'Shit! Shit! Shit!' Marvin cursed in his head, carrying an unconscious small version of Anti in his arms, 'This couldn't look fooking worse! A grown man in a cape and make-up running around town with an unconscious 'child' in his arms. It'll be a miracle if somebody doesn't call the cops!'

Marvin had forgotten in his panic that he could teleport and was busying himself screaming in his own head.

He didn't know what the hell he was doing but anything was better than leaving him in the streets to throw a tantrum when he woke up. He didn't want to know what KIND of tantrum he'd pull, either.

It didn't take long for him to get back to the house amid his crazy thoughts and heart attack.

Now he just had to explain to his brothers.

What fun this would be.

When Marvin finally reached the front door, though . . . .

He realized just how fucked up this looked. He was the one, after all, that told everyone they shouldn't stoop to Anti's level. They all made an agreement not to kill him.

However . . . . Marvin had his doubts with Jackie whether or not he'd actually follow through with that. And Chase was a wild card. He couldn't only really count on Henrik and Jameson not to kill him. But they wouldn't kill him as a child, would they? Not even Jackie . . . .

Honestly, he really wasn't sure.

"Fuck . . .this wasn't how today was supposed to go . . .little fucker" he growled down at him. Looking around, Marvin quickly made up his mind. He had to break it to them all gently.

Slowly.

So he threw Anti's unconscious body in the front bushes.

Marvin hissed to himself, feeling a little guilty for that until he remembered it was Anti, 'I guess that's payback for breaking my previous mask, asshole'

Gulping, Marvin wiped off his sweat he didn't know his body had secreted and knocked on the door sort of rapidly.

'What am I doing?! I can just walk in! I fooking LIVE here!' but it was too late for changes as Chase answered the door.

"Dude . . . . the hell you doing?" Chase was equally as confused.

'I could ask myself the same fucking thing' Marvin thought to himself.

But cleared his throat instead, "Uh . . . . I decided to walk back"

Chase nodded, sensing something was definitely off right away, "Yeah . . okay. And where's the part?"

"Pardon?"

"The part, Marv" Chase sighed, "For the washer? The one you went out to get in the first place?" the father rolled his eyes, "Uh! Please don't tell me you forgot and stopped at another bookshop again? Your room is a fooking library as it is!"

"OH!" Marvin chuckled nervously, "aH! Yeah! The PART! . . . ." He shrugged, "Turns out . . . . there were homophobes there that tried to harass me. I'll swing by another time"

Chase's looked suddenly appeared concerned, "Oh, man. Dude, you okay?" he rubbed his shoulder, "Look, it's alright. You don't have to go to the hardware store anymore. I'll just have Henrik swing by on his way home, bro"

"Did you really not realize I've been home all day?"

They both turned to see the doctor standing behind Chase sipping on some coffee.

"Vhat? Today vas my day off. I DO take breaks here and zhere." He squinted at Marvin, "Vhy so flustered, Marvin? You look like you have been running a marathon . . . or had a panic attack"

Chase covered for him, "He says the assholes at the hardware store were homophobes and said shit to him"

"Ah" the doctor seemed disgusted at that, "Ve vill go zhere later in zhe night and burn it down"

They both stared at Henrik waiting for him to say 'sike!' or something but he didn't.

Henrik blinked at them, "Vhat?"

"Uh . . . . is Jackie home? What about Jameson?" Marvin asked. He had to know before he said anything about his little mistake. Emphasis on the 'little'.

Chase groaned, "Idiot won't chill and take a break. He's still out patrolling and looking for Anti. I swear that guy'll never rest until the glitch is dead or whatever"

"Ah . . . shit"

"Shit?"

"Well . . . .. " Marvin started, "You see . . . . ."

Suddenly Jameson appeared behind him, tapping him on his shoulder.

"Yes, James?"

The mute ego signed to them all, 'There's an unconscious child in our bushes'

Chase and Henrik both suddenly looked very much alarmed, "WHAT?!"

"FUCK!" Marvin cursed.

They all looked at him strangely.

Marvin chewed on one of his fingernails, "Uh . . . "

"Marvin" It was obvious to Chase that this had SOMETHING to do with Marvin, ". . . Do you know WHY there's an unconscious child in our front bushes?"

