A/N: This story is separate from my Slice of Life stories. This story picks up right where "Shining a Light in the Darkness." left off. If you haven't read that one yet, please do. It explains a lot. It's based on the ink! Henry stories and artwork done by shinyzango and themarginalartist on tumblr.
Disclaimer: Bendy and the Ink Machine is owned by TheMeatly. I only own my Ocs.
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All These Shadows Keep Closing in...
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Jason came home after a few days on the road to an unnaturally quiet home. He asked if anything was wrong and the looks he got from everyone made it clear that something happened. Henry and June told him they would talk after the girls went to bed and he didn't push the subject after that.
Later on that night, all the adults were sitting at the kitchen table and even Bendy was there. Henry and June began to tell Jason what happened. To the man's credit, he didn't say a word. When Bendy told his part in what happened, he wouldn't look Jason in the eyes.
By the end of the tale, Jason was running his hand down his face. Unlike June, Jason asked a load a questions. Questions that Henry tried to answer to the best of his abilities. He could tell Jason was really worried about the whole situation. As he got more information, he started to calm down.
Bendy started to apologize for everything that happened, but it soon dissolve into incoherent or broken sentences. All the while, he was afraid to look up at the man. Henry was going to try to calm the toon down, but Jason reached out and placed his hand on top of Bendy's head. Jason waited for the toon to grow quiet before telling him that he accepted his apology. He excused himself and headed upstairs.
Jason stopped at the top of the steps. His hands were shaking. He couldn't believe how close he came to loosing Beth and Sarah. He felt incredibly guilty for not being there when they needed him.
He grew angry and punched the wall next to him. He didn't blame Bendy. Not really. In the end, the toon came to his senses and saved his girls, but Jason felt he was the one that should have protected them! He sighed and shook his hand. It stung a little but it helped to clear his head. His girls were alive and well. That's all that mattered.
Jason walked quietly down the hall until he came to the girls' room. He peaked in to find them both sleeping soundly. Jason grabbed the chair from the corner and placed it in between each girl's bed. He sat down and reached out to gently ruffle each girl's hair. He took a deep breath and sat back in the chair. They were here and they were safe.
"Jay?" he looked up to see June standing in the doorway. She looked concerned. He held out his hand as she walked into the room. She took his hand, sat on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he rest his head on her shoulder. Neither one said a word for a few moments.
"Jay?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you think I made a mistake?" he looked June in the eyes. She was very upset. "M-Maybe if I hadn't invited Henry here, none of this would have happened. Maybe-maybe…" Jason hushed her and gave her a soft squeeze.
"No, you didn't make a mistake. He's your brother. You and Henry have always looked out for one another. This is no different." He buried his face in the side of her neck. "None of us knew this would happen."
"Still…" June sounded so unsure and a little lost.
"Henry's family. So is Bendy." Jason pulled away just enough so she could see his face. She could see him smiling softly in the dim light. "You know if we needed him, Henry would drop everything to help. You are no different." She chuckled and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand. "Everything will be fine, you'll see."
"H-He forgave me?!" Bendy was surprised. He didn't know what to expect when they told him what happened. Jason looked scared, but after asking all those questions, he seemed satisfied. He didn't yell at the toon or anything.
"He understood bud. He knows he it wasn't your fault." Bendy frowned at that. The slug didn't take over his body. It just whispered lies to him. Lies that he didn't have to listen to or act upon. In that respect, he would take some of the blame.
Henry reached out and tapped Bendy on the head, causing the toon to jump. "C'mon bud, it's late and I think we're both tired. Let's head to bed." Henry could feel how troubled Bendy felt. He didn't want the toon's thoughts to sink too deeply. They all needed a good night's rest.
They both headed upstairs and made their way to the guest room. They stopped at the doorway of the girls' room to find the couple in each other's arms while the girls slept on peacefully. Bendy giggled into his gloved hands while Henry just shook his head and chuckled.
After a few moments, they made their way to the guestroom. One thought echoed through Henry's mind and he frowned slightly. 'Maybe we shouldn't have come here.'
OoOoOoOoO
Things around the household seemed to calm down and return to normal. Well, as normal as things can get with a living cartoon character living under their roof.
