#Also the Defiant is named for another ship that fell through time to the alternate timeline of another series.

[patchoulol]

That Ace Combat video is how I feel about Star Trek.

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 29: 3x09 The Tholian Web

Today’s episode, The Tholian Web, was completely new to me and I came in with no expectations at all. I wasn’t sure about it at first but ultimately I really liked it!

In uncharted territory looking for lost ship the Defiant. Space appears to be breaking up. Idk but for some reason this sounds very familiar.

Like truly I don’t know what this is reminding me of but hasn’t space broken up before?

And now there’s a mysterious object! Nothing is going Kirk’s way today at all.

“Fascinating.” / “Explain.” Truly the root of this relationship.

It’s the Defiant! Looking ghostly.

Uhura’s on the case already. You don’t need to tell her how to do her job.

Scotty and Sulu looking badass together.

Conveniently, it’s another constitution class, allowing all the sets to be reused. (Though also I do think it makes sense only a large ship like that would be in uncharted space.)

Look at them in those suits. They look like they’re going to the grocery store in May 2020.

How do they know this isn’t an illusion? Because “we can see it, but the sensors don’t pick up anything” screams “illusion” to me. I wouldn’t want to beam into open space!

The triumvirate + Chekov, fourth wheeling again. (My mom suggested he’d be incapacitated soon, which is fair--he IS the red shirt in this scenario.)

All of this is feeling very familiar--missing ship, unusual space phenomenon, people going mad--but I'm not sure if it's repetitive or classic.

NO mutiny ever? That seem unlikely. Also didn’t Spock literally commit mutiny? Chekov would appreciate knowing this.

Kirk manages to look intense even through the space suit.

I find it really weird he doesn’t know the captain of this ship. Like, first off, he knows everyone, and second, there only about 12-14 constitution class vessel Captains so I really do think they know each other.

“Spock, stay with me.” Don’t have to tell him twice.

Lol the ship looks so silly just...drifting away. Adorable, but silly.

Seeing an Asian man in sick bay reminds me how few Asian people there are in Starfleet. Like... 1.

“What the devil?” That’s a Southern man there.

Is the ship actually dissolving or is it an ILLUSION? (It’s actually dissolving.)

Uh, the transporter’s not working? That’s not good.

I love how Scotty hears that and immediately abandons the bridge, like there is NO other man for the job.

O’Neil’s face when Kirk asks to be beamed aboard is hilarious. Human embodiment of the :O emoticon.

“You too, Spock.” He delays ordering Spock back to the ship because he KNOWS Spock’s going to argue.

“Completing the data set” yeah okay. He just doesn’t want to leave Jim alone. Especially in the extremely suspicious circumstances of there being 4 people and 3 transporter spots.

He’s vanished!

Spock is NOT having this.

The fabric of space is very weak here. Sounds legit. And there are many alternate dimensions that are very close at hand. So in other words... Kirk is literally stuck in an AU right now.

This is sorta like The Alternative Factor but way better.

You know it’s serious when they break out the fish eye lens.

When Bones rushed in, I was expecting him to sedate Chekov but Spock has it covered.

I feel like Spock is extremely concerned for Chekov here. Like it’s subtle, but just the attention he’s paying to him. And Sulu is obviously very concerned too.

His “environmental unit” only has so much oxygen. What a great name for a fancy spacesuit.

Spock will not believe Jim is dead!! Never. (This is the plot of the whole episode in 8 words essentially.)

That’s an alien!

“According to the Federation, this area is free space.” ...Okay, that sounds a little colonialist. In his defense, he doesn’t press the point. He basically says, kay, we’ll go as soon as we’re finished rescuing.

And I appreciate the Tholian’s respect for that even though surely he must feel gaslit by Spock--rescuing WHO there are NO other ships??

Also I like the look of the alien.

Nifty lab equipment there.

MCCOY FIGHT SCENE.

Wow that orderly was easily disabled lol. I guess Chapel hypoed him but it really looked like she just tapped his shoulder and he fell.

Hmm, there are still 30 minutes left so something tells me this Kirk rescue mission won’t work.

Captain Kirk is not in his designated area. I repeat Captain Kirk has wandered away from his designated area.

The space was disturbed by the Tholians. I guess they weren’t factored into the delicate calculations.

Something about this exchange really screams Southerner meets Alien. Like more than most McCoy and Spock exchanges.

You can tell Spock is thinking about this whole "nothing’s being transmitted, it’s just the nature of space; everyone's already sick" thing but also not caring because CAPTAIN KIRK.

Now they’re being fired upon! A lot is happening here.

“Renowned Tholian punctuality” lol. Always a sense of humor on this one.

Spock’s face when Sulu questioned his order was 100% “Did I stutter?”

