Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was dark and getting late but there were more pressing matters at hand. The man in the room giving a heavy sigh as he drops his hand. The other going through his dark brown hair. Looking almost black in the lighting.

He glances back for a moment at the paper he gripped tightly with a small faded burning anger.

Dear Henry,

It’s seems like a lifetime since you left the old workshop.

If your not busy, come visit the old studio.

At exactly 6:00 tonight.

There’s something I need to show you.

-your old pal, Joey drew

After all these years now he wanted to catch up as friends.

Long after the studio shut down for good.

Only now did his old business partner want to meet up.

He flips the letter around looking at the back again. The emblem of Joey drew studios on the back in fancy letters. The bendy emblem in wax on the envelope.

It was a real, and offical letter from the man himself.

Shutting his green eyes for a moment he leaned back in his chair, remembering a moment he lived long ago.

The day he left for good. The day he and Joey had an argument that ended it all.

A creak of the door breaks the silence as a familiar women stands by the door way.

Henry opened his eyes again and turned his head to see Linda, who walked over to him as soon as he gave sign he wasn’t asleep.

Her blue eyes fixated on him, she had a green and white nightgown, looking more like a ordinary dress. Her light brown hair in a bun tied to the back.

“Hey Linda.” He sighs as she hugs him from behind, leaning into the embrace gratefully. A peck on the cheek making him give a small smile.

“You okay? You’ve been in here for over half an hour, and haven’t even touched your plate?”

“I’m fine just..have something important I’ve gotta do.” He places the letter on his desk.

“Joey wants to meet up after all this time. Even wants to show me something.”

“Joey!? ‘The’ Joey Drew that overworked you! When! I might as well come with you and bring my frying pan, finally give him a piece of my mind!”

“Tonight, he wants to get together at the studio. I think he genuinely wants to make emends for the past. If not I can just leave anyway.”

Linda purses her lips for a moment.

“You May go on one condition. Come out and say good night to Aurora, be back before 10 and please eat your food before you go.”

Henry gives a small smile in response. Before getting up from his chair.

“You know I will.” Kissing Linda on the cheek. Picking up his food, finishing as quick as possible he makes his way to the living room we’re sure enough there daughter sat in the lounge room, happily watching some cartoons.

She seemed ready for bed as her dark brown hair was tied back in a messy ponytail and had her cat pyjamas on. Her mismatched green and blue eyes glued to the screen in front of her.

Lighting up when she saw her father out of his study.

“Dad!” She gets up and runs over to hug him before gripping his arm.

“Dad! Dad! I drew something for you!”

She leads him to were she sat before picking up a piece of paper, handing it to Henry.

And sure enough she drew herself and her father. As some sort of stick men art style. Though with close inspection Henry could of sworn he saw devil like features on his. A arrow tail and small horns.

He gives a slight chuckle at that and scoops her up into a hug.

“Why am I a devil?” He laughs giving her a gentle noggie.

“Cause moms always talking about how your sometimes childish and devil like! Like bendy!” She giggles. As he looks toward the trying not to laugh, Linda.

“Oh really?” He smirks raising an eyebrow.

“Either way it’s amazing princess. You want to put it on the fridge?”

He says, getting an excited yes in return. As she runs over to stick it up.

As soon as Henry gets to the kitchen she gives a satisfied smile and looks to Henry.

“Its perfect don’t you think?” She smiles, as Henry gives a over exaggerated hmm, one hand on his hip, the other on his lip in thought.

“I think it might be on a bit of an angle?” He grins.

“No it’s not dad.” She laughs getting Henry to get closer and crouch beside her.

“Are you sure?”

At that he starts to tickle her all over filling the house with laughter and giggles before Linda steps to the door way.

“All right that’s quite enough you two, it’s time for bed aurora.” She softly giggles.

“Awwww but muuuuum.”

“No buts, of to bed missie. Your father’ll come to tuck you in. In a moment.”

She replies shooing her of to bed up the stairs.

Linda looks to Henry seeing his face of returning concern.

“Come on, auroras waiting. It’ll be fine.” She soothes grabbing him by the shoulder. As she leads them up the stairs.

“Your right. Besides time changes people, I’m sure Joey will fine.”

