A/N: This story was inspired by the 2D Bendy and Ink Henry AUs created by shinyzanzo and themarginalartist. You can find their work on tumblr.

This takes place right after The Truth Hides In Shadows.

Disclaimer: Bendy and the Ink Machine belongs to The Kindly Beast. I only own my OCs.

Ink bled through the wall in the living room. The dark substance shimmered as Ben stepped through the portal. It closed behind him, leaving no sign that the ink was even there.

The first thing he noticed as he stood near the wall was how quiet it was. Normally Bendy would be running around the house with the girls. The demon shook his head. They always made so much noise. Having such sensitive hearing could be a curse sometimes.

Ben peered through the living room window. He could see Henry and Jason standing near a large red vehicle. Then he looked at the clock on the mantle. He huffed softly. It was too early. The children were still in school.

The demon shuffled off to the kitchen. There was no sign of June. Maybe she was out shopping. She probably took the little ink spot with her. It wouldn't be the first time he'd shown up and she wasn't home. When that happened he usually entertained himself by playing with his little kitten. Speaking of the little grey puffball…

Ben walked back into the living room. He didn't see Cloudy anywhere. The kitten usually ran up to him as soon as he stepped foot in the house. The house was too quiet and it was starting to get to him. It's not like he had never experienced such silence in the home before. This felt different. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Cloooudy?" The demon called out to the little kitten. Ben winced slightly. Even thought he didn't yell out, the stillness around him made it seem too loud. His horns swayed slightly as he stood still and listened. The silence stretched on for a few agonizing seconds until he heard a tiny, squeaky mewl from under the couch. Ben tilted his head and walked over to the couch. He called the kitten again, gentler this time. The sound he heard was a little louder, but the cat refused to get out from under the furniture.

Ben sighed and tried to stay patient with his little kitten. He learned early on that cats could be skittish sometimes. Something must have spooked him. He knelt down, hooked his gloved hand under the couch and lifted up one end of it as though it weighed nothing.

Cloudy was curled up into the smallest ball he had ever seen. He was staring up at Ben wide eyed and his little tail was puffy. The demon held out his human like hand and wiggled his fingers as he waited for the kitten to come to him. The grey bundle of fluff uncurled from his little ball and approached Ben cautiously. He sniffed at the tips of the demon's fingers before climbing into his waiting palm.

Ben held the kitten close to his chest as he lowered the end of the couch. He was grateful that Jason taught him how to coax Cloudy out when he was trying to hide. Even June didn't know what to do when the cat got like that. She would get worried and call her husband for help. He would laugh and show them how to handle the little animal. The demon was surprised the man knew so much about cats.

The kitten rubbed his head against Ben's bow tie and blinked up at him. The ink demon lifted Cloudy until they were face to face. The kitten let loose a squeaky meow and pawed at Ben's face. His paw was soft and warm and covered in ink…

"Ink?" His head snapped back and he carefully took the kitten's paw so he could get a closer look. He knew what the ink looked like, what it smelled like. This was definitely ink from the Studio. Being surrounded by the oily black liquid most of his existence, he knew it when he saw it. But, how did Cloudy get it on his paw? The demon was sure it didn't come from him and Bendy would have cleaned up any mess he made.

A pit began to form in his stomach as the feeling of wrongness got stronger. Ben stood up and looked around the living room as he tried to find the source of the ink. He soon spotted a trail of paw prints that came from upstairs. The pit in his stomach felt like a chasm.

Ben hissed and gently scratched the little kitten under his chin before setting him down on the couch. He really hoped he was just being paranoid. The demon followed the paw prints and slowly made his way up the steps. The demon froze as soon as he saw what awaited him at the end of the hall.

He really hoped he was seeing things but the stutter in his black heart told him otherwise. Ben took a shaky breath and forced himself to walk down the hallway. His movements were stiff and jerky as he tried to comprehend why there was ink on the wall and on the floor. If anyone saw him right now, he was sure he'd scare them.

He stopped moving when his foot hit something. It was a basket, the one that June used when she did the laundry. There were sheets and towels laying in a puddle of ink. The demon couldn't stop the growl that crawled up his throat. This was impossible.

