Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Alright, Joey. I'm here. Let's see if we can find what you wanted me to see." Henry said. But he didn't move, he just stood there. It wasn't like anything was going to happen if he didn't move. He already tested that out before, staying here for as long as possible. Of course, the bacon soup was limited up here, and he couldn't let himself die to the hunger of all things. It was a miracle he didn't die of thirst yet.

Water. Funny how something so simple was starting to get fuzzy to him. A lot of things were starting to get fuzzy to him. Everything outside this studio was. He has been here for so long, repeating the same events over and over. No change in anything. Just the same simple task that kept him away from his family. Kept many away from their families. How long had it been? He knew the time had to work differently in the studio, but it still must have been a long time...

He felt tears run down his face. He couldn't stop them. No one was currently around to judge as he fell to his knees.

He wasn't sure when the last time he allowed himself to cry was. He had tried so hard to become emotionless in hopes the pain of the loops would fade. But it didn't help. And the emotions were just bottled up inside him. He just wanted to go home. See his wife and daughters again! See anything, do anything else... But he couldn't. Because Joey threw him in here, and Henry didn't even know why! He never got an explanation!

He just needed something. Something to help him. But he could never get it. The closest he had was the seeing tool and glowing ink, but those messages never did anything! He found himself suddenly throwing his fist at the nearby wall, letting out a hiss at the pain that filled it a moment later. He just couldn't get out. He was just stuck in an eternal state of despair. No hope, no joy. Nothing but this evil despair! He just wanted out! He just needed out! They all did...

"Stop it, Henry..." He said to himself. His voice hurt a bit, voice? No, throat was the word. He said the same lines over and over, with little change, that it always stung a bit to say anything else. But still, he needed to calm himself down. He couldn't just cry himself a river all day, no matter how much he wanted to right then and there. "Who knows, maybe this time it will be different." He said, a sarcastic tone to his voice.

He held the seeing tool up to the walls, making another tally mark on it after managing to grab a ball of that strange ink. He knew the tally marks weren't accurate. Sometimes, he didn't have access to the seeing tool, so he couldn't mark. Other times he just, randomly lost his memory and had to rely on the letter in his pocket as an explanation for why he was there. Just to change it up a bit, Henry supposed. Not that it matters.

"Why is my memory the only thing you like to mess with, Joey?" Henry asked, turning to the exit. He tried getting out through it, multiple times. But it never worked. It was just something to taunt him. Of freedom, he could never have. He took his hand to wipe the tears out of his eyes, so they wouldn't end up on the wall again. "I hope you are happy with what you've done. I'll never know your goal, but I don't think you do either."

With that, he put the seeing tool away and began to head through the only safe floor in this entire studio. Well, safe for now, he supposed. His body was on autopilot in a way, simply following the steps of the story while his mind tried to turn itself off. But it just couldn't, not today. It was annoying. He wanted to get him and everyone else out. But he would have to kill them to get to the end. So, he would have to find some way to get through without killing.

"Find some way to get through without killing..." He paused after saying that. He tried to shake it out of his mind, but that would be impossible. But it kept coming back, almost like another voice was whispering in his ear and wouldn't stop. Like an angel on his shoulder in a way. He kept shaking his head, eventually reaching to grab it. "They'll tear you to sheards, Henry. Even if you came back, you would still need to get past them..."

But what if he could? He let out a sigh as he pulled out the nearest chair, sat in it, and looked up at the ceiling. He had many loops to try it out, he supposed. And even if it wouldn't break them
free from this place, at least it would keep him from just resetting it. Who knows, maybe then he could find some way out? Find a way to get home, and collapse into Linda's arms. Run a hand through her black hair.

"Or... was it brown?" He asked himself, before shaking his head. "You are hopeless."

Which is why you need to at least try, he found himself thinking. He shook his head, but then pause. Maybe these random thoughts had some sort of point. Maybe it could be the key. Joey would be the type to hide the only way out in a seemingly impossible option. He was always funny like that when it came to scripts. The few ones he wrote himself back in the day never made much sense. He usually only focused on one small detail.

"It's not like I'm a writer that can judge though." He said, letting out a small cough. Joey had managed to write what he was in. At least, Henry thought he did. It only made sense in Henry's mind after all. He could faintly recall sketches on Joey's desk. He was pretty sure they were of the horrors he has seen, but he couldn't be sure anymore. "It's impossible to be sure... how long am I going to keep talking to myself?"

After a hum in thought, he stood up in his chair. He thought about the option again. He had near endless retries to his knowledge. It wasn't like Joey was going to leave him permanently dead.

"Might be fun, in some way," Henry said with a shrug. Even though it would most likely do nothing, it would be interesting to see what would happen if he tried. Better than going through the same events again and again. He just needed a slight change more than anything right now. And as long as he has some free will, that was something he could mangue. "Alright then. I guess we'll see how little ink I can spill today."

Still was weird for him to say 'ink' instead of 'blood' in most cases. He even referred to his blood as ink once, likely more times than he couldn't recall. He was honestly surprised he wasn't made of ink at this rate. He was sure if it wasn't for his blood, he would have started assuming he was just a copy of the 'real Henry' eventually. Would have explained why his memories weren't too good anymore. But being stuck in a time loop was also a good explanation.

"I'll have to find some way to get past the searchers in the music department..." Henry said to himself as he began to go after the six objects to turn on the cursed machine. He could run past the runs in the room with Sammy's sanctuary, but before that he would have to get past the six or seven in the lobby area. "You think I would remember all those rooms' names by now... Maybe I'm just pretending I don't."

Whatever the case would be, he would just have to figure it out. The way the door to Sammy's office and Wally's closest work was it would open when they were all dead. Maybe he could just wait it out, and eventually, it would open. He could climb on the pool table and hope for the best. He would also need to get the value from Jack, which would be a nightmare without crushing the poor soul. But Henry could at least try.

-------

It worked. Henry was still processing that it worked. He had just been standing at the light switch ten minutes ago expecting to have to rely on his ax or get torn to bits by the searchers. But neither happened. He had managed to race up the stairs and up to Norman's projector booth and was able to get on the desk there. The searchers couldn't reach him, although they got close at times. Henry was so sure he was going to have to hop down at some rate.

But then, eventually, they just gave up. Went back down the stairs and didn't come back. And when he went down himself, the door had opened. The door that always used to be closed until their ink was shed was opened. And like he thought he be able to, he was able to get past the searchers in the music room simply by running. It was possible. It was possible to get past them without them needing to die.

It made him feel bad. Knowing all those murders he committed, again and again, were pointless. Just to make the loop go by a bit quicker.

"But here comes the real test." He said to himself quietly, trying to move carefully to the blob of ink that used to be Jack Fain, behind the broads like he always started. The only clue of his former identity is the hat on his head, somehow not stained with ink after all this time. The valve wasn't magically going to leave Jack's hands after all. And Henry had a feeling he couldn't just wait like with the searchers. "Hopefully this goes well, it's just talking."

Jack disappeared into the ink as soon as Henry broke the broad, as usual. Henry went to where the crate was, where Jack would be waiting. He never really knew what the purpose of this room was meant to be. He pulled down the first lever on impulse, no, out of habit? Either way, he watched the crate raise. He quickly smacked his arm, and the sound alone made Jack disappear into the ink once again. He let out a sigh as he looked around, watching as he appeared nearby. He let out a faint groan as he looked around.

"Jack..." Henry said, hoping his voice sounded soft. He took a few seconds with each step, hoping to not scare off the searcher. He didn't work long while Jack and Sammy were there. He left around a month after they both joined if memory served him right. Or maybe it was a week? The only thing Henry knew was the fact he was the lyricist, and honestly, that was about it. "Jack, it's ok. I don't want to hurt you. I just need the valve from you."

Jack seemed to just stare at him for a moment, before going back under the ink, taking the valve with him. Henry let out a sigh as he walked carefully to the new spot Jack appeared from again. He shouldn't have expected it to be that easy, he should know better by now. Maybe the value was important to whatever remained of the lyricist's mind, or he was told to keep it safe. He wasn't going to give it up with a few words. But that was all Henry had.

"Jack, please. I just want to help you." Henry said. "Help all of us. I just..."

Another groan came from the searcher in front of the man. Henry could have sworn it had some anger to it. Like he didn't trust him. Maybe some confusion and fear as well. Henry could understand, he was sure that's how he was when he first step into this place. But it didn't make things easier though. Henry glanced at the valve as the searcher seemed to tighten his grip on it. It looked like it might be in arms reach.

"Sorry Jack, but I need this." He said, quickly reaching for the valve and trying to grab it. Jack resisted, pushing the older man back into the ink with a shout, while Jack retreated quickly into it. Henry let out a small hiss, his head stinging as he used the machine nearby to help him get back up. Only to pause when he felt his hand push something down. "No.." He said, panic filling him. "Jack-"

The crush filled the former animators' world. The scene was just like it always was...

He took a few small steps to the sight. As if he wasn't fully in control. "Sorry I had to do that. Nice hat though." He slapped himself as those words left his mouth. "Henry!" He shouted, a bit of rage building up. Before it began to die down a bit, he slowly looked away from what little remained of Jack, again. The poor thing... He wasn't sure what to do now. Even if he kept going down this good path, Jack was gone, and it was his fault. "You shouldn't have gotten your hope up so soon, I thought you learned that."

He paused as he glanced at the hat and valve again. He wonders what it was like. Was Jack just gone? Was he still there but with no physical form? Would Jack forgive him if he knew what he did? Most likely he wouldn't... But maybe he would. If he kept trying. He shook his head. Why did a small part of him still think it could work? He just got lucky with the searchers. But there was no way to move on without getting the valve from Jack. Maybe he could try camping it out in Jack's office and see if he drops it.

"But what if that ends up being another few days wasted for nothing..." Henry said, glancing to the side. Then again, it wasn't like this whole time loop wasn't already a giant waste of time. He could afford to try things a little more differently, could he? Maybe not in this loop, but the next? He picked up Jack's hat from the ink. "Don't worry, you'll be ok... I think. I hope." Henry sighed. "I can hope there's hope."

He paused a moment, placing the Hat on one of the nearby machines. He then pulled out the seeing tool, pulling it around the room, before pausing and reaching for one of the glowing blobs of light and ink. It always felt weird to hold one. Yet at the same time, something about it felt natural. He shook those thoughts from his mind as he walked to the lever that would end Jack's inky life. He wrote simply "Don't Trip" by it. In case in the future, he forgot.

"Wonder if Joey will try to rewrite this once he sees what I'm doing," Henry said, shaking his head. Part of him wanted to chuckle, but he couldn't find the energy to. Must have spent too much of his energy on holding onto this strange hope he had. He just had to see what would happen next. See if Joey was as all-powerful as Henry had begun to convince himself he was. "Can't wait to see that, what will he do, lock my hands in place?"

He shook his head again as he began to head out of the sewers to continue. He didn't have a choice not to after all. But he pauses for a moment when he passed by Jack's office. It did look like it could be a decent camping spot, but his eyes fell onto the audio log. Maybe that could be his key to getting through to Jack. Maybe to all of them? He would need some testing to figure it out, he could only guess. But he had all the time in the world.

"I guess we'll just have to see," Henry said, reaching down a plucking one of the violin strings. Why did Jack have a violin in his office, he didn't see a bow anywhere around. Well, he supposes, maybe, one day he could ask him. One day maybe they could both carry on a conversation in the sun, with no ink or darkness trying to hold them back. "But that might be wishful thinking... then again, what is and isn't anymore?"

-------

There was a shake in his step as he began to head down the sewers again. He found himself sticking mostly to the script after killing Jack in the past loop. After all, he had a feeling it wouldn't end
well, if he didn't get him as well. Not sure why, but he did. He mostly just rests where he could to get as much energy as he could. As well as take the time to look around for anything he missed. Any more clues to get out.

He paused once he got to Jack's office, being sure to pick up the audio log from inside. It was the only one he had. Would it be enough to get Jack to remember who he was?

"It's gonna have to be," he told himself with a sigh, beginning to head down the inky path once again. He already figured he couldn't use the audio logs on everyone. Most would just either look at him and brush to the side or ignore and kill him. A few stood out in his mind where the audio logs might end up helping, but he couldn't be sure until later. "Assuming I manage to get past Jack first." he reminded himself.

He pauses when he enters the room. Jack was by the crate, holding onto the value with one arm. Unaware he was near what would be his murder weapon. Henry made sure to be slow as he walked up to the former human. As well as remind himself in the back of his mind not to pull up the creates if he passed the lever. Can't crush Jack if the crates aren't in the air.

"Hey Jack, I'm not here to hurt you..." Henry said gently, stopping about a foot or two from Jack. The Searcher glanced at him and seemed to pause as if debating whether or not to get back into the ink right then and there. Henry was just quiet, gently placing the audio log in front of the searcher. He then turned to face him. "I'm not sure if you remember these words. I hope you do." He said as he pressed play.

