Dark shuddered but he was pretty sure it wasn't from being in the cold, damp basement.

'Shit'

Dark was starting to hyperventilate, thinking about what could have possibly happened.

'Oh SHIT'

Dark dropped his cane and bolted for the basement window, hopping up to look and see if she had just escaped out into the yard.

"CHICA!" he whisper-shouted.

Nothing but a the sound of leaves rustling and a bird chirping.

"DARK CHICA! YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW YOUNG LADY!"

Still nothing.

"FUCK!"

He fell off the ledge and ran out of the basement, ignoring everyone he ran past who stared at him as if he were crazy. It wasn't that unusual of a thing, really, though.

Wilford noticed him running, though and thinking it odd, he decided to tag behind him, leaving throwing toilet paper to Yancy and the gang.

Dark bolted outside and was frantically searching for something but it was only until Dark had that panic in his eyes that Wilford KNEW.

"Dammit, we're so fucked" Dark cursed to himself.

"Hey what's the hullabuloo about here Darky!?"

"GUH! Fucking . . Hello Wilford" Dark quickly straightened his tie and tried to smooth his hair even though it was useless, "Nothing's going on. Why would you assume something's going on?"

Wilford crinkled his mustache with a grin, "I saw you acting crazy. And believe me, my fine fellow. . . I KNOW crazy"

Dark grit his teeth, "Look . . ..  If I tell you, you have to SWEAR not to tell Mark or the others. Alright?"

"My lips are sealed" Wilford pretended to zip his lips and fixed his afro a bit, "So?"

Dark checked to see if anyone else was around and grabbed Wil's wrist, tugging him behind the house more.

"Ooooo! What's happening? Something's for SURE gotten you riled!"

"Sh!" Dark hushed him and once they were firmly out of sight or hearing from anyone, he finally gave in, "Dark Chica's missing"

Wilford nodded, "Uh-huh. . . . ."

"Wilford!"

"Yes?"

"Dark Chica is MISSING!"

". . . . . ." Wilford hissed a little, "Ooo . . . . that's not good. .. . is it?"

"No, it's not good! We're all FUCKED if Mark finds out or if she. .  well, you know. . . kills someone"

Wilford laughed, "Pft! I'm sure she wouldn't . . .  although there WAS that one time" he stopped in thought, "Hm. . .  maybe we should look for her?"

"You THINK!?"

"Hey now, hey" he swished his hand around, "No need to get huffy. We'll find her Mr. Serious!"

Dark felt one of his eyes twitch.

"Let's go then, shall we!?" he went to storm off but Dark stopped him.

"Wait! I don't know where she went. We'd just be looking around aimlessly"

"Maybe we should ask the adventure man for assistance? OOO! Or the detective! I haven't seen my old friend in so LONG!"

"Wilford, concentrate. I don't think we should tell anyone."

"I'm gonna go as Illy!"

"William, wait!" Dark tried to stop him but Wilford poofed away.

Dark sighed heavily, "What's this day become already? Dark Chica, why'd you have to run off? What happened? Did someone let you-"

Suddenly Wilford appeared in front of him again with Illinois at his side, "GOTTEM!"

"Will someone please explain to me what just happened?" Illinois was clearly confused.

Dark hated to involve him but he couldn't deny Wil was right on this one. They needed to find Dark Chica fast and the only Iplier with considerable tracking skills was either Yan or Illinois. 

And Yan was busy daydreaming about a certain senpai.

Dark shrugged, "Promise not to tell anyone but Dark Chica's gone missing"

"Oh well that's terrible!" Illinois seemed genuinely upset, "I assume you need my help finding the little doggy lass?"

"LASS?" Wilford snorted.

"Learned it from Chase" Illinois waved it off, "But I'll help ya find her. No matter what the others say, I think she's a fine furry gal. It's just in her nature to be ferocious. She's just like any other animal, after all"

Wilford nodded and smiled and Dark just agreed.

