Chapter 6: Morning with a zombie
"How could it have escaped?!"
"Someone must have freed it from the Interdimensional Space!"
"We can not trace it anywhere in the building. And the cameras have barely given us enough information to tell us what happened."
"Will SOMEONE give me any good news or leads?!"
"From what we can gather, it appears some sort of being was wandering the hallways and had managed to find the room in which the Project was held up in. Then they freed it and it appears they were captured in some sort of green light then disappeared."
"So, what does this mean?"
"The light that was encasing them gave off the same magnetic energies that we have been experimenting with. It appears that whatever it was that took the Subject, was able to travel from our plane of existence into another."
"You're saying that this figure that took the Subject was able to do what we've been doing for years now?"
"If that's the case, then this figure is much more powerful than we thought. Have you been able to identify the one that freed the Subject?"
"They seem to have the appearance of one of the former Vessels we tried out. I believe he closely resembles Vessel #52."
"So… did one of the Vessels go rogue?"
"Impossible, without the Core to give the Vessel life, they would just be a lifeless husk. Though, how or why this figure resembles closely to one of the former Vessels is questionable… Perhaps it could explain why they were able to transverse the different realities."
"Is there any way that you could track them and bring them back?"
"With the state our equipment is in, that's like asking for a miracle. And we people of science do not believe in such things."
"But perhaps we could find a way to at least pull the source back to us, though it may take some time."
"I don't care what we have to do! Our futures are up in the air until we can get the Subject back. Until we can fix the Core, our world will be in this hellish state and we will forever be affected by it. If we can get the Subject back, we can begin to work on restoring our forms and getting out of this decaying world."
"And, if by any chance, we are to bring the one that took the Subject from its prison… what shall we do with them?"
"...Kill them!"
"Angus? Angus?!" A robotic voice cried out as Bing Septiceye barged into the cabin that belonged to Angus Irwin, the Survival Hunter. Morning had come upon the Mindscape, and though it was so early, the android was searching for his boyfriend, needing him for something urgent. His eyes were able to see the large fort of pillows and blankets that was in the center of the living room. He hurried over, opening the blanket door and peeked inside. When he did, he gushed at the sight before him. Angus was laying on the pillows, as Anti was asleep on the Hunter's chest. The green fluffy wings were covering the Glitch, while Anti's tail wagged every so often. The two snored as they slept, which would explain why none of them heard anything.
Bing's eyes went wide, as he adjusted his antenna on his side to make the camera in his eyes operational. "Soooo cute~!" The yellow ego smiled as he was enjoying the scene. Why was his Angel so pure?
"Mmmmmnnn?" Angus shifted in his sleep, finally registering the sound of his Sunflower. "B-Bing?" His eyes fluttered open, turning over to see Bing staring at him. It took a moment before he fully opened them and his vision was clear.
"Sorry to have awakened you. I have come here for some urgent matters, but when I saw you and Anti in such a state… I had to take over forty pictures to save in my hard drive." Bing giggled.
Anti began to yawn, the noise beginning to reach his ears and waking him up. He fluttered his eye, looking up between Angus and Bing, who were crowding him in the small tent. Angus chuckled, seeing Anti slowly sitting up. "Hey, sleepyhead." He joked to Anti.
"How was your first night sleeping with Angus, Anti?" Bing questioned, appearing more calm now as he wanted to know what went on last night.
Anti hummed as he stretched out his tail. "It… had its rough patches. But, it was pretty fun." He smiled up at them. "Thankfully, I didn't have any more nightmares…"
"Nightmares?" Bing repeated in question.
Angus responded. "He uh… had one really late at night. So we built this fort to keep him comfy." The Hunter didn't go into anymore details, since he didn't want to share any information that was sensitive to Anti.
"I see… nightmares are never fun. You are lucky that Angus was there to help you overcome it." Bing smiled. The two looked at one another for a while, before looking back over at the android.
"So uh… why did you come here so early, Bing?" Angus asked. Not that he minded his boyfriend being at his place, but he sounded like he was in a panic at first.
The yellow septiceye character jumped, becoming worried once more. "Oh dear! I was admiring the two of you, I forgot why I came here! It's Robbie!"
"What about Robbie?" Angus began to worry himself.
"He got himself stuck in a tree."
Angus jumped, becoming increasingly concerned. "He what?! How?! When?!"
"He got stuck up in a tree near the pub! Please! Come quickly!" He urged. Angus and Anti stumbled out of the fort, doing their best not to hit their heads. Bing practically dragged them out of the woods and headed down Chase's neighborhood until they reached Attitude City.
"Are we almost there?" Anti asked as he felt his arm being tugged by Bing. He was surprised how strong of a grip this robot had on him.
