Chapter 18: The white-coat Turnabout

Jackie, Marvin and Bing went back to the ground floor, in order to locate the engine room. Their goal was to power up the generator which would give them access to the deep lab. The three were on their own, but at least they had each other.

"Alright, let's get to that room and help the others!" Jackie declared.

"Henry said that the engine room was at the very end of the east hallway." Marvin informed them. "We best hurry." The three then went off, going from the elevator to the east of the ground floor. They kept their eyes peeled and guard up, just in case there were some unpleasant surprises waiting for them. Thankfully, there were no issues in finding the door or getting there. Once they found the very room, they looked around. There wasn't really anything inside, aside from the large machines which took up a lot of the space. One of the motors was purring throughout the room. The other was dead silent, almost as if it was out of commission.

"Looks like we made it." Jackie smiled as he scanned the area.

"Doesn't appear that there's a lot here…" Marvin noted.

"Well, I can't imagine there would be a lot in an engine room, given that they don't want the clutter to interfere with the generators." Bing pointed out, going over to the one that wasn't working. "This must be the one we need to activate." The android checked over the machine, seeing a panel which he easily slid off to see many buttons, plugins and a small monitor. "This certainly is a fascinating machine…"

"Considering it's used to power up half of the building, they probably made it that way on purpose." Jackie stated.

Bing held up his hand, transforming the finger into that of a USB port. He inserted his finger into the slot as his eyes began to gloss over with code. "Wooooooooaaaahhhh!" He awed as he could see inside the mainframe of the generator, becoming one with the machine itself.

"How does it look?" Jackie questioned.

Bing looked through the code and the parts that the engine was made up of, checking over the programming and humming. "It looks like there's a firewall protecting the mainframe of the control unit."

"Guess it must recognize that you aren't BB, or this would be easier…" Marvin hummed.

"Can you get through?" Jackie asked.

"I'll have to get past the firewall first, but it appears that it can be accessed." He then got to work, checking around the barrier to get to the main control unit. Jackie and Marvin watched as the android was doing all he could. It was up to Bing now.

"Do you really think it'll be that easy for us to get out of this world?" Jackie wondered, as he and Marvin were having a conversation while they let Bing work.

"We can only hope," Marvin responded. "Once we get out of here, then we can be safe."

"Yeah… I just feel bad though. We came all this way to get that soul shard for Angus, but we ended up here."

"That is true…" Marvin stated. "But now it seems we know why…"

"Do you think this will cause a problem in getting us that last shard?"

"I hope not… we need Angus's soul shard to complete the serum." Marvin shuddered. "But if the problem is Anti going inside Angus's soul, which seemed to trigger Posi and Nega, perhaps all we need is for Angus to go in alone?"

"So, Anti can't come into Angus's memory then?" Jackie realized. "Seems unfair to exclude him from the situation, but if that is what caused this…"

"It's only a suggestion. Once we get back, we'll figure something out from there." Marvin reassured his boyfriend. They knew how upset Anti would be if he wouldn't be there to support Angus during his most powerful memory, but hopefully he would be able to understand and not protest. Though they had to focus on the situation present to them, which was getting out of this place.

Bing listened to their conversation as he focused on getting past the firewall. Thankfully it was easy to hack as he was an android, but he still needed clearance on a few more circuits before he could get to the main controls. As he was getting there, his antenna was still beeping and it appeared to have increased in volume. This made the android hummed in annoyance. Marvin and Jackie noticed this, becoming a bit worried. "Everything alright, Bing?" Marvin questioned.

"It's fine… I'm almost into the mainframe… I just keep getting this strange signal."

"Strange signal?" Jackie repeated.

"Yes… but I can not figure out who is sending it. Although… the same wavelength seems to be similar to mine."

"Well, you surely can't be sending yourself a signal. Perhaps it's just some sort of strange wavelength in this hospital. Henry did say they had a multitude of experiments, maybe they were working on something that interferes with androids?" Marvin pointed out.

Jackie scratched his head. "Didn't Angus say there was an android here as well? BB right?"

"Yeah… it's so strange how so many people in this world resemble us…" Marvin shuddered. "There's something going on here, but…"

Marvin was cut off as Bing jumped, smiling as he pulled himself away from the machine. "That should do it!" He smiled, watching as the engine began to hum to life. The roars increased in volume as the engine vibrated.

"Did it work?" Jackie questioned.

"Looks like it! You did an amazing job, Bing!"

