Sean held his breath as all eyes went to Bandit. King Dice picked up one of the cards and flung it so fast and hard that the corner stabbed into the table between Bandit's fingers as his hand grabbed the pot. Bandit's hand froze a moment, before he scooped up the pot. King Dice stood up from Devilplier's lap, snapping out angrily. "You cheated!" Phantom hefted up his cane, jumping to his feet as he braced his cane behind Bandit's chair leg to try and keep him from pushing it out. Instead, Bandit slid out of the chair and under the table, trying to make a run for the stairs. He didn't get far though as a long black tail wrapped around his ankle and yanked him off his feet. Bandit gruffly huffed as his chest hit the ground, causing the soul coins to roll across the floor. When the tail began to pull him back, Bandit snatched the Ring of Wonderland and put it into his mouth. Phantom and King Dice rushed toward him, yelling out in almost perfect unison. "NO! Don't you dare!" Phantom grabbed Bandit by the shoulders and flipped him onto his back. King Dice dropped over Bandit, his hands going for Bandit's throat and nose. Bandit thrashed his legs, but his grunts were drowned out by King Dice yelling out. "Open your mouth! NOW!"

Sean and Illinois tugged against their restraints, but only Sean could plead out to them. "STOP! Leave him alone! He won!" Phantom started slamming Bandit against the ground by his vest, ignoring Sean as he snapped out. "Spit it out, Kid! Or I'll cash you in early, you little shit!" Realizing that he was getting nowhere with them, Sean looked to Devilplier. Devilplier was the only one who didn't seem even a little concerned by Bandit's attempt to escape or his attempt to swallow the ring. Casually pulling the cigar from his mouth, he exhaled a steady stream of smoke from his thinly parted lips. Tugging on the restraints more, Sean tried pleading to him by saying desperately. "Don't kill him, please!" Devilplier's gleaming golden eyes darted to look at him and Sean inhaled sharply. Something about his eyes continued to give him goosebumps and made him tremble in fear. Licking the tip of one of his canine fangs beneath his upper lip, Devilplier asked him in a deep buttery voice. "Why? His life means nothing to me. I'm hoping he swallows it. It will be more fun to cut it out of him." Thinking frantically, Sean blurted out. "How much is my pearl worth to you?"

Illinois thrashed and muffled out loud distress at his words. Devilplier straightened up in his chair, cooing out wickedly. "You've got my attention." Sean gestured to Bandit who looked like he was on the verge of passing out, upon rushing out. "Save him and we'll talk." Devilplier's eyes narrowed on him, but without looking away, his tail tightened on Bandit's ankle and yanked him back between King Dice's legs and out of their grips. Bandit sat up, gasping for air and coughing around the ring that was still in his mouth. The others turned to look at the Devil with angry glares, yelling out. "What are you doing?!" Phantom stood up, adding darkly. "Devil, if he swallows that and I have to void a contract by killing him early, I'm going to mount your wings on the wall of my sound stage!" Devilplier slowly kneeled in front of Bandit, locking merciless eyes on him as he answered Phantom. "He's not going to swallow it. He knows what I'll do to him if he does. Besides... I doubt he'll want to run your rigged horseraces for the rest of eternity. So, death... is not in the cards for him." Devilplier put a finger under Bandit's jaw, tilting his chin up as he purred to him smugly. "Isn't that right, Bandit? How is Diesel? Think he's ready to outrun the Devil's Train yet? Don't think I have forgotten. You keep making deals and you'll spend your years away... for nothing."

Sean gawked at Bandit. It suddenly made sense. Bandit was always chasing the train because he was indebted to it. He lived on the train and when his contract was up... he'd be a permanent addition or fuel for it. Devilplier looked away briefly, purring out almost to himself. "What does that make it now...? A total of thirty years off your life? You burn through years faster than I burn through cigars." Bandit trembled when Devilplier met his eyes again. Devilplier let out a deep throaty chuckle, telling him maniacally. "You won't reach your forties, Bandit. I hope saving all your friends was worth the cost of your life. But I doubt it..." Sean's heart ached watching Bandit bow his head as he tried to hide his distress. Devilplier then stood up to his full height, asking Sean coolly. "Now that you know that. Is his life still worth your pearl, Oyster?" Sean tried to look at Bandit, but he was avoiding everyone's eyes. Lifting his chin, Sean told Devilplier firmly. "Yes. I'll give you a single pearl. But I want some things in return." King Dice and Phantom started to interject warnings, but Devilplier raised a hand to silence them. Phantom stomped his foot and began to pace impatiently. While King Dice just stood very still with his eyes on them.

