Fluttershy has no idea how she ended up in Joey Drew Studios. One minute, she was at her house reading a book titled Dreams Come To Life, which is the prequel to the horror video game Bendy and the Ink Machine, and the next thing she knew, she found herself here. She was in the Safehouse, where Daniel "Buddy" Lewek, now known as Buddy Boris, resided. Using her geode, she found Boris near a wall. "Hello?", Fluttershy said. Boris startled and whirled around.
"What the...", Boris replied. He looked at the girl in front of him. He was holding a copy of Dreams Come To Life, though it was unfinished. "Who are you? Where did you come from? Why is your skin yellow?"
"I'm Fluttershy, a super-heroine. I came from Canterlot. My skin is yellow because it's natural for humans to have multicolored skin", Fluttershy answered.
"Not where I'm from", Boris replied. "I used to be a normal-colored human."
"Until you got killed by Bendy", Fluttershy replied.
"How'd you know that?", Boris asked.
"That book in your hand", Fluttershy replied. "I must've somehow entered your world when I was finished reading it."
"But it's unfinished", Boris responded in confusion. Suddenly, they heard a howl. "Borkis."
"Who's Borkis?", Fluttershy asked.
"Another Boris clone. He's on Level 414, so we should be fine", Boris answered. "However, this Boris clone is hostile. I need you to stay here. I'm gonna go find some items. I don't need someone else getting hurt. I'm also looking for Safehouse Scraps." Boris took the elevator. He left the book on the table. Fluttershy picked it up. It was halfway finished.
Meanwhile, Boris was on a floor looking for items. He found four items and a Scrap when he heard an inhuman roar. "Bendy", Boris muttered to himself as he hid in a Little Miracle Station. Ink Bendy inched closer. Suddenly, someone shouted.
"Stay away!", Fluttershy shouted as she whacked Ink Bendy with a pipe. The Ink Demon glared at the teenager and growled. He lunged at her but she whacked him again. "You ugly mess!" She readied another swing, but Bendy grabbed the pipe and snapped it in two. Boris snuck off as Fluttershy confronted Bendy. With no other choice, she ran. Boris found two more items and he and Fluttershy took the elevator back to the Safehouse. Boris put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
"I told you to stay here", Boris said.
"Listen, Daniel", Fluttershy responded. Boris's eyes briefly watered as he heard his old name. He gazed at the Scrap with sadness. A flashback showed Daniel's death at the hands of the malicious Ink Demon. He screamed in agony as he hurled one of the spoons he found. It nearly missed Fluttershy. He grabbed her and stared into her eyes.
"There's no escape from the Ink Demon! He'll find us both and we'll perish!", Boris said with fear in his eyes. He let go and howled in emotional pain. He eventually calmed down and passed out. Fluttershy picked him up and put him in the hammock. She gazed at the Scrap. It was torn from a poster. She remembered playing Bendy And The Ink Machine and seeing a completed version of the "mural" in Chapter 3.
"The other pieces must be on the other floors", Fluttershy said to herself. She saw that Boris found a radio. She played the song.
"I remember that song", Fluttershy said. "It was the first-ever Bendy song to be made." She looked at the wall again. "Daniel Lewek. A teenager who was ripped in half, drowned in ink, and turned into a wolf." She held the unfinished novel in her hand. She heard Bendy roar in the distance. "I have to escape somehow." She looked back at the sleeping wolf. "I guess I'll need to help him find the Safehouse Scraps first." The items that Boris found were two spoons, a radio, a plunger, a bone, and a book (Good Boy). She put the items in a box for safekeeping. She got ink on her hands as she touched the items. She was determined to not become another victim of the Cycle. She held her broken pipe and put the two pieces back together. The ink reattached the pieces. With a determined look in her eyes, she held the Gent Pipe above her head like a sword. Boris eventually woke up.
"Fluttershy? What are you doing?", Boris asked.
"I think I know how we can escape", Fluttershy answered. "We need to finish your mural. If I remember correctly, there are seven pieces to the mural. We already found one, so there's six left." Suddenly, the elevator door opened. "Borkis." The villain roared and unsheathed a sword. Fluttershy used the Gent Pipe to fight back. Borkis then extended claws and scratched Fluttershy, leaving three scratch marks on her face. The evil wolf acrobatically flipped backwards and kicked Fluttershy in the nether regions. The force of the kick sent the teenage superhero flying into the ceiling. Her head was comically stuck.
"Look, uh, I don't wanna be too direct, but, uh, this calculator's going up your ass", Borkis said wielding a calculator.
"This is not how I thought this day was gonna go", Fluttershy muffled.
"Go back to the depths of Hell where you came from!", Boris yelled at his counterpart as he extended his claws and the two wolves went all out, scratching and biting at each other. Suddenly, something whacked Borkis and sent him flying, causing him to ricochet off of walls and the elevator's control pad and eventually landed to the elevator, sending him back to Level 414. Fluttershy, wielding the Gent Pipe, stood tall with her face marred with splinters and her eyes blood red.
"Yippee-ki-yay, bitch", Fluttershy said.
"That... was... AWESOME!", Boris said.
"So, what do you say, Boris? Wanna get out of here?", Fluttershy asked.
"Hell, yes", Boris answered. "Let's find those Safehouse Scraps and flee with our tails between our legs!"
Fluttershy and Boris took the elevator and ended up in a completely different area. However, the task was the same: find six items, find a Safehouse Scrap, and escape. However, when Boris picked up a gear, they heard an inhuman roar. "Oh, crap", Boris said. Fluttershy, however, already ran off. She discarded her Gent Pipe and picked up an axe. Suddenly, Bendy appeared behind her, but she swung her axe into the Ink Demon's mouth (which was drawn on to his otherwise featureless face). She kicked him in the nether regions and punched him in the stomach six times. She threw him into a locker, which opened to reveal a Safehouse Scrap. During the fight between Fluttershy and Bendy, Boris found two more gears and a radio. Bendy threw Fluttershy into a barrel, which had an audio log. The audio log played during the fight.
