Chapter 20: Anti's true purpose
The Septiceye egos and Henry looked at the three newcomers, who seemed to help them by taking out the last scientist that ambushed them. Angus made note of what they looked like. One of them was a woman that had the left side of her face, along with her jawline and chin, in a glitchy, distorted state. However, he could make out brown, flowing hair and an emerald eye. She held a wrench in her hand, as she was the most on guard out of the three. The second one was a guy with a hat similar to Chase, even the hair was the same style. His face above his nose was in a glitchy mess, revealing piercing orange eyes. He glared at the group, as he wielded a bat. The last one was a guy with dark skin, who had the lower part of his jaw glitching out, giving him the same perma-smile as Henry and Anti. He wielded a strange device, which seemed to have been a taser. A lot of the people didn't know how to feel about these newcomers. Sure, they did save them from that guy that tried to shoot at Angus. But then again, could they really trust anyone else that lived here?
"There's more of these guys…?" Chase questioned as he looked over at the group of three.
"Who the hell are you all?!" The one in the cap asked, demanding an answer.
"H-hey… we aren't here to cause trouble…" Jackie tried to explain.
Angus and Henry were the only two that weren't as upset since they knew who the three were. The dark-skinned of the three looked over at the ground, being the one to examine them all in a neutral like manner. His brown eyes widened as he saw the doctor close to Angus. "H-Henry?!"
"Nathaniel! Cole! Emily!" Henry smiled, tears coming to his eyes out of happiness. "You all are here, you all are safe!" He went over, approaching the three as he was relieved. "Nathaniel! You're alright! Cole! You're safe as well! Thank god!" He then turned to his sister, walking up to her. "Emily! I knew you wouldn't let those doctors take-"
Henry got cut off from what he was saying when the woman, Emily, used her hand to slap him across the face. It caused him to lose balance while looking up at her. "You shut your damn mouth, you traitor!" Emily glared at her brother.
The other egos backed up, since they could tell how angry she was. "W-Wah?! E-Emily-"
"Don't you 'Emily' me! Henry Alexander Schneeplestein! Do you have any idea what you have done?! You gave up your son, my nephew, to those monsters! Sold him out like a project instead of a sweet child! And on top of that, you are letting his kidnapper drag you along?!" As she said the last sentence, her eyes glared over at where Angus was standing.
Angus raised his brow, then became slightly offended by her accusation. "Kidnapper? I didn't kidnap Anti!"
"Ha! Like we'd believe your bullshit, outsider!" The Chase look-alike, Cole, retorted as he raised up his bat. "We saw the tape! We know you stole him from us!"
"Now hold on a moment!" Marvin raised his voice as he stood in front of Angus. "Angus didn't mean to take Anti from the Omitted Verse. And he has been taking care of him since he was brought to the MindScape. Not to mention, we are trying to save Anti right now."
Emily and Cole looked at the magician with contempt, as if they had more to say. Nathaniel stood between the groups as he looked between them. "Enough! Come on Cole, Emily! They obviously don't seem to have any interest in Anti. Especially what he said to them all over the intercom, remember?" The woman and guy in the hat gasped, lowering their weapons as Nathaniel went over to the others, mainly at Henry to see his condition. "Are you alright, Henry?"
The Omitted Schneeplestein waved his hand as he looked at his boyfriend. "I-I am alright. She had every right to hit me. Honestly, I expected all of you to be mad at me."
Nathaniel smiled at him. "Are you kidding? I would have still been upset if I didn't hear what happened above."
"You… heard all of that?" Henrik questioned.
"Emily hooked up BB over there so we could listen and watch what was happening on the upper floors." The Biologist explained. "We heard and saw everything… Well, I did mostly. Cole and Emily were doing some scouting."
"You all look like you've been through a lot." Posi noted, seeing how tired they appeared.
"Yeah, ever since this 'Corruption' of our world, we've been like this for the past few days. Goes to show how quickly anarchy can fall when things go to shit." Cole sighed.
"So… you know who we are then?" Bing asked as he stepped forward.
Nathaniel smiled as he looked at the android. "Yes! You are the residents of the MindScape, your world. Chase Brody, Henrik Von Schneeplestein, Jackieboy Man, Marvin the Magnificent, Bing Septiceye and of course Angus Irwin! But as for us, we are other scientists that work here at Purple Iris Science Facility. But we have no reason to fight with any of you, given how adamant you all are to save Anti."
Emily went over, calming down as she glanced up and down Angus, who felt a bit uncomfortable. "So… you are Angus Irwin, the Survival Hunter? The one that Anti has a close bond with?"
Angus was waiting for her to attack, since she still had the weapon in her hand. However, she remained neutral in her advancements. "I am… I came to this world somehow and met Anti. He was trying to get his soul back, Posi and Nega, and somehow I transported myself and him back to the MindScape."
"I see…" She noted, keeping her gaze on him. "To be honest, when we saw the tapes of you taking Anti away, we all assumed the worst. I made a vow that if you ever returned, I would not hesitate to use whatever force I could to make sure you told me everything about Anti. But… after hearing everything about Anti's stay in your world, and how fond he grew with all of you residents, I could tell just how honest he was and how much he praised you. He had always been such a shy boy when he was young. So the fact that he warmed up to you all, it is quite a surprise. Especially to you." She noted towards Angus.
"Yeah, I know. You didn't expect him to be so forgiving to the guy who took away his soul. Believe me, I don't deserve his forgiveness… I can hardly forgive myself for what I did." He muttered the last bit to himself.
"But it seems that there is no bad blood between you and Anti." Emily pointed out. "Even though I still do not fully forgive you for what you did to my nephew, I see now that you did not understand the full gravity of your consequences. And… I do want to thank you. For taking Anti out of this place. You managed to do the one thing that we could not do for him. I also want to thank you for taking care of him all this time. And apologize in advance for any trouble that Anti may have caused you. He is still a child after all." Her one eye shone with memories at that last bit.
Marvin spoke up as he looked at the woman. "He hasn't been a bother at all! He was afraid of us at first, but he soon wanted to get to know us all and do things with us. Including being closer with Angus."
"Marv's right!" Chase added. "He means a lot to us! I know we've only had him for a few days, but he's like a part of our family now."
"Bringing Anti to us was the best thing Angus ever did! And we all feel more complete because of it!" Jackie stated.
Henrik added more to the topic. "I've never seen mien own son so happy before. Anti seemed to have truly changed him."
