Chapter 11: Buried Memories
Angus sighed in his sleep. After coming back to the cabin with Anti, he crashed on his bed with the glitch and tried to get as much rest for tomorrow. They still had three more soul shards to collect before they could give the soul serum to Angus. Chances are, they were planning on getting the last ones within the next day or two. And with how exhausted he got with each memory they went into, he would need all the strength he could get. What he didn't expect as he fell asleep was to be awakened to another dream sequence. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a room that appeared very familiar to him. "Mnnn…? Where… where am I now?" Angus took in his surroundings, recognizing a lot right away. He found himself inside a room with lowering floors, desks that had many buttons, monitors and levers. In the very center of the room, where the floor was the most lowered, was a large box made out of glass next to a red button.
"W-Wait a minute… this is the room where-" Angus did not have time to finish his sentence, as he looked over to see two men in white lab coats. The shorter one had more wild hair, which was a dusty blond as he was holding a tape recorder and a notepad. While the taller one was much more groomed, he did have stubbles on his chin. They were near the glass box, as the one with the tape recorder played the button and started writing on the paper. All the while, the one with the stubbles began to speak in a gruff voice.
"May 5th, 2014. Project Core day 1,270. Although we are making progress with our other experiments, the Vessel still appears unable to develop the balanced out energy we need. So far, it is only able to emit negative energy with only small amounts of positivity. Despite over several attempts to suppress the negative half and increase the positive one, there have been no new developments. On the plus side, it seems that the Vessel has become perfectly attached to the Core." The taller one waved his hands, indicating to shut off the recorder. The other scientist did as he was told, while the gruff one rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sighed. "This is exhausting…"
"The bosses aren't going to like this…" The other one, who had a strange accent, pointed out.
"You think?" The taller one grunted. "I still remember what they said to me when I gave them our last report."
"Oh yeah, it's right here!" The one holding the clipboard flipped through a few pages until he got to a certain one. "He said, and I quote, "Listen Thomas, I know you and your crew are doing your best, but we are trying to create an interdenominational core, not an abominated chimera that can hardly function. I don't care what form it takes, your job is to make sure it does what it was created to do! I know these are the early stages of the testing, but our whole lives depend on this success!""
The taller guy, who seemed to go by Thomas, glared at the other one. He grunted, before looking back at the box. "Well, they did give us this task. And we have to deliver what we promised." He looked into the glass case, where Angus could see the past Anti, who was huddled into one of the corners. He held himself while crying, being covered with bandages not just on his neck now, but around his arms and legs. Those were new, did they do that to him?! Angus looked at the two scientists and growled. How could they do this to him? A child who was cowering in the corner. "The form isn't the problem, for some reason the negative half of the soul is still greater than the positive one. We can not begin the final experiment until they are evenly balanced."
"So… what's the problem? Is it the pills? The injections?" The one with the accent questioned.
Thomas shook his head again. "I don't know. That's what we need to figure out." He looked at Anti, as the chimera looked up at them from within his cell, shaking. "I'll have to look back at the Core blueprints and determine if there's a way we can increase the positivity rather than just suppress the negativity. With how stable the Vessel is, throwing it away now would be starting from scratch, which we can't afford. We'll be done with testing for the day, keep it in this cell and transfer it later." He explained, turning over to the door. "Schneeplestein!"
When Angus heard that name, he practically jumped as his eyes went wide. "W-Wait… Schneeplestein? W-What the…" He looked over to the door, seeing a man coming in with the same blue scrubs and white lab coat. He had coffee brown, fluffy hair. His glasses were square shaped as they held blue spheres behind them. His face though looked exactly the same as Henrik, with the beard and all.
"Y-Yes Doctor Thomas?" The one who shared the last name as Angus's adoptive dad questioned, looking at the bigger doctor.
"I'm leaving you in charge of the Vessel for the night. We need to make our report to the higher ups and we can not let it be out of human sight."
"R-Really?!" The doppelganger of Henrik gasped, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at the two. "Y-you're leaving me i-in charge of the Vessel?! I-I'm honored! I promise not to let you down!"
Thomas rolled his eyes. "Don't get cocky or anything. Just watch over it for the night until the next person comes in to take over. Do not initiate any kinds of interactions with it without my consent. Understand?"
The brown-haired doctor raised his hand in a salute. "I won't let you down, sir."
"Yeah, yeah… Alright, come on Dulse." Thomas declared as the two other scientists left, leaving the doppelganger alone with Anti.
