Partners In Justice

Chapter Twenty-Eight- CON

Dark was too late...

They had his son...

Blank's corpse flashed to mind as Dark kneeled over and almost threw up.

He gasped and shook, unable to contain it.

His aura lashed out, causing anyone who was GOING to comfort him to back off...

But then his phone buzzed.

Everything went still as Dark suddenly calmed down, going numb.

On his phone, the location of the abandoned building was sent, and a few simple words...

'We have them.'

Dark's anger came flooding back and his vision- and eyes- went red, wasting no time to teleport off to the building. Alone.

But Con was inside, so...

Not alone?

Inside the building, it was dark. 

That's when Dark started to wonder what exactly Con's plan was... He just hoped his partner knew what he was doing and wasn't planning anything reckless... Or stupid.

He heard a giggle from a nearby room... The Septics sound mostly the same, was that Con or Anti?

Guess he'd have to find out...

The door to the room was shut, emitting a gentle blue glow from the cracks below. 

Dark felt his heart leap, but not in a good way...

Why was this so fucking eerie?

He drew in a deep breath and swung the door open, expecting to see Anti or Con.

But instead...

He saw Actor.

Behind him, a straight line of hostages, all tied and gagged with magical bonds. 

Sean just looked up at him with a sad gaze... Not struggling or anything... He just shook his head.

"Wh... What's going on?! Where's Con?! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM!?" 

Dark's breathing picked up as he noticed Con's phone in Actor's hand.

But Con wasn't here.

Actor waved the phone around teasingly, "d'aww~! Are you talking about that little sweetheart that owned THIS phone~?"

Dark growled, getting into a defensive position, "I'll ask ONE LAST TIME! Where. Is. He?!"

"Now, now! Let's not get violent, now! Don't you worry... He's alive... And here." Actor gestured vaguely to the room. Noticing Dark's growing anger, he smirked. 

"Oh, COOOONN~!"

Behind him, from the shadows... A figure emerged. It was Con, his cat sitting on his shoulder with a matching grin.

He had a blank look in his eyes, and yet...

He still grinned.

"Con! Get away from him!" Dark looked relieved, taking a step closer.

Con's eyes flashed with something... Similar to pity, but not quite. "Oh, you fool..." Con shook his head, his grin becoming a bit wider. Actor barked a laugh, wheezing, "oh, this is TOO FUNNY! C'mon, Con! Show him the HARSH REALITY!" 

Con simply waved his hand and... His appearance melted away; an illusion Dark never knew was there... falling... And, in 'Con's' place...

There stood Anti.

"...What...?"

Actor slapped his knees in his excessive laughter, enjoying every single second of Dark's heartbreak.

"HAVE YOU HAD FUN PLAYING WITH MY LITTLE PET?!" Actor howled, giving Anti the gesture to attack.

And Anti lunged, grinning wide although his eyes held nothing but pain.

Dark flinched, he was too shocked and hurt to do anything...

But Anti never hurt him. 

Dark was knocked onto the floor... Almost gently. And red strings were wrapped around him. 

A single question haunted his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to ask it. Why...?

Pieces of the puzzle that they had shunned were starting to fit in places he wished they wouldn't... But no matter how hard he tried... He needed to face the facts.

That was Con's grin.

No... ANTI'S grin.

Living alone... The Septics being 'aware' of Con, but not knowing who he was... The trap... Blank... 

But then... It clicked.

'Wait...'

On a whole new level.

Dark hung his head in grief as he thought about his old friend...

Was this really it?

Was this really goodbye?

The end?

He accepted fate as Actor swung a blow to his head, knocking him unconscious.

He hated to admit it...

It was sickening, but...

He would miss his old friend...