Magnificently Malcontent

Chapter 6

Chase tried to keep the pity out of his expression but could tell that he was failing miserably. "Hen, I'm sure that's not true. Trust me, we're all blaming ourselves, but this is Anti we're talking about, man." Chase went to put a hand on Henrik's shoulder, but he jerked out of the way.

"Nein! I caused Marvin to chase after zhe glitch! It's my fault. I know it." Henrik covered his face with his hands as tears started to form in the corners of his eyes. Chase didn't know what to do. Part of him still believed that the doctor was being irrational; that it wasn't really his fault. However, a small part of him had doubts. Henrik wasn't an irrational man, so if he believed that he pushed Marvin, maybe...

Chase shook the thought out of his head. He straightened his shoulders and took Henrik's arm. "Come on, let's go back to the others. You can explain what happened, and we'll talk it out. At least that's what we should've done with Marv."

Henrik looked up at Chase. When had his little brother grown up so much? He nodded and let himself be led back inside. When the two entered the living room, both Jackie's and JJ's head snapped up. They looked like they had been drowning in their own thoughts just as Chase had been. JJ's face was still a bit puffy from his tears.

Chase let go of the doctor's arm, nodded to him, and went to sit down next to JJ. Out of all of them, JJ was the biggest mess. That didn't surprise anyone considering how close he was to Marvin. Chase put his arm around him and rubbed his shoulder, trying to be as comforting and reassuring as possible. He might not be much of a leader, but he could still be there for his little brother.

Henrik cleared his throat and refocused the group on him. "I am sorry. I made a grave miscalculation, and Marvin has paid zhe price. I zhink I am zhe one who drove him to Anti in zhe first place." Henrik focused his eyes on the back wall so that he wouldn't have to look anyone in the eye. He didn't think he deserved to.

Jackie and JJ just stared at Henrik. They were just as confused as Chase had been. Jackie suddenly stood up. "Henrik, you and I both know who's fault this is, and it sure as hell isn't yours," Jackie fumed, "That glitch needs to pay for everything he's done." Henrik simply shook his head.

"I told Marvin everyzhing," he whispered softly. Jackie's face paled and his posture stiffened.

"What do you mean 'everything'?" Jackie stormed up to the doctor.

"I vas cleaning out my desk, vhen he showed up out of novhere. He vanted to show me a new trick, but instead saw my old picture of zhe three of us. I had to tell him." Henrik started explaining. Jackie's eyes softened as he let out a sigh. Both JJ and Chase could tell those two knew a lot more than they were letting on. Jackie turned around to face them.

"So then I guess it's time to let them know too, huh? Alright, Henrik. Time to let some skeletons out of the closet." Jackie looked back over his shoulder to his older brother and walked to stand beside him. He put his hand on Henrik's shoulder as a show of solidarity.

Henrik made eye contact with Jackie, took a deep breath, and looked back at the younger two. "Before you two and Marvin vere created, it vas just Jackie, Anti, und I. Yes, Anti used to be a part of zhis family. Back zhen he vasn't malicious as you know him. He vorked vis us. He vas a computer genius, und he could hack into any program. Anti loved to cause trouble for corrupt corporations by messing vis zheir netvork." Henrik laughed sadly and looked over to Jackie.

"One night it all went wrong. He was home alone during a freak electrical storm. I tried to message him to stay away from the outlets and the computer, but of course he didn't listen. He never listened. He had to have gotten shocked or something, and it messed with him. Computer code might've fused with him? Henrik and I never quite figured out what exactly happened, but when we got back home Anti was waiting for us with a knife in hand. We tried to help, but it was useless. He was just too far gone." Jackie clenched his fist and grit his teeth as if the memory was physically painful to him.

Henrik picked up where Jackie left off, "He attacked, but ve vere able to keep him off balance just enough to drive him away. He vanished, und ve couldn't find him for months. Zhen you all vere created. Ve zhought zhat you vould be safe, zhat he vouldn't attack you since you didn't know him. He decided differently und tried to take both JJ und I. I zhought zhat by not telling you vhat Anti used to be, you would be spared from zhe hurt zhat Jackie und I endure. I vas wrong. Marvin paid zhe price for my oversight." He closed his eyes and turned his face away from his younger brothers. His shoulders tensed up, and Chase could tell he was just waiting for them all to berate him.

Instead Chase calmly walked up to Henrik and hugged him. "We don't blame you. We could never blame you," he whispered. JJ cautiously followed Chase's lead and walked up. Over Chase's shoulder, he raised his hands and interlocked his pinkie fingers: his sign for solidarity. Henrik nearly crumpled into Chase after seeing that. Jackie still had his hand on Henrik's shoulder and squeezed it, partly to show that he was there for the doctor and partly to help keep him upright.

They all stood like that for almost five minutes until Henrik broke away from everyone. He cleared his throat, "Ve... um, ve have ozher matters to attend to. Marvin is still in his room. Ve might still have a chance to-" Henrik was cut off by shaking of the whole house. The lights flickered and pictures crashed to the ground. The egos crouched low to the ground while Jackie took a defensive stance in front of them.

When the quaking stopped, they all looked up to see a strange mix of blue and green light coming from the top of the stairs. JJ looked to his brothers with tears in his eyes. He knew this light well, and he knew what it meant for all of them. He took out his watch, tapped it three times, and motioned his hand back. Too late.