Angus just stared at the man, blinking a few times as he couldn't get over how similar this man was to the very doctor they have in the Mindscape. "W-What the hell…? Who is this guy? And why does he look like Henrik?" Angus could only ask himself. This must have been another one of those scientists that created Anti. But, there was something about this one. Something different. The lights in the room went off, the only illumination came from the monitors. The young doctor smiled as he looked over between the computers and Anti. He appeared to be taking his job seriously, a smile on his face as he was looking over time tables and spreadsheets. Every so often, his blue eyes would look up and take a peek over at Anti.
At this point, the young chimera had crawled over to where Henrik was, pressing his hands against the glass as he watched the doctor. His body was still shaking, the bandages having fresh blood beneath them. Angus looked over at the child, seeing how hurt he was. "Anti…" He whispered, biting his lip as he hated seeing him like this. It only made him more guilty knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Soon enough, the crying coming from Anti caught the attention of the doctor. The doppelganger looked over at the glass cage, where Anti was sobbing. Black tears ran down his cheeks as he kept his body against the window, hiccuping. "Is… it crying?" The doctor blinked, getting up from his seat and walking over for a closer look. "Odd… I was told the Vessel wasn't supposed to feel any emotions." His curiosity started to get to him, as he was much closer to the cage, only to keep his distance. "Oh geez… I am not prepared for this…" He admits, walking back and forth as he was talking to himself. "I mean, I don't want to ruin this chance I have to work on Project Core, especially since I have been working my butt off just to be a part of this project. I can not just let it continue to cry, who knows how that will affect the future tests. I want to make a good impression on my supervisors, but on the other hand, the best way to know the project is to go to the source, which is the Vessel. However, Doctor Thomas told me I was not to interact with the subject without his consent. Although, he never specified in what way to interact with the Vessel and there aren't any cameras in this place. So long as he never finds out, does it really hurt anyone?" He asked himself these questions while pacing around, making Anti's eyes wide as he stared at the man. "B-Besides… I'm sure we can learn more about the Vessel by actually interacting with… him?" He turned back to the cage, making Anti jump away as he held himself.
Angus could only watch as the interaction took place, since he could do nothing else. The doctor finally made the conscious decision to go over to the glass, kneeling down so he was at eye level with Anti. "Hey… hey, it's okay." He pressed his hand on the glass as he gave a smile to the chimera. "I'm just watching over you for tonight. Would you… like to talk?"
Angus couldn't help but be awed by watching what was happening. Surprisingly, this scientist didn't seem as harsh to Anti as the others. He genuinely seemed to care. After all, he highly doubted the other doctors and scientists that looked after Anti wanted to even talk with him. "You uh… can speak, right?" He questioned.
Swallowing the bile in his throat, Anti nodded. "Y-Yes…" His voice came out hoarse.
"Woah, when was the last time you had any water?" He asked out of concern, noticing how dry Anti's voice was. The child whimpered, shaking his head as he held his bandaged throat. The doctor bit his lip, looking around the room and noticed a water cooler against the main entrance. "H-hang on a moment!" He ran off, going to the cooler and grabbing two large paper cups. He filled them to the brim, carefully bringing them over to the container. Ever so carefully, the doctor pressed the same red button that Angus pressed when he was first here. A door opened in the glass, as the doctor walked in while Anti huddled back into the corner. He blinked a few times as the older man came in and held up the water filled glasses. "Here you go." He smiled, holding out one of the cups.
The glitch looked up at him and the cups. He was actually expecting some more pills, but when he saw none, he was just confused. "Come on," the doctor urged. "You must be thirsty. I am in charge of watching you for the night, and I don't want you to be dehydrated. It's okay, it's just water. I promise." The smile was a kind one, as his eyes were shining. With shaky hands, Anti took one of the cups and had a small sip of the water to test it. Soon enough, he drenched his throat with the water, until all of it was gone. He panted, trying to catch his breath. "You were really thirsty." The doctor noted, handing him the other cup, which Anti took and drank all of the contents inside. "Better?"
Anti nodded, setting the cups down as he looked up at the doctor. "T-Thank you…" He shook a bit more.
The doctor noticed this as he tilted his head. "Are you cold? That's not good! Are they trying to make you sick? These people should understand that living creatures have basic needs, even if they are test subjects. I mean, where are you even supposed to sleep? I don't see a bed." He declared, looking around the room. "Actually… maybe that is why your negative half is so strong?" He said it more to himself.
Anti listened to what the man was saying, which made the tears come back into his eyes. This caught the doctor off guard. "Oh no! A-Are you alright? W-why are you crying?" He was worried he might have gotten hurt. The last thing that anyone wanted was for the Vessel to get damaged, but the doctor was more concerned with how the subject was feeling.
