A/N: Thanks for tuning in to this chapter of "Heart, Soul, and Mind!" Today, we're joining me and my little...mishap with King Dice. What could possibly happen? Stay tuned and enjoy!

(Lexie's P.O.V)

It had been a bit since the Cups and I passed Cagney's territory, but no sign of Kate, Nat, or Liam and Matt. To be honest, it was getting pretty discouraging.

"Guys…where y'all at?" I thought to myself.

Mugman must've noticed the sad look on my face, since he asked, "Are you alright, Miss Lexie? You look a little troubled."

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." I replied, snapping out of my thoughts. "It's just that…we just passed one Isle and there's no sign of my friends. I'm getting a lil' worried…"

"Well, it's just one Isle." Cuphead replied. "And we've still got two more. I'm sure we'll find 'em Lex."

"Yeah, and with all our friends from the different Isles, they're sure to find at least one of them." Mugman reassured me. "I'm sure they'd help them."

"You…you don't think…the Devil has them, do you?" I asked worriedly.

"I doubt it. Ever since the casino was shut down, no one's really been there." Mugman mentioned.

"Yeah! We knocked that overgrown throw rug through the slinger!" Cuphead bragged. "If he's smart, he won't dare show his face 'round here again!"

I sighed while giving the boys a gentle smile. Sure, my friends were tough, but I was still worried. Especially knowing what literal Satan was capable of.

But then again, with the boys helping me and the former debtors spread out all around the Isle, I guess we had an advantage.

I just wished I could be sure of where they were at.

(Normal P.O.V)

Unfortunately, little did our heroes know, King Dice, the casino's sleazy manager and the Devil's right hand man, was busy making plans.

He had his card guards set up dynamite explosives on the bridge, and without missing a beat

BOOM!

The explosives went off and the bridge was completely destroyed, leaving an empty area. Once the guards cleaned up the area, Dice pulled out a sack of blue magic dust and sprinkled it over the area. Then, an illumination of a bridge appeared before him. He was quite pleased with his work.

"There we go. The trap is set." He smirked.

"Erm, Mr. King Dice, sir, uh, not that the boys and I do not trust your intelligence, but, what is the point of destroying the bridge?" An Ace card asked.

"Very simple. You see, the brats and that girl are bound to walk around here soon." Dice explained. "They'll think it'll be a straight forward shot to the Second Isle. Little do they know that once they step on the bridge, it'll vanish, causing them to fall. If the girl falls too, she'll fall right in my arms. Do whatever you want to the brats. The girl is mine."

The ace nodded and then they heard from a diamond card.

"Mr. King Dice! They're coming this way!"

"Good. Get ready, boys. Remember, leave the girl unharmed. Boss wants her alive."

The card saluted as they got in their positions. Dice adjusted his sleeve with a wicked grin on his face. He would be more than happy to deliver the goods to his boss.

Back with the boys and Lexie, they heard the explosion and were startled.

"Jeeze!" Lexie exclaimed. "What was that?!"

"Sounded like it came from the bridge!" Mugman gasped. "Near the entrance to the second Isle. I hope everything's ok."

"We better check it out!" Cuphead declared.

They ran to the bridge and…saw it was unharmed?

"Huh? Weird." Lexie pondered. "Could've sworn that's where the noise came from…am I losing my mind?"

"No, we heard it too…maybe it was near the bridge, not so much at it." Mugman suggested.

"Or maybe under it?" Cuphead asked with a shrug.

All of them shrugged it off as Lexie took a big step toward the edge of the bridge. But she felt…nothing?!

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"Huh? What's going on?" Mugman asked.

"Do you feel anything underneath you…?" Lexie responded.

Before either boys could reply, suddenly, the entire bridge vanished before them. They looked down, then at each other, blinked, and fell.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The trio screamed as Lexie fell back first while the boys fell heads first.

"OHHH MY GOD!" Lexie screamed. "I DON'T WANNA DIE DON'T WANNA DIE DON'T WANNA DIEEE!"

The boys fell face first with a SPLAT! Lexie covered her eyes, preparing the worst… to fall into someone's arms. At first, she was relieved. But when she saw who caught her, she felt her face go a bit pale.

"Oh…fudge.."

"Well, looks like you've 'fallen' for me, toots." Dice chuckled.

Lexie tried to squirm off his arms, but he was already a step ahead of her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and another around her arms.

"Would you PUT ME DOWN?!" Lexie demanded, continuing to struggle.

"As much as I would love to, dollface, I'm under strict orders to bring you to the casino." Dice replied. "The boss is just dyin' to meet ya."

Lexie could feel her heart beat faster…the boss was the freakin' Devil!

"Yeah, not gonna happen!"

Then, they heard the boys groan and get up.

"Man, that smarted. What could-Cups! Look! It's King Dice! And he's got Miss Lexie!" Mugman cried.

