Heart to Soul (Bendy and The Ink Machine Fan-story/Reimagined)

Chapter Three: Rise and Fall (Part 2)

"My machines are hungry. Gather me some spare parts."

Alice gives Henry and Rosy a wrench to do the first task. Rosy takes it and swings it around. Before she could say anything,Alice speaks again.

"There are so few rules to our world now. So little truths. But there's one rule we all know and respect down there: beware the Ink Demon. Stay out in the open for too long and he'll find you. For if you see him,you'd better hide. If you don't,well,I enjoyed our date. Now let us begin our work!"

"The Ink Demon? You mean that big thing?" "I think so." The memories were coming back,Henry remembered the chase after Sammy was crushed. He still wasn't ready to reveal to the hedgehog who the Ink Demon really is.

"I was gonna say,my dad's friend uses wrenches all the time!" "Oh? Are they a repairman too?" "Kinda. Dad calls him a mechanic,but I'm not sure if they're the same thing." Rosy turns to Henry. "Henry,can you show me how this thing works?" His face lightens. "I saw boxes that can further help. Come on,I'll show you."

Henry and Rosy step into the elevator and push the button that leads to floor Level K,back where they started.

"Have you met him? The Ink Demon? They say he hears everything. Every creek of the floor. Every rustle of paper. I wouldn't run so fast if I were you. You never know what will draw him in." Alice warns with little to no worry,like she already knows. "I'll show him what he can hear. His own screams!" Rosy threatened. She was fed up with the Demon's bullshit. Henry was shocked. "Don't you think that's a bit too far?" "Nonsense! I think I've reached my fear limit. This time,I'll fight back!"

Henry didn't know how to respond,so he decided to change the subject. "So about that wrench..." "Oh,right!" Rosy immediately changed her tone from threatening to curious. "Where are those boxes?" "I think they're up there,on the walls with the toy shelves."

One going back up and down later,they collect three spare gears. Well,one of the Butcher Gang members had one in his hand. For Alice,they were enough. "That should be enough. Return them to me. And try not to die on the way back."

While at it,Boris hesitated to even step out of the elevator. The trauma from the many corpses,combined with the fear from both Alice and the Ink Demon,made him even more distraught. Like a father to his son,Henry comforted him.

"Don't worry,bud. Once Rosy and I finish these tasks,we'll get out of here." "What about the Ink Demon?" "What?" "Won't we deal with him? Surely,he could be some kind of biggest bad in this place!" "I...suppose you're right. But I'm not sure if he has any weaknesses."

Returning to Level Nine,Henry places the gears in the dropbox. Alice then gives the next task.

"Have you seen them? The swollen ones. They're just stuffed full of extra thick ink! It makes me sick! And yet,it's the perfect thing for keeping myself together. If you're gonna catch them,you'll have to learn to move quietly. Come back to my door. I have something that you'll need."

She gives them a syringe. Rosy tries to rehearse what was said. "We have to what now?" "Stealth. We need to sneak behind those things without making a sound." "And how are we gonna do that with the wooden floor?"

To show her how that can happen,Henry decides to go to floor Level Eleven straight away. There,he sees a swollen one. "Okay,watch carefully." He whispers. He sneaks behind the thing and impales it with the syringe,leaving the thick ink behind it. He then turns to Rosy and Boris and gives a thumbs up.

Taking Henry's example,Rosy impales another one. Another Butcher attacks with the thick ink in hand. This one's head is attached to a fishing rod. Rosy throws the syringe and impales the Butcher through the body,turning him into ink. She then collects the thick ink. "That was easy!" She exclaims. "Stealth is not that hard. You just need to practise it." Henry lectures.