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Chapter Text

The thrill of hunting, for Anti, was the silence before the shot, the suspense before everything unfolded, it made everything delicious to watch and act, the cherry on the top, might he say.

Chase was knocked out, always the weak link on the group of the other "egos" as they were called, and now he had his hands around the hero´s neck, and no matter how strong the hero fought him, Anti fought harder, that´s what he loved about "Jackie", what doesn´t kill you makes you stronger and in Anti´s case, he couldn´t wait to obliterate that sentence and kill the annoying masked ego, but just before he got chance to do that, he wanted the hero weak, when he was so down not even dirt could go lower.

He didn´t want to just kill them, he wanted to make them suffer first. Always the loved ones, always the ones to steal the spotlight, it was irritating, he could tolerate the existence of Jack when it was just both of them, when he could make his life unbearable but didn´t exactly want to kill his "creator", because if he did...

Then where he would have fun? Killing random humans was no fun, they´d scream and go, rot away after they die and... That´s it! No fun in that, it was more amusing when he had an actual link to them, like that time he almost killed Mark, and how impotent some egos were (and how some were annoyingly strong like Wilford), but Darkiplier had stopped him because "It was his business" and as much as Anti hated the suit and tie asshole, they had an agreement of not going out in a war against each other when they had more important personal matters and besides... Dark was not important, he was just another pawn in the game their creators made for fun, for entertaiment.

But oh it was his turn to have fun! 

And as he squeezed Jackie´s neck with a wide grin, making him choke and try to fight, he laughed in delight, laugh breaking into an sort of echo glitch.

The doctor and his guns were no match for his unnatural body, even if the bullets still pierced his skin, even if it still made him bleed... It was NOTHING. The doctor was as useless as Brody was.

There was one, however, that ironically had one last card on his sleeve, and for that, he had to admit he had been careless.

The magician yelled something amidst the chaos going around, and then Anti glared when he snapped his head at him, feeling the burn on his back like he got sniped and making him let go of the hero.

The annoying thing about the magician was that he could actually do some damage, he was not on the same level as he was, in powers he meant, but he was next to it. Anti had his glitches, his powers and some he still was discovering, and the magician well, had magic, as his title obviously mentioned and while that didn´t sound threatning as much, "Marvin" as he had been named years ago, had his own cards to use. He was not weak, but he wasn´t as strong either, yet Anti always kept an eye on him and today...

Oh he had been so careless, so stupid, he let his defenses down and this is how he pays it. Perhaps it was part of their plan all along, he hatefully looks at all of them for one second.

The burn starts to melt on his skin, whatever the magician used was marking him, he could feel it tearing his skin apart in patterns in his back, it starts to actually hurt him, so he yells in pain and his body starts to break in pixels in many places, his bones crack with each twist and turn he involuntarialy makes, he for the first time feels pain as he moves too much.

Then he´s out, darkness takes hold of him and he is no more.

When he wakes up, he immediatelly gets up but he finds himself on a small room, hissing when his back hurts a bit but not as much as when he had been hit. The room was literally so small he couldn´t open his arms without it being completely open. It was all completely dark but that didn´t bother him, he was the only thing in the dark that people should be afraid of, and when he tries to move to the door and try to open it, he hears chains moving, iron chains with an unknown language written in them, soflty iluminating the room in blue and that´s all light he gets in that "room" he notices.

He snarls and tries to bring down the door, bringing his fists on it, kicking it, but he finds himself surprisingly weak and gets tired easily as he moves more and more, the chains surely were enchanted by that witch, it drained his energy so he stopped moving and just sat down against the wall, panting from all of it and he just... Stared.

He was captured. Actually captured, trapped, powerless.

He growled and closed his hands around his arms, nails sinking in his own flesh but that didn´t bother him, that wasn´t the problem.

The problem was he was at the bastards´s mercy and he could potentially get killed any second, and it wasn´t the thought of death that scared, he wasn´t scared of death, he would die too one day, but what made him so disgustful of his situation is that he was finally at their mercy, after all the hunting and everything he did, he ended up in their hands too. The hunter was being hunted, and he hated it with all force inside his foul soul.

Karma, humans said once, when he actually stopped to listen to one of their conversations.

He didn´t know how but he needed to get out of here, if he got these chains out, he could...

It was as if his mind was foggy and maybe they drugged him, maybe it was the chains working against him again with more effects he didn´t know, and he didn´t see any syringe markings on his arms or the back of his hands, maybe they made him drink something and then used magic on him and that´s why he was with his world spinning so bad now, but he felt drowzy out of sudden, making him close his eyes and try to get some sense back but all he actually got was a splitting headache so out of nowhere he actually hissed in pain, bringing his hands to the side of his head, feeling like his brain was slowly being divided in two.

What was happening to him?

Chapter Text

When he wakes up again, after falling asleep for so long (or so he feels like it, he isn't sure of the hours inside a tiny room chained with magical chains), he gets kicked on the ribs.

He coughs and hisses in pain, curling on himself and looking up to see... The hero. Jackie as he was lovely named by the community and Jack.

He feels like smirking but he doesn´t do it, closing his eyes because every time he thinks too hard about them or his anger gets too much, the headache comes back again and again, stronger and unbearable, making him almost cry out sometimes.

He needs to know what is working on his brain, what is happening to himself but he isn't sure, and well... He can think about this later, when he's not being beaten.

But now, the pain was on his stomach and not on his head for once. It's almost relieving.

"You gonna be silent now? No comments? Nothing?" The hero kneels and smirks at him, mockingly, then grabs his head and punches him, it's fast and he can't even try to dodge it (he's not like he used to be like when he was free).

His bones are strong, but if a normal human was beaten by the hero like this, they'd be either dead by the strength of his punch or with the minimal damage of some skull parts broken. Jackie might have been not the smartest out of all egos, but he compensated it with being a good strategist and the super human strength. 

Blessings of their creator, Anti thought bitterly. He was born a hero, Anti wasn't, but who cared? The villain was always way better anyway.

He recognizes he doesn't have his usual attitude and he doesn't know what's happening to him, but he feels like being silent and taking it in. It's all he can do now.

(It's what he deserves isn't it?)

He frowns with himself and then wipes the blood slowly flowing down his nose. 

Where did that come from? 

"I'm not done with you, freak." The hero spits and then he has his hands around his neck.

How the tables have turned.

His hands are strong, as simple as it sounds, he feels the power the hero has, he can feel it squeezing his throat, purposely making his throat wound worse and blooding his own hands (the hero isn't so heroic anymore, is he?), Anti chokes and tries to fight it off, he needs to breath even if he isn't human, he still functions like one.

But he can't even fight the hands squeezing his throat properly, he's tired, his strength is failing him and he doesn't even know WHY. He hates it, he snarls and glares at the hero.

It makes his blood boil, anger fueling his remaining strength as he slowly was being able to at least get the hands off against his neck, trying to break the hero's own bones and he knows the hero feels it too when his eyes widen and he's saying something, but Anti feels like he's underwater and he can't hear it-

And he feels the headache slowly returning, like a ghost coming back to haunt him. It isn't strong, but it's coming back.

"Remember when you did this to me?" Jackie says with eyes full of hatred (And that's all Anti had properly heard for now).

Anti can see Jackie feels superior for once, how he's drowning in satisfaction in hurting him.

They aren't so different after all.

He chuckles, then laughs a bit before his neck is squeezed more and he loses his battle, barely being able to breath now.

"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!" He yells with wide eyes, maybe there's a bit of fear in there, and Anti feels grea-

The headache makes it all like a torture, it's worse than anything he's being enduring from the hero, the headache is splitting his brain open, he can almost feel something is expanding in his brain, throbbing, aching, slicing it, maybe the witch threw a curse at him before he died, that bastard- 

The pain keeps stronger, until his nose keeps dripping blood like a barely open sink, he feels terrible, he just wants it all to end. He doesn't want this anymore, he doesn't want pain. He wants them all to go away.

The pain had drowned him out if everything happening to him, and unaware of it, he is being watched by the hero himself after he keeps hissing and holding his head, eyes closed and trembling with the pain.

It's pathetic he can't even keep his own body up.

And Jackie watches, he watches as the mighty villain that made his life hell was crumbled down like an old empire, and he feels happy with it, he feels accomplished because nobody else would suffer with Anti anymore, because he wouldn't allow it. And he's a bit confused why he's holding his head like that and hissing but that's isn't important. He doesn't care.

But one part of him...

He looks at his hands, bloodied with the blood of the anomaly, the glitch (whatever Anti was), when he pressed the throat and the wound too strongly, and it's all so familiar. (He can see Anti in his memories with his hands bloodied too, with a grin)

His eyes drown in all the red in his hands and he feels disgusted, he feels repulsed, it makes him sick. (It makes him feel like Anti-)

He leaves the room before his heart starts to make him get too irrational with everything around him. He can't be here now, he has to take care of himself too.

The hero goes away, and the villain is down.

Again.

Chapter Text

It's funny he never felt so human before like now. 

He observed them, for YEARS, years and years, he watched every little action until he could mimick them enough just to pretend to be like them too, he knew how they reacted when they got sick, he knew how angry they got when someone they liked betrayed them, he knew exactly what spots to hit them to make it hurt and he knew how they reacted in pain.

Just like now.

As he sat up, he noticed his clothes were feeling dirty against his body, damp with all the sweat, he felt terrible and he didn't even know why he was sweating so much. He wasn't sick, he knew how human fevers and certain diseases worked and he never got one in ALL his life. (Would this be the first time?)

He did feel a certain metallic taste in his lips, and he knew his nose bleed way too much again, it was a small puddle by now but it wasn't a threat to his health. A headache wouldn't kill him, he refused that.

It just kept making him curious, there was a pattern to be seen that's for sure, but he couldn't find it.

He sighed and looked around.

Besides the room being illuminated very minimally by the blue words in the chains, he wasn't bothered by the dark but he certainly was bothered why it was so hot today. Maybe that's the source of all his sweat, that had to be the only logical explanation, because the other one would be... The spell the witch cast on him was making him have other side effects (perhaps there was ones he didn't even see yet?).

Who cared. He was tired, he wanted to get out and... He felt weirdly numb today. He never felt like that before and curiously enough, it was a new feeling.

No anger, no hatred, no annoyance, he was just... Numb. Nothing. If he could describe it, would be looking at a completely still waters and seeing your reflection clear for the first time.

He looked to his hands, dirty nails and still dirty and old markings of blood from his enemies on his hands.

And the red color, the liquid, blood itself always made him so... Ecstatic, he felt like a painter coloring and using the color red on a canvas every time he saw it, spilling blood was art and he was a very good artist in that area.

But today he felt nothing.

It brought him nothing, it made him scared sort of, so he frowned. 

He didn't have much time to think though, as he heard footsteps and he knew one of them was coming again.

Was it the hero again? He didn't even see him leave the other day (yesterday? He didn't know, there was no clock, no light or sky to use as a form to know time). 

It was the doctor, professional as he always ever looked and opening the door, he entered the small room without hesitance, posture straight and unimpressed eyes glancing at his before looking to the paper in his hands.

It made him intrigued, and he wondered what happened for him to be so confident?

"I'm here to make some questions." That weird accent was always there and it always amused Anti, weirdly enough. The doctor while weak in strength, he had brains and medical knowledge, and for humans that was precious. He saved lives, that was great for them.

He also knew how to take lives, but had he ever done it?

Anti didn't answer. He didn't feel like it.

"I'll take that as a yes." Henrik coughed then got a pen out of the pocket of his coat and prepared his paper.

"Are you alright?"

What kind of question was that? They didn't care that was for sure, he didn't either if they cared or not, but that was... Unusual.

"...Yes." His voice was raspy, thanks to the long time without using it properly, it didn't matter either way.

"Do you feel pain?" 

"No."

"Have you had headaches lately?" 

"Yes." 

"When does it happen?" 

"I don't know." He said annoyed, half lidded eyes boringly glaring at the doctor. So many questions and for what?

"Is this blood yours?" Henrik pointed to the small puddle near him with his feet.

"Yes."

"Did Jackie do that?" 

"No." He chuckled. "The headache did." 

"Is it strong?" 

"Yes, sometimes no." 

"...Why you..." This time the doctor seemed to pause for a bit, seemingly a bit unsure of how to do this. "Why do you hurt us?" 

"I was created to be the opposite of everything you are. I follow the script." He chuckled. It's the only life he knew, what other way would he behave towards them? With love? 

He felt the headache again coming back and stopped smirking.

He had never stopped to think in depth if he could have another life besides this one, he entertained the thought once a long time ago, but how that work out for something like him? Humans were famous for not liking things who aren't like them, and Anti wouldn't let those bugs step on him. He wasn't taking a chance with it. Even him had lines he wouldn't cross.

But humans didn't. They crossed every line.

Thankfully, and in all their beauty, what made them so unique is that they were never the same. That's what made them amusing.

"That's isn't a good motive to fucking hunt us down like pigs!" The doctor seemed to lose his posture now and Anti blinked bored.

"I follow my script. You follow yours. You were created as a doctor, you're still a doctor even if you don't work as one officially, you have knowledge you never studied for, you like to treat wounds and heal the sick, you love what you do. You follow the story you were written with. Are we so different, Henrik?" 

They never were different. Their stories were more "morally good", they were the good guys, the loved ones, Jack created them with different motives and they were loved for everything they did. They were the protagonists.

He just followed everything he was created to do, according to Jack, was that so wrong?

What good would be a story if there wasn't a villain? If there was no problem in it? They should be thankful Anti made them shine while he thrived in darkness. Everyone followed the script Jack wrote for them before they were "born", they just weren't aware of it. Anti was.

And he had decided he would have fun with his life. Maybe his motives didn't make sense for them, or for other ears that might be hearing, but it made sense to him and that's all it mattered.

Henrik was silent.

"If we broke our script... Would you stop?" Henrik asked and he stared deep in the monster's dark eyes. "Would you change?" And what good will it be for him to change now? His kindness won't heal your past. One thought whispered to Henrik and he... Agreed with it. However he was also curious.

Anti had no response.

Would he? If he had normalcy and everything a normal human did, would he be different? Is that what he wanted? How would that work?

"Thank you for your time. I will return another day." Henrik said neutral, fixing his posture and his glasses position, seemingly to be deep in thoughts but he also.. just wanted to leave soon. "Marvin will come tomorrow." He informed and looked down at the glitch with cold eyes. 

He hummed in response, half conscious of it, he was thinking about all these possibilities and choices he was offered, of the possibilty of choices, should he break the script and be different? What would happen? 

It made him curious, and half hesitant if he should do it. There was certain boredom of doing the same thing everyday, to have the same thoughts and the same routine, but if he changed his script, his story, and acted completely different... New routines and routes would open up, something new. So the glitch asked himself...

Should he do it? 

The doctor left and he was left alone again.

Chapter Text

There´s not many headaches as long as he distracts himself enough, so he does it, sometimes he writes on the wall with his spilled blood from his neck, sometimes he hums melodies he heard once and never forgot, and most of the time he loses himself in his mind and that's... Not that bad when there's nothing to do.

He has some days of pure silence after that, he isn't one to hate silence as long as he's the one comfortable in it and with his freedom to do whatever he wants, he had loved it, but the stillness of everything and this new silence makes his ears ringing with white noise, he wants to rip it out of his ears drums but he can't, so he's forced to stay quietly furious and finding new ways to entertain himself.

Well, he's (gladly for once) interrupted when the door opens and there he is. The bastard that cursed him.

He smirks, and Anti hates none of them seemed so threatened by him anymore, but the magician had always been cocky, which was his greatest weakness, always overly confident.

Would he fall for the same tricks if Anti used the same strategies again?

"Look at you, the rabid dog, the monster, the eldritch horror thing that nobody understands... Trapped. On my chains." He closes the door without using his hands.

"What do you want?" Anti narrows his eyes at him, annoyed.

"Nothing, merely to look and pay attention at what I never could." The magician kneels and roughly grabs his chin and stares, seemingly amused by his eyes, and he momentarily freezes with the action.

Anti kicks him away strongly, his first attack on any of them in WEEKS (months? A month?), And he snarls, feeling furious. 

"Ah... So you still have some fire left." Marvin laughs and sits against the door, where he landed and shakes his head. "That's very bad." 

His head is on fire in seconds, like a knife is slowly entering his skull and then he's hissing in pain, twisting his neck and body in many directions, glitching, each twist has a crack of bones sound and Marvin ignores it as much as he can, because as much as he has the upper hand, Anti will always be something they're not fond of watching, interacting or knowledge in any form of way. Besides he's very creepy in his own way.

"You done?" He says instead.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!" Anti tries to lunge at him but the chains grow so heavy he can't move his arms anymore, the chains had become so heavy he can't barely move it by inches.

"It's a simple spell actually. It's not even a curse, why would empathy be a curse? All smart living beings know empathy and kindness work very well together, kindness generates kindness, symbiotic mutually good relationships-" 

"Cut the crap, witch." Anti snarls and he wants to enter his hands on the magician's own neck and make it rain red. 

His head still hurts, but his anger surpasses it for once.

"Alright. Well, soon enough Anti, you'll understand us better. I dare say you'll even regret doing everything you did, and when that happens I'll be there to extend my hand." Marvin smiles and extends his hand, as example.

Anti knows he has something in mind, he's not a kind man (specially would never be with him), he had his fair share of "bad" he had done before too "for the right ends" but Anti knows he's not here to make him an ally or anything similar to it.

"You think I'm that stupid?" 

"You're right." Marvin sighs. "My only tip to you, Anti, is: don't fight it, it's not bad, it's a simple spell, it's not a curse and the sooner you try to think a bit... Different from before, things will get smoother." 

"Not a curse my ass." He grumbles, making Marvin chuckle.

However he does note it down mentally, but why wouldn't he fight back? But then again fighting against something he can't see, catch or grab with his hands, it's very hard maybe... Maybe he shouldn't?

It's easier right? What if he played along? He fooled them so many times before, he could very well do it again.

But before he can plan it better in his head, the magician starts to speak again, crossing his legs.

"Why hold so much hate for us? We don't even have many years of life, or experience like normal humans, I will never understand why you just-" Marvin stumbles on his tongue and rolls his eyes annoyed. "I want to know why, Anti. The "why" never mattered to us before, but now we need new cards on the table and you're our best shot."

Anti stares at him, now curious on what the magician wanted to get out of him. 

"I could have some use from you, Jackie wants to kill you so bad and all of them are eagerly waiting for it Anti. I can save your neck-"

He chuckles, shaking his head and then staring at the irises of the magician, deep in his soul.

"You can't kill me, neither of you can, I always come back." He smiles. "I'm not like you. Why can't none of you understand that?" 

"Because that's not true! You're JUST like us!" It's Marvin's turn to get frustrated, "I exist in a world where magic isn't real! Chase shot himself once and he's still alive! Henrik never studied medicine in his entire life but somehow he saved our asses with miracle operations! Jameson doesn't have many memories but he might be a-" Marvin stops himself, as he had promised Jameson he'd be careful and maybe the dapper man didn't want him spilling every information he had about him to their enemy. "My point is! You're weird, you don't fit in this world either! We are all supposed to be together, none of us are normal not completely at least, and you're just- you're not any different!" They're all creations from the same creator, essentially brothers right? God forbid he said this out loud for any of them to hear but the thought is there.

"I'm completely different." Anti shakes his head, looking at him like he's dumb, "What do you want me to do? Join you and your pathetic little group? Be friends together and drink ourselves to death like Brody does? Run in a grassy field while holding hands?" He laughs out loud. "For a magician, you're a great comedian, witch."

"That's not my point but you're wrong. You're not different, we are not from this world, I can feel it, I know it, the magic in my veins whispers to me and I just know it's true. And the same magic tells me you're not different from us. Maybe more twisted, warped, corrupted at core, but that's because of Jack, we can't blame him for everything." 

"Or can you? He never gave you the attention you wanted." Anti says mockingly, "Out of aaaall his creations, so far you're one of his most ignored ones." He says in a singing voice. 

"You want to irritate me, that won't happen. We danced this dance before, glitch bitch." Marvin makes emphasis on the stupid nickname the "fans" had given him, when he had talked to them once. It's stupid and he had hated it ever since.

"Shove it." He says annoyed. "Is that all you wanted? To talk? I didn't know you were such an attention whore." He smirks.  

"No, I just wanted to know how much time it would take for you to change." Marvin places a hand on his chin and seems to be analyzing something. 

"Change what?" 

"Perspectives. A new angle." Marvin smiles.

"That will never happen."

"It will. The spell is here for that. I just hope you like the ride because it'll be a long one." He sighs. "Don't fight it. Remember this." 

Anti stays silent, just looking at him and Marvin doesn't like this guy, he would go far to say he wanted him dead too for all the pain they suffered, but with this new strange group hunting them down like dogs and each week was harder and harder to using all his magic to make them invisible to them, or protect them, was getting draining fast.

His veins were starting to get darkened again by his constant use of magic and if he fell unconscious because of it... It'd take a long time for him to use magic again. 

And they absolutely couldn't risk that.

All the others were against it, but in Marvin's opinion, Anti could be a great ally in the destruction of their enemy and if he somehow made Anti enemy of their enemy too... Then they could be momentarily allies, friends dare he say. They could finally destroy the IRIS.

Besides, he really wanted to find out how the empathy spell would last. The spell had been created by a wizard long ago (or so says the spell book he has), to make the most evil creatures to experiment for one time in their life how it feels to care. And maybe that's all Anti needed to know how being human wasn't something to be bad or weak, but instead it could be normal and something good for himself.

Maybe they could change the monster into a monster they could control and "befriend" (not really but he wanted to see how a "normal" Anti would be).

All he knew, is that all the situation was complicated, he needed to take a rest from all the magic he was using and they needed a new ally fast.

He might be a magician, but a sniper far away could still blow his brains out, Chase might be good with guns and he did come back from the dead once but would he be able to do it again? Would Jackie be strong enough to survive a firing squad? 

They couldn't help it. His idea might be insane, but Anti was partially right when he said he was different from them, he was more destructive, more resilient to human weapons, he didn't die to any of their most brutal attacks in all their years fighting.

They needed brute force, and Anti had that, so for now that's all they could get.

Before the glitch could speak again, Marvin had already reacted faster and got him unconscious, his head falling forward like a broken doll, the magician kneeled and placed a finger on his forehead, muttering another spell and erasing their conversation from his head but not completely.

He didn't want to mess up any progress the spell had been doing, be it small or big, all he knew is that the spell was the only thing he could completely put his trust into. He had been perfecting it for months, there was zero mistakes to be made so now he just needed to wait.

He left the room, deep in thoughts and thinking what his next move would be now, because even with everything in the plan going as they wanted, he still was unsure on one thing: if Anti changed, would they really accept him as one of their own? 

Chapter Text

Anti feels weirdly hollow.

He never felt this way before, which curiously enough makes him... attentive to it. This was new, a hollow peace of mind, for the first time in his life he just...

He doesn´t want to fight. Kill. Anything. He just wants... What does he want really? 

Anti feels confused shortly after, furrowing his brows to himself, and it´s like he hit some button and something changed, his code was rewritten or so it felt, it must be the spell surely but... 

Was it truly that bad?

This is not me, I´m not pathetic like this, I´m better than this, I´m not human. That was him, his voice, him.

But when he looked in the mirror the last time he was free, he looked human enough in his eyes, the hair, his form, his body in general. Some followers of Jack sometimes had speculated he had many forms and he had surely wanted to show them all what he could do with his body to scare them out of their minds, but it never felt that appealing because while he surely had fun stretching his form and twisting it to something wicked or different, the human form was his original form and his mark, it´s how he was "born" and probably the form he would die in, too.

He might have looked human, acted sometimes as one to deceive, but he never felt like one. Never. It was an foreign concept that bugged him, that he sure thought about once but never entertained the thought enough to act on it. Is this how it felt to be human? To be this confused and so full of emotions they couldn´t figure out which to follow? It was new, it was above all emotions confusing, feeling angry at everything is easier but this... 

Why does he feel like this?

There´s no hatred burning, there´s no anger, there´s nothing, he feels nothing, and it´s bad but it´s not so bad either. 

It´s all too neutral, too much, it makes him consumed on himself to figure out how to exist like this, because he can´t understand it, but will he learn to understand it though? The spell doesn´t seem to be ending soon.

He is once again interrupted when his door is suddenly open and a very drunk Chase Brody crashes on his knees in front of him.

"Tell me where are my kids." He says simply, staring at Anti. He is brave today thanks to the drinks he took, and Anti feels... 

Pity?

"I don´t know." Anti answers, for the first time, truthfully.

He hates Brody, and he loves Brody, he was always his favourite one to mess with. Jameson had been a great toy to mess with, but Chase was always his favourite no matter.

Why isn´t he wanting to do anything to him? Nothing at all? Why?

"Liar!" Chase moves and he stands on wobbly legs for a moment, the smell of alcohol isn´t unfamiliar to Anti.

"You drove them away yourself, Brody." He says instead, and he feels nothing. Where´s his satisfaction in seeing the pain in Chase´s eyes? 

"I DIDN´T!" He goes forward and punches Anti, which doesn´t do much harm compared to the beating of "Jackie", and Chase grabs his shirt. "Stop lying you fuck, I know you have my kids somewhere! I know you took them from me!" He yells.

He feels nothing at all, yet when he stares enough at Brody, he notices something.

His chest feels weird, and he doesn´t understand why.

"You remember what you did, don´t you?" Anti says quietly, and to Chase´s ears it´s just his usual cruelty against him, but to Anti it´s just a question, one he´s curious to know the answer.

"I didn´t do anything." Chase says pitifully, rubbing his eyes. "I... Didn't do anything." What did he do? Did he do something?

He doesn´t remember.

He doesn´t remember.

He doesn´t remember.

He can´t remember. Chase shakes his head and focus on the evil thing in front of him.

Why can't he remember? What happened that night? Why did they abandon him? 

But Anti surprisingly enough, isn´t one to be playing now. He knows he played an important role in the downfall of torturing Chase, but he doesn´t have clear memories of ever messing with his family in direct contact, he might have used hallucinations and what not, but the average bro´s wife left before he could have planned something with her, Chase was one old creation just like him and at that time, he didn´t plan enough to make the man´s life that miserable, "Stacy" (if his memory doesn´t fail him) never again was seen when she had that one ugly fight with Chase once, and she never came back. She took the kids and then ... disappeared. They could be in another continent for all he knew and he wouldn´t go on the other side of the globe for that, he wasn´t that obsessed.

Anti could probably find her if he tried enough, but he wasn´t interested in her or the brats, they were surely important but their abstinence in Chase´s life was enough for him, and besides... He never saw them again after one night, he wasn´t lying when he mentioned Chase drove them away himself, but he didn't know how. 

Did he forget or was he scared to remember? Was he running from himself? Did he not know? 

How peculiar.

"You hit her..." He would assume that because one time when he was spying on them as usual, he heard a full conversation between Brody and the doctor.

He remembered Chase being so so persistent he didn't do that, but Henrik had said it could've been a possibility, drunk people were violent and lately Chase had been angry, Chase refused to believe that, but by the end of the day, he was drinking again and half believing he might have done it. 

Anti could still remember the satisfaction of seeing his pain when he watched from the shadows, but now? 

He shook his head and looked to his hands, and his hands didn´t change anything, they didn´t look one bit different, nothing, he was fine physically but he changed.

"SHUT UP!" Chase yells and falls on his knees, slowly curling on himself. "shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up..." He whimpers.

And he would have thought about it all as pathetic, but...

He just leans forward and stares.

"Can you find her?" Chase finally says, after he had been silent for a moment, and he doesn´t change positions.

"If I tried, maybe." Anti fixes his posture against the wall, crosses his legs and stare at the wooden walls.

"...I hate you, for everything you did to me. You dirty scumbag, piece of shit motherfucker." Chase spat hatefully, finally sitting up and then getting up on wobbly legs once again. He was a mess, it was something even a normal person would find funny, but Anti couldn´t lie to himself, he felt pity. For Chase. 

"...I´m-" He looked down, and swallowed his words, which got stuck on his throat, begging to come out and just say it. I´m sorry.

This is not you. This is not me. His thoughts muttered, yet he felt they were wrong. Pathetic-

Try it, another thought whispered.

"You what?!" Chase urged irritated and Anti looked away.

He didn´t have the courage to say it.

Brody went away and he never felt more human in his entire life like now. 

"What did I do...?" Anti mumbled and placed a hand on his head. 

He could remember awful things, awful things (they weren´t awful before...), death, so much blood, so much happiness and it was all wicked, it was horrible and he didn´t know he could have ever felt this disgusted with himself for the thing he did. For everything. But the question was...

What does he do now?

Chapter Text

"We need to know when we will release him." Marvin analyzes his nails and then looks at the others serious, "If we gonna use him, it will have a time he will have to be free." 

It's not that they're thrilled Anti will soon walk between them (they're absolutely not), but they were getting trapped against the wall by IRIS, who were still trying to get to them using all possible methods and Marvin had warned them if he got incapacitated to use his magic (since he was already using a lot with many spells to protect them), it would be catastrophic. Marvin was their last resort, their brute force after Jackie, if they lost their defense... Who knows what Iris would do with them?

And that's where Anti came in, they could use his agressive nature and powers to defend them for a while, just enough so they could get free from the stress of putting pressure on Marvin to protect them and all the attacks.

And after that... Well, they were very clear on what they wanted to do with the glitch.

But for now nobody was excited to release the chained beast on their "cell" (their previously random objects mini room), so now...

"I have everything ready if he does anything." Jackie says as a matter of fact, patting Jameson's shoulder and briefly looking at all of them.

"I got everything loaded." Chase sighs. "Are we sure we really want to do this? Use our enemy against another enemy?" 

"What choice do we got?" Henrik answers quietly, and that's when they realize they don't really have a choice.

They really don't, they either let the monster that haunts them, haunt Iris too and possibly destroy it, or they let iris win (because they couldn't keep fighting forever and it's a lot of people against their little group) and do whatever they want with them... They didn't know what the Iris company wanted with them exactly, but the fact they also were a company hidden from the government... It told Jackie something was fishy with them.

They didn't want to be subjects to weird scientists people because their first contact was actually explained to them that "they should come with them and be tested for anomalies..." Then they opened fire when Jackie refused.

They weren't taking chances, at least with Anti it was five against one and they knew how to deal with him.

"I'll be in my room." Jameson signed for them and left the place, making Jackie and Marvin look at themselves.

"I can't blame him." Chase mumbles. He'd hide away too if he could.

"We really can't, but... Alright, well... Good luck Marvin, yell for help if anything goes wrong." Jackie warns the magician and the other just chuckles.

"I don't think I'm too worried about it. I spent MONTHS on that spell, I'm sure by now Anti is tamed by it." Marvin crosses his arms. "You're all welcome, folks." He bows graceful to the "audience".

Henrik rolls his eyes and Chase smiles, and while their situation was awful, at least they were all together and that was their strength. 

"If that Anti isn't "our" real Anti, how we... Ya know, what do we do with him?" Henrik asks curious. "I still don't like him, him all nice and dandy or not, spell or no spell, I won't forget all the shit he did to us, to Jack, to everyone." 

"Well, all I ask is to not try to kill him since he's our new guard dog. Just let him roam around and stuff, he'll find some way to entertain himself." Marvin shrugs. "I would say he's kinda safe to deal with now, but remember he's not something like us, I did my best with the spell but who knows if he's faking all of it or not? Let's not take chances, so don't poke the bear, just let him... Walk around." 

Marvin was honestly curious how their routine would be now with a new member in their group, one they were absolutely not fond of, but yet he still wanted to see how everything would go. Who knows what they'll find out now?

"Very well." The doctor nods, "Good luck." 

So Marvin goes away, walking and walking until he's in front of the room Anti was in.

He opens the door and there he is, on the same spot they left him, still dirty from their weeks ago battle, he doesn't twitch and contour as much as he did before he lost his freedom but Marvin did notice Anti moved a lot his body anyway, tapping feets, moving his hands, sometimes he looked like he had a pain in his neck so to fix it he leans his head towards his shoulder... This man had a lot of issues and all of them sounded unhuman. The black eyes and the never healing neck wound gave it away obviously.

Yet Marvin weirdly enough thought he appeared human enough in appearance, he could pass off as human if he wanted and well... His appearance saved him a lot of trouble and Marvin knew he had some tricks to get rid of the black eyes and he could just cover his neck up if he wanted to be in public. Anti knew how to act well.

"..." The glitch is staring at him and somehow that's worse than him speaking and threatening them. It makes him a bit scared but not enough to fully creep him out. It's just... Before in the past, a silent Anti meant a very fucking pissed off Anti and that was dangerous.

It's not this case though, he had everything ready for an attack.

"Get up." Marvin orders with a firm tone and Anti does so, still not talking and then looking away.

He snaps his fingers and the chains stop glowing, the letters fade into nothing and the chains open free with loud metalic sounds falling to the ground.

"...I'm free?" Anti asks curious and looks at the magician.

"Free? No, you're still our prisoner, don't get cocky." Marvin snorts. "Listen, you will now protect this household and anyone inside this group, got it? Any order not followed will result in punishment by my part or Jackie."

"... Who am I protecting you against?" Anti asks quietly and looks at the window nearby, showing the forest covering them. 

Is something watching them?

"A company, organization, whatever the fuck they are, they know we are not "human" so they insist in witch hunting us to... Make tests I think? Nevertheless, it doesn't sound pretty being captured by them." He shakes his head. "So that's it, kill whoever you need to kill, only if foe, no civilians, and help us whenever we ask for your help." Marvin crosses his arms.

"Very well." His own voice sounds way strange to his own ears but that's what happens when you don't speak for too long, he guessed.

"Now... Have fun." Marvin says sarcastic and walks away, his instincts tell him to look back, to not trust Anti even with the spell, but...

This Anti is too calm, he didn't even protest to any order he gave him, he barely blinked in his direction in any sort of malicious way, and it's all so surreal that before he fully gets out of the glitch's view, he stares at him in disbelief, analyzing for a brief moment then disappearing on the next hallway.

There's an awkwardness in the air, a thick atmosphere of tension, because they're all scared but Anti looked... Just... Out of place. 

He would be crazy to say this, but it was like the final piece of the puzzle finally was put on where it belonged, the puzzle was now complete. Their... Group was complete. 

By the most disgusting thing ever that killed people, almost murdered Jack, Jackie, Chase and Henrik, possessed Jameson and whatever the fuck he did on his free time surely wouldn't be anything good. Anti was something he despised, but now a wicked curiosity took hold of his heart and he wondered what the next few days would bring on them.

He just hoped the spell he spent months perfecting, paid off for a long time because if there was something he didn't tell the others... Was that he didn't know how much time this spell would last. He did his absolutely best in trying to make it as long as possible, but at the end of the day he couldn't really know it for sure if it worked, because how will you know something works if you never used it directly? 

But now that the spell was in use in front of his face and apparently working wonders and making Anti "morally good" (neutral maybe? Who knows), now he just hoped everything he did wouldn't be in vain.

Or else he would get his ass whooped by every ego in the distance, and their disappointment with him would hurt a lot too, they always put so much faith on him that he hated when something he did, didn't work out and they got sad by it. Marvin loved all of them, he wouldn't let them down.

But giving a last look back, his heart thundered and he looked to the ground with worry.

"I really hope everything will go alright." He worked so much... It would pay off right?

Right?

Chapter Text

The thing about his new routine, is that it was more boring than he expected, he had to patrol the nearby forest, around the house (he was literally being a guard dog... And it was humiliating, but he had to pay for his mistakes in some form) and he had killed some suspicious people who carried guns with them. They looked like soldiers but not exactly from the government, so Anti assumed it was from IRIS. Either guards or soldiers.

The magician had no problem when he informed of what happened, the only thing he didn't like was when they had to dispose of the bodies, it was an incredibly morbid but also awkward situation, with Anti watching as the magician burned the bodies until they turned into ash.

"...I will never know how you enjoy killing." Marvin mutters, briefly looking at him.

"I could explain, but that won't make you happier." Anti says sincerely.

He could explain it had been the fun of chasing something around, to know he was feared, to know he had power enough in his hands to end a life if he wanted, that he simply had power and also... That was his nature, it was an inclination he had to it, they should complain to Jack about it, not him.

But now... Now his memories are fuzzy, he knows he did a lot of bad things, but sometimes when he tries to unbury his old memories, he just... He can't remember everything.

This spell was killing who he was, and maybe old him from days ago would've hated it, but the him of now was fine with it.

He was in such conflicts everyday that sometimes he wished he had someone to help him, that he can change if he wants and he's trying, but...

No help would come his way.

"No use." Marvin says quietly after a long while of their silence and staring at the ashes on the ground. "...How do you feel?" 

Should he be truthful? Would they talk with him if he was... Gentler? 

"I never felt this way before." He confesses. "It's weird, I don't know how to react to it, I don't know what to do, I'm just..." He's confused, but he's also so incredibly... Sad. "I'm... Sad." He mumbles more to himself than to the magician. 

"...Sad huh?" Marvin gets closer to him and looks down on him, a cold look on his face. "That's a nice feeling you got there, very human of you." He says sarcastic, "Now think about the times you gave nightmares to Chase, or the times you tried to kill Jack, or Jackie, remember every face you killed." 

And Anti stares at him, heart sinking at every word and he knows it's true, he needs to remember, he can't forget their faces and what he did to them, he can't let it go.

He needs to suffer. He needs justice for everything.

"You are a monster, don't forget that." Marvin says close to his ear. "We need you now, but we won't need you forever and after that... I think you know what's coming for you." He chuckles darkly.

Anti doesn't react to it, he only watches as the last body burns in blue flames, hotter and magical, and he sees the man's form still and lifeless and thinks... He had a family out there, surely, maybe a daughter and a wife, a mother waiting for him at home.

And Anti killed him. He killed something that could've helped the world, he was just doing his job at going after the egos, was it really his fault?

Suddenly killing wasn't easy anymore.

The blood in his hands felt dirty, like he plunged his hand in sewer water, he felt like the dirtiest scumbag of the entire planet.

And he was, he was sure he was.

And while Anti suffered in silence, immersed in accusing thoughts and guilt, Marvin watched.

"Let's go." He says quietly and analyzes as Anti just follows him.

It's great seeing him suffer, he'd say he was feeling satisfied and his day got better, but it also gives him a bitter feeling of... This isn't the real Anti they know, this is a version of him made by a spell, that he was forced to feel something he never did before and now look at the glitch, he barely talked, he didn't laugh, it was just... Silent.

Marvin was happy with his suffering, but one small part of him felt bad. 

Because this Anti, sure, he was still non human, still glitchy, still had dark eyes and a never ending wound, but this Anti... He was more human than they ever saw in him. 

It was kinda of a sad situation, like a villain wanting redemption, it made him feel a bit bad but...

"You're weak, witch, and you'll die like any other unfortunate souls out there." Anti said once, before he plunged his knife on Marvin's abdomen and laughed in delight.

And he had screamed in pain.

And the same guy that was behind him, was the guy who did that.

Mercy is out of option, Marvin thought, furrowing his brows and looking back with cold eyes.

It was his turn to suffer now, so be it.

The next day, Anti deemed safe enough to not patrol around and stayed inside the house, getting to know every room he could, making mental notes which hallways to avoid (the ones where the others room's were at) and what places he could spend most his time in.

The house was quite big, and asking the magician when he spotted him once, he got to know why they chose this place.

"It was already abandoned when we came here. And it's in the middle of nowhere, NORMAL people don't bother us and don't come inside the forest this deep, it's easier to identify the IRIS people after us, since well... They're the only ones doing so. It was a good strategical place to be." Marvin shrugged. "So we did some modifications, we brought some furnitures, we got some help from Jack... And that's where we live today." He explained.

Anti nodded and before he could try to make him talk a bit more, the magician had walked away and ignored him.

Fair, he didn't judge them for anything they did to him. He was no victim after all, and pity parties was just out of question.

But it also didn't make his sadness any better, he wanted to... Apologize, to make them know what he did was awful that he regrets it, that he doesn't want to kill anymore but... They never listen. They all ignore him, and that's ok. 

So the only company he kept was himself.

The only good thing he did find inside the house, was that the attic was practically abandoned by the others, and the stairs were sort of broken and difficult to use, but he liked it there, he could glitch it out and in that place easily.

The attic was forgotten place, there was boxes with random objects inside (probably from old owners, by what he supposed of the photos), there was a window that left him with a great view of the forest surrounding them and gave him a good strategic view.

So now he was just sitting there, looking at some stranger's family album and... wishing he had been born that lucky.

He never had a family, Jack was his creator but they started off bad and that was also his fault, but also Jack's fault. 

Why couldn't he be normal? Why did he have to be the villain? The psychopath of the story? 

Someone would need to get the role eventually. One thought whispered and he sighed. It was true, if it wasn't him, then someone else would be and he would feel terrible if someone out there had this destiny like him. Just a monster created to be agressive and entertain strangers on the internet, because as much as he denied it to himself, that's why Jack created all of them for.

Entertainment. Just a book to read and then forget again.

But no, something happened and now they have lives, they have beating hearts, physical forms... A soul. They were alive, but Anti didn't feel like he was living. His life was just... Dead. It was horrible. It was all death and death and death, and blood and he just... Hated it. 

He closed the family album and threw somewhere far away, feeling a cold wave of jealousy for the strangers he saw on the album and their happiness.

Then he spotted a book, it was kid's stories so he put it aside, then he found another book but about mythologies... It got his curiosity so he started reading it.

Later when he got bored of it, he left the attic and walked to the kitchen.

He didn't need to eat like humans did, but that doesn't mean he didn't enjoy eating certain foods. They might as well have something good perhaps? He usually stole from people when he wanted to eat before. It was a weird thing to do (to eat he meant) and he wasn't used to it but... Sometimes he just liked to mimick humans and pretend he was one. 

He was really a mess, wasn't he?

Why did it take literal magic to change his mind?

He shook his head and kept walking, and that's when he heard humming, when he passed near the kitchen.

He also sniffed the air and the smell of something cooking caught his nose, making him faintly miss the taste of food in his mouth. He hated that he wasn't human in those aspects.

Peeking from the entrance, he saw it was the doctor, humming to himself with earplugs in and frying something on the oven, he looked quite relaxed and it was so rare to see that, that Anti quite frankly felt happy for him, making his posture less tense and a smile make way to his face.

The doctor grabbed a knife and the smile went away, because the sight of the knife made him have faint horrible memories of what he had done to many people with those. He briefly did wonder however, where his original "trusty" knife went.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Someone grabs him by his shirt behind him and his instincts automatically act, making him break free of whatever attacked him and get ready to punch-

His eyes go wide and so does the hero when they stare at each other.

"Oh is that so?" Jackie smirks and he quickly changes their position, gaining the upper hand in a seconds short battle, while Anti is still stunned.

At the end, he was dragged to his original "room" and then...

He got punched hard again, making his nose bleed and he get light headed.

"You were thinking on attacking Henrik from behind, weren't you?!" Jackie snarls, his blue eyes shining with his powers. 

And that's how Anti knew how pissed he was.

"No! That was not it!" He spits a bit of blood, "I swear-" 

"Swear on this." Jackie attacks him again.

And again and again... And he can't fight back, he can't, it will just make him bad again and the hero deserves his justice, he's a bad person-

He stops thinking for a moment when a hot blinding pain makes his eyes widen and he has to bite his tongue to not scream (he had a feeling if he did, it would make the hero angrier). 

He loses his weight and falls down to the ground, holding his leg and the place where he was hit, not being able to speak because the pain was blinding his logic, he saw dark spots on his vision and he wondered if he would pass out (it'd be greatly appreciated if he could).

But he didn't, and he just sat there holding his possibly broken leg in pain, blood flowing down his nose and mouth.

The hero was strong, simple as that, and he now wondered how the fuck his old self had been strong enough to withstand those attacks.

"Don't get close to any of us again, you hear me?!" 

Jackie had only stopped after Anti had fell down and was trembling in pain, holding the place he had landed a punch while using his powers. 

It snapped him back to reality when he heard Anti groan in pain.

He expected a response or something, but all the glitch did was weakly try to get away from him and lower his head.

He looked absolutely pathetic, he looked weak even, a miserable thing that Jackie if he ever saw someone in that situation, he'd be desperate to try to help whoever it was.

"You hear me?" He asked a bit more quietly and serious but... Also worried he made more damage than he should.

It didn't seem Anti was fully listening to him as he didn't look up and was shaking a bit and kept holding the place he had hit, it seemed his power had done more damage to him than he could stand, and Jackie wondered if the spell made Anti weaker? Maybe it locked away his power or something? Because the glitch had held his ground against much stronger attacks before and now...

Now it just looked he broke some bone on his leg.

It made him stop and stand still for a moment.

He was so angry lately, that he had been changing his demeanor a lot, where was his happiness? Where was the Jackie that joked around? 

Where did you go, hero? He hears Anti's voice in his head, mocking him and his... Cruelty.

But he had his rights! He suffered so much too, Anti made him like that dozens of times in many situations before.

Many things you were Jackie, but never cruel. He hears his own voice say in his head, his conscience more likely.

Would you help a monster if it asked for help?

And he looks down at Anti and he knows he can help, that he overdid because of his anger and resentment he has for the glitch.

But he just... He can't let it go easily, he can't forgive the glitch, he can't forget everything he went through! He can't forget the times he stood on the exact spot Anti was and cried in pain while he enjoyed it.

But was that the way he wanted to spend the rest of the year doing? Of his life? Did he want to be trapped in this never ending hate for the glitch? 

Funny as it was, but he made himself one question... Would Batman refuse to give the Joker help, even after everything awful he did? 

Maybe Anti was not the monster in this situation right now.

"...Get up, I will take you to Henrik." Jackie says more softly, staring at Anti.

But he doesn't move, he keeps his head low with darkness covering his face and he keeps still.

"Anti." He calls a bit more firm. "... Can you get up?" 

"No." Anti finally says. 

"I will.... Help." Jackie gulps and kneels down.

"No." Anti says again, this time looking up at him. 

He looks terrified. 

He thinks he knows why Anti loved looking down at them when they're scared too, he feels powerful, he knows what he can do with Anti if he wants, hell he could kill him if he wanted, but...

It makes him feel like Anti himself, or at least, the old one.

It doesn't make any more confusing why Anti just said No to him again.

"You don't... Want my help?" Jackie asks surprised, and just to be sure.

"Leave me alone." Anti says quietly.

"How will you protect us if you're hurt?" Jackie says irritated. But this is your fault for hurting your only defense against IRIS, is he truly the one to blame? 

"Leave me alone." Anti stares at him with his dark eyes and green irises.

It doesn't hold any power or hatred anymore. It just shows how tired he is, how broken he was becoming.

This time it's Jackie who feels like a monster. He's a hero, heroes help people, heroes help monsters too if they asked for it. Heroes were better than this.

Jackie for the first time, in his entire life, existence, feels pity for the glitch.

So he leaves the small room, and closes the door before walking away in a sort of frozen state.

He has rights to do what he wants, but was that truly the right choice? He's supposed to help everyone, hell he even thought once of helping Anti before he was throw the spell, they all knew the glitch was corrupted to its core and didn't have fault in his nature because that's how Jack wrote him to be, that's how he was born and the only way he knew to live. To enjoy pain and kill. He was made to be the villain, Jackie was the hero, was Anti truly the one at fault?  

They loved Jack, Jack was nice and he didn't have fault in writing them out the way they were, he didn't know they would pop and exist one day, but... Just like any of them didn't chose their fate, Anti didn't either. And he just followed the story that was written for them, ironically he was as much of a puppet as they all had been before to him too.

This anger is hurting him more than it should, he thought it would bring happiness but it only made him confused.

One part didn't want to let go of his anger, but the other part was terrified of what he was becoming.

Why did all of this have to be so complicated?

He walked until he reached the magician and explained what happened to him.

And Anti? For the first time in his life, he cried of pain.

Chapter Text

Like he had said before, killing became way harder to do now.

Snapping necks, using claws, his strings, everything he had in his power he tried to do it quick but it never felt quick enough. He still saw fear in their eyes, sometimes the deaths weren't so quick and they pleaded mercy, and Anti HAD to deny it.

He had, he didn't have any choice in that matter.

However, the one in front of him was... Different from the rest.

"I know what you did! We don't know how, we don't know how you fooled them, but you won't get away with your crimes one day!" This soldier while he was indeed dressed as one, he talked different, he knew things the others don't and he... He wasn't really a soldier, was he?

"Shut up." Anti sighs and grabs a gun from the ground. 

"... You really don't care, do you?" The man says and he looks terrified now.

"I do now." Anti answers sincere, hesitating when he points the gun to the man's head.

I have to do it, it's an order, fuck I can't refuse it.

"What did they do to you?" The man asks and he stares at him.

"It'll be quick, I promise." Anti changes subject and places his finger on the trigger.

The man looks down and lowers his head. He knows there's no way to get our of this. Well at least his curiosity was satisfied-

Anti pulls the trigger.

A body falls, there's no more sounds in the forest after the shot, he did his duty as he was told.

It wasn't getting easier, he was starting to hate it again and again, he wanted to scream and actually beat the others up for forcing him to do this, but this is his punishment isn't it? He deserves it sure, but do other people do too?! 

He throws the gun away and falls to his knees, his injuried leg hurting way too much but he isn't focusing on that now, breathing heavily as he gets so nervous from everything that happened.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" He mutters to himself, tears falling from his face. "What the fuck do I do?" He stares at the grass.

This isn't him, but he doesn't miss the old him either, yet it feels wrong somehow, because he isn't familiar with all these feelings but it also... Doesn't feel bad either, he's glad he got a new mindset, he's glad he can be more human and fit in with the others. But it's all so conflicting, he doesn't know if it's good or not, he's not sure of anything and it's killing him slowly. 

He takes a deep breath and gets up with difficulty, grunting as he did so. He had a feeling the doctor refused to help him and the magician too, but that was the last thing he cared about, he just wanted to be alone.

So he limped away, brows furrowed as the pain never left him alone after Jackie's beating again, slowly but surely he went deeper into the forest, this time to get lost purposely, where he could have a bit of peace.

"...It's so bizarre." Jackie says quietly, as he holds a mug in his hands.

"What?" Marvin sips his tea.

"Anti." Jackie looks at the magician. "He's just... He's so different! It's like a complete new person." It's kinda scary to know Marvin was powerful enough to do all these things, but he wouldn't waste his time on that, he was glad the magician was on their side.

"He's not a new person, or... I don't know, maybe he is, but the Anti we know is still buried inside him." Marvin puts down his cup of tea on the table, staring at the liquid. "He's just... Sleeping." He mumbles quietly and distracted.

What he did was indeed to completely change Anti's view on them, to feel more emphatic, sympathetic and all the good things he could think of, and that was... Cruel in a way with the glitch.

Because Anti never knew how to act with them now, being this new version of him, he was quiet all the time, he looked confused, out of place, he sometimes would stare at the house as if it was something new, something he never had truly and didn't know what to do inside one and Marvin just wondered how terrible that must be, to be this confused. Like he woke up one day from a coma and strangers hold him hostage. 

But then the other part of him grabbed all memories he had and showed him all their past together, how painful it was, how he always took the opportunity to mock them, to make their lives miserable, to let them know daily that they would get hunted and haunted until the day their deaths were successful.

Now they had peace and a new guard dog to help them, was it all so bad after all?

"Marvin!" Jackie snaps his fingers. "You listening to me?" He glares at him softly. 

"No, sorry, just lost in thoughts." Marvin grabbed his cup of tea again and drank.

"I said... Can't you do anything about his leg?" He asks the magician.

It makes Marvin stop drinking his tea midway it and then put the cup down again, looking at the hero with confusion but intrigued eyes.

"And why would I do that?" Marvin lifts one brow. "He can go fuck himself all I care, for me he can have more than ten broken bones if you want to." He shrugged.

"...How will he protect us properly if he has a injuried leg? That's awful and..." It hurts a lot to move with broken bones, because he knows by experience, so he frowns looking down to his hands.

He remembered the noise when something broke in Anti. 

He never hurt a bandit more than he should before, not even the ones he was angry at, and why Anti should receive the treatment he didn't give even the most bad humans should have? 

The truth was simple, he regretted doing what he did to the glitch. Annoying as it was to admit, but he wasn't like that, and all this hatred was foreign to him and it was something he didn't want to grow used to.

He needed to stop, he needed to let this anger go. Not because of Anti, but because it was making his own life hell.

He couldn't sleep properly remembering how Anti looked at him with terrified eyes. He could understand why Anti loved the feeling but Jackie hated it, it made him sick.

"...You have a point." Marvin said after their long silence. "When he gets back, I will fix his leg and please, don't break it again." He says sarcastically and annoyed, narrowed eyes looking at him. "We can't keep using my magic over and over again, I'm still on this stupid break." He grumbles and rests his cheek on his hand.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry Marv, this won't happen again." He sighs. "I... Feel bad ya know?" 

"You do?" Marvin snorts, feeling amused. "For beating Anti?" 

"......Yeah." He admits quietly and looks away. 

"Well don't be like that, he deserves way worse for all the scars he gave you and me, and Jameson, and Chase and everyone he ever killed." Marvin glares at a random spot in the wooden floor. 

"I know, I know but... The Anti that did that to us is "buried" inside this one, like you explained." Jackie leans a bit on his chair. "It's a completely new person, he was afraid when I was beating him. Afraid of me." Jackie looks down in shame.

"So what?" 

"So! I never even broke a bone of a single bandit I defeated before!" Jackie looks at him frustrated. "I even thought about helping Anti once! Before all this IRIS crap and what not, but I changed my mind because I was angry, just like before, but now-now he's so different! It's hard to treat him bad when he's practically hiding from us." He passes a hand through his hair.

"...I know, It's a bit difficult but let's not forget the past Jackie. I know your nature, you're too good for this world and the next," Marvin smiles gently and he means it, Jackie was too good. He was feeling bad for Anti, the asshole who hurt him the most and won most fights against him, he surely had a heart of gold. "But don't let your guard down, you don't feel nice treating him bad then... Treat him whatever you want, ya know? Nobody is forcing anybody here to do anything... Well, besides him." Marvin chuckles.

"...I just feel it's very ironic of us to be the assholes now, when you ironically used a spell of empathy out of all things, on him. When we ourselves are not being emphatic at all." Jackie smiles sadly. "I'm a hero Marv, I want to help people... And maybe monsters too." 

"...I wish I could forgive that easily." Marvin sighs. "Well, suit yourself." He half shrugs and finally finishes his tea.

"I didn't forgive him, I'm not turning a blind eye on what he did." Jackie frowns at the magician, feeling like he missed a point... But not all. "I'm just... Letting go of this anger." After all, it was doing damage to him and not Anti himself. He was more damaged in here by it than the other.

Maybe he would see the day he would... Forgive Anti (yikes, it's weird and hard to think about it even) but for now... He can't be friends with the glitch, he just doesn't want to be an asshole. 

He doesn't want to be like Anti, that's the basic of it. He doesn't want to take a taste of power and want to feel like that forever, he doesn't want to be cruel and regret his decisions later, knowing he could've helped and been kinder and he chose not to.

Besides... When the spell run out... What if Anti changed?!

"Marvin?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think he'll change when the spell is over?" Jackie asks hopeful. "Do you think that by then, with him knowing how empathy feels like, do you think he'll keep being like this?" 

Marvin is unusually quiet, and Jackie's hopes die down, making him sigh.

"I don't know Jackie." Marvin says softly. "I have no idea." He admits quietly.

"...Do you know when the spell ends?" Jackie asks again. Because at least that way, they could prepare themselves for their old nightmare to come back.

"No." Marvin lowers his gaze. "I don't know. All I know is that it will be a long time... but not how long." 

"Fuck..." Jackie mutters and sighs deeply. "Well... Don't worry! We'll cross that bridge when it comes to it, as long we are together, we can defeat Anti. Again and again and again." He smiles gently to the magician and gets up, walking to him and patting his back, maybe a bit too hard because of his strength but he didn't notice it. 

Marvin looks at him with a playful smile because of the hard pats and then his posture relaxes and he nods.

"Yeah, everything will be fine. By then I'll recover my magic and I'll study as the spell is still working, we'll be alright." 

He'll make sure of it.

After Anti coming back way later and... Looked worse than they expected, with dark bags under his eyes and a blank expression, Marvin had healed the glitch's injuried leg, which wasn't easy to do as it hurt a LOT and they had to see Anti put a hand on his mouth to not scream when his bones and skin got healed back to what they were before.

It made Jackie feel like shit, so in a way to try to help at least, he was for the first time in his life going after the glitch for different motives than fighting him.

"Anti! Anti!" Jackie called him after he saw his silhouette going far away.

When Anti looked back, he could see his fear again, maybe he thought Jackie was there to punish him so he looked frozen for a moment, attentive eyes staring at him. 

He noticed he stared quite a lot and didn't blink much, but that's because he wasn't human right?

To make himself... Friendlier, he smiled.

"Uhhh... Have you taken a bath?" It was such a random question that Anti looked confused when he asked it.

"Not today yet, yesterday." He commented quietly.

"You're supposed to take a bath everyday." Jackie chuckled. "Or else you'll smell and that's worse than anything. Oh! And your clothes, you haven't changed those in like... Weeks, do you have any more clothes to use?" It was true, he didn't see Anti changing his clothes ever since he got captured and sure that was kinda nasty but he also wanted to know if the glitch had a sort of closet somewhere or he randomly got clothes once and exchanged once in a blue moon.