"Yes! He got stuck up on the tree in front of the pub!" Bing explained. Soon enough, they were outside the location the android told them about, where Marvin, Henrik, Jameson and Chase were gathered around a tree. When they looked up in the branches, they could see Robbie sitting there next to a bird. He seemed pretty carefree, despite being up so high as he sat comfortably next to the feathery creature.
"Robbie!" Angus called out as the three approached the other group.
Marvin turned around, seeing them coming over. "Oh, there you three are!" He sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness you all got here." Henrik noted.
"How did this happen?" Angus questioned as he pointed to the tree.
"It's all my fault." Marvin admitted as he had a guilty face. "I was coming back from Jackie's place to go to my carnival, because I had to go and set up things early in time for tonight's performance. Bing and Robbie met up with me and Bing asked me if I could watch Robbie while he went to get some new parts for his upgrade he was going to give himself. We waited outside of the pub for a while, for him to come back. A few fans saw me and wanted my autograph and well… I couldn't refuse." Marvin rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted that part. "I only turned my back on Robbie for a few seconds, but the next thing I knew, I turned around and he was-"
"Biiird frennn…" Robbie spoke to his new pet as the others heard him.
"How… Did he get up there?" Anti wondered.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Marvin muttered nervously. "I am so sorry Bing!" He bowed to the android
"At least he's safe… but we have to get him down immediately!" Bing stated in a panic.
"Biiinnn! Hiiiii~" Robbie waved down to his protector, seeing not just him but everyone else down below.
Angus stepped forward. "Robbie, whatever you do, don't move!"
Henrik smiled as he waved over to the zombie, being the most calm out of the group at the moment. "Hello there, Robbie! What are you doing up there?
Robbie responded in his most care-free state. "I haveee bird frennn!"
Bing looked up at the undead fan ego and smiled. "That's nice Robbie… are you able to come down though?"
The zombie looked around, taking in his surroundings. His face turned from a smile to a frown as he now understood the gravity (no pun intended) of the situation. "...oh…"
"Is there any way you could get him down from there?" Anti asked.
"Jamie and I have done what we can to try and get him down. But it's too high up…" Marvin stated. "Even if I turn into a cat to climb up, I would not be able to get Robbie down."
"I'd volunteer to help out with my 'tree climbing' skills. But with the way my soul is… I don't think that would be a good idea…" Angus admits, feeling the area of his chest where his soul is.
"Have you tried… oh, I don't know… USING A FOOKIN LADDER?!" Schneep cried out.
Bing jumped upon the profanity. "Henrik, language!" He ran over to Anti to cover up the Glitch's ears, who turned to the android in confusion.
The doctor sighed. "Apologies… but seriously, couldn't you just get a ladder from the supply or handy shop?"
"Uh, Hen… we don't have those kinds of stores in Attitude City…" Chase admitted. The doctor's eyes went wide as he slowly turned to Chase, as if he was ready to hit somebody for this ignorance.
"Since we rely on Jackie for these kinds of situations…" Marvin chuckled nervously.
"Did you try calling Jackie?" Bing asked.
Jameson Jackson used his hands to communicate to answer the question. "He wasn't answering when Marvin and us called him. He's probably still asleep."
"Guess we will need to find him in person to get his help." Henrik noted as he was a bit annoyed. "Though, I was going to need him anyway." The doctor turned to Angus with a small smile. "Son, why don't you take Anti to the hospital and wait in the Soul Clinic? I'll go find Jackie and bring him here."
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Angus asked.
Henrik nodded. "I know where to go, you two boys just wait over at the hospital for me and Jackie."
The Hunter nodded, since it would do them no good to stay here anyways. He held onto Anti's hand and led him down the street. Anti looked back at the zombie in confusion. "I don't get it… if he's a zombie, why don't you just let him fall? I doubt he could feel anything being undead, and if he breaks something, you could easily repair him."
Angus bit his lip, trying to figure out how to respond. "Well… I guess that would be an option? But uh… Dad may not have enough stitches for that kind of work." Angus told him as they were soon out of sight.
Once they were gone, Bing turned back to Henrik. "We'll stay here and keep an eye on Robbie. We'll try calling Jackie again in the hopes he picks up."
Marvin nodded. "Yes, we will watch the boy and make sure he doesn't get hurt. Please, let Jackie know and hurry!"
Henrik nodded in a determined manner. "I will! I already know where to go, so I'll be right back!" The good doctor turned on his heels and headed down the road. It would be a long way there, but he had to hurry. Luckily he already knew where to go. Chances are, Jackie was probably in his secret hideout which he, Chase and Jack were able to locate two years ago, during the time of the Corruption. He knew that it was behind some curtains in the church, which was just a few miles away from the hospital. He had to venture through the city, being greeted by many of the residences as he passed the faces by. Once he made it to the parking lot, he knew he was nearly there.
