Chapter 15: Bing's Grief
Angus and Anti made it to the hospital, where the survival hunter went over to the front desk to meet up with the toy maker. "Hey Shawn…"
"Angus Irwin, nice to see you again! How have you and Anti been?"
"Pretty great, we're here to get another soul shard." The older ego explained. "Are they in the Soul Clinic yet?"
"Ah yes, they just went down there! Henrik wanted me to call you and tell you they are ready, but since you are here, that is one less job for me." Shawn smiled.
"Well, we better head there then. Thanks again, Shawn." Angus waved to the toy maker, before he and Anti began to walk down the hallways of the building, Angus seemed pretty confident as he was heading to the elevator, pressing the buttons as he waited for the lift. Anti was still quiet, he couldn't stop thinking about the memories that he saw, but Angus was not able to.
'Come on… tell him…' Anti's subconscious was urging him as he stared at the back of the survival hunter. 'Tell him what you saw. Don't let him relive his death again!' The two of them walked into the elevator, letting the shaft take them to the floor where the Soul Clinic was. "U-Um… Angus?"
The survival hunter turned to the glitch, raising a brow as they were talking. "You okay, Anti?"
The chimera rubbed his arm as he tried to find the right words to say. "I uh… I mean… are you sure you want to go inside the memory?" Angus turned so he could face the glitch in curiosity. "I could go into the memory with Henrik alone. If Bing did this before, then that means the soul shard won't be difficult to get."
Angus smiled softly over at the other. "Anti… I know what you're trying to do."
The chimera jumped as he looked over at the survival hunter. "Y-you do?"
"Yeah… you're worried that I will see something in that memory pertaining to my death." Anti gasped, his eyeball wide as he stared at Angus, who still appeared confident. "I know for a fact that will be Bing's powerful memory. After all, nothing is more crushing than losing the one you love."
"B-but… if you know that then why are you…" Anti trailed off as he looked at the older ego.
"Because I need to be there. Bing has probably blamed himself for what happened to me those years ago. He's suffered just as much as I have… and I doubt he ever got over it." Angus looked down, staring at his hands while clenching his fingers into a fist. "Even if it will be painful for me… I still want to know what happened. The details of my death and after are kind of fuzzy… so maybe I'll get the answers I need in there. At the same time, I want to reassure Bing that everything will be fine. That I won't be going anywhere ever again."
Anti's eye wavered as he heard that. So Angus knew what the memory would be, but he was still unaware of the events which would lead up to it. He tried to remain strong, but the glitch could sense the fear in Angus's body. "Angus…"
"I'll be alright, Anti." He promised. "It won't be easy, and truthfully, I am really scared to relive those memories. But at least the two of us will have closure."
Anti looked away for a moment, as he heard what the survival hunter was saying. He was still unaware of his own memories that he had, and it made him worry even more. "A-Angus there's-" The elevator dinged, as the doors opened. Angus quickly went out, with Anti following behind. The two turned a few corners and went down the hallway, until they made it to the Soul Clinic, where the machines were as well as the doctor and android.
"Alright Bing, now this is a bit different than before. We are actually going into your memory this time to get the shard itself." Henrik explained as he set the robot down on the table. "Unfortunately, since you do not seem to have access to that memory, you can not come with us."
"I just hope you three will be okay. I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you in there." Bing stated as he appeared worried.
"Do not fret, Bing. We have done this plenty of times before." Henrik reassured him. The two heard the door to the room open, as they turned to see the others. "Ah! Angus! Anti! Just in time."
"Hey dad! Hey Sunflower!" Angus greeted, with a bright smile upon his face. "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, I just strapped Bing down… now we best get ourselves ready to enter the memory." Henrik declared, going over to get the machines started up.
Angus smiled at his boyfriend, who waved back before the android closed his eyes and started to drift off. The survival hunter headed over to a table, laying down as he watched Anti go next to him, remaining quiet for a moment. "A-Angus…" Anti called out again, which made the older ego turn to the glitch. Anti stared at him, wanting so badly to tell him what to expect. But he knew there would be no time. "I-if… it gets too much… Let me know and I'll… I'll comfort you." Anti promised.
Angus smiled at him, giving a firm nod. "Thanks, Anti." The guilt washed over the chimera, as he regretted not telling Angus sooner. But it was too late now, as they closed their eyes and drifted off into the memory.
The group found themselves together, waking up to the soft breeze and rustling of leaves. When they looked around, they found themselves surrounded by greenery. Fireflies danced across the night sky, lighting up like stars. Angus shifted as he slowly stood up, taking in the memory.
"W-where are we?" Posi questioned, seeing the new area they were in.
Angus stepped forward, his black sclera's taking in the whole scene. "T-This is my forest. But it looks… different. Like before it was originally destroyed…?" Angus was confused, as he checked the woods. Anti stayed closer to the survival hunter, preparing himself for what was to come. He wanted to support Angus when the time arrived for them to see the memories.
"Angus~!" A robotic voice called out ahead of them. The five looked at each other, before following the voice on a path. They came to a small campsite, with a large tent next to a firepit. A lantern glowing off to the side next to a blanket, as two egos were close to the fire.
"T-That's…" Angus trailed off, seeing his boyfriend next to a younger version of himself. One where he didn't have the eye scar nor his wings. Angus looked like he was waiting for him, as a smile was present on his face.
"Did you get all the things you needed, Sunflower? You went back to the cabin at least three times now." The memory version of Angus questioned.
"Y-Yes!" Bing answered. "I just wanted to make sure the door was locked, that's all."
"You're really being over dramatic about this, Bing. It's just camping." Angus reassured him as he went over to the android, placing an arm around his shoulders. "Besides, it's not like someone's gonna rob us overnight." He then winked at him with a flushed face. "Your boyfriend is well versed in taking down dangerous creatures and surviving treacherous conditions."
