Henry knew things had changed….
Since the last time he defeated the Ink Demon, there was no denying that the current respawn of Bendy was lurking somewhere. It carried the same unpleasant demeanor….it was the same entity….and it was another resurrection simply left undefeated.
Henry had to admit that defeating Bendy for decades only made each spawn different. Though they retain some of the same abilities, the scary truth was that Bendy acquired more strength and knowledge as his lives repeated. The last reincarnation Henry fought was around thirteen years ago, and the last thing he wanted was to fight another Ink Demon.
But the reason why Henry was here –the true reason– was something not even he was sure of.
Recently, Henry has had bad intuitions about his former workplace. Usually the nightmares that haunted his slumbers were about Bendy, but now it was something entirely different. He had a bad feeling that something worse was yet to come, and what could be worse than Bendy? That's why Henry was here. Perhaps it had something to do with Allison, and if so, then he didn't mind finishing off the Ink Demon one last time.
Henry continued to follow Tom, having said nothing else after hearing Allison's fate. They then ventured into a part of the studio that was new and unfamiliar to him. It was away from the domain ink creatures spawned –that much he knew– since this part of the studio was ultimately vacant. Tom turned his head to watch Henry from the corner of his eye, but he didn't try to intimidate him. The wolf was anxious about introducing the cartoon creator to Ben, and how will the child react when he sees Henry?
They finally arrived at the hideout, and Tom didn't hesitate opening the door with Henry following behind. Upon entering, the cartoonist knew that this was indeed a different spot. Tom and Allison must've relocated due to the Ink Demon finding them again. However, with an unfinished Bendy bot lying on the table, Henry wondered why Tom would have such a thing. Fortunately, Henry wasn't here to question anything. Instead, he quietly decided to get a closer look at the animatronic and failed to notice Tom walking towards another door. After a moment, a child's voice then erupted with utmost excitement, causing Henry to freeze in alarm.
Was that a child?
Why was there a child?!
Whose child was this, and why were they in the studio?!
Henry didn't need to speculate any longer. As soon as Tom let the door fully open, a young boy resembling Allison locked eyes on Henry. Ben also stayed where he was, gawking at the mysterious guest currently present in his home. There was then a moment of silence as the two continued staring at each other. Ben finally then decided to break the silence and ran towards Henry.
"Wow a human!"
Wha–
Henry was disturbed as the kid began smothering him.
"Wow!" Ben gasped, yanking Henry towards him as he mushed his face like dough. Feeling Henry's skull underneath his skin was fascinating! Ben had read a book on anatomy once, and needless to say, he read it many times to understand what organs were where and what roles they served in humans.
"Does it hurt when you sprain an ankle? Did you ever break a bone? I haven't, but I hope to soon! Honestly, I don't even know if I have bones. No matter how hard I poke, I just feel ink! Wait, does it hurt when you get a cut?" Ben eagerly asked while waiting for the human's response. Tom was amused by the kid's immediate fascination for Henry, but knew this was getting out of hand. Especially seeing Henry's tense stature.
"You think you can tell me what foods you eat? Do you have a dog? Has the sun ever burned your skin? Is the world really flat or just round all over?"
Henry was relieved when Tom finally pulled Ben away. Now, he was finally able to address the issue he had here. Taking a deep breath, Henry pointed a finger at Ben.
"Who is this?"
"Oh, the name's Ben sir!" Ben answered before raising his arm to offer a shake of the hand. The boy gave Henry a wide grin that reminded him of Bendy. How odd. Henry shook the boy's hand anyway, but he paused when he noticed the faded trace of a massive scratch over the child's right eye.
That was a major red flag.
"Tom," Henry began while glancing from the frowning wolf to the cheerful boy. "This isn't right. He shouldn't be here. He can't stay." Ben winced a little as Tom's grip began to tighten on his shoulders, but the wolf did the best he could to maintain his composure. His pie-eyes obscurely stared while the former animator went on to express his frustration. "A child like this is in danger if he stays here. He's not safe. The Ink Demon-"
Tom interrupted Henry as he threw his left hand to angrily point at him, indicating that he dare not even think of starting such a conversation here. Ben gulped and gazed at Henry nervously, unsure of where the human seemed to be going with this.
Henry could tell by the looks he was getting that this was probably the wrong time. Was Ben even aware that he had a scar over his eye? Did he know about the Ink Demon? Well, of course! The Ink Demon was always something to be aware of in this studio, whether one wanted to believe in him or not!
Ben wasn't sure how to interpret Henry's message. Why would he be in danger? What about the Ink Demon should he be worried about? Did it have something to do with him? Was he truly not safe here with Tom? No, of course he's safe with Tom. Tom was his father, and fathers would do anything to protect their children.