"I can attest to that!" Bing agreed. "One moment!" Bing stated, as he looked through his database
Angus blushed, as he was being mentioned along with Anti. He scratched his cheek as he looked back at the remaining residents of the Omitted-Verse. "H-honestly… I didn't know what to think when Anti came into my life. But… looking back on it, I was the one who walked into his life and changed it. I was doing all of this to try and fix my mistakes… which I do regret. I know I can not change the past, but the least I could do was give Anti a future. I also did this to make sure I would survive… but I didn't want to leave him in the dust. I've been there before." Again, all he could think about was Sean, and what he did in that timeline. "Even so… I care for Anti, like a little brother. And no matter what, I am not leaving this world without him."
Cole and Nathaniel could see the bonds Anti had created with all of them, especially Angus. Emily could also see how much he meant to these MindScape residents himself. She gave a smile at them, admiring their protectiveness and care for the chimera child. "Thank you…" It was all she could say, as she looked over at her brother. The two were glad that Anti was able to get a taste of his dream.
"Oh, here it is!" Bing suddenly said as everyone looked over at the android, as he printed something off from his body. He handed it to Henry who took it. The image was of Anti laying on Angus's chest, as the survival hunter used his green wings to blanket the chimera.
"Oh my! This is adorable!" Henry smiled, looking at his son.
"Oh… yeah, you took that in the morning when we were getting Jackie and Marvin's soul shards." Angus remembered.
"Yup! I even made sure to date them as well!" He said as he kept smiling.
Emily giggled as she herself found the image cute. That was until her one visible eye caught sight of the date on the bottom corner. "What… wait… this is labeled as October 16th, 2020!"
Bing looked over at the woman, raising a brow in confusion. "Yes. That's the date that it was taken on."
"What?!" Cole checked over the print, seeing it himself. "No… that can't be right!"
"What do you mean? Is there a problem?" Jackie asked.
"This photo was taken five years in the future…" Nathaniel explained. Practically everyone else were baffled by the picture.
"But… that can't be right…" Marvin declared. "Because it is 2020."
"But… I could have sworn…" Henry trailed off as he tried to make sense of this situation. The doctor quickly rushed over to BB, checking the android over to clarify it for himself. He checked over the robot and used him to access the computers. When he looked at the monitors, he jumped back at the realization. "This… can not be…"
"Henry? What is it?" Emily asked, growing nervous as her brother was becoming frantic. Nathaniel went over to look at the screens with his boyfriend. When he reached the same conclusion as Henry, he was just as pale.
"I… I can't believe it. We were so focused on looking out for those scientists and trying to find Anti that… we didn't notice the date in the bottom corner of the cameras…" Nathaniel pointed out.
"W-what do you mean?" Cole questioned.
Henry looked over at his own family, bit his lip as he seemed defeated. "They are right… it is already 2020…"
"What?!" Emily gasped, her lungs shrieked at that statement. "T-that's impossible!"
"The cameras were set to automatically be synched to the date, even during daylight savings." Henry stated. "There is no mistake."
"Hold on… what are you guys getting at?" Jackie questioned.
The four residents of the Omitted-Verse looked at one another, as if they could read each other's minds from the expressions alone. Nathaniel was the one to step forward and explain. "We… have been suspended in time for nearly five years."
"W-What?!" It was Chase's turn to gasp.
"So that explains the time differences…" Henrik realized.
"A-Are you sure?!" Posi questioned.
"There is no other way to explain it." Henry admitted.
"But… how can that be possible?" Marvin asked.
"It must have happened when I took Anti's soul." Angus stated. "But, I don't get it. I mean, I know that what I did to Anti would damage him, but why would it affect everyone around him?"
"Mr. Irwin, do you remember the day in which you took Anti's soul?" Dr. Nathaniel questioned.
The survival hunter went quite, looking at the ground as he remembered vague yet detailed moments of what happened. The pain he felt, the will to survive in him increasing, and the emptiness growing inside of him. "Yeah… I remember that day. The day that I, Angus Irwin, died in the MindScape. October 30th, 2015…" It was the ego's that looked at Angus with disturbed expressions. All they could do was just stare at him, Bing especially as he was the only one who remembered that date well. Even though he blocked and deleted the events of what happened, he knew that that day in particular is when he lost his Angel.
"T-that's why you looked horrified when that date was mentioned." Henrik muttered to himself, now knowing the truth of why that day held such deep meaning to his son.
"It was also the day I was reborn as 'Anti', after taking the real one's soul." Angus added. "But… Why was that day special with you guys? I know it was supposed to have been the day you escaped with Anti but… what happened?"
Henry sighed as he looked down. "F-for you all to understand… you should know something first. Something about Anti."
"Does this have to explain why Angus was able to take Anti's soul, despite him already being fully formed?" Henrik questioned.
Emily looked over at her brother with a raised brow. "So… you didn't tell them? What Anti really is?"
"I only mentioned his powers." Henry explained. "But, they all should know. It's the only way to explain why this happened." All of the egos looked at Anti's father, waiting in anticipation as he began to tell the origins of Anti and his true purpose. Even Angus was silently demanding answers. "You see," Henry began. "The PISF is a hospital corporation, but we also function in secret underground projects in the name of science. From genetically altering DNA in living organisms, to discovering and proving theories. But… the one thing that the facility was known to prove was the possibility of exploring beyond our world."
"What exactly does that mean?" Chase questioned.
Emily looked over at the Cole look-alike. "Are you all familiar with multiverse theory?"
Bing nodded. "Of course! It states that there may be multiple or even an infinite number of universes, including our own, that together comprise everything that exists. It mostly stems from the concept of the butterfly effect, for in one universe where a certain decision is made, there is another alternative universe where another choice was reached. Sometimes, these alternate universes can be similar to our own with only slight differences, or there could be radical changes to how the structure of that world as a society functions."
Jackie blinked as he looked over at Bing. "Uh… can you translate that in English?"
"Basically it means that our world, the MindScape, is only one universe that exists. There are plenty of other worlds out there, possibly even different timelines." Marvin explained. Angus winced at that, knowing full well how true that was.
"So… your facility was investigating that?!" Henrik questioned.
"Yes…" Henry continued. "We believed it was possible to reach these other timelines and worlds, something we have theorized for a while and tried to put into action. We had different methods of accessing the rift between worlds, but nothing worked. Until we reached a conclusion. We found out that there was an energy strong enough to pierce through the barrier, separating our world from the others. This energy came from the soul, essences of feelings and emotions that could be harnessed to create a rift between realties. Unfortunately, a normal human soul from our own could never be powerful enough. So, we resorted to creating a soul."
"Creating a soul?" Chase repeated. "Like an artificial one?"
"Yes…" Nathaniel explained. "We heard that you were gathering soul shards for Angus's soul, hence why you were here. Well, we did the exact same thing."
