Moaning, Sonic opened his foggy eyes and after adjusting to the light, he saw that he's still in the same room. He was quite relieved considering the last time he woke up, he was in a different place. He groaned as he pushed himself up, still in the process of waking up. But that quickly changed when he noticed a golden spiral glowing on his left hand.
"Whoa! What the…!?"
The hedgehog flew back against the wall as he stared at his hand, slightly shaking. He flipped it front to back numerous times, wondering what happened. He looked back at the ink-filled pool and remembered the voice saying something about the Dark Puddles giving him a gift. Turning his eyes back to his shining glove, he started to think that this might be what they meant by gift.
Could they have given him new powers? He remembered Audrey's hand glowed nonstop when she used her teleporting abilities back when they fought Beast Bendy. Could it be that he can now form an ink portal to anywhere he wants?
Getting an idea, Sonic got to his feet and put his hand against the wall, hoping for a golden ink portal to appear. But nothing happened.
"Okay," muttered Sonic, adjusting his hand. "Let's try this again."
He put his hand on the wall and focused his thoughts on the one place he wants to go: the exit. Like before, no portal emerged from his hand.
"Why isn't it working?" Sonic wondered, looking at his hand. At first, he thought he wasn't putting enough focus on his new power. Just when he was about to put his hand upon the wall and try again, a chuckle was heard. "Looks like you can't teleport."
Knowing the voice belonged to Audrey, Sonic turned to find him the only one in the room.
"AUDREY!"
He even looked around and jumped on the couches to see if she was in Animation Alley. But no one was around.
"Ugh, for the love of Chaos," grumbled the Mobian toon as he jumped back to the corridor. "What is going on?"
Knowing no one will answer, Sonic ventured on, wondering why he keeps hearing the voices of his friends. He came across a closed door which, to his surprise, opened with ease.
"That's new," he murmured, starting to think that something was about to happen.
As he continued his way, nothing out of the ordinary happened, but Sonic still kept his guard up just in case. After destroying another lock on a gate, he went through and spotted a sign above him. With an arrow pointing left, with Animation Alley on top of the arrow. Next to that was the elevator to the exit up ahead with the employee lockers on the right.
Knowing the way to the platform wasn't going to be that easy, he ran across the area, jumped over the sinkhole that separated the doorway from the rest of the room for further inspection. It turned out that the door was tightly secured due to the bars that kept anyone from entering. He opened it to find the only way to open the door was to slide a key card through its slider.
"Why am I not surprised?" mumbled Sonic. Knowing that Animation Alley had a way out, that is if Sonic's memory is right about the department being near the exit like the old studio, he jumped back to the other side.
Turning to his right, there was the garage door with the outline of Bendy's head that led into Animation Alley, where The Magic is Made! Walking toward the door, it opened to reveal a whole new territory with a few Lost Ones lurking around with a 1930's song playing in the background.
Sonic was able to hide on the edge of the door before anyone spotted him. He took a peak to see how many Lost Ones there were. There were only three. He then looked at his glowing hand. If it can't create a portal then maybe…
Knowing there's one way to find out what kind of powers he's got, he waited until one of the Lost Ones got close enough to touch. After what felt like eternity for the hedgehog, he reached out his hand and grabbed the Lost One's wrist. An unworldly shrill was heard as the Lost One screamed as his body began to glow. Unknown to him, Sonic's eyes glowed the same color as his hand when he touched the Lost One. He immediately let go with his eyes returning to their cartoon form and watched as the ink creature began to violently shake as if he was having a seizure. He tried to make a run for it but the golden ink consumed him into thin air, as if he wasn't there to begin with.
Sonic stared at where the Lost One once stood with utter shock. The irony was that he expected something out of the ordinary but wasn't expecting anything like that. Hearing the other Lost Ones, Sonic turned to see them heading toward him. Seeing that it did a good job of getting rid of the first one, Sonic ran to the remaining two, touched them with his glowing hand, and they vaperated into air thanks to his yellow ink.
He found himself surprisingly stronger and having more energy. Could it be that whenever he touches someone, he drains their lifeforce? But what happens to them once they've been touched? Sonic knew they wouldn't have died because anyone made of ink is simply born again with their memories altered. Then could it be that he somehow banished them back to the ink without actually killing them?
Looking back at his palm, Sonic figured this new ability could come in handy for any new threats that come his way.
"But if you go too far," Sonic warned his hand, despite feeling a little silly for doing so. "I will chop you off. Granted, I like that NOT to happen since I like my hand but I will if that's the only way to get you out."
After that, Sonic lifted his head to see the cutouts of the main trio staring at him. Taking a look around, it seems that this is where the studio tours took place due to large speakers on which side of the room labeled, Studio Tour. The one on Sonic's left was the first speaker due to having the number one over it, leaving the one on the right as the second. On which side of the speakers were showcase rooms that were hidden thanks to the curtains. The title of the chambers that laid above them were as follows, Writer's Room, Artist's Room, Sound Room and Editing Room. Up ahead was another Main Studio sign with another garage door with Bendy's head.
"Maybe some other time," Sonic said, referring to the studio tour as he made his way to the left side of the room to the entry. "And by that, I mean, not ever."
Seeing the switch to the door, Sonic pulled it down and the door swung open with ease. Grinning, he made way down the stairs until he came across a small gate. Just when he was about to reach out to open it, he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes grew with shock for what he saw on the other side of the gate. It was the Devil Darling himself, Bendy, playing with a toy train on the floor.
He seemed too occupied with his train to notice Sonic as he just stared at Joey Drew's mascot. And to think, Gent was able to do the one thing that Joey couldn't; bring Bendy to life. Then again, with the latest technology, they probably tweaked their new ink machine to what they wanted. And boy, did it pay off!
Sonic slowly opened the gate which its squeaking drew the attention of the Bendy. Seeing the toonish hedgehog caused him to get up on his feet and grab the toy train.
"No! No! It's okay, buddy," Sonic assured the little devil as he closed the gate behind him. "I'm not gonna hurt you."
Bendy didn't say anything as he stared at Sonic, his eyes fearful, yet curious. Sonic figured that if Boris wasn't able to speak then most likely Bendy couldn't talk, either. The miniature toon took a couple steps back whenever Sonic came close, the train held tightly in his hands.
Thinking he's protecting his toy, Sonic couldn't help but chuckle. "No, I don't want your train. I'm looking for the way out of here. Think you can help me?"
Bendy glared down at the floor, wondering what to do. Sonic used that opportunity to get down on his knee and extend his hand.
"I probably should introduce myself first. I'm Sonic. I take it you're Bendy?"
The demon nodded as he slowly walked toward Sonic to shake his hand. This left the hedgehog thankful that his new powers aren't on his right hand or else Bendy would've been seriously hurt. Or worse.
Bendy suddenly stopped in his steps as his eyes suddenly became terrified. He glared around the room as if something was about to come out of the shadows.
"What's wrong?"
Bendy, now completely afraid, turned his back on the confused hedgehog and ran away, taking his toy train with him.
