As days passed, Boris didn't feel any more safe than he did on his first day. He still couldn't help but glance anxiously towards Ricky whenever he so much as breathed. The raccoon was nothing short of terrifying. But even under the circumstances, the wolf was glad the toon didn't do anything besides giving him nasty looks or draw his thumb across his throat. Finding his neck to still be intact during his wake was the most comforting feeling in the world to him. As for William and Chester, Boris felt like he was getting along just fine with the two. The feline was nothing short of friendly, and the larger canine was a charming fellow that had quite the dry sense of humor. The duo made him feel like he belonged. Although with Bendy... he wasn't too sure. The demon was very distant, and rarely even bothered to look at the wolf let alone chat with him when he left his office. Small talk, banter, even a simple 'good morning' was frowned upon by the fiend; it was almost as if friendly gestures were a pet-peeve of his. The demon's constant cold shoulder made Boris feel a little discouraged, but he didn't want to give up over the course of a week.

There was one particular morning where in Boris' wake, the wolf was quick to notice that he was the only one left in the bedroom. Which, he would admit wasn't all that out of the ordinary, but he couldn't help but feel like something was a little off. Slowly, Boris sat up from his sleeping position, rubbing his eyes before standing up and turning towards his suitcase, only to find that it was gone. Boris inwardly panicked, at first assuming that maybe he had misplaced it. Shortly afterwards he firmly assured himself that couldn't have happened, he distinctly remembered that it had been right where he left it that entire night. He saw it out of the corner of his eye while his tired gaze was staring restlessly at the clock. No, this couldn't be right. The wolf thoroughly searched the area, checking to see if it was under the beds, shoved in a corner... only to find that it was nowhere to be found. Boris scratched his head as he swiftly glanced around the room, where on Earth could it be? And then it hit him.

"Hey, you guys wouldn't happened to have seen my suitcase, would you?" Boris asked carefully, watching as the three toons sitting around the television exchanged glances. Chester thinned his lips in a line, "I haven't seen it since last night, sorry Boris." The feline replied with a shrug. Ricky didn't even bother looking at the wolf as he flipped through channels, "I ain't seen it." The bitter toon muttered. William spared the raccoon sitting beside him a look that Boris couldn't describe. The larger toon gave Boris a sideways glance before shifting his eyes back to the television.

"Ricky threw it out the bedroom window."

Chester immediately snapped out of his television-trance as William spoke, "Wait what?" The feline exclaimed. Ricky jolted uncomfortably in his seat but didn't say a word in response until Chester spoke again. "Really, Ricky?" The feline muttered with a infuriated undertone. Ricky rolled his eyes, "If he's gonna leave his shit out in the open, begging to be tossed around, I don't see the problem." The raccoon snapped back, not even sparing Chester so much as a glance as his finger continued to press the button on the remote. "I don't think ya would like it too much if someone messed with yer stuff." Chester shot back, strong clouds of negativity becoming prominent between the two of them.

"Well I don't leave my 'stuff' out for anyone to trip over, now do I?" Ricky's voice was steadily rising in volume, the annoyance buzzing in the air.

"Can't exactly trip over an ego." Chester grumbled under his breath.

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" Ricky hissed back.

"Nothin', I jus' think it's a lil' rich comin' from someone who always leaves wood shavin's everywhere."

"You could easily step around them."

"Oh an' I'm sure it's that much harder to step 'round a suitcase."

At this point, the raccoon was audibly grinding his teeth and practically crushing the remote in his grasp. It didn't take long for Ricky to burst and start full-on yelling insults at the feline beside him, pure aggravation in every syllable he spoke. William eventually got sick enough of hearing the petty back and forth and stood up from his seating place. With the canine headed for the doorway, Boris was almost going to step aside for William before the larger toon paused. "Let's go grab your things from outside, I know where it landed." The canine murmured curtly. Boris took a few moments to glance towards the arguing toons angrily yapping at each other before following after the taller canine without a sound.

"You're gonna have to get used to those two fightin', they argue over even more wank things most of the time." William murmured softly as the duo began to gather up all the muddied clothing scattered all over the backyard. Boris was almost caught off-guard by the canine speaking. Eventually the wolf found himself chuckling dryly, "I don't really mind."

William didn't speak for a while, gathering up his share of dirty clothing in silence. "I hope you don't get too miffed when Ricky's acting like this." The larger canine murmured gently, receiving a look of confusion from the wolf beside him. William caught himself, "I hope you don't get too upset." The canine corrected himself. Boris chuckled softly before catching himself and clearing his throat. "I haven't really seen a whole lot of English toons around here." The skinny toon murmured with a brief shrug. The larger canine shook his head, "That doesn't surprise me. Most Brits are smart enough to stay away from a painfully obnoxious city like New York." William explained with a playful grin. "Leave it to my folks to be crazy enough to plant themselves here."  The larger toon added as he scornfully huffed.  They were quiet for a while before Boris caught onto the previous question.

