Footsteps echoed down an alleyway as a middle-aged toon slipped past garbage bins, scaring a few little critters and ushered them into plain sight. With the rain settling, Bendy confidently removed his hood, feeling the chilly fall air surround the sides of his face in mere moments. With a deep inhale of the musky air, the demon continued in his path, turning a few corners with a sharp twist of his foot. 

Without too much walking time, he caught sight of his vehicle just up ahead. The automobile of which, was exactly as he had last left it, thankfully. Most of the time if any car was left unattended for too long, someone would want to stick their nose inside and see what they could steal. Then again, nothing too appealing was left in sight. Just a few bare packets of cigarettes, crumpled wrappers of half-eaten candy bars, and plenty of empty liquor bottles; free from nothing more than a few stray drops lying at the bottom. Though what most toons wouldn't know of, is the load of ink that's kept neatly in a hidden compartment under the passenger's seat. Of course nobody would go through the trouble of breaking into a car with the sole motive of chance. 

As soon as he reached his door, Bendy instinctively stuck the key in its place and unlocked his vehicle. Swinging open the driver's side, the fiend plopped himself in his seat neatly and tucked his feet besides the pedals of his car. Reaching his hand out, he grabbed hold of the door handle before firmly pulling it towards himself. As he leaned back in his chair, the demon reached into his pocket, feeling around the small space before touching a light box of thin cardboard. Bendy pulled it out of his pocket and lifted the lid to his crumpled pack of cigarettes, finding only two left in the box. The demon grabbed hold of one out of the two and popped it in his mouth, mildly playing with the nicotine roll using his tongue as he stuck the proper key from his chain in the ignition and turned it. The engine gave a roar, and shortly afterwards the car purred softly as an indication that it was ready to move. Bendy exhaled deeply before pressing the electrical cigarette lighter button just below his stereo. The stereo of which, was toyed with shortly afterwards. The demon turned on the radio, not really seeming to mind what played before moving the gear shifter to his right, pulling it to get out of the vehicle's parking position. As he began to exit the alleyway, his car halted in its tracks, the fiend's eyes shifting left and right as he searched for any oncoming traffic before pulling out and driving to the designated lane. With a deep sigh and a moment to mentally prepare, Bendy drove. 

The roads he took carried little to no cars, not to his surprise. Nobody had anywhere to be on an early Saturday morning. There was a soft 'pop' as the electrical lighter stuck out of its socket, telling the demon that the nicotine roll he held in his teeth was ready to be lit. Bendy kept his left hand firmly on the wheel and used his right hand to pull the button out of its port, pressing it lightly to the end of his cigarette. The demon patiently waited for a few moments before taking in a puff of air, feeling the smoke that sunk into his lungs give him a sense of peace. He pushed the electrical lighter back into its proper place and exhaled deeply, a dark cloud drifting into the car as he basked in the quiet atmosphere.

Pier 17 was where he was headed. Drew was very specific with his instructions, and although the demon had a ways to drive, it would all be worth it. As everyone in Manhattan would know at this point, Bendy got him and his mob into a very tight situation two nights prior. Although he had found himself not only losing a big load of ink, money, and some of his pride, he lost many comrades that night too. Now the only few members he had left were just a handful of swell boys that were lucky enough to dodge the very clenches of death. As of today, Bendy's newest recruit is a young lad by the name of Boris M. Wolf, whom of which he'd never quite heard of until just recently. Joey and himself have been in an alliance for years, but even in the circumstance, he's never heard of this toon before. Not much information was given about him, other than the fact that he's young and he's determined to assist in any way he can. Even if he wasn't given a whole list of details, the demon needed whatever help he could get at this point. Though he knew this replacement would be nothing compared to his previous, recently deceased toons; he had to take what he could get, especially considering Wolf was practically handed to him for nothing in return. He really had to thank Drew for being so generous...

Bendy pulled his thoughts to a halt as he realized that signs for the upcoming exit he needed to take were beginning to show up. The demon saw said exit from a distance with his headlights and took it as planned. The fiend pressed his foot to the brake as he spotted the post of a traffic light showing a very clear shade of scarlet just up ahead. As Bendy pulled his vehicle to a complete stop, in the corner of his eye he noticed that no other automobiles were present. After glancing to his left and right to be sure his assumptions were correct, he moved his car once more and drove down the right facing road, taking in a short drag from his cigarette after he did so.