He was curious ok?

"...I used to have a hiding place where clothes I stealed were the ones I used." Anti admitted with a uncomfortable stance, because is it easy to admit to a literal hero that you stole stuff quite a lot? 

"Oh. Ok makes sense." Jackie mumbled to himself. "Well, put your clothes to wash, I don't even wanna come near you to know if you're smelling or not but... I'll give you some of my clothes." 

".. What?" It was Anti's turn to be curious now.

"You heard me." Jackie scoffed, "You can't walk around wearing the same clothes everyday. It's not hygienical and... You don't really have a routine do you?" 

"Not really." Anti shrugged, looking down. "Am I suppose to?" 

"If you're living with us and like us, then yeah, you should!" It was kinda funny situation when Jackie stopped to think about it.

Anti hummed in response and seemed lost in thoughts too.

But wasn't it all too fast? To be this kind to him so soon? He shouldn't be doing that right? Now he felt like he was betraying his friends by doing it, so his smile dropped and he cleared his throat.

"So... I'll give you some pants and shirts I don't like or use, you're welcome, and then take a bath in one of the bathrooms on the second floor. We don't really use that place since our rooms have bathrooms for ourselves so... Suit yourself out." He said in a more neutral voice and started walking. "Follow me."

Walking in silence was awkward and since he did plan to end this social meeting with Anti soon, he might as well kill some of his curiosities.

"Do you work like us Anti?" Jackie looked back briefly.

"...What do you mean by that?" Anti asked back.

"I don't see you eat, or drink, for the matters." And quite frankly he didn't like to assume things but he didn't see the glitch doing anything human normal so that's why he was asking. "Or even sleep. Do you sleep?"

"I don't need to any of these things." Anti answered calmly, and Jackie wondered how that felt like. "I do like sleeping, I don't need it, but after a long time of trying, I'm able to do it too." Anti had a small smile on his face but it went away more quickly than stayed.

"So you didn't know how sleep worked?" Jackie asked curious and slowed down his pace so they wouldn't get there so fast and... Walked right at the side of the glitch.

Fuck! I shouldn't be doing this.

But he was so curious and now he could kill his stupid doubts so he would, he couldn't let this golden change pass, besides he was sure Henrik would love to know these details too as he always tried to get info out of Anti without having direct contact with him, before all of this.

"No, I always saw Jack sleeping and... The first time I tried it, I didn't know how it worked so I just stood there with closed eyes for hours but not a single budge of sleep came." He looked to the window, remembering how frustrated he felt. "This was way back in Ireland, on my first days." 

"First days huh? I wonder how yours were like." Jackie placed his hands behind his head.

"It wasn't much, I was confused for some days then I kept an eye on Jack, because he looked like me and I knew I was connected to him. Nothing much happened, besides me trying to copy everything he did." Anti shrugged. "Jack was very lonely in that cabin. And I didn't have the courage to show myself just yet." He admitted. 

"You copied him?" Jackie asks intrigued. "How?" 

"I tried eating... Didn't work so well, it was too weird to me. I tried drinking and it was tolerable. I tried sleeping and didn't work out until trying a lot." 

"And what else?" 

"...I learned to curse." 

That made Jackie laugh out loud and Anti got startled by the sudden noise, which Jackie apologized for.

"Sorry, sorry, It's just... I came to this world knowing how to curse already but you learned things on the automatic." 

"I knew some basics curse as soon as I existed too, it's just the more I stayed with him, the more I learned and got creative." Which was a stupid pathetic thing to be proud of, but he could remember the days he was just an tale on Jack's channel and he used his time to learn how to be Jack, how to act like him.

How to be human... But to what motive? Surely not good motives since this was old him.

"I knew what eating and drinking were, I just never done it because... I knew I didn't need to." He remembered times so old, that he hadn't fully been formed his personality yet, what he was before the spell hit him. 

He could remember times he was just something out of this world trying to fit into it by learning whatever Jack did. No big ulterior motives, even though he wasn't Jack's biggest fan even if he was his creator, but he could... They could live in harmony. Anti hid away and Jack just lived his life.

"I tried to be human." Anti chuckled. "Didn't work out so well." It never did, because he just wasn't one. In all aspects, besides physical.

"I see." It made Jackie kinda feel sad he wasn't there to help the glitch when that happened. But then again he didn't even exist, Anti was the oldest of all of them if he could recall correctly, but the wish to have helped was there. And maybe if he had done it sooner... They could have prevented a lot of scars for all of them.

They finally reach the place Jackie told him about, when they went upstairs in the second floor. 

"Well, have fun, I'm sure you can figure out how to take a bath." 

"I know how to take one." Anti said annoyed, narrowing his eyes at him. 

"Sure, well... I'll get my old clothes, I'll be back, stay here." Jackie started walking away but stopped when he was at front of the stairs.

"Wait! Why are you... Being like this?" to me? Anti wanted to asked.

Jackie looked at him for a moment and he had so many things to say he felt like he was out of option so instead... He felt like if he didn't help the glitch before, he could teach him a small lesson now.

"Listen to me Anti, I learned this... Very recently, but... In a world where hate and death is thriving, I preferred to be kind. And...even if you don't deserve it at all, I'm a hero for everyone I met, if you want help, I'll help you." Jackie explained calmly and smiled a bit. "I don't like what you did to me, sometimes I can't look at you and I can't you but... I'm starting to let go of all this anger. It was not making me good." 

The glitch stood there, looking bewildered.

"Maybe when the spell is over Anti, you let go of all your anger too, for us. For yourself." Jackie said and he hoped that the glitch would remember that.

But you're not giving him motives to forget this anger, all you and the others are doing could make it worse when the spell is over, a thought mutters to him, which was absolutely right and he frowned.

"Just... Don't be like before ok?" He tried to emphasize it a bit more.

"... I'll try." Anti nodded. "Thank you for your help." He thanked quietly, not used to thank someone and... It just felt out of place to do it, but if he wanted the hero to know he wasn't an enemy anymore, he might as well make some sacrifices even if it meant not doing what he never did before.

"You're welcome! I'll be right back." Jackie smiled and quickly went away.

Truth was, Jackie felt bad for what he did, he thought a lot about it, he wanted to apologize but he wouldn't because Anti also was someone he still didn't quite like yet, and he wasn't exactly forcing himself to do it but just trying to learn more about him and analyze if the effort he was putting in trying to be gentler to him, would pay off later.

It was all so complicated, but it had to be done, Jackie promised himself he wouldn't be this hateful person living and fuelling only on his anger and hatred for the glitch, he'd try to (ironically) be more empathetic, or perhaps, more sympathetic in this case. 

...He was so tired of all this, he needs to take care of himself too now, so he might as well take a nap after he gives Anti his old clothes.

Chapter Text

After those... incidents, the days passed a bit quicker and Anti got more used to his new routine. 

Protect, hide away and get distracted, and sometimes sleep to pass time faster. Once in a while, the hero would still talk to him and stop him to just talk, ask things Anti was sure he always was curious to know about him, and while they still had that... Awkward atmosphere in the air whenever they talked, Anti felt ten times better that at least one of them was talking to him, It gave him hope he could at least try to be nicer to one of them and he got a golden opportunity he wouldn't waste now. 

But Anti still tried quietly to somehow have some sort of excuse to try to talk with the others. It was weird because before, by what he can remember, he never liked socialization or to even talk much, besides the necessary but now? Now he felt he wanted to hear all types of people talk, he wanted to talk back, to just... To do something else with another being.

Staring at himself in the mirror, he felt something strange when staring at himself.

"This isn't me." He whispers while putting a hand on his cheek and staring at himself. It feels so right to be like this but it also makes him feel like he's a fake, but he isn't, he's still him whether violent or not. It's still him right? 

He sometimes tried to remember anything from his past and his memories got hazy, like a fog clouded his mind everytime he tried it, he didn't know if it was for the better or the worse but it made him feel melancholic every time he just knew he did awful things he did. He couldn't remember everything but one thing was for sure, he did know he did.

Whether he remembered or not, the others were very vocal about what he did to them and he wanted to bury himself and hide away every time he heard it. It made him want to shrink and hide away.

But those are the consequences, he can't run away.

Sighing, he left the bathroom and after walking a bit and glitching for a moment, as it was like a itch sensation and it just felt right to do it, he bumped into someone.

Turns out it was Jameson.

He stood frozen for a moment, like a deer caught in the headlines and Anti froze too.

What do they do now?

"I actually wanted to speak with you." Anti cleared his throat, trying to make his voice not as glitchy so he wouldn't....scare the other ego away. "I'm... I'm sorry about..." He moved his hands. It was a weird start but the other just avoided him like a plague so he might as well use this chance to talk to him.

Jameson blinked, but took some steps back. He at least looked more attentive than scared and that felt better than anything for Anti.

"I'm sorry about our past. I'm trying to... Ya know? Change, even with a spell but I don't, I don't want to..." Why did he have to fucking lose his tongue now?

At least don't be this pathetic, his thoughts muttered so Anti took a deep breath and fixed his posture.

"I will not bother you, I don't expect forgiveness and kindness, I just want you to know... That I'm sorry, for everything. It's good to be human, I hope I stay this way." The last part he added more to himself than to Jameson, it was more impulsive than something he planned.

At least the dapperman didn't look as scared as he was seconds ago and now just looked merely puzzled, but Anti felt he went way over the line and was scared he did something wrong so he nodded, moved his way around the other and kept walking in a faster pace.

Until he disappeared from the other's view.

Jameson stood there, puzzled and then looked back, staring at the direction the glitch went.

He was absolutely frightened when he landed his eyes on who he accidentally bumped but then they both just stood there, he was preparing himself to grab the spell Marvin had given to him for protection, but thankfully everything that unfolded was just... Not what he expected, but it was sort of in a good way so he was glad.

He finally let out the breath he was holding and kept on walking but with his mind full now.

What the hell was that? He thought, eyeing the ground and placed a hand on his beard. 

Anti... apologized? What the fuck?! He frowned to himself and shook his head. Jesus... Well... I guess the spell really is working, bless Marvin and his magic. But now... 

Now what did he do? Should he make use of this opportunity Anti was "tamed" and try to see what's up with him or... Just go his way? He can very well just ignore the glitch and appreciate the apology. Or he could try and- No.

An apology didn't change the horror and the nightmares he still had.

But then again, lingering on those things were terrible, he felt awful and a coward every time he saw Anti and hid away. At least now he didn't do it this time. And the glitch seemed more tolerable now, he wasn't some scary monster and looked more like an out of place dude trying to fit in somehow.

But would he blame himself for being so scared in the presence of the thing that possessed him way back then? He couldn't blame himself for that. Anti was still the guy who made him traumatized for months.

But he couldn't keep hiding forever too, Anti was... Nicer now, you could go to him and start a conversation, ask questions, maybe even ask for help, this was peak rarity, should he waste that away? 

But then again he didn't want to force himself to deal with the glitch just yet, just thinking about talking with him like nothing happened made him feel... Unfair with himself, and he didn't like that at all.

So Jameson decided that time would heal his wounds, he would do his best to let go of his fear and resentment, but for now...

For now he'd just be on his own and think. He needed to sort himself out.

And as Anti walked away with an equally as full head, he stopped walking when he heard voices by getting close to the living room. So he hid behind some curtains for a bit.

"Henrik do you want to know anything at all?" He heard the hero's voice. "I can ask him a lot of stuff now! And he's being pretty sincere, I can feel it, Marvin has kept an eye on him too." 

"No, the information you have given me is good, not very productive might I add but it's ok." Henrik scoffed and kept using his phone.

"Are you sureeeee?" Jackie poked the doctor and smiled. "I can ask anything." He said in a sing song voice.

"What's up with you anyway?! You're too... Less angry these days, what happened to it?" Henrik glared softly at him and Jackie sighed tired.

"I just don't want to be that angry anymore. It was hurting me more than anyone else." And they know who that anyone was.

Anti looked down and couldn't deny a bit of happiness he felt when he heard that. It made him feel lighter and he smiled slightly until it went away when the doctor spoke.

"Well congratulations but I'm not done with that thing, I can't forgive and forget like you did." Henrik got up and Anti heard footsteps so he pulled the curtains in a way it hid him more and didn't move much. 

Phew.

"I never said I forgave and forgot! God fucking damn it why everyone keeps saying this?" Jackie said frustrated and rolled his eyes. "This anger is not making us any better Henrik!" It also wouldn't help if the spell broke way too soon and instead of convincing Anti to be with them, he just would hate them even more.

"Your kindness with our enemy, isn't doing anything for us either!" He snapped back. "I can't stand you going around that thing and just casually talking to it like it didn't possess me and Jameson before! Like I didn't watch so many fucked up shit because of that!" 

"... I'm sorry Henrik." Jackie mumbled more quietly, because he knew his brothers's (that's how he considered all of them to be) pain."But... I'm a hero, I want to help everyone, who would I be if i didn't help Anti too?"

The glitch felt oddly touched by that and looked down with soft eyes. 

"Well, you go and help that thing then because if it's me, I'd just let him bleed and die as much as I can." The doctor crossed his arms, the ever lasting frown still in there. "What do you gain by being good to Anti anyway?" He asked exasperated.

"Nothing! I just want to at least one time in my life to try and sleep with my conscious clear that I did try to help everyone I could! When I beat him down Henrik... God I knew why he liked it." Jackie said the last part more quietly. "I felt powerful, avenged, I wanted him to suffer more but I also got so scared with myself that I never again want to feel like that."

"I don't want to be like Anti, Henrik." Jackie finished.

"...You never was, never will be. You're human, you have feelings, a soul. He doesn't have any of those." Henrik sighed, feeling a tad bad he was like that with Jackie. "I'm sorry the outburst Jackie... I can't get over it, I want him to suffer so bad, I'm not giving two shits if he's good or not, I'm just... I don't want it near me." 

It. He kept saying he was an it.

God, he wasn't even human to them. Not all of them at least, and that made Anti's heart sink. He was so awful the doctor couldn't stand him, and he couldn't complain, he understood the why and if he was on his shoes, he'd be exactly like them too.

He couldn't move from the spot he was though, he had to wait for both to go away. 

"I understand. But hear me out Hen, don't let this anger consume you, it's not pretty, it won't do tou any favours but just... Don't ok? All this hate just doesn't help at all, it won't do you any good." Jackie looked tired when the doctor stared at him.

So he bit his tongue from saying anything else snarky and nodded instead, out of respect for the hero. "I'll keep it in mind." 

"Good. Take care Hen, we need you too." Jackie smiled softly.

The doctor seemed eager to leave so he nodded and left just as quick, leaving the hero alone.

And as Anti stared, he felt like shit but seeing the hero so tired, so... With so much on his shoulders made Anti felt even more terrible.

He was the only one "sort of" on his side, not ignoring his presence and what not, and even though their interactions were more out of curiosity than socialization itself, Anti still felt he was indebted to the hero for it.

He wouldn't forget this, he swore even with spell broken or not, he would not forget this.

It was way later, when hours passed that he was about to leave the house to patrol in night time, when he saw a silhouette far away.

He closed the door quietly after he left, preparing his strings in case of a trap (those were starting to appear way more often than he expected) and then slowly and the more quiet possible, he walked and walked until he stood exactly on the place the silhouette was minutes ago.

He was about to attack whatever was moving on a nearby bush when a bloody Chase fell down in front of him, completely scared and with wide eyes.

"HELP ME!" He yelled in desperation and got up, and just as Anti was about to say something, a shot was heard and barely missed Chase's shoulder, hitting a nearby tree instead. 

"RUN!" Anti yelled the order and the average bro did promptly as he was told, but more shots were heard and Anti was able to dodge by running to nearby trees.

He expected Brody to run near him but what he saw made his blood run cold.

Chase had fallen down and had been shot, grunting and looking desperate, their eyes connected and Anti could feel the emergency in the tense air. One mistake and Chase could die, and he would never forgive himself if that happened.

And if he wanted to fix his mistakes, he would start to do it now and even if it killed him, he could at least go knowing he tried.

He ran from the tree to the middle of the field again, shots coming his way but he used his glitches and finally grabbed Chase by the back of his shirt, dragging him as he ran.

One shot got his hip and made him grunt in pain, looking back in anger, and for a moment empathy was ignored and all he felt was wrath, and that felt so deliciously familiar he drank himself away in the feeling. He would kill them all even if it was the last thing he did.

He placed Chase behind the tree a bit more harshly than intended, looked at him briefly and said a quick "Stay here and don't get up." 

He swore nothing would hurt Chase now but more importantly, nobody would escape him.

He went quickly to where the shots were coming from and glitched through the field while running, as bullets can't hit electricity and pixels, so he only solidified his form when he got near the soldiers still shooting and made his strings appear and latch to them, all in one fast minute.

Instantly they dropped their weapons and were just puppets, blank eyes, no expression, nothing. They were trapped inside their own bodies just like Anti did with the others before. 

Except this time the strings went around their throats and he squeezed and squeezed. And they didn't even fight back.

Until nothing was left but bodies.

His strings went away like pixels disappearing, and Anti looked back to see Chase peeking at him from behind the tree, wide eyes but looking now calmer and less desperate.

"All safe." 

And as they heard familiar voices coming near them, Anti finally relaxed so he sat down on the ground next to the bodies and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the pain in his hip. It all was so quick but it felt like it lasted way too long, and he really needed to improve his attacks again, he got rusty at that but he promised himself he'd fix it.

The bullet was burning deeply where it hit, but it wasn't unbearable, he was shot many times before by the egos so he could live with it. He just placed a hand there and it came back all bloody again.

He saw Chase limp to him and stare at him for a moment.

"You're an ass, but... Thank you." He sounded still a bit affected by everything and Anti didn't blame him for it, so he just nodded.

Chapter Text

Chase was well taken care of, he was surrounded by the others while he had a blanket around himself, drinking something to calm him down and Jameson and Jackie were near him, talking (signing and writing in Jameson's case) and asking all details about what happened. Henrik had already patched him up and the bullet would thankfully wasn't that deep, so it was one small blessing for the average bro too.

Anti stayed far away, they were all in the same room, which was surprising, but he stayed sitting on the stairs while the others kept on talking between themselves on a farther place a bit more near the kitchen.

The burn of the shot was still there, feeling like melting his flesh away from inside out so he kept on moving unconsciously in a way to try to get some pain away, so he kept an eye on it, his hand was pressing the wound (that's all he could do really) to not keep bleeding around so he looked down and closed his eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion.

He didn't hear footsteps coming his direction but when he felt a hand on his shoulder, he got startled and looked up immediately, frowning.

Marvin lifted his hands in a surrender form and looked at him curious and... Worried? No he couldn't be worried with him.

"Chase said you got shot." He states as a matter of fact. "I can't... Use my magic right now, I was using it before so..." He looked out of place saying that, almost as if he was ashamed.

Was Marvin... Apologizing he wouldn't heal him?

Anti stared at him speechless for a moment then shrugged. "It's alright, I survived worse." 

"Yeah but we need you a lot, you can't be in bad shape." Marvin sighed and massaged his eyebrows. He didn't really have a choice did he? 

God, he could feel the headache coming. He had already given hints to the doctor about having to help Anti but he just refused, saying it directly to his face and the others too. They needed Anti in top shape however, this couldn't keep happening and Henrik had to stop being this stubborn.

They had to help Anti, because he was doing a great job in protecting them and Marvin could never be more relieved by the fact he didn't have to use magic everyday to fight people off.

And no wonder Anti looked exhausted, rare were the days that IRIS didn't attack them and by what Anti informed him earlier, they were trying now a lot of traps to get them, him included now. They had to be extra careful on where they stepped and what not.

That also matched with what Chase said, saying he had almost been captured by a trap after going out to drink and came back later. He had killed one of the guys and ran away, accidentally but also thankfully meeting Anti in his way.

"I will help you, Anti." He never once in his life thought he'd say these words, but if Schneep was being stubborn and risking their safety for his pettiness, then he needed to step in.

"No need, I can take it out myself-" Anti started saying but Marvin just shook his head and refused.

"You are not as powerful when you're with this spell, it numbs down quite a lot of "benefits" you had before, you won't be able to do this now." Marvin explained and crossed his arms. And while the normal spell was much shorter and didn't have these effects, Marvin had worked specially to affect Anti himself and cut off whatever source of power that helped him way too much, like his usually high pain resistance.

"Everything alright?" Jackie asked the magician from the other side of the room and the magician looked back at him with an annoyed expression, although not directed at him. 

"I would be, but some stubborn fuckers don't care for my own health at all, so I'm gonna heal Anti anyway." He removed his gloves and revealed how awful his veins looked, dark and ugly making patterns in his wrists until the top of his fingers, catching the attention of the people in the room.

"I don't want your healing." Anti said more firmly after taking a look at the magician's surprising state of his hands. This meant he used way too much magic the days before, making it overcharge and... He didn't understand how, he was no magician, but the magic affected Marvin badly and usually let his hands too sensible to anything. Even to the ghost touch of magic flowing.

"Well, too bad buddy, in this household you have zero choices with anything." Marvin said still annoyed but he deep down appreciated Anti for saying that. (Who knew they would come this far huh?) 

He was about to think on what spell to use when Henrik got up from the couch and placed down the bandages he had been putting around Chase... A bit too hardly and made the poor table who got hit shake.

"No need, I will get the bullet out." Henrik said calmly.

Jameson looked at Chase worried because a calm Henrik meant a nuke was about to fall on them.

"Ah I see, thank you Henrik! See Anti my dear friend, my buddy and everything else, it seems you will get helped after all and I won't need to heal you using magic." Marvin said sarcastically and patted his shoulder, Anti frowning at him, then shaking his head discreetly but Marvin paid no attention, ignoring it completely.

Henrik closed his fists in rage and looked annoyed to the glitch.

"Follow me and don't be slow." He said harshly and started walking away, without waiting for the glitch and leaving the room.

The others grimaced and looked at Anti with sorry eyes even though most didn't like him or quite got along, but knowing he'd be dealing with a bad mood Henrik was terrible and specially with the person he hated the most.

When Anti left the room, Chase shook his head.

"My prayers to Anti, you will be missed." Chase joked and Jameson broke a smile then shook his head.

Jackie chuckled with that but the room still kept being tense, Marvin walked to them after putting his gloves on again and sat down heavily on the couch.

"You're overworking again, aren't you?" Chase asked with an disappointed frown and Marvin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath then letting out. 

"I don't really have a choice." Marvin couldn't sleep properly with his anxiety making things worse for him, so he kept on reading and making potions until he got exhausted enough to sleep. It wasn't affecting him that much since he didn't use magic to make the potions, but... He was still tired.

It wasn't really helping him, but it was a distraction and a start. At least now he had emergency time potions and that was something else to help them.

"I don't want to hear a single word from you, not a peep of pain, I will help you as minimally as I can and if I could let you die, I would." Henrik said coldly and didn't look back, although he knew the glitch was listening and following, thanks to his footsteps.

Anti in response, just looked down and kept on following and albeit he knew the doctor had his reasons to be in a bad mood and he wasn't forced to like him, Anti felt a tad irritated with him too and he couldn't really help it, but he also wouldn't show it. He couldn't let all his slow progress with the others go to waste now.

Arriving at the makeshift "infirmary" (it was the basement really), he sat down on a nearby bed and kept his eyes on the floor. 

It was all silent, he wasn't really nervous but the room was so tense he wished he could run away from here and just suffer in silence. It'd be better than this.

The moments that followed after, made Anti move in pain, unable to keep still and be unable to let out grunts of pain or hisses, he was almost screaming when the doctor had opened the wound to get the bullet out.

"I told you to not scream." He had said coldly.

Anti felt so terrible he felt like he was paying for everything he had ever done, maybe he was, and the pain on the where the bullet hit was impossible and he couldn't stop squirming, making the doctor glare at his way when he was trying to get the bullet from his hip... Without any anesthesia or pain medication.

It was enough for Anti.

He jumped out of the bed with a gasp and trembled, shaky bloody hands using the wall as support and not caring much or noticing, dirtying the wall with his blood.

"Listen here you fucker-" Henrik was still pissed but mostly surprised and startled by the sudden action of the glitch, so he got near him but Anti took steps back.

"No. You stay away from me!" Anti snarled and then pressed a hand on where the open wound kept on bleeding, burning, aching. It was eating him inside out.

He couldn't keep going on with this.

"I need to finish my fucking job!" Henrik grabbed his arm and forcedly dragged him to the bed again, Anti looking at him with angry eyes.

"No, you know what? Go ahead." He went away again and when Henrik tried to grab his arm, he dodged it and glared his way. "I don't want your help, I'll take it out myself, I did it before many times and I can do now." He said calmly and glared at Henrik. 

But Henrik wasn't having it, he went forward too fast and grabbed both of the glitch's arms, taking him by surprise then getting close to his face.

"You don't have any choice here." Henrik said darkly, his grip on Anti's wrists got tighter. "I'm almost finished so we can never look at each other's face again. You will stay here and let me remove this from you, before you die." 

With this he once more, put the glitch on the bed by shoving him forward and then finished what he wanted to do in first place, not wasting any more time, which was grabbing the bullet and taking out, the metallic sound the only noise on the room, when the bloodied bullet was dropped on a small iron surface placed nearby.

Anti was trembling from agony at this point, fingers buried in the bed he was sitting on, biting his lips to not let a single sound out while he was stitched back together, and it was pure torture, he didn't think he wanted to even win the doctor's attention now and just wanted him to fucking die or worse, but he also felt that'd be unfair but... He wasn't obligated to like his own pain, he wasn't a masochist, he wanted all this pain to go away.

He decided he didn't want anything to do with the doctor at all. 

"Finished." Henrik said then took out his gloves. 

Anti got up with trembling hands and didn't wait for any sort of command from the doctor, he just left the place with shaky legs, a burning wound stitched now and shirtless (it was causing a bit of discomfort anyway and making the "operation" harder to complete so they had taken it out). 

He got up the stairs and noticed he passed Chase, who frowned deeply while looking at him and his awful state.

"What the fuck?" Chase muttered to himself and stared at Anti, who was breathing heavily. 

He didn't like the glitch, he wanted distance from him too, wether he saved him or not, but seeing him in a state worse than he had went with the doctor, made Chase actually... Scared.

"Tell me I can rest today." Anti said, looking at him. "Please." He begged and closed his eyes in pain briefly, the stitched wound unsuccessfully keeping blood in and instead, letting it flow and make a slow trail on Anti's pants.

This was the point Chase knew they had broken Anti. 

He stood there frozen and seeing the glitch having an almost breakdown in front of him, with pained eyes and shaking hands, it was all making his mind go in directions it never went before. He hated him, but this was scary to see, to watch. He never pitied Anti before but now he did.

"You... You can rest." He said quietly. It was more automatic than something he put much thought in, the shock of seeing Anti like this was kinda breaking Chase in shock too.

Anti didn't take any second to promptly go away, walking away with a pained expression and Chase could finally see the symbol on his back made by Marvin, the spell still binding him to the fate he was now facing, perhaps waking up in Anti what he had long buried inside himself, feelings and empathy.

Anti went away far too quick, but Chase just stood there and finally his eyes went down to the droplets of blood that had escaped.

He didn't think in all his life he'd fear Henrik, but he looked in the direction of the basement aka infirmary and he ran away from there.

Anti used his powers to ran faster and glitched through the broken stairs to the attic, successfully entering it and falling down when it became too much.

The pain was unbearable, whatever he did by glitching, it had just made his injury feel like it moved way too much and he curled on himself, groaning in pain and shaking, sweat starting to form on his forehead.

He hated here, he hated it. Was this all worth their forgiveness? All this torture wasn't worth it right? He was almost begging someone to tell him a no but he looked around and...

He saw nobody else. He was alone. He was always alone, he was born alone, he'd die alone. He was completely alone!

His lips parted and a grin formed, then he started laughing, his voice echoing and breaking as he did, tears of pain fell down his face into the floor and Anti kept on shaking from agony and pain from the newly "taken care of" and stitched together wound.

This wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth it. He wasn't worth it. Nothing was.

So what did he do now?

He closed his eyes and gave up to his exhaustion. It was the only thing he could do.

"Jackie, Jackie! Marvin!" 

Chase came running to the other two at the living room, talking when both looked at him curious.

"What? What did Henrik do now?" Marvin rolled his eyes. 

But seeing Chase's pale face and his wide eyes, Marvin and Jackie frowned.

"Chase? What's wrong?" Jackie asked worried and walked to him.

"Holy shit dude... Holy shit..." He looked to the hero then in a wave of nervousness, he started to speak everything that he witnessed. "I was just passing near the basement to know if Henrik was available, because my bandages already got dirty, when Anti came out of it and he looked like he came back from a horror movie, he looked like he was in a lot of pain and he had this wound stitched up but it wasn't even near good as mine, I was freaked the fuck out and Anti asked me if he could rest, dude was fucking-... I-I think we broke Anti." Chase finally said and stopped walking, 

Jackie looked so worried for the glitch that Chase quite frankly felt this was all so out of place, such a weird new situation, but he didn't question it, Jackie was a hero and he always wanted to help everyone, so when he left the living room in a hurry, he didn't judge him for it.

"Then what?" Marvin asked him and Chase gulped.

"He just disappeared. Dude looked like he got straight up tortured and... I'm scared Marvin." Chase got closer to the magician. "This isn't Henrik, Henrik isn't like this man, he isn't." He looked to his shaking hands.

Marvin went forward and placed his arms around Chase, hugging him tightly and just letting the average bro cry himself out as soon as the contact happened. From all the stress they were living, all the shock he witnessed and the fear he was having now of his own family, because the egos were now his new family, and he felt like it was all breaking apart slowly.

And it wasn't even because of Anti, but because they were so angry at him some couldn't help but lash out. 

And Chase was terrified. He placed himself in Anti's shoes and he couldn't imagine it all, he might not like him but it was all... Too much. The divorce, fighting Anti, now fighting IRIS... Everything was too much.

"It's ok Chase, don't be scared." Marvin kept on holding the other who was just buried in his neck and holding on tight, "There's nothing to be afraid of... I'll have a little talk with Henrik." He muttered darkly, eyes locked on the door.

Chapter Text

When Anti woke up, he felt terrible. The only good news? The wound wasn't hurting as much anymore, he had passed out (he didn't know how much time had passed but didn't feel like a lot) and maybe didn't move much and that was the reason. Sweet relief from pain was all he needed and never felt better for not being in pain before. He'd never complain again for being in a "normal" state.

So he laid there, still laying on the ground on his side while the wound was still visible. He had forgotten to cover it with something like a shirt, but then again he was so... Just weak, that he didn't think he thought of that before. Besides, he never got sick before, he surely won't do now.

However he couldn't keep being like this, he had to get up and protect the others from IRIS. That's the only thing keeping him alive from the others at this point.

But he couldn't get up, he tried to sit up and he only felt the pain come back again so he laid down again as soon as he could, closing his eyes when the wound started throbbing again.

He couldn't fight all of this off when he knew he deserve every bit of it. He might not have done the same to the others but he still was awful to them. 

Did he want to stay this way forever though? 

But all this pain made him very self conscious that he also... He simply didn't like it. He wasn't obligated to it and even though he knew he deserved it, he'd prefer death already for everything that happened than all this. He was so so tired... He didn't think his words could explain how his body and mind felt.

"Anti! Are you there?" 

He heard the hero's voice and weakly looked to the door of the attic.

"Here." He answered quietly. Truth was, he wanted to be left alone, even if Jackie was "supposedly" the only one on his side, he didn't trust him too. Not after this.

Who knows when any of them will get angry again and Jackie will punish him for it? Or Marvin? Or the doctor again?

"Can you come down?"

Anti let out a deep breath and didn't feel like answering, he just placed an arm on his eyes and closed them. Sweet darkness and solitude, no wonder his old self loved it, maybe he had been right all along, that's why he hated the others. Hate was easier.

No, don't think like that. A voice whispered in his head and Anti shook his head. Most things you did were wrong! They're angry at you, but don't be angry at them for it. You would be angry too if the situation was reversed.

He didn't know... Would he? Maybe he would, but that didn't make all this better or not. It didn't justify it, did it? 

You deserve this and worse. Another thought whispered and Anti didn't think he could sink any lower to the ground, but he felt like that.

"Anti I'll try to come up, these fucking stairs are terrible but- Alright JJ, help me here."

The hero kept on talking but he just ignored him.

Meanwhile Jackie got help from Jameson and got up the to the attic by getting on the other's shoulder and finally being able to enter it, looking down at him then at the broken messy stairs.

"Don't use these stairs JJ, they're broken and full of nails badly placed, you'll hurt yourself if you use." Jackie looked down and Jameson just nodded, giving a thumbs up.

Then Jackie finally saw Anti laying some meters away from the attic's entrance, immoveable.

'"Anti?" He called quietly and the glitch didn't move.

"What do you want?" He didn't have the patience today to be polite or treat them good, he didn't trust any of them. 

"Chase told us all what happened... And I want to help." Jackie walked to him then sat down near him, feeling like if he just... Did whatever he did, Anti might get scared again.

Staring at Anti's back and seeing the symbol that marked him, he never knew he'd be in this situation with the glitch but... He'd help everyone he could, and Anti needed help now. He never extended his hand before, but now he will. 

"Help... Sure." Anti mumbled sarcastic then looked at him. He looked terrible, there was this visible exhaustion in his eyes that made Jackie feel like an asshole for even allowing Anti to be near Henrik yesterday. 

He didn't know how angry Henrik had been, but if he knew this would happen, he wouldn't have allowed it.

"I'm terribly sorry." Jackie said sincerely and hesitantly placed a hand on Anti's shoulder, but when he noticed how tense the glitch got, he took his hand out. "Listen, I don't want you sleeping here anymore, this isn't good for your wound, you're hurt and need to disinfect it and-" 

"Nobody will touch it again." Anti snarled and looked at him angry, the old agressive nature Jackie was so used to before, finally showing. "Nobody." Anti repeated to make sure he knew he meant it.

"We need to... I can try to help you." Jackie tried to convince him but the glitch only rolled his eyes.

"Help me, Ha... That's not a thing in this house. Don't be delusional, if you want to help me, if the wound gets infected, get Brody's gun and blow my brains out-" 

"No, no, no! Don't say that!" Jackie frowned, clearly upset. Suicide was a topic he didn't like to touch much and hated when people thought about it, he wanted everyone to know how worth they were, how loved someone could be even with the ugliest mistakes... so Anti saying this also got his anger too (surprisingly).

He decided that for today, he wouldn't remember his past. Today he will help Anti as much as he can, that's the only thing he could do now, then so be it. Fresh new starts is what all they needed.

"Can I help you get down from here?" He asked and the glitch sighed deeply.

"You won't leave me alone, will you?" 

"Nope! Not until you're good." Jackie smiled softly then watched as the glitch started to move.

Anti slowly sat up again, gravity against his weight made everything ten times more difficult and the mere movements he made, the pain flared up so he groaned and looked to the hero with irritation this time.

"No use, I'm trapped here. I can't move, it all hurts too much." He complained tiredly and laid down again. "I don't know what to do." He said sincerely and wiping his forehead from the sweat.

"Well, don't give up! It's hurting now but if you down, I'll let you rest on my bed." Jackie placed a hand on Anti's back and... Close to the symbol. "Does this... Symbol hurts?" 

"Symbol? Oh." He still remembered when the magician used the spell on him and how it hurt a lot, "It used to, in the first days I was locked up, but now it's just there." Anti half sat up again and there it was again, that hot burning pain that made him want to die, making him uncomfortably look at the hero.

"I can't" He said to the hero with pained eyes.

"I'll help you." Jackie said determined and got closer to the glitch, grabbing him and helping him sit up slowly, meanwhile Anti kept on hissing whenever he moved, but that was inevitable. He was at least trying because Jackie was making a lot of effort to help him, and he'd be eternally grateful to the hero for that. 

"You know what all this reminds me?" Anti said after the pain died down slightly, making him wipe his forehead from sweat again with the back of his hand and his unfocused vision finally find Jackie. "I don't remember many details, but I know I hurt someone like this once, and I'm so so sorry for it." There's no better moment than now to say it, right? Was that someone Jackie?

His mind felt hazy again, he felt like he just wanted to sleep all this off, he couldn't wait to just close his eyes and let his mind rest again.

"Listen, let's not think about the past for one day, for today, alright? Let's pretend we never met before and this is me helping you, so hi Anti, let me help you in whatever way I can." Jackie half smiled  to him, patient.

And Anti smiled back, the pain was still there but this was such a nice moment. He wished the others could be like this too...

"Now the hard part, do you think you can handle coming down the stairs?" Jackie asked and Anti shook his head.

"There's no way I'll use those stairs, hero." Anti sighed. "It's impossible right now." The stairs were in a horrible state, maybe if he was good as before, he would've had a chance but now? No way.

"Well darn it." Jackie mumbled, "Also call me Jackie, we're not enemies anymore... Right?" He looked at Anti when asking him that, just to be sure.

"Yes." Anti chuckled. "Thank you for being here and... Helping me." And he meant it, from the bottom of his heart. His promise of not being a problem ever again to the hero also was fresh on his mind and he would keep it, without or with spell.

To not give Jackie more problems, he just glitched away from the attic in one go, better to do it now than keep suffering the antecipation of it forever, since there was no other possible way he would come down, he thought.

The wound immediately flared up in pain again and he took a shaky breath, closing his eyes in pain and bending over slightly, taking a deep breath to relieve some of the pain although it didn't help one bit. He instinctively wanted to hold the wound but he forced himself not to, it was already bad enough.

He didn't expect Jameson to be there when he looked up.

They stared at each other and Anti used the wall as support, but...

Jameson walked forward and offered a hand. 

Anti stood there confused and didn't take it, eyeing him like he was the one in need of help. 

Jameson frowned and moved his hand again, extending it a bit more forward. He didn't like the glitch, he was still thinking how and what he could do to him but this could be a good start, like the talk he had before with Jackie when they were searching for the glitch around the house.

"Of course none of us can forget what he did, but... Is it so wrong I just want to move on? I just want to pretend I'm knowing the true Anti now. I'm tired of hating." Jackie had said. "I think if we just follow our feelings and have revenge, our situation with him will get worse after the spell is over, and besides... Letting go is more freeing than I thought." 

It had stuck with Jameson, so he might as well give it a shot too. 

He was tired of being scared all the time, if he befriended the monster, who knows what else he could gain with that?

He didn't want to be like Henrik and do to the glitch what he was seeing in person. He didn't want to be trapped in his past forever.

So he gave Anti his best smile and kept on waiting.

And Anti finally took his hand.

"Henrik." Marvin said serious, crossed arms and staring at the doctor's back with irritation. "Nice job you did there with Anti, he couldn't even patrol today." Marvin said, sarcasm dripping from his tongue.

"I'm glad you like it, he deserves more of it. I'm actually sad I didn't do more." Henrik said equally as sarcastic, not turning around and ignoring the magician.

He was about to get his medical tools when Marvin lifted it over in the air with magic and when Henrik looked back, the magician looked livid, his eyebrows were furrowed creating a deep scowl directed at him, but Henrik wasn't afraid of him, just annoyed.

"You were the biggest dick ever." Marvin said then placed down the tools again, since he successfully got the doctor's attention. "Do you understand we're just using him, right?" 

"If we are, then why is Jackie buddies with him? Why is Chase not swearing at his ass? Why are you here scolding me? Everyone is forgiving him so easily that I can't stand it." Henrik placed down his bloodied scalpel and stared at it. "Quite frankly, it was very good to give Anti a taste of his own medicine." 

"...I didn't know you were like this." Marvin said quietly, and that's when Henrik looked back.

"What do you mean "like this"?" He asked irritated but also confused. "We can finally attack back the guy who made our lives hell, and now I am the villain?!" 

"You were so-so... So cruel, I don't know man, you scared Chase and JJ off, Jackie is worried and...." Marvin looked down then at the doctor, "So am I." 

"Scared? Worried? For me?" Henrik huffed, not believing what he was hearing. "Come on guys, I can't believe you all." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Henrik, our deal was: we would use Anti as defense from IRIS, but it seems you have forgotten that, and now I'm gonna have to use magic again to protect us, because I didn't see what state Anti is in, but if you scared Chase off, I believe you practically tortured the guy." Marvin leaned against a nearby table and sighed. "... My hands are starting to hurt so much Hen." Don't you care for me? For my pain too?

Henrik was silent but looked his way with frustration. "Listen Marvin you don't need to use magic-" 

"Oh but I do, Henrik Von Schneeplestein!" Marvin's voice got louder, eyes weakly shining purple,  "I fucking feel pain all the time in my hands and it's not the type of pain you can take away! And the only person who can help me by defending this household without possibly dying, is now injuried!" Marvin facepalmed. "...It's like you don't care at all for our safety." 

"What?! No!" Henrik denied, irritation still present but guilt was now slowly crawling over. "I was ANGRY, ok?! He couldn't stop moving and then he got up, dared to get irritated at me like he has the entitlement for it and-" 

"You're getting irritated because you practically tortured Anti, and I bet my ass you didn't even use anesthesia, and you're complaining he couldn't stop moving over it?!" Marvin widened his eyes and then threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "...Man, I think I'm starting to understand what Jackie said." 

"What do you mean?" Henrik asked more quietly.

"He had beaten Anti before and then regretted it, saying he NEVER did that as violently to anyone else, saying he didn't want to be angry forever and the usual goody two-shoes heroic bullshit he starts saying." Marvin explained, then looked to the doctor, deep in his eyes, "He said he enjoyed it and he felt terrible, he said he felt like Anti himself and could understand now why he did that to us." 

"Did you enjoy it too, doc? Do you want to be just like how Anti was too?" Marvin asked serious and analyzed his expression.

Henrik was silent. "...I just had revenge for everything he did to us, to me. Why can't nobody understands it?" He sits down on a chair and lowers his head, holding his head on his hand. 

"Let me repeat, did you enjoy it doc?" Marvin says again. "You're looking awfully familiar to someone we despised." 

"I'M NOT LIKE ANTI!" He yells angrily, angry tears falling from his eyes. 

"THEN FUCKING STOP ACTING LIKE HIM!' Marvin yells back just as loud, "First it's this, just a revenge, then later you'll take a taste for violence, then you won't be a doctor anymore, then... Then who the fuck knows what you'll like later!" Marvin looks away for a moment. "...This is getting out of hand, Hen... I understand your anger but... Anti is under a spell, he's feeling fucking empathy, hell he barely talks to any of us because the guy is swallowed in guilt whenever he goes!"

"Guilt doesn't change anything. Apologies don't undo mistakes." Henrik says coldly, "I just... I can't...-" He sighs.

"I understand the struggle, believe me, I do. I still look at him and I feel so... So unfair with myself for not setting him on fire or killing him on the spot for everything he did to all of us, but... Then I look again and I feel bad, because I worked so hard to make Anti slightly human, to make him feel like how we feel, how we care for each other... And then I realize it's the exact opposite we are teaching him." Marvin sighs. "And... I still get angry, but I don't let it control me. I think I'll try to view Anti the way Jackie is." 

Henrik doesn't have anything to say, he feels defeated somehow, the revenge isn't as satisfying anymore and when he remembers the pain he made, he starts to...

To feel guilty too. For being such a monster, but he also doesn't regret it completely, feeling like he taught the glitch a lesson he wouldn't forget. Maybe it's the fact nobody is on his side, or the fact everyone is saying the same thing about Anti being different, apologetic and what not but... But he's a mess and his mind is torn in two now.

He doesn't notice Marvin walking to him, but the magician places a hand on his shoulder and Henrik gets up and hugs the magician, tightly holding him and hiding his face in shame.

"I can't let go of this hate." Henrik confesses and shakes, tears that carry anger, frustration, hatred, sadness, guilt... And all sorts of feelings, falls down his face shamefully and taints Marvin's shirt. 

"I know Hen, I know." Marvin places a hand on his hair while his other hand rests on his back. "I know it's hard, but it's destroying who you are. You're better than Anti, we always have been... Let's not let our thirst for revenge to corrupt us... Like it corrupted him." 

Henrik just holds him tighter and keeps crying.

"I think... It's time we try to move on." Marvin says quietly.

Chapter Text

After all of what happened, Anti had rested in Jackie's room as promised, while the hero got some place for himself in Chase's room, that was his routine for perhaps... Some days? Not a week, but some days passed (and far too quickly).

While he felt better than before, he appreciated the kindness of the hero- of Jackie, to help him and gave him the so needed pain medicine. 

It didn't do miracles at all (even though he had hoped it would), the pain was still there, insisting, persisting. He was still sore on moving his hip near abdomen spot, but it definitely cut down a lot of it, the only downside is that it made him drowsy, so he would take many naps as the day passed.

What about the protection of the house? Well... Marvin was forced to do something about it, the others would see less of the magician as the day would go on and that made everyone even more worried about him, due to Marvin's introverted nature and to lock himself away (maybe to spare them from seeing him in pain, Anti thought), it all only made Henrik shrink in the presence of the other egos, when all of them glared at him for everything unfolding.

His selfish act of revenge had prejudiced them all the most, and not just Anti himself, they all paid a big price over... Something so small. It was complicated.

And that was the reason maybe why Chase wasn't talking to the doctor, Jameson would sometimes address his way but was pretty much ignoring him as well, although in a more passive agressive way. And Jackie was just straight up pissed but as always, quick to forgive and so he was comforting the doctor when he seemed too alone and sad to be on his own company.

And the glitch? Anti decided he was tired of being such a weakling. It was not "weak" to suffer for the consequences of his actions, but he was tired of himself hiding away in the corners to make everyone so comfortable.

What about his comfort? He was tired too! He was helping them a lot! He was killing against his will, he got beaten twice, got some random bone broken, got a awfully made mini surgery and now... Now he was tired of it. He had to take care of himself too.

So today, he didn't hide away in the attic as the past days, this time he went to the areas he usually avoided, like for example, the living room.

And that's how the doctor and him made eye contact for the first time after some days.

Anti didn't flinch from it however, he just stared.

He felt a hollow feeling in himself, like something was blocking away whatever he would usually feel, like someone turned a switch off and he was just... Unable. He didn't understand how, but that's just how he felt. It was better than fear, he guessed. 

The doctor however, glared his way, not as strong as before when they had been together the last time, but Anti didn't fear it.

He stood tall and held his ground, staring at the doctor straight in the eyes. It made humans uncomfortable, he knew that by experience. 

"This is all your fault." Henrik said quietly, then sighing.

"Are you so sure about that?" Anti giggled, making Henrik look at him in surprise. "Looked yourself in the mirror lately? Or are you avoiding it? Too ashamed?" 

Because whenever Anti had laughed at them, it was all because he was having fun, he was happy about something.

"What are you laughing at, freak?" Henrik got up and walked to him, old instincts kicking in.

"I may be under a spell." Anti smiled, eyes not blinking and his neck wound still visible to all eyes, a symbol he would never be like them. "But God have mercy on you when the spell is broken." 

Henrik continued to glare but seemed to falter to his threat, which he meant it as... Half empty. Who knows how he would end up like when the spell was over? He hoped (with all his heart) not the way from before, but if he did...

Well... maybe the thought of revenge wasn't so bad after all.

And after a long time, the headache long forgotten came back to Anti, one more time.

The days were peaceful after that, they avoided each other and Anti had forced himself to go protect the others because he couldn't.... He couldn't stand looking at the magician that was usually so lively, being so quiet.

Marvin barely talked to any of the others, seemingly lost in his mind and staring at the table instead of eating, and all egos looked at each other in concern.

"...Eat something." Henrik suggested quietly, giving a weak smile to Marvin.

"I'm not hungry." Marvin said just as quiet. "I think I will go to sleep after I cast the spell on the house-" 

"No need." Anti interrupted the magician. "I will go patrol around today. It's been long enough, I'm not this weak." He scoffed. 

"...Thank you Anti." Marvin nodded to him and appreciated the gesture. "I'll just rest then."

Anti nodded, and everything fell silent again when...

"You guys are insane, I think I can see now how none of us are human, or sane, for the matters." Henrik chuckled and passed a hand on his face. "We are thanking the guy who drove Chase almost to insanity, possessed me and Jameson... And gave you the scars Marvin." 

"Henrik. Stop." Jackie said firmly.

"No, you know what? Everyone is blaming me for taking a little bit of anger out, but I barely did anything! Everyone wanted to kill Anti now everyone is buddies with him!" Henrik glared the glitch's way.

"I'm not buddies with him." Interrupted Chase, placing his mug with coffee down a bit too harshly. "I don't even like Anti, I barely talk to him, I go my way, he goes his, that's how things were supposed to go! And now you hurt him, we can't be protected properly because who the fuck knows if Anti will die tomorrow or get captured too?!" Chase said loudly. " And now Marvin is in pain because of you." 

"....And what do you want me to do?! Apologize and forget like Jackie did?!" Henrik said just as loud to Chase.

"No, you know what? Go fuck yourself. I'm done with you, I prefer to talk to a wall than to you." Chase got up and left the room, even if Henrik cursed his way out.

"Maybe..." Jameson signed and Henrik laughed out loud.

"NEVER! Why apologize if I don't regret it?" He got up as well.

"You're such an annoying fuck." Anti said suddenly, after being quiet for so long. "No fucking wonder I wanted to kill you so bad." He smiled out of pure anger and clenched his fists.

"Oh so that is your reason huh? Good reason there buddy, just admit you're a soulless son of a bitch that never had actual reasons to go after us, besides being a horrible person." Henrik continued to insult his way.

"I wanted to apologize to you so bad before, and I'm sorry, if that's what you wanted to hear, but I can't change what I did! Your anger won't undo it too, you fucker." Anti tried a more... Docile way, if he let his anger act too much, he might do more damage to his own reputation than the doctor's.

"Who the fuck cares for your apologies!? They're useless either way." Henrik sat back down and continued glaring at him, daring him to say anything else.

Anti bit his lip to try to not be how his anger desperately wanted him to act, his nails entered his palms and he just wanted the doctor to disappear once and for all.

Meanwhile the others kept on watching, worried and curious how it all would end, but they were also intrigued Anti was showing signs of anger after so, so long. 

"They're not useless. It's a good sign!" Jackie interrupted the doctor briefly, trying to be optimistic. "Look how you're becoming Hen! You're so different! All this is just... It's killing who you are!" He eyes with doctor with pained eyes.

"I'd rather this kills me than accept being friends with Anti." He answers coldly.

"Henrik. Shut up." Marvin sighed and drank his water, a headache plaguing his mind. 

"You all are really choosing him over me, huh?" He looked their way with eyes shining with tears. "Have you even told them what you told me, Anti?" Henrik chuckled.

"What?" JJ signed.

"How "God should have mercy on me when the spell is over", and doesn't that sound pretty? Maybe all this time this fucker was manipulating us all along and that's what he wants all to happen!" 

There was silence and Jackie finally looked at Anti, feeling somehow betrayed, because he thought Anti's old nature was just... Gone.

But looking at the glitch now, twitching his neck, dark eyes holding the familiar anger in them and all that he missed was his knife.

Did he do the wrong decision of-

"I did say that. You are an insufferable, annoying piece of shit-" God, he wanted to jump at the doctor and beat him so bad. What he said before was pure anger, but now he was starting to really think how- no, he can't be like this, fuck- Anti feels torn, he needs to decide what to feel.

"But Anti... That's not how you're supposed to think." Marvin says quietly. Was the spell running out of time already? It wasn't suppose to be this soon, this couldn't be it-

"So now I can't feel anger too?! He cuts me open, treats me like shit and I can't feel a right to feel anger?!" Anti yells this time, looking at all of them with indignation. "Whatever the fuck this curse is doing to me, it's making me a bit human right?! Isn't that what you all said?! And now anger isn't human too?! Or am I missing something!?" 

They're all silent as he has a point but it's still worrying, they can't handle Anti in the situation they're in against IRIS, if their plan failed...

"Remember our plan before all this? Our original plan? To just kill Anti before he turned into a nuisance." Henrik says more calmly, eyeing each ego. "Think about that." He isn't ashamed to bluntly say that to the glitch's face after being told so many times he would die. It feels just as right to do the same. 

And all the egos look at each other, Jackie has worry over his face, Marvin looks exhausted as time passes, his figure slumped as if holding the weight of the world and Jameson looked in fear to Anti, fearing he made the worst decision of his life.

It was all too much.

Anti sat back down, letting his weight fall heavily on the chair, and placed a hand on his face, feeling it hot and his eyes were starting to burn.

"God..." He mumbled quietly. "If this is how it feels to be human... I don't want to be like this." He admits it. "It's tiring, it's awful." 

"... It's part of the process," Says Jackie quietly.

It's all too quiet, the atmosphere is so tense and uncomfortable, that any of them would give anything to go away just how Chase did, but they need to figure it all between themselves too out because if they do... It'll be less pressure problems his way.

"I'm sorry Henrik." Anti finally says it. "For everything. Even what I said a while ago." He wanted the doctor to know he could understand his anger, he didn't like it but he could understand it. 

He will swallow his pride if it means not seeing all the others look at him in fear again. Because he didn't want that to happen, he made a mistake by threatening Henrik but he should've know he would use it to his benefit, he should've been smarter. That's what he gets for letting is his anger out, he should've know better....

"...Nothing will fix what you did to me." Henrik says quietly too this time, eyeing the glitch with tiredness, there's something else in his eyes besides anger. "Why can't you be gone from my life forever?" Why couldn't all that nightmare end?

"...We need to destroy IRIS." Anti finally says, wiping his eyes and pretending he didn't let his emotions escape through his eyes. "We need a plan to destroy it. If it's gone, then you can go on without me, I can move on without you all, it's a win win." He says the idea it just occurred to him because even if he doesn't like the doctor as much, he still wants him to... To be ok.

Henrik doesn't answer but he seems more thoughtful.

"It sounds... Ok, but it won't be easy, you know? Even with your powers and all of ours combined." Jackie concludes, after the long silence. "Besides, I don't think we can destroy it, it's a foundation, there might be other places out there just like it and... We need a way to disappear from their radar." 

"Perhaps, we can... For a while." Anti smiles. "It will help me heal, it will help Marvin rest, and all of us won't be so trapped in this old ass house forever." 

"How so?" Jameson signs.

Anti doesn't understand it, so Marvin says what Jameson had meant and Anti hums, nodding his way.

"... I know someone who owns me a favor." Anti explains, chuckling after, "You all know him too, but never talked to him."

"Who?" Henrik finally asks, making Anti smile his way smug.

As Dark grabs his phone, he lifts one brow in curiosity at the unknown number. 

When he picks it up and accepts the call, he places the phone on his ear.

"Hello?" 

"Hi Dark." 

Darkiplier sits down again and rolls his eyes, annoyed merely by the voice of the glitch.

Chapter Text

Everyone had dispersed after that, ready to make their suitcases or backpacks with some clothes in it as Anti had assured them that Dark wouldn't refuse them. He knew the other quite well, and rest assured Dark would never put his word of honor in risk, Anti had a favour, Dark would fulfill it. Simple like that. 

They didn't have any choice, all the pressure and the stress from Henrik and their new worry for Anti, made them not think much and just accept what they deemed the best, even if it was a wild decision to accept. Internally, all the egos were extremely tired, physically and mentally, even Henrik with his short temper looked exhausted from everything, all this was just... draining.

Chase was drinking while they all silently waited for Marvin to come down, the last one to get ready as always.

Henrik was on his corner, ignoring Anti's existence while the glitch resentfully did the same.

It all just made Anti hate himself more than he had ever had however he didn't swallow himself in guilt and kept his head up and confronted whatever would come.

Jackie was reluctant to their conversations now but kept glancing at him as if he wanted to say something but didn't have the courage yet, Jameson was sitting far away but didn't take his eyes off him while the glitch pretended not to notice it, Chase was drinking away as he always did whenever he got stressed and nobody wanted to make the average bro irritated again, so everyone was just... In their own little corner, doing what they thought it was the best and would let them have some peace.

Anti decided to stay in a part more recluse and dark, sighing, then looking at the window distracted. The forest outside looked mesmerizing as always, something his old self would never admit, but he could admit now that he loved nature and how being in contact with it reminded him of simpler times in Ireland, when he was a new ego.

The bush below the window moved a bit, making him pay attention to it and snap himself out of his nostalgia, he went and opened the window, looking down and finding nothing. But it was still strange... Maybe it had been the wind? No, the wind, couldn't be it-

"Close that window Anti, if a cockroach enters the place, I'm making you killing it." 

Marvin finally came down stairs with a small bag on his belt, looking better than some hours ago and having that proud smile, but they could bet the tiredness of before was still there... He had his mask on as always, but nothing could fool any of them that he was tired and hurting just like all of them in different levels.

"Where's your backpack, dude?" Chase asked and let the empty bottle on the nearby table, he already looked too relaxed and that only warned them if he kept drinking he'd get drunk.

"Magic, baby." Marvin winked his way with a smug grin and patted the small bag on his belt. "I also took a potion, I'm feeling better than yesterday and since I didn't use any spells again, I should be able to use this one." At least, he hoped the potion would work fast because he was still feeling pretty drained.

He couldn't mention to them he was to the point of passing out, they would end up captured if he didn't help them now.

