Ink's POV a day or two later

I paint the walls of the house, humming a tune. I'm gonna surprise Error with the new colors. Yep, I share the house with Glitchy, his bro, Blue, his bro and Dust. I'm making part of each wall something special for each of us. For each room, I'm making one wall for E!Pap and Error's comfort levels,(and so we could easily open a peekhole to UnderNovela); making bright blues with a taco patterns for Blue, dark blues for Dust and S!Psp, who did not request anything. I am making my walls partly blank but also colorful that I can handle my creative urges in any room if they come. I really made a mess of my shirt during this process but don't mind. I left the door open because I have a timer set on my phone and when it rings, I have to run out of here. I have somewhere to be. Also, the air from outside will help the walls dry faster. 

I stop and look at my progress. 

I back up with Broomie and gaze at it. But then I hear a can rattle. I feel something hit me on my head, spilling black paint all over me. It got in my eyeholes and I could not see. I lower Broomie and the can slides off my head as if Broomie dropped it. I chuckle.

"Ya know, that was not nice."I say

I set the can and Broomie aside to not make a mess, blindly reaching around. I do not want to wipe with my scarf because the paint will smudge my tallies and any reminders I wrote on it. But I could be almost 100% sure I heard someone come in.

"RaCy?"A voice says

"Huh?"I say, shaking my head

I feel a hand grab my arm.

"RaCy! Found yOu!"The voice says

Then I feel someone kiss my cheek. They sound glitchy like Error...

I feel my face warm a bit.

But something tells me this isn't him.

"Who are you? I can't see."I say

"Oh! LEt mE gEt yOu a ToWeL! YoU mAdE a mEsS oF yOuRsElF!"The voice says

"Uh...Ok."I say

"Emmm, wHeRe ARE tHE tOwEls?"It asks

"Kitchen."I say, gesturing to the kitchen

"Ah! OK!"It cheers

I hear footsteps lead away and then come back.

"HeRe."The voice says

I feel a towel in my hand. I lift it and wipe until I can see again. I look up and see beside me is NOT Error but someone like him. They give me a friendly smile but then frown when they look at me.

"Uhh, who are you? Why are you in this house?"I ask

"You're n0t RaCy."He says

"No, I'm Ink. Can you answer me?"I ask

"Oh! I'm ReboOt! I cAmE bEcAusE tHe dOoR wAs oPeN aNd I ThOuGhT yOu wErE mY fRieNd RaCy! I cAn'T fInD hIm aNyWhErE! ThIs gAmE iS nO fUn!"He says

"What game?"I ask

"I gOt a NoTe sAyIng LeT's PlaY hIdE aNd SeEk. BeTtEr bE qUiCk."He says

"That doesn't sound like a suggestive note, that sounds like a threat. I don't think that's an actual game, I think your bud was taken."I say

"Aww spAcEaPpLEs! DoeS tHat MeaN I aM gOnNa lOse hIm?"He asks

I see the look in his eyes. He really seems innocent and needs help.

"Not on my watch. One sec."I say, going to my room

I quickly change my shirt and grab Broomie.

"Where do you wanna start?"I ask

"StriNglAnD!"He says

"Huh?"I ask

"StRiNglAnd. RaCy aVoIdS tHat plAcE LiKE iT wAs a pLagUe. He mAy bE tHerE. CoMe oN."He says

He snaps and a portal appears. I go through. Surely this will be quick. I still have three hours last time I checked......which was recent, right? Can't recall. I leave my phone behind, thinking I'll be back in time to grab it and go to where I got to be.

"Wait, they may be after you as well. Take my scarf to conceal yourself."I say, giving him my scarf

He wraps it around himself and nods, thanking me. We enter an anti-void full of strings and traps. Nothing else. He runs one way, calling for his friend. I panic and follow after him to make sure nothing happens to him. But I lost sight of him in this web and maze of strings. I wander about, unsure of where to go. I hear footsteps and turn quickly, but couldn't see anyone.

"Hey! InK! I fOunD RaCy!"Reboot shouts

My brush gets whacked out of my hand by a tentacle.

