((AN: New chapter time! Wherein our trio of friends continue on their search for answers, and seek to find them in another unlikely group of ink creatures...and more surprises just keep cropping up.
I again want to thank those people who have commented and watched the story; does a writer's heart good, so don't be shy to also say what you think about this one. ^^ It was fun to write, especially while thinking up the best way to outline the studio's structure. I'd really love an official map of the place and where everything is, pertaining to the levels, but I think I have an idea down. x3
Also, if anyone asks why the gang doesn't visit the inside of the Bendyland warehouse, well...there wouldn't be anything to find in there, really, thinking of it. x3 They may visit it later if I need a fun filler scene, but the story may only go on for a couple more chapters.
That said, enjoy! :3))
Chapter 4
"Golly...so much has happened...where do I even start?"
Betty gave Alice a sad little look from next to her at the table, watching her put her fingers up to her forehead and massage it, willing the memories back; it was hard to think about how the girl could be feeling at that moment, even with a little bit of rest and relief from the nightmarish atmosphere outside of the safe house.
Nearby, Boris (in a new pair of suspenders) was cooking up another batch of soup, and Betty was searching around in her bag for another sandwich to share. This time, they were egg salad. "Well, yer friend gave me some of th' story of your studio and how you came t' be here in th' first place...so just start from where you disappeared. An' here," she handed over the wrapped food item, "Have yerself somethin' t' eat."
A tiny smile graced Alice's lips. "You're really too kind, Miss Boop...thank you for all this."
"Hey," she wagged a finger, "Like I told Boris, y'just call me Betty."
Alice had to giggle. "Yes, ma'am. Well then, let's see...when I disappeared...last thing I remember was telling Boris to run. I guess I got myself into a little trouble...and I didn't want to take him with me."
"A little trouble?" Boris interjected while he stirred the pot. "You were practically hellbent on gettin' Susie outta th' Ink Machine...an' ya were crossed over!"
"Boris, honey, just make sure th' soup doesn't burn, let 'er explain," interjected Betty with a calmer tone of voice.
"Alright, alright..."
The angel let out a long-suffering sigh, still massaging her temples. "Yes...something I now understand was very...stupid of me. I just felt so bad...Susie was there in the Machine, having been turned into a being of ink...she looked so helpless and defeated. When I was able to reach inside and touch her, it seemed like it would work...then the Ink Demon showed up."
A cold chill ran down her body, and she held her shoulders for a minute. "He tore us both through, me and Susie. My mind was there, my body here. Next thing I knew, I couldn't move. I could only see through her eyes when she reformed...and she was...gone. Nothing remained but pain, betrayal...which she took out on countless others, regardless of whether they were human; rebuilding herself in vain." Her eyes welled with tears as they locked with the wolf. "Boris...I really thought we...she...destroyed you. I'm so sorry."
After a pause in which he regarded her sadly, he shook his head. "Y'didn't, though. It ain't your fault. Y'were a victim, like me. Like everyone. An'...like Bendy."
At the name, Alice gave another shiver and looked down...Betty couldn't tell whether she wanted to cry or cower, or both...but she knew that the angel was very uncomfortable.
She reached over and patted her gloved hand. "So, what exactly happened t' stop ya seein' Susie's side? We heard a scream when we got down there..."
Alice's eyes squinted. "I'm...not too sure. It feels like it all was a dream by now, really, trying to recall these memories. But sure as I'm here sitting, they have to be real. Susie was...angry, running at someone, dunno who, but she was ready to tear them to pieces...then the next thing we know, there's a blade sticking out of our...her chest...and we fell...and she was gone."
Betty gave a little gasp, and she exchanged a glance with Boris. "So...she is dead."
"Or her consciousness is floating around in the ink, waiting for a new body from the Machine," Alice sighed. "Either way...she's too far gone...sad as it is for me to admit. An angel couldn't help this time."
"Angel 'r not, yer a toon," Boris pointed out. "We have some limits."
Betty nodded her agreement. "Yeah, honey, don'tcha fret. If we can't help th' people, we gotta help th' toons."
The angel weakly nodded, letting a small smile of humor tug her lip. "You said you even saved the Butcher Gang?"
Boris laughed. "Yeh, they kinda stumbled onto this place themselves, th' rascals."
"They told us where you were, at least," Betty offered. "An' by now they oughta be outta here. Last one to find now is yer star, Bendy."
Boris cooled the oven down and spooned three bowls of hearty bacon soup, and carried them as expertly as a tall waiter would on his arms to the ladies. He gave what he hoped was a cheerful smile to Alice as he set her bowl down, and took his place opposite her, to Betty's left. "An' that's where we were hopin' you'd help...but I'm reckonin' that you didn't see Bendy anywhere yerself, huh?"
Alice tried not to get even sadder than she was, having to think about her little demon co-star. She took a few bites of the soup (with everyone patiently following suit) and a large bite of her sandwich, before shaking her head. "No...I didn't. I thought that I could feel him somewhere in the Ink Demon when we encountered him at first, but...Susie didn't want any part of it when I asked about him. Now I'm too unsure that Bendy's even anywhere, or is even himself."
The wolf lowered his ears, looking dejected. "He's gotta be somewhere. Even if he does turn out t' be th' Ink Demon. We'll find a way t' get him out. Betty got me out...we got you out...there's hope fer Bendy, there has t' be."
After a long pause, Alice nodded slowly. "Well...I won't say I'd ever give up on a friend. We came here before looking for him. Can't just leave now, can we?"
"Nothin' doin'," Boris said while letting his fist fall to the table. "Like I said: we all get out."
Alice huffed. "And if we do all get out, though? Our time is over. We're...defunct."
"That's why I'm here, kid," Betty said with a smile and a wink. "I wanna give th' defunct toons a new start. Make people remember. It could've been just as easy fer me t' be forgotten. Guess it's a blessin' I didn't. Gotta share th' blessin', ain't that right, angel?"
The other toonette giggled. "You'd make a better angel than me, Betty."
"Eh, I dunno about that," Betty waved off. "Unless there's somewhere y' can buy one a' those halos."
"Standard issue, I'm afraid," Alice laughed back and primly adjusted the glowing ring, letting the other two have a giggle as well. "But yes...I will help. I'll go with you two, if it means ending all of this, finally."