" . . . .. maybe"

Henrik sighed deeply, "Vhat did you do, Marv?"

Marvin whined, not really wanting to tell them.

'Marvin!' Jameson signed aggressively. . . well . . . somewhat aggressive, 'What did you do?'

"Well . . . . you know how I mentioned the other day that I could probably use black magic to turn someone into a child again?"

"You didn't" Chase groaned, "UuuuuuhhH!!! Goddammit, Marvin! Do you know how hard it'll be to fix this!? PLEASE tell us you know how to reverse it! You could have just ruined an innocent person's life!"

"Actually . . . " Marvin was going to tell them but sighed and walked out to pick him up out of the bushes, "I don't think that'll exactly be a problem"

At first, the other didn't really know what he meant. The kid looked just like any other normal kid, despite being dirty from being thrown into fucking bushes and dirt.

And then Chase saw it and closed his eyes, "Don't fooking tell me that's . . . .. . No fooking way"

"I didn't mean to-"

"YOU ACTUALLY TURNED ANTI INTO A CHILD!" Chase screamed at him, "EVEN AFTER WE SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO!??"

"It's not like I planned this!" Marvin retaliated, "I was just thinking about the spell in my head and then happened upon him by chance! I ran into him on the way home on the sidewalk! . . .. I guess, my magic just retaliated on its own? I don't know"

"You panicked and threw whatever you had at the thing that shocked you" Henrik filled in, "But now this creates a big problem"

"Ya THINK!?" Chase couldn't get over this, "Fooking hell, look at him! It was bad enough dealing with him as an adult, but now a fooking child!? He can't stay here!"

Marvin was shocked to hear Chase talk like this, "What? And why not? Chase, in case you didn't see, he's a CHILD! We can't just throw him out on the streets!"

"Watch me. Throw him out in the bushes again and leave him there" Chase pointed to the front door, "Leave him in a ditch for all I care! I'm not helping you in this fucked up situation, Marv! I-"

Anti yawned suddenly in his sleep and grumbled.

Chase stilled, his thoughts suddenly blank.

Henrik sighed again to himself, knowing Chase would change his mind anyway, "He'll have to be monitored immediately when he wakes up. See if he remembers anything and go from there."

'Chase?' Jameson asked him, 'Is that okay?'

Chase just stared at Anti, seeing how small and vulnerable he looked.

He looked about his son's age . . . . . .

"Y-yeah . . . . . whatever" he suddenly snorted, "Just don't expect me to help take care of him or anything"

". . . Fair enough, I guess" Marvin agreed, "Now what about Jackie? What do we do about him?"

Chase shrugged, "What about him? You really gonna get in his way if he attacks him?"

"I just might. Depends, I guess. I was hoping you'd be the same way considering he's a child right now"

The father glared at him but didn't respond.

'Let's get him into the living room, shall we?' Jameson suggested, 'Can't do anything anyway until he wakes up and-'

"Wha . . .. happened?"

Everyone's heart seemed to stop, looking down at the bundle in Marvin's arms that started to open his eyes.

"Huh?" Anti's head was pounding and he could barely think.

Finally, though, he was able to open his eyes. It was blurry at first.

And then he saw Marvin above him.

"AHHH!" Anti glitched but he didn't get far, falling to the ground with a thump, "Ooof! Oooowwww!" he whined.

Chase snorted, "Hm. . . Whelp, so much for thinking about a plan first"

Anti growled at the voice, hearing it. His vision got better and he could see them all standing above him, "What the fuck!? Where am I?!" he glared at the magician, "What'd you do, motherfucker!?"

"Hey, language!" Chase snapped at him without thinking.

"Fook off, ya fooking asshole!"

And then Anti realized something strange, "What'd you do!? Why are you all so fooking tall?!"

"Uh . .. . " Henrik wanted to laugh actually. Was he serious?

And then it hit him.

Anti heard his voice. It sounded kind of . . . well, a bit more high pitched. He looked down at his hands. They were so small. And his clothes . . . they were so baggy.

"DID YOU FUCKERS SHRINK ME!?"

"Uh . .. sort of? You're not far off, honestly" Marvin gave him and conjured a mirror so he could see himself.

