Sonic felt the wind burst into his face as he sped across the vacant plans, his heart racing with excitement. He could see the evening sky fade into twilight as the sun began to set. He ran faster; he didn't want to be late. Not on his watch. He could see the borders of Station Square come closer in view. It wasn't long until he jumped into the air and parkoured his way to the top of the tallest building in the city. Then he waited.

When the sun finally merged into the land, the lights of the city were suddenly lit up, showing all kinds of colors as it radiated throughout Station Square, twinkling like stars in the night sky.

With the city shining at its brightest, Sonic couldn't help but smile. As much as he loved to run, there were times that he would stop for a moment and take a look at the beauty of his home. And this was one of his favorite spots.

He only wished that his friends, Tails and Knuckles, were here with him. But Tails wanted to finish upgrading the Tornado as Knuckles had no plans to go out for the night except to chill on Angel Island, watching over the Master Emerald.

Aside from that, Sonic was having a good time. He closed his eyes as a small, cold breeze went through his quills, making it seem like they were flying. He opened his eyes and looked back down at the lite up city. He let out a slow, relaxing sigh, feeling quite happy.

He then heard a noise. Sonic turned to the source and from what he could see, a small crowd was gathering around the center of Station Square where Tails disarmed Eggman's missile, growing bigger by the second. Interested to see what was happening, Sonic jumped from the building and after making a superhero landing, he ran toward the crowd. Seeing that it had grown too big to pass through, he jumped to a nearby tree and grabbed onto a branch where he got a perfect view of what everybody's gathering around for.

There were three people dressed in cosplays; one as Bendy, the other as Boris and the last one as Alice Angel. At first, they gathered around, asking each other what to do despite not actually speaking. Then suddenly, music was heard by a small speaker that started to play, "Build Up Our Machine," by DAGames. Bendy started to tap his foot to the beat until he eventually started to dance. Everyone cheered as the dancing devil made some of his famous moves. Boris started to clap with the crowd while Alice joined Bendy. The crowd roared as they sang along and continued to clap to the beat.

Sonic couldn't help but laugh. And to think that it's been two years since he, Tails and Knuckles first set foot inside Joey Drew Studios. Thanks to G.U.N. 's inspection of the Studio and the arrest of Joey Drew himself, word of the old studio and its mascot started to spread like wildfire. A large fanbase grew within a matter of days when the Bendy cartoons were recovered from G.U.N.'s search and released to the public. Some have drawn pictures of the dancing demon and his friends, others made costumes, musicians have written songs, and some have made some merchandise based on the Devil Darling. Heck, the song that was playing right now was one of the songs that Sonic came across in Sammy's office that DAGames got permission to use. It was insane how Bendy suddenly just exploded with popularity. There were even some people that conducted their own research about the studio as well as did some studies about the animation, given that it was different from most cartoons during its time. But that was only the beginning.

Before Joey had passed away several months prior, a man named Nathan Arch, the CEO of Archgate Films, met with him in prison to discuss buying the rights of Bendy. Nathan explained that with Bendy's popularity growing, he thought he could bring Bendy back on the tv screen. Joey signed the contract on one condition; that Henry Stein be in charge of the project. With him being the original creator, Joey wanted Henry to see Bendy from his eyes and show that to the world since he never got the chance back in the old days. Nathan agreed, happy to have an animator veteran on the job and the deal was made.

The thought of Joey brought down Sonic's spirits. After Joey kept his promise to make amends with Henry, Sonic and the gang visited him whenever they could. He recalled his joy to see people all over the world love the Bendy shorts.

"It's like going back in time when we released our first cartoon!" he said one time the boys visited him. "Can't wait to see how Nathan's gonna top it off with Bendy's first show!"

By the time the trailer for the 'Bendy Show' was released, it was given tons of praise for going back to the roots of animation of the 1930's while adding the modern spin to it, similar to what the "Cuphead Show" did. It even had the slapstick humor of Looney Tunes and the cutesy charm of Disney. Joey was more than thrilled when the boys showed him the trailer.

