An Inkwell's Stain //BATDR Fanfiction\\ [Male Reader]

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Overflowing Relief

'Porter!' You call, not giving up. 

He is not dead. 

I won't allow it. 

'Porter, where are you?' You are now standing in front of the main hub control centre, where you last saw him. 

He wasn't there. 

Guilt and sorrow washed your straight off your feet and onto your knees. 'Why...' 

Why is everyone I care about leaving me?

"No one cares for you," The Ink Demon had told you. "Trust no one." Had he been right? 

Your hope was starting to abandon you, chucking you into the dust, leaving you for what you felt was your worth. 

Nothing. 

Why am I even here? 

Relinquishing what determination you had left, you let what you wished was your last breath escape your lungs.

'Attention!' A sudden and disgustingly indistinguishable voice erupted from the speakers making you jolt. 'Children of the Machine, this is Wilson...' 

Oh goody... 

'There have been lies that the Ink Demon has been spotted in Animation Alley.' You roll your eyes. 

'They aren't lies...' you mumble under your breath. 

'Pay no attention to these filthy rumours!' He called, making frustration bubble in the deepest corners of your body. 'I destroyed him myself, he died by my hands... so don't be afraid. Your friend Wilson will protect you.' You stare intently at a visible speaker. 

'You were never my friend.' You call aloud, grunting at his lies.

'Y/N?' A familiar and very confused voice called from above, making you stop and stare at the crane above you. 'Are you talking to yourself? Don't worry, I do that all the time.' 

A Lost One's head was peeking out from over the wooden board, staring at you with a perplexed expression. 'Why are you down-gutted over there? That horned beat is gone!' He gave you a cheery smile and waved for you to come up and around to him. All thoughts left you in that moment except one. 

He is alive.

'Come on up here, mister! That nit-wit won't be picking on us anytime soon!' He laughed as you finally let a smile break loose. 

'You're okay!' You cried, jumping up from your slouching position and grabbing the stuff you dropped off the floor. 

'What, you thought I was toast? Ha! Demon's never caught me before, and he never will.' You ran up the stairs and bolted over to the control panel balcony, where you quickly flowed onto the board and grabbed hold of Porter as tightly as you could. 

'I thought I lost you! Don't ever do that to me again!' You got a harsh tone while you talked as you held onto him tighter. He raised his hands to show he wouldn't and laughed. 

'Easy, everything's fine now.'

'How did you even get away?' You let go of him and gave him a look down, seeing he was still in one piece. 

'I finished clearing off the boxes and decided to come over to the balcony to wait for you. I saw him walking down there, so I flowed over here to make sure he couldn't get me if he saw where I was.' He winked and patted your head. 'He's seen me before, but I've always gotten away. Normally by pure luck. Pretty sure that makes him angrier...' You snorted and got up.

'I have the keys now, but I don't know how I should play this. Should I flow off, quickly put the keys in and pull the lever, all the while readying myself to flow back? I don't think I'll be fast enough...' Porter chuckled and rubbed your shoulder. 

'I haf'ta be leaving you now, anyway. I'll pull the lever, okay? I gotta get back to my exploring shenanigans!' You looked down, slightly disappointed he had to be off already. 

'Alright, but please don't get into any more trouble.' He giggled and stood up from his position. 

'No promises.' Flowing back over to the control board, he waves goodbye to you. 'Goodbye for now! See you next time.' You wave back, happy to have seen his again.

'Bye, Porter!'

He pulled the lever, and you immediately started to move toward the two exits. When you looked back, you saw he was already leaving to go off somewhere, whereabouts unknown. 

Turning back to where you were, you felt the board sway slowly as it came to a stop at your destination. Now to choose what path. If you picked the wrong one, you knew you could just flow back. Making a quick decision, you decide to go for the one to your right, where you could see writing on the walls.

"Without fear, there is chaos" was scribbled along the wall before you, which made you wonder. It is the truth, if you fear nothing in the world, everything wouldn't be normal or right... or as it should be... Stop thinking and just go back. You turned back around, only to be stopped by the searing voices in your mind, driving you mad.

Stop... go back... you'll need something, our lowly preacher...

You're hurting me, please just leave me alone...

We only want to make you stronger, young one... heed our words... heed...

Their words drilled into your thoughts, washing away anything else that was important to you. Their lifeforce was bleach, getting rid of your stained questions.

Turn around...

'Fine!' you cry aloud, and walk back over to the wall. Only now did you notice another canister of the glowing liquid. All of the voices returned, begging you to pick it up, pleading for you to break it. 

You sigh angrily and do as you're told, allowing the golden liquid to burn and absorb into your hand. It hurt like hell, but you sucked it up for the sake of showing face.

After the pain receded, you flexed your fingers to gain back mobility and movement, and the voices left. 

Can I keep going now, or are you going to keep on interrupting me? 

You felt... stronger. But not in a physical way. As if you'd be able to stand pain more. You felt resistant.

This is why you should listen to us instead of shaming your Gods...

Gee, I thought you left already.