Before anyone could yell at Wilford further and berate  him with a rampage of questions, he disappeared. Typical Wilford Warfstache.

Chase motioned at Anti with his arms up in an 'I told you' fashion, "See!? Something's not right here! I knew it!"

Anti rolled his eyes, "It doesn't mean that Actor took over Dark's body! I told you guys, it's really Dark! And what about Host? He's confirmed the same thing!"

Not everyone looked as convinced but most believed him. Wilford wasn't the BEST source of information, after all.

So really, the Ipliers and Anti were okay. . . . but the Septics had heavy doubts. Something didn't quite add up still.

"If I may" Jackie interjected, "I should have said something a lot sooner but. . . yesterday when filming. . . I saw a figure behind Dark through a mirror. Like a dark shadow. I'm thinking now it wasn't my imagination but probably Actor"

"It's very probable that it could have been" Google crossed his arms.

Anti growled, "That doesn't mean that Dark is Actor. It just means that Actor isn't dead like Wilford said."

Chase scoffed, "My god, how blind are you!? Are you seriously this fooking wrapped around his finger that you can't think or see for yourself!? Something's wrong here, Anti!"

Finally Anti snapped, "What's wrong here is you questioning me! You don't know Dark! None of you Septic egos do! And you don't know me, either! So stop trying to act like you do!"

The air in the room stilled and very quietly, the others shuffled out, trying to get away from the awkward tension.

Eric wanted to come up and calm Anti down but Yan took his shoulder to steer him away. This argument wasn't just about Dark.

"I'm afraid I agree vith Chase on zhis." Henrik fixed his glasses, "You're Dark's friend. Of course you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him."

Before Anti could argue again, Jackie broke in, "We're just saying now that we know Actor is alive. . . . . where is he? From what I saw if he hasn't taken Dark's place then he's obviously very close and we need to be careful"

"I say we get Mark and confront 'Dark' with Mr. Creator in the room" Marvin suggested, "And Host. We don't know for sure if-"

"Shut up" Anti glared at them, "I'm sorry but you guys don't know what you're talking about." he didn't know whether he was trying to convince them or himself, "Just drop it"

With that, he stomped out of the room, leaving the other Septic egos to themselves.

Anti knew he just created rift between all of them but he didn't care. They couldn't just say things like that. It wasn't long ago that they all hated him and treated him like an outsider. 

Like he kept telling himself, though, he DID deserve it. But it also wasn't his fault Sean and the community created him to be like that in the beginning, though. Sean had only haphazardly mashed him into an ego via all the community's depiction of what he'd be like.

Anti glitched up to the roof of the manor. It was hot but he didn't care. He needed to be alone.

He breathed in deep and blew out a loud sigh to himself looking out over the landscape beyond the manor. The view and soft breeze made him calm down and he was lost to his thoughts.

Anti didn't know what to think but that's why he usually came up there. But something always managed to crawl into his brain. Flashbacks and memories of his past.

He really did deserve all the hate he got. 

Slicing Sean's neck to try and kill him. Choking and possessing Henrik. Beating and burning Jackie near death. Caging and scarring Marvin like a circus animal. Possessing Jameson and hanging him up like a puppet for Sean to find. Traumatizing Chase's wife and kids. Trying to goad Chase into killing himself. 

Yes, he believed he really deserved all the hate he got.

But the pain that was inflicted on him didn't hurt any less because of that. Being shunned and ignored before anyone knew who you really were. Hell, Anti never knew who he was in the beginning, himself! It wasn't fair for everyone to judge him based on what Sean thought he created. He wasn't a god, after all.

And yet every time he thought about them . . . he remembered what he did. Perhaps Sean and the others weren't too far off.

Anti closed his eyes, listening to the birds chirp and leaves rustle in the wind.

He could still hear them. Could still see the pain in their eyes.

'They all say it doesn't matter anymore. . . . . . I don't believe them. How could they forgive all the shit I've done? Any of them.'

Thinking back, Anti couldn't help but remember. Everything that led up to the worst moment in his life.