"So here's where the weird starts, I was mopping up Mr. Connor's spilled ink in that little room he called a laboratory. He can call it a laboratory all he wants but it used to be the employee coat closet. Anyway, there it was mopping but that puddle. I'm tellin' ya, it kept moving this way and that way like it has the smarts or something. If these messes keep being like this, I'm outta here!", Wally Franks' voice said in annoyance.
Boris managed to find two spoons and Fluttershy was able to subdue her foe. However, once Boris found the spoons, Bendy regained his strength and chased Fluttershy (who grabbed the Safehouse Scrap during the fight) and Boris until the duo made it to the elevator.
Back in the Safehouse...
"Did Mr. Franks ever get out of here?", Boris asked.
"Read this letter", Fluttershy responded. She handed him a letter from Wally Franks to Joey Drew.
I have to say it was a big surprise getting a letter from you after all these years! I'm surprised you even remember me from back in the old days at the studio. I mostly just swept up the place. I'm doing good here in Florida, lots of sun for me and the wife. Hope you're doing good too. Sorry to hear about the studio closing down. You all made some great little cartoons there. They was good for some laughs. Ok, I gotta wrap this up. The grandkids want to hit the beach so I'm outta here!
Boris put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
"Did anyone else ever make it out?", Boris asked.
"Yes. Allison Pendle and her husband Thomas J. Connor", Fluttershy answered. "Here's another letter." She handed Boris a letter from Allison Connor (née Pendle) to Joey Drew.
Sorry it's been a while since my last letter. Been busy with work at Archgate Films. The studio ordered another sequel! So I have been spending many hours in the recording booth again! It's fun though. Tom is doing good, thanks for asking. He's always tinkering or something. Mostly he's still upset about someone stealing one of his dusty inventions from your old studio. He'll get over it.
Have a good New Year, Joey. I'll send you another recipe soon.
"Unfortunately, only they survived. Bertrum Piedmont turned into a huge carnival octopus ride, Norman Polk turned into a monster with a projector for a head, Sammy Lawrence turned into a being obsessed with Bendy, Susie Campbell turned into a twisted version of Alice Angel, Jack Fain, Grant Cohen, and Shawn Flynn turned into ink monsters, and Lacie Benton mysteriously perished", Fluttershy explained. "It is unknown what Grant's ink monster form really looks like, due to his lack of physical appearance in this place, and although while it was never clearly explained what Grant's different personality or behavior for his ink form turned out to be, Grant's monster form's confirmed intelligence is capable of finger writing messages in ink as if his mind remains more normal than feral, as revealed inside his office." She played the song on the radio that Boris found. "This song was made by DAGames... whose leader, William Alexander Ryan, voiced Grant Cohen."
"Grant went insane before he turned into a monster. Around the walls inside his office are ink messages and dollar symbols made from Grant by writing with fingers, expressing frustration and paranoia. These messages include: TIME IS MONEY, probably meaning that he was on a time crunch, WHAT WILL JOEY SAY?, probably meaning that he was scared on what Joey would do if he failed at something, STOP THE WASTERS!!, probably meaning that someone, particularly Sammy, was wasting the ink... or drinking it, in Sammy case, DOESN'T ADD UP, probably meaning that he was trying to do a complicated addition problem and he couldn't figure it out, and SHORT, probably meaning that the studio was running low on ink", Fluttershy explained.
"But how do we know that he turned into a monster?", Boris asked.
"The voice and noises coming from Grant's monster form during the transformation were recorded from the audio log found in the management office", Fluttershy answered.
"What did he do here?", Boris asked. Fluttershy gave him two more letters as he handed back the other two letters.
Mister Drew, I really do need to speak with you as soon as possible. Like I said in my last note, we're running $48,128 short this quarter. We won't be able to cover our taxes; I'm fielding daily calls from the IRS looking for our payments. There's not enough in the accounts right now to cover everything, even if I move some funds around and fudge the numbers. I've also received sizeable bills from Gent, which I'll need to account for, besides the Bendyland payments, which we won't be able to make again this month. Can you please have your girl call down to me when you're next available?
Valued Employee, you are receiving this letter to notify you that you are owed BACKPAY IN THE AMOUNT OF $60.76. As our company awaits an influx of revenue from recent investments, we are unable to pay you. Rest assured that we are monitoring the situation closely and will offer you relief as soon as funds become available. We do not anticipate this period to last more than several weeks. Please feel free to visit Accounting & Finance on Level S with any further questions.
"Unbelievable. How did you find these?", Boris asked.
"Simple. I'm a gamer", Fluttershy answered as he handed back the letters. "He was an accountant, in case you couldn't figure it out."
When Boris and Fluttershy left the elevator, they found someone covered in ink quaking in fear. "H-He's going to find me! He always finds me! Oh, no! I just want to go home! When do we go home? WHEN DO WE GO HOME?!", the person cried.
"Hey... that's that Lost One I sometimes see in the Safehouse!", Boris said. "I think he calls himself the Patron." The Patron turned towards the duo.
"Boris. I didn't see you there. Who's your friend? She looks... unusual", the Patron said.
"This is Fluttershy. She's... not from around here", Boris answered. "Who's looking for you?"
"Bendy", the Patron answered. He handed Boris a Gent Pipe. "You need to defend yourself against Bendy. Sammy will help us. We just need to find him. Every day, Bendy gets stronger, faster, smarter, and deadlier. Since Sammy is a former disciple of Bendy, he has valuable information about defeating Bendy." The Patron formed a sword out of ink. "Fluttershy, that's Sammy's axe. He's been looking for it."
"Come on. We need to find the Scrap, Sammy, and the items", Fluttershy said. The trio went in different directions. Boris found two bones. Meanwhile, Fluttershy was fighting Bendy. "What do you want with me?!"
