Author's Note
Hello to anyone who may stumble across this story. I am the author, as you could probably tell. This is my first story, so I hope it's good. This was written before "Who Killed Markiplier", and I'm not going to change the whole concept of the story because of it. There are other timeline inconsistencies as well, so please don't give me a hard time for it. If you have any questions or comments, review! If you like it, favorite. Please don't be too harsh, but don't be afraid to tell me what I can do better. I'm always trying to improve my writing. I hope you all enjoy!
~Bass Beast
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the characters. They are all their own people. I don't own the song or the lyrics, either. They belong to Fall Out Boy.
WARNINGS:Minor mentions of possible suicide. No actual suicide or explicit details of suicidal thoughts in this story. If you aren't comfortable reading that, you may not want to read this story.
Beta Note
Hey! Yes you, reader! This story is awesome, so be sure to read as much as you can! I know for a fact that the Bass Beast would love any support you have. She is working really hard on this story, and I think it is turning out amazing! Read ahead for an example of epic writing skills, and I can almost guarantee that you will not be disappointed. I will soon be posting a story as well, so let me know if you think I should make that a priority. Anyway, have fun!
-ironavenger22
Key:
Bold: Dark's voice
Bold and italicized: Anti's voice
Underlined and italicized: lyrics
I'm sorry if things are confusing. My beta changed the colors to make it easier to understand while writing it, but I can't have colors when it's published. Sorry.
You'll Remember Me
Mystery P.O.V.
Some legends are told
I would soon be free. I was whipping his mind into such a frenzy that a breach was sure to be caused. There was so much confusion that he surely could not pull through. He would be mine.
Some turn to dust or to gold
There was only one thing that could help him now, and that was to let go. To give me control. I would get the body, and without his help. This will show him that I can do things on my own.
But you will remember me
I would show them all. They couldn't ignore me and mock me anymore. They couldn't say I was fake. I would show them. All seventeen million of them.
Remember me for centuries
Mystery P.O.V. 2
Just one mistake/ Is all it will take
He was panicking. That would make my job so much easier. I just had to apply a little pressure to get the job done.
We'll go down in history
I had been reserved. I never showed myself. I wanted it to be a surprise. And a surprise it will be when I take over.
Remember me for centuries
A smile slowly formed on my face. I was almost through. There was something I knew that he didn't. Panic was stronger than pain. And fear was the strongest of all.
Remember me for centuries
Mark's P.O.V.
Mummified my teenage dreams
It was just a normal day. I had just finished recording and began to edit my latest video. It was a "try not to laugh challenge" video. As per usual, I failed terribly. I was thinking of the stupid video that made me laugh. It wasn't even funny. I was berating my giggliness when suddenly, I felt as if I had been pulled into a vivid dream. But that wasn't right. I hadn't been sleeping. I looked around. Endless darkness as far as I could see, which was about two inches, because, as I said, it was completely dark. It reminded me a bit of when I was younger. An unknown, unseen spirit haunted me day and night. But it had gotten better as I got older, and stopped completely once I started Youtube. I was just preparing myself for a very long and boring wait when I heard a voice. It was deep, so much deeper than my natural voice, which is deep to begin with, and had so much reverb it sounded like more than one person was talking, almost like it was a bad recording. But I knew it couldn't be. Because the voice radiated evil. Literally. I could feel the malevolence in the air. It said, I remember when I was like you. It was nice to have a body.
No, it's nothing wrong with me
Am I going crazy? I thought to myself. I mean, I can't actually be in this pitch dark mess hearing that awful voice.
No, unfortunately, you aren't going crazy. You and I are both actually here.
"How do you know what I'm thinking?" I ask the voice.
I am you, and you are dead. Or rather, that's how it will be.
"Who are you?" I asked the voice. The voice had seemed malicious, but there was no body to go with it.
The kids are all wrong/ The story's all off/ Heavy metal broke my heart
I have gone by many names and will go by many more. For now, you may call me Darkiplier.
I was stunned for a moment. Then I asked a question. "So, are you my demon?"
Dark let out a loud, frustrated sigh. Everyone thinks that. You mortals have such short lives. I have possessed many a human before you and many more will follow.
I held up my hands in a sign of surrender. "I'm sorry. Please don't kill me."
You don't have to worry about that, Dark said. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Yet.I felt the dread return tenfold.
"Where are you? And where am I?" I asked.
You are in your own mind. And I am right here.
He suddenly appeared about 10 meters in front of me. He was just as I had portrayed him. He was dressed in a nice suit and had what could be described as a glowing red shadow copying all of his movements a few seconds after he did them.
I couldn't help but ask a question. "Do you always look like that?"
