City of Angels (and Demons)

Prologue

"Hello, everybody!" Mark's enthusiastic intro began. "My name is Markiplier and welcome back to Minecraft!"

He glanced to his side to check and make sure the video was still recording. "I haven't played this game in a while and, in all honesty, I never would have thought I'd make another video of it." He typed in a few console commands to get to where he was going faster. "But someone said a Markiplier world was set up and I thought it'd be fun to visit it with you guys!" On the computer screen, he arrived at the entrance to Markiplier Land.

Before he could continue, Mark's phone went off. He yelled at it a few times before he excused himself and checked to see who it was that was interrupting his recording. Felix, or PewDiePie, was calling. Mark had forgotten that Felix was spending the week in LA and at Mark's house. For no other reason then to hang out.

He shut off the recording, knowing he could pick it up later and answered the phone. Felix was at the airport and threatening to call a taxi. Mark was aware of the obvious scene Felix was trying to make. He assured Felix that he would be there in a jiffy and headed out the door.

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Mark never made it to the airport. After receiving a call from one of Mark's friends, Felix arrived at the hospital. He found Amy, Mark's girlfriend, and Matt and Ryan standing in the waiting room. More people had been notified, but they had been the closest since they had been at Mark's house when the accident happened.

"Any word?" Felix asked. He was tempted to ask if Mark had the best care available, but that would have just been the worry talking.

"We haven't seen the doctor yet," Matt said. He sounded as aggravated as he looked. Felix couldn't blame him. A close friend had just been in an accident with no news. Felix was just as aggravated.

"He'll be all right," Amy said as if she had been repeating that over and over. She probably had.

Felix placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. She gave him a small smile of thanks.

Mark had been in the hospital several times before, but nothing like this. He had gone through life threatening illnesses before, but that didn't change the seriousness of what was happening now.

He had been in a car accident heading for the airport to pick up Felix. Felix would have blamed himself, but the accident could have happened to anybody. A semi-truck had run a red light. If Mark hadn't been there, someone else could have been. The accident would have happened no matter what. More people could have been hurt if Mark hadn't been there.

A couple of hours passed before the doctor came up. Amy stepped out with the doc to talk privately. Even though he couldn't hear what was said, Felix knew by the expression on Amy's face that there wasn't good news.

A few minutes later, Amy rejoined the others in the waiting room. She was a bit teary eyed, but she was trying to be strong. After the news she gave, no one expected her to stay strong.

Mark wasn't going to make it.

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There was nothing more they could do, the doctors said. Amy didn't believe them. And she wasn't going to leave Mark's side. No matter how long he had left, she would never leave him.

Matt and Ryan had left to contact Mark's family in Cincinnati and anyone else they could think of to tell. Amy had sent Felix to Mark's place to pick up a few things and take care of the place.

Amy sat down on the chair by the hospital bed. Mark hadn't yet woke up and the doctors didn't expect him to. Still, she grabbed his hand and spoke to him, telling him how worried everyone was. How scared she was right now. "Just wake up," she pleaded, holding back more tears.

She wiped her face when there was a soft knock at the door. She stood up as a doctor walked in. He wasn't one of the doctors she had talked to before. The first thing he did was introduce himself as Dr. Troy Cook.

"I know you're going through a lot right now," Dr. Cook said. "But I just want you to know that it will be all right."

Amy nodded her head, not knowing what to say. She couldn't agree with him because nothing was all right for now. Given time, maybe, but she was a wreck at the moment.

"Certain...experiments have been done in the past," Cook went on. He looked down at the clipboard he held in his hands. "The percent rate of recovery is high, but not everyone trusts experimental surgery. But mostly they don't trust the doctor who-"

"What kind of experimental surgery?" Amy asked. She glanced once at Mark, who looked as if he was sleeping peacefully and she had to hold back more tears. "Are you telling me you can...save him?"

Dr. Cook nodded his head. "But it comes at a high price," he said, holding the clipboard out to her. "It takes only your signature."

Amy hesitated with taking the clipboard. "What's the high price?" she asked.

"You might risk going against his wishes," Cook said, nodding his head toward Mark.

Amy knew Mark wouldn't want to die like this. She took the clipboard and signed her name, giving the okay for the experimental surgery.

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Mark woke up, feeling groggy and weak. It took him some time to realize that he was in a hospital room. He looked around, seeing Amy asleep on the chair next to his bed. No one else was there and the clock on the wall read 4:18 in the afternoon.

"Hey," Amy was awake. She leaned forward, taking his hand. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" Mark asked. The grogginess he had felt was already gone. In fact, he felt pretty good. Which was why he was confused about being in a hospital.

"You were in an accident," Amy explained. The redness of her eyes told him alone how serious it had been. "You don't remember anything?"

Mark shook his head. "The last thing I remember...I was driving to the airport to pick up Felix," he said.

"That was four days ago."

"Four days?"

"We almost lost you," Amy said. "An experimental surgery, of all things, saved your life. Do you feel-"

"I feel fine," Mark snapped. Amy pulled back and he forced himself to calm down. "I'm just...confused. You said I was in an accident?"

Amy nodded. "They didn't think you'd make it," she said. "I was scared." She was on the verge of tears. Mark gestured for her and she climbed onto the bed with him, snuggling up against his chest. "You really are fine?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Yes," Mark answered her. "I feel like I could take over the world."

She chuckled, laying her head on his chest, so she didn't see the color of his eyes change from normal to solid black.