Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She'd begged them, pleaded with them to protect her friend, but the keeper did not understand why. It did not make sense. This Sammy Lawrence, 418, he was decreasing her chances of survival. This world was kill or be killed, why would she cling so tightly to someone that would ultimately lead to her downfall? It did not compute. 

But the keeper was not one to pass up an opportunity for data. This subject, 214, was a strange one. Feisty, resilient, and yet, strangely cooperative. She didn't start fights with them the way the others did, but there was a venom in her voice when she answered his questions. She was filled with so many strange emotions, the keeper was unfamiliar with such circumstances. It was all so new, so fresh. He had to find out more. 

So when she offered herself up to their scientific studies, he was all too eager to consult Wilson to let them do it. The keeper had so many questions, there were so many secrets locked inside of 214. He had to have them for himself.

"You may run your experiments, so long as you keep a close eye on her." Wilson stroked his chin, deep in thought. "These Cyclebreakers will try to trick you into letting them escape. You must remain vigilant in keeping them contained. They have a purpose to fulfill." 

"Understood." What more was there for him to say? That seemed fairly straightforward. 

"One more thing," the old man wheezed with labored breath. "If she gives you any data on the golden ink, report it to me immediately." Wilson's eyes gazed directly into the keeper's light, squinting harshly at the brightness. "It is a top priority." 

The keeper nodded. "As you wish, Master Wilson." 

"Very good my dear. Now go, don't keep your subject waiting. 

The keeper slithered back into the pit. It was a standard night, checking in on all the prisoners. 928 was as riled up as ever. 414 was dejected and sulking in the corner, seemed par for the course. 418 was raving like a madman, pacing back and forth and whispering to himself, like he was having a conversation with someone who wasn't there. But the keeper knew that could not be the case. There was no one there but 418.

But 214, she sat in the corner of her cell, back against the wall and thick bangs covering her face. For a moment the keeper wasn't sure she was awake. But his hand on the glass got her to perk up, looking at him nervously. She got up and walked over, placing a hand to mirror him. She did not speak. Perhaps she was waiting for him to initiate. 

"Wilson has decided. He will let you care for 418. In exchange, you will help us advance our studies of the ink." 

The way she lit up perplexed him. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice strained, but it sounded joyful. Or at least, they assumed it was joyful, this seemed to match Wilson's description of joy. 

Was she also interested in science? He was unsure. This would be a most enriching experience. The other Keepers were dealing with containing the Ink Demon, and now he had a pet project of his own. They would come to understand so much more about the ink, about the creatures of this realm. Such strides would help them to build what they were after: a perfect, orderly society. 

The keeper would never admit it, but they had questions about the nature of their creation. They did not fully make sense. Why were they built like this, how did it factor into serving their purpose? Was their purpose just as scientists and enforcers, or something more? He did not know, for himself or for any of them. But he wanted to know. He was not built the same way as the creatures Joey Drew had crafted. What made them so different? The man's research was something only Wilson was privy to, documents he would not share. He would have to find answers for himself. 

"When do we start?" She asked. 

That snapped them from their thoughts. A reasonable inquiry, perhaps she was eager to begin such endeavors. But it would have to wait. 

"The testing room must be sterilized. Get some rest. I will wake you when it is time to begin." 

That was the best he could give. Time did not have clear limits here, the concept of an hour hardly meant anything in eternity. He would like to be able to set exact expectations. Perhaps he could find a unit of measurement that would be suitable for this purpose. 

The subject nodded. "Thank you, Mister Keeper. I look forward to seeing you then." 

Mister? That was a new one. "You are dismissed."

She sighed and nodded, walking back to the corner of her cell. There wasn't much to it, barely even a place to sleep, but she would try. He knew she would try. 

He slithered over to the other cells, making sure everything was in its place. Everything seemed to be in order. The raving 418 was still pacing, muttering to himself. 

"My lord, my lord, answer me! Please, please please please I need you. Answer my prayers, answer them! Do not let this heretic get the best of you! Send me a sign, a signal, anything! Let me out so I may aid you- "

"418."

The man jerked around at the window and banged on the glass. "Let me out of here! My lord requires my presence!"

"That is not authorized." The keeper stated plainly. "The ink demon is in its place, and you are in yours."

"He NEEDS ME!-"

"It is none of your concern now, 418." The keeper shined his light in the man's face. "I am here to report that you will be cared for in our facilities. The subject instructed I tell you your 'little ewe' was here to help." 

"My sheep?" The man didn't even flinch at the light. "What have you done with her?!"

"It is contained, much like yourself. You would do well to rest if you wish to see her sooner." 

The subject banged his fists against the glass. "Let me see her! She is too fresh of blood, she needs my guidance!" 

"She will see you in the morning." The keeper put a finger to his forehead against the glass. "Goodnight, 418."

The subject struggled to keep it together, as the waves of enforcement hit his mind, willing him to go limp. He tried so hard to fight it, the keeper could feel his resistance. But his fractured mind was weak, and easily persuaded into slumber. He fell to the ground in a heap, fast asleep and quiet. Just as it should be. The less loud noises, the better it was for everyone.

The next day, if one could really call it that, started off normally. The keeper saw their subject waiting for him. They noted her ticks, rubbing at her arm, pulling at her hair a little, straightening out her pants. They did little to change her situation, perhaps these were involuntary movements. He opened up the door to her cell, getting a firm grip on her arm with his own, the lower hand on his conjoined arm. That part he understood, easier to contain prisoners with two hands and still have one free. Wilson must have thought that through. He brought her over to 418's cell, where the man had finally come to, albeit, shaken from the experience. Once they were inside and the door was promptly locked, he let go. 

She ran to 418 and held him tightly in her arms. "Sammy!" She cried out. "Oh thank goodness, you're alright!" 

"My sheep," he held her tightly in turn, his ink dripping, bleeding into hers. "Y-you have ascended further! Oh this is most joyous, the Lord has given you his blessings in my absence, there is hope!" 

She looked at him, incredulously. "What are you talking about? I haven't-" 

"You have your legs back! And your ink, oh it pulses in time! It is like his heartbeat, strong, a grand drum that guides a symphony! You have come so far in such a short time, I am proud of you my sheep!" He held her tighter. 

"Wait, wait, whoa." She let go and pushed him back a little. "Sammy…I've been this way for a while." There was fear creeping into her voice. That was an emotion he recognized all too well. "You…you were there for it. You're the one that helped me do this." She looks at the keeper, her own ink starting to drip. "What-"

"I…I was there? My sheep…my ewe…" he took her hand and squeezed it. "I…I am sorry. I don't…I don't recall these events. I…I succeeded, in helping you? I am honored. Finally, I did my duties in full then." 

She took her hand and held the side of his face, her own twisted in agony, though she tried so desperately to hide it, it was not working. She tried to slip his mask aside. He grabbed her hand firmly. 

“No!” His breath was harsh, but his grip softened. “No…my sheep. I am unworthy.” 

“Then may I feel it?”

“Feel what?” 

“Your face.” 

He had to think about that for a moment. “...You may.” 

214 gently took her hand under his mask, running her fingers over it. The keeper was not sure why, there was nothing under there. It was as blank as the mannequins. But he noted how her fingers trembled at the touch. Had she been expecting something there? 

 "Sammy…I need to take a look. Will you let me in?" 

"Oh another gift from our Lord, I would be most honored to receive such treatment from one of his chosen few! Please, come in!" He took her free hand and squeezed it in both of his own. "Gaze in and behold the greatness of his love!" 

She nodded, slowly before holding him close to her for another moment. Her ear laid against his chest, listening to his heart they presumed. Her hand lit up in gold, markings they had not seen before crackling through her inky skin. The design was abstract and beyond his comprehension, but it held his attention. Holding that hand on the other side of 418’s head, she listened. She was always listening.

She was not 214 in her mind. Such a number was meaningless as a name. She was Bella Ewe. And it was her job to undo Joey Drew's mess, set them all free. Something was wrong with Sammy, this wasn't her prophet, this wasn't her mentor. He hadn't acted like this since…since early on when they'd first met. What had Wilson done to him? 

The golden ink was a gift, one that allowed her to see into places she hadn't ever dreamed of. She couldn't risk diving so deep in the prison, she had to maintain a physical form on the surface, lest there be suspicion. But looking into Sammy's soul was subtle enough that she could probably get away with it. So she did. Dive was a powerful ability, none had quite the knack for healing broken souls the way she did, and Sammy's was one she'd seen many times before. She knew it rather intimately, what it was supposed to look like, what it looked like when he was broken and when he was whole. 

But she never anticipated this. 

Deep within the landscape of the ink, she found her consciousness floating within his inner sanctum. His soul was….scrambled. It still blazed with a bright light, it always had when his passion flared. But so many things about it were wrong. It looked like someone had tried to break it again, pieces were missing, like they'd been haphazardly ripped away. There were holes. And all too fast it started to dawn on her. He'd been reset . 

She'd seen this before, there was a time when Joey tried to send him back to the way he was before they crossed paths, to turn him against her. But that was fixable, all the pieces were there to put him back together. This…this was not. The holes had nothing to fill them, or at least, most of them didn't. There was something strange, for the first time she could see color in their world. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen color! But there was a rainbow in there. And the blues….the blues like his eyes were said to have been, the blues Jack had confessed he missed, there it was. It was a beautiful blue too, she understood why he liked it. 

She reached out a hand and tried to touch it. "Sammy," she whispered. "It's me, Bella, your apprentice. Do you…remember me?" 

The flame of his soul lurched closer to her, wrapping its fire around her arms, as if to hold her hands. "My sheep, my most wonderful sheep, you are most impressive! What do you see?" 

"Your soul…it's been fractured." She stated in disbelief. "Someone has touched you that had no business being in here." She held the flames tighter. 

The flames quivered. "I..don't recall that. Are you sure?" 

"Very sure." She held him closer to herself. "It's not your fault, it must be something truly heinous if it got to you here." She ran her fingers over the fire gently. "I will do my best to make you whole again, recover your missing pieces. It's what our Lord would want for you." It pained her to speak that way again, but she knew she had to. Sammy was in no state to talk without his prophet speech, she had to be gentle with him. 

"I trust you, my sheep. You have his blessings, his favor. You will make us strong again, worthy of being called his shepherd, his prophet, once more. Of that much, I have faith." 

She tried so hard not to cry. It was so hard, seeing him reduced to this. 

"You are so wonderful, my prophet." She squeezed his soul a little tighter. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you…"

"It's not your fault, my little ewe." The flames reached up and evaporated her tears. "I know not what did this to us, but all will be mended soon enough. You will set me free, so that he may set us free." 

"I will. I promise." She said it with such conviction, and she meant it. She didn't know how, but she would do it, no matter the cost. Wilson would not get away with what he did to Sammy, that was a promise. "May I sing for you, my shepherd? The Lord gave me a song for you, perhaps it would help soothe your pains." 

"Please, bestow your gifts upon us sheep!" 

She nodded and let go, stepping back in the abyss. With her arms in position, she gripped the air like she would her instrument. The golden lyre slowly materialized in her arms, truly a gift from Bendy to help them in their travels. A gift from Jack…to inspire, to give them hope. She played their song diligently, plucking the strings with care. It was so full of life, full of love, but it didn't come from Bendy. No, this was a song of their creation. Her, Sammy, and Jack, they made it together, a song to heal the hurting, to guide the lost. And she played it as gently as ever, the notes wrapping around his soul and pulsing in time with his heart. She could feel the air grow cooler in the calm, and some of the holes started to fill. 