So he smiled and pretended to be better, his mask thankfully hid his face a bit more and made him look "ok". Great magicians had to be the best liars the audience could see, Marvin knew that, so with them it wouldn't be any different, he was magnificent in his work after all. 

"Alright, everyone got everything important right? No important documents or stuff left behind? Nothing at all? Because I won´t teleport us here again so soon." Marvin warned them again just to be sure, placing his hand on his hip.

Jameson nodded and all the others did the same or hummed in response, everyone still seemed a tad on the edge so Marvin hoped with their new "shelter", soon they would feel better. Even if it was for a short while.

Marvin got something out from the belt after spending a good while with his hand in it, making faces and muttering to himself as he kept on grabbing the wrong objects then finally got what he wanted.

"There it is!" He smiled and grabbed the small bottle with a shiny blue liquid inside it. "Now stand back." 

Everyone did as he ordered and when he took one look at all of them, he felt... Happy sort of. He didn't know why, but even with everything going wrong and some stuff going right, they were still here, united, persisting.

His glance stayed a little longer on Anti before he looked to the small bottle on his hands, he sincerely hoped the glitch somehow was being sincere before about being just angry and his threats to Henrik being empty. They couldn´t have another enemy again, IRIS needed their full attention now. He also could understand Anti´s anger, Henrik was being difficult to deal with. But then again he also could understand Henrik... He didn't want to think too much on his past with Anti or he had a feeling he'd end up like Henrik, so he avoided it in general.

He finally muttered the spell and placed the bottle near his lips so it would "listen".

He threw it to the ground and a portal opened, a fissure opening right in front of their eyes like cutting open their reality, and so... They stared. Marvin's magic was always a pretty sight to their eyes, it never stoped to amaze them.

"Let´s go guys, this won´t be open forever." Marvin smiled to them and entered without any hesitation, trusting completely his abilities.

While Anti could still teleport and now walk around better than before thanks to some medicine he took, he was the second one to walk in and not hesitate, everyone followed shortly after, Henrik took one look around the room and was the last one to go, portal closing behind him and leaving nothing more behind.

Meanwhile, the egos were teleported to... Some living room, an expensive looking one might they add, and Chase in his "state" just sat down as if he owned the place.

While Anti entered a room completely black, devoid of any color at all besides himself and his glitches, and he was confused for a mini second when he remembered who had powers to control dimensions and portals as well.

"When I let you in my house, I didn't know you would bring your copies with you." Dark's deep voice reverberated around the void, filled with static and echo. "I didn't allow that, Anti." He finally showed himself and stood with his hands behind his back.

"Well, it's about them that I'm here for, I need that favor you own me." Anti went straight to subject and fixed his posture, still putting on his annoyed expression because no matter how many times they had to talk, he always had the feeling Dark thought of himself superior.

And Anti hated that. 

"And what do you want me to do?" Dark asked amused and a bit curious. 

"Give us all shelter for... Some time." Anti sighed.

Dark raised an eyebrow, surprised but still looking at him with those half lidded eyes that always showed he was too smart for his own good. A perfect spider, a manipulator. 

And that's why Anti always also had strategies whenever he had to deal with his "friend" (Wilford kept insisting they were, but they were not really), and due to his strategies he was able to deal easier with Dark without getting damaged in the process of whatever plans sometimes Dark needed him to. It frustrated Dark and that also was a great pass time to annoy him like that.

They basically had an unlikely annoying peace treaty, they didn't like each other but they couldn't deny they worked very well together (although that was rare),hence the "favors" and the "I allow you in my territory". Dark sometimes would go to his hiding spot as well, to avoid Wilford when he was "too much". 

"Shelter? For the people you prey on?" Dark chuckled and glitched to him, his glitches being more "clean" and slow than his, wild and staticky. "Must I ask the reason?" 

"I'm helping them. They need me, I need them." Anti explained briefly, following Dark with his dark eyes as he walked around near him. "Give us the damn shelter and I won't bother you until you crawl back to me again needing my help."

Dark's expression soured at that but he couldn't deny it, he knew Anti loved to brag how Dark sometimes would "need" him, and while he found that incredibly annoying and pathetic from his part, he ignored it because he knew it was just to provoke him. Anti had his uses but just like everything, one day it would end.

"If shelter is what you want, then shelter is what you'll have, you and your little new friends too." Dark mocked him back, moving his hands as he spoke. "I don't understand why the sudden change of heart." He asked this time genuinely intrigued, still curious on why the glitch was helping the people he hated the most.

"...Because of this." 

Anti turned around and gave his back to him and lifted his shirt, showing the symbol marking his back.

Dark curiously analyzed it and then got close enough to just feel... And recognize and remember briefly that one of Anti's enemies was a magician. He never saw his face but heard well about his magic and looking at Anti marked with it, apparently something was done to the glitch.

Perhaps he could have some uses to his new guests too.

"... And why are you marked with it?" Dark asked again.

"...It's a spell... Of empathy." 

Dark laughed out loud at that.

"Empathy? You? No wonder you're acting so strange, no bites all barks and... You look weaker than usual." Dark eyed him up and down. "What kinda of trap did you fall into, this time?" 

"I attacked them, Marvin used the spell on me and... Now they're using me as protection against a foundation after them." Anti explained, ignoring everything Dark had said and just to... To try win a bit more of his favor. "Now I'm... Unable to protect them for the time being, Marvin is getting drained too much and everyone needs a place to stay. The foundation doesn't know about you... Or haven't attacked you yet." Anti looked at him serious.

"This is all... Interesting." Dark placed a hand on his chin while analyzing all situation. "...I can try to remove that, you know?" He mentioned to the symbol. 

"...No."

And that took Dark and his plan of Anti owning a favor to him, completely by surprise.

"No?" He furrowed his brows. "What do you mean no? I know you're damaged in the brain and have less sanity than even Wilford, but-"

"Being... Like this isn't so bad." Anti mumbled quietly, sincere. "...Do you feel like this too?" He asked looking up at Dark with curiosity now. 

"Like this what?" Dark asked annoyed.

"Human. Emotions. Happiness and... Empathy, EVERYTHING I never had." He said through gritted teeth. One part of him hates Jack for all of it, for being created the villain but he can't blame anyone for everything that happened to him.

Ironically and very fitting, everything bad in his life was all his fault.

"This is all very interesting Anti, and yes... I do feel like that. I'm not heartless." Dark scoffed. "If you want to stay like this, then suit yourself, I definitely want to have a better talk with you later." He says calmly and then walks away... And sits on a chair he made appear. 

The void is his home, his kingdom, one he sometimes hated but learned to take advantage of it. 

"Very well." Anti nods. "Maybe...-" He says then shakes his head, changing his mind and starting to walk away where Dark had made a portal for him to leave the dimension.

"Maybe what?" Dark asked from where he was. 

"...Maybe we can know each other better than just all of what we did before." He gave a more friendlier look to the other, not smiling but showing he meant no harm (for now). 

"..." Dark was speechless at that, his red glitches showing for a moment before being mostly replaced by blue ones. "If that's what you want, I don't see how I can't deny it." He said more softly.

Anti didn't answer and just passed the portal again, leaving Dark alone.

"Now that's very very interesting..." Dark brought his hands together and looked at the floor. "Let's see how this dance turns out." 

"Where were you?!" Jackie was the first one to go after him as soon as he stepped out of the portal and grab his arms, squeezing maybe a bit too tight but Anti didn't complain.

Having appeared right in front of them as they were all in the ridiculously expensive living room from the manor and nobody had come to greet or fight them, they just waited for the glitch or Darkiplier himself to appear.

"I for a moment thought something went wrong." Marvin chuckled.

"I was talking to Dark." Anti answered. "He allowed us to stay, didn't say a time, but it's better this way for now." He took a deep breath.

Jackie let go of the glitch's arms and stared at him for a moment.

He felt more pity and sympathy for the glitch than all the hatred from before, he was glad he had learned to let it go and viewed Anti the way he had done way back when he had been "born", as someone who needed help and had learned the bad side of life because of his own bad beginning.

Jackie went forward and wrapped his arms around Anti and hugged him.

Anti froze in time and he didn't know how to react so he didn't do anything back. It was like he lost his sense of logic, of thinking for a moment.

It was all... Too much.

The other egos were just as shocked as Anti himself was. Everyone staring.

"Because of you, we will have somewhere safer to be and rest without a lot of pressure from IRIS on us, so thanks for that Anti." Jackie let go of him, as he felt he was pushing his boundaries with the glitch, and stepped away, smiling at him.

Anti just nodded and looked stunned, making Jackie laugh and then Jameson snort at Anti's reaction. Each ego had a reaction, Chase was dumbfounded, Marvin was calmly watching everything with a neutral expression and Henrik looked disgusted but also intrigued by everything.

Maybe not everything would go so bad in this place-

"HELLO LADIES AND... OH IT'S JUST GENTLEMEN!" 

Chase jumped out of his skin and got up from the seat he sat before in a jump, when out of nowhere popped out a pink moustached man with yellow clothes appeared near him and bowed to them, smiling widely and looking far too happy.

"My name is Wilford Mothetloving Warfstache and I'm happy to see new guests on this manor!"

Chapter Text

"What the fuck?" Chase says loudly and Wilford looks at him.

"What the fuck indeed my good new friend! I come home, Dam- Darky tells me to not kill anyone inside the house and I think "what the hell does he mean now?!", he knows I can't go on without my daily little murder!" He grumbles and crosses his arms. "So I came home today and saw Anti-"

"Excuse me?! Daily little murder?!" Jackie starts to walk to him but Anti places a hand on his shoulder.

"No murders today Wilford. Also don't mind that... Jackie." Anti laughs, and unknowingly doesn't notice how this bothers the others by remembering them the times he laughed at their pain, and the sound of it just makes them tense.

"How can I not mind that?!" Jackie furrows his brows and moves his hands as he talks. "Listen here buddy-!" 

"AH!" Wilford jumps the couch and walks until he's in front of Jameson, startling the dapperman. "A fellow mustached gentleman!" He smiles in delight, eyes shining.

"...Hello?" Jameson signs, unsure and forcing a smile.

"Ooooohhhh! Sorry, I don't understand you." Wilford pouts, "BUT! Butt- hehe, but!! That will change." He pokes the point of Jameson's noise with a finger. "My mustache is superior." 

"Wilford." Anti calls him, noticing how the egos keep looking at him for him to do something. "Can I talk to all of them privately?"

"Anti boy!" Wilford comes forward and hugs the glitch, gaining a few shocks as he does so and Anti groans in pain when he squeezes him, making his wound hurt.

"Don't- I'm hurt." He gasps for air and Wilford lets him go, eyeing funny. 

"You? Hurt? Your body doesn't even know properly what a injury is!" Wilford laughs but then his expression darkens. "Who did it? I'd love to pay a visit. If it can hurt you, sounds fun enough to play with." He chuckles darkly.

The others look at the doctor, who looks away and pretends to not hear it, sweating discreetly.

"Don't mind that, it's just some weakling who got too lucky." Anti chuckles. " Dark owns me a favor and we'll stay for some time, I'd appreciate if you don't murder anyone who is inside this room." He crosses his arms, being still a little pained from the hug but he does his best to ignore it.

Henrik glared at Anti when he the first part but looks away once he had started explaining the situation to Wilford, who just kept on nodding and humming as he spoke.

"I see, I see, well rest well!" Wilford says to Anti then turns to the others with a smile. "Any of Anti's friends are my friends, just don't go in my room and touch anything or funny things can happen!" He winks and gets a gun out of his pocket. 

"They're not my friends." Anti cuts him after he finishes. "I own them... Some things, I'm here to help." 

"Sure sure, I still remember how we became such close buddies!" Wilford laughs and pats his back.

It was a bloody mess when Anti had first met the madman, Anti couldn't get killed, neither could Wilford, it was a mess of blood and shootings, yelling and electricity but after the mustached man noticed his shots and what not were not taking them anywhere, he just started talking as if they were old friends, saying "it's all a joke buddy!", "A little death doesn't kill anyone!", And after that the glitch had dreaded the man, until he got used enough to his presence and played along. 

And here they were today.

"Fun times." Anti side eyes him. "I won that battle."

"You didn't win shit!" Wilford giggles. "But, adieu mon amours, I will talk to all of you later." He waves and just leaves the room before anyone can even question what the hell had happened.

"What the fuck was all this?!" Chase looks at Anti, and so does the other egos.

Anti just laughs, amused and used to the chaotic energy that always followed Wilford everywhere. "That's Wilford, don't get on his bad side." He wouldn't say that if he wasn't in a literal spell, but now it seems worth mentioning if he wanted the others to survive. "There's more ipliers in the place. They might not use the manor often, but it's still a safe place for all of them." 

That he could respect Dark for, instead of him, who battled every ego Jack created, Dark actually took the others in. He... He should've done that too.

"THERE'S MORE?" Chase places a hand on his hair then slides it down his face. "Holy shit..."

"He seems fun." Jameson says happily.

"Fun?!" Henrik looks at him, like he grew a third head. "This place is a sanatorium!" 

"And that's why I'm saying, don't get on anyone's bad sides, specially Wilford and Dark, but overall be friendly if you can. Ignore any blood or screams you hear, don't accept dares from Bing and don't do... Don't be stupid." He decides to resume or else he'd have to explain what every iplier could do. 

"Oh no..." Henrik grumbles and fake cries, throwing his head back in the couch he was sitting on. "We'll die here." 

"You won't, if anything gets bad, tell me or Dark, preferably me though." He huffs. "We'll need to find out which rooms we can use, follow me." 

After all got explained and showed, Anti went his own way, walking the hallways automatically and he didn't exactly lose all his memories with the spell but it all felt like dejá vu since he did go this place many times before, but also didn't have all memories of it, he found himself facing his old room when he saw a specific door with familiar random markings, some random guest room he barely used but now...

Opening the door, the smell of dust in the air hit his nostrils and he grimaced a bit, but entered the room, turned on the lights and locked the door behind him nonetheless. 

It was all... exactly how he left.

The bed was undone, there was blood stains on the floor (he had faint memories of it being due to the doctor shooting him way long ago, when he had tried to attack one of them alone and got ambushed, before the spell), the curtains were closed so no sun was getting in the room and the place was just... Sad looking.

He never stayed around much to make good memories with this place, but it had been a shelter, a place he could belong... It was his room, given to him by his unspoken and undeclared rival, and... Now it gave him have more consideration towards Dark, who many he went violent fights one on one and yet he was never refused shelter. 

It was a weird relationship, but Dark wasn't an angel, Anti knew he had plans in mind and wanted his help, that's why he was so receptive. But maybe... He could hope at least one part of Dark wasn't all manipulation and revenge. 

Anti also felt the most comfortable he had in ages. 

He was alone, in a place he had advantage in. There was no "orders" for him to patrol or people to kill and what not, he was just... Free to do whatever he wanted now. That was a sad feeling but he felt glad he had his "freedom" back. 

Sitting down on the bed, he grimaced when the injury flared up at the slightest movements, finally making him stop ignoring it and knowledge it, making him touch carefully the place above. 

How would this even get better? No way the doctor would help him OR he himself want that man near him again, he'd rather let Dark do anything to him than accept the doctor's help ever again. "Help" wasn't even the word he was looking for, the doctor had been obligated to it by the magician, but those things didn't matter anymore.

He had to focus on how to get this injury better, but how?

He looked at the floor and kept thinking about all possible persons who knew him or could help him, but the list was way too short and Jack would never pay a hospital to help the guy that slit his throat before. That was fair though.

Then his eyes light up and he got up carefully, grinning. But he might know someone who possibly had almost all answers humanity always searched for.

"Google." 

Going to Google's room was easier than he thought would be, no Wilfords or other ipliers tried to stop him, he just greeted one (King of Squirrels always in a run as always) and went his way.

He knocked on the door and waited patiently, and after some seconds of no response or sounds inside, he knocked again and waited.

And waited, and waited...

He took a deep breath impatient and leaned against the wall with his good side, briefly closing his eyes.

And when he opened again, Chase was in front of him. 

"What the FUCK." Anti said startled and took some steps back, thankfully controlling his instincts instead of just jumping or attacking people who scared him.

"Sorry dude." Chase said awkwardly, "I just saw you here and... I'm like... Kinda lost." He chuckled humorless. 

"Just walk to the end of the hallway, turn right then another right and you'll see your door." He explained quickly then went back to the position he was before, unknowingly ignoring Chase who just stood there.

"...I also wanted to talk to you." Chase fixed his posture and looked down for a moment then back at him. "I want to see my kids again." 

"....I know." Anti said, sympathetic to him. "I'm sorry about... Your life." Was that how he would really apologize to Chase? That sounded awful even to his own ears, so he grimaced to himself.

But surprisingly Chase just chuckled. "Thanks I guess, but will you help me?" He asked hopeful.

"I'll be honest with you." Anti stared at him, "They could be anywhere on the globe, I'm part electric and... A glitch entity I guess? I have no idea what I am exactly, but the point is... I could never find them Chase, I have a feeling she just... wanted to vanish." 

Chase stood there and the emotions in his eyes drowned him in his own chaos, Anti noticing how his figure slumped over a bit and he felt bad for bringing the bad news but to be honest, he could try all he want, it could lead somewhere maybe, but... If she left, it was to run away from the average bro. He didn't know her at all or the so talked kids, but he felt like he wanted to respect "Stacy's" decision.

"You own me it." Chase said coldly. "From everything you did to me, you own me help at the very least." He closed his fists. 

"I know but this isn't right-" 

"And who are you to fucking judge what's right? You, the psychopath who kept tormenting me for fun, that almost killed me a shit ton of times." Chase took a step forward but Anti didn't move, so they stood face to face for the time being, "You don't have the right to tell me what I do is wrong or right, this is the only time in my life I'm asking for help from YOU, and you're still refusing to do it." 

"Brody... I..." Anti looked down, feeling unsure. "I'm sorry, but... She left for a reason, are you sure this is what will make her want you back?" He said quietly, unsure how to go this conversation with the other ego.

"I don't care if she wants me back or not, I want to apologize to her, I want to see my kids again and get better from... Fucking everything else around us, from myself and my stupid ass addiction." He wiped his eyes and looked at Anti with a more pleading look. "I know I'm being harsh, sorry, but please help me, I won't ask for anything else, I just want closure, anything. Please. Everyone denied me it, please help me Anti." 

Anti stood there with two decisions in his hands, two that could turn his fate in ways he never went before, and... 

"Very well." He sighed deeply. "I'm not an expert at finding people, I know some tricks so I will try, but... I'm not... Very supportive of this." He just wanted that to be clarified. "But for you, to help you for the first time, I will do it." 

Chase finally smiled, softly, "That's... That's great to hear, I'm not gonna lie, I don't even know how to act with you because of everything that went on with us, but you're willing to help and I can respect that. Thank you." Chase finally felt like some weight came off his back. 

He had hope again. 

"You're welcome... It's the least I can do, right?" Anti looked away, feeling terrible again and letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, his tense figure relaxing slightly. "So... I'll warn you when I need their names and what not, I need to talk to one of the ipliers right now." He explained briefly. 

"Sure, sure, I'll be waiting, and... Thanks again." Chase patted his arm weakly and then walked away.

It was sad this is the happier he looked in ages.

Anti stared at his back until he disappeared in the direction he had said before, shaking his head and feeling like the biggest idiot ever for that decision. It had been the other's wife's decision to go away and disappear, Anti felt like he shouldn't be putting his nose in their business now that he had a "good" mind, moralities, whatever you name it. 

But he also felt great, because Chase was one of the others that didn't like him, and probably would still not like him, but like he had said... The very least Anti could do was help him, in whatever form he could, so for Chase, he would do it.

Who knows where this would go, he hoped they both got what they waited for.

He had forgotten his initial goal was to talk to Google, but all this time he spent and got distracted with the other ego made him realize if Google didn't talk to him then, he wouldn't now. He was clearly not in the room.

That only left him to ask Dark where Google was, and he needed to watch his steps before he entered the spider's lair again. 

But now... Now he would rest, he felt tired, he had a room to clean, a wound to take care of and now people to find, but now he needed to take some time for himself.

So he went away and hoped everything would be fine.

Chapter Text

Sleeping apparently did have some benefits for him, he would heal faster thanks to it and just... It was so good, to just rest and do nothing. He was still a little surprised, but maybe... After all this time, maybe he was a little human after all.

He had been awoken by Chase, making small talk with him and the forced smile again, he found it funny and a bit pathetic but he could understand the average bro, he was desperate and wanted him to do something. Still didn´t make Anti any less happy he was literally forcing himself (or so it looked like it) to be talking to him, possibly to maybe gain more favors. 

And he couldn´t exactly deny Chase those "favors" if he ever asked for more, because he knew the average ego needed his help now and he didn´t want to just look away, now he could do something... But would it be worth in the end? He hoped it was.

"Dark." Anti opened a random door and he knew by saying his rival's name, it would trigger a dimension of the void, and his monochromatic figure with the white suit was the only thing he could see in the in there. "You wanted to talk, right?"

"Yes." Dark sat down on one chair and another one appeared for Anti, and a small table with a jar containing something in it. "Please, take a seat." He moved his hand towards the chair.

Anti would never fully trust Dark, but something about them not being agressive with each other like they usually were, throwing curses, stabbing, fighting... It made things interesting and quite curious, a side of Dark that before he never bothered searching for because he felt it was useless, but now that he was more... "morally good" as the others liked to say (without him knowing he heard), he found it fitting to be just as calm back. 

Anti walked until he was inside the room and sat down on the chair the other mentioned, eyeing the jar with black liquid inside. He knew that smell, it was coffee.

"Want a drink?" Dark offered and at the same time, placed a cup for him. 

"No." Anti wrinkled his nose at the smell and the sight of the black liquid. "It doesn´t seem... Good." The doctor loved drinking that thing and it made Anti remember him because of it, so he was taking a dislike to the liquid for it... Yes, because of the doctor. He just couldn´t help it.

"A shame, it´s quite good and helps keep you from falling asleep," Dark explained and took a sip, "But we don´t really need that, do we?" He chuckled.

"What do you want Dark?" Anti asked after a sigh. "You´re not here for a talk, I know you better than this."

"I know but I can enjoy the moment and see up close how the magician´s work is affecting you." He smiled. "Is he powerful like you mentioned?"

"Take your thoughts off Marvin, you won´t get anything from him." And that´s because Anti would make sure to warn the magician of Dark´s interest in him. Whoever Dark landed his eyes on, was in trouble.

"How can I not be interested in the being that defeated the great and terrifying Antisepticeye?" Dark laughed, his echoy laugh reveberating around the room.

"He didn´t defeat me!" Anti felt his blood boil by that mention, glaring at the darker ego for it, "I got careless! I fell in a trap! I could-" He stopped himself before he could regret anything said, or be used against him for it.

It felt wrong to say he could kill them all easily, but that's not what he wanted.

"Yes?" Dark smiled, hoping he´d finish his thoughts. "Ah... That´s the proof I needed, the "Anti" I know is still there." 

And that made Anti stop and freeze for a moment.

"... Aren´t you tired of all this?" Anti got up and felt like he just- he couldn´t be sitting right now, he had to do something, he felt nervous and didn´t even know why. "I´m so tired, I fucking hate all of it, all this hatred, all this yelling between them, my past, EVERYTHING! Tired, Tired of it!" His voice glitched for a moment and so did his body, making him twitch and crack his bones when he did so. "I´m running from them, and I can´t run from them!" He passed his hands through his face and chuckled.

He felt like he was going to be mad at any moment, like he would explode at any of them, because of himself, because of them, because of everything happening, he just felt panic.

"...You can´t, I know." Dark replied a bit more serious. "Neither can I run from the others, we are all linked in this web of lies and deception created by Mark... And Jack." 

"I know! I know, I know and I just... I want all of this to sSTOP!" Eletricity in his veins just made him glitch even more with his outburst, feeling also heavier, it almost made his human form disappear for a moment until he settled at it again, all in seconds. "I´m... I´m so tired, I don´t know how to deal with all of this." He looked to his hands.

"With what?" Dark asked, almost in a bored tone but he was really curious about all of what Anti was talking, this was the first time he saw some other emotion from the glitch ego besides it being anger. 

"I don´t understand how to feel. " Anti finally turned to him, his body glitching and breaking in pixels, going back and forth again, it didn´t hurt, but Dark knew the more he glitched, the more intense was the emotion the other ego was feeling. It was strange how Anti was showing so much emotion, but he knew it was because of the spell, it was making him be something he never was intended to be, rewritting an entire script just to change the ending of their possibly tragedy... He had to give kudos to the magician for his plan.

He was breaking Anti apart, and maybe the magician fooled himself thinking he was helping, or maybe he didn´t, but Dark knew it was cruelty, just in a substancial controlled form, one that could be faked by calling it "help". 

"I can break that for you." He was almost sure with Google´s inteligence and his quick thinking, they could do something about it, "You can be you again, you can be free. All you have to do, is ask." Dark got up, his form also glitching but in a more behaved way, gentler.

"No." Anti said firmer. "How many times will I tell you this?" He accused, irritated.

"As many as necessary for the true Anti to come out and not just a fake one." Dark glared at him lightly, "I wouldn't even call you in for a favor, I'm just curious how it would go, how good this magician is... There's a saying that goes "if you want peace, prepare for war", and I have a feeling... That I need to be prepared against types of enemies like him, and like Actor." 

"Actor..." Anti chuckled. "Now that's a name I didn't hear for a long time." 

"He's been bold lately, attacking the others and trying to pursue them to his side... But he's been unsuccessful so far." He said proudly and calmer, due to his mention of "success". "If he attacks, I need an Anti just like me." 

"Ohh and the great Darkiplier is admitting I'm at his level?" 

"...Perhaps..." Dark leaned his head to one side a bit more, looking... Different. Less threatening. It was strange. "Would that give me one ally if I said so?" 

"...Maybe." Anti relaxed his posture. "Isn't all of this strange?" 

"Very." Dark nodded. "I never thought I'd be having a normal conversation with you without yelling or dodging attacks, maybe this spell wasn't so bad." 

"...And that's why I'm not getting rid of it." Anti said softly. "I never was like this before, I know I'm not "me" completely or whatever this means, but it... It made me see things from a new angle, and I've been loving it. It's better than before." He rolled his eyes. "All the violence, blood, fight, kill... Urgh, so annoying! I don't know how I got stuck in that loop, maybe I'm just like Wilford and never noticed." He shook his head.

"Hmm." Dark hummed and gave his back to him for a moment, almost like he was lost to himself, talking with his own thoughts, then finally turning to Anti, blue and red glitches mixed together giving him his only colors. "An alliance it is then? A peaceful one?" 

Anti looked down, then thought for a moment... Maybe Dark wasn't so bad when they were not at each other's throats and walkinf around eggshells around each other.

"Yes, and I hope a good one. You help me and I help you... Partner, buddy, whatever." He extended his hand and smiled, sincerely.

To Dark, it was a strange, wild sight to see one of the most violent egos to just smile and accept alliance so easily, it was something he never thought he'd see and it was just so surprising, this Anti might not be the true one he knew, but he definitely could settle for this calmer version.

"Very well." He got his hand and gave it a firm shake, smiling. "I see you around then?" 

"Yes, whatever you need." Anti shook his hand back then let it go, "Oh and I need to ask some stuff from Google, can you tell me where he is?" 

"Just get out of the room and you'll find him." Dark shrugged and went back to his chair. "May I ask why?" 

"No." He said quick and with a smile. 

That made Dark chuckle.

"Alright, suit yourself. I'll be here as always." 

"You should come out a bit, Wilford would love to see you out of here." Anti suggested. 

"...Wilford doesn't quite grasped what happened years ago and... It's still too confusing for him maybe, but it's easier we avoid each other." Dark said in a neutral tone, although his eyes couldn't hide a sadness in them.

"...The... Soul event, right?" Anti tested his waters.

"...Yes, and what do you know about it?" Dark asked with annoyance hidden by a neutral tone.

"Nothing much just... He calls you Damien sometimes. And sometimes he mentions a woman named Celine." Anti looked down in thoughts then back at him, "I don't mean harm, that's just what I heard." He said it to make clear to his new found ally that he didn't mean to annoy him or mock in any way, just that's what he heard.

"Hm." Dark seemed definitely annoyed at the mention of the names. "It's not worth to dig up the past of dead people, I'd appreciate if you didn't." He warned. 

"Don't worry." Anti shrugged. "It's not like you're that interesting anyway." He joked. 

Dark seemed surprised with it, then he narrowed his eyes at him, but didn't look agressive either.

"Shut up, "Glitch Bitch"."

Chapter Text

"I was requested, do you need my assistance?" 

Anti looked behind him and there he was, Google in all his neutral glory. Same blue shirt, the cold eyes, the dead expression... Yet he was also very much alive, weirdly enough. The wonders of creation he guessed.

"Yes. I need your help to find a missing woman and two children." Was it two children? Three? He didn't know quite right, never met them directly but...

"I need names." 

"Stacy Brody... And the other two I'll have to ask the father." 

And so he called Chase, who came running and following him quickly, looking hopeful and anxious at the same time, making Anti pity him for his poor state but funny enough the conversation between Chase and Google was more amusing to see than he thought, and it was a bit intimidating to see how good of a hacker Google was and how easily he found out "Stacy's" location, email and what not. But then again he was also a robot, he knew was just... Pure knowledge and Mark's face basically, he had forgotten how good Google was as opponent and ally.

It also reminded him why he loved so dearly the internet, it was just a web of lines he could easily manipulate to his favor, it was a spider's web that led to many places and at the same time it was the biggest library with all knowledge he could find, be could use it aaaall to his favor. The electronical and technological part were his area.

He might as well take on Google later to find out how to win against his abilities if they ever battle or situation gets dire. If there was one thing they could never get our of him, was his way to find weakness in the others to prevent himself from damage, it was just in his nature he guessed, a small thing of the old Anti that stayed, the survivor side. He didn't really have anything to complain about it, so instead he just used it to his favor and... He watched. He observed. 

Silent, unmoving, like he always did. 

"Marvin I need your help." Chase was quite direct on what he wanted, his heart was beating loudly in his chest and he had teared up from happiness before, and he just- he couldn't wait to see his kids again! His little sunshines!

All he need was for Marvin to help now.

"With what?" 

"A portal.To this address." He gave the small paper to the magician, who looked at it curiously then his expression closed for a moment.

"...Chase, no." 

"Marvin... I won't ask you ever again for anything else. I need to talk to her! I need to see them!" He said frustrated, fists curling. "Why won't you help me?! Fucking Anti out of all people did!" Wasn't it ironic?

Anti looked away when Marvin glared at him.

"Well, he shouldn't have. Chase just... Leave Stacy alone, I know you don't remember that night well, she said one story, you said another, she can very well sue you in court IF some bad stuff happened, so don't complicate things even more." Marvin placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with sympathy. "We need you to help us on bigger problems now, let's not focus on this now." 

But all Chase did was stay silent and stare at him with furrowed brows, eyes full of anger. 

"If my own supposed "family" won't help me, then sure, I'll do it on my own or in this case, with the only person who stayed with me." He said coldly. "Let's go Anti."

Anti stayed still for a moment when Marvin glared at him but before the magician could reach to him and say something, Chase had defiantly entered his way, grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room leaving a stunned Marvin behind and a surprised Anti who just complied with him, door closing after them.

"... You'll help me right?" Chase let go of Anti and tiredly looked at him. "Right?" 

It was ok if his own family didn't want to help him, he'd just do everything on his own, he was used to being alone anyway, he shouldn't have trusted the others-

"...I will, but..." Anti was unsure what to say, but he'd try to stand his ground and support the others on their judgement as well (even if it wasn't technically his place to do so), "Is this truly what you want? Are you thinking what will happen in the future? Is it worth it?" Anti persisted a bit more, just to be sure. Was it worth it to run after something that kept running from you?

"It's very worth it. It's my family! Do you even know what this means to me!?" Chase threw his arms in the air and said it loudly in frustration, wanting to roll his eyes from all of it. "Do you know how important they are?!" 

"No." Anti said sincerely, voice quiet and neutral. "Are they really that important? What's so important about some... "Offspring", child, whatever, that you made? What's so important about someone who abandoned you?" 

It wasn't meant to hurt Chase or scare him, but the answer made the average bro realize... That Anti would never really know the worth of it. It sure had stung on what he remembered him, on how Stacy left him, "abandoned" him, but he also wouldn't take it to heart because... Anti didn't sound threatening, he just sounded genuinely not understanding how important "family" was to him.

"...I see." He mumbled a bit more calm. "I'm sorry Anti." He said sincerely.

"Hm? For what?" The glitch asked confused, tilting his head to the side slightly, Chase would pretend to not notice how hard the glitch tried to contain his body twitches, how he'd hide a hand behind his back after he did an involuntary movement, or how Anti would scratch his neck nervous from all of it. Sometimes looking irritated. Annoyed, or just bothered by it.

It reminded Chase of how even though Anti looked human, he was not one. It reminded him how... His problems to Anti, were something curious to see, not sad, not ridiculous, just something new, that all this time he also watched to know what to do with all this information and how to act around them. How the glitch didn't seem to be sorry for him (he sometimes did, but not near as exaggerated as the others did), how he didn't pity him as much, how he didn't force him to try to forget it all. Anti just... He was very neutral, and that was good, but it all just... It was kinda funny, how his situation didn't matter much to Anti or how he just admitted how he didn't understand how important his family was to him.

He was sorry the glitch never had know what love felt like, how addictive it was to be loved and to love in return, how each hug and kiss and touch was magical, from his kids, Stacy, the others, and each little word that meant a world to one another and just... Anti didn't know any of that, how sad was it? How cruel honestly? Maybe his life wasn't so shit as he thought, he could've been on Anti's shoes right now. A lonely, incomprehensible creature so unknown and out of reality that quite frankly Anti belonged to a book, to a story. He was just a character lost in a twisted world.

Well, at least, this version of Anti. He wasn't so sure about the old one, but... If he was like this, it meant the old one could be like this too, right? 

"...Will we stand here and just look at each other like weirdos, Brody?" Anti asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice, after they had a moment of silence after what Anti had said, making him ponder if he said something wrong.

"Hm? Oh sorry, I spaced out for a moment buddy, I just..." He gave the other a pitiful look. "...Let's pause this for now, let's just... Let's relax or something, alright? We'll go after them, but let me plan things better first." He sighed. It was an excuse to say he just wanted to rest and stop being pointed as villain for once, but he did need to plan stuff better.

"If you say so." Anti looked to the ground for a moment, unsure what to say. 

He wasn't used to talking with Chase like this, all memories he had he sometimes had to push back to not remember everything because it was too painful and just... New beginnings, new beginnings... He had to remember that! He needed to stay positive because if he didn't he might as well cut his neck deeper and let himself die again.

"Thank you." Chase said out of place as well. "Thank you for... For everything." Not everything, but the help he was giving his own family didn't give him, so he was indeed indebted to Anti for his kindness. 

Life always found a weird way to twist things around, didn't it? But Chase decided it wasn't so bad this time, it was amusing.

"You don't need to thank me." Anti furrowed his brows. "...I'm just trying to..." To be better, to help you, to show you I'm better, there was a million things he could say but he was unsure which one was the right option and he just-

"I know Anti, I understand, and that matters a lot to me, so I appreciate it." Chase smiled weakly. "...Do you want to watch a movie later?" 

"A movie?" Anti repeated. With me?

"Yes, a movie. Anything really, let's grab popcorn, eat pizza, watch a comedy, a horror movie, you decide! Let's hang out a bit and..." 

Chase got closer to him and placed an arm around his shoulders while he made them walk, smiling. Like they were old partners.

"And let's have fun." He smiled widely.

Who knows, he did want to know where this would go, and befriending a monster had its own benefits too and Chase would be an idiot to not use it to his advantage.

In a sort of funny way, Anti was ironically naive with their nature now. Poor thing wanted their approval so bad that he let them do anything with him (he still remembered Jackie and his beatings, the whole drama with Henrik and whatever happened with Jameson), he might as well make use of the situation to his favor. Not in a bad way like the others, but... In some way.

He knows Anti isn't dumb, but he's not that bright either with this new mindset, which was kinda sad honestly. Apparently cruelty did make you smarter while kindness made you more naive to others... Or something like that, because that's all he noticed all this time stuck with the glitch in their peculiar situation with the spell.

He'd have to find out on his own where all this would go, he just hoped... It would help him somehow to have a new ally. And if he had Anti on his side, that'd be one good news for starters.

So if he had to watch a movie and eat popcorn with the thing that made him have nightmares for weeks just to get his good side and... Play some cards on his favor, he'd do it in a blink. Specially if it meant his kids would be seen again.

Desperate times, desperate matters.

So he walked with the monster that had haunted him once, and maybe, a small part of him that he tried to ignore, hoped that even though he was manipulating Anti to his will (who's the puppet now huh?), He did want to find out a good genuine side of the glitch. 

Who knows what future had for them, he just had to act, so he did.

Chapter Text

Chase felt bad that he actually had more fun with Anti than he had lately with the others in ages.

Wasn´t his fault though, they were being assholes and denying him his rights and just... They almost always treated him like he´d break like a fragile vase at any moment! And that killed him so much, he sometimes couldn´t stand being around Jackie because of his overly nice attitude around him and how he´d change his entire behavior to not make Chase upset. He appreacited the effort really, but this had been going on for too long and Anti ironically enough (under those new circumstances) was fresh meat among them, even if he stayed with them for quite a long time now, if he could recall correctly.

It didn´t matter, what mattered is that he was sort of "good terms" with Anti now and he was a very useful ally, the guilt he most likely felt towards Chase, he used it to his advantage. He should feel bad, one part of him does, but he´s not that affected too. 

Nobody can point fingers at him, he's being nice to the glitch, the monster who had made him have nightmares for weeks and doubt his own shadow for a long time, he should be doing worse to him... But he isn't, he's better than that, but a little revenge as manipulation wouldn't hurt. It's not like he was being awfully bad.

And now that Anti walked away from the average bro after they waved, they had spent the morning talking and joking around like they're old friends from childhood but now... Anti felt like he could finally breath again.

It was not awkward, Chase (he didn't know really) was being too nice to him when he shouldn't, Anti was just doing him a favor, trying to pay back some good for all bad he had done to the other, he shouldn't be friends with Chase at all! Not that he was unhappy with it, the other ego was fun to be around and was surprisingly so random that it was sort of a refreshing distraction these hours.

But!

On one hand, he was feeling guilty all day because the others (but not Jameson weirdly enough) had been giving him dirty looks after Marvin probably told them what Anti was helping Chase with. 

And on the other hand, Chase was being kind to him. He was trying to fix his wrongs, and it was working! It was relieving, he knows the average bro didn't forgive him or anything like that, but it's a start!

So he decided that for today, he should keep away. Maybe socialize more with the ipliers, or go talk with Dark since now they're allies (whether that's true or not, Anti was still trying to check if this situation was safe enough to trust) or just... He could take a walk. But then again, they don't know if Actor, IRIS or anyone else is watching them and they'd need his help if they're attacked... Who knows. 

His wound had finally closed off and got better when Google had been the one to help him out some days ago, and he never felt more grateful for the android so much. Now he had free movements and what not, just a ugly scar was all that remained. The other was a great doctor, to his surprise.

And now he was doing ok, and that was terrifying. Everything was too calm, too ok, there was no fights, he had the trust of everyone with his new nature, but how long would the spell last? 

Could he trust himself? Should he even do some precautions if he forgets all this happened?

An idea filled his mind and he grinned, showing his slightly sharp teeth.

He knew what to do.

Henrik was drinking more than Chase these days, not that anyone cared enough to keep an eye on him for it, which he angrily accepted as part of their situation, but he felt just so... Ignored. Neglected, abandoned even. Everyone was on their own little corner and it didn't even feel like the family they had before, just strangers everyone knew.

It was all fault of that glitch, all his fault for it all. Henrik should've killed him with poison or something else when he had the chance and now everyone was falling into Anti's trap all over again.

Yes, he knows, the spell is working, yes his nature is not agressive or violent anymore, and he's even "regretful" of his actions on the past towards all of them (that's the only part that makes him have some sort of weird feelings towards the glitch without it being actually bad), but he just... He can't stand it. Anti is still Anti with or without a knife, he's still Anti even when he's not smiling, even if his eyes show regret and exhaustion, he's still Anti after all of it and... When the spell is over, it all would go back to the beginning again.

It makes his skin crawl to think about that sharp grin and insanity filled eyes, or how sometimes Anti would be so unexpressive that he couldn't read a single emotion on his face, Anti's emotions were just like his glitches, fast and unpredictable, and he hated he couldn't do anything to him. He was almost a perfect killing machine, always adapting to the place around him, always making new plans.

That's very human of him as well, surprisingly enough, as their species survived the earth thousand of years by adapting to the most harsh conditions they lived in, but the difference is that humans didn't transform into eldritch horrors, they didn't laugh when their own blood spilled.

A perfect monster, that's what he was, he had to give kudos to Jack for making such a bad "character".

Anti wasn't human, yet he was so human it was painful at the same time, maybe that's why God never gave humanity powers because they'd be something just like Anti was. Who knows? 

All he can focus at, is the blinding headache he has. He knows he's drank too much last night (Darkiplier was good enough to lend him a hand and let him drink whatever he wanted, and the man had good taste for wine, he'd admit that), and now he doesn't even have the right meds for him.

His phone starts ringing and he looks at it confused, because it's an unknown number and the only people who had his phone number was Jack and the other egos, nobody else did.

So who-?

"Hello?" He picked up and answered the call.

"Please don't hang up, we must talk." It was a woman's voice, urgent. But it wasn't anyone familiar.

"Who is it?" He asked harshly. "If this is a prank, I'm gonna fucking track you down and make you drink bathroom water." He threatened tiredly.

"This is IRIS, and we wanted to make a proposition to you." 

His blood went cold and he was speechless for a moment, eyes widening, he fixed his posture on the couch he had been in, then went to the window nearby and looked outside.

"...how-"

"That's doesn't matter, all we want to propose is... If Alter 114209 is delivered to us, we will leave the remaining anomalies alone." 

"What? Alter?" Henrik frowns. Anomalies? What fucking anomaly?

"Commonly nicknamed by himself as "Antisepticeye"." The woman said.

"...You'll leave us alone?" Henrik repeated, eyeing the trees outside with hope but also distrust. "Why does that sound like bullshit?"  

"You have my word, Doctor, that the only being harmed in this operation will be the Alter. No guns will be brought to the operation whenever you or any other anomaly are present, only-"

"We are not fucking anomalies." Henrik says loudly, interrupting the woman briefly. "How do I deliver him to you?" 

"We are aware of your new location, just bring him outside in the woods and that should be enough for us." 

They had been discovered that easily? But how?! It didn't matter, what mattered is that he now had a good way to get rid of Anti.

"Why do you want Anti?" He asked curious.

"Confidential information." 

He sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. 

"If you're lying, I'll show you what hell is like, I might not have powers, but I'll go after you." Oh if this was lies, he'd make sure to build an atomic bomb and unleash on them.

There was silence.

"No one is lying here Doctor, do we have a deal?" The woman sounded a bit more annoyed but he didn't care.

"Yes." 

Something was screaming at him to not do it, but when the spell would be over, the other Anti would just go back again at hunting them anyway, so why not get rid of the lion while it's sedated?

"How soon can you deliver us the subject?" 

"As soon as you want." Henrik went back down to the chair and stared at the very expensive lampshade, touching the beautiful details in it made of gold possibly.

"Then tomorrow before night settles, bring us the subject at the south side of the woods. No guns will be brought, only sedatives and precautions necessary to deal with the subject. No harm will be done to you, Doctor." The woman promised.

He didn't believe it but what else he had to lose? It's not like the others were caring for him anyway, he might as well take Anti with him if he possibly die.

"Alright, tomorrow at dawn it is then." 

One less problem to his family. 

Chapter Text

To his surprise, the one calling him was no other than Schneep.

"...Hello." He said with suspicion.

"Hi." Henrik cleared his throat. "I wanted to... Talk to you." He said nervous.

"What is it?" Anti crossed his arms.

"I'd feel better if we took a walk, I'm not comfortable here around this house and... It's gonna be a long talk." Henrik sighed. "So... If you could give me this chance..." He moved his hands towards the door.

Anti eyed the door then nodded, opening it and him and Henrik got out, the sky was purple and night was almost fully coming, with the stars already painting the sky.

"So Anti...." He kept looking down.

Because if he looked up, he'd regret what he would do, he'd give up and turn back, but he couldn't do that, not now. Not when he had promised IRIS he'd be there with their prize, this was all for a greater good. He couldn't forget he was getting rid of a monster.

"Hm?" Anti kept on walking as he looked around. It was peaceful, the wind was dancing around and making the leaves move as they entered the woods further.

"We started at wrong foot. Well... I started at wrong foot. On a terrible one, actually." Henrik laughed humorless. "I want to say... I'm terribly sorry." 

Anti stopped on his tracks at that and stared at him.

"You're sorry?" Anti frowned. "Well-"

"Let's keep going, I wanted to show you a certain location I found while looking around. It's a rather nice view." He patted the glitch's back, the only contact ever he had besides the wound incident.

"Very well." Anti didn't think much of it, as he did like to walk around and the manor wasn't that far either way.

It was... Nice, it was all awkward (it always was around them, but he guessed it'd go away with time) but he felt happy because the intentions is what counted. And maybe Henrik got tired of being angry too, who knows.

And then he feels a sting in his shoulder, then another on his leg.

He looks down confused and-

Darts.

"Henrik-" It was funny how the effect of whatever they used, was almost immediate, it must have been something truly strong. "...Att'ck." 

He felt heavy and his legs felt like giving out, which they did, and he kneeled and fell down completely until his body was just pure jelly, or so it felt like it. He couldn't move, and sleep was coming soon.

"Help." He mumbled and looked up.

Why was Henrik still standing?

"....Sorry Anti." The doctor said while looking down at him, his shadow over the glitch. "It's... necessary." 

Was he saying that to himself?

"Thank you, "Henrik". We appreciate your help and you and your friends will be left alone." 

A woman who had just appeared from behind the trees along with some other armed men, came close to him but surprisingly enough, didn't hurt him at all. He didn't even care honestly if they'd attack or no, he just felt...

He felt...

Sighing, he looked at Anti, who took one last look at him before finally getting unconscious.

"I thought he'd never go out, these sedatives are very strong. This thing is really surprising, huh?" Some guard said and huffed, fixing the gun's position. "Let's go boys, someone grab the anomaly and hold on tight, we need to act fast." 

Was if funny for Henrik he kinda wanted to say goodbye? In a weird way, it would be strange to not have Anti around anymore. 

....He did the right, he did the right thing, the others would thank him LATER, it was necessary. He had to remind himself, he had to. Or he would regret his decision. And he couldn't do that. He couldn't do that. He couldn't do that.

A man picked up Anti from the ground and threw him on his shoulder, walking away while the group followed.

"Our power is back." 

It was the last thing he heard faintly from the woman's mouth before he just heard whispers and then... Then he was alone.

Chapter Text

When he opened his eyes, he realized he could barely move, but the fact he was awake and thinking (although it was all fuzzy and his mind felt like he had a fog in it) was a good sign, he tried to move but all he moved was some muscles. Not even his members, just... He couldn't move yet. Not yet. It was like his body was made of stone and gravity was pressing down harder against it, he was incapable of moving.

Yet he was up, somehow. His back was against something and his legs were holding him up (although he was being held by whatever place he was in). So there was at least that.

"Welcome back, "Anti"." A male voice was heard, but he couldn't put his head up to look, he was still... Still weak. His head felt like it was made of bricks, and he wanted to move so bad. He just wanted to move freely again damn it!

"Start the procedure, we need power immediately if we want to act against the other anomalies." 

The others.... Where were the others? 

Henrik... Henrik didn't get captured, he didn't get attacked by them in any single way, not even a hair of his head. So why? 

The realization hit him a little too late. But was it really that?

But before he could react properly to what maybe happened, he was being held by iron cuffs while his body was trapped to some metal place around him, it all connected to his body and made him feel claustrophobic, it was all too tight, too much iron around him, it even looked like it was a sort of coffin held up but made of iron and he was in it. A strange place to be, but with all the machines sounds he heard around, he'd guess it had its purpose like everything else.

And then he felt it.

He didn't move much (he was still unable) but merely shook when agony filled his body, he saw stars when he felt a sharp point (a needle?-) enter his back and connect right to his bones, the pain was unbearable, his hands shook and his eyes filled with tears, a scream was being held back in his throat but not even that he let out.

It entered his bones, it connected to his veins, he couldn't explain how he knew that but he just could feel it, he could feel the entire building, or better, the entire energy of the building connected right to him, energy... This all had to do with energy, what- 

He couldn't think properly when whatever they were doing kept moving and sending mini electrical shocks to his back and how it all made him wish he died the moment this "procedure" kept going on.

And it hurt. It hurt so bad, it was torture.

He was still seeing black spots in his vision, all movements he could muster were shaking from the agony he felt, it turned even hot, making him feel like he was meat being squished, because it wasn't stopping, it just kept there. It was there, it was... It was doing something.

"Why is he so docile?" Some scientist commented.

There was ringing in his ears and h took deep breaths because that's all he could do, and it helped minimally. Ok, it barely helped but it was something. He'd take anything now.

"That's what I'm finding weird too, the anomaly isn't this calm whenever he was locked in this thing." Other commented.

He could just listen to them, he didn't want to move, because moving meant it would hurt more, the needle, machine- whatever he was locked in, would just hurt him more and he just-

"Someone said the "magician" anomaly attacked him, put a spell even, but now it should be broken, by what we studied and got confidential information from a trustable partner, the spell was simple to break. It was powerful but in retrospect, it was draw in skin, and merely messing with the sign on his back would break it." The scientist explained calmly, seemingly to be the more important in the room, as he appeared to know more than the others.

"We simply broke it. He should act like himself soon enough." 

He heard footsteps getting closer, but as he couldn't move his arms or body in general due to being locked in that machine and the thing in his back, and the sedatives, he only just "felt" the presence of whoever it was, next to him.

"Welcome back, how did it feel to be human for some days? How does it feel to be betrayed by your own family? Or whatever he was to you." The scientist chuckled.

He couldn't see his face, but he would remember that voice. He would remember it.

It made his blood boil, and whatever was done, started making his nose start bleeding and the droplets fell on the ground. His back also started bleeding unsurprisingly, and he could feel it sliding down... 

It was all too much, he was tired, he felt drained even. So much pain, so tired. 

His vision got blurred and he felt consciousness fade for a second, and that was a good sign, it meant he'd pass out again soon. Good. He was tired, he wanted to sleep. 

"The anomaly is being drained too fast, slow down the machine for a moment. We want him alive, we can't lose him when we just got him back." 

It was all too much. The voices got drowned out, the pain in his bones was too much and every little movement was torture, he was trapped. He wanted to murder each one of them, he was confused, he was...

He was... He felt like he was splitting in two.

He got unconscious again, and he never felt more grateful for it.

"Did anyone see Anti?" Jackie asked as he looked around, when he entered the room. He expected more egos to be in there but surprisingly only Chase was there.

"No, why?" Chase glanced at Jackie with an annoyed expression.

"What? I'm just asking, I had a shirt I don't use anymore and I wanted to give it to him. I barely see him these days, so..." He shrugged. "Henrik is also missing, but Google said he last saw him in near his room. So he must be sleeping." 

"Well... Uhhh... Maybe he's walking around? I don't know really, I was also searching for him later." Chase got up from the couch and placed down the comic book he was reading. 

There was silence for a moment, besides the old radio with some jazz song playing faintly in it.

"Chase, you know-" 

"Do. Not." Chase lifted a hand and looked at him irritated. 

"Chase please, come on. Listen to yourself." Jackie said softly, eyeing him with pity. "If Stacy cut contact, it's for a reason-" 

"And I want to fix it!" Chase said frustrated. "I want to fix it so bad! I want my kids back! Her! My old life! I just... I want to fix it." Chase whispered. And he refused to accept he couldn't fix it, everything was possible if you put mind to it.

"You could start by... Like... Sending a letter maybe. Not straight up going to Stacy, that'll scare her." Jackie walked closer and placed a hand on Chase's arm. "Listen, I get it, I want to help you but don't just... Don't go to her directly, it'll just make you look bad." He was already in a bad light, he couldn't make it worse (and Jackie didn't plan to let the average bro do it while he was around). 

"That's... That's not a bad idea. I guess." Chase sighed willing to at least listen to the hero. "Do you think she'll listen?" 

"I don't know. But listen, baby steps alright? I'm in, I'm gonna help you and Anti. So don't go doing stuff straight away, let's plan first." He smiled, hoping Chase would let him help.

"Why the sudden change of heart, Jackie?" Chase furrowed his brows looking at him, "Everyone was so against it and now you want to help? What's the catch?" 

Jackie stared at him for a moment and he just... He felt his mood change drastically, fists even itching for a fight at the moment, he was so angry his grip on Chase's arm hurt him and he hissed, making the hero release Chase from his grip, and now look at him with a glare.

"I'm tired of seeing this family go to shit, I'm gonna fix whatever the fuck is going on and we'll be FINE, we'll have FUN-" He smiled nervously, some sparks of lightning around him. "And we ALL, even Anti, we all will be just... Safe. And ok." 

Because that's all he wanted. That's all. It's not much to ask. Even Anti, who he despised before and now was in good terms, sort of, even him he wanted to be ok now. He wanted to just hold everyone together and help them, he wanted them to smile again, to not look tired, he wanted Marvin having fun with magic instead of using it so much for their protection, he wanted Henrik saying nonsense and random interesting facts for them at dinner while being proud of it, he wanted JJ to write jokes for him again and they'd judge it together, he wanted Chase being his old self again, when he was happy-

And... And Anti, well, they weren't best friends but they were going somewhere. He still didn't fully trust him, but the fact this version of Anti was doing his best to be liked and being "good", it was just the proof the hero needed for his early plans when he had just been "born", what he had tried before but never succeeded... To befriend Anti, to know him better. 

He was a firm believer of second chances, it was harder said than done, but even with the glitch he was willing to try it out.

He wanted all of them to be ok. He was a hero, and he wanted to keep being one, even if not official or recognized, it didn't matter. He was made to help, and he wanted to help.

But how would he help if everyone kept running away from each other?

"Jackie?" Chase called him quietly. "You ok?" 

"No." Jackie answered just as quiet. "I feel like I'm losing everybody Chasey." 

Chase eyed him with sad eyes, but he could understand it, he knew that feeling too well, he was no stranger to sadness but he never wished it upon his family, his... Brothers? Maybe they were, maybe they weren't, but they were all a family.

He went forward and hugged Jackie, surprising him for a moment.

"It's gonna be ok Jackie, you're not alone and I'll... I'll be more honest with you and... And everyone." He closed his eyes. "I'm tired of being like this." He was so tired of being angry all the time.

"Let's fix this together then." Jackie hugged him back and squeezed him, smiling and feeling some relief. "It's... It's gonna be ok eventually." 

"Yeah..." Chase chuckled. 

There was still hope.

And their moment got interrupted when Henrik entered the room and he looked... Sad. Down, whatever happened, the doctor wasn't looking so good.

"Hey Hen, where were you?" Jackie said friendly  and smiled.

"I was... taking a walk." He mumbled quietly. "And I..." 

He stared at both for a moment but lost his courage, so he looked down and let out a deep breath.

"I need a time alone with my thoughts, I'll talk with you all soon."

He had barely spent time in the room with them, but soon as he had came he left and closed the door softly, making Chase and Jackie eye each other confused.

"Something happened." Chase looked at Jackie, not asking for confirmation or anything but he knew for a fact something happened. 

And his feelings... Didn't tell him it was good.

"Mhm..." Jackie hummed and crossed his arms. "Let him rest for now, he won't say anything if we pressure him." 

But before they could talk again, Jameson entered the room and he had a haunted look in his face, brows knitted together in a frown and he signed-

"Anti got captured."

Chapter Text

Opening his eyes, the world was different. A million thoughts exploded in his mind by seconds. 

Something died, Anti didn't know what or why, but he felt it. Freedom, there was no fog in his mind, there was no headaches whenever he had violent thoughts, he was free, in pain and trapped again by different captors, but this time he was free, there was no mask of kindness, there was no empathy being shoved down his throat, there was... nothing.

He smiled, a sharp grin ever so familiar and then he moved his neck slightly, cracking some bones.

It was good to be back.

But then the pain was still there, the needle was there, the machine coffin thing he was locked in now was closed and all he could see was darkness and some wires with blue liquid inside. It was the only thing iluminating the brief space he was locked in.

He wanted to destroy all of it, he wanted to burst this place in flames and step on the broken bones of the ones who created it, he wanted to feel blood in his hands again.

And this time, it wouldn't feel dirty, it would feel beautiful.

But he was locked, trapped, captured. Foolishly his other self had trusted... the doctor. The doctor.... Henrik... 

"You fucking bastard." He giggled in pain and his grin ever slightly faltered for a mini second, but that was it. 

He would destroy the doctor, he had loved playing with his food, he enjoyed making them run in circles, the looks of despair, the raw power from the fighting of his "rivals" but now... now he wanted them dead.

And he'd make sure they'd be dead-

You promised.

He stopped for a moment, staring at nothing. 

What did he promise? Who did he promise? What had been it? Why did it feel important? 

