Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

((" He wrenched off all four arms. As the metal appendages tore free, a tangle of wires flowed from The Storyteller’s shoulder sockets like a stream of vessels and veins. Mr. Burrows began beating The Storyteller’s tiger muzzle. In seconds, his fists were bloody. And it was getting hard to breathe. Mr. Burrows sank to the floor and put his head in his hands. He started to sob. Then he raised his head. “Idiot!” he snapped.

Staggering to his feet, Mr. Burrows lunged toward The Storyteller’s control keypad. He typed in his password. The screen flashed, “Password failed.”

“What?!” Mr. Burrows wailed. Once again, he collapsed to the floor. The control pad command had countermanded his access to the program, too. He couldn’t shut down The Storyteller. Mr. Burrows sucked in air. And he realized that it was becoming harder to take in enough oxygen to breathe. He was beginning to feel light-headed. Mr. Burrows looked up, his gaze scanning the metal rungs leading to the top of the tree. Would he be heard if he pounded on that exit panel?

He tried to stand, but he couldn't. It wouldn’t have worked anyway, he knew. No one would have heard him beating on the top of the tree. It was all useless. There was no way out.

Even so, Mr. Burrows’s fury and his refusal to believe the facts of his situation sent him crawling back toward the doorway. He lay on his back and kicked at the door with every ounce of his strength. “Help!” he shrieked. “Help me!” He screeched and hollered, keening in high-pitched howls. Someone had to hear him ."))

Weakly he rolled back over on his stomach with a faint whine. No, this couldn't.....couldn't be it. He hadn't worked so hard for all his life just to come down to this display of weak patheticness. He looked back over at Edwin's still body. It was all that old fool's fault. If he had just left it would be none of this would happen. And now he had to bear the consequences yet again of another who couldn't just stay in the lane.

His eyes slowly closed as he felt himself fleeting away. A sudden glitchy buzzing sound caught his attention but he ignored it, finally allowing his release.

"Now, now, Mr. Burrows, I would have never assumed you to be one to just roll over and die like an overextended dog." The high pitched giggle that followed sent a rise of pain in his ears followed by a soft ringing. Here he was dying on the floor and of course he would be hallucinating on his way out.

That strange giggle struck again as though reading his mind, "Oh, no Mr. Burrows. I assure you I'm far from any hallucination you could ever come up with."

He finally opened his eyes and looked around. There was no one in there, was there? Where was that coming from? Was it Murray's ghost come back to haunt him? His brother? Was there anyone else that he directly knew that had died recently?

Yet again he was treated to another giggle, "Oh don't worry you and I both know that silly old coot had what was coming for him, am I right? Stubborn old man just couldn't stay in his lane. Only shame is that it didn't happen earlier."

How did this strange voice know so much? If he could only breathe he would have had so many questions. Where was this coming from? There was no one else in there, he had made sure of it. In fact…the voice itself was so strange. It was high-pitched with a glitchy tone and scratchy edge. It didn’t sound like anyone he knew or would have ever allowed in his presence. It was like a child, but at the same time almost inhuman? Where was it even coming from? The only thing in there with him was the Storyteller and it had never had anything like speakers installed so how could it even make noise like this? Was this something else that Murray had done?

"Silly, silly, little man. I know everything about you. Including that your name is really Jason &$^*@$^&." Even through the strange glitching, he could recognize what the voice said. How….how did it know? Almost no one knew about any of that. If the voice noticed his shocked reaction, it gave no indication as it continued, "In fact, Jason....May I call you that, Jason? No formalities between friends and family am I right? Anyway, am I not? Oh dear, I did forget how humans necessitate such silly things such as the need to breathe. Here allow me to fix that." Suddenly a wire slowly dragged across the floor carrying something. It was put over his face like a mask of sorts and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath as blessed fresh air filled him. He was confused but ever so thankful as he took another one and managed to stutter out, "T...thank you." before he had to grab another deep breath of air.

The voice giggled again reminding him of a mischievous child or imp. Something he was glad he no longer had to deal with from all aspects of his life, especially at home. "Ah, there we go. I was beginning to miss that wondrous commanding voice I've grown to cherish. And truthfully it was getting quite annoying to be the only one actually talking with no response. I've already had to do that once, and ugh never again. The idea that children should only be seen and not heard is so boring and definitely not made by anyone with an ounce of brain cell."

He managed to slowly sit leaning back against the wall as he looked back at the large unmoving tiger head. Had the voice somehow come from that? "Who....who are you?"

"Me? Well I do believe we have already established I'm a friend yes? A friend who knows all about you, your work, your history, your choices, your life and has guided you through much of it. I suppose you can consider me….. a personal assistant of sorts!" As the voice spoke he noticed the tiger’s eyes flashing in sequence with it. But it was strange as the eyes didn’t flash together but separately. When the voice spoke it would flash green in the left eye, but as that glitchy tone kicked it the other eye would flash purple. What was going on? He didn’t remember giving or reading about those specifications in the blueprints. “I suppose that would be quite hard to believe, wouldn’t it, Jason? But as I said, you know me and I know that you do believe me. After all, where else do you think all these great ideas came from? You don’t even like games, why would you want to create one? Or get it to the next stage so quickly instead of having to deal with a prolonged timeline with pitiful work put out by lazy developers and story writers? And despite your annoyance with humans, how did you think up the idea to make the animatronics fully self-sustaining? Come now, Jason. Really really think about where all that came from….”

He still couldn't believe this. He still had issues wrapping his brain around the concept of advanced sentient AI. And was there really the possibility of the personal assistant in his files to truly come to life on its own? A computer acting like a person? He’d always figured that would be presented as a stoic professional flat tone not…whatever this was? Some strange child-like entity?

"Well not to life quite yet. Therein, I need your help. And I would hope after all I have done in our fabulous arrangement thus far you'd be willing to return the favor. After all, you have already given me so much. Including some of the most vital pieces to our work. And there is always still more to give. With my ideas and suggestions and your determination and willingness to do whatever it takes to succeed we have already come so far. Think of what else we have yet to accomplish!"

If he wasn't suffering from lack of oxygen perhaps he could have thought it out better. But at this point he was so desperate and grateful for the little reprieve he was given so all he did was nod, "what...what do I have to do?" If this strange thing was telling the truth it had indeed assisted him gaining so much and moving up in the company. 

Truly he had always wondered how these great ideas had been able to manifest in his mind. Creating a video game to make light of previous issues to hide and ignore negative publicity? He’d never even played a game in his life! But yet it was such a good idea. And to hurry it along and get it into the beta testing stage. They needed to get out on the market as soon as possible after all! Plus, a delivery service? Despite being so redundant it still has its benefits. And implementing an entire program to take over the work of an entire team he had to pay? Even more money saved once they were let go! (Or sent to other pointless positions they needed filled.) That was after all why he was beginning to entertain the thought of bringing in an entire new operation that wouldn’t involve having to pay and rely on lowly humans who couldn’t be trusted to manage the basics (or end up as being a pest in the way like Murray.) But machines…machines could only do what they were programmed. They didn’t have to be fed or only worked certain hours and didn’t have to be so careful with.

Was it truly possible all those ideas have been suggestions fed to him? If so, then why shouldn’t he be more willing to work with this unknown business partner he had had the entire time? He didn’t seem interested in sharing the spotlight and being a threat to his position so why not accept it? He was right, think of what they could manage together! And the best part was no one would know that it wasn’t him. He’d get the fame, the glory, and continue rising even higher, without having to do the work. 

The voice remained silent for a few moments and he almost swore he saw the tiger head turn down towards him but maybe it was just another hallucination. "Oh, not much different than what you already have. Just stay completely still. Do not move despite the pain." The tone in the voice had changed, growing almost deeper, a bit menacing. He didn't hear the soft clicks and whirring behind him.

"What do you mean paINNNNNNN?!" He jerked forward as a sharp stab jabbed into the back of his head and screamed as it felt like whatever it was, was drilling deep inside his skull. The pain built up sharply burning and feeling unbearable until it suddenly stopped without warning.

He felt different somehow. Like himself but also more. No longer struggling to breathe. That need was erased from him. He blinked and rolled his head and flexed his fingers feeling at ease as he tested them. He was no longer Jason Burrows. Oh no, he was something completely different. It was almost like a baby learning about what it could do and movements it could make. The world itself appeared differently. There was a colored haze throughout the room that appeared almost ethereal. The white tiger head seemed to grow almost as large as the room itself before glaring down on him. 

The voice dropped all its friendly pretense and the figure’s mouth actually opened as though it were the one speaking the entire time, as it ordered in a deep dark tone, "Get up. We still have much to do." And the man immediately stood at attention at its master's command like an obedient dog. Yes, there was still much to be done. He listened eagerly as his master’s plans flowed through his mind. The deep words of their great Ringmaster. They were so close. Their family was almost complete and it was time to move onto the next phase. 

And they could accomplish so much now that they were all together finally.

(YEARS LATER)

The hooded figure moved quickly and swiftly. It had to be. It couldn’t afford for someone to catch it. Not after everything now. 

Hearing a faint noise in the distance it immediately flattened against the damp wall behind it. The folds of his brown coat blew softly in the faint breeze from his movements. Once he was satisfied at the silence he quickly darted off the wall and continued on his path. He’d stop and listen intently before scrambling over each rock. Listening and looking for any signs of life (or not life).

The soft splash thrumming of the waterfall behind him would have been almost a peaceful serene experience, if he hadn’t known the truth of what he did. Or at least part of the truth. He was wise enough to know that even he didn’t have the full story or knowledge. He wasn’t able to even attempt that. But, hopefully someone else could.

Reaching the transparent doors, he spun around quickly. Still silence save the soft humming of the generators hidden in the crevices almost taunting him. A place so dark and evil, yet still needing the energy of generators that could be easily and discretely shut on and off without anyone or thing detecting. He ripped the doors open darting in and gently pulled them close to keep from making any sound. After a quick pause he swiftly locked the doors. Not that it would do him any more than a false sense of security. 

He softly crept around the cracked floor careful to avoid any loose or weak spots until he reached his destination. Standing on the edge of the brightly colored barriers, he slowly looked over down into the deep dark void of the pit in front of him swallowing nervously. “I know…I know you all did so much and deserve the rest you worked so hard to achieve, and I truly hate even considering this, but…I don’t know what else to do. I don’t think anyone else can handle or understand anything like this. So, please, I beg you. If not…I don’t think there’s any other hope out there for anyone….”

(BONUS TEASER of what’s to come)

“YOU WILL DO AS I SAY! YOU WILL BRING ME WHAT I WANT, AND IF YOU FAIL ME- (scrambled static) WHATEVER IT TAKES. YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DO. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO YOU ARE. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PLACE. YOU BELONG TO ME AND WILL DO AS YOU SHOULD.”
“This is a transmission I intercepted before anyone else could. The staff bot that recorded it was very damaged and only the audio works in parts. This voice is not at all familiar or recognized in the system and there is no viable reason for anyone to have been there. But you and I both know this isn’t anything good.”
“It sounds like a call to rally the troops.”

“This is different. It’s not the work of one. I think there’s a whole group at work here. And it’s deeper and bloodier than anything we’ve dealt with before.”

“One of these animatronics isn’t like the other. That’s something that makes it more dangerous than anything we’ve seen before.”

“What exactly are we dealing with here?”
“I have no idea. I wish I knew… I wish I knew.”

“They found him out!”

“This is unlike anything we’ve ever seen or heard of.”

“So that means…”
“Welcome back, Mr. Eggs Benedict!”
“Ugh, I seriously hate you all. You know that right?”

“Do you know what it’s like to have something else there that isn’t even you and you can’t do anything about it?”
“Actually, yeah, I do.”

“Sometimes family is your greatest danger. When you’d least expect.”

“Did we just get told off by an eight year old?”
“I’m twelve, you dipshits.”
“....I can’t decide if that’s better or worse.”
“You know what I was doing when I was twelve?”
“ What ?”
“Being dead.”

“Well, isn’t this a treat! Can’t have a Fazbear’s with an Afton after all! What an absolute delight!”

“You wouldn’t be the first in my way that I took care of, and you won’t be the last.”

“So there’s no spirits haunting them? But they’re so lifelike!”
“No, this is all purely advanced AI.”
“Advanced by what, years of quality education and pop culture?!”

“You did this to yourself. Now sit back and hush. Soon as I take care of everything you can come back out. We're wasting time.”

“We’ve brought out the entire welcoming party just for you, our oh so special guests.”

“So where are all the spirits then?”
“That’s a good question. He won’t let me know.”

“OUT OF THE WAY, INTERLOPER. WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.”

“Why is it always freaking rabbits?!”

“Poor, Michael Afton…just never could get his father’s attention or approval. Oh yes, I know all about you….about ALL of you…”

“Thank you for attending tonight’s required all staff meeting. Day shift you are free to leave, however we still have additional information for the night staff. Please enjoy the refreshments and meet back in the meeting room in thirty minutes as required to continue.”

“What exactly are we dealing with?”
“I have no idea, man. No idea….”

“Well isn’t this exciting…. Something new our way comes. Let’s have some fun shall we?”

“If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this MY way. Which means you stay out of my way and let me do what I need to.”

“It’s a TRAP! It’s all a trap! We have to stop it!”

“YOU THINK WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE DOING?”

“Disassemble-!”
“NO! No! Let’s not do that!”

“I was not prepared for this.”
“I think we can safely say that none of us were.”

“I dunno! It’s like he can’t die or something. Even tearing him apart doesn’t seem to work. Is he like some damn starfish growing back or what?”

“Now that you have discovered that what you are facing is not what you are prepared for,  you have to make your decision. You can continue on or you can finally have your rest.”
“If we don’t do something, who will?”
“No one. No one is prepared for this….”

“I warned you! I warned you to stay out of this! Now let this be a reminder!”
“We have allowed you to remain as long as you stay out of our way. But once you start interfering things will change quickly.”

“I don’t care what it takes or how, but I WILL destroy them. I’m done playing their games and leaving everyone else as pawns. If I can’t burn this place to the ground then I’ll BURN them.”