Ben suddenly remembered his encounter with the demon last night, debating whether or not to address the situation with Tom. However, he decided to stay optimistic and reminded himself that it was just a bad dream. With Henry here as the first "non-ink" guest, Ben decided to shift the conversation elsewhere.
"Hey dad, I think I'm hungry. Can we have some soup?" Ben grinned up at Tom.
Tom glanced down before gently responding with a few pats on the boy's shoulder. Turning his attention back to Henry with a glare, the wolf turned the other way to begin preparing dinner. Henry said nothing more while watching Tom depart, leaving him alone with the child.
Ben tilted his head and grinned up at Henry as he examined the human's presence. Having a person filled with blood and guts was just so fascinating!
Henry gulped anxiously.
This was going to be a long day.
Henry lost interest in his bacon soup, too stunned in witnessing the way Ben eats. It was as if the child was malnourished and hadn't eaten in days. The utter desperation Ben had while gobbling the meal was both alarming and concerning. Henry had never seen a child eat in such a manner before. Tom was silently eyeing Henry from the other end of the table, but nobody seemed to notice him.
Intrigued in learning more about Ben, Henry placed his spoon down and decided to find out more about this kid.
"So, Ben? You seem to really be enjoying your soup there."
Ben slammed the bowl down as he stopped and wiped the liquid seeping from the corner of his mouth. "Who, me? Oh yeah! Yeah, I like food a lot sir. I'm always hungry."
Henry watched as the child immediately went back to his food, grabbing the bowl to gulp the remaining liquid down his throat. The man was absolutely baffled and didn't know how to respond. The kid looked absolutely healthy and normal, but ate as if Tom hadn't been feeding him in weeks. Henry couldn't help but lean his head towards Tom and whisper. "Does he always eat like this?"
Tom nodded in response, and with that answer, Henry didn't need to say anything else. Perhaps the kid just had a natural tendency of being hungry all the time. Most children in the outside world were always looking to fill in their appetites somehow, but this? This was completely different.
Ben emitted soft inhumane growls as he licked his bowl clean. When he finished, he placed the bowl back down on the table. Henry couldn't help but lean forward to gawk at the spotless dish. After Ben licked his lips, he grinned and looked at Tom. "Can I have some more dad?"
Henry's eyes never left Ben as Tom excused himself to immediately attend to the boy's wishes. As he walked over, the wolf ruffled Ben's hair before taking the dish. When he disappeared to the other side of the room, Ben couldn't help but continue his fascination over Henry.
"So...when you eat...does the food come out the same?"
Wha-
"Have you tried salad? I haven't yet…but I hope to! Do you like it?"
Okay, time for Henry to ask questions now. He chuckled before lying back in the chair. "Have you read the books?"
Ben nodded. "Yes sir!"
"Can you tell me about the real world?"
Ben contemplated on how to respond to that. He then shrugged his shoulders. "Well...I know that humans are happy...have fun...cook...and...uhm...maybe dance?"
Henry nodded. "What else do you know?"
"That's it. I know there's other things, but I know that when I read about them, they seem so full of life."
"Is that so?"
"I know so."
Henry nodded nonchalantly. He didn't want to ruin the kid's optimism. It was nice to see someone so young have such hope for humanity.
"One day, I hope to go out and see what's out there. I want to be happy like the kids in my books. I want to feel the grass with my hands and the sun on my skin. I want to try every single food in the world, and I want to scrape my knee on the sidewalk and-"
Ben paused. Puzzled by the unexpected hesitance, the usual smile the boy always had immediately faded.
"Ben, what's wrong?" Henry asked, concerned.
Ben seemed embarrassed and began slumping in his chair. "I-It's nothing."
"Ben, you can tell me." Henry assured as he reached over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Ben's eyes slightly widened at Henry's gesture, and the soft smile Henry sent made Ben feel loved.
"Listen," Henry began. "If you ever want to get away, even for just the day, I don't mind taking you with me."
Ben froze...but in a good way. Him? Go to the real world? That sounded like a dream! Boy, would he kill to be like those human children in the books! Going to school, riding in a car, making lots of friends, having a dad to bother whenever he reads the newspaper, and a mom who would cook delicious meals and bake giant cakes!
Wow, a mom! Oh, how Ben wished for a mother! From what he understands, he doesn't have one. Tom never mentioned a mom being around, so the boy assumed he was here without one.
Ben smiled and placed his hand atop Henry's. "I think I would like that very much mister-"
"Henry," Henry replied with a light chuckle. "My name's Henry."
"Henry? Alright, Henry I would like that – AH!"
Henry retracted his hand back upon seeing Ben throw a hand to his chest, gripping his shirt and wincing in pain. From what the man observed, it appeared as if the boy was having a heart attack. Henry panicked and shot out of his chair to rush to Ben's aid. "Ben? Are you alright?! What's wrong?!"
