-Break the cycle-

Audrey opened her eyes, her head was spinning.

She felt…different. The world around her was even different, it was like someone sketched on the environment with a pen.

Audrey raised her hands to her meet here eyes.

"What’s wrong with my hands…?" She said to herself. The woman took another look at her hands, bathed in yellow light. One hand was completely drenched in ink.

"What’s wrong with my hands?!" Her hands quivered as she wheezed.

"Oh Audrey, what’s happened to you?" The girl muttered, she had a habit of talking to herself. The animator rose to her feet.

Everything around her looked uncanny, like art, even herself. She gazed around; taking in her environment.

There was a rather large pool of ink not too far away from the animator. Above that pool, words were written on the wall. They read

WELCOME HOME.

In thick black ink. Weeping could be heard in the distance by an unknown person.

Audrey shivered, and placed her hand onto a desk. She noticed a note, and picked it up to read.

"Every great story begins in mystery. Although things may be dark at the start, the truth illuminate your way. Don’t be afraid of who you are. Fear only what you may become, and banish it away."

-Your best pal

She completed reading the note aloud. Who was her best pal? She had no clue. She pushed herself to keep moving, and possibly find away out of here.

The woman inspected her environment once more, on the wall there was a poster of Wilson. The man who dragged her into this. She snatched it off the wall. It read

"All knowing, Wilson knows your purpose."

Audrey then remembered the last thing she heard from Wilson before being presumably drowned. He said he knew her purpose. Her head still dizzy.

What the hell is going on?

She thought, crumbling up the poster and tossing it into the pool of ink.

There was a ladder missing two pieces, it seemed to lead out of here. Audrey looked around for something to fix it. Even tho she didn’t really need to.

She opened the drawers on that desk she leaned on earlier, and found the ladder pieces.

The woman placed each piece to the ladder, pulling it to make sure it was secure. When finished, she ascended.

She walked through the halls, speakers above her rang white noise before a voice wheezed through; catching the animators attention.

"Attention! Children of the machine!" Wilson’s crusty voice wheezed within the speaker.

"This is Wilson. Your friend, your protector." He continued, Audrey however scrunched her face.

Friend? Protector?

He was far from it, he had quite literally drowned her.

"For two hundred and eleven days, you’ve lived without the Ink Demon and Weeper haunting your steps. I banished them away. I tore both their bodies in two."

The ink what now?

Audrey thought back to the poster she threw earlier. That claimed to have killed whatever…those were, she strongly doubts Wilson tore em into two.

"In return, I ask you a favor. Among you is a stranger, a young lady, bring her to me." Wilson continued, Audrey sighed.

Fantastic, now I’m wanted

She thought to herself, and continued down the hall. Nothing else wheezed through the speakers. Audrey deeply sighed once again.

However she moved forward.

Some kind of creature bursted out of the ceiling, Audrey gasped and jolted back harshly. It seemed to be dead.

Taking a few more turns, she approached a hallway. When exiting it, she entered some kind of toy factory?

HEAVENLY TOYS

Read above, posters of familiar faces laid in front of the bold sign.

Bendy, Boris, Alice, and Azael.

What a quartet, Audrey thought.

The woman wandered around more, taking in this new environment. She pulled a switch; but it broke.

There was a broken wall ahead, she could climb up. The girl approached the wall, and climbed, however when she looked up, a disgusting face stared back at her. It snarled and pushes Audrey off the wall, she yelped and fell to the floor.

The creature jumped down, and slammed in pipe on the floor. A loud thud followed. Audrey stumbled to her feet and dashed away.

She spotted a porta potty like closet and threw herself inside. It was quiet. Until the creature slammed itself into the place Audrey was hiding.

Until soft humming alerted the creature, it turned to audrey and snarled before walking away, or limping away.

Audrey sighed and exited the "miracle station" definitely did a miracle for her. She picked up a can, and drank it.

"I wouldn’t drink too much of that if I were you." A voice broke through the silence, Audrey gasped loud and whipped her head around to see an angel..? Alice angel, however she looked different. She looked like an explorer.

"It helps patch you up, but the after taste? It’s not so good." The angel continued, Audrey felt tense and confused. The angel took notice and attempted to calm down the artist.

"Easy now, I’m not gonna hurt you. Looked like you needed some help." The angel reassured Audrey. The toon gripped the woman’s ink drenched arm. However, Audrey yanked her arm away.

"Don’t touch me! What are you? Ugh, what is this horrible place?!" Audrey gasped out in frustration, though the angel laughed.

"Yeah…I remember my first day down here. I know, it’s really scary. But you’re actually pretty lucky. The machine could’ve turned you into a searcher." The angel explained, Audrey was so confused.