Crap.

"Okay, great! Now get out of here!"I shout

"Okie! ThAnK yOu!"He says

I get a punch to the face and get knocked out.

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I slowly come back to consciousness.

Ugh...What the hell happened?

I try to move but couldn't. I am restrained by some tentacles. 

Odd.

 Not good. I notice my strap of vials that I've worn like a belt is gone. 

That's worse.

"Hello Ink, pleasure to meet you. My name is Tim."A voice says

I look up and see someone looking like Nightmare. I frown.

"What the hell do you want?"I ask

"Oh, fiesty. You're quite the character. But so limited to some vials and chemicals. Your limitations."He says

"And?"I say

"I wonder...What combination would drive you crazy? Or evil? Or overwhelm you and your soul until you and it break? Oh the possibilities! Only one way to find out!"He says, lifting some tentacles holding chemicals and my vials

Shit.

I struggle and try to pull myself free. I try to slip out of the grip, do anything to escape. But the tentacles just get tighter.

And tighter.

And tighter.

And tighter.

I feel my bones start to crack painfully.

"S-Stop!"I snap weakly

"Oh dear, am I getting you too tight? Sorry! Looks like we have to start with a chemical."He says, shooting a tentacle at me

I sway my head to the side, only getting cut instead. 

He pops a cap off a chemical and forces me to take it.

Everything starts to spin. I feel dizzy. I get nausious. I get hopeful. Maybe I will get the chemical out of me? I get dizzier and dizzier, everything starts to darken. I bow my head and puke on the tentacles. I get dropped, hearing Tim screech like he was getting burned like acid. 

Guess there is a bright side to having that flaw....

I get up shakily and try to run. But I feel a whack in the back of my head and fall back down. I get turned over and a hand grabs my head. This one was gloved. The dizziness got too much for me and I shut my eyes.

"Don't worry, Ink. I will ensure NOBODY finds you."I hear Tim say before I pass out

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Eraser's POV

I could hear the panic in Ink's voice. You don't have to meet or know someone to know when somebody is scared. And Ink, Ink was at the scared for his life kind of fear when he told Boots to go. But that went right over Boots' head. He brings me in this house and I could hear a phone ringing. I go to it and find an alarm going off. It says:It's TIME. Surely if Ink was ok, he would've come back here for his phone. Something about this unsettles me. Then I see a bunch of texts, asking Ink if he's ok or where he is. Surely he would've answered them. I look at Boots and sigh.

"Boots, I think Ink got into trouble. He wasn't just telling us to go as if he was gonna meet up with us later. It was more of to keep us out of danger. Danger that found him."I say

"WhaT dO wE dO?"He asks

"Hmmm, we need to find a friend who knows him and can help. They should know the situation."I say

He bows his head, trying to think. Then his eye-lights shrink.

"I gOt iT!"He says

He takes off the scarf that he said Ink gave him and unwraps it, holding it like a sign to me.

"He hAs a ReMiNDeR mEnTioNinG a FrIeNd! Let's gO!"He cheers excitedly

"Boots wait!"I say

"To the diNeR!"He says, running off

I facepalm and sigh.

"Boots..."I say

I run after him but lose sight of him.

I wander around and get directions from some kids practicing fighting techniques on where to find a diner. I go to it and catch Boots running out of it, terrified. I grab him and pull him close.

"Boots! What's wrong?"I ask

"I f-fOuNd tHe gUy aNd tRieD tO wArN hIm, bUt hE dIdn'T lIsTen aNd tOlD mE t0 lEaVe! I tOlD hIm I wAs bEiNg hOneSt, BuT tHen hiS taIl sTarTs tO rAttLe anD hE gaVe mE a LasT wArnIng bEfOre He tAkEs mE oUT! I jUst wAnTeD tO hElP!"He explains, shaking like a leaf

