Although it was nice to be sitting in a vehicle with a toon he'd come to enjoy the company of, when it was for eight hours straight, Boris had second thoughts. Sitting beside a sleep-deprived demon was quite literally hell, especially when most of the slip-ups weren't even the fault of the passenger. There were multiple occasions over the course of thirty minutes where Boris had insisted they took a pit stop due to their tank getting low, but the fiend continuously waved him off. Each time Bendy was reminded, he would only get more annoyed as he told the wolf he was just being paranoid. At first Boris tried not to let the demon's stubbornness get the better of him, but the more the red line moved towards the 'E' on the fuel gage, the greater his anxious festering grew.

Before they pulled into one of the many roads they had to travel through Ohio, the lanky canine reluctantly mentioned the gas tank once more to the driver. Blinded by his own stubbornness and lack of better judgement, Bendy blew off the suggestion once more; regardless of where the red line stood.

Boris was stuck between worry and annoyance as they drove into the next freeway. Either Bendy was unbelievably tired, or unbelievably stupid. His guess was as good as anybody's.

From that point there was thick tension over gas. Boris thought it was utterly ridiculous that the demon was throwing a fit over something so miniscule. Regardless of how the wolf felt, however, he kept his yap shut on the matter; knowing far too well that no matter what he said or did, the fiend would do his own thing. At one point, Boris tried to look past the irritation to pick up a friendly bundle of conversation, only to be bitterly ignored. The wolf was a little baffled at the silent treatment, but didn't bother to comment after he'd given the situation enough thought. With a subtle huff of the nostrils, he twisted his body to face the passenger window, starting to feel more hurt than angry. Boris gently tugged on the fabric of his suit as he sat, trying to tune out his thoughts while the song on the radio played at a low volume.

Bendy's eyes glared at the road, furrowing his brows ever so slightly as his tired gaze struggled to focus. With a couple of sharp blinks, he tried to snap himself out of zoning out, and after a few more attempts he was successful. When he gave a subtle shake of his head, the fiend couldn't help but give a glance towards his passenger, whom of which was sitting very crossly beside him. Bendy glanced back towards the windshield, picking up the idle vibe of hurt coming from the wolf beside him. Subtly, the fiend's eyes moved towards the gas tank meter. The sight of which, caused him to break into a cold sweat. The demon tightened his grip on the steering wheel and took in a deep breath as he gathered his thoughts. Holding in the air for a few moments, he let out a loud sigh and caught the attention of the toon beside him.

"Next pit stop?" Bendy asked quietly, not able to muster a glance towards Boris. The lanky canine gave his driver somewhat of a victorious smirk before popping open the dashboard compartment with a confident motion of his gloved hand. Grabbing hold of the matted paper neatly with his fingertips, Boris pulled the map out in front of him and swiftly unfolded it. After a few moments of dark eyes scanning the scene, Boris spoke without even glancing up.

"Three and a half miles." The wolf instructed with an 'as a matter of fact' tone. Bendy glanced towards the fuel gage once more and gave a relieved huff. Three and a half miles. They could make it. The fiend relaxed his shoulders and gave a few subtle chuckles to ease the remaining tension in his chest.

"See, told you we'd be fine." Bendy slyly commented with a sideways glance. Through the demon's playful laughing, Boris couldn't fight a smile and the rolling of his eyes.

"Dumb luck." The wolf muttered under his breath with a few subtle shakes of the head. The fiend leaned back in his seat, mellow developing in every crease of his features. When quiet seeped into the air once more, Bendy clicked his tongue with a deep breath.

"Have you ever navigated before?" The demon asked idly as he gave a few more tired blinks. A little baffled by the question, Boris processed for a moment only for his brows to rise.

"My mom loved to go on roadtrips with me, my sister, and my dad." The wolf replied with a few faulty chuckles. "Real dad, not my step dad." Boris clarified quickly, the demon beside him giving a subtle nod. "Mom never really knew where to go, so me and my sister would always help with directions." The canine gave a hearty scoff. "She didn't know how to read maps either." Boris commented with a teasing glance towards his driver. Bendy took note of the comment and playfully rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I knew how at one point." The fiend remarked with a challenging tone. The wolf beside him huffed under his breath in disbelief. "I did!" Bendy exclaimed, receiving more scornful headshakes from Boris. "I just haven't been on the road in a while is all. Not since the big move." The fiend's voice seemed to trail off as his gaze lingered to the right side of the road and froze in his place.

"Big move?" The canine repeated softly. Bendy slowly pressed his foot to the brake, his eyes stained into the bottom right corner of the windshield as he gave a slow nod. Boris followed the demon's line of sight only for his stomach to dip.

Both pairs of eyes ogled at the torn up gas station; void from any activity, or life, for that matter. Just from that short look, there were a lot of history the building foretold. The door was busted open, some windows were broken in and lazily boarded up. There was plant life overtaking the sides of it, and the tall business sign that bared the title 'Happy Fillup' along with a faded but beaming green character was visibly collecting dust. When the gas station was out of sight, both were hesitant to shift their eyes.

"Bendy, how old is this map?" Boris asked, deeply afraid of the answer he would receive. Bendy blinked as a cold sweat overtook his entire body.

"Old enough to fuck us over from its grave, apparently." The demon answered with a shallow sigh and a brief glance. "When's the next one?" He murmured quietly, keeping his voice down as if to hide the statement from the vehicle itself. Boris shakily found himself unfolding the map, carefully skimming the area before he grimly lifted his head.

"Fifteen miles." The wolf mumbled hesitantly. Bendy's eyes widened at the canine's response, profound stress in his movements.

"FIFTEEN MILES-"

The car gave a loud sputter before the fiend could finish shouting. The demon hurridley glanced towards the fuel gage, shaking his head rapidly at the sight. Canine and fiend exchanged a look before both turned their attention back to the thin red line landing right on the 'E'. Bendy's brows furrowed as pressing the gas pedal was giving very little momentum to the car.

"No no no, c'mon, girl, just a little longer." Bendy muttered helplessly under his breath, smacking his steering wheel desperately as the vehicle decreased in speed. In a last ditch effort, he tried to pump the gas once more, but to no avail. The vehicle gave one last huff of life before coming to a complete stop, leaving the passengers inside to sit motionless in their seats. Bendy took in a deep breath as he raised his fists in festering rage before sighing deeply and lowering them once more. After soaking in the scene for long enough, the fiend sat back in his seat with a furious thump.

"Well," Bendy grumbled with a violent smack on his arm rest, "shit." The demon stated under his breath. Boris took in a few meditating breaths as he glanced anxiously through the map once more, praying that he missed a gas station closer than the one he mentioned. He came to be disappointed, however, and slowly folded the navigation before hesitantly glancing towards the front facing windshield with the cautious lowering of his shoulders. The fiend in the driver's seat leaned forward ever so slightly to press his fingertips to his temples, giving his head a furious rub in an attempt to center himself. After sighing in sequence, the interior of the vehicle fell still once more. The wolf anxiously leaned back in his own seat, fiddling with the flaps of his suit as he tried to tame his worry. While his mind was festering with phrases such as, 'I told you so', he knew that saying anything like that now would only make the journey ahead more difficult to handle; given Bendy's behavior was already furious enough as it was.

Through the midst of scattered thinking, suddenly, a solution popped in Boris' noggin. He was hesitant to open his yap at first, but seeing how the fiend beside him didn't have any brighter ideas, he swallowed his uncertainty.

"Maybe we could push the car to Fremont." The wolf boldly suggested, his voice shaking ever so slightly. Bendy gave Boris a look that was a mixture between disbelief and scorn. The fiend shook his head with a broken smile on his lips.

"Kid, do you have any idea how far fifteen miles is when you're pushing four thousand pounds?" The demon questioned with a raised brow. The wolf thinned his lips in a line and gave a subtle shrug.

"At least it's on wheels." The canine insisted with a few tiny headshakes. Boris wasn't spared so much as a glance for a very long period of time before Bendy let out a long, exhausted sigh. After rubbing his face with his gloved hands for a few moments to gather himself, he lifted his head from his fingertips and loosely popped open the middle compartment.

"I need a cigarette."

Low heaves and soft pants evolved into loud grunts and exhausted breaths by the first mile the wolf and demon pushed. Boris was concerned for Bendy's prosthetic, insisting for the fiend to sit out when he grumbled that it bugged him. Bendy, however, would stubbornly wave off the suggestion and continue to shove with whatever might he could muster. Even if his faulty leg was a pain in the ass, he was too stubborn to sit out anytime soon.

The huffing and puffing advanced all up until about mile seven, where they took a long breather to gather themselves. They were nearly halfway there, but it barely felt like they made any progress at all. Bendy had a few cigarettes, Boris took a very short nap, and then they went back to pushing. There were multiple signs along the way that reminded them of how far away they were from the nearest gas station, and while at first it was hopeful, Bendy got annoyed by the teasing reminders very quickly.