Lexie saw the brothers and cried back, "BOYS! A LITTLE-!"

But before she could finish, Dice shoved a gag over her mouth and ordered his card guards "Boys, take care of these pests. I have other things to attend to."

Dice planted a leer Lexie's way while she muffled angry screams. The intense struggle caused her hat to fall off her head to land on a nearby rock.

"I was debating if I should take off that hat," Dice sneered, playing with her hair. "Your hair is too gorgeous to be covered."

Lexie muffled an angry scream as the boys scurried to help her, but were surrounded by a deck of cards. They tried to fight as quickly as possible, but Dice created a portal beneath him and with Lexie in tow, hopped through.

"Miss Lexie! NO!" Mugman cried.

"LEXIE!" Cuphead yelled in horror.

The card guards approached closer to the boys, who got their finger guns ready.

"Well Cup, looks like a good day for a swell battle." Mugman commented.

"IT'S ON!" Cuphead shouted.

(Lexie's POV)

It was a hot minute after I was nabbed by Dice, and to be honest, I expected to see the marble walls of the Devil's casino or even the fires of Hell itself. But instead…I appeared to be in a weird pocket dimension of some kind. It felt like I was stuck in an abstract painting, with swirls of green, pink and purple all over.

What the crap was going on…?

"Oh, you thought we were goin' straight to the casino? Not yet." Dice spoke. "I figured we could have a little chat together. Just the two of us."

I narrowed my eyes at Dice. One, what did that chat involve? And two…how was I gonna say anything with that cotton pickin' gag in my mouth?

Dice, who seemed to get the message, dropped me on a very comfy chair of some sort, and pulled the gag off.

"Alright, what's your game here, pal?" I interrogated Dice. "I doubt this is just a social chat, is it?"

"Can't a guy like me have a nice friendly conversation with a lovely lady such as yourself?" Dice asked. "Besides, you look like you could use a drink. How about some wine? Uh, merlot, correct?"

I widened my eyes as I replied, "Uh…yeah. But how'd you-?"

"I have my ways of knowing." Dice replied, standing up and made his way to a small counter where he poured wine in two wine glasses. "Besides, a strong girl needs a strong drink."

He handed me a glass and while it looked pleasing to the eye, I was very hesitant. He could have spiked it for all I know.

"In case you're wondering, I didn't spike it." Dice interrupted my thoughts. "I may be a sleazy manager, but I'm not that evil."

I eyed Dice suspiciously, trying to look for cues in his body language that could indicate lying (I watched a lot of crime shows back home), but nothin'. Man, that dude had a good poker face.

With a sigh, I caved and took a sip of the wine.

"Oh, wow! This is actually pretty good," I gasped. "It's rich and just the right amount of bitter."

"Glad you like it," Dice replied, sitting in the chair across from mine. "I know it's not your usual wine to sip on, but I figured it's something enjoyable."

I continued to sip my wine, trying to avoid making eye contact. The only problem was…he was just sitting there smirking while taking sips of his own wine.

"Erm…what're you starin' at…?" I asked slowly, starting to get creeped out.

"Oh, just you," He cooly replied. "I've never seen a human such as you before."

"Such as me?" I repeated. "Don't ya have humans around here in Inkwell?"

"Yes, but I see them around town," Dice stated. "Besides, you're somethin' real special in my mind."

Detecting a hint of lust in his tone, I set my glass down and held up my hands in defense.

"Ok, I just gotta make somethin' REAL clear, pal." I warned. "I have a boyfriend, and he's here in Inkwell. Whatever it is you're thinkin' about, DON'T."

"Oh is that so?" Dice asked, lightly swirling his drink. "Well, he's not here in this area, so I have to say that I wouldn't believe you. Besides, he couldn't be as good as myself."

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" I snapped. "Your 'Boss' as you call 'em nabbed not just my friends, but my boyfriend too. If I find out you have him somewhere, I'll WRING your neck!"

Dice simply chuckled. "My, my such a feisty spirit. Don't see that a lot in women these days. But you definitely know how to hold your ground. I like that."

Frustrated, I rolled my eyes. Did he not hear a WORD I said?!

"I dunno if you didn't hear me, but I'm TAKEN!" I spat. "So, once again, whatever you're thinkin', don't."

"Sorry, toots, I already thought of it," he shrugged. "Besides, I'm very stubborn. When I see something, I get it, one way or another. And you're that somethin'".

I took one more big gulp of my wine…for whatever he was planning in that sick mind of his, I was gonna need a strong drink.

"Why do I have a BAD feeling I know where this is going…?" I shuddered inwardly.

"Now look, the boss is needin' ya for something very special," Dice went on. "However, I can see if I can sway him the other way and find some common ground."