Nobody expected Anti to actually faint, falling over on his back.

Henrik suddenly leaned down to examine him, "He's just unconscious again. Must have gone into shock seeing himself like zhis. Let's get him to zhe living room now"

"Should we cuff him, too?"

"Chase!"

"What?!" he defended himself, "It's obvious he remembers us and that means trouble! As long as we don't take the necessary precautions, he can hurt us just as well as he could before"

"But-"

"And if he's in cuffs, . .. .you're special cuffs . . . then it'll be less of a reason for Jackie to attack him out-right"

Henrik nodded, "I agree"

Marvin looked to Jameson but the mute just nodded as well.

The magician sighed, "Fine." he waved his hand, conjuring glowing cuffs around Anti's small wrists. They'll keep him from glitching away and using his powers, at least.

Marvin wasn't happy about any of this but he couldn't exactly make a real argument against them. They had all the reasons in the world not to trust Anti, especially as a child right now. He just hoped that Jackie would see reason before he jumped without thinking.

Speaking of the hero.

He was just in the middle of a conversation with the man he last stole from.

"I don't know what happened!" the guy practically whined to him, "One second I was talking to this guy I had just bumped into and then all my money and my favorite watch was GONE! And then so was HE! Out of NOWHERE!"

"I see" Jackie nodded, "I know who stole your belongings, sir. Don't worry, I'll get them back. Let me know if you come across him again."

"I will. Thanks Jackieboyman"

With that, he took off patrolling again, 'I didn't think he'd try something so close to a storm. He's usually lays low when it gets cloudy for some reason. Maybe he attracts lightening? Whatever the case, I don't think I'll find him today. I should get home and get some rest before heading out tomorrow again. It's supposed to be pretty sunny tomorrow'

With all the thoughts in Jacki's head, it didn't take long for him to reach the house.

Walking up to the front door, however, he noticed something fairly peculiar, 'What happened to Jameson's bushes? Did Chase fall in them again? James won't be happy about that-'

He walked in the house, hearing whispers in the living room but before he joined him, Jackie felt like getting himself a cup of coffee. He needed it after today's lousy hunt.

"Hey guys! I'm back home!"

He could hear someone running towards him into the kitchen. It was Marvin and he didn't look like himself.

"Oh HI, Jackie! How was your day!?"

"Uh . . .fine. Couldn't find Anti, though. I'll try tomorrow. What's up with you?"

"What's up with me!? What do you mean!? I'm fine! AHAHAHA!"

Henrik came in, putting a hand on Marvin's shoulder, "He's going to find out eventually, Marv"

This peaked Jackie's interest, "Find out what?"

Marvin seemed. . . .. very worried for some reason.

"Where's Chase and James? They in the living room still? You're hiding something in there aren't you?"

Marvin and Henrik BOTH tensed at that.

But Jackie wasn't THAT intuitive, "Is it some sort of surprise?" he smirked, "My birthday is for a few months yet, guys" he tried to joke.

Marvin chuckled but it seemed. . . fake.

Jackie frowned then, sensing the atmosphere, "What's wrong?"

Marvin gulped but sighed finally, "Jackie . . . . . before you go in there . . . you need to understand. Don't do anything rash. If you do . . . I'll stop you"

This brought red flags in Jackie's head, making him think all sort of things, "What's in the living room?" he growled.

But Marvin stanced at the ready even now, "Jackie . . .please"

'I don't have time for games like this. What are they hiding that they think I'll snap? It must be pretty fucking important'

Without commenting, Jackie walked up to and past them into the living room.

He was confused at fist but kept himself on high alert.

There on the couch was . . .somebody in glowing cuffs.

Chase was over the stranger, staring at them and Jameson looked towards Jackie, sensing his presence right away.

'Jackie' Jameson signed to him, 'He's not a threat right now. Please just relax and we'll explain'

This . . .person . . looked sort of familiar. Brown hair, the shape of his face. He was in baggy clothes, though and dirty. It was clear this was a child.

'But why are they worried I'll attack him?'

And then he saw it.

The scar across the boy's neck.

Suddenly Jackie saw red in his vision.

His anger overwhelming him in an instant, forgetting everything his brothers had told him NOT to do.

He lunged for him.