Chapter 9: Marvin's Worry
And thus, the seven found themselves inside of Marvin's memory, ready to go through whatever fresh hell to claim the third soul shard. Once they had grown counious, they looked around to try and determine their surroundings. Surprisingly, not even the magician knew where they were. "I...I don't know what this is…" He admits, looking around an open field, with a small table holding cards on the surface.
"It looks… empty." Nega commented.
"Are you sure you don't recognize this place, Marvin?" Angus questioned, as his black scleras looked around.
The cat ego shook his head. "I don't. But shouldn't I? It's my memory after all."
"Come to think of it, something like this happened in my memory as well." Chase stated, being reminded of those roadblocks they had that prevented them from getting to his most powerful memory.
Henrik hummed as he rubbed his chin. "It's a pattern that I've noticed with these memories. The more repressed they are, the harder your subconscious makes it to find them."
Marvin shuddered as he heard that, becoming slightly concerned. "That… doesn't sound too promising, then."
"Trust me, Marv, it isn't." Angus told him. "But we're gonna be here for you, so you won't face it alone."
"And this is only a memory, nothing you do or say will change the outcome." Henrik warned.
"O-okay…" Marvin seemed a bit more calm, though the worry was still written on his face. "But… how are we supposed to get to the memory if we don't know where to go?" Everyone else were just as confused, looking around to try and figure out what they had to accomplish. Before anyone could come up with an answer, a familiar figure emerged, walking over to them. This caught Marvin the most off guard. "B-Beau?!"
"What're they doing here?" Nega wondered as he looked at the person before the group.
"No need to panic, everyone. I am not the actual Beau, I'm just Marvin's memory of them." They explained. "I am here to assist you in getting through the memory."
"R-really?" Marvin questioned, to which Beau responded with a nod. At least this time they would have assistance in locating the memory, rather than having everything attack them.
Angus raised a brow at the non-binary. "So… how do we get to the memory?"
"In order to get to the memory, you will need to go through the events of what led up to that night. The night that he would rather forget." Beau explained.
"Can you take us there?" Anti questioned.
"I can not lead you to them directly, but I can help with the puzzles that lay ahead."
"What… kind of puzzles?" Marvin looked at Beau as the worry on his features increased.
They bit their lip before sighing, looking at their friend. "Marv… it's like what Henrik and Chase were saying. You tried to repress the memory, which has been locked away tightly for a while. If you want to remember it, you'll have to work for it."
The angel of the group tried to reassure Marvin with a small smile. "I'm sure it won't be too hard." The magician looked back at Posi, giving a small nod.
"What do we need to do?" Henrik asked.
"In front of you, there will be several cards. You will need to lay them in the correct order to continue." Beau explained.
"But we don't know what they mean!" Chase cut in.
Beau reassured everyone. "I'll be here to tell you about them. If you do not know what a card means, ask me and I will explain."
"Doesn't sound too difficult." Anti noted as he shrugged. It seemed fairly simple puzzle wise.
"Alright everyone, let's get to it!" Marvin declared. The group went over to the center of the small open area, seeing two cards before them. Both were flipped down to reveal the back, which showed a cat with an eyeball in the center along with the card symbols of a diamond, heart, clover, and spade. Marvin looked at them, flipping them over to reveal the images and the words.
"So, what do they say?" Angus asked.
"They are 'The Fool' and 'Temperance'." Marvin explained.
"And those mean…?" Nega looked at Marvin, expecting an answer. The magician merely shook his head.
"Let's ask Beau what they mean." Angus suggested, as the group went over to the card reader.
"Need help already?" Beau asked, looking over the cards they brought back.
"Can you tell us what these mean?" Henrik asked, pointing at the two cards.
Beau looked over the first one, which was titled 'Temperance'. There was a white silhouette of a figure with green wings, standing in a green puddle as he was pouring water from a cup into the pool below him. In the background was a forest setting, as the figure had their eyes crossed out with a black, thick line. "This card means to bring balance, patience and moderation in your life. It's about finding a middle ground to avoid extremes and maintain a sense of calm."
"The person on the card looks like you, Angus." Posi noted.
"Oh yeah, it does!" Chase stated with a smile.
When Angus looked closer at the card, he couldn't help but flinch. He felt even more weird out when he heard the definition of the card. Did that really sound like him? Anti could see the distress on the hunter's face, so he went over to Angus and clutched his hand tightly. The brunet of the egos looked down at the chimera, who gave him that perma-smile. Though it would seem disturbing to many, Angus knew that Anti was trying to cheer him up. He gave a nod to the glitchy ego, assuring he was alright.
"What about the other card?" Marvin asked as he showed the second one. This one was color coated with purples, whites, blacks and grays. It showed an image of Marvin, standing proud as he summoned sparkles from his hands.
