Anti stared at the cat.
The cat stared at Anti and purred.
After a few moments though, Anti finally blinked and walked away.
But the cat wasn't just going to let him go so easily. It yowled behind him dramatically making Anti flinch and slowly turn back around. The cat then trotted up to him and rubbed itself against his leg, purring.
"The fuck is with you?" Anti glitched, unintentionally making the cat's fur poof from his static.
The cat didn't seem to care though and meowed again.
"Tch. Little fucker, I don't have any food for ya. Get lost"
The bell on its collar jingled and Anti's attention was brought back to the tag on the collar.
"Or are you already lost?" he groaned to himself, knowing what he was going to inevitably do. He tapped his foot quickly but suddenly finally decided.
In a fast motion, he finally scooped the cat up in his arms, holding it at arms length from him just in case it went feral on him. But it didn't. The cat just stared at him and purred. Gently, he brought it closer and examined the tag, holding the cat on its back against one of his arms as if cradling it.
"Hm. . . what's this fucking thing say? It's an address . . . . . but it's clear on the other side of town in those damn suburbs. No wonder you're fooking so cozy and clean, eh? Bet you're treated like a damn queen" he suddenly checked the gender of the cat and fixed his grammar, "uh . . .. King"
The cat whisked its tail in Anti's face and he deadpanned, "Nah, queen sounds about right. Let's get you out of my hands, eh queeny?"
"Mrrraaaoow!"
Anti sighed to himself. There was always something in his way.
He set off to walk to the suburbs, not wanting to glitch with the cat in case it hurt or shocked him.
Jackie was already dressed up and jumping from building to building over the city in search.
He suddenly realized he didn't have to search for long, though.
'Fucking really!? Took ages to find him last time and suddenly he's just out in the open?'
He looked closer, 'The hell's he holding?'
The closer Jackie looked, the more he realized it was a cat!
But not just any cat!
'Marvin, what the hell are you thinking!? You idiot!'
He had to do something. He didn't know what the magician was thinking but he had to stop him before shit got all messed up.
So Jackie did the first thing he thought of.
He jumped down from the building and RAN after Anti and shouted.
"Hey you! Put that cat down!"
Anti froze and buzzed a little but the cat didn't seem too affected by it, still clutched nicely in his arms. The glitch turned defensively but seemed to recognize him.
"Hey! You're that creep that interfered with my fight the other night!"
Jackie gulped and stopped a few paces away from him, "Yeah that's me, what of it?"
Anti growled at him, "Why the fook should I let go of the cat? It's not yours!" Honestly, though, he really didn't know that but he wasn't going to just hand him over to a complete stranger!
No matter if he just found the cat. . . . he was protective all of a sudden.
"No, but I know the little fucker!" Jackie's real rage showed making it believable, "I know his owner and where he lives. I'll take him" he held his hands out to take the cat.
But Marvin hissed at him, making Anti turn slightly so he couldn't take him, "Why should I let you? I'm perfectly capable of taking this stupid cat on my own."
Jackie glared at the cat but it wasn't seem with his full mask on, "Little bastard, always getting into trouble" he scolded, "His owner lives in the suburbs. That's what the tag says, right?"
Anti hummed, "Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. What's it to you, anyway!? What even are you!? A vigilante like that Red fool or a dumbass criminal trying to make an image for himself!?"
Jackie snorted," Isn't that what you do?" but he didn't let Anti rebuttal, "But no. I'm neutral."
"Neutral is saving somebody?" Anti smirked at him, unconsciously stroking the cat's cheek, "Please. . .. Have you even ever DID anything wrong, kid? Why the suit? Do you even have a name you want to go by?"
Jackie really hadn't thought about any of that, "Uh . .. well I'm neutral"
"Aaaand~?" Anti snorted.
". . . . I look after myself. Shit happens. Didn't really mean to save you but you were on the way. I wear the suit so I can do what I want without getting caught."
"Hmph" Anti rolled his eyes at him and his reasonings, "Name?"
"Why the fuck should I tell you?"
Anti belted out a hard laugh suddenly, "Ahahah! Geez, ya got some balls on ya, I'll give ya that!"
The cat suddenly nipped on Anti's finger, "Ow! Jaysus, ya little shite!"
"Told ya he's a little bastard" Jackie snorted.
Anti hummed to himself, still gripping the cat in his arms, ". . . . . . . . Ya seen anything like that taser again since last we met?"
Jackie thought quick on his feet and decided to jab at him, hoping it would spark his interest, "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't." he mocked.
Anti glared at him and Jackie softened a little, "Give me the cat and I'll help you out with your little problem"
The glitch narrowed his eyes at him, "Hmmmm. . . . . you're a cheeky one, aren't you? And why exactly would I need your help?"
"You're the one that asked."
Anti blinked, obviously caught off guard by that. It felt like hours before he finally cracked a smile, "Fine. . . . You got me there." he scratched the cat's ears once more before holding him out to Jackie, "Take the drama queen. Then you can tell me all you know about those tasers."
Jackie gently took a squirming cat-Marvin in his arms, resisting the urge to shake and yell at him, "How about tomorrow night? You pick the place"
Anti crossed his arms, still sporting a smirk, "Very well, Blood-Streak, I'll accept your terms. We'll meet at the old abandoned computer warehouse downtown. The ceiling collapsed a week or so ago in the earthquake."
"I uh . . . I know of it.. . . . . Blood-Streak?"
The glitched grinned, looking him up and down, "Fits your stupid outfit. You pretty much confessed you didn't have a name so I gave you one for you. At least . . That's what I'll call you. Unless you'd rather be called Mr. Fuck-face or Dumbass?"
