Anti let Chase bandage his leg where he had shot him.

He still felt horrible but what was more, was he didn't understand WHY he felt so horrible.

He killed all those people . . . but he had killed before so why was now any different?

Anti didn't feel anything for his victims before being so close to Chase. Before becoming human.

"You're quiet" Chase mumbled.

Anti glanced at him, "Thinking"

"Yeah?" he wrapped his leg in gauze, "What about?"

Anti winced, " . . . . All this pain  . . I didn't realize it would feel like this. . . . .to be human. So . . . so much pain"

Chase didn't look surprised, "Yeah, being human sucks. Luckily you're in control of yourself now again, though, right?"

Anti didn't answer him, " . . . . .All those people I killed-"

"Don't think about it"

Anti met his eyes, confused, "But-"

Chase shook his head, "If you start thinking about it too much, you'll spiral down and I don't even want to know what that would look like for you, man. Just. . . . maybe try and distract yourself? How about we watch some TV? I'll try ordering a pizza for us again. You're probably hungry, huh, dude?"

As if on que on the mention of food, Anti's stomach started to growl and his belly hurt, ". . . . yeah?"

Chase smirked, "Alright. You pick something on the TV and I'll order us that pizza" he pat Anti's leg.

Anti flinched, "Ow!"

"Oops, sorry" Chase forgot already and sheepishly darted into the kitchen and try and call in his order again.

When he was off the phone, he went back into the living room to see Anti laying on the couch.

He was watching a comedy.

"Hey! I know this one!" Chase laughed excitedly, "It's pretty funny. Here, let me get in on the couch here, man"

He gently lifted up Anti's legs and sat on the couch with him, allowing Anti's legs to rest on his lap.

In truth, Chase really missed this. Socializing with someone else. Taking care of someone. It was like Anti was filling in a gap in him somewhere.

"I don't get it"

Chase snorted, "Get what?"

"Their words don't make all that much sense. It's confusing"

Chase never thought he'd ever have to explain a joke to this creature, "Anti . . . It's just a joke. It's supposed to be a serious moment but they're manipulating it to be funny"

"I don't understand how it's funny, though. Her brother was killed and the policeman was making the other men in line sing a song the killer was humming. It was very unprofessional"

Chase rolled his eyes, "That's pretty much the show, Anti. They're supposed to be unprofessional. You wanna watch something else?"

He went to pick up the remote but Anti grabbed it before he could.

".  . . . . no"

Chase smirked and leaned back, enjoying the show until their pizza would arrive.

A good half hour drawled on by until there was a knock on the door.

Chase licked his lips, "Ah hell yeah. Dinner's here. Here, let me up"

He gently moved Anti's leg and went to the door.

Suddenly, though, Anti felt something strange and sat up.

His heart pounded against his chest, "CHASE, WAIT! DON'T OPEN THE DOOR!"

It was too late.

A hand reached out quickly and grabbed Chase by the throat.

"CHASE?!" Anti tried to pick himself up but it was too late.

Someone walked through the door, still gripping Chase's throat, preventing him from yelling or shouting anything.

Anti stood, albeit crookedly. He wasn't ready for this.

He was in no condition for a fight.

The man glared Anti down, " . . . . . . How pathetic" he shook his head, "I thought I got through to you before. I guess not."

"Listen, you bastard" Anti growled, "Let Chase go. He has-"

"He has EVERYTHING to do with this" he snapped back at him before he could finish, "He's the reason you're turning human" he glanced down at Anti's bandaged leg, "Too human. . . Look, I don't want to fight"

"Could've fooled me"

The man still held onto Chase's throat so he couldn't speak but not tight enough to cut off his breathing.

Chas struggled all he could but this man. . . no. . .this monster was too strong.

The entity smirked, "My name is Dark. That's what I've called myself. We've met a couple times already. You and I. . . we're the same, Anti"

"I doubt it"

Dark shook his head with a slight roll of his eyes, "We are NOT meant to be human. We're practically gods, the both of us. Why would you want to throw all of that away? To become like this. . . . thing?" he gestured to Chase.

Anti swallowed. He did think about it. But something inside of him was still screaming that he needed to be human, "Something in my head. . ..  says I need to be. Why do you want to stop me so bad? What does my choice have anything to do with you?"

"Well, I'd rather not be immortal and alone when I fix the universe, Anti" he  huffed as if it were obvious.

"Wh . . . what?"

Dark squeezed Chase's throat again and he could slowly feel himself passing out.

"LET HIM GO!" Anti shouted at him.

"Oh, just relax. I'm only knocking him out. I'm not killing the idiot, however much I want to"

Chase could feel himself fading out and everything went black.

Anti shuddered as Dark threw the human man aside on the floor.

"See?" Dark teased him, "He's still breathing." he walked a little closer to Anti. 

Anti refused to back down, though and stood his ground.

Dark stood right in front of him now and put his hand on Anti's shoulder, "Do you not feel it? Things are not how they are meant to be, Anti. I'm only trying to set the course back to how it was supposed to be. One universe. One timeline. Whatever happened to create US. . . . opened the flood gates to thousands to millions of new worlds. It's not safe. It's not right. Understand?"

Anti didn't understand fully but he somewhat got what Dark was saying, "I. . .. I still need to be human."

"Why?" Dark snorted, "You don't even know the reason! How about you just put that little voice in your head aside and just let me do what I need to do, okay? And then when it's all over, we can laugh this whole thing off and carry on with our lives!"

