Chapters of Book Nine

## Warnings and Triggers

* Graphic Depiction of Violence
* Graphic Depiction of Illness
* Blood
* Fire
* Discussions of Death, Disappearances and Insanity
* Depictions/Discussions of Mourning, Grieving and Funerals
* Mention of Attempted Suicide
* Reference to Racism and Classism

## Chapter Summaries

### Chapter 156 - Talent Town

Felix stands in line with the others outside the towering wall of the nearby city of Talent Town as he reflects on what had happened to get them there. Alice had gone with her brother so he could check in with her before letting her go back to her work on the Surface. Black Hat had also left, oddly happy and keen to get back to his businesses, but he did leave Bendy a card he could burn in order to contact Hat whenever he was "ready to talk." Everyone else had been transported by the Angels to the border of Talent Town with strict orders not to leave until the B-Bros issues had both been cleared up. As Felix looks at the giant stone wall separating them from the town he sees some magical light emanating from the city and he concludes that the Angels probably keep a close eye on this city due to its open use of magic. As he approaches the front of the line Felix reflects on the miserable state their group was in and how silent many of them had become. Coming back to the present Felix notices that people in the line are being separated and sent through various different doors. Felix asks another man in line what is happening and the man explains that Talent Town runs on a hierarchical, talent-based system. All visitors to the city have their talents evaluated and then ranked on usefulness to the community as a whole using a one to five-star rating system. Five stars is the most useful while one star is the least. The higher number of stars an individual has the more access they have to resources, jobs, and access to certain areas within the city. High-star individuals even have to pay less for things than others. In return, the high-star individuals are expected to utilize their talent for the betterment of Talent Town as a whole. Before the man can finish his explanation they reach the front of the line and the quester's group is split up for evaluations, despite their discomfort at being separated from each other. One by one, the questers enter one of Talent Town's evaluation offices. Felix enters the office and is interviewed and evaluated by the evaluator. The evaluator ranks him as a three-star talent and gives him a badge showing this before Felix exits into the city of Talent Town.

Now in the city, Felix soon meets up with the circus crew and begins discussing their various star ratings and the fallout of the dark circus. Felix thanks them for sticking with the questers even though they don't have to. They soon spot the Cupbros and wave them over to their group. The group is discussing how Felix and the circus crew should go ahead to secure the hotel rooms while the Cupbros gather up the rest of the group when Cuphead sticks his hand in his bag only to quickly snatch it out when he discovers the dandehogs from the dark circus have stowed away inside. Cup waves away their concerns and Felix's group goes to the hotel. After checking in they head back to where they left the Cupbros and find the rest of the group assembled. They all head back to the hotel together and immediately go to bed for the night. Felix tries but can not get to sleep so he starts working on his next manuscript instead.

Meanwhile, the B-Bros are finished setting up their room for the night and, since he's still in an awkward spot with Bendy, Boris heads to the Cupbros room to visit Mugman. Mugman is alone in the room beside the dandehogs and lets Boris in so they can talk. After freeing Boris from the swarm of curious dandehogs the two begin to talk about what Boris did back in Toon Town while the boys were captive in the dark circus. Boris is worried about what will happen when they get home to Toon Town and asks if Mugs would have done the same thing in his position. Boris is shocked when Mugs explains that he wouldn't since he would trust the others to rescue Cup, but Cuphead would have done what Boris did and run. Boris tries to say that the decision wasn't about trust, it was because they were trying to separate him from Bendy, but Mugman points out that that's not true. Still, Mug says he gets it and tells Boris not to keep running away from the others, physically or emotionally. Boris tells himself the Mug's just doesn't get it but the two still continue talking. Mugs soothes Boris's worries about being left behind and Boris asks Mugman if Cup ever makes him feel lonely. After thinking about it for a while he tells Boris that he thinks there are times when they both have made the other feel lonely. When he tells Boris to be there for Bendy when he needs to be Boris thinks that he's not sure he can anymore since he would need to face some things he doesn't want to in order to do that. Sensing his change in mood Mugman suggests they play some go fish and Boris agrees.

In his room, Felix gasps awake from a nightmare in the early morning. Felix exits his room and heads to the lobby, grabbing a city map to look over while he waits for the others to awaken. He's surprised when only moments later Ozzy approaches him after also having issues sleeping. The two begin talking about how they can help the others and each other deal with the trauma from the circus. Just as the conversation is moving to the various trouble they've both gotten themselves into Cuphead joins them. The group begins discussing each of their sides of the circus story- Cup explains what happened to his trio at the circus while Ozzy and Felix explain the difficulties with Boris in Toon Town. Cup points out that they're all just sitting and waiting to see what the rest of the fallout will be for the B-Bros and Felix promises he won't let anything terrible happen to Bendy. Cup asks for more details about the fight with Azazel so he has the information he has to help the others. They fill Cup in and then he heads outside to have a smoke. Eventually, the rest of the group gathers in the lobby but the tension is thick between the B-Bros and Holly as none of them are talking to each other. The group heads to breakfast in the hotel and while they eat Boris makes an announcement. Boris apologizes for what he did and says he won't do it again. While most of the table accepts Boris's apology Bendy heads back to his room without saying anything to his brother and even glares when Boris tries to follow him. In an effort to dispel the awkward air around them, the group begins discussing what to do for the rest of the day. Cup and Holly both decide to stay at the hotel to relax/take care of Mugman while the others decide to explore around town.

### Chapter 157 - A Look Around Town

Boris, Felix, Mickey, Ozzy, and Donald head out into town and start exploring the city. They ride on one of the small magic blimps around town and talk with one of the workers about how they work, which excites Boris. Afterwards, they walk through town before arriving at a movie theatre. They decide to watch a movie with a black cat named Julius in it, who Felix recognizes as an annoying figure from his past. Still, they finish the movie without an issue and walk around the Talent Town shopping district a bit more before Felix and Boris split off from the group to head to the library.

Once at the library Felix and Boris separate, but Boris is soon told by an employee that he can't check out the books he wants because he doesn't have enough stars. As he is being escorted back to the main area by an employee Boris spots Holly amongst the stacks and the two make eye contact before he is ushered forward. Boris grabs a random book and sits at a table to flip through it as he thinks about his current situation with the rest of the group. It turns out that Boris still doesn't trust the others and that the apology he had made at breakfast he was forced to do by Bendy. He wants to run away with just Bendy but he wants to at least wait until Alice is okay, and he's starting to warm up to Felix and Mickey again since they accepted his apology. Still, his current fight with Bendy and Bendy's accusation that he doesn't listen were still the main issues stressing Boris out. Before he can continue down that line of thought Felix slides into the seat across from him and begins talking to him about his book, but all Boris can think about is how weird it is to have this tension with them and yet no punishment for his actions. Boris wonders whether things will just go back to normal after this. Still, Boris is convinced that Holly hates him now, so he doesn't think he can trust her going forward. Felix tries talking with Boris again but, when he just gets a silent nod from the wolf in response, asks if Boris still won't trust them. Boris is shocked but Felix continues, asking for a chance to prove himself trustworthy to Boris in the future. Instead of agreeing Boris says, "We'll see." and goes back to reading. In his book, he learns that there are supposedly healing hot springs in the neighbouring town of Fairmont Banff Springs. As he and Felix are discussing the hot springs Holly suddenly comes up and slams her pile of books down on the table. She tells Boris that she needed some time alone and that libraries are a safe place for her before stressing that she did not lie and storming out of the building. Looking at the stack of books she slammed down Boris finds that it's all the books he wanted to read, which only serves to further confuse him. Felix heads off to talk with Holly while Boris begins quickly reading through the books until one of the librarians comes over to take the books away from him. Boris lies to the librarian about finding the books on the table and asks the woman to explain the star system to him. As they discuss the talent system Boris thinks about how the woman who assessed him told him that his real talent isn't music as he thought it was but he doesn't understand what his actual talent does so he has been ignoring it. Boris still doesn't want to give the librarian back the books, but as he sees Felix and Holly returning he decides not to make a scene and gives her the book. He then tells Felix and Holly that he is going to catch up with Mickey and leaves the library despite Felix's protests.

