Inked in Mystery
Chapter 15: Final Battle
HELLO! :D I'm back! So sorry to have taken so long but (in the original) it was very complicated to broadcast a fight in a nice way while showing the power of the opponents. Not to mention that there I translate it here now XD but with containment ... well I have time XD
But finally, here we are! The final fight! Where the future of ToonTown is at stake! I advise you to read the moment when the action begins while listening to this music. I think it brings something nice.
Ah! Just a little warning because there may be scenes that shock (even if the effect is slightly reduced because they are Toons).
Anyway, I stop talking and Happy reading :D
ToonTown is deserted today. Joey frowns as he enters the city. No patrol, no Toon, even the birds don't fly. The silence is total and the atmosphere is heavy as if something serious had happened and weighed on the world of Toons.
Intrigued even if he likes the atmosphere, he gets out of his car, leaving it at the ToonTown entrance in Los Angeles, and continues on the way. Without his knowledge, he is carefully observed. In his observatory above his house, Marvin the Martian carefully follows his progress. Grabbing a talkie-walkie, he says:
« Bugs! He is coming ! »
« Well received ! Join us discreetly where you know! » The rabbit's voice answers.
« Well received ! » the Martian answers, putting his talkie-walkie away.
Quickly, he leaps towards the exit of his house with K-9. They then return to the center of ToonTown without being seen.
Joey advances in the deserted landscapes of life humming. Surprisingly, what frightened most humans amused him. Everything was going as he wanted. True, he hadn't had the kittens so he could study their Toons-born hearts but he had the hearts of True Toons and, once Bendy is judged, he would attend his execution and finally recover his heart so powerful! The key that would complete his transformation into God!
« Can I get an amen in here? » he sings.
After a few minutes, he arrives at the center of ToonTown, delighted by the turn of events. He keeps going, heading to the prison for news of Bendy's trial ... when he hears a voice he didn't expect to hear there.
« Joey! » shouted Bendy's voice.
The Human stop before turning to the little Toon. The dancing demon stands straight in the middle of the street, his eyes threatening and his tail wagging like an angry cat. Bendy shakes his fists, feeling the rage soaring ... but he forces himself to stay calm so he won't mess up everything! Looking to his former studio director right in the eyes, he is waiting for a reaction.
« Bendy ... » Joey mutters. « If I expected to find you there. »
His icy cold voice would scare Bendy if he didn't hate him so much. Joey walks towards the demon, facing him full height. The two foes glare at each other, the little Toon regretting that he cannot kill the Human with his glare... when he sees a wicked smile on Joey's face.
« Always so cute despite all these years. » he smiled, kneeling in front of the little one. « And the childish soul? Always present ? »
« No ! You know it and you know why! »
« Because of Boris? Yes ... it's a little thanks to his heart that I feel that for you. »
« What? » Bendy asks, shaking.
« What he feels for you! I feel it and I understand it ... »
With a perverse smile, he approaches his hand from Bendy's cheek ... but the little one walks away, panicked.
« DON'T TOUCH ME! »
No longer able to see his lover face their executioner, Boris reappears and jostles violently Joey who falls to the ground. Bendy wipes his cheek, furious and disgusted, before joining Boris against the Human.
Joey frowns as he sees the two SillyVision side by side, a bit like he's jealous, then smiles as he gets up. Both SillyVision feel shaken by seeing the look of their former director.
« You forget one thing, you two. You belong to me! You are the property of SillyVision and I was the director! It's only been thirty years since the studio was abandoned! You are still mine! »
Bendy is afraid and go hug against Boris, seeing that this madman was almost ready to attack them when ...
« It's wrong ! » a man's voice shouts.
The two SillyVision smile as they turn to Henry who approaches them with Pandora.
Joey glares at him.
« Hi, Henry ... »
« You just lie, Joey! From the moment you saw Boris come to life, you became completely crazy! And all this for what ? »
« For what ? Henry, you're so stupid! An idealistic dreamer! » Joey laughs. « Look at them ! They are alive! While it was only sketches on a piece of paper! They are the missing link between us and the Gods! If we come to take what gives them life, we will be immortals like them! »
« But they aren't immortal ! » the ex-animator is indignant. « They need the love of humans to live! If we forget them, they disappear! »
« Bendy has been forgotten and yet he is still here. My experiences at SillyVision allowed me to create Immortals Toons! I admit I was quick stealing the heart of Boris instead of Bendy's but I don't regret anything. At least I see what power Bendy has! »
The dancing demon shivers and hides behind Henry when he sees Joey approaching, hugging Pandora in his arms.
« Anyway, you can't do anything against me, Henry! You have no rights over them! »
« You're wrong, Joey! » Henry smiled as he pulled the paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. « You said they belonged to you but you never put copyright on them! And I put them as a draftsman and therefore real creator of Bendy, Boris, Pandora and even Alice! You have nothing left! You never even owned anything! »
Joey freezes and turns red so he's pissed off. He had never put up with contradicting what he said, but here Henry had just dispossessed him entirely.
« You filthy ... miserable! » Joey rages, ready to attack them and kill them with his bare hands.
Except that he is stuck and knocked down by two punches in his stomach. Straightening, he grumbles and sees Cuphead and Mugman stand in front of him, one alive the other in soul.
« Oh ! We change camps, then? » he chuckles.
Standing up, he smiled at Cuphead.
