"Now then" Marvin started, "You know I snapped my fingers and helped you out back there. But it wasn't to get your kids back, Chase"
Chase furrowed his brow, confused, "Then . . .then why did you do it?"
"Clearly that man knew about us" Jackie crossed his arms, "I don't know how but he was able to find out about what we did before. . . .before. . .uh, you know. Marvin said you remember Anti, right?"
All too well.
The glitched snickered in his head.
Chase just nodded, "I've never said anything to anyone if that's what you guys are saying"
"No, no. We are not saying zhat at all Chase!" Henrik defended, "We just need to be extra careful. We do not know how he got the information"
"Maybe Sean leaked something out"
They gave Chase a look. It was clear they didn't believe that. Jackie shook his head, "Sean would never sell us out. He created us and has been protecting us since the beginning"
'Some of you' Anti's voice was sinister.
Chase actually agreed with Anti, "Not all of us. I see all of your lives have turned out quite peachy keen. And mine . . .well. . . well look where we are."
"That's not fair, Chase, and you know it" Jackie argued, "You've MADE this happen and sometimes you have to take responsibility. We can't bail you out of everything"
"You know what? I think I better go home before I shoot you, Jackie"
His hand itched to grab his gun in his car and he was too closer to doing it but stopped himself. He ignored Anti in his head encouraging it.
"Christ, Chase!" Jackie sputtered, "Will you hear yourself!? What's going on with you!?"
"What's going on with me? WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ME!?" Chase suddenly stopped, seeing some of the jury leave the building. He took a breathe to try and calm down.
'And they call me the psychopath' Anti mocked.
Marvin sighed, "How are your dreams? Did you get a new job yet?"
". . . . I started a new job at that fast food place down the road yesterday. My dreams are the same."
"You want to try hypnotism?" he suggested, "We could try that. Swing by my shop sometime next week. I'd ask for this weekend but I want you to have some time with your kids"
Chase gave a small smile and he could hear Anti gagging in his head at the sweetness.
'Right!' Jameson signed, 'Is that part not exciting? You haven't seen Kallie and Sammy in a long time'
Chase nodded, "Yeah. Yeah I'm excited" a part of him was. The other part was worried about Anti's reaction.
Marvin could sense something was off.
Henrik cleared his throat, "Anyways, vhat about your depression medication? Perhaps we need to put you on a different kind?"
"Maybe"
"And have you really stopped drinking?" Jackie pried again.
Chase just growled out, "Yes"
"Good. Proud of you"
"I don't care" Chase was fed up with Jackie at the moment.
Jackie sighed at his attitude, "Okay. Well I'm happy you get to see your kids again this weekend. Hopefully nothing happens to fuck it up. I'm gonna head out. See all of you later."
Henrik nodded, "Yes, I should be leaving as well. Have a long day tomorrow. See me sometime next week, Chase" he pat his shoulder.
Jameson signed to him, 'It was nice to see you again, Chase. But I'm afraid I need to take my leave as well. Come see me sometime, chap'
That just left Chase and Marvin. The others got into their vehicles and left the parking lot.
"I need to talk to you alone, Chase. Perhaps you could give me a ride back to my shop and we could talk then?"
'I don't trust this'
'You're just worried he'll catch you.'
'I'm not worried! Fuck off. Magic man ain't got nothing on me!'
Chase smirked but nodded to Marvin, "Sure Marv. Hop on in"
'Bastards'
As he started the car and drove out of the parking lot, Marvin hummed, "So. . . . What did you use that flashdrive for, Chase?"
Chase sighed.
He knew Marvin knew something, "You know what for, Marvin. Stop pretending."
"Ah yes. Your 'Anti' problem. How's that working out?"
"Once again, I think you already know"
" . . . I'm sorry, Chase."
'HE FUCKING KNOWS!? I KNEW IT! KILL HIM!'
"I was hoping you were just off your rocker. Going a tad insane from the lack of sleep and nightmares. But once you threw me your phone. . . .yeah. I could sense him"
Chase parked on the side of the road and sniffled, " . . . .why didn't you do anything, Marv?" his voice cracked, "Why did you let me believe I could go insane? Because NOW. . . .now the little fuck is in my head because YOUR SPELLED FLASHDRIVE DIDN'T WORK!"
