#jackieb01

[huffle-dork]

Alt. Exe Corrupted Chapter 3

Previous chapter | Masterpost

Blitz is carefully licking his wounds in a darkly lit cellar. In front of him is a prisoner his master wanted him to watch. The tiger didn’t understand why but it gave him a chance to try to clean himself up.

Dr. Jameson Jackson watches the tiger with a mixed expression of terror and worry. He no longer had a voice- how was he supposed to warn Alt of the fate Magnificent had for him? He tried signing but… it’s like Alt had forgotten how to understand it.

Words weren’t working either- he tried to write on the semi soft ground of his cell but… he guesses being turned into a tiger also messes with your ability to read.

He has no idea what Magnificent has done to him… but he knows the boy hadn’t been here nearly as long as him. Maybe a little over a month… since Mag said he needed to wait for the next full moon. Jameson has lost count on how long he’s been here… but that doesn’t matter. Alt doesn’t deserve the fate Magnificent has planned for him. No one does.

He taps on the ground and tries to think of how to get a message to him… He starts to draw some figures on the ground before him- upside down so maybe Alt can understand them better.

The tiger is too busy licking at his cuts to pay attention to what Jameson is up to.

Eventually, Jameson coughs slightly to get the tiger to look up and when the feline does, the doctor starts to tap the crude pictures he made on the ground.

Blitz tilted his head and looked at the figures. One was a thing that- looked like the panthers but with stripes. That was… him… right? The way the human was staring at him made him think so. And the other one… it was a man with a cape and a mask. He looked just like his master. Blitz chuffed a bit and laid down his head, his tail flicking in admiration.

Jameson shuddered at this act of affection. Magnificent has Alt down good… but… maybe this can still warn him. Dr. J made sure the tiger was still watching as he drew an arrow from Mag to Alt, then drew an x over the tiger. Blitz raised his head at this and cocked it curiously. Jameson shakily drew what he could remember the vestige looked like… even though it brought tears to his eyes and made him feel sick. He drew the spirit seeming to come off of the crossed out Alt, trying to hint at his fate.

He looked up to meet Blitz’s eyes, which were slowly starting to widen- his pupils looking more circular.

Jameson gasped quietly and scribbled to try to write something- if he was beginning to remember then…!

Alt! Please you need to wake up You’re in danger!

Blitz looked at the words almost like he could comprehend them and starts to back pedal, chest rising and falling fast like he’s close to panicking. Jameson watched with bated breath.

Then- the door to the cellar flew open, startling both the tiger and the doctor. Magnificent stood in the shadowed hallway, his glowing eyes the easiest thing to see.

“Blitz! We need to have a chat, my pet. Come.” He hissed, showing his fangs.

Any clarity Alt was getting was snapped out of him at the command and the tiger stood up straight, expression falling back to something inhuman as he slunk out the door to follow his master.

Magnificent looked down at Jameson and at his crude attempts to communicate. He chuckled and threw out a hand, letting magic erase all the evidence. The doctor gaped then looked angry and tried to get up to charge at him but was stopped by the chains keeping him to the wall.

Magnificent laughed again and grinned at Jameson, “A valiant attempt, Jackson. But, it will prove useless, I can assure you. After all- you can’t warn anyone without a voice~”

Magnificent’s laugh echoes down the hall and echoes in Jameson’s mind once he leaves. The doctor attempts to make a noise of frustration but nothing much comes out. He holds his head against his knees and tries to bite back tears. He… he hopes the others will find Alt in time…

———

Magnificent leads Blitz to his main warehouse space, the cat following after him loyally. All seems to be fine until-

Wham!

The mad magician throws a green tinted slap across Blitz’s face, making the tiger skid back with a yelp of pain. Magnificent’s eyes glow with anger as he growls out, “You miserable excuse for a cub! You couldn’t find better than this at that magic shop?!”

He grips one of the trinkets Blitz managed to find and clenches it tight in his hands, the gem of the locket cracking and magic energy flowing up Mag’s arm, lighting up his veins. The magic reaches up his arm and crawls up to just below his neck before disappearing. He cracks his neck and then bares his teeth at the cowering tiger.

“hm… fine- it will suffice… but- I fear you may have alerted that bumbling hero to us…” Magnificent sighs dramatically and circles Blitz for a second before appearing in front of him and grabbing his chin to make the cat look him in the eyes.

“My pet… you mustn’t let these heroes and that doctor lead you astray…! They feed you nothing but lies. Because I know your truth- I know you better than any of them. And I need you, Blitz.” Magnificent almost pleads to the tiger. The tiger blinks loyally at him, chuffing slightly. Magnificent peered into his eyes and studied them. The longer the spell went on…. The more that green ring in Alt’s eyes grew, overtaking the blue. Soon… he wouldn’t even be recognizable. And that’s just what Magnificent needed.

He smiled at the tiger and scratched his chin, cooing to him in a soft voice. “Don’t let those silly humans tell you any different, kitten. You have been my loyal pet your entire life~ and that will never change, right?”

Blitz chuffed again in agreement and licked at Mag’s hand, tail flicking happily.

Magnificent smiled and got to his feet, wiping himself off then patting Blitz on the head. “Get some rest out here, Blitz. That doctor isn’t going anywhere… and well- we both need to be well rested for tomorrow, don’t we?”

Blitz huffed a bit and went back up licking his wounds, now licking at the slightly green tinted fur from Mag’s magic. Magnificent nodded in approval and gathered up the rest of the stolen items from that witch’s shop and headed off to his room. He had much to do…

——

The rest of the morning goes smoothly for Blitz. He grooms- he naps- he plays with his panther siblings. They were such great fun! And they all loved him the second he was brought back into Mag’s little family. Why did he ever leave? That was Too much to think about though so he just focused on the fun!

He glitched around his siblings’ attacks, earning roars of protest that made him snicker. He pounces on the back of one of them- Lucky? Why did a human name come to him when he looked at them? and the panther tries to spin around but Blitz keeps them pinned down. He playfully grabs at their ear and tugs, the panther below playfully biting at his face.

Then- there’s a distant sound of something being knocked over in the warehouse.

All the cats’ ears perk up as they look around. Blitz gets off his sibling and sniffs at the air, starting to growl and buzz with glitches. Something wasn’t right here… something smelled off. An intruder?

Bro had just barely caught what almost gave them away, his other hand holding a squirming Glitches. He carefully tried to set down the box he caught and held Glitches closer in both his hands, trying to calm her down.

“Why did you think bringing Glitches was a good idea, again?” Jackie hisses quietly to the hero.

Chase narrows his eyes at Jackie and whispers back, “I told you! We need all the help we can get to spark Alt’s memories… maybe he’ll see Glitches and it’ll kick start something!”

“What if she gets hurt…?” Henrik asks, eyeing the now patrolling panthers as they start to fan out.

“…she won’t. I know my brother- he wouldn’t hurt her.” Chase replies back with certainty.

