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Miraculous Adventure in Joey Drew Studio.
Chapter 4 pt 2: Colossal Wonders of the Shadow's Darkness.
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Team Psi was paralyzed in both fear and shock as the door opened completely. Because inside the spacious room was a hoard of Ink People, Lost Ones, huddled together. They glanced up at Team Psi when they realized that others have entered the room, but they didn't move from their spots.
Adrien gulped before he gave an awkward wave and said in an equally awkward tone, "Um, uh, hi." When there was no response from any of the Lost Ones, Adrien timidly lowered his waving hand and looked at the rest of the team.
"Um, we're not looking for trouble and we're not here to hurt anyone," Marinette said as she raised her hands, showing that she wasn't holding anything that could be deemed a weapon. She motioned the others to do the same, so they did, showing that they weren't going to harm anyone. The bluette then said calmly, "In fact, we're more interested in saving you all and we're hoping that you could help us with shutting down the Ink Machine so everyone can go home."
There was no response from any of the Lost Ones. They only stared at Team Psi.
Team Psi lowered their arms as they glanced at each other, wondering if these Lost Ones could speak or not.
Markov was the one to asks, "Are you able to use any form of communication so that we may understand you?" Again, no response from the Lost Ones. "They all appear so sad," Markov noted when he turned his attention back to his teammates.
That was when Norman said, "Maybe they are like I was before bein' purified. But I don't think you should try that on this many at once, plus I don't think you have anything from them to help guide that purification." Boris couldn't help but nod at that statement. The rest of Team Psi reluctantly agreed on that.
They couldn't help these Lost Ones if they couldn't give the information. They weren't Akumatized beings, so they couldn't use the usual Purification and they couldn't do the one they did with Norman because they had nothing that belonged to any of the Lost Ones, there was also the issue of how draining that particular process was.
So Team Psi slowly made their way into the room. They noticed graffiti written in ink on the walls that read "No Angels" twice, "He Will Set Us Free" also twice, and "It's Time to Believe". Did the Lost Ones write those? Or did someone else? Though it wasn't hard for Team Psi to guess why someone wrote: "No Angels" on the walls. As they made their way past all the Lost Ones, they couldn't help but be a little unnerved by how quiet they all were as they stared at them. The Kwamis ended up hiding in their usual spots because even they were unnerved by all the staring, and they're still used to being hidden in public. They saw their next path in the form of a ventilation shaft that looked big enough for an adult man to crawl through.
"Creator?"
Everyone from Team Psi froze in place from the sudden voice. When they turned to the voice, they saw one of the Lost Ones move slowly towards them when asking, "Creator?" No one on Team Psi knew how to react to the question. Wait, was that a question?
That Lost One came closer to get a better look before saying, "Yes! You're the True Creator!"
Everyone from Team Psi took a step away from the Lost One, all were more than a little confused by what the Lost One was saying. 'True Creator? What's that supposed to mean?' they thought at the same time, starting to get a little more unnerving.
That was what seemed to goad the other Lost Ones to finally act. The other Lost Ones started moving closer and closer to Team Psi, easily surrounding the group. All were muttering the same word, "Creator!"
This was bad! Only Norman had the capability to fight without a weapon, but there was no way he could handle this many opponents at once especially alone. While the teens had basic hand-to-hand combat skills, those were more for fighting afflicted Akuma abilities, not people, or Lost Ones in this case. This felt more overwhelming than the Zombizou incident!
"Creator!" One of the Lost Ones said as they placed a hand on Max's right arm.
"Huh?!" was the reaction of all of Team Psi.
"Creator, you can free us!" The Lost One said, completely focused on Max.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let's stop all this for a bit!" Marinette exclaimed as she waved her hands around the Lost Ones, more to get them to take a few steps back to give them some breathing room. The bluette clapped her hands together and said in a slow calm manner, "Let's talk about this, slowly, so there aren't any misunderstandings. Okay?" The Lost Ones glanced at each other before they all nodded slowly. Marinette nodded with a small smile when she asked, "Good. Now first, why do you think that Max is this "Creator" character?"
The Lost Ones glanced at each other, some seemed confused and some seemed concerned.
That was when Adrien said, "Listen, we've already made plans to save everyone trapped inside this place. And we would really appreciate it if you could co-operate with us on that."
Kim noticed how the Lost Ones were acting before he said, "How about we introduce ourselves first before we start on the questions. *Points at himself*. I'm Kim."
Catching onto what the tall teen was implying, the bluette introduced herself as Marinette. The blonde introduced himself before pointing at the cartoon wolf and introducing him as Boris. The AI introduced himself as Markov. Norman calmly introduced himself, doing his best to not make too many sudden movements. Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "And I'm Max. Um, so can to please explain why you think I'm this "True Creator" person?"
The Lost Ones looked at each other yet again, but this time they moved towards the wall that had the graffiti "HE WILL SET US FREE" and "It's TIME to BELIEVE". Team Psi glanced at each other at this, a little confused as to how the Lost Ones were going to answer the question. Once one of the Lost Ones stood in front of the wall, they pressed a hand on the section of the wall. The place where the hand was seemed to press into the wall without any problem. Soon, a section on the wall started moving to the side and opening a secret passageway (1).
"What the heck is this?" Kim asked as the Lost Ones motioned for Team Psi to follow them into the passageway. They cautiously followed the ink people into the hidden way.
"Whoa," half of Team Psi vocalized as they looked around the room inside. It looked like a shrine dedicated to the other co-owner of Joey Drew Studio, Henry. Some newspaper clips mentioned Henry, sketches that were signed by Henry, and a few film reels and a few Audio Logs to be played with the reels that had some handwritten labels.
"Wait a second..." Norman said as he looked over the reels, the writing labels especially. The projectionist then said in realization, "This is my handwriting... I wrote these... I... I made these... Recorded these... Back when..." He looked at the projector with one of the reels in hand when he added, "Henry... Was here..." That was when a memory came back to Norman. His head/projector slowly turned towards Team Psi. "It can't be..." Norman got out as he looked specifically at Max. He then said, "Max... You... You look just like Henry."
"What?" the rest of Team Psi got out (Boris didn't say, but he had the look that corresponds with the emotion).
"Wait! What do you mean by that?" Markov asked in complete confusion. Kim had this "Wut?" look on his face like he wasn't sure what he heard.
That was when Marinette asked, "Are you sure your memory is right?"
Norman nodded when he said, "Yeah, I'm sure." He then looked back at the reel in his hand when he added, "And we've got the proof right here."
"Do you know how to put that in the device?" One of the Lost Ones asked as they pointed at the projector. It seems like some of the Lost Ones didn't know what a projector was or knew how it worked.
"I'm a Projectionist, of course, I know how to work a projector," Norman said as he started getting the projector ready to use, and added, "Just give me a minute to set it up." Then he got to work setting everything up.
That was when some of the members of Team Psi decided to ask some of the Lost Ones how they knew what was on some of the reels if they couldn't play them on the projector. The answer was surprisingly simple, none of the Lost Ones knew how to operate a projector and they looked at the film reel under like to look at the frames.
During this Max was looking over the sketches, one in particular caught his attention. It was a headshot of Bendy, but this image of the little devil cartoon character had a different smile. The smile was smaller and less creepy, made Bendy look cuter. 'Huh? Why does this image of Bendy feel so familiar?' Max thought before he looked at the other sketches that Henry signed. All the drawings... Were just so familiar to Max... But he was sure he was viewing all of these images for the first time... So why? ... Why did it feel like he's seen them before?
"... axe...Ma... Max!" someone called, snapping Max out of his thoughts. The techie turned to see who was calling him, only to realize that the rest of Team Psi was staring at him in concern again.
