Remember as I've said in announcements and in my Discord, if you haven't re-read the last chap, 'Is it Time?', then I urge you to do so. I've added 1,500 more words on content in the middle of the chap and it is very important! Once you're finished, you can come back to this chap :) 

The reason I changed the last chap was because when I had uploaded it the first time, it was very late at night and I had been falling asleep. I forgot that I wanted more to it but I was so tired, my sleep-head didn't care lol Anyways! It's all fixed now! Hope you enjoy!

They all stood calmly in front of him.

It wasn't as if he'd kill them.

He was smiling, even, as if he had just saved them all from certain death.

"Guys? Heh . .. . what's wrong?" Sean hoped they'd be grateful for him using so much energy to save them. Apparently not.

They were in the Septic house living room and of course Chase was at Sean's side crossing his arms. He looked so disappointed in all of them. Or was it . .. something else? Maybe even something HE couldn't understand yet.

"What happened, dudes?" Chase scoffed at them, "One minute, we're all on the same side and then the next, you're all on Anti's like a bunch of fucking puppets!"

Jackie glared at him. If looks could kill, "You shot him"

"You're damn right I did! He deserved it! And he would have died if you idiots hadn't-"

"That's enough" Sean stopped him, "Chase, we've talked about this. I don't WANT Anti dead"

"You don't?" Marvin and the others shared confused looks, "Then . . . what DO you want? . . .  Anti died TWICE in our arms yesterday! It took EVERYTHING we had to save him and we'd do it all again! Believe it or not, we all fucking care about him! He's NOT the person you've made him out to be this entire time!"

Sean scoffed, "You don't get it. He's manipulating you! He KNEW you'd save him! He's . ." he grasped for straws to try and explain it, "It's just all part of his plan! He's toying with you all! He's not the good guy in all of this"

"And you are?" Jackie stepped towards him, "You were the one that controlled him that day at the park . . Anti wanted to run, not fight. He was scared and helpless and YOU puppetted HIM! Every encounter we've ever had with him, you FORCED it on him!"

Sean shook his head, "I'm the one that CREATED him, Jackie! For fucks sake, I know who and what he is! I made him!"

'He's been nothing but kind and sweet since we've known him' Jameson signed, 'TRULY known him'

"I believe in Anti" Henrik agreed, "I know he's not faking. But zhen again, I know you aren't, either. You truly believe Anti's evil"

"He's not" Jackie told Sean and looked over to Chase, "You remember at the bar, Chase . . .  I saw you two. I'm the one that got him out. You two drank together . . . .  he never hurt you. He probably . . in his drunk state, even TOLD you things.. . . . the truth"

Chase smirked and shook his head, "I don't believe any of it and neither should you. I refuse to get caught in his web again. He killed my family"

"No, he didn't and deep down you know that"

"Alright, enough!" Sean stopped them, "Look, you wanted to know why I don't want Anti dead, I'll tell you. He's a key part in the videos and I can't just lose him" he swallowed, as if thinking deeply about something in the past, "You guys just don't understand"

"It's always all about the videos" Marvin scoffed, "ALWAYS! Who the fuck cares anymore!? We don't care about your videos anymore, Sean! We don't care! We want nothing to do with them anymore!"

That stung and Sean took a step back, "Wh-what? M-Marv, ya can't mean that"

"The videos have been our whole existence" Chase didn't get it at all, "It's what we ARE. You can't just-"

They all stared Sean and Chase down. They all went silent.

Sean knew then and nodded.

"He's told you more lies, has he? About how to FREE yourselves? Really? You realize how stupid that sounds? You're not  . . .chained here, guys. You can do what you want! I always let you all do what you want!"

"I vant to be a real doctor outside of your head" Henrik told him, "Vould you let that happen?"

"Well no . . . " Sean scoffed, "You're not really a real doctor, Hen. You can't-"

'I want to be on the outside world and start up a little tea shop' Jameson signed to him.

Sean shook his head, "You guys can't have jobs on the outside! It's not safe! Don't you get it!? I'm trying to protect you!"

Marvin snapped and took off his mask and threw it on the floor, breaking it, "WE DON'T NEED YOUR FUCKING PROTECTION!"

Jackie put a hand on Marvin's shoulder but addressed Sean, too, "And we don't want it . . . . . not if this is how we'll feel. No matter how you say it, Sean, we're YOUR prisoners and we're tired of it. We don't want to do your videos anymore. We want to live our own lives"

Chase couldn't believe it.

He didn't understand.

Was this really them talking? It didn't seem like it.

Sean trembled. He didn't trust that this was really their own feelings. It couldn't be. 

"Th-this is all Anti . . . . all his fault" Sean grit his teeth, "I. . . I didn't want to have to do this"

"Sean, no" Jackie tried, "That's not what-"

Chase stared at Sean, though, not understanding the last part, "Sean? What are you talking about? Do what?"

"I can't believe it's come to this. I have to do it. I have to. To get him out of your head." he nodded to himself, "I have to do this. I have to reset you all"

They all stood in a stunned silence.

