Game Over ~AntiAverage

10. Chase

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Jackie's voice tore through the room and I froze up. We were all in shock. "You mean to tell me that the man that not only threatened but also ATTEMPTED to kill Jack has now somehow started to feel the need to protect him?"

"As we all do."

"WE ALL DON'T TRY TO MURDER HIM!" Jackie was quick to shoot Henrik down. The doctor just sighed as he glanced over at Jack.

"I don't believe this just happened. I believe Anti has always felt protective of Jack. It was the secondary personality that was destructive." Jackie glared the poor doctor down as he shook his head in disbelief. I was just taking everything in. It... It would make sense.

"He was very upset at us." They all looked over at me as I just stared at my hands. "When Jackie first attack, Anti hand Jack in his hands." Jack's eyes went wide as I recounted the events before Anti lost his memories. "He moved Jack out of the way so he didn't get hurt."

"So that doesn't mean..."

"The look in his eyes when I fired towards him." Jackie clammed up as I started to shake slightly. How did we not see it? "He was fuming. We were attacking him is out any regard to Jack who was right behind him. He never finished his sentence... But I knew what he was saying." Henrik narrowed his eyes and I looked up at him with this serious expression. "He was yelling at me about pointing the gun away from Jack."

"Now that I think about it... Anti never actually tried to hurt me." Jacks voice was soft and quiet but the impact was intense. Everyone was in shock. "He never even summoned his knife until you guys started hurting him."

"What do you mean? THIS IS ANTI..." Jack sighed and everyone tense up. Even Jackie knew now was not the time to start fighting.

"He was so pushy. Saying how you guys would come to save me... Come to fight him. That he was the bad guy in your eyes... I never understood... He said, in the end, he would lose... because you were all together and he was alone"

"It... It could be that... That was the first time you may have saw the true Anti and not the secondary." Henrik tried to understand the new information, piecing together a sort of understanding. "Whatever the reasoning behind his 'attack', the fact remains... We don't know him at all. We all just assume who he was without a second thought." Henrik started to pace again and I could see his nerves clear as day. There is something he isn't telling us.

"Doctor." He stopped and glanced over at me. I tried to offer him a smile but I don't think it looks right. After all, I was just as nervous. "What aren't you telling us?"

"A lot Chase... A lot. For starters... Jackie needs to stay far away from him for a while." Jackie's eyes went wide and Henrik sighed. "I'd even go so far as to say he needed to leave the house."

"HELL NO!" Jackie was on his feet and royally pissed off. "This is my home. If anyone should leave it's hi..."

"You've traumatized him." That shut Jackie up. I could see the shock rolling off of him is spade.

"I've w-what?" He may not like the guy but he's still a superhero. The very thought of hurting someone so bad... The thought of traumatizing them physically hurt the hero. It made me even more worried for the glitch. "How?"

"The fire." Henrik ran a hand through his hair as Jackie slid back to the floor waiting to hear more. "When he first woke up he mentioned a gun to the face." I cringed. They all looked at me but didn't say anything. They all knew why I did it. I didn't have to appoligize allough... I should probably explain it to him. "It made his scared yes... but he told me didn't sense any malice from Chase. More... like he was protecting something." I narrowed my eyes as Henrik continued. He already knew... I'm... I'm confused. "He divulged that he felt scared because he was in a room filled with faces he didn't recongize... memories he couldn't remember... and a bit of the fact the first thing he say was a gun... When you ran in yelling it tipped him over the egde."

"What do you mean?" Jackie was actually remaining quiet but that only showed how concerned he was.

"He was overwhelmed with the feeling a fear that when you attacked him with the fire and burned him..." Henrik looked away and I could see him start to shake. This was the first time he's shown emotion towards a patient besides Jack. "... He latched on to that feeling of helpless endangerment. He associates fire with that feeling and you with fire." Henrik looked over at Jackie with this serious look and I could see Jackie breaking a bit. "I went to smoke. I pulled out my lighter and lit it up..." He went through the motions as if actually going to smoke and then stopped. "... the moment the flame ignited on the small lighter Anti freaked. He pushed himself as far as he could." Jackie visible winced and Henrik crossed his arms. "When I asked why he was so afraid of fire... He shrugged and said he didn't know... That Jackie just scared him."

"So to him, I'm..." Jackie's voice cracked and Henrik nodded.

"He is aware that you are physically not fire but your ability to create and control it has rendered his thought process to be a little muddy due to fear. He subconciously sees you as the fire itself and as such is not only scared of it but you as well. He associates that feeling of endangerment with you." Jackie frowned pulling his hood down and for the first time in so long took his mask off too.

"What else..." Jackie whispered barely catching Henrik's attention. The doctor narrowed his eyes and Jackie sighed. "You said there was a lot... so what's next?"

"Oh well, that would be..." There was a crash beside us and everyone jumped. I looked over to see a figure standing there in the doorway with his head down and I frowned. "Anti?"