"Aaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggh!!!!"

Actor wasn't happy.

He was so close.

So close to intervening.

This was his CHANCE!

Only to be squandered by none other than WILFORD MOTHERLOVING WARSTACHE!

And . . . . Anti.

Whether he realized it or not, he was a big part of why his plan didn't work.

"DAMMIT!" He punched a mirror on the other side in the void, "Fucking useless . . . . I should have never trusted him with this . . .." he growled under his breathe. He had to think of a different plan now.

Because now everything was different.

Dark wasn't meant to know the truth but even now, Mark had him in his old study to tell him.

And he couldn't do anything about it.

He took a deep breathe, "No matter. . . . . He's still the enemy. . . . .  my villain. I'll find a way to keep him that way. I was so close before. I won't fail again and this time. . I won't NEED a partner"

'Why did I even need him to begin with? To release Dark Chica, I suppose to confuse him. To question his bond with her. And then I suppose he was good for relaying information about him. I've learned a lot about the fool. . . Fucking mirror image of Damien. . . . .  He put those thoughts in her head'

Yes, he'd have to change his plan now. . . .

But that didn't mean he had lost.

It was time for Plan B.

Dark wondered why the others couldn't hear what Mark had to say.

And why all of a sudden was Mark not afraid of him? Did he trust him now? After almost killing him? Even Dark thought it was dumb of him.

But he could understand not telling anyone else. Perhaps he has his reasons?

Dark thought he was done giving Mark the benefit of the doubt but here he was again . . ..  trusting his creator. 

'Just this one last time. Let me trust you, Mark'

Mark promised to tell him the truth now . . . .

Dark had so many questions.

Would he finally get those answers?

Why was Actor after him? If Damien was dead, then didn't he get his revenge a long time ago? Wasn't Celine the one to try and kill him? Was Actor just delusional? What did ANY of this have to do with Dark Chica? 

Why was Actor so hell bent on making him the villain and where the hell was he now?

"I imagine you have several questions"

Dark blinked, "You might say that. . ."

"Right . . ..  Well instead of answering them individually . . .maybe it's best for me to just explain the whole story"

"Well . . . you said that the Damien video and Who Killed Markiplier weren't the complete truth. There was more to it. I guess I'm ready to find out" Dark looked him in the eye, "I need to know NOW"

"Yeah . . ." Mark sighed heavily, "I agree . . . I'm sorry, Dark. It's my fault. There's no reason I didn't tell you. I was just . . . well I was afraid you'd snap, I guess but looks like that happened anyway-"

"It was Actor" Dark confessed, leaving Mark somewhat stunned.

"Wh-what?"

"I uh . . . Actor's involved in what happened earlier AND the other day. I think he's messing with my head. And I think he possessed you a few times, too. I wasn't sure though until earlier. He said I needed to ask you and find out the truth not that it would matter . . . . That I didn't have a choice"

"I see . . . ." Mark looked as if he'd throw up. 'If Actor really is back then I don't have a choice but to tell him . . . . Plus that give ME the advantage so Dark might not kill me but focus on Actor instead once he finds out'

"I'm ready to know, Mark" Dark was insistent, "I just want all of this to make sense. I'm tired of never knowing anything"

That seemed to strike Mark. He had heard that line before.

From Damien.

"Okay . . . " Mark sat in the chair beside Dark, "I guess I'll start from the very beginning"

.

.

.

.

.

Mark was just starting his career in YouTube but he had so many ideas floating around in his head. His imagination was great and he couldn't help but to wish for more.

He didn't know what he was wishing for, though, at the time.

He didn't realize all the repercussions.

Deep in his head, their story began.

"Honey, do you know where my special robe is!? I can't find it anywhere!"

His wife groaned lightly but responded anyway, "Nope! Maybe it's in your closet LIKE ALWAYS!"

He scoffed and mumbled under his breathe, "And maybe YOU stole it again . . . Whatever." he walked in his shirt and shorts to the bathroom to finish getting ready. At least, for the night, that is. He wasn't about to go out like his wife wanted. He was too tired and bored to do anything but chill and watch TV.

