Everybody stared at Chase.

No.

Anti.

Dark actually felt panicked. Why? Why was he concerned for the glitch?

Sean on the phone was silent at first probably thinking of what to do. If there was a Chase look-alike with the Ipliers, he knew who he actually was, "I'll get Marvin. We'll get there as soon as we can"

Anti went to stand up. With his cover blown, he had to get out of there NOW.

But the others had other plan.

"Magnum!" Mark shouted, "Grab him! Google! Neutralize the glitchy bastard!"

Dark could only watch as they pounced on Anti, not that he could put up too much of a fight against them. Google shocked him with a certain charge that was able to stop him from  glitching away.

"Anti . . ." Dark felt. . . guilty, "You can stop the act now. Your show's over"

Mark snapped his eyes to him, "You knew?"

Anti chuckled humorlessly, "Of course he knew. . . . .  About a week ago . . . maybe more . .. heheheh"

"Dude. . . . Bro, why?" Bing asked Anti, "I thought . .. thought we were bros. We were cool!"

Anti wouldn't even look at him. He didn't want to admit that Bing wasn't so bad.

Suddenly there was a snapping noise and they turned to see Sean along with all of the other Septic egos.

Anti just chuckled deeply, "Ehehaha .. . . Well look who it is! The gang's all here! Hahaha"

Jackie looked ready to punch his lights out but Dark quickly put himself in between them and Anti.

He didn't know why. He just . . . did it.

"Dark .  ." Mark didn't understand these actions, "What are you doing?"

"Look, this may look odd . . . but Anti's not the bad guy here. Actor is"

"Actor?" Yan huffed, "The fuck does any of this have to do with THAT weirdo!?"

"Isn't he dead?" Bim wasn't up on the current news and the Jims were ripping out the cameras fast as lightning.

"Look" Jackie stepped closer, "It's obvious he's tricked you. He does that a lot. But that doesn't mean you can trust him" he glared at Anti, "None of us can. Marvin, get the cuffs. He's coming with us"

Dark still stood in his way, though, "He could have killed or hurt anyone while he was here but he didn't"

"All a part of some bigger scheme I bet" Marvin snorted, "Dark just get out of the way. This doesn't concern you"

"IT DOES!"

Anti didn't understand why he was defending him. It wasn't like he did him any favors.

Chase and Anti locked eyes, though and that's when Anti realized he still looked like HIM. Must be weird to see Anti in similar get-up to him but he didn't care. He didn't want to change back to the way he really looked.

"Is that my hat?"

Anti wouldn't answer him. Of course he had needed his hat to complete his stupid look!

"Explain yourself, Dark" Mark wanted to understand. After everything he told him, why would Dark keep such an important thing from him?

But Marvin threw the cuffs to Google, allowing him to put them on him to keep the glitch detained.

Anti was certain he'd be okay, though. Actor would come to get him out of this, right? He said their deal was still intact!

"I. . ." Dark started. Today had been a long enough day and now to have to try and help someone who really didn't deserve it? Helping Anti? What WAS he doing?

Didn't Anti deserve whatever punishment the Septics had to give? Anti's plan WAS to hurt or kill them all. Why protect Anti, then?

Perhaps there was something in Anti that Dark really wished he could help. Anti didn't have to tell him anything but he did. Anti didn't have to save Google or Bing or anyone while Dark had snapped . . . but he did.

"Anti's not-"

Before he could finish, however, there was a sharp high-pitched ring in Dark's ears.

It blared and hurt like hell and he reached his hands up to cover his ears but it didn't work, "AaaagghH!"

"Dark!?" Eric shouted, "Dark, what's wrong?"

"Darky boy?" even Wilford was concerned.

They all were until Dark's eyes started to change again. Blood red like they were when he had snapped. Was he freaking out again!?

"D-dark!?" Mark shouted at him, "Dark, please! Calm down! What is it?! What's going on?!"

Dark shut his eyes tight, groaning and breathing heavily.

Anti was still on his knees detained but even he seemed threatened, 'Actor, where are ya, you piece of shit!? Get me out of here!'

Everyone was scared. They could feel his aura around them and there was no way to stop it unless Wilford was in the right mind to teleport him again.

'It's all your fault'

'Just give in. You know you want to'

'My perfect villain'

'Look what you did'

'You're ruined'

'You ARE the bad guy'

Dark was terrified of the words being drilled into his mind but he still remembered Mark's story. How Actor had spiraled out of control. Because of what DAMIEN had done. Because of CELINE'S betrayal!

It pissed him off so much. He didn't even know anything about him until a few minutes ago!

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Suddenly Dark opened his eyes and pushed the thoughts out forcibly, "YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER ME!"

The ringing in his ears started to fade, "I AM NOT YOUR TOY! I AM NOT DAMIEN OR CELINE!"

Everyone started to ease at seeing Dark fight back. Was Actor really trying to control him?

"I AM NOT THE VILLAIN! I AM NOT EVIL AND NOTHING YOU DO WILL CHANGE WHO I REALLY AM!"

Everything stopped.

Dark felt that eerie presence go away and gripped his cane for support.

Mark  . . . well to say he was impressed was an understatement.

"Mark" Dark locked eyes with him, "Sean . . forget about Anti right now. Right now we need to stop Act-"

Before anyone could even react, however, Dark disappeared!

Just simply. . . . vanished!?

Anti didn't even get what was happening but when Mark snapped out of it, he whipped towards the glitch, "WHERE IS HE?! WHAT'D YOU DO!?"

"WHAT'D I DO!? I DIDN'T DO SHIT, ASSHOLE! I'M FOOKING DETAINED BY MR. MAGNIFICO'S FURRY CUFFS!"

"IT'S NOT A SEX THING!" Marvin argued.

