Jack sits up with sweat drenching down his face from the nightmare he has had for years, finding his family corpse in the crime scene. He put on his pants and looks out the window.
"Seems...it still haunts me…" he looked back at Daro, his soon to be wife and knows his heart feels special. Daro looks at him.
"Yeah. I felt like I could hardly sleep last night." She stretches thinking back to Marek trying to hide the fact that she had a secret affair with him but kept it in the back of her mind, so Jack didn't know.
"You don't need to worry about him, he's not allowed in... for now. I understand caution, that's good."
"Thanks Marek." Say Daro. Julian appears in Daro's mind. Daro walks over to Jack, hugging him tightly.
"Hello, Julian." He says with his hands placed in a professional manner.
"Marekie, can I talk to you?"
"Of course." He said with a practical tone, he leads Julian too his room. Marek says calmly yet curious. "What is it you want to talk about?" he thickens the walls.
"I smell Daro all over you..." it pains him too say.
A matter of fact. "Mmm...yes..."
"Did my feelings mean nothing to you...?"
Marek slightly winces. "Of course, and I would like to be with you...out there. I'm sorry...I had no intent to hurt you."
"But you did hurt me..." he almost says aching.
Julian scoffs "The 6th person to do that to me..." he leaves the room and disappears.
Jack smiles. "Hey baby." Daro smiles back. Marek closes eyes with head bowed in frustration as he runs his hands through his hair from within Daro's mind.
"Did you sleep well?" he asks her.
"Marek, is something wrong?" Jack smiles touching her face, she seemed distracted a bit but leans into his touch.
"I hope I didn't hurt you?"
"Is Julian there with you?" he wondered.
"You didn't. I promise." She says smiling more.
"No. I dont know where he is."
"There is one thing I forgot to mention.... there is.... someone like me but more dark and aggressive. He thinks it's a joke to be rude and brutally dark. He doesnt really show up a lot
"Who is he?" she now listened to Jack in wonder about this person.
"Hmmmm, idk...he has been around since....Nora died."
"Dammit. He's upset, and with my parents around. It's not safe alone."
"Does he have a name?" asked Daro.
"Well, I hope we can find him soon." She said too Marek.
"..." Jack went silent for a moment.
"Yeah. I just... sighs. I did it to him and now if he comes to be in danger, it'll be my fault and I can't do anything about it."
"We'll figure something out. Dont worry."
"I hope so. What is the ox talking about?"
"He's talking about a darker version of himself. Do you know the name of said version?"
"His name is Derrek." (YES I'M BORN BABY!!! I LIVVVEEEE)
"That's interesting. Didn't think he had one. News to me."
"Derek?" she says curious.
"Is he...after you or something?"
"No....he is just an ass that likes to torment me, watch me in the dark from my dreams and the shadows."
"Oh."
"Ah. Inner demon of sorts. Derrek, is it? Now I'm interested in meeting this inner darkness." Daro giggles quietly so Jack doesn't hear.
"Yea....but don't worry, he doesn't come out a lot but he had, when I drank here and there." (Which is why he gets angry when he drinks.)
He eased her worry. "Don't worry, I haven't heard or seen him....since I started AA" he remembered them having sex and thought he was going to lose control then, he couldn't tell her that.
Daro sighs, feeling a bit calm. He smiled gently. "I guess we cant do much until you handle your powers."
"Oh, right. That reminds me…Marek has been teaching me how to control my powers. It's a work in progress." Marek reaches out, probing to find Julian. Daro pulls from hugging Jack and sits down on the bed.
Marek whispers. "Julian, please. I'm sorry." Daro enters her mind and hugs Marek.
"Well what's the next step then?" asks Jack. Marek hugs her back, swallowing hard
"Maybe I should have stayed alone..."
"I'm sorry you have to go through this…." She says sympathetically. Daro pulls away from him. "I'm only a thought away if you need me, ok?" He nods.
"Okay." He looks into her eyes, sighing. She smiles softly and cups his face with her hand, caressing his cheek with her thumb and smiles back. He leans into it and she smiles more.
"Daro?" Jack wonders as she doesnt speak to him right away, he was a little jealous about this fact. "Is Marek talking to you?"
I'll be alright. Next step would be leaving, but not without Julian. Daro pulls her hand away as she hear Jack's voice echoing, sighing. "Ok" she disappears from her mind and looks up at Jack. "Sorry, I spaced out." In Jack's mind chains clank in a dark jail cell. He laid his head down as he was chained in this prison that was Jack's mind. His hair dark, long and his body toned but generally pail. Jack looked worried. "Okay...I'm going to go outside for a moment"
"I'll come with."