The android blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "T-thanks… I didn't think it would be this easy. Now we should hurry back to the others." Bing stated as he hurried to the door, just as there was a strange noise that came from the exit. He was confused at first, and it became more apparent as he reached for the handle, only to feel that it wasn't moving. "W-what the…?"

"What's wrong now?" Jackie questioned.

"The door… it won't open…" Marvin and Jackie looked at one another, trying to open the door themselves in the hope it was a mistake. The solid metal would not move, and it made their fear grow.

"H-Henry didn't tell us this would happen!" Marvin shuddered.

"Maybe something happened when I activated the engine?" Bing looked panicked, wondering if he caused this.

"What the hell is going on?" Jackie questioned.

Chase, Henrik and Henry were walking down the fourth floor of the hallways. Locating the monitor room that they needed to get to so they could see what awaits them in the deep labs. Henrik didn't like the idea of letting Angus go off, but he knew that his son could handle himself since he had the others with him. Besides, Henry seemed to know what to do. As long as they followed his lead, they should be alright.

"Are we almost to the monitor room yet, Henry?" Chase questioned as he was behind the two doctors.

"Nearly… we have to head to the south end of the fourth floor if we are going to find that room."

"You sure know a lot about this place…" Henrik noted as he looked at the other version of himself.

"Well, I have worked in this place for years, so I know the in's and outs."

"Good thing we ran into you when we did." Chase smiled. "If we had run into those other scientists, then we wouldn't have been as better off."

"I'm sure you all would have been capable." Henry reassured him. "But I am glad to have run into Anti first. Though he does look different, at least he's alive."

"Don't worry, we'll make sure he gets better!" Chase promised.

"Speaking of which, I'm surprised you were so willing to let Anti leave your side after being separated." Henrik noted, still suspicious about the matter.

Henry chuckled nervously. "Well, I don't want to overbear him… besides, he is with your son, and I am sure that Mr. Irwin will not let anything happen to him… correct?"

Henrik sensed a bit of hostility when Henry asked that. Chase didn't notice, as he responded positively. "Of course! Angus is the safest place to be for Anti! He's in great hands!"

"I see… I am thankful that he managed to take care of Anti."

"We all have… he's like a little brother to us. Especially to Angus!"

Henry nodded solemnly, as he led the others through the halls, heading to the south end of the floor. Henrik still had a suspicious feeling about the doppelganger, but he kept it to himself. They were in a hurry, and he rather not press any more questions to distract them. All he cared about was getting Angus and the others out of this place, before any of those other scientists got to them. Hopefully the other two groups were having as good of fortune as they were. Eventually, they managed to locate the very room they were heading towards. Henrik and Chase were the first ones inside, checking around the room as a large desk was stationed in the center, with three of the four walls being covered by many monitors and screens. Displaying rooms, hallways and even the lobby itself.

"We made it!" Chase chimed as he went over to the computers, Henrik close by his side. Henry remained behind them, close to the door as he observed from a distance. The cool dad was glancing over the screens. "You can see all of the hospital. The lobby, Henry's office… even the elevator!"

"Not even my hospital has these many cameras…" Henrik shuddered, not liking the situation. Why would they need so many eyes on the facility, anyways? He could understand the need for the lower levels, due to how confidential some of their 'projects' were. However, the fact that they were monitoring the parts of the building where they had to put up a façade seemed a bit questionable. Did the scientists not trust each other?

"Which ones show the lower levels?" Chase asked, trying to look for the areas they needed to see.

"They should be on the east wall." Henry stated, going closer but kept his distance. The two egos looked over, seeing some of the screens as mostly static. One by one, clear images began to appear on the monitors.

"Hey look! The wall is lighting up!" Chase gasped, smiling in victory. "That must mean Bing got the generator up and powered the lower levels!"

Henrik grinned as he heard what Chase told him. "At least we are making progress… Now we just need to meet up with everyone else."

"How about we go see how Angus and Anti are doing? They must be done getting the papers you need, right Henry?" Chase turned over to the other doctor, as he stood between them and the door. The doppelganger did not say anything, keeping his head down as he remained silent.

Once again, this caused Henrik to have that gut feeling in him rise again. He took a step forward, looking at the other one in the lab coat. "Henry, is something wrong?" He did not trust this silence that fell onto them all, in fact it made his suspicion that much stronger.

"You really do care about your son that much, huh? So much so, that you will allow him to get away with anything, so long as it's for his own benefit?" Henry questioned, his voice was low as he didn't appear to make eye contact with anyone.