Boris begins racking the circus crew's scents through the streets of Talent Town until he arrives at a food pavilion where he decides to get in line for some food before continuing to try to find the others. However, when he arrives at the front of the line the shop owner asks that Boris pay a higher price than advertised since he only has one star. It's the same at every other food stall, so Boris goes back to hunting down the circus crew who are happily eating hamburgers. Mickey, who has five stars, goes with Boris to get food from the first food stall owner. The owner gets angry when he realizes the food is for Boris and threatens to call the cops on the wolf pup. The two leave the stall and Boris tells Mickey he has lost his appetite. Seeing how upset he is Mickey tells Boris that he can talk to him whenever he wants to and that Mickey wants to help him in any way he can. He goes on to explain how things used to be pretty rough between him and Oswald but by not shutting Ozzy out Mickey was eventually able to talk to and reconnect with his brother. Mickey tells Boris he's sure he'll make up with Bendy soon before asking if he is okay. Boris, after initially trying to brush the question off, admits that he made some stupid choice but that he'll be fine. In response, Mickey repeats that his door is always open to Boris before sending him to sit with the rest of the circus crew while he gets Boris some food. Boris spends the rest of the day with the circus crew talking, sightseeing, and shopping, but he continues to be treated poorly by locals due to his low number of stars the whole time. When they get back to the hotel Boris heads up to his room to get Bendy for dinner and finds one of the books he wanted sitting outside his room, presumably as a gift from Holly. Boris asks Bendy to come downstairs to eat, but Bendy refuses. When asked if Cup talked to him Bendy gets more upset and asks to be left alone. Knowing not to push things, Boris leaves the book in the room and heads downstairs for dinner.

### Chapter 158 - Fallout

Cup tosses his coat onto his hotel bed, still fuming about how poorly his talk with Bendy went. Mugs, who had spent most of the day sleeping as he recovered from his magic sickness, asks what's wrong and Cup tells him that Bendy is still refusing to leave his room and gets mad at Cup when he tries to get him to come out. Mugman tells Cup to just give him time but Cuphead still has a bad feeling about the whole situation. Cuphead is soon distracted from his thoughts by the shenanigans of the various dandehogs in the room that ends with the most aggressive one, Lil Monster, accidentally stuck on the ceiling fan. Moments later there's a knock at the door which turns out to be Holly telling them about dinner. She comes into the room to check on Mugs but is shocked when she sees all the dandehogs. Holly quickly pieces together that these are the three dandehogs that ran off after she first created them and that they must have had babies. Putting aside the dandehogs for the time being Holly talks to the Cupbros about what she saw of the city while she was out and asks Mugman about how he's doing. When Holly gives the Cupbros a couple of chocolate bars she picked up while she was out Mugman suddenly remembers that it's dinner time and begins to usher them both out of the room despite Cup's hesitance to leave him. Between Mug's insistence and Holly dragging him away Cup is finally pulled out of the hotel room.

As Cup and Holly start making their way downstairs the two start talking about how they're recovering after the circus. Cup tells her that she can talk to him anytime she needs to without having to worry about being judged. Holly admits that she can't stop replaying Cazziel's death in her head. In response, Cup talks her through what his experience with those kinds of memories has been like and what helped him deal with it. After reminding her to cope in as healthy a way as possible the two of them change topics to what they plan to do while in Talent Town. As they talk their elevator arrives on the first floor but, sensing something is up with Holly, Cup pulls both of them into a private corner to continue talking. With some pushing from Cuphead, Holly admits that she isn't quite sure what she should be doing with her life since she doesn't feel like she's been doing any good lately and that she's been missing her dad a lot. Cup gives her a hug and tells her that she's helped a lot of people with her work regarding Ink Illness, but that he won't hold it against her if she decides she wants to go on to do something else going forward. After continuing to hug her in silence for a while Cup asks if she'll tell him what she's thinking. Holly begins unloading all the pain she's been feeling from her latest fight with Boris and how it brought up painful memories for her but she still doesn't think she was in the wrong. She goes on to say how mad she gets when she sees Boris looking at them with mistrust and how she's beginning to think Bendy was right when he told her to leave. Cup comforts her by saying he doesn't think Bendy actually meant what he said to her since he seems to be really stressed lately, but that he thinks all of them just need some time to recover. After thanking each other for talking and listening respectively Holly and Cuphead finally head to dinner.

The next morning Cuphead heads out on a morning job as he reflects on how awkward last night's dinner was. As he's jogging Cup accidentally ends up running through Talent Town's slums. As he turns into an alley to start heading out of the area he freezes when he spots the symbol for the Pack, a notorious wolf gang, painted on one of its walls. As his mind starts turning to shady business he realizes that not only has he forgotten to see if Cala had gotten out of the circus okay, but had also forgotten to tell Mugs that she was there at all. He quickly jogs out of the area before any potential Pack members can spot him and eventually arrives at the hotel more on edge than when he left. After a quick run-in with Holly in the elevator Cup heads back to his room for a shower. Lil Monster is still stuck on the fan blades from the day before and, in trying to get the ill-tempered creature down, Cup accidentally scares it into falling off the side of the fan. He manages to catch the dandehog before he can hit the ground but Lil Monster still bites Cup's hand and scrambles away the first chance he gets. Cup then opens the curtains on the windows which wakes up Mugs so he can check on him. Mugs notices something is bothering his brother and Cup tells him he saw a symbol for the Pack. The two discuss their concerns about the Pack but Cuphead says it's best if they just try to keep their distance from the gang. Privately, Cup also thinks that they'll need to keep a close eye on Boris while they're in town. Cup and Mugs, who is still recovering but now well enough to go out, head downstairs for breakfast. They meet up with Holly, Felix, Mickey, and Donald in the lobby where they all discuss their plans for the day. Soon, Boris and Oswald join them and the whole group heads into the restaurant to eat. Boris tells them that Bendy had a rough ink attack that night before asking if anyone had heard from Alice and Cala. Mugman becomes very upset when he learns Cala was at the circus and is furious when he learns Cup knew but didn't tell him. Cup argues that Mugman was sick and that it would have taken awhile for Cala to get back to Toon Town anyway, but Mugman still punches him in the face before cursing at him and running out of the restaurant. Cup shouts after his brother as the others begin to check on him, and Holly follows after Mugs to make sure he's all right. Ozzy tells Cup that he can't believe he didn't tell Mugs about Cala and that he's glad Cuphead isn't his brother. Cup and Ozzy begin to argue as Ozzy accuses Cuphead of not caring about anyone but himself and even brings up Fanny. It gets to the point where Cup has Ozzy by the collar of his shirt with a lit finger bullet under his chin while Ozzy dares Cup to shoot him. This proves to be the breaking point as, after unsuccessfully trying to talk the two down, Felix punches Cup once more to knock him away from Oswald. Cup is fuming as he picks himself up and storms out of the restaurant with a parting threat to Ozzy not to mess with him again.

### Chapter 159 - The Pack

Boris quickly follows after Cuphead in order to check up on him, finding him smoking just around the corner of the hotel. Cup initially tries to send Boris back in with the others, but Boris tells him he would rather spend the day with Cup and points out that everyone is still upset with him too. The two begin talking about how they're stuck waiting in Talent Town as well as the various people who are mad at them and why. As they begin talking about Boris running away back in Toon Town Boris admits that he panicked because it reminded him of the various other times in his life when adults tried to separate him from Bendy and how the one time they did manage to split them up he felt unbearably lonely. When he brings up the idea of being left behind by the others Cup tells him it's not going to happen since they've all already been through so much together. Boris lets the subject drop and the two decide to go into the city for breakfast. Unfortunately, since both Boris and Cup are only one-star individuals, they have a difficult time finding anywhere to eat in the city due to the discrimination of the locals. They even get refused service from businesses that they see other one-star patrons eating at. Cup says it's because he's beaten up and Boris is a wolf, which confuses Boris.

The two are about to head back to the hotel when another low-star wolf toon named Kalie comes up to them asking if they're hungry and that she knows a place that is friendly to low-star toons and wolves. Cup tries to turn her down but Boris accepts her offer and happily follows her, forcing Cup to follow after them though he still insists they will leave the moment they're finished eating. Kalie begins leading them to the poorer side of the city as she explains more about the star system and the issues they've been having with a local wolf gang. They eventually come to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where Kalie gets the two boys a seat before leaving them to their meal. As Boris begins looking through the menu Cup warns him not to accept any offers from anyone since gangs are always looking to recruit, but Boris reminds him that he grew up on the streets and knows when to run. The conversation then moves on to how Cup doesn't really like Felix since he thinks Felix seems fake but their talk is interrupted by the appearance of Avery Wolf. Neither of them are happy to see him after the incident in Toon Town, even when he insists he understands things now, and things only get worse when he claims that they were expecting them and that his boss wants a chat with them about helping them get one of the parts that is nearby. Cup doesn't want to go talk to him and especially doesn't want Boris to go but they still check the map to see if there actually is one nearby. Boris sees that there is in fact a part nearby in a small town over the mountain range from Talent Town. When they question Avery about it he says they know that it's hidden over the mountains but their Boss ordered them not to go looking for it. Avery goes on to say that his boss wants to talk with them before they go after the part, which Boris immediately thinks is a good idea and Cup eventually, and reluctantly, agrees to. The group finishes eating before Avery leads them out of the restaurant and down to a café which has a secret entrance to a basement level hidden in one of its pantries. As they head down into the basement Cup tells Boris that if anything happens he should run back to the hotel and not try to help Cup. The basement turns out to be a bar area with drinking, gambling and even a band playing in it. Avery leads them to a curtained-off entrance with a couple of guards outside of it and soon they are being sent in to talk with the boss. They head in and approach a table with a huge wolf sitting at it who introduces himself as Bigby, leader of the Wolf Pack. Cup tells him to cut the manners and calls him Big Bad, leading Boris to realize that Bigby is none other than the infamous Big Bad Wolf.

