Showtime Showdown (Reversed Story, BATIM + SB)

Chapt. 2 |☆| Part 14 - Hunting Dog

A/N: Hey!! Just a heads up, this part of the story contains descriptions of body horror/gore related to inky cartoon monsters.

If you are uncomfortable with descriptions of gorey monsters, it is totally okay if you want to skip this part.

The Hound will not be described in full detail after this, so the rest of the fic- aside from occasional warnings- should be safe.

Thank you for reading this warning!

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The two stepped into the hall, glancing around as they did.

Henry was more focused on the visible path that went deeper, but Bandit found his eyes drifting to the path straight ahead.

A room flooded with ink.

It was lower compared to the rest of the area, like a stairwell down turned into a swimming pool.

On the weakened floorboards, a huge, mangled cartoon hand lay flat, Bandit quickly scooting to get closer to Henry.

"...Hen, I don't like this."
"I don't either. Let's keep going though, okay?" "..mm-hm."

A couple steps.
A couple steps more.

Bandit heard trickling as they moved down the hall, and glanced back.

Ink was trickling down the walls.
Seeping from corners, from cracks- It was far too similar to the chase that started this all.

Almost like...

"Henry," Bandit's eyes snapped open, reaching for the man's hands.
"What?"
"We need to go."

Henry glanced back just in time to catch a glimpse.

Just emerging around the corner was a gnarled, familiar snout.
Dear old Boris, with ink dripping from his big round nose as if bleeding.

Messy work was done, sharp teeth stuck in places in the mouth they wouldn't normally, ink dripping from the mouth, in-between the gaps of the teeth.

Lumbering around the corner, the huge beast tilted its head as it swayed.
Gripping onto the wall beside it so tight ink dribbled through the torn gloves and down the wall, its body was visibly thin; too much so.

Ears reminiscent of a cartoonish rabbit's drooped down, limp and hanging from its head, and the face of the monster was no better.

Streaking down the left side of its face was ink that dripped around where a pie-cut eye would be, yet a sickly-yellow circular socket remained.

An eye with an 'X' rested in the socket, almost looking reminiscent of a button until its gaze flicked down at the two;

The other side, however, retained some cute cartoonishness. A pie-cut eye and a dark circle mimicking blush were only made worrying by the stains coming down from the eye, and the dripping cheek mark.

Fully into view, the ink-spattered belt hanging loosely around the monster's neck was seen;
It had a wooden sign attached, whatever written prior scratched out before being replaced with 'BORIS'.

Its overalls had seen better days, the pantlegs of them so long they might as well have replaced its feet as they trailed into inky blobs.

One strap clung to its bone-thin shoulder like it'd fused to it, the other strap snapped in two.

"WE GOTTA GO, NOW!"
Bandit's shout snapped Henry out of his horrified trance, wooden puppet hand gripping tightly onto his arm as Bandit nearly knocked him over before he followed after in a sprint that struggled to keep pace.

Henry was too old for this, he knew it.
But still, he powered through. He tried to keep up.

Around corners and bends, the cleanest path was the safest as behind them came a thunderous growl;
The floor became inky and slick, hard to move on- much less run.

Henry wouldn't have been able to do this alone.
That was what he realized.

Though, he'd hated to admit the entire situation made his mind a blur, and he went on autopilot for a second as all he could do was follow behind the bandit...
And hope they'd survive.