"You're Safe Now" Immortal Ink ((BOOK 1)) //A BATIM FANFICTION//

Chapter 1- Meeting Joey, Again

((EDITED 12/10/22))

Henry POV

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I sighed as I walked up to the old studio. Joey still worked alone in here. All the others disappeared apparently.

I was going to surprise him with a visit since I haven't seen him in so long. A whole year really does fly by fast, huh?

I laid a soft knock on the door, with that it opened. "Not very safe...that's one downfall you have, Joey...you don't like locking your doors..." I mumbled, chuckling at the last part. I walked in, closing the door softly behind me. It was very dark in here. Dusty and inky. Joey really didn't care for this place much...

I jumped with a heard the sound of a glass bottle breaking. I looked towards the direction it came from and saw it was coming from, Joey's office.

That's odd...

I walked over to his office door and placed my ear against it. I widened my eyes at what I heard. Glass what shattering. The sounds of someone crying in pain. I then heard Joey laugh then growl. "SHUT UP! WILL YA!?" He yelled. I clenched my fist. What was he doing...

I laid a soft knock on the door and it went silent. I heard the sound of metal clanking and then being thrown before the door opened. There was Joey, blood and ink on his hands, and a shattered bottle on the floor behind him. "Joey...what's going on...? What did you do...?" I asked, kinda scared to be honest. I know I can fight Joey off, but I'm not the type of guy to just do that without a clear reason. First I need to find the person who was crying...then I will take it from there...

Joey smiled friendly. "Henry! My old pal! I missed you so much! Things went so downhill when you left..." Joey mumbled the last part. I raised a brow. "What do you mean?" I asked. He sighed. "Take a seat." He said as he pointed towards a chair. I nodded and sat down as he sat at his desk. "You heard about the workers 'disappearing'? Eh?"

"Correct..."

"Then you should know the basics..." Joey mumbled. "Once Sammy disappeared, the cartoons were boring, no music, no sound effects, only drawings shot by projections. Then Norman left, there went our studio...I got sued, the bendy cartoons shut down...and then all the rest of them left...I never knew what happened to them, but I haven't seen them since." Joey sighed.

(Surrrreeee, that's totally what happened, Joey!🙄)

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Joey...do you know why they left?" I asked. "Well...all I know is Sammy got tired from overworking and then disappeared the next day. Norman got depressed from the loss of Sammy and again...disappeared...the rest blamed me, and then I think they left..." Joey mumbled, clearly lying. I stared at him. "Okay...now in all seriousness...why are your hands covered in blood and ink, and there is a glass bottle on the floor behind you?" I asked. Joey growled. "No reason! Now how about you go on! I bet your wife really misses you!"

"Nah...she agreed for me to see you!"

"Hahah...really? How long?"

"A month!" I joked. Joey smiled nervously. "W-Well! I don't really think you should be here! It's a little torn down I think you would get hurt being here!" He said. I sighed. "Joey...I'm not leaving...how about you go take a shower? You smell awful..." I said, chucking. "Ugh! Fine...but don't you dare mess with my stuff..." Joey huffed as he stomped off to the bathroom.

I sighed with relief once he left. "Okay...Now it's time to find what he was hiding..."