AN: For Christmas, I gave you hope... and now you'll know why it was the evilest gift I could have given you.

Into The Liar's Den

True to their word, Henry and Bendy didn't leave the Connor's house until night had fallen. They spent their time waiting to get something to eat, resting some more, and discussing various strategies for what they might encounter. Henry also kept an eye on Bendy, watching for any signs that the effects of his golden ink were wearing off. But to both of their reliefs, Bendy didn't feel even a hint of Joey's magic trying to take over. That didn't things couldn't change once they were at Joey's residence as neither of them doubted his magic would be a lot stronger there, but for now, it wasn't a concern.

Finally, the sun went down, signaling Henry and Bendy's time to depart. They went outside and Bendy transformed into his Ink Devil form. Bendy easily picked Henry up and they began flying towards Joey's house. They had debated whether or not Bendy should use the demon's ink portals to get there faster and make a more sudden arrival, but they decided against it. While all the Ink Creatures being there was more than enough for Bendy to have an anchor to link to and create a stable portal even across such a great distance, Bendy would have very little idea about what awaited them on the other side. And with Joey knowing about the ability, having given it to Bendy in the first place, it would be all to easy for the man to set a trap for just that instance. It wasn't worth the risk.

So Bendy and Henry flew through the air, using the cover of night to remain unnoticed by any ordinary citizen they passed. It was a lot longer than the flight to the Connor's and Henry found himself getting cold from the wind. There was nothing he could do about it so he just held onto Bendy tighter and wish he had thought to bring a sweater. Bendy, on the other hand, found that he was actually starting to feel the strain of flying. He had never flown this far in a single stretch on his own let alone with a passenger. He would never admit it, but he was relieved to finally touch down a distance from Joey's home.

"You ready," Henry asked as he was put down to stand on his own to feet. Bendy didn't feel ready to face the Liar and the others under his control, but he wasn't going to let Henry go alone. With a grim determination, Bendy gave Henry a nod.

The two began to slowly make there way through the trees towards Joey's house, keeping an eye out for any Ink Creatures that might be roaming on patrol. As they got closer, Bendy should start making out the souls individually. He glanced over them, taking making count when his gaze landed on a soul that could only be Joey's. The moment the Ink Devil locked eyes on it, he let out a predatory growl, his wings flaring and tail lashing behind him as he crouched down and held his claws at the ready.

"Bendy? Are you alright?" Henry asked, immediately stepping in front of the Ink Devil in an attempt to prevent him from running off. "Is it Joey's spell? Do you need to stay back?"

"It's not that…" Bendy hissed, looking down at Henry though he kept glancing at the Liar's soul. "It's his soul… it calls to me… demanding I devour it…"

It was hard for Bendy to describe what he was feeling to Henry, especially as his instincts seemed to be at war within himself. On the one hand, he had his more demonic side. The side that saw the Liar's vile soul, a consuming black with only the barest hints of red, and demanded he consumes it. To rid the world of such a terrible being. On the other hand, there was his toon side. The side that had suffered decades under the Liar's cruel hand. He was angry at the Liar for what he had suffered, but he was mostly afraid. He had nearly fallen under the Liar's control again and he was afraid it could still happen. He was afraid of what terrible things he would suffer. But above both sides refused to leave Henry, his Creator, and his dad.

"Are you going to be alright to move forward with the plan?" Henry continued calmly, though he remained firmly in Bendy's way. Bendy closed his eyes and took a deep breath to help him steady his raging instincts. Once he was calmer, he opened his eyes and gave Henry a nod before returning to surveying the souls.

"Norman and the Butcher Gang are patrolling the grounds," Bendy reported as he picked out the individual souls. "Sammy and Alice are guarding the entrances with Boris roaming around the house. Allison, Tom, and Linda are in the same room as the Liar."

"Sounds like he's using Allison and Tom as his personal guards," Henry concluded. "We're going to have to draw them away so we can get Linda safely away. You said Boris is wandering between the rooms, do you think you can time it so that you could open an ink portal in a temporarily empty room?"

Bendy watched a bit longer, keeping track of how long Boris was in each room and how long each room is empty. Once he had that information, he told Henry, "It'll be close but I can get us inside without being noticed, The only thing is it won't take long for someone to find us."

"That's fine with what I have in mind," Henry assured as he thought over everything. "We know I'm the one Joey's after, so we can use that. You drop me off in an empty room and I'll get Joey's attention. While he and the others are distracted by me, you can grab Linda and get her to safety. Once you do that, I'll try and hold everyone off long enough for you to come back and get me."

"I don't like this plan…" Bendy couldn't help but hiss. It wasn't the worst plan considering the circumstances, but it still put Henry in a far more dangerous situation than the Ink Demon cared for.

"I know you're worried," Henry replied, gently patting Bendy. "But It's the best plan we have. Once Linda's safe, we can start grabbing the others and freeing them. This may be our only chance and we have to take it."

Bendy growled in frustration but agreed. Holding Henry close, Bendy watched Boris wander and timed his ink portal to open just as Boris was leaving a room. Bendy pulled Henry through as soon as the portal was fully opened and the quietly stepped into the Liar's living room. Bendy was about to return through the portal, but his instincts stopped him.

The Liar's whole house seemed to be spilling over with demonic magic, but this room, in particular, seemed especially malicious. Bendy couldn't help but put an arm in front of Henry to prevent his Creator from moving farther into the room as he looked around. Henry gave Bendy a questioning look that Bendy didn't know how to answer. Instead, he just tried to figure out what his instincts were trying to tell him. As Bendy took a closer look at everything, he subconsciously took a step forward. Unfortunately, his foot just crossed the edge of a hidden ritual circle that flared to life.