As soon as Anti went through the outlet, he felt sick and dizzy but kept going. He felt . . . .  in pieces. As if he just wasn't one whole person anymore. And the noise around him! So buzzy and loud! He felt himself connect to something large and thought it must have been the power lines.

He traveled through trying to feel out for anything that reminded him of home. But he was sort of lost.

He needed to launch himself out somewhere so he could find out where he was or just how close he was to home.

Launching out, he snapped out of an outlet.

Looking around, he saw a face he didn't recognize, though. A bald man with a serious face. He looked to be in a detective's office and the man shouted at him, "Hey what the hell!? Get out of here, you son of a bitch!"

Scared, Anti saw his phone and zapped through it to try something different. The set up of going through the phone was different but not harder. He sensed a connection that seemed familiar so he bolted through it.

Only to land somewhere ELSE he didn't recognize. He was in another office.

He twirled around, still glitching to see a man looking just as surprised dressed formally.

"Anti?"

But not one to trust anyone else but the Septics right now, Anti spied the man's laptop and glitched into it to travel again.

The computer was a lot easier to go through and finally after a few moments, he felt something stronger. Something he was sure would be one of the Septic's electronics. He blasted through the firewall and shot out.

He heard someone shout in surprise and Anti laid on the floor shaking himself off. When he looked around, the area was surely a bit more familiar but it still wasn't right. Anti looked up and at first he thought he wound up back where he started but this man was. . . .  different.

He looked scared of him.

"A-anti? The hell are YOU doing here!?"

The glitch shook and shot back from the man against the wall, "St-stay away from me!"

"Anti?" now the man just looked concerned, "The hell happened to you?"

"I don't know how you know who I am but you won't fool me! I want to go home!" Anti had enough. He just wanted to go back to his family, "I just want to go home!"

"Hey, hey" the man leaned down but stayed back as if trying to figure out himself what was happening, "It's okay."

Anti took a chance to look around to see he was in a small office lit up with red and blue lights. The man had been sitting in an office chair in front of a few computers when Anti got shot out of them. Beside the man in a different chair was a woman with a cat in her arms.

"I know Jackie's been looking fer ya for years. Bet he won't be happy to-"

"Where are they? I want to go back! Who are you?" then it hit him . . .. , "A-are you Sean?"

The man seemed genuinely worried about him, "Y-yes? . . . you don't remember?"

Anti swallowed and shook his head, "I hit my head a week ago. Henrik helped fix me up. I've been living with them all week. Where are they? Where am I?"

"Do you still have their number, Sean?" the woman asked.

"Uh . . . I don't know. I think they keep blocking me. Maybe you should stay here for a bit? I want to make sure you're not lying"

"I'm not lying! Stay away!" Anti stood and stayed away as far as possible, glitching in retaliation, "I don't know you and if they don't trust you then neither will I!" 

Sean looked hurt but Anti didn't care. He ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him to buy him some time. Ignoring Sean's shouting, Anti came into a living room with a large TV.

One last shot.

Before Sean could get to him, Anti teleported through the TV, escaping.

The others were still sitting around arguing with each other on what to do. They couldn't just sit and wait. They were worrying themselves into a fit.

To ease himself from tension, Chase was sitting in front of the TV. He wasn't really watching it but more like keeping his eyes on it in a daze. Anti liked this show so listening to it instead of the other's arguing was comforting.

Until the TV glitched, that is. Static hissed and white noise started to threaten the connection of the television.

"Uh . . .. .guys?"

Jackie and the others looked over watching the TV go insane.

They were shell-shocked when suddenly it sparked and something flung out of it!

"What zhe fook!?"

But Jackie knew what it was and came running, "ANTI!"

The glitch was tired though and couldn't really get up from off the floor. He looked up at them all and smiled a little, however, "F-found you"

"Fuck!" Chase picked him up on the floor and laid him in his lap, "Thought we'd never see you again, man!"

"What happened!? Are you alright!?" Henrik rushed forward to examine him and Marvin breathed a sigh of relief.

They all stood around him and got him up on the couch but before they could get any of their questions answered, he fell asleep.

"He is exhausted" Henrik clarified for everyone, "My guess is that's he's been searching for us?"

"Or this pyscho-masked freak did something to him" Chase guessed, making Marvin and Jackie stare at him, obviously offended, "Sorry. You know what I meant."

"Let's hope he wakes up soon" Jackie scratched at his beard, "Maybe Anti will be able to tell us who the guy is"

'Let's hope he doesn't know where we live' Jameson signed, 'But most likely he does. We should watch ourselves as well as Anti'

"Right" Chase sighed, " . . . .  Did you guys even find anything at the apartment? I guess we haven't even talked about that yet."

Jackie bit his lip, "Well . . . . there was this strange TV that Anti had a connection to that  . . . well Marvin said it was magic. The TV had different channels that watched all of us."

"Like security cameras?" Henrik asked.

"Sort of. But from anywhere we are. Each channel was one person no matter where. Before the fire, it seems Anti had been watching us. Why, I don't know. It's probably how he was able to sneak up on us so many times"

'He could have done a better job' Jameson pointed out and they stared at him a tad confused, 'Well think about it. The BEST opportunity to sneak up on us would have been in the bathroom'

"Well good to know had SOME manners in him before, huh?" Marvin joked lightly.