The doctor looked at the large building, where the church was. He sighed, taking in a deep breath as he would have to go in. Just as he was making his way to the doors, his eyes looked over to the gravestones in the yard. Biting his lip, Henrik walked over to where the tombs were. He passed them, making his way to a certain stone where there were white lilies over the ground. He looked at the epitaph as it read: Here lies Joline Schneeplestein. Beloved wife and mother. There was a lily engraved above the words, they were her favorite flowers after all.
Henrik knelt down, looking at the grave as he took in a breath. "H-hello Joline… It uh… has been a while, hasn't it? I know, I know… I should have visited you a lot sooner. I'm so sorry, I have a lot going on right now. There's so much that has happened I… don't know how to fully explain it but… I think you should know. You probably already have seen everything from above, but… a bit of P.O.V from someone else never hurts?" He chuckled solemnly as he did his best to hold back the tears. "See, my son that I took in, Anti… well, Angus now. Remember when I told you about him? I found him one day in the alley way after I visited your grave. He was so scared… so alone… I couldn't leave him there. I was surprised when he told me he considered me a father figure to him. It was quite the honor.
"But uh… he is not doing so well right now. He has been through so much and especially with the real Anti. I'll admit, I do not know much about the real Anti, he seems like a total stranger. I mean, he is not the one we have known for years now but… he is a mere child. Very clingy, especially towards Angus. And a kind soul, despite coming from a bad home. I think he only wants a place to belong, so we are doing all we can to welcome him with open arms. As for Angus… ha, despite being in a new form, he has the same spirit as he did before. He is very protective of everyone, wanting to help out so he could get better. He sure is a fighter, but a gentle soul. I know that if you were here, you would have loved him. And I'm sure he would have taken a shine to you as well…" He trailed off for a while, biting his lip while the tears kept falling down his face.
"I...I am going to save them both. I will not let them fade away… I will save them! But… could you… if you are looking down right now do you think you could… give them some of your blessing? I think they would really appreciate some comfort from an angel during these trying times." He hiccupped at the end, feeling his body shake as he bit his lip. It always pained him whenever he talked to his late wife. He wondered… had she ever forgiven him for his failure?
"Doctor Henrik?" An angelic voice called out from him. Henrik jumped, he turned around, seeing a face that was associated with the church.
"Angel Septiceye…" Henrik breathed, sitting up as he looked at the figure who wore a white robe, having snowy, fluffy hair with a golden strip. A yellow halo and feathery wings to match his appearance. "Ah… I was… just talking with Joline…" He sighed, looking over at the gravestone.
Angel smiled, his golden eyes shining. "I'm sure she is very happy to see you. I'm also pleased to see you here today. It has been a while since your last visit."
Henrik chuckled. "Y-yes… glad to see you have made a resident at the church. How has it been adjusting to the Mindscape as a new ego?"
Angel shrugged. "Well, it has been difficult, but after redesigning the church and having Sunday Masses, I have made myself at home."
Henrik chuckled. "Glad to hear it. Oh, by the way, have you seen Jackie by any chance? I need him for something important."
Angel nodded. "I saw him run in and out of the church a couple of times. He appeared in a hurry. He was also in his superhero outfit, so I assumed it had something to do with his hero work."
Henrik hummed upon hearing that information. "That would explain why no one was able to get a hold of him earlier… Is he back in the church?"
"Oh yes!" Angel assured. "He actually just came back a few minutes ago."
"Thank you Angel, I wish to head inside and speak with him." Henrik requested. The white-haired septiceye allowed him into the building. There were no people since it was after mass, so they were all alone. Henrik walked through the pews, heading above the platform and found the large, white curtain which was much cleaner and had less holes in them. Angel probably replaced the fabric. "Alright," Henrik smiled as he grabbed ahold of the curtains. "If I remember from last time, the door was behind…" Henrik trailed off, as he looked over to see that a panel with many buttons was right next to a newly, metal-based door.
"A-A keypad?!" Henrik blinked, he did not remember this.
Angel saw it as well and explained. "Oh! He added this when I was redecorating the church. He said he wanted a more secure hideout, so he added some extra measures for his lock system."
"You uh… wouldn't happen to know what the code is… do you?" He questioned. Angel shook his head. The doctor sighed in annoyance. "Well, so much for that." He rubbed his chin, as Henrik tried to figure out his next move. That was when an idea finally struck him. "Oh! Of course! The Cool Patrol! Danny knows a lot about Jackie's superhero life, maybe he has an idea as to what the password is!"
"Great thinking Dr. Schneeplestein! Perhaps you could call him and ask?"
Henrik nodded, taking out his phone. Jackie gave Henrik the number of Danny to him a while back. As he typed it in, he waited as the phone rang a few times. He actually believed he wouldn't be able to get an answer until…
"Hey, Danny Sexybang here! Who's this?"
