Be Your Own Hero

A Difficult Decision

"What!? Save him!?" Sean glowered, "Why!? He just-"

"That wasn't him" Anti stopped him, "In fact, whatever has control over Dark's body isn't even C̷e̷l̷i̶n̵e̴.̴"̸

Wilford looked to be deep in thought but offered no words in light of the situation. He just stared at Dark's limp body on the floor.

Marvin coughed, clearing his throat, "Well we better figure out what we're doing now before that thing wakes back up. It's stronger than I thought" he was still cradling his bleeding shoulder, wincing every time Henrik tried to check it.

Mark crossed his arms with Amy at his side. He felt very conflicted. He never felt quite safe around Dark, always worried he'd snap on him and just end him no matter how many people were around. But now . . . . To have learned that something had just been controlling him all this time, telling him what was best. . .  Mark just felt downright awful. He should have been there more for him. He should have been able to help him.

'What exactly did you see in the void to want to help him so bad, Anti?' Jameson asked.

Anti swallowed but sighed heavily, "̶A̴ ̵l̴o̷t̸.̶ I saw a lot. His memories . . . . I don't know why. Usually the void is supposed to project your own but for some reason-"

"Must have been when we knocked him out" Wilford piped up, "No longer having control, the beast couldn't taunt you."

Marvin nodded, "Instead, it projected on the only other person who was there. Dark."

"Did you see him in there?" Mark bit his lip, "Dark, I mean? Is he okay?"

"No" the glitch narrowed his eyes, "Of course he's not f̷o̴o̴k̶i̷n̸g̵ okay, F̸i̴s̵c̸h̸b̵a̷c̴h̸! He's been manipulated all his fooking life by a fooking . . w̴h̶a̴t̵e̸v̴e̸r̵ ̴t̷h̵a̵t̷ ̴t̶h̷i̸n̸g̷ ̷i̵s̷!̷ That thing has been making him do things he never wanted to do."

"Including getting you into trouble?" said Henrik, "I am sorry, Anti, but Dark has to have some amount of accountability for himself. It's not all the void or Celine's doing"

Wilford sighed, "I wanna say you're wrong but I guess you're right, doc. But we can't just leave him like this. Dark isn't just the villain in my book"

Mark ran a hand through his hair in contemplation but Amy was the first to speak up, "What do we need to do, Wilford? You know more about the void then we do. Got any ideas?"

The pink-mustached man gave a small smile, "Why of course I do! But I suppose we better hurry unless Markipoo's got any objections?"

They all looked to Mark for the approval. They knew that if he really wanted, Mark could end Dark and they'd be rid of this whole nightmare in a snap. But did he really want that?

Mark nodded, "Alright. What do we need to do, Warfstache?"

"Well first I'd say we need to tie up the lug so they can't get away or fight back as easily. Then someone needs to go in the void and get Dark."

Everyone waited for Wil to say more. . .. only he didn't.

"That's I̴T̴!̶?̴"̷ Anti shouted at him, "I was T̷H̴I̷S̷ fooking close to getting to him when you fookers pulled me out! I could have d̷o̶n̶e̵ it!"

"Wrong"

"What?"

Wil strut over to Anti and poked him in the chest, "You may have been in the void for a bit but not nearly enough to know the full extent of what the void IS. There's a reason not even I will go in there! You may have thought you were closer but you couldn't have been more farther away. Not only that but you are unaware of the risks. You need to be fast"