Sonic was driven back to the real world when the show ended with the crowd roaring with applause. The three cosplays bowed as a line began to form from the crowd to have their pictures taken with the Bendy gang.

"Howdy, stranger."

The Mobian looked down to see Henry looking up at him with a huge smile on his face.

"Henry!" He jumped down from his tree and greeted the aged animator. "How are you doing? It's been a while!"

"Indeed it has, Sonic," Henry agreed. He explained that his role as supervisor for the 'Bendy Show' has been going along greatly. With the release of the series' trailer, there's been some talk of a second season.

"Can't say I blame Nathan Arch for getting ahead of the curb," Sonic said. "Also, I heard rumors that Archgate's gonna make a horror Bendy movie."

Henry merely shrugged. "It's still up in the air. Nathan wants to retell everything that has happened in the studio. 'To give the audience the full picture,' he said."

"Well, if Nathan wants to interview me and the guys," Sonic announced. "You be sure to tell him to give us a call cause I wanna see it."

Henry chuckled as he asked how Sonic and the others were doing.

"Aside from the usual Eggman butt-kicking, we're doing good," Sonic replied. "As for me, I'm just strolling through town until I saw this little performance."

"Me, too," Henry said as he gazed at the crowd. "It amazes me how popular Bendy is now."

"You must be proud," Sonic nudged him, which gave out a proud smile from Henry.

Suddenly, a buzz was heard from Henry's back pocket. It turned out to be his phone as he pulled it out to see who it was.

"Linda's got lasagna in the oven," Henry said as he texted back saying he's on his way home. "You want to join us? Aaron and Lois are visiting and I'm sure the kids will love to see you again."

At that, Sonic smiled as he recalled the times he, Tails and Knuckles went over to Henry's house a few times. With all the fun they had with the kids, the stories they told, they practically became part of the family.

"Thanks, but I think I'm just gonna fly it solo tonight," Sonic responded. "This is one night that I don't want to miss."

"Well, you have fun," Henry told him. "See you later."

Sonic nodded and bid Henry goodbye as he dashed away so no one would see him. Henry smiled as he started to make his way home.

The blue hedgehog sped his way through the city with the lights flashing all around him. After a while, he made a stop somewhere around the darker side of town to look at Station Square one last time. Even though the building he stood on isn't as tall as the one in the city, it still had a nice view. Sonic exhaled with a smile and was about to take off when he heard a scream.

He turned around with wide eyes, looking for the source of the yell. He heard another one which sounded like it came from a nearby alley. Sonic ran for it and came across two goons trying to grab ahold of another man, struggling to break free.

"I know what you're doing in there!" the man screamed in his cockney-English accent. "I know what you're hiding! And you're not gonna stop me from telling everyone!"

"Yeah, right!" scoffed one of the guys as he put duct tape over his mouth. He then proceeded to help his partner with tying that man's arms and legs. "Who's gonna believe you? Mickey Mouse?"

That got them both laughing as they put a bag over the man's head. Just before they opened the trunk of their car, Sonic homed in on the guy who made the joke about Disney's mascot, sending him straight for the brick wall.

"It's that blue rat!" the second crook cried, dropping their hostage.

"Rat?" Sonic repeated. "Take a good look, pal! I'm a hedgehog!"

"Doesn't matter!" the second man grunted as he got to his feet. "Cause we're gonna turn ya into a blueberry pie!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Turn me into a blueberry pie? That's a new one."

The second goon charged at Sonic but he merely jumped out of the way and made a roundhouse to his face. With the second guy out like a light, the first crook growled as he pounded his fists and ran toward him, screaming. But the Blue Blur was too fast as he spin dashed him back to the wall and gave him a good punch to the face.

With the two goons unconscious, Sonic did a little victory dance as he said, "Sometimes, it's just way too easy!"

He then went over to their hostage, who was struggling against his bonds.

"Take it easy, buddy," Sonic told him as he began to unite the ropes on his wrists. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

When he had finished, the man pulled off the bag and removed the duct tape from his mouth. He stared at the Mobian as he untied his legs.

