Hiya!

I'm thrilled with the response to this story so far and I hope you all continue to enjoy it. Hope I got a few of you with the twists last chapter!

Special thanks for reviews: Allaboutme7, gear25, perpetuation

Disclaimer: I don't own anything relating to Markiplier, JackSepticEye or Matthias/Hi5 Universe. If you wish to use anything relating to my own universe, please ask first.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Find Your Way

Jack groaned as he opened his eyes, still half expecting to be faced with blinding light. His head was absolutely pounding: contrary to what Damien had said, his subsequent move from the Mental Matrix has really hurt. Whatever had gone wrong was something he was eager not to repeat. As he did at last manage to focus on the world around him, his breath caught.

Holy shit…Is this really a simulation? It looks and feels real.

Realising that he was currently seated on the ground with his back against a tree, Jack stood. His eyes slowly took in the forest around him, absorbing his surroundings. The birds, wind, smells… he was having a hard time convincing himself that he really was inside a computer. Something this realistic could actually pose a slight problem once fully released, he thought. It would be all too tempting to just accept this as reality. Hmm, maybe I'll suggest to Damien to build in an auto-exit or something, just in case someone is stuck in here too long.

He felt a slight itch on his arm and went over to scratch it…and realised he wasn't wearing a t-shirt anymore. "What the- the fuck?!" Jack almost fell over in shock at seeing his attire: he was kitted out in a pair of tight white trousers and a dark green, long sleeved tunic. Brown boots were caked in mud which came to his knees and his shoulders felt weighed down. He soon realised this was due to the white, heavy cape he was wearing, though it was curiously designed. Most of the material was bunched around his shoulders, but it did extend down to cover his left arm and that half of his back. A hood was also present, which he realised upon taking it down. "Damn…this is bizarre. What the fuck am I?"

"My guess is you're a mage, dude."

Jack spun to his left at hearing the familiar voice and his eyes nearly popped again. "Matt?!"

Matt chuckled and shrugged. "Yeah, it's me. Though…this is not what I expected." Matt was equipped in dark blue leather armour, which included extra reinforcement on his left arm. A matching cloak covered most of his body, though it was shaped to leave his left arm free. Jack could see metal greaves protected his shins and the outside of his left forearm, though strangely enough not the inside.

A glance to his back saw a bow and quiver strapped to Matt's back. "Wait, you're an archer? That I didn't expect."

The older man pulled the bow from his back easily, almost as if he had done it all his life. "Strange, huh? I didn't call that either, but upon reading this inscription, I guess it does fit." Jack looked at him curiously and wandered over, his eyes falling upon the glowing silver writing adorning the black metal bow.

The Sniper

Strong-minded, steadfast and free-flowing. A tactician who surveys all risk from distance. Resolute in their course, unafraid to tread into unknown territory.

Jack thought on what he'd read, and he had to agree that it did fit Matt. He'd taken some massive risks in the past, but he'd only done it knowing that there had always been a safety net. He'd never leave everything on the table and risk it all going wrong: not with what he stood to potentially lose. Then again, he had been brave enough to venture into setting up his own network on YouTube, which was now highly successful, and carried the responsibility of it well. Jack knew he couldn't have done all that. His small team was enough to worry about on a day-to-day basis. "Nice detail there, at least it explains what you are, not that there was much debate with the massive bow on your back," he pointed out, earning a small laugh from Matt. "Does that mean I don't have a weapon?"

"Nah, dude, I think it's that book laying on the ground over there," Matt said as he directed Jack to a small white book a few feet away. Jack growled at having missed something so obviously out of place, but soon walked over to pick it up. He felt an immense build-up of power the second he made contact with the pages and promptly dropped the book again. Matt's eyes widened at the display. "You okay, Jack?"

The Irishman shook his head violently, but soon regretted it when his headache protested the sharp movement. Fuck sake… "Yeah, I'm good. That was just super weird. As soon as I touched it, I could feel this incredible power flowing through me. It was…unreal."

Matt nodded. "The bow does the same to me, I can't really explain it. You grow used to it quite quickly. Guess that confirms the book is your weapon then. Have a read, see what it says."