"P-Please…" Anti begged.
"W-What is it?"
"M-make it stop h-hurting… don't want a-anymore tests… they hurt… hate them…" He hiccupped more, letting the tears fall as his body looked like it wouldn't stop shaking.
The man looked at the child, seeing how upset Anti was. A look of empathy was written on his face. Angus jumped as he recognized that look. It was the same one Henrik had when he first met Angus way back when. The worried yet caring look showed how different this man was compared to the other scientists. The hunter's body slightly wavered as he saw that look, being reminded of his own father figure. "Hey, hey…" The doctor reached over, holding onto Anti as he let him lay on his chest. This caught the chimera off guard, but when he felt the comforting embrace of the doctor, he laid against him and heard him out. "I may not know everything about what is going on… but, I will try to find some ways to make it better for you. I can not promise anything, but I'll try to make it hurt less."
"Y-you mean i-it?" Anti sniffled, looking up at the doctor.
"Of course! After all, letting someone suffer for your own gain is the worst thing anyone can do! I know this is my job and all... but I would never stoop so low as to let them hurt you this way." He assured, rubbing Anti's back as he held him close. The child sniffled, leaning his head closer to the doctor's chest. He could feel his hair being petted, which made him purr. He loved this embrace, hoping it wouldn't end.
Angus felt a twinge in his heart, this must have been the first man to have given Anti actual compassion when he was created. He wondered if the relationship between the two ever got deeper and if he kept his promise to Anti. All he knew was that if he ever saw this man again, he would thank him for making Anti's life a little less painful.
Angus slowly woke up, the memory of the dream faded as he found himself awake in the middle of the night. The hunter moaned, sitting up in his bed as he looked around the cabin. That was yet another memory of Anti that he was able to see. At least this one wasn't as bad and had a somewhat happy ending. The hunter rubbed his eyes, looking around the bed but was confused when he didn't see the very glitch himself on his chest or in the bed. "Nnn? A-Anti?" Angus looked around the bedroom, but still no sign of the ego. He got up, searching around the cabin only to see no trace of him. "Shit! Anti?! Where are you?!"
"What is with all that ruckus?" Nega complained, as he and Posi appeared to see a distraught Angus.
"Angus? W-What is it?" Posi had worry in his voice.
"Anti's missing!" Angus responded.
The angel gasped, only for the devil to step in. "He's not missing. He woke up a bit ago and said he needed some fresh air. We saw him head out."
"You let him head out on his own?!" Angus nearly snapped when he heard that. How could they let Anti go off?! He was still new to the Mindscape and with his condition...
"Angus, you know that since we're still connected to you, we can't go very far away from you. Even if we wanted to go with Anti, we had to remain here." Nega reminded him.
"Well you should have woken me up!" Angus ran his hands through his hair. "I mean… Anti shouldn't have to go through all of these nightmares and memories alone…"
"W-wait… Angus did you…" Posi trailed off, looking at the hunter as he now understood what he was referring to. He wanted to ask, but figured he would leave it be for now. At least until they were reunited with Anti.
"I just… I want to know more about that universe Anti came from. There's still a lot I don't know about that place or the people there. I've been keeping it back because I don't want to upset him, but I need to know." Angus admitted. "And every time that I see those memories, I can feel something within my soul."
Posi shuddered as he looked up at Angus. "So… you have noticed." He realized. "I've been sensing it as well. Whenever you and Anti share those dreams and memories, your souls they… I don't know how to describe it but they seem to waver. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing but… I'm worried if this keeps happening, it will affect you two."
"In that case, let's find Anti and head back to Henrik. I think it's time we look more into this soul stuff." Nega suggested.
Angus sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I did promise Henrik that if it kept up, I would inform him. Do you know where Anti went?"
"He said he was going to that treehouse. The one he ran to when he first came here." Nega explained.
"That place?" Angus raised a brow. What was it with Anti and that treehouse? Did it hold some sort of meaning? Angus brushed it off. "Alright, give me a second to freshen up." He then walked across from his bed and went into the bathroom. Closing and locking the door behind him, he sighed as he went to the sink. May as well wash up while he could. Giving a yawn, he started to take off his vest and shirt. He didn't have time for an actual shower, so he would be taking a wash-cloth bath, where he would wipe his body with a rag. It wasn't practical, but it was effective in the wild. Once he took his shirt off, he nearly jumped as he looked at his chest. "W-wha?" His green eyes went wide as he looked at his left side, where his soul was. At first, he believed that those strange black lines were some chest hairs. But as he looked closer, he noticed they were spreading out where his soul resided. He placed a hand over it, feeling nothing. Those cracks weren't there before, at least not as far as he remembered. Was this… the result of his soul starting to fracture more?
