A/N: This story is separate from my Slice of Life stories. This story picks up right where "All These Shadows Keep Closing In..." 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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We Will Face The Darkness, Together.
Part 2
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The front door to the Studio creaked open slowly. Henry glanced around before looking down at the floor. The color of the wood was different from the rest. It looked newer. He confirmed his suspicions when he tapped it with the end of his bat. "Someone had this fixed…"
Jason stood behind Henry and waited for him to step over the threshold. "Well, at least that means we're dealing with someone flesh and blood."
"Not sure if that's a good thing or not." They walked through the doorway. It was quiet with the occasional groan from the wood floors. So far nothing tried to jump out at them, though that didn't make Henry feel any better. He remember the first time he was lulled into a false sense of security before everything went to hell. He wasn't making that mistake again.
They both had their bats at the ready just in case something happened when they came across one of Bendy's cutouts.
Jason tapped it with the end of his bat. "Man, this thing is creepy." Something seemed off about the eyes and smile. It was empty and lifeless. "I'm glad our Bendy isn't like this."
Henry couldn't agree more. "C'mon, there's a staircase at the back. I get the feeling we gotta head down."
"Really?" Jason followed Henry passed a few closed doors and a room with a group of chairs, a projector, and a large screen on the wall. "This place doesn't look so big."
Henry chuckled at that. "It's bigger than you think. Joey built down instead of up. There's a whole complex underground. "
"Well, at least no one knows we're here yet. Maybe we can catch them by surprise?" They passed another Bendy cutout that was leaning against the wall. Henry sighed and shook his head.
"Don't count on it. They already know we're here."
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-Meanwhile in the Office-
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Linda was skimming through The Illusion of Living. Joey was always curious about the occult. She wasn't surprised her wrote a book on the subject. She was surprised he managed to compile so many different theories into a single book and actually got it to work.
Linda looked up and narrowed her eyes at the ink demon standing across from her desk. She didn't understand why her brother didn't devise a way to control the damn thing like she did. Sometimes he could be too trusting….or oblivious. Maybe if he had used a little more caution, he'd still be alive. Well, she won't make that mistake.
A soft hiss interrupted her thoughts. 'Bendy' was staring up. It was almost like he could see through the ceiling. Linda got up from her desk and walked over to him.
"He's here, isn't he?" 'Bendy' looked down at her and nodded. Linda's smile grew wide enough to rival the demon standing in front of her. Her plan was coming together nicely. Her smile slipped a bit when a thought crossed her mind.
"Is he alone?" 'Bendy' slowly shook his head, then pointed to June on the couch. Her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were tied at the ankles. She was laying on her side with a rag stuffed in her mouth to keep her quiet. June perked up when she heard that her brother and husband had arrived.
"This isn't a problem. Take Sammy and go after them." Linda turned and glared at June. "I don't care what you do with the other one. Kill him if you want-" At hearing this, June began to scream even though it was muffled by the rag and thrash about on the couch. "Just bring Henry here."
The ink demon' smile grew a little wider and he bowed his head. He was curious to see if this woman's plan would actually work. He formed an ink portal against the wall and stepped through.
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-The Break Room-
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Soft music could be heard drifting down the empty halls. Earlier, the little girls began to get distressed. They hadn't seen their mother and they were getting scared again. Alice's attempts to stop them from crying didn't work. She just lost her patience with them and ended up yelling which made things worse.
Sammy needed to do something, he just wasn't sure what. He spied the piano in the corner. He hadn't tried to play any of his beloved instruments since the 'Master' brought him back. He looked down at his large hands with sharp claws tipping each finger. He doubt he could play the banjo with hands like these, but maybe…
Sammy looked towards the piano. He wasn't sure if this would work, but it might be enough of a distraction to quiet the little ones down. So, he shuffled over to the piano and hunched over it. He didn't even bother pulling out the bench. He was a tad too big for it now anyway. His large hands hovered over the keys as he searched his memory for something to play.
Turns out, having extra long fingers really helped in reaching the keys even if his claws caused him to slip and miss a key or two. He started out slow as he tried to remember the melody but soon his clawed fingers were gliding over the ivory.
Beth and Sarah looked over to where the music was coming from. It was so odd to see a creature like Mr. Sammy hunched over a piano and playing something that sounded really nice. After a few minutes, curiosity got the better of Beth and she slid off the couch. Sarah grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, but Beth said that she wouldn't get too close. Not wanting to be left alone on the couch, Sarah held onto her big sister's arm and went with her.