He tried his hardest to remember everything from the past few days when he was under the spell, but everything felt sort of blocked, like he was looking through someone's else eyes, he knew he did and said everything from what few memories told him, but...But he couldn't remember everything.

Not everything had been bad.

And his grin dropped, a look of annoyance replaced instead on his face. "So what?" He mumbled to himself. 

They don't deserve it. Something said.

The spell was over, he shouldn't be like this, he still hates them, he still wanted to punch each one of them and yell and scream and make them run but- 

But now... Now he just...

He remembered the smiles, the soft spoken words (rare, something said), he tried his hardest, he could remember that, he remembered the frustration he felt for being so kind to them and when they all either ran away or treated him the opposite, and he didn't judge it even now because he could understand why, but... but they tried their hardest too. 

They went against themselves too, when they could've just killed him or tortured him even, but they gave him a chance, they... they tried.

His eyes looked down for a moment, and softened ever so slightly.

But it all made his blood churn. It made him sick to his stomach, it was disgusting. He was not like this, he was not this pathetic, maybe once in a lifetime, a long long long time ago, he had wished for all of this but now? Now he just... 

He was conflicted.That's the basic of it.

Sighing and lowering his head, he merely let his forehead rest against the cold wall of the machine, he was still immobile, trapped, feeling like he was buried under rocks or better, against iron, and he felt... no hope.

They tried to befriend him, sure, but they wouldn't fight for him. They wouldn't help him. He was... he was good as dead.

Frowning, he closed his eyes.

He was being drained of energy, blood, whatever it was, he could feel it and it was a theory sure, nothing confirmed but he was pretty sure that was what was happening. 

They might not even kill him, he could be locked in here for years for all he cared, and... and that sounded horrifying. 

He had to get free.

So he started moving, growling even, furiously moving against the iron he was locked inside, the pain flared where the needle had been connected, it kept flaring up and throbbing, blood fell where it was connected flesh and machine but he didn't care, he was stronger than this.

If he wanted to get out, sacrifices would have to be done, and pain was something to come for sure.

And just outside the machine, one scientist smiled.

"So he's back."

"What JJ?" Jackie blinked, not believing for a second.

"He got captured!" JJ signed again, wide eyes and hands shaking. "I saw it, I followed them, I-" 

"Calm down Jameson." Chase walked to him and placed a hand on his back, staying near his side. "Deep breaths man, start slow." 

So he started.

He explained how he found strange Henrik talking to Anti in a non threatening way, so he followed them because he was curious to what their conversation would lead, and partly because he was scared Anti could do something (he didn't believe he would, but that old fear would never really go away) so he stayed behind them and followed quietly whenever they went, from the manor to the forest, he watched.

And he saw how some men gathered, and he wanted to warn them but if he revealed himself, he could screw their chances of survival too, he could call for help-

And just as he turned his back to walk away to call Jackie or Marvin, he heard it.

Henrik didn't get attacked, Anti got shot with sedatives, and it was horrible to see a beast like Anti so... so weak in seconds because of whatever IRIS used, Anti got defeated so easily he almost didn't believe his eyes.

And Henrik... Henrik just stood there and watched. He didn't do anything.

Jameson surely didn't like Anti enough to start interacting with him (although lately he had been tempted, as he had seen Jackie and Chase interact with the glitch more) but seeing the doctor just do nothing was... 

It was strange.

He could understand Henrik, but in a way it felt so wrong too. Anti was their ally now, they were safe now (or were) because of him, Dark was giving them shelter because of him. 

It felt wrong and also satisfying to see Anti... defeated. Taken.

It felt justified, but it was wrong too. Anti was trying to be different because of the spell, it was sad to see even, but now...

He extended his hand slightly towards Henrik and Anti's direction, but he knew one thing was sure.. he couldn't do anything about it.

So he just watched too, a silent shadow blended in the darkness of the forest and hidden by the trees.

And he watched Henrik walk away, looking haunted, and maybe the doctor felt bad, even if he hated Anti's guts and wished him bad, to see it all happening in front of his eyes and deny help, if felt coward. 

Jameson took a long while to explain everything and his thoughts, but when he was done, it was Chase and Jackie's turn to look conflicted.

"So Henrik... gave Anti up." Chase said slowly. "I never thought I'd say this but.... I feel bad." He placed a hand on his chin and looked to the ground thinking.

"...Henrik was a coward." Jackie said simply, his face was neutral, mouth in a thin line, but his eyes held great fury. "He was the biggest fucking coward I ever seen." 

"...We can't blame Henrik, Jackie." Chase corrected very softly. 

"I don't fucking care, this is my opinion, I don't give a ratass if Anti fucking stabbed me before, or chuckled when made me bleed, or whatever the fuck the million things he did that was down right cruel." Jackie closed his fists, then he shook his head. "I'm here to help, I have the title of HERO, I'm a hero to EVERYONE!" He said loudly and angry.

Jameson and Chase looked at each other worried, then Chase took a step closer but Jackie took one back.

"I know... I know people aren't merciful." He said more quietly, looking tired. "I know Anti deserves it, I know he deserves worse... I still feel angry too, when I remember some things." He looked to his hands, to his arms, and how it had some scars, all marked by Anti himself because of their fights.

"I know it isn't fair to us, but we... we aren't justice, we also can't be just like Anti was, or is, I don't know, all I know I just... At some point some days ago I felt powerful when I beat Anti up and he looked so down, so defeated and I enjoyed when I hurt him." He chuckled. "I enjoyed it. And seconds later I hated it, and I promised myself I'd never be like that. So I will tell you all this... I choose mercy over revenge."

He looked at Chase and Jameson straight in the eyes. 

"I will not take away your right to not forgive, to hate, to want to kill, because that's human, that's our story, our traumas, our pasts will always haunt us, teach us, so I don't blame you and I don't judge." Jackie took a deep breath then released it, "But I choose to be different." 

"...That's deep." Chase mumbled.

It made Jackie smile and Jameson too, Chase always had a way to make the situation a little less tense than it was.

"Yeah, and I'll prevent myself from making some jokes that you wouldn't want to hear." Jackie winked to him playfully before going back to serious. "JJ, call Henrik, there's no time for him to rest, I want explanations and I want it now." 

Jameson nodded and left the room in a hurry, leaving only Chase and Jackie in the room.

"Call Marvin, I need his opinion too in the matter." The hero said serious, and Chase nodded as well and left without any questions, because a serious Jackie meant the situation was just bad.

So the hero sat down on the couch nearby and looked to the ground.

"I'm not giving up on you." The hero mumbled. "I'm gonna help you, Anti." 

But the glitch couldn't hear and even after he was panting from exhaustion on just trying to get free using raw force (his powers didn't work), he'd admit he felt thankful the machine was holding him because his legs weren't holding his weight. 

He was furious, his spasms were suppressed from chest down and he couldn't even move properly to crack his bones and glitch like he usually did, so the "itchy" feeling persisted and he hated it, he wanted to gut something open to unravel all this.

But he couldn't, the most powerful ego was now the weakest, and he grinned with the irony of it.

Perhaps dying wasn't such a bad thought after all, but he still had a lot to give, this would only be.... the last option.

Chapter Text

When Henrik heard the knocks on his door, he knew what was about to come. There was just no way the people he lived with, for years, wouldn't know something was up.

He had hoped, prayed even that they'd let him go and let him just isolate once again but JJ was being persistent in him coming to talk, so he gave up and prepared all ideas and answers for the incoming argument with all others.

And when he entered the room, Chase was on the couch looking anxious, Marvin was sitting in a chair with his legs crossed and with a frown in his face, and last but not less important, Jackie was up and staring right at him with serious eyes.

Jackie always smiled, he always joked around, he always tried his hardest to make them not sad and to feel better, but now... He was just a ghost of his shadow self. For now, maybe. He hoped.

"I know you all know." He said straight to business, because while he didn't know how they knew, they just did, he knew that for sure.

"Good, then explain what the actual fuck you did?" Jackie inquired first, and of course he did, he was Anti's most faithful ally for now (or maybe the most brainwashed).

"I did what had to be done." He lowered his head a bit, looking to the ground. 

"...And what's that? Why?" Marvin chuckled, looking curious. 

"I didn't think the spell would last and even if it did, when it was over, he'd just go back to how he is." Henrik passed a hand on his hair then chose to sat down on a nearby chair, starting to be a bit nervous. "He'll be back, I'm sure, and he'll come for us for how we treated him-" 

"Us? Or you?" Jackie shot back, eyes softly glowing blue. "I don't remember being an ass after the first few days, I remember trying my hardest. Nobody went overboard after everything we went through, we were all... In a peaceful situation." 

"Peaceful? Nobody can stand being in the same room as each other, we are all divided." Henrik laughed at it. "We can't even fucking talk anymore."

"That's because you, Mr. idiot, made things tense in first place!" Jackie pointed a finger at him.

"Wow, you just decided to become his bitch now, didn't you Jackie?" Henrik glared at him. "He fucking chase us for years, stabbed, robbed, gave nightmares, hallucinations, I can go all day talking off everything he did and I STILL wouldn't be able to FUCKING understand WHY you're like this!?" 

"BECAUSE, I want to be better than the hate we all hold! Hell, I still hate him a bit! I'm just trying my best to be free from it! What's so wrong with that?! It's my fucking life, but you don't see to know that." Jackie crossed his arms.

"It just doesn't make sense Jackie, you were his biggest hater, now the biggest supporter, I-I just-" He placed a hand on his mouth then sighed.

"...Hen, It all started when you made that bad stitch, remember?" Jackie took a deep breath. "I understand you don't like Anti, nobody really does and those who do, don't know he's real, and I'm trying to just help him because... I feel like he's lost." He chuckled.

"Lost? Anti? I doubt it Jackie." Chase finally said. "How would he be lost?" 

"Think about it, the only contact you have for years is the person that created you, never knowledged you, made you a villain, all you know is how to be one, all you know you're supposed to be violent and you're bad and evil, and that's what you are and boom, there's no way you're human, you're pathetic if you go against your "true" nature, blablabla, it's just..... He was never taught to be human. But WE could try that! We never needed a spell for him to be empathic, we just needed to try a bit harder to make listen to us!" Jackie moved his hands as he spoke, and every ego heard all of it.

"That's the part I disagree with you Jackie, we needed this spell because it's just... He'd never listen to us!" Marvin laughed. "Never, you know that. He'd laugh at us, and the thought would never enter his thick skull. It's like you said... he was taught to be something, and then that's all he knows. He wouldn't change." 

Jackie was silent for a moment, but then unexpectedly it was Chase who talked again.

"But we could try. We neve tried that. It could be one final plan for all of us like... imagine we had an ally like Anti on our side? It'd be... very nice." He looked to the ground. "It's just... Maybe we could try what Jackie said." 

"Why you out of all of us, Chase, is saying that?" Henrik shot back. "You, who he went after the most?" 

"Because... well..." he sighed. "I don't want him as my friend, but I'll be real honest here, what if what scared me protected me instead? What if the beast we all fear is exactly what we needed to not feel so... Weak, anymore? It's not that we're weak, but everyone we know, knows our weaknesses but Anti is just damn good as protection. I don't feel bad for saying we should USE him, not befriend him. Maybe... just a mask of friendship, I can fake that pretty well." Chase shrugged. That's what he had been doing for days.

"Chase." Jackie stared at him. "Really? No you know what, you do you. You all do yourselves, we are getting off point here. I'm seeing the whys don't matter, but now what I want to say is..." 

Jackie fixed his posture and smiled.

"I'm going to save Anti!" He announced loud and clear.

"What-" Chase mumbled surprised, eyes wide.

"No, you're not." Marvin crossed his arms.

"You're ABSOLUTELY not!" Henrik got up again, frowning at Jackie.

"Who says I fucking asked permission? I'm doing it and it's over." Jackie snorted, staring at all of them. 

"And I'll not help!" Marvin got up too, "This is too much, too much Jackie, we get you have a good heart and all that jazz but you're being insane-" 

"Don't care, didn't ask." The hero crossed his arms.

"JaCKIE!" Marvin shook his head, frustrated at the hero and everything around them. "Listen to yourself! Are you really going to save the guy that stabbed you in the back? Broke your bones? Chased each one of us?" 

"Yeah, I will." Jackie closed his eyes and looked in the other direction. "Past is in the past, we can't change what we did, bur we can try to be ... better!" He opened his arms to make a emphasis. "Anti has at least a right to try!" 

"...No Jackie, this is too much. Your heroism is getting into your head." Marvin said and walked closer to him. "And you think you'll just burst in alone? You'll break everything and free Anti all on your own?" Marvin laughed, a bit mocking. "One can dream, but you're terrible at plans and strategies." 

"One always has room for improvement, including myself!!! If you don't believe in me, I do!" He grinned. "And I won't be alone! Because... Dark and Wilford will help!" 

"...I need to sleep. No, I need to drink." Henrik sat down on the chair again, heavily leaning against it. "We have officially lost it." That's what he had tried to avoid but... it was unavoidable, he could see it now.

"Same." Chase said quietly.

JJ knocked on the wall and called their attention.

"I'll help you Jackie." Jameson signed. 

"WHAT?" Marvin yelled. "Jameson?!" 

".....I want to stop being afraid." Jameson signed shamefully, looking down to the ground at what he'd admit. "I agree with what Chase said, I'd rather have what I hate protecting me because I know his potential, than to have it against me and out there where I can't see. At least with this plan, I can... pretend to be his friend too." He sighed. 

"...See? It's better than nothing. We can all just pretend." Chase said again.

"Over my dead body, I'll be honest to myself and everyone, why would I pretend? I don't like him, I wouldn't be able to hide it." Marvin made a disgusted face. "Guys... I think we need a voting here." 

"No, we dont. Because I know Jackie will win with Chase and JJ, we are alone in this Marvin." Henrik took a deep breath. "We will just prepare the backup plans again." He looked tiredly to the magician.

Marvin and Henrik eyed each other and then Jackie looked at each one of them, his pride of winning this debate was worn out shortly after their looks and... everyone was still so damn sad and tired, they just... they looked terrible.

"I didn't mean to separate us." He said quite loud, so all of them would pay attention.

And they did, Marvin looked at him softly.

"Separate? No bud, we are... all just arguing, sharing our opinions and options on the same subject, that's human nature it'll always be chaotic on that matter." He walked to Jackie and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Marv, please... you know I'd rather ask you for help than Dark and Wilford, so please... help me out? I know you rested plenty, you still need rest but... think about it, if we win this hypothetical "battle" against Anti and convince him to be our ally, we'd have no more active enemies against us. Because the worse one would be on our side." 

"I know Jackie, I know." Marvin shook his head, "You know what? Fine. Let's play pretend and go help Anti out." He took a deep breath.

"Yeah!! That's the spirit!" Jackie patted his back a bit strongly but didn't seem to notice it.

"But." Marvin started again. "I warn you of this, this will be the last time I do something to "help" Anti. What I did was to change his view and we know the spell is broken, it must be I'm pretty sure, but we don't know what results the spell got. We don't know if Anti remembers or if he learned something, but even if he didn't... and we STILL will try to help him change, now without magic... this will be the last time I'll be doing something like this." 

"Deal." Jackie half smiled. "Understood." 

And Henrik just watched, because he felt like the most useless in the room right now. 

They were all fine, no physical wounds to treated, but now it was him who needed rest. It was him who...

....who... 

"Hen?" Someone called softly.

He reached his breaking point, that's for sure. 

"Hen... I won't ask for your help, just rest ok? Rest for us and... we need our doctor back." Jackie said softly. "....I'm sorry I was rude before, it's just.... everything -" 

"I know." Henrik said very quietly, still staring at some point in the ground. "I'll never win against all of you." 

"There's no battle here, we just need a reaching point for all of us, now we just need... You." Marvin added quiet, too. 

"You don't need to help or participate or anything, you can just stay here Hen." Chase tried to comfort the tired doctor.

He laughed.

"What makes you all think Anti will let me go so easily?" He chuckled darkly. "Yeah I traded him off for our protection, and now Jackie will go after him and so will everyone else." He said out loud. 

"Who do you guys really think he'll go for? He'll destroy IRIS. I know it." Henrik got up, "I don't... really like what I did, believe me, but I did for us, for all of us!" He looked at them and internally he just begged they could understand. They could see with his eyes, much he loved them he'd put himself in even more danger to make them safe.

"We know, Hen." Chase said again softly, Jameson by his side and eyeing them all with patient eyes.

"Then...I... I'll just..." He tried to think of what he could do. 

"...What would make Anti not kill you?" Marvin placed a hand on his chin and started thinking.

Jameson slapped Marvin's arm and glared at him.

"What? I'm being honest, Anti will be pissed at him, so now we need to think of a way how that thing will let that go." Marvin kept on thinking.

"There's nothing much to do but you guys know he'll probably be in a bad shape, right?" Chase crossed his arms, holding himself quietly and trying his hardest to help. But thankfully he had an idea, which wasn't so far from what the others were thinking (but never said).

"So you're suggesting-" Jackie started but got interrupted.

"Henrik can redeem himself... by saving Anti. Patching him up good, if you're sorry like you say, then you can... apologize!" Chase opened his arms and smiled a bit.

"What?" Henrik looked at him flaggerbasted.

"Think about it. It'll make you get good points on his side." Chase winked at him.

"...We really got to the point we're like this, just for ANTI out of all beings to be so sought for." Marvin rolled his eyes. "I know he was sort of... nice, when he had the spell, but this is all just so.... urgh." He threw his head back.

"Well, I agree but if we get our most active enemy out of our tail for good, we'll have peace finally. Even Jack, everyone will." Jackie added cheerfully. "It's all so crazy right?" 

"Guys I think if we keep talking about this, I'm gonna... I don't know, throw up or pass out, because it's just... ok, let's rest ok, I don't want to talk about this anymore." Henrik sighed and sat on the chair again.

"....How about we all watch a movie and eat something?" Jackie suggested with a small smile. "You can choose, Hen." 

That made the doctor look up and softly look at the hero, smiling a bit. 

"That'd be very nice, Jackie." He said quietly happy. 

"Then let's take a shower and choose something to eat, while Hen will choose a movie for all of us. It's movie day boys!" He said cheerfully.

He didn't really like the persistent thought that just screamed how Anti could be tortured at this exact moment and he'd have fun but... He also knew the others, specially Henrik, needed a break desperately, they needed each other, and he wanted them to remind themselves they'd always have each other's back. 

So what better way than getting them together and seeing some random movie? They still were a family after all, they needed some bonding time. 

He missed them, even though they were all this time by his side, he missed their smiles, and the hope they usually held.

That's why he promised himself that as a hero, he'd bring those smiles back no matter what. He'd save their days too.

For now... he left the room with all his family and tried to forget what was about to come, and what they'd have to deal with...... Later.

Chapter Text

He didn't know when he blacked out, he was grateful when he did and that's all he remembered, but now...

Now opening his eyes, Anti stared at a wall. 

He was in a room, not the trap machine thing, he was actually... Actually free. 

He slowly sat up, looking around a bit lost and realizing he was in pain everywhere, as well those static feeling when your blood flow stops for a moment then comes back again, it was an irritating feeling like ants walking under his skin, and when he tried to move his legs, they didn't work, making him momentarily panic.

There was no use screaming or asking for help as he had no allies nearby, he was just.... Alone, miserable and with a tad bit of freedom- No.

No, no.

Looking around the walls of the room, plain white walls, white floor, and a single door without window, he realized he was still trapped, his cage just had gotten bigger.

That made him irritated, furious even, making him close his fists and get up with shaky legs, almost falling over and ignoring the pain all around his body. He cracked his bones and glitched as much as he could, even if the brute movements sort of hurt.

He wouldn't go screaming profanities at them as he didn't want to call attention on himself, it was best to analyze and wait for a strategy for now, any impulsive actions could cause him even more suffering and at the moment all he wanted was just to feel ok, not to get free or anything, just to be ok. Small steps.

He didn't stay up too long as he felt incredibly tired, world spinning for a brief moment so he decided that to sit on the ground again on a corner of the room.

His fury was dying down to something more tamed.

Shame.

For being caught off guard.

He could still remember the pain of when the spell hit him. Of when he got caught by IRIS. Shame for trusting... The doctor. Yes, Schneep. He would pay for this.

Fear.

Because he didn't know what else would happen to him. But he wouldn't pay attention to this feeling, fear made him have great defense but it was a great down play to his confidence at the moment.

Anger.

Because he was better than this, more powerful than they all could ever be, yet he still got defeated, they still managed to get a hold of him... And for that, he lowered his head in defeat.

And.... Sadness.

Because he tried, he had tried so hard to be like them- 

He should stop thinking about this.

He wasn't like this, he'd never be like them, he wasn't human, he wasn't empathetic or whatever, he had been born and created to be a pawn on Jack's hand as much as he was in his hands, it was all a game of power.

And he'd always have the upper hand in the end. He always made sure of it.

And that thought made him grin.

But his moment thinking got interrupted when someone entered the room.

"Hello subject, we have let you rest for now as all our power are successfully back to safe levels of usage, I'm here to interrogate you." The man said coldly, voice recorder in hands.

He said nothing and just stared.

"Are you hungry?"

"Are you hungry? Can you even eat?" The magician asked.

He didn't know why he remembered that.

"No." He said shortly. 

"Are you thirsty?" 

"Do you wanna drink dude? I know you might not drink much, but I have some good stuff." Chase said with a small smile. 

Pathetic, weak, Brody was as fake as Jack's affection for any of them.

"No." He answered a bit more irritated, giving a dark stare at the scientist.

"Do you have any memories of your attack and manipulation by the other anomalies?" 

That made him pause. Manipulation? Yeah, that was a good word to summarize how his days infected with that spell went. 

But anomalies? 

"Anomalies?" He repeated amused. That sounded fitting. 

"You and those other.... "Egos" as they are called by other people, aren't from this world. You shouldn't be here, shouldn't exist. You're not normal or human, so you're an anomaly." The scientist explained rather quickly, in a serious tone.

"What did you do to me? To my back?" He asked then, because if he was being interrogated, he'd try to use the same card as well.

"That's confidential." The scientist's eye twitched for a split second and that's how Anti knew even though he wasn't doing much, he was getting on this guy's nerves.

"Then how about I give you information about the anomalies and you explain what happens, hm? Deal?" He got up slowly and used the wall as support, still smiling.

There was a pause, and he saw a glimpse of hope or perhaps interest in what he had said, so the scientist placed a finger on the device in his ear (he didn't notice until now) and said something quietly, probably receiving an answer back.

"Confidential. But feel free to share whatever information you have that might be of value." 

"That's not how a deal works..." He giggled, wiping briefly the blood going down his neck.

"Why does your neck bleed permanently?" 

"Because I want to." He smiled.

He never had stopped to think about it until he noticed the patterns some years back, and then it all made sense and he hasn't been bothered since by it. 

"...You can't die of blood loss, you don't need to eat or drink, and we are supposing and that doesn't matter much either, neither other humans activities are needed by your body, am I right?"

The more Anti stared, more the scientist didn't meet his eyes.

"Correct." He said quietly, still smiling. 

"I'm here to ask... Do you need anything to help you in our facility? We are not heartless with our subjects and you happen to be.... A very useful one, even with your unwilling cooperation." He fixed his posture.

"Give me my freedom back." He said simply, stopping smiling. 

"That's the only thing we can't give." 

"Then what's the fucking point?" He snarled and walked closer.

"Don't come closer or you'll be shot with sedatives once again, and this time we aren't going to be as merciful as we were before with your stay." 

That made him pause, but an amused smile made way to his face.

"Then let's play a game, called... Truth or dare." He walked one step closer.

"I said, to not come any closer." The scientist said loudly with a firm tone.

"Truth... Or dare?" Anti asked quietly, voice filled with static and electricity, filling his veins with an energy oh so familiar he had missed.

Now just one thing was missing.

A crack of his bones was heard when he snapped his back in a split second then went back to his original position.

"...Truth." The scientist gulped silently and decided to play along. "We have a whole unity watching our interaction and we're ready for any action-" 

"Have you ever killed a man, doctor?" 

"Never." He said quickly. "And I don't plan to. I don't want to, so don't make us do it."

"Who said you can kill me?" He laughed, leaning his head to the side briefly. 

"We have the means to do it and weapons you have never seem before." The scientist threatened once again.

"My, my, how SCARY!" He double back laughing and the once quiet room got filled with his broken laughter. "Now your turn doctor, choose for me, truth or dare." 

"....Tell me a truth." The scientist kept his eyes on him.

"You're not getting out of this room." He grinned widely.

And before proper action could be taken, he launched himself forward and attacked.

"Ah so you betrayed Anti." Dark said as a matter of fact, chuckling softly. "I was wondering how long it'd take."

"That doesn't matter!" Jackie said frustrated. "Everyone will help somehow, and as... Uh... Anti's friend!! We need your help too." Said Jackie, planing both his fists on his hips as he tried to look as confident as possible with the monochromatic ego.

"Friend? Hm..." He hummed and placed a hand on his chin. "And before I accept or refuse, what would be my role?" 

"You'd help me enter IRIS's facility, laboratory wherever that is, and rescue Anti back to us." 

"And you know that certainly by now, Anti might be free from the spell and back to his true nature, yes?" 

"Yeah, but-" 

"And the first thing he'll do, will be go to the doctor's neck." Dark said calmly, almost bored. "Don't get me wrong, I will help you, I'm bored and Anti owns me too much favors and to own a bit more will be good for me, but you do know he'll go after you all again, right?" He wanted to know just... Why they wanted Anti back so bad.

"We don't know that! The spell might have worked and he'll be just like us! I can fix him-" 

"Oh don't say that, we all know how it ends to those who say that." Dark chuckled again, deep and echoing. 

"I need to TRY!" Jackie yelled frustrated once again, eyes sparkling blue, "What's wrong with you?! Don't you have a soul? A heart?! I know Anti is fucked in the head but that's because he was alone from the beginning, if we teach him now and accompany him, he might change!" 

"...That's a very low chance. Very low." Dark muttered quietly, glitches briefly more blue than red. 

"It's not like you care anyway, don't bother, just help me and I'LL own you one!" 

"Now that's interesting." Dark smiled. "I accept, don't worry, I was bored anyway of just staying here waiting for one of my old friends to attack, going to action will be good to take a stretch." He moved his neck a bit.

"Whatever. Just follow my plan and we might have a chance to get Anti back." 

"Good luck with your delusions, hero." Dark laughed.

Jackie left the void by going to the door and back to the normal world.

"You'll need it..." Dark said quietly to no one in general, in the void. "This seems like a good opportunity for Will to have some fun too." He huffed amused.

This was all so unexpected and honestly it could go more wrong than right, but as long as he wasn't affected, it didn't matter. He wanted to see how far the hero's hope could go, and how far would Anti's patience take him.

It all sounded too interesting to just let go.

Chapter Text

It was chaos.

They had planned a quiet in and out from the facility, after Dark had interrogated one soldier who was close to the manor to spy on them, with a bit of Dark's powers and Marvin's magic, they got most secrets out.

He had to give it to IRIS, their soldiers were loyal to death, he didn't know what training they did but the man resisted so much stuff that Jackie was nervous he wouldn't survive (he wouldn't let him die, of course not!), and that's why Marvin had to interfere with Dark's more rough "interrogation".

He had briefly apologized to the soldier but he knew little that would fix what they did.

He was doing his best to fix his wrongs with Anti and take their best shots so they'd have one more enemy out of their way.

Sometimes he'd have doubts, but then he would shake his head and stop thinking about that before it could convince him to give up, shoving it on the depths of his mind until it bothered him again but later. 

He was too deep in with this, he had (somehow, he was surprised with himself too) managed to get everyone to cooperate, even Schneep, who was still awfully quiet.

He had so much to fix, so much to mend back together, he didn't know where to start, how to start but... All he knew was that all their efforts into making Anti sympathetic or more human, he would refuse for all of it be in vain. There's just no way. 

But in the end, if they couldn't... If HE couldn't get the ending he was hoping for...

He looked to his hands and closed his eyes softly, feeling tired already.

He promised the others he'd end this all with his own hands, and he would fulfill his promise.

After killing that scientist some days ago, Anti had gone to hell and back with this little circus called IRIS.

More scientists came to interrogate him for stupid questions but he just laughed as they kept being behind the iron door, and when they didn't, it was him who would be locked again and they'd take his blood for tests (or something else) and that was that. Nothing new.

He was still in pain from the beating from last time but it wasn't like they were Jackie, they didn't have any real powers to make any real lasting damage to him, sure they used some new weapons to try and get some information out of him, weapons he never seen before and all powered up by some bright green liquid.

In the end, they learned the lesson he wanted to taught, keep away and they'd avoid trouble.

It worked for most part, now he was just "behaving" and trying to find any weak spots as the week passed.

But surprisingly they were very good at this hostage situation. No wonder, he was impressed he'd admit. But they were nothing compared to him, he could rip them to shreds if he wanted, but for now he was just analyzing and watching, like he always did.

And one fateful day, there was a earthquake, shake on the walls that alarmed all workers in the building, and Anti looked curiously to the roof.

Whatever was happening, it was big and seemed troublesome enough for them to worry about, so he smiled and watched as they dissipated like desperate cockroaches.

He was left with a few scientists, who looked at him with fear masked by cold eyes, and he just kept on smiling back at them. If they decided to end him right now, he wasn't scared of that, he'd always come back. 

It would take a LOT more to kill him than just some weapons. Oh no, it was a lot more complicated than that. Perks of not being born in a normal way, he guessed.

As he was looking distractedly at the tubes on the wall filled with those green liquid that powered up all the building, he felt electricity on his entire body and grunted briefly from pain.

One man was glaring at him but then smirked at his reaction.

"Surprised?" He pressed the button one more time, smirking when Anti convulsed with the shocks going through his body, a bit more longer than the first time.

"Play all you want now." He giggled, low and broken like a record, "When I'm free, there'll be nothing to protect you from me." 

He was electrocuted again, but this time he laughed along.

Pain meant he was alive, and even though it had been some days since the spell had been broken, he never felt more alive ever since it. He was caged in body but he was himself, and that was the most freedom he could get for now.

And that itself was a great motive to laugh of joy.

It took a while, but eventually most scientists evacuated (thank God he had convinced Dark and fucking Wilford to ignore them) and that only left Jackie and his group to fight soldiers, who kept firing against them but it was all futile, even with the new weapons. They underestimated greatly Marvin's magic and their plans, and of course Wilford and Dark were having fun with all of this somehow.

It was sick, but it'd be a one time thing, he'd never ask for Dark's help again.

After all of them spreading in duos to search for rooms, they had searched the entire first floor but nothing, so Jameson had suggested they wouldn't be dumb enough to let Anti so close to the surface where he could escape easily. They would place him deep inside the facility, where it was actually secure, a place maybe they didn't even reach properly yet.

They would need to go deeper, so they did, and more soldiers appeared.

It completed two hours and they were still searching.

"Jackie we don't got more fucking time, they can arrive here with a whole ass army!" Marvin pressured, all others behind him, alert and looking around for any soldiers or traps.

"I KNOW!" Jackie yelled suddenly, making all their attention to him. "Sorry, I know. We just need to interrogate someone else or do something uh... Other than search all floors." 

"How about we find an elevator first? Then we go to the lowest level possible and search from there." 

Their high bets were that Anti was either on the lowest floor or somewhere in between them (obviously), they just... Didn't know where.

"We can't risk our lives any further." Schneep added softly. 

He was still the same quiet man from that day he traded Anti off for their "freedom", it was like his fighting urge died now he was just... Tired. For a lack of better word.

"I know, Hen." The hero mumbled tired too. "You all can go if you want. I'll find a way out with him." 

"And you think he'll just accept you as ally like that?" Dark snorted.

"Oh yeah! Anti boy won't be so easy-" Wilford started to talk but Chase interrupted him.

"And you think you'll just go alone?! Nah uh mister, we are a package deal. We need to stick together for this one, it's dangerous." Chase gave him a determined smile.

Jackie smiled to them, grateful for their patience, "We'll stick around a bit more, if we don't find him in one hour from now, Marvin or Dark, or even you Will, one of you three needs to prepare a portal and a meeting point." 

As they walked, they finally saw the damned elevator from the distance, making Wilford point at it.

"We can meet on the elevator, it's easy to find!" Wilford added energetic as ever. Nothing seemingly to let his mood down.

It had been indeed easy to find it as they followed some signs, so Jackie agreed to that.

They separated in duos again, but this time Jackie let the others stay close to each other while he ventured off.

This was the lowest floor, Anti HAD to be here, he had only one more hour to find him, if he didn't... This was all for nothing and he'd have to- he'd didn't want... 

"That won't happen." 

"I promise." 

He knows the Anti he'll find will be the one he grew up with, but the one that had been created by the spell made him... Weirdly enough miss him.

It was still Anti, he didn't die, he just needed to keep digging, he needed to keep going because he's a hero to everyone. Even to villains. 

So instead of keep thinking, he started running and checking all rooms in speed time.

And finally, after twenty minutes searching all alone and ignoring the calls the others had been giving him, he finally saw it.

The familiar dark green hair, hair down as he lazily seemed to be out. 

Abandoned, trapped, inside a machine that was partially open and it scared Jackie to think if that machine had been closed, he wouldn't have found Anti. He wouldn't have imagined there would be something inside that thing.

Ignoring the bad thoughts, he walked closer to the machine.

"Anti?" He got closer to the glitch and took cautious steps towards him.

No answer.

So he took some courage and without any second thoughts, shook the glitch by shaking his shoulders and poking him.

It was funny the small contact with Anti made the hairs of his arm stand up, like touching a television's screen.

Finally after what seemed forever but it was some seconds, Anti lifted his head and stared at him.

Neck bleeding, blood also dirtied his face from where it slid down his nose, apparently have taken a punch. 

"You?" Anti looked at him annoyed already. "Coming to finish the job?" He grinned, grin still sharp as it ever been, like he never left.

He never really did if he stopped to think about it.

"No, dumbass. I came to save you!" He smiled a bit. "Yeah big guy, we actually came for you!" He started to use his powers and used his strength to weaken the machine's hold on Anti.

He grunted in pain and seemed to look at him irritated.

"Is something-" 

"Keep going, don't waste my time." He gave the hero a dirty look as if he had made that on purpose but Jackie ignored it. He knew the glitch would be in a sour mood for a long time after all of this.

He finally used more force than necessary and gave a harsh pull to one of the doors, then finally broke off the iron traps that made anti trapped to the machine.

It was just weird how there was one slim tube that seemed to be connected to his back.

"Is this safe to get out?" He squinted his eyes at it but before he could say anything else...

Anti grabbed the tube thing and also gave a harsh pull, hissing from pain when what seemed to be a bloodied small but thick needle fall to the ground, still connected to the tube. 

He was officially free.

Jackie would've made a comment if he didn't take one look at Anti and seemed how he was staring at him emotionless.

His instincts screamed at him to run, that he was alone, that Anti would attack.

But the attack never came.

"You really came, huh?" Anti lifted one brow at him, somehow looking impressed but also disinterested. "Shows how stupid you are." 

"What can I say? I missed the Marco to my Polo." He joked lightly. Like it or not, Anti was his main rival for years and years, one absurd part of him dared to point out how bored he'd be if Anti also just vanished.

Yeah, he was dumb, there was no more excuses. Maybe he officially lost it, these past few weeks were the most action he ever had in his short life. Surely took a toll on his mind-

"What does that even mean?" Anti rolled his eyes. "Whatever, show the exit." 

"Yeah, yeah, follow me." Jackie started walking quickly to the door but saw how slow Anti seemed to be. "You ok?" 

"Never been better." He commented sarcastically, full of venom. 

"...Do you need help?" He offered a hand.

Anti stared at his hand like it made of the most ugly thing he ever saw by the grimace he made.

"No." 

He shoved him aside and walked past him.

"Right corridor." He said as a matter of fact, starting to walk and limping instead, making Jackie notice his back still had blood in it and he also seemed pretty worn out. Tired even.

"How do you know?" He asked curious and ran a bit, staying by his side. 

"I watched." Anti smiles.

He smiles back, but it's not so cheerful as Anti's sick nature. 

...He hoped he could do what he was hoping for. To cure the uncurable, to change what never was changed before. Well... At least he wasn't attacked and all he got was harsh responses, that was a good sign at least.

Chapter Text

In the last second, he had gripped Anti's wrist and shoved him to the portal, while he also barely passed. Shots being fired behind them but ending when they passed.

It was a miracle when he had seen Marvin and the others protecting themselves against heavier weapons from the soldiers, there was more than before and they wouldn't win all of them, even with powers, everyone seemed tired (even Wilford).

But as he had found last second the portal and Marvin gave one last wave of magic to keep it open for some extra seconds, it all paid off when everyone came back safely, in one piece and some sitting on the ground from being exhausted.

"Where's -" Chase started saying but he saw Jackie tiredly holding Anti's arm now.

They both were panting, Anti was bleeding and looking like he went through hell and back, Jackie looked so tired Chase felt bad for him, but he also had that proud smile on his face when he won a hard fight and he chuckled a bit.

"We did it!" The hero said happily.

Anti scratched his hand away from his arm and glared at him.

"Everyone gathered up to finish it all up, huh?" He grinned, still bleeding and grin wide and sharp as it always had been. "Even you Dark and...Wilford." His smile faded a bit but that's because he knew they were tough to fight, unlike the other egos.

"Anti boy!!! No, no, a deal was made and me and Da- AHEM, Dark! Went to help save you." He laughed. "I didn't even know you were trapped! How did you get trapped anyway? That's stupid." He snorted and Marvin bit his lip to not laugh a bit at that comment too. For the magician it was refreshing to see someone else treating Anti as if he was no big deal.

"I'll deal with you and Dark later then." He gave one long stare at Dark before he looked at the others.

Who were staring right back at him.

For a moment there was silence.

The atmosphere got tense, they all looked alarmed and Jackie was still staring at the scratch he had made because he held his arm. He looked a bit disappointed, but seemed not surprised too.

"What do you want?" He asked irritated to no one in general. "What's the motive of this?" He looked at them annoyed.

"We'll help you out." Chase shyly mumbled, not used to talk with the glitch much. At least, not the original glitch.

"Aw, out of the goodness of your heart?" He let out a loud laugh, that cut in and one and was more like a broken record scratching mixed with a voice. "Oh I know you all better than this, what's the catch? Do you need help now with someone else? Plan to use the spell again, hm?" He eyed the magician for a moment, before his gaze went dark.

"We are trying... To..." Marvin tried to explain what their plan was without showing him what it actually was, when Jackie interfered.

"I convinced everyone to help me save you." 

That comment itself made Anti feel like he was going to vomit. How did he get so weak to the point he needed someone to get saved? How did he came to these situations? There was never a time he actually listened to them, what... What happened to him? Was he still in the spell? No, that couldn't be it, he knew it broke because he felt it and he was pretty normal.

He should just kill them in a moment and be done with it. That's it.

But before he could do a fast attack, the hero fell and Anti instinctively caught him.

That surprised everyone, but the one more surprised was Anti himself.

He made the hero stand up and then he analyzed him better and there it was, a shot. The idiot got shot. He looked embarrassed but mostly in pain with the situation."Sorry.... There was a guy behind us-" He coughed and seemed to try to close on himself, eyes full of pain. "Anti...-" 

"Where's the doctor?" He finally said, voice cold.

"I'm here, Anti."

They stared at each other and Henrik looked a mix of scared, annoyed and sad, it was a weird look but that's all Anti could get from him, as much as he hated it, he knew those eyes well, after having watched all of them for years. 

The doctor walked until he was close to Anti and got Jackie from him, using his body to help Jackie not fall again.

The hero seemed very out of it, and Anti felt conflicted. Jackie, for some reason, was obsessed to help him and that itself weird Anti out to no end, but he seemed to be his biggest ally in this group as well, he always made clear his intentions were genuine and.... Anti was curious to see where this all would go.

He had been so bored lately, that all the chasing around, kidnapping them, attacking were all becoming bland, nothing new, but... The thought of trying out whatever they were doing, seemed to be fun, it was new after all! He also could get new information from this, maybe if he played along... He wanted to see where this would go.

So he took the decision of playing along.

He eventually sat down on one of the couches and grunted, his back where that stupid needle tube thing stayed was still bleeding and hurting but he took satisfaction at seeing Dark's face close when he knew he'd dirty his very expensive couch.

"So uh... What do we do?" Chase asked no one in general. 

"Go to the sleep or whatever." Anti grumbled, so tired he felt like sleep for him would do some good too, even if he didn't need it technically. But it still made the time pass faster and his body relax.

So he got up and went to his room, and nobody said anything. Good because he didn't want their approval for anything else, he was tired of that.

"We did it... Yay?" Jameson signed to Marvin and the magician smiled a bit.

"I guess, better than nothing." He shrugged. "I'll let him be for now, but I'll help him when he's out again, gonna try to heal him." He sighed. He knew he should rest again after using so much magic that it potentially could've made him have an magic outburst again, but now everything was seemingly falling into place and nothing he imagined would happen (like Anti attacking), did actually happen, much to his surprise.

There wasn't much to do he guessed.

And then, he closed his eyes and... Waited and waited and waited... Sleep usually was easy for him, as he had practiced sometimes, but this time in particular was quite hard, unfortunately.

So he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

He was sore all around, he was still tense with everything and felt like he was behind enemies's lines even with... With them going to rescuing him.

And for what? What was their purpose for it? What was the purpose of going to rescue someone you hate or made you feel bad? Was it pity? Ha, he doubted it, he knew they loved his pain, so was it sympathy? Hardly, but what else could he think of?

...Was it mercy? 

That made him furrow his brows and keep thinking. Mercy? Out of all things he could think of, was mercy something they were willing to bet on? That by being merciful to him, friendly, they end up on good terms?

They weren't quite wrong on that, for a very brief moment he really had thought they were allies, it was momentary, but it was.... A strange thought.

They weren't suppose to be behaving like this. HE wasn't suppose to be even thinking about- about leaving them be. All this ordeal left him exhausted, he wanted nothing more than to crawl in one of his hiding spots and make himself hibernate in some computer for years, that is, if he could actually do that. 

This was all out of control, yet at the same time, they were very right to act how they wanted. The hero was being a hero, the doctor was taking care of the others as intended in his title and purpose, the magician was doing magic, the average "bro" was being... Average, for a lack of terms and that only left Jameson, the mute but the entertainer of the group, to be sort of going around and helping them.

Again, too, in his role because he was entertaining them, distracting them enough to not go crazy with everything going on, they were doing exactly  what their titles said, it was bizarre even, and Anti wasn't one to get surprised easily.

Was this all Jack's power? Was he so powerful even after they were "born" they were still doing exactly what he wrote them to do? 

It made him sit up, pause, and wonder for a moment, how powerful Jack's power (or what he assumed he had as "power") were, and he felt... Threatened.

He was the villain all along, he liked being the villain, he liked being the evil guy who did bad things for the sake of them just being satisfying to do, so why...

"Why are they fucking it all up?" He mumbled to himself, glitching and voice breaking in distortion. "Why are they..."

Why were they trying to change who he was, while they kept being exactly what they were meant to be?

He didn't know how to be someone different, he didn't know how to be gentle (urgh), he didn't know what empathy was if it wasn't because of that spell, and oh how he hated he was forced into all of this. They fucked with his head real bad, but then again he deserved it, didn't he? He fucked with them just as bad, but the irony of it all was...

Even with all their hate and resent, they were killing him with kindness. Oh he'd never treat them the way he is being treated, if the roles were reversed, and it was just so.... Wild, so interesting, how different they were and the why they were doing it-

It was all making him so conflicted, nervous even, he was changing, he wasn't following the code, and he didn't know if that was bad or good, he was just...

Scared.

That's what he was.

There it is, he finally admitted it.

He's scared.

He grins and lowers his head, placing his hands on his hair and chuckles, distorted and glitchy just like he is, and he finds it so funny.

He's scared! They made it! They successfully were scaring him by just going all their way to save him! 

While his face held a smile, he was desperate now. He was nervous, his hands were shaking and he selfishly wished he had anyone to hold on to, like those cheesy couples or families had, and that's how he was beginning to understand why humans found it so desperate to form bonds with anything. 

Animals, people, even fucking plants or objects, because when things got serious and rough to deal with, they weren't alone.

But Anti was all alone. And Dark wasn't really his friend, maybe the naive fool in-a-spell Anti did think Dark could be friends with him, but Anti knew better. They were darker egos, they were the worst of what their creators represented or stood for.

He was lost. That's how he felt and knew he was. Completely lost.

So he laughed a bit more and went to the farthest end of his bed, sitting with his back against the wooden part and holding his legs while he hugged them.

He was alone. And that terrified him.

But also why was he so scared now? He was alone all his life, Jack was never really a part of him as in "family" or "friends" and they'd never be after he almost killed him, and worst of all, he didn't regret anything.

For once, he wished everything wasn't so complicated, he wished that spell never happened and maybe he was wrong in some eyes for that, but he was so lost on how to act and what to do now, that he wished for some familiarity back, even if it was a bloody violent one.

He was tired, so he rested his head on his knees and gave in to the exhausting feeling of defeat (because that's also how he felt) and he... Slept. 

Chapter Text

His eyes were closed when he woke up, and he didn't know why but he was so weak he couldn't move even his eyelids to open. Gravity was against his body as it had been his entire life but today it was harder to do anything else, he couldn't move not even one one arm. He just didn't have the strength.

It was ok though, he was comfortable enough in his bed, and his mind felt like it was on a fog which was weird but also ok, he didn't know when as he didn't keep track of the time but when he slept again, he felt relieved. 

It was like flipping a switch off, and he couldn't he more grateful for it.

"He's in a bad condition."

He wished the voices would shut up, but he could just listen to everything and nothing else. The weakness was still there.

"Ironic, now he's exactly how Jack stayed when he slit his neck." 

"Shut up Hen, this isn't the time." 

"It's never the time to mess with Anti, but everyone makes time to be buddies with him, ugh." 

"We are lucky enough he's not listening, if he attacked you, I'm in not great shape yet to protect you." 

That was the hero. And weirdly enough, he felt... Relieved, it was him there and not just that damned doctor alone with him.

Oh how he wanted to squeeze the life out of Henrik for everything that went on... But what could he even do to the doctor to make him pay? He didn't want any old boring stuff, if Henrik had to pay, it would be in a new way, a great way. 

Possession? Yes, they hated it... But then...

Then he could only imagine Jackie's disappointed face and it pissed him to no end that it made him feel BAD with himself for even caring for what the stupid hero thought of him.

It wasn't that long ago, when he still was in the spell, patrolled the area of their new base for the others and then he had a quiet and private talk with the hero.

"Let's hope he wakes up soon, we all need to talk." 

Was the last thing he heard before falling unconscious again.

"Anti, do you feel ok here?" The hero had asked.

This time he wasn't patrolling alone, which wasn't bad but he wasn't used to it so if felt weird. And "patrolling" as he liked to say it, was just him actually minding his own business and thinking to himself.

It was a good excuse to use when he didn't want to be near the others.

They were in Dark's base, the manor, before everything went down and he got captured.

Even the trees on the forest surrounding that manor felt surreal somehow, like he was always being watched by them, like they were more alive than the normal trees ever had been.

He didn't mind it but it was intriguing, and he didn't know why.

"...I don't know." He confessed, feeling the most pacific he ever felt in his entire life. He didn't know many things these days, now he was just surviving and trying to decide what path to go and not screw himself again in the end.

And now looking back at this memory, free from the spell, it was incredible how it had dumbed down all the anger he was born with and still felt it inside him. How it all numbed everything he felt his entire life, from the hatred he always felt to the naive curiosity he rarely had, like antidote to a poison, it was incredible actually.

It wasn't that bad, he admitted to himself. He felt balanced now, if that made sense. He'd love to throw in the magician's face how the spell actually helped him instead of... Whatever they had originally planned.

"It's weird to be like this, ain't it?" Jackie chuckled, walking by his side. "I still remember the battles and attacks you did to me and the others, and now we are walking side by side." Sometimes it was hard to forget, and wish he just could, but just because he forgave, didn't mean he could forget. 

It made sense.

"I don't remember all. But I remember some too, and I don't like it." The other Anti had said.

But he did enjoy it, the true him did.

Frustration built up again when he realized it didn't bring him as joy as before and how he just felt hollow with everything now. Was he lying to himself now? 

What a confusion.

Why was he remembering all of this? It was like he was watching himself all over again, somewhere in the distance, and...

"Jackie." He looked to the hero.

"What?" He looked curious to him, also not used how Anti was now actually using his name instead of insults. It was good enough though, he guessed.

"I promise I... I'll do my best to... Well... To be good."

He actually wanted to say he didn't want to hurt the hero again, after being so nice to him. But that was a special treatment he was giving to the person that was helping him the most, he didn't want to hurt the others too, but his resentment to Henrik almost wanted him to not add the doctor to that promise.

But he had to be patient, he still understood the doctor's anger, even if he didn't like it.

And now looking back, free, why did he had to fucking say that? Why did he have to promise that stupid thing that he WOULD break anyway? It was impossible for HIM to not hurt people, he was born to hurt and he didn't know how to be... "Normal". Gentle, he wanted to say, but he didn't think he'd ever be gentle with anything.

Urgh.

"I'll remember that, Anti!" The hero had beamed, looking pleasantly surprised. "That's so..." He chuckled.

"So what?" Anti had asked a little bit impatient.

"So unexpected. But it's so good too. Sometimes I want to congratulate Marvin all over again for this spell helping you realize how good it is to be human." 

"You can't be sure I'll remember all of this when the spell it's over." The other Anti had said, feeling quite melancholic inside for that realization.

Ironic how he was looking at this memory now, remembering every detail of it.

"You might not remember then, but I'll keep that promise in mind! Although one thing I'm sure... And I don't really know why, but it's just... I feel like you will remember some things. Maybe not all, but some you will." 

The hero looked so happy that he still remembered how this cursed version of himself felt happy too, when looking at him.

"It's just speculation, but I like to be positive, I hope you will remember it, Anti." He smiled to him. 

"If I don't..." Anti had stopped walking, looking down for a moment then at the hero again. 

With fear. But not fearing the hero, but for when the spell would be over and this good fantasy too, would end.

"Will you remember me?" 

"... Absolutely." Jackie had smiled more fondly. "I always wanted to be your friend you know, but you just..." 

He never gave any of them a chance, always attacking, being on the offensive and bringing down his wrath at them for just existing and...

"I'll make sure to remember you, I promise it." Jackie said, patting his arm in a friendly way and chuckling. "Now let's go back, I'm hungry." 

What a cursed life he had.

He woke up again, this time, he could open his eyes.

He wasn't in his room, like he had previously thought. He was somewhere in another room, but with hospital machines hooked to him. It sent alarm bells in his head but it got shut down when he remembered everyone was in a "temporary peace".

Where the fuck Dark had gotten hospital machines?

"Good afternoon." Google's emotionless voice greeted him, not looking at him but knowing he was awake. "It seems you have recovered a great deal of your vital energy. That's good." 

"...What?" He said with a groggy voice, throat feeling dry, so he swallowed saliva. "What even...?" 

"Jackie found you unconscious in your room, after an entire day of "sleeping". Doctor Schneeplestein deemed your health was in risk if not taken care of, and together we nursed you back to health."

Google finally turned to him, after abandoning the computer nearby, and crossed his arms while looking down at him in the bed.

"Aww, Schneep helped me?" He smiled sarcastically, but it went quick as it had came. "How fucking generous of him." His voice glitched, and he tilted his head in a brutal way, getting a bone to pop.

"I reckon his emotional state during your treatment was in turmoil, conflicted. But efforts were made, I was asked to keep an eye on him and his behavior was acceptable." Google kept staring at him, judgemental as always had been. "It seems you lost a lot of blood to IRIS." 

"No shit." Anti snarled, sitting up and groaning when he felt sore all over, almost missing the warmth from the blanket that had been covering him entirely. "They were using it for power supply or something else." That was what he always would bet on, if not that, then why else?

"Yes, after a private analysis on your blood, it's deemed that it's special with unusual, inhumane amount of electric cells in it. Further studies needed." Google fixed his glasses position in his face.

"No fucking studies needed." Anti said, annoyed at him. "Leave my blood alone." He hissed and tried to get up, but Google moved and tried to stop him.

Stopping midway only because Anti gave him a dark glare that warned if he dared touch him, he'd rip his hand off.

"Nothing will be done without your permission... And Dark's." He stared at him, emotionless but just as equally daring, always being Dark's loyal dog.

Anti hated Google's emotionless look directed at him, because he knew while he was a robot, he wasn't completely one, one small part was human, as he had emotions as much as he hid them and worse of all... He was a damn great listener. He was full of secrets. 

He still remembered when he possessed, or yet a better term, hacked into Google and saw such a wild and complex mind. And hidden deep inside of it, was "secrets".

To summarize the android was easy to defeat physically, but internally was hard.

He had been kicked out before he could reach any cores that could affect anything major, Google's protection against his own type of "viruses" or "glitches" was something he yet wanted to break one day, just for a matter of pride.

"Dark doesn't need to know shit." Anti growled, and gave in to getting up, as even sitting up was tiring, his head starting to ache as well from whatever he did, so he just went back to sitting on the bed and shivering a bit from the cold.

"He already knows all of this." Google said unceremoniously, giving his back to him and Anti swore he hid a smirk. Fucker.

He just sighed and finally laid back down, still feeling too cold, grimacing from the general soreness all around his body. And the... cold?

Why was he even feeling cold? He shouldn't be able to, he knew what cold felt like (he wasn't immune to it duh) but he didn't really... Get affected by it, but now he was? 

"You also seem to have gotten a fever." 

That would also explain the shivering and unusual weakness and body aches all around.

"I'm... Sick?" He frowned and looked to his hands. Feeling alarmed.

Was he still in the spell? What the hell? He was suppose to not feel any of those things, so why?!

...Did he turn human somehow because of the spell? Did something happen to his body to change? Or did IRIS do something and they didn't know yet? No, he wasn't human, nothing of this was possible yet... Yet here he was. 

What the fuck.

"But your immunological system is, too, insanely strong against any sort of damage done to your health related problems, which I have come to the conclusion that fortunately you're healing fast. Too fast for a human." 

Ok, that was good, he was still him then.

"...And the others?" 

"The hero was here a while ago, the doctor came to check on you hours ago and left me to take care of you for today. And Dark visited previously one day ago."

"Thank you, my lovely nurse." Anti joked sarcastically, laughing to himself quietly.

He did feel a bit better already, maybe that was psychological since Google said he was healing fast, but besides the cold and the weakness (and a weak headache), he was feeling more... Normal, less tired than before. 

He wasn't complaining, so he just kept on quiet for a moment.

"Anyone else injuried or just me?" Then he remembered Jackie had gotten shot at last second when they passed the portal. "Did Jackie remove the bullet from his wound?" Was he ok? 

"Yes, he got treated by Dr. Schneep and myself, he's much better but still resting a lot as well." 

Everything seemed peaceful at least. Less trouble.

Good.

With that, he could plan better on what he'd do in the future.

And while the others were safely inside the manor, inside IRIS another portal opened.

Chapter Text

Some days after he rested and recovered from the strange sick state he had been in, he was stronger now but he wasn't exactly back to his full strength. 

He had tried to attack the hero some days ago, just for the fun of it, and the kick he received did damage his ribs a bit, when his old strenght wouldn't even allow any bones to break.

He got scolded, scoffed at, complained, judged but he didn't care. A test was still a test, besides... He wanted to remind them to always be with their eyes wide open.

A shame they couldn't see how he wanted to "help" them. Heh.

Either way, nonetheless, this now was weird.

"I found a mangled corpse in the woods." Dark announced unceremoniously, looking slightly irritated to Anti.

Everyone today, was surprisingly enough in the same room, talking to each other while Anti watched from a lonely spot, every once in a while receiving glances and hearing whispers.

But now, Dark made all their attention to to him fully.

"Anti, did you-" Jackie asked frustrated, Anti's old nature was full back in control and it made the hero upset to no end.

"No." He said simply, not blinking and still with his arms crossed.

"There were knive marks." Dark's half lidded eyes bored into his, showing defiance as always, but also curiosity. 

"I didn't kill anyone." Anti scoffed.

"How will you prove-" Henrik said but quickly got interrupted.

"Do-Do not fucking speak to me or the next throat I'll cut is yours." He snarled to the doctor, viciously glitching because of his irritation.

He couldn't stand Henrik, how all of them would keep an eye on him to protect him, how he was still confused on what to do and if he went with his revenge plan, what he would and etc.

It was a mess, but the basic of it was: Henrik should be dead and he still wasn't. Yet.

"He has a point Anti, calm down." Jackie pressured and glared slightly at him.

"If you all don't believe me, here." Anti summoned his knife using glitches, then he threw it at Dark's feet. "Make Google analyze it, if you don't believe what I say, facts will show it." He confidently said.

Although Dark gave him a dark look for throwing the knife near him, he did grab it and went away.

".... Guys, listen, we-" 

"Now what?" Marvin sighed deeply. 

"Nothing! I'm just trying to make all of us talk!" 

"You mean you want Anti and Henrik to get along, but that just isn't happening, dude." Chase chipped in, looking bored at them all with his breath smelling like alcohol, but nobody said a thing.

"That's not happening." Henrik said quietly.

"Something might happen between us, but if it does, then what will happen won't be pretty." Anti said quietly, staring at the doctor. 