"What are you talking about?" Chase questioned, staying close to Henrik as the two raised their guard.

Henry finally looked up, his distorted face appearing more menacing than before. "You think I don't know? I am a doctor and scientist after all. I knew that something was off about you all when you came here. Especially your child, Henrik." The Mindscape doctor jumped, hearing Angus being brought up caused him to become more fearful. "I could see it through the way he carried himself. Through that particular shine in his eyes. I've seen that look before. I know it all too well. That child… no, that man… wants nothing more than to bring about the end to save himself. He wants to crush any being who dares stand in the way of his controlling grasp on our reality."

Henrik didn't understand where this was coming from. Henry seemed pretty adamant on wanting to help them before, yet here he was mocking Angus now of all times. "Dude, what's going on? Why the sudden change?" Chase demanded to know, as he was starting to grow fed up with the bs that was coming out of Henry's mouth.

"Did you really think that I would be so gullible as to believe everything Angus Irwin had said? He may have fooled Anti, and even you all, but I am not so easily persuaded."

"Henry, what are you trying to say?" Henrik dared to ask him.

"I know what he really wants… Angus was the one who's trying to kill my son…"

Chase grunted as he stepped forward, glaring at him. "No! You've got it all wrong!"

Henry merely giggled, as his crooked smile spread further along his face, both the distorted and normal sides. "Hehehehe… you're going to defend that liar and thief, aren't you?"

"What the hell is your problem?! Angus said that he didn't mean to hurt Anti! And we are trying to heal him as well!" Chase's anger was rising, as he glared at the man who looked like his trusted friend.

Henrik went over to Chase, holding him back. If he could try to prevent a fight, he would attempt. Though he had a feeling that words alone would not be enough to get them out of this mess. "Henry, please. I do not know where this is coming from, but I beg of you to calm down. We can discuss this rationally."

"Calm down?" Henry turned his attention towards his counterpart. "You expect me to trust all of you after everything that man has done to me? To us?! To our world?! And to my son!? We have been suffering! We have lost our forms! Our world is distorted, ruined and falling apart! And HE is the reason for it!"

"THE HELL HE IS!" Chase shouted at the top of his lungs. "Get out of our way, Henry!"

"We don't want to hurt you!" Henrik tried to reason still.

Henry kept chuckling, as the tears poured out of his eyes while looking at the two outsiders. "Oh, I know. But they will."

"T-they?" Henrik repeated.

"What do you mean?! Who are you talking about?! What did you do?!" Chase was asking question after question, ready to throw down.

"It doesn't matter… it'll be over soon." He reassured them with a chilling grin.

"Get. Out. Of. Our. Way!" Chase demanded.

"Please Henry, you don't understand!" Henrik tried one more time. However, it appeared his words fell on deaf ears as Henny raised up his gloved hands, showing a bone saw in his fingers.

"Oh, but I do. You will not get to Anti! I'll make sure you never hurt him ever again, so long as I am here!" Henry charged at the two, swinging the saw as he tried to cut any of them. Chase and Henrik dodged the attack, looking over at the Omitted-Verse resident. They both knew it would come down to this, and as much as it would pain them, they would have to fight to stay alive.

On the ninth floor of the hospital, the glitch was leading Angus, Posi and Nega down the hallway to their own destination. The child jumped as they were halfway there with a wide smile on his face. "Come on, we're almost there!" Anti said as he kept going.

"Slow down, Anti! Don't run off too far!" Posi called out as he tried to match up to the chimera's speed. Anti seemed giddy as they were getting closer to the apartment, while Angus felt a sense of unease wash over him.

Nega raised a brow as he and Angus were fairly close together. "You know, I can sense that distrust from here…" The devil told the hunter.

Angus sighed as he looked at the negative half of Anti's soul. "I just have a bad feeling, ever since we came here. Don't you find it odd?"

"What do you mean?" Nega questioned.

Angus elaborated. "Think about it, we walk through the front doors and Henry is the first person we walk into? Not only that, the whole place seems quiet, and he already knows how to get us out of here and what to do? Don't you think that's a bit suspicious?"

"Well, he has worked here for years. Of course he would know about the engine room and certain projects here." Nega pointed out.

"I'm just saying, it's a bit too coincidental. Not to mention the fact that he wants us to split up so casually after being reunited with his son?"

Nega blinked as not even he could deny that. "Okay, I can't disagree with you there. But if Henry knew it was dangerous, he wouldn't have let Anti go alone."

"I just have this terrible feeling that something is amiss. And my gut is never wrong. You said so yourself." Angus told him.