Ben stepped onto the puddle and a shiver ran up his spine. The cold ink was so out of place in this warm home, it made him snarl. It felt like it was defiling June's home with its presence. Finally, he reached out and touched the wall. He wanted to absorb the offending substance, to make this safe place clean again. But he couldn't because it didn't come from him. The ink was potent and chaotic…alive.

"It can't be…"

-Meanwhile-

Sometimes the bond with Bendy could be a double edged sword. It helped him to relate to the little toon better. Henry knew how Bendy felt at any given moment. For a character that was created with just basic emotions in mind, all these new and complex feelings were quite confusing for him. He took steps to help the toon when words weren't enough to express himself. This really helped the first few weeks after they left the Studio. The little toon's emotions were all over the place. They both learned from one another and things grew smoother over time.

On the flipside, Bendy felt things so strongly that it was very distracting. Henry could be working on something and get hit with a wave of happiness that nearly knocked him off his feet. It could be quite dizzying at times. Then there were the times that Henry couldn't hide how he was feeling from his friend. Telling Bendy, "I'm fine.", never worked and he even got angry if Henry lied to him. He learned pretty quickly that honestly was the best policy and the toon just wanted to help.

So now here he was, trying to help Jason string lights all over his rig, and being bombarded by emotions that weren't his own. It made it hard for him to keep up with his brother-in-law's conversation.

The toon was sad and frustrated. It probably had something to do with Ben. Bendy didn't like the idea of the ink demon hanging around his family. Henry didn't like it either. He thought his sister was way over her head and he worried all the time. Hearing of the numerous times Ben had lost his temper and lashed out at her, even hurting her on a few occasions, really didn't help the demon's case.

In his eyes, things were getting too risky. Henry wanted this little experiment to end then and there, but June defended Ben. Somewhere down the line, she wanted to help him. She saw something in him that Henry didn't. Admittedly, his past experiences with the ink demon might be coloring his opinion of him. June's stubbornness reared its ugly head and she refused to give up on him. So Henry acquiesced but kept a close eye on the situation.

Bendy suddenly felt relief and gratitude. Henry smiled. June must have said something to make him feel better. The little toon never stayed down for long. It just wasn't in his nature to feel sad for long periods of time. Bendy's positivity often kept his own past pains from drowning him. Henry was grateful for that.

A throb from the pentagram in his right hand and a spike of fear from the little toon let him know the demon was in the house. Probably sneaking up and scaring June and Bendy. For some reason Ben found that funny and while it was a harmless prank, Henry wished he wouldn't do that. Bendy's jitteriness always put him on edge.

Something didn't feel right. Bendy was more worried than usual. The fear was strong too. Henry found himself staring at the house and waiting for something to happen. If Ben went too far, he was ready to straighten the demon out. All of his attention was on whatever was going on in the house so he barely heard Jason call his name.

"Henry! Earth to Henry!" Jason was waving his hand in front of his face. He blinked and broke eye contact with the house. "Hey, what's going on? You zoned out on me."

"Sorry Jay." Henry rubbed the back of his neck. The tension from Bendy was making him nervous. "Something is going on in the house…". He couldn't keep the scowl off his face.

"It's probably Ben." Jason rolled his eyes. "I don't know why he likes doing that. It's almost as if he likes it when June yells at him for scaring her." He shrugged and checked the lights on 'Lucy'. "He's like a big kid. He'll take any attention he can get."

"Huh, I never thought of it like that…" It was hard for him to see the demon as a big kid. He chased them throughout the Studio. He tried to kill him and Bendy numerous times for goodness sakes! Henry didn't see Ben's pranks as harmless fun, although he didn't do that to his nieces. He supposed that should account for something, but still…

Before Henry could voice his opinion, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. It caught him off guard and he fell to his knees, clutching his head. He could barely hear Jason call his name through the buzzing in his head. Too many emotions hit his mind like a bullwhip. It snapped fast and just as quickly was gone. Henry felt dazed and confused.