But at a certain point, the progress halted. So that's how it was gonna be, huhn? Fine, she'd just have to keep treating him, like an antibiotic. She'd fix him, she had to. 

"Did you like it?" She asked meekly. 

"You play splendidly, my sheep. A bit sharp, but quite skilled." 

Of course he'd be critical. But that told her he was getting better. She would take comfort in that. "Thank you, Sammy." She smiled softly. "I must return to the surface, lest our captors grow suspicious." She put her instrument away and held his soul one last time. "Wilson and his Keepers are a force to be reckoned with. I don't know what they're capable of, but we have to be careful. They cannot know what I have done here, for if they knew I was trying to bring you back to your full strength, I would not be allowed to come back. I need you to pretend that I'm here for a lesser purpose, a sheep to calm your supposed 'hysteria'. Can you do that for me?" 

"My sheep, my lips are sealed. They shall know nothing of our true goals, that much I can assure you. Our Lord requires a stealthier approach, that much I understand now. Our time to rise will come soon enough." 

"Thank you." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm gonna make this right. Rest easy, my shepherd, I will come back when I am able. We will continue to mend you." 

"I look forward to it, Bella." He paused. "Bella...my sheep. I quite like the sound of that." 

She smiled softly, tears creeping down her cheeks. "I like that too."

Chapter Text

It had taken a while to pry 214 from 418’s side. She had held onto him so tightly, so firmly, like she was afraid she’d never see him again if she let go. But the keeper did not understand why. He had said that they would be back to check on the subject, and he would not say something he did not mean. Lie, liar, that’s the word she had used with him. Just as 928 did, always talking about liars. What was a liar? What did that mean?

214 was held within the testing room until the door was, once again, locked. Then they could let go. She rubbed her arm a little. 

“Yeouch, do you have to hold it so tightly?” She whimpered. 

“It is standard procedure. You must remain in the testing facilities.” He stated simply.

She sighed and turned away. “I’m not gonna run away from you, that wouldn’t do either of us any good.” 

The keeper quirked his head a little, looking her over curiously. “A rather logical conclusion you’ve come to. Can’t say I expected it.”

“Humans can be rational, you know.” She smirked, the glint of her teeth was somewhat fierce as his light shined over them.

“You are not human.” He replied as he got to work, organizing the tools that sat on his tray. 

“I suppose not, not anymore at least.” She sighed. “The outside is ink, but that doesn’t change my soul.” She held a fist over her heart.

“I fail to see how such a thing matters.” 

“Of course you would.” She huffed. “You’ve never dabbled with souls, have you?” 

“I can’t say I have.” The keeper replied curtly. “Now remove your garments. We have work to do.” 

“I’m sorry, remove my what now?” She gasped incredulously.

“Your attire. We need to examine you in order to begin the tests.” 

“Oh no, there is no way-”

“You agreed to this. You must uphold your end of the deal.” The keeper turned around, towering over her. She looked so small, so weak, even with her little fists balled up at her sides. She could not begin to take on a titan like a Keeper, that much they both knew.

“How can I trust that you’ll give them back?” She asked bluntly. 

The keeper cocked their head in confusion. “What reason would I have not to?” 

“What reason would you have to?” She growled. “You and your people have taken everything from me. Why wouldn’t you take this too?”

“I fail to see what purpose that would serve,” he stated simply, “I have no need for your clothing or baubles. I am here to examine you.” 

“Why should I trust you when you work for a liar?” 

“That word,” he paused, “what is a liar?” 

“What is-you mean you don’t know?” She looked at him incredulously, her hip cocked to the side as she stared him down.

“No, that is unfamiliar to me. Explain it.” 

“O-okay.” She stumbled, rubbing her chin. “Well, a liar is someone who doesn’t tell the truth. They…make up false stories about things to deceive people, hide their true intentions. People don’t like being lied to.”

The keeper pondered that for a moment. “You think I would lie to you.”

“Y-yes.” 

“Why?”

“Because Wilson has lied to me. You work for Wilson, don’t you?”

“Yes, but Wilson would not lie.” 

She blew a raspberry and crossed her arms. “Likely story. He took everything away from us. He locked us up in this place after promising he meant no harm.” 

“He did not mean harm. He locked you away so the cycle would not reset. That is not harmful.”

“We have very different definitions of ‘harmful.’” 

“Clearly you do not understand what the word means.”

She huffed back at him. “I still don’t trust him…he has not earned my trust. And neither have you, Richard.” 

“I’m sorry. That sounds like something you will have to come to terms with, after our testing.” His tone was flat. This was getting old.

She sighed. “Really not gonna budge on this, are you?” 

“No. We need to see your full form to get an accurate reading” 

“You’re sure?”

“Quite sure.” 

She paused for a moment in thought. “...Promise me I can have them back the moment we’re done?” 

“What is a promise?” 

“Really, you don’t know? Aren’t you supposed to be the smart one here?” She held her hands on her hips.

Had he any eyes to roll, perhaps he'd have rolled them. Instead he cocked his head to the side in mild irritation. “Answer the question, 214.” 

She groaned. “Okay okay. A promise is…well it’s an agreement that you make, where you say you’ll do something and you must do it. You have to honor it. To dishonor it would be a terrible crime.” 

“Ah, I see. How enlightening.” The keeper held their chin in thought.

“Promise me I’ll get them back as soon as we’re done?” She asked. There was something unsettled in her voice, something…anxious maybe? Was that the right word?

The keeper thought about this for a moment. “Alright, I promise you can have your attire back as soon as we are finished. But you must behave.” 

“Understood.” She reached out a hand to his. He stared at it blankly. 

“What, never heard of a handshake?” 

“Why would I shake your hand?” They asked.

“It’s a gesture. It means we agree to be cordial.” 

“Oh, alright then. Sure.” He carefully took her hand, and she moved his up and down, awkwardly, but it was something. 

“Thank you.”

Finally, she did as she was asked. Took her long enough. He didn't understand why that was such a hardship, most ink creatures looked the same. Unless she had something to hide, why fight about it? 

She took off her overalls and folded them up. They were rather dirty, stained with splotches of ink. He wondered how long she had them. Had they come from one of those clones he'd seen before, the one they called Boris? Perhaps. But more intriguing were the bandages beneath. Around her chest and side, she was all patched up with gauze. Why? Had she sustained an injury? The hat came off next, and in it she tucked a necklace, with a heart shaped pendant at the end. The keeper failed to see why they called it a heart shape. It was clearly nothing like a heart, and they would know! How silly, it wasn't anything close to anatomically correct. 

She turned around to face him after putting the garments aside. "Satisfied?" 

She was nothing out of the ordinary. She had a little more shape than a lost one would, not quite as bony and falling apart, and significantly more ‘hair’ so to speak. It was so curly and poofy, going down to the back of her knees. It almost sounded like something Wilson had described once while talking about agriculture, a sheep was it? Well 418 had called her his sheep, perhaps this was why. But there was nothing to hide, nothing to be so concerned about, not as far as he could understand. Unless…

"Are you injured?" 

"Excuse me?" She crossed her arms. 

"You are bandaged. Are you healing from an injury?"

214 gulped at that. "I…to be honest, I don't know. I've…never taken them off since I got them." She held her hand against the bandage on her side. "This part leaks. I…have to be careful about it." She shuddered. 

"That does not seem normal. Has it always been that way?" 

She nodded. "For as long as I can remember. I've had it since…since I came into this realm. Before the ink claimed me." 

This piqued the Keeper's curiosity. "You remember a life outside of the cycle?" 

She nodded again, hanging her head. She looked rather cold, shivering as she stood there. "Yes…though it feels very far away." 

The keeper nodded. "We shall take your measurements. Perhaps you could tell me what that was like while we work. You seem tense." 

214 nodded. "Okay. I can try." 

The keeper gestured for her to step on a scale. Then he took her height, and she finally spoke up. "I didn't think I was coming in for a doctor's visit. Can't remember the last time I had one." 

"I suppose this would fit that definition." The Keeper mused. "I'm told doctors do a great deal to analyze and study the human condition."

"When they're good at their job, yes." 214 sighed. "They're expensive though, I haven't been able to afford a visit in years. Last time I was in, it was because I fell off a ladder and broke my leg." 

The Keeper nodded as he continued his work, listening and moving her around to get his measurements. He could see some small scarring on her leg. Difficult to make out, but when you’re the one with the mark, it makes it harder to forget, he reasoned. "That is unfortunate."

"It really is." She chuckled to herself, it was dry. "That one little mistake set everything in motion. If I hadn't been knocked down, I never would have met Joey, and I never would have come here." She huffed, her posture drooping. "Everything would be different."

"Everything happened as it needed to." Said the Keeper. "The mistakes of the past happened so we could have order today. In the end, all will be good. Wilson will bring about order, improvements to this realm." 

"That's real comforting." She snorted. "What, we all just exist for Wilson to play with?" 

"Hardly. We must know everything, collect more data, to understand the ink. Understand the world. That is our purpose, to make a better world." 

The subject smirked at that. "Well, Richard , you have a long way to go before you've understood the ink." She shrugged. "Take it from an expert, it doesn't bend to order. There's only one force that can shape it." 

"And what would that be?" He asked dryly. 

"Oh you'll figure it out soon enough. Assuming Wilson's willing to look in the mirror." 214 cackled. "Takes a great deal of reflection to find that answer for yourself." 

 "I fail to see how a piece of glass could answer that." 

"You'd be surprised. Try it sometime." She smiled. "You never know what you'll find in a mirror." 

The keeper nodded at that. He would have to ask Wilson what this meant, perhaps mirrors would help advance their research. He carefully went to the next of his tools, holding up a needle and flicking his fingers against the tip. 

The subject gulped. "W-what's that for?"

"A sample, to analyze. We must understand what makes you up." 

She nodded meekly and stuck out her arm before turning her head away. "Please don't make me look."

"Are you….afraid of needles?" The keeper asked, perplexed.

" Yes. " She whispered harshly. "They're horrible. Please get this over with." 

"Understood." The keeper was quick to find a vein and plunge the tool into her arm, pulling away the ink from within. She hissed, her eyes clenched shut. 

"Release your tension, it will only make this take longer." The keeper warned. 

"It would help if you could distract me."

The keeper thought about that for a moment. Distract her, what good would that do? 

"Just please get my mind off of it??? Tell me about your day or something!" She sounded so desperate, it was pathetic. 

"Alright then." The keeper cocked their head to the side. "We did great work sterilizing the lab today, it's been cleaned specially with our newest sanitizing compound." 

"Is all you ever do science?" She groaned. "Don't you do anything fun, like play cards, or draw or something? Have office gossip? Ya know, live?"

"I fail to see how that would progress our studies." 

"So that's all you do then, study?"

"Yes. Just as you are always causing trouble, Cyclebreaker."

"That's not true, that's just my day job." She chuckled, albeit a bit weakly. "Sometimes you need a break from that…I play music sometimes."

"Music?" The keeper asked. 

She nodded, still looking away. "Yeah. I mean, Sammy, my friend, he used to be the director of the music department, before all this happened. He and Jack taught me how to play while we've traveled together. It started out as a way to uh, 'calm the sheep,' but later on, we just kind of, did it for fun." She sighed. "I could show you if you hadn't taken my lyre."

"It was potentially destructive, it had to be taken." The keeper said flatly. 

"It's not though. Literally, it just makes noise." She grumbled. "Music is used to help people, it's art. It's something to do to express yourself so you can feel better. It doesn't like, change the world or anything, but it's a small help, y'know?" 

