Chapter 14: The Survival Hunter
Once Anti and Angus made it back to the cabin, the hunter was a bit nervous yet excited. On the one hand, he would be seeing his Sunflower's memories, which would mean he would get a chance to relive some of those experiences the two had. Then again, if going into a powerful memory was necessary to access the soul shard, that meant that it would be one that caused Bing some emotional pain. And Angus didn't want to see his boyfriend suffer. Of course, he won't be able to see the memory, so at least that would make it a bit more bearable. Nega noticed this as he glanced over at Angus. "Geez, haven't seen you this tense since you tried to get a carnival prize for Bing."
Angus looked over at the negative half of the soul and rolled his eyes. "I'm just thinking about it. I mean… I know what I said back at the soul clinic, but I am slightly nervous. I don't know what kind of memories I will go into for Bing and… it seems kind of personal."
Nega could understand what Angus was getting at. He didn't want to travel though those memories, especially if they were so private. "You know, you don't have to go into that memory." Nega once again remained Angus.
"Nega…" Angus already knew what the devil was getting at.
He put his hands up to let him explain further to the hunter. "I'm not trying to dissuade you. I'm worried about your health, yes. And I know it is your choice in the end, but this is your 'Sunflower' we're talking about. He knows you more than anyone else here. You and him have been through so much before and after your death. So there might be something waiting for you in his memory. Probably worse than what you saw with Henrik."
Angus turned his face to the side, taking a huff while he listened to Nega. "I know…" He finally admits. "But I… I need to go. Honestly, I need to see those memories. Bing has suffered so much because of what happened to me, the least I can do is convince him that he can move on and stop taking that burden. If there is anyone that can make him see that, it's me."
Nega's eyes softened as he looked at his current host. He didn't want to tell him off, because he knew he wouldn't be able to continue being happy with Bing until he made sure that the android could move on from his past pain. "Just… be careful."
"Come on… you're gonna be with us while we're there." Angus pointed out. "So don't get all sentimental on me."
"Hey, who's the sentimental one?" Nega raised a brow. Angus once again rolled his eyes at the comment. He looked over at the carnation that was sitting at the windowsill, which was now a shade of fern for the petals.
"Did Anti give his carnation fresh water?" Angus looked over at the devil for an answer.
"No… Come to think of it, he hasn't been out of the bedroom since we got back. Posi's still with him." Nega shrugged. Angus heard that, which made him arch his brow. He then turned to where the bedroom was, heading there to take a look at the chimera. When they walked into the space, they saw the child laying on the end of the bed, curled up like a cat. He looked down at the ground, being silent.
Posi went over to Angus and Nega, who came in. "He's been like this since we came back…"
Angus looked over at the chimera. Now that he thought about it, Anti was usually so talkative and jumpy whenever he came back. But while they were walking, he didn't even make a noise when they walked to the cabin. The hunter was worried, wondering what could be the problem. He didn't look sick or distressed, just… depressed? Maybe Henrik's memory got to him really badly. Even so, Angus wanted to be sure. He walked over to the bed, sitting down so he could be next to Anti. "Anti…?" the hunter called to the chimera, who looked up with a half-lidded eye. "Is something wrong?"
"Kind of…" He muttered under his breath.
"Anti, you can tell us." Posi reassured him.
"What's really been bugging you?" Nega asked.
Anti looked between everyone and bit his lip. "I… she reminded me of someone."
Angus was confused, who was Anti talking about? "Who reminded you of who?"
"That woman… Joline. She… she reminded me of my aunt."
That made Angus jump when Anti said that. The speech she gave to Angus before they left the memory still stuck with him. But, he was confused about another matter. "Y-your… aunt? You have an aunt?!"
"Oh yeah… Henry's sister. Wasn't her name Emily?" Nega questioned.
"Yes! Miss Emily!" Posi confirmed. "She was a kind but tough woman! And cared for Anti deeply like Henry did."
"Huh…" Angus blinked. "I… wasn't aware there were others that cared for you." Anti once again laid his head back in his arms, as Angus said that. The hunter winced as he saw the action of the other ego. "Hey… what's really wrong?"
"I…" Anti muttered as he bit his lip. "I just didn't realize it until after that memory… how much I miss everyone. All I've thought about since we came back was… them."
Angus was surprised, yet he didn't blame Anti. 'Damn,' Angus thought to himself. 'I didn't even think about that. Of course Anti would start to feel homesick after a while.' Sure, he may not have liked the scientists, but it seems he did have some people that took care of him. He probably misses them more than his actual home though. Now that he thought about it, he felt the same way when he first came to the Mindscape after becoming 'Anti'. He never did feel like he belonged and always seemed to not connect with the other egos. Of course, this was all before he knew who he really was and the Corruption, but even so he could relate.
"Anti…" Posi looked away before glancing back at them. "Is that why you've been depressed?"
The chimera nodded. "D-don't get me wrong, I'm glad to be freed from that building. And I'm grateful for everything you all have done for me… especially you, brother. It's just…"
"Not the same?" Nega finished for him. Anti nodded.
Angus leaned closer to Anti as he smiled. "Hey, you have every right to miss your dad and the others. Technically, it isn't always a building that acts as a home. The people that care and love for you can make a home and family. Like how Henrik and the others are to me."
"You have every right to miss the others. Honestly, it would be concerning if you didn't miss them." Nega stated. Anti merely laid his head on Angus's legs, whimpering a bit while curling up.
Angus let him lay on the hunter, as he petted Anti's hair, ruffling it a bit while looking down. The homesickness setting into the chimera. He wished to help Anti overcome it, but something like that wasn't easy to get over. They sat on the bed for a while, as the hunter did his best to comfort Anti while the silence fell onto the room. Angus's eyes went to the chimera he was holding, as an idea came to his mind. "Could you… tell me a little bit more about them?" Anti looked up at the hunter, tilting his head as Angus went on. "It's just… you already told me a lot about the Omitted-Verse, but… I want to know more about your family. If you are willing to share."
The chimera stood up, wiping his eyes to make sure no tears were present. "Y-you really want to know?"
