Dark was never one to be social. Even when the other Iplier egos got together, Dark was always off on his own, making up excuses of paperwork. There was never really any paperwork for anything but it was still his excuse.

The only ones who could always call him out on his bullshit, though, were Wilford and Host. Host 'knew' things and Wilford. . . . well that was just Wilford catching 'Damien' on his shit. But they left him be, knowing he needed time to himself sometimes to keep himself together.

He could crack apart if he lost control and he wasn't willing to let that happen. Celine went through too much for him to just mess it all up. But with Actor gone, everything sort of found a peace. He didn't have to worry about falling apart and at first he was happy.

But then one day while he was in the void, someone came to play.

Anti seemed to have found his way to him and it wasn't pleasant. 

"What do you think you're doing in MY realm, glitch?"

The man laughed, his voice distorted and all over the place. Dark didn't have to turn around and see him to tell he was  . . . . . not stable.

"Well you wanted me here . . .  so here I am!"

Dark wrinkled his nose in disdain. All he wanted was some damn peace and quiet.

"I don't know what you're talking about but you better leave now before I decide to discard you in chunks"

"Oh is that a promise!?!"

Dark finally turned to face his enemy. There was something off, though. His eyes glowed and his smile was unsettling. Something was wrong with him. Dark had never actually met Anti before but he wasn't a normal ego, not even by Septic standards. He started to glitch and shudder, ready to attack.

But Dark wasn't worried. Not even in the slightest. He held a lot of power in his hands that no other normal ego could counter with.

As Anti glitched, his eyes suddenly stopped glowing but he didn't stop glitching. But now . . . now this was just getting really weird.

"Where. . . . oh" Anti had said. He stared at Dark and his expression was different. Dark just assumed he was crazy. Of course he would be for even daring to come here.

"Well? Are you going to try and attack me or not?" Dark taunted him.

That seemed to have jolted him and Anti launched.

It was a quick fight. Dark wasn't even sure if he could call it a fight. Anti had seemed so eager before but it was like he changed his mind in the middle of it all.

Dark stood over Anti. The glitch was too beaten to even escape but Dark was merciful.

"Maybe that'll teach you to pick your fights better next time. Perhaps you should stick to alley fights like the scum you are. You'd probably stand a better chance. Tch" Dark smirked down at him, "Now get out of my void"

That had been the one and only time he had ever seen Anti in person. He was so confused when he appeared in his office that day but his pity for him overcame his anger.

Then learning about his situation. . . . . Dark just felt awful. Why couldn't he have seen it? Of course Anti was being controlled. It wasn't his fault. That day. . . . it had to have been the puppeteer taking control over him. And when his eyes stopped glowing, he must have deserted him.

Anti had just been defending himself back then. Dark had nearly killed him without properly looking into the situation. 

But now he had the chance to make everything better between them. He could make it up to Anti and help him.

The puppeteer grinned as he dug within Anti for the power. He had used the last of it before to cast that illusion to taunt and stall Marvin. But he could feel that delicious power seep within him now.

'Damned magician. It's funny that he doesn't even remember. It's all his fault. He should just lay back and accept his and everyone's defeat. They'll all die at my hand.' he pet his hand through Anti's hair, 'All of them. Even you, dear puppet. I can't take all if it back just yet but soon. We'll play a little game for now'

Anti whimpered in his sleep and the man chuckled, 'If only you had remained loyal and was a good puppet. You just had to keep fighting me and my orders. Over and over again. Fool'

Before he could really take any more power, the door broke open to reveal a familiar face.

Dark broke open Anti's bedroom door. The first thing he saw was a man in a mask standing over Anti . . . taking something.

'Shit! What's he doing!?' Dark lashed out his auras at the man but a shield engulfed him in protection.

"Nice try. But you're too late"

"Who are you!? Why are you here after Anti?!" Dark shouted at him, ready to fire at him again.

Upon hearing the commotion, the other Septics started gathering by the door behind Dark. They couldn't do much compared to the Iplier ego but they'd do what they could to help Anti.

"Get away from him!" Chase pointed his gun at the man.

"And let my sweet puppet's power go to waste? I think not. Even if he's been disappointing lately, he still belongs to me"

"What are you doing to him!? Anti! Wake up! Anti!" Jackie shouted but the masked man just snickered at him.

"No use calling to him. Poor thing's so tired. I'm taking what's mine. Why did you  think I've been after him all this time!? Your dear magician knows what I mean. And why do you think he's not here?"

"Where is Marvin!? Vhat have you done to him!?" Henrik shouted.

The puppeteer stopped taking the magic from Anti and grinned at them all, "Oh you don't know? He wiped your memories, too? Oh but wait, I already knew that!" he laughed at them and lifted his hand, pushing them back with a powerful force.

Anti blinked his eyes awake but he felt weak. He could hear shouting and arguing but it was sort of hazy. There was a man there. He knew who it was but he couldn't move just yet. He took too much at once.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Oh nothing important" the puppeteer waved it off, "What you should be asking is how I got IN here"

They all stared him down but Dark wasn't having any of his bullshit and moved his arms purposefully, engulfing the entire room in darkness, "I don't care how you got in. But I'll make sure you'll never be able to leave"

The puppeteer just chuckled, "Bold words from a reject. Anti may have been too weak to fight you. . . . but I'm different. I was the original of the Septics! Nothing can kill me! Certainly not some powerless idiots like you! You all are nothing but abandoned characters he'll leave to rot!"

He clapped his hands and a bright green light consumed the area . . ..  consuming the darkness. In a short few seconds, the darkness of Dark's void was gone and he was left out of breath.

'What the hell!?' Dark thought to himself, 'He. . . . he took out my power. But how!?  It's like . .he just blew me out like a candle!'