Bing raised a brow as he looked at his Angel. "...Angus, you struggled with our tent for twenty minutes and got scared of a mosquito."
Angus winced, looking away in embarrassment. "M-Mosquitos are terrifying beasts! I'm allowed to be scared of them!"
"Suuuure…" Bing giggled as he rolled his eyes. "Come on, lay down on the grass with me." Bing suggested, laying on the blanket. Angus hurried over, next to his side as the two stared up into the sky, looking at the stars.
Angus stayed next to Anti, watching the two interact. He bit his lip, as his eyes just glanced over with no shine or emotions. Anti's ears went flat, as he tilted his head while watching the memory play out. 'That's odd… I didn't see this memory in Angus's dream. It would have shown up if it had such an impact on him but…' The chimera trailed off as he looked over at Angus, seeing the expressionless features on his face.
The others didn't notice right away, instead Posi grinned as he watched the memory play out. "You look a lot younger here, Angus. And a lot happier."
Henrik looked over at his son. "How long ago did this happen?"
"This… this was before I was forgotten…" Angus admitted, as he already knew what would be coming their way. "But…" He trailed off, which made Nega worry.
"Are you okay?" The devil asked.
"...I… it's nothing. I'm alright." Angus tried to shrug it off.
"Brother?" Anti took hold of his hand, forcing Angus to meet his eyes. The survival hunter stared at the glitch, knowing he couldn't lie to his younger sibling.
He sighed, looking over at the memory of himself and Bing. "It's just… I don't… remember this conversation. You'd think I would, but…"
"Maybe you just forgot?" Henrik suggested. "It was a long time ago, no one could remember every single word of a conversation they had from that time."
"Maybe, but… this feels different." Angus went on.
"Different how?" Anti questioned, not liking where Angus was going.
"Out of place. Like… it's like seeing a reflection in a mirror but it doesn't feel like it's mine." Angus described. Anti jumped when he heard that, being reminded of the memories he did see. He kept his mouth shut, knowing this would not be a good time to say anything.
"Perhaps we should go?" Anti suggested.
"Yeah… I don't want to stay here." Angus admitted, as the five walked away from the campsite, heading down the pathway. Both Anti and Angus were on edge, but tried to keep their minds clear. They soon came to a clearing, with many trees lining the way. In the center were three vases which held flowers, in front of a large hole with a wooden sign.
"Oh joy, a clearing in the middle of the woods with no escape. I've seen enough horror movies to know where this is going." Nega noted.
"Shouldn't we have gotten to the next memory?" Angus wondered, looking around.
"It appears to be another blockage. Bing doesn't seem to want us to go any further without proving ourselves." Henrik stated.
"Damn, so much for a walk in the park." Nega sighed.
"What are we supposed to do?" Anti questioned.
Posi pointed to the wood before them. "Maybe that sign can give us a clue." The five went over, checking the words that were displayed on the board. "Huh… strange, looks like a poem is written here." The angel looked over the words, as he read them outloud.
"The day we met, I held my breath. You showed me a new life, you helped me open my eyes. Together, just us two, we begin anew!"
"That sounds strange…" Nega admitted. "But it must be the clue…"
"Maybe the poem is connected to the flowers?" Henrik suggested, turning back to the ones in the vases.
Anti went over and examined them. "A white rose, some sage and ivy!"
"A-Anti… you know those flowers?" Henrik was surprised by how much flower knowledge the child had.
He smiled with confidence. "Yeah! I saw a book in one of Angus's sleeves of a language of flowers… so I read it and learned about them."
"Book on language of…" Angus was confused, until he suddenly remembered. "Oh right! Bing got me that book to learn more about flowers! Apparently he thought it would help me find out which flowers to use as medicine in the wild, but it actually was a history of what each plant meant in terms of gifts." Angus explained.
Henrik turned back between the sign and the flowers, as the wheels in his brain turned. "Ah-ha!"
"What is it, Dad?" Angus asked, seeing the look in Henrik's eyes.
"I bet we have to put one of the flowers into the hole! One to go along with what the poem is getting at!" Henrik realized.
Nega nodded. "Seems logical. But which flower do we put in?"
Posi turned back to Anti. "Do you know what each flower means?" He asked the chimera.
Anti hummed as he looked over each and every plant. "The white rose means a new beginning, starting fresh. The sage means wisdom, immortality. And the ivy is to symbolize friendship."
"Well, based on how Angus and Bing acted in the memory, I think we can toss out the 'friendship' plant." Nega suggested.
"So that leaves the rose and sage…" Angus noted, looking between the two flowers.
"Hmmm… that poem mentioned 'Begin anew'..." Henrik repeated as he hummed.
Anti smiled, taking the rose from the vase and placing it into the hole. Everyone stepped back, watching and waiting to see if they got it. The petals of the flower shone brightly, right before the bushes and trees started to glow, sprouting the same type and color flower on the leaves. An opening appeared between two trees, letting them advance to the next area. "It worked!" Anti jumped, happy with the results.
"Looks like we can continue now." Henrik declared, as he walked with the others. They all prepared themselves as they wanted to see what would occur next, even though Anti and Angus were both on edge. They soon came across a large lake, where they could see Bing in a boat with the familiar Septiceyes of Hunter and Gadget, as Angus was standing on the dock while the island behind him was set on fire.
Anti jumped when he saw the scene. 'I remember this from the memories!' He thought to himself.
"...And I think it's time to get out of here before this fire tries to engulf me." The Angus in the memory said straight at Bing, who was holding up a camera. "Got my little boat here…" He leapt off of the dock, and landed on the boat, sighing in relief. "Hoo… that was a close one, mates. But we got all the Vampire Deer's! That 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."