"Henry? HENRY?! Are you alright?" Jason shook his shoulders to get him to respond. Henry blinked a few times and shook his head. The pain was fading slowly but it still left a dull throb in the back of his skull. It took him about a minute to tell his brother-in-law that he was alright.

"Something's wrong." Henry stared at Jason then he looked towards the house. His eyes narrowed in concentration. Bendy's presence felt very dull through their bond.

"Do you think Ben attacked Bendy or something?" Jason sounded nervous. They both listened but neither heard a sound from the house. No shouts from June or anything.

"I don't know…" Henry rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly. "I-I don't feel anything…" He prodded the bond he shared with the little toon, but there was no response. He didn't like this, not one bit. "We need to check on them, now!"

Henry stood up unsteadily. He swayed slightly but managed to keep his balance as they headed for the house. Jason was close behind when they ran through the front door. They walked into the living room and called out for Bendy and June. They got no answer. The house was too quiet. Jason checked the basement while Henry peaked into the kitchen. Nothing. He stepped out the backdoor. Maybe June was in the yard hanging out clothes. Nothing. Fear began to creep up his spine.

"They're not down there." Jason emerged from the basement and walked back into the living room. That's when he saw the little kitten curled up on the couch. He clicked his tongue to get the cat to come to him and that's when he noticed something on his fur. He picked Cloudy up to examine the little paw.

"Bro, you need to take a look at this!" Henry sprinted back into the room and stood near Jason. That's when he saw it. Ink on Cloudy's paw. He reached out and touched it. It was already dry.

"Where did this come from?" Henry looked around. There were no puddles on the floor as far as he could see. Both men walked around the couch and spotted a small trail of ink leading up the steps.

Jason placed Cloudy gently on the floor. He gave Henry a sharp nod and they both ran up the steps. His heart was pounding in his ears. With the incessant throbbing of the pentagram in his hand, Henry just knew he wasn't going to like what they find. As soon as they hit the top step, his blood ran cold.

Ben was standing at the other end of the hallway with his hand pressed against the wall. They could see a large puddle of ink at the demon's feet and on the wall. As both men got closer, they could see June's basket and towels laying on the floor. Henry's heart seized at the sight of the mess before them.

"What's going on here?!" Ben visibly startled. He must not have heard them coming. He let his hand fall to his side and turned toward Jason. His grin was very strained and he hadn't said a word. This made both men suspicious.

"Where are they?" Ben hummed almost thoughtfully and looked away from them. "JUNE! BENDY!?" Jason ran off as he frantically went from room to room. Henry could hear the panic in his voice as he called out to them. Deep down, the old animator knew they weren't here.

"Ben." The demon refused to look at him. "Ben!" he said in a sterner tone. Ben's head snapped in his direction. "What happened?" A low hiss was his only reply. Henry could feel the ink in his veins begin to stir the longer the ink demon went without answering him. Ben looked back at the ink covered wall and growled, "Henry…"

"Where are they?!" Jason ran out of the girls' room and stormed up to the ink demon. He screamed, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!"

Ben was taken aback by the man's accusation. "I-I did not do thisss."

"We looked all over the house! They're not here!" Jason stepped closer and stabbed his finger against the demon's narrow chest. "We can't find them, but you're here, standing near a wall covered in ink!"

"Ben." Henry got his attention again. If this was some sort of game, it wasn't funny. "Did you hurt Bendy? Did you take them back to the Studio?"

The demon shook his head vigorously. He whined, reached up, and tugged at his horns. "I did not do thisss!" This wasn't happening. Surely they didn't think he had something to do with this? After all the promises he made and all the things he's done not to hurt anyone, they were still quick to blame him for something he didn't do! If June were here, she'd tell them that they were wrong. She would believe him! But-but she wasn't here…

"LIAR! June trusted you!" He waved his fist threateningly. Ben grew very still and Henry got the impression that the demon was glaring at Jason. "Hell, I trusted you! How could you do this to us-!?" His rant was cut short by a large gloved hand wrapping around his throat.