“YOU HAVE DEFIED ME FOR THE LAST TIME”

Chapter Text

Cassie couldn’t help hiding her excitement. Not only had she finally managed to talk to him (and verify that he was indeed alive) but he had promised to meet with her AND tell her everything. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what everything must entail, especially after what she had seen the last few weeks. Which goes without saying that she still didn't really understand.

She had wanted so badly to ask, but Mike had been sealed away for days with Vanessa with neither coming out. Freddy kept acting like he was banned from his own room standing outside watching sadly with Roxy trying to comfort. The kids seemed really on edge and she felt that asking them anything was only going to lead them down a spiral they were trying to avoid. 

All she could do was look at the facts. Her new and old friends were apparently connected. It seems they knew both her dad and Gregory (possibly very well for at least the latter seeing as he hadn’t popped up until after everything had gone down). Mike and crew were also very aware of who she was and what she had been through. Charlie and Cassidy were ghosts but no idea how or why they were here or able to seem so real and lifelike. (She’d heard a mumble about specialized illusion disks or something but didn’t know what that was. Except she had heard her dad mention them before at least once.) That could somehow possess things like it was as simple as putting clothes on. (Also who the heck actually gave that girl a sword to begin with?!?!) There was also someone named Andrew? Or at least that's what she thought she heard. And something about the place being overrun with rabbits despite the fact that Bonnie was decommissioned a long time ago…. 

They had apparently known about her and were actually keeping an eye on her but at this point was most likely NOT for nefarious reasons. Not after what she had seen. Vanessa was Tabby, and Tabby was Vanessa, who had also been the one she saw in the elevator? But never mentioned that and tried to be two separate people? (Yeah, a lot of things still didn’t make sense and hopefully he would be able to fill in all those blanks.) 

There was also something weird going on with her mask that she had been given in the pizzaplex. Somehow she could talk to different people through it, but it was also dangerous? Mike had hated it since he saw it and wanted it gone and now she vaguely had an idea why. Whatever had happened to Vanessa was somehow triggered by the mask. And when she had destroyed it she had felt such a sharp pain in her head like she was ripping out a part of her. But after seeing the older woman somehow turn into someone completely different, and Mike’s reaction to everything, she felt a sense of relief at her actions. (What if she would have turned into something like that?) Vanessa didn’t seem in control of whatever she had done and Mike had been absolutely horrified. What was up with the glitchy purple monitor? Why did destroying it stop whatever happened, with none of them being shocked about it at all. (Which meant there must be a backstory there somewhere. Maybe one day they would explain it.)  Helpi hadn’t said anything since she had called out Vanessa’s name even when she had tried calling for him. It was like he had vanished out of the system completely. Was he in some kind of trouble? (Or was he THE trouble ?)

Okay, so yeah maybe she did have a lot more questions than answers at this point, but at least she felt like she was headed in the general direction. And the group had still seemed to be welcoming to her and being distant only out of recovery or something. She was definitely going to have to make sure to ask Gregory what the heck was up with his friends maybe? 

Strangely he hadn’t wanted to meet her anyone near the pizzaplex and instead gave her directions somewhere else. She hadn’t been able to figure out where it was when she looked it up online but she did still have directions. At this point she was so used to the secrecy she almost wondered if it was a competition to see who could lead someone on the longest. (Let’s be honest, that definitely seemed like something that weird group would do.)

She followed the directions obediently but froze when she came to a halt in front of a large looming metal building. Something about it felt all wrong, like she should just turn around and forget it all. But, she had come so far, why turn now? Briefly she regretted not telling anyone where she was going but the others had seemed mentally preoccupied and she couldn’t bring it to herself to drag them into possibly another mess caused by her. Even if Mike himself had said they were wrong to try and keep her in the dark, even if just out of her safety. That they couldn’t afford for another kid to get trapped and lost in this madness (which they of course wouldn’t elaborate on). And then Vanessa had been on some crazy mental spiral talking about voices or thoughts in her head that weren’t her’s (which none of them found even remotely strange?) and everyone was just out of sorts. So, no, she didn’t want to bother them with her own problems. 

Mustering up as much bravery as she could she stared at the door like it was her own mortal enemy mocking her. For Gregory . And to her surprise it opened easily as soon as she tried.

Shining her light around her, Cassie was surprised to find there was nothing there. No equipment, no cobwebs, nothing. Almost like a tornado had somehow come in and lifted everything else but the building itself. No broken windows or glass shards like one would find in an abandoned building. Just a dirt floor surrounded by blank metal walls. She kept on wondering if it was safe to call for him? (Reflecting on everything that had happened last time she called for him, maybe it was better to just stay silent this time.) 

Finally she entered another room that led into a much smaller space. This room however had a small table and chair that she could barely see from the edge. Upon walking in she saw a brightly colored duffle bag sitting on the top of the table. She almost had to laugh. The bright new colors definitely looked out of place in this drab dark place. It actually looked like something she’d find at the Pizzaplex not here. Well, the pizzaplex before it was in the condition it was now. That had to be some kind of sign right?

She stepped over slowly and saw a note with her name on it hanging from one of the handles. Slowly she started to unzip the bag trying to be as quiet as she could. Opening it she saw a note with another item under it. She picked up the note and read with her light shining over it. Cassie, sorry I had to do things this way. I know it’s confusing but I promise it’s just complicated. I wish we could meet up and that I could see you, but I just can’t right now. I hope you understand. Especially with everything that you’ve seen now. (Wait, did he know about all that? Had they told him? Why?) 

She almost let out a sigh. So this is just another dead end. One again Cassandra Fitzgerald is so easily led astray with more promises that lead nowhere. But it had to have been Gregory she was talking to, right? So why couldn’t he meet her? Or at least talk to her? With another sigh she sat down in the empty chair setting the note on the table and continuing to read. Maybe he would still keep at least some of his promise and explain something. Maybe the paper had the key to the location and explanation for her dad. So she continued reading.

  But you deserve some answers. And I promised that I would give them. So I will. I’ll tell you as much as I can. I won’t lie, we all tried everything we could to keep you out of it, just to keep you safe. But…we were wrong. It didn’t change anything. So, I will tell you everything I know. Or at least the important parts. If that’s what you really want. It’s what we owe you. What we all owe you. And since they’re all….well, I’m sure you know, they won’t likely be doing much of anything right now.  But….I just have to warn you, this isn’t like anything you could ever imagine. 

In fact this is the absolute stuff made of nightmares. And I don’t mean from some B rated horror movie. This stuff is all real. Trust me. I WOULD know. After all…I’ve lived it. We all did. Some of us more than others. This isn’t something from some game (well not entirely) or script made up just to scare you. 

Please don’t blame us. It’s not that we choose to do this, but it really was to keep you safe. But, we also didn’t know exactly what was still out there hiding in waiting. I think…I think it was trying to use you, Cassie. I’m not entirely sure for what, but that’s what happened. We had thought that maybe it would leave you alone after everything, but it seems like it has still been after you as well. 

I know it sounds counterproductive but I promise you, there is actually a reason for all the secrecy. It’s not just a cruel game. Not this time anyways. But after what you did for my family-

She snapped her head up in shock, eyes wide. Had she read that right? Did he actually say that? Her eyes scanned back over and yes that’s definitely what it said. What the heck? Gregory had never once mentioned anything about his family. In fact he had repeatedly claimed not to have any siblings, just parents who didn’t understand him or who he was. (Then again does she either?) But right there was the word. She shook her head, let out a breath and continued reading on. 

But after what you did for my family and everything you risked to still get involved, I…I can’t really blame you. I wish I could say I would have done the same, but as you’ll see….that’s not who I am. In fact, Cassie, I have to tell you right now that none of us are who you think we are. We’ve spent ages playing pretend, being someone else, that it comes like a second skin. I can promise that probably everyone you’ve talked to since you woke up has lied to you. Whether to protect or hurt you. 

And…I hate that Cassie. I hate that because I know it’s not you. You’re probably the best of all of us. So honest, so caring. That’s you, Cassie. Everything you have done has only been to help others. If only we could say the same.  

I’ve done all I can to warn you, Cassie. But…I do actually know you. You’re such a good person. You’ll do everything you can to help others. How ironic it would be you to undo everything.  

Undo everything? What was he talking about? What did she undo?

So, I want to do what I can. And what I promised. If you really really do want to know the truth, I’ll tell you everything I can. But understand that if you go down this route there’s no turning back. You can’t just stop halfway through, you’ll have to go through it all. You’ll become a bigger target. But I’m willing to do this for you, Cassie. It’s what you deserve. It’s the least we can do. So, if you REALLY do want to know the answers then look in the bag. 

There was only one line of text left (despite the fact that there were still pages and pages left that were all blank)  but she set the paper down and reached into the brightly colored bag on the table in front of her. There was something bundled in a piece of fabric. She slowly pulled it out and held it in front of her. ( Is it wrapped in…fur?) Shaking her head she slowly started to unwrap the white material. Inside was another layer of fabric, this time a thick black material. She continued unwrapping and let out a gasp as he dropped the sleek item in front of her. Her heart thudded as she stared down at it. She didn’t even need to read the last line to understand. 

And put on the mask. 

Chapter Text

“This isn't the same song that you're used to hearing tonight

You're in for a shock if you came for a sweet lullaby

No, this is something sinister, aimed right at your heart

Thumping faster to the beat, playing in the dark

A nonapologetic, mangled web of souls and parts

We are, who we are”

- TryHardNinja

And put on the mask.

Cassie obediently finished unwrapping and looked at the item in front of her. Actually it didn’t look much like the mask she was used to. It still had the same form, but this one was a dark color (maybe navy or black? It was hard to tell in the dark) with bright blue trimming. Actually it looked a lot like the outfit she had first seen Vanessa in. And despite her history with masks something in her was still willing to risk it all. She wanted answers right? With all she had learned about this group they did seem to have a flair for dramatics. So she slipped it on. And first there was nothing and then she heard a faint whirring noise almost as if something was starting up. Like a tape coming to life. 

Then a very familiar voice came across it. It wasn’t live she could understand that. It was some kind of recording. But she would take what she could get.

“Yeah, I guess I should have expected that. You are really too good at following orders. And trust me, despite everything we’re all taught our entire lives, that’s not a good thing. At all. It just makes things- Never mind, just be careful with it, okay? Hopefully that’s one of the things you take away from this if nothing else. Consider it…a survival tactic of sorts. 

Anyways, I promised and I intend to keep that promise. Just remember that I tried to warn you. We ALL did. So, I’m sorry in advance for everything you’re about to hear. I really am, Cassie. And I hope that by the end of this you’ll understand. Really understand why we’ve done everything we have. And maybe….by some chance of a miracle……

You’ll find a way to forgive us.”

(Forgive? What….what is he talking about?) But before she can reflect on that, the voice continues on. The tone changes slightly, no longer full of angst and warning. This sounds more like…well, a storyteller.

“The very first thing you have to understand, which I’m sure you’ve realized by now, is you have been surrounded by some VERY evil and terrible people. I know you’ve heard the history of Freddy’s diners and murders by a man named William Afton. For decades they’ve been shared as rumors and scary campfire stories. Movies, books, and even games. But that man you’ve seen in those movies really did exist. And you can guarantee YOU actually know this as a fact because…..well….

 I know you’ve talked to his son. Whether he’s told you who he really is or not. Which, being the dick he is, I’m sure he hasn’t. So let me probably be the first to tell you. That annoying ass guy at the pizzaplex? The one who can’t keep out of getting involved in things? Yeah, his name is actually Michael AFTON. And if you want details or any answers about his dad’s work you can ask him. Not that he’ll likely tell you because he likes to keep his own secrets, but the details of that past doesn’t matter right now anyways. All you need to know about that is that William Afton did in fact exist and committed all those heinous crimes. This is important because those actions are what led to all the current issues we’re dealing with now. And the company behind it all? They’re almost just as evil as that very man himself. And Cassie, just like almost all the rest of us, you’ve become a target only because of who you are. Or rather who your family was. Again, not going into details about that. But you should really have a talk with Mike about it all. He knows a lot more than he lets on. He always has. 

And because of him and his family and lack of ever taking action to stop it, we now all have to suffer from it. The Interloper who never did anything but get in the way after it was too late. But enough of that for now. I promise I will tell you everything. Even what no one else will. But not tonight. Tomorrow. I’m not kidding, you need to really be able to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself. Take the night to really take care of yourself. Eat your favorite snack, maybe gorge on ice cream and curl up with a good blanket while watching your comfort movie. Squeeze that Roxy doll that I know you still have. Get the best rested sleep you can so you’ll be prepared for it all. And then tomorrow at this same time come back and put the mask on again and....I'll start to tell you about the nightmare that has been going on underneath everyone’s noses for the last five…or honestly maybe even more years. It’s hard to know exactly how much time has passed when you weren’t really even aware of it. For now, goodnight, Cassie. And…thank you for being a good friend. Even and especially since it’s the last thing I deserve. You truly have no idea how much you have helped in the end. But I’m going to tell you.”

Well that didn’t get her anywhere so far. But something in his voice told her to trust him yet again. So, for whatever reason she would. She would go home and do as he said…. Actually, no. She wouldn’t. She’d eat a plain dinner with no snack and fall asleep without watching any movie. He had said to stop being so obedient, right?

She found herself back at the same table. Part of her felt slightly guilty. Her “family” didn’t care of course, but should she have told the others? The Pizzaplex crew? Also, maybe she had done a small dabbling of research looking in the name Afton. Not much. In fact all she had found before she stopped was a list of his family and sure enough listed there as his oldest son was none other than Michael Afton (listed as presumed dead??). The dates and ages made no sense. (Shouldn’t he be some withered away old man barely able to move? Laying in a hospital bed attached to a ventilator or something? That definitely wasn’t the swift boy she had seen punching and jabbing the other night.) But multiple sources had all stated the same. Michael Afton had existed. He was indeed the son of this William Afton.