For the most part, yes, he replied. Some would call me old fashioned, but I hate what you humans have done to society. The clothes you wear are ridiculous, and don't get me started on the music. It gets me in an even worse mood than I'm normally in.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up," I say, kind of confused as to what he's talking about. I sit and try to think about what's going on right now, but I find that I am too overwhelmed to be able to think about anything at all. So of course, I ask Dark another question. "How long are you going to keep me trapped inside my own head?"
Only a bit longer now, he replies.
Another few minutes of awkward silence. I asked, "Is there a reason you're keeping me here?"
A friend of mine is having some fun with a friend of yours, he replies.
"Who?"
Sean Mcloughlin.
I froze. Who would want to hurt Jack? Then it hit me. "Your friend wouldn't happen to be Antisepticeye, would it?"
As a matter of fact, he is.
"What's he doing to Jack?"
Dark takes a moment to look at me. Actually, I think it may be time for you to go see.
~,~'~,~'~,~
MEANWHILE
Jack's P.O.V.
Come on, come on and let me in
I had finished recording and uploading for the day, so I was relaxing on my living room couch, looking at Twitter. I noticed a tweet about Anti, and it made me think if, or rather, when, I would have him in another video. I was lost in the thoughts of videos that I planned to do in the near future when suddenly, I heard a voice. It was like my voice, but different; fluctuating from very deep to a higher pitch. It was strange, and wrong, as if the whole universe had been flipped inside out. The voice said, Do you want to play?
"What the fuck?" I shouted, the wrongness of the voice making me slightly afraid. "Who are you? Where are you?"
The creepy voice laughed. It wasn't really an evil laugh, but it was very unnerving, as if the voice was laughing at a dog that had just gotten run over by a car. You know who I am. And I've been here the whole time.
I had a sudden flashback to when I was younger. An evil voice in my head had tormented me, teased me, made me feel as if I was worthless. Once, I had begged it to go away. It had replied with, I'll be here forever. It was the same voice that I was hearing now.
"Antisepticeye?" I asked, quite afraid that the tormenting that had stopped when I started Youtube would resume.
The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints
You do remember! he said, a note of sadistic happiness in his voice.
"I wish I didn't," I said quietly to myself. Those early years had been the worst of my life. Everyone called me a freak, and said I should stop being scared by nothing. I was so alone. There was no one who understood. Eventually, I just accepted being called a freak. I was even thinking about committing suicide at one point. The voice had said, You should. And that was what pushed me away from that idea. I would not give in to the voice. The voice was what had made me this way in the first place. I didn't see why I should give it what it wanted.
After that, the tormenting had gotten less and less. By the time I started college, it was practically nonexistent. I was able to bury the memories and start again. That was when I started posting videos on Youtube. After that, my life had steadily gotten better. I met a bunch of new friends, and a lot of fans. They all said I was a fantastic person. I had managed to completely forget Anti, too. Well, for the most part, I guess. There must have been some memory still there, because the dark persona I created for myself was called Antisepticeye. Once, Robin asked me how I managed to get into the mood so well and think of some of the nastier things I said. I told him I didn't even remember half of what I said and did, which was completely true. Now, I think it may have been Anti influencing my actions without me knowing. Sometimes, I would wake up in a strange place, not remembering that I even fell asleep. Oftentimes, there would be a mess in the house. Every time, I would be bloody and bruised.
I shook myself out of it. He fed on my fear and depression. I had to stay strong. "What do you want with me?" I asked.
He was quiet for just long enough to unnerve me. You don't seem afraid of me. I think I'll have to change that.
And this is supposed to match/ The darkness that you felt/ I never meant for you to fix yourself
My whole body was suddenly overcome with a freezing cold. The coldness went away after a second, but I never stopped shivering. Because Anti was standing in front of me. I didn't even know he could do that. He was as I had portrayed him in videos, with a slit neck, gauges, and glitchy movement. Only his eyes were a bit different. His left eye was a septic eye, but there was an eyepatch over his right eye.
His hand started glitching slowly toward his right eye. I knew what would happen and my body was flooded with fear. I thought it might not be as bad, the void might not be so empty…
But it was.
I didn't even know that he lifted the eyepatch. I felt a painful tearing inside my being, of everything being ripped away from me. It actually hurt more now than it did before. Youtube disappeared, and all of my friends, and my family, and Mark, who fit into all three categories. It all went away.
Until there was nothing.
I was floating in the nothingness, falling gently down forever. I would never hit the bottom, or the sides. It was my fate to be here, in the nothing. There was nothing else.
I don't know how long I was there. Time didn't even exist. The next thing I knew, I was hitting the floor. I had fallen off my couch when I came out of the nothing. I laid there for a while, still thinking nothing. Then I realized the passing of time.