"I love the quiet, and that's hard to come by these busy times. And yeah sure it may stink to high heaven down here. But it's just perfect for an old lyricist like me. Sammy's songs always got some bounce, but if I didn't get away once in a while, they'd never have any words to go with them. So I'll keep my mind a-singin' and my nose closed."

The searcher simply stared at the audio log as it heard the voice come from it. Henry couldn't see Jack's eyes if he even still had any, so he couldn't tell if he got a spark of recognition. He seemed to hold tighter onto the valve as he listed though as if worried he would lose it. Or maybe to focus. Henry could only sigh.

"That's you, Jack," Henry said quietly, the searcher glancing up at him again. He seemed to have shaken for a moment as if he had forgotten he was there. Henry wouldn't be surprised if he had. He didn't know what it was like to be a searcher after all. Maybe one's memory was just short-term overall, and there was nothing he could do about it. "I don't know too much about you. But I know you were a good man."

The searcher stared for another moment, letting out another groan that seemed to have a confused tone to it. Henry began to reach for the audio log with a frown on his face, but the ink creature's hand bet him to it. Jack stared at it for a moment, before slowly reaching for the hat on his head. Henry watched as the searcher glanced around again. As if still confused but differently. Like he wasn't sure what happened.

"Jack?" Henry asked, and the searcher looked over at him. And gave a nod, a confused nod but a nod. With his head tilted just a bit Henry smiled. "Do you remember?"

Jack seemed to give a half nod at that. Like he remembered some things, but not everything. He glanced around the area a bit and glanced over to the exit. He seemed to stay still for a moment, before beginning to crawl in that direction. Away from the room that would easily seal his fate. Henry followed the searcher, pausing as he saw him stop in front of his office. He seemed to stare at it for a mommet, before pointing to it.

"It's yours," Henry said, his voice hardly above a whisper. Trying to let his throat rest, he hadn't said this many, not scripted lines in what felt like a year. Maybe it was a year. Henry didn't know, and try not to let that bug him as he watched the searcher reach for the violin, gently bringing his hands across the strings. "Did you play it?" Henry asked as the searcher turned to him, shaking his head. "Someone close to you did?"

Jack gave a slow nod as he turned back to the instrument. Perhaps something bad had happened to them? Maybe Joey got his hands on them and Jack didn't know. How long had he spent, not knowing they were, possibly, close by? Henry didn't know, but he might get the answers one day. He watched as Jack climbed his way up onto his chair, ink dripping as he lifted himself off of the floor. He glanced at the music sheets nearby, silently.

"It's your choice what to do with them." He said with a small chuckle in his voice. He soon glanced down the nearby hall and all the ink that filled it. So much everywhere.. so many lost souls. But maybe, he could get through to them. he just had to keep going. Keep testing. He turned back to Jack after a moment. "Jack, I'm trying to find a way out. But to do so I need to get to Sammy's office." The searcher tilted his head. "And there's this big pipe shotting out ink in front of the door."

Jack let out a confused grone as if it didn't quite make sense. He brought one of his hands to the side of his head, tapping one of his fingers against it faintly. Most likely trying to recall things. He must not have seen the outside of the sewers in a long while. Henry let out a small cough as Jack looked at the valve he had in his hand. And then he reached out, offering it to Henry with his head tilt. Henry couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I need," he said, taking the valve from the searcher. He couldn't help but stare for a moment as he held it, with the hat-wearing searcher in the background of his vision. Not too long ago, he wouldn't have believed this was possible. But it was. He let out a smile to Jack before he began to turn away. "Thanks, Jack." He said, turning back to him quickly. "I need to go now, but I'll be back." He said, turning away again. "Not just for you. But everyone."

He heard the searcher grone again. Part of it seemed worried, and part of it seemed happy. Made Henry feel a little bad, but he was sure Jack would be fine. This sewer was one of the safer areas of the studio after all. He should be able to just camp here until the threats were taken care of. Unless the Ink Demon... Henry still had no idea how he was going to handle that. He pauses as he turns back in the direction of Jack's office.

"Be careful." He said quietly, mostly to himself, before he began to head up the stairs as he looked at the value. "Now... just to figure out how to get through to Wally..."

Chapter Text

Henry wasn't sure how long he had been staring at himself in the mirror. He came in here with Boris, who he was sure was Wally, trying to stir some memories back into his head. But Henry's eyes locked themselves in the mirror, he just found himself staring. Dull blue and green eyes. Those were the names of those colors, right? He stopped looking at his reflection long ago... ever since... he held the seeing tool up to it.

Yellow wings and horns of glowing ink appeared the second he looked through the tool, and for a moment, Henry was so sure he could feel them. He had felt just a bit off balance, and scared. What had he become? What had it been trying to say? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. All he remembered now was the blood that came from his hand after he smashed it against the mirror. And writing "who am I now?" on the mirror in the same glowing ink in the next loop, doing his best to avoid those... things on him.

He took a breath. He never wanted to see those wings and horns again. But even now, faintly, it felt like he had them... like he had them before he was brought here. He was quickly dragged out of those thoughts when Boris grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him a bit in worry until Henry gently push him away.

He had spent the past few...days? Or was it hours? Trying to get through to Wally and pull him back from where he was stuck in the ink but didn't have much luck. Henry managed to find a book on sign language nearby and started learning that with him, using it as an excuse to talk to Boris a lot while also trying to reach for Wally. Besides, even if it didn't end up helping, sigh langue would be useful. He may need Wally's help to save some of the others.

But now, Boris was just staring at him worried, his ears dripping a bit as Henry glanced to the side. He thought he saw a spark of recognition now and again, but none of those ever went anywhere. And it wasn't like Henry fully knew what to say. He hadn't seen Wally since he first left this studio over thirty years ago... at least, he still hoped it was just thirty. He thought he recall a letter from Wally in Joey's apartment, but the memories were too fuzzy to recall what it said.

"Sorry Buddy," Henry said with a sigh. "Didn't mean to freeze up on you."

Boris gave a small nod as if to say it was ok. The nod had the faintest shakey, cartoony style despite being on a real being that should, by all logic, still have joints or bodily limitations. How far did Joey get in his process of making a perfect toon? As much as Henry would hate to say it, the was staring at one right now. Perhaps that's part of the reason Wally slipped so far into the mind of the toon wolf.

"I'm just, so tired." He said, looking at the mirror again for a brief moment. Before he turned away to not get stuck in another trace. Boris seemed to tilt his head, before tapping his finger against his snout. He then got a smile and grabbed Henry but the arm, trying to drag him back to the main room of the safe house. "Soup isn't going to help me Boris. Not when it's all I've eaten for the last who knows how long."

Boris just looked at him, like 'how could food not be helpful.' Henry gave the slightest chuckle at that look but shook his head. Boris just looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to do. His ears started to drop a bit.

"Please don't feel bad Wally, it's not your fault," Henry said, shaking his hand a bit and trying to give a smile. But he didn't have all the angry too right now, at least he didn't feel like it. He could see Boris tilt his head at the name again, just pointing to himself with a shrug like 'why do you call me that.' "You were just a janitor here. All you had to do was clean. You didn't have to make people feel better or smile, but you did..."

'I'm a cartoon, that's my job.' Henry caught the toon wolf signing when he turned back to face him. Henry just gave a small shrug to that, he wasn't a toon, but it always felt like Wally made it his job to make people smile. Maybe that's part of the reason he didn't get out of here in time... Henry didn't know. 'I mean, I hate seeing people sad. It's like them being sad puts a hole in your heart, you know Even when you're annoyed with them?'

"Yeah, I understand," Henry said, giving a nod. "That's just how people are, well, most people are."

'Not sure if Sammy ever was." Boris signed, Henry letting out the smallest chuckle before he paused. He could see some confusion enter Boris's eyes for a moment as well. He still remembered Sammy? Or did he just refer to the inky prophet the man had become? Henry couldn't be sure, but some hope entered him again at that moment. 'I mean, I ran into him a few times. He tries to give hope to that cult of his but it doesn't work.'

"Hope is something this place seems to have forgotten..." Henry said, reaching for his chest for a moment. As if he didn't grab the new hope he had fast enough, it was going to go away, and he would never have it again. Be just an empty husk of who he once was... well... maybe he already was. He looked back at the Inky wolf. "I remember when this place was new. Small. And filled with such bright dreams."

'Me too... I do?" Boris seemed to sigh as he glanced at his fingers. 'It was late in 1929... it was cold but warm...'

"New beginnings tend to be like that, Wally," Henry said, finally managing to get a small smile forming on his face. Boris seemed to glance over at the table in the main room, where an audio log and pair of keys sat on the table. Henry's first attempt at getting back the janitor and old friend he knew. When Henry glanced into Boris's eyes as he turned back, it felt like... something was there again. "Wally?"

'Mr. Stein?' Boris asked, giving a nod as he tilted his head. Henry felt tears going down his face, and before his mind had time to process it, he had the toon wolf held tight in his arms. Wally seemed to let out a confused bark, before gently pushing Henry away after a moment, Henry wiping some of the ink off his hand. 'Man, time did a number on you... or not? I... don't know how long it's been. Everything's so fuzzy.' He glanced around. 'Guess I never got outta here.'

"I was so scared you were gone there," Henry said, smiling at the wolf a bit more. But a small part of his mind told him it wouldn't last long. That soon he would be fighting the brute Wally was destined to become... but he tried to shake that away without actually shaking his head. He walked over and placed a hand on Wally's shoulder. "We're in a time loop right now, and I think I need your help to break it, or at least help keep me sane."

'A time what?" Wally asked confused, although he gave a nod after a moment of thought. If you were in a cartoon studio that looked almost like it was hand drawn, stuck as a cartoon wolf that used to be human, it would make sense for a time loop as well. It just felt natural. Wally reached for his stomach with one hand while he signs with the other. 'Tell me about this over some soup, man, I don't think I've ever consciously been this hungry.'

"Being Boris just makes that happen, I suppose," Henry stated, getting a small and soft jab in his arm from the toon wolf. "Ok, I'll tell. See, from what I know, it starts with Joey and this..."

-------

Henry found himself silent when he eventually took the pipe from Wally. He knew what was supposed to come next, but he didn't want it to. However, he didn't see an easy way out of this particular situation. He needed to get to the switch but that Charlie clone would never leave his side, so he couldn't just flip it and run. There weren't any railings he could use to his advantage, and everywhere was a dead end. And the only place where he might have an advantage, knowing his luck the ink demon would show up.

He gently walked across the room full of toys, Wally looking around with an odd shake to his step. Henry hadn't told Wally everything about the loop, how were you supposed to tell a friend you just got back you would need to kill them soon? But Wally knew enough where he now glance around for the slight hint that they had done this all before. He was currently holding the seeing tool, Henry didn't need it right now anyway. And it felt nice not to have to carry it everywhere but still have it.

"Ok, we need to flip both of these at the same time, for first I have to deal with Charley..." Henry said, Wally, tilted his head in confusion at the comment. Henry glanced down at the pipe once again. It felt a bit more... colder than it then a moment ago. He took a breath and began to walk down the hall, pausing when he heard footsteps behind him. "No Wally, stay back, I don't want you getting hurt," Henry said as he turned to the wolf.

'But-' Wally began to sign something before henry turned away and walked down the hall once again. It seemed to get a bit darker as he approached that cursed hall, taking a small peak inside. At the poster that housed the hostile butcher gang clone. He tightens his hand around the pipe, just in case, and began to walk forward. Just when he thought they would, the clone burst through the paper.

"Easy, Easy!" Henry called to Charley as the ink creature fell onto the floor. They quickly picked themselves up and went after him, Henry heading into the nearby halls where the shared audio log of Wally and Thomas was kept. The member was somewhat slow, so as long as Henry was careful and kept his eyes on them, he should be able to avoid being hit. "Now, I don't want to hurt you. You can leave me alone and that will be that."

The Charley clone just seemed to growl at his words. He should have expected that, he didn't even know if the ink creature was able to understand him, or if their mind had been too destroyed by the ink to even think anything besides basic survival strategies. It seemed to know about teamwork, but that was about it.

"I want to get you and the others out of here!" Henry called, looking down at the clone. It seemed to pause and growl a bit before they approached again. Henry sighed and turned his head to the side as he backed up. They were so far gone and so creature-like it was a bit hard for parts of him to tell the difference between the soul somewhere inside and the creature said soul had become. "I don't want to kill any of you..."

The Charley clone growled again, a bit louder, bringing Henry's attention back to it. It seemed to pick up on the 'kill' part, and just that one word. It charged itself at Henry with surprising speed for a
butcher gang clone. Henry didn't have time to react as it hit his leg with its wrench, forcing him to stumble onto his back from the sudden force. He caught what sounded like the word 'hit' from the creature before he was smacked again.

"Wait-" He called before the wrench was thrown against his head, it slamming again the floor. He hissed as he reached for the blood leaking from him, his vision blurring for a moment.

He felt the warm blood on his fingers, it contrasted with the rest of his cold body. He didn't know why, maybe he was colder than he realized. He brought his other hand to the blood, and that's when he realized he no longer had the gent pipe. He looked at his now red stained red hands in confusion as the blurriness faded from his vision, only to stop when he heard a growl nearby. And what sounded like a small bark.

