Dark sighed, looking through worn and dirty papers from his fellow egos. They were either wet, crumpled, covered in peanut butter or had ridiculous doodles drawn all over them. 

Really, Dark was exhausted and rolled his eyes. He didn't want to look through all of this. But maybe one of them would have a good idea?

"Any luck?"

Dark looked up and shook his head, "No, not really. Honestly, I don't even want to bother looking through this mess"

The man chuckled, "I don't blame you. Paperwork really wasn't Damien's strong-suit either. He was more . . . charming with his words. He was good with talking with people. Like you"

Dark smirked, "Thanks . . . . do you miss them?"

Actor shrugged, "Sometimes. But I know you have taken good care of their souls. I miss Celine but I DO see her glare in you sometimes. You have her eyes"

"Oh thank you" Dark snorted, clearly not impressed.

Actor rolled his eyes, "Oh whatever. Hear anything from the Septics lately? I know you were going to try and get that glitch friend of yours to join us or something"

"He came here just the other day with a friend" Dark scratched his head, "Spouting nonsense about the taser I got from the magician's black market. You know the one?"

"I remember. Google did a good job hacking in to get it. Shame it was destroyed so quickly though. I would have had some fun with it. Guess he won't be joining us then?"

Dark shook his head "No. And we won't be threatening him, either, Actor. He's still my friend"

Actor huffed, "I wouldn't have killed him! I'm a changed man! I swear!"

"Pft. Okay." Dark got up from his chair, taking his cane, "Says the man who always has millions of ideas on how to mess with Mark. And hasn't acted on any of them"

"His dooms day will come, 'Mark' my words. He sits in my chair." Actor argued, "Deserves to be thrown off of it. That's my audience, he talks to . . . . OUR audience" he smirked at his business partner.

"Sure." Dark fixed his tie, "Want to come with me and the others for some food? Yancy scored a cheap buffet coupon for some place across town"

Actor looked disgusted, "Does it at least have lobster?"

Dark resisted the urge to shove him, "Let's go see and find out"

"I suppose. I am quite famished after a hard day's work" the Actor sighed heavily and followed his friend out.

Dark scoffed as they walked out the door, "You didn't even do anything today. You had Magnum sit in for you. Bad choice by the way. He fell asleep."

"Eh" Actor didn't have an argument for that.

But none of that really mattered. What mattered is what the Iplier egos left behind. Continuously. The Septics weren't the only ones with a fucked up family.

Meanwhile, in the other room, Googleplier was still in the conference room, plugged in.

His battery had run down during their meeting and Eric had graciously plugged him in but it seemed everyone had forgotten to turn him back on.

But Google didn't expect anything less from the imbeciles.

It seemed like hours that he was just left in the darkness of the public building.

Once he got up to 100%, Google opened his glowing red eyes that quickly turned back to a soft blue, flinching as he did so. He knew he was still glitched but he couldn't tell Dark. If he did, then he'd just reboot him and he'd loose all his core memories AGAIN.

He looked around the room to see he was indeed in the dark, left alone and still plugged in.

'And yet they remembered to take Bing along with them' he wanted to scoff, 'Disgusting default'

Google stood up from his charging station, unplugging himself. He didn't need food anyway, but it sort of hurt that they'd all just leave him there alone. He still felt SOME human emotions, after all, besides anger.

He never got to be a apart of the fun. A part of the group.

And he was sick of it.

However, Dark was his administrator. He had to obey him and whatever he said or wanted.

He had always done exactly as Dark had asked and more just as he did with the taser on Marvin's website.

The taser wasn't the only thing he got.

Not that anyone else knew that, though.

He kept that little secret all to himself.

'Soon' Google smiled sinisterly, 'Soon, I'll be able to act on my secondary objective. It's only a matter of time.'

He wasn't always so secretive. That was a part of the glitch, he supposed. 

His and Anti's last scuffle didn't turn out according to plan but Google was certainly surprised when the glitch waltzed right in their base like he owned the place the other day.

He felt more anger well up inside him and his eyes turned red again. He wanted to kill Anti. He wanted to kill Jackieboyman.

He wanted to kill them all. 

Everyone.