The pier should be somewhere around this area, if his memory was serving him correctly. He'd been down this road more than once, although he never really got much of a chance to look around. From the view in his car, he could easily pick up that it was a nice little town to look at. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the loud and bright streets of New York. The water was calm and the sky was clear, the stars and the moon shone proudly in the deep blue shades of the night. The bright speckles from above glistened, showing off the cute houses below that more than likely held slumbering toons. He would've loved to live in a place like this in another life, quiet and simple with tranquility lacing every blade of grass.

After an unidentified sign passed his vision, Bendy shook away those petty thoughts, he had much more important business to attend to. He would come face to face with a toon that he'd most likely spend the rest of his very days with; this could be big. Just as the thought grazed his mind, the demon spotted the Pier 17 sign standing merely a few yards ahead of him, causing him to slow down his vehicle's speed drastically. When his car neared a complete stop by the visible dock sign, the fiend turned his steering wheel's direction and pulled into the small parking lot. After leading his vehicle in between a pair of white lines among many, Bendy pushed his foot even harder on the brake. After the demon fully halted, he pulled the gearshift into park and sat for a moment. The fiend took in a long drag from his cigarette, withering away whatever life it had left before reaching over and pulling his car keys out of the ignition. Shortly afterwards, he opened the driver's side door and stepped out cautiously, a crunching sound resonated underneath his shoes. Gravel, he concluded almost instinctively. 

Tossing his cigarette butt to the ground, Bendy stomped out the dying flame with his heel, and closed his door. The demon gave a silent sigh before walking, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as he put one foot in front of the other. The air was crisp and fresh, faintly smelling of fish as he moved farther down the wooden structure of the dock. Bendy's gaze shifted around the dimly lit pier, feeling himself growing a little uneasy as not a single sign of toon activity came from anywhere. It just seemed dead; lonely even, with just the waves crashing softly against the dock posts with no other movement or sound aside from that. Bendy let out a breath of air, a small cloud of moisture coming out of his mouth as he exhaled, and it was quiet. The demon walked over to the edge of the pier and folded his arms, placing them neatly on the barred railing that prevented him from plummeting into the deep, lapping water. His eyes stared off into the distance, feeling his nerves slowly calm as he watched the moon fidget in the river water's grasp.

"Devil?"

Bendy's thoughts came to a screeching halt as he quickly whipped around, his posture and expression alert.  The fiend halted in his turning to face a skinny wolf carrying a lanky suitcase.  "H-Hey! It's okay, it's okay, I'm not a cop or nothin'." The stranger reassured with a dry chuckle. Bendy took in some shallow breaths to calm himself before his shoulders hung loose. They stood in silence, Bendy feeling more baffled than fearful as he stared at the newcomer. For a while neither of them spoke, until the toon in front of the demon caught himself. "Oh! Um, how improper of me, the name's Boris." the toon greeted with a bright grin, extending his hand in friendliness. Bendy felt his stomach drop as he looked his newest recruit up and down. Not only was this a kid, but he was incredibly frail, which was not a beaming image of 'soldier' material. The wolf stuttered and jittered whenever he spoke, obviously lacking any self confidence. His tail was tucked between his legs, and his hands seemed to fidget, giving off the impression that he couldn't stand still. He bared striped attire and dark shaded tie slipped around his collar. Atop his head, there was a fedora covered in a tinted white with a darker stripe wrapped around the rim to match his uniform, along with a goofy grin to top it all off. Needless to say, so far Bendy was not at all impressed with the appearance of his 'lifetime associate'. Boris moved his hand up and down in front of Bendy, breaking the perplexed toon out of whatever hypnosis he was in. The demon jolted himself out of his thoughts and grabbed hold of the wolf's hand, "Bendy." Said toon replied calmly, some bitterness lining his tone as his fingers curved around the opposing toon's hand. 

Boris completely ignored the begrudging attitude and mustered up a warm smile as he drew back from the handshake.  "It's such an honor to enroll in your mob, Mr. Devil." The wolf murmured cheerily, "I've heard so many great things about you, so it's really nice to finally meet you." Boris added. Bendy crossed his arms neatly, "I like the enthusiasm, but enough of the small talk," the fiend muttered flatly, "first of all, how old are you, kid?" Bendy asked, his face puckered in a curious, but embittered expression. 

"Nineteen, turning twenty in April." Boris replied quickly, his excitement steadily faltering as the look of distaste didn't even flinch from the demon's face. Bendy scratched the side of his face and lowered his gaze as he processed the reply. Damn, he really is young. Not pondering for a moment longer, the fiend lifted his head. "How long has Drew been mentoring you?" Bendy questioned. Boris perked his ears, seeming to be a little alarmed by the question.  The wolf rung his hands as he gathered up a reply, "Mentoring isn't exactly the word I'd use..." the wolf murmured carefully, his stomach dropping as Bendy's expression remained sour, "but I've been with Drew a-as long as I can remember." 

