Sean groaned as he woke up slowly from a deep dreamless sleep. His mouth felt bone dry, and his head felt heavy with a throbbing pain. He tried to lift his hands, only to find that he couldn't. He jerked his wrists and tried to sit up, but his chest had been strapped down. Forcing his eyes open, he hissed as a bright light overhead blinded him. He began to breathe heavily, causing the steady beeping monitor to increase its beeping speed. Taking in the small hospital room, he worried that they'd cut him open or something, but the place was spotless, and everything was organized or put away. That's when he heard voices outside the door. One of the men had a familiar German accent. While the other had an accent that appeared to be an ancient accent of Ireland. The man with the German accent sounded frustrated when he said seriously. "Don't take that tone with me, Marvin! I'm tired too but you don't see me bitching about it! I can't tell you what I don't know!" Marvin's smooth ancient Irish accent calm out in a smooth neutral voice, when he asked the other man. "My apologies, Henrik. I just need to know if he can be around the others. If that demon did something to him... Did you test him?"

Henrik's voice dropped a bit lower, but Sean strained to hear his answer. "Yes. He tested the highest. Marvin... Sean was born to be Anti's vessel. Flaws and all. His similarities to Anti are staggering." Marvin sounded concerned now as he said. "I was afraid of that. I thought I had everyone... He slipped right under my radar. Who knows what they've done to him...." Henrik huffed, retorting coolly. "I'm not surprised you missed him. His body is generating an energy that I've only seen from Anti. It acts like a cloaking device. Which is why you couldn't find him and you can't track Anti." Marvin's voice was a bit bitter now, when he asked. "Then how did THEY find him?" Henrik's voice was calm when he answered confidently. "I'd put my money on Anti. You weakened Anti pretty badly when he first encountered you. He probably began to search for another with the same magical energy. Found him." Marvin's didn't sound convinced as he shot back. "Ya, but Anti didn't have him. That other demon tormented and snatched him away." Henrik chuckled, muttering out. "Used your little crystal ball to see that, did you?" After a long pause, Henrik added in a lighter voice. "I'm not insulting you. I just think you should have ASKED him. Instead of spying into his past. It's creepy. An invasion of privacy."

Marvin defended himself by saying sternly. "I don't have time to waste on whatever lies or dodging of the subject he will play. I need answers. I need to know WHY Anti didn't get to Sean, but Darkiplier did. I won't have that demon coming after my family! I won't!" Henrik's voice clearly tried to calm Marvin down, when he said gently. "I understand why you did it. But Marvin... if you want him to feel like family... you've got to give him room to stand. You are assuming before you've even gotten to speak with him." Marvin sighed heavily, reluctantly telling him. "I'm worried, Henrik. You saw what he was wearing." Sean glanced down at himself, and his heart monitor sped up faster. His wedding outfit was gone. Replaced by a set of grey hospital scrubs. That's when Henrik blurted out. "Do you hear that? His heart rate is elevated! Shit!" Sean froze as the door flung open and they rushed inside to see him. Seeing him awake and relatively calm, Henrik bowed his head to him and said casually. "Good morning, Sean. I'm glad to see you are finally awake." Sean eyed them wearily, saying nothing in return. Henrik was very similar in build to him, wearing a white set of scrubs with a hat and a face mask that had been pulled down around his neck.

Beside Henrik, Marvin stood in complete contrast to him. Again, he was similar in build, but he was dressed in ripped up jeans with a white shirt that had the purple cheshire cat from Alice and Wonderland juggling the suit symbols of playing cards. Over that, Marvin wore a long-sleeved black robe that billowed down to his ankles. His long green hair had been pulled up into a ponytail with a piece of brown leather string, and his blue eyes were sharp and narrowed like a cat's eyes. After a few seconds, Marvin practically hissed out to Henrik. "Turn that fucking heart monitor off. It's annoying me." Striding over to it, Henrik yanked the plug from the wall, mumbling under his breath. "You and your sensitive hearing..." Finding his voice, Sean jerked in the restraints and asked nervously. "Where am I? Why did you bring me here?!" Henrik opened his mouth, but Marvin crossed his arms and snapped back with little patience or tact. "You are with your family. That is all you need to know about where we are. As for why... Do I really need to tell you? Gossip and Khaos told me all about how you were being used as a sex slave and brainwashed to marry that... that beast! Over my dead body!"