Of course then he'd bitch about how all the other actors on TV could have been HIM, pissing his wife off to the point she'd go to bed without him, locking him out of their room.

They had a troubled marriage lately. He used to be so sweet and nice. So charming. . . . She herself was captured by his charm.

And then the nightmares started.

Which led to staying up at night. . . which then led to staying up and drinking . . .

Which led to hangovers and depression.

And she couldn't do anything to stop his spiral downwards.

"Are you SURE we can't go out tonight?" she asked him again.

"Celine, I'm sorry, but I'm just not in the mood"

"You're never in the mood" she huffed, "Whatever. I'm going out with the girls. Don't wait up!"

"Not for you" he mumbled but Celine heard him. She was heartbroken to say the least but left as if she hadn't heard him.

Actor groaned as he flopped on the couch, turning on the TV.

In the distance, he could hear a small rattle and glanced over to the door to see his beloved that would NEVER leave him.

"Chica! There you are! Get over here. . wait . . what's that in your mouth?"

              *ᶜʰᶦᶜᵃ ʰᵉʳᵉ ᶦˢ ᵖʳᵒⁿᵒᵘⁿᶜᵉᵈ ᵃˢ ˢʰᵉᵉᵏ⁻ᵃ. ᵀʰᶦⁿᵏ ᵒᶠ ᶜʰᶦᶜ ᵃˢ ᶦⁿ ˢᵗʸˡᶦˢʰ. ᴵᵗ ˢᵒʳᵗ ᵒᶠ ᵐᵃᵏᵉˢ ˢᵉⁿˢᵉ ᵗʰᵉⁿ ˡᵒˡ

His lovable Labrador wagged her tail ferociously, his red robe in her mouth.

"Get over here, you silly mutt!" he meant it playfully but she took it at a whole other level, running off with it down the hall.

"Dammit . . ." he didn't want his robe getting torn or too much slobber on it, though, so he got up, running after her.

Looks like he wasn't going to be watching TV as much tonight.

Meanwhile Celine had lied. She wasn't going to see any girlfriends she knew. She stopped by Damien's. Why? To vent, of course. What else were siblings for? 

"I just thought life would be a little more glamorous than this! He's completely letting himself go!"

"I don't really feel sorry for you" her brother shrugged, "I TOLD you he wasn't the best man to marry and yet you ignored my advice anyway"

"That's because usually your advice is shit"

"Hey!"

"It's true" Celine went to his kitchen for a glass of water and gulped it down, "I just .  . . . he used to be  . . well. . .different"

"So did you"

"What's that supposed to mean?! I haven't changed!"

"Oh really?" Damien pointed at her outfit, "You never used to wear this kind of stuff! You used to hate dresses!"

"I love anything black, for your information!" she tried to defend herself but it wasn't convincing enough and she took another sip of water, "Besides, like you can talk! Look at you mister mayor. All high and mighty now you're such a big man, huh?"

"At least I'll never lose sight of who I am. Like you seem to"

"That's not true, dammit, Damien!"

"DAMMIT, DON'T YOU SEE WHAT HE'S DONE TO YOU!?"

Celine froze. Her brother usually never yelled at her. Which usually indicated he was REALLY upset . . or concerned in this case.

She grit her teeth and looked away, "I don't know what you mean."

Damien shook his head, messing with the cane in his hand that she had gifted to him. He didn't understand, though how she could be so blind.

"He's ruined you. You could do so much better than him and you know that"

"Like who? Who would be better? The butler? The cook? Mark is the one who caught my eye and came after me. He loves me"

"At least William always let you be who you are. He'd never change you"

"William?" Celine remembered the Colonel. He was always so ornery and funny. So charming himself. Yet, if she remembered right. . . his tastes ran more to . . .. married women.

How convenient.

"I'm not about to cheat on my husband, Damien"

"Didn't ask you to." he snorted, "I just want what's good for you, Celine. I just want you happy and I know  . . . I can feel that you are no longer happy with Mark. The Actor has long since died and you know that."