"Yeah… I am kind of curious." Angus admitted.
Anti sat on the bed, sitting next to Angus as he bit his lip. "W-Well… there's dad, of course. Henry Alexander Schneeplestein. He was the first one that took care of me. I saw him as my father, and he saw me as his son. I guess since he never had kids of his own, and he was the first human to show me compassion, it was why we clicked. He would give me a plushie every time I went through a terrible physical exam or experiment. He would talk with me and we would have conversations like his work and life, as well as my feelings. He's a kind man, and very smart. Honestly, he should have been the one in charge of that facility."
"Ha, that would have been a sight to see." Angus chuckled.
"And then there is Emily, she's Henry's sister so she let me call her Aunt Emily. She's not really a doctor, more of a mechanic. She focuses on the robotics and machine department. She has a sweet side, but if you ever cross her, she won't hesitate to hit you upside the head! I should know, she did that to dad a few times whenever he accidentally spooked me." Angus couldn't help but snort at that. This Emily woman sounded tougher than her brother. Angus had to make a mental note that if he ever saw her, he shouldn't get on her bad side. "Actually, she was the one that made my first friend."
"Made your first friend?" Angus asked.
"Yeah! BB! Well, Bee Bing was his name, but I called him BB as a nickname." Anti explained.
Angus jumped when he heard that story. "Hold on! You have a Bing in the Omitted-verse?!"
"Yeah, he was made with the purpose of being a work robot, mainly to clean the robotic department's lab and just to help out in general. Emily went a bit farther and built him to be his own sentient AI, with thoughts, feelings and emotions. Even though it wasn't part of his original blueprints, the sentience never stood in the way of his purpose, so the others allowed it for the most part. I… was actually there when he was created." Anti smiled as the memory played out in his head. "I was trying to find Dad in the robotics department, since he was meeting with Aunt Emily. I heard some whistling and singing in one of the rooms, and there he was. Sitting on the table. I couldn't help but go over to him. He was surprised by me, but we soon became great friends."
"Sounds like me and Bing alright." Angus agreed. "So, you two hung out most of the time?"
"When I wasn't being tested on or when BB wasn't getting repairs."
"Re...pairs?" Angus repeated.
"Y-yeah… see, back before my soul was really stable and balanced out, I tended to generate a lot of glitches and interference in technology around me. Kind of why they stopped using cameras on me and went with human eyes."
"That happened to me when I took your form as well..." The hunter admitted.
"Must be an Anti thing." Nega shrugged. "That explains why BB had to be repaired every once in a while."
Anti nodded at the devil. "Yeah… Aunt Emily had to clean out the glitches and interference in his circuits. Thankfully, they were never too bad, and she was working on some programs to ensure that I wouldn't continue to affect him that way. Even so, he was the best friend I ever had. And I owe a lot of my happy memories to him."
Angus blinked as a question popped into his head. "Were there… any other people in your universe that looked similar to the ones here?"
Anti tapped his chin as he thought it over. "I didn't see too many people, but aside from Henry and BB… oh! There was Cole! He's a guy who looks similar to Chase, same personality as well. He wasn't a doctor or anything science related, but I believe he was an intern for Emily to help her out in the robotics department. He wasn't really good at that mechanic stuff though, but Aunt Emily wanted to hire him since he was her's and Dad's childhood friend and he needed a job. He ended up doing manual labor with BB, such as cleaning the floors, replacing objects that were outdated, that sort of thing. He thought I was cool, even though I was a chimera experiment."
"And he's open minded like Chase." Angus pointed out.
"Lastly there's my Dad's boyfriend. He works at the biology lab, mainly focused on the life aspect of science. He and Dad met when they were both starting out, and they began to date. Soon enough, I came to see him as my other Dad! Which is kind of appropriate…"
"Why? What was the guy's name?" Angus asked.
"His name was Nathaniel. Dr. Nathaniel."
Once again, Angus found himself shocked at the revelation. Dr. Nathaniel… that was the man who created a vessel the other scientists wanted for this Core. He wondered… Was there a connection to that with Anti? "So he… made you?"
"Y-yeah…" Anti admitted. "He was the one that injected the dragon DNA into me. Not sure how he got it, but it seemed to have worked. I think he also put some cat genes into me, but I'm not sure."
"That would explain a few things." Nega admitted.
"At least you had a family at that place." Posi pointed out.
"Yeah… they were the reasons I was able to bear those conditions for so long." Anti sighed, holding himself as he looked down to the ground again. "I always dreamed of the six of us leaving that place. Dad promised me one day, we would all go outside of the hospital and live with the world outside in nature. It was always my dream… one we all shared." That smile soon faded as he bit his lip. "When I got exposed to the Mindscape and saw everything, it was a dream come true for me. I just wish… they could have been here to see it with me."
Posi walked over to the two, giving a warm smile to the chimera. "I'm sure they would've given anything to be here with you. But they would be content knowing you at least got out."
Anti didn't seem as convinced, as he continued to stare at the ground. "I just… I don't even know if they're… After my soul was taken, the Omitted-Verse was in this strange state. Everything glitched out, along with the people inside. What if… what if they aren't there anymore?" He hugged his knees tightly as he kept having those intrusive thoughts. "What if I was the only survivor?! If I didn't see anyone else there… and Angus didn't either what if… what if they're already gone?!"
Angus reached over and held Anti's shoulder, looking at him with sympathy. "You don't know that for sure."
"If you survived, chances are they did as well." Nega reassured the chimera.
"Maybe they are even looking for you as we speak." Posi adds. "They wouldn't give up on you so easily."
Anti looked at the other three surrounding him, smiling to try and comfort him. Even though he appreciated their effort, it wasn't enough to drive out his loneliness. "I just… I wish I could have at least brought them with me. They did so much for me… the least I could do was get them out of there as well." Angus kept petting Anti's head, telling him that the hunter knew what he was getting at. He would want to make sure the other egos would have been safe as well. Posi remained quiet, not sure what else he could say which would cheer the chimera up.
