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Henry had stopped trying to tally the loops a long time ago. They all started blurring together at some point, just an endless cycle of walking, fighting and falling and knowing it was all just going to start over again.
Walking into the Ink Machine was just another motion to go through, part of the foggy haze his brain was stuck in. He plodded past the rows of Lost Ones forming, through heavy steel doorways and all the way to the throne room where Joey’s final tape and the reel were waited.
He hit the button out of habit more then anything else.
‘It’s simply awe-inspiring what one can accomplish with their own two hands.’
Henry didn’t need to listen. He’s replayed the damned thing so many times, hoping for some kind of hint on how to stop all of this, but it always repeated the same little speech.
‘A lump of clay can turn to meaning…if you strangle it with enough enthusiasm.’
Henry picked up the reel, turned it over in his hands so that the label was facing upwards.
‘Look at what we’ve built! We’ve created life itself, Henry!’
“I had no part in this,” the words didn’t have much bite. At one time he might have put more force behind the words, but at that point he couldn’t put any effort into it.
‘Not just on the silver screen but in the hearts of those we entertained with our fancy moving pictures! But…when the tickets stopped selling…when the next big thing came along…only the monsters remained…shadows of the past…’
Henry’s hands tightened unconsciously on the reel…
‘But you can save them Henry! You can peel it all away!’
Even now, when Henry could barely force himself to care about anything, that part of the tape always seemed to make his blood boil.
‘You see, there’s only one thing Bendy has never known. He was there for his beginning…but he’s nev-’
Henry kicked the tape. It rolled down the pile of projectors and crashed to the floor, bits of it flying off and Joey’s voice cutting off suddenly.
It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as Henry hoped it would be.
Then again, it hadn’t been satisfying all the other times he did it either.
He looked up just as Bendy started to loom over the back of the throne, “Why the hell are you still playing at this?”
Everyone else had pretty much caught onto what was going on, that they were all stuck doing the same song and dance over and over again.
Everyone except the little dancing devil himself.
No matter what anyone did Bendy always played his part to a tee, chasing after Henry when he was supposed too, saving him right on cue, and always ready and waiting to pounce when Henry finished Joey’s tape.
“We all know this doesn’t mean a damn thing,” Henry held up the reel. “It’s just another crappy prop.”
Bendy snarled, ink congealing over his face and limbs as he began transforming.
Henry dropped the reel, posture slumping, “It’s not going to change a damn thing. This won’t free you all. I can’t free you all.”
Bendy screeched and Henry saw the hit coming before Bendy even drew back his hand.
It still hurt like hell when he hit the ground.
He sat back up slowly and stared up at Bendy’s looming form. He towered over Henry even more in his beast form and he was clearly trying to intimidate Henry, even leaning down to hiss in Henry’s face. Henry knew Bendy was trying to get him to do his part, run around flip some switches before slipping around Bendy to play the reel.
But Henry was far past the point of being done with everything.
“There is no ending!” Henry hissed back. “There are no credits to roll, no happily ever after, no good beats evil! It’s just this same crap over and over again!”
Bendy screeched back, loud enough to make Henry’s ears ring.
Henry felt his temper flare, “There’s no point in doing any of this! We just go back and do it all over again!”
Bendy snarled and moved to grab Henry.
Henry kicked him in the face, “No, you’re going to listen! This isn’t changing a damn thing! Us going along with this isn’t changing a damn thing! So wake up already and face reality!” Henry got to his feet, voice climbing until he was almost screaming. “Joey isn’t going to let us leave! This is all a sick game he cooked up out of spite! I can’t stop him! You can’t! No one here can! We’re all trapped here! Doing all of this isn’t going to save a damned soul!”
Bendy had moved back as Henry yelled, crouching down in a way reminiscent of a frightened animal that had been cornered. Henry was breathing hard by the end of his rant, his body shaking with every exhale.
He couldn’t take anymore of this. He just wanted it all to stop. He felt drained, physically and emotionally, wrung out to the point where the seams were starting to tear. Everything was just a mess of pain and misery and he just wanted it to end already.