"The Fool…" Beau began to explain. "This card means innocences, having faith in the future, though they are inexperienced and don't know what to expect. It mainly represents new beginnings."
"It must be that one then…" Angus realized.
Nega looked over at the hunter with a brow. "Gee, what tipped you off? The fact that the card has Marvin and this is his memory?"
Posi glared at the devil with judgement. "Cut it out, NeNe." Upon hearing the nickname, Nega blushed and looked away. Angus and Anti couldn't help but to snicker.
"Well, it looks like the fool it is." Henrik suggested, as Marvin went over and flipped the Fool over to reveal the image. They waited, wondering what would happen. Before their eyes, the memory created Marvin who was standing in front of three other people. One of them appeared to have been a woman with long, blond hair who wore a light blue blouse. She had peach colored skin, and was wearing a white bunny mask. A man with short, spiky silver hair was on her left. He wore a purple button up shirt and gray skin. He had on an owl mask which was colorless as well. The last one was the shortest of the bunch, supporting a light sky nightcap and jacket. He had the same colored flesh as the other guy, but had on a panda mask.
"What?! You want to work for me!?" Memory Marvin gasped as he smiled brightly, looking at the three in front of him.
The lady smiled at the magician. "Oh yes! We love your shows and would enjoy working to help make sure your future performances bring as many smiles to everyone as they did to us!"
"We don't have a lot of experience, unfortunately. But we were hoping we could get some hands-on experience?" The one in the owl mask questioned, while scratching his cheek. "I-if you will allow us to work with you, that is."
"I-I mean, yes! I would be happy to have you as part of my circus!" Marvin promised.
"R-really?" The one in the panda mask asked, sounding hopeful.
"Of course! Here, follow me back to the big tent. I'll get you all started right away!" He began to escort them away from the group, walking down the path which was now opened.
"A-Ahh…" Marvin gasped, his eyes wide as he watched the four heading off.
"Marvin?" Chase went over to the magician, as did Angus who was quiet. He didn't trust those three masked people. Something about them seemed… off.
"Easy Marvin… this is just a memory." Henrik tried to reassure him. "Whatever happens, you can not change it. We can only just watch." Marvin was shaking, even so he found the strength he needed for everyone to keep going. Walking down the path until they were in another open area. They stopped as they heard strange voices coming from everywhere at once.
"This idiot! He still thinks these are all accidents! He really isn't that bright."
"You think he's gonna figure out the truth?"
"Of course not! For a 'master of illusion' he's pretty fucking bad at seeing through them. Now hurry up you two, cut the cable! And make sure no one sees you!
As the voices were playing, Anti held onto Angus as he did not like hearing those people that were speaking. Angus reached down, holding onto Anti protectively. He looked around, trying to find out where the source was, but came up empty handed. He didn't like what they were saying either.
"W-Where did those voices come from?" Chase asked, looking at everyone.
"I dunno…" Angus admitted, rubbing Anti's back as the glitch seemed calm now.
"W-what were they talking about anyways?" Anti pondered.
Angus raised a brow. "It sounded like someone was trying to sabotage something."
Marvin whimpered quietly, as he was aware of what was happening, though no one else knew. They tried to keep going, wanting to continue on. Before they could reach the second puzzle, their path was blocked by another Manifestation. This one was called 'Imposter'. It had multiple cat heads stuck together, with an X in the very center. Multiple voices that sound like Marvin's began to speak. Some were accusing the magician of being a fraud, while others were panicking over the thought of others seeing him as such. At first, everyone tried to tune out 'Imposter', but the voices only grew louder. Marvin was becoming more and more distressed as the voices started to pick up and reach his head.
"Marvin, hey… look at me!" Angus looked at the magician, trying to get his attention. "It's okay. You are not the fraud that 'they' believe you are!" He reassured the magician, which helped Marvin calm down, only for the voices to start speaking to everyone else.
"What if I don't deserve the praise? Will you all leave me then?" They ask. Everyone, except for Marvin, shouted 'No' in unison. And while Marvin did answer the same as everyone else, he seemed to stutter upon his answer. As if he didn't believe it himself. "Maybe it's not real. What if I even fooled myself?" The imposter asked, still doubtful. All four of them stepped forward, reassuring them that they are no fools. That everyone loves what Marvin does and nothing will ever change that. "I'm sorry… thank you." The 'Imposter' disappeared, satisfied by the answers.
Marvin's eyes were tearing up as he was holding himself, the words they were speaking had shaken his very core.
"Marvin? Are you alright?" Henrik asked, seeing the ego shaking.
"I-I'm alright… just-just g-give me a moment." He was clearly distraught by the very appearance of that Manifestation alone. Chase and Angus both went over to Marvin, doing their best to calm him down.
"It's okay Marv… they're just words. At the end of the day, they can't physically hurt you." Chase told him.
"He's right… we would never think any less of you." Angus promised.