Henry forgot how quick Ben could move. Within a few seconds, the demon had grabbed Jason by the neck, picked him up a good foot off the floor, and slammed him against the opposite wall. The man was gasping for air with the demon's face a few inches away from his own. Inky veins began to crawl across the walls. They were so thick, they nearly plunged the entire hall into darkness. The sound of ink dripping from the ceiling and hitting the floor echoed around them. It was the stuff of nightmares.

"I am not a LIAR!" Ben snarled. "I gave my word. I did NoT dO tHiSsS!" The distortion in his voice caused Henry to shudder. It dredged up horrible memories of being chased down narrow, yellowing hallways. He even heard the ever present heartbeat that accompanied the demon when he stalked him. He needed to stop this before things got out of control.

"Ben!" Henry grabbed the demon by the wrist and pulled. Ben's head swiveled in his direction and he growled lowly. "Let him go, NOW!" The ink in his veins snaked up his forearm and Henry knew the whites of his eyes were bleeding black. This was the only warning he was going to give the demon.

Ben was panting heavily as his cold breath danced across Henry's face. The man didn't even flinch. A few long seconds passed between them before the ink demon relented, releasing Jason. The man collapsed to the floor and gasped for air. Henry was at his side, telling him to take deep breaths while keeping an eye on the demon.

Ben backed up a few steps. He ran his large gloved hand down his face and his body visibly shook as he tried to reign in his anger. His inky veins began to fade as light returned to the hallway. Even the ink that dripped on the floor was gone. The only sounds that could be heard was Jason's labored breathing and soft hissing from Ben. The only ink that remained was the puddle on the floor and the large spot on the wall…

"I should have known better than to trust you." Jason scowled as Henry helped him to his feet. "If something happens to them, I'll make you regret it!" Ben hunched over slightly and growled at them. Jason tried to confront the demon again, but was being held back. "Henry? What are you doing?"

"Jay wait! I-I think he's telling the truth." The look of utter disbelief on his brother-in-law's face made Henry wince. "I know what this looks like, but I don't think he took them."

"How can you be so sure?" Jason leaned against the wall and grimaced at the pain in his back. Henry knew Ben was strong enough to do a lot worse than this. He could snap a man's neck without breaking a sweat. Jason got off easy.

"Look at this mess." Henry pointed to the ink on the wall and the puddle on the floor. "Ben doesn't leave ink behind." He looked directly at Jason to get his point across. "You've seen him open portals before. He doesn't leave a spot on the wall. He doesn't even leave footprints in his wake." He turned and found Ben staring at him. "Someone or something else did this."

Jason took a few shaky breaths and looked around. Ultimately he had to admit, Henry was right. It still hadn't changed the fact that June and Bendy was missing.

"If he didn't do this, then who did?" Jason pointed to the ink covered wall. "I thought he was the only one that could do stuff like that!"

"I-I thought so too." Henry looked to the demon for answers but he seemed just as confused as they were. He stood by the wall and place his human hand against the ink. "Ben, is this ink from the Studio?"

"The path meandersss but it doesss lead back there." The demon sighed and pulled his hand away. He stepped back to put some distance between himself and the strange ink.

Henry shook his head. He knew the Studio was somehow involved. The place that he once loved going to has turned into a reoccurring nightmare. Its influence continues to put him and his family in danger. He was growing tired of this. It made him wish he had gone back and burned the place to the ground after the last time they escaped.

"Alright so they're at the Studio?" Ben nodded slowly. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go there and bring them home!" Jason began patting his pockets. "We'll hop in 'Lucy' and be there in no time…"

Henry grabbed Jason shoulder to stop him. "Jay, you can't go!"

His normally laid back brother-in-law looked absolutely livid. "What do you mean I can't go! SHE'S MY WIFE!" He pulled out of Henry's grip and rounded on the man. "There is no way I'm leaving her in that hellhole!"

Henry raised his hands in a defensive manner. "Jay, the girls will be coming home soon. Someone needs to be here for them."

"I-But…" Jason looked between Henry and Ben. There was a war waging behind his eyes. He was worried sick about June and Bendy. They were all alone with God knows what in the Studio. They needed to save them, but he couldn't leave the girls alone. Jason closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. After a few seconds his shoulders sagged and he looked defeated. "You're right, you're right…"

"I'll go with Ben. He can transport us there instantly." The demon scoffed at the idea but Henry didn't care. They're his family. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them. "We'll bring them back."

