Locked Away

V

"Atlas-" Natasha started to say while reaching out to take his hand. He snatched it away and backed up away from everyone in shame.

"Don't touch me!" Atlas yelled. He was embarrassed and guilt settled over him. You could see it in his body language. He was hunched over and moving slowly, he was avoiding eye contact with us all.

"Take it away, please." He whimpered staring down at his hands. "Take it all away."

We all watched as he stumbled his way to the couch. His face was pure white and riddled with sweat, he looks sick...almost deathly. He laid down and motioned at Nat to stay away from him. His eyes were sinking in, but the blue in his eyes were swirling. His powers were starting to act up, like they were on alert for something and he was containing it.

I knew that Atlas had a dark time, but I never imagined it to be that dark...that careless. He took advantage of his abilities and used it to kill innocent people. I remember when I first met him, he was frightening and I had the abilities to fight him, I can't imagine how scared I would be if I was powerless. To look around and see the destruction he caused..all the people he killed. It would be a living nightmare.

His breathing was hitched and he was shivering. He almost looked like he wanted to die, like he was ready to not have any magic left in his body. But what Atlas isn't aware of is that we need his magic and if it gets taken away he will die. A sorcerer that powerful will essentially turn to ash if you take away all his magic. I couldn't do that to him, he needs Celia and Lincoln.

His face was pure white and riddled with sweat, he looks sick...almost deathly. We could hear little footsteps in the hallway coming down the stairs. Celia and Lincoln peered out from the railing at their dad. They were excited to see him, but you could see they were confused. They have never seen Atlas like this before, and I hope they don't have to again.

"Get upstairs," Nat walked over to them and turned them away from all of us. "I will come get you soon okay?" She nodded at them and nudged them back up the stairs. Celia looked right in Atlas' eyes before Lincoln pulled her back into the room and closing the door.

"I'm a monster," I heard Atlas whispered as he peered up at the staircase. "My kids -" He couldn't finish his sentence. His soul just crushed..you could see it in his face. It was like any light that he ever had just disappeared. There was no happiness left in him, only regret and sadness.

He looked over at me, "You need to close the door..I don't want to be that guy again. I don't deserve to have magic" He hissed. He wasn't asking, or pleading..he was demanding.

I shook my head, "No, someone else can seal it." I crossed my arms and looked at Lena and Harlow.

"Emma you know we can't do it," Harlow glared at me. Like she was insulted that I even asked for her to do it. "Just seal the damn door."

"I said someone else can do it," I argued. "There has to be another way, I will find it and one of you can do it." I walked out of the living room into the room where all the spell books are. Nat draped a blanket over Atlas and held his hand while he continued to shake..he was growing weaker.

I felt a hand on the back of my neck, and before he could even speak I raised my hand up to silence him, "Just...don't." I turned to look at him, without breaking the stare into my eyes he closed the spell book that was in front of me.

He lowered his voice and kept the grip on the top of the book as I was trying to re-open it. "Babe.." He spoke softly. "You have to close the door, we don't have time for this."

"What if I break him," My voice cracked looking at him. This was a curse I was born with, even Atlas himself can't seal the doors closed.

"He is broken," James concluded. "If you don't close the door the Atlas we know will die and he will go back to what we just saw, and you know that."

I know he is right..I was just hoping there was an alternate solution around it. "Lay him on the floor..you and Loki need to hold his arms and legs down, Nat needs to hold his head still."

He squeezed my hand reassuringly and they all did just that. Lena laid some pillows down on the ground for Atlas to lay on. Harlow put up a barrier around us so the kids couldn't hear what was about to take place. I looked at Nat as I made my way over to Atlas, she sat behind him and placed her hands on the back of his head. She looked up at me and gave me a nod, I straddled Atlas' torso and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and I could feel the room getting darker, I focused on the sound of my heart beating and slowed my breathing down. It was almost as if I was breathing in slow motion, I could feel the hairs on my arms stand up. The static in the air was clinging to me and I could feel my heart beating harder. I opened my eyes and they were glowing a bright white with a hint of blue. I looked down at Atlas, you could barely see him because the room was so dark. I looked down at my fingers and you could see the chain of electricity buzzing between them. I leaned forward and placed my hands on the sides of his head and his whole body jolted upwards. Loki and James held his arms and legs down and Nat held his head in place, Atlas started to scream in pain. He had thousands of volts of electricity running through his head and he was begging me to stop. He was pleading for me to stop, he tried to pull his arms out of James's hold.

"P-Please!," He screamed as he tried to thrash his body from underneath me. "Stop!"

I wish I could stop, but this was only the beginning. I could hear the thunder roll in over the house, I whispered softly to myself, "Let me in."

I could feel the lightening strike into the top of my spine and travel down my body and through my arms. Atlas' screams grew louder and I could feel his muscles convulsing. Then all of a sudden it went silent, when I opened my eyes there was nothing but a dungeon door and a very dark version of Atlas standing in front of me. I twirled my wrists and the lightning swirled around my hands.

I stood up from the floor and motioned the door open with my hand, I heard a chuckle. "You think I'm going to go back in there?" He sneered.

"Yeah actually, I do." I responded. The lightning sparked through the tips of my fingers and shot at him. It threw him back in the cell and he slammed against the wall. Beads of electricity bounced around his body and on the floor.

"You realize the Atlas you know is a joke right?" He breathed heavily. "I am who he truly is."

The lightning travelled up my arms and my eyes started to glow again. I waved my hands and zapped the door shut.

"Phasmatos Ex Solves, Exis Paunos Animotos," I chanted as I created chains around the door. I was unlinking his bond to Atlas' mind. To put him away, hopefully for good.

"Phasmatos Salves Nas Ex Malon, Terra Mora Vantis Quo Incandis!" And with that, I enchanted the chains and sealed the door. I flicked my fingers towards the door and also encased the chains with an electrical current. I walked to the door and peered in at him. "You are nothing."

I backed up and closed my eyes, I slowed my breathing and fell backwards. I jolted up and opened my eyes again I was now standing up on the other side of the room. I looked down at atlas and he was drenched in sweat. He moved his eyes to me and let out a sigh of relief. I clenched my fists and released the lightning that was lingering in my system. He sat up slowly, he looked back to normal for the most part. Tired, and in pain, but normal.

"That was the worst pain I have ever been in," He muttered pulling Nat close to him and kissing her cheek. "Remind me to never piss you off."

We all laughed and that's when I knew he was back to his normal self. I looked towards the staircase and watched as Celia and Lincoln ran into his arms hugging him. He didn't want to let them go, and you could see that he pulled them as close as possible to him. "I'm okay." He kept telling them as he kissed their heads. He kissed Nat and cradled his head on her chest, smiling at his kids.

"Am I the only one that didn't know she could do that?" Clint raised his hand halfway up with a very confused look on his face. Harlow hit his chest and shook her head. "Um, OW." He rubbed his chest and winced.

"How about a drink?" Harlow suggested, always one to bring out the alcohol at the best time.

"Yeah I need like, fifty," Atlas stated as he stood up. I sighed in relief and leaned against the wall. I watched everyone gather into the kitchen and pour drinks. The kids all came downstairs and were playing in the next room over, everything seemed to be going back to normal.