Flashback

"Are you going to that stupid party this weekend?"

The question was answered with a shrug and the man who had asked the question grumbled in annoyance.

"Tch. If it was up to me I wouldn't but that stupid giddy fuck wants everyone there. And if I have to go, so do you, asshole. Not gonna be bored to death the entire time" he mumbled the last part.

The other snorted, "Why'd you even ask me in the first place, then? I'd rather not go, myself. T̵h̵e̵y̵'̸r̵e̵ gonna be there, too."

Dark huffed, "Oh please. You're not scared of those idiots, are you?"

"No! Of course not! I'd just rather not be in their presence"

"Yeah well I doubt they want to be around you either. You fucked with them all enough, they're probably terrified of you by now."

Anti twitched, uncomfortable with the subject but Dark persisted, "What all did you do to them again? You possessed the mute, the doctor and your own creator. Not to mention you tried to kill dear Seany-boy. And what was it that happened between you and Chase again?"

"Alright, enough." Anti silenced him, "I'll go with you to the stupid ̵f̷o̸o̷k̴i̷n̵g̴ party. Just shut your stupid mouth already"

Dark smirked, knowing he would get his way eventually, "It was just a question. No need to get so snippy about it"

"God, you're such a douchebag" the glitch mumbled under his breathe. 

Dark growled, hearing it anyways, "What was that?"

"N̵-̸n̸o̴t̶h̷i̴n̴g̵.. . . . nothing"

End of Flashback

Anti stood over Jackie as the hero bench-pressed a good size of weights. The glitch tried to seem like he was 'helping' but really, what was the point? The amount his brother was lifting was like lifting a feather to him. Anti wouldn't be fooled by the forced grunts. Fifty kilograms was nothing.

He knew why Jackie asked him to help him work out. Distraction. Not that he wasn't 'okay' with it. It was nice to get up and actually do something once in a while and he was getting pretty bored lately.

"You gonna actually lift something heavy or are ya gonna keep wasting my time?"

Jackie huffed but smirked, easily placing the bar back, "Alright . . .  Think you can place the hundred kilos on yourself?"

Anti's eyes widened a little but nodded anyways, going over to where Jackie kept the weights and picked them up one at a time to place on the bar. In reality, it was almost too much for Anti but he wasn't going to let Jackie see that.

'Geez, maybe he was right. I have gotten sort of lazy'

He tried hiding his grunting and wheezing as he shoved the weight on the bar but by Jackie's smart-ass little smirk, he wasn't doing a good job at it. Once he got them on, he glared at him, "Not a f̸u̸c̴k̵i̶n̵g̶ word"

"Yeah, yeah. Now I'll really need ya to help if you can. If I struggle, I'll need you to help me get the bar back up to rest, okay? Don't let it come down on me and choke me"

Anti snorted, "Why am I helping you with this again? Wouldn't it be easier for Marvin to help ya with his magic and shit? Or maybe you need Chase as your hype-man or something?"

"What? Saying you can't do it?"

"̸N̶O̸!̴"̶ he huffed, "Whatever. Come on already, hero"

Jackie rolled his wrists a bit and puffed his chest, getting his muscles ready. He gripped the bar, breathing in and out, suddenly lifting it. He grit his teeth as he steadily let it fall down a bit towards his chest but snarled once he started lifting. It wasn't too bad, though. He didn't seem to need Anti's help, really and the glitch just watched as his brother started to continuously lift the bar with ease.

When he was finished with twenty reps, he set the bar back up to rest and puffed out air with a laugh.

"̶S̴h̸u̵t̶  ̵i̴t̸"̸ Anti rolled his eyes.

"Hey now." he lifted himself up and rolled his shoulders, "Why don't you try lifting some yourself? You used to be almost as strong as me, remember? Back in the old days?"

"The old days" Anti snorted, "You mean like three years ago?"

"Yeah" Jackie didn't seemed bothered by mentioning it but it messed with Anti a little, bringing back memories of when he was their enemy.

"Hm." Anti went over to the arm weights but Jackie chuckled.

"Seriously? Starting with the baby stuff? Come on, man. You can do better than that!" Jackie came up to him, presenting himself a little taller than the glitch, "Let's spar. I want to see if you can actually take me still"

He stared at Jackie, wondering if he was actually serious or not. Why would he want him to fight him? They haven't truly fought in years when he was still on Dark's way of thinking. He shook his head, not wanting to think about it anymore.

"Aw come on!" Jackie playfully shoved him, "Hit me. Or are you too weak now to put up a decent fight?"