He then looks back at Henrik, “Hen- you ready with the distraction?”

Henrik nods, teal light flashing in his eyes as he holds his pocket watch tight.

Chase looks at Jackie and notices the father has a good hold on the rope leading to the door. Now… to get rid of the panthers…

“Okay… now!”

Thrusting out a teal covered hand, Henrik flicks open his pocket watch and clicks down the pin. A collection of huge warehouse boxes he suspended outside

all fall at once, creating a huge crash.

All the panthers and Blitz look towards the noise and roar- charging outside to investigate.

Chase and Jackie watch the mass carefully- finally noting that Blitz is right at the edge of the pack. They wait- wait- then…!

“Now!” Chase yells and Jackie let’s go of the rope. The sliding bay door that lead to outside quickly clunks down and stops Blitz in his tracks before he can get outside. Blitz roars at the door and bats at it with his claws then prowls in front of it, roaring in anger.

Henrik and Jackie suck in breath as the watch the beast.

“That… that’s Alt?” Jackie asks in disbelief.

Chase nods sadly. “Yeah…” But then he narrows his eyes in determination and takes off towards him. “But not for long…!”

The other boys exchange warily looks before following after the hero.

Bro touches to the ground a safe distance from Blitz- but close enough he’d be in trouble if the tiger charged. But still he called out to him. “Alt!”

Blitz looks back at the sound and looks at Chase with a bit of confusion. Then he snarls and growls ferally, digging his huge claws into the floor at the sight of his enemy.

Chase backs up slightly and holds out a hand towards the tiger, the other one holding Glitches as best as he can. Jackie and Henrik go to stand next to Chase, though they eye the tiger with a bit of fear.

“R-Relax..! Relax baby bro… it’s us! Your friends- and your brother and-“ The hero then yelps as Glitches scratches him and escapes his grasp, heading towards the tiger. “F-Fuck! Glitches!”

The small cat bounds straight up to Blitz and then stops in front of him. The tiger growls deeply and starts to raise a paw to bat this tiny annoyance away.

But, Glitches starts to meow and mewl at Blitz and the tiger blinks slowly and tilts his head in confusion. His paw lowers and he blinks slowly at the kitten.

Why… does she feel so familiar…?

Blitz suddenly roars in pain and ducks down his head, stumbling back some. Flashes of things he doesn’t understand are appearing before his eyes.

Human hands holding a small beaten up kitten. His hands feeding her fries. Her purring and curled up by his side on his bed in his old rundown apartment. He can feel the smile curling up on my lips and-

No no! That- that wasn’t right- he’s not a human…!

“W-What’s happening?” Jackie whispers in slight panic.

“Alt!” Henrik cries out in fear at hearing the cry of pain.

The tiger looks up at the three men and more images flash: the cafe- Jackie stealing his phone to put in all their numbers. Henrik’s kind smile over their first shared drinks. Chase’s unsure but earnest smile as he took off his mask for him. That same smile on a child- that held him close at night and told him everything was okay.

That same face is looking at him- with tears in his eyes… but the same amount of love.

Blitz’s heart is pounding- his chest heavy, his breathing picking up speed. This isn’t right…. This isn’t…!

Why- why does this feel so wrong?

Human light comes back to Alt’s eyes as he stumbles back and whines. He trips slightly over himself and then- looks down at his paws, as if just seeing them for the first time.

He starts to panic- making deep sounds like he’s trying to talk but they just sound animal. He looks to the others and flattens his ears, rowaring at them as he starts to back up and curl in on himself.

Glitches mewls in distress and tries to rub up against Alt’s massive paws. The tiger whines in response.

Chase tries to approach, holding up his hands, “Alt alt! It’s okay… it’s okay buddy… I-I know it’s scary right now but… w-we’ll figure this out together okay?”

“Will you now?” An amused voice laughs from the rafters. Glitches ears stick up then she hisses fiercely and backs up into Alt’s paw with hackles raised- as if she can protect him.

Magnificent looks down at the scene with an amused smile up from the catwalk he’s sprawled upon.

Chase bares his teeth and shouts up, “okay you Cheshire Cat motherfucker! This has gone on long enough! We broke your stupid memory spell so- let Alt go!”

At this- the mad magician frowns, a dangerous glint in his eyes. In a swish of color and static he suddenly appears in front of Alt and grabs his chin. The glitch yelps out and looks at Magnificent with clear fear in his eyes. That’s all he needs to confirm it.

His eyes flare in rage as he grabs Alt by the collar and bites out, “you fucking pathetic mistake! Who said you could wake up?!” He throws Alt back in a wave of magic before turning enraged eyes to the other boys. Chase backs up and puts his arm out in front of Hen and Jackie protectively.

“You will pay for breaking my cub, you useless wastes of space!” Magnificent snarls.

He thrusts out magic at the boys and suddenly, Henrik launches in front of Chase and Jackie and throws out a teal tinted hand- seemingly freezing Mag’s magic in mid air, like it was paused.

“What?!” Magnificent roars in anger.

“I’ll hold him off! Try to get to Alt!” Henrik shouts back to the other boys.

The magic suddenly flickers and just barely misses Henrik as he gets out of the way. He pants and then narrows his eyes at Magnificent in defiance.

Jackie and Chase exchange looks then try to book it over to help Alt.

Magnificent laughs as he cocks his head at Henrik, showing off his fangs. “My my… does the puppet think himself brave now? Does he think he’s a magician now? With your little… party tricks, hm?”

The normally happy go lucky actor bares his teeth in rage, his eyes glowing teal as he bites back. “I am just as much magic as you! But I will use mein for good!”

The dark magician thrusts out a hand and grabs one of Henrik’s arms in a green string, suspending the gentleman’s hand in the air. Henrik yelps out and tries to shake it off but Mag quickly grabs his other hand and grabs it in the same way, leaving Henrik semi dangling in the air. Henny stares to panic, trying to fight off the strings.

In a smear of color Mag is in front of Henrik and harshly grabbing his cheeks with his claws, really digging them into the flesh. He looks enraged as he whispers darkly to the trapped actor, “You are not magic- you don’t have an ounce of power on your own! If it wasn’t for that watch of yours- you’d be melting in my power the same as your pathetic friends! At least my cub will have a purpose but you…”

Magnificent holds out his other hand, thick claws sharpening and looking like he’s ready to carve out Henrik’s stomach.

“…you have long outlived your usefulness, Henrik~”

He laughs madly and Henrik feels his blood go cold as he tries to shout and fight in the magic.

The other boys reach Alt as he’s whining and pawing at his face, panting heavily. His irises can’t seem to pick which size to be- slitted or circles and the constant flux is making him dizzy and unable to see. Plus- all the noise and confusion and thoughts inside his head! It’s too much… too much…!

He barely feels Glitches trying to paw at him- hardly hears Jackie trying to call his name. He just barely feels the hands on his cheeks as Bro enters his line of sight. Alt looks desperately at his brother and tries to say his name, but all that comes out in a scared sounding growl.