“I know you don’t like to use the phasers.” Because he’s a pacifist.

Well he changed his mind on those phasers fast enough.

“You’ve lost Jim.” UM no I think NOT.

Everything happens so much.

“That is the mark of a starship Captain like Jim.” I mean Spock is no Jim but there’s no need to be rude about it

“Doctor, go to your room and do your homework.”

Aw, the ships are kissing.

Now they look like little weaving shuttles. Adorable.

Hmm, it IS a web. Appropriately named episode.

“We shall not see home again.” Lol Spock way to be the Most Dramatique as always.

Tholian web screensaver Windows 98.

No, not a funeral!!

“This service requires my attention, Mr. Spock.” Crying emoji.

(I’m with Spock in almost everything in this ep but come on, you can’t ban McCoy from Kirk’s funeral, that’s just rude.)

This seems more like an assembly than a funeral tbh.

[agonizing scream] is also how I feel about Kirk “dying” and that’s why Generations isn’t real.

AOS Kirk would 100% approve of a brawl at his funeral.

Sulu and Uhura <3

“Each of you must evaluate the loss in the privacy of your own thoughts.” Spock definitely will.

Wait, that was it? The whole eulogy? Both Kirk and Spock really suck at eulogizing the other.

McCoy probably could have skipped this honestly.

Wait, Kirk left his space husband and his BFF a final in-case-of-death message? Noooooooooooooooo I can’t.

McCoy is so insistent they watch it and Spock is like “nah, that makes it too real, not gonna do it.”

“The Captain’s last order is the top priority.”

Why does everyone always assume Spock wants power? He obviously doesn’t. He could be a Captain if he wanted, probably. He’s early enough in his career where he still has time to become a Captain, too--eventually he does! Most of his career and literally every statement he’s ever made would kinda imply he’s not interested.

Also, if he didn’t care about Jim and he just wanted to take over the Enterprise, he would have left 3 hours ago? Like multiple people were saying he should? Including Bones??

“He was a hero in every sense of the word.” True.

McCoy is being VERY mean today.

And now he’s mad at him again for fighting the Tholians instead of leaving without Jim! Like which is it! What did he do wrong? At least pick a specific thing to criticize lol.

"I need not explain my rationale to you or to any other member of this crew." That’s true but also all I can hear is “I love him. I’m in love with him. I must have him back.”

What is that art work on the wall? That’s new.

I don’t get how Bones isn’t getting this. He KNOWS about the “warm, genuine feeling.”

Vulcans clearly aren’t immune to the...space weirdness. But yes, another pot shot at his alienness is always welcome lol.

“I AM in command of the Enterprise.” You tell him.

Finally, the secret message!

Omg Jim is literally dead and he’s still reassuring Spock. What a good boyfriend. I know this is the hardest thing you’ve ever done, but you got this bb.

Now he’s lecturing them both from beyond the grave and getting everything right and they’re just standing there like chastised schoolboys.

That “take care” was so soft.

“It does hurt, doesn’t it?”

“What would you have me say Doctor?”

Like??? I can’t stand this.

Uhura! At home.

I like that twirly thing they have in their quarters; very efficient use of space and also I want one.

I also love that her chair has crocodile arms.

Kirk shows up in the mirror just to be dramatic and disappear again.

“Of course you saw him. We’d all like to see him.” Lol. Yes, yes, he’s still with us... in our hearts.

If the Tholians complete the web, what will they do with what’s inside? Eat it?"

“Are we any closer to the cure for space weirdness?” / “No. Except also yes.”

Love all the vague science that goes into solving their problem at the last minute but also extremely quickly by any objective standard.

Is Chekov restrained with seat belts?

Whereas Uhura’s just chilling. She knows what she’s about.

Ghost Kirk! Ghost Kirk!

"Do you suppose they're seeing Jim because they've lost confidence i you?" Damn bones, harsh. I thought we were done with this.

Pretty distressing that everything relies SO much on Scotty lol--arguably the MOST critical single member of the crew.

“I’m  sorry.” Glad to hear him say it, finally!

“He would just say ‘Forget it Bones.’“ Adorable.

I feel like everyone’s simultaneously thinking, ‘Okay, we ALL see that, right?”

I am overwhelmed by the longing in that shot of Spock trying to reach Kirk through the dimensions. Like, we’ve established everyone loves him, everyone misses him, everyone wants to see him, but Spock actually approaches him and tries to meet him...

“We were separated. He couldn’t touch me.”

I want to know Scotty’s opinion on Spock’s crazy statue.

So Spock shouldn’t have fired those phasers? Because they... did something... bad to the dimensions? But what other choice did he have, other than to leave without Kirk?