"Don't taunt me, Jackie. You know that's dangerous"

"Oh please" the hero grinned, "I could handle you then and I can handle you now. Come on. It's just a spar, Anti. Just messing around. It could really help you release some tension, you know? Plus, I know how much you've missed fighting me~"

Anti rolled his eyes again, "You're not going to just let it go, are you?"

"Nope" he got into a stance.

Anti was nervous on the inside but smiled devilishly. He rolled his shoulders back, letting some green sparks fly behind him, "Alright then. Fine. Your move first, h̶e̷r̷o̸"̸

"Okay. Just one thing. No powers"

"A̵w̵, what!? That's not fair! W̸h̴o̶a̷!̶-̷" he just barely dodged Jackie's fist coming at him.

Anti stumbled but got his footing back, "̶H̴e̸y̴!̵ I wasn't ready!"

"You told me I get first move!"

"Yeah but! Oh whatever!" Anti went to hit him but Jackie caught his fist and kicked his shin, "̶F̷o̸o̴k̵!̴ ̵Y̸a̴ ̴ f̸o̸o̶k̴i̸n̴g̵ ̴b̷i̵t̷c̴h̴!̷-̸"̵

"Oh come on, Anti! You can do better than that! Fight me!"

"I'm T̶R̴Y̶I̸N̴G̷!̵"̶ he lunged again, feeling his anger bubbling up. He managed to dodge Jackie's moves this time but he still couldn't land a proper hit.

Finally, Anti was able to read his moves and counteract the hero's actions. He never really was physically strong, especially compared to Jackie, but he made up for it in speed and with his glitching, no one could catch up to him. He couldn't use his glitching in this little spar but that was alright. He was fast enough to duck under Jackie's arm to get behind him. From there, he launched himself onto his back where the hero couldn't reach.

"Who's weak now, ya red bitch!?" Anti laughed but didn't expect Jackie to be laughing as well. The hero suddenly did a move the glitch was unprepared for and slammed himself on his back.

"̴O̷h̸o̵h̷!̵"̵ Anti grunted and whined with Jackie on top of him, "You arse" his voice cracked just a little.

Jackie hurriedly jumped off of him, suddenly worried he hurt him, "Hey are you okay?! I didn't mean to- Oof!" Anti's eyes glowed green and he sent a small green shock at him, sending him onto his ass on the floor.

Anti's eyes went back to normal and he was about to laugh about it.

"Hey, what the hell is going on down here!?"

Both Jackie and Anti looked over at the stairs to see Marvin with his hands on his hips. He looked ready to fight and that worried Anti. Did he think that him and Jackie really were in a fight? Anti stayed on the ground while Jackie jumped up, grinning.

Marvin's shoulders slacked a little and Jackie chuckled, "No need to get in a hissy-fit, Marv! We were just sparring!"

"Sparring?" Marvin practically growled, "Are you kidding me!? It looked like a hell of a lot more than that, Jackie! You need to be careful!"

That stung Anti a little. He picked himself off and dusted off his clothes. Jackie didn't see the problem, "Why? He was just helping me train was all."

The magician sighed, "Look just . . . . And Anti this isn't meant to offend you or anything but  . . . we don't know what would make you flip out on us. Especially with how the last couple of weeks have gone. Jackie, just-"

The hero crossed his arms. Anti could see but by Marvin's sudden look of regret, he could tell it was a hard glare, "Marvin. . . . I know you still don't trust him completely . . . but I know Anti better than you guys. Or so I'd like to think. He's lived with us for three years. He's different now and you know that."

Anti felt the need to defend himself but kept quiet, biting his lip, 'I shouldn't have used my power like that on Jackie. He asked me not to and now Marvin's gonna tell Sean or something'

"It's not that I don't trust him! He's my brother just as much as he's yours!" he looked offended, himself, "I KNOW he's changed. For the better and I'm proud of you, Anti, for it! Look just. . . . be careful. Don't take anything too far. That's all." with his tail figuratively in between his legs, Marvin walked back up the stairs, leaving the two alone again.

Jackie turned back to face Anti but the glitch wouldn't even look him in the eyes, "You didn't have to stick up for me."

"Why not? I've done it before, why would I just quit now?"

"Even after all this time. After everything . . . I'm still not trusted. Not even by my own creator" he glitched a little, alerting Jackie that he was feeling more than what he showed on the outside, "I'm not saying I should have stuck by Dark's side but . . . Maybe it was a mistake to move in here? I've caused nothing but problems for everyone."

"No you haven't! That's not true, Anti"

"Isn't it?" Anti huffed and shook his head, " You all are just N̵O̴W̷ starting to treat me like a fooking human ever since the void . . . . . Why am I even talking to you about it? Showing weakness. . . I just keep . . . why?" he crossed his arms, as if to protect himself.