"Uh, right. Okay, thanks. She escaped out of the basement window but I couldn't see where she went from there"

"Well let's go and check then"

While those three were out in their search, Mark was still up in the study thinking about what he said to Dark.

'I feel bad. Man, I'm stupid sometimes . . .. all the time. I made it seem like Dark was just . . .evil and I know he's not. He can't be just that. Not if I haven't set it in stone.'

He thought about that, actually.

'And as long as I don't set it in stone, it can't happen and bite me in the ass. I mean look what happened to Actor. He was already unstable after 'Who Killed Markiplier' and then completely lost it after the Damien video. Broke out of my head completely on his own and everything. Wonder where he is?'

Mark heard the chaos downstairs, but he didn't want to address it. Better down there then out in the streets.

'Maybe I should apologize to Dark better. I mean, he's not wrong. They ARE all of my responsibility. I can't just punish them over what their nature is. I created them, after all. Although it wouldn't hurt if they had SOME self control.'

Suddenly, Mark felt a strange chill up his back.

He looked around but no one was there.

"That was fucking weird" he felt like he was being watched.

Like someone was staring right at him  . . . too close.

Swallowing the saliva he had built up, he cleared his throat, 'Maybe I should give Bob and Wade a call. See if they can come down earlier. It's already getting freaky here with just me and the egos. Maybe I should text Ethan and see if he wants to come down tonight?'

Trying to think about anything but the weird sensation that he was being watched, Mark took out his phone and started to text his friends.

At some point, his messaging app froze for a moment and another chill crossed him, though, so he decided to text them  outside the room.

'Maybe that room has a draft or something'

When he left the room, the feeling was gone and so was the noise with as a pleasant surprise. As soon as he came out, Yancy and the Jims stopped their toilet paper tirade and Dr. Iplier looked as if he were saved.

"What's going on out here?" Mark asked them all.

But before he could get an answer, Yancy bolted for it and the Jims ran after him, not wanting to get stuck with the blame either.

Mark sighed again, "Doctor, did you happen to see where Dark went? I need to apologize to him about something"

The doctor shrugged, "Well honestly, he HAD went downstairs and then happened to run back up and outside. He looked to be in quite the panic, too. I believe Wil and Illinois went with him, though"

"Okay" Mark didn't understand but he was at least happy that Wilford was with two responsible egos and Illinois was practically a luck pendant. As long as they stuck by him, they'd be okay. For whatever reason they went out for.

Google was holding Bing by his neck over the stairwell, "I heard Wilford mumbling something about the mutt. But that's all I can offer"

"Okay Google" Mark was already desensitized by the android's wrath, "Now let Bing go or else I'll switch your hard-drive with an Alexa."

Google narrowed his eyes but let the other android go, getting some satisfaction as Bing made a noise of terror as he fell.

The orange and black android glared up at him, his sunglasses broken, "F*cking garbage blender! You broke my sunglasses!"

Google didn't look remorseful, "Statistics show that people that wear sunglasses indoors are douchebags"

"Yo, screw you, dude!"

"I'm walking away now" Mark made it known, "And Google, stop trying to kill Bing or else my threat stands. Just .. . try and talk together. I bet you two have some things in common"

Google snorted and walked away to his room.

"HE'S the douchebag" Bing only uttered when the other was out of ear-shot.

Mark went downstairs, helping Bing up before he suddenly got a call from Amy.

"Wonder what's up?"

Bing shrugged and walked away to his own business.

Mark answered the phone, "Yeah? What's up, Amy?"

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Dark asked for the millionth time.

Illinois sighed at his continuous doubt, "I'm certainly sure. Don't you worry about it"

"We're in the suburbs" Dark noted, "I don't think Dark Chica would have ran all the way out here"

"You don't know that now!" Wilford supported the adventurer, "The wild beast could be anywhere!"

Dark blinked, "Okay, just to be clear, you are NOT going to shoot her, William!"

"Right. . .but what if she attacks ME? It's self defense, then"

"Or what about me?" Illinois asked.