Jack stared at the book sceptically, not too sure what to make of the rush of power, before eventually taking a loose hold. He really didn't like this sensation…it made him very uneasy. After a few seconds the feeling lessened, and he was able to focus more on the object he held. He opened the cover to take a look inside, stopping as he saw the glowing silver writing on the black pages.

The Aura Mage

Strong of heart and mind, a light to guide those trapped in the dark. One who is willing to stand for what they believe, no matter the personal cost. A shield to those close to their heart.

From a distance Matt watched as Jack took in the words, waiting patiently as he began flipping through the pages. "I'm hoping the book at least tells you what spells you can use?" he asked as Jack stared harder at one particular page.

When Jack began smiling, Matt was intrigued. His eyes then nearly bulged out of his head as Jack held out his right hand and conjured a small ball of lightning. Next thing Matt knew, a bolt had shot forth from Jack's hand to collide with a boulder. The impact left a scorch mark several feet wide. "Hell yeah!" exclaimed Jack excitedly.

"Holy…" Matt was temporarily rendered speechless. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "This is where I say…no. Honestly, I've got no control over it. I get the feeling I'm going to need some serious practice. But…that's not all I can do." Jack lifted his left hand and raised it in front of him. A soft glow began emanating before fanning out to cover the area in front of Jack. Matt looked on curiously. "Touch it, Matt. It's not harmful." Matt gave him a suspicious look before reaching out his own hand. He braced himself, not sure what to expect, and was surprised when he came to an abrupt stop. The light was solid.

Matt suddenly understood. "It's a shield."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. Based off what I'm reading in here, I'm mainly a support character. My shield is my primary spell, the lightning is more an extension of my skills. I'm suspecting that my lack of control in that regard is on purpose: I'm not designed to be a fighter, which I will freely admit I am fine with." The Irishman then showed Matt the description of his character.

"Pretty sure you're right about being a support character, it mentions your shield specifically. Who knows, maybe this means you'll become a healer over time as well?"

Blue eyes lit up in excitement. "Hey, I didn't think of that. That would be handy."

"It would be. It's also helpful that we are both effective at range. I wonder what Mark turned out as."

It was then that Jack noticed there was only two of them. "Wait a minute. Where is Mark?"

Matt grimaced. "I haven't found him. Then again, you showed up later than me, so maybe he did too."

Jack thought back to what happened just before he woke up. "Hmmm, I'm not so sure about that, actually. I think the reason I arrived later was because I didn't upload properly the first time. Damien said I got stuck in the Mental Matrix; he had to reset my pod for me to join."

Matt pondered this. "Guess that means we'll just have to look for him. Don't suppose your book gave you any hints on which direction to go, did it?" Jack shook his head, leading Matt to sigh. "Of course it wouldn't be that easy."

A smile lit Jack's face. "It's no big deal, we'll just head for high ground and see what we can find. Maybe there's a town or something nearby? I'm guessing they didn't drop us completely in the middle of nowhere."

Jack's enthusiasm was catching. "Sure, sounds like a good plan. Now…which way?

An hour later found Jack and Matt standing atop a large hill, looking over their landscape. They'd spent twenty minutes looking for some higher ground, and searching for Mark, before realising that their friend was nowhere to be seen. Hoping that he would follow a similar thought process to their own, the pair had turned their attention to finding their way through their new world. As time went on both Matt and Jack were slowly becoming more engrossed, finding it hard to spot the ways in which the Dreamscape was flawed. Even small things like the smells and feel of what they touched were capturing their attention more and more: they could only wonder how long it would be before they stopped trying to survey the world and critique it, and began to be fully engrossed in their journey.

From their viewpoint it hadn't taken them long to find a large town. It covered a good couple of miles and was not that far from their position, only about another hour's walk. Before they set out again they took the opportunity to check through their inventories, seeing what basics they had been given at the start of the game. A swift scroll through had shown they each had many different foods, water, a blanket complete with bedroll, some kindling and a flint, as well as what looked like several syringes. Matt had pulled one out and examined it, coming to the conclusion that the blue liquid was probably a health potion of some sort. After playing around for a little while Jack discovered a way for them to get descriptions of all the items they carried, confirming that the syringes did indeed heal. They each had three small ones, and two larger ones. Jack also had three syringes filled with an amber liquid: a quick check revealed them to be stamina boosts. He was curious as to why they were present, but ignored it for now. He'd come to the conclusion that he would probably realise why they were there soon enough.