Emily nodded. "Six people were chosen to become donors to help create this artificial soul. My brother, Cole, Nathaniel, and myself were four of the six donors. Along with Dr. Thomas and his subordinate. Each of us donated two soul shards for the project. One of which came from a beautiful memory that we hold dear in our hearts."
"And the other was from a terrible nightmare we wished to keep buried." Henry added. "We composed those shards together, creating two special man-made souls where one radiated positive emotions while the other represented negative emotions."
"Positive and negative…?" Angus trailed off as he looked over at the Angel and Devil. Their eyes went wide as they listened to the story, looking at one another before turning their gaze back to the doctors.
"Y-you mean… us?" Posi questioned.
Henry nodded. "Yes… you two were the halves of what we called 'The Core', an artificial soul that would be able to transverse through our world and help us to explore the other timelines and universe that had yet to be examined."
Nega shuddered as he heard that. "So… we're… artificial?"
"I'm… afraid so…" Nathaniel stated.
Marvin jumped as he asked something. "Hold on… if you needed to make one soul, why would you end up halving it?"
"Well, the theory was that we needed an even amount of positive and negative energy in order to create the rift in the barrier. We believe it would be beneficial to separate the Core by using two souls and merge them into one. This way it would be easier to monitor the state of the energies and know which side needed more tending to." Henry pointed out.
"So… that was what we were made for?" Nega questioned, as he and Posi were trying to wrap their heads around it.
"It's… really unsettling… but it does explain a few things." Posi admitted as he looked down.
"Okay… but what does this have to do with Anti?" Chase wanted to know where this story was going.
Henry rubbed the back of his neck as he bit his lip. It was almost as if he was hesitant to say anything, but the others by his side urged him to go on with looks alone. "After creating Posi and Nega, we found out how powerful they were. They did in fact have the capability to do what we were aiming for. The problem however, was that it became difficult to not only contain them, but to use them with our bare hands. We tried many different possibilities, but none of them worked. We found it was impossible to control them ourselves."
"So… what happened next?" Jackie questioned, having a bad feeling of where this was going. He was not the only ego who believed that.
Dr. Nathaniel stepped forward to explain. "Dr. Thomas, the organizer of the project, put me in charge to create a 'Vessel', a shell that would be able to house the Core and use it's powers. The 'Vessel' would keep the Core safe and in exchange, the 'Vessel' would be able to use the abilities that the Core would give it. In the end, I created an artificial body of a creature that had many different parts of DNA from various animals and human. A chimera. We dubbed the 'Vessel' as Project: QXJ0aWZpY2lhbC4gTmF2aWdhdG9yLiBUcmFuc3BvcnRlci4gSW50ZXJkaW1lbnNpb25hbC4g, which if you translate it from the encode, spells out: Artificial. Navigator. Through. Inter-dimensions."
"A...N...T...I…" Angus spelt out the first letter of each word in that sentence. When he put the pieces together, his whole face lost color. "Anti…"
"That's… where I got the name from." Henry admitted. "I didn't like what they called him, it was more like a serial number. When I found out what it translated to, I just took the first letter off of each word and… that is where Anti came from. He seemed to like it though…"
The others were still reeling from the very notion of what had been told. Posi was just speechless, as his gaze fell to the ground. Marvin and Jackie glanced at one another, while Chase began to shake. Angus was silent, his face a ghostly white. "So… what you're saying is…" Bing trailed off, as he wanted the others to finish for him.
"Anti… was created to transport us to different realities and timelines." Henry finished.
Chase held his hand over his face as he tried to hold back his gasps. "I… I can't believe it…"
"So that explains how Angus was able to take Nega from Anti… the souls… or, Core, wasn't originally his!" Henrik concluded.
"No, since they were artificial, they never really had a place to belong. Though, I never would have expected that they would be able to bond with someone that has a soul already." Nathaniel admitted. "It truly is a strange occurrence that I'm sure Dr. Thomas can't explain."
Angus rubbed the back of his neck. "I… stopped questioning everything when I died and came back to life."
"Perhaps it's because Angus was a Septiceye ego, and given that Anti is one as well, I suppose that they would be quite compatible." Nathaniel theorized.
Angus jumped, not expecting that reaction as he stared at the doctors. "W-Wait… y-you know about us? You know what we are?!"
"Well of course, like I said we were experimenting with different realities and timelines. But we also were aware that said universes came from the origins of the creator: Jacksepticeye as you all call him."
"Holy shit… it's almost like you guys broke the fourth wall!" Chase stated in surprise.
"I wouldn't call it a fourth wall, not like we are part of a game or show." Henry explained. "No, we are just universes in which are based off of the egos in which this man and his fanbase created. I mean… Why else would all of you have the same faces?" He laughed, which caused the egos to look at one another as they couldn't help but understand where they were coming from. "Though I must say, we have never seen versions of you guys before. Very lively indeed!"
"Oh, thanks for the…" Jackie trailed off as he registered to what Henry stated. "W-Wait… what did you say?"
Henry blinked upon Jackie's sudden confusion. "Well, I mean, as far as headcanons go, I can not say much without seeing you all in your element. Then I could make a full report about how you interact with each other compared to the canon versions."
"Canon versions? What kind of existential crisis shit are you referring to now?" Chase raised a brow, as he became annoyed.
Cole blinked as it was his turn to ask the questions. "Wait… you guys don't know?"
"Know what?" Henrik asked.
Cole decided to be the one to explain it all. He may not have been a scientist like his friends ,but he was knowledgeable enough to give them the basics. "The reason that these universes and timelines exist are because they were fan-made. They are created by many fans who come up with headcanons for the Septiceye egos that Jack created. Said headcanons turn into a whole world, and as long as that world gets recognition from others, they live. But… none of them are what Jack envisioned for his own egos, the ones he made at least. Our world, your world… We all are just ideas fabricated by what a group of people believe us to be. In terms of what our lives are like, the relationships we have, all of it was determined by what they wanted. In other words, you all are just versions in which those people made."
"W-wait… w-what are you trying to say?" Marvin shuddered, as he was becoming increasingly upset about what was being said.
"What Cole is trying to say is… you are not the canon egos." Emily answered nonchalantly.
Angus remained silent while the other egos were once again horrified by this new piece of information. The survival hunter didn't blame them, but he rather not say anything unless the time called for it.
"A-Are you saying we aren't the real egos?!" Bing questioned. "We-we're just… fan-made?"
"Not necessarily fan-made, just your stories and the relationships you have were depicted by what the fans who made your world decided. It was those fans that gave you that life and how you lived them. You yourselves are based off of the real egos that were created, but what your lives are like are all up to the fans." Henry corrected
"H-hold on! You're telling us everything we've been through! All of the torment, all of the loss and humiliation in our lives… that wasn't Jack?! It was the fans that made that world for us?!" Chase was becoming increasingly angry, as he was asking question after question. "All the bad things that happened to each and everyone of us…. Was part of their sick… twisted game?!"
