Chapter Text
…
It was a late, roaring night in a grungy little town. Rain pouring and pounding on the glass pane that belonged to a cheap motel just offset the main roads and cemented into gravel-covered areas.
It’d been flooding nonstop for days, and frankly the motel guests and staff were getting sick and tired of draining the rooms that needed to be leak-proofed. SillyVision had never been known for the brightest days of course, especially in winter, but this was utterly ridiculous.
Nothing but cold and damp outside.
“Boris, are you coming back in? You’ll catch a cold!”
Boris sighed, leaning against the gazebo fencing. Watching the hail parade down on cars and slicking the roads. One of those times where he felt somewhat lucky they were too broke to afford a car. Brushing a hand through his curls that’d been wet from the icy rain.
“Yeah, Bendy. Coming.” He turned back to their numbered door, reapproaching the shorter teenager who had it creaked open just an inch.
“You know I don't like you out in the rain.” Bendy tugged him inside, throwing a towel over his dripping hair and kicking the door shut with a skill a dancer would carry. “Especially not with how it’s been storming lately. What if one of those ice chunks took your eye out??”
Boris shook out his hair into the towel. “It’s called hail.”
“That’s not the point, and you know it.” Bendy frowned, crossing his arms. “You could still—” he was cut off, a choke rising in his throat.
Boris set aside the towel, arching a concerned brow. “You’ve still got that cough?”
Bendy had been dealing with a cough for the past week now. It showed up out of the blue, figured it was because of the weather. But lately it’s turned into an itch in his throat, an ache in his lungs, trouble inhaling…
He’d be lying if he preached he wasn’t the least bit concerned. “Maybe we should go in for a check-up?” he made his way to the calendar up on the fridge, ‘December 2, 1952’, He searched through the days. “It doesn’t look like we have anything planned. What about your work?”
Bendy leaned against the arm of the couch, sheepishly sinking into himself. “That won’t be a problem.” A nervous grin.
Boris faced him.
“I uhm,” Bendy sunk further, brows creasing. Twisting his gloves in his hands. “Got laid off,, Well — it was phrased that way, but it was damn obvious they were firing me without any grounds. Again.” He huffed, waving a hand.
“Figures.” Boris grumbled, turning back to the calendar. He wasn’t surprised. This wouldn’t be the first time he’d gotten fired without explanation. Usually it was plain and simple, ‘because he’s a demon’, and people around here were particularly unhappy about it. Of course, they never said it to his face, they didn’t need to.
“... Sorry, Bor.” Bendy glanced, moving to the couch.
“Don’t be.” He gently exhaled, pattering away from the kitchen. Making a beeline to their beds and gathering up packed boxes.
The shorter followed after him, confused, “What are you doing?”
“We’re moving.” He insisted, packing his belongings into a backpack.
Bendy crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorway. Passing an amused smile. “We are?”
“Yeah.” Boris pursed his lips, “Don’t laugh at me. It’s not like I’m three anymore, this is an educated decision.”
Bendy snickered, raising his hands in playful defense. “Noo… Of course, how could I forget; You’re eleven now, such a ‘mature adult’. How silly of me to assume otherwise.”
“Bendy, I mean it.” Boris stood, tossing the other’s suitcase over. “We’ve been planning on moving for months now anyway. We have the money, the time… It’s not like we have any furniture to take with us, anything valuable or expensive.” He gestured, frustration bubbling up in the back of his throat. “All we’d have to do is pack things into bags and buy a train ticket.”
The other breathed out, grabbing the suitcase. “Yes, but—”
“And just- Everyone here is mean, and rent’s too high, and finding jobs is harder than eating a bowl of nails!”
“Boris—”
“Neither of us can barely even leave this stupid motel without someone shouting some borderline-harassment driven hate our way!”
“Boris, stop it!” He managed to hear Bendy’s voice scold cut past his spiraling. He huffed out angrily, turning his back to face the other. Letting the silence linger for a moment.
“We can move.” Bendy stated, gently after he caught his breath. “Tomorrow, even. Okay? But,” He held up a placating finger, “We won’t be able to afford apartments or housing right away. We might even have to be out on the streets again for a little while… I was wanting to save up until we could move into properties. I don’t want to put you through that again, is all I’m…”
“How are we supposed to save up when we don’t have, and can’t get, jobs here is exactly my point.” Boris threw his hands up. “We’ll be able to afford an actual place quicker in a town that won’t turn us away just for walking in!”
“It’s not that simple,” Bendy stressed, “It doesn’t matter where we go, Boris, I’m still a demon—”
“It wouldn’t hurt to try.” Boris returned to the task of, angrily, packing up his belongings.
Bendy huffed, running his hands through his hair. He took a moment, then two, before packing some of his own belongings.
“We’ll have to leave early in the morning if we’re doing this.” He informed.
“I know, Bendy.”
“The motel’s check-out window closes at noon.”
“I know, Bendy...”
“And the station—”
“Bendy.” Boris sighed loudly.
Bendy sunk his shoulders, a shying grin. “Just precautious.”
…
It was dawn of a new day once the two were readying to leave. It had, thankfully, stopped raining for the first time in days. Leaving a gloomy, dewy afterglow in the damp air and grounds as they left the motel. Occasionally passing cars that had been dented by the night’s hail or had shattered the windshields. Some building windows seemed to had been no exception either.
The two shortly bought train tickets, and had time to spare before they’d actually be boarded. So to a nearby shop they went, with the purpose of buying drinks and snackage for the trip.