Marvin wiped away his tears, panting a bit before nodding though he didn't make any further comments. Henrik stepped forward, trying to gather everyone. "We best keep going, there will be much more to see." Everyone else nodded, heading to the center of the field as they saw three cards that were flipped upside down. The three were labeled as 'The World', 'The Moon', and 'Death'. Once again, they went over to Beau, who was standing beside one of the torches between the pathway, for advice.
The first card they wanted to know the meaning of was 'Death', which had an image of Marvin in the background, with his cat form in the foreground. Surprisingly, for a card with such a label, it didn't appear as scary. "Death…" Beau breathed. "This card is used to interpret significant and major changes in a person's life." They showed the card reader the next one, which was 'The Moon'. This one had an image of a bunch of figures wearing masks that supported creepy grins. "This card means illusions and deception, often suggesting a time when something is not as it appears to be. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself." The final card was painted with shades of teal, black and grays. Showing what appeared to be an island floating in an open space, with a noticeable large building next to a waterfall. "This card represents an ending to a cycle of life, or a pause in life before the next big cycle can begin with 'The Fool'. It is an indicator of a major and inexorable change, in short, it represents completion and fulfillment."
Anti stared at the card titled 'The World', as his one bullseye pupil blinked a few times. "Ah…"
"Anti? What is it?" Posi asked, noticing the look that the glitch was giving off.
He looked over at the angel, seeing how worried he was growing. Anti shook his head and responded. "I-it's nothing…" He lied. Angus raised a brow over at Anti, but said nothing.
"So… which card should we put down?" Nega asked.
"This is much tougher than the last one…" Henrik admitted.
"We better be careful, I don't think anything good will happen if we choose wrong." Marvin shuddered.
"I think we can cross out 'The World', since this doesn't seem like the end of the story." Chase suggested.
"At least that limited our options…" Henrik noted. "So, it is between 'Death' and 'The Moon'." Everyone hummed, looking between the two cards as they pondered which one to flip over and keep that way.
"I dunno how I feel about 'Death', I mean… it represents change, but… I don't know if that's the theme here." Chase admitted.
"Actually…" Marvin chimed in, taking hold of the card with the masked figures and flipped it over. "I think… no, I believe it's this one!" Once the card was flipped over, the group was greeted to another memory that played out before them. With Marvin, Bunny, Owl and Panda.
"...A-Another accident?! How do these keep happening?" Memory Marvin questioned.
"If you ask me, I think someone forgot to tighten the cables again, Panda!" Owl shouted at the smaller one.
"Oh really?! And whose job was it to make sure that the safety bolts weren't screwed in so tightly?" Panda pointed out as he held his cap over his face.
Bunny stepped in between the two, glaring at them both. "Enough! Fighting about it won't solve anything! We're deeply sorry Marvin…" She apologized on behalf of all three.
"I-I'm sure it wasn't on purpose…" Marvin tried to calm them all down.
"But… What are we going to do about our medical expenses?" The Owl pointed out. "We don't have a lot of money to begin with."
"O-Oh of course! I'll make sure your bills get taken care of! I promise!" Marvin reassured the three. "C-come on… let's go sort this out in my place…" He begged, escorting the others away from the group down the path.
Angus became more tense as he listened to that. His trust on those three began to grow thin just listening to them. Even Nega didn't like where this was going, raising a brow as he commented. "...That sounded kinda fishy."
Marvin began to sweat just looking at the scene. "O-Ohh no… I-I think I know what t-the memory is now…"
Anti looked over at him in concern. "W-what is it, Marvin?"
"Only if you want to talk about it." Henrik assured, not wanting to force the magician.
Marvin shuddered still, trying to shake this feeling. "N-Not really… I-I might be wrong! Who knows!" He said with nervousness.
"Marvin…" Angus's concern was growing, while looking at the magician. Eventually, they kept walking in order to find the next part of the memory. Once they walked along the path, the voices began to play around them again.
"Limp a little when we walk up to him. The more injured you seem, the more money he'll be willing to part with."
"I'll start coming up with a new 'accident' for next week's show."
Chase gasped. "It's those voices again!"
Tears became present in Marvin's eyes, as he too could hear the voices. "...Mmmm…. Let's keep moving, loves." He begged. Angus was still worried for his friend, but they kept on going up to the next card puzzle. There were three cards displayed for them: 'The Wheel of Fortune', 'The Hierophant', and 'The Magician'. They weren't sure what any of it meant, so they once again found themselves needing help from Beau.
