"A playing field of dead fools" Sam snorted, "Oh ~Anthony~. . . . . I think you know I'm not going to kill YOU. . . .no. Even though you'll want it by the time I'm finished with this . . . chore."

Anthony could see Anti's one eye was green but now the other one turning, too.

Sam really had taken full control, cementing his hold on Anti forever.

"I've done more in twenty four hours than you've done in three years. Sad, isn't it?"

Anthony growled, "I don't call that sad. What's sad is a pathetic demon like you having to take control over someone else to do anything."

Sam blinked, "Always quick with the comebacks . . . . You can fight all you want but by the end of today, EVERYONE you formed a bond with will be dead and you'll only have me left. And don't think for a moment that I'll ever let you die. We still have a job to do. More multiverses."

"FUCK YOU!" Anthony charged up, his hair and eyes glowing green, "I'd rather kill myself a million times than EVER work together with YOU!"

He charged at him.

Mark had Wilford's head in his lap, trying to wake him up even a little so he could pour the healing potion in his  mouth and NOT drown him.

"Come on, you stubborn son of a bitch" Mark hissed at him, "Wake the fuck up. You're not done, COME ON!"

Wilford flinched a little and his eyes cracked open slightly.

Mark unconsciously breathed out a small sigh of relief and held the bottle to his lips, "Drink, idiot"

He poured the liquid against his lips and Wilford gladly swallowed the potion.

He stayed with his head in Mark's lap, though. Just looking up at him.

Mark growled, "Get off of me. You need to go back and fight."

Wilford still just looked up at him, ". . . . . . I'm sorry, Mark . . . .. I don't think I ever REALLY told you that"

Mark blinked. It was a little surprising, "I took the hint that you were when you kept trying to give me gifts this whole year"

"But I never really said it." Wilford argued, ". . . . and bubbles don't solve everything. . ..  I've tried.  . . . . I was angry that you had neglected all of us, your friends. . ..  it was wrong of me to go after Celine."

Mark felt something. . . a weight being pulled off of him. If Wilford had apologized all those years ago, they'd still end up here. If he had apologized during the fight with Dark and the Septics, it wouldn't have mattered.

But now. . . . after all the time he was forced to spend with them all . . .. with Dark and Wilford especially . . . .

Mark shoved Wilford off his lap and crossed his arms, "Damn you"

Wilford gasped and excitedly gave him a hug, forcing himself on him, "YOU FORGIVE ME!!"

Mark growled, "Dammit William! Focus! You need to try and take down Anti, remember? Now go tell Dark how I helped you and maybe he'll give me my powers back"

Wilford belted out a laugh, "Yeah right"

But he hopped up, bringing Mark up with him, "I feel brand spanking new! Come on! It looks like Dark is in an existential crisis! Let's go see!"

Wilford yanked Mark with him.

Dark watched Anthony fight Sam again.

'I need to help . . .but I think that maybe the demon is right. There's a part of me that's. . . . holding myself back. Why!? Let me fight! LET ME FIGHT HIM! I NEED TO SAVE HIM!'

Wilford appeared in front of him, "Hey there, Darky!"

"AH!" Dark flinched back, "DAMMIT, WIL!  Go help Anthony!"

Mark was behind Wilford, "Why don't YOU go help?"

"I. . .I can't .. .something is stopping me. Holding me back. The demon said-"

"Yeah, I heard what the demon had said" Mark rolled his eyes, "Since when do you take orders from OTHERS? God, even Celine would agree with me that you're being a weak little crybaby bitch right now"

"Hey!"

"Maybe a little too far" Wilford muttered.

Mark rolled his eyes, "Dark .. . you need to give me my powers back. Look, I'll do fucking anything you want but we all know I can HELP."

Mark put his hand on Dark's shoulder, "You're the one that said before I could become good. Give me the chance."

Dark felt Mark's aura. It was.. . different.

His eyes widened, "Why?"

Just to be sure. . . he needed to know.  Why now? Why all of a sudden is he bringing this up? Why did he tag along in the first place?

Anthony was pissed. Of course he was.

While he was fighting for his life, Dark, Mark and Wilford were off having some little chat by themselves while JACKIE'S DEAD BODY WAS ALREADY STARTING TO ROT ON THE GROUND AND THEY DIDN'T HELP!

He was bruised, broken and bloody but here Anthony still was, fighting like a warrior to try and make it so everyone's deaths weren't for nothing.

Anthony punched Sam in the face, using the lightning as a boost to make them stronger.

He landed a few but Sam just came right back at him with the same attack.

Anthony tried to block or dodge but Sam was just stronger than him.

He was the original of them after all.

"What's wrong?!" Sam taunted, "You look SO DEFEATED!"

He slammed him into a boulder and hit Anthony's head into the jagged rock, "Fucking useless piece of shit! I shouldn't have even MADE you!"

Anthony spat in his face, barely able to fight back anymore, "You might as well  . . .. blame yourself for all of this then!"

Sam thrust Anthony into the boulder, causing it to break and shatter over and on top of him.

Sam snarled, "Just pass out already. I have other fish to fry" he licked his lips.

Anthony was losing conscious after being beaten nearly to death but he suddenly felt that familiarity. He fought to get up out of the rubble, pulling himself up although still surrounded by rock and debris.

