Anti couldn't BEGIN to describe the amount of rage he felt in that moment.

Of course he was scared, too, but he'd NEVER admit that! And especially not to them.

Anti felt the collar around his neck again. He wasn't gonna just let this happen without a fight!

The others just watched as Anti sat on the floor and started to scratch at his neck, trying desperately to cut the band off with his nails . . . or . . . claws, really.

Marvin snorted, "You're not gonna be able to rip it off. I sealed it with my magic so you wouldn't be able to. You think it'd really be that easy?"

Chase snorted, "He DID try and gnaw off the bars of the cell with his teeth before, Marv"

"Anti, stop, you are hurting yourself" Henrik tried to speak to him.

But Anti wasn't having it. He'd get this thing off even if he had to tear his own head off! He was starting to scratch so deep, he was bleeding.

Jackie suddenly gripped his wrist to stop him, though and stared him dead in the eyes, "Your first order. I forbid you to hurt yourself. Stop trying to remove the bands."

Anti suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to obey but he was stronger.

He tore himself away, "Fuck off! I'll- ARGH!" he wriggled on the ground on his back, the bands shooting shockwaves of pain and burning throughout his body, making him stop all movement.

The Septic egos watched as Anti stopped moving but the glitch's eyes were open. It was as if he were staring out into nothing contemplating something.

He was.

'This is bullshit' he never thought he'd be in a situation like this, 'They're trickier than I thought. Perhaps they've learned a few things from me. Well that just won't do.'

Anti growled to himself, clenching his jaw, 'But I can't just tell them Dark and I's plan. It'll fuck everything up even more. They don't know fucking shit about Dark but I know he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. What we're after is here and whether Dark comes for me or not, won't matter. He'll still come HERE'

Anti finally looked up at his . . . . . captors, 'So I might as well make use of my time here. Perhaps I could find it'

"Well?" Jackie asked him, "Are you gonna cooperate now or what?"

The glitch sat up finally but didn't answer.

Marvin rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I have a brilliant idea that'll solve everything. Anti, I order you to tell us what you and Dark have been after"

Once more Anti felt that urge to give them what they wanted but he was the most stubborn parasite in the world, keeping his mouth shut.

And thus, a wave of pain like demon jaws ripping his whole being apart surged through him. Anti fell backwards again, shaking his head. He tried to scream but he couldn't find the air in his lungs to do so. His ears were ringing and could feel himself shaking violently until it just abruptly stopped.

His ears were still ringing and he couldn't move again but he could barely see above him Jackie arguing with the magician heatedly about something.

Henrik hovered over him saying something. Probably asking if he was okay. Anti heard his fingers snapping by his ear, jolting his hearing back to life and he shook his head. It was all he could do right now at the moment.

"That's it! We're not doing things that way, you understand me? ALL OF YOU! No one asks Anti questions like that. We'll let him decide when he wants to talk, alright? You hear me?"

They were all silent but Anti's respect for the hero grew when Jackie showed his rage and shouted.

"I SAID DO YOU ALL HEAR ME!?"

"Y-yeah, dude" Chase nodded, "You got it"

Henrik and Jameson nodded as well but Marvin just glared down at Anti as if knowing this would happen.

"Marv?" Jackie warned him, "Understand?"

The magician sighed heavily but finally after a few moments, he nodded, "Fine. But I'm not gonna be happy about it"

"That's fine" Anti felt a hand curl under his arm and pull him up, "Come on. Up you get. Let's get you cleaned up and some food in ya"

Anti snickered lightly, still messed up from the harsh spell, "Fuc-"

"And before you curse me and tell me you don't need my charity, remember, I know you ate the pizza I brought down so I KNOW you at least LIKE to eat even if it seems you don't need food or water to survive"

"Fuck you"

Jackie just seemed amused and helped Anti up the stairs, the others coming up closely behind.

