Linda

Linda shuddered at the sight of the Butcher Gang. Their nasally snarls gave her chills. They were one of the only things that gave her the creeps. She wasn't afraid of them, but seeing her corrupted duplicate in the center of all the chaos in its group made her rethink whether she could be a good person. As she gripped the railing, she listened to their incoherent babbling. She could almost make sense of it, but some of their words were too warped to understand.

"We left our weapons outside. How are we going to get past them?" Henry whispered, careful not to alert the trio.

"Maybe we can set a distraction," Sammy offered. "Who wants to be bait?"

Everyone fell silent and gave Sammy a nasty look. He raised his hands in sarcastic surrender and turned to lean over the edge. Linda saw his elbow nudge an empty can off the railing, but it was too late to warn him. The can fell over and clattered to the floor below them loudly. The Butcher Gang immediately snapped their attention to it and bolted to where the can was, muttering confusingly.

"Shhh!" the three hissed. Sammy backed up, then stopped and looked across to the other side of the balcony. There were dozens of cans lined up along the railing and piled up in corners.

"I've got an idea," he said. He glanced at the puzzled villains, then continued using sign.

Grab as many cans as you can, then regroup here.

Norman and Henry began picking up cans while Sammy and Linda stayed behind. He had stopped her from following them.

"I need you to climb up there and see where those doors lead," he explained. He pointed to the cables and wires that lined the ceiling. "Then when we get enough cans, we'll hand them to you so you can drop them. Make sure it's far away from where we want to go."

"What do you take me for? A little bug that you can just order around to your amusement?" Linda scoffed. She turned away from Sammy and began making her way up the supports to the ceiling.

"That's not what I meant," Sammy tried. "I'm just doing what I think will keep us alive!"

Linda ignored him, trying to reach out to a cable that hung nearby. It was just out of reach, making Linda let go of the support beam with another hand, only hanging on by a couple fingers. She finally grabbed it just in time before she lost her grip and fell. She swung on the cable, holding on to it for dear life. This was terrifying. Now she was right over the Butcher Gang's fire; if she fell now, not only would she burn, but she would be torn to shreds. She took a deep breath and grabbed another wire, slowly making her way towards the center of the room. She saw Henry look up at her casually, then look back completely surprised and terrified.

"What are you doing?" he yelled, though he dropped his voice to a whisper so that the Butcher Gang wouldn't hear.

"Not a good time right now, Henry," Linda replied through gritted teeth. She gasped as she slipped suddenly, then regained balance. She began sweating ink nervously. She tried to control it, but nothing could stop the lone drop of ink that fell on the Striker's head.

It whipped around and looked up at Linda and roared, it's humanoid teeth at the top of its head spitting saliva. The other two were at its side and began hissing at her. Edgar picked up the can that Sammy had dropped and chucked it at Linda, just missing by a hair. Linda screamed, slipping off the cable and plummeting to the ground. She hit it with a sickening thud, curling up to hide herself from the oncoming creatures. She could hear the panicked shouts of Henry and Sammy, then muffled footsteps as they raced down the stairs to protect her. She could only hear so many of their battle cries before she passed out, her chest burning with the possibility of broken ribs.

Norman Polk

As soon as Norman tore out the heart of the final Butcher Gang member, he turned his attention to Linda, who was laying on the floor unconscious. A pool of her own ink surrounded her. She lay as limp as a dead leaf in winter. Henry was at her side and trying to get her to wake up, but she never responded.

Norman tossed the still beating heart of Charley onto the pile of the Gang's dead bodies. He had torn them all apart bare-handed without the help of anyone else. Something had turned him into a malicious killer, the killer that he'd been before he joined the team. He stared at the sight of someone else's corrupt blood on his own hands and shivered. He never wanted to be this terrible.

He brushed the ink off quickly and listened in on Sammy and Henry. They were checking for pulses and still attempting to wake her. Sammy fell silent and gazed at Henry sorrowfully. Henry shook his head in denial.

"No," he breathed. He drew his hands to his mouth to hide his sobs. "No, no, no! She can't die!"

Sammy looked at Norman and mouthed, "where's the nearest statue?"

Norman cocked his head in confusion. Then it suddenly dawned on him: All dead creations were reborn at the Bendy statues that were scattered around the studio. If there was one nearby, then she would be reborn faster, meaning that Henry wouldn't have to mourn long. Norman looked around the room, desperate to find a statue. He was about to give up when he saw one on the balcony, just in reach of his light. He tilted is head up at it when Sammy looked back again. He sighed in relief.

