The next day, Anti's gunshot wound was only a scar. He felt all better besides being really tired but he couldn't tell if that was from the gunshot or watching to make sure his brothers didn't burn down his apartment.

With most of them there, it was . . . chaotic to say the least.

The house in Sean's head was capable of holding in their unruly arguments when they'd happen. Anti, having never seen a familial fight, was rather concerned when one happened.

It all started when Henrik tried to make himself some breakfast but he was still so tired from sleeping on the couch. Anti had offered up his bed to his guests but they all refused, saying he needed it more. Anyway, Henrik was cooking bacon and eggs.

And yet . . . they ALL knew he couldn't make anything but coffee. But Henrik tried nonetheless.

The smoke alarm woke them all up and Jackie came to the rescue with the fire extinguisher. The sprinklers went off but Marvin luckily had been able to stop them. However, he also tried to put a spell on the bacon to get the flames to stop but ended up making them bigger instead.

A slip of the tongue.

Jameson was panicking and holding onto the Sam plushie to cope, all the while thinking he probably wouldn't be using the oven today.

Anti watched all of this go down before his eyes. All the while, they all bickered and argued amongst themselves, yelling and screaming. It was a sight to be seen.

Finally, though, Jackie put the fire out and Jameson opened the windows to air out the apartment.

They all snapped at each other here and there and Anti was just . .  worried about it.

"Um . . . . E-everything okay? There was no need to get so angry"

Marvin tilted his head at him, "What you talking about?"

"Yeah" Jackie chuckled, "That was nothing, Anti. Sorry about the mess"

"But . . ." Anti didn't get it, "You all were yelling at each other and arguing."

Henrik snorted, "And?"

Marvin got it, though, "OOooooohh" he snickered a little, "Anti, we're not REALLY mad at each other. That stuff just happens is all. Just a normal bickering"

Jameson gave Anti his plushie back, 'Everything's fine! It's normal'

"Huh" Anti thought about it, "I guess . . . I guess I've just never seen a family fight before. It's weird. I don't like it"

"Well get used to it!" Marvin shoved him, "Soon enough you'll be bickering with your new girlfriend!. . .  Or boyfriend!"

"Marv!"

Henrik and Jameson froze and the doctor stared between them all, "Vhat?"

"No-" Anti tried to stop them but Jackie chuckled, ready to tease him.

"Anti's got some crushes! Who were they again? That girl who works at the general store and then that guy you watch at the furniture store?"

Anti blushed, "Jackie! You make it sound like I'm a stalker! Quit it!"

"Haven't you been stalking US, too, though?" Marvin teased him even more.

"Guh! Hey, that's not fair!" Anti whined, "I-"

"You STILL haven't texted that girl, even, have you?" Marvin chastised him, "Well, she DEFINETLY thinks you're gay, now. Might as well move on to the hunky stalker"

Anti gave up, choosing to bury his face in the Sam plushie while Jameson pat his back comfortingly.

"Why don't we just go there now?" Jackie brought up.

Anti flipped him off.

"No, I'm serious! I mean . .you've never had the time, you said, to go date because you were always trying to help us. Well how about now?"

Marvin gasped loudly, "YES! LET'S GO!"

"NO!" Anti yelped, "That's so embarrassing! No!"

"Fine. . . ." Jackie bounced on his feet a little, "What was your favorite ice cream again?"

"The Cookie Cobblestone one. Why?"

The hero just smiled, "Come on. Let's go get some"

Anti didn't understand but shrugged, "Okay, I guess"

Henrik didn't seem as enthused, "But vhat if he run into Sean or Chase while we are out?"

Marvin rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, doc. They're most likely trying to figure out how to keep us locked up. I doubt they're out on a search. It won't do them any good"

'I agree' Jameson nodded, 'We should go out for ice cream'

"Of course you'd say that" Henrik rolled his eyes, "But fine. Let us go"

When they got outside walking, Marvin was less enthused, "I could have just teleported us there. These heels weren't made for walking"

"Well maybe you could change it up to flats instead" Anti suggested.

The magician shrugged, "Eh. Not my style. I need people to hear me when I'm coming. To dread my upcoming presence" he winked.

"Anti!" Henrik interupted Marvin and Anti's conversation, "I have a question for you"

"Shoot" it wasn't he best choice of words after what happened to him recently but Henrik just rolled his eyes.

"Do you like to dissect things?"