Linda opens the door slowly for them both to find aurora bouncing estatically in bed her favourite plush toys in hand. A bendy, Boris and Alice.

The butcher gang beside and on her pillow.

“Looks like someone’s excited?” Linda remarks.

Henry walks past and sits beside the bouncing girl. Who was tucking her in as promised.

“Good night, sleep tight and don’t let the butcher gang freight, princess.” Henry says softly, kissing her on the forehead.

“Night dad, night mom.” She says as yawn escapes her mouth, laying to the side and drifting off to sleep.

“Good night sweetheart.” Linda says as they both quietly get up and close the door behind them.

Henry heading towards there bed room for a change of clothes.

“I’m gonna go get ready for the trip.”

His tone sounding tired.

Linda sighs herself, going downstairs to wait in the lounge room.

About 5-10mins passed before he came back downstairs.

He wore his grey blouse, dark grey pants and black suspenders along with his black shoes with a white, tip and heel.

Freshly cleaning his glasses on the way down.

Before putting then back on his face.

“I might as well head off now, it’s a decent trip even through driving.”

She gets up from the lounge and hugs before he could open the front door.

Kissing him on the lips and looking him in the eyes.

“Just remember, to be home by 10.”

He smiles at that.

“I will, promise.”

She detaches from him letting him open the door and head over to his car.

Waving good bye as he pulls out of the drive way.

“Good bye, I love you!” She calls out getting the same as a response as shewatches head down the street and out of sight.

“Good bye.”

She whispers again to herself.

She couldn’t help but have a dark feeling about the whole thing, and she could tell he did too.

Chapter Text

His eyes glance over to the old studio as it came into view past all the trees and few houses. As he drove further into the forest land. The studio was farther than it looked and felt.

Henrys fingers tapped against the steering wheel in slight anxiousness. Despite the small timeframe for before the meeting, the stress of seeing him still roamed.
What did he want? Was this really a reunion? Has he really changed over the years for the better?

All his questions would be answered by the man himself he guessed. But something felt off about a sudden letter after so long of nothing. Especially after the studio closed down for good for unknown reasons with police.
Even the suspicious placing off said meeting being in the studio itself.

Turning to the road off to the side the rocky but smooth, dirt pass invited him. The gates were open to the studio.

The Bush land surrounding it like a dome. With complementary ageing and disrepair to the area. The roads gate had rusty chains wrapped around but cut, and visible force to the gate being opened recently.

"Jeez, just how long has this place been abandoned?" He questions to himself, expecting no answer.

The entrance used to be lit up with lampposts and well-kept gardens.
Only for weeds and rust to creep in with maintenance out as an option.

Sad to find out it really had been all left behind. When he and joey started this place up, oh the life and joy it used to contain. Making cartoons for all ages to enjoy. But then, joey’s changes happened.

Crunching leaves and a low engine rumbling being the only sound besides distant animal calls.

Soon spotting light other than the car headlights and moon. He pulled into the decently large car park off the studio.

And fair enough the studio's entrance lights were on despite all odds? The large letters of Joey drew studio's, flickering or dimming ever now and then.

With the flick of his wrist he turns the ignition off, pocketing his keys. And opening the Door to the outside air. The cool night breeze brushing against his face. Blowing his hair around a bit as he takes in deep breath.
The air smelling of freshly rained on grass.
It felt nice and stress relevant.

Closing the door, he grabs his keys again locking the door. Before heading over to the studio.

The tall brick building still seemingly intact. Mind the cracks and webs.
Vines and weeds overgrown up the side walls.

Standing before the door he gives a face, hesitantly reaching for the knob.
Looking onward, he turns the knob. The door swinging open with a creek slowly.
A strong whiff of what smelled like ink coming from inside.
Walking inside to find the inside of the studio to not be any better.
Looking around now he relived old memories from Within the walls.

Bendy posters lined the narrow hallway of an entrance to the lobby. Random papers and books scattered about.
What looked like a bendy cut out propped against a chair toward the back. A projector on top facing toward the wall playing a small clip of bendy dancing. That he'd first animated to test out the new equipment in the studio, to go along with Sammy’s bendy theme song.
It seemed to be on loop with absolute silence, as a cranking of gears took up the noise job.
A large gear and reel like sign of yet again Joey drew studios. On the far-right wall.