"But uh, no." The wolf answered without thinking, causing the canine beside him to give him a short glance. "No, to, uh, what you asked before. Ricky doesn't bother me." Boris gave a small shrug, "I try not to take things too personally." William slowly shook his head to the response, "It's not your fault, he's..." the taller toon's voice trailed as he tried to grasp the right words, "beside himself at times like these." The canine reasoned gently. "He's not usually this angry." William's expression turned grim, "He's only gotten more snarky after last Wednesday." The canine practically whispered. Boris paused in his gathering as he blinked. "What exactly happened that has you all so bent out of shape?"

William briefly halted in his movements, shifting his gaze towards the wolf beside him. Boris felt a pang in his stomach at the look the canine gave him and frantically caught himself. "B-But if you don't want to tell me, t-then that's totally fine." The wolf exclaimed quickly. William's gaze didn't even flinch. "He didn't... tell you?" The canine questioned slowly.  Boris knew exactly who the larger toon was referring to and slowly shook his head with a worrisome expression. William looked as if he were pondering deeply for a moment before he exhaled gently through his nostrils. "If Bendy didn't say anything then I have no right to tell." The canine reasoned gently. Boris gave a few understanding nods and didn't prod, not expecting to hear anything more.

"Just know that you're in the position for someone that never should have been replaced."  The wolf paused abruptly as William spoke up once more, his volume so quiet that Boris almost didn't catch it.

The two canines wrapped up their task fairly quickly after they stopped passing conversation; only communicating using small gestures that got them by. Boris buckled up all of his muddied clothing back into his suitcase and stood up from his crouched position while the toon beside him gave an approving nod. "I think from now on you should shove that underneath your bunk." William suggested with a hint of teasing in his tone. Boris returned the remark with a grin, "That's probably a good idea." The wolf replied.

"If you two keep yapping your jaws, I'm gonna knock your teeth out."

The words came flying at the duo of canines just as they entered the home, spotting Bendy angrily shouting from the top of the stairs. "I had to hang up on Riley because I couldn't hear anything but screaming. You two can either take it outside, or stop bickering over petty shit that I can hear all the way upstairs. I've heard more reasonable arguments from bitter drunks, for satan's sake!" The demon's glare instantly flickered to the duo at the door, "Why the hell did you leave me with these bickering boneheads?" Bendy snarled. William began to shut the door behind him, "We had to clean up a bit of a mess." The large canine reasoned, gesturing towards the wolf beside him. Boris held up his mud-covered suitcase, grinning softly in a silent request for sympathy only to receive a scoff of distaste from the fiend in response.

"Sorry we weren't here to split them up." William lied. Bendy was quiet for a moment as his anger was steadily sinking, "Just make sure they don't go at it again. These orders are what keeps us on our toes." The fiend grumbled. William resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "I know." The canine replied.  Bendy narrowed his glare at the tone, "Let Ricky know he needs to come and see me about a hit job." The demon stated flatly before turning heel.

Boris blinked, shifting his gaze over to William. The canine curtly nodded his head towards the flight of stairs, "There's a washroom to the right of the bedroom," William explained, "You're gonna have to hand-wash everything, but I'd be happy to help you hang them out to dry." The canine offered. Boris smiled softly, "Thanks, William." The wolf replied. The larger canine returned the comment of gratitude with a half-hearted grin before turning and walking down the hallway without another say.

Boris swiftly made his way up the stairs, his eyes catching Bendy almost immediately as the demon was walking to his office. The wolf got nearer and mustered a shy wave, "Morning, Mr. Devil, did you sleep well?" Boris questioned as he began to pass. Bendy almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden greeting, turning his attention towards the wolf behind him. The demon raised a brow as his eyes wandered to the muddied suitcase the wolf held before his glare flickered back to Boris. Bendy gave a brief nod to the toon's question before continuing in his path and shutting the door behind him. Boris was left a little baffled by the short encounter but then felt a hint of delight at the response.

The venture of hand-washing his clothes was unbelievably long, making Boris wish he hadn't packed so much in his suitcase. But at least he could have clean clothes, he told himself through the process. Eventually he got through all of his shirts, trousers, boxers, gloves, and finally all three of his suits. After wringing them all out with the last strength he could possibly muster, he folded them all up neatly in piles and prepared himself to walk down the stairs and ask William for assistance. Although as he slowly opened up the bathroom door, voices could be heard; laughing and speaking in their own turn. The wolf became increasingly curious as he cautiously made his way towards the chatter. Noticeably, Bendy's office door was wide open. As he proceeded past the bedroom, Boris curiously peered inside of the fiend's dwelling.

Nothing too interesting, he concluded almost immediately. There was a desk covered in loose papers, scattered with an array of different pens, and caked with crumpled wrappers and cans; some of which were lying carelessly on the floor. The scent of nicotine was thicker than any other area in the house, but that wasn't much of a surprise- empty cigarette packets were piled up in the already over-flowed garbage bin. It seemed like Bendy was the only one in the group that clung to the disgusting habit. After a few more moments of glancing around the room, he had gotten his fill and steered himself in his original path. As Boris got closer to the staircase, he recognized the tone of a stranger. Feminine sounding, he picked up the more he listened.