« I was thinking of ToonTown, Cuppy Head. »
« I'm on the right side! I serve justice! Not a murderer like you! »
« Are you angry for what I did to your brother? » the Human laughed, not caring that Cuphead knew. « Anyway, it's not with his heart that I'm going to do something. It'll just help me test and get ready for Bendy's Heart! » he chuckles as he walks towards the group.
Suddenly, as he thinks he has the upper hand, Felix the Cat leaves an alley and stands behind Bendy, followed by all members of the Grand Council (Gertie included). As he frowns, intrigued, he freezes as he sees all the Toons rise from the different streets and encircle him. All seem furious. Gertie then stands up to her full height and proclaims:
« Joey Drew! You have been convicted by the Grand Council and the Toon Assembly! Guilty of torture, murder, lies, kidnapping and an attempt to rape Toons and more specifically Bendy the Dancing Demon! We Council members have decided to ban you from ToonTown! »
All stand straight, waiting for a reaction from the Human.
Joey looks at them with an air of certainty ... then he begins to laugh as if he were faced with something amusing, disturbing Boris who recognizes there the Joey of the day of the attack.
« Poor idiots! Do you know who you are talking to? » he chuckles, pulling up his sleeves. « You, Toons Immortals! Gods of Laughter and Gags! I, Joey Drew, have found a way to become like you! An immortal! I am no longer a simple human! I am God ! »
As if to prove his words, Joey pulls out a pocketknife. All are on the watch, waiting for an attack ... but the Human begins to slash his right arm, plunging the knife deep into his flesh. But instead of blood, it is black and thick ink that flows sores. Suddenly, to the amazement of all (because only the Toons have this strange reflex), the former director begins to sing.
Hit me one time!
He begins to cut the other arm, leaving a thick black ink out of his veins.
Hit me twice!
Suddenly, to everyone's horror, he knocks his knife in his throat, literally cutting his throat, releasing an impressive amount of ink. But, in addition, he twists his head, bringing out the ink flow of his body.
Oh, aaah! Ooohh!
The human then collapses in the ink that covers the ground ... when something suddenly pops up, splashing everyone who walks away to avoid being touched by Toon's ''remaids''.
That's rather nice!
Joey reappears ... but he doesn't look like a human anymore! He looks like a sort of filiform giant Bendy with a terrifying, crooked smile, distorted horns and dripping ink. In fact, all recognize him as the monster who attacked ToonTown!
Bendy is literally horrified. His executioner had taken his appearance thanks to Boris' heart and become a creature of ink. Inky Joey begins to smile cruelly, watching the dripping ink between his fingers.
Shabby Toons!
Forgettable!
With a gesture of disdain, he sends ink to the Toons, forcing them back and missing touching Candice that her father immediately retrieves in his arms.
It's time to turn the tables!
From his finger, Joey draws a circle around him.
Ink beneath me
Ink up above
Ooh, you'll love my
(Ah-ah-ah)
Toxic Ink!
Finishing his evil drawing, he chuckles while straightening up. Bendy becomes livid by recognizing one of the pentagrams he found the rare times he went to the basement and that appeared during his panic in ToonTown. A satanic and alchemical symbol that this sick mind used for his experiments.
Straightening up, Joey stares at the Toons like a hungry animal watching his prey.
I see the Toons
And all their beating hearts!
I suck 'em dry
And spit their bodies like spinach!
The Toons deviate even more, panicked. He had just confessed to stealing the hearts of their friends ... but in addition, the pentagram starts to glow with a strange energy. An energy that has nothing to do with that can be found everywhere in ToonTown.
'Cause greedy human beings
Will always lend a hand
With the destruction of this
Worthless Toon land!
Inky Joey smiled as he opened a sort of portal in the sky. The Toons are stunned to see the SillyVision studio appear and discover the interior now covered in ink.
And what a beautiful machine
They have provided!
Bendy trembles when he sees the ink machine appear, huge, ready to run and filled with ink.
Oh Ink Machine of doom!
With my desire to guide it!
Joey starts sneering and raises his arms, setting the Machine on the road, releasing a lot of ink... but what shocks the Toons and their Human friends is that ink flows from the gate, invades the the sky becomes dark and the clouds gorge with ink before raining black and thick drops.
Filthy, dark
Inky rain
Pouring down like
God's Plagues!
To the horror of all, ToonTown's floor is covered with a thick ink that collects into several small piles. Bendy stares at Joey, frightened and furious, not understanding what this ''Monster'' has in mind.
Ink beneath me
Ink up above
Ooh, you'll love our
(Ah-ah-ah)
Toxic Ink!
Joey starts laughing like one of the big bad guys that can be found in ToonTown, lowering his arms and making the pentagram glow louder. The Toons watch this, surprised, ... when a horrible humanoid creature made up of ink rushes out of one of the piles of ink. All scream and run away as all the heaps begin to look like these creatures.
That's the panic in ToonTown! Inky Creatures emerge from all the puddles of ink on the ground and start pursuing the Toons grunting like ferocious beasts. One of them catches a secondary Toon and tears his heart violently, showing that they have the same goal as their Sick Head.
Immediately, Felix orders to protect all Toons-born children.
« Don't lose sight of them and never leave them alone! » the cat orders as he tries to slow down the monsters.
Candice, Aiden and Keffan's parents catch their respective children and run to shelter them with Sentinels while Betty runs to warn Kitty and help her protect her kittens. Mickey casts a worried look at Cuphead, the only survivor of the two brothers. But unlike the others, he was an adult. The most important thing was the protection of children.
Many inky creatures arise suddenly, frightening the children and their parents. Adults then start to fight monsters to protect their little ones who take to the chances to hide. Except that the monsters are so many that they can block the parents while others run after the children, growling. The children scream when they see themselves chasing, especially as some monsters merge with each other to form giants!