The look of determination in Henry's eyes banished all doubt in Jason's mind. He knew his brother-in-law would stop at nothing to save them, he just wished he could go with them. His trust in the ink demon was a little shaky at the moment, but he was their best bet at bringing them home.

Henry nodded and walked up to the demon. "Let's stop by the first floor first. Maybe Norman and the others know what's going on." Ben growled at him. What gave this man the right to order him around? Henry lost that privilege when he left him to Joey's tender mercies for years, then turned his back on him when he found a perfect version of himself!

"Please Ben, I really need your help." There was a ring of desperation in the man's voice. "You and I both know, the longer they're there, the more danger they'll be in!" Henry really didn't want to fight with the demon. He was his only hope of getting to the Studio quickly and he didn't trust the creature to go off on his own.

Ben grew quiet and stared at Henry for a moment. The old animator surprised him. He was actually asking HIM for help. He half expected the man to yell or threaten him, but he did none of those things. He ASKED! The demon never thought he'd see the day where Henry needed something from him.

Truthfully, Ben didn't think he needed the old man's help. He was sure he could rescue June and the little ink spot on his own. Henry would just slow him down. Although, he might need him to come along just in case June was hurt. Ben didn't know how to take care of a human. They were so fragile, so easy to break. The thought of June laying somewhere in the Studio hurt and in pain was starting to make his ink boil. Whoever did this, he will make them suffer.

"Let'sss go." The demon waved his hand and an inky portal opened up on the opposite wall. He had an idea about where the other portal might lead, but he couldn't use it. He couldn't control that particular brand of chaotic ink. Ben wanted to get them both to the Studio in one piece. They could move on from there.

Before either of them could leave, Jason grabbed the demon by his wrist. Ben wanted to snap at the man, but stopped when he got a good look at his face. He looked so scared and miserable. The grip on his wrist tightened as he looked up at him.

"Ben, I'm so sorry I-" Jason closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. "Please, bring her back to me." Ben stared down at him. He had never seen him like this before. It seemed so out of place for the normally calm man.

Ben gently pulled his wrist out of Jason's hand. He nodded slightly. "I will." They disappeared into the inky portal. It closed up, leaving the wall spotless and Jason praying for their safe return.

-Joey Drew Studios-

June began to stir. God, her head hurt, her back hurt…everything just hurt. She fought to open her eyes but they felt so heavy. A moan escaped her lips as she rubbed the back of her head. Her mind was a little foggy as she tried to piece together what happened.

June asked Bendy to help her put the laundry away. They went upstairs…there was ink on the wall and floor. Something didn't feel right. She thought it was Ben playing a trick on them, but a giant hand lashed out! She screamed and Bendy...

"BENDY!" June's eyes flew open and she immediately regretted it. Bright lights in the distance assaulted her vision and caused a terrible pain to lance through her head. She held her head in her hands and took a few deep breaths to fight the nauseam that was crawling up her throat. Opening her eyes slowly to let her eyes get used to wherever the light was coming from.

June thought she was dreaming. She was sitting on the floor of a rusted cage. In the distance she could see other cages and floodlights that bathed the rocky cavern in eerie yellowing light. What nearly made her heart stop was the sea of ink that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The sound of machinery echoed off the nearby walls. There were giant pipes that seemed to be drawing the ink away to where, she wasn't sure.

She scanned the shoreline as the ink lightly lapped at the edge. June's heart leapt into her throat when she saw a familiar figure laying on the ground more than ten feet from her. It was Bendy! He was laying on his back and he wasn't moving.

She gripped the rusty bars and pulled herself to her feet. June pushed on the cage door but it wouldn't budge. She called out to Bendy and silently prayed that he wasn't hurt.

The little toon moaned and shifted at the sound of her voice. She breathed a sigh of relief. 'He's alive! Thank goodness.' June thought as she watched his head roll in her direction. Bendy blinked his pie cut eyes a few times before they grew wide with shock.

