Chapter Text
Two weeks.
Almost three years of non-stop work, finally paying off to be the number 1 rated movie in America! Yet, something felt wrong; off. It should’ve been a time of celebration, of rejoice, and rest.
Someone was missing. Someone was late. Very Late.
Mark sighs, running a hand over his face as he stared at the phone in his hands. The fans had positive options on it; fuck whatever the critics said. It made rating, numbers on opening weekends. Yet, why wasn't he here?
It took little time For Markiplier TV to set in. An even shorter time for Date with Markiplier to set, leading the way for Who Killed Markiplier to reform Dark, Wilford, and Marc. Painful days, but short ones. Heist costed a few months to clean up the mess he had caused by creating so many at once, an even longer time to explain the family drama of adding Yancy to the mix. (“There is only one, right?” “Yes.”)
Space added a few more messes, a few major reforms, but manageable. Years of dealing with his egos Mark knew a bit or two; he understood how his own magic worked, how egos worked, how the fans helped.
Yet, nothing. Nothing for the Movie, not even a blip on Markus’s radar, no wormholes, no moons with blood oceans.
Nothing.
Mark wasn’t panicking, so his newest wasn’t here yet. There was a search for him. Markus and Wug searching space. Yancy was checking with his family at Happy Trails, just in case the convict showed up there. Wade, Bob and the others watching at their own homes. Momiplier checking the theater by her home. Darkiplier watching over the manor with Annus and Unus.
They would have to find him.
There was a knock at the door, which knocked Mark out of his own spiraling thoughts as he looks at the door. “Yeah?” Mark calls out, the doorhandle turns and mark’s own face staring back at him, paler and darker, but his own face. “Hey Dark.”
The demon makes a noise of greeting. “Is this a bad time?” Dark asks, his voice distorted slightly but gentle, honest.
Mark shakes his head, locking the phone in his hands. “Come in Dark.” The entity does so, closing the door behind him as he does. “Any news?”
The demon shakes his head, coming to sit beside Mark. “No. Everyone’s looking.” There’s a pang of disappointment when Dark admits that everyone was still looking, not that Mark would ever admit it out loud to the demon. Dark could tell by the shift in Mark’s energy. “We’ll find him.”
Mark sighs slightly. “I know, I know..”
Dark tilts his head slightly towards Mark, looking less than convinced by the man’s words. Mark had started to be less and less convincing the longer this search was going on for, since it’s been happening for the past three years almost.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Mark asks softly, he doesn’t meet the demon’s gaze. Dark gives an eye roll.
“We’ll find them. They’re out there.”
“You don’t know that Dark.” Dark hums. “.. you had the same worries about Markus when he reformed for Space.. We’ll find him.”
“Markus was different.” Mark argues, “He was home. Safe and sound here around magic that could help him.”
“And you think differently for him?” Dark asks with a slight tilt of his head. “Because his circumstances are different, Mark… We’ll find him, he has to be out there.”
“What if he’s not? What if my magic doesn’t work with movies?” Mark spirals a little in his own thoughts. “What if my magic changed? It’s been almost four years since In Space.” Dark didn’t look very surprised by Mark’s little spiral, but he looked worried for how he was doing. “It might have been almost four years since In Space, but Space is big, Mark. We don’t know how far out he is.”
Mark gives a scoff. “Markus has looked, up and down in Space. There’s no blood moons.”
Dark sighs. Sam give him strength… “You never know, Mark.”
“I know you’re trying to comfort Dark.” Mark says softly. “But if he’s not here yet, he’s not showing.” He wasn’t wrong, Dark was trying to comfort. Dark hated seeing Mark so down. “It’s just, not in the cards.” Dark hated when Mark said that, it felt like there was no hope in finding him.
“You can’t just-” Dark’s aura spiked around him, the red and blue flickering with the spike in the aura.Mark isn’t bothered by the aura, he’s used to it when Dark gets upset. Dark has to take a moment, and a small breath. “.. You can’t just give up on him..”
“We don’t even know if they exist.”
“And if they do?”
“And if they don’t?”
“We’ll never know if we give up.”
Mark gives a sigh, rubbing his face with his hands. “You’re too stubborn, Dark.” Dark hums slightly. “.. guess I learned it from the best.” Mark gives another sigh, before standing up. “I’ll go check with everyone; see if there’s any spots we’ve missed.” Dark gives a small nod as Mark starts to the door. “...Hey Dark?”
“.. hm?” Said demon looked to Mark
“Thank you.” Mark slips out of the room, leaving the entity there. Dark blinks at the space Mark had been standing, taking a few seconds to think before he looks up towards the ceiling.
“You think he really is out there?” Celine’s voice asks, concern lacing her voice.
“... he has to be.” Dark admits to her.