Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue.
Everything is beautiful
Everything is rosy
Before my ego imposes
I'm done with looking at you
Ego (English translation)
Artist: Willy William

High 5 studios 2022
“This guy is like a true villain,” Matt felt himself freeze “you know what they say about them through right?”
He could hear the words come out of his mouth, but he couldn’t stop them.
He felt himself falling back into darkness trying to keep a hold of reality.

Was this Nelson trying to take back a hold of him? No, this felt different somehow, somehow this person felt familiar.

He tried to call out has the darkness overtook him hoping Woods, Sam or Baily would hear him, “If you can’t beat them, join them!”
“Cut…That’s a wrap Overkill, everything is coming together.”
Overkill pushed his glasses down the bridge of his nose looking over the rim a smirk on his face.
Two figures stepped from the shadows one dressed in a black suit the other black top and jeans a cut along his throat.
“Thanks to you Dark, Anti who would have thought, it would have been this easy and it all started with a key…”
Anti gave a giggle jumping up on megadesk “This world is ours for the taking!”

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

What do you want?
'Cause you've been keeping me awake,
Are you here to distract me?
So I make a big mistake?
Or are you someone out there
Who's a little bit like me?
Who knows deep down,
I'm not where I'm meant to be?

Into the unknown (Songwriters: Robert Lopez / Kristen Anderson-lopez
Into the Unknown lyrics © Wonderland Music Co. Inc., Wonderland Music Company Inc., Wonderland Music Company Inc

Matt moaned; he felt a cold stone floor the room was in darkness, or it could be that he had his eyes shut.
He heard two voices whispering one with an accent that he knew but wasn’t sure and one he knew all to well.
“Don’t move just yet slowly open your eyes Matt.” Feeling a hand on his shoulder he tried to lift his head off the floor.
“Mark? Wha…what’s going on where am I?” Matt felt himself being pulled up by two pairs of hands.
He blinked letting himself get adjusted to the room he frowned has the two people came clear.
“Mark? Jack? Both of you are here?” Jack smiled kindly and nodded looking over at Mark.
“Welcome to the vale, enjoy the buffet buddy.”

“Wait! So, you’re telling me that Darkiplier and Antisepticeye are real?” Mark nodded answering Matt’s question.
“What about Gogglepilier?” Mark sighed nodding his head sitting down on the floor next to Matt, Jack doing the same.
“Wilford, Goggle, Dark, all of them are here same with Jack.” Matt looked at Jack puzzled, “You have “egos” also?”
Jack nodded “Anti, Doctor Schneeplestein, Jack-a-boy man, Chase, Marvin all real.”
“Thankfully though Jacks “Egos” are more likely to be helpful than mine.”
Trying to take in what Mark and Jack were telling him.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose “I’m…so confused, right now, why are Jacks more likely to help us?”
“Out of all of Jacks egos, Anti is the most dangerous the others are just Jack…” Jack laughed at Marks explanation.
“That’s one way of putting it, I guess the only other one we really need to worry about is Schneeplestein but even he isn’t “evil” he just wants to help but doesn’t really know how. We only really need to worry if Anti takes over one of the egos.”
“I know that feeling.” Sighing Matt stood up taking in the surroundings “So what exactly is this place?”
“The vale, it’s well between our world and whatever world is beyond it, we’ve never really seen that part of this world, But, what about you Matt? How did you get here and how have you ended up with a ego?”
Matt laughed “Oh Man, buddy, that’s a story and a half.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2
Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud
So good I can't believe it, screaming with the crowd
Don't sweat it, we'll get it back to you
Don't sweat it, we'll get it back to you
Overkill, overkill, overkill.

Songwriters: Edward Alan Clarke / Ian Kilmister / Philip John Taylor
Overkill lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Mark, Matt and Jack had all met Nelson they just didn’t know it, they wouldn’t know it.
They could have met him anywhere, a dinner date, serving them a drink at a movie or sports game, a kind person who offered them some water if they needed a drink.
All Nelson had needed to do was a little bit of manipulation.
Celine had been easy to bend, a few words in her ear a idea here and there and thanks to her and her brother, Damien.
Dark had been born, Anti he was a little more complex putting codes into computer games he had taken a month to bring forward, However Overkill had been the hardest to bring to life taking years.
Nelson believed that everyone had a dark persona, he wanted to see if good people would know or allow for that dark persona to come forward.
As it turned out Mark and Jack had quite a few but Nelson just wanted the darkest so Dark and Anti was the strongest and the ones who was always watching and kept the other egos at bay Matt however only had Overkill.
“So…What now?” Overkill asked “We went though all of this for…what exactly?” Anti put his head to one side a sadistic smile on his face.
“I want to have some fun…” Dark held his hand up for Anti to be quiet before sitting down.
“unfortunately for me and you Anti we aren’t physical beings, we are beings of the void, and therefore can’t physically be in this world, however overkill here can move freely between worlds.”
Overkill frowned “well, what use is that if people can't see you then why are you here?”
Dark smiled “oh they will, in this instance myself and Anti will very much be in front of the camera, where we truly belong, from there we can make people see what Nelson wants them to see.”
Overkill nodded removing his glasses, “I suppose I should make them think that Matt is still running the show.”
Darkiplier nodded, “Anti and I will once again start slowly, showing ourselves in videos from there we will be able to put the message out there and bring people to us.”