"Annnd, cut!" Gadget said as the eyeball looked at Bing, who put down the camera.
Angus sighed as he looked over at his boyfriend. "I think I actually might have burned myself a tiny bit on that one."
"Will you be alright?" Bing asked.
Angus blushed as he looked at the android. "I've had much worse. I think I'll be fine."
"That's also not reassuring!"
The black and green eyeball went over, nuzzling Angus's cheek. "Nothing too bad, Bing! Don't worry!"
"I can't wait until Jack pitches the next video idea. I wonder if I can go to another game? Maybe-" Angus was cut off from his thoughts as the ground beneath everyone rumbled a bit.
Bing was a bit scared, looking at the water then back at everyone else. "What was that?"
"I...I don't know? Probably just an earthquake." Angus shrugged, though he appeared just as nervous.
"We should get home just in case." Gadget suggested.
Bing nodded in agreement. "A-Alright…"
As Anti watched, he raised a brow in confusion. 'That's strange… This is the same memory but the dialogue is different. What's going on?' Anti didn't know what to think at this point, there was something off about these memories. And he knew he wasn't the only one who felt it.
"I think I know where this is going…" Angus glared at the scene, his green pupils practically glowing as his face was mostly covered by the shadows of his hair. He seemed a bit hostile. Anti turned to his brother, seeing how upset he appeared. But whether it was from the memory or the events leading up to the next scene, it was hard to say.
"Wait… those earthquakes are…" Henrik trailed off, as he noticed Angus's expression.
"Early signs of a world falling." Angus finished for him.
"So this was…" Once again, Henrik trailed off as he didn't take his eyes away from his son.
"Before I faded…" Angus grunted, his hands gripping into fists as he was starting to shake.
"A-Angus?" Anti looked at him, becoming increasingly concerned.
"Let's go." Angus turned as he led the group down the pathway, following the light of the lanterns. The others followed behind him, a bit worried as they were forced to press on. They came to another clearing, similar to the one with the first puzzle. It was set up exactly the same, but there were three different types of flowers in separate vases.
"Looks like another puzzle…" Nega noted.
"It seems to be set up the same as the first one… let's check the sign." Henrik suggested. The five went over, as they read the poem which was carved into the wood out loud.
"Together, we made many memories. Even if there weren't that many. Our time together was so short. We didn't know it would be torn apart. A world shattering, we were unaware, of the misfortune in the air."
"That… sounds ominous…" Nega shuddered.
Angus shook away from that, as he looked to the vases. "Anti, do you know what these flowers are and what they represent?"
"Let me see…" The chimera leaned down to get a better look at the plants. "Amaryllis, this flower is associated with pride. Then there's goldenrod, a type of flower to represent good fortune or encouragement. And finally… Rhododendron…" Anti trailed off as he looked at that plant.
"What does it mean?" Posi asked, nervous as to how Anti was cut off.
The chimera looked up at everyone else as he answered. "Beware danger…" The others, except for Angus, were a bit mortified when they heard that. They were all a bit disturbed by what that one flower in particular translated to. The survival hunter went over to the Rhododendron, placing it in the hole as he had a strong feeling that it was the flower they needed. They watched as the petals glowed, along with the trees and bushes as they sprouted flowers in their branches and leaves. A new pathway was revealed to them, as Angus was the first one to walk through, with the others following behind.
As they walked further into the forest, they began to notice how isolated many parts of the memory were. Some chunks of trees and grass were scattered around the Mindscape, floating off. Even some of the trees lost their leaves, looking a bit decayed. The most noticeable feature was a strange structure, which appeared smaller than Angus's cabin. "What is that building?" Henrik questioned.
"I don't recognize it either…" Angus admitted, wondering what this place held.
"Shh… there's some voices inside…" Posi said. Everyone remained quiet as they pressed their faces to the building so they could hear what was on the other side.
"Just don't let go of me, okay?" They heard Angus! The memory version at least, who sounded scared.
"...O-okay…" Bing whimpered, like he was on the verge of tears. "It'll be alright, I promise. I'm right here… you won't be going anywhere!"
The five looked at one another, then over at Angus who kept his head down. "Angus?" Henrik tried to reach out to him, only for the survival hunter to shrug him off. He reached down, gripping the door handle with his gloved hands. As he attempted to open it, the handle remained where it was.
"What the hell?"
"What's wrong?" Nega asked the survival hunter.
"The door… it won't budge!"
"What?" Henrik went over to the door, giving it a try himself but ended up with the same results. "T-that can't be…"
"Why isn't it allowing us inside?" Nega wondered.
"This is definitely a first…" Henrik admitted.
"What about the windows?" Posi suggested. Anti ran over, peeking in through the glass only to gasp.
"G-guys… I can't see the inside…"
"What?!" Angus jumped, running to where Anti was and looked inside, but was met with just a blank glass screen, nothing on the other side at all. Angus shuddered, pulling back as his mind was reeling. "This… this can't be right…" Angus whispered.
"It's just one mind fuck after another…" Nega complained.
"Maybe it's better if we don't go inside." The angel suggested. Angus just stood there, looking down as he wasn't sure what to feel at this point. Nothing felt familiar at all to him, and on top of that, there were some secrets Bing was keeping from them all? Even Anti wasn't a fan of this. None of these memories, aside the one from the dock, were any that he saw in the memory dream. Was this all real, or some sort of illusion Bing created?
Henrik and Nega had to literally pull Angus along as they walked away from the cabin, while Posi and Anti looked at one another. "Posi… I don't like where this is going."
