Marvin snickered to himself as he started to perform his spell.

Jackie was a lot less enthused but let him do as he pleased, curious as to where this was going.

"We'll find out for SURE if he's telling the truth or not! I'm telling ya it'll work! I've definitely done this before!"

Jackie blinked, looking a little worried now, "Uh . . . I mean, I've never questioned you, man . . . . . . . . . . . should I be questioning you?"

Marvin just had a glint in his eyes, chuckling to himself.

The hero thought it'd be best not to push the subject, "Right . .. why do I even bother asking?" he rolled his eyes and sighed, "I should know better by now how you get with your weird spells. How long is this gonna take?"

Marvin suddenly stopped laughing to himself and turned serious, "I need his DNA"

"Now you tell me?"

"Better now than later!"

"Ugh . . .. what do you NEED?"

Marvin snorted, "Dude, don't be weird about it. I just need some hair or blood or something. Oh and could you lure Mia in here too so I can actually do the spell? Or did you forget that I can't actually do this level of magic without her help?"

"Seriously?!" Jackie huffed, "I kind of wanted to keep her out of it, man! She doesn't need to be involved in this! She's already on Anti's shit-list! If he finds out she was involved in sifting through his memories, he's gonna FLIP"

Marvin didn't look so concerned, "I'm sure she can handle herself. And she'd surely TELL you that, too. Now go get her and Anti's DNA"

"Dude, just say hair. DNA makes it sound weird"

The magician just rolled his eyes dramatically, "Oh for fuck's sake. You make it sound like I'm asking you to go collect his 'juices' or something. Just go in his new room and pluck some hairs off his pillow or something!"

"Oh yeah"

"YEAH! . . . .dumbass" Marvin added playfully.

Jackie blushed but made his way out of the room and on his way to Anti's first. He didn't want Mia to get caught WITH him taking his hair if Anti spotted him.

Walking down the hall, Jackie stopped in front of the room that used to be the storage room. They made room for the glitch to stay, though so now it was his and he made it very well known with his name written on the door in permanent marker.

'Such a heathen. I don't understand how he's created from Sean in any way'

But carefully, he first tested the door to see if it was unlocked or not. Luckily it wasn't locked and he poked his head in, getting his mind ready to blurt out an excuse if he was in there. He expected him to be, too.

But the more he creeped in . . . . the more relaxed he got, noticing he wasn't in the room.

'Hm . . . .. He might be downstairs. Marvin and I have been in his room for a while discussing this, after all'

He didn't trust Anti. To him, it was obvious not to. But Sean wanted to believe him so bad, he was willing to let the massacre repeat itself if necessary to give him a chance.

Or at least, that's what it felt like.

He remembered that night all too well. The terror and the violence that ensued. The monstrous look in the glitch's eyes as he cut through them all like nothing.

Jackie shuddered. Right now if Anti decided to show up in his room again, the hero would be defenseless. Mia couldn't make them all strong at once and certainly not for a long amount of time. And not if she wasn't around them. It was a crutch but it DID help a lot more than if they didn't have it.

Have her. Even if she was a brat sometimes.

Jackie wandered up to Anti's bed in search of a hair, 'At least she's never had to see Anti's wrath. I hope she never does.'

Thankfully Anti's been more or less docile ever since his first attack on them.

Ever since Mia had come along, actually, he's been a bit calmer in how he attacks. Less violent.

'He knew of her power back then . .. was he scared of her? What she could do to all of us? Is that why?'

He couldn't really dwell on it.

Jackie found a stray hair and plucked a few off the pillow, 'That should be enough.'

He did feel something eerie, though. Like something was wrong.

Jackie felt his heart rate pick up and he left the room to go to Mia's.

He knocked on the door roughly, still holding the hairs in his other hand. He could hear her grumbling, though and he relaxed again.

Until she growled from behind the door, "Goddammit, Anti, what do you fucking want NOW-"

She opened the door and paled, "Oh . . .. hey, Jackie. What's up?"