Meanwhile, Bendy finishes up a tape recording in his room before arguing with Angelo about how he's been cooping himself up in there since he arrived. Bendy has been having issues controlling his magic but he brushes off Angelo's suggestion that his friends could help him with it since none of them are Demons. He also says he's not going to call Hat that day as he gears up to head outside his room so he can get some food at the restaurant. Bendy makes it all the way down to the restaurant and begins eating before he is found by Mugman and Holly. Mugs sits down at the table with Bendy as he begins to talk about how he hasn't been able to get in touch with Cala to see if she is okay. As they discuss their options Holly reminds Mugman that Cala gave him another one of her magic pearls which he could possibly use to contact her. The trio then decide to all head to Holly's hotel room to use her bathtub to contact Cala. Once the tub is full Mugs throws in the pearl and calls out to Cala through the portal it creates. Cala immediately screams for them to close their eyes and the trio rushes to follow her orders as crashes and sounds of struggle fill the room. It soon becomes apparent that Cala is wrestling with her sister Ebi but she reassures Mugman that she is fine otherwise. She tells him that she is in the Atlantic Ocean and will see him again back in Toon Town before the two mermaids head back through the portal, which closes up behind them. The trio open their eyes to find the bathroom completely trashed, leading Mugs to inform the front desk that they need a new room and will pay to fix the broken one. With that taken care of Mugman asks what's going on between Holly and Bendy, reminding them that he has been left out of the loop on a lot of things due to his possession and recovery from Black Hat. In the middle of their conversation, a lamp suddenly flies off the table and smashes into a wall, causing Bendy to panic about his powers and flee into his bedroom once more. He resolves to practice more with his magic to gain some control, if only to keep his friends safe from his own powers.

Back in the room, Mugman and Holly are still confused about what exactly happened that caused Bendy to run out, but they don't have much time to think about it before Mug's fragile state catches up to him. As Mugman rests Holly explains the basics of what's causing the tension between her and the B-Bros. After hearing a bit about what happened Mugs decides to go talk to Bendy while Holly stays in the room to clean up a bit. Mugs knocks on Bendy's door, asking if he's ok and Bendy admits that he isn't. The two begin to talk through the door as Bendy explains his concerns about his magic and how he didn't bring it up to the others because he didn't think they would understand. Mugman admits that he doesn't know what it's like but that he's seen what the Demon blood has done to his brother so if anyone could understand it would be Cuphead. He also reminds Bendy that Hat can help him too. Mugman then goes on to tell Bendy he doesn't need to be ashamed of who he is and apologizes for bringing up his issues with Holly. Bendy then cracks the door open and asks what Mugman would think if people left the group, to which Mugs replies him he would be sad to see anyone go. After Mugman promises to be there for Bendy no matter what Bendy thanks him and goes to sleep. As the two part ways Mugman is left thinking about the interaction and if he actually managed to help.

### Chapter 160 - The Angel Returns

Felix and the circus crew return to the hotel that evening and, although the number of people who are missing/avoiding the group is concerning, he is glad to hear that Cala is alright. Later on, he goes to check on Bendy at Mugman's request and the two of them start talking about regrets. After opening up about his issues with trusting too easily, Bendy allows Felix into his room. Bendy opens up about how he's struggling to trust others after the incident with Boris and Felix apologizes for pushing Boris too much. Bendy hesitantly accepts his apology and Felix promises that he'll prove that they can trust him.

Elsewhere, Alice reflects on everything that had happened to her from the circus to being taken back home by the Angels. While her family had been worried about her and wanted her to stay after she had been healed she had fought to stay with her friends. Now Jake, a messenger Angel who she had grown up with as her best friend in the Upper, was flying her to Talent Town with medicine, magic and gifts for her friends. Jake tries to reassure Alice that she doesn't have to feel any shame about what happened and that she is a hero, but Alice doesn't believe him. In an attempt to cheer her up Jake suggests that they get some ice cream together once they are in the city and begins joking with her. They are both given five stars upon entering Talent Town as Alice begins to herd an excited Jake through the streets. The two do a bit of shopping before buying some food and ice cream. After telling her he plans to stay for the rest of the afternoon Jake asks her if she's finally going to tell him what's bothering her. Alice tries to tell him that he doesn't know what he's talking about, but Jake isn't fooled and correctly states that she's worried about her friends. As Alice continues to try to avoid talking about the issue Jake states that he knows that she isn't fine and that she's been bottling something up but he's been trying to give her space. Alice reflects on all the issues and complicated feelings she's been going through while on the Surface. She eventually tells Jake that things are complicated and, though he is her best friend, he can't help her right now. Their conversation then moves forward into lighter joking once more as they finish their ice cream and head to the hotel where the questers are staying.

As the two Angels are walking through the hotel lobby they run into Mugman who hugs Alice and welcomes her back. Alice asks how the others are and Mugs says that they're all dealing as best they can, though he does mention Holly has a headache. After a quick introductory handshake between Mugs and Jake the two Angels head upstairs and drop Alice's stuff off in her room. Alice also catches sight of workers repairing the destroyed bathroom and investigates, coming to the conclusion that it was Holly's room. Jake and Alice chat as they head to Holly's room to give her some headache medicine but Holly bursts out of the room before they even get to the door and excitedly hugs Alice. After reuniting Alice introduces Jake to Holly and the three begin talking about various Angel-related things like wings and possible mind-reading abilities. Alice also gives her the headache medicine. The three continue talking about Talent Town, the Upper, and some of what’s happened while Alice was gone, though some of those events can’t be talked about directly due to Jake’s presence. As the recent issues with Boris are brought up Jake comments about what an experience it must have been to be raised by a Demon. Both girls start to get defensive on Bendy’s behalf until Jake says he has no doubt that Bendy is a good guy since he’s one of Alice’s friends. The three talk a bit more before Alice and Jake head back out to see some of the others. The Angels meet up with and begin talking with Mugman and Felix in the lobby. They are soon joined by the circus crew as Alice and Jake begin to fill them all in on what has been happening regarding the dark circus matters. As the conversation switches back to lighter topics Boris and Cuphead arrive back at the hotel. Boris tries to tell the others about the part but Cup cuts him off because of Jake's presence and continues to thwart all of Boris's attempts to mention it until he eventually gives up. The group begins talking more as Alice gives Boris the cure for the donkey curse. Despite a lingering tension between many of the group members, they all manage to have a fairly pleasant evening as they head out for dinner and a show. At the end of the night Jake hugs Alice, says goodbye to her, and then disappears back to his duties.

### Chapter 161 - Passing Notes

Bendy is just about to go to sleep when Boris rushes into their room and excitedly tells his grumpy older brother that a new Ink Machine part has finally appeared. After Bendy confirms it's true by looking at the map the two start talking about what they should do. Boris wants to start making a plan with the others immediately, but Bendy is exhausted and tells Boris to just leave it for tomorrow. Boris almost asks Bendy something but decides against it, leaving Bendy to fall asleep as he comforts himself with the thoughts that he's not like the other Demons back at Circo Del Piacere.

That night, Bendy dreams about killing all the circus people and his friends at Circo Del Piacere as the Angels attempt to bring him to justice and the Demon twins praise him. He is soon awoken, still panicked from the dream, by a concerned Boris. Bendy begins to calm down as the two start talking about the effects of Boris's donkey curse being broken and Alice's return. The B-Bros decide to head out to get a treat since neither of them are going back to sleep anytime soon and they leave the hotel. They wander around the city until sunrise before buying hot cocoa and returning to the hotel. Bendy asks about how things went yesterday and Boris begins talking about Jake's visit, which Bendy knew nothing about. Boris says that he wishes the Angels would leave Bendy alone, but Bendy says he can't blame them. This leads to a fight between the brothers as Bendy states that he's dangerous right now since he doesn't have full control of his powers while Boris stubbornly refuses to believe that Bendy would ever seriously hurt him or anyone else in any way other than accidentally. Eventually Bendy snaps, claiming that Boris is pushing him away but not listening to anything he doesn't want to hear and believing in a naive false reality where nothing ever goes wrong as long as they believe. Boris argues that having faith in his brother isn't delusional and that Bendy is just being cruel. With that Boris storms off down the street as the brothers yell while parting and throwing insults at each other. After briefly considering following after him Bendy turns around and stomps back into the hotel.