Anti growled in his mind but Chase couldn't care less about his feelings right now. Or lack thereof.
"Because technically it wasn't meant to be used for that!" Marvin rebutted, "Anti is not. . . wait, can he hear me?"
"He's in my fucking head, Marvin. Yes, he can hear you."
'Loud and clear. Fuck, I wish I could claw out his eyes.'
Marvin nodded, "The flashdrive was meant for a demon that infused itself with technology. While Anti sounds like he fits the bill, that is not the case. Anti's not a demon. He's an ego. I should have known it was you buying that thing but the site has automated responses that I spell-programmed in."
"Not good thinking on your part~" Chase sang ironically.
"Yeah. So Anti's in your head? Doesn't seem to be bothering you much."
"Sure. For now. Can you get him out?"
That's where Marvin looked a bit worried, "I can. . . .but I don't want to."
'Fucking pussy cat' Anti chuckled in his head, 'He really is afraid of me. He should be. I'll spill his blood first.'
"Can you hear him in my head, Marvin?"
He shook his head, "No. I can sense him there but I can't here him"
"Lucky you. He wants out, Marv. Says he wants to kill you first."
"I bet he does. We're not gonna let him out, though, Chase"
"And why not?! Just take precautions!"
"Because the only way to get him out of your head is to give him his own body and FREE him and I'm not going to let that happen! Look what happened to Sean the last time he was set free, Chase! Remember what that fucking monster did to all of us!? You may not remember the worst but there WAS worse."
"Let me remember. Because right now, the asshole is like a fucking child always whining and complaining. An immature little bastard and I can't see him any other way now. Let me remember him as the monster."
'Hey' Anti warned him, 'I could be far worse, Chase. The magician is right. I could drive you mad if I wanted'
"Like you haven't already, glitch bitch!"
Marvin seemed startled, "He talking to you?"
"He never shuts up. Please Marv. It's only been a couple of days and I'm already losing my mind. Either give me back those memories or set the bastard free, I don't care which one at this point. At least if I remember the worst, I might kill myself and be rid of him that way"
"That's precisely why I'm not going to do that. Because that's what you tried to do before. Numerous times. I'm not letting it happen again."
'Cowards' Anti scoffed, 'They're all cowards, unwilling to face me, aren't they? At least you have some balls to dare threaten me, Brody. I'll kill you last.'
There was silence between them before Chase spoke again, "Must have been pretty bad then"
"I'm honestly surprised he hasn't told you himself yet"
"He said that if I kill myself, then there's the risk that he could die as well and he doesn't want to risk that. He may be a murderous psycho but he has good self-preservation, I'll give him that."
'Better than you.'
"Look. . . ." Marvin swallowed and thought for a few moments, "I'll think about it, alright? Give me some time. If I do end up deciding to unleash the fucker then we want to be ready for him"
Chase pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself, "I see my kids this weekend, Marvin. I really don't want to look like a lunatic in front of them. Do you know how long it's been since I've last seen them?!"
Chase reached over to the glovebox in front of Marvin. He wanted to grab the picture he had in there. He thought he took that.
"Uh, Chase? Let go of the gun, please"
Chase blinked his eyes to see he was holding his gun instead, cocked and ready to shoot. Quickly putting the safety back on, he shoved it back in the glovebox and took the picture instead to show Marvin, "Uh, sorry"
'What was that? I could have sworn I grabbed the picture. How did I not know . . . .Anti?'
There was only a soft giggle in the back of his head, 'Looks like I'm learning new tricks, Brody' he sounded so proud of himself.
"How much time?" Chase felt sick to his stomach. Did Anti just momentarily take control of his body!?
'Yes, I'd like to know as well. Tell him if he does, I'll bargain with him. Painless death'
"I'm not telling him that, Anti"
Marvin looked even more concerned but didn't ask.
'I'll snap his neck quickly. Won't feel a thing. Then for Jackie, you wanted to shoot him, right? I'll give that to you. I can help pull the trigger' he cackled.
Chase shuddered at the thought of that, "Marvin, please. Think HARD on it. As for you, Anti, you're not getting ice cream tonight"
'WHAT!? But ice cream's good! Come on! You know you want it, too, asshole!'
"Ice cream?" Marvin was confused and baffled.