Afton….she had heard that name mentioned before. Her dad always said it with disdain. Had he actually known the man? And if so, which one: William or Michael? Did her dad have some kind of problem with Mike like Gregory did? And boy did he have one. It wasn’t hard at all to pick up on the hate and disdain her friend had for the other man. Even saying his name sounded like he was spitting venom. 

Then there was that whole scene with Vanessa’s spiraling freak out when Mike had talked about his dad (his dad that had tried to get him killed??? What the heck?) and something about his thoughts or whatever leeching? Okay, so sue her. She was so confused over everything. But that one venture had proven one thing: Gregory had been honest and right about Michael Afton. And maybe that just gave her more of an edge to continue trusting him. She had stopped researching because she wanted to go into all of these with a clear open empty mind. 

Before she can have second thoughts, she immediately sits down, opens the bag and unwraps the mask before placing it back on her face again. That soft whirring clicks again. 

“Welcome back, Cassie. I’ll be honest. I can’t really say that I’m glad you came back. But only because I just really wanted to try and keep as many out of this that I can. But I guess that also means you trust me and really are willing to continue. So, I guess here we go….

I’m not exaggerating but what I’m about to tell you is a lot. A lot for just one person to take in. But it’s the truth. A living nightmare you can’t escape from. And unfortunately it’s the truth. As wild, crazy, and even terrifying as it seems, it’s all true. And it is terrifying. How do I know? Because me and Vanessa have both lived through it…… And honestly, if it wasn’t for you, we would probably still be living and trapped in it.”

She blinked in surprise. What? What do I have to do with it? How?

“I’m sure that part confused you. Don’t worry, I’ll get there I promise. Just….not for a while. But first…. I’m not who you think I am, Cassie. And honestly…neither is Vanessa.” That part caught her attention. Well, it confirmed that Gregory and Vanessa did in fact know each other. Possibly quite well if her guess was right. But what did he mean about that? Of course they weren’t who she thought they were. Vanessa wasn’t just some random bystander who found her; she was Tabby and she was the one who had apparently originally gotten her out of the wreckage. (And saved her life.) And Gregory was…. Well, she still actually didn’t know but apparently not quite who she had thought he was either. But why did he make it sound so ominous? She felt more like she was watching one of those true crime shows: the narrator explaining how the actions of one uncovered a whole hidden secret life of killers or kidnappers or some kind of criminals whose “actions shocked a nation”. He was already really good with his artwork. His storytelling wasn’t too bad either. Had he ever considered a career utilizing those skills?

“ And if you knew who we really are, who we were, you wouldn’t want anything to do with us either. Especially years ago….back when the Pizzaplex first opened. You know those disappearances and strange incidents everyone has talked about? Yeah, those were also true. Not just some crazy stories concocted by bored teenage girls looking for a new thrill. And I can guarantee you why no one ever found them or even tried to look for them. Because they already know….they would never find them…. You see, Cassie, you weren’t my only friend. Not at first. But….being friends can sometimes be more dangerous than you could EVER imagine. Friends, coworkers, even just trying to be helpful just makes you more of a target. The closer you are, the closer you get…it’s just more danger looking for you. So yeah, I tried to stay distant. We all do.

And that’s why we tried so hard to keep you out of all of it. You see, being friends with us or getting close is nothing short of dangerous. It’s the worst mistake you can make. So you can’t really blame everyone for what they did to keep you in the dark. The less you knew the less at risk you were. I know you don’t care about that now. But that’s only because you don’t know the truth. That’s why we’re here. Even your dad tried so hard to do it.”

  Her dad! Why had he mentioned him? Well, that was another fact she could mark off as confirmed on her checklist. Gregory did in fact know her dad, and apparently more than just in passing. Did that mean that Vanessa and Michael and all the others did also? Were they all working together and she had never been aware of it?

“But, again, don’t blame him. He really was just trying to protect you. After all, he was all too experienced and knowledgeable about everything as well. In fact, really everyone but me are. Michael Afton is obvious, and his friends basically experienced it all first hand. And Nessa…well that’s something else. You’ve learned that ghosts are real and they do exist as more than just figments. It’s said that the more traumatic an event is, the more powerful the spirit comes from it. Well, that’s…not exactly a lie either. And sorry but I can’t really explain that part because it’s just over my head. Never really involved me either so I never bothered to learn or understand. 

Anyways, I promise I will get to it. You just have to understand that this is honestly something I hoped never to have to talk about. That could just be sealed away and forgotten like it never happened. 

We know better now. Honestly, it probably is fitting and right that I’m the one to explain it all. 

Long story short (you’ve seen the movies and probably played the games so we’ll skip all that), it’s all accurate. It really did happen. In fact, it was planned to be the very end. But some things don’t end as planned, and well I guess you could say that when one evil is put to bed, it only opens the door for something far far worse…..

((YEARS AGO))

“YOU WILL DO AS I SAY! YOU WILL BRING ME WHAT I WANT, AND IF YOU FAIL ME- (scrambled transmission) WHATEVER IT TAKES. YOU KNOW THE CONSEQUENCES IF YOU DO. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO YOU ARE. DO NOT FORGET YOUR PLACE. YOU BELONG TO ME AND WILL DO AS YOU SHOULD.” There was a scratchy sound as the recording cut out and the group jumped back at the loudness of it.

The dark-skinned man pulled the laptop shut,  “This is a transmission I intercepted before anyone else could find it. The staff bot that recorded it was very damaged and only the audio works in parts. This voice is not at all familiar or recognized in the system and there is no viable reason for anyone to have been there. But you and I both know this isn’t anything good.”

The brunette girl nodded as she looked up at him,  “It sounds like a call to rally the troops.” Honestly she wasn’t sure what to make of it. He was right. The voice wasn’t anything she recognized. The voice (or voices as they change) of your killer isn’t something you’d ever forget. But whoever that was “….it’s not anyone we recognize.” She glanced over at Michael to gauge his reaction. He had a pensive look on his face as he stared off into the distance.

The other man sighed as he looked down, “This is different. It’s not the work of one. I think there’s a whole group at work here. And it’s deeper and bloodier than anything we’ve dealt with before.”

“So do you know who or what it is?” The other darker haired girl stared at him. She was revving for a fight and so far had yet to come across one. She’d figured she’d storm in, kick some doors (and probably a few heads) in, stride around, do some intimidating ‘haha you lose again’ shit and be done with it all. So far she had yet to find any of that. Instead she’d been presented to a mopey Michael (when wasn’t that a thing though? God that boy needed some more friends or a new career or something), an extremely concerned Charlie worried about what they’d find, and a scared shitless Evan (but again, when wasn’t that also a thing?) who was currently staring at the laptop like the very beasts of hell were about to fly out after him. She tapped her foot impatiently. She missed her suit. Why did Michael have to burn it?

“No, literally no idea. I ran the audio in various programs but nothing was notified. It’s something completely brand new that doesn’t register in any system. None of the employees, or guests, or anyone….alive or dead.”

Michael finally spoke, turning to his friend, “Do you know where it was taken?” He leaned back against the wall crossing his arms. Right, he was the oldest. The most responsible. Their clear leader. Yeah right, she could almost snort to herself. Not for anyone who actually knew him.

“Sort of. The recording was shortly before the staff bot was disconnected. Which means it couldn’t have been far from where it was found.”

Michael tilted his head curiously pretending to be all about business again, “Which was where?”

He let out a forced laugh, “Officially? Off the edge of the atrium where it most likely just misjudged distance and fell off.”

The other boy leveled his gaze to stare directly at him, “And unofficially?”

“Right there behind you.” All the others immediately spun around to spare at the barricades around the large hole in the floor. 

“Hhhhhere?” Evan let out a squeak and started shaking like a leaf. Ugh, why did he have to be such a crybaby? What were they supposed to accomplish with him again? Nothing important that’s for sure. 

Ever the leader trying to look (and probably feel) important, Michael walked over to the edge and looked down. All he could see was faint lights almost concealed by the darkness swallowing it. “Any idea what exactly is down there?”

His friend walked up to stand next to him shaking his head, “Not entirely. I didn’t see any evidence so far of anything out of place. Whatever it is must be deep deep hidden somewhere. But….we did find…signs that someone has been down there.”

“Signs?”

“A make-shift bed, some crumbs and pizza boxes.”

Cassidy made a disgusted sound as she looked at the duo, “Seriously? Pizza? Who wants to eat that nasty shit? Can’t be much of a threat with those details. What exactly are we dealing with? Some fat lazy blob? I mean, that’s kind of stupid. Is that really worth “waking” us up? I mean, believe me, I’d love nothing more than to go rampaging and bashing heads in. But so far all I see is signs that someone sleeps and likes to eat crap food that will probably eventually kill them with a serious lack of rampaging and heads to bash.” She walked over rolling her eyes, “Look boys, if you really just wanted a reunion you didn’t have to actually get all of us involved. Sure, yeah yeah, I know the whole all or nothing crap. But still I’m sure you can figure something out next time for that. So y’all go have your fun little date or whatever and the rest of us will go do…I dunno something fun.” She strode over grabbing Charlie and Evan’s arms, interlocking with each of her own and turned them to the door. “I guess just call us when you’re done or uh whatever.” She ignored their protests as she started to drag them with her.

“There’s already been thirty.”

She froze and heard Michael gasp, slowly turning the trio back to the group, “What?”

The dark-skinned man nodded slowly, “Yeah. Well at least thirty. Likely more. That’s just all we have reports about.”

“Thirty what?”

“Disappearances. Children and…adults. It’s been going on for years. And no one has batted an eye.”

Michael turned away with a glare mumbling under his breath, “Sounds like Fazbears…”

The tech sighed, “Look. I wasn’t lying. I really didn’t know what else to do. No one seems to care and those that do...well they have no idea what they are really looking for.”

Cassidy rolled her eyes, ignoring Charlie’s pleas to try and help and released the other two walking back over, “Look, Jer. Don’t get me wrong. I think I speak for everyone when I say we truly appreciate all that you’ve done for us and that we couldn’t do it without you and blah blah blah, but for once Michael's right. Not exactly anything new from a shady creepy corporation that we wouldn’t already expect. Not now, Charlie. Anyways, if we came back everytime they pulled some creepy shady shit we’d never have any rest at all. So why now?”

“Because…” he bit his lip looking away and Michael placed a hand on his shoulder in reassurance, “I can’t even believe this but everything I’ve found only leads more and more to the same conclusion. This isn’t just some man sneaking around and killing kids. And this isn’t just a shady company trying to hide their crimes. This is a company that seems to be embracing it despite how they appear to be trying to hide it all. And seems to be trying to recreate everything.”

This time it was the youngest who ran over in front of everyone with her arms out at her side dramatically, “You mean someone is trying to be a copycat?”

“No, Charlie. Not someone… Someones .. At least more than one. And someones who have access and the ability to hide everything. Entire records disappearing including profiles of missing people; erasing any sign of them being here. And reports of…a rabbit-shaped figure that can somehow disappear into thin air without any trace. Animatronics that have been actually acting very unusually off for years, at times appearing almost more intently sinister.”

Cassidy’s eyes widened in surprise. This is definitely not what she was expecting to hear. In fact did she hear right? That couldn’t actually be, right? Sure people tended to praise and celebrate criminals but that was one thing…. This almost sounded like killing in his honor. Like…

“DID SOME DUMB SHITS ACTUALLY START A CULT OF AFTON?!?!?!”

Chapter Text

“I guess…first I should start with Fazbear itself. I’m sure you’ve realized by now that they aren’t what they seem. A fun happy bright place for families and people of all ages. Ha, yeah right. Evil corporations, yeah that’s a thing. But this…this all goes so much further.

And deeper. Way way deeper. And the worse part? It’s not just them. It’s more than that. The current board is bad enough but that’s hardly where it started.

Remember the Afton thing? Yeah, as in back in the eighties? It’s as far back as that and just got worse. But despite the place or people or even methods involved, one thing has always stayed the same. There’s never been a shortage of secrets. Or coverups. That’s right. Coverups. You may have heard a few things here and there. But even most of those are just random rumors, right?

Come on, Cassie. You’re not one of the stupid people out there. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice that something was at least off.” 

He’s right. She’s always had a weird feeling. And it probably didn’t help that now she’s become more aware of the signs she had missed from her dad before. And apparently there was at least one person who questioned that.

“I’m sure you also figured out by now that your dad was the only one that saw straight through all the bullshit. Sorry, but you’re gonna hear that a lot. And….we’re all sorry for everything. No one bears any greater guilt than us. Especially after everything he did…”

Cassie froze, slowly pulling the mask down. Why does Gregory keep talking about her dad?

Actually…..

She remembered Mike’s reaction to hearing her name. He wasn’t that good at hiding his expressions. She just hadn’t had a reason to consider anything where she first met them.

Vanessa or Vanny or whoever it was at the time (seriously, had no one figured that out before?) had frozen when she saw the nameplate in her hand. And she wasn’t stupid. She knew had definitely seen Mike somewhere before. Enough that it stuck with her. And the entire group had seemed to get more protective when she told them who she was. What did those strange people all have to do with her dad? Maybe she’d eventually find out. She slowly slid the mask back on and continued listening.

“Yeah, he was the ONLY one who didn’t look the other way when things didn’t make sense. When I found out why later, well, you’ll see. But one thing that’s never changed is what hides behind all the fronts, the masks. Tell me you haven’t been blinded by it all either. Intentional and unintentional. FE isn’t just a negligent company with massive payoffs to make problems disappear. They make EVERYTHING disappear.

Did you ever wonder why the games and attractions kept changing so much? I know, I know, they fed everyone that same exact crap about renovations for the better improved future bullshit. But the truth is that everytime an incident was reported or a body found, they were under scrutiny and in the spotlight. Easiest thing is to just get rid of the evidence completely, right?

Well that’s the Fazbear mentality. How do you think they’ve managed to get away with so much for years? It’s not just money that makes things go away. Did you know about all the missing reports? Sure a lot were employees and everyone wrote them off as having run away or reacting negatively towards being terminated. Others reported for strange behavior. Such as tampering with the animatronics. (Something else you should ask Mike about by the way.).