I looked at him with a concerned brand of confusion as he started to approach me. Ya know that moment where you know the bad guy is about to pull some moves on the heroine? Yeah…this was shaping up to be it. And I had NO way to escape or anyone to help me.

Great.

"As I've mentioned, he wants something from ya, details are a bit vague, but I think I can strike a deal with him regarding you."

"What…what kind of deal?" I gulped.

"Simple. If I can make a deal with him to spare a few things from ya…you would be my special little lady." He sneered.

Okay, now I was straight floored. King Dice, the right hand to the freakin' DEVIL of all people, was PROPOSITIONING ME?! Ugh BARF!

"Excuse me?!"

"What? You think I'm gonna let ya run scott free?" He replied. "That's not how deal makin' works, darling."

"I figured that," I said slowly. "But for the THIRD time now, I. Am. TAKEN! Meaning, I'm seeing someone else! I CAN'T be your 'little lady'!"

As you can see, I was starting to get ticked off at this point. It was frustrating considering he isn't listening to me! Maybe he is, but is completely ignoring the fact that I'm seeing someone else. But then, it got worse. Much worse.

Dice suddenly started making his way towards me, giving me a lustful look in his eye, one that made me feel really uncomfortable. What was he gonna do?!

"And as I've stated before, dollface, I am not one to pass up an opportunity such as yourself."

I gulped, now getting really nervous but trying to keep a brave face. "W-what're you gonna do now huh…?!"

"Very simple. I will make you mine, one way or another."

Then, he did the one thing I was not expecting him to do; he grabbed my chin and gave me a big, fat, KISS! EWW LORD!

"OH MY FREAKIN' GOD!" I screamed in thought. "C'MON THAT'S JUST NASTY!"

Then, with all my might, I punched him in the face. Hard. While Dice recoiled in pain, my heart was racing, my stomach turning. Oh God, I thought I was gonna puke. I've NEVER felt so violated in my entire LIFE!

"What. The HELL?!" I shouted at Dice. "You're old enough to be my DAD, dude! You're a SICKO, you know that?!"

Dice simply readjusted his coat and stated, "I've been called worse you know. But I think I've had my fun. The boss is waiting for your arrival."

"Yeah, well tell 'em to go SCREW HIMSEL-!"

Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to finish that because he slapped a gag over my mouth, bound my wrists so quickly I didn't see it coming, and scooped me up bridal style. I squirmed and screamed through my gag as hard and loud as I could, but he was much stronger than me as he simply laughed.

"Oh, darling, dontcha know you can't slip by me? Now, be a good girl and hold tight. Might get a little bumpy."

Once more, he created a portal and hopped through with me in tow. Between his unwanted kiss and this, I felt sick to my stomach. It felt like one of those rollercoasters I've ridden on at Six Flags.

About a heartbeat later, we ended up in a dark small room. I figured it was the dungeon but I was too mad to think. I muffled more angry yells at Dice, who appeared to be only turned on for some weird reason.

"Alright alright, no need to get all angry, doll. You do look cute when you're mad though." He sneered, leaning towards me, making me more angry at him.

As if that wasn't making me angry enough, he started playing with my ponytail, twirling his finger around while looking at my eyes. THAT CREEP!

"You have got pretty eyes, doll." He crooned. "Anyone ever tell ya they sparkle and shine like emeralds in the sunlight? And your hair is smooth and silky."

UGH I wanted to KILL HIM! Only Liam gets to tell me that! So, I did the only thing I could do…kick him in the knee with my free foot.

Then, he shouted in pain, dropping me on my back. I tore off the gag, scrambled to my feet and bolted towards the door. No WAY I was gonna stay with the likes of him!

Suddenly, I tripped over something and in a hot second, a bunch of cards piled on top of me! So much for fifty-two pick up! I struggled and squirmed with all my might, and then, someone from behind, it was hard to tell from my angle, shoved a cloth soaked in chloroform on my mouth and nose.

"Ah shiitake mushrooms…Kate, Nat, Liam, Matt…I'm sorry…"

Then, I couldn't fight it any longer, and blacked out…

(Normal P.O.V)

It didn't take long for Lexie to black out, despite her putting up a good fight. Dice, who finally alleviated the pain from his knee, walked over and informed his deck.

"I'll take it from here. You go tell the boss that Ms. Luthor is here in the casino. We'll get the other two later."

The guards saluted and quickly left, leaving Dice alone with Lexie. Picking her up bridal style once more, he brought her to the cot that was in the cell and placed her on it, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"Like I said, doll, I will make you mine, one way or another." He hissed in her ear. "This place will be your permanent home, and you'll never escape from me."

He then created a portal and jumped through, leaving Lexie alone and out cold.

A/N: Uh oh! Looks like I've been captured! How will Natty and Katie fare against the wiles of the Devil and his goons? Find out next weekend, where we dive into the adventures of Natty in "Sugar, Spice, and Not Everyone Is Nice".