Nega bit his lip, trying to think of something to lift the subject. After all, if Anti became even more stressed, his soul would end up glitching again. And none of them wanted that. The devil's eyes lit up as a thought came to his mind, while looking between Anti and Angus. "You know… maybe you can!"
Everyone turned to Nega, eyes wide and brows raised as they wanted to know more about what he was referring to. "Think about it! When Angus freed you from the Omitted-Verse, he brought you here, right? It may not have been intentionally, but he helped you cross over regardless! Maybe you guys could go back there again!"
"Y-you think so?" Anti asked, with hopeful eyes.
"Of course! Anti's are known for going through realities and timelines! Angus was able to do it, and I bet once you get us back, you'll be able to gain those abilities back and use them!"
Angus smiled at Nega's words, as he heard the truth being uttered. "That… just might work!"
"I bet you'll even be able to help the others come here!" Posi added, liking this idea.
"But… I don't know how to use my powers. I never developed them on my own… remember?" Anti pointed out.
"Then it's a good thing you'll be able to learn here!" Angus winked at the chimera. "We'll help teach you how to use your powers. I had them for a while, so I know a few tricks myself. I may not know everything, but in no time, you'll master them and be Antisepticeye once more!"
"You'd… really be willing to help me?" Anti questioned, a smile spreading on his face.
"I mean… it's the least I can do to make up for what I did to you. It won't be easy, but we'll figure it out as we go along. We both will."
"Then once you gain full control of your powers, you can bring your family here!" Posi added, squealing at the very thought.
Anti's tail began to wag again as he seemed just as pleased. "It would be nice to have everyone live with me here! We won't be treated horribly by those scientists and we can start over! And it would be less lonely if I had them here with me… but, is the Mindscape big enough for them?"
Angus nodded. "Of course! I'm sure JJ can help find homes for them all!"
"Plus, I bet that they could find some work at the hospital here. They already have the experience, and Henrik could use the extra help. May even take some weight off the doctor." Nega added.
"Looks like it's already planned out!" Angus agreed, liking the concept that Nega came up with.
"Well… it will be a while before that. Since we still need to get the serum for Angus before he can give you guys back to me." Anti pointed out.
"At least we're almost there!" Posi beamed. "Just one more shard from Bing, and one for Angus! Then Angus will be able to go back to his Hunter self again!"
Angus smiled, once again agreeing on that idea. However, a thought did occur to him as he made an observation. "You know… I just realized something…"
"What is it, Hunter?" Nega raised a brow in question.
"Well, if I'm going to become Angus Irwin again, then that means the Mindscape won't have an Anti."
Posi gasped. "That's right! You've been living as Anti here for four years!"
"So… who's going to take that position when you do become the Survival Hunter again?" Nega questioned.
Angus gave a grin as he turned his eyes to look over at the chimera by his side. Posi and Nega followed that gaze, which made Anti jump. "W-wait… me?"
"Why not? You are technically the real Anti. You may not be from this world, but we've all taken a shine to you. Besides, you won't be living in the Omitted-Verse and will need a place to stay. You'll fit right in!" Angus winked once more.
"Angus has a point." Posi admitted.
Anti fiddled with his fingers as he looked down with embarrassment. "I-I don't know… I mean, I don't think I could match up to what you have done here as me."
"No one is expecting you to be like Angus… just being yourself will be enough." Posi pointed out. "And you shouldn't feel pressured, everyone likes you as who you are now. Even when you become whole again, nothing has to change."
Anti stopped messing with his fingers as he looked up at the others, his perma-smile showing off. "I… I guess I can try! I'll do my best!"
"Then it's settled!" Angus reached over to pet Anti's head again, which made him purr in response.
"Yay~!" Posi jumped a little as the smile on his own face beamed.
"Once we get your soul back and stabilize mine, we'll start training you to use your powers. And we'll all head to the Omitted-Verse with you to help you get your family back." Angus promised. He began to pull back from Anti as he started to yawn.
"Alright, kids. Time for bed." Nega declared as he looked at the survival hunter and the chimera who laid on the mattress. Angus nor Anti didn't complain as they laid on the bed, snuggling up to one another as they laid together. Angus put a wing over them as he was next to Anti.
Posi began to rub his eyes as he had a small yawn escape his mouth. Nega noticed this and smiled. "Tired, Angel?"
"Mm-hmmm…" He nodded with half-closed eyes.
"Come on… let's all get some rest." Nega suggested as he went over and hugged Posi, rubbing his back as the two then began to disappear, sleeping as the other two were falling into their slumbers.
Anti opened his eye, waking up as he was surrounded by blades of grass all around him with flowers dotting the field. "Hmmm?" Anti rubbed his head as he sat up from where he was laying down. In the distance, he could hear the calls of several animals like birds and bears. As he gathered his surroundings, he soon realized where he was. "Huh? A forest…?" Strange, why was he dreaming about being out in the woods? Was this dream based on what he told Angus and the others? He knew for a fact it wasn't one of his memories, at least not one he could recall.
The chimera's ears twitched as he heard footsteps nearby, indicating someone was approaching. His pupil widened as he saw the ego himself, with brown fluffy hair and his cardigan shorts along with a vest. Those piercing green eyes said it all, as Anti knew who it was right away. "Angus!" He wasn't sure why the survival hunter was here, but he was happy to see him. Anti quickly ran over, wanting to embrace the ego in a hug. Just as he opened his arms, Angus suddenly phased right through him, which made Anti shudder as he felt his heart stop. He turned over, watching Angus walking through the forest, squinting his eyes as if he was trying to look through the bushes.
"A-Angus?" Anti called out to him, but got no response. Why didn't he notice him? What was happening in this dream? Although, the closer Anti looked at Angus, he noticed that the survival hunter didn't have his wings nor his scar over his eye. Even the stubbles on his face were lacking. What was going on?