"Wait, Bendy!" Sonic cried as he got to his feet and ran after him. He came across two ways, with the left leading a dead end and the other side with an open vent next to a new room.
Thinking he went in the vent, Sonic ran over, got down on his knees and called out, "Bendy, come back!" His nocturnal eyes showed that Bendy was nowhere inside.
He got back up and began to think about what happened. Something had definitely spooked the little guy. It couldn't have been him since he was just standing there. Maybe Bendy sensed danger that caused him to run away. If that's the case, who or what is the danger?
Knowing he should get going, Sonic couldn't help but feel concerned for Bendy. Then again, he's probably good at hiding and taking care of himself given the amount of time he's been here. Hoping the best for the little demon, Sonic left the open vent.
Turning to a whole new area, Sonic came across five easels each holding a picture. The first one on the left had a face of a person, a woman Sonic believed due to the long hair, with her mouth hanging open. The second one next to it was another woman, taking the form of a skeleton, had her arm turn into some kind of twisted hook. There wasn't much on the third picture except a black figure raising its arms as if it was in praise. The fourth one was just downright weird; It had the face of a crazed man, smiling stupidly. But where his hair should've been was a small tree with a few leaves on its branches, leaving Sonic to wonder if the man's face was a pot or he just happened to have a tree growing out of his head. Either way, he wouldn't be surprised if the man represented potheads or if the artist who drew this picture was one. The last one had a female cyclops with a halo hanging above her head along with devil horns on each side.
Seeing something on the ground, Sonic repositions his stand to see an ink message on the floor. It read, The Dark Puddles Are Calling.
"No shit," Sonic muttered, as he called back to his encounter with the puddles that gave him the ink banishing powers.
He turned to see another easel with a canvas that had the message, No Visitors! Go Away! It stood right next to a door with a message of its own on where a circular window should be that read, Don't Knock!
"This guy sounds homey," joked Sonic before he made his way to the other side of the room. He'll come back if he can't find another way out.
He walked toward the closed door of Animation Alley with the cutouts of Bendy and Boris as its guards. There didn't seem to be any switches nearby, forcing the Mobian toon to find a different route. He noticed another one of those caution seals not too far from where he stood. Like last time, he grabbed the sides and after some heavy pulling, Sonic came across a dimly lit area where he saw some kind of machine that was pumping ink. Then he saw a door right next to an open vent. He reached for the door knob only to find it locked.
"Of course," the hedgehog toon grumbled. He turned to the vent and already had a bad feeling about going inside. Not having much of a choice, he got down to his knees and crawled his way in.
Immediately having flashbacks of the last time he was inside a vent, Sonic was on high alert, glaring at everything that could possibly pop out and attack him. As of the moment, nothing happened but that didn't stop the Black Blur from speed crawling.
When he had finally reached the end of the vent, Sonic let out a sigh of relief. He crawled out, stretched his legs and exclaimed, "Let's look like the worst is in the dust!"
Seeing another locked up gate, he merely kicked it open instead of punching the lock. However, the lights suddenly turned off starting from where Sonic was at and ended at the end of the hallway.
Sonic flapped his arms as he yelled, "Right when I say it!"
Suddenly, the room started to shake. At first, Sonic thought it was a mobius-quake until he felt his head start to ache.
"Ssssssssooooooooonnnnnnnnnnic."
Recognizing the voice from the ink, the hedgehog glared around the room, piercing the darkness with his night vision. No one was around. Thinking whoever it was might be on the other side of the door up ahead, Sonic turned the knob only to find a Bendy cutout. He cautiously looked around but the room was confined with its small space, making him the only one inside. After going through another locked gate, he heard the voice again.
"I know you can hear me, Sonic."
As the voice spoke, ink began to drain from the walls, making it look like they were bleeding.
"What do you want?" Sonic asked, constantly looking in every direction of where the voice was coming from. Aside from the broken ink pumper, several stacked up barrels, busted wooden boards, he couldn't find anyone. "Cause I don't have time for some ink monster to rip out my heart or smash my brain to bits!"
"Is that any way to treat an old friend?" the voice queried as his throat gurgled.
"Trust me, I would've recognized you on the spot," Sonic assured him as he proceeded his way through the ravaged hallway.
The voice growled as it said, "Well, I remember you. Also, your leg is looking better."
"What?" Sonic murmured, wondering what he was talking about.
That was when it hit him. He stopped dead in his tracks as his mind went back two years ago back to the old studio during the times when he and his friends encountered the ink machine's first and most dangerous creation; the Ink Demon.
The Mobian toon could feel his leg begin to throb as he recalled Bendy snapping it like a twig to get the last Chaos Emerald. He found himself breathing heavily as his heart raced in fear with his hands shaking.
"Yes," the voice continued. "You remember now."
"Well, to be fair," Sonic said, trying his best to sound calm. He gathered the courage to move his legs as he added, "You didn't talk last time so you kind of threw me off."
Seeing a new pathway to the right, Sonic turned to see a deadend with only the vent as the way to proceed. Sonic couldn't help but had a strong feeling that the Ink Demon was right inside, waiting for him. He didn't see any ink veins, indicating that he's nowhere close by. Then again, he used this tactic before. Not seeing any other choice, Sonic crawled in the vent. As he did so, he figured he would keep Bendy busy by continuing their conversation.
"So how've you been?" he uttered as he pulled himself through the vent. "I mean, last I heard, Wilson supposedly 'killed' you. Personally, I found it bullshit because you know, you can't really kill an ink monster."
"Wilson believes what I want him to believe," Bendy replied. "The old fool grew hungry with the ink's power, driving him to think that he could kill me."
"Speaking of killing," Sonic added. "How are you back? The Lost Ones I can understand but you? I took you out with the original ink machine two years ago. Did you get yourself a new soul or something to keep your old self intact with some upgrades?"
Heavy breathing was heard before the Ink Demon answered, "I was born with no soul. I'm nothing more than a walking carcass with only the machine as my reason for living."
It was during this time that Sonic made it to the end of the vent and took another moment to stretch his arms and legs.
"Yeah, well," Sonic grunted as he made some lunges. "I'd enjoy it while it lasts if I were you because in just a few minutes, I'm gonna be walking outta here and put an end to this for good."
As he made his way down the stairs to another hall, the Ink Demon asked, "You really think it's going to be that easy?"
"Oh, no!" Sonic exclaimed while he came across an oval-shaped doorway that led to another room through a small corridor. "Just because you can talk doesn't mean you can bullcrap me with some mind game. Not gonna happen! Besides, I got out before; I can do it again."
"You had your friends last time," Bendy growled. "But you're alone now. You won't find the way out without them."
Looking around, Sonic found himself in Animation Alley. Aside from the usual drawing desks with paper, some with bizarre drawings, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That is, except of course, a small area in the corner where hundreds of papers hung on the wall with the message, He Walks Among The Believers written over them. Next to it was a Lost One with its head in a bag hanging from the ceiling, dangling with other pieces of paper hung on a string straight across the tiny shrine. Then there were the usual crates and lit candles that surrounded it. If his memory is right, the doorway that leads into the main room should be on the other side of the alley.