The hero tried walking up to him closer but Anti just took a few paces back, making him stop.

"Talking about your feelings isn't weakness, Anti. It's strength. And you're so strong, Anti, whether you believe it or not. You think you're a burden here? You're not. If this is about anything Dark said, then you need to shut him OUT. HE'S the problem. Not you"

Anti scratched the back of his head nervously, still glitching slightly, "I'm gonna. . . I'm gonna go to my room now. See you later" without waiting for a response, he glitched through a nearby digital clock and up to his room.

With a sigh, Jackie sat on the cold concrete floor, staring at the clock his brother left from, 'Don't you see, Anti? You're stronger even than me. But you have so many negative emotions wrapped up in you, you can't see who you can truly be. From that day at the party, I saw. It's a shame, you can't'

Anti flung himself on his bed and stared over at the nightlight in the corner of his room. Even if he had the lights on, he wanted to keep the nightlight just to make sure he'd never be in the dark again. He was doing better with sleeping but he still had nightmares of being there.

The illusions that plagued him of before . . . . 

Schneep had asked before what he saw in the void but he never wanted to think about it again. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice in his dreams. That day always came back in full force coupled with snippets here and there of the times he had hurt his brothers and Sean. He'd never forget.

He knew Jackie's intentions today were to distract him but what Marvin said dug into him like claws. Could he really just snap and flip out on them? Could he really go into such a chaotic and bloodthirsty state if Jackie and him had continued fighting?

'I guess I HAD snapped a little that one night. My glitching took out the power and that stupid nightmare just. . . . got to me'

He held himself on the bed, glaring at the nightlight, 'Would I really have hurt any of them still after all this time? They didn't say what I tried to do in that state of mind but I saw my knife on the ground when Jackie had me. Clearly I tried something but they refuse to even acknowledge it.'

Time ticked by as the day slowly came to its end. It seemed like minutes when hours rolled by. Time was still weird even after so long but Schneep said his mind sound soon comes to terms with this world's reality of time again.

'The way Chase looked at me. Eyes filled with pity and yet . . .there was something else there as well. What was it?'

 It wasn't anger or sadness but . . .something stronger and closer. He just couldn't place it.

'Chase has done things he's not proud of, too. Maybe that's why he came? Thinking helping me could . . . redeem himself. Pft. Good luck with that, Brody.'

He rolled over and stretched himself out so he laid flat on his back, 'There's nothing you or I can do to ever redeem ourselves. And yet you should be happy they don't see you the same way they do me. But you're not happy. Why? Why is that? Why did you run away and stay away from everyone for so long only to show yourself for ME?!'

Suddenly Anti's overhead light on the ceiling broke in his anxiety but the glow of the nightlight saved his thoughts. He turned to the nightlight again, 'Is it because of what happened at that party?'

There was a knock at his door and speak of the devil.

"Hey bro! You in there? Jackie said you were probably up here after earlier. You hungry? Too bad if you're not. Open the door and come downstairs with me"

In 'the old days', Anti would have gutted him without hesitation . . . . he HAS nearly gutted him before. . . .

But his stomach rumbled, interrupting that particular thought. With a sigh, he got out of the bed, "Alright, alright. Don't bust down my door, B̵r̵o̷d̸y̶!̴"

Later that evening after supper was finished, Marvin scurried off to his room as usual. Everyone jut thought it was just a certain ritual for him every night after supper to spend some time to himself and practice his magic.

Not entirely wrong but not entirely true either.

The man put his mask on and sat on the floor, legs crossed. His hands rested on his knees and he mumbled some spell. A spell he knew by heart.

As usual, the spell opened a strange rainbow portal, all the pretty colors swirling together like a whirlpool until an image formed in front of him.

'I remember that day' he thought fondly, 'But there has to be something I've missed from it.'

He looked through the area like you would a holographic google maps, searching for a sign. He did this every night. The magician looked through these certain memories every night after supper specifically because it was easier to bring up the memories through their eyes after spending that amount of time together in the same room. He did it with purpose.

This time, with Anti finally joining in for supper, he could go through HIS memories. Technically, he could before with Anti living with them but now with everything that was happening, he couldn't stop his curiosity.

Marvin knew it wasn't right. It wasn't ethical or morally right by any means.

But he had to know. . . . . .

To truly trust Anti and understand him . . . . he had to see those moments through HIS eyes.

'But I can never find that one I'm looking for. The party. He's hiding it away but I'll find it here soon. I have to know. Sorry, Anti. But I have to know what exactly happened between you two.'