"An interesting notion." The keeper mused. He finally took the needle out, taking care to bandage up her arm once he put it aside. "Do you suppose music might improve prisoner conditions?" 

Bella nodded quickly as she looked at him. "Absolutely it would! You've locked up a bunch of creatives, of course they're gonna be miserable. They've got nothing to create with." 

"Well you shouldn't be 'creating' in here. Wilson said no potential tools for escaping." The keeper said curtly. He carefully deposited the ink into many different sample jars. Goodness, he sure had taken a lot. 

"Believe me, we know. But like, it wouldn't hurt to let us have something, like an instrument, or a sketchbook? Maybe uh…a hairbrush, for Alice?" Bella cupped her chin. "Y'know I don't actually know what she would appreciate, just know she likes to preen. Hmm." She shook her head. "But seriously, give Sammy his banjo back and I swear he won't cause as much trouble." 

"Is that a promise too?" 

"Well, sort of. Kind of hard to make promises on someone else's behalf, y'know?" She scratched the back of her head. "But I hypothesize that would be the case. That, is the right word, right, hypothesize?"

The keeper perked up at that for but a moment. "Yes, yes it is." 

"Yeah, I hypothesize that, based on past experiences. He's consistently been better when he has a banjo to strum." 

"I see. I will see about making accommodations." It couldn’t hurt to ask. If the Cyclebreakers were kept busy, given a little reward for good behavior, perhaps they’d be more willing to cooperate. They could frame it that way to Wilson, surely.

The keeper lingered his fingers over a secondary needle, cleaned and ready to go. He hesitated as he turned to her. "There is, more we must do." 

"Aw come on, haven't you taken enough already?" She huffed and crossed her arms, but she flinched when it was still sore. 

"I…have been asked to get samples of the golden ink." 

Bella looked him up and down, her eyes squinted in suspicion. "I don't have any to give you." 

"This is untrue." The keeper stated simply. "You are lying. I have seen you use the golden ink before." 

"No, I'm not lying!" She glared. "The golden ink isn't something you can just, put in a jar! It doesn't work like that." 

"Then how does it work?" The keeper asked. He almost seemed…curious. And not in the usual way, no, this was a different kind of curiosity, almost childlike, full of wonder. Ink that behaved differently from the rest? There were so many questions bubbling in his mind, so many possibilities for how it could work, how it could be utilized! So many variables and factors to consider!

Bella paused and held her chin. "You know…I'm not entirely sure. All I know is it stops glowing after a while, looks the same as regular ink to me." 

"We'd do well to study it. There is so much we could learn from looking at it closer. Wouldn't you like to understand it better?" He bargained.

"I'm not sure we can." Bella sighed. "My access is…limited." She bit her lip. "The signal towers…I can't use it very well while they're on. You're lucky I could calm Sammy down at all." 

The keeper pondered that for a moment, gazing thoughtfully at her arm, the one she'd used before. "So your abilities, they are tied to the ink demon?" 

She nodded hesitantly. "He's the one that showed me I was capable of so much more. But whether it comes from him, or from me, I can't say for sure."

A curious question, wasn’t it? Not even knowing where your power came from. Then again, the keeper didn’t know where his own was from either. Was he born with it, or was it a gift? He didn’t remember.

"And this power of yours…you are a healer?" The keeper asked. 

"Something like that. The ink can be…a little abstract in how it functions." She teetered her hand back and forth. "He trusted me to help people. So that's what I do. I give them peace." 

"Can you give the ink demon peace?" 

"What? What do you-" 

"Can you calm the ink demon?" Their voice was so firm. Almost like a wound up string ready to be let go.

"I mean…maybe?" She shrugged uncertainly, her posture tense. "Peace isn't something you just, give someone, it's something you have to work towards, you know? My power gives me a little influence, but ultimately, the person has to be willing to listen for it to take."

"Fascinating…" the keeper mused. "The ink is a curious thing, there is so much we have yet to learn from it."

"That's at least something we agree on." She sighed and leaned back in her seat, staring at the ceiling. "I don't know why Joey ever messed with this stuff. It's horrible. Corrupts everything it touches. Twists you into something you never wanted to be." 

"How do you know that?" The Keeper inquired. "What tests have you done to confirm your hypothesis?" 

"None, but you don't need tests to see it." She sighed and looked at him in irritation. "I know who I was before, and I know who I am now. I know who these people were. I know it's changed them. It's been my job to try and give them some semblance of hope again." She looked at him with a great deal of grief in her eyes, like this pained her physically, not just in her heart. "They have good hearts, they were people once, human beings who wanted nothing more than to make great art and have a consistent paycheck. Joey took that away. I can't give it back to them, but I want to make their lives better." 

"Then why don't you work with us?" The keeper mused as they started labeling the jars. Their conversation had grown…a little distracting. "You share in our vision, for a perfect world. Together, we could achieve that." 

"I don't think Wilson and I agree on what a perfect world looks like." She sighed and looked at the ground, holding her legs up to her chest. "It's not something that can be quantified, the idea of 'perfect'. It means different things to different people." 

"Well then, how would you define a perfect world, 214?" 

"Well for one thing, in a perfect world I wouldn't be just a number. My name is Bella." She spat. "What does 214 even mean? These numbers don't make any sense." 

"They make perfect sense, you just don't know the system." The keeper rebutted. 

She scoffed. "Okay wise guy, explain it to me then. What's the system?" 

"The numbers indicate how many cycles each subject has been through. It's the most reliable metric to determine the threat level. More experience in the cycle, more of a threat." 

"Oh, so I'm low on the food chain huhn?" She snorted. "How do you even know how long we've been in here? I mean, those numbers can't be right." 

"Oh? And what would you know about that?" 

"Simple, Sammy was inked early on. It was 1946, he's one of the earliest ink creatures there is." She quirked her brow. "Alice is similar, she was one of the first humans to be experimented on. Why would her number be 928 while his is 418? That's a whole-” she counted on her fingers “-610 gap! It doesn't add up!" 

"..." The keeper whipped over to her and shined his light directly in her eyes. "How would you know about that?" 

"I do my research." She smirked. "You're not the only one that worked for someone powerful, Richard. Before Joey threw me away, I was privy to most of his record keeping." She poked his chest and pushed a little. "So the question is, which of our data sets is more reliable, hmm? Where does your data come from?" 

She was so coy, challenging him like that. The keeper pondered this. Such information was not strictly kept secret. It was not anything that could provide a benefit to the Cyclebreakers, save for satiating their curiosity. Sure, he could say this, it would not be a breach of anything. 

"There is a place in the cycle, a place filled with data. Models of every character, information on how they were made. We believe it was once the headquarters for the last person who controlled it. Wilson called it a 'treasure trove of information.' Like the cycle had been organized just for him." 

214's eyes went wide at that. "Impossible, I've been through every nook and cranny of this place, and I've never seen anything like that!"

“It’s quite real, I assure you.” The keeper held his head higher. He almost looked a little smug. “The data has been invaluable. We know every part of the cycle before it was halted. It gave us the perfect opening to halt it for good.”

“Right as Henry turned on the machine…” 214 looked at the ground in thought, moving her eyes up to the keeper as she said it. “You…You jumped us right as we were waking up. Right as the Ink Demon came back into being. That’s how everything got screwed up.” She fell back on her seat a little, holding herself up with her good arm. Her voice dropped in horror. “You were watching us the whole time. ” 

The keeper nodded. “Your conclusion is mostly correct. We did not watch the entire time, but finding the ideal opening did take a lot of thought and planning. We made an admirable effort. As did you in trying to fight back.” Richard slithered away from her, finishing up the last of their labeling. “But ultimately, we had better data. We know your strengths, your weaknesses, how to keep you contained. You could never stay hidden from us, not forever.” 

“And yet, here we are.” She got back up, a little braver, eyes narrowed ever so smugly. “You haven’t gotten all of us Rich, and you never will.” 

“A bold assumption based on nothing.” The keeper retorted cooly, “We have the means to achieve our goals.”

“Oh I wouldn’t be so sure.” 214, no, Bella, looked at her fingernails in thought, her legs crossed. “There’s so many things you don’t know about. So many unknown variables that could ruin your entire plan. Things you can’t see externally in the slightest, completely left out of your data” She stuck out her lip a little, fake and pouty. “Such a shame too, this whole plan of yours has a lot of potential, if it didn’t reek of conquest.” 

“Hmmph.” The keeper looked her up and down. “I could easily put in a request to get the information out of you, you know that, right?” 

“Hardly.” She scoffed. “Nothing you do would make me talk. None of us will. That said-” She got up from her seat and walked next to him, holding his free arm. “You need my help. And I need yours. Perhaps we could benefit each other’s goals. Then we’ll see who’s really the sharper mind around here.” She smirked. “I’d like to propose a deal." 

"Don't we already have a deal?" The keeper questioned. 

"We do. I help you with your study of the ink, and you let me give my friend comfort as he recovers from trauma. Trauma your group caused.” She stomped on the ground. “But what if we were to sweeten the pot a little, make this interesting?" 

"I don't follow." He looked at her in genuine confusion. 

"You're gonna need more than just test tubes and tools if you really want to understand the ink. There are things science alone can't teach you. I'd be willing to teach you what I know. But in exchange, I need a little favor from you." 

"And that would be?"

"I need to know more about what Wilson's "perfect world" is gonna look like." She clutched her hand over her heart again, squeezing his arm a little. "I used to know Joey Drew, I saw with my own eyes how the ink corrupted him. It changed him, twisted his morals, made him into a monster. It could easily do the same to Wilson. He's just as vulnerable as we were, he's human. If you want to make the world better, using ink? The machine? You have to be careful." 

"That is top secret information. Wilson doesn't need to worry about such trivial matters. The ink will not hurt him. He is in control." The keeper huffed. 

"That's not true. It doesn't matter how strong you are, the ink consumes everything , it can twist even the best intentions. And if he actually wants to do something good…I don't want him to get hurt." Bella looked up at him sadly. Something told him she spoke from experience. "Please. I need you to keep an eye on him, tell me how he's doing. I know the signs, I've seen it first hand. I'll be able to help you, before it's too late." 

"How do I know that your own intentions aren't twisted on this matter?" He asked. 

"That's a fair point." Bella let go of him, gesturing as she spoke. "I've had my own mind twisted before, but I've gotten better control of it. The ink can't hurt me the way it used to, I've learned from its tricks. And even so, there's nothing I can do with this information that will hurt you. We both need your studies of the ink, so there's no sense in me running away to tell someone. There's no one to tell, you've got the only people who would try to stop Wilson trapped in here." 

"So you truly do want to know more about the ink?" 

Bella nodded. "I need to know…" she held the bandages around her side. "I need to understand how it works, why I was able to ascend. How I can use my power to help people. You asked me before what a perfect world looks like: that's a world where I can heal those who are hurting. Give them a chance to be themselves again. A chance for joy, a brighter future." 

“A chance to be themselves?”

“They were human. All most of them ever wanted was to go back to the way they were, back to living safely in the real world. Or…die for good, released from the ink’s hold..” She rubbed at her face. “I can’t give them either. If you could help me set them free… I’d do almost anything.” 

The keeper saw something in her golden eyes, something that felt honest, pure, like it had a good heart behind it. Wilson had said as much to them, that the golden ink seemed to be tied to those that wanted to do good, those with strong intentions. This must be what he meant. He believed her. She had no reason to feign concern or lie, did she? 