"Alright… perimeter secured!" Angus smiled with his hands on his hips. "Looks like no sign of those Komodo Dragons. I was worried they somehow escaped after my last episode. Looks like I can finally head back home." Angus stretched his arms out, moaning as he appeared ready to leave. Just as he turned on his heels and began to head out, his ears, as well as Anti's, picked up what sounded like a distressed scream. "What the hell?!" Angus grunted, hearing the cry. He quickly rushed through the trees and bushes to try and follow the sound, with Anti tailing behind. Angus was very agile and quick as he practically zipped through the branches of the trees. He soon came to a clearing where he summoned his golden machete, searching around. He noticed an area where the ground hopped off to a small cliff, so he quickly went over as Angus heard a bit of crying from beneath.
"Haah!" Angus grunted, jumping onto the ground as he held his machete out to the creature.
"Haa?" The one that was on the ground shuddered, looking up at Angus with blue and yellow heterochromia eyes. He laid on the ground, dust on his hoodie as he appeared defenseless. "P-please, I am unarmed!"
Anti gasped as he saw the other ego, who had the blade right underneath his chin. "T-That's…" Anti trailed off as he took in the scene, trying to make sense of what was going on.
Angus looked down at the android figure, who had wide eyes as his body was shaking. Once the survival hunter realized it was not an animal he was facing, he lowered his weapon, but still kept his grip just to be safe. "A-ah! You're not a Komodo Dragon."
"N-No… I am Bingsepticeye. An android created by the fans." The yellow-haired one introduced himself, while still laying on the ground. "I just arrived here and was currently searching for some assistance to help me learn more about the area I am in."
Angus sighed, putting his weapon away as he knew for a fact this guy was not a threat. He then reached his right hand out towards the new arrival. "Well, it's a good thing you bumped into me before you met any wild animals." Bing was slightly hesitant to take the hand, but he eventually reached over and held onto the fingers. Using his strength, Angus lifted Bing up and checked over him. "Sorry about that, I thought you were one of the beasts I was hunting. Actually, how did you get here?"
"I was transported into these woods after I was created. I am an ego from the Jacksepticeye fanbase, a community made one though. Meaning it was not Seán William McLoughlin himself, but rather his fans who created me." Bing explained.
Angus seemed surprised as he got that information. "Wait… you're an ego?!"
"Correct!" Bing nodded.
Angus couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at Bing. "Woah… I mean, I didn't think there would be any others. I assumed I would have the Mindscape to myself."
"Are you an ego as well?" He asked while blinking.
Angus nodded. "I'm Angus Irwin, the Survival Hunter. And these are my woods, this whole area is my home. It's not the biggest and it does kind of go off the edge, but if you're here maybe that means that others will come and the place will expand!" The wild ego smiled wider at the mere thought of the idea.
Bing seemed to share his enthusiasm as well while staring. "I am curious to see what direction this community will go. However, I am in need of locating a quarters for myself to recharge. Are there by any chance mechanical or technological labs?"
"Uh… sorry, there's really only forest and trees." Angus admitted, realizing how high maintenance Bing would mostly likely be since he was part machine. He rubbed his chin, trying to come up with a solution. There was hardly anything for Bing to use here. He would have to find a way to expand the Mindscape for Bing to have more resources. For now, he would have to find a temporary home for the new ego. An idea popped into his head as the grin returned on his face. "How about you stay with me for now?"
"Stay… with you?" Bing repeated, trying to compute what was said.
Angus nodded. "Yeah! It will be a tight fit, but we can construct and expand the place later. After all, we're both young and we have our whole existence ahead of us! And it can only be until we find you your place."
"Well… if I am not too much of a nuisance, I will accept those conditions." Bing reassured the survival hunter.
"You won't be a bother. It'll be fun having another person here! I got a bit lonely by myself." Angus admitted. "Anyways, I'm all done here, so let's head back and get you settled in." He once again reached out his hand towards the android, who took it without hesitation this time.
"Thank you, Angus Irwin." Bing looked up at the taller ego.
"You can just call me Angus. The Irwin part isn't necessary." He told him.
"Are you certain?"
"Yeah… and uh, in exchange can I just refer to you as Bing? It would be quicker."
The android blinked a few times, processing that request before he came up with his answer. "Very well, you may refer to me as Bing." The two smiled as they walked hand and hand together, going down the path of the forest.
Anti watched the whole scene play out before him. He had so many questions as he stood there by himself while seeing the two heading off. "T-they… couldn't see me." He realized as he began to put the pieces together. "And… they acted like they didn't know one another. Then, this was when they met each other in… the past." Anti's bullseye pupil shrunk as he now understood what was happening. "This is Angus's memory!" Now Anti was the one who was seeing Angus's past, and seeing what happened. This was probably back when Angus himself was first created, based on how much younger he appeared. If this was a memory, then Anti needed to see where this was going. He followed the two, trying to catch up so he could see what was happening next.
He soon came to a clearing, where a wooden house was resting with sunflowers near the location. "T-this is the cabin! But… it looks different." Anti noted, mostly seeing how much smaller the structure was and covered with other types of flowers. He went over to the porch, seeing the windows and wanting to get a better look inside before going through the door. He pressed his face against the glass so he could see what was going on inside. His eye soon landed on the two familiar figures of the survival hunter and the android. Angus was currently on the ground, supporting himself with a single arm while the other was behind his back. He had his usual clothing on, minus his vest but was covered in sweat. Some droplets fell to the floor as he looked up to see Bing, who was sitting on his lower back with a mug in his hands.
"You certainly have gotten a lot stronger," Bing noted as he was going up and down.
"Well, practice makes perfect." Angus grunted as he was doing his pushups. "Got to get the work out in the morning, so we can be prepared for the day."
"Are you sure you want to keep going? Your whole face is glistening."
"I can handle a few more rounds. How about you?" Angus chuckled as he looked up at him.
"As long as I don't tire you out." Bing winked, taking a sip of his drink while Angus did a couple more push ups.
Anti pressed himself against the window, watching the interaction between the two. He had to admit, they looked pretty happy with one another. It was refreshing to see Angus in such a light. Anti jumped from where he was and began to make his way inside, heading through the door to get a better look. Once he was inside, he found that the two weren't in the living room anymore. The chimera looked around, until he managed to pick up what sounded like humming.