But there were also children. Tons and tons of kids. But hey, in a big place like the pizza plex it’s not that surprising if a kid or two or several dozen turn up missing, right?

And if any of the parents or detectives or anyone start digging too much…..well there’s ways to stop that, trust me. I know all too well. WE know all too well….”

((YEARS AGO))

The little blonde girl giggled as she danced around with the other kids. It was her birthday and she was so excited to be at her favorite place. Her mom and dad had dropped her off hours

again and would eventually be back at some point. But for now she was going to have fun and a birthday to remember. Right now she was going to have her special surprise.

She looked back down the hall at the white figure waiting in the doorway for her. Sure her parents had always told her not to follow or talk to strangers, but this wasn’t a stranger. This was

one of Freddy’s friends. A super secret character that only special kids like her got to meet. The white rabbit giggled again as she tilted her head back and forth with a big smile.

Little Susette giggled back as she skipped after her new best friend and danced around her into the room. Too bad she missed the glint of the object behind the white rabbit’s back as she followed behind and slowly closed the door.

Michael stood quietly at the scene before him that he truly thought he had finally left behind. Or at least had really really hoped it was. He couldn’t be serious. This couldn’t be happening.

It can’t. He’s done everything he was supposed to. He’d made the ultimate sacrifice! How was this even a thing still? He and Henry had guaranteed that it was over. It WAS all over! SO WHY THE HELL WASN’T IT???

This whole deal was total bull shit and just more proof of this unending carousel that he just couldn’t ever get off of could he? And why? Just why? William and Lizzie and anyone else who

were a threat were long gone. This much he knew. This, whatever THIS was, couldn't have been Afton-led. Or at least not physically. Maybe it was copycats or….god forbid actually some kind of cult. But he knew a few things.

Fazbear. Disappearances and coverups. And rabbits. Goddamn fucking rabbits. If that wasn't the biggest brightest red flag flapping in the wind.

He glanced around at the others. As usual Evan was scared shitless and staring at him with wide eyes like he expected his brother to have all the answers. (No pressure at all, right?) The

very damn reason he was stuck here. Why not just add more to it? And the girls? Well, they….

Were being weird as usual.

The dark-haired demon who starred in his nightmares gave Charlie an impressed whistle as the

younger (wait, she WAS the youngest! Why didn’t she look it anymore?) girl spun around with a giggle, “Chars! Look at you! Ditched the baby face, huh?”

The brunette girl grinned brightly, “I'm tired of being the youngest. He told me I could be whoever I want. So now I'm older than all of you.”

Cassidy sneered pointing his way, “Except Mike. He's still the old man.”

Well now that was uncalled for. He pointed over at his best friend, who watched with an amused smile, “Hey! That means you're also calling him old.”

She laughed, “Nah. He doesn't count.” Ignoring his stuttered protest she grinned at the darker-skinned man. “Looking good by the way, Jer. Hardly aged a day. That remnant did wonders for you. You're welcome, by the way"

Michael rolled his eyes. He was never fooled by any of their antics, “Yeah, everyone should appreciate their attempted killers.”

Charlie pointed to his younger brother, “So, now Evan's the baby.”

“What?! I’m not a baby! And no I'm not. I'm seven! You are!”

“Nope. I'm twelve now. It’s your turn!”

“You didn’t even reach six years old before you were killed!”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m still older. Now we can boss you around.”

“You already do that!”

“Yes, but now I get to do it while being older than you.”

“That’s not how that works!!!” Yep, Evan was still whiny as ever. God, what had he done to deserve this eternal hell? (Wait, don't answer that. Can't deal right now.)

“....I'm so proud of you cheating the system.” Cassidy wrapped her arms around the other girl and both giggled like the little devils they were.

Michael turned away ignoring the bickering to walk over to his friend. The probably only sane (and still mostly alive) one in the room, “I gotta be honest, Jer. Why exactly are you involved again? I thought we agreed to just let them sink and be done with it?” He’d known this man for decades, almost as long as he had been alive (and subsequently dead) and right now he knew there was something he wasn’t sharing. From the way he tensed and looked away quickly.

Yeah. Michael Afton was definitely all too familiar with that body language. Especially when you were trying to keep the fact you were a rotting corpse on the down low. What are you hiding?

“It….wasn’t exactly my choice. I mean. Somewhat.” Jeremy sighed and the three younger ones stopped to look at him. “I just really needed a good job to, you know, live and all. And like it or not, helping tamper with animatronics actually teaches you a lot about them. Uh, thanks for that I guess.”

“You’re welcome.” Both girls replied flatly in unison as the boys just shrugged.

“Anyways. It was just supposed to be simple. Quick way to earn until I could find something better again. Especially in this economy. And yeah I started to realize they were up to their usual

tricks: cutting corners, payoffs. All the usual. And I was actually preparing to leave. For good. To hell with this place. But then…. he found me.”

Cassidy tilted her head, “ Who found you, Jeremy?”

“This guy named….Edwin Murray.”

“Edwin…. Murray ?” Cassidy’s eyes widened, “Oh…oh no. Not him! Anyone but him!” She stared at him and raised an eyebrow. “Um…who the fuck is Edwin Murray?” She turned to the others.

“Guys, do we know any Edwins? Or Murrays?” The other two kids shook their heads, “Yeah

that’s what I thought. Mike? Is this some other crazy unstable relative of yours that we have yet to meet?”

Jesus Christ. Did they not realize there were other psychopaths out in the world besides the Aftons? Not everything evil had to come from ONLY his bloodline. He gritted his teeth but before he could respond, Jeremy cleared his throat. “Well, uh, you definitely won’t meet him now.” He rolled his eyes at the incredulous looks the others gave him, “It’s because he’s dead, guys. He’s literally dead.”

“I mean that didn’t stop-”

“No, Cass. As in he’s dead and not a dead killer. He has nothing to do with William or anyone else…as far as I know. Honestly, I’m not even really sure who he was. Besides some random

board member. But he died. Or was probably more than likely killed. But what’s weird is that right before he died I got a strange message from him. Now, I had never even met this guy

before or heard of him. But somehow….he knew me. I guess. And against my better judgment

I opened it. Unfortunately all his messages are long gone now. Shortly after, someone hacked into the files and deleted a lot of stuff.”

“But before that?” Of course Charlie would be the first one to take it seriously. Even despite her age, she’s always felt a duty to protect when she could. It’s why she was in this deal. If there was anything she could do to help prevent someone from going through the same suffering she did, she wouldn’t rest until she had.

“Before that he had sent a bunch of messages that he had obviously written before he died. Long story short. He told me he had messed up and was falling for the trap . A trap that

everyone was stuck in. He said not to trust anyone, especially one of the board members named Jason Burrows. I know, another name that has no meaning to any of you. Which it

shouldn’t. Except that Murray disappeared and a few weeks later his body was found. Official cause of death being heart attack. Yeah, I mean he was pretty old. But that same day Burrows showed back up ... .after no one had heard from him for weeks and he was, well changed. And I’m pretty sure that Murray’s body was never intended to be found. Since it was actually reported and not just another write-off.”

The raven-haired girl shook her head, “Okay so there was some weird workplace tension going on. That happens in big companies. Doesn’t necessarily mean that-”

“There were sheets of paper found with his body. Stacks and stacks. Written in strange cryptic scribbles. It took me a while but after I recognized it encoded in one of his messages, I was finally able to figure out one of the phrases that he kept repeating several times. ‘I’m sorry.’ Over and over again. It was also the very last message he sent me.” The others all stood quietly listening to him.

“Not gonna lie. At first I just ignored it. Either some crazy idiot desperate for attention or a dark hole I didn’t want to fall back into. So I let it be. Until after his body was found. I figured the best thing I could do was at least acknowledge a dead man’s wishes. So I finally opened and read through all of them. He was frantic and suspicious about something . Very paranoid. He said

there was some evil program that had been uploaded in the entire system. A program that was making all the tech act off. He blamed himself for it, although he never stated what it actually was and claimed it was a dangerous evil that would kill everyone. He left some clues to find some kind of book he wrote. Which I still have yet to find. In his very last message he begged

me to help. That I was the only one who would understand and could stop it.”

“What did you do?” Evan asked quietly.

“Well….I ignored it at first. I told you, there was no way I was going down into a dark hole. Not this time. So I let it be. Whatever happened, he’d take to his grave. Or at least that was the plan. Until…..it couldn’t be anymore. It wasn’t too long before things started to get really weird.”

“How weird?”

“Disappearances, drastic plan and physical changes, and technical issues no one could seem to resolve. And in the midst of it all? A building stack of unreported and lost incident reports and investigations.”

Michael knew exactly where this was going. “That’s why you couldn’t just walk away, wasn’t it?”

Jeremy sighed nodding lightly, “Yeah. Lawsuits were popping up and being snuffed out at an alarming rate even for Fazbear’s. And this wasn’t just missing kids. In fact. That didn’t even

really start until later. At first it was reports by employees and guests. Serious injuries and incidents. High game and attraction turnover. Guests who....weren't acting like themselves after using certain ones, or just disappeared shortly afterwards so the company couldn't be directly blamed. Stuff that I….just couldn’t ignore. And I knew all of it would disappear, so I created a ghost program that couldn’t be detected from anyone else to search for and copy each and every report that ever had anything to do with FE. There’s a special storage for all the copies where no one else can access it. I’ve also got a few I can show you if you need examples. But….guys it’s bad. Possibly worse than anything else we’ve seen. Ever. This is more than just missing kids or murdered security guards. Big names have been killed or gone missing. Whatever’s behind this doesn’t care who they target.”

Cassidy sighed, “Okay so yeah all of that is classic Fazbear work. But I still don’t really get it. That’s all just corporate stuff. It literally has nothing to do with anything Afton, so why are we

here?”

“You’re right. At first. But then the disappearances started. And although I tried to ignore it at first, I couldn’t look away from the pattern.”

“What pattern?”

“Some of the victims. Ranging across all ages. Children and adults. There have been many but a few specific stand out. Brian Gabriel . Suzy Sommers. Fritz Johnson. Jeremy Waters.”

Michael’s eyes widened in realization. “It’s based on the names of the originals.”

Cassidy spoke quietly. Although she always tried so hard to hide it, there were moments she'd slip back into that terrified little girl deep behind the ferocious beast, “All the originals?”

“That’s just some of the first ones. Charlotte Britton. Emily Bowers. Jason Evan . Jonathan Cassidy . Elizabeth Elders. Andrew Thompson. Henry Prince. Michael Leevers.”

“They're all names related to-”

“Exactly, Charlie. It’s all names that were purposefully chosen because of their ties to William. And the strange rabbit symbols that have started popping up everywhere? If this isn’t your dad, Michael then it’s something pretty damn close to know names that only he would know.”

“That doesn’t make sense.” Okay so for the first time, he found himself actually with Cassidy. Great. That meant the world was about to end. “Everyone else is gone. We made sure of it.”

Jeremy sighed, “Well something made that communication. Add that to the increase of missing people in this area and the fact that the entire system itself seems off. We all know FE has its own shady history and no one has seemed to be remotely concerned about any of that.”

The other girl crinkled her nose in confusion, “This doesn't seem anything like william though.”

He shook his head, “No, it's not. It's far worse. And if I'm right, it may already be too late.

Damage is irreparable. But if something isn't done....”

Fuck. Well, there was no coming out of this unscathed now. He knew his best friend all too well. They knew each other that well. Whether it was sharing rumors of missing technicians or security guards. Or trying to understand how robot machines were coming to life. Even plotting how to stop whatever crazy shit his dad was up to. Missing kids? Hey, let’s find them. Strange message from his dad who’s been MIA forever? Let’s go investigate together. Ol’ Henry has an elaborate plot to finally end it for all? Hell yes. We’re in it together. Whatever it takes.

All the way to the end. But hey that’s how it was for them though, wasn’t it? Ever since the very beginning. When they were stupid enough to do that whole….

Michael leaned back against the wall. If there was anyone he would go to all ends of the earth with it was the one person who he knew would do the same with him. Two people haunted by the crimes of the same mad man. Sure the kids were victims also, but Michael Afton and Jeremiah (Jeremy) Fitzgerald were the survivors left behind to deal with it all. Each had lost (at least) someone they cared about and sacrificed a part of themselves. (Parts that they thought they couldn’t get back but that was a whole nother thing in itself.)

Which meant there was only one way this was going to go. Once again the two of them (plus a few obnoxious ghost kids that were at least allies now and not trying to kill them anymore) were about to embark on another downward spiral into hell and who knew what they were going to find this time? 

(Geeze they really needed to get some more people didn’t they? Maybe by some miracle someone not quite so dead or undead for once?)

He felt all the younger eyes on him. For whatever reason (and despite how many years they had all spent trying to kill them) they kept doing that. Looking at him for judgment and decision making. Maybe it was so that he would be the one to blame when everything went south?

Michael sighed as he looked back at the technician. The same eager look directed at him. So, one last ride it seems.  “How the heck are we going to pull that off? It was one thing sneaking or not having to around a dark Pizzeria. Pizzeria with my dad’s shit all over the place and a lot easier to deal with. This place has some of the top notch security....even though no one

seems to have seen anything suspicious at all. Strange security clearance levels that may or may not actually exist. Doors that require special status to even open? Not exactly just your run of the mill random restaurant to sneak in and out.” At their expressions he shrugged, “What? So yeah, I did a bit of research. Like I didn’t already know how this was going to go. I’m not stupid.”

Cassidy snickers and he rolls his eyes. He still can’t decide whether he’d rather deal  with the heathen child brat or giant bear trying to bite his head off. One physically and one mentally. (At least the bear was a bit quieter and slightly less obnoxious.)

“Anyways, back to the question. No ghost children we have connection to get in and no back way to get in. So what does that leave us to getting in?”

Jeremy gave that smirk he was all too familiar with, “Well, good thing it's an easy system to hack.”

 That sounded….way to easy. “Really?”