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand before he said, "Sorry, but..." He looks at the sketches and adds, "These drawings... I think... I've seen them before... Outside the studio..."
"You have?" Adrien asked in a confused tone before he looked at the sketches. He raised a brow when he said, "These sketches look different from the finished project. I mean, Bendy looks cuter in these."
That was when Marinette said, "I know sometimes when I sketch out a design I change a few things before they end up as the finished project. You also see this in character concept art in the behind-the-scenes in cartoons and animated projects. *Looks at the sketches*. But these don't look that different from what we saw in the Bendy Cartoons, to be honest. Bendy's smile is just the most obvious one of them all." She then taps the paper slightly before saying, "But in all honesty, I like this Bendy's design more than the final project, he feels more believable with a smaller smile."
Markov, Kim, and Boris looked at the sketch when the taller teen said, "Yeah, he does look better with a smaller smile... So why'd they change that?"
"That was Joey's doing," Norman said as he fastened the last part of the projector into place. He then said as he looked at the rest of Team Psi, "He didn't think people would like a cute lookin' devil, so he changed the smile on Bendy despite the protest from Henry and the others."
"Should we even be surprised about Mr Drew's lack of care of others opinions by this point?" Markov stated in an almost deadpin tone.
Marinette sighed before she said, "By this point, it's starting to become common sense." Team Psi agreed on that.
Now that the projector was ready, Norman called the Team and some of the Lost Ones to gather around to watch after he moved the projector back a bit. As everyone took a seat on the ground (the Kwamis carefully peaked out of their usual hiding spots to watch the film), Norman placed the Audio Log that corresponded with the reel he set up on the table next to where he moved the projector. "Everyone ready? If so, can you all hold you're questions until the end of the reel." the Projectionist asked when he got the Yes responses from everyone in the hidden room, he started the projector. The moment the light hit the bare adjacent wall, the past revealed itself in...
3.
2.
1.
Norman pressed the play button on the Audio Log, to sync the voices of the Log with the images of the black-&-white reel.
Marinette, Adrien, Kim, Markov, Boris, and especially Max couldn't help but gasp at the man who appeared on the film... The Man... Henry... Looked just like Max, only a decade or so older. Henry appeared to be drawing at an artist desk when he looked up, that was when the voices from the Audio Log started to play in time with the film.
"*Behind the camera* Norman Polk's voice: Hey Henry, what are you drawin' this time?
*Henry looked up and smiled at the camera*. Henry's voice: Hello Norman. Just drawing a new character I've come up with. *Looks down at the paper with an image of the small smiled Bendy waving at the two men*. What do you think, Norman?
Norman Polk's voice: Hmm, a little cutesy, but I think it'll work for kids. What made you come up with the idea of makin' him a devil?
*Henry looks at the camera/Norman Polk*. Henry's voice: It was a joke from one of Linda's friends. She has this mischievous little toddler that she just loves to call her "Little Devil Darling". I'm sure he'll grow out of it, but I remembered that from thinking of a certain someone.
Norman Polk's voice: *Chuckles* Did you just refer to Joey as a Devil?
Henry's Voice: *Gives a snicker* You said it, not me. *folds arms*.
Norman Polk's voice: *Laughs*. So, whatcha going to name that little devil on the paper?
*Henry looks at the drawing and thinks for a bit*. Henry's voice: Hm, how about... Bendy. Bendy the Dancing Demon.
Norman Polk's voice: Hm, not a bad name for the little fella."
With that, both the reel and the Audio Log came to an end with a click. The projector was still throwing its light on the wall, at least until Norman turned it off (2).
"Mr Henry really..." Max got out in shock before he nearly stuttered out, "H-he looks! How?"
Markov placed his claw on Max's shoulder when he said, "I concur, while the obvious age difference between the Henry from the film and you are apparent, I can't help but... Understand the Lost Ones' confusion between you and Mr Henry."
"Wow, just... Just... Wow," was all Adrien could get out.
Marinette couldn't help but add, "This explains so much." When Kim asked how so, the bluette explained, "Remember what Ali-, er, Ms Campbell told us when we were in the lift? How she went on about her times in the studio? I said that was weird that she was bringing it up out of nowhere, but maybe to her, it wasn't if she thought she was talking to someone who used to work here. Like she wanted to let them know how she felt during that time." It confused Team Psi for a bit because Marinette didn't say Alice Angel, but then they remembered that "No Angels" was written on the walls. Those had to have been written for a reason. Plus she technically wasn't wrong about who told them.
Adrien thought about that for a bit before he said, "Come to think of it, you're right. It happened to me a while ago when I ran into another model I haven't worked within a few months. I mean, my interaction with that model wasn't as one-sided as Ms Campbell's "interaction" but know that I think about it, it was similar."
That was when Kim realized, "And when she told us to "say hi to an old friend of yours" before she sent us to Level 14, where we met Norman. She must've either been told or found out that he and Henry were friends back when they both worked here. And if she thought that Max was Henry, then that comment she made makes sense now."
That was when Norman said, "And her little line about knowin' who Henry was when she dropped us makes sense too, sort of." Team Psi easily flinched at that memory.
Max's eyes widened a bit when he said, "Not to mention what Mr Lawrance said before he tried to sacrifice us to the Ink Demon."
"Wait? Sammy did What?!" Norman shouted in shock and anger. He did scare some of the Lost Ones that were nearby.
That was when the teens, Boris, and AI, realized that they never told the Projectionist about their run-in with Sammy Lawrance. ... ... ... Somehow... It felt like that conversation was going to be bad...
As expected, after the teens explained to Norman what happened, he was going to hunt down Sammy Lawrance and give him a piece of his mind for trying to sacrifice a bunch of kids to a demon. At least until he was told that the Ink Demon got to him first. While it stopped Norman from leaving, it didn't stop him from being pissed at Mr Lawrance for his deeds. "What the hell was Sammy thinkin'?!" Norman griped in anger.
That was when Markov stated, "Um, we believe that he wasn't in his right mind when he did those things... And to be fair, before you were Purified, you weren't exactly in your right mind either. We've been theorizing that the Ink might have something to do with it."
Norman let out a heavy sigh as he rubbed the lends of his projector head and then said, "I'll admit to that, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't aware of what I was doin'... I think... *Sigh* Damn, I don't remember anythin' during that time... Did I... Also, hurt others too?"
Marinette placed a hand on Norman's arm when she said, "Maybe, but... If you're feeling bad about it even if it didn't happen, then... You really do deserve a chance to make up for it." She smiled at him when she said, "You can do that by helping us shut down the Ink Machine and save everyone trapped here."
Norman placed a hand on Marinette's hand when he said, "Thanks, I needed that."
"Um..." one of the Lost Ones said, getting Team Psi's attention. To be honest, they almost forgot about them during the whole "discovery"... "Did the Creator help his mind return?" one of the Lost Ones asked.
Team Psi looked at each other before Marinette said with a small sigh, "It's... complicated as to how that happened... But Max isn't Henry. This reel *points at the projector* was made over 60 years ago, and we came here over a week ago. None of us are older than 16, so none of us were ever here when this studio was open." She was trying to explain this without telling them about the Kwamis and Miraculous since there were already too many people who knew already (and they would like to keep the number as small as possible).
That was when Kim said, "But we're still going to try to save anyone regardless." It was more to coax the Lost Ones into giving them some more information.
Max sighed before he said, "I'll admit the resemblance is rather... Striking... But *Looks at the Lost Ones* I do look younger than Herny did in that reel. Therefore, I cannot be Henry." He was more trying to instil some logic to the Lost Ones.
