Sean hadn't uploaded any videos for a while now. 

Not since he let his egos go with Anti.

He hadn't even been on any social media to tell his fandom he wasn't going to be uploading anything for a while. 

He was just . . . . burnt out. 

That's what Evelien called it. Then again, she didn't know of the huge fiasco he had with his egos and he really didn't want to tell her.

He knew she'd just say something like, 'How could you have done that?' or 'That's what you get'

He didn't think she'd ACTUALLY say that to him so point blank but she wouldn't sugar coat it either. The jest- she'd be disappointed in him and that wasn't something he could handle right now.

Felix had been trying to message him but he just didn't feel like it.

Even Mark couldn't get ahold of him which was surprising since Mark was usually the one to never stay in touch with anyone anyway.

People were worried about him. But like hell he'd make them see he was hurting. He had done wrong and he deserved to suffer for what he did.

Sean's eyes wandered around his room. He had locked himself up in his office and laid on the couch on the other side of the room. He stared over at the small towering shelves of memorabilia and he couldn't help but feel sick to his stomach every time he saw the Septiceye Sam plushie and figurines.

Ever since that big fight, he had the sudden realization of what he had done. All this time, he thought he really had changed Sam into a monster. So much that he had a different name and shape. He never would have thought the real Sam was still in there. He had been too blind to see it. 

All this time instead, though . . . HE was the monster. Forcing his beliefs on Anti and the others. But it wasn't just that he didn't know.

It was the fact that he had changed Sam without his permission. Made him into the 'monster'. Made his brothers hate him.

It was Sean's strong belief that he'd never be forgiven.

But he was okay with that. He deserve to be.

'I'm such a fuck-up of a person. So fucking stupid' those thoughts rang in his mind on loop.

He had always been down in the dumps but he hadn't felt like THIS since his failing relationship with Signe.

He wanted to end it all but he also had no idea how it'd effect the egos. He didn't want to hurt them anymore than he already had. And Evelien. . .  although he was sure she could find someone way better than him, he knew she'd be heartbroken and he didn't want that. And his mother and siblings . . ..  he never really had a great relationship but all of them . .  but he didn't want to leave them just yet. And BB. Sean loved that cat so much and he knew he'd be depressed if Sean just up and killed himself.

What would his father think? 

'He'd probably scold me like the devil in hell where I belong. Looking down on me with disappointment. I wonder, would that be my hell loop?'

Sean shook his head, 'I need to stop thinking about stuff like that . . . .I should . . really do something productive or whatever'

But he just couldn't bring himself to even move.

And then just a few minutes later, there was a knock on his door.

"Sean? Sean, Evelien told me you're in there taking a nap or whatever."

Sean thought he was probably dreaming. There's no way.

"Sean, please, you need to wake up. Open the door. I need to talk to you"

Sean swallowed but slowly sat himself up, his brow furrowed. He had no idea what they wanted from him. They really should just leave him alone to rot in there.

But his body moved on its own and went to answer the door.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Anti didn't feel so good.

A week or so after everyone met up at the furniture store, Henrik moved in with Dr. Iplier to be closer to his practice. The Iplier doctor had graciously accepted Henrik's proposition of helping with his patients and the German Septic was well on his way to becoming a true doctor.

Jameson had moved out to go live with Chase downtown in his apartment to be his cameraman for Chase's vlogs. It wasn't much but Chase paid him some from his own paycheck and the two had hopes of going big on social media.

Marvin had easily moved out of Anti's apartment but somehow 'acquired' a house on the other side of town and he was setting up to do magic shows in the fall.

Now this just left Jackie living with Anti and since he DID live with Anti still, he started to notice more and more how tired and sick the glitch was.

For instance, he stopped glitching. Jackie had once mentioned how silly Anti was for glitching back and forth on the other ends of his apartment for ludicrous things but now he stopped completely which concerned the hero.