Ben tried to respond to Henry, but his thoughts could only focus on the pain. Unsure of what else to do, Henry called for Tom. Ben began heaving as the affliction in his chest intensified. Things only worsened when Henry placed both of his hands on him. Ben yelped in pain when his ears rang with the sound of his heartbeat, and Henry's distorted voice calling out his name.
"Ben? Ben!"
"Please...let...go of...me!" Ben whimpered.
Henry didn't hesitate and released his hands off the boy. As soon as he stepped back, the tightness inside the boy's chest diminished almost immediately, leaving Ben gasping in relief and coughing for air. As soon as the tension faded, Tom ran back inside and knelt beside the boy in concern.
However when Tom touched him, Ben swiped the wolf's hand away and snarled.
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
Startled by the outburst, Tom jumped to his feet. What on earth was wrong with Ben? He never acted this way! Was he upset that Tom didn't return with the food on time? He knew the boy had an insatiable hunger, but Tom had to scavenge for some outside.
Ben's menacing glare then locked eyes onto Tom and Henry. He then emitted a growl that only a beast was capable of making. Henry and Tom were left ultimately confused and afraid.
Agitated, Ben dismissed himself and stomped off towards his room, slamming the door behind him. Stunned, both Tom and Henry turned to each other before focusing their attention back to Ben's door.
Henry knew it was time to leave the studio when the sun began to set. Bidding farewell to Tom, he informed the wolf that he will return soon to check on them. Tom was annoyed by Henry's insistence on coming back and folded his arms.
"Tom, I don't think it's safe for him to be under these roofs. He needs to be out there in the world, understanding his true heritage. He may be made from ink, but he's still human. I'm sure I could work things out in keeping him healthy if he came with me. Just...if you ever decide to change your mind...let me know?"
Tom didn't respond.
And he probably never will. Why? Ben was never going to leave him. He swore an oath to Allison, and he was going to continue honoring that.
After Henry left, Tom shut the door behind him and exasperated softly. He then solemnly stared straight at Ben's door. He hadn't checked on the boy since dinner an hour ago. Since he knew the child probably needed some personal space, Tom didn't know what else to do. He missed witnessing the chest pains Henry mentioned, but the way Ben lashed at them made the wolf fear it was another monster episode.
Tom slowly crept up to the child's door before reaching for the doorknob. In his mind, he strictly reminded himself that he needed to leave the child alone for a bit. Morning would be the start of a brand new day, so to make it up, Tom was going to lighten Ben's spirit with a homemade meal.
Retracting his hand from the doorknob, Tom quietly retreated to bed.
Unaware that the Ink Demon was standing right on the other side.
Bendy's low growls heaved upon hearing Tom's footsteps. With Ben's wrist in his grip, they both heard Tom venture off to bed. As soon as his door shut, Bendy relaxed as Tom's presence was gone. Ben could sense the wolf's aroma fade into a deep sleep, and he now began to cry angry tears as he tried to break free.
"Just leave him alone! He didn't do anything!" Ben shouted. He even punched Bendy's face to see if that would help him escape. Unfortunately, that force had no effect on Bendy.
Ben became angry and shifted his face into a scowl. "If you ever hurt him, you'll regret it! You hear me!"
Bendy ignored him and continued to stare at the door.
"I'LL KILL-!"
Bendy quickly turned and snarled at the child. Ben shouted in alarm, but began crying when the monster squeezed his wrist even tighter.
Bendy sees everything. Being connected with Ben, he had been watching through his eyes when he felt the presence of something unusual touching the boy's hand. As soon as he sensed that it was none other than Henry, Bendy was beyond furious when Henry offered to take Ben from the studio. Unable to contain his outrage, the Ink Demon managed to influence Ben's conscience and encourage him to express anger. And because of this nuisance, the Ink Demon has become far more vigilant than ever.
You're… mine… Bendy telepathically spoke.
"No!" Ben denied as he continued to try and pry away from the monster's gloved hand.
You're…mine…You… belong… to… me!
Bendy turned and slowly began dragging Ben towards the wall. Terrified, Ben tried to slow the Ink Demon down by resisting to move forward with his feet.
"Please! I won't leave! I promise! I swear! I cross my heart! Just please let me go and leave me and my dad alone!"
As soon as they were ready to set foot through the ink portal, Bendy froze. Now, he was very angry. When they return to where they belong, Bendy is going to have to learn how to communicate. Ben yelped as the monster's grip tightened around his wrist harder, and the Ink Demon forcefully dragged the child into the portal with him.
"No! I don't want to go with you! My father needs me! Please! Let me go!"
The child begged for mercy as he was being engulfed by the thick ink, but not before managing to emit one final cry.
"DAD! HEL-"
Soon everything was silent as the portal quickly vanished.