"You were reincarnated, just like we were from the Ink," one of the Lost Ones said. Another then said, "The True Creator's soul has returned to free us."
Max sighed as he rubbed his temples. Team Psi was going nowhere fast with this. "This... Is just a lot to take in..." Max said as he leaned on one of the nearby desks.
Adrien couldn't help but say, "Well... Yeah, we do seem to be finding out a lot in a short period of time... With most still being mysteries... And this "True Creator" thing is kinda... Well... It seems like this is the cherry on the cake... Or the frosting... Either or, it's pretty unbelievable."
"Max, you sure you're okay?" Kim asked the shorter teen when he walked over to him.
Max looked up at his friend when he said, "Yes, I'm just... A little overwhelmed by all this... That's all..."
Kim leaned against the desk when he said, "I don't blame you, to be honest."
The sound of wood cracking suddenly echoed through the room. Max quickly grabbed Kim by the arm and pulled him away from the desk they were leaning on, just in time. The desk promptly collapsed with a wooden crash, and causing everything on top or inside to scatter about.
Kim rubbed the back of his neck when he said, "Yikes, that would've hurt if we were still leaning against that."
Max nodded in agreement when he said, "Correct, though considering that it's over 60 years old, I'm surprised that it didn't break sooner."
"Let's just be thankful that no one was hurt," Marinette said before she noticed a picture frame that landed near her foot. "What's this?" she asked as she picked the object up and looked at the picture inside the frame. It appeared to be a black-&-white image of Henry sitting next to a woman, both smiling, as they held hands with the arms that weren't touching each other. The woman in the picture seemed to look familiar to Marinette for some reason. The bluette then said, "This must've been the picture that Mr Henry kept on his work desk when he was here. The woman in this might be Linda."
Adrien looked over Marinette's shoulder when he asked, "How'd you figure?"
Marinette shrugged before she said, "Well, she can't be his mom, or he would've referred to her as such, plus she would've been much older than him in this. But judging by how they're holding hands, I'm pretty sure they're a couple. Though, I am guessing if this woman is Linda or not. More because Linda could be his sister or a close relative. But considering how Henry mentioned not seeing Linda for days, or even mentioned her at all, must mean that she's special to Henry." She stared at the woman in the picture before she added, "Strange that it feels like I know her from somewhere though..."
Adrien looked at the picture before he said, "You're right, she does look a bit familiar... But why?" Adrien looked at Marinette when he said, "She would've been an elder if we meet her on the street today if she's still alive, and both of us are finding her familiar right away. I don't think that would've happened if we only saw her on the streets in passing."
Markov looked over the heroes' shoulders to look at the picture. He scanned and analyzed it before running a facial recognition program against people he knows. The AI let out a ding when he said, "Curious, this Linda person has a 71.5846% facial match to Mrs Kanté... Wait a minute..."
"Huh?" both Marinette and Adrien vocalized when they heard that.
Suddenly, Max snatched the picture frame out of Marinette's hands. He had to see this for himself. Kim looked over the shorter teen's shoulder to look too. When the taller teen did, he couldn't help but say, "Markov's right, she does look a bit like your mom, Max. Wait a minute..."
Max shoved the frame into Kim's hands before he quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly scrolled through his pictures as fast as he could with his thumb. A look of shock was plastered on his face the entire time.
"Uh, Max? You okay?" Norman asked, more than a little concern about the dark-skinned teen's actions. Boris looked just as concerned as the rest of the team.
After a solid minute, Max finally did something other than scrolling when he said, "Found it!"
Kim looked over Max's shoulder to see what the other found. When he saw, his eyes widen before he started looking back and forth between the framed picture and the image on the phone in shock. "Max... Mind explaining this, because I'm more than confused right now," Kim finally said as he rubbed his head in confusion.
"You mind filling the rest of us in on this too?" Adrien asked, not sure how to read the situation between Kim and Max.
Max motioned for Kim to show the others the framed picture as he showed them the image on his phone. When they did, the rest of Team Psi's eyes widen in shock. The image on Max's phone was identical to the framed black-&-white picture in Kim's hands, the only difference was that the image was in colour and the couple were at least 50 years older. Before anyone could ask any questions, Max said, "The picture on my phone right now is an anniversary photo of my grandparents for their 50 years of marriage. I called then Grandpa Ri and Grandma Lin."
"Wait?" Marinette vocalized before she looked at Max and asked, "Your grandparents?"
That was when Adrien said, "But they look just like Henry and Linda, but older... Wait a minute."
"Dude!" Kim said as he contorted his head to see both the framed photo and the image at the same time. He then said, "No wonder Henry's voice sounded familiar to you! He's your grandfather! But..." Looks at Max and asked, "Why didn't you recognize his voice right away?"
Max turned the screen of his phone to himself when he said, "I might've subconsciously, hence why I thought my mom would know if we knew a Henry better. And as to why I didn't connect Henry to being my Grampa Ri right away was..." A sad look appeared on Max's face as he looked at the image of his grandparents on the phone as he gently rubbed the side of the device with his thumb. Max took a deep breath before he said, "I haven't heard his voice in close to five years... I have some home movies of my grandparents but... It... Still hurts too much to watch them..."
Norman took a step forward when he asked, "Wait, do you mean that Henry is..."
"His heart just stopped beating one day..." Max said as tears started gathering in the corners of his eyes. He continued with, "He... Told me to keep the volume down on the tv so he could take a nap... Then we were going to the Science Museum with Mom and Grandma Lin to see the robotics exhibition when he woke up at 17:00... When the time came, Grandpa Ri didn't wake up... I got worried because Grandpa Ri always kept his promises, so I went to get Mom..." Tears fell down Max's cheeks when he said, "She couldn't wake him up either. I remember the paramedics came to check on Grandpa Ri... I remember them shaking their heads, and Mom and Grandma Lin started crying... I... I didn't understand what was going on... I just asked if Grandpa Ri was sick... And I said that we can wait until Grandpa Ri got better before we go to the museum... I didn't know that he died a few days later... When Mom told me that Grandpa Ri past away..." Max used the back of his left hand to wipe away the tears.
Kim placed a comforting hand on Max's shoulder when he said, "You didn't know, and as far as you knew, he was just sleeping." He then pulled Max in for a hug and said, "But I can understand how you feel."
"I hate to ask this, but," Marinette said as Team Psi moved closer to each other. She then said, "Henry didn't talk about his time at this studio, did he."
Max placed his phone back into his pocket before he said as he shook his head, "No, that was another reason why I didn't put the two together. He never mentioned that he ever worked at an animation studio..." He then looked at the framed picture in Kim's hand when he said, "But... I remember he got a letter a year before he died. I also remember how mad he was after reading it. I thought it was weird because, well, Grandpa Ri was usually so mellow and calm." He then looked at the team and said, "I asked him about it, but he was pretty vague. He said that the letter was from someone who wasn't getting his forgiveness, especially since he hasn't bothered to contact him, after all that time. I asked what he meant by that but Grandpa Ri replied with "That can be proven, this person took something I made and claimed it as his own. But it's what hasn't been proven is the reason why he can't be forgiven"." Max looks back at the framed photo when he said, "I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but now I know that he was the one who created Bendy and that he was talking about not being able to forgive Mr Drew, Grandpa Ri's words make sense now."
That was when Norman said, "Somethin' tells me that Joey was tryin' to lure Henry back to the studio for some reason... But it seems like Henry didn't take the bait. Guess Joey didn't use the right words to get what he wanted that time around."
