Chapter 19:
As soon as they were out of the ink, Adrian discreetly checked his wound. He was relieved to see that the black veins hadn't spread, but he still didn't like how it had reacted to the ink. He vowed to himself to avoid large puddles of ink as much as possible. He knew it was a hallow goal, but he was still going to do his best. None of the others noticed as they continued down the hall and through another door. As they walked through the next hallway, a Bendy cutout leaned out from around the corner, startling the group. Cautiously, Henry and Ladybug checked around the corner only to find Boris waiting for them.
"Boris! You scared me to death!" Henry said, relieved that they had found the cartoon wolf. Knowing that there wasn't any danger, the others followed him around the corner. "Don't suppose you found anything we can use to protect ourselves with?"
Boris nodded happily and handed a pipe he had found to Henry.
"This will do," Henry said, giving the pipe a few test swings. Satisfied that it would work, Henry opened the next door and lead the group through. Inside they found a room with shelves full of all sorts of plushies lying on top of them. Henry couldn't help picking up one of the Bendy plushies and giving a squeeze, making it squeak. Boris guided the group past the shelves and they kept an eye on all the ink puddles, but nothing attacked them. They soon came to a closed metal door with a metal fuse box next to it, which had two blinking lights.
"Looks like to open this, we're going to need to throw two levers at once," Henry said as he looked the door over, looking around he spotted one lever nearby. "You guys stay with this one. I'll find the other."
"I should come with you Uncle Henry," Adrian suggested as the others stood by near the switch. "It isn't a good idea for you to go alone."
"I'm sure it's just around the corner, I'll be fine," Henry assured, hefting his pipe confidently. "I have a way to protect myself just in case there is something and we want to save your superpowers until we need them. It'll only take a minute, I promise."
"I don't like it either Adrian, but it's our best option right now," Ladybug admitted, reasoning with her partner and crush. "We have the bigger group here and we need to be able to protect them if something happens."
"I'm perfectly fine taking care of myself you know," Alya protested, though she wasn't being serious. As much as she hated being the damsel in distress right now, there wasn't much she could do against the ink creatures and there just weren't enough weapons to go around. She desperately wished she could become Rena Rouge so she could help out, but she had only been a temporary superhero and could do nothing to help now. She felt so useless.
"I know Alya," Ladybug smiled comfortingly at her friend, guessing what Alya was thinking, before turning back to Adrain. "Trust Henry okay. We've seen him take down ink monsters on his own already, he'll be fine."
Adrian sighed but nodded in agreement, knowing this was the best option. Henry gave the group a reassuring smile before heading off down the hall. He had barely disappeared around the corner before the group heard a commotion. Adrian and Ladybug sprinted down the hall and turned the corner, ready to fight whatever had attacked Henry. But Henry was alone in the hallway, holding his pipe firmly as he watched a puddle of ink sink into the floor.
"What happened?" Adrian asked, both him and Ladybug relaxing at seeing that Henry was okay.
"Something that looked like one of the Butcher Gang pooped out of the poster and attacked me," Henry replied, gesturing to the hole in the wall. "It took a lot more hits to beat it than the searchers, but I managed it just fine. I told you I could take care of myself."
Ladybug and Adrian couldn't help but laugh slightly as Henry struck a heroic pose. He tried to twirl the pipe around in his hand but only ended up dropping it, making Ladybug and Adrian laugh harder.
"Well, it seems you have everything well in hand," Ladybug said once she calmed down, though she was still smiling. "I'll go tell the others and we'll pull the switch on my count."
"Sounds great," Henry said, picking up the pipe and going next to the switch. Ladybug went back to the others while Adrian decided to stick with Henry just to be safe.
"Ready!" Ladybug shouted once she was at the switch. "1..2..3!"
They flipped the switches and the doors groaned before opening. The group gathered back together before heading through. Walking pas all sorts of moving machinery, they came to a balcony overlooking an elevator. Seeing no other way to go, the group went down and entered the elevator. Nino had just barely stepped inside when the doors closed behind him and the elevator began to move down on its own.
"You're so interesting… so different," Alice's voice came from speakers above them as the elevator moved. "I have to say I'm an instant fan. Looks like you've got a date with an angel! Come to me now. Level Nine. Just follow the screams."
The group looked at each other in worry and slight fear. They did not like the sound of that, but they didn't have any other choice but to go along for now. Especially while they were in an elevator that Alice apparently had control over. The Elevator soon came to a stop on level nine.
"Come on, step out of your cage." Alice encouraged as the doors slid open. "There's a whole twisted world out here."
Sticking close together, the group stepped out of the elevator to face whatever might be waiting for them.