"So what's gonna happen to me?"

"Don't vorry about it"

"How can't I worry about it? I'm handcuffed! So what did I do?"

"I am not telling you that right now. Go to sleep"

"I can't sleep! Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Because you are keeping me up with your incessant questions"

"Why do I have a scar on my neck?"

"It's a sensitive topic right now"

"But it's about MY scar. I want to know"

"Please go to sleep"

"How did my apartment catch fire? Does anyone know that yet?"

"I honestly don't know the answer to that"

''The guy in red is kinda mean. What did I do to him?"

Henrik glared at him and Anti swallowed, realizing that was one of the questions he should save for later.

"Can you uncuff me so I can go to the bathroom?"

Henrik sighed, "Fine. But no funny business and then after, you'll go RIGHT to sleep. Hear me?"

"Yes sir" he smirked playfully. Seemed he didn't lose that aspect of himself with his memories.

Henrik just snorted and unlocked the cuffs. Anti rubbed his wrist and carefully stood up to go to the bathroom. Henrik watched him carefully, "Keep zhe door open"

Anti gave him a look, "Wh-what? Ew! That's gross! Weirdo . . ."

"Oh please! I am a doctor! Don't be so-"

"Alright, alright" Anti interrupted him and left the door open. Henrik didn't watch though, of course. He just wanted to make sure he could hear him in case he fell or hurt himself.

Anti did his business, carefully looking at his arms and legs that were wrapped up in gauze. He finally realized his head was loosely wrapped with gauze over his stitches but he didn't mind it.

When washing his hands, he finally looked at himself for the first time in the mirror.

Everything just seemed to stop in that moment.

Anti lifted a hand up to his face and stared at himself.

'Why. . . why do I look so much like that doctor? And that other guy?'

He wasn't stupid but it was pretty hard for him to imagine. He got a good look at the scar on his neck and went to touch it, feeling the smooth skin. He swallowed nervously under his own touch. He looked so similar to them except for the scar and his green eyes.

But he must have been taking longer than expected and the doctor called for him, "Are you doing alright in zhere?" Anti could here the yawn in his voice.

Opening the door all the way, he slowly came out and saw back down on the bed, holding his hand out to be cuffed again. The doctor just looked at him though as if he could tell something was wrong, "Vhat is it? Ask your question. But just ONE"

"Why do I look so much like you guys? Am I. . . . am I your br-brother? Wh-what did I-"

"I said one question." Henrik stopped him but sighed, "And they all have a complicated answer, Anti. Put your hand down. I vill not cuff you for the rest of the night."

"So you won't answer me?"

Henrik took off his glasses and laid his head back in the chair, "I just. . . actually don't know how to respond. Most of us consider ourselves brothers but. . ."

"Us? There's more?"

"You'll see them tomorrow. Now sleep"

"But you didn't actually answer my question!"

"Your voice seems to be getting a lot better already. If you sleep, it'll feel even better!" he winked, "Now go zhe fook to sleep, brat"

Anti groaned childishly but carefully rolled over to face away from him, avoiding laying on his burns and putting pressure on the stitched side of his head.

It was difficult for him at first to fall asleep. One, he wasn't tired. Two, he had a headache. Eventually, however, after Henrik finally fell asleep, so did he. He doubted that Henrik wanted to fall asleep, though.

When Anti did finally fall asleep, he knew he was dreaming. But something was really wrong.

He was somewhere he didn't recognize but knew he had been.

He smelt a strange stench in the air like meat and he tasted copper in his mouth.

He was cold and held himself but it didn't help.

Anti could hear people screaming but it was all garbled. No clear message in the mass.

He did something wrong, he could feel it. He felt terrible. The people were yelling at HIM. 

It hurt so much. What did he do?

When he woke up, he didn't even realize it at first. Sunlight creeped in through the window but he could still hear the voices. But they were just in the room with him.

Anti then remembered he was still in the hospital and the two voices sounded familiar.

"You uncuffed him!? Henrik, I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Be quiet or you'll wake him up. He needs his rest"

"Like I give a fuck. You should have let me stay in here to keep an eye on him. Here, I walk in to find you asleep, too!"

"Knowing your relationship with him you might have tried to suffocate him with a pillow!"

"I would not!"

"Bullshit, we both know how much you hate him, Jackie"

Anti's throat hurt again but he was sure it wasn't because of the smoke from yesterday. Slowly, he turned around to face them.

They quickly took notice and Jackie had the sense to look guilty. Henrik looked especially ashamed to have said what he did, seeing the look Anti gave them.

"Anti. You're awake" The doctor tried to make it seem like he wasn't just talking about Jackie wanting to kill him.