"Wally..." He said, pushing himself up from laying down, a little too quickly as the world spined for a moment. But even then, he could see the toon wolf, pipe in hand, attacking the butcher gang clone with all his strength. A bit of anger in those pie-cut eyes Henry had never seen before. He reached for the nearest wall to try and help himself off the ground. "Wally!" He shouted. "Don't, they'll hurt you, and if you hurt them-" He was cut off by the pain in his face, letting out a hiss.

'I got-' Wally started to sign, but the pipe slipped from his hands quickly. He went to reach it, and that was when the butcher gang clone was able to hit Wally hard in the hand. He let out a painful velp, and Henry tried to race over, but the clone heard him and turned around, knocking him back. Henry looks at the clone as it turned its attention back to Wally once again, but Wally now had the pipe and seemed to be backing up.

"Wait-" Henry started, but deep down he knew it was too late. The Butcher gang clone got a few more hits on Wally, making him bleed ink, but Wally was able to knock him against the wall. From there, it had just become a blur fountain of ink, at least from where Henry was. It felt like he was glued in place. Until eventually, Wally took a breath, dropping the pipe as he stared at the melting corpse. "Wally!" Henry shouted, racing to his side once he could. "What were you thinking!?"

'I couldn't just let it kill you!' Wally signed, ink dripping from the bruised spots of his gloved hands. Although Henry could see some horror in Wally's eyes about what he just did.

"I understand, but I now have to do this all again, most likely," Henry said, wiping some of the blood off his shirt before attempting to rip part of it off to serve as a bandage. He could see Wally's face almost paled as he kept trying. The realization that soon he be back to the state of Boris, most likely. "Just... don't do that again next time." Henry sighed as a rip finally filled the air, warping the makeshift bandage around the wolf's hand.

'But I won't remember next time.' Wally signed as soon as Henry finished. Henry nodded and picked up the seeing tool that had fallen during the fight. He began to write on the floor with it, Wally watching with a little bit of awe in his eye. When Henry had finished, the words 'Wally, Stay Back' were written in golden ink. 'Yeah, that may work.' Wally signed a bit, giving Henry a slight smile as the man nodded.

"Let's hope so..." Henry sighed, wiping his check again before putting pressure on it to stop the bleeding, eventually. He just leaned against the wall as he did so, might as well take the chance to rest before moving on. Wally just sat down on the floor, and Henry looked at his other hand. He licked the blood off it, getting a weird look from Wally. "You're the wolf here, and the blood has to come off somehow."

'Isn't the taste just like putting metal in your mouth?' Wally asked, and he wasn't wrong. Henry kind of welcomed the metallic taste in his month though. He hadn't had anything besides bacon soup and the occasional splat of ink from fighting in a long time. Honestly, if he had gone insane, he could have seen himself starting to go after his blood when he got the chance. 'You'll end up turning into a vampire, Henry.' Wally commented, and Henry couldn't help but give a chuckle.

-------

Wally simply stared at the recent golden message in the next loop. He was confused, and a bit worried.

"Well, we should trust the golden ink, Wally," Henry said simply as the toon wolf looked at him. He just sighed and gave a nod, leaning against the nearby wall with the switch. Good, that should, hopefully, keep Wally back. He didn't tell him about writing the message himself this time around, figured it would help. "Alright, I'm gonna go talk to Charley. You just wait, I promise I'll be fine, ok?" He asked.

'Just be careful.' Wally signed as Henry turned away with a nod, heading down the wall. It still hurt, part of his heart. After getting Wally back and having to fight him as the brute he became. He could have sworn he heard fear in that monster's roars he never heard before... He brought himself out of those thoughts as he was meant with the falling butcher gang clone, pulling themselves off again from the floor. Henry began to back up again, keeping his eyes locked on the ink creature.

"I don't want to hurt you," Henry said as he kept his eyes on the ink creature, who took a chance to swing at him every time it got close. Henry couldn't mess up again, even if he didn't have the best
plan, still. He just had to keep his eyes on the creature as it kept trying to go after him. He had to use the pipe once to block an attack. "See, I don't want to hurt you. You can let me help you, so we- Woah!"

He stumbled to the side as Charley swung its wrench, losing balance and stumbling into a weak spot of the wall. It went through it, Henry coughing as the dust got into his eyes and mouth. He heard the clone make its usual sounds, but there was a bit more pain to it. Henry gently peaked into the hole, seeing some ink leaking from the creature's side. It reached and pulled a bit of wood out of its side, more ink pouring from the wound.

"Woah, easy!" he went to the creature's side and put pressure on the wound. It seemed to hiss at him and tried to reach for its wrench, but it had fallen out of reach. It took a minute or two of struggle, but eventually, Henry was able to rip off part of his pant leg to warp around the wound, as best as he could anyway. "This would be easier if I had some other fabric," Henry stated. "I don't like the ink touching my skin."

The creature seemed to slow. their anger fading, turning to it more and more confused. They glanced at their wounded area as Henry finished wrapping it up. There was still ink leaking out, but much less than before. They gave an almost confused growl as they looked up at him.

"See, I don't mean any harm..." Henry said, but he could just faintly see some form of anger and worry in the ink creature's eyes. Like they couldn't trust him. Like he had just helped them only to hurt them. Henry began to get up, but at the same moment Charley pushed themselves up, only to let out a hiss as they fell to their needs. "You should probably be more careful," Henry said, leaning back down. "You don't want to have that rip opened."

They growled and slapped his hand away, then quickly reach for the wrench while Henry was looking at his sore hand. They pointed it at him, like getting ready to swing, but paused. They seemed to take a few short breaths, slowly lowering the arm down. They glanced at their other arm, where it had been cut off at a certain point. They reached for it gently.

"That must have hurt when that happened," Henry said, the creature giving the smallest nod to him. They looked up at the man, confusion in their eyes. Like they were trying to recall pieces of a story they had been in. Like they knew exactly what happened but had no clue what happened at the same time. Henry just gave a simple nod. "You didn't deserve what happened to you. None of you did." Henry said. "Joey never should have done this."

Charley seemed to growl at the mention of Joey, giving a nod to the statement. They paused for a moment, then began to pick themselves up, much more carefully this time. Henry offered his hand, and this time the ink creature took it. Henry looked down as the creature shook on their feet, leaning a bit against the wall for some form of support. Henry just stayed by, he could go garb the switch now, but he didn't want to leave them alone yet.

"It's ok..." he said, calmly, The creature glancing to the side slightly. "Take your time. It was quite the fall after all."

The creature gave what sounded like a mumble in response. Now that Henry could listen to it a bit more closely, without the fear of being attacked, he thought he could faintly hear some words being spoken. He couldn't tell exactly what they were, but he was able to pick up the hints of what appeared to be an Irish accent. Henry gave a slight head tilt at that, before recalling the audio log back in heavenly toys. The figure seemed to glance up at him.

"Shawn?" Henry asked, quietly. The creature seemed to step back a bit, before pausing and glancing to the side for a bit. It was quiet for about a minute, as the creature seem to process his word. Then they turned to him and, hesitantly, gave him a nod. Henry gave a small smile at that, reaching his hand out a bit. "Well, it's nice to properly meet you." He spoke. "I'm just sorry it had to be like this, would be better anywhere else."

Shawn gave him the closest thing he could to a smile with his jaw's current state and took his hand. He seemed to pause after a moment though, backing up as a faint shadow took away most of the light in the area. Henry turned around, seeing Wally looking at the two a bit worried. After the clone didn't attack on sight however, he let out a sigh of relief. 'Don't go scaring me like that again Henry! I thought I was about to see a corpse!'

"Sorry Wally." Henry said, looking to see Shawn tilt his head. He then began to stand up again, taking a bit to glance at the back of Henry's hand, the sun shape mark on it that been there since he was born. Henry gave an awkward chuckle at that, and gently stood up and took the hand back. He began to leave but turn back to Shawn. "We're looking for a way out. Do you want to come with us?" Henry asked. "Be better than wandering the halls."

Shawn shook his head, letting out a groan-like sound. Henry was just barely able to pick up the word 'gang' from it. He could only give a nod to that, a family needed to stay together.

"I wish you luck then, I'll be back when I find a way out," Henry said and began to leave, Wally following. He seemed amazed he was able to get through to the Charley clone just by talking, but Henry
didn't have much time to pay attention. He knew Alice, Susie, whoever she was now would be after 'Boris'. And he couldn't let that happen. "You know what... let's rest for a moment. Give me time to think about elevator stuff." He said, which just got a signed 'what' from Wally.

Chapter Text

Things felt.. oddly calm and quiet. At least compared to what Henry was used to. Somehow, despite not doing anything different around the other clones of the buncher gang, they left him alone. He wasn't completely sure why, maybe Shawn had told him what he did. Regardless, it made everything easier for Henry. He still had to look out for searchers, the projectionist, and the ink demon, but the butcher gang being domicile was a big enough change for Henry to stay calm

Helped gave him time to think as he went around doing the angel's task. On how he could save the others. On how he could get Wally away from Susie, Alice, whoever the angel was. He knew he wouldn't be able to easily change how the elevator crash went, and Wally remembering who he wasn't going to be enough to stop him from being grabbed by the angel, and turning into a brute. He learned that the hard way last time, and it wasn't something he wanted to repeat if he had a say in it.

It was almost funny, how he appeared to have a say in things he couldn't. Maybe the script itself had just gotten weaker with its hold over time. Or he had just given up too soon early on. Maybe if he
hadn't, no, he couldn't let himself dwell on those thoughts forever. He needed to get out of here. Out of here and back home to where his family was waiting. Hopefully, when he got out, the fall breeze would be one of the first things he's met with.

But for now, he was just playing parts of the script, placing the inky hearts into the box outside of the angel's doors. He was sure he was horrified when he first held them, but now it had become numb to
him. He could probably hold his own human heart in his hand and not be scared now... he shook his head as he began to leave the door. Only faintly listening to the angel as he walked back to the elevator. They would always fall.

Wally gave a tilted head as Henry paused right before entering. As if confused, hadn't they won?

"I wish it was that easy. Believe me, Wally, I wish. But it isn't... I should have brought this up sooner." Henry said with a sigh, finally stepping into the elevator. It closed and began to rise right away, the angel's voice in the background. Wally looked around from his corner, and Henry could tell he knew something wasn't right. "There's still so much to go... but hopefully it will be easier. Hopefully, I'll..."

'Hopefully, you'll what?' Wally signed with a slight shake. Time almost seemed to slow around this moment. Henry knew it only took a little over a minute for the elevator to begin to fall, but it almost
felt like an entering sometimes. Then again, he has done this so much that it just seems to feel longer than it did. A small snap focuses his attention back on Wally. 'Hopefully, you'll what, get us out? What's going to happen?'

"She's going to make the elevator crash," Henry said simply. "I'll blackout when I hit the ground, but you should be fine. You just need to stay away-"

'She's going to what?!" Wally sighed, panic entering his eyes. He looked around, before racing to the door. He began to try and pull it open as they passed another floor and despite the wolf's effort,
Henry could only shake his head. He already tried that, and while he knew he was never the strongest, it just wouldn't budge at all. 'We can't just let her do this!' Wally signed when he let go. 'There has to be some way."

"I'm sorry Wally, this is one part I can't just magically change," Henry said and watched as Wally began to pace back and forth quickly. Getting through to the angel wasn't an option, at least not yet. She
would never believe in a time loop unless they had proof... He heard her laughing, and Wally quickly grabbed onto the wall, while Henry just sat down. "Please don't hurt so badly this time." henry asked pointlessly.

"Did you really think I'd let you steal from me?!" He heard her shout as the world around him shook. "Did you really think I'd just let you go?!"

"I'd be lying if I said I did," Henry replied, shaking his head with a dry chuckle. It would only be a few moments now, hopefully, Wally would listen to his warning and stay away... He suddenly felt the back
of his shoulder being grabbed, and then for a moment, everything became a blur as he was brought into a corner. "Huh-" He said, before seeing Wally take some steps back. "Wally, why did you-" He couldn't finish the sentence as the crash-filled his world.

When everything started to clear again, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He reached back and rubbed it a bit, slowly glancing around. He thought he could hear the faint humming of the angel,
but he never thought he heard it this faint before... Maybe he woke up sooner than usual? Maybe he could keep Wally safe? He began to glance around for where Wally was. He still had to be in the elevator after all.

The humming seemed to abruptly stop down the wall. Maybe the angel saw Henry was awake and in decent condition. Good, he wouldn't have to worry about her taking Wally...

That was what he thought until he saw all the ink. Way more than what should normally be around here... and he quickly saw why. The Boris clone's body was dripping away, having been crushed by some parts of the elevator during the crash. One of the gloved hands was just barely holding shape on the door of the elevator, leaving the faint echo of drip drops as it kept losing it, the ink joining the rest of the body on the floor.