Max shrugged his shoulders slightly when he said, "I never read what was in that letter... But, I did hear Grandpa Ri mutter under his breath "Were we ever pals in the first place?" as he threw the letter away. I guess maybe Mr Drew referred to himself as Grandpa Ri's pal or something... That I did think was weird considering Grandpa Ri said that the person, who I now know was Mr Drew, never attempted to reach out to him before."
"Yeah, it's a little inappropriate to call yourself someone's "pal" if you haven't bothered to contact them for a long time," Marinette said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Adrien looked confused when he said, "It is?"
Kim was the one to explain, "Yeah, I mean, if someone had to move or change their phone number and forgot to tell someone or if they get really busy with something important, that's more understandable as to why they haven't kept in contact, but from Max told us, Mr Drew chose not to contact Henry even though he hasn't moved or changed his number. That pretty much states that he didn't want to talk to Henry until he needed something from him, whatever it was." Now Adrien understood.
"Uh, so..." a Lost One got their attention again, reminding Team Psi that they were there again. Those Lost Ones were a little too quiet. "He's a descendant of the True Creator?" another Lost One asked in confusion.
Team Psi glanced at each other before they nodded and Max said, "Yes, I'm the True Creator's grandson, but my friends and I are going to work together to free everyone trapped inside this place."
That was when Marinette said, "And we would appreciate any information that you can give us that can help." Boris nodded at that.
That got the Lost Ones more motivated to talk as they left the room. Kim placed the framed photograph into Max's pack as they did.
~}i{ Outside the Studio }i{~
Luka didn't need the Second Chance being used multiple times to notice that something was off about his Hero Teammates. He has noticed that Bunnyx and Madam Emerald have been a little tense around each other like something happened between them that they don't want to talk about. On the other hand, Drak-Kon and Mitsubushi seem to be getting along rather well. Heck, it wouldn't surprise the Snake Holder if the new Dragon and Bee Holders started claiming to be Besties.
But today, Viperion was going to talk to Bunnyx and Madam Emerald. To help ease the tension between them. After all, they had bigger things to worry about.
~}i{ Inside Joey Drew Studios }i{~
Now that Team Psi got some more, weird, information from the Lost Ones, they were ready to move on to the next leg of their journey. Right now, Kim and Marinette were inspecting the air vent under one of the "No Angels" graffiti and next to the "He WiLL SET US FREE" graffiti. They were a little worried about all of them fitting through the vent, but it looks like they all would. However...
"Looks like we're going to have to go in one at a time and Markov is going to have to be a little more cautious because of the enclosed space," Marinette said as Kim tried to turn the hand torch on, but the batteries in that have long since lost power.
Adrien couldn't help but say, "Uh, Kim, I think the batteries dead," as he watched Kim trying to shake the torch awake.
Kim cringed when the bulb to the torch cracked when he said, "Urg, please don't say dead." He then looked inside the vent and said, "But we are going to need some light source to see where we're going in this, or at least for whoever's going in there first."
"How about I lead the way inside?" Norman suggested at he walked up to the vent. He then tapped the side of the lends to his projector head when he said, "I got a built-in headlight, so I don't need a torch."
The Team had to admit, that wasn't a bad idea.
When Norman stood in front of the vent, he turned on his projector and lit up the inside of the vent before climbing into it. Marinette climb in next, followed by Boris, and then Kim.
Adrien was about to climb into the vent when he saw a Lost One stop Max and say, "Please be careful, Descendant of the True Creator. There are more threats then we would like to have here in this wretched place."
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "We know, and we'll continue to be careful." Adrien crawled into the vent when he heard. Max gave the Lost Ones a wave goodbye as Markov carefully flew into the vent, and then the techie went into the vent. Max made sure to keep his right hand close to his chest as he did his best to crawl on his knees and left hand through the vent.
Norman kept a steady pace as he leads the way through the vent so the others could follow easily enough. The Projectionist also kept his head facing forward so the light from his projector illuminated the dark path in front of them. He soon spotted a light ahead of him, it looked like it was coming in from another room where the vent shaft was covered by the vent's lined grate.
Suddenly, something slammed into the grate without any hesitation.
"Oh shit!" Norman exclaimed as he stopped in his tracks, causing Marinette to collide into him, then Boris collided with the bluette, then Kim collided with the cartoon wolf, and then Adrien collided with the taller teen. Markov reacted quickly enough to stop before he collided with Adrien, which in turn caused Max to stop before colliding with the AI.
"What happened?" Max asked, trying to see past the others in front of him to no avail.
Marinette rubbed her nose before she asked, "Norman? What hit the wall in front?" She looked over Norman's shoulder and saw what he was seeing.
It took a few seconds for it to register, but when the shock wore off Norman saw the Ink Demon standing behind the grate in front of him with his over-sized gloved hand on the wall over the grate while his right hand on the side of the wall. The ink webs were clearly visible inside the vent as the Ink Demon watched the ones inside the vent. Norman couldn't help but hiss out, "The Ink Demon's found us!"
"What?!" was the unanimous response from the rest of the team. "Wh-what's he doing? Is he going to attack us?" Adrien asked in a worried tone. No one could blame him, they were in an enclosed space with no escape, so any attack from the Ink Demon could end them.
But the Ink Demon didn't do anything but watched them. He ran his boney right index finger over one of the grates as he seemed to stare down whoever he could see. After a few seconds, the Ink Demon pulled away from the vent and just walked away, without a second glance.
A few seconds later, the ink webs vanished and Team Psi could breathe a sigh of relief.
Kim was the one to say, "Okay, creepiness aside, why did the Ink Demon appear when he did? Not to mention he seemed to know we were in here... It's just weird."
That was when Marinette said, "Yeah, that is a little strange but... I don't know, it seems like he's toying with us... I think..." Even now, she still wasn't too sure about what she said.
After a few seconds, Team Psi continued on their way. They made a right and then another right through the vents until a light was coming from up ahead. Norman turned of his projector as he climbed out of the vent and into a rather large room with a monumental-sized Bendy statue, a comfortable couch, a Little Miracle Station next to a Bendy cutout, a closed metal doors, a few scattered wooden chairs, and a flight of stairs that lead up somewhere with a trail of black ink splattered over the steps. Marinette climbed out of the vent next, followed by Boris, then Kim, then Adrien, then Markov, and Max came out last. Plagg and Tikki flew out of their usual hiding spots to check out the area.
Markov scanned around the room before he said, "I know it's obvious that Mr Dew made far too many "off the book" constructions. But I still fail to understand the need to make this many alterations to a building, especially when the company was in the red."
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "I do agree with Markov on this one. Besides the Heavenly Toys' area, the other "off the book" constructions don't make a lot of sense as to their purpose to aid the studio."
"Wish I can help you answer that, but I still don't have all my memories back," Norman said as he looked up at the huge Bendy statue. He then said, "Though I would like to know why there are so many statues of Bendy. I get that he was the mascot of Joey Drew Studios, but the cutouts of him would've been enough. I mean, they're already all over the place."
Kim leaned against the wall to think when he felt that his phone was missing. He was about to ask if he lost it before he remembered that he used it to make a distraction to get away from the Ink Demon, but then he heard the crinkle of paper in that same pocket. Kim pulled the folded paper from his pocket before he said, "Oh right, I snagged this from Mr Cohen's office."
Boris looked over Kim's shoulder when Adrien asked, "Why'd you take that?"
Kim shrugged when he replied, "It was on the desk but not covered in ink so I figured it might be important." He then unfolded the paper and read what was on it out loud, "Receipts and Disbursements... July 1, 1944 to August 1, 1944... Receipts: ... Investor Deposit, J. Dempsey. Huh? Why are all the money amounts in USA currency rather than in Euros?" He then showed the "receipt" the rest of Team Psi and allowing them to read the rest.
