The Big Picture
"What did you say?" Henry asked slowly, hoping he had somehow misheard Joey.
"I think it's time we rebuilt the Ink Machine," Joey repeated, grinning as broadly as ever. Even after hearing it again, Henry still couldn't believe Joey would even suggest such a thing. Henry might not have been there when the machine had first been installed but had spent years trapped in the aftermath. All that pain and disappear where even death didn't release one from their suffering. And Joey wanted to rebuild the blasting thing that had helped cause all that?
"What do you even want the Ink Machine for?" Henry asked, dreading the answer. Wasn't it enough that Joey had forced Henry to turn his family into his perfect toons? What more could he possibly hope to gain by having the Ink Machine rebuilt?
"Just take a look around," Joey said with a proud flourish, gesturing specifically to the humans turned toons. Henry glanced at but adverted his gaze quickly. In many ways, Henry felt what he did to them was worse than what he helped do to his toons. They hadn't come out of the studio fully human, but they had all done their best to hold onto the remnants they had with Henry helping as best he could to give a form that represented more human when he could. They had adjusted and learned to cope with changes and had been happy. But now all that had been stripped away, there forms forced into a rubber skin of a toon. Norman was the hardest for Henry as there been many days where he had wished that he could have helped the Projectionist look more human. But now he did and it was just a cruel imitation of the man he once was.
The humans didn't have prepared personalities like the original toons, so they had been forced to adopt simpler and exaggerated ones based on their original ones. They were more robotic than the toons, though not nearly as lifeless as Bendy. Joey had been so proud of how each one turned out, but Henry still didn't understand what they had to do with rebuilding the Ink Machine.
"Just look at them all," Joey said as he looked at them, his eyes gleaming with an emotion Henry couldn't identify. "They are perfect… free from all the burdens of humanity. They can bounce back from every injury, they'll never get sick, and they will never age. They are immortal and now look at us…"
Joey turned back to Henry, tapping his wheelchair as he continued. "We are getting old… our bodies no longer as strong or as energetic as they once were. It won't be long before we pass from this world for good. But with the Ink Machine, we can change that! We'll be able to live forever and never have to worry about such a terrible fate."
"Just when I think you can't get any more insane… you go and say something like this…" Henry said, stunned disbelief rapidly turning to anger. "You can't be serious! You murdered so many people, stole their souls and force them to suffers in forms made of ink. You stripped away their humanity and their freedom and acting like you've given them a gift. Do you want to be immortal? No… you want to be a god! Once you have the Ink Machine and have turned yourself into a toon you still won't be satisfied. You've shown just how far you're willing to go and I know you won't stop. You'll start getting more people and turning them into toons, claiming you're making a better world. Well, I want nothing to do with it! I won't help you!"
"You don't have much of a choice or have you forgotten that have no problem ordering Linda's death," Joey smiled cruelly, making Henry pale. But he couldn't do it, he couldn't doom the world and was about to say as much when Joey cut him off saying "But I don't need your help quite yet so you'll have plenty of time change your mind once the machine had been rebuilt. You'll make the right choice if you know what's good for you and Linda… In the meantime…"
Joey gestured to Tom and the toon man walked over. Joey drew a ritual circle on a piece of paper and placed it against Tom's chest, chanting a spell. The circle began to glow and disappeared completely once Joey finished, appearing to have melted through the page and into Tom. As soon as the spell was complete, the toon man's eyes closed and he slumped onto the floor.
"What did you do to him?" Henry demanded as he hurried over, kneeling by Tom's side to check him over.
"I released my hold on his mind," Joey replied, much to Henry's surprise. "I need him to have his full capabilities so he can rebuild the Ink Machine. Don't worry, he'll be waking up in a few minutes."
"He's not going to help you rebuild the machine or help with your crazy plans," Henry glared, keeping himself between Tom and Joey. "He's regretted ever creating that thing in the first place and won't be persuaded otherwise."
"Henry… Henry… Henry…" Joey shook his head as if Henry was a child throwing a tantrum. "You seem to forget I hold all the cards in this little game of ours. And just like I've been able to get what I want from you, I have what Tom holds most dear."
Allison, as if summoned by Joey's words, came to stand by his side as he said "I'm sure Tom will be most willing to help fulfill my glorious vision, especially if it means keeping his precious angel safe."
Henry could only glare, knowing that Joey was right. Tom would never do anything to risk Allison, just like Henry couldn't risk Linda. They were both going to be forced to Joey's bidding, possibly dooming the world in the process. Henry felt so helpless as Tom began to stir…
