I Do Believe In Egos

The Next Phase

Jack woke on one of the cots in the office, after a nap that had turned into all night. He stretched and made his way into the sick ward, which was rather quiet for the moment and watched Robbie's static form for a few moments before he sighed and headed upstairs. He made sure everyone in ward two and three were still breathing, noting that all of the Google units were now laying on the floor, before he headed back down to the sick ward.

He hovered at the end of Robbie's cot, watching him for awhile before he glanced over at Anti and watched the creature glitch. The patterns seemed different to him, or maybe he was just trying to convince himself that Anti couldn't be that terrible. He didn't want to even consider that Anti would try to take out all of the other alters. He had to have some good inside him, and the others had always seemed to be his friends.

Feeling something brush past his leg, Jack looked down to find one of the Jims crawling past. "Uh... Jim?" He asked, hoping that he had the right name. It was something like Jim.

Reporter Jim hesitated and looked up at him and then continued to crawl. Camera Jim was following along behind and pointed the camera up at Jack, before following Reporter Jim again. Suddenly Reporter Jim popped up, and Camera Jim stood up beside him, filming Robbie. "We tried to tell the doctors it was achey breaky heart syndrome... but they didn't listen. Now he has the worst case ever seen." Reporter Jim shook his head.

"What's... achey breaky heart syndrome?" Jack asked, sighing softly. He knew the Jims were goofy, but he wasn't sure how smart they were. Mark himself could be quite goofy, and he was a pretty intelligent man.

Reporter Jim looked over to Jack then to the camera. "He doesn't know what achey breaky heart syndrome is, Jims at home." He whispered, then looked back to Jack with a sad smile. "Sadness over losing a tender squoozer."

Jack stared at him blankly for a moment and then slowly nodded. "Ah." So the Jims were not geniuses. He decided not to explain that Robbie had never dated, and it was sometimes questionable if he understood emotions. Sighing he turned and found Wilford Warfstache hovering at the end of Yandere's cot, watching him sleep. "Wilford?"

"Do you think Yan has given up the joke yet?" The mad man asked.

"What joke?" Jack shifted.

Wilford smiled, turning to him and tilted his head. "This scamp spent all yesterday pretending not to know me. Me!" Wilford threw his arms out to the side, wiggling his fingers.

Jack stared at him, unsure of what to say and was more than happy to hear an echoed voice step in. "He is sick, and bored in his hospital bed. He will probably continue to joke until he feels better, Will. Now please leave him alone." Dark explained, watching as Wilford rolled his eyes and wandered off to sit in the corner. Then he turned to Jack, sighing. "What are you going to do about your static monster?"

Frowning, Jack shook his head. "I don't think Anti did this..."

Dark yawned, then narrowed his eyes at Jack. "We do not have time for you to believe he has a good side. The doctors are fading fast."

"What if it really wasn't Anti?" Jack shifted, looking over to where Anti was asleep in the corner.

"It is not an illness. The symptoms are too erratic and uncontrolled, and they effect everyone with too much uniform. People experience different symptoms... we all have the exact same set. Like something tried to mimic an illness." Dark explained.

Jack closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Why? Why would he do this?"

Dark shrugged. "For amusement?"

"He messes with me when he's bored, not them!" Jack opened his eyes again.

Dark chuckled. "And this is not messing with you? You had to fly them all out here for this... you have had to fear getting sick yourself... you may lose them." Dark shrugged. "I would be reveling in Mark's pain... only..." He sighed.