Like I said on my conversations tab, it was my birthday yesterday. I really wanted to write and upload this yesterday but I was also working and very tired and sore by the end of the day 😅 Anyway, enjoy the chap! It was still fun to write this morning and I'm excited to move forward with it!

Jackie and Mia both stared at Anti as if . . . well he was already crazy but this was even weirder.

The hero scoffed at him, "Really? You honestly expect me to believe that?"

Anti chuckled, still holding his hands out in surrender, "Why not? Stranger things have happened"

'Something weird is going on here' Mia thought to herself, 'I don't necessarily know him but I know enough about him to say he's not the kind to just turn himself in.'

Mia stepped forward a bit coming up behind Jackie, "Why, though? What's your play?"

Anti snickered, "Why does there have to be one?" he looked away, though as if watching for something, "I'm just giving you all what you want. I'm tired of this pitiful game"

"Hah!" Jackie outright laughed, "That's hilarious. And why should we trust you?"

The glitch smirked, "Because that's what Seany-boy wants . . . isn't it?"

Jackie frowned but motioned for the police to lower their weapons, not they'd do anything against the ego.

Mia was surprised, "Wait . . you're not actually thinking about it, are you!?"

He glanced back at Mia but he DID look unsure, "I don't know. . . . He's right, though. As much as I hate to admit it"

Mia, apparently being the sane one marched up to Jackie and pulled at his arm, "We should at least call Sean first about it. AND the others." she glanced over to Anti who just looked bored now and she squinted at him, "I don't trust him. He's hurt you all, hasn't he?"

"Yeah . . . you're right." Jackie agreed, "You go cuff him and I'll make the calls"

"Uh-uh, slick" she pushed him, "YOU go cuff him!"

Jackie made a face, "But . . . why me?"

"Why ME?! You're the strong one, here, not me!"

Jackie hated to admit it but she had a point and groaned, "Fine . . . ugh, he's so creepy, though"

Anti just raised a brow at them, "Are you two gonna take my surrender or what? I don't have all fucking day, here"

Jackie huffed, "What's YOUR hurry?"

Mia took out her phone and dialed Sean's number while she shoved Jackie forward towards the glitch, "Get to it"

Cautiously, the hero went up to Anti and carefully took out a special set of cuffs Marvin had spelled for this very occasion. Anti just smiled at him, making it weirder.

"Don't smile at me. It's creepy."

"Why not?" he wiggled his eyebrows and glanced back at Mia with just as creepy of a smile, "She calling him? You know he'll say yes"

"Don't smile at her, either, you weirdo. And yes, she's calling Sean. Why are you surrendering to us? Got some extravagant plan for killing us all in one place or something, because it won't work"

"Nah"

Jackie finished cuffing him and felt marginally more confident, "Nah? The fuck you mean, 'NAH'?! It's what you've wanted since you broke out of the incubator!"

But Anti didn't respond to that and just stared at Mia calling Sean.

He didn't know her personally but had met her off and on in his fights with Jackie. He knew she was special in that she made him stronger but he wasn't all that certain how. He was curious . . .. but he had other things to think about first.

"Really?" Mia asked Sean on the phone, "Are you sure? But what about- . . . .. alright, whatever. Your funeral"

She hung up on him and gestured to Anti, "Sean said to bring him home with us. He's on his way early. Dammit, what a fucking bummer to start the day"

Anti laughed, "Well SO sorry to be such a disappointment"

Mia rolled her eyes, "I don't accept your apology"

He frowned, "I was joking"

"I wasn't"

Anti seemed a little confused but brushed it off, letting the hero grab him by the back of his shirt while Mia clung onto Jackie from behind around his neck. It took a little longer to fly back home but it sure was a sight to see with him holding Anti by the scruff of his shirt collar like a beaten dog.

It was all very strange.

Mia of course called the other Septics to let them know and there was chaos erupting on the other end but she hung up on them, "Marvin's throwing a fit"

"When isn't he?" was all Jackie had to say.

Anti didn't say anything the whole flight there but as they finally landed in front of the house, he smirked devilishly, "Oh this brings back memories!"

"Fuck off" Jackie spat, "If you even try to hurt anyone, I'll kill you this time, you hear me?"

"I'm so scared" he muttered.