"No..." Henry said, his voice shaky. He didn't even begin to think that would have happened. Did Wally know this would happen? It didn't seem like it. Tears started to form in Henry's eyes, bringing a warmth he heated right now. Was it because Wally wasn't in the corner like he always was? That had to be the only explanation for this, it had to be. "Wally, why? I told you, I would have been fine." Henry asked. "Why. Why is it always him."

The dripping sound of the ink was his only answer. And eventually, the echo of fading footsteps.

"Hey, this is your fault angel! Don't blame me when you eventually complain about this when trying to kill me!" Henry shouted at the sound, but soon let out a cough. And then a sigh, he couldn't sit here
and mourn forever, epically since that kept him from getting Wally back. He began to wipe the tears away, trying to allow himself just another few minutes. "Didn't think Wally would get himself killed, but..."

He just sighed and pulled out the seeing tool. He garbed the first ball of floating golden ink he saw, and went to the corner Wally always was. He wrote the message down quickly, going back over it to make it look a bit more readable. He glances at the final result. 'Keep Him In The Corner'. Hopefully, he could use the same trick he used earlier on Wally to get him to stay put. Hopefully, then he could save him.

He pauses when the tool glanced at the wall. "That was an old you." He said as he glanced away.

-------

Thankfully, it had worked. And the angel wasn't able to take Wally, not this time. Wally ended up pulling Henry into his corner with him right before the crash, and they ended up to close for the agnel to take Wally away. Not without either one of them putting up a fight. Henry ended up crying for a good minute or two once he realize Wally was truly ok. Something Wally was a little confused about. He was always going to be fine, right?

Henry still was protective over his wolf friend as he began to head into the Bendyland area. He didn't know if or when the angel could appear to try and take him away, and Henry wasn't planning on that happening. Even around the harmless lost ones, he kept a firm grip on Wally's arm. And thankfully he was able to relax, at least at first, as they started to solve the script's puzzles to move on. But Henry knew what was coming.

And as soon as they step into the ride storage room, he knew there was no going back until things were done.

"Alright... let's see if talking will get through to him," Henry said as he walked into the room. Wally gave a confused glance around the room and soon stared at the nearby ride in awe. Had Wally seen it before, or not? Henry would have thought so, being the janitor. Maybe his memory was still just fuzzy in some places. "Stay back a bit Wally, Bertrum isn't going to be happy," Henry said as he walked over to the table, pressing the audio log.

"The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions. Each one, more grand than the one before it. It makes my eyes come to tears at the thought. But then... oh Mister Drew. For all your talk of dreams, you are the true architect behind so many nightmares. I built this park. It was to be a masterpiece! My masterpiece! And now you think you can just throw me out? Trample me to the dust and forget me? No! This is my park! My glory! You may think I've gone... But I'm still here!"

'What The-' Henry caught Wally starting to sign as the ride's door opened, revealing the head of Bertrum. Or at least, what he had assumed to be his head. Henry began to try and talk, but every attempt left him almost hit by one of the carts. It seemed to make Bertrum a bit angry with each attempt he got. he couldn't seem to believe that Joey wasn't the one who walked into here. Despite Joey being smart enough to not do that, at least Henry thought.

"Please, you have to listen-" Henry started once again, only to just barely dodge out of the way as a cart was swung at him. Henry let out a hiss and reached for his leg, it having gotten hit in said dodge. Wally raced up to his side and helped him up, they were just out of the cart's reach. Henry glanced up at Bertrum. "I'm not Joey. My name is Henry. I'm stuck here as well and I just want to go home. Fix what he did."

"Do you honestly expect me to fall for your tricks again, Mister Drew?!" Bertrum asked, almost shouting with some venom in his voice. Henry sighed and could only begin to come closer with a slight limb from the pain. He knew it wasn't the smartest idea, but what choice did he have when Bertrum was refusing to listen like this? "I'll make you pay for what you did to me, and all of them!"

"All of them?" Henry asked, tilting his head. He knew what he was referring to, but after knowing the one egotistical trait of Bertrum for so long, it was a little surprising for him to even acknowledge the others. But he heard what almost seemed to be a growl, and before he had time to process it, another cart swung and knocked him ageist some boxes. "Ow!" He shouted as he tried to get up, he could feel himself coughing up a bit of blood.

"Huh-" he thought he heard Bertrum say before the sound of a bolt hitting the ground filled the air. Henry already knew what was happening, but couldn't pick himself up from the rubble he made quickly enough. By the time he manage too, part of the ride's arm flung at him as it was broken off, forcing him to duck back to the ground with another cough. "Stop it, I do not want to kill you too!"

"Wally, stop!" Henry try to call, but his voice was weak. He didn't think Bertrum ever hit him this hard before. Must have gotten on his nerves. Wally looked over at Henry and simply shook his head. He watched as the wolf dodge a hit from the cart, one of the other carts going limp. He saw Wally race over to it, just barely missing the hit he needed. "We need to keep him alive!" he tried to say with a it more successful.

'He's trying to kill you!' Wally signed quickly before dodging another one of the hits. Henry began to head over to try and take the axe away, but Bertrum's cart quickly came and force him onto the ground again. Wally quickly raced over and knocked off the two blots on that side, and the arm blew off, Bertrum let out a hiss of pain as he closed the doors for a moment.

"So was Shawn!" Henry said, reaching for his mouth as he coughed a bit more. Bertrum tried to hit Henry once again, but Wally raced over. Henry couldn't fully process what he was seeing, his vision had begun to blur. But after another arm was broken off and a blur jumped to the remaining one, he had a pretty good idea. "No, wait!" Henry called as hard as he could. "Leave him alone, I'm over here! I'm the one you want!"

But that didn't matter anymore. Wally had hit the last bolt of the arm, and it flung off the ride. But the toon wolf couldn't hop free in time, and a horrible liquidly splat filled the air when the arm slammed into the wall. Henry just stared, stuck to the spot he was standing in. Wally had been killed, yet again. It was almost like Wally's mere existence was the key so the script kept doing its best to kill him off. And it was working.

"When was he ever one to risk his life for someone anyway?" Henry finally said to shake himself out of silence. He glanced over at the ride, now broken and closed. He didn't know if Bertrum was still alive
in there or not. Either way, it didn't matter now that Wally was gone... He was mad, but at the same time, he couldn't get angry. Those emotions were mostly drained from him. "I just... need to keep going, for all of them."

He pulled out the seeing tool once he had opened the door. He looked up at the attraction storage sigh, and then at the doorway. It would be better to write on the doors themselves, but the ground would have to do. He wrote down the words 'Tell Him To Wait'. He had a feeling Wally wouldn't have listened to another 'Stay Back' message, so this was going to have to do. He let out another couch, some blood coming out. His vision blurred slightly, felt like he was getting dizzy.

"It's a miracle I haven't died.." He whispered. He wasn't sure why he was talking so much now. He was never a talker before, or at least much of one... Maybe it helped him feel free from the script. Refusing to only say those same few words over and over. Even if in this case, it was doing more harm than good. "I don't think I'll live Norman like this... Maybe I should go ahead and rest... Unless she comes..."

Even if she did, it wouldn't matter much. Not now. He slowly limped back over to the attraction storage area, at least she may not walk in there. Maybe she'll think Bertrum is alive, or able to fight. He
slowly glanced over at the inky spot that was once his friend, laying on the ground near it. He was going to get him out alive somehow, he had to. It just appeared it was going to take a bit... He let out a yawn. This was just taking forever...

-------

Wally had been confused when Henry told him to wait. He didn't understand why he couldn't come in, there
should be no one in that room. And even if there was, Wally needed to be there to help. Henry just
explained it was a tricky spot for more than one person, and that it would be best for Wally to stay up
somewhere the angel couldn't sneak from and grab him. He couldn't say he didn't want him to get
killed by a ride after all. But in the end, Wally did cave. Thankfully.

"Now it's just a case of getting through to him..." Henry whispered to himself as he approached the table. He knew the safest bet would be to stay in the corners where Bertrum wouldn't be able to get him, but he had a feeling the man wouldn't listen to him if he did that. And it would only make the ride angrier. "Well... I suppose there's no point in waiting." He said as he pressed the play button on the audio log."

"The biggest park ever built, a centerfold of attractions." Henry just took a sigh and blocked out the speech, he heard it enough times that he had it memorized. Which is not something he ever would have said if he didn't hear this on repeat. It was almost a bit scary, how every little word of the script he seemed to know... "You may think I've gone... But I'm still here!" Henry held his hands up as the ride open its doors.

"I know you're mad, and rightfully so." Henry started quickly, backing up as he slammed the arm down, revealing the axe underneath the broken table. "But I'm not Joey."

Bertrum just let out a growl at that. Despite his large speech right before the fight, he never seemed to be much of a talker during it. Maybe one or two comments now and again. He reached to hit him with the arm, and Henry just backed up into the corner, getting another growl from the machine. Henry needed to get through to him, so once Bertrum had slammed the nearest arm against the ground, Henry walked closer to him.

"I don't know if you have any issues with your visons or other senses, and that's not meant as an insult to you." Henry quickly added, dodging as the carts quickly swung in his direction once again. He backed up against the wall, feeling a shiver as he touch a spot that felt colder than it should have been. He looked back at the ride. "I don't even look much like him. Sure I have brown hair but my eyes are two completely different colors." Henry said, pointing at them as he step closer to the ride.

"I know you have those Joey," Bertrum commented, mostly to himself but the human could still be here. He dodge another hit and began to think. That didn't make sense, he knew Joey had green eyes... Wait, weren't they blue when they met before he threw Henry in here? But Henry knew for a fact they were green at one point... Did he start wearing contacts or something? Henry glanced down at his hand, and then at the ride.

"Joey doesn't have this!" Henry said, showing the back of his left hand. The ride gave an unamused brow raise, and Henry sighed as he took a risk, dodging another cart as he brought it closer. "And besides, I don't even sound like Joey." Henry added, hoping Bertrum had been able to catch the glisp of Henry's birthmark. "And tell me, why would I come in here knowing full well you're here if I was him."

"To gloat?" Bertrum had replied, and Henry had to dodge another swing of the ride's arm. But Henry felt something was off. Like it had gone a bit slower than it was supposed to at that time. He turned to face the ride. Maybe it was just Henry, but he could have sworn something was different. Like Henry's words somewhat got through to Bertrum and were forcing him to think. "To talk about all you've stolen while we can't do anything."

"We... None of you deserved this." Henry said, looking to the side as he backed away from another arm swing. Once again that word had struck Henry as odd. Bertrum was a stereotype to Henry, his only note in the loop was being an egoistical man that gotten turn into a ride. But he was a person, like everyone else here. "If I could have done something to stop him, I would have. But I was far away, living my life with Linda."

"Linda... I thought you weren't a fan of that name?" Bertrum had asked, genuine confusion on his face. That stuck Henry as odd. Joey never talked badly about his wife's name, not that he was aware of.
Why would he even have any issues with it, it was just a name. It was only then that Henry realized Bertrum had spotted his attacks, for now at least. "...Now that you mention it, You mention a Stein that you used to work with."

"That's me, I'm the Stein." Henry had said, hoping it would finally get through Bertrum's head. Bertrum's arm tilted slightly, as if getting ready to swing once again, but it didn't. Henry took a small step back just in case, before glancing at the man who was in the machine. He sighed as he glanced at the ground. "And I want to go home. That's all I want..."

"You... really aren't Joey Drew, are you?" Bertrum asked, Henry giving a quick nod with a smile. Berturm let out a sigh, one that made it sound like he was disapointed in himelf. Henry walked vloser to where he was, as the head inside the ride glanced down at him for a momment. An odd slielnce filled the room for a momment. "I apploize. I've been waiting so long for the slightness chance at revange, and you were the first human I seen in so long."

"Yeah, the hair doesn't help too much I guess." Henry sighed, shaking his head a bit as he glanced at the postors nearby. Then at the door that held the lever he needed too get back out. He walked over too it, and he could feel Bertrum's glance follow him arcoss the room, Henry glanceing over at the ride once he was by the door. "I'd love to stay and chat, but if I'm gonna get any of us help, I need to go."

"Of crouse." Bertrum said, and after a momment the door to the lever opened. Henry pulled the lever down, and only a few seconds later Wally brust into the room. He seemed worried, and then froze in shock upon seeing Bertrum. The head inside rose a brow at the wolf. "Freind of yours?" He asked, as he turn to Henry.

"Yea, he's been helping me get out." Henry said, before headint over to where the wolf was.

"If you're trying to leave through the huanted house, I must warn you. From what Sammy told me, the being that was once Mr. Polk is often there, and can easily tear you to sherds." Bertrum called, Henry glanceing over. "If you're going to face him, you'll need a plan.. and some rest after fighting me."

"Thanks, I think I got something in mind already." Henry claimed, pulling out an aduio log from his pocket.

'Henry, that's a deathwish.' Wally signned, having gotten an idea of the plan upon seeing it. Like he wasn't the same wolf that tried to fight a ride and died doing so.

