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

Chapter Twenty-Six: Working Together

You let go of Porter, who seemed to look a bit better. 'Thank you very much, Y/N. You're too kind.' He rubbed your hair caringly and shifted his gaze to the control panel. 'Let's have a look at this...' 

Walking over to it and resting his hand on top, he studied the words and what they meant. 'You want to go to the elevator, right?' 

You nodded, peering at the options. "Upper Beds, Sauna Entry, and Lost & Found." 

'Since it says Upper Beds, perhaps we could find a clue there for how to get to the elevator. It's already opened, 'looks like.'

Porter pointed to the staircase leading to the higher floor. 'Let's head up and look for clues, then!' You give him a dashing grin and ran up the stairs, him flowing to the top before you got there, with a cheeky smile on his goopy face. 

'Beat'cha, kiddo!' He giggled and walked around with you following behind, wielding your weapon in case of attack.

'Hey Y/N, look what I found!' You walked faster to keep up with him, and noticed he was pointing to another control board. 

'Why is there another one?' You ask when he stops and studies it. 

'Probably to manoeuvre that.' He gestures to a dangling board that held a bunch of boxes. It was connected to a bunch of chains, which were on a rolling board. 

'Oh... right.' You walk slightly to the left and point past the boxes. 'Maybe if we can use the control panel, we can hop on it and get to those balconies that are blocked off.' He nodded and placed his hand on his chin in thought. 

'Perhaps the elevator is in one of them.'

Porter looked over the control board and grumbled. 'The lever's locked. There is a note though...' he picked it up and read it aloud, '"I put the crane keys in the Lost & Found office. Some dope keeps leaving them out." It was written by Muncie Dunn...' He put the note back down and gave you a wonderous grin. 'So, we just 'gotta head to the Lost & Found and find 'em! We'll need to unlock it downstairs at the main control panel first, though.'

'Well, there's no time to waste, then!' You both raise your hands down over the balcony and flow over to the ground floor, then you rush inside. 

'Let me.' Porter made way to the main control panel and clicked on the Lost & Found option. Hammering the button below to confirm his option, he turned back to you. 'You go and grab those keys. I'll get the boxes off so it can fit us both. Have fun!' You waved and ran out of the main hub, craning your neck to find the Lost & Found.

'Down there! Door to your right at the end,' Porter called, seeming to already know the layout of the place. 

'Thanks!' you reply and rush down the corridor, hearing boxes being hoisted down by a grappling hook. The door Porter had pointed out opened for you, now unlocked by your shenanigans. A long and rather eerie hall stood before you, and everything became surprisingly silent. 

Silent, but tense. 

What was in here? You shake off the unease and sprint down the corridor with your pipe in hand, ready for anything.

Down the hall were a few parts and pieces, but you'd grab them once you had the keys handy. At the end of the long passageway was a dead end, but a small creak in the wall could be seen with the words "Flow" written above it. 

'Don't mind if I do...' You raise your hand with a sense of power and allow your body to shape itself on the other side. 

Bingo. The keys were on a racks, waiting for you patiently.

'Here we are!' You lean against the wall with your hand for support as your raise to your toes, reaching for them. After some effort, the keys fall onto the floor from you using to your fingers to hit it off. Holding the keys in one hand and your Gent Pipe in the other, you start to head back to Porter. 

You walk with a slight pip in your step as you head to the entrance door. When it opened, you were horrified by what you saw. A Lost One was being held by a disastrous and dangerous beast, torn and being eaten alive.

The Ink Demon heard the door open and twisted his head to stare at you, and a thunderous roar escaped through his agape mouth. His horns flexed out slightly by his intensity and he threw the Lost One onto the ground, forgotten. He charged at you, flicking slobber along the floor as he ran. 

You didn't delay any longer. 

You dashed straight back for the Lost & Found room and flowed straight through to the other side of the wall. As your body flew, you felt his bony and sharp claws scrape slightly against your foot.

You fell to the ground in the Lost & Found and turned around to see him staring at you through the hole. He snarled in rage at your escape, seemingly unable to get through. You didn't even have a snarky remark to cough back into his face. Being so close to death really took its toll on you. "His power is infinite," Alice had said. "his evil is complete."

Having such a demonic force touch your limb and send shivers down your spine as he stared so coldly at you... it made you want to crawl into a hole and never come out.

Relish in your escape as you will, mortal... but your demise is drawing nearer as I get closer...

He turned away and walked back down the narrow corridor, the sound of a small limp as he walked. A limp? Now that intrigued you. But something more important came to your mind. 

'Porter...' you mumbled. Was that him the Ink Demon was holding? You hadn't paid attention. As soon as the coast was clear, you flowed back out of the room and sprinted down the hall, sweat training down your face.

'Please... please don't be him...' The door opened, but all you could see was a trail of ink leading to a wall. No body, no proof. Pain welted inside of you. Porter...