"Uh"

"Because I am certain you'd like it. I've dissected MANY things. Frogs, sheep brain, squirrel, rat, fish, cow eye-"

The horror on Anti's face was evident but Henrik was never able to quite pick up on other's emotions so Jackie had to intervene, "What he MEANS is . . . ehehe. . .. do you like science?"

Anti blinked and gulped, "Uh . . .yeah, sure"

"So you like studying organs, too!" Henrik shouted, "I have many in zhe basement. Many jars full"

"Uh"

Jackie whispered to him, "Just go with it. We know it's weird"

" . . ..cool?" was all Anti could say. He liked Henrik. He really did but the doctor had a morbid sense of humor and dark outlook on things. His fascination with dead animals and organs was one of the things they would not have in common but that was okay. They could find other things.

Jameson hopped up to his other side, 'Do you like Halloween?'

Now THIS was his sort of conversation, "Yeah! I love it! The costumes, the candy, the parties-"

"The gore?" Henrik asked.

"Uh . . no" Anti said awkwardly, "Mostly the candy."

'Oh yes!' Jameson looked excited, 'You're birthday is that month as well! It'll be coming up in a few months, won't it?'

Anti blinked, "Hm. I guess"

They suddenly ALL stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned to Anti.

Marvin scoffed, "You GUESS? What kind of answer is that?"

"I mean . . . I've never actually . . celebrated my birthday" Anti shrugged, "Back a couple years, Sean used to use my re-birthing day as some sort of premiere for the Halloween shit on his channel and make me hurt you all or do stupid glitching things . . .. I don't really have any happy memories of my birthday"

"Whoa, whoa, wait" Jackie stopped him, "Re-birthing day? The hell is that?"

Anti shook his head, "It's not important right now. But if you must know, Sean changed me. He re-created me October 10, 2016 but my real birthday is August 8 a few years before that. I guess. It's not who I am anymore, though so it doesn't matter. That version of me is dead."

"What the fuck" Marvin spat out, "Why would he re-create you?"

"I just . . . I wasn't the ego he wanted me to be. He had just been playing around back then. He changed me fully into what he wanted that premiering day. Having kept me away from most of you who he had created a few months before the rebirthing. I understood his whole plan after the fact. . . . I just wanted a family. And he took everything away from me. Even who I was as a person"

They all were silent. They didn't expect this sort of thing, actually. They knew Anti had it rough but it was THIS bad?

'How about we create our OWN birthday memories!' Jameson shook Anti's arm, 'That way, you won't feel as sad on your birthday.'

"Yeah." Jackie agreed, "Good idea, James. And how about we change your birthday, then, hm? How about we keep it at August 8?"

The others nodded but Anti didn't agree.

"No. It's fine. October 10 is ME now. I've made it mean something other than what Sean wants it to be. I'll stick with it"

"But" Henrik stepped in, "Ve can still do a little something. We've never celebrated with you before. We should do something today just in case!"

"Yeah!" Marvin grinned, "And oh look! Speaking of making happy memories! Look where we just walked up to!"

They all looked around and Anti paled.

It was the general store.

"Oh no"

"Oh YES!" Marvin dragged him inside, "Let's kick this fake birthday bash off RIGHT!"

Anti had never been more embarrassed in his life.

But also . . . it was nice.

The cashier girl was surprised to see Anti but also shocked to see so many others that looked similar to him.

Jameson went to go get the ice cream and Marvin, Jackie and Henrik pushed Anti into talking with the girl.

Anti couldn't stop blushing but finally found out her name.

Marvin was very upset with him that he didn't know it before.

Gabriella. Anti swooned but he was sure it was because his blood pressure was sky-rocketing.

Marvin just had to tease him that her name sounded oddly similar to Evelien's nickname but made SURE Anti asked her out on a date before they left.

They'd go out next week to the movies.

When they finished paying for their ice cream and other treats, they all left the store and teased Anti on his blushing but also congratulated him on finally doing what he wanted for so long.

He had finally stopped being a coward for that moment!

Jackie was the most proud out of all of them and ruffled his hair affectionately, "She's cute. And she seems into you. I think you two would make a good couple"

"AND!" Marvin butt in, "If things DON'T work out, ya still got a back-up at the furniture store!"

"Shut up, Marv" Anti just laughed, eating his ice cream.

Henrik and Jameson thought it was quite the show, really. They had never seen Anti so flustered and happy but it was nice.

This was all nice.

They went to the mall next. Why stop the fun with ice cream?

Like Sean had said before, let them have their fun for now . . . . . . . .

When finished at the mall, they finally went back to Anti's apartment. They had a little money on them so of course, they spent it on Anti. They all felt like they had to make up his birthdays for him and got him all sorts of small little gifts or trinkets.