Chase looks back at him with concern but reassured him, “It’s okay Alt- we’re gonna get you out of here and find a way to change you back! Just- focus on us, okay? Try to remember all the awful things Mag has done to you! You can’t listen to him, okay?”

Alt growls back with a hushed whimper and tries to nod.

That’s when they hear Henrik scream.

Magnificent’s hand has been thrust into Henrik’s stomach and the actor screams out in agony.

Alt feels anger explode in his chest, burning hot. His eyes glow as he roars loudly then charges at Magnificent, claws ready to tear into flesh.

Magnificent freezes at hearing the roar- momentarily paralyzed by something akin to fear. But then he turns around just in time to catch Alt in his magic, his hand still dripping blood. He crushes his hand and magic swarms Alt’s form-

And then… a tiny white tiger cub crashes to the floor. It shakes its head out in confusion and then looks up at Mag with conflicted eyes- more magic messing with his head.

Magnificent tilts his head at his cub, studying him quietly with a calculating eye. It was a shame he was awoken from his spell but… it seems whatever his friends were doing wasn’t holding up that well either. Perhaps… he had time to play a little game with them… a game that would crush them all even more when he won.

He snaps and the strings holding up Henrik disappear. The actor falls to the floor with a pained moan, curling up to hold his stomach.

“H-Henrik!” Jackie cries out and rushes over to help him, quickly taking off his jacket to help with the blood.

Chase hesitates then scoops up the now tinier Alt as Glitches climbs up onto his back. He narrows his eyes at Magnificent.

“W-What are you playing at, Mag? Are you just… toying with us?”

“Oh yes- very much so~,” Magnificent replies, grinning wolfishly at Bro. He flicks his cape and slinks around the hero and his cub. “I mean- my puppet annoyed me but… I suppose I can continue to let him live… for now. Im sure he’d also love to see how this alll plays out~! And well… I certainly made is easier for you to transport our precious cub, didnt I?”

Bro holds Alt closer and bares his teeth at Mag. “Just stop being a cryptic asshole and say what you wanna say!”

Magnificent frowns and straightens up and then sighs dramatically.

“Fine… if you must take away all my fun…”

He eyes all the boys and then meets Chase’s.

“I want to see who will win, in this game of tug of war. Who has the most pull over our dear sweet Alt~ I have my magic and you have your… ‘love��� or whatever. I’m very curious to see… if this is where it will all end~”

“Of course it won’t be, you-!” Bro tries to interrupt but Mag snaps and a flicker of static sticks over Bro’s mouth, silencing him.

“Let me finish, hero.” He snaps.

“Your dearest brother has had quite a time with me… and I’m very confident in my hold. And now looking at the time…” He looks through the crumbling walls of the warehouse and smirks at the rising moon before addressing Bro again. “You have about 24 hours…”

Bro startles and mumbles against the magic keeping him quiet, gripping Alt tighter. Alt is cowering in Chase’s grip- his eyes flickering between human and feline again.

Magnificent laughs madly and grins, holding out his arms, “Tomorrow night! When the moon is full and risen- if Alt returns here, still in his rightful form, then you all will have lost. There will be no saving him again… he will forever belong to me~

However… if by some miracle- you all figure out how to turn him human again and break my spell. Then… I will admit defeat.” He eyes Henrik, “You all seem to be more… confident in your magic. I’m sure you all will figure something out~” He teases sinisterly.

“In fact! It’ll be such a miracle that perhaps…” He snaps his fingers again and then tugs at the air- pulling something out of a collection of static. He grips a dirty mop of brown hair in his claws as he cackles out, “Mayhaps I may return your doctor to you all as well.”

Jameson looks up and around the warehouse with wide eyes. Magic is tight around his mouth like a gag and is keeping his arms bound behind his back. Once he sees his friends he tries to make sounds against the gag and fight against Mag some- but he looks awful and sickly. He’s so pale- so fragilely thin. His hair is long overgrown and in his eyes, his glasses cracked and filthy. And there’s a heavy iron collar around his neck like he’s a sick pet. He can hardly seem to make any noise loud enough for them to hear.

All of them gasp. Tears come to Henrik’s eyes as he struggles to get up, wanting to fight to get their friend. “J-Jameson!”

Bro looks enraged and tries to charge but Magnificent quickly tugs on Dr. J’s hair and in another burst of static he’s gone.

“Nuh uh uh heroes~! You can’t get that prize without beating me first!” He laughs and then lifts up into the air in a cloud of colored static, grinning manically down at the crowd below him.

“And with that! I believe our stage is set, gentlemen! I’m so looking forward to the performance tomorrow~!”

He grabs his cape then makes sure to meet Alt’s eyes, his eyes the only thing Alt can make out in his shadowed form. He grins at him and announces.

“Don’t be late, kittens.”

And in a dramatic pull of his cape, he disappears into static- leaving his threats to weigh heavily on the boys as the sky grew dark.

The clock was now ticking…

#im gonna finish this soon I swear to godddd #and work more on villain arc #I’m in such a writing mood so let’s fucking gooo #swapboys #readswapboys #alt.exe corrupted #hufflewriting #alt anti #Dr. jj #swap magnificent #bro fantastic #Jackie mann #jackieb01 #Henny von schneeplestein #silent film schneep #I love writing Mag like the dramatic theater kid he is jghvb #he’s so dramatic and for what? XD l #I’m also nervous cuz I haven’t posted a fic in a hot minute but eeee #I’m trying now!!

[huffle-dork]

Switch Swap Crossover (Swapboys AU/Switch AU)

AN: Hello all! You know how much I adore @crystalninjaphoenix ‘s aus- especially Switch! And since they did a crossover for Inverted and Swap- I thought it was my turn to do a crossover! And it’s also their birthday present! Happy birthday Cry! Expect more in the future cuz I got ideas >:3c hope y’all enjoy!

Read Switch | Read Swapboys | Read Cry’s Crossover Series

Chapter 1: Here we go Again?

The room was spinning even with his eyes closed. Ringing was so loud in his ears it made everything spin twice as fast. He felt weak and spent and- was he laying on the floor? Sure felt like it.

Jameson Jackson groaned as the world came back to him with a painful jolt. Taking a pained gasp in- the world came back into full color and noise in an explosion of the senses. He felt panic gripping his heart as he tried to remember how he got here.

They were in the Aspen Street House- facing off with Distorter. He had gotten Marvin again… but Jackie had just managed to pull him out of it. The gentleman was seriously losing blood from his eyes and he was weak from the influence. Meanwhile- Anti and Volt weren’t letting the fucker go anywhere without a fight. Jameson too… and this time he brought help. A magic amplifying stone from Aoife- though neither of them were quite sure what it was meant to do. But, now seemed as good a time as any.

He has channeled his magic into the stone, ready to send out a blast towards Distorter. But then… the walls of the house started to glow and hum with power. The air started to swell with magic- pressure settling down on everyone. Then, each of the people present in the house started to glow like the walls.

