Thomas no longer kept an appetite.
With his back facing Bendy's cage, the gruntled man knew he was being watched. Joey was sick of Bendy being in his office, complaining that it was annoying. So, the Gent worker had no choice but to keep Bendy here in his quarters until he had a plan to move him elsewhere.
One could say Thomas now has his hands full: Having to watch out for pipes, paperwork, dealing with Joey, and essentially "babysitting" the Bendy monster. It was all starting to become something he just couldn't bear with anymore. Joey didn't care about his employees, and he most definitely cared less about the unnatural occurrences happening around here. Everything changed as soon as that darn ink machine came to be. No matter how bad things were becoming, Thomas had no choice but to deal with it.
He would always discuss these lingering issues with Allison, and the actress couldn't agree more. He really wished she could come knocking on his door and lend him a massage, but she admitted that Bendy scared her. Not that she was afraid of it, but like Thomas, she'd become tense. So for her safety, Thomas insisted she stay away from it as much as possible.
Thomas turned his head to eye Bendy from the corner of his eye. As he figured, Bendy was motionlessly watching him with that unsettling grin. Thomas's heart dropped in fear, and only then did he immediately turn back to his desk. Now with this unsettling fear inside, Thomas definitely wasn't going to be able to eat today.
Awaiting the end of his lunch break, Thomas could feel tension brewing between him and Bendy. For the duration of his shift, whenever Thomas continuously stepped in and out of his office, Bendy kept watching. Ever since Thomas zapped him, Bendy has grown to detest the local Gent worker.
As his shift neared its peak, Thomas stopped working on gallon estimates for the ink machine and started wrapping up. Allison would be waiting for him in the lobby, and the thought of seeing her after such a stressful day made Thomas smile. It was always the last few minutes of work that seemed to drag, especially after overtime.
As soon as the man rose from his chair, Bendy rose from his cage too and continued to keep his attention on him. Thomas was startled upon the creature copying him and could only stare. Then, after hearing the low-emitted growls from the monster, Thomas had a feeling that Bendy was displeased with him leaving. He didn't like this highly aggressive behavior, and immediately went for his hat and coat. Thomas knew that after seeing this he was bound to have nightmares, but with Allison's help, she'd end up being the angel he needed that would get rid of the demon lingering in his mind.
Her gift sent from above.
Ben faintly opened his eyes, groaning uncomfortably as he was met with a headache. Upon awakening, the boy had no choice but to use his hand to shield his face from the light above. As Ben slowly sat up in the chair, he began to take in his surroundings. There were projectors playing Bendy cartoons everywhere, and underneath the chair, there was a large mound of ink with three gears that served as steps to and fro. It then became apparent to Ben that this was a throne of some kind.
As soon as Ben had slammed that door yesterday, the Ink Demon knew this was his chance to take him away. Though it wasn't the intentional part of the plan, Bendy knew that if he left the child there any longer, his idea of reclaiming his ink would ultimately fail. Henry would've removed Ben from the studio, and that meant Bendy would be vulnerable if he didn't get his ink back.
Ben was a failed attempt of Bendy trying to take Allison's vital force, so essentially, he shouldn't exist. Bendy was meant to extract Allison's essence rather than the other way around, but something had gone horribly wrong and a small extract of him had been left in her body. This enchanted ink from Bendy then somehow created a new extract of life, without the assistance of the machine. And it was for this reason that Bendy needed to reclaim that part of himself. Otherwise, this world will be in big trouble.
Ben realized he didn't have immediate strength to leave the chair, so he had no choice but to lay his head back down on the armrest. He was too fatigued to function, and the overwhelming sensation of hunger began proving too much. As soon as he shifted to comfortably lay his body on the seat, his eyes looked up to notice the Ink Demon peeking his head down from behind the chair.
Ben screamed and nearly fell out, nearly tripping his way down to get away. Seeing that there was a door straight ahead, Ben took off down the hallway. Bendy just watched him from behind the chair until the boy began pounding on the gate.
"DAD!" Ben cried, "HELP! DAD!"