Feeling confident despite the Ink Demon's taunts, Sonic merely replied, "Wanna bet?"
Before he even lifted his foot to start walking, he heard Bendy say, "I already have."
Hearing something behind him, Sonic's eyes widened as he jumped into the air while seeing a glimpse of huge claws. Thanks to his reflexes, he flipped as he landed on the ground, already knowing who his attacker was.
"All right, Bendy," Sonic announced as he began to look up, "Let's see-"
He stopped abruptly when he noticed Bendy's feet. Before, they were smudged tar that resembled feet were now goat hooves. Even his legs had the same similarities of a goat's hind legs. He slowly looked up, taking note how more skeletal Bendy's body looked and how he's grown in size. Where his gloved hand should've been was now a giant claw but still had the glove, at least what's left of it since it still covered the hand except for the fingers. Even though he couldn't fully see them, Sonic saw the spikes from Bendy's back as well as his shoulders. His bowtie sagged side to side as if it hadn't been tied all the way. His eyes were still covered by the ink but his teeth had grown while resembling that of a human's, including the ability to open his mouth. His horns were more curved, making them more animalistic with the tip of the right horn looking more realistic. The cartoon Mobian wasn't expecting to see the Ink Demon looking more demonic and bigger in size than their previous encounter. He could feel the cold shivers of fear run through his blood just staring at him.
As the newly built Ink Demon glared at the toon hedgehog, gently growling, Sonic gathered up his courage and asked, "So! You got a haircut?"
That caused Bendy to smack him so hard that it sent him flying through the wall behind him, taking the dead Lost One with him. Sonic groaned as he lifted his head and rubbed it from the wall's impact. It was just a second later that he noticed the Lost One's bagged head was sitting on his lap.
"Oh, Chaos!" he yelled as he pushed the tar corpse away.
Hearing the Ink Demon walking toward him, Sonic got to his feet as he said, "Yeah, that joke's pretty lame and overused. But you're not gonna stop me from getting outta here!"
He dashed away with his ink trails fading behind him. It turned out that Animation Alley wasn't that big as Sonic thought while he searched for the exit. He came across a fenced off area with another Lost One corpse lying on the other side. Seeing another entry on his left, Sonic ran throughout the room to find nothing but desks, chairs and cutouts of different Bendy characters. Hearing the Ink Demon drawing closer, he looked around frantically for the way out. He noticed the room next to him that was also blocked off by a fence didn't cover all the way to the ceiling. Turning to the one straight across from where he stood, he saw the Exit sign hovering over a garage door of some sort.
Excitement widened his smile as he ran toward the fence, formed into a ball and jumped the fence and made a superhero landing. Once he rose to his feet, his spirits dropped when he saw that the door was sealed shut with no way to open it.
"No, no, no, no, no, no," Sonic muttered as he walked toward the door, hoping to find a creak, an invisible doorknob or something. He even started to spin dash it down but it had no effect. Just when he was about to leap into the air and do his famous homing attack, huge claws grabbed him from behind and lifted him up.
Sonic yelled as he struggled to break free as the hand pulled him to the face of the Ink Demon.
"Your naivety amuses me. Did you really learn nothing?"
Getting an idea, Sonic replied. "Oh, you know me. I can be pretty stubborn when I wanna be. But you're not the only one who got an 'inky' upgrade!"
He pulled out his glowing hand and slammed it against the back of the Ink Demon's palm.
Nothing happened.
Sonic glared at his hand and did it again only for it to have the same effect as before. His eyes turned to the Ink Demon, who just stared at the Mobian toon as if he was expecting something to happen. After doing it a few more times, it was pretty clear that his new powers had no effect on Bendy. At that, Sonic did what anyone would've done to break free: he bit the devil's hand as hard as he could.
The Ink Demon yelped as he dropped Sonic, allowing the Black Blur to jump over the fenced-wall and made a run for it. After a few turns, Sonic saw the egg-like entry he came in and was about to head in when the Ink Demon smacked him from behind, crashing into an animator's desk.
Sonic groaned as he pulled himself up with his body aching all over. He looked up to see the Ink Demon slammed the door shut. There weren't levers or buttons near the door, making Sonic trapped.
At a snail's pace, he walked over to Sonic who got to his battle stance despite the pain and announced, "Okay, Bendy. You wanna dance? Let's dance!"
He formed his spin ball with the splashing water sound effect and homed in on Bendy, who simply swatted him like he was a fly. He didn't crash into anything this time as he slid across the floor with his buckled shoes as breaks. He charged at the Ink Demon, this time dodging his giant claw and punched his chest. He roared as Sonic jumped back and did round two on his face. It wasn't long until Sonic became a flying black ribbon that kept hitting the Ink Demon in various parts and jumped back as if the entire room was a trampoline.
The Giant Devil grew more agitated as he tried to grab the Black Blur with no avail. Sonic, on the other hand, started to become tired as he continued to at least bring the Ink Demon to his knees. But it seemed that none of his attacks had any kind of effect on him, not even a scratch.
Having enough, Bendy was finally able to strike Sonic with his large fist. He punched him so hard that the Mobian toon was sent flying through the room until he crashed into a pillar and fell to the ground. He groaned as he struggled to lift himself up, his entire body in even more pain than before. He looked up to see the Ink Demon walking towards him, ink veins emerging from the walls and floor.
Knowing he doesn't stand a chance against his new form and powers, Sonic glared around for an escape. Turning to the room where he found the closed off exit, he saw a vent that stood right next to an Alice Angel cutout. It was sealed but he should be able to get no problem with his spin dash.
Taking a quick look at Bendy, who was about to pick him up like a rag doll, Sonic formed into a ball and spin dashed to the vent, smashing his way inside.
He could hear the Ink Demon in his head as he said, "You cannot run forever, Sonic. I will find you."
For what seemed like forever, Sonic, at top speed, spun his way out of the vent, panting at rapid pace. He collapsed on the floor as he put his hand over his chest to calm himself.
"Well," he muttered to himself. "Back to plan A."
Given that he was originally set out to find the elevator before he came across Animation Alley Sign that triggered his memory of his last inky adventure. Sure, there was that door that led to the platform but it needed a special key, but Sonic has no idea where to even look. Thinking there might be another way to find the elevator, he rolled to his side and rose to see a closed garage door. Luckily, there was a lever close by where Sonic pulled it down for the door to reveal a familiar room.
"Oh!" Sonic exclaimed as he had just been in this room as he recognized the five easels with their pictures that stood near the Don't Knock! door. "Talk about convenience!"
Walking up to the door, Sonic knocked while hoping whoever's on the other side might be able to help him.
"Who's out there?" cried a voice, sounding scared. "Is that you, Phil?"
"Uh, no," Sonic replied. "I'm Sonic. I was wondering if you could help me."
The wooden plank where the words, Don't Knock! stood was opened which revealed a Lost One, looking around the room.
"Down here," Sonic told him as the Lost One obeyed and saw the Mobian toon.