Dark bit his lip, trying to think of a reasonably excuse, "Because as soon as she sees me, you won't have to worry. She obeys me no matter what"

"Sure" 

Dark wanted to argue but didn't find that it'd be useful to.

Then Illinois stopped, "Her tracks stop here"

They were at a fence.

"She turned into a fence?!" Wilford cried out.

"No." Illinois corrected him, "She must have jumped over it. Wherever we are, she might just be in this backyard."

"Good" Dark nodded, "Then we could break in, grab her and get out before any damage is done"

"Unless the damage has already been done" Illy shrugged.

"You really like sucking the positivity out of everything, don't you?" Dark retorted.

"Nah, that's your thing. I'm just logical, buddy" he winked.

Dark was about to argue when he realized something, "Wait a second. . .  where are we?"

"Ya know, I was just thinking the same thing!" Wilford shouted, "This isn't the museum! And I forgot my top-hat!"

"William, not now! We're looking for Dark Chica, remember?!"

"Oh right"

Dark stared at the house, though, suddenly realizing where they were.

"We need to get in there now! This is Mark's house! Dark Chica came here for a reason!"

"Oh!" Illinois took out his whip, "I see! Let's whip over the side of the fence, then! I'll go first!"

Without waiting, Illinois cracked his whip up over the fence and used it to climb up over it, landing on the other side.

"Wait! You can't just go! If she sees you, she might-"

Wilford popped out of existence onto the other side of the fence as well, "I'm over! Get over here, Darky! OH MY WORD, WHAT IS THAT!?"

"What's what?! Wilford?! Illinois?!" Dark didn't think well in panic and instead of teleporting onto the other side, he started to climb over it.

"IT'S SO EXTRAORDINARY!" He heard Illinois' voice.

He heard a bark then.

And another.

Fear rose in him as he feared the worst.

Could Dark Chica really have-!?

She wouldn't, right?! She couldn't possibly hurt the other Chica, right?!

Mark would kill both her AND him if that was the case!

This was all his fault!

'I should have watched her more carefully!'

Dark fell onto the other side of the fence and stumbled back up to look around.

Only to see Dark Chica laying her head on Chica's stomach in the sun. 

Henry was sniffing Dark Chica wagging his tail and Chica panted in all the excitement.

Amy was standing in the shade with her phone out and sunglasses on. It was clear she had just called someone but was now taking pictures of the cute doggy pile.

"Oh, hi guys!" she giggled, "Mark'll be here in a little bit to help take Dark Chica back. I convinced him to let them all get to know each other though."

"Wh-what?"

Amy bounced excitedly, "At first I was freaked out, mind you. Dark Chica all but leaped over the fence in one hurdle and they all growled at each other for a bit. But then they just started playing together and sniffing each other and it was just so cute! I think they're friends now!"

Dark walked over to Dark Chica who still rested her head on Chica. His girl was wagging her tail though at him, signaling that she knew she did something bad but she was even more excited to see him than afraid of getting punished.

"Aw what a cute little monster" Illinois commented.

Dark sighed, "Girl, do you even KNOW how much you just put me through in the last hour?"

Dark Chica just whined and licked his hand, thumping her large tail on the grass.

"You're lucky you're cute"

When Mark arrived, everything was explained and astonishingly, Dark Chica and Chica wouldn't separate from each other. It seemed they had bonded like true sisters and Henry was the little brother of the group.

When everything was explained, Dark Chica finally followed Dark into Mark's car to go back home. Mark wasn't mad and in fact, he was happy that the interaction happened.

"Now that we know they like each other, they can have playdates while we all rehearse and film."

So it seemed as if Dark Chica's beast-like nature would no longer be a problem.

But there was still one thing that bothered Dark.

When Illinois was first checking out the scene where Dark Chica had escaped, he said that the glass looked to be smashed inwards.

He had tried waving it off in favor of going to search for the dog but Dark knew what that meant.

Dark Chica didn't escape on her own.

Someone broke the window so she could get out.