The angel shuddered. "Me either, Anti…" That was all they could say as they began to follow the other three, to another clearing with the same puzzle.
"Alright, let's get this one over with." Nega sighed, going over to the post and reading the poem that was written. "How did it come to this? Destruction after bliss? Try as I might, I held on. Try as you might, you drifted away. I begged for you to stay, but it would seem my prayers would not be answered today." Nega felt his body getting chills as he looked up. "This is probably the most depressing poem out of all of them yet."
"So… which flower do we use?" Henrik asked, looking at Anti.
The chimera looked over at the plants and translated them. "There are hydrangeas, which mean gratitude for being understood…" He looked over to the other flower, examining a rose which was a shade of crimson. "Crimson rose, which represents mourning…" Then there was the final of the three flowers. "Daisy, it means innocence and hope."
"Well, I don't think there was anything fortunate or hopeful about that poem so…" Nega trailed off, as Anti picked up the rose and placed it in the ground. The same glowing sensation happened with the petals and the leaves. Within a few moments, many crimson roses were scattered around the clearing, and opened up a new pathway for everyone else.
"The memory should be up ahead…" Henrik stated. He turned back to Angus, who kept his head down low. "Angus…?"
"Let's go." He said, walking slowly to the pathway. Anti jumped as he followed behind as he tried to catch up with him. Henrik and the two guardian souls looked at one another, as they had some things to say.
"Has anyone noticed how much more aggressive he's been lately?" Henrik asked.
"So that's not just me then?" Nega questioned.
"He hasn't really said much since we got here and saw the first memory…" Posi pointed out. "I don't think these memories are helping either at all."
"I've noticed it as well…" Henrik admitted.
"Something else is wrong…" Nega rubbed his chin. "He said he didn't remember that conversation from that campsite, right? I don't think this is just memory loss. When he sees these memories, there's no recognition from his soul at all. I know this is Bing's memory, but if he was there, then there should be something, right?"
Posi shuddered. "It's like these memories never happened to him."
"Maybe this has something to do with the deleted memories?" Henrik theorized. "Remember what he told us? That he is capable of deleting memories usually if they take up space or…"
"If they affect him on an emotional level, to the point he can't function." Posi finished. "And if this memory is going where I think it's going…"
Nega sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "It makes sense why Bing would want to delete it… the trauma over losing the love of your life, I doubt anyone would want to remember that." He mostly looked over at Henrik, as the doctor knew full well how such an event could affect someone on an emotional scale.
"Bing isn't like us, he is an android so his memories work differently. From what I recall, whenever he deletes certain memories, they tend to rewrite themselves to make them more appealing in a way. In an attempt to make them less personal for Bing so he can cope. The memories that get deleted are transferred to his database, where his subconscious would be. But since he has no access to said memory, he can't come and see it."
"So in other words he wrote terribly written fanfiction based on what he wanted to see rather than what he experienced. Sounds familiar…" Nega raised a brow, while looking up at the sky.
"So do you think that's why Angus doesn't remember these events?" Posi questioned. "Because Bing rewrote the memory after it was deleted?"
"That is my theory, but it is the only one we have so far." Henrik noted. "Though, there is one thing that is bothering me…"
"What is it, Doc?" Nega questioned.
"I mean that if this memory was powerful enough to have been the cause of the malfunction, why are parts of it still here to begin with instead of the whole thing being removed? A memory this damaging to the emotions would have been eradicated entirely for the sake of Bing's sanity unless..."
"You think there's a reason why he wants to remember this?" Nega finished.
Henrik nodded. "I have a feeling there is more to these memories than what we are being shown, but it is possible that Bing is hiding it from himself. Maybe the reason why the script has been rewritten was because there is something he doesn't want us or himself to know or remember. Hence why his database fabricated these events based off of what he lost."
"In other words, there's more to this story." Nega added. "Doesn't help that this is clearly getting to Angus, either."
"We better hurry up and follow him, keep an eye on him and help him with the next memory." Henrik advised. Posi and Nega nodded, as they knew they needed to be there for the survival hunter. The ground beneath them had other plans, shaking slightly as the pathway between the clearing and the new location was blocked off once again.
"The hell?!" The three ran over, seeing thorny vines blocking their path as the crimson flowers were slightly withering, the petals melting as if to represent falling blood. "What's going on?!"
"Oh no!" Henrik shook. "The next memory must be playing out!"
"Angus! Anti!" Posi shouted, but he knew they wouldn't be able to hear him. They would be facing the next memory by themselves.
Angus kept walking, his head was down as he just put one foot in front of the other. He didn't speak, all he cared about was moving forward. He needed to see the ending, he had to see what would happen next. Even if he didn't recall any of these events, he was determined to figure out what the hell was going on.
Anti tried to keep up with Angus, sprinting as fast as he could. He noticed a while ago that the others weren't behind him, meaning it was just him and Angus now. "Angus! Slow down!" Anti urged, trying to get through to him. Angus kept going, as if he was ignoring the one behind him. "Angus, come on!" Anti urged, running over to grab his arm, but Angus shrugged the chimera off and went faster. Anti was becoming more concerned… Angus was in some sort of trance, and he was blindly following it. They walked along the pathway, coming to yet another clearing. "Damn it Angus, can you take a moment and listen for on...ce?" Anti paused, looking up as he and Angus were in a new area.
Angus stepped closer, as he saw what was ahead of them. A figure in black and yellow, standing over a wooden cross that was buried deep in the ground. The two just stared, confused as they watched the scene play out. "T-This is…"
Angus spoke up, no emotion was attached to his voice as he uttered the sentence. "...This is where he buried me." He sounded completely void, like he wasn't in the moment itself.