Leaning his hips on the edge of the table, Devilplier crossed his arms and retorted coolly. "How many things exactly?" Sean swallowed, trying to think it through before answering a bit shakily. "Three." Devilplier narrowed his eyes on him, almost growling out. "And they are?" Illinois thrashed and tried to say something to him. Sean was already ahead of him though. Smirking, Sean blurted out. "I'm not telling you. Unless you agree." Phantom stopped pacing to order Devilplier sternly. "Don't listen to this! It's a trap! As the King of Diamonds, I'm ordering you to stand down!" Devilplier didn't even acknowledge Phantom, his eyes were locked on Sean like he was weighing the possible cost. Then Devilplier walked closer to Sean, saying in a deep soulful tone. "I'll accept as long as you bet your very life on it." Sean swallowed, asking nervously. "I don't understand..." Devilplier stared him down, answering coolly. "You can have your three demands of me. But if you fail to give me one of your pearls within a year. I will come for you personally. You will belong to ME, and I will use your soul as I see fit. Understand?" Bandit finally turned to look at Sean, pleading out to him. "Don't! He's lying!"

Devilplier dropped his cigar, stepping on it as he inched closer to cup Sean's face in his warm hands. Sean couldn't breathe as Devilplier purred to him seriously. "This isn't a contract with loopholes and fine print. It's a Devil's promise. An unbreakable deal. I'll be bound to it. Same as YOU. To break it would destroy me and I value existing. Now. Do we have a deal?" Sean nodded, mumbling out uneasily. "How do we seal the deal?" Devilplier smirked, flashing him his sharp canines before he purred out over his lips. "I'll brand your soul with the Mark of Death." Sean inhaled in surprise seconds before Devilplier's lips met his. The warmth of his lips was pleasant at first, until he felt his searing pain trail down the veins of his throat to his heart. The chain snakes released Sean, allowing him to brace his arms on Devilplier's broad shoulders. He tried to push him away, but Devilplier had him pinned firmly against the wall. Tears ran down Sean's cheeks as he felt the burning pain encase his ribcage. He couldn't breathe and the kiss stirred dark emotions to the surface that he tried to suppress. Wrathful urges made his hands claw at Devilplier's shoulders, while he tried to keep his leg from lustfully rising along Devilplier's thigh.

There was a strange power behind Devilplier's kiss that made him vulnerable and yet dependent on him. When Devilplier's lips slowly pulled from his, Sean felt like his heart had been shattered. Dropping weakly to his knees at Devilplier's feet, he started to cry with an overwhelming sense of loss. There was such a strong pull of passion that to stop kissing him was utterly heartbreaking. Devilplier stepped back, reaching up to unbutton his shirt enough that he could pull it aside to show a bright white mark sear into his skin. Devilplier hissed, his body tensing and his head thrashing a bit as an 'X' formed over his heart. Phantom slammed his hand down, snapping out angrily. "You fool! You'll pay for this betrayal, Devil! We will NOT stand for it!" Devilplier snorted hot steam, turning to growl at Phantom menacingly. "I'm done taking orders from LESSER demons!" Phantom's eerie shadow grew menacingly up along the wall, the long gnarly fingers held out on either side of Phantom as the shadow's red eyes flared to life. Phantom's own eyes turned the same blazing red as his voice distortedly hissed from ever speaker. "No more games. I'm done with you!"

Phantom extended out his hand toward Devilplier, his shadow reaching out for him as well. To everyone but King Dice's shock, Devilplier grabbed the shadow's wrist from the very air, the sickening snap of bone echoing in the cathedral. Phantom screamed, holding his wrist like Devilplier had broken his wrist and not the shadow's. Devilplier then yanked on the shadow's wrist, causing Phantom to get yanked across the room toward Devilplier. Grabbing his throat in mid-air, Devilplier sneered into Phantom's face with a voice that rumbled like thunder. "No, Phantom. I'm done with you. I used you to MY own advantage. You just couldn't see that past your own pride. Now go back and tell the other Kings that the game has changed. You have nothing to hold on me anymore. But I have EVERYTHING you want." Phantom clawed at Devilplier's wrist, straining out as he was choked. "We have a contract! You can't... just... You owe me!" Devilplier's eyes darted to King Dice, who casually removed a contract from his vest. Giving Phantom a smirk, King Dice chuckled out. "You HAD a contract. But we had a deal, remember? You traded the Devil's debt for the ring." Phantom thrashed, snapping out through grunts. "NO! We were playing for the ring and the souls!"