Sean didn't know everything but he knew enough, "You were working with someone, weren't you?! Is it Actor?!"

"Yeah, so?"

"Where is he?!"

Anti just giggled, "Wouldn't YOU like to know!"

"Yeah, we would!" Jackie went to attack him but Marvin held him back.

"Calm down! Don't you know anything about interrogation?"

"Can't you just read his mind or something?" Chase asked. The father stomped over to him to try and grab his hat back but Anti winced back to evade him.

Chase didn't know why but he let him keep it on for now, "Look just give us something, man."

Anti couldn't, though. Actor was supposed to come get him, right?

But he did just grab Dark instead. . . . . 

Why?

Did he hope to forcibly change his mind only to bring him back and make him kill Mark?

Honestly Anti didn't care anymore whose side won as long as he got out of it. Except he couldn't say he had those same thoughts when he stood up for Bing and Google. He had spoken to so many of the Ipliers. . . gotten to know them all. . . including Dark.

And really Darkiplier wasn't all that bad. Anti wasn't sure if there really was a bad bone in his body!

He saw Dark Chica go over to where Dark had disappeared and whined. 

Anti sighed, "He's in the void"

Mark realized what that meant. And from their conversation earlier, he knew that Dark didn't realize he could go there. He didn't even know it was REAL! And Actor had taken him THERE of all places. Why? 

Jameson looked out the window and tapped on Henrik's shoulder, signing,

"Ah yes" the doctor nodded, "Jameson says there's a storm coming. Ve should really move zhis along so Anti cannot escape. His glitching becomes. . ..  erratic around lightning"

"We should go" Marvin agreed, "Good luck with the Actor problem"

"Uh-uh!" Sean argued, "We're not going anywhere! You can keep him under control if need be, Marv. But Dark needs our help"

"Thought you thought he was creepy?" Mark asked.

"He is but I know how much he means as an ego. We're staying, man"

"What about Evelien and your stream later with your friends?" Mark wanted to make absolutely sure Sean was down for this.

"Dude, don't worry about it. There's always more chances for streams and Evelien's capable just as Amy is"

"Uuuuuuugh!" they all looked towards Anti still strangely looking like Chase, "This is boring and stupid and agonizingly adorable and it's pissing me off! I mean it's all Mark's fault anyway! You just HAD to create Actor!"

"Dude, shut up!" Jackie went to whack him but again, was stopped.

"He's right" Mark confessed, though.

The Ipliers gasped collectively.

"The Host knew it"

"It IS highly plausible logically speaking" Google analyzed, "If not for creating Actor how he did, then none of this would have ever happened"

"And then Dark wouldn't exist"

"He's right there, bro" Bing nudged Google who for once didn't have the urge right then and there to kill him.

"Whatever the case" Wilford budged on in, "We gotta find 'em and get 'em back! Celine always says Darky's our best chance of kicking Actor's butt!"

"What?"

"Let's go!" Wilford vanished out of thin air.

Everyone was a bit confused and even Anti had to think for a moment.

Wilford suddenly returned, "Where we going!?"

Sean looked back at Anti. He knew there was more he wasn't telling but he also knew no amount of prying would help get them any answers. Anti would only willingly give them information if it benefitting HIM.

But then again, Anti was always full of surprises.

"Marv" Sean addressed his magic ego, "You got yer crystal ball?"

He pulled it out of his cape and Anti snickers, "Where'd you HIDE that!? Up yer ass!?" he nodded to Dark's cane that was left behind, "Let me see ya hide THAT next!"

Marvin ignored him and enlarged the ball so it was big enough for everyone to see. Around the size of a large TV, "Do we have anything of Dark's? Hair? A personal belonging?"

"Ooo!" Yandere bounced up and down, "I have a lock of his hair up in my room!" they ran to go get it. Mark resisted the urge to ask why and just sighed heavily with disappointment.

When they returned, they gave it to Marvin who burned it and sprinkled the ashes of it over the ball.

"HEY! Do you know what I had to go through to get that!?"

"Don't care. It's weird enough as it is"

"HEY!"

Illinois grabbed them around the waist and carried them off before they attacked the magician.

"I see . . . . .nothing"

"The void?" Mark asked.

"Maybe . . ." he shook his head, though, "I think it's too . . . well . . dark"

Anti rolled his eyes, fed up with their stupidity, "Actor uses mirrors to his advantage. Meaning that he could possibly have an ace up his sleeve for spells like yours and might be reflecting the spell towards you and away from Dark."

What did he have to gain from giving this information?

The news was. ... odd. But Marvin mumbled a short spell.

And it worked! Dark was in clear view of them!

But  . . . . it wasn't anything to celebrate over.

No one was prepared to see Dark in this state.

There was blood everywhere.

He was almost unrecognizable.

No one said anything.

Not even Anti had anything to say. He obviously wasn't expecting it, either.

Dark Chica whined at seeing her daddy in such a state and barked pitifully pacing.

Dark's face snapped to the side as if he had been punched and he breathed heavily.

Mark shook in rage.

They may have always had their differences but NO one hurts his egos!

Meanwhile in the void.

Actor punched him again and again.

"YOU WILL BE THE VILLAIN! YOU ARE THE VILLAIN! THAT'LL NEVER CHANGE! YOU HEAR ME!?"

Dark coughed and spat out blood onto the black surface. He didn't know where he was. Probably the void. Not that it mattered.

"N-no . . . Maybe you should s-scream it louder" he quipped only to receive another punch.

He didn't know how to get back home and Actor had him now.

He was going to torture him and turn him into what he wanted if it was the last thing he did.

Actor was going to mold him into his perfect little villain and that was that.

That was that.

.

.

. 

All Dark could do was resist him. But for how much longer?