The girls seemed to be alright. They dragged Bendy everywhere they went. They introduced him to their friends and they all played games together. Although, if someone asked to play 'Hide 'n Seek', all three would scream 'NO!' and look incredibly nervous. Beth and Sarah would refuse to tell their friends why and change the subject. Bendy was grateful for that.
Bendy did notice that he was being watched by both Jason and June. Jason was more subtle about it. When he was out in the backyard with the girls, Jason would be there as well. Either he was working on his truck, throwing some food on the grill, or he would join in on whatever game they were playing. Bendy liked him. He was calm like Henry and a bit of a jokester. He had a pretty good sense of humor too. So Bendy didn't feel uncomfortable with him around.
June…well, she watched the toon like a hawk! Seriously, he would look up to find her leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest. Bendy could practically feel her green eyes burning a hole through him. She didn't have any supernatural powers (as far as he knew) so he wasn't sure how she was able to do that.
Henry walked up behind June and bumped her playfully with his shoulder. She looked over at him and rolled her eyes.
"Sooo, when are you gonna stop giving Bendy the 'evil eye'?" Henry gave her a knowing glance. June tried to keep a straight face but couldn't as a memory came to mind.
"Evil eye? Geez Henry, I'm not like mom!" She started to chuckled as she remembered all the times they got in trouble. Their mom wouldn't yell at them, but she had this stare that made you feel incredibly guilty. Henry just raised an eyebrow at her.
"Alright, alright!" She waved her hand and fought to get her giggles under control. "Maybe a day or two. I just wanna make sure I get my point across."
He just shook his head. "Y'know, between the two of us, you're the only one that could pull that look off. Mom would be proud." June gasped playfully and punched him in the arm. That's when he knew she wasn't that upset anymore.
One evening Bendy found June in the kitchen, mixing dough in a bowl at the table. He pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Um, Aunt June?"
"Hmm?" she didn't even look up at him.
"What are you making?"
She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. She didn't look angry or suspicious so Bendy took that as a good sign. "Cookies."
Bendy's smile grew wider and he leaned across the table. "Oooh, can I help?"
June shook her head. "No, that's alright. I don't need any help." The little toon looked dejected. "Please?" His pie cut eyes grew round and shimmered a bit. June found herself biting her bottom lip. It was hard to resist that pleading look.
"Hmm, alright, you can help. Go wash your hands first." Bendy jumped up from the table and ran to the sink. He looked so happy now. June felt she might have been duped, but didn't call him out on it. She reached into a drawer and pulled out an apron. When Bendy finished drying his hands, she knelt down, hung the apron around his nonexistent neck, and tied it around his waist. June noticed it was a little big on him but she managed to tuck some of it in.
Bendy stood on a chair at the table as June slid the bowl with cookie dough in it in front of him. She handed him a large wooden spoon and instructed him to start stirring. June opened a bag of chocolate chips and began to add it to the dough when Beth and Sarah walked in.
The next thing June knew, she had a kitchen full of little helpers, and it went about as well as she'd expected. There was flour all over the table and themselves as the kids tried to put lumps of dough on the baking sheets. She gave the kids the bowl so they could eat the leftover cookie dough while she puts the baking sheets in the oven.
Even though June told Bendy and the girls that it would take fifteen to twenty minutes for the cookies to bake, she couldn't stop them from sitting in front of the oven door. She sat as the table and read a newspaper as she waited for the timer she set to ding. She couldn't help but smile at all the giggling, oohs, and ahhs she heard from her little helpers.
The smell of warm cookies filled the air when the timer finally dinged. June put on her oven mitts and pulled out three trays of cookies. She placed them on the table and told Bendy that he would have to wait for them to cool. June almost laughed at how very little patience the toon had. He actually started pacing the floor with his hands behind his back. The girls just watched and giggled.
After five minutes, June tested a cookie and deemed them cool enough to be eaten. She poured the kids glasses of cold milk to enjoy their cookies with. Beth was trying to teach Bendy and Sarah the right way to dunk a cookie in milk and they caused only a slight mess.
Jason and Henry walked into the kitchen. They could see the kids huddled around the table and June leaning against the kitchen counter.
"You guys better grab some cookies-" she waved a hand at the table, "before Bendy eats them all." Bendy froze in place. He slowly turned around and Henry could see three cookies stuffed end to end in the toon's mouth while he held a cookie in each hand.