He gasped and slammed the small door shut, leaving Sonic wondering what happened. He could hear the sound of large items being torn down and the rustling of paper and metal on the other side of the door. He could hear the Lost One but couldn't pinpoint what he was saying thanks to the racket he was making. He could only reckon that he's looking for something in particular and couldn't find it, hence the muttering.
Before he could take a guess at what he was trying to find, the door swung open with the Lost One holding a crowbar as he charged at the confused hedgehog. Luckily, he dodged as the ink man swung his weapon.
"Hold still!" the Lost One yelled. "If I bring you to Wilson, he'll have to give me my drawings back!"
"Drawings?" Sonic repeated. "What, you mean those drawings over there?"
"Ha! You really think I'm gonna fall for that old trick?"
Pointing at the easels, Sonic said, "See for yourself!"
The Lost One ignored him as he made another swing at Sonic. Seeing there was no way of getting through to him, the hedgehog held out his glowing hand and banished him back to the ink.
"I tried to tell you," Sonic said, raising his arms to a shrug. He then made his way inside the Lost One's safehouse, which had a terrible mess.
He could see a knocked over barrel and an open crate with various objects on the floor, ranging from a large gear, empty bacon soup cans, coins, pens, paper, tools and a torn bed sheet.
Aside from the clutter on the floor, Sonic saw a garage door with the shape of Bendy's head in the middle. Much like the other one, it opened once Sonic got close enough to pass through, giving him the relief that he doesn't have to go on a search for a switch.
He came across a hallway with a pillar splitting the path in two, each having a name for themselves. The one on the left led to the screening room while the path on the right steered to the storyboarding room.
Sonic looked both ways as he tapped his foot, wondering which way to go. After a minute, he decided to go to the screening room.
It was a large, open area with several benches and a couple of couches facing the wall that had three lit-up slides of Bendy holding a flower in different poses. Following the gaze of the light, there was a small room where three projectors stood, radiating their chosen slides through the glass. Aside from the torn sheet that hung from the ceiling, boxes in every size scattered around the room, it looked quite homey. If the place wasn't running with ink monsters, Sonic would've got himself comfortable on one of the couches and chill.
Seeing a garage door up ahead with a sign that read, Writer's Room with a door code on the side. Sonic reached for his invisible pocket for Dale Little's Cheat Sheet as he walked up to the door. After seeing the number 84 above the door, he scanned the paper until he found the code, which was 235. He slid the numbers to the correct order and pushed the button. The door opened with ease as the hedgehog passed through with a smile on his face.
A new room revealed itself with another animation alley sign hung near the ceiling with a busted barrel and the Butcher Gang movie poster. As Sonic walked further along, he saw an easel with a message on the canvas that read, Come Say Hello with an arrow pointing to the room on the right.
"Yeah… no," Sonic said and continued on his way.
Like before, he came across another garage door with a picture of Bendy's head that opened once Sonic got in proximity of it. A sign above it read, Maintenance, which would mean that he's getting closer to the platform. One can only hope.
After passing through another door similar to the design of the one just a few feet away, Sonic found himself in a small hallway. On his left was a large pipe that was connected to the wall that led all the way to the end of the hall. Not too far from where he stood was a building structure that blocked the upper half of the corridor. That didn't seem to be a problem as Sonic simply walked through thanks to his small stature. Up ahead was an unsealed gate that revealed another room that led to a hallway not so different from the one he came in.
More ink pipes were seen on the walls and on the ground that were either opened or sealed with some ink stains on the edges. Of course, there were some stacked boxes and more broken barrels that stood in various places. Asides from that, everything was the same.
Sonic guessed he must be in the sewers given that he was almost surrounded by pipes each varying in size. Also, the smell told him so, making it clear that nobody in their right mind would want to wander around here, hence the silence.
Despite the quiet, Sonic stayed alert in case someone came out and attacked him, especially the Ink Demon. With his new abilities, he'll probably ground Sonic into hamburger the next time they meet.
"Yeah, don't want that to happen anytime soon," Sonic muttered as he crawled through an ink pipe to get to the other side.
Once he got out, he saw an open entry to another area with an Exit sign above it. As much as he was happy to see anything relating to the door to freedom, he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up given the last time he thought he found the exit. Besides, the dead body of a Lost One laid not too far from the door in the new room reminded him so.
Just as Sonic made his way in the unknown location, he suddenly heard laughter. Not diabolical laughter as he grew accustomed to in this place but the kind you hear from Santa Claus, except more high pitched.
Turning to where he heard the laugh, there was a flight of stairs leading up to an open area. He ran up the stairs to find no one around.
Looking around, he couldn't figure out where he was. He could only guess that maybe this is where new ink pipes are installed given a large pipe hung above the black abyss that separated Sonic from the other side of the area. Thinking the one who made the laugh is on the other side, Sonic went back to the start of the stairs only to run toward the edge of the pit and jump. With a little help from his homing ability, Sonic made a grand touchdown to the other side.
Turning his head to another room, on the wall he saw a new message saying, The Machine Must Endure.
"That's another new one," Sonic muttered as he rose to his feet and entered the area. He recalled this version of the studio having different messages instead of the usual, The Creator Lied to Us and He Will Set Us Free.
There wasn't that much to see except for the small canal of ink that stood underneath the message with a metal barrel stuck halfway in. Two large pipes were on opposite ends of the canal, both were sealed shut except for the ink that flowed through the bars.
Then he heard the voice again. This time, he didn't laugh; it was more like a grunt. And it sounded close.
Turning to the door on his right, Sonic passed the small flooded area and came across a large open pipe as the only way to continue. He walked up to it and took a peek outside to see a Lost One stuck in a tube that looked like it was the only way out.
This one seemed different from the others. He wore some kind of pilot goggles over his head with some rope wrapped around his shoulder, giving off the exploring type. If that's the case, he might be able to help him find the elevator or better yet, a way out of the Gent factory.
The Lost One muttered softly as he tried to free his arms to no avail. He then tried to turn his body in hopes of freeing one of his arms. But that proved no use, either.
Praying to Chaos that this one won't try to kill him once he helped him out, Sonic stepped inside the pipe and toward the stuck ink creature.
Hearing the Mobian toon, the Lost One looked up with his large, golden eyes and exclaimed, "Oh! Hello there! Are you looking for the way out?"
"Yeah," Sonic replied. "I take it that's the exit?"
The Lost One nodded. "I thought I could fit but I was wrong. And I'm afraid that means, well, you're stuck, too."
"Okay, uh," muttered Sonic as he looked around for something to free the Lost One. He then saw a medical chair in a corner. Getting an idea, Sonic went over, ripped off one of the legs and returned to the stuck Lost One.
Sonic explained, "I'm gonna try to create a gap to free your arm. Once it's out, reach out to me and I'll pull you out."
"Okay," the Lost One replied with a nod.