Candice screams, running with Keffan (who chose the four-legged position to go faster) while Aiden is flying above their heads. The chick looks for a hiding place for him and his friends when an inked hand brushes him, making him scream in terror and lose his balance. The little magpie feels his head spinning and flapping his wings anyhow before crashing heavily on the ground, almost knocked out.
« AIDEN ! » Keffan fumbles as he notices his friend on the floor.
Aiden fights against his turmoil to get up as quickly as possible, knowing that his life is in danger, when the Giant Ink that destabilized him rushes to him. Grumbling like a ferocious beast suffering from rage, it is clear that he intends to kill the little magpie. Listening to his courage (or Toon's madness), Keffan retraces his steps and claws the Demon who roars in pain as he recoils. Candice screams, horrified for her friends, but Keffan quickly retrieves Aiden in his arms and runs to join her. The girl grabs his hand and both run to find a hiding place. Especially that the Furious Ink Beast returns to the charge!
In two strides (or bent as he draws with his arms), he joins the children and, under their cries, he is about to finish them ... when he takes a violent blow from a tail that make it back several meters in a deafening din. The trio of friends looks up to see Gertie rise above them, standing up proudly, high and threatening, ready to do anything to protect these little ones, the Future of ToonTown.
« Run, children! Run for shelter! » she orders, gently pushing the little ones with her huge snout.
Candice catches Keffan (who is still holding his half-knocked feathered friend) and leads him to a shelter. When the Inky Beasts rushes to Gertie, she rises on her hind legs roaring before falling down with all her weight to crush her enemy or hit it with her huge neck. But the sheer size of Gertie isn't only an advantage, especially during a fight in the city.
« LOOK OUT ! » Coyote scream as Sam the Dog catches some of Oswald's bunnies to shelter them, narrowly avoiding one of the huge feet of the mastodon.
The dog joins him with the bunnies he saved before his mate punching him.
« You and your big sugar heart! The little ones of the others will really end up killing you! » the coyote rages as the little rabbits leap towards their mother who is relieve seeing them alive.
« What can I do? » the big dog laughed. « And you know, if we had ours, I wouldn't have to deal with other people's babies. » he said with a small smirk.
« Do you think this is the moment for your emotional blackmail? » Coyote growl, who doesn't want to hear about children.
They are suddenly cut off by a roar of Gertie.
The eldest of Toons roars towards the Giant Ink Creature who tries to attack her. The demon jumps on her, failing to make her lose her balance, but she strikes it violently from her tail, scattering the many monsters that make up the giant. Taking advantage that it doesn't reconstitute quickly, she pushes all the Toons who are in the zone.
« Run! Don't stay here! » she orders.
Quickly, everyone departs before the fight resumes.
The battle is now raging throughout the city, each Toon fighting furiously to stay alive and protect the little ones. After all, if they couldn't beat these monsters, Joey would win! All the Toons will die and their hearts will serve only for the pleasure of this madman who had fooled them all! And being fooled, it was something that Bugs didn't support!
The Looneys Hare fights valiantly in the middle of the Inky, hitting the Monsters to reduce them in piles of ink or surrounding them with his tricks. Suddenly, as he has just hit several Inky creatures, another monster rises up behind him and strikes him violently in the back of his head. The rabbit shrieks before collapsing, his head seeming to weigh him several tons with this accursed anchor on it.
« BUGS ! » Daffy shouted as the mascot of their studio collapsed.
The Ink Creatures throw themselves on their enemy on the ground but the duck intervenes and strikes them to keep them away from Bugs. Porky and Sam intervene to ward off the Monsters who roar while Daffy retrieves the rabbit.
« Bugs! Bugs, wake up! Bugs! » he fumbles, patting his cheeks.
Porky turned pale as he saw the younger Toon unconscious, almost dead, but seeing the danger around them, he ordered Daffy:
« G-g-go with him t-t-to-shelve and f-f-find a w-w-way to wake him up! We're go-go-go-go... we're taking c-c-c-are of the Inky! »
The duck lifts his younger chief into his arms and leads him into a quiet alley next to him.
Once there, he watches Bugs intently. The rabbit is unconscious, his breathing is weak, and his head is covered by ink. Trembling as he feels like he's facing the corpse of his second boss, he brushes the ink off the Looney's head and hugs him.
« Please, Bugs ... you don't have the right to leave me like this ... come on! ... you're the strongest of all the Looneys! ... you were able to become famous from your first appearance ... it's not a blow to the head that will get you, eh? ... come on ... wake up, please ... »
No answer comes from the bunny and Daffy closes his eyes, squeezing him like a child who refuses to let go of his most precious possession. Even though their duo were mostly friends-enemies, they were both very close. Much closer than the public thinks. So the idea of losing the rabbit for good is unbearable for the mallard.
Bugs opens his eyes, recovering from the shock, to see that he's in Daffy's arms. The usually so distant duck (in public anyway) was there, hugging him as if his life depended on it and with tears ready to flow. Taking advantage that they are just the two of them, the rabbit smiles and says softly.
« I was waiting for you to say that. »
The black duck freezes at hearing Bugs' voice and looks down to see the Toon smile sincerely at him (and not in a mocking manner as we are often used to seeing). Relief binds in Daffy's eyes… but his pride takes a hit, making him angry.
« Ooh, you bad kid! » he growls, raising his hand. « You deserve that I stick you one! »
Bugs bursts out laughing and places a light kiss on the duck's beak, which is stupidly frozen.