Angus bit his lip, running the water as he took the washcloth and started to wipe his skin. He tried to wash off the strange marks, but they would not come off. He rather not worry anyone, and it didn't seem to hurt. So, he placed his clothes back onto himself and made sure to hide those cracks. He promised himself he would tell someone if they began to grow or hurt more. For now, they needed to focus.
Posi and Nega waited for Angus, who was still getting ready in the bathroom. The angel of the two looked down, stress in his eyes. "I'm worried, Nega…" He finally admitted.
The devil raised a brow as he looked at him. "What's wrong, Popsicle?"
"I'm scared for both of them. They are suffering and all we can do is watch it happen. And after what we told Anti I…" He trailed off as he looked away, feeling ashamed.
Nega smiled, placing a hand on the angel's shoulder. "Let's try not to worry about it too much. They're both still standing, and that's what's important. They'll both be okay in the end. We'll make sure of it."
"I-I know I just…"
Nega rolled his eyes as he reached over to Posi. "C'here, you big baby." He leaned in, giving Posi a gentle hug to help him calm down. The angel hugged back, shaking a little but the comfort helped. He hoped the two of them would come out alright. He would feel awful if either of them ended up dying before they could get the second chance they deserve. He didn't want them to suffer anymore.
The bathroom door opened, revealing Angus as he adjusted his shirt. "Alright, what time is it?" He asked, looking at the two as they became separated.
Posi looked at the clock on the wall, reading the time. "4 AM." He responded.
"Hopefully tonight isn't one of those rare nights when Henrik falls asleep." Angus muttered. "Let's go find Anti, then head to the hospital." He declared, walking out of his cabin as he and the two souls went through the forest to find that treehouse. He still kept quiet about what he saw in the bathroom, hopefully they wouldn't know. The three walked down the forest path, as Angus knew where to go. He'd already been there once, and got the path memorized. Though he did have to ask Posi for reminders on which way to go.
They all walked a bit, the night was clear as the fireflies were back out. They managed to find the very treehouse itself, sighing as Angus was about to head over to the entrance. Before he could go to the very tree, his green eyes shifted to an open clearing that was across from the hut. "Huh? Weird… how did I never notice this before?" Angus wondered, going over to the small clearing.
"A-Angus? What is it?" Posi questioned, as he and Nega watched the hunter going to that opening. They approached the center, where Angus's eyes wandered to a warped, wooden cross that was stuck in the dirt.
"W-What is this place?" Angus wondered, going over to the cross to examine it.
As Posi looked around, he shuddered a bit while whimpering. "I-I recognize this place… Jack and them were here two years ago, while trying to find Marvin…" He could remember their reactions when they saw the wooden cross itself, and how they had so many questions. Angus stepped over, his boots dug in the dirt as he slid his fingers gently down the wood, examining it over.
"Odd… that cross has no name. Who would bury someone out here to begin with?" Nega raised a brow, as he was the only one who didn't get what this area was supposed to symbolize. Angus looked around more, noticing that there were many more yellow carnations surrounding this very area alone than the whole forest. His eyes narrowed as he looked back between the flowers and the grave. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as he began to put the pieces together.
"Angus… what is it?" Nega asked, noticing the look that Angus had on his face.
The hunter's face shadowed over while standing up. "Come on…" His voice was low, almost a growl. "Let's find Anti and get back to the hospital." He turned his back on the grave, walking away as he let the two guardians watch him.
"N-Neggy…" Posi whimpered in a soft voice.
"Shit, you don't think…" Nega trailed off, looking back between the grave and his other half. "W-Who put it there though?"
"I… I think we all know…" Posi held him, not wanting to say it out loud. The devil held onto the angel, as the two walked and followed Angus over to the treehouse. The hunter climbed up the ladder attached to the bark, opening the trap door as they looked inside of the small home. There was the glitch, looking out the window as his tail was wagging while his one eye was staring at the stars.
"Anti?" Angus called out, getting up onto the floorboards to be fully inside the treehouse.
The glitch jumped as he looked over, seeing the three coming inside. "A-Angus? W-Why are you here?"
"Posi and Nega told me you came here, so I needed to find you." The hunter explained.
Anti's ears went down as he looked to the ground. "I'm sorry… I was going to return before you woke up."
"It's fine… you just scared me, that's all." Angus admitted. He looked over at Anti for a bit, before turning his eyes away. "Actually… could we talk?" He asked.
"I-Is something wrong?" Anti wondered, tilting his head to the side.