"I… wouldn't call it a game." Henry corrected. "The history and the lives that you all have lived was what they thought of you as."
Chase was starting to cry as he grunted in anger. It was clear he was in denial, but no one could argue otherwise. Marvin and Jackie just continued to stare blankly at one another, as if they were trying to determine what they thought about the situation. Bing seemed like he was about to say something, as he approached Angus. However, Henrik intervened. His whole body shook, as his eyes had shrunk into his skull. He held onto his son's shoulders, looking him in the eyes as Angus could see that his father was ready to leak tears. "Angus… be honest with us. Did you know about this?!" He gasped as he tried his best to keep himself together. "Please… tell us this is a lie…" It was clear Henrik wished for this to be false information. He didn't want to believe that the reason why he lost Joline and Emma was because some strange force said so.
Posi and Nega looked at one another, before turning back to Angus. The three of them knew the truth, and it was not the one that they all wanted to hear. The survival hunter had to look his dad in the eyes. As much as it pained him to say it, he could not lie to them. Not anymore. "...It's true." He said, as his voice sounded just as broken as they all did, yet he continued nonetheless. "I've known ever since I faded. When I found Anti and took his soul. I saw it… the Void. I was able to see beyond reality and the people behind it. I saw the people who made our world… I saw the other timelines, I saw the other realities… including the real one."
At that point, Henrik lost it. He let go of Angus's shoulders as he fell to the ground on his knees. The tears cascading down his cheeks as he finally broke. The Omitted-Verse residents remained silent, as they figured it was best to let the ones from the Mindscape process this source of information. After all, it was not easy to digest. They figured it out a long while ago, but it would seem the MindScape residents had no clue. Bing approached next, as he needed to ask what he was going to say. "D-does that mean… it was them that took you from me!? They are the reason you died?!"
Angus winced as he listened to Bing's cries, though he had to be honest. "They came up with the idea that when an ego doesn't get enough attention from their creator or the community… they fade. It's their headcanon, I couldn't change that." His voice cracked, being reminded of his death once more. He seemed to be reflecting a lot about that lately. Bing took a few steps back, as he listened to that answer. Now the android was the one who wanted to deny it, how he wished it wasn't true. But if the scientists say so and Angus can back up their claims…
Henry knew it would not be wise, yet he stepped over to Angus. His eyes met with the hunter's, but his mouth remained shut. He wanted Angus to be the one to speak first, so Henry would not overstep the line. Angus knew this, and he was the one to ask a question of his own. "How long have you all known? What you really are?"
Henry casted his gaze to the ground as he answered the one who was an older brother to Anti. "Ever since we were experimenting with the concept of other worlds… we were aware of what we are. Actually, we had reason to believe that your world and our own were created by the same people."
"W-what makes you believe that?" Angus had to ask.
"Well, considering the Mindscape was so close to the Omitted-Verse being that it was the first world we were able to see, it was the most logical. The closer the worlds are to one another, the likelihood that they are by the same person or people increases."
"So… you're saying the same ones that came up with the MindScape ended up creating the Omitted-Verse as well?" Posi asked.
"That is what we believe." Nathaniel answered. "It's unclear which of our worlds came first, or if they co-existed together, but we seemed to reach that conclusion. However, the only ones that could see those realities would have been Anti, since he had the ability to go through those realities. Then again, since you did take Anti's soul, you must have also harnessed his powers as well."
Angus just gave a nod, confirming this. He looked over at the other egos, seeing that they were still trying to comprehend what was told to them. He bit his lip as he wanted to say something, in the hopes to try and make them feel better. "I wanted so badly to tell you all… but I could never bring myself to do it. I never wanted this… this power! I never wanted to be CURSED with it! I know full well that we can not change or mess with the realities that are given to us. Believe me, I tried, but it always came with a cost! The reason I am alive was because I cheated that reality, but look what my actions did! I ruined everyone's future here! There's no past, no future for any of them, because my actions resulted in taking Anti's life!"
"Angus… that's not true!" Posi tried to reason.
"Calm down, Angus. Please." Nega attempted.
"YOU can't understand this! NONE of you can understand this! The only one who really got this was Anti! Only him and I know this trauma that this power comes with!" Angus began to leak tears of his own as he could envision the young chimera right now. "He was scared… he always told me he feared this power! And I lied to him, telling him it would get better! But it never does! I just… I just keep lying… in the end, I am a liar and a thief!" Angus sniffled. "A hypocrite even. I brought this world to its knees, sent it into the Void in this limbo-like state, glitching out of existence! I allowed myself to be selfish… and it ruined so many lives, Anti included. I thought my actions were justifiable because I didn't know what I was doing, or what damages I caused. But I see now they are just excuses. I had no right to destroy your world. I…" Angus stopped himself, as he didn't want to say the last line out loud, but he thought it to himself. 'I really am no better than Sean.'
"A-Angel…" Bing whispered, seeing the pain that was written on his face. The others saw it, snapping out of their own mindset so they could see how much this had affected Angus. He was the one that knew all of this information and kept it a secret from them for so long. Not because he wanted to keep them in the dark, or because he wanted to make fun of them. No… he did it because he didn't want to believe it himself. Angus had suffered for so long by holding back this information, the root of his trauma. It's no wonder he always felt out of place, he never fully faced those demons. And now, it was all catching up to him. Like a damn that had been holding back levels of deep emotions. It was bursting, and released the water all at once.
"We… are just as much at fault as you are." Henry broke the ice, having all eyes on him once again. Regret was written on his features, as he stared back at everyone while speaking. "We were the ones that wanted to break through the barrier ourselves. We wanted to explore the other timelines and universes, even if that meant sacrifices had to be made. We are just as much to blame for this as you are, Angus Irwin. Our hunger for knowledge was our undoing. We went into this project without realizing the consequences of our actions. To the point we would endanger the life of a child, just to satisfy our own wants and needs. Had I not been assigned to look after Anti that one night, I probably would have kept going with this project with blind eyes and deaf ears. There is no singular person to accuse of this mess. Everyone had some part or another to play that caused this tragedy."
Angus could only listen to the words that came out of Henry's mouth. Even though he still blamed himself as the source of this mess, what Henry said did help him. There were a number of factors that caused this domino effect to fall. Even so, they shouldn't be focusing on the what if's or the how's. The main objective is still clear: Get Anti away from those monsters.
Nathaniel spoke up as he had one last thing to get off his chest. "If only I could have created a better vessel before. Instead of all of those failures…"
"Failures?" Nega questioned.