"You'll never guess who I saw walking through work again." The unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Who?"

"Piper."

"Piper? As in, the Piper?"

"Yep. Stowaway. Saw him wondering through the backroom with some of my coworkers."

"When did you see him?"

"Around nine or so last week. I think he comes by every Saturday, from what I've seen."

"Did you see where he went?"

"What, you think I followed him in my car? That isn't my business, and you know it, Benjamin."

"It is when you're on the job, Alice."

"I was on my job, asshole. Your overalls are on way too tight, and if you're so interested in catching him, why would you want me to take care of it?"

"I didn't say I wanted you to take care of it, I said the least you could have done was follow him so we could figure out where he was."

"Oh, is that really the least I could have done?"

"Or better yet, you could have told us earlier, and maybe we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Guess what day it is, honey? You can go and take care of it yourself."

Boris listened in carefully as he made his way down the staircase, weary as to not make a single peep. His feet slowly made way for the doorway where all the voices came from, and finally managed to reach it. Almost immediately Boris recognized four out of the five around the foldable furniture, an array of fast food covering the tabletop they sat around. The long-haired brunette sitting across from Bendy came to be completely unfamiliar to the wolf as his eyes trailed her.

Bendy exhaled sharply through his teeth, "Well, thanks for nothin', angel cakes." The demon muttered as he crossed his arms. The toon sitting across from him narrowed her eyes, "I can't believe you're so inconsiderate, at least I saw him at all." The lady toon exclaimed. Bendy scoffed with a scowl, "Yeah, because eyeballing Charley is such a huge help." The demon spat. The brunette shook her head briefly before shooting up from her chair, her hands firmly on the quivering table. Her glare glimmered with anger as she stared down the fiend in front of her and took in a few short breaths of air. She huffed and turned towards the doorway sharply, freezing as she spotted Boris, whom of which was shyly peering into the room.

"Who's this?" She questioned, her harsh tone from before softening ever so slightly. Bendy didn't even spare the wolf a glance as he popped another french fry in his chompers, "Boris." He muttered curtly. The brunette began to pass said wolf through the doorway, giving him a brief look up and down as she brushed past Boris' shoulder.  "He's not worth your time." She muttered bitterly before walking to the back door without another word. After watching the door close behind her, Boris turned his gaze back to the four sitting at the table; all of which were chowing down on junk food peacefully. Well, as peaceful as a group of rowdy boys could, at least. Chester motioned for the wolf to come over, pointing at his meal with a goofy smile as if insisting to share, but Boris politely waved him off. Food is far from a necessity to toons, they don't- and never have- needed it to survive. But it's very enjoyable; receiving the same amount of pleasure from taste, but not so much the satisfying full-feeling humans would gain. Although... they didn't make it look too appetizing with the wrappers and crumbs of everything lying everywhere. Not to mention that the food was placed carelessly on the table that they have probably never even dreamed of cleaning. Nonetheless, after William gently patted the seat beside him, the wolf couldn't refuse the gesture. After wearily making his way towards his insisted seat, he finally joined the other four toons at the table with a shy grin. Boris rung his hands and placed them neatly on the table as he silently sat, trying to remember why he had even come down the stairs in the first place. William licked his chaps, "Did you get all your clothes clean?" The canine asked through a mouthful.

Bingo.

The wolf grinned and nodded his head as William spoke. The larger canine swallowed as he noticed the silent response. "We can get cracking after I finish." William replied.  Boris dryly chuckled, "No rush, take your time." The wolf insisted politely.  William took a big bite out of his sandwich, munching audibly, "You don't have to tell me twice." The canine responded. Boris couldn't fight a soft smile of amusement until his eyes met with the cold glare of the demon sitting across from him. The wolf tried to muster a warm grin but Bendy glanced away before he got a chance.

"What do you all say to paying monkey man a quick visit?" The demon stated through the quiet. Chester's eyes lit up and nodded eagerly, his expanded cheeks holding a whole mouthful of french fries. William shrugged with a notable smirk as he casually chewed, while Ricky responded with a cold chuckle. "What do you think?" The raccoon muttered with his arms crossed. Boris slowly opened his jaws to throw in his two cents, only to be cut off by Bendy standing up from his seat, "What time is it?" The demon questioned flatly. Ricky glanced behind him to stare at the clock in the corner of the room, "Quarter to five." The raccoon responded, equally as monotone.

Bendy paused for a moment as he pondered, "I'll give you clowns three hours to do lucifer knows what before we roll out, got it?" He paused briefly, only to receive no reply except for a small nod from Boris. "Got it?" Bendy repeated more firmly, causing everyone else to give their agreements in their own turn. The demon gave a nod of approval before twisting in his step and taking his leave. As the wolf watched Bendy's tail sink out of sight, Boris turned towards the larger toon beside him. "M-Monkey man?" The wolf repeated quietly.

"Stowaway is a long story." The larger canine replied, swallowing his mouthful shortly afterwards.