He didn’t even realize tears were building in his eyes until they spilled over. His breath hitched and Henry felt his knees buckle. He curled up, hugging his legs to his chest and hiding his face in his knees.
He heard Bendy shift, felt his presence move closer and a sharp claw prod at his side, “Fuck off.” It came out weak and wobbly and did little to denture Bendy, who tried shoving Henry. It wasn’t a hard shove, only enough to knock Henry off balance. Henry snapped one arm down to brace himself and glared at Bendy.
Without a face, it was hard to read Bendy. It was difficult on his normal form and the beast form was even more difficult to decipher. But Henry took in the much more submissive posture, the slightly drooping horns, and the distressed frown and decided to bite back the angry retort. “What do you want?”
Bendy made a keening sound and pointed at Henry then back at the throne room.
Henry shook his head, “I can’t save anyone.”
Bendy whined and pointed again.
“No.”
Another whine.
“I can’t.”
Bendy gave another shove, hard enough to knock Henry onto his back.
Henry sat up and grit his teeth, “Why are you so insistent on this?!”
Bendy howled, long and loud and it was possibly the most heart wrenching sound Henry had ever heard. He barely had time to sit up before Bendy was upon him, but he wasn’t clawing or maiming or crushing Henry. Bendy howled again as he wrapped both hands around Henry, pressing his face into his front.
Henry was in shock, jaw slack and unable to move.
He hadn’t thought his speech would do anything. Bendy was always so set on chasing and attacking, on sticking to his role as the villain and pushing Henry to be the hero, as if his life depended on it.
When the realization hit it broke Henry’s heart a little, “You thought this would work, didn’t you?”
Bendy whined and pulled Henry closer, form starting to shrink back to the smaller, skinnier one.
Henry put one hand on the back of Bendy’s head and wrapped his other arm around his back, “You thought…if we just played along everything would turn out okay, right?”
Bendy whimpered and Henry felt fresh ink seeping into his shirt.
“I’m so sorry buddy,” Holding a creature twice his size was awkward, but Henry made an effort, pulling him closer until he was practically holding Bendy in his lap. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.” Bendy was just as trapped as Henry, forced to play the villain while Henry was stuck as the hero. And neither side won in the end.
Henry felt a new wave of sorrow and anger twisting in his chest because he wanted to get them out. He wanted to so bad it almost hurt but he had tried everything, explored just about every nook and cranny of the studio. The only significant area he hadn’t been able to look in was where he’d fallen…
…He would have slapped himself if his arms weren’t full of crying Ink Demon. Why the hell didn’t he ever think of going back?
“Hey, buddy?” Bendy moved his head. “Think you can stand up for me?”
Bendy whined and refused to let go of Henry’s shirt but slowly stood up. Henry stood with him and once they were both on their feet he started leading them out the Ink Machine.
He didn’t expect to see Allison and Tom still standing at the edge of the moat and they clearly didn’t expect him to come walking out with a shaking Bendy clinging to him.
Henry hesitated at the end of the moat, “Are you okay to…you know, go in?”
Bendy frowned but nodded so Henry waded across.
Both Allison and Tom moved back.
“Henry!” Allison said, clearly panicked. “Henry…what are you doing?”
“He’s not going to hurt us,” Henry said. “I need you to show me where you climbed down.”
Tom glared and stepped in front of Alice, raising his axe.
Henry sighed, “Look, I know you don’t like Bendy and you really don’t like me but I think our last shot at getting out of here is upstairs. I need you to show me where you climbed down.”
Tom glared and bared his teeth. Henry suspected he would have attacked if Allison hadn’t put her hand on his shoulder, “Tom…we don’t have much left to lose. If Henry thinks we can get out…”
Tom looked between Allison and Henry, deciding what to do. Eventually, he makes a decision and lowers the axe. Henry let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, “Thanks.”
Tom glared in reply. He turned around, grabbing Allison’s hand, and started backtracking. Henry followed behind, making sure to keep a good distance. No need to stir up extra tension by walking closer then Tom was comfortable with.