"What? Will you kill me?" Henrik scoffed and glared at him.

"No. Death is too merciful for you." Anti said simply. No glitches in his voice, this time he looked pacific. "If I wanted you gone, you'd be gone already and if I want a revenge, it will be something you never saw or experienced before." 

This time he smiled, and Henrik shivered. 

"Look, I-I already tried to..." The doctor hated, he fucking hated with all his soul that he was scared all over again but he kinda brought this to himself didn't he? He poked the bear far too many times. 

"You tried what? To kill me? Sold me off?" Anti pressured, glitching and getting near the doctor and while everyone stood still, the atmosphere got tense. "Do want to do it again? Huh? Do you want to feel in control again, Schneeplestein?" His voice deepened when saying the doctor's surname.

His anger boiled inside his veins, his old instincts screamed all of this was wrong, they should all be dead, the doctor should be suffering now, screaming for mercy like the coward he always was but he was still here, still giving a fucking chance to whatever bullshit the hero planted in his head, or perhaps it was the magician. 

Who cared? They broke him, they broke how he had been, and now he's a mess and it's all their fault. And he suffered, he could've died in IRIS's hands and this motherfucker sold him off like nothing.

"Do you want to feel in control of the strings again, Schneep?" Anti glitched quickly and was with his face inches away from Henrik's face.

The doctor's heart was almost jumping through his throat, eyes wide and full of fear like how Anti adored to see but this time it was special. The others bored him, they were standoffish, neutral parties now. But him? Oh Henrik... He was his favorite to torment now.

"Cut this shit out." Marvin had gotten up and jumped in as quick as Anti had, standing near the doctor. "Or you'll regret we ever showed you mercy, Anti." Marvin threatened.

"Mercy? Oh how good of all of you. Such angels, perfect little beings." Anti mocked him, getting out of Henrik's face. "Was it mercy when I got traded off? Was it mercy when I was... At my "best behavior"," He made gestures with his fingers to emphasize what he said, "was it mercy when you all treated me like fucking shit?" 

"What did you expect? We were going to be your friends? No, we are all stuck together, unfortunately." Chase added boldly.

"You know Chasey, I still remember what you want." Anti said sweetly. "Google knows how to find people, we still could-" 

"I'm not dumb, Anti, I'm not falling for that." Chase rolled his eyes. "That subject will come later." He added in a quiet tone, looking away. 

"It was worth a try." Anti chuckled, looking amused around. 

There was silence, Marvin called off his powers, Henrik was quiet and kept on staring at Anti while Jackie was lost in his own thoughts, Jameson observing everything with attentive eyes. 

"...Was it you? Please, don't lie." Jackie said out of nowhere, breaking the silence.

It was strange how softly he had asked it, how disappointed and sad he sounded, it was unnerving even.

What if it had been him? 

"....No." Anti answered him, just as quiet and sincere. "It wasn't me." 

"Then who?" Marvin held his chin in concentrated way. "Who the hell we know that also uses knives? It can't be Mark's Egos and if Anti is denying it... Then...?" 

Jameson moved a bit and looked nervous, while to the others he looked normal since he was always sketchy in Anti's presence (although he had to give kudos the guy was brave for facing him off after everything), Anti knew something was wrong.

"Anything you want to say?" Anti looked at him.

Jameson furrowed his brows. 

"You sure?" Anti giggled, lifting one brow while looking at him.

"What the fuck are you even suggesting?" Marvin asked angry, starting to feel irritated with Anti's constant surprising and annoying nature.

"I was inside your head once. All of you. I know all of you a little bit, and you." Anti turned to the dapper man. "I don't remember what you hide anymore, because some of my memories got lost because of the spell, but you aren't this nervous." He walked some more in direction of the dapper man.

And Jameson looked terrified, making Anti almost want to roll his eyes.

"Why so scared? I thought we were all past over what we been through." He shook his head.

"We'll never get over everything you did to us." Henrik added quietly, seemingly to get his composure and voice back, much to Anti's dismay.

"Then that's not my fucking problem." 

It was but he wasn't giving the satisfaction at the doctor knowing he had a point.

Jameson sighed and shook his head, making some signs with his hands which Anti yet couldn't understand.

"We know JJ, we are working on it." Jackie said quietly.

Then silence reigned again.

At least for some moments.

"How do you know what he says?" Anti asked, looking at Jameson's hands, but asked no one in particular.

"We all studied, dude." Chase snorted. "Took some months, but we got there." He shrugged.

"... Was it hard?" He asked a bit curious.

Jameson made some signs to him and Anti furrowed his brows at him.

"I can't fucking understand you." 

"He said he can help you understand." Chase translated.

"How?" Anti lifted one brow unimpressed at the other and crossed his arms. "It'd be easier to stay inside a computer and read everything until I learned."

"Kinda like a machine right?" Marvin chuckled. "Curious." 

"More like a program." Henrik added quietly.

Anti ignored them.

"Will you teach me?" He asked the dapper man, who was still terrified of him, but Anti had to give respect where it was due, because he was facing him off since day one, even if he was scared of him.

It kinda made him want to know more about "Jameson Jackson", how he knew something was up with this one, he was special sort of, but why and what? He had to find out. And maybe a friendlier approach would be good.

Jameson nodded and Anti relaxed his posture, nodding back to him as a way of friendly gesture. 

He was weak and pathetic for being among them, for listening to them and not even killing them on the spot, but he'd be lying if he said even though everything was weird and new, these new interactions with them all were fun.

Chapter Text

Working with the other was easier than Anti expected.

What he didn't expect, was to be sat down, given a entire stack of papers and a pen, and read the board to everything Jameson had to write, the magician had went and helped a bit, but he seemed bored, said some excuse and went away after some minutes. 

It was comical, ridiculous even, he sat there dumbfounded for a moment, not believing how he came to this moment-

Jameson snapped his fingers and gave him a "are you serious" look, crossing his arms. The man was getting bold as time passed, and Anti didn't know if he found that good or annoying. 

"You can't be serious." Anti chuckled, still stunned. "What did I turn into?" 

He got no response from the man, Jameson merely just tapped the board again and started writing and while Anti read the board, he showed the glitch some movements with his hands, writing what sign meant.

It was slow, in Anti's opinion, it was kinda boring but also interesting at the same time and it lasted one hour before he called for a break and here they are.

For whatever reason, Jameson had decided to follow him to the kitchen instead of doing his own thing, in his room or whatever he did in his free time.

Anti was eyeing the cabinet open when Jameson got near him and grabbed some cookie jar, which was written "DON'T EAT!" in what Anti could recognize to be Wilford's writing style but he eyed the dapper man curiously instead of warning him of the sign, that he apparently very much ignored.

He offered one cookie to Anti but he shook his head.

There was silence with crunching sounds and he didn't know why, but Jameson was apparently glued to him today.

"What are you hiding?" Anti asked straight to the point. "You're too nervous when the others talk about the corpse Dark found." He crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter behind him. He was more curious than worried. He didn't care if any of them killed some random person, he was sure everything had its reasons. 

Jameson stopped eating and looked away, staring at him momentarily nervous once again.

He looked around to see if he had anything he could use to write, then he lifted his hands in instinct to sign, but he gave up when he remembered Anti didn't understand him yet so he gave the glitch a shrug as answer.

"We'll see later." Anti said followed by a chuckle. 

After that, he decided he didn't want to study just yet and decided to go for a walk.

To his surprise, who was outside but no other than the greatest doctor with terrible german accent ever? He was sure he wasn't even a real German, but who knows, he didn't care and wouldn't ask. 

Their eyes met and the atmosphere immediately got tense again, and before he could do anything, Henrik started.

"Nice afternoon, no?" He was weirdly calm. The wind moves the leaves on the trees and made the forest sing quietly.

Alrhought everything felt... Tense. The atmosphere was thick with something.

 "No. Because you're here." Anti grinned with the provocation and stepped closer. Ignoring his instincts screaming at him. 

To his surprise, once again Henrik didn't react much, he just had a... Strange look in his eyes. They locked eyes for a moment and he looked back when he heard rustling sounds behind him, but once Henrik spoke again, he turned his attention to him with curiosity.

"I thought maybe I should go to a walk, but you could accompany me, you know?" He smiled but it felt too fake. It WAS fake.

This was too strange.

"Oh Henrik, if you're trying to do something again, I'm not falling for the same strategy twice." Anti stared him up and down, before looking back once again and then meeting the doctor's gaze once more. 

There was silence. The wind also stopped for a moment, and it was like everything held its breath.

"Help me." Henrik whispered. 

Anti lifted one brow.

"Oh?" He smiled amused, "Did I hear that right?" 

"Please-" 

It all happened too fast, there was a single shot and Anti's head exploded, he didn't even had time to react, his body fell forward until it hit the ground and Henrik looked horrified to the exploded head in front of him. 

He was a doctor, he had memories of some surgeries he did (even though he didn't know if those memories were real or fake ones), he was no stranger to ugly sights of dead bodies or anything related to violence, but to just see Anti die so easily...

Half his head was gone, there was no brain in there as if had exploded along, and he looked to his white shirt and arms, and saw that... Blood was on him too. Pieces, were there as well.

It made him fall down to the ground as well, legs trembling as the death in front of him started eating up at his brain and all he could do was shake, hyperventilate and stare at the blood from where Anti's head should be. 

"Target neutralized. I'm going forward for the next anomaly." 

It was quiet, but the forest had gotten completely silent after the shot was done, all birds and any sounds got silenced fast, so Henrik could hear the IRIS's soldier kinda far away with that quietness. The stillness in the air made him feel sick to his stomach.

When the soldier got out of his hiding spot, he heard footsteps coming closer and saw the weapon was a bit different than normal, when the soldier entered his view, it was a single man against just him... But to Henrik now it made sense, maybe they hoped to break his determination with Anti's sudden death and it worked wonders. He had no fucking hope for anything, he was too shaken for-

"Please, behave or you will be shot immediately." The IRIS's soldier pointed the gun at him and Henrik froze. "Lay down on the ground with hands on your head so I can cuff them-" 

But before he could finish, there was something on his feet.

A single black string.

The soldier reacted fast and out of instinct, so did Henrik. The soldier shot Anti's body again, it twitched with another shot and when nothing happened, he quickly changed targets, remembering his missions and aiming at Henrik's running figure when even more strings connected to the him, going to the gun and finally, one string connected on the back of the soldier's neck and his figure went limp as Anti took control of his system.

Anti's body twitched again, and in a fast pace, his head was reformed, making him crack his neck and blink sometimes, finally Anti sat up and wiped the blood from his eyes, too dark blood wetting his hair a bit and trickling down around his face as his head area was just a red mess of blood and... Whatever he was made of. 

He got up and eyed the standing still soldier and his string connected to the back of his neck.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Anti walked near him, stared at the his eyes for a moment as he recalled some memories from the body he's connected to, and then decided he didn't know enough to keep the guy alive.

He remembered he gave his knife for Dark and Google to analyze, so he'd have to use... The gun.

He grabbed it from the ground, when it had fallen from the soldier's grip, and he analyzed it for a moment and recognized this man was probably a trained sniper, but not good enough to know how deadly he was.

Or perhaps, IRIS was desperate and out of resources, all he knew by what he saw in the man's memories, was that IRIS was having problems. He didn't know with what, as the sniper seemed low rank and also was mostly clueless, and so he just hoped it wasn't connected to him or the others. 

He pointed the gun to the man, and all it was once heard was a loud shot and the sound of a body hitting the ground.

Henrik had ran in some random direction but tried his max to stay nearby at the same time, so he wouldn't get lost in the forest too deeply, hiding behind a tree and when he heard the second shot, he stopped walking shakily and looked back.

"Anti?" He murmured weirdly hopeful and scared. Should be go back to check? Why would that guy shot Anti's body a second time? Unless-

He turned around and jumped out of his skin when he was now facing a very dirty of blood Anti. And instead of a headless version of Anti, it was just him... Normal again, besides his head and hair being covered by blood. 

What a sight. 

"You do know the manor is in the other way, right? You'll end up lost." Anti eyed his nails bored and then at the doctor, laughing. "Oh Schneep it seems I got too rusty. You and your people really does affect me after all." He huffed and shook his head. This would've never happened if he had kept his guard up, how stupid of him. 

He needed to remember to listen to his instincts more, he had to do something because he was too rusty and now even low rank idiots could do damage. What a fool he was, for just focusing on his new life and having fun... 

"Anti....?" Henrik eyed him up and down then stared at his eyes, and the blood trickling down his neck and face, he was confused why there was so much blood on the glitch's head, but he could easily figure that out by himself after thinking for one second. Anti's healing abilities apparently were back to full power.... He supposed.

"A-aas Wilford says.... It was just a little death." Anti giggled and his voice glitched for a moment, his body moving rapidly for a second then going back to original position.

Henrik stared at him for a moment then he sat down on the ground before he could fall on his ass again. He wiped his arms on the grass with disgust but also shaky movements, and looked up again, staring at the glitch. 

He didn't blink and could just stare, as he slowly fell deep inside a temporary state of despair. 

Anti was alive, he died then he was back, this guy hates him and he just killed the soldier back there easily since he was too calm about it all. What would happen to him now? Would he die too? Did Anti plan this and hid from them the fact his healing powers were back? He was scared. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to have enemies anymore, he was tired, he was so scared-

"- SCHNEEPLESTEIN!" 

He didn't know when he had spaced out, but he got his face roughly grabbed and was now staring at a kneeled down Anti angrily holding his face. 

"You used to be stronger than this, doctor, don't be pathetic." Anti hissed and let go of his face harshly, making him look away for a moment.

"I'm sorry." Henrik said brokenly. 

This all wouldn't have happened if he didn't decide to play enemies with Anti, everything was his fault. Even Anti's death, and while the thought of it before would've brought him immense joy, now he just felt... Guilt.

"Huh?" Anti stared at him dumbfounded for a moment. "Wha-" 

"I don't want to die. I don't want to have enemies." Henrik placed a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beating too quick and he was breathing fast. "I want e-everything to get better-" He hated stutters, he hated himself- 

"Schneep." Anti eyed him boredly but when the doctor kept mumbling whatever came on his mind, Anti sighed. "Henrik." 

This time he grabbed Henrik's arm (still a bit too harshly) but it was enough to make Henrik now stare at him completely frozen and terrified, when Anti rolled his eyes at the sight in front of him but also felt something else.

"Let's get you back to the manor." 

If Henrik expected comfort, he'd receive none, Anti didn't know how to do that, neither did he feel inclined to help the doctor due to their past together, but at the same time...

He felt pity, it was absurd, but he couldn't deny it. He might be a pathetic confusing mess these days because of the curse and all that happened during it, but he did learn that there was no denying his own feelings on some matters. And he could recognize, unfortunately, and also irritatingly he knew how horrible it felt to be desperate and scared, to feel powerless and weak. 

He could relate to that, he could still remember his own fear and pain, and for that, he felt fucking empathy for the doctor.

Something inside him yelled in frustration that all this was wrong, and something else ignored that part and encouraged Anti to keep being how he was. Just trying to fit, just trying to be.... Normal. Or whatever he could get from normal in his unnatural existence. 

"Anti-" Henrik grabbed his arm back, surprisingly. 

And staring at the doctor's wet eyes and tears, and his shaking hand holding Anti's arm. Anti could finally see how human Henrik also was, and not just a doctor with a bad humor constantly. Just a normal man with feelings he also didn't know how to deal with.

Perhaps they weren't so different after all.

"Anti I-" 

"Enough talking, you'll probably regret even talking to me later, so better save your breath." Anti warned him out of sympathy as well, because while Schneep was shaken to his core right now, he wouldn't stay like that forever. 

And he'd probably regret even seeking comfort at him unknowingly, later.  

That left a bitter feeling in him but oh well. It is what it is. 

"....I'm sorry." Henrik apologized quietly again. 

"Stop fucking saying that." Anti snarled and Henrik looked away.

"I'm tired Anti, I'm TRYING!" He yelled angrily looking up, heart still beating fast and he was a pathetic mess of tears and fear.

He then decided to take deep slow breaths, to calm down his heart and to function properly once more, because he couldn't stay like this.

Anti glared his way, eyes full of annoyance, confusion and anger, always so full of anger, but Henrik didn't... He weirdly didn't feel like judging the glitch today. The terrible past they had together now felt like long time nightmares and he just... He didn't care. 

What was happening to him, too? 

He was brought back to the normal world when Anti spoke to him again.

"Then stop trying, there's no moment for this right now, we could still be in danger." Anti said more calmly and crossed his arms.

There was silence and Henrik looked away tiredly, sighing quietly and Anti knew how that felt and weirdly enough, Jackie's words of "try to be nice" and their talks about such subject, took space in his mind and he got slightly irritated with that but hid it.

He kicked Henrik's foot weakly and when the doctor looked up exhausted, Anti extended a hand to him with a slight grin.

"Enough fun for today doc, let's get you home." He offered in a more friendlier tone.

To his surprise, Henrik smiled tired but took his hand and got up.

"Guys I heard a shots." Jackie said after quickly entering the room Chase and Marvin were at.

"Dude it's the third time this week you say this," Marvin rolled his eyes. "Accept it Jackie, you miss going on patrols in the city and now everything is stuck at your head."

The magician was annoyed because any sound he made with magic, when a plane passed, or when Wilford or some other ipliers suddenly showed up, Jackie would be ready to fight with tooth and nails.

Also couldn't he use his head and remember the ipliers were insane and loved using guns for everything? They all were a little batshit in the head like Wilford, just in different proportions. It was no surprise shots were heard day and night here, he was used to it by now.

But he couldn't blame the hero, he was really paranoid after the body was found, but at least he felt secure because his magic and the Manor's mysterious magic as well, both combined made a pretty strong spell against intruders but nobody knew that for now. It was better this way. 

"Oh shut up! I know a shot when I hear one!! And we're in the middle of the fucking woods, how can you guys not hear?!" Jackie said frustrated and crossed his arms. "And Henrik is missing!" 

Marvin gave a look to Chase who looked back equally as bored, but the magician gave up and sighed dramatically loud out of annoyance, he summoned his cristal ball, walked up to Jackie and made him hold the cristal in his hands for the connection to be set and another source of energy to also be used.

It was kinda complicated but Marvin now got a good chunk of energy back due to their days(now weeks, almost uh... Two months? Was it that long? He didn't know) so summoning objects, animals and whatever he wanted, was easier than before. 

So it wasn't hard to channelize Jackie's worry, Henrik's face from both their memories and Marvin's magic, the crystal combined everything together (in a more complicated way than the magician could ever explain to someone) and then they finally saw Henrik's figure.

Being dragged... By someone? And walking to where?

The bad side of using the crystal ball, is that you had to be in a perfect state to use the crystal in a way you can see clearly, but that rarely worked as people (and him included) tended to be too intense with their emotions, messing up the connection with his magic.

Or perhaps he could just admit he was a shitty magician and should get better at simple things like these.

Before Jackie could take off and Marvin could say anything, Henrik and Anti entered the room. Marvin automatically sent the crystal ball to a magic dimension where he held precious items. 

Anti's head and half his face was embedded in blood, Henrik was pale, looked exhausted and scared, and he was also still holding Anti's wrist for some reason. 

However nobody paid attention to that, just to all that blood and Henrik's deplorable state.

"What the fuck did you do?!" Marvin used magic and trapped Anti in it, making him unable to move and Henrik out of instinct and a bit of shock, had let go of Anti just in time. 

"Marvin let go of him, he saved me." 

Chapter Text

Marvin had let Anti down after Henrik said those words, but to their surprises, Anti just stared.

And that itself, felt more terrifying.

They still forgot sometimes that Anti was... Anti. He wasn't like them, he hated them still, he still wanted to fight them and maybe tear them to shreds. He had admitted that himself. 

There was no laughter (the egos couldn't help it, when Anti had been their enemy and taunted them, he always laughed, always always laughing...), and now it was... Just silence.

Chase chuckled nervously. "Silly Marvin, good instincts, ay?" He patted the magician's shoulder nervously and everyone seemed to be holding their breaths.

"......How DAre you?" Anti said quietly, voice merely above a whisper but still glitching.

They could see his hands closing into fists and the electricity was felt around them. Like inside a invisible but very thick bubble, they all felt it. Anti was pissed. The electricity and twitchy hands were a sign of it too as they had come to recognize. 

"I help you." He finally smiled and took one step forward. "I got attacked. Manipulated with a spell." 

He takes one more step towards Marvin, who seems paralyzed by fear.

"I got mistreated in your supposed "make peace with the enemy" strategy that went horribly wrong." His neck made a sudden crack noise and he had spasms in split seconds due to the violent glitches.

"I'm stuck here with all this pathetic people, with you all, I fight EVERY FUCKING DAY, to not slit your throats when you all sleep." He snarls and his glitching gotten even worse, affecting the lamp above them.

"I protect you. I forced myself to be an ally, to CARE for you bastards." He stops in front of the magician. "I saved the doctor's ass, the man who made me suffer and sold me off. And this is how you all thank mE?" 

His voice got deep and cut off in some parts, Anti was clearly pissed off as his glitching was too intense at the moment, everyone wasn't sure what to say to be honest, would they comfort him? Should they berate him? Explain themselves? 

It was... Confusing on how they had to act.

Fortunately, Jackie was quick to act.

"Forgive Marvin, Anti, he just did that out of instinct, you know ... Old habits... From our OLD past." He made sure to remind the glitch he wasn't a saint, walking and placing himself in front of the magician if he needed protection.

Anti stared at him, unblinking and emotionless, and Jackie hated he couldn't predict Anti when he was at those states. When he was just.... Empty? Whatever it was, when you looked into his eyes and saw just nothing. He even preferred the anger or the mocking Anti did, than this new silent treatment type. 

But either way, Anti still was terrifying to them. Good thing he was on their side now, at least. 

"Oh shut up." Anti rolled his eyes at the hero. 

"...Like I said guys, Anti saved me from an IRIS sniper nearby." Henrik explained quietly, trying to navigate the situation to a better one, his quiet voice breaking the tense atmosphere for a moment. "...Anti is fine. He died, but he's back-" 

"You died?" Jackie looked at the glitch and sure he noticed Anti was covered in blood, from his clothes to mainly his head and face, but he didn't think... He didn't think it had been his. Whenever Anti was seen with blood, he didn't like to ask but now he felt bad. 

"Perhaps it would've been a better way to stay, than to come back here and see you all again." Anti said spitefully and walked back to his original position, having calmed down enough but still a bit irritated.

"Chill, why do you hate us so much?" Chase asked boldly, crossing his arms. 

Anti smiled. "I was born to hate, to destroy and make all your lives miserable because dear Jack wanted it. He needed a villain for his stories. So here I am." His voice deepened at the last word and he mocked them with a bow. "I took the role nobody wanted but oh it's more fun than you think." 

"No, not true! You're not a villain anymore-" Jackie dared to go closer to the glitch again but he took steps back.

"Lies, but that's disgusting." Anti passed a hand through his hair in a nervous way, not nervous with them but rather with himself, with everything. "I shouldn't be here." He mumbled out and spaced out.

This was not how his story was supposed to be. He isn't an ally, he wasn't made for that, he loved destruction and chaos, so why did he stop?

"Stop thinking." 

Jackie boldly grabbed his shoulders and made him and the glitch lock eyes.

"Whatever the fuck you're thinking, don't pay attention." Jackie squeezed his shoulder and Anti furrowed his brows.

"Well aren't you all brave today huh?" Anti shoved Jackie away with a harsh shove, making him stop near the magician. "... Perhaps it's time to part ways." 

There was silence.

Jameson looked down, then up, called his attention by waving his hand then shook his head and did the only sign Anti could understand.

"No." 

"AND WHY NOT?!" Anti yelled suddenly, making Henrik and Chase jump out of their skins. "TELL ME! WHAT'S THERE TO STAY FOR?" 

"... We need you." Marvin got out from behind the hero and shyly looked up. "You have strength and power when we don't. We need you because... I don't KNOW!" The magician said frustrated.

"...But we do, and I'm sorry." He finally said, looking up at Anti. "Sorry for attacking you, I know this isn't the way you'll change your mind towards us Anti, or the way we'll get used to you. I-It was just instincts-" 

Anti lifted one hand up.

"Touching. But spare me the show, magician." Anti sighed deeply then rubbed the place between his eyes. "Oh I hate all of you, you all tire me to no end." 

Chase laughed at that, earning an tired smile from Jameson as well.

"... I guess we're all stuck together Anti. We all need each other, so better to just... Ya know, stay together." Jackie smiled. "What do you say, big guy?" 

"... I suppose there's no better option." Anti admitted quietly, not looking at them and at the ground. 

He was stuck wasn't he? Even if he went away, he'd just end up back at them, as ally or enemies, there's no escaping them either. Whatever held them together, sure was strong. 

It seems he'll just have to get used to it.

The blood that covered his hair, his own blood, trickled down in drops and fell on the carpet, calling his attention and making his mind go to places he didn't know if he should go.

He left the room and the other egos breathed again, but Jackie seemed to look sadly at the door the glitch had passed. 

"I'll go check on him." Henrik mumbled and left the room. 

He wasn't on great terms with Anti for their past, with all their own mistakes, but he wanted a new start so for now... He'd treat his new patient like a qualified doctor should. 

So he fixed his glasses and left, leaving the other egos to quietly talk between themselves.

At the end of the day, after Schneep's insistence in "checking if everything was ok" with him, back at the living room were where they ended.

On the same couch, hearing some ipliers in the other rooms yelling and doing whatever chaos they wanted, while they watched Tv and ate together.

Anti was at the end of the couch, with Jackie on his side, then on Jackie's right was Marvin, Schneep and Jameson were on a different couch near theirs, and Chase was on the ground drinking fanta. 

They were watching a movie, and Anti couldn't help but be bored. But also... Intrigued? 

This way of living was better than before, at least this life was new, interacting with them was more interesting than fighting them, something he had done so much that now it seemed boring. Well, he wouldn't say he didn't miss it, he DID miss it, he missed the adrenaline, the rush of his electricity being let out from his powers, the aching and the pain from the cuts and bruises they gave him.

Yet, now they were here. Just watching TV. Like nothing ever happened. It was ridiculous.

He got up and left, making all of them look at him with curiosity but he wasn't in the mood for any of them today nor to entertain their curiosities. They should be grateful he spent some precious hours with them in the same room, but now he needed a break. 

He left the room and walked until he opened some random door and just as he wanted, entered a dark void room, completely with nothing but... Him. 

Of course the asshole was waiting for him.

"There you are." Dark seemed pleased to see him, weirdly enough. "Aren't you a sore for tired eyes? Your presence does help keep some others in check after all." 

Oh it was no surprise to Anti that some of the weaker ipliers behaved a bit more when he was around, or that the IRIS's soldiers and spies disappeared because he killed them. It was less headaches for Dark.

"Also, here." 

Dark threw his knife at his feet with a smug grin when Anti gave him an annoyed look, but unlike Dark, he refused to grab it from the ground, he snapped his fingers and the knife vanished.

"Google confirmed it and... You indeed didn't kill that man." 

"Of course fucking not." Anti gave him a side eye, annoyed, crossing his arms. "What's new then?" 

"The news are... We have a new enemy." Dark sat down on a chair that appeared just as he had noticed, but it wasn't there before. Perks of pocket dimensions.

"And who is it?" Anti lifted one eyebrow, curious.

"Another anomaly it seems. Google placed some hidden cameras after this new kill, in the places near the manor, and just yesterday we saw someone watching far away and whatever IRIS sends, it kills them." Dark explained, looking serious. 

"Ah. So... Something much stronger, no?" Anti snickered. "Well fucking great, no wonder the others were begging me to stay. Did you tell them anything?" 

"No. I was hoping for a more... Pleasant approach with you. I haven't forgot we are now allies as well Anti, you said so when your back was marked with a curse." Dark chuckled at the way the other Anti had been, so sappy with his feelings. 

"....GREAT!" Anti threw his head back and groaned. "I hAte that fucking spell." His voice glitched.

"It didn't do damage I'd say, you're more pleasant to be around." Dark shrugged. 

"Oh a compliment? How rare, thank you sir." Anti huffed and Dark rolled his eyes. "So... As allies, how about we call quits?" He pressed his hands together and walked until he was in front of the table.

"What do you mean?" Dark inquired quietly.

"All the favors between us TWO... Gone." 

Dark stared at him and he stared back, nothing was said for a moment then Dark got up and cracked his neck a bit.

His form briefly sparked more red.

"And what do I gain with that?" Dark placed his arms behind his back.

"You gain my... Friendship." Anti tasted the word with his tongue and it was stupidly too weird to say. "I will help you whenever you want, you help me too, no favors, just free help between us, we can be... Allies." 

"Aren't we already?" Dark lifted one brow.

"This is temporary. We will not stay here forever." Anti answered. "...And neither will I stay "pleasant" forever." 

"... So you're saying you want an alliance?" Dark chuckled. "I don't see why not? Sure, it's a deal then." His form sparkled blue and he extended a hand.

Anti went forward and they shook hands, Dark was smiling but Anti didn't, letting out a relieved sigh mentally. He really didn't want to own Dark that many favors as he had been doing lately thanks to the other bastards. So it was better to just surrender and stay amicable with the one of the strongest egos in the area. He had too much on his head anyway, he wasn't feeling like dragging one more enemy down with him. 

Dark looked out to the door then placed a hand on Anti's shoulder. 

"Your hero is calling you." He laughed a bit, still serene as everything had started. "We can catch up later." 

"You bet I'm messing up that pretty face." Anti giggled, getting an annoyed look from Dakr.

"I'd like to see you try." Dark provoked, but he didn't fell for it. 

Sometimes he wished he had the control and posture Dark had over himself when all those new troubles appeared, he'd try to work on that. 

He walked away and opened the door he had came from, not bothering to say goodbye to his new (maybe long term) Ally. 

"Anti! There you are!" Jackie brightened up at seeing him, the only one in the entire household that was able to do so. Much to his surprise. 

"And what do you want?" He asked straight to the point.

"....I know you're feeling left out." Jackie looked away ashamed for a second. "And I wasn't being a good friend-" 

"We are not friends." Anti interrupted him. 

"- And I know things are complicated for you... Here." He placed a hand on his own heart and smiled a bit to the glitch. "But I want you to know I'm here for you!" 

Anti blinked.

"Are you serious?" He scoffed. "You-" Did the hero think he was some kicked puppy walking around? He didn't understand why he was getting such "gentleness" from him. 

But either way, Jackie walked forward and wrapped his arms around him catching him by surprise, making him freeze like the magician threw a spell on him again.

He wasn't even sure what to do- 

"We... We are a complicated family, I know, but I like you! I didn't before, but now we are fine and... And I really don't want you to leave." Jackie murmured on his shoulder, near his ear. He sounded so sincere- 

He was still frozen and didn't return the hug, but surprisingly he dared to stay still and listen. Not having the courage to push the hero away, he just waited. 

"...So... If you feel ya know... Alone, or even wanting to throw some punches around, I'll be available." Jackie undid the hug and didn't seem bothered he didn't reciprocate it. "Alright bro?" He punched lightly Anti's arm with a wide smile.

Anti sure heard everything he had said, but this all felt so... Surreal. Weird. But not bad either, he hated to admit that. 

"You sure know how to use your own strings, don't you hero?" He huffed with a half smirk. 

If he hoped to wrap his strings around his heart for "empathy" or kindness... Well, he wasn't going to fall for that. 

"That's not it." Jackie was still smiling, but he got a bit sad at that hint. He just genuinely wanted Anti to fit in with them and be comfortable around, "Well I'll stop bothering you, I know I push your buttons." He scratched behind his neck with a awkward chuckle. 

Anti didn't say anything, he didn't need to, the hero went away as if nothing happened and he was just left there, flaggerbasted. 

...He needed to make sure he would not get attached. 

Chapter Text

"Now look at them... So united." He chuckled darkly from a safe distance, standing still, behind some bushes. 

The tall pine trees hid his figure with their shadows, with the help of the forest's bushes and vegetation. All that someone could see were his green eyes.... But nobody was there to notice him. Just as he has predicted.

He had no more raspy voice, no glitches... Nothing. He was healed, he was stronger, and now that he was here in yet another alternative universe, he couldn't help but feel amused by the him in this one.

He was pathetic. Weak. He was weak in this version, disgusting even. This old version still had the neck wound that hadn't even healed yet, still had the stupid dark green hair, the glitches and the body spasms which were quite a sight to see from far away and finally the constant pissed off look he held... And as stupid as he looked before, it also held some good memories of when Jack's watchers loved him dearly, of when he had fun back then. It wasn't all so bad. 

Oh he couldn't wait to break that version of him and mold it in something even more violent than before, to the current him. He knew he could do that, so to save some leftover reputation in this universe, (or for a better term, a alternative dimension) he needed to try that. As a favor to himself, to his honor, because him being allies with the others? Unacceptable. 

He walked quietly to the front of the manor, his bare feet feeling the earth beneath was a refreshing feeling, instead of the usual paved floors of IRIS's buildings. 

He had watched from afar, his version and the hero, they were close. He knew this version of him was conflicted, some old honor was still there it seemed, which was good sign, maybe he still could be saved after all.

Now he needed to know... How should he act? To approach himself in a more friendly light or... To make him a favor and get rid of the other "anomalies" for him? Or even to just... Erase everything? No, that he'd judge later. He needed to keep watching. Extreme decisions needed better thinking than just him just wanting to "save face". 

He can't burst in there, like they did some days ago with IRIS to rescue the other him. They were careless, reckless... But it was all fun to watch, so kudos for the fun he guessed.

He chuckled and left the front of the manor after he heard footsteps. 

For now he'd do what patience had taught him... And just watch.

Marvin had woken up from his nap when he felt magic warn him.

A enemy approaches. It whispered in his ears, in his blood. 

So he quickly got rid of his tiredness and ran downstairs, getting cursed out by Bing when they both collided briefly and Marvin paid him no mind.

When he reached the foyer, he opened the door quickly and activated his magic, looking around wildly but now the feeling was gone. Whatever had come to the front of the manor, had already left. And it couldn't be some animal like a deer or a rabbit, no, this specific spell was made for malicious intentions and whoever had been there, was no friendly face. There was no mistake and magic never lied, unless instructed to.

He stared at the forest in the distance and he knew that whatever was out there... Was watching him. 

It brought shivers up his spine, fear overtook his bravery and he found himself closing the door and locking it once again, feeling his heart beat fast behind his ribs. Almost as if asking him to run.

He needed to protect them better. He rested enough, Anti was now on their side, so why was he so scared? He shouldn't be scared, he had magic powers, he was good in fighting too, but why... Why-

"Sa' dude! Not cool!" Bing appeared on first floor, apparently having followed him, looking down at Marvin from there. "You didn't even apologize!" 

Marvin crossed his arms and looked up dumbfounded to the iplier on the first floor, almost walking to the stairs and give him a piece of his mind. But he was better than that.

"It was urgent matters." Marvin said neutral. "You also should watch where you're going." He added, however, also snarky.

"Bro this is MY house, not yours! You should be kissing my feet for even allowing you to stay here." Bing shook his head, not believing the audacity of the other ego.

Marvin felt like one of his veins would explode and he'd have a stroke, what type of fucking entitlement was that? This manor wasn't even his in first place! 

"This isn't your fucking house, dude! " Marvin shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm. "This is DARK'S old manor... House, I don't fucking know but it sure as fuck isn't yours!" 

"Rude!" Bing flipped him off and ran away.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU FUCKING PUSSY!" Marvin yelled as he ran upstairs and ran after the other ego, who laughed in delight at their new play of catch.

"Do I hear something?" Chase lowered the TV volume and furrowed his brows, looking at the slightly open door for answers. Having sworn he heard Mark's famous screams when he'd be scared in videos games, but of course that wasn't Mark and probably was just some random ego out there yelling at something again. "This manor is a fucking circus." Chase chuckled humored.

Jameson quietly giggled by his side, holding Chase's phone in an awkward way, almost like how the old people did.

"Here JJ, you click there, see?" He pointed to the YouTube icon. "You click any of these apps and you'll see a bunch of cool stuff... But of course, don't go clicking everything, there's also viruses everywhere but YouTube is safe, so have fun." Chase smiled and leaned towards the dapper man, watching what he´d click.

It was always funny seeing Jameson want to "try out the new stuff", such as the phone, a tablet or even the TV, he knew the basics of some electronics but he still hadn't mastered using a phone completely, Chase found it weirdly adorable of him, however sometimes it got annoying because Jameson wouldn´t leave HIS phone alone. 

"Hey guys!" Jackie entered the room unexpectedly and both egos turned to the hero.

"Hi Jackie!" Chase greeted him and so did Jameson, waving at him. "Winning over Anti?" He joked.

"Shut up! I'm just being nice." Jackie gave him an annoyed look. "We should ask if he wanted to watch some horror movie-" 

"What, why?! For him to miss his old habits?" Chase furrowed his brows, exasperated. "No way." 

"Come on Chasey, he ain't like that anymore!" Jackie sat down near Jameson and made the couch move a bit.

"That's what he wants you to think." 

Both looked at Jameson and Jackie looked at him curious.

"What do you mean JJ?" 

"Jackie I know you're proud of having "turned Anti to the good side", but... Deep down it's still Anti." Jameson made a grimace. "A snake is still a snake, no matter if someone owns it." 

"Couldn't have said it better, JJ." Chase patted his shoulder and grinned. "Yeah Jackie just... Let's keep our eyes open." 

"I understand you guys but just... don't be assholes, ok? Don't poke the snake." He shook his head. "Anti will be fine between us! You'll see!" He said convinced and confident. 

"Uhu." Chase rolled his eyes. "After this new phase of "new ego around" passes, I want to see what you'll do." He joked.

"Anti isn't just some news for us to be amused at! He'll be part of the team very soon-" 

"Isn't he already?" Jameson looked at him amused.

"You guys sure don't treat him like it!" Jackie huffed.

"Well, yeah dude. He didn't treat any of us good remember? Or did your good pure heart already forget that?" Chase mocked him lightly and elbowed him. 

"No I didn't, but I'm trying! That won't affect me anymore." Jackie elbowed Chase back, making the average bro grunt in slight pain, even though Jackie didn't use much strenght at all. 

"Ow... Even that day he made you almost kill us?" Chase grumbled slightly irritated. He wouldn´t lie even though it wasn´t Jackie´s fault, he still felt betrayed when he remembered the smiling face and the attacks the hero had done to them, having almost killed Marvin accidentally.

Jameson gave a harsh look to Chase and the other huffed. 

"What? Everything can't be flowers, JJ, Jackie also needs to be reminded once in a while." He scoffed. He would admit that he was on Henrik´s side when he sometimes brought up past fights they had with Anti that they probably would never get over with. 

Jackie was silent.

"I'm trying to forget." He said now conflicted. But now that Chase reminded him of the worst battle he had ever fought Anti, now he felt... Kinda torn by his earlier actions. 

"NO!" 

"Isn't it fun Jackie? There's no better feeling than this." The glitch giggled, but it wasn't his body. It was Jackie who giggled. There was something on his mind, and it wasn´t him.

It was his body, but he wasn't the one moving it. It wasn't him who was punching Marvin or had attacked Henrik so strong that he hit a wall and was now unconscious.

It wasn't him. It wasn't him. He felt paralyzed, like some scorpion stung him and he was just now feeling the effects. 

"STOP!" 

He blinked and looked away, Jameson was now giving an ugly look at Chase, who now looked guilty and bit his lip feeling nervous.

"Sorry Jackie, that was very uncalled for." He grumbled quietly. "I'm sorry-" 

"No, it's ok. You're right, we shouldn't forget some stuff that happened." Jackie fixed his posture and got up. "See you guys around." 

Chase looked down and Jameson slapped the back of his neck, making him hiss and turn his head at him.

"JJ-" 

"You, me and the others might not agree with what Jackie does or thinks, but that's his business. If anything happens, we are here to help him as we are all a family." Jameson signed, keeping his pissed off expression. "We aren't here to remind him of the past or even Anti too for that matters, we might not be used to him even after all this time but that doesn't give us the right to try to make Jackie be bitter towards him, as most of us are." 

Chase sighed and buried his face in his hands.

"...You're right JJ, we should... We should all move on but I... I can't." Chase looked to his hands. "...Not yet." He mumbled very quietly. 

Would that even happen?

"That's on you Chase, there's no rush for such things. But let's not make them break our peace with each other." Jameson's expression softened and he sighed as well, then patted Chase's shoulder. "Everything will be fine in the end, as long as we stay together."

Chase gave him a half smile, "You're right. I'll... Properly apologize to Jackie later." 

Anti was walking outside, the sky was an gorgeous blue he didn't care to notice, the garden was somehow well taken care of, flowers with many colors were blooming and... He didn't care for these things, but something he couldn't deny is how fond of nature he is, specially when he's alone.

So to be alone in such a small peaceful place, without any ipliers or jacks egos here... He finally felt... Peaceful. For once he felt peaceful, so he let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding, and closed his eyes. 

The wind was delicious against his skin, he would admit that. Maybe he should get outside more often, he wasn't scared of IRIS or Dark's enemies. He could survive them that he knew for sure, but still... Something was shifty in the air.

He opened his eyes and stared at the woods, in a respectable distance from the manor. The trees were tall, and so thick with leaves that sometimes when Anti entered it, it was like no sunshine could enter the woods. 

Looking from far away, and analyzing the manor too, he knew everything here was... Magical or alive. That's why he was always careful with everything around here, and thankfully the manor (as strange as it might sound) was on their side, or so it seemed by hearing Marvin's random babbling when he wasn't looking.

Something still was strange. Like the something was tense, like...

He was being watched.

He stared at the woods and kept looking at it, to the darkness that formed by the trees, heard the wind in his ears whispering of danger and this time he wasn't sure he wanted it now.

There was something there. He knew it was there. Whatever killed that man some days ago, was also watching them and Anti could feel it in his bones, in the blood running through his veins and even his electricity... It all screamed danger. 

This couldn't get out of control, so he walked away as if it was no big deal and with tense steps, walked towards the manor's backdoor where he had come from.

He entered the manor once again, locking the door after he entered and felt his body relax as he was now out of sight. 

Whatever was out there, meant no joke. He could feel this situation was different than with IRIS, this time it felt... Worse. He didn't know, but his guts screamed at him to do something, and he had to do something! He wasn't alone this time, this time he had idiots to watch and maybe he didn't want said idiots (who were now his allies, unfortunately) to get killed. 

How does one predict what your enemy can do? Anti didn't know this enemy, and this enemy wanted to scare them. It wanted them to know it was coming, that they were being watched. It wanted them scared to maybe break their spirits more easily.

But that wouldn't work on him, he knew that tactic and even used it before, funny enough. The way he always beat the others in their battles was because he was powerful and knew his own powers and...He knew his enemies. He watched them for a long time. 

This person or thing was doing the same.

Anti had to predict somehow what could happen, anything... But how-

He widened his eyes slightly when he remembered they did have a trick on their sleeve.

He might as well visit Marvin in his room, to convince him of his idea, and perhaps future plan.

He just hoped the magician would listen to him and he amicable, or else he wouldn't promise how he he'd react too.

Chapter Text

Marvin was inside his room reading offensive spells so he could use in case a battle could happen, and while those seemed to be a little dangerous they also looked to be rather promising in a battle. He just needed to test it out... 

He heard knocks on his door and frowned. It had been some hours since he had been alarmed by the spell of danger, so he wondered who at this hour would be seeking for him.

Instead of dwelling on it, he went to his door, opened it and saw nobody other than Anti himself, which greatly surprised him.

"Uh, hi Anti." He said neutrally. "Is there something-" 

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Anti entered the room without him saying anything and while he wanted to protest, he chose not to. "There's something outside with us."

Marvin bit his lip, some worry coming back. "I know, some hours ago the spell warned me some enemy passed near us, but I didn't see it." 

"And you didn't think of warning me?" Anti gave him an annoyed look. 

"I will admit I didn't think about that, sorry." Marvin shrugged. "I was looking for more spells to use instead." 

He wasn't one to activately seek out the glitch, they might be a long time together in the same place now, but that didn't mean Marvin was used to him. The magician still had some trust issues with their former enemy, but he didn't want that to be as transparently obvious as it was. 

"Either way, I have an idea." Anti closed the magician's door and Marvin eyed him up and down like he grew a third head. "I want you to see the future." 

Marvin stared at him for some seconds.

"You serious?" He let out a snort. 

"Does it look like I'm joking?" Anti answered terribly calm, and it always unnerved Marvin when he was like that. 

"Anti, that's... That's dangerous and number one rule in magic is that, you don't want to mess with the future!" Marvin rubbed his eyes. "It's a good plan, I'm not gonna lie, but it's also too dangerous." 

"Do you want to survive whatever is out there? Or no?" Anti crossed his arms, looking slightly irritated. "We don't know what is out there, but if we saw the future... We could break their plans in half, element of surprise." 

"...It's too dangerous." Marvin kept on mumbling. "All the books I've read said it's too dangerous, because the future is never correctly in place, it's always changing. What we might see sure will happen, but what we do afterwards it won't be the original future we saw- it won't be the same timeline-" 

"So what if we change the future? I don't care about that, I want whatever is out there gone." He snarled. "I'm tired of being stuck with you all, I want my freedom back." 

"...We could say the same." Marvin boldly admitted. "We all need some fresh starts."

"Indeed." Anti nodded. "So what do you say?" 

Marvin stared at him for a moment, looked at his hands, which he was now recovered from overusing magic so much because of the glitch and... And Anti had a point. It was a dangerous plan, but it could help them a lot...

"Fine." Marvin sighed. "Just one peek, we don't want to see too much." 

Anti didn't give any answers, he just stared at him then changed his focus to his room, looking around curiously or maybe analyzing his stuff for better plans. Marvin still felt nervous around Anti alone, so he snapped his fingers and made some things go back in place.

When he finally found it, he grabbed his crystal ball and placed it on the ground, since he lacked the proper table they both could sit on, he made a book levitate and open and then started drawing in the ground around the crystal ball.

Anti watched everything quietly, Marvin couldn't forget he was there since he was the source of his nervousness and worry, but he couldn't deny the glitch was so calm it was now starting to rub off on him. Anti was a strange creature, always changing personalities in a second and so unpredictable- maybe that's why he was a "glitch" after all. He couldn't be one thing at once and was always changing and going wrong. 

While he drew the symbol effortlessly on the ground, when he was done he put the book away to where it was and crossed his legs on the ground, then extended a hand to Anti.

"Come on Glitch Bitch, we don't have a lot of time." Marvin decided to joke lightly, and the way Anti looked at him was absolutely worth it, making him chuckle.

"That nickname will never go away, will it?" Anti sat down and curiously eyed the crystal ball. "What do we do now?" 

"Now we hold hands like old buddies." Marvin smirked, and laughed a bit amused, hands still in the air for Anti to hold. 

"Is that necessary?" Anti eyed his hand like it was a snake and Marvin rolled his eyes.

"Can you grab my damn hand already? It's starting to hurt." 

Anti grabbed his hand and cautiously held it, and to Marvin's surprise he didn't have a firm grip. Maybe he shouldn't focus on these things so much, so the magician started chanting the spell he read and the crystal ball started glowing.

"Now Anti, stare deep inside the crystal... But don't look too much in it." Marvin said calmly. 

They both touched the crystal and stared at it silently, until to Anti it seemed like he was in a hypnosis and he started to see...

He saw himself, different, older, wiser but... It wasn't him. This him was different. It was laughing and fighting him, telling something near his ear when they both were entangled in a dangerous dance of danger, trying to get a better position to stab each other. 

He saw Marvin yelling at him, Chase was crying, the doctor looked panicked and-

He felt hatred for himself. What happened?

Just when he was starting to try and see the flow of the future a little more, he felt himself being shook, and that's when his hands that were previously glued to the crystal, let go of it as if something that had previously held his hand, now let go as well.

"I said don't fucking see too much!" Marvin had grabbed his shoulders and was shaking him, but once Anti was out if it, he pushed the magician away.

"Stop that!" He bared his teeth at the magician. "What did you see?" 

"I just saw blood. A lot of it, I said I'd PEEK into the future but you watched a whole ass movie!" Marvin said rather loudly, and surprisingly angry. "We shouldn't have done that in first place but-" 

"I know who are we fighting against." Anti got up and so did Marvin, who now looked at him curious.

"And who is it?"

"Me." 

Marvin stared at him for a moment, eyes wide then opened his mouth to speak but Anti interrupted him before he could reach any conclusions.

"It's me from... Somewhere else. Or maybe an impostor with my face. All I know is that we were fighting me, and believe it or not, I was fighting against him too."  

"Two Antis?" Marvin frowned. "Are you sure?" 

"I'm very sure of what I saw." Anti crossed his arms.

Marvin hummed then made the same book from before levitate to him, opened the same page, analyzed the symbol he drew on the ground, read again what he had read before... He double checked everything and it was absolutely correct, he just performed a spell to peek in the future and not something else.

So why were they fighting against a second Anti? What even was happening? 

"...We need to be careful." Anti looked away, to his closed windows. "Something awful is coming, I can feel it." 

"Should we warn Dark now?" 

"...Yes, and Dark will be our element of surprise as well. This other me maybe won't expect him to enter the battle... If he watched Dark long enough." And he knew Dark was good at deceiving others, even himself once in a while, so he definitely could put that to use now. "We have the upper hand, we know who it is. So now we just need to plan." 

"Yeah... I just hope everything goes alright." Marvin sighed tired. "I'm scared." He admitted while playing with his hands.

"There's nothing to be scared of. We will be double prepared for the attack when it comes." Anti tried to reassure him, walking to the door and standing next to it. 

"I know but... What more did you see?" Marvin looked at him worried. 

Anti was silent for a moment, then he decided whatever else he saw wasn't important. 

"Nothing important. I just wanted to know who we are fighting against, and now that I know, we are going to win this." Anti stated rather confident and grinning. "Rest for today, we have a lot to plan tomorrow." 

He twisted the door handle and opened the door, but before he left, Marvin called him.

"Hey Anti uh... Thanks for all the help you're giving us." He thanked timid, "We didn't have the best start but... At least you're here now with us, so..." He moved his hands, trying to find the right words.

"You're welcome." Anti didn't react much to it and just left the room, closing the door. 

The magician's thanks meant nothing to him, he might care of the others minimally but that's because they were stuck together for now. Nothing else.

They didn't need to know that out of all reasons he stayed with them was because he was bored of the same routine they all had before. That, and because he felt indebted to the hero for helping him in some situations in the past. 

Who knows? Maybe he'll go back to tormenting them in the future, but for now they were on the same side. It all would depend on his mood later.

He smiled to himself and walked away, already formulating plans on his mind and what to tell all the others about what they saw today.

If there was one person who knew how to defend him... Was himself.

Chapter Text

He spent the night forming a plan, and now that the sun was finally up, birds were chirping and he heard movement sounds around the house, he knew the others woke up... Or a part of them did. 

So he waited some more hours and when he was sure everyone was awake, he left his room and walked to the dinning room, where a large table was in the middle and just like he predicted, everyone was there talking. Didn't they get bored of doing the same things everyday? They were too predictable. 

Marvin upon seeing him, stopped talking and got more serious, and the others seeing it also looked at him, warily.

Everything got silent when he came around and sat down near Chase. 

"Good morning." He said in a neutral tone. "Slept well?" He wasn't asking anyone in particular, but received some nods his way. A small talk should do the trick for now.

"And you?" Marvin asked calmly, sipping his tea.

"I don't need to sleep." Anti shrugged.

"What did you spend the night doing then?" Jackie asked with a chuckle.

"I watched." Anti answered simply.

He watched the woods for hours, he couldn't rest or force himself to "go to sleep" when he knew an enemy was out there planning something to them, to him, so he watched like a sentinel for hours... Until the sun was almost up and he had walked around the manor.

There was silence and the usual talk from before was gone, replaced by an awkward and kinda tense atmosphere, but he wasn't bothered by it. 

"Did you tell them?" Anti looked at Marvin's way. Not patient any longer to try and be amicable their way.

"Tell what?" Henrik asked curious.

"...So uh... You guys know Anti didn't kill the previous IRIS guy, right?" Marvin placed his mug down and nervously looked around, not gaining much answers but knew all attention was on him. "So Anti had an idea and convinced me to it... And we kinda saw the future." 

"What?" Jameson signed and frowned. 

"Yeah, I used a spell and we saw the future-" 

"Oh you mean that one spell you always said you wouldn't use? Because it could alter the future?" Henrik said sarcastic and looked at Anti's way with an annoyed look. "Why did you even suggest that? We were doing great on our own without it." 

"Because I know whatever we are facing, is even more dangerous than IRIS." Anti put his hands together and rested his chin on them. 

"And who is it then?" Chase finally talked, after being quiet for so long. 

"Me. Or an impostor with my face." Anti chuckled lowly.

There was silence.

"...You turn against us in the future?" Jackie asked quietly and had his full attention on him now, being serious as he could and staring with attentive blue eyes. 

"No. I mean this is literally another me, or some impostor using my face. Or both." Anti shrugged. "I saw a fight between me and... Myself." He laughed out loud. 

Nobody found it funny, they just looked worried and Chase looked sick. 

"Why so worried? We have the upper hand." He repeated what he said to the magician yesterday but even so the others still looked worried. 

"One Anti is enough, but two?" Henrik passed a hand through his face. "Fuck..." 

"You say that because it's you." Chase mumbled next to him. 

"And what do we do then?" Jameson snapped his fingers to call everyone's attention and asked. 

"We can either trigger an attack after we form an offensive plan, or... We wait for him to attack us, and we form a defensive plan against it." 

"Attack him? No, I feel like we aren't ready for that yet." Henrik placed a hand on his chin. "What's your weakness, Anti?" 

Everyone got silent to hear such a important question not just because of their enemy, but because they always wanted to know what could possibly defeat the glitch. 

"...I have no idea." Anti sighed, "This one is different, it's me but... Older?"

"Older? So... You came from the future?" Jackie asked curious and leaned against the table. "Why would you do that?"

"Isn't it obvious? To kill us!" Chase threw his hands in the air. 

"Or maybe not." Anti finished calmly. "You really think you five are the only enemies I have?" He chuckled darkly. 

"Who else then?" Henrik pressed.

"Could be IRIS, we don't know how the other person's story is. It could be Dark, could be Wilford... Or Actor, there's too many possibilities." Anti let out a deep breath. "We are getting off track, we don't need to know the why, we just need to decide what we'll do now. Offense or defense?" 

"I vote defense." Henrik lifted his hand. "We will arm ourselves in this base, and when we are ready- or when the other Anti is ready, we will attack back." 

"I vote offense!" Jackie lifted his fist. "If we attack first now, we can get him by surprise!"

"Nuh uh! I'm with Henrik in this." Marvin looked at the hero like he lost his mind. "This Anti or impostor, could be even more dangerous than our Anti. We don't know the odds of fighting against him, we need to prepare our defenses." 

Jameson nodded and so Anti half shrugged.

"Defense it is then." He stated as a final decision and the others agreed. "Magician, go do your work when you can, hero you should be ready to maximize your powers because the stronger you hit, the harder it is for me to heal." Anti finally decided to give them a little information they never noticed completely. 

"And us?" Chase pointed to himself and Jameson.

"Jameson." Anti stared at him and the other ego uncomfortably waved at him, smiling awkward. "You go talk with Marvin about your little origin. I'm sure you remember it." 

"What are you talking about?" Chase inquired. 

"Isn't it obvious that Jameson isn't from our present?" Anti rolled his eyes. "Doesn't know how to handle technology, uses antique objects..." He smirked. 

"JJ is... A time traveler?" Jackie said confused. "Are you, JJ?" 

"...Yes." Jameson gulped. "I'm sorry for hiding it. I was scared at first, then in the end I decided this didn't matter much... But I see it can help us now, somehow." 

"So you and the magician should have a chat about time and what not, I don't know, I'm not a fucking leader." Anti got up and cracked his back, stretching a bit. 

"And me?" Chase asked once again, looking irritated.

"Oh Brody..." Anti bent down a bit towards and grinned. "I always loved messing with you, I don't even know why, you're just too fun to mess with. Maybe we could use that to our advantage." 

Chase froze and leaned a bit backwards with Anti so close to him, making him feel threatened even. 

"...I'll be a bait?" He asked quietly. 

"If we need, maybe." Anti walked away and shrugged. "We do know each other the longest, so surely the other one knows you as well. We'll see." 

He left the room leaving more questions than answers but nobody went after him, and he was terribly grateful for it. 

He was tired of their voices, of how much they needed him, his powers, it was exhausting. To just be used and used, to be trapped here and have nowhere else to explore or nothing to do or kill. He was getting bored again.

So he decided that while he gave the others suggestions to help themselves against the other him, he decided that he wanted to get "turned off" so he would... Go to sleep. It'd do him some good to just ignore reality for a while anyway.

And that's what he went to do in his room, not taking long surprisingly.

Meanwhile the others scattered around the manor, doing each little part of their plan, and while some begrudgingly did as they were told (like Chase, just waiting for something to happen), everyone got ready for a possible attack and they were... Feeling weirdly optimistic with their chance to win this once and for all. Or maybe it was Jackie's boosting words getting to them, which was good either way.

"We can do this! We'll finally have some peace and quiet after all this shit is done!" Jackie patted Chase's back, who looked grumpy.

