, only if it ends up being life threatening. I guess this was the situation.

Jesus kept throwing curses at me while Gage tried to knock some sense into him to not attack me again. I rested on the nearest chair as Brandy followed my actions with an emotionless gaze and wet cheeks.

My hands were shaking and I felt like my head is about to explode, but all of that evaporated when I looked into her eyes.

I will never like this feeling, but their colour calmed my nerves and I could really use some medication. She didn't say anything nor move, but simply stare at me. And I would lie if I said her behaviour didn't scare me.

"I have already placed my bet on Atlas," Emrys whispered to Canny, who shook his head in disagreement.

"No, you claimed Jesus. I was the one who claimed Atlas," he whispered back while trying hard not to disturb Brandy from her trance.

I furrowed my eyebrows in cofusion, but my throat hurt too much to ask anything. So, I just kept staring at them until I get my answer.

Gage dragged Jesus few tables away from us and his huge body covered Jesus who was already sitting down. "...don't let in. He has had a rough time with his mum," Gage explained.

Of course he will fucking try to make me look like a victim. Yeah, blame my lame excuse of a mother. Like that will help with anything.

"No, the deal was if Atlas wins Brandy over, you need to run into Blue's office butt naked," Emrys defended his statement.

I widened my eyes, looking at both of them. Are they fucking stupid or they simply don't have anything else to do?

Canny poked Emrys in the ribs, tilting his head towards me. "Oh, fuck," Emrys sighed. "You heard that?" he asked in hope my answer is negative, but I simply nodded as a response.

"This is your fucking fault!" Canny accused him, squinting his eyes.

Emrys sighed in disbelief. "You fucking liar!" he yelled. "You started this!" he pushed his chest, making Canny fall off the chair.

Oh, shit.

My eyes met Gage's and we both thought of the same thing - Emrys is going to lose it.

This is how he usually started with the transformation from one personality to the other. He would never pick a fight with someone out of a simple argument if it didn't trigger him somehow.

Gage ran towards Emrys and Canny, who were now wrestling on the floor like fucking pigs. I looked at Jesus, whose eyes filled with panic.

"Help Gage," he told me flatly as he ran towards Brandy. He whispered something to her before they walked out of the cafeteria together, his arms hugging her waist. I can only assume he simply wanted to get her out of this shit.

But the other side of my head told me something else - I will fucking murder Jesus if I see him touch Brandy one more time.

I finally got up and walked towards Gage, who crouched next to two of them. I grabbed Kingston's shoulders and blocked his arms and legs from throwing any punches, eventually pulling him up to his feet.

"I will fucking kill you in your sleep!" Emrys screamed and his nostrils widened as he breathed in and out. He tried so hard to escape Gage's grip, who luckly followed my actions and secured his body from being able to do anything. "You cannibalistic bastard!" Emrys insulted Kingston once again and kept trying to free his arms.

"I hope you know better than to say something back at him," I warned Kingston with a serious tone and I immediately regretted it. My throat was burning as I spoke or breathed.

"Oh, so smart Atlas finally makes an appearence? What happened to careless Atlas? Did he chicken out?" Emrys tried to provoke me, but I have witnessed too many scenes smililar to this one to know what to do or say.

And when he's like this, it's better if you just stay quiet. If you tried telling him literally anything, he won't hesitate to use it against you in any possible way.

"What's wrong, Atlas?" Emrys locked his eyes on me, looking like a fucking maniac who should be put in a mental hospital. "Are you scared? I know you are. Jesus will win Brandy's heart and you'll be hurt once again," he kept laughing until he ran out of breath.

That's the moment I've had it enough of his crazy ass. I pushed Kingston away and grabbed Emrys' shirt, punching his jaw as hard as I could to knock him out.

Gage stepped away as Emrys' body lifelessly fell to the ground. I looked at Gage and Kingston, who stared at me with an opened mouth and raised eyebrows.

"We need to take him to his cell."

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