"It's also our only option if we want Norman back... But we need to get the timing perfectly."

Chapter Text

The faint echo of footsteps in ink filled Henry's world as he enter the final part of Bendyland. Well, besides the haunted house itself, he supposed. But it was hard not to focus on them, for he knew they
came with a challenge. Henry had no idea how much of a mind Norman had left anymore. He was like a mindless creature, who only attacked those who came near and defended themselves when attacked. The only hint of any sort of mind left was the brief moment before his death.

Henry didn't get to know Norman all that well before he left. The man liked to keep to himself most of the time and didn't talk for long unless he was in some sort of mood. But Henry knew him well enough that under the silent stares of a silent figure in the dark was a man who cared. Even if he never admitted it. Henry knew he had a wife as well... he couldn't bear to think what she must have gone through. What... Linda might be going through it.

Henry had no idea if this was going to work. Sure, he had many attempts to retry like everything else. But what he needed to do needed to be timed perfectly. If he did it too early, he could be killed. If he did it too late, Norman would be killed. And despite going through these exact events time and time again, now when he needed it most, his knowledge of the exact moments was fuzzy. Like the script was fighting back through his memories.

He got so lost in his thoughts that he almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around quickly and saw the cartoon wolf look at him, clearly concerned. Henry just sighed as he brought out the audio log out of his pocket, staring at it for a moment. The dripping sound of ink nearby, the fell of the old device in his hand. It had to work. It just had to. If it didn't, then Norman...

No, he couldn't think like that. He tightens his grip on the audio log, before losing it and placing it back in his pocket. "Let's go."

'Woah, already?!' Wally signed as he enter Henry's sight. Henry gave a small head tilt. 'Don't we normally just chat a bit before we go trying to change this loop we're in? You know, clam before the storm and all that talk?'

"Trust me, Wally," Henry said although the idea of resting a bit did sound nice. But then already spent what felt like an hour resting up after talking with Bertrum, they didn't have any time to waste.

'Can you at least give me one more run down of the plan real quick so I know what to do?' Wally asked. 'Because if things end up going south because one of us messes up, we're both out of here. And not in the way we want to be.'

Henry sighed as he walked over to the door to the miracle station, opening it and looking at Wally. "I do my normal thing, and when Norman chases me up the stairs we both get in here. When I give the single, I'll pull Norman in and you'll grab him and keep him in place. Then hopefully Norman would pause long enough for us to play the audio log and try to get his memories back."

'So basically we're going to be a can of sardines.'

"Pretty much," Henry said, and without another word began to head down the stairs like he had so many times before. He paused when he saw the camera-headed figure past, letting him get out of the way before slowly walking into the ink. Henry kept glancing down occasionally at it, part of his mind worried it would reach up and grab him. But that never happened, there was only one hand in the ink he needed to worry about.

He pauses upon reaching the switch, taking a glance around the area. He gently kicked some ink away from the legs and ran as soon as the switch was flipped.

The same old loud search filled the air as the Projectionist began chasing after Henry, but Henry was just fast enough to avoid the inky monster's reach.

Time seemed to slow as he began to head to the miracle station once again, once the projectionist had seemingly disappeared. He never understood that if he was being honest. But he didn't have time to
question it. He was... he needed to focus. Focus as he approached the stairs slowly, counting the seconds in his head as he waited for the bright light to come up from behind him. He knew it would happen.

"Be ready!" He called as he approached the stair, seeing Wally nod faintly from the miracle station. Or maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him. As the light came, time seemed to slow once again as he raced up the stairs. Maybe it had, maybe the script was trying to mess with his head, get him to stop. But he couldn't. "Open the door!" He called as he got close, Wally doing so as the man hop in. It was like a can of sardines.

Henry didn't have time to dwell on that though as he turned to face the projectionist. He got his mind and voice ready to say the command, but as he saw the inky monster reach for them, he hesitated for a second. And that second was one moment too long.

"No!" He shouted as the studio seem to shake for a moment, his eyes flashed with burning light even as the projectionist turned to the ink demon. Henry tried to force the door open, but Wally held him back. By the time Henry had managed to break free from the wolf's grip, it was too late. The head had been thrown against the station. "What happened to you..." Henry was not sure if he was asking himself, Norman, or the ink demon that question.

Once it was safe, the door was open, and Henry stared down at the head of the former man. Wally was more horrified by the sight than Henry was, but Henry knew to expect that. 'How do you handle seeing that time and time again?' Wally signed as Henry shrugged, reaching up and wiping some of the tears that had begun to form away. '...Sorry. I just didn't want you to get hurt. You wouldn't believe the number of times I've encountered both of them before and almost died.'

"I could guess," Henry said, pulling out the seeing tool and quickly writing. The message was one of his longer ones. 'Better for you to lose an arm than him his head.' Not that he wanted to lose one.

'Going a little hard on yourself there?' Wally signed as Henry glanced at him, letting out a sigh. It was his mistake that led to Norman getting killed once again. If only he could stop making those... but he was only human. Wally placed a hand on his shoulder and gently began to lead the man out of the room. 'Hey, there's always the next loop. We can get Norman back then' He signed, giving a small and somewhat goofy smile. Not the best time for one, but that was just the nature of the toon body.

"You're right... I can always try again." Henry said, reminding himself of that fact. He was stuck in one of the only good things about this loop when he thought about it. He had many chances to mess up and redo it. Even if he wanted to get out and free as fast as possible, he couldn't leave anyone in that well he heard about. The well he was sure he could hear at times when too close to the ink. "Besides, what's the worst that can happen?"

He didn't know then how hard the beast version of the ink demon would be this time around. How many times his head would be thrown against the wall. Leaving a chance for the script to strike.

-------

Henry could only take a breath as he glanced at the ink that now covered his axe, as he began to head out of the main room of the music department. For some reason it felt like something in the back of his mind was screaming at him, saying he made a mistake. But he couldn't understand why he would have. Those... things were trying to take his life after all. He needed to protect himself.

"What were you doing here Joey?" Henry asked himself, it felt a bit weird to speak at this time, for some reason. He knew Joey was a strange man, but he didn't expect to meet creatures made of ink. He hadn't even remembered why he agree to come... he had to agree to come after all, right. He had that letter from Joey. "You and I need to talk about this. I'm a father, I can't die to a bunch of ink."

He glanced around as he took the steps down into the infirmary. He heard a faint groan and turned around to hit the inky creature that had appeared from the puddles, taking a slight breath after he had done so. It was strange, he never fought before but it felt like he knew how to use this weapon. He sighed as he turned to where the value should be, only to see it gone. He pulled down the nearby switch and began to head down the stairs.

"How did they get this much ink in here anyway?" Henry asked himself. "I know they had that machine, but still. It's like a river's worth in here."

He pauses upon seeing something behind the nearby broads. It was like the other creatures, but a bit bigger. It also had a surprisingly clean hat, one Henry was sure he saw before, but couldn't place where. He walked over to it, but it disappeared before he could even raise his weapon. Was it more gentle than the others? He hoped so as he broke down the broads. He could use a breather after everything he went through so far.

"Although, does this even count as one?" He asked as he walked through the hall, glancing around the place as he did. He thought about pulling up the strange tool he had with him but didn't feel the need to yet. He did pass by an office, and for some reason felt drawn to the audio log in there, as he needed it. "Focus Henry, you need to get home. Linda will already be mad enough when she sees the state of your pants"

He soon turned a corner and found himself in the final room, where the thing was.

"Alright, now are you going to be nice and let me have the value easily, ink blob?" Henry asked, the creature quickly crawling and burrowing itself into the ink when he got close. He sighed as he looked in front of him, noting the crate. It was a bit of a dumb idea, but if he could lure the creature under it and get the crate to fall... "No!" He said to himself, before grabbing his head. "No? Why did I say that? It's not like anyone will miss this thing."

He began to look around for a switch or anything else that could help him get the crate up in the air. He glanced around a bit as he walked around, eventually noticing two switches. One for up, one for down. He pulled the first switch and watched as the crate rose into the air. Now he just needed to get the ink creature under it. He began to walk over to where it had risen from, eyeing the second switch on the way.

"I wonder..." He paused as he got to it, pulling out that strange tool and glancing around the room. More of those strange yellow things dancing around. "Is anything hidden in here?"

There was. On top of the message of 'Sing With Me' near where the creature was, had 'I don't Sing with Psychos'. Henry couldn't help but feel bad for whoever wrote that, it sounded like they had gone through a tough time here. He then turned to the switch nearby and glanced at it. Nearby was the message simply 'Don't Trip.' Henry wasn't sure why, but he felt this one was more recent than all of the others he saw so far.

"Don't trip, why?" Henry asked himself, slowly glancing at the nearby ink creature. It was staring another way, its body rising and lowering faintly from the ink. If he did so, would it drown him in the ink? It sent a small shiver down his spine at the idea. But there didn't seem to be anything to trip on, at least that he could see. "I'm not sure why you would write that message, but thanks for the warning I guess."

He walked over to the ink creature, and as he had guessed, it went into the ink once again. He glance to where the creat was, seeing it perfectly in place. Perfect, now all he needed was to flip the switch, and he reached for it.

"Wait." He told himself, and his hand pulled back. Almost like something was trying to take control of him. It frighten him for a moment, before waiting to see if anything else happened. Thankfully, it all
got quiet and still, and he was able to focus again after taking a breath. Everything was fine or was going to be. "Why do I feel so bad about this." He asked himself as he garbed the switch. "It's just a blob of ink."

His hand went down, and a large crash filled the world for a moment. Henry found himself standing there frozen and confused. Part of him worried he had just angered something, or maybe attracted that ink demon from earlier. However, he soon shook his head and walked over to where the crate was. Looking down for a moment, half expecting the creature to crawl free and attack. But it didn't, and he was free to grab the value.

"Sorry I had to do that. Nice hat though." He said, offering a small smile to the ink below that he knew meant nothing. He paused as a faint warmness began to form on his face, reaching up to his eyes slightly in confusion. "What... why am I crying? I'm not sad..."

Maybe it was dust or something in the air? That was the only thing his mind could think of, who knew how long that crate had been sitting there? He just sighed and began to walk back from the way he came. Not giving the ink and hat another glance. Why would he after all? It was some sort of weird, mindless experiment or something Joey did. Not something that could have been anyone's child or friend once in their life.

"I still want to know how he made this happen," Henry asked himself. The ink machine was the simplest answer, but that alone didn't seem like it could cause all this. Maybe Joey did something with dark magic? There were a lot of those kinds of symbols all over the places he went so far. But he wouldn't actually, right? "After all, he surely would have made himself immortal first." He said with a slight chuckle.

He paused as he glanced at the nearby office, that strange feeling there again. Although now it was a feeling of 'too late' rather than 'garb'. He shook his head and began walking again. He was only a few
moments from getting home now after all.

-------

He found himself on more of a journey than he could have expected to have been brought on. He found himself meeting Boris, alive in this studio. For some reason, the toon wolf acted in ways that reminded him faintly of Wally, but he was sure that was just a coincidence. He and Boris stayed together a few days before venturing out into the studio, where he had to defend them from failed clones like 'Charley'

Unforneylly, the good items didn't last for too long. They had met some twisted version of Alice Angel, who made him do all these tasks in exchange for helping Henry get free. And in the end, she backstabbed them, making the elevator crash and forcing Henry to be knocked out, allowing her the chance to take Boris away. He had panicked upon waking up and being hit with that realization, but something in the back of his mind told him that was going to happen.

He had gone through this Bendyland place on his way to try and get Boris back, and hopefully, find a way out as well. He encounter more inky creatures along the way, and even ran into some living ride that had claimed it was Bertrum Piedmont, then tried to kill him. Henry thought for a moment it was him but had shaken that idea out of his head. It was just a machine. If it wasn't, it would have recognized he wasn't Joey. Still, the thought of the soul trapped inside crept him out.

And now, he had been going through the Buddy Boris Railway area, where that Projectionist from earlier had lurked. It also brought a chill to see it, it just didn't feel right in anyway way. Sorta reminded him of a character that was added in the comics. A character that shouldn't exist as what could best be defined as 'zombie-like'. Still, the light it let out spiked fear into Henry's heart, especially when it appeared behind him.

"Where did you even go?!" He shouted as he raced up to the miracle station, opening the door quickly and slamming himself inside, taking a quick breath to try and calm himself down. He glanced up to see the creature staring at him with his head tilted, and for some reason, it brought a name into Henry's mind. "Norman?" He quietly asks.

The being didn't even try to respond, as ink quickly covered the walls and the ink demon appeared. Henry could only watch from the safety of his little merical station as the two exchanged hits, the Projectionist showing no sign of fear. Until the ink demon picked it up and ripped the projector free from its place. The ink demon threw the head against the shelter, before pausing as it looked at where Henry was.

"What happened to you?" Henry quietly asked. He didn't know why, but the ink demon felt so... real. Like it wasn't just another experiment of the ink but had something more to it. The inky creature didn't respond, just leaving with the body of its slayed pery. After a moment Henry glanced down at the ground as he opened the door. "Why... Why does this happen... Could I have done something to save them?" He asked, before freezing. "Do something to save them..."