"You have something I need: a body", Bendy answered. "I need an escape vessel made of flesh and bone. Once we're one, I can escape! I'll finally be alive! Immortalized!" Suddenly, someone body-slammed Bendy to the ground.
"BETRAYED!!! ABANDONED!!! I trusted you! I gave you everything... and you left me to rot! Why? WHY!?", Sammy Lawrence asked. Fluttershy gave Sammy his axe back.
"Because you're not worthy!", Bendy answered.
"Well, I'm going to cut that smile right off your face!", Sammy replied. The two ink creatures fought as Fluttershy found a radio and a wrench. She also found a Safehouse Scrap.
"Come here and put your face in my axe!", Sammy yelled as he swung his axe at Bendy's face. "You lied! YOU ALWAYS LIE!!! You said you'd save me. You said you'd set me free! Now I have nothing! NOTHING!"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!", an annoyed Bendy screamed as he grabbed the axe and whacked Sammy with it, sending his mask flying.
"My lord! Why have you forsaken me!?", Sammy asked.
"I already told you: you're not worthy!", Bendy answered.
"You lied to me. You said I'd be free. Well, I'm going to free you now. Free your head right off your shoulders! Sheep, sheep sheep... it's time for... sleep!", Sammy replied as he grabbed his axe and decapitated Bendy. He put his mask back on. He gave Fluttershy a Tommy Gun.
The foursome regrouped at the elevator. The Patron found two spoons.
In the Safehouse, Fluttershy put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
"Our lives are on the line", Sammy said. "Bendy is coming for us, and there's nothing we can do about it." He revealed an audio log dated June 16th, 1935.
Every time I turn around there's more work to do. Four cartoons almost complete and all of them need a tune by tomorrow. Typical Joey planning. I'm working so much I’m starting to see Bendy in my sleep. That smile… he's always watching me. Few more months of this, I wouldn't be surprised if that grinning demon drove me completely insane. That smile… something's just wrong with that smile. Can't put my finger on it. Shake it off, Sammy. Best get back to your songs. Someone has to keep the little devil happy...
"The Patron, Boris, and I are far more older than you think", Sammy said to Fluttershy. He revealed another audio log with an unknown log date.
So first Joey installs this Ink Machine over our heads. Then it begins to leak. Three times last month, we couldn't even get out of our department because the ink had flooded the stairwell. Joey's solution? An ink pump to drain it periodically. Now I have this ugly pump switch right in my office. People in and out all day. Thanks, Joey. Just what I needed. More distractions. These stupid cartoon songs don't write themselves, you know.
"Wait a minute. Why would there be a built-in drain into a staircase?!", Fluttershy asked.
"Hey, don't ask me. I'm just the songwriter", Sammy answered. He then remembered a message that he wrote in the Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook. Musical Instruments aren't just for fun. We do serious work here at the Music Department. While I know it may be tempting, please refrain from playing musical instruments in our corridors. Just last week I had to rerecord a song just because someone was plucking a banjo just outside the recording studio. Whoever it was, please stop it. And please, everyone, stop making so much noise in general. No more loud shoes, whistling, humming, or gum chewing by the Music Department. You have been warned. "Around 1946, I stole a huge number of ink bottles that were used for the Ink Machine, proceeded to drink them day by day as some kind of addiction and ultimately transformed into... this."
"Why?", Fluttershy asked.
"A workplace accident in which a drop of ink landed in my mouth", Sammy answered.
"Uh... that doesn't answer my question", Fluttershy replied. Sammy looked at Boris.
"Are you... another clone?", Sammy asked.
"No. You might not remember me... but I remember you. I'm Daniel Lewek, but I'm normally referred to as Buddy", Boris answered. "When we first met..." Boris gripped his Gent Pipe. "...you ordered me to clean up an ink spill I didn't make. You kidnapped me, Jacob, Richie, Dave, and Dot! You sacrificed Dave to Bendy!"
"Is that true?", Fluttershy asked.
"Yes. It's true", Sammy answered. "This place is a hellhole. Some say dreams come true in this place, but they don't. One way or another, you'll become a victim of the ink like me, Boris, and the Patron."
"How did you get here in the first place, Fluttershy?", Boris asked.
"I don't know. It just... happened", Fluttershy answered.
You can sing it right, but there's no more symphony!
As the gang were getting ready to fight Bendy again, they heard something in another room. Boris walked over and found a key an audio log... with 5 messages. Throughout his journey, he has found 5 messages from a familiar-sounding person.
I don't know why I'm even recording this... but I don't know what else to do. Please... whoever you may be... I need your help. My name is Milla. Several days ago, I got lost on in this... terrible place. There are monsters here. Things I... can't even describe... they're all trying to kill me. I can hear them outside. Please look for my messages. Please... come find me...
My father was a butcher (rest his soul). My mother and I had only each other while I was growing up. She taught me how to be resilient. Strong. But now... I am afraid... afraid of that... demon outside of my door. I saw so many things dismembered in my father's butcher shop. I'm... having images of myself ending up as they did. Their bodies broken and pulled apart... please... please come find me...
I don't know how much longer I can stay alive. I like to pretend someone is coming for me. At any moment, someone will open this door and save me from this suffering. If a hero exists... no matter what size or shape they may take... now is the time. Please come find me...
I am not one to lie. I don't like when people lie to me. My mother always told me "Honesty, Milla. Always honesty. Be bright and... and smile wide! Good things will come...". But I can see the world is a cruel place. I want to shine, but... it's so dark. Hope is fading down here. The monsters are closing in. Please come find me...
There isn't much time... if you found my messages, here is my last one. So this is my final plea: "If there is anyone out there, if there's any good left in this world... look for my hidden key... and then find my door. Please come find me... before it's too late... sincerely, Milla Legna".
He unlocked the door... and Twisted Alice leaped out of her dungeon and tackled him. "GOTCHA!", she bellowed. Suddenly, Fluttershy opened fire on the villainess. "What the hell? Who the hell are you?!"
