Jackie could see Chase's hands clenching under the table and really, he was concerned but didn't say anything. He knew Chase was having a hard time, he didn't want to make things worse or cause a scene.

When Marvin and Jameson left with Dark and some of the other Ipliers, Jackie could visibly see Anti's change in mood. He seemed so  . . . out of it. He really wanted to give Anti the benefit of the doubt and since Chase wandered off with Bing outside, Jackie thought this would be the perfect time for some bonding.

Hesitantly, Jackie walked over to Anti just as he was going to leave with Yandere and Eric, "Uh, hey guys! Um . .  I was wondering if I could join ya?"

Anti wanted to refuse but Yandere grinned, "Sure, Jackie! We were just gonna go out back. Have a little fun with target practice and all that"

Jackie was actually interested, "Oh cool! Sounds fun! Eric, I didn't know you . . . . could use a weapon?"

Eric grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I. . .uh. . . I don't. . I um. .just like t-to watch them do it"

"Oh well maybe I could show you a thing or two?"

"He doesn't like to do it himself" Anti growled at him, "Back off"

"Just trying to be friendly, Anti. No need to get all huffy!" Jackie grinned, making Anti even more frustrated.

"Whatever. Let's just go already"

Jackie wasn't bothered by his attitude and followed them out. The backyard was huge to put it simply. There was space all over to do whatever you wanted. There was a nice garden maze, space for outdoor games, a pool, a patio and of course, the shooting 'range'. It was on the small side for a good reason as to help certain egos control their anger.

Jackie saw Bing and Chase getting ready to go into the pool and gave them both a small wave. Chase looked concerned for Jackie and the company he took but let it go. He knew Jackie could handle himself if something happened.

When Yan opened the gate and they went in, though, Jackie wasn't expecting the nice setup they had. A few weapons like guns and knives along one wall and on the manor's wall there were dummies lined up. A few benches sat on the opposite ends to watch or wait or simply to clean your weapon.

"Shit" Jackie gawked, "Your setup's dope"

"Of course it is!" Yan boasted, "Anti and I helped put it together! We both needed a place to vent and figured others did so so viola! It's a great place to practice taking out people who may take my senpai from me" their voice turned devilish.

"Uh. . . .Cool shit. I assume the knives are-"

"Mine and Yan's" Anti provided as he walked over to his little collection, "But I suppose I could share just for today. Not that it'll matter."

"Oh really? Think you're better than me?" Jackie teased him.

Anti actually smirked at him, "Fuck yeah. Who do you think you're talking to?"

"I think you're forgetting who always had the better aim."

"Maybe you've gotten rusty. I've been venting every day, dude"

"Let's find out" Jackie snickered and went over to the weapons.

Yandere and Eric watched the conversation unfold. Yan knew Jackie wouldn't do or say anything to harm Anti. He was always so positive and nice, Yan trusted him not to push Anti too far.

Meanwhile, Eric was biting his nails apprehensively as Jackie and Anti stood side by side, a proper distance away from  their dummies.

"Oh and no lightning" Anti told him. Jackie groaned.

"What!? That's no fun!"

"Take it or leave it. Unless you can't aim without it" Anti teased him.

Jackie rolled his eyes but was still smirking, "Eh Whatever glitch. I'll win this. Yan! Keep track, yeah?"

"Way ahead of you, ya dope." Yandere took out their journal and wrote out a small scoreboard.

Anti went first and flung the knife into the head of a dummy, "Beat that"

Jackie had a few shuriken of Yan's and flung them all directly into a dummy's chest, "How's that?"

"Head too small to aim for? Head-shots are worth more points. Guess that should've been explained" He smirked back.

"What are chest shots then? Half the points? Because I flung three of them and that means I'm still winning"

"Oh fuck off"

"Your turn 'lemon drop'" he mocked and Anti gave him a warning glare.

None of them saw Bing or Chase coming up to the gate to watch what was happening. 

Anti flung nearly all sorts of knives that he had and Jackie matched him one after another.

"Dammit, come on!" Anti whined, "How about a tie breaker!?"

Jackie swung a kunai knife around his finger lazily, "Lightning round?"