Henry raised an eyebrow at this and Bendy chuckled nervously. His reaction caused everyone in the kitchen to laugh. Bendy looked around the room to see even June wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. Seeing her like that made his cookie filled smile grow wider. He'd take this over cold glares any day.
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-OoOoOoOoO-
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June decided that since it was such a nice day, she and Henry would take Bendy and the girls to their local park. The girls still had a few more weeks before school starts so she wanted them to have a little more fun before they all got too busy.
The girls pulled Bendy over to the swings. Beth was showing them how to kick their legs so they could swing themselves. Sarah and Bendy's legs were still too short to pull that off but June and Henry were more than happy to give them a little push.
"Henry, this is great! I feel like I'm flying!" Bendy's laughter was so full of joy, Henry could feel it flowing through their bond. He could hear the girls laughing along with the little toon and it warmed his heart. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his sister smiling too. 'They all seem so happy…' he thought, but a small nagging voice kept reminding him how close they came to loosing all of it. Henry took a deep breath. He won't let that thought ruin their day. Or at least he'll try.
The group went from the swings to the jungle gym. Henry was surprised at how easily the toon took to it. It was so strange to see him hanging upside down from the bars. With no neck, he thought sure his head would fall off. It was just one of those things about his friend that he'll never figure out. Still it didn't stop him and June from standing under the kids to make sure no one fell.
They took a break to grab a few hotdogs and some drinks from a street vender. They all sat on a park bench and enjoyed their quick lunch.
When they were done, they took a leisurely stroll by a lake and made their way to a Carousel. It was large with horses made of brightly painted wood. They waited for it to stop and the previous group to get off so they could take their turn.
Henry helped Sarah and Bendy on a horse while June helped Beth. June was going to get off the ride before it started but the girls wanted her to stay.
"C'mon guys, I'm too old to ride one of these things." June grumbled. She squeaked when she felt strong arms wrap around his midsection and lifted her up onto one of the horses. "Henry!" she yelled but wrapped her hands around the pole.
"Heh, you're never too old to ride this. Besides, you know this ride was always your favorite." June stuck her tongue out at him and Henry laughed. He mounted his own wooden horse just as the ride operator asked if everyone was ready. The riders yelled out 'YES!' and the music started up.
Around and around they went. There were cheers and laughter from the children as they pretended they were riding real horses. Henry couldn't help but smile at the expression on the toon's face. He looked so happy. He was waving his hands in the air a few times but had to grab the pole when he almost lost his balance. Henry told Bendy to be careful and he promised he would. Henry could see June shaking her head but she had a warm smile on her face. After everything that happened, this is exactly what they needed.
Later on that afternoon, Beth and Sarah ran into a few friends from school. They were more than happy to introduce Bendy to them. The kids crowded around him as they touched his horns and poked him here and there. Bendy didn't mind, he'd been through all of this back at home. One of the kids brought a ball and asked if they would like to play. After getting the 'Okay' from June and Henry, the kinds picked teams and they were playing a lively game of kickball.
It didn't take long for a few parents to come up to June and ask if it was safe for their kids to play with 'that creature'. Henry really hated the fact that his friend was the object of so much suspicion. He hadn't done anything wrong. Why wasn't that enough for them? Luckily June reassured them that Bendy wasn't dangerous and that they had nothing to worry about. She even offered the other adults to keep an eye on the children with her and Henry.
It was a compromise that Henry was willing to stomach as long as the parents didn't try anything. He didn't want them to ruin the children's fun because they were afraid of Bendy. And the longer they watched, the more they realized they had nothing to worry about.
Sarah was a little nervous about playing with the other kids. Although some of her friends were there as well, there were a lot of people there she didn't know. Bendy took her by the hand and told her that everything will be alright. This was his first time playing kickball and he was a little nervous too. That made Sarah feel better as they took their places out on the field. It was just like playing baseball only you kick a large ball and they were all having so much fun, no one yelled or got angry if they made a mistake. That helped Sarah relax even more.
One of the boys kicked the ball too hard and it flew passed Sarah. It rolled across the field and Sarah chased after it. The ball rolled to a stop by one of the park benches. There was a woman sitting there and she picked the ball up when it tapped her foot.