"And it's not like he deserves to know." Ricky commented coldly.

"Well he is a part of the team now, ain't he?" Chester countered passive aggressively as he licked his lips. The raccoon's whiskers twitched, "Did anybody ask what you thought you pointy eared pussy?" William sharply nudged Ricky with his elbow, meanwhile Chester ran his clamped index finger and thumb over his mouth to indicate zipping his mouth shut with a noticeable smirk. "Shut your mouth before boss does it for you." The large canine muttered, his expression going neutral as his gaze rested on Boris. "Like I said, it's a long story. He's just a cranky nob that's as bent as a nine-bob note, don't worry about it." William insisted.

"Hey, kid, hurry it up, will ya?" Bendy called up the stairs. "Give me five minutes!" Boris replied from the second floor. Bendy rolled his eyes, as he could have sworn he heard that same request ten minutes ago. Regardless, he turned to the other three members of his group and gestured a thumb to the door, "I'll meet you out there. But just so you can let out all your disappointment now," Bendy paused as he took in a breath, "I'm only taking the kid in with me."

Ricky groaned audibly, William didn't spare a word in complaint even if his expression showed clear distaste in the idea, while Chester only raised his eyebrows. Ricky baring his teeth in a snarl, "Why?" the raccoon hissed, "What good would bringing that twig do? He'd probably just fuck everything up."

The demon rubbed his temples briefly, "Look, they wouldn't recognize him," Bendy began, lowering his tone to a mumble, "if we all shuffle in there together don't you think that would look a little suspicious?" The demon reasoned as he raised a brow. "And if they see any one of you yahoos in there, what do you think'll happen?" Bendy added, crossing his arms with a questioning expression. Ricky exhaled sharply through his gritted teeth, "I get it." The raccoon mumbled under his breath.

"Great. Now get your asses in the car, we're leaving." Bendy turned his head towards the staircase and cupped a hand next to his mouth, "Kid! For the love of lucifer let's get going!" The demon hollered, his voice echoing to the top floor, "We're already losing daylight!"

"Coming!" A quiet voice replied from up the stairs, followed by the quick pitter patter of footsteps. Within a few moments, Boris came into view. "Sorry, Mr. Devil, I just-"

Bendy gave the wolf a glare as he neared, silently warning him to not give any more excuses. The wolf went quiet and followed after his leader without another word. They exited out the back door, and Bendy was sure to lock the door tight after it was shut behind him. Boris awaited patiently, his body fidgeting with anxious energy as he stood. "Now can I ask where we're going?" The wolf questioned. Bendy sharply turned heel, walking past Boris as he began to move around the house, "I got fucked over by the fella we're gonna go see." Bendy explained as he paced, "We're gonna swing by so I can give him a little talking to." Boris held a steady speed as he trailed behind the demon, processing the information carefully as he tried to think of a reply that wouldn't cause Bendy to snap at him. "And by 'talking' to him, do you mean..." Boris' voice trailed as he pondered the right word.

The thought was cut short as Bendy scoffed, "Of course, kid. What do you think this is, kindergarten?" The demon questioned, loosely glancing over his shoulder to catch a short glimpse of the wolf. "I don't resolve shit with words." Bendy muttered under his breath. Boris swallowed dryly, quick to change the subject. "But t-that doesn't really answer my question about where we're going." The wolf murmured as he caught up to the demon's speed. "Tell me," Bendy began with a sly smirk, "have you ever set foot in any place like Looney Poons?" Boris felt his fingers twitch, "Looney... w-what now?" The wolf stammered with confusion. The demon gave a throaty chuckle, "Figured."

As both of them reached the car, Boris almost immediately spotted Ricky sitting in the passenger side, his arms crossed and his expression showing obvious annoyance. Bendy flung open the passenger side door with no hesitation, "Get in the back." He stated flatly to the raccoon. Ricky gave him a low growl before swinging his legs out of the vehicle. There was clear anger in his movements as he opened the backseat door and squeezed in beside Chester. The demon gave a half-hearted gesture for Boris to get in the seat Ricky was previously seated in before making his way to the driver's side. The wolf reluctantly seated himself in the passenger's side and slowly closed the door, the car being filled with eerie silence as they all patiently waited for Bendy to get in the vehicle. Boris slowly glanced in the rearview mirror only to find a sour-faced raccoon staring right back at him.

The wolf felt his heart skip a beat and quickly glanced away, feeling his chest pound as Bendy finally got in the driver's seat with a sigh. The demon started the engine and buckled the seat belt around his chest. Bendy pulled his vehicle out of park and turned his head to the rear of his car. The automobile moved backwards, slowly at first but began to move a little quicker as the demon caught better sight of direction. After moving back into the dirt road, the demon shoved the gear shift into drive and the car moved forward, traveling in the opposing direction that Bendy and the wolf sitting beside him had taken nearly a week prior. As they pulled on the main road once more, Bendy reached in his pocket and pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes before handed them to the wolf beside him. "No t-thanks, I don't smoke." Boris murmured politely, only to receive a rolling of eyes from the demon. "They're not for you." Bendy muttered, "Open it up and get that shit flaring for me."

