An Inkwell's Stain //BATDR Fanfiction\\ [Female Reader]

Chapter Forty-Six [A Game of Hide and Seek]

You turn around and rest your hands over your eyes as you counted aloud.

'1...2...3...'

'Y/N!' Flynn had called to you, waving his arms and gesturing for you to come over to him and his friends. 'We want to round up everyone in the class to have a big game of hide and seek! Want to join?' Nobody really talked to you, as you normally stuck to your notes, pens and books. A newly found and primal urge to let loose and have fun overtook you and you felt sort-of jittery. 'Okay!' you cried in glee, following the group to help find the other classmates.

'4...5...6...'

'Can I count?' Dorothy asked the class, and everyone agreed, not really wanting to of counted anyway. 'Alright! One-' She had already placed her hands over her eyes and counted, not waiting for everyone to be ready. 'Hey!' Flynn cried out in laughter, already running off. 'Scatter!' he called, and everyone did just that. You ran off by yourself in a fir of giggles, excited to be hanging out with people for once. You went around the school building and went between two dumpsters. This is the best hiding spot ever! you had thought. It was too good, it seemed. Time passed, no one found you.

'...7...' Remembering this game gave you a slight twinge of sadness. No one had found you, and you were stuck smelling foul yogurt and rotten lunch sandwiches for around 35 minutes before the bell rang for you to head back into the building for class, alone. You hadn't felt so low as you did in those moments.

'...8...9...'

You entered the classroom, and everyone froze from their conversation and stared at you. You gave a weak smile and walked over to your seat. A few people whispered, while others looked away in remorse and guilt. Flynn looked the most upset, only now remembering that you were even playing the game. 'Y/N, I-' he seemed to want to apologise, but you held out your hand to stop him. 'It's okay,' you said quietly, flashing him a happy smile. 'I already forgave you.'

'...' You thought about his face in that moment, so shocked and visibly angry at himself at having forgotten you, while everyone else was whispering to each other and asking questions along the lines of, "Was she playing? I don't remember her..." or "She's never late to class! Why does she smell weird?" It looked as though the only person you deeply regretted leaving you was Flynn, which changed you whole outlook on the situation. Maybe he really was the closest thing to a friend I ever had...

'9, 10!' You call, ready to go and find your new friends. New friends who you knew wouldn't forget you. 'Ready or not, here I come!' You head out of the entrance room and back down the stairs, keeping a keen eye out for any devil horns or girlish giggles. They didn't seem to be in this room, as you had already circled it twice in search, not even any ink footprints to help you. There were some of Heidi's leading down the steps, but it ended there. Where could they of gone? You look above, meekly hoping they were somehow on the ceiling. Nope.

You sigh and let your gaze trickle down, only to be intrigues by a balcony. A balcony of the perfect height to flow up to. Could Heidi flow too? Porter and Heidi were the only friendly Lost Ones you had even encountered, so the idea didn't seem too preposterous that they could have the same abilities. You raised your hand and allowed your body to flow over to the top and were now greeted by a hall. A few boxes lay on the wall, and there was a branch in the hallway that led to a door. You walked up to it, but immediately stepped back on hearing a crash and a low moan. Was that...? No, that didn't sound like the Ink Demon... 

The thought of poor Heidi being traumatised by such an innocent devil morphing into the beast before her eyes... only to be ripped into pieces... it hurt thinking about it. 'Guys? Are you in there? Are you... okay?' No reply. You open the door to find a large enclosure gate that was broken and swung to the side, ink on the floors, a ladder leading up and a door leading elsewhere. You gulp and head forward, tightly clutching your weapon in your hands. A thunderous roar sounded from the door and out stepped a humongous Lost One, obesely stuffed with thick ink. Boards of wood were stuck inside and protruding out of him, showing that not much could stand in his path. 

You couldn't even let out a scream, this thing towered over you and stared at you blankly, not attacking. You both stared at each other in awkward silence, and you didn't know what to do. 'I- uhm... Hi?' you croaked out finally, but the thing didn't seem to have a response. 'Could I get through there, please?' Once again, the creature didn't move or react in any way. Just stared at you intensely as it wavered from its weight. Finally, you gave up and decided to climb the ladder on the side of the wall. You felt the eyes of the thing trained on you, but you tried your hardest to ignore it. 