They showed the card reader the 'Wheel of Fortune' first. It was painted with red, black and gray coloring, where someone was hooked up to a spinning roulette wheel, as figures wearing masks held daggers, ready to be thrown. "The Wheel of Fortune. It is a card that introduces an element of change in the person's life, such as change in station, position or fortune. It means inevitable fate." They showed him the next one, 'The Hierophant', which showed a figure who looked like Jackie, sitting on top of a building. "Ah, this card stands for tradition and morality. It can represent marriage or a teacher or counsellor who will help in learning/educating the person." The final card, which was 'The Magician', had Marvin holding up a few cards and giving a smiling wink. "The Magician points to the talents, capabilities and resources at the person's disposal to succeed. The message is to tap into one's full potential rather than holding back. It means willpower and magic." Beau finished explaining.
"So.. are we not going to discuss how many of these cards show off the other egos?" Nega questioned, though he was ignored as they focused on which card to put down.
"So… which one do we flip over?" Posi wondered.
"I… think we all know what we have to put down." Angus sighed, reaching over with a shaky hand as he picked the 'Wheel of Fortune'. After all, if everything followed up to this point, the ending would not be a happy one. The hunter's thoughts were correct as the memory of Marvin and the three masked figures appeared before them.
"M-More money?! B-But I-!"
"We need to be able to pay for our own bills after all of these accidents!" Owl pointed out. "If you don't help out now, we'll just walk away."
"I-I know all of you are vital to the show, but I can't keep- Aah!" The memory version of Marvin stumbled back, as he was struck by Bunny.
"We're the ones who are truly suffering! We're sacrificing our very lives for your sake! And this is how you repay us?! What kind of boss, let alone magician, are you!?" Bunny shouted at him.
Marvin began to cry, holding his cheek as it was red. "I-I'm sorry! I'll give you as much as you want! Just please, don't hit me again!" The memory of the four this time slowly faded until they disappeared into thin air.
"A-Ahhh…" Marvin was left speechless, holding onto his left cheek as the memory was now resurfacing again.
"M-Marv?" Chase looked at him with slight fear, not giving a response. Angus slightly growled, but didn't want to interrupt the situation.
The memory of Beau stepped over to them as they smiled. "This was the last puzzle. You all will be able to find what you're looking for just past here."
"Thank you, Beau. We appreciate your help." Henrik told them with a smile.
"I'm so glad we got to see you here, even if you aren't the real Beau." Posi stated.
Beau smiled a bit as they looked at the group. "Please, be safe. All of you." They disappeared as well, leaving the seven to themselves.
Marvin was still pretty hesitant to go anywhere, shaking slightly as he knew what laid ahead. Anti walked over to the magician, concerned for him. "Hey, Marvin, are you alright?" The glitch asked.
"Mmmmnnn…" The tears kept coming out of Marvin's eyes, as he felt his heart beating fast. Anti could see the stress on the magician's face, so he sat next to him and rested his head on his shoulder, purring while he made his serpentine tail wrap around Marvin's cat one. Marvin sniffled, feeling the comfort from Anti as he reached over, petting the fluffy hair of the glitch as his cat tail was entertwined with Anti's. "T-Thank you, Anti…" The glitch smiled up at him as he kept purring.
"Like I said, he may as well be a house pet." Nega stated as he looked at Anti. Posi lightly nudged the devil, giving him a warning glare.
"We'll be right here to help you get through this, Marvin." Angus told him, as he and Anti helped pick the magician up.
"Yeah, we're gonna help you face this!" Chase promised. Marvin looked at everyone, seeing their kind smiles helped him calm down. Though the worst was still ahead of them, they kept going. Heading along the path as they were in Marvin's carnival.
"Woah!" Anti was amazed as he saw the booths, tents and people around. "What is this place!"
"This is my carnival. It's where I set up for performances and shows." Marvin explained. "There are plenty of attractions and food for the guests as well." As he spoke, Anti's tail was wagging in excitement, that you would have to pin it down just to get it to cease.
"Have you never been to a carnival before, Anti?" Chase asked.
"No! Is it fun?!" Anti questioned with his eye sparkling.
"Oh yes, it is very fun!" Henrik assured.
"So, where should we go from here?" Posi wondered, looking around to try and find their next destination.
"If I had to guess, I would say we should head to my house." Marvin answered, shaking a bit but not as bad as before. The magician led everyone to where his stay was, where he usually was during the shows. They had to maneuver through a few other tents, until they saw a stone-house that was very small but livable for someone. They walked in, being met with an open room with a TV and couch, a table with many papers on the glass, a few shelves of books next to a fireplace as well as a Gay pride flag and a bed. When they approached inside, they could see Marvin crying as he was talking with Beau.
"And I will have to refund everyone that came tonight! This is a complete disaster!" Marvin whined.
"It'll be alright, Marv-" Beau tried to persuade the magician, only for him to cut the card reader off.
"How?! This isn't like the other times a show has completely flopped!
"Everyone has their off days. Just because tonight was bad won't mean they'll all be." Beau from the past tried to calm him down, to no avail.
Marvin sniffled as he looked back at Beau. "Everyone is grumbling about me behind my back..."