He sniffled and his throat bled pretty often lately but whenever Jackie mentioned, it, Anti waved it off as nothing. It was just a cold. He'd get over it.

'But I don't think it's a cold'

He tried talking to Henrik about it but after telling him his symptoms, the doctor thought it just sounded like a cold, too. But Jackie KNEW something was up and he wasn't gonna let it go until he was better.

Anti would lose his balance and go to sleep more often. He had grown bags under his eyes and just seem so . . . depressed. But that couldn't be right. His dream had come true, right? What did he have to be depressed about?

He couldn't remember Anti ever talking about anything that ever bothered him that would drive him to this.

He just looked downright ill and he didn't want to even go anywhere anymore.

Something was wrong and Jackie would figure it out if it was the last thing he did.

One morning, Jackie had made coffee and prepared Anti's favorite breakfast. Breakfast pizza. 

That was a lie. He didn't make it at all. He just ordered it.

But he knew Anti loved it and that's why he got it for him.

That and his birthday was coming up soon. His TRUE birthday on August 13th. It was just a week away and him and the others had spoken here and there about what they'd do for him. They knew he'd love it but first, he needed to know what was WRONG with Anti lately.

The pizza was on the counter ready to eat but still Anti hadn't gotten up out of bed.

'I guess I'll just have to get him up myself' Jackie snickered mischievously.

Ever since he was freed, it was more known that Jackie loved to prank his brothers. Now that he didn't have to constantly be looking for or attacking Anti, he had plenty of time on his hands with no clue what to do with his new future. Which meant pulling gags and pranks on his brothers with and against Marvin.

They  all thought it was funny at first but soon found out just how much Jackie LOVED pranks and messing with them all. Especially Anti. Finding he was Anti's little brother, he thought he had some things to make up for by being as annoying as possible sometimes.

He knew Anti thought it was funny, too, though and the others never tried to stop him. They were all having fun together and that was all that mattered.

Jackie snuck into Anti's room, peering in.

The room dark with the black-out curtains but he could see Anti's sleeping form, his body rising and falling with his breathing.

In his hand, he had a plate of some slices of pizza. He wasn't going to do a bad prank on him. He knew Anti hadn't been feeling well lately so he'd go easy on him.

But the closer he got to Anti . . .  the more he noticed something.

Anti looked . . .even worse today.

Sickly pale, his neck oozing out blood on the sheets. And his breathing was ragged. Struggling. But strangely very soft almost as if  . . . . faint.

Forgetting about his prank, Anti set the pizza down on Anti's bedside table and shook his brother lightly.

"Hey . ..  Anti? You okay, bro?"

Nothing.

Now Jackie was getting worried. It was like that day Anti was shot all over again.

"Anti" he shook him more firmly but still got no response.

Jackie could feel his anxiety heightening and moved Anti onto his back and shook his again, patting his arms and legs and cheeks to try and get some response, "Anti? Anti, wake up! Anti!"

Finally, he whined a little but that didn't make Jackie feel any better, "Anti, come on. Wake up! Don't do this to me again!"

Anti cracked open his eyes, feeling the other's distress but he was just so . . . tired, "J-jackie?"

Jackie sighed but they weren't out of the woods just yet, "There you are. Look, you just rest a bit but I'm gonna call Henrik to come take a look at you, alright? Something's not right"

Anti shook his head a bit deliriously, "Mm- fine. Just  . .  tired"

"You're not FINE, Anti! Sit up. I'm gonna get you some water and call Henrik"

Anti grumbled but did as he was told.

He sat up but he just felt so weak, 'What's . .  going on with me? Am I   ..  sick?'

But deep inside, he knew it was deeper than that. What he felt before a couple weeks ago . . the depression and weakness. 

No.

This was something bigger.

It wasn't long until Henrik arrived, having received Jackie's anxious call. 

But then he had to call Iplier and bring him back with him. Jackie was right.

Something wasn't right with Anti.

