Archive of Our Own

The sun was just starting to sink out of sight painting the sky in rays of dying sunlight and blooming shadows. The city of angels was sitting in a treacherously deceptive calm as Alice and her friends raced through the streets. What was supposed to be comfortingly familiar felt strange and menacing. Alice was struggling to keep up with everything. It was all happening too quickly. 

Forced to walk at the front of the group with Cuphead, Metatron looked back at her, giving her a friendly smile. He had four magic suppressing cuffs strapped to him, one for each wrist and ankle. Chains wrapping across his torso and wrists just to be sure. They’d been lucky that Isaac had left a few spare ones in his apartment that they had been able to use once they’d managed to subdue the angel. 

Bendy bristled in front of her, glaring at Metatron, and hissed in warning. He had kept himself squarely between her and the angel prisoner the moment he had realized who it was. Bendy again seemed to not care he was powerless with the magic suppressant collar around his neck. He was practically human like this. Still, she had to admit, his being there was a comfort she hadn’t expected. 

“I know you don’t believe me,” the angel started, as if he didn’t even notice Bendy’s threat. “But I really didn’t do anything to Thronius--” Cuphead moved in front of him cut him off with a punch to the gut, glaring disgust at the man. 

“Stop. Talkin’ to her. She’s made it cussin’ clear she doesn’t even want ya lookin’ at her,” Cup’s voice was steely. “Test me and you lose that tongue.” 

Metatron folded over, coughing hard, but the look didn’t leave his eyes. His eyes didn’t leave her. Cuphead grabbed Metatron’s elbow and shoved him forward. With a sneer, Cup grabbing Metatron’s neck to force his head to turn away from Alice. 

A gentle hand touched her shoulder. She glanced over to see a concerned Boris behind her. She smiled reassuringly, even as ice turned over in her chest, cutting chills into her soul. She wasn’t alone in this. Everyone was here, they’d help. They were helping. Thank Mercy. She didn’t know what she would have done if she had been alone when he had appeared. The thought nearly pulled her back into her mind, but she fought off the familiar sense of drifting. She hadn’t been alone, she reminded herself again. 

But the fact that they couldn’t seem to find anyone was starting to worry her. The streets of the Upper were ominously quiet. No one was out. Isaac hadn’t been at his apartment. That wasn’t unusual. But no one had been home either. None of her brothers and sisters. And an icy chill had started to permeate her. It was the Upper. She was used to the cold. But this was different. A familiar type of cold. She glanced at Bendy. A demonic sort of cold. Not coming from one place, but like it was slowly enveloping the city. Was it her imagination or reality? 

Could it be that the words Metatron had declared were true? Was the cult about to make a move? She didn’t want to believe Metatron in any capacity. Admitting anything to him, even obvious facts, felt like allowing his strings back into her mind. Her body. It was a betrayal of all the progress she had made in the healing wing. Yet . . . the silence was becoming intolerable, yet she didn’t want her voice to be the one to break it. If she didn’t voice her thoughts, maybe she’d be able to hold off any sort of truth they hold. It was childish, she knew, but the fragile hope that they had simply missed everyone still existed. 

“So where do we go after we ditch the cussin’ scum?” Cup asked no one in particular as his focus remained squarely on their captive shuffling infront of him. 

Alice swallowed, her throat was as dry as a desert. “The Sanctuary. Even if Isaac or mom arent’ there, hopefully we’ll be able to find someone that can tell us what’s going on.” 

“Is anyone else gettin’ some uh, long hallway sensations, or is it just me?” Mugs asked and glanced back at Boris hopefully. 

The wolf shook his head. “It’s not me, but I feel it too.” 

“Was really hopin’ that was my imagination,” Mugs sighed. 

“Have heart everyone,” Felix assured from the back of the group. “We can’t allow panic an--” A familiar scream cut off the rest of Felix’s words. Alice’s eyes widened as her feathers bristled at the voice she knew. Jake! 

“Well, I don’t think fate agrees with you.” Holly said with her hands on her hips, some chagrin in her voice. They all took off in the direction of the sound. 

Alice took to the air, fearful that any lost seconds would cost her dearly. She heard Bendy call out her name behind her, but she didn’t slow. They’d be with her in time, she’d just have to handle this until then. She drew her blade and flew toward where the cry had come from. Jake’s name caught in her throat, torn between calling for him and wanting to protect her position. 

The last streaks of sunlight were fading away as Alice scanned the streets and plazas. Street lights were beginning to come on. Branches creaked in the breeze, leaves rustling their songs to each other. It wouldn’t be long before twilight became night. Then she spotted him. 

Jake was surrounded by a group of figures cloaked in black. In the rays of remaining light, something glinted in their hands. Obsidian. 

A burst of weakness hit her a moment later, her wings going strangely flimsy. She plummeted towards the ground. Instinct and training kicked in as she hit the ground rolling and coming up on her feet, her sword drawn, wings safely tucked. 

One of the figures turned, catching sight of her. From inside the hood the woman’s eyes brightened. She turned back to the others. “It’s the last one we’re missing,” she said with delight. 

Alice spread her feet, ready for an attack. “Who are you? What do you want?” She ordered. Last one? Her eyes darted to Jake. He had a dagger in one hand and his arm wrapped around his side. He was covered in cuts, down his arms, legs. One marred his cheek and another the side of his neck. 

His assailants stood casually, and the woman who had just spoken had blood dripping off her blade. She lifted it to her mouth, a long forked tongue coming out to take his blood. “An archangel’s blood really is different,” she laughed. “I feel invigorated already.” 

Alice’s eyes widened. She gritted her teeth. “This is your only warning; lower your weapons or I will have to use force.” 

“Alice, you have to run!” Jake shook his head, panting. He looked too pale. “You can’t take them! Forget me! Go! They’ll only get you too.” 

“My Lady, may I?” the woman said, looking back at the biggest of the figures. “She looks tasty and you know how I am about trying new things.” 

“Very well,” a low voice said from beneath the hood. Three of the figures broke off from the circle, approaching Alice. The others constricted around Jake. “We need to finish with this one soon, anyways.” 

Alice shifted her weight back. Two minutes tops, then she’d have the others here to help. She could do this. She’d survived too much to falter here. With a war cry, she lunged forward with her blade, the blessed steel burned with white light and golden angel runes. The nearest attacker attempted to sidestep her blade as it came down. With a twist of her arm, Alice brought it back up and across her attacker’s chest. The blade cut and burned through fabric and flesh. He howled in agony. She didn’t have time to pause as the other two closed in from her side and back. 

The woman who had spoken sidestepped to keep out of Alice’s reach. Her hands flicked out. Alice jump to the side to dodge. She felt an aura as the blade passed her. It was black and shiney like the stones she’d seen. More obsidian. No wonder Jake had been covered in cuts and so worn down. He’d been cut by obsidian blades time after time. 

Two more blades came at her, keeping her moving. She was forced back. Two others awaited her from behind. One with white hair streaming from their hood slashed at her with a longsword. Alice dodged again and angled herself so one blocked the other from attacking her. The dagger woman kept forcing her back, towards the other circle, cordoning her in. Alice dropped down, spinning her foot out to catch the ankle of white hair. They made a noise as they fell. Alice spun, going for the dagger woman. She’d thrown seven daggers and now her sheaths were empty. Now was Alice’s chance. She raised her arms to slash the woman when a horrible, agonizing pain caught her in the side. 

The woman grinned as one of her daggers landed back in her hand, glistening with blood. Alice’s head pulsed as the poison entered her veins. Magic? The dagger had moved from where it had landed and flown back to the woman, coming at Alice from behind. 

She stumbled and rolled across the ground, grunting as she came to a stop. Alice had managed to keep her blade, but the burning pain in her side was quick to spread. She scraped her knee, fighting to get up. Just in time as sparks flew from where another dagger bounced off the cobbled stone. Alice swayed, but managed to keep her feet. She lifted her sword and glared at her attackers. “It’ll take more than that to keep me down. Come on!” She barked. A cry tempted her to look toward Jake. 

The dagger woman didn’t show that self-control. She glanced behind Alice, smiled, and licked her lips. Alice took her chance and lifted a hand from her hand guard to cast an angel fire spell. The light was near blinding in the twilight as the white flames shot across the space toward the woman. 

The dagger woman was forced to duck, jumping to the side. Her hand reached out, summoning her daggers back. Alice was forced to the side, but kept up the purifying fire, determined to match wound for wound. The woman’s hood fell back as she moved and Alice sucked in a breath. The woman was covered in glittering scales and had short black hair. Her eyes were narrow. Her nose was nonexistent. She was a demon. A snake demon. 

How had demons gotten into the Upper? Alice’s heart plummeted, her focus wavered for a second. White hair lunged close, grabbed her sword arm, and lifted an obsidian blade, fangs glinted from a victorious smile. Alice sucked in a breath. Not like this! She twisted, a cry of anger and pain as she wrenched her arm to avoid the blade, still a new sting glanced across her upper arm. She didn’t have time to think, she moved. Her spell hand flew up to white hair’s face and burst with light. She didn’t have a spell in mind, the magic backfired, slinging the two away from each other. White hair let out a low howl of pain. He rolled across the ground, hands on his face. 

