Marvin was up in his room. He sifted through his books trying to find the right one. He knew the spell by heart but he found it was a good excuse to get away from everyone for a short bit. He knew Anti would be fine, anyways. He could feel his power still.

'I know they all blame me. The only reason Sean doesn't erase me is because they still need me, I know it. I fucked up so bad' he wanted to cry again but he knew it wouldn't get him anywhere.

He found the book and skimmed through it just to make sure he'd be doing the spell right.

'If anything, I think it's Sean's fault. He's the one who forgot about him like he said. He STILL doesn't know who he is. I mean, I don't either but Sean created him. Anti's the only one right now, I guess, who knows his true identity.'

He shrugged it off and slammed the book shut, 'Whatever happens, Anti better not get into any more trouble. He can't let Puppeteer find him or else we're all fucked'

He grabbed his wand to help with the finer details of the spell and twirled it lightly in his hands with a sigh, 'I wish I was like him, honestly. He's been so strong and brave through all of this and even after remembering . . . well I guess we still don't knew EXACTLY what he's doing or where he went . . . . but he's not with Puppeteer at the moment at least.'

Biting his lip, Marvin finally trotted back downstairs with the others.

Puppeteer was looking everywhere he could think of but it just wasn't working out. He could still feel that energy but couldn't pinpoint it.

He tried looking through Henrik's eyes again but Anti still wasn't there and none of them knew where he was either!

'Damn him! Where could that little bastard be!? At least he doesn't plan on killing himself quickly. Must be getting cold feet'

He crossed his arms, 'I don't have much magic left. And that mongrel dared to deny me! How could he!? I didn't even know that was possible! I doubt he even realizes what he did, himself'

Looking back through Henrik, he knew what they were about to do. Marvin was going to try and cut off the connection. He was fine with that, he didn't really need them anymore since they didn't know where he was either.

But it also appeared that perhaps Anti left to protect them . . . . . which he was reluctant to believe. With everything they've done to him, he couldn't possibly be trying to protect them! They must have it wrong. Yes, they're just too hopeful, themselves.

Anti was like him, after all. A reject. That's all Puppeteer knew. And rejects had to stick together.

The whole reason he CHOSE Anti was because he was like him. He was his . . . puppet. His friend. Right? No, he didn't need friends. Not in this lifetime. He only needed revenge. That was what he needed and craved. He had to find Anti NOW and then the first ones to go will be Marvin and Sean. He'd think about letting Anti live later.

Marvin stood in front of Henrik, wand at the ready.

"Are you sure you know vhat you are doing?"

Marvin shrugged, "More so now that I have most of my memories back. I'm sure this'll work."

"More so? You're SURE?! Are you sure?!" Henrik did not trust this.

"Yeah, don't worry, doc." Marvin smirked a little, "You won't even feel a thing"

"Maybe you shouldn't be throwing doctor sayings at him" Chase commented, "Just saying"

"Yeah, I mean he could make your next doctor's appointment a bitch" Jackie snickered.

"He'll just feel a little pressure. Now relax~" Marvin tried coaxing him.

Sean looked over them with fear in his eyes. He really hoped Marvin knew what he was doing.

Suddenly Marvin just slashed his wand like he cut something between them in half.

"FOOK!" Henrik covered his eyes as they started to water, "The hell is vrong vith you?!"

Marvin took a breathe, "Oh quit your whining! It'll just feel like you were chopping up a ton of onions or something. Stop being a bitch"

"I'll remember then when you come to me for a prostate exam, you fucker!"

There was a sudden moment of silence until the whole room burst into a laugh at that and Marvin couldn't help but to laugh at the threat, too.

Henrik wiped his eyes with his shirt but realizing he really was okay, chuckled as well.

Marvin tucked his wand away in his pocket with a little grin, "Well now what, Jackie? What's the plan?"

Jackie was wiping a tear from his eyes when he shook it off, getting serious, "Well, what I was thinking was-"

Anti groaned for the ninth time as he laid flopped on his back on the end of Dark's bed.

