"Actor" Dark stood tall, his hands behind his back. He didn't look at Actor directly but the man had a strong sense telling him not to look away from the other.

Actor sat down with one leg over the other casually just sitting there. But he was nervous. Dark, Mark and Google were standing. Looking down on him.

It was almost as if he were in trouble.

"Yes?" he spoke coolly, "What can I do for you gentlemen this evening? Mark, isn't Amy worried for you by now? You haven't seemed to be home in a little while"

"She's fine" Mark just stated coldly, "She knows everything."

Actor nodded, "Oh good. Good. . . . .  now what's this all about?"

Dark drew a breathe, heaving a small sigh, "I was struck with an idea, Actor. Something I think you might be able to help us with!"

They had to make it seem like it was just a question. Just a thought.

Actor puffed out his chest proudly, "You've come to the right man! What is it?"

"Well, you see" Dark cleared his throat, grinning on the inside, "I was thinking back to when you burst in the office and told us all your story. Of a demon being unleashed and going after Mira. And now . . . . . Mira's trapped in that ball just as the demon was. So then . . .. . you MUST know how to free her . . . don't you? You saw it happen, did you not?"

Actor froze.

He looked damn near slack-jawed, really, completely taken aback.

"Actor?" Mark tried to knock him out of it.

Actor blinked and swallowed, "Well . . . you see-" and suddenly he tried to bolt. 

He was at the stairs when Dark appeared in front of him with a hand around his neck, "I fucking knew we couldn't trust you . . . I just HAD to give you the benefit of the doubt, didn't I!?"

Actor tried to struggle but Dark lifted him up off the ground, watching his face turn red from being suffocated.

Google cleared his throat, "Death by asphixation in 5, 4, 3, 2-"

"Dark, let him breathe!" Mark shouted at him.

Dark growled but eased up on Actor's windpipe, letting him gasp for air.

"F-fucking hell . . . .F-fuck! I'll tell you! I'll fucking tell you, okay!?"

Dark narrowed his eyes at him, " . . . Tell us what?" 

He didn't expect any answers from him, 'Would I get any, though? Real ones, that is?'

Scoffing, Dark rolled his eyes, "Tell me, then. Tell us and I won't strangle you again. That's the deal. IF I believe you"

You had to give him credit at least. Actor did look very worried for himself.

Histrio's hideout

Histrio giggled like mad, throwing the ball up and down, catching it again and again in his hand, "Well well well . . . .  looks like it's me and you again, huh? Feeling like yourself again? All energized up?"

The ball Mira was inside of glowed so bright, it was almost completely white, flicking erratically. Even some of the electricity in the room he was in started to blink in and out because of her.

"My my. . . someone's ANGRY" Histrio just laughed, "Here, I'll give ya a little check-up, princess"

Mira was pissed. Absolutely livid.

"HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME FROM HIM AGAIN!? HOW DARE YOU!? I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU DEMON FUCKER!"

With her new boost, came a new rage.

Histrio appeared a little ways away from her in the ball, smiling, "Got a temper, I see?"

Her body flickered in her manifested energy but the demon laughed in her face, "You can't hurt me, girl. Have you forgotten so soon, already? As long as you're in here, I'm in complete control over you. You can't-"

He stopped. Something was odd.

Mira shook, gritting her teeth and the light she carried inside of her started to glow off of her.

Histrio blinked, unsure, ". . . Pretty sure that's not supposed to happen. . . . ."

Mira lifted her arm and shot a wave of energy at him. Histrio had to dodge quickly out of the way but the blast singed his arm a bit, "FUCK! WHAT THE FUCK!?" he growled, "You little bitch"

He shot back her own power at her that he had collected again, making her stumble on her hands and knees.

Histrio scoffed with a smirk on his face, "Pathetic. I knew you couldn't do much against me. Not as you are. I'm still stronger than you"

Mira pulled herself up, shaking onto her knees, "B-bastard . . . . . when I get out of here . . ."

"IF. . . . but you won't"

"WHEN . . . . .I'll enjoy seeing the terror in your eyes in the last second you breathe. I'll evaporate you into nothing. . . . . NOTHING"

He slowly smiled at her, "Interesting threat . . . .  you know, I think I might have made a similar threat to Celine. I didn't get to carry it out, though. Just like you won't."

"This isn't over" Mira stumbled to her feet, "Don't think for a second that it is. Because you're wrong. I AM stronger than you . . . . that's why you have me like this. Held down. Because you KNOW I could kill you in an instant"

Histrio just stared at her, that small smile still on his face, "You know, Anti IS a lucky man. WAS. . . . You know, it'd be so much easier if you just joined me. Less painful for you. I look just like him. I could ACT just like him. I AM a mimic demon, after all-"

"Go to hell"

"Been there, done that.  . . . . " he tilted his head, "I WOULD have fucked you just as I told Anti . . . . . but you should consider yourself lucky I'm only interested in your power. . . and not your body. Otherwise you'd have a lot more to worry about than the fate of your family and friends"

Mira seethed but could do nothing as the demon faded out of the ball and back to the real world where he was holding it in his hand.

He glanced at his arm seeing it was still a little burnt, "Little bitch"

He couldn't admit, he WAS sort of worried, though. He never expected her to be able to use her power in the ball like that. She should have been contained completely by now. Completely unable to do anything. To anything but a battery for him.