"Nah uh, . . . it's fine.. . . .. thanks?"
"Man, you're awkward. I have a lot to work with, that's for sure." he said for some odd reason, "See you tomorrow night, Fuck-face! Drama queen!" he saluted him and the cat and in a flash, he was suddenly gone, glitching out through a street lamp.
It was starting to get dark now, after all and Jackie sighed heavily.
Marvin tried desperately to wriggle out of his grasp, yowling and swiping at him but Jackie held him tight and whispered to him harshly, "Listen you fuck, just stay calm! . . .. We don't know if he actually left or not"
Marvin seemed to have gotten the idea and stilled, letting Jackie carry him along home. Jackie kept his eyes and wits about him, looking around and staying aware but luckily, it seemed Anti had really left.
When they finally got to Marvin's place, he fake-knocked on the door just in case and waited a moment. Thankfully, Marvin must have thought alike him and made the door gently sway open, letting Jackie inside.
Once he finally shut the door behind him, the wards slammed back up and Marvin leaped out of Jackie's grasp, transforming back to his human self.
"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE!?" Jackie yelled at him.
Marvin practically hissed at him, "Well, so sorry I was just trying to move shit along! We don't have a lot of time here, Jackie! We need to know NOW if Anti has that glove or not! I did what I had to do!"
"You almost outed yourself! What were you going to do when he found out where you live!?"
"Well I WAS just going to spell him and knock his ass out and then force a truth potion down his fucking throat but NO! You just HAD to show up and 'save' me!"
"You're damn right! Have you forgotten what Anti can fooking do!? Look just . . . ." Jackie groaned and sighed, "Just calm down, yeah? I'm meeting him tomorrow. Which brings me to ANOTHER subject"
Marvin went silent, knowing what Jackie was on about.
"That taser, Marvin. You fucking SOLD a taser like that . .. . to a well known gang!? Felons, Marv! You know that taser could KILL any other human on the street with one click, right!?"
Marvin snarled at him, "So could any gun, Jackie."
"How many more do you have?"
"What's it matter? You're gonna make me get rid of everything anyway, right?"
"Marvin. . . ." it was all he could do to keep from strangling him, "It's not okay to put your magic weapons and shit out there like that. It could fall into the wrong hands. Hell, it already has! WHY are you doing this!?"
Marvin waved his hands around defensively, "Technically selling a taser isn't illegal! Any other normal taser could very well kill someone else too with a heart condition or whatever. Jackie, look . . ." he finally tried to calm down, "I'll get rid of everything. I promise. I haven't sold anything since the glove went missing and right now, THAT is our main priority. . . . . you'll meet Anti tomorrow night? What do you intend on asking him to find out about the glove?"
"I really don't think it's actually him, Marv, if you want the truth." Jackie shrugged, "He could have already used it by now but he hasn't. I think he's been too busy searching for me, really, by what Chase told me earlier today."
"Searching for you?"
"I don't know. . . .. " he sighed, waving it off, "Anyways . . . Look, I need a plan. If you're willing to help me in how I'll do this, I'd really appreciate it"
Marvin rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, making the special taser appear in his hand, "This was the only one of its kind. Just give this to him. Hell, maybe even tase him with it to prove it to him" he chuckled.
"Uh . . how did you-"
"You really have to ask?"
"Okay but why?"
"Pft! You kidding? I can't help it if they suddenly just 'lose' it."
Jackie smirked at him, "But how will I prove to Anti this was the ONLY taser?"
"Well you see, that's where the plan starts. What I would do is-"
Jackie and Marvin discussed the plan in detail then, trying not to leave one thing out. This is what Jackie needed after all. A partner, and right now, Marvin was all he had in this.
"By the way . . . Blood-Streak?" Marvin teased his brother.
Jackie scoffed at him, "Shut up, drama queen" he sighed to himself, "Why can't you just stick to magic show gigs?"
After Jackie left, Marvin had a lot to think about. He was worried for Jackie. If he had just left things be, everything would have been over by now. But he wanted to play the long game and he couldn't place why.
'And why wasn't he concerned about Anti looking for him? That's bad news if he's just gonna nonchalantly meet with him tomorrow night like THAT. I'm surprised Anti hasn't figured it out yet.' he chuckled to himself, trotting down to his basement with all his special things.
'Seems they're both just as oblivious'
But one thing also still bothered him.
Anti had always been so evil and corrupted. He's killed and tortured. Hurt people for the fun of it including all of the other egos. And yet he was so caring for a random cat on the street.
Marvin pushed the thought away.
'No, he's still the same monster as always' he thought to himself, 'Just because he has a thing for cats doesn't prove or saying anything about him'
Marvin unconsciously rubbed his cheek where Anti had stroked and shook his head, getting back to work with hiding all of his magical items.
Meanwhile, man was standing at the window of his office. He overlooked the streets as he was lost in thought. He had his on problems to deal with since the earthquake.
Good and bad things were happening and he didn't know which to proceed with first.
He turned slightly to look on at the man on the screen. He was watching one of his recent videos and it angered him to see him so goofy and happy.
He crushed a pencil in his hand, nearly stabbing his palm.
'What an imbecile. He doesn't get to be happy all the time. . . . . .'
He looked over at one of the drawers in his desk, 'No matter. What I have planned for him will certainly take him down a few notches.'
He sat down in his chair and sighed deeply, 'So lucky of me to have come across this.'
The man gave a small smile, just thinking to himself.
'I wonder what chaos it will bring'