Dark started to make his way to the neon club, while Natemare uttered out to Anti uneasily. "Oops. This can only end badly." Anti giggled, teasing out. "One hundred souls on Dark to win." Natemare groaned out in response. "Aww, come on. That's not even fair. In what world can Verine beat Dark?" Ignoring them, Dark shoved the jet black door open and walked down the long hallway of blue and pink neon lights that lined the straightway. Dark past red lights in the shape of naked men and women on the walls. The heat of his anger radiating off of him. Entering into the large room, he glanced at the blue neon bar with neon green cages where naked dancers were entertaining those sitting at the bar. The purple booths were loaded and each one had a dancer or two that was entertaining the table in some way. Dark focused on each dancing human to make sure none of them were Sean. Neon lights flashed around the dance floor and the tiles on the black floor pulsed to the heavy beat that vibrated the black walls. Everywhere demons were grinding on each other or drooling over the dancers. It was a cesspool of lust, drugs, and alcohol. When a small demon moved too close to Dark, it yelped and dashed away to hide when it realized who he was.

Natemare rushed up beside him, yelling over the pulsing bass. "Dark! Let's go!" Dark raised an eyebrow, scowling at him. Why did he think he was going to listen? Natemare looked nervous, trying to pull Dark's arm back toward the door. Dark tugged his arm back, his attention going to Anti who suddenly blurted out heated. "That son of a bitch!" Natemare's shoulders fell, uttering out hopelessly. "Too late... Shit." Natemare gestured to the far stage with a shrug, grumbling out. "I need a drink... before you blow this place up..." Dark followed his hand to the stage, his jaw clenching tight as his irises ignited in blue and red flames. On the far pink neon stage, he saw what looked like Sean dancing around the white neon pole. Sean was wearing ripped up black jeans and a neon green bdsm harness over his bare exposed chest. The brim of his grey Irish cap was pulled down so far that Dark couldn't see his eyes. Slowly approaching the stage, Dark's anger flared. The longer he watched Sean dance around the pole, the more he was positive that this wasn't Sean. Sean wasn't that shameless and bold. Demons stopped dancing and quickly rushed to the sides of the dance floor as Dark reached the stage. His eyes locked only on the impersonator.

The impersonator didn't even notice him and kept up his routine. The impersonator was pretty good at impersonating Sean's hand gestures and personality. He moved Sean's slender body in enticing ways that complimented him, but the real Sean would have been mortified to move his body for a crowd like this. The impersonator fanned his long legs before the pole, then immediately twisted into a low one hands dip as he extended a leg up along the pole. It was then that the impersonator tilted his head back to peer lustfully out from under the brim of his hat and found himself looking directly at Dark's fiery gaze. The impersonator's bright blue eyes widened before Sean's voice broke out in uneasy surprise. "Darkiplier? I can explain...?" The impersonator lost his grip on the pole, falling hard to the stage. While Anti furiously snapped out from farther behind Dark. "VERINE?! You son of a bitch! What do you think you're doing with my image! I'll fry your ass!" Dark raised a hand without looking back, telling Anti seriously. "Anti, let me handle this." Anti's body sparked, sending electricity out to flare up the dark walls as his voice glitched out in anger. "THIS IS... I CAN'T EVEN... I DON'T DANCE LIKE THAT! ARSEHOLE!"

Natemare ducked and dodged sparks that darted off Anti, before offering him a bright green shot and telling him with calm sympathy. "Easy. Anti, you'll glitch yourself into an E.M.P. again. Here. Drink this. Remember what we talked about? Plot vengeance. Don't explode... It's less satisfying." Anti took the shot, tossing it back quickly and shoving it back to Natemare. Natemare turned back to the bar, calling out calmly. "Refill? Quickly now. He won't hesitate to blow us up now." Verine sat up, putting his back to the stripper pole as he shakily told Dark. "I understand you're upset but hear me out. I have a very good excuse for this." Dark lunged his hand out for Verine's leg. Verine yelped, parting Sean's legs quickly to avoid Dark breaking his leg with how hard his hand hit the black stone floor. Verine inhaled sharply at the sight of the creaked stone floor between his legs, before grabbing the pole and swinging himself up onto his feet flawlessly. Hiding around the pole, Verine stammered out in Sean's voice. "You'd hit me looking like this? You twisted fuck!" Dark removed his gun, snapping out loudly. "You are NOT HIM! NOW WHERE IS HE, VERINE!" Verine used the pole to backflip as Dark fired the first shot at him, landing into a perfect crouch.