'This changes some things. . . . they'll surely be coming after her again and Anti knows were I am. I won't hide. . . I don't need to. I'll just need to . . . take MORE from her before they get here. And this time, they won't be able to do any tricks to snatch her from me again.'

He grinned dangerously and started to laugh. Histrio suddenly slammed the ball into his chest, creating a small indent in his 'body' that allowed him to make the ball a part of him. The crystal ball pulsed wildly and it was obvious Mira was fighting it but whatever he was doing, was overpowering her in the state she was in as is.

Histrio watched as his veins lit up under the skin, pulsing Mira's power within him like it was his own. His eyes lit up and the wound on his arm healed. Light engulfed all around and inside of him, changing him until he was able to control it. 

The light died and he breathed heavily. 

That smile still on his face.

'That's it . . . . that's MUCH better'

Mira was locked up so tightly now within that he could no longer even hear her screaming.

She was dormant.

'Silence' he thought to himself, 'I like her so much better like this. . . . let's see if you idiots can face me now. I dare them to find me . . .fight me. Let them try'

Iplier House

"If I have this right, then" Google calculated the timeline in his head from everything Actor had told them, "This demon was the very same demon that had manipulated you before into trying to kill yourself? Into killing the others with you at the time, too?"

"Yep"

"And that's when Celine had found out about it and captured the demon in the crystal ball but you claim it was already too late by then? The demon's influence was already upon you?"

"Correct"

"Not to mention that you've been spying on us all this time to tell the demon everything about us and where to find everyone?"

"Uh-huh"

"And" Dark scoffed, "The ONLY way to free Mira is for all of us to give her as much of our own energy as possible? Do you even hear yourself? You honestly expect us to believe this shit?!"

" . . . . yes?" Actor was tied up to a chair, a saw blade coming out of Google's arm at his throat in threat.

"I don't believe you. Google-"

Google started up the saw blade and Actor screamed like a little girl.

"Google, stop!" Mark shouted and Google pouted but shut off the blade.

"Why?" Dark asked.

Mark rolled his eyes at him, "You can't go to immediately trying to kill him. I know usually it's what I'd do in games but this ISN'T a game. What if he's telling the truth? Mira's life is at stake here, Dark. She's fading, Marvin said, remember? We need to hurry."

"I KNOW" He snorted, "That's why I'm trying to get him to tell the TRUTH"

"What if he IS?"

"I guess we'll find out if his story's still the same after a few fingers are missing, then, won't we?"

"Dark, no"

Dark snarled but didn't argue further. Perhaps Actor WAS telling the truth. 

'If this demon was the same one that tormented Actor, then he's a lot more dangerous than we previously thought. I haven't encountered him yet but maybe all of us together DO have a shot. We can all attack him at his base and perhaps give Mira out energy, too, back at the Septic place. Try all the stops. We can free her, I'm sure of it'

"Very well. We're not untying him, though. He still betrayed us"

Mark shrugged, "Fair enough"

Actor rolled his eyes, "Can someone at LEAST get me a pillow and some tea? I'm so UNCOMFORTABLE like this!"

He was effectively ignored.

"DARK! MARK!" They heard Illinois's voice from downstairs, "We got ourselves a dilemma down here! You better get down here!"

Dark gestured to Google, "Carry him down in the chair with us" Dark and Mark went ahead.

Only to stop and watch as Actor's body in the chair was flung down the first flight of stairs.

Actor groaned on the floor, still tied up, "Uuugugughghhh"

Dark turned around and looked up at Google, "Google . . .. I said CARRY him down the stairs"

Google just rolled his eyes and looked pissed, ". . . Fine"

He crossed his arms, stomping down the stairs and picked up Actor in the chair, carrying him the rest of the way down.

Dark snorted,  "And you say I have anger issues"

"You do, but that's besides the point"

When they came down the stairs, though, it wasn't a laughing matter.

There the Septics stood.

Defeat in their eyes.

Chase held Anti to him looking quite protective.

Anti looked . . . .

Dark's heart dropped, knowing what happened already without them having to say anything.

Anti looked like an absolute wreck, tears still running down his face.

Dark wanted to be angry. 

He wanted to yell and scream at him.

But he took a deep breathe and walked forward.

"DARK!" Jackie ran up to him, "It's not Anti's fault! The demon tricked all of us! He posed as Chase, Jameson, Sean AND Henrik all at the same time!"

"And then I sort of outed to him everything" Marvin hung his head, "I thought . .  I thought it was them, too. We were all fooled, Dark"

Dark's fists shook. He wanted to punched Anti. He wanted to rip their heads off of their bodies.

So instead, he turned around quickly and slammed his fist into the wall, breaking it apart with all of his anger.

Everyone stilled and watched on in silence as Dark breathed heavily, heaving from all of his emotions. Rage, frustration and grief.

And then after a moment, he straightened himself back up, fixed his tie and turned around the face them all, some tears running down his face in all of his wild emotions.

But he sniffled and took another long breathe, " . . . . . . It's alright. You've gotten her back before, Anti . . . . and together, we can get her back again. I'll make sure of it"

Nobody looked more surprised than Mark and Anti.

Anti was SURE Dark would beat him. He still thought that maybe he would if they happened to be alone.

But Dark continued, gesturing to Actor in tied up in the chair, "And we MIGHT have a way to free her, too. . . . .  We still got this"

Marvin nodded, "I figured as much." now this surprised EVERYONE but Marvin didn't address their shock and just nodded towards Actor, "Let's talk, then, shall we? What you got?"