Sean took a deep breath to start yelling, but Henrik lightly scolded Marvin first. "Real welcoming, Marvin. You wanna tell him he's grounded now too?" Marvin shot a dark look at Henrik, but Henrik snapped out at him. "Don't give me that! I know your upset about Chase, but that's no reason to take it out on him!" Marvin curled his lips, letting a soft animalistic hiss leave his throat, but Henrik stood his ground and pointed toward the door, before yelling out. "Take your attitude and get out, Marvin! Let me deal with my patient alone. Since you are only going to make things worse!" Marvin whirled around on his heels, but at the doorway, he sneered back at Henrik. "You take him to his room after and LOCK HIM IN! I'm not kidding, Henrik!" Without another word, Marvin stormed down the hallway. Rushing up to the doorway, Henrik yelled out into the hallway. "You'll want to take a valium with your warm milk before your nap, Marvin!" Slamming the door, Henrik adding under his breath. "Asshole." Upon turning and meeting Sean's eyes, Henrik lightened up to add quickly. "He's really not so bad. He's just... He's put a lot of pressure on himself to keep us safe. Losing Chase and his family... It hurt him. Deeply. He hasn't slept... He gets bitchy without a nap. At this point, I'm thinking of slipping the drug into his food to get him to sleep."

Sean chuckled despite himself. Then frowned as he rushed out. "My clothes! Where are they?!" Every part of Sean prayed that hadn't thrown his wedding gear away. Henrik pointed to a paper bag sitting on a chair in the corner, before answering calmly. "Over there. Marvin wanted me to burn them, but... I was against that until I heard from you. To see how you felt about it." Shaking his head, Sean pleaded. "Please, don't! That... That means something to me." Henrik nodded, pulling a rolling chair closer to sit in as he calmly told him. "Ok. Ok. Relax. You can keep them." Sean tried to relax but his body was still so tense. When Henrik touched his arm, Sean jerked in his restraints and asked in a rush. "What are you doing?" Henrik's hand was warm against his skin, his fingers stroking along the veins as he said coolly. "Easy. Just gonna check your vitals again." Staring at Henrik's hands as he pressed on a vein to feel his heartbeat, Sean asked in a hoarse voice. "Why am I tied up?" Henrik finished counting in his head, before moving to place the back of his hand over Sean's forehead, answering distantly. "The drug I injected you with was pretty powerful. I was worried about the side effects. Didn't want you thrashing too much in your sleep or falling off the bed."

When Henrik looked down at him, he flashed him a warm smile as he added sweetly. "I'll take them off in a minute. Just breathe for me." Sean raised an eyebrow, prompting Henrik to chuckle out softly. "Anti has asthma too. He hides it really well... but out of all of us. He's the only one that has had it... until you." Sean blinked as that sank in. He'd never seen Anti suffer an Anti, but then again... Anti was rarely around him. The memory of Dark popping open his glove box to reveal the inhalers came to mind though. Had Dark researched his medical condition... or had he known of Anti's condition? Henrik moved away to write something down on his clipboard, continuing to say openly. "You've got Anti's blood pressure too. High strung and defensive. You've got nothing to fear here. No one will hurt you." Sean stared at Henrik with a guarded look before blurting out accusingly. "Marvin hurt Anti. You said that yourself. If I'm so much like him, why should I expect any different?" Henrik inhaled slowly, admitting guiltily. "Ah... You got me there." Sean continued to stare at him, watching his every move. After a moment, Henrik set his clipboard down and informed him gently. "We're all from Anti, living in multiple realms and dimensions... but we are all such a small reflection of him that... we barely resemble him at all."