A deep growl then caught Ben's attention, and the boy spun around to see the monstrous form of the Ink Demon now sitting on the throne chair, baring his teeth with a displeased sneer. Ben froze with fear before the monster lifted himself out from the chair and began charging towards him.
Screaming, Ben fell to the floor and crawled back against the doors. He winced as soon as Bendy halted before him, roaring directly in his face.
However, the demon wasn't expecting what would happen next.
Ben impersonated the roar back up to the demon, causing the beast to cut off entirely when the kid began snickering. Bendy retracted back and tilted his head as he didn't seem to understand the reaction. What form of communication was this? The only ones he was familiar with were fear and hatred.
The Ink Demon then picked up on the idea that Ben was mocking him. Bendy could only sneer at the child until he decided to roar directly in his face again. Ben stopped laughing and winced again upon the monster's breath blowing in his face. After that, Bendy retracted his head back and grinned before turning away. However, the beast stopped short when Ben let out another imitation roar. Turning around, the Ink Demon saw that Ben was making fun of him…AGAIN! But this time, it failed halfway since Ben bursted into another fit of laughter.
Bendy was perplexed, but that changed when he began picking up on an unusual sensation. Ben cut his laughter when Bendy began marching back, leaning his head down to get a good whiff at the child. Ben gulped at the monster getting ultimately close to him, and he remained stiff as Bendy was focusing his attention on the boy's abdominal area.
And that's when Ben realized that the monster was picking up the desperate sounds of his stomach. Embarressed, Ben conjured a sheepish grin as Bendy tilted his head.
"Y-Yeah, maybe I'm hungry just a little bit?"
From detecting the insatiable cues, a sensation he knew all too well, Bendy knew that the boy was suffering. Due to the lack of proper ink consumption, he could feel Ben drying out from the inside, and the only way to fix that was to absorb ink immediately. Unbeknownst to Ben, it seemed that relying on bacon soups was never the intention. That pesky wolf was secretly drying his child just so Bendy couldn't detect him!
Bendy knew where to get the proper amount of ink from. Although he still had a major detestation for the boy, he knew that he needed him alive for now. Growling, Bendy backed away from his son before running straight into the wall. Ben was stunned the monster decided to back away and leave, but waited briefly in case he suddenly came back.
After three long minutes of complete silence, Ben shrugged his shoulders and snorted amusingly.
"Pfft, what a cowar-"
Ben was immediately cut off when Bendy returned from the wall, but this time with a frantic Lost One locked trapped in his teeth. Ben gasped as the being was begging for mercy, trying his best to wiggle out and escape. Bendy ignored this and took a look down at the now petrified child. Grinning maliciously, Bendy opened his mouth and let the Lost One collapse right before the child, knowing what was bound to happen next.
The Lost One trembled with fear and began sobbing, knowing what fate awaited him. Ben was still petrified, glancing between the grinning teeth of the massive monster and the ink human curled in a tight ball.
Eat. Bendy's sinister voice echoed within Ben's mind.
Ben choked out his reply while glaring up at the demon. "N-No! A-Are you crazy? I'm not like you! I'm not a monster!"
As the Lost One began praying under his breath, Bendy placed a gnarly hand atop of the victim, who yelped upon the harsh impact. With a sneer, the monster scooted the man closer towards Ben. The Lost One continued trembling and mumbling with fear as he prayed faster. Bendy grinned once more as he knew Ben wouldn't be able to resist the ravenous impulse they both have.
"Please, just kill me!" the man bursted aloud.
Ben felt ultimately sympathetic for this inky human. "No, you deserve to live! I'm not like him! I would never-"
Ben was cut short when he felt the strangest sensation strike his body. His senses started becoming more sharp, and the sudden craving for this Lost One became the best feeling in the world. While Ben's conscience tried hard to resist this inhumane temptation, he began crawling towards the man against his will. Bendy still plastered a sinful grin as he watched. He knew that Ben couldn't resist the ravenous appetite that only powerful creatures like themselves were capable of having.
The Lost One screamed in agony when Ben reached for his neck...
And Bendy grinned wider as he watched the rest of the tragedy unfold.
After scavenging through his old office, and the two lunch rooms for food, Tom came to the conclusion that there was nothing other than bacon soups for him and Ben to consume.