"Aunt June?! Are you alright?" A hysterical laughter bubbled up her throat. Of course that would be the first thing he'd ask. She told him she was fine. "Where are we?" The toon squinted as he just now noticed cage she was in.

June gripped the bars tight enough for her knuckles to turn white. "I-I think we're in some kind of underground cave." She shook the bars again, but they barely moved. "There is ink everywhere!"

"Ink?" Bendy gasped as he took in the ink running down the cave walls. The sound of waves rolling against the shore got his attention. He turned his head and grew very still. After a few seconds of silence his body began to shake. "No no no, we can't be here!" He tried to get up, but he seemed to be stuck to the ground. "H-How did we get back here?!"

June wasn't sure. Her memory was still fuzzy. The little toon began to panic and thrash about on the ground. June could see that his ink started to bubble and run down his body. It looked like he was trying to change, but something was wrong. "Bendy?" All of a sudden, his body spasms and June could see sparks of electricity arcing across his form. He screamed. The horrible sound bouncing off the cavern walls.

"Bendy! Bendy, STOP!" June thrusts her hand between the bars and reached out to him desperately. Whatever was happening was causing him so much pain. She just wanted him to stop. After a few seconds of struggling, Bendy's body sagged from exhaustion. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were blown so wide, they looked like hollow voids in his pale face.

The cave grew quite and she could hear footsteps fast approaching. "Hello?! Is anyone there?!" June rattled the bars to make as much noise as possible. "HELP! Please, someone HELP US!"

"Oh good, you're awake." June jumped and looked to the sound of the voice. A tall figure emerged from an opening in the rock wall. They appeared to have horns and a strange ring embedded in their head. As the light finally fell upon them, June recognized who it was.

"Alice?" she gasped. The woman looked right at her and smiled. It gave June the creeps. "Please, open this cage! I need to check on Bendy. He's hurt…" The angel just shook her head and she felt her blood run cold.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Alice walked over to Bendy's prone form and knelt next to his head. "He is the key to my freedom." She reached out and stroked his horns. Bendy shuddered at her touch. "I need him."

June didn't like the way the angel was so fixated on her nephew. "I don't understand! What's going on?!" She rattled the bars of her cage out of frustration. "Open this damn cage!"

Alice stood up and walked towards June. As the fallen angel got closer, she noticed a strange red glow in her empty eye socket. Something didn't feel right. Alice gripped the bars and pressed her face against the cage door.

"Oh no, I can't do that. I wouldn't want you to miss the show, Juney." June gasped and backed up until she was on the other side of her small cage. This wasn't happening… There were only two people that used that nickname. One was her brother and the other…

"It can't be…" June whispered as she stared into the angel's crazed eye. "Linda?" The smile that split the woman's face was painfully wide as it tugged at the ruined part of her mouth.

"I always told Henry that you were the smart one." The manic glee in her voice made June wince.

"NO! Y-you can't be here!" June had to swallow a few times as her mouth sudden felt very dry. "You're dead. Ben dragged you away!" She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage as Linda just stared at her. The angry glare she received made June glad they had the bars between them. She looked like she wanted to claw her eyes out.

"Death doesn't mean much in this place. The ink is very good at trapping souls." Linda pushed away from the bars and walked over to Bendy. The little toon shook terribly. The woman knelt down, reached out, and lightly traced the demon's widow's peak with the tips of her fingers. Bendy whimpered and tried to move away, but couldn't.

"My body was lost to the dark puddles, but my soul remained." She chuckled at the little toon's discomfort. "I was trapped in a small glass prison, but I managed to escape."

Linda stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "I needed a body. Lucky for me, the angel was more than happy to oblige." She tapped the side of Bendy's head with the tip of her foot. The little toon hissed and tried to move away, but it was like he was stuck to the ground. The woman chuckled cruelly. "You won't be getting away this time. You're laying on a smaller, but stronger seal." Linda lifted her foot and brought it down on his chest. Bendy squirmed under foot. "Believe it or not, I learn from my mistakes."

