Mia hugged herself sitting on the couch. Watching everyone else argue and pace around got her anxious. She felt guilty that she wasn't much help earlier and watching Henrik patch Anti up . . . . it made her feel terrible. Here she could have actually maybe done something to help this time and yet she went back on habit and let the others fight instead.

With a deep exhale, Mia pushed her knees up to her chest for comfort.

Anti cracked his neck. He looked to be a bit in pain still from the bite of the shadow creature but also . . . . VERY cocky. His whole face just shouted, 'I told you so' but no one wanted to hear it.

Least of all Mia.

Her best Iplier friend had just betrayed her. He seemed to have maybe convinced his brothers he was innocent during the fight but she and the Septics knew better. That's why they left so abruptly.

'Was he . . . . just toying with me all along?' she thought to herself and she hated it. But they were friends before . . . weren't they? They got along so well.

'No, I can't believe . .. there must be something wrong with him. There has to be. What about on the tape before when he . . was talking to someone?' And yet he seemed to be in full control over himself. Acted like himself.

She sighed heavily, lost in her mind, 'All those talks we had . . . . all the times we vented to each other . . . did it mean anything?'

"Hey Mia, you okay?" a hand reached out to her but when she saw the glove, she panicked and flinched away.

"Get away from me!"

Jackie shot back, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please just don't do that thing again!"

"What thing?" she glared.

Sean cleared his throat, "Mia . . .. your eyes are glowing . . . you're lighting up again"

Mia blinked and jumped off the couch to get away with a scoff, "So what? . . . . Not like he wouldn't deserve it anyway"

"Mia, I'm-" Jackie tried to stop her but it was too late and she was bolting up the stairs.

Evelien blinked, looking around at them all, "Oh boy . . . . what a day, am I right? . .. I'm gonna just . . . I'm gonna go talk to her"

Sean groaned to himself and ran his hands down his face, "Ugh this is awful"

Henrik finished wrapping Anti's arm and nodded in agreement, "Yes. I do hope they don't mind us rushing away like zhat"

"Fuck that" Marvin rolled his eyes, "We have a bigger problem than bad manners. The big problem is now we know that Anti's shadow demons ARE real and aren't afraid to just pop out of fucking nowhere"

Anti vaguely heard Marvin but was honestly not paying much attention. He stared at the stairs where Mia had ran off.

And so was Jackie.

Jameson signed, 'And what are we going to do about it? Marvin, didn't you kill it?"

He shrugged, "Who knows . . ." he put a hand on his waist, "Anti said he's killed them before supposedly and they reappeared in numbers like a hydra. We can hope, though"

"And what about Dark?" Jackie piped up, "I know you guys are upset still with me but we have to talk about all the angles. That creature didn't just come out of nowhere. It came right when you guys were accusing Dark. I think Anti was right before. It was Dark's doing."

They went silent and Jackie looked around at them all, "What? Seriously? Even you're not gonna say anything, Anti? I just admitted you were right!"

The glitch shrugged, "Yeah well . . . . Now doesn't feel . . . like a good time to gloat anymore"

"The fuck?"

Chase even blinked at him oddly, "Damn . . . . is that growth I see?"

Anti glared and just glitched off to his room.

Henrik groaned, "Now we just have to hope zhat creature cannot break into zhis house"

Marvin shook his head, "It can't. It's warded, remember. Don't worry. We're safe here"

"I hope you're right" Sean mumbled and sighed, "I'm gonna go sit down for a bit. You guys should rest, too"

"I gotta call Stacey and have her pick me up" Chase pulled out his phone, "Tell Mia I'll just be a few miles away if she needs to talk to me . . . and Jackie?"

The hero seemed surprised by Chase acknowledging him but it was short-lived, "Don't bother Mia for a while. She needs time to forgive you on her own and if she doesn't . . . . just fucking deal with it. You rile her up and I'll shoot you for her, understand?"

Jackie just nodded, "Yessir"

They were all disappointed him. Of course they were. How couldn't they be?

He could only hope that Mia would forgive him if he groveled enough.

"So what are you thinking, Mia?" Sean sat on her bed with her and Evelien, "It's your choice. You didn't get to make it earlier"

She shrugged, "I don't know . . . ." she cuddled herself into the blankets and pillows, "I just wanna lay here for a while . . . I'm tired"

"That's understandable" Evelien nodded, "Just know that we're here for you, alright?"