Figures.
No other human has set foot in this studio after the disaster, besides Henry. So trying to search every nook and cranny for anything other than those soups was easier said than done.
Tom was disappointed that his idea of making Ben a homemade meal didn't go as planned. He thought he'd find a sack of potatoes lying against a corner somewhere, or even a box full of tuna cans that Joey would have for those employees that'd forget lunches. Turns out, somebody decided to get first dibs on any food items other than that wretched soup.
Tom frowned as he began leaving the second lunch room. He'd been out longer than expected, and judging by the time of day, he knew Ben would impatiently be waiting for his arrival. Last night will be a thing of the past, and Ben will return to being his normal, optimistic self.
As Tom continued on, gripping his axe along the way, his ears kept picking up eerie noises here and there. He then couldn't help but think about what Henry had said before leaving the studio:
He needs to be out there in the world...
He may be made of ink...but he's still human...
Tom furrowed his brows in frustration, trying hard to not focus on Henry's message, but it was difficult not to. Ever since he left in search of cooking a meal for Ben, a real meal, Henry's words had been lingering in his mind. He was right though; Ben wasn't meant to be here. As much as the wolf wished to let Ben have the freedom he deserved, Henry didn't know who the other progenitor was. If the former animator knew of Ben's origins, he would take him from the studio without warning, not letting Tom get the chance to say goodbye.
He couldn't let that happen.
If Allison was still around, she probably would want her son to leave with Henry, but she wasn't here to make that call. Tom was responsible for Ben, and having raised the child since birth, he'd grown attached to the boy. He also had planned for a family with Allison before their unfortunate fate, and Ben was the only chance they had for a child.
Tom had been meaning to tell Ben about his mother, having never once mentioned her existence, but he found it too difficult. If he did, he knew the conversation would also have to lead to the Ink Demon, and Tom didn't want to frighten Ben or make him think he's a monster. He wasn't a monster, and never would be.
He was his son.
While he continued pondering, Tom stopped short when he noticed a Fisher clone near the door to the staircase. The wolf rolled his eyes in seeing another ink abomination in the distance. Guess that means he's going to have to fight him, because he definitely wasn't going to be taking the elevators!
Fisher finally took notice of Tom and immediately began to emit his gibberish before pursuing after him. Tom raised a brow, clearly not intimidated, and just patiently stood where he was before gently dropping his axe beside him. If this excuse of a Butcher clone wanted to get into trouble, then he sure as hell was about to get it!
As soon as Fisher got within close range to attack, the wolf retracted his mechanical arm back before sending a sharp blow to the monster's torso. The punch was so strong that it sent Fisher flying back several feet, and he crashed against the cage of the elevator. Tom flexed his hand to ensure it wasn't damaged before reaching for his axe. He then contently walked towards the door to the stairwell, shutting the door behind him.
Ben had never felt so traumatized.
After what he's done, killing and then consuming the entire essence of that Lost One, Ben never felt so horrified. Why couldn't he stop himself from killing that man? That sudden urge that made him feel the necessity to feed just felt so natural and unnatural but...why?
Ben hugged his knees and refused to make eye contact with the demon watching him. Bendy had returned back to his common form and just continued to stare at Ben. His inhumane growls were the only sounds filling the room, along with the temporary clinks of the ink machine, but Ben ignored him and everything around them. The boy seemed to be grieving over his victim, but Bendy just couldn't seem to understand the reaction.
Ben had something to admit. After all the years of feeling hungry all the time, it finally ceased. The immense relief his body felt after consuming that ink made Ben feel satisfied. There was no more discomfort, no more fatigue, and no more headaches. All that faded away as soon as Ben had eaten the Lost One. Nothing but the stains of ink from his body remained, leaving Ben relieved after such a fill.
But he still didn't understand. Why? Why did he do this?
Lifting his head, Ben sent a displeased scowl to the Ink Demon grinning at him. He needed answers. Right now!
"Why'd you make me do it? Why!?" Ben shouted before rising on his feet.
Bendy didn't reply, but did tilt his head slightly to the left.