"He was always such a good Actor. . . ."

"And he let himself go into shambles.. . . Does he still rant on foolishly? I called him a few days ago. He rambled on in our talk something about demons"

"Yeah .  . . and there's that. He blames demons for  . . . not being able to get a gig"

Damien sighed but reached out to her, "You do what you want, Celine. I just want to see you happy, again. I love you, sis. I don't want to see you wither away like him. I don't want to see him drag you down with him"

"I know . . ." she hugged him to her. 

Her brother always had the best hugs. It was like hugging a pile of pillows by a fireplace. A favorable but distant memory of their 'childhood'.

The cabin in the woods was just as distant and long forgotten. She missed the old days so much.

Was Damien right?

Actor finally caught up to Chica but he was too late to save the robe from all of her saliva, "You're fast for a dog gaining so much weight"

She snuffed him and trotted over to her dish.

"No. You already had dinner, you brat"

She whined, though. He couldn't resist the whine.

"Oh fine"

He was filling her dish only half as much. When he bent down to give it to her, he noticed a light on across the hall.

"That's odd." Going more towards it, he realized it led to his wife's private room, "I thought she left?"

He knocked on the door, "Celine? You in there? I thought you went out?"

No response.

And yet he saw a small shadow move. There was someone in that room.

"Hello? Celine?" he knocked again but there was still no response. His heart started to race. 

'Just like . . .in my nightmares. . . Is Celine okay? Is it the demons again? Have they come to torment me once more?'

He had chronic nightmares every night about them. Demons that would torture him every night. Taunt him. Make him scream and beg. 

He tried talking to Celine about it but she just waved it off as just a nightmare. They would go away. At the time, he thought he was just wasting her time.

But now . . . 

'Where's Celine? Should I call her? What if she just thinks I've gone mad, though?'

He was terrified but took a deep breathe.

'Just pretend you're one of the adventurers on TV. Like Illinois the man of Adventure. He was always so sleek and brave. You can do this . . . Just.  . . open the damn door'

Swallowing down his pride and fear, Actor Mark broke the door open shouting, "Ah-hah! I have you, thief! I already called the cops-"

But . ..  there was no one there.

'What? But I could have sworn I saw a shadow'

Suddenly the door slammed shut behind him and he yelped cowardly, "Fuck! Hey! Who d-did that!?! Let me out!"

He banged on the door and shouted, only hearing Chica barking on the other side.

"Don't you dare touch my dog, you bastard!"

A deep chuckle sounded behind him, though.

Mark turned. There was a dark presence in the room. 

Shadows all around him.

In the middle of the room was Celine's Ouija board, Crystal ball and tarot cards on her table.

He always thought she was a fraud deep in his head but he never told her that. She was too feisty for him to say that. But after all his nightmares and what he was going through right now . . . 

He wanted her there more than anything.

"C-celine?" he squeaked out.

A deep rumbling purred in the back of the room, making his heart race.

'Shit, I'm so screwed'

But he could see something amid the crystal ball. It looked to be. .. . glowing?

He almost didn't realize the room was starting to get darker.

But something pulled him closer to the table.

He was curious. He could see something. He was sure. 

His fears seemed to be at bay as if something was leading him there.

It wanted to show him something.

Finally he was above the crystal ball.

He could see the image it wanted to show him.

And he was angry.

There was his wife but not where she SAID she'd be.

She was with his best friend.

Cheating on him.

'William . . . I knew you were always a scoundrel. But Celine?'

Whatever was in the room used his anger. Raised it to new heights.

It could see the potential in him.

Unlike everyone else . . .. it had a job for him.

He didn't remember his time in Celine's private room. It was as if he had blacked out. 

He remembered feeding Chica and then . . . nothing.

Perhaps he had drank too much? But then he realized he hadn't even started.

And then he remembered the image of Celine and William.

Their divorce was immediate after the big fight. Without reason and yet Celine didn't once lie to him about it, only confirming his suspicions. He was so angry, he actually laid his hands on her, giving her a bruise on her face. Celine had to convince Damien not to call Abe to put him under arrest.