Nathaniel winced as he clenched his hands, shuddering as his eyes were casted anywhere else. Henry went over to his boyfriend, pleading with him. "Nate…" His eyes were enough to convince the dark-skinned biologist what needed to be done.
With a heavy sigh, Nathaniel looked back at everyone else. "There is one more thing I have to show you. To really help you all understand how messed up the end goal of this project became." The biologist walked over to a side door in the room, pushing it open without needing a key card or code entry. "Prepare yourselves… this is something not for the faint of heart."
The Egos and Anti souls were confused, and also a bit terrified. Even so, they slowly made their way to the door with the other Omitted-verse residents. Angus was the first, stepping inside but his eyes could not adjust to the darkness. For some reason, when he stepped into the room, a wave of dread and despair entered into him. That reason soon became clear once Emily flipped the switch on, revealing what was inside this storage unit.
The Egos and Anti souls lost all color in their faces. Eyes went wide as their mouths hung open. For the sight that they were witnessing was one that no one could turn away from. Surrounding the room were life-sized humanoids that had so many resemblances to the chimera child that they all knew and loved. The same fluffy green hair, the pointed ears, pale skin. Some had different animalistic features such as horns, tails, claws, fur, and scales. The one thing they all had in common was that they all had black, soulless sockets for eyes. Wide open, with no signs of life to them.
"W-W-w-what a-a-a-are these?" Posi shuddered as he looked over the room.
"It took me so long to create Anti as you all know him now. I had to go through so many different forms, all of them proved unstable or incompatible with the Core. Every time there was a problem, we would have to take the soul out of the body. Then, they brought the Husks here, strung up to be reminded of our failures. Anti… as you know him now… is the result of 52 failed versions." Nathaniel winced as he said that last line with pain.
"F-fifty… two…?" Bing repeated, as he felt his heart skip a beat.
"O-oh Christ…" Marvin was shaking as he looked over at the figures. Chase covered his mouth as he felt like he was going to vomit. The angel looked over all of them, starting to cry as he saw the corpses of his former hosts.
"T-this isn't right…" Posi cried as he felt like he was going to fall to his knees.
Nega saw this, heading to Posi and holding him. "Don't look, Posi…" He covered his eyes. Nega didn't want to see this either, but he was forced to watch. "I don't even want to imagine what these poor bodies went through…"
Jackie and Marvin held onto each other, both comforting their boyfriend. "H-how could they… W-why would they do this?!" Marvin questioned, as he could feel their soulless gazes upon them.
"For a long while, the negative half of the Core was always greater than the positive half. They believed it was the vessel's fault for not being compatible with the Core. It took them so long to realize that it wasn't the body's fault for the instability, but the very soul. All of the vessel's had a consciousness once the Core was inside of the body, acting like a new life. And whatever the Vessel felt, the Core reacted to it. Since they always treated Anti so terribly…" Nathaniel trailed off.
Nega finished as he put the pieces together. "The reason I was stronger than Posi was because the other Vessels were always scared and reacted negatively to the treatments."
"The day when I first met Anti and showed him kindness, they noticed that there was a shift in the energy readings from the positive half. They wanted to do a few tests, so they let me spend time with Anti, allowing me to talk to him and interact with him. Once they saw the results, they realized that the negative half was greater because Anti lacked any positive reinforcements. They soon allowed me to take Anti in as my own son. It was the happiest day of both our lives." Henry smiled, that memory coming back to him. "We gave him his own room. I spoiled him with stuffed animals. BB was always there to play with him. Nathaniel would cook for him and we would have meals…" Tears began to trail down his cheeks as Henry was lost in the past. "You should have seen how wide his smile was. It would have melted anyone's heart. He was so young when they made him… just an innocent being… he never asked for this purpose…"
"Never asked to be treated like an animal…" Angus grunted as he looked at all of the failed vessels. "When did you learn about this room?"
"About a few months before that day Anti's soul was taken." Emily explained. "Nathaniel and I found this place and when we realized this could be Anti's fate if he didn't pass the scientists tests…"
"We knew we had to get Anti out of here… even if that meant costing us our jobs and lives, we had to draw the line somewhere." Nathaniel continued. "Especially with what I have created…"
"H-how could they?" Henrik was just as lost for words. He shook, out of anger, fear, remorse and sympathy.
Marvin and Jackie held onto one another, doing their best to not be sick just seeing all of these corpses. "Those mother fucking bastards! He was just a child! You didn't give him any choice!" Jackie screamed.
"They didn't care. They saw Anti as a product... not a person." Emily shook her head.
Henry held onto his boyfriend as he kept crying. "I should have done more... it's my fault they have him again... I'm a terrible father!"
"Henry, no. You're not a terrible father. Anti forgave you for what happened earlier, didn't he? I'm sure he forgives you for what happened back then. You did everything you could to save him...You tried your hardest, that's what matters.." Nathaniel spoke gently.
Angus's whole body wavered as he looked around, flinching as he remembered how happy Anti was being in his bedroom. The other egos were still disturbed and upset by learning this new information. The hunter went further into the room, looking at every single husk that was strung up. He wondered how long each of these Vessels lasted before they were deemed 'unfit'. And to think, it would have been possible for Anti to have ended up like them. Just the thought made Angus's blood boil. But his eyes soon caught wind of a familiar figure.
The Hunter's eyes went wide as he took notice of a Vessel that was strung up to the west side of the wall. One with dark green, fluffy hair. Black soulless eyes with a dark black coat on his arms and hands, supporting a demon tail. The pointed ears matched with that of the other Anti's, along with angel-like wings behind him, a green and a blue one. Angus could only stare in horror as he looked at a direct mirror of his former self.
"Angus… what is-" Henrik was cut off as he saw what his son was looking at. Henrik lost all color in his face once more, as the attention was brought to that very vessel. "W-what?!"
"T-that husk… I-it looks like…" Chase shuddered as he couldn't take his eyes off of it.
"That was… Vessel number 52. The one before Anti." Nathaniel stated. "If it had ended up being successful, it would have been the one to hold the Core."
Angus just stared at this husk. His whole body was shaking as he could be reminded of his life when he was Anti. Of the being he once was, which was standing before him.
Posi and Nega saw this figure themselves, as they were the ones to say it. "T-that looks like…"
"Angus when he took us from Anti…" Nega finished.