Reaching the top, you had a look around. A note was slayed out on top of a barrel, which you took and read. "The Keepers have taken my friend! Locked him away like some animal! Just cause he's big and strong." You peer down at the creature, who was eating a piece of wood that was sticking out of his stomach. He seemed harmless enough. "But they don't need to fear him! No! If they made sure to feed him on time, big Steve won't ever hurt a fly!" So, he's hungry? "He loves the stuff from the Little Devil Lounge best. If only someone would take a long road back to the sewers, climb up the elevator shaft, and seeking out his favourite thumping delicacy... then they would see how harmless he really is!"

The note wasn't signed by anyone, so you sat it back on the barrel. 'That's so far away, though... And I don't need to get into the room, do I?' You look down at Steve, who was blissfully minding his own business. You head over toward the desk at the end of the balcony and played the audio log sitting there. Another Keeper's voice rang out, and you pinched your brow in upset. "Experiment Forty-Four..." it called, and you remembered that was what they had called Bendy before they tried to kill you with toxic fumes. 

"We have successfully pressed the Ink Demon into the form designated as Bendy..." Your eyes widened at what the thing just said. They made Bendy like how he is now? You didn't know what to think of that. On one hand, they made it possible for you to have him as a friend, but on the other it meant that Bendy was now burdened with having innocent people's death on his hands, and he couldn't control it. 

"He is smaller in size, and harmless in this more timid state..." You got that right. Wouldn't apologise for stomping on an ant, I bet. "His powers are also greatly reduced... Using bits of steel wire to cut into the sides on his body, he now registered emotional responses..." You froze and dropped your weapon with a loud thud as your eyes widened. What. do you mean. "There were tears of ink documented, screams of pain... It was... delightful to see such progress." 

Before you could listen to the rest of the tape, you slammed your fist directly into the pause button, dinting the tape and breaking it. 'You absolute pricks...' you whispered under your breath, hot tears of anger rolling down your cheeks. You normally try to keep a clean mouth, but hearing such disgusting things... hurting your friend... a new resentment clouded your mind, blocking out any remorse for those Keepers.

You drag your hand along the table as furious and overwhelming thoughts whizzed around in your mind. So that's why Bendy was so terrified of them. They tortured him. For fun. How did he escape? If I was him, I wouldn't have agreed to come along... You felt horrible for dragging him here, and you now understood why he was shaking so much. You let out a sigh to relax you, and you stood there for a few moments, clearing your mind. I have to find them.

Climbing down the ladder and heading over to Steve, you gave him a wave, which he stared at blankly. 'Hello, there. Are you really hungry? If you are, I will go get you what you want from the lounge!' No response. 'I will, can I please just have some communication?' Nothing, he just stared at you.

'...Alright then. Bye-bye, Steve.' You walked away, and you heard Steve plonk himself onto the ground by himself. You opened and closed the door, noticing two faces poking out of the pile of boxes. Heidi was giggling and Bendy ran to you in joy, embracing you in a hug. 'Oh! Found you?' you question, not knowing if you had won because of that. 'He saw you enter the room where big Steve is and got really upset, thinking you would get hurt because of the grumbling noises. I told him that big Steve wouldn't hurt a fly, but he still wasn't too sure. I was right though, Bendy! See?' 

She jumped up from out of the boxes and twirled around, her bow on her chest fluttering as she spun. 'You did brilliantly, even though you walked right past us! It was so funny!' You chuckled at her excitement and Bendy let go of you, still visibly relieved you were fine. 'Bendy, I... I'm so sorry!' You grasped him in another hug, and he squeaked in surprise. 'I'm so, so sorry for dragging you here! What they did to you...' You clenched him tighter, fighting back the hot tears. Bendy held you as well, glad that you now knew what the Keepers were capable of.

It doesn't matter anymore, Y/N. We needed to come here anyway, and I understand that. But we do need to be cautious... those things are capable of more than you know.