Jackie got him some dumbbells' so he could start working out more. Marvin got him a kid's magic trick set. It was sort of a joke but Anti loved it nonetheless and told Marvin he'd have to teach him some tricks.

Henrik got him a Starbucks gift card and really, he might have been the most excited with it than anything. And last but not least Jameson got him a cute little black bowtie that he could wear on his date next week.

The day had been great. Nobody telling them what to do or how long they could be out.

Nobody forcing them to leave where they were, telling them lies about people.

Nobody controlling them.

Anti hadn't stopped smiling. He was the happiest he had been in years and no one could make it a bad day now.

When they reached his apartment again, it had started to sprinkle outside. They hurriedly ran upstairs to his apartment, laughing and teasing each other.

"That was great" Anti grinned, "I don't remember ever having that much fun"

"Me neither" Jackie confessed, "I don't think any of us have had that much excitement in a while. Happy excitement, that is"

Henrik nodded, "Tis been a while since I've been . . . . happy. I cannot wait to be free and have this feeling forever"

'Me too' Jameson sighed.

Marvin giggled and sighed, "Us either . . . . hey, I just thought of something! I don't know why I didn't ask sooner!"

They all gave him their full attention.

The magician bit his lip, "Well . . . you said before, Anti, that you wanted to free us all when we ALL knew and were on your side. Well . . . we're on your side now! You can show us how to free ourselves now!"

"Hey, that's right! It's finally time, Anti!" Jackie actually looked excited now and Henrik and Jameson's eyes lit up at the mention of it.

But Anti . . . . he didn't look happy at all. Just . . worried.

"But . . . what about Chase?" he hadn't thought about him all day, he felt kind of bad for it but he was also trying to repress his memory of being shot by him . . .

"Fuck Chase!" Marvin spat, "He tried to fucking KILL you, Anti! He's NEVER gonna change sides. He'll be Sean's loyal little doppelganger forever"

Jackie saw Anti's expression at Marvin's words and tried to be a little nicer about it even if he was even angrier than Marv about it all, "Anti . . . ..I'm sorry but . . . . Marvin's right. Chase will never join us. He'll always think you're controlling us like puppets. He'll always think Sean is the embodiment of good and that he can do no wrong. While YOU . . . . are evil and use any opportunity you can to destroy us. That's just how he thinks, Anti."

Henrik sipped on some coffee he had brewed a moment ago and sighed in his cup, "Zhis is true. . . . . Chase's erratic emotions have made him . . . impulsive, lately. Combined vith shooting Anti and drinking more and more . . . he's too far gone to convince otherwise"

Anti looked over to Jameson, expecting to hear the same thing from him. The mute just sighed, though, choosing not to say anything. He didn't want to get involved in this part.

'But I thought I could convince him at the bar .   . .  I know we were both drunk but . . . I could feel a different side of him. Some part of him . . willing to listen.'

He remembered how painful it was to be brought back to life twice. His own brother having killed him, 'Then again . . . maybe they're right. Maybe he IS too far gone. If he really believes I killed his family and that I'm evil and now took his brothers from  him . . . .'

Anti swallowed and took a deep breathe, "Okay . . . . . but it's gonna be difficult. It might take a little bit longer after . . well, you guys know . . . having been so near death"

"Understandable" Jackie nodded, "It doesn't look like Sean's gonna reel us in right away anyway now. Perhaps he's tired, too, from something."

"Or preparing for something" Marvin noted, "Either way, we're not gonna have as much time as we all think. Anti, whatever we have to do, you should tell us as soon as possible."

The glitch nodded, "You're right . . . .it's time"

Suddenly the rain grew heavier outside and Anti flinched as some light thunder rolled by.

"I mean . . . after the storm, that is"

Sean tapped his foot vigorously on the floor. He was worried. Genuinely, he was worried about his egos.

'I know that outburst was too much, earlier. I shouldn't have said all that to Chase' it was stupid of him to have done so.

Sean wiped away some tears, 'But he doesn't understand. None of them really do. What Anti's capable of. I CREATED him to be evil. That's what he is. Why don't they trust me anymore on that?'

He groaned, 'Anti's a damn good manipulator but seriously? This is all just too much. It's not right. They'll see eventually for themselves but I can't wait until then. I need to save them as soon as possible.'