Anti shook his head slightly, this wasn't right. None of this added up! This wasn't how Angus died! He didn't remember Bing burying him at all, or the cabin or the camping trip. "Angus…" The chimera tried to reach out to him, wanting to comfort him. Instead, Angus moved over to where Bing was. The android turned around, facing the two with tears in his eyes.
"Oh… Hello there…" Anti and Angus jumped at the sudden words this version of Bing was saying. They stayed close together, Anti mostly holding onto the survival hunter. "I'm assuming you are here for the shard?"
"H-how do you know we're here for it…?" Anti questioned.
"He must be another 'Manifestation'." Angus realized.
'Bing' smiled through the tears as he nodded. "I'm… Not really Bing. You've probably already come across those that have held the soul shards. We are a more advanced version of those 'Manifestations', where we represent the deepest fears that one can not get over. Or we represent the flaws a person sees in themselves that they wish to suppress. We usually come in goop-like forms, but we can evolve our appearances the longer we feed off of our host's emotions that fuel us."
"So Stacy from Chase's memory… the bullies from Jackie's, the liars from Marvin and Henrik's guilt from dad…" Angus put the pieces together, knowing full well what they all had in common.
"Each evolved 'Manifestation' is created in order to remind their host about a certain part about themselves of such mistakes in their lives. The main difference between me and the other 'Manifestations' is that I am aware of what I am and what my duty is. The ones in the other egos only play off of the part and lives of the memory their hosts sees them from. In other words, they are not conscious of their true purpose."
"So… what are you created for?" Angus asked, a bit unamused.
"My job here is to force Bing to look back on these memories. To think about what he lost and how it affected him. Realizing he lost the one person he cared deeply for, and was unable to do anything about it. But it appears he is not here, like last time. Though I will admit, I am a bit relieved. I didn't want to say such things about him, honestly. But even if I do not want to say such things, he should be reminded of this pain."
When he heard that, Anti went on all fours, growling as his one eye glared at the 'Manifestation' of Bing. Angus looked down, holding onto the chimera's shoulders. "Anti, no."
"But he's asking for a fight!"
"He's right…" 'Bing' admitted. "Unlike last time where I gave Henrik the soul shard, I am afraid you will have to earn it this time. I don't necessarily want to fight you two. Much like the real Bing, I'd like to consider all of you friends." He gave a smile at the survival hunter and chimera.
"Then why are you doing this?!" Anti questioned, once again in that fighting pose. "If you really care about Angus, you'd just give us the soul shard without a fight! It's the only way he can be fully healed, even you should be aware of that!"
"Anti!" Angus stepped towards 'Bing' while looking at the chimera. "Let me handle this…"
Anti had other plans, holding onto Angus to prevent him from advancing. "A-Angus! You can't! There's no way you can take him down on your own! L-Let me help you! With the two of us we can-"
"Anti. Remember what you promised me."
The chimera let go of his hold, being reminded of the promise he made to Angus about not fighting, since it would use up his essence. "C-Can't you at least wait for the others?" He suggested.
Angus glanced back, looking over to see that their path was blocked by thick vines and crimson roses. Anti noticed this, seeing that their way of escape was also gone as well. Angus grunted, looking like he was going to have to face this 'Manifestation' on his own. He shrugged Anti off, going towards 'Bing'. Anti tried to reach over, attempting to change Angus's mind. Fighting this version of 'Bing', even if it wasn't the real one, would no doubt be too challenging for the survival hunter. Just as his hand reached over, more thick vines appeared, and blue, small flowers were decorating them: 'Forget-me-nots'. They separated the two. When Angus heard the sudden shift in the earth, he looked back to see Anti being blocked by the vines and flowers. "Oh shit! Anti?!"
"I-I'm alright!" The chimera promised, trying to get through, only to feel how thick the vines truly were. It would take a lot out of him just to get to the other side.
Angus sighed, at least Anti was safe. For now, he had to focus his attention on the enemy in front of him. 'Bing's' manifestation appeared, introducing himself as 'Mourning Bing' now. His face shadowed over, as black tears cried down his eyes. Both of his sclera's were now matching Angus, as he looked over at the older ego. "I'm sorry… out of everyone you are the last person I wanted to fight. But… a job is a job. Please, forgive me for this, 'Angel'. It's my purpose." Mourning Bing approached, holding the shovel as it appeared to be his weapon of choice. He raised up the shovel, aiming it right for Angus.
The survival hunter's wings flared open, using the momentum to jump to the side in time to avoid being hit. "Gggh! If you didn't want to fight, why're you doing this?!"
The tears kept flowing out of Mourning Bing's eyes, sniffling as he looked at Angus. "Because like it or not, I am the part of Bing that he can not live with! I am the one constantly reminding him of what he lost and how he didn't do enough!"
Angus looked up, seeing the shovel ready to hit him again. "Shit!" He swore, ducking his head while looking over at the 'Manifestation'. "It doesn't have to be this way!" Angus cried out.
"But it does! He was alone… for so long. Do you understand what that feels like?" Mourning Bing raised the shovel again, wanting to slam it down on Angus.
The brunet ego managed to summon his machete just in time, using it to block the shovel as he held up his weapon with both hands. With a great amount of force, he pushed the enemy backwards, and stood up. "I DO know!" He shouted. "I know how lonely it can be! You don't think that everytime I look at him, I'm reminded of the regret of leaving him behind like that?! I made him suffer all these years! I never asked for that to happen to either of us!"
Mourning Bing was still crying, as he struck the shovel in the ground. "You have no idea how long these memories have eaten him up! He did what he had to, he couldn't go on without you… There were times when he even wished that it had been him that was forgotten and not you!"