"All right! Now let's see…"
Sonic went over to the right of the Lost One, who simply watched the inky hedgehog given that he's got no choice in the matter. He got down to his knees and glared at the ink. He could tell that he was a little chunky which would explain how he got stuck in the first place. Seeing a perfect spot to put the chair leg in, Sonic rose to his feet with his hand as support. Until he realized he used his left hand instead of his right.
Panic began to flow in Sonic's veins as the ink began to glow all around the Lost One, who seemed more confused than in pain. He stepped back, waiting for the ink person to evaporate in the air. It wasn't long before the ink vanished as gravity took the Lost One prisoner as he went down the pipe.
"Wheeeheeheeheee!" cried the ink creature as his voice echoed on the walls of the tube.
With his anxiety through the roof, Sonic put his hands over his lips as he yelled, "Hang on, Buddy! I'm coming!"
He walked over to the edge of the pipe and jumped in. After several seconds of floorless darkness, Sonic landed on the floor with a hard grunt. He began to look for the Lost One who was just getting himself up, giggling not too far from Sonic landed.
"Woo hoo! That was fun!"
"You're all right?" Sonic asked as he got to his feet as well.
"Oh, I'm quite alright, thank you," responded the Lost One, raising his hand. "The name's Porter by the way. And who might you be?"
"I'm Sonic," replied the inkish Mobian. "Sonic the hedgehog."
"Sonic?" Porter repeated, cocking his head in confusion. "Sonic. Soooooonic."
He put his hand over his dripping chin as he spoke, deep in thought. Sonic, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare at Porter while wondering what he was thinking.
Finally, Porter exclaimed, "I like it! It suits you just fine! It even has a nice ring to it!"
"Uh, thanks?" Sonic said, unsure of what had just happened. Pushing the confusion aside, he asked Porter what he was doing in the room before he got stuck in the pipe.
"Oh, I'm just looking around."
"Looking for anything specific?"
Porter grew silent when Sonic asked him that question. He again found Porter in his own little world as he waited for his response.
"I don't know, actually," Porter answered after a quiet couple of minutes. "All I can remember is waking up in this place. I thought if I took a look around, I might remember something. However, none of my memories have come back."
Another minute of silence took place as Porter stared at the ground looking downcasted. He then shook it off before returning to his upbeat mood. "But I know somewhere in this studio has what I'm looking for. I just need to keep looking. Well, enough about me. What were you doing there?"
"It's kinda a long story," Sonic replied with a chuckle. "But long story short, I saw something I shouldn't have seen and now I'm trapped in this place while looking like Mickey Mouse' second cousin."
Porter crossed his inky eyebrows when Sonic made that last comment. "Who's Mickey Mouse?"
"He's a mascot for a movie studio," Sonic explained. "So now, I'm trying to find the ink machine in hopes of turning me back to normal and get out of here."
"Oh, I don't think you can get out," Porter said. "I tried finding the exit myself in hopes of finding my memories but found nothing. It can be quite vexing, especially when you already searched the entire studio multiple times."
Sonic's ears perked the moment he heard Porter say those last words. "Wait! Did you say you searched the ENTIRE studio?"
Porter nodded. "I'm sorry, Sonic. I wish I could help."
"No, no, Porter! You can!" Sonic told him, his spirits soaring out of his body. "Don't you see? You practically know this place like the back of your hand!"
"I do?" The Lost Explorer looked at the back of his inky palm to see if Sonic was right.
Laughing at Porter's simple nature, Sonic said, "The point is, Porter, you know where to find the ink machine. Once we find that, we can find the exit no sweat."
"The ink machine?"
Seeing that Porter was hesitant about the very device that created this world, Sonic asked with his teeth almost clenched. "You do know where it is, right?"
"No one has seen the ink machine," Porter said. "And those that did probably died. You can thank Wilson for that."
Sonic's eyes widened at the realization of Wilson hiding the ink machine so nobody would find it out in the open like he did. Even though he had no idea where to find the device, he had a good idea where to look.
Looking at Porter, Sonic asked if he knew where he had a key card for the Gent lock in Animation Alley or knew where to find one.
"I'm afraid not," Porter responded. "But I can make one for you."
Sonic glared at him. "Make?"
As if he expected this, Porter held out his finger and said, "One moment." Then taking a small piece of his inky flesh, he began to play with it like it was playdoh. He flattened it down and folded it until it took the shape of a credit card. It was just a split second later that the ink suddenly faded away with an actual key card taking its place.
Sonic's jaw dropped to the floor with bewildered eyes. "How'd you do that?!"
Porter shrugged as he replied, "I basically take a blob of ink and mold it to whatever I want. I call it ink molding."
Sonic asked if he could take any glob of ink aside from his body to which Porter said yes. The main reason why he used his flesh to mold is that he has so much on him that it became a convenient supplier.
"That is so cool!" exclaimed Sonic. "I never seen a Lost One do something like that!"
"Neither have I," added Porter.
That got Sonic thinking that there might be more Lost Ones that have powers of their own. After all, if the Ink Demon can evolve, why not the Lost Ones? They probably keep it hidden in case Wilson gains an interest or deems them as a threat to his rule. Either one wouldn't surprise him.
Getting an idea, Sonic asked, "Porter, why don't you come with me?"
The Lost Explorer stared at the hedgehog toon curiously as Sonic added, "I know you said nobody has seen the ink machine but I think I might know where it is. That could not only help me get back to normal but help you get your memories back, too. Besides, I could use both a guide and a friend in this place."
That got the ink humanoid creature's eyes to grow big at the sound of that. "You… consider me as a friend?"
"Of course!' Sonic exclaimed. "Who else would I consider you as?"
That got Porter so happy that he grabbed Sonic for a hug, admitting that he never had a friend before. He added that today was the best day of his life as he pulled Sonic from the floor and held him like he was a teddy bear. The hedgehog couldn't help but smile as he returned a hug. However, a split second later Sonic realized he touched Porter with his left hand. It wasn't long until it glowed brightly as did his eyes, filling the sockets with golden light much like Porter's.
Suddenly, the two ink beings felt a part of themselves being drained yet filled at the same time. Neither of them screamed as they were more in surprised shock than in pain. Then the light in the hedgehog's hand died down, with both the Lost One and Mobian toon wondering what happened. Porter dropped Sonic and staggered for a bit, as did Sonic.
"What the..?" mumbled Sonic, staring at his hand with his pie cut eyes only to see the same pattern, indicating nothing had changed.
Porter, however, felt like he just drank just enough coffee to gain the energy he needed. "Hoo hoo! Do I feel strange!"
Sonic asked if he was okay. "Oh, yes! I feel like I just got out of bed and ready to take on the day! What about you?"
"I definitely felt something," Sonic admitted. "But now I feel fine. I mean, do I look fine?"
Porter shook his head, not seeing any difference. He then asked if he looked fine, which left the Black Blur admitting that he, too, doesn't look any different from before.
"Well," declared Sonic. "At least I don't have to worry about touching you with my glowing hand. But let me know first thing if you start to feel funny, sick or anything."
"Okay," agreed Porter.
Seeing the abyss that separated them from the way out, Sonic held out his arms and told Porter to get on as he explained that he's going to make a jump to the other side.