Anti still didn't get it, "How are you going to destroy millions of universes, though?"

Dark frowned, "Don't you worry about that. I'll take care of it" Of course he didn't trust him yet.

Anti stared him down, not giving anything away.

The look in Dark's eyes told him he was serious. He had a means of doing what he claimed.

Anti wasn't ready for a fight. He couldn't take him on today.

"  . . . . .  okay"

Dark actually looked surprised, "O-okay? Huh . . . Honestly didn't think you'd agree. I should have known though when I saw you on the news having killed a bunch of people. Perhaps there's hope for you, after all." he smiled, "Okay then. You'll leave the human. I'll retrieve you when it's time. Alright?"

Anti had to agree for now.

He nodded, "Alright . . ."

Dark squeezed Anti's shoulder a little, still holding him, "You can stay with me for now if you'd like?"

Anti quickly shook his head, "Uh . . . if you don't mind. . . . I'd rather not"

Dark nodded, "I understand." he let Anti go, "You don't trust me yet. That's fine. When this is all over, I promise, though  .. . we'll be VERY close. Perhaps even friends."

Anti didn't reply.

Dark gave a soft smile but it seemed fake.

"I'll go now. . . remember what I said.. . ." Dark walked back to the door, "If I find out that you're still living with this. . .thing. . . .. .  consider our truce void. . . . .  I'd rather not but . . .I WILL kill you if I have to, Anti"

Anti tensed but finally, Dark left and closed the door behind him.

Anti let out a breathe he hadn't realized he had been holding.

" . . . . Dammit"

Now he just had a lot more questions.

The first thing he had to do, however, was help Chase.

He ran over, limping, to the still unconscious man and shook him, "Chase?! Chase! Wake up! Hey, wake up! Chase!"

The shaking seemed to have done the trick and Chase opened his eyes.

" . .Wha. . ..  huh?"

He sat up quickly, "ANTI!?" 

Chase looked around wildly, coughing a little, "Where'd he go!? What happened?!"

Anti didn't even know where to start.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, making them both flinch.

Anti stood back up and went to it instead this time, though. Was he not supposed to even wake Chase up!?

He whipped open the door.

And he raised a brow, confused.

A man on the other side he didn't recognize was there.

"Uh . . . hey, man. I have your. . . pizza? From Freddy's Pizzaria? You good?"

Chase got to the door and carefully ushered Anti aside, "Oh uh . . yeah! Cool, thanks! I got this."

While Chase took care of the pizza man at the door, Anti walked off back into the living room, sensing there was no more danger for now.

He could hear Chase shut the door and he walked in with him, setting the box on the coffee table.

"Well uh . . . so what happened, dude?"

 .

.

.

.

"Fuck"

Anti hummed but it was apparent he felt near the same.

Chase shoved a big bite of pizza in his mouth, "So you agreed for now? I don't blame you. What were you gonna do otherwise? You had to run from the guy before, right? He's that much stronger than you?"

"Especially now with my. . . predicament"

"Yeah, sorry not sorry"

Anti picked up a slice of pizza and tried it. 

He liked pizza. More so, he liked the gooey cheese.

He felt all his problems melt away for a few moments.

Chase just smiled a little, watching Anti experience this first. It must have felt like heaven.

"Yeah, pizza's pretty dope . . . so what you gonna do now?"

Anti shrugged, "What can I do? I'll stay here for now. He must have found me when he saw me on the TV. I was careless. I won't be now. I'll just have to hide myself better and make sure he can't see or find me again"

"So you're still staying here?"

Anti sensed a little frustration from Chase and delved into his head a little.

It was a little fuzzy but he could see that Chase was afraid.

Anti frowned, "I don't understand you."

Chase raised a brow, "What do you mean? Anti, no, I didn't mean it like that. I-"

"You're afraid of me staying here. You don't want Dark to kill you. And yet. . . you still want to die."

Chase sighed, "I'm not afraid of Dark killing me, Anti. . . . I'm afraid of him killing you"

Anti scrunched his face a little. Now he was even MORE confused, "I don't understand. You barely know me"

"Yeah but. . . . It's complicated, alright? I don't know how to explain it, man." Chase shrugged, licking the grease from the pizza off his lips, "I miss having someone around. To talk to"

Anti supposed he understood that, "Oh  . . . okay"

Chase smiled a little, finding the humor in Anti's awkwardness. 

Anti took another slice of pizza. . . and another. . . and another.

Until he was in a food coma and laid on the couch, perfectly content.

Chase sat with him again with Anti's legs over his lap, watching TV again.

Chase was still worried about if Dark would come back but for now he tried to be positive.

'I wonder if that lame hero guy or the wizard would be able to take him on? Then again, what if they're all dead? How else is that Dark guy still alive?'

Glancing back over at Anti, he noticed his eyes were closed.

'Huh. . . I thought he said he didn't sleep?'

Then he put it together, 'More human. . . . . that's how, I guess. I wonder how he'll feel about it when he wakes up?'

There were images flashing before his eyes.

Images he didn't understand or remember what they were.

He saw Dark's face.

A strange machine.

A crystal in the forest, shining ominously.

He saw himself being sucked into a wormhole, fear coursing through him.

He screamed and cried out. He was being torn apart.

But no one was there to save him.

The crystal was there again in his head.

It shined so bright.

You could feel something like a pulse coming from it.

Anti gasped and opened his eyes.

Easter egg: Can anyone guess what TV show Anti and Chase were watching? :)