« I love you too ! » the leader of the Looneys smiles before standing up.
He walks away to see how it's going on the Main Square (where the Inks and Toons fight fiercely) then turns to his friend who remains frozen with his beak open. Rolling his eyes, Bugs closes his beak and whispers:
« As soon as it's over and if it make you happy, we'll continue what we just started. In private… »
Daffy blushes like a tomato under his black feathers… but he is brought back to earth by a howl.
« We'll talk about that later if you don't mind! » the duck mutters, calming his blush and dragging Bugs along.
The two Looneys return to the Main Square and see Marvin being held by one of these Monsters. K-9, his loyal dog, is lying a little further away, knocked out, and his disintegrator beam is on the ground.
« HELP ! » the Martian yells, panic-stricken when he sees the Inked raise his hand to his chest as if to seek his heart for steal it.
Bugs plunges his hand into his hammerspace and throws a baseball in Inker's face. He growls, turning to the rabbit… but the diversion allows Daffy to retrieve the Martian's weapon and the duck shoots. Although the ink is real matter, it reacts like Toonate matter and the Inking screams as it is cut in half, releasing Marvin who then falls into Bugs' arms.
« There you owe us one, Doc! » the Rabbit laughed before dragging the Martian to the shelter with K-9. « Remove the ink from his head, he will come to himself quickly. » he promises before returning to the battle.
For their part, Mickey and Oswald fight valiantly against the Inking enemy.
« And six! » Oswald exclaims, shriveling up a slurry ink.
« Only six? » the mouse from Disney exclaims. « I'm on the tenth! »
Oswald turns red as his brother laughs, amused.
« Laugh while you can, Mouse! » the Lucky Rabbit threatens, using his brother's name as an insult. « I won't let a mouse in red shorts overtake me! »
Mickey sticks his tongue out at him with a smile, then the two separate and each attack a group of Inks. While a sane person would find this game odd, it was mostly to avoid being too afraid that they had challenged themselves to be the one to get rid of the most monsters.
Oswald begins to leap from height to height, using various projectiles or weapons before recovering a remote control which sends electric shocks. Proudly, he avoids attacks and howls the growing number of his 'victims'.
« 10! And 11! And 12! » he yells, leaping before being caught by an Inker.
He falls to the ground and sees himself ready to lose his heart ... when his children pounce on the monster. Their large number disturbs the Inker which is found crushed under their weight. The bunny children laugh under the proud smile of their father.
« 13! » he yells at his brother.
« Children don't count! » Mickey groans.
« Except it's mine! My children, then the point is for me! »
The younger Disney brothers groan before resuming their hunt, silently killing and counting. His brother was taking the lead!
The studio star then sees a huge Inker with many small ones on the back. The mouse climbs in height and jumps on the back of the colossus. He then attacks the small strokes of the brush (paint and thinner) before making one of the giant's hands disappear, which grunts in pain before collapsing on the ground, crushing several small Inks. Proud of his shot, Mickey turns to Oswald who stares at him, speechless before moaning:
« It only counts for one! »
Mickey laughs before resuming the fight in earnest, especially as the number of enemies seems to be increasing rather than decreasing.
Henry watches ToonTown in horror. The once colorful, bright and joyful city was no more than an ink-covered battlefield from which many Inked monsters sprang up to prey on the Toons. And in the midst of it all, Bendy and the Toon-borns trying to escape Joey. Under his demonic appearance, Joey lets show his true face: the one of a monster! The thing is so unrealistic that Henry almost feels like he's in a horrible adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
In his flight, Bendy ends up falling back on his animator. Distraught, he runs to take refuge in his arms ... when Joey reappears in front of them, making them scream. The former director of SillyVision sneers like a madman, his clenched and monstrous hands seeming ready to kill ... but clutching the one he considers his child, Henry is indignant:
« Stop it, Joey! You play with much bigger than you! Stop this madness now! »
Joey frowns before laughing.
« Oh Henry! Think two seconds with your little head! Do you really think I'm new to this kind of occult art? I knew very well how to handle this black magic! » the former Human turned demon admits. « I am no stranger to it! Ever since my father and my father's father and all the fathers before me joined the cult of our Supreme Lord, I have always had the knowledge of Magic and the price to pay! »
Henry freezes, horrified.
« No ... Joey Drew? ... you are ... »
« Yes ! I used to be of the Satanist religion! But whether I belong to this or that religion, nobody paid attention to me! » he explains, starting to rage, letting red eyes glow under his black ink. « Not even my own parents! For them, being the last born of a large family, I was the mouth of too many to feed. And what worried them the most was their Ultimate Master. Then as I grew up I discovered that Satanists and Christians were all the same. All too busy worshiping their beliefs and their gods! No one cared about me so I vowed to raise myself to the rank of an ultimate and all-powerful being, immune to all injury and immortal in the face of death, and that my reign be eternal! »
Even though Bendy is saddened by Joey's childhood, he freezes when he sees how twisted his mind is. He wanted so much to be noticed that he had made up his mind to become an icon to be worshiped!
« It puts you in your place of insignificant creatures eh? » he suddenly sneers, scaring Bendy.
« You are just a big mad man! » Pandora spat angrily before Henry pulled her back.