"I don't think you can make it, Sonic," Porter said as he got into Sonic's arms and was lifted up, surprisingly weighing light as a feather.
Sonic just smiled at the Doubting Lost One. "Watch and learn, buddy!"
Sonic got himself into a lunge position and leapt to the other side with ease with his ink trails flying behind him before they evaporated into the air.
Porter's eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "Wow! That was incredible!"
Sonic smirked as he told Porter about his own power of speed. He added that it was different before he was turned into a toon but it was still the same.
"Oh, it feels good to not be the only one with such wonderful gifts!" cried Porter as he went over to the door to open it.
Sonic smiled as he followed him, happy to have a friend by his side in this adventure.
…
"So let me get this straight," Knuckles said, rubbing his head in irritation. "You spotted an ink creature roaming around the Gent factory until a bunch of guys in suits came in and took it back to their secret basement and nobody saw you. After that, you decided to NOT call the authorities about Gent resurrecting Joey's inky abominations but Sonic, who by this point went in to investigate and hasn't come out since which made you call us in hopes of figuring out this bullshit?"
Archie Carter, who stood across from Tails, nodded. "That pretty much sums it up."
Knuckles had arrived at Tails' workshop not too long when he got a call from the fox saying that Sonic might be in trouble. By the time everyone made it back, Archie explained everything.
"Okay, good," Knuckles exhaled with a chuckle. "I just got one question for ya."
Before Archie could say anything, Knuckles grabbed by the shirt collar, pulled him close enough for their eyes to touch where he yelled, "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU STOP SONIC FROM GOING IN!?"
"I told him he should call you guys!" Archie said, fearing what the wrath of the last of the echidnas would do to him. "But he said it would take too long!"
"That sounds like Sonic," Tails muttered with his hand raised.
After Knuckles set him back down with a hard thud, Archie added, "And he also said that more people inside would be at higher risk of the ink if he waited. I take it that's how they become ink monsters? By touching it?"
"Not necessarily," replied Tails. "Touching the ink won't have any effect on you. But it does take time to take effect if you keep touching it, let alone surrounding yourself with it."
"Oh," muttered Archie. "That makes sense." That left him grateful that the ink creature he encountered didn't touch him.
Knuckles asked Tails if he tried calling Sonic on his Miles Electric. The two-tailed fox reported that he tried multiple times only to have no one answer.
"I can't even get a signal from him," he added. "So either he somehow lost connection on his Miles Electric or it got destroyed."
Turning back to Archie, Knuckles asked if Sonic was looking for anything specific for evidence to reveal Gent's true colors.
"Not really," he replied, scratching his head. "He was just going to look around, see what he could find."
"Sounds like he was looking for the ink machine," Knuckles said. "But what I want to know is how they were able to create a replica of the device that can create the same ink with the same dark magical properties."
"They must've stolen the blueprints of the original from GUN somehow," suggested Tails. "Or took a picture of it."
"Either one wouldn't surprise me," mumbled Knuckles.
Getting an idea, he asked Tails if he could hack into the security cameras of the Gent factory to find both Sonic and the ink machine.
"I could try," Tails said. "But it's gonna take me a while to get in, let alone find anything."
"It's the only chance we have if we want to find Sonic and the evidence we need to shut down Gent for good," Knuckles told him.
"Okay, then," agreed Tails. He went over to his computer and got to work.
Archie asked what he should do in the meantime.
"You said you were a handyman, right? You could tidy up the Tornado while I do this," Tails suggested.
Archie was more than honored to fix up the plane, leaving Knuckles to his thoughts as he went outside on the balcony. He prayed to Chaos that they can find Sonic in time before the worst comes.
…
Sonic and Porter returned to the area where it led to where the door to the elevator that was blocked off by the abyss was. Sonic ventured forward to see if there were any Lost Ones to be seen.
"Looks like we're alone," Sonic reported as he returned to Porter. "But we should get moving in case someone shows up."
Porter nodded as they both made their way to the gap in the floor. Just when they were within proximity of the hole, the door to one of the lockers swung open with a bang. The boys turned to see another member of the Butcher Gang, Fisher.
"Oh, great," grumbled Sonic. He told Porter to stand back as he formed into a ball and spin dashed at the ink bug. He flew straight into the wall and like Piper, was completely unfazed as it charged at Sonic, with its head dangling side to side.
Getting an idea, Sonic grabbed the ink bug's dangling skull. Double checking to see if the abyss was close by, the Mobian toon started to spin around with the Butcher Gang member's body flying until he got enough momentum to throw it across the room. However, it landed on the edge of the doorway to the platform.
"Shit," muttered Sonic as he joined Porter back at the gap's edge.
Fisher continued to speak in its own tongue as it got up and brushed itself. Once it caught sight of the duo, it growled and ran after them only for it to fall into the hole, screaming as it went.
After a minute of staring at the gap where the cries of the ink bug fainted, Porter declared, "Well, that's one way to go out."
"Yeah," agreed Sonic. "I mean, I know these guys were stupid, but I didn't think they were THAT stupid."
After a minute of awkward silence for the deceased ink bug, Sonic took Porter in his arms and jumped across the hold. Once they made it to the other side, Sonic pulled out the key card Porter gave him, popped open the lock hatch, slid in the card until a ding was heard, enabling the bars to sink into the mechanic and allow the inky duo to pass.
"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!" cheered Sonic. He raised his hand to give Porter a high five but the Lost One stared at him confused.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, this is what me and my friends do whenever we're uh, excited or congratulating each other," Sonic explained.
"Here," he said as he told Porter to lift his hand and at the count of three, slap it against his.
"One, two, three!"
Their hands slammed against each other while making a loud clap that echoed throughout the area.
"Why, that does get me excited!" cried Porter who was on the brink of jumping up and down.
"I know right?" Sonic concurred.
Just when Sonic opened the door, another new message on the wall appeared. This one read, The Keepers See Everything.
"The Keepers?" Sonic said. "Who are they?"
"Remember when I said that no one has seen the ink machine and those that did died?"
The cartoon rodent nodded. "The Keepers make sure of it."
Porter explained that the Keepers appeared not long after Wilson arrived. From what Wilson told everyone, they're the peacekeepers of this domain, which was ironic because they were more like soulless soldiers than peacekeepers.
"I never actually met one but I hope it doesn't come to that," admitted Porter, with Sonic agreeing as he already had enough on his plate with the Ink Demon. That last thing he wanted was to add the Keepers to the list, even if they're as cold and heartless as Porter claims them to be.
At that, the inky duo went on their way. It wasn't long until they reached a set of stairs with a sign at the very top that read, Elevator Up. It even had an arrow pointing straight up to confirm it.
"So far so good," reported Sonic, with both excitement and doubt filling his heart for what's to come.
There was another set of stairs on the duo's left when they walked up the first set of stairs. When they were almost at the end, the factory's speakers echoed as they were brought to life, causing the boys to stop in their tracks.
"Attention! Children of the machine! It's Wilson!"
