Chase immediately knew he was dreaming.

Walking through the halls of his old home. It was late at night and everyone should be sleeping.

And yet he could hear the faint murmuring of someone humming a children's song.

"Kids? Is that you?" He called out but no one answered.

The TV was on in the living room but it was just static, loud and uncomfortable.

"Chase!" someone called out to him.

It sounded like Stacey and he walked at a quicker pace through the house. He had to find them!

Where were they!?

"Chase! Daddy!" Multiple cries filled his ears as he searched but they were just no where to be found.

His heart raced, panicking, tears running down his face.

"Where are you!? Stace! Sammy! Kallie! Kids. . ."

He ran through the long halls, his mind in a fear-induced state.

"Kids!" he shouted again but they didn't call out anymore. He knew he was close though but the closer but got, the louder the static was.

Suddenly Chase tripped and fell to the floor with a heavy grunt. Picking himself up, he blearily looked over to see a knife.

He had tripped on a knife?

A . . .. bloodied knife . . . .

His vision went red as he stood up. He went to run for that direction again only to stop himself.

There he was.

Just in front of the doorway.

His silhouette contrasting against the faint light of the bedroom TV.

Chase's vision went weird. It was as if he were underwater. He almost felt drunk.

"Why are you here!? Where are they!?"

Anti turned to face him, his green eyes glinting and his smile was gleaming. He didn't say anything. He just smiled.

Chase stuttered out a breathe, barely holding onto himself "What do you want from me!?"

Anti then laughed, his voice echoing against the walls, reverberating with static.

But then he got his answer.

Chase saw the TV behind Anti.

White noise and static.

With black hand-prints on the inside.

Chase suddenly shot up with a shout.

"Sh*t!" Bing fell out of his own bed and onto the floor.

Chase was breathing erratically from the nightmare but was starting to calm himself as he looked around at where he was.

"Fuck. . . . Sorry Bing"

The android grunted as he picked himself up but looked more concerned than anything, "Nah it's cool, bro. You alright though? Isn't the first time you've been having nightmares here, my dude"

Chase looked at him strangely.

Bing caught on, "Oh. Right. Sorry. I can uh . . . see you vitals, basically sometimes when you sleep. Your heart rate picks up big time when you're having a nightmare"

"Oh" Chase nodded, "I'm fine. Don't worry about it"

Bing didn't look convinced but waved it off for now, "Alright, alright. Ya wanna go get some breakfast? I think it's your turn to film today again. Dark's probably already ready by now"

"Hm" Without another word, Chase got up and got ready. He wasn't really a morning person but he'd do pretty much anything Sean asked of him. Even get up early for a few lines and depressed acting.

Vaguely he wondered when Anti's part would come in but he guessed that not even Sean knew.

Mark had just bluntly asked that first night, although it was presumably Dark's idea. Sean didn't have a prepared part for him yet. Chase sort of felt bad about that for him but visions of his nightmare returned to him and he no longer cared.

He knew he'd be pissed, too, if Sean gave HIS part to Jameson or somebody but Anti's situation was different. He fucked everything up with them. It as his own fault.

Then again Marvin really wasn't the bad-guy type. If anyone fit that role perfectly, it was Anti, he had to admit.

'Ugh stop making excuses for him, Chase' he told himself.

He admitted to himself that he probably had changed to a degree and was doing better here with the Ipliers. But he just  couldn't forgive him for what he did to him and his family.

His kids were scared of the TV for months after that and that was the last straw for Stacey.

And Chase blamed Anti, of course. His kids didn't deserve that.

Going down stairs with Bing, he saw Anti sitting at the table with Dark as usual. After a week of living with them, he noticed a lot of things and that as at the top of the list. Dark and Anti were best friends. In a way, Chase was almost jealous. Him and Bing used to be that close but of course he noticed a rift between them lately. Chase just wasn't his usual happy go-lucky self and Bing cared for Anti like a brother. Chase didn't like that but he accepted that of his friend.

Anti looked up from his plate to see him and visibly swallowed before looking away and playing with his food.

Chase noticed Anti would do little things like this when he entered the room and he couldn't explain how it made him feel. On one end, he felt bad for making him uncomfortable. On the other, a sort of satisfaction came from it.