She shrugged again, "Whatever"

Sean looked heartbroken. He didn't know what to do or say. A part of him thought that maybe Jackie's temperament was his fault. He never thought he'd do something like that. Just . . rip away Mia's trust and stomp on it like nothing. He thought better of him. Sean should have talked to them all sooner.

'This is all my fault, isn't it? If I had just talked to Jackie, even . . ..things might have turned out differently' he thought to himself.

"If you want, I can find a secondary apartment for him to stay in for a while until you're ready to face him."

Mia scoffed, "Wouldn't change anything . . . . . I'm mad at you, too, you know"

"What?" now that surprised Sean. Mia had never expressed anger with him like this before, "Wh-why?"

Mia locked eyes with him but she didn't exactly look mad. But Sean knew she was, "I'm a 'light' in the darkness, huh? You knew this whole time I had this power inside of me and you did and said nothing about it. All the times when I could have defended myself . . by myself. All the times when I could have done things on my own when instead. . . I gave the others the power to do FOR me . . . .. It's an insult, Sean . . . you hid a part of me . . . .from ME"

"Mia, I . . " but he knew she was right. He was just as much at fault for her pain.

Eveline pat his shoulder, "Maybe we should give her some space, Sean?"

He blankly nodded and Evelien pat Mia's ankle lightly, "We're gonna head out, Mia . . . but I want you to know you can talk to us ANY time. Okay?"

Mia just took her foot away, though without a word.

She wasn't in the mood for this. For them.

She just wanted to be alone.

Anti meanwhile was in his own room, thinking about what happened earlier that day.

'Idiots . . . . I told them all along and they couldn't even process the idea. And Mia . . . while I didn't know she could do that . . . . it IS . . . . beneficial. If she could wield it properly.'

He suddenly twitched, the bite on his arm stinging, 'Fucking creature . . . . just what was it Dark was controlling? It was like some messed up hell hound or . . . something. It couldn't be HIS dog, right? Not Dark Chica. He might be a dick but he's not a monster. I think'

Glitching out a bit and making the TV in the room buzz on and off, he wondered what he should do next. It was clear that Dark had no qualms about attacking him in front of the others so now it was for certain he needed to stay at the Septic house where Marvin's wards would protect them all.

'I should have just killed Dark when I saw him, the smug bastard. Shouldn't have made that stupid deal with Sean and Mark. Fucking blind idiots'

Then again, the creators have always been blind.

Anti clenched his fist so hard, it popped, 'Just like when he fucking created me . . . . he couldn't see then . . . why should I believe he's changed? Any of them . . . they're all the same'

His thoughts flitted to Mia for a moment and he sighed, 'Except for her . . and Jameson. They had no part in it . . . .I can at least spare them my anger . . .'

He didn't know what this deep pain in his chest was but it happened whenever he thought of Mia. It was like a heavy rock inside of him that burned red hot.

He wasn't too clueless, though. He knew he felt guilty for the way Mia was constantly treated.

'Maybe now that she had her own power . . . maybe now she can be more confident in telling them all to fuck off' he smirked lightly to himself. He hoped so.

A week or so later nothing much had changed. To Mia, that is. She refused to leave her room much at all but Marvin and Henrik would drop off meals at her door for her if she didn't make an appearance. She just felt so tired. So angry and just . . . exhausted. Done.

Was this depression?

She wasn't sure. She had never felt like THIS exactly before. Not this bad.

Was this what Chase use to feel until Stacey came back to him?

Mia didn't like this feeling.

And yet it was better than confronting anyone. She just wished the last few weeks had never happened.

Chase and Stacey had popped by a couple of times to try and talk to her. Henrik and Marvin and Jameson and even Sean and Evelien. She appreciated the concern, she really did but she just wasn't in the mood.

That is . . until there was a knock on her door one afternoon.

She didn't answer.

"Hey! I know you're in there, lass! Open the fucking door!"

She sighed. Now even Anti was trying? This was just getting too much.