Flashback over two years ago

Anti laughed hysterically, dodging Jackie's punches and Marvin's spells. They were trying to hold together until Sean got there but they didn't realize that that was what Anti wanted.

"Oh come on, pussies! Ya can't do better than that!? Fight me!" Anti twirled his knife around, glitching out like a damn vhs tape.

Jackie roared as he attacked him with a household hammer but Anti caught his hand before it could strike. Jackie then sent electricity through the hammer but it did next to nothing to Anti.

"You forget that sort of attack is useless against me, hero!" he laughed, "We're more alike than you realize! Hahahahah!"

Marvin shot a spell to try and paralyze him but Anti blocked it off with his lightning glitches like a forcefield, "So pathetic, all of you! Fucking useless!"

"Anti, please!" Henrik tried to break through to him, "We cannot help you if you don't tell us vhat is wrong!"

"What's wrong!? What's wrong!?" Anti screeched and shoved Jackie away into the floor, "I shouldn't have to tell any of you what's WRONG!"

The latest ego video had gone up of Jameson but instead of consulting him, Sean did effects himself that made it look like Anti was there when he wasn't. They never included him in anything and he hated it! He always had to break IN to videos to get noticed and it wasn't fair!

"Shut up ya fooking asshole!" Suddenly a shot rang out but Anti quickly dodged before it could hit him.

Anti glared up at Chase who was at the top of the stairs looking down at him like a dark horse of the apocalypse. But Anti didn't care, "What's wrong, Brody!? Got a thorn up your ass!? How's the kids!?"

Chase shot at him again but he kept glitching so he'd miss, "So much for trick-shot master!"

Jackie grabbed him from behind to keep him still in his distraction with Chase, "No more running for you, glitch bitch!"

Anti tried to struggle but he forgot how strong Jackie was. The others came closer up to him and Anti started to panic.

'Anti please' Jameson pleaded with him, 'You're not as bad as you're trying to make it seem. Just-'

"You don't know a damn thing about me, mute!" Anti tried to bite at Jackie's arm when Chase ran up to them and shoved the barrel of the gun onto his head, making him freeze.

"Say your sorry, bitch" Chase seethed to him, "SAY IT!"

Anti just smirked, "Why would I? I thought it was pretty fun, really. Your kids scream just as pathetically as their father"

Chase pressed the gun harder onto his head but Anti just giggled.

"You don't have the balls, toss-boy! he mocked him, "And I'll never regret ANYTHING I've ever done to you all! You all deserve it! Especially YOU, Brody!"

Jackie raised a hand over Anti's mouth to shut him up, still holding him around his middle around his arms, too to keep him immobile, "You can't ever keep your mouth shut, can you?"

But before anything else could be said, they could hear the door open.

"Hey guys! I'm here! Where is he!?" it was Sean.

Anti struggled even harder but Jackie was powerful physically.

They all turned towards their creator and Sean stopped at the sight.

He heaved a big sigh, "Anti . . ..  Fooking hell. Look what you've done"

Anti stopped struggled, hearing the deep disappointment in his voice. Why did that hurt?

But now that he calmed slightly, he looked around.

The house was trashed from the fight, pictures on the floor and scratches and burn marks on the walls. Blood on furniture and the floor. Everyone had at least a few bruises and cuts from him. Jackie was worst off with blood seeping out of a stab wound. 

The doctor had a nick on his neck that he kept pressure on and Marvin's mask was cracked somewhere on the floor, showing off scars and marks on his face, blood covering his outfit. Jameson's hat was on the floor somewhere and his hair was tussled and a little bloody but otherwise he was fine. And Chase . . . he still hadn't pulled the gun away from his head.

Anti looked up again into Chase's eyes to see pure rage there. For some reason, Anti suddenly feared it. He looked far angrier than he could ever be and he didn't understand why.

For the first time ever, Anti regretted his actions but not enough to stop being angry.

"So what!? What you gonna do about it!? Kill me!? Torture me!? Send me to the void or whatever you think you can magically do!? Fuck you, Sean! Fuck you! There's nothing you can do to me that will hurt me anymore than I already feel, you bastard! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!"