Sarah slowed down as she approached the stranger. There was a large tree leaning over the bench the woman was sitting on so a shadow was cast over her from the leaves. Sarah noticed that the woman was wearing a black dress, black boots that went passed her knees, and long black gloves that went passed her elbows. The thing that really gave Sarah pause was the fact that the woman was wearing a wide brimmed sun hat with black mesh that went around the edge. She couldn't see the lady's face very well and it made her nervous.
"E-Excuse me ma'am. May I-I have that back, please?" Sarah stopped a few feet away from the bench. The woman held the ball up and turned her head slightly to look at her. The lady's face was cast in deep shadows and it made a shiver run down Sarah's spine.
"Oh, does this ball belong to you?" Sarah nodded and twisted the hem of her shirt in her hands. The lady sounded nice but she couldn't see her eyes. Sarah didn't like that.
"Well…it's a good thing I caught it or it might have gotten lost." Sarah thanked the stranger and asked for the ball again, but the woman tilted her head to look at what was going on behind her.
"Hmmm, who's that cheerful little guy that's playing with the rest of the kids?" Sarah turned to see Bendy waving his hands at her and yelling if she had found the ball yet. She turned back to the lady. She had the ball sitting on her lap.
"T-That's just my cousin…" Sarah didn't know why the lady won't give her the ball.
"Huh, he's your cousin?" Sarah said yes and the woman laughed. It was husky and didn't sound happy at all.
"Please ma'am, could I have the ball back? They are waiting for me." The stranger turned her head slightly and even though Sarah couldn't see her eyes, she could feel the woman staring at her.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course you can have it back." The woman held her hand out. "Here you go." Sarah stood there for a moment. She really didn't want to get too close. Sarah reached out with both hands and took the ball away. She was glad the woman didn't try to grab her or something. She thanked the stranger and ran back to the group.
The woman sat there and watched the children play. She stayed there long after the kids were called by their parents. The woman watched as the little toon took two little girls by their hands and walked up to two adults. They were all smiles and looked so happy. The stranger sighed and shook her head.
"I-I don't want to do this…"
"I know, but we don't have a choice. You know that."
"But, they're just children…"
"If we don't do this, we'll be punished! Do you wanna go back to where they found us?"
"…no."
The woman got up and walked out of the park. She ignored the strange looks she got as she headed down the street.
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OoOoOoOoO
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The next day, Henry found himself very distracted. His thoughts kept wandering to what happened with Bendy and the slug. He grimaced at the thought of loosing everyone he cared about because of the damn Studio. Plus he was no closer to figuring out what was going on or how to stop it. He tried to hide his frustration the best he could, but Bendy and June seemed to pick up on it anyway. Henry would just brush off their concerns and tell them that he was okay. They didn't believe him.
This evening, June was preparing dinner. The girls and Bendy were upstairs playing games. She wasn't sure how she felt about leaving the girls alone with the toon, but she promised Henry that she would give him a chance.
Speaking of Henry, he was sitting on the back porch. June knew something was on his mind but he was staying tight lipped about it. She didn't like when he got like this. He often did something stupid when left to his own devices. June was slightly startled when Jason walked into the kitchen. He must have noticed because he walked over and hugged her. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and asked if she was alright.
"Yeah…I'm fine. It's just-" she sighed and looked towards the backdoor. "something is bugging Henry and he's not talking." Jason curled against her. He reached up and ran his fingers through her hair. He knew she was worried about her brother.
"Maybe I should go out there and talk to him." Jason gave her a warm squeeze before letting her go.
"Nah, you go ahead and finish dinner. Call us when you're done." He walked out the backdoor, leaving June alone with her own thoughts.
Jason walked out onto the back porch. Henry was sitting in one of the chairs, staring up at the night sky. Jason sat next to him.
"Hey bro."
"Huh?" Henry blinked a few times before looking at him.
"Where are you right now?" Henry looked a little confused. "You have this look in your eyes. Like you're not really here. So, where are you?"
Henry chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. "Ah, I was just thinking about…the Studio." Jason gave Henry his full attention. "It's just, when we escaped that place, I thought it was over." Henry shook his head and looked frustrated. "I didn't think that nightmare would follow me and I never wanted you guys involved in all of this."
"Henry. You shouldn't blame yourself." Jason gave him a stern look. "You had no idea this would happen."
