Marvin sat at the couch with Anti's legs in his lap. While he was concentrating on the spell that would help heal him over time, Anti was watching some TV show with Basil in HIS lap. Basil had gotten to adore Anti very much and Marvin was almost jealous of the affection she'd give him.
Sometimes he was even jealous of Basil, the way Anti would scratch her just right, making her kick her foot once in a while. Marvin NEVER got her to do that but her purring was envious.
Once finished with the spell, a black and purple smoke seeped into Anti's legs but the glitch couldn't feel it, of course.
The magician cleared his throat, "You know . . . I can turn into a cat, myself."
This grabbed Anti's attention away from the TV and he raised his eyebrow at Marvin, pausing his petting on Basil, ". . uh. . . .. . what?"
Realizing that might have been an awkward thing to say, Marvin blushed, "I mean! I know you like cats! I just thought. . . maybe you'd like to see some other kinds of magic? A transfiguration?"
Anti thought about it and shrugged, "Maybe some other time"
Marvin sighed, "I know you're down in the dumps lately but you gotta look on the bright-side, Anti"
"What bright-side? My fellow ego paralyzed me from the waist down, I can't glitch without shouting in pain, not to mention I'm at high risk for more seizures! I can't sleep anymore, I get headaches all the time and I have to have a fucking wheelchair to navigate around the damn house!"
"Uh . . . . . ." Marvin knew he was angry but he figured maybe a light joke would help ease him a little, "You can still feel your dick?"
Anti snorted and cracked a light smile, "I guess I have that going for me"
Chase walked in the living room carrying some plates with sandwiches on them, "Lunch time, dudes! Where's Jackie and James?"
He served Anti and Marvin a sandwich but Marvin shrugged his shoulders, "Jameson is helping Jackie in the garage with his weights"
"'Kay. I'll go bother them later, then." Chase flopped on the couch next to Anti and changed the channel on the TV.
Anti groaned, "I was watching that!"
"Too bad. My favorite show's on" Chase smirked, "I know you're not used to living with other people but it's a little thing called sharing"
Anti huffed, "Whatever. . . I'm not hungry"
"Eat it anyway"
"I can't. My stomach's bothering me" he mindlessly began petting Basil again.
Chase chewed on a big hunk of his sandwich and hummed, "I know you hate Henrik right now and I don't blame you. But don't you think that's something the doctor of the house should know?"
"Dr. Iplier's coming down tomorrow" Anti's eyes gleamed dangerously, "I don't want anything to do with that bastard"
Marvin watched their reaction but chose to stay out of it. He could see both point of views, after all. He had tried removing the memories Sean placed in them but it never worked no matter what he tried. They were forever plagued with the memories of Anti torturing them all. Killing their loved ones and being the demon they wished they could eradicate.
But Marvin thought of something. Maybe he could ask this, "Anti . .. . do YOU have the same memories we do?"
Anti froze as did Chase and Marvin sputtered, "I mean! Uh . . . Do you remember the same kind of stuff? Or did Sean not do that to you? I'm honestly just curious"
" . . . Of course he did. He didn't think we were real at first. Who would? We're basically OCs. ."
That made sense to Marvin and Chase, the more they thought of it. They all just really thought maybe Sean was sadistic, playing like a god. But of course that'd make more sense.
Anti continued, "But yeah . . . My memory isn't as . . . clear as you guys. But it's there. I just got to keep telling myself that it's not real. Just like Sean said."
"Is it just as hard for you?" Marvin asked.
Chase glared at him but the magician ignored him.
Anti just shook his head, "I can't tell you that. I don't know your pain. I can only tell you all of the pain you've given me"
"We said we're sorry, Anti." Chase whined, "Isn't that enou-"
"And I had told you all I was sorry. Wasn't THAT enough? But of course not. Your pain was greater, right? But while the pain you've been going through Sean says isn't real . . . Mine WAS. Doesn't make your pain any less . . . . I believe it makes us more . . . equal"
On the inside, Chase wanted to strangle him but he had to come to terms that the glitch was right. So Chase calmly finished his sandwich, instead.
Anti could feel his anger, though, "Chase, I-"
But Chase merely got up and left the room. Anti was a little crushed but Marvin drew his attention, "Don't worry about him. You've never had kids. Neither have I but I imagine seeing your own children die in front of you can't be easy, Anti. And then to be told it was never real? That his AND Henrik's own children weren't real? I know we should be over this conversation already but it's not easy, Anti"
"It's not for me, either. . . ." Anti still remembered his nightmare from the other night. How he hurt them all. Drew blood on them all. Laughed at the blood spilt.
A little later, Henrik came back home from a long day's work. It was good to get away from pressuring eyes and glares but he knew it was deserved.
His heart hurt, knowing what he did to Anti. He didn't want that. So why did he do it? It was so involuntary . . . was it really him that did it? It felt unlikely but maybe he was just wanted to shift the blame on something other than him.
So then why did all the malice shift away after he plunged that needle into Anti's hip?
It felt so . . unnatural.
'Perhaps I should talk to Iplier about it. Unless he, too, is angry with me'
When Henrik walked into the living room, he saw Anti sitting on the couch still. As if he really hadn't moved all day. He felt as if he should say something and as a doctor, he couldn't stop himself.