On the receipt read:
Receipts and Disbursements
July 1, 1944 to August 1, 1944
Receipts:
Investor Deposit, J. Dempsey ... $24,800.00
Royalties, Heavenly Toys ... $43,142.43
Box Office Sales ... $56,879.18
Total Receipts ... $124,821.61
Disbursements:
Employee Salaries ... $56,659.74
Restocking Supplies ... $18,982.50
Distribution Fees ... $9,842.31
Marketing/Publicity ... $10,372.12
Special Project ... $64,921.98
Taxes & Fees ... $24,964.32
Total Disbursements ... $185,742.97
Cahs in Bank ... $61,738.65
Balance as of August 2, 1944 ... $817.29
Someone used a red-inked pen to circle the $64,921.98 and draw an arrow to the handwritten words in black pen ink that read, "Mister Drew, we can't afford these high figures on Special Project any longer. Please limit your spending or find additional investors - We're on the verge of being in the red again this year." (3).
Adrien shrugged after reading the receipt when and said, "Maybe it was because Mr Cohen was an American and it was easier for him to do the math, or the Studio was already using American Currency for the books."
Marinette re-read the writing at the bottom of the note before she said, "But according to this, it seems like this receipt was to be sent to Mr Drew, even though it hasn't been converted into Euros... Wait, the Euro wasn't in effect in Europe until the start of 1999, so it wouldn't have been used in 1944."
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "So they used the USD for all their financial documents instead."
That was when they noticed the words written in black ink on the wall next to the stairs that read, "COME uP AND SEE ME" there was a little arrow at the end that pointed up the stairs.
Adrien frowned upon seeing those words and said, "Either that leads to a trap or something that's going to make our guts churn."
Kim couldn't help but say, "Oh good, I'm not the only one thinking that."
Markov scanned the room again before he said, "I don't see anywhere else to go, so unfortunately, we must seek out whatever is at the top of the stairs to find a new way out. Or at least a way to open the doors."
"Sugarcube and I can give it a quick check," Plagg said as he darted towards the top of the stairs.
Tikki fumed a bit before she said, "Stop calling me that, you Stinky Sock!" But she flew after the black Kwami anyway.
Norman chuckled before he said, "They're a cute pair." No one could disagree on that.
Kim nudged Adrien over to Marinette with his elbow when he teased, "They're not the only couple here~." This caused both the blonde and bluette to blush a nice shade of red.
"Hey, guys! No traps or nasties, but you gotta check this out!" Plagg called from the ledge of the upper floor.
That was when they spotted Tikki when she said, "For once, I agree with Stinky Sock."
The rest of Team Psi looked at each other before they trooped over to the stairs and started walking up to it. When they reached the first flight the words "ALMOST THERE" were written on the wall in black ink. It made the Team wonder who was writing those? When they reached the top of the stairs, they were greeted by the sight of a Bendy face with an open mouth that leads into an office.
"Whoa," was all the teens could say as they looked inside the office.
On the three moveable clipboards inside were covered with designs and plans for amusement park rides and on the only table was a model of an amusement park in the works and an Audio Log. There were a few wooden chairs scattered around but those weren't so important.
Norman looked over the pictures when he said, "Looks like... Plans for a Bendy theme park."
Kim scratched his head when he said, "I don't get it. Why would anyone want to make that? I mean, the cartoons were nice and all and I know I wouldn't mind getting a plushie or two of the characters from the Bendy cartoons, but I think building an amusement park would've been too much. Both financially and literally."
Adrien watched Plagg fool around with the park model when he said, "This just to be planned when the studio was in better financial status. I would assume that it was left in the development stages when they kept getting in the red."
Marinette found a piece of paper that proved otherwise. "A receipt for industrial-grade steel? 104 unites? Ah, wait... It's a late payment notice for the steel... 180 days late?" the bluette said as she read the notice. She then looked up at the rest of the team when she asked, "I know construction isn't my thing but isn't 104 units too much for a studio to need?" Tikki floated over to look at the paper. The red Kwami did find the amount add too.
"You don't think?" Max asked as he looked at the model of the amusement park.
That was when Adrien said, "Maybe Mr Drew did start plans on building the amusement park, but put it on hold when the studio got in the red. Maybe he just kept the steel just in case he needs them." He was trying to think logically on this, and that's what made sense to him. The others weren't too sure on that...
Max pulled his phone out from his pocket as Boris moved to the Audio Log. When the techie nodded, the cartoon wolf pressed the play button. A new, proud sounding male voice filled the office when he said, "For forty years, I've built attractions that sagger the imagination! Colossal wonders such as the world have never seen! I have earned my legacy with sweat. But right in front of everyone... high-level investors, Wall Street tycoons, the ever-tactless Joey Drew introduces me, the great Bertrum Piedmont, as Bertie! Like I was his child! You may be paying me, Mister Drew! But you don't own me! I'll build you a park bigger than anything YOU could ever possibly conceive! But before you go taking any bows, Mister Drew, know that this grand achievement will belong to me... and to me alone." The Audio Log ended with a click.
As Max titled the Log, Norman said, "I've heard of this Bertrum Piedmont person, the guy was some big shot in amusement parks or something like that... Wait... When did Mr Drew contact the guy?"
"Who knows," Marinette said with a shrug. She then said in a rather dry tone, "But it seems like Mr Peidmont had an ego as big as Mr Drew. Though... *In a more thoughtful tone* It sounds like Mr Peidmont earned that ego through his own talent."
Kim couldn't help but say, "I got a feeling that that ego of his might've gotten him into trouble with Mr Drew." He then noticed a switch on the wall behind the table and said, "Well, there's the switch to our next location." He moved over switch and pulled the lever down.
As soon as the lever was pulled, the sound of a metallic creak was heard. That had to have been the doors they saw when they walked in. So Team Psi trooped down the stairs to see just that. The metal doors were slowly opening, creaking as they did. After team Psi trooped down the stairs, they realized that they had to go around a wooden beam to get to the door. So they did, and they realized that the words "DREAMS COME TRUE" was written over the vent that came out of.
As they passed the graffiti, Tikki asked out loud to no one in particular, "I wonder who is writing all of those."
That was when Plagg replied with a shrug, "Could be more than one person."
"That honestly wouldn't surprise me," Adrien said as they walked to the now open door. It was dark on the other side, so no one could see much.
The moment they walked through the doors, lights started turning one by one. Now they could see that it looked like part of an amusement park in the works, with rides and games that were covered in ink, dust and cobwebs. The biggest thing Team Psi was was a large sign in front of them that had Bendy's face in the middle with the world "Bendy Land" written professionally on it (with Bendy's face being in between the two words). However, someone has written "Hell" in black ink over the world "Land".
Marinette looked around the new area from where they were in an almost frantic look in her eyes before she shouted, "How did Mr Drew!? Urg, you know what, by this point, I think the guy's just dreaming about insanity." This earned a small chuckle from Adrien.
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said in a rather exasperated tone, "Mr Drew built the Bendy theme park UNDER the studio... I would ask about the more logical aspects of having a theme park under an animation studio, but by this point, 90% of what has been constructed here has not made any sense."
Markov couldn't help but state, "Exactly how was all this made without any of the employees knowing? The whole construction would've made a lot of distracting noises."
Kim rubbed the back of his neck when he said, "I know I'd have a hard time focusing on working on anything if I had to work next to all that construction noise."
Norman looked around as they walked down the stairs to the Bendyland area when he said, "This... Must have been started on after I got turned into an Ink Monster...'Cause I know I would've remembered all this being built."