Sammy turned his head slightly and watched as the children came closer. They were very cautious, but curiosity had their attention. He could see the way their eyes would drift down to watch his fingers move over the keys. Probably wondering how he was able to play. It was quite amusing.
The girls stood there for a few minutes and listened to the soft music until Sammy stopped. They watched as he reached under the piano and pulled out the wooden bench. He tapped it with the tips of his claws and waited to see what they might do.
"I-I think he wants us to sit there." Beth whispered.
"I dunno..." Sarah was very nervous.
"I don't think he wants to hurt us…" Sammy shook his head and tap the bench again.
Both girls looked at each other, then looked back at him. He looked pretty scary but he didn't act that way. Beth took Sarah by the hand and lead her to the bench. It was a little high so the girls had to climb on.
They waited to see what Mr. Sammy would do, both ready to run if he tried to grab them. Instead, he reached down and tapped a key on Beth's left. He stopped, pointed to the girl, and tapped the key again. There was a certain rhythm he wanted her to repeat. After a moment, she understood, and tried to copy him. When Sammy was satisfied, he did the same for Sarah. She caught on quickly after watching her sister. He waited a few seconds for the girls to repeat the rhythm. He reached down on either side of them and started to play.
Sammy sighed softly. The girls were actually smiling. They giggled and remarked on how they were playing the piano and they couldn't wait to show their mom and dad. He was just glad they weren't crying anymore.
As the music drifted throughout the room, none of them noticed the envious looks Alice was giving them. She couldn't believe it. Sammy was a monster! They should have been scared of him and yet, they sat there, all smiles and giggles, playing a dumb piano with him. She didn't look nearly as bad as him. She was an angel. They should trust her over him…but they didn't. It didn't make sense! And so, she stood there scowling at them.
This is the scene the ink demon stumbled into when he entered the room. Alice spotted him first and ran to the other side of the room. Her movement caught Sammy's attention and his fingers froze over the keys. He stood up and hissed as the ink demon walked towards them.
Beth and Sarah turned around to see what was going on and was shocked to find another Bendy standing a few feet behind them. This Bendy was scarier than their cousin. He was very tall and his eyes were covered with black stuff. They whimpered as he took another step towards them.
Their eyes drifted downward because of the strange way he moved. Their fear momentarily gave way to curiosity again when they spotted his twisted foot. "Wow, that must hurt." Beth thought she said that soft enough that he didn't hear her. But he did. 'Bendy' hissed harshly to get them to stop staring. Their eyes grew wide as they looked up at him.
Sammy tapped the bench to get their attention. He pointed at the sofa and the girls wasted no time in running towards it. The children huddled together and watched the demon with fearful eyes.
As much as 'Bendy' enjoyed their fear, he wasn't there for that. He turned toward Sammy and hissed softly then pointed towards the door. Sammy nodded slowly and followed the ink demon out of the room. He heard Alice complain about being left to watch the brats but there was nothing he could do about it.
Sammy closed the door behind him and the kids were left with a very moody angel. Neither one said a word as they watched her pace the room and talk to herself. They even heard two different voiced.
Sarah hugged her sister and sobbed softly. "Beth, I wish mommy was here."
"Me too." Beth eyes the horned angel. Something about her didn't feel right.
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OoOoOoOoO
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Henry and Jason made their way down several flights of steps before ending up near the music department. This place held some bitter memories for him. He just wanted to find the next stairwell as quickly as possible.
As they made their was down the dimly lit hallways, they ran into a group of searchers. They rose up from the ink puddles around them and began dragging their half formed bodies towards the two men.
Henry gripped his bat tighter and started swinging. Jason hesitated for a moment before joining him. Even though he knew what to expect, it still came as a shock that such creatures existed. Jason swung at one of the searcher's head and winced as his bat seemed to sink into it before he sent the head flying against the wall. He looked over at Henry who was practically mowing down the creatures in front of him without slowing down.
Within a few minutes, the group of searchers were reduced to ink splotches along the walls and floor. Both men stood back to back. Neither one quite ready to let down their guard. When it seemed like nothing else was going to jump out at them, they moved on.
"Unbelievable…" Jason looked down the quiet hallways cautiously.
"Heh." Henry laughed humorlessly. "Oh it'll get worse the lower we go."