"It's not good for you to stay seated in one place for too long. Could form blood clots"
"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" he retorted, "Leave me alone"
Henrik sighed, "You wanted to stay here after Sean wanted to take you to Ipliers. You should follow my advice. Iplier would say the same"
"I don't care" Anti wouldn't even look at him the entire time, just staring at the TV in front of him.
"You do" Henrik mumbled but kept it mostly to himself, "Where are zhe others?"
"Why?" Anti huffed, "Checking to see if I'm alone so you can finish me off?"
"No" the doctor plainly said, coming closer in to check his legs, "Have you lifted zhem around? Get blood flowing?"
Anti finally glared at him, "I'll get blood flowing over your head if you don't leave me the fuck alone"
"Empty threats. You won't" Henrik sat down on the couch and lifted Anti's legs, moving them around for him.
Anti tried to move away but found he was trapped, unable to scoot away too far. He cursed that he wasn't able to kick him.
Anti was on his guard and as tense as a rock but watched carefully as Henrik rubbed down his legs and feet and gently moved them in a bicycle motion here and there. Anti could feel a growl in his throat but Henrik didn't seem bothered by it, simply doing his job.
Or at least trying to make amends.
After a few moments, Anti started to relax himself but still watched the doctor intently. Henrik was starting to get awkward, though and tried to make conversation, "Dr. Iplier is coming tomorrow. Do you know if any other Ipliers are coming vith him?"
"Why? Afraid Dark will kick your ass?"
"No. . . . . Vhat is your affiliation with zhe Ipliers, by zhe way? I know Dr. Iplier through business of course but zhe other Septics do not know the Ipliers all zhat well."
Anti wanted to ignore his question but felt things would just get more awkward if he did so. It was clear Henrik wasn't about to go anywhere.
"I travel a lot with Sean. I've met all the Ipliers."
"Ah. . . . So you are friends vith Dark?"
The glitch growled, "Why? Is that a problem? Not everyone is what you think they are at first glance. Dark's just. . .. a little off sometimes"
"Like you"
He knew he should have taken offense to that . . but really it was true, "Yes"
Henrik smirked, "Dr. Iplier says zhat you and Darkiplier were-"
'Are you fucking serious!?' Anti was pissed now, "Dr. Iplier is a fucking fan-service liar! Nothing happened! Dark and I aren't gay!"
"Zhere is nothing wrong vith-"
"I'm not gay!"
"Vhatever you say" Schneep clearly didn't believe him but Anti wasn't about to go into details with this argument.
Just then, Jameson walked in only to see the odd scene of Henrik moving Anti's legs around like a play-toy and massaging him. The time-traveler sweat a little, 'All good in here? Chase told me to come get Anti for dinner. Are you eating too, tonight Henrik?'
"I'm not hungry" the glitch huffed.
Henrik just answered his brother calmly, "I do not know. I do know, however, that Anti needs to eat. Skin and bones. You should get in zhe wheelchair and-"
"Don't tell me what to do!" Anti shouted at him suddenly, pissed off that he was so bold to try and do so, "You have no fucking right to order me around! Piss off!"
Henrik stared Anti down for a few moments but finally just got up and walked away.
'Fine. If he doesn't what my help so badly, I won't push it tonight. Perhaps Iplier will say the same thing, though. Anti really needs to help himself'
Leaving Anti behind, he walked down to his downstairs clinic. He could hear Anti struggling against Jameson in the background, though. The mute was stronger than he looked, forcing Anti into the wheelchair to join them for dinner.
It was a tense evening with Henrik briefly coming around them once in a while but other than that, things were . . . . . okay.
Everyone was just on edge.
Anti was just depressed and angry.
Everything would end up okay though. It was all fixable and everything would eventually end up alright. Or at least . . .. that's what a happy ending would look like. . . .
Later that night, Marvin sat up looking through more spells to try and help Anti. By doing so, he couldn't help but to think of him and he reminded of all the things he 'didn't' do.
How couldn't it be real? None of it made sense. Why did Sean create him with these scars?
Marvin lifted his hand over his marred skin on his face, brushing his fingers over the scars he liked to cover with his mask.
'Sean really must have a sick side to him. A disturbed mind. But then again, a lot of people are like this in their own heads, thinking of different characters in pain. But how was he able to do so with us? Making us real only to take away all we knew. Only to take in the very villain we all hated and turn US into the bad guys?'
Marvin snarled at the book in his hands, not really paying any mind to the book, really. He hated Sean for what he did. He hated Anti still to some degree, too but he knew he also felt bad for him. To be created solely as the bad guy . . . . . and to not want that. But to be caught up in all the terrible things you supposedly did?
'He said he remembers to an extent.' Marvin thought to himself, 'Or at least knows what we speak of when we say certain things. Knows why we hurt so much.'
There was something still eating away at Marvin inside, though.
Just as there was Chase, Jackie, Henrik and Jameson.
'Does he REALLY deserve forgiveness?'
Marvin blinked upon hearing such a strange voice in his own head, '. . . . Of course. He's remorseful even if he hadn't convicted the crimes'
'Is he really innocent, though?'
Marvin twitched at the thought, 'I never really looked into Sean's claims' he thought to himself, 'Perhaps I should look into Sean's head a bit more'
'See what you've missed'
'See what I've missed'