"Oh yeah… I did, didn't I?" The two stared at one another before Angus shook his head. "Look, even if something happens, it's not like Anti will be alone. Besides, Henry loves Anti, like his own son. I highly doubt he would risk such a dangerous task if he knew Anti would be put in danger."

Angus did want to agree with Nega on that one. He saw how close the two were, like him and Henrik. Even so, it wasn't enough to cast that doubt out of his mind and belly. "I hope you're right…" The hunter walked down the halls, catching up to Posi and Anti who were at the end near a door to Angus's right.

"Are you guys okay? You took a while…" The angel noted.

"Just… looking around. I didn't get to know this place well the last few times I was here." Angus sort of lied, though part of him was curious about the hospital itself. At least, the upper levels where no secrets were being created.

"I wish I could give you the grand tour, but I need to send you guys home as soon as possible." Anti told him.

"Don't worry about it," Nega reassured as his red eyes glanced over at the metal door. "This it?"

"Yep! This room is where my life took a turn for the better! It's where me and Dad lived once he convinced those doctors to move me out of my cell." Anti explained.

"Well, let's not be kept waiting. Come on." Angus urged, wanting to get out of the hallway as he led the three inside. Once they were in, Angus looked around. Much like the rest of the hospital, the whole place was in a glitchy state. Holes of static were in the floors, walls, even ceiling. Parts of the furniture were even affected. Once they made it in, they could see a standard room, with a couch, table, a few bookshelves and some framed drawings around the walls. A green rug laid on the floor, taking up most of the space.

Anti hopped inside, his smile growing wider as he looked around his home. It was a bit more distorted than he remembered, but he felt at ease when he was in this very room. "Welcome to mine and my Dad's apartment!" He stretched his arms open wide, making a grand gesture as his tail wagged like a puppy. Angus was surprised to see how pleased the child was just being here. Then again, this was probably the only place in the building where he actually felt safe.

"Do you think we have enough time for a tour? I would like to see this place up close!" Posi begged.

"I… guess we have some time?" Angus didn't want to stay here any longer than they had to. But he figured this would be the best way to learn more about Anti and his origins. Not to mention this would be the last time the child would see his home, so he could give a final farewell. He owed the chimera that much at least.

"Well, this is the living room! Dad would usually teach me stuff out here, like reading and writing. Mostly he taught me how to translate code." Anti explained. He then took them to the right of the room, where there was a small wall barrier with an opening leading to a side room that had a single bed next to a nightstand with a lamp and rug. "This is where Dad usually sleeps. He tends to work late so he doesn't really get to stay in his room too long."

"Why does he sleep out here?" Angus asked.

"The only other room is mine, he gave it to me when I moved in here. I told him it was too big, but he insisted that I be given more space and decorate it how I liked. I still feel guilty for taking it, but he said he lives for his work, so he doesn't sleep too often."

"Sounds a lot like Henrik." Angus chuckled lightly.

"A true workaholic." Nega commented as he noticed all of the drawings on the walls. "Did you draw all of these?"

"BB made some of them, but Dad hung up the ones that I drew. He said it helped liven up the living room."

"It really did." Posi agreed, liking all of the drawings that his former host made. Anti then led them to the left of the apartment. There, a new area was shown to look similar to a kitchen. There was a stove, microwave and fridge with a table containing six chairs.

"This is the kitchen! Not too big, but it was just me and my dad living here. Though Nathaniel was the one who did most of the cooking."

"Why was that? Was Henry too busy to cook?" Angus questioned the chimera.

"No really, but one time when he tried to make pasta, he ended up burning half the kitchen down. So Aunt Emily and Nathaniel banned him from cooking."

"Sounds like Henry had the same relationship with fire that Angus does." Nega mused, which made Angus glare over at the devil with annoyance. Anti giggled as he saw the look on his older brother's face. The child dragged everyone down and passed the living room to a small hallway. It was surprisingly cluttered, with a desk against one wall holding a computer while the other side housed a couple of small filing cabinets. There was a large window that had a bulletin board next to it, with many strange images that they couldn't decipher right away.

"This little space is where Dad usually does his work that he's assigned in his home. It's really small, but he makes good use of it. He rarely uses this space since he got his office, but he likes to have it here for my stuff." Anti explained.

"That sounds a lot like Henrik. He has his own office even in his room." Angus couldn't help but chuckle at the notion.

"I really hope they get along in the Mindscape. And I hope that Dad manages to love his work in that world…" Anti prayed as he wondered how adjusted his father would be in the Mindscape.