Things soon quieted, the conversation put aside in order to actually have a meal. But, Betty never did like it when conversations seemed to have a heavy weight to them; especially when Alice's face fell once more into a thoughtful stare. Boris barely noticed, his face practically tucked into his meal and all but swallowing it whole.
After sipping another spoonful, Betty tried for another conversation, curiously tilting her head. "So tell me, Alice, what's Bendy really like? I keep seein' th' name on th' posters, but is he really some sorta devil?"
The angel paused for a second before giving another small smile, daintily wiping her lip with a napkin. "Well, yes, actually...he's a small demon. But, don't be fooled by that...I don't believe he was ever created to be evil or dark in any capacity. Heh, it hardly makes sense, come to think of it..."
"Honey," Betty interrupted with a laugh, "I come from a world where animals walk n' talk like th' rest of th' people, an' nobody ever bats an eye," she gave Boris a little pat in demonstration (to which he gives a little grin through a pause in his chewing). "The absurdity's what's funny about it. Trust me, I understand. But do go on!"
"Right," Alice chuckled. "Well, anyway, at most he's just a little mischievous...almost like a child...and prone to getting in trouble. But otherwise, if you've seen any of his cartoons, you'd wonder how someone like him could've ever come from Hell. He's fun-loving, innocent, and...sweet, really. A real cutie all 'round."
"Ooh, really?" Betty leaned in with a little grin; she definitely caught the tiny lilt in her tone of voice. "So, were ya meant t' be his girl, Alice Angel?"
"Oh! Well...!" she suddenly waved her hand while she hid a little tinge of gray blushing. "I...I don't really think that was the original plan, no...I was mostly there to add a little more chaos to his life, like Boris was before...a rival, playing the angel to the devil, and all."
Alice let out a thoughtful sigh, letting better, more fun times dance themselves through her mind. "It never got further than that, really...especially as I was supposed to get my own show...but then, my popularity just...plummeted...and then the studio failed. But," she shyly blinked, "To be honest, I really did start to like him a bit later on." She sighed. "I guess he didn't mind having me around, but...hard to know now if he'd have liked me too. I never did tell him."
Betty gave a little hum of thought, recalling the last time they saw the Ink Demon...staring—one would almost say wistfully—at a semblance of Alice. Surely the little creature that she described was still in there somewhere, in some part, remembering...and hoping.
She gave Alice a comforting pat on the arm. "Aw, y'know what, I'll just betcha he does. We'll just hafta find him, and you'll see."
"And we will find 'im," Boris said after gulping the last of his food down. "Can't wait t' see th' look on his face either, when he sees you're free," he teased.
Betty had to laugh at the blush that once again crossed the angel's face as she hissed his name defiantly. The famous toonette playfully ribbed the wolf with her elbow. "Heehee, and you ain't th' least bit jealous, Boris?"
"Wha, me?" he practically sputtered. "Aw, c'mon...I love Alice, yeah, but as more of a sister. B'sides, her an' Bendy, I think that's much cuter. Demon n' Angel, s'like peanut butter n' chocolate. Great together, but y'never know it 'til ya see it." His brow furrowed. "Or maybe s'more like chocolate n' marshmallas...Bendy's more a marshmalla...I got it!" He snapped. "You two are s'mores! Lovey-dovey s'mores," he clasped his gloves together and batted his eyes.
"Oh, now stop embarrassing me," Alice giggled with a hidden snort and gave the wolf a bit of a quirked eyebrow. "I hafta say though, Boris, you've definitely changed quite a bit since I last saw you. You're a bit more serious...you pay attention more than you eat...and you ain't afraid to fight!"
"Yeah, well..." he gave a shy chuckle. "This place...changes ya some. Probably not fer th' better...but I know I'm more determined nowadays. Hopefully, when we all get back, we can start livin' our lives like we used to again."
The angel gave a little nod, her smile a little more hopeful now indeed...but for certain, there were still plenty of regrets in her eyes. "Yeah...I'd like that too."
Although she'd had enough to eat, it was clear to see that Alice was more than exhausted after the meal; the same went for all the toons, really. So, with a check to make sure the doors were locked, they started to settle in for a nap, with Boris insisting that the girls take the room with the cot and hammock; he could easily sleep anywhere, especially on a comfy chair with his feet on the table.
It was a fitful sleep for the angel, who took the hammock; she was afraid of waking up and being elsewhere, like all of this fortune was just another dream. Thankfully, Betty calmed her nerves by having them exchange stories from their respective cartoons until they were too exhausted to speak, and the unnerving quiet was broken with a sleepy Boris strumming on a banjo to the tunes playing on the record, just in the next room...for him, it was also a relaxing moment that he didn't know he needed until then.
Instead of nightmares, Alice had dreams of being back again, with Boris—and with Bendy—like nothing had ever happened.
Once they had their rest, the first thing that Boris and Betty noticed upon waking was that Alice wasn't anywhere inside of the safe house.
Boris had immediately jumped awake, and was searching every nook and cranny from top to bottom, throwing things of all kinds from old toys to empty soup cans to the side. It was Betty who pointed out that the door was just slightly ajar; and just outside, Alice stood in a nonchalant manner, speaking to what appeared to be a giant glob of black with a hard hat on.
Her two friends decidedly stood back in the threshold, and the wolf noticed that Betty was poking around in her bag for her frying pan with a glare.
He stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. "I don't think she's in danger. That there's what we call a Swollen Searcher; fer some reason they're full a' extra ink, an' they move slow, so they don't attack. I think those ones were actually people too, at some point."
Betty blinked and replaced the pan, her other hand to her mouth. "Oh, dear...thanks fer tellin' me, I don't wanna bop any person on th' head...wonder what he's here for though."
"We wait t' ask Alice, I guess."
They didn't have to wait long at all; after a few seconds, the large Searcher disappeared into a pool of bubbling ink on the floor, hat and all, with Alice waving. "Oh, thank you very much!" she politely called after him.
Boris then took the initiative to step outside with his arms crossed. "Good mornin'...mind tellin' us what that was about?"
"Oh!" Alice practically jumped upon hearing his voice. She definitely looked more awake and alert than she had been several hours ago, with a brighter halo and her medium-length hair done up a bit more neatly. "Land sakes, Boris, don't scare me like that, I'm still jumpy," she giggled. "That was just one of the Searchers I had working on the elevator. The cages on all the floors should be fixed now. We can go anywhere we want."