"Aww, Boots, it's ok."I tell him

"No iT iS nOt, RaCy! He iS wAiTinG fOr InK! I gOt InK iNvoLveD iN lOoKing FoR yoU! He coUlD bE iN tRoUblE bEcAusE oF mE! I dOn'T wAnT tHat! I dOn'T waNt hIm mIsSiNg hIs fRieNd's tiMe, oR aNy tIme. I dOn'T waNt tHem apArt! I dOn'T wAnt hIm lEft iN tHe dArk aBoUt InK! I wAnT tHem tO bE oK aGaIn! I rUiNEd tHeIr GoOd daY! I-I-"He explains

"No, Boots. Look at me. Calm down. It's ok. Don't blame yourself. Now, can you point the dude out to me?"I ask

He nods and points through the diner window to a dude sitting alone. Some horned, snake-skeleton. I nod.

"Stay here."I say

I go inside and take my coat off to be polite. I hang it on the chair. I notice the dude took Ink's scarf from Boots.

"Are you Ink's friend?"I ask

"Don'T sIt ThEre. It'S saVeD fOr sOmeOne sPecIal."The guy says

"Ink?"I guess

"Yes. WhAt aRe y0u? ThE bAd cOp paRtnErEd wIth hIm t0 gIve mE fAkE nEwS?"He asks, pointing outside to Boots who was sitting under a tree

"I'm a skeleton just looking to help. Just like he was. And it isn't fake news. If you didn't want to deal with me, then you shouldn't have given my buddy a hard time."I say

"SuRe iT iS nOt."He says, rolling his eye-lights

"How late would Ink be now?"I ask

"72 minUteS."He says

"Is that normal?"I ask

"No."He says

"How do you think we got his scarf?"I ask

He shrugs.

"Well, let me explain. Some weird jerk took me away from my bud and Ink helped him get me back and escape. While leaving, Ink sounded panicked and he hasn't been home. Trust me, I know. We showed up at his house. I found his phone ringing an alarm, reminding him for something and having a lot of texts from someone named Error. The whole way that we found ya here was a reminder on his scarf. I have a bad feeling about all this. "I say

He claps. He f***ing claps.

"LoVeLY sToRy. SoRrY I cAn'T hElP yOu. NoW, I'M goNnA cAlL mY bOyFrIeND aNd waIt fOr hIm."He says sarcastically

This annoyed me very much.

"You aren't the least worried about him?"I ask

"NooOPe."He says

I sigh,putting my hand to my face and shaking my head.

"Look,"I say, looking at him sternly

"I don't know you, you don't know me, I get it. Hard to trust others. But I do know when something is bad. I do know my buddy is a good person and he thinks just as much as Ink. I don't want a good person to get into trouble and neither does he. He fucking hates that feeling or thought. And we're going to get him wether you join us or not like a friend as good as Ink would. Because if it were me and I heard one of my friends, boyfriend even, was in danger, I wouldn't blow it off. Like if it were Boots out there, I'd be gone to find him or beating the asshole by now. We wanted to tell you because we thought a friend of his would know what to do and help. Or be worried in the least. I expected some kind of reaction similar to mine from you, but I guess you don't care."I explain to him

I get up and go to leave, but grab his shoulder tight before I go.

He jolts, not expecting this clearly.

"But you better not try to blame us or come crawling back to us when you learn something goes wrong for Ink. Got it?"I say

He looks at me, then shakes his head.

"StOp tRyIng tO wOrRy mE...He iS pRoBabLy jUst bUsY paInTinG."He says

"Sure, keep lying to yourself. You know it's not the case."I say

I go outside and then witness Boots get grabbed and taken by some dark goopy guy with a brown eye. He drags Boots through a portal.

"Boots! No!"I yell, running as fast as my can

It shuts before I could reach him.

"No!"I shout

"ShOOt! YoU'Re dEalInG wIth tHat gUy?!"A voice says

I turn and see the guy coming out from the diner, wearing Ink's scarf.

"Yes! Oh now you believe me! Because of your stubborness I just lost my Boots!"I snap

"ChIlL, You aRe sTiLlIng weArIng sHoeS."He says

"Not shoes! Boots! My buddy Reboot!"I growl

"Ok, Ok, sOrRy. Now, yOu rEaDy tO gEt TheM bAcK?"He asks, opening a portal

"Wow, now you're reading my mind!"I say, rolling my eyelights

I walk through.

