The demon in Actor grinned at them, "Well where's the others? Afraid to face me, are they?"
"You wish" Chase huffed at him and Marvin elbowed him to cool him down. They didn't want the demon to attack so quickly. It might spiral everything down for them.
Celine crossed her arms, leaning on the handle of the axe, "They aren't a part of this. What are you doing near MY cabin?"
"What do you think, love?"
"Call me that again and I'll rip out your entrails"
"Oooo" the demon snickered, "Always so feisty. I figure you realize now your husband has been my little puppet?"
" . . . . " Celine evidently didn't like that comment, "Why him?"
"Why not?" the red eyes glittered, "He was MADE for me after all. The perfect vessel. You could of had him back actually if it wasn't for these dolts and more. I would have gladly taken Anti and you and Actor Mark would have had each other again."
"Don't try and manipulate me, demon! It won't work!"
"Won't it, though? I can see you're already boiling"
She snuffed at him and Marvin lightly grazed her shoulder, "Relax. He's firing you up on purpose"
"I know" she grumbled, "Doesn't make it any less annoying"
"So then!" the demon shouted, "Let's get this show on the road! I'd like to get rid of you pests first before I take out the others. Then I'll kill Mark and Sean . . . . sending their souls down to hell for overusing the gift I bestowed on them . . . . . I'll have this body as mine. . . . . This void will be mine . . . . ." it grinned darkly and sighed, "I'll be free to wreak havoc as I please. . . . . oh, the life of a demon"
Wilford hummed, "Doesn't sound so fun to me, chump"
"Ah William. Ever the graceful one with words"
"Now I may not understand a helluva lot that's happening. I'll admit that!" Wilford held up his hands with a bright smile but slowly started to frown, his anger starting to show, "But you mess with my family, you mess with me and Warfstache doesn't take that kind of scruff!"
He pulled out his gun and as he did so, Chase pulled out his as well, 'Well I guess it's distraction time!'
The demon just smiled still, though, "You'll die as fools, then"
Wilford suddenly shot at him but as expected, the bullet went straight through.
Celine nodded to Marvin, "You ready?"
The magician hesitantly nodded back, "I guess. How we gonna get his name, though?" he whispered the last part, completely ignoring the fact that both Chase and Wilford were shooting vigorously at the shadow demon without care.
"You leave that to me. It's my whole forte to get into people's heads, after all" Celine smirked, "Help keep it distracted. I'll work with the void to enter its head."
"Good luck." Marvin sighed, "And be careful"
"Shut up and go put a spell on him, cat-boy"
"You sure love your 'boy' insults" but Marvin did as asked and took his place in front of her, readying a few spells to distract the demon.
Meanwhile, Anti was pacing in the small cabin and Dark and Damien were getting annoyed very quickly.
Finally Dark grabbed a hold of his shoulder, "Will you quit that!?"
"What?"
"You're pacing!"
"So? You got a problem with that, old man!?"
Dark sighed, "Anti, please, I know we're all stressed here but please just try and calm down a bit"
"Why should I!? This fight means everything, Dark! Everything! And we're told to hang in the back so the demon can't use us to kill our friends and brothers"
"It's not looking good but-"
"I can't do it, Dark!" Anti practically screamed at him.
Dark actually looked startled but kept his hands on his little brother's arms to try and ground him. His eyes saddened, "I know you're scared, Anti. We all are."
"Dark . . . I missed you. I thought you were dead once we figured out it was Actor and the demon taking your place. I . . . then after that exorcism, the demon . . . let's face it, some of what it said was right"
"No it wasn't-"
"Yes it was!" Anti shoved him off of him, "It was MY fault. From the beginning. None of this would have happened if I had just . . . opened up more. If I had just talked more and tried harder to get them to understand. Instead I . . . I attacked them."
"You were scared and angry at the world, Anti. We've discussed this, remember? You don't need anyone else's approval but yours." Dark smiled, "No one else gets to tell you who you are but YOU"
"I'm a monster"
"Is that what you really think?" Damien intervened, "Or is that just what you've always been told? What you've heard?"
Anti rubbed his arms, getting goosebumps from the chill air seeping inside the cabin. He looked away spitefully, "You guys don't understand"
Dark angrily grabbed Anti's chin and forced him to look him in the eye, "Are you really going to stand there and say that to ME? I am the person who MOST understands you, Anti! And you KNOW it. Before that stupid dating video I made with Mark, he always thought I was really the bad guy. Everyone did. It was still sort of that way until you came. Before you, Anti, I was treated like a monster. You KNOW I understand"
Anti swallowed but looked ashamed. Yeah, he really should have known.
Another mistake on his part, "Sorry"
Dark let him go, "It's okay. Just remember you're a good person, Anti. And you're not alone"
Damien huffed, "Yeah, I mean you think I'm any happier being locked up in this cabin? I'd love nothing more than to be out there helping my sister fight that thing but I know I'm useless if I get hurt. I know my place and my place is to stay out of harm's way for Celine and Dark's sake. It's okay, Anti. You're doing the same by staying in here. Protecting your family and friends."
