Chapter 5

"Say pal you got a staring problem or something?" One of them laughed, a blade flicking out and gleaming from their hand.

Another flashed a grin, revealing a golden tooth in their smile. "Poor thing's quaking in his tiny little twinkle shoes huh boss?" they asked. The demon slowly looked down to see his legs were indeed shaking. His knees knobbing against each other before he took a step back. Why did he bother coming there again?

The one with the smoking pipe, the dark, hunched over figure they referred to as 'boss' stepped out towards Bendy with as much stagger and huffs as an ox in a china shop. His face brought into the light, Bendy saw a squinty eye that seemed shut in a permanent scowl, a twisted grin held up by that wooden pipe in the man's mouth, and a scratchy patch of hair that he probably called a beard on his face.

"Say" he smirked "Don't I know you from somewhere little fella?"

"Yeah boss, it's the skitzy guy in the papers!" a snake popped up, waving a torn paper of the demons face printed out.

The boss's grin stretched wider and grew firm as he walked up. Looking down at him before he arm swung for Bendy's head. Bendy threw his arms up defensively but was too little too late. A hand was now resting heavily but harmlessly on Bendy's shoulder. "Aaah. Yes! Now I know!" The boss laughed boisterously as he patted him. "Listen fella- I quite like your little style, so listen up." He leaned closer. "We got -uh- a some small business to take care of right now. Personal stuff, you understand. So why don't you skip on out our ways and we'll sweep this whole thing under the sewer grates, yeah?"

Bendy gulped and nodded, his eyes flickering between the boss's face and the shadow darting behind him.

"See now that's what I like to hear." The man released him. The little demons mouth was thin for a several silent moments, until it stretched into a smile and the demon began tapping away, his shoes echoing out in the barren night. The goons confused, muttered and pulled up their weapons, starting to charge at him.

"Wait. wait. Wait. wait. Hold it!" Boss yelled. Everyone froze in place. He puts hands on his hips and tips off his hat, before pulling out a harmonica. "We can't have no dancin without no music can we fellas?"

All his gang looked at each other and shrugged. He pounded the right wall with a big bang. "Can we fellas?"

"Yes sir!"

The one with the knife pulled the blade back before it sprung back up with a whirly sound. Golden tooth guy pulled up the snake, straightened him out and strummed him like a guitar. Together they began to play a dangerous italian beat.

"Now that's more like it! But Scraps, make sure our guest stays seated for the show. Snyder can do the strummins himself." Bossman said before blowing into the harmonica drawing out puffs of black smoke.

"Sure thing boss, not a prob." He smiled, a twinkle in his golden smile as he caught the cat by the tail and used it to tie her hands together. He covered her mouth as they both plopped a seat on the ground, her eyes going wide with trembling fear and muffled grunts.

The little demon's eyes shifted around the space before tapping his feet and resuming to the beat. He waves his arms up and down like a willow tree in a windy storm then claps twice. He hops on a crate and stacks it to two. He hops off, does a twirl and does it again.

"Oh the mob boss

What a swell guy

Keeping alive

The things like me"

He claps twice.

"Can anybody stop him?

No not the police

Cause he's the mobbin boss

Don't make him get mean"

Claps twice again. There are multiple stacks of crates now throughout the alleyway. Everyone's eyes closed as they cheered with the sound.

"Big and bold and powerful

It would be undoubtable

How many he would beat

Take it away Mr. Knifeman!"

The blade wielder thrummed with his weapon like a woman in opera on her high notes. It was then Bendy struck into action, flipping over from one stand to the next to grab Snyder and strung him into the quickest balloon animal he knew how before shutting him into a crate. Stomping it closed as the solo came to its end. He clapped twice.

"Oh the mob boss

A heck of a man

Paying out his debts

In only ways that he can."

"No one wants to stop him

Not that anyone could

Its for their own good

And for the things like me"

He jumped and hopped round and round the crates as the boss laughed and resumed the harmonica, bobbing his head shoulder to shoulder. Bendy kept jumping and jumping and jumping until he jumped on top of the knife guy's head, knocking him unconscious before heaving him into the next crate, visions of hopping Bendy's circling above his head.

"Hey!" Golden tooth guy yelled. Bendy's eyes grew wide before grabbing his cane and yanking him in.

"Hey pal! Dontcha know?

Your boss puts on quite the show!" He brung the guy to his height and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"If he put those notes high up on that bar

He'll be a star. It's just that clear to me."

"Whaddaya say sir? How high can you go?" Bendy called out.

His eyes still shut, the boss nodded and blew for what he was worth, the note going out to frequencies only the cat could shut its ears and cringe to. Bendy spun the guy around at whiplash speed before using his cane to push him into the last crate on ground. Ramming him with all his weight. It was just enough to get the door closed.

With no second to lose he went to untie the cat from its tail before tugging on her arm. He put his finger to his lips as he pointed for the exit, the duo breaking out into a fast walk. They sped carefully past the boss and the wooden crates when suddenly an arm still holding its knife popped off the lid of the door in front of them quicker than a zombie in a graveyard.

"Yipes!" Cried the cat.