It would mean bad things for all of them if something happened to Wilson. These were variables the Keepers had never considered before. He almost wondered, how susceptible was he to the darker powers of the ink? He was made from it, could he too become corrupted? He needed to know.

Krrzt- “Attention all personnel.” The loudspeaker crackled to life. “It’s Wilson-”

“What does he want?” Bella huffed. 

“Report to the north wing for a staff meeting. We have pressing matters to attend to.”

He sounded calm, pulled together, but an exchanged glance with 214 revealed that both were somewhat unsettled. Wilson was not the type to call for an emergency meeting, ever. Something must have happened. Hopefully something good.

“I’m afraid this will have to be our stopping point.” The keeper gestured to her clothes. “Gather your belongings. I will take you back to your cell. We can continue our research later. Your wounds still need to be addressed.” 

“Eh, it’s waited this long, what’s a little longer, right?” She chuckled, waving her arm so as to brush it off.”

“I’m serious.” The keeper looked at her. “If there is something wrong or hurting you, I’d like to fix it.” 

214 was stunned into silence. But she smiled at him, the way she had before. A kind smile, a hopeful one. That seemed to be a good smile. The keeper was pleased with that. Without another word, Bella nodded meekly and hurried to get dressed. The moment she was covered, they headed out, with him holding her tightly. But this time, she held him back. He was not used to having his hand held. But in some ways it felt…nice. 

As they walked back to the cells though, they passed by the one she usually occupied. She looked up at him in confusion. 

“Wait, don’t we-” 

“Protocol would indicate that 418 needs extra supervision. I am trusting you to supervise him while I am away.” He said as he slithered up to the door. “He responds well to you, you will keep him from keeping everyone up all night. Are we understood?”

She nodded and gave him a playful little salute. “Of course. You can count on me Rich.”

“One more thing.” The Keeper paused. “Why do you continue to call me Richard?”

“You just look like a Richard to me.” She blushed a little, covering her mouth daintily.

“Really?” He asked incredulously.

“Yeah. Hey, you know what the nickname for Richard is?” At this point it was clear she was trying not to laugh. What was so funny about the nickname for Richard.

“What?”

“Dick.” 

“Oh…” The keeper paused at that. He let her in through the door. “Goodnight 214.”

“Goodnight Richard!” She gave him a little wave before erupting into laughter the minute he closed the door. 

The keeper knew well enough he’d just been made fun of. And yet…he didn’t mind. If anything, he was almost embarrassed to think it, but…he kind of liked Richard. It was the first time anyone had called him by a name. And even if it wasn’t the nicest of names…it was clever. And it was his.

Richard the Keeper, top scientist for Wilson and public servant of the cycle. Kind of had a nice ring to it. 

“Attention-”

Yes, yes, fine. The keeper slithered off to the meeting place. Time to get this over with. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could get back to his studies. He had so much to think about, so much to test! 

… They had so much to test. 

Chapter Text

The moment Richard had left them, the shepherd found herself wrapped around Sammy. With no one to pry them apart, no one watching, finally she could drop the facade, stop pushing away the feelings that had been bubbling in her chest for weeks. Her body quivered in his grasp. She cried, inky tears spilling out and mixing with the ink of his chest. He gently stroked the back of her hair, holding her close to him as she let it all out. 

"There there my sheep. You have been so strong for our Lord. You do not need to hide yourself for him here." 

It was so good to hear his voice, even if he wasn’t quite himself. She'd been so scared, Wilson had kept them apart for so long. She couldn't save him before, couldn't save him now. But at least now…for now they were almost safe. Almost. 

"I'm sorry…" she whimpered, rubbing at her eyes as she tried to pull herself together. "I don't mean to cry-" 

"You have nothing to apologize for, my ewe." He tilted her head up to look at him, his hand gently cupping her cheek. "Try as we might, we are all afraid…even me. I know better, I am his prophet. I have to believe that He will set us free-"

She grasped his hand tightly within her own, squeezing it. "This is more than all of us can handle. The ink demon…he…he's scared too." 

"Why?" Sammy cocked his head to the side, struggling to process the thought as he sputtered. "He is the ruler of this realm, there is nothing he cannot overcome! It's that, that Wilson that should be afraid!" 

"If only…" Bella shook her head. "He's found a way to weaken all of us. The signal towers, they hurt anything tied to our Lord." 

"So then…" Sammy stared at the ground. "This is another test, another trial. One we will have to overcome."

"More or less." Bella huffed. Her gaze fell to the ground. "They know so much, they've got everything they could possibly want to know about the cycle right at their fingertips. How the hell are we supposed to fix this?" 

The prophet stroked his chin in thought. "I'm not sure. That was always Henry's strong suit, trying to find a way out." 

"Even he's pretty hopeless." Bella rubbed at her eyes, struggling not to cry any more. "His cell is so quiet. If I didn't hear him breathing, I'd assume he was dead, for good…"

"That is…unfortunate." Sammy sighed, rubbing his temples. "There's got to be something. Our Lord would not leave us with nothing at all. I'm sure of it." 

Bella sat up a little straighter, eyes wandering around the room. There was a sparkle of scheming in her gaze. "Wilson may be tactical, but there's got to be something he hasn't accounted for. An angle he's missed. If we just knew him a little better, we could find the flaws in his plan, I'm sure of it."

“You continue to impress me, my sheep.” She could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “I assume you have something in mind?” 

She nodded. “I’m going to level the playing field.” She clenched her fist, struggling to light it up. But the golden ink eventually decided to make itself known, flickering to life within her veins. “Wilson and the Keepers don’t know how the golden ink works. But to be fair, neither do we, not in full.” She examined her hand, her expression solemn as she flexed her fingers. “Joey…he had the power to banish souls deep into the ink, keep them from coming back up. Or so he thought. If I can figure out how he did it, we can trap them for good, or at least, until we’ve fixed the cycle.” 

“And you’re certain they’d be secure down there?” Sammy asked incredulously. 

“Positive. I’m the only one who’s been capable of diving down and back up. Without me, they’re as good as drowned.” She looked to the ground, her posture falling a little. “Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of it though…It’s hell down there.” 

Sammy nodded thoughtfully, holding up a finger in warning. “It’s best to leave that for when the options run out. We both know the dangers of plunging that deep.” 

She nodded sheepishly. “Right. You’re right.” Bella shuddered at the thought. The voices, they were so much louder down there. It was so easy…to get lost in them. She sighed and shook her head. “I wish we could play a little more fairly, but I’m not sure we can. After what Joey and Wilson have done…we can only be so merciful.” 

“You must have more faith. There are sacrifices we will have to make, but we won’t sacrifice our purpose. We will set them free.” He took her glowing hand in between the two of his and squeezed it. “Our Lord has blessed you for a reason, my sheep. He trusts you to carry on his will. And you will do so most wonderfully, of that much I am sure.” 

There was such a genuine hope in his voice, such heart. She struggled to keep her composure as she squeezed him back. “My prophet…” She squeaked as she rubbed at her eyes. “Can we really do this?” 

“I believe we can. Hold onto your hope. All will work out as it needs to.” 

“Alright then. I believe you.” She firmly pulled him into a hug. Despite the gasp he let out, he did not protest. He held her back, gentle, but also firm. As though he had also missed such contact. She almost wondered if he knew her better than she thought he did. 

They stayed that way for a long while, sitting there in silence, holding each other as though their lives depended on it. The prophet quietly hummed. With no strings to pluck, it was the only instrument he had. She hummed back at him every so often. 

"I miss Jack." She broke the silence. "I hope he's okay out there." 

"He will be alright. He has to be." Sammy took her hand again and held it tightly. "Our pied piper is an extraordinary shepherd, he will do great things." 

"So you still remember him?" 

Sammy nodded. "The details are fuzzy, but yes. I can feel his touch, deep within my heart. His mark is one that cannot be erased." 

"You have no idea how good that is to hear." Bella cracked a small smile, her eyelids drooping. "Sometimes I'd worry, that you'd forget about us." 

"Why would I?" He asked. He almost seemed puzzled by the prospect. "My lord has granted me such fine companions in our quest, to forget them would be a disservice to his grace." 

Bella sighed and nodded. "Of course. That makes sense." 

"...Are you alright my sheep? You seem…troubled." He cocked his head to the side, concerned, but also curious. 

"I'm fine." She brushed at the air as she spoke, waving the topic away. "I'll be better once we carry out our mission. Though, at this rate…ugh." She sighed and leaned her head back. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Do I really have to work with the keepers ?" 

"Well, you could choose not to, I suppose." Sammy mused. "But that would mean remaining in the dark, and not fulfilling your plans." 

She groaned. "Fiiiiine. We'll do it. Just, ugh, he is so insufferable. Talks like he knows everything, and yet, he knows nothing." She spat. 

"It can be difficult when you presume your sheep have nothing to offer to the flock. But these keepers, they are not your sheep, they are Wilson's." He gestured as he said it, doing a great deal of pointing at nothing, but Bella understood what he was getting at. "You must sway him to your flock. Convince him that you have something he wants, something Wilson cannot give him." 

Bella clenched her fist a little. "But what if the thing I have is something he could use against us? We need more information about the ink, but if I'm studying it with them…then they'll know it too." 

"This is more than a mission for knowledge, my ewe." He grasped her shoulders firmly. "This is a mission for understanding, building bridges." 

"Impossible." She scoffed. "He could never understand, they're all monsters-"

"My sheep." He said firmly, staring her down. "I'm most disappointed. What's hardened your heart, made you change your tune?" 

Bella turned away from him, her arms crossed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come now. You know better." He huffed. "One of your greatest strengths is befriending those who were once your enemies. Why would you give up on that now?" 

"Other people I know have good inside of them. You were all victims. Richard is not. He's a pawn, made from darkness, for evil." 

"And why do you think that?" 

"Are you blind?" She turned around and threw her arms down, gesturing widely to the shuttered window of their cell. "Just look at what they've done to us Sammy! Thrown us all in prison, exerted control to keep us in line. The voices haven't stopped SCREAMING since we got in here! Our realm is in peril, in shambles, and it's all their fault!"

"That may be true, but it is not the full story." Sammy crossed his arms. "You do not know how they were made, if they were truly born of darkness or not." He held up a finger. "The shepherd I know saw good in everyone. You must search for that light, that hope." 

"How can any of them be good?" She crinkled her nose in disgust. "They think they're making some 'perfect world'. You don't imprison the protectors of a realm in a perfect world!" 

"They do not know us. And we do not know them." The prophet shook his head. "But we've found that good intentions can be twisted quite easily under the wrong influence. Isn't that right, Bella?" 

She gulped, hanging her head in shame. "Really gonna use that one on me, huhn?" 

"It's only fair."

"I-it is not!" She sputtered indignantly. "I was deceived! That was not my fault-" 

"And yet you act like these creatures are beyond deception as well." He chuckled darkly. "Come now Bella, listen to your heart. You know you are not the only one susceptible to lies. Even those that think themselves to be smart can fall for them." 

Bella groaned, leaning against the wall. "You stink when you're right, you know that?"

"Consider me a sewer rat." Sammy shrugged. "What I'm saying is, give them some time. Perhaps they will surprise you. And if they don't, well, you have options. Learning to Banish souls to the puddles would be…effective, in eliminating that threat." 

"Yeah…that's one approach." She sighed as she slid down the wall to sit back on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her face, resting her head on them. "Just…I'm…I'm not beyond deception Sammy. What if I see something that isn't really there? What if I fall for another lie?" 