``In the jungle… the mighty jungle… the lion sleeps to~night." Bing was humming to those lyrics, while he was over the countertops. Anti walked closer, wanting a better look. The android appeared to have been in the middle of whisking some strange substance in a red bowl. There were boxes of cake mixes and an open book, which was resting on a page to make lemon cake. Apparently the android was in the middle of baking.
As he was mixing the ingredients together, a certain ego walked up behind him and stood tall on his tip-toes. "Well hello there, Sunflower." Angus greeted, wrapping his arms around Bing as he rested his chin on his golden hair.
"Angel… I'm in the middle of baking." Bing told him.
"And?" Angus was being cheeky as he kept hold of his boyfriend. Anti assumed, based on the voices and the fact he called Bing by the nickname, this indicated that they had gotten much closer now.
"Come on… I need to finish your cake so we can celebrate! After all, you are going to be heading into new games for Sean's channel!" Bing pointed out with a smile.
"I still can't believe it. I mean, I always hoped I would explore more beyond Far Cry, but to think I'll be able to go into Minecraft and Skyrim…" Angus's eyes lit up at the mere thought.
Bing however seemed a bit saddened as he looked down at the bowl. "Don't remind me… that means I'll have to be by myself for almost a month while you're gone…" The android tried to be brave, but as his gaze didn't look up at Angus, it showed how upset he was at the news. "I wish I could go with you…"
Angus kept his hold on the android, trying to cheer him up. "Sorry Bing, but it might be too dangerous. I don't know what new creatures I'll run into when I'm in those new lands. Besides, someone should stay here and keep an eye on the cabin." Angus leaned forward and pecked his lips on Bing's cheek. "It'll only be for a month. I'll be back the first week of July according to the schedule. I'll write to you as well. Besides, the both of us won't be truly alone." Angus's green eyes motioned over to the window, where Bing and Anti followed. Outside, two strange creatures were huddling together pretty closely. They appeared to have been eyeballs, with tails attached to their bodies. One of which had a dark black body with a green pupil and a small hat. His emerald tongue was sticking out. The other had a body that was half yellow and half gray, with a particle tail and an antenna similar to Bing's. Anti was confused, what were those creatures? Were they part of the egos?
"Gadget is going to miss Hunter as well…" Bing added.
"Then let's spend what time we have left with each other before we have to be separated." Angus suggested.
"If you think I'm letting you help out in the kitchen, you can forget it. Last thing we need is the cabin getting set on fire." Bing pointed out, shoving Angus lightly with a grin.
"Come on, that was one time!"
"One time too many." Bing and him then began to laugh, as they couldn't help but be reminded of such an event.
The chimera kept watching, a smile on his own face as he was taking in the scenery. "I can't believe this is the same guy that stole my soul. He looks so… content. Like he is enjoying his life." Anti admitted. It was his first time seeing Angus in such a manner, and yet it was still a sight that he enjoyed. Still, there was a strange feeling in his stomach that told him not to trust any of this, but he wasn't sure why.
He was taken out of his thoughts when the ground beneath his feet suddenly shifted. Anti shuddered as he felt the quake beneath him for a moment before it was gone. "W-what was that?!" When the chimera looked up, the cabin had been left abandoned, and it appeared darker despite it still being light outside. "A-Angus? Bing?!" Anti looked around, trying to figure out where they went. He suddenly felt uncomfortable, and decided to leave the house since there was nothing here for him. He quickly walked through the door, being taken to an open field once again. The ground was covered by many yellow sunflowers, as the sky was shining with the sun casting down upon the land. Anti's focus was mainly on a figure in brown and beige standing in the center of the opening.
"Angel! You're back!" Anti jumped when he heard Bing's voice right in his ear. He turned around in time to see the android running right through the chimera, heading down the stairs of the cabin and going at full speed. Angus opened his arms wide, a smile sketched onto his face as his boyfriend was embraced by their hug. Bing giggled like a schoolgirl as he held onto his survival hunter. "I missed you so much!"
"Me too, Sunflower." Angus chuckled, using his strength to pick up the robot. He twirled him around a few times, as they kept on laughing while they were spinning around in the meadows. Bing soon leaned forward, pressing his lips onto his angel's. This caught the survival hunter off guard, as he blushed while losing his strength, the two falling with the flowers breaking their fall. Bing kept the kiss as he laid on top of Angus, being lovey-dovey with one another. Honestly, to some other people who would watch this, they would think it was too much. But Anti believed Angus deserved this.
"So, how have things been going here?" Angus asked, as the two of them began to get back up.
"The cabin has been kept up while you were gone. I also got all of your letters. I can't believe what you went through!"
"Got to say, Minecraft was really interesting. One minute I'm in a desert, then a jungle, next a forest! I was even on a wintery mountain at one point! Don't even get me started on the weather conditions!"
"And when you saw water, instead of drinking it, the first thing you did was jump into it." Bing pointed out.
"I was thirsty both inside and outside!" Angus admitted. "Especially considering I came across a molten lava pit! Which I managed to debunk the myth that it wasn't a dragon pissing spot. Man, Minecraft has some dangerous, but fascinating terrains!"
"I wish I could have gone with you." Bing sighed.
Angus gave a reassuring smile. "Hey, when Sean makes another Survival Hunter episode in Minecraft, I'll take you there!"
Bing's eyes lit up at the mention of it. "R-really?!"
"Well, it will have to be a new world since I… kind of brunt that land a bit…" He chuckled slightly.
"Angus, you'd promise you'd stop doing that!" Bing raised a brow his way.
"In my defense, it was needed for me to get a rescue ship…" The survival hunter lightly chuckled. "Anyways, let's head back inside and I can tell you all about Skyrim next!"
"Okay!" Bing held his hand as they started to go back inside the cabin. Just as they were about to ascend up the stairs, Anti felt his feet shaking as the ground rumbled once more. That caught the attention of Bing and Angus, as they looked at one another. "Again?"
"This happened before?" Angus asked, looking at his boyfriend.