“Jackson, what did you do?!” Anti tries to call out, sounding alarmed.

But that was the last thing JJ heard before everything went completely blue.

Now… all he can see is blue again. But- it’s more blue-green… buzzing with electricity. And… glitching? It sounded like a computer.

Speaking of sounds- he can hear familiar shouting to his left.

“Oh you fuckers just wait! I got several knives with your names on them!” Anti was spitting.

Volt was trying to keep his voice level and quiet- but he had that hero tone in his voice. “Anti- stand down… we do not know-“

“You keep threatening us and the shield ain’t going anywhere, bitch!” A new voice called out- sounding raked with the same glitches that buzzed around the magic in air.

Jj pulled himself up right and tried to focus. Through the blue-green magic- it looks like they are in… an office? Or a very corporate looking loft space at the very least. a huge L shaped couch was taking up most of the space. There’s what sounds like a TV behind them, playing parts of a movie. Popcorn is littered on the ground in front of them.

But most importantly- there’s a group of men standing right outside the shield.

The most prominent one is whoever is making the magic it seems. He seems- younger almost. Scrawny build that’s hidden behind clothes that are too big for him. A bandana with a stitched smiley face sits around his neck. He has his hand outstretched to keep the magic going but he himself seems to be glitching too. But… most striking of all…

He looks exactly like Anti. Well… minus the freckles and completely brown hair.

Jameson looks at his companion to his side- where he heard his voice and balks at seeing Anti here in the shield with him… then- who the hell?

The boy with the magic is looking more enraged by the second, but- his eyes give away fear.

“I-I ain’t fucking around so- you guys better tell us who the fuck you are and why you’re here or-!”

“Or what? You gotta throw more shields at us?” Anti snarks, crossing his arms. “Oh yeah I’m soooo scared! Face me like a real man, motherfucker- I’ll even give you a knife to borrow so it’s fair!”

“F-Friends, please! There is no need for violences!” A thick German accented voice calls out. But… that’s not Volt- the hero would never sound so meek and unsure.

And sure enough, Volt is here in the bubble, trying to hold Anti back from attacking the shield.

But- back on the other side… Jameson can see the call came from a tall tealed-haired gentleman in a bright blue suit. He- has the same vibe as Marvin… but he looks exactly like Schneep.

What was going on?

“I’m with Hen you guys- I do not need more blood on this carpet- you and Bro already drive my cleaning bill through the roof, Alt.” Another voice joins in. Jameson looks and jumps- seeing it’s the spitting image of Jackie! But- boy this one looks even more tired then the doctor… and a lot more casual- wearing a red hoodie with the YouTube logo on it and no glasses. Superhero parkour… what was that?

Jameson looks around and can’t help but jump again as he sees the actual Jackie- Dr. Parker- quietly taking all this in to his right. The doctor waves slightly at Jameson with a tight smile before looking back at the chaos.

The magician- Alt, if Jameson had to guess, blushed at the other Jackie’s remark. “S-Shut up! Fuck, where is he anyways?”

There’s a quiet cough to announce someone new. Alt glances their way-

“He was in the bathroom before this began I believe…” Came a signed reply.

Jameson’s stomach dropped as he looked towards the signing hands and- stared back at himself. But- this guy was… more put together in a sense. He was smartly dressed- like a therapist almost. He had round glasses and a kind face- and even though he looked extremely tired, was unusually calm despite all of this.

Jameson’s head spun… what was going on?? He gripped at his hair.

Volt and Anti looked towards the movement. Volt seemed to relax slightly, “Oh good you’re okay…”

“Jackson! Show this bitch real fucking magic!” Anti hissed, still glaring down his doppelgänger. “He looks like one good blast can knock him over!”

Alt grits his teeth, his hair flying up in an unseen wind as his eyes light up brighter. “I wouldn’t underestimate me if I were you, imposter.”

“You’re the fucking imposter!” Anti snapped, fighting against Volt again. Volt gritted his teeth and tried to keep the programmer back.

“Anti- ver damnit! Take a second to calm down!”

The magic in the shield sputters as the kid suddenly and physically glitches- the image of him almost splitting apart before snapping back together. He looks pale.

“W-What did you just call him?” He seems to whisper in dawning horror.

Volt is slow to respond, “Anti… that is his name.”

“Y-You’re lying-“

Anti grits his teeth, “that’s my fucking name, asshole! What’s it to you?! You got a problem with that?”

Alt’s magic increases- the air tasting like metal as he glitches more.

“T-That can’t be your name- that’s my name!” The boy shouts, hand shaking.

Jameson’s eyes widen- and he sees Anti and Volt’s do the same. It’d be something else entirely if they had a more common name… but they both go by Anti- and look almost identical.

Anti frowns, “didn’t that guy just call you Alt-“

The magic suddenly shrinks around them, the air getting darker and more swamped with glitches.

“S-Shut up! All of you shut up!!” Alt screeches, looking more and more unhinged. “N-None of you are going anywhere-!”

“Y-You can’t just keep us here!” Dr. Parker finally speaks, “in fact- you- you have to let us out. One of our friends is missing and he’s injured!”

Jameson’s stomach drops. Oh god…

Where was Marvin?

The other Jackie braved through some of the chaotic magic to get to Alt’s side and puts a hand on his shoulder. “A-Alt! I know what this looks like- but please- you gotta calm down! We have no idea if it’s like last time!”

“I don’t want to take any fucking chances-“ Alt barked, eyes alive with sparking electrcity. “I won’t be tricked- not again!”

“Alt please- we should be giving them the benefit of the doubt, yes?” The teal haired gentleman offered.

Alt grit his teeth, “that’s what happened last time- and I’m not putting any of us through that again!”

He looked really really scared under all that rage.

Jameson looked towards the sparking magic of the shield. He presses light fingers to the surface. Despite its pulsing chaotic nature- it actually felt quite fragile. It was not magically sound. An unpracticed display hardly kept together by its own chaotic nature. Jameson carefully came forward- then pushed his own magic against the barrier.

The shield shattered like glass in an instant. But before all hell broke loose, Jameson got to his feet and sent out a blast of cold air to stop everyone in their tracks and get their attention. He coughed then signed.

“First, let’s even the playing field, shall we?”

Tensions rose- especially between the two Antis as both parties tried to keep them from going at each other.

One figure though seemed absolutely delighted by Jameson’s statement.

The tealed-haired gentleman sprung forward, his eyes aglow with what can only be described as childhood wonder. “Mein gott! You also know sign!”

He quickly signed to Jameson, effectively putting himself between the feud but- calming it somehow. Probably because he seemed to have no malicious intent.

“Hello, new friend! My name is Henrik von Schneeplestein! It is nice to meet you! I very much like your mask!”

Jameson gasps and hears another one join him. He looks to Volt- who seems to have paled. He looks to Jamie and mouths, “Did I read that correctly?” Jameson gives him a hesitant nod.