Wasn’t Scotty literally just saying this wasn’t fixable? And now he’s like ‘eh, I can fix it in 20 minutes and get you 80% power’?

The antidote is derived from a nerve gas used by the Klingons...that’s honestly rather hilarious. They’re good for something I guess.

“It simply deadens certain nerve inputs in the brain.” / “Any decent brand of Scotch’ll do that.” Starfleet’s finest lmao.

Lmao Mccoy's no longer drugging the crew he's straight up killing parts of their brains with booze and deadly nerve gas. The man must be stopped.

Noooo don’t give Scotty the whole bottle. We’ve already established the ship doesn’t run without him.

They still gotta get out of the web.

If I shipped McCoy/Spock I would DEFINITELY ship it in that little moment where they look at each other over the glasses.

I have no idea what happened but they seem to be free. Bye Tholians!

Kirk back in the chair where he belongs <3

“No problems worth reporting”--I mean that is technically true, I GUESS.

Kirk is trying to get the gossip.

“Only what one would expect when humans are involved.” / “What humans?” The oxygen hasn’t fully returned to his brain, I see.

Also he is completely lying about understanding McCoy’s explanation.

Sulu and Chekov are having a great time listening in. Collecting future gossip for the cafeteria.

“M-my last orders. That I left for both of you.” He’s adorable.

"The crisis was upon us and then passed so quickly that w-we...." Lol yes the crisis came and then 4 hours later, it was passed! Just like that.

I totally get that Kirk wants them to admit they watched the tape. It was his orders that they watch it first, plus he knows he said helpful stuff and he wanted to be helpful! But I also get why they don’t want to admit they saw it, because it is rather awkward to admit they watched his last words when he’s... not dead.

That was a great ep overall! I really enjoyed it.

My only two complaints are that there wasn’t enough Kirk, and I wasn’t fond of Bones’s characterization. I mean, I get that he was affected by the... space weirdness and maybe his usual prejudices were purposefully exaggerated to show that but it still felt like he was constantly piling up on Spock and in the most unhelpful way. Like, they often disagree, in part because they have different general philosophies, and Bones often misunderstands Spock. But Bones wasn’t really offering anything helpful in terms of command advice, and his criticisms were both repetitive and incoherent. Did he want Spock to leave Jim behind or not? Was firing the phasers bad or necessary? Is Spock doing too much to save Jim or is he just out to get rid of him and take command? And again, he had like 6 moments where he said something cutting and cruel and...one or two of those go a lot farther to show the point. I also just... Bones really, really doesn’t get Spock, and I can see how he’d get meaner given the space aggression. But he’s not cruel. And he and Spock are friends, and he does know that Spock loves Kirk more than anything. So I did not find him IC overall.

But I did really like Spock and his characterization. I could feel all the emotion in him, so pent up and controlled but so present--especially in the moment when he held the tape Kirk made, but in so many other places as well--the “funeral,” the first moment after Kirk failed to materialize, reaching for him on the Bridge...

I also liked this portrayal of Spock in command. He is a good commander and he has obviously grown a lot since the Galileo Seven. But he’s not Jim, and the show is clear about that. Kirk is not replaceable and his job is not easy. I’m not even sure that Kirk would have done much different than Spock--he wouldn’t have left without one of his crew, and that probably would have involved firing on the Tholian ship. But when Spock did it, it really felt like he was overwhelmed, frustrated, and not thinking--he didn’t want to, but then Scotty said he should, and he did. Kirk would have made the decision, not been pressured into it. Would it have mattered? It comes out to the same, but I think it would have been a different scenario. Kirk only ever makes his own decisions--then he can own them, no matter what. That didn’t feel like Spock’s decision, and it affected others’ confidence in him (cough cough McCoy).

I would have to watch again to see if I thought there was any other choice.

This ep made me think of the cave scene in ST09 where Ambassador Spock meets Kirk and thinks he is HIS Kirk, come on purpose to find him. Because obviously Kirk is like that: he comes back from the dead, he finds Spock no matter what, he comforts and reassures and supports him no matter what. He would cross dimensions, he’d travel through time, he’d become No Longer Dead, if that’s what Spock needed.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Kirk’s adventures in the AU lol. I think he was lying about being alone in the other universe. I want to see the fic where he was actually in the AOS verse lol.

Even though there wasn’t enough Kirk in this ep, I appreciated how strong his presence was anyway, seeing everyone love him so much, and seeing just how effective he is as a Captain by comparison with Spock, who is good and who did get them out of the situation, but who lacks that certain... Captain’s quality.

And it outright was a great Spock episode, and a good Spock and McCoy ep except for all of the OOC-ness in McCoy. I’m starting to feel like actually there’s a pretty significant amount of Spock and McCoy stories (this one, The Paradise Syndrome All Our Yesterdays, even Bread and Circuses) and I wish there were more Kirk and Bones stories, too. They are best friends after all!