Anti just sighed, 'There's still got to be something I could do to help, though. I feel so . . .useless'
'Because you are'
Anti blinked but he knew that voice and almost growled, 'I'm not listening to you anymore' he fought it, 'I don't know what you're doing in my head but-'
'I know what you all are trying to do. Trying to distract me. But it won't work. I don't NEED Actor's body. I can take yours just as easy, Antisepticeye, and you can't fight me. We both know that.'
'You're full of shit. I don't break easily'
'I remember differently. Succumb to me and I won't kill your brothers and the woman'
'They can handle themselves, I'm sure'
'But for how long?' his words echoed in Anti's mind, 'I can wait until they fall by their own means. Then we'll get closer Anti. I'm sure of it'
Anti shook his head roughly and forced the demon out of his head himself.
Dark narrowed his eyes at him, "You alright?"
Anti growled, "The demon knows our plan. We need to think of a different one before it gets bored of them"
The two Ipliers seemed surprised but not by much.
Actor was struggling beside himself. He knew this was wrong. He wanted to help them himself but the demon had full control over him. He always did and always would. Mark had made him perfectly for him and after the demon had beaten him down so expertly years ago, he was nothing but a puppet for it.
It made him sad seeing Wilford fight for him. Why did he come? They should have readied themselves back at the manor like he told them to. So everyone would be all together to fight. They could of had a better chance.
And now Wilford was in danger. As was Damien, Celine and . . . . Dark.
He never really cared so much for Dark but he knew the man was important to everyone.
He knew he had sort of taken his place as the number one Iplier ego but that didn't matter to him. As long as he protected them all.
They better succeed.
They didn't have much time left. He could already feel the demon growing bored.
Stretching beyond him. He knew he was speaking to Anti, he could feel it. He just wished Anti was strong enough this time.
In a way, he was worried for the glitch.
He felt . . connected to him in a way.
Actor just thought it was because Anti was technically Sean's first ego as well just as he was Mark's. They had similar painful backgrounds.
Was it so similar though?
'But there's nothing I can do. I'm sorry, everyone, but you'll have to do this on your own. I can only hope one of you will be able to kill me' Through his own eyes, he saw Celine behind the magician concentrating on something, 'I hope it's you, Celine. I know you'd be able to do it'
Celine was fighting her way through unknown struggles, breaking barriers and knocking down her own obstacles. She knew she didn't have a lot of time before the demon was fed up but she had to try. She just needed a name.
But the demon had strong walls and it was hard trying to push her way through mentally. She had encountered demons before when she was alive but nothing like this.
Trying to trudge through another barrier, however, she slipped up and felt herself falling.
Suddenly she gasped and opened her eyes, finding herself in a vast darkness much like the void in its original form.
In front of her, however, was a familiar face.
"Mark" she whispered. Shaking her head, though, she sighed, ". . . Actor"
The man was hanging in the air by an invisible force almost as if he were underwater. He looked . . . . disturbing, really. As if he might already be dead.
'This is . . . his soul' she figured it out, 'He looks so . . . ' she tried to think of any other word but 'dead'.
Celine reached out to try and touch him. Deep in her mind, she wanted nothing more than to hold his hand again. To hug him. But she knew he was beyond that now.
But she tried anyway.
Just as she barely touched him, though, his eyes opened gleaming red and he smiled, "Well look who made it. You came so far, didn't you? For nothing."
Celine stepped away, "Bastard. . . . Who are you!? I think I at least deserve to know the name of the demon who's about to kill us"
"You think I'm stupid, little girl!? There's no way in HELL I'll tell you that!" The demon laughed through Actor's soul, "You'll die knowing the love of your life destroyed the last of you and your family. And you know another thing? You'll still never see him even in death! He's mine. . until the very END of ME!"
Celine growled at him, "Then I guess you'll just have to die sooner than you thought"
The demon snorted, "And how do you think you'll accomplish that?"
"You'll see. I'll destroy you no matter what the cost." before the demon could react, Celine backed out completely, opening her eyes back in the forest outside the cabin.
She stood up to see Chase on the ground, trying to get back up, Wilford teleporting around the demon like an annoying brat and Marvin trying to contain it with some sort of dome.
"Magician!" she called out and Marvin turned to her. She grit her teeth and swallowed hard, "We don't have any other choice. Do the exorcism without the name"
"What!? Are you sure!? Then it might go for Anti or Chase again!"
She picked up her axe and twirled it in her hand, ready for an end fight, "Then so be it. We do anything we can to kill this thing. No matter what! Now let's do it already!"
Marvin still looked unsure but sighed, "You better be sure you're making the right call here, seer" he put down the dome but let his eyes light up, ready to expel a demon.
Mark swallowed, "Celine's making the call" he knew that look in her eyes that Marvin was seeing right now.
By this time, Amy had returned to the manor and was filled in on what had recently happened.
"You don't think she'll-"
"I know she will" he was positive.