Around 5 AM, they stopped for another breather. Although this time, Bendy couldn't even stand the thought of nicotine smoke sinking into his lungs while he struggled to breathe. The demon coughed up a fit of mucus and spat it to the ground, hating the imaginary taste of blood tainting his tongue. Boris would have given some disgusted remark, had he not been sweating a waterfall. Through much convincing amongst themselves, both of them eventually picked back up and got back to shoving.

The heaving continued until Boris spotted the city welcoming sign and exclaimed that they were almost finished, encouraging the demon and himself to push for just a little longer. Not long after the hopeful words were stated, the duo agreed they were too tired and stopped for another rest.

Boris gave a low puff as he sat on the roof of the trunk, Bendy exhaustedly doing the same. Shallow breaths flooded the air as their dizzy vision stained into the long road ahead. Throughout the entire process, the only sense of relief they had was when a fellow car passed them and gave them a plentiful gust to cool them off. Even then, however, it was overshadowed by a sense of envy. With a loud sigh and a glance towards the toon beside him, Boris weakly managed to smile.

"Almost there." The wolf reassured through a breath as he slowly hoisted himself to the ground. Bendy swallowed before licking his chaps and shakily mimicking the action. As soon as his shoes hit the ground, the demon let out a grunt as his aching sole sent a shock wave of pain up his leg. Boris took notice and furrowed his brows as the fiend straightened himself slowly.

"You okay?" The canine questioned with a worried expression. Bendy squared a bitter look in response to the unpleasant feeling buzzing in his good leg before giving a soft nod.

"Would love to have my leg back right about now." The fiend grumbled before pressing his palms to the trunk. The wolf gave the demon a phony smile, hesitant to persist in the pushing, but did so regardless.

Although it was slow at first, they picked up momentum. Through their heaving, Boris couldn't help but give a few worrisome glances towards Bendy. Why was the demon so insistent on helping when he was clearly in pain? Every so often, the fiend would stumble, only to fix himself right back up and mumble that he was fine. When it happened for the third time, however, Boris stopped pushing. Bendy didn't recognize this until he noticed the vehicle was much harder to shove, and in response he simply glared at the wolf while he still attempted to push.

"C'mon, kid, we're almost there." The demon muttered with a grunt. Boris watched the foolish fiend continue to move his car at a snail's pace for a long while until he briefly took in a breath.

"You need to stop, you're hurting yourself." The wolf noted firmly. Bendy gave another hard shove to his Cadillac, much too headstrong to comply.

"I'm fine, Boris." The fiend insisted firmly, giving the canine a brief look to emphasize his serious tone. With a gentle sigh, said toon shook his head with somewhat irritation. Patting his trouser pockets for a few moments, the wolf absentmindedly began to walk in the same direction Bendy was moving.

"I'm gonna run to the gas station and come back, you can keep pushing if you really want to." Boris explained simply before twisting in his step and swiftly picking up a jog.

For a while longer, the demon pushed his car while his mind festered with scornful thoughts. This rebellious action came to a halt when his good leg gave him another sharp nip of pain. Stopping in his tracks and trying his best to catch his breath, the fiend shakily straightened himself up with the support of the trunk. Exhausted, Bendy wobbed to the driver's side while he used the hood of his car for assistance in his walk. Weakly leaning over with an outstretched gloved hand, he popped open the door and lazily swung it open. With a low groan, he carefully lowered his overall pockets to the driver's seat and let out a long sigh of pure relief. He basked in the moment of being able to sit down in a semi-comfortable chair before glancing down at his legs hanging out of the car. Giving a tired fit of blinks and repeatedly telling himself to just get it over with, the fiend cautiously lifted both of his legs onto the floor of the vehicle and huffed with underlying relief as they neatly nestled beside the foot pedals. Unable to fight a yawn, Bendy leisurely leaned back in his seat. Only now did he recognize his own fatigue as a wave of pure exhaustion came over him. There might have been a sense of good in this whole process though, he hadn't had this much exercise in years.

Lucifer almighty. The demon pondered bitterly as he ached. After a good stretch, Bendy yawned once more and hesitantly let his eyes rest. While he was still awake, he neatly rung his gloved hands and placed it atop his lap. Over and over he told himself that he couldn't possibly be tired, but the gentle touch of sleep was getting awfully difficult to avoid.

"B-Bendy...?"

There was a long pause.

"Bendy."

Once again, another pause, although shorter this time.

"Bendy."

The fiend jolted from his sleep, his eyes flying open only to meet face to face with Boris, whom of which was leaning inside the open door with a gentle resting expression.

"Sorry to wake you," The canine apologized with a warm grin, "the gas station attendant is sending over a tow truck." The wolf explained briefly. "They should be here any minute." Bendy shook away his fatigue, slowly but surely coming to his senses.

"It's all good." The demon mumbled as he lifted himself to stretch out his aching back. "How long was I out?" Bendy questioned as he attempted to rub the tiredness from his eyes.

"Half an hour." Boris remarked, taking a moment to glance across the way. "Do you feel rested?" The wolf added, some weariness lining his tone. The fiend gave a loose shrug to the question.

"More or less." Bendy replied with a soft grunt. "How much is all this gonna cost me?" The demon questioned, giving the wolf beside him a glance. "An arm, a leg? I got one of those to spare." He added with an unamused tone.

"He said the tow truck was gonna cost a little extra, but didn't say exactly how much." Boris replied simply. The fiend smacked his lips for a moment as he processed.

"What about the fillup?" Bendy mumbled, rubbing his eyes. The wolf shook his head subtly.

"Didn't say" He replied simply. The fiend couldn't help but give his tired eyes another firm rub.

"That's informative." The demon commented sternly. Boris chuckled under his breath before Bendy scoffed with a stern shake of the head.

"Well, anyways." The fiend began as he slowly turned his body to heave himself out of his automobile. Noticing the change of posture, Boris scooted out of the way to allow the fiend to exit. "Thanks for running all the way out there for me, kid." Bendy gratefully told the wolf as he shakily hoisted himself to his feet.

"No problem," Boris replied warmly, "as long as you're the one taking care of the mystery bill." He added with a teasing smirk. The demon remarked with a playful, but tired jab to the canine's arm followed by an amused scoff. Glancing over to his right, Bendy caught sight of a vehicle parked dangerously close to the trunk of his Cadillac. Insulted by the lack of proper distance, the fiend gave the driver a scornful look before turning his attention to the toon beside him.

"That's the attendant?" Bendy questioned with the raise of a brow and the gesturing of his thumb. Boris gave a soft nod to the inquiry.

"He's a really nice guy." The wolf commented with a subtle glow to his cheeks. The fiend gave the stranger another quick glance, feeling a wave of uncertainty as they met eyes. The attendant's glare was cold, but Bendy tried to tame his hint of fear with the fact that the guy had to sit around at a gas station all day. When he noticed Boris picking himself up and wandering towards the stranger's car, the demon decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and follow after the canine's footsteps. Just as they made their way towards the hunk of metal, an obnoxious honk from afar pulled the duo out of their movements as the mentioned tow truck was chugging along the front facing road. As the hefty vehicle came closer, Bendy felt a wave of panic come over him, anxiously glancing towards his own vehicle as he was only now starting to realize what the towing meant. He furrowed his brows and glanced towards Boris, the wolf giving him a reassuring smile and a soft nod.

When the tow truck finally came to a halt beside the two cars on the other side of the road, its brakes gave a loud 'whoosh' as clouds of smoke puffed out of the vehicle's engine. Bendy was on edge enough, but getting once glance at the driver made him go white as a ghost. The toon behind the wheel of the truck adjusted his cap lazily as he glanced towards the duo below him. Loosely, the tow truck driver glanced towards Bendy's Cadillac and pointed briefly.

"This the one?" The stranger questioned. Boris gave him a completely unhesitant nod of the head, meanwhile Bendy unconsciously shook his own. The wolf twisted in his step, having the confidence as if he'd known these toons for ages. Hesitantly, the fiend glanced over as the wolf neatly popped open the passenger door of the gas station attendant's vehicle and plopped himself inside. Unable to resist the urge, he gave the driver of the tow truck a weak plea.

"Please be gentle with her." Bendy begged before cautiously twisting in his step and following Boris in his walk.

Bendy was incredibly reluctant to get in the backseat of this complete stranger's car, but he knew his stubbornness had to come with a price. Though he never imagined that price would be the safety of his prized Cadillac Coupe Deville. Every so often, before the trio was even officially on the road, the fiend couldn't help but anxiously glance in the rear window in concern. The attendant caught sight of this and dryly chuckled as he met eyes with Bendy through the rearview mirror.

"Don't worry, he'll be careful." The stranger reassured, his tone not giving the demon any sort of comfort. Without even bothering to check and see if his passengers were buckled in, the attendant shifted his car's gear into drive and pressed his foot against the gas pedal. Almost terrified the car was going to shift in reverse, Bendy couldn't help but give his own car one last anxious look before they rode farther and farther away.