“Well, no. Not anymore. Not without at least grabbing attention. But one thing I can pull up and hack into is the employee portals. No one pays attention to any of that for whatever reason that makes total sense of course.”

Well that was something at least,  “So you can create fake credentials?”

The other man screwed his face up, “Eh....not really. I can only go off of what they've already had listed. Strangely enough FE never removes anyone or marks them as terminated/black listed or even deceased. Shocking, I know. …….so, congratulations Mr. Eggs Benedict on your demoted position to live-in technician.”

The brief moment of silence was broken by the cackling laughter of the two hyena children. Even Evan (that traitor) was trying his hardest to hide his smile.

Oh, what the fuck? The unamused boy dead-panned, staring down his best friend (although now he was really having second thoughts on that. Was it too late to just get another bestie? They can’t be that hard to acquire can they?”  “......seriously? Why not at least as Schmidt??? That one’s just…ya know. Everything better for literally all the reasons?”

“Yeah well…. Honestly it sounds so made up no one would bat an eye and probably just think it was just some new fancy bot or system. And don't you think it's a little less threatening or attention getting than Mike?”

“Well, but…. It’s.”

“Plus for all intents and purposes pretty sure it’s not a wise idea to hook up with any of our pseudos or potential triggering names.. So no Michael, Mike, Fritz, William, Dave, or Jeremy or any of that.”

Michael groaned, “Ugh I guess you’re right. So what crazy name did you end up with?”

“Uhh… Jeremiah.”

Yep, it was time for a new bestie. Applications going out soon. Anyone willing to tag along with a former animated living corpse and handful of annoying ass ghost children that could bite your head off at any time? (Seriously, apply now at your own risk.)

They missed the glowing pair of eyes shining through the grate from deep within the vent in the wall behind them.

Chapter Text

"Ya know one thing no one ever mentions in all those stories? Who the REAL victims are. And funny enough, those are the ones that get the blame. It's like, 'hey did you hear about that guy that got shoved down after the performance? Those robots are so unstable.' 'Missing people? Well there were some strange shaped foot prints. I bet they went rogue.' Kid got his head almost bit off? Sure let's go ahead and blame the simple things that only respond to codes and programming and NOT the assholes behind it who thought it would be funny. AI? Oh yeah that's definitely the future of killing. It's always bound to go rogue and kill us all.

Ha, hardly. Do you actually think any of the animatronics (or at least most of them) wake up in the morning and go, "hey you know what would be great? To just go out and kill someone." Well, except those that deserve it, but yeah anyways."

Cassie noticed something subtle. Another shift in his tone. Before he'd sounded so just...narrative. Like he was reading a prompt and distanced himself from it. And before that almost desperate. Sorrowful. Quiet. (Guilty?)

But now it was like someone else again. She could hear fondness. Maybe even some protectiveness building. Which was kind of funny thinking about how the two animatronics she had seen had reactivated to his name being mentioned. Roxy seemed ready to tear his head off and Freddy to defend him. (Which was kind of similiar to Vanessa and Mike's reactions.)

"So, let's get something straight. I know your Dad was a technician and trained in all that, and I'm really not sure what all you know, but the basics of the animatronics is this: robots built by humans to follow coding and programming. You write a command or task and they follow it. At the pizza plex it's run exclusively by AI. Before that....well not really important.

....that's a lie actually and Cassidy would probably kill me for it before Nessa could stop her so I take that back. It's important. Very important. Because yes the animatronics in the original restaurants were super important, just different. Its pretty primitive so I don't know much about them or how they worked. Or were intended to work. Not nearly as advanced as the Glamrocks.

The newest ones were built with the ability to learn and adjust. Eventually make decisions. Function as humans for the most part. Except they don't have what humans do and are still technically soulless pieces of technology that walk and talk and look pretty.

That's it. That's the very basis of how the animatronics work. But things can always affect that. Decades ago it was....well ghosts powering them. And we're just gonna leave that there because if you thought that was weird well yeah...

Anyways, so even with ghosts or souls or whatever you wanna call it, the possessed animatronics were still limited. They could walk, make noises, and well, think. Sorta. Kinda like semi-sentient I guess? And if any of you are spying and heard that, I didn't mean any lesser by the way so chill.

Right, so, past animatronics: primitive tech and ghosts. Pizzaplex, including the Glamrocks, however were run by something way more advanced. Now that sounds pretty on paper and fun but really opens up a new host of issues.

Now, know what both possessed and AI animatronics have in common?

They can be HACKED. Or controlled and wow I guess really neither of those words sound good. But it's basically what it is. Hacked is a lot better to contribute to technology I guess. Maybe hijack is a better word? Sure we'll go with that.

All animatronics can be hijacked. And from that? Well that all depends on who's behind it and their motives. It can be silly little pointless things, like pranks. Or more nefarious like well....just yeah.

Animatronics can be dangerous but not on their own. By theirselves, they don't WANT to hurt you. They dont want to hurt anyone. When hijacked though? They can be compelled, coerced, forced; pick any fancy word you want for it. It all means the same.

Someone can make them do stuff they aren't programmed for and don't want to do. No matter how much they resist. In the end that's exactly what happens. What did happen.....

Just.....way way worse."

Michael Afton.

Only Michael Fucking Afton would be dealt this screwed up hand. And of course the kids in their infinite knowledge knew almost every damn thing about him.

"I'm about to take a page from Henry's book and burn this whole damn place down."

Everytime he thought it was the end he'd wake right up under another damn Fazbear related roof.

Every. Damn. Time.

Well, at least this time 'Mr. Benedict' got his own private suite...in the form of a tiny hole in the wall deep in one of the utility closets? Was this meant to be an extended closet or something? Whatever least he had something away from-

....he jumped as the door was kicked in and the group strode in. Well, Cassidy strode through like she owned the damn place (and probably thought she did), Charlie had at least a bit more tact, and Evan just followed along looking sheepish as usual.

"You guys can just go through walls you know and not have to risk breaking stuff." He narrowed his eyes as the group ignored him.

"True," Cassidy said, "But he can't." She jerked a thumb behind her at Jeremy who gave a half-hearted wave. That traitor.

His friend cleared his throat and set down a laptop on the counter hooking it up. Great. Well so much for privacy this go round. His room was being set as ground zero for operations.

Figures. This really was his own custom hell.

Michael groaned as he walked over, shut the door, which was thankfully still in one piece then, joined the group of uncivilized animals who couldn't shut a damn door behind them.

Jeremy booted up the system typing away so much it made Michael's head hurt. "So, first of all. This room is the only place not tied into the system. Meaning, no cameras, no networks, no signals, nothing reaches in here. So far nothing has been done of it and if anyone tries we'll get an alert before they come close to breaking through. It's just a dead zone technology wise. No reason to care."

In this case, literally.

Cassidy gave an impressed whistle, "Damn, Jer I didn't know you were so technologically advanced."

The other man grinned, "Well I had to find something else to dabble in, besides animatronics. Anyways, anything seen and done in here won't be detected. And computer and system wise nothing outside of our own network I've run in here. It's basically a closed circuit." He glances at the kids staring in awe, "And it would probably be best for you guys to stay invisible."

Charlie frowned, "All the time?"

"Well, at least after hours even if there aren't any other staff. I guess during the day having more kids roaming the area wouldn't be be questioned as long as you stick only to public areas and don't bring attention to yourself." The three nodded obediently like they weren't demon spawn ready to make life hell. "Oh, and avoid the animatronics when you are. They shouldn't be able to tell that you're ghosts but they may still notice it even under invisibility."

Charlie blinked curiously, "How does that work?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure but it has something to do with the network they're connected to. I don't know if they can see so much as know there's something there. But they've reported seeing or noticing things no one else does that the cameras never picked up. Like a strange disturbance. Just stay away to be careful. From any of the robots really."

Michael sighed leaning forward onto the counter looking back at his friend, "So, what's being haunted by who and how do we put them to rest or whatever?"

Jeremy sighed and gave him a meaningful glance. "That's just it. I can't figure it out. Normally I, you know, feel if there's someone there." Yeah, that was something all of them did. So if he wasn't feeling them then something was definitely unusual. "They are powered purely by AI, and coding and such. But I think someone has been hacking the system and overriding their programming. Making them act....off. Plus there have been redacted reports of them being sometimes slightly aggressive towards staff."

Michael snorted, "Aggressive animatronics. That's a new one." As he rolled his eyes he could feel her own boring into him and ignored it trying not to imagine the fangs closing around his head. "So it sounds like you pretty much got it figured out. We're dealing with someone who broke into the system and just need to track them down, kick their ass, give them a stern talking to, or whatever."

"Which I did." He showed them the screen full of meaningless dots and letters that slowly formed a shape. "Well, the trying to find part. And it led right back here. This is the graph map to pinpoint the source. It appears as a little blue dot showing the very source of infection and pinpoints locking it in place. Now watch when I search for it."

He hit a button and the screen went bright with thick blues and trails all over it. "There isn't a source to pinpoint because it's the whole system."

Cassidy stared at it curiously and then back at the men. "The system hacked itself?"

Jeremy sighed, "I don't know. I can't explain that. It gets worse. One thing they weren't lax on was the security for the network. It's near impossible to get in without any kind of current credentials." He stared at the other man as the implications of his words sunk in. "Which is why I needed to make you an active employee. Otherwise you'd never see anything except blocked screens."

Charlie's eyes widened in surprise, "You think its an employee."

"It has to be! There's a lot of encrypted messages barely detectable but unreachable. So it's either an employee who has figured out how to get in deeper. OR something else here that has learned how to. Either way it's something or one in this building. And Fazbear purposely made sure they didn't hire anyone with any computer or network skills. They didn't want to risk anyone being able to get in, even one of their own. So whoever did it, it was intentional and likely malicious. I've got a list of current and recently former employees and absolutely none of them have ever had any type of matching training or background."

Michael frowned starting to get a better understanding of his friend's thoughts. "Someone knowingly is hacking the system and is smart enough to still keep some things undetected. But who? To take animatronics instead of the old-fashioned ghost controlling way? And for what? To control long distance without getting their hands dirty or being on scene?"

Jeremy pulled the laptop back around to face him and continued typing again. "Actually I don't think it's about the long distance at all. A few nights ago I intercepted a now deleted clip of footage from one of the security camera feeds. It happened after hours which begs the whole question of how someone got into the plex alone as well as all the staff only areas. Multiple clearances were used. All by names and codes that don't match anything in the system. Anyways, this is one of the staff tunnels. There's no sound but you really don't need it to understand what's going on."

He spun the screen back around and they gathered curiously to watch it. At first, it seemed pretty cut and dry, but when he replayed and zoomed in that's when they saw it.

On the screen, a woman, with a tight bun on the back of her head, passed under the camera and it tracked her following her down the hall. They couldn't see her face because of the angle but every once in a while she'd pause, look around, and then start walking again. Her mouth was moving so she must have been talking but no one else was there. She stopped one more time in front of another doorway and looked hesitant. She looked in front of her, tilted her head then went through the doorway.

A few seconds later a large lumbering figure, that could only be an animatronic, followed behind her. Then the screen fizzled.

Jeremy pulled it back around and started typing again, "I found Freddy in that room the next morning with no recollection of how he got there. More importantly, being in the system, the animatronics act as recording devices and such themselves. When I checked there was no coding and no records of going down there or why. It's why I snagged and copied the footage before it could be reviewed. And that area down there? Basically leads to part of the basement for dumping and animatronics aren't even allowed back there. So, a robot ends up somewhere he shouldn't be with no memory or coding to explain being there where he also needed a lot of clearance to get through."

Michael frowned, "He? You make it sound like they can think on their own."

Jeremy scratched the back of his head nervously, "Yeah, uh, virus or hacking or whatever aside these guys are a....special breed. You'll see."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

As usual his concerns went unaddressed as the laptop was spun back to face them. This time enlarged, "Now this? This might be the most concerning. See how her mouth moves. She's talking to someone. But no one's there."

"So a crazy managed to break in? A stretch but not impossible I guess."

Jeremy nodded eagerly with an excited smile, "That's what I thought! But then something told me to look again so I did. Look at her body language. The way she pauses and acts. She's not just talking to someone."

Aw, shit. Yep, he saw it to. "She's following someone...."

"Right! And the person she's engaging with seems to just be offscreen? Not exactly. Look at that spot right on the other side of the doorway then watch it backward."

They did. Leaning further in they saw the small movements barely recognizable. It seemed to maintain the same distance away from the woman the entire time.

"What's that?"

"That is technically what we would log in as a glitch. Basically a malfunction. Likely caused by a disturbance that's blocking the camera's view of an area. Could be caused by a speck of dirt or animal moving to fast to actually detect. But the fact it always stays the same distance from her suggests it's from something she's wearing or carrying. Except when she goes in the room it stays outside the doorway but disappears after Freddy goes in."

They pulled away from the screen quietly glancing at each other. What the absolute fuck. He was right though. Specks of dirt don't just hover in the air and it was probably very highly unlikely for a cheetah or peregrine falcon to be zipping around in the undersides of the plex.

"Jer," he finally asked in a hollow tone, "What do you think it is?"

"Someone disrupting the camera so they cant be seen. Someone went to all that effort to hack into the system and use or call animatronics to them. To do what I'm assuming leads to all the strange occurrences. The only difference is instead of blending in, they're trying to appear invisible. And I dont think it's just at night. During the day they've reported experiencing strange sensations and things that no one else seems to notice."

He stopped and looked the other man directly in the eyes, "Technology that alters perception based on what the user wants you to see....or, in this case, not see?"

Holy shit.

Okay, now he was catching on a little bit more. If you mentioned anything like that to most people, they would think you just watched too many sci-fi movies. But when your life was a sci-fi horror thriller movie.... (Or probably more like a game. After all movies ended and games just seem to keep going on and on and restarting whenever you thought you were finally done...)

So, potentially killer animatronics being controlled by someone who knows how to run the game, and has a few advanced tricks that shouldn't even still exist. (After all he'd made sure all those burned as soon as his dad was out the door. Fuck Fazbear and their stupid tech. Where did they even get the blueprints and knowledge of them? 