"Your end", Fluttershy answered. Sammy whacked Alice with his axe, sending the Fallen Angel flying. She retreated into her dungeon, but all four heroes followed her. Fortunately, there were items in the dungeon... and possibly a Safehouse Scrap. "Spread out! If you find Alice, unleash everything you've got!" The foursome ran off in different directions. Fluttershy found a radio and a book, the Patron found a bone and a wrench, and Sammy found a gear and a plunger. Boris, however, was busy fighting Alice, who wielded an axe. The two dueled with their weapons.
"You can't escape me! Your organs belong to me!", Alice shouted. She kicked the Gent Pipe out of Boris's grasp, but the Patron joined the fight with an ink sword. "I'm SERIOUSLY getting tired of you meddling heroes! Why can't you ever just die?!" She knocked the Patron out. She prepared to finish Boris off, but before she could strike the wolf, the ink sword is impaled through her chest. Fluttershy is holding the sword. "You think ink can kill me?!" She knocked Fluttershy out. Sammy ran into the room (with a Safehouse Scrap) and scooped Fluttershy into his arms. Boris scooped the Patron into his arms and grabbed the Gent Pipe and Tommy Gun.
"Sheep, sheep, sheep! It's time for sleep!", Boris howled as he and Sammy ran through the door and barricaded it. Alice banged on the door.
"Next time, you'll be mine!", Alice shouted. Sammy put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
He played the song on the radio, waking Fluttershy and the Patron up.
"I don't think I've ever seen Bendy... frown in any of his posters... other than Demonic Tonic", Sammy said.
"Well, when I put the pieces together, I used three different posters: Sheep Songs!, The Dancing Demon, and Sent From Above", Boris explained. "Anyways, we've found four Safehouse Scraps. That leaves three more." Suddenly, three strange-looking ink creatures appeared from the other dungeon.
Another one swung his head around like a tetherball.
"Hit me, HIT ME!", the third one said.
"The Butcher Gang, Bendy's arch-nemeses. The one with the pipe wrench is Piper, a twisted version of Charley. The one with the wrench is Fisher, a twisted version of Barley with Edgar's head on a fishing pole instead of a neck. Hmm, go figure. The third one is Striker, a twisted version of Edgar with Barley's maimed head instead of his own", Sammy explained. "They speak in extreme gibberish, though they can speak English."
"How did the Butcher Gang get here in the first place?", Fluttershy asked. Striker had a piece of paper from the dungeon. He gave it to Fluttershy. It was a message from the Joey Drew Studios Inc. team. giving the world some hope and encouragement to remain safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
No matter how scary some things may get. All things can pass and hope always endures. With this update for Boris and the Dark Survival, all of us at the studio wish the world strength, courage, health, and full hearts. We can solve so much if we all work together.
"Uh... I might've accidentally found 5 padlock keys and unleashed them", Boris answered in nervousness. The Butcher Gang slinked away... into the elevator. The foursome heard the elevator leave.
"Dumbass! Now those things are out there, just waiting to put their hands on us!", Fluttershy angrily yelled at Boris. "And what the hell is this letter?!"
"Um... there's a virus in the world called the Coronavirus, and this pandemic is nicknamed COVID-19. Don't worry. You're safe in the studio", Sammy answered.
The foursome all wielded their weapons, ready to take down the Butcher Gang... and complete the task at hand. They went in different directions.
Boris found a radio and a spoon. However, Piper hobbled over and swung his pipe wrench, but Boris parried the attack with his Gent Pipe. He dueled with the smaller creature, though size didn't matter in this fight. He whacked Piper twice before he got whacked with the pipe wrench. However, Boris quickly recovered and whacked Piper two more times before Piper jumped onto a barrel and leaped onto Boris's back. "Get off me, you little shit!", Boris shouted as he threw Piper off him. He whacked Piper two more times, killing the monster for good.
Sammy found two plungers. However, Fisher's cackling was heard as the aforementioned villain attacked Sammy with his wrench... though it didn't do much. An annoyed Sammy used his axe to decapitate Fisher. The confused villain ran around without a head. He kept running into barrels and support beams. Sammy used his axe to send Fisher flying into a wall. He held Fisher down and landed a finishing whack.
Fluttershy found a gear and a bone. However, Striker walked into the room and shut the door behind him. Fluttershy aimed her Tommy Gun and fired. However, Striker blocked the bullets with his metal arm. He was faster than his colleagues, so he landed some quick punches on Fluttershy. She fired another round of bullets, but he blocked the bullets again. When Striker leaped at her, Fluttershy put the tip of the gun into her adversary's mouth and fired another round of bullets, this time killing him.
The Patron found a Safehouse Scrap.
Back at the Safehouse, the Patron put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
"Hopefully, that will be enough to lure her out", Boris said. He, Sammy, Fluttershy, and the Patron were waiting for Alice to walk out of her dungeon so they could hopefully ambush her and finish her off. They used the items they found (4 plungers, 5 gears, 7 spoons, 2 books, 5 bones, 2 wrenches, and 5 radios) to set a trap. The trap worked, and the foursome ambushed her. She tripped on the books, the wrenches held the gears as they formed a box without a bottom which fell onto her head, the plungers flew at her and were stuck to her hands and feet, the spoons were used as acupuncture needles to prevent movement, and the radios caused her to almost go deaf. The trap resulted in Alice exploding from the abundance of ink. Suddenly, an audio log was heard in the distance.
It's been quite a struggle to put this into words, Nathan. After so many years, you know I'd never ask unless it was dire, but when a man's in a spot, he should call upon his friends! Truth is... well, the studio is coming up a little short. Hit a few unexpected bumps. If you could lend us the amount I mentioned in my last letter, it would be a big help to me. Hope this reaches you in South America. You and Tessa, enjoy your vacation.
Almost immediately after that, an ominous voice said some messages.