They soon left the hill and were most of the way to the town when Matt heard something not far behind them. On their travels he had discovered his sight and hearing were far sharper than normal – he suspected it was a passive ability from his new class – and they'd found several animals wandering around the wood courtesy of his enhanced senses. Instinctively he realised it wasn't the case this time. The steps were heavy, and there were multiples sets. A group of people. "Jack, we've got a group behind us," he informed the other man.

Jack stopped at Matt's statement. "How far away?"

Matt's eyes kept darting around: as soon as they'd stopped the steps had changed. They were lighter, to the point where he couldn't hear some anymore, and had began to spread out. "Not far, and I get the impression they aren't friendly. We're being flanked either side. Looks like we're about to get our first taste of combat." Jack nodded his head slowly as he started looking around, scanning their surroundings. He could just make out the shadows darting through the trees around them, confirming Matt's theory. Matt drew his bow and readied an arrow, really not sure how this was going to go. He knew he had a good aim from all the challenge videos he did for his channels, but this was totally different. This was a true bow and arrow, he didn't know quite how well his aim would stand up. "I think I've got four this side. Jack?"

"Three with me. They seem to have stopped for now. Here's hoping I can at least direct this lightning in a general direction…I'm going to be no help whatsoever if all I've got is a shield."

Matt hummed in agreement vaguely before he heard a series of mechanical clicks: crossbows being loaded. He stood back-to-back with Jack, his bow raised, but before he could find a target he heard three releases. "Jack, arrows!"

Jack spun and instinctively threw out his left hand, raising his shield in front of Matt. The metal projectiles all stopped in the air as they hit the barrier and Jack winced, feeling the three impacts like mild punches to the gut. This was not what he'd been expecting. He lowered the shield, the arrows dropping with it as Matt finally caught sight of a target. He let loose his own arrow, watching as it sailed through the air to connect exactly where he'd been aiming: the assailant's hand. The man screamed and dropped his weapon as Matt quickly reloaded, taking aim at another. He saw one of the other assailants trying to load again and fired straight at him, striking true again. Another hand punctured, a second crossbow was dropped. The other two men forsook their distance weaponry and drew swords, charging towards Matt. Realising his advantage was about to be lost Matt ran, hoping to find an opportunity to strike.

After lowering his shield Jack had turned back around, hearing the charge of the other three assailants. With little else he could do he threw up his right hand and discharged a ball of lightning. The attack rose to several feet above before being unleashed. It was effective, but costly. All three men were hit and screamed in agony before dropping to the ground defeated, but the attack did not go only one direction. Jack screeched as he was hit by the area-wide assault and raised his shield quickly, but even that had a price. Just as before he felt the wind be stolen from him as the impact registered with his guard. The lightning at last stopped and Jack crumbled to his knees, trying desperately to get his breath back.

Matt had managed to lead the last two foes away and saw a boulder he reckoned he could scale with minimal effort. He jumped off a smaller rock next to it and managed to scramble to the top. Now with height to his advantage, Matt drew again and fired. The men were smarter this time, however, and took shelter behind some trees. They attempted to step out, but had to swiftly dive back into cover as Matt fired. The Youtuber realised he now had a serious problem: all they had to do was wait until he ran out of arrows, of which he only had six left, and then he was a sitting duck. The stalemate lasted for about half a minute when Matt was faced with a new problem. Knives hurtled towards him and Matt was forced to jump to the right off his perch, landing awkwardly on the loose branches below. He slipped and fell on his side, swearing as he saw the pair charge.

Salvation then came from nowhere.

Matt watched in astonishment as the pair then screeched in pain, collapsing in a smouldering heap. It took him a couple of seconds to realise what had happened: Jack. He got back to his feet, wincing slightly at the ankle he'd managed to lightly twist from his fall, and headed back to his companion. Matt gasped as he found Jack doubled over on his knees, his left arm hanging uselessly as his right was clutching his stomach. "Shit, Jack!" Jack's eyes opened to stare at Matt as he knelt next to him. "What happened to you?"