Posi gave a small smile to the child, wanting to reassure him. "I'm sure he will be just fine."

Anti looked at the angel, knowing he was being his positive half. He then turned to Angus, grabbing his hand as he went down the hallway. "Come on, I saved the best for last!" Angus stumbled as he was being carried, but he said nothing as he saw how excited the child was. At the end corner of the hallway, Anti opened the door to reveal the final room of the apartment. The carpet was a soft baby blue, with a bed against the upper left corner having a green comforter laying on top. A book stand was above the bed with a night stand next to the piece of furniture. In the center was a couch which sat across a television hooked up to a console. There was also a toy chest against the opposite side of the bed next to a fish tank. "And this is my room! Dad and the others made it themselves when I began to live here! I still can't believe how much thought and effort they put into it." He wagged his tail happily as that smile spread across his face.

"I can only imagine what you looked like when you first saw it." Angus mused as he watched the chimera go around the room to explore.

"Cole made that chest for me by hand! Aunt Emily did the design and blueprints, but Cole helped her make it! The chest was full of many stuffed animals for me to play with and keep company if I had any nightmares! This one is by far my favorite!" He dug into the chest, holding up a stuffed bee plushie with a smile upon it.

"That looks like the bee you had in that picture…" Nega noted.

"It was the first stuffed toy Dad gave to me. It really helped to keep my anxiety low." He smiled, holding the stuffed toy close to his heart. The child then turned back to the table, which held a large tank as he noticed something inside. "Nathaniel gave me those fishes, thought it would be interesting if I could start looking after some living things and to understand evolution. Honestly, they were kind of boring to watch, but it was fun knowing I had some pets!"

"Yeah, fish aren't that interesting of a pet, but at least they are easy to take care of." Angus admitted.

"Have you ever had any pets?" Anti questioned.

"None that I remembered. Plus I considered all of the animals in my forest my pets. Just… wild and never really taught them any tricks…" Angus shrugged. "Although, I did always want a dog."

"Like a hunting dog?" Anti questioned.

"Any kind would have been fine with me." Angus reassured him.

"And you can also get a parrot while you're at it. I'll be sure to make sure it knows all the swears." Nega mused.

Once again, Angus glanced over at the devil and sighed. "Actually, maybe a dog wouldn't be a bad idea… I'll probably get one when I'm healed. Provided Bing is okay with it."

"I hope I'll get to play with him!" Anti hoped as he went over to his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Angus went over and sat by his side, looking at the chimera. The child then went under his bed, taking out a large book and opening up the pages, revealing many layers of captured images inside. "I can't believe it's still here…" He then pulled out a small photo, showing an image of six people. Anti was in the very front row, holding onto a figure that looked similar to Bing. The ones behind the person who Angus knew was BB, was someone that looked like Chase and a female. While Henry and a man with dark skin were near Anti.

"Is this… everyone?" Angus asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the photo.

Anti nodded. "We took this right after they showed me my new room." Anti explained.

Posi gushed as he looked at the picture. "Awww, you all look so happy."

"Let me guess… BB is the one that is next to you… the woman is Emily, the Chase look-alike is Cole, that's Henry and… Nathaniel?" Angus guessed as he pointed to each one.

Anti nodded. "Yup! They're all there… It was the happiest day of my life. Being part of a family, it made me feel like I was wanted not just because of being used, but because people loved me… for me." He sighed, clutching the photo close to his chest as his smile became a sad one.

Angus moved a bit closer, sensing Anti's emotions. He gently placed a hand on the chimera's back and began to rub him with a smile. "I know just how you feel… it was like that after the 'Corruption' was gone from me and the Mindscape. I felt like I belonged with everyone else… It's a wonderful feeling."

Anti looked at his brother, his one eye shining as he spoke. "I… know this hospital has been really bad to me. Even so, I still can't help but look back on the good memories here. A part of me is going to miss this place, as weird as that sounds."

"I don't think it's weird." Posi pointed out. "I think you are going to miss the times here more than the place itself. But that's understandable. After all, this was your home for a long time. It's never easy to move on or press forward, leaving everything behind in the process."

Nega nodded as he looked at them. "But it's going to be worth it. You and everyone will have a new life, freedom from being oppressed for so many years. You deserve this… all of you do." He turned to Angus as he said that last line, making the hunter nod as he smiled.

"I just hope that we can be this happy in the Mindscape…" Anti prayed.