Jackie squinted at her, "Anti was in here earlier? Why? Did he do anything to you!?" his anger started to rise, forgetting his fear from earlier.

Mia just snorted, though, "No . . . he was just being a douche is all. What you need?"

It was clear, she didn't want to talk about it so Jackie didn't push her. He'd find out anyway from Anti's memories, probably.

"Uh . . . I need you . . I mean Marvin needs you for a spell he wants to do. Can you come and do your stuff on him?"

Mia looked disappointed but Jackie couldn't bring himself to touch on that right now. He'd make her feel better later.

"Sure" she walked out of the room with him.

Leaving Anti still on Mia's webcam to be . .. quite curious.

'What's got him in such a hurry?' the glitch wondered to himself. He really didn't learn much of her from being in her computer. Only that she loved to play Minecraft and Solitaire. She had some drawings in a zip folder but he couldn't get into it to look at them. She liked to watch Sean, Gab and Mark's videos along with cooking shows and anime. Overall, she didn't have HORRIBLE taste.

'Why does Marvin need her for a spell?' he wasn't ignorant. He knew they didn't believe OR trust him whatsoever. And he knew that if they really needed HER for a spell, it was something important.

They wouldn't just use her for something stupid, would they?

Anti wasn't so sure but his interest was peaked. Zapping out of the computer, he changed his course somewhere else in the house.

Over into Marvin's TV in his room. He wanted to watch the show.

Meanwhile, Jackie, Marvin and Mia were in the magician's room and Jackie handed him some hairs.

Mia seemed very confused, "Uh . . what's with the hair?"

Anti wanted to know the same thing.

Jackie looked as if he didn't even want to tell her but Marvin saved him the trouble.

"We're gonna do a spell to see if Anti is telling the truth or not about those creatures. I'm gonna use his DNA-"

"Hair" Jackie jumped in.

Marvin ignored him, "-To look back into his memories and if we actually DO see these shadow things, then he might be actually telling the truth"

'Oh shit' Anti cursed in his head, 'They might see what happened earlier with the girl and I, too. I guess we'll just have to sit back and see what all his little spell shows, though'

"Are you idiots INSANE?!" Mia snapped at them, though, "You guys are gonna just LOOK INTO HIS MEMORIES!? Like it's nothing?! What if he finds out!?"

'Already did'

Mia looked ready to combust, "You two have literally no will to live, do you!? You really gotta test this like this?! If he finds out, he'll probably kill us all"

Marvin popped his lips, "OR . . . .. What if he's hiding something? Wouldn't you want a little blackmail for in the future?"

Jackie nodded, "Yeah, I mean . . what if he's hiding something really embarrassing?"

'Surely she's not gonna fall for that-'

"I'm in"

Anti would have face-palmed if he wasn't in the TV, 'Oh no, she IS just as much of an idiot as the rest of them'

"Well that was easy." Marvin muttered, "Mia, will you do the honors?"

She was still a little hesitant but gave in, taking his hand to give him his power.

Marvin's eyes glowed briefly and he grinned, "Let's do this"

Anti watched in fascination though as he performed the spell. He had seen Mia use her power before on Jackie and had seen the effects then for him. But it was rare for him to be able to see Marvin use his power before him.

It was certainly interesting with all the lights, sparks and strange words.

And then Marvin took out a mirror and touched it and suddenly they could see something happening.

Anti paled, 'Shit . .. I didn't actually think it'd work! They're in my head! From . . wait, when was this?'

They weren't sure, either, of course but the more they watched, the more Anti realized.

'It's the rift . . . it's just . . white noise. They can't see anything from my memories in the rift' in a way, Anti was relieved but also anxious.

"That's weird" Marvin muttered to himself, "It should be working. Where the hell is this?"

Jackie and Mia shrugged.

"Hm" the magician hummed, "Oh wait! Something else is going on!"

And just as they spoke, the scene changed and Jackie recognized the place, "That's downtown. . . . I wonder what we're supposed to -oh"

Suddenly in a glitch, Anti in the memory turned and there was a black shadow in the alley where he had appeared in. He sounded out of breathe and hurt and they could hear him curse.