Boris stomps down to the wolf district of Talent Town, stewing about his fight with Bendy the whole way, before running into the hulking form of Bigby Wolf. Though Boris is still wary of Bigby due to his infamous reputation he can't help but think that the wolf seems nice and Bigby's club looked fun. The two begin talking as Bigby observes that it looks like Boris has had a rough time and doesn't appear to really have a pack of his own, even among his friends. As the conversation continues Bigby's past is brought up and the older wolf explains that while he was young he didn't care about all the pain he brought to people but then he lived long enough to see the consequences not only to the family of the victims that have suffered but also all wolves. Now, he claims the Pack is his form of penitence for his past as it offers a home for all the ostracized wolves who have been rejected by society. Boris points out that the Pack is a mob, but Bigby says that it wasn't originally meant to be and they've only done what they needed to. This then leads to a discussion about pack mentality and what it actually is in the context of wolves and other dog-like toons. Bigby explains that wolves need big groups of family/loved ones to rely on to stay happy and functioning, and the bigger the group the better. He goes on to say that the reason Boris is so set on the idea of Bendy not dying is because Bendy is the only member of his pack and thus bears the entirety of Boris's emotional burden to keep his pack safe. To Boris's surprise, Bigby then asks him if he's okay and offers him a place in the Pack if he wants it, even suggesting the possibility of helping Boris track down any blood relatives he has left. Boris asks about what this would mean for Bendy and Bigby explains that he couldn't accept Bendy as Pack since he is a Demon who can't be trusted and will only bring destruction. Boris instantly begins defending Bendy and asks what Bigby's problem with Demons is. Bigby replies that he's seen Demons cause too many tragedies and, as Boris begins to storm away from him, asks how many times Boris has been in pain for Bendy's sake. Boris freezes at that before bolting down the street, with Bigby's warnings about the inevitable misery Bendy will cause him following him down the street.

Meanwhile, Bendy storms back into the hotel so wrapped up in his angry thoughts that he crashes right into Holly. Too tired to deal with that particular situation Bendy apologizes for bumping into her before moving to go around, but Holly stops him with a hand on his coat, saying that they need to talk. Unfortunately, Bendy is already barely holding onto control of his magic and can't afford to have an emotional conversation in a public place. He tells Holly he doesn't have enough control and in response, Holly tiredly tells him to just go then, which he does despite his frustration with himself. This incident proves to be the last straw for Bendy as he foregoes his pride and finally contacts Black Hat for help. Nothing happens immediately as sending a message to the older Demon, leaving Bendy to try to sleep as best he can between his nightmares while he waits. A couple hours later Bendy notices a note slipped under his door from Holly asking if he really wants her to leave and claiming that if her going will help him she will do it. The note and his frustration at not being able to speak with her directly bring a tear to his eye as he writes out a reply apologizing to her. He tells Holly he doesn't want her to go but he understands if she does after all this and explains he's just dealing with some Demon stuff at the moment. A little while later he gets another note from her thanking him and explaining that she's been struggling emotionally since Finley's death but she cares for them all and doesn't want to leave. She also tells Bendy that Alice is back and looking better if not a bit tired. Bendy thinks a bit about the situations with both Finley and Alice before writing out his reply. He tells Holly that he's glad she's not planning to leave and to pass along the message to Alice that he's glad she's back but can't talk to her right now. Bendy also tells her that a part has appeared and the two decide that Holly will tell everyone else about it as well as get the planning started needed to go after the part. Moments after the two agree on a plan a scroll from Black Hat appears in Bendy's room, with the first lines being an explanation that there was difficulty getting the scroll to him since the city seems to be blocking Demon communication somehow. The scroll goes on to explain that the increase in magical reactivity he is experiencing is normal for a fledgling but does put him at higher risk of a rampage and, due to the Angels watching them, Black Hat can't come himself to help him deal with it. Hat goes on to state that isolation is the worst thing he could do and that instead, he should do the magical exercises he has included in the scroll for Bendy. Hat also says that Bendy needs to go talk to the Cupbros and have a fight with them where he lets loose with his magic since things will only be worse later if he holds back. Black Hat emphasizes that the Cupbros have experience with this sort of thing and should be able to handle it. Bendy doesn't have long to dwell on Hat's instructions before Snowball crawls into his room covered in dandelion petals and dragging another note from Holly behind her. After setting Snowball on his shoulder Bendy reads the note which tells him that Holly is having a meeting with the rest of the group on the first floor to talk. She invites Bendy to come join them if he can and, after asking Snowball what he should do, Bendy heads out of his room to join the others with the scroll under his arm.

### Chapter 162 - Bendy Leaves His Room

Bendy and Snowball make their way down to the hotel restaurant, with a brief delay in front of the Cupbros door from Snowball, and are brought back into one of the private rooms at the back of the restaurant where the rest of their group is (except for Boris). The others happily greet Bendy as he quickly points out on the regular map they have spread out on the table where the next part is. It is in a small town called Fairmont Springs, which is just a few hours down the road from Talent Town over the mountains. Suspicious at the apparent ease of obtaining this part the group decides to do some more research around town through the library and Cuphead's "local contact" before going after it. It is at that point that Bendy asks the Cupbros and Felix for help, explaining that he's been having magical control issues and that he needs a place to practice. While most of the others don't fully grasp the severity of the situation the Cupbros seem to know what he is talking about and immediately take it seriously. Cup states they're going to need a lot of space with no people and away from Angel supervision as soon as possible, leading Holly to suggest they use the forests to the east of the city. With a place decided Cup says that he doesn't think they'll be able to go after a part directly following the training. When Mickey asks why he quickly cuts off Bendy's attempted explanation, covering for him by saying that Bendy will be exhausted. He quickly goes on to say that they'll check out the forest after the meeting and if it meets their needs then they will do the training that night. Ozzy asks if they can watch the training but Cup quickly denies him, sharply stating that no one else but the trio Bendy specifically asked is allowed to come. This sobers the mood as the weight of what this truly is begins to be felt by those not in the know but they decide to leave it up to Bendy to ask for more help if he needs it before the rest of the group plans their research trip. Alice asks what they should do about Boris since if they all leave the hotel without telling him he could worry, which instantly brings an air of tension back into the room. Bendy says he'll leave Boris a note, though he has a slight issue with his shadows while he speaks, and it is ultimately decided that Mickey will wait for Boris at the hotel instead. They then split off to do their various tasks - Cup will go talk to his contact, Bendy will go back to his room, Felix and Mugs will go check out the forest, and the rest will head to the library to research.

Boris finally arrives back at the hotel after spending a while panicking in a tree over his encounter with Bigby. Mickey catches him in the lobby and explains that most of the group went out to do research after they all had a big meeting about their plan to go after the next part. Boris feels a hollowness in his chest at the thought that they left him behind again as Mickey explains what tasks the various members of the group are working on. Boris is shocked when he hears that Bendy is going to be doing magic training and wants to go check on his brother to make sure he's okay, but Mickey says they can't since Bendy only wanted the Cupbros and Felix involved with this matter. As Boris's mood further dips at the news Mickey asks if he's okay, which leads to the two of them talking about the argument the B-Bros had as they walk to the library. Once they arrive at the library they find their group working in a conference room, although it doesn't seem like they've had much luck finding information. Mickey and Boris join them and they also go retrieve Holly, who is going over old newspaper reels in the back, so they can all share what they know. Fairmont Springs had been a very successful resort town built around a local hot spring from the nearby mountains approximately one hundred years ago. About fifty years ago the town suffered a string of mysterious disappearances culminating in a mass disappearance of about half the town's residents. With no clue what could be causing this the remaining population abandoned the town and, after many of the investigators who looked into the town afterwards also disappeared, it was eventually fenced off and closed to the public. The group is unnerved by this news, but they continue to research Fairmont as best they can.