"Ah, so that's it." He walked over to her, sitting beside her with a hand on his shoulder. "My sheep, you have learned a great deal from your encounters, you will not make the same mistakes twice." 

"But what if I do?" She pulled her legs closer to herself as she turned to look at him. Her gaze was so full of fear and sadness. "Joey's lies almost destroyed all of us. Almost took you away from me. I…I'm scared." She sniffled, her hand shaking a little as the prophet reached out to hold it. "What if I fall for another lie and put all of you in danger?" 

"You can't let your fear of mistakes paralyze you." Sammy stated simply. "People will lie to you, it's inevitable. But hardening your heart won't get you anywhere. You have to try." He used his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. "You are more capable than you realize, my sheep. You can do this." 

"But what if I can't? What if I go through all of this, and it just makes everything worse for everyone? I can't do that again. I can't hurt them-" 

"Shhhh. Quiet." He held a finger to her lips. "You're borrowing trouble again. Breathe." 

She nodded meekly before taking a deep breath. In, then out, like the tides. Up the sun rises, then down it sets. Inhale, exhale. 

"Better?"

"Yeah…" 

"Good." He tilted her chin up to look at him. "You will be alright, my ewe. You are not the same as you were before. You have grown, you are stronger. And our Lord is on your side. If you cannot believe in yourself, believe in him. He will reveal the answers to us in due time." 

"...And what if he doesn't?"

"You doubt our Lord?" Oh she didn't like his tone. That was cold, and dark. 

"N-no, I-I don't! I-it's just-"

"It's just what, sheep?" His voice dripped with malice. Suddenly she felt very small, with the prophet now directly over her, intimidating, almost beastly. 

"Wilson fights dirty!" She blurted out. "He's using the signal towers to hurt him! What if he-"

"Nonsense! Banish the thought!" He growled as he got right up in her face. "The ink demon is more powerful than this wretched man could ever DREAM of being! He will not be taken down so easily!" 

She cowered in fear before him, shaking, eyes shut as she held her arm above her face, its glow fierce as it illuminated the prophet's rage. 

"Put that away. " He flicked a finger against her arm and softly pushed it down. "Disgraceful. Our Lord will overcome this, shameful of you to lack faith in him." 

She shuddered as she held her arm close to her chest, looking back up at him meekly. "He locked up Henry , Sammy…"

"A powerful ram amidst a flock of sheep, I'll grant you that, but not more powerful than our Lord." Sammy shook his head. "He gave you his blessings, and yet you don't believe in him?" 

"That's not true, you've got it all wrong!" She shouted back. "He trusted me to help him set things right! Of course I believe in him! And right now, I believe he needs help ! Because that's what you ask for when you can't do something on your-OW!" 

Bella clutched her arm tightly to her chest. A burning pain coursed through her veins, the golden glow flickering rapidly, turning a dark…red? No, impossible, how could-

"AUGH!" Sammy fell to the floor next to her, his own arm lighting up as he screeched in agony. The markings of flow, the gift from the demon, all a bloody, terrible red. 

"S-SAMMY!" She struggled to stop shaking as she latched onto him with her other arm, but it was fruitless. Everything hurt, it felt like she was burning alive, like sparks of electricity had gripped her and refused to let go. Nothing Joey had done had ever resulted in a pain like this. She could feel her bandages growing more wet with ink. Her wounds reopened, she was leaking, falling apart at the seams. Sammy wasn't any better. She could see him dripping faster and faster, slowly being reduced to a puddle on the floor. 

"Hang on!" She held him tightly, trying to pull him together, but it only led to another scream as she struggled to use her power. "No no no no, come ON-you have to WORK!" 

"What's going on out there?!" The angel screeched. 

There was another scream from beyond their cell. It sounded like-

"Henry?!" Bella shouted while Sammy whimpered. 

"Something's-ngh-wrong!" Henry panted in pain. "The ink demon, the golden ink-"

"NO!" Sammy screeched. "He can't have him, he can't TOUCH him!" 

Oh but he could.  

The keeper had made his way to the staff meeting, surrounded by other keepers in the hall. It was not like Wilson to have them all gathered in one place. But here they were, all keepers accounted for. Those like him…and the others. Wilson had many forces at his disposal, the keepers were not the only ones. There were also the kept. They were similar, hard to tell them apart really, save for the arms crossed at their chests. A sign that they had been reborn, remade into something greater. And then, there were the lost ones. The citizens of the cycle, natives to this land. Most would not be in their facilities unless they were prisoners. But a select few had seen the error of their ways and joined them. They would achieve great things, of that much Wilson was sure, he had spoken of it many times in their presence. The keeper did not pay them much mind. Their eyes were focused on Wilson, standing at the top of a set of scaffolding. 

"My Keepers and research assistants, citizens of the cycle," he started, his voice booming from his perch. "We are gathered here today to witness the start of a new era."

Oh this ought to be good. 

Wilson paced back and forth, his hands behind him as he stared them down. "For far too long, the ink demon has inflicted pain and suffering upon this realm. Terrorizing its inhabitants, destroying all hope of a better future." He grabbed the railing and shook his free hand in the air, balled in a fist. 

"Today, that changes! Today, we shall put an end to his reign of terror, and build ourselves a better world!" 

The lost ones cheered and clapped, joyously, he presumed. The keepers nodded and clapped slowly, assuming this was the proper protocol for such an occasion. Richard…wasn't really sure. 

"Behold! The start of a new era!" 

Wilson pulled back the heavy, soundproof curtain, revealing a box with windows. The ink demon was snarling inside, clawing at the walls. But the rattling chains sufficed to keep him in place. Its nasty aura poured over his enclosure, leaking out. The Lost Ones took a few steps back, quivering in fear. Why fear markings on the wall though? 

The keeper gently dipped their hand into it, and the truth became immediately apparent. The voices, the screams of the damned, this must be them. He could hear so many amidst the snarling voice of the beast, a voice that roared even when his mouth didn't move. A voice that would leave the weaker ink creatures paralyzed. Their fear made sense. But the ink demon could do nothing now. He was contained, and it was time to get on with it. But as Richard turned to look at the creature, while it had no eyes, he could feel its gaze directly on him. 

"Youuuuu…" The demon growled directly into his mind. " You've made a GRRRRAVE mistaKE." It almost sounded like he spat the last part out. "Consider this your last warning. A final omen. You cannot contain what never wassssss." 

By then Wilson had stepped into the chamber, everything locked up tightly as he had two keepers at his sides. Richard knew all too well what was coming. This is how he'd make an example of the ink demon. He'd done it so many times before. Electrocution, an axe to the neck, Wilson had many ways of dealing with troublemakers. But the ink demon was another story. What would he do to end his reign?

From his right-hand Keeper's grasp came a syringe, filled with colors unfamiliar to all of them. The lost ones oohed and ahhed. Curious, how could something as small as color make a difference? 

"For many moons we've continued to refine our formula," Wilson started, "a formulated ink to return the people of this realm to their proper selves. So far the success rate has been higher than predicted." He stared down the ink demon, a small smile on his face as he patted the tool. "All you've ever wanted was to be who you were meant to be. Bendy, the dancing demon, isn't that right? And when the world turned on you, you became a monster. Their inner demon. A fate most unfair, isn't it my dear?" 

The ink demon snorted and snarled back. 

"Of course, you show no remorse for your actions. And why should you? Joey Drew was a monster to you first, he should be the one suffering, shouldn't he?" Wilson hissed. "But there are consequences for all of us to bear my dear. The path to salvation is not without pain." He handed the tool over to the right-hand keeper. "Proceed." 

Wilson quickly exited the room as the ink demon lunged at the door. The left-hand keeper grabbed him and pinned him down, as did the right. 

"Resistance is futile," Said the left, "This is the end." 

The demon screamed, a haunting, terrible noise as the needle was plunged directly into his heart. It was as though the very gates of hell had burst opened to mourn the loss of the wicked. All around them, the room shuddered and shook, like an earthquake. But the keepers held firm. They didn't stop until they'd squeezed every last drop into him. The ink demon was melting, falling apart on the floor faster and faster. But he did not disappear. While his form was smaller and barely held together, he was still there, his sickening aura still pulsing with rage. 

Wilson sighed. "Seems we'll need a few more doses. But fear not, ink demon. It will be over soon." He placed a hand over his heart, the other against the window. "By the time I'm done with you, that name will be a relic of the past. You'll be so much better, so much happier. " Wilson turned back to the crowd to address them. "Behold, the start of a better future!' 

There was a slow clap throughout the crowd. The once eager lost ones seemed far more…timid, now. 

"That will be all. Head back to your stations to clean up for the night. We will resume our research in the morning." Wilson walked over to the keepers that had assisted him and started rattling off thoughts about how to adjust the formula. 

Richard…was chilled. While he understood the need to eliminate a threat like the ink demon, something about his words rang in his mind. You cannot contain what never was? What did that mean? They weren't trying to contain anything, Wilson had just said they were trying to make things better. The ink demon was meant to be Bendy, it was a favor to give him that, wasn't it? A gift? Even if it did come with pain, sacrifices were necessary to fix their realm. And if the ink demon truly was the ruler of this realm, shouldn't he want a better world for his people? Shouldn't he want them to be happy and flourish under his rule? Surely he understood that. He had to. 

Richard slithered back to the cells of the Cyclebreakers, doing one final check. But when their gaze fell upon them, he was left in shock. 418 was barely more than a puddle on the floor, his torso was barely in tact as he held onto the surface for dear life. 414 had a nasty burn all across his body as he held himself in a fetal position. The projector in the box flickered and screamed. The angel was left crying and holding the broken part of her face. And 214…Bella…she was barely holding on. He could see her arm holding on for dear life to the floorboards, but the rest of her was gone. 

Without a second thought he burst into the room and latched onto her hand. 418 hissed and tried to swat him away. "Let GO of her you FIEND-"

"She needs help ." Richard snarled back as he gave her a tug. "Bella, Bella you have to get up. Please ." He tried to get a better grip on her. Richard didn't understand much about the voices in the puddles, but if it was anything like what he'd felt before, he could not let them fall to that. "We need you!" 

The limpness of her arm shifted, the fingers flexing and latching onto him. He could hear voices, a cacophony of them bubbling below. But they were so muddled, he couldn't make out what any of them were saying. 

He's gone. He can't be gone. He has to still be there.

All, but one. 

"He's still here." Richard pleaded. "The ink demon is still alive, I saw him. He isn't gone. He will be okay. You need to come back, I need you to be okay." 

Sammy visibly relaxed. "Our Lord…our connection, it burns." He struggled to hold himself together. "Like he…tried to set us…free…from him." 

Richard offered Sammy his other hand and held him tightly, trying to pull them both back up. "He is alive, and he will be well. He will be healed." Richard explained. "You will be alright."

Finally, he could see a bit more of the younger shepherd peeking out. Another arm made itself known as she pulled herself back up from the puddles. There was her head, then her torso, then her legs, knelt down and dripping as her clothes came back to the surface of her body. Her hair found itself falling back down her back, almost like a cloak to protect her. Her facial features took a second to find themselves, but her eyes fluttered upon, the golden glow looking at Richard in fear. She ripped her hands away from him and held onto Sammy, carefully pulling him out of the depths. Her arm barely flickered as she did. And much the same way, he was put back together. Legs, pants, shoes, until she handed him back his mask to keep covered. Her stance was protective, keeping distance between the two.

She glared up at Richard. "What did you do?"