Anti's gaze fluttered over to Jackie but he couldn't look him in the eye, "I . . . um. . .yeah."

"Look, brat, I might not like you but I'm not going to kill you outright" Jackie tried to make him feel better but it still just came across scary. 

"Why won't you guys tell me what I did? We look the same. You want to kill me or lock me up. What did I do? Henrik won't tell me"

"Jackie, don't-" Henrik tried to stop him but the hero was too honest for his own good.

"I've been hunting you for over four years now. You are an ego like us but tried to kill and hurt us over the years. What you did was unforgivable. There. Satisfied with your answer?" it was brisk and blunt but Jackie felt it was really what he needed. Or what he wanted to tell him. He couldn't deny he wanted to see his reaction.

Anti stared at him, "I. . . . I mean I figured it was something bad. . .but. . . . I'd hurt my own . . .brothers?"

"You're NOT our brother" 

"But you said-"

"We're egos. . . . doesn't make you a part of the family. Not after what you did. Now let's fucking go already. I imagine the boys are fixing up a spread for breakfast since we missed dinner, Hen"

Henrik just glared at him, "You didn't need to be so harsh, Jackie. Not like he remembers any of it"

"No, it's fine, doc" Anti shook his head, "I at least finally got some answers. Makes sense now why no one's here for me. Thanks, Jackie" his shoulders slumped and his voice just sounded so downtrodden.

Jackie was surprised by his response and felt bad for how brutal he was now. He didn't mean to sound so hurtful but it's not Anti hasn't always been to THEM.

Henrik sighed, "Come on. Let's get you out of bed. Some walking might help but just take it easy. Come on. With me" he doctor helped him up and took him out of the room, shoving past Jackie.

"You need some exercise first before I can release you. That and I wanted to get you away from Jackie. He's not exactly taking this well, you see"

"I don't blame him. Sounds like I fucked up a lot."

Henrik really didn't have anything to say to that but they finished their walk, got Anti some clothes to wear from the lost and found and met Jackie back outside to drive them home.

The whole drive there, Anti was nervous in the back seat but stared out the window to try and keep himself calm. Jackie had handcuffed him again much to Henrik's distaste but he made the argument that it might put the others more at ease. Not that Anti fought it.

He could feel Jackie's eyes on him through the rear-view mirror but ignored it. He understood his distrust. He really did. He just hoped he wouldn't hurt him outright once Henrik was out of sight.

Henrik pulled up to a large house on the edge of town and Anti's stomach churned. They still hadn't said how many other 'egos' there were. What even WAS an ego?

How did he get the scar on his neck?

So many questions still reeled in his aching head. 

Henrik helped him out and led him to the front door with Jackie behind them. 

'God, it feels like a knife at my back' he thought to himself, 'Glaring daggers at me'

Henrik knocked on the door and immediately a man in colorful garments swung it open with wide eyes under a dramatic cat mask. Anti flinched a little but the man just gave an awkward grin and flipped the mask up to reveal his face.

"Oh uh . . .I saw you guys come up through the window. . . .hey Anti"

Anti just nodded, at a loss for words.

The strange man let them in and Anti hesitantly followed Henrik, staying close behind him.

"Let's go to zhe living room and talk. Marvin, is Chase and Jameson still here?"

"Oh yeah, of course." Marvin nodded enthusiastically, "They wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Glad this is such a show for all of you" Jackie commented but was ignored.

They went into the living room and Henrik had Anti sit in a couch in the middle of the room, his hands still handcuffed behind his back.

Pretty soon, a man in a bowler hat walked in with a more profound mustache than all of them. He wore a nice vest and a pocket watch hung out of his pocket. He looked at Anti curiously and signed something to him but Anti didn't understand.

"Um . . .  I don't . . . I don't know what . . ."

"Jameson, he doesn't know sign language" Henrik clarified, "Perhaps he'll remember at a later date?"

Jameson just smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Anti calmed a little around the atmosphere. They seemed nice.

Until he suddenly had a gun to his head and the safety clicked off.

"Chase! Vhat are you doing!? Get that away from him!"

He must have come up from behind him out of no where. 

Anti's heart raced but he stayed still and closed his eyes shut tight, waiting for the bullet. He accidentally let out a whimper and he could feel the man behind him struggle. Shaking. He accidentally brushed the gun against his stitches over the gauze, though and Anti yelped, making Chase pull away, "Fooking hell"

"Are you insane!?" Henrik scolded him, "You better not be drunk already, Chase!"

The man named Chase ignored him and walked around the couch. Chase looked different from the others. Mostly normal with a cap on inside. He looked to be emotionally struggling and Anti couldn't blame him. Jackie DID say he hurt all of them and tried to kill them.