"You will, Anti. All of you will." Angus promised. The child wagged his tail, even more excited as he couldn't wait to go back to the Mindscape, to his new home! "Alright, we better hurry and get those files that Henry wanted. Everyone else is probably waiting for us right now."

"Oh yeah!" Anti stood up from the bed and looked around. "If they are important files… they're probably in the filing cabinets next to his desk."

"Good a place as any to start. Let's get to it!" Posi declared, as the four headed out of the bedroom and back into the hallway. They began to look through the cabinets, searching for the papers they needed. Thankfully Henry didn't lock any of them, so it was easy to gain access. Anti searched the desk, wondering if anything specific was there. As they were searching, a strange unease came over Angus. He couldn't explain it, but for some reason his eyes kept wandering over to the kitchen. He tried not to let the others see, just in case it was his imagination. Yet he couldn't take himself away.

"Angus…" Nega called to the hunter, as he was far from Posi and Anti who were still searching. The older ego went over to the devil, raising a brow. Did he find something? "Take a look at this." Nega opened up a vanilla folder and showed the contents inside for Angus. There were papers and images with different meanings. There were diagrams of soul prints, of what looked like Nega and Posi's soul forms. Images of DNA coding and many animals, most noticeably a dragon.

"What the hell is this?" Angus questioned.

"It was inside one of the filing cabinets. And look at what's on the front." Nega flipped the folder over for Angus to see it. Written on the very top, was the label. 'Project: QXJ0aWZpY2lhbC4gTmF2aWdhdG9yLiBUaHJvdWdoLiBJbnRlci1kaW1lbnNpb25zLiA='.

"It's that code thing again…" Angus noted.

"But you can read it now, can't you?" Nega questioned, as the two looked closer at the code. At this point, Angus could translate it and he was curious what it was. Just as they were about to get the first part, the lights in the room began to flicker abruptly. Eventually, they went out entirely, which caused everyone to jump.

"Shit!" Angus cursed.

"I can't see a thing!" Posi whined.

Anti whimpered as he did not like this one bit. Thankfully, Nega was able to use his flames in his hands to give them some light. "The fuck? A power outage?"

"I-I thought Bing had managed to get the power working…" Anti wondered.

"M-maybe something went wrong?" Posi questioned. When he said that, Angus was immediately on edge. That feeling was once again rising in him, as he could sense something was coming their way.

"Anti… go back to your room…" Angus ordered in a low voice.

Anti jumped as he looked at his older brother. "A-Angus what-"

The hunter turned back to the chimera as his eyes turned from white and green to black and green. "Go into your room and barricade the door! Do not come out until I say so, got it?!" Anti flinched, seeing how upset Angus appeared to be. Posi and Nega weren't sure what was going on either, but they trusted Angus. As did Anti. The child nodded, holding his family photo as he ran back into his bedroom. Once the door closed, the older ego went to investigate. He went back out to the living room, just in time as the lights came back on and for the door to be busted open. Five figures in white coats and gear appeared, holding up guns in their arms. They were wearing protective masks on their faces, so Angus couldn't see their details. But based on the glitching holes on their body, he could only guess that they were just as messed up as Anti and Henry were on a physical level.

Posi went over to Nega's side, as he saw the group coming in. "I-It's them!" The angel cried.

Angus grunted, as he knew Posi was right. "We've successfully entered the perimeter, searching for the subject right now." One of the intruders stated.

Angus growled in warning as he stepped forward. "Stay the fuck away!" He snapped, not wanting to deal with this. How did the scientists know they were here? And how did they manage to get here so quickly?

"It's one of the Mindscape residents." One of them said to the others.

"We were informed that the Vessel wouldn't be alone, but they won't be any match for us." The other reassured them.

A taller lead scientist approached, he was the only one not wearing anything to protect his face. Even though half of his features were distorted, Angus recognized those stubbles and the hairstyle. The final nail in the coffin was when the man spoke. "Greetings, Mr. Irwin." Angus shuddered, that voice was the same one he heard from those voice recordings. The one who was in charge of looking after Anti. This was Dr. Thomas! "We apologize for the sudden intrusion, but given that you are trespassing in our facility, we have the right to be making the demands. Rest assured, we do not want to get our floors dirty with the blood of you and your comrades. We are not monsters, we are humans with a thirst for knowledge, but we can be civil."