Meanwhile, Cup has returned to the Pack's underground headquarters in order to speak with Bigby. The wolves make him wait since Bigby isn't there and they will have to talk to him to see if Cup is cleared to talk to him, so in the meantime Cup buys a drink and finds a corner to sit in. As he waits he thinks about the Pack and Bigby himself, both the wolf's bloody past and his soul contract. Bigby is a debtor to the Devil just like him but his contract actually made him immortal, he could not age or be killed. However, he was just as trapped as the other debtors, maybe even in a worse way since Bigby's servitude could go on forever, and the wolf knew just how trapped he was. Cup reflects on how he and Bigs are so similar yet so different as he idly watches the others in the bar area. Cup continues to muse on the fact that, though Bigby is much older than him, he technically outranks the wolf in their debtor hierarchy. His thoughts are cut off by the arrival of Bigby himself, who brings Cup back to his more private side room to talk. Cup immediately demands all the information Bigs has on the part, brushing aside his question about news from the boss and jokes about Cup coming to collect his contract. When the wolf laughs at how impatient Cuphead is Cup fires back by claiming Bigs is the same and asks why he hasn’t gone after the part himself. Bigby replies that the boss told him not to, but he has checked out the area and even entered the town, though he never went in any of the buildings. He tells Cup he felt like he was being watched and warns Cup not only about the disappearances but also the fact that the town will be covered in fog during this time of year. The two begin to discuss the details of the disappearances and Cup realizes that the Angels haven’t been watching Talent Town, as they originally thought, but they have actually been watching Fairmont. Bigs tells Cup he doesn’t envy him being the one who has to go in to collect the part, which Cup finds hard to believe since he thinks Bigby would be bored with all this waiting. But the wolf replies that he’s happy as is and turns it around on Cuphead, claiming that it would probably be fun for him cause Cup cares about the others. Cup is instantly on guard, even as Bigs tells him that he’s not planning on targeting any of the others and warns Cup to hide his heart better before their boss notices. In frustration Cup snaps back at Bigby, asking if the wolf is claiming to be a pacifist now. The wolf is unruffled by his comments, explaining that that’s impossible while he’s in service to the Devil, but he isn’t looking for fights anymore and allows the rest of the world to think he’s dead. Cup argues that pretending to be dead is hardly a kindness to his victim's loved ones but Bigby just states that, “For all purposes but the boss and the Pack, I am dead.” Bigs goes on to tell Cup that he should get out of this life as soon as he can and even offers to inform Cup if he ever sees a chance for him to escape. A spike of fear cuts through Cuphead’s chest since most believe he is completely loyal to his boss. Still, Cup doesn’t trust Bigby and makes it clear the two of them aren’t friends. With his message received Cuphead begins to think about how he can kill an immortal killer.

### Chapter 163 - Linda's Lullaby

Mugman and Felix look around the isolated clearing where they plan to hold Bendy's training that night as Mugman tries to answer all of Felix's questions about what the training will entail. Felix doesn't like the idea of Bendy going wild in a fight against them while Mugs continues to assure him that it's the best thing they can do for the Demon. With a training spot secure they start looking for a way to smuggle Bendy out of the city unnoticed. Their best chance appears to be the river, and while Felix is checking it for magic obstacles of any kind Mugman's thoughts drift to Cala Maria as well as his recent argument with Cup. Once Felix approves the river as safe to use the two head back into the city and towards the library to meet up with the others. They run into Cuphead in the library as well, who is also on his way to join the rest of the group. Once the whole group is brought together again they all begin to discuss the information they have learned while they were separated. They also begin to speculate on what could have caused the disappearances and which of the two remaining parts, the Cup or the Instrument, could be the one in Fairmont. The possibility that the mysterious situation is caused by the parts temple being left open or its guardian being let loose to run wild is also brought up. Eventually, Cuphead gets sick of the guessing games and states that the map will lead them to the temple if necessary, so that isn't a problem before asking Holly if anyone has "escaped" from whatever this is before. Holly explains that that's a bit of a complicated question because, even though some returned after their initial disappearance, they all disappeared again later on. The only person who returned after a disappearance and was able to successfully leave the town safely was a young girl named Linda Lark. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Linda was particularly sane following the events, soon moving as far away as possible and going to the hospital for mental health reasons. The only thing they have besides that is an ominous poem about a labyrinth published in a newspaper shortly after she reappeared. The group attempts to decipher what the poem could mean, with Mugman taking the lead on the analysis. Unfortunately, they're not able to get much out of the poem besides the fact that insanity and mazes are involved. Finally, Holly tells the others that she discovered Linda's daughter, Leticia Bradley, actually lives here in Talent Town and has already set up a meeting with her in an hour. With Cup getting antsy and Alice practically falling asleep on her feet the group decides to split up once more, though they do all agree to meet again in a private place later. Cuphead, Holly, Alice and Donald head out to bring Alice back to the hotel and interview Leticia while the rest stay in the library to continue researching.

As the small group of four heads back towards the hotel, chatting as they go, Donald suddenly pipes up to ask why they all seem different than they used to be. Cup bluntly states that they all just got scarred for life and, despite Donald's advice to not sit on it too long, they quickly ask him to drop the subject. The conversation then swiftly moves on to quest business as Cup reviews the information he got from Bigby until they arrive at the hotel. They drop Alice off before heading over to Leticia's house to talk with her. They knock at the door and Leticia answers it, lazily leaning on the doorframe while smoking a cigarette as she confirms who they are before inviting them in. As they walk in Cup notices a gun on her leg hidden under her clothing. Leticia leads them into a nice sitting room with some tea set out as she makes a sarcastic comment about the maid having the day off. As they get settled Cup takes in the room, noting several signs of clutter and dirt that make him suspicious about her maid comment. He also notices a large portrait on the mantle that shows her leaning happily against a well-built, smiling man dressed for a hunt. The interview gets started as Leticia explains that many of those who went missing, which seems to have been mainly children at first, heard missing loved ones calling them from the forest. They went out in groups to find their missing loved one but they not only never found the person who was calling but they also always seemed to come back from the searches missing one or two people. When the big disappearance happened, which apparently took 80-100 people, all the children but her mother were gone. Leticia goes on to say that she isn't sure why or how her mother returned just before the giant disappearance happened since the only thing she would ever say about her experience was that poem. She then goes on to share her theory that she believes her mother was let out of Fairmont by whatever the monster is so she could spread the word about it to lure others in. Donald is still somewhat doubtful that there really is a monster, but Leticia is certain there is, calling it the four-mouthed monster that stole the voices of her mother's friends. She finishes her story by telling them not to go into the town and instead just stay home. Cuphead asks why she's even here in town. Leticia tells them that she met her husband Michael, the man in the picture, when he came looking for information about Fairmont and she helped him investigate it to see if her mother really was crazy or if there was some truth to it. When asked if she's going to leave now that she's no longer curious Leticia claims she will stay so there is someone to warn others before they go in. Cup doesn't believe her and asks for the truth but before she can answer they are interrupted by a door cracking open. This turns out to be Leticia's daughter Lucy, whom she talks to behind the door before sending her back to bed. When she returns they ask how long her husband has been missing, to which she replies that it's been five years. She explains that her husband was a wealthy adventurer who had come in with a team of experts and had set a trap for the monster. That same night the monster struck, easily destroying the trap and killing two from their team within moments. She and Michael had run for the fence, but while she was able to escape the monster grabbed Michael and pulled him back into the darkness when he was just feet away from freedom. She also makes a comment about the town being a mixed-up puzzle, where one place can connect to any other at any time. After once again denying her advice not to go they ask her more about the monster, though she can't tell them much besides it being big, fast and capable of voice mimicry. Leticia then brings up her mother's best friend Sarah, who had been the first to disappear and was the main voice people heard calling to them before they disappeared. Leticia tells them that if they see Sarah in there they should run. With everything covered, they say their goodbyes to Leticia, who tells them to come back if they manage to make it out of Fairmont.

### Chapter 164 - Uneasy Feelings

As they're walking away from the house Cup says that he likes Leticia, but she's terrible at lying, pointing out the fact that she had a gun and her house was messy despite her supposedly having a maid to the other two. They wonder why Leticia would be lying before moving on to try to make sense of what she did tell them, concluding that it seems like The Instrument is the part at the centre of this given the evidence. Holly is very worried by everything Leticia told them but Cup brushes away the fears, claiming that they're just psyching themselves out and that it won't be any different from usual. When Holly continues to argue about the danger Fairmont seems to present Cuphead states the fact that, no matter how dangerous it is, they have to go in to get the part no matter what. He finishes by assuring her that they'll be able to get through it and she seems to begin to feel a little better when Cup points out that the compacts she made could be a way to lead them out as well if need be. Cup also confirms that they'll only be taking the questers on this search, which they all know will not go down well with some of the others considering what they all just went through with the circus. When Cuphead mentions needing to catch up with the others so things later that night will go smoothly Holly begins pushing him for information about what the Demon training will be like. In response, Cup refuses to give her any details until she promises she won't come along, which she refuses to, and the two soon devolve into an argument about it until Donald snaps them out of it by calling the whole thing a "lovers quarrel". The two quickly deny it but Donald just rolls his eyes and begins walking ahead of them. Left in silence Cup realizes he won't get Holly to stay put by leaving her in the dark and reluctantly admits that Bendy is going to go nuts during the training, but he needs to do it to release some of the magical energy that is building up in him. He goes on to explain that he, Mugman, and Felix will be acting as live bait to keep him away from others and rile him up until he tires himself out. Holly asks if he and Mugs have experience with this and Cup confirms that Hat had them fight several Demons before so they have an idea of what to expect. When Cup mentions that Bendy should let loose entirely during the training, not caring that it's his friends that he's fighting, Holly is surprised but Cup explains that it's just a part of Demon nature to have a violent edge to them, but once he ages out of his fledgling stage he will be perfectly in control of his magic. Holly says it sounds like Cup is the best bait for this job and thanks him for being honest with her. The two continue down the street, bantering with each other as they go.

