Alter Swap

chapter two

Dark and Anti strolled down the empty streets, the morning sun pushing back the dim light of Dark's aura, making the anomalies of the duo less obvious.

Anti was grinning, possibly replaying the experience in his mind. Darkiplier's expression was blank, suggesting that he was deep in thought.

"Alright, but why did you do that?" Anti asked.

"What do you mean?" Dark turned his attention to his friend as a car drove past them on the road.

"You know, the stunt with his phone. It would be great to have it, there was no point in returning it. Even if you were so charitable, you don't forget things like that."

"Mhm." Dark nodded with a mysterious expression. "You are correct."

"Then why?"

"Tying yourself to traumatic experiences like this helps with getting a point across, and gaining respect." Dark watched the pavement below him as he spoke. "It pays to add a layer of protection to important individuals."

Antisepticeye chuckled. "I don't understand a single word from what you just said. Also, you must admit it was fun."

"I guess it was." Dark gave a deep chuckle. "And, well, let's say every interaction can be productive if you always get a few strings attached."

The glitch attempted to make eye contact, to try to comprehend what was being said this time around. "That would sound like a good answer, but puppets are kinda my thing, you know?" Anti smirked.

"Hmm," Dark uttered under his breath, "but that would be the catchphrase, not the practice."

"What did you say?" Anti leaned closer.

"That you are all bark no bite," Darkiplier grinned.

His inner workings were hard to comprehend by someone with a much more clear and simple motivation, but that was what gained him his reputation in the first place. Things are much scarier when you can't understand them, and sometimes, even the glitch couldn't help but wonder if he would ever truly understand.

Anti blinked, then giggled. "Sounds funny coming from someone I've never seen holding a knife before," he replied. "And stop talking like a damn businessman."

—————

Markiplier woke up at 4:24 AM, the day which his friend over in the UK has already started multiple hours ago and with a bang. He made a quick breakfast of milk and cereal, not in the mood to prepare anything more at the moment. He took out his phone as he ate, just to find around fifty messages from Jack. He scrolled through his lock screen, eyes already hurting from staring at his phone so early in the morning.

'Doesn't Anti scare you like that pretty often? You know... with a knife?'

Surprisingly, mere seconds later, Sean started typing.

'Well, yeah! But he's more predictable than whatever your guy is.'

Mark frowned. 'My guy? What are you saying.'

'I don't know! He just gives me chills.'

'I thought you would've figured a while ago why I don't associate with my egos that much.'

'How do you handle him?'

'I don't. I just got used to him popping into my life and trying to make it harder. You've spent time with both Dark and Anti in the past. I thought you said you could handle them!'

'Well, I didn't expect the first thing they'd try to do is scare me to death. I hope they'll lay off. I'm seriously going to get a stroke the next time around.'