"Hello Danny, it is Henrik, Jackie's friend?"
The cool guy laughed. "Henrik! Man, I haven't seen you since you, Chase and Jack crashed our hideout over at the cliff side. Thanks for giving us a call this time."
"Y-yes… sorry again for that. Actually, that is why I am calling you. I need to get to Jackie, but he isn't answering his phone. And I am here at his base, but there is a keypad here and I don't know the code." He admitted.
Danny chuckled. "Oh yeah, people kept finding his hideout by accident, so he had that put in about… a month ago, I believe?"
"That is why I am calling. Do you know what the password is?" Henrik asked.
"Yeah, he gave it to me in case of emergencies."
Henrik jumped in joy, finally a break! "Excellent, could you tell me what it is?"
"Woah, waoh, woah, Doc. I can't betray his trust like that. What if someone heard? And spread it around?"
"Please Danny! It's very important that I talk to him immediately, otherwise I wouldn't have asked." Henrik begged.
Danny was quiet for a bit on his end, as if he was pondering the choice. "Alright, I'll give you the code. But you gotta do something for me first."
Henrik did not like the sound of that. "If you want me to dance, I am not the best at-"
"Nah, don't worry. I'm not gonna make you do the whole dance thing. That's just a formality to see if you're cool. But listen, we're in the middle of shooting a new music video. We're gonna be going on break for a while, and I promised the group a bowl of weed. If you can pick us up some of the dankest weed around, then I'll give you the passcode. And not just the normal stuff, I need the best."
"That's it?" Henrik wanted to make sure there wasn't more.
"Yeah, if you can grab it and meet us at the Skating Rink, I'll tell you the passcode." Danny promised. "My advice, go find Chad. He usually sells the stuff you need."
"Alright, I'll do my best." Henrik promised, hanging up and sighing. "Looks like I've got more running around to do. I swear Jackie, you owe me big time for this." He states as he thanked Angel again, promising to be back then headed out the door. As he came out of the Church, he turned to his left and noticed a familiar puppet figure that was really close with Chase.
"Sah, dude!" The puppet guy greeted the doctor.
"Chad! Thank goodness you are here. I need to ask you a favor." Henrik sighed.
"Yeah, you want to buy some of the dankest weed from me for Danny."
The doctor raised a brow when he heard that. "How… did you know? I only just-"
"I have my ways." Chad stated. "Anyways, you are one lucky doc, I'm running a special right now! 70 of my dankest weeds for only 9,999 Boss Bucks! What do you say?"
Henrik was surprised, hearing that price. "Uh… I'm afraid I don't have that kind of money, Chad." He admitted.
"Well then you are still in luck, cause I have a one time offer for you then! Doctors with green hair and round glasses, who are a close friend to my ace customer Chase Brody, get 70 of my dankest weed for free! Consider it a thanks for being such a loyal customer and needing me during weed night."
Henrik smiled, glad that it worked out in the end after all. "Thank you Chad, I will take you up on that offer!" The puppet gave the doctor the drugs and shook hands with him. "Thank you for the help Chad."
"Anytime, dude." Chad waved. Henrik turned around, with the weed in his pocket, all he needed to do now was head to the Skating Rink and deliver the weed to Danny. Then he could obtain the password and move along with getting Jackie to rescue Robbie. It was a bit of a fetch-quest, but as long as he was making progress, then he didn't care.
Henrik had a longer way to go, since he had to go past the university, over to Central Station then to the Bowling Alley where the Skating Rink was joined with. He ended up taking public transportation because he didn't want to travel so far on foot. Once he was in Central Station, he made his way around the plaza, running into a few other residents until he was at a large, wooden building. Upon entering the door, he found himself in a large waiting room with a black flooring decorated with neon colored splatters. The walls were light gray colored, supporting many posters and promotions. The only furniture were couches with green cushions. A glass desk was in the center of an alcove in the area. Behind the chair of the desk were large, blown-up letters spelling out 'LAUGH!'.
The doctor went straight ahead to the first double doors near him, since that was where the skating rink was. When he entered, he could see that most of the floor was covered in fine wood as a few people were skating around, with a couple of cameras and microphones. In the very center was none other than Danny Sexbang, wearing a red bandana over his fluffy, brown hair. "Okay everyone, that should be good. Let's take a break and go over the footage." The people began to skate out of the rink while Danny was still in the center. Henrik walked on over, seeing him. "Oh, hey Doc! Glad you could make it. Did you get what I asked?"
"Yes, I have 70 of the dankest weeds. I trust this will be enough?" Henrik asked, handing the stash over.
Danny grinned with satisfaction. "Oh hell yeah! Thanks Doc!" He took it from Henrik.
"So, about that password-"
"The what now?" Danny questioned as he was already pulling out some of the leaves.