Volt coughs then points to himself. “Ah…I… I should probably not give out my identity but… given the circumstances… I am also Henrik von Schneeplestein.”

The other Henrik gasps, “Another Henrik? Oh it is so rare to meet others!” The gentleman seems to study his face for a second, “… you have an accent- it is also German?”

Volt seems to stiffen slightly, and looks a bit confused. “Ja?” He replies shortly.

The other Jameson steps up and clears his throat, placing his hand on the other Henrik’s shoulder before starting to sign too. “Please excuse my friend if he seemed rude. He’s hard of hearing- he’s gotten better with his hearing aid but- these things often escape him.”

The kindly man then looks and meets eyes with Jameson again, and smiles.

“I’m assuming… you also go by Jameson? Jameson Jackson?”

Jj slowly nods, then smiles and goes to bow slightly with his cape. “Unless I’m on stage- then it’s the Jaunty Jackson!”

The other jameson laughs quietly and nods with a smile. “A fine stage name! If that’s the case- you all can refer to me as Dr.J.”

“Are we really just- introducing ourselves right now?!” Anti growls, but Volt just keeps him in his arms, studying the groups with a calculating eye.

His Jackie stands up- and makes eye contact with the other one holding back Alt.

“Are you… also Jackie then? Jackie Parker?”

The other Jackie blinks then shakes his head with a smile, “Jackie Mann. Close though!” As he says this- The doctor can see the flash of something gold on his finger- similar to a matching band on his own hand.

“You’re married- does your partner… call you Jackieboy?”

The other Jackie’s eyes widen, “w-whoa- how did you-?”

“My partner does too.” The doctor smiles.

“That’s also the nickname of my YouTube persona- thanks to my wife.” Jackie Mann grins with a laugh, looking proud.

Then- suddenly there’s a snap like a power cable is cut and Alt glitches out of Jackie’s grip and in front of Jameson.

“Okay enough! This ain’t just a casual-meet-up-feel-good-time! I need fucking answers!”

Alt grabs Jameson by his collar and drags him forward. “Who are you people? And why are you here? Are you here to fuck with our minds? Kill us and replace us?”

Jameson quickly shakes his head and waves his hands before signing. “We want to do no such thing, I promise! We- we have no idea how we got here! I just used something new with my magic and- next thing we know I woke up here! That’s all!”

Anti cried out and tried to charge at Alt and Volt was having a hard time keeping him back down, “f-fucking bitch! Let him go!”

And Alt did- almost instantly. But he still glitched back and eyed the others down with a skeptic eye.

“…how do I know you’re not lying?”

“Maybe cuz this is all fucking insane? Why would we lie about something like this?” Anti spit.

Alt glares at Anti then sighs, looking behind them. “…I want Bro’s opinion- where the fuck is he?”

Bro Fantastic was stuck in a nightmare. A horrible nightmare he couldn’t seem to wake up from.

And the nightmare was staring back at him- an unshakable grin on its face as it approached Chase. Tilting its head like a curious animal.

“Well… isn’t this interesting?” The monster laughed, blood dripping down its face. Chase felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“What… are you?” Chase whispered, shakily trying to find something to hold- he couldn’t feel his knees.

Because… even though his mind was starting to fuzz over with gray and it was hard to concentrate…

He knew his own face- especially when it was staring right back at him.

“Mmm scared to speak the truth out loud, Chaser?” The bleeding copy giggled, getting up in Chase’s face, dripping blood on his shirt.

“N-No! Stop it!” Bro shouted, scrambling backwards- he didn’t wanna touch this thing.

The monstrous doppelgänger laughed cruelly, “Wowww! Who’d have thought you’d be such a coward? Kinda pathetic really? What? you scared of me~?” He stepped up and then cracked his neck loudly, tilting it at an unnatural angle. And that’s when Chase can see the blood cascading down the side of his head.

“I-I’m not scared!” Bro tries to argue, but his shaking hands are giving him away. He- he can’t even summon his powers- the edges of his vision are graying out, the room around him looking fuzzy. Ringing is overtaking his ears.

“There’s no reason to be scared…” The copy cooed out in a suddenly calm and smooth voice. He got close to Bro again and the hero was running out of places to run. “In fact… I think the two of us could be great friends.”

The gray figure shot out its hand and grabbed Chase’s neck, pulling him close. Were his nails always so sharp? Chase tries to pull away as the gray takes over more and more of his vision.

“I think… we could get to know each other real well~” the creature whispered, its impossibly wide grin getting even wider.

Chase’s blood was pounding in his ears. He felt something heavy in his hands. Something he never ever tries to use.

The gun feels wrong- yet he finds himself gripping it tighter.

The figure is no longer in front of him- and now Chase is facing the mirror. He meets his reflection’s wide gray eyes, streams of blood falling from them. His hand shakingly starts to rise. The cool feeling of metal hits the side of his head before he even registers the sight of it in the mirror. His hands are trembling and he’s hyperventilating- yet his reflection stares at him stoically. Then- its eyes turn black and the reflection grins wide as it whispers. “Do it.”

The sound of a gunshot goes off.

And then- Chase opens his eyes with a cry, springing back and hitting his head against the bathroom wall. He pants, quickly feeling his head and- oh god oh god did he just-?!

But… there’s no blood there. There’s- no sign that anything he just saw was real… he swallows shakily and then goes to splash water on his face.

What the fuck was that? He… can’t get that creature’s face out of his mind…

He hears the commotion outside and shakes it off- quickly rushing back out towards his friends.

And his reflection watches him go, grinning ear to ear.

Bro bursts into the room, looking pale like he’s seen a ghost. He’s panting like he just ran a marathon.

“Woah Chase! Are you okay?” Jackie calls out, going to put a hand on Bro’s shoulder. The hero shakes himself out and nods.

“Y-Yeah fine…” He takes in that there’s double the people in here now- all looking at him. He blinks and then looks back at the room he just came from. “…Jesus, how long was I in there?”

“Too long man, what the hell were you doing?” Alt growls.

Bro rubs the back of his head. “Uh… well you know-“

Alt pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, “okay let’s just- catch you up…”

He points at the others and explains, “We got doppelgängers again- another Anti- a Schneep, a Jj and a Jackie.” Alt points to each respective person and they all react in kind, either waving or just acknowledging the hero.

Bro blinks, “well- hi there! Uhh welcome? I’m Bro Fantastic- but… you guys can call me Chase.”

Alt elbows Chase and gives him a ‘wtf’ look. Chase blinks and gives Alt a confused look back.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Introducing myself?”

“And giving away your name to complete strangers?”

“…who are clearly your guys’ doppelgängers-“

“Yeah! They could be evil like those last guys!”

Chase looks at the relatively calm group of guys- except the goth looking one. He’s kinda scary but- doesn’t look evil.

“…I don’t think they are Alt-“

“I thought the same thing last time and they fucked with my mind, remember?!” Alt explains in exasperation.