"They aren't-" Beau was once again cut off by Marvin's yelling.
"I am not deaf! I've heard them! They all just think I'm an idiot, a failure!" He started to sniffle again. "I'm sure everyone else thinks I'm a fraud at this point, too.."
"Marv…" Beau sighed, not sure what else to say. They wanted to cheer Marvin up, but nothing came to their mind.
After a bit of silence, Marvin rubbed his arm and looked down. "God, why am I even trying anymore?" He sighed and bit his lip.
The seven who were watching could see how much Marvin in the present was trying to keep himself together. "Marvin…" Angus whispered, looking at the magician.
He did crack a smile as his eyes landed on the card reader. "Ha...B-Beau has always been so nice to me. We met at one of my first shows and became fast friends. They've stuck with me through it all."
"Wait, why were so many people mad at you, then?" Angus asked as he raised a brow.
"It...wasn't everyone, Angus...It was only three people. They used "accidents" to manipulate and extort me." Marvin explained.
"T-That's just...s-so messed up." Chase spoke softly, starting to become emotional himself as he was being exposed to these personal memories.
"Ohhhh! I just wanna go hug past you so bad! You look so sad!" Posi whined.
"Don't interfere, toothpaste boy." Nega advised.
Posi pouted as he looked over at the devil. "Hey-!"
"So... were those voices we kept hearing the ones that caused those accidents?" Anti wondered as he looked up at Marvin.
The magician answered as he went on to further explain. "Yes... This...This was the night of my worst show ever. Everything that could've gone wrong did and I...I was crushed...Devastated even… This was the same night I honestly asked myself if...b-being a performer is what I'm meant to be after all."
Angus blinked at Marvin as he spoke up. "I've never really been to one of your shows, but I've always heard people talk about them positively."
Marvin sighed. "Oh yeah, now they do! But it took a lot of work. I had to learn from a lot of mistakes. Even so… it was worth it." He smiled softly.
Anti couldn't help but be amazed himself, being reminded of what a carnaval was about. "Do you think we could go see one of your shows sometime?" Anti asked Mavrin.
Posi gasped as he smiled himself. "Oh yes! We should go see one of his shows! I want to see them myself!"
Marvin looked at the two, seeing how excited the glitch and angel were. "Tell you what, once you and Angus are all healed up, I'll put on a special show for you two free of charge."
"Really!?" Anti gasped as he was astonished.
"Of course! To help celebrate your recoveries!" Marvin promised. Anti and Posi seemed giddy as they looked at one another, excited to see the event. Even Angus couldn't help but chuckle at that response. It wouldn't have been a bad idea, and he was looking forward to it.
However, their attention was brought back to the past before them. "Marvin?" Beau looked at the magician in concern.
The past Marvin gave a sigh as he looked to the ground. "I-I need to step outside for a bit. Get some fresh air.."
Beau wanted to protest, but quickly shut their mouth as they just wanted Marvin to feel better. "Alright, be safe though. Okay?"
"O-Of course… thank you…" Marvin stated, heading out of the room as the others watched.
Present Marvin shuddered, as he knew something the others didn't. "Oh-Oh no! T-this is what happened just before-" He was cut off as a loud slap was heard. The seven jumped, looking outside the door to see what happened. They saw Marvin with the three masked figures, who were upset at the magician. What was weirder, was that their masks were much more dirty than before, even cracked in some areas.
"A-Ah! I-I-I'm sorry!" Marvin from the past started crying again, as he had been slapped by the only female of the group.
"You promised this show would be better, and look where that got us!" Bunny complained as she stared at Marvin.
Owl stepped up as he seemed just as upset. " Maybe we should walk out on you, since you don't care enough to allow this to keep happening."
"I-I promise! This was just a bad night for me!" Past Marvin cried out.
The one in the Panda mask held his hat over his head. "That's what you said last time. And the night before that. You only get so many "Bad nights" before you're out of buisness, you fucking wannabe."
Everyone watched the scene play out, and they all were disgruntled upon seeing it take place. Angus glared at the three, knowing full well they were behind this. Posi gave a disapproving look at the masked trio. Marvin backed up a bit, but Chase and Henrik stood by his side. Even Anti began to growl as he looked at the scene, his glitching starting to increase.
"I-I'll give you anything you want! Do you want raises again? I-I'll do that!" Past Marvin shouted with teary eyes.
"I dunno, what do you boys think? Will raises cut it?" Bunny questioned as she looked at the ones behind her.
Owl nodded, not complaining. "That sounds nice. But I also want a bigger act in the next show!"
Angus snapped as he looked at the three. "Assholes!"
"Who do these guys think they are?!" Chase was in utter disbelief.
"Clearly they thought they could get away with this." Henrik grunted in annoyance
Anti kept growling, going on all fours as his tail was raised. This caught the attention of Posi, who looked at him with concern. "A-Anti!?"