"A few days before you came back." Bing explained. "I wasn't aware the Mindscape could even get earthquakes."
Angus hummed, he looked back at the ground and pounded his foot on the floor. He was confused by the sudden shift as well. After all, the Mindscape was just a floating island, so it wasn't like there were any tectonic plates underneath shifting. "Maybe it's a good omen!" He tried to reassure Bing. "Maybe it's supposed to mean that the Mindscape is expanding with the new worlds I've been in! It's probably trying to make room!"
"Wow!" Bing's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, maybe we'll have more egos join in!"
Angus nodded with a smile. "I hope so, I would love to meet them!" They both appeared hopeful as the pair then walked up to the cabin, going inside and leaving Anti alone.
"I don't trust those earthquakes…" He commented. The chimera kept walking, as he wanted to see what would be next. He hurried into the cabin, opening the door as he expected to be back in the house. Instead, he found himself in a new area. He found himself on a small piece of land, looking out to a large lake with a boat next to a dock. He saw Bing with those two eyeballs with him on a boat, as the android was holding up a camera. Angus held his bow and arrow, aiming over at the small port he was standing on. "Angus…?"
"There's only one sure fire way to make sure vampire deer's never return. And that's to burn down the entire place where they originated from. I've got my napalm arrows here…" He drew back a flaming arrow, aiming it over at a shelter where there were many gas canisters. "Fire them into these gas canisters." Once he did so, the whole dock began to be set aflame, as they engulfed the wood and fuels. "Ahh! Just like that, hopefully these will keep burning and take out this entire island with them. Fire one into the jungle, just to make sure." He launched another bomb arrow right into the trees, setting the whole place on fire.
"What is it with Angus and lighting everything up on fire?" Anti had to question.
"Wha! I think it's time to get out of here before this fire tries to engulf me. Got my little boat here…" He jumped onto the small vehicle, while Bing was recording shoots of the hunter and the burning island. "And hop in. Hoo… that was a close one, mates. But we got all the Vampire Deers!" He went to the steering wheel and began to run the boat, as Anti quickly hopped on in so he wouldn't lose track of them. Thankfully the boat was just big enough to hold all three. Though it didn't really matter since Anti was just phasing through the others. "This was quite an adventure for the Survival Hunter this time. I had to take out something for the first time ever. But I did it and I got the job done. Thank you guys for watching this episode of Survival Hunter, and I will see all you guys in the next video." Angus sighed as he was driving the boat down the river.
"Aaand, cut!" Bing declared as he shut off the camera. "Are you alright, Angus?"
"Haaahh… I think I actually burnt myself a bit on that one." Angus told him. "But, I think I'll be fine."
Bing looked at him with concern. "That's not reassuring. I'll patch you up once we are back home." He promised.
"It's nothing too bad, Bing! Don't worry!" Angus blushed a bit as he tried to reassure his boyfriend.
"I expect nothing less from you!" The black eyeball with the neon green pupil and tongue reassured him.
"Heh. I can't wait till Sean pitches the next video idea. I wonder what kind of game I'll go into next? Between Far Cry, Minecraft, and Skyrim, I'm not sure-" The chatting was interrupted as the ground shook, making Anti jump along with the others.
"A-Another earthquake?" Bing shuddered as he felt the shift.
"This one is much stronger than before…" Angus realized, as even he seemed more concerned. "Come on, let's head back." He advised, driving the boat down the river. Anti watched as the boat moved back to the dock on the other side, where he parked the vehicle and the four headed off. Anti bit his lip as he watched them go. He waited until they left, then started to move forward in the hopes to see what would happen. Even though he was really nervous, he had to keep going to see where this memory was leading.
As he walked into the forest, he looked around to locate the two. However, he soon noticed a few things. The trees were becoming more gray in their bark, with their branches bare. The grass was dying around him as well, even the flowers were wilting. "W-what's going on?" Anti was still not used to the principals of the Mindscape, so he wasn't sure what this all meant. "A-Angus?!" He called out, even though he knew there would be no answer.
"Angus!" The chimera turned, seeing a distraught Bing running around. Tears were welling in his eyes as he was rushing to the cabin, which appeared to become more wrapped, with some of the roof caving in and the windows busted. Anti gasped, what the hell happened here? Bing ran over to the building, with Anti following behind. The android, practically pulled the door from its hinges as he tossed it to the side. "Angus! Are you in there?!" Bing cried as he rushed in, looking around. He was frantic, as his eyes were scanning every corner and room to locate his angel. Soon enough, he managed to see a figure laying on the floor, covered by some rubble and debris. The small black eyeball was doing all he could to get some of the rubble off, but to no avail.
"Brother?!" Anti gasped, seeing the one on the ground. Bing rushed over, shoving the pile off of his loved one.
"Angus! Please stay with me!" Bing held onto the survival hunter, holding him in his arms. The four spectators were in horror as to what they saw. Black lines coated the ego's skin, like an illness that was spreading fast. His chest was rising and falling slowly and his eyes appear bloodshot.
"S-sun...flower?"
"No… Angus stay with us!" Bing pleaded.
"Don't worry Master, you'll be safe now!" The black eyeball reassured him.
"Hunter, what happened?!" Bing asked the floating eyeball with the hat.
"I don't know… the cabin started to fall apart after the last earthquake. And this morning, he began to have pain in his chest! He tried taking some healing herbs, but none of them worked. Then those cracks began to form in his skin and…"
"H-hurts…" Angus coughed as he was wincing from just talking.
"First the forest is dying and falling apart, now this!?" Bing was crying as he did not understand what was happening. Nothing could prepare him for this.
"T-they're… forgetting… he… is for...getting…" Angus tried to speak in his raspy voice. Gasping for air in his lungs, only to find it hard to breathe.
"Forgetting…?" Anti repeated what Angus said, as his eye went wide while his brain pieced it together. "This was when he died…" Those earthquakes weren't signs of the land expanding, it was foretelling the destruction of the forest! But how could they have known that? How could Angus possibly be aware when he never saw it before?