Richard held up his hands placatingly, backing away. "I-I did nothing! This isn't my fault, I-"

"What did Wilson do?" She growled at him, getting up in his face. 

The keeper sighed and looked over at Sammy, before looking back at her. 

"Your lord…has received a newly formulated ink." 

"Impossible!" Sammy snarled. "Ink could not do this-"

"It's not the ink you know. It's not the ink I know." Richard stated simply. "This was…something else entirely." 

Bella shook her head and looked away from Richard. "How dare you…" she looked back at him angrily. "Finish up your duties. I don't want to see you again until morning." 

"I-"

"Just GO." She hissed. "Just…go." She held her arms tightly around herself as she looked away. 

Richard obliged and left the room. But he could hear her whimpering and crying behind the door. 

"It's awful, he's in so much pain!" She sniffled. "We can't do this, we can't-"

"Have faith my sheep, it will be alright, we just need to-"

Richard slithered away. He couldn't bear to hear it. Giving the rainbow ink to the ink demon had such a profound effect on everyone here. But why? How did that work? What connected them? And knowing that they weren't done…was this really for the best? He shook his head as he headed out. He would send for the medical staff to look over 414's wounds soon. For now…Wilson had made his goals much harder to achieve. He had a lot of work to do to get them back on the same page. 

"They won't get away with this." 214 growled through her tears. "They won't…you don't hurt Bendy without consequences."

The keeper could only wonder what those consequences might be.

Chapter Text

First day of experiments, first day to break new boundaries in terms of scientific discovery. But as the keeper had learned, there was so much to the ink that they didn’t understand. So today was less about unlocking secrets, and more about playing catch up, and earning trust. After what had happened with the ink demon, Richard got the sense that maybe it was too soon to conduct any physical experiments. All of the monster’s subjects were weakened, hurt by the loss of their so-called “lord”. If he wanted answers, he would have to give them time to heal, no matter how much he wanted to get his hands dirty in his research.

So instead of the lab, he’d opted to find a space that was, a bit different from their previous residence. It was still securely locked, but it was a place the lost ones amongst their ranks could enter, a “break room” they’d called it. A small sofa and a number of comfy chairs resided here, along with some furnishings for cooking, a small kitchenette that was good for heating up soup in a pinch. There was a chalkboard, it rarely got used, save for the occasional game of tic tac toe. Pretty bare bones, save for a plant by a coffee table, that made it a touch more lively. It wasn’t much, but it satisfied them, and they dared not ask for more. 

He’d put in a request to have the space to themselves that day, and Wilson had kindly granted it. So he brought Bella in, locked the door, and let go of her arm, gesturing towards the sofa. 

“Have a seat.” 

“What is this place?” She asked cautiously as she walked towards the seat. 

“It is the break room. An amenity Wilson granted the Lost Ones that work here.” 

“Huhn. And here I thought you didn’t get any perks.” She smirked, holding a hand on her hip. "Surprisingly nice, y’know, for something Wilson threw together.” She ran her fingers over the back of a chair, taking it all in. “He seriously got lost ones to work for him?” 

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t. They were interested in the pursuit of knowledge, just as we are.” Richard said plainly.

“Well yeah but…” She scratched her head. “They’re kinda…cowardly, y’know? Like, I thought they'd flake."

"That would be most unwise. It would do them no good to abandon our cause."

"Says you." She snorted as she finally sat down. "So, what exactly are we up to? I thought we had tests to run."

"We do. But upon taking some time to…reflect, on your data, I felt it best to make sure we shared a baseline of information." The keeper sat themselves in a chair of their own, pulling out a clipboard and pen. 

"And why should I tell you anything?" She crossed her arms. "If you think some fancy lounge is enough to butter me up, you've got another thing coming." 

"That isn't my intention in the slightest." Richard sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened-" 

"You don't even know what you did." She hissed. "How can you be sorry when you don't even know what crime you committed?" 

"I…well I…"

"Exactly, you don't even know." She huffed. 

214 had a valid point, but the keeper was determined to make himself understood. "I feel…poorly, that you were hurt. That your friends were hurt," Richard started. "I didn't know that would happen. I…don't want that for you." 

"Aw, so you do have a conscience." She rolled her eyes. "Doesn't change anything. You all made a grave mistake hurting our Lord like that. I dunno if you can recover from it." 

"Please, let me try." The keeper stood up firmly. "I want to make a better world, a better future! I need to understand what happened." 

"So you don't even know…" she looked at him suspiciously, shaking her head. "You don't even know what they did to him." 

"I only know what I saw, not how it works." Richard huffed. "Which is why I need your help. Between the two of us, surely we can figure it out. Your knowledge of the realm, my research. Together, we could present some data to make it so that won't happen again." 

"You…" She blinked in surprise. "Are you…scared?" 

"I'm concerned. We should not act so recklessly. I don't wish for harm to come to you, you are a key component of our research. And if the ink demon's state is tied to yours, I'd rather it not be in pain either." 

"Oh…I see." She sighed. But 214 bounced back fairly quickly. "Well you're already off to a bad start." Bella shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval. "Writing your notes in ink, really? You really don't know anything." 

"I fail to see how that would-"

"The ink moves ya dingus. It could easily warp your data and no one would be any wiser."

"It moves?" They questioned. 

"Yeah, it's alive. " She huffed, crossing her arms. "Ink does what it wants, it's got free will, and took ours along with it. You don't want it getting up to mischief. That's why it's hard to study. Do yourself a favor and get a pencil, will ya?" 

"But we don't have any-"

"Oh for the love of-" she groaned before digging around in her pocket. She pulled out a small wooden stick with a sharp pointed end and held it out to him. "Here. Take mine." 

"How do you have that?!" The keeper scoffed. "You were thoroughly searched, you shouldn't have anything on you!" 

"Bold of you to assume you were thorough." She smirked, setting it down on his clipboard. "Seriously, ever heard of hammerspace?" 

"What do hammers have to do with any of this?" The keeper huffed. 

"It's not literal, oh dear demon." She shook her head and held it in her hand. "It's a cartoon thing. Cartoons pull stuff out of nowhere as a funny gag. Y'know, like a mallet, to smack stuff with?" 

"And how is this funny exactly?" 

"Richard, you are the epitome of comedy, let me tell you-"

"Oh hush." He growled. "This is not helpful. You cartoons are irritating at best."

"Hey whoa, let's get something straight here pal." She held up a finger. "I am not a cartoon, not even close. Most of us aren't. We're more like distant cousins, hybrids of a kind." 

"Okay? And why does this matter?" The keeper took the pencil and started scrawling some notes.

"Well you can't just treat us like we're all the same." Bella crossed her arms. "To deny our differences is leaving yourself vulnerable. Not all ink creatures are created equal. You may think you know your threats, but I guarantee there's something you've missed."

"That much is evident." Richard did not look up as he started taking notes. "You could be classified a number of different ways. I'm assuming you know how to do so effectively?" 

“Well, somewhat?" She shrugged. "There are lots of different ink creatures. We don’t really have a um, a formal system, but we sorta get the gist of what everyone is I think?” 

"Alright, that would make sense. Not having any record keeping would result in a sloppy data set." 

214 huffed. "Really not endearing yourself Rich."

"Nor are you, 214." Richard stared her down. "So, are you going to tell me how you classify yourselves?" 

"Not sure I should." She crossed her legs and smirked back. "Why should I give you anything if you're just gonna insult me?" 

"..." Richard stayed silent for a moment before looking back at her. "You're right. I'm sorry. Though you aren't much better." 

"Whatever do you mean?" She batted her eyes, a dopey look on her face.

"You aren't taking this particularly seriously." Richard looked exhausted. 

"You ever tried to herd cats Rich?" Bella smirked and kicked her feet up on a small ottoman, holding her hands behind her head. 

"Um, no?" The keeper looked at her in bewilderment. "I don't think I've had any interactions with cats to herd them."

"It's an old human saying. To say that a task is like herding cats means it's impossible, or at least, extremely difficult. Herding sheep, on the other hand, that's pretty typical, they're a herding animal, much easier to do." She chuckled. "You're gonna find out real quick that we're more like cats than sheep. At least, most of the time. Ink creatures have nuance. I'm not trying to be difficult so much as prepare you for what you're getting into." 

"I see….fascinating." The keeper held his chin as he scrawled down notes. "So then why is it that 418 calls you a sheep? Are you a part of his herd?" 

"Something like that. He calls everyone sheep. Sometimes it's a term of endearment, other times it's to say you're stupid. Gotta read his tone." She shrugged. "It's just part of being a shepherd, I guess?" 

"A shepherd is a person who tends to sheep, yes?" 

Bella nodded. "Outside of the cycle, yeah, that's how shepherds work. In here though, it's a smidge different. That's how some of us classify ourselves." 

Richard looked at her curiously. "How so?" 

"Well, look at me." She gestured to her whole body. "What other ink creatures look the same as me? Not a lot. We're not the same as the Lost Ones, definitely not the same as Searchers, and the cartoon clones? Couldn't be more different." She huffed, but then she looked sadly at her hands. "Sammy, Jack, and I are the only ones. The ink demon called us his shepherds, so we've taken that to mean that, well, that's what we are, in job and in form. Since, we tend to his flock. That's what makes us different, you know?" 

The keeper nodded. "I think I follow. You have a complete face, hair, a more human shape, but you're very clearly all ink. But your friend, he has no face. So how are you the same?"

"He used to…" Bella looked at the ground and sighed. "He used to have a very handsome face, and hair. The more human one appears, from what I've gathered, is tied to how human you feel on the inside." She clutched her necklace ever so gently. "I helped him get it back once. He was fine, until we got captured." She glared at him. "This is something your people did to him." 

Now it was the Keeper's turn to be surprised. "Something we did? I…was unaware any tests were done on the Cyclebreakers. There's no record of a need for it anywhere." 

Bella smirked. "Written in ink, unreliable. Tsk tsk." She shook her head as she changed positions, hunched over with an elbow on her knees. "You see why you're hard to trust? I know he's been messed with. Something is very clearly wrong with Sammy. Only trouble is, you've stumped me on what's been done to him. Same with the ink demon. I've never seen anything like it before. Joey's changed us before, but never like this."

"Changed you?" Richard asked. He seemed perplexed. 

"Yeah, perks of being a creator: the ink is moldable in your hands." Her eyes were narrowed. "He…he did terrible things to us Keeper, you have no idea…" 

"So Joey, he is classified as a creator then?" 

Bella tilted her hand a little. "Eh, it's a bit complicated. Creator is more a title than a species. He's still fully human, as far as I know. Otherwise…how could he be dead?" She looked him dead in the eyes as she said it. "He is dead, yes?" 

"As far as I am aware, yes. There is an obituary stating as much. There is no trace of him anywhere, just a gravestone." Richard looked confused the more she glared at him. "You seem unconvinced."

"I'll believe it when I see his body with my own eyes." She huffed, crossing her arms. 

"That is highly unlikely. Don't humans bury bodies in the ground?" They asked. 

"They do…I'd be willing to dig him out, just to know." 

"Isn't that a violation of the law?" 

"Oh, so you're a lawyer now?" She laughed. "Yes…yes it is. Frankly it's not the decent thing to do, there's a lot of reasons that would be bad…but I need to know. I think, all of us do. It's just…so odd. How could he be dead? How could the monster that kept us imprisoned just, suddenly be gone, without so much as a word?" 

"Why not?" The keeper asked. "That is how human lives go. Many end rather unremarkably."