"The one for Jackie's hideout?" Henrik reminded him.
"Oh yeah, right! It's the day when he officially joined our group. October 18th, 2016. 10,18,16. He uses it for a lot of things, honestly. But uh… don't tell him I said that."
"Well, thank you for your help, Danny." Henrik smiled, glad he got what he needed.
"Anytime man, and hey once the video is over, I'll send you a link so you can watch it."
"What kind of video are you making?" Henrik asked.
"A music video that hits close to home, especially to those still living with their folks." Danny winked. "Anyways, stay cool." Henrik waved to Danny, wishing him luck on his video. He headed out of the skating rink and took the bus back to South Attitude City where he managed to get back to the Church and went to the white curtain. He entered the password that was told to him, and was able to open the door. He walked right in, heading down into the sub-basement as there was no longer a sewer system below. The moment that Henrik walked right into the secret base, he was hit in the face with a powerful oder. He pinched his nose as he gagged.
"Gack! What is that horrible smell?!" He questioned. He was able to get an answer as a couple of furballs meowed at him. He looked around the area, seeing a bunch of cats wandering around. They. Were. Everywhere! On the floors! On the furniture! Heck, one was even starting to claw up on Henrik's scrubs. It seemed that Jackie had managed to get himself a cloudier of cats. Speaking of the superhero, Henrik was actually relieved to see that the other ego was kneeling down next to a brown tabby, laying a saucer of milk down for it to lap up the drink.
"Jackie! Thank fuck I finally found you!" Henrik breathed, which was a mistake as the stench invaded his nose again.
The hero who was wearing his casual clothing turned around to see the doctor. "What the hell- How did you get in here?"
"Ah, Danny told me the passcode to allow me access into your hideout." Henrik explained, forgetting that he promised not to rat Dan out.
Jackie glared with annoyance and betrayal. "...That son of a bitch!"
Henrik raised a brow in his own annoyance. "I only asked for the password because you weren't picking up your phone and I needed you!"
"What number did you call?" Jackie asked.
"Why does that matter?"
"I added a new number when I got a new phone. See, I have one phone for personal calls and another for my hero call. I was letting my personal phone charge on my nightstand but kept my hero phone by me at all times just in case."
Henrik's face drained of color at the explanation. His eyes even began to twitch. "I guess I should have told you guys… I'll give you the number later. I've been busy looking over my cats all morning. They ran out of food and milk, so I had to stop at a few stores and get some supplies." Jackie explained. Henrik looked down at the one tabby that Jackie was just taking care of. The furball meowed, rubbing it's head up against the hero. Jackie blushed as he saw the action. "God. They are all so good. Look at them, Henrik. They are all. SO. GOOD!" Jackie picked the one up, snuggling it close to his face as he gushed.
"Jackie, I thought you were gay, why do you have so much pussy?" Henrik muttered. The hero didn't listen to him, he was just letting the one cat lick his nose. The doctor sighed, out of concern and curiosity. "How many do you even have?"
Jackie let the cat go, looking back at the other human and shrugged. "I uh… dunno. I lost count a few months ago."
"I'm surprised Marvin hasn't gotten jealous…"
"Oh, it was his idea!" Jackie beamed.
Henrik once again sighed. "Of course it was."
Jackie got serious, looking at the doctor with a raised brow. "So, what's up anyway? Why did you need me all of a sudden?"
"Robbie is stuck in a tree." Henrik stated.
Jackie looked at the man in confusion. "He-What?"
"Did you not hear me? He is stuck in a tree!" Henrik repeated.
"How?" Jackie needed to know.
"Long story short, Marvin was watching him, he saw a bird in one of the trees and climbed up!"
Jackie hummed at the answer. "Alright, alright. I see the emergency. So, where is he?"
"He's in the tree in front of the pub. I'll take you there!" Henrik assured him.
As if by magic, red lights surrounded Jackie as he dawned on his hero getup. "Let's get this fucking bread!" He declared with a large grin as he began to head out.
"Uh… Jackie, Robbie isn't made out of bread though." Henrik pointed out, confused.
"N-No doc, it's an expression."
Henrik had to put two and two together before he chuckled nervously. "O-Oh! Yes, I knew that! Let's… get the bread!"
Jackie shook his head. "Doc… n- let's just go."
Jackie and Henrik made it to where Robbie was along with the others. The hero wasted no time in quickly jumping on the branches and gently placing the zombie back on the ground safely. Bing rushed over to Robbie, crying tears of worry and joy. "Robbie! Are you alright?!" Robbie squealed as he saw his guardian. "BIIIINN!"
"You need to be more careful. You could have fallen or hurt yourself!"
Robbie tilted his head in confusion. "I had biird frenn? Thoo?"
Bing gave a smile as he was calm now. "Bird friends have to stay in trees to be safe. Zombies can get hurt if they go in them. You can be their friend from down here, alright?"