"Bing, his vitals signs are dangerously low!" The other eyeball told his own master. "If we do not act fast, he could very well fade!"
Bing nodded, grabbing ahold of Angus and lifting him into his arms. "T-there has to be some place we can get him! If we can at least get out of the Far Cry Forest, we should be safe!"
"B-Bing… j-just go… leave me…" Angus tried to tell his boyfriend.
"I am not leaving you to die!" Bing cried out. "You'll be fine! You have to be fine!" He shook his head, doing all he could to remain strong physically. He picked up his feet, running out of the door as the two eyeballs followed him. He panted as he practically carried Angus away from the cabin, which was collapsing in of itself now. Angus whimpered, clutching his chest as he was holding back the tears. As much as he wanted to be brave, this was one battle he wasn't sure he was going to win. "Gadget, how much farther?!" Bing asked his own eyeball.
"We are 3.4 miles away from the edge of the Far Cry Forest." The yellow and silver eye reported. Bing kept huffing as he was using every ounce of his man-made energy to bring himself and Angus out of there. If he could at least get the survival hunter away from the decaying world, he would be alright. Surely he could fix up those wounds, he had managed to be Angus's medic this far and never failed. Anti trailed behind, he felt his heart breaking as he could see how determined Bing was to save Angus, but the chimera already knew how it would end.
Mile after mile, the android paced, the trees and ground beginning to break apart, and drift off into space. It was becoming worse with every passing step they took. As if to make matters worse, Angus's breathing was becoming more and more shallow. "Almost there… I-I'll make sure y-you don't... y-you're not going to..."Angus panted heavily, as he used what strength he had in him to take hold of Bing's arm. He clung to him, like a lifeline, which Bing was to him at this point. Bing looked at Angus, tears forming in his eyes. "It'll be alright... W-we'll patch you up... and you can... you can..."
Angus then pulled Bing close to him giving a pathetic smile and chuckle. "Hhhaa...L-Little too late for that, s-sunflower… B-Bing… I'm scared… I don't want… to die…"
Bing shook his head. "A-Angel.." He kept weeping as he held onto him. "Please... I can't lose you!"
"J-Just... don't let go of me, okay..?"
Bing nodded, holding him close despite the world shaking again. "We have to go. I can heal you up in my place..."
Angus's breathing grew shallow, but he still held onto Bing. His vision was beginning to blur. "M-Master, y-you can't go!" Hunter begged.
"H-Hhhhnnn-!" Angus winced, but held onto Bing.
"We made it!" Gadget stated, as they came to a cliffside. On the other side of the cliff, the grass was greener and the trees were healthier. That was the part of the Mindscape that wasn't being affected. It was so close… but there was one problem.
"The land has been split… there's no way we will be able to make that jump." Hunter noted, seeing how deep the trench below them was, practically going into the void itself.
Bing looked around, trying to locate some bridge or any platform for them to cross. There was no such luck, but they were in a hurry. He looked over to see a large tree, still rooted to the ground. An idea came to the android's mind as they ran over. "Gadget! Laser!" Bing shouted. The robotic eyeball nodded, his pupil dilated as it started to shine. The creature then shot out a beam of light from itself, slashing through the base of the truck like it was cutting through the wood. Anti watched, wondering what they were attempting. Once the tree was loose enough, Bing and the others watched as the bark fell down, collapsing until it was in between the two pieces of land.
"You think it will hold?" Gadget questioned, examining it over.
Hunter checked the make-shift bridge himself. "It should be thick enough to at least cross over, but we best hurry yet keep ourselves steady."
Bing nodded, as he carefully hopped onto the trunk of the tree and slowly began to make his way across. Angus close to his chest, as he put one foot in front of the other. "Just don't look down… focus on getting across." He told him. His eyes glued to the other side, where he knew they would be safe. "Once we get over there, we'll patch you up and create a new home for the two of us to live in. It won't be easy, but if you can survive this, you can overcome anything…"
"S-Sunflower…" Angus whimpered. He was trying so hard, but he doubted that would be the case.
"Come on… you're the Survival Hunter… you have to survive this! You will survive this!" Bing told him, biting his lip as he held back the tears. If he cried, that would mean he would have given up. And he refused to let his Angel suffer and die! Anti watched on the other side, he really prayed that they would both make it. But this was a memory, not a dream or a nightmare. The land that Anti was standing on started to shake once again, causing the log to shift a bit. Bing stumbled, losing his footing as he felt ready to fall over. He lost his grip, and tossed Angus onto the bark.
The survival hunter landed on the tree, seeing Bing ready to fall. "Sunflower!" With what remaining strength he had left, Angus reached over and grabbed onto the android's hand, pulling him up and keeping him on the bridge they were on. Bing panted a bit, looking over at Angus. He looked so broken… so exhausted. "Come on… we have to keep going." He urged, pushing Bing forward as he was crawling right behind him. The two carefully scooted down the tree trunk, holding onto the bark as they made sure to cling to it in case another quake happened. Bing was crawling across, but looked back to make sure Angus would follow behind. He didn't want him to fall off, they were so close.
"Almost there…" Bing reached for the edge, as he held out his arm to get to the roots of the tree. Angus grunted, the pain was catching up to him, but he couldn't stop now. His green eyes turned back to the other world, where the base of the tree was starting to lower as that ground was crumbling piece by piece. At this rate, Angus knew that the bridge wouldn't hold out for much longer. He hissed as he knew what had to be done… he was dying anyways.
"Fuck!" He swore to himself, while he leaned forward and pushed Bing straight off the bridge, onto the other side. The android screamed from the sudden push, as he fell on his face. Gadget went to his side, while Hunter remained with his master. The tree started to go lower and lower, as the remaining parts of the Far Cry Forest were fading away.
"Master?!" Hunter looked over, seeing that the tree was very unstable.
"Hunter… take care of yourself and Bing…" He said, then looked back over at his Sunflower. "I love you so much… Sunflower." The tears finally came down, indicating that it was all over. At least, for Angus Irwin. With the shaking of the land, the log lost it's footing and began to slowly fall into the abyss, with Angus along with it.