I slowly sat up. Anti looked bored at this point. You were much more satisfying as a child. So much screaming and crying. You were in constant pain, and you had a healthy dose of fear for me. He seemed to bask in the memory. Then his mood shifted entirely. Then you pushed me aside, he snarled. You filled the emptiness. Forgot about me. I was NOTHING! He took a moment to calm down, and I took the time to try to collect myself. I thought he was done talking, but no.
Some legends are told
Now I'm back.
Some turn to dust or to gold
I'm here to stay.
But you will remember me
And there's nothing you can do about it.
Remember me for centuries
Mark's P.O.V.
When I got out of the darkness, Dark was still in front of me. But we weren't in my house anymore. I did recognize the house, but I didn't know to whom it belonged. Dark turned to look at something, and I followed his gaze. What I saw surprised me. "Jack?" I asked, confused. His head snapped toward me so fast that it must have hurt.
"Mark!" he shouted. "What are you doing here?"
"I don't know," I said truthfully. I moved to scooch over to him, but I was stopped by a sharp tug at my collar. I immediately stopped moving.
How did you train your pet so well? asked a voice that I hadn't heard before. It scared me almost as much as Dark's.
I always told you that you needed to teach him better, Dark responded to the mystery voice.
"Wait. Who are you?" Jack asked.
"That's Dark," I whispered to him.
"Oh," he said.
"Do you know who the other creepy voice belongs to?"
He nodded his head. "Anti."
Are you two done? Dark asked.
We both stopped and looked up at him like deer caught in headlights.
How do you do that? Anti asked, either amazed or jealous. I couldn't tell which.
I always told you that you needed to work on training him better.
So, are you ready?
"Ready for what?" Jack asked.
Anti cackled. To punish you, of course.
Jack must have looked the same way I felt, because Dark started explaining what, exactly, we were being punished for.
Just one mistake
First, you forgot about us.
Is all it will take
Then, you mocked us.
We'll go down in history
We won't let that happen again.
Remember me for centuries
This time, you won't be able to forget.
Remember me for centuries
~,~'~,~'~,~
3 DAYS LATER
Jack's P.O.V.
And I can't stop 'til the whole world knows my name
It had been three days since Anti decided to ruin my life. I had continued to make videos, but I was distracted and my viewers had noticed. There were so many helpful comments saying that I could talk to them, saying that if I told someone, it would all be okay. I wanted so badly to believe them, and at some points, I almost did. But there was no escaping this. He just would not leave me alone. He was constantly filling my mind with evil thoughts of torture and death. I couldn't do anything without the tainted feeling his intervention left behind. I had tried to make dinner, but when I picked up a knife, my hand had moved itself toward my neck. I could barely force my hand to open and drop the knife. It skimmed my thigh on the way to the floor, but my mind was racing too fast to register the pain. I had actually been about to kill myself. I felt sick to my stomach and dizzy, too. I slowly stumbled up the stairs to my room, slightly surprised that I actually made it. The moment I closed the door behind me, my knees gave out and sent me crashing to the floor. I barely noticed the impact at all, still absorbed in my thoughts of what had just happened. I was shocked and ashamed at my actions, even though I knew that they had only happened because of Anti's intervention.
It can't have all been Anti. I thought to myself. I must have played some part as well. I thought back to my troubled childhood. I had thought about suicide a while ago, but had never acted upon it. By the time I was old enough to understand what suicide was, the worst of it was over and I was able to stop the thoughts almost as soon as they came into my head.
I'm going to record a video.
"No you're not."
"The fans already know something is off. I don't want them to worry," was my lame excuse.
They're already worried, he said. I couldn't help but think they had an extremely valid point. I'm going to do a video, and you can't stop me. I just need you to let me take control.
"I don't think so. You don't get to wreck my channel, too."
It will only be for a little while. What could I do in that time?
I was about to grant him my consent, but a small voice deep inside me said, No! He'll take over. This is practically letting him win. You can't do that!
"NO!" I shouted, probably scaring my neighbors. "No, you don't get control. You will try to kill me."
Cause I was only born inside my dreams
I can't! he screamed in my head. I couldn't feel the immense rage that normally came after he yelled, so I could guess that he hadn't wanted to say that. I decided to try to figure out what he was hiding.
"What can't you do?" I asked. "Tell me."
No.
I began to imagine the things that he could be hiding from me. He could be hiding any number of horrible things. But I didn't think he was. I was talking about him killing me when he said he couldn't.
I can't.
"You can't what?"
No, he said quietly. No, no, no.
"What? What is it?"
I can't kill you!
"What?"
I don't want to! Don't make me.
"I'm not making you do anything," I say, extremely confused at his outburst.