"Y-you mean that thing that attacked me?!" Audrey asked, the angel laughed again and shook her head.

"Nope, that’s a piper, and he’s apart of a gang so be careful." The angel replied, patting Audreys shoulder.

"I don’t understand any of this…I cant think, it hurts." Audrey sighed, the angels smile slightly faded.

"Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll catch up pretty quickly, if you can stay alive." The angel attempted to reassure Audrey again.

"Lesson one: searchers down have legs and tend to swarm." The angel explained, Audrey nodded.

"Look, it’s not good to stay in one place around here. Keep moving, and stay close to the shadows. Please, take my advice, head to the upper levels. It’s…safer there." The angel said, Audrey felt more comfortable realizing she’s not a threat.

"Can I come with you?" The animator asked, however the angel sighed and shook her head.

"You cant…I’m sorry. I uh, have a wolf. He doesn’t care for strangers." The angel sighed out, Audrey feeling rightfully confused gasped out.

"A- a wolf?!"

"Like I said, you’ll catch on. Good luck, hope we meet again." The angel laughed, she seemed in a rush. Like she was only here to check around but stumbled into Audrey.

The angel caught herself and turned back to Audrey.

"Oh! And…one more thing. Above everything else, stay away from the Ink Demon and Weeper." The angel warned, she seemed very serious about this. Audrey recalled what Wilson had said, about banishing whatever those were away. She still didn’t have a clear understanding of what they were, so she decided to ask.

"W-what are those?" Audrey asked, The angel carried a stern and worried expression before answering.

"Oh, you’ll know them when you see them. One likes to smile, the other frowns and cries. They both kill anything that crosses them. Just…promise me you’ll stay out of sight if you encounter them." The angel finished, Audrey nodded.

"Wait!" Audrey called out, the angel came to a halt and turned back.

"Um, what’s your name?" Audrey asked, she kinda just wanted to keep the conversation going.

"They call me Alice. I’m…not very fond of it." The angel replied, Audrey though the name was gorgeous however.

"Well, I’m Audrey." The angel nodded and they both shared a smile.

"Well, Audrey. Welcome to the studio." The toon said, a click made it self known to Audrey and she turned her head. When turning back to face Alice, she was gone.

"Ah, dang it" Audrey sighed to herself. No need to cry over spilled milk.

The animator continued forward, heading up. She’d follow Alice’s instructions.

-Break the cycle-

It’s been a month since Azael has seen anyone other than crazy lost minds. On the bright side she found herself a nice place to stay. She called it 'the den'. It was quite messy, and she didn’t bother cleaning, in fact she didn’t really care.

She eventually stitched together those overall parts, making overalls for herself to wear.

Despite being all alone, she found a way to survive and entertain herself. Enemy’s around the studio weren’t much of a threat, they’re very easy to get rid of. She can easily twist off the head of a searcher, or stealth kill a lost one without being seen. After awhile, she got bored of the enemy’s around the studio and didn’t really bother killing them at all.

She’s heard of the all hearing ink demon, posters were strung up about a man named Wilson killing it. She’s never seen this ’ink demon’ but she had a gut feeling that some old man didn’t defeat it.

In some way, she kinda feels bad for the ink demon. Everyone around the studio seems to hate it and want it gone, but Azael didn’t know what it was like so she couldn’t judge.

She laid in her dirty nest thinking about it.

What was the ink demon like?

She thought, for hours on end, eventually getting bored and sitting up.

Her stomach rumbled, she checked her stash to see if there was any food left.

Nothing.

The toon deeply sighed, and threw her satchel over her shoulder. She grabbed a pipe for protection, and set off.

Opening the dens hatch, the toon crawled out and shut the hatch behind her. Her den was in the deeper parts of the studio, despite those parts being rather dangerous, there was a lot of resources that upper levels were often skinned of. Since heavenly toys was nearby, the toon decided to head there first.

Out of no where, a piper jumped out of a blind spot. Azael, caught off guard, yelped and fell back, dropping her pipe as well. The toon has never dealt with a butcher gang member before. It growled savagely and prepared to swing at the little toon. Azael threw her arm forward and shut her eyes tight.

CRACK!

She opened her eyes, a sharp blade now piercing through the pipers head. The blade pulled out, and the piper fell to the floor. Azael quickly looked up to see who had just saved her life. A angelic like woman, reached her hand out.

"Are you alright?" The angel said.

She was another toon? Azael had never seen anyone other than searchers and lost ones. She nodded, the angel handed the toon her pipe and pulled her to her feet.

"You’re lucky I was around, otherwise you’d be toast" the angel said, tapping on a device, looked like a radar.

The angel paused, then turned her attention to Azael.

"Azael?" She said, lowering her radar from view.

The angel took a step forward, the toon took a step back then nodded.