"And Marvin" Jackie called to him, "Clean up the basement a bit and make a much larger cell, will ya? We'll still keep him locked up at night at least"

". . . .yeah, whatever"

Getting up the stairs, Anti's squinted his eyes, not used to the light. It was morning still so the curtains were all open to let in some light. Funnily enough, the Kitchen was next to the basement stairs but before Anti could be relieved enough to just sit down in a normal chair, Jackie led him off towards a bathroom.

One of the bathrooms on the first floor were closer over by the living room which was through a hall past the kitchen. Henrik came with Jackie while the others stayed in the kitchen and Anti just let them lead him into the bathroom.

Jackie nodded to Henrik, "Can you help him clean up? I'm gonna go start getting breakfast ready"

The doctor just nodded, leaving Jackie to just leave the two alone. Anti was finally coming back more to his senses though and he couldn't help but feel weird around the doctor, remember their last meeting alone together down in his cell. . . . when Henrik 'threatened' to rip him open with his scalpel.

"Uh . . . "

The doctor rolled his eyes, "Vell what you are waiting for? Get in zhe shower and clean up. I'm not your maid"

"So . . .yer just gonna watch me undress?"

"Oh for the love of-I'm a DOCTOR, you imbecile! Just get in zhe damn shower"

Feeling an order, Anti felt the urge to obey again but this time, he played it off as HIM wanting to do so. He got in the shower, though and undressed, feeling a little self conscious with the doctor's off-putting mannerisms.

"And do not use all zhe hot water!"

'Man, doc's not bothered at all. How many OTHER prisoners have they had here before? They make it seem like I'm not the only one' he joked to himself.

He could hear the doc messing with something on the counter as if he were setting something up, though and his confidence was dwindling.

"Alright, I'm done. Can you get the fuck out so I can get dressed, ya pervert?"

He could practically FEEL Henrik roll his eyes but he heard the door open and close, "Let me know vhen you are finished!"

When Anti opened the shower curtain, he finally saw what Henrik was setting up. Of course it was medical supplies.

'Right . . . for my neck. Fucking asshole thinks I need HIS help to patch up?'

Anti got out of the shower, absentmindedly rubbing the band on his neck, flinching when he felt the scratch marks he made, 'I really am fucking stupid sometimes'

He got the clothes on Henrik had brought in with him beforehand and proceeded to patch HIMSELF up. When finished, he opened the door and boy did the doctor look MAD.

"I told you to let me know when you were finished! I vas going to help you-Oh you did it yourself. It looks okay I suppose. Very well. Come on. Breakfast is probably almost done by now, you took so long"

"I didn't even use all the hot water, ya German asshole" Anti scoffed, "I did as you asked and thus I didn't take very long at all so fuck off"

The doc cursed something in German but led him back into the kitchen.

Anti didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't this.

Jackie had a big smile on his face and Chase TRIED to look happy. Jameson was always happy so his smile really wasn't surprising. Henrik went straight for the coffee machine but he'll be DAMNED before he even tries to act happy around anyone.

And Marvin . . .

Well let's just say it was Anti's downright pleasure to see him practically pouting for not getting his way. He refused to even look at Anti.

"Oh hey! You look a lot better, dude!" Chase got Anti's attention, "You don't look too much like shit anymore!"

Anti glared at him, "At least it's an improvement compared to YOU. You always seem to look like shit. How's the wife, Brody? You in need of some whiskey yet this morning?"

He thought he got him good, he really did.

But Chase actually smirked at him, "Well actually Stacey and I have been back together for a while now. So your insults mean nothing to me, dude"

Anti was pissed. He hated when others got the best of him but that didn't mean he couldn't throw it back, "And how long's that gonna last? She's a slut, Brody. Don't hope for much"

Just then there was rage in his eyes but before an argument could break out, Jackie intervened.

"SO! Here's some breakfast! You like bacon?"