Raising a hand, Verine coolly told Dark. "You're not going to like my answer... Which doesn't make me want to tell you." Dark fired another shot that forced Verine to drop flat across the stage. The bullet hit the wall and showered an explosion of glass and sparks over Verine's back. As smoke puffed from Dark's gun, he yelled out louder. "TELL ME, VERINE! And if you've hurt me..." Wincing, Verine quickly rolled across the stage and hopped up onto his feet, before breathlessly snapping back. "I didn't even touch him! I was trying to tell you where he was! But YOU ignored me!" Dark fired another shot and Verine barely turned sideways. The bullet missing his shoulders by inches. Dark jumped to land on the stage, growling out bitterly. "Well, now I'm here! WHERE IS HE?!" Verine backed away from Dark, huffing out bluntly. "Oh, sure! NOW you show up! When I don't have him anymore! You arrogant dick!" Dark extended out a hand, snapping his fingers. Verine took the explosion to the chest that blasted him into the stone wall. Demons screamed and started to flee the building. While Verine groaned and stiffly crawled out of the wall, muttering out. "That... hurt... asshole." Dark cracked his neck, warning Verine in a deep tone of voice. "Keep it up. I'll make it hurt more. Where is he?"

Staggering back up on his feet, Verine crossed his arms over Sean's scorched chest before snarkily snapping back. "It doesn't matter what I say. You won't believe me. So, go on. Hit me with your best shot, big boy!" Natemare draped himself across the bar, asking a pacing Anti curiously. "Peanuts? We could be here a bit." Verine shot Natemare a dark look, but Natemare just grinned back at him. Dark raised his hand again, and Verine sighed out. "Alright... Let's dance then." Dark snapped his fingers and this time, Verine's skin changed rapidly back to normal. His large wings curled out in front of him to take the full power of Dark's explosion. Sliding back across the floor, Verine, quickly moved his wings out of his way and surged forward to slam into Dark. Dark braced himself, grabbing Verine's arms just as he reached him and adjusted to slam Verine to the floor instead. Anti hissed, starting to move in to help Dark, until Natemare blurted out. "You step in, and I win the bet." Anti stopped short, reluctantly backing up to the bar as he hissed out. "Fine. Take all the fun out of it for me." Natemare flicked Anti's ear playfully, upon chuckling out. "Have another drink." Verine groaned, then gasped as Dark made a fist and started to bring it down on him. Quickly changing faces to Sean, Verine screamed out in Sean's voice. "DARK, DON'T!"

Hearing Sean's distressed voice and cowering face instinctively made Dark hesitate and punch the ground over Verine's shoulder. Parting his hands, Verine chuckled out smugly. "Got you." Dark grunted as Verine kicked him between the legs, then wrapped his arms around his neck to flip him hard against the floor. Verine tried to choke Dark out, but Dark gripped higher up Verine's arms and flipped him hard into the wall. Just as Dark kicked out at Verine's chest, Verine braced his hands to absorb the kick that helped get him back up on his feet. Then jumping, Verine twisted in the air to kick Dark across the face. The second Verine landed though, Dark punched Verine into the floor. Dark moved to stomp on Verine's chest, but Verine's wing sprang out from Sean's back to knock Dark back off his feet. Dark easily got up and Verine staggered up onto his feet, muttering out through a heavy pant. "I think you'll find me more resilient than the others. Comes from a lifetime of you fuckers picking on me!" Rolling his eyes, Dark blinked from one side of the room to right behind Verine and punched his spine so hard that it shot him forward into the side of the stage. When Verine didn't get up, Dark retrieved his gun and walked menacingly up to Verine.

Lifting the gun to aim down between Verine's fearful eyes, Dark growled out with murderous intent. "I'm not playing around, Verine. Tell me where he is. Or I'll kill you and every last one of your personal whores until I find out where he is." Verine trembled, blood leaking from his nose and mouth when he told him anxiously. "Khaos took him... She lost him. I don't know where he is anymore... But I was trying to protect him..." Dark cocked back the hammer, his finger tightening on the trigger, until Sean's voice yelled out desperately. "DARK! STOP!" Verine's eyes peeked around Dark to look at the entrance, but Dark didn't move in case it was another trick. It wasn't until Natemare told Dark calmly. "Dark. Look." Keeping his gun on Verine, he risked a quick over his shoulder. His breath catching in his throat, when Sean rushed up to him and grabbed his wrist to aim the gun safely away from Verine. Panting hard, Sean told him in a rush. "Verine was helping me! Dark, please! Don't hurt him!" Dropping his gun, Dark cupped Sean's face, his deep voice quivering when he asked him. "Sean? Are you alright? Are you hurt? I smelled..." Sean smiled warmly, cupping Dark's face in return as he told him through a light chuckle. "I'm fine. The blood you smell is from my shirt. When she bit me. It was Verine's idea to get your attention."

