Charley And The Swap Machine: Re-Ink'd

CHAPTER 4: Part 4 - It's Electric!

The Voice Of Lacie Benton

The only thing that works around here is my ulcer.

Half these people don't know a wrench from a dang steamroller. Buncha morons is what they are. Spend their day in the warehouse arguin' over who's supposed to be doin' what or playing them silly games.

Still, I'm not complainin'. I get most of my time to myself. Suits me just fine.

Only thing that bothers me is that mechanical demon in the corner. Bertrum's been working on it for a month now.

It's supposed to be for that haunted house over there, supposed to be that 'Devil Gang' guy or somethin'. He says it'll walk someday, maybe scare people.

All it does now is give me the creeps.

I swear, when my back's turned, that thing's movin'.

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Henry made his way through the door and took a look around the area. He found himself standing on a long, winding balcony, large pipes and chains running around the ceiling and down into the floor. He recognized a familiar chattering, and he looked down from the balcony.

Oh great, not these guys again. He thought with frustration as he looked down at the Devil Gang members crowding around a flaming dumpster. All three of them seemed preoccupied with staring at the fire that seemed so rare in the studio. The Imp reached the bone replacing its arm out to touch a flame, drawing back with a hiss upon being burnt by it.

I'm not getting past these guys without a weapon. Gotta find a distraction.

As Henry gazed down at the gang and wondered what to do, he leaned himself onto the railing, unknowingly knocking down an empty soup can below. He flinched as he saw the trio turn their attention to the noise, and he watched as they surrounded the metal can.

They stood there gathered around it, chattering amongst themselves in some unknown language that only ink monsters could understand, then hobbled away back to the flaming trash can.

Oh. So that's how it's gonna work, isn't it?

Henry collected a few empty cans nearby him, and made his way downstairs.

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It only took a bit of throwing and sneaking by for Henry to reach the other side. He had to give some credit to the fact that most of them were half blind.

As he walked down the hallway before him, he soon came to a lever at the end. A small workbench lay to the side, a lifeless piece of metal in the shape of that demon from the Devil Gang slouched over it.

He reached for the lever, but was soon interrupted by the shuffling of something metallic. He turned around to stare at the robot behind him, before shrugging it off as the sound of the ventilation and turning back around. As he finally flipped the lever, he heard something slip off of the table and creep towards him. He sharply turned back around to see the animatronic staring directly at him from the floor, half of its face plate permanently in a scowl.

Taken aback, Henry shuffled backwards until he pressed up against the wall. The robot made a clicking noise and oozed a puddle of ink from its eye onto the floor, before dragging itself towards him.

Henry managed to avoid the outstretched unfinished hand as he raced towards the shelf nearby and threw a few empty soup cans at its head. Once the robot was successfully stunned, he grabbed it by the waist and dragged it near the exit.

Steadying himself properly, he hurled the robot over the Devil Gang, and slipped past the trio as they attacked the now-piece of scrap metal that was the animatronic.

He brushed himself off as he stood on the balcony once more. Well, that one's done. What's next, Edgar?