The Ink Trials (A Bendy & The Ink Machine AU)

Chapter 5: Change

"I can't believe it! You're alive!?"

Alice nodded, "Yes, it's been awhile, but we're still here" 

"I can see you and Boris, but where's Barley, Charley and Edgar?" Ben asked, looking around the room and trying to peer through the bars of his cage to find them. Alice sighed and Boris whimpered softly, ever quiet and mute, "Joey tested the last trial of ink on them.... they didn't make it." she replied.

Ben blinked in shock, "... What?" 

No, that couldn't be.

"They died, Ben, melted into puddles of ink and died." 

"Oh..."

Oh god, Joey really was a murderer.

Alice sniffled, wiping away the inky tears that ran down her cheeks, "It was about a year ago... Joey just scooped them up into jars and put them up on the window, over there" she said, pointing to three carefully labelled and dusty jars perched on the peeling window sill. Bendy gazed at them, feeling very confused by this. How strange it was that he was technically looking at the butchers triplets, reduced to nothing but black liquid.

When Ben had been younger, the triplets father used to give him a slice of ham when he went in with his mom on shopping days. Back when the triplets were still around and helping their father run the meat business. When they disappeared the man had been heartbroken, the treats disappeared, as did the quality meats he cut. Until eventually the butcher store was shut down due to problems. 

"He tested Trial One on me, and I'm fine, so maybe it didn't work?" Ben reassured, patting her hand kindly. Alice shook her head and pointed down to the reflective surface of the bottom of his cage, "No, you have changed, Ben, just look." 

Bendy looked down, his eyes widening in horror as he gazed at his reflection. For instead of his human eyes, blue and clear, he had black, swirling demonic pits of darkness. "Holy shit!" he cried, tugging at his hair, "How can I even see out of these things!?" 

"The ink substitutes everything and enhances it, better eyesight, better hearing, your blood will be ink now, whispering and throbbing in your veins as it calls to you." Alice answered.

Ben gaped, "I have ink for blood!?" 

"Calm down, it's okay!" 

"No! It's not okay! I'm all messed up because of that damn man! HOW DARE HE!" Ben shrieked, knocking over his cage as he tried to free himself from his prison. Joey came sweeping in at the noise and righted it up, "None of that now, try to be quiet, hmm?" 

"FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE!"  

"Ruder and cruder you seem to get, I am giving you a gift! Why do you fight me?" 

"You killed the triplets! You changed Alice, Boris and me into freaks! This isn't a gift! It's a curse! LET US GO!" 

Joey laughed, "I'm not letting you go, Ben, we still have two more trials to get through, lets just hope you don't end up like them" he said, pointing to the three jars. 

Bendy gulped. 

~ 

Wally sat down at the rickety table in their old fort, Norman and Susie opposite him discussing the plans for rescuing Ben, among other things. According to the policeman that had been called over to the Stein house that morning, the place had been empty for years and nothing but ink-filled hallways remained. So, Wally and Norman had raided the library archives of newspapers, hoping to find a lead that could help them. Which had led them to befriending Susie Campbell, a 14-year-old girl with too much makeup and a nosy personality. 

"I told you, the reason that place is full of ink was because of an accident, that old studio used to be a top-notch science facility once upon a time." 

"And this Joey Drew, the one that took Ben, worked there?" Norman asked, reading through the articles he had found. It was mostly things that had gained success, like inventions and promising prototypes. Grinning scientists loomed up from the old photographs as they spread the photocopied pages out onto the the table. Susie nodded and shoved a piece of paper in his face, "Look, even Ben's dad worked there once." 

Norman took the paper from her fingers, reading out the names so Wally could hear, "Henry Stein and Joey Drew, they worked together!" he cried, giving Wally a grin as his friend blinked in shock. 

"Yes, and you know what that means?" 

"What?" 

"We have a lead!" 

~ 

"I can't believe Dad worked here, he never told me he had. I always assumed he had worked at his desk job at the Erie Daily Time's head office like always." 

"No, Henry worked here once, I've seen photos, Joey used to be friends with him." 

"WHAT!? WITH THAT NUTTER!?" 

"Would you stop screaming!" Alice grumbled. 

"Sorry. May I ask what happened?" 

"What do you mean?" 

"Well, I mean, this place was a science place and sounded like it was rather successful, at least according to Joey, what happened for it to be shut down?" He asked, glancing at the many awards, photos and news articles hanging from the office walls.

Alice sighed, "I don't know."