"I said no, hero. The gate around us is metal and can cause the others around us to get shocked. Not happening. Too dangerous"

"I thought you used to be all for danger? You get soft, Anti? But I guess if that's what you-"

"Fine." Anti snorted, "Yan, Eric. Get out of the range and no leaning on the gate."

"B-but you could g-get hurt, too, Anti!"

Anti chuckled, "I practically AM lightning, Eric. I'll be fine. Should be worried about Mr. Big shot over here"

"Yeah, yeah"

"O-okay, if you say so"

"He'll be fine, Eric. No worries" Yan led his out, seeing Chase and Bing as they exited, "Stand away from the gate. They're about to be stupid together"

Chase could see through the chain-linked fence and vegetation on it, still though. Could see Jackie and Anti readying themselves. Honestly, he didn't know who'd win this match. He knew Anti was skilled with lightning being that technology and being a virus was his whole 'thing'. But he also knew Jackie's been in his little gym practicing with his own lightning and weapons as best he could.

"You first, hero" 

Jackie snorted and took a machete, pointing it at the dummy. As best he could, he forced the electricity out of his body through the metal and aimed it at the dummy. Only to zap and fry the entire thing!

"Fooking hell dude!" Anti laughed at him, "Does that count for immediate disqualification!?"

"What you talking about?! I destroyed that thing!"

"Exactly!" Anti shoved him lightly, "This is a 'target' range not a war-zone. Fuck, man. At least hit the lightning in one area"

"Well if you're so much better then why don't YOU do it?"

"Oh I will!" Anti didn't even have to look at his own target dummy. He just shot out a bolt from his finger-tips. Careful and small.

Jackie looked over to see the small burnt hole in the middle of his dummy's head.

"Shit, dude. I want to see you and Chase in a match. Talk about dead-shots!"

"Tch" Anti rolled his eyes, "Brody couldn't match up to me. It's not that hard to aim a fooking gun like it is a knife."

"Wanna bet?"

The others came back in through the gate and Chase walked through, staring Anti down like he was issued a challenge. And if looks could kill.

Anti snorted, "What? You gonna throw a knife, trick-shot?"

"How about you take a gun?" Chase challenged him, "Unless you're scared I'd accidentally hit you instead of the dummy? You both look alike"

"Oooo!" Yan commented on the sick burn.

Anti rolled his eyes, "I've been taking lessons from Wil. I think I can handle you in a gun match, Brody"

"Hmph. We'll see"

Bing swallowed, "You sure about this, Bro? I know you're still mad at him and-"

"I'm not gonna shoot him, Bing. Chill. Just wanna take him down a notch is all"

"As if" Anti snorted.

Chase walked over to the guns and picked out a couple pistols, handing one to Anti, "Head-shots, only. Move as far back as you can"

They moved clear to the other end of the gate and Chase nodded to him, "Bitches first"

"Oh fook off, asshole. I offered you ice cream last night." Anti huffed and aimed the gun, managing to shoot the dummy where a person's chin would be.

"Not bad, I guess." Chase commented before aiming himself. Immediately, he opened fire and shot the dummy clean through the middle red point of the head. The smallest target point on the dummy. But he wasn't done. He aimed at Anti's dummy and shot the same place and shot the other three dummies there as well cleanly.

"I don't think you can beat that" Chase smirked at him, "Looks like trick-shot Brody wins"

"Yeah well you're still shit with a knife, I bet"

"You don't bring a knife to a gun-fight, moron"

"Depends how you use it"

"That why you've never faced me when I had my gun on me? Yeah, no, you waited until I was defenseless to 'take me on', didn't you!?"

Anti shut up and looked away, defeated.

Yandere ran up to break them up, "Alright, okay! I think target fun is over!  Anti, let's go back inside and do something else, huh? Eric, what do you say?"

 "A-anti?" Eric was worried for his friend. He looked shut-off again.

Even Jackie and Bing were worried and the android walked past Chase to Anti, "Hey bro, don't listen to him. He doesn't really mean it. All fired up, you know what I'm saying? You still got something in ya Chase can't beat ya at! Your lightning, my dude!"

Chase looked offended at Bing for talking about him as if he wasn't there. How could he just defend Anti like that?! Did he NOT know what he did? Chase was sure his friend would be on HIS side!