A small memo to all administration offices: Rumors have begun to fly that we simply can't tolerate any longer. The idea that the company is in some form of financial difficulty is untrue and a slanderous lie against us. It's also been known to me that some backroom incompetents are not trusting in my leadership. As a leader, I'm always steering the boat, guiding our destiny. Looking at the big picture. No need for you people to worry about such complicated things. Just do whatever it is you do and trust your leader... which is me.
Listen Tommy, I know you boys over at Gent are doing your best, but I'm paying for living attractions, not weird abominations! Whatever that grinning thing was I saw wandering around your office, you better keep it locked up tight! I realize it was a first attempt but imagine if the press caught sight of it! Might scare off investors! And in response to your previous memo: If you claim your failures are because these things are soulless, then, damn it, we'll get them a soul! After all, I own thousands of 'em!
I know how much this part means to ya, Susie. Alice means a lot to me too. Gosh, all of my characters do! In fact, I'll let you in on a little secret. I too really believe my characters are more than just drawings. They're alive. They're part of us. And I want people to know them as well as I do. I want people to be able to shake their hand, spend an afternoon with 'em. Love them. Susie, I'll be straight with you. I'm putting together a small project... a little ceremony if you will. If it works, a lot of dreams will come true. And I want you to be a part of it. I want you to bring Alice to life once again. What do ya say?
"Well, that solves part of Joey's insanity", Fluttershy quipped.
"We defeated Borkis, killed the Butcher Gang, and slaughtered Alice", Sammy said. "Joey Drew will be FURIOUS."
"Screw him. He was responsible for my corruption", Boris remarked.
"Then who was that?", Fluttershy asked regarding the ominous voice.
"The Projectionist. He's like Siren Head, but smaller, more humane, and more evil", the Patron answered.
"Then that's who we're going after next!", Fluttershy said. She grabbed her Tommy Gun. "We're going down, down, down!" Alice's inky heart continued to beat. Boris stomped on it, splattering everyone with inky blood. The ink seemed to speak some final voice lines before disappearing into nothingness.
I can't help but feel I'm not the only one in my projection booth sometimes. It can get mighty dark some nights. But here's the part that really makes my mind swim... every night, just as I'm picking up my coat, there's a deep groan rising up from the floor. One of these days I'm gonna get my light and go see what's causing all the fuss below...
The foursome made it to an entirely different floor. It was darker, inkier, and had a bad vibe. Stomping was heard. Suddenly, an inhuman shriek was heard. Without a second thought, the heroes crammed into a Little Miracle Station. They soon realized that the Little Miracle Station couldn't fit all four of them.
"Hey, someone's stepping on my foot!", Fluttershy said.
"What am I touching? It's squishy but firm", Sammy asked.
"You're sitting on me!", the Patron yelled.
"Shut up! SHUT UP!", Boris frantically said.
The Projectionist slowly backed away from the chaos happening in the Little Miracle Station. "I ain't need to see no more shit down here!", he said.
"Wait a minute", Boris said. The foursome fell out. "That's Mr. Polk."
"I told you", Fluttershy said as she stood up. "We need to find six ink hearts." Fluttershy, Sammy, and the Patron walked off in different directions... but Boris followed the Projectionist in the hopes of making him come to his senses. He heard muttering.
"Every day the same strange thing happens, I'll be up here in my booth, the band will be swinging, and suddenly Sammy Lawrence just comes marching in and shuts the whole thing down. Tells us all to wait in the hall. Then I hears him. He starts up my projector, and he dashes from the projection booth and down to the recording studio like the little devil himself was chasing behind. Few seconds later, the projector turns off. But Sammy, oh no, he don't come out for a long time. This man is weird. Crazy weird. I got half a mind to talk to Mr. Drew about all this, I really do. But then again, I have to admit. Mr. Drew's got his own peculiarities."
"Norman!", he shouted. The interrupted Projectionist turned to face the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.
"That voice... it can't be...", the Projectionist said. "You're not Boris... you're... Buddy Lewek."
"What are you doing here?", Boris asked, gripping his Gent Pipe.
"Now, I'm not looking for trouble. It's just the nature of us projectionists to seek out the dark places. You see, Boris, I've learned the ins and outs of this here studio. I know how to avoid being bothered by the likes of this... company. 'That projectionist', they always say, 'creeping around, he's just looking for trouble.' Well, trouble or not, I sees everything. They don't even know when I'm watching. Even when I'm right behind 'em.", the Projectionist answered. "I am not the Norman you knew long ago anymore. I am now known as... the PROJECTIONIST!"
Meanwhile, the other three heroes each found two ink hearts for a total of six ink hearts. Fluttershy also managed to find a Safehouse Scrap. The Projectionist let out an inhuman shriek and chased Boris. However, the Friendly Wolf made it to the elevator in time.
Back at the Safehouse, Fluttershy put the Safehouse Scrap up on the wall.
"One scrap left!", Boris said in joy. "Once the mural is complete, I'm certain that I'll be able to discover more about my forgotten past!"
"Wait. Where are the hearts?", Sammy asked.
"Guys!", the Patron said. Boris, Sammy, and Fluttershy found the Patron in the room with the elevator. An ink heart on a plate sat on a chair.
"I think if we wanna find the last Scrap, we need to go back... but we can't go back using the elevator. I think this ink heart has something to do with that", Boris said. He picked it up. Suddenly, the voice of Thomas Connor was heard.
Progress report to Gent Home Office. Client: Joey Drew Studios. Although we're making progress, the client's expectations keep changing. What started as a machine to simply mold life-size figures, now seems to be teetering on the edge of magic more than engineering. Although Mr. Drew remains convinced they're the same thing. The process of running the cartoon film through the machine for the figures to imprint upon themselves is going well. We've had several near successes. One weird note: the first figure ever created was a failed attempt in the likeness of the character called "Bendy". Since that time, no other attempts of this particular figure have emerged. And the one that did... I don't know, there's just something unworldly about him.