You don't understand!
"Then maybe you should explain it to me!"
He got quiet after that.
I can't, he said again, sounding defeated and slightly exasperated.
"You can't explain?"
I can't.
"Can you say something besides, 'I can't'?"
Of course I can, he snapped, his usual attitude returning.
"So, why can't you explain?"
It's against the rules.
"Since when have you cared about rules?" I asked, slightly perplexed.
I don't care about the rules. I just don't want you to know.
I rolled my eyes. Of course this was it. It all came down to his stubbornness versus mine. Which would get nowhere because we were the same person.
I then realized what I had been thinking. We were the same person. He said 'I can't' when I mentioned him killing me.
"I'm going to take a guess at explaining all of this," I say, hoping to catch his attention. It worked. I could feel his direct attention on me, every fiber of his being paying the utmost attention and preparing for what I was going to say. It was nerve-wracking, to have all of that attention on you, especially when it was as if you were focusing on yourself.
Because you are, Seán. You are the same person.
"I'm going to say that this rule is complete bullshit and you can't actually kill me because we are the same person. You didn't want me to know, though, because you want to be able to threaten to kill me."
Until you die for me
There are some parts accurate, he said with a completely neutral voice. But others are completely off. A demon's success requires a mutual agreement. My part was choosing you. Your part is agreeing to give your life to me.
"That's insane! Who would ever give their life to a demon willingly?"
That's how demons get a rep. I got over 50 humans to be my little bitches.
"And you're proud of that!?"
Of course I am. It's not often you get that many humans so fast.
"I still think you're crazy."
You go ahead and think that. It doesn't matter. What you think can't change me. I'll still get you. You will die.
As long as there's a light
"How, though? You can't kill me, and now that I know, I'll be sure not to surrender. How will you take over?"
There's no rules against or shame over having a friend help you. My thoughts immediately went to Dark. A chill ran through my body. Anti cackled inside my head.
My shadow's over you/ Cause I am the opposite of amnesia
Either way, I'll be here till you die. Either I'll torment you until you die of old age or you'll give in to me.
I gulp at the prospect.
Just tell me when you've changed your mind.
~,~'~,~'~,~
MEANWHILE
Mark's P.O.V.
And you're a cherry blossom/ You're about to bloom
It had been three days since I was in Jack's living room. Shortly after the events that happened, I had blacked out and awoken in my own house. It had shaken me so much that I only uploaded one video that day. Immediately, my fans knew something was wrong. I told them via Twitter that I was working on a secret project and I might not be able to post twice a day from now on. They seemed to take the bait and were excited to find out what it might be. Several people took guesses as to what it might be, and I flinched internally every time Dark came up. He hadn't bothered me much, just sometimes groaned and complained about 'humans these days' and how 'things used to be so much better' because he could wreak havoc in secrecy instead of having it go viral online.
Why do you bother? he asked one day as I was uploading a video to Youtube.
"Because I like it and I think it's fun. It also pays the bills, so why not get money while doing something you love?"
This is what you're leaving for the future to remember you by? It's honestly ridiculous.
"At least I'll be remembered. I've helped people and done well, and that's a legacy that I'm proud to have," I say. It's all completely true. I am happy with what I have done with my life so far, and I plan to do so much more. "I hope I can help even more people, because it's always good to help."
If you're satisfied, I guess. Think carefully, because you never know when your time will be up.
"Are you implying that I am going to die soon?"
You look so pretty, but you're gone so soon
I'm just saying that your lives are so short. You only get one chance to make a difference.
"For a demon who is trying to kill me, you're giving an awfully inspiring speech."
Was that sass?
"Maybe," I reply, which was probably not a smart idea.
Some legends are told/ Some turn to dust or to gold
You'll regret that. I'm a fair demon. I'll give you a chance to make sure you leave an impact.
"I told you before, I'm satisfied with the impact I've had on the world."
Are you sure?
"It sure sounds like you're going to kill me."
But you will remember me/ Remember me for centuries
I might. Then I can make sure that any impact you had is erased and I am the one who is remembered.
Just one mistake/ Is all it will take
"I'll still have a while. You don't seem to have a plan for my murder yet."
And how would you know that?
"So you do have a plan for my demise."
I'm just waiting for you to slip up.
We'll go down in history/ Remember me for centuries
"But people will still remember me. I have a fan base 18 million strong," I said, but my confidence was a facade. I had no idea what he could, or would, do.
I have my ways.
"So, when you kill me, you'll also erase me from existence? That sounds like a load of bullshit to me."
Remember me for centuries
You'll see. Eventually, you'll see.
~,~'~,~'~,~
ONE MONTH LATER
Jack's P.O.V.