Next is Plato’s Stepchildren, which is a pretty meh episode, but not awful.

[kurobizzlewrites]

Leaps of Faith

Chapter 1 - First Impressions

Fandom: YouTube RPF/Markiplier (with hints of Five Nights at Freddy’s)

Pairing: Mark Fischbach x Reader

Story Summary: You're a multi-universe jumping secret agent, specializing in video game universes and out to prove you're more than just a legacy. He's a famous YouTube star who's assigned to be your new partner thanks to his expertise in the horror game genre. You don't know what's worse: putting your trust in this weird dork or falling in love with him.

Genres: In-game reality, AU, romance (specifically ‘rivals to friends to lovers’), comedy, action-adventure, & horror

2

Chapter Summary: You never really liked pairing up with a partner for missions but your boss doesn't seem to care. She even went ahead and picked the most unsuitable candidate imaginable...

Warnings: Swearing & explicit language

Words: 4900

A/N: OMG it’s here on Tumblr now! I originally had this uploaded on Ao3 (if you wanna read it on that site, click here) but after a while, I decided I wanted to step into the Tumblr fanfiction world. So here I am, uploading the improved chapters of this story up on this wonderful site! If you haven’t read this story before, please keep an open mind and an open heart. This is a different take on the alternate universe & in-game reality genres and I hope that you enjoy it! Also, get ready for a slow burn/build-up with Mark lol

---

Shitshitshitshitshitshit.

You were an idiot.

A big idiot.

Why in the world did you decide to take a day off in the middle of a work week?! Sure, you needed to unpack the boxes sitting in your empty apartment but at what cost? How stupid of you to think that was more important when something urgent was happening back at the office. Or at least that’s what the email subject had read. The actual contents of the email were rather vague about the matter but your line of work called for the utmost discretion. Anything more detailed would have been more alarming. You were out the door in minutes upon skimming the message and made it to your pristine office building in record time. You rushed past security, the pass hanging from your wrinkled shirt all you needed to get through the gate, and ran into a closing elevator.

You took this moment to finally catch your breath as you leaned against the mirrored wall. In between soft pants, you thought up a few scenarios as to why you were being called in. It was urgent, obviously, so it had to be something of dire importance. It couldn’t be a performance review; you weren’t due for one of those in months. And you were positive you hadn’t done anything wrong… okay, maybe 95% positive. There was that incident with Douglas but he was the one at fault. Could it be a new assignment? You were due for one ever since you had been reassigned to the L.A. Headquarters almost a month ago. All you’ve been doing so far was filing papers and maintenance work. It was high time for another big case. Deciding that was the most logical (and preferable) reason as to why you were being called in, you felt a whole lot better about the interruption. You could unpack those pesky boxes another day.

The ding of the elevator pulled you out of your thoughts. You walked out, tugging at your clothes as you strode down the tiled hallway. You reached the double doors of your boss' office in a matter of minutes and knocked one of them with a few, quick raps. You heard a muffled “come in” and opened the double doors. Immediately greeting you was an expansive view of the Los Angeles skyline and standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows was a tall woman dressed in a sharp, gray business suit. She spun around to greet you once you had closed the doors behind you.

“Hello [Name], sorry for having you come in on your day off. I really appreciate it.” She stated in an apologetic voice.

“It’s fine. What’s wrong?” You asked as you unceremoniously fell back onto one of her plush armchairs. In front of any other Branch Director, you would have been scolded for your lack of professionalism. But Evangeline Kane was different. An old friend of your parents, she was one of the few people who made an effort to look into your well-being after their passing. She sometimes came to visit you at your relatives’ home and was the only one who truly understood the tragedy you had gone through. Sadly, her visits were far and few and you soon lost contact with her once you were shipped off to Agent training after your 18th birthday. It wasn’t until you received a job offer a few months ago that you heard from Evangeline again. She was the one who personally requested for you to replace a fallen agent at the L.A. Headquarters and you quickly jumped at the chance to be reunited with her. And even after seven years apart, Evangeline didn’t look all that different. Sure, her long brown hair had some white peppered into it now and the lines at the corners of her mouth and eyes were more pronounced, but she was still the same, lovely lady who cared for y-

“We’re assigning you a partner.”

Scratch that, she was the worst.

“I don’t need a partner.” You began, pushing yourself out of your relaxed position and crossing your arms over your chest to look as defiant as possible.

