Trigger warning! There will be child abuse later in the chapter. It will be labeled beginning and end.

Jackie couldn't sleep all night after Anti had disappeared. He kept thinking about how badly he messed up. He'd admit it was cringe-worthy now what he had done.

Honestly, this whole time, he thought Anti would kill them all in their sleep at any moment. But it had been actually . . . okay having the brat around. As a kid, that is.

He hadn't once tried to hurt any of them and had only succeeded in hurting himself.

The hero bit his lip remembering all the clumsy ways Anti's mischievous ways had hurt himself in his stay there. He almost wanted to laugh. It was almost a fond memory.

And then last night's storm. And the second one when Anti wasn't there to let Jackie help him again . . . . .

He shook his head, 'What am I thinking? Anti's a big boy. He can fucking handle himself. Probably out scamming people as I'm thinking!'

But what if Anti was in pain again?

The thought of him struggling and crying-

It was morning now. Or enough of morning for Jackie, 'Odds are, he could have glitched into his old apartment last night. He likes to sleep in so he might still be sleeping when I get there if I head out now'

Jackie already had his suit on and headed downstairs. He saw Chase still asleep on the couch with his kids . . . .

'I don't wanna bother waking him up this early. He'll wake up with Anti screaming in his face to make him breakfast or something'

At least, that was what he wanted to think.

He knew he still had to apologize to Anti. Did he really, though?

Maybe . .

No one else was up yet, confident that Anti was at his apartment, too.

Jackie just kept getting this nagging feeling that something was wrong, though.

As if Anti wasn't okay.

'Of course he's not' Jackie berated himself as he walked out the door, 'His home is gone. Just like Chase said . . .'

He sighed and took off the apartments.

Jackie kicked the wall in anger.

Having come to the apartments, it was clear Anti HAD been there. There were new knife stabbings in the floor probably from Anti's own violence and anger. Plus the cupboards were all open.

'Probably had been searching for any food he may have left behind'

But there wasn't.

Looking around, Jackie's heart sank. He had left it before with furniture and a TV and bed but it seemed as if the landlord had taken it all. To have seen his old place like this last night-

'Of course, I know he probably stole most of it'

Jackie leaned on the counter, thinking.

'If he's not here, then where could he have gone? There's a chance he could have went to one of this normal picking spots but also, he's probably pretty hungry, too'

"Food. . . . the mall has a food court. Easy picking for him, especially if he can just glitch away'

So he went to the mall and it was then that he got a call from Chase yelling at him about where the hell he went, "I got a lead. Don't worry, I'll bring the idiot back in one piece. Just stay with your kids. You can trust me"

"Can I?"

" . . . ." Jackie was hesitant in answering that himself but he also didn't want Chase or the others to worry, "Yes. I got this, Chase. I'm the most qualified out of all of you, remember? I'll have him back by dinner at the latest"

Hanging up, he went to go talk to the security officer.

Of course it was then that Jackie realized Anti was in more trouble than he realized.

"You said he . . . RAN away?"

"Y-yeah?" the officer looked at him strangely, "Ran off to the other side of the mall but I guess he was too quick and sneaky. Got past security. Honestly don't know where he went but we sent the message down to the police station. They'll be looking for him"

'Yeah and by then, he could get hurt or kidnapped or worse' Jackie's stomach dropped, 'If Anti ran away from a situation like that then that means . . . the second storm last night must have taken away his power again!'

"Dammit" he seethed under his breathe.

"Sir? Jackieboyman?" the officer seemed very confused about his behavior, "It's okay. I'm sure the police will be able to find him just as quickly as you. He'll be fine!"

'If the police actually DO their job, they might find him too late. If he's not able to glitch then he's far more vulnerable and in a LOT more trouble. Think, Jackie. Where the hell could he have gone next?'

He couldn't have ran back to his apartment. There's a high chance he didn't get food from this experience. So where could he have gone next?