They rounded a corner and passed another Bendy cutout. Henry frowned slightly. They haven't run into the ink demon himself and this worried him. He knew it was only a matter of time.
There were a few hallways that were completely flooded with ink. Henry refused to wade through the stuff if there was a way around it. Unfortunately, they had to head down a particular corridor to make it to the next stairwell. Both men had their bats at the ready and kept a close eye on the ink. The hall took on a claustrophobic air and they couldn't wait to reach the end.
Neither one noticed the way the ink rippled like something was moving towards them…
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-In The Break Room-
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Alice was getting more and more agitated. All she could hear were the kids sniveling about how they wanted their mommy or that they wanted to go home. It was getting on her nerves. A small voice in her head was telling her to stay calm. Alice was finding it harder to listen to it. Then a thought came to mind and that small voice was screaming for her not to act on it.
Alice stopped pacing and turned towards the children. She smiled sweetly as she approached them. "Y'know what? How about we go find your mommy?"
The girls grew quiet and just stared at the fallen angel. The older of the two seemed skeptical but her little sister looked surprised. "Really?"
"Yup! I'm sure my boss is finished talking to her. It should be alright for me to take you to her." The angel's voice sounded too sweet the Sarah, but she really wanted to find their mother.
The girls reluctantly agreed to go with her and Alice lead them out of the room. They walked to the left of the room and around the bend until they came to an elevator. Alice ushered the children inside, closed the gate, and pressed the button marked 14.
As the elevator descended, the girls got a pretty good look at the other floors in the Studio.
"W-What's all that black stuff?" Sarah asked.
"That's ink, my dear. It's what most of us are made of." Alice huffed. Such a silly question.
"Oh, that's the stuff cousin Bendy is made of!" Beth declared. Alice sneered behind their backs. How could they see that thing as their cousin. It made her sick.
Sarah watched as they passed one floor after another. Each one seemed darker and more ink covered than the one before it. She could even see things moving around in the distance. She couldn't tell what they were, but she knew she didn't want to be anywhere near them.
The elevator finally came to a stop and the barred gate slid open. Both girls stood there, a little confused. Was this were their mother was? They couldn't see the floor past the raised platform they were standing on because it was covered in ink.
Beth and Sarah felt a harsh shove at their backs and they stumbled out of the elevator. Alice quickly closed the gate behind them.
"Hey!" Beth shouted. "I thought you said you'd take us to mommy!"
Alice shrugged and waved her hand dismissively. "She's around here, somewhere. You just have to find her." She pressed the button and the elevator started to ascend. "Good luck." The fallen angel said in a sing-song voice.
The girls grabbed the gate, shook it, and yelled for Alice to come back. The only answer they received was cruel laughter. Beth kept pressing the button but the elevator didn't come back. Sarah began to cry and Beth tried to tell her that it would be okay, but even she didn't believe that. That bad angel tricked them and left them alone in this strange place. It was enough to bring tears to her own eyes.
Beth stopped pressing the button when it looked like the elevator wasn't coming back. She hugged her sister and took in their surroundings. There was ink all over the place! It was dripping from the ceiling and down the walls. There was openings to halls on either side of the room that looked kind of dark. Beth didn't want to go over there. Soon she spotted some stairs across from them. They seemed to lead upward. Maybe they could find their mom if they went that way.
"C'mon Sarah. We're getting out of here!"
"How?" Sarah wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked a little confused. Beth pointed towards the stairs and said they could get out that way. They just had to walk through the ink to get there. Sarah wanted to wait for the elevator to come back, but Beth didn't think the angel was coming back for them. Besides, they needed to find their mom.
Sarah reluctantly agreed and she took her sister's hand. They stepped off the platform and the ink was deeper than they thought. It came up to their stomachs and was very cold. They waded through the pool slowly. The stuff was thicker than water and it slowed them down. Finally they made it to the bottom of the stairs. They pulled themselves out of the pool and stood there for a moment to catch their breath. Their wet clothes weighed them down a little, but that didn't stop them from climbing the steps.
Neither girl knew where they were going, but it had to be better than standing around and doing nothing. Maybe if they were lucky, they'd run into Mr. Sammy. Maybe he could help them.
Unfortunately, it seemed like luck wasn't on their side. A soft clicking noise caught their attention and they froze on the steps. Something was heading in their direction. A strange figure appeared at the top of the stairs. It had three arms, its mouth seemed to be sown shut, and the clicking sound was coming from a chittering set of teeth on top of its head. As soon as its single eye landed on them, the clicking got louder and it shuffled down the steps faster.