"Sonic the hedgehog!" he exclaimed. "I-I-I don't know how to thank you!"

"Well," Sonic began as he finished freeing the man. "You can start by telling me your name."

"Archie Carter," the man replied, getting a little flustered as he shook the hedgehog's hand. "Don't take this the wrong way but I've been looking for you and your friends for a few days now."

"What, to save you from these idiots?" Sonic asked, pointing at the knocked-out men. "I think Orbot and Cubot could've taken them down."

"No," Archie said. "This is just the start. They're not going to stop until they get me."

Seeing the urgent fear in his eyes, Sonic asked why the goons were after him.

He pointed at the knocked crooks and said, "These blokes work for the Gent Corporation."

Archie even went over to the second goon and pulled a name tag from his shirt which proved his point.

"So I take it you saw something you shouldn't have and they're trying everything they can from it going public?"

Archie nodded. "And that's why I thought I should find you and your friends, given that you've experienced this kind of thing."

Getting suspicious, Sonic asked Archie what he meant by 'this kind of thing.'

"Ink monsters."

Sonic's blood froze when Mr. Carter said those words. Flashbacks of the Lost Ones screaming for help appeared in his mind as well as the other abominations the studio contained; Two-faced Alice, Sammy Lawerance, the searchers and the Ink Demon himself. He finally snapped out of it after a minute of awkward silence and told Archie to tell him everything.

Mr. Carter explained that he had been looking for work for some time until he found out that Gent was looking for some handymen for maintenance. Having some experience, he was hired on the spot. For the past couple of weeks, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, there was a door that was restricted except for certain employees and higher management. Now Archie was the kind of guy who would keep his mouth shut and go about his business to stay out of trouble. However, there was something about that door that made him wonder what was happening on the other side.

One night, he was working late at the company and heard the restricted door open. He went over to see who it was and to tell them that the building's closed. But what stood before him was a humanoid ink creature with glowing yellow eyes. Once it caught sight of Archie, it charged him. He was able to dodge its attack and find a place to hide. Luckily, the ink monster wasn't able to find him. Archie did hear it muttering to itself, saying all kinds of things but he wasn't able to make it out.

Suddenly, he heard it scream and saw several men dressed in some kind of chemical protective suits. They used some kind of cattle prod to knock the ink creature out. As they carried it back to the door, they started arguing with each other about what could've happened if it got out. By the time they all went back inside while they argued, Archie wasted no time in getting out of there.

"That's why I tried to find you guys," he continued. "I remember reading the paper about how you and your friends defeated the ink monsters and the device that created them back at Joey Drew Studios. But it wasn't long until these blokes found me, cornered me in this alley, and, well, you know the rest."

Sonic stayed quiet, his mind spinning like a hurricane. It was clear that the Gent company made their own ink machine as well as kidnapping people to pursue their curiosity. A part of him was mad at Alan Gray, the CEO of Gent and one of the few interrogated by G.U.N. about the company's involvement with the studio, for lying, possibly stealing documents about the ink machine and having put more lives in danger just to please the scientific mind. That is, unless someone is doing this behind his back; most likely someone who works at Gent and knows his or her way around the place. If that's the case, then they're going to need plenty of proof to get the backstabber behind bars.

Looking back at Archie, Sonic asked if he told anyone else about this.

He shook his head. "You're the first."

"Okay," Sonic announced. "Here's what we're gonna do; I'm gonna go inside the Gent factory and take a look around; I might be able to find something that Gent doesn't want anybody to know. With that as our evidence, we can put an end to this."

"Shouldn't we call your friends?" Archie asked nervously. "Who knows what else is in that forsaken place and you could use an extra hand."

Sonic shook his head. "They'll take too long. And the more time we waste, the more people are at risk of becoming ink monsters themselves. Besides, I'll be fine. Not the first time I did some snooping around without getting caught. In the meantime, where's the best place for you to lay low?"

Archie told him he was staying at a friend's house since Gent knows where he lives. Once he gave directions of where it was, Sonic grabbed him and ran, leaving a trail of papers flying behind him. By the time they got there, Sonic asked the dizzy Archie where to find the restricted door that the ink monster came out of and what it looked like.