Shrugging, Henrik's face turned grim when he said. "It's sad to say... but Anti isn't anything like us. He's all wild and free-spirited. Most of us are quiet natured and enjoy simple hobbies. We seem to be... all that is good about him. He just doesn't fit in. We don't know what to make of him. Marvin and Anti lock horns all the time." Sean shrugged, asking curiously. "Why? Because he wants him as a powerful vessel?" Henrik snorted, telling him. "He used to want him. Until he found you. But no... Anti has been trying to... rule over the household, so to speak. Marvin won't let him. Thinks he is too reckless and selfish to care about others. Marvin believes Anti wants to use us in some battle or another against Darkiplier and his family. Something Marvin wants no part in." Sean recalled Gossip's words to Anti and exhaled out softly. "No... Anti doesn't want to go to war with Darkiplier. He's lonely without him..." Henrik huffed, muttering out. "I find that hard to believe in myself. Anti is a wild soul. He's fine." Sean stared at Henrik as he worked. His heart aching as he sympathized with Anti. Darkiplier was loved by his family. Welcomed and admired. Even by Anti. Yet, Anti didn't have that same treatment. Anti's family had outcasted him. Dark had loved him. In losing Dark... Anti had nothing left.

He wanted to see him again. To hug him. To tell him that he wasn't alone. A small smile tugged at his lips. Was that way Anti had agreed to be a part of his wedding tour? Why they had worked so well together on their motorcycle escape. He could relate to Anti. Henrik drew his attention back, by coaxing him to follow the light of his small flashlight with his eyes. Then afterward, Henrik happily told him. "Your vitals look good. A few cuts and bruises but nothing serious. I think I can take you to your room now." Sean gritted his teeth, asking flatly. "Am I to be a prisoner here? Locked away?" Henrik unbuckled the restraints, admitting cautiously. "It's just a precaution. Allow you to settle in and adjust before meeting the family. That's all." Remaining the last of the restraints, Sean rolled off the bed and snapped back. "I'm not staying here! I'm going home!" Henrik sighed, gesturing around as he said. "You are home." Slamming his hands down on the bed, Sean told Henrik in a serious tone. "Look. You don't understand. I have to get back to Dark. I was taken from him once. This... He needs to know that I'm ok!" Henrik shook his head, telling him. "I'm afraid, that's not going to happen. No contact with the outside realms. That is the rule."

Dashing to grab his bag of clothes, Sean shot back at Henrik as he raced for the door. "FUCK YOUR RULES! I'm out of here!" Henrik didn't even rise from his seat as Sean raced out and down the hallway. Coming to some stairs, he ran up them two at a time and waited a few seconds by the door. Why was no one following him? Sounding an alarm? Something? Opening the door, he winced as the bright light streaming in through a bay window of a dining room. Noticing a front door, he ran for it. Yanking it open and dashing out over the dewy grass. Only to slow down to a stop. The massive house sat on a property with lots of forest and farmland. It would take him hours to cross it. So, he ran. In was well into the night when he finally put the house in the far distance. Walking square into a wall in what appeared to be an open field! Stepping back, he reached out and slid his hand over the massive mural of distance mountains and more farmland beyond. He was about to hyperventilate, when Marvin's voice told him so confidently. "You can run the whole span of this place. You won't get far. I designed it to keep us hidden and protected." Facing him, Sean bitterly ordered him. "I want out! You can't keep me here!" Smirking, Marvin stated bluntly. "Apparently, I can. You're staying here, Sean. With your family."

Walking closer to him, Sean snapped aloud angrily. "LET ME OUT! You have no right to keep me here as your prisoner!" Marvin's eyes narrowed on him, starting to pace around him as he said a bit darkly. "A prisoner? No. I saved you from your prison. HIS prison. I'm gonna help you get your life back. He was taking it away from you." Sean shook his head, retorting sternly. "You're wrong! I was happy! I was at home there! If you keep me here, Dark will-" Marvin cut him off to say a bit louder than him. "As head of this family, Sean. IFORBID you to throw away your life with that demon! You've been brainwashed and nothing more. I will fix you." Sean went to throw a punch at him, but Marvin snapped his fingers and the circle he'd made around Sean lit up. In a flash of green, Sean was standing in a bedroom with bars on the windows. He ran to the door, but it was locked, and on the other side of it. He heard Marvin tell him a bit smugly. "Settle yourself in. You could be here a long time."  To Be Continued...