"What did I do to you!?" Sean yelled back, "How would I know if you never TALK to anyone?! If you don't like something, you have to TELL us, Anti!"

"Fook off! You should already KNOW! And why would I ever talk to any of you!? You've all hated me anyways! Always wanted to make me the bad guy from the beginning!"

"Because that's what you are" Chase huffed.

Anti glitched in Jackie's grasp and the hero almost lost his hold.

"Look, I'm not going to argue with you anymore, Anti" Sean sighed, "If you can't cooperate or talk to us then-"

"I'm trying!" Anti interrupted him, "I've tried and you all ignore me anyway so what's it matter!? Huh!? What's it all matter if you all hate me anyways!?"

"The reason we hate you is because of shit like this, you cunt!" Chase slapped him across the face, "We're tired of this shit and we're sick of you! You'll never change!"

"Then what's any of it matter!?"

"ANTI!"

Everyone stilled at the sound of Sean's shout. He then sighed heavily.

"Anti . . . . Fine. . . . If you don't want to give us a chance then so be it. We've tried for far too long. We're done. I'm done."

Everyone was shocked at Sean's confession and Jameson even felt bad.

'Perhaps we could just talk some more?' he signed.

"No." Sean shook his head, "I'm done with him. Anti. . . you don't want to be a part of me or the others then . . .then fine. If that's how you feel and you react like this" he gestured to the entire house, "And you won't even communicate with us about it. . . . then I don't want you as an ego"

That suddenly struck Anti. His heart suddenly stung and his stomach burned. His throat hurt like he was choking.

Jackie sensed he suddenly went limp and carefully let him go, sensing he wasn't a threat at the moment anymore.

Anti didn't even register that Jackie had let him go, "Y- . . . .. . " he could hardly breathe. Why did that hurt so much?

"You're  . . . disowning me?" a few stray tears actually fell down his face.

Sean tried to act like it didn't bother him, "Yes. Now get out. You're no longer welcome here or around any of us. Ever. Do you understand?"

Anti's breathing picked up. He didn't know what to do. Of course he hated them all and he should be happy he wouldn't be tied to them anymore. But now that it's happened. . . . . he didn't want this.

Anger suddenly brewed inside of him again. Of course they'd all be excited to be rid of him. Of course they'd all just LOVE to hurt him again. But they didn't think of it that way did they? They thought this was the first time he had ever cried. The first time he had ever been hurt by them. It wasn't. And they didn't care. They only saw their pain. Of course the bad guy could NEVER feel pain. How absurd would that be!?

Anti growled deep in his throat and he took a few steps to lunge at Sean.

'BANG!'

Anti fell to the ground with a sharp whine.

"Chase!" Sean shouted at him, "You didn't need to do that!"

"He would have killed you otherwise. He deserves that and so much more." Chase didn't lower his gun, "Now get out before I aim for your brain!"

Anti's back hurt and he knew that's where Chase had shot. On his upper shoulder blade. It missed any organs but that didn't mean it hurt or bled any less.

But instead of arguing or yelling anymore, Anti just picked himself up and stumbled to the door.

Everyone just watched.

Nobody stopped him.

Of course they wouldn't.

They never cared about him from the beginning.

He walked out and down the street. He didn't feel like glitching right away anywhere. He left a trail of blood but he didn't care. No one could see it anyway. It was getting dark outside.

He came into town, feeling weaker by each step he took but he didn't care anymore.

It all hurt too much.

The more he thought to himself, the more he realized Chase was right.

He deserved it. Maybe if he had just  . . .. tried harder to talk to them? But they wouldn't listen! Did it even matter anymore?

It didn't.

He walked into an alley by a dumpster. Anti leaned against the wall, blood pooling down his back and onto the ground.

He'd die there. Who needed him anyway?

No one did. No one cared. Why would they? He deserved this.

Anti cried and as he did, it started to sprinkle. He looked up at the dark sky, feeling the water land on his cheeks.

But. . . he didn't want to die. Did he?