Looking around he reminisces the memories of when there used to be people bustling in and throughout the studio. The life within these walls.

Resting elbows on the bench around the middle of the room, to the back.
He knocks something away, finding a small paper note.

Dear Henry,
I need you to please go turn something called the ink machine on for me.
While I collect something from my old office.
Once done wait for me in the old breakroom.
We have much to discuss and chat over old friend.
- your old pal Joey
P.s Machines instructions on the back.

Giving a huff he pockets the note not bothering with errand yet, heading over to the art department. 

The ink machine could wait.

Walking through the door frame, he was quite shocked to see the room to be much bigger than he remembered.
He couldn't help but let a small sly smile cross his lips as he walked down the steps.
"Huh, looks like they knocked down a wall or two when I was gone? Guess it took a few people to replace me."
Walking by the animation desks he sees one in particular, opposite the exit in a small corner. A small drawing of bendy still left there. Collecting dust.

He was sitting down with his hands together in front of him. As he smiled genuinely off to the left.
He gives a small laugh-like huff. As he goes to pick it up.
As expected, dust blew up off of it, and collected onto his hands.
The bendy sketch was quite cute, even reminding him of when he used to animate the Devil Darlin.
He still drew the devil and his friends ever now and then. But the time that had passed since he was animated.

Putting the sketch back down he walks across the other desks finding a few others of bendy.
But one thing he noticed about the desks in the room was that none of them where his old desk.
Being his desk had his initials deeply engraved in a leg.

Giving a shrug he heads to walk out of the room, the bendy sketch being left unnoticed in its movement on the page. Bendy standing there on the page, an expression of strong excitement on his face. Looking toward Henry as he left the room.

Walking across the main room he almost jumps at a heart attack. As the speakers he didn’t know were in the room crackled into the living, dust falling off of them as a familiar song starts to play. The sound of a piano puts a small reminiscent smile on his face as he looks up to read the sign on the wall.
Ink machine, theatre, breakroom.
He almost whistles to the tune of one of bendy first songs if it wasn’t for what he saw next.
He stops dead in his tracks. His smile not lasting long as a disturbing but dark message was scrawled across the wall ink.
It seemed to still be fresh as its words still dripped.
Sending a horrifying chill down his spine.
‘THE CREATOR LIED TO US’
His eyes wide in shock at who/what could’ve drawn this, a four fingered hand print next to it. A bit bigger than his own hand, giving way for concern.

He continues to stare at it for a few moments longer, before he decides to cautiously ignore it. It could’ve just been daring teenagers or drunk adults, trying to be funny. Continuing to walk his way, he looks off to the side, finding where his missing desk was. Some sketches still left on its surface. Including one he hadn’t drawn himself. Of cowboy bendy, riding a horse. The style of the way it was drawn and the signature on it reminded him of an old friend from college.

Coming to the end of the hall he notices a large scheduling board, with many unrecognisable names.
Deciding to continue with his given errand, he jumps over a large pipe along the ground its sign reading ‘mind your step’ on it.
Entering a very large room as he walks up to a balcony, leaning over to star at the gaping hall in the middle of the room. Large chains seemingly under pressure as they hold a mysteriously large object in the shadows of the rooms pit.

“What in the hell is this?” He questions a frown on his face as his voices echo’s through the room despite his low volume.

Taking out joeys note he turns it over to find the list as promised.

‘1. First, you’ll need to raise the ink machine from its depths, there should be two power cores off to the side that you’ll need to insert into the lever to power it.’

Looking around he notices a bookshelf off to the side with tools and toolboxes. One of the power cores as promised on it.
A large lockup box in front.

Opening the box, there’s a gear leaning against the inner walls and the other power core. Giving a tilted look he takes both, walking over to place them in and pull the lever.

The creak of the lever being followed along by the loud turning gears of the machine as it thrums with content and rustles chains. That heave up the large but impressive machine arising from the darkness. Getting a aw struck expression mixed with curiosity from the man.

There was something about the machine that made the inside of his chest feel heavy at the sight of it, as he pulls up the note again.

‘2. Then you’ll need to put the offerings I left in the ink machines flow switch room on the corresponding pedestals.

“The what now?.”