"Oh that's very good," Betty nodded. "Best that none of us hafta get anythin'...like their pants...caught in th' bars like last time."
Boris snorted with a good-natured smile and rolled his eyes. "Yeah...but again, how are ya able t' speak to 'em?"
Alice sighed and twirled a strand of hair. "Well...to tell the truth I can only guess, myself. Susie was always complaining about them...the big ones, anyway...but she had a few smaller ones around as guards...and I guess I picked up being able to command them. Whenever I could find a trickle of sensation, away from her mind, I'd talk to them, and they'd listen. That's how I had them fix the elevator." She chuckled shyly. "I hope that's not too strange. At least with me around, we won't have as much trouble."
"Yeah," Boris hummed with thought, stroking his chin. "You did also seem to get rid a' th' ones goin' after us before, with yer halo light."
"They like darkness better, yeah...plus somehow I can just...ward them off." Her head tilted. "You know the Little Miracle Stations back on the other side?"
"Mm-hm?"
"My doing," she gave a proud grin. "At least, through Susie, when she painted the wards on the door. One could hide from the Searchers, the Butchers, the Projectionist...and of course, the Ink Demon."
Betty gave a little shudder. "Ooh...wish we kinda had those around here, now, whatever they are."
"Hidey-holes, basically; they look like them confessionality booths, or holy outhouses..."
"Boris," Alice snorted at that. "To the point, please."
"Okay, okay...anyway, s'how I could escape th' Ink Demon on th' other side," he informed. "Here though...we'll have worse luck."
Alice's eyes then widened, and her expression fell into uncertainty. "I forgot...he can cross over."
Boris sighed and crossed his arms. "Well...we'll hafta run inta him eventually. Fer now, we make sure we're outta his sight. He went after us th' last time he caught us...funny thing though, he didn't follow us down into yer prison."
Alice shook her head and held her upper arms uncomfortably as she shuffled past them, back into the safe house. "I wanna say that's because he may have put me there. And you where you were, when you were thrown back. He can control the ink in this place, from the Machine...and walk the black void inside it. He's a real mystery, and a volatile one. But if Bendy's somehow involved with him..."
"Look," Boris took her hand and squeezed it, "We'll cross that bridge whenever we get there. Fer now, I guess we'll just worry about th' Searchers."
Alice willed away all thoughts of Bendy for the moment; if she was going to help, she needed to stop being sad. "Speaking of which...you two should still keep your weapons handy. I can keep most Searchers at bay, but there are many that are too stubborn and will resist, and fight to take us back into the ink. Not to mention the Lost Ones...thanks to Susie, they hate angels...so I can't say I've ever tried speaking with them."
"Lost Ones?" Betty and Boris echoed at the same time.
Alice turned to them with a quirked eyebrow. "Boris, you've never seen them? Another type of ink person...they live all over down on Level S and down past into the old administration offices...on the other side, really, but they've been slowly crossing over here, too."
The wolf raised his hands and shook his head furiously. "Nope, I never seen 'em...I only spent a little time on Level S while goin' round, enough ta feel like crawlin' outta my skin...never knew why."
"What're they like?" Betty asked, ever curious.
The angel gave a sad expression, hanging her head as she sat down again. "They were all people, once. Everyone that Joey Drew could get his hands on to make into a toon...failed. Made completely of ink and souls. Many can still speak. Some have their memories, and their names. Others are in pain for reasons they don't know. They've made a little civilization for themselves, far down into the deepest recesses of the studio." She sniffed a little. "It hurts just to think about them. They respect and fear the Ink Demon...and outright feared me...us. Susie." She started to massage her aching head. "They only ever answered to Sammy Lawrence, back there. But I think he was sent back to the ink a good while ago..."
Boris's ears lowered. "Well, gee...makes me wish I could've seen 'em too...an' at th' same time, prob'ly would be too sad."
Betty nodded. "I kinda would like to see 'em...actually, you said they were crossin' over, too?"
"Indeed," Alice nodded. "I kinda let them...I think maybe they could find better lives, even in the forgotten parts of Toon World. They'd fit in better, anyway, and it's the least I could do. It's so pitiful for them otherwise." Her expression brightened a little then, as a thought came to her. "Maybe...maybe we could talk to them now."
Betty's eyes widened, while Boris's narrowed. "What makes ya think that?" he wondered.
"They know the depths like nobody else. Some have even been everywhere down in this world. Maybe...maybe they could even have an idea of how to help Bendy. It's worth a try."
"I agree," Betty nodded, slapping the side of her fist down on her palm, a decisive gesture. "It really sounds like they might have somethin' fer us."
Boris groaned. "Betty, y'really do like t' jump inta things. What if th' Lost Ones end up bein' hostile?"
"We won't know until we try," the toonette said with finality. "It's just like y' said. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
Alice hummed. "I'm about as cautious as Boris on this one...I don't know how they'd treat me. But, on the other hand...I really want to check up on them, too." She adjusted her halo. "'Bout time I started showing them how a real angel acts."
The wolf tilted his head and chuckled. "Lookit you, Miss Take-Charge. Your life used t' only be about performin'. Now yer a lot stronger too."
She could only shyly giggle. "The determination you were talking about is contagious, I suppose. I'll be happier once I can perform again though, no worries and regrets."
"Love ta see you all on stage someday," Betty cut in with an excited smile. "But, fer now...looks like we have a new direction t' go."
With a groan, Boris already went to make sure he had everything he wanted to bring. "Ayup...and away we go, back t' Hell."
"Appropriately enough, to find a demon," Alice quipped.
Level S had an indescribable sort of quiet to it, once the elevator made its cheerful little ding that told the trio they had arrived. On the way, things had felt incredibly tense; once again they were ready and waiting to walk into trouble...and the one question that hung in the air, concerning the Ink Demon and what they would do if he appeared once again, went unanswered. The ride was thus slow, harrowing, a drop further into depths that nobody had a right to be in.
Boris stepped out first, brandishing his trusty ax, while Betty kept a hand on her frying pan. Alice felt that she needed no weapon (much to Boris's eternal arguments) and simply stayed close as they crept quietly through the hallway and into a break in the path.
"Th' start of th' administration offices," Boris hummed as he read the signs. "Personal floor fer th' bosses."