"Yeah yeah Mr. Optimism." He said sarcastic, I'm gonna take a breath." He got up from his seat.

"What? Outside? It's dangerous!" Jackie frowned. "I'll go with you-" 

"Jackie come on, I just want five seconds out of this manor, I can't stand it anymore." Chase said frustrated, "It'll be quick, I won't be gone alright?" 

He couldn't promise that, but he just would... Open the door, there was no evil in that, right?

So he walked and walked, until he reached the foyer and opened one of the main doors of the entrance of the manor, sighing and looking around kinda tense but just happy he was seeing the outside world after so long.

"Man I really miss some vodka." He mumbled and rubbed his eyes, leaning against the door.

If he looked to the ground, he could see Marvin's almost transparent symbols on the door, faintly glowing.

"You should go get some, then." He heard a familiar giggle, but this time it was quieter. 

His blood froze and it was like everything stopped for a moment for him, even thought it happened in seconds. He looked around, but couldn't see the glitch anywhere, so he took steps back and almost closed the door.

"What the fuck?!" 

"Long time no see, Chase." 

Something was dropped on the ground and he froze when he saw... A small toy. 

"You know where to find me." 

Chapter Text

When Chase bent over and was was about to step outside to grab the toy, Marvin ran into the room, grabbed him with magic and threw him backwards, inside the manor and closed the door with magic as well, with incredible strength, making the windows nearby shake.

There was silence, so ironically loud they heard a quiet giggle outside that quietly faded away, Chase could hear his heart in his ears, while taking large gulps of air and looking with wide eyes to the door. That toy... It could be one of his kids-

He got up in shaky legs then tried walking to the door, but Marvin´s magic wrapped itself around him once more, making him glow and be unable to walk, no matter how much he tried, his feet were glued to the ground. 

"Marvin." Chase´s hands shook, adrenaline flowing through his body. "Let me go." That was one of his kid´s toys, it was Anti outside, Anti with one of his kids, what happened to them-

"No." Marvin said serious.

And it absolutely broke something in Chase, be his heart or mind, he tried to violently wiggle free once again but his feet was completely stuck, much to his raising frustration.

"MARVIN!" Chase yelled and turned his head around to him abruptly, with watery eyes and baring his teeth. "IT WAS ONE OF MY KID´S TOYS!"

"Could be a toy from any random kid. Could be an imitation. You can´t know." Marvin´s serious half lidded eyes stared at his form. "Think better next time, we can´t afford distractions now, Chase." He scolded weakly, albeit his heart was hurting for Chase right now.

"..."

Chase lowered his head and a shadow covered his face, and from afar Marvin could see his hands shake and then the whole body, Chase sat on the ground as if he lost the strength to hold himself upwards, and hugged his legs, an aura of defeat surrounding the man.

Marvin let out a deep breath, making his magic vanish from around Chase and started walking to him, placing a gentle hand on his head from where the average bro stood seated.

"I know you still grieve." Marvin whispered near his head, kneeling and hugging Chase, the average bro´s immediately burying his face on his chest as he quietly sobbed. "And I know you suffer every moment because of your family, and I promise you Chase... Once ALL of this is over, we will fix whatever mess you made, and you´ll get them back." 

Chase used the magician as support as he got up and started walking away, ashamed and feeling defeat with... A mere sight of a toy. He almost had fallen for it, he could´ve died- Why was he still here? Why did destiny hate him so much for making him suffer like this? 

He just wished he could fix everything somehow.

Marvin helped him walk away and quietly whispered comforts to his ear, holding Chase close as if he was holding an object almost broken in his hands, too dear to completely let go and let it turn into pieces, so Marvin helped him on and they walked further inside the manor.

And from the window, a grinning shadow stood and laughed.

Chase´s little incident became quickly know by everyone inside the manor, even some of the ipliers were now dispersing and going away from the manor since a huge threat was in the air and Dark feared for their safety, warning them to not get involved and hide away somewhere else safe, but Wilford of course stayed and so did the other "septic" egos.

Anti didn´t need to be woken up as he slept very little, maybe due to worries or the visions he had whenever he slept, and that´s something he actually wanted to speak with one of the others. Maybe it was a sign or a power of his, future visions perhaps? It was a strange vision nonetheless.

Chase was in the sofa when he had entered the living room, where most of them all stayed, and by what he was told, the average bro refused to be alone at the moment. Marvin was his primary source of comfort, as the magician this time had been the hero in his story, and the glitch in the room just made Chase bitterly look at him and angrily look away. 

Anti could understand a bit of his anger, or resentment if he thought better, and while he wasn´t a big fan of Chase either, he didn´t want to provoke or make him uncomfortable, because that´d affect not only himself and Chase, but everyone else too. Besides... He didn´t feel like provoking them today.

The atmosphere was tense so he left the room to be in the room where the other half of their people were, and everyone was quiet and even Dark was more serious than usual, sharing his company with them. They didn´t know what to expect from their enemy "impostor" from the future (or past?) and so they were stuck in a weird loop of silence and... awkwandness.

"I had a vision while I slept." Anti suddenly said, from where he was sitting in the stairs. 

"A vision?" Dark mumbled and looked his way, so did Jameson and Henrik, who had just entered the room. 

"It was a strange vision. I was... Crying and glitching all over the place, like I'd break once and for all, you were bleeding, Jackie was there too, I remember too little of it though and it irritates me." Anti looked to his hands and... It all felt so real.

"... You can sleep?" Henrik asked once he sat on the sofa. 

"I trained myself to it. So yes, I can if I want to, but it's not a necessity for me." Anti shrugged.

"Maybe it's a dream?" Jameson signed.

Anti just stared at him and looked away, but Henrik told him what Jameson had asked, and then... Anti frowned.

"Me? Dreaming?" He looked to his scarred hands once again, confused but now also intrigued.

"Everyone can dream." Henrik said quietly, much like everyone else in the manor was speaking now. Too tense to disturb the silence that hung around. 

"I can induce dreams." Anti glitched, feeling... Nervous? "But me dreaming? On my own?" 

That sounded... Weird. Too human. He didn't even know he could do such things on his own, or his body for a better term. 

What else he was hiding that he didn't know? What else could he do that he would never find out?

"I guess you're more human than we thought Anti." Henrik chuckled.

It was silent, but... Henrik's comment was oddly comforting, he hates to admit it, but it just was.

"A big jerk, weirdo, fucking violent freak... But deep down still human." Henrik finished.

Anti should've felt flattered by the way he was described, maybe in the past he would've, but it all just made him feel... Weirdly self conscious. 

He was human. He had never been human before to their eyes, but now he was. They got to know each other and... He was just like them. An anomaly in a terrible normal world.

"... Do you all have the feeling..." Anti lowered his head, feeling tired and quietly overwhelmed by everything. Like his body was a bubble about to pop. "That none of this should be happening at all?" 

"Sometimes." Henrik admitted somberly. 

Dark was silent and heard everything they said, but he too bore a tired expression, and it was if all of them were tired, tired of everything. From the anger to the hostility, to life itself... 

The day was spent in silence and more planning was done later, they had all dispersed, hours passed until it was just Anti in the middle of the night once again awake and aware of his surroundings, patrolling the many hallways and rooms of the manor as their faithful sentinel. 

But he wasn't alone this time.

Jackie was in the living room, the TV was in a low volume in the background and the hero was in the couch, looking at the TV with calmness. 

He looked terribly young. And also so lost.

Meanwhile Anti stood in the dark and watched, undecided if he should disturb the peaceful moment or just leave.

"I know you're there." Jackie said quietly and without looking at him.

"...How?" Anti asked and walked awkwardly into the room. 

"Your eyes glow a bit and I could see from the reflection on the window." The hero chuckled and finally turned to him. "Can't sleep now? Or just don't want to?" 

"Both." He shrugged. "I'm watching the manor, checking the windows... Whatever there is to see." 

"Marvin's magic is strong and will ward off the thing out there, I trust his abilities, you shouldn't worry too." Jackie tried to comfort him, which he noticed with amusement.

"Jackie." Anti sat down on one of the sofas nearby. 

"Hm?"

"I have feeling all of this is wrong." Anti admitted quietly. 

"How so?" Jackie covered himself with a blanket (which he hadn't noticed until now) and he looked so... Absurdly comforted. Relaxed. And how could he be in such state when they were all so afraid of everything? 

"I'm not suppose to be like this." This was something he many times kept thinking over and over again, a never ending loop in his mind. "We- all of us, we are not suppose to be like this." 

"How?" Jackie inquired again and it made Anti irritated.

"Friends. Allies. Whatever it's going on with me and you all." He closed his fists. "It's wrong, too much happened between us and that spell from the magician was a mistake." 

"... Or maybe not?" Jackie sat more properly and looked at him serious. "I'm not Marvin to know how the future works and stuff, but everything goes their way anyway, everything goes... Exactly how it's supposed to be. There's no avoiding it, there was no way of avoiding the spell, there is no avoiding this threat, we will just have to deal with it." 

Anti kept on being silent.

"I had a talk with one of the ipliers, and he was a writer." Jackie smiled. "Talked a little weird as if he was in a story, but I had a great chat with him." 

"Host?" Anti lifted one brow. 

"Yeah! Him." Jackie chuckled. "He's quiet but one thing I saw on some other days... Is that Dark talks to him a lot, and that guy knows some stuff that we just... Don't. And I mean stuff like, dimensions, universes, invisible people." 

"Invisible people?" Anti asked curious.

"I didn't ask much and he didn't want to reveal it either, but yeah, I mean things like that." Jackie kept going, "And I asked him... What's wrong with us?" 

And to that Anti terribly wanted to know the answer as well.

"And you know what he said? That there's nothing wrong. That we are just following the flow of "the story", that we are trying the best we can in all of this madness and that maybe our situation is indeed strange. But he said not everything strange is bad, and so... I conclude that maybe ok, it's all weird we are all in an alliance against the you from the future, but everything will be ok." 

Anti looked down.

"I don't get it. I can't... Understand." He admitted. "I can't be like this."

"And what's stopping you?" Jackie asked a little irritated himself, this time.

" I'm NOT supposed to be like this!" Anti growled. "I'm suppose to hunt you all, to kill, to destroy everything, I can't be like how I'm being!" 

"And I say again, WHAT. Is. Stopping. You?" Jackie crossed his arms, then sighed. "I think you're in denial, Anti." 

"Denial to fucking what?" He cracked the bones of his hands, not as a form of intimidation (because sometimes everything he did was viewed as so), but as a form of relief from his nervousness. 

"That we changed you to the better, the big monster got finally defeated. Marvin won and you finally saw our point of view in all this shit." Jackie boldly said. "You're not you anymore, and neither are us, we all suffered together, we all changed." 

He looked away.

"It's ok, one day, you'll get used to how you are. Things will feel ok again, it's ok to be nervous! Just... You're not alone." Jackie smiled.

Anti looked at him annoyed with such words.

"Ew." 

"I'm just trying to help you! Asshole." The hero scoffed and put the TV volume a bit more loud. 

There was no silence this time, just the reporter saying the news, the wind howling outside the windows and Anti could hear his own heartbeat in his ears.

It was... A good night. 

"Anti, I'm really glad you cooperated with me when I rescued you from IRIS, there were many times the other asked me to promise I'd have to kill you if you didn't cooperate... But you did. You turned out to be a big help to us, isn't that cool how everything turned around for us? I think we are doing good." 

"Kill me?" Anti huffed then chuckled. "I'd like to see you try." Hearing the hero speak so freely like that felt like Anti also had Jackie's trust finally, and he grinned with that.

"I'm just saying it! I'm a hero but..." Jackie shrugged. "Sometimes sacrifices have to be done." 

"You're sounding like an Antihero." Anti laughed. 

"Hey! Shut up." Jackie shook his head in amusement with the little joke.

"Any reason to admit that out of the blue?" Anti asked curious after a while of silence.

"I just didn't want that hidden from you, you trust us and doesn't hide anything so far, so at least I won't hide anything from you either." 

Maybe Jackie was too honest to be true but Anti was happy with his little "confession" nonetheless. He also simply couldn't care less of one of them wanted to kill him, I mean who wouldn't? He was flattered really.

They were all indeed in a very strange and dangerous situation, they were still afraid, but as long as they all stuck together... Everything would be ok, they just couldn't give up.

Chapter Text

Dark had some interesting news for them today, apparently.

"Gentlemen, I´m sad to announce our food supplies... are low." Dark sighed. "I´ll not risk any of the others to go get food for us, and well... neither should any of you, so we need some sort of plan." Truth was, he couldn't care less if the others went or not, as long as none of Mark´s egos went. Jack´s egos were nothing to him after all (except Anti in some way).

"Oh great, now we´re gonna starve to death!" Henrik rubbed his eyes then half shrugged. "Alright, someone needs to go."

"Maybe I can make a portal to a market." Marvin placed a hand on his chin in a smug way, grinning. "It´d be-" He knew he´d be denied but he wanted the room to light up a little.

"It´d be dangerous, IRIS would be after our asses in one second and besides... I don´t want other people seeing us. Jack is famous and we have his face, we´d attract attention." Chase said from where he was sitting, legs crossed.

"Then what the fuck we do?" Marvin leaned against the wall and Dark shrugged in response to him.

"What if I go?" Jackie lifted his hand, looking optimistic. "I can fight Anti off-" 

"You don't know if this time you can." 

Anti, from the shadowy corner next to the closed window, mumbled quietly.

"...Jameson is not an option as well so..." Marvin looked at the glitch's way. 

"Fine by me." He shrugged. 

"....Have you ever went to buy something in a market?" Dark suddenly asked, a bit of sarcasm in his voice, as he knew very well Anti wasn´t... Very sociable.

Everyone stopped to think about it for a second, even Anti did and they all seemed to have the same thought, some snickers and amused faces happened, looking at Anti now who with half lidded eyes glared their way.

"No." Anti admitted, looking the other way, irritated. "I've always stole or killed for what I had." He huffed.

"Killed?!" Jackie said loudly from where he was, it was no surprise but- "Anti-!" 

"You don't need to worry about that, although the thought of killing "civilians" was a little... Entertaining. It would just attract attention to my existence and mess up with Jack´s life, if I wanted chaos, it´d be organized chaos. Everyone I killed either provoked me or had it coming... Sooner or later." Anti walked out from his corner and went near Jackie.

"What do you mean by entertaining?!" Jackie said indignant, his brows drew together.

"And... Why they had it coming?" Chase asked instead.

It was the first time after three days that the average bro finally seemed to knowledge his existence, but Anti couldn't care less about it.

"...They were like me. Twisted. Killers. People that shouldn't exist." The glitch leered, "I've enjoyed killing some of them, made them suffer just like they did some others do too." Anti grinned.

Everyone was silent but Dark smiled, then leaned against the wall.

"Like?" He asked interested.

"Like one serial killer the police couldn't catch." Anti rolled his eyes. "The police in this area are pathetic and clueless, besides... I will admit I did not like seeing that man torture animals." Anti hated humanity, but he actually had an affinity for animals. 

Such creatures didn´t deserve to be disturbed or provoked, much less killed just for fun. Unlike humans, animals were completely "innocent" and just acted on instincts, he never seemed the point in killing them before, even before the spell. In some way, maybe he was an animal too? No, he was thinking too hard about this now. 

But either way humanity deserved every little bit of death they could get to themselves, and who was he to deny himself such a pleasant invitation to kill irritating people? 

Some humans just didn't deserve to live. And he was very happy in taking care of those with that fate.

"Well, good riddance!" Henrik looked irritated, but not at Anti, his sudden answer calling the other's attention. "Any more examples-" 

"Guys, shut up, I'm sure he has plenty of stories but this is not the time for it!" Marvin tapped his feet on the ground, rubbing his eyes then sighing. "Anti has never even entered a market before and God forbid he goes alone, who knows what people will think of his looks?" 

"I can change it." Anti half shrugged. 

"You can?" Chase lifted one brow.

"Watch me." The glitch grinned.

They watched curiously as his glitches intensified to such point they could barely make out his form or anything in there, and when it appeared again, this time he looked... Normal.

No black eyes, no bleeding on his neck (it was closed this time?), he looked... Almost like an identical version of Jack, except he looked way too serious. 

"That's a pretty cool trick." Jackie clapped his hands to that and Jameson nodded nearby him.

Anti ignored his comment but huffed.

"So.... Who goes with Anti?" Marvin asked again.

Chapter Text

"it's obvious the best choice for Anti to go to the market with, is Jackie." Henrik huffed. 

"And why is that obvious?" Anti crossed his arms and gave the doctor an ugly look. 

Henrik just snickered in response, "You might be the most lethal of us, but in human terms you're like a toddler, you don't know how normal things work! And you can't deny that!" Henrik pointed to him, smirking smug. "And Jackie is the most patient out of all of us." And you listen to him the most, the doctor wanted to add but chose not to. 

Anti rolled his eyes and gave his back to him, unfolding his arms and staring at the window once again, deep in thoughts for a moment.

"So be it, Jackie let's go."

The hero's name still sounded weird to his tongue whenever he said it (he still called him hero sometimes), but it also now felt natural...? He no longer felt awkward saying it, and the hero himself happily went to his side and smiled. 

Why was he even smiling? There was no reason to smile-

"It's alright buddy! Jackaboy here will buy you chocolate!" He said playful and placed an arm around his shoulder, but Anti shoved him away, glaring his away.

"Shut the fuck up." Anti growled and twitched, ignoring his glitches for a moment.

Some in the room snickered or hid their smirks and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to be mocked for once... It wasn't mockery was it? It was... A joke. Whatever, he was just glad the room wasn't so tense anymore. But it also felt so humiliating to be treated so casually by the beings like them, it felt so- 

He rubbed his eyes and sighed to himself.

"Whatever." He mumbled to himself. He had to get used to this anyway.

And besides he could have a chat with the "himself" from the future (or past?) but how would he even escape the hero to do that? Was that even worth it? The other him didn't seem to be friendly nor gave him any signs to want to talk, maybe- No, fuck it, he knew himself, he wouldn't want to talk. That other one was here to cause chaos it was very evident.

He'd just have to protect the hero... Who knew one day HE would be the one to do it, huh? The villain protecting the hero...

"Ironic." He half grinned bitterly, sometimes still quite confused on how to act or "be himself" around the others.

He just had the feeling one day, all this fantasy would end. Either by his own hand or theirs, it was just a matter of time.

"Ah!! Don't overthink buddy!" 

Jackie went to his side and punched his arm playfully. 

Anti stopped and just stared at him.

Since when did the hero have so much freedom around him? How the fuck did that even happen? 

Jackie in response gave him finger guns and Anti decided this creature was not worth his time or attention, so he just looked away and decided to be quiet, or else he´d slaughter all of them once and for all (with the exception of Dark, for now).

"Let's go already, Dark you're paying for eveyrhting we buy." He said (or more like ordered) the other darker ego.

The others were broke as hell and no way they'd ask Jack for help, so Dark would have to fit the role just fine for now, he was the one who owned a manor, he sure had money to keep it running with bills and such.

Although Dark gave him a nasty look for the way he said it, he just gave the hero some card instead and smirked.

"Don't ask where it all came from." He winked Jackie's way, making sure to make him "torment" him a little bit. 

"What?! Why-" 

"Let's just fucking GO!" Anti grabbed Jackie's arm and got him out of the room, leaving behind their little unusual group, very amused with how things were going on between all of them.

But deep down, even though they weren't as tense as before, they hoped that Anti and Jackie would be fine on their own outside.

"Freedom!" Jackie ran outside and opened his arms. "Sky!! Earth!! Trees! Ah the wind-" He took a very deep breath and let it out. "I missed all this!" 

"Oh shut up." Anti shook his head, "Stick close." He mumbled quietly.

Jackie as if a flip switched, remembered they weren't alone outside and stayed near him, and as they started to walk away, everything was... Quiet.

When they entered the woods and started following a familiar trail, the forest around them was completely silent. No crickets, no birds, nothing. Just the rustling of leaves moving, some fallen leaves crushing below their feet as they walked and the wind around them, it was like the forest was haunted, or maybe like something awful was about to happen. Maybe it was both things at once, with the other Anti now residing in it.

It made a shiver go down Jackie's spine, he was scared, he would admit that.

"...Anti?" He called very quietly.

"What?" 

The other ego turned his head around and with neutral eyes, looked his way.

"It's just... Everything is too quiet."

He had read somewhere that when everything is too quiet in a forest, where it´s a place full of life and sounds, then it means the animals know something is wrong and very dangerous inside. He wished he hadn´t know that information as now everything made his skin crawl and as much as he was a hero, a personification of bravery itself, he was still scared.

But that´s what a hero was right? Being scared and still doing it, still saving people and facing death even if they´re scared. 

Anti in response slowed down his pace and walked by his side for a moment.

"I know. We are being followed, so walk ahead of me." Anti then kept on walking and still kept being quiet, but the way he was not unnerved by the offensive atmosphere just made Jackie think he was the brave one here after all, it was an admirable effortless bravery.

Walking ahead like Anti ordered but also not so far, he didn't mind it as well because the trail they had been walking was a little long and unfortunately, the marketplace would be even farther since they weren't even near the city for now.

He missed Marvin and his teleports but... A good walk would help them, right?

Wrong.

"We walked so much already..." Jackie took a moment to regain some of his breath as they stopped in front of the market, his feet hurting from the long, long very long walk.

Meanwhile Anti knew they still were being followed but as long as they weren't attacked, he didn't care. Yet the very bright building in front of him was not an unfamiliar concept to him but he could remember in the past avoiding such places due to the huge amount of people gathered in one area.

It also made him remember that he once thought it was a great place to find people to kill, to try and make a feast out of blood and guts and steal things but well, like he said before, he couldn't exactly go on a killing spree as he wished, there's only so many people and things he can find amusing and quite frankly he didn't want to be bothered or fall that low to the humans levels of "murder", nor the bothersome police after his trail, it was too much trouble for momentary satisfaction.

Besides they would never understand everything he did had a meaning...Or that sometimes he simply didn´t need one at all. It wasn´t worth it, then he didn´t do it. But the thought that he could had been tempting.

Jackie entered the place and the door opened automatically, Anti following soon behind, looking at every face that passed to remember if anything seemed out of place.

It was strange how humanity was so... big, so crowded, he forgot there was more people in the world than the others he had hunted sometimes, and it was strange to remember how big everything was, that things also existed besides his motives and own existence, in a way very intriguing. It was also kinda... envious of his part to be bitter and see how unique each human looked, while him and the rest of Jack´s "egos" were just... alter egos after all. Different copies of Jack, parts of his imagination that burst to life.

At least they had the gift of life and to act on their own now, instead of being stupid characters in some of Jack´s videos. 

Thankfully the very bright objects in all shelves inside many hallways called his attention to somewhere else than his thoughts, not noticing Jackie went to quickly grab a cart then went after him like a lost duckling.

He grabbed one very bright item from the shelf and stared, reading the logo and the tiny phrases below it and it said... "insecticide"? 

"What you got there, buddy?" Jackie went closer to him and got his hoodie down.

"I have no idea." Anti mumbled with one brow lifted then passed it to Jackie, lazy to read the entire manual and what seemed to be recipe behind the item.

"Oh! It´s just some bug killing stuff, like, a spray that kill bugs. It´s toxic for animals sometimes." Jackie placed it on the shelves with the others. "We are here after food, not these things, now you, mister, will follow me." He grinned and hopped off to some aisle while now Anti followed close behind, rolling his eyes.

He hadn´t noticed Jackie had grabbed a cart and it was almost fucking full already and as they walked, he stopped every few minutes to look at his phone and check the list, time had passed as they walked the halls and aisles and Anti kept looking left and right, it was all so much information everywhere about everything, it was incredible in a way how they had everything to either kill something, make something tastier, to sugar it more, to clean more effectively- It was all fucking too much and the incessant talking everywhere was starting to irritate his ears but he had to bear it, Jackie was walking fast and doing it as fast as he could as well, he could notice it because the hero was scared even though he didn´t want to show it.

He wasn´t paying attention to where he was walking when someone bumped shoulders with him really hard, making him freeze for a moment and look back irritated.

"My bad." The guy with brown hair giggled and entered the nearest hallway with some random items.

He knew that voice, he knew that laugh.

It was his voice after all.

Anti widened his eyes and went to the aisle that man had went and... There was no guy like him in there, just an olderly people buying washing items, a mother with a child in a cart and two hooded men talking between themselves. And none of these people were the man that bumped into him. None of them were... him.

"Stay close-" He mumbled to Jackie and-and... The hero wasn´t there anymore.

Anti looked back and noticed he was now alone, in a crowded place with unknown people and a threat nearby.

He didn´t want to admit but panic made his heart start to beat faster and he sped up his walking, looking left and right everywhere for the bright red hoodie of Jackie, his blood was also boiling because he was angry at himself, his enemy otherself and at Jackie for not fucking sticking close as they had said they´d do.

So he started walking everywhere, every aisle, looking at every person in the eyes and even if he got some looks back, he didn´t care, he was just worried for the hero´s safety, none of them knew how dangerous this enemy was and Jackie was alone, fuck, what if he was even killed already?!

That´s when Anti spotted Jackie talking to someone far away. Someone who looked exactly like him, had the same black shirt he was wearing... And the same neck scar.

The same face, and a very familiar grin.

He ran and ignored the weird or angry looks some people gave him and he called the hero´s name loudly.

"JACKIE!" 

Jackie looked back confused.

"I´M HERE!" He walked faster to the hero since now he was significantly closer and pushed a couple away, which had been blocking his way and he sprinted to where the hero was, now looking panicked and looking at the impostor in front of him.

Then the lights went out and some people screamed.

Chapter Text

The good thing about NOT being human is that... He isn't like humans.

Sure it was dark but it wasn´t pitch black like how it is for most humans, he could see Jackie nearby so he ignored whoever was in his front or the voices speaking all around, and started shoving and pushing whoever was in his way and then he grabbed the red hoodie of Jackie just as he had been pulled, who was also now grabbed by the impostor right at their front.

"LET FUCKIN´ GO YOU FUCK!" Jackie yelled and instinctively, used his powers which briefly illuminated the place and made some people scream.

It also worked at making the impostor let him go with the shockwave from Jackie´s power and Anti immediately grabbed the hero in a firm grip, letting him close to his side in a protective manner.

"We need to go!" Anti said urgently and Jackie clung to his side, holding his shirt and they took some shaky steps back.

Anti was staring at what was himself... And a very extremely detailed version of himself, by what he could see faintly, there was no denying this was "him" and was also killing the IRIS guards sent their way.

"I-I we need to call Marvin!" Jackie whispered to Anti and they now focused how people seemed agitated with all their previous commotion. 

Thankfully people gradually were starting to calm down and not being in such a fuss although both egos could still hear complains, children´s cries and people wondering what the hell had been all the ruckus about, some asking what that "blue light" had been or "if some two dudes fighting was over".

The lights came back on and everyone let out a cheer, although some people looked their way weirdly, curious why they seemed to be so close and why Jackie was holding Anti´s shirt with such a tight grip and the glitch himself looked lost on what to do and just stayed silent, glaring at everyone´s way.

"Sorry guys! I´ve bumped into my twin, I got him confused for a thief haha... Sorry buddy, it was an accidental punch! HAha..." Jackie pretended to wipe some invisible dust off Anti and made them walk away while wearing a grimace.

The group of people that had been staring at them looked away with his explanation which they thankfully seemed to buy, now being distracted by talking between themselves and watching some security guards and the workers from the market start to talk and look around. Trying to find out what caused such blackout.

"Did you guys see that blue light? What that had been about?" Anti heard one man ask as he passed him and a bunch of other people talking.

"Maybe one of the freezer´s fuses exploded with the sudden blackout?"

"But wouldn´t that make a "boom" sound? I didn´t hear anything like that-"

"Mooooom I´m scared!!"

"Those two guys seemed to be fighting but wasn´t there a third one?...Weird."

"They´re twins dude look at them, but I did hear one say a thief was involved-"

"We need to be careful, something is strange right now. It's like something bad is here?" 

"Don't be ridiculous, it was just a blackout, must have happened in all the city. It's common these days." 

Anti or Jackie didn´t stay around to listen more Jackie used his phone and dialed Marvin´s number when they were far enough from anyone's ears. 

"Hello! How´s the trip?" Marvin asked from the other side with a cheery tone.

"Terrible, we need you to teleport us!" Jackie whispered urgently and not thinking much, with his other hand he still held on to one part of Anti´s shirt, subconsciously still afraid of being pulled again.

Anti stayed quiet and chose to ignore it, just looking at every person that was nearby and standing in front of Jackie sort of like a shield. He was worried the other humans were getting too suspicious, meaning they needed to leave soon, they couldn't get their faces on the news and a city like theirs just loved to splash any accident on the television.

"Fuck, alright uhm, hold on tight ok? I´ll need a few minutes, it won´t be long just be prepared, bye!" The magician cut the conversation short and ran to his room.

Meanwhile upon hearing the line go dead, Jackie widened his eyes.

"Marvin come on-!" He complained and wanted so bad to smash the phone with his bare hands, but he refrained from doing that.

Instead he stared at the phone with frustration and briefly glanced at Anti before looking around their surroundings.

They had no choice, there was no food and... They had to leave, they couldn't go back to long way they came from. 

Fuck.

"Anti, we'll get teleported, grab as many things as you can and hold on to them!" Jackie went to their cart and started grabbing as much meat he could and Anti grabbed random items, but focused on what was food too.

"These things will come with us?" He asked curious.

"Yeah they will!" Jackie still was nervous from what happened and held on dearly for the items he grabbed, almost everything but if he grabbed more he was sure it would fall, sweat was starting to form on his body as a response to his nervousness right now. 

"... But isn't that theft-" Anti mumbled naively.

"Anti, not now!" Jackie looked his way frustrated and resisting the urge to roll his eyes but glitch just shrugged, now half grinning.

"I won´t judge, don´t worry." In fact it was amusing how the hero was thinking more on their survival now than in his morals, it was a good thing to see. 

They walked to a more reserved corner and when Jackie saw a camera on the wall, he cursed quietly and Anti quickly noticed what the problem was, so he made sure to let out as much shockwaves as possible, without doing much harm or alarm but enough to affect the electricity around the building making the lights start flickering again, the camera´s red light went off and just as they needed, the hero was about to talk but they blinked and were back in the manor.

"Thank GOD, THAT WAS SO FUCKING AWFUL!" Jackie dropped all the things on a nearby table and sat down on the couch heavily. Clutching his chest. 

Anti placed all his items on the table after his lead  and chuckled.

"It wasn't that bad." He sat down near the hero and received an annoyed half glare from him at what he said. "Believe me, it could've ended WAY worse."

"I know but just... Not now!" Jackie sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes.

Soon they were joined by everyone else in the manor, who looked at them relieved and were fussing over Jackie, while Dark went over to his table and saw the items in there, mostly cold meat that surely would've been costy to buy and some others items that were necessary.

But the more important was now back, meat. Finally. He loved coffee but there's only so much he can take.

"I'll assume none of you brought all of these things?" He chuckled and looked Anti´s way.

He knew what the answer as and what happened, since the others had been alerted and he happened to be talking with the doctor, complaining about Anti. 

"No, we were too busy watching ourselves to worry about paying." Anti looked at his nails then he noticed he was still keeping up his fake image, so he got up and simply glitched back to how he looked before. 

"Ah, well... Good for me I guess." Dark grabbed some things then snapped his fingers, pointing to Jameson. "You, help me bring the meat to the freezer, someone will need to make dinner tonight and it won't be me." 

The dapperman although looked a little annoyed at Dark's apparent order, he did go help him and left the room, follow by Henrik after he had inspected Jackie and deemed him safe from harm.

Anti stared at the window and now he wondered... What else his other self was doing right now? Could he follow them through teleports too? No, his "teleports" weren't like the magician's, they were short range and worked better with places with electricity... But then again did he learn new tricks in the future? For his own sake right now, he hoped not.

He also wanted to have beaten the fake him so bad, just to test out how resilient the other was, but he had to focus on Jackie.

He was getting tired of being caged in this manor like some protected bird from the outside world, he decided he needed to have a little chat with his impostor soon... And he'd try to do it without any of them knowing. 

And he was sure a fight would happen soon since now he had this little plan, so he might as well make even better plans, he was dealing with himself after all and irritatingly he knew how annoying he could be when he was determined to something. 

"You ok there, Anti?" Chase had his cap off and was now walking his way, still looking tired.

Anti just nodded and looked away. 

The "average bro" always looked tired, and unfortunately for Chase, Jack had chosen him to be a puppet for torture, giving him a complicated simple life, someone who suffered a lot for nothing but entertainment and could be sympathized with, it was misery and he was alone in it.

Made to be a comedy character and then changed drastically to tragedy... Perhaps his fate was better than Chase's. He couldn't deny the other had a lot on his plate ever since he could remember existing.

But then again, Chase didn't need to be reminded that, and Anti wasn't thrilled being in his presence like the old days either.

Nowadays he liked to avoid the drunkard because it was better for him and Chase, some things could be forgiven but they were not there yet, one look eye to eye and they both could remember everything that ever happened between them... It wasn't easy to accept he had some things he actually regretted doing now, because now they were allies and it was just plain awkward to be together in the same room with what he'd label himself as "the school's bully".

It was even harder to accept the humiliation it came from accepting these things as well and in a way, to know he did change too (hopefully in their eyes for the good).

Call him a bastard all they wanted, but his pride was still intact with or without the empathy "curse", and some things felt low to do when he was sure it wasn't the case. It was just how he worked, he'd never be perfect anyway. 

And he didn't want to cause more ruckus between him and the other, he was getting irritation enough from getting trapped here with them all day, everyday and dealing with how they normally are. Which was surprisingly more irritating than when they were enemies. 

Like how he didn't like Chase's resentment towards him even if it was justified, those ugly looks he gave him sometimes made him want to act out again and want to fight him but he'd ignore those intrusive thoughts. Jameson's fear never fully went away but he could admire the other still tried to be as friendly as he could to him even... With their past together. Or to look at Jackie sometimes and see the scars he gave him, and it was many. The doctor... He wouldn't even start on how irritating he was to deal with, although nowadays they were amicable and that was good enough in his book. 

Sometimes he missed his old lifestyle but in a way, he was addicted to this one as well. It had more opportunities and new things to do than the old one he always had followed. For now, it was an "addiction" worth keeping. It was entertaining, so he ironically entertained it back. What's a little broken pride to having some allies and people to talk now? It was better than being isolated or restricted to Dark and Wilford for conversations.

"Anti?" Chase snapped his fingers in front of him.

The glitched blinked then narrowed his eyes while staring his way, annoyed. 

"What?"

"Jackie was telling if it wasn't for you, maybe he could've been captured and...and well, thanks for saving him." He mumbled shyly. 

Anti in response stayed silent and kept looking at the window.

"Why do you stare at the window so much?" Chase asked then, and to Anti's shock he was very talkative to him today for some reason. 

One more reason why keeping all this up was a good entertainment, the unpredictability that came with everything was the cherry on top. 

"I'm watching him back." Anti glanced the other ego's way. 

"How do you know the fake you is there already? You guys aren't here for long." Chase joined his side and stared at the forest far away as well. 

"Why do you think he wouldn't be there? This version of me is certainly a bit "better" than me, more modern and with more strategies, I wouldn't underestimate him." He crossed his arms. "...Why so chatty today, Brody?" 

"Geez, can't I fucking talk to you once in a while?" Chase scoffed. "I'm just bored and the others keep glued to me, I might as well keep you some company... Buddy." He chuckled quietly and winked Anti's way.

"Oh great." Anti rolled his eyes and walked away.

"So Anti, what did you even do in your free time when you were hunting us, I always asked myself that-" 

He left the room while the others kept talking to Jackie and he was followed by the average bro, which today was a little more brave than usual and seemed to be in the hopes of talking something out with him, whatever that was. 

So be it. Meanwhile he could plan what his little chat with the other could be about. 

Chapter Text

Chase didn't know what type of voodoo Anti used to make literally everyone be chill with him now, but... He was getting tired of being left out (in a way) and he wanted to get to know the glitch as well.

It could help save his life one day maybe, and it could as well help him forget what happened between them before and try to move on... Because he was getting irritated with the everlasting anger towards the glitch when he knew he couldn't do anything to him. So... If you can´t fight them, join them, right?

And in a way, he also could admit he did saw a great change with Anti... It might be worth a small shot to know him better just to...to be safe and because he was a little bored too, he could remember trying that before but it had been so forced it didn't last much, but now he just wanted to talk a little with the glitch, in a genuine way this time.

Even if he cleaned his sweaty hands on his pants as he followed Anti and babbled on about anything that came to his mind, he wasn't feeling as bad as he thought he'd be when socializing with his former detested enemy. 

Anti wasn't making it easier for him either, Chase thought he either was keeping quiet to not upset him (which was an amusing thought but it could happen now, thanks to the empathy curse, God bless Marvin and his plans) or the glitch just didn't want to talk and was literally just doing that. Or he didn´t care, but he knew in a way, he did.

Anti was straight forward with his attitude and Chase could respect that, it made his life easier. 

But when he didn't get much talking from the glitch today, he decided the next few days would be better to try so he left Anti alone and went to help Henrik make their dinner. Since the glitch and Jackie also just came back from being attacked, they needed to rest a bit.

But something he noticed the next few days trying to know Anti better, is that he saw the others left him alone more often if he was with Anti.

No Henrik fussing over him or checking his room for drinks, no Jackie scolding him if he saw him drinking, no Jameson giving him pity looks or Marvin making cheery talk with him. It made him feel like a toddler and he hated it.

With Anti however, it was different. 

He could drink, he could talk his mind out and the glitch would be either silent or speak a few words here and there. He was a great listener and unfortunately to Anti (unperceived by him), he started complaining about everything in his life, which left the glitch very annoyed and trying to run from him every now and then but Chase would still follow him wherever he went. 

In a way, it was a revenge in a weak state, he'd annoy the glitch until death if he could, but all of this also felt so good as well. To not be judged and just be heard, no pity stares, no scolding, he could do whatever he wanted and Anti wouldn't complain about it. Which is why he was drinking some vodka inside a bottle that could hide it pretty well from the others, and Anti? Well, like he said, he didn´t check anything. Sweet freedom.

"Brody, what is up with you?"

Anti stopped one day, turned to him and as he had mentioned before, went straight to business with his question.

"Why seek me out when you hate me?" 

"Listen, I'm trying to not hate you! There's no point in doing that when everyone is giving you a chance and sure, I can do whatever I want but I'm trying too, ok?" He scoffed and leaned against the wall, chuckling. "Besides, you're a great listener, in a way I have discovered I love talking to you!" He laughed happily, mind a bit foggy.

Yeah he was a little drunk but who cared? It was the only thing that could help take his mind off... Them.

"...Then by all means suit yourself." Anti lifted one brow, still curious and half annoyed, but he could see that Chase was telling the truth. He usually did drunk.

And the rest of the day followed like that until he fell asleep in the couch when the glitch had the plan of sitting down, counting the minutes the average bro would fall unconscious and boom, it worked like a charm. Always so predictable...

He couldn´t go on with his plan of talking to their enemy when he had Chase glued to his side every moment of the day for weeks now, so he decided that maybe at night today when everyone seemed to be getting used to Chase and him being more "close", he´d have a better chance in all of this.

So when night came and almost everyone was asleep, he was about to open the door when he tried flipping the doorknob but it didn´t work, and he knew exactly why.

"Dark, what do you want?" Anti didn´t need to look back to see who was watching him. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes. 

"Are you sure that´s the right thing to do?" Dark asked back instead, hands behind his back.

"And who are you to know what is right or not?" Anti turned around with a scoff, crossing his arms. "I´m going straight to the problem and I might even be able to solve it, who knows?" He smirked.

"You can´t just place bets and expect to win, that´s not how it works. Luck is tricky, and... It´s not on our side." Dark sighed and relaxed a bit more of his posture.

"Dark, Dark, Dark.... Why are you still fake caring about any of those around you?" Anti chuckled quietly, his face darkened by a shadow when he looked down and shook his head.

"...That´s not it." Dark´s voice glitched out and deepened, out of frustration, "You´re putting not only them in danger but you too, and me... And Will." Dark walked a few steps forward and Anti looked up, glaring at the other.

"Well then, that´s bad for you two ain´t it? You agreed to shelter us and now look, we are all trapped together against IRIS and an unknown anomaly that is now confirmed to be me." Anti growled and in irritation, his body twitched in many directions, making some snapping sounds either from his own bones or the glitches.

"We can´t keep delaying this battle, we either do it once and for all, or we just keep delaying it forever." Would they ignore it until they needed food again? Or when one of them got hurt? Or even if the other one went after Jack or did troubles with the normal world and they would be blamed for it? 

What point did it need to reach for any of them to take action? He was tired of just waiting and waiting. They had to do something, HE had to do something. 

"... I will not let you step a foot outside this door, not without a proper plan and agreement of all residents inside this manor." Dark looked down at him with serious eyes and Anti felt his blood boil.

He was so tired of all of them controlling him, in the end he was the one who became a little puppet to everyone, a little monkey toy who did everything everyone said.

He was TIRED of it.

He glitched quickly and in a swift action, punched Dark in the face, which did indeed take him by surprise and Dark's eyes watered up instantly with the sudden pain that flared up, he bent over for a moment and after fixing his posture graciously, he saw red and a line of blood slid down from his nose.

"Oh that's it, fucker." The other darker ego smiled, full of anger. 

Dark launched himself forward and shoved him to a nearby wall, blocking him there while restraining his hands. 

But Anti kicked him in the stomach and successfully got out from Dark's reach and glitched so he was near the door again.

"I will destroy this fuCkIng door just to prove a point IF I need to." His voice glitched and reverberated for some seconds.

But Dark wasn't done with him yet.

No, he wasn't going to be attacked under his own roof, he wasn't gonna let this pass. Anti needed to be taught a lesson once again.

Dark morphed the room around them, slowly pure darkness swallowed everything like snakes slithering around the walls and ground, making Anti get alarmed. Dark was using the void to trap him! 

"NO!" 

"You asked for it, bitch." Dark suddenly went forward and grabbed his shirt, "Say sorry to them for me." He mumbled serious for a moment, blue and red shining briefly through him with his own glitches.

If Anti wasn't so tense and full of adrenaline, he would've said he saw some brief sadness in Dark's eyes. 

Well he didn't have time to think, as Dark this time shoved him strong enough to fall back but instead of his back colliding with the wall or the ground, he heard cracking sounds like glass being broken, he fell through somewhere and he kept on falling and falling through the void, panic making way to his heart and out of nowhere, he finally lands.

He stays down for a moment, back and whole body aching from the fall but eventually he sits up slowly, groaning and feeling dizzy, he touched the back of his head, making him hiss in pain at the sensitive area.

"I'm gonna kill you Dark..." Anti mumbles irritated and gets up, almost falling back down again but he's able to maintain his weight with enough determination, even though his world spins for a moment.

And then, in the distance he sees it. He's not alone as he thought he'd be.

"..."

It's... Someone. Something? Anti stares at them, at it, and yet he can't see their face, he can see the silhouette of a body but it's all so dark, he squints his eyes and he still can't make up a form for whatever was coming closer to him. It's too mysterious and... He doesn't feel safe. It could be a monster for all he knew, Dark was unpredictable.

"DON'T get close!" Anti threatens and summons his knife. 

Whatever was there, stops and stares back at him.

Chapter Text

"...Oh... We know you... Anti." They giggled softly. 

That "someone's" voice was so... Full of voices? Like a crowd speaking all at once, it was uncanny in a way yet he still didn´t let his guard down even with that "thing" showing apparent... friendly intention...? He also knew Dark's pocket dimensions had some effects on whoever was in it, but this one... This one wasn't Dark's. This one was a mix, Anti could feel it around him, this wasn´t just Dark´s own glitches mixed with his own powers, this void was... a mix of three people?

Something was not right with this "void", it was too different. All of this was wrong.

"And who are you?" He narrowed his eyes at the main attraction in the room.

"...We love all of you. We watch, and watched... Everything." They smiled. If Anti could call those multiple faces smiling at once. It was giving him a headache just from staring at whatever this was, so he stopped staring much.

"Watched what?" Anti crossed his arms, a bit impatient.

"Everything." 

Very helpful, he thought with a frown.

"As in?" He inquired then, with a lifted brow, now starting to get curious. 

"...Your birth, your aging, changing... Transforming. The others too, Jack, Dark, all." They sat down on the ground and looked down. "...And we burst to life when all of us just wished enough... And finally we came here... To this universe, where we could help... Damien and Wilford. We even helped a detective."  

"...Damien... I heard that name before." Anti frowned, briefly placing a hand on his chin. "Who's Damien?" 

"Ah." They chuckled sadly. "Someone we loved dearly. But betrayed us anyway." 

"Betrayed?" Anti asked curious. "What even are you?" He kept on frowning while staring down at what was that... Maybe it was another anomaly? But this one was just- Special? Unique? It didn't have a creator like him and Dark and the others did, this one just... They kept referring themselves as "we". And they also didn't share roots with him and Jack's "alters" but seemed linked enough to Mark (or Dark?) in some way. 

It was all just too confusing but the more he analyzed, the more it sort of started to make sense too.

He had to remind himself that in the brief time he was with IRIS, he could remember hearing other anomalies locked away, they weren't the only anomalies in this universe it seemed. So Jack and Mark weren't the root of their "creation", something else was, maybe they didn't even need a root, all of them anomalies just... Simply exist because they do. 

Or not, this was all getting too confusing, too many theories, no answers. 

Anti was silent after that, and the other in front of him was silent as well, still sitting down on the ground and seemingly to be "drawing" on the void. 

"How do I get out of here?" Anti asked then what really mattered.

"You can't." They said quietly. "We are trapped here, too." 

He almost felt one vein explode in frustration with those news. 

"Fucking GREAT." He turned his back to the other quickly and threw his hands in the air. "Whatever fucking alliance me and Dark had, will be GONE." He clenched his fists and bared his teeth. 

"...How is he?" They asked again, voice always soft, or more like "voices". "How is... "Dark"?"

"A fucking asshole as he always has been!" Anti bared his teeth in anger. 

They laughed.

"Well... It's ok... You are not alone, we are not enemies to you. We love you, Anti. As we love Dark, and Wilford... And the others too. All the others." They smiled sadly. "I miss them all." 

"What's this bullshit of "love"?!" Anti frowned at them again, but still frustration kept growing. They were just too fucking ominous for his taste. 

"...You are different too, Anti. In this universe, you are very different." They got up and seemed to be looking at him up and down. "You are... Unique. As all other versions of you, are too." As all of them were, in every alternative universe too.

"What's that even fucking supposed to mean..." Anti rubbed his temples and let out a big breath, sitting down on the ground. He was starting to get a headache from all of this and he was just... Tired, he just hoped the others could get him out of here somehow... And soon.

"They" sat down near him, and he briefly looked at them. 

"... Weirdo." 

They laughed, many people laughing happily at once and it was strange to hear it, it echoed through the immense and vast void they were now trapped in, filling the air with a little... Joy. This thing or things was happy and he didn't even understand why.

"We have... A tip, for you." They chuckled until it died down.

"And what is it?" 

"Sleep. Sleep until they call you back." They patted the ground and Anti looked back at them, unimpressed but... maybe it wasn´t a bad idea.

"...I guess that could work." He sighed and lowered his head again. "But what if I miss when they call?" By "they" he guessed it'd be the others, hopefully Marvin, or Jackie. 

"Don't worry... We will wake you." They reassured him cheerfully, but still in that same quiet tone.

Whatever this was, it sure did sound like they loved him and the others, it was weird and felt foreign to him, all this "love" and kind acts, it wasn't that bad to not be seen in such a bad light for once. Maybe not all anomalies were like him, violent or had dark motives like destroy or kill. But still this being was omnious, mysterious, but yet he was not bad. 

Maybe some anomalies were like this creature, just plain weird and lonely (they sounded awfully lonely somehow? The void atmosphere screamed loneliness), a bit like himself, in a way like a "glitch" too, although not in the literal way like he is, they´re just a "mistake" and not normal to be in the world but still, they´re here, they´re all here.

Ha... He was thinking too much on this crap again, wasn't he? So he decided to stop again.

He laid down on the ground and closed his eyes. Whatever this thing did, he didn't care. If it killed him, he didn't have chances of survival anyway and he for some reason, in this place, didn't feel like fighting. Sleep sounded better, he was glad he learned how to sleep. 

"Sleep well, Anti." They calmly wished him. 

Call him a coward for admitting it, but being treated like this was irritating but nice at the same time, they even sounded like they admired him too somehow, maybe this place was not so bad but... Well, still. He wanted to leave, and maybe this anomaly could leave too. Dark needed to explain a lot of things once he´s back.

"Before I was shoved here, Dark told me to say "sorry"." So that bastard betrayed this anomaly too, somehow, and he guessed that mysterious message had to be to them.

The creature didn't say anything after that and he fell asleep with the silence that followed, he decided... it was a good time to shut down for good and sleep for as long as he wished.

"Did anyone see Anti?" Jackie looked around. "Did you see Anti, Chase?" 

"Nope, I fell asleep on the couch yesterday and then he was gone, I just went to my room afterward." Chase shrugged. "He's probably on the attic again, or maybe with Dark, I don't know." 

"Give him a break, mother hen." Henrik huffed. "Anti must be hiding from us, or from Chase, who is now buddies with him right-" 

"Listen, I'm just following what everyone did, no use hating on who practically saved us from IRIS." 

"Actually I saved us from IRIS by changing Anti, technically it's all on me." Marvin appeared on the higher floor and looked down at the others. "Well, maybe not all, but a good chunk." 

The room bursted in conversations between all egos and Jackie rolled his eyes at them all, he just asked one question and now everyone was debating who helped them more, what came to be, what happened to them and a lot of other random things, Chase was even having fun by jokingly dropping random facts like "did you know the deep sea anglerfish males are trapped to females for the rest of their lives, I saw on the documentary yesterday-" followed by multiple egos going "shut up" and then everything went on to chaos again.

Jackie left the room mumbling to himself and he wasn't looking where he was going when he bumped into someone. 

"Gooooood morning my heroic friend!" Wilford smiled widely and patted his back strongly, always so full of energy, refreshing to witness but also weird, everything screamed insanity in that man. "I've came to check on you, Darky asked me to, and the others are well too, thanks for asking!" He waved him off.

"But... I didn't ask anything-" 

"Oh and Host said to tell you "Ask Dark", whatever this means, such a dorky mysterious fellow." Wilford giggled, "I will check on the others and go check on my people again, then back and forth, back and forth, back and forth-" 

He went away muttering "back and forth" and laughing to himself then when he turned the corner, Jackie heard him singing some weird music with random mouth noises. 

He frowned while still looking the way Wilford came and then shook his head, Wilford was the personification of madness itself, but it was good he was on their side and... Host, it was the writer guy he talked before, right? The one with the bandages in the eyes? That always spoke like everything around him was a story. He hoped him and the others ipliers were ok, he missed playing around a bit with Bing.

"Ask Dark." Host had told him, and why? Why would he help him? Well, he was a good guy that's for sure, very mysterious but anyway, what did he even mean by that? 

He guessed in the end, he would have indeed to ask Dark something and... He knew what he already had in mind to ask. 

Chapter Text

He knocked on the door of Dark´s office with a little apprehension, letting out a quiet sigh and when the door opened on its own, Jackie peeked inside with his head and frowned.

Everything was pitch black, it was... impressive actually, he did enter a few of these "voids" before to talk to Dark but it never ceased to amaze him how unsettling they could be. 

"Enter." Dark gestured at him and he entered the room... Was that even a room? Didn´t matter but still.

It was also macabre how every step he took inside, it echoed loudly and went on and on... Until it faded. But he wasn't here to compliment Dark's powers.

"I´m here to ask you something." Jackie crossed his arms and made a serious face but before he could even open his mouth, Dark interrupted him. 

"Anti is trapped." Dark went straight to the point, his lips pressed together. "No questions needed to be asked, that´s it."

He knew the others would notice Anti not showing up in the morning or later day as a suspicious thing, no use hiding what happened, he might as well just tell everything, he'd rather deal with this now than have a headache later, so he sighed and fixed his posture to make himself taller.

Bring it on.

"Ok...? And why is he trapped?" Jackie gave him an exasperated look and then shot him an amused look, snorting, "What could he possibly have done-"

"He intended to leave the manor and either fight or talk to the impostor outside." Dark glitched in front of him, leaning towards him and scowled."I didn't sense ill intentions from him, before you and the others jump to conclusions as always, but I advised him NOT to go but he didn't listen!" His glitches flickered red strongly for a moment. 

Jackie was silent as he heard Dark babbler about what happened, and while he was strangely amused with it all, it was good to be reassured Anti wasn't betraying them, but he still felt there was more to all of this. He always liked to hear the two sides of the story, but either way... His question didn't get answered completely. Anti was trapped, ok but where?

"...My question still stands." Jackie mumbled after Dark was done talking, an uncomfortable silence in the air.

He wanted to in a way, not be affected by Dark's intimidations towards him such as the dark glare sent to him, or any manipulation tricks he might use so Jackie chose to puff out his chest and not be affected by anything the "iplier" ego did. He couldn't help but be on his guard with Dark, old habits die hard. 

Dark kept on glared his way, frustration starting to build up again, so he passed a hand through his hair. "What is it with you all being so fucking stubborn-"

"Listen, I heard you, I think... I trust your decision because if all the others do, I do too." Jackie sighed. "But we need Anti, I just hope you didn't kill him or anything." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes slightly.

He knew Dark wouldn't do that but there's no harm in just making sure, so he chose to comment on that anyway. 

"Of course not." Dark scoffed. "I just put him in... a certain pocket dimension." He looked away and seemed to remember something. 

"So? Let him out." Jackie half smiled and placed a hand on his hip. Easy as that, he thought.

But of course it wasn't that simple.

"No." Dark quickly looked his way, clenching his fists behind his back.

"What do you mean no?! We need Anti!! Hell, isn't he your friend or-"

"How many TIMES must I say that we are NOT friends!" Dark punched the void in frustration and it cracked loudly, a brief light coming from the cracks on the void itself, making noises of glass breaking but... Then it all slowly "healed" back and was pitch black again, as if the cracks had never been there.

"...We are not friends." He mumbled quietly. 

Jackie sensed a bit of sadness in that, which was intriguing to say the least, he didn't understand why Dark was so moody today but he maybe wanted to help the other "villain". 

"But you can be!" He readily jumped in. "You and Anti aren't friends ok, but you two always teamed up in many situations right? There's always room for some friendship!" 

Call him cheesy or whatever but... Sometimes Dark had sad eyes when he was distracted looking somewhere, and while him and the others Jack's egos weren't fond of him, he knew Dark and Anti had some sort of intimacy...? Such as in well... They were villains!! They knew how to be hated could feel like, and... And whatever else they felt. It sure wasn't good though.

But they still could bond over that, he was sure of it! 

Dark let out a deep laugh that almost perfectly sounded like Mark's happy one, but it was different. Mark's laughter didn't echo and sound broken.

"Oh you naive little thing." Dark shook his head, some of his glitches more blue now. "That'd be quite impossible." 

"Why? Anti is lonely, so are you." Jackie shrugged. "Seems like good material to make buddies from." 

As much as him and the others were in good terms with Anti now, there would always be a bridge between them of their past together, of everything that happened and while it was "forgiven" (an unsaid thing between everyone nowadays), they couldn't just forget it. Not even him, who quite liked Anti now. 

Scars could heal but scars never faded, and unfortunately that's what would always be between them and Anti.

He knew how the glitch looked at them sometimes, with envy when they were laughing together, speaking with each other, playing even, but when he'd try to interact with some of the others then... It all would go quiet. 

He didn't blame the others or himself for it, Anti was just too different from all of them and they never ceased the habit to be careful around him, it didn't do any harm but... It always seemed to strike a nerve in Anti too, for some reason.

There it was again, the very ironically loud silence, but Jackie had been lost in thoughts when Dark let out a deep breath and they looked at each other. 

"...We are going off topic here." Dark seemed to snap back to reality after some uncomfortable silence settled. "Anti will stay where he is... For a few days." 

"Do I have your word on that?" Jackie crossed his arms again. 

"You have my word." Dark bowed slightly at saying that. "And Wilford will be with us while Anti is away, none of you will be in danger." He unconsciously reassured the hero, getting lost in thoughts.

Dark thought he'd leave but Jackie stayed.

"You seem troubled sometimes, Dark." The hero said genuinely sympathetic. "I know you think Anti isn't good friendship material or whatever, but you two are so similar, I don't see why you guys won't just... Get along!" Jackie slightly opened his arms when gesturing with his hands as he spoke, a habit he tries to kill but sometimes forgets. 

"We are not good people, and we're certainly not good to each other either." Dark looked back at him. "We had our ups and downs, I've betrayed him before, he stabbed me in the back too sometimes, it's... Quite complicated where we stand." Dark half shrugged. 

"Hm." Jackie just hummed. "Sounds complicated, yeah." 

"You have no idea." Dark chuckled. "But he'd always come back crawling to me." He wouldn't mention he did seek out the glitch too sometimes, because...