Mia got in his face then, "Well if he doesn't scare you, maybe I should! You hurt any of my friends and I'll castrate you, you hear me mother-fucker!? I'M good with a knife, too, bitch!"

Anti actually had the decency to pale, "Geez, fine. Shite, little one. I didn't mean to anger the Septic Sweetheart"

"You need to stop calling her that" Jackie rolled his eyes, "After this morning, she's anything but"

"Hey!" Mia smacked him but they didn't talk further about the subject.

Anti didn't ask but let them push him forward.

As soon as they got through the door, though, they were met by multiple weapons and a defense at the ready with Chase and his gun, Henrik and his scalpel and Marvin with his wand.

Poor Jameson had a butter-knife. It was all he could grab in so little time in the kitchen.

Anti just grinned at the sight, "Well . . . what a warm greeting"

Mia had seen Chase's car in the drive and briefly wondered where Stacey and the kids were but she figured they were in another room hiding just in case.

"It's alright, guys" Jackie lifted Anti's arms, "I cuffed him"

"SO!?" Marvin scoffed dramatically, "Just because you cuffed him and subdued his powers doesn't mean he's defenseless!"

Chase still had his gun trained on him, "Why'd you surrender?! Why now of all times, huh!?"

But Anti didn't answer and instead, just gawked around, "Where's the birthday boy?"

Mia didn't like how calm he was. Something was up. There had to be a catch, right?

If things went sideways, she wondered if she'd have to call in a favor from Dark.

"Goddammit, why'd you guys bring him HERE!?" Marvin seethed.

"Sean told us to" Mia provided, "I tried to talk him out of it but he was pretty adamant about seeing him."

"Of course he is" Henrik understood why, "He still hopes Anti may change his mind about trying to kill us all"

Anti just spared him a glance but didn't say anything.

Another few moment passed by in silence before the door behind them opened roughly.

"Sean" Jackie pulled Anti away at a distance by his cuffs, "Stay back for now. We don't know if it's a trap, yet"

Sean huffed and puffed seemingly having wasted no time hurrying to get there, "Huh . . . huh . . .. huh" he breathed heavily and cleared his throat but he couldn't keep his eyes off Anti, "Anti . . . .you're here"

The glitch just chuckled and grinned, "Obviously! Of course! I wouldn't miss your birthday! The big . . . . . . how old are you again?" he laughed at himself.

Sean ignored the question and stared at him, wondering what everyone else was thinking.

Evelien came in behind him cautiously but stayed back.

"Why?" Sean asked him, "Why surrender yourself now all of a sudden?"

Anti finally turned serious and frowned.

His eyes carried across the room at them all seemingly in thought at first but he then hummed and sighed softly.

"I'll get straight to the point . . . . . .As much as it pains me to say this . . . . . I need your help"

Chase accidently dropped his gun in shock and Jameson's butter-knife clanged on the floor.

None of them were prepared to hear that from him.

A week ago

Anti was in his own space in a rift of an electrical current. It was similar to Dark's void but it was his own and filled with pathways in and out of any electrical device within miles.

He spent a lot of his time there looking through the currents and watching the egos through their devices without them even realizing it.

It was creepy but he didn't care. He didn't get much info from it but he liked to watch them just go about their day with their measly tasks as they either watched TV, played a game or went on their phones.

They were all . . so normal and boring to him. It was agonizing.

'So wasteful. . . . . they're all so fucking pitiful. Wasting their time with stupid things when they could be doing something more productive. Like training to kill me, for instance'

But he knew that wouldn't happen. He knew that's not what Sean wanted. Out of all of them, he knew exactly what Sean wanted.

For them to all be one big happy family.

But he wasn't about to concede to something as insignificant as that.

Anti knew he was meant for more. Or at least, that's what HE wanted.

He was watching Marvin trying to look up 'homemade' potions online when something suddenly felt odd.

Anti had never felt this in his own space.

It was different.

A strange presence filled the air and he tensed. At first, he thought that maybe it could be Darkiplier. Anti had invaded his void a while back so perhaps he had finally come to attack HIM.

Anti growled and looked around his space. There was something lurking but the more he waited, the more he realized that this thing was something different.

Suddenly something attacked him!

He was barely able to escape, glitching out of one of the many pathways back out into the real world. His breathe was taken away and he was bleeding. Whatever it was, it was powerful and evil. It went for the kill.