"Sheesh," Betty shook her head, "In all my days, I ain't seen any studios that built things down instead of up."
"Joey was strange like that," Alice nodded. "I always figured it was a metaphor for Hell, that the further you go, the more important—or worse—the surroundings. He kept an office at the very bottom."
"Or he jus' had a lot t' hide," Boris huffed. "Y'get lots a' places t' hide underground, especially if ya build through th' ground itself. No such luck in a tall building, with walls n' stuff, pennin' ya in like sheep."
Alice had to giggle a little. "That's a very deep thought for you, Boris."
He shrugged and stuck his tongue out. "Well, it makes sense."
"I kinda prefer his explanation," Betty agreed. "And when it comes t' Hell, I prefer th' toons' versions. Much more dramatic and silly. And snazzy."
"Meanwhile, Heaven gets to look too orderly and boring," Alice observed with a shrug. "Whatcha gonna do, I guess."
The small talk was limited to quiet, quick whispers as soon as they decided to check out the archives. Boris tried to strong-arm the valve-wheel-locked door into opening, but it took all three toons pulling to finally make the old thing budge. Inside, once a switch was flipped, the lights burst into bright flickering, centering upon a rather impressive rotunda of shelves and safes, carrying an eternity of notes, scripts, storyboards, and reels.
"Oh, my goodness..." Betty marveled as she and Alice followed Boris along to the inside of the rotunda, where there sat a study table like one would find in a library. "This thing could rival any sorta archives back at my studio."
Alice smiled a little as she ran her gloved fingers over the spines of various books on the shelf. "So many good memories; at least they were kept in good condition." She stopped and pulled out a book with a picture of Bendy on the cover; it was an art book, a look behind the scenes of the animators' works. She flipped through some of the pages and saw early concepts of herself and Boris as well. "If only we could go back in time."
"Thankfully, time can be preserved up top," Betty said with a smile. "You'll see when we get outta here. Singin' an' dancin' again in no time."
"Yes," Alice sighed sadly and closed the book. "But for whom?"
Betty's brow furrowed. "Now that's no way to act. Y'gotta have some hope...b'sides, if y'do any singin', do it fer yourself, if nobody else. If it makes ya happy, then sing! Dance! Be what you were made to be! Audience or none."
Alice looked up, glancing sidelong at Betty as the book was gently slid back into place. She wanted to say that it was easy for her of all toons to say...her memory was practically immortalized; she didn't know what it was like not to have an audience. Not to stop hearing the laughter and cheering.
Not to be shooed off the stage before the performance ever began.
But...Alice couldn't say those words. Otherwise, it would be as if she never left the prison of Susie's mind. She'd let hopelessness consume her. Besides...Betty's optimism was just as contagious as Boris's determination.
"I sure would like t' hear ya sing again," the wolf then said with an uplifting smile. "An' I think Bendy would too."
Alice felt tears behind her eyes again. If there was one thing she could remember vividly from the past, it was the eternal grin on the little demon's face when he did listen to her singing. "Y'know, he just might," the angel said, with a bit of sincerity in the words. Start trying to be happy with them, Alice Angel. If FOR them.
Betty gave a little sigh and clapped her hands, willing the conversation into more lighthearted (or at least productive) directions. "Now! Where're we goin'? Through th' offices or th' archives?"
"Mm..." Boris laid his chin in his palm. "There's a path through th' offices; it'll take us all th' way down. But th' archives have a secret door, an' paths that are very outta th' way...Alice," he looked up, "I don't imagine th' Lost Ones like to wander in th' open very much."
The angel's head shook. "No, not really...not in the real world, anyway. They'd still be very secretive when getting used to this side...especially if the Ink Demon's still lurking. They only stick to the archives, the warehouses, the R&D departments...and of course, their little shanty town, at the flooded caves. Built using so many things they grabbed from the studio's ruins. It's rather cute. But well-protected...we hadn't seen much of it at all before."
"Well, it's them we're gonna meet..." Betty pointed out. "If we wanna make a good first impression, we might as well make ourselves known right away."
"Archive tunnel it is," Boris announced, taking a deep breath to steel himself for the journey further ahead. "Eh...didn't really wanna try t' go through th' offices again anyway. Bad memories, runnin' from th' Ink Machine. Better stay close, ladies."
"Agreed," Alice added, deciding to hang onto Boris's left arm for a little bit of the trip. "On all points."
It was still hard to pinpoint where the unsettling feeling was coming from, as they opened the secret back door into the cavernous depths and roads of suspended mining carts, and tried to pick a path to follow. But little did they know that already, they were being watched by a good few sets of wary eyes.
"...I swear, this place is more confusin' than tryin' ta navigate Crazy Town," Betty observed, looking around outside of the little suspended cart that they'd taken to cross an endless black chasm. Unlike back in the other studio, there were quite a few more of them around, most likely a little transport system built by the Lost Ones that took them to various parts of the level.
After looking around, it was Alice who picked the car, which was taking them to another portion of the studio proper.
"There really should be a map," the angel agreed. She was at the proverbial helm of the cart, keeping her eyes peeled like a lookout from a crow's nest as their destination crept closer. "Thankfully—or not, depending—I know this place inside and out. Susie's influence stretched everywhere."
"All the more happy that we gotcha freed, then," Boris said with a reassuring little pat to her back. "Maybe we can make a map later. If we survive, that is..."
"Just keep up yer pep, Boris," Betty practically commanded with a waving finger. "We'll make it."
"Aye-aye, ma'am," he replied with an over-the-top salute, which had to make even Alice chuckle.
Finally, the cart stopped to allow them off onto a rocky little outcrop that served as a welcome mat to the entrance of the warehouses.
As Boris ran ahead to get the door open for the girls, Alice raised a hand. "Be careful going in, Boris, the beams in these halls can be a bit on the..."
THUNK. "Owww…." Plop.
"...Low side."
Betty quickly trotted up to the fallen wolf as he sat up slowly, shaking her head and tutting him. "And you say I like t' rush in."
"I was jus' checkin' th' door," he slurred, his head spinning. "S'fine, everythin's fine...ooh, pretty stars," he murmured as the girls helped him up again.
"A toon through and through," Alice giggled. "Glad to see that hasn't changed."
"Told ya there was hope, hon," Betty retorted with a wink.