Alice pushed herself to her knees, grimacing at the new cut and burns. “Pull yourself together.” The demon sneered at white hair. “It’s not like she threw sunlight in your face.” The man hissed in pain and rage. He hissed at Alice. His pale skin and red eyes revealed what he was. A vampire. That’s when she noticed that only two were coming at her. The third, the one she had cut, was missing. 

Where--

A scream cut through her like a knife. She turned to catch sight of Jake on the ground, black stones growing up his arm and his shoulder. He grit his teeth, gripping his shoulder. The arm with the stones was limp and weak. Magic glowed from the hands of the robed figure she’d cut, surrounding Jake and making the obsidian grow. 

“Jake!” Alice cried. His eyes darted to her. 

“Look out!” Jake bellowed. 

Alice turned. A dagger, she didn’t have time--her arms came up to protect her face. There was a clash of metal. Alice’s eyes flew open. Felix stood before her with a shield in hand. “Are you okay?” 

“Felix!” Alice choked on her relief. A barrage of blue and red bullets flew past them at the enemies. The snake woman hissed, forced to slither back to avoid the Cup Brother’s attacks. “Cup! Mugs!” 

A pair of spinning green orbs transformed into a net, catching the vampire.  “Alice, are you okay?!” Holly panted, lowering her rune-shooter. 

“Back off!” Boris spun his staff as he and Bendy charged the group closest to Jake. Giant snakes appeared from Boris’ staff. The robed figures scattered in shouts of surprise and alarm. 

“I’ll be fine! Help Jake!” Alice pushed herself up. Her arm and side were in agony. 

“On it,” Mugs turned on his heel, he wrapped an arm around Holly, poofing into the fray around Jake. Soon bullets and Holly’s rune shots joined Boris’ fearful illusions. Alice caught a glimpse of Bendy, even powerless he held his own against any that came close to him. Light on his feet and quick with his hands, he didn’t allow a soul to get anywhere close to Boris’ back. Alice prayed they’d be okay. 

Meanwhile Felix and Cuphead were pressing the metal snake demon similar to how she had been pushing Alice a few moments ago. Felix on the defense with his shield and a mase while Cuphead on offense with his bullets, aiming for limbs and non-vitals. 

The demoness hissed, slithering back. Her knives seemed to almost constantly flying through the air. Felix was ensured that none of them touched however, his concentration made it so that the others almost didn’t even need to heed them. 

BOOM.

BOOM. 

BOOM. 

The largest hooded figure, the one the dagger demon had called ‘My Lady’ turned towards them. Shedding her cloak, she grew as she stepped towards them. A human demon entirely made of boulders, she was a golem of a demon. In the few seconds that had passed she had doubled in size, her fist raised to smash them all together, defense or no defense. 

Alice let out a scream as she threw the quickest shield she could between them and the huge attack. Mugs grabbed Jake and vanished in a cloud of smoke. 

The huge fist stopped barely a foot above their heads. The demon roared, slamming another fist down, pouding one hand after another as she worked on breaking Alice’s shield. Alice felt each blow as if it were on the inside of skull. Her vision blurred from the strain. 

“Move! Move! Move!” Cup ordered as Boris, Holly, Cup, and Bendy pulled back. 

The demoness put both hands together, lifting them above her head, determined to crush them. The paired fists started to come down. 

“Alice drop it now!” Felix’s arm wrapped around her middle and they were both yanked off their feet and through the air. 

Alice did, her feet hit the ground and failed to catch her. She tumbled with a grunt. Her side had stars explode across her vision. 

And then . . . the demoness’s hands fell limply to her sides, her expression going slack and empty. 

What? 

Alice stared, filled with confusion. Metatron stepped out from behind the demon, a pleasant smile on his face. The chains and power suppressors were gone. “Alice,” he said. “I’m so glad you are alright.” He tilted his head to the side, glancing at Jake. “And thank goodness your friend is okay as well. Did you call him Jake? Though that obsidian can’t be good for him.” He held a knife in his hand. Looking behind him, Alice saw several fallen figures, more demons and a handful of vampires. Each of their throats had been slit, even the vampire Holly had caught with her net. 

All that remained were the boulder demon and the wizard, who also stood slack and emotionless under Metatron’s control. 

Horror overtook her instead of relief. Her throat constricted so tight she couldn’t find her voice. She wanted to shout, to stop what was going to happen next, but it barely came out as a whisper. “Wait. Don’t-”

There was a sickening crunch as the boulder demon’s head twisted, neck snapping. The wizard’s magic faded from the demoness's neck, and she slumped to the ground. “Well, that takes care of the dark creatures,” Metatron said. He turned to the wizard. Without batting an eye, he lifted the blade in his hand.

“Stop!” Bendy barked. Cup next to him had a blue bullet in hand, trained at Metatron’s head. “Don’t you cussing dare,” Bendy growled. 

Metatron paused, lowering his hand again.“I’m just trying to help,” he said. “I could have run. I could have taken one of you. But instead I defended you.” He spread his arms out, palms up. “Does that count for nothing?” 

“In my line a work, not much,” Cup narrowed his eyes. His hand didn’t waiver. 

Felix patted Alice’s shoulder and walked past her to join the discussion. “Though you hold a good point Metatron, saving us does not earn you our trust.” The cat’s eyes darted across the bodies. “And neither does killing. Though I am grateful.” Bendy gave Felix a grimace. 

Metatron raised a brow. “They tried to kill two archangels. They got what they deserved,” he said, no remorse in his tone. “Even if I had spared them, they would have hurt more angels the first chance they got. Sometimes harsh choices need to be made to protect the innocent.” 

“I wouldn’t exactly call ya a judge there pal,” Cup said sarcastically. He grabbed the front of Metatron’s shirt. “Speakin’ of which how the sunblazin’ cuss did you get outta your shackles?”

Metatron smiled at him calmly. “Was I not supposed to remove them? Oh dear me,” he said mockingly. 

Bright blue light cast Cup and Metatron in ghostly light and shadows. “I ain’t playin’ games.” 

“Cuphead,” Felix’s voice held a warning. 

Metatron glanced at Cup’s hand and raised a brow. “Funny how quickly you turn hypocrite once your own agenda is threatened.” He looked back at Cup. “But I’m glad to see we’re on the same page about how to deal with threats.” He searched Cup’s eyes. “I can give you one comfort. I promise on Order, herself, that I won’t make an attack on your person or any of your allies until after we have dealt with the corruption in the Upper.” He shook his head. “But I won’t give you my secrets when you haven’t done anything to deserve them.”

Cup sneered. The light brightened. “Your cussin’ promise means a load -”

Bendy grabbed Cuphead’s arm and pulled it down. “Enough Cup.” Bendy glanced at the angel man before looking at Cup and Felix. “Look, he’s proven that the cuffs meant squat to him. It’s a waste of time to argue about this. We need to figure out what we’re doing next and how to find the others.” 

Alice got herself to her feet, no longer wanting to hear them. Instead she stumbled over to Mugs, Jake, Holly, and Boris. Concern pulsed through her in tandem with her heartbeat and pain. Jake was pale and limp on the ground. Holly knelt beside him, examining the stones still embedded into his arm. Together, they moved the limp man into the nearest house. Once they had settled him on a couch, Alice turned to Holly. 

“How is he?” Alice asked even as she started to take stock of his condition. 

Holly glanced up as Alice. “Not good. The obsidian is absorbing his power fast. He can’t heal. He won’t be able to do a simple light spell soon. He’s going to get sick. Very sick soon if we don’t do something.” Jake groaned as the rocks shifted, spreading up his shoulder and down to his chest. “There’s--There’s one idea I have to help him, but it’s dangerous. You’d have to act as his immune system, because frankly, if it goes wrong, it could kill him.” 

Alice stiffened. For a moment, she was a little girl cowering in a living room as her family crowded around her limp sister. Then she was back and Jake’s face was a grimace of pain under sweat and dirt and blood. Her own wounds weighed on her, but her magic buzzed with her determination. She was Alice Angel, one of the greatest healers in the Upper. If she couldn’t do this--no, she would do this. There was no time for doubt or fear. Jake needed her. “What do I need to do?” Alice asked, her dark eyes sparked with her resolve. 

“Keep his body strong. And use your magic to shield all the surface of his body but the obsidian.” Holly rummaged through her bag. She lifted a little packet. “Ground amazonian choker stomach mixed with boiling water. It’s highly acidic. It will destroy the stones. But it could kill him if it gets into his system. That’s where I’m depending on you.” 

Alice took a deep breath. “I-I can do that.” She lifted her hands to Jake’s chest. Alice considered her spells before she settled on the circles she hoped would serve her best. She willed them into being. The spells appeared above and around Jake, casting a soft white glow over them. She could feel the poison against her magic. “There. I’ll keep it up for as long as you need.” Alice didn’t take her eyes away from the spells or Jake’s arm, keeping all her focus there. 