His next shot was downtown but he wasn't about to walk the streets. That'd be dumb. This side of town had way too many gangs, weirdos and assholes that could either try and distract or pick a fight with him. So he took to the rooftops, instead, looking down on the streets and sidewalks and alleys for the kid.

Sadly for Jackie, however, it was too cloudy and dull to see anything specific or odd like Anti.

'I have to find him' Jackie growled under his breathe, 'He's way too vulnerable in an area like this but I know he's gotta be around here somewhere. He's way too stubborn and cocky to think he CAN'T handle anyone he runs into. At least he has the knife he took back'

Jackie never thought he'd say that but it was true.

'Just don't get into any more trouble, Anti . . . . . I'd prefer to find you alive'

Anti swallowed hard. He was getting paranoid after eating the burger the gang gave him. With that pill in it, he could have been kidnapped on the spot once unconscious. Or worse.

The burger had still been warm though and he remembered the guy said he got it from a nearby diner. So the diner must not be too far away from where he was.

'Could be that one sketchy diner with the greasy-tasting shakes'

He still didn't have money but he could scavenge the trash if need be. There was a lot of people who didn't finish the food from there. . . .for good reason. But he was still hungry and it was his best shot!

It was just a couple blocks down and of course their dumpster was filled up with crap already and it was only after noon.

He was about to start scavenging when he halted himself.

Wasn't he too excited about this?

But he was glad he stopped himself because then he got to looking at the food more.

Opening a bag, he found another burger except this one had maggots in it and some mold on the side of the bun. He felt like he'd throw up, it was as green as his hair used to be!

Not to mention that the worms were so wriggly, he lost his appetite.

Before he threw up the 'okay' burger he ate before, he turned away from the dumpster and leaned on the opposite wall in the alley, 'Well that's a bust'

He sighed, watching as the sky slowly got darker. Being as it was cloudy, too, it seemed as if night was coming sooner than expected. Thankfully, it didn't rain, though.

'I could just go and steal someone's 'good' food from somewhere else or beg but none of that's me at all. I know I fucked over that pizza delivery guy but he was the delivery guy. I'm not about to steal someone's FOOD from them if they need it. Plus begging just isn't my style at all'

Suddenly, he heard something a little ways away. Like fast paced footsteps trying to get out of his sight.

His paranoia set in again. He felt like he was being watched.

And it was getting darker.

'I should try and head back to the apartment . .. or will those idiots be waiting there for me? I can't just go back to them. After I turn back to normal again, they'll just chain me up in the basement or something! Jackie's weird-ass wish.'

It was getting cold, too and he started shivering uncomfortably.

'And as I kid, they'll just . . . keep me detained like before. I'll never get to do anything I really want. IT FUCKING SUCKS BEING A KID!'

He could feel a couple tears crawl down his face, "I just wanna go home"

"Aaaawwww . . . Poor little guy"

Anti tensed and shot up from the ground, looking around for the source. At first, he couldn't see anyone but then he looked deeper in the shadows. Behind the dumpster, behind the fencing, on the other side of the building and at the entrance and exit of the alley.

It was the gang from a little earlier. There were five of them but the leader slunk out of the shadows from behind the dumpster, "I see you're not THAT hungry, little guy. By the way you tore out the burger I gave ya, you wouldn't think you were starving . . ."

Anti realized he was in trouble. But he refused to show he was scared.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YA FREAKS!"

The leader shot up to him and slapped him across the face, "Watch yer mouth ya little shit!"

It was forceful enough to land him on the ground and the man leaned over him.

"You think you're so tough, little man? We've been watching ya since you dropped into our part of town, kid . . . You really don't have any smarts in ya, do you? Besides taking out that pill I tried to slip ya"

Anti knew his knife was in his pants. All he had to do was grab it and slice the fucker.