"We're coming, Boots. We're coming, Ink."I mutter

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Ink's POV

I run through a portal as fast as I can, shaking. I did not even know where I was going, my mind and emotions scrambling my thoughts and senses. I finally have a chance to escape when he left and I took it. Though I would've tried to go somewhere with a softer landing. I fall from the portal up in the sky.

SPLASH!

I fall into a big body of water, possibly an ocean and sink down before my mind snapped into action, getting me to swim. I swim to the surface and peek out. I see a beach with a bunch of humans running about. No monsters. I'm assuming this world still has a barrier. I swim to the shore where no humans were. But as I'm getting to my feet, a human looks my way and screams. I run and hide, feeling my soul pound. I listen for any of them.

"What's wrong?"One says

"Monster! I saw a monster!"Another says

"Monsters aren't real, David. Maybe you've been in the sun too long."A third says

They talk and I stay locked in place. Hiding. Emotions scramble my mind still. I'm trying to get in order again but those stupid chemicals and vials he gave me have me scattered. I have flashbacks to what occurred, what he did...said....and nearly achieved. I shake my head and check my soul. It's small but still a soul. It is shaking as much as I'm trembling. Gotta get out of here, but I have nothing to use.

I hear them coming close and run. I run as fast as I can away. I hide behind some condemned house. I stay there and do not move. I actually sleep there for a good while. Maybe rest will get myself back in order. 

I wake up and it's night. I creep around carefully. I wander around, looking for something I dunno. I don't know what to look for. I can't think. My mind is going haywire. I finally wander back to my hiding spot and camp it out there until morning. I wait for night to fall again. I do not move.

 I am in mental shut down.

This went on for three days.

Then four days.

Then five days.

Then six.

Then seven.

Eight.

Nine.

10.

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3 weeks.

The night of the 21st day, I get up and move into a nearby forest. I wander through it, not finding any threats in it. The bushes are huge, easy to hide in if I had to. The trees tower over me and I carefully make my way past them all. 

But then a hand grabs mine.

"InK! ThErE yOu aRe! I'm sO gLaD yOu'Re OkAY!"A voice cheers

I look and see it's Reboot. I turn to him and use my wings to conceal myself. Yes, Science healed the one Charles sliced off. Er, he remade it. 

"Hey Reboot."I say

"ArE yOu Ok? WhY aRe yOu wItHoUt a sHiRt?"He asks

"Could be worse. The person who took your bud got me and tried to make me their m-mindless servant. He used chemicals and my vials against me. I snapped out of it when he tried to contaminate my rib cage to quote:'make the process complete'. My mind is scrambled and I can't think or feel anything clearly. I'm fine though! I assure you. I just can't get out of here like I did out of there. What are you doing here?"I ask

"He gOt mE tOo aNd wAs tRyIng tO pOisOn mE, bUt I eNdEd uP hEre. DoN't wOrRy, Ink! OuR bUdS Are cOmiNg! I sAw tHeM!"He says

"Buds? As in m-m-multiple?"I ask, feeling uneasy

"YeP! My bUd RaCy aNd yOuR bUd GliTchY! ThaT's hIs naMe rIghT? I sAw yOuR rEmIndEr oN YoUr sCaRF."He says innocently

"Mhm..."I say, while panic fills my head

"Boots! There you are!"A voice shouts

"Oh, here they come now!"He says, looking to his right

I look and see a skeleton with Glitchy. I'm sure that's his bud.

"Hey, RaCy! I fOunD Ink!"He says

"InKy!"Glitchy calls, smiling

F***

I feel my face burn up.

"Good job, Boots! Good to see you're ok!"Racy says

Reboot starts to run to them, trying to drag me along but I release his hand. Emotions and thoughts scramble my head again and so instincts kick in. I run away and hide in a bush like an idiot. I don't know what I'm thinking or what to think. I just hide there silently. The bush was one of the biggest so I am able to sit in the center of it without the stems or branches poking me. It protected me more than anything.

