AN: This is my own headcanon as to why James is mute. ;; I've seen a lot of people having Anti to blame, but I really wanted to try out a different approach to it.

The living room was filled with laughter and cheers as Marvin and Wilford put on a show. They'd begun doing so at least once a week, and the Septics were always there to watch alongside a select few Ipliers.

Jackieboy stuck as close to the cat-masked magician as he dared with magic swirling about Marvin. Chase's kids sat with the Jim Twins, all four watching wide-eyed while the father himself chatted with Bing and Oliver off in a corner. Schneep and Dr. Iplier were on a begrudging standby; it wouldn't be the first time if a magic show wound up injuring someone. It had been Chase last time, and he'd only recently recovered from the broken rib.

Jameson was the one 'reffing' the show, using a hushed voice only the magic-users directly in front of him or androids with their acute hearing could pick up on; telling the two when they needed to tone it down, occasionally making floating hands appear in front of him to start the applause whenever a particular trick was finished.

During these events, he never spoke but to the entertainers. Anxiety would well up in his chest if he'd so much as attempt to raise his voice, so the pair instead strained their own hearing to make out his softspoken words.

It was nice, though. Despite the occasional mishap, the shows were always fun, and a good way for those who worked constantly, like the doctors, to catch up on things with the others. Like with Chase's youngest, Sophie, when she split from the group of four to scurry on over to Schneeplestein (who seemed to be her favorite for some odd reason). She tugged on his coat, then looked up at him, making grabby-hands until he relented with a smile and picked her up. Dr. Iplier couldn't help but smile as well, almost full attention turning to the little girl as she rambled purposeless sentences to the Septic.

Jackie was saying hushed words to the magician that had Marvin's face turning red under his mask. It almost looked like he was trying to fluster Marv just so he'd lose to Wilford, and it made Chase and the two androids roll their eyes and snicker.

"Keep it in your pants, Jackie!" Chase called. "'Least let 'im finish the show first!" The superhero just gave him a look that had the father laughing even harder.

That is, until his son turned away from the show to set his sights on Chase. "Daddy…what's that mean?"

Now was Jackieboy's turn to about die of laughter as Chase fumbled for an answer. The androids were trying to contain their own mocking whirs as they elbowed the father. "N-nothing, Ky!"

"Dude." Behind his sunglasses, Bing's eyes rolled; lips quirked into a smug grin. "That's the best you can manage?"

"I'm not explainin' it to an eight-year-old!" Chase's face turned a deep pink as his voice cracked. Jackie howled as if that was the funniest thing in the world, soon joined by the androids. Marvin, Wilford, and Jameson were having trouble focusing as they, too, seemed to find immense humor in the father's struggles.

It was a good thing Anti was doing a recording with Jack. He would've teased Chase the rest of the month if he'd been there.

As snickers died down, Wilford and Marvin cleared their throats and Jameson nodded to them to continue.

Their tricks got more and more daring. The duo would glance at each other from the corner of their eyes, just challenging the other do do something more impressive. Jameson was growing increasingly worried as Wilford in particular was getting more careless.

"Lads. Time to stop." The 'pop!' from the next trick was too loud for either one to hear Jameson's quiet voice. The androids, however, shifted when they picked up the dapper Ego's words; tense, alert, watching the performers with bright eyes.

"Stop." Fizzling static and crackling fire blocked him out that time. Jameson took a wary step back, eyeing the other twos' hands carefully. "Stop!" They still couldn't hear him; his voice was far, far too quiet. Jameson's own hands raised slowly; his 'Helping Hands' turning white and transparent and growing drastically, now copying his hands exactly.

They clapped. It was a thundering noise that had the whole room jumping, even Ego Central startled by it as the living room light flickered to show that even the building had 'jumped'. The duo, in the middle of their tricks, hissed and covered their faces, the room filling with smoke and a sound like tiny explosions.

The Twins instinctively curled around Kyler to protect the little boy. The doctors did the same with Sophie, and androids with Chase. The performers were shouting, cursing, crying out as their tricks backfired.

Someone screamed.

The Septics' doctor felt his stomach drop as the sound cut out as soon as it had started.

"Central!" Schneep's distinct accent cut through the smoke, followed by coughing. "Fans!"

Fans appeared in the ceiling as if by magic and turned on, clearing the room of the thick smoke. The building creaked; a concerned sound. Who was hurt?

Jackie was holding Marvin, who clutched mangled hands against his chest. His mask had saved him from a nasty gash to the head; now it lay on the floor, split in half with only the string holding it in one piece. Wilford had managed to stumble backward and fall right into a chair. There was a deep cut in his forehead, and his sleeves were shredded; arms bleeding with each cut in the yellow fabric. He looked more stunned than anything. Jameson was seated on the floor, wide-eyed with his hands over his mouth, vest and dress-shirt shredded. The others had been far enough away to only come out with minor cuts; Chase and his children completely untouched due to their quick-thinking 'shields.'

Kyler and Sophie both bolted to their father as soon as they were released, already crying. Chase's eyes were blown wide as he knelt and held them close. They buried their faces against his shoulders, hands bunching the fabric of his shirt. He didn't seem to notice how badly his own hands were shaking.

The doctors both stood stiffly, wincing at the stinging in their backs; red spots staining their white coats. Whatever tricks had caused the cuts, there was nothing left behind. It was almost as if the air itself had turned into a bunch of knives and razors, then shot out in random directions.

"Who…who screamed?" Schneep asked. His eyes were shifting over each person in turn, each one shaking their head.

Jameson was the only one who didn't react. He stared at nothing, hands clamped firmly over his mouth and tears filling his eyes. When Schneeplestein knelt and rested a gentle hand on the youngest Ego's shoulder, Jameson jumped and backpedaled rapidly. The tears finally spilled with the action, leaving lines across his pale cheeks.