Weeks had passed with little change. Anti was just annoying enough to make sure I never had a truly good time, but not active enough to make my life downright miserable. I was a bit worried though. Why, you ask? PAX was coming. I would be on stage with Mark. I was excited to see him, but dreading what Anti might do. And I couldn't just back out. I reassured myself by thinking that I couldn't just cut Mark out of my life completely, and Anti might not try as much with other people around. I tried not to think about the flaws in that logic too much or I knew that I would psyche myself out. I checked over my luggage again and carried it to the door so I would be ready to leave when it was time.
An hour later, I was in a taxi driving to the airport. I was getting more and more nervous as I approached the airport, and I knew the long wait in the customs line wouldn't help with my anxiety. I arrived at the airport and got through customs without trouble. I sat down at the gate to await my plane's arrival. I was on my phone, scrolling through my social media accounts. I wasn't really looking at anything, because I didn't want to see anything Anti-related. It was more the comfort of the familiar scrolling motion that brought me to Tumblr.
After a while, my flight was called for boarding, and I got on the plane and found my seat. I put my carry-on in the overhead compartment and got as comfortable as I could in my seat. I was tired and wanted to get away from all the nonsense, so I tried to fall asleep. The key word being 'tried'. While my body was so tired I could barely move, my mind was still racing a mile a minute. It took nearly an hour of the almost 11 hour flight for my eyes to finally drift shut.
Jack's Dream
The sky was dark. There was an orange tint to the air. As I was laying on the ground, I noticed that I couldn't see any stars. I slowly sat up, finding myself to be slightly dizzy. After the dizziness went away, I stood and took a better look at my surroundings.
The first thing I saw was the fire. The fire was everywhere. It was burning in every tree, every bush, every pile of scrub in sight. At least, I hoped those were piles of scrub and not houses.
The next thing I saw were the people. They seemed to be in a sort of assembly line. I thought that they were carrying buckets of water from a stream to try to put out fires. Then I realized they were moving things toward the ravine. I thought they were passing the buckets back down the line before I saw that there was nothing going back toward the fire. I suddenly found myself close enough to see what they were passing. I immediately wished I wasn't.
They were passing bodies.
Thousands of dead bodies lined the pit. The bottom ones seemed to be rotting already. The newer ones on top were emaciated, showing the obvious lack of food around. I looked closer at those who were passing the bodies. They only looked slightly less thin and hungry. Most looked as if they would soon be the ones being passed down the line and tossed into the pit.
Which brought me back to the pit. I wanted so badly to look away, but I was physically unable to do so. I wasn't even able to close my eyes. I tried to block out the horrific view, but the reality kept sinking in. I thought of home, so badly wishing that I was there. But I wasn't, I was here, staring at this pit of dead bodies. There was no other reality. It reminded me of when Anti lifted his eyepatch and stole my entire existence.
I realized at that moment that I was no longer staring at the pit. But what presented itself to me was almost more horrific. There was a person on the ground. The person on the ground was dead. But that wasn't the most worrisome thing. Another person standing inside of him. Now, the person on the ground didn't exactly seem solid. He was almost exactly like ghosts are pictured in horror movies or told in ghost stories. I would have thought that the man standing inside of him would have noticed, but he appeared not to have realized the apparition that his foot was currently in. I looked around to see if there were any more of these ghostlike figures. There were a few. I thought they were placed randomly at first, but I soon realized there was a trend to their placement.
They were always in the exact location that a dead body had just been.
I watched as one of the people from the assembly line hefted a new body. The shimmering figure had all the same features of the body that was being carried away. As I watched, the figure slowly dissipated into the air.
I came to the conclusion that the smoky apparitions were a soul of some sort. Perhaps that when a person dies, their soul is disconnected from their body, and as soon as the body is moved, the soul is free to go wherever souls go after a person dies. I watched the people lifting more dead bodies and watched more souls disappear. Suddenly, there was an ear-piercing shriek that seemed to come from everywhere.
I then found myself facing a completely different scene. I was in a clearing surrounded by trees. I was relieved at the sight of trees that weren't burned to a crisp. My relief turned to fresh horror as I looked at what was in the clearing with me. It was Anti. He was staring right at me. Fear coursed through me, and my instinct was to run, to get as far away from him as possible. But I couldn't. My heart was pumping so fast already that running would probably cause it to overwork itself, which would kill me just as surely as Anti would. My lungs weren't working properly either. I couldn't get enough air. And my legs were like concrete. They were cemented to the ground so that even if I could breathe right and had the proper amount of blood pumping through my body, I still wouldn't have been able to move. I told myself that I needed to stop, that he would feed off of my fear and surely kill me, but fear doesn't listen to reason.