June moved without thinking as she reached through the bars and screamed for Linda to leave him alone. The woman paid her no mind. She ground her heel into his chest and Bendy cried out in pain. "It took time and a lot of research, but I will finally have the keys to true freedom."

Heavy footsteps and a strange clicking sound coming from the tunnel caught June's attention. She turned just in time to see a large figure emerge from the cave entrance. Her heart leapt up into her throat. She slowly recognized the different parts of the creature as it lumbered towards Linda. June glanced at her and saw the knowing grin on her face. "Norman? Sammy?" She was confused and horrified. "W-What did you do to them?"

"Do you like it?" The creature stood next to Linda. She stepped away from Bendy, reached up, and touched the broken lens of the projector. The normally bright yellow light flashed red and the teeth in its chest clicked loudly. "I could have killed them, but they are more useful to me like this."

June couldn't believe it. Linda had taken the only two people she considered friends not just to herself, but her children as well, and twisted them. She combined them into something monstrous. It stood there, looming over the other woman's shoulder. June was sure it couldn't speak from the way it growled softly.

"I should have been a bit more specific when I told it to bring anyone that with the little toon there. I thought Henry would be with him." She chuckle and shrugged her slim shoulders. "Oh well, you'll do just fine." The sneer that pulled at the angel's ruined face made a chill run up June's spine.

"All I need is the ink demon and I can finally leave this place." Linda paced around June's cage and seemed to be studying her. She had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Speaking of the demon, how are you controlling him?"

"What?" June stared at the other woman. She felt strangely offended by the other woman's question. "What are you talking about?"

"Y'know, I never took you as someone who dabbled in the dark arts." Linda chuckled. "I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover." The woman came to a stop in front of the cage door. She crossed her arms over her chest and squinted at June. "So, how did you get him to obey you? I had to use a collar myself."

"I-I'm not controlling him?" June didn't even try to hide the disgust on her face. She would never do something like that. Enslaving another person, bending them to your was just wrong! She didn't care if the person in question was a demon.

Linda frowned for a moment. "C'mon Juney, you can tell me." She said in a sing song voice that made June grit her teeth. "I've read your children's letters. He's been in and out of your home for months now." Linda pointed to the creature, then raised her hand so June could see the glowing symbol in the palm of her hand. "This is what I use to control my little creation over there." She seemed so proud of herself.

June just shook her head. "I don't control him. He comes and goes as he pleases." The memory of that collar and the immense pain Ben suffered because of it, flashed in her mind, and it made her angry. She would never do something like that to him.

"That can't be right…" Linda rubbed at her chin as her eyes roamed over June's body. "Demons don't work that way." She noticed the way June's eyes wandered over to Bendy. She tsked and waved a hand at the toon. "He doesn't count! That little demon is bound to your brother." Linda spoke to June as though she were explaining things to a child. She bristled at her condescending tone.

"Demon's don't do anything out of the kindness of their 'hearts'." She spat the word out. "If you didn't bind him in some way, you must have made a deal of some sort." There was a flash of red in the angel's empty eye socket as her focus returned to June. "So Juney, what kind of deal did you make with the demon?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" June stomped her foot on the rusty cage bottom. This woman was crazy! "I didn't make any deals…with him…". June's brows knitted as she remembered a few things. She didn't make any deals with Ben. Sure, she made him promise not to hurt Henry and Bendy…or the little kitten he found in the yard…or that time the girls made him promise not to take her away. But, those weren't deals…were they?

"No, I-I didn't make a deal with him." That denial sounded weak even to her ears. June blinked and looked back at Linda only to frown at the smug look on her face.

"Whatever you say Juney, whatever you say." She waved a dismissive hand at the other woman. Linda walked over to the side of the cage and picked up an axe that was leaning against the wall. She examined the sharp edge of the blade with the tips of her fingers.

"It doesn't really matter." Linda spoke without taking her eye off the axe in her hands. There was something in the tone of her voice made June shiver. "This'll all be over soon."

E/N: Well, this is it. This will be the final story in the Shadows of the Studio series. I didn't think I'd get this far. I wanted to give this story the ending it deserves.