Once Boris shook off his dizzy spell (and the stars he saw), he took the lead down through a broken corridor and up a grand, spiraling set of wooden stairs. Along the path was a slew of different cartoon posters, some the same as the ones Betty had first seen coming into the studio, and some that looked like they were advertising new shorts. To the side, from behind the safety of a banister, they looked down into another deep pit with a long chain going through from the ceiling. Betty could swear that she heard rhythmic pumping if she listened hard enough. She pointed. "Say, that wouldn't happen t' lead to th..."
"Ink Machine? Yeah," Boris supplied, nodding grimly.
"It was quite an attraction to warrant its own walk-around," Alice added. "At least...the part that supplied the ink. The real Machine, which housed and trapped its victims, lies at the very bottom."
"...Oh dear me..." Betty shuddered. "I really, really, really do not like how it feels to be anywhere near that thing."
"Unfortunately, it's hard to escape," Alice sighed, suppressing a shiver of her own, holding herself like she were cold. "I'd give anything to know how to turn it off. Anyway," she pointed, "This door leads to what used to be a sort of VIP meeting lounge...now, it's used as a meeting area by the Lost Ones...maybe we'll find some of them here."
Betty stepped up. "So...do we just knock?"
Boris hummed quietly. "Try it; maybe we can use th' knob if nobody answers."
"Would be a rude thing t' do, just barge in...it pays to be courteous." With that, the toonette went first, raising her hand for a gentle but audible knocking pattern.
The sound seemed to echo. But there was no answer.
She tried again. "Hello? Excuse us, but is anyone here? We'd like t' talk."
And again, nothing.
"Maybe they're not home," Alice supplied. "Though, if they saw us come in somehow, they might just be hiding from us. Or from me, rather."
"I'm tryin' th' door," said Boris, and without a second for his friends to make an objection, the knob was turned; surprisingly for it to be unlocked, and thus able to open without a hitch.
He pushed it inward through the threshold, to come upon a cozy-looking room with a couple of sofas and a few chairs, and a table with a tea set. There was a balcony set above another closed door at the head of the room, making it look like a stage for anyone addressing the parties below.
"Oh, please keep that ax lowered, Boris," Alice chided him quietly, her hand insistently holding onto his arm. "We don't want to give the impression we're here for trouble."
"I know, I know...I just wanna be prepared," he assured. "Let's let Betty talk 'em out. She's good at that."
Seeing that as her cue, Betty tried again, stepping to the center of the room and calling out, while adding a little bit of flirty posing to her stance. "Hello? Any inky pals here? I'm visitin', and would appreciate some assistance gettin' around!"
They waited for a moment...but still, nothing answered.
"Hmph," Betty sighed. "What's a girl gotta do nowadays t' get some help…?"
Alice had her lip quirked up with amusement, but she frowned the instant she heard the telltale pop of a few ink puddles nearby. "...Something doesn't seem right..."
Boris certainly hadn't missed that sound. Ears perked, he once again raised the ax. "Betty, we got trouble!"
And trouble came as instantly as it was heard: several bubbling ink puddles bearing not Lost Ones, but regular Searchers, all crawling from wherever their hovel could possibly be and training their expressionless, gaping faces to the disturbance in their home.
"Ooh, I didn't mean that kinda help!" Betty yelped as she hopped back toward Alice and Boris, and all three of them were soon surrounded by the creatures.
Alice tried to count however many there were around them (at least the ones that she could see,) and grunted with frustration. "They must have decided to send out their attack dogs instead."
"Just peachy," Boris replied as he swung the ax to block a blow from one of the creatures. Their groaning sounds were getting a little too loud now for them to hear each other. "What're we gonna do now?"
"Well, we certainly can't give up...!" said Betty as the clang of her pan could be heard from the impact of another Searcher's head. "They could still be around..."
While Boris and Betty argued, Alice was just about having enough of the commotion, and held her hands outward, halo glowing brightly. "Get away from us!" she commanded.
Almost immediately, the Searchers did as told, and stopped ganging up on the group to fall back—rather literally—into their side of the inky void.
"...Huh. Works just like ya said," Boris said, glancing at the angel with a bit of a grin.
Alice had to chuckle back, hands on her hips. "Well, you ever known me to lie, sweetie?"
"Well, there was the time when..."
"Other than that."
"...Then nope."
Betty let out a little giggle, and wiped her brow off. But, just as the group was taking a collective breath of relief, there came another, panicked male voice from somewhere up in the stage setting.
"ANGEL! It's the angel!"
And at that, through the doors upon the balcony and the ones both behind and in front, shambled a large mass of ink creatures. This time, they looked much more human, with eternally-sullen-looking eyes that glowed yellow and emaciated, sickly frames. Many slouched, others stood straight, and a few carried improvised weapons...
But all locked those eyes with intensity on the group—and in particular, Alice.
"Can't you read? You don't belong here!"
"No angels!"
"Nothing here for you to tear apart!"
Right then, the toons seemed to prefer the pained groans of the Searchers to the angry shouts of the Lost Ones...they sounded so human that it was like their own audience was tearing them apart...and the feeling was a terrible one. Alice held her hands up in a placating manner. "No, no, I'm not the angel that you mean! I'm the real Alice Angel! Susie was left on the real-world side!"
Quickly, Boris and Betty had to put the poor girl between them, also holding their hands up (though both of the wolf's were on his ax). "She's tellin' th' truth!" the wolf insisted over their insults. "Lookit us, we're actual toons!"
"Yeah, stop yer bickerin' fer a minute an' listen, please!" Betty added, but to little avail. It looked as if the former human beings were past the point of even trying to comprehend the sight in front of them.
Then, suddenly, they saw a bunch of them in the back being pushed to the side. "Guys, c'mon, step aside! Stop this! Hold your horses a minute, huh?"
The voice this time was feminine, and though high-pitched, was intense enough to rise above the mostly-masculine voices that still complained until she muscled through; then their attention was to her, weapons lowered.
She didn't look any different from the other Lost Ones as she stood in front of the group; but they could just feel the difference in her attitude. She glanced over the three of them for a moment, before slapping the closest of her kin in the back of the head; she had a rather tough mid-western accent. "How's about you guys open your eyes and ears for one minute, huh? We're on the toon side of the studio, not the real side...these are our characters! You knew we might run into them, so be polite!"
