Showtime Showdown (Reversed Story, BATIM + SB)

Chapt. 2 |☆| Part 13 - Out of the frying pan, into the ink

SPLER-KRACCK!

Bandit winced as the board broke in half; the ink puddles around the exit were still bubbling, but no longer firing out those freaky... ink.. things.

Bandit quickly hurried to Henry's side. The poor guy hadn't realized how many planks he had to clear, and he was exhausted.

"Y'alright?"
"Yeah, just- need a quick moment. How about you?"
"Not a string snapped!" Bandit announced proudly, dusting a bit of bubbling ink off his shoulder before looking around.

"...It's gotten reeeal quiet."
"Think it might be safe?"
"On the contrary, pard'ner." Bandit shook his head, adjusting his hat.

"When you're a kid's show protagonist? HoOoo boy, you learn a lot.

Either we're gonna step out and get jumped, or we're gonna think we're safe an' look around only to get jumped again anyways!"

"...Very optimistic." Henry mutters after a moment as he pushes himself off the wall, getting a chuckle out of the puppet.
"Just sayin' it how it is."

"Then.. what can we do if you're right?"
"Simple!" Bandit snaps his fingers proudly.
"We may not know much about this 'Hound', but that's no reason to lie down an' cry about it!

If it's like the big stringless back at home, we just gotta run for our lives."

Henry didn't look reassured by that.
"...I'll keep hold on yer' hand to make sure you don't fall behind?"
"Please." Henry sighed, before adjusting his hold on the axe, Bandit noticing something.

"..Hey, uh-" Henry perked up as Bandit gestured worriedly to the axe.
"Yeah?"
"The axe, it isn't lookin' too good... y'sure we wanna keep usin' it? What if it breaks?"

"...Well," Henry starts, thinking. "You seem pretty good at finding things that can be used like weapons, right?"
"Yup!" Bandit grins after a moment.

"Then... if anything happens to the axe, can I trust you to help in finding us things to use as weapons?"

Bandit had to think for a moment.
"..huh...." He paused, nodding after a moment.
"...Guess you can! Clever thinkin', buddy!"

Henry cracked a smile, nodding a bit before he lifted up the axe.
"Thank you; I trust you, Bandit."

Bandit held back the giddiness that hit like a truck from that, rocking a bit on his feet. "He-hee- I trust'ya too, Hen.
I can call you 'Hen', right?"
"Yeah, Hen's fine." He responds with a smile.

KRACK! One plank down.
"Hen it is, then!-"

KRA-CLUNK!
The next one broke, and the axe went with it.
"Oooouhh.." Bandit stared nervously at the snapped part of the handle with the axe head.
"Thaaaht's.. not good."

It was buried into the floor, blade-first; Henry didn't look as concerned about the axe being broken as he did the axe head landing uncomfortably close to his feet.

"Honestly, I'm just lucky it didn't land any closer. Last thing I need is an injury." Henry joked slightly, Bandit chuckling as well. "..Yeah! Guess it's good it didn't hit'cha."

Bandit nervously glanced back at the axe head.

And then, they wandered on.