Henry wailed in despair when Linda's body reduced to ink and melted into the floor. Norman's sharp hearing picked up her coughs from above despite Henry's loud sobbing. She sounded half drowned and exhausted, shaking terribly as she looked through the bars of the railing above.

"Hey!" she yelled, drawing everyone's attention. "Keep it down, will you? I've got a headache with all of your names on it!"

"Linda!" Henry bolted up the stairs to meet her, his gleeful cries echoing throughout the room.

Norman looked away and cast his sight on the dead bodies of the Butcher Gang once again. He began to feel a certain craving for murder, a new rush of unknown anger flowing through his veins. His hands began shaking, and he clenched them in fury at himself. He left his life of murder behind. Why must the slightest sight of death cause him to feel this way?

He flinched as Sammy put his hand on his shoulder. "Thanks," he said. There was a bit of fear in his voice. Norman knew why.

"I don't know what came over me," he explained. "We're all lucky that I stopped when I did. Your dead body might have been over there, too."

Sammy was quiet for a moment as he searched for words. "I know you wouldn't have done that. That's not the kind of person you are."

Norman whipped around and snarled viciously. "You don't know who I am. The man you knew is gone. I have no control over what I do anymore!" Norman pointed at the Butcher Gang. "What I did to them could happen to any of you in a matter of seconds! And just because you like me, or even love me, there is no way that I could feel the same for you. After all you've done to help Mr. Drew in destroying our lives, how can I feel anything for you? The only thing I can feel for you now is hatred. Absolute hatred for the traitor you are."

Sammy seemed absolutely torn by his words. He narrowed his eyes, but said nothing. Norman growled softly and shoved Sammy aside to walk up the stairs. When he got to the top, he noticed Henry and Linda give him shocked looks mixed with confusion and disbelief. Norman ignored them and stormed out into the storage area, heading for the control panel. He opened the next door and went in without waiting for the others to catch up.

Henry Stein

Doubt and fear pricked Henry's skin as he watched Sammy stand dumbfounded. He felt Linda take a shuddering breath beside him and shift on her feet. She was weak from her rebirth and probably just as confused as Henry was.

"What did he mean by that?" she asked quietly.

"Guess Norman has more dignity than Sammy thought," Henry replied. He didn't even laugh at his own joke. He actually felt sorry for Sammy. Even he deserved better than that.

It was a long time before Sammy finally got enough nerve to come upstairs, never bothering to say anything to Henry and Linda. Instead, he gestured for them to follow him. They found Norman in the next room, though he stayed clear from them.

Another dead body of Edgar lay on the floor, its human-like eye glazed and staring into nothing. There was a miracle station nearby, but the door was torn off and inky blood stained the area around it. There were small candles here and there, giving off dim light. The wooden floor beneath them creaked with every footstep. Henry took a deep breath as he stepped into the shadow of a massive machine, one that could be found at any kind of county fair. It was deactivated, its four arms laying on the floor without any kind of support. It squeaked slightly as it moved on its axis with the movement of the group. More candles lined the base of the ride, ink dotted around in some spots.

Linda stood on her toes to see a tape that laid on a large crate. She went to play it, but Sammy went to stop her.

"Don't," he warned. He pointed to a long cable that connected to the tape and ran along the floor, to the wall, and hidden in the ceiling. The cable split at the center, its counterpart connecting to the carnival ride.

"Oh, whatever!" Norman growled. He pushed Sammy aside and pressed play despite Sammy's wary and accusing eyes. "You are so paranoid!"

Suddenly Norman fell silent. He looked up at the machine and took a step back. The tape didn't play as usual; it was connected to a large speaker positioned on the ceiling. Henry tensed as an unknown voice boomed out of it, unforgiving and tainted with hatred.

"But, oh, Mr. Drew... You are the true architect behind so many nightmares."

The arms of the ride rose slowly, creaking on its old gears and pistons. Bertrum Piedmont's voice rose to an ear-shattering height.

"You think you can cast me out, toss me out to the dust! No. You may think that I've gone, but I'm STILL HERE!"

The windows in the center of the ride flipped open, revealing a giant face. It had large lumps in the corners of its hairline, one eye swollen shut. This must be Bertrum himself. He had been claimed by the ink.

"Back up!" Sammy shouted, pulling both Henry and Linda back. The machine slammed one of its arms down on the crate with the tape, shattering it. The broken wood scattered everywhere, pelting Henry and the others. He gasped in pain as one dug itself into his already injured arm.