Holly had Felix pass her a bowl. She quickly dumped the powder in. Going to the kitchen, she had Alice use her magic to boil a pot of water. 

“What are you doing?” 

Next to Alice, Holly jumped. The others were in the front doorway. Cup his a warning hand on Metatron’s shoulder, keeping him at a distance from them.

“Trying to save him.” Holly gave Alice a look, as if asking her if she was okay. Alice pursed her lips into a tight line and gave her a single nod.

“What’s the powder?” He tried to take a step forward and was pulled up short by Cup. 

Holly took in a sharp breath, brushing back her hair. “Powdered amazonian choker. Look, I don’t have time for you to ask a bunch of questions.” 

Metatron raised his hands in a placating manner. “That’s quite a smart idea.” He paused. “But also taxing. Might I suggest a brew of White Egret Flower to strengthen him?” He glanced at Bendy and smiled. “Just don’t let the demon make it.” 

Bendy shot him an annoyed glance. Alice spoke up first. “That would help.” Any personal feelings were set aside for the sake of saving Jake. 

Metatron turned. “Very well, I’ll--”

“No way are you touching anythin’ he’s drinkin,’” Cup growled. He turned. “Felix, think you could make the stuff?” 

“Certainly,” Felix nodded. “I only need a moment.” There was a hallway going from the living room to the kitchen. Felix moved past Cup and Metatron toward it. Their angel prisoner shrugged and smiled, seemingly taking no offense. 

Alice’s focus wavered, her spells grew unstable until she refocused completely on them and stabilize them. Holly focused on making the powder into a poultice with just a bit of the boiled water. 

“Ah,” Felix made a noise of surprise from behind the kitchen door. 

“Everything okay?” Bendy called out to him from next to the couch.

There was a thump and something scraped across the floor. 

“Feels?” Mugs stepped up behind Bendy, his hand coming up cautiously. 

“Yes, I’m fine. I simply found one of our missing locals.” Felix’s voice drifted back to them. “Seems they fell asleep during dinner and won’t stir.” There was another scraping sound. “Possibly a sleeping curse of some kind. They don’t seem injured.” Felix came back into the room with a cup in his hand. His expression was lost in deep consideration. Mugs and Bendy ducked into the kitchen to take a look. Alice focused on the cup in Felix’ hand. “Careful, I accidentally knocked one out of his seat checking on him,” Felix called after Mugs and Bendy. 

Alice took the glass and carefully angled Jake’s head up. “I need you to drink for me Jake. We’ll take the pain away soon so be strong for me.” 

Jake managed a weak grunt and swallowed the brew that Alice carefully tipped into his mouth. Small drops escaping the side of his mouth and wetting the collar of his already ruined shirt. 

Using a bread brush from the kitchen, Holly carefully applied the poultice onto the obsidian. It started to bubble immediately, viciously eating through the stone. 

Alice was scared to turn her eyes away from her spells as she watched the sizzling liquid dissolve the stone. Healing, protection, strengthening, restoring, stabling, and calming. She could do this. Jake will be okay. 

Jake gave a loud groan, shifting a little. 

“Don’t,” Alice barely whispered. “Stay still.” Even as her own heart pounded in her chest, making the pain from her wounds pulse in time with each beat. It wasn’t long, but it felt like an eternity to Alice. Holly’s steady hand carefully painted each stone. She held her wrist with the other hand to keep it that much more stable. Under her breath, she whispered words. Alice couldn’t hear them, they were so low, but she knew what Holly was doing. Promising herself that things would work out, that things would be okay, strengthening herself in her own way. “You can do this,” Alice whispered. She told Jake, Holly, and herself. 

Bendy watched Alice and Holly work with a focus that was as sharp as a knife. It was almost hard to see the woman he knew in the serious healer that worked on Jake with singlemindedness. He sensed a shift of movement next to him and looked up at the angel man. Cup hadn’t taken his eyes off the man since he had escaped his cuffs. Bendy was grateful for that. The look in Metatron’s eyes were disturbing at best. There was a softness to them, nearly affection or awe, but there was something under it. Something Bendy felt like he could almost smell. It made his fur stand on end the long he looked. This was even without his magic. Hell knew what he would get if all his senses were working. 

He really hated this man. 

“Bendy,” Felix beckoned to him from the kitchen entrance quietly so as not to disturb the girls. “I could use your help.” 

Bendy furrowed his brows. He glanced back at the girls and Cup before he quietly backed away and went into the kitchen. “What is it?” 

“Over here,” Felix headed to the side door of the kitchen. “What do you think of this?” He waved a hand toward the room beyond. 

Bendy frowned and followed. He stepped around Felix and peered into the dark room behind. It seemed to be a mud room. “What am I supposed to be seeing?” He half turned back to Felix, before pain cut through his neck. For a second he thought the collar was doing something. Bendy grunted as his legs gave out from under him. His limbs went numb. Confusion sent his mind spinning. 

From the ground, he made out a shape sticking out from a sack in the corner. An arm. A person was stuffed inside. Wearing a fluffy coat. Felix’s coat. Then his mind went blurry and his vision turned black. 

The first thing Bendy was aware of was a pounding headache and a pain in his neck. What the cuss happened? The air was damp and smelled of mildew, dirt, sweat, and something pungent. It was cold too. He was laying down on his stomach with his arms bound awkwardly behind him. The ground was hard and icy. Uneven like bricks or stones. There were whispers that he couldn’t quite make out, they echoed around like he was in a large hall. Bendy opened his eyes but was only met with darkness. Blindfolded. Damnit. 

He tried to remember what happened but couldn’t. He definitely wasn’t in the mudroom or anywhere near the kitchen anymore. There were people here, he didn’t want to alert them that he was awake. Maybe he’d be able to hear something useful if they thought he was still out. There was an odd dripping sound maybe in the distance, it was hard to tell with the echo. He could make out roughly five voices at least. He strained to hear them better. 

“Now, now. Don’t think you can play dead with me.” Bendy grunted as he was yanked up by the shoulder. His arms protested as he was pulled into an awkward sitting position. “You’re one hell of a bugger. Finally got you out from under all those damn hovering blits! So you act right and we won’t have to rip your legs off or none.” 

There was a deep, amused chuckle. “Are you sure you’re not from hell, Mr. A? You make me think of home.” An odd hissing sounded after the second voice spoke. 

The hand dropped his shoulder. Bendy winced and pulled his legs closer to himself, crossing them in front of him. His tail was free. His wrists were bound in metal cuffs. His legs were fine, if he could get to his feet, he could run, but it didn’t do him much good blind. He could rip it off, but he’d have to be fast or wait for a distraction. 

“I’ve found talkin’ to folks at their level gives the best results,” Mr. A sounded amused, but there was an edge to it. 

“Enough idle chatter.” A young, male voice interrupted the others. “Now that Mr. A. has brought the final component of the ritual, we can begin.” 

“Yes, I think we’ve waited long enough,” an old woman’s voice said. “We best make haste before anything can go awry.” 

“Hardly a thanks,” Mr. A muttered. He stepped to one side of Bendy. The demon felt hands grab his arms. He was pulled to his feet and pushed forward over uneven ground. 

“What do you people want?” Bendy demanded. “Begin what?” Yank and run. Yank off the blindfold and run. He could do this. He had to escape, find the others. What happened to them? 

“No fuss,” Mr. A said. “You have a very special job to do.” 

There were two behind him, close behind him. And three ahead. Maybe. Stars, he couldn’t be sure in this chamber or wherever he was. He’d have to take his chance. He could catch the people ahead off guard and make his escape. “A special job? What if I refuse?”

The deeper male chuckled again. “Who said anything about needing your cooperation?” A hard blow landed in his gut, making him double over. His breath escaped him in a surprised huff. Damn it to hell! That cussing hurt without magic! Well, he was already leaning forward. Now or never. Bendy whipped his tail up and ripped the blindfold off his eyes. The cloth caught on one of his horns. The light hurt, but he didn’t wait, he ran. 

It was difficult with bound arms, but his captors hadn’t anticipated his lunge right after being hit. He slipped from the fingers behind him. A shout of surprise escaped one of them. Bendy blinked rapidly, the cobbled, uneven floor, long shadows, then figures became clear to his eyes. They were in long robes, similar to those that had attacked Jake. 

They were just starting to turn around. Bendy didn’t give them a chance. He leapt into the air, legs up, and hit an olive-skinned man with long, dark hair. His feet planted into the man’s shoulder blades. The man’s eyes widened in surprise. Bendy curled and jumped, using the man’s back like a springboard. The shocked faces of the other two back him a moment of smug satisfaction. He opened his mouth to taunt them. “So long cussers!” 

The black haired man turned as Bendy sprung away. A small smile creased his lips. 

What? 

Bendy felt something wrap around his ankle and tighten around it painfully. His flight yanked to a stop and momentum swung him down instead. Bendy slammed into the cobblestone floor. He didn’t have a way to catch himself, his head exploded with pain. What the hell? He’d been past them! What had him? He looked down at his leg and saw two purple eyes staring up at him from the head of a snake wrapped tightly around his ankle . . . A large snake that seemed to be attached to the black haired man from behind. 