Angus looked over, seeing how upset Anti was, far more than usual. He went to the chimera's side, holding him to make sure no one else saw this. "A-Anti… calm down…" He begged. When Angus looked into his eyes, he held back a gasp. Anti's one eye that was shown was now completely black, just like how he first met him. His perma-smile was vibrating into a frown. "A-An...ti?"
"A-Anything you want! Just, don't hit me again-"
"What's going on here?!" Beau interrupted the group as they walked out of the house to join in on the conversation. Mostly everyone was relieved once they got involved, but Anti was still unconvinced.
"B-Beau!" Marvin gasped as he looked at the card reader. "It's nothing, just, uh-"
"Oh, good. You're here too? You're just in time. Maybe you can help this pathetic excuse for a performer make up for tonight." Bunny stated with her hands on her hips.
Beau looked over at the group in confusion, but anger as well. "What are you talking about?!"
"We were hoping you could teach this idiot a lesson in consistency!" Owl exclaimed.
Panda chimed in. "He knows he can't do the show without us. So if you want him to keep his cute little circus running, you both had better pay up."
Beau began to grow more angry as they snapped. "He doesn't owe you shit! Have you guys been extorting him?!"
Panda jumped, offended. "Hey, you don't get to talk to us like that! You're probably just as much a fraud as him!" He pointed directly at Marvin.
"You're one to talk, considering you're extorting him! You're just a bunch of crooks." Beau stated.
"P-Please don't get involved, Beau." Marvin pleaded.
"No! I'm gonna get involved! These fucking assholes don't deserve a cent from you!" Beau shouted, as he looked at the magician. Though he was not yelling at him directly.
Anti kept growling, baring his teeth over at the masked figures. It became so bad, even Nega had to be there to try and help. Eventually, the glitch caught the attention of the others. "I-Is he… alright?" Marvin looked at Anti, who was being held against Angus's chest to calm him down. Henrik and Chase saw this, taken aback at the glitching mess of the chimera.
"Easy…" Angus spoke in a softer tone of voice, trying to get Anti out of that mindset.
"Seriously, what's wrong with-" Chase got interrupted as they looked back in time to see one of the masked figures slapping Beau, who winced in pain.
"Beau!" Marvin ran to their side. "A-Are you okay?"
"Heh, what now?!" Owl mocked as he stared at Beau.
The non-binary gritted their teeth, looking between Marvin and the crooks. "You know what… if it's money you want, then we'll give it to ya! Come on Marvin, let's head back inside." The two of them walked back into Marvin's house, while the three crooks watched them go. Thankfully, that memory ended and Anti seemed to have calmed down. Angus looked at Anti's state, making sure he was stable. Nega and Posi picked him up, while the glitch was trying to settle his body.
Angus then looked back over at Marvin, who was shaken by the memory. "Jesus Christ… people like that used to boss you around?" He was disgusted by the very masked members alone.
Marvin looked at the hunter, explaining the story. "A-At the time, I thought they were right. That I needed people like them to run my shows. But, they never cared about the show, they just wanted money and nothing else. It turns out, they had been sabotaging shows and extorting money out of customers and other performers for a while. Without them around, my shows instantly improved though! Morale went up, people started enjoying the shows again, and there were no more random accidents that occurred after that event." He smiled towards the end during his explanation. The light returned to his eyes.
"I can't believe people like-like those three exist in the world." Posi pouted, still upset about the ordeal.
At this point, Anti had finally collected himself. He stood up on his feet as he rubbed his arm, keeping his eye downcasted. "People like that are everywhere…" All eyes were on him as he was reminded of his past. "You think they truly care about you, but they only ever see you as something to step on for them to progress themselves. They don't care how you feel or what pain you're in, all they care about is how they can use you. They don't see you as a person…"
Angus looked over at the glitch, finishing his sentence as he could understand the pain Anti was going through. "They see you as an object."
"Just like the people who have caused you harm." Marvin noted, going to Anti and giving him a gentle hug. "You poor dear."
"Hate to admit it, but he's right." Nega agreed. "There are some sick bastards in the world."
"That is why it's important to find the people you know you can trust. Those that you feel a bond with and see you as you!" Henrik added.
"Is this… what happened when you got corrupted?" Anti asked, looking at Marvin.
The magician nodded. Angus looked away a bit, ashamed as he remembered what he made Marvin go through. What he made him believe how the others saw Marvin as. Like Angus mentioned, he never knew how badly he truly affected the others. All he wanted was to help them but… in the end he just hurt them. The hunter looked over at the magician, putting on a brave smile. "You know… for what it's worth, I would love to see your next show." Marvin glanced over at Angus, grinning back as he giggled.
"Come on... we still need to find the soul shard." Henrik informed them.