On the way to the heart of Fremont, even if he couldn't see his Cadillac anymore, the fiend couldn't fight the occasional glance. The car ride was eerily quiet, Bendy giving the stranger stink eye in the backseat as his gloved thumbs twiddled with rising suspicion. The way the driver looked at him was off-putting. There was something strange about the attendant's behavior, almost seeming captivated by the demon's presence. Bendy couldn't help but get a bad feeling in his chest whenever he noticed the stranger glancing in the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of him. Whenever they met gazes it sent a shiver down his spine; what a weirdo. Through the midst of semi-aggressive atmosphere, the driver licked his chaps as he gathered up a friendly bundle of conversation.

"You two new to Ohio?" The toon asked, glancing towards the back of the car once more.

"I've only been down here a handful of times when I was really little." Boris remarked. Bendy didn't even bother to reply, turning his gaze to the side window. The stranger disregarded the silent treatment and smiled.

"It's nice, yeah?" He questioned. Boris politely nodded before turning his gaze to the windshield and ringing his hands. Although there was only so much a gas station attendant could do to a tough mobster such as himself, the fiend couldn't help but feel an uneasy stir in the back of his mind. Hesitantly, Bendy gave the driver a nod of his own, void of even a hint of friendliness. Suddenly, the stranger let out a puff of breath.

"The name's Samuel, by the way." The attendant introduced as he briefly turned his head. "You can just call me 'Sammy'." He added. Bendy narrowed his eyes at the comment as a mocking statement wallowed in his fatigued mind.

"Benjamin." The fiend muttered under his breath, harsh in his tone. "You can just call me 'Benjamin'."

By the time they finally reached the relatively small station, the fiend felt a huge weight lift from his shoulders. He had to resist the urge to give a long sigh of relief as they all finally stepped out of the car. The duo of demon and wolf were led to a small, relatively rundown convenience store. The glass doors gave a harsh squeak as it was opened, the attendant politely holding it open as Boris and Bendy scooted themselves inside. Briefly dusting off his hands, the stranger swung over to the other side of the register while he removed his cap. Placing the tacky red hat neatly on the counter, Sammy crossed his arms and leaned in to the party on the other side with a resting expression.

"Alright, fellas, now I'm sure you're curious about payment." The attendant stated with a tiny hint of a smile. Bendy gave a firm nod of his head and slowly crossed his arms while Boris silently stood beside the sturdy demon. The stranger loosely nudged with his cap with his elbow, "And to that I say, hundred fifty." He concluded as he rang his hands. Bendy's eyes went wide, shaking his head to gather himself for a moment.

"A hundred fifty?" The demon repeated with bewilderment. "For a fillup and a tow? Are you fucking baked?" Bendy exclaimed coldly. Sammy's friendly smile suddenly curved into a smirk.

"Or, twelve ounces of your finest ink." He suggested. Both of the toons to the other side of the counter froze. The fiend of the duo blinked away his confusion as he shook his head furiously.

"Wait, wait, ink? Twelve ounces?" The demon repeated. Boris was only growing more and more weary as the toon behind the counter widened his smirk. Baffled out of his skin, Bendy's bottom lip was practically dangling from his mouth at the mere gull.

"So how 'bout it?" The toon asked with a challenging glimmer in his eye. Furious, the fiend furrowed his brows and gave a firm shake of the head.

"Do you know how expensive twelve ounces is?" Bendy spat. Sammy puckered his lips mockingly as his eyes trailed in another direction before snapping coldly back to the demon.

"I think it's a small price to pay, unless you want your asses walking on the sidewalk." The attendant muttered back bitterly. The demon still seemed visibly unwilling to comply with the payment until Sammy's eyes went sinister.

"And hey, if this won't work out, I'm sure the cops would love to know why you're down here in Ohio." He added, gesturing a thumb towards the telephone lying innocently on the back counter. Bendy's expression did a double-take, twisting into brief worry before he brushed it aside with a deep breath. Boris seemed to shake in his spot as he rapidly glanced back and forth between the other two in the convenience store without making a single peep. With hesitance, the fiend took in another long breath.

"Ten ounces, and you let the kid pick whatever he wants in the candy isle." The demon negotiated, briefly tossing a finger behind him. Sammy narrowed his eyes at the response.

"Twelve ounces and we've got a deal." He corrected firmly. Bendy appeared to want to protest until the attendant shook his head with a smug glance towards the telephone. Sighing once more, the fiend irritably threw his hands up before letting them fall back to his sides. Defeated, Bendy turned his attention towards Boris, whom of which met his eyes with a worrisome glimmer. The wolf gave a cautious smile while the demon blinked at him. Without a word, Bendy motioned his head towards the isle behind him, silently insisting for the skinny canine to scavenge the store for whatever he so desired.

With all the business said and done- gas tank full, sleazy attendant content, and wolf happily munching on M&Ms- Bendy and Boris left the city of Fremont without a second thought.

Bendy reached a hand out to the right of him, flexing his fingers gently as a muted request for the wolf to give him a handful of his treats. Boris happily abided, shaking the small bag and pouring a wealthy amount into the demon's palm. The fiend shoveled all of the chocolate droplets into his chompers and bit down promptly, lazily whipping the remaining residue of food coloring on his overall leggings.

"It was nice of him to let us take candy." Boris commented as he eagerly crunched. Bendy gave the wolf a sideways glance as he munched.

"Yeah, it's not like he tried to blackmail us or anything." The fiend muttered under his breath, annoyed to find subtle smudges of blue, green, and yellow tainting the palm of his glove. With a tiny sneer and more tired blinks, Bendy disregarded it and grabbed hold of the steering wheel.

"I could go for a quick bite and a few winks of shuteye, what about you, kid?" The fiend asked, still chewing his mouthful. Boris smiled, swallowing what he held in his cheeks.

"I could go for more than a few winks." The wolf replied with a soft chuckle. The demon scoffed at the reply, watching the road signs as he idly looked for places to eat. Boris threw his head back with a groan, "I feel like I could sleep for the rest of my life." The canine mumbled.

"You and me both." The fiend remarked under his breath.

"Hey, but at least you got a nap." Boris countered playfully.

After nearly a half an hour of passing by plenty of different restaurants and cute little tackle shops on the road, the duo eventually agreed on a waffle house. It was discrete, kinda in the middle of nowhere, probably littered with rats; AKA the perfect spot for a couple of mobsters to fine dine.

When they pulled into the puny parking lot, Bendy reached over and forced the hat off of Boris' head. The wolf looked visibly dumbfounded as he watched the demon plop the tan fedora utop his head to cover the curve of his horns. In response to the look of confusion, Bendy smugly patted the canine's noggin before promptly opening his door and stepping out of the car. Boris sat in his seat for a moment, shaking his head in light-hearted scorn before doing the same.

As he caught up to the fiend, the wolf felt a question arise, but shooed it away when he began to gather his own answer. Disguise, he concluded, rolling his eyes with a soft smile on his lips. At the expense of his own snazzy hat, that is. Almost immediately as they stepped foot in the establishment the aroma of batter and the soft sizzling of grease surrounded them. Bendy casually tipped his stolen headwear towards the lady toon standing behind the bar counter. Boris gave her a weary smile and a friendly wave as he followed after his companion's confident footsteps. The demon chose a random booth and slid in the long seat, the wolf taking his place across from him. Bendy impatiently tapped his fingertips along the lazily cleansed tabletop as he idly glimpsed towards the waitress.

"I'm starvin'." The fiend commented under his breath before snatching a menu from its neat wooden pocket to the left of him. Boris huffed through his nostrils before placing his head in the palm of his propped hand. The canine yawned silently before softly smacking his lips, the toon across from him noticing the behavior. Bendy lifted his fidgety gaze from his menu for a moment.

"And you're tired." The demon noted with a playful, but equally concerned smirk. Boris gave a fatigued nod of the head as he held back another yawn. Bendy's gaze went soft for a moment before he snapped his attention back to the names of breakfast items on the menu. The demon was quiet for a while as his eyes trailed along the plethora of different entrees in front of him until they rested on what he wanted. Briefly licking his upper lip and slowly placing his menu on the tabletop, the fiend swiftly slid the sheet towards the wolf across from him and lightly pressed his fingertips on it to insist for Boris to look. While the wolf exhaustedly took his glances at the sheet, Bendy patted his front pockets only for a dissatisfied expression to come across his face. While Boris was starting to drift off across from him, the demon nudged the wolf with the corner of the menu frame as he lifted himself from his seat. Boris caught himself dozing off and straightened up a bit to meet gazes with the fiend.

"Look for something to munch on, and if the waitress comes by before I get back, let her know I want sunny-side up eggs with a side of toast, a'ight?" Bendy instructed as he tapped his fingertips on the menu once more. Boris gave a fatigued nod, his eyes growing weary. The demon grinned softly and stood up from his spot, whacking the wolf playfully with a hand before he took his leave. "Stay alive for the sake of a cripple's breakfast, kid." Bendy murmured playfully before exiting without another word.