"Wait... that's how Ink Bendy came to be!", Boris said in realization. He looked at the heart in his hand. "This thing just might contain secrets we need."
These blasted elevators... sometimes they open... sometimes they don't... sometimes they come... sometimes they keep on going to Hell and back. I keep telling these people, if Mister Joey Drew keeps cutting corners like this, someone's sure to end up falling to their death. And it sure ain't gonna be me. I'm taking the stairs.
"There aren't any stairs around here", Fluttershy said.
It's dark and it's cold and it's stuck in behind every single wall now. In some places, I swear this godforsaken ink is clear up to my knees! Who ever thought that these crummy pipes could hold up under this kind of strain either knows something about pressure I don't, or he's some kind of idiot. But the real worst part about all this... are them noises the system makes. Like a dying dog on its last legs. Make no mistake, this place... this... machine... heck, this whole darn thing... it just isn't natural. You can bet, I won't be doing any more repair jobs for Mister Joey Drew.
"Wha... what does that mean?", the Patron asked.
"We have to shut off the Ink Machine", Boris answered.
"Impossible. The Ink Machine contains an astonishingly huge 423 gallons of ink!", Fluttershy said. "If we shut it down, then there's an EXTREMELY likely chance the ink will overflow the entire studio!"
"It might be the only way you can get out of here", Boris replied. He raised the ink heart up high. "We need to go back to the Projectionist's lair."
In the Projectionist's lair, the foursome spread out once again. Fortunately, it was easier to find the ink hearts thanks to strength in numbers. Sammy was sent to look for the aforementioned villain because the axe will do the most damage to him.
"Sheep, sheep, sheep, It's time for sleep. Rest your head. It's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake. Or in the morning, you'll be dead", Sammy said. He heard footsteps. He whirled around. "Hello? Someone there? I know you're here. Come out and show yourself." The Projectionist suddenly grabbed Sammy and threw him into a wall with a locker attached. He opened the locker to reveal the final Safehouse Scrap.
He grabbed it and ran. The others found the six ink hearts. The foursome retreated into the elevator.
Back at the Safehouse, Sammy put the final Safehouse Scrap up on the wall, completing the mural.
Suddenly... Boris saw a glimpse of the man he used to be... and then it was gone.
"Who... are you, Boris?", Fluttershy asked.
"I will explain... everything", Boris/Daniel answered. "I was a volunteered worker of Joey Drew Studios. A Jewish teenager from the Lower East Side in New York, I dropped out of school because of my decision of working as a delivery boy to help support my widowed mother. I dreamed to become an artist and was invited to the animation studio by Joey Drew in the summer of 1946 to see the great wonders of the studio until I witnessed something wrong one night." He proceeded to explain his entire journey throughout Joey Drew Studios. "After I was ripped in half by Beast Bendy and drowned in the ink along with him, and was revived as Boris the Wolf, Joey revealed what happened to me and even told me to accept my new self and not to talk or make sense of it as it would only frustrate me, even though I was already frustrated to begin with. As I started to lose the ability to speak, Joey attempted to entice me into accompanying him to an undisclosed location, supposedly containing an abundant amount of food. Despite Boris's personality beginning to take control, I was able to resist this for one final act: crushing Joey's hand, throwing him to the floor and running deep into the studio to Level K. As a result, I ended up in The Cycle with my final thoughts being that of me going deeper into the loop. Now, I'm not really Buddy anymore. I am Boris. Descending deeper into this world of ageing, yellowing madness."
"No. You are Daniel Lewek, hero of your own story. Don't you want to finish it?", Fluttershy asked. Suddenly, she realized that she hasn't checked the novel. She opened it to reveal its completed state. However, a faded message from Joey Drew marked the final page, though the message became clearer near the end. __ST_O_ _H_ _NK ___ON AND THE _ROJEC____IST AND __U'LL ESC__E A__VE. ___EVE_, A ___RIFICE MUST BE MADE. She wiped some ink of the page to reveal the full message. DESTROY THE INK DEMON AND THE PROJECTIONIST AND YOU'LL ESCAPE ALIVE. HOWEVER, A SACRIFICE MUST BE MADE. The mural started to glow a brilliant white. Daniel touched it, revealing two set of stairs: one ascending towards an unknown location, and one descending towards the Projectionist's real lair. He then remembered Thomas's second message.
These blasted elevators... sometimes they open... sometimes they don't... sometimes they come... sometimes they keep on going to Hell and back. I keep telling these people, if Mister Joey Drew keeps cutting corners like this, someone's sure to end up falling to their death. And it sure ain't gonna be me. I'm taking the stairs.
"Well... I guess I was wrong. There ARE stairs here", Fluttershy said.
"I have a feeling that only Fluttershy can escape. The rest of us are stuck in the studio. This isn't her world", Daniel said. They walked down the stairs heading to the Projectionist's lair.
"The Maintenance Department", Sammy said as they arrived at the lair, which was indeed the Maintenance Department. Fluttershy found an audio log and played it.
I believe there's something special in all of us. With true inner strength, you can conquer even your biggest challenges. You just have to believe in yourself and remain honest, motivated, and above all, who you really are. Ok, let's stop it right there. I can only do so many takes of this trash a day. And tell the guys in writing I want more use of the word "dreaming" in every message. Keep railing on that, get it? Dreaming! Dreaming! Dreaming! People just eat up that kind of slop. Hmm? What? It's still on? Well, turn it off, damn it!
"That's the Joey I knew", Sammy said. The Patron used the ink to travel around the now-inky Maintenance Department like an Inkling. Suddenly, a giant hand grabbed the Patron and pulled him under. The Patron... was lost to the ink.
"A sacrifice was made. Now we need to destroy Bendy and the Projectionist", Daniel said. The Projectionist suddenly appeared below the trio.