“Chips or chocolates…?” Bendy hummed to himself as he balanced the two options in his hands.
Boris was eyeing through the drinks, “I don’t care,, I mean, I’ll probably just nap.” He picked up a bottled water, the cold glass a refreshing feel to his hands. “Do you think I could get a coffee to-go?”
“Euh…” Bendy’s lips scrunched, “I don’t know,, I don’t want you drinking too much of that stuff, you’re still too young I think.”
“You mean; ‘I don’t like the smell of coffee, so I don’t want it near me.’?” Boris mocked quietly, settling the waters into his basket.
The other shook his head, not bothering to argue. “Just get pop or something… They have the same amount of caffeine.”
“Yuck.” Boris stifled his tongue. “Too much sugar.”
“Then get me one while you’re over there.” Bendy waved. Boris sighed, moving over to the cream-soda options.
Soon, the two were paying and leaving back to the transportation stop. Stuffing away what they’d bought into Boris’ backpack as they stumbled and made their way to the train.
“Hold still,, almost got it,” Bendy stuck his tongue between his teeth, adjusting the items into the stuffed bag.
“We’re going to miss our train.” Boris frowned.
Something, or someone, zipped between and past them in an erratic panic. Stumbling the taller of the two to the ground. Ow.
“Hey! Watch it!” Bendy shouted after the stranger in a miserable attempt at righteousness. Moving to help the other up.
A coarse paper, along with the stranger’s feathers, flew wildly in the racing wind and onto the ground beneath their feet. Boris blinked.
“Huh.” He crouched, tediously picking up the paper.
“Don’t touch that,” Bendy urged, attempting to take it from his hands. “It was probably used for drugs, you wouldn’t know.”
Boris moved it away from him in his attempts to grab it. “No, It’s a map.”
“Map?”
“Yeah.” He stared at the unscrolled page. “A weird one. It only has SillyVision, look,” He traced his fingers on the inked page.
The other eyed it, albeit warily. “Eugh. Not ours, though. We should probably set it down and let him come back for—”
“I wann’o keep it.”
“What?”
Bendy’s brows furrowed. Boris shrugged, rubbing his nose idly.
“Wouldn’t hurt.” He pursed his lips, already stuffing the scroll into his backpack.
Bendy frowned, “That’s stealing.”
“Not if we don’t get caught.” Boris giggled, continuing his walk towards the train stop.
And, defeatedly, Bendy followed. Both boarded their seats as the announcements instructed over crackling speakers.
“Next stop; Toontown, Inkwell. Estimate; 6 hours. Please stay seated.”
…
“What do you mean you lost it?”
Fisted hands threw down to the rickety night-side table of the temporary hotel room, the curly-haired feline hopped up to the soles of his boots and leaned forward into the table. His voice rose with fret; “Professor, sir, that was over a year of research and work! You lost it?”
“I’m so sorry, boy. I— I was far too panicked to even watch where I was going. I was being hunted, rapidly,” The elderly owl, Wilson, approached apologetically, “I’m sorry, Felix. I am.”
“The reason you were being hunted was for that map! That— Oh bloody hell,” Felix took a deep breath, holding his spinning head as he slowly ushered himself back down to sit. His ears buzzed back and forth, a ringing ache. “A year and a half… A year and a half of research and searching down the drain!”
“Boy, boy! You’re going to give yourself an ulcer with your fussing for goodness sake.” Wilson hooted and flocked to grab his shoulders, concern choking in his tone.
“You should’ve just let me go!” Felix fit into his tantrum, “I would’ve gotten out of there with the map! I—!!” his hands flailing in disbelief and frustration. “You insisted—!! I can’t even—“
“Felix,” Wilson hooted gently, his feathered brows knit with worry. His wings around the younger adult’s shoulders tightened. Felix was pressed to just swallow down his distress and face the elder, his eyes mirroring in disappointment.
“It will be okay.” Wilson breathed. “It’s not the end of the world, believe me.” He sat beside him. “We can get it back.”
Felix huffed quietly, his shoulders sinking as he turned to face the floor beneath him. Eyes skipping between the carpet pattern.
“But we were so close to just…” his voice almost broke. It had taken so long to even put together the information of the returning illness. It took so long to figure out the map location. It took so long to even piece together that it even existed at all. He felt so distraught it even made him feel a little pathetic. “We could’ve been heroes. We could’ve saved millions. We’re the only ones who are even aware the pandemic is making a return!”
“I know, Felix.” Wilson pulled his wings away from him gently. “But—... You already are a hero.” He faced the other. “Maybe, just maybe, it’s someone else’s turn.”
Felix sunk further. He faced the elder in return with a lingering expression of loss.
“…Perhaps you’re right, Sir.” He faced the floor once again. His eyes drew up to the lamp on the bedside.
“But what if that information gets in the hands of the wrong people? Or, lord forbid, a child?” He turned towards Wilson once more. “This is bad. Very bad. If that map gets in the hands of the wrong people… Oh, I don’t know what I’d do with myself.” His breath hitched.
“Enough worrying, lad.” Wilson whistled out an exhale. He stood off the bed, the large museum uniform blazer draped over his feathers. A green plaid scarf wrapped in his feathers around his neck.
He brushed off the sleeves with his wings, “Besides, we need to be heading back to Toontown as soon as tomorrow. I’ve got my museum to take care of, and you’ve got that puppy at home.”
Felix sulked. “His name is Scruffy.”
…