The wolf's gaze lingered after his partner in crime as Bendy took his leave, finding himself glancing briefly at the menu placed sloppily on the tabletop. He blinked slowly as his tired eyes tried to make out the words on the surface in front of him. Boris stared, silently hoping that the waitress would stay by the counter as his fatigued mind struggled to remember what the fiend had requested for not even a minute prior. The canine let out a long sigh as he gazed over the menu, anxiously tapping his opposing hand on the table as he awaited Bendy's return. Even if he wouldn't mind something to eat, the thought of food alone made him lose his appetite. There was a soft squeak of metal behind him followed by a pair of lopsided footsteps, Boris too exhausted to properly process that Bendy was back. Within a few moments, said toon came back into view, almost huffing as he seated himself. The demon playfully waved his wallet in the air with a smirk.

"Don't wanna dine and dash from this fine eatery, now do we?" Bendy murmured under his breath. Boris remarked to the statement with a tired smile, the fiend taking note of the blatant exhaustion in the wolf's features. Bendy's smirk faltered ever so slightly at the sight.

"Hey, you doin' alright over there?" The demon mumbled softly as he leaned forward. The wolf gave a brief nod.

"Just sleepy." Boris stated plainly, yawning to emphasize his reply. The fiend thinned his lips in a line as he could see the wolf's clear exhaustion.

"Well... do you wanna go to the car and I'll grab something to go?" Bendy suggested, gesturing a hand briefly towards the automobile sitting outside. The wolf lifted his head from his hand and rubbed his tired face.

"Sure. I'm not really in the mood to eat right now anyway." Boris mumbled, fatigue lining his voice. Bendy gave him a look of disbelief but waved it off regardless.

"Alright, I'll take care of it then. Go rest your eyes for a bit and I'll be there in a few." The demon replied with a gentle nod towards the front doors. Boris cautiously got to his feet before sloppily turning heel to take his leave.

Bendy shook his head mindlessly at the sight, watching as the wolf tripped over his own feet as he stumbled out of the waffle house. Scoffing, the fiend moved his gaze around the establishment. It was a nice little place, even if the tables were laced with filth. It was quiet, aside from the clattering of pots and pans coming from the kitchen and the occasional bored sniff from the waitress. When he noticed the lady toon dozing off, Bendy found himself standing up from his spot with menu in hand. Waltzing over to the counter, the waitress jolted out of her awaiting slumber. Tiredly, she glared at the fiend in front of her with an bland smile.

"Whatta ya need, hun." She mumbled, her tone thick with disinterest. Bendy gandered at the menu for a few long moments, shaking his head slowly at the sight. Seconds later, the menu was tossed on the countertop.

"Ahh, just gimmie two things o' hotcakes with a side of maple." The fiend ordered with an equally monotone voice. She gave a brief nod before twisting her body and shouting the order to the kitchen. As she turned, the demon seated himself at one of the round stools by the counter. Just as the waitress turned to the fiend, visibly getting ready to ask a question, Bendy already had an answer ready.

"To go." The demon instructed as he neatly snatched his wallet from his pocket. Flipping through the bills, the fiend slapped a crumpled fifty in front of her. "Change in tens." Bendy muttered as he rested his hands on the surface in front of him. While the waitress slid the dollar bill over to herself, the fiend turned his eyes to the television to the right of him. Blinking blankly, the demon gave the screen his attention with a bland expression on his face.

News. Not interesting, but it was more entertaining than twiddling his thumbs, he would suppose. Bland, biased information spewed at him from the speakers. Bendy was almost surprised toons had the ability to be intrigued. There was a retirement home opening, a kitten was saved from a tree, and a house on Grover's Street was burnt to ash because of a casserole fire. Yawn. How could anybody watch this garbage? Maybe twiddling his thumbs was more entertaining afterall.

Eventually, the fiend's attention lingered from the television, catching a glimpse around. And with that glimpse, Bendy found himself grimacing at the sight. The decor was incredibly tacky and there was little structure to anything that hung on the walls. The demon wasn't one for interior design but even he could see that this place was a fashion disaster. The wallpaper was ugly, there was a bright sign indicating where the restroom was, a faint aroma of rat poison definitely hung in the air, and the restaurant fad of collecting dollar bills from all around the world was also no exception to this waffle house. The sooner he could get out of this place, the better.

When Bendy had just about enough of looking around, a breaking news report snapped his attention right back to the television. Idly, the fiend eyeballed the TV screen, disinterest in his features until he recognized the toon on the screen and felt his eyes practically bulge from his skull. Bendy's hands twitched in anticipation as he anxiously glanced towards the kitchen before looking back at the news report, feeling his leg bounce as dread rose in his chest. The demon fidgeted, his lips thinned in a line as he tried to focus on the television while waited, but the tension in his shoulders only grew as he heard little movement from the interior. How long does it take to make four goddamn pancakes.

The sudden chime of a bell caused Bendy to jolt, pulling him out of his mindless fidgeting. Shortly afterwards, a paper bag was roughly shoved in his direction. Bewildered by the rude gesture, the fiend glared at who had pushed his meal towards him. The waitress blinked with a bored expression, completely unfazed by Bendy's hostile look.

"Change is in the bag." She stated simply. The fiend lifted himself from his seat, glancing towards the television one last time before opening the paper bag ever so slightly to catch a peek. Only now did he realize how heavy it really was, and out of pure curiosity he stuck his hand inside. Bendy shifted his gloved hand in the thin sack for a few moments, only to find his change to be entirely in dimes.

The demon halted in his steps, giving the counter a nasty glare and feeling his blood boil very briefly before he found himself inwardly huffing. He told himself repeatedly that it wasn't worth it, and eventually continued in his path without a single snarky comment. He had much bigger fish to fry.

The fiend returned to his Cadillac to find the passenger fast asleep on the other side of the windshield. Bendy scoffed gently at the sight as he walked, paper bag of change and hotcakes in arm. Swinging open his door, he half expected Boris to at least flinch a little after hearing the loud noise. But no, the canine remained in his spot, slumbering away without a care in the world. They hadn't really slept for a good twenty-four hours by now, so under the circumstance it wasn't too much of a surprise. Although the pancakes may be cold by the time Boris awakes from dreamland, the fiend assumed a nap was more important in comparison. With a soft scoff, Bendy lifted the wolf's cap from utop his head and sloppily tossed it on the lap of its owner. With one final glance towards the slumbering canine, Bendy couldn't fight a tiny smirk.

When they started back on the road again, there were a few times where the demon's imaginary hunger was starting to nip at his stomach. He hovered a free hand over the bag of hotcakes, only to pull himself away and silently insist that he wouldn't have a bite until his partner in crime was awake.

After coasting along the freeway for a good forty-five minutes, Bendy began to second guess his vow. He licked his chaps every so often and his short glances towards the food got even more persistent. His tongue craved the taste, and he found himself grinding his teeth with anxious energy. Suddenly, he relaxed his posture as he gazed questioningly towards the pancakes once more. A bite or two wouldn't hurt, right...?

By the time Boris was awake, the clock was tetoring between four and five in the afternoon. The wolf rubbed his eyes, tiredly glancing towards his driver. Bendy was too focused on the road to really notice until Boris gave a groan and stretched. The fiend briefly tore his gaze away from the road to spare the canine a glance.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." The demon muttered with a smirk. Boris returned the greeting with a soft scoff as he adjusted his seated position and rubbed his aching neck.

"How long was I out?" The canine questioned with a low grunt.

"Long enough for me to eat all your food." Bendy remarked with a sheepish glance to his left. "I figured you wouldn't be in the mood for breakfast by the time we started moving again." He murmured, almost as if he was trying to excuse his guilt. "There's a lot of places where we're headed, so you have the honors." The fiend suggested. Boris tightly stretched once more before sighing, the toon beside him giving him a nudge shortly afterwards. "What are ya feelin', kid?" Bendy asked playfully. "Sky's the limit." The demon added. Boris' eyes suddenly lit up at the statement.

"Wait, does that mean we're close to Chicago?" The wolf questioned with excitement bubbling in his tone. Bendy scratched the side of his face.

"More or less," he murmured with a gentle shrug, "we're taking a bit of a detour." The fiend remarked. The canine's ears perked with anticipation as he anxiously straightened himself up.

"Oh really? Where to?"

"Visiting some old pals, the TV was talking smack about Edgar roaming around their place."

Boris nodded his head slowly, silently insisting Bendy to persist in his explanation. The demon's lips tugged to the right of his mouth, "Not sure if you've ever heard of it if you're not used to the city, but does the 'Clad Cup Casino' ring any bells?" Bendy asked with a sideways glance. Boris' face puckered into a pondering expression for a few moments before he gently shook his head.

"No, what's it like?" The wolf questioned softly. The fiend gave a hearty scoff at the response.

"You're in for one hell of a treat, I'll tell you that much." Bendy responded with a smile.

One hell of a treat indeed.

Boris was blown away by the entrance alone; beautifully elaborate and drenched with color. The piercing sound of wind and string instruments poured out of every window with the giddy tattering of drums to accompany them. Toons happily made their way to and from the big swinging front doors, those exiting more often than not needing the help of the staircase handrail. Boris' eyes wandered, flabbergasted by the crowd. One lucky fellow hooked two dimes under each of his arms, probably yammering on about his salary while the golddiggers giggled and cooed. As the wolf's eyes idly followed after toons that would be very much hungover the next morning, Bendy pulled his loose train of thought to a halt with a subtle nudge.