Anti pressed his back against the couch, though, hunched a little to try and hide himself to no avail. It was getting too crowded in the room. He was getting anxious and he felt a tear run down his face but he couldn't wipe it away with his arms behind his back.

Chase put the safety back on and sighed, "Damn it. I was just checking, Hen. Don't get your panties in a twist, bro"

He gave Anti an apologetic look but didn't move to comfort him. Although it was really obvious he wanted to. Anti just looked so helpless and scared now and it was his fault. 

"You really don't remember anything?" he tried starting conversation.

Anti just shook his head.

"Henrik said your throat was hurting last night! Maybe I could whip up a potion to hel-"

"NO!" They all stopped Marvin simultaneously except for Anti and Jameson merely shook his head aggressively. 

"Zhe last time someone drank one of your potions, I had to pump their stomach! No potions!" Henrik was strict on that rule. 

Never trust Marvin with potions.

"Alright, alright" the magician snuffed and rolled his eyes at their drama, "Just a friendly suggestion"

"Why you even trying?" Jackie crossed his arms, "You all forgetting what he did to you? To all of us?"

"Of course not" Marvin huffed, "But he doesn't-"

"Remember. Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean he WON'T remember. Then he'll go right back to killing us in our sleep or something"

Jameson signed something and Jackie growled, "Yes. I DO know that. We've already given this bastard a chance before and look what he did. I don't trust this. We're not being careful"

"Dude, can you chill?" Chase put his gun away in his pants, "You can't just talk like that in front of him. You're not looking at this in an optimistic way, bro"

He sat next to Anti and nudged him, "Don't mind Jackie. He's just super overprotective of everyone. Trust issues"

Anti didn't respond but he did understand. Jackie was only trying to protect his brothers from the new possible threat.

But that didn't mean he liked it at all. Why was he here? Couldn't he go somewhere else? All these eyes on him of people he supposedly hurt. Deciding his fate like some rabid animal.

"I want to go home" he finally said, shivering in a near panic attack.

"Anti" Henrik cautiously put a hand on his shoulder, "You can't go home. Remember? We've discussed zhis. The fire."

"B-but. . ."

"Here, let's get these off. Maybe that'll feel better?" Marvin pushed Anti forward to mess with the handcuffs.

"Hey what the hell? Now hold on a second!" Jackie tried to stop him but even if Marvin was still learning magic, he was a pro lock picker and snapped the cuffs off of him.

Anti carefully crossed his arms to hug himself, revealing his wrapped-up burns and he quickly wiped his face.

"Shut up, Jackie" Chase scolded him, going into dad mode, "You're not in charge here. Now back off. Why don't you take a break and leave the room?"

Jackie stayed glaring at Chase but the single father didn't waver, "Now"

He finally scoffed and started to walk away, just barely hearing Anti stutter out softly.

"He's scary"

Jackie didn't know why that hurt but it did. He was always meant to help others. Not frighten them. This was all so confusing to him. He gave Anti a chance before and vowed never to trust him again. 

But maybe he really should start trying.  He left the room fully to go up to his room. He'd skip breakfast for now. He wasn't hungry.

"Don't worry about it" Chase carefully pat Anti's shoulder like touching a wolf that could turn on him, "You'll get used to him. You hungry?"

Anti didn't really trust THEM though. They really hadn't give him any option to. Here, Chase had just put a gun to his head a few moments ago!

"Yes, yes, I noticed you looked pretty skinny, Anti!" Henrik nudged Chase's hand off of him and helped him up, "Let's go to the kitchen and you can pick vhat you want and then we can all talk more, yeah?"

He trusted Henrik, though. He was pretty nice to him.

Meanwhile downtown, a man entered the apartment building. He was careful to avoid anyone that might ask him questions. He made his way up the stairs, fists clenched. 

He had heard on the news that he survived and had been taken to the hospital but when he went there, he was being watched. Guarded by two other Septic egos.

The man glanced around in the hall, keeping an eye out in case someone was still poking around. All he could see were two large fans on either end of the hall.

When he realized no one was there, he made his way to HIS apartment and snuck his way in, not that he really needed to. There was police tape in front of the door and it was held ajar

When he was in, he took his time looking around until his eyes fell onto the small coffee table Anti had fell onto. The man took a deep breathe, ignoring the stench that singed his lungs. He had to make sure there was no evidence that would link anyone to him if it hadn't already. 

Anti was lucky he had amnesia but even he knew it wouldn't last for long but it wasn't as if he could take him out now. He was being guarded.

This all had just turned out to be a big mess. 

He hated it when plans didn't go as they were supposed to.