"Hey dude, I'll be right with ya" Bing pat his shoulder, "I gotta talk to Anti for a sec. You go get your breakfast, dude"

Chase nodded but watched as Bing sauntered over to the glitch. The two spoke for a few seconds but Chase didn't want to eavesdrop, walking into the kitchen to grab something.

Henrik was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee and Jameson was fixing his mustache as he waited for some eggs to cook. Eric, Yancy and Host were there, too, fixing up their own meals.

"Ah Chase!" Henrik nodded to him, "You don't look vell. Another bad night?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Something like that" he came over to grab himself a cup of coffee as well, leaning by Henrik for a moment.

The doctor sighed, "You know, we've talked about zhis. I really think you should talk to him about-"

"Stop, Hen." Chase kept him from finishing the sentence.

"But it could help" he continued, "Anti vill listen,  I'm sure"

Chase grit his teeth but before he could respond, the Host broke in the conversation, "Henrik is correct. Anti is very good at listening. The Host believes Anti will understand and want to help Chase with the nightmares he's having of him."

"Excuse me? Shut the fuck up, please! How the fook you know about that shite!? Stay outta my head!"

"The Host apologizes. He did not mean to offend"

"Hey watch yerself there" Yancy warned Chase, "Host here's just tryna help out"

"Yeah well I don't need to talk to that stupid glitch bitch! How about ALL of you just stay out of my business!"

"Ey WHAT did youse just call Anti!? If anyone's da bitch around here, tis youse!" Yancy growled and came up close to Chase, staring him down, "Don't be saying shit about my family again, ya here?"

Chase was about to argue but Henrik saved him from himself, "Yes, yes! Sorry about him! He's not a morning person. A bit grouchy, he is" Hen dragged him away from Yancy and back to the coffee, "Are you insane?"

Chase snorted and sipped his coffee, sending small glares towards Yancy and Host, "Hey book-boy started it. Don't blame me"

"I vill blame you" Henrik shook his head, "You going to be zhis stubborn filming today?"

Chase huffed but left the question unanswered.

After a few moments, he was about to go back out to the dining room when Eric nervously came up to them, "I-it's true, you know" he fiddled with his fingers.

Chase felt bad for the anxious ego and gave in, "What's true?"

"A-about Anti. He's r-really a good guy if y-you give him the chance. He-he's my best friend along with Y-yan." he gulped, "I k-know you think he's . . . a terrible person. But he. . .he's actually r-really sweet"

Chase didn't want to tell him he thought he was wrong. He didn't want to yell at Eric. Not after what happened the other day in the shooting range. He still felt bad for that.

Chase sighed, "I doubt that but if he's nice to you then, good."

"Y-you should talk to him"

"Don't push it, Eric. Please"

Eric titled his glasses back up and walked away.

Chase groaned to himself softly and walked out of the room, coffee in hand.

Once he walked back in, though, he saw Anti messing with something in Bing's head. Literally. He had the back of his head opened and was fooling around with something in there. The image was quite creepy, really.

"The fuck?"

Dark caught his stare, "Anti's just fixing Bing's bleeping problem again so he can cuss properly."

"Don't know how it keeps getting turned back on" Anti mainly spoke to himself, "Probably a setting that Mark has to deal with. Being an administrator and all that"

He shut Bing's head up and the android cracked his neck, getting back up from the ground, "Well fuck dude, it's fixed for now. Thanks, man"

Anti nodded, "No problem"

Bing pat his shoulder and walked back towards Chase with a grin. He could cuss freely now.

Chase sighed to himself. It was moments like these that wanted to make him change his mind but every time he LOOKED at Anti, all he saw was that monster that terrorized him, his wife and kids and the other Septics!

But then he was brought back to just the other day when Anti fought Actor. Doing that so often, protecting the Ipliers so selflessly.

He was just so confused about how he should feel.

That day, he got to think about other things, turning his attentions to filming and acting. Every once in a while, he'd get a good moment and smile but here and there. . . . let's just say that most of the filming process wasn't all acting. He was in character, that was for sure.

Sean obviously noticed he was a bit more off than usual and came up to talk to him when they were all taking a break, "Hey man, you doing okay?"