"Anti, you need to go back"

"Easy for you to say" he huffed, "You're out of commission now. Puppeteer is stronger than me. I wouldn't last a minute."

"And I barely lasted that long, myself. But I'd still keep trying"

"They didn't off you before, though. They've done nothing to you. . . . . They've-"

"And you've offed them, too. Fair's fair"

"You're starting to sound like Mark" Anti quipped.

"Go fuck yourself"

"You don't understand"

"I don't?" Dark growled, "My whole existence was hanging off the fact that I was made to be the villain, Anti. I was supposed to hurt and manipulate others around me just as Actor wanted. We're not so different in that aspect, I guess. But I killed my puppet-master. Time to get yours"

"Tch." Anti scoffed at him, sitting up, "What if I don't want to?"

Dark blinked, clearly surprised, "Um . . Excuse me? Hasn't that been the whole point to free yourself from him?"

Anti shrugged, "I don't know. . . the more I think about it . . . I don't hate the others but . . . I'm still mad at them, too. And Puppeteer . . . he didn't ask for this. Marvin's the one who brought him back."

"Please don't tell me you FEEL for the bastard? He's tried to kill you, Anti! He's been trying to kill the others since he . . . appeared! What are you thinking!?" Dark suddenly held his head and leaned back, his own yelling wearing him out.

Anti sighed, "Don't worry, Dark. I'll think of something. You just sit and chill here in your creepy little cabin."

"Fuck off. Don't do anything stupid. If he discovers he has my power, we're all fucked"

"Yeah, yeah" Anti stood up and hugged himself but didn't go anywhere just yet.

"What's wrong?" Dark asked.

" . . . . Weren't you made up of two other people or something here? Where are they?"

"Damien and Celine, you mean?" Dark huffed, "They're nowhere. They're me. Inside. It's complicated. Sometimes I can hear their voices."

"You're weird"

"You're fucking weird. Get the hell out, glitch, or I'll beat you"

Anti snorted but still didn't go quite yet.

"Are you scared?" the Iplier asked him.

.

.

.

"Of course I'm fooking scared, asshole. I have to do something. I don't know what. But also . . . fuck everyone you know? I don't know. I don't have a plan"

"I'm sure something will come to mind. Now stop stalling."

"Thanks by the way. Can't remember if I've said that yet"

Dark grunted softly and sighed in response, "I'm forcing you out, Anti. Good luck"

Before Anti could say anything, he blinked and he was at his apartment again.

'Bastard' he huffed, 'Now what do I do?'

"We have to lure him."

"Excuse me?" Sean didn't approve of this already.

"No, wait. Just listen" Jackie stopped him, "We could use Marvin's magic to make Puppeteer think Anti is somewhere he's not"

"Then he'll just come here and kill us all" Chase scoffed, "Not that great of a plan"

"No, Jackie's on to something" Marvin crossed his arms and they all looked at him for answers, "If we can lure him here, he won't have enough power to do much to us. And I could. . . Maybe I could try taking my power back? I don't know. We should be pretty even now. I think."

'Are you sure?' Jameson signed, 'There's other ways we could go about this. A different plan'

"Yes" Henrik agreed with Jameson, "What if you are not . . . well . . ."

"A match against him?" Marvin provided, "Of course I'm not. But we have to try something before he finds Anti."

"This would've been so much easier if Anti hadn't ran off" Chase groaned, "I mean I get why but we're all like sitting ducks now without him and Dark!"

"You really think you could get your power back from him, Marv?" Sean asked him, "I could just erase him and be done with it"

"There's an option" Jackie commented, "Better plan, actually. Why don't we go with that?"

"Because if I erase Puppeteer with some of Marvin's power still in him, then it'll just be gone forever. And the power residing in Anti will fade away, too, without Puppeteer keeping it there. I imagine he's used some sort of spell to keep it locked within Anti."