Slowly, new memories began to fill Henry's head. Memories of being here before. Of doing these same steps before, over and over. Like a caged animal at the zoo. Like he was the player in some twisted game. Not making any actual process towards his freedom. As soon as he finally got to the end, it would all begin again. The same movements, same words, same events. All like one giant script they were all in.

"I..." He slowly looked down at the ink that now stained his head. When he turned it slightly, he was sure he saw blood for a moment, but not his own. The others were stuck in here as well. Other people who were like him. People he had spent the past few loops trying to free. For the first time in a while, he had made process. "I-I, How could I let myself? Wally, Jack, Norman... No...No no. I couldn't have."

He fell to his knees and throw his hand against the floor. They stung, badly, but he didn't care. He had been so close to getting himself and all of them free and he just messed it up! Sure, it wasn't the first time his memories were just taken away from him, and he shouldn't have expected last time to be the last. But still, it made him ache with the knowledge that he hurt people again, and didn't even see them as people.

"Why, why are you making me suffer Joey!?" He shouted to a man who could not hear. He wipe the tears going down his face away, but more replaced them. He growled a bit and hissed a bit when he bit his tongue by mistake. He felt like he was growing weaker and weaker in his despair, even if a small part of him felt like it was getting stronger. "Why make us all suffer!? Did what any of us did really deserve this!?"

The faint sound of dripping ink was all that responded, although, to Henry, it might as well have been silence. He let out a growl as he slowly let himself fall to the floor. He reached up to his face and began to wipe the tears away.

"I don't understand! Was it... Was it something I did?" Henry asked as he looked up at the ceiling, watching it for any sort of response. But of course, he didn't get one. "Did me leaving sent you down this path? What was I supposed to do, leave the women and family I loved for you?" He lowered his head, shaking it slightly. "I mean, I suppose I did in the end... oh if I could go back in time I would
garb-"

He stops himself, reaching for his throat. He was going to ruin it if he kept talking to nothing. And besides, he was already destined to go back in time. Just not in the way he would want. And even if he did, that would just leave everyone in here to suffer. And he couldn't just do that, not now.

So, he simply picked himself onto his feet once his tears started to dry, and held up the seeing tool. He needed a good place to put the message. Much earlier would be ideal, but he wasn't completely sure he wouldn't lose his memories next loop as well. Or the script might just take the seeing tool away from him. It did it before, and it could easily do it again. He glanced down at the floor with it.

'Better for you to lose an arm than him his head.'

He began to walk back, as far back as the loop would let him go without risking his death. Back to the earliest possible point, he could go. If he could have gone back to the beginning, he would have. Maybe he'll remember to write the message up there next loop.

With a shaky breath, he began to write, and draw. To the best of his abilities after only drawing the same sketches in his cells, the lines were perfectly in place. By the end, he had little silhouettes of the 'monsters' of the studio, and small human-like figures, all around one message.

'DON'T FORGET'

Henry knew now from experience that the messages would not always help. But a small part of him felt comforted by the sight. He layed down a bit, and with a sigh just, rest. He needed to be mentally ok for what was to come.... well, as much as a human could in this loop of pain, suffering, and despair.

Such powerful despair... so much despair.

If Henry didn't know it was impossible, he would have been so sure he tasted some of it in the air.

Chapter Text

Henry paused as he entered this area of Bendyland again. He remembered what happened last time. How he failed to save Norman and ended up hurting the ones he needed to save once again. He was almost pulled back into the script, maybe he would have been if he didn't recall what happened at the last minute. It was honestly a little scary. It felt like he was slowly just being a character of a story with no other purpose besides the said story.

He shook his head a bit as he tried to clear those thoughts from his brain. He felt Wally placing a hand on his shoulder and paused. He had to fight Wally again in the last loop, despite how much he didn't want to It was too late, the actions had been set in stone. It made him want to break free of this fall the more. He didn't want to hurt any of them if only most of them would just listen sooner or leave him be to get them out.

He slowly glanced at the stairs as he explained the plan to Wally once again. It almost felt like these might become lines if he wasn't careful. Maybe this was all just the script trying to experiment... no, he couldn't think like that. These were his choices, choices that would get them out.

He looked at Wally once again and gave a nod, before beginning to slowly head down the stairs. One step at a time. He needed to focus and count the seconds in his head. Do not lose track of one. Know when he needed to do what was needed. He couldn't mess up again, he couldn't. He didn't need Wally to see what would happen, he didn't want to see it ever again. If Norman was still human, it would be a sight that makes Henry dies from the horror on the spot.

He took a small breath before he pulled the lever and went up the stairs. Counting the steps and seconds as he went, playing into the script's game just a little bit. It went dark, and Norman disappeared. Now there was only one thing left to do. He just couldn't mess it up. Or anything after this if he wanted this to be idle. But he was only human... he glanced at the stairs in front of him and heard a search behind him.

"Ready Wally!" he shouted as he ran up the stairs, jumping into the miracle station as Wally opened it. He let out a small hiss as he rubbed his arm from slamming into the wall a bit too hard. "Ok, wait for my single. be careful."

Time slowed for Henry, as he kept counting the seconds. Each one felt like minutes of waiting, holding his breath. Was it just him, or was Norman's light brighter? Like the script was trying to keep him from saving the camera-headed creature. It was a possibility at this rate, but he couldn't know for sure. He just waited, watching as Norman tilted his head, and began to reach for the miracle station door. Time returned to Normal.

"Now!" He shouted as Wally flung open the door. The projectionist barely had time to react as Henry grabbed his arm and pulled him in, Wally slamming the door right as it felt like the studio shook. The projectionist tried to attack at first but seemed to stop as it saw ink covering the walls outside, the ink demon appearing in an instant. "Don't make a sound... I don't think he can get in," Henry said, hoping Norman wouldn't just break through the door.

But he didn't, simply watching as the demon glanced around. It eventually glanced inside the station, and let out what sounded like a huff, before beginning to slowly walk out of sight.

"Wait a minute," Henry said as he watched the walls for a moment. He wouldn't trust anything until he saw the ink leaving them. It took a few moments, the ink demon likely waiting for them to come out. But eventually, the ink disappeared, and Wally kicked open the door, the projectionist stumbling out of their grasp. "I think this belongs to you..." Henry said as he pulled out an audio log, Wally rubbing his eyes from the light as Henry pressed play."

"Now I’m not lookin' for trouble. It’s just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, I’ve learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this... company. "That projectionist", they always say, "creeping around, he’s just lookin’ for trouble." Well trouble or not, I sees everything. They don’t even know when I’m watchin’. Even when I’m right behind ‘em."

'Well... he's not attacking us anymore.' Wally signed as the projectionist and simply stared at the audio log. Like a confused dog. Henry pressed the button again, letting the audio fill the air, but the
projectionist simply looked at him in confusion. Henry couldn't... he pressed again, and Wally took his hand for a moment. 'Henry.' He signed as Henry looked at him. 'It could be possible he's too gone. At least he's safe now.'

"But..." Henry said, looking at the ground. "I wanted to get everyone out... with their memories in tant as well."

'I know...' Wally signed as he glanced to the side. Henry suddenly felt the audio log being jerked out of his other hand and turned to see Norman had taken it, pressing the buttons as it listen to the audio, rewinding it at many places as if trying to piece together some sort of puzzle. Henry watched a moment before returning his gaze to Wally. 'His mind is probably messed up by the projector. I mean, there doesn't appear to be room for a brain in there.'

"Wally..." Henry started, before turning back to the Projectionist. He seemed to keep playing the part which his name over and over. And eventually, he garbed the side of his head, letting out a small shrink-like sound. Henry raced up to him. And then Norman let go, slowly pointing at the audio log, then himself. "Yes... Yes, that's you!" henry said, a smile on his face. The projectionist still seemed a bit confused but seemed content.

'Henry, we should be going.' Wally signed as he passed his vision, heading to the door of the room. "I want to get outta here before that demon thing comes back. That thing is deadly.'

"You have no idea what's coming..." Henry said as he began to walk over to the door. Before Wally could ask what he was referring to, they both heard footsteps and turned to find the projectionist following them. His light was now dimmer, so it was easier to look at him as he tilted his head. Henry paused a bit. "Norman, it's probably best you stay here," he said, but the camera creature simply glanced at the audio log.

'I don't think he's gonna let you go now, Henry. I mean, have I?' Wally signed when Henry looked over. Norman tilted his head at the strange hand movements, and Henry looked at him. It wasn't so much he was worried for Norman; he was just scared of what he would do next. This next part was already tricky to handle. But Henry turned back to Wally as he smiled. 'Besides, who will mess with us with one of the deadliest beings in this studio with us?'

"I suppose you have a point, Wally." Henry sighed as he turned back to Norman. He didn't know how much of Norman he had awakened; the creature still wasn't acting like him. But hopefully, there was enough in there for Norman to listen. "Alright, let's go... and meet an angel."

He heard Wally gulp, as Norman seemed to hiss at the name, but it was the next step.

The carts in the haunted house ride weren't made to hold three people at once. It could do so, but it was a bit of a tight squeeze, not as much compared to the miracle station though. Henry was just silent, trying to brace himself for what would have to happen next. Already he could note the ink around the place, more than there normally was. He knew what was coming, he just needed to focus on not harming a single soul.

He didn't pay attention to the angel's voice. Whether she was Susie, Alice, a mix of them, or neither, it didn't matter. He had to save her, but she would come at the end. He just couldn't let her distract him as the cart entered the large ballroom. Wally seemed to glance around in awe, but Norman was immediately on alert. His light landed on one of the barrels of ink hanging from the ceiling, and Henry took a deep breath as they approach the second door.

The cart simply stops at it, and Henry immediately jumped out, grabbing Norman's arm as the room started to get darker. Not from the light, but from the amount of ink that seemed to flood the room in an instant.

"Maybe you should feel what it's like to have the studio's wrath upon you!" He heard the angel say as he climbed up, lost ones and searchers quickly appearing from the ink. Why the fight that normally happens later was moved too now, Henry didn't know. But what he did know was Norman was a threat, and how to get past without hurting anyone, hopefully. He held onto Norman the best he could as he garbed Wally's arm, pulling him up.

"OK, here's the plan. You keep Norman from killing everyone, I go stop this." Henry said to Wally as the wolf got studied on his feet. "And don't try to play hero, please?" He added as he watched ink drip down from the ceiling, garbing the blob before it could slip past him. Just like the blobs he needed for the brute fight. He heard a shrink from Noman as he headed down, looking up to see Wally hold him in place.

'You better make it out alive!' He caught Wally signing with his free hand, Henry nodding as he rushed to the machine that turned ink into objects. Doing his best to dodge hits along the way.

He felt a slash at his shoulder as he grabbed the wrench, him hissing a bit as he raced up to one of the towers of objects in the room. He knew they were a bit taller than they normally should be, which is part of the reason he was comfortable letting Wally and Norman on one. None of the ink creatures would be able to knock it down. He aimed for one of the barrels ropes with his wrench, and after taking a breath, threw it at the rope.

It slashed the rope on impact, and the barrel fell and burst, making it rain ink. Henry had to do this version enough to know it didn't hurt anyone, but it was enough to scare a good chunk back into the puddles they entered from. No one wanted to end up as part of the well of voices. He slid down to the barrel remains and garbed another blob of ink. There were lest creatures now, but they also seem to get angry.

"What did you do?!" He heard the angel call, rage in her voice. But he didn't give her the satisfaction of a response, just racing to the machine to garb another wrench. He got his arm slashed along the way by one creature's claw. "You can't do that!"

But he could, and he would. He kept knocking down the barrels, as well as he could. He just kept going until only one remained. He climbed up the mini tower, Wally offering his hand to pull the old man up. Henry then swung and watched as the barrel fell to the floor, scaring the last of the creatures off. He paused for a moment, taking a breath as he sat down. Wally was finally able to let go of Norman since it started.

"No!!! No! No! No!... Why can't you ever just die?!" The angel called, and Henry just shrugged. Wally took his hand and began to help him down, Norman shining a light on Henry's wounds like it would do something. It was so ink-stained in here that you ink the ink demon had recently walked its halls. It was a miracle he... Henry paused when he heard a shout, seeing the Angel race up to him. He tried to grab her hand.

But he was too slow once again. The sword poke through her neck before he had a chance to react. He watched as she glanced at him, and at herself for a moment. Henry didn't know what to say, but he was sure he had seen this coming.

Henry hated how numb her death still was. Even after all she did, she still deserved to get out. He has to keep an eye on her and made sure she never went after Wally or any other Boris clone if there were any besides Tom left. But she was another victim. Joey's first victim. Back when the machine was first used on humans. There had to be a bit of Susie still in the angel if there was still, Norman in the projectionist.