He had grass on his shirt and in his hair, so he had most likely been laying on the ground. He turned away from me, seemingly without noticing my presence. He walked unsteadily toward the woods, muttering under his breath about how bodies never work right. That's when I realized that he did indeed have a body. I away from him back down at the ground where he had been standing. What I saw there was more horrific than anything else I had seen as of yet. It was me. My soul was there. I watched, waiting for it to dissipate, but it never did. I looked closer and noticed that my soul wore a terrified look on its face. Was that why it wasn't leaving? When my body had moved-
Then it hit me. I hadn't ever seen my body, had I? The only body I had seen was Anti's, and Anti didn't even have a body. A cold dread settled in my stomach. Anti had gotten what he wanted. He got my body. That was why my soul was still here. My body was still alive. My soul was doomed to haunt the earth until it was reunited with my body or until my body died. That was what the scream had been. My soul was rebelling against its forced separation from my still-living body.
My soul rotated into an upright position and floated away into the woods, soon to be forgotten by the collective human memory. But I would never forget. The keening cry of a lost soul ruptures eardrums, shatters hearts, and destroys minds. But to hear your own soul cry rids you of your morality and your humanity. I would never be the same again.
End Dream Sequence
"Sir, I'm going to need you to vacate your seat now," a flight attendant told me when I woke up.
"I'm sorry," I said, avoiding eye contact as I reached above my head for my luggage. As I walked toward the exit, I heard her say, "Have a nice day," but I didn't respond.
The scene, which I now knew was a dream, had shaken me. It would take me days to recuperate properly, but I didn't have days. I had minutes, hours at most. For all I knew, Mark was already here waiting for me. Just in case he wasn't, I pulled out my phone and texted him.
Me: Hey, Mark. I'm at the airport.
Mark: OK. I'll be there soon.
I turned my phone off and tucked it back into my pocket. I got my luggage from the baggage claim and sat down on a nearby bench to wait.
A while later, I got a text from Mark.
Mark: Where are you?
Me: I'm near the baggage claim.
Mark: Oh, I see you now.
I looked up and sure enough, I saw Mark walking quickly toward me with a big smile on his face. I tried to match his with one of my own, but my heart wasn't in it and he must have seen it. When he reached me, he asked, "What's up? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I just had a bad dream," I told him.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.
"Not really," I said.
He nodded in understanding and picked up one of my bags. He started walking to the exit of the airport where I assumed his car was parked. As I picked up my other bag and followed him, a genuine smile graced my face. Mark understood me so well. I was lucky to be able to call him my brother in all but blood.
~,~'~,~'~,~
THE NEXT DAY
I was nervous. I had been nervous for weeks leading up to this, but now I was more anxious than I ever had been before. The panel was about to start. Tech people were hooking us up with our mics, and I could hear the crowd cheering for us. The young woman helping me said, "Don't worry about it. You'll get less nervous when you're out there. Trust me, you guys will do great."
I smiled at her. I watched as Wade walked out and began introducing us one by one. First would be Bob, then me, then Mark. When my name was called, Mark had to push me to get me to move. I turned back to look at him before I went on stage. The look on his face said, We'll talk later.
I forced a smile onto my face. I couldn't let the fans know something was wrong. When the stage lights hit me, the applause in the room doubled in volume. My smile came a little easier. These people would always be here for me, no matter what.
Wade then called Mark on stage. We all stood and waved until the applause died down. As we sat, my eyes met Mark's, and my stomach lurched uneasily. I didn't know if it was still from the nightmare, or if it was some kind of premonition. I really hoped it wasn't the latter.
To start the panel, we played Cards Against Humanity. It was just as you would expect it to go, laughing at the things we came up with and making fun of one another. When Wade laid down a particularly offensive thing, Mark decided that we would stop playing and start the Q&A portion of the panel. He started reading off the tweets the fans had sent us with questions to answer. I had forgotten that I was supposed to be worried about Anti.
My fears all came rushing back when someone asked a question about Dark and Anti. As Mark read it, I could see the apprehension on his face. He probably had troubles with Dark as well. I listened to Mark's answer, knowing that I would have to give my own afterward. "If I was planning something, I wouldn't tell you. If I wasn't planning something, I still wouldn't tell you. It's the surprise that makes Dark scary."
That was a good answer. I could feel all eyes turn to me expectantly, and I opened my mouth to respond in a similar fashion when I realized I couldn't draw in a proper breath. I panicked and gasped for air. I could barely think other than one though repeatedly racing through my head. NEED AIR.