The survival hunter lowered his machete, when Mourning Bing said those words. His whole body shook as he looked directly at the Manifestation, who now had an almost obsessive look in his eyes. "I-I… no… you mean he…"
Mourning Bing looked at Angus as the black tears rolled down his cheeks. "He tried everything... he did what he had to, but in the end it wasn't enough. He should have done more... he couldn't go on without you for so long. If the others didn't show up when they did, chances are he would have tried to join you..."
Angus's whole face lost color when he heard that, his guard completely down. No… Bing would have killed himself? Just because of Angus? He couldn't wrap his head around the very thought! His whole mind spun as he watched Mourning Bing raise the shovel above his head. The 'Manifestation' swung the weapon, hitting Angus on the head. He cried out as the older ego fell to the ground. "Gaaagh!" Blood trickled down Angus's face as he winced, holding the side which was damaged. He didn't know what to think as he looked up at the enemy who wore his Sunflower's skin.
"He would have rather died than live another day being alone!" Mourning Bing shouted, using Angus's shock to keep him there so he could have the high ground. "He doesn't want you to go, Angus. He doesn't want to be left alone again… and I am going to make sure you stay here… forever!" Mourning Bing raised the shovel, ready to drive the spade right into Angus's very chest, as that obsessive look in his eyes was official.
Anti was grunting on the other side, trying to get rid of the vines by slashing at them with his sharpened claws and bladed tail. But no matter how many times he made a mark on them, they still remained standing. "Damn vines and flowers!" Anti swore, as the chimera needed to be there by Angus's side. He could see through some of the holes that the shrubbery gave to him, looking out to see his brother figure being beaten by 'Mourning Bing'. The chimera wasn't getting anywhere with trying to go through the flowers, so he tried a different method. Holding onto the very thorns, Anti began to scale the large wall of vegetation so he could get to the other side. He hissed whenever he accidentally got poked by one of the thorns, but he kept going.
Angus was still determined, even after everything that was told to him. He gave a growl of his own, stumbling back just in time for the shovel to hit the ground. He tried to ignore the pain throbbing in his head, as he reached over and grabbed the shovel, looking straight at the 'Manifestation'. He grunted, pushing the enemy backwards.
"W-Why are you resisting?!" Mourning Bing questioned. "Why can't you let him have this?! Let me have this?!" He begged, pulling back while holding the weapon close.
"Because I know how broken he was when I died!" Angus shouted, as he was now the one having tears escaping his eyes. "I know I made his life a living hell by not being there for him! But you don't think I would end up the same if it had been him that was forgotten and not me?! I wouldn't have been able to live with myself! I would've rather die than go on without him as well! I would have let my own soul shatter, just so he could have survived! I know that was what he thought when I was gone! And it pains me everyday to know that I caused him that trauma!"
Anti managed to finally get to the top of the flower wall. He looked down, seeing 'Mourning Bing' and Angus at a standstill. The 'Manifestation' kept his gaze upon Angus, who began to raise up the shovel once more. "Just die already! That's what you do best!" The chimera's eyes locked on 'Mourning Bing', growling as he bared his teeth. Anti jumped from the top while hissing, catching the attention of the other two. He tackled the 'Manifestation', causing the enemy to scream while Anti took hold of the shovel and bit into the wood, cutting the weapon in half. As if that wasn't enough damage, he grabbed the goop monster by the shoulders, hissing into his face. 'Mourning Bing' looked at the creature with fear, as Anti used his strength to fling him to a nearby tree. The enemy had the wind knocked out of him, gasping as he held onto the top half of his shovel.
Angus was speechless as he saw what had happened. His eyes went over to Anti, who was on all fours and growling with his glitching increasing. It appeared he was ready to pounce again. "ANTI! STOP!" Angus screamed, running over to try and stop the attack before Anti would regret it later.
The chimera didn't listen, his instincts taking over as he approached 'Mourning Bing'. The enemy looked terrified, staring up at the face of a feral. Anti raised up his left claw, sharp fingers ready to slash as he spoke in that strange code once more. "WW91IHdpbGwgbm90IGJlIHRoZSByZWFzb24gaGUgZGllcyBhZ2FpbiE="
Angus heard what Anti said, and he was able to translate it. His wings ruffled, using them to his advantage as he flew over to where the chimera was. Shoving Anti to the ground, he held him in place, pinning him to the dirt. Angus's eyes were pitch black, with only a slit of green in them. He bared his teeth at the glitch, which appeared much sharper now. A low growling of warning was heard in his throat, as he stared down at Anti. The chimera panted, looking up at Angus who seemed to be just as animalistic as he was. He attempted to struggle, getting out of Angus's grip but the survival hunter proved to be much stronger. The glitch shuddered, his mindset settling as he shook his head, coming back to his senses. "A-Ah… An...gus?"
Angus huffed, letting Anti go as he saw that he was backing down. He lowered his wings and took in a few deep breaths before a low-sounding sigh was heard from him. "Haaaahhhh…"
Anti got up and was confused, looking around. "W-what happened?" He asked. Angus looked over at the chimera, then turned over to where 'Mourning Bing' was. He was struggling to get off the ground, after being tossed.
"Christ… you shoved him into a tree…" Angus rubbed his neck as he stood up.
Anti held himself as he saw the damage he caused. "I-I'm sorry! H-he was going to hurt you… I-I had to…" The glitching was still worse, as Anti realized he had broken the promise he made with Angus.
"Anti… hey, it's alright…" Angus held back a slight twitch, reaching over to hold onto Anti. He comforted the glitch as he stood there, embracing him in a hug. "You just went a bit more wild than expected… you're okay now…" Anti returned the hug, shaking a bit as he tried calming down. But it was not over yet.