"What?" Sean asked, "What are you talking about?"
Everyone else was curious, too, looking to Mark for answers.
Mark couldn't lie to them anymore no matter how much he wanted to, "She's planning on killing Actor with the demon still inside of him"
"What kind of plan?" Dark asked.
"I don't know but we need one quick or else we're all fooked." Anti was blunt, "The demon still wants me as a vessel. If they do the exorcism, I'm sure that the demon will leave Actor's body anyway and try and go for someone else. Probably me"
"Then we won't let that happen" Damien said just as bluntly, "We should warn them"
"And put whatever they're planning out of whack? No way!" Dark argued, "We don't know what Celine may have up her sleeve"
Damien glared at him, "I don't think you know her as well as you think you do. Celine's a quick thinker but that doesn't mean her plans are always that great. I mean look what happened to us! Me and her ended up trapped in this fucking cabin in a loop for months because she thought she was PROTECTING me!"
Dark shared a small glance with Anti before licking his lips, "Uh . . . you just earlier-"
Damien rolled his eyes, "Your point? Anyway, it doesn't matter. What's done is done but whatever Celine could be planning won't exactly be good for everyone. She has a habit of doing things dramatic without telling others."
Dark finally rolled his eyes, "Oh whatever. What are we supposed to do then when we march out there? Not that I'm actually against it. It seems the 'team' is having a bit of trouble"
"You're right" Damien nodded, "We better go now then. We could help as a distraction if we do."
"Uh .. . ." Dark noticed something suddenly.
"What?" Damien asked but he realized all too quickly what the problem was.
Anti was gone.
They both looked out the window to see him already glitching towards the fight, having run off when they were distracted with arguing with each other!
Dark breathed in sharply, "Anti! Wait up you crazy bastard!"
Anti glitched his way out of the cabin, running towards the fight. Chase was on the ground, leaning to sit up, still trying to shoot at the demon. Unfortunately though, his bullets still just went clean through him.
Marvin and Celine were about to do something together and Wilford was teleporting with risk around the demon, trying whatever he could to get its attention off of the two.
The demon saw Anti run towards them, though and smirked. A sick idea crossed through its mind and it flicked a bullet back towards the father.
"Chase!" Anti called out to him and glitched just in time to cover him and disintegrate the bullet.
"Anti!?" Chase shouted at him, "What the hell you doing, bro!? You're supposed to be in the cabin!"
"Anti! Wait up you crazy bastard!" Dark was trying to run towards them with Damien at his heels.
'Such a fool'
Before Marvin could magically bind 'Actor' he heard the racket and fear gripped him. If the demon got loose, it'd automatically go for Anti. They had to do something to prevent that but Marvin didn't know what Celine had in mind.
But Dark did, "CELINE, WAIT!"
He didn't know why he shouted that out. Why protect him? He never even liked Actor in ANY way. He didn't really care all that much what happened to him but his family. But he knew that some of the others cared. And he wasn't about to let them see him hurt.
Celine, on the other hand, was hoping Marvin would bind him in time but she lunged for Actor with her axe.
Upon Dark's shout for her, Wilford, turned to see her going for the kill.
He couldn't let that happen!
In a flash, he teleported in front of Actor.
Everyone froze as the axe hit him in the chest.
Celine blinked and her eyes went wide. She couldn't believe what just happened. Blood spattered on her face and soaked through Wil's clothes.
He just smiled, though, "C-can't let ya, darling. . . . . C-can't. . ."
"Wi-william?" she uttered.
Damien was just as distraught but Dark shuddered, "H-he needs back home. Now. With that sort of injury, he might not survive here in the void with it constantly taking that power from him"
Marvin honestly didn't know WHAT the hell just happened but he knew Wil was in trouble. As quickly and securely as he could, he cast the binding spell on Actor and rushed over to Wil and Celine. Celine gently held him as he coughed out weakly.
"W-wil. . . I'm so sorry" she cried, "I. . .I didn't-"
"O-oh b-bully" he interrupted her, "S-see you later, dove" Wilford chuckled lightly and pat her cheek with a smile.
Anti was just as much in shock but he knew just as well as Dark that Wilford needed to get back home before he REALLY died. THIS was why he was never allowed in the void anymore!
"Marvin! Take him home now! If you don't, he really will die!" Anti shouted at him, standing up with Chase at a stumble.
Marvin wasn't too sure what that meant but he wasn't about to argue about Wil's abilities, "But how would I get back here to help you idiots!?"
Anti then quickly thought up a lie, "It's alright! You'll be able to come back with Dark's cane! Just do it!"
Without thinking too much on the matter, Marvin teleported to Celine and Wil and within a split second, him and Wilford were gone!
They were all too shocked to realize what they had just done to themselves.
Fighting against the weak bindings, the demon grinned, "Looks like you lot are down a few now. Not looking good for you, is it?"
They all thought the same thing in that moment as the demon in Actor's body broke out of Marvin's magic bindings.
No. . . . . no it wasn't.