Ben didn't like this silent treatment the monster continuously gave him on purpose. He knew Bendy was capable of communication, to an extent, so why he acted like he didn't know how was aggravating.
"Why'd you take me from my home!? Why'd you make me kill him!? Why won't you leave me alone?!"
Bendy remained silent.
"Quit staring at me!" Ben snapped.
Still nothing.
Ben growled under his breath as he took his eyes off the demon, but he shifted them back at him when the monster finally decided to reach out.
You're… mine.
Ben sneered. "No…I'm not. I belong to my father."
Bendy continued to keep his head tilted while ink dripped from his body. His inhumane growls persisted before he replied telepathically:
You're mine. You…belong… to… me.
Ben scoffed with laughter at the Ink Demon's persistence in claiming that he owned him. This was starting to get old, but it seemed it had much to do with Bendy's lack of knowledge in expressing language, which caused him to repeat the same words and sentences over and over. He must have some type of obsession with me, Ben thought, but he didn't seem to understand why. If Bendy knew what a son is, he would've informed Ben a long time ago.
"I don't belong to monsters, and I DEFINITELY don't belong to you, demon!" Ben retaliated whilst folding his arms and glaring at Bendy. "If I belonged to you, I would have-"
Ben cut himself off when he remembered the unfortunate murder he committed. Beginning to tie the pieces together, and going off of Bendy's words, it was starting to make sense. The powers Tom forbade him from using, the Ink Demon appearing in his room, the connection, and the urge to feed on other souls.
Holy crap! It really did make sense now!
Horrified, Ben gaped up at the Ink Demon and felt his entire body freeze from sudden shock.
"N-No! No!" Ben breathed frantically as the creature limped closer towards him.
You're mine. You belong to me. Bendy repeated before lifting a gloved hand for the boy, You're mine. You belong to me.
Ben knew he needed to leave. Right now!
You're mine! You belong to me! Bendy continued, this time a little more harshly. He could feel Ben trying to get away from him, and it only made him angrier.
When his back was met against the metal doors once again, Ben knew he was a goner. He had to think of something...and fast! If not, he surely wouldn't live to see his father again.
Or should he even call him that?
Ben knew he needed to teleport in order to escape. Not wasting any time, the boy ran straight to the nearest wall seconds before Bendy could snatch him. During the transfer, the void of screaming voices rang throughout that forced Ben to cover his ears and run through.
Once that was over, Ben found himself in an unfamiliar location. Holding a hand to his chest, he took in his surroundings, but wherever he was transported to, Ben knew it was somewhere far from Tom.
Suddenly, Ben felt Bendy reaching into his mind, but the child fought back. Growling, he thrashed around and smacked his head several times to get rid of the pain, but that was to no avail.
Ben shouted angrily as he fumbled around, crashing into desks as he continued squinting his eyes to fight the demon in his head.
"Get out of my head!" Ben shouted.
You're mine! You belong to me!
Ben roared angrily before falling to his knees and placing his hands over his ears to ignore Bendy's repetitive message. "No… I'm…NOT!"
The Ink Demon released himself from the boy's consciousness, bringing great relief to Ben as he collapsed to the ground. Groaning, Ben knew that this connection with the Ink Demon needed to end. Remembering the previous night, Bendy had purposely attacked Ben's heart and somehow managed to latch onto his consciousness, seeing through his eyes.
But how? Wait…the heart!
Ben quickly pulled up his shirt and gasped upon the sight of his chest. A deep, inky round substance had covered the entire region of his heart; The veins in his chest permeated with dark ink. Ben let out a speechless croak of terror and panicked. The Ink Demon had latched himself like a parasite to the boy through the heart. This was how the monster was able to track, find, sense, and feel him.
Running to the nearest desk he could find, Ben began searching for something sharp. After reading the anatomy books, Ben knew that what he planned to do next was lethal for humans. But if he was a creature from ink, he'd still live another day if he did this procedure right.
Ben finally found a small pocket knife in one of the drawers and got to work. As long as he cuts his heart out correctly, he'll be fine. After all, he didn't really need it if his relative was a soulless monster.
Taking a deep breath, Ben hollered in agony after thrusting the knife into his chest.
Let the sacrifice begin.