Chase smirked and started up the car again to take Marvin the rest of the way to his shop, "He loves the taste of food. I've been bribing him"
"Sounds to me like you have this under control. Sort of."
"Yeah well I can't just skip meals to get him to shut up, now can I?"
"You've got a point, I guess."
'Exactly!'
"Can it, glitch" he warned.
As he dropped Marvin off, the magician was reluctant to leave, "Look, Chase. . . I really am sorry. I should have told you I sensed him."
"Yeah, you should have."
"If you want, I could try and repress him?"
Chase's interest peaked at that but Anti started fighting hard.
"I mean, I'd have to put you under heavy sedation and it'd be black magic and a sacrifice would be involved but-"
"Yeah, nevermind"
Marvin just shrugged, "Don't say I didn't ask."
Chase rolled his eyes, "So you'll think about it?"
The magician bit his lip but nodded, "I'll think about it. Tell me if anything gets worse. Behave, Anti. Otherwise we really WILL have to contact Sean"
'I'll kill him and spread his entrails across the whole street. Gauge out his eyes and-'
"He says ok"
Anti huffed but let it go.
Marvin nodded, a bit disbelieving but shut the car door, waving as Chase drove back home.
'Well that was a development'
"You put the gun in my hand"
'It was only a test. Didn't think I'd actually be able to do it'
"Yeah well don't. I told you not to mess with my head"
'But you didn't say your body. You need to be more specific, Brody'
"Well consider this being specific. DON'T DO IT AGAIN"
Anti was quiet for a few moments before agreeing, 'Fine. For now'
Chase had a few more blocks yet to drive but the silence was killing him and knowing Anti was there, he needed to talk.
"Did you do that in the court, Anti? Did you make that lawyer out to be a fool?"
'What? You mad about it? You should be thanking me! I technically saved all your asses back there!'
"Yeah, yeah. Thought you didn't care. Really it didn't have anything to do with you so why'd you do it?"
'I just didn't like him. Thought it'd be funny so I did it. It's really not that complicated, Brody'
"Hm. Sure. Whatever your reasoning. . .thank you. It really helped."
'Shut the fook up, Brody. You're lucky I didn't make you shoot them all. I could have. Then you'd have NEVER seen your precious fooking kids again'
"Jaysus, you're impossible. I give you one compliment and you practically tell me to shove it up my arse" Chase mumbled to himself.
'Oh I could name off MANY different things you could shove up there, Brody.'
Chase rolled his eyes and left the conversation there as he pulled in the driveway.
When he got in the house, he wandered around little for a few minutes just thinking to himself.
"Alright Anti. Since you've discovered this little trick of yours. . . . I need you to promise me you won't hurt or endanger my kids while they'll be staying here this weekend. I need you to swear it."
'What's the use of me swearing that to you? I could just lie'
"Please, Anti. I'm fooking begging you. What do you want? I'll do almost anything. Just tell me"
Anti laughed softly and Chase could tell the glitch was grinning like a fool, 'Anything?'
"Almost anything. Just fooking tell me"
'Hm . . . . well that's a very tempting offer. I want to say kill the other Septic egos for me but I know you won't do that. I want to kill Sean but I know you won't let that happen'
"You're right. Keep going"
'Since I can't maim anything or have you do it for me. . . for now. . . . . perhaps some ice cream will do. NO! Ice cream AND some of that whiskey in your cupboard! I want to know how it feels to get drunk. If I can with you.'
Chase was startled to say the least but smiled with a surprised blink of his eyes, "Alright. I can get behind that. Let's see if you can get drunk, glitch . . . . after dinner."
Anti groaned in his head.
"I'm having mac and cheese. Relax, you'll love it"
'I'm not a child, Brody. Stop treating me like one'
"Really? Because you sure act like one. Spoiled, too"
'Fook off and drink already'
Chase broke out the whiskey while he was cooking and took a swig. Anti liked the taste well enough. He could already feel the effects of it through Chase. Unfortunately for Anti . . . . he couldn't feel them HIMSELF.
But that didn't really matter to him. Secretly, he was hoping Chase would get drunk enough that he'd pass out. Secretly, Anti was hoping that with Chase passed out, he wouldn't be able to dream again. Anti didn't want to see or hear all of that shit again.
But he'd never admit that to anyone.