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

Chapter Thirty-One: The One and Only

A barred door blocked your way, but not for long. 

Hitting it with your pipe roughly, it broke and gave you access to the elevator shaft. A very long ladder took you down, into darkness. 

'I'll go first Bendy. You follow after, okay?' He nodded and waited for you to grasp the ladder. You exhaled and held the bars, slowly letting your hands drift over to the rung below, repeating the pattern. You heard Bendy start to go down above you.

Finally, you reached the bottom and had a look around, trying to see if anything dangerous was a-foot. But it was a very tight space, with very twisty corners. 

Bendy got to the bottom as well, jumping and skipping a few rungs to reach the bottom quicker. 

He gave you a look. Let's see what's up ahead. 

You nod and let him go forward ahead of you. 'Let me know if there's anything wrong. I'll be right behind.' You held the Gent Pipe in your hand threateningly if anything dared hurt either of you.

He walked forward and you trailed, him whistling to himself quietly as he moved. After moving through the tight turns, he stops and stares above, and you notice him face showed a wide range of emotions.

Shock, upset, anger... disgust...

You look up to where he was staring, and what you saw you couldn't believe. A real human being, just a generic man - no ink or anything tainting him - was standing up high on a balcony, watching you two. 

'I believe there's something special in all of us!' He called, and a realisation struck you like a ton of bricks when you heard his proud voice boom across the room.

Bendy's smile dissipated and he grabbed hold of you hand tightly, a little bit too tight for it to be comfortable. 

'Is that you, Joey Drew?' He laughed and turned on a lantern beside him, bringing light to his face. It was definitely him, it looked like his picture from when he was slightly younger. 

'In the flesh! Well, so to speak.' He gestured to his body, and you couldn't help but feel a slight smile creep across your face. 

But Bendy looked so angry and distressed, so it quickly faltered.

'How are you here?' 

He chuckled and grabbed hold of the lit lantern. 'Let's take a little walk. There's something I need to show you,' he said this, completely ignoring your question. Bendy shook his head and tried to pull you back. 

'What's wrong, Bendy?' you murmured, not loud enough for Joey to hear. Bendy continued to shake his head, frustration in his eyes. 

'Buddy, we have to keep moving.' He looked to the ground in a fit of upset. Having one hand occupied by Bendy's tightly grasping hand, you used your other to briskly and lightly pat him on the back, making sure to dull your emotions to not use your abilities against him.

'Come on... if he does anything, I swear he won't stand a chance.' He looked back over at Joey, who waved with a smirk across his face. He glared with a furious ferocity and looked back at you, desperate. 

'Please?' you asked, staring back. You both looked at each other for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. Bendy finally backed down and nodded, not bothering to flick his gaze back at the man. 

'We're coming,' you call, loud enough for Joey. 

'I've got all day, kid.'

You head over, Bendy still clutching your hand. 'Okay, Bendy. We have to climb up a ladder, so you have to let go for a second, okay?' Bendy nodded once more, not letting his gaze fall upon you. 

He let go reluctantly and you climbed up the ladder, him following behind. You get up to the top, and Joey waves again. Bendy gets up too and has immediately clung himself to you once more. 

'There ya go! Follow me.' He turned around, but didn't move. 'But mind your step, this old place is full of surprises.' He walked forward, and you trailed behind with Bendy closely next to you.

Joey laughed to himself as he walked. 'I should know anyway... I've worked here a really long time.' Bendy gave him a disgusted glare, but Joey didn't see from behind him. 

Why does Bendy hate him so much? 

'Mister Drew?' He stopped and turned around to you. 

'Joey! Please,' he replied, acting overly friendly, which for some reason gave you mixed feelings. Like he was nice, but it was wrong. 

'...Joey, what is this place? Why is it here? Why am I here?'

'It's a cycle, Y/N. An ink-stained nightmare, forever stuck on repeat.' He glazed his focus among the room, looking at nothing. Bendy looked to the ground, monotonously. 

'With just a pencil and a dream...' and said his famous line and turned back around, continuing to walk. 

'...and a little help from the GENT corporation...' he mumbled, as you followed behind. '

...It came into being.' Bendy make a strange and off-key whistle, seemingly upset by his words. You lightly squeeze his hand in comfort.

'From what I gather, it exists in parallel to the outside world.' Now that intrigued you. 

'So, they're living on without us?' The thought of your mother worrying about where you were made you feel... gross. Like it was your fault. 

It was, really.

No, it isn't, it's Wilson's.

I mean that is true, Ink Demon. Is your voice okay? It sounds more... well, normal... Bendy once again looked at you weirdly, and there was no reply.

'No, I believe it is completely removed from the march of time. It functions here a lot faster and finishes a lot quicker than there, but time still passes... no matter how many times it restarts.' You nod, listening intently. At least you were getting answers... 

'But like a record being played over and over again... it begins to crumble, wear down...' That makes sense, I guess. He stopped at a door, and stood in front of it, looking back at you.

'This studio is a monument of choosing the wrong road. Now whether it was built for revenge, or regret... I don't know.'

Utter lies.

Can I please get an answer from you? 

No reply once more. 

'That's my riddle to solve now.' He looked in the distance behind you for a moment, making you want to turn to see if anything was there. There wasn't. 

'The truth is...' Joey reached for the door handle and let himself in, leaving the door open for you. 

'...Someone out there is messing with what's in here.' You didn't bother to wait before you replied, 'Wilson.' 

He nodded, glad you understood. 'Bad things have begun to emerge from the puddles, wicked creatures that certainly never came from my pen!' He gestured slightly toward Bendy, but you didn't notice.

Bendy's face though, looked angry at what he just said. You didn't create me.

'The worst ones call themselves "Keepers". Dangerous, deadly folk.' Bendy's clutch on your hand tightened for a moment at the word. You glance over at him, confused. 

'They've taken over the old Gent Workshop, just beyond the sewers.' He completely ignored Bendy's glaring face and turned to you. 'They're trying to bring what they call "order" to this world. Freezing the cycle in place. Changing the script!' Obviously to him it was a bad thing. 

'Whatever answer's you're looking for; you'll find them there.'

You looked over at Bendy and noticed his eyes widening, and him starting to shake slightly. Joey, on the other hand, didn't care.