The puppeteer just smiled, suddenly calm from his outburst, "I only came for a pit-stop. Gathering some energy now so I could destroy you all later. . . .  but you all are so much weaker than I originally thought. I don't know how Anti lost to all of you, really. Guess his emotions got in the way. You won't find that distraction in me" he flexed his hand and a ball of light appeared in it, burning with strong force.

Dark made a last-ditch effort in his strength and shielded the others with his aura as the puppeteer threw the ball at them. Dark fell to the floor. He wasn't expecting this. This was too much. This man . . . this ego . . . . he was different. Like him. The sudden realization hit. He couldn't go up against him.

The puppeteer smiled at them all but his glowing eyes fell on Dark, "Perhaps . . . . you could be a better puppet? Hm?" 

He was about to reach out for Dark when suddenly the man was covered in electricity, green sparks making him shake and stall his movements.

Anti leaned on the bed on his knees behind the man. He was ready to drop but he wouldn't be left out of a fight, "Get. . . . away . . .from them"

The puppeteer snarled and quickly snatched him by the throat. Anti struggled in vain as the man took out a knife, "Time for another punishment, puppet?!"

But before he could slice his throat, a shot rang out and a bullet went through the man's shoulder, "Get away from him!"

Chase shot his gun again, shooting him in the leg, making him stumble, "Damn you, you little  cretin!"

Anti grabbed his mask, stopping him, "You're outmatched, asshole!"

"How dare you! I am your master! Do as I say and-"

"̷N̷O̵!̷!̵!̷"̶  Anti screamed in his face and shattered the mask in his hand with whatever lightning he could produce at the moment, revealing his face to everyone.

Everyone already knew he was a Septic but he was indeed pretty different. His eyes were bright green and glowing still and his hair held flecks of green in them. He looked a little out of place from any other Septic but they still couldn't place who he could be.

Dark stood back up again, his strength returning. He was ready to fight again but the puppeteer grabbed Anti's shirt, flinging him towards Dark to throw him off.

"You think you've won!? This fight is FAR from over! How do you think I even got IN here!? My magic is strong and you idiots didn't even see it coming! I see ALL of you. Everything you're up to. Through your very own eyes." he laughed to himself, "Henrik's to be exact! Didn't you feel something strange the other day, dear doctor!? It wasn't a coincidence!"

Henrik was shocked from his words but didn't dare to show it. He wouldn't provide this creature satisfaction from it.

"Leave them alone!" Anti yelled at him, trying to struggle out of Dark's protective grasp, "You better never show your face here again, you coward!"

"Coward? You're the one who came to me, dear puppet. But I suppose you still don't remember that part, do you? You ALL have missing pieces" he snickered.

Chase cocked his gun at him again and Jackie clenched his fists, ready to jump at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you ask your magician? He's just arrived it seems. . . . as well as someone else. Familiar. I better leave and let you all mingle. It's certainly been a while." the puppeteer grinned and reached his hand to Anti, "Last chance to come back to me, puppet."

Anti glared at him and spat on the floor in front of the man, "If I ever see you again, I'll slice YOUR throat"

The puppeteer just laughed, "So feisty. I miss that. Won't be long now. I look forward to seeing you again. Say hello to our dear creator for me, will you?" with that, he was gone without a trace.

Everything stopped. 

Everyone took a deep breathe.

Anti shuddered in Dark's grasp but he wasn't up to shape himself, making them both fall to their knees.

"You okay?" Anti asked him. 

Dark closed his eyes. He felt like he lost the battle. He let them all down "I'm sorry. I tried to help"

"And you did" Jackie hesitantly pat his shoulder and offered his hand to help him up. 

Dark took the offer and him and Anti helped him up. Anti himself was about to stumble but Chase caught him.

"What do you think he meant by that?" Chase asked.

Jameson waved his arms to get their attention and signed to them, 'I heard the door downstairs open'

Henrik took Dark and Jackie took the lead in running to the stairs. Only to see Marvin. With a box TV in his arms. Looking quite guilty.

"Well . . . ." Jackie's eyes were cold, "Look what the cat dragged in."

Marvin set down the TV, huffing and puffing, "Is. . .  is everyone alright? Anti okay?!"

Everyone else made their way behind Jackie and they all moved to come downstairs with Marvin, "Yeah. No thanks to you"

Marvin did look sorry but Jackie was upset with him, "That's Anti's TV from the apartment. Isn't it? Why did you bring it here?!"

"I need it"

"Why?"

"Why does it matter? Anti!" Marvin rushed towards the glitch but Chase held his hand out to stop him.

"Why do you need a magic TV that Anti and puppeteer used to spy on us?"

"The man did say some curious things about you, Marv" Henrik suggested, still holding Dark's arm over his shoulders, "Curious things"

"What are you hiding from us, Marv?" Jackie stared him down but Marvin was resilient. He was too afraid to tell them anything right now. He needed information himself first before anything.

Luckily, Anti came to his rescue, "You guys are acting like Marvin's the bad guy. Ever think the TV could be used for something else? Maybe I could use it to spy on puppeteer!"

They didn't seem convinced but let it go, "Fine" Jackie sighed, "But since we're up, I'm ready for a nice hot cup of-"

'Ding, Dong!'

The doorbell sounded.

Everyone was silence and still. No one was up for any visitors at the moment. 

Jameson was the one to walk towards the door.

"Jameson, be careful! It could be a trap!" Henrik whisper shouted to him.

Jameson just opened the door though and everyone's breathe caught in their lungs.

It was silent for a few moments and even just stared at each other in plain shock. It was even more shocking than puppeteer showing up out of nowhere! 

"S-sean!?"