« Then something else to pick up all this mortal filth. » Joey continues, ignoring Pandora's remark. « The Animation and the Toons! It was interesting to know that illusions of life were captivated by an imaginary being. Then, when I saw one off the screens, I was ... surprised and at the same time jealous. » he admits, thinking back to that day when he saw Koko the Clown walking the streets like any human being. « And my jealousy took hold when more Toons started to live and never die from anything! Why weren't we offered this to us? Why to them? What have we done to not deserve such praise? » The Monster asks, turning to them. « This is how to understand the why and how, I created the studio! »
« So this is it? » Henry grumbles. « You took advantage of my drawing to create your own Toons and use them as lab mice !? »
« I already had plans to finally gain access to Immortality and Power. » Henry's old friend recognizes. « But to break the boundaries of the Terrestrial and the Impossible, I needed help! So I went back to my church, to my worship, and I made a pact with Satan! » he admits, maddening the Toons and the Human present. « He was helping me in my quest to finally reach the rank of God and, in exchange for my soul, I also had to bring one of his sons into our world through a body! »
« A body? ... » the ex-animator panics, trembling, trying to remember all the crimes that could have happened around the studio as Joey smiles, shrugging his shoulders.
« Of course, I didn't tell him everything about my project. In particular the one which concerns to detonate it too. But he accepted! Now it was up to me to manage to find a body for the Envoy from the Underworld who was to arrive on that famous Halloween of 1925! »
At the mention of this date which will remain marked with a hot iron in their memory, Henry and Boris freeze and turn to Bendy.
The little imp is frozen in place, trembles and cries. Is that why Joey was forcing him to behave like a monster? Because he was one? An Envoy from Hell? One of Satan's sons?
« No no no no no ! » Bendy yells, crying, covering his ears to hear nothing more. « I AM NOT A DEMON! I AM NOT A DEMON! »
« You're lying, Joey! » Boris yells. « Bendy has nothing to do with the Devil! He's just a Toon! »
« Are you kidding? Or are you that stupid? » the former Human annoys. « Where do you think Bendy's powers came from? Yes, there really is a Demon Soul in you, miserable inkblot! » Joey yells.
« That's why you wanted a demonic looking mascot. » Henry understands. « Not to make you stand out from the crowd, but to please this Demon. Except how can Bendy be who he is if he really has a demonic soul? »
« In a rush to serve Satan, I accelerated the process of 'birth' through the matrix screen! » the Human recalls. « The Demon was born but without his memory of why he was there! He had his soul, his powers but no reminder of his past and his mission! »
Bendy freezes, understanding better why his powers were so powerful. And that's why Joey was so hard on him. He really was a Demon …
Joey smiles when he sees Bendy completely disturbed by this revelation.
« At the beginning, I had the plan to take advantage of the turn of the events but my mark on the left shoulder, it was Satan who reminded me that you were his son and that beware of me if I take advantage of you! » he explains then, enlightening Henry on the strange nervous twitching in Joey's left shoulder which had ended up preventing him from drawing. « But still, you were interesting. Your heart was interesting. If only I could get it but I had to study the Toons more to covet it. Suddenly, the experiences followed one another and I had to be sure that Satan would not interfere in my plans! So I hid symbols of Christ in the operating room and got the material I wanted by corrupting Sammy, telling him that once I became the God of Good and Evil, I will grant him his most desire. expensive ! And he believed it, this idiot! And his uncle helped me financially and materially. Everything was linked wonderfully! Everyone obeyed me like puppets and agreed to sacrifice a part of him to help me ... until this stupid wolf stopped me from doing my way! »
Boris begins to tremble, remembering that day very well. The day he lost his heart! His heart which is now in Joey's chest! He understood now. The other stolen hearts were used as drums to make him more powerful but these feelings for Bendy came from the heart of the wolf! And for him to have them, it was because his human heart had been replaced by this Toon heart!
« After that I contented myself with his miserable heart. » Joey says, gently stroking the scar mark on his chest, scar from Boris' heart transplant, and resumes, straightening up. « But I have to admit, he made me see Bendy in a different, more glorious light. And my offer is still open, Bendy! » he exclaims, advancing towards the little Toon who immediately steps back. « If you want, it isn't too late yet. I'll save everyone you care about! In exchange, you will have my love and my heir. »
Bendy freezes and sees red when he mentions an heir. Him, Bendy, having a child with this filthy Human when he had lost his baby through his fault?
The imp clench his fists and teeth, starting to drip profusely ... then he roars, releasing the energy that boils within him. A pentagram of fire immediately takes shape around him and the ink that composed Bendy suddenly comes back on him. And there, to everyone's amazement, the inking mass begins to move and take shape. Joey freezes when he recognizes the form Bendy had managed to take during the SillyVision disaster: a huge demon several meters tall with powerful muscles and sharp claws and fangs!
Henry, Eddie and the Toons watch the scene, dumbfounded. Bendy had increased his height and muscle size tenfold, his face is covered with ink even though his large eyes shining with red highlights are still visible, his teeth have become large and sharp as knives, his large hands are now armed with claws. powerful. He no longer looks like the harmless little imp he is but a real demon!
Joey is both stunned and furious. Bendy had just revealed his true demon appearance! The Human turned demon growls, snapping his fingers, summoning his Inked minions. They come out of the puddles of ink and rush towards Bendy but the imp-turned-demon roars like a wild beast, crushing the inked beings before looking up at his opponent. He growls, furious, and Bendy roars, seeming to prompt Joey to fight, to confront him. As outraged, the former director of SillyVision begins to utter a sort of roar. This time, everyone understood that the real fight was about to begin! They were going to witness the final battle that would saddle the fate of ToonTown!