Sam smirked, turning around, "Oh looky here. . . .  seems one of those little fishies came to ME"

Gab had arrived, her favorite sword in hand, ready for a fight.

She noticed a few things upon her arrival. Jackie was dead.Dark, Mark and Wilford were arguing. Anthony was looking like a horror show and Anti . . . or rather Sam's eyes were both green now. 

It looked like Anti was no longer in the picture at all.

But she tried to stay positive.

Evan was with Sean right now to try and fix everything.

Gab teleported more in front of Anthony, "Don't worry, hon. . . . Evan and I may have a silver lining. Don't give up hope just yet"

Sam clapped his hands, "Shit! EVAN! YES! I nearly forgot about that little fucker! Thanks for reminding me! When I'm finished killing all of you, I gotta go kill him, Sean and Evelien! . .  And then the magic council, too, but that one will just be for fun" he snickered.

"Gab. . ." Anthony croaked out, "You shouldn't.  .. be here. . .  please. . .just run. Anti is gone"

"Yeah no" Gab snorted, "If you think I'm leaving you here to die alone, you have another thing co-"

It happened way too fast.

Sam shot forward with his knife.

Anthony just REACTED and lunged forward as well.

Gab was suddenly caught in a frightening sandwich.

Sam was WAY too close to stabbing her in the stomach to try and kill her and her baby. Anthony had lunged forward just in time behind Gab to grab hold of Sam's wrists to stop him.

He was in pain, yes, but he wasn't about to let this monster kill his queen and his unborn child.

The protectiveness came out of nowhere but he was reminded of Chase's words earlier.

'Having your OWN kid . ... it's something special. I know you love your nieces and nephews but trust me. . . . once you have your own kid. . . you'll love them like you've never loved anything before. I'm excited to see the look in your eyes when you hold them for the first time'

Anthony snarled on the other side of Gab, "I'll . . . fucking. . .. rip . ..you . . .to SHREDS!!"

Gab was feeling just as maternal and teleported behind Sam. 

Anthony grabbed Sam by his bloody throat, holding him in place.

Gab swung her sword over Sam's back and it cut through a good couple of inches.

"YOU HURT MY BABY, YOU FUCKING DIE! I DON'T CARE THAT YOU LOOK LIKE ANTI ANYMORE!"

Of course, the sword did a lot of damage but Anti's body was being held together and alive by the demon. It'd take a lot more than that to kill him.

But Sam was pissed. He shook the wasp nest when he threatened Anthony's child.

"You're the one that said before I could become good. Give me the chance."

Dark's eyes widened, "Why?"

Mark knew what he wanted.

"That demon . . . took EVERYTHING from me. Sure William took away Celine. . . . but the demon destroyed  everything else. I should have never tampered with it"

He still had his hand on Dark's shoulder, allowing him to feel if he was telling him the truth or not, giving him everything.

"I actually felt comfortable around you all this last year. . . . and then the demon arrives. . . . killing so many people . . . I never wanted that. . . . I know the demon in ME was only a small portion of THIS monster. . . but I still allowed it entry and made everything worse. And now all of the Iplier egos. . . my creations. . . .. the fucked up dysfunctional family I made for myself . . . . they'll all gone.. . .. and now I only have you and Wilford left."

He tightened his grip on Dark's shoulder, "I  . . .. more or less. . ..  forgive Wilford for sleeping with Celine. . . .. I never should have brought Damien into my anger. . . .  I helped inadvertently create you. I turned Damien into the villain of my fucked up story and thus you, too. You didn't deserve that. I see now that I was lost. . . . I was wrong. You're not the villain, I am. . . . was. . . .. I want to do better, Dark"

He shuddered and tears formed in his eyes, "Let me do better. . . . let me help you"

Dark breathed out a heavy sigh. He looked out at Anthony and Gab fighting Sam.

"I can't fight him at all. The demon . . . how would YOU be able to?"

Mark snorted, "Wil has a part of the demon in him, too, and he can fight it. That's because he broke the chains on him a long time ago. You were always too 'orderly' to do so. But I can help with that. . . . if you give me back  .. . my powers"

Dark was still unsure but he was giving, "And you won't . . . leave?"

His question had a double meaning to Mark.

Mark gave Dark his white cane, "I won't leave, Damien. . . . . I swear it"

Dark reached out for the cane, taking it in hand.

Wilford grinned, happy and excited.

Dark tapped the cane on Mark's chest and the power locked inside once again found its way into Mark.

Mark grabbed hold of the cane from Dark and smiled, shuddering out a breath of fresh air, "Oh  . ..  Oh, I've missed this . . this POWER"

Dark was a little weary but Mark just smirked. 

Mark cleared his throat, fixed his red jacket and hair.

"I believe it's time for a return debut . . . don't you, boys? Care to join me?"

Dark gave a small smile.

Wilford slapped his knee and laughed, "ALRIGHT! THE BOYS ARE BACK TOGETHER! LET'S DO THIS!"

Mark tapped Dark with his finger on his forehead.

Dark suddenly felt a lot better. 

More free.

Like a  lock he never knew about had been broken.

Dark had his own cane in hand, fixed his tie and cracked his neck on both sides.

Giving Mark a small nod, he indulged in one of his famous lines.

"It's show-time."