'I don't know how it got into my rift but it's the last time! I fucking swear if I see that thing again, I'll fucking KILL it! I was . . unprepared this time'

But the next day when he returned to the rift, it was waiting for him and attacked him again. Anti didn't know what it was. Like an amalgamation of a creature shrouded in darkness with soulless eyes.

Once again, he had barely escaped but that wasn't the end of the creature's hunt and soon Anti found that it wasn't just from in the rift but it could attack him in the real world, too!

And soon, he found, he had to watch wherever he went and tread lightly.

Everything he did wasn't enough against it. It seemed to just come back again and again. He had even thought he killed it at some point but like a hydra, another took its place. It felt like there was more than one after him but he wasn't sure.

'What the hell ARE these things?! Why can't I get rid of them!? Goddammit, I can't fucking do this. I have other plans! I can't let this fucking thing ruin them!'

But that's when he thought of an idea.

It was a long-shot but he knew it'd work. At least he was very certain.

He hated the thought but right now, it was the best shot he had. The next time he was attacked might be his last.

Back to the present

"So I started a ruckus downtown and now here we are" he finished his tale.

They all stared at him as if he were crazy.

Marvin laughed, "Hehehehahahah! You . . . " he laughed again, "You expect us to believe that load of shit?!"

"It IS kind of a ridiculous tale, dude" Chase agreed, "A shadow creature with soulless eyes? You sure you just weren't high or something and tripping balls?"

Anti growled low but they weren't fazed, too busy laughing at him.

"It's fucking true, assholes! Look, I got a scar from one of 'em!" he lifted up his sleeve with his cuffed hands to show claw marks on his shoulder. It was difficult but he kept the sleeve up by biting down on it with his teeth.

Henrik paused but came a few steps forward to inspect it, "Hm . . .. five claws. And it was pretty deep. . . It's not make-up"

'How do we know he didn't do it to himself?' Jameson asked.

"I don't think he did" Sean rushed to his defense, "I know enough about all of you to be able to tell when you're lying and he's telling the truth, guys."

"THANK YOU!" Anti pulled down his sleeve and groaned, "I knew there was a reason I hadn't killed you yet!"

"I don't know" Jackie still didn't trust it, "I haven't seen these creatures out on patrol. And why would it just be after you? Who else did ya piss off?"

Anti clenched his jaw but looked Mia's way, "You're pretty silent . . . what do you say, girlie?"

Mia suddenly glared at him, "First off, call me girlie again and I'll BREAK your ARMS. Second . . . . . . I'm not sure. But I trust Sean's judgement"

Henrik made a face but didn't comment.

"Alright, then it's settled!" Sean broke in, "Anti will stay here as long as he promises not to hurt anyone and we'll try and figure out more about these weird shadow creatures!"

"That don't exist" Marvin muttered.

"Hmmmm" Anti knew this would happen but he was prepared for it. As much as he despised his ego brethren AND Sean, he preferred to live, "Very well . . . . I SWEAR I will not harm or kill anyone in this house . .. or Sean or Evelien. Good enough?"

"No, but we'll take it for now" Sean wasn't ignorant. He knew the risk he was taking.

But he cared for Anti.

'I know there's good in you, Anti' he thought to himself, 'And this is the perfect time to fish it out'

Reluctantly on Sean's order, Jackie took the cuffs off of Anti and they all watched with uncertainty as he cracked his wrists and wandered in the room thoughtfully.

And then he slammed himself into the couch with a groan, "This a new couch? Feels like a new couch. I'm just gonna lay here for a while. When's lunch?"

Seeing no immediate threat, Chase hesitantly went upstairs to get Stacey and the kids. He explained the situation but Stacey wasn't exactly happy about spending the day with a killer in the same room. The only reason she didn't demand to leave was that all of the other egos were strong together and combine Mia in the mix and everything should be alright.

Calming down, Stacey came downstairs with the kids and Chase, running straight to Mia.

But Mia had other thoughts running through her head, unable to piece it all together. She didn't like this but if Sean trusted it, that would be enough for her.

'Maybe he's actually not so bad once you get to know him?' she thought to herself, 'Or maybe if we're nice enough to him then he'll decide later to stop trying to kill us!'

She was very optimistic but she had to be. The others were too distrustful to go near him but Mia would always strive to be the outlier.