The rest of them fell silent, while a few good souls did have the decency to mutter a few apologies, and ended up turning and dispersing, much to the surprise of the trio.
With a sigh, the Lost One turned to the group once the mob had gone back to their places. "Sorry about them. A lot of 'em are a little too far gone in the head from what we've been through back there. They don't trust strangers, much less any that look like Mister Drew's monsters." Her head tilted. "You really are toons, right, or am I wrong, and am about to be food for the Ink Demon?"
The incredulous way she asked actually made the three of them let out some chuckles, before they stood straight in front of her. "Yes, I promise, we really are the toons from this studio," Alice informed, her hands folded shyly in front of her as she bobbed in a curtsy. "Alice Angel, at your service; and of course, that's Boris."
"Pleasure t' meetcha," the wolf said with a little bow of his own, nonchalantly hiding the ax behind him. "An' this here with us is a visitor; she saved us from bein' trapped back up there."
Betty did a little bow of her own. "I'm Betty Boop! An' who might you be?"
The Lost One hummed a little laugh. "Oh, I know who you are; not very many cartoonists that didn't know the famous Fleischer kids, back in the day. As for you two," she turned to Alice and Boris, "It's an honor to meet our toons in reality and not on the page...finally...even if it's not in the most..." She looked briefly at her shiny, jet-black hands, "...Desirable of circumstances." She sighed. "As for me...not many of us retain our memories, and our names...I'm one of the fortunate ones, so the others tend to listen to me. Name's Camilla. I was once an animation intern, turned receptionist for the administration offices...and one of the last ones to be...subject to Mister Drew's cruelty. Heh, I'd have preferred a raise."
"Aw, gee whiz...well, still, s'good t'meetcha too," Boris nodded, preferring to smile under the circumstances. "S'what we've wanted t'do all along, meet th' folks that we make happy, an' who made us."
"Likewise," Alice smiled with a tilt of her head. "Though, I still apologize for what's been done for you to give up your faith in angels. And...what's been done to you in general."
"Hey," Camilla waved her hand, "If anyone should be made to apologize, it's Mister Drew. Sadly though, not much to do about that, so...moving on. What're you three doing all the way down here? I overheard you're looking for us? Don't mind me if that doesn't seem a bit concerning, though again, we're honored."
"Yes, in fact, we were looking for you," Alice informed.
"Long story short," Betty continued. "I came in wantin' ta help th' Joey Drew toons get outta this place...ended up savin' Boris, helpin' him save Alice, an' hearin' a very sad story along th' way. Now I wanna help everyone, even you if ya want. I do know the toon world in an' out, an' you'd be welcomed, for sure."
"Our main thing though," Boris cut in, "Is findin' out what happened to th' last member of our crew. Th' star himself, Bendy."
"It was my idea to come down here for that," Alice finished, her fingers interlocking together in front of her heart, a pleading gesture. "I knew that some of you managed to cross over...and since you know things down here...maybe we could ask you for help. If you've seen Bendy, if you know anything about the Machine, or the Ink Demon...anything."
Though it was hard for her to show emotion, Camilla still let off an air of incredulity. "...You want to help the Demon?"
"If it helps Bendy himself," Boris said with finality. "We're not leavin' without 'im."
There was a tense pause as the Lost One thought about the terms, before letting out an ink-garbled sigh. "C'mon...I'd better take you guys to a place where it would be safe to talk some more on this, then. The Demon can roam these very halls at any moment."
The toons could feel the eyes of the other Lost Ones around them now as they passed them by, many of them just watching on with something they could only guess was curiosity. At least there was no more outright hostility, especially when every so often Camilla would cautiously wave a finger to dissuade anyone from coming near them.
Leading them back out into the cavernous depths, she took them on another ride across one of the makeshift wooden gondolas, and then onto one that was made like a lift to go down. She asked Boris for help to hold onto the ropes and slowly lower themselves, seeing as usually there was always more than one operator for that particular lift, and it was a bit of a heavy load now. The wolf was more than happy to oblige, which seemed to give Camilla a bit more comfort in knowing that she was dealing with real compassion.
It was a long way into darkness that they went, and all too slowly, with the sound of dripping and pouring ink filling the silence in an endless echo across the chasm. But they didn't have to wait too long in silence before a sight only mildly familiar to Alice came into view from below...and even then, she was left in just as much awe as the others.
The Lost Ones had recreated their shanty town, and then some, from the other world onto this little plot of the underground that was surrounded by a river of stark black; Alice would have likened it to the River Styx. Two circular rows of wood-and-metal housing shacks surrounded a wide space, in the center of which stood a small statue of Bendy with little bowls of what seemed like offerings at his feet. A dock led out onto the river, and into a dark tunnel that perhaps led back to the studio proper, or to a side bunker. It was dingy, but somehow the candles and warm orange glows made by borrowed lights in the windows, and strings of them all over the cavern, had made the dismal sight a little more cozy.
The lift landed on one of the rooftops near the head of the little town, where Camilla led them to a two-story shack; the top house, it appeared, was hers, as the front door was a rooftop entrance.
"It ain't much, but then again, we've got no room to complain about luxury anymore," she said as she opened the door and ushered in her guests. "Make yourselves at home. There's a ton of bacon soup cans in the crate there, if anyone's hungry."
"Ooh! Much obliged, Miss Camilla!" the wolf said as he licked across his maw and immediately went over to pry the lid off.
Betty and Alice shared a bit of a giggle at the sight, and took in the rest of the little hovel. There was a short bookshelf filled with some of the tomes found in the archives, a projector and a few tins of film sitting in the corner, and in the center was a round wooden table with a few plates having been left there, a candle, and a seating arrangement of a sofa and two chairs around the setup. The crate where Boris was sniffing around was tucked into the other corner; no bed, no kitchen, no bathroom...it was basically all just a living area. Betty figured that the ink creatures had no need for sleep and only little in the way of food or water.
Camilla took a few glances around outside before closing and latching the door, and then took a seat on one of the chairs. Betty and Alice took the sofa, and everyone's eyes widened a little when Boris came in to take the last chair with a hefty armful of soup cans.
"Gee, you saving any for us?" the angel asked with a giggle and a quirked eyebrow.
Betty snickered behind a hand and whispered toward Alice. "Is he really always that hungry?"