Chase shrugged, sitting in a chair. They watched as Marvin was practicing for a special effect in the video.

"I'm fine"

"That's bullshit and we both know it." Sean called him out, "Seriously . ..  what's up?"

Chase snorted, "You KNOW what's up."

"How have things been with  . . . him? Doing okay with it?"

"What do you think?" he wasn't in the mood for this today.

"Chase, I really think you should give him a chance. Everyone else has"

"Doesn't mean I have to. They weren't hurt like I was"

"Stacey and the kids are fine now"

"NOW." he argued, "The kids were so traumatized after it happened. . . . mentally scarred"

Sean sighed and scratched the back of his head, "I know. . . I know." he went quiet for a moment before speaking again, "But you can't just. . . keep avoiding him the entire time we're here, Chase. You know what's coming"

"And I fooking hate it. You're really gonna put us in a scene together? Pretty ballsy of you, Sean"

"Look, you don't have to like it but at least TRY and behave when we have him come in to film with us. It'll be easier if everyone just gets along"

Chase just snorted, "Whatever"

Before Sean could continue, Mark came over to talk to him, stealing him away just in time for Chase to get away.

That night, they were all having dinner and Anti, of course, was sitting by Dark.

'For fucks sake, it looks like they're dating. Do they not realize that?' Chase rolled his eyes.

He was just being mean, though, and he knew that. He knew Anti was happy and on the inside, Chase wanted nothing more than to tear that apart.

He could still see his kid's faces, tear-streaked and hear their sobs when Anti had finally released them.

Chase ground his teeth together, seeing Anti smile as if he's never done anything wrong in his life.

Wilford laughed out loud, saying something about the conversation that was happening. Chase didn't know. He had stopped paying attention.

"Say talking about kiddos, how's yours doin' Chasey-boy!?"

Chase suddenly locked eyes with Anti and bent the fork a little in his hand.

Everyone's good mood faded as he practically hissed out, "They're fine. Now. Stacey said they're finally actually able to watch TV without freaking out."

Anti looked away but Chase felt victory in his heart for making him hurt. He deserved it, after all.

"That's hardly right, Chase" Marvin interrupted, "They've been fine for a while. You're just trying to make a bigger-"

Chase glared at Marvin, "How the fuck would you know ANYTHING about how my kids feel, Marv!? You don't!" he glared back at Anti, "They cried for over a week. Traumatized for months. And this fooking . . ..  bastard just . . . laughed in their faces at their fear. Grinning like the devil himself. And that's just ONE of the things he's done"

"Chase-" Jackie tried to stop him but the father just got up anyways.

"I'm going upstairs." he pushed his seat in and walked away before Dark or anyone else could yell at him, grumbling under his breathe, "Fooking glitch-cunt"

Anti flinched at the words but tried to make it look like it didn't affect him. They all knew it did, though.

Chase stomped up the stairs and walked into Bing's room.

Getting out his phone, he dialed a familiar number to calm himself down and laid on his designated bunk bed. It rang for a while until a small voice finally answered.

"Daddy?"

That night he had another nightmare.

But it was different this time.

The walls were still bathed in a red light. He could hear static and creepy humming.

But Anti was no where to be found.

Chase ran towards the voice. Ran towards the noise. He hoped he could save his family this time. He didn't want to fail again.

When he got to that room, however, he stared from his end of the hallway. In front of that room, a different man stood. 

Chase could no longer hear his children or Stacey. The sound of static was gone.

It was just silence.

This man chuckled in the void, though. Laughed in a crescendo until it just sounded insane.

"AHehehehehe" the man turned but Chase couldn't make out his features, "He's so vulnerable right now. You should do it."

The man disappeared and Chase blinked open his eyes, staring up at the ceiling.

He could still hear the man's words. He knew what he meant.

This . . .. conscience of sorts. . . . wanted him to kill Anti. To end him while he slept.

Chase thought about it for a moment.

But then he thought back to everything that's happened in the last week.

.

.

.

.

Chase closed his eyes, erasing those thoughts from his mind.

No matter how much he hated Anti . . .. he could never kill him.

He just couldn't.