The kids were bouncing  up and down as they followed their father in his home. They had never been in this building were all too excited to explore. 

Chase could feel Anti practically groaning in his head at their loud high-pitched squeals but only smirked a little.

"Hey guys! I got a room for ya upstairs! Wanna check it out?" 

Since Marvin had cleaned it up, he wasn't squeamish about them staying in there.

Sammy bolted to the stairs, "Yeah! Come on, Kallie!"

"No running up the stairs" Chase warned but was right behind them just in case.

When they entered the room, the two were as happy as can be, laughing and grinning.

Anti thought he was going to be ill. All the emotions Chase was feeling was spreading to him like wildfire and it was nauseating.

"This room is so cool, dad!" Sammy hugged his leg and Chase laughed.

"Well I'm glad you two like it! Hopefully you guys will be able to stay over more often after this weekend."

"I want to!" Kallie pouted, "Why don't you live with us anymore, daddy?"

Sammy seconded that, "Yeah! Did you do something bad? Mommy doesn't like us asking about you"

Chase's heart wrenched and he tried to think of a good reply. He scratched at the back of his head and kept trying to just smile, "I don't think you two are old enough yet. Maybe when you're older, I'll tell ya, okay?"

"Aaawwwwww!!" they groaned.

They seemed disappointed but that was quickly replaced with excitement again when Sammy saw the Xbox.

Kallie, however, rolled her eyes at her brother and took out her Nintendo Switch, "I have something better" she gloated, starting up her Animal Crossing game.

"Nu-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nu-UH!"

"UH-"

'Oh my fucking god, Brody get them to shut the fuck up before I lose what's left of my sanity!'

"Okay, kids! You can play games later. How about you guys fill me in on what I've missed, huh? I could make us some hot chocolate and we could play some UNO or something?"

They didn't look too impressed but agreed, following their father back downstairs. Of course hot chocolate would always win.

Anti was pissed off. He couldn't take it. The sheer amount of strong emotions that were coming off of Chase were just too much for him. It was starting to effect him and he wasn't doing too well with that. He felt like he was having a migraine, it hurt him so much. Something else was happening.

Between Chase's words to him, the nightmares and now the overflow of joy and sadness coming off of Chase, Anti was sure he was going to die. That's what it had to be, right? This feeling in his chest of burning, the lump in his throat leaking eyes . . .  they were symptoms of his impending death, right?

He'd almost feel worried but was too stubborn for that. He'd never let himself die. He'd make sure of that.

Anti barely listened in Chase's head as the kids and him played the game, talked and laughed. Sipping the hot chocolate was Anti's only reprieve. 

Fuck, it tasted so good.

He almost wished Marvin would just get him out, already, so he could taste it for himself in his own body. Now that would be great. If Marvin and Chase let him live long enough afterwards. He knew that he was either stuck in Chase's head forever or dead when he was released with his own body. Chase was always good with a gun. Too good, really.

Perhaps Anti could still use that unknown knowledge to his advantage, however. Chase didn't remember and if he did, it would break him. It could be his perfect escape if Marvin failed in containing him.

But then there would be the matter of the other egos. Henrik and Jameson he could handle but Jackie and Marvin had always been the strongest when in a fight with him. Even if Marvin was a coward. . . 

But then if Sean got roped in . . . . 

Anti just had to make sure that wouldn't happen.

That is . . .. IF Anti were to be free from Chase's mind. There were a lot of ifs, actually, but it wasn't anything he wasn't prepared for.

Anti stayed quiet as he and Chase agreed but after a couple hours, he was getting pretty bored. The kids looked kind of bored, too, actually. Chase was so intent on keeping them at his side, he didn't see that they wanted to do something else at the moment.

"So have you guys been doing good in school? Getting good grades? Playing an instrument yet?"

Sammy shrugged, "I got a B in reading, I guess"

"Mommy's teaching me the piano" Kallie said as she played a card.

Chase was fretting about their answers but merely cleared his throat, "Oh good! That's great!"

'If he's not careful, he's going to end up driving them away just like Stacey.' Anti thought to himself. It wasn't any of his business but he wanted something to do. 

He wanted to have some fun.

Not thinking about Chase's threats anymore, Anti concentrated on the TV in the living room where they were playing the game.