That's why he had to get Anti and that strange man out of the building then. Or else Anti would sense he was hiding something. He knew his tech.

'And I couldn't just risk the parasite finding this . . . . was quite embarrassing how I had to act. . . but it was worth it to keep this'

Google opened a special compartment within himself and took out something that's been well sought after lately.

The android toothily grinned to himself, slipping on the glove to just FEEL its power. He had never felt this way before.

So in control.

So powerful.

He knew he could destroy the entire city and all the other egos in it in a blink of an eye. He wanted to do it, too. So bad.

But . . .. he had Mark's dramatic sense of style.

He had been keeping an eye on Anti and Jackieboyman for a while. His top two problems in this city. He knew Jackie was Blood-streak. He knew Jackie was after the glove. That's why he forced them out like he did the other day. Along with Anti as the reason, as well.

He wasn't ready to kill them though.

It wasn't quite the right time yet.

'Soon' he thought to himself, gently taking the glove back off and putting it back in the chest compartment, 'Soon, I'll show them all . . . . .who's REALLY in control here.'

It was dark out and Jackie hadn't even left his apartment. He kept the mask on.

It had stormed most of the day but Jackie didn't even seem bothered by that.

Jackie just sat on the edge of his bed, feeling the cool air from the hole he kicked in the side of the wall that one time. It was a nice breeze, though. Better than cracking open a window, he supposed, letting in rain.

He just couldn't get Anti's look out of his head. He looked so  . . . betrayed.

He knew he couldn't keep thinking about Anti but he couldn't help himself. He hurt him. His brother.

'I have to figure out who really took that glove' but he didn't move. He couldn't think.

Chase's words came to mind but that only angered him.

'Marvin told the others? They know I've been trying to find this glove and yet try and stop me from being around Anti?'

Something wasn't right.

Jackie started wondering more about that.

'Chase acted as if . . . . . I was being manipulated. Yelling at me. Did it have something to do with the fight on city hall?'

But that didn't seem right, either.

Surely the others would be on HIS side?

Unless. . . . . 

Marvin didn't tell them everything.

'Chase said something this morning. . .  he thought I was working WITH Anti to  . . destroy the city? Didn't he know that he was only looking for the glove to STOP that? No, of course not'

It clicked for Jackie.

'Because then that would require Marvin telling them about his mistake. That HE was the one to create the glove in the first place'

Anger welled up inside him.

Marvin had betrayed him. Pit the others against him to make him seem like he was being used. Puppetted.

Jackie snarled and grit his teeth under the mask.

'They want to see what's it like to feel betrayed . . . . They say I am betraying THEM!? I'll give them a taste of their own medicine. Starting with Marvin'

After the storm ended, Jackie finally stood up from his bed clenching his fists tightly before walking through his apartment and out the door. But not before grabbing his Jackieboyman belt.

Using his grappling hook, he swung out to the suburbs of the city and found himself in a tree near Marvin's house.

Shuffling and pouncing from tree to tree, he watched the house carefully.

With no movement, though, for about an hour or so, he found that the magician must be out. He was more of a night-owl after all. Or insomniac. Whichever.

Taking advantage of his situation, Jackie coolly walked up to the house. He walked around it and looked through the windows carefully to check if he was really gone.

'I can get inside from the basement window if I take it slow. Then the wards won't sense me' he thought to himself. He knew the house's weak points well. Marvin had told him a long time ago, after all, just in case he needed to get it when he wasn't there. 

Looks like Marvin would be regretting that.

Jackie carefully pushed open the basement window and slid down inside, keeping it open.

Landing on his feet, he looked around and his anger only bubbled higher.

'He never even started to get rid of anything' 

There were still totes and boxes FULL of his magical items and experiments. Weapons and tools.

'It's time for a clean-up.' 

Reaching into his belt, he took out a little tool in itself that was very useful for starting fires. A small bomb that could wipe this whole floor out.

'This is what betrayal feels like, Marvin. You won't ever get the best of me ever again'

Jackie took a deep breathe.

He was about to light the bomb when he spotted something on a small pedestal. 

'Marvin's spellbook' Jackie smirked to himself and bit his lip, 'Perfect. He won't be needing that for a while'

Jackie closed the book and took it in his arms. 

