The Second Coming of Atlas Prime

Chapter 1

"Security, kick him out now!" A woman in her late fifties ordered huge men in suits to remove a young man from the room.

"But why Mom?" The man asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"I'm not your Mom! I never was. Do not call me Mom."

The security guards grabbed him by his arms. He thrashed against their grip. "Why are you doing this to me? I've always been good to you."

"Because you are an outsider, who crawled into our family." Anola's words hit him like a physical blow. He stopped resisting. The elegantly dressed guests around the room laughed, sipping expensive wine from crystal glasses.

"Atlas, you are nothing to us." Another man in his mid-twenties moved closer, then drove his fist into Atlas's face. His lip burst, blood trickling down his chin. "You're just a low life, a charity case that Dad accidentally picked up from the trash."

"Aaron..." Atlas said, voice heavy with emotion. "I've always considered you as my real brother."

Aaron spat directly in Atlas's face. "And I never did, and never want to." He took a long swig of wine. "Now that dad is dead, it's time to throw you back to where you came from." His laughter rang out, joined by the chorus of relatives filling the room.

Atlas's stepdad, Marius Finnegan, was one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country. He had adopted Atlas from an orphanage when he was 13. Despite knowing Anola and Aaron hated him, Atlas believed their feelings would change with time.

He was wrong.

Marius had died yesterday from a cardiac arrest. Today was his funeral, and now, with all the Finnegan relatives gathered, Atlas was being thrown out like garbage.

As the guards dragged him toward the door, a beautiful young woman entered the room.

"Hannah!" Atlas cried out. "They're kicking me out, Hannah."

She was his girlfriend of three years, his sweetheart. He'd been planning to propose this week.

Hannah's eyes darted between them. "Atlas?... What's going on? Aaron?"

Aaron smiled. "We're kicking him out."

Hannah's face went blank. "Oh." She turned and walked straight to Aaron, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

"What took you so long?"

Atlas froze. "Hannah?... What do you me-"

Aaron's laugh cut him off as he pulled Hannah close. Atlas's heart cracked as the implications became clear.

"Well darling, we had to wait for my dad to die. Couldn't have done this without that first."

"Makes sense," Hannah replied.

Just then, they suddenly kissed.

Atlas collapsed to his knees while the guards maintained their grip on his arms. "NOOO!" His scream echoed through the room as Aaron and Hannah broke apart, laughing.

Aaron approached, smashing his fist into Atlas's face again. He grabbed a fistful of Atlas's hair, yanking his head back to look into his eyes. "What would make you sadder... you being kicked out? Or the fact that I've been f*****g your girl behind your back for two years?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Atlas roared, then looked at Hannah with pleading eyes. "How could you?"

She just smiled, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "How could I not? Aaron is much more successful than you'll ever be. After all, you're just adopted trash."

Something inside Atlas died. His family of years was discarding him, and the woman he loved had revealed herself as nothing but a cheating scum.

Aaron raised his glass. "Everyone! It is also an auspicious moment today as I'll be taking over Finnegan Enterprises."

The room erupted in applause. Atlas watched in horror. It was his father's funeral, and these vultures were celebrating.

Aaron turned back to Atlas, leaning in close. "Before you completely vanish, one question has always bothered me. Why, even after all these years, did Dad, who seemed to love you more than anyone, not give you our last name?"

"Why were you named Atlas Prime? Is it because he never truly loved you? Or did he not consider you his son at all?" He came face to face with Atlas and whispered, "I guess it'll remain a mystery... just like Dad's death."

Atlas's eyes widened. He struggled against the security guards' grip and spat blood onto Aaron's face. "YOU f*****g DEVIL! I'LL KILL YOU, I SWEAR ON MY NAME! I'LL END EVERY ONE OF YOU!"

Everyone laughed. Aaron wiped his face with a handkerchief and tossed it into the fireplace. "Let me see you try." He nodded to the security guards. "Break all his limbs and throw him in some secluded garbage dump."

They did exactly that. Atlas's screams echoed through the night as his bones snapped. They stuffed him into a garbage bag, tossed him in a car trunk, and dumped him at an abandoned waste site.

As the car sped away, Atlas's head emerged from the bag. He was still breathing, but barely. Looking up at the full moon, tears streamed down his face.

"I'll have my revenge. God, give me one more chance. I want to watch them cry and beg for mercy."

A man appeared before him, silhouetted against the moonlight, his face hidden in shadow.

"Do you want revenge, young man? Do you want to get stronger?" the stranger asked.

Atlas couldn't speak through the pain, couldn't even think about who this man might be. But the question rang crystal clear in his mind. He managed a weak nod.

"Yes."