At that moment, it felt like Angus was all alone in that room. No Egos. No Omitted residents. No other Vessels except for the one that Angus had his eyes on. He started to quicken his breathing, as he felt himself becoming alone once more. This was all too much for him to handle. Everything was happening so fast. First they arrive in this world, then Anti gets taken, now they learn the truth about what Anti truly was, what the Omitted Verse really is, and see what Anti's fate would have been if the scientists weren't satisfied with the results! How could people like this exist?! How could someone allow people like this to exist?! Angus looked to the ground, as he was hallucinating about being in the Void once again. Everything that had happened, this world's destruction, the ruined lives of the residents, the Corruption of the MindScape… it was all his. fault! He knew that the others would disagree, but who could argue with history and the facts?! What good was Angus Irwin if all he did was just ruin the lives of others?! What kind of protector was he if he just made everyone go through hell?!
"RmFpbHVyZQ==" Angus jumped as he heard that glitchy voice. It sounded like Anti, but it was mixed with his own? When he looked up, he saw the husk that was before him, expect it looked different. His face resembles more of Angus, hair shape and color included. He wore the same black outfit that was signature to the MindScape Anti. With the side where the scar ran along his eyes, all that was there was an empty socket. The one green eye just stared at Angus, wings and tail behind him. The survival Hunter panted, looking up from where he fell as he saw the more twisted, mirror version of himself combined with Anti.
"W-what?!" Angus gulped, as he looked up at the figure.
"I said you were a failure." That mixed voice spoke more clearly and without the code. "You caused all of this, just because you wanted to survive. Because you couldn't let things go. You couldn't have let everyone move on, you couldn't let Sean move on, or the community. You had to go against the plot, because you believed you were special."
"N-No… I… I'm not special…" Angus's voice was wavering as he spoke with no confidence in his tone.
"Really? Because you seem to think that you were better than everyone, even Sean. You believed that because you were the victim, that because the creators and Sean did you wrong, that you had the right to go against the script and do things your own way?"
"I didn't know the consequences!" Angus cried out. "Even if I knew what would happen, I… I would…"
"You would have changed it? You would have rather died than let all of these people suffer? Come on, we both know that is a lie not even you can deny." The clone told him, making Angus feel smaller for a brief moment. He let the bangs fall over his eyes, making his face shadow over.
His voice was low as he spoke. "You're right… I would have done it all over again, even if I knew what would have happened." He fully admits, knowing he would choose his own survival over the lives of others. He admitted that he would be selfish, but who wouldn't be in such a situation? The survival hunter looked up at that figure, gritting his teeth as one socket was fully black while the other was white. Reminding him of what he was, what he had gone through. "But that doesn't mean I want it to stay like this! I am not going to let Anti suffer the same fate I nearly did. I will make things right!" His pupils shone with determination, as it was clear that he was not going to let things end this way. Not when there was still a chance.
"Then you better hurry… Anti doesn't have much time left…" It was the last warning Angus had, before he was transported back to reality. He remained on his hands and knees, shaking still as everyone was gathered around him, seeing if he was mentally stable still. Bile began to rise in his throat, as Angus could no longer hold down the feelings he kept inside for so many years. He puked on the floor, throwing up all of the contents he had in his stomach. Everyone jumped back, as they watched Angus let it out.
"Angel?" Bing quickly went to his side, being the first to comfort him. He rubbed Angus's back to help him breathe. The android knew how shattering seeing a shell of your former self could be. Especially when it reminded him of what he once was.
Wiping his mouth, Angus stood up and grunted. "I'm fine… We aren't going to let this happen to Anti." That was all he could say as he turned on his heels and began to head to the door.
"A-Angus! W-wait!" Henrik called out to his son.
"We don't have time to wait!" Angus shouted back as he held onto the door frame, doing what he could to keep his anger in check. "If we don't get to Anti now, he could very well be dead! And end up like one of them!" Even though he wasn't wrong, it was clear that Angus was emotionally unstable to head off. Not to mention the strain this was causing on his soul, which was worrying Henrik a great deal. The others seemed like they wanted to say more, only to be interrupted by the flickering of the lights. When they looked up, the ceiling bulbs were fully illuminated.
"Hey! The lights are on!" Jackie stated the obvious.
Henry jumped as fear crept onto his face. "T-that means the backup generator has started up!"
"No!" Marvin gasped, as he and the others knew what that meant for the scientists and Anti. Angus growled as he knew that the premonition would be coming true. Without waiting for the others, he ran out of that room and into the halls. He could hear the others calling to him, but he didn't turn back. He couldn't waste anymore time, he had to make this right! He had a feeling about where those bastards took his little brother, and if he was right, then blood was going to be shed when he got there.
Anti was strapped down to the table in the room where he spent his first few months alive. The cell which was a glass window separated half of the room. It was here that he was born, and here he would die. The chimera allowed the scientists to do whatever they wanted to him, just as long as his family in both this world and the Mindscape would be pardoned. The child whimpered to himself, knowing what would become of him. They already told him their plan, and even though he knew he would be a sacrifice, it was all worth it. At least… it wouldn't hurt anymore.
"Dr. Thomas is on his way. He just fired up the incinerator for the body." One of the nurses told the surgeon, who would be performing the operation.
"We can begin the procedure now that the backup generator is on. Give it the anesthesia." The surgeon ordered. One of the nurses obeyed, as they got a gas can full of the drug. Attaching the tube to a face mask as they placed it on the mouth of Anti. The child didn't fight back, he watched as they placed the device on him. He could feel the gas going into his nose, affecting his limbs and mind.
"Counting down from ten… nine…" The surgeon began to count how long until Anti would fall asleep. Once he was out, they would begin the surgery and remove what was left of the Core inside of him. When that happens, Anti would be no more. He would be gone, and everyone would live on without him. It was a sad fate, knowing it all led up to this. After all those harsh days of fighting, only to give up and accept death. Even so, Anti would welcome it, if it meant that the ones he loved would be safe.
"Eight… seven… six…" Anti's eyes began to close, as the effects were kicking in. It wasn't like the drugs mattered, his body was becoming weaker since they came here. He was just good at hiding his pain. Anti figured it was better to just close his eyes and give in to the slumber. Hopefully when he slept, the suffering would cease.
"Five…" Halfway there, and Anti was already drifting off. He couldn't even move his body if he wanted to. It was so weak, from the drugs and from his essences fading. Even if he tried to fight back, he doubted he would be strong enough to do anything. They always kept him on a tight leash, it was why he could never stand up to them and how he was always a possession for them.
"Four…" All Anti could think about now were his final moments when he was in the Mindscape. How he wished it could have remained that way. Even if he had to die there, it would have been more ideal than where he was now. Strapped down to a cold table, sharp blades ready to cut him open, and then to be tossed into the fires since his body was beyond saving. Tears leaked from Anti's eyes as he could think about all of the people that he had met along the way. The connections he made, and the memories that would always be with him, even when he would no longer be around. He only hoped that even when he would be gone, that they would be able to go on without him. He didn't want them all to be sad that he won't be with them anymore. After all, they will be able to live and start a new life for themselves. Even for… his big brother. Who he hoped would be healed and could stay with everyone else.