“Only cuz you were too stubborn to listen to the first person who actually wanted to help you.” Chase retorted, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow down at Alt. Alt sputters and then turns away, his face bright red. He quickly hides it under his mask.

Bro looks at the others with an apologetic smile, “Sorry about my brother. He’s… a bit paranoid about these things.”

The others look at their Anti with wide eyes. Anti shakes his head. “D-Don’t look at me! I don’t have a brother!”

Jj looks back at the hero and signs, “I’m guessing this isn’t the first time something like this has happened?”

Bro laughs, “It’s never happened in our town no… but we’ve been in a similar situation.”

Jackie sighed and crossed his arms, “Still not sure how it happened but- we blinked and suddenly we were in another city where there was like… inverted versions of us. All of them were fuckers- except that Anti dude. He was chill.”

Alt mutters from under his mask, “My… former boss is also obsessed with the concept of the ‘multiverse’. Guess it was only a matter of time until something freaky like this happened…”

Volt knits his eyebrows together in confusion, “I guess it is not impossible… but very improbable.”

“Not if there’s magic involved!” Jameson adds with a smile. But then- his smile falls. Magic-

“Wait, we still need to figure out where Marvin is! He was hurt, wasn’t he?”

Dr. Jackie nodded, looking anxious as he adjusted his glasses. “Yeah he was delirious and losing blood from Distorter’s control…”

“Dis…tor-ter?” The other Henrik asked, sounding out the word carefully, having trouble reading the doctor’s lips, “Who is that?”

“This mother fucking… thing that’s been tormenting us for god knows how long-“ Anti muttered. “A fucking gray and bleeding eyed motherfucker- who messes with your head and makes you see things.”

Bro paled, feeling a chill run up his spine. Just like… what he saw in the bathroom, right? Why was it suddenly so hard to remember it exactly? All except… that face.

“I’m sorry-“ Jackie’s voice breaks Chase out of his thoughts, “Did you guys say your friend’s name was Marvin?”

Jameson nods.

Jackie bites his lip and looks around, “oh boy… okay so- if you all ended up here in front of us… and… Chase- nobody just appeared next to you did they?”

“N-No!” Chase blurts out- probably too fast. His ears turn pink. “I… I didn’t see anyone no-“

“Huh… strange- guess their universe doesn’t have a Chase…”

“But anyways- if that’s the case… I think your Marvin might be… with ours.”

“And…why do you sound so nervous about that?” Jameson asks with hesitation.

Jackie and Alt exchange looks before Alt explains slowly.

“Let’s just say… Magnificent isn’t the best bitch to be stuck with. If this Distorter guy is the one who tortures you guys… then ours would be him. Ours is Magnificent.”

———

Marvin goes flying across the warehouse floor, tumbling and skidding against the concrete like roadkill. He coughs and tries to struggle up- god… where was his cane?

The bitch that threw him loomed over him and laughed wildly, multicolored static flickering behind him in a burst of power.

“Pathetic! Are you truly my counterpart? I would have expected another me to have more fight in him!”

Marvin spit out blood and wiped at his face, trying to catch his breath.

“Yer not really givin’ me a chance to, are ya?” He growls, shakily trying to get to his feet.

The mad magician scoffs, looking his copy up and down with distaste plain on his face. Like he was looking at a bug or gum on the bottom of his shoe.

“I could tell by just looking at you. You’re not even worth my time… not an ounce of magic in you.” He sighs dramatically and throws out his hands, turning from the other and flaring out his cape. “The universe is a cruel mistress! Finally, she brings me something I’ve been searching for- but it falls just short!”

Marvin laughs as he holds himself up against the wall, “Maybe if ya played nicer, the universe would have rewarded ya. Sounds like you just decided to be a bitch t’ough-“

The magician sighs and shakes his head. He turns a glowing eye to look back at the pathetic copy. Then, he teleports so he’s right in front of him and grabs him by the lapel before slamming him back against the wall. Marvin cries out and tries to struggle. The magician’s gaze makes him feel like a cornered creature being studied for science.

“You’d be useless as a puppet to me…” The mad man muses, lifting up Marvin’s chin and twisting it with his claws. “I can feel someone has already laid claim to your mind anyways… too messy to destroy right now.”

His cat-like eyes spark with mischief and he grins, showing sharp canines. “However… you might make a fine addition to my… feline collection~”

“T-the hell I won’t! I ain’t bein’ a part of anyone's collection! And I already have a cat, t’ank you very much!” Marvin protests, fighting in the magician’s grip even harder.

The magician laughs and forces Marvin to look up at him. Then, he snaps and a spiral of purple and green appears in front of Marvin’s eyes. The gentleman’s breath hitches, his body trying to tense up. But it just as easily starts to fall limp, hands slipping off the magician’s and falling to his side. His head falls back against the wall behind him, lips parting to exhale softly as his eyes fall to half mast.

The magician giggles softly before cooing to Marvin, “Very good, pet. Just let it take you… down… down… down…no more pesky thoughts, Hm? There’s no need for any more of those… human thoughts just get in the way… wouldn’t you agree?”

Marvin finds himself numbly nodding.

The magician grins, madness alight in those spiraling eyes. “Mmm yes… much too messy. Too easy for someone else to grab… I’m going to make your life so much better, Marvin… as my pet, you’ll be free. Free from this weak body of yours… free from the limitations put on you. You’ll even have two more good legs! Now… doesn’t that sound nice?”

Marvin finds himself slurring out a sloppy, “yes…”, eyelids fluttering.

The mad man chuckles. “Use your words, kitten, and ask properly. My name should already be on your tongue…

Let your last spoken words sing my praises. Tell me this is what you want, puppet~ Would you like to live out the rest of your days as my simple little kitty pet?”

Marvin’s mind is completely blank. His eyes start to shift to something slitted- something purely feline. It’s hard to get his lips to move- words already seem so hard and unnecessary.

“Yessss Magnificenttt…” Marvin purrs, eyes nearly shut as a blissful smile curls on his lips.

Magnificent grins, “Excellent kitten… let’s get your body to match your mind now, shall we?”

The mad magician then pumps Marvin’s body full of magic. Marvin screams- bones cracking and being rearranged by the burning heat of the magic. It feels agonizing- like being compressed into a tight space.

If Marvin could think- he’d probably be terrified. But, luckily, only his body reacted to the pain. His mind was blank still, untouched.

The transformation ends and out of the sparking magic- is a large brown and cream Norwegian forest cat. It’s soft blue eyes blink up at its master and it meows softly, before going to lick its paw.

Magnificent tsks, “Damnit. Too much personality left in tact. Well… they’re not all winners at the start.” He sighs. He then scoops up the cat and starts to pet it kindly. The cat stares out, as if trying to process something- trying to fire off some kind of thought in its head. But- Magnificent’s soft pets seem to drive off those thoughts and it starts to purr, slumping in his arms.