It was only at Jameson's level that Schneep could see the blood on the younger Septic's hands. It ran through his fingers, seemed to drip from his chin.

"Jameson," the doctor said softly. He held his hands out as if to take the others in them. "I need you to move hands. I need to see what is wrong." Shaky hands obeyed, and Schneep took a shuddering breath. The blood was coming from Jameson's mouth, as he'd suspected. "Open your mouth. Let me see." The other shook his head, red-stained teeth clamped tightly together.

"Chase," Schneep said without turning away from Jameson, "take the children to Incorporated." He swallowed thickly. "Now." He waited until the trio of footsteps had retreated through the Door that would take them directly to the Iplier's place. The androids weren't long to follow.

"Ja-Jameson and Wilford have worst injuries," he said. His eyes hadn't moved from the dapper Septic's face.

Dr. Iplier nodded and pointed to the door that led out of the living room and would take them to Schneep's lab that had functioned well as a clinic over the years. "Marvin, Jackie, and Twins: Help Wilford to Henrik's lab. We'll be there momentarily."

Schneep reached forward, gently taking Jameson's chin in his hand. "Let me see." His words were firmer now.

Instead, the youngest just coughed, spraying blood at Schneep's face. Jameson immediately looked alarmed and apologetic, reeling away from the doctor and covering his mouth again.

"James…"

Dr. Iplier shook his head and shouldered Schneep aside. "Jameson." His words were demanding. "Open your mouth. Now."

When he finally obeyed, the doctors glanced at each other; expressions ones of mixed emotions with shock the most prominent.

"I-I'll go get started with the others," the Iplier said around the lump in his throat. He'd…he'd thought maybe it was just a cut that would require stitches. This…couldn't be fixed, though. It was so much worse than he—either of them—had initially thought. Jameson hadn't been acting dramatic in the slightest. "You find…" it felt odd, wrong, to say, "the end of his tongue. We really don't want one of the younger ones stumbling across it."

Dr. Iplier guided the injured Septic to his feet, unnaturally caring as he walked with Jameson tucked against his side; leaving Schneep to search for what had likely been reduced to a shredded lump of muscle.

Within a week of the incident, the doctors had finally released the last of their patients: That being, Wilford and Jameson. Those injured in the accident still had obvious stitches, Marvin's hands still bandaged and awkward, the doctors looking over each others cuts each morning.

Jameson made his way down to the Ego Central kitchen for the first time since he'd woken up in Schneep's lab with his injuries tended to. Despite the painkillers Dr. Iplier had forced down his throat an hour before, the young Ego's mouth ached and he swore his tongue felt heavy and swollen. Only problem with that was it was impossible. Phantom pain, Schneep had explained. That's all it was.

Peering into the kitchen, Jameson took note of Marvin, Jackie, Chase, and Anti. Marvin was leaning against the superhero, Jackie speaking to him quietly. Chase was attempting to hold a conversation with Anti; the glitch, however, wasn't actually paying attention as he read a Sherlock Holmes book. He only hummed occasionally so that the father thought he was actually listening. Chase's kids were nowhere to be seen, so he could only guess they were in the living room playing games, or even still asleep.

Jameson's steps were soft. Despite the fact he wore dress shoes, the heels barely clicked against the tile, and it took the others a moment to notice he'd entered. The youngest cut toward the cabinets for a glass, filled it with tap water, and seated himself at the table next to Jackie. He didn't dare try eating anything yet.

He smiled politely at the others, trying to ignore the fact Marvin had gone tense and wouldn't meet his eyes.

"How you doing, James?" Chase asked. The words made Anti notice the dapper Ego's entry very last, and he blinked a few times in an 'oh yeah, there's people in here' sort of way. It caused Jameson to crack a genuine smile as he found humor in it.

To Chase, he gave a thumbs-up, then lifted his glass to his lips.

"Hey. Be careful."

Jackie's warning came a little too late as Jameson choked and lapsed into a coughing-fit. Most of what had been in his mouth wound up either on his shirt or the table. Water dripped from his mustache, and he looked at the glass as if it had wronged him.

Jackieboy hummed and stood up, leaving Marvin alone to curl in on himself. "I've got an idea, James. Hold on."

While he went rummaging through the cabinets for a straw, Jameson glanced up as Marvin got to his feet. The mute furrowed his brows and frowned deeply. Before Marv could actually leave the table, Jameson reached out and took the magician's arm in his hand: Stopping him in his tracks. Marvin still wouldn't look at him, even as the youngest kept hold and stood. He turned the magician around, attempted to look him in the eye, but Marvin kept his head lowered. He had on a new mask, pristine white since he couldn't decorate it yet with his hands bandaged.

Jameson had a look of concern across his face, hands now on Marv's shoulders in a firm yet comforting gesture. He knew Marvin felt guilty for what had happened. Jameson didn't want him to feel that way, though. It had been an accident, and Jameson and Wilford were at fault, too!

"James… Just let me go. Please." Marvin tried to push the others hands away, but the youngest Septic held fast.

The mute just offered a sad sort of smile and, before the magician could react, dragged him into a tight embrace. Marvin went stiff, eyes wide. Jameson didn't seem to care, ignoring the other Septics and just holding the magician. "I…" Marv choked on a sob and finally wrapped his arms around the other. He buried his face in the mute's shoulder, his own shaking.

"I…I'm so sorry, James! I-I didn't mean…"

Jameson pulled back, just enough to look the older Ego dead in the eye. He was smiling in a way that bared his teeth, blue eyes bright. He brought a finger to his lips in a 'hush' motion.

'I forgive you,' he mouthed.