"Yeah him and his fooking special powers. Fook off! My life would have been so much better without that shit!" Chase couldn't stop the word vomit, "Bing, how the fook can you talk to him like that!? You KNOW what he's done! I've TOLD you! He's nothing but a fooking monster! Sean shouldn't have-"

"Chase, enough!" Jackie stopped him, shoving him back.

Chase bumped into Eric but didn't really realize it, shoved HIM and threw him off to the ground.

"Ow!" Eric landed on his back harshly, scraping his elbows on the concrete.

"Shit" Chase mumbled to himself, suddenly realizing what he did.

He tried to help him back up but Anti was suddenly next to him, lightning sparking off of him and fists clenched, ready to kill, "Back off, Brody" his voice sounded on edge as if he was REALLY trying not to kill him.

"I didn't mean to. . . I'm just trying to-"

"BACK OFF!" Anti shouted in his ear. 

Chase trembled at his sheer force and anger and jumped back, letting Anti in front of Eric.

Jackie grabbed Chase and they watched as Anti and Yan leaned down to check on Eric and even Bing leaned down to help him stand back up. With his prosthetic legs, it was always hard for him to stand up on his own if he had fallen.

As Jackie dragged Chase away, he saw the pure concern in Anti's eyes for his friend.

It pissed him off so much but he wasn't about to start another fight with Anti now. Now with Jackie angrily tossing him back inside.

'You should have shot him when you had the chance' that voice drone.

Jackie threw Chase onto a couch, "Are you KIDDING me!?"

"What?! It's not like I meant to throw Eric to the ground like that! It was an accident! Plus you're the one who pushed ME!"

"Yeah because you just had to get all pissy and pick a fight! I may have pushed you to Eric but you didn't have to push HIM, dude. It was supposed to be a friendly competition, Chase! Why'd you have to antagonize him, man!?"

Chase just rolled his eyes, "Oh please! You act like he's the innocent one in this!"

"Yeah well this time he IS"

Chase glared at him, "Fuck you"

Jackie rubbed his hands over his face with a groan, "Dude, I know things are complicated right now but Anti really didn't do anything wrong this time."

"THIS time" Chase scoffed, "He never really paid for what he did to us in the first place"

"Yeah well. . . . you can't keep hanging on the past, Chase. It's not what your kids would want. He never actually hurt them that bad, right? He let them go. They were fine. Scared but-"

"Jackie" Chase stopped him, "Just stop. That's not even the half of the shit he's done. You're not gonna change my mind." he got up and stormed past him, making his way up the stairs without another word.

Jackie watched him go with a sigh. He wished his brother could look past his anger for once. HE had.

"Guys, really, I'm fine! It's just a s-scrape!" Eric tried pushing Yan and Anti away but even Bing was insistent.

"Dude, we need some bandages or ointment shit? Think he needs some gauze, too. I mean I ain't no doctor but-"

Eric hissed as he lifted his arm and Anti saw the blood immediately, "Shit" he looked down and saw a stray knife on the ground from their target practice. Eric must have fallen on it. Anti lifted Eric's sleeve and saw the large cut on him, blood seeping out.

"Yan will you go get Dr. Iplier's first aid kit? He's got a gash but I should be able to handle it myself."

Yandere gawked at Eric's wound and nodded, "I'll be quick!"

Eric grumbled, "I don't feel it"

"Not yet, you don't" Anti and Bing set him down on a nearby bench. 

Soon, Yan came back but with Henrik at their side. They said the doctor wouldn't let a wound slip by him unseen.

Later that day, Bing told Dark what had happened, trying his best to leave Chase out of it. He was still his friend, after all. He didn't want Dark to kill him.

But Dark knew better. Instead of going straight to Chase, however, he waited until dinner. He knew it'd be uncomfortable but then there was no way he could lie to him with everyone's eyes on them.

Anti didn't want to eat dinner with everyone but he knew Dark wouldn't bring him up food again. That was a one-time thing. Reluctantly, he stomped down the stairs and sat in an open seat between Dark and King.

"How was filming today?" Anti asked him and Dark nodded.

"It was alright. I heard you had an interesting day today, yourself"

Anti swallowed, "y-you heard about that?"

Wilford grumbled to himself, "All my dummies burnt to smithereens! What will I shoot now, boy-o!?"