"No shit," Sonic muttered, which got a chuckle from Porter.
Wilson continued his message. "There have been lies that the Ink Demon has been spotted in Animation Alley."
Hearing that, Sonic's eyes went wide and began to wonder how Wilson found out about their fight in the alley. Either there were hidden cameras all over the factory that recorded them fighting or somebody else saw the whole thing from their hiding spot and started to tell everyone. He was just about to ask Porter if he saw him and Bendy together when Wilson proceeded with his message.
"Pay no attention to these filthy rumors. I destroyed the Demon myself! He died by my hands. So don't be afraid. Your friend Wilson will protect you."
After a minute of silence, Sonic said, "He really likes to hammer in the fact that he 'killed' the Ink Demon."
"Doesn't really convince those who have already seen him."
Turning to Porter with curious eyes, Sonic asked, "You saying you've seen him?"
Porter confirmed with a nod. He explained that some time ago, he saw him eating a dead Lost One on level 11. Fortunately, Porter was able to sneak away without being spotted.
"He seemed too occupied with his meal to notice me."
"Yeah," Sonic agreed while feeling uneasy at the fact that the Ink Demon is cannibalistic. Then again, eating one too many bacon soups can make anyone go savage.
Porter added that after seeing the Ink Demon with his own eyes, his trust with Wilson was broken and didn't bother abiding to his commands. Not that he ever noticed, let alone call him out from his speakers or had someone bring Porter to him.
"Aside from feeling betrayed by my so-called, 'protector,' I realized that anyone can say anything to get what they want. Besides, he promised us that things would get better only for them to become worse, especially when the Keepers arrived."
"All the more reason for us to get out of this hell-hole," Sonic said while feeling angry at Wilson for toying innocent people for his own curious amusement.
Porter suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing Sonic to turn and ask what's wrong. Playing with his fingers, the Lost Explorer asked if they would free his fellow ink brothers and sisters once they find the device that created this world.
"Absolutely!" Sonic replied, as that was his intent from the beginning as well as going back to his blue Mobian self. "No one will be left behind, Porter. I promise."
Despite not having lips, Sonic could tell that Porter was smiling. He even gave him another hug as he was again lifted from the ground. Like before, all Sonic could do was hug him back but he didn't mind. The hopeful ink humanoid needed it.
After setting Sonic down, the inky duo proceeded with the journey. The toonish hedgehog admitted that he thought Porter was the one who saw him fighting Bendy in Animation Alley. While Porter told him he wasn't anywhere near the area, he was impressed that Sonic had the balls to fight the demon head on.
"Yeah," chuckled Sonic. "Bendy and I go way back."
Before he could go into further details about his relationship with Bendy, Sonic and Porter came across a sign imprinted on the wall leading two ways. On their left lead to the Artists' Rest while the surface elevator was on their right. Without even thinking about it, they both turned right to the exit where a halfway closed gate lay waiting for them. However, it closed abruptly just when they were in close proximity.
"Oh, c'mon!" Sonic yelled. He was just about to tear the gate down when Porter stopped him.
He then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Porter, with a mouthless grin announced, "I got this, Sonic."
Taking a blob of ink from his own body, he stretched it out like it was gum and began to mush it down to the shape he wanted. It turned out that he made a bolt cutter made entirely of ink. However, it was just a matter of seconds before the ink faded away while forming actual metal, making the bolt cutter more physical.
"Not bad, Porter," complimented the proud hedgehog. "Not bad at all."
Porter made another invisible smile as he began to cut the fences of the gate. Once he was done, Sonic spin dashed through the broken wires to make a hole big enough for Porter to crawl through. By the time he joined Sonic on the other side, they continued their journey.
Aside from the sign indicating that the platform's up ahead, the corridor was pretty dark. Luckily, Sonic still had his nocturnal eyes so he was able to see just fine. It was also perfect for Porter since he couldn't see despite his glowing eyes. After a few twists and turns, the duo came across another fence-like wall.
Porter grinned as he announced, "Give me a minute and it's all yours!"
As the Lost One pulled out the bolt cutter from his invisible pocket and began his work, Sonic's head started throb. As he rubbed it to ease the pain, the sounds surrounding him began to fade all except a familiar voice.
"Sonic? Where are you?"
"Sonic?"
The hedgehog's ears twerked when Porter spoke which banished the Ink Demon's voice and the pain. He looked up and seeing his friend's concerned face, said, "I'm fine. I just got lightheaded all of a sudden. No big deal."
The last thing Sonic wanted Porter to worry about was the Ink Demon taunting him telepathically. Although it left him wondering how Bendy was able to acquire that ability. Then again, he has been known for being full of unwanted surprises.
Once Porter was done cutting the wires on the gate, Sonic curled up into a ball and widened the new entrance for his friend to pass.
The new area they entered contained an ink-covered Bendy cutout, a chair and a table where a bunch of tools lay scattered across the surface. But what got the boys' attention was another Gent secured door that led to the elevator and to freedom.
Porter asked Sonic for the key card since he was the one who had it. After he was given the key card, he slid it in and waited for the locks to move so they could pass. They made their way in to find The Machine Must Endure message on the wall in front of them. But they paid no heed to it as they continued their way.
But Sonic couldn't help but feel uneasy, especially after hearing the Ink Demon in his head. "This is too easy."
Porter looked at him curiously. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"
"Oh, it's a great thing," replied Sonic. "It's just that usually when something's too easy, irony kicks in and screws everything up."
"Irony?"
Seeing that Porter's unfamiliar with the word, Sonic explained that irony is an expression that occurs the opposite of what one needs, such as them going through the studio with no problems only to run into trouble soon after.
"Well, I guess we should keep our guard up," Porter shrugged.
After a couple of minutes, the boys made it to the area that held the platform. It turned out that the room contained two instead of one thanks to the signs that were hung on the sides of the chamber. A large picture of Bendy split the area in two, with one half free to enter with the other blocked off by a barred-up fence. Several couches took space in various areas, both close to where the boys stood and near the entry to the elevators. Before they could take another step, the speakers came alive again.
"This is Wilson," spoke the same elderly voice the boys heard not too long ago. "Anyone caught in restricted areas will be taken immediately to the Pit. So be a good egg. Follow the rules." The echo of the speaker faded away once Wilson delivered his message.
"Wonder what he means by the Pit?" Sonic muttered.
"Oh, he says that whenever someone comes across a restricted area," Porter said. "It gets quite annoying after listening to it so many times."
Hearing that made it perfectly clear that Porter had been in multiple restricted areas without getting caught, let alone anyone spotting him. Sonic couldn't help but laugh. "Man, Porter, you really are a rebel!"
Porter smirked as they proceeded toward the small flight of stairs. It was then that Sonic noticed a sealed door that led to Animation Alley. Sonic formed a grumpy cat face when realizing he was right about the Alley leading him to the platforms. If only the Keepers, Wilson or whoever bolted the large door left it alone so Sonic could get out and be free of this wretched place. Then again, he never would've met Porter and learned the existence of the Keepers.