The man crouched down beside him. “You really are one to entertain, my newly fledged demon. I’ve only met you twice and things never fail to be exciting.” He grinned, his own purple eyes flashing. 

Bendy glared through watering eyes as his head pulsed with pain. “Who the hell are you?” He panted. He tasted blood. He’d bit his lip. 

“Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?” the man grinned. “But let me give you a hint.” He leaned in closer. “I liked your bloodlust at the circus.” The man’s tail hissed and for a moment, there was something predatory in his eyes. When he stood, a feather drifted from his robe. He turned towards the two who had a hold of Bendy earlier. “You owe me a favor, Mr. A. I told you he’d manage to make a run for it.” Bendy was dragged along the floor by his ankle back to the other two. 

“I’d hardly call a fair go of it runnin’ five feet and slammin’ his face on the pavey an escape, Anzu .” Anzu the demon Prince? Why the hell was he here? Bendy twisted shoulders to look back at Mr. A and gasped. 

“Alex!” Bendy hissed. 

“Says the cat that let him get away in the first place.” Anzu smirked. “If you’d been standing where I was, he’d be half way down the street by now.”

The pale cat’s eyes went from Anzu to Bendy. “Well, well, well. So ya remember me. Good job.” He snorted and pulled out a bag. He tossed a handful of coins in the air. “Course Felix’s anklebitters have to be as stubborn as him.” 

“Enough,” the old woman spoke up. 

Bendy’s heart nearly stopped in shock. For a second, he thought it was Alice, but her hair was silvery and shorter. Elizabeth. “Why are you-”

The archangel turned a cold, dispassionate gaze on him. “Silence demon. You’ve caused enough trouble as it is. Anzu, if he tries again, you know what to do.” 

“H-hey!” Bendy protested. “What are you doing here? Does Alice know!” But Elizabeth didn’t spare him another glance and pulled her hood up. 

A young man stood by her. He has his hair up in a short ponytail, a pair of wire spectacles shielding sharp silver eyes. He gave Bendy an analytical look before nodding at Anzu. The demon continued to drag Bendy forward. 

The chamber they entered could hardly be called that. Bendy had gotten used to caves and large caverns, but this took his breath away. The dark stones were carved into imposing gothic spires and pillars. Some of the architecture meddled into the walls, casting long shadows over strange corridors that disappeared into the unknown. The ceiling, towering so far above that it nearly disappeared from his sight, was sloped and carved like a grande cathedral. Stone statues sat above the pillars, several depicting different races and species. Each had snarls or grimaces on their faces, made seemingly in pain, anger, or fear. Water dripped from above, landing in small puddles dotted around the cobblestone floor. His arm went through one as he was dragged, leaving him clothes dirty and damp. It didn’t help when the chill in the air plummeted further and a feeling of foreboding wrapped it’s gnarled fingers around Bendy’s ribs. 

What the hell was this place? This couldn’t still be part of the Upper. Had they taken him to Hell? It felt, stars above, he couldn’t believe he was thinking this, but it felt evil. 

In front of them was a huge magic circle. Lines and runes were drawn meticulously on the stones. Lines of angel runes encircling and woven with micco runes. It was more intricate than anything he or any of his friends had ever cast. That wasn’t what alarmed him. 

There were five people kneeling around the circle, bound similar to him. Three were placed on an inner circle of the huge spell, chains running in a triangle between the three. Each prisoner was chained to a dagger attached to the chains of the triangle. They were all archangels. Bendy recognized one of them as the snooty librarian angel, Samuel. 

Several robed individuals were scattered about the floor, whispering to each other or keeping watch on the prisoners. There was a stone table . . . alter? In the center of the circle with four wooden boxes resting atop it. 

Bendy had a very bad feeling about this stardust. Whatever these nutcases were doing, it wasn’t good. 

“What the hell is all this?” Bendy demanded. “Someone cussing answer me!” Several of the people turned. The whispers grew louder. An excited buzz in the morbid halls. 

The spectacled young man turned. He pulled out a long cloth from his robe. “Anzu, hold him,” he said. 

“What are you planning, Darius?” the demon asked curiously as he pinned Bendy to the ground, his knee on Bendy’s back. Bendy grunted. 

One of the other captives head’s shot up. “Bendy?” 

“Mary!” Bendy’s jaw dropped. “What are you doin--Mff!” Darius gagged him with the cloth. 

“No more interruptions,” he said, annoyed.

Bendy glared up at him. Despite his bound wrists, Bendy managed to sign. Cuss you to the wastes of the pits. Anzu laughed. 

Darius paused and then signed back to him. You don’t need your hands to fulfill your purpose.

Mary shifted as if she wanted to stand but her wrists were shackled to a tether embedded in the stone. She was to the side, just out of the circle. The chains rattled as she fought their grasp. Her expression was full of confusion and worry as she pulled again. “Let him go. What plans have you for him?” 

“Quiet,” another man barked at her and lifted a hand threateningly. 

Mary stiffened at his voice. 

Bendy was dragged past her and toward the altar. There was an uncomfortable buzzing across his fur, almost like static. Elizabeth and Darius moved to the other side of the altar. They both stood in front of the two boxes. Anzu and Alex forced Bendy on his knees in front of the long stone slab. It was ornate at the hall and room. Fine details carved carefully into the sides and base of the altar. 

The room had more people than Bendy realized. The huge space deceptively made the robe figures numbers appear small. They circled around the rune lines and above on the banisters looking down on the ritual. How had so many gotten to the Upper without anyone noticing? How did a group this big go unnoticed? 

Elizabeth raised a hand and the hum of voices and whispers died. “Brothers and sisters! The day has finally arrived! The dawn of a new era is upon us.” 

The only sound was the rattle of chains from the captured angels. Bendy’s fur stood on end. This was bad. How the cuss were they supposed to get out of this?

“Fate has smiled upon us. Centuries of effort and sacrifice has brought us to this point. Now witness the rise of truth, the birth of power, and our victory over this cruel world.” Elizabeth lifted both of her hands. Darius lowered his to the altar. Several individuals knelt at the edge of the circle and placed their hands on the outer ring. The symbols burst to light painting the impossibly huge room in light and shadows. A light mist rose from the damp ground. 

The old angel lowered her arms and opened the lid of the chest before her. She lifted out a large goblet and held it up in both hands. “The Chalice of Healing. For millennia these waters have comforted the suffering and washed clean the ailments of countless. Tonight this gift will bring back one lost to us.” She set the Chalice down.

The Darius spoke. “She was unjustly tried and eternally punished for the simple act of being a protectorate. She was a friend to Elizabeth .” He nodded to the old woman. “She was a savior of life who helped build the greatest creation the world has ever seen.” He reached out to squeeze Elizabeth ’s hand. “It is only fair that we now use a part of the ink machine to restore her the life she was so unfairly stripped of.” He turned to Bendy. “By cup of healing, by ink that lives, and by heart of an archangel; she will rise. And by the souls of these four archangels she will gain the strength to bring the Upper under her control and close off our borders from the interference of the cosmics.”  

He took the Chalice and circled the altar. Anzu grabbed the back of Bendy’s head and forced him to bend his head back. He glared at the approaching man. He withered and tried to pull free, but it was hopeless. 

Alex chuckled. “Don’t ya worry. This is only going to hurt a lot.” 

Bendy saw a flash of the glowing white dagger before a fiery pain shot up his side. Even with the gag, his screams echoed. 

“Can’t get living ink with this on,” Anzu said. There was a tug on his neck, and his collar snapped. Suddenly the pain doubled. White flashed with darkness as his magic rushed through him like a tidal wave. He lost track of the ones around him. He could only feel the icy sting and burn heat of magic colliding and sparking. Then he gagged and doubled over. The gag was ripped from his mouth just in time for a rush of ink to be expelled. His body convulsed as arms held him up. Another rush of nausea and ink washed over him. Bendy groaned as ink ran down his face and chin. 

“Good lad!” Alex chuckled. 

Bendy tried to growl, tried to say something but only a whimper of pain escaped him as ink continued to run. A puddle forming under him. Bendy almost missed the cup under him, filling with the ink dripping from him. Darius nodded and straightened. He carried the cup of ink back to the altar. 

Anzu and Alex pulled Bendy back into a sitting position, ignoring his attack, his suffering. They were focused on the man and old angel.

Gently Darius lifted the Chalice and walked to the center of the circle. Elizabeth  moved the three remaining boxes to the side and two of their robed allies pushed the top of the altar. It shifted like a lid, revealing a basin of a sort. Darius turned the Chalice over, letting it pour inside. Bendy felt a cold chill go through him as he realized the waters had turned black. There was more ink than what they had taken, nearly filling the basin. Darius handed the cup back to Elizabeth. He pulled out a knife and lifted his own hand, cutting it. “Blood of her blood.” The blood dripped into the basin, mixing with the black. He looked to Elizabeth. They both retreated to the edges of the circle. 

“Stop.” Bendy could barely whisper. He didn’t know how he knew, but he knew this wasn’t just bad. This was against nature. This was evil. He could feel it. 