“Trying to get those human thoughts back, Hm? A valiant effort I’ll say~” Magnificent hummed in amusement. It was always so fun to see them attempt to struggle. “Worry not, kitten… I’ll get you trained… and we’ll get you into a proper appearance in no time~ just like my other lovely pets!”

The madman looks behind him and grins at the dozens of obedient green eyes that grin back at him from the dark.

He then looks back at the cat in his arms and thinks out loud, “or perhaps… keeping you like this could be like a trophy of sorts… like how I planned to keep my cub.” He hummed, the feeling of defeat still stark in his mouth. But- that feeling did remind him.

“Oh yes! Before we do anything more… we must get rid of that awful name of yours. In fact… I’ll be glad to never hear that name again-“ Magnificent growls. He snaps his fingers- and creates another spiral in front of the kitten that instantly captures its attention. It sits up straight, slitted eyes transfixed on the magic, mind completely blanking again.

“Now then… what shall your new name be…?”

“Marvin!” A voice suddenly shouted.

Magnificent turns around to growl, eyes bright with magic. “Who dares to-?!”

A bullet rips through the magician’s shoulder, throwing him back and knocking the cat out of his grasp. The kitten skips like a rock before stilling, staring out blankly. Then- light seems to come back to its eyes. Human light. It quickly gets back to its feet and shakes itself off. That’s… when he starts to panic- taking in his paws and smaller appearance. He starts to turn around in disbelief, yowling in distress. He doesn’t fully step down on his back leg though.

Anti steps into the warehouse and glares at Magnificent, keeping his gun aimed at the magician. “Alright freakshow- where the fuck is our friend?!”

Magnificent clutches at his shot shoulder- the air around him bending and shifting like hot summer air. He laughs, sounding unhinged. “Haha! A new face in my lair… how amusing!” He studies Anti and then teleports in front of him, eyes sparking with intrigue. “But… somehow still a familiar face… you look just like my favorite cub, puppet.”

Anti’s aim falters as he scrambles back, resting his hand at the butt of the gun to keep it steady. “B-Back off! We just want our friend back then we’ll be out of your freaky hair!”

“Is that all?” Magnificent chuckles with amusement. “You’ve come a long way from home… why don’t you stick with me and I’ll make you all feel so welcomed! …just like I did with Marvin~”

“I fucking knew it! Where is he, cocksucker? What did you do to him?!”

Magnificent's eyes flashed dangerously, “The same thing I’m about to do to you.”

He shoots out a hand towards Anti- purple and green electricity heading straight for him.

When suddenly, a shield shoots up and blocks the magic, chipping like it’s made of ice.

The newcomer, Jameson, looks to Anti and gestures to where that cat is still freaking out. Anti gives Jameson a look. Jameson rolls his eyes and signs something quick to Anti. Finally, the other boy seems to nod- but he looks super weirded out by the whole situation.

Magnificent’s eyes light up hungrily at the sight of the new magician. He grins, approaching the barrier with practiced grace, his walk like that of an actor on stage.

“A fresh magician too! Mayhaps the universe has decided to be kind to me after all!” He laughs.

Jameson glares at the other magician with burning blue eyes.

“Ohhh the silent type…” Magnificent observes with a crooked smile. “How rare that is in these parts…”

He teleports behind Jameson- then pushes the other magician up against the icy shield, grinning like a predator over him.

“What refined magic you have!” Magnificent giggles with glee, “What a marvel it is to see such… careful practice put back into magic~” The mad man leans in, hungry for just a taste of this boy’s magic- his fingers light up with purple.

Jameson quickly shoves a hand in Magnificent’s face and sends a blast of ice at him. A thick chunk freezes with Mag’s head inside. He yells in rage and tries to claw it off- he can’t see!

“Now!” Jameson yells hoarsely, pushing away from the magician and running towards the exit, “Run!!”

Anti uses the mad magician’s confusion to scoop up the cat and rushes towards the door after Jameson.

“I hope you’re right about this, Jackson! Or this will be real awkward to patch up later!”

The last thing they hear before reaching the others is the sound of Magnificent’s wild cry of rage.

Magnificent breaks off the ice and slams his fist into the wall, cursing in Latin. But, soon he takes a deep breath and calms down. That magician…

Oh it’s gonna be so fun to make him his.

[To be Continued~]

#Switch swap crossover #hufflewriting #swapboys au #switch au #septicswitchau #swapboys #readswapboys #alt anti #bro fantastic #jackieb01 #jackie mann #dr. jj #henny schneeplestein #silent film schneep #swap magnificent #dr. Jackie Parker #Von voltage #actor Marvin #distorter #the jaunty jackson #anti mcloughlin #programmer anti #animal transformation #aka Mag can’t go one series without turning someone into a cat #don’t look at me like that it’s really fun to write okay?! #i really wanna start the next chapter but tbh I gotta get farther in alt.exe for it to make sense |D #so guess I’m working on that next! jhhhj

[huffle-dork]

A SwapBoys’ Christmas

(Merry Christmas from the Manns and the Brody Bros! I wish I had time to write the others but Christmas is almost over! And these guys were easier to write tbh merry Christmas if you celebrate or otherwise happy holidays!)

SwapBoys Masterpost

It was a bright day at the Mann household as the children excitedly opened their presents. Their parents watched with warm smiles, Jackie holding Zara’s hand while she laid her head on his shoulder.

Ollie laughed as he zoomed around the room with his new Bro Fantastic figure- going up to the Christmas tree to try to fight the ornaments. He even made the punching sounds- but he was careful to only touch the plastic ones.

Penny laughed and clapped as she played with her new set of tiny dolls, ohhing at the colors and then knocking them into each other. It was great fun!

Kelsie squealed as she opened a new cat backpack she’d been wanting and was ready to show it off. But then her face fell as she looked around the room.

Jackie knit his eyebrows together, “what’s the matter sunshine?” The father asked.

“Where’s Uncle Chase and Alt?” She asked back, looking at her parents. “Uncle Chase always comes over for Christmas to see our presents!”

“Oh yeah! I gotta show uncle bro my new action figure!!” Ollie added with excitement.

“And I wanted to see Alt…” Kelsie sighed dejectedly.

Jackie sighed with a tight smile then got up to go bend down by his daughter and rub her shoulder.

“Hey Kels… remember how I said this was Alt’s first Christmas in a long time? Well- that means a big Christmas with lots of screaming and loud noises could be… too much you know? And well… I’m sure Uncle Chase would love to be here. But now… he doesn’t have to have Christmas alone anymore…”

Kelsie bites her lip and nods, “okay… I guess that makes sense…” she gripped her kitty backpack to her chest and tried not to pout.

Jackie laughed, “chin up, starfish! They’ll be by later with all your other uncles! You can all show off your awesome presents then, okay? But today… they need a little Christmas with just them.”

Kelsie does seem way more excited that she’ll see her favorite uncles soon. She perks up and then hugs her dad, “Okay Daddy! I can’t wait to show them everything! Do you think Alt will bring glitches?”