"Check out the package on that one." The fiend mumbled with a shit-eating grin and a subtle nod to the left. Boris turned his attention to the fiend, only to steer his eyes where Bendy was gesturing. The lanky canine followed where the demon had nodded only to find a poodle without a top across the way, proudly showing off the baggage on her chest. Boris' eyes went wider than baseballs before instinctively glancing away.

"Is it that hard to wear a s-shirt." The wolf muttered softly under his breath. Bendy hollered with pure amusement and playfully whacked his companion. Even after the fiend's laughing died down, a smile was still mischievously tugging the corners of his mouth.

"Hey, kid, wanna know what's harder?" The demon murmured with a subtle raise of his brows.

"No."

Parking was an absolute nightmare, but eventually they found a neat spot for Bendy's Cadillac. Hidden in plain sight, the duo casually picked themselves up from the vehicle and made their way down the sidewalk towards the casino. Once they arrived at the staircase, Boris found himself swallowing a lump in his throat at the very glimpse. Glancing over towards the toon beside him, the wolf could see worry developing in his leader's eyes. Boris mustered up a gentle, questioning smile.

"Think you can handle it?" The wolf asked in a near whisper. Bendy shook away his doubt in that very instant and puffed out his chest.

"They have railing for a reason." The demon insisted, grabbing hold of the strip of plaster with a firm grip. Boris went slow in his pace as Bendy struggled to tackle the tall bundle of stairs, watching the fiend carefully and preparing himself in case he had to swing to the rescue. Through grunting and heaves, the demon reached the top of the stairs, completely winded from the short journey. The wolf pridefully patted the fiend's back as he wheezed quietly. After a few more moments of catching his breath, Bendy let out a long sigh and a fit of husky chuckles.

"I feel like an old man." The demon muttered. Boris scoffed with pure amusement.

"You feel like one?" The lanky canine commented with a striking undertone and the subtle raise of his brows. Bendy's smile widened as he promptly straightened himself before playfully shoving the toon beside him. Without another word, the demon wrapped a gloved hand around the handle of the right side entrance door and gave it a firm tug. Even with a lot of force, the big slices of wood barely even cracked open. The swing only got louder and louder as the door was opened, dozens of voices yammering in sequence as the sweet sound of coin on metal clanged all around. After tugging for long enough, Bendy gave a dramatic gesture inside to politely insist Boris to enter first. The wolf smiled and gave a gentle nod in silent gratitude before stepping inside, the fiend following in his steps.

Boris was in childish wonder as he glanced around. The place was huge. Everywhere he looked there were toons of all shapes and sizes testing their luck; pulling on levers of slot machines, rolling dice, trying to catch the attention of a lady that caught their eye. Ashtrays were nearly everywhere he looked, and the lingering smell of nicotine would've been unbearable, had the wolf not stuck around in Bendy's office for two weeks straight. Below their feet was a neat red carpet that strung all the way across the rows and rows of slot machines only to stop firmly at a huge round table in the center of the casino. There was a bar, a stage, a snack court; the joint was bananas. There was no way in hell anyone could be bored in a place like this, that's for sure. Driven by his anxious thoughts, Boris eventually started to double back a little bit in his step just to be sure he didn't lose Bendy in the crowd. He could easily see himself getting lost in this place if he strayed too far.

Even if Boris hadn't even the foggiest idea what they were there for, he trusted the demon's judgement. Because while the fiend may have been limping, he certainly had confidence in his step. From what the canine could gather, Bendy knew what he was doing. In fact, his strolling hinted towards the possibility that he'd been in this casino on multiple occasions. Which would be highly likely, given Bendy's history of state hopping. Eventually after wobbling around for long enough, the wolf's curiosity got the better of him as he found himself licked his chaps.

"So, what are we doing here, exactly?" Boris asked, quickly catching up to walk beside the fiend. Bendy glanced over with a smug expression.

"Lookin' for a couple o' mugs." The demon exclaimed simply. The wolf blinked slowly at the statement before gently shaking his head to clear it.

"Do they come here often?" Boris murmured, trying to stay with Bendy's slow pace of walk. The fiend raised his brows, his smile widening at the inquiry.

"I guess you could say that." Bendy replied with a subtle glance. The lanky canine was utterly baffled by what exactly the demon was playing at, but didn't bother to question it. For a short period of time that seemed more like ages, they continued to pace around. Boris mindlessly glanced towards the snack bar while his train of thought wandered. The wolf subtly licked his chaps as the thought of popcorn sounded delightful for his tastebuds. Just as the idea pierced his mind, a voice pulled him out of his blind trance.

"Well, sip me sideways. Benjamin Devil's strolling around in my casino."

The wolf turned his head, only to see a tall, middle-aged toon standing mere feet away from the duo of fiend and canine. The stranger was a literal mug, with arms, legs, and body. Boris was trying to stop himself from staring, but given the toon's relatively unusual features, it was hard not to. The walking, talking cup appeared to be older than himself, but at the same time, younger than Bendy. Probably not by much, but it still showed. Mid-twenties, maybe? The suit and cigar certainly made him seem older, at least. Bendy gave a friendly chuckle as he firmly shook the mug's hand and leaned in to butt shoulders.

"Nice to see you, Bennie." The mug murmured under his breath as they pulled closer.

"Good to see you too, Mugman." The fiend greeted warmly. After a few pats, they parted hands while Boris was left to do nothing gawk. He stopped ogling when he felt a gloved hand press against his arm and snapped himself out of his thoughts. As he recollected the situation, the demon gave the lanky canine a subtle shake.

"This is Boris." Bendy introduced with a polite wave towards the wolf beside him. Mugman bared a welcoming smile as he reached out a free hand in greeting. Boris took the gesture warmly and grabbed hold meekly. There was a flash in the kitchenware's eye as he glanced at the wolf up and down.

"Boris...?" Mugman's voice trailed in questioning as his hand motion froze. The canine across from him was a little baffled for a moment before he caught onto the request.

"Wolf. Boris Wolf." Said toon replied with a soft smile to cover up his previous confusion. Mugman's eyes softened and gave him a gentle nod of understanding.

"Ah, my bad, I must be thinking of another toon." The mug murmured. "Pleasure to meet you, Boris." He finished as he shook the canine's hand firmly. When they pulled their hands away, Mugman took a brief drag from his cigar. "I have a feeling you two aren't here to gamble." The mug commented with an exhale. Bendy crossed his arms comfortably as he stood.

"Heard Edgar was poking his nose around here last night." The fiend explained with a teasing raise of his brows. Mugman smirked at the comment.

"Dwyer, huh." The kitchenware replied. Bendy reflected the smug look.

"So you've seen him?"

Mugman scratched his neck, sheepish movements in his fingers. "I heard about it, but I was off-shift yesterday." The younger toon murmured under his breath. "Took care of some legal issues while my brother was busy buttering up our customers." The mug scowled sourly, "Per usual." He added under his breath before taking in another drag. "So if you were to ask anyone, he would be your best bet." Mugman murmured as he shifted his footing. The demon scoffed with amusement.

"Where is that mud for brain brother of yours, anyhow?" Bendy asked, a hint of playful sneer in his features. Mugman responded to the question by twisting his head and quickly glimpsing around the casino before he shrugged and took in another long inhale from his cigar.

"In his office, probably." The mug responded with a exhale. "I can take you to him if you'd like." Bendy gave him a nod, letting his hands fall back to his sides as he met eyes with Boris for a moment to silently insist him to follow.

The fiend followed after Mugman with no reluctance in his step, while the lanky tag-along was nervous to comply. Mugman were certainly friendly, but Boris couldn't help but still be a little shaken by the freakish possibility that kitchen ornaments could be animated such as the one leading the way. The wolf couldn't help but wonder if this brother aforementioned was also some sort of appliance. Weird, it was so weird. But Bendy seemed to be incredibly fond of them, from all that Boris was able to gather. They seemed to go way back, which would explain why the demon had used the term, 'old pals' to describe them. And judging by Mugman and Bendy's buddy-buddy chatter, that had to be the case. While Boris hung behind the duo catching up in front of him, he started to tune out the conversation and glance around once more. The poker tournament in the center of the casino was getting tense, but that was only because one of the toons at the table was starting to get a little rowdy. The wolf was casually watching the bitter back and forth from across the way until he found himself bumping into bodies and slunk out of his idle gawking almost instantly.

After briefly catching his bearings, the wolf met eyes with the mug and demon in front of him. When Boris gave them an awkward smile, they turned their heads back to the hall they stood by the entrance of. In said hall, there were two prominent doors standing directly across from each other merely yards away. Both had the same build and structure; each had a round doorknob, a peephole, and a golden plague just above it. The names on the plagues, however, were where they differed. The one to the left had 'Mugman' carved into the gilded tag, while the one on the right bared the name 'Cuphead'. Boris barely processed the name before coming to the conclusion that the other owner of the casino had to be an appliance.

While the trio casually made way for the door on the right, Mugman pulled ahead and gave the piece of maple a rough fit of knocks to catch the attention of the toon on the other side.