"Not really, I just… really need some answers." He admits, as the hunter went over to the sofa in the treehouse. He patted the cushion next to him, signaling for Anti to sit down. Even though the glitch was confused, he walked over and sat next to the older ego. Angus rubbed the back of his neck, sighing as he tried to figure out what to say next. "Anti… I know you probably don't want to talk about your life in the… other world. But… I need to know more about it. I want to know where you came from and what they were doing. I promise, if you tell me this, you can ask me anything and I will be honest with you in my answers."
When he said that, Anti was a bit shocked. He rubbed his arms as his pupil looked down to the ground. Angus saw this, knowing how hard it would be to talk about the subject. Posi walked over to Anti, holding onto his shoulders and giving him a small smile, to reassure him. When Anti saw that smile, it was like he felt secure. That Posi would be watching over him and nothing bad would happen. As much as it pained the glitch to talk about it, he was willing to do so if it meant repaying Angus. "I… I should have known you would want to ask me about it. But, I don't really know a lot about it myself."
"Just… tell me what you do know. And take your time." Angus reassured him.
Anti looked back over at the older ego, seeing that he wasn't trying to pressure Anti. Still, he wanted the answers and only the chimera could give them to him. "I'm sure by now you know I didn't come from this place… the Mindscape as you call it. Every world in an alternative universe goes by a certain name. The Mindscape, Wireland, The Jackihub… you get the idea." Angus nodded, showing he was keeping track. "Well, the world that I came from was known as the Omitted Verse."
"Omitted Verse?" Angus repeated as he raised a brow. "That's… I'm not sure what to think, to be honest."
"Yeah, I'm not sure why it was called that either. But, it's a whole world that goes beyond that hospital I was created in. Though, I've never seen it myself, aside from pictures."
"What do you mean by that?" Nega asked.
"I… I never got to go outside that hospital. I only ever lived in that building. I hardly even looked out any windows." Anti looked back down, being reminded of his restrictions.
"Jesus… I mean, I kind of figured." Angus admitted. "Was it because you were a secret project to them?"
Anti shook his head. "Oh no, everyone in that building knew about me and my purpose. They were all in on it."
"R-Really?" That actually surprised Angus. "With how they treated you, I kind of thought…"
"I mean, I wasn't supposed to have contact with anyone outside of the facility. But I lived in the experimental department, so no outsiders were allowed there. The Hospital was split up in different sections based on floors. I spent most of my life living in the sub floors. The levels below the ground floor of the hospital. That was where they did most of the experiments."
"You mean the one behind the vending machines?" Angus questioned, remembering his first time in that hospital.
Anti nodded. "There's also a floor dedicated to apartment complexes, since a couple of doctors tended to rather live in the very hospital instead of finding homes for themselves."
"Just like Henrik and his lab." Angus noted with a chuckle. "So… the sub-levels, was where they kept you? But every scientist that worked there knew about you? Weren't they scared of others finding out? Especially those that got recently hired?"
"Oh, they were never too worried. They made sure that for confidential projects, like myself, they would use a special written language on papers in regards to any information involving me."
"Special language?" Posi asked.
"They called it encoding. It's kind of similar to computer codes and scripts they use for programming stuff. It's a bunch of numbers and letters mixed together." Anti explained. "It's a very tough language to crack, it even took me a while until I learned the basics."
"Wait, was that what you were saying when we first met?" Angus asked, being reminded of that strange code language that Anti said to him, which he didn't understand at first.
"Y-yeah… Every time I'm really stressed out, I speak in that kind of language." He admitted.
"Come to think of it, that happened after you had your first nightmare." Nega tapped his cheek as he remembered that.
"Is it… due to your glitching?" Posi wondered, wincing as he asked that.
Anti looked at himself and shrugged. "I guess so? I'm hoping it goes away when I get my soul back. But… it's not like it hurts or anything." The glitch reassured them. His hand was placed over where the hole was on his chest. Where his soul was taken from.
Angus saw this, the guilt coming back to him. He decided to change the subject before it could settle. "I uh… saw another one of your memories." Angus began, which caught Anti's attention. "Y-you were in that same room I found you in when I freed you. And this guy was looking after you, giving you some water and being kind to you."
Anti's tail began to wag as he smiled. "Oh! You must mean Henry! Henry Alexander Schneeplestein!"
"T-that's his full name?" Angus asked.
"He has the same last name as Henrik!" Nega realized.
"He looked a lot like Henrik as well." Angus added. "Was that… Why you called Henrik 'dad' when you first saw him at Bing's house?"