The rope Allison and Tom had used wasn’t where Henry had fallen. It was a little further back, away from the large pool of ink Henry had had the fortune of falling into.
Henry took one look at the rope then looked at Bendy, “Can you climb?”
Bendy shook his head.
Well, that complicating things, “Okay…okay, how are we going to do this?”
Allison was already halfway up, Tom waiting for her to reach the top before he started climbing up after her. Henry was pretty sure he could make the climb by himself but he wasn’t sure he could make the climb with Bendy clinging to him and he doubted Tom would help or let Allison help.
Bendy suddenly let go and pushed Henry forward.
Henry stumbled at the unexpected push. He spun around and glared at Bendy, “What the hell was that for?”
Bendy pointed to Henry, then upwards, then to himself and then the wall next to him.
Henry frowned, “I’m not leaving you here.”
Bendy shook his head and nudged Henry towards the rope. He pointed again; Henry, up, himself, the wall.
Henry hesitated but Bendy seemed to have an idea, “Okay but I’m not going to leave you here. We’ll both get up their.”
Bendy grinned and nodded.
Henry started the climb, much more slowly then Allison and Tom had but moving at a steady pace. When he reached the top and pulled himself up and looked back down.
Just in time to see Bendy walk into the wall.
Allison yelped and Henry looked up to see an inky spot had appeared on the wall next to him, getting bigger and bigger until it was floor to ceiling and thin streaks spider webbing out onto the rest of the wall, ceiling and floor. Bendy stepped through the inky mess and immediately grabbed Henry’s shirt again.
“…forgot you could that,” Henry stood and looked at the Connor’s. “Are you going to join us or is this where we part ways.”
Tom snorted and shook his head.
“If you really think there’s a chance,” Allison took a breath. “Then we want to come.”
Henry nodded, “Stay close then, this is uncharted territory.”
Henry took up the lead and a quick glance over his shoulder confirmed Allison and Tom were following but keeping their distance. He watched the areas they passed through closely and felt his hope building every time they passed something that reminded him of the first floor.
They went through a slightly messier version of the brake room, a bigger animations room, and one room that looked almost exactly like the room where he’d seen the mutilated Boris. Thankfully, there was no Boris there, just an ominous looking table sat in the middle of an empty room.
And finally, Henry found what he was looking for. A hallway, two posters on each wall and a door at the end with a small ‘exit’ sign hung over it.
Henry moved towards the door with a new determination. Even if it was locked, both Bendy and Tom had punched through solid metal doors. Wood would be pretty easy for them.
But when Henry tried the knob it didn’t rattle or refuse to move, it turned easily. But rather then opening with a soft click there was a sharp crack. Henry jumped back in surprise, slamming into Bendy who made a noise of surprise. The door swung open and Henry was suddenly engulfed in blinding white light and he heard something like glass shattering.
It didn’t feel like a reset. Resetting the loop had been more akin to blinking, one moment he was in the studio and the next he was in Joey’s living room. This felt like he was underwater, suspended in an endless white void. His ears were ringing and it was hard to feel anything around him, he could barely feel Bendy holding onto him and he didn’t have a clue if Allison and Tom were with them or not.
And then Henry was suddenly falling and hitting a very hard floor.
Henry bit down a shout at the sudden landing and rolled onto his side. His vision was fuzzy and he still felt a bit numb but the confusion was fading quickly.
He was lying on Joey’s living room floor. He’d recognize that ugly yellow armchair anywhere.
Henry heard small gurgle behind him and felt bony arms wrap around his middle. He breathed a sigh of relief and sat up, “Good to see you buddy.”
Bendy gurgled again and tightened his hold.
Henry looked around and breathed another sigh of relief when he saw Allison and Tom, both clearly groggy but slowly picking themselves up off the floor.
Henry stood, taking Bendy with him and moved towards the kitchen. Joey was there, because the bastard somehow always knew when Henry came back and was always ready to give another little speech. Henry ignored him this time because he was much more interested in the door that usually led back into the studio and restarted the loop.