"But this way works too. If you promise not to stir up any trouble, we'll go easy on ya. Maybe even give ya more food if you play nice, sweety" he touched his hair again and some of the others came in closer chuckling.

He wanted to throw up. What kind of freaks WERE these guys?!

Jackie was by the clocktower downtown. It was getting dark and he was starting to lose hope.

'Maybe I should wait until morning again. I'll go to his apartment and wait to see if he shows up'

In the dark, he wouldn't be able to see him very well and he didn't want to alarm him into running, either.

Chase and the others had been blowing up his phone constantly but he refused to answer after the twentieth time. He was already ashamed of himself. Why'd they have to rub it in?

Plus Chase's kids were going back with their mother in the morning. How would it look if Anti wasn't there? Would he just have to say his mother came back for him?

Jackie shook his head, 'I'll think about it later. I'm sure Anti's fi-'

He felt something suddenly.

In his chest, like a pull.

Usually he'd feel it when someone near him was in serious trouble.

He couldn't just ignore that NOW. Anti could wait. This person needed him. They called for him and he couldn't just let them down.

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse

Anti swung his knife at the leader, managing to scratch his face but he had no time to gloat or remark about it. He had to RUN.

He only got a few feet though when someone else grabbed him and slammed him into the wet concrete.

"LET GO OF ME YOU SICK FUCKS!"

"Shut up, bitch!" one of them kicked his side, making him unintentionally yelp.

"Bruce, get the tape. Rick, grab that knife. It's mine, now"

"GIVE IT BACK, ASSHOLE! LET ME GO!"

"Fuck off!" he stomped on his hand, making him whimper.

"That's right, sweetheart." the leader chuckled darkly, "You're ours now."

Bruce slapped tape over his mouth and someone named Randy tied his arms behind his back.

Anti was too weak against them to get away or fight back.

He was terrified.

What were they gonna do!?

"Name's Vince, kid. I appreciate how tough you act, you know . . .you remind me of myself back in the day. Yet so . . . . tasty looking" he ran his hand down Anti's back.

'Oh god no . . . .they're not gonna. . . are they?'

Tears started to fall down his face. He couldn't control it. This was it.

"We WERE gonna just knock yer ass out and take ya to the nearest black market trader. Sell ya for a heavy price. But then you back-talked me earlier. . . and now this little scratch ya gave me" he chuckled, "Sweety, we're about to know each other REALLY well tonight . . . And THEN the black market can have your used ass. You'll be nice and broken in, won't you?"

Anti was hyperventilating under the tape. He wanted to just fall unconscious. Maybe then it'll be less traumatizing.

How could these people do this?! It was so messed up and sick.

He couldn't have imagined these were the kind of people he was living around all this time. He once compared himself to them . . .

How wrong he was.

Vince touched his butt and started to try and undress him. The other started laughing.

'Help' he pleaded in his head.

'Please help!'

He sobbed and bawled under the tape, begging for freedom. For someone to walk up and stop them. Who could possibly do that against so many men like this, though?

'JACKIE! JACKIE HELP! I'M SORRY! PLEASE HELP! HELP! HELP ME!'

Vince put a gun to his head, "Play nice, sweety. If you don't do a good job, I'll have to put a bullet in you instead" he laughed insanely.

How would he possibly be able to fight back now, though?! He was trapped!

'Jackie . . . . . I understand now . . . . .'

End of Trigger Warning.

Jackie followed his heart until he came up to a small sketchy diner.

But it looked pretty normal.

Maybe he was just imagining it?

But he NEVER imagined those sort of feelings.

Where was the problem then?

He then started to hear laughter.

'The alley . . .' he went to the edge of the roof looking down into the alley.

He was stunned for a moment.

Five men were leaning and standing over someone smaller. The victim.

But the more Jackie focused on the the victim . . . .. the more he realized.

It was a child.

But as if that wasn't enough to piss him off.

IT WAS ANTI

The gang was starting to touch him and he could hear Anti's muffled and hysterical crying.