“I dunno sweetie~ that depends…” Jackie says ominously before he dove to grab the girl and throw her over his shoulder as he spun her around and jumped around with her. “Have you been naughty or nice?”

Kelsie shrieks with joy and laughs, “nice!! I’ve been so nice!!”

“Jackie please be careful!” Zara called but she looked amused.

“I dunnooo little missy-! Can you prove it?” Jackie grins, going to flip Kelsie upside down. “Cuz I could have sworn there was a cookie missing last night from what we made for Santa!”

“Dadddd! That was you! I saw you!” Ollie accused.

Jackie blinked and then gave a long drawn out, “ooooh! Yeah you’re right- thanks for keeping me accountable, Ol~!”

“Daddy’s been naughty! Mama! Take his Christmas presents!” Kelsie shrieks. Zara looks at the pile of Jackie’s presents next to her and gives him a shit-eating grin as she tries to lunge for them.

Jackie grabs Kelsie back up like a football under his arm and charges at his wife, playfully holding her down with Kelsie in the middle. “Ohhh no you don’t!”

The living room filled with laughter and insanity as the Mann’s crazy Christmas continued.

Meanwhile- in a flat a couple blocks down, a quieter more mellow Christmas was taking place.

Chase blew on his cup of coffee and took a sip before he set his cup down on the coffee table. He gave Glitches some pets on her head from where she was curled up on the couch before going to rouse the glitch also sleeping on it.

He lightly shook his shoulder and then threw a jumper at his face.

Alt cried out in surprise and shot up in a flurry of glitches, fumbling blindly for a second before pulling the sweater off. He blinks in confusion up at Chase and then looks a bit grumpy.

“Mornin’! You’re not hungover are you?” Chase asked with a smile.

Alt rolled his eyes and then stretched, “nah- Hen and I didn’t drink too heavily. Thanks for letting me crash here…”

“Alt, you’re welcome anytime…” Chase tried to push again, but Alt waved him off.

“Yeah yeah- I know- just…” He sighed and then looked down at the jumper. “What is this?”

“A Christmas jumper, bro!” Chase grinned. “Got ya one special~!”

It was a black sweater that had a white Christmas sweater design on it- except there was a robot and the words ‘ERROR 404: Christmas Sweater not found.’

Alt rolled his eyes, “ha ha very clever Chase…” He got ready to toss it back, “but I’m not wearing-“

“Ya gotta wear it if you want your other presents~” Chase added smugly.

Alt froze and then gapped at Chase, “what? But I- I couldn’t get you-!”

Chase waves him off and then shoves him towards the bathroom, “no arguing! Now go get changed!”

Alt was in too much shock to argue as he stumbles into the bathroom. He blinks at his reflection and stares for a second. He then sighs and pulls off his shirt from last night and pulls on the jumper. It’s soft… and it really does fit him. He smiles a bit. Then- he looks at his mask. He touches it thoughtfully and then, he slowly takes it off and shoves it in his pocket.

…he doesn’t need it today.

Alt then quietly slinks out of the bathroom and into the living room, feeling more exposed than normal. Which makes his cheeks and ears tint red.

Chase looks up and blinks a bit in surprise at seeing Alt’s neck. But he quickly shakes it off and smiles. “Looking good, baby bro!”

Alt flushes brighter red. “Shut up…”

He flops down onto the couch and crosses his arms. Chase goes to grab a pretty big box out from under the tree and sets it down in front of Alt on the coffee table. Alt looks at it with wide eyes as he glitches to the edge of his seat and looks at Chase with an expression close to guilt.

“C-Chase… i can’t- I couldn’t possibly…!”

“Alt please.” Chase interrupts, “just- open this one. I didn’t have a lot of money this year anyways but… I just had to get my brother a proper Christmas present… especially after we just got you back.”

Alt looks away and guiltily rubs his arm. He was still mentally healing from being Impulse. He still felt horrible for everything he did. That’s why… Chase has offered time and time again to let Alt stay here permanently. But he couldn’t bring himself to… he felt he had way too much to atone for.

But, if Chase really wanted this then… he sighs and goes to unwrap the box. It’s huge! And wrapped in a shiny green blue wrapping paper. Alt tears through the paper and goes to open the box and inside there’s…

It’s a giant comforter, black with green numbers on it. No- not just any numbers… It was binary. Alt opened the box more to find a pillow case too- and he recognized the string of letters in brighter green. It just said ‘pillow’. He chuckled a bit and felt the warm sting of unshed tears in his eyes. But, Alt tried his best to hide it as he looks back at Chase.

“…thanks, Chase. I… I love it- really.”

Chase smiled over his cup of coffee and then got up, gently grabbing his brother by the arm.

“There’s just a tiny bit more~!”

“What!? Chase-!” Alt tries to protest, but Chase dragged Alt down the small hallway next to the living room. He finally goes to open the door to a room that Alt really hadn’t noticed before.

Inside, is a simple bedroom with a bed pushed against the back wall, a closet, a small dresser and a small tv on top of it.

Alt blinks in confusion and looks over at Chase. The older brother looks down at him sheepishly and rubs the back of his head.

“It’s not much… used to be for like… exercise equipment and shit I didn’t know where to put… and I’m not trying to sway you one way or the other cuz clearly you need more time! But… the covers are for this bed… so… if you stay over you can at least sleep in a bed now…”

Alt feels tears in his eyes again but this time he can’t keep them back. He looks away as they start to drip down his face.

He did all of this… just for him. Despite everything- he wants Alt in his life again. So much that he’s moved his life around and made space for him… even if he doesn’t use it.

Alt suddenly turns and glitches to tackle Chase in a hug. Chase startles slightly but very quickly hugs Alt back with a small chuckle. Alt’s shoulders shake as he wets his older brother’s sweater with his tear streaked face.

After a few minutes, Alt finally croaks out.

“…okay.”

“…okay? …okay what?” Chase asks with a tilt of his head.

Alt finally let’s go of Chase and smiles timidly at him. “…I’ll move in.”

Chase’s eyes light up, his entire face soon following as he laughs joyously and goes to scoop Alt up in a huge bear hug. “Yes! Oh my god- yes! Alt!! I’m… im so happy!”

Alt laughs and lets his brother bounce him around for a few more seconds before he finally lets him go.

“…Merry Christmas, Chase.”

Chase smiled and wrapped an arm around Alt’s shoulder as they headed back towards the living room.

“Merry Christmas, Anti…”

Alt smiled, feeling warmth fill his whole body. He… he had a home again.

#swapboys au #swapboys #alt anti #the manns #Jackie mann #Zara mann #Zara caley #Kelsie mann #Ollie mann #penny mann #jackieb01 #bro fantastic #so fluffy it’ll give you cavities #I get sappy around the holidays- it happens! #expect terrible angst to make up for the imbalance aHghv #Christmas fic #readswapboys