Jackie glanced in Marvin's direction but the magician shook his head, equally as frightened by what Sean could mean. Marvin couldn't stop him.

Tears streamed down Sean's face, "I have to reset you all . . . .  take away your latest memories. I don't know how far back I have to go but I'll try and not go too far. You have to see that this is the only way. I can't let Anti corrupt you all! This isn't who you  all are! You don't understand any of it!"

"Yes we do!" Henrik argued, "YOU'RE the one who doesn't understand! Just LISTEN to us!"

Chase was mildly concerned for himself. It sounded like Sean had done this before.  . . .

Sean held his hand out towards them, "It won't hurt. I promise. Can't you all see, I'm trying to save you? This is for the best." he nodded, trying to convince himself, "This is for the best"

Marvin stood between Sean and Chase and the others, "SEAN, WAIT! PLEASE!"

But just as Sean was about to do something he'd regret, a loud crash echoed from the basement like something falling over.

A voice from the basement  shouted, "Ah! Fuck! Dammit!"

Another crash, "Shite!"

Jackie shared a look with Henrik as it was down in his clinic but the doctor just shrugged in response.

They heard footsteps running up the stairs along with this person tripping at one point, continuing to curse.

And finally, they opened the door, breathing heavily.

Jackie grinned wide seeing who it was and so did Marvin, Henrik and Jameson.

"ANTI!"

They all went to run to him and Anti grinned back only for something terrifying to happen.

In mid run, they all froze.

Sean halted them.

Anti looked up and stared back at Sean.

They were silent for a while.

It had been a long time since they both were face to face with each other like this.

Anti stood up fully, still breathing labored, "Let them go, Sean"

His creator glared at him hard as if he was so disappointed and angry with him. This was all his fault.

"No. . . . you'll just use them yourself and turn them against me. I won't let you take them from me. You're a monster"

Anti flinched but shook his head, "No, I'm not . . . . you don't control who I am anymore. . . . .  I know we've never talked about this before. You show up or Jackie and Marvin does and I ran. Afraid. I just wanted them safe. Away from YOU"

Sean huffed, "They're safe WITH me. Unlike you. You're just a evil manipulator. You want to kill me! All of us and you'll do anything to make that happen! Even act as an innocent little brat to get them to be on your side! I won't fall for it and I won't let them fall for it ever again!"

Chase watched their argument with fascination. He trembled with adrenaline. What would happen now?

"You leave them alone! I'm not running anymore, Sean! I'm tired of this shit! Of you playing god! And so are they! I never put anything in their heads, I just told them they could be free of you! I showed them what COULD be. What THEY could be. Free from your chains if they made the decision themselves. Like they should be able to."

"Shut up! Just shut up! Don't make me have Chase shoot you again!"

Chase grabbed his gun and held it up at Anti.

But the funny thing was . . . .  it wasn't him telling his body to do that.

It was Sean.

Anti looked terrified for a moment and froze at the sight of the gun but he carried on bravely, "I'm not afraid anymore. Not of you or Chase . . . . . I'll fight for my brothers no matter what the cost! Because that's what they deserve!"

Chase blinked. He wasn't sure he heard right, 'He's . . .  afraid of me? But. . but how is that? That doesn't make sense'

"Shut up!" Sean yelled at him, "Just shut up! Shut up! I created you to be this way! To get into people's heads! I regret it, too! I do! But enough is enough! You're lucky I still need you for my videos!"

"FUCK YOUR VIDEOS! You and I both know why you won't kill me!" Anti screamed back, "I am my own fucking person! You know that! You just don't want to fucking admit it! And now you wanna control the others JUST LIKE YOU DID ME!"

Sean stopped listening but in his panic, he let go of his hold on the others and they broke out of being frozen.

Jackie was the first to run over to Anti in front of him and Marvin followed with Henrik and Jameson on either side of him.

Chase lowered the gun and just stared at it in his hand, 'I . . . . I didn't like that . . . .' he looked over at Sean who looked to be freaking out even more, 'Why did he do that?' he looked over at Anti and the others, ' . . . . .I don't understand . . . . Sean's not really . . . denying a whole lot. Is Anti really telling the truth?'

Anti was terrified but he tried not to show it. He whispered into Marvin's ear, "You wanted to know how to free yourself? The secret passage is in the basement behind the stairs. There's a rift there and you'll all see your strings Sean keeps on you in there. Go now. I'll help you all break out when I get there, too"

Henrik looked worried and grit his teeth, "And vhat about you now? Vhat about Sean?"

"I'll hold them off. Just go while you can. Marvin, it'd be best for you to teleport down there"

"What are you guys talking about?" Sean stopped them, "What is he fucking telling you all now?!"

"Go!" Anti told them, "Sean and I have some unfinished business anyway"

They didn't want to . . . . 

But Jackie took Marvin's hand, urging him. They had to believe and trust in Anti.

He had their back.

They just had to believe in him.