The demon's tail twitched with rising annoyance, "What do you mean by, 'mentoring isn't exactly the word you'd use'?" Bendy asked cautiously as he raised a brow. Boris pressed his lips in a line, shifting uneasily in his place, "I-I was an errand boy more than anything." The wolf replied, giving a forced chuckle afterwards. Boris could tell that Bendy was not roused in the slightest, the wolf scratching his neck in embarrassment, "I didn't do too much, he n-never really took the time to t-teach me anything." Boris commented. Bendy felt his annoyance bubbling, rubbing his temples in a desperate attempt to center himself as he felt a headache coming on. While across from the irritable demon, Boris' face burned in mortification, anxiously waiting for the fiend to speak. After a few more moments of the demon mumbling irritatedly to himself, Bendy straightened his posture and took in a deep breath. Staring at the toon in front of him, the fiend narrowed his eyes. "Let's get going." He murmured curtly; not speaking a word more as he walked past the wolf.

Boris scratched underneath his hat with unease before lifting up his suitcase from the ground and following after Bendy, uncertainty in his steps. The wolf could feel the bitterness resonating from the demon's walk and posture; he was obviously not happy. Bendy grit his teeth, feeling his stomach fester with anger. The earlier assumption of generosity from Drew was completely withered away, and the fiend now knew exactly why his accomplice wasn't at all hesitant to give away this kid. Bendy led Boris to his vehicle, sparing the wolf a glance as they neared it. The demon half-heartedly gestured a thumb to the behind of the vehicle, "Just throw your suitcase in the back." He muttered. Boris gave a soft nod and made his way to the back of Bendy's car, said demon walking to the driver's side door and slowly climbing into his seat. Shortly afterwards the sound of a car door slamming shut echoed through the night. Boris wearily lifted the trunk, the hinges giving a soft 'whoosh' as it opened. With a graceful hoist, the wolf placed his heavy suitcase into the back, closing the trunk not long afterwards. Boris nervously walked towards the passenger's side, opening the door slowly and gently sinking into the seat. Reaching over, he wearily tugged the door towards himself and shifted around to comfortably situate himself in his chair. The wolf glanced in the direction of his newly proclaimed leader, only to find the demon looking expressionlessly out the front window of the car. Bendy stared blankly out of the windshield for what seemed like ages before he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face, sighing deeply.

After a while of wallowing in his own silent grumbling, the demon reached into his pocket and grabbed the last cigarette from his pack, popping it in his mouth with little to no hesitation. Bendy held the unlit nicotine roll in his mouth for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought before he finally sat up and stuck the car key in the ignition and gave it a sharp twist. Almost immediately after the car started, the demon pressed his index finger to the electrical lighter below his radio, tapping his wheel anxiously as he casually switched on the heater while he was at it. Boris wearily rung his hands as the duo of toons sat quietly in the car, the heater slowly but surely kicking in after a long pause. Though nothing was being said, the tension was very thick in the air, and it kept the wolf on his toes as he waited oh so patiently for the demon to say something; anything.

But there was nothing but silence.

Only the sound of the inner fan going off could be heard in the car, until eventually there was a mechanical 'pop' that made Boris jump. Bendy nonchalantly reached for the lighter below his stereo, pressing it to the end of his cigarette. He went still for a few moments before pulling it away and placing the button right back in its place. Bendy took in a deep breath from his cigarette, feeling himself grow calmer as he inhaled the nicotine before giving another long sigh. Boris wrinkled his nose in distaste at the strong smell, but dared not to say a word. The demon took a few more small, meditating drags as he pondered, trying to mellow out his thoughts as to not make the wolf sitting beside him any more anxious than he already was.

Bendy glanced towards Boris, blinking for a while before he took in a breath of air and huffed. "Look, kid, I haven't slept in three days." he began as he slowly leaned back in his chair, the seat giving a soft creak in response. "Bottom line, I'm exhausted and I can't think straight. So just help me stay awake on this drive, a'ight?" 

Boris' eyes lit up, nodding eagerly. Bendy steadily straightening his posture so he was no longer slouching in his seat. The demon gripped his gloved hand around the gear shift and pulled his vehicle out of park, moving it into reverse. Bendy twisted his head to look behind him with his cigarette still neatly held between his chompers, keeping his eyes locked with the rear window of his vehicle. He kept his wheel twisted sharply to the left as he backed out of his parking spot, only pressing harder on the brakes as he came to a reasonable distance. Taking his car into drive, he moved forwards before driving right back into the streets, and with that, they were officially off and away.