He was very close to being able to do it. He could feel it. The feeling deep inside of him getting stronger and stronger. He had to make himself stronger than Anti. Jackie may be physically stronger than Anti but not metaphysically. Meanwhile, Marvin was stronger metaphysically but they were both on Anti's side at the moment. Anti had the perfect gang to come destroy Sean with if he wanted.

'I won't let him have that chance. I'll just have to . . .do something he won't be expecting. Reset the playing field and even us out more.'

Sean knew Chase was in the kitchen at the moment with Evelien making dinner. He could hear their voices. BB's meowing. The soft sound of rain outside clinging on the window.

'I'm the worst creator ever. . . . maybe. I guess Mark DID lose all of HIS egos by Dark.'

He thought about all his egos and how he failed them, 'I can't let Anti do the same. They don't realize what's happening. I have to save them and at least I know Chase will help me . . .maybe. He DID look kind of freaked out before'

The soft sound of thunder rolled in the air and suddenly Sean's breath hitched.

'A storm . . . . this . . no way! This is perfect!'

Sean smiled and bolted out of his chair out to Evelien and Chase.

He knew exactly what he had to do but they had to do it NOW!

Jackie sighed, listening to the thunder, "Why after the storm? Is it something to do with timing or whatever?"

"Or is it that the storm messes with your glitching?" Marvin guessed.

Anti shrugged, "Well . . I guess it's a little more stupid than that" he scratched at the back of his head, "Ridiculous, really. This is the most inconvenient thing that can happen"

"Vhy?" Henrik asked, "Are you vulnerable during storms because if that's the case, we could have killed you a LONG time ago!"

'It's always raining around here' Jameson nodded, 'Been nice out for a while but you're right. It IS inconvenient at the moment. Whatever reason it is'

Anti nodded, "Well you see . . . here's how it is. Sean and I still have a small link to one another but you all have full blown chains. To set you guys free, we have to be in Sean's head but from there, you have to break yourselves out. There's a passage inside the house that will help you but you have to ultimately get yourself out by wanting it."

"O-okay" Jackie narrowed his eyes, "I think we're all following. What seems to be the big problem, then? What about the storm?"

"Storms run a sort of interference in the air, metaphysically. On a sunny day even with my minimal link with Sean, I might just barely be able to slip in with you all to help you. However, with the storm projecting interference in the air . . .it will completely stop me from doing so. If I tell you all how to escape Sean, you'll have to all do it yourselves without my help."

"A-alright" Marvin nodded, "We could TRY it"

"Marv" Anti stopped him, "I was barely able to escape by myself. Afterwards, I got ill and was just fooking exhausted. I'm worried about what might happen to you all if you do it alone or at all right now. It'll be even harder since Sean KNOWS you all are gone. He'll know when you return, too, and will make it more difficult to break away."

"How do we escape, Anti? Let's just start there and figure out the rest after" Jackie told him, "Don't worry so much. Because whatever happens, we'll be ready. You know why?"

Anti rolled his eyes but went along with it, "Why?"

"Because we'll do it together."

It was cheesy but touched Anti. Then again, he always loved a good cheesy story.

Marvin continued, "Sean can try all he wants but he can't control us completely. Even if he spots us and tries to convince us otherwise, it won't stop us from fighting"

Henrik nodded, "It'll be a tad harder for Jameson and I but we WILL fight. Correct?"

Jameson nodded, 'It's high time we had our OWN experiences and lives.'

Anti loved what he was hearing.

This was all he wanted. Everything he ever wanted. His brothers like this ready to fight with him.

"You see, Anti?" Jackie grinned, "We'll all be alr-"

Anti suddenly felt like a vacuum had disturbed the air around him. Like something valuable was taken. He blinked hard but when he opened his eyes, he panicked.

It was too late.

'No' Anti started to hyperventilate.

When he had opened his eyes again, his entire body deflated, 'That bastard'

Before he could tell his brothers the big secret to freeing themselves, something miraculous happened to take away all his hopes and dreams.

'He did it' Anti thought to himself, 'The bastard actually took them by force. . .  . '

In a blink of an eye, they had vanished without a trace.

But Anti knew where they all where.

Anti gulped, feeling his cowardice come to haunt him.

'He . .  Sean, he . . . . no'

Anti snarled and stood up, dropping his Septiceye Sam plushie on the floor.

'This time is different. It's not just me whose life is on the line. It's my family's.'

Anti listened carefully as the storm faded away.

'And I won't let the same thing happen to them like it did me. I have to stop being a coward. I know where they are.'

He remembered just how much stronger Sean was compared to him and how he had Chase on his side as well.

'You better be ready for me, Sean. Because this time, I'm not running away'