Bendy walks towards Joey, freeing his paws from the mass of ink that the pentagram has become, revealing massive and powerful legs armed with seemingly thin but also sharp hooves! The two opponents face each other first, growling and roaring as if trying to intimidate the other. Right behind Bendy, Henry and Boris watch the power emanating from the Imp before looking around. Boris then sees Cuphead and Mugman next to Eddie who are watching, speechless. Candice, Aiden, Keffan and their respective parents are equally captivated. A battle of titans is brewing before their eyes!
With a final intimidating roar, Bendy pounces on Joey. The Human-Demon try to strike him with a claw but the Toon avoids him and tries to hit him ... except that Joey manages to block Bendy's hand, leading them into a power fight to try to take the on it and afflict the first blow. They barely remain a few seconds to gauge their strength before Bendy roars and tries to bite Joey on the neck. The movements are so sudden that Boris and Henry are forced to flee to avoid ending up being crushed by the two demons. Pandora, she is so captivated that she doesn't move, attentively following each move of the different opponents. Bendy bites violently Joey who retaliates with a violent claw which pushes aside his opponent who returns to the charge by roaring, claws and fangs forward. Many exchanges of claws follow, destroying poles, walls or sidewalks, showing everyone the power of both fighters ... when Joey takes over! He hits Bendy in the face, forcing the Imp to back away with a growl then, thrusting horns forward, the Demonic 'Bendy' knocks his Toon model off balance who begins to fall heavily. Henry freezes when he sees Pandora right in the path of her brother's fall.
« PANDORA ! SAVE YOURSELF ! » he yells.
The yell seems to bring the imp girl back to earth and she runs away, narrowly avoiding her older brother who crashes with all his weight to the ground, spraying ink everywhere. The Toons all hide to avoid the splash, but they don't leave either. They must know who will win the fight!
Bendy growls and stands up roaring, hitting Joey with his claws, slashing the inked face of the no-longer Human who screams in pain before fighting back. Pandora joins Henry and the others in the shelter before turning back to the fight, distraught for her brother. He seemed to lose the advantage. With a well-placed claw, their mad executioner rocked the star of SillyVision. Not enough to immediately put him on the ground because, despite his imposing size, he kept his balance as a dancer but, putting all his weight into it, the ex-Human manages to put the Toon on the ground with a deafening crash! Joey then violently slams Bendy on the floor with a cruel smile and raises his hooked hand, ready to rip out the heart he has been waiting for!
« BENDY ! » Pandora and Boris yell.
The children scream as they throw themselves into their parents' arms, refusing to see their friend being killed in front of their eyes. Bendy growls and tries to free himself from the grip of Joey who is about to plunge his hand into his chest with a sneer ... when:
« HEY ! » screams a voice which stops dead the monster which stands up to see who dared to interrupt him.
A voice that all ToonTown (to their horror) recognizes. Everyone freezes when they see Cuphead come out of his hiding place and run straight into danger, visibly determined.
« I FORBID YOU TO TOUCH HIM ! » He yells, getting close enough.
Taking the necessary pulse off a crooked pole, Cuphead sets out to shoot Joey who screams when the blasts of magical energy hit him. The Cup-Headed Toon gets to be close enough to jump on Joey's neck and strangle him with a rope which he pulls out of his hammerspace. Joey roars in rage and pain as he tries to shake off the little annoyance ... when Bendy comes back, biting hard on his side. In the crowd, Cuphead finds himself violently jostled and screams while making a glide which risks reducing the cup which serves as his head to pieces! But when he sees himself already dead, a hand grabs him and Cuphead sees his brother smiling at him, his heart beating and shining more pink from contact with his elder brother. The two cup-headed Twins return to the ground and, seeing that the fight starts again, they look at each other then nod their heads. Even though this battle was mostly Bendy's, it was also theirs!
Taking their courage in both hands, the two brothers launch themselves into battle again, shooting Joey who finds himself attacking from all sides but who seems to get stronger and stronger as his rage increases. Bendy pounces on him, hits him violently in buildings (forcing nearby Toons to change hiding places to avoid getting caught in the fight), bites and claws him so much that blood seems to mix with the Monster's ink as the little Toons attack him with blows of magical energy.
Cuphead suddenly jumps onto the former Human's body and tries to shoot him right in the head but Joey makes a sudden body movement that sends the Toon flying through the air. Mugman flies to catch him but his brother slams into him, his hand hitting him squarely in the heart. As they hit the ground, Cuphead gasps as he sees Mugman's soul wince in pain ... and his brother screams (as does Joey taking his chest) before disappearing in a flash of light.
« MUGMAN ! » his brother yells as he feels his heart tighten and cry.
He doesn't know why but there, his brother had just disappeared. And a soul that disappears, it's a dead Toon! All are suffocating, not understanding what may have happened to poor Mugman. Elder Kettle feels his heart tighten too.
« No ... not him too ... » he mumbles, refraining from crying.
Oswald, who is next to him, rests a comforting hand on his shoulder, knowing that Elder Kettle was losing more than a protégé with Mugman. He was losing a real grandson!
Cuphead stands there, staring into the void, shaking, his tears filling his eyes before spilling onto his china.
The fight between the two giants continues fiercely not far from him but all seems to have been muted for the heartbroken Toon. He only hears the beating of his own heart with sometimes Mugman's laughter mixed with his. Clenching his fists, he mutters:
« Mum ... Dad ... Muggy ... »
Then, as if animated by rage, Cuphead raises his head without thinking of wiping away his tears, jumps up and runs towards Joey screaming, his fists glowing under the power of the magic he uses.