Within about twenty minutes of driving through the city of blandly colored buildings and thick roadways filled to the brim with traffic, the demon took a strange left from the main road. It started out looking as any other before the convenient stores and cute little shops evolved into tattoo parlors and crude establishments for strictly adults. At first glance, Boris calmed his own worry with the idea that it was only a bad street. But then they continued to flood his vision, strip after strip of nothing short of explicit stores. The fact that nobody in the vehicle spoke a peep was unnerving for the wolf, to say the least.

In the corner of his eye from glancing out the side window, Boris spotted bright, multicolored lights. As he glanced in the direction and allowed his eyes to adjust to the bright colors, he began to make out the features on the building. The sight, of which, caused his heart to race. There were large, bright bubble letters reading, 'Looney Poons' while a light-laced figure of a woman was beside it. Her leg gave the illusion that it was gently swaying up and down, as if beckoning whoever was near to come inside. Boris felt his face burn with modification as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. The look of the establishment was unnerving enough, but to the the wolf's dismay, Bendy tapped his foot on the break as they neared the building.

After coming to a reasonable distance, he steered the automobile to the left and pulled into a slim pathway that lead to a parking lot. Parking with untidiness between white lines, Bendy shoved the car into park and sat for a moment. While the vehicle remained eerily still, Boris fiddled with his gloves as his face burned. "S-So..." the wolf's voice trailed for a moment as he felt Bendy's gaze linger towards himself. "Your girlfriend w-works at a..." Boris swallowed, and the demon's expression suddenly turned somewhat sour.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Bendy interrupted, "First of all, Alice is the farthest damn thing from my 'girlfriend'." The demon stated with a flat expression. "And yeah, she works at a strip club."

Boris' stomach did a backflip, unable to feel his face at that point. Bendy took note of the ghastly white look his passenger gave him and snickered. "She's a waitress, and I doubt she'll want anything to do with us." The demon blandly reassured with a smirk he couldn't even fight. Bendy pressed his lit cigarette to his mouth and took in a long drag. The demon reached for the dashboard and popped the lid to carelessly rummage inside. He pulled out a pocket-sized pistol and checked it's cargo for a few moments before reaching back into the dashboard and popping loose ammunition into the weapon. After filling it, Bendy neatly pressed the revolver back into place with a satisfying snap and slammed the dashboard with his fist to make it shut.

"Alright, kid, let's go." He grunted as he opened up the driver's door. Boris shook his head, bewildered. "Wait, I'm c-coming with you?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?"

"N-No! It's just... why me?"

"I need a look-out."

"But what about Chester? Or William? Or R-Ricky? Why do you need me to go?"

Bendy rubbed his temples as he tried to center his bubbling annoyance, "Look, if you stay behind me the whole time and keep calm it'll be okay." The demon half-heartedly reassured as he checked his wristwatch. Boris shakily fumbled with the door handle, "B-But-"

"Oh, just shut up and get out of the car already." The demon grumbled as he swung his feet out of the vehicle. 

Boris wearily did the same, and both of them shut their doors in near sequence. Bendy was already ahead, and Boris practically tripped over himself as he rushed to walk beside the demon. Boris took in a shaky breath, "Are you s-sure I'll do okay?" The wolf stammered. Bendy scoffed, "I never said that." the demon muttered flatly, tightening his overall straps.  "But I wouldn't be too shy on my role if I were you." They slowly neared the entrance and Boris felt as if his heart was beating out of his chest. "Why is t-that so?" The wolf questioned, halting in his tracks as the toon beside him did. Bendy spared Boris a sideways glance, "If you screw this up you're as good as dead." Bendy mumbled plainly. Boris' face went white, and the demon didn't even bother to acknowledge it as they finally reached the entry door with a gigantic toon standing in front of it. The music behind the thick wall was loud enough from the outside, but Boris was scared to find out how much volume it had when they were actually inside. Bendy gave the bouncer a blank glare and the larger toon stepped aside, politely pulled the door towards himself and gestured a hand in the gap to offer the duo inside. Bendy gave a gentle nod of recognition before taking the notion, Boris nervously doing the same.

The music was deafening, the lights were blinding, and the scalding temperature made Boris uncomfortable. It was sensory overload as crowds of bodies shuffled around a singular stage, and thankfully the wolf could only make out silhouettes of women as they danced. For the most part, anyway. Some of them were half naked, their bare breasts flying everywhere as they moved, while others had half the decency to cover themselves. Boris felt as if he was in some bizarre fever dream as he followed Bendy close behind, the demon seeming to give his fair share of glances towards the dancers as they walked. One could only imagine what was going through his head. The warm, almost suffocating atmosphere caused Boris to inwardly panic, feeling as though he were getting trapped in the swarm of crowding men. It was so stuffy that it was beginning to make the wolf feel dizzy as he desperately tried to keep up with Bendy. Eventually he found himself roughly shoving drunks out of the way whenever they wouldn't move after being asked to.

