Norman rushed the Keepers, projector whirring and Light gathering in his hands. Swinging them, he unleashed a wave of Light that disrupted the Darkness that held them together. He would normally be trying to keep his magic hidden, but he had spent the last seventy years surrounded by Darkness, and he was working with three Miracle Stone Wielders. The secret was probably out. He would deal with it when it became a problem.

Absentmindedly, he sent out a rope of light that wrapped around an ink monster that resembled a pirate and set it flying into a bunch of moon vultures, saving the ink woman with spring-like limbs that had been threatened. Nodding at the woman's thanks, he headed toward more Keepers.

-MToLaCNBatIM-

Some would say that Porter was simple. That is not entirely true. Yes, he did have some odd habits, but he was still intelligent.

He just saw the world differently.

He saw the world as letters on a page, woven together in a big book. He saw it in the comments said about his world. He saw it as the game it once was, and the show that had been added, among other things.

He also found that, if he focused, he could 'read ahead,' as it was. He could peak ahead into the changing futures and what paths he could take. It was how he knew to grab the treat bag, and how he knew where to meet back up with the group.

He was in the middle of Flow-ing Colored Ones up into the air to drop from high up when he felt it. A change was coming. Two paths were present, and the world was heading down the undesired one. There was a way to change the paths, but it came with a heavy cost.

And he knew what road Uncle would choose.

With that, he flowed over to where Uncle was, and the future changed.

-MToLaCNBatIM-

Susie's gun ran out of ammo and Alice passed her another clip. As her unwilling body-mate reloaded her gun, the cartoon angel took the opportunity to observe the battlefield.

The poor mutilated larger wolf was now fighting a larger ink creature, Buddy hanging off its back. However, Allison and Tom were fighting those miscreants that Bendy had summoned for her and Boris during that kerfuffle with the wish-granting trident he had gotten from Papa Pluto, while Chat was facing off against the dancing tree from the same adventure.

On the other side of the room, Edgar had gotten the taxi monster webbed up in a cocoon. The little spider was catching his breath while the trussed-up vehicle squirmed in her restraints. She could also see Jack and Sammy fighting a bunch of Ink Widows, singing about believers or something. She absentmindedly threw her halo, which destoryed several killer plants that were threatening the Woolly Triplets, before it returned to her hand.

All in all, the battle seemed to be going in their favor. The Colored Ones were being wiped out, whatever Norman was doing was putting the Keepers out of commission, and the monsters were being beaten back, unable to fight against cartoon shenanigans.

That was when something brown flew off the Ink Machine and into the wall right next to Henry. As the old animator went to help Audrey out, a loud screech came from the Ink Machine.

-MToLaCNBatIM-

"Oh, that is IT!" the Ink Machine cried.

Ladybug groaned and looked up from where she and Bendy had tied up the sailor monster in its own anchor chain. "What now?" she asked.

"I see that I have to do everything myself!" the avatar cried before falling backwards into the ink.

Everyone stared as the Machine quieted down for a moment. Then the Machine broke apart, metal plating splitting apart to reveal endless ink that formed into an inky torso with arms and a head. The plating arranged itself to look like a suit, with a bow tie made of cables. Shining metal made up its right hand while the nozzle of the machine replaced the left hand. The face was featureless, except for two curling horns and jagged metal teeth.

The face of a Bendy cutout on one metal lapel seemed almost mockingly.

The Machine Beast fired a blast of ink that sent cartoons and Lost Ones flying, before reaching down and grabbing Ladybug and Bendy in its hand.

"M'Lady!" Chat cried before he was caught in a cable.

"THEY SAY YOU SHOULDN'T MIX WORK AND PLEASURE," the Ink Machine said. "BUT I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THEM AS THE SAME THING."

With that, it opened its mouth and dropped the three figures down its throat.

As they fell down, they heard a loud crash and another voice cry out.

"You may think I'm gone, but, I'M! STILL! HERE!"

-MToLaCNBatIM-

Henry winced as the mechanical monstrosity Bertrum was piloting slammed a makeshift fist into the Machine Beast. He knew from experience that getting hit with a metal arm hurt very much. The Bendy robot hanging on the shoulder seemed to be egging him on.

Although... what was the Machine's plan? Why did it swallow the heroes? The two were know in a perfect place to get to the throne room and play... the...

In fact, the only thing that had seemed consistent throughout the cycles was... the...

A lightbulb appeared over his head as he finally connected the dots.

"It's the End," he breathed. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Audrey asked.

"It's the End, the focus is the End reel!" he all but shouted. "And if they play it, we will lose!"

Audrey gasped and narrowed her eyes. "We have to get in there."

Henry turned back to the Machine Beast. Going in through the mouth would be a bad idea, it would probably crush then in those metal slabs it had for teeth. There had to be another way in...

"There's the entrance!" he cried pointing to the opening he he always went through. Unfortunately, a large chunk of the fighting forces were between them and it.

Audrey just smirked. "I got this," she said, grabbing the blade of her sword. "Liberation! I remove my own limits!" With that, she grabbed Henry and pointed her sword at the entrance and called out, "Flow!"

Everything seemed to stretch, and the two of them were floating above the crowd. Before gravity could reassert itself, Audrey cried out again, carrying them even farther. This continued until the two of them were in the entry hall.

After stopping to allow Henry to catch his breath, the two of them headed deeper into the Machine.

Henry prayed that they wouldn't be too late.