Anti nodded slowly at the answer. "Y-yeah... I'm sure by now you know what I was. An experiment, a chimera as they called it. Hence why I look this way." He gestured mostly to his dragon-like tail. "Henry was the only one who treated me like an actual person. With genuine warmth. He resented the others for what they did to me. How I was treated and tested on like an animal."
Angus gave a small smile as he looked at him. "He seems like a great man."
Anti looked up at the hunter and nodded. "He started to spend some time with me, talking with me and would sneak me extra food and comfort items. It was during that time the positivity in my soul was actually starting to manifest more."
"Yeah… I remember that now." Posi admitted as he looked at everyone else. "You were always so scared and alone. That resulted in making Nega more stronger. But when Henry walked into your life, I started to shine."
"So you guys do remember?" Anti asked, a bit hopeful as he looked at his two souls.
"Some are still bits and pieces… but they are becoming clearer." Nega reassured the glitch.
"So… what happened after?" Angus asked.
Anti continued to explain, as the smile was still present on his face. "The more contact we had with one another, the more powerful my positive emotions became. When the other scientist noticed this, they decided to investigate further. They soon realized that it was because of Henry, I was able to become more happy, and thus increased my positivity. It took a bit of convincing, but Henry was able to become my guardian and watch over me. He moved me out of that cell I was in and had me live with him in his apartment on the ninth floor. I still had to do many tests, but things from there did get better. I was given actual food, I could interact with a few other scientists that were close to Henry, and I was able to have my own room! I could decorate it however I wanted, and it was much better than my cell." Anti's pupil trailed to the floor, though the smile was still present on his lip. "Soon enough, I began to see Henry as my dad. He even called me his son. Those were the only happy memories from back then. There weren't many, but they were still there."
Anti had gone quiet after saying that, staring at the floors of the treehouse. Angus could see the longing on his face, how he was lost in the past. Even though Anti had some good parts from his life in the Omitted Verse, they weren't enough to drive all the nightmares that came from that very building. Angus scooted over to Anti, wanting to be closer to him. He had this urge to want to stay by Anti's side, as if he was scared that something bad would happen to the glitch if he didn't. "Why are you so attached to this treehouse?" Anti looked over at Angus, as the hunter asked him that question. "It's just… you went to it when you were first brought to the Mindscape and now you are back here again. Is it… does it hold some sort of meaning?"
Anti looked away for a moment with his ears down. "I…" He trailed off, gripping the couch as he tried to explain. "It holds a memory… but one I don't understand." He admitted. "During my imprisonment in that cell… after you took my soul, I would often somehow have glimpses of being somewhere. At times I would even be pulled to certain areas but I wasn't in full control. There was one incident that I vividly remember though… I was pulled here, to this very treehouse. I remember having a feeling that someone was taking something from me… I think it was one of my stuffed bears? All I knew was that feeling pulled me here and I… I was attacking four individuals. I wasn't able to see their faces, just their souls. I attacked them… and I think… I killed them…" Anti held himself as he was reliving that memory once more.
"Oh…" Posi shuddered, as he knew what Anti was referring to. "I… I remember that as well…"
"What do you mean? Who did you attack?" Angus had to know, despite a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.
Anti looked over at Posi, as it seemed he wanted the angel to answer since he knew as well. The positive soul rubbed his arm. "A-Angus… remember when I told you that Jack, Henrik, Chase and Jackie were looking for Marvin? And that they came across this treehouse?"
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with… with…" Angus trailed off, looking between the angel and Anti as he began to put the pieces together. "Wait… Anti, did you…"
The glitch slowly nodded his head, as it seemed to have pained him when he did that action. "I… I didn't know it was them. I didn't know who they were. By the time I came there, it was all over. They didn't stand a chance. I-I don't even remember w-why I attacked them. M-Maybe I was just that s-scared or-or I was w-worried that t-they would hurt me l-like the others. I just… I just…" Anti started to shake, his glitching becoming more visible as the memory played out in his head. Him attacking the four, slaying them without hesitation.
"Anti, hey…" Angus reached over, holding his shoulders as he tried to calm him down. "You couldn't have known. You were frightened and messed up… it's not an excuse, but it's understandable why you did it. But you're safe now… and thankfully these versions of the egos don't know what happened."
Anti bit his lip as he looked away, though he still listened to what Angus said. And it did make a part of him feel slightly better. Nega stepped over, as he wanted to ask a question of his own. "Do you remember what happened afterwards?"