He looked around the basement one more time, pretty proud of himself before starting the bomb up, throwing it to the floor.

He climbed out of the basement window slowly to not alert the wards heading out, very mindful of the smoke that was billowing out behind him. The fire was already starting to burn everything Marvin kept secret and close to him.

After a few moments, though, making sure that it was all gone and burnt to ashes, Jackie leaped up into a tree and finally called the fire department. He didn't want to burn the whole house down, after all.

This was just a message.

One that would be well received, he was sure.

Meanwhile, Marvin was transformed into a cat, once more watching Anti from across another roof top. He mewed to himself and yawned, very bored of watching the glitch stare at him computer.

'Probably hacking into my site again' Marvin growled to himself, 'I'd go in and fuck him up right now if it wasn't for Jackie. He's probably watching him too. Why the hell did he save him?'

Marvin just didn't understand it. He didn't think it was right.

Anti had done so much to them all. Why did he deserve to be repented?

Marvin unknowingly arched his back, fluffing up in his anger. 

'He's murdered. Killed. Tortured!' he hissed at nothing. He was sure somebody would think he had rabies. He calmed himself slowly, shuddering and licking his whiskers, 'Of course I've  . . . I know I've done wrong, myself. I know that. Jackie's been right every time. I'm a criminal. But I'm not as bad as HIM! I'd never harm any of my brothers! I knew Jackie could take that fall no problem!'

While Marvin was having an internal crisis,  he didn't realized Anti had been looking out his window.

He didn't hear the static by him.

"Hey there kitty~" 

Marvin leapt in the air in shock and yowled, hissing and puffing his fur out dramatically.

'FUCK! He found me! How did he know I was watching him!? Can I kill him here? Or is Jackie watching? I-'

But Anti didn't look threatening, "Hey. . . . aren't you the same cat I met a while ago? Drama Queen?" his eyes lit up in realization, actually seeming happy to see him, "You remember me?"

Anti slowly reached his hand out to him but Marvin wasn't having any of that shit, batting his paw at him, claws out. Anti pulled back, not wanting to scare him.

Marvin was confused by this. Didn't he know it was him?

"Easy there . ..  you got rabies or something? You hurt?" he clicked his tongue to try and soothe him and oddly enough. . .. it was working. Marvin didn't like it but let him come just a little closer. Why did he let him come closer?

Anti swallowed and looked like he thought of an idea, "Hold up. I'll be right back. Stay here, Queeny!"

He glitched away back into his apartment and at first, Marvin was intent on running off quickly but for some reason . . . he stayed put.

Was it out of shock? His animal instincts were warring with his human thoughts.

Anti reappeared and looked around up at the sky. It was cloudy out by now and getting dark. It was getting ready to rain a bit and Anti  . . ..  he hated people. But he found he didn't really mind animals. Cats, more specifically. He'd kill anyone who teased him about it, though or found out. Especially that magician.

Carefully, Anti pulled out an open can of tuna, "Hey. . . you hungry?" he set it down in front of Marvin and the magician was . . . more or less confused.

'This asshole. . . .' he thought to himself, 'Is this some sort of trick?' but the fish didn't smell bad or tampered with.

Marvin found himself leaning towards it. He WAS kind of hungry, after all.

After some coaxing, Marvin finally gave in and started licking and biting at the tuna in the can. Anti found himself smiling and couldn't help himself from reaching forward again. He shook a little but managed to rest his hand on Marvin's fur.

Marvin tensed and growled a little but kept eating, earning him a light laugh from the glitch.

A light rumble of thunder sounded a ways away and Marvin looked up from his can. It started to sprinkle and Anti hushed him, sensing he was getting stressed.

"Shh shh sh. . . It's gonna get heavier for a little bit. Wanna come with me? I can keep you dry. Come on, you liked me before, right? You can trust me. Plus I gave you food this time!" 

The rain started to get heavier as he said and lightning started to crack in the sky, making Marvin mewl. He always hated storms.

Anti pet him still, though, trying to soothe him, "Let me help ya, okay?" he reached out for him and this time. . . .

Marvin gave in and let him. 

He could learn more being in his apartment, after all.

This could be useful for him.