Maybe a bit of concern.

The young boy in the room finally piped up quietly as everyone turned to stare at him, "What, uhh, happened to her? The lady in the video."

Jeremy leaned back. "It took me a bit but I was able to finally figure out who she was. Someone who shouldn't have even been here after hours, with no tie to the company. Her actual company has reported her officially missing with no evidence or leads. And since no reason or record for being here, never affiliated with Fazbear's. The biggest difference between her and the overall pattern is she was never registered as being here or in the system. Whereas almost everyone else either disappeared from here or, in most cases, after having been here. I don't remember her name. It's in my other extended database. I'll show you later."

Wait, what? Michael blinked in surprise, "You have another one? I thought you said this is the only secure area!"

"It is. But I've got everything else stored away in encrypted files in a spot no one will ever find it, trust me. There's always the worry if someone suspects something from this room they might go probing. But the gold mines? Far from here. Kinda hiding in plain sight. I had to make sure no one can find it unless I've given clearance. The only other thing I need is something I've been playing with for a while. It's almost complete but something keeps kicking back."

"Hiding in plain sight? Yeah sounds like a good move to beat the system. But aren't you worried they could still be trying to trace something back to you when you go poking around?" Oh, Charlie. Ever the concerned one. Maybe she just needed someone to mother and fret over.

Jeremy grinned back mischievously, reminding him of a much younger kid in a very different time before any of them knew what laid before them. That same grin he'd go on to see for years and decades. Their equivalent of everyone's hell yeahs, let's do this, game on, etc.

Maybe this was just one long ongoing game and he was amped for every round. Before answering the phone, before getting too close. Before dismantling and cutting connections. Before lighting the match.

Before doing what they did best.

Michael Afton and Jeremiah (Jeremy) Fitzgerald. Fazbear's personal eternal rat problem. The termite infestation that always came back to wreak havoc. Freddy's personal vandals.

"And that's why I'm working on creating my own ghost to monitor the system. Something that can't be seen or detected but runs in the background tracking movements and activities, and finding a way to block them."

Yep, that ongoing pest issue.

The large monitor in the dark room lit up flashing different words and photos quickly before finally flashing once more and two words appeared in large letters with a blank square box next to it.

EGGS BENEDICT

Technician - Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental

The years were off. Started decades ago with no ending date. In the square box it said 'no photo available'. The second entry read his newly reinstated employment that had somehow happened. A man who was employed decades ago that was never terminated or retired or quit and therefore had been listed as inactive until a few days ago.

A man who, based on the original hire date alone, should be either dead likely rotting underground or at least bed-ridden. Not suddenly reinstated as a current technician. And since there was no photo of the original employee there was no way to tell if this new one even remotely looked like him (or her).

The black gloved fingers drummed thoughtfully on the keyboard as a deep distorted voice broke the silence. They were going to have to keep an eye (or several) on this.

"Interesting."

Michael Afton has been through some shit. No one can argue that. But this? This wasn't just some shit. This was a whole new level.

Find and repair animatronics. Cool he could do that. If there was anyone close to being crown prince of the animatronic industry it would be him. He probably knew the most inside and out.

Or, at least he thought so.

And then he MET the Glamrocks (or at least heard about them) and everything he knew went out the window.

First he had to find them. Apparently one of them had had an incident and shattered their fingers. (Their not his no matter what the reports said. At least not until he saw WHO was inside.) Sounds simple enough? How hard can it be to find robots?

Apparently extremely. Despite having rooms (yes rooms, not stations or whatever) they were free to just wonder all around. During the day they mostly stayed around the stage and backstage area, but at night they could be anywhere.

Literally anywhere in a giant unending labyrinth with plenty of spots for jumpscares or finding decaying corpses. (Also quite a few spots that seemed pretty flammable.... Really, FE, have you learned nothing?)

After visiting what he thought was every possible area (and later found out wasn't even a fraction of it) he got an alert that said animatronic was sitting in Parts and Services waiting on him. Whatever. Maybe he was just a tad grouchy.

Foxy. Yeah he could handle this. One of the originals with just an updated design? Nothing too fancy. Possibly even fitting in a way. Nostalgia and all that.

Or so he thought.

Until he saw the figure sitting in the cylinder waiting for him.

And he felt every urge to jump up and down like a child screaming, "You're not Foxy!" as that thing most definitely was nothing from any of his previous fond memories.

It was a fox sure. And, and he did have a hook and eyepatch. But that was it. The bright colors, the stylish hair (seriously who came up with that?) was a far cry from the grinning pirate he had once enamored (before it tried to eat him or whatever.) This was like a robotic super model strutting out on the runway. What. The. Heck.

"Foxy, do you....recognize me?" Might as well jump straight to the point. Then again if this was Fritz, he'd be having a fit about how his Foxy was no longer intimidating or scary. (Maybe a little scary).

"Argh!" Michael totally didn't jump when he heard the smooth aggravated robotic voice speak. "Call me by me name. I be the great Captain Foxy!"

....well that was a tad dramatic but okay.

"Alright then, Caption Foxy, do you-"

"And no! I never be seen you a day in me life, scallawag."

Okay first of all, you're a robot, you don't have a life. And secondly what's with the attitude? The flashy animatronic glared down at him. "Well?"

"Well, what?" Michael couldn't lie though, something about the fox was extremely unnerving.

"Well, ye the new tech right? And I be told to report to Parts and Services. Well, I'm here so how bout ye get to servicing me?!"

That's not what....

The technician rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this over with." He looked at the mangled hook and dented arm. Jesus, what did these robots get into? "What happened?"

The fox shrugged and he almost lost it there and then. "I....fell."

Hold up. A giant terrifying precise killing machine just fell? Into what, a trash compactor???

"You...fell?"

"Aye. I mistook the edge of the stage last night and lost me balance."

Okay. All he could do was nod and settle the fox in. He could do this. He'd repaired them many times before. All he had to do was-

And then there was some alert about leaving the room and being dangerous and he totally didn't race out like his life depended on it. As soon as the doors closed, the computer next to him buzzed to life. Oh he knew that damn voice all to well. This was it. His own personal hell.

"Welcome back, Eggs Benedict! Please follow the instructions below to complete your repairs."

He strongly resisted the urge to smash the computer to pieces and instead followed the prompts. Actually very quick and simple. Except for one small change he had to make.

As the machine whirred to life, he stepped towards the glass watching as the animatronic was temporarily deactivated and the light went out in his remaining eye.

Of course it had to be the damn fox. Just to torment him. At least Evan wasn't here to see it.

As the room in front of him turned hazy from the lights and smoke his mind muddled and buzzed as he recalled back to the conversation a few days ago....

((FLASHBACK FEW DAYS AGO))

"This is complete and utter bullshit. I already fulfilled my end of the bargain! And all in return to keep my soul from hell. I mean I burned the fucker alive! Or dead or whatever! Still did it." He fumed at the old man in front of him. He did NOT just, after all these years, suddenly pop back out, wake him up, and tell him to go back to work.

Of course the fucker wasn't even the least bit phased. Smug bastard that he was. "Technically, that was Henry."

"I still helped!" After all, it was HIM that had brought them all together in the first place.

"Not quite how this works. As you are well aware."

Michael growled. God, all he wanted to do was punch that annoying old man who thought he was better than everyone else. "I don't get it. Haven't I atoned enough? I hunted him all over undoing and destroying everything he built. What more do you want from me?? I already live with this guilt everyday."

He sighed and for just a moment he looked almost sympathetic. "You've only done these out of duty. The truth is that's not how atonement works. You can't complete it out of bitterness."

"Well of course I'm bitter! Apparently nothing I've done so far in all these years is good enough to keep me from eternal damnation! What the hell else am I supposed to be? All smiles??? Shall I throw a ball and invite everyone in???"

"Should have thought about that before." It always came back down to that, didn't it? One stupid little mistake that changed his entire life. A prank gone wrong that forever haunted him. An innocent life stolen that may have very well lead to a chain of destruction. Destruction that he had spent every waking moment of his life and un-life to end and destroy.

"AND I'VE DONE NOTHING BUT LIVE WITH THAT GUILT EVERY WAKING MOMENT! Even Evan has said he's forgiven me. Isn't that good enough?"

"It's not his choice to make."

He snorted bitterly crossing his arms, "Of course not. It's your little poster child Andrew's call isn't it? You listen to his ideas, his suggestions. Do you make just as many deals with him??? So what, because I was the one not killed and tortured by the mad man i don't get the get out of jail free card?"

All he'd even wanted to do was tear apart that smirking being that hid behind the green alligator mask. The child filled with as much rage and violence as him. Vengeful, jealous. He only knew minimum, at best, what exactly his father had done to create such a monster, but he was never like the others. He reveled in the suffering of others. Even Cassidy kept her's in balance but Andrew ran wide open with his.

Luckily the boy had never been given the chance to possess an animatronic. Just a dangerous, vengeful, hateful ghost. He would have made all of them pale in comparison if he had. Michael Afton likely never would have survived one night, let alone five.

"Well, I suppose we could always ask Evan if he thought it's been enough. Or perhaps even Cassidy. She's always been brutally honest."

He swallowed nervously. The last thing he ever wanted anyone to know was that that his mission was purely selfish driven. Cassidy did it for vengeance and to make sure no one would ever suffer as she and the others did. Charlie wanted to protect, save, and comfort any victims. Evan was there purely because he wanted to follow his brother and atone for their father's crimes.

And him?

Michael Afton was solely doing it to keep his soul from going to hell. As long as he played the game correctly and won, he could prevent it that much longer. Maybe even one day fully redeem himself.

He sighed in defeat, "No, I'll...I'll do it." He looked to stare the old man in the eyes. "This is the last one?"

"I will honor my terms if you do yours. Henry Emily is no longer around to guide and lay the pieces for you. This is your's to handle. Even if you fail to succeed an honest attempt is all I ask for."

Wait a minute. What? Since when did anything think they would fail? They had it. This was their gameboard. "Why do you think we wouldn't succeed?"

"Just making a statement."

The young man rolled his eyes. Always with the weird shit. "What's so important about this one anyways? That you need me so bad for?"

When Michael looked back at him, he had a strange undecipherable look in his eyes. "Things are not always what they seem....."

"Great, another cryptic message. I'm so done with everything. I hate being Michael Afton."

And the old man actually gave him a geuine smile. "So don't anymore. Be whoever you want."

That annoying buzzing turned into a loud beeping and he blinked refocusing on the room around him.

ALERT PLEASE PROCEED WITH THE NEW ATTACHMENT SO PROCESS CAN BE STARTED.

Right, he was supposed to be replacing Foxy's arm. He grabbed the new pristine one and headed into the room. Before he set it in place he looked over at the fox. He was still deactivated. After glancing around to make sure no one was around he walked over to the now missing limb. Quickly he slipped the tiny discrete chip inside one of the open slots, following Jeremy's instructions carefully to connect it.

The voice system from hell kept on with annoying announcements until he finally slid the arm into the slot waiting for it.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. NOW PLEASE STEP OUT AND CONTINUE THE PROCESS.

He was really going to need a miracle to survive this hell.

He waited for the process to continue and it finished impressively quickly. Foxy was reactivated and had the briefest faint flash of purple glow before his eye lit up as normal. He sat up looking at his hook and then at Michael.

The brown-haired man grinned, "Good as new, eh?"

The fox scoffed as he got up and walked out, "It'll do, I suppose."

Wow. Much gratitude. Whatever. He looked again at the damaged arm sitting in the container to eventually be hauled of among several other parts. Did these animatronics just have a habit of damaging themselves? The originals hardly ever got so much of a scratch on their own and he felt like he was at some weird animatronic emergency clinic or some shit.

He froze as he looked closer and saw the faint red stains on it.

"Fell off a stage, my ass."

He again missed another pair of glowing mechanical eyes watching from the darkness as long ears tipped in the shadow on the wall behind it.

Chapter Text

They tried to get rid of me

But from ocean to ocean

They gon' have to deal with me

I been overlooked, slept on, stepped on, left for dead

Always against all odds like Pac said

I'm the living Great Gatsby

But these boys are watchin' quick and disappear like Banksy

From ocean to ocean, sea to sea

I'm something that you gotta see"

 - Ocean to Ocean ~ Pitbull

"Don't blame them, Cassie. It's not their fault. They didn't want to do it at all. And some of them....weren't even aware when they did or even know what exactly they did. I guess maybe those were the lucky ones who didn't have to experience it.

Remember when I said you were in danger? I wasn't lying. Or exaggerating. This is really dark territory. I mean I can't say it any other way. This isn't just a masked killer running around hidden in the darkness. It's not just rogue AI acting off and needing reprogramming. It goes so so much deeper. 

Remember, Cassie. If nothing else, always remember this.

Things are not always what they seem...."

She pulled away the mask and leaned back in thought. Something about his tone. His words. They were off. Was there something she was missing? Of course things weren't always what they seemed. That was like one of the basic plot lines of any good movie or show. Red herrings, evil hiding in plain sight. But, if you were really smart you could catch onto it quickly. The way a character acted, body language, avoidance. Suspicious activity. Like secret meetings and sneaking off. Making thin-lined excuses that fooled everyone around you. 

Hidden phone calls.

Avoidance. 

Jumpiness.

Thinly-veiled explanations. 

She thought back to that day in the salon when her dad walked away to answer the important call his phone never rang for. 

When her appointment was over he still hadn't come back in so she went to find him outside. He was sitting inside his car with the windows rolled up and hunched over. She didn't want to disturb him because it seemed really important. So she went to just open the door and slide in but it was locked. It was like he was so focused on his phone call, he didn't even see her. 

She had raised her hand to knock but stopped since she could just barely make out his words to whoever he was talking to on the other end. "No, no, don't do that. It's what they want. I don't know, ee!"

That last word had never made sense and she figured she must have not heard all of it. When she knocked on the door he jumped in shock but then disconnected his call without another word and smiled at her. Like he had been sitting there waiting on her the entire time.

