City of Angels (and Demons)

Chapter Thirteen

Mark woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, crawling out of bed after suffering yet another nightmare about the accident. He went into the bathroom to splash some cold water on his face and calm down. Staring at himself in the mirror, he remembered the decision about Amy staying the night. He looked back out into his bedroom and saw that Amy wasn't there. So where was she? As he stepped back to stand in front of the mirror once again, images started flashing through his mind.

Images of Amy lying beneath him, bathrobe open, his hand between her legs, forcing her...

Mark hurried over to the toilet and threw up as the images persisted then faded away. He wanted to believe it was just a dream, but he knew better. Especially after what happened at the hospital. He had been able to just walk out with no trouble from the nurses. What came after was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered walking into some sort of store. And then...

He had let Dark take over.

Then Felix had walked in.

Mark didn't know what was happening to him, but somehow he knew that Dark was behind it all. Dark had taken control of his body, had killed Dr. Laurie Bates. Even though Dark had promised her things. The promises had never mattered. Dark hadn't really needed her. She had just made things convenient. After all, Mark wouldn't have ever given in if his health had been at its best. Dark needed him weakened. Needed him to need him.

Mark stared at himself in the mirror, backing off when his eyes started to slowly turn a solid black. "No!" he said, heading back into the bedroom. "You can't have me! You had your fun and that's it! You can't control me anymore. You can't hurt anyone..."

I no longer need your permission.

You can't last without me.

Mark doubled over in pain, holding a hand against his side, hearing what sounded like two gunshots, but he knew it was just from memory. He had been shot. Dark had been shot. By who, Mark couldn't remember, but he had the feeling that whoever had shot him had saved Amy, judging by the faint memories. He looked down at his hand, expecting blood, but saw only the scar the bullet had made. He had survived the gunshots.

Because of me.

Face it: you're dead without me.

Mark didn't know where to go to get away from that voice. He knew there was no place to go to get away. Dark was inside him. He should just accept that now and give up. What was the point of fighting anyway? Dark would win in the end, anyway.

"Get out of my head!" Mark screamed, dropping to his knees in the middle of his floor. He could feel Dark scratching to get out; aching to get out. He should just...give...in...

Mark jumped, startled, at the sound of the knock on his door. He looked up, realizing that he had fallen asleep on the floor; daylight filtered in through the window. He pushed himself up and moved to the door, seeing Matt standing there when he opened it. "Yeah?" His voice was quiet, but he could always say he was just tired if it was noticed.

"I was gonna take the dogs out for a walk," Matt said. "Have you seen Chica?"

Mark shook his head, the dog the last thing on his mind right now. Knowing now why she had reacted to him the way she had, it was better if she just remained hiding. "She's around here somewhere," he said. "Are we talking again?"

Matt seemed to just now remember the argument they had the other day. His facial expression said: Way to conjure up negative feelings there, Mark. "Kinda hard to not talk since we live here," he said. "For now."

Mark had known they were thinking about moving out, but he didn't think they would actually do it. But now he needed them to leave. Before Dark took over again. "The sooner you're out of here, the better," he said, then closed the door. He felt guilty, but there was no other way to get them out of here fast enough. Them hating him was just the price he had to pay.

I could take care of them for you.

Don't worry, I'll make it quick.

They won't suffer.

Unless we want them to...

Mark locked himself in the bathroom until he heard Matt and Ryan driving away. He looked out the window to make sure the two were actually leaving. He was finally alone.

Now let me out.

I've got things to do.

Mark didn't know what Dark had planned, but he planned on stalling for as long as he could.

He didn't even last half as long as he thought he would.

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Arriving in front of Mark's house, Sam told Amy to stay in the car with Chica as he and Dean got out. He was pretty sure Amy would stay, but he couldn't say the same about Chica. There was just something about that dog that made Sam think that there was nothing that could keep her away from Mark. If dogs could talk...

"What are you doing?" Sam asked when he saw Dean opening the trunk.

"You think I'm gonna go in there unarmed?" Dean asked. He started to reach for a gun, but then paused and grabbed the angel blade.

"But Amy -"

Dean put the angel blade away in his jacket. "Amy saw me shoot him," he said, meeting Sam's eyes. "She watched him get up as if nothing was wrong." He grabbed a few more items, non of which were a gun.

Sam stepped closer to Dean, lowering his voice so Amy wouldn't hear. "The angel blade will kill him, though," he said. "Don't forget we're trying to save Mark."

"I get that," Dean said then closed the trunk. "But if I have to, she'll understand." He turned and started for the house.

Sam looked back at the car then followed.

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Dean walked inside cautiously. In the back of his mind, he could still hear Amy screaming for help. He pushed the thought further back, knowing it would distract him if he let it. Amy was safe and outside in the car. He would have felt safer leaving her at the hotel, but she wanted to be here for Mark.

Her presence was pointless if it was impossible to get Mark back.

The house was silent, but that didn't mean Dark wasn't here. It just meant that the room he was in was sound proof. They wouldn't be able to hear anything if Dark was just talking normally.

Sam stepped past Dean and walked further into the house, toward the kitchen. Dean kept an eye on Sam to remember where to go. If Sam set up a Devil's Trap like Dean expected him to, then they could at least trap Dark.

If things went smoothly.

They couldn't afford anything to go wrong. One misstep and someone would die. He would do his best to prevent that, but he wasn't getting his hopes up for complete survival. Even if Mark made it, the guy's life would never be the same after this.

Dean pulled out the angel blade and headed upstairs.