Left with a Memory

Chapter 1- A new beginning

"Jackie watch your left!" the hero turned and moved just in time to see one of Anti's mirages' attacks. He turned, a smirk on his face as he pulled the faker's arm into his fist, turning him to smoke upon impact.

He turned back to Marvin smiling. Suddenly, an arm grabbed him from behind. Jackie was ready to knock the mirage out but when he turned it was Jameson. The two nodded and stood back to back. More of Anti's fake selves appeared around them. The others just smirked, taking them out and turning them to staticy smoke one by one.

Jackie looked around and Jamie took out the last one. Now where was the real glitch? "Hey!" He heard a voice call through the smoke and dust of the factory. He turned, a huge smirk appearing on his face. "You looking for someone?" The other was holding onto Anti, his wrists tied behind his back.

Marvin ran to him. "Good job Chase!" He called. "Can't glitch out of this one Anti. We used the same magic that was in the nightmare cube on those ropes. In other words, you're stuck," The glitch just dropped his head, feeling defeated.

"Yes, ve made sure of zat," the others all turned to see Schneeplestein walking towards them. He'd been hiding out, keeping them all up with healing spells. Jackie couldn't help the look on his face. Seeing them all together, and they'd finally beaten Anti.

He let out a long sigh of relief. "I feel like I could sleep for a month," The rest of them all laughed. As their laughter died down, a chill went down Jackie's spine hearing Anti's broken cackle coated with static. He seemed to be the only one to notice however, the rest of them seemed unaffected.

Slowly, the glitch lifted his head, the air around them grew heavy as he spoke. "Then why don't you?" He asked mockingly. The once happy image of them all joking around together turned to static. When it reappeared, Jackie's face went pale. Everything was thrown into disarray, and in the middle was Schneeplestein's dead body. Marvin was sitting in front of him with his knees to his chest. Even with his mask down, Jackie could see tears tracing down his cheeks. Jameson couldn't even look at him, keeping his eyes hidden under his hat.

The small magician was muttering spells to himself. Jackie couldn't tell what, but he could feel the bitter and defeated energy coming from it. He third eye shined bright through the mask. Jackie looked up at Chase, who was just staring back at the body. Without a word, he turned and began to walk away. The hero tried to reach out for him, but something held his arm back. He looked and saw wires wrapped around his limbs. The ones on his arms pulled him away from the scene. "Chase! Wait!" He cried. there was no response. Just quiet. "Marvin! Jamie! Guys please!" He kept crying out over and over as the image faded further away, as he was pulled back into an emptiness. the world around him faded until there was nothing, and Jackie was alone.

—

He didn't awake with a shock, or in a cold sweat or anything like that. It was like any normal morning. His eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the dim light peeking in through the window. It was still fairly early, so there wasn't much sunlight. Jackie had made it a habit to start his days earlier from now on, even after restless nights plagued with bad dreams.

Ever since that day, dreams like that were fairly common. The fact of the matter was that he was used to it. He was used to images from that fateful night. The ache he felt when Chase left. The echo of his own scream reminding him how powerless he was to save Henrik that night. There was nothing he could do, and his brain wanted him to remember that.

The hero's head turned when he heard the door suddenly creak open. He sat up and smiled lightly, seeing Jameson peeking in. The mute man perked up and let himself in upon seeing Jackie awake. He was holding two cups of fresh coffee. He walked over handing one to Jackie then sitting at the foot of his bed, sipping his own mug.

"Thanks," Jackie muttered. It became a habit that Jamie would bring him his coffee in the morning before he went out. Jackie wondered if Jamie knew how much he appreciated this. He'd somehow figured out how to make his coffee exactly the way he liked.

Jamie nodded, taking another sip. He watched the hero drink, recognizing a familiar expression on his face. He tapped Jackie's leg to get his attention, then poked his head with two fingers.

Jackie recognized his gesture. "Yeah more nightmares. It's fine though, I'm used to it by now," Jamie looked at him woefully. That shouldn't be something he'd gotten used to. Constantly having bad dreams wouldn't help his already terrible sleeping habit. Jackie gave him a reassuring glance. "Really Jamie, it's okay. Don't let it get to you. It's my problem anyways okay?" He asked. Jamie hesitated but nodded anyways. "Good,"

He quickly downed the rest of his coffee, setting the mug aside and stretching his arms up. "Alrighty, now that I've got my coffee, I need to get going soon," Jackie's days usually started like this. Coffee with Jamie, get his suit on, then go out doing whatever good he could. Though on days when he had a good lead, he'd search for Anti's new hideout. Once a week he'd go to the old factory they found him at, but each time it was empty. And Marvin rarely used his powers anymore.

Jamie took the other's mug and made his way to the door before turning back. Jackie looked up at the mute man. He was holding both mugs in one hand now. He gave a questionable thumbs up. Jackie smiled. "Really Jamie, I'm fine. I'll be heading out soon so you know" Jamie nodded before leaving the hero to get ready.

Over the past month or so, the two had become close friends. Jamie in general became closer with Jackie and Marvin. Part of him wondered if that was because Marvin didn't have Chase to hang out with anymore. His mind went back to that day, coming home to an emptier house than the one he'd left.

Jackie shook his head. He couldn't start dwelling on the past again. The time for that had long passed. He peered out his window at the sun peaking over the horizon. A new day. He had to focus on that.