Suddenly, through the midst of chaos, he caught eyes with a pair of waitresses, both of them wearing practically nothing as they strode around the building. His gaze quickly slunk away, but by the time he realized he was staring it was already too late. The wolf panicked as the duo of ladies made their way towards him, his mind becoming fuzzy and diluted as they stood in front of him. Boris halted in his tracks, only out of respect. "Hey there, sweetheart." One of them cooed. They got a little too touchy feely for the wolf's liking, "Do you wanna come and join us in the back?" The other questioned in a low tone. The wolf tugged on the collar of his suit roughly as he felt himself overheating. Was he losing oxygen to his brain, or did two strippers just come up to him and request for a bump and grind?

Boris swallowed, his throat going dry as he tried to grasp the words he wanted to speak. Glancing behind the ladies in front of him, he spotted Bendy standing crossly in the walkway. He tapped his wristwatch hastily with an annoyed expression before the wolf gathered enough courage to briskly waltz past the girls, "I h-have to go, I'm sorry." Boris apologized as he ditched the nerve-wracking conversation. "Okay, baby, don't be a stranger." One of them replied as the wolf left.

Catching up to Bendy, Boris almost instantly caught a barely audible scoff, "Try not to get too caught up in the ladies, lover boy. We have shit to do." The fiend remarked. The wolf resisted the urge to explain the situation and took in a swift inhale of the musky air instead.

Bendy briefly checked his watch, "We're cutting it a little tight but I think we're finally gonna be able to catch the bastard. He's usually very tidy with his timing, let's hope that doesn't change now." The demon mumbled as he walked. Boris ever so slightly increased his pace, "So, um, w-who am I l-looking out for exactly?" Boris questioned as he caught up with Bendy's speed. "Three. You're looking out for three toons, kid." The demon corrected firmly, "Keep an eye out for a fella with a metal arm, another with a beard, and the last with sideburns and a cane." Bendy explained with a deep exhale. "You'll know 'em when you see 'em. They'd stick out like a sore thumb in a place like this." Bendy finished as he swiftly checked his watch once more. Boris swallowed, "What if I s-see them?"

"If you just see them, don't worry about it." The demon instructed carefully, "Keep an eye on them, but don't make eye-contact." Bendy's pace slowed as they began to near the end of the walkway. "And try to mask your scent, they can smell fear."

Bendy suddenly halted in his steps, "But whatever you do," Boris paused as he was looked dead in the eye, "do not interact with them." The demon's glare were humorless as he spoke. "If they start getting too close for comfort, come and get me immediately, okay?" Bendy insisted firmly.  Boris slowly nodded his head, and the fiend checked his watch once more after he got the response he wanted. They continued in their path once more, nothing passing between them for a while. Just up ahead, the end of the walkway was closing in on them, and the doorway to the backroom they had previously heard about was now starting to become apparent through the crowd of sexually irritated middle aged men.

"Alright, kid, this is where we part ways." Bendy exclaimed through the music, giving an abridged gesture to the right. "Just stay over there and I'll find you after I take care of this. You know the drill?" Boris wearily nodded his head, even though he wasn't entirely sure he was prepared. Bendy changed direction, and at that moment Boris felt his stomach drop. His feelings were that of a child finding himself astray from his mother after he rubbernecked at the candy isle for a little too long. Obviously the wolf was the odd one out in a place like this, hell, he could barely even look at anyone. Although for the first dozen or so minutes, he was beginning to wind down. There wasn't a single trace of toon that had any descriptions Bendy had given; that had to be a good sign. Every once in a while there was a stray lap-dancer that caught his eye, but when he found himself gawking he immediately snapped his gaze away. A pair of girls gave him bubbly giggles as they passed, and Boris shakily managed to tip his hat as an idle greeting. While his gaze followed the duo of half-naked women, his face practically lost its color as he spotted another couple of toons that caught his attention... only this time he felt fearful instead of flustered.

Although the lanky canine was worried, the two of them had kept a good distance and stopped only to speak very briefly to other toons. Boris felt a hint of distraught, but tried not to lose his calm entirely; taking in deep, meditating breaths as he watched. From afar he could make out the transparent features of the two; one of them most certainly bared a beard- that much was obvious. While the other was twitchy, he had two arms on the right side of his torso and bared some peculiar metal brace around his left arms. For a brief moment, the shorter toon of the duo glanced in Boris' direction and the wolf immediately glanced away, praying that he wasn't seen. Only when he turned his gaze back, they made blatant eye-contact. Boris' heart sank as the toon staring at him from across the building tapped his partner's shoulder. He briefly spoke to the other and pointed in the direction the wolf was. Boris broke into a cold sweat as he felt both of their eyes glare at him, and practically jumped out of his skin as they began walking towards him.

Boris' mind was fried, frantically scrambling to find a solution. He tried to move but his body was locking up from the panic. He wanted to run but his feet felt like they were nailed to the floor. They pushed through the crowd and the wolf was running out of options, he felt too lightheaded to even remember what Bendy had told him. It's okay, maybe they didn't see him and they were just looking past him. Over and over he told himself to stay calm, there was no possible way they could-

"Hey, doggy."