“You don’t get a choice in the matter. I’m assigning you to an initial exploration case and I’ll be damned if you go in alone. That’s not how we do things here.” Your lips tightened as you held back a retort. On one hand, you detested having to work with another person. Partners just slowed you down. The few partnerships you've had during your short career as an Agent always ended as badly. However, Evangeline made an excellent point. Things were different out here and you had to learn how to adapt if you wanted to keep this position. Even if it meant you had to lug around extra weight for the sake of the mission. After staying silent out of spite for a few moments, you finally let out a sigh.

“Fine, who are you assigning me with? It better not be Douglas; that guy doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself. Which reminds me, I’d like to file a complaint to HR.”

“He’s already been suspended till further notice so don’t worry.” Evangeline replied without missing a beat as she pulled out her smartphone. Her fingers flew across the screen, tapping buttons you couldn't see from your position before she placed the device next to her ear.

“Send him in.” As your boss placed her phone back into her pocket, you noticed her take a long, deep breath before she turned back to you.

“Now I want to let you know that I consider you one of our best agents…”

“I don’t like where this is going.” You interjected with a glare. You knew that tone of voice all too well. Something unpleasant was coming.

“And that’s why I know that you can handle a partner with much less experience than you.”

“How much is ‘less’?”

“Let’s say about… none.”

“What?!” You jumped up from you chair, ready to go on a tirade when the doors to Evangeline’s office swung open. You glanced over your shoulder to see a bespectacled guy around your age stumble in, followed by two men in suits that towered over him.

“Um… hello?” He greeted with a small, awkward wave but you only responded with a noticeable cringe as you looked over his unruly black hair and stubble-covered face. You spun back around to Evangeline in a rage.

“A civilian?! Are you kidding me?!” You shouted.

“He’s not just any civilian.” Evangeline replied calmly, motioning her hand towards the man as if she was showcasing a prized work of art, “this is Mark Fischbach.” Silence followed as the woman gave you an expectant look. You responded with a raised eyebrow.

“You may know him as Markiplier.” She tried again, putting more emphasis on his... Name? Alter-ego? You didn't know what to call it.

“Am I supposed to know who that is…?”

“Honestly [Name], I appreciate your dedication to this job but I think for your sake, as well as for the rest of this department’s, you need to get a life.” Your annoyed demeanor faltered for a moment as you were taken aback by your boss’s blunt honesty. Dammit, she didn’t have to go that far. You totally had a life outside the Agency...

Evangeline quickly took advantage of your brief hesitation and continued speaking. “Mr. Fischbach here is a celebrity in the internet world. He runs a very successful gaming channel on YouTube and has extensive knowledge on a variety of games, especially horror.” The mere mention of that genre reignited your anger tenfold.

“I do not-!”

“[Name], I am quite aware of what genres you work in and frankly I don’t care right now. You are the best agent we have and you are going to work where I say you work, got it?” The sparks that flew between you and Evangeline’s glares were so intense that Mark and the two other men took a couple of steps back to avoid the crossfire. After a few tense-filled seconds, you were the first to look away, albeit begrudgingly.

“Got it.” You spat out, your hands balling into fists. Even if you had to agree with her on this matter didn’t mean you had to like it.

Seeing as you had finally calmed down (at least for now), Evangeline turned her attention to the forgotten ‘star’. “Mr. Fischbach, thank you again for coming in on such short notice.”

“Yeah, uh… no problem? It’s not like I had a choice in the matter.” You saw Mark cautiously glance over at the suited men next to him. Poor guy; he must have been forced to come here.

“Yes well, we thought that it would be better to show you firsthand what we do before giving you an explanation. Now, follow me.” Evangeline headed for the door but momentarily stopped to look back over her shoulder.

“That includes you, [Name].” You let out an exaggerated groan but did as you were told as you followed her and Mark out, falling into step with the male instead of walking ahead. You didn’t want to get another earful from her any time soon.

“They're not coming?” Mark suddenly asked when he noticed the expressionless guards that had escorted him up stayed put just outside the office.

“Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are only security guards. They don’t have clearance to where we’re going.” You replied.

“Oh…” You looked over to him and saw a tinge of hurt pride grace his dark brown eyes. It was a look you knew all too well, having broken several men’s prides on various occasions. That’s why you couldn’t help by smirk as your assumptions came together.

“Disappointed that the guys who took you down are at basically the grunts of our secret organization?” You had expected an angry response like you had received many times before. As underhanded as it was, if you could annoy him to the point of refusing the partnership position, it would be a win for everyone (except Evangeline but screw her, she could find a better replacement). To your surprise, Mark glanced over at you sheepishly.

“You can tell, huh?” He asked, scratching the side of his neck nervously.

“It’s as obvious as this blatantly obvious secret headquarters we’re in.” You responded, your voice drenched in sarcasm to hide the foolishness you were feeling for making the wrong assumptions about him.

“We are not that conspicuous.” Evangeline stated sharply. Probably annoyed by your accusation.