Later, back at the hotel, Boris watches the Cupbros and Felix get ready to head to the training session before standing up and declaring that he wants to go with them. The trio instantly refuses, trying to convince Boris in various ways that it's too dangerous and he should stay at the hotel. Finally, Cup states that Bendy doesn't want him there. Boris says that he's gonna let Bendy tell him that himself and begins making his way to their room with the others following along behind him. As they walk Cup tells Boris that once Bendy tells him no he has to stay, which Boris doesn't argue with. Once on their floor Boris marches right up and flings the door to his room open, surprising Bendy inside who was dealing with more of his shadow tendrils. Boris demands to know why he can't come, yelling that this isn't okay, but Bendy just repeats the fact that Boris is not allowed to come. The two argue briefly until Bendy yells that he doesn't trust himself, causing his magic to flair and Cup to give him a warning. Bendy calms down, sternly telling Boris to stay with Mickey before closing the hotel room door on him while Boris is still inside. Tears streaked down Boris's face as he looked around at the mess of a room. Alice checks on him briefly, followed by Mickey and Ozzy a little while later. The circus brothers begin helping Boris clean up in silence after promising not to push Boris on what just happened. Just as they're finishing up Boris asks Mickey and Ozzy how they reconciled in the past after being estranged for a while. The brothers explain their history and how they were only able to begin making up when Ozzy was ready to. Mickey also tells Boris how he needed to understand what Ozzy was going through and be forgiving while Ozzy says he needed to be supported as he figured himself out. Boris thanks them for their explanation before bidding them good night as they head back to their own room.

Boris reflects on what the brothers told him and decides that if Bendy is figuring out his Demon things then he should figure out his wolf things. Boris grabs his coat, writes a quick note explaining where he went, and heads out to find Avery to ask him some questions. The young wolf makes his way through the streets to the restaurant he had gone to with Cup before to wait for Avery, his mind wandering to his latest fight with Bendy as he does so. Avery soon appears and, after hearing that Boris has questions about packs, tells him that he should talk to Bigby about it. The two begin talking about what Bigby said to Boris before and pack dynamics until the conversation is derailed by Boris mentioning that they are heading to Fairmont soon. Avery chokes on his drink at the mention of the place, telling Boris he has a death wish if he goes in there. Avery admits that he went up there with Bigby one time when they were checking out the area and heard Red's voice calling to him before transitioning to screams when he didn't go in. The other wolves had to tackle him to prevent Avery from rushing into the buildings and Avery gravely tells Boris not to believe anything he hears inside there. With that topic firmly closed Avery leads Boris to the basement of an apartment building where Bigby is hanging out. Despite him still being upset at Bigby, Boris begins asking him how he can create a pack for himself after denying another offer from Bigby to join his Pack. Avery tells Bigby that Boris is planning to go with the others into Fairmont and Bigby immediately curses at Cuphead, blaming the Dish and telling Boris that if Cup has anything over him Bigby can stop him. Boris quickly explains that Cup is his friend and that he's going into Fairmont because he wants to. After a long moment of silence Bigby states that he knows there will be no talking Boris out of it so he'll hold the invitation to the Pack open for Boris until he returns as well as consider him a member in the meantime, which means that if Boris goes missing Bigby will come in to rescue him. Bigby even says that he'll try to save any other questers stuck in there if he can, though Boris is the only one he will promise a rescue for. After confirming that Bigby won't force him to join the gang once he's out of Fairmont Boris asks how long Bigby will wait before coming in, to which Bigby replies he will wait three days before heading in after them. Boris accepts his terms, though he tells Bigby that if he doesn't rescue his friends too he may as well not rescue him since Boris will just go in after them again. Bigby laughs at his spirit and calls for a celebration for their new member. Boris spends the rest of the night talking with Bigby and having a fun time with the rest of the wolves.

### Chapter 165 - Demon Training

Bendy, Felix, and the Cupbros head to the clearing they had scouted out earlier for Bendy's Demon training. As they walk Mugs and Felix drop back as Mugs explains that Cup will be starting and they will support him as needed. Felix asks if this will be like a Demon rampage and Mugs admits it will be a small one before reiterating that Bendy needs to do this to release the magical pressure. They arrive at the field where Cup leads Bendy down into the middle of it and tells Bendy not to hold back his magic at all. Bendy is apprehensive about letting go but Cup begins sparring with him, taunting Bendy and speeding up so he doesn't get a chance to hesitate. Felix is unnerved by the aggressive approach but Mugman explains that they need to get Bendy mad otherwise he'll never let loose because he is simply too nice. When Bendy continues to hold back Cup begins shooting him with his chaser bullets, which increases Bendy's anger but still fails to push him over the edge. Felix is alarmed at the increase in intensity and even unconsciously moves to stop Cup before Mugman intervenes. Cuphead's taunts continue to get harsher until a combination of some taunts towards Boris and a reminder about Finley's fate finally pushes Bendy into an animalistic rage. Bendy begins attacking Cup more seriously, dropping to all fours and utilizing more of his enhanced strength, so Mugman jumps in to assist his brother. However, Cup points out that Bendy is only using physical attacks instead of magical so the Cupbros have to continue taunting and pressuring Bendy. Knowing that they can't keep things up all night Cuphead threatens to go kill Boris. In response, Bendy howls with rage and the entire area is encased in chilling, living shadows. After some moments of unsettling silence, the shadows rear up to begin attacking Cuphead as the shadows of the grass around their legs turn razor-sharp. The Cupbros start using their charge bullets against the grass and shadows. After a while Bendy starts attacking them directly again, making things difficult for the Cupbros since they can't use their charge bullets against him since they would kill Bendy. At one point Bendy pins Cup between him and a wall of shadows. When Cup destroys the shadows with his bullets Bendy jumps, giving him a deep bite on his arm before Mugman restrains the Demon. After Mugs pins him Bendy falls unconscious, completely tired out, and Felix begins to treat Cups injury. They discuss Demon magic some more and what this type of training usually entails. After Cup is treated they begin to head back to the hotel, but Felix can't stop thinking about how there must be a better way than this to help Bendy.

The next morning Bendy blinks awake feeling much less magical pressure but with only a hazy recollection of what happened the previous night, as well as some new minor bruises, cuts and burns. After getting cleaned up Bendy heads to the hotel lobby where he runs into Felix. The two begin talking about how Bendy is feeling and Felix gives him a general overview of what happened the previous night before once again voicing his dislike of this method for getting Bendy to release the magical pressure within him. Soon, Alice and Holly join them as they continue to talk about the training. As he learns that the Cupbros went out to get their wounds treated and that everyone there walked away with some kind of minor injury Bendy begins to get concerned about how bad it really was. The conversation eventually switches to Felix's work on his next book until the Cupbros walk into the lobby. Bendy is upset to see the Cupbros looking so beat up and Holly calls them idiots for getting injured yet again. The group begins asking the Cupbros questions about the training until Bendy demands to know what the worst injury from the previous night was. Cuphead immediately tries to lie but Mugman admits that it was the injury to Cup's arm, which ended up needing stitches. Luckily, the hospital in town uses magic so they were already able to heal Cup's arm quickly and get those stitches taken out that morning. Bendy asks how he got the injury but all Cup will do is say Bendy jumped him and show him his bandaged arm. Despite his insistence that the injury is nothing to worry about Holly calls Cup a liar before the group begins discussing when they will head off for Fairmont. When it's mentioned that if they wait too long they'll have to just do the training for Bendy again Bendy tries to say that he will not do it a second time, but the Cupbros explain he will have to or else they will have to stop him from killing people when he inevitably loses it. They assure Bendy that it won't be so bad the second time but he still doesn't like the situation.

In an effort to give himself some time to think Bendy volunteers to help Holly grab breakfast for everyone and the two head off to the restaurant. As they walk the two talk about how Bendy is doing and the other group members' current states. Bendy asks what Holly thinks of everything and she replies that she thinks they all need time to heal but they never seem to get it. She goes on to say that she's been thinking about Finley and how she's noticed just how important his efforts to cheer everyone else up really were now that they're gone. The two talk about Finley and having a more positive outlook on things. Holly even makes a short joke that gets Bendy to laugh as their plates of breakfast are delivered.