Boris' train of thought came to a screeching halt as one of them rustily called to him. The wolf felt like he could barely breathe. This couldn't be happening. Boris could practically hear his teeth chattering as the duo of tough toons stood in front of him. One of them fiddled around in their pocket for a moment before pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and flattening it roughly with his gloved hands. After a moment's notice, the flyer was practically shoved on the wolf's chest. Boris shakily reached to grasp it and held the poster in his hands, his eyes trailing over the figure, recognizing it immediately.  "We're lookin' for the fella in the wanted posters." One of them growled. The wolf's fingers twitched as he grasped the flyer with a worrisome expression. The curves of the figure were all too familiar, and his mouth went dry as his eyes trailed along the bold letters spelling, 'Benjamin Devil'.

"Happen to see him around here? Red bow-tie?"

Boris inwardly panicked, his hands fidgeting uncomfortably as he scanned his options. He had to say something or else that would look even more suspicious. Oh god, Bendy would have his head for going against his word but he had no other choice. "No, I c-can't say t-that I have." Boris stammered, his voice shaking with fear. The duo of toons in front of him exchanged glances, but when their glares rested back on him they went cold. "Where is he?" The three-armed toon muttered. Boris' stomach dropped, feeling his heart pound with panic. "What?"

The toon with the multiple arms rapidly pulled out a pocket-knife, pointing it towards the wolf's neck. Boris did a double take and jolted back in surprise. "I said where the fuck is he?" The spider hissed, drawing the dagger closer. "Whatever he told you, I'm sure what I could do to you is much worse."

Boris was too frightened to even breathe, staring intensely at the knife that was shoved towards him. The toon's glare hardened, "You'd better spit it out if you know what's good for you." He muttered in a bone-chilling tone.

The room was a little too quiet for comfort. Bendy cautiously took in the area, slowly pacing around the room as his gaze flickered to all the different entrances. Briefly, the demon checked his watch, finding the time to be nearly a quarter after nine. Odd, Bendy concluded with a bitter expression. Charley was never this late for anything, really. His schedule was always needlessly organized. While Bendy would call his tactics over-thinking, Charley would insist to call them, 'efficient'. The demon scoffed with amusement at merely the thought. Although he laughed now, Charley's never been the receiving end of a bamboozle. Not a single time had he been caught by surprise... or at least until now.  The demon thought with a creeping grin.

As time began to pass, he became more and more unsure that Charley was even coming. After checking his watch repeatedly he found that it was nearly half to nine. Something had to be up. But how? The only way he could have changed his mind was if...

Suddenly, the demon's eyes widened with realization. With some spring in his step, the fiend walked to the door he had come from previously to silently stare back out into the sea of drunken toons. As his eyes trailed over to the left, his glare went ice cold as he spotted Boris mouthing away at two members of the Butcher Gang with a pocket knife hovering over his throat. Bendy felt his shock quickly rile into pure, boiling anger.

Was the wolf not given specific instructions on what he needed to do? Bendy could hardly contain his fury, feeling as if he was steaming from the ears. His newest recruit stood blissfully unaware that he was completely mucking up everything the demon organized. Charley was already suspicious enough if he had Barley and Edgar scavenge the area, but now there's no doubt they knew Bendy was in the building. The demon tried his best to think logically through his anger; he had to think of a way out of this absolute train-wreck. His first idea was leaving Boris behind to fend for himself, but the conversation looked far from friendly. Edgar was obviously hostile towards the wolf judging from the fact that he was shoving a sharp object in Boris' face. Though ditching Boris might be the easy way out, it was far from smart. That damn kid would spill anything to Charley if he was tortured enough. Where they hid out, places to scavenge for them, what his favorite day of the week was. Bendy rubbed his temples roughly as he scowled. For the love of all things unholy. He muttered to himself. There goes that option. Bendy slowly and careful stepped from the backroom as his glare was firmly set on the three across the building.

They already know I'm here... The demon pondered as he began to walk further down the walkway. So maybe... Bendy licked his lips and cupped his hands to his mouth, gathering up all of his volume.

"KID!"

Heads turned in the direction of the shouting, three of which went wide-eyed. "Let's ditch this popsicle stand!" Bendy shouted again, equally as loud. Boris rammed past the toons lost in a daze, rushing towards the demon that had called. Edgar's lips twitched as his expression twisted into something indescribable, "He's here..." The spider muttered, "just like Charley said he would be!" The duo of Butcher Gang caught themselves gawking and began rushing in Bendy's direction, following closely behind the wolf's tracks. Bendy rapidly turned heel and ran for the doorway, Boris and himself sprinting as if the devil himself were on their tails. Bulldozing past other toons and shoving any tramps that got in their way, both demon and wolf hustled to outrun the other two to the door. The older toons were fast for their age, Bendy concluded as he briefly glanced behind him. He never knew old cats could run so fast for their catch, they really must be starving.