"Wait, Boots, where'd he go?"Racy asks

"He wAs jUst wIth mE! DaNg iT! Wait....He mUst'Ve gOttEn sCaRed oFf!"Reboot says

"WhAt? By wHat?"Glitchy asks

"Uh, have you looked at yourself lately?"Racy says

"ShUt uP."Glitchy says

"No, tHaT mAy nOt bE iT. ThAt gUy wHo tOoK uS uSed sOme vIalS anD chEmicAls oN him. His mInd anD eMoTiOns aRe sCrAmBlEd uP, hE caNnOt tHinK cLeArLy. He pRobAbly wAs aCtIng oN iNstIncT."Reboot explains

"Well, we can find him. What did he look like?"Racy asks

"Hmm, hE hAd a CuT oN hIs hEad....His eYes wEre tHe coMbinAtiOns of 2 sHapEs. HiS wIngS wErE vEry bIg....Oh! He Had nO shIrT on, or shOes. JusT pAnTs tOrn tO shOrtS."Reboot explains

"He iS sHiRtLESS?!"Glitchy exclaims

"AnD shOelEsS."Reboot says

Racy just starts laughing.

"Your face dude is hilarious!"He says

"ShuT iT!"Glitchy snaps

He keeps laughing.

"NoW I wAnT tO fInD hIm EveN mOrE. InKy! InKy! CoMe oUt! It's mE! GlItChy! YoU'Re saFe nOw!"Glitchy calls

"HeY! WaiT uP!"Reboot says

I feel my soul pound. I hear a bunch of footsteps. I hear Glitchy calling me.

"Man, he's thorough."Racy says

"YeP."Reboot says

"YoU gUyS gO aHeAd, I'M gOnnA cHeCk ThE tReeS."Glitchy says

"K."They both say

I hear two pairs of footsteps leave. When I start to hear trees rustling, I look up. I smile, the bush even hides me from above. I don't hear anything anymore. I decide to peek out. I shove some parts of the bush aside gently, giving me a view out. But just as I did that, someone hops down in front of the bush I'm hiding in. Glitchy. He lands with his back to the bush, meaning he was above me in a tree. I absolutely freeze up, not saying a word. His tail is so close to where I'm peeking out. It starts to rattle. He is upset.

"ThAt bItCh bEtTeR nOt hAvE goTtEn hIm aGaIn. Oh InKy....."He mutters

Stupidly, I reach out a grab the rattle of his tail. I make it stop.

"It's okay, Glitchy."I whisper

I realize what I'm doing and take my hand into hiding. He turns around quickly, look at where I'm peeking from. We make eye contact. His face becomes a bright yellow. I freeze up.

"InKy?"He says

I jump, tensing up.

I don't say a word. I release the bush, closing my little window out. I stay quiet and still, not sure what to do. 

My mind is a mess. 

My soul pounds. 

I hate this. 

He hasn't moved.

He hasn't spoken.

He hasn't done anything either.

I see a tail start sneaking in. I back away from it but then feel strings touch my spine. My face burns up. I cover my mouth, trying to keep a yelp in me due to instinctive fear. I reach at the string and tear the strings off me. Just when I do so, I feel a hand grab my shoulder.

"InKy. It's oK. YoU'rE sAfe. It's mE. YoU cAn cOme oUt."Glitchy says

I stay silent.

"If yOu aRe n0t cOminG oUt, I'm cOmInG iN."He says

I tear away from his hand, scared. I back up. I put my wings around myself to conceal myself and hide my face with my hands, feeling it burn. I hear movement. I feel strings wrap around me, from the spine up. I jolt. Then I feel a tug. I get pulled until two arms wrap around me. I lower my hands and come face to face with Glitchy. He smiles.

"HeY InKy.~"He says

"H-Hello, G-G-Glitchy."I say

"Is wHat tHat GuY sAiD abOuT yOu trUe?"He asks

I nod.

"Hmm..."He says, as if he doesn't believe me

His strings wrap around my wings now. He has them open up to reveal myself. I quickly cover myself with my arms.