"It's going to be at the very back of the building," Archie said while trying to regain balance on his head. "As for the door itself, you can't miss it. There's a huge sign that says 'Restricted Area: Staff Only.' You'll need a key card to get in. But what will I do if they capture you?"

"Highly unlikely," Sonic assured him. "But in case something happens, call Tails."

Taking Archie's phone, he put in the fox's number and handed it back to him.

"Give me at least two hours. Be back in a flash!" And within a blink of an eye, Sonic was gone with Archie looking ahead, wishing the hedgehog luck.

It took the Blue Blur less than five minutes to reach his destination. The Gent corporation looked just like every other factory with its tall towers letting out some steam while the machines outside and in moaned. There didn't appear to be that many people around the factory as some were doing their rounds of securing the area while some were either leaving for the night or coming in for their night shifts. And there's bound to be hidden cameras all over the place.

Sonic began to stretch as he formed a plan; he'll make his way in, get the key card to the restricted door, see what he can find while using his Miles Electric for pictures and get out. With the plan made and ready, Sonic sped through the area and snuck his way through a closing garage door while avoiding the cameras.

After slipping away from the night workers, he made his way at the very end of the factory where the door he was looking for stood.

"Archie wasn't kidding about the sign," Sonic muttered as it was much bigger than he thought with the words labeled in red. It was almost as if it wanted intruders to break in.

Just then, the door swung open, forcing Sonic to find cover. As the employees walked out in deep conversation, Sonic pickpocketed the closest worker and ran back for his hiding spot. Once everyone was out of sight, Sonic went over to the door, slid the key card in the card slider and made his way inside.

Aside from the one light bulb that slightly lit up the room, it was quite dark. Up ahead was an elevator that had seen better days. Seeing that there was no other way down, Sonic made his way in and pushed the 'B' button.

His foot began to tap impatiently as the elevator took him further into the factory. Sonic did have to admit one thing; this was too easy. Given what happened with the ink monster, one would think the workers would upgrade the security.

Finally, the elevator stopped and opened up to a huge hallway lit up with shop lights above. A sign hung above that read, Storage with some random packages and machinery as proof at the end of the corridor. Taking a deep breath, Sonic walked out of the elevator.

The Mobian took a look around if he could anything ink-related as he walked through the hallway. But it was just like every other hallway. Once he made it to the open room, which looked similar to a garage, Sonic sped through the area to begin his search. The place was like a maze with all the rows of various items in their wrapped-up boxes. That was when he came across a door with a sign that read, Prohibited.

Thinking he found the jackpot, Sonic slid the key card and made his way inside. When he looked around the open room, his jaw dropped and his heart started to race. What stood before him was the ink machine itself.

It looked very much like the one back at Joey Drew Studios before he destroyed it two years ago. The two differences that it had were the drain and the tube that surrounded the device were bronze while the rest were gray. Then, of course, was the upgraded look of the machine, looking more advanced and stronger than the last one. It stood above a trap door, indicating that there's more chambers underneath the storage room. The chains that were connected to the ink machine dangled in the ceiling. It groaned as steam in different parts of the device were released.

Not wanting to waste any time, Sonic ran toward the device and pulled out the Miles Electric from his invisible pocket. Just when he's about to turn it on and take a picture, something sharp went into his left leg.

"Ow! What the-"

He turned to see that it was a tranquilizer dart that hit him. He extended his hand to take it out of his leg but he suddenly felt very drowsy.

The effect of the drug began to take hold of Sonic as he drifted his head from one side to the other. He tried to keep his eyes open as everything around him became blurry. He finally collapsed on the floor despite his best attempts to stay awake, dropping the Miles Electric in the process.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Sonic raised his heavy head to see a man walk toward him. Even though his eyes couldn't make out certain details, he could see the rifle in his hands, indicating he's the one who shot him. He also saw that half of his face was covered with ink while the other half had a glowing eye. He let out a huge smile, showing his yellow teeth as Sonic closed his eyes, giving in to the darkness.

To be continued…