Darius glanced at him. “Collar him again and tether him. We don’t want to take the chance he’ll cause trouble.” 

Anzu dragged Bendy’s limp form to the side, ink staining the stones under him. The demon prince pinned him down, and he felt thin metal loop around his neck again before Anzu attached a chain to the collar and locked it to the same tether that kept Mary chained to the floor. 

“Bendy! Bendy are you okay?” Mary whispered as Elizabeth started talking again. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Bendy croaked. “But it’s bad Mary. Whatever they are doing, we have to stop it.”

“Quiet,” Alex hissed, shoving Bendy with his foot. “You’re missing the show. You don’t wanna miss the climax.”

“—the enemy, she will be stronger than ever!” Elizabeth announced. The longest case was opened and two members approached to help Darius lift what was inside out. One of the other archangels let out a cry of horror. Bendy’s eyes widened.

“What? What is it!” Mary whispered to him, her voice was tight with fear. A sweet stench filled his nose. 

“It’s…it’s wings. They’re putting wings into the basin,” Bendy murmured back to her.

“Wings of their enemy.” Mary paled. “Oh Mercy no.” Her voice shook and her eyes widened. 

A low chanting started. Elizabeth moved to a semicircle attached to the main circle, Darius moving to the side. The lines of the spell went bright, turning an intense gold as the angel’s magic flowed through it. The heat of it was almost unbearable. The ink in the basin started to bubble . It writhed and frothed violently, flowing upward. It should have been sloshing all over, outside its container but the thing clung together in a cohesive mass. It formed a loose column six feet in height and then seemed to shape itself. Bendy’s fur stood on end at the unnatural lunging and shifting of the mass. The wings were pulled with it. The white feathers were stained, no sign of their purity remaining. They had been tainted, stained completely black. Shoulders formed in front of the wings. A neck. Long flowing hair. Wide hips and a waist covered in a shift. The ink hardened, as if drying at a hundred times its normal speed. The blackness of it faded and Bendy found him staring as an ethereal woman. Her body seemed dainty and flawless, like a fairy from a fairytale book. But her eyes stared out at the crowd blankly, emptily.

A shiver went down Bendy’s spine at the sight of her. He whispered as quietly as he could what happened to Mary. Her hand found his and squeezed it tightly. He could feel her shaking or maybe it was him. 

The whole room seemed to hold its breath and Bendy couldn’t help but notice the adoration in everyone’s eyes. Even Elizabeth and Darius seemed transfixed as they stared at her motionless form. The cuss was wrong with them? The ink woman stood inside the basin, black shift falling from her shoulders to her knees. 

Darius moved to meet her. He delicately put his arm under her knees and shoulders, lifting her out of the basin. The lid to the basin was replaced, making it once again an altar. Gently, he lowered her onto it. She made no indication of noticing any of it. Like a doll, the body that they made remained motionless and cold.

Like an attendant, Darius hovered at her waist. He took each of her limbs and--ever so delicately--engraved runes on the back of each hand and foot. The doll made no sign that she felt the pain of the marks, not even flinching. She continued to stare into the void, her body limp in Darius’ hands. When he was finished, Darius took a cloth, poured antiseptic, and wiped her clean of the blood. Then Elizabeth moved forward. 

The archangel raised a dagger and stabbed her in the heart. 

Bendy couldn’t help gasping. He wasn’t the only one. There was a ripple through the watching crowd. A silent tension, like a cord held taunt. “What the cuss?” Bendy breathed. Had they just killed the person they’d made?

The angel cut at the woman, blood covering her hands as she dug into the doll’s chest. Finally she removed something. A bloody lump that she set aside before turning to Darius. He stood waiting with the third box. Elizabeth opened it, her blood-stained hands cradling a heart. 

Bendy’s hands went to the chains. They couldn’t just sit here. They had to figure something out. Get out of here, stop this, send a warning, something! 

“The waters of healing and ink that lives have made her body. Now the heart of an archangel and the souls of three others will bind her soul to her body and give her breath!” Elizabeth announced. “The blood of our enemies now aids us!”  

Mary’s nails suddenly dug into Bendy’s hand. “Ow!” Bendy hissed. 

“Who’s heart?” Mary demanded. 

“How am I supposed to know?” Bendy muttered. 

“They got those wings and heart from someone! Who?” Mary said in a rush. “Which archangel has been missing?” 

“I don’t know!” Bendy said, feeling exasperated and horrified. “It could be anyone. The city was a ghost town.” 

Mary pursed her lips, her pale complexion going ashen. “What wings were they?”

“What?”

“What wings Bendy!” 

“Why does it even-”

“Please! Tell me,” Mary grabbed his arm. 

Bendy grit his teeth. And looked at the doll woman with a resigned sigh. “They’re big things. Wide looking. They had shades on the back before they were . . . stained. Four of them. I guess they’re predator wings? Hawkish?” Bendy struggled to describe them. 

“Oh stars. Michael?” Mary shivered. “No, no. It can’t be. But he’s been gone for so long. That-oh Mercy and Order.” Bendy blinked. Michael? The archangel that had saved Alice? No way! Oh cuss! 

The heart was raised up before Elizabeth gently placed it into the cavity she had carved out of the body. Darius approached and held up a dagger unlike any Bendy had ever seen before. The blade was curved with grooves running down it like roots from the hilt. The hilt itself was twisted into a screw shape with three metal rings at its end. Each ring had a single link on it with a jewel dangling from it. And for the second time, the ink woman was stabbed. Well, the heart was. The moment the blade touched the organ a blinding light appeared around the heart. The links lifted. 

“With this, we gift you life!” Elizabeth said. 

Three members lifted similar daggers over the three archangels in the magic circle. These daggers only had one ring on the end of their hilts. They were so fast the victims barely had time to scream. Bendy flinched at the sound of the blades striking the chests of the angels. The weapons burrowed deep in their hearts. They were still alive, life-blood seeping from their bodies as the spell began. The rings brightened and golden chains appeared between the rings on the end of the daggers to the one in the center. White energy swirling around them with whisps of red being pulled in to the center. 

Darius opened the last box and pulled out a stoppered bottle. A soul was inside. It was unlike any soul he’d seen before. The closest being to this twisted horror had been the beast, but even his soul paled in comparison. It made Bendy physically ill to stare at it but he couldn’t look away. Like a grotesque curiosity had a hold of his body, transfixing him to the spot. The pale shades of emotions withered and slithered in rivers of anger and despair. Trickles of happiness swallowed in some wild excitement that seemed . . . hungry. Like violence itself had a face. A grinning madness that shook him to his own core. 

Usually it was the other way around. Right? He was supposed to be a threat to a soul in such a vulnerable state but that had him wanting to run from the room more than anything else. 

The man lowered the soul lovingly over the dagger. The rings brightened, the light from the chains and rings reached up as if feeling for the soul blindly.  What happened next, at least the best way Bendy could figure, the monstrous thing lowered through the dagger and into the heart and body of the doll girl. The body tensed, spasmed and then went limp again. The light from the daggers were sucked away and with a fwoosh, vanished. The chains dissolved and the cult members ripped the instruments from the bodies of their sacrifices. All the archangels fell limp to the ground, in pools of their own blood. The runes on the floor fade making the cathedral all the more dismal and dark. Everyone held their breath. All eyes were on the woman. 

A heartbeat passed. 

Then two. People were glancing at each other. Confusion and unrest on the faces he could see. 

Maybe they had failed. 

A cool breath tickled Bendy’s hearing. A tiny inhale that felt like it was right next to him. He flinched. 

Then a ragged breath flowed in through the woman’s lungs. It was the only sound to be heard in the entire cavern. She stirred, shifting on her back. Her eyes opened. They roiled with blackness, not unlike Boris. But unlike him, the darkness swirled and disappeared like a powerful river had sucked up up and away. She blinked, eyes clear and confused. 

Whoever she had been, whoever she was; Lukahd, the Lady of Despair; those descriptions of terror seemed fantastical. They almost seemed like a child’s story, as he stared at her. She looked vulnerable as she lay on that altar, bare arms and legs standing in stark contrast with her black wings and hair. Her eyes whirled around the room wildly, a soul confined to darkness suddenly thrust into light.

Her breathing was quick, panicked. She reached up to touch her face with her fingertips. “Am I . . . alive?” she whispered. Her voice was a rich, low, musical sound; not at all what he’d imagined but somehow perfect for her.

Darius took a step forward but Elizabeth lifted an arm to stop him. He frowned, glancing at her. 

“Don’t,” she said simply.

Bendy opened his mouth to ask a question but stopped when Alex bumped into him so hard that Bendy fell over on the cold stones with a grunt. The cat hardly acknowledged him, making a beeline for the woman with a look in his eyes that looked . . . hungry. The smile on his face was dreamy, his steps full of confidence. If it weren’t for that disturbing glint in his eyes Bendy would have sworn the cat had fallen in love. He reached the altar, and the smile brightened into a grin. 

“Alex stop,” Elizabeth warned. 