The TV suddenly turn on, playing static and white noise. Chase cringed and tried berating Anti to stop but was ignored by the glitch. Meanwhile, the kids seemed interested in what was happening.

Sammy gasped, "Dad! The TV came on by itself! Do you have a ghost in the house!?"

"A ghost?" Kallie seemed afraid, unlike her brother.

The TV turned off just as quickly as it came on and Anti turned his attention to the alarm clock next, turning on its radio.

'Anti, you stop it right now! You're scaring them!'

'And you're boring them. At least now there's a little excitement in the room'

'Anti-' Chase warned but Anti finally relented and stopped.

But it was already done and Sammy broke in a grin, "That was so cool"

"It was scary" Kallie hugged herself.

"Oh don't be a baby!" Sammy teased her, "This stuff's happened before, remember?"

Chase wanted to scold his son for talking like that to his sister but his interest peaked at that last sentence, "Hold on . . .what do you mean by that, Sam?"

'Shit' Anti scolded himself. He should have realized that the kids would remember. Of course Marvin didn't erase THEIR memories. Anti never did anything bad to them yet, after all.

Sammy just shrugged, "It's not that big of deal, Dad. It's just the Static Man"

Chase's eyes widened, "What?"

"Oh yeah!" Kallie smiled then, "Static Man's funny! I hope it's him! I missed him"

"Static man?"

'Anti . . . I swear to fucking god if they're talking about you'

The glitch refused to answer. He fucked up.

Chase cleared his throat, "Uh kids. . . . who exactly is Static Man and why do you miss him?"

Sammy didn't look too keen on answering, sensing his father's anger but Kallie was always her daddy's girl.

"Static Man is our imaginary friend, daddy! He always made the TV and clocks in our room do stuff when you and mommy were arguing. He'd sing to us and laugh and at first it was kind of creepy but he never hurt us."

"But then he left when you had to, too."

"Daddy, he kind of looked like you too from in the TV. Or like Uncle Jackie or Marvin."

Chase took a deep breathe and bit his lip. He was pissed and wanted to scream and throw things but he wouldn't scare his kids, "Uh . .. how about you kids play upstairs for a while and I'll start dinner, huh? I got some games up there you guy would like and you already have your Nintendo game, right?"

Kallie nodded but seemed worried. Had they said something wrong?

"Are we in trouble, dad?" Sam asked.

Chase shook his head, "Oh no, no, no. No of course not!" he leaned down again and hugged them both tight, kissing their heads to comfort them, "Everything's fine. Don't worry about it. You guys go on upstairs and I'll make us some mac and cheese!"

They suddenly smiled, worries gone and ran up the stairs. Chase could hear them arguing slightly about what game to play but it soon got quiet with the exception of a few giggles here and there.

Chase's expression darkened as he went into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, "What did you do, Anti?"

But the glitch was silent.

Chase snarled and yelled in his head, 'WHAT DID YOU FUCKING DO!?'

'Jaysus, relax, Brody' Anti tried to come off as nonchalant but he was failing. That feeling was rising up again in him but he was trying to will it away.

Chase's anger and rage actually worried him, however, making him unsure about himself.

'Did you ploy yourself as my children's imaginary friend? Did you or didn't you?' the pure anger in Chase made Anti want to leave but unfortunately he was trapped. 

Funny how Anti was supposed to be the monster here.

'Yes' he answered simply, 'But as you can see, I've never hurt them'

'You tried to scare them'

'Obviously it backfired. Are we done here?'

Chase couldn't really argue with him there. Although Kallie seemed afraid at first, the thought of 'Static Man' didn't worry her. A ghost was more frightening that the actual evil murderer that wants him and the other egos and Sean dead.

"Just stay away from my kids. No more of that weird static shit or I'll FORCE Marvin to pry you out and kill you, you hear me, glitch bitch?"

Chase's words weren't ones to mess with. Especially not in the mind-set he was in now. Anti receded but acknowledged Chase's words, 'Agreed'

Again, that feeling burned inside of Anti and it was actually making him feel 'physically' ill. He wanted to puke but he couldn't without a body of his own.

Plus the thought of the kids actually missing him . . .  he didn't know what to think!