“You kidnapped this guy in broad daylight. If that doesn’t scream ‘secret organization’, then I don’t know what does.”

“Well… it’s also kinda mobster-ish if you think about it.” Mark suddenly added but quickly shut his mouth when you threw a glare at him.

“Hey, I’m trying to get us out of this so stop it.”

“Get out of what? You guys haven’t told me anything yet!” The sound of heels clicking tile ceased and the two of you turned your attention back to Evangeline. She stood next to a large oak door and had on a look of complete seriousness that made you hold back your snarky tongue.

“We are a secret, international organization whose sole purpose is to protect this universe and its inhabitants' way of life. To do so, we have Agents, like Ms. [Name], jump to different universes and complete missions to assert the dominance of our universe, thus keeping it as the Alpha, or Main Universe." A tense silence followed Evangeline's explanation as all attention was focused on Mark.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked incredulously, looking at the two of you as if you both had sprouted extra limbs.

“Therefore, we had to take you in. You wouldn’t have believed us if we didn’t show you what we do firsthand.” Evangeline explained before pulling out a black card from her back pocket. She slid it easily through a card reader stationed next to the door and took a step back. The wooden door slid horizontally into the walls, revealing a thick, steel door. The steel door swung back a second later to reveal a massive, circular space filled to the brim with technology. The room itself had no lights but had large screens that lined the walls in rows of three that gave enough illumination for the large space. Manning the screens on an enormous electronic panel that covered the entire bottom wall of the room were various people in all shapes and colors, all dressed in some version of a button up shirt and black slacks. No one tore their eyes off the screens when Evangeline opened the door except the sole person standing in the middle of the room next to the only terminal not connected to the wall. The stout blond fellow waved at the three of you, urging you to come inside with a warm smile. Mark was the first to enter, although a bit hesitantly, as he looked at all the screens in silenced awe. You, however, stood by the doorway and gave your boss a suspicious glance.

“That was not dramatic at all.” You pointed out wryly.

“You know I don’t get to do this often. Will you just let me have this?” Evangeline replied with faux desperation, bringing a grin to your face. Looks like she wasn’t that mad at you anymore and honestly, you were more relieved than you would like to admit. Your snide remarks and prickly nature put most people off so it was always a blessing when someone could look past your tough exterior. Some of your fondest memories of her were the two of you bantering back and forth for hours.

As nostalgic as that was, reminiscing could wait. You went back to serious mode as you walked into the orderly chaotic room. Even from a distance, you could see the huge grin on the Head Analyst's face as he conversed excitedly with Mark, his large hand grasping the shorter man's in a firm shake. Once you and Evangeline got closer, the blond let go and greeted you both.

"Director! Agent [Name]! Nice to see you! Glad to know you are taking my suggestion under serious consideration."

"Suggestion?" You questioned.

"I was the one who thought Markiplier would make an excellent partner for you, especially if we're dealing with the horror genre and what not."

"Oh my god Chuck, you knew?!"

"What, you didn't?"

"A certain someone failed to mention it." You hissed as you glanced over Evangeline. She calmly brushed it aside as she focused her attention on the still awed Mark.

“As you can see, I was completely serious with my explanation before. This area is the center of all our operations with each column of screens displaying what our Agents are experiencing at this very moment. The Analyst in front of the screens act as a handler to that Agent by keeping track of their progress and, more importantly, their health.” She stated, gesturing to the said objects or people throughout her lecture.

“So, what you’re saying is that a real live person is pulling off a heist in the fictional city of Los Santos as we speak?” Mark replied slowly while pointing to one column of screens displaying gameplay of Grand Theft Auto V in three different angles.

“Well, a real live person’s consciousness, not their actual physical body.” Chuck corrected. “But yeah, everything you said is accurate. Agent Xander will probably be done in a few short minutes after he shoots down those helicopters.” He motioned over to the monitors where the said agent onscreen began releasing a torrent of bullets into the air.

“How is that even possible? How is any of this possible?” Mark asked, completely dumbfounded by all that was going on around him. Could you blame him though? This was a ton of information being thrown at him and you were impressed that he hadn’t freaked out yet, especially since he had been forced to come here in the first place. You weren’t sure if he was dangerously curious or so laid-back that he’d just go with the flow with his supposed kidnappers. It was starting to look like it was a mixture of both.

“Let’s start in the beginning.” Chuck began, his blue eyes sparkling at the chance to educate a new mind with the wonders of the universe. You immediately grabbed a couple of unused rolling chairs, knowing from experience that this might take a while…

“As Director Evangeline had probably already mentioned, this world we live in is part of the Alpha Universe. It’s not called that because we’re egotistical but because all other universes are born from the imaginations of the Alpha Universe’s inhabitants. When a person thinks up an idea of a new world or character, it becomes the initial spark of a completely new universe. And because there are more than a billion people on this planet alone, the number of Beta Universes that have been created or will be created is infinitesimal.”