Because sometimes, he felt like a real person around Anti, he didn't feel like a mix of three people and something more, he didn't feel torn at everything or the voices that sometimes screamed in his head, no, with Anti he was just... Dark. A single entity that he fought and they helped each other, they fought each other, they could bleed and tear each other apart and there would be no judgements, nothing.

It was simple. And it was good... And bad, in a way. 

Sure it was "bad", but he didn't know what normal was. He was not normal, Anti was not normal, nothing and none of them screamed normality in their situation. 

They were two unique beings in a world they didn't fit properly, hell they didn't even fit with their own category of "anomalies" (aka Jack and Mark's "alter egos") and Dark sometimes felt so tired of that feeling. Even with Wilford around him, Will who he was so fond of, but sometimes could get tiring to deal with. 

He felt guilty even thinking that, but sometimes he had no idea how to deal with Wilford properly, he was always so careful around him to not make him snap or get too entangled in the past memories that he too would hide away hoping Will would forget him. 

His existence hurt a lot of beings and he hated it, he didn't choose to be here and... Anti didn't either, and they both were violent, and bad, and... And wanted a different life.

Because when he allowed Anti to bring Jack's egos here, he had more plans in mind, to use them, to use the magician, to use Anti and his new found personality, but instead... He saw what normality seemed to be.

Laughter, talking, eating or watching TV together... He always saw that with the ipliers too but the difference between them and Jack's egos is that, while Jack's egos were very united for being few and having one enemy in common in the past (Anti), the ipliers were... Not united at all.

Bing would be mocked for his personality, Wilford was avoided by most, Host was lonely and always speaking about what happened and why would happen, King of Squirrels seemed nervous around anyone and him... Well, they sought him out when Actor threatened their "base" or themselves, and that's about it. There were even new other egos too that he still didn't know much about and.... Well, everyone was away from each other. 

Just like right now, every iplier had a "hiding" place and Jack's alters? They had a single house before they abandoned it, they had always been together. The ipliers were used to being in constant chaos and, or with, threatening places or people.

They always had a back up plan, a hiding place, each on their own and... That was a bit sad for Dark, but he supposed it would always be like that. That's what they got for having Mark as their creator, chaos was always gonna be in their blood wether they wanted or not.

"...I'll leave you be with your thoughts, I feel like we can talk more later." Jackie stretched a bit and yawned. "I'll talk to the others if you want to come drink some tea with Marvin and me... Feel free to do." Jackie smiled to him.

Dark stared at him and nodded then gave his back to him.

"...Thanks for understanding." Dark said quietly, but the void was large and empty, so it echoed softly away. 

Jackie nodded his way then left the room when a door appeared, he got out and the door locked itself.

Dark was left with his thoughts or well... A lot of thoughts, more than one person should have.

Anti should get out already.

Not yet, he hasn't learned his lesson.

He's not some dog to learn tricks, Celine! If we want to ensure our alliance to him, we need to be more... Amicable.

And where did that take us, Damien? He stabbed in the back MANY times before! Remember when Mark actually got his help in something? He's a liar-

So are we.

We are different, Damien. And Anti has brought us nothing but headache, don't let the soft talk from that "hero" get to you.

...Jackie seems to have a point, what bad there is to just.... Be good for once? 

For what? For people to step on us again? Don't forget Damien, the person we got this body from was kind and now look what happened to them.

We could get them out of there too, they didn't deserve to be locked there. That was...

...One day, Damien, but... Not today.

Dark shook his head and hissed, clenching his fists.

Never alone, never one entity, always something else.

Even though he was alone now, he never felt more lonely. He'd dare say he missed Anti and to even let some steam out with him, or Wilford's presence but he didn't want to burden the other with him. 

Jackie was right, he was lonely, it was ironic. He was a mix of people, he was never lonely, Celine and Damien were always there but... Here... He didn't have anyone. 

"What a pitiful existence." He said quietly and yet it still echoed on and on until it faded away and Dark was left in complete silence and darkness.

Chapter Text

"So Anti....is locked away?" Marvin frowned, sipping on his tea but being comfortably on the chair too.

"Yeah." Jackie made a face. "He had a dumb idea and Dark tried to stop him, they fought and Dark put him somewhere else." 

"Where?" Asked Henrik, curious. 

"I don't know, he was adamant about not telling." Jackie shrugged. "But I marked with him to talk a bit more later, so I'll let you know when I know." 

"...And what about Anti?" Jameson signed and looked around. "What do we do?" 

"Nothing, there's nothing we can do. Dark said Wilford will help us out for now, so let's hold him onto that." Chase chugged down some juice and the others briefly looked at him.

"...Are you guys sure we should trust Dark?" Marvin inquired serious. "Lately I've been... Getting strange feelings about this manor....And Dark." 

"We trust Anti, Anti "trusts" Dark, why should we doubt them both?" Jackie gestured with his hands. "Nothing bad happened so far to us." 

"You sure Anti will trust Dark after this?" Henrik snorted, "They'll both be at each other's throat, we should do some damage control or get that crazy fucker out there to at least protect us somehow." 

"He has a point, we need to do something so Anti won't be at Dark's throat." Chase placed a hand on his chin. 

They all looked at Jackie.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "Why do I have to do everything relating to Anti?!" 

"Isn't it clear you're his favorite now." Chase rolled his eyes. "He always listens to you." 

"Yeah, that's because I actually talk to him!" Jackie defended himself and in a way, Anti too.

"We all talk to him now, you're just... I don't know, patient or some shit and he listens." Henrik waved him off. "Your 'heroic' manners saved the day after all." He laughed, making the hero get a bit red. 

"Shut up Hen." Jackie said embarrassed and in the distance, he saw Jameson laugh quietly. "Fine you old farts, when Anti is back I'll talk to him but I gotta warn, I don't make miracles!" 

"You might not but you have extremely good luck on your side Jackie, abuse it." Marvin got up and went to him, patting his back. "If there's someone Anti will listen, is you." He nodded.

"...And stopping to think about it, Dark listened too." Jameson lifted one finger and cheerfully explained, when the others looked at him. "Jackie you're saving the day once again!" 

"Oh man..." Jackie looked away even more red. "Shut up guys."

"Awww he's blushing!" Chase chuckled at seeing the hero so red with the compliments. "We aren't exactly lying, the bad guys seem to have a thing for you Jackie." 

"I know, it's just..." He looked to the ground trying to come up with a way to explain. "I trust my heart and my instincts, and I feel Dark and Anti aren't... That bad you know?" 

"For our sake, I hope you're right because if you aren't, then we are fucked." Henrik mumbled.

One week passed and Wilford was unbearable to be around, Jackie had gotten shot once, Jameson got taught how to shoot (not bad but still), he helped Chase get away with his drinking problems, he´d get into small fights with Henrik, he´d pester Marvin to do tricks or show magic and... The others didn´t like his nature in general, they were used to him being here and there, though now that he was here daily and even if he protected them by being around, he still was someone they quite didn´t get used to... Yet(?).

Following all these events, the atmosphere around the house was getting worse and worse as the week had passed, Wilford started complaining he was spending too much time in that "cursed manor" and now the "ipliers" that had been there before now had officially chosen their own "hiding spots" as their "house", they got communicated by Dark in relation to all of this, and the darker ego now looked very neutral about it but something in his eyes seemed off, like the information didn´t please him as they thought it would (after all, they had this idea that Dark was a loner and liked to be alone, but now...).

As a result, they were all in a bad mood and waiting for Anti to come back, while Wilford was eagerly wanting to leave.

Wilford wasn't a bad person, they didn't hate him for how he was, but he was too... Chaotic and they preferred their quiet glitch than the madman shooting things around randomly and scaring them out of their skin.

So one day, Marvin went to Dark and along with the others, they demanded Anti to be brought back and Dark now without any choice, had to give in to it, so he rolled his eyes and reassured his "guests" that Anti would be brought back.

However, he still made them stay somewhere in the manor, not in the room he kept the special mirror that contained an old ally and the new prisoner.

He didn't want any of them finding out about that mirror...

He placed his hand on the mirror, sighed and closed his eyes for a moment when flashbacks filled his mind for some seconds, then the hand slowly got merged into the glass, he awaited for any sort of action from inside.

And that´s when they saw Dark´s familiar hand, and ever since that day Anti went to sleep they had faithfully stayed next to him and kept an eye out on whatever could happen.

Seemed like the day finally came and with a small smile, they shook Anti and the glitch finally woke up after one week and some days of sleep.

It took Anti some seconds to recognize where he was and remember everything that happened, but when he lifted his head lazily, sat up and looked at that... thing, he recalled why he was being awoken. It all came rushing back like a train and his groggy state went away immediatelly.

"I can go?" He got up from the ground and started stretching, not bothered by making whoever was on the other side wait.

"Yes." The amalgamation of beings said and their voices echoed around. "Time to go."

Anti then looked at the light coming from somewhere nearby, and it was a small hole on the void itself, but from there was a hand which he recognized instantly, making his face go immediatly in a scowl just from remembering Dark's irritating existence.

He started walking to Dark´s hand, which was out stretched and waiting, and when he finally grabbed it and it started pulling him, he looked behind him.

"You´re not coming?" He asked confused and briefly hesitated to follow Dark´s pull.

"I can´t." They chuckled quietly. "I´m stuck here, I can´t pass to the other side without a body and... My body is already being used." 

Anti looked at them confused, but when Dark´s hand squeezed his arm, staring at it made something click in him that just... Dark was somehow a big part in this anomaly´s life. He wanted to find out but instead he got impatient and slept away the time he was here, he couldn´t exactly go back now.

He´d have to interrogate Dark himself if he wanted some explanation.

"At least try it!" He furrowed his brows, frustrated and extended a hand to the being. "Try." While he was still wary of this anomaly, if they were out and free like him, maybe it could possibly help them against their enemy.

"Oh Anti... It won´t work." They looked down and frowned, knowing it would be fruitless but... "But for you, we will try anyway." They smiled weakly.

It couldn´t hurt to do so.

So Anti finally let Dark use more strenght and pull him, he was holding onto the other anomaly´s arm and slowly he got pulled from the mirror and fell to the wooden ground of the manor, briefly getting blinded by all the lights around after spending that time in the void.

He glanced to the broken mirror and then to his empty hand.

He felt torn, the anomaly that had helped him was trapped out there. They... They couldn´t leave because of their "body" or something else and Anti while still being conflicted on how to feel about that being (or beings...?), he felt pity for its existence and how trapped it was.

And upon looking up to the asshole extending a hand to him, he slapped the hand away.

"You´re fucking awful." He gave the other a tight lipped smile, pointing to the other dark ego, " There´s a thing trapped in that place... For God knows how long! And you, you did something to it! It couldn´t even leave-" 

"...I didn´t have a CHOICE!" Dark´s deep voice echoed through the halls nearby, furiously grabbing the black shirt of the glitch in a fit of anger, "I would be trapped there thanks to Actor if I didn´t convince them to lend me their body, and by doing that I also helped them stay alive, or else they´d be dead by now!" He glared at the glitch's way and then let him go, shoving him away. 

"I´d much rather want to stay dead than trapped in a fucking void for eternity." Anti growled and shoved Dark away. "Are they dead then? Their body?" 

"...No, their body belongs to me now." Dark let out a deep breath and tried to calm himself, "It´s been a really, really... Really long time since they lend me their body and it got used me, to us." He explained softly, looking down.

"Us." Anti snickered. "I can almost see a pattern here, it´s something about a "Damien" and "Celine" right?" Anti crossed his arms.

Dark´s jaw tightned, his eyes narrowing at the glitch and the way he eyed Anti could kill anyone on the spot, a dark furious glare, barely containing his anger, but the glitch had gotten many of those stares before to be actually afraid of Dark and what he could do, and if he did... He was more than happy to get into a fight.

"You know... Back then when I worked for Actor that one time, he kept mocking you and someone called Celine." He crossed his arms, a calmness washing over him and make him... weirdly amused with it all.

"SHUT UP!" Dark´s aura flashed brightly red and he glitched forward and pinned Anti to the wall, with an arm on Anti´s neck, eyes intense with fury. "One more word about the past and I´ll make that slice on your neck wider." Dark said in a low tone.

Anti did stay quiet but then frowned.

"Can´t you at least help the thing inside the mirror?" He gave an annoyed look instead.

For that, Dark stared at him for some moments before giving him an icy look and letting him go once again, giving his back to him.

"They can´t leave that mirror or they...They´ll die somehow or something bad could happen to their soul and I don´t want to hurt them."

We´ve hurted them enough. Damien´s voice echoed in his thoughts and Celine stayed silent.

"...What even happened, Dark?" Anti asked softly, to his surprise.

"Nothing of your God damn business." Dark turned to him still with an ugly expression, and Anti knew he wouldn´t let this go so easy. 

"It is my business when the people I was taking care of, could be hurt by you." 

"Oh so now you really care about them?" Dark snorted. "The mighty and GOOD Anti, reedemed and reformed, a brand new person!" Dark bowed mockingly.

"After all this time, it´s safe to say I do." Anti crossed his arms and chose... Maybe he needed a different approach. "And I don´t want you doing anything for them."

They were his and his alone to command or even hurt if he wanted, the thought of Dark hurting any of the others made his blood boil.

"If I wanted any of you gone, I would´ve done so already." The other ego calmly said, but with a hint of agression in his voice. "But I never did anything, I helped you just as I promised before with our... Alliance."

To that both stayed silent, Anti didn´t know what to say or ask and Dark in retrospect, was waiting for anything to be said his way.

"What? You won´t say anything now?" Dark pressed. 

"I´m trapped with you against my will in this weird ass manor, there's nothing I can do without fucking me up or the others." He let out a deep breath. "...Why did you even fucking throw me there for?" He asked annoyed once again but now he was also a bit curious.

"It just happened to be most nearby place I could trap you in." Dark shrugged. "The truth would come out sooner or later, and I don't care about it." If there was something he learned with The Host was that his story would unveil itself whether he wanted or not.

There was a heavy silence after that, and Anti stared to the ground in thoughts, the only comfort he found in all this situation was hear the birds outside singing and the wind howling, it made him remember he was not trapped in that void anymore and he should be careful from now on.

He looked to Dark, opened his mouth then closed it again, looking away then shaking his head. 

"What now?" Dark crossed his arms and leaned against a nearby column, looking down, his bang shadowing his face slightly.

"Did everything stay ok here?" Anti asked. "Did... The other me attack?" 

"No, but he's been scaring the others by staying outside in the windows sometimes, just glimpses." Dark looked to the closed window nearby. "And the food you and the "hero" stole, is slowly going away again." 

Anti rubbed the place between his eyes then looked away.

"We need to do something about it." He growled. "I'm tired of being confined here." 

"I might be able to help somehow... If you let me." It was safe to say Dark also wanted them gone from the manor as fast as possible, their days here were many already (months now! Much to his displeasure) and he just wanted some peace and quiet after all this. 

"Feel free to do so." Anti shrugged. "Oh and Dark?" 

"Hm?" 

Anti got near him and he curiously watched the glitch get near and near, until he got punched him in the face again leaving him momentarily stunned and...

The egos that happened to hear everything nearby, got out of their hiding place and separated the two rivals after the fight started getting intense again, more shouting and chaos erupting in the room, while Wilford happily laughed in the background and cheered for "Damien" to win the fight.

And on the other side of the mirror, a creature sat lonely and slept, hoping to one day somehow be free, be it in death or life. 

Chapter Text

Safe to say Dark and Anti weren´t on speaking terms after the fight (which all the egos got together to separate them) and Wilford after "comforting" Dark for a moment (or more like patting his back for "holding on"), was preparing to leave by being at foyer and looking around lost in his thoughts, or perhaps, memories.

"Finally out of this cursed place! Now excuse you me." He giggled suddenly, grinning and when he was about to open the door, Jackie stopped him by just entering the room in time, panting from how much he had ran.

"Wait!" He grabbed Wilford´s shoulder and the other turned around with a curious but also amused expression.

"Yeees?" He lifted one brow.

"You´ll... You´ll just leave?" Jackie frowned, feeling exasperated. "I-I know... we all didn´t get along very well but-"

"Ah, don´t worry my friend!" Wilford placed an arm around Jackie´s shoulder, making them walk together to the door. "Lil old Warfie here is never too far away to leave his buddies alone." He winked.

"So... You'll come back right?" Jackie asked in a quiet tone. 

"Si amigo, when you need me the most! The big part of the show hasn't started yet!" He cackled and opened the door, the only one that never feared to do so. 

"Will..." Jackie gulped.

"Hm?" 

"Thanks for helping." 

Wilford gave him a grin and bowed, then closed the door and left, quick as he had came, quick he also went.

He heard the madman make random mouth noises and sing random lyrics to himself, when he noticed Wilford barely took footsteps outside before all sounds disappeared completely with what he assumed to be the use of his powers. It was eerily terrifying how powerful Wilford´s powers were (by what he heard from Anti), he had teleportation, could open up "black holes" even, he could sustain wounds no normal person could withstand.... Hell, he even heard he could "see" the future at some extent? Which is why his comment about "the show" made Jackie feel shivers down his spine. He just hoped nothing bad happened to them, they already had a lot in their plate right now.

But it also was understandable... Why would a being bound to insanity be affected by normalcy of this reality? It made sense and yet... It didn´t make sense at all, just like Wilford Warfstache himself.

Well... At least Anti returned and they could have some hint of their old life back.

He had slept so much being in that void, that he didn't want to sleep again so soon, a part of him screaming to be alarmed and aware pf everything around him, as a result Anti stayed up for hours in the next few days, avoiding the others, thinking how he could change strategies and knowing he was also being observed by "himself"... He watched the sun set and the moon rise, yet it didn't make a difference, he watched from the inside and, outside he saw his reflection smile back, he saw his shadow and felt nothing.

He wasn't even scared, of course not, that "him" was just... Messing with everyone. In a way, he found it funny too! He knew himself, he knew the other him wanted to see how far they could go, how far they´d all tolerate each other, if they´d succumb to hunger or thirst, to the chaos going on around them all, to the fear... So many possibilities and at least Anti was grateful for knowing how his enemy worked, because he knew where to protect where the other wanted to attack.

And so he did, silently, he was never away from the windows, they could break easily yet the blow never came, he didn't know the last time he went to "his" room, but it didn't matter and neither did anyone notice, much to his happiness.

(Although sometimes he wished he wasn't in this perpetual state of alarm and observation duty, that maybe, just maybe, deep down he wanted to rest a little bit...)

And thinking about the others... They were his and his alone to do anything, be it good or be it bad, nowadays he felt good enough with his "relationships" with the other "alters" and he didn't want to change that, it all kept opening up to new possibilities, new amusements everyday with each interaction and observation he made on the... It was all so freshly new, but sometimes he did miss his old life, or it could be the adrenaline rush he got from it he thought. Perhaps the him in the window was his old life begging him to come back to it... In a metaphoric way, of course.

But then that feeling would creep up inside his chest whenever he had these thoughts and tighten it around his heart, he'd think about the others and feel something he didn't want to, it was weird, it was always weird to have these sort of emotions.

It´d make him snarl at himself and look away, looking anywhere in the fancy room and pay attention to details he never did, as if he could really pay attention to anything at this point. That feeling of... Guilt? Sorrow? Whatever was the name of it, it made him feel bad, and he hated it. 

He was always in a confused but also "certain" state, always unsure if he should go back to his old habits or to stay in the new ones (which he probably would), but at the blink of an eye he´d also analyze how his current situation was and be happy with it, not quite happy but entertained enough, this kept going on and on in cycles and he knew if the others could know what he was thinking, they´d panic so he was very careful with how he acted.

All the efforts the "cursed" him from before did, were also not in vain. He gained their trust, be it for good or better, thus and thus he came to the final conclusion that oddly enough, where before he wanted to get rid of them so bad, now he wanted to keep them, just as bad (if not more...).

He was deeply immersed in his thoughts about everything but his ears didn't fail to catch the sound of nearing footsteps.

"Anti?" Jackie appeared on the living room and saw Anti watching the window, nowadays being a normal thing to see. "Watcha doin´ buddy?"

"Watching." The glitch said neutral.

"I can see that," Jackie joked, but Anti didn't react to it, just kept on being... like a statue, frozen in place and staring at the window. "Anti... uh... You should talk with Dark."

That got the glitch´s attention and he finally turned to him, always with that serious expression, it was almost bizarre how in a way, Jackie was noticing Anti was changing, slowly but surely, he was more... Quiet, Reserved and mainly... Devoid of emotion? It was scary to look at the same guy and think he was the laughing maniac that almost killed Jack before, but he was just this empty shell of emotions that screamed danger just as bad. Jackie wasn't even sure if he wanted the old Anti back or this one-

"What are you thinking so hard about, hero?" Anti looked down at him and glitched, making Jackie unconsciously grimace with the brute and unexpected crack sound of bones mixed with the short seconds of electricity. 

It was always so quick but he always wondered if Anti hid from them that it hurt him or not.

"Doesn´t that hurt-"

"How many times I have to repeat, it doesn't hurt me-" Anti walked forward and leaned towards him, then touched his forehead with the tip of his finger.

"OW!" Jackie instantly recoiled from his touch and gave him a soft glare. "That fucking hurt!" 

"-But it can hurt you." Anti finished and chuckled quietly, now with a more less serious look in his eyes. "You said you wanted me to talk with Dark?"

"Yeah! He´s been so down since the day you got back and come on, it wasn't nice to punch him, even if he kinda deserved it- I mean, you think he deserves it, right? I don´t but still-" Jackie didn't notice how he was starting to ramble and Anti rolled his eyes.

"Why would I be all "buddy buddy" with him when he locked me away like a bad dog?" Anti huffed, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If you need new playmates, go for it."

It was Jackie´s turn to frown, now irritated. "That´s not what I meant! I´m saying you should man up, own your mistakes and apologize because all of this started because of YOU!" He elevated his voice and for a brief second, Jackie´s own powers acted up and blue sparked around them for a moment, making Anti half smile.

Maybe he shouldn't have done that, and when he was about to apologize, he stopped himself when he saw Anti sharply turn to him, placing one of his hand on his hip and analyze him.

"And what would an apology do, hm? Fix everything?" Anti kept on that stupid expression Jackie was starting to hate more and more, and he didn't know if something was up with the glitch but ever since they were on the "supposedly" same side, Anti was being weird since then.

"Tell me." He pressed Jackie more and the hero took one step back, starting to feel tense.

"...Why are you acting so strange?!" He shoved the glitch away but in a weak manner. "You- I don´t know Anti! An apology can´t fix shit in this all, but it can fix Dark´s own feelings for a matter! HELP even!" Jackie frowned, looking down and he felt...a strange sadness. 

Anti kept on being silent.

"I talked with him yesterday if that makes you feel better, Dark is ok." Anti gave him his back and shrugged, again, paying attention to the window.

"...Sure, yeah but... Anti, you´re just... You- You changed." Jackie whispered and Anti snorted.

"Happens all the time to every single being in this planet, why would I be different?"

"Don´t play dumb, you don´t change because you want to, you´re plotting something, aren´t you?" Jackie boldly asked.

"If I was, what would you do huh? You´d kill me, break me apart all over again like before?" Anti glitched abruptly and he was now in front of Jackie´s face in seconds, having a furious expression in his face. "Did the blood feel good in your hands too, Jackie?" A grin made way to Anti´s face.

While Jackie looked at him with wide eyes, his heart beating up fast with all this conversation and the memories of when he broke Anti´s leg, the beating, the harsh treatment- He had been angry! Angry people feel bad emotions! He wasn't bad, he NEVER would enjoy blood, he wouldn't, he did but he wasn't-

"You-I-" Jackie took more steps back, still in a bit of shock and his train of thoughts in a mess, but also so much anger, making his eyes glow blue and him close his fists. "I was the only one, ONLY, that truly believed in you, in whatever is inside your heart, but-." Jackie turned around to leave but before he did, he wanted to affect Anti just as much. "Now I´m not so sure anymore, but If I need to tear you apart to protect the others, I will do so."

"I´d love to see you try." Anti chuckled, then it bloomed in a full laughter, one he knew full well, very painfully familiar to his ears, to when they all were just enemies and their old, old life. 

It made Jackie´s blood boil and he felt strangely betrayed by the glitch, his eyes burned and threatened to spill tears so consequently he left that room with heavy footsteps, disappearing deep inside the manor.

Anti stopped laughing and it all fell silent, the room of Dark´s manor never felt more thick with emotions and yet so peaceful at the same time after the hero left, leaving behind a strange mix of apprehension and tenseness in the air.

"I know you´re hearing me." Anti said out loud, turning to the window once more.

His plan would work because he'd make sure of it, he just need to play the right card... And his little fight with Jackie, sure enough would make the other him curious enough.

"So why don´t we talk?" The other him asked, an amused expression in his face when he stared back at Anti from the window, maintaining eye contact.

Just as he predicted, he had been hearing everything.

"Not yet, not yet." Anti mumbled, shaking his head and still smiling, giving him his back. 

I can't wait to tear you apart... Oh he missed a good fight and he knew if someone could give him a GOOD one, it would be himself. 

"Ah... Then I wait." The other chuckled darkly, a low deep sound quite similar to Dark, surprisingly enough. "And I have all time in the world for that. Come meet me when you feel ready, I can´t wait to talk some sense into this version of me." 

"Don´t worry, our time will surely come." Anti reassured him without missing a beat. A silent challenge in his voice, which he was sure the other got the hint by the way his dark eyes gleamed with joy. 

And then they turned their backs and left each other alone, each with their own little plan, and Anti needed the magician to have the upper hand in this deck of cards, and he´d do whatever it took to win this game.

He hoped Jackie... Forgave him for his little show he orchestrated, but if he wanted to win, he needed the other him attention's away from Jackie, because he was sure he had his eyes on him, his instincts and logic screamed so. 

He was the only one that mostly always went to check on him and to talk, as if they were... Friends. So Anti was really doing him a favor by driving him away, he needed their enemy's attention somewhere else, and he needed to do something about it quick.

But again, he planned to use Marvin's magic in all this, so he went away to find the magician.

Chapter Text

"You can´t be serious." Marvin rubbed the space between his eyes. 

"We need-"

"We DON´T need it!" Marvin protested back just as quick. "We don´t need to see the future again and again Anti, just to get the upper hand!" Marvin leaned against the wall of his room, getting the mask off.

"SHH!" Anti shushed him and Marvin gave him an annoyed expression.

"I won´t hide this from them anyway, there´s no use being silent." 

"Still, I wanted to talk privately and I do think you know the meaning of that word, right?" Anti asked sarcastic and crossed his arms.

"Oh spare me." Marvin squinted his eyes at him and waved him off. "So that´s all you wanted?"

"Yes.... And no." Anti sighed. "....I´m done with you all." He mumbled quietly, closing his eyes feeling frustrated.

"So are we with you!" Marvin imitated him by crossing his arms then his expression softened up, undoing it moments later. "...Jackie told us about how you treated him and-"

"He´s in danger." Anti closed his fists strongly and felt his nails dig into his palms, although not enough to hurt himself. Still, he could feel frustration pumping in his veins. "Can you understand what I did now?" He glared at the magician.

His intentions weren't of intentionally hurting the hero for bad purposes, but rather his protection. Marvin sometimes was a slow thinker but he better notice it now, because he'd never say it. 

The magician was silent but he nodded when he had an idea of why, looking away and then smiling at him. "That was nice of you Anti, thanks. But uh... I don´t know, are you sure he´s going after Jackie?"

"He´s been watching everything ALL week." Anti sat down on a chair nearby, feeling tired already from what was about to come and Marvin followed his actions, sitting at his own bed. "Jackie is the one that comes to check on me the most, all the others stay hidden, I might not notice the other me all the time, but I´m not an idiot. I- well, he wants to hurt all of us, myself included for some reason, I just know it. And if I was to hurt you, I´d strike where it hurts the most.... And in this case, Jackie has been- ..." Anti lost his words for a moment.

He would not say it, but his heart betrayed him anyway. Disgusting.

"He has been a really good help all this time, or for a lack of better word, a hero. Just doing his job and having the good heart he has." Marvin said with a small smile. And he has been the one closest to you. "...Yeah I can see why you´d think the other Anti wants to hurt Jackie." 

"Yes." He mumbled neutral and with a lack of what to say. 

There was silence then it started raining, they heard the raindrops make noise against the window and Marvin looked out with curiosity.

"If the other you is out there... Aren´t you bothered by the rain, the sunny days, the days with storms and... Just everything in general, you know? Animals, IRIS..." He asked curious.

"What part of I´m not human, you all don´t understand?" Anti sighed and got up, "No, it never bothered me, it won´t start doing now." It all didn't have any effect and for that, he was grateful.

Marvin hummed then eyed him with something strange in his eyes, Anti didn´t like it, so he stared at the magician until he looked away.

"...We don´t need to see the future anymore Anti, we just have to be careful and you aren´t alone in this, ok? I will use my magic to help you, Chase will shoot, Henrik will stab, just- Whatever, all of us will be in this together and we´ll win, ok? Just need to have some faith." He smiled.

He really was trying to, but it was hard when he knew every weakness in each individual and by the extended time of his other self watching all of them, he must have noticed something by now as well.

"I guess."

That didn´t sound too convincing to Marvin, but he accepted it anyway. 

Wilford was walking whistling through the woods when he stopped and just... Felt it. It was time, wasn´t it?

He giggled and turned around with a dramatic spin, seeing Anti staring at him.

Except this was not Anti. Not their Anti. 

"HA! IMPOSTOR!!" He pointed at the glitch.

"Look at you! Less emo than ever but still the emo we all know and love!" He laughed and the other Anti kept his expression neutral. "Some things never change, huh?" He wiggled his brows. 

Not a twitch of movement, no glitches, nothing. It would make anyone´s hair stand on their own but Wilford smiled wider and felt his blood pumping, calling for a fight.

Then when he least expected it, Anti glitched forward in a mess of red pixels and tried to stab him, but Wilford dodged by moving his body backwards.

"Nuh uh uh!! Rude!" He waved his finger at Anti and finally he showed some emotion, irritation. 

Wilford used his teleport and appeared behind Anti in a snap of fingers, he grabbed quickly his gun and shot the glitch when pressing the gun on his back, making all birds nearby in the trees fly away with the sudden sound. Anti didn´t react much but Wilford could see he got annoyed anyway.

It was all a game of how much they could endure and he couldn't wait to find out.

Anti quickly turned around with a kick and was able to attack him in the stomach, making him double over in pain and the glitch took advantage by grabbing by the hair and smashing his head against a nearby tree, making his world spin.

"OW!" Wilford yelled in pain and then teleported away, with a hand on his head on spots where it hurt the most.

There wasn´t much talking after that.

Wilford dodged where Anti attacked, he attacked and Anti would dodge but he was also able to land some blows on the quick glitch, they stayed at this dance for a long time until they were both panting and sweating, except Wilford was smiling while Anti was not, he was still with that same neutral expression but his jaws were clenched, he clearly didn´t expect Wilford to be this resilient.

"What? Cat got your tongue?" Wilford provoked.

"What are you?" Anti squinted his eyes. "One of Mark's egos? Interesting." 

By his question, he'd suppose (and he probably got it right, he was such a genius, wasn't he?) that this Anti was one that never had contact with him or other egos related to Mark. GOOD!.....Right?

"Bingo!" Wilford clapped enthusiastic and Anti growled. "Aren't you a smarty-pants!!" 

"I guess we'll just have to see... How resistant you are to me." Anti gave him a dark glare but then his anger made him give off a small smile to Wilford. 

They both liked a challenge and so the fight kept going, bloody and violent as it could unbeknownst to anyone inside the manor.

Chapter Text

Dark felt something was wrong, the manor, his instincts, The Other World... It all screamed something was wrong and for the first time, Dark shot up from his pocket dimension, ran to the foyer then directly outside, without any fear of what awaited for him.

It wasn't hard to find what was wrong, Wilford was limping towards the manor and waving with a small smile, covered in blood, a mess in red. His heart ached with the sight nonetheless, making him rush to Will's side and support him by putting an arm around his back and forcing him to lean against his side. It wasn´t hard to know who did this to him but he wanted to be sure.

"...Was it-" 

"Yep! A little stronger than our Anti... But nothing impossible to handle." He laughed then held his stomach, grimacing, and then Dark noticed how much he was bleeding, a big red spot on his bright yellow vest, he looked like he got stabbed. And the fact he was doubling over in pain was worrying... Will never cared for these type of wounds before. 

He was so used to "their" Anti being now on their side that he forgot the glitch could actually do damage. A bad reminder when Will had to be the warning itself. 

"Will, don't talk, let's enter the manor." He knew the other didn´t like the manor after... Everything happened, but they didn´t have any choice, they started walking faster and he held Wilford tighter against his side, jaws clenched, dark eyes shadowed by anger and worry. 

"Damien..." Wilford whispered.

Dark stopped for a single moment but then kept walking. Ignoring his name. 

"Do you think... Celine will finally go see me?" Wilford stopped walking because his legs could no longer support his weight and Dark held him in his arms almost immediately, in a half unconsciously made hug. 

"..." He stayed silent as he saw Wilford go unconscious and fall limp on his arms, so Dark placed him on the ground and closed his eyes. "She's always watching you, Will." He whispered.

It wasn't long before the others inside rushed to him and helped Will enter the manor. 

It wasn't Anti's fault, but he received a glare anyway when he got passed by, and to his surprise the glitch looked away instead of pressing on or for a provocation. 

Good, because he had no patience left with him today to deal with anything. 

Anti knew by the wounds on Wilford's stomach that it had been a knife. HIS knife. He was certainly very sure of it. 

Yet seeing Wilford so... So hurt, bloody, worn out was impressive but also worrying, because in all their fights before, he never had gotten that hurt. It meant the other him was perhaps a bit stronger than what he thought, God what a mess... He should get his strategies going, but nothing came to his mind. 

It was too full and everything was tense, so he couldn't think properly, which annoyed him to no end because he was better than this, but he was starting to get rusty. Him... Rusty, who would have thought?

And with that in mind, he crossed his arms and buried his nails in his skin to "stay" in reality. 

The others spent hours anxiously quiet and making small talk here and there, distracting themselves with TV or reading books, news, waiting with Dark all that time in a quiet company for comfort, refusing some food when Jameson had politely asked if any of them wanted some.

And Dark silently awaited in the couch while watching TV with some other two he couldn't see properly by being far away. He couldn't know if it was Jameson or Jackie, or even Chase. It was the downside of everyone having the same face and same hair, ha. 

He stayed with them of course, leaning against the wall in silence and hidden in the dark to not cause more disturbance than already had, but it was clear how he was the elephant in the room when he'd received some looks his way and the whispers, so after some hours of enduring it all, he left the others and went to be alone. 

Sighing, he stayed in his room after one hour or two passed, looking out at his window, his face in the same scowl he wore for years now. 

It started raining outside, the other guy was out there and yet... He felt like he could get free from all of this, run away, never again show his face to any of them, and he knew he could do that. 

Just disappear. 

He could do it easily, never again be seen. Oh he knew he could. 

But he would never do that... He just wasn't someone like that, even if he was tired of all this bullshit. 

And so after some minutes thinking, he heard a knock on his door, making him roll his eyes, get up and go check who it was.

To his surprise, it was Jackie. 

"Hi." He mumbled and looked away. "...Wilford woke up briefly, Hen is taking care of him." He said quietly and kept not looking at him directly.

Anti nodded. "That's good to hear." He said with a neutral tone. They weren't humans, they should be stronger than all of what they endured as well, he knew Wilford would survive, if he had died to some stab wounds, then it was well deserved.

"... Marvin talked with the others-" 

As he said he would, he really did it, much to Anti's displeasure. "Of course, he did." He expected nothing less from that loudmouth magician. 

"And uh... Well..." Jackie cleared his throat. "Well, I was just seeing- patrolling the house. Checking on everything." He half smiled, in a crooked way. 

"Sure." Anti smiled with irony. It was obvious he either wanted to talk with him or check up on him, he was the only one that did so.

It was funny but also appreciated, in a way. 

"Anyway, tomorrow we'll make some plans to fight off the other guy, so... Go to sleep and rest, I guess." Jackie sighed and looked at him tiredly. 

It was like he was waiting for something, and Anti had a feeling of what it was. 

"Yes." He grabbed the doorhandle, "I'll see you tomorrow." 

"...Yeah." Jackie said quietly before the door closed on his face. "See ya... Buddy." 

Inside, Anti stared at the door while his eyes glowed in the semi dark room, he heard the steps get farther from his room and he went to his bed again, sitting down at the edge. 

As much as Anti wanted to deny, Jackie's good nature had a charm that attracted everyone around him in a spell of wonder, after all, he was a hero! He was made to love, and to be loved... To save and perhaps, in the end, to be saved as well. 

Anti had his favorites before, he certainly still have his favorites now, and Jackie was among them.

He didn't want the hero to die (specially if it was by "his" hands) because if he died to the other "him"... That death wouldn't be pretty, if it was even death that awaited after all. For all he knew, Jackie could get tortured for a long, long, long time and he had a wicked curiosity of always testing things to their limit. 

But he wouldn't let that happen to any of them. Not even Dark, or Wilford. 

They always had been "his puppets" as he called them in the past, and nowadays he still thought fondly of the nickname, though he knew if he used such words again, he'd be in an annoying amount of trouble. 

What he meant was, they belonged to him, just as much as he was linked to them. He didn't belong to them, but he couldn't deny their connection as well. Bounded in curse by their creator, he was the Ouroboros of it all.

Trapped in an endless cycle of being the one to chase them, always them, the snake that bit its own tail eternally, stuck in place, doomed to be in that fate for whatever time it seemed to please.

Days passed in a blur, everything started repeating itself for months now and Anti hated it all with passion. 

Fucking circles. He thought with a snarl.

They were his and he didn't want any of them to suffer or be damaged more than they already were, not even by himself from another reality. 

He was the anomaly of THIS world, it was HIS world for a reason, he wouldn't let anything provoke him or get his world from him. He was tired of it all, IRIS, the other him... And whatever else could dare enter their way or his alone. 

It was in that moment, he realized he did love everything quite too much. 

Maybe this wasn't love, maybe it was but in a bad way, he would never know. But what he did know, is that he was tired of the bastard outside and even more tired of getting bossed around like he was their damned little soldier awaiting for orders.

Where was his freedom, huh? He might not have such pride in his past as he had before, but if there was something he valued above all, was freedom.

And nothing would get that from him. He refused to be Ouroboros for any longer. 

So Anti went to his window, opened it and stepped into the rooftop of the balcony below his room. 

Having some difficulty to move around he had the idea of using his strings as ropes, and in doing so he was able to get down to the floor level again and he went into the forest silently, missing being in open spaces again. 

Whether they wanted an answer or not, he would get one, but not with them by his side. 

After all of this, he'd decide what finally do with himself... And perhaps walk away after all this.

Chapter Text

Walking deep into the woods, he felt the cold mushy dirt under his feet and it was a comforting strange feeling, or the cold wind that didn't bother him but caressed his body and hair, it all screamed freedom to him and he felt like a bird flying after ages stuck in a cage. It was like... On his first day, where he took a deep breath and he felt alive.

He would never lose this again, never. But to win his freedom back, he needed to finish what he "promised" to help fight. He still wasn't free completely, and if before he didn´t have any honor to keep up, spending time with the hero and Dark brought him a weird sense of honor to fulfill. He could do whatever he wanted, sure, but he still chose... To finish what "he" started. Whatever, more fun to him, it's not like he had better things to do anyway.

Surprisingly enough, it wasn't hard to find his other self.

He was sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, bleeding and seemingly to be in pain, but as soon their eyes met each other, he got up without making any fuss, but Anti could see his eyes screaming his hidden pain. It also seemed Wilford had "softened up the meat" for him, to his delight.

Thank you, Will. He thought with a grin.

"Ah, so the mighty can fall after all, huh?" Anti mocked and the other didn't answer back.

"Alone?" He asked instead, with a raspy voice.

"Completely alone." Anti summoned his loyal knife and it appeared on his hand in a blur of pixels and distortion, "And so are you, fortunately." 

"That means nothing." The other him smiled, finally showing some emotion.

"We'll see about that." Anti giggled.

He ran forward and his impostor-twin dodged by getting out of the way when he tried to stab him, jumping back and teleporting some distance away from him.

"So so easy to read.." He laughed, loudly and echoing through the woods.

Anti snarled and teleported behind him, grabbing a hold of his shirt and punching him, to which he retaliated by grabbing his own knife and plunging it on his side.

He screamed in pain and growled, summoning his strings and wrapping them around the other's neck, squeezing tightly.

The other him gasped for air, momentarily panicking and grabbing the strings with a furious look, pulling them and he went forward with the strength of the pull.

A punch was launched straight to his face with it, making his control on the strings weaken and the other was free, taking large gulps of air and glitching away for a moment.

He didn't have much time to think when the impostor attacked him just as quick he had recovered, jumping on him and bringing him down to the ground.

It was his turn to have his neck squeezed and that's exactly what happened, the other grinned and his hands were feasted in his blood now, he was enjoying this and Anti just had to wipe that stupid grin out of his face.

He tried to grab his knife that had fallen from his hand with his capture, but it was far from his reach so he instead grabbed the other's arms and tried to make him have a less strong hold on his neck.

"Not so tough now, right?" The other mocked. "I forgot how irritating the past can be." And here he had thought they could have been allies, never he´d have been more disgusted by one version of his.

Anti was using his maximum to get the grip away from his neck, but it was useless, so he in a swift act threw one string at his knife, wrapped around it and made it go to his hand, when finally he was able to breath again when the other him let go to dodge the knife once again.

Too cocky, Anti thought irritated. 

The fight kept going on and on, he was throw against a crooked tree that fell down with the speed of which he was throw and landed on it, almost trapping him underneath if he hadn't moved quick enough, groaning as he sat up.

Soon it started to rain again, making the dirt turn into mud and they kept rolling back and forth, mocking, cursing, attacking each other as if the tomorrow wouldn't come, and for one of them it wouldn't. 

And then in one slip, with his tired mind, the other grabbed his knife and plunged it in his stomach.

Everything seemed to freeze for a single moment.

"Well...L-Look at that!" His enemy panted and then grabbed his hair, pulling his head back, and Anti couldn't help but be surprised with his resistance.

"Not quick enough, are you?" The other Anti clicked his tongue and shook his head in fake disapproval, "Don´t worry... I´ve never seen a more miserable version of mine like you, I'll do the only good thing in my life which will be end you."

Anti squirmed and when he did, he felt his knife plunge deeper so he hissed loudly and stopped instinctively, the impostor him laughed in delight and shoved him into the ground again, making him yell in pain when the knife abruptly got off his body and above him, his other self stood towering over him like a shadow, smiling at his agony and holding his knife.

It burned, and he had forgotten how bad a stab wound felt, it kinda reminded him of when Schneep fucked up his mini "surgery" as revenge, heh. He was strangely proud of him for it, thinking about it now.

It ached, and he remembered when Jackie broke his bones when he got beaten.

It stung, just like when Chase or Marvin used fire magic or guns against him.

He felt tired, so he gave in.

Stood still and just looked above with an empty look, completely exhausted, rain falling into his face and thunder being heard in the distance. He was completely wet and everything was so uncomfortable he never in his life thought he'd be this miserable. 

"What? Where´s all the fire from before?" The other him snickered, kneeled and grabbed his face. "Look at you... I really thought IRIS would be able to finish off such a weak version of me... But of course the bastards always got greedy for our blood." He chuckled and sat down. "It did surprise me when they went to get you back, but I suppose there´s many, many universes in which everything is possible."

"Shut the fuck up and-" Anti bit his tongue and the words got stuck in his throat. Would he really ask for his death?

How would it feel like? To close his eyes and never wake up?

"And what?" The impostor pressed. "Say it." He smiled wider.

"No." He glared at him. 

"...You´re pathetic, you know." The other Anti got closer and stood above him again, but now kneeled. "We really know each other dont´t we? You just... You knew I was going for "Jackie", naive, good-hearted Jackie. The friend´s monster." He laughed quietly.

"Jealous?" Anti grinned with mockery and his other self gave him an annoyed look.

"I´d rather cut my neck again and make it permanent and... somehow die later." He made a disgusted face. "it did surprise me how you predicted it all... I do wonder how?" The impostor slightly tilted his neck and both pair of green eyes shined in the dark, in direction of each other. 

Anti completely ignored his last question, since he'd never reveal his previous plans with Marvin. And if the magician had just saw the future one last time... Maybe he wouldn't be the one bleeding and dying right now. Fucker. 

But he'd never be able to say that to him, would he? It didn't matter in the end. 

It all never mattered. And since it didn't, why not get some of his thoughts heard for once? 

"I´m you and you are me... Maybe I just listened to a part of us that was never supposed to exist, right? That´s why our reality is an alternate one, isn´t it? Maybe-" He coughed and doubled over in pain, refusing to make any noises. "Maybe there´s no "alternates", it´s just... It´s just our home." 

Who decided his universe, his world, his home, was an alternate? That they weren´t their own owner of their perceptions or their truths? Or even the original ones? Or maybe they indeed were an anomaly, something that was never supposed to exist after all, but still did. An accident.

And who cared? 

"I never talked this much with someone else." The other him mumbled. "Lonely, aren´t we?" He said quietly.

"Very." He confessed even quieter. 

"That´s why all of it have to end. All of us, in every world, weirder or more violent, it´s all us, and we´re... We´re cursed to this existence, that´s why Jack had to go. Fucker." He spat on the ground.

"Talkative, aren´t you?" He grinned again and he fought his eyelids. 

And... He felt cold.

"This world is strange, I'll admit it," The other Anti chuckled tiredly, "It makes everything go in opposite direction, friends turn into foe, foes turn into friends, the quiet speak, and the talkative ones listen." He laughed quietly. "I like it, and I can understand why you fell for their spells too. It wasn't our fault after all, nothing ever is."

It was always their fault for making them the bad, and for Jack to make them how they are. It had never been their fault for existing, for acting and loving what they do, it was inscripted into them, they were creatures of electricity and conscience, of glitches, mistakes in a system that nobody knew.

He had enough of it all and he will undo it.

There was silence in the air and he knew the him of this world would be gone too fast if he didn´t act, and in a good act of faith for themselves, he went closer to himself.

Younger, stupider him, falling for obvious traps. Weak.

"Time´s up." He murmured.

Anti glanced at him and a hand was put on his forehead.

And then it started.

He screamed in agony with electricity going through his body but specially his mind, no, this wasn´t normal. This was different, something he never experienced before- 

"It´ll be for the best, it´s a mercy even!" The other him covered his mouth tightly with a hand, putting a knee on his chest so he´d stay down as well, looking firm and drowning in his own ironic heroism. "You won´t ever remember any of this happened, It´ll spare us both of the shame for everything that went on." It wouldn´t erase what happened, but before the him from this world died, he´d be at peace knowing the only good thing he did was help his other selves in all realities he visited.

Anti bit his lip and squirmed against the other´s grasp on him, but he was so tired and feeling weaker as seconds passed, that eventually he couldn´t move, he got quiet and just felt agony in his veins, in every nerve, burning and aching and begging him to scream and mourn the fact he was dying, but it all settled into nothingness.

His mind started to get foggy.

It didn´t hurt as much anymore.

The hand was out of his head and he couldn´t move, he fought his eyelids once more, harder than ever, his memories scarred and fuzzy, only bits and pieces could he remember but nothing made sense.

Nothing made sense.

He was... Anti. That was his name. Anti.

He didn´t like things, he didn´t like... all of this.

Nothing made sense, therefore, everything didn´t need to make sense... Wasn´t that what Wilford always said?

Wilford...? 

"I release you from this awful existence once more, goodbye."

He couldn´t see very well and he felt so so cold, it wasn´t completely night yet and still with the darkness creeping up on the edge of his vision, alongside with the haziness, he couldn´t see properly the face of whoever was above him.

Although, now he didn´t need to worry about anything else ever again. He gave in to the fight he had been going on for a long time now, and he closed his eyes and fell into the darkness, hoping to fall into oblivion.

And the impostor from out of this world, grabbed Anti´s knife, placed it above his heart and-

His other self fell after a loud shot echoed through the woods, then slowly he got swallowed by a void in the ground that had emerged. 

A figure in red stood away from him, but slowly got closer, kneeling next to Anti and putting a finger on his neck. 

"Look at you little bird, abandoned and forgotten by them, now THAT is a shame."

Chapter Text

Days passed, and no one heard of Anti.

Jackie searched around the best he could, Chase and some ipliers also helped in their own ways, Dark even contacted Google and the man-machine spent hours at the internet searching for any traces, files anything related to the the glitch but neither he or his clones could find him.

But nothing helped, nobody knew where Anti was. 

And Marvin after some inspections, also searched around the woods for any signal of the Anti from another reality, but all they found were traces of blood and Anti's knife. Whatever had killed the other Anti, surely either helped their glitch or... Killed him as well.

But they didn't believe that, no. 

Nobody knew what to expect but they all watered it down to... Anti killed the other him and then disappeared. It was a hypothesis too, right? They could very well see their Anti winning the fight and just leaving. 

It was better than believing he died. Strange as that would sound, Marvin didn't wish Anti dead (not anymore at least).

But it was too strange, too too strange. 

Would he leave just like that after everything?

Dark had finally asked them to leave his manor, since they no longer were deemed in danger and they thanked him for his hospitality and patience, but also made him promise if he found any traces of Anti, that he'd contact them. 

Dark accepted it and swore he would, while him and the glitch had been... "Friends" and enemies for such a long time, he had some care in his heart for Anti, weirdly as it was. Damien always took a liking for broken things, meanwhile he knew Celine would be curious to know where the glitch was as well. 

In the end, all of him cared for the glitch, as much he didn't want that to be true. Anti was still annoying to deal with, but after everything that went on...

Their relationship was strange, always had been and probably will ever be. They were too similar and too apart, but Dark genuinely hoped the glitch was ok somewhere (although he'd never say it out loud). 

Coming back to their old house, they found nothing but a burnt down place, in ruins, as they stood there watching in grief for a place with many memories that was now completely destroyed.

"Do you think Anti did this?" Chase asked quietly.

"Why would he?" Jameson signed and frowned. 

"I bet it was the other one." Henrik went forward to the ruins of their home and nothing was hot to touch, meaning it had burnt down a long time ago. "This isn't new, either IRIS did this or the other Anti, and besides... "Our" Anti was with us the whole time... Until some days ago, of course." 

Everyone was quiet for a moment and the doctor kept looking around anything valuable of theirs that survived, but... Nothing did. It was all destroyed, only nostalgic memories had survived now, and even that hurt. 

"Should we call Jack for help? We don't really have anywhere to go." Chase passed a hand through his hair when getting the cap out, noticing his hair grew a little longer. 

It had been a long, long year, hadn't it?

"No, when we asked for his help, he barely did it!  Nowadays he must think he hallucinated or something, it's been too long since we even contacted him anyway." Marvin sat down on a nearby rock. "Man... We can't go back to Dark, he's being polite and all but he's fed up with all of us." 

"I can't complain, I'd be too." Chase chuckled and received a slap on the arm by Jameson, who just shook his head. 

It was all silent, they stared at the ruins of their once home and quietly mourned, just staring, Henrik eventually got out of place and stood next to his family. 

"Chase... Are you sure you don't have anywhere we can go?" 

"I mean..." All eyes were instantly on him. "Well, my... Uh old summer cabin had two rooms, but I haven't really visited that cabin for a long time, I don't know if people vandalized it or not, or if they cut off the energy and the water, it's just there rotting." He shrugged and tried his best to ignore the few better memories that went through his mind.

"Rotting or not, is it in your possession?" Marvin asked curious and placed a hand on his chin, thinking.

"I mean, yeah dude, I completely paid for it when I still had a job and was married to- y-yeah, yeah it's mine. It just must be in really shitty condition, it's been like... Six years since I visited it? I don't even know." He sighed and looked exhausted already, but nobody said a thing.

"We don't have any choice, we'll have to make that place our home now." Henrik concluded.

As they heard footsteps approaching, they saw Jackie emerge from the woods and give them a small smile.

"Nothing around us, not Anti, and not the other one as well... Or IRIS, for the matters." He looked at their burnt down place and while he tried to not look bothered, they still could see the sadness in his eyes. "Welp, do we have any alternative, folks?" He asked instead and tried to keep positive for all of them.

They all knew he was hurting the most, thinking his fight with Anti somehow made the glitch "run away" from them and even if they tried to convince him otherwise (because this was unlikely to happen with Anti's nature, it was just a big no), nothing reached his ears so they left him be. For now.

"We'll live in Chase's old cabin." Jameson signed and Jackie made an "o" with his mouth. 

"I see, I see... Is it far from the city?" He asked worried. "It's been too long I've been away and I fear the bandits-" 

"Who cares about them, Jackie? We need you now." Marvin said a bit too harshly. 

"I know Marv, it's just..." He missed his old routine, his old life... But he couldn't really argue with the magician, they did need him (and he needed them too, as much he didn't want to admit). "Nothing." 

Everyone was quiet for a moment, with the wind and rustling leaves from the trees nearby being the only noise around them, it was peaceful and they missed the glitch as much they didn't really want to. 

He had been just a shadow behind their back, most of the time he had been like that. Now that he was gone, they did feel too exposed and his presence was missed, a friendly ghost they grew used to glance at, and even after everything, all of them had a change of heart in relation to each other, ha.

What a strange, strange world they lived in.

Slapping the rock he was sitting on, suddenly Marvin smiled. 

"Well, let's start it boys, we have a new house to clean, chop chop." Marvin got up from the rock he had been sitting on. "I marked Dark's manor and I'll marked this place too...just in case we need to, I don't know... Do something here." After all, they still could keep searching around the burnt wood for anything of theirs, they just didn't have much energy for it now.

But after that was said, the group stood next to Marvin and when he touched Chase's shoulder and made him visualize that cabin in his memories, Marvin opened a portal to there and... There it was.

The cabin stood a few meters away from them, looking relatively good outside if not by the leaves all around it and on the ground, but inside they could see nothing but darkness.

"We have a lot of work to do..." Chase put his cap back on and looked at Jackie. "Jackie, I'll need you real quick, I think I have an old generator that could make us some light for now, but we really should start seeing the bills and stuff."

"Oh yeah... Man you definitely need to pay... A lot of bills." Marvin walked to the cabin and looking through the gap in the door that the postman used to put the mails, on the ground inside the cabin, he could see a lot of letters. 

"Chase... Do you still have your credit card?" Marvin then got up and walked back to them.

"Where's my gun so I can shoot myself in the head again." Chase rubbed the middle between his eyes. 

"Shut the fuck up Chase, don't joke with that." Henrik glared to him. "We don't have any choice-" 

"Guys, I'm drowned in debts, do you really think any sane bank would allow me to make any new cards? No fucking way. And my old cards don't work anymore, just the debit ones, but I have like... Forty bucks in my account." 

Jameson chuckled then patted Chase's back.

"We'll figure something out, Chase." He signed and Chase gave him a small smile.

"I guess we will." 

"Look at him, even sleeping you can just... Sense it, he's not like the others." Someone chuckled.

He wouldn't say it out loud, not to the others in the void to listen and doubt him, but Anti had a potential not even him knew, and by watching the glitch fight "himself" before he killed the other, he was utterly fascinated. 

And in a void, darker and farther than any of them could fathom to imagine, a figure stood next to the unconscious glitch.

"Finishing off the other you wasn't easy you know, but with a bit of work and determination, everything can be done." A dark chuckle echoed through the vast emptiness.

He had inspected the glitch before, using his own powers to heal his stab wound and what not, but some things were just... Too much, some wounds like the mind one, was beyond his powers. 

The figure brought a hand to Anti's face, half hoping he'd wake up already but upon having no reaction, he grabbed his chin and moved his face to the sides, and yet, no answer. He had checked his pulse before and more times than he could count, so the glitch was definitely alive but still... Some part of him worried. 

But finally when one hand lifted an eyelid of the glitch he saw... Static? If he stared enough into the static of his exquisite eyes, it was like he could drown in it, so he let go of Anti's face and decided to not analyze him any longer. 

"Curious." 

The figure in red sat down next to him.

"You and me, my friend, we'll have a lot to catch up on..." He sighed then got up. "I didn't think you'd be in such a tough spot, but it's for the best." He cracked his neck then some fingers.

The glitch twitched and the other man saw some electricity and pixels flash very quickly, a brief light in the dark. 

"Well, don't be in such a hush to wake up I guess, you still have a mind to heal." He said sarcastic and made some furnitures appear in the void, sitting down on the chair, looking at other man on the floor. "Dark or should I say... Damien, will love this surprise." 

A chuckle echoed through the void, and in the ground, Anti kept fighting his way back to consciousness.

Chapter Text

"Bro, this house smells." Jackie grimaced.

It had a dusty, closed off sort of smell, everyone expected it, but being inside this place was a little... Uncomfortable, but nothing he and the others couldn't handle.

"That's why, dear Jackie, everyone will help to clean it!" Chase crossed his arms, a little upset. "I haven't been here in years, don't blame me." 

"Sorry Chasey, the place is really good though, I bet it's just because it's been locked away far too long." Jackie sat down on the couch and stared at the table in front of him, covered in dust. "I'm surprised that nothing has been stolen, to be honest." 

"It's deep in the woods, the old couple that owned this place really wanted to just get it sold, so at the time it was a perfect place for a summer vacation." Chase sat down next to Jackie. "Now... Now it's just..."