'Jackie hasn't appeared yet. Maybe he's not watching Anti after all. I could attack him from the inside of his own home!'

But Marvin found himself clinging onto Anti's clothes as the glitch picked him up, "Don't worry, Queeny, I have more fish inside if you want." Careful not to glitch, Anti held the small animal close to him as he jumped off the roof and walked into his own apartment building.

Once inside his room, he set Marvin down on the floor to shake himself off and closed the door behind him with a sigh, "I'll get that fish, I promised ya. Make yourself at home. After the storm, I'll take you home back to your owner, huh?" he chuckled to himself, "I know Blood-streak is probably basically like your uncle . . . but I ain't calling him. . . . .  I don't know if I trust him anymore"

Marvin just sat in the middle of the room, pretending to just be cleaning himself off.

He could kill him right now if he wanted. It would be so quick and clean. He was off his guard completely.

Anti turned with a smile with a small plate of raw salmon and some nicely cooked, pink shrimp on it, "I got sushi for lunch but I figured you'd like it better than I did. Took out the fish bits for ya" he set it down on the floor for him, "Dig in, buddy"

Marvin could actually feel himself salivating. He LOVED sushi!

Previous thoughts forgotten, Marvin practically ran to the plate, chowing down.

"Man, you were hungry, huh? Your owner not feed you enough or something?" Anti shook his head, "Maybe they do and you're just a little pig. A lot more probable"

Marvin growled at that.

Anti chuckled, "Dramatic. . . . . " he sighed again, looking out the window, quickly getting lost in thought, "Thought I could trust him . . . do you? He got you home, I guess. Now you're out again, though and I'm taking care of you. . . . Should I trust him?"

Marvin finished his meal and licked his whiskers and lips, acting as if he was ignoring him. Anti reached behind his ears and itched, though and then suddenly Marvin was putty but absolutely refused to purr, only mildly leaning into his touch.

'Why is he so good with cats?! This fucking asshole!'

Marvin suddenly nipped his finger and Anti chuckled, not bothered by it.

A sudden crack of thunder sounded loudly and Marvin puffed out again, jumping right into Anti's arms out of instinct. At home, he would have just blocked all the noise out with a spell. 

The glitch held him close.

"Afraid of storms, are you? Don't blame you. I used to hate them, too. Made me glitch more and it'd hurt when there was a power surge. Doesn't hurt anymore, though. Guess I'm used to it. Having some tech around like a computer eases the stress, too, taking the pulses from me. The noise bugs me still, though. I see you don't like that part, either?"

Marvin mewled in his arms in agreement as Anti kept petting him, keeping him close.

Marvin wanted to hate him still. But why did this feel okay? So comforting?

"I should get a pet, you know? Be less lonely. Never knew how lonely I was, I guess, until I met Blood-streak. I thought he was my friend. A brother."

Marvin tensed in his arms. Did he really actually know who Jackie was?

"I should just write this stupid shite in my journal. I guess it helps a little . . . . but talking out loud to you . . . I feel . . .I think it feels even better, you know? I should get a cat. Don't tell that damned magician, though" he spoke to himself still unconsciously petting Marvin with a laugh, holding him tight in his arms.

 Marvin still stayed there, though, curious even though he had mentioned his true identity.

"Hm. . . . . He read through my journal. He put a tracker on me. I let it happen. I thought it was a part of trust. Letting him in my head. Was he just using me, though? What did he even ever want from me? He said he just wanted to get to know me better. We drank and danced together last night." he smiled to himself, "He called me his brother. I had never felt so happy in my life. Why was that?"

Anti gently curled Marvin more securely, holding him so he was cradled like a baby in his arms and Marvin let him, intent on hearing more. He had never seen this side of Anti before.

It was strange.

"Then I had to ruin it and I tried to kiss him"

Marvin felt vomit coming up in his throat, 'Oh shit, WHAT!?' 

He stared up at Anti with wide eyes, clearly disturbed.

Anti shook his head, "I didn't get to, of course. Blood-streak stopped me, obviously more sober than I was. Good thing, too. Thought he was a light-weight but apparently I'M worse. He really does feel like family to me, strangely enough. A part of me. I didn't realize that that was what it felt like to have kin. I was so fooking embarrassed by what I did . . . . . This morning, I broke off our partnership. Should I have done that? He looked hurt"

'What the fucking hell is going on?' Marvin thought to himself.