"Hm" Henrik hummed, "Even so, tis still scary. If he had been watching us, then if he ever DID get his memories back . .. . "

"Then . . .  he could blend in, doc? Is that what you're saying?" Chase asked, "Nah, I don't think so. Even if Anti did get his memories back at this point, he wouldn't be the same person"

"Like Jameson said before. Watch out" Jackie commented, "For this magic weirdo AND Anti. If he starts acting off, tell someone, agreed?"

They all nodded a bit sadly, watching Anti on the couch as he cuddled a pillow. No way he could be the way he was before again. There just wasn't any way. Right?

By the time Anti woke up, it was a new day. He could hear birds chirping outside, the soft buzz of the TV, crackling from the kitchen signaling that someone was making breakfast. But Anti just felt so comfortable where he was. Even if he knew he'd be stiff, he didn't care.

He barely opened his eyes when he heard a scream. 

Anti bolted up and ran to the kitchen to see Chase on the floor bleeding. It looked like he had been stabbed and he was crying. As soon as he saw Anti, he started shouting for help.

"No! Please! You don't have to do this! Please! Jackie! Henrik! HELP!!"

Anti shuddered, confused but as he looked down, he saw the knife in his hand. He yelped in fear and dropped the knife.

At the clang of the metal on the floor, Anti bolted up from the couch, heart pounding.

"Whoa there!" Jackie's voice was next to him on the nearby chair, "Easy, Anti. It was just a dream, man"

Anti's breathing eased but he got up, untangling himself from the blankets they gave him in the night. He ran to the kitchen to see Chase just fine, cooking up some eggs and bacon for breakfast.

"Oh hey there, Anti! You're awake! You hun- ooof!" Anti glitched over to him and hugged him tight.

Chase put down his spatula and rubbed his back, "Hey calm down, dude. It's okay. You're home now. Everything's gonna be okay"

"I had a nightmare"

"It was just a nightmare. You're okay now. I got ya"

A few moments later, Anti let him go but stared at the spot on Chase where he stabbed him in the dream. Chase didn't mind it, though and ruffled his hair, "Go sit down at the table, hm? Breakfast is almost ready"

Anti did as told and slowly, everyone else started filing in the kitchen, too, either patting Anti's shoulder or greeting him with a smile. It made Anti feel better, at least.

They ate in silence but it was pretty awkward. You could tell questions were in the air but no one was brave enough. Marvin kept staring at him, which was weird but he waited until they spoke first.

After finishing his breakfast, Henrik was the first, "Did he hurt you, Anti? Do anything? I noticed your stitches were removed. Your head looked . . . . healed"

Anti nodded, "Y-yeah. . . I'm fine. He uh . . .  It was magic or something he said. He tried to get me on his good side I guess. Something about us working together"

Chase snorted "Did ya tell him to fuck off?"

"Pretty much"

There were a few giggles but things were still serious. They needed to know.

"Anti . . . Did you see what he looked like?"

He drank a little of his water but nodded, his features turning worried, "He . . . . I don't know who he was and he didn't say his name. But he looked like us"

"But zhat is impossible" Henrik gaped at him, "Zhere is only us Septic egos. There are no more. Perhaps you vere mistaken?"

Anti shook his head, "He was too close for me not to see his face. He was a Septic. I know it. And it wasn't Sean. Met him already, too"

"Wait, what?" Jackie stopped him, "Explain?"

Anti just shrugged, "I was trying to get here . . .  accidentally glitched myself to Sean's place instead. And two other people's. I don't know who, though."

"Fuck, man" Chase groaned, "You're damn lucky Sean didn't erase you right there. He say anything to you?"

"Who cares about that?!" Henrik shouted,"Zhere is a Septic ego out zhere we don't know about zhat wants to kill us! Perhaps we should call Sean ourselves now. He vould know-"

"No!" Marvin interrupted, "There's a reason we blocked Sean out of our lives, remember? He doesn't care about us and he'll only help if it benefits him. We can figure this out on our own, I know it"

'I agree with Marvin' Jameson joined in, 'I think we should hold off. Sean might not even know, himself. He didn't know about Anti's existence at first, remember?'

"JJ's right"Chase agreed, "Let's just take a breather. Jackie, I'm sorry. I know you're gonna disagree with me on this next thing but I really think we oughta discuss it. We might need help. If this dude knows magic shit-"

"Anti has his glitching abilities. You have your gun and I have my strength." Jackie KNEW what Chase was going to suggest and he didn't agree one bit.

"Anti doesn't remember enough about his own powers yet to actually help. No offense, Anti. I think we could use an Iplier's help"

"We're not asking Dark"

"I didn't say Dark"

"You were thinking it."

"Jackie, come on, now. We don't know how powerful this man could be."

"But we know how Dark can be. He's manipulative and evil. He'd probably join forces with the guy!"

"You don't know that"

"Agh! Shut zhe fook up, already!" Henrik stopped them from arguing further, "We vill discuss it later. . . . For now can we just be grateful Anti is back and unharmed?"

Everyone went silent, taking in Henrik's words. They were both equally shocked and amused at the statement.

'Never thought we'd see the day we'd be grateful for that' Jameson chuckled silently.

The others smiled softly but Anti was left in a dreamworld, lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday. It was all so much. The new people, the new experiences and abilities. New discoveries. 

He may have just woke up but he was already tired again. He just wanted to crawl into his bed rolled up in the blankets and forget about everything. This time without so much drama.

Marvin was a little panicked. He hadn't known. He was hoping it wasn't the case. But he remembered now. This wasn't good. His past was coming to haunt him and not even his brothers could help.