"You've got visitors!" The mug shouted, leaning his head towards the wooden surface. There was a long pause, and Boris could've sworn he heard faint, feminine giggling from inside before a muffled voice replied.

"I'm a little busy right now!" The toon on the other side of the door exclaimed with a mocking shrill. Mugman rolled his eyes sternly and leaned against the door while he took in a drag from his cigar.

"Well quit being busy and get your ass out here." Mugman yelled back as he exhaled nicotine smoke. There was a streak of silence in the hallway until the kitchenware harshly elbowed the door, causing Boris to jolt in his spot. "Cuphead. Now." The mug growled. After the toon on the other side didn't respond and Mugman was visibly starting to lose hope, Bendy scoffed sharply with a creeping smirk on his lips.

"It's rude to leave your customers waiting like this, cockhead!" The demon called playfully, cupping one of his hands to the side of his mouth in an attempt to project his voice further. Mugman and Boris were both taken aback by the sudden shout, but the mug of the duo relaxed his features when he heard scuffling in the room beside him. Reluctantly, Mugman lifted himself from the support of the door and crossed his arms as he awaited the manual reveal of his brother.

After much waiting, the door cautiously opened to reveal yet another piece of animated kitchenware. The cup took one glance out of his office only for his features to light up instantly as he met eyes with Bendy. Cuphead's lips slowly curved into a smile as he carefully stepped out in the open, looking at the fiend up and down for a few moments while his grin widened. A little wary in his movements, the cup halting in his tracks in front of Bendy, but only for a moment.

"Benjamin Damien motherfucking Riverdale." The kitchenware exclaimed as he practically leapt forward to embrace the demon. Tight arms hooked under Bendy's own, the fiend instinctively moving his gloved hands to return the hug.

"I haven't seen you in ages, man." Cuphead murmured under his breath, attempting to hold the fiend tighter. After the fiend gave the cup a few firm pats, they parted in their embrace with friendly smiles on their faces. Cuphead sternly put his hands on his lips with a playful gleam in his eyes.

"Now where in the sam hill have you been, you daft bastard." The kitchenware exclaimed. Bendy gave a subtle shrug of his shoulders and the idle raise of his brows.

"Manhattan." The demon responded simply. Cuphead shook his head with a smug grin.

"Manhattan?" The toon repeated mockingly. "I think you'll find Sullivan to be much better." Cuphead noted with an insistent tone. Bendy waved him off with a loose gesture.

"You sure you'd want me to steal your spotlight down here?" The fiend insisted with a mocking smirk. Cuphead let out a loud huff of pure amusement.

"Like you'd pull that shit off." The cup stated confidently as he crossed his arms. Suddenly, the kitchenware's eyes lowered for a brief moment before it flicked back to meet gazes with Bendy.

"So you a pirate now or somethin'? What's with the peg leg, Bennie." Cuphead commented with a subtle gesture towards the demon's lack of thigh. Bendy resisted the urge to look down as his features shifted. Annoyed by the question, the fiend crossed his arms.

"It's not important." Boris commented out of the blue. Bendy turned to spare the taller toon a glance of gratitude before turning his attention back to the oblivious cup. "We're here about the Butcher Gang." Boris told the toon firmly. Cuphead's eyes widened for a moment.

"The Butcher Gang?" He repeated, bewilderment in his tone. The cup chuckled, "Now that's a name I haven't heard in a while." The toon murmured, scratching the side of his face as he slyly pondered. "Can you believe those old cats are still alive?"

Bendy hummed, "Two of 'em, at least." The demon replied with a flat shrug. Cuphead's light-hearted demeanor immediately shifted, his arms hanging loose at his shoulders.

"Which one got capped off?" The toon murmured softly.

"Barley." The fiend stated flatly, Boris giving the speaking toon a swift glance. The kitchenware wetted his lips for a moment as he processed, sparing his brother a glimpse.

"Damn..." The cup mumbled slowly before turning his eyes back to Bendy, "seriously...?"

The fiend gave a slow nod of the head in reply. Cuphead took a moment to gather himself back up before he shook away the gloom. "Well, anyway," the cup murmured with a breath and a brief shake of the head, "I saw Edgar the other day." Cuphead stated as he crossed his arms. Bendy's eyes lit up at the reply.

"You did?"

The cup gave a firm nod. "Yep. He popped in for some Craps for about an hour to self-advertise." Cuphead noted with a roll of the eyes as he seemed to recall the memory. The demon across from him widened his eyes. The kitchenware gave a harsh scoff. "Had to kick him to the curb-"

"Hang on, hang on."

Bendy interrupted with a brief gesture of the hand to pause the cup in his explanation. "He self-advertised?" The fiend repeated. Cuphead gave another nod as he leaned to one side.

"Like a slimy bastard." The cup noted. Bendy pressed a row of fingertips along his crossed arms as he processed.

"What was the product?" The demon asked cautiously, Boris perking his brows at the question. Cuphead sneered in remembrance.

"He said it helped with 'limb recovery.'" He explained with a brief shake of the head and an amused grin. "Seemed like a hunk of shit with that metal brace around his arm, though." Cuphead commented as he idly tapped his chin. The demon blinked at the question, eyeballing the talking kitchenware like he was stupid.

"Metal brace?" Bendy muttered with a raised brow. The cup gave a loose nod at the repeated statement.

"What's up with that anyway?" Cuphead questioned with an mocking sneer. "Did he get it blown off or somethin'?" The fiend's eyes narrowed with visible confusion with a brief shake of the head as he gathered himself.

"No, car accident, but that's beside the point." Bendy practically interrupted. "Are you sure he had a metal brace?"

Cuphead gave a nod, his brows furrowed in playful scorn. "Pretty sure I saw a clunky piece of junk sticking out of the side of 'em, Ben."

Boris seemed equally baffled, both him and Bendy sharing a confused glance. Slowly, they turned their attention towards the pair of clothed kitchenware in front of them.

"Have you seen him since?" The demon questioned, almost positive of the answer he was going to receive. Cuphead shook his head with his lips thinned in a line. Unfazed by the response, Bendy blinked as he pondered. Shortly after he had his head straight, he uncrossed his arms and placed a gloved hand on his hip.

"What about Charley?" The fiend asked simply. The scarlet cup of the brothers blinked at the inquiry.

"Charley? What about him?" Cuphead questioned cautiously with the furrowing of his brows. Bendy shrugged as he glanced towards Boris and gave a loose gesture.

"I guess that answers that." The demon noted under his breath, the wolf giving him a grin of amusement in response. Bendy gave a swift huff, his shoulders lowering in sequence.

"Well, it was nice to see you knuckleheads and all, but me and the kid gotta hit the road." The demon murmured. Cuphead's features twisted into sorrow at the statement.

"So soon? Can't you at least stay for a quick drink?" The cup begged. Bendy waved him off as he twisted in his step, Boris hesitantly doing the same.

"I'd love to but I'm quenched." The fiend called with a playful sway of his hand. While the demon strolled towards the entrance, the wolf gave the mugs a few quick glimpses. Glancing behind him one last time, Bendy gave a brief wave of farewell to the animated kitchenware. The brothers gave waves of their own, Mugman baring a subtle smirk while Cuphead wore a beaming grin as they both watched the duo of demon and wolf take their leave from the casino.

"Don't be a stranger, asshole! Come by anytime you want a pretty lady to sit on your face and I'll make it happen!" Cuphead called.

"How long have you known those two for?"

The sudden question caused Bendy to jolt in his place. They'd been in the car for roughly fifteen minutes and that was the first thing that left the wolf's mouth since they left. Bendy shook away his fit of anxious energy for a moment before giving a bundle of headshakes.

"Lord below, ages." The fiend commented fondly, his eyes wondering as he pondered. "We were neighbors in California when I was probably," Bendy's voice trailed for a moment, "eight?" He concluded with a questioning shrill in his tone. Shaking away his uncertainty he shrugged, "They're good toons, for the most part." The demon added with a scornful chuckle. When the car ride went silent for a while, Boris was cumbersome to take a breath as a question that was festering in his mind for a while now started to climb up his throat.

"The red one called you 'Benjamin Damien Riverdale'." The canine commented slowly. In response, Bendy raised his brows mockingly.

"You forgot the 'motherfucking' part." He replied smugly. Boris shook his head, disregarding the playful remark with confusion in his features.

"Why did he say 'Riverdale'?" The wolf murmured softly. Bendy thinned his lips in a line for a few moments while Boris furrowed his brows at the response. The fiend took a deep breath in and a longer breath out. Carefully, the demon turned his gaze towards the toon beside him.

"You do know Devil isn't my last name, right?" Bendy stated flatly.

Boris was blown out of his skin, feeling as if his reality was completely shattered. Amused by the visible shock, Bendy scoffed.

"It's like a... stage name of sorts, y'know?" The demon murmured with a tiny smile. "Everybody called me the 'Downtown Devil' in my hometown and I eventually just owned up to it."

The wolf merely blinked, still utterly baffled as the fiend beside him tried to explain himself. After he let out a huff through his teeth, Bendy bubblily chuckled.