“Holy shit.” You heard Mark whisper as he fell back on a chair you strategically placed behind him minutes before. You gave yourself a mental pat on the back as you continued to listen to Chuck speak.

“Most universes remain separate from another throughout its entire lifespan. However, if a universe gains exposure in the Alpha Universe and is known in the minds of more and more people, it will grow in power. If another universe gains too much power from exposure in the imaginations of the Alpha inhabitants, they evolve to a Beta Universe and a phenomenon known as a ‘bleed’ will occur. This is when the notable characteristics that make a Beta Universe unique begins to trickle into the Alpha through two ways; influenced humans whose behavior will change drastically based on how they are represented in the other universe and/or supernatural or mythical beings/objects. Some bleeds are positive but most will have negative impacts on society. You might remember a few headlines from years ago where a teenager shot up a school because he got the idea from some violent video game or a man eating another human being after snorting bath salts. These are incidents caused by influenced humans that we at the Agency had to cover up to avoid mass hysteria. The first incident I mentioned was much easier than the latter but we covered up that zombie incident rather well, I think-”

“Get on with it Chuck.” Evangeline interrupted.

“Right. Sorry. Um, examples of supernatural/mythical beings are what you consider urban legends and what not. Ghosts are the prime example of this since people have known and thought about the existence of spirits for centuries. However, they are not able to maintain a physical form because even though many people know about spirits, there is not one concrete idea or form people imagine. It is only when the same image or form is associated with a world or character can that item or being begin to take on a physical form. Thankfully, this has not happened yet due to our efforts in maintaining Beta Universes from becoming too powerful.”

“How does that work? You said that you send people’s minds into a game?” Mark inquired, a concentrated look on his face as he rested his elbows on his knees. Again, you were quite impressed with his quick acceptance and adaptability to the situation at hand.

“Video games, movie franchises, television shows; the Agency handles them all. We were formed when the rise of technology gave way for people to bring physical forms and images to their imagined visions. In regards to video games, we have Agents complete them like you would if you played it. Every time an Agent completes a chapter or checkpoint, depending on how the game is set, they are basically asserting the dominance of the Alpha Universe. It also adds more Alpha energy masses into that Beta Universe and creates a wall between that universe and ours. There are several different headquarters around the world to prevent bleeds in any region. We also divide sections up based on specialties and genres Here at the Los Angeles Headquarters, we focus on video game universes, predominantly FPSs, platformers, and of course, survival horror.”

“That’s where I come in.” Mark finished, looking as though he had finally put all the pieces together.

“Precisely. We’ve seen your work and your expertise in the survival horror genre. It makes you the perfect candidate to become [Name]’s partner.” Evangeline replied as she stood up. “We wouldn’t make you a full-fledged Agent since that will take up too much of your time away from your day job. However, we would like to hire you on as a part-time consultant. Less hours but with all the perks of being an agent. Which work well with how Agent [Name] operates.” You saw Mark’s eyes lit up in excitement behind his thin-rimmed glasses and you were about to open your mouth to say something but the older woman beat you to it.

“However, before you agree to anything, we need to explain one important detail of your job description.” She said so solemnly that it immediately extinguished the sparkle in Mark’s eyes.

“What is it?” He asked just as seriously but you could tell that he knew what was coming.

“When visiting these universes, you don’t get the infinite amount of lives like you would playing. If you die in a universe, you die here.” No one spoke after that and the silence around your small group was immediately filled by the sounds of games playing and Analysts speaking to one another. All eyes were focused on Mark, his minute facial expressions revealing the internal struggle to come to a decision. After what seemed like hours but were only mere seconds, he finally looked up.

“Can I have a few days to think about this? I don’t think I can decide just yet.” He asked timidly. Evangeline nodded.

“Of course. Take as much time as you need.” She stated. “Let me escort you downstairs. I’ll have a car bring you back home.” She gestured her hand over to the doorway with a warm, almost motherly smile and you saw Mark give a small smile back. Once he stood up, Evangeline went ahead to the door as she pulled out her phone, probably to call on her personal bodyguards to get the car ready. Mark followed soon after, but not without glancing over to you. Your eyes met for a moment and you could see that he was searching your eyes for some kind of answer. If he agreed, he would be your partner. Could he trust his life in your hands?

You sure as hell couldn’t trust your life in his. You didn’t want to work with an inexperienced nobody, even if he was some horror game god. Playing it behind a computer screen and experiencing it in real life were two totally different things. That’s why you returned his glance with a glare and turned away as coldly as you could. You didn’t look back to see his reaction and squashed whatever guilt you were feeling. He seemed like a nice guy but you couldn’t risk your life or his with whatever crazy mission Evangeline had in store. He would be better off going back to whatever he did on YouTube.