« CUPHEAD ! NO ! » Kettle yells.
But too late! The Cup-Headed Toon suddenly leaps up, gaining enough height to almost fly, and sends a powerful charge of energy that falls upon Joey in the form of a huge blue ball. The Monster crumbles to the ground grumbling and, exhausted by the energy he just used, Cuphead loses consciousness and falls ... but Bendy catches him in his large hand before placing him on the ground. Henry, Eddie and Elder Kettle immediately come out of their hiding place to help the little Toon as the Toon-Demon moves into position to protect them when Joey has recovered from the blow. Aiden and his two friends tremble for Cuphead. Was he okay? Henry gently lifts the young cup in his arms and takes his pulse, relieved to feel one.
« He is alive. » Henry sighs, reassuring the old kettle and the detective.
« This boy will eventually make me disappear ... » the grandfather mutters.
« Poor little guy... » Eddie mumbles. « I know what it's like to lose a brother. »
Suddenly, Joey sits up roaring. The loss of one of his precious hearts had weakened him. Why was this heart taken from him? The former Human growls when he sees the unconscious and vulnerable responsible just behind Bendy who remains tall and menacing. But hatred and rage drive him even crazier!
« Miserable! I will show you who the true God is here ! » he roared, doubling his size, thickening his muscles and sharpening his claws before throwing himself at Cuphead in revenge for the affront.
But Bendy blocks him and the fight resumes! Bendy goes up against Joey but the former Headmaster's rage seems to make his life difficult as Boris and Pandora come out of their hiding place and run towards the two giants. This battle was that of SillyVision! It was their battle!
The little one uses her powers inherited from who knows where (since only Bendy seemed to be a true Demon) and the ghost wolf throws himself on the huge mass of ink, growling furiously and bites it until it bleeds. They had to protect the Toons! Joey finds himself harassed again with attacks from all sides and all kinds. For his part, Henry retrieves an energizer from Cuphead's hammerspace and pours it into his cup. The Toon grimaces and, thanks to the power of the drink, he regains color and opens his eyes. The Humans and the old kettle smile at him but shake their heads.
« You're a real crazy man, boy. » Henry laughed.
But Cuphead's face turns dark and he starts to cry silently, lowering his head. Eddie understands because he went through this a long time ago but, even after all his years, the wound was still alive.
« Sorry about your brother, Cuphead. » the detective sighs. « Believe me, I know what it is. »
The cup-headed Toon looks up at him and lets his tears roll down his cheeks. Elder Kettle comes over to hug him and rock the boy like he did when he was little ... when a scream / roar from Bendy startles them.
Joey managed to throw Pandora through a window before landing unconscious near the Toons who were hiding there and deflect Boris by creating more small Inks which throws themself on Boris who must get rid of them before he can reach the former director. But the more he hits them, the more they come back. And with a powerful claw, the Monster hits Bendy who violently bangs his head in a building and breaks electrical wires. The electricity flowing through the Toon-Demon's ink blocks him and makes him moan in pain. Smiling cruelly, Joey leaves him like that, taking advantage of the fact that he's gotten stuck for a little while, and walks up to the Humans and Toons of the MDHR studio. They then flee to escape the monster but he suddenly catches Cuphead who is screaming.
« You are going to pay for having dared to challenge God! » he growls, starting to clench his fist around the little Toon.
The poor man screams in pain and his cup cracks without anyone being able to do anything to help him ... when an energy shot hits Joey who lets go of his prey in shock. Cuphead falls to the ground, a little stunned, ... and suffocates when he sees Mugman running towards them, determined and very much alive!
« What !? » the old Human rages as he recognizes him.
Mugman once again shoots right in his face, making him roar in pain because he has put all his resentment (and therefore quite a conquering power) into it and will quickly help his brother to his feet.
« Muggy? » Cuphead gasps.
« Thanks for hitting my heart. » the younger Twin smiles. « This is how I was able to return to my body with my heart. »
His eldest is frozen in place, having difficulty believing that he isn't dreaming ... but their enemy's growl prevents them from making a further reunion.
With his half-destroyed face, Joey stands up, glaring at the two Toons.
« So like that, I had what I was looking for from the start… » he growls, his jaw starting to want to come apart and his right foot limping more than usual. « You two are Born-Toons! »
Indeed, Cuphead and Mugman were Toons-born! They were even the first Toons-born in the history of ToonTown! Their powers came from the energizers that the adults had made them drink to allow them to survive the disappearance of their parents, their father shortly after the onset of pregnancy, their mother just after giving them life and a name. Fortunately, not many people were aware that those young Toons who popped up from time to time in Elder Kettle episodes (as curious little neighbors and then as his grandchildren) were Born-Toons. It was this ignorance that had prevented Joey from using Mugman's power as he had wanted to do with Felix's kitten hearts!
« Did you think we were going to shout it out loud to you? » Cuphead rages as Mugman notices Boris and the souls rushing towards Bendy to free him from the poles and wires. « You want to take our heart away, you old fool! »
With a quiet sign, the younger boy lets the older boy know that they need to distract Joey's attention while they perform the rescue. They then start shooting him, wanting to make him believe that they were going to continue the fight alone. The Monster roars at the projectiles and tries to stop them... but Cuphead is the specialist in irritants.