Marvin shuffled a little, "Look, I don't care. We can erase him. Get it over with"

"Marvin" Sean stopped him, "The magic is a part of you. It's everything that you are. We can try getting it back first."

Marvin felt a small weight being lifted off of him at Sean's permission. He felt like his request would hinder everything but . . . . Sean was right. His magic was a part of his soul. Without it. . . . . . . . he didn't know what he'd do.

With a sigh, Chase rolled his eyes, "Alright, alright. So we go with that. Get Marvin's power back. Got it. How?"

"Well, it will take a few minutes for the spell-"

"Of course it will" Jackie pinched the bridge of his noise, "We restrain him, then. Easy."

Jameson bit his lip as he thought of an idea, 'Or we just keep him talking?'

Suddenly Jameson was a genius and they were stupid.

Anti knew he couldn't stay here. He had to think of something. Anything but quickly. Puppeteer could still teleport and this would be the first place he'd search, if he hadn't already.

He didn't know where he was but he knew his presence back into reality would reel him out.

His eyes fell on a power outlet and suddenly he had an idea.

Anti looked out the window to the power lines, 'This is a stupid idea.'

But when did he ever have a good idea?

Without much thought, he opened up the window and leaped out, shooting himself into the power lines. He knew where to go from here. He knew the route well enough from escaping his little dungeon before.

When he made it, he sparked out nearby and through the power outlets to get in.

Anti looked around, the feeling of deja vu punching him in the gut. He didn't want to be here but it was the last place he'd look, he was sure. Maybe?

He did say, though, that he knew he'd come back to him. Really, Anti didn't know what he was doing right now. If he was here then the Septics would be fine for now.

Another uncomfortable feeling rose in Anti. He remembered all the terrible shit he's done but he also remembered his own pain. The pain Puppeteer put him through. And the pain the Septics gave him as well. No one was innocent in this, he supposed, but one was worse than the other.

Anti looked around in the room. Puppeteer lived here. He had only been here one other time to stay before he got his own apartment.

The basement was his 'room'. His conditioning cell, really. He tried not to think about it right now, though.

There were many trinkets in the living room. Shiny and little expensive things that would catch anyone's eye. Puppeteer always had a fondness for them, thinking them pretty.

Anti remembered one time when he 'accidentally' broke one of the objects. His master had been so mad at him, putting him down in his room in chains for a week with barely any food or water.

He learned quickly not to disrespect him. More memories popped up in his mind of the way he had been treated and Anti found himself almost settling back.

He had to shake his head roughly, 'No, you don't! He used, abused and manipulated you! You're not his fucking pet! You are your own fucking person that he tried to domesticate!'

Anti eyed a wispy glass vase suddenly and a thought climbed in his head.

He smirked and with little else thought, he suddenly knocked the vase over onto the floor. The way it shattered sent shivers down his spine. He loved it.

Looking over at another breakable object, he pushed that over as well, letting it break.

All too quickly, his mischievous nature took control and he just wanted to see all the useless trinkets in the room destroyed. He wanted nothing more than to break everything. Who cares if Puppeteer will be pissed? He didn't give a shit. Not anymore.

Anti had a blast knocking stuff over, throwing things, smashing objects all over the floor. One thing led to another and he found himself ripping up the furniture, too.

He was like a wild animal having been let loose and time no matter meant anything to him.

So many emotions rose up within him, all he could feel was anger, hatred, fear and grief. He hated Puppeteer, he feared for his life but most of all he grieved for himself. All the shit he had to go through, everything he was put through without a choice of his own.

With everything in the house destroyed, it looked like a tornado or hurricane had blasted through. But Anti smiled in the middle of all the chaos.

In the middle of all this destruction. All of Puppeteer's belongings just gone. . . . .

Anti just felt happy. He felt free.

.

.

.

.

.

Calming his breathing, Anti slowly felt his smile fall.

Something was wrong.

He could feel it in the air.

That presence he had been trained to fear.

Then that voice hissed behind him.

"Having fun, are we. . . . puppet?"