"June and the girls almost got hurt because of me." Henry placed his head in his hands. "I still don't know what's going on and until I do, you guys are still in danger. Maybe…maybe it's time I take Bendy and head home or maybe-"
Henry was startled when Jason grabbed his shoulders. Jason looked angry and even shook him. "Don't you DARE!"
"What?" Henry was caught off guard. He rarely seen Jason this angry before.
"Don't you dare pull a runner!" Henry winced. He had considered it. "Don't do that to your sister. You know that'll break her heart."
Henry wanted to pull away but Jason pinned him with a concerned glare. "Jay, it'll be safer for you all if-" Jason cut him off by shaking him again.
"I'm not going to sit back and let you do this. June brought you here because she wants to help you! We all want to help you and Bendy." He let go of Henry's shoulders and sat back in his chair. He took a moment to wrangle in his temper. "Look, we'll figure out what's going together."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest and sighed softly. "Don't pull a runner bro. I swear if you do and you make my Juniper sad-" Jason tilted his head to the side and just stared at him. "I will hunt you down and drag you back myself."
Henry would have laugh if Jason didn't look so serious. He had no doubt that his brother-in-law would drag him back, kicking and screaming. Henry laid his head back and covered his eyes with his hand. "Jay, I just don't know what to do."
June made sure everything was done before turning off the oven. She kept staring at the back door. June really wanted to know what they were talking about, but she trusted her husband. She'd let him handle it. She could always talk to her brother later.
June walked out of the kitchen and headed for the foot of the stairs. It seemed awfully quiet up there.
"Hey guys! Come on down, dinner's ready!" She called out but no one answered her. "Beth, Sarah, Bendy! Dinner's ready!" June's calls were met with silence.
She grumbled and stomped her way up the stairs. They are making her go up these stairs to get them! Someone was in big trouble.
Jason and Henry tried to plan for anything else that could happen. And even though they knew they couldn't predict what MIGHT happen, just talking it out made them both feel better. After awhile they both fell into companionable silence. Both men lost in their own thoughts.
Jason was the first to break the quiet when he noticed June hadn't called them for dinner. He thought she was almost done. Maybe she needed some help. Jason got up and headed for the door.
"Hey Henry, be right back. Gonna check on dinner." Jason walked into the kitchen and noticed no one was there. June had the food sitting on top of the stove, ready to be served, but neither her or the kids were here. 'Maybe she went upstairs to get them. Probably playing too loud and didn't hear her calling them.' he thought as he left the kitchen. As Jason got to the foot of the steps, he noticed just how quiet it was. There was no laughing or screaming or even the sound of tiny elephants running around in the girls' room. Something about this….didn't feel right.
Jason made his way up the stairs. He called out, but no one answered him. He walked down the hall quietly, straining his ears to pick up any sounds that might come from the rooms ahead of him. The girls' room was the closest so he decided to check there first. Jason approached the doorway, but stopped dead in his tracks.
June, the girls, and Bendy were sprawled out on the floor. They seemed to be unconscious! Jason ran into the room and fell to his knees near June's prone form. He shook her shoulder and called out to her but she was out cold. He began to panic as he looked around the room. He didn't know what happened, but he knew he needed help. Before he could even get off the floor, something hit him on the back of the head, and then, darkness.
Henry was glad he had that talk with Jason. He was thinking a little clearer now. Running away won't solve anything. He knew there was one way to get answers, but he wasn't ready to go back there. Bendy still had nightmares and even he was haunted by what happened there. Maybe he'll talk to the little toon about it and see if he's willing to go back. Speaking of Bendy…
Henry just realized how quiet it was. It wasn't just sounds from inside the house, but through their bond as well. Normally, he could always feel Bendy, whether it be through strong emotions, or a slight buzzing in the back of his mind. Right now, there was nothing. Henry frowned. Jason hadn't come back either. Something wasn't right. He got up and headed into the house.
No one was there. The house was too quiet. The light throb from the pentagram in his right hand sent a spike of fear through Henry's heart. He ran through the kitchen and reached the foot of the stairs. He called out, but no one answered him. 'NO NO NO! Please no…' he screamed in his mind as he ran up the stairs.
The hall was completely deserted and he didn't hear a single voice. He began to panic as his heart beats faster. Henry grimaced as flashbacks of inky halls and distant screeches filled his mind. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head to get rid of those images. He was at his sister's house, not the Studio. Instead of calming him down, his heart began to beat faster.