The zombie nodded, going up to him with that innocent smile. "Okayyy, Biiiin!"
Marvin stepped over, guilt still written on his face. "Bing, darling. I am so sorry. We tried to stop him from climbing up there, but he got away from JJ and I."
The android waved his hand with a grin. "There is no need to apologize. Thank you for helping him get down, Jackie. Come on Robbie, I'll get you something to eat and you can tell me all about your bird friend.
"Yaaaaaaaaay!" Robbie jumped as he followed Bing.
When they left, Jackie struck a pose as he smirked. "Another day saved by Jackieboyman!"
"Thank you darling, you really helped us out." Marvin smiled.
"Sorry I couldn't get here sooner." Jackie stated. "But at least all's well that ends well."
Henrik turned to the superhero as he needed yet another request. "Jackie... I have one more thing I need help with."
"What is it?" Jackie asked.
"Well, it's about the events of last night. I'm not sure how much Chase has informed everyone, but basically, Angus and Anti are in very deep pain. Anti needs to be given his souls that Angus took from him in order for the glitching on his body to cease. But we need to stabilize Angus's soul first, so I need multiple donors. Would you be willing to help out?"
"Depends, what are we donating?" Jackie questioned
Henrik tried to explain. "I need to get soul shards, which means I need to extract a small piece of your soul."
Jackie raised his brow as he heard that. "A piece of my what now?"
"I know it sounds a little scary, but it's perfectly safe, I promise." Henrik assured.
"And... you need it to help Angus and Anti?" Henrik nodded, as Jackie looked up and started to create a smile on his face. "Well, it is my job to help people. So if it has to be done, then I'll do it~"
Henrik gave a soft smile. "Thank you Jackie... Meet me in my lab at the hospital and we can get started."
Marvin then came over to the two and grinned at Jackie. "Dear.~ I have a show tonight, but I'll make sure to stop by and take care of your cats for you.~"
"Thanks Marv." Jackie blushed and smiled at his boyfriend. The two of them flushed as they were deeply in love, even Henrik could see it. The magician turned to the doctor.
"And Hen? If you need me to donate a shard, feel free to come by after I'm done.~"
Henrik was glad to hear that, this meant they would be able to get three of the six soul shards they needed for Angus's soul. Hopefully they could get them all at once. "Thank you Marvin. Well, we best get going!" Henrik waved at everyone, heading down the pathway towards his hospital. Thankfully the building wasn't too far away, so he headed down the street, up the stairs and into the doors. He was greeted by another fan-made ego that was currently working as his receptionist. Someone who looked like they had on an old-timely filter over their skin and clothes.
"Welcome back, Dr. Schneeplestein!"
Henrik walked over to the desk, looking at his new hire. "Greetings, Shawn Flynn. How have you been enjoying working here?"
"It's great! Much better than working for Joey, that's for sure. How are you doing? Still working on your project?" Shawn asked.
"Ah… yes, unfortunately." Henrik sighed. "But we are making progress."
Shawn tried to reassure him. "It'll work out in the end! I'm sure!"
Henrik smiled, wanting to hold onto that hope. "Speaking of, have you by any chance seen Angus and Anti?"
"Actually, they were here waiting for you to come back. But then Angus took Anti to the elevators. Said that he wanted to show him a garden which was on the second floor." Shawn explained.
Henrik nodded, thanking Shawn before heading to the elevator and made his way up to the second floor of the hospital. Said floor had a different color on the walls, a light shade of lavender. As he walked out of the elevator, he was greeted by his own Septiceye partner, Nurse. A blue Septiceye with a white hat on. "Doctor!" She greeted him. "I wasn't expecting you to come up here as well!" She admitted with a gasp.
"I assume that means the boys were here?" Henrik asked.
"Yes! They headed into the Pediatrics area together! I had just finished making a fresh pot of coffee and was coming down the elevator when I spotted them."
"Thank you Nurse. I better go get them first." Henrik stated, heading through the doors and walked right into the ward. A large chunk of the center was taken up by a room with glass panel windows, looking into a small arbory with bushes, flowers, trees, a pond and a couple of animals inside. Mainly ducks and rabbits inhabited the small space. Around the rest of the room, toys were scattered everywhere, with a couple of chairs against the wall. Henrik could see a few kids running around, playing with their toys or drawing pictures. The good doctor began to look around, wondering where Angus and Anti were. He wondered why they would even come to this place to begin with.
He walked along the room, keeping his eyes peeled. He was caught off guard the moment he saw a man with brown hair and green wings being surrounded by a bunch of kids, three in fact. Henrik blinked, approaching as he started to chuckle. Angus saw his father figure coming his way, as he had an annoyed expression on his face. "Henrik. Help me." He practically demanded.