"Um....I think your busy.....and I think it's better that Marek doesn't know everything about me....sorry" He kinda looked awkward and yet a hurt expression.
"But Marek said it's too dangerous to go alone."
"....." He sighed. In his mind: the man hears the echo of Daro talking. His chains weakening. "What is that noise?" He says in a deep velvet voice.
"You can't go out there by yourself. At least let me come with."
He kind of frowns but agrees. "Okay." Daro senses something different about Jack, she frowns. "Are you ok? You...don't seem...like yourself." Marek senses it too and cocks head, interested. Jack went outside with her.
"Huh? No its nothing" she follows close behind, silent the entire time they walk. He looks up. "Your voice is really annoying" he says while looking up with his emerald eyes from within the jail cell, they glow as he pulls at the chains and breaks one off.
"I just don't quite feel comfortable with him.... being in you but your life is important more than you know"
"Marek, I'm guessing you sense that
Right?"
"I know. But it-"
"Yes. Quite interesting...be cautious, though."
"I am." She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves.
"Are you okay?" He smiles kindly. "Maybe I'm on edge....do you...mind if I smoke?"
"I-I'm ok. I wouldn't mind if you smoked." She says, Marek jolts and turns, sensing a powerful evil. "As if this day couldn't get worse! You have GOT to be kidding!"
"What is it, Marek? Is something wrong?"
"I know you never liked it" he lit it and breathed in the smoke.
"Ahhh sweet...cigarette."
"WHAT IS THIS SHITE!" he twitches quickly. Derrek breathes for a moment calming down. He breaks his other chain; you hear the clank of it fall too his internal prison just to see the jail cell and no one there. "Oh Jack....you can't keep your best friend locked up for...ever..." you hear him chuckle evilly.
"I can't tell where, but Darkness is in this town."
"What should we do?" she asks Marek and then looks over at Jack.
"Jack, is everything ok?" worries Daro.
Jack notices her getting worried. "What's wrong?"
"You seem a bit...off." He tries to read her mind of distress and couldn't.
"I can't tell where he is. I need your help, he has me blocked off." Says Marek.
His face was concerned. "No, no no Jack.....not today" his voice was distorted.
"I have control...you have this, because of me" Derrek says too Jack.
"Ok, I'll try and find him." Says Daro too Marek. She uses telepathy to search for Darkness and gets two signals right by the diner. "He's at the diner! Marek! But he's not alone."
"Daro!?" He grabs her arm in anger then realized what he did and stopped.
What?
"Sorry" he let's go of her arm. He groans, hoping it's not who he thinks it is
"Are we in danger?" he says getting his gun ready.
"Jack. We have to go to the diner. Darkness is there and we have to stop him. But he isnt alone." breathes in and out shakily afraid of what has been happening with him mentally.
"Marek, does your father have any weaknesses?" asks Daro.
Marek sighs, trying to come up with a plan.
"Light. Marek did say that if we arent smart enough, he'll cover the town for his advantage. So we'll need a plan."
"Hmmm I only have my light gun and the ruin bullets. Good thing there unlimited" he smiles.
"But engulfing the whole town in light? How?"
"I-I dont know"
"You're not strong enough, yet. Bullets may work...if Jack can shoot him in the chest and head...you and I need a way to face him long enough for him to get two very fast shots.
"But what if I fail to distract him long enough?" Daro had worry in her voice. Jack takes her hand. "It's going to be okay"
"We will work together...I HATE them. I'm tired of living in their shadows and I'm tired of him controlling EVEYTHING! Tell the dumb ox to be fast, Darkness will catch on if he's not." Demanded Marek too tell Jack.
"Ok." holding back a giggle.
He gets his gun ready. "Let's go!"
"Wait, Jack, real quick. Marek wanted me to tell you that you'll need to be quick otherwise Darkness will catch on."
Jack looks at you confused. "Quicker?"
"Yeah." Says Daro.
"The second will need to be immediately after the first, otherwise it'll just piss him off."
"I'm not sure if I understand, Marek." Jack was waiting for him to tell him how, since he didn't wish too invade Daro's mind.
"He'll need rapid succession fire. After the first shot is when it'll piss him off. The second shot needs to be immediately after."
Derrek heard a familiar voice. "....who's...voice" his eyes went full black. He growled and broke the jail cell.
"Ah, Ok, Jack. So Marek told me that once you fire a first shot, you'll need to shoot again immediately after."
"We need to go, and I'll need half possession to help you face him, with your permission."
"Got ya."
"When we get there, Marek, I'll let you" Jack nods. More than ready.
"Oh Daro, tell Marek eat a dick, I got this. I know what I need too do." They runs down the street towards the diner.