The Archives [a BATIM Fanfiction]

Golden Ink

Susie awkwardly stood in front of the lift beside Allison, staring at the two dogs inside.
Tom kept trying to reach for the button, but the other dog (who's name was 'Buddy', as the wolf
signed previously and revealed to them) pulled him away. There was no help from Sammy, who just laughed and stood off to the side
"Buddy," Allison said. She gave a confused look to Tom, who nodded back, "Let us in. I know that Susie isn't the most trustable but- I won't let her eat you." She smiled. "And Lawrence, when I get in there, I will beat you to a pulp."
Sammy and Buddy looked at Allison, hesitant to do much. They both shifted awkwardly. Then there was a ding. The elevator started to go up.
"Hey! No! You're supposed to wait for us!" Susie called up as the lift rose.
Allison touched Susie's shoulder, "They'll be back. Probably pressed the wrong button.."

Henry stood before the lift, his hands in his pockets. Jack was bent behind Grant, holding on to the lost one's leg.
"It's ok, Jack. We'll just let Henry get to his friends, then we can go back."
Henry glanced at the accountant with a wry smile. "Thank you," he mumbled.
As the lift approached, three figures stood on it.
Tom, another Boris, and-

"Lawrence?"
"Cohen?!"
Henry stumbled to the side while the two ink people embraced each other. They exchanged small words quietly, Henry decided to give the two space.

"Are you alright?"

Tom stared at Henry, then tilted his head.
"It's- Henry."
Tom rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Oh. You- know I'm Henry?"
Tom pointed at his throat, then nodded.
"Ah, my voice? Um-"
Tom made a bunch of hand gestures, trying to sign something to Henry. Henry couldn't follow along.

"He doesn't speak Chinese, dingus," Sammy said from the side, Grant in his arms still. His remark made Tom's eyebrow line furrow even farther. Sammy continued, "The other's name is Buddy, Henry... Hey, how come when YOU get turned into ink, you get to keep your handsome face! But when I AM-"
"Sammy."
"Er- Right, right. Ugh... C'mon, get on the lift. There's an Angel waiting for us."
Grant turned to Jack, who nudged toward the lift. Grant nodded to him, and Sammy smiled- at least, tried to.
"Off we go, sheeps!"

Susie and Allison stared at each other quietly. There wasn't much for them to say. Allison wasn't the most talkative person. They longingly hoped that one of them would spark a conversation, or that the lift would return down. At the last second, they both blurted out to each other-
"I'm sorry!"
"You're sorry?!"
"Yes-! I- I took your job, you were so much better at Alice than I was. I didn't mean to-"
"Allison, we both had no idea! If anything it was all Joey's fault."

Ow, that's rather harsh. I cant even remember how my own comic ends! At least I gave you all a conscious. You can be thankful for your memories...

Allison and Susie side-hugged each other, watching the lift descend back into place. Upon the lift returning, two more people stood firmly. Two ink people..
Allison stared hesitantly.
"Allison- and Susie? Did Bendy actually fix you?" Henry spoke.
Allison's eyes widened. "Henry-"
Susie crossed her arms, "ACTUALLY, Mr, Allison did. Not you, not the Ink Demon."
Henry chuckled a bit. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You did a good job, Al-"
"Ok, Wait," Allison stopped them, "Who is? Ok, just... Explain."

"Oh- um, ok. Lighting round, let's see," Henry inhaled, then shook his arms, then took another breath. "Bendy tried to kill me. Well, I don't know what he tried to do, really. Turned me into ink, brought out... something inside of me. Said I was the key to killing him, yeah. This is Grant, I found him in the Music Department- say hi- there we go. Grant remembers who he is, so does just about every other thing in this place. Almost like everyone was slaughtered one day and- yeah. Uh- I talked to a- vision? Of Joey? Yes- no?- Yes! Ok- Said he forgot something, that I'll know how to end this story. And finally, my hands I can- make that gold ink you saw, Allison. I think I was the one who left in- the other loops... woo, that's a lot."
Everyone blinked, seemingly at the same time.
Henry sighed, and couldn't help but to laugh. "Did I go too fast?"

"About- the gold ink hand thing," Sammy asked, pointing his finger at Henry, "I've never seen anything 'gold' here. What the hell is he talking about?"
"In- some places there's golden ink on the walls. I had a glass tool that- helped you see it. I don't know where Henry left it, but- I guess if he did leave the gold all these loops it would explain why they never lead me anywhere. But..."

They stared at Henry's hands, which glowed a light yellow. "How does gold ink help against the demon?"
"There has to be some way," Susie shrugged, "Or else why would Bendy want to destroy Henry so badly?"
"Maybe it... is the gold ink," Grant suggested quietly.
"Hm?"
"I just," Grant huffed, "Maybe Bendy was hoping to coat Henry in ink instead of bring out his inner form. Which would explain why he looks much more different than the rest of us, and why the gold is showing itself more clearly now. Because Henry is the gold ink. Bendy wanted to cover it up, hide it, hope that Henry wouldn't find out.."
"And that's why the demon wanted him gone. Because if Henry got too strong.. too aware.." Allison added.

Henry stared at his hands, which pulsed gold.
"I'd have the chance to destroy the Ink Demon."
"But then how could Henry leave the gold writings before this timeline?" Susie asked.
"If Bendy wanted to hide it," Sammy muttered.
"Henry must have found out other times, then," Allison smiled, "This must be how the true story goes. Henry destroys the demon with gold ink. The reel must be a distraction.
"Bendy must have let Henry slip a few times before. He must have. Henry just didn't understand any of it- so he didn't destroy everything before. But now..."
"We've gotten close." 
"Too close for him to be comfortable," Sammy grinned behind the ink.
"So now, we just have to... figure out how it works, how Henry needs to do it and-"
"Then we kill the demon."

The Ink Demon howled in rage, slamming into another glass case. He ripped the door off and threw it across the hall. He screamed loudly.
"Why?! Oh why did he make me such a fool?!" Bendy limped to another door, tearing it off. "Why couldn't he have used someone else?! Henry, Allison, Thomas; oh I would have been fine with SAMMY for hells sake! But JOEY?! THIS MORON?! OH, He lead me to my demise!"

Bendy slammed his hands down into the wall. A odd sound came from the demon. It sounded like a sob...
"Fine, fine... If I can't kill Henry my way, I'll find a way that's more acceptable for the story, Joey...

"Even if it means
coming back up there..."