"GLITCHY!"I snap, feeling my face warm

His face brightens. He reaches out and places a hand on my cheek.

"G-G-Glitchy, I-I-I-!"I stutter

"YoU'rE hOt."He cuts me off

My face burns. I open my mouth to speak but he shuts it.

"I kNoW, dOn'T tRy aNyThIng. ThAt's wHy I am dOiNg somEtHiNg."He says

Then, he kisses me. I feel him wrap his arms around my, holding me gently. I feel my soul pound. I cannot think or or do anything. Without thinking now, I snap my fingers. I see his soul appear and hold it gently. That's what catches him off guard. He pulls back and looks at me. I feel his soul gently.

"I-InKy! AaH! S-Stop!"he says

"Please get your strings off my spine, Glitchy!"I tell him

"Oh! SoRry!"He says

I feel some more relief come when he releases me from his strings. I let go of his soul and it fades back in him. Then he smiles at me. His tail wraps around me, making me unable to move.

"G-Glitchy?"I stutter

He smirks.

"FoUnD yOu.~"He says

He kisses me again. Then he gets at my neck, nuzzling it and kissing. I feel my face burn.

"G-G-G-Glitchy! You've made your point! You found me! You win! Please! Glitchy!"I exclaim

He smiles at me.

"InKy, y0u aRe aDorAblE."He says

"Glitchy...."I say softly, feeling my face burn and soul beat fast

He smiles.

"ShAlL wE gO?"He asks

I raise my arms to conceal myself again. He wraps his tail up to my shoulders now.

"O-Ok..."I whisper

He smiles at me and he leaves the bush, taking me with him.

"GuYs I fOund InKy!"He shouts

I lower my head, shaking. I shake my head, trying to get my mind in order again. Racy and Reboot come over. Racy smirks while Reboot hugs me.

"Now can we go?"Racy asks

Error nods and opens a portal for them. They both say goodbye before going through. Glitchy opens another portal and takes me through. We arrive in the house, nobody was home hough. I get freed and quickly go to my room, putting a shirt on. I lay in bed, twitching and flinching, trying to get myself under control. I feel two arms wrap around me. 

"La da dee, la dee do, y0u aRe cUte. La da dee, la dee do, I lOvE yOu. La dA dEe, lA dE Do0, mY InKy. La dA dEe, lA dEe Do, eVeRyThinG wiLl bE oK."Glitchy's voice sings softly

"G-Glitchy, I c-ca-"I begin

"Don'T sAy y0u cAn'T beCaUse yOu Are stRoNg, InKy. ThErE is nOtHinG yOu cAn'T do. JusT rEst, iT wiLl jUst nEed rEst."He says

"O-Okay."I say

He kisses my cheek.

I smile.

I close my eyes and sleep.

I wake up when I hear a phone ring. I reach out and take it. I answer it.

"Missing someone, Ink?"Tim asks

I look and see Error beside me. I get up and find everyone in the house was accounted for.

"No, everyone is here."I say

"What about Dream? Is he missing anyone? A son or nephew, perhaps?"He asks

"What did you do?"I ask, connecting the dots

I frown.

He laughs.

"Oh! Children come here! Come speak with Ink!"He chuckles

"Hi, Ink."Palette says

"H-Hello, Mr. Ink."Ghastly says

"Kids, do not worry, help is coming. Are you okay?"I ask

"S-Scared. Not hurt."They say

"We will get you out of there! He will not hurt you and if he does, he will regret it!"I say

"Tick tock, Ink. Your hunt begins."Tim says

Then before I could say anything, he hangs up. I get a call from Dream, who is panicking. I calm him down and when that call ends, I get a call from Allsun in the same way. When I calm him down, I reached my limitations. I am going to get those kids before any damage is done. Then I realize Glitchy is up. He grabs me and tells me to think and get a hold of myself. He comforts me and then gets me to doze off again, promising to help fix this tomorrow.

Glitchy is the best. He knows my limits and keeps me in those good limitations.

We will get them.

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TBC