He waved a plate of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns and toast in front of him but Anti just scoffed at it, "And what if I were vegan? Asshole"

"So you don't want the bacon?"

Before Jackie could pull the plate away, Anti snatched it back, "I didn't say that" he grabbed all three pieces of bacon and crunched on all of them at once, making everyone cringe.

"Right . . . how about you take a seat and we can all talk?"

Anti chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Whatever ya say, Chris Hansen"

Henrik snorted but didn't say anything.

Anti took a seat begrudgingly but did it in the most impolite way possible hiking his feet up on the table, munching his bacon like a heathen.

Marvin hissed at him, "Get your fucking feet off the table!"

In an instant, Anti flung his feet back on the floor with a glare his way.

"Right . . . ." Jackie sighed a bit, "So . . . about your stay here-"

"My STAY here?" Anti snickered, "You mean as a prisoner? Yeah, real good choice of words there, bucko"

Jackie ignored him, "It's not like we're gonna really torture you, Anti, and you know it. You're not REALLY a prisoner here. I guess it depends on you how you look at it. But you ARE staying here to do whatever we ask until you tell us what you and Dark were after"

"And then what? You'll let me go? Fat chance. I don't believe ya" Anti picked at his wrist bands with his sharp nails, "At least these are black. Magician's got style, I'll give ya that"

Marvin snorted, "Of COURSE, I do"

Anti mocked him, "oF cOuRse i Do"

"Anyway" Jackie stopped them again, "So it's simple. You can't leave, contact Dark or his goons in any way or hurt us or yourself in any way. You'll do everything we tell you to do or else. . . well you know what'll happen. If you tell us what we wanna know . . . . I can at least promise we'll stop telling you what to do"

"Hm" Anti hummed and nodded, "Fair bargain . . . . . for a fool. You can take your deal and shove it up your ass"

"Ohohoho" Chase bit his lip, "Figured that'd be YOUR thing"

Anti blinked at him but otherwise didn't acknowledge the man's perverted humor no matter how much he wanted to laugh, too.

Jackie covered his eyes with his hand, wanting to purge his mind from what was happening. This was not how he wanted things to go, "Anti . . . . what do you think's gonna happen after you 'supposedly' get this magic object? You really think Dark's gonna share it with you? That's gotta be why you're helping him, right? He promised you something? A deal or sorts?"

"Probably promised to be his sugar daddy"

"Marvin, you're not helping"

Anti scoffed, "As if I'd tell you. If I did, it wouldn't be as fun as a secret!"

Henrik rolled his eyes and practically chugged his coffee and Jameson picked at his eggs, sort of. . . . ignoring the entire conversation together. If he really needed to bother with what was going on, someone would make him listen. So in short, Jameson really didn't give a shit about what was going on, much like Henrik.

Chase scratched at his beard, "If you take our deal, I'll help you around with the chores"

Anti held his hand up to shut him up, "I'm gonna stop you right there . . . . . chores?" he snarled, "I do NOT do fucking chores! Who the hell do you-"

Jackie smirked, "Well if you'd just tell us-"

"Fine, I'll do the fucking chores . . . but nothing too degrading!" Anti huffed, "I won't be anyone's little bitch, either!"

Marvin held in his remark.

"Then we got a deal?" Jackie held his hand out to him and everyone tensed, watching the big event.

Anti examined the hero's hand for any traps. He felt like he was making a deal with the devil.

How ironic.

"Tch" Anti growled but he couldn't find any other way around it.

They had him.

'If I just play their game. . . . it'll give me more time to try and find the device. . . . . and then when Dark comes, we can finally fullfil our plans. . .'

Anti suddenly smirked, thinking he really HAD them, "Very well" he took Jackie's hand like the slippery snake he was, "You have a deal"

Jackie wasn't perturbed and smiled wide, "Great!"

He slapped his back hard with a laugh, "Welcome to the Septic House, Anti!"

What a warm welcome.