"I think we already know who has it." Nega grunted, looking back at the door to the house. The seven prepared themselves, heading outside where they were greeted by the three masked figures. At this point, their true colors began to show. The masks they wore had infused into their skin, showing off some animal-like features like fur, tails and feathers onto their bodies, while being medled with goop.
"Hey Marvin, are you ready to pay up!?" Bunny demanded.
The magician glared at them, narrowing his eyes as he was aware they had to fight them. But he was no longer afraid. "I don't have any cash on me, sorry. But, I do have these hands~!" He ended up flipping them off, with a blep on his face.
"Come on boys, let's show him who's the real boss here!" Bunny exclaimed.
"Alright, time to fight!" Nega cracked his knuckles as they were prepared. The three Liars emerged, Anti growled again as he went feral, ready to attack. Angus, Posi and Nega were by his side, ready to attack as well. Marvin, Chase and Henrik went after Bunny. Henrik started using a normal strike, trying to knock her off her feet. She was able to catch her balance, only for Chase to use his 'Fidget Spinner' to get her mask, breaking it more. Marvin summoned his deck of cards, using his 'Air Deck Flurry', slicing her skin with the papers. She tried to get to them, attacking with her 'Bunny Hop', jumping on one of them. Chase was knocked down, but thankfully he took this chance to use a 'Trickshot' and managed to get her right in the throat.
The other four were focusing on Panda. Anti ended up jumping on the smallest of the Liars, clawing at him to get the mask off his face, but it was really attached to his skin, so he only gave him a large and bleeding scar. Angus used his 'Double Slice' to fully cut down Panda. For extra measure, Posi used his 'Winter's breath' to keep him frozen to the ground, making him imobile and therefore, unable to fight.
Once Bunny and Panda were taken care of, they focused on Owl who was the last one. At this point, everyone was a bit winded. Henrik used his 'Bandage' to fix everyone up. For extra measure, Marvin used 'House of Cards' to help create a shield around them to lessen the damage. They didn't hold back, Nega summoning his 'Hell Fire' to burn Owl, setting his feathers aflame. Chase used his 'Drive By' to start shooting the last Liar. Eventually, the three were exhausted, panting as they looked up.
"D-Do you really think you can get rid of us! We will make sure your career is flushed after this!" Owl exclaimed, holding up his fist as he was ready to hit Marvin.
"W-What the hell?! We should have defeated them!" Chase gasped as he was confused. They were so weak, how could they still have energy to attack?
Marvin shuddered, as he thought he would be hit by one of the Liars. Before his fist could come down, Owl grunted. They all watched as a red hand was holding onto Owl's wrist. The three masked Liars turned, seeing none other than Jackieboyman glaring at them as he twisted Owl's arm behind his back and kept him on the ground.
"W-What? Is this... Part of the memory?" Angus was confused, watching as Jackie was holding the three down. A man in a police uniform soon appeared behind the hero, he had bronze skin with dark hair, but piercing green eyes, similar to Rose's eyes. Marvin and Beau from the memory came out of the house, seeing the scene before them.
"What's going on?" Marvin questioned, shocked as Jackie and the officer were cuffing the three Liars.
"Are you the ones who called?" The officer asked as he looked up at the magician and card reader.
Beau stepped over. "I did… These are the three I told you about, Officer Chad Flenderman."
Anti gasped when he heard that name, looking at the officer. "W-Wait! Flenderman is Rose's last name!"
"The girl from the hospital?" Nega questioned, raising a brow.
Posi's mouth was wide open as he looked over. "Then that man must be…" He trailed off as the rest of the memory played out.
"Yep, they match the description." Mr. Flenderman sighed.
"W-What is going on?" Marvin wanted to know as he watched Jackie put the three into the cop car, which was parked not too far from the house.
"These three are wanted con artists. They're known as the Masked Trio, scamming people out of businesses by becoming workers and sabotaging the inside to get more money. I heard rumors that they were hiding here, so I asked Jackie to take a look around for me." Chad explained. Marvin was surprised, watching as the three were locked up in the cop car. Jackie came back over and gave a salute.
"Alright, they're all yours Officer Flenderman!"
Chad smiled as he looked at Jackie. "Thanks Jackieboyman. Good thing you got here when you did. I'll be taking these three back to the station with me, and I got a lot of paperwork and testimonies to get through. Want to join?"
"Actually, I think I'll stay here and scope out the damage that they did." Jackie reassured him. "I'll leave the rest to you. Oh! And tell your wife congratulations! I can't wait to see the little one now that she's born!"
Chad chuckled as he patted Jackie's shoulders. "Stay safe out there, hero!" He winked, heading over to the cop car as he started to drive the three crooks to the station.
Beau stepped over to Marvin. "I'm… gonna head to the station to give my testimony. I'll be back soon." They promised, leaving Jackie and Marvin alone.