Despite the rousing chaos that surrounded him, Henry noticed something else clatter to the floor from where the crate was. A rusty axe lay on its side, just sturdy enough to be able to knock the ride's arms off its supports. Henry struggled free of Sammy's grasp and took the axe from the floor, missed by the machine's spinning arms by a hair. He recoiled and pushed himself back with all his might, fighting the terror that tried to freeze him. Henry pushed the axe into Sammy's arms and shouted, "Go for the bolts!"

Sammy furrowed his brow in confusion, then gasped as he realized what Henry was saying. "You're a genius!" he said.

"Talk later, kill now!" Norman roared. He was already going for the ride, waiting for it to seize up before tearing two of the bolts off of one of its arms. He dodged aside as it began moving again.

Sammy hesitated before joining Norman in attempt to subside Bertrum's rampage. Henry remained behind to take care of Linda, who fell on her knees from exhaustion. She was extremely weak, shaking very hard and felt colder than normal. Henry could almost feel the freezing temperature radiate from her body from where he was standing. He knew how it felt to be reborn through the ink, but Linda's side effects were more intense, almost as if she was sick.

"Are you feeling okay?" Henry asked her. Her only reply was a tired moan.

Henry flinched when a spark from the carnival ride hit him. It burned a little, but it was the loud noise that followed the spark's contact that really set him on edge. One of the ride's arms was completely torn off, spurting inky blood at the torn cables. Sammy was huddled in the safety of the joints in the arm, trying to catch his breath. Norman was as energetic as he started, still fighting with all his might to destroy Bertrum's hellish contraption.

Henry put his attention on Linda again. He took off her bags that were swung over her shoulders and rummaged around in them. He found a small blanket; she probably packed it for the new hideout. Henry placed it on her shoulders and prayed that she would get better.

Soon the chaos died down, and Bertrum's monstrosity was put to an end. Sammy dropped the rusty axe, now broken, onto the floor. He coughed and exhaled in relief. Norman only glanced at him before shouldering past and kicked a bolt from the ride aside. Sammy's eyes narrowed, but instead of protesting to Norman, he focused on Linda. He and Henry helped her to her feet, but she still needed support to walk. She scrunched up in her blanket and made a tiny sneeze. She was getting sick, and there was no doubt about it. Henry wouldn't know what he'd do with himself if Linda wouldn't survive this.

"It'll all be over soon," Henry reassured her. He silently prayed that it would. There was only one room left, then they were off to rescue Wally. Hopefully his old friend was still in one piece.

Sammy Lawrence

Sammy and the others entered the last room with caution, eying the darkest shadows carefully in fear that another carnival ride might come to life. This was the storage area for what would have been the Buddy Boris railway. Posters of one of Bendy's episodes, "Train Trouble", were plastered on the walls. Small toy trains were scattered all over the place. Norman gasped softly, running his hand down a poster.

"I know where we are," Norman rasped. Sammy let him go ahead and lead them into the dark abyss. Henry glanced at Sammy, troubled, but didn't question his intentions. Behind them, the iron door slammed shut, sending strange chills up Sammy's spine. That was never a good feeling.

"I-I'll just stay here," Henry stuttered.

Doesn't surprise me, Sammy thought sharply, but kept his mouth shut. Someone had to stay behind with Linda, anyways. Leaving Henry and Linda behind, he followed Norman reluctantly. Hopefully he wouldn't murder him while they were down there. Norman wasn't exactly the person to anger right now, especially so soon after killing another creature. The rush of assassination was still heavy in the air.

The Buddy Boris Railway trains were ink stained with age, the painted smiles chipped off by time. It was very dark, and Sammy relied on Norman's light to guide him. It was unusually silent despite the ink sloshing beneath their feet. Suddenly Norman paused. Sammy wasn't paying attention; he was staring at the shadow of a familiar friend, which turned out to be a Boris plush. Sammy ran into Norman with a surprised grunt. He muttered a quick apology before helping the projectionist back on his feet.

"Watch it," he growled, brushing off the ink that wasn't his own. He looked up at the rafters, where the switch that they needed was probably located. Though a large pile of crates blocked the stairwell up. "Looks like we need to find a way to lift these," Norman said after a while. He pointed to his right and continued, "The controls for the lift are over there."

"How do you know so much about this place?" Sammy asked carefully. He didn't want to ask too many questions in attempt to try not to anger Norman. He walked over to the large lever and strained to pull it down. It finally gave away, and the crates were lifted into the air with a loud creak.

"Let's just say that I was on the run for a while, too."

We're not as different as you think, Sammy thought. How he wished that Norman would return his feelings.

When the two had found the electrical switch, the entire room went dark, even Norman's light. It flickered back on dimly, giving them a small amount of room to see.