Mark's P.O.V
Jack started gasping, like he wasn't breathing. I ran over and knelt next to him. I pounded the heel of my hand on his back to try to dislodge whatever it was that he was choking on. After about thirty seconds that felt like an eternity, he finally began to breathe on his own. I let out a breath that I hadn't known I was holding. I asked if he wanted me to call an ambulance and then if he could walk on his own so we could get out of there. I started to unclip his microphone and mine so that I could carry him if I needed to. I was about to pick him up when he let out a loud groan and clutched his forehead. I didn't know exactly what was happening, but I figured Anti was to blame. I decided against moving him, not knowing how he would react to the motion. I just stayed there by his side, hoping that my presence would help with whatever was happening.
Jack's P.O.V.
I felt the familiar pain that I usually felt when Anti took away my life, but this time it was different. Not everything went away. Only the good things. I was left only with the memories of my failures and shortcomings, every time that I was sad or scared or someone was disappointed with me. I was left with only pain. I heard all the times anyone told me I was useless and that I should die. There was my own voice, the voices of all school bullies over the years, and especially Anti's wrong, evil voice. They were overlapping, all-consuming, draining me more than anything ever had before. I lost almost all of my will to live. I tried to remember anything good in my life, but there was nothing. I heard only the voices, reminding me how useless I was. One suddenly became a bit louder than any of the others. I decided to listen and see what horrible memory it would bring back.
"Jack, I need you to come back to me."
It wasn't a memory. It was Mark. His voice was calling to me through all of the memories. I had to see him again, even if only to say goodbye.
I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids. He gasped in relief. I could feel the chaos in my head fade for a second. I thought maybe it would end, that I would be free. A second later, it came back stronger than ever. I could barely see. I looked at the faint outline of Mark's head and began to speak. "Don't trust him. Don't do what he says."
"What are you talking about, Seán? What's wrong?" I heard Mark say.
"We've had some good times. Remember them and don't give in."
"You can't leave me, Seán. You can't!"
"He's coming, Mark. Goodbye."
I saw Mark's mouth open in shock as I closed my eyes and let the voices carry me away.
Mark's P.O.V.
I stared on in shock. It sounded as if he was dying. But he couldn't die. He was Jacksepticeye. There were too many people that loved him for him to just give up. He was the happiest guy I knew. I was so distraught, still panicking, thinking, This cannot be happening, but I also knew that it had happened and I was already grieving. My head started building pressure, a sensation that I got a massive wave of deja vu with. I heard a whisper from inside my head, Panic is stronger than pain. It reminded me of something Dark-
Dark. He was trying to take over. I tried to rally myself against him, but I couldn't get my mind away from Jack's limp form in front of me. I was beginning to panic when I remembered Dark's whisper. Panic is stronger than pain. I could not panic, or I would have no chance. Seán was only able to speak to me, to warn me, I now realized, about Anti because Anti was using pain to break him. Dark's job would be much easier. Fear once again built up at this thought. No! I told myself. You can't let him have you that easy. At least warn the crowd.
So that's what I did. I grabbed my mike from where I put it and shouted, "You all have to leave now. It's not safe."
My fans seemed confused by my outburst. They probably thought that Jack was just passed out or something.
I shouted again. "You all need to leave! NOW!"
I began to lose control of my emotions again. I wasn't sure I could get them back. To make things worse, the crowd still wasn't moving.
Then someone pointed and yelled. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it got people moving. Everyone jumped up at once and began running for the exits. There was a lot of screaming as well. People were shouting as well, but nothing was discernable over the ruckus. I was relieved that people were finally moving, but a bit surprised and worried at the screaming. I was going to turn around and see what had people so frightened, but before I could, a cold, evil, and unfortunately recognizable voice rang forth.
Did you miss me?
Fear paralyzed me. I couldn't move. My heart started to race. My hands started to shake. I knew this was the end. Dark would take over. I shouted to the crowd, "Please remember me!"
A pulsing pain exploded in my head as my world faded to black.
Anti's P.O.V.
Finally. It felt so good, not to be trapped in his mind. I knew it wouldn't last, but It. Felt. Glorious. I wondered what I could do to make maximum impact in minimum time. I thought about what would make them the most afraid.
Fear, obviously. It's in the name. If you want people to be afraid, you have to create fear. It sounds simple, but it's not as easy as you think to properly scare others. Only deep wounds scar.
I was feeling kind of awkward, just standing there, even though the humans seemed plenty afraid. I was never as good on my own. I always struggled. But this time, I beat him. I was the first to succeed. Even if it was only temporarily. I saw that he was having trouble breaking the one called Mark, so I decided to help out a bit, and scare the crowd a little in the process.
Did you miss me?
I saw that was the final push. Dark would be able to break out. I laughed, feeling self-satisfied that our roles were reversed. Normally, it was him helping me.