A metallic growl sound snaps him back to reality as he pulled his arm in front of Norman, so he couldn't race right up to Allison and Tom. Allison was notable more alert now, and Tom was more
battle ready. Wally stared at the fellow Boris clone in surprise, and reached for the metal arm, only to get a growl in response that made Wally stumble back. No one spoke for a moment as the toon wolf picked himself up.

"Don't worry, I can keep an eye on him," Henry said, using his other arm to garb Norman as the camera glanced at him. "You can put us in the cell."

"How do you even know we have that..." Allison said, before shaking her head and glancing at Tom. Tom gave her a look, the same look he gave every time. But then nodded and went down the hall where they came, Allison pointing her sword at the group of three. Norman's growls only grew, and henry had to gently shove him back. "Not sure how you got that thing on your side. I have seen it tear apart many souls down here before."

'Well, you see he's- Henry why does the other clone have rope.' Wally signed quickly as Tom came back with the rope in hand. Henry garbed the projectionist's hand and Allison quickly began wrapping the rope around them until they were tight. Henry simply offered his own, looking at Wally as he felt them getting tied. 'Sigh Language is the only way I can speak Henry! I don't wanna lose that after so long of not talking!'

"You'll get them untied later, Wally," Henry said, as Tom quickly garbed Wally's arms as he went to sign something else. "You just need to wait. It's not too long of a trip."

"You're a strange one..." He heard Allison say as he watch Wally hanged his head down in defeat. He let out a whine as the rope was tied into place, but Henry couldn't blame him, the ropes were tight. He glanced at where Wally was staying. Knowing he wouldn't have time when Allison and Tom came, he had written a message there during one of the past battles. 'Take her Hand And Step back.'. Seems he needed to be quicker...

-------

Approaching the fight in the ballroom felt the same as it did before. Henry braced himself and took some breaths as he was squished between Norman and Wally. Norman kept trying to reach out and hit the pop-ups that came as they went through the ride, but they were always just out of reach. He seemed confused afterward, Henry could only assume they registered as actual beings in his mind. This did look like where you would find a ghost.

He paused a bit, beginning to wonder what time it was. Not here, but in the real world. Was it still fall with brightly colored leaves and the spooky night of the year to look forward to? Was it winter when you mostly stayed inside and only occasionally braved the icy white? Was it spring, flowers all around, and the warmth starting to warm? Or was it summer, which Henry could only remember as hot? Had many gone by already?

He shook his head as he entered the ballroom again. He couldn't focus on that now. He could later.

"Follow me and keep Norman back," Henry said as the cart once again stop at the door. The area got darker, and the ink creatures started to come in again. He helped the two up to where they were before, Wally holding Norman back from going down and fighting the group. Henry turned to Wally as he caught the ink in his hands. "I'll be ok, don't follow me." He said as he went down the tall tower of objects, him stumbling a bit this time around.

He did his best to avoid the hints and searches of the ink creatures, but he still got hurt as it was only natural for him too. He just had to get the wrench and get up, that was all that needed to be
done. Then he could focus on saving that angel.

"You know it doesn't have to be this way!" He called up as he began to climb one of the towers, hissing as a lost one managed to grab his leg for a moment, forcing Henry to shove it into the tower to make it leg to go. It, there was that word again. He thought he shook it off by now. When he got to the top, he took a breath. "I know who you are, Alice. And I think I finally know why I'm here. You can stop this now."

The angel didn't respond, and Henry hadn't expected her to. Taking another breath while in the eye of the storm, he threw the wrench and quickly went down. He saw Wally looking at him worriedly from the top of the tower he and Norman were on, but he just gave a passing thumbs up before garbing a glob of ink and heading back to the machine. Got a wrench, went up a tower, throw it, and repeat. Repeat until the ink creatures were gone.

Henry took a small breath as he began to climb up the last one, Wally offering the hand once again.

"Hey, see? I told you I would be fine now, didn't I?" Henry said with a small smile as he got onto the ground. Norman almost managed to get free from them to attack, but Wally grabbed him and pulled him back last minute. He saw the wolf mumble something and shook his head. Despite all the sounds of creatures ready to fight below him, he allowed himself a moment to relax. he needed to focus and count the seconds.

It wasn't as easy to remember each moment as he could with Norman. Maybe it was because the Angel hurt him more than the projectionist ever could. After all, he was just a broken soul who seemed to struggle to tell what was or perhaps even thinking. She was likely one of the most self-aware creatures in this place... He took another breath and threw the wrench, watching it fall and break, scaring away the ink creatures around. It all fell quiet.

"No!!! No! No! No!... Why can't you ever just die?!" She said the same way she had before. Not that she knew that. He looked at Wally and after a moment, began to head down. His arms were already out in front of him. He was ready, as ready as he could be. He counted the seconds and waited. Eventually, the angel appeared, and as quick as he could, he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the way of the incoming blade.

"What," Allison said, Henry hissing as he garbed the spot where the blade touches his arm. It didn't get too deep, but he was bleeding. He saw Allison watch the blood drip down with confusion in her eyes. Norman was already trying to go after them all, his light shining on the Angel, but Wally was holding him back. "How did you know I was there... Why would you save her?" She asked. "Don't you know what she's done to people like Tom? Like the wolf beside you."

"Trust me. I know." Henry said, giving a small shrug. "And it's not good. But when you've been in a time loop for who knows how long and saving everyone is the only way to break it... well." he let out a small chuckle.

Allison didn't find it amusing, in fact, it only seemed to make her more confused. Henry turned to the angel, who was glancing at both him and Allison. There was a mix of hatred and confusion in her eyes, and she didn't seem to know which to act on. Didn't help that Norman was still trying to go after her in some sort of rage.

"What is a time loop?" Allison finally asked after a moment. "And what's it has to do with us."

"I can explain from the cell..." Henry turned over to the angel, who glanced at him. "Will you come quietly like the rest of us, well..." He turned his gaze to Norman and Wally. "...Mostly. Or are you going to struggle?"

"You think I'm just going to willingly go with her of all creatures in this nightmarish realm?" The angel asked, venom in her voice as she pointed at Allison. Tom let out a growl as he steps forward.

"Look, Alice," Henry said, putting an arm between her and the wolf. "You said you thought you never get to see heaven. I'm not going to say whether for sure that is the case." He got a glare from her. "But I can get you to the next best place, outside of here."

She seemed to pause, her gears in her head turning as she began to process it. "...Why? I tried to steal Boris from you..." She then gave a small smirk. "Have you caught something for me, earned boy?"

"No, still married to the love of my life," Henry said, showing his ring. He briefly glanced over as Allison began to tie Norman's hands up, before turning to the angel again. "And because you were a victim. And while that doesn't completely excuse all the lives you have taken, if you wanted to or not, Susie." He saw a flinch in her arm. "It means you deserve one more chance... but you got to stop all of this. Beauty won't help you out there, that's just the truth."

He gave a small cough afterward, his throat getting a bit soar. He watched as the angel glanced to the side. Before, reluctantly, holding out her hands to be tied up, Tom not hesitating to do so.

As they began the walk to Allison and Tom's safehouse, Henry went through his head. Sammy and, possibly, the ink demon. They were the only ones left. Both were going to be hard to get through too. But, it felt like freedom should just be in his sight...

Chapter Text

Something felt wrong as they slowly approached the harbor where the lost ones and searchers resided. Where there was normally so much bloodshed. Or, ink shed. It didn't matter too much, it was the last area Henry had to focus on before facing the demon. Even if the Butcher Gang lost their recent memories and tried to attack him in the halls, it was possible to get by without any of them dying. Even if it meant he had to get lucky with the ink demon showing up.

Sammy was the only thing in the way. His mere existence created a barrier preventing the ink creatures from attacking the group. If he could get past him, get through to him, that's it. The only other creature of significance he could think of would be the hand in the river. But it was too big for Henry to ever fight in the first place, and with three others on his boat, he didn't even break a sweat escaping from it.

If it had a soul tied to it, he could think of how to get them out later, once he was out and home to
Linda. His beautiful Linda, his perfect family...

He knocked the last blob of ink away from the padded wheel of the boat and it started moving before the hand could even fully rise from the ink. He turned back to see the Angel at the controls, a worried and annoyed expression on her face. Wally was holding Norman back, keeping him from falling into the ink by mistake. Or from trying to attack the large gloved hand whenever it appeared. Luckily, the harbor was soon in sight.

Everything felt 'off' when he stepped onto the boards on the dock. He could almost feel a million eyes staring at the group, but he tried to ignore them. He began to walk over to where Sammy was waiting, without even a moment to talk. It felt like his time was running out. Like if he didn't get out soon, he never was going to. He didn't want to think of it, or why the feelings were just starting now of all times

"BETRAYED!!! ABANDONED!!!" Sammy roared as he broke down the boards, Norman letting out a shriek behind Henry. "I trusted you! I gave you everything....and you left me to rot! ...Why? WHY!?" He cried as he charged at Henry, who quickly began to run, as well as he could by this point in the loop.

"Sammy, please, we don't have to do this!" Henry said as he dodge a swing from the axe. The last thing he needed now was a missing limb. He briefly glance over at the group, where Wally and Angel were both holding Norman back. Part of Henry had hoped Angel would speak up or Sammy would notice her and stop, but he was the only thing the mask beings faced looked at. "You're a good man! Deep down inside there's still something good."

"I don't think that's going to work," Angel said a little quieter to not draw the prophet's attention to her. Henry let out a small sigh and just kept dodging and calling out various things hoping Sammy would stop, leave him alone and trust his words. The Angel watched with a slight smile the whole time. "I'm sure you can handle him." She said with a slight chuckle. "You managed to handle him before, haven't you?"

'I thought you said you didn't believe in the loop stuff.' Henry had caught Wally signing.

"Look, I know you have done bad things, but you had a life before things went this way! You were a great musician." Henry said, backing up more and more from the man. He hadn't hit Sammy once, but he still felt like he was 'progressing' the way the script wanted him to. Eventually, an idea came to his head. "You're parents! They wouldn't want you to be like this!" He said. And he saw Sammy pause.

Henry had gotten used to being thrown down on the ground here, even if he didn't like it. But the force when Sammy suddenly sprinted at him and knocked him down onto the ground was unlike any he felt here before. It was like Sammy had gained the strength of one of Bertrum's carts. The axe nearly missed Henry's head, and he heard a growl as the axe was left up again, Henry looked up just in time to see Sammy raise it to cut Henry's skull in half.

But Sammy never got a chance, as Norman had broken free and knocked Sammy to the ground. "Norman-" Henry had started, but coughed a bit as he spoke, he must have gotten hit in a way that hurt his voice or throat. Wally raced over and helped Henry up quickly, Henry struggling to get back onto his feet after the blow. "Norman, don't kill-" Henry started, but by the time he turned around it was too late. The ink was everywhere.

"His parents died in a car crash, Henry," Angel said calmly from her spot. "I don't think bringing them up would have helped."

"Oh..." Henry said, staring at the body. They most likely would have been dead by now either way. He and Sammy were around the same age when they met, and Henry was in his late fifties if he remembered right. Not too many people could live another couple of decades after that. Still... would have been nice to know before. "This place is about to be covered in ink. There's no way to get to the exit without... why am I like this?"

"Henry-" He heard Allison's confused voice call before the place started to shake. It felt angry. Or maybe it was laughing at Henry, laughing because he was so close and messed it up. He speeds up a death rather than preventing it, like a fool. He saw everyone look around, and then everything went quiet. For a moment. "Was that... oh no. The Searchers and the Lost Ones built this place... Sammy must have been keeping them at bay. Now that he's gone..." Henry took a breath. "Looks like we're in for a fight. Get ready!"

Searchers and Lost Ones appeared quickly, and Henry had to turn himself away. There was no way to get any of them out. Not this time.

Wally ended up staying by Henry's side during the fight, mostly to kick away any searcher or lost one that got close. Throughout the fight, or the parts Henry turns to see, only one ink creature fled, a searcher with one of those miner hats. The rest were slaughtered like sheep. Henry had to do this in the past few loops but, knowing he was so close just, made it stung all the more. He didn't even realize it had ended when it did because he just, found himself blacking out in a way. Still awake but not there.

"Are you still alive?" He heard the Angel say when he started to come back. She looked angry, new splashes of ink covered certain parts of her and it looked like everyone was catching their breaths. Expect for Norman, who was just waiting for one more searcher to appear out of a puddle. Angel looked at the new stains with a slight sigh. "I should have brought the Tommy gun down here with me." She flicks some away. "Would have saved a lot of time, and been so much less work."

"I don't think anyone can trust you with one," Allison said, getting a glare from the Angel as she backed away, Allison looked at Henry as she got close. "Henry, are you-"

He shook his head, pulling out the seeing tool for what he hoped would be the last time. "Remind him who he is, you're so close." soon was in the place of Sammy's body, written in golden ink. He placed it down and just, looked to the side. He had to get this right, he had to.

-------

The first thing Henry did when the group had gotten to the cell that loop was demand all the Angel could remember about Sammy. He was a little too forceful looking back, he was sure Wally paled during the moment. But he was so close to being free and he wasn't letting another mistake cost him that. Especially since it felt like the world was somehow... changing. This was one of, if not, his last chances to fix this.