"Lemme put it this way," she grinned back with a low voice, "Back in our neck of the woods, he's been banned from every eating contest in existence."
"Aaah, they're all jus' jealous," Boris waved a hand as he was downing his third can of soup already; the rest were done up in a pyramid. "I can win 'em all with m' hands tied."
"I dunno," Betty's eyes rolled up innocently, "I know a hippo from my side a' town that could prob'ly match ya."
Boris snorted and gave the air a few mock-punches. "Lemme at 'im, I'll tear 'im a new pant leg. But uh, really though, I ain't that bad anymore," he said while timidly poking his tongue out, and slid them both a can. "So here y'two go if ya want."
"Boris, seriously, you can even have mine," Betty assured. "You were down here fer God knows how long...you deserve as much food as you can find."
Camilla gave a little giggle of her own (though it came out rather garbled), and sighed. "It feels unimaginably good to be able to laugh, even a little. You're the real toons, alright. Now, speaking of Boris, we should get down to brass tacks. What exactly happened here in this world to make you two," she pointed to the wolf and Alice, "get stuck here?"
And so, they had the time to each tell their stories from the beginning, from Alice's accidental capture and loss of mind to Boris's unimaginable torture and his luck at being placed back in the toon world, supposedly by the Ink Demon or the Searchers. Camilla was attentive throughout, though silent and sad...and she let out a breath that could have been a sob by the end of it.
"You guys really didn't deserve this...nobody did. Joey Drew shouldn't have even been left alone to that place. It's truly insane. Thank goodness for Betty's help."
"Aw," the toonette shyly waved, "I only found out about this place by chance...glad my curiosity got th' better a' me now. Besides, if I weren't there, maybe you guys would've found 'em instead, since you're comin' here from there."
"Yes..." Camilla hummed, "But...we wouldn't have been able to do anything to help. We're made now of the same cursed ink that makes that place...and the curse on this place."
Betty curiously blinked as she looked in her bag and pulled out her special inkwell, which as she willed it so, looked briefly tiny; though bigger than her hand still. "It's strange how that works. Only things made a' my ink...that is, Uncle Max's ink...can cut through this place's traps n' such."
Alice nodded. "Probably because that's the ink of a true Creator. With real powers of imagination, so much as to be able to bring a toon to life here. At least, that's how I always understood it..."
Boris tilted his head, now seemingly full enough of the soup as he threw the last can away into the bin that was in the third corner of the shack. "But, if that's the case, an' Joey's th' Creator of th' studio...why would he need th' Ink Machine?"
Betty snapped her fingers. "That's a good question! A true Creator wouldn't need somethin' like that, an' whatever other forces he conjured up, t' match this power! He'd only have his imagination, an' his inkwell."
"He thought the Machine was needed to bring toons into his world," Alice answered, closing her eyes. "Pencil, paper, imagination, it wasn't enough. And he ended up sacrificing his workers to do it...as well as stealing the life out of our world, and us."
"It's fairly obvious, then," Camilla sighed. "Joey Drew was not a true Creator. He was an impostor, and a liar. And he fooled all of us, human and toon alike."
There was a thoughtful and sad silence floating around the room then, tension so thick it could be cut with a knife—Betty even had a funny idea to try, but there were better times for humor—and then Boris broke the quiet with a soft, almost whimpering tone. "But...Joey still created us...didn't he?"
"Mmm..." Camilla mused as her fingers played idly among themselves, "Maybe...and maybe not."
Simultaneously, the toons' heads swiveled back up to her. "...What do you mean, 'maybe not'?" Alice's eyes narrowed.
The Lost One sighed. "Well, of course, memory's gonna be a little hazy on some things, but...I worked at the studio long enough to know that starting out, Joey Drew had a partner who ran it with him...he was at first the sole animator, and later the supervising animator. Henry Stein. The guy quit not long later, maybe a couple years...can't say as I'd blame him. Joey always said that all the ideas and creative power only belonged to himself, but...the oldest workers had a secret among themselves: it was probably Henry who created the characters, and the world."
"Henry...?" Boris echoed, his eyes widening a little. "Say...th' name does sound a bit familiar...ringin' like a bell now as I hear it, in fact..."
"...Yeah...it sounds familiar to me too..." Alice murmured, one hand once again going to her head as it started to ache. "Real familiar. Too familiar...like..." her other hand came up, the fingers framing her tiny horns. "Like...like I've seen him."
"Even if a toon never met their creator, he'll always feel familiar to 'em; or she, s' a changed world. It's their imaginative power that gives you life...they're like a parent to ya." Betty pointed out with an excited finger snap. "This Henry a' yours, he has t' be the real Creator. Your real creator...and Bendy's too!"
Alice shook her head, and her stare seemed distant, like she was trying hard to remember something important. "He couldn't be mine, if he left the studio within a couple of years...I came later. What if I am Joey Drew's, or someone else's?"
"Well, I heard that Henry'd pitched an idea for a female character that got immediately shot down early on," Camilla kept musing. "There's still a distinct possibility that he's your creator too, Alice...'Course Joey would take the credit, and revive you, but it'd still be Henry..." that was when she paused and looked more carefully at the angel's reaction. "...Are you okay?"
"I...I'm not...sure..." she kept rubbing at her head. "I...I swear, I really think I know Henry..."
"Oh, poor thing, y'have a headache?" Betty asked and dug into her bag. "I have aspirin here somewhere..."
"N-no. I'm fine," she immediately waved off, putting on a smile as she sat straight again. "I-it's nothing. Anyway, Camilla," she focused past her concerned friends and onto the Lost One, "This all being said: I don't suppose you all would happen to know anything about the whereabouts of the real Bendy? Or...if he could indeed be connected to the Ink Demon?"
She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, dear...I don't know a thing about where your friend might be...we discovered a way into the toon world only a little while ago. As for the Demon, well...he was kept quite the secret from the employees. Those who did know—like maybe the Gent company, who worked on the Machine—never said anything, but some of us caught wind later on that...they created something that wasn't right."
Betty's brow furrowed as she laid her face in her palm. "Oh dear...what a real mess...I don't suppose there might be a way t' get to th' real Machine here an' investigate it...?"
"Not a doggone chance!" Boris immediately shot, crossing his arms and turning his head away defiantly. "That thing took Alice, an' left me with an experience I'd never repeat!"