"No one would blame you if you don't remember all this," Tikki said as she looked at Norman. She then said, "You and Boris have been through a lot here in this place and we can't expect either of you to remember everything that has happened. So please don't linger on what you think you should remember." This made both Ink Creatures feel a bit better.
When they made it to the bottom of the stairs, they came face to face with another closed metal door. Great... They're going to have to find a switch or something to open that... So they trekked over to the section of the "park" that had two closed game booths that were connected and one of those Test-Your-Strength games. They noticed an Audio Log on the ledge of the game booths. Another thing that they noticed was that four power cables were laying on the ground.
"Wonder what these power cables are for?" Max said as he followed one of them to a power station next to a haunted house attraction with four switches, with each one numbered 1-4 with a small unlit light between the numbers and the switches. He placed his left hand to his chin as he looked the panel over. Markov joined him.
Marinette came across the attraction Max did, but she came by via the path next to the test-your-strength game. That was when the bluette noticed footprints on the wooden board of the attraction. Marinette knelt to get a better look at the prints and realized that they had heel prints. The size of the print was also telling. It was too small to be a man's but too large to be a child's or teen. 'A woman's shoe print?' Marinette concluded as she glanced up to see where the trail lead. Only to see that it was cut off because of the gate that blocked the way and use of the carts to the Haunted House attraction. Plagg floated nearby as Kim and Boris arrived on the scene. Marinette stood up as she looked at the attraction when she said, "This haunted house seems like the way to go. But it's going to need some power."
Adrien walked to the Audio Log on the game booths with Tikki when he said loud enough for the others to hear, "Maybe this Audio Log might have a clue as to how to power on the haunted house." He quickly read the handwritten label and said, "Another from Mr Franks'. I'm surprised how many of his Logs we've come across already, considering he's the janitor."
Team Psi gathered around the Audio Log. Max got his phone ready to record. Soon, Boris pressed the play button. The familiar voice of Wally Franks filled the area when he said, "These guys down in the warehouse get to play games all day while I'm stuck cleaning up after 'em! They keep locking themselves out of their own backroom. So I say to 'em, look guys, I say, you're smart, right? Here's an idea! Why not rig those games up to knock open the door if you win? It'll be fun for you guys and it saves me the trip down here every day. They went for it like a dog to pot roast. I tell ya! If these guys don't start realizing who the real genius is, I', outta here!" With that, the Audio Log ended with a click.
Norman couldn't help but chuckle when he said, "Hehe, Wally was always smarter than he let on. Surprised that hardly anyone else noticed when the studio was open."
Markov beeped in amusement when he said, "Guess when you just clean up a place, people tend to not give you a second glance. But it seems like Mr Franks took advantage of that mindset to make his job a little easier."
Plagg couldn't help but add, "I said it before and I'll say it again, I like this Franks guy. Now I got another reason too." This earned a few chuckles from the others. Plagg then looked at the closed game booth before saying, "But if we have to play these games to open the doors then... How do we start the games?"
Suddenly the wooden panels opened and the lights to the games powered on, revealing a shooting game (Bull's-Eye Bonanza) and a knock-the-bottles-over (Bottle Wallop) game. Fortunately, everyone reacted quickly enough to avoid being hit. But they could swear they heard the Twisted Alice Angel chuckle menacingly in the background.
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "Something tells me SHE was waiting for one of us to ask that."
That was when Adrien asked, "But that brings up the question of How she's watching and listening to us, again? I mean, none of us have seen anything that might resemble or work as a security camera. And I doubt any good listening devices can hear in any area back in the 1940s."
Norman scratched the side of his projector when he said, "Pretty sure the only "cameras" we had in the studio were the projectors and the only thing that could "listen in" where the tape recorders. Unless someone somehow "up-graded" this old place without anyone here noticing, but I doubt that." Yeah, that was a good point.
Adrien looked at the games when he said, "But we are going to have to proceed in this quest... So... Shall we try our paws at the games?" Marinette rolled her eyes as the others groaned a bit.
But there didn't seem like there was any other choice in the matter, so they looked over the three games, wondering which game unlocks which door. However. they could only see three games and there were four doors...
"Guess we're going to have to play this whole thing by ear, so to speak," Tikki said as she looked over the Strength Tester game. She then said, "I'm sure we'll also find more clues as to shutting down the Ink Machine and escaping this place." No one could disagree with that.
Adrien tried the Strength Tester game, but he just bearly missed hitting the bell. Boris was next, but he wasn't even close, though his did go up to the label for 'Brute!' though. Norman took a swing at the game, and he was able to ring the bell on his first attempt.
That was when they suddenly heard the Twisted Alice Angel say over the speakers in a rather casual tone, "Tell me, are you having fun? I thought you all were in a hurry to escape, but clearly, I was mistaken. Oh well, now I know that I have plenty of time to get what I want." She then ended with a menacing laugh.
Plagg couldn't help but comment, "Yeah, not earning any angelic points there. *Huff* Such a wanna-be angel."
With that, they moved onto the two games that the Wally Frank's Audio Log was on.
Marinette looked at Kim when she said, "Since you've got the experience, you'll do the shooting game, I'll knock down the bottles." When Kim asked if she was sure, she replied with, "Considering how often I have to aim and throw my yo-yo at moving targets, knocking the bottles down is a snap for me." Everyone could agree to that.
So, Kim picked up the gun for the respective game and Marinette picked up the three baseballs for the bottle toss. The bluette knocked over the three stacks of three bottles, all of them with the balls she had. The game made a happy jingle at her score. Kim didn't do so well at the shooting game the first time, more because he didn't expect the quick reactions needed or the fact that he wasn't supposed to shoot the bull's-eyes with the 'X' on them. But the tall teen did better the next attempt. No perfect score, but he hit enough targets to get the jingle.
Soon they hear the familiar sound of a metallic door sliding open. They looked to the left of the Bull's-Eye Bananza to see the door slowly opening. Once the door was completely open, they walked in and were greeted by the sight of some rather terrifying looking Bendy mascot outfits hanging on the wall next to the switch.
Plagg couldn't help but say, "You know, if it weren't for the fact that we've already seen some gut-wrenching shit on the way here, those costumes would creepy."
The others murmured in agreement as Adrien threw the switch as he said, "That's one." Once that happened a spark of electricity surged down the main power cable. Team Psi quickly followed the charge to the power control box next to the haunted house attraction. The switch that was labelled with the #1 had the light lit up.
"So that's how it works," Marinette said thoughtfully, before realizing that there were three more switches. She sighed as she said, "And that means that we're going to do more backtracking for this too..."
Norman flipped switch #1 when he said, "Let's hope that the rest are going to be as simple as the first." That everyone could agree on as they heard another door creak open, and it sounded close. They all turned to where the sound was coming from to see that the door under the sign that read "Research & Design" was opening. "Convenient, but not complainin'," Norman said as they made their way through the newly opened door.
They heard the familiar sounds of the Butcher Gang as they walked over to the balcony. They carefully peered over to see a Piper, a Fisher, and a Striker gathered around a burning metal drum, they seemed hypnotized by the flames. So much so that they didn't even notice the new arrivals.
"Looks like we've got company up ahead," Adrien said softly as he watched the Butcher Gang members on the lower level.
That was when Markov said softly, "But without some kind of weapon to defend ourselves, we don't stand much of a chance." The AI then looked at Marinette and Adrien before saying, "While Mister Bug and Lady Noire could make quick work of them, we shouldn't waste any transformations if we can help it."
Max pushed his glasses up when he added, "That is a logical point. Let's look around the upper area for something to use against them. If not, we need to find a way around them somehow."