The hero stepped over to the magician, with worry. "Are you alright, Marv? Beau told me what happened, I'm sorry I couldn't have been there sooner."
"N-no… thank you for coming regardless…" Marvin shuddered as he rubbed his arms. "I… I can't believe they would… I mean, when I first met them they were so happy to want to work for me. I knew they were getting more and more upset, but I assumed it was because of the accidents. I didn't think… I mean I never…" He trailed off.
Jackie went over to Marvin, holding his shoulders as he looked him in the eyes. "Hey, it wasn't your fault! They're con artists for a reason. They may not have cared about you or the show, but that doesn't mean you have to close up your walls! There are people out there that will hurt others just for the heck of it sometimes, but you should never let what they say get to you. Chad… I mean, Officer Flenderman, once told me that you can't please everyone! Not everyone will be on your side, they will think little of you until the day you or them will die. But those that appreciate and stick by you, no matter the cause, they are the ones that truly matter. Sometimes it just takes a while to find them… But trust me, you'll bounce back from this. You're a magician, performing is in your blood. And I know there are those out there that appreciate your shows. I know… I do."
Marvin stared at Jackie, taken aback by his speech. He gasped a bit, before a smile formed on his face. "T-Thank you… Jackie…" The hero grinned, pulling his arms back only to hiss as he held his left shoulder. "A-Are you alright?" Marvin asked in worry.
"Y-yeah… just fell off a building the wrong way…" He chuckled.
"There's a right way to fall off a building?"
"Yeah… the one where you don't get hurt." Jackie winced as he rubbed his shoulder.
Marvin reached over, holding his hand. "Here, let me take a look at it."
"Oh… no you don't have-"
"It's the least I can do after you helped get those frauds out of my circus! Besides, Henrik's hospital is too far away. I know some healing spells." Marvin bleeped again as he led Jackie into the house.
Jackie was blushing slightly, seeing the kitty face that the magician made. "Uh… well… if you insist." He giggled as he was led by Marvin back into the house.
The seven watched, seeing the ending of the memory as the purple soul shard was left behind. "I remember now…" Marvin smiled warmly as he looked at the window, seeing his past self tending to Jackie's wounds. "After Jackie and Officer Flenderman arrested those crooks, Jackie and I watched some episodes of 'Charmed'. Turns out he was interested in some spell caster shows that I liked. That was the first time me and Jackie started to get closer. Eventually, we confessed to each other our feelings and we've been together since!"
"Wow…" Chase chuckled. "So in the end, it all worked out."
"Yeah… I guess all of those bad memories make it worth it… seeing this." Marvin couldn't help but have sparkles in his eyes as he watched the two of them cuddle close on the couch, watching the TV as it played the show.
"You know, Marvin. You and Jackie have so much in common." Posi said to him.
Marvin looked at the angel as he raised a brow. "O-Oh?"
"Jackie's memory was a lot like this. Being beaten up, being helpless against people that are angry at you... taking advantage of you just because they can." Nega explained.
"A-Ah...Yes.. The bullies." Marvin grunted as he remembered those two that caused Jackie pain. "That's why Jackie and I are so close. We've helped each other get through the scarring left by these experiences. He has always been there for me when I started to think this fraud stuff might happen all over again and I am there to reassure him and tell him that he is both loved and important to everyone. And we help each other when we need it the most. We make each other feel safe..~" A blush and smile was present on Marvin's face as he explained.
Posi couldn't help but gush. "Awww…"
"That is very sweet." Henrik started to weep.
"Hehe.~ He really is." Marvin giggled, blushing even more.
"You've overcome all of these setbacks, failures and mistakes to become the successful magician that you are today! It wasn't easy, but you went for your dream and you achieved it! I'm so proud of you, Marvin!" Posi smiled at the magician.
"Thank you. I'm proud of myself too.~" Marvin told him before picking up the shard, which had come from the memory.
"That makes three. We're already halfway done!" Nega noted.
"We are making good progress. At this rate, we will have the six shards in no time and begin the soul serum!" Henrik smiled. Anti and Angus looked at one another, beaming as they were happy that it was all worth it.
"You know, this whole thing gave me the strangest idea for a trick! I should head home at once to work on it!" Marvin jumped, becoming excited.
"Yes, it is time to head back." Henrik declared.
"It was nice to finally meet you, Marvin." Posi told the magician.
Marvin looked at the angel and devil, keeping that smile upon his face. "Oh you sillies, you can talk to me whenever you want! After all, Beau mentioned seeing you in their recent dreams."
This bit of information caught the souls, Angus and Anti off guard. "W-Wait… Beau knows about Posi and Nega?" Anti questioned.
"H-How?" Angus wondered.
Marvin merely replied with a mischievous grin. "They are a lot more powerful than a simple 'fortune teller', my friends." That was all that Marvin would say, and even though it left a few in questioning, they figured it was best not to ask.