"Besides, 'Benjamin Riverdale' wouldn't look half as badass on the wanted posters, now would it?" The demon commented with a sideways glance. Boris forced a smile before slowly turning his gaze to his gloved hands afterwards. Gently, he flexed his fingertips, starting to zone out as he processed the fiend's words.

"A stage name, huh." Boris mumbled under his breath. Bendy gave a nod with a gentle smile tugging the corners of his mouth.

"In a way."

"That's an interesting way to put it."

"Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?"

"I have one."

"What, a stage name?"

"Yeah."

"Well, let's hear it, kid."

"You already have."

~~~

On their way out of Sullivan, Boris was quick to point out that the fuel gage was getting low. There were a few weak attempts where Bendy tried to insist on going further, although recalling everything that happened that very morning, the wolf put his foot down when he saw the next gas station. There was a bit of a struggle, but after the canine threatened to physically grab the wheel, the driver reluctantly complied.

The duo of demon and wolf pulled into the gas station promptly, spotting very few cars around the pumps. Figuring he would be alright, Bendy shrugged off the idea of having anything to cover the curve of his horns. Sifting through the paper bag full of nothing more than maple residue and dimes for only a few moments, Bendy neatly handed it over to the passenger.

"Tell him to give us a fillup of whatever's worth in the bag and to keep the change." The fiend instructed flatly. Boris spent a moment to gander inside, his brows furrowing with amusement at the sight.

"That's a lot of dimes." The wolf noted under his breath. Bendy scoffed with playful scorn as he instinctively got into the middle compartment as he craved the idea of a smoke.

"Don't stare for too long, kid, they'll think you're interested." The demon mumbled with a smirk as he pulled out his box of cigarettes. Popping open the container, his smirk twisted into a frown almost immediately. The fact that he killed his last nicotine roll nearly two hours prior completely slipped his mind. Shrugging it off, he tossed the empty box onto his passenger's lap and loosely gestured a thumb towards the small convenience store.

"Grab me a new pack when you go in, will ya?" Bendy questioned with exhaustion in his tone. Gathering the situation for a moment, Boris politely nodded before plopping the bare cigarette box into the open paper bag and slinking out of his door.

While the wolf was occupied with the errand, the demon sat in his Cadillac twiddling his thumbs. There were a few instances where Bendy almost dozed off in his place but he blinked himself awake moments after he caught his eyes growing heavy. While his head was buzzing with the idea of capping Charley, he couldn't deny that sleep was overtaking his thoughts in the past hour. It was either the car or a motel, and honestly, he was starting to second guess his earlier presumptive decision. Taking into consideration how sore he was after only thirty minutes of naptime in this torn seat, a filthy motel bed suddenly wasn't seeming so bad.

The passenger door being opened once more pulled Bendy out of his idle thoughts, Boris neatly sitting himself down in his seat with a fresh pack of cigarettes in hand. The demon took a moment to process as the wolf waved the box around for a few moments before Bendy grabbed hold of the packaging with his gloved fingertips. With fatigue in his moments, the fiend removed the plastic wrapping and practically tore open the top of the box. Plucking one from the array, Bendy popped the cigarette in his chompers before realizing that he couldn't start the car until the attendant had filled the tank. Briefly, the demon patted his overall pockets only to come empty handed. Bendy swiftly threw back a thumb as he barely even spared Boris a glance.

"Could you check my coat for a lighter." The fiend murmured with a flat tone. As Bendy tried to keep himself awake with a few firm blinks, Boris hoisted himself up and twisted his body to grab hold of the demon's jacket. While the wolf was fiddling around in the fiend's coat pockets, there was a gentle tap on the driver's side window. Bendy tiredly turned his head to come face to face with a lanky attendant. Reluctant to do so, the fiend slowly rolled down his window.

"You the fellas with the bag of dimes?" The stranger asked with an amused smile. The demon gave a tired nod, meanwhile the toon on the passenger side was too busy rustling around with the jacket to respond. The attendant sheepishly rubbed his neck.

"I counted, and it's a full thirty six dollars and forty cents," he began with a swallow, "you sure you wanna give me that kinda tip?" He questioned with a childish shrill. Annoyed, Bendy nodded once more as he used a gloved hand to remove the unlit cigarette from his chompers.

"Yeah, just fill up the damn car already, will you?" The demon muttered under his breath. The stranger gave a rapid fit of nods to the inquiry and rushed around to the other side of the car without another word. Boris pulled back to face the windshield and gave Bendy an apologetic look.

"No dice." The wolf murmured softly. The fiend thinned his lips in a line with a long sigh through his nostrils. "You should ask the attendant if he has one." Boris suggested with a subtle glimpse in the rearview mirror to try and catch a look. Bendy waved him off and twirled the cigarette in his fingers.

"I'd rather not." He mumbled. Silently, the duo of wolf and demon sat in the vehicle as they heard the side of the car being fiddled with. The fiend rubbed an exhausted hand over his face with a sigh and Boris idly toyed with his gloves. Gently, the wolf glanced over towards Bendy.

"So... what's the plan?" Boris questioned, resting comfortably against the backrest. The demon sat in silence for a long while before he gave stern shakes of the head and briefly lifted his arms before letting them fall sharply to his sides once more.

"Sleep." Bendy stated simply with a few tired chuckles. The wolf smiled warmly and gave a gentle nod to the response.

"Sounds good to me." Boris replied under his breath. Mindlessly, the demon turned his head towards his driver's side window. Blinking slowly, he traveled his gaze along the cars parked in the gas station until one in particular caught his eye. He narrowed his gaze for a moment, uncertain whether his mind was playing tricks on him or not. The staring continued for a few moments until Bendy recognized the features of the driver and sharply sat up from his resting spot.

"Son of a bitch." The demon hissed under his breath, furiously stepping out of the car.

Boris was confused by the sudden curse, watching the fiend slam the door violently before limping off in another direction. The wolf blinked, his eyes moving along the row of cars until the one in the front caused his eyes to instinctively widen.

Waltzing clumsily to the Mercedes, Bendy's gaze burned as he glared at the driver. From the distance he was at, the fiend noticed that the toon was gussied up in a fancy getup and rapidly sifting through the dashboard compartment. The attire was certainly not his style, as anyone who knew Edgar well enough would know. Selling fake shit and getting perks from it, how classy. When Bendy got to the passenger side of the vehicle, the demon placed his gloved hands firmly on the open window frame as he took a moment to mellow his rising anger.

"I couldn't help but notice you're missin' an arm, there." Bendy commented, loosely gesturing towards Edgar's brace. The spider didn't even bother looking up as he fidgeted anxiously through the compartment on the passenger's side with his good hand. The demon couldn't help but gander where Edgar was looking, idly shifting his eyes around the car while he was at it.

"Don't you know they've got somethin' for that?" The fiend muttered, colder in his tone. The spider rapidly shook his head as he swiftly sifted through his compartment.

"Look, pal, I'm late enough as it is and I can't find my damn invitation-" Edgar stopped abruptly as he met gazes with Bendy. The fiend cocked his head as the raggedy toon's face flushed with near horror.

"Late for what?" Bendy cooed. Edgar shook his head swiftly at the sight of the demon, utterly dumbfounded.

"B-Benjamin?" The spider stammered as he slowly pulled away from the compartment he was sifting through.

"Sup." The demon muttered, firmly grabbing hold of the hood with his freehand. Edgar's brows furrowed sharply as Bendy stood inches from him.

"I really don't have time for this right now." The toon muttered, anxiously fiddling with his keys. The fiend blinked sharply before his expression went ice cold.

"Sure you do, and if you're worried about holding up the crowd, they won't wait for you." Bendy mumbled.

"Especially if you were, say, dead." The demon added with a grim tone.

Edgar looked starkly horrified before he suddenly shifted gears and put the pedal to the floor. Bendy had to double back, his brows lifting in shock as he was almost drug from his spot while the toon sped off right before his very eyes. Not even pausing to gawk at the spider swiftly racing out of the gas station with the loud squeaking of wheels, the fiend immediately turned tail and hurried over to his Cadillac. Noticing the attendant was still filling up the tank, and taking no regard to the youngster's terrified expression of the unfolding scene, the demon cupped his hands to his lips as he rushed.

"Plug her up!" Bendy practically shouted, trying his best to sprint to the driver's side with his prosthetic making it difficult. From afar, the stranger rapidly shoot his head.

"It's not full!" The attendant called back. Furious, the fiend grit his teeth as he neared his door.

"I don't give a flying rat's ass I said plug it the fuck up!" Bendy yelled while he was mere feet away. Practically yanking the driver's door from the hinges, the demon swiftly plopped himself down and violently twisted the ignition. As soon as he heard the engine give a loud roar, Bendy pressed hard on the gas and his Cadillac screeched out of the gas station.

The car gave a long, deafening hum as the speedometer indicated the momentum picking up faster and faster while they sped down the entrance of the highway. The fiend followed subtle, but fresh skid marks all along the way, keeping his eyes furiously busy as they sped. Boris felt his heart leap from his chest as they swiftly dodged past a car going the speed limit.