The car ride was quiet for the first few minutes or so until Bendy pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and started up some small talk, "Errand boy, huh?" The demon asked, causing the toon to the right of him to jolt a bit in his seat. Boris sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, nothing too interesting." The wolf replied with a dry chuckle. Bendy held his gaze on the road ahead of him as he gave an uninterested sniff. "It could be." The demon muttered flatly. The wolf slowly removed his fedora, gently taming the frizzled hairs atop his head with his fingers, "I suppose." Boris murmured, only now starting to remember how the demon had mentioned his exhaustion. The wolf cleared his throat as he caught himself, "So, you haven't slept in three days?" Boris asked, tapping his trousers anxiously as Bendy itched his chin. "Pretty much, only a few cat naps here and there." The fiend replied, fatigue obvious in his voice. Boris felt his eyes space out for a bit as he tried to think of what he could add. Suddenly, something clicked. At first he was reluctant to ask, but found himself licking his chaps when he realized the question started to burn a hole in his noggin.

"Is it because of what happened at Willowsburg?" The wolf questioned innocently. Bendy gave a loose shrug, "Eh," the demon mumbled dryly, "I've kinda always struggled with a sleep schedule, guess it's finally startin' to bite me." Boris sat quietly for a few moments before he felt his mind fizzle with curiosity.  "What happened there, anyways?" The wolf asked slowly. Bendy raised a brow as his gaze shifted over to the toon beside him. "With my sleep schedule?" The fiend replied, his voice thinned with confusion. Boris forced a chuckle, "N-No, I mean at the pier." The wolf corrected shyly. Bendy's eyes suddenly went cold. "I heard about it in the news and there were so many rumors from toons that weren't there but..." Boris' voice trailed off as he watched a shift in the demon's posture. Bendy narrowed his eyes with somewhat hostility, "Don't go losing sleep over me saying so, but what happened Wednesday night is none of your damn business." The fiend muttered flatly.  Boris felt his stomach drop with discomfort at the tone, only able to muster a few weary nods of understanding before turning his gaze back to the front window. Both toons sat in quiet, the duo not passing conversation for a good minute or so until Bendy gently tapped on the steering wheel as though he was gathering his thoughts. 

"So, Drew didn't mentor you at all?" The fiend questioned suddenly.  The toon being spoken to was struggling to reply, appearing to have conflicting statements rattling in his head. "He didn't trust me with a gun." Boris responded quietly. Bendy went silent once more, taking in the last few drags of his cigarette before rolling down his window and tossing it out. "Well that's just fuckin' peachy." The fiend mumbled under his breath, not even caring what response he would get from his passenger.

Within an hour or so of driving, the car finally began to slow down it's speed. They casually rode down city streets for a while until Bendy took a sudden right and began driving down an unfamiliar path; at least to Boris. Smooth concrete of city roads evolved into a rocky path while deep shades of green passed them in bursts. The wolf had never seen this part of Manhattan before, it was almost as shady as the toon sitting beside him. The fiend continued to ride along the along thin, gravel-ridden roads that Boris didn't even know existed with a blank expression. The wolf felt the urge to ask if they were nearing their destination, but due to their last session of small talk, he kept his trap shut. Boris fidgeted in his spot, uncomfortable with the temperature of the car but refused to bicker. He sat, starting to feel a bit weary as he watched leaves and hedges rush behind them, the unfamiliar road giving off an eery feeling. His fingers twitching with rising anxious energy, his mind racing as his thoughts suddenly began to take a darker turn. Without so much as a second thought, the wolf sharply twisted his head to his left.

"W-Where are we going?" Boris whimpered. Bendy blinked for a few moments, surprised by the sudden question after so much quiet. "My place." The fiend responded dryly. The wolf fiddled with his gloves, feeling a terrible sensation rumble around in his stomach. Boris constantly tried to tame his worry with silent reassurance, but the look of bitterness from the toon beside him told him otherwise. The wolf swallowed a lump in his throat, "You're not g-gonna hurt me, a-are you?" Boris stuttered.

After processing what complete drivel the wolf had just uttered, the demon gave a hearty scoff. "Trust me, kid," Bendy began with a smirk creeping on his lips, "if I wanted to 'hurt' you, I would have done it right then and there when we met." The demon replied. Boris' shoulders hung loose, slowly and wearily leaning back in his seat as he calmed. Although just as Bendy started to notice the relaxation of the wolf's posture in the corner of his eye, the demon's lips curved into a sly grin. "Besides, we're way too close to town for me to even try." Bendy added smugly.