"Huh…never seen another one before." The angel mumbled, what did she mean ‘another one’ ?

"Don’t worry, I don’t plan on hurting you or anything, I’m Alice." She reached her hand out, Azael gripped the angels clean glove and gave it a shake.

"Are you all alone here? That’s quite dangerous for someone like you." The angel said, tucking the radar into her pocket. Azael nodded, the angel sighed.

"Well, do you want to come with me? It’s dangerous to stay in the open for too long. The ink demon might find you." The angel said, slicing planks out her path.

Azael tilted her head, and wrote in a notebook she kept in a pouch on her overalls. The angel turned to her.

"Isn’t the ink demon defeated?"

Alice let out a laugh, the shook her head.

"Naive little one, it’s far from gone. Don’t listen to that old man he tells nothing but lies." Alice proceeded forward, Azael stayed close behind.

"The posters lie?" Azael wrote, Alice stopped to read then paused before answering.

"I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen the bastard in awhile, but trust me it’s still around." Alice said, quickening her pace.

"Where are we going?" Azael wrote.

"Someplace I call home, cmon it’s not far." Alice said, stopping at a elevator.

The elevator opened, Alice stepped to the side allowing her companion to step inside first. The toon did, Alice came in behind her. Pressing a few buttons, the elevator door closed and ascended. Azael took a seat on the floor, scrapping it with her finger.

Alice leaned against the wall, pulling out a different device. The angel spoke into it.

"Tom, I’m heading back, open the door for me." The angel said, nothing but static responded.

Azael tilted her head. Who’s Tom? She wasn’t alone??

"Who’s Tom?" Azael wrote, Alice turned to her.

"Oh! Right, I forgot to mention him- don’t worry, he means no harm. He’s a friend." Alice said, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Alice stepped out the elevator and went down a twisted hallway. Nervously, Azael followed.

Alice approached a door.

"Stay behind, okay?" Alice said. She knocks on the door with rhythm.

Azael nodded, and stood close behind Alice.

The door opens, a wolf greets Alice and moves aside to let her in. Alice grabs hold of the little toons hand, leading her inside. The wolf, noticing Azael began to sniff her. The toon jolted, and stood completely still.

"Relax Tom, they’re clean." Alice said, placing down her sword onto a rack on the wall.

So, the wolf is Tom?

The toon inspected Tom a bit, he was big in size, with buff arms. His left arm replaced with a mechanical robot one.

Tom scoffed and approached Alice, making gestures with his hands.

"Who is this?" Tom signed, Alice looked over at Azael, then turned back to Tom.

"Some kid, well I assume it’s a kid. They was attacked in heavenly toys. Couldn’t just leave them." Alice signed in reply, Azael stared at the two in confusion.

Why’re they just waving their hands at one another?

The toon thought.

"What if they’re dangerous?" Tom signed, Alice sighed.

”They’re not, they couldn’t even take down a piper. Relax." Alice replied, ending the conversation.

Tom looked back at the toon, and approached her.

"Do you know sign?" Tom asked, Azael tilted her head.

"It’s sign language, we could teach you if you want?" Alice said, Azael paused then nodded.

"Oh, this is Tom by the way, Tom this is Azael." Alice introduced the two, Azael reached for Toms hand and shook.

Tom gestured for the little toon to take a seat, she did so and he showed her some basic sign. Azaels stomach rumbled low, she then remembered why she left her den in the first place. For food.

Alice took notice, and slid a bowl across the table. The toon looked inside, boiling bacon soup brewed within the bowls center. Alice placed a bowl for Tom as well, before sitting down and placing a bowl for herself.

"Sorry, it’s all we have." Alice said to Azael. The toon nodded, she didn’t really like bacon soup. Then again, she didn’t care, she just wanted to eat.

When finishing, the toon tugged on Alice.

"What’s up? Want more?" Alice asked, holding a spoon over a pot of boiling soup. Azael shook her head and wrote in her book.

"I need to return to my den."

"Oh, you already had a place to stay? Why not stay here with us? We can protect you." Alice said, crouching to the toons eye level.

Azael thought about it, she didn’t enjoy being all alone, she also liked Alice, she could warm up to Tom. She didn’t have anything too important in the den. She’s got nothing to lose.

The toon nodded, Alice clasped her hands and laughed.

"Alright, we’d love having you here! Right Tom?" Alice turned her head to Tom, who was lying in a hammock. The angel repeated herself a little louder, Tom opened one eye and nodded. Azael felt happy, but her blank expression remained.

"One rule, don’t leave on your own." Alice said, scooping some soup into her bowl. Azael nodded, and sat down on one of the beds.

The toon kicked her feet up, and closed her eyes. Her heart rate slowed, and she drifted to sleep.