Firewall

Chapter 21

Mark let out a moan of pain, reaching up to feel his head as stars flashed behind his eyelids, his arms feeling like concrete as he tried to move them "Wh...Wha...?" He rolled over onto his side, grimacing from the pain he felt "o...ow... Wh-where...?"

"Mark?"

He blinked and opened his eyes from where he lay on his side, wincing against the light from overhead "J...Jack? Is that you?" He croaked.

"All the Experts are here... And MatPat" Felix's voice suddenly joined Jack's, but Mark couldn't properly see any of them; the light was too bright "and... Umm... Promise us you won't freak out."

"Wh-what are you talking about...?" Mark groaned, propping himself up onto an elbow "f-freak out about what?"

"Uh... Look up."

Mark blinked against the light as he rolled back over onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows just as his eyes began to adjust to the light, revealing two blue eyes.

"...Oh..."

"Oh!? That's all you got to say!? OH!?" MatPat's shrill screech pierced through the air, but Mark didn't look over as he was preoccupied with examining the animatronic bear that was sitting at his bedside. As MatPat continued to make a big deal about his nonchalant reaction, Mark assessed the situation.

The bear was sitting in a chair, the microphone its right hand, and even then both were resting on its knees. It was watching him as it had always done, but this time it was different, this time Mark sensed no malice whatsoever. Mark felt relieved at that, but was just as confused "uh... How did he get in here?" Mark turned to look at everyone else, blinking as he saw that everyone was standing against the wall of the medical bay, as far away from the bear as possible.

"I'm going to be a hundred percent honest with you" Sky was somehow able to stay happy during all of this, all of his attention on Mark rather than the bear "we have absolutely no idea."

"It literally just appeared there" Cry joined in, and Mark was surprised to see him at all considering that he had been out of the loop concerning most of the previous events "and it's just been watching you as you sleep... For like..."

"Hours" Ken chimed in; who Mark was also surprised to see "we kinda just went along with it since it's not doing anything but..."

"Hey! Check this out!"

Mark blinked rapidly as Sky suddenly reached over and turned off the light, making MatPat screech "agh! No! Turn it back on!"

"But look what it can do!"

"I know what it can do!" MatPat cried desperately "and it's terrifying! Stop it!"

Mark blinked as looked back at the animatronic through the darkness, his eyes widening to see that their pupils were glowing white, the rest of their eyes pitch black.

"Please Sky, turn the lights back on" Felix spoke up over MatPat's blubbering cries.

"Okay, okay, I thought it looked cool" Sky turned the light back on, revealing his signature, goofy grin "who else thought it looked cool?"

"No one!" A majority of the group cried out, only Vanoss and Mark remained silent. While MatPat scolded a giggling Sky, Mark turned back to the bear "so he just... Appeared?"

"He?" Vanoss frowned "why do you think it's a he?"

Mark looked at him, blinking rapidly "I... Uh..."

MatPat stopped and turned towards Mark "oh... About that... Uh..." He looked up at Felix "should we just... Tell him?"

"If you think you're right" Felix nodded, gesturing for him to continue.