Speeding from row to row without even using a turn signal, up ahead, Bendy spotted the back of a certain rotting Mercedes through the isles of everyday toons. Furrowing his brows, the fiend pressed his the pedal further and picked up his pace. Flying past other vehicles, the demon's eyes narrowed on their target with gritted teeth. In the midst of rapidly passing cars, Bendy let out a shaky breath.

"He's going somewhere." He noted with another trembling huff. Boris reflected the shaky breathing and kept his eyes firmly on the road ahead with a quivering gaze.

"Well why do we have to chase him? Can't we just follow him?" The wolf practically pleaded, sparing Bendy a glance for only a split second before turning his gaze right back to the road. Bendy let out a loud sigh.

"You think he's gonna lead us to it now?" The fiend shouted, not recognizing that he was being too loud. "I bet you the location's on the invitation." He added as he tightened his grip on the wheel before sharply twisting the car. Boris desperately took in meditating breaths.

"And what if it isn't?" The wolf questioned, his voice shaking as he was in complete fear for his life. Bendy went quiet for a moment before he narrowed his cold eyes.

"At least I'll have him taken care of." The fiend muttered with a chilling tone.

Suddenly, a car pulled in front of the Cadillac. Bendy tapped on the breaks for a brief moment before swiftly skidding into another lane and speeding up the way. The demon's eyes scanned for a moment, and when he found his target his eyes hardened before he twisted his wheel once more. Jumping around from lane to lane, Bendy furiously followed Edgar in his wobbly path. The spider tinked a fellow car occasionally in his escape but was able to dodge some fatal close calls, which for a toon with one arm was pretty damn impressive. Eventually after blindly speeding through the highway, Edgar suddenly changed multiple lanes at once and swiftly took the exit to the right. From a distance, Bendy watched the spider skid his car along the metal railing for a moment with sparks flying in all different directions before speeding off once more. Quickly, the fiend followed suit of the escaping toon, nicking a Corvette with his trunk in the process. Bendy muttered a curse under his breath as he sharply sped into the exit but ultimately ignored the encounter. Boris was almost shocked that the demon was acting the way he was, but with the obsessive hunt they'd spend nearly three months doing, the wolf figured it seemed reasonable. To an extent.

Racing down the two-laned road, the duo in the Catillac could spot Edgar rapidly passing cars regardless of the double lines stripping the concrete path forbidding him to. Bendy rapidly thought of his options before he pulled his vehicle to the left and drove down the wrong side of the road with the pedal to the floor. The passenger, of which, absolutely hated this motion from what his horrified expression foretold. The fiend's eyes pierced the back of Edgar's Mercedes as they drove up a steep path, his car giving all of its might in the climb.

Just as they got to the top of the hill, a flash of light from farther down the road caught the attention of both the passenger and the driver of the Cadillac. A truck, the fiend of the duo gathered the closer they got. Bendy licked his chaps furiously as he glanced between the speedometer, Edgar's car, and the truck. Suddenly, the demon got faster which in turn caused Boris to shake out his skin. They sped down the opposing side of the road, regardless of the truck that was coming towards them while Bendy was anxiously sticking his tongue outside the corner of his mouth. Boris couldn't feel his heart, hardly able to breathe as the loud honk of a horn echoed through the night. The wolf trembled in his spot, barely staying conscious.

"GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD!" The wolf blindly shouted through his fear. Bendy glanced rapidly from the approaching truck to Edgar's Mercedes, his fatigued mind pondering for a few moments.

"Just a little further..." The demon mumbled under his breath. Boris shook his head wildly and covered his face with his gloved hands, expecting the horrible impact as the truck's horn rang out a long cry of final warning. Without so much as a second to spare, the car jolted to the right, and the large vehicle swung past while its shrill horn became fainter and fainter as it drove away. Boris could hardly keep his breathing in check and he shallowly filled and deflated his lungs. Even if he was panicked, the wolf wasn't dense enough to assume that the 'excitement' was over. The canine spotted Bendy glancing around for a while, more so towards the passing telephone poles up ahead. Right then and there, an idea spouted to put the chase to an end. Bendy glanced towards Boris, his eyes completely void of any playful manner as he glared.

"Brace yourself." The demon stated, serious in his tone. Terrified of what that meant, the wolf instinctively grabbed hold of the seat and pressed firmly against the backrest. Shortly after noticing his passenger taking a physical precaution, Bendy upped the speed of the vehicle. Boris hesitantly glanced at the speedometer, watching the line move farther and farther to the right as the engine gave a violent roar. The fiend trugged farther and farther on the wrong side of the road until he was right beside Edgar's raggedy car. The vehicles were practically door to door they were so close, Bendy giving the Mercedes beside him a few subtle glances as he felt his lips curve into a hostile sneer. After a deep breath and a few silent wishes for the outcome to be in his favor, the demon sharply twisted the wheel to his right. With a loud crash of metal on metal, Edgar's car veered off from the path of the road in one foul swoop.

Only for a few moments did the wheels of the filthy Mercedes tred soil until it impacted a telephone pole full force and stopped the vehicle dead in its tracks.

Bendy leaned back sharply in his seat and slammed on the breaks, his tires giving a shrilling squeal from the outside as the rubber tread swiftly across concrete. Holding onto the seat of the car for dear life, Boris felt as if he was going to have a heart attack as the wheels below him screamed in pure agony. As the Cadillac came to a full stop, both of their heads violently jolted forward. Boris felt a soft pop in his neck, while Bendy was virtually unfazed. Barely even remembering to put his vehicle into park, the demon anxiously popped open his door and leapt his seat. Boris shook, watching the fiend limp towards Edgar's totaled car through the side mirror for a long while until he reluctantly lifted a gloved hand to curve his palm around the door handle.

From one quick look, there were multiple things the fiend could gather resulted from the incident that unfolded moments ago. A small flame was erupting from the hood of the car, the windshield was terribly cracked with blood staining the glass from the interior, and the hood was completely trashed. One could say that it was even split in half judging by where the telephone pole was. While Bendy stared, he heard hesitant footsteps behind him. Boris took in shaky breaths as he gawked, standing beside the fiend cautiously. The wolf eyed the scene for a few moments with worry glimmering in his gaze before he swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Do you think he's...?" The wolf's voice trailed slowly as Bendy started to walk closer to the vehicle that was only beginning to catch fire.

"Alive?" The fiend called without even twisting his head. With no caution whatsoever, Bendy grabbed hold of the passenger side door handle and gave it a sloppy tug to reveal the body inside. Boris's stomach quenched at the sight, a sick feeling festering as he shakily looked away.

Blood. Never had the wolf ever seen so much of it. Deep shades of scarlet smeared the windshield, the seats, the dashboard, everywhere. Not even a miracle could've saved someone from an impact like the one Edgar took to his head. Bendy tapped on the door he held in his gloved hand idly as he glared at the spider's limp corpse. The fiend loosely shrugged before taking in a long breath.

"I don't think so." Bendy murmured under his breath as Boris struggled to stay on his feet. After standing for long enough, the demon took note of the flame utop the hood beginning to rise. For a moment he continued to stand and stare until he firmly shook himself out of it and put more urgency in his step.

With the hood flaming and the interior a practical oven, the fiend flew open the back door and frantically glanced under the seats and in all the compartments with rapid hand movements. He searched under the mats, in a bundle of garbage, anywhere he looked he got handsy. Eventually, Bendy shifted to the front of the car, practically shoving Edgar's cold body out of the way as he rummaged violently through the dashboard compartment and pulled out every sheet of paper in there. Boris was baffled by the demon's seemingly random search, and only got more concerned when he heard the engine of the broken Mercedes give a low hiss. Shaking his head rapidly, the wolf leaned forward and cupped his hands to the corners of his mouth.

"Bendy! What are you doing!" Boris shouted from the sidelines, his voice audibly shaking with fear. Bendy didn't even bother to turn his head.

"I need to find that fucking invitation!" The demon screamed back as he rapidly searched through the paperwork.

"It doesn't matter! He's dead!" The wolf called back, feeling tears well in his eyes from terror. "Please get away from there!" He cried. Bendy shook his head swiftly as he continued in his instantaneous search, fumbling with papers as the smell of smoke was starting to come into the interior. Frantically sifting through everything, the demon refused to respond as his mind was too focused on the idea of eyeballing invitations.

"Bendy!" Boris shouted once more, almost in a fit of sobs. Completely disregarding the cries, Bendy shuffled through the bundle for moments more until a duo of floral cards caught his eye. Brightening his gaze, he grabbed hold of them tightly and swiftly lifted himself. Twisting heel, the fiend practically bumped into Boris, whom of which tugged him roughly away from the car. Moments after their feet hit the soil on the other side of the road, behind them came a high shrill followed by a deafening explosion.

Swiftly turning their heads, duo of wolf and demon watched the Mercedes practically melt as it was completely engulfed in flames.  Clouds of smoke dusted up from the blaze while the toons gawked. Through the midst of chaos, Bendy flashed off the invitations in his gloved hand with a smug grin.

"Got 'em."