You saw a figure loom next to you and looked up at Chuck. He had a disappointed look in his eyes, probably from watching your interaction with his idol. “You should give him a chance.” He said as he rolled over a seat next to you and sat down. “He really is good at playing games.”

“It’s not the same as being an Agent.” You sighed, relaxing your arms in your friend’s presence. If someone had told you a month ago that the jolly, overly-excitable Head Analyst of the Los Angeles Headquarters would become the closest thing you’d have to a best friend, you would have had that person check into a mental health institution. But lo and behold, Chuck wormed his way through your cold exterior with his pun-filled jokes and welcoming attitude that you couldn’t ignore the loveable doofus even if you tried. It was a friendship you had been yearning for a while but previous experiences made it hard for you to move it past co-worker friend status. Luckily, Chuck was a-okay with that and respected your boundaries.

“Well, maybe what we need isn’t an Agent. They’re the ones who keep failing after all.”

“Are you saying I’m gonna fail?”

“Of course not. You’re the freaking best Agent we’ve got.” Your lips twitched and Chuck grinned at your impending smile before he continued. “But maybe you’ll have a better chance with someone who isn’t formally trained.”

“Maybes won’t save lives Chuck.”

“I know, I know. Can’t I just be an optimist and believe in you guys?” You glanced over at him for a moment and saw nothing but honesty shine through his baby blue eyes. You gave another sigh, this one more exaggerated, before shrugging your shoulders.

“If you must.”

“Great! Anyways, don’t let me keep you from the rest of your day off.” Chuck exclaimed, jumping up from his chair. “But before you go, I’m sure you’d like a head start on what Beta Universe Evangeline plans to send you to.” He walked over to his private, rolling terminal and grabbed a folder sitting on top of a set of colorful buttons. He walked over back to you just as you stood up.

“Warning you now, this game is pretty terrifying.”

“How fun. I’ll be sure to look at it when I get home.” Bidding a quick goodbye, you walked out of the room and back towards the elevators, taking your sweet time back down to avoid walking into Evangeline and Mark if they were still downstairs. Luckily, they weren’t there anymore and you were able to leave headquarters without another incident.

One short bus ride later gave you enough time to skim through the folder. The game you would be going into was called Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, a survival horror point-and-click game. Even though it was an indie game, it got a lot of exposure during its first game for its vague lore and memorable animatronic animal villains. With the release of the sequel so quickly after the first, it’s exposure skyrocketed and was having some hazardous effects on your universe. The high death rate of the second game had taken at least 2 sets of Agent pairs so far. A part of you wondered if there were too many cooks in the kitchen, which lead to their untimely deaths but you shook your head. Stop it ego; you had to get into the new habit of having a partner. Preferably someone with a few missions under their belt.

As you climbed the stairs up to of your floor, you began making a mental list of all other available Agents at your headquarters. You were unlocking your door and thinking about Agent Xander’s qualifications when you heard someone call out behind you.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” You froze, immediately recognizing that smooth baritone voice. You hesitantly looked over your shoulder to see Mark Fischbach stepping out of the apartment door across from yours.

“I… live here?” You slowly replied, frantically praying to whatever god was willing to listen.

Please just be visiting someone. Please just be visiting someone.

“What a coincidence, I live here too!” He announced cheerfully as he closed the door behind him. “Guess we’re neighbors.”

“Yeah… Cool… Um, I gotta go.” Before Mark could say anything else, you scrambled inside and closed the door behind you a little too loudly. Probably a good thing though since you were still sticking to your plan in keeping up an assholey persona to push him away. But that was the furthest thing from your mind right now as you pulled out your phone. You went to your speed dial page and pulled up the first person on top of the list. She answered in two rings.

“Yes [Name]?”

“Why does he live 10 feet away from me?”

“I don’t kn-”

“Cut the bullshit, you’re the one who put me in this apartment.”

“I put you in that apartment because I knew you’d appreciate that spiral staircase.”

“You know I do but that’s beside the point. How long have you been planning to assign him as my partner? Before I got here?”

“What if I did? What if I’m concerned about your social well-being and that you haven’t had a partner or any social interaction outside of work for the past two years?”

“Because it’s none of your business!” You hung up on her before she could say anything else and threw your phone on the couch. Her words hung in the air but you did your best to ignore them and the open wounds they had created.

You were fine.

And you were going to remain fine. You had a good job, a nice home, and a sizeable income. What more could you need?

If Evangeline was so hellbent on making that Marki-whatever guy your partner, then you were going to do everything in your power to make him refuse the job.