Jack chuckled darkly. "I'm definitely not meant to fight unless absolutely necessarily. My own area attack hit me, I took a fair bit of damage before I managed to get my shield up. Even that is a cursed blessing. Every time I stop something it saps my strength. It felt like someone was punching me in the stomach." He winced as an aftershock rippled through him. "Okay, pain is definitely the same in here as it is outside. Fuck this hurts…"

A look of concern settled over Matt's face as he took the information in. While Jack may have the greater power out of the two of them, it came at great personal cost to him. Then Matt remembered the extra syringes that Jack had found in his inventory. Damn! I should have twigged why a mage would have the extra items. "Jack, can you get to your inventory? You need health and one of your stamina syringes." The younger man nodded and let go of his stomach, cringing at the pain as he swiped through his items. He pulled out both syringes and handed them to Matt. The older man stared at them, taking note of the unique design, and realised they were probably designed for use in combat. "Jack, trust me?"

Matt received a suspicious look in return. "Yeah…why?" A second later, he screamed in agony as Matt drove the health syringe into his left arm. "Fuck! Warn me next time you fucker! Shit…" Three seconds later Jack could feel the pain in his body lessening, the serum working quickly. Another few seconds later and he looked down in astonishment. All the pain was gone, it was as though it had never been there, though the exhaustion remained. Jack watched as Matt withdrew the first syringe and then used the amber one much more delicately, trying his best not to cause any additional pain. This one was relatively painless, and within seconds he felt revitalised. "Whoa…damn those things are handy. I feel good as new!"

The older man helped Jack to stand again. "I guess your magical abilities come at a pretty large cost to your physical stamina, hence the extra gear you have. Looks like you'll need to train somehow."

Jack hummed in thought. "Well, if this is an RPG, I guess we'll have some sort of level up feature? I dunno. Hopefully that gets easier over time, I really don't fancy having to deal with those aftereffects every time we get into a fight."

Matt chuckled. "Well it does help if you don't shock yourself, too."

Jack glared at him. "It's not as if I did it on purpose."

"I guess we'll find out soon enough. Gimme a sec to gather up all my arrows and we'll head off. Do you think we're far away?"

"Nah, I reckon we're pretty close to the town. Shouldn't be too long now." Matt nodded before turning around, scouring their battle zone for any arrows he could salvage. Jack began to follow when he felt a shiver go up his spine. Not questioning his instincts, he turned around, scanning the area closely. His whole body was like ice all of a sudden, and he couldn't shake the dread seeping its way through his body. It was almost as if something was…watching him. Then he heard it: a muffled cackle. It was steadily getting louder, and it gave him chills. What the-

"Jack?" Matt's question caught Jack's attention and he spun back to his friend. "I'm done, you good?"

Jack took another look back, but already the feeling had passed. There wasn't anything to see, and the laughing had stopped too. The Irishman gave the scenery a cynical expression. Stupid imagination. He then returned his gaze to Matt, flashing him a confident smile. "All good, dude. Let's go!"

The two continued forth, unaware of the green eyes following them from a distance. A figure in black teleported between the trees, watching as they neared the town. As they got to the edge of the settlement it stopped, sitting down on a branch. It whistled happily, flipping its knife around in its right hand, waiting.

Oh don't you worry, Jackaboy, I'll get to dance with you soon. I'll enjoy making you break.

Miles away, in an abandoned castle perched atop a series of cliff, a lone figure began to wake. He groaned deeply as he registered a dull pain to the back of his head. As the pain became less of an issue he pushed himself from his stomach, slowly getting to his feet. It took several seconds for him to regain his bearings, but then he looked around. Crumbling walls and ruined tapestries surrounded him, and a sharp wind whistled through the area. The only light surrounding him came from several torches mounted upon the walls and the odd stone basin which was lit. The whole ambience of the place made him…uneasy. "Well, this is joyous."

A low growl from his right made Mark freeze. He slowly turned to see a very large black wolf snarling at him, teeth bared and jaws slavering. His breath hitched slightly as he realised the thing was bigger than he was, and it looked hungry. As he backed up, he slammed into a wall.

Shit, this is so not my day.

I'm a bitch, I know! This is not where I originally intended to leave the chapter, but if I'd gone to where I planned, this chapter would have been way too long. Sorry! Please don't hate me! A large part of the next chapter is written, so I should hopefully have it up around Friday.

Let me know what you all thought!

*Smooch*