Angus kept grunting, he already knew what they wanted, and he would be damned if he would even listen to their request, let alone agree with them. Dr. Thomas went on with his explanation. "You see, you have something that we want. Or, I should be more accurate. You took something from us, and we want it back. At the same time, you want to return back to your world as well, which we can help with. We don't want to do this the hard way, we are giving you an option. You can hand over the Vessel back to us, its original owners. Then we can send you all back home and act like this was just a mistake. There won't be any more problems, and you won't have to worry about the Vessel anymore."

"BULLSHIT!" Angus snarled at them, his sockets were pitch black at that point. "You honestly expect me to give Anti back to you fuckers, after the way you treated him?! I know what you want to do to him, and I will be damned if you think I'll let you hurt him again! He is not going back to any of you!" Nega and Posi stayed by Angus's side, looking at the enemies ahead. Even though Posi was still nervous, he knew that they had to protect Anti at any cost.

"So, I assume you wish to do this the hard way?" Dr. Thomas questioned.

"You'll have to get through us before you ever reach Anti!" Posi declared as he readied his ice spears.

Dr. Thomas looked at Angus with disapproval before he turned back to his subordinates. "Very well… we shall do this your way."

One of the doctors readied their gun and aimed it right at the angel. Shooting at the positive half, just in time for Nega to react. "Posi, look out!" The devil pushed the angel out of the way, just as he had gotten hit. Nega hissed as a small dart lodged itself into his neck, making him fall to his knees as he began to pant heavily.

"Shit! Nega!" Angus called out, as the others began to fire.

"Neggy!" Posi screamed, using his ice to create a small barrier to protect them. He ran over to his brother's side and looked him over. The devil kept hissing in pain as the flames in his hands vanished, while his arms began to grow numb. "What's wrong?!" Posi questioned.

"I...can't use… my powers…" Nega grunted, the pain itself wasn't so bad but it was making him physically weaker.

Angus looked at his neck, seeing the dart that was still in his skin. He quickly took it out of Nega, examining it. "Must have been some sort of drug. Stay here!" He declared, summoning his machete as he looked back beyond the ice wall.

"A-Angus, you can't possibly take them on by yourself!" Posi warned.

"We don't have a choice!" The hunter jumped over the ice, going over to the group as he held his weapon. He knew it would be foolish to take them all down on his own, but what other choice did he have?! If he allowed them to get to Anti, they would take him and do who knows what to him! Angus promised his brother he would not let that happen, no matter the cost. The oldest ego rushed forward, using his weapon to slash at the enemies. They were mostly able to dodge the oncoming attacks, just as Angus was just as quick as them so he didn't get hit at first either. Posi did his best to use his powers by encasing some in ice, but he was busy keeping Nega close to him in case they tried to get to the two souls.

Angus managed to hold his own for quite a while, but the more he kept swinging his machete, the more he could feel himself starting to lose focus. He wasn't getting anywhere with these guys, they kept dodging and avoiding his advancements. Posi was still trying to keep them at bay as best he could. That was until one of the scientists finally managed to get a good shot at Posi, sending a dart on his neck. The angel hissed in pain, feeling his powers slip away as his physical body became weak.

"Posi!" Angus shouted, seeing the two souls were unable to fight now. He was so distracted, he didn't even notice one of them using the butt of the gun to knock his head. Angus fell to the floor, as Dr. Thomas kicked him in the gut and used his foot to hold the body down. "Aggggh!" He screamed, feeling the pressure on his chest.

"A-Angus!" Posi screamed in horror.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you, Survival Hunter." Dr. Thomas warned, as his foot pressed against the skin where his soul was. His foot caused Angus's soul to feel like it was being crushed, as the hunter could sense it being fractured more.

"G-Gggh!" Angus grunted, while he felt the pain increasing. 'F-fuck… I-I can't breathe…' He thought to himself as his body and soul were in new levels of pain. All he could think about was being stabbed by Sean in that one timeline, but this was far worse!

"We tried to do things peacefully, had you just handed over the Vessel, we wouldn't have to go through such extreme measures." Dr. Thomas sighed as he looked at Angus directly, keeping him pinned as he was hurting too much to do anything. "But you won't be able to do much now that your soul is in such a state."

"H-How did… you know about that…?" Angus gagged as he felt the air in his body escaping him.

Dr. Thomas gave a smirk as he stared down at the one he captured. "Did you really think that Schneeplestien would be able to give you the information for free? And not expect any of us to listen in?" Angus growled, so Henry sold them out?! No wonder he wasn't so upset about letting his son go off, he planned this all along! How could he do such a thing?! To them and Anti?! Angus turned back to Posi and Nega, who were leaning against the wall as their skin looked much paler and their auras around them were no longer shining. "Don't worry about the two cores." Dr. Thomas told Angus, as he looked at the two soul halves. "The serum we gave them is to help nullify the essences so they can't use their abilities. It's temporary, but we don't plan on killing them. We need the two cores to save our world after all."