Henry clutched at his chest and made his way to the girls' room. He could feel himself breathing heavily. It reminded him of…no no no, it couldn't be!
All of a sudden, the lights in the hall grew dim. Inky veins began crawling up the walls and ink dripped from the ceiling. Henry fell to his knees. His heart felt like it was trying to beat out of his chest. His arms and legs were like lead and his chest felt so tight, he could barely breath. He looked up when he heard footsteps coming from the kids' room. His eyes grew wide at what he saw.
It was Alice! She looked just like she did in the Studio. Same horns, same broken halo, and same ruined face. She had an unconscious Bendy tucked under her arm. Alice caught sight of him and smiled.
"Hey Henry! Long time no see." He watched as she reached over and stroked the top of Bendy's head. "If I had known you had such a perfect toon specimen with you that day, I would have taken his heart too." Alice chuckled at the horrified expression on Henry's face. "Ah well, maybe I'll get a chance to try this time!"
Henry couldn't move. It took everything he had to sit upright. The other Bendy must be here! He's the only one that could mess with the ink in his veins like this. He tried to speak, but it was like something lodged in his throat. He had a hard time breathing passed it.
A soft hiss caught his attention and he tried to jump to his feet when he saw Sammy walk out with Beth and Sarah held in his long arms. Both girls looked like ragdolls in his hold. Henry lost his balance and fell to the floor. He was curled up on his side and stared at the two ink creatures. Alice's laughter made his ears ring.
"Oh Henry, you have such a lovely family. It would be a shame if something happened to them." She sneered at him and Henry growled back. He could feel his canines growing longer. "But don't worry, they'll be safe…for now." Alice and Sammy turned to the wall next to him and Henry could see an inky portal start to form.
Alice laughed and bared crooked teeth at him. "You want them back? You know where to find them. We'll be waiting for you." She turned back to Sammy and barked, "Lets go!" Sammy hissed and adjusted his hold on the girls. He made sure he had them tucked securely under each arm before he stepped through the portal. Alice followed close behind him.
Henry crawled across the floor painfully. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. Darkness was eating at the edges of his vision. He can't pass out! Not now! His family needed him. Henry gasped as another figure stepped out of the room. It was him! The ink demon.
'Bendy' shuffled out of the room with June in his arms. Henry thought his heart had stopped. She wasn't moving. The ink demon turned and his smile seemed to grow wider as he saw Henry laying on the floor.
The ink demon held June close to his chest and Henry could hear a soft moan escape her lips. He was relieved. She was still alive! His relief turned to anger as 'Bendy' lowered his head and nuzzled June's cheek. He chuckled and his smile grew more sinister as Henry tried to get up but couldn't. The message was clear, 'I'm taking everyone you care about and there is nothing you can do about it.'
Henry's body seized as he gasped for air. The hallway was growing darker. The throbbing in his hand couldn't keep unconsciousness at bay and the last thing he saw was June disappearing into the inky portal.
Henry wasn't sure how long he was passed out in the hallway, but he came to when he felt something patting his face. He managed to crack open his eyes and could see Jason leaning over him. His voice sounded a little muffled but he knew Jason was calling his name.
"Henry! Henry! C'mon, wake up bro!" Henry groaned and pushed Jason's hand away. His heart was beating normal again, but his limps still felt a little weak.
"Oh, thank god! I thought I lost you!" Jason took Henry's hand and helped him sit up. "I-I don't know what happened! I came up here to check on everyone. They were laying on the floor! I went to check on them-" he reached up and rubbed a bump that was forming on the back of his head. "then…something hit me. I was out cold." He grimaced at the thought that someone got the drop on him.
Henry could feel his heart twist. They were gone! Dragged off to the one place he never wanted them to see…
"They're gone…" Jason sat on the floor and ran his hand down his face. Henry could hear the shakiness in his voice. This was his fault and he was going to fix it!
Henry gripped the wall and stood up on unsteady legs. He turned and headed for the steps. He didn't get very far when Jason grabbed his upper arm. His eyes were wide and full of fear.
"Bro! Where are you going?"
Henry sighed and looked up at Jason. He knew his eyes had changed when Jason let go of his arm and took a few steps back. He was angry and he wasn't going to hold it back, not now, not when the people he loved needed him.
"I'm heading back. Back to the Studio."