The knife guy slashed wildly at them as they booked it for the exit. The tip of his blade poking at Bendy's behind before the demon used his tail to smack it away. The man kept going, pulling out another bigger knife from his coat and aimed for the cat. She let out a rather deep yelp from the pain as she rubbed her backside and flew ahead a few feet. Bendy puts a halting hand stopping all of them in their tracks as he used his shoe to make a setting for tic tac toe. The man huffed as he marked an x in the dirt. Bendy put an o in the square above. The man the square next to his first x. Bendy blocks his last spot where he could've won with his x however the man puts a tricky x in one of the corners. Bendy puts an o next to his first o. "Hah!" The man smiled. He put the last x and was about to put the line through the dirt before a crate smashed over his head.

Bendy looks up at the cat as she plopped back down and took his hand, sprinting for the end of the nightmare alleyway. However the weapon wielding fiend was not done yet. He whistled and out came three little daggers. They pounded their fists together before launching themselves at them. The pair was dashing out with big buggy eyes and their tails tucked between their legs until the cat tackled them to the side behind the dumpster. The little daggers zipped by before returning back, scratching their heads.

The duo pressing themselves tight against the dumpster were sidestepping them slowly until one of them spotted them and pointed. They hopped in place before Bendy held up a dartboard and pointed at the red dot he painted at the center, gesturing and blowing a raspberry. All three at once struck at the board, their noses getting stuck centimeters from stabbing him and the cat in the face from behind. The little demon drops the board as the little daggers struggled to un pry their pointed metal noses from the wood.

Finally the cat and demon could see the light at the end of their tunnel, the boss still shrilling out in the distance with his harmonica. They step on the threshold and then tumbled down on their faces before having their ankles tied together by Snyder. They both looked at each other in blank shock before nodding and getting back up and running in their two person race. Synder was choking from their movements and got bug eyed as he saw what they were running to.

Right at the entrance back into the calm night was a huge craggy boulder. The snake quickly tried untangling himself from the pair but had no time as they both kicked their legs forward in a skipping motion. Needless to say, when the boss was all out of air and lowered his harmonica, everyone was no longer in sight. He scratched his bald head before putting on his cap. "Fellas? Little fella? ...Anyone?"

In the little ways ahead, Bendy and the Cat were panting feverishly on their knees. They both looked down at the knocked out limp snake at their feet and chuckled. Eventually Bendy threw Snyder into the closest trash can. The cat still chuckling wiped an arm to rid of their forehead sweat. "That. Was. Incredible. Thanks for the save pal." Came out a boyish voice.

"Nah don't sweat it mis-" Bendy's eyes snapped open as he took a real long look at her. The blue dress with frills was actually just a real long baggy shirt with shorts underneath. "Wait. Are you… Are you a guy!"

"What else would I be?" The cat chuckled. "Name's Chester by the way." he held out his hand.

"No guy I know makes those sissy sounds." Bendy laughed, shaking Chester's hand.

"Yeah? They were going to get a beating the moment they thought they had me!" He started to shadowbox and grunted with his mock punches. "If you hadn't showed sooner I would've knocked one on that ol mean patchy face! Right on the kisser. See?" He dropped his fists slowly and slapped his head. "Aw man, bet the fellas back home aren't going to believe this one though. Me getting saved by the devil himself. Of all things!" he laughed.

"Slow down tomcat, I'm no devil." The little demon waved.

"No?" Chester tilted his head and squinted. "Could've fooled me."

"Trust me. That's like me calling you a sabertooth tiger." He pointed to the restaurant door. "You hungry?"

And so, the cat and the demon split a booth with burgers , shakes, and a side of fries. Hours passed as Bendy retold him of his adventures and troubles. The little demon was reluctant on the troubles end at first, but the darn cat was too curious.

"Jeez pal." Chester rested his hand to his cheek. "That's the most confusing thing I've ever heard."

"Tell me about it, I don't get it either." Bendy said, munching on a fry. "Enough about me though, just what were you up to being ganged on Patchy Beard back there?"

Chester deeply slurped on his straw until he emptied his shake, his eyes flickering side to side. "Aw that? That's nothing to worry about pal, just a little side thing where my buddies were having a little switch of hands with his buddies over something is all. Hardly anythin to worry about."

Bendy simply raised a brow.

"Jeez if looks could kill. What are you, my mother? Ok fine." Chester leaned over the table and whispered into the little demon's head horn.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" Bendy exclaimed.

"Quiet will ya?" Chester said.

"No wonder they were after your neck. That much money makes anyone go mad." He replied. "Now that I think about it, what do you do to get yourself with that much dough in the first place?"

Chester half smiled. "Ah works work aint it?" He got up from the chair and downed the fries in one huge gulp. "Listen pal, you came in pretty handy tonight and I owe you one. If you ever feel like quittin the tippy tappers, look me up and I'll take care of ya, alright?"

"Sure bud." Bendy replied. Shortly he was handed a card and both split ways into the night. As Bendy stared up at the full moon above going home, he couldn't help but keep wondering about the alleyway. One of those voices. Though he didn't recognize anyone,

He could've sworn he's heard that voice before.