It was all small things, but everything just looked a little odd. Darker. Allison and Angel felt like they looked different, but Henry couldn't put his hand on what. And the Butcher Gang, looked like they got a faint but noticeable horror makeover since the last loop. Like the story was being retold, or preparing for a new script... he couldn't let that happen.

'Good luck Henry.' He saw Wally sign to him before he went up to face Sammy again. And began the game of slowly throwing out facts about his life he learned from Angel, hoping he can get through to the man. It was going to be a long fight, he could tell. But at the very least he had to get Sammy tried, maybe then they could race away before he can react, and try and break the loop. And he now had some knowledge on what to say that might just make Sammy snap, in a good way.

"You always lie!" Sammy called to Henry after the human had listed another one of the song names he had been told about. Were Sammy's memories cloudy or was he just mad? "I don't trust anything you tell me!"

"What's going on here?" Henry briefly heard Allison say, looking over to see her and Tom by his group. That was good, meant he had already broken past part of the script, they wouldn't have shown up until Sammy needed to die normally. Allison watched Henry talk to Sammy and get almost attacked, and garbed Tom's arm as he went to go take care of Sammy. "Something is telling me to wait for a moment." She said.

"What about your sister, think she wants to see you like this?!" Henry said suddenly. And Sammy froze once again, but it felt like the studio had too. The call was sudden, exactly how he wanted it. "You had to take her in after the car crash. She was only sixteen when you disappeared." Henry said as he study himself on his feet, ready to dodge after an attack. "Do you want her to find you one day, only to end up as a sacrifice for that demon you once worshiped?"

"They would never, I would never! When have I..." Sammy had started like a raging fire, but then it seem to be cooled down by the rain. Henry backed up a bit, watching as Sammy slowly took a glimpse at his hands. He seemed to focus on the axe he held for a moment. Henry looked back at his group before hearing the axe fall onto the ground. "Could I have... No!" He seemed to grab his head. "All I did, it was for, for.."

"For nothing, or him?" Angel asked from nearby, Henry gave her a faint glare. Sammy jerked his head to look back at the group as if surprised to find others there. He let out a growl as he reached for the axe once again, but paused right before he did. His other arm garbed the one outreached for the axe and pulled it back. "Face it, Sammy. You wouldn't have cared if it was her back then."

"I didn't need... I didn't want to leave her alone!" Sammy shouted, turning away from the group and slamming his hand against one of the houses. His voice faintly changes, having more of the voice that he would have earlier in the loops. There was ink that appeared to be dripping from his face. The ink was dripping from the building's wall. "The ink... I just wanted to get back to her. I didn't care about anything else, I just- ugh!"

He slammed his head against the building, the mask falling off before he grabbed it and seemed to stumble onto his knees. "Sammy!" Henry shouted as he faced the man. He didn't need him harming himself in a fit of rage. Henry placed a hand on the man's shoulder, and for a brief moment, he thought he saw it glow. "Don't hurt yourself, she would hate that more than seeing you like this!" Henry quickly said. "You both care for each other after all, I can tell."

"Sage, I just..." His voice was still full of anger, but he seemed to be calming down. Or at least, attempting to. Henry could faintly hear some footsteps behind him, and he briefly glanced behind to see the group. Angel was the closest, staring at Sammy with a bit of pity in her eyes. He turned to find Sammy looking at him. He seemed... confused. "You... You're the one from upstairs. Where's the ink demon, where's Joey?"

"They weren't here?" Allison said, followed by a quiet "Who's Joey." But Henry didn't pay much attention to that, he just gave a small shrug. Did Sammy think he was one of the two? On one hand, that explains things he would say. But on the other, why? Wasn't he going to kill Henry no matter what? He just let out a sigh and reached for Sammy's mask, noting Sammy glancing at Henry's hand as he did. Henry just looked at him.

"Are you ok?" Henry asked as he handed it back. "I mean, besides everything else."

"That birthmark... the only one I know with a mark like that was... wait. Henry? Henry Stein?" Sammy asked as he met Henry's gaze, the human giving a nod in return. Sammy then let out what sounded like a sigh, filled with shame in his voice. He tried to get up but hissed and went onto his knees again. He must have gotten his legs hurt on something during his quick rage fit. "I should have known. Who else would find themselves in here."

"Well, hopefully, we can all get out," Henry said, sighing as he looked around. He got up and walked past Norman and Tom, the latter holding onto the former with annoyance, and walked up to Wally. None of the searchers or lost ones appeared, it felt... peaceful in a way. He had done it. Got everyone to stay alive... almost. "The ink demon is the only one who's left, Wally." He said, bringing the attention of the others over as well. "I have, no idea what to do."

'Look, Henry, if I had the answers to questions like this, I wouldn't have been a janitor.' Wally signed, making Henry let out a small chuckle. He still remembers back when it was just him and Wally against the studio. So long but, not too long ago. It was almost a pity having so many around now, the two didn't get to chat as much as they could before. 'But look at what you have done. If you can do all this, you can go up against the demon.'

"I have no idea what that wolf is saying, but I have a feeling he's being smart." He heard Angel say from behind him. He looked behind to see Angel looking away from Sammy but allowing herself to help Sammy gets studied back onto his feet. He let out a small smile at that, Angel giving a glare once she noticed. "Don't say anything unless you want that tongue of yours cut out," she said.

"Susie- Alice..." Sammy had started, before getting his glare from the angel at the name. He let out a sigh and turned back to Henry. "What exactly do you plan to do now?"

"The ink demon holds the last thing we need..." Henry paused, taking a breath. That sounded too close to his lines. "I'm going to get in from him... or die trying."

-------

Henry was silent as he approached the ink machine. The ink clung to his clothes and skin, and he could feel the stares of the ink creatures watching him from behind. Allison and Tom had to keep Norman from falling in, of course. Henry wished he could have said more, done more. But hopefully even if today he met his death by the demon, he gave the ink creatures something they never had before, hope. Hope that could save them.

But for now, he found himself stepping onto metal. And before he knew it, in the throne room.

"I know you're here Ink Demon. I know you want to kill me, but I don't share that, so come out." Henry said, scanning the walls. To try and provoke the demon, he walked up and sat on the chair. It seemed to work, as it wasn't too long until he heard a faint growl, looking to see the demon with his claw aiming for Henry's head. He just barely managed to get out of the way. "We don't have to do this. You can be better than this."

"Do you honestly believe that?" The demon suddenly asked, a twisted grin forming on his face. It was the first time Henry ever heard the demon speak. His voice was twisted, but it felt oddly human and that same time. The creepiest part was under it all, you could hear a young, cartoony voice under the demon's growl. "I thought that way once and looked where it got me. Rip from my world by my very creator, locked in a cage alone for something I couldn't control! Taking away from my family!"

"So, you are from another reality then..." Henry said, just barely dodging out of the way as the ink demon, Bendy try to lunge at him. Henry had considered the possibility before, but never fully believed it. After all, that meant he had to have made a whole world without knowing it, and that wasn't possible... "Do you remember anything from your creation?" Henry asked as he looked at the demon. "Anything about your beginnings?"

"Why does it matter to you if I do?" Bendy asked, Henry, trying to keep eye contact with the demon even as he avoided another attack. He could hear the anger in his voice rising, as well as the sorrow. He just felt, hurt all of the sudden. "It was just a void in some voices. Nothing that matters to Drew."

"But it matters to your creator, me," Henry said, looking at the demon. He saw the demon freeze upon hearing those words, only the growl and lunge at him again, Henry getting out of the way just in time to look at Bendy. His horns felt like they started to grow, Henry needed to act fast. "Sure, Joey helped come up with the design, but it was me who made you!" He said. "And if I knew you were alive, that this would happen, I never would have left you."

"You humans are all liars!" Bendy shouted, lungeing at Henry and just barely managing to garb his leg this time around. He quickly slashes at the leg with his claw hand, blood splatting slightly on the wall nearby. Henry held in his shout of pain and managed to push the demon away when he went for an attack on the chest. "Besides, why would you care for me anymore anyway. I'm not that little devil darling now."

"Because it wouldn't be fair," Henry said, looking at the demon as he reached down for his leg. He would still be able to walk, it was just going to hurt. But he could take it. He quickly got up and forced his leg to move out of another attack, watching as the demon hit his head against the wall once again. "Everyone in here has some blood on their hands it seems, no one's innocent. I'm trying to get them all out, so I want you to come, but only if you won't go on another murder spree."

"They all stood back and let me suffer! Why should I..." The ink demon trailed off as he looked at the man. He reached for his face, ink dripping from it like usual. He turned away from Henry, the man tilting his head as he looked at the inky imp. He began to walk up to him. "Why am I crying? I'm not a child anymore. I killed, I just.. just wanted.."

"Wanted to go home? I know that feeling." Henry said, watching as the ink demon turned to him. He let out a growl and went to slash his face, but Henry garbed his hand before he could. He let out a slight hiss as the demon's claws broke through his skin again, but he kept his gaze on the demon, trying to get him to listen. "You don't have to stay here doing the same thing over and over. Don't you want a life with friends and family again?"

"You can't bring them back, bring them here, none of them." Bendy hissed but soon seemed to look down when Henry just nodded in response. Like he was confused. Like he was upset. Henry reached his free hand up to the demon's shoulder, looking at him. "What family would even dare take in a demon like me?"

"I have a feeling me and Linda would, even if it would need some convincing," Henry said. He expected the ink demon to try and attack him again, but instead, he just slowly looked up at him. He could see a million questions and thoughts enter his mind. Henry just gave a small smile, and Bendy shook his head a bit. "I know it's going to be hard to gain back your trust after everything that has happened. But I can promise you won't be hurt again."

"Why... Why are you being so kind to me?" Bendy asked, a sob in his voice. Henry just smiled. In the beginning, he would have just done it to break the loop. But here, after remembering everyone here isn't just a character, but a person. After remembering he wasn't just a character. That the ink demon wasn't one... "I just tried to... I... Can I trust you..."

"That's up to you."

Bendy looked at the man for a moment, as if waiting for something else to be brought up. The room fell silent, and eventually, the sounds of sobbing filled the room. Henry opens his arms slightly and found the demon lungeing at him, burying his head into his creator's shoulder, staining it with ink.

"I can't fix things. I'm so..."

Henry let out a shush. "I know. It's ok, let out."

It felt like the studio shook at that moment, flashing lights all around. He could have sworn he heard some sort of snap. And suddenly, everything was still. For some reason, it felt easier to breathe.

Had he done it? Had he...

Bendy let out another sob, and Henry felt himself tearing up a bit. He rubs the demon's back, feeling the spikes, scars, and indents of his back ribs.

He knew the others were waiting outside the machine, hoping to see him come out alive and well, with the key to freedom. But even if he had it unless they were human again, he couldn't just let them out, this world was too cruel...

He could afford to wait a few more minutes. He was sure they could understand. For now, his creation needed his attention.

-------

Henry had fallen silent when he garbed the doorknob, looking at the door that always taunted him for so long. What if it didn't work? What if he did all this, and got everyone's hopes up for nothing? It would sting
more if the script got them again.

Feeling the eyes of everyone staring at the back of his head, he turned the nob. The door opened as if it had never been locked in its life.

Henry was slightly surprised to see the streets of New York rather than the kitchen of Joey Drew. More surprised to see his van nearby, gathering dust as if it had been waiting for him. He took a few steps out, looking at the old run-down studio.

He looked up at the Autumn night sky and smiled.

He was going home...

He looked as a few of the ink creatures raced outside, in joy, shock, or a mix of both. Thankfully, it seemed no one was around.

He saw Jack looking up at the sky, standing still as a gust of wind passed by. It was a song Henry never thought he would hear again.

He saw the Butcher Gang going to the nearest puddle, Shawn splashing at it. 'Edgar' pulled him back as he did though, and seemingly reminded him they were ink.

He saw the Angel look back at the studio as she walked up to its wall, placing a hand against it. She seemed to let out a hum.

Norman was just staring at a flickering streetlight.

Allison had her sword to her side, ready for if anything attacked as she looked around the strange new land. Tom gently pulled the hand that had it down a bit, getting a confused look from her.

Sammy was staring at all the buildings and the ground. He seemed to be muttering to himself, stating numbers and the names of streets as if deciphering some code.

Wally let out a bark of joy, turning to Henry and hugging him. Henry let out a small chuckle as he got himself out of the hug. He paused and turned back to the entrance of the studio.

The ink demon was there in the doorway, looking at them. He reached for his arm out slightly and pulled it back. As if scared for a moment he was going to be dragged away. Henry walked up to him and offered his hand. When Bendy took it, he gently step back, pulling Bendy out, who looked at the night sky in awe.

Henry looked back at the entrance once again. He recalled those who still were stuck inside, those he still needed to find, too free. He didn't know how he does it at the moment, but once the thing was clear.

He looked at the sky for a moment, then back at the studio, and made a promise to those inside.

"We're all going home.