Chase suddenly doubled over, holding his stomach, "Oh fuck" he covered his mouth as he was washing his hands but he wasn't fast enough and suddenly hurled in the sink.

Luckily the sink was empty.

Anti suddenly felt better for some reason but he didn't know why.

Chase ran some water and drank it from the faucet greedily, washing off his mouth and the sink, "The fuck was that? I don't feel sick"

He COULD be sick but he seeing as he felt a lot better, he decided not to call Henrik about it. He didn't want to have to call Stacey to take the kids back so soon.

Shaking it off, he washed his hands thoroughly and started to make dinner.

Meanwhile Anti realized what just happened. He had been feeling ill because of all the emotions whirling around him. Then after Chase puked, he felt better instantly! 

Was he starting to have physical effects now? He wasn't for sure, but Anti had an inkling that something was changing and this wasn't the end of it.

Anti tried not to think of much the rest of the day but when dinner was done, the kids skipped on in, surging that joyful feeling within Chase again. The father, feeling like his old self at the moment, threw the empty mac and cheese box into the trash from across the room causing the kids to cheer. Chase laughed and served them some dinner along with a veggie and fruit so Stacey couldn't spurn that on him later.

'You haven't done a trick-shot it a while, Brody' Anti acknowledged.

'Yeah well I guess I hadn't been in the mood for it and who's fault is that?' his voice was cold, leaving the glitch sort of out of the loop for once. He felt. . . . cast out as the father and his kids talked among themselves. He shouldn't feel like this though.

He had ALWAYS been left out. Why was now any different?

Chase felt that nausea again but it wasn't as bad this time and he was able to still eat and keep conversation with the children. He didn't know what was wrong but it couldn't be good.

Then again, maybe he just caught a small bug?

"Hey daddy?" Kallie piped up.

"Yeah sweety?" he drank some water.

"Why did you and Static Man never get along?"

Chase coughed a little in his glass spurting out residue water, "Uh . . .why do you say that, honey? Did I know Static Man? I thought he was your guys' imaginary friend?"

"He is" Sammy nodded, "But before you had to move away, you yelled a lot at him. Most of the time when we all would play hide and seek. He said, though, that it was because you always wanted to hide instead"

Chase felt rage again for Anti. For Marvin, too, for apparently not wiping the kid's memories. How could they think so fondly of Anti, though? It didn't make sense. He was a monster! But the more he thought about it, the more Chase realized that this could be a PG way he could learn more about the memories Marvin kept from him.

"Static Man and I never were good . . .friends, kids. He uh . . . . got involved in the wrong  . . .  way of thinking"

"But he always seemed so nice!" Sammy defended him, "He'd always play with us when you and mommy fought."

"And then he'd make you guys play with us, too!" Kallie smiled.

Chase wanted to be happy but he couldn't strain the thought of Anti anywhere near his kids . . .and so close.

"Yeah well if you ever see him again, don't trust him, okay? He's not . . . he's not doing well in the head." he wanted to say he wasn't their friend but he knew that wouldn't go over well.

"Like you weren't, before, daddy?"

Chase didn't know what that meant and he swallowed but nodded, "Uh. . . yeah sure. Like I wasn't. But worse. He'd hurt you without a thought. So don't trust him, okay?"

The kids wanted to ask all sorts of questions but Chase didn't let them, "You guys want to watch some TV together?"

Sitting in the couch with the kids on either side of him asleep, Chase held his arms around them protectively. Today had been an interesting day, no doubt.

Anti could feel the anger radiating through him. He wanted to say something but knew that it would only make it worse. 

But why did he care if it did? Usually that would be the goal, wouldn't it?

But he couldn't bring himself to stop the silence.

He felt. . . odd after what Chase had told the kids. He didn't feel that Chase had to tell the kids that. He had never hurt them, after all. His target had never been them so why would he? He had just always put that thought in Chase's head to scare him. Make him worry.

In a weird way, he sort of liked the brats. They had been so quick to trust and play with him. They never ignored or disregarded him. He felt that feeling rise up again, remembering Chase's words and he felt ill.

Cautiously, Chase stood up before sprinting quickly to the sink again, relieving himself of the nausea.