« Do you know what I'm seeing? A poor guy playing around with something he can't handle! Satan or not, Toons are unpredictable! Wasn't that Doom's slogan? Even Born-Toons and Tunmans don't always understand what they're doing! You are a real leftover for having started in there! A nutjob ! »
« SHUT UP, INSOLENT ! » Joey rages as he smashes a building, forcing the Toons present to flee. « I'm no longer a mere mortal like you! I have the Power! Immortality! I am no longer a Human! I AM AN IMMORTAL ! I WILL DESTROY SATAN AND GOD ! I WILL BE THE ONLY LORD TO WORSHIP ! JOEY DREW, THE ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN ! »
With a laugh worthy of the greatest psychopaths, they sweep the two Toon-born who fall to the ground, raising their sharp claws to take their hearts ... when a roar rings out behind him. But before he even has time to understand, he feels a sharp pain when Bendy thrusts his arm violently behind his back. The Devilish Imp growls as Joey seems to be struggling to escape before shooting with a sudden movement towards him! This gesture makes the Monster scream in pain, causing it to convulse brutally, releasing considerable energy, and in a flash that blinds all ToonTown, it gives a final howl as it explodes, causing a violent shock wave that knocks the Toons down and erases the Inkers!
The Toons and Humans find themselves blinded for a few minutes before meeting again. Everyone freezes when they see that the two giants have disappeared, that the clouds move aside and that the sun dares to reappear in the sky of ToonTown. Everyone suffocates when they understand: everything is over!
They had won!
ToonTown is saved!
Suddenly, hundreds of points of light begin to appear and fall like rain: the hearts! Everyone suffocates when they see the hearts turned to souls and falling into their hands, making them shine ... and they disappear but the Toons don't panic because, one by one, all the missing leave the passage of the ACME Factory, very much alive. Some start screaming with joy by jumping, dancing, singing, in short demonstrating their joy ... but the children (Aiden, Keffan and Candice) come out of their hiding place and run in the streets in search of their friend.
« BENDY! BENDY ! » they call, running and searching everywhere before running to join those who were at the heart of the battle.
They are all there, also looking for him in the rubble. Boris, still in his soul form, panics as he searches for his imp. The children join in the search, calling Bendy as they try to clear the rubble. Their cries interrupt the start of the festivities and, one by one, each Toon begins to search. After all, it was their hero who was missing.
Along with Boris, Cuphead is undoubtedly one of the fiercest. Even though he knows Bendy will never love him the way he loves him, he can't bring himself to leave him. It was as if his heart was telling him that Bendy was the basis of his future happiness so he searches, hoping to find the one he loves. He is moving rubble when his foot steps in a slimy puddle: ink! The little Toon freezes then quickly clears the debris ... when he sees an inert gloved hand.
« HE'S THERE ! BENDY IS HERE ! » he yells, pulling everyone towards him.
Boris, Pandora and Mugman join him and begin to clear what covers the little inked Toon. Everyone holds their breath, waiting for news of their little hero.
Finally, the last stone is removed and everyone suffocates. Bendy is there and hugs something against him but he doesn't move. Truth be told, there is no evidence that he is alive. Children cannot hold back their tears, and their parents are forced to comfort them even though they are also sad. Pandora shivers before bursting into tears as she jumps into Henry's arms.
« Bendy ... » Boris gasps as he approaches.
Trembling, he puts his hand on his lover's head but gets no reaction. Holding back tears, he pulls the imp towards him ... and what he's holding falls to the ground.
« Oh my god ... » Ortensia gasps when she sees what it is.
The heart of Boris! Bendy had snatched it away from Joey, which killed that Monster. He had kept his promise: he had recovered the heart of the one he loved! Boris was going to be able to find his body ... but what interest if the one he loved was no longer there to live with him?
The wolf tenderly hugs his imp, refraining from crying, saddening all the Toons who no longer feel the festive mood. How could anyone savor a victory when the one who saved them all didn't survive? Especially since their Savior was one of them whom they had rejected and hunted like a monster when he was only a victim. Cuphead (who has always shown himself to be the strongest of the Twins) bursts into tears in the arms of his brother who hugs him tenderly, knowing that his elder had feelings for their Savior.
While all are silent out of respect, leaving only the sound of sobs, the relatives of little Toon cry ... when Boris freezes! He then puts his ear on Bendy's chest, intriguing all the Toons, remains pensive for a few moments then he smiles. He gasps for a few moments then ...
« He's alive ... » he breathes, letting tears of joy run down his cheeks before screaming. « HE IS ALIVE ! »
Immediately, all the Toons start screaming with joy, the children clap and jump for joy and Pandora pulls Cuphead and Mugman into a dance as Boris hugs his imp against him. He was simply exhausted from his transformation. Henry and Eddie gaze at the cartoon characters celebrating the SillyVision victory before looking at each other, amused and relieved. The happy, colorful little world they know had overcome this crisis that nearly destroyed them. They had won! The only thing left to do was make sure Bendy regained consciousness soon.
HERE IS! :D Bendy has finally defeated Joey ! But will he get over it?
This story is coming to an end and the epilogue won't be far behind as this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you still like this story.
Oh! first of all, some explanations:
For Bugs and Daffy, they aren't officially a couple (for the moment) but our Looney rabbit doesn't deceive Lola! She doesn't yet exist. She only appeared in Space Jam around 1998.
For Coyote and Sam, let's say that the subject ''children'' is a sensitive subject. Sam would love to have little ones of his own and (as he is the most male in their relationship) Coyote would surely be the one who would make the ''mother''... but Coyote is a scientist! He puts his work first and foremost and as long as he has research in Toonology, he doesn't think about children. And pregnant Coyote ... it's hard to imagine XD
Here it is :) Don't forget to leave a little comment and watch the epilogue well. It will arrive soon ;)