"You'll be a part of this studio, Fluttershy!", the Projectionist shrieked. "You need to know that not everyone escaped! EMBRACE YOUR DEMISE! SURRENDER TO THE MACHINE! THE MACHINE MUST ENDURE!" He attempted to leap upwards, but he couldn't. "Damn ink!"
"This ends now, Polk!", Fluttershy retorted.
"I'm going to free your... uh... projector right off your shoulders! Sheep, sheep sheep... it's time for... sleep!", Sammy added.
"Like a wolf... I'll prowl and prey... on the DARKENED ONES!!!", Daniel added.
The trio leaped down and all wielded their weapons. The Projectionist assumed a battle-ready stance. Daniel whacked the villain with the Gent Pipe, which did little damage. The annoyed Projectionist attempted to punch the corrupted teenager, but Sammy whacked the villain with his axe, which did much more damage. Fluttershy fired a round of bullets, which did half the damage the axe did. "Huh. I thought that would do more damage", Fluttershy said. The Projectionist performed an uppercut on Fluttershy, sending her flying. "Why, you little..." She fired another round of bullets. The Projectionist closed in on Fluttershy.
"Hey!", Daniel shouted. He whacked the Projectionist with the Gent Pipe again. The villain turned to face his former ally. Daniel continued to whack the Projectionist with his Gent Pipe. After eight hits, Daniel was disarmed, but he quickly recovered his weapon. Fluttershy ran and hid in the Little Miracle Station. The Projectionist landed a punch on Daniel. Daniel ran as well. If you get hit by the Projectionist twice, you die. Sammy whacked the villain with his axe. The villain returned the attack with a kick. However, Sammy wouldn't hold back as he whacked the villain three more times. Daniel returned and whacked the villain eight more times with his Gent Pipe, seemingly killing him.
"Well... that escalated quickly", Sammy said. Suddenly, the Projectionist stood up and shrieked. With no other choice, Daniel and Sammy ran.
"MAKE WAY!!!", the duo shouted as they hid in the Little Miracle Station with Fluttershy. The Projectionist was about to open the door, when suddenly, he was interrupted by a bright flash of light, heralding the arrival of...
"MORTAL KOMBAT!!!", Bendy bellowed as he punched the Projectionist. The Projectionist returned with his own punch. Bendy shrugged it off and landed a counterpunch. The Projectionist punched Bendy again before the Ink Demon lifted the Projectionist off his feet and tears off the Projectionist's head, killing him for real. Bendy threw the Projectionist's severed head at the Little Miracle Station. After acknowledging the trio's presence but not having time to eliminate them, Bendy dragged the Projectionist's now headless body away and disappeared with it. The trio wore shocked expressions as Daniel opened the door.
"What... was... that?", Daniel asked.
"I... I think Bendy just... saved us?", Fluttershy quizzically answered.
"Did... did he just shout 'MORTAL KOMBAT!!!'?", Sammy asked.
Back at the Safehouse...
"This doesn't make any sense. Bendy wouldn't do anything like that", Sammy said.
"Well, I guess it makes sense", Daniel replied. "I think he's finally come to his senses. Maybe the personality of Bendy took over."
"No", Fluttershy said. "He wants me. He knew the Projectionist would kill me. Bendy needs my body to escape the studio."
"Then we'll have to fight him", Sammy replied.
"Yeah, but where is he?", Daniel asked.
"He's... above us", Sammy answered. They walked up the stairs heading to the Music Department entrance. "Ah. I've missed this place." They made their way towards the basement. "The foyer is above us, but I don't know how we're gonna get up there."
"Don't you have the ability to pass through inky walls?", Daniel asked.
"Yeah, but you guys don't. We gotta stick together", Sammy answered. Suddenly, the Ink, an unnatural living organism, bonded with Fluttershy. It slithered into Fluttershy's mouth and into the inside of her body. The Ink was now one with her body. She choked on the writhing black liquid.
"I saw that thing with my grandfather", Daniel said. Fluttershy started to... change. Her clothes were ragged. Her fingers turned into claws. Her pony wings became more... bat-like. Her ears became bat ears. Her teeth turned into fangs. Her hair became ruffled. Her skin started to lose its yellowness. Her eyes turned blood red. Once the transformation/hybridization was complete, she didn't resemble any kind of ink creature or anything from the Bendy cartoons. Fluttershy... had turned into... Flutterbat, a vampire bat/human hybrid.
"Huh. I thought the Ink would do something much more dangerous, like turn you into a merciless monster", Sammy said.
"Wow! Look at me! I'm a vampire!", Flutterbat beamed as she flew around the basement. She noticed the Tommy Gun was out of ammunition. "Sammy. Daniel. You two shut down the Ink Machine. I'll fight Bendy."
"Wait. You can fly. Sammy has the ability to pass through inky walls. How will I get out of the basement?", Daniel asked. Flutterbat attempted to lift Daniel, but he was too heavy despite the fact she has increased strength and speed and the ability to use echolocation. "And there's no way in Hell I'll become an ink monster just to get out of here." Flutterbat found an audio log and played it.
It's dark and it's cold and it's stuck in behind every single wall now. In some places, I swear this godforsaken ink is clear up to my knees! Who ever thought that these crummy pipes could hold up under this kind of strain either knows something about pressure I don't, or he's some kind of idiot. But the real worst part about all this... are them noises the system makes. Like a dying dog on its last legs. Make no mistake, this place... this... machine... heck, this whole darn thing... it just isn't natural. You can bet, I won't be doing any more repair jobs for Mister Joey Drew.
Flutterbat tried to lift Daniel again, and this time, she was able to. She broke through the ceiling, which was also the floor for the foyer. Sammy followed using his ability. They made their way to the Ink Machine loading dock. "Alright. The break room is down that hallway. I'll distract Bendy while you two shut down the Ink Machine", Flutterbat said. She flew over to the Ink Machine. Suddenly, the machine started throbbing like a heart. An enormous hand suddenly appeared from the depths below the Ink Machine. Another hand followed. Bendy, now an gargantuan monster standing at a whopping 100 feet tall, looked down at the puny hybrid. He unleashed a mighty roar.