'Mourning Bing' soon stood up, grabbing what was left of his weapon and watched as the two had a moment. He started to laugh lowly, which caught the attention of the survival hunter and the glitch. "I-I'm not surprised that one defeated me so easily… I'm not that strong when you really get down to it. He was never strong… It's why he can never face his own faults. Why he can never… m-move on…" Mourning Bing's laughter increased, sounding almost deranged for a moment. Soon, it transitioned into weeping sobs, the tears continued to cascade down his cheeks. Anti and Angus watched, wondering what they would do next. Angus attempted to step forward, only to pause when he saw the 'Manifestation' taking the spade from the shovel. He thought he was going to use it against them, instead 'Mourning Bing' impaled the tool into himself, as black goop spilled from his wound. "GAAAAH!" He screamed in agony from the stabbing, but yet he continued to do so, making the other two look in horror.
"L-Life… is supposed to be a g-gift…. And yet… it can be taken… just as easily…" He spoke in between stabbing himself, as pools of tar surrounding the body. "You lose someone... that is your soulmate... that has been... with you for forever... and you are... expected to... just move on! Why?! What's the point of life if... if... we end up losing more than we love?!" He cried out.
Anti was stunned to say the least. He watched as the enemy kept attacking himself, and weeping in advance. Angus, however, couldn't take watching this anymore. He ran over, kneeling down right next to him and grabbed the spade. He tossed it away, holding onto 'Mourning Bing' as he looked him dead in the eyes. "You wanna tell me who the FUCK told you that?! Or did you tell yourself this?! Tell me!" Angus demanded an answer, as his own tears were rolling down his face. He ignored them, his focus on 'Mourning Bing'.
The 'Manifestation' merely wept, shaking as he was reeling from the damage he caused. "I-it's true... What's the point of... loving someone if... they will just... leave you in the end... You did... and what's stopping you from leaving again?"
Angus stood there, looking at him as his expression was one of seriousness. "...I never meant to leave him… to leave you. I know he tried to keep going for my sake, and I knew he knew I would want him to find happiness again… but even with the other egos, it was never the same…"
"Nothing will ever be the same…" 'Mourning Bing' pointed out.
Angus bit his lip as he looked at him. "Then let me speak… even if you are not the real Bing, you still deserve to hear this. I know that the android I've loved my whole existence is there… somewhere. I know he can beat this, let me help him! For fuck's sake… Sunflower… Please. I know that the day I faded away, when I 'died', it destroyed him! Even after I saw Bing again, even after I was freed from the Corruption…. There was always that far off look in his eyes. How easily he would distract himself by trying to deal with taking care of Robbie all on his own back then.
"But during that night… at his place when he saw me as me again… I saw it. For the first time in the last two years… no, even before that, when I didn't know who I was. I saw that light come back into his eyes. The spark that I fell in love with when I first met him. He was so giddy, so joyful, that's why I love him!" Angus sniffled as he soon frowned, becoming more serious while looking at the enemy. "I know I fucked up… but I am going to make it up to him! I will get better… and when I do, I will spend every waking moment with him and never, ever let him go again!"
'Mourning Bing' sighed, closing his eyes to wipe away the tears, opening them back up again as the pupils shone. "You… really forgive him? Even though he let you die and wasn't able to do more?"
"I never blamed him! If it had been me in his place, I would have done and felt the same. I would have done anything to get him back, to find him again. To make up for not saving him… It wasn't his fault. It never was. Anything he does, is and has been enough for me…"
'Mourning Bing' placed a smile on his face, spreading on his lips as the tears were gone. Even the streaks went away, leaving no trace of his grief. "I'm sorry I put you through this. He should have forgiven himself long ago, especially when you came back. But the memory of what happened is still with him… even though he tried to delete it."
"I know…" Angus sighed.
"Still, I am not the one you should be saying this to. The real Bing should know how you feel. I think it will be enough to defeat me, his demons, and accept the past as what it is." 'Mourning Bing' stated. He reached over, hugging Angus as the survival hunter embraced him. 'Mourning Bing' chuckled, standing up along with the older ego. "Here… you two have earned it. Use it to make Angus feel better… and have him keep his promise… good luck." The 'Manifestation' smiled, before his body glowed brightly. The flash of light blinded the two for a moment, just for a golden soul shard to be left on a bed of sunflowers.
Anti sighed, glad that it was over. He went towards the bed and picked up the shard, grinning in victory. "Now we just need one more shard left!" The chimera turned over to the survival hunter, who stepped over to the cross, staring at it with a dead expression. "A-Angus? Are you okay?"
He wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked at the grave. "...No. I'm not." He admitted in a cold tone, though he didn't want it to come off as harsh.
Anti stepped forward, keeping the shard close to him. "I-Is there anything I-I can do? I know that… seeing all of this is hard for you-"
"...I… I don't know. I don't know how to feel." Angus admits, just looking at the dug up dirt. "My literal corpse is in a hole next to us, and on the other hand, it… it doesn't feel like it is!" Anti winced, knowing what Angus was getting at. He must have known… it was obvious after what he said when they first came here. "I should be crying right now. But… I'm not? Everything here just feels so… flat. Two dimensional. Like everything's no longer real. It doesn't help that nothing here felt right or familiar." Once again, the chimera bit his lip, now certain that Angus could sense it as well.
"Angus…" Anti whispered.
"That was ME. WITH BING! Shouldn't I remember something about this?! Any of this?!" Angus began to shake as the goopy tar tears were welling up in his eyes, a sure sign that he was feeling unstable. He fell to his knees, staring at the cross as he looked so broken. "I-I'm me… Aren't I? I'm real, right…?" He whispered.
"Of course you are!" Anti shouted. "The reason that none of this seems real is because none of these memories happened! Because… because I saw your real memories…" Anti admitted.