As Boris brought a hand up to his chin to think, he accidentally knocked over an empty can of bacon soup (that was just sitting on the railing for some weird reason) down to the lower level with a loud clank. Everyone froze at that as the Butcher Gang sprang into action. But they only went over to the can that landed on the ground with a loud metal thud. Team Psi watched them gather around the can before they lost interest and returned to the burning barrel.
Marinette gave the rest of Team Psi a sly smile when she asked, "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I don't think the empty cans will make good weapons," Kim said in an honest tone, causing the rest of the team to give him a look that read, 'No, not that'.
Max patted Kim on the back with a sigh before he said, "Kim, we're going to use the cans to make a distraction so we can get to the switch or switches we need." Kim let out an "oh, okay," before everyone started gathering as many empty cans as they could find.
Markov told the team that he'll check the alcoves to make sure there were switches while they collect cans, and maybe throw it if he could before flew overhead to the indents, and to avoid the Butcher Gang members. He flew into the right alcove and followed the path to find a switch with a lightning symbol on it. There wasn't much on that path, just a bunch of shelves for storage. He quickly placed his claw on the lever of the switch and pulled with all his might. Markov was just bearly able to pull down the lever (4). 'Note for when we escape the studio, upgrade form to have more strength,' the AI thought as he flew out of the alcove and signalled the rest of the team that he threw the power switch and was going to check the other alcove. So he flew over the Butcher Gang to the other alcove. In the left alcove, there was a cage with a crying Lost One. "Please don't cry, we're going to save you," Markov quietly told the Lost One before moving further into the alcove. There was a work table with a dismantled animatronic Bendy with a missing arm next to a wall that had the words "THE CREATOR LIED TO US" in black ink, a table with a giant cartoony looking device that might've been for one of the rides, and a table with an Audio Log. Markov spotted the switch next to the Audio Log.
Figuring that it would be a good idea to record the Log, just in case, Markov scanned the handwritten label that read "Lacie Benton". The AI turned on the recording function, labelled it accordingly, before switching on the Audio Log. An unfamiliar female voice was heard saying, "The only thing that works around here is my ulcer. Half these people don't know a wrench from a dang steamer. Buncha morons is what they are. Spending their day in the warehouse arguin' over who's supposed to be doin' what or playing them silly games, Still, I'm not complainin'. I get most of my time to myself. Suits me just fine. Only thing that bothers me is that mechanical demon in the corner. Bertrum's been working on it for a month now. Says it will walk someday and maybe dance. All it does now is give me the creeps. I swear when my back's turn... that thing's movin'." The Audio Log ended with a click.
Markov raised an electronic brow before glancing over to the mechanical Bendy. He flew over to it and gave it a quick scan. It wasn't connected to anything that would give it the power to move. Markov watched the thing for a bit before he thought, 'It doesn't move... It must've been Ms Benton's human imagination.'
Markov decided to try to throw the other switch... Keyword being "Try".
He couldn't pull it, and he ended up flying into one of the shelves opposite the switch because of him using his throttles to attempt to pull the lever to the switch down. There was a rather loud sound when he did collide with the shelf, and another loud sound when everything on it fell to the floor.
"That can' be good," Markov mumbled before he heard the sounds of the Butcher Gang approaching.
Markov quickly flew close to the ceiling of the alcove, not caring that he made even more noise. He had to do so to avoid the Butcher Gang members and return to the team as quickly as possible.
As expected the three Butcher Gang members hobbled in and looked around for whatever made the noise. Markov used this opportunity to fly out of the alcove unnoticed and reunited with his worried teammates.
"Our hearts nearly stopped when we heard the noise! Are you okay, Markov?" Marinette asked as she fussed over the AI, making sure he wasn't damaged in any way.
Markov responded with, "I am functional, a little scratched up, but functional. I was able to make another recording of an Audio Log from a Ms Lacie Benton, but I was unable to pull the second switch though."
Adrien smiled at the AI when he said, "You already did plenty. Now we don't need to go down both paths." Markov beamed at the praise. That was when the blonde said, "We'll listen to the Audio Log you found after we throw the other switch. Okay?" Everyone nodded at that.
Since Kim was the fastest of the team, he would run down the left path while the rest of the team cause a distraction for the Butcher Gang. Once the tall teen was in place, Boris tossed an empty can down the right path. The can landed with a loud clank, getting the attention of the Butcher Gang. The three hobbled over towards the noise as Kim raced passed them without making a peep into the left path.
The rest of the team anxiously waited for Kim signal. Over a minute later, they spotted Kim's arm waving at them. Marinette threw a can onto the right path. The can landed with a loud clank, and drew the Butcher Gang away from the burning metal drum again. As soon as the Butcher Gang were near the right path, Kim raced towards the stairs. Not even a second later, Team Psi was reunited.
They dropped the remaining empty cans they had before they followed the charged power cable back to the panel. Now the switch that was labelled with the number 2 had the light lit.
That was when Marinette asked Markov to play the Lacie Benton Audio Log before they throw the next switch. So Markov played what he recorded for the others to hear, and Max re-recorded it on his phone.
Adrien gulped when he asked, "Umm, please tell me she was imagining things when she said that it moves when no one is looking."
"That is my hypothesis," Markov said before he noted, "But Ms Benton has noted that the individuals that were her co-workers in building this park were... I guess, not competent in their jobs..." The AI seemed a little confused by the wording of the Log.
Tikki then said, "She did comment that they couldn't tell a wrench from a steamer. If that were true then why were they hired to work on the park project?"
Marinette gave a wry smile when she said, "Uh, Tikki, I think Ms Benton meant that her co-workers weren't as competent as she would like them and from what else she said, it sounded like they didn't take their job all that seriously."
Norman tapped under his projector lends when he said, "I'm guessin' those workers might've been cheap hires or something along that line. I wouldn't put it past Joey to pull that kind of stunt if it meant saving money."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me..." Kim said as he threw the 2nd switch.
They heard another door open, but this time it sounded like it was further away. They followed the power cable for the 3rd switch and they found the now open door.
"Attraction Storage?" Max read the sign over the door in a curious tone, before he asked, "What kind of "Attraction" would they need to store?"
The others shrugged before they trooped into the new path. They walked down the narrow hall until they came to another huge room with a large, hollow dome, that appeared to be used for housing fixated rides and attractions. Industrial shelving units line the walls, with several other props and park fixations stored within them. Lying limp in the middle of the room is what looked like a powered down octopus ride with four mechanical arms, with at least three carts per arm and four bolts (two per side) supporting the arms, and the middle was in the decorative fashion of a carousel. In front of Team Psi was a desk with an Audio Log sitting on top of it.
Max pushed his glasses up with his left hand when he said, "Ah, so this area was used to house the rides that need to be fixed."
"Makes sense," Plagg stated before he added, "But isn't it a little inconvenient to move the rides to this place rather than repair them in the location they're stationed? I mean, look at that thing! *Points at the Octopus Ride*. It's HUGE! It had to be a pain to move it!"
Marinette couldn't help but chime in a "Plagg's not wrong. It doesn't seem a little counter-productive to move a ride that size."
Norman looked around the area before he said, "I don't see any more Butcher Gang or anything that could be considered a threat."
The rest of Team Psi gave a visible sigh of relief. That was when Kim suggested that they use this safe space to make a long-overdue Video Log. The others liked that, plus they needed to make a few updates. Namely explaining how Norman joined the team. Norman did ask if they were worried about getting the Little Guardians on film, but Tikki and Plagg assured them they can't be seen on film or be photographed. Markov then explained that he couldn't see the Kwamis but he could hear them just fine. When Norman was satisfied with the answers, Max pulled his phone out and opened the video app.