The glitch looked over at the devil and shook his head. "After I defeated them, I found myself back in my cell. I thought it was some sort of strange dream. But… I'm pretty sure I created another timeline… and it still haunts me." Anti raised up his hands, seeing the distorted skin fading in and out. "I know now about the other timelines but… I never would have thought I would cause one to… to…"
Angus once again reached over, placing his own hands on top of Anti's as they looked into one another's eyes. Angus spoke, wanting to comfort Anti yet again. "Trust me Anti, there are plenty of alternative realities that you don't want to see or experience. Because at the end of the day, you can not do anything to help them, or prevent what occurred. Like you said, it's a power no one would want… but it is the one you will gain."
Anti lowered his hands into his lap, bringing his knees close to his chest as he looked up at the older ego. "Does it get better?" He started to ask, which caught Angus off guard. "Having that power… the ability to see those other realities and universes. Even though you feel guilty for just being a bystander and watching it happen, and you feel guilty because you wish you could do something but can't. I mean, you get used to it and you start to feel less upset because it's not your fault in the end. So that nagging and unrequited feeling… after a while, that guilt goes away, right?"
Angus stared at the glitch for a long while, as a strong silence befell them. Anti's one bullseye pupil looked directly at Angus, as if he was trying to stare directly into his soul. The survival hunter was trying to figure out what to say, as Anti waited for the response. His green pupils softened, as a small smile spread on his face. "Yeah…" He lied. Angus looked away from Anti as the glitch did the same. How could Angus be truthful? Anti was already scared of this power, and he hasn't gotten it back yet. But it would be inevitable once he got Posi and Nega into him. At the very least, he wanted to reassure him it would get better… even though he himself has not yet gotten used to it either. "So uh… are there any questions you want to ask me? It's only fair."
Anti scratched his visible cheek as he kept looking away. "There is… one thing I wanted to ask. But… it may be really personal."
"Come on, I can handle it." Angus reassured him.
Anti's face still looked uncertain, even so he turned to Angus and asked him his question. "W-What was it like? W-when you were dying?"
Angus's eyes went wide, as he wasn't sure how to respond. "I-I…" Angus began, onto to begin to shake as the pain was all he truly remembered. Nega and Posi could see the look Angus had on his face.
Anti scooted closer to him as he looked up. "I-I know it hurts to talk about it. That's why I didn't want to bring it up, but I need to know. I want to know what happened to you up to when you took my soul. Please Angus… don't I deserve to know?" Anti questioned. Angus winced as he heard that, rubbing his left arm in the process. Anti should know, he had the right to know. After all, it was because of that incident that Anti's life was stolen to begin with.
Angus took in a deep breath, knowing that he would have to get it out of the way. "I… don't remember every single detail. But I do know one thing: Pain. All I felt was this overwhelming pain, it kept growing all over my body no matter what I did. I remember seeing Bing, telling him he had to get out of my area of the Mindscape. Since… when an ego fades, their world falls apart with them. I was in this never-ending loop of discomfort, torment and agony." The light in Angus's eyes were lost as he relieved that memory. The screams that he cried out, the tears dripping down his face, and the numbness in his body. "Everything else after that is more or less a blur. I just remember being in this void… wanting to find a way to make it end. I could sense something nearby, as if it was calling out to me. I remember being reminded of you… of the Anti soul forming. And I thought to myself… if I could just keep my soul stable then I won't die. That was when… when I…" Angus trailed off, looking over at Anti as his hands were visibly shaking.
"When you took Posi and Nega from me…" Anti finished for Angus. The two looked away once again, not wanting to face each other.
"Anti… I know you won't believe me when I say this, but I swear I never wanted to hurt anyone… let alone you. But you do have every right to hate me. Honestly, I don't expect you not to at this point."
"I know…" Anti sighed. "I-I'm sorry…"
"Anti…" Posi looked over as he saw how uncomfortable the two were.
"I know you didn't ask for this. For this glitchy outsider to come into your world and ruin everything. I'm sorry you had to look after me even though I've caused you and everyone else so much trouble and-"
"No, Anti." Angus cut him off. "I'm glad you came here!"
That caught the glitch off guard as he stared at Angus. "Y-You are?!"
A small smile came back to him. "Of course… I know it hasn't been easy but honestly, part of me is happy. I have been living a lie of who I was for so long, I've forgotten being the 'Survival Hunter' and instead became 'Anti' in this world. Even when I regained my memories, I never told anyone else about me, except Bing. I always wanted to tell them… I planned on telling them all what really happened but…" Angus trailed off, as his mind went back to that memory. The one where he and Jack finished fighting and had that conversation and apology.
"So… Can you… maybe promise not to tell the others who I am? I want to do it when I'm ready."
"I promise, Angus. Just as long as you're happy."
Angus's light went out again as that memory replayed in his head over and over. He never kept that promise. Even after two years, he never told anyone the whole truth. He lied to everyone, to Jack and himself. "I never did…" He finally admitted.