"Three…" This was it. Anti had to say farewell to everyone. His dad Henry, his aunt Emily, Cole, Nathaniel, his best friend BB, Chase, Henrik, Jackie, Marvin, Bing, Robbie, Rose, Posi, Nega and especially…
The doors suddenly burst open, which caused all of the doctors to turn in surprise. Standing in the entryway was the Survival Hunter himself. Wielding his golden machete as his eyes were black with green pupils. Angus hissed as he bared his sharp fangs their way.
"Doctor?!" One of the nurses gasped as they saw the man-beast before them.
"It's that one from the Mindscape!" Another shouted.
"How did you get here?!" the Surgeon demanded to know.
"Let. Him. Go!" Angus growled, he was not messing around. His eyes landed on the table, where Anti was knocked out. Posi and Nega were behind him, but they decided to watch as they felt he had it under control.
The Surgeon held up the scalpel, using it as a way to defend himself. "I won't let you take it! This is the only way we can save ourselves! Think of all the people we will save!"
"You people aren't worth saving!" Angus growled.
"Don't come any closer!" The Surgeon warned as he kept the scalpel towards Angus. Even though he tried to appear threatening, it was clear he would be no match in a fight. And he was right as the survival hunter shouted in absolute rage. He practically jumped over, grabbing hold of the man's arm so he could take the weapon. When he did, Angus jammed the blade right into the Surgeon's neck. He gagged, as blood poured from both his neck and mouth, causing him to choke as he convulsed on the floor. One of the nurses went over to help the Surgeon, and was punished for it. As the survival hunter grabbed hold of the nurse's head and slammed him right into the wall, making his head bleed as he suffered brain damage.
The other nurse, a female who witnessed the onslaught, shuddered as she stood in the corner to try and hide herself. Angus glared over at her, his void like eyes challenging her to do something. But she wasn't stupid or suicidal. "So… will you be giving Anti back, or do I have to cut each and every one of you to get to him! Because I won't hesitate to paint this room red with your own blood!" Angus warned as he snarled at the female nurse.
"P-please… d-don't hurt me! I'm just a hire to remove the Core from the Vessel! Do whatever you want with it, just-"
"Don't call HIM an IT! HE has a name! And you WILL NOT do anything to him ever again!" The woman jumped as Angus yelled at her, scolding her even. "You've made him suffer enough, always using him as a tool for your own gain! And for WHAT?!"
"I-I'm sorry… please…" She was desperate, she didn't care what her job was, she just valued her life. Angus had to admit, she was the smartest out of all the doctors at that moment. "D-do whatever you want with… him…"
Angus grunted as he kept his eyes on her, but he slowly made his way to the table. "He will be leaving this world and WILL NOT be coming back here! If I see you anywhere near the Mindscape, I will make sure you regret the day you were born, and have you beg for mercy by the time I am done with you!"
The nurse didn't object, she just kept crying in the corner as she was the only survivor in the room. Angus allowed her to live, she wouldn't stop him and he already caused enough bloodshed. He was certain there would be others though, and best to save his strength for those who were going to put up a fight. For now, he had to focus on the one he came here for. Unstrapping the child from the table, Angus picked up Anti and held him in his arms. "Anti…" He could feel how stiff the child was, clearly they were going to drug him before they did the operation. Probably to make the procedure easier.
Posi and Nega came in, knowing that it was safe as Angus got who he needed. The angel went over to them, checking both of them over. "Anti…?" He looked at the young chimera, who seemed asleep.
"Christ Angus, you pretty much slaughtered everyone…" Nega noted.
Angus scoffed as he held Anti close to his chest. "Bastards deserved it. After what they were about to do."
"I never said I blamed you." Nega reassured him. "What about your soul?"
"Hurts like hell, but I'll be fine once we get out of here."
Posi just kept his eyes on Anti, as the child was unresponsive. "Anti…"
"We have to get him to Henrik and the others! Then we can leave this place." Angus stated. The other two souls nodded, as they knew how dire the situation was becoming. He looked back down at his brother, wanting to keep him secure. "Anti, don't you worry. We're gonna get you to everyone else, and fix you up. Then we can get out of here. Just a little bit longer brother… hang in there." Angus urged as he started to head out of the room. The very one where he first met Anti, strapped to that table when he came here to this world. Perhaps that encounter that they had wasn't just that, it was a warning that this would have been Anti's fate had Angus not intervened. But it didn't come true, the survival hunter made sure of that.
He just carried him out, keeping his eyes ahead of the path. There were hardly any others left to stop him, Angus made sure of that. The halls were painted with the blood of the scientists, the only trace that they were here. Angus never wanted to see this place ever again, nor did he want Anti to either. He had lived through this hell long enough, now it was time to set him free. He tried smiling as he looked at the chimera, as if to tell himself that everything would be worth it so long as Anti was safe.
The hunter paused as he heard the cocking of a gun in front of him. He and the two souls stopped when they saw the familiar, corrupted face of the lead scientist. Dr. Thomas aimed the barrel of his weapon at him, with a hate filled glare at the hunter. "Stay where you are!" He ordered.
Angus just growled at him, he was not in the mood to chat or listen to whatever order this man had to tell him. He could slash him right here if he wanted to, which he did. But he was being generous and he knew that Dr. Thomas wouldn't shoot. He was a scientist, not a trained mercenary. He was only as tough so long as he was with his other associates. "Get out of my way." Angus warned.
"I can not let you leave! Not with the Vessel!"
"He doesn't belong to you! He's coming with me back to our word!"
"Going with you? Do you honestly think you will be able to get the Vessel out of here? Even if you do, what are your plans then?" Dr. Thomas questioned. "Don't you see how pointless it is? The Vessel is already losing what's left of the essence from the Core. In just a few hours, it will just be a husk." When he said that word, Angus winced as he remembered the 52 bodies from the room. It would be a fate that Anti would share if Angus didn't get him out of here. The man held up his hands, as if he was ready to surrender yet kept hold of the gun. "Look… I know who you are. What you did to us and our world. Personally, I wanted to kill you back there in that apartment. However, I saw that there was no gain in that, so I stopped. Of course, in exchange for the return of our project was also another reason. Even so, I was willing to do things as peacefully as I could. At the end of the day, I am just doing my job. But I want to fix what has happened, as this is my home. Surely, you of all people can understand how desperate one would be to save those he cares for."
Angus grunted, once again being reminded of his past actions in both the Mindscape and Omitted Verse. He couldn't exactly call out Dr. Thomas, since he knew about such desperation first hand. "Please, we don't have to kill each other sensensly. Hasn't this place seen enough bloodshed? You don't have to continue killing, we have nothing left to lose. Please… you can still do the right thing. Hand over the Vessel… and let us finish the work. Don't you think he would want everyone else to be alive?"