When the app powered on, the active camera was facing Max. The glasses-wearing teen smiled at the working camera when he said, "Greetings. I know it's been a while since our last update, but we've had a lot happen since then."
The team passed around Max's phone as they recounted what happened while omitting the heroes and Kwami parts of the tale. Norman watched this in a way that was similar to a curious child trying to find out what adults were talking about. Boris watched the other Ink Creature in amusement.
Once his phone was back in his possession, Max said to the active camera, "And now to introduce our new teammate. This is Norman, he was the Head Projectionist at Joey Drew Studios when it was open." He then turned his phone around so that Norman could see the phone screen that was showing what was being recorded.
Norman peered at the phone, more at the screen. When he saw himself staring back at him, he became more aware of his inky appearance as he placed a hand to the side of his projector head. He was a bit startled that the screen showed him the exact motions he was doing. "This is a lot more fasinatin' than I thought it would be," Norman said as he flexed his fingers in front of the phone, and saw the screen reflecting the movements at him. He then moved his hand until he couldn't see it on the screen and said, "Not a bad range for such a small camera and the image is being recorded so clearly for both close-up and far away. Wait... Is it recording in colour?"
Kim stood next to Norman, causing him to appear on the screen, when he said, "Yup, pretty cool, huh?"
"Amazin'!" Norman said as he watched the screen on the phone. He then asked, "Do all standard "Cell Phones" have this kind of camera built into them?" When he got a Yes as a response, Norman then asked, "So does that mean that everyone nowadays can make a movie?"
Adrien couldn't help but smile when he said, "Not everyone, but a lot of people use the video function of the phone to record fun moments. However, one of our friends at school likes to make movies as a hobby, he even plans on becoming a director one day. He's made some good video projects that I think you might enjoy."
"I wouldn't mind viewing it after we get outta here," Norman said as he glanced up at Adrien.
Adrien pulled his phone out of his pocket when he said, "You can watch it now, Nino sent me a copy of his projects so I have something to watch when I'm stuck at home." The blonde scrolled through his phone to look for one of Nino's videos as Norman tilted his head in confusion. Max explained to the Projectionist that you can also watch videos on phones as well as record them. Adrien found the video, tapped on it, and then flipped his screen to show Norman when he said, "Here."
As Norman watched the homemade video with great interest, Boris quietly chuckled in amusement. Marinette couldn't help but whisper to the cartoon wolf, "Don't laugh, you acted the same way when we told and showed you a few videos we had on our phones." Boris gave the bluette a sheepish smile at the realization.
Max smiled at the scene as he took a few steps back before he turned his phone around so the active camera and screen was facing him. He then said to the camera in a soft voice, so not to disrupt Norman's video viewing, "From what we found out, Norman has been trapped here since 1944. While we don't know about the time between then and the studio closing in 1946, we've found out that no one who has been trapped inside the studio seems to noticed how much time has past and that those who have been affected by the Ink don't seem to age so much."
Marinette appeared behind Max when she said in a soft tone, "When we found Norman, he... Wasn't exactly himself, to put it simply... But what helped bring him back was seeing the pocket watch he got from his sister. We found the pocket watch in the same room we found an Audio Log from Grant Cohen, we also found an engraved pen that belonged Mr Lawrance in the same room for some reason. *Looks at Max* We're not sure what those were doing in a room so far from the Music Department, or even how they got there, but I know we're glad we found them." Marinette nudged Max a bit when she then added, "Max here wanted to fix that pocketwatch once we got away from that Twisted Alice Angel, so he had the watch out when we encountered Norman. Good thing too, seeing his pocketwatch snapped him back to who he was before the Ink." Max nodded at this.
Kim watched all this with a smile as he leaned back on the table with the Audio Log. Markov hovered by with Tikki and Plagg. The black Kwami floated over the device as Norman finished watching the video from Nino. When Max and Marinette were about to bring up the Lost Ones, Plagg's tail lazily taps the Audio Log, accidentally starting it up.
Everyone turned to the sudden sound. "Kim!" Marinette got out, trying to both get Kim to play along and to cover up Plagg's goof.
Kim held up his hands defensively when he said, "I bearly touched the thing! It... Must be very sensitive!" Max turned the active camera to face what was happening when Kim said as he looked at the Audio Log, "Weird that there isn't anyone talking right away though."
That's when they all heard the proud, familiar voice of Bertrum Piedmont when he said, "The biggest park ever built, a centrefold of attractions." The weirdest part of this Audio Log was that it didn't sound like it was coming from the tape recorder, it sounded like it was coming from above and around the team. Mr Piedmont's voice continued speaking as the team tried to pinpoint where the voice was actually coming from, "Each one, more grand than the one before it. It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then..." Team Psi backed away from the table a bit when they heard the park builder then say in anger and fury, "Oh, Mister Drew. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares." Team Psi certainly couldn't disagree on that statement, but they could feel something knot in their stomachs as Mr Piedmont continued his angry rant, "I built this park. It was to be a masterpiece! MY Masterpiece! And now you think you can just throw me out? Trample me to the dust and forget me?" Each word the park builder uttered seemed to grow more rage-filled, angrier. But now they knew where the sound from the Audio Log was coming from, someone hooked the device to the speakers inside the Attraction Storage. Mr Piedmont's voice continued in rage as the sound of something mechanical starting up echoed, "No! This is MY park! My glory!" Team Psi saw the lights on the Octopus Ride started lighting up in a clockwise motion as the ride seemed to be powering up. Mr Piedmont's voice continued in anger, "You may think I've gone..." The Octopus Ride powered on as Team Psi took a few more steps back. They would have ran out the door if it weren't closed tightly behind them. "But I'm still here!" Bertrum Piedmont snapped angrily as the Octopus Ride drew its arm up to its "ready to ride" position.
Suddenly, the centre panel of the ride opened to reveal the head of a man with jet-black hair and a slim paintbrush moustache. The eyes of the head seemed to be rolled back a bit as his mouth hung slightly open.
"Oh Hell!" Kim gasped out in shock before he exclaimed in terror, "Is that! Mr Piedmont!"
Adrien shuttered when he said, "He's! Become the ride!"
Marinette couldn't help but stutter out, "Th-th-that's j-j-just m-m-messed up!"
Max clenched his phone to his chest, accidentally getting the terrifying sight on video as Markov hovered close to him. The Kwamis huddled to their original holders out of both habit and fear. Norman stood in front of the group, as he fanned his hands to keep them as far from the machine as possible. Boris was shaking in his overalls as he coward next to Kim.
The Octopus Ride, Bertrum, did a quick test spin of his arms before bringing one of the arms up and slamming it down onto the table with the Audio Log, smashing them into pieces with a single blow. The only thing undamaged in the attack was an axe that was probably inside one of the table's draws for some reason.
Markov couldn't help but ask in concern and fear, "We're going to have to fight that thing to get out of this area, aren't we?"
Marinette gulped when she said, "It seems like it..."
Bertrum then swivelled his arms around in a mechanical fashion before slamming his arms down again.
The teens were now certainly missing Hawkmoth and his Akumas...
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To be continued in Chapter 4 pt 3: Colossal Wonders of Destruction.
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1) This room isn't in the Bendy and the Ink Machine game. I'm just putting this in because I just needed this as a way to further the plot.
2) Again, this film reel and Recording are not in the actual game, but it's a plot device for this story so I added it in here to move the story along.
3) This receipt is actually from the Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook. It's found in the section for Grant Cohen's office, but since Kim took the paper with him when they left the office, you're getting that tidbit now.
4) You're supposed to throw the switch in the right alcove after you throw the switch in the left in the Bendy & the Ink Machine game, but it's my story so I'm reversing the order in this. More for plot reasons.
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