"IT'S FINALLY TIME FOR YOU TO PERISH! 423 GALLONS OF INK IN MY BODY!", Bendy bellowed. Flutterbat took flight. She dodged Bendy's hands as he attempted to grab the hybrid. She used her fangs to bite Bendy, causing him to scream him pain. "YOU PESKY MOSQUITO!"
Meanwhile, Daniel and Sammy managed to shut down the Ink Machine, which, unbeknownst to them, was already drained of all its ink, by removing the items from the pedestals. However, the Ink Machine stopped throbbing. They ran to the Ink Machine loading dock to find Flutterbat confronting Bendy. They also noticed the Ink Machine on the ceiling connected by chains. "Sammy, look! The dry cell batteries!", Daniel said.
"That could work!", Sammy said. Fortunately, Bendy was distracted by the flying hybrid. Daniel and Sammy removed the cells from the electric machine. The chains loosened up and the Ink Machine smashed onto Bendy's head knocking the Ink Demon out. The villain fell backwards into the depths. He reverted back to his original state. However, the 423 gallons of ink Bendy used to make himself larger suddenly began to flood the entire studio!
"RUN!!!", Flutterbat yelled. However, Sammy and Daniel weren't quick enough and were lost to the ink. Only Flutterbat got out. She smashed through the door as the studio sank into the ground! She flew high into the sky. Suddenly, Flutterbat reverted back to her original form. The Ink escaped Fluttershy's body. She quickly activated her human-pony form and watched the ink consume the remains of the studio. She landed on the ground as the dirt buried the studio as if it never existed. Suddenly, a flash of white blinded Fluttershy as the land in front of her turned into her backyard. She ran into her house to find the book still open... to the final page. She closed the book and saw a message from Joey Drew on the back.
You honestly think you've won? Do you honestly think you've escaped the horrors of my studio? Silly Fluttershy. Your friends will meet the fate you were supposed to meet. My revenge will be final, and there's nothing you can do about it! Trapping you in my studio was the perfect plan. Now, your friends will become ink monsters! Find me... if you can!
Without a second thought, Fluttershy checked her friends' houses. They were all empty... and filled with ink. She ran to the school, which was enveloped in viscous black ink. She ran inside to find her friends all bound and gagged to chairs, all bloody and beaten. Joey knocked Fluttershy out and bound and gagged her as well. "Not so easy doing it on your own, is it?", Joey asked. "There we go now, nice and tight. We wouldn't want our sheep roaming away now, would we? No, we wouldn't. I must admit I am honored you came all the way down here to visit me. It almost makes what I'm about to do seem cruel. But the believers must honor their savior. I must have him notice me. Our lord is calling to us, my little sheep. The time of sacrifice is at hand! And then, I will finally be freed from this... prison. This inky... dark... abyss I call a body. Shhhhh! Quiet! Listen! I can hear him. Crawling above. Crawling! Let us begin. The ritual must be completed! Soon he will hear me... he will set us free." He walked off. "Sheep, sheep, sheep, It's time for sleep. Rest your head. It's time for bed. In the morning, you may wake. Or in the morning, you'll be dead. Hear me, Bendy! Arise from the darkness! Arise and claim my offering! Free me! I beg you! I summon you, ink demon! Show your face and take this tender sheep!" However... "No! My lord! Stay back! I am your prophet! I am your- AAAHHH!!!" Bendy then appeared before the heroes... and untied them. Fluttershy's friends hugged her tightly.
"You were gone for a week!", Rainbow Dash said.
"Thank heavens you're all right!", Applejack added.
"The ink must've made you go crazy, darling!", Rarity said.
"At least you didn't turn into some demonic creature", Sunset Shimmer said.
"Or an energy-draining monster", Twilight Sparkle added.
"True dat", Spike added.
"What's going on right now?", Pinkie Pie asked.
"I think I know", Fluttershy answered.
"Shhh...", Bendy said. He dragged Joey over to the girls.
"It was all a game, wasn't it? Joey Drew isn't an insane man... just misguided", Fluttershy said. She unmasked the villain. "John Kramer." Bendy cocked his head in confusion.
"I needed a fresh batch of victims, so I kidnapped and nearly killed your friends", John said. "The studio was one of my sets. I took on the identity of Joey Drew to control the ink. My ultimate goal was to vanquish all superheroes and super-heroines so I could kill to my heart's content. And I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
The police arrived and arrested John as Bendy, Spike, and the super-heroines watched. An inky tear ran down Bendy's face. He looked at his hands. "I was made in desperate hunger... of a starving artist's despair", he said.
"What about all the ink?", Spike asked.
"A talking dog. Not the strangest thing I've seen today", Bendy responded. "Anyways, if what John Kramer said is true, then this ink is all fake." Suddenly, the ink faded away.
"Thank you, Bendy. For everything", Fluttershy said. The Ink Demon saluted the Equestria Girls and hugged Fluttershy.
"You know what? I may be a malformed monster, but I've got the soul of who I really am... an innocent demon who's goal is to spread joy throughout the world", Bendy said. "Can I get an amen?"
"AMEN!", the Equestria Girls shouted in unison as Spike howled.
Back at Fluttershy's house, Ink Bendy found his home with Fluttershy. A letter from Joey Drew marked the back of the book replacing John Kramer's message.
Henry? So soon? I didn't expect you for another hour yet. Now you're just trying to impress me. I know... I know... you have questions. You always do! The only important question is this: Who are we, Henry? I thought I knew who I was... but... the success starved me. Nothing left but lines on a page. In the end, we followed two different roads of our own making. You, a lovely family... me... a crooked empire. And my road burned. I let our creations become my life. The truth is, you were always so good at pushing, old friend... pushing me to do the right thing. You should have pushed a little harder. Henry, come visit the old workshop... there's something I need to show you.
