Markiplier x Reader | The Promised Land

Chapter 21: Who Are You?

You stared across the hallway in silence as you walked beside Sean, Mink, and Ethan. Danny and Mark fell back a ways, but Sean said it was fine and to keep going. It was just you four and [P/n] now, and you had some questions.

"Sean, what is going on?" you begged for an answer, "Why all the secrecy?"

"Because it's just that [Y/n]," he explained, "We are a secret group filled with soldiers of fortune, doing nothing but sacrificing everything for the common good."

"We are called the Light Ring b-because we want to shed light on those who feel lost..." Ethan whispered in a high voice, he sounded and looked terrible. Fear lingered in his bright hazel eyes, and he was shaking with every step he took, "W-we were doing fine until-" Ethan gasped as you four headed into a larger, open area.

It looked like an old, abandoned hospital. The large room was dark, the lights weren't even working. You pulled out your flashlight, Mink and Sean did the same. Ethan hung close to them, watching the shadows. The room had nasty, grimy cots all over, and there was more dried blood in here than in the hallway.

"Whatever happened in the last two weeks..." Mink said in a low voice, "must've been really bad to turn this into a medical wing."

You could hear Ethan muttering again, saying words like "jigsaw," "game," and "hunt." You all stopped and you scanned the area with your lights. There didn't seem to be anyone around. You swerved to look behind you when you heard footsteps, only to lower your shoulders when you realized it was just Danny and Mark catching up.

You attempted to avoid Mark's gaze, afraid he was going to be upset at you again, but you were quickly unsuccessful when he let go of Danny and approached, slowly. He looked at you, his gaze darker and as somber as ever. He looked like he had a lot to say. He sat you down on one of the cots. He sat beside you and watched as the others scouted the large room. When Sean announced they would stay here and rest for a while, everyone unpacked their things.

Mark stared at the ground, his face expressionless. It was much different than the frustrated, angered expression he carried earlier. He just looked, hopeless... lost.

"I... I should apologize for the way I've treated you-" he began.

You interrupted him, "You had every right to treat me the way you did," the words poured out of your mouth faster than you could stop them, "I treated you like shit, and you've only been kind to me from the beginning."

"As kind as strangers could be anyways..." Mark said in a low voice. You merely shook your head in response. He weakly chuckled and looked away, "You... when I found you, lying there... helpless, bleeding out... I-" he hesitated, but then he continued before you could intervene, "I was asked by Sean, about a day before you arrived in Atwater, to look out for any strange persons heading into the area... he communicated to me just about an hour before I started my initial patrol."

When he didn't continue, you couldn't help but inquire, "What... were you patrolling for? This... Light Ring group? And... Sean sent you to look after me? That must've been what he meant 'Well be watching out for you...'"

Mark nodded, "The Light Ring and what we strive to become, can be, in itself a story of it's own. Summing it up simply, we are a secret society that had an initial goal to take LA for ourselves and run the perfect utopia. We had planned on making this place... a refuge for wanderers, or those who felt lost and had nowhere else to go... but that was all changed when- when the Skull Breakers showed up." His expression turned to frustration and anger, like before. However, this time you noticed a hint of fear, "That son of a bitch Diablos moved in and killed... so many of our group... and I had only joined just the day before... they swarmed like a raid of zombies, rounding us up like pigs, waiting to slaughter us.

"Sean, a long-time friend of mine who I thought I'd never see again had volunteered to become my mentor. He was with me when it happened..." Mark continued. He unconsciously rubbed his good hand on his collarbone, "He apparently had been in the group for a long time,  but I had only just learned how to use a sniper rifle. We were quickly surrounded and-and... that w-woman-"

Mark's voice broke and he covered his face with his good hand. Without thinking, you put your arms around him, and pulled him into a hug. "Mark... you're so strong..." you whispered, "you have saved my life more than once now and I... I owe you my life and so much more... You must've been through so much and I-"

Mark looked up at you, his chocolate eyes glistening. His face had turned soft and he gently placed his good hand on your shoulder, "No... I owe you my life [Y/n]... if it hadn't been for you, Diablos would've taken my life and... we wouldn't be here right now."

"Then I guess that makes you both even?"

You and Mark looked up in surprise to see Sean looming over you two, "Scoot over [Y/n], I need to redo Mark's bandages and check that damn leg of his."

You stood up and took a few paces away from them. At first you just watched, and Mark watched you back, but then you had a curiosity that couldn't be broken. You turned around, finding Ethan sitting on another cot a ways away with Danny and Mink. Two lanterns had been set up in the middle of the room, you decided to pull yours out as well to aid in the lighting.

After setting yours up, you approached Danny, Mink, and Ethan. Ethan looked up and smiled weakly, "Mark is your Angel... isn't he?"

"Why does everyone keep calling him that?" you asked.

Ethan began to explain away without a second thought, "Well, in the Light Ring, once we have finished our training we go out and learn the ropes of the group. Once you reach a certain rank you're given the right to 'be an Angel.' This meant if you come across someone who is in need of help, you are required to help bring them to safety. After that you move on to the next."

"Oh... okay," you said, then you sat down. You'd think about that later, "I have another question... Ethan."

"What is it?" he asked innocently.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but..." you glanced over to Danny, who was eyeing you carefully. Mink was busy cleaning a large knife. You turned back to Ethan and took a deep breath, "What... what game is this uhh, Jigsaw...?"

There was definitely something wrong with him, because he began to explain it as if it were just another kid's game, "Oh, it's when the Skull Breakers cut up the body of someone you know in front of you, and then hide the pieces. You then have a time limit to find all the parts before returning with them. They hunt you while you do of course, and if you succeed, they'll let you live to play another game."