Showtime Showdown (Reversed Story, BATIM + SB)

Chapt. 2 |☆| Part 12 - Spark of Hope

The speakers around the room shrieked to life, Henry's brow furrowing in worry as he glanced at the puppet in front of him.

"...Hey," he'd muttered after a short pause, watching the puppet shoot him a side-glance before looking away as his hat shadowed his face.
"What's your name?"

There was a pause.
"Bandit. Showdown Bandit."
"Well, Bandit; I'm Henry. Henry Stein."
He shifted, sitting upright as a voice uttered softly through the speakers.

"Sheep, Sheep, Sheep, It's time for sleep."

"I'm sorry for nearly crushing you earlier."
"S'fine." Bandit sighed. "You were confused. Like me, yeah?"
"Yeah."

"Rest your head, it's time for bed."

"...Your strings, You seem pretty protective of them."
"Yeah." Bandit nods.
"Strings keep us puppets from Showdown Valley alive an' sane. Without 'em, we die- or... worse."
Henry hummed in acknowledgement.

"In the morning, you may wake..."

"...Why're you askin' me all this, anyways?"
"Well, we might die here." Henry shrugged. "If we do, I don't want to die feeling alone-"

"Or in the morning,
You'll be dead."

"-and I don't think you'd want to, either."

Bandit glanced at Henry again.
This wasn't fair, For either of them- It wasn't fair.

"...Henry, Do'ya have friends? Family?"
Henry nodded, the two looking around nervously at the sounds of pipes rattling.

"HEAR ME, BENDY!" Sammy's voice called through the speakers as the room shook; the metal door letting out a haunting screech as it began to open.
"HEAR ME, AND SEND YOUR HOUND FROM THE DARKNESS!"

"..Yeah." Henry chuckled. "My wife, Linda.
We have two kids, and- one's on the way."

"ALLOW HIM TO EMERGE, AND RETRIEVE YOUR OFFERING!"

"Tell me about 'em, please." Bandit asked, shifting slightly.
These ropes are.. old..

"FREE US, I BEG YOU!"

Henry, meanwhile, nodded.
"Right, well..
Adrian's the oldest, and Shelly's our daughter.
We don't know what we'll name our third, but- She joked that if it was a boy, she'd name him 'Davie' after her childhood dog."

"I SUMMON YOU, INK DEMON!"
The pipes were rattling, harder and harder. The room began to tremble.

Bandit let out a bit of a broken chuckle.
"Davie's a cute name."
"That's what I told her, too."

"EXTEND YOUR HANDS TO US, AND TAKE THESE TENDER SHEEP!"

This wasn't fair, Bandit knew.
It really wasn't.

Clenching his fists, Bandit quickly started to strain against the binds on his arms.
"Bandit?-"

Snap!- KRA-KOOOM!
Just as Bandit broke free, the pipes in another room bursted, a panicked yelp coming through the speakers.

"M-My lord- No!- You've sent your hound after me!?" Sammy shouted, voice quickly going from manic worship to utter panic that made Bandit's wooden stomach sink.

A deafening snarl tore through the speakers, even bleeding into the ritual room through the door Sammy had went through.

"NO, STAY BACK! I am your PROPHET! YOU CAN'T DO THIS, I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, I-!"

Bandit whipped around, grabbing the handle of the axe after he'd rubbed his wrists for a moment.

"Wait, what-"
SNAP!; Bandit broke the rope with one swing of the axe.
"...We ain't dyin' here." Bandit muttered, offering a hand and pulling the older man up.

"NO, NOO##Oo###-"
Sammy's voice through the speakers became drowned out by the chaos that followed, crashing and struggling that settled to heavy, monstrous breaths.

Bandit fought the urge to run into the side room, spinning the axe in his hand before catching it near the blade, offering the handle to him.
"This is yours, right?"
"..Yes, thank you."

Henry took the axe quickly and careful, Bandit gesturing to the hall.

"If you can bust through them planks, I can keep any monsters from scratchin' ya up too bad." He starts quickly, hurrying to grab a stray plank to use a weapon.
"What about you?"
"I'll be close behind! So long as I don't lose all my strings, well.."

With a deep breath and a smile, Bandit pat his own chest with his fist proudly, careful not to hit the plush in his bandana.

"Even if I'm sent down to only one string, they can't ever knock down the Showdown Bandit fer' good!"

That's right. He's the Showdown Bandit;
He's been hyping himself up this whole time, but nothing gets the confidence going better then protecting innocents from danger!

...Was that something human bandits did? Or just a Showdown Valley thing? He'd have to ask once they get out of here.

Sparing one more worried glance to the door, Bandit steeled his nerves.
"Alrighty, ready?"
"Ready." Henry nodded, gripping the axe tight as inky hands warped, shooting from bubbling puddles with groans and gurgles as they warped into shape.

"Then let's get'cha outta here!"

Bandit rushed forward first, bringing the plank down on one of the inky creatures. Then another.

He cleared a path, hastily motioning for Henry to get to the hall; And, quickly, Henry moved to start clearing the planks out of the way.

This wasn't safe, for either of them.
Bandit knew that.

But he'd much rather risk his strings now, then toss someone else into danger and regret it later.