"Leave me alone, Anti. I'm not in the mood"

"Yeah well you've been in there for a week now moping and pouting. Time to get your ass up and actually DO something"

"Leave me al-"

Anti suddenly glitched inside of her room, "ANTI, GET OUT!"

"No. Make me" he grinned deviously, "Look just hear me out. Get up"

She growled in agitation but forced herself to sit up on the bed, "Fine . . . what is it?"

Anti just scoffed, "I already said it, stupid. Get up"

Mia rolled her eyes, "Look why the hell do you care? Not like my mood's affecting YOU"

"And that's where you're wrong" Anti glitched closer to her, his hands in his pockets, "Everyone's a fucking black parade down there just like you BECAUSE you're so depressed and it's a buzzkill, frankly. So if you don't mind . . . Get your ass up and come eat lunch"

She looked away from him out the window, "Probably because they haven't been able to use their own powers without me"

Anti rolled his eyes at her attitude, "Fucking Hell . . . it's not that and you know it. It's just . . . Look, don't make me say it"

"Say what?" she got a LITTLE joy out of tormenting him. Seeing him squirm was almost enough to make her smile.

Anti groaned to himself, "You uh . .. . have a tendency to . . .light up a room, you know? Without you, they're all just a bunch of sad idiots without a clue of what to do for themselves"

Mia snorted, "That's so cheesy"

"Fuck off"

But actually . . . Anti's presence did seem to lift her mood a little, "Is . . .. is Jackie down there, too?"

Anti shook his head, "No. It's safe down there for ya"

"Well I know he wouldn't HURT me physically, Anti. . . I just-"

"I know. Just move your ass will ya? Come on"

She was grateful he didn't linger on the subject and with a small nod, she finally picked herself up and followed him out of her room and downstairs.

She thought Anti had just been exaggerating but she saw for herself.

When she entered the kitchen, Marvin looked up and smiled at her, "Mia . . . . you came down"

Henrik sighed, "I vas beginning to think we'd have to rip your door off zhe hinges to ever see you again. Not that I'd do zhat!"

"Yes, you would' Jameson outed him, 'You were talking about it just yesterday!'

"Hush, you. Are you feeling better, Mia?" Henrik asked.

She shrugged and frowned again, "I don't know . . . . I still just . . .feel like shit"

"I feel that" Marvin laughed, "What about you, Anti? You've been a sadsack, yourself lately, too"

"Shut up! No I haven't!" Anti growled and just rolled his eyes, stomping out of the room.

Henrik rolled his eyes, "He's been worried about you." he told Mia, "He'd never say anything out loud but he'd stare upstairs a lot. Been a lot more quiet, too"

"Been nice." Marvin snickered, "The quiet Anti part, that is"

Mia smiled softly and opened the fridge to look for something, "So . . . where's the others?"

Jameson signed, 'Chase and Stacey went to the waterpark with their kids today. Sean and Evelien are doing some videos. Sean's been editing for one of the Cloak videos we did before leaving . . . .'

Marvin saw Jameson trail off and sighed, "Jackie's been in the city helping the police since last week"

Mia's lungs halted, "Wait . . what? But I haven't-"

Henrik shrugged, "We know . . . he's come back with injuries most every night but he won't hear any scolding. It doesn't matter to him. He says he'll do it without his powers"

"For you" Marvin finished, "He thinks he deserves the injuries anyway. Honestly I'm impressed by his stubbornness but every night it seems like he keeps going too far"

'For me?' Mia blinked. She couldn't think straight. Was this Jackie's idea of some punishment for himself? To hurt himself over and over? 'That's ridiculous! Why the hell would he just . . . he's vulnerable out there without me keeping up his strength! One bullet or heavy knock to the head and he's dead!'

She grew angry and clenched her fists, "Fucking idiot!"

Turning away, she left the kitchen, walking past Anti who had seemed to be listening in on the conversation in the living room. He flinched but she didn't seem to care about him right now.

"Where are you going?"

But instead of answering, she walked outside and slammed the door behind her.

Anti glared at the door. He didn't understand. Why should she feel compelled to help Jackie after what he's done?

He'd deny what he was about to do.

No matter what anyone said, he did this for himself.

He couldn't just sit back in this house and just HOPE Jackie wouldn't lose his temper on her again . . .. .

He glitched out of the house, following her.