Mark watched his golden retriever frisk around the back yard for a few minutes, a feeling of joy filling his heart. The Van Vlogs he'd created were a big hit with the fans, and the holidays were uneventful. No sign of demons in the last few weeks, and he'd been arranging the details of the Markiplier You're Welcome Tour without incident. I hope Antisepticeye won't be able to find his way back, he thought. We'd all be better off if he stayed in that earlier timeline Darkiplier talked about.

He opened the sliding glass door and was about to call Chica inside, when he heard a familiar crackling static sound inside the living room. His blood turned to ice in a split second, with thoughts of which demon was paying him a visit. Pausing at the doorstep, he looked inside to identify the newcomer before entering the house. Red, blue, and gray static sizzled in the air for a moment, and then two figures appeared instead of one. Darkiplier stood in front of the couch, his hands on the shoulders of a seated individual in front of him. Mark recognized the person right away.

"Jack!" He said, adrenaline surging through his system. He stepped inside and closed the glass door quickly to keep his dog outside. He didn't want her to bark at the demon again and irritate him into taking action against her.

He took in the scene of the gray man standing there, waiting to speak with him, and Jack on the sofa, leaning back, out cold. He shot forward and knelt in front of the couch, a mixture of fear and anger swirling through his heart at the sight of his friend's limp, unresponsive form. "Jack!" He said again, looking for some sign of life. The Irishman still didn't move, his skin even more pale than usual.

Mark jumped up, turning to confront the demon. "What the fuck did you do to him?"

Darkiplier's neutral expression deepened into a scowl, his ebony eyes filling with a crimson fire within the black depths. "You assume I am at fault for your friend's condition?" He asked, his voice rumbling with suppressed rage. "How dare you suggest that, after all of the help I've given both of you?" In a lightning fast move, he backhanded Mark across the face, sending him spinning down to the floor. "I'll have you know I just rescued this man from Antisepticeye!"

Mark's vision swam for a moment as he struggled to recover from the blow. He cradled the side of his head with one hand, waiting for the pain and ringing noise in his mind to stop. Sitting up, he held his other hand in a palms-up gesture towards the gray man. "I-I'm sorry. When I saw his injuries, and you standing over him…"

"Learn the entire story before you jump to conclusions, next time," the demon said, his voice a disapproving growl. He straightened his jacket lapels with a short jerk, and some of the rage began to dissolve from his shadowy features. "Things are not always as they seem." He extended a hand down to Mark. "Now, shall we take care of you two first, and then discuss our plans for Anticepticeye?"

Mark nodded, accepting the offered hand with caution. A powerful, but cold sensation registered to his senses through the grip, as the demon pulled him to his feet. The room spun for a moment, and he would've fallen again if not for the gray man's support. Darkiplier guided him to the couch and eased him down to sit next to Jack, who hadn't stirred through the whole altercation.

"I keep forgetting how fragile you humans are," the gray demon said, studying Mark's face. Stepping behind the sofa, he placed a hand on the side of Mark's head. "Just relax while I attend to this."

Still shaken from the vicious blow, Mark tried to calm his nerves without success. Cool palms touched the sides of his temple, exerting gentle pressure. Nothing happened at first, and then he could see a dim red glow around his vision. All of his senses went numb for a few seconds, and he felt as if he were floating. With a burst of clarity, the pain and ringing disappeared, and he felt better than he had in a very long time.

The hands withdrew from his head. "One down, and one to go," Darkiplier said, moving around the front of the couch.

Mark saw him motion to vacate his seat, so he stood and turned to watch what the gray man would do next. With unusual care, the demon moved Jack's body to lay flat on the cushions. He knelt down to take stock of the Irishman's injuries, and then placed his hands over Jack's heart. Mark watched in fascination as Darkiplier's hands glowed red and blue, his gaze intense with concentration. After a moment, he moved his hands down to cover Jack's ribcage, the glow brighter than before. Mark said a silent prayer that his friend would be all right. Sean still appeared very pale. With a final application of energy to the young man's head, the demon removed his hands, a slight smile of satisfaction playing about his shadowed features.

Getting to his feet, the gray demon fixed his attention on Mark once more. "He'll be all right in a moment," he said. "I suggest you be the first person he sees upon waking. After teleporting with me from his home to yours, he's going to be very confused."

Mark nodded in understanding, and knelt beside his friend. His spirits lifted a bit when color began returning to the Irishman's face. Making a quiet moan, Sean opened his eyes, blinking a few times in slow succession. Ice blue eyes gazed around, and then focused on him.

"Mark?" He said, his voice a little hoarse. "What the fuck happened?"

"Easy there, Sean," the half-Korean said, trying to use his most reassuring tone. "You're safe at my house, now. Darkiplier brought you here after Antisepticeye hurt you."

Jack's eyes registered surprise and anxiety, his gaze traveling past Mark to the gray demon standing a few steps away. Scrambling to a sitting position, he scooted closer to his friend, his eyes locked on the shadowy figure. "It's never safe when demons are around."

"Calm down, Jack," Mark said, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Darkiplier's here to help us with this Antisepticeye problem. He's having trouble with that bastard as well."

"Yes," the gray man answered, clasping his hands behind his back. "That's true enough." He took a deep breath, gazing at the two men. "Now that you are both healed, perhaps we can begin planning how to rid ourselves of the green demon."

Jack put a hand to his ribs, taking in a deep breath with caution. His eyes widened with realization. "You healed my cracked ribs!"

"Along with that hard head of yours, yes," Darkiplier said, crossing his arms. "Now, I suggest we take some time to strategize before—"

The air crackled with green and white energy, cutting off the gray demon's words. "There you are!" Antisepticeye roared, his features filled with a snarl of rage.

Mark's blood ran cold upon seeing the green demon again, his heart pounding hard with fright. Fuck! He's back!