The other egos looked apprehensive until Marvin spoke up, "No need to worry. I can conjure some more if you want? What happened by the way?"

"Nothing" Anti said way too soon and Dark gave him an intimidating look.

"You wouldn't happen to be lying to me, would you, Anti?"

Anti locked eyes with Yan and Eric and then saw Chase. He looked ready to be cast out onto the streets, really.

"Everything went fine today. I don't know what you're talking about. just went too rough with the dummies is all"

Chase suddenly looked up to meet Anti's eyes, confusion obvious. Why the hell would Anti be defending him?

Dark sighed, "Shame. Because I heard that Eric got hurt. In the shooting range. Fell on a knife?"

"Do I need to look at it?" Dr. Iplier asked but Henrik shook his head, "Tis fine. Shallow cut. Nothing I couldn't fix"

"Be that as it may. How did he fall on the knife. Eric? Care to tell me?"

The shy Iplier swallowed thickly but knew why Anti didn't out Chase. He didn't want to give them any more reason to hate him, "N-no sir. Everything's fine."

Dark's nose wrinkled but he hummed, "Fine then. I'll just say it. Anti, did you and Chase not get into a scuffle today?"

"I told you it's fine, Dark. Just leave it"

Dark slammed his fist on the table, "DO NOT TELL ME TO JUST LEAVE IT, ANTI!!" His intimidation spiked as the room visibly darkened and his eyes turned red.

Everyone in the room shuddered, afraid of what would happen tonight.

But Dark must have sensed the suddenly fear in the room and calmed down slightly, taking a breathe, "I'm sorry everyone. It's just . . . . I do not tolerate fights where someone will get hurt." he turned his blood-red eyes to Chase who suddenly went pale.

"Do not let it happen again, Brody." he turned his gaze back to his friend, "Anti, I'll talk to you later in private."

Dark sat back down and started to eat. At that motion, so did everyone else. Except the Septics. They were still a bit in shock, besides Anti. The glitch was used to Dark's outbreaks but even he didn't dare fight him further on the subject.

Chase could barely muster himself to eat anything. The anger in Dark's eyes had crushed any desire to. And Anti . . . . why didn't he just tell him what happened? That it was his fault?

"Eric will be fine, Dark. Stop worrying"

"God dammit, Anti! Why can't you see!?" Dark scoffed at him, running a hand through his hair, "I leave you alone with them for one day and all hell breaks loose"

"Hey I wasn't alone! Yan, Eric and Bing were with me today!"

"Yeah, like they're any help if one of the Septics looses their shit and tries to attack you." Dark rolled his eyes, "What if Chase had attacked YOU Anti!? You would have-"

"No! You don't know that! I had myself under control! Everything was FOOKING FINE!"

"NO IT WASN'T" Dark gripped Anti's shoulders, seething with his eyes red like earlier.

Anti stilled in his grasp but calmed, not wanting to make things worse, "Breathe, Dark . . . . Come on, bud, you know me. You can trust me."

Dark slowly breathed in and out and relaxed his grip on his friend, "I'm  . ..  I'm sorry. I just. . . . I don't ever want to see you hurt like that again. . . Like before. And w-what happened with Eric today. . . ." he hugged Anti, "Promise you'll stay away from Brody. He. . . . he's instigating shit, I know it"

"No, he's not. It's just coincidence. You just worry too much"

"Anti" he warned.

". . . . Fine. . . . worry-wart. I'll . ..  I'll do my best" he pat Dark's shoulder and soon, he let him go with a sigh.

"Good." he nodded and started to walk out but stopped as he got to the door, "And Anti?"

"Yeah?"

Dark didn't even look his way, "Don't you ever lie to me again. No matter what it is"

Anti winced as Dark shut the door behind him.

'My god, he can be scary sometimes' but he knew Dark only wanted to protect him and his family. 

That's all he ever wants.

But why DID Anti lie in the first place, really?

'I don't care if it makes him like me or anything. Fuck that' Anti shook his head and went to lay down on his bed, 'I don't care if any of them like me. I don't need them anymore. I got a better family than they ever were'

He curled up with his pillow in his arms and hugged it. 

Deep inside, he knew he was lying to himself, though.

Of course he wanted them to like him.