"Well...to be honest, it wasn't the Machine that took me, per se...I chose to mess with it, and paid the price," Alice pointed out. "But if we were more careful...and that is where Bendy was going..."
"Abso. Lutely. Not."
"It's the one place we haven't looked, Boris..."
"I ain't takin' th' chance a' losin' you again, Alice...!"
"I'm afraid that you guys would be out of luck if you did try to go down there," Camilla interrupted the argument with a bit of a sheepish tone, "It's completely flooded now, near all the way to the top of the cavern it's in, and locked tightly behind closed doors. The lowest you could go is to the offices near where it's kept." She sighed. "If there were a way to turn off the Machine, it could be possible to drain the flood, but..."
"Lemme guess," Betty frowned, "Y'can't?"
"We tried," she nodded. "Many of us did. It's like the lever up top is cemented in place."
"Well...maybe Betty could do it," Boris suggested. "Everything she's done's worked so far."
The toonette nodded. "It's worth a shot."
"The thing is, the Machine is what's keeping the place powered," said Camilla, "Shutting it down might mean shutting out the real world."
"...Where a bunch of you are still trapped," Alice sighed.
"Yes...we want to get everyone here...but who knows how long that'll be..."
"...What do we do now?" Betty murmured.
"There has t' be somethin'..." Boris huffed. "Somethin' we're missin'."
As they were thinking, Alice focused once more on the thing that was nagging at her since hearing Henry's name...something trying to reach the edge of her mind, screaming for attention, making her head ache all the more.
And then, as she closed her eyes, it came flashing back.
"I see you there..."
"Better hurry, errand boy...we have work to do."
"BRING ME BACK MY BORIS!"
"Henry...why are you here? We're all dying to find out..."
"WHY CAN'T YOU EVER JUST DIE?!"
The look of fear and defiance combined on the man's face...the look of sadness as she charged...the swift, cold feeling of steel through flesh and ink...
Alice's eyes shot open again, and she let out a loud gasp. "Henry! I did see him!"
The others glanced up at her with perplexed expressions. "Whatcha talkin' 'bout?" Boris blinked with shock.
"Oh dear God..." Alice held her head, feeling a pounding ache with the memory now. "Henry's here! On the other side, in the real-world studio! We saw him...Susie and I saw him...!"
"Alice, dear, calm down!" Betty exclaimed as she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders to steady her hysterics. "Take a breath an' explain!"
"Yeah!" Boris said, having leaped up to his feet at this news. "Y'can't be pullin' my leg, here...!"
The angel gulped and tried to breathe through the images that were coming back to her. "I'm not, Boris...it's true. For some reason, Henry returned to the studio, as it is now...he fought through monsters...outran the Ink Demon. Befriended one of your clones, even," she smiled a little shakily, "Before I...we...she tore him away. She...I...I almost killed him...he's the real Creator..." her eyes welled up, "And...and I almost...!"
"Aw...Alice..." Boris whimpered a little as he instantly went over to the sofa and gathered her in a warm hug, her words slowly turning into sobs. "Alice, I told ya...it wasn't you. It was Susie...an' th' Machine, what did this to ya. You'd never do that, not you."
"Listen to 'im, honey," Betty encouraged along, patting her on the back. "It ain't your fault at all. Stop yer cryin', it's fine! C'mon...what should we do t' cheer ya up, huh?"
Alice hiccuped through her sobs, reaching up to wipe her eyes as she started to come out of her sudden bout of sadness. "Well," she sniffed, "I could probably use a couple of those aspirin now."
"Aw, certainly...!" Betty acquiesced with a sympathetic smile as she produced a small bottle of medicine and a full glass of water from her bag. "Here ya go."
Camilla simply watched the toons' interactions in silence for a moment; after all, the Lost Ones weren't really a part of this world, and it wasn't really her place to do much in the line of interfering. But she was a little fascinated by the news of Henry having returned. There was now a whole slew of questions that needed answers. Hopefully, it would lead to the beloved characters in front of her being able to go home, and together.
And then came a thought, but which seemed impossible...but still an idea...what if they could bring Henry to this side...? What could the presence of a true Creator do that even Betty couldn't?
It was just when the three of them were starting to get smiles back on their faces again (thanks to Betty's cheerful coaching), that there suddenly came another sound from outside the door, and getting quite loud.
"Miss Camilla! Miss Camilla! You gotta see th—ohnoohnoaaaAAAH!" SPLAT! THUMP.
The toons all stared with bewilderment at the door, and all wincing a bit at the sound of an apparent collision with it.
If Camilla had visible pupils, they knew she'd have been rolling them as her head did the motion. "Oh, for the love of..." the inky being muttered as she got up from her seat and went to open the door, reaching down to help the fallen Lost One crumpled up there at the threshold. "Good gosh, Morty, I told you, you're in the toon world with slippery feet. Don't ever run!"
"Ugh...sorry, I keep forgettin'..." the apparently male ink being muttered as the toons in the room could all be heard snickering or giggling.
Camilla just brushed the dust off of him as he stood up again. "S'alright...now, what the heck made you wanna do that?"
He shook what dizziness he had out of his head and started again. "I'm so sorry to disturb you, but...you won't believe this...Sammy's back!"
She let out a loud gasp and backed up a step. "You're kidding! The prophet's here?"
"Yeah! Found his mask floundering in the ink river, and when we pulled it out, he came with it, good as new!"
"Oh, good Lord, I can't believe this..."
"Waitaminute!" Boris exclaimed as he and the ladies scrambled to their feet, unable to keep from overhearing the conversation. "Sammy? As in Sammy Lawrence?"
"Your music director that you said went crazy?" Betty tried to clarify, looking between the wolf and angel, who was too stunned at the moment with varying emotions to even find words.
Camilla looked back to them. "The one and the same, it seems...uh..." she glanced back over to Morty, who was sparing quick and nervous looks at the apparent guests in her home. "Tell the others I'll be down to join them in a second."
Once he hobbled (in a quick walk this time) out of view, she faced the toons again. "Uhm...you guys might want to stay here. There's no telling how he'll react to you yet."
The three of them nodded in tandem. "Definitely sounds like the better idea," Boris agreed.
And with that, Camilla left them in silence, while out of the window there seemed to rise a clamor of activity.