The survival hunter knew what Dr. Thomas was doing; he was trying to humanize Anti to make himself look better. But it was clear that Dr. Thomas had no confidence in taking out Angus, even if he wanted to. He must have seen the evidence painted on the walls to realize what this resident from the Mindscape is capable of. Even so, Angus knew already what his answer would be. He held up Anti, bringing him out further from him. Posi gasped, wondering if Angus was going to go through with this decision. He seemed ready to interject, but Nega held him back. The devil knew Angus too well.
Dr. Thomas reached out, dropping his gun in the process as he was going to take back the project. That was his last mistake, as just when he was close enough did the man feel a pain radiate from his chest. Coughing up blood, he looked down to see a golden machete had punctured his body, stabbing right through the back. Angus kept hold of his little brother with one arm, as he used the other to cut deep into the final obstacle standing in their way. He pulled his blade out, watching Dr. Thomas writhed on the floor as he tried to keep the blood in his body.
Angus set Anti down for a minute, before going over to Dr. Thomas slowly and stepped over him. The glitched out figure looked up, seeing the glare that Angus was giving him. He gasped out, seeing the survival hunter hold his bloody weapon. "N-No…" Dr. Thomas begged. "D-don't… please… spare me…" He was begging, pleading with the one who was trying to end his life.
"You'll only come after him…" Angus stated in a flat tone. He raised up his boot and stomped it right on the wound he inflicted on the doctor, causing him to cough up more of his blood. "And I'm tired of taking chances." He declared, putting pressure on the wound, as he wanted the doctor to be reminded of what he did to him. The message got across, as Dr. Thomas kept hacking up blood before his eyes rolled back into his sockets, and his body went limp. Angus grunted, taking his foot off of the now dead man to turn back to face the others.
Posi and Nega were slightly mortified by what their current host had done to that man. Sure, he was an asshole, but the way that Angus disposed of him showed he had no sympathy for that man. "A-Angus… you…" Posi could hardly form a sentence after what he just witnessed.
"Christ Angus, you just annihilated him…" Nega noted.
"Can you blame me? Fucker deserved it after what he put everyone through." Angus growled.
"I never said I disagreed with you." Nega pointed out.
The hunter went back to Anti, picking him up and holding him close again. "Come on, we have to find the others." He declared, now that there was nothing standing in their way. The moment that he began to step forward, Angus winced as his chest began to throb.
"A-Angus!" Posi went to his side and looked over at his current host. "What's the matter?"
"Ghhhh!" Angus bit his lip, trying to bypass the pain. "I-I'm fine… we have to hurry…" He could feel his soul becoming strained. All of that fighting in that form had done a number on him, and now it was catching up to his body. He began to pick up his feet, running as quickly as he could. He was cursing mentally, as the pain coursed through his body with every step he took. He was glad that Anti wasn't awake to see him like this. But he could hear the child panting in agony, as the glitching on him was becoming worse.
"Shh, just hang in there, Anti." Angus hushed him, carrying him with Nega and Posi by his side. He ran down several hallways, trying to get through the maze that was this sub laboratory. "It'll be okay…" Angus kept talking to the unconscious one. "W-We'll get you to your dad… and Henrik… they'll help you." He muttered both to himself and Anti, trying to distract himself from the pain as he kept going. As he was rushing down the corners, he kept having visions. Instead of concrete halls, he could envision his forest, just when it was falling apart. He shook it off, as he believed it was just the pain that was causing these hallucinations. Even so, all he could be reminded about was when he was dying. And if he didn't get Anti to the others, the same thing would happen to the child.
'No!' Angus snarled to himself mentally as his eyes began to turn black, while the rest of his body began to form veins of the same color on his skin. 'I will not let him suffer the same fate as me! I made a promise… I won't break it!' Angus could feel ooze leaking from his eyes, as his soul was having more pressure on itself. Posi and Nega noticed this, and even though they were concerned, they said nothing. For they knew that Angus would not stop for any reason. He wasn't going to let Anti die! Not like this, not after everything. "Goddamn it, which way…?" He questioned as he looked around. "F-Fucking damn it…" The hot liquid welled in his eyes, but he had to keep going.
"Angus!" The survival hunter's ears perked up as he could hear his father's voice. A sense of relief washed over him, as he looked up to see the doctor and the others running towards them. "Angus! Are you-" Henrik gasped as he saw the state that his son was in.
A smile graced Angus's face, as he could see the others approaching. He tried to keep going, but his legs finally gave out and he fell to his knees. Posi and Nega were by his side immediately. Anti nearly fell out of his arms, but he used what little strength he had to keep him close. He gasped and coughed up black ooze, as his body was being overtaken by the damage that he did to himself. Even so, as he looked down at Anti, he knew he wasn't done yet. The survival hunter wrapped the two of them in his green wings, making Anti be held in a feathery blanket.
"Angus! Anti!" Marvin shouted as he and the others ran towards them.
"We're here!" Chase was crying as he ran over to Angus's side.
"Thank fuck, not a moment too soon." Nega was just as happy, especially with Angus's state.
Henry and Henrik were by their sons' sides. As Henry took Anti into his arms and checked him over, all the while Angus was leaning against the shoulder of Henrik. "Easy, mien son. You're safe now…"
Angus smiled up, happy to see his dad. He quickly began to cough as he felt his body going numb. Henrik lifted his son up in his arms, as he looked over at the other father. "We have to get them looked at and stable!"
Henry nodded, looking at Anti who seemed like he was unconscious. "Anti… It'll be okay… you'll be okay my son…"
"What's up with Angus?" Chase asked, seeing the veins on his skin.
"He put too much pressure on his soul." Posi explained. "He needs attention right now!"
"Let's get them upstairs. There'll be plenty of equipment we can use up there." Emily pointed out.
"Stay with us, Angus… deep breaths." Henrik urged, as he could see how tired his son was. He faced all of those scientists just for Anti. He was the true hero here. Angus's vision was fading as the pain was overwhelming him. This was the same pain he felt when he 'died'. At least he wasn't alone, so it made it a bit more bearable.
"Angus! Stay with me, Angel!" Bing went to his side, holding his cheek as his eyes were welling with tears. The same pained expression he had when he watched him fall. Angus didn't want to die, not like this and not in front of everyone. All he could do was lean into the warm touch of his Sunflower. As long as Anti was going to be alright, he thought it would be worth it. Even as the others called his name, he couldn't respond as his lids grew heavy and closed his eyes. The world began to go black for the survival hunter. Just like it had so long ago.