"This is true." She sighed as she held her head, staring at the ground. "I guess, he messed with the ink so much, I figured maybe…maybe he'd be here with us. Maybe I'd get to see him, one last time, punch him in the face, break his nose or something. I dunno. He just seems, so untouchable. He never had to hurt the way we have. I want him to hurt ." 

"Is that the ink talking?" The keeper asked. "The corruption?"

Bella smiled at him sadly and shook her head. "I'm not sure…I wish I could say for sure." She sighed. "Richard, lots of humans have bad thoughts. We're imperfect, we carry light and darkness within us, all of us." She tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's the choices we make that matter, trying to do good."

"So even though you have dark thoughts, you still believe yourself to be good?" He questioned. 

"To be honest, I don't know if I'm any good anymore." She sighed. "My intentions are good, but my actions…I've made mistakes Richard. A lot of mistakes. I'm hoping that maybe my actions now can make up for them, at least a little bit." 

"That sounds like it's good to me."

"Well, that makes someone I guess." She chuckled, shaking her head. "It's more than I can say for Joey at least…I just, need to fix this. I don't want people to suffer anymore." 

"Then we'd best get to work." The keeper said firmly. "Knowledge can help. The more we understand, the more we can make this realm better, for everyone. You will help me to understand it, won't you?" 

She nodded. "That can be arranged." She stood up and put a hand on her hip. "So, where are we starting?"

"You rattled off several names for ink creatures before that I did not recognize. What exactly is a Searcher?" 

"Oh Richard my friend, we have a LOT of ground to cover. Allow me to enlighten you-"

They spent a long time in the break room, with a chalkboard covered in notes and illustrations. Richard had a lot to absorb, but for the most part, they felt like they followed. Searchers were the ones that were half a torso, Lost Ones they knew. The Butcher Gang introduced some questions, but Richard seemed to understand the concept of corrupted toons at least, and how they were different from a toon like Boris. The Shepherds he knew now too. There were the ones that were hard to classify, like Bertrum and the Projectionist, but they were covered too. And the human-ish ones, they had their place too. So many details about each one. He wondered, just how much time had she spent with them all, to possess such knowledge? But that's when they hit a roadblock. 

"So, humor me for a moment." She looked up at him as he stood beside her at the chalkboard. "Where exactly do you fall in this?" 

"Where do I fall?" Richard asked. "I am a Keeper." 

"Yes, but what exactly is a Keeper?" Bella asked. "I've been in this realm for a mighty long time, but I've never seen anything like you before. Where did you come from? Who made you?"

Richard paused for a moment. They'd…never really stopped to consider that before. There was his first day on the job, but nothing before that, so clearly there must not be a before, right? But he didn't remember a machine, and that was where they all came from. That…felt wrong. Was he simply too fresh to recall such an event? Humans didn't remember much from when they were born. But he was far more mature than a human baby. They knew they had to come from somewhere, but where? 

Clearly he had taken too long to answer. Bella held onto his arm, gently, carefully, her eyes looking up into his lens with concern. "Hey, are you alright?" 

"I'm…sorry. I don't…I've never thought about it before." Richard pulled away to sit down, holding his chin in thought. "I don't think I know. I remember…darkness. The world was very dark, and then it was light. I was awake."

"Where did you wake up?" She asked. Bella got up on the couch and leaned in. Her eyes were wide, and curious. Not the fearful kind or curious, this was something…wonderous. A childlike wonder, Richard surmised. Like the way Wilson got when he was drawing in his workshop. That was something Richard knew well, he'd popped in to deliver reports during those sessions many times. 

"The barracks." He stated simply. "It's where we retire when work is done for the day, and then the next shift of Keepers will take over."

"Like a day and night shift…" Bella rubbed her chin I thought. "So you woke up in bed, like from a nightmare to daylight…fascinating. I suppose that makes sense. I've heard the same from other ink creatures, but not all." 

"Oh have you now?" Richard quirked his head to the side, intrigued. "What are the alternatives?" 

"Well, some fall through the ceiling I suppose. The drop from the machine to here can be unpredictable. But many simply wake up. I know I did." 

The Keeper scrawled something in his notes. "How fascinating…" 

"At any rate, that should be everyone I think." 214 wiped her brow, moving on. "Any questions?"

"A few. I think I understand for the most part though." The keeper scrawled down a few more notes. 

"Alright, what needs more detail?" She sat herself backwards on a chair, leaning on the backrest as she looked at him. 

"So even though you're all different, some ink creatures can become other kinds?" He asked 

She nodded. "That's right." 

"How exactly does that work?" 

"Well, we're not entirely sure." She shrugged. "We think it has something to do with how you feel on the inside. The more humanity you get back, the more human your form resembles." 

"Is that all?" 

"Well, yeah. I mean maybe there's some variable I've missed, but that's how it went for me." She adjusted her hat a little. "I was a Searcher once." 

"You were?" Richard cocked his head to the side. "But…why? How?" 

"It's what tends to happen when you're-" she stopped herself, looking to the ground. 

"When you're what?" 

"When you're…sacrificed." She sighed. "I came into the cycle as a human. It wasn't until I got struck down that I came back as a Searcher. Then I had to climb my way back up to this. It…wasn't pleasant." 

That surprised Richard. She seemed like an intelligent creature, far more than the Searchers seemed to be. So to imagine her as something that…wasn't. It seemed wrong, she had to come from something else. 

"That might explain it. You started at the top and got knocked down. That would make you predisposed to getting back what you lost, you had something to begin with." The keeper tapped the pencil to their chin. 

"I suppose that might explain it…makes me wonder if Jack was like me once…" she scratched her head. "Would definitely explain why I can't get some of the other searchers to follow…here I thought they were just too far gone."

"You've tried to help them evolve?" The keeper questioned. 

Bella nodded. "'Ascension,' that's what Sammy calls it. I'm, not very fond of it." She sighed. "It doesn't make any sense, I can't find any meaningful criteria for why I'm different, or why I can't help them more. There are too many variables and none of them make sense." 

"Perhaps you would benefit from some fresh perspective." The keeper gestured with his free hand. "Tell me, what are the variables? What makes you different?"

"Well…" She tucked her hair behind her ear. "There's a lot. For one thing, I haven't been here as long. But you already knew that." 

"How long have you been here?" 

"According to you, 214 cycles." She sighed. "I got stuck here in the early 1960s. Everyone else here was a former employee of Joey Drew Studios from 1929 onwards. I wasn't. I was some sap he picked up off the street as an apprentice, far later than everyone else." 

Richard pondered that. Something told him that data couldn't possibly be right. What kind of probability was that, that she was the only one with those circumstances? But they let it be. There would be time to question it later. "Alright, anything else?" The keeper scrawled down more notes. 

"Well, I'm younger, not that I think that means much." She shrugged. "Sure there were some teenagers, but most were in their 30s and 40s, sometimes even older…I was in my 20s…it's, bizarre, I can't remember exactly how old I was before I got here. Isn't that awful?" She smiled sadly, looking at the ground. 

"It is an odd memory gap." Richard nodded in agreement, though this didn't seem like it was relevant to their questions. "What else?" 

"Well…" she scratched her head. "I think that's it. I mean, I can't confirm that the other things might be different. Like, I used to have dreams where Bendy would talk to me. But maybe the others had those, I've never asked. And…my mark." She held her hand close to her chest. "The ink demon gave it to me around the same time as Sammy and Jack. But I doubt that has anything to do with it." 

"Interesting." Richard tapped his chin in thought. That detail seemed to have more promise than she gave it credit for. "So the ink demon, you two are actually acquainted?" 

She nodded. "Why wouldn't we be?" 

"The way 418 speaks of him does not sound-"

"Sound? Yeah, I know." She groaned. "You'll have to excuse him, that's not his fault. He was written that way. When he’s of any kind of stable mindset, he doesn’t want to be like that. But…the cycle doesn’t let him have that too often." 

“Written? What are you talking about?” Richard questioned

“Wait, you don’t know?” Bella raised an eyebrow. “Were you…not aware this is a story?”

"A…story?" Richard asked in confusion. 

Bella nodded. "This realm, the cycle, it's a story that repeats, over and over. Someone had to write it, and that someone was Joey. Everyone else was written into a part, made into a monster to suit his vision.”

This left Richard with a lot of questions, ones he had no idea how to articulate. The keeper adjusted their posture and thought on that for a moment. 

"You alright?" She asked, an eyebrow raised. 

"The cycle is a story…" the keeper started. "And you've all been forced to do as you were written?" 

"Hit the nail right on the head." 

"And he changed you…to be characters? So you're not…the same as you were before." 

Bella nodded. "Yep, that's right. If you knew us before we were like this, the difference would be obvious. We've lost so much control of who we are, it got warped by Joey." She sighed. "Warped by the ink…it tends to bring out the worst in people." 

"I'm…sorry." That's all he could manage. 

"It's okay." She shrugged. "That's life." 

"But it shouldn't be like that." Richard set his notes down. "That's…that's not a better world at all. Why would Joey Drew create something so…vulgar? So careless?" 

"Simple: revenge." Bella shook her head. "He wanted the last laugh, to be the one who got to have a happy ending, while everyone who ever told him 'no' had to suffer." She clenched her fists. Richard could see her shaking a little as she stared at the ground. "We were all made to suffer because of one man's pettiness. He could have used this realm for so many wonderful things, but he chose to do this. Took our souls and stuffed them into the darkest places he could find. If you ask me, he's the real monster." 

"It…sounds like it." Richard adjusted his posture and looked her over. Something wasn't adding up. “So then…is everyone aware they’re in a story?” 

“Hard to say.” Bella shrugged. “I mean, you weren't, but who's to say you're bound to it the same way we are? But the others…Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t. The longer I’ve been here, the more aware they’ve been. We’ve tried to give them some balance.” 

“You have? But how?” 

Bella smirked and shook her head. “I’m something of an anomaly. It's been so long that sometimes I forget…I wasn't written into this story. And without a part written for me, well, the cycle had to stick me somewhere, right?” 

Richard eyed her curiously. "So if you weren't written into this story, what is your role in it?" 

"I'm a supporting character." She fixed her hat ever so slightly. "I was sucked into helping the music department. But my role expanded beyond that the farther in we got."

"How so?" 

"Well…" she hesitated. There was something to be said here, that much they were sure of, but she struggled.

"I take it this is, a rather complex topic?" 

"Y-yes." She nodded quickly. "It's, very complex."

So that's how it was. A battle of wits then, that's how he'd figure it out. 

"Break it down for me. Surely you can boil it down to its most essential parts. You are the resident expert after all."

"I-it's, more…I'm not sure I can." She looked away from him. Couldn't look him in the lens, she was a terrible liar. "It's so abstract, it doesn't follow any logic."

"As many things are. But there must be some way to understand it. I'm sure of it. Your ability to understand such complex things, make sense of them, continues to impress me." 

Bella looked back at him, an eyebrow raised. "You're pulling my chain." 

"I am not. There is no chain to pull." Richard relaxed his posture and leaned back in the chair. "You are clearly capable of a lot, your data indicates as such. But my observation of your behavior does too." He pointed. "You don't let roadblocks get in your way. You get results." 

Bella curled in on herself a little more. "I-I don't know if I'd say that-"

"Why be so modest? You're clearly bright. Be honest with yourself." 

She shook her head and stood up, walking to the far end of the room. "Nope. Nope nope nope, not doing this." 

"Not doing what?" He asked, perplexed, confused even. 