Suddenly Jackie just saw red and leaped down onto the ground.

"What the-?" one of them noticed him, "Who the hell are you, asshole?"

Jackie slowly stood up, his eyes dark and actually more frightening than they were ready for.

Vince looked up from feeling Anti up, "Sh-SHIT! It's Jackie! Scatt-"

But before he could finish, Jackie appeared in front of him and kneed him in the face.

Anti was still in shock but could feel their weight off of him. It felt a little better at least but he wasn't too hopeful.

Blinking past his blurry tears, though, Anti could see someone else. Someone fighting the men.

'Wh-who?'

Jackie held nothing back, using his full strength on all of them. He punched and kicked them all into the ground, immediately making them bloody and bruised and unconscious.

Vince was a trooper, though and although kneed in the face with blood all over him and broken teeth, he tried to get away.

Jackie wasn't about to let that happen, though. He appeared in front of him, eyes still full of rage.

No one had ever seen him like this before.

Vince whimpered, "Look man! W-we're sorry, okay!? We d-didn't mean anything by it! It's like aright of passage, huh!? How things are done here! He was gonna be okay. We weren't gonna kill the kid-"

Jackie punched the wall behind him, breaking through the concrete cleanly.

Vince cried, "I-I'm sorry!"

Jackie's breathing was labored but not from exhaustion. From pure rage.

He wanted nothing more than to rip this man's dick off followed by his heart and head.

But he was the hero . . . .

Anti's safety came first.

"I'll come back for you later. Better run before I change my mind"

The man seemed shocked but not willing to let the chance go.

Jackie stopped him, grabbing his arm and breaking it.

"AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggh!"

"I believe that's not yours" Jackie swiped the knife out of his jacket and THEN let him go, "Remember me, Vince . . . . Because I'll sure as hell remember you AND your friends"

Vince just ran, bolting down the street as fast as he could crying.

Jackie took a breathe and ran over to Anti.

Anti sobbed and cried, still, not being able to see if he was saved yet. Still gagged and tied up on the ground, unable to see the action because of his tears blurring his vision and his own crying and scattered thoughts deafening everything around him.

Then someone touched him again!

He cried louder until he heard that someone hush him, " . . .. -kay Anti. It's gonna be okay. I got you"

He recognized that voice . . ..

The man untied him and turned him around, wiping his tears away from his eyes.

Anti had never been so happy to see Jackie in his life.

An yet why was JACKIE crying?

"Anti . . " Jackie gently took the tape off, trying to help him up, "I . .. I'm so sorry. . . I didn't mean. .. Anti. .. " he couldn't stop crying.

And Anti couldn't, either.

"Ja-Jackie . . ."

Anti crashed into Jackie, crying in his shoulder. Jackie shook but hugged him back, trying to be careful with him.

"I'm so sorry, Anti . . ."

"ᴰᵒⁿ'ᵗ ˡᵉᵃᵛᵉ ᵐᵉ"

Jackie thought his heart would break. Maybe it did.

He hugged Anti tighter and picked him up, holding him as close as possible to make him feel safe, "I won't. . .. I won't"

"ᴵ ʷᵃⁿⁿᵃ ᵍᵒ ʰᵒᵐᵉ"

Jackie didn't want to tell him to remind him his apartment wasn't his anymore-

"ᴵ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᶜʰᵃˢᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴹᵃʳᵛᶦⁿ . . ᴬⁿᵈ ᴴᵉⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᴶᵃᵐᵉˢ . . . ."

Jackie sniffled, "Okay . . . no problem, kid" he jumped up to one of the roof tops, getting him as far away from that scene as possible.

Never on the job had Jackie felt so emotional. He couldn't stop tearing up and shaking and yet Anti couldn't stop either. It seemed they were both in the same boat.

They had just seen a side of each other tonight they never thought either would see.

"We'll go home"