Henrik tried to hold back his laughter, but was failing as he smirked. "Ah, I see you've made… several new friends there…"
"Y-Yeah, they kinda started climbing all over me-" He was caught off from explaining as a girl in a blond ponytail pulled him back on his knees.
"HIS WINGS ARE SO FLUFFY!"
A young boy in blue with dark brown hair looked up at Angus through his square glasses. "Mister, do the eye thing again!"
"The eye-Oh, you mean this?" Angus made his scleras turn from white to black, making his pupils glow green inside.
"Whoaaaaa~!" The kids awed as they were amazed by the magic trick Angus had.
Henrik smiled, wanting to intervene. "Alright children, Angus needs to say goodbye now!"
"Y-Yeah, um! Sorry, kids!" Angus stated, a bit nervously.
"Aww, but mister! I wanna keep playing!" The one boy said.
"Doctor Schneeplestein? Can he stay and play a little more?"
Henriik hummed as he looked at Angus, tempted to see what else the kids would do to him. Angus, however, had a terrified look on his face as he clearly did not want to be near the kids right now. "Dad. Please save me." He mouthed the words without saying them so he didn't want the kids to hear.
Henrik chuckled, seeing the look Angus gave him which was the signal he needed for them to head out. "Well... I would say yes, but he needs to have a check up. I'm very sorry, little ones. Maybe later."
"Awww... okay." They sounded disappointed, but didn't try to stop them either. While the pair were heading out of the ward, the kids waved and called out to the Hunter.
"Bye Angus!"
"Byyyye!"
Once they were through the door that separated the ward from the hallway, Angus's face began to regain color though he was still sweating and looked mortified. "Ohmyfuckinggod I felt like I was being crushed to death…" He shuddered, looking back over at the door as he was reminded of the trauma that had already settled.
Henrik raised a brow at his son as he asked, "Why were you even in there?"
"Anti and I were waiting for you for so long and he was getting nervous. I was told there was a garden up here so I took him there to try and calm his nerves. I didn't expect to be attacked by a horde of younglings." Angus explained.
Henrik chuckled. "That's the pediatrics area, where all the children go to get their checkups and sometimes live there for long recoveries."
"Dad, I don't get to visit this part of the hospital! How was I supposed to know? Besides, I only ever see the Soul Clinic area." Angus told him.
"Fair enough…" Henrik still chuckled. "Actually, we better head there. Jackie should be waiting for the three of us to… wait…" The doctor looked around, turning his body as he realized that they were missing someone. "W-Where is Anti?"
Angus noticed that the Glitch was nowhere to be seen either. This made him jump as his eyes went back over to the door. "Oh god! Don't fucking tell me!" He jumped as he began to head back into the ward. "Hang on Anti, I'll save you!" He made a mad dash right into the ward, with Henrik following behind. The Hunter looked around, trying to locate Anti. The other kids had gone back to their rooms, as there were hardly any in the halls. "Anti!" Angus called out, starting to grow worried as he did not see the child.
"Calm down Angus, I am sure he is alright." Henrik tried to reassure his son. Angus was more worried with how Anti would react to the other children. He's never been around others except for Angus. He's met with the egos, but he's hardly been around anyone but the Hunter. And considering that strange animalistic state he can go into, the last thing he wants is for him to hurt the kids here.
"We have to find him before-"
"Again, come on!" A young girl's cries interrupted Angus.
"Okay, okay, count to ten!" The two of them could hear the glitching effects of Anti nearby. Henrik and Angus jumped as they looked at one another in confusion, but hurried along to follow the voices. They went straight ahead to go inside of a small hospital room, with two beds, a curtain, pink walls and a window. The first thing they noticed was a young girl, covering her eyes. She had bronze skin and wavy rose-pink hair that reached to her shoulders. She wore a light blue hospital gown, and around her arms, legs, neck and even left side of her face were bandages that covered her skin. She seemed peppy though, as she was counting.
"Eight… nine… ten! Ready or not, here I come!" She called out. The two watched as she was looking around the room, checking behind the furniture, looking above the ceiling, going into the small bathroom that was attached to the bedroom. She hummed, trying to find what she was searching for. Her golden eyes soon looked over in the curtains near the window, where a familiar green dragon tail was sticking out. She giggled, heading over there and pulling them back to reveal Anti. "Found you!"
Anti giggled with his perma-smile still on his face. "You're really good at this!"
"Next time, make sure your tail isn't sticking out. That was how I found you." Anti picked his tail up in his hands as she spoke to him.
Angus stepped over, wondering what was happening as he wanted to get involved. "Anti?"
The two kids turned to face the others that were in the doorway. "Oh Angus! You managed to get free of the others!" Anti noted.
