The Forest [septiplier]

10 - Resolution

"And then I carried him here," Mark finished. "Anti had done some damage, hence the fake cast thing."

"You carried him the whole way here?" Dark said.

"Well, you do have nice arms," Jack said. Mark chuckled.

"Right. But that's not really the point. The point is- do you believe us?" Mark said. The alternate Anti and Dark exchanged a glance.

"Give us a second to talk, if you will," Anti said. Mark nodded. He got up to turn the mirror around. Jack nudged him on the arm, gesturing wildly. Mark understood what he was saying.

They were going to eavesdrop, of course. Eavesdrop on two powerful demons who may or may not be plotting their demise as the seconds pass. Great idea.

"The other two are getting antsy," Anti said. "The one still is promoting cannibalism. We're rather respected, and I would hate to think what two idiots like these would do to our reputation."

"I say we kill 'um," Dark said. "Just like... end it and stuff. Who really cares? It's not like anyone loves them anyways."

"That's nice Dark," Anti reprimanded. "But I think I have a better idea."

Jack and Mark, for one, were not disposed to the thought of killing their world's Anti and Dark. Jack especially. Those assholes really messed them up. Anti's 'better idea,' though...

"I say we send them back."

Mark's eyes widened. Oh no. Oh hell no. He had just finished going through all of that bull already! Why should he and Jack have to do it again? Something like anger rose in his throat.

"What? Why?"

"Oh come on, Dark," Anti said. "Two replicas of our corpses just lying around. I'm sure that'd go over well. Instead of why, the question is why not? Those two idiots can deal with them. They're dead anyway. Stuck in a forest for... how long was it? Two months? No one's coming for them. Their lifetimes are so small they don't stand a chance in the long run. Just leave them here to rot."

Mark was ready to punch someone's teeth out. Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wasn't liking the way this conversation was going.

"Wait, wait," Dark said. "Let me add on to that. What happens if we just go in there with them?"

"What?" Said Anti.

"You heard me. You have to be sick of this place by now. I know it rubs you the wrong way, I can see it on your face. Let's do it. Let's just leave." The words struck Jack as all too familiar.

"That's pretty bold," Anti said. "Are you sure?" Mark swore he'd said that exact thing before.

"Yeah! You, me, and the crazies. We could beat over the humans easy. They're already tired and tuckered out. We could use them as vessels and just start a new life for ourselves. What is it that Jack and Mark do here? Mark's an... engineer, right?" Mark's eyebrows raised. In that universe he was an engineer? He could have been an engineer!

"Yeah," Anti said.

"I could quit his job and we could just run. Do whatever we want. It'd be a clean start." Jack's eyes met Mark's. It was an 'oh fuck' moment if there ever was one. Dark and Anti were going to come here. To their world. And possess them forever. To Mark and Jack, that didn't sound like a great plan.

Mark knew this had to be stopped. He leaned over close to Jack, putting his lips up to his ear. "We need to break the mirror." He whispered this as quietly as possible.

Anti and Dark went silent.

They'd heard that.

"You backstabbing bastards!" Anti's voice shouted, breaking the silence. Mark jumped out of his chair. "Take another step and I'll end you!"