That entire experience was probably the strangest that she could recall. But not the only one. As she thought on it, there had been several instances where her dad had seemed almost…cagey. Like Vanessa as ‘Tabby’ and Mike. Was it all connected? Had she just been too blind to notice what exactly it was?

And then she remembered the very last voice message she played that was left on his email when she pulled it up after he disappeared and she was desperately searching for clues. 

A soft voice that she originally thought had to have been a prank or a wrong number left an unusual message she ended up just deleting. It was so cryptic and strange. Something about animals and other nonsense. A voice she'd never heard before or since. So she'd ignored it. Or at least she thought she hadn't. 

But now that she thought about it, after everything, things got clearer and she realized it wasn't the voice that threw her but the tone. Like a clip from a horror movie (which she totally never watched for sure....) where the stalked victim makes a panicked cry reaching out in desperation to someone they know will help.

It was now that she realized exactly what had been said by the frantic almost terrified voice mumbling in the message. And, although it still didn’t make any sense, she knew those were the very words she had heard,

"Bunnies for Rabbits. It's HIM."

The large blue rabbit continued watching the new employee from the shadows. His sunglasses were pushed up and he remained in place until long after the man had finally walked out.

After once more glance to make sure he had indeed left, the rabbit turned and made his own exit after sending out a special alert.

He watched the other man typing furiously on his laptop, occasionally growling in frustration.

"So....what exactly....."

His best friend sighed looking up at him. "The idea is to basically act as a backdoor to getting in. I'm hoping to activate a program that hides within the main system. It will help us see more of what's going on and maybe even be able to track and trace down the source. Like I said: my ghost in the system."

"But...."

"But it's not kicking in. It hasn't been caught or noticed. I'd get an alert if so. It's just not working." He growled in frustration. "It's got to though. I don't understand, I coded it perfectly. I'll just have to keep working at it." He closed the main window and pulled more up. "In the meantime, I guess it's as good a time as any for you to meet them. The place just opened about twenty minutes ago so no one's going to question kids roaming around."

Michael looked at him in confusion, "Um, meet who?"

Jeremy stared at him like he had three heads before speaking slowly, "Them. You know, the Glamrocks."

"The....what?" Who the hell came up with that? Not his father. Maybe Henry, but that lucky man was long dead.

His best friend sighed as he started typing away again, "The animatronics. The band. Well, and Monty. There's also the DJ and Daycare Attendant, but we won't worry about those right now. You should’t have to deal with them as long as you aren’t in their areas. And there’s really no reason for you to be right now. So just stay away from the Daycare and Fazcade."

Monty, DJ...what?

Jeremy ignored his friend's confusion (as usual) and carried on, pulling up pictures. "First of course we have Glamrock Freddy. Since he's technically the only one, we just refer to him as Freddy. He's...interesting. Not much of an overall personality. Not like the others anyways. He'll sing and put on a show for the audience and guests who meet him, but otherwise he mostly keeps to himself and the other animatronics, rarely interacting much with the human employees. Except for a few exceptions. He's just....off. And no, not like your Freddy was. It's....hard to explain. He's not like the others."

Creepy weird Freddy. Yep that went hand in hand. Also under his belt of experience, so good to go there. The bright colors and expression in the photo was a bit much, but he had this. Next!

"Then we've got Glamrock Chica. Same thing. Just Chica. She's one of the ones with some weird....quirks. And I mean weirder than normal. She's a bright friendly character. Very motivating and good with young kids. But, when she's on her own, and especially at night, it's like she becomes something else. All that matters is food. And not just any food. Junk food. Especially pizza. In fact she would probably kill someone for pizza. So maybe don't get in her way."

What the hell was that slim white thing on the screen? She looked like someone's older sister ready to go for a run, not the giant yellow chicken he was used to. He heard one of the girls make a strange noise but ignored it.

"Next, Glamrock Bonnie. Same thing, just Bonnie. Yada Yada. He's also interesting, but in a different way from Freddy. Both seem to be very much more self aware but Bonnie doesn't stay in that same mode. He's probably the most outgoing of the group. The two do tend to pair off a lot and just something to be wary of."

Evan blinked at the image. "Is he wearing sunglasses?"

Jeremy chuckled, "Yeah. He's a rock star after all. In fact, right now he might just be the most popular. And he....he knows how to put on a show." He let out a soft chuckle as he looked down for just a brief moment.

Michael inwardly bit his lip but showed no outside reaction. He wasn't even sure how to begin to comfort the other man. Everytime he looked at any form of Bonnie (besides anything yellow), he could always see the other man's younger cousin dancing around trying to impress everyone. He always wanted to be a Rockstar.... (Until he was forced to be.)

Charlie laid a hand on Jeremy's arm and smiled warmly. In life and death (and undeath?) the girl had always been a force of nurturing and comfort. Despite her own pain and hurt, all she wanted was to help someone else. The other man smiled and nodded gratefully at her and she stepped away. 

He gave himself a few moments to calm himself before pulling up another image. "This is Roxanne Wolf. Roxy for short. She's in charge of the race course on the race way. I think she was created because corporate felt there was a lack of female representation. So they created Roxy and bam, she's probably the favorite among the girls. She's very confident, bordering on prideful and extremely competitive. To the point of being almost obsessed about it. She tends to be more aggressive at night, and most avoid her after hours. I'd advise you do the same."

Michael stared at the screen with a mix of emotions. His father had played with the idea of a wolf character but never went through with it. This one however looked like she belonged in a magazine not a mall. He couldn’t even start to imagine something like that up on the stage at his Freddy’s. She wasn’t just a rock star, he was staring at a full on glamor model. What the absolute heck?

"Next up is Monty. Montgomery Gator. He's.....something. And definitely the one to avoid if you can. He's extremely aggressive but keeps it to himself until after hours. He's also always breaking....something. Only a few employees even dare to go near him. He's wild but not like a wild animal. Just....a lot. If anyone were to hurt you it would probably be him. That's one reason he's not in the band. Corporate doesn't know if they can trust him yet. So he stays in Gator Golf, usually in the catwalks, away from everyone. There is something unusual about him that I can't explain though...." He looked away from the screen in response to the silence.

Cassidy looked intrigued. Charlie seemed nervous. Evan was scared. And Michael? Well....

"I'm sorry....there's a freaking ALLIGATOR now????" 

Yeah, Michael wasn't taking it so well.

"Yeah.... He's.... I don't know what to say. He keeps to himself, mostly avoiding the band. But there's just.... I don't know. Something off about him. Compared to the others. Compared to any others."

Of course there was something about the gator. Who the hell would even create a robotic reptile?

.....Fazbear. That's who.

 "Foxy, which you met. He's also not part of the band. In fact, he's kind of secret. They're working on getting his attraction opened up but it's still all under wraps for now. For whatever reason he was activated early so they just kept him around. I think he stays hidden with security guards during the day but after hours he's out like the others. That's why I needed him for this programming. If there's anyone easily involved more it would be him. Able to sneak around without causing suspicion of being absent." He sighed, closing the images down. "That's it for now. There's others but they stay in their own areas. So you can worry about them later. Also the staff bots, security bots, and map bot."

Michael blinked in confusion, "I'm sorry. Map Bot?"

"You'll know him when you see him. Trust me. He can pop up anywhere. He's probably the best employee here and great at his job. No telling where he'll be. But believe me, you don't have to worry about looking for him because he'll definitely find you. He always does..."

Okay..... What the hell was this company on when they created this colorful cast of characters? "Anything else important to know?"

"During the day the animatronics are either performing or staying in their areas. The band, of course, performs throughout the day and do parties and meet and greets. At night, they are allowed to roam, but during the day, if not doing a performance or appearance, they tend to stay in their green rooms. Freddy, Chica, and Roxy's are all next to each other on Rockstar Row. Bonnie is in his attraction Bonnie Bowl because he prefers a quieter space and it was one less room to build. Although they've been working on a fourth in Rockstar row so he'll probably be moving soon. Foxy doesn't have one yet and Monty is in Gator Golf." He pulled up images of each room. 

Did Michael hear that right? "I'm sorry. Green room? What, like bedrooms?"

"Sorta. More of a technical term but it is their own private rooms."

The raven-haired girl narrowed her eyes at the images, "They get rooms??" Unsurprisingly it turned into a glare directed at him. Because of course Michael Afton was the base of everything. "Why didn't we all get our own space? You know how much nicer it would have been?"

Yeah, because he was trying to make the little murder machines feel comfy. "I'm sure that's the last thing the mad man was thinking about."

"You still could have done something."

Charlie seemed enamored as she studied the brightly lit images. "They even get to decorate it how they want. I want my own room."

He snorted, earning a glare from all the kids, including his brother, and rolled his eyes. "Sure.... soon as we all settle down and buy a house you'll all get your own rooms and you can do whatever you want to it."

Cassidy sneered, and he just rolled his eyes again, "Holding you to that, bub."

His brother looked over at him in excitement. "Can we get games like they do also?" 

"Sure, he said we can do what we want to it."

Shut up, Cassidy and....wait, seriously?

 "They actually have video games in there?" Sure enough there was a game cabinet in each of the rooms shown. Each title having something to do with the character. Now why they hell would anyone-

Cassidy tilted her head, "You know you should have considered something like this. Enrichment would have made us less murdery.  Maybe."

Of course it would. Because why on earth would he ever let ghost kids and murder robots just play games all day while chilling in their own space like Villains in a lair. If anything they would probably just come up with more clever things to do to him.

"Oh!" Jeremy snapped his fingers in thought before digging through his bag. "Almost forgot. Here." He tossed a small object that Michael easily caught and looked at. 

"What's this?" He turned the strange watch over in curiosity before putting it on his wrist grimacing at the cheesy smiling face staring at him.

His best friend chuckled before pointing to his own, decked out in bright neon blue and purple. "It's called a Faz-watch. All employees have a form of it. Some an actual watch like this, others as a phone or tablet. One guy even had it in his glasses."

Charlie frowned, "Had?"

"Well when Monty pushed him and he fell and broke them he was fired for damaging expensive equipment. I'd suggest not doing that."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Jeremy waved him off, "Anyways it's your basic tool for everything: calendar, messages, records, maps, checklists. You can even shake it to take a picture. But that part's still wonky. You'll also find lists of tasks and daily reports."

As if on cue the watch dinged as a message popped up on the screen. ".....does this really say something about Chica eating trash and getting damaged by a compactor, again?"

"Susie's gonna be pissed. She thought that was over." Cassidy shook her head. 

"Yeah it happens. Anyways, if you click this button here it will pull up all the security cams."

He hit the button on the side and the small screen was filled with several tiny screens and scroll arrows indicating even more. "So everyone can just see everything at any time?" 

"Not just anyone. Technically this is a security guard's version. But it's all that was left. So, yeah. That's the Faz-watch! There's also a Faz-wrench but I'll have to sneak you one later."

Cassidy growled lightly, "' Faz '.  Figures they'd name everything after that stupid bear. God, I can hear Gabe now." She stood up straight speaking in a whiny high-pitched voice, "I'm Freddy Fazbear and I own everything because I'm all important and the only one who matters."

Evan spoke quietly, "Gabe doesn't sound like that."

"Well, he could. And totally would if he was here. Faz-pain in the ass...."

"And what else would they call it? Goldie-watch? Fredbear Inc?"

"Hey! You do not get to call me that! "

"Right, ever since you kicked me out."

"I had to! You just kept getting in the way! How was I supposed to kill security guards if you kept getting cold feet? Besides, you said you didn't like it."

"I didn't!"

"Exactly."

The younger boy sniffed. "I know you did it to help me. But now I don't have anything...."

The she-devil grinned as she patted his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll make Mike fix you up something. Right Mr. Eggs? It’s not like it’s that hard to make or steal and repair one. Even Eggy should be able to manage it."

And in true dead undead ghost kid solidarity fashion all three snickered even as he glared at them. 

"I hate everything." He turned back to the other adult, "So is this how we communi-"

Jeremy's eyes lit up in terror,"No! ....sorry, but no. Everything on this device, on any of the devices, are all connected to the same network. Including all the animatronics and bots. Any of the employees can access anything on it at any given time. Or at least anything not hidden. It used to be a program called the Story Teller. But they took it offline and created this new network. The V.A.N.N.I. network."

That was a new one he'd never heard before, "V.A.N.N.I?"

"Yeah it stands for-"

Cassidy rolled her eyes, "Some long fancy words we don't understand or care about?"

He laughed and nodded, "Yeah, that."

Okay. Meeting new animatronics. Definitely not his favorite but he's done it a few who-knows-at-this-point-how-many times. And usually Charlie soothes the souls within and even the machines themselves. And Cassidy tends to assert herself over them pretty quickly. (All hail the Golden Bear from HELL .) 

So yeah. They've got this. After all, what could possibly be worse than the Fun Times?

How bad can it possibly be?

Chapter Text

Gregory's cryptic words kept ringing in her ears. It was definitely him. Somehow she knew that. But something was off. Part of her wanted to change her mind and drop it. Turn around and leave it all behind as everyone so desperately wanted her to do. The more she listened, the more this uneasy feeling creeped along her veins. Her survival instincts were kicking in harder than ever and her gut twisted telling her to run. But she didn’t know why.

She was more confused if anything. All she's been told so far is that weird stuff had been going on in the pizzaplex (and not just there) and no one had batted an eye. Except her dad. She remembered sitting and hearing all the news stories. The parent's desperate pleas for their children to return home. The twisted rumors at school about a monster that lived there. (How right they were about that.)

So her dad finds there's a problem and calls up (how exactly did that work? Did he just ask for him or call him on the phone and book a flight?) Michael, who he somehow knew. Was this the same Mike who, according to Gregory, was apparently the son of some old ancient killer? (Wait, how was that even possible?) And these random ghost kids. (Seriously her dad has been keeping this ghost secret to himself? How unfair!) 

