The Darkness Inside

The Darkness Inside: Mind Games

Jack sits up quickly and looks around, nothing but blackness. He lets out a breath running a hand through his hair quietly, thinking he had just ended up in his mind again... or he was dead, either one wasn't good with Dark still wandering about.

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

A voice yells out behind him, deep and gruff. He jumps up and turns around, it was Dark. How? This was his own mind right? How could Dark be here?

"I might ask you the same thing?"

Jack snaps back glaring at the man. Dark looks at him and snarls quietly.

"What do you mean, this is my head!"

Dark growls in his gruff voice. Jack's eyes widen. This was Mark's head? How was that possible? How was he inside of it? What the hell happened?

As questions race around Jack's head Dark walks forward, glaring at the man, he pushes the man back until his back hits a black wall, Jack's eyes widen slightly as Dark's angry face sits less than an inch away from his own, his red eyes menacing against the dark space.

In a second Dark's eyes dull slightly and he backs away a bit. Jack watches the man questioningly before he see's movement a little ways away. A man crawls out of the blackness, his shirt torn exposing his muscled stomach, his face beaten, his breathing heavy, and his red hair a disheveled mess. Mark.

Mark crawls out on his hands and knees, trying to stand for a second but falling right back down on his hands and knees. His head down, and his breathing quick and unsteady.

"Mark..."

Jack breathes out quietly, his eyes widened. Mark's brown eyes move up slightly until landing on the green haired man.

"Sean...?"

Mark says quietly clearly confused at seeing the man here. Mark's brown eyes, which look slightly unfocused, turn to his evil counterpart, who glared at the man in slight surprise.

"Welcome back Mark"

Dark spats at the man, his mouth twisting into an ominous grin.

"Too bad it's too late..."

Dark growls out turning to the green haired man again. Mark's eyes widen as Dark grabs the Irish man by the throat lifting him off the ground for a second before throwing him to the side, Jack hitting the ground roughly making a groan escape him.

Mark's eyes widen slightly as he watches, he pushes himself up again trying to stand, and nearly making it before falling once again, his weakened state making moving nearly impossible.

"Mark!"

Jack calls out seemingly more worried about the red haired man than himself. Dark towers over the small green haired man, and before Jack can think to move Dark's foot collides with his stomach. Jack swears he hears his rib crack as his shoe collides, making his body in the regular world lurch from its spot on the floor, a bruise forming on the skin. Dark does this a couple more times kicking the man over.

Jack pulls himself up slowly, only making it to his hands and knees before being kicked over again by Dark, who watched with joy at the man's pain. Jack releases a small whimper barely audible.

"Stop!"

Mark yells out his hands clenching into the ground. Dark doesn't acknowledge him as he continues beating the green haired man for a torturous amount of time.

In a few seconds Mark finally pulls himself up, his legs wobbling beneath him threatening to give way. He takes a step forward his head spinning and his eyes glaring at Dark who ignored him, not seeing him as a threat.

Just as Dark is about to hit Jack again, Mark tackles him to the ground, his weakened state making it easy for Dark to just push him off and stand again.

"Enough Mark... it's over"

Dark says simply walking over to Jack again. He reaches down to the green haired man who quivered slightly, he grabs the man by the throat again, lifting him from the ground, cutting off his air supply. Jack scratches at the man's arm as his face reddens, his lungs screaming from the lack of air.

"M-Mark."

Jack chokes out quietly, his gaze moving to the red haired man who struggled to stand. Mark watches him, his eyes widening. Mark moves forward soon falling again, his legs giving out. He was too weak, he couldn't do anything.

Jack watches him, his eyes face red, and his eyes slowly closing, the edges of his vision blackening.

Mark clenches his fist as he sees Jack nearly passing out.

"ENOUGH!"

He yells finally, in a second Dark is thrown a ways across the space, hitting the ground roughly and dropping Jack to the ground. Jack takes in large breaths, coughing, and resting on his hands and knees his head down and his green hair covering his face slightly.

Dark stands up growling and glaring at Mark with blood red eyes. Mark stands, glaring at the man as well, his brown eyes filled with anger, and his strength seeming to have mostly returned.

"I've had to deal with you for far too long..."

Mark growls out staring the man down.

"You've hurt me.... But nobody... hurts my Sean..."

He growls, making Dark wince as energy begins pushing against him. Dark growls and pushes back, his figure fading slightly but staying there.

"Mark... just a little more..."

Jack says quietly from the ground lifting his head, his blue eyes boring into Mark's brown ones.

"You can do it."

Jack finishes looking at the red haired man. Mark watches him for a few more seconds before taking in a breath and glaring at his counterpart again, Dark growls as the energy pushes him again. Dark's eyes go over to Jack who is still on the ground and his eyes widen slightly before, a small smirk forms on his lips, soon twisting into a full dark smile.

"Fine..."

He says in a quiet grumble his energy not pushing back as far. He stands as the energy nearly pushes him all the way back.

"I'll see you again soon... Mark"

Dark says with his smile never lowering. He laughs as the energy finally pushes him back, into the blanket of darkness, disappearing, his laugh, dark, cold, evil, and strangely happy. The laugh lingered as he was in the darkness before fading out, though it sent shivers down Mark's spine, and lingered in his head even though it had stopped.

Mark takes in a breath staring into the darkness, his eyes slightly wide. Jack stands finally, his legs wobbling, he places his hand on Mark's shoulder gently, though Mark doesn't look back at him, as he thinks of Dark, how he had just let Mark push him back.