Overkill opened the door as Anti and Dark blended in to the shadows “How are you doing Matt?”
Overkill turned seeing Woods stood behind him “I’m…ok, just trying to get my head around everything, you know?”
Woods nodded “yeah I do, listen Matt, when you go back and watch the videos I er said something that I didn’t mean, if I knew it was Nelson…”
Overkill held his hand up “Don’t worry about it, I’m sure I’ve done the same in the past with everything that’s going on I said things I didn’t mean, it’s already forgotten.”
Giving a sigh of relief Woods nodded before turning and leaving going back to his workstation.
Overkill gave a smirk this was going to be easier than he thought, he already had the team fooled, had they learnt nothing from what had just happened with Nelson they couldn’t see what was in fount of them Overkill went into Matts office closing the door.

Woods closed the door behind him turning to Sam, Baily and three other females “You was right Amy, that’s still not Matt, that’s Overkill.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 3
If I only could,
I'd make a deal with God,
And I'd get him to swap our places,
Be running up that road,
Be running up that hill,
With no problems.
Songwriters: Kate Bush
Running up That Hill lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Amy nodded “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this happen, although for the rest of you, I think it might be?”
Amanda and Evelien looked uneasy then nodding, Amanda sighed “yes, I mean I’ve seen overkill on videos, but Matt always put it down to joking and fooling around and of course we saw Mark do the whole Darkiplier, Googleplier, Wilfred thing I never thought the egos where a real thing though.”
Evelien nodded in agreement “Same for me, before me and Sean got together.”
“Sean?” Woods asked looking puzzled, Evelien gave a smile.
“Sorry Jack, I forget not everyone knows Jack isn’t his actual name, we moved in the same circles, had the same friends, we were friends, so I knew of Antisepticeye and the rest, but I thought it was just him acting.”
Woods nodded “I’ve heard Matt talk about Googleplier, he showed me the video, but I really thought it was a bit.”
“That’s how it started but then the egos kind of, took on a life of their own.” Amy explained “Mark just kept saying he was fine, not to worry, at first I just put it down to him being overworked but then the more Dark took control the little bit more of Mark I lost.”
“So, where are they now then? Are they still in the bodies like Matt was when he was Nelson?” Sam asked who had been taking everything in.
“That’s just it, we don’t know. Mark can’t tell me anything when we comes back, and from what I understand Sean, er Jack doesn’t really remember either, they just say it’s like a darkness.”
Amy took a book out her bag, “I try and write everything down so I can show Mark.” She placed the book on the table looking at Sam, Woods, and Bailey.
“I know you have everything going on with Deb, Nelson, and everything but I have a feeling they are all connected. Myself, Amanda, and Evelien could really use your help,”

“HEY! HEY!”
“It’s no good, they won’t answer Matt.” Mark said placing his hands on the bars “Me and Jack have tried.”
“What about pretending to be one of the Egos?”
Mark smiled “Tried it.”
“Anything to try and bribe the guards?” Jack shook his head joining Mark and Matt, “We never see them food just appears, drinks just appears. It’s like we think of it and it appears.”
“What if we try thinking for a key?”
Mark and Jack smiled “Tried it!” They both said together as Matt sighed pulling on the bars.
“There must be something…wait…Have you ever tried to think of a walkie talkie or a phone?”
Shaking his head Jack gave a puzzled look.
“No, for the walkie you would need to know where the other one is and we have no idea if a signal would reach same with phones.”
“Jack does have a point but, It’s worth a try, Matt has a room full of walkies at high 5…”
“Not high 5 anymore, We are spellbound…but yes we do if I can get hold of one we can try to connect Woods, I’d say leave messages on the wall but after we just decorated after I was taken over by Nelson I doubt people would be happy.”
“Yeah after what you told us that’s crazy, ok we can but try…lets give it a go.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 4
Faith, you know you're gonna live through the rain
Lord, you've got to keep the faith
Don't you know it's never too late
Right now, we've got to keep the faith
Faith, don't you let your love turn to hate
Love, you've got to keep the faith
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Oh, we've got to keep the faith
Keep the faith
Keep the faith
Lord, we've got to keep the faith
Songwriters: Desmond Child / Jon Bon Jovi / Richard S Sambora
Keep the Faith lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Woods stood near the coffee machine he sighed softly as the water boiled he looked up seeing “fake” Matt/Overkill making it look like he was working at megadesk.
It was taking all of his will power not to go over and confront him, calling him out after everything that had happened to Matt these past 8 months and now Overkill was controlling Matt.
His blood boiled, the fans joked how Matt was like a dad to Woods, Sam and Bailey, that wasn't far from the truth, more like a older brother than dad but the sentiment still stood.
He would do what ever he needed to do to get Matt back again not just for the team but for Amanda, he looked up seeing fake Matt watching him, He nodded and smiled at Woods who nodded and smiled back.
He poured the water into a cup when Sam appeared at the door, “Er Woods can you just give me a hand with something, right away, you can bring your drink with you.”
Woods looked puzzled Sam's face was one of concern and excitement.
“Everything OK Sam? Can I help with anything?” Overkill asked sounding just like Matt, she jumped turning round quickly, “Oh Hi Matt, nothing that you need to worry about...”
“863 related?” Overkill asked raising a eyebrow Sam shook her head smiling has Woods watched them.
“No, no nothing like that don't worry, a pipe burst on one of the sinks, we've got the water off and mopped it up but it really, really needs Woods to fix it.”
Woods nodded seeming puzzled “OK, just give me a sec I'll just grab some tools.”
Sam nodded watching Overkill he looked and sounded just like Matt but then again so had Nelson but know who he was gave them the upper hand.
“Right, I'm ready lets go.”

Soon has they was outside Sam looked in a car windscreen to make sure Overkill wasn't following them.