No. He couldn't just give them what they wanted. After a while, he finally picked himself back up and concentrated. 

He could glitch one more time. He was getting tired.

He could only think of one other place to go. Someone ho could heal him and might understand? Would he understand? The last time they met, it didn't go so well.

But he had to try, right?

With the rain now pouring down on him, soaking him, he glitched to the outskirts of LA. To Raspy Hill Manor.

Anti looked up at the intimidating building and suddenly he regretted it. But he couldn't go anywhere else. But what if they killed him on the spot?

'Oh well' he thought to himself, 'No different than what I was going to do to myself'

Anti finally gave up and knocked on the door.

He could hear shuffling around and yelling. Scrambling around and finally, someone opened the door. Someone. . . in a school girl uniform?

The ego looked at him strangely and rolled their eyes, "Hey Dark! Come here for a sec! There's a Septic ego here!"

"Well who are they, Yan?!" Anti shivered at the voice. He knew that was definitely Darkiplier.

"I don't know! Never seen them before!" that stung.

Anti could hear a huff and his heart raced as he heard a stomping. The light clatter of a cane with his steps.

He shivered when he finally came to the door.

"Well? Who are they?"

"Yan. . . . go inside" Dark told him and the schoolgirl-dressed iplier walked off with a scowl.

Dark and Anti looked at each other for a while but Anti was surprised he wasn't dead yet.

"What are you doing here, Anti?"

Really, he didn't know what to say to that.

"I. . . . I .. . I don't know"

"Why don't you go home?"

Anti cried again, uncaring of who was in front of him, "I . . . I can't."

Dark narrowed his eyes but could tell the Septic ego was hurting. In more ways than one, "Where'd the blood come from? Is it yours?"

Anti could only nod.

Dark's eyes softened, "What happened to you?"

It took a moment for Anti to register the question and come up with a proper answer, "I. . ..  Sean. . .. . he. . .. he disowned me. Ch-Chase. . . . shot me" he broke into tears again and Dark sighed deeply.

Anti thought that Dark would immediately turn him away at that. He started to grow frantic again, "I'm sorry. I. . ..  I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry! I-"

Dark's arms were suddenly around him, soaking his suit in blood, tears and rain water, "Shhhhhh"

Anti couldn't hold it in anymore. He just started sobbing into him. He couldn't stop. But Dark just held him. Anti never felt this before. It was warm and nice. But of course it made him hurt more. No one had ever hugged him before.

Dark ushered him inside and had Dr. Iplier look at him, patch him up. The next day, Dark hadn't kicked him out, letting him stay for a while. But then a few days grew into a week. A week grew into a few more weeks. Mark grew to like him and together, they all treated him like a friend. Like family.

Suddenly, the manor grew a room for him and he. . . he was an honorary Iplier.

A brother.

And suddenly the worst moment in his life became the best thing that ever happened to him.

End of Flashback

Dark remembered that moment, too.

He cherished that day, now. Seeing Anti so vulnerable and broken. He had to help him. And out of that day, he found another brother. Someone he could count on.

Dark sighed while he laid in the bed. Had it really been so long ago now?

A hand with a wet cloth rested on his forehead, "Easy there, Dark. I know the pain you must feel but you have to be patient. They'll figure it out"

Dark closed his eyes, "I hope you're right, Celine. I can't bear to see any of my family hurt. Not again."

"I know. I know. Wilford told them Actor Mark's alive though so we have that. It's only a matter of time."

"Anti found out and that THING erased his memory. How do we know that-"

"Shut UP Damien. Why do you always have to be so pessimistic?"

The ex-mayor rolled his eyes, "So sorry. Just thought I'd be realistic."

Celine ignored him and kept tending to Dark, "Everything will be fine, Dark. Don't worry."

Dark weakly just looked out the window to the blazing snow storm outside. It was just like when Actor had control over the void before. Dark and desolute. Cold and dead. 

'I hope you're right, Celine. Come on, Anti. I know you know something's wrong there. I'm counting on you, my brother. Wake up, already. Find me.'