"What the heck are you doing out there?" Henry yelled.

"Getting work done, unlike you," Norman retorted back. Henry went silent.

"Nice one," Sammy said softly. Norman made no reply, but instead shouldered Sammy aside so that he could climb back down the stairs. Sammy sighed deeply and hesitated before pelting after him.

By the time the two had gotten back to Henry and Linda, the light in the room was restored. But it also brought a faint rumbling sound.

Norman whipped around to face the iron door. "Hide," he breathed, putting his arm up to protect his friends.

Now Sammy knew what was happening. He quickly shooed Henry and Linda into a nearby Little Miracle Station. Looking back for a second at Norman, he squeezed in beside the others and shut the door. Immediately the iron door bust open, thick veins of ink spreading out onto the walls. Joey stomped in, snarling viciously. Norman stood tall, chest puffed out proudly. Only those who knew him best would notice that he was secretly terrified of the massive demon.

Joey leaned down close to Norman and spat, "Traitor."

"I'm only a traitor to those I follow, which is no one," Norman replied calmly, though his voice was taut with fear.

"I am your lord," Joey hissed, quickly grasping Norman's neck with his gloved hand. Norman wheezed and tugged at Joey's hand, but his grip was too tight. "You will do as I say, or die."

There was a sickening crunch, and Joey tore off Norman's head. His legs crumpled beneath him, then he fell to the ground, ink spilling out of his open neck. Joey chucked the projector at the Miracle Station that the other three were hiding in, then seemed as though he knew that they were in there. He growled softly, then heaved Norman's body over his shoulder and limped out of the room.

Sammy felt his heart shatter into a million pieces when he clearly saw the broken shell of what used to be Norman's head laying on the ground. The torn wires around the base were still spurting fresh ink. Sammy put his hand to his mouth to cover his shuddering gasp and kneeled down beside the projector. He picked it up and held it to his chest dearly, watching as the last of its light dimmed away. He tried not to sob, but let a few tears run down his face. Sure, he'd seen this happen so many times before, but this was different. He was so close with Norman only a few moments ago, and now all of that memory and humanity was gone. The Projectionist was likely to never feel human again.

Sammy felt Linda sit next to him, her warm hands rubbing his back soothingly. She was sniffling softly. "It's all right," she said shakily. "It'll all be okay."

Even Henry seemed torn at Norman's death. His expression was unreadable, but his silence said everything. Sammy finally let himself cry for the first time in years. What had come to their world now? Even in the best times, life down here was somber. But as Sammy drew in a shaky breath, he finally accepted the fact that nothing was going to go their way anymore. He had a terrible hunch that their reunion with Wally wouldn't be all too great.

Joey Drew

Joey dropped Norman's limp body at the foot of his throne. He ignored the rumbling of his ravenous stomach, knowing that there was more work to be done before celebrating. Walking over to the controls of the ink machine, he flipped off the switch that allowed rebirth. He didn't want the annoying brat of a projectionist to rejoin Henry's ranks. And, in addition, it would stop Henry or the others from being reborn again. Norman's, and eventually the others' spirits would have to wander aimlessly around the studio.

Returning to Susie's hideout behind the haunted house, Joey observed the broken body of what used to be Wally Franks. The Boris clone had grown in size since his last visit, and was fighting the restraints that pinned him to the walls.

"How much longer do I have to put up with this rancid-smelling brute?" Susie snarled, tightening Wally's restraints. "I can barely keep him here. He wants to kill; he has a need for it. My masterpiece will tear Henry and his little friends to shreds!"

"Our masterpiece," Joey reminded her. Though deep in his mind, he knew that it was his idea to corrupt Wally in the first place. This was his masterpiece. Joey only had Susie to do the dirty work for him.

"Yes, whatever," Susie sighed. She reached her hand inside Wally's open chest and pulled out an organ. It was black and bubbling away with the poison of the Dark Ink. "If they don't get here soon, he'll die waiting. That's not the way I want this beautiful beast to go down. We should keep him off the ink for a while. It's starting to eat him from the inside out."

"No! If he's to live, he needs more of the ink, not less. Look at me, damnit! I'm flippin' made of the stuff, and I'm not dead. How long have I been like this? Nearly ten years. And Henry, oh, he doesn't know it, but deep inside, he's got some of that darkness inside of him, too. He's let it loose once already, and it's only a matter of time before that darkness overflows, causing him to destroy everything that he loves," Joey told her, smiling grimly at the vision of Henry tearing apart Linda, then the heartache it would cause him in the end. "That is, if Wally doesn't do the job first."