King Dice tapped the contract against the underside of his jaw, faking innocence as he told Phantom. "No. I recall we both said it was a deal. Then doubt made you want to put everything back on the table. To which you LOST the Ring and Souls to Bandit." Phantom glanced between the two of them, snarling out. "You cheated me!" King Dice shrugged, chuckling out. "The Devil has his price and I make sure that you pay. I told you. I don't believe in luck. I rig the game." King Dice removed the die from his pocket that he used to pick the game, tossing it up and catching it to show him how it landed on one. Winking, King Dice chuckled out. "Loaded Die. And you failed to watch ALL the players at the table. Including Devilplier." Giving Phantom a little bow, King Dice sassily told him. "Thanks for playing." Devilplier flashed Phantom a cocky grin, then told him coolly. "Now get off MY TRAIN." Phantom snapped his fingers and after a jumble of radio static with the sound of an old radio turning off, Phantom faded out. King Dice began shredding the contract, grumbling out mostly to himself. "Good riddance. Serves that arrogant fuck right for trying to mess with us."

Devilplier picked up his alcohol to take a long sip, then removed another cigar from his vest. Holding the cigar out between his fingers, he told Dice King calmly. "I'd say it was a pretty even match. We just got the drop on him this time." King Dice quickly removed his lighter, flicking it on to light the Devil's cigar. The Devil took a long drag from the cigar making the end flare, before he exhaled the smoke down at Bandit. Resting a hand on the table, the Devil crossed his ankles and asked Sean with curiosity. "Alright. What are your three terms, Kid. Better make them good. Time is money and you can't afford me." Sean cleared his throat, sniffling as he rubbed the tears off his face with his gloved hands. Looking up at Devilplier, he told him as his feelings settled down. "First. Release Bandit from the terms of his contract." Devilplier rolled his eyes but nodded to King Dice. King Dice groaned but pulled the contract out of his vest and set it on fire with the lighter. Devilplier then confidently told him. "Done. Next." Sean staggered to his feet, prompting Bandit to get up as Bandit tried to warn him. "Sean, be careful." Sean exhaled a little shakily, then told them. "The four of us want off this train with the promise that you won't have us pursued and that we are free of any charges we might have incurred."

Devilplier smirked, taking another swig from his glass as he purred out with amusement. "You've gotten in trouble with me before... You know me too well. Fine. Done. Next." Sean blinked a little confused. He'd never met Devilplier to his knowledge but didn't dwell on it. Licking his lips nervously, Sean reached out his hand to Bandit in a gesture for the ring. Bandit pulled the ring from his mouth to put it on his palm. Sean showed them the ring, telling Devilplier and King Dice seriously. "I don't want either of you pursuing the Ring of Wonderland." King Dice glared at him, but Devilplier casually informed him. "You do know that after I get the pearl or your life... I will be able to do as I please." Sean nodded, saying carefully. "I know. Do we have a deal?" Devilplier straightened up to move closer, before answering calmly. "Deal." Bandit relaxed, until Devilplier's tail discreetly wrapped around his neck and tightened enough to keep him quiet. Curling Sean's hand around the ring, Devilplier held his hand gently between his two warm hands. Then bringing his forehead to Sean's, he asked in such a charming tone of voice that it made Sean blush. "Anything else?"

Sean's heart began to race. He wanted to scold himself for it, but Devilplier was quite literally devilishly handsome and charming. His voice warmed his insides, and his looks were so captivating that he couldn't bare to look away when he had his full attention. The worst of it was the fact that he couldn't help thinking how amazing a life with a powerful person like him would be. He'd be protected and worry about nothing. Sean bit his lip, trying to resist the urges his body was getting overwhelmed with. Deep down, he felt like he'd done this before and that this was a trick. Devilplier was trying to trick him into something... but what? He was offering him more. Was it possible that he was a good guy without Phantom around? Sean opened his mouth, when a flash of memory came back as he looked deep into Devilplier's golden eyes. He was in this same position, but Devilplier was wearing golden chains around his horns. He couldn't hear what was said in the memory, but he saw Devilplier hold up three fingers with a wicked grin. Then watched in shock as his memory's white gauntleted hand handed a sword to Devilplier. Jerking back from Devilplier a step or two, Sean gasped out. "No. That's it. Those are my three terms."

Devilplier's tail released Bandit's throat, giving Sean another amused grin. Backing up, Devilplier snapped his fingers and the chain snakes released Illinois and Wilford. Then with the wave of his hand, he told him casually. "Then our business is done here. You're all free to go. I'll see you out." To Be Continued...