The girls screamed and ran back down the steps. The thing didn't look friendly and they didn't want it to catch them. They jumped into the pool of ink at the bottom and tried to run through it. The girls heard a splash behind them. They didn't bother to look back as they headed for the dimly lit hallway.
Beth and Sarah soon found out the area was set up like a maze. The only light seemed to come from some devices found in the corners or sitting on wooden crates. They shined lights and images on the walls, but the girls were too focused on getting away to pay attention to them.
As they rounded one corner, Beth tripped over something. If she wasn't holding Sarah's hand, she would have fell face first in the ink. When she looked back to see what it was, she screamed. It was another creature, but its head was attached to a rope that was floating next to its body. The word 'LIAR' was written on its chest.
There was clicking and splashing behind them and the girls tried to run the best they could. It was like trying to run through a swimming pool full of water with their clothes on. They found themselves growing tired.
The splashing behind them got louder. All of a sudden, Sarah screamed as she was pulled back. The monster grabbed the back of her shirt and was holding her in place. Beth grabbed her hands and pulled as her sister tried to wiggle out of the creature's grip. Its stitched up mouth pulled into a strange smile as it tugged Sarah out of her sister's grip.
"Leave my sister alone!" Beth screamed as she grabbed one of its arms. The creature was a little taller then them but it was stronger. It lifted Beth off her feet and was still able to hold Sarah even if she was putting up quite a struggle. It shook the girls and it almost sounded like it was laughing.
The creature seemed to find it all very amusing until a loud screech could be heard from the other end of the hall. It gasped and let go of the kids. Everyone was blinded by a bright light that came from the other end of the hallway. There was a lot of splashing as something headed towards them.
Beth grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her out of the way just as the creature was grabbed by something even bigger. Whatever it was, the bright light was coming from it which made it hard to see what was going on. All they could hear was screeching and the furious clattering of teeth. Beth and Sarah wanted to run, but they were too tired. All they could do was back up slowly while holding one anther.
The chittering stopped when the larger creature slammed the smaller one against the wall and twisted its head around in the wrong direction. The taller one dropped the limp body in the ink before shining its light on the girls. The girls screamed and tried to make a break for it, but the taller creature cut them off. Its legs were longer than theirs and seemed to have no problem moving through the ink.
Sarah sobbed as Beth pulled her back. There was nowhere to run. She squinted up at the creature and blinked tears from her eyes. All she wanted to do was find their mom and Bendy and go home! Why won't these monsters let them go home… What did they do to them?
Beth tried her best to comfort Sarah but she was at her limit. "S-Stay away f-from us!" she yelled as she tried to be brave for the both of them. She could feel her own eyes start to water as they continued to back up. The ink was cold, she was tired, and she just wanted to find her family and leave. Why won't all these monsters just leave them alone!
Both girls blinked when the light that was shining on them grew dim enough for them to see again. It walked towards them. They whimpered and shook as the creature stopped a few feet away. It had some kind of machine on its head, or... maybe that was its head? It had something big and round sticking out of its shoulder and wires sticking out of its…head. They seemed to be attached to its back and other arm. Why was everything in this place so scary looking?
The creature did something that surprised both girls. It knelt down in the ink to their level and held up its large hands. Even like that, he was still taller than them. The girls backed up. Was it trying to trick them?
"Take it easy." A voice crackled from something in the creature's chest. It was so sudden, it made both girls jump. "Oh geez, I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta scare ya." It reached up and seemed to scratch at the back of its…head? "Hey, it's okay. I ain't gonna hurtcha."
The kids looked less than convinced as they took another step back. It put its hands down. One arm rested on his knee while the other disappeared in the ink. "I promise, I won't hurt ya…just don't try ta run again, alright?"
The sisters looked at one another then back to the creature. It wasn't trying to attack them so they reluctantly agreed and stopped moving. It tilted his head and a sigh crackled from his chest. Sarah couldn't help but stare at it and wonder why its voice came from there.
"It's kinda scary down here, huh?" Both girls nodded. "M'name's Norman by the way."
"Umm, my name's Beth and this is my sister, Sarah." Sarah waved to him shyly.
"Heh, nice ta meetcha both." He waved back to Sarah, she smiled nervously, and hid behind her sister. "So, what are two little ladies like yourselves doing down here anyway?"