Now everything was gone, but he still could see the ghost of his children running around. 

How has it been since he saw them? He could bet they were very grown now, perhaps teens? He missed them-

"So... Me and Jameson will go out to buy something to eat." Marvin appeared on the living room. 

"With what money?" Jackie asked curious.

"A magician never tells his secrets." Marvin winked at him.

"Marvin you better not steal anything." Jackie sighed, half lidded eyes full of annoyance at Marvin and the thought if he could or would steal... He couldn't really do anything about it. 

They really needed it, yet... 

"Oh noo, no. Never!" Marvin said a little too dramatic. "Don't dwell on it too much." He smirked.

Before Jackie could speak again, Marvin held Jameson's arm and teleported them quickly, leaving behind some particles of purple magic before it dispersed in the air completely as well, leaving a momentary silence in the room. 

"They'll steal, I just know it." Jackie covered his face with his hands. "God damn it, when did we fall this far?" 

"Don't act like this is the first time." Chase scoffed. 

"Still." The hero mumbled then got up. "I'll go get out some of the broken stuff outside." The house was still full of bags with things Chase wanted gone so they'd have more room in the house for them. 

"Jackie..." 

"What?" 

"I was chatting with Marvin the other day and you weren't there with us actually, but he had been telling us that... Well, Anti protected you, you know?" The average bro looked to his cap on the dusty table. 

"When?" Jackie asked confused. "On the market?" 

"There too, but... This time, Marvin and Anti talked before and Anti wanted to use the spell of seeing the future again." 

The hero stayed silent and the other took that as a clue to keep going. 

"Marvin said... He saw blood, a lot of blood, and he mentioned Anti saw all of us but screaming and stuff in his own vision, but... They never saw you in there." Chase gulped.

"That's good, right?" Jackie frowned.

"I don't think so, Jackie." Chase said very quietly. "Both Anti and Marvin assumed the worst, I think Anti got really worried and he knew the other him was watching and stuff, so let's assume... That he made that little fight happen on purpose." 

"...To protect me?" Jackie sat down at the armchair nearby him. "How?" How would their fight protect him?

"To keep you away from him, dumbass!" Chase said irritated suddenly. "You are- you were the one that most talked to him! Hell, I think Anti thought you'd die to the other him so he made you stay away." 

In Chase's mind, he would also assume the glitch did that to make Jackie not check on him so often and give him the perfect opportunity to run away and fight the impostor against their better judgment, just like he did. But it backfired sort of, now Anti was missing and they all assumed the worst.

At least he avoided a future that... Nobody had been sure what would´ve happened really, but they all assumed the worst. 

In summary his little rebellious plan half worked, Anti made the fight happen so Jackie would be away from him and divert their enemy's attention all to himself, in that aspect he would say it wouldn´t work much in Chase's opinion, knowing the impostor Anti, he'd forget about it momentarily then go straight for Jackie when he remembered how precious Jackie was to their glitch and themselves, but... Now it all worked out in the end, somehow. There was still a big part missing, but the glitch wasn´t here to tell them what happened.

Something really important happened in that fateful fight, he just had his guts telling him that. 

But still, what´s done is done, doesn´t matter what happened anyway, it´s already in the past. That... was something he should remember too. 

He´d keep fighting and pressuring the others to find his kids and so he could reason with Stacy once and for all, but for now they´d rest. He could afford some more days... Yeah, he could. It was all so confusing, maybe he needed to speak a bit more with Henrik about his memories because every time he tried to remember something, it was all too confusing for him. 

Waking up and opening his eyelids immediately, it now showed his green irises instead of static, he tried to move but it was a great, stupid move from his part and he immediately froze on the ground where he was laying. 

Agony flared up inside his nerves like a venom, as if they were mixed with fire, but was this how electricity felt like? His muscles were sore and felt tense, too tense as if he was made of stone. His body was working against him, this much pain wasn´t good. 

This was electricity, he knew it, he just knew, he didn´t know how but he knew- it´s wrong, he shouldn't be scared of what he's made of, why he get electrocuted? Who did it?

A million thoughts passed his head, from where he was, what day was it, why he was hurt, why did he feel alone, why electricity hurted him when it never did before, what happened-

"Ah." He heard a voice. "Finally awake, I see." 

"Who...?" He asked with a raspy voice, it echoed on and on in that... Void. 

Why were they in a void? What was happening?

Something was missing from him, from his mind, his heavy and foggy mind, something was missing and he couldn't remember anything. 

"Anti, Anti, Anti..." 

That was his name, that´s the only thing he could remember.

He had been laying down staring at the "ceiling" or sky of the void, he hadn't noticed it at first with his unfocused and weakened state but when someone helped him sit up, he leaned heavily on whoever it was. It wasn´t his choice, his body was heavy and he felt like a puppet without strings. Unable to carry its own body without help.

However the face that looked back to him when they locked eyes, was familiar. 

Black hair, those eyes... The smile, the beard, that face. It all screamed familiarity. But why couldn't he remember? It was just a feeling, and feelings lied a lot. 

"Do you remember me, my friend?" He felt a pat on his back. 

"No." He whispered then curled up when he coughed and it all made his body ache and he trembled, curling up slightly. 

"Easy, easy there." The man chuckled. "I'm Mark, some call me Actor, but that's just a nickname they gave me because I'm really good at acting!" He laughed cheerfully. "Quite stupid to say that, wasn´t it? But it is what it is, we´ll focus on the small details later, you´re the star of the show tonight."

If his nerves and body weren't aching so much, he would've given an ugly look to that "Mark" but he didn't. He was tired, exhausted even, he wanted to lay back down and sleep again but he couldn't, could he? He wanted to get up, shove that man away and walk away from all of this, he´d go-...Where would he go?

"You don't seem so good yet. Hmmm " Actor hummed and it snapped the glitch´s his attention back to him. "I'll take you to my special place, you can rest properly there and nobody will find us." 

Who would even want to find them? He was able to move his head a bit and looked up at Actor with exhausted eyes, making the other give a patient smile.

"I know that look, don´t worry about what I said, we have some old enemies in common, but since we are buddies, I'm here to take care of you." Actor winked and held him a bit more... comfortably in his arms. "You got so... So... Deceived my friend... Once you're in better shape, I'll explain everything that happened." Actor didn´t seem to mind how heavily he was leaning against him, the contact with another being felt foreign, strange, but also weirdly welcome.

He was weak, he wanted to be alone and not be alone, he could die but he didn´t want to die, he didn´t care but he cared, one thing was certain: he just wanted to sleep again.

His body was still hurting, his eyelids were fighting to give him some control of keeping himself awake but he couldn´t do it anymore, he gave in when he finally closed his eyes slowly, looking down to his hands that were... bloodied but it was dry, he hadn´t noticed it before, huh. 

All he felt when his eyes closed completely, was a blissful feeling of relief when he just let everything go and fell apart again. But this time to heal.

But healing never felt like healing, did it? No, healing was good but it still hurts a lot.

With those last thoughts, he fell unconscious again, from fatigue and a harsh incoming self-recovery.

Every "alter ego" out there either healed normally or in different ways like Google needing to be "recharged" at a special place if he was "sick" or too hurt (same went for Bing), Yancy, King of Squirrels, Host, the Jims... They all bled and healed like humans, Actor could remember that for sure. As for "Dark", he hoped he would never heal and bleed forever. But Anti was different, they didn´t share a creator and Anti didn´t have information enough given by Seán to affect his life now. He had been and still is, a mistery even to his creator to this days.

It all made Actor feel even more excited to know better his new (and old, a long time ago) friend. 

"Poor thing, the other you did such a toll on your body... But you're in very good hands." Actor chuckled and placed his hands below Anti's knees, proceeding to get up and grab the glitch with him, now dead to the world once again and just staying there in his arms like a broken doll.

"But don't you worry... I'll put you back together." 

The voice deepened and echoed through the endless void, followed by a low toned chuckle, made loud by the emptiness.

Dark ruined his life once, taking away all that was his and turning it against him... Well, he knew dear Damien would never admit it, but he watched closely and from afar all that had went on and he knew the other considered Anti a friend, even if he hadn´t realized it himself. After all, Damien had always been slow to notice obvious things, Celine was the one to always notice and act quick. 

So he took his friend away, too.

He wanted to see if Damien would do anything at all to help Anti now, and if he didn´t... Oh well, he was glad he stepped up and saved the glitch. He really was getting lonely lately, his fights had been too many times lost, the void and its entities never really talked to him except about hate, hate, HATE-

... And now he needed an ally, anyone, and the glitch was his first good option, and when the impostor from another reality came and wanted to "save himself" by erasing Anti´s memories (for whatever reason, Actor still couldn´t quite grasp why he had done it), he hit the jack pot.

A hurt, forgotten and amnesic volatile creature is all he needed right now. A hurt animal will bite, but if you helped it heal, it will never forget for the entirety of its life.

So getting out of the void and into his own hiding place, he placed the glitch in a room with a proper bed and he went on to grab medicine. He might have been healing fast physically, but Anti was still hurting for whatever reason and even if he couldn´t guess why, it didn´t hurt to give him some pain medicine.

He´d take good care of his new friend, that´s for sure.

Chapter Text

A week had passed and day after day, the house got more clean from Chase´s past and its abandoned state from before, slowly it all got replaced with his now present family, and it all made him smile again.

Seeing Marvin´s books and magic objects around, the smell of coffee made by Schneep, Jackie´s red hoodie always at a different place in the rooms, the flipping of pages when there was enough silence so JJ could read peacefully... His kids ghosts still haunted him, he could never forget  or get his mind too away from them, but his family... The others, were a comfort for his heart. 

But speaking about his children, it was strange how every time he tried to recall the exact reason him and Stacy broke up, he couldn't place his finger on it.

Sure, before he had been SO sure of him being drunk and hitting her, hell, he even had memories of her yelling at him about the alcohol but...

It was weird, the more he tried to remember it all, the more doubtful he got of his own memories.

It was like a puzzle and one piece was missing, there was something wrong. 

Yes, he was a dick with Stacy when he had gotten drunk, but stopping to think about it, he'd NEVER hit her or the kids, never. Even if he was drunk as hell, so why he had been so sure before? Maybe because he was being pressured into believing it... By himself.

He wanted to blame himself for everything that happened to his family, that everything was his fault, but it wasn't. Yes a good chunk of it was his fault, but Stacy could've helped more too. 

He had been so sure before of hitting her... Why did he even believe those things? Henrik had said it was a possibility, not that it outright happened, didn't Stacy also talk to him the next morning of that fateful day? The problem was that he couldn't remember their conversation at all. 

All that mattered is that the more he tried to analyze his own past, he did figure out some of HIS memories were missing. But he was sure he wasn't... That bad with her. 

And that's why he was talking privately with Henrik about recalling every little part of his past until the recent days. It was a work in progress, but he'd manage.

It was a confusing subject but before where he believed so firmly he had been abusive, now he doubted all his memories and if everything was all big fake memories, where he tried to self sabotage himself into making him even more guilty and try to... Punish himself. 

He should've stopped being his own enemy a long time ago, they had enough problems for them all to deal with. And he was tired of all this pity show. 

He refused to be part of those problems any longer.

So Chase picked himself up and after staring at the bottle he had hidden, he threw the liquid in the sink and the bottle on the trash.

He'd work on himself and try to heal, and... He'd talk to Stacy, later, when he felt ready. 

Finally, after one year and something, after all this time he still had with him the address Google had given him when Anti had helped him find Stacy and his children. 

That little piece of paper had been his most prized possession he carefully hid away, knowing the others wouldn't approve of him going after Stacy. 

But Anti... He really was the one out of all of them who helped find his family, he tried to be good... And Chase now felt he had been so unfair to the glitch. He'd pay him back this huge favor whenever he wanted. 

And when the day came, to talk with Stacy... He'd try to get all the answers of his questions. 

When he woke up once again, this time he felt better. 

His muscles weren't tense and aching, his nerves didn't feel like they got fried and were slowly cooling down.. No, he felt... Almost fine. If not by his instincts screaming danger because he couldn't recall how he got here.

Blinking, he sat up.

His body was fine but his mind...

He didn't remember anything. Besides a few things when he first woke up and met someone he felt was familiar but also... Not.

How did he came to be here? Why he got hurt? Who is this "Mark"? 

As if someone heard his mind, a figure slowly got out of the shadows of his room, coming into his vision with his red suit and a scepter in one hand. 

"..." He didn't say anything but the urge to get up and attack wasn't unfamiliar at least. But he was smarter than attack someone who helped him.

Who might possibly have answers as well. But he knew the help wasn't free or with good intentions, no, he wasn't that dumb.

"Hello, Anti." Actor smiled and leaned against a wall nearby. "After so so long... Finally we're here, talking again." 

"Where am I?" He narrowed his eyes and sat up properly, placing his feet down on the cold ground.

"On one of my many hidden places." Actor kept on smiling, too cheery. "But I won't reveal its location to you." 

"Of course." Anti huffed. He wouldn't force it out of him anyway, he needed to test the waters first before doing anything. "You're "Mark"... But I recall you called yourself "actor"... I don't remember you, but you don't feel strange to me." 

"That's because two years ago, someone in particular contacted you, deceived you into thinking I was the one betraying you." Actor clicked his tongue and shook his head. "And you fell for it." He chuckled darkly. 

Anti furrowed his brows. 

"Who was it?" 

"He calls himself "Darkiplier", or Dark nowadays but before, I used to know him as Damien." Actor rolled his eyes, as if the mere mention of this man was disgusting to his own tongue. "A very complicated individual... Or should I say, individuals. He's a complicated person, with an even more complicated and annoying origin, but we can talk about that later." 

Anti nodded and looked to the ground before looking at the other again.

"What do you want from me?" 

Actor grinned. 

"Your friendship." He said innocently. 

Anti didn't know why that sounded so funny, but he started laughing and his fits of electricity started showing, his voice distorted into many tones of sound and his body glitched in many places. 

Albeit now, more... Red. 

"Friendship!" He repeated and rubbed his eyes, still giggling. "Friendship..." 

Actor chuckled and opened his arms, before bringing down one of his arms and bowing. 

"I'm a lonely man, nobody gives me a chance to anything however... You, my friend, did before." Actor fixed his posture and walked slightly closer. "Nobody listens, nobody gives a shit about what I have to say, they all care about DAMIEN says, Damien does, Damien orders." He snarled.

Anti silently watched his anger grow. 

"Instead of being Simon says, it's now "Damien says", because every other idiot out there followed him! And I don't even know why... He's not gentle, he's not a good person, he's a bastard with a wicked mind and malicious intentions-" 

"And you're the hero in disguise?" Anti interrupted and got up, feeling happy that he could hold his body's weight now. 

"Yes, yes I am, we are all heroes in our stories." Actor answered. "Just like you are in yours." 

"And what is my story, "Actor"?" Anti asked with a heavy emphasis on the other ego's name and also a mocking tone on his title.

"Let's start at the very beginning, and I'll try to say everything I know and watched to the fullest detail..." 

Although he had gotten up to see if he would get dizzy by doing it, he sat back down again ad he listened attentive to every word started to speak. He just knew it'd be a long... Long time to hear everything he somehow forgot.

Chapter Text

"Where are you going?" Jackie asked curious when he saw Chase well dressed.

"I'm gonna check some bank stuff, remember when I said I'm in trouble? Well, I gotta try to fix that... At least." He chuckled dryly. The lie went easily through his teeth, or perhaps a half lie because he really needed to see his bank account and other things like the debts that keep accumulating.... But not today.

He left the cabin before anyone or Jackie could say anything, he was well dressed just as an excuse, even going as far as carrying a bag with him. 

And when he was deep enough in the wood's trails, he grabbed his phone and started dialing the numbers.

His heart started pounding on his chest, he even felt dizzy so he had to sit down for a moment, hands starting to get cold and sweaty.

The phone rang for some seconds... Until it was picked up.

"Hello?" 

...

He had no words for how much he missed hearing Stacy's voice, it was like hearing a dead person come back to life after so many years. Weird as that sounded, the relief he felt and the happiness were priceless nonetheless.

"Hellooo?" She said again. 

"Hi." He finally said and he couldn't help the silly smile that got bigger across his face. 

"...Chase?" 

"Hi honey." 

"What do you expect me to do here?" Anti scoffed, leaning against the wall. 

"I don't know, the manor has many, many objects to use, to play, to entertain, there's the main hall, some rooms with televisions, too many things to do and see." And Actor wouldn't lie when he said he saw it all, after spending years here alone.

He was still the original owner of the manor after all, it was still his and in his name, even if Damien refused to knowledge it. And the bastard went as far as to lie he was the owner.

"I'm not gonna get stuck here like some pet." Anti walked to the door but stood there went Actor shut the door with a single snap of fingers.

"Anti... My dear friend-"

"Cut the bullshit." Anti hissed and turned around sharply. 

"You owe me." Actor leaned against his cane and kept on smiling, no fazed by his angry remarks. He got used to it while they shared the same roof for some days. 

"I don't own you shit." Anti grinned, cracking his neck and glitching, with some red and green pixels showing. "Didn't you do this out of the good of your heart?" Anti singed in a mocking tone and approached the other man. "Friends don't own friends... Right?" He wasn't even sure why he was being so careful around this man.

He didn't remember anything from some months back and that was his primary objective... To find out everything that went on and why Actor was actually too nice to him. He knew a snake when he saw one, and he definitely wouldn't trust him.

"Funny of you to say that, because the man you were "friends" with, made you have a lot to own him... And you accepted it. Nice and easy." Actor shook his head.

"You mean that... "Dark", guy?" Anti rolled his eyes. "I'll find things out by myself... And I'll see what you really want." 

"Anti, Anti..." Actor shook his head again but laughed in a low tone, looking down briefly. "Nobody you will find in your past was your friend." 

"I'll see that for myself." He replied and heard his bones crack when he fixed his posture to a more straight one. 

He actually agreed with that part with what Actor had said but he wouldn't say it out loud, because him? With friends? Complete and utter bullshit, it'd be more believable if anyone said he had a wife or he was someone's lost son out there, he'd believe almost anything if the lie was good enough, but a liar knows the other, he wasn't that easily fooled.

He just killed and stole his way in life, a happy wanderer in this huge earth that was not born to have him in it but here he is. They'd have to deal with him anyway. 

But truth be told, he had an unknown feeling bothering him for the past few days, his mind itched to have back what it lost and he also felt well enough now to roam around... On his own, freely, without owning anyone.

Nor anyone observing his every move through mirrors and invisible eyes. 

"Fine, don't own me, I'm not like Damien is." Mark shrugged and he noticed his slight irritation. "However, keep one thing in mind, please." Mark took one step forward, close to him. 

"...And that is?" Anti tilted his head. 

A hand was brought to his arm and squeezed it, making him lift one brow. 

"I'm your friend. And when time comes again, I won't abandon you like they did." Mark smiled gently. 

Anti stared at him and brutally got his arm out of Mark's hand, when he took steps back the feeling still lingered but he was too... Shocked, sort of, to pay much attention to what Mark said. 

"You're strange, friend, too strange." Anti gave him a dark look, mouth in a thin line, saying the word with sarcasm. "But I will remember that." 

As a token of gratitude, he could afford to waste his time and remember what he said, at least. He knew Mark wanted to use him somehow, it was obvious, so obvious it hurt to even blink in his direction, however this might as well be good for him to use Mark back... If he ever needed it. 

It was all a game, and each had his cards, he'd keep his well hidden unlike Mark. 

And the actor smiled to him and bowed.

"With that being said, don't let me keep you here. If you want to go, then go, little bird." Mark started to walk away and without turning back, he stopped for a moment. "If you ever need anything material, come to me. I can cover more than Damien ever could." 

Anti stared at him as he walked away and disappeared from his view inside the dark hallway, leaving the room heavy with silence and apprehension.

Although his stay with "Actor" or Mark wasn't bad per se, he still felt way too threatened to stay here under his supervision like they were some old friends or allies, like Mark so desperately wanted him to believe. 

So he left, not looking back, entering further the forest and feeling finally free. 

Now it was time to find out whatever happened, he had memories to be returned and he couldn't wait to find out what the fuck happened to him. 

Chapter Text

"You can't be Chase." Stacy said after moment of silence. 

"Unfortunately, I am." Chase laughed and couldn't contain his happiness. "How are you-" 

"Chase... Chase died years ago!" Stacy whispered. "...Disappeared. Years ago." She corrected with a colder tone. 

"Stacy... I... I don't understand?" He started walking, out of anxiety, pacing back and forth. "I'm here! I'm fine! What even happened? We fought, then I came to my family and then I couldn't find you anymore!" 

"What family?" She asked in an accusing tone. "Did you really leave me for another woman?-" 

"What? NO!" He grimaced at his loud voice but what she said was just absurd He´d never do that! "Stacy, I-I don't know what happened either! You were just gone, I couldn't find out! It's all a mess!" Why were his memories a mess? 

There was a short moment of silence, broken only by the wind.

"...Chase, is it really you?" She asked softly. 

"Yeah. It is." He answered calmly, sighing soon after. "...I want to know what happened too, it's all too confusing for me." 

"Well I have a lot of news for you, before anything else." She chuckled nervous on the other side of the line.

"Tell me one then." He smiled, fully expecting some news from his children. 

"I... remarried." 

It was strange being out of Actor's manor, because everything made him tense for some reason, like he expected something to jump out of the trees or shadows and attack him. He´d look around and make ugly faces to enemies that weren´t even there but who knows? His instincts never failed him...So far.

But eventually nothing came, in addition to that he wandered far too much, so much that day became night and he still kept going, bare feet in the woods while not caring for anything else. Nothing bothered him, but sometimes he´d sit down and sleep, since he had nothing to do. After that, there were some boring few days until he finally encountared a far away light in the dark woods.

And deciding to follow it because of curiosity, he walked slowly and carefully closer, until he heard voices and so he hid behind a tree.

"Dude...W-what's that?" 

Some humans, of course. These plagues were everywhere after all.

"WHO'S THERE?!" 

Anti stayed in the shadows, but a grin crept up on his face, his eyes glowed in the dark and his glitches still acted on his bones and flesh, making him have brute sharp spasms with his body. 

Perhaps he got too happy at seeing scared people or the prospect of stabbing something, so his glitches intensified, making him crack his neck all over and laugh, the sound coming out distorted, and  echoing through the woods.

Least to say, the two men that were there ran for their life and it was a very wise choice, because who knows when he gets bored enough he'll start killing random humans he finds around?... But then again he didn't want police on his tail, a whole country or company after him, would be extremely annoying. Killing one human was like killing wasps, you kill one, the others follow right behind you... And he didn´t have the patience to kill that many people.

Not yet, at least! Ha.

Nevertheless, ignoring those thoughts, he decided distract himself and take the men´s tents, so he started rummaging through their objects. He found one gun (perhaps one of them was a hunters?), some beers in a box and inside their tents were their sleeping sacks, and some lanterns. Nothing completely interesting, they didn´t even bring clothes so it meant they weren´t even planning to stay here for nothing more than a few hours.

So he eventually left, leaving untouched whatever was there.

He wandered like a lost spirit, still trying to find civilization or abandoned buildings he could properly analyze for a hiding spot and after that... What else came?

It was irritating how he absolutely couldn´t remember whatever kept scratching his mind, it was incredibly fucking annoying, but he kept trying anyway.

He remembered agony and passing out, Actor helped him after that, took him to the manor and he woke up sore but healing. And yes, he did try for days to get anything out of Actor, going as far as acting friendly with the asshole, but he didn´t let much out. Just that he was "abandoned" and he "took care of everything". He´d change his fucking name if that was the actual truth, he could see deep inside those eyes that the full manipulation of everything around him. Making him feel like he was trapped in a spider´s web, if he moved too much, he might make the spider mad.

He didn´t mind fighting Actor if it came to it, he actually wanted some action to happen! But... He still felt he wasn´t completely healed, every once in a while his head would have a terrible ache that only went away when he slept a lot, or the way sometimes his glitches were even more violent than they ever had been, making his nerves tense and he could barely move, waiting for the sensation to pass. Every few days he´d find out a new symptom of something, he´d be obligated to rest for at the very least a few hours so yes, he wasn´t stupid to jump into any fight he saw around (as much as he wanted).

However his temporary limitations wouldn´t stop him from walking or trying to find out what happened.

So walk even more he did, day and night, day and night... It was hard to navigate when you didn´t have a phone or map, but who cared? Animals avoided him, the weather didn´t bother as well and he didn´t see any more humans after those two some days ago.

And thus, he walked and walked, and walked... 

Until he saw a road. 

He stopped for a moment, actually surprised he stumbled on one, because he had been very sure he would´ve kept going further into the forest but alas, some navigation tips he remembered actually did help. Don´t ask where he knew them though, he had no clue, just like pretty much everything else. Amnesia fucking sucked, but he´d get past this, soon.

So he followed the road, cars never stopped to help him, he eventually passed a gas station and saw some older men sitting in their plastic chairs in front of a mini store, staring at him with wide eyes without blinking.

It was as if they were seeing a ghost, he supposed. He was dirty, his clothes weren´t in good state, his feet were dirty with mud and scratches, he didn´t look "pleasant" or normal. 

Yet, what scared those men the most were his glowing eyes from far away and maybe the way he was expressionless, not blinking and sometimes with glitches so fast, it only looked he was having supernatural spasms, that also quickly passed and he went back to a normal posture in mere seconds. 

He stopped and stared back, a rather violent spasm made him twist his neck and again, some cracking sounds were heard. It was satisfying for him, but the way these older men widened their eyes and stared even harder while clutching to their seats was absolutely funny to see, making a smile slowly grow on his face.

He then grinned, showing his slightly sharper than usual teeth and waved, before continuing his way, freely glitching as he pleased as he walked away. 

He should hide or maybe try to not act like that in front of humans, but he missed all of this. The fear in their eyes, the shock, everything! It all felt so deliciously familiar, it was great for once to feel like he was back to normal even if one minute.

As for the older men, they hurriedly entered the mini store of the gas station while talking fast about "the ghost", ignoring everything left outside, they closed the doors and looked out at the window, trembling.

He would come to know later, that said old men would spread around that there was a "ghost" in the small town, and the two others he found in the forest before would further reinforce it.

Finally, later he´d find the perfect spot to hide away and lick his wounds like the wandering dog he was, stealing whatever he wanted from whoever was nearby until his little hiding spot was... "Home".

The word felt strangely bitter in his tongue.

Chapter Text

Going back home slowly and deep in thoughts, Chase was a mess. He found himself surprised for not wanting to drink, but the thought still kept being there anyway, which was annoying but he refused. He refused to go back on all the work he was doing in not... being a pathetic alcoholic mess. Yeah, he was fine! He was fine...

He walked until he was back at the cabin and hours passed in a blur, as if he never blinked and everything went by like a movie scene and he was frozen in time, dinner happened, everyone was calm and talking to each other until Henrik, always observer of everything, saw his face. 

"Anything wrong?" He went near Chase and whispered, while the others kept talking between themselves. 

"I talked to Stacy." He mumbled still staring at the table. 

"What?" Henrik was stunned for a second before his expression at one of annoyance.

"Remember Google and Anti helped me find her? Yeah, well... I still had the paper." He chuckled nervously, passing a hand through his hair.

"Chase... We told you that you should leave her alone-" He passed a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath but the average bro interrupted him.

"Henrik. That doesn't matter anymore, what I'm more bothered is that my.. my now ex wife," He laughed seeing Henrik´s widened eyes, "Is remarried, my kids grew up and are living in their own apartments, with their own jobs... So young and they already... They already are doing great in life." He smiled proudly but also sad, because he missed a good chunk of it apparently. But there was still time to enjoy them! Stacy had promised she´d make them contact him soon.

But that hadn´t been the only... "intriguing" part of it all.

"Henrik, someone stole my memories." He then looked at the doctor again, serious. "It´s all a mess, and remember when you told me I hit her? Well, I didn´t!" 

That was relieving at the very least. He still remembered the times he cried just by thinking about that.

"We should talk with Marvin about this, see if he could do something with his magic." Henrik placed his cup down after taking a very quick sip. "Listen I only said that because... Well, that´s what we foudn you whispering, crying, you were a mess that day! But either way- Uhm..." 

"Doesn´t matter anymore, whatever the fuck happened or not." Chase stated determined. "I only know I want my fucking memories back."

"We´ll work on that, Marvin should hel-"

"What you guys talking ´bout?" Jackie hiccuped as he had been drinking some whiskey surprisingly, making Jameson laugh, meanwhile Marvin looked very relaxed drinking his tea.

If only they knew their adventure was far from over now...

Meanwhile, Anti got used to the small town that he now lived for some days now. 

There were barely people there, most of them old, there wasn´t many traffic around and it was a perfect hiding spot for now in itself, the only thing that bothered him though, was that it was still too close to the forest that hid Mark´s manor (or Actor as he liked to call himself). He´d need to move, sooner or later, but he was taking it easy for now, the days blurred in as he slept everything away, his strenght slowly coming back to him.

He did his best to avoid anyone and anything but he knew a small location like this would remember his face for a long time, those old fuckers always do. 

But still, no matter how much he avoided human contact, they still persisted.

It was night again and he wanted some new clothes because the ones he was using were filthy, so he was choosing which house to steal when an old lady stopped him. 

"Hello!" She fixed her glasses with a shaking hand and smiled to him. "Can you help me, young man?" 

"..." He stared at her and kept being silent. 

She kept on smiling and staring as well, so he rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?"

"I don´t know where I am, my glasses and my eyes aren´t working as well anymore and... It got dark so quick!" She chuckled and patted his back, making him stiff at the contact. "Can you help me go home?" 

"...I don´t know this town." Was he really considering even helping an old fart out? Please... Did he fall that far really? But it felt wrong to just stab her in the back, perhaps he could shove her at the next car that passed and glitch away really quick, maybe then-

"It´s ok, you read the street names and I´ll get home pretty quick!" She giggled and boldly, locked one of her arms to his. "Do you know this street? If it´s the one I´m thinking, I spent my whole childhood here, but then later I moved down the street, IF we are at the street I´m thinking, haha! My son also lived here in this little town for a while but now he´s in Spain with his wife and-"

Anti sighed and started walking slowly, eyeing a sign with the street name and saying it out loud so she stopped talking for a single second and then continued as if nothing happened and they changed directions when going down the street.

"-Anyway young man, what´s your name? We don´t have young folks here no more, so you must be new!" She squeezed his arm gently and looked up, smiling to him.

It was funny how she was staring right at his eyes as well, dark eyes, not like hers, white and blue. If she had seen his eyes or how he looked, would she still have asked for help anyway?

"Anti." He mumbled emotionless.

"...Anti?" She repeated confused. "But that can´t be right, did I hear you well-"

"My name is Anti." He interrupted her in a harsh tone, irritated. "It´s stupid and weird, but I feel it´s better than normal names humans use anyway." He smirked. Yeah, his name made his fame after all, the only thing he could say was his since his "birth", as edgy as it was, it was also unique.

"Anti... Why your mama named you like that, boy? Do you know the reason?" She asked curious.

"I don´t have a mom," Anti rolled his eyes. 

"Oh... Poor thing... And a father? Siblings?"

Strangely, it all felt bitter to even think he never belonged anywhere.

"Nothing." He answered with a grin. "I have nothing and no one." He said bitterly.

"Well, Mr. "Anti", I can be your friend!" She laughed and then he said the name of the next street they were near of, and she made them walk there. "It´s ok dear, sometimes we don´t have a good start at life, but that doesn´t mean it will keep being bad!"

What was he doing with his life, really? Didn´t he plan to kill her? But then again no fucking cars were passing at this hour and she was weirdly entertaining, and he had been very bored lately. 

And a lady´s death in this small town would make everyone stir up, maybe... She could live another year. It´s not like these old souls lasted much anyway.

She should be grateful he even spared her life-

"So, boy, why do you smell? Do you play basket and didn´t shower yet? You need a shower as fast as you can!" She laughed with no worries and Anti furrowed his brows.

"I don´t have a shower where I live." He pursed his lips and looked up to the sky in annoyance. Where was the fucking house of this lady? This cursed town was small, how come they didn´t reach it yet? His ears couldn´t take more babbler from this... Old, wrinkly, weird witch.

"Oh you´re homeless!" She shook her head in sadness. "You can take a shower at my place, I don´t mind it! I will have to convince my husband though-"

"What if I killed you when you went to sleep then? Are you dumb or just naive?" He growled and she sighed.

"I know in my heart you won´t do that! I just know! And when my heart tells me something, it happens!" She nodded very certain then asked where they were.

Anti was speechless, perhaps even a little flaggerbasted, because no human was so daring like this lady had ever been. Never, she had balls of steel if anything but he wouldn´t say a word about it. Who cared anyway?

"Anti? Boy? You here?" She patted his arm and he blinked, giving her a glare.

"Are we close to your house?" He said through clenched teeth. He never been more embarrassed his whole life like today but at least nobody was seeing them, the town seemed dead at this hour.

"If I remember the name of the street you said, I think yes! We are some minutes from there." She smiled then kept on talking as if he didn´t anything about killing or his weird behavior in general.

Of course out of all human beings, he had to get picked by the weird old woman, that didn´t care for her safety.

So off he went to a stranger´s house... It´s not like he´d have anything to do anyway, so he might as well entertain himself with all this madness while it lasted.

It was sad how far he fell from his grace, but oh well... It happens, right? Who cares.

Chapter Text

This was not how he thought his night would end but here he is. In the middle of a stranger's living room while he heard rushed whispers at the kitchen, where the lady was talking to her husband about if he could bath or not here. 

His eyes went to the portraits everywhere. Near the TV, on the walls, on the table... There was a man in military clothes and then some other pictures of a child, probably the lady and her husband, he'd assume by looking at the other older pictures. The many pictures went on and on, older and newer, until they stopped and he stared at the cross on the wall.

"Ahem!" 

He looked back and saw an old man limping with a cane towards him. He was a shaking mess much like his wife was and Anti wasn't surprised by it all.

"You're the homeless fella, right?" He asked curious and leaned on his cane. "We don't have much, you can take your bath just... Don't steal us, please." He sighed and looked down.

He'd assume this old man also didn't have good sight, because neither of them noticed his dark eyes until now. He didn't know if he felt irritated or happy about it, honestly. The less trouble, the better...

"I'm not homeless." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "And I'm not a thief either." Perhaps he was, since he had been planning on stealing clothes but now... Well...

"Suit yourself here then, we don't have much and my wife said you helped her get home." He smiled weakly and nodded. "Thank you for that, she always gets lost and folk around are tired of helping us all the time." 

"Why?" Anti asked genuinely curious. 

"I wasn't a good man back when I was less old than this, she got bad fame as well because of me and... We always paid a caretaker to help us, but our money is tight. We had to fire her three days ago and now we are here." The old man went to his couch and sat down, so Anti went to the armchair and sat down as well. 

"Won't you ask, what a lady her age was doing outside at such hours?" Her husband chuckled. 

"I don't judge, I assumed she went for a walk." Anti shrugged but now he was even more curious. 

"She's losing herself." Her husband whispered. 

"What do you mean by that?" 

"Alzheimer." 

"What's that?" 

He got a laugh from his question.

"Boy, you never heard of this disease?" The old man shook his head, amused by his cluelessness. 

"...I don't have a good memory with diseases names or what they do." Anti leaned back against the armchair. 

"You're strange, my friend. Maybe you're the "ghost" everyone is talking about." The man chuckled again. "Well... It's a sad disease you see, you lose a little bit of yourself day by day... Slowly losing your memories, changing your behavior until... Until you die." The man looked down and everything was completely silent for a second.

Anti didn't say anything, he almost wanted to compare he himself didn't have his memories of his past few years, but he couldn't quite have that disease, no, it was impossible. 

The silence persisted and was only broken when the old man lifted his head and smiled.

"At least you're not like the others, full of "sorrys"." He huffed and got up slowly with the help of the cane. "Either way, go take your bath, you can have some of my son's clothes as well. It's not like he won't mind if you have them." 

"The soldier is your son, right?" Anti looked back to the one picture on the wall. 

"Yes... He passed in the war, recruited like a hero, came back in a box like many others." The old man said bitterly. "I told him to not go, but he was searching fame like the others. Why people never learn that war doesn't bring any honor? I knew it'd end like this, I warned him, I-" 

The old man stopped and took a deep breath, and his hunched figure slumped even more with the weight of such sadness on his back. 

"You can keep his clothes, she won't remember anyway." The old man said then started to walk away. 

Anti got up as well and with the slower movement, the TV went on accidentally and he also had a  spasm, cracking his neck a bit. 

"Hm?" The man looked back. "Did you turn on the TV?" 

"I think yes, accidentally." Anti looked to the TV without signal and the buzzing of white noise, and with a snap of his fingers, it turned off. 

"Well, suit yourself. I'll go to sleep and to make sure she doesn't leave again, this night." 

"What's your name?" Anti finally asked. 

"I'm Jonathan McGregor, my wife is Mary Walpole. You can call me John if you want, anything else?" 

"Do you mind if I eat?" 

"We don't have much but... Suit yourself." 

So after that, the old man went away and Anti waited a minute or two before going to his kitchen and analyzing everything. 

The yellowed wallpaper, everything seemed very clean at least, the counters, fridge, stove, they were all white and spotless, he saw a fruit basked by the side of the dish holder near the sink and he went there and grabbed one orange.

But he never needed to eat anyway, strangely right now he never felt so sure of not being hungry like today. 

So putting the orange back, he grabbed a cup and filled it with water from the sink, drinking it with some happiness because while he didn't want to eat, these days he found he loved drinking water a lot. It didn't do anything to him but always left behind a strange fulfilment on his stomach (which always felt weird) and a freshness in general. 

So he drank until he felt full, the sensation was getting familiar and familiar as days passed on this town and he care one bit about any of this. All he cared was to have something to do besides sleeping and watching couples fight by the window of the abandoned building he had been in.

After a while of exploring the house, he finally realized it wasn't spotlessly clean as he thought it'd be, as some places held too many old objects (like the little room below the stairs), some places had too much dust and that's it. It wasn't bad but it was falling apart slowly and surely. 

When he went upstairs, he heard the old couple talking in their room about him, and he just knew the room was locked as well, as the man, "John" surely wasn't as naive as his wife. But then again he wasn't sick like her, that explained why she had been such a weird woman. 

He'd assume she still thought their son was alive, by the way she talked of him, and might have spoken nonsense since she mentioned something about living in Spain, but if this disease was bad then that wasn't surprising to him. 

At the end of the night, he did shower and get newer clothes, laying down on the son's bed and then staring at the ceiling.

He smirked and passed a hand through his face, giggling and glitching a bit. He even realized everything had been so stunning to him, that his glitches even became a less intense, with just him twisting his hand here or there. This week couldn't have been more amusing! 

Yet.

The disease's name made him feel... Something for that couple. A man doomed to see everything fall apart and a woman dying and not knowing her fate. 

He sat up and his eyes glowed in the dark, as he stared now to the floor then his went to the mirror, where he stared at himself. 

His hair was longer green and the rest of it was fading. 

It was a weird thing to happen as his green hair was never dyed and just... Persisted for years and years as far he knew, but now? Now it was fading away to brown, and he looked even more like a copy of Jack, except now he wasn't a fool anymore. 

The thought made him smile and he chuckled. 

The years had passed so quick and who knows how many more he lost because he couldn't remember it but either way... Even him changed after all this time, everything still went on and the world was still shit, it all never stayed the same... How sad and exciting was that? 

Either way, Anti decided he was thinking way too much for such dumb things, so he went back to laying down and tried to sleep, and successfully did it after a few minutes they. 

Time would pass anyway and it was the only enemy he could never win. 

"So Chase has no memories?" 

"I don't, I mean! I do but it's a mess, like... Ya know, when someone messes up the order of something? I feel like that, and I don't even know why!" 

"I'll try to see some spell that can let me... Maybe read your mind?" 

"Oh dude, you won't like it there." Chase laughed.

"I assure you it won't be like that, it'd be more like reading a book by forcing the book to open and see the pages, which in this case is your memories." Marvin held his chin in an intensive stare at the ground. "I think I know a spell for that, but it'll hurt a little to perform it, I won't lie to you." 

"Or we can call Google and ask for his help!" Jackie intervened. 

"Dark needs a vacation from our bullshit, and not like he'd be happy to help too, and Google is under his wing." Henrik scoffed, staying nearby. 

"Then spell it is." Marvin smiled. "We might even find out the answers for things we don't know." 

"Ohh like I'm the big missing puzzle missing!" Chase joked and chuckled, crossing his arms. "Fine, let's do it then, whenever you're ready, Marv." 

And to their surprise, later when they watched as Marvin used the spell on Chase and the average bro stood still in the bed, Marvin and him started grimacing as floating purple particles started shining around them, making Jackie want to help them but gently Jameson touched his shoulder and shook his head, his message clear. 

And when Marvin got his hands out of Chase's head abruptly, he widened his eyes and Chase sat up quickly. 

"I GOT KIDNAPPED BY IRIS?" 

"What?" Jackie frowned. "When-" 

"Too long ago, but right before he joined us and we found him like a mess and assumed things wrong." Marvin rubbed his eyes and groaned in frustration. "That explains the confused mumbling, the nonsense, the pains you had here and there.... You went through a lot of shit and nobody knew!" 

"I should've seen the signs..." Henrik whispered and looked down. "You were dehydrated, in bad shape, I should've know-" 

"It's ok Henrik, it's not like you can know everything that goes on." Chase tried to comfort him and smiled his way. "And by what Marvin made me remember... I was more psychologically tortured than physically." He swallowed nothing and shoved away some memories. 

Yet now he could remember his own screams clearly. 

"... Will you tell Stacy all of this?" Jameson signed and the average bro nodded.

"Of course, even if it sounds very strange to her, she deserves the truth. It's because of those fuckers that our marriage ended." Well, not all their fault but still they played a huge role in it. "God... I want to burn IRIS down all over again." 

"Don't worry, last I saw them when we were in Dark's manor, they were slowly recovering from a lot of shit." Jackie sighed. "One less problem I guess, right Chasey?" 

"Yeah." He mumbled, still in deep thoughts. 

Now they just needed to find Anti, so they'd all be complete again.

Chapter Text

And after that night, Anti disappeared from their lives.

It wasn't worth being around, not like he could do anything to help them anyway. He could only help in ways of killing, but others? He wasn't so sure. 

So he stayed in that town and watched, going back to the abandoned building he lived on. 

And one year passed. 

He saw snow begin and fall, saw autumn winds bring leaves and paint everywhere orange, saw the flowers bloom in many colors and... The world wasn't so ugly anymore and for last, summer days came and went, people would go to a place called "beach" and he wondered if it was really pretty as they always said. 

It wasn't so bad to live like this but even after all that time, he still didn't know what to do to get back his memories. 

It still felt like a piece of him was missing, he couldn't be just fine with a good chunk of his memories gone, but it's not like the glitch could do something either, so he did gave up trying to find a way to cure himself and recover them. 

And was now finding ways to entertain himself, like stealing things here and there, he surprisingly found himself happy to be near some stray cats as well, when some always came to him when he gave food to them. Greedy bastards. He befriended a few ravens as well, animals were a good company he discovered. 

And for nobody else but him, he existed. Just him and his life, he was fine how it is, even if deep down a emptiness settled.

One day, he decided to see how the old couple was going. 

When he stepped on the balcony and saw the "for selling" sign, it made him pause and stare at it for a moment as it all sunk in, as something settled in his stomach and he felt surprisingly... Weird about it.

He loved death, and to bring death to those he deemed worth bringing it upon, but them? They weren't touched by his deathly hands, death just took them away.... Gently. Normally. 

Somehow it looked way crueler than his own hands could ever do. And he wasn't sure how to put it in words even in his thoughts. 

Did the old lady die peacefully? He secretly found himself hoping so... And the old man? Well, they talked a bit before he passed but apparently he spent way too long away to be there when it was needed. 

Was he even needed? Probably not, but that old man and his wife had been his only human company for some months. 

He was using the old clothes of their dead son as well, given to him when they met the first time. 

Life was such a cruel and funny tragedy, wasn't it? Would he one day, die as well and be taken gently away so he could rot and be forgotten for once? Or was he doomed to be immortal until someone killed him? 

He didn't know, but he sat down on the balcony's steps and stayed there until the sun went down, with eyes closed as he listened to the wind make the leaves dance and leave a sense of peace and melancholy in the air. 

"Hey fella, who you?" Some stranger waved at him and he hesitantly waved back.

"A friend of theirs." He answered, unsure if it was a lie or truth. 

"Ah I'm sorry... They passed away some weeks ago, no family left so the government had take care of it all, the house is for sale though, don't you want to buy it?" The stranger chuckled, smiling. 

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." Anti answered  bitterly. "Why did the government take the house?" 

"Well, since nobody can own it, it's "free state" and... I don't know how it works either, but they always take... As always." The man huffed then laughed, "Anyway, have a good night! It's gonna be cold today, so maybe go home when you finish grieving, alright boy? Our ghost still lingers around the town so stay safe!" 

The stranger left, not even waiting for some answer and he blinked. 

"Grieving?" He mumbled curious. Ghost? 

What was grief though? He never heard such a word before, and if he did, he probably forgot as he did many things before. 

Whatever it was, he could just see later what it meant and... For now, he just wanted to stay one last time at this balcony, because he already had plans for this house. 

No government would own it, they didn't help the couple when needed, they weren't worth of keeping the house either. No profits would be done for their favor. 

So that night, he stole a car's gasoline and spread it all around the house, feeling like a dance when he twirled around and the gasoline was just everywhere like magic around him, making him grin, the smell was also kinda good if not weird, but too much of it and he started to feel weird so eventually he went outside. 

He had grabbed a match from inside before and so he light it up, grinning as the flames illuminated his face. One small flame... To start such a big fire, how poetical. 

His green hair was gone, his neck wound closed up for good it seemed and his strength was back, he had friends and then lost them to life itself, everything changed in one year and he was... Somehow grateful for it. There was much to live and die for. 

He threw the match at the house and it exploded from inside out, making him cover his face with his arms instinctively when the explosion threw some  debris at his direction, fire immediately licked all the wood and spread like a disease, making some nearby electric wires get ripped and the lights went out for some houses, as some people immediately went out of their houses. 

He grinned at the sight of beautiful fire and watched as the flames flew high to the stars, and for some reason, it brought him peace, so in a single blink with his powers, he teleported away and watched the fire from a random house's roof top as he leaned against the chimney. 

"Rest well." He closed his eyes with a smile. 

After all the revelation and everything was said and explained to Stacy, she was still somehow skeptical but after seeing (through a video call) many people who looked exactly like Chase and their own version of everything that had went on,  she believed them all easier and was actually happy Chase was doing fine and everything had been explained. 

In Jackie's opinion, some ends were still loose but he was enjoying the peace the maximum he could, so he didn't complain and as long everyone was fine, he wouldn't do anything.

He still did his job as a hero, ending robberies,  beating whoever needed a beating (not too rough though as he could still kill easily with his strength) and exploring some nearby places whenever he could. Eventually, they all started to do their own things.

Marvin started working as a magician for fun, getting a few bucks for them. 

Jameson worked with him as his "silent" assistant and it worked wonders, he was especially good with kids, who loved his moustache and balloons. 

Chase went back to making videos and while it didn't do much, he gained some popularity for a while because of his similarity to Jack, until he had to play it off as just being a coincidence thing. 

Henrik was still trying to get a job as a doctor, but without a diploma it was hard, also he didn't have the proper documents... So the doctor was still looking up for the step by step process of getting a job as a doctor, even though he didn't go to medical school (as far as he remembered). 

Eventually it was Jackie who had to hunt something to do when everyone was busy trying to have a normal life, so when he heard rumors about a criminal who blew up a house in a nearby little town, he found it interesting enough to go check it out... Specially when a peculiar detail made him even more excited. 

So he packed some things, informed his fellow brothers in arms and at last, got a little cool magical crystal from Marvin that whenever he needed to get home, he'd come easier with magic. 

"It's not much, but it's honest work." Marvin patted his back before giving the crystal to him, "Take good care of it though, those crystals are hard to make and there's just enough magic for few trips, like... Seven? Six? I don't know, but don't push it." 

"Alright Marv, thank you for your help." The hero smiled grateful and placed the crystal in his pocket. 

"Why are you even going there? It's just some dumb wire that exploded near the house or something, I wouldn't even go check it out." Marvin crossed his arms. 

"Honestly? I would think the same but a interviewed person said a man with a "wounded neck" was the main suspect." Jackie grinned widely. 

"....What?" 

"You heard me!" He grabbed the magician by the shoulders and shook him, excited with a huge smile. "WE FINALLY HAVE A CLUE ON ANTI!" 

Chapter Text

After that little incident, it all got peaceful again after all the dust and rumors settled down (surprisingly fast might he add).

This town was ridiculous, nothing good or more importantly, fun ever happened here and the only situation that did, the old idiots went back to following their lives. Anti wasn't even sure anymore why he was here still, yet he also found hard to let go of it. It was the nearest (if he still remembered correctly) way to "walk" all the way back to Actor´s hideout (if he even was allowed there anymore) and... And well, he made a life here. As boring and dull as it was, it was still his life. 

Sometimes he'd visit the cemetery and read some tombstones, see the new and old graves and some flowers left by some people known by them before.

He didn't understand why they put flowers on the elderly couple's graves. It's not like they could see or smell it, it didn't make any sense for him so he scoffed at the sight and went away. There´s no use in trying to understand feelings that just never were born with him either. Grief? Empathy? He found hard to believe he could even feel at all sometimes, yet he still did. But alas, the delusion of believing such things was still there, maybe it was the self inflicted shame of knowledging such things, but he was a "big boy" now, he couldn´t just be ashamed of things that were "natural", right?

He hoped so. Sometimes his head was still a mess, he knew he wasn´t exactly new to this world, but he knew on automatic (somehow) that he didn´t belong here either. He wasn´t human but at the same time, he felt very human. Well, not a lot sometimes but lately, feelings were a strange thing that kept him entertained. 

Being happy he petted a cat, being sad about the elderly couple, confused why there was gaps on his memory, angry at Actor for obviously try to play hero and gain favors from him... Yes, emotions were a complicated thing. He wondered if in his memories he lost, something important to them was related there. Why he got ashamed of feeling at all sometimes, or the anger, the hot overbearing anger that always made his days complicated... It was all confusing, too much. 

So he sleep it all away, distract himself, watch. Oh he was very good at watching! He´d say it was a hobby and a pass time, he had lots of patience to watch something, if he found it fun enough. But well, there´s only so much he can do in a small town in the middle of nowhere...

So boring days came and passed, he finally had something exciting happening. 

"Someone new appeared on the town" he heard, as he walked with his hoodie on, hands on his pockets and stood near a couple next to him as they waited for the street light. Yet even after he left and when night came and he was enjoying his night in his "room", that´s all he could hear the neighbors across the street talk about, hearing that this new person was searching around for his "lost twin". 

Eventually, on a nightly walk, he stumbled on the new guy, quite on accident, much to his surprise once more.

And it was completely unnatural how they looked exactly the same, except the other looked ecstatic at seeing him and he just... Looked like a happier version of himself, which was so weird to look at. He looked younger and a bit more muscular too, but he still could win him in a fight if he needed. 

"Who are you?" He asked quietly and looked at him with wary, half lidded eyes. 

"What do you mean?!" The man in the red hoodie huffed then took steps closer, making him take steps back in answer. "Anti, it's me! Jackie!" He placed a hand on his chest as he tried to emphasize. 

"I don't know any "Jackies"." He scoffed then darkened his expression. "Should I be worried?" 

"No!" The hero shook his head violently. "We are buddies! You helped me and the gang defeat the... Oh boy this story will be a long one." His lookalike scratched behind his head and pursed his lips. 

"I have plenty of time in this boring town." He shrugged. If the man didn't seem like a threat and he was trying to be seen as not being one, he could entertain the thought of a conversation. He had better nothing to do anyway. "How do you know my name is Anti?" 

"We are made by the same creator, Jack, you know?" He asked curious. "Did you lose your memories?" 

"Whatever happened, yes, I did lose my memories." He looked down then up again, some hope surging in his chest. "Are you part of my past?" 

"Yes, I am, as you are part of mine." He smiled gently. "Our family, our little group... We thought we lost you but... I never stopped looking." He chuckled and tried to approach the glitch, but the other took a step back. It touched a nerve from Jackie´s heart but he refrained from showing any unhappiness at this moment.

"Even if you´re part of my past, I don´t know you now. I don´t trust you." Anti narrowed his eyes at him and lifted his chin just a bit higher in defiance. "And you mentioned others. Who are they?"

"You see, it´s a little idiotic when I say it like that... But we are characters from the same creator, you know? You´re an... Uh, we still don´t know what you are completely. But I´m a hero, there´s a magician, a doctor and a time traveler, I think...? I don´t know if JJ is really a time traveler, I always hear about it from the others but I never pried and then there´s Chase-"

"I get it, there´s a bunch of very unique weirdos out there." Anti scoffs and crosses his arms. "So you want me to go with you?"

"Yes!" Jackie beams at those words, "The others will be so happy to see you again!"

"Shame, they can feel happy knowing I´m alive only." Anti uncrosses his arms and starts walking. "Nice knowing you." Or should he say, remembering? But then again he didn´t remember anything actually, just got informed of what possibly happened. 

"HEY!" Jackie starts following him, feeling a twinge of irritation as he keeps his now forced smile. "Come on Anti, we need you in our group!"

"Why did I even leave then?" Anti turns to him abruptly after having walked quite far with some quick steps. "Answer me that."

Because if he left, then something must have happened. He might be a mess but he knew himself, and if he left, then something was wrong.

"We...We don´t know why you went to fight alone, but next thing we know you´re gone for a really long time and that bad guy is gone now and... Now you´re amnesic." Jackie gives him a sympathetic look after gesturing to him and Anti just rolls his eyes. 

"And who´s that "bad guy"?"

"It was uhm.... Weeeell...... You from the another dimension......." He whispers really low, looking away not knowing exactly why he was embarrassed. Maybe because of the insanity behind such words, like someone would even dream of saying such things in real life, but alas they were never normal to begin with. Still, it´s weird even for him.

"What?" Anti blinks and frowns in confusion.

On second thoughts... Perhaps he might have more fun than he thought, if he really gave a chance to his "lost twin". 

So now he was standing in the room of a cabin, in a messy room and an idiot hero who was still too stupidly happy to see him again for some reason and after seeing real magic in action, he was starting to enjoy his acceptance for all this peculiar day. It was time to leave that old town anyway, maybe he would go back to it one day, but for now here seemed... Fun.

"This is our new home, a cabin that Chase owns and it isn´t that big really, but can share stuff together!" Jackie grins widely and pats his back way too strongly and Anti stares at him so he falters with it. "And uh... Welcome back, Anti." He chuckles still a bit embarrassed but really, he´s happy the glitch is home again.

"What happens now?" He lifted a brow at the hero.

"I´ll tell the others the news and... You either come with me, or you can wait here for them to come and we can all introduce each other again etc." Jackie chuckles. "If you feel overwhelmed, just let me know! I don´t want you to feel bad here Anti."

"Why are you treating me like this?"

"Like this "how"?" Jackie slightly tilts his head, a little confused but curious as well.

"... Nice." He mumbles, finally admitting it, whatever. "Why are you trying to be nice?"

"You helped us when we needed, we´re free from some big threats because you did a good chunk of the job and we´re all grateful to you but... Well, to me, we didn´t start on the right foot. This seems like the perfect opportunity to start over!" Jackie smiles soflty. 

"I see." Anti looks down. "Then... I don´t mind it."

Jackie smiles even wider at those words, encouraged by his acceptance and he goes out, leaving Anti alone at "his" new room. 

It was messy, there was one bed, so he didn´t know how they´d even share a room with him but... In all honesty, deep down even if he tried to suppress such thoughts... It was good to not be alone finally. To not hide, to steal (or so he hoped he wouldn´t have to), it all somehow felt right, like something good was coming his way after years of trying. 

It might be only thoughts or his instincts but he deeply wanted to believe it was all going to be ok now.

And after a while of waiting, messing a bit with the things of the "hero", the door got busted open and a lot of people who looked exactly like him (almost, in some way) came in and almost fell on themselves. 

"ANTI!" Henrik smiled at him, "Fucking hell, I never I'd be happy to see you again!" He grinned widely.

"...I guess so." Anti shrugged.

"Looking better than ever, buddy!" Marvin waved at him and he just stared before going to analyze every person in the room. 

He saw a man start to move his hands really fast at him and he frowned, tilting his head a bit. Because what was the reason to do such thing? It looked almost like he wanted to communicate. 

"What are you doing?" He asked curious and Jameson stopped signing, looking confused himself. 

"Guys... There's a bit of a problem you see..." Jackie entered the room after passing Chase and Marvin, going back to Anti's side and placing a hand on his shoulder.

He tensed up automatically with the physical contact but refrained from acting out as well. Somehow, he felt like he could trust them, no instincts screaming, no bad interactions so far... He didn't see a motive to be actually harmful so... Why not see how they played out? Not like he belonged somewhere anyway. 

"You see guys, Anti seems to be amnesic and-" 

He sighed quietly and relaxed slightly, all the explanation blocked out from his ears as his thoughts were much louder in retrospect. 

There was a lot of explaining to do.