Celine, however, took Chica with her, living with Damien until she could find a place of her own.

And then a year went by. Actor spiraled down and descended into madness, the demon only helping. 

Nothing could help the Actor now. This was who he was now.

But then out of the blue, he invited all his closest 'friends' back to his home, including William and Damien. Thus ensued the events of 'Who Killed Markiplier' and 'Damien'.

No one knew the true purpose of his anger, though. Of course he was angry with Celine cheating on him. She was his rock. But that didn't seem to be where it stemmed from.

No.

He wasn't angry at Celine. He could understand her actions.

He was angry with himself.

Mark always wanted to be the best Actor in the world and after he ruined his career, he NEEDED to get back on top.

And Celine's creation of Dark  could be the perfect start.

Then he'd get everything back he felt belonged to him. The cane, the mansion, the dog, the fans.

He'd be the perfect hero of his own story and everything would return just as great as before. No, even BETTER!

He would be the best. And no one would ever need more.

.

.

.

.

.

After listening to the story, Dark was  . . . well . . .. flabbergasted.

But why was he after HIM of all people?

"Okay . . . why me, though?"

Mark shrugged, "I mean . . I suppose it's because Celine helped create you. Maybe he wants to take some of his anger out with her on you."

"No, really?" Dark scoffed, "So that's why Dark Chica was involved. She was his dog in the beginning"

"Makes sense. To be honest, I didn't see any of coming. I could feel it but . . . it all pieced itself together just after you were created in the void"

"But. . . I've never been IN the void"

"Uh . . .yes, you have"

"No, I haven't! I've been in your head but that's close enough, I guess! Nothing of importance in there. Nothing much, anyway"

"Hey! . . Mean" Mark tried to think of a way to tell him, "It's just . . .odd that you think that. You were created there. You don't remember anything about it? The forest? The cabin? The lake?"

"Uh . . . no. Just from what was in the 'Damien' video"

"Hm . . . . Weird. Maybe it was Celine's doing"

"Whatever the case" Dark stood up from his seat and held out his hand, "Thank you for telling me, Mark. I know you didn't want to. I guess I can sort of understand now why Actor's so angry. He might be hiding in this 'void' then. How do we get to him?"

"Huh? Oh . . well" Mark grit his teeth awkwardly, "Well that's . . . YOU. You're the only one plus Wilford that can get there. And I believe Anti can, too"

"Not sure on that. The uh . .. ." he cleared his throat, trying to think of what to say, "Wasn't that just a silly video? Sean had to step in for him, I believe because he kept threatening people"

"Yeah . . I don't know. So Actor possessed me, you think? That's bad. We'll have to think of something to do and fast if that's the case"

"Thank you, Mark"

"F-for what?"

" . . .  For telling me. Trusting me."

"  . . . ." Mark looked guilty, "Honestly, .  . . I should have a long time ago. Now how about we go get Amy and the others and maybe think of a pl-"

Suddenly Mark's phone rang.

"Oh. Hold on a sec. It's Sean"

Dark's heart raced suddenly and he didn't know why. Why would he be worried for him?

"Hey Sean what's up?" he directed Dark to start walking out of the room with him, "I'm doing good. How about you? The other Septics behaving?"

Dark was even more worried when they entered the living room and there Anti was chatting with Dr. Iplier.

Mark suddenly had a strange look on his face.

Everyone could suddenly feel his tension and stopped talking.

"What did you just say?" he put the phone on speaker.

"Oh" Sean seemed a bit off guard to repeat himself but did so anyway, "I said Chase will be a bit late coming down for the filming. He had something come up with his kids and-"

"Sean .  .. Chase is right in front of me"

"What? No, he's not! He's right here! Say hi, Chase"

"Uh . . . hey bros?"

Mark and everyone else stared at the imposter Chase, slowing fading away from him, getting up or looking well . . . taken aback.

Mark swallowed and Dark was actually concerned about what could happen next as Anti realized it, too, standing up before them all.

"Sean . . . . I think we might have a problem on our hands"