"You're loads better to talk to then a stupid piece of paper" Anti scratched at his belly and Marvin was once again putty in his hands, "Sorry I'm being such a downer, I guess. You don't want to hear my griping, do you?"

Anti bit his lip and held Marvin closer to him if that was even possible, "Wish I could keep you with me" a few tears started to fall from his cheeks and Marvin couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'Is he . ..  is he fucking CRYING!?' Marivn tried to wriggle out of his grasp and Anti let him, sniffling. He cleared his throat and covered his eyes.

"Sorry, Queeny . . . . I just. . .  I'm new to this shite. . . . all these emotions just  . .. . it's overwhelming. I don't know what to think or do anymore." more tears started to break loose and Marvin's instincts were winning over.

He told himself in his head that's all it was.

Gently, Marvin squeaked and leaned close to Anti, licking at his tears and purring.

Anti's eyes were red but held the most pure emotions Marvin had even seen. His heart actually broke for him.

Was Anti really not as bad as they all thought? Was Jackie right all along?

Anti cried a little more and pet Marvin before finally wiping his tears away, noticing the rain had finally stopped. He sniffled and cleared his throat.

" . . . Thanks Queeny. . . . .I should get you back home now, huh? Stopped raining. You're not mine, no matter how much I want you to be."

With a heavy heart, Anti picked him up and walked out the door with him, Marvin letting him.

The entire time, Marvin didn't know quite what to do. His whole plan was to kill him or at least torture him into telling him where the glove was.

But after what he just went through. . . . . he was having second thoughts. Doubt.

Marvin kept purring in Anti's arms, sensing his sorrow. 

'I didn't feel the glove anywhere in his apartment . . . .' he thought to himself, 'Maybe Jackie was right, after all? Or maybe he hid it somewhere else?'

They were almost to Marvin's house when a fire truck siren blared behind them and Marvin looked around widely, stunned by the noise.

Anti held him close again, watching as the fire trucks sped down the road he was on.

'That's weird' Anti looked up in the sky and saw black billowing smoke, "That's in the direction of your address, isn't it, Queeny?"

Marvin sniffed the air and dread quickly filled him, 'I smell a residue in the air. . . . not just smoke . . that power.. . . ' he suddenly realized what it was and squirmed out of Anti's grasp and down on the ground. Before Anti could stop him, he bolted down the sidewalk where the trucks were headed.

Anti ran after him, forgetting briefly about his glitching abilities, "Hey wait! Queeny! Come back!"

Anti got there soon enough, watching as the fire department sprayed down the house just in time before it spread up to the first level.

'The hell?' he didn't see the cat anywhere but was too curious. This was indeed the house where his collar said he lived, 'I should . . . it's Blood-streak's brother, right? Should I check on him? And Queeny! Did he go inside? Could he have gotten hurt?!'

Anti quickly glitched inside the house, covering his face from the smoke so it wouldn't hurt him as much. He looked around for the white ball of fluff but couldn't see anything familiar.

He ran to the basement where the fire seemed to have started. He could get there quicker than  the firemen ever could. Anti pulled up his shirt to filter through the smoke, "Queeny?! Cat, where are you!? Come here, kitty!-"

It would have really helped to know his name right about now but unfortunately, the cat's tag didn't say and Blood-streak never told him. 

The smoke cleared a little out a small window in the basement that seemed to have just been opened.

He looked around to see a whole lot of nothing. Boxes and Plastic totes burnt to ash and melted along with the items inside.

He could hear firemen outside talking to someone, 'Maybe the owner made it out I just didn't see them. I don't see the cat anywhere. Maybe he's upstairs or with the owner.'

He was about to leave when something suddenly caught his eye.

In the corner of the room. An object glowing green that seemed to be untouched.

His heart nearly stopped.

He recognized this object.

It was the same object Marvin tried to use on him years ago that could turn anything it touched to slime.

Anti's heart shattered immediately. 

He knew where he was . . . . . 

.

.

.

.

He was on the verge of a meltdown. 

Losing Control.

.

.

.

.

That was no ordinary cat.