Angus groaned, stepping over to Anti to see if he was okay. Though it appeared he was safe. The young girl jumped as she noticed the other figure who entered the room. "Dr. Schneeplestein!" She smiled, becoming more cheerful just by looking at him.
"Hello there, Rose. Have you come back from your skin therapy?" Henrik asked the young girl.
She shook her head. "Not yet. I was waiting for the nurses to come take me. That was when Anti came in and we started to play hide-and-seek! Do you know he's never played that game before?"
Henrik chuckled upon hearing that, he then turned to Angus and Anti. "Well, looks like you two had a fun time in this ward."
"Do you want to play another game, Anti? It doesn't have to be hide-and-seek! I have a bunch of different board games we could try out!" Rose suggested.
Anti's eye went wide, liking the idea. Unfortunately, Henrik stepped in to answer. "I'm afraid Anti needs to come with us for a check up. But perhaps later he can come back." Henrik tried to promise. Anti seemed a bit down about that, but he knew that they had to go since it seemed they would be getting another soul shard.
Rose didn't seem as unhappy, as she seemed to understand. "Okay… I'll see you later Anti. Good luck with your check up. And don't worry, you're in great hands with Dr. Schneeplestein!" Rose promised as she winked at him. Anti nodded, waving to her as the three headed out of the room, taking the door to go from the ward and managed to go into the elevator. As they rode it to the Soul Clinic, Angus, Anti and Henrik were talking. "So, I see you made a new friend, Anti." Henrik noted.
The Glitch smiled. "Yeah, she's really kind and fun!"
"How did you two even meet?" Angus questioned.
"Well, after you got tackled by the other kids, I was nervous so I ran into a nearby room and tried to hide. I took cover under the bed, hoping to not be seen. That was when Rose peeked underneath and it caught me off guard. I ended up bumping my head on the bed." Anti noted as he rubbed his hair. "I was worried she would be scared of me, so I tried to run but… she asked me if I was hurt instead. She asked me about my face and… wondered if I was in pain." Anti held onto the one half that was distorted, still a smile graced his lips. "She told me she was in pain as well, but that it would eventually get better. The next thing I knew, she was teaching me about hide-and-seek and we were playing for a few rounds!"
Angus took the last sentence with a bit of salt. "Oh sure, you get the gentle and sympathetic child while I had to deal with the horde." He complained. "But… What was she talking about 'skin therapy' for?"
Henrik sighed as he went to explain. "A couple of months ago, Rose and her family had a fire in their home. It was a very devastating tragedy. Jackie and the fire department were able to go in and save Rose, but… unfortunately…" He trailed off as he looked down.
"W-What happened to her… parents?" Angus asked, but was afraid for the answer. Henrik remained silent, looking down in mourning. The other two knew what that meant, and it made Anti's stomach drop at the news. Angus looked down in regret. "Poor kid…"
"T-thankfully, she was able to survive. She ended up getting some first to second degree burns on her skin, but is currently making a recovery through therapy. Her grandmother heard about what happened and will be taking Rose to live with her from now on. She still has some more sessions to get through, but if all goes well, she should be discharged later this week."
Anti did perk up upon hearing that. "I really hope she'll be able to go back soon. She told me that when she gets better, she would invite me over to play!"
"Well, that is definitely something to look forward to." Henrik smiled, happy that Anti seemed to have become much more cheerful. Even Angus was impressed with how friendly he was to Rose. Though, he did have to admit, he was happy that Anti made a friend in the MindScape that wasn't one of the other egos. Maybe it was a sign he would settle well here.
Soon enough, the group were on the third floor, maneuvering through more halls until they reached the room with the machines. Jackie was waiting for them, still in his superhero getup. "Took you long enough! Where have you been?" Jackie asked.
Henrik chuckled as he tried to explain. "A-Angus was attacked by a v-vicious horde of children…"
"Dad…" Angus looked unamused once again.
"It was a bloodbath! I don't know how… how he survived." He kept laughing, on the verge of tears at this point.
"DAD!" Angus spoke up in a louder tone.
"They didn't seem that vicious to me." Anti stated. Angus rolled his eyes at the comment.
"Alright, alright…" Henrik tried to calm down as he looked over at the one in red. "Are you ready, Jackie?"
"As ready as I'll ever be!" The hero stated. "So, how does this work?"
"I'll hook you up myself. Angus, Anti, you two get to your benches." Henrik advised. The doctor helped Jackie lay down on one of the benches as Angus helped Anti out.
"You gonna be okay, Angus?" Anti asked as he looked up from where he laid.
Angus gave a sigh. "I'm a bit worried about what Jackie has in store for us. But, it's the only way we can get the soul shard. As long as we stick together, we should be alright." He said this more to himself than Anti. The Glitch could sense how nervous Angus was, but did not say anything else. Both of them were worried and afraid. Still, they hooked themselves in and let the machine take them to the inside of Jackie's memories.