Dark glanced down at Verine, who slummed down on the floor, mumbling quickly to himself in relief. "Fuck me... That was a little too close..." Dark yanked Sean into his protective arms, hugging him as close to his body as he could without hurting him. From the bar, Natemare gawked out. "Well, fuck me sideways... Is that... Thanatos?" Anti and Dark whirled around to look at the hallway entrance. Thanatos anxiously kept his eyes on the front door but told Sean eagerly. "Sean, we've got to go. I can feel her. She's approaching. FAST." Sean tried to pull away from Dark, but Dark scooped him up in his arms like a child and snapped out. "Anti, we need a distraction to disguise our way out." Anti tossed back his shot, then rolled his shoulders as his eyes flared a neon green. Thanatos created a fog cloud, telling them seriously. "Go through. Now." Natemare leapt through without hesitation. Thanatos hefted Verine up onto his shoulder, rushing through and Dark followed. Anti lingered behind, letting out a scream that made the dense fog cloud ripple with green static. Seconds later, Anti was blown back into the fog cloud as something exploded on the other side. On Thanatos' shoulder, Verine sighed out grimly. "Oh, great... You owe me a new club, Dark. I'm not even close to kidding."

Thanatos made the fog dissipate, before relaxing as he told them. "That should stall her." Anti coughed a smoke ring as he laid on the dirt, giggling out in a slightly drunken stupor. "It was a disco explosion of color! A great big ball of pretty fire! And I LOVE BALLS OF FIRE!" Rolling his eyes, Natemare grabbed one of Anti's outstretched hands, dragging him toward the cabin as he chuckled out. "Alright. I'm cutting you off. No more absinthe for you." Pouting, Anti let Natemare drag him across the ground, but whined out. "You're mean. Did I at least win the bet?" Shaking his head, Natemare coolly lied. "Nope. You lost. You owe me souls." Anti narrowed suspicious eyes on him but grumbled out like a whining child. "I never win anything..." Thanatos eyed Dark and Sean, wearily telling them. "There goes my peace and quiet." Verine winced on Thanatos' shoulder, pleading hopefully. "You got a mirror that I can use? Cause I'll gladly get the hell out of here to MY peace and quiet sanctuary." Rolling his eyes, Thanatos started to walk away with Verine, but stated over his shoulder. "Sean, I'll deal with them. Then met me in the shed so we can get that ring off." Dark raised an eyebrow, waiting for Thanatos to get out of earshot, before asking softly. "What does he mean? Did he figure it out?"

Grinning, Sean nestled himself in Dark's arms, placing his head on Dark's shoulder as he informed him happily. "He thinks so. And you'll never guess what the hardest ingredient is." Dark tried to think about it, but Sean kissed his cheek and whispered into his ear. "It's your blood. That is all we are missing." Dark's soft brown eyes met his, his voice dropping into pure smooth butter when he purred out. "You've been busy without me?" Blushing, Sean shrugged out innocently. "Well... I'm not completely helpless, you know. I can do things." Dark grinned, but it faded as he brought his head closer to sniff Sean's neck. A tiny growl rumbled from Dark, prompting Sean to ask nervously. "What's wrong?" Brushing his cheek against his, Dark told him cautiously. "I can smell Nicon on you. It's faint... but more than enough to make my blood boil." Wrapping his arms around Dark's neck, Sean calmly whispered in a playful voice. "Yes. I heard him complain about how you've worked so hard to make every inch of me... smell like you." Dark blushed now as he chuckled out. "Well... it was bound to happen... with how often we're... together." Kissing his cheek again, Sean told him happily. "I'm not complaining. It's just an observation."

Dark started to walk toward the house, his arms a bit hesitant to keep a strong hold on Sean. His reaction made Sean smile to himself. Normally, he would protest being carried like a child. Not right now. Right now, he wanted to just snuggle in Dark's strong arms. To stay as close as he could for now. He had missed him. The strong smell of him was relaxing and almost lulled him off to sleep in his arms. Dark's hold on him tightened as Sean tightened his own grip on him. He had so much that he wanted to say to Dark, but at the moment he just didn't want to ruin the mood. Standing in the shed, Dark pressed his warm cheek to Sean's and hummed so deep and softly that Sean giggled as it tickled him all over. Nestling his face against Dark's warm neck, he almost cried when Dark whispered to him so strongly. "I love you, Sean. I'll keep you safe from her. Whatever it takes. I swear it." To Be Continued...