He wasn't sick. It was just exhaustion. But worse.

If they didn't do something quick, Anti might not wake up again.

Not knowing what else to do, Henrik and Jackie both started calling the others and of course they all got there as fast as possible.

The surrounded Anti's bed, watching him as he slept, struggling to take breathes and stay alive.

Chase shook his head, "Did that punk Zane maybe poison him?"

Henrik shook his head, "No. Nothing like zhat. Iplier and I looked over his blood tests intently. It's just heavy exhaustion"

Dr. Iplier nodded beside Henrik, "He's dying"

Henrik swat him over the head, "Shut it. This is no time for words like zhat"

"What do we do?" Jackie didn't know what else there was they COULD do, "He's not getting better and he never said anything before about him feeling bad."

"I even tried making him drink a potion to restore his health and stamina but nothing worked. Whatever this is goes beyond my magic being able to help" Marvin clarified, "This isn't natural, whatever this this"

Jameson clapped his hands to get their attention, 'Could it perhaps be something to do with Sean?'

"Sean?" Chase asked, "Nah, I don't think he'd do anything like this. Don't think he CAN now, anyway even if he wanted to. We broke away from him completely. All of us. We all saw it in the rift"

Marvin nodded, "Yeah but maybe Anti's not completely free from him. Remember that day at the park when Sean was able to control him and make him nearly go ape-shit? It took all Anti had to get out of there"

"I do not know" Henrik shrugged, "Vould Sean really do something like this on purpose?"

They all went silent.

Really, none of them knew the answer to that.

Chase was deep in thought, though.

If it really did have anything to do with Sean then they needed to find out now.

"We need to figure this out." he nodded, "If it IS Sean, then we need to take care of it. Anti would do the same for us"

"Chase? What are you talking about?" Jackie asked him but he had a clue and snorted, "You're not actually thinking of going to see him, are you?"

"What?" Marvin scowled, "And risk him chaining you again? No, I think there are better ways, man"

Chase wasn't so sure. He took a deep breathe while his brothers argued about what was best to do.

'I really don't think there IS a better way. Sure, I'm just as pissed as anyone else with Sean right now but I like to think I know him better than  any of them. He's been depressed lately. Hasn't uploaded any videos. . . . . And Anti . . .he's been down in the dumps lately, too. If I had to guess. .  . I'd say they're both still linked somehow and it's taking a toll on Anti'

"I'll be right back" 

Chase turned to leave but Jackie suddenly stood in his way, "Hold on a second. Tell me you're not planning on bringing Sean here?" there was red in Jackie's eyes and honestly, Chase was afraid for a moment.

But he stood his ground.

"Jackie . . . . I'm going to go talk to him. I want to figure out what is wrong with Anti just as much as any of you. I do . . care for him now. You know that, right? Just as much as I do any of you?"

It didn't look like Jackie quite believed him and Chase sighed, "The other day . . . ." he smiled slightly, "Anti drank together at the bar again. We laughed and joked. . . . . it was really nice. He talked about things  . . . how they used to be with Sean. He sounded like he used to be so happy back then. And then when Sean created us, he was so happy to meet us. So excited to get to know us . . . . . and Sean took that and his whole being away from him. . . . . "

He stopped to let that all sink in.

Everyone suddenly realized what Chase might mean.

Chase nodded, "I really do believe this is Sean but he might not be doing it on purpose. Now I'm gonna go talk to him. He might reset or chain me again but that's the risk I'm willing to take so Anti can finally be happy again. . . .like he's made us"

They didn't want to let Chase go . . . .

But they couldn't stop him, either.

Anti's small whining in the bed worried them all. Seeing him so small and frail like this, struggling with his life, barely able to even think. Sweating and bleeding and growing weak.

They all agreed.

Chase's plan was all they had and they hoped they could count on him this time.

Because now after everything Anti's done for them . . . 

It was their turn to help HIM.