He swung it open with little fan fair, just a quick turn and a shove.
He almost started crying again.
Fresh air and warm sunshine hit him immediately, chasing away the sticky tang on ink and the biting chill that had settled in Henry’s bones. Outside was clear and sunny, not a cloud in the sky and just enough of a breeze for a pleasant chill.
Henry couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face and he looked over his shoulder at Joey.
Joey Drew was staring in utter shock, eyes flicking from Henry to the door to Bendy then back to Henry, “That…this isn’t…possible…”
“I think you’re the one who said I was good at pushing,” Henry grinned back. “Now that I can leave, you’ve got five seconds to tell me where my little girl is.”
“You have a kid?!”
They all jumped at the new voice.
Thomas stood in the doorway, teeth bared and eyes narrowed, “Since when did you have a kid?! And you,” He turned on Joey. “You fucking bastard, do you have any idea what you put me through?! What you put my WIFE through?!”
Joey back away as Tom advanced on him, vainly trying to stutter out half excuses.
“Hang on,” Henry quickly intercepted Tom with a hand on his shoulder. “He isn’t worth it Tom. And I need to find Abigail before we get out of here.”
“Tom,” Allison called. “There’s a child here.”
Henry was across the room in a second, nearly dislodging Bendy in his haste. Allison stood in a doorway at the far end of the living room and next to her was a little girl with big blue eyes and silky brown hair.
“Dad?”
Henry did cry then, dropping to his knees and gathering his daughter into his arms, “Yeah, it’s me. I’m back.”
Abigail’s little arms wrapped around Henry’s neck, “Dad…why is the ink demon here? Isn’t he bad?”
Henry felt Bendy flinch behind him, “No, no, not the bad guy sweetie. He helped me.” He turned a bit and pulled Bendy to his side. “Remember my old cartoons? This is Bendy.”
Bendy gave a small smile and a little wave.
Abigail blinked at him then turned back to Henry, “He’s taller. And his face is missing.”
Henry laughed, “Yeah, it’s a long story. Why don’t we go home so I can tell you and your Mom the whole thing?”
Abigail nodded, “Yeah, I miss Mom a lot.”
Henry chuckled again and stood, hugging Abigail in one arm and swinging the other around Bendy. He looked at Allison, “Are you and Tom joining us?”
“I…if you don’t mind. We can’t really go anywhere like,” she gestured to herself. “This.”
“Why do you think I asked?”
Allison smiled, “Thank you.”
“Get your husband,” Henry started towards the door, breezing past a still shocked Joey and very pissed Thomas Connor.
Stepping outside felt even better then just opening the door, warm and fresh and Henry swore he felt a physical weight tumble off his back. It was like years of stress and anger and pain just evaporated in the sunshine.
His car was still there, right where he’d left it and he made quick work of the locks and ushering both Abigail and Bendy inside. Allison and Tom came out shortly after he’d coaxed Bendy into the passenger seat; he’d refused to get into the back. The Connors settled into the back with Abigail between them.
She looked up at Tom and smiled, “I like your arm.”
Henry couldn’t stop another laugh as he shut the back door and opened the driver side.
Before he could get in, however, Joey stepped outside with a shout, “Henry!”
Henry sighed and glared at Joey, “We’re leaving.”
“You can’t,” Joey hissed. “You took everything. You can’t leave until you’ve-”
“You didn’t need me to take anything Drew,” Henry interrupted. “You did a fine job destroying everything yourself. It’s not my job to keep you in line, same as it wasn’t my job to carry the studio almost entirely by myself. Now go sit down before you fall over a brake your skull.
He didn’t wait for Joey to reply. He got into the car and started the engine.
Bendy made a small noise that sounded like a sigh as they pulled away from Joey’s house, Allison and Tom both sighed in relief as well.
“It’s over,” Allison said it like she could barely believe it.
Henry could hardly believe it either. He wiped the last of his tears away and reached over to give Bendy’s shoulder a small squeeze, “Yeah, it’s over now.”