Angus glared hatefully at Dr. Thomas as he spoke. What did he mean by cores though? Angus didn't think it mattered since he was more concerned of getting himself and the others out of there. But the pressure on his body was causing him to remain there, as the pain was spreading throughout his form. All he could think about was killing these bastards and Henry, but how could he when he couldn't even get up? His breathing was growing quicker, the air in his lungs was deflating fast. He could hardly breathe, and his soul was starting to crack more, he could feel it. 'N-No…' Angus thought as tears escaped his eyes. 'No! I can't d-die here… not like this… Ghhh… N-No… I have to… save everyone… I need to… protect…' His thoughts were scrambled, but he had to keep going, even though he doubted he would be able to get out of this mess.

"STOP IT PLEASE!" Everyone in the room gasped, turning their attention to the hallway as they saw a glitching chimera standing there, looking upset as he held the photo close to his chest. The scientists readied their guns, aiming right at the child.

"A-Anti!" Angus shouted through the pain, seeing the younger ego was exposed.

"PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM!" Anti begged through tears as he wrapped his tail around himself. "I-I'll do whatever you want! Please!" He begged. The other men held the guns, fingers on the trigger as they seemed ready to shoot. Dr. Thomas waved his hand though, signaling for them to stand down. They did as they were told, but approached Anti. "I-If you let them go back home… I won't fight you. I'll go with you and you can do whatever you wish. I don't care what horrible experiments you subject me to just… please… let Angus and the others go."

"Anti, no!" Posi cried as he attempted to stand, but quickly fell back as his body was too weak.

"A-Anti you can't!" Nega hissed. "They'll do god knows what to you!"

Anti remained strong, as he looked over at Dr. Thomas who raised a brow. "You will come with us and do whatever we want? And you won't fight back?"

Anti nodded. "I-In exchange… you have to promise to let them go. L-let the residents of the Mindscape return to their home. A-as well as my dad, Aunt Emily, Cole, BB and Nathaniel. If you do that… I'll become your experiment again."

Angus couldn't believe what he was hearing, he didn't want to allow this. He tried reaching for Anti, but his body wouldn't move. It was like he was frozen in place, as if his brain was trying to process everything, that his limbs had shut down. How could Anti do this?! He was going to sacrifice himself just to keep them alive?! What about Angus's promise?! He couldn't go back on it now! Even so, Angus was powerless as Dr. Thomas ordered his men to go over and grab Anti by the arms. The child dropped the picture of his family in the process as it fluttered to the floor. The chimera tried reaching for it, but they kept their grasp on him tight.

"We've secured the Vessel, should we take the cores as well?" One of the scientists questioned as they turned their gaze to Posi and Nega.

Dr. Thomas hummed. "No need, they won't be able to use their powers for a while. We should focus on identifying the corruption of the core in the Vessel. We'll keep them locked up here and come back once we are finished."

"You bastard! What are you going to do to him?!" Angus demanded to know as he looked up at the man still standing on him.

Dr. Thomas looked at Angus with an un-amused expression. "That is no longer your concern, Survival Hunter." He lifted his foot off of Angus, only to use it to kick him in the head. The ego grunted, feeling a burning sensation course through his head as his vision began to grow blurry. The doctor headed for the door, motioning for everyone to follow. The others nodded, carrying Anti out of the apartment, as one of them stepped on the photo that was left on the ground.

"Anti! No!" Nega cried, watching as they took their former host away.

"A-Anti… I… Don't go with them, please!" Posi begged, as the tears rolled down his face.

The child tried to be brave, even though he knew where this was going. He was pretty sure what they would do to him. Even so, if he could get everyone to safety, it would be worth it. After all, he was considered a lost cause now. "Posi… Nega… take good care of Angus…" It was his final request, as Anti looked back one more time before the doors began to close.

Angus looked at the exit of the apartment, seeing the steel doors closing as Anti and the others were on the opposite side. The hunter attempted to get up, using his knees and elbows to prop himself. He bit his lip, trying to overcome the pain. "A-An...ti…" Angus stuttered as he reached over, hoping to get to him. It was all in vain, as the doors closed, separating them from the one Angus promised to protect. The survival hunter felt his eyes rolling back into his sockets before his body fell to the ground.