Her words fell on deaf ears as he leaned an arm on the stone. The dark winged reincarnation’s eyes went to him, eye widening just a bit. She tilted her head, a soft smile crossing her lips as he loomed over her, a hunger of his own in his eyes. “My lady,” he greeted softly. 

Her hand went up to his face, long, slender fingers sliding along his fur gently. His brows rose with surprise but he didn’t pull away. Her lips parted softly. “And who would you be?” she asked.    

“Alex the Cat,” he said proudly. “The greatest Cat of them all.” He offered his hand.

She raised a quizzical brow at him, taking his hand. One hand beneath her back, he supported her until she was sitting up. She turned so her legs dangled from the altar. 

There was surprise in Elizabeth’s face but she shook it off quickly, taking a step forward and snapping her fingers. “My lady, we have prepared a few choice souls for you.” 

Alex pulled off his coat, draping it about The Lady’s shoulders. Her own eyelashes flitted in surprise at the angel’s voice. “Elizabeth,” she breathed. Her face softened and tears sprang to her eyes. “My Elizabeth. I had thought that I had seen the last of you . . . or anything on this plane. Yet I stand before an old and dear friend again. What is this you have done?” She reached out her hand toward the angel, and Elizabeth rushed toward her side. She let Lukahd cup her cheek, grasping her own hand over the Lady’s. Lukahd’s face was twisted with barely controlled emotion. A tear rolled down her cheek. “You were just a child when I last saw you.”

Elizabeth’s lip trembled, and she blinked a few times before answering with glassy eyes. “It’s been three thousand and seven hundred years since you have walked with us, my lady.” Her voice shook. Lukahd’s eyes widened in shock. “We have worked tirelessly to defy the gods and bring about your return. Many sacrifices were paid to see this wonderful day.” 

Elizabeth smiled weakly, cradling the other woman’s hand. Lukahd’s breath hitched and more shimmering tears rolled down her face. “I’ve missed you so much, my lady,” Elizabeth told her. Lukahd leaned forward to place a delicate kiss on Elizabeth’s head. 

Gently, The Lady tilted Elizabeth’s face up toward hers. “Elizabeth, please. I need you to tell me. What’s happened since I’ve slept? Are the demons still in Hell? What of the other races? How did you return me to the land of the living?” 

The archangel took a deep breath. “The demons are still below. The micco-they’re gone. You . . . are the last. There was an accident with the Ink Machine. The dishes have been steadily declining over the centuries. They are a shadow of themselves now.” Elizabeth explained apologetically. “Only scattered remnants remain.” 

The Lady shoulders slumped forward in shock. She stared sightlessly at Elizabeth for a moment before shaking off her horror. “Then the angels rule all now?” she said ever-so-softly. 

Elizabeth slowly shook her head. “The angels only have this city. They didn’t recover after the war.” She took a deep breath. “Magic is dying here. It has been for a while, my lady.” She squeezed Lukahd’s hand tightly. “That’s why we need you. We need you to help us free the demons, to restore the balance. We--” she hesitated. “We found a way. The ink being. A demon. We succeeded in making an ink being. Watched him until he grew strong and used his power to raise you back from death.” 

The angel turned and--to Bendy’s surprise--motioned to him. “What?” Bendy blinked. He had to have misheard that. They all were cussing staring at him. He just had Ink Illness! That was it! Nothing to it! This woman was insane. Her looking so certain just proved how crazy she and her followers were! Even Anzu, holding him down, looked at Bendy with surprise and a new calculation. “You’re crazy,” Bendy growled. But was she? Stars above, his head hurt from all the spinning it was doing. 

Lukahd shifted, eyes on Bendy, as if she meant to slide from the altar. But it was clear she was still feeling weak. Alex had to shift to catch her as her bare feet touched the cold cobblestones. Her knees wobbled and she half collapsed. He and Elizabeth exchanged a look before he put his arm underneath her knees and lifted her up to carry her.  He carried her across the cavern. Once they were before Bendy and Mary, she indicated she wanted to be set on her feet. Alex looked concerned but did as she bid. Lukahd held onto his arm to steady herself before turning to Bendy. Her eyes flitted over him. She looked at Elizabeth. “Why is he in chains?” she asked. She turned back to Bendy. “You are not willing?” 

“Hard to be cussing ‘willing’ when you’re kidnapped and threatened,” Bendy snapped. Anzu’s grip on him tightened in warning. Bendy didn’t stop glaring at them. The Lady’s eyes went to Elizabeth, almost impassive with his anger. 

“Bendy!” Mary hissed in a soft whisper. 

“He supports the angels.” Elizabeth grimaced. “Or has befriended many of them.”

“You mean your family damnit!” Bendy hissed. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know who we’re talking about!” 

“To keep him safe, I had him raised in a Surface town. Unfortunately he developed many differing opinions that have made it difficult for us to work with him,” Elizabeth continued. 

Bendy froze for only a second, eyes wide. Something in him snapped. The insanity of it all. Raised him? Raised him? There was no one! Not a starfallen soul! It didn’t make any sense. He was an orphan from nowhere. It was all a bunch of lies! “I starved alone on the sunblazing streets! You didn’t raise stardust! Where the hell is that coming from!” 

Anzu smirked and leaned over his shoulder. “How did you think you got there, boy? Why do you think the angels never noticed your presence? You’re Elizabeth’s creation. You always have been hers.”

Bendy felt a chill go down his spine, but he wasn’t going to be swayed. He glared at Anzu over his shoulder. “Cuss you! And to hell with you!” He snapped at Elizabeth. “I’m no one’s! So what if you did plop me there? I never saw you. I never got help. I had ta do it all myself. I don’t owe you cussers a sunblazing thing. Hell, I should be ticked at what you’ve put me through if even a microbit of that pile of moonrocks is true.” Bendy hissed. The collar on his throat burned with his repressed magic and anger. “You all can jump in the pit!” He spat at the archangel’s feet. Some ink still mixed in and dotted her robes, staining them. 

Mary gawked at him. Her hand climbed up his arm to his shoulder, the chains rattling with the motion, to squeeze his shoulder. “Bendy.” Her soft voice was part worry, part pleading. The demon glanced at her and huffed. He had just threatened her grandmother, and Mary couldn’t see a thing going on. Of course she was shaken up. All of this was cussed up! Still glaring at them, he covered her hand with his and squeezed back in silent comfort. He was ticked but he still had his cool. These weren’t the first crazies he’d dealt with. 

Lukahd’s eyes went to Mary, and she frowned. She glanced at Elizabeth. “This one is of your blood? Why is she in chains?”

Elizabeth grimaced in regret. “An unfortunate situation. Order did not take kindly to me preserving my gift and lifespan through . . . misfortunes. She decided to make the rising seer my kin after what happened to the last one.” 

“Order.” Lukahd’s voice was cold. “How like her.”

“Grandmama,” Mary’s voice shook as she turned toward the older angel. “What is the meaning of this? Why-how do you know her? What misfortunes? What have you done? ”

The old angel took a deep breath, her wings shifted uncomfortably as she gazed down at Mary. Her eyes were full of regret and sorrow. “There must always be a seer. The gift grows in one and diminishes in the other. But, if there is an accident, the process reverses. I discovered this by cruel happenstance,” Elizabeth explained calmly, like she was teaching a lesson, even as her expression fell further. “Angels die with the fading of our magic, but if the magic never fades-”

“You-” Mary gasped. “You killed them!” Bendy’s jaw dropped. “You killed them so you continue to live and use the gift for this!” Mary said in dawning horror. 

“There are times life forces us to make terrible sacrifices,” Lukahd said solemnly. 

Tears fell from Mary’s eyes. “How many?”

Elizabeth raised a hand as if to comfort the girl. “Mary-”

Mary glared, her blank eyes bright with rage. “How many!” Her voice rang through the space.

The older angel hesitated. Her hand fell, pain in her eyes before she became solemn. She straightened. “Seven before you.” 

Mary grit her teeth and bowed her head. Shoulders trembling, wings twitching against her back. “You monster. You monster! They trusted you as their mentor! You’re my grandmother! You don’t deserve the sight! You betrayed them! You have betrayed Order and the Upper! Me!” Mary’s voice broke. “You betrayed me. You’re not my family! My grandmother would never do such a thing!” Mary shrieked, a sob escaped her. Bendy flinched at the intensity of her rage and pain. The way the family had always been so considerate of the blind angel, he’d had thought her delicate but the fire in her was just as fierce as her siblings. 

“Mary- I never wanted this fo-” Elizabeth’s voice faltered. 

“You’re going to kill me! From the moment my gift was apparent, you planned my end! Dad will never forgive you! I-I will never forgive you for this!” Mary sobbed. “Never! You don’t deserve your wings.” Bendy’s jaw dropped again. What?

Elizabeth’s wings fell in defeat. She shook her head remorsefully. 

The Lady slid a comforting arm around Elizabeth, leaning her head against the angel’s. “I’m so sorry, Elizabeth. You’ve endured so much. You’ve done what you had to. I won’t let you blacken your hands anymore. I’ll take care of it. You don’t have to be here for it. Okay?” She reached up and wiped a tear from the edge of the old woman’s eyes. Oh! Like Elizabeth was the one in need of cussing comfort! Bendy again was outraged. The cussing hell!