"You can't flatter your way into getting that out of me, you jerk!" She stomped a foot on the ground. "I don't have to tolerate this, how dare you!" 

"Tolerate what? I don't-"

"You don't get to compliment me just to get information out of me, that is so backhanded!" She growled. "You really think I'm that stupid?!"

"What? No, I don't think you're stupid at all!" 

"Fat chance!" She scoffed. 

Richard rose from his seat and slithered over. "Bella, please-"

"Nope, not dealing with you!" And with that, she turned her back to him and leapt up into the air. He could see her arm lit up in those golden markings, and with her fist pointed towards the ground, she dove into the floorboards. Nothing was left but a little puddle, with a few bubbles occasionally floating up to the surface.

"Bella? BELLA?!" 

Richard was on the ground, running his hand through the puddle, only to pull it back. Ow, that stung! 

"Bella where did you go?! Get back here this instant!" 

" No ." The puddle responded. 

"But we have to finish-"

"I've said what I needed to say." She huffed. "Leave me alone…"

"But…" Richard sighed. "We only have a little while left, I can't let you stay down there. The voices-"

"They don't bother me, Richard." She sighed. "Just…let me have a moment to myself. I'm tired." 

He nodded in understanding, but his posture still dropped. "We can continue tomorrow." 

"Sure, let's go with that."

"Alright…" he stood there awkwardly. "I'll…clean up the room then. You…stay there." 

"Not moving an inch." 

Richard sighed and went back to reset the chairs and clean up the board. He flipped through his notes, one last time, to make sure it was all in order. 

But below the depths, not all was well. Bella hadn't tried to look below the ink in a while, how could she? She thought the keepers could see everything, nothing was sacred or safe outside of her mind. But seeing it now was a nightmare. So many screaming voices, flickering lights. It was horribly overstimulating. So many bolts of lighting, acting as a cage, a prison, a barrier to keep them from bubbling back up to the surface. 

"What?" 

"Shepherd, SHEPHERD!" They cried out, wailing miserably. 

"My sheep!" She called out, reaching a hand between the bolts to hold them. "What happened here?!" 

"The wretched! The wretched!" They moaned. "We can't get out! Please, get us OUT!" 

She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes. "I…I can't." She was choking on her words. "I'm sorry." 

"Please, please please please you must! We have to get out, set us free! Bring us home!"

"I can't!" She raised her voice. "You don't understand, I can't bring you back up here! Wilson will put you in his prison, you'd be no better off than lab rats! He'd use you, torture you! I can't do that!" 

"We'll FADE! You can't LEAVE US!"

"What's worse, to live in agony or to DIE?" 

"YOU are CRUEL!" 

"SELFISH shepherd, keeping the surface to yourself. You've abandoned us!" 

"NO! That's not true, you know it's not!" She cried out. "I'm trying to protect you, I always have, you KNOW that!" 

"Liar! You care more for the prophet than the rest of us!"

"Stop playing favorites!"

"Are we not worthy?!" 

"No, it's not-stop putting words in my mouth! Let me EXPLAIN!" She yelled. 

The voices grew quieter, murmuring. Their murmurs were unsavory at best. 

"Look…there's a LOT going on right now, things that are out of my control. Something has happened to the cycle, Wilson has done something to the minds of our saviors. Our prophet is in need of help. So as much as it pains me, I need to cooperate with the enemy for a bit, to figure out what they did. Otherwise, what's to stop them from using it to hurt the rest of you?" She growled. "Once I know, we can fix it. And when we've fixed it, we can help you. But I can't pull you up here."

"WHY NOT?!"

Bella clutched at her hair and covered her ears, wincing at the noise. "You're directly underneath Wilson's prison. If I pulled you up here, he'd drag you away to be experimented on. There's no escape. I can only go up and down, I can't leave the area to get you to safety…" She clenched her fists. "I'm sorry…I wish I could do more."

"..Why can't you leave?" One small voice asked. They almost sounded like a child. "You're a shepherd, you protect us, don't you?" 

"Always my lamb, always." She reached out a hand between the bars to hold them. "But some things are beyond my power. The rainbow beacons would destroy me, because of my ties to our Lord…” She sighed. “I promised you I would do my best to serve. Sometimes our best is not as good as it could be. But I need you to stay strong, for our Lord, and our Prophet. Give them your prayers." She tightened her grip. "Things will be okay, but they will take time. Hang in there." 

"Please." The small voice whined, accompanied by others. "Can you try to break the barrier? We can't get out. It won't budge."

"Oh my lambs…" She struggled not to cry. "I fear trying to mess with it so close to Wilson will hurt us more. He doesn't know the full extent of our power, if he sees-"

"What good is having power if you don't use it?!" Other voices shrieked. "Coward! Do what's been asked of you!" 

Bella ripped her hand away before any more could latch on. "Fine!" She huffed. "But this could be the last time. If I can't help the others, that is your burden to bear." She sighed. "I…don't know if our power is enough. With the other shepherds, maybe, but me alone?"

A hush fell over the crowd. 

The small voice spoke up again. "Please, try. We promise to help the others. To keep them from drowning again. I'll look after them, I swear."

Bella smiled softly from behind her tears. "You are very kind, lamb, thank you." She took a moment to pull herself together. "Alright. Lend me your strength, my flock. Let us open the gates." 

There was a lot of gurgling amongst the congregation, but over time, it turned to something more rhythmic. Chanting. Like a song. 

Bella wrapped her fingers around the bars, tightly clenched so as not to lose her grip. It hurt, to hold this lightning of sorts. It burned. She'd never seen anything like it in the cycle before. But she would not let go. She had to break it. The words of the flock swirled around her, and she found herself chanting with them. Many voices, one voice. 

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. 

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Ink to paper, brought to life.

Ink to paper, brought to life. 

Flickering light.

Holy light. 

Freedom soon be our delight.

Free us in our unending fight. 

By the Demon's will,

For the past he killed,

By the Demon's will,

Our hearts unite.

Our hearts unite."

"Lord of the dark puddles, please, hear my plea." Bella spoke, her voice reverberating in the darkness. "Grant me your strength. By your will, let me set your people free. Let them roam the surface once again and sing your praises eternal! I offer you my everything! So it shall BE!" 

Bella couldn't stop herself from screaming as the loudness surrounded her. Everything hurt . The golden marks that crackled through her arm found themselves breaking through all of her skin, swirling down forgotten paths they had not seen in quite some time. She hadn't had to do this in so long, she'd forgotten how much it hurt. But she pulled at the cage of lightning that held her fellow sheep, and slowly but surely, it budged. There was cheering, excitement. 

"You can do it! Keep going!" 

She grunted as she pulled, her jaw clenched in pain as she kept tugging. 

"I believe in you Miss Shepherd!" 

The small voice…she yanked harder. She HAD to get them out, had to set them free. They weren't going to fade away, weren't going to get lost deeper in the puddles! She had to protect them! She had to RELEASE-

SNAP! 

The prison fell apart, shattering into tiny pieces as the lights of the lost flickered back into brightness. They cheered and squealed, hurrying away, with a few rushed thank yous trailing behind them. Bella smiled softly, quietly falling, deeper into the depths. She was so weary, so drained. Maybe, she could rest for a while. Away from everyone else…

"BELLA!" The small voice called out. A small ball of light nudged her face. "No no no!" It squeaked. "You can't stay down here! Up up up!" 

"I'm sorry lamb." She coughed. "I'm…not quite there." 

"...The Lord is hurting, isn't he." 

She nodded weakly. "He is in need of our help, as we need his…"

"You can't do as much as you used to without him, can you?" 

She chuckled sadly. "A bright star you are, my lamb." 

"But you still tried to help…why?" 

"Too much would be lost if I didn't." She shook her head. "You needed me. You're right, I can't just let you disappear…"

The light huffed and held her by the back, propelling them both upwards "Don't burn yourself out, Miss Shepherd. You can't help the Lord if you give too much." 

"But someone has to help." 

"Then I will be that someone." They said firmly. "I can help. Teach me how." 

Bella felt more tears in her eyes. "Are you sure?" 

"Of course I'm sure! Porter isn't the only one who can make a difference! I'm tired of being afraid, I want to do something." 

"My lamb…" She rolled over and held the light in her hands. "Tell me, what is your name?" 

"I…I don't have one, Miss. Would you…give me one?" 

"Alright." She took a moment to think about it. But it didn't take long. There was a song she remembered from a long time ago, a song from a sailing ship. That was the right song for this one. "Can I trust you to care for them, Gabriel?" 

"Gabriel…oh a name, a name all my own! Thank you, thank you!" They giggled. "Of course! You can count on me, my shepherd." 

"Then blow your horn for all to hear, and lead them to a better place than the Depths." She clutched the light close to her chest and gave them a gentle kiss on their top. Her markings glowed ever as brightly as their light. "Be safe, stay together. I trust in you." 

"I won't let you down! Be safe Miss Bella!" 

"Be safe, dear Gabriel." She smiled softly, slowly floating back up to the surface. The light went zipping away, hurrying to greener pastures. It would be okay, Gabriel would take care of them. Someone was there to care where she couldn't be. Their burden was now shared. Someone stepped up when they needed to, and for that, she was very grateful. It gave her hope. And hope, hope could take you to higher places. Give you strength when you had none left.

Hope would need to keep her running a little longer. 

She found herself flopped on the floor when she finally breached the surface. Her everything ached. But at least her skin was no longer pierced with gold. It wasn't obvious she'd overexerted her powers, just her energy. 

Richard was pacing back and forth when she finally came up. And upon seeing her, he was startled. 

"There you are!"

"Sorry…" she winced, hiding her face.

"Are you alright?" 

"I'm…no." She panted. "It's…very loud down there. I…need quiet." 

Richard nodded. "Rest."

That's all he said. He carefully picked her up. She didn't fight it, couldn't if she tried really. He set her down on the couch, carefully. She could barely keep her eyes open. 

She was hurting, all over. Bendy's pain really had taken a lot out of her. The haunting reality that she couldn't save everyone was drawing ever so closer, and it pained her. She tried to push those thoughts away. No, she had to keep going, she had to stay strong. Too much was riding on her. They needed her. It didn't matter what she wanted, she was supposed to save them. She had to keep it together. She just prayed she didn't fall apart any further. She didn't want to sink into the depths in her sleep. Not again. Something told her she wouldn't be able to come back up if she did. 

“Richard…” she whimpered.

“Yes?” The keeper knelt beside her. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s alright-” 

“No, it’s not alright. I shouldn’t snap at you.” She shook her head. “You’re not….you’re not Joey. You’re not preying on me…” She coughed, holding her chest. “He’d…he’d only compliment me to get things out of me. You’re not like that. You’re not…you’re not a monster.” 

Richard sat there in silence.

“It’s alright. Your trauma is not your fault.” He opened up the ottoman and pulled out a blanket, laying it over her. “You need your rest. I’m sorry for pushing you too far.”

“It’s okay.” She smiled weakly. “You didn’t know…how could you have.” She closed her eyes and let the tears fall. “We’re not there anymore.” She whispered as she quivered. “We’re safe here, we’re not there.”

“It’s okay.” He held her hand tightly. “I will be here. You take care of yourself. I won’t let anything happen to you.” 

“You promise?” 

“I promise.” They squeezed a little tighter. “And to not keep a promise would be a terrible crime.” 

She smiled up at him. “That it would.” But there would be no crimes tonight. He genuinely seemed to care…She was actually safe, for the first time in ages, she was safe. 

It felt…good, to be safe.