When Dark broke free, he looked at me. I could tell that he was begrudgingly grateful, but he would never admit it. He knew I would make him, though. He turned away from me to postpone the inevitable. I just kept staring at him with a smirk on my face. He huffed and turned back to me with a look in his eyes that said, I refuse. Well, it might not have just been his eyes…
Fine,I say, using my telepathy. But you're thanking me later.
I looked back out at the crowd. They weren't screaming or running as much. The fear was wearing off. We had to get it back.
Any ideas for scares? I thought to Dark.
That's always been your specialty, I read from his mind.
I shrugged and went to find a microphone. Anything was better than nothing. The people seemed to hush in anticipation as I picked the microphone up off the floor.
We've been here forever
You're not afraid. The humans obviously weren't expecting that. Many looked at me confused. I've been around long enough to be able to tell.
And here's the frozen proof
As a demon, you become intimate with fear, Dark said, having picked up the other mike. We could both show you in so many different ways.
I could scream forever
We can inflict pain to last a lifetime,I begin. Or we can inflict a lifetime of pain.
We are the poisoned youth
I glanced at Dark, who gave a nearly imperceptible nod. I glitched myself to my hiding stash and got a large, sharp knife. I then glitched back, appearing at the back of the room, where most people were. People jumped and yelled at my appearance, and the fear level rose tenfold. I smiled as I soaked up the terror in the air. I brandished my knife, not knowing whether or not to actually use it.
Some legends are told
I wasn't sure I had to. I mean, sure, I wanted to, but then I'd have to clean and sharpen the knife again. It really wasn't worth it, especially since I'd already gotten what I wanted. Recognition.
Some turn to dust or to gold
My mere appearance had assured that. And besides, I didn't want to use too much energy. I needed to have some left for the actual takeover.
But you will remember me
Maybe it was time to go back. Seán wasn't struggling yet, but I was running out of energy. I would replenish, then I would be back. And this time, for good.
Remember me for centuries
I lunged at a random person in the crowd, but before I reached her, I teleported back to the stage. I let out one last insane laugh before returning to my prison inside the human Seán's head.
Dark's P.O.V.
Just one mistake
As Anti gave up control, the body collapsed roughly onto the stage. I smiled faintly at it, knowing that there would be bruises. Sadly, not wounds that would scar, but they would have to suffice for now.
Is all it will take
It was taking a lot more of my energy than I was willing to spend to keep the human, Mark, from taking back control. I would go back soon. The prospect didn't seem so bad since I knew I would be out again soon… for good.
We'll go down in history
We will return, I said. Don't forget that. With that, I let myself fall back into the darkness inside Mark's head.
Remember me for centuries
Mark's P.O.V.
That had to be the most terrifying thing that I have ever experienced. It was as if I was sitting inside my head, my body a puppet for evil. I was powerless to do anything. I had a sudden thought: was this how Dark felt when he was inside my head, "trapped", as he would call it? I pounded my fists against my prison walls, wondering how there was anything tangible inside my head. I watched in horror as Anti disappeared, going to who-knows-where, probably to hurt people. I thought desperately that I needed to get out, to stop him from hurting innocent people. I could do nothing but watch as Anti reappeared in the back of the auditorium, this time holding a wicked - looking knife. I struggled harder, trying to find a door, or any other means of escape. A cry of pain and fear escaped my lips as Anti lunged for a woman in the crowd of people still trying to escape. She screamed, but wasn't hurt as Anti glitched out of existence before he reached her. I breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe for the moment. I looked for where Anti would reappear, and was surprised to see him appear next to me- or Dark, actually -on stage. He let out a last echoing, sinister laugh before collapsing on the stage. I wanted so badly to run over and check on Seán, but I wasn't in control of my actions. I banged on the wall again, and this time, my fist made a dent in it. Maybe I was making progress toward my escape!
We'll go down in history
I was about to hit the wall again when I heard Dark speak. We will return. Don't forget that. I watched as the walls around me faded and I was once again in control of my body. I ran over to Seán, who was lying prone on the floor. I hugged him tightly and whispered to him that I was sorry and I would never let this happen again and that things would get better. But even as I said these things, I knew that most of it wasn't true. I was sorry. That was one hundred percent real. As for the rest of it, not so much. I knew that there was nothing that he or I could do to stop Dark and Anti from taking over. Their display today proved that much. I also knew that it would never get better. Everyone in this room would carry the memories forever. There would be no healing. There would be no forgetting.
Remember me for centuries
A/N: Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it. If you want to read more, I do plan on writing a sequel, but it will take a while, so don't be expecting it too soon. Follow or favorite for more, and leave a review with questions or comments. I hope to see you all around! ~The Bass Beast
UPDATE: I have the sequel planned. It will be called, "All On Fire." Keep an eye out for it!