“No,” Elizabeth cleared her throat. She pulled away from The Lady gently. Her expression hardened with resolve. “I have borne this much in hope for the future. My sins are mine to face. I will not turn away from the pain. This is Order’s doing, and she is just as responsible as I. This is the price for defying the gods.” She looked so much like Alice, the spark in her eyes, the set of her jaw. If it wasn’t for the extra wings and the silver hair-no. Alice would never. Not in a million years. This person was a starfallen monster. 

Lukahd took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Very well.” She turned back to Mary with a grim look in her eyes.

“Cuss that!” Bendy snapped. “She’s your granddaughter! Not a cussing price tag! You don’t have to do any of this!” Like he’d just watch this stardust! He tried to push in front of the blind angel, but Anzu’s tail pulled him back, yanking her hand from his arm. Mary’s expression turned to surprise at the loss of Bendy’s touch. Her hands fell to the floor, searching for him and coming up empty. 

Bendy’s outburst drew The Lady’s eyes. She looked at him with deep sorrow in her eyes. She reached up to cover her eyes, swaying a little. Elizabeth hesitated for a second before resting a supporting hand under The Lady’s arm with a concerned look on her face. “Alex,” Lukahd said ever so softly. “Would you remove all but the most essential people from the room?”

“Of course,” Alex was already moving before the words left his mouth. “All free of service, move out. The Lady of Despair wants privacy! Those of you left, hold your peace and honor your calling.” He waved at the mass. Cloaked figures began drawing back as excited whispers began to buzz about the room. 

Anzu rose to moved out with Bendy but Lukahd raised a hand. “He stays,” she said sharply. “He must not leave my presence from this time forward. Do you understand?” 

Anzu blinked and Bendy saw a slight narrowing to his eyes, calculation. Then he nodded gracefully. “As you wish, my Lady.”

Bendy grit his teeth. The cuss was she planning with him? Was he a hostage or was she planning worse cussery for him? They used his disease! Claimed he was their little project or cussing whatever! Bendy had no idea what the hell to expect. 

The room emptied, leaving only Bendy, Mary, Elizabeth, Anzu, Alex, and Darius. “It brings me no joy to do this, child,” Lukahd said, looking at Mary. Black tendrils were starting to climb up her arm, turning her fingertips to points. Bendy watched in fascinated horror. It looked just like the ink from an ink attack. But she was…controlling it? Somehow?

Mary pushed back onto her knees, abandoning her efforts to find his hand. She scowled and raised her chin. Lukahd’s expression softened. “You are a brave soul too. You may not like it, but I can see Elizabeth in you. She would face death with the same bravery, but we must fix what has been broken.” The smile faded. “I promise that I will be swift.” The emotion in Lukahd’s voice was tight. “It will not hurt for long.”

“I’m not afraid of death,” Mary said. “I’m not afraid of you.” She shut her eyes. Her hand darted out suddenly, gripping Lukahd’s wrist. The Lady pulled back a little in surprise. “There is still goodness in the world. The war ended a long time ago. This is not the way. Don’t do this. Please.” 

The surprise stayed on Lukahd’s face for a moment before she reached down to pat Mary’s hand. “Of course you know. You are a seer. And a true angel, seeing the good in the world,” Lukahd said, an almost motherly care in her tone. “But I am the Lady of Despair, child.” She raised her blackened, ink covered arm. “There is nothing left but despair with me.”

“Mary! Fight back! Don’t give up!” Bendy tried to twist, kick, bite, and hit. Anything to escape and stop this insanity. Cuss bruises and broken bones! Cuss this woman and these people! Cuss everything down here! That was Alice’s sister! He had to stop this! It was insanity! Anzu’s snake head chuckled at his desperate efforts. “Damnit! Damnit! Stop! Stop i--” 

Schunk. The Lady of Despair’s hand went into Mary’s chest in one swift motion. Mary’s eyes widened, her mouth opened in a gasp of surprise before twisting in pain. The Lady’s motion silky smooth, she pulled her hand out of the angel’s chest again, a fluttering frantic soul in her grip. It was not quite in the shape of a soul. It hadn’t had time to fully form. Wisps of color waved and flailed between her fingers, pulled taut from the body before snapping into her hand, twists of sickly fear, flashing pain all washed in pinks, greens, and oranges. 

There was a violence to it that nearly had Bendy throwing up. “No! Mar-” He gagged, heaving as his body rebelled against what he was seeing. “ Mary!” Bendy’s shout ripped through his head. It didn’t feel real. None of it felt real. This couldn’t be happening. 

The soul was fully formed in her hand, flashing colors in panic, emotions jittering over its Surface like an alarm. Opening her lips, Lukahd tilted her head back and dropped the wriggling, glowing shape into her mouth and swallowed it a single gulp. As she let go, Mary’s body slumped forward and collapsed to the floor face first. 

Bendy reached for the body, knowing it was useless. His fingers were bloody from pulling and scratching against the stones on the floor and the chains that bound him. He didn’t even feel it. All he saw was the dead archangel. One of Alice’s beloved sisters. Someone that had been nothing but kind and warm to him and everyone that had come to the Upper with him. She hadn’t deserved this. None of this. She should be in her garden, surrounded by the people that loved her. Not this. It ripped him apart. His vision blurred and he couldn’t help the sob that escaped him. 

The Lady of Despair drew in a long breath, her head tilted back with closed eyes. Her hands were in tight fists, her face a twisted contortion of regret and sorrow. A glimmer of color ran through her hair. An eerie blue filled it until it started to float. She took another deep breath, the glow brightening, and turned back to Elizabeth. “I’m sorry it had to be this way.” 

Bendy glared at her with silent rage. How dare they pretend to be sorry! He would have cursed her to the lowest levels of Hell but he couldn’t through his own howls of grief and loss. 

Elizabeth brushed a hand over tears that silently rain down her face. 

“You take care of her and do the proper rites of burial,” The Lady of Despair told the archangel. “I will stay here with the demon. I have much to learn about him and his ink’s effect on my powers.” 

Elizabeth nodded solemnly. She and Darius approached to remove the body. Bendy growled at them. His collar stung, fighting against the magic Bendy was pushing to use with everything he had. The heat was painful, it didn’t stop him from pushing more. 

Lukahd motioned to Alex and Anzu. “Help them.”

“But the kid, he’s a wiley one,” Alex warned. 

“So was Amish,” The Lady of Despair said like a imperious statue.  

Anzu glanced between her and Bendy. “He’s also powerful,” he added. 

Lukahd sighed. She stepped forward. “Let go of him,” she told Anzu. He and Alex exchanged a worried glance but he obeyed, releasing his grip on Bendy’s neck and stepping back. 

Bendy was on all fours and raced for where they were taking Mary. He came up just short of grabbing the back of Darius’ robe. He almost felt it, he was so close. Then the chains yanked him back with the force of his dash coming to an abrupt stop. He swung again, useless. 

A weight on his spine pinned him down the next moment. He hadn’t even seen The Lady move but she had her knee between his shoulder blades. Bendy tried to twist and buck, but his chest was stuck solid between the woman and the ground. 

Lukahd kept him in that position all the way until they all disappeared out the door. He would have expected that she would be light, but her grip was iron, her weight immovable. He couldn’t even shift her hold. She kept one hand on the back of his head to keep his face pressed to the ground with such infuriating ease that even when he went mad with anger and tried to bite her hand, he couldn’t turn his head to do it. 

Then, as easily as she had restrained him, she let him go, not even trying to keep him on the ground. 

He whipped around, on his feet in a fluid motions and hands up for a fight. He didn’t have claws, magic, strength, or any of that stardust, but like hell he’d just take whatever was coming! 

Lukahd just stood there. Her wings fluttered for a moment and she turned away. Walking to the altar, she jumped up and sat on it. 

Bendy bristled at being so easily dismissed even though he understood why. With the collar on, he was practically a normal toon. His hands went up to the collar, ignoring the pain, and pulled. “Don’t think you aren’t a scum-feeding inkstain just because you act sad for murdering people,” he growled. “You’re all monsters.” 

“You’re right,” she said easily. “We are monsters. I’ve been a monster for a long time.” She ran her fingers along the edge of the altar, not looking him in the eyes. 

Bendy snorted. He had to get out of here. There was a slight scent of singed hair. His neck and fingers hurt, the heat was not lessing and the collar wasn’t giving. He wouldn’t die here because of a stupid collar. He had to warn the others.

“Taking a soul is pure evil. Every action we’ve taken, we took because we were desperate. Desperate to protect, to defend, to win back what was lost. But that is no excuse,” Lukahd continued. 

Bendy paused in his fight with the enchanted object. He gave her a cold glare. “I’m not interested in your expliations or cussing twisted displays of remorse.” Stars, damn it. Mary. 

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I like you,” she said with a sad smile. “You remind me of a cat I once knew.”

Bendy stiffened. He sneered at her. 

