Just a Happy Ending

All Eyes On Cloud Nine

"Gah!"

"Oh, yeah, the lights." Henry's expression turned bored as he moved toward one end of the room. Alice's theme song continued humming over the small TV screens while he turned the axe head backwards and held the tool like a baseball bat.

A light clicked on, illuminating a glassed-off stage. The last line of the song approached.

Alice popped up behind the glass and slammed her fists against it, "I'M ALICE ANGE- ahh!!" she jumped and stepped back. Henry had whacked the window with the flat of his axe, right in front of her face.

Her expression changed to a confused anger, like someone had dared to interrupt her moment to shine.

But Henry wasn't having it. "Alice, listen to me," he kept his tone firm, but soft, "The cycles have been broken; you don't have to follow the script anymore. Joey's gone. The Demon is gone. There's no reason for us to do this anymore."

She stared, saying nothing.

"I'm trying to save anyone I can. That could include you. Just let us through, please. We can escape this place."

Still, the angel remained silent. The tension grew with each passing second. Finally, Alice's eye narrowed and she pursed her lips. "Tempting. Incredibly. But little flies in my web do not get to bargain with the spider. I have no idea what you mean by 'cycles,' though; and scripts are the easiest thing to follow. As for Joey, he's always been here." She suddenly rushed the window and struck it with a clawed hand, "But don't you dare insinuate that the demon is gone!" her sudden outburst lowered, "That little, horned abomination still commands."

The angel stepped back and took a more careless air, "All things considered, say I believe you and let you go. What then? You drag me around with your Machine-forbidden mistake of a companion until you find the demon and grovel at its feet to set us free?" She laughed mockingly, "Don't make me laugh! I know how these stories play. The hero manipulates his enemies into advancing himself out of harm's way, then leaves them in the dark to rot and waste away."

She seemed to be aiming everything at Henry, as if accusing him. "Oh, but you're so interesting. So... different," she stared Henry down, deciding his fate. Finally, she chuckled, "Come along now," she purred as the door opened, "let's see if you're worthy to walk with angels."

The stage light clicked off.

Henry inhaled very slowly. Could he please just skip playing errand boy? He heaved a drawn out, exasperated sigh.

Apparently not.

Begrudgingly accepting the state of affairs, he turned toward the door. He paused when he realized Sammy hadn't moved from the middle of the room. The inkling's expression looked... almost stricken, like someone had given him horrid news.

"Sammy?"

His brow lowered ever so slightly. Henry took a few steps toward him, "Sammy."

He blinked. His focus flicked around the room before finding Henry's face, almost like he was coming out of a daze. "Y-yeah?"

"You good?"

"Yeah, yeah, just... uh, a bit unnerved, I guess."

Unconvincing, but Henry dropped the subject anyway. "All right. Come on, we'll meet up with Buddy again further down."

Sammy merely responded with a noncommittal hum.

The two proceeded in silence until they came to the familiar fork. Demon or Angel?

"Which one?" Sammy asked.

"That's just a matter of if you want ink up to your knees."

"I'll pass."