Angus's body was stiff, completely frozen. Anti realized what he said, and waited for a response. The survival hunter slowly turned his head to him, eyes wide as he had the most dumbfounded expression ever. "...what?" His voice was so low, it was like he was whispering it. But Anti heard it.
"Before we came here… when we fell asleep on the bed. I… I was able to see your memories. When you first met Bing, when the two of you were spending time together and… even your death. I saw it all." Anti explained. "I thought you ended up seeing the same things like my memories, but you didn't. I thought at first you were putting up a front to act brave but… you really didn't see any of the memories, did you?"
Angus stared at the chimera, his eyes wide as his breathing was quaking. All he could do was think it over. "You… haaaa… saw them?"
Anti nodded slowly. "Why do you think I didn't want you to come with us? I thought you would relive those memories and… I didn't want you to suffer that trauma. No one should… I was worried you would end up having a breakdown, so I wanted you to stay behind. But you were so adamant to make things right with Bing, and you seemed to be prepared for the worst. That's why I didn't say anything afterwards. But when I saw how different the memories were, I knew something was off. Especially after what you said, so none of this is all in your head Angus." Anti looked back over, as the survival hunter was lowering his head to the point his bangs covered his eyes.
"A-Angus?" Anti reached over to him, seeing tears running down his cheeks once more. A smile however was present on his face, as if he was happy crying. It caught the chimera off guard, as the older ego looked up with that wicked grin, while black tar cascaded down his face. Angus finally broke down into sobs, his whole body was shaking as he was on his hands and knees. Droplets fell to the ground, wetting the grass where his grave was. Anti knelt down, seeing how upset his brother was. The chimera held onto Angus, letting him cry on his chest as he wrapped his tail around his form. "I'm sorry…" It was all Anti could say to Angus. Now he truly knew the pain the survival hunter went through. He rubbed his back, comforting his brother. "It wasn't your fault… none of this was ever your fault." He told him, while Angus balled his eyes out.
"Angus! Anti!" The chimera looked up, seeing Henrik, Posi and Nega running to them. The large vines that were blocking their path and separating them were now gone, so the five could be reunited.
"Thank fuck! Those weeds kept growing and growing!" Nega sighed.
"Are you two okay?" Posi asked in concern.
"Y-yeah… kind of…" The three looked down, seeing Angus with a tear-streaked face and shuddering breath being held by Anti. Posi gasped, seeing the expression the survival hunter was giving off.
Henrik went over to the two, seeing how upset his son was. "Angus? Are you alright? What happened?"
Angus sniffled, as he wiped his eyes with blurry vision. "I...I don't know anymore…" He finally admits. This caught the three off guard, as they turned to Anti for some answers.
"He… he and Bing's Grief had a heart to heart and… I think we should leave. This is getting to him." Anti stated, holding his brother close as he held out the golden soul shard to Henrik.
"Well… if we have the shard, we can go." Henrik stated, keeping his eyes on the survival hunter. He didn't want to ask any questions, since he rather not press it. He was worried about him though.
Once they arrived back at the Soul Clinic, Angus was still shaken up from the events prior. Henrik and Anti were worried, as they looked at one another then back at the survival hunter. "He really seems out of it…" Henrik whispered to Anti. "What happened while you two were alone?"
Anti sighed. "Long story short, Angus had to fight with Bing's grief. He tried to keep stopping him, but the 'Manifestation' cornered him and well… I kind of had to get involved…"
"What do you me-" Henrik stopped mid-sentence as he saw the guilty look on the chimera. "Anti! Don't tell me you fought and went in that mind set again!"
"I had to!" Anti defended himself. "Bing's grief attacked Angus, he would have gotten severely injured if I didn't do something!"
"Anti… I told you that going into that state in your condition will worsen what is left of your soul."
Anti sighed. "I know… I'm sorry Henrik. But you guys weren't there to protect Angus… He hit him with a shovel and was really beaten up."
"A-A shovel? Why did he have a shovel?" Henrik asked, confused.
Anti bit his lip, looking down as he answered. "He used it for the grave… for Angus…"
Henrik thought back about the cross they saw in the clearing, the same one that he and the others saw near Marvin's place two years back. He put the pieces together and had a look of disbelief on his face. "Oh… that grave…" He whispered. "Well… I suppose it was necessary… how are you feeling?"
"I'm alright… but I think I better bring Angus back home. Is Bing around? I don't think it would be a good idea if the two saw each other right now."
Henrik nodded, agreeing with Anti. "He ran out since he needed to go get Robbie from JJ. So you two can head out… I'll continue working on the serum for Angus."
"How many more soul shards do we need now?" Anti asked.
"Only one more. This one has to come from Angus's soul to help it bind correctly." Anti was surprised, but he kind of expected that. Which meant they would have to go into Angus's memory for that soul shard… probably the same ones that Anti witnessed. "However," Henrik continued. "I think it would be best if we wait for tomorrow. Just to give you two some time to rest and… collect yourselves." He looked over at Angus, who had his head hung low, but he listened to every single word they were saying.
"Y-yeah… so, tomorrow?"
Henrik nodded. "Will you be okay to take Angus home by yourself?"
The chimera nodded. "I can handle it! I know where to go!" He promised. "Angus, let's-" Anti was interrupted as Angus stood up from the table. He kept his head low as he passed by the glitch and the doctor, walking out of the room without saying a word.
"A-Angus…?" Henrik called out, only for the door to shut behind his son. The doctor looked back at the child.
"I'll… keep an eye on him. If anything happens, I'll let you know." He promised. Anti then headed out of the room, catching up with Angus. Henrik watched the two go, he said nothing, but the worry was still there on his face. He was mostly concerned about his son. What could be going through his mind right now?