She looked up at the ceiling and leaned back on the altar. “That’s why I’ve decided to end it all.” She pressed her lips together. “Four thousand years and it still isn’t over. It has been enough.” 

Bendy froze. He blinked and stared at her. The light from above almost painted her in a ghostly glow, making her appear ethereal, a living ghost. 

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m going to wipe out the demons and angels.” 

“What?” Bendy breathed. Wait, that wasn’t what Elizabeth had asked for. They were going to free the demons! Start a new war! What the cuss was this? Once again, it felt like the floor was taken out from under him. He couldn’t keep up. “Tha-you’re not making sense.” 

“I’m going to destroy it all. This horrible cycle must finally be put to rest. Even Liz--Even Elizabeth, the kindest, gentlest, thoughtful child I knew. It turned her into this. I turned her into this. It can’t continue.” She opened her eyes to look at Bendy. And in them he saw it. True despair. There was no hope left in her. It sent a chill through his bones and soul. “Bendy. You're the first good demon I’ve met in hundreds of years.” Her eyes fluttered as she tried to hold back tears that fell anyways. Bendy took a step back, the chains going taut. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard one of your race with a soul song that has kindness, empathy, or honesty in it. There is nothing left to do. This is the only way I can think of left to fix it all.” 

Holy cuss, she was completely serious. A part of him felt like she could do it too. Don’t do this. Please. Suddenly Mary’s final words were making sense. If he didn’t do anything, that was it. But what the hell was he supposed to do? He was powerless, defenseless. Cuss even if he had all his magic, he doubted she’d see him as a threat. He didn’t stand a chance in a fight. He had to be smarter. He had to do something. 

Bendy took a couple of step forward, his hands leaving the collar, chains rattling as he held his hands out. “We don’t need fixing!” Easy. His nerves were frayed, but yelling at her wasn’t going to- “Let me show you!” he suddenly said, hearing the plea in his own voice. Those unnerving eyes stared through him. Bendy shivered. “You haven’t even seen the people you’re condemning.” 

The Lady of Despair considered. “Do demons still eat the souls of others? Do they still kill without mercy? Do angels still confine innocent, sinless demon children to a place worse than death?” she asked, her solemn eyes boring into him. 

Bendy’s mouth opened, but not a word escaped him. What could he say to that? He hadn’t? The new age demons weren’t? There were angels trying to free the demons? All sounded so cussing weak even to him. 

A look of disappointment crossed her face. “I see,” she said softly. “I thought so.”

Panic flared within him. Damnit! “That doesn’t mean they aren’t worth saving!” He froze, his hands raised, shocked at his own words. Lukahd’s eyes widened with his. She really looked at him, listening. Bendy swallowed, his throat as dry as sandpaper. “L-look, I grew up on the Surface. The first time I went down there, I was eighteen years old and I was horrified with how bad it was. Y-you’re right!” Stars and gods and anyone listening, please help him. He couldn’t cuss this up. “They killed for anything. They bragged about eating souls and torturing others. Violence was just normal, and it was horrible.” Bendy said in rush. “But that wasn’t the only thing down there!” He took another step forward, entering the light that rained down on her. Only a few feet away from the altar. “They have art and music and games. The kids run around the tunnels with enchanted toys. They’ve made sundials that shift through a day cycle, that can grow plants!” Bendy rambled. “It’s far from perfect but they’re more than just surviving! They’ve built a whole world down there! And some parts of it are really magical. Things the Surface world could really benefit from if people would just trust each other. Trust me. ” Bendy rested a hand on chest. “I resented them, but I have friends down there. I . . . I’m proud to be a demon.” And somehow, Bendy meant it. After all the stardust and the hardship, he really was happy. He wanted better for them all. For guys like Kaden and Murklin to have a chance to grow up in the light in a place where he wouldn’t have to fight to live in peace. 

Lukahd gave a hopeless half smile, like she wanted to believe him, but just couldn’t get herself to do so. There was exhaustion in those eyes, like someone who had been treading water for a long time. 

“An-and the angels,” Bendy rushed on. Worried that if he stopped, she’d press on. “Again, they have their issues and the demons don’t paint them in a flattering light, but I’ve meant plenty that care. That are working tirelessly to free the demons, to restore balance, that want to make the steps to amend the scars of the past. There’s this one girl that’s obsessed with demon culture. Her--uh--her name is Leila! She swears up and down that she’ll be the ambassador between the two. From the moment  I met her it’s been non-stop questions and awe and dying to learn all she could-and any little thing she could do, she would. Stars, I lost count of the letters and petitions she’s already written, and she isn’t even out of school yet.” Bendy let a ghost of a smile flickered across his face before focusing again. “And she’s just one of the many. There are tons more and they’ve started to change things.” Bendy studied the woman. He took one more step, now they were within reach of each other. “Please, they just need more time! A little help. Things can change!” Bendy’s heart was racing. His throat hurt from the collar and his words. Tension coiled in his chest uncomfortably weighing his soul down. 

She met his eyes. Her fingers gripped the edge of the altar, boring finger holes into the stone. “What makes them so different?” 

Bendy stopped, hitting a wall of confusion. “Different?”

Her expression was emotionless as she continued. “You yourself called me a monster. That my explanations meant nothing. That they were nothing but excuses, twisted depictions of remorse. You were right. I deserve no pity. And my excuses for my crimes are worthless.” She looked sick as she stared at the floor. “They are no different.” She paused for a moment and lifted her eyes. “As for the angels? If I have no choice but to destroy what I once loved, I will show no mercy on them.” Big chunks of stone came off the altar. There was a hatred deep in her eyes. The same kind he felt for Elizabeth at this moment, that he had felt for Sarah Songbird. The kind that if given a chance would consume a person.

“They-“ Bendy hesitated. What could he say to that? It’s true that demons still ate souls, and he’d just witnessed a very violent devouring. Any friend or family of someone eaten by a demon would feel justified in calling demons monsters. “They can learn. I know they can.” Bendy swallowed, worried it wasn’t enough. “And these angels aren’t the enemy. They want to help. They weren’t part of the war. Just like the demons today mostly aren’t.” Bendy felt like a child. He was so far out of his depth here. “A chance. Can’t they have a chance to prove they aren’t their ancestors? W-we’re not monsters.” Bendy stumbled over the words. The look that she gave Bendy was cold and unforgiving, hard like she was still the doll they’d made her from. 

“Please!” he whispered, fists clenched. An icy sweat covered his whole body. 

“Would you ever forgive me?” the Lady said quietly. 

He trembled and glared at the ground. Forgive her? Just like that? He had a bad feeling she’d know if he lied and did he even want to go that far? What about Mary and her family? What about Alice? When she found out . . . 

There was a long silence as she considered. She smiled softly, emptily, giving a soft laugh. “That’s what I thought. But, I would cherish the chance to be wrong again,” she said softly. “So, I’ll give you a chance.”

Bendy’s legs gave out, and he collapsed in relief on his hands and knees. “Oh thank the guiding stars!” He was going to be sick. 

“But on a few conditions,” she continued. 

Bendy’s head shot up. Oh cuss.

“I will give you a month to prove your point. During that time, you will not fight me, you will not oppose me or my orders, and you will stay by my side until I have made the decision. We will make a pact to this end. If you should fail to convince me of their worthiness, you will not fight me. And if you can’t, I will kill them.” The Lady of Despair spoke coldly, without compassion. “With one grace. You and  a single angel of your choosing shall live. ” 

Bendy blinked. “Why the hell would you keep me alive?” he asked, sitting back on his haunches. “An angel?” Had he heard her right?

“Because you are the ink demon,” she said simply. 

“And why an angel?” Bendy dared to ask. 

“To keep the balance.” Her eyes never left his.  

Bendy scowled. What the cuss did that mean? “That’s the second time I’ve cussing heard that but it still doesn’t mean stardust to me.” Bendy grumbled. He waited for a response from her but she didn’t seem inclined to clarify what she meant. “Damnit. Fine .” Bendy rocked on his feet, caught between the adrenaline he was still feeling concerned curiosity. He scratched the side of his head. The chains rattled annoyingly. “Only if you swear you won't hurt anyone else during our deal. I’m not just gonna stand around to watch
. . . that. ” He shot her a glare. Damn her point about the demons in Hell. It wasn’t the same. He wasn’t forgiving her for what she did to Mary. He couldn’t, but Bendy had to do whatever it took to save the angels and demons. Even make a deal with a monster.

Lukahd nodded, expression still solemn. She reached out a hand to his. “Very well.” 

Bendy eyed it warily. In the back of his mind he wondered if this was how debtors felt making these deals with demons. The desperate uncertainty of it all. The sickening feeling that he was losing something while gaining only a chance for things to turn out okay. 

As their hands clasped together, runes started crawling out from the one Darius had engraved on the back of her palm. They stung as they crossed from her hand to his, winding up his arm in spiral before resting on his upper arm and cooling. 

The Lady of Despair’s eyes flashed purple. She let go of his hand stiffly, the same soreness was in his hand and arm, like a thousand pinpricks had shot up it. 

Lukahd raised her chin and smiled. “Live well, while time remains.”