'Fucking . . .maybe I should call Henrik about this. I don't want to get the kids sick' 

Chase drank a bunch of water again before slowly taking a few breathes, easing himself, 'Or maybe I should just wait until tomorrow? Maybe some sleep will help'

Anti made no comment on the matter but he was feeling certain now that it was because of him.

His own new feelings were perhaps. . . . physically affecting Chase's body? But why and how? Anti had no idea but hopefully he wouldn't accidentally kill his host. If he died, so could he.

Chase slowly went back to the living room to take his kids to their room. Making two trips, he carried each sleeping child up one by one, tucking them in.

Ignoring his own surge of emotions, he left the room to go to his own.

'Maybe a shower will help. Got any ideas on what the fuck is going on with me, glitch?'

But Anti just shuddered. The way Chase felt about his kids was messing with him and he just felt so weird. So sick. 

He refused to think his own feelings were of guilt, torturing him 'physically' as well as Chase.

'Just take your fucking sleeping pills and go the fuck to sleep, Brody'

"Good idea, actually" Chase went to the bathroom and popped in his meds before falling into bed.

Anti nearly prayed that Chase wouldn't have any nightmares but that was a lost cause. But before he could worry about being in Chase's dreams, he was sucked into his own.

Anti looked around to see darkness. He was already sick of it.

'Dark better not show up again. I'll kick my foot right up his arse'

But there was nothing.

Just black and silence.

It felt so familiar. Just like when he was first created. He had stayed in the depths of Sean's mind only for the community to shove life into him, bringing him out.

But Sean still refused to acknowledge him even though he was always there.

He hated him so much.

He wanted to hurt him.

His favorite way was to hurt Chase. The other egos were always fun but not like Chase. Brody was the easiest target. 

That burning in his chest ached again and he felt like his throat would explode. His 'body'felt so sore and his head pounded.

He felt like he was going to die, it hurt so much.

Anti remembered everything he had done to Brody. Everything that he, himself no longer remembered. All the pain he had put him through. The torture and fear. What it drove him to do.

And yet the kids didn't hate him and Anti didn't know how to feel about that. He didn't know why he never hurt them. He could have. Why didn't he? Their deaths would have been so quick and simple. And yet he couldn't do it. That didn't stop him from making Chase THINK he had hurt them, though. Making him fear and cry.

"WHERE ARE THEY!?"

Anti flinched at the sudden shout and opened his eyes to see a familiar red-lit hallway in front of him. He saw Chase shout at Anti's former self. When he had been corporeal for so short of a period.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?"

The former Anti grinned wide and his eyes gleamed green. He marched towards him.

The scene changed and he was in the kid's old room. He could hear them giggling from outside the door. He could hear Chase and Stacey arguing loudly. A TV was in the dark room with him but there was only static, lighting up the walls.

Anti shuddered as he heard Stacey scream. There was a few gunshots, an ambulance. More gunshots and screams.

Anti stayed sitting on one of the kid's beds. He grabbed a pillow and tried to shut out all the noise with it, folding it over his ears.

'It's my fault' he thought to himself.

Why did he feel so horrible? He didn't before.

But that no longer mattered to him.

His eyes leaked again and he finally acknowledged them as tears. He was crying.

Anti rocked himself on the bed, trying to block out the screams but it was no use. His chest felt like it was on fire and his head and throat just hurt like hell. Like a monster would just burst out at any moment.

The guilt was tearing him apart!

 Was this what humans felt all the time? 

He had never felt like this before. Why now?

Suddenly Anti couldn't breathe and gripped his throat, feeling something warm and wet. He looked at his hand to see blood and he started choking on it. 

As he choked, he felt himself convulsing and his vision started to fade. When he blinked, a figure stood above him, pointing a gun at him.

"I. . .." Anti tried to speak but it was hard, drowning in his own blood, "I.. .. I'm s-s-s-sor-s̶o̶r̶r̷y̴.̷"̸

The man above him looked to be crying but didn't waste his time shooting Anti in the head.

Anti gasped and opened his eyes in shock, coughing and gripping the sheets in his hands like a lifeline.

When his breathing slowed and he was a bit more calm out of the nightmare, that's when he realized.

He looked over to the side to see Chase staring back at him equally as stunned.

"Anti?"