Mia watched intently but just as they thought something was going to happen, Anti had turned away and glitched out of there.

"Wait" Jackie stopped, "Can you go back again?"

Marvin sighed, "You want to . . . rewind?"

"Yeah"

"Why? What did you see?" Mia asked, "I didn't see anything"

But Marvin did as asked and went back in the memory again. Just as Anti went to turn, Jackie held his hand up, "Stop it right there"

Marvin did but Jackie wasn't done, "Play it in slow-mo"

"Dude, this isn't a security camera."

"Can you do it or not?"

The magician did as asked and as Anti turned, they could slowly just barely see something coming out from the shadows. Was that . . . an arm of some sorts?

They were so focused on the memory, they didn't notice the real Anti creeping up beside them, wanting to get a closer look for himself.

"Is that . . . it?" Mia asked.

"I FUCKING TOLD YOU!"

They all flinched and nearly freaked out, paling at the sight of Anti in there with them. They all had the same thoughts in their head.

'Oh shit'

But Anti didn't seem too concerned, actually, "I fucking told ya! You dolts believe me NOW!? You saw it, too, with your own eyes!"

Jackie shook out of his shocked, "The fuck!? Wh-whatever! And really, we didn't SEE anything! That arm could have been a dog's for all we know!"

"No way! It was day-time! There aren't that many shadows in the day and certainly not that dark in an alley!" Anti argued, "That was the shadow creature! And besides, it proves my story, too! I was injured and in a panic, right? Obviously something was after me!"

"You're not at all mad that we looked into your memories?" Marvin asked.

Anti turned to him, "Oh I'm pissed but that's a discussion for some other time. But come on! I mean, look at it! That's clearly not a dog!"

Mia looked closer. She didn't know what to believe.

Jackie sighed, "It doesn't prove much of anything yet. It just means you were in a panic and thought something was after you. Maybe you THINK you're telling the truth. Maybe you're just crazy and you really saw something just in your head" he smirked at him, "Wouldn't surprise me"

Anti glared at him and closed his eyes, trying to calm down although it was hard. He did promise not to kill or hurt them but he was never one to keep promises for long unless they benefitted him.

But Anti sighed heavily, "Still . . . . that wasn't normal. I'm here for a reason. You can't deny that"

"Why hasn't this creature bust through our doors already, then?" Marvin asked, "If it's after you and wants you so bad . . . what's stopping it from attacking you here?"

"Good question" Anti agreed with him, "I don't know . . maybe it's because I'm around so many people?"

Mia hummed to herself, "I don't know about any of this . . . but I'm going back to my room. Please don't kill them, Anti . . . . Fuck, I need to lay down. Let me know when Dinner's ready?"

Marvin nodded to her, "Will do. Thanks for helping"

"Wish I didn't" she then left without much else of a word.

Anti watched her go curiously, 'Is she still thinking about what I said, earlier? Did it dig in that deep?' he didn't care. He just didn't like it when he didn't know something. He knew a lot about all of them.

But some reason, Mia was an enigma. He knew what she liked to do on the computer. Knew she was a conduit for the other ego's power and that she like to pull pranks. But he didn't feel as if he knew what went on in her head like he did the others.

Without a word to Jackie or Marvin, Anti left the room, too, in his own head. Now that Mia had walked out, the spell had ended so they couldn't continue to look through HIS head. Not that he cared. There wasn't anything in there they didn't know already.

"Whew" Marvin chuckled, "Thought he was gonna try and kill us again there for a moment!"

Jackie just glared at him, "We are NEVER doing anything this stupid again."

Marvin just snorted, "yeah okay, whatever"

But even if Jackie was still unsure about Anti and his motives, he had to admit. . . . .

Whatever was the shadows would have scared him, too.

He hoped for all their sakes it wasn't actually real. The best case scenario, no matter how fucked up it sounded, would be if Anti really was just crazy and seeing things.

'I hope that's the case. . . . Oddly enough'