Bing managed to get up in time, seeing the trunk and his boyfriend being swallowed up by the void. The android reached over the edge, trying to grab onto Angus but it was already too late. He saw the Survival Hunter falling into the crevasse, until he was too far gone to see.
"MASTER!" Hunter screamed, as he could only stay idly by and watched as his ego was taken away.
Bing merely stood there, leaning against the edge of the healthier Mindscape as the rest of the forest was falling apart. His eyes were looking down, as his heart was breaking. All of the tears began to cascade down his cheek, the damn of emotions burst inside of him. Feelings that he never thought he would have to experience, and now hated to go through them all. His body was visibly shaking, as his lip was quivering. "Bing… I am terribly sorry…" Gadget went over to his master seeing the look on his face. He was processing what had happened… and it would have bad results.
"Hhhh…. Nhhhh… ghhhhh…" Bing pulled back as his circuits were overloading with the feelings. He could not compute any of this, but he had to let it all out. The android looked up to the sky, opening his mouth as he vocalized his pain. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" He gasped a bit, taking in the air he just lost, only to use it again. "ANGEL!" He sobbed in between the screams, at this point he broke down. Pounding the ground as anger and regret poured out of him. Anti could hear and see it from where he was, he now understood the pain that both of them went through that day. He was speechless to say the least, after all, what could he say? He turned away, holding onto himself in a self-hug, as he closed his eyes. He wanted this memory to be over with. He saw enough.
His wish was granted, as he opened his eyes as the smell of freshly baked goods were in the air. Anti's nose was the first thing that picked it up, as he sat up on the bed. He looked around, trying to find his brother. Angus was not on the mattress, which caused Anti to become worried. Considering how traumatizing his own memories were, he couldn't imagine what the survival hunter must be going through at the moment. Hopefully Posi and Nega were comforting him, and Anti would have to do the same. The chimera jumped from the bed, wondering how far Angus was.
"Hey, look who's finally up!" Anti jumped as he heard the Aussie accent, seeing a certain brunet at the stove as he was flipping a pancake in the pan. A smile on his face as he appeared cheerful and colorful. Anti was slightly confused… Was he putting up a front to not scare the child? Why was he acting like this despite that nightmare? "I thought I would have to roll you out of bed."
Anti merely stood in the doorway, just staring at Angus. This was a bit weird, even after what they have been through. "Anyways, Dad said he wanted us at the hospital by two. But I figured we could have some food first. Honestly, I'm a bit hungry and I wanted to introduce you to a new food!" Angus winked as he finished setting up the plates. Anti went along with this charade, taking a seat at the table and looking at the older ego. He soon came by and placed a dish of four pancakes stacked on top of one another, with a berry face made up of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, along with whip cream.
"T-this is…" Anti stared at the face of the food, wondering what it was.
"They're called pancakes. I thought it would be a fun treat. Kind of a celebratory meal for the two of us to have since we're only two soul shards away now from finishing up the serum!" Angus explained.
"Woah, they even have a little face! That's adorable!" Posi commented.
"What, do you like to imagine you're devouring the face of your enemy while eating them?" Nega joked.
Angus rolled his eyes as he took a knife and fork, digging into the food as he began to take a mouthful of the fluffy substance and ate it. Anti just watched him, looking back and forth between the pancakes and his brother. Angus ate his second pancake before he noticed the look the chimera was giving him. "Is something wrong?"
"I… uh…" Anti wasn't sure how to approach this. What was he going to say to Angus in regards to that memory? He figured it was best to see what he knew first. "H-how did you sleep?"
Angus chuckled. "Honestly, like a baby. Been a while since I was able to just be knocked out."
Anti blinked again, as he was not convinced. "So… no dreams or nightmares?"
"Nope! I didn't see anything on your end. It was just blackness, as I let the rem sleep drift me off. I haven't felt this great in a few days!" Angus scarfed down the rest of his pancakes, while Anti sat there in complete shock. He didn't appear to be lying, Angus wasn't that good of an actor. Then… that could only mean one thing.
'He didn't see the memory…' Anti realized. How could that be possible though? How could Anti see what happened, but not Angus? Especially when it was his memory about his life? Something didn't add up for Anti, but how could he confront this with Angus? He didn't want to bring him down now, not when he looks so happy after everything they have been through.
"Anti? Something wrong?" Angus asked again. The chimera jumped at the question, looking at him as he tried to seem un-phased. "You haven't eaten your pancakes."
"S-sorry… I'm actually not hungry right now. Sorry…" He apologized.
"Really? You're usually a glutton for food." Nega pointed out.
"I just uh… don't want to overfill my belly for the next memory. Just in case we may um… see something gory like the last one." Anti lied, in truth he was kind of hungry, but he didn't feel like eating.
"Oh…" Posi realized. "Well, I'm sure Bing won't have any memories of the sort."
"Still, I won't force you to eat. We can have them again afterwards, okay?" Angus promised. Anti gave a small nod, trying to agree. "In the meantime, can I have them?"
The child rolled his eyes as he shoved his plate over to Angus. "Go nuts." The survival hunter took the advice, devouring the pancake faces with delight. Part of Anti really wanted to tell Angus what he saw, but he kept that side quiet for now. Even though Anti now knew what the memory would be, he felt like he wanted to prevent Angus from going through that. After all, who would want to relive their death twice?
"Say… um, An-" Anti was interrupted as Angus checked his phone, swallowing what he had in his mouth.
"Shit! Is it late already? We better get to the hospital to meet up with Henrik and Bing!" He declared, standing up and shoving the plates into the sink. "Come on, Anti!" Angus called to him, as he rushed over to the door. Anti stood up from his seat, sighing as he slowly walked along to head to the hospital with Angus.
Posi and Nega looked at one another, seeing the expression the chimera gave off. "Neggy… did Anti seem a bit off to you?"
"Yeah…" Nega admitted. "I don't like that he was lying, either." The two souls kept quiet though, as they followed the two to the hospital, where Henrik and Bing were waiting.