Through his fury with the wolf behind him, the fiend couldn't deny the fact that he felt alive. From all the days of sitting in his office waiting to get orders for ink, he would be lying if he said he didn't miss this. The feeling of his heart pumping out of his chest while his calves felt as if they were burning from the rush made his lips instinctively curve into a devilish grin.  The anticipation of knowing that maybe he won't come back from the job, god, the adrenaline. The rush, the fear, everything, in that very moment- after nearly two entire years- it came flooding back. But it was all gone too soon when Bendy spotted a tall figure blocking his path of the exit yards away from him.

The demon immediately caught himself and came to a screeching halt in his tracks as he recognized the features of who stood before him. Boris eventually did the same and was almost equally as baffled when he planted himself behind the demon. Boris wanted to ask Bendy who it was, only to be silenced by the chimp's glare. The unfamiliar toon raised a brow as his gaze rested on the demon before him. Bendy dryly swallowed as he felt a hinge of discouragement.

"Benjamin. So glad to finally see you." The chimp greeted with a shallow expression that didn't match his words. The demon inaudibly took in a breath, "Charley." Bendy replied. The tall toon blinked gently, "For starters, I would like to apologize that we had to reunite in such a risqué environment." The toon murmured slowly as his gaze firmly rested on the fiend. The chimp glanced towards his companions, "I also apologize on behalf of these two, if they've been at all ill-mannered to you." Bendy straightened his posture, "Don't worry yourself over it." The demon mumbled half-heartedly. Charley gave a gracious nod of his head as he held his cane firmly in his hands. "Now, do tell what you're doing here."

"...What if I just felt like it, huh?"

"You're not the type to come to such a location on your leisure."

"How the hell would you know what I do in my own time?" Bendy growled, his lips pulling back in a challenging snarl. Charley briefly waved him off, "No need to be hostile, I was simply stating facts. You don't enjoy using your time on something so... mindless." Bendy paused abruptly in his hostility, taking the chimp's words humbly. Charley's lips curved into something of a grin, "I know you're here for me."

The demon's tail flicked with a twinge of fear, "How?"

Charley's eyes glittered with something that could only be described as twisted delight, "The list of employees in this establishment isn't exactly private, you know that, right?" The chimp explained simply. "I assumed Alice would inform you of my presence if I was consistent... and here you are." Charley's gaze narrowed, "I'm not entirely sure why you came, Benjamin," the toon murmured softly, "if you came here to speak, then I suggest you see me in our old warehouse." The toon instructed slowly.

"But if you wish to fight, then don't even bother showing your face." Charley muttered. Bendy's expression shifted from mild fear to undeniable rage, "Are you suggesting we sit around with some tea and crumpets and talk about what happened last year?" The demon spat. Charley caught the hostility and narrowed his eyes, "I gave you my reasons why I had done it, you were the only one that blew it out of proportion."

"You lied right to my face for months! How do you expect me not to-"

Charley's glare hardened, "I gave you my reasons." The chimp interrupted firmly, although not even a moment longer, the malice from his gaze was gone. "But I'd like to put that behind us." Charley reasoned carefully. "That's why we're here today. I was hoping we could resolve this rage we've been holding against each other. I think what you'll get in return will come quite pleasing to you."

Bendy appeared to be deeply pondering the request, remaining silent for a while before he mustered up a burning question, "Can I bring my boys?" The demon asked with a firm glare. Charley's eyes briefly rested on Boris; whom of which flinched away from the gaze. "This one looks new." The chimp commented with a blank glare.

"He's my driver." Bendy replied slowly, his eyes narrowing as he silently questioned what the chimp was playing at.

"Boris." Said toon corrected with a tiny grin as he shakily held out a hand in greeting. Charley gave the wolf a soft nod of acknowledgement before turning his attention back to Bendy, "You may bring this one with you if you so wish." The chimp murmured simply as Boris wearily pulled his hand back. Bendy spared the wolf a quick glance behind his shoulder before shifting his glare back to Charley, "Why him?"

The chimp's glare hardened, "Because I know you, Benjamin. I can't say I fully trust your ravenous... 'companions' once you've talked with them in private." Charley bitterly muttered. Bendy placed his hands firmly on his hips, "If I come, can we agree on no monkey business?" The demon questioned with a raised brow. The chimp waved his cane with an unamused expression, "Aha... very funny." The toon replied with sarcasm lacing every word. "No monkey business unless you decide to counteract my time frame."

"Time frame?"

"Next Friday, midnight. And don't be a minute late."

"What's the catch?"

"There's no catch here." Charley responded bluntly as he nodded his head, silently calling for Barley and Edgar to move. The two did just that, Edgar roughly shoving Boris as he passed while Barley only spared the two a sideways glance. "I'll be expecting your arrival." Charley muttered as he turned with his companions. "Oh," the chimp called, briefly glancing over his shoulder, "and if you try to test the waters, don't expect anything rewarding." Charley growled before twisting his head and leaving without another word.