He joined Porter as they both took note of another gate that blocked their way, this one blocking both entries with door-like gates, one boarded up with wooden planks and the other with a simple lock with its chain wrapped around the edge of the door.
Porter offered to make a key for the gate on the left but Sonic stopped him. "My turn."
With a face full of confidence, Sonic got into position and kicked down the boarded door. Turning to Porter, he waved his arms out and announced, "After you."
"Why, thank you," Porter said, marveling at the strength of the hedgehog's legs.
A third gate laid on the other side of the chamber, with the same locked up gates like before, only this time they were farther apart. Sonic merely kicked down the one closest to where they stood, leading them to the end of the chamber where the elevators stood. The platforms waited for their inky customers at the bottom of two flights of stairs on each side separated by a pillar with a Bendy cutout leaning against the wall.
"Are ALL restricted areas this lazily secured?" Quired Sonic.
Porter merely shrugged as they walked down the stairs on the left. It didn't really matter which way they took since they both led to the same destination. "The ones I've encountered seemed simple enough. Then again, they didn't have this many gates."
"I know, right?" Sonic agreed. "The least they can do is make sure they're more secure if they're gonna have this many gates."
For what seemed like forever, Sonic and Porter have finally made it to the elevators. The one on the right was beyond repair with golden electricity sparking out of the black abyss with its neighbor in perfect condition.
Once they stopped at the platform's doors, Sonic turned his head to Porter who looked just as excited as he was. "Let's do it to it!"
He pushed the button and immediately heard the platform being lowered to where they were.
"This will be my first time in an elevator!" Porter cried excitedly.
"Seriously?"
The Lost One nodded. Given that he's spent most of his ink life wandering the ink-filled world on foot, it would make sense for him to act like this.
"Well, I can tell you this," Sonic began while a ding! was heard and slowly opened the door. "It will save-"
Before he could finish, the faces of the inky duo turned to horror when the door revealed the Ink Demon, who was just standing there glaring at the horrified duo as if he was expecting them to open the door. "There you are," he grinned.
Pointing at Bendy, Porter quired, "Was this the irony you were talking about earlier?"
"Yep," Sonic responded with a shaky nod. "RUN!"
Sonic grabbed Porter's arm and ran up the stairs, his inky trails fading behind him. Bendy charged after the duo, roaring as he went. Just when Sonic, with a whiplashed Porter, made it to the top of the stairs, he looked back to see the Ink Demon getting closer. He was just about to run toward the open gate when Bendy lunged and swatted them like flies, sending the boys flying through the air before crashing into a miracle station, a wooden bench and a cart.
The boys groaned as they tried to lift themselves despite their bodies aching in pain. Sonic suddenly felt something grab his leg and was flung across the room and slammed against the wall before falling to the wooden floor.
"Sonic!" yelled Porter, who tried to gain his strength to stand only to trip over some broken debris and fell on his face.
The Ink Demon walked over to Sonic, who also struggled to lift his body, moaning as he did so. Just when he raised his head, Bendy grabbed him and lifted him up to his face. Unlike last time, Sonic's left hand was free from the Ink Demon's grasp and tried to banish him again. Unfortunately, nothing happened. He switched to plan B and bit the devil's hand as hard as he could. However, Bendy didn't yelp like last time, which panicked the Mobian toon. He then went back to break himself free while biting and patting his glowing hand on every vulnerable area with no success.
The Ink Demon couldn't help but chuckle. "I always admired your resourcefulness. But now, your journey ends, Sonic."
He opened his large mouth and slowly brought Sonic closer, who still continued to fight his way out of Bendy's tight clutch.
Porter, meanwhile, managed to finally get back on his feet and started to make a spear out of his flesh after seeing Sonic about to get eaten. Once he was done, he charged at the Ink Demon with his spear aimed at his back. However, he ran a little too fast when he realized he was already a touching point with the Ink Demon along his spear plunged much deeper into the devil's tar skin than Porter intended.
Bendy screamed as he dropped Sonic and tried to grab the spear from his back. Sonic used that opportunity to take a surprised Porter and run back down to the open platform and push the up button. The doors immediately closed, blocking out the painful cries of the Ink Demon. It wasn't long until the boys felt the platform lift up with the motors gently groaning.
After a minute of calming himself, Sonic asked Porter if he was okay.
"Am I okay?" repeated the Lost One. "I should be asking you that! You almost got eaten by the Ink Demon!"
"And I'm alive, thanks to you," Sonic said. "But since when did you run at super speed?"
Porter admitted that he never had the ability to run fast except to form ink into animate objects. He even swore on his mother's grave, adding if he even had one.
It was clear that Porter was telling the truth. The Black Blur took a moment to think on how Porter achieved the same power he possessed. He looked at his left hand, the golden spiral glowing dimly and that was when it hit him.
"Of course!" Sonic gasped, snapping his fingers. "When I touched you with my glowing hand, we shared our powers! You were given my speed! And that means I can mold the ink into anything I want, too!"
Intrigued, Porter pulled out an inky glob from his rib cage, handed it to Sonic and asked, "Shall we find out?"
With excitement running through his veins, Sonic took the blob and began to mold. After several minutes of agonizing determination, the hedgehog created a wooden spoon.
Porter applauded with joy. "Well done! You have mastered ink molding pretty quickly!"
Sonic thanked him as he marveled at his creation. "Oh, man! This is so cool!"
But the celebration came to a short end as the platform came to a hard halt. The boys regained their balance and frantically looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of place but that didn't stop them from panicking.
However, nothing really happened. No outside sounds were heard, nothing tried to break the doors open and the platform stood perfectly still. Sonic and Porter looked at each other confused at what was going on.
"Did the elevator get broken?" queried Porter.
"Possibly," Sonic muttered as he looked up to see a vent. "Here, Porter, give me a boost."
Before the Lost One could make any kind of movement, the platform's speakers turned on. Instead of the elderly, raspy voice of Wilson, a different voice spoke through.
"Unauthorized surface elevator in use," emerged a skin-crawling, robot-like voice. "Manual lift ejection activated."
A large mechanical crash was heard outside the platform which sent it hurling down with the duo yelling in terror. Sonic immediately had flashbacks of his last elevator ride that cost Knuckles his hands and Boris aka Daniel his life. The lights flickered as they went further down to their doom. Another ear-wrecking sound made its presence known and the platform stopped.
A distraught hedgehog again looked around as did Porter, looking just as scared as Sonic. Slow whirling of metal echoed against the companions' eardrums as the lights continued to flicker. Sonic was just about to tell Porter to follow his lead and escape the elevator through the vent above when a familiar ding! was heard.
The floor beneath them opened which sent the boys falling to the dark abyss. Porter screamed before he hit his head against the wall and grew unconscious.
"Porter!" cried Sonic. He skydived toward his friend, grabbed him and held out his hand to the edge of a floorboard.
Thanks to his heavyweight, however, the sweat on his fingers slipped, bringing Sonic and Porter further to the dark unknown. Once they finally hit the floor, Sonic could remember nothing more.
To be continued…