### Chapter 166 - Drinks and Disagreements

Bendy and Holly return with breakfast for everyone as the other members of their group arrive at the hotel restaurant. Boris awkwardly says good morning to the others and they ask him where he was last night since his note was pretty vague. Boris says he needed to talk to someone to figure some stuff out, leading Cuphead to the correct deduction that he went to see Bigby and the Pack. While the Cupbros are upset with him the others ask Boris to explain and the pup admits he went out to meet up with Avery who then brought him to Bigby to talk. The others are upset to hear about Avery and Cup is immediately enraged at Bigby for seemingly tricking Boris into joining, jumping up and proclaiming he's going to shoot Bigby. The rest of the group becomes alarmed at Cuphead's extreme reaction and his proclamation that Boris has been inducted into a wolf gang despite Boris insisting that he said no. The Cupbros explain that Boris getting introduced to other pack members means that they all know who he is and the fact that Bigby's Pack is so large means that there are probably members even all the way back in Toon Town so saying no won't solve things. Boris attempts to explain pack mentality and why he wanted to talk with Bigby while the others calm Cup down. Felix and Bendy tell Boris they'll fix this before everyone returns to their breakfast, joking around with one another to lighten the mood. After breakfast, the group begins making preparations to leave and heads out to buy the supplies they need. Bendy finally gets his first look around Talent Town and quickly decides he doesn't like the star system. Once the shopping is done and they arrive back at the hotel Cuphead asks Bendy to come out for a drink with him.

Cuphead and Bendy find a decent bar and head in to start drinking. After a few drinks, the two of them start talking about the various disagreements they've had recently with both their little brothers. Cup asks how Bendy is actually doing and the Demon admits that his murderous anger towards Dr. Facilier and the Ringleader is still troubling him. In response, Cup tells Bendy he was feeling pretty similarly at the end and reassures Bendy that he's a good guy. Bendy points out the injury to Cup's arm, causing an exasperated Cup to finally show him the bite scar beneath the bandages as he continues to insist that Bendy is a good guy despite what circumstances may have forced him to do. With his eyes glued to the injury on Cup's arm Bendy demands to know how Cup can say that, but Cuphead just replies that he's had worse and when they first met Cup was trying to kill Bendy so really he should be the one drowning in guilt between the two of them. The two begin to banter about which one is worse at comforting others. After some more talk about their friendship, helping one another, and the next part the duo head back to the hotel. When Bendy arrives back at his room he finds Boris acting suspiciously as he clearly tries to hide something from him. After a while Bendy reminds Boris that he can smell fear, leading to Boris finally admitting that one of the young Pack members had come over without him asking them to. The wolf, a boy named Elijah about Boris's age, pops out of hiding and quickly goes back to trying to convince Boris that he can't go into Fairmont the next day like they are planning to. Bendy and Boris both try to get Elijah to calm down and go home but the young wolf quickly panics, grabs Boris, and runs. The shouts from the abrupt kidnapping quickly bring out Cup, Felix, and Mickey as they join Bendy in chasing after the wolves. They quickly catch up to the two boys, who are arguing in the lobby, and grab ahold of them to stop them from going any further. Elijah begins talking about how they're going to lead Boris to his death by bringing him to Fairmont before hitting Cup's injured arm to force him to let go and running out of the hotel. Just as he is about to check on Cuphead, Bendy suddenly starts having an ink attack as the others quickly rush him back to his room, running into the hallways just in time for the girls to see what is happening. The questers and the girls take Bendy into his bathroom and comfort him as he rides out the attack.

After the attack Cup and Boris are left alone in the room as Boris tucks his exhausted brother into bed. Swiftly grabbing Boris and dragging him into his room Cuphead declares that they have to talk. Cuphead yells at Boris for not avoiding Bigby like he told him to, saying the added stress from that situation is what caused Bendy's ink attack. The two begin arguing about whether Boris is going to act like an adult or not going forward and the possibility of Bendy's death from Ink Illness. When Cup asks if Boris even has a plan for what happens if Bendy dies Boris calls him a hypocrite because when he believed Mugman was dead he tried to kill himself. Both of them freeze for a moment in shock at that statement before Cup admits that Boris is right. He goes on to tell Boris not to be like him, stating that he has others who are depending on him and that he needs to prepare for the worst even if he doesn't want to. As Cup opens the door to head out of the room Boris tries to apologize by claiming he didn't mean to say that, but Cup replies that Boris did before leaving the room. With the talk over Cuphead returns to Mugs and the girls as they discuss how Bendy is doing. Holly tells the Cupbros that they shouldn't go after the part tomorrow after everything that has happened. She and Cup begin to argue about whether they should head to Fairmont tomorrow or not before Mugs finally compromises by saying they ask for Felix's opinion on the matter since he has the most experience. They joke with each other for a bit before both girls hug the Cupbros goodnight, telling them they love them and to stay safe, before they head off to bed. Now left alone Mugs asks Cup what exactly he said to Boris, having seen the wolf looking shaken after he left their room. Cup tells Mugs not to push about it tonight since Boris already got him back for what he said as the two head off to talk with Felix. After a quick discussion they decide that, as long as nothing else comes up, they will head to Fairmont tomorrow as planned.

### Chapter 167 - Two Dandehog Ladies

Alice and Holly sit in their hotel room, working on the magic watches for the boys, and thinking about everything that has been going on. Holly asks how Alice is doing and she says that she wishes she could go with the boys to Fairmont or at least be more helpful. Holly adds that the boys think they can just get through everything with luck and skill and that she's felt like something dark has been hanging over all of them ever since Boris's return. With some coaxing from Alice, Holly begins to unpack her complicated feelings around Boris, explaining that what he did hurt, but it was the fact that his choices could have only helped himself as it actively put everyone else involved in more danger and he didn't seem to care bothered her the most. Holly also says Finley's funeral reminded her of her father's, which was a very rough time for her. As Holly begins to cry angry tears Alice hugs her and comforts her as best she can as her own guilt from the circus rises up. The two girls console one another a bit before Alice tells Holly it's okay to take some time for herself after going through so much and not jump straight to forgiving Boris. Holly admits she's avoiding talking with Boris since she doesn't feel like he's actually apologized for what he did and is still acting towards some of them like he doesn't trust them. She also mentions that Boris acting like they should apologize to him when he is the one who hurt them reminds her of some of the tactics her mother used to use, which also upsets her. After a moment of thought Alice replies that she thinks Boris needs to figure things out, and that the two of them should talk when they're ready before asking Holly about her mother. Holly explains that she keeps finding these similarities in the way both Boris and her mother make her feel like she is always in the wrong even if she isn't. After listening to her explanation Alice assures Holly that she is a good person and that, while she and Boris still need to talk, it may be better to wait awhile since both of them still need time. While Holly does agree with what Alice says she also brings up the point that she doesn't think Boris should go with the others to Fairmont since he's a source of conflict right now and if he runs again he could get someone killed. As Holly talks about the issues both with bringing Boris and leaving him behind Alice can't help but remember the first time she saw Boris when he was on his knees begging the world for help. While they're on the subject of the part Holly also asks Alice if she has felt anything strange since she got there because Holly has been getting disturbing dreams and feelings similar to Nightmare Night ever since they arrived. Alice replies that she hasn't felt anything and the two can only guess that it could be ambient magic from the part/town or just Holly's own trauma getting stirred up by recent events.

Pushing away from her own issues Holly asks Alice what she's been thinking about to which Alice replies that her recent reunion with her family has been on her mind. Alice explains that she was pitied and doted on when she came home, which she didn't want at all, and no one there understood why she was so ashamed/upset about how the Angels had treated Bendy at the circus. She goes on to say how she doesn't even know how to approach Bendy anymore plus all the Demon stuff he has been dealing with lately just makes him feel further away. The two girls talk about how Bendy can't be treated guilty by association since he's a Demon but it's also understandable why the Angels were so quick to assume he was bad if Demons like the twins were the only type of Demons they ever dealt with. Alice also mentions how strange she felt being back without feeling like she really belonged there anymore and actually related more to the awkwardness of Fallen Angels who had also been brought back for treatment. Going back made her realize how much she's changed as well as how black and white Angels tend to view things. Alice then talks about how, despite her viewing Bendy as an individual and not just a Demon, sometimes his Demonic traits still scare her despite her best efforts not to be afraid of dark magic. Holly tells Alice that she thinks they all need to communicate with each other more despite any fears they may have about a particular subject.