Nega approached Angus, rubbing his shoulders to comfort him. "And why not?" The devil questioned, raising a brow.
"I… I guess it's because I was content. I mean, after the Corruption, everything was back to normal! Sure, certain damages had been done, but things were going great for us. Everyone accepted me again, and we grew closer. Even if I wasn't Angus, I felt happy and loved by everyone else. Maybe because everything was going so well, that was why I didn't want to say anything. Because I didn't want to ruin the moment. Like I said, I was alright with how things were for those two years. Even if I wasn't truly myself." The hunter looked over at Anti, who was listening to everything he said. "But now, here we are. And even though it was everything I didn't plan, maybe this is for the better. Maybe… This was the wake up call I needed. All my life I have been in this never-ending cycle of pain… even now I still feel it." His hand went to where his chest was, housing his fractured soul. "And yet… part of me feels better that things are turning out the way they are."
Nega smiled as he looked over at the two, mainly Angus. "I know it hurts now… but when this is all over, you will be able to be Angus Irwin again! The Survival Hunter! Things may never be the same as before… but at least now you will be given a second chance, not as Anti, but as yourself."
Posi spoke up as he looked at the devil. "Nega has a point."
Anti looked up at everyone, rubbing his arms. "Do you think… things will get better from here on out?" He asked.
The room once again fell silent, as they all looked at one another, waiting for an answer. "I… we can't promise that." Nega began. "Real life doesn't work that way. You can't expect to always go through shit then think things will pick themselves up in no time. And the experiences you all have faced will be fresh not just in your minds, but in everyone else's. However, if this experience should teach us anything, it's that it is possible to overcome your traumas and past. Is it easy? No. But, so long as you are with the people that care about you, there is always hope. The other egos are gonna be there for you guys, even after you two are healed. It will take some getting used to, but eventually it will be your new normal. It's hard, but it will feel right in the end."
Everyone smiled, Nega's words gave them the hope they needed. It was still going to be a long process, even after this was done, but they would have one another and that would be enough to motivate them to keep moving forward. "Now come on, give out some smiles. Even if you get knocked down, they will show you can get back up!" The devil chuckled as he had a smirk of his own. The other three followed Nega's lead, already feeling slightly better.
"Thanks for telling me this, Angus…" Anti looked over at the Survival Hunter.
Angus gained the light back in his eyes as he looked at the glitch. "Thanks for being honest with me, Anti. And saying all of this stuff did make me feel better… I haven't been this open with anyone since… actually I don't know when." He chuckled, getting his eyes to sparkle once again. He stood up from the sofa, dusting off his pant legs. "Come on, let's head to Henrik's lab. I promised him that if we had any of those shared memories, I would inform him."
"Are you sure he should still be up?" Anti questioned.
Angus nodded. "Trust me, it takes a lot to knock him out." He began to head to the trapdoor of the treehouse, ready to descend. Posi and Nega followed behind while Anti got himself up from his seat. As he was about to take his first step, the glitch began to wince as he held his chest.
"Hgggh!" He gasped, falling to his knees as he held onto the couch with one hand, and his chest with the other.
Angus turned around, hearing that noise in concern. "A-Anti?!" He quickly ran to the glitch's side, looking him over. "Hey, what is-" He was cut off as the younger ego fell to the floor, panting and gasping for air, as the glitching effect was starting to spread to the rest of his body, rather than just half the side. "Anti!" Angus began to grow more worried, seeing the state that the glitch was in.
"Anti?! What's wrong?!" Posi looked at his former host with so much fear.
"Shit! We have to bring him to Henrik! Now!" Nega ordered.
Angus nodded, going closer to Anti and picking him up. "Anti? Hey, look at me! You're gonna be fine! Just hang onto me, okay?" Angus held onto him tightly.
"SXQgaHVydHMuLi4gY2FuJ3QgYnJlYXRoLi4uIERhZC4uLg==." He started to speak in that code again, which meant that it was very serious.
Angus narrowed his eyes, keeping Anti close to his chest as he hurried out of the treehouse, climbing the ladder carefully but quickly and planted his feet on the ground. Once they were on solid soil, he placed a hand on Anti's forehead, at least what he could feel. "Shit! He's burning up!"
Posi quickly went over to his side, placing a cooling hand on Anti's head to help him. "I can only do so much…" He whimpered.
"We've got no time to waste! Let's go!" Angus shouted, as they began to run through the forest. They had to get Anti to Henrik, surely he would be able to help him. Angus looked down, cradling Anti like a child. He was not going to lose him!