"That-that mean lady tricked us. She left us down here!" Beth shouted.
Norman snorted and wondered which 'mean lady' they were talking about. He knew two that fit that bill.
"And she said she was an angel!" Beth continued. "Angels don't act like that." She grumbled under her breath.
"Alice." He should have known. That poor girl had a few screws loose.
Now that he was able to get a good look at them, the little girls seemed to be in bad shape. The ink came up to their stomachs, they were shivering, and looked very tired.
"Tell ya what. How 'bout we get out of here? There's a room close by that's dry. I might be able ta find somethin' ya can use ta get some of that ink off." He held out his hand. "Whadaya say?"
The girls knew they were tired and cold. They really wanted to get out of all this ink too. His offer was too tempting to pass up even if they didn't trust him completely. After a moment of thought, they both agreed to go with him.
Norman waved and asked them to come a little closer. They approached him cautiously. He couldn't blame them. He waited patiently as they got closer. Norman wrapped his arms around both girls and lifted them out of the ink. They tensed in his arms and he reassured them that everything would be alright. He stood up straight and started to trudge out of the maze like hallways. This was easier and frankly faster than watching them try to walk through the stuff.
Sarah lightly ran her fingers across the device that was actually his head. She was quite intrigued by the clicks, whirls, and small moving parts that she could see. She wondered what is was and how it worked. "Mr. Norman? What is this?"
It took him a second to get what she meant. He chuckled softly. "It's called a Projector." When he received a confused 'huh?' from Sarah, he explained. "Ever been ta the movies?" Both girls said yes so he continued. "Well, this is what they use ta show those movies. It's hidden in a back room where it can't be seen."
"Why?" Beth asked.
Norman took a moment to word his answer in a way the children would understand. "Well, seeing a movie is suppose ta feel like magic! People who run the protectors don't wanna to ruin that feeling so they keep it in the back room." Norman chuckled. "All you should see is the light shining on the big screen and the moving images in front of you."
"Wow…" both girls were taken aback by his words. He was right about movies feeling magical. Sarah knew how happy she felt after leaving the theater. Imagine a job where you get to do that for a lot of people every day! "I wanna work in a movie theater when I get older!" Sarah declared. "I want to run one of these!"
Norman laughed softly. "So, you wanna be a Projectionist? That's what they call a person that runs a projector."
Sarah giggles and said "Yes!"
If he could smile, he would have been. That warmed something deep within himself that went cold a long time ago. "Well, who knows. Maybe someday you will. I ran a projector for years before I came ta work here." He heard a small gasp from both girls. "I used ta show Bendy cartoons for the crew when they were finished working on them! See." He tilted his head towards a wall they were passing. Now that they weren't running for their lives, Beth and Sarah took notice of the small projectors sitting on some crates. They could see an animated version of Bendy walking through a graveyard.
"Hey Beth! It's cousin Bendy!" Norman tilted his head slightly. Holding them this close, it was hard to see their face. He was a little perplexed by Sarah's statement.
"Cousin Bendy?"
"Yeah." Sarah spoke softly. "He lives with Uncle Henry so that makes him our cousin."
This caused Norman to stop walking. He was almost afraid to ask but he really needed to know. "Henry? As in Henry Ross?"
"Yeah." His reaction made Beth a little nervous. Norman tensed up and his arms tightened around them. He sighed and started walking again. He knew Linda wanted to get revenge on Henry, but he didn't think she'd get children involved. The woman was just as crazy as her brother. Crazy and very smart. When she brought him back, she realized very quickly that he was practically deaf. She actually took a microphone from the music department and attached it to some exposed wires on his projector. He was finally able to hear again after thirty years. The first thing she did was bombard him with a bunch of question about what happened in the Studio. When she realized he didn't know much, she ordered him and Sammy to fix the elevator. After that he took to hiding down here so she couldn't order him to do anything else.
Norman walked out of the maze and made a sharp turn to the left. He squeezed past a few pipes and set the girls down near a set of stairs. They lead down to a relatively dry break room. He told them to take a seat near a small round table while he went to a storage closet. He managed to find a few old sheets and handed them to the girls. Norman knelt down and helped each girl dry off. They couldn't get all the ink off their clothes but they were somewhat dry.
Afterwards, the kids sat at the table. They looked exhausted so he let them rest. Besides, he needed to figure out what to do with them. He wasn't sure what was going to happen to them after Linda exacted her revenge, but he knew it wouldn't be good.