When Alice mentions how nice it was to see Bendy smiling again Holly immediately jumps at the chance to start talking about Alice's feelings for Bendy and how good a couple they make. The two girls soon begin joking with one another and saying how nice it is to be happy for a while again. However, Alice does eventually bring the conversation back down to earth as she explains how she can't have a relationship with Bendy and do all the important work she wants to do in the Upper, so she can't date him. After telling Alice how sorry she is for her unfair situation the girls soon go back to teasing one another as Alice turns things around on Holly by bringing up her feelings for Cuphead, which Holly denies. The two begin to discuss the possibility of Cup and Holly dating, during which both Fanny and their personalities are brought up. Holly finally ends the discussion by claiming that Cuphead just doesn't see her that sort of way as the girls begin joking about running away from their difficult love lives. After some more banter where Alice pretends to be interested in dating Cup and they both lament how every attractive man they know is completely reckless, the girls begin discussing what they think everyone will do once the quest is complete. After a long moment of silence when the conversation stalls, Holly brings up how she's been thinking about Finley a lot lately and how important all the little bits of joy he brought into their lives really were. Holly says she's going to try to find the good moments in between the bad and Alice agrees to do it too, joking that it will be Holly's Act of Charity. From there the girls continue to talk with one another until morning as they complete the watches. That morning the B-Bros and Felix knock on their door, telling the girls that they do in fact plan to leave for Fairmont as discussed before.

### Chapter 168 - Welcome to Fairmont

Alice feels dread drop into the pit of her stomach at the confirmation that the boys will be heading to Fairmont as Holly explains how the watches work to the B-Bros and Felix while the Cupbros are out trying to find them a ride. The boys thank them for the watches and explain that they plan to leave right after breakfast. Alice suggests they eat all together as a send-off, so Felix heads off to see if the circus crew is awake, leaving just the B-Bros with the girls. After checking in on each other Bendy asks if he could talk with Alice once he returns. Holly swiftly leaps in by stating that Alice wants to talk to him now, ushering them both into the girl's empty room and closing the door. After some brief verbal floundering, Alice apologizes to Bendy for everything that happened at the circus until Bendy finally stops the never-ending stream. He tells Alice that he's not angry at her or any of the other Angels who were there. Bendy goes on to say that the only thing that does upset him is the fact that she got caught up in it and that he believed what the Demon twins were telling him for a little while. Alice apologizes once more for going through with such a desperate plan and making everyone worry about her, promising to be smarter in the future. Bendy easily accepts her apology as the two begin teasing and joking with one another. Alice feels relief and tries to convince herself that, for now, just having a few moments to be happy with him is enough.

Meanwhile, after Alice and Bendy are closed into the room together, Holly and Boris are left alone in the hallway. As Boris is about to go to breakfast Holly stops him, but before she can get a word out he instantly cuts her off by telling her not to force herself to talk to him since the others have probably told him whatever it is she wants to say. She tries to tell Boris that's not it and he yells at her that he's not in the mood and that he already knows he's a screw-up so he doesn't need to hear it again. He goes on to say that he can't handle it anymore, that he's not running away again, and all he cares about is getting the part to cure Bendy. When he finally looks at Holly again he realizes she is hurt as she explains that she just wants to work things out with him. Holly goes on to tell Boris that she doesn't hate him, which surprises him, and that she is sorry she yelled at him before. This only causes Boris's confusion to grow as Holly wraps up by claiming she wants to be friends again since she hates the awkward tension between them. Boris replies that it sounds like he was just bothering her, asking why she would even want to try being his friend anymore as he thinks about how frustrating it is that he always seems to be in the wrong and no one reacts to things how he thinks they will. For a few moments after Boris finishes Holly is stunned before she tells Boris that just cause she got mad at him for a mistake doesn't mean she instantly hated him. When it becomes clear Boris doesn't know how to respond Holly sighs and tells him to think about it. They then both assure one another that they don't hate each other, although it's a bit more hesitant on Boris's side, before the two go back to standing in uncertain silence until Bendy and Alice emerge from the room. Holly quickly slips back into her room with the excuse that she needs to grab some stuff and, after checking in that nothing bad happened while the other two were gone, the trio starts heading down to the restaurant. As Bendy continues to question Boris about what happened with Holly, Boris once again brings up how confused he is that she would want to be his friend again after getting so angry at him. Alice assures him that he can take his time figuring things out if he needs to before Bendy begins teasing him for accidentally joining a wolf gang. As they walk Boris's thoughts drift to how he will just keep his real thoughts quiet for now and just focus on getting the next Ink Machine part.

Down in the lobby, Cuphead angrily smokes a cigarette inside the hotel as he reflects just how hard it was for him to find a ride to the fence around Fairmont since no one wanted to get close to it. His mood is only worsened since he was overruled by the other questers when he brought up the idea of not bringing Boris with them. Soon, Bendy's group arrives in the lobby and waves Cup over to the restaurant for breakfast. As he eats, Cup reflects on how most of the other questers are upset at him for saying Boris should stay behind. The girls soon come over to give Cuphead his watch and Cup makes a point of saying he hopes the girls plan to sleep at some point that day, explaining how he knows they've stayed up all night before reminding them that Alice is still in magic exhaustion recovery. When the girls are still reluctant Cup says he'll send them a message through the watch when they get into the town so they can sleep until then. Holly immediately fires back by saying that they're going to come with the boys to the fence, but Cup tells her there won't be enough room in their ride. This leads to Cup explaining that none other than Leticia Bradley has agreed to drive them to the fence after Cup called her earlier in his increasingly desperate attempts to find them a ride. After that, the conversation moves on to making arrangements for the dandehogs in the Cupbros room to be moved to the girl's room while they're gone as Cup thinks about how he will have to return quickly so the girls aren't left taking care of all the dandehogs themselves for long.

Later Cuphead watches the forest pass by through the windows of Leticia's car as they make their way towards Fairmont. Everyone in the car is tense as the forest around them is unnaturally quiet and without a single sign of animal life anywhere. When asked, Leticia confirms that the forest is always like this before she and, after some quick talk about how they shouldn't need to worry about the police on their return as long as they have a bribe handy, the car falls back into silence for the rest of the drive. They finally arrive at the old, rusty chain-link fence and the questers are disturbed to see a number of memorial objects like silk flowers, pictures, and crosses lining the fence. As the questers get out and grab their gear Leticia tells them that if they love Boris they will leave him behind at the hotel. Bendy tells her they aren't leaving Boris and Leticia responds simply that it's blood on their hand, not hers. She then asks them for a favour, explaining that she honours her husband's memory by leaving mementos of him in the town and asking if they would leave his bag, which seems to have something in it, next to the bakery in town. The questers agree and Leticia tells them about a hole in the fence a few yards away before giving them a reminder not to trust the voices. As the group heads towards the hole the B-Bros check the map and see that the part is in a building next to the river all the way on the other side of the town. They easily climb through the hole and start walking along the path to town, but as they do they all get the odd phantom sensation of walking through cobwebs despite none being around and Bendy feels a strange magic buzz in the air. The questers continue to walk through the deathly quiet forest until they arrive at the fog-covered ghost town of Fairmont. The creepy feeling around them only grows as they continue to walk through the abandoned town and, out of curiosity and a need to distract themselves, they decide to check what is in the bag that Leticia gave them. They find food, water and shaving supplies and though they all find it strange none of them can decide what it actually means so the conversation soon goes quiet once more. The group eventually breaks for lunch as they talk about how strange it is that the people of the town seemed to have left so much stuff in the buildings instead of taking it with them. They also check their progress and see that they have a few more hours of walking so they should arrive at the building where the part is around sunset. Cuphead also remembers his promise to the girls and uses his watch to call them. The questers quickly catch the girls up on their progress, talk about when they may return, and banter a bit before Cup promises to call again once they enter the building with the part and ends the call. The group continues to chat as they finish their lunches and continue walking through town until they find the bakery Leticia mentioned. As they drop the bag off they notice a handprint on the inside of the glass without any footsteps around, which creeps them all out a bit. The group continues to walk and talk as the road begins to climb uphill. As darkness and the fog becomes thicker the questers cross a bridge over a rushing river. After another hour of walking they finally arrive at the building they were looking for-a large, stone multi-story building called the Fairmont Springs Hotel. After checking the map Bendy confirms that the next part is in there, somewhere.

## Trivia and Notes

### Notes

* In 2020 there was a poetry contest held by the authors. Many fans submitted poems, which are now cataloged in Inky Extras Series Part 14, and the winning poem "Linda's Lullaby" was officially added to IM canon in Ch 163
* IM fan "I Live in a Trashcan" is the writer of Linda's Lullaby (Inky Extras Series Part 14, Ch 2)

## Links and References

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