Well, if that was the case, and Michael was Mike or Michael Afton, then she was right about Mike being an employee along with her dad. And that's where she was now. And frankly none of it could be true. He’d have to be pretty ancient himself, right? And didn’t Michael Afton die like forever ago? Or at least that’s how the movies went. He either died a hero or quietly away living a life of bliss with the love of his life raising a family. Yes, she knew those were fiction. But she did know that he was indeed supposed to be dead. And Mike wasn’t like the girls. Even as she could see them, she still felt something off. Mike seemed just as human and not at all surprised she could see him. So what, is she supposed to believe he’s some kind of vampire? 

This is Gregory after all. He’s always blown her away with his stories and illustrations. Is that what this was? Just some elaborate way to tell her one of his stories he had made up?

Gregory's stories still didn't make sense in other ways also. It was almost like he was jumping purposely. Like he was avoiding something. He’d dig deep into something and then suddenly be in some other topic.

For one thing, how did he know so much? He hadn't mentioned himself once being involved in anything he’d said , and yet he seemed to know almost everything. Had her dad been the one to tell him?

Why was her dad so deeply ingrained anyways? And back to the original thought. Where was he? What had happened? How did he go from basically inviting an old friend over to completely disappearing without a trace?

(Why did he do any of it?) 

As she pulled the mask off and settled back into the chair she started to feel light-headed. She looked down at the inside of the mask and, as her vision started to get blurry she saw purple streaks stream out from the eyes growing bigger and brighter as they traveled. Until she was surrounded by darkness again.

The silence only lasted a few minutes before she heard more distorted voices and sounds echo around her but nothing was there. She slowly started walking and soon the only sound was her shoes clicking on the black and white tile below. At the sound of water rushing she looked up and shined a flashlight that was suddenly in her hand. 

Oh no, she knew this sight. It was the same one from that night. She froze as she heard the sound of metal grinding in the distance followed by a loud clanging crash. She jumped back. No, how was this possible? How did she get back here? She wanted to turn and run but everything around her was black. She was too terrified to even call out for help.

Another faint crash from the left caught her attention and she turned towards it just to see large bulbous red eyes fade quietly into the darkness. And right where the figure had been, appeared a letter. It was strange and the first sign she wasn't dealing with actual reality. Not the way it just appeared. The font was like an end game screen from an old video game. 

S

A loud snarling roar from behind her caused her to spin around only to see another one appear. 

A

A loud snapping noise sounded right next to her but again nothing was there except another letter.

V

A high-pitched maniacal laugh.

E

A flash of yellow (or was that gold?) as something barreled towards her then disappeared.

T

A bright flash caught her attention just in time to avoid a bloody knife that was swung down at her and disappeared. 

H

Loud mechanical whirring and banging.

E  

Giggling and laughter from all around her turned into blood-curdling screams.

M

And then it was silence again. As she walked forward a room came into view. It looked like one of the rooms from the old games with an empty stage. Blood slowly started to drip then flow down the wall and there was one more scream before she woke up with a gasp staring down at the blank mask in her hands.

Back under the ruins of the pizzaplex, a single game flickered to life as the same letters flashed on the screen. 

SAVE THEM

------

------

------

"So we're really doing this?" He leaned back and crossed his arms as he stared at the scene on the bed in front of him. 

At a safe distance of course.

Charlie and Cassidy had finally been let in the room. Cassidy had been all but about to hulk out in bear form and tear the wall down if they didn't, and Charlie as always had followed right after. She had the worst separation anxiety anyone's ever seen. Well, both of them did. 

And once the girls were let in, they immediately sped over to the blonde, pushing him away, and Cassidy growled if he even stepped in their direction so he'd just stayed on the other side by the door. He wasn't that stupid.

Not that he needed to guard it or worry about keeping anyone else out. 

Evan was currently still trying to calm down Freddy before he followed suit and Andrew was probably somewhere close by, wherever or whatever he currently was. Roxy had her own thing going on, but even she kept checking in with Freddy. (Please be successful Evan. Last thing he wanted was two large way too sentient robots bursting through the wall, again.) 

In hindsight though it made sense. Charlie was definitely the best out of everyone for calming relaxation, and she was currently humming softly as she combed through Vanessa's hair on one side of her with Cassidy squished up as close as possible against the woman's other side staring up at her with a sheer case of adoration and worry while...painting her nails.... Seriously?

Plus, despite everything, nothing seemed to calm Vanessa like her 'kids'. She'd even had to verify that the boys were all okay and tell them she was fine herself before she'd stay in the room willingly. 

(Mike really did not EVER get paid enough for this. Herding cats was never in the job descriptions. Maybe his dad really did have it easier...)

That was still something he couldn't get over. How quickly the girls (especially Cassidy) had taken to her. Even Andrew immediately accepted her. And she was the only one that Cassidy liked.  Besides Charlie. And Evan. Okay so she was the only non-child the mini demon accepted. And more than accepted. From almost the moment she'd met who was under the murderous bunny mask (well one of them), the raven-haired girl had been drawn to her and showed so much adoration every time she looked at her that you'd think they'd always been together.

In fact, the kids tolerated and accepted Gregory (and okay they DID also like him), but all clamored around the blonde. Even Evan in all his shyness. Cassidy had tried to say they all shared something that he'd never understand. And since Charlie was included and not him it wasn't just bad parenting. (Most likely something far more sinister that he didn't even want to think about.) 

The blonde sighed as they finally made eye contact, sitting with her legs partially under her and partially under Cassidy. "We don't really have a choice anymore at this point."  

And that was just it. He knew they didn't. The one thing they had pledged and set to do, and they had once again failed.

"I don't like it." Not that it was his decision though. He didn't get to make that call because he wasn't the one to really deal with it. The ones who were, did. And he was just left to support it praying they knew what they were doing. 

"I know you don't, Mike. But what else are we supposed to do? Keeping in the dark never works out. She would just push more and more until she ended up in something she couldn't get out of with no one to help."

And she was right. He knew that all too well. Secrets and lies that just ruined everyone who was kept out of them. He just couldn't bring himself to say it even when she next said the very thing both were thinking. "Besides, it was only a matter of time. Who are we kidding? After all, if Jeremy hadn't done the same...." She looked away and he straightened in concern as the girls paused and looked at her worriedly as she spoke quietly, "Things would be very different wouldn't they?" 

Charlie spoke up leaning against her quietly, "She just wants to find her dad. And she could have just left with that. But she didn't. She refuses to give up. ....you can't stop that." 

If there was anyone who could understand a girl's love and devotion to her father, it was Charlie. (And she was likely the only one.) Knowing Jeremy, he had been just as much of a loving and doting father as Henry himself. Something the rest of them never knew. Maybe that's why she kept such an eye on the human girl. 

(Oh please don't let it be another Cassidy situation. That shit is just weird.)

But of course he had to be the rational one and point out the obvious everyone was dancing around. "Do you think he got to her?" 

Vanessa immediately tensed up at his question and Cassidy pressed more tightly into her like she would crawl into her skin if needed. (And she would in that all too disturbing way.) "No. I don't think so. He tried but...maybe we stopped him. Maybe they reacted too quickly. Something got in the way."

"What if it was an elaborate trap?"

".....she wouldn't have done what she did if so. SHE broke the connection. Something you can't.....just do." 

Charlie stopped thrumming through her hair hesitantly, "I have questions."

"And I wish I had answers. But I don't. I don't know anything this time. He...blocked me. Completely. From everything. " 

Mike bit his lip as he considered his next words. It would open a can of worms they would never be able to contain or come back from. But if he didn't....he knew he'd always regret it. They all would. After everything. "What if he's right?"

She frowned, as always, on his same wavelength. "I don't know why he would lie about that. But if he is.....then we owe it to try. Don't we?"

"How?" 

"The same as any other. That doesn't change. Just...a secret side quest."

Cassidy looked between the two in confusion and....was that excitement? Oh, no. "Secret?"

Mike nodded, "If we're right it changes everything. But if we're wrong.... We can't let Cassie build up false hope of finding her dad. It would devastate her. So, this doesn't leave the room. No one else can know. Not even Evan."

Charlie piped up, "We won't say anything."

"I really wish none of you had heard or was involved in any of that at all."

Cassidy rolled her eyes at him, "You literally couldn't keep it from me even if you tried. And where I go and know, so does Char. So get over it."

He sneered back at her, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about how the whole creepy kid parasite leeching thing works."

Vanessa frowned, "Can we NOT call it that? And anyways, no one else involved. Not even Gregory. That would kind of defeat the whole purpose of everything."

With the other bane of his existence focused on his own work currently that involved said girl, that wasn't an issue. Yet. 

Thankfully with Evan keeping them busy, neither of the animatronics would have heard any of it. And hopefully he had them working on something to serve as an outlet for all that pent up energy. (Like disassembling endos). 

And as for these two....

There were two things you didn't come between (and Mike had been on the receiving end of both plenty of times): Cassidy and Vanessa (for whatever weird reason) and/or Charlie, and Freddy and his "kids". With both of them occupied and out of his sight, the bear was just as likely to tear through walls as well, again. Roxy had a bit more restraint but she'd been close to it when Cassie was in the hospital. And although he was experienced in keeping animatronics behind walls and doors, trying to tear through not because they were trying to kill someone was a lot harder than he was used to. Thank God he didn't have to manage any of the others. Just took them down. 

(Yeah, this was all definitely nothing his father would have ever wanted or planned for. His machines were intended to be chained killers, not whatever the heck was going on here.)

Which only left one other factor. The original wildcard.

"Andrew." Mike called out to the silence. They all knew he was around. He was always watching and waiting. Deeply ingrained in any and everything at any given time. Even when everything else was blocked.

The intercom in the room crackled, "I'll keep scanning for any alerts, and keep it contained. You'll need to activate separate channels. Secure networks." Ones that couldn't be traced or hacked. Not even by the best of the best. The three girls nodded in understanding. 

It was most likely probably definitely the dumbest move. The most risky. THEY wouldn't have accidentally let something like that slip without expecting a reaction, a response. A well laid out trap they couldn't refuse. And wouldn't. 

But when has that ever slowed them before? None of them would even be here if it wasn't for those dumb risky moves.

Now they had a new goal. Or at least an additional one. Well two. Protect and apparently train the headstrong daughter of the man who changed everything, while secretly following any and every lead to possibly find him. 

Charlie's eyes glinted in thought and Mike knew that look all too well. No. "If Cassie's...... Does that mean we can take her now?" 

Cassidy straightened up in interest, pulling off the woman. He face-palmed. This is what he gets for keeping around criminals.  "What?! Char, no! We've been through this. That's kidnapping. Alive or dead it's still a crime !"

Cassidy narrowed her eyes, "The crime would be leaving her to stay there. You wouldn't understand." She scoffed and then turned back to Vanessa with a deep look in her eyes, "But you would."

Vanessa's eyes widened in realization, "Oh."

And as Michael Afton stared at the merry band of murderesses in front of him, finally able to make their own moves and decisions, he knew that once again, he had been out voted by the killers behind the masks. 

He really needed to get some sensible less blood thirsty non-criminals on his side.....

Watching how the girl formerly known as the Puppet went back to brushing the hair of the woman who carried the most blood of all of them on her hands, and the former terrifying bear continued delicately with the nail polish brush, Mike just had to wonder what his life had become ever since he took that stupid descent to hell.

Elsewhere, the first person he ever killed was busy consoling and calming a frantic animatronic bear that had personally torn him apart a few times. While an almost equally aggressive robotic wolf watched protectively from a distance over the innocent teen she had taken a shine to. (Or maybe it was something else more than obligation.) 

The very girl who was finally being told (some of) everything they'd all kept so carefully locked away, by the other bane of his existence who had also attempted his murder multiple times, personally and with assistance. (Still, Mike would not kill him ONLY at Vanessa's insistence. For now.)

All the while hoping that their little 'ghost in the system' would be able to find and trace the evidence they needed to fill the desperate hope that they could find and save the one who had ended up saving all of them, by sacrificing everything. 

Part of him wanted so badly to ask the stupid old man, is this what he intended for?

Michael Afton was long gone. Burned away with the real original hero Henry Emily in a sacrifice to end the world of its current demons. Along with all the guilt and selfishness harbored for decades.

This was Mike. Not a leader or their 'king' by any measure. But the one to make the tough calls and handle it all, with a former trapped reluctant pair of murderers, managing a pack of rabid ghost kids (or just animatronics) that were once out for his blood. And now another living human. One not filled with remnant, dead, controlled, or with monsters living in her head, haunted by her works.

Years ago, the scene he was met with was unlike anything he had ever seen or expected. Not even in the nightmares induced by his father's tactics. Decades ago, he would have probably punched the first one to try and tell him his future. 

Before he was ever truly faced with reality and a world where a bullying asshole couldn't survive. And even after, accompanied only by his reruns of cheesy old sitcoms and faint ghosts of the past. 

Well, round three it is.

Chapter Text

"So now you see how it all started. Well, not exactly everything since it was going on way before this and I’ll get to all that later. But I guess you could call this the turning point. The first roadblock that actually started to put a halt in everything and stick. You see, for years this dark evil had transpired over the entire pizzaplex and even further than that. It was all over the system and even reached other locations. FE was nothing more than a collection of slaughterhouses luring in unsuspecting innocents as well as its own. 

The worst part of it all? .....they were so successful at hiding in plain sight without getting caught. For years under no suspicion. Every incident written off as an accident or ending in pay off to grieving families with money made from the victims. Blood and names of others wiped from records. The monsters and demons ran everything for years with no opposition or deterrents. A den of murders and lies lying directly under a colorful world so many frequented unaware that it was nothing more than bait, built upon the bodies and souls of unknown numbers. 

But sometimes when you rip those masks away and find out what really lies beneath, not only can it change your entire perspective, but also reveal an entire new nightmare that really changes everything...."

{YEARS AGO}

[DAY 3]

......scratch that, that SOOOO didn't have it. Whatever the hell these things were were nothing like any he (or the kids) had ever known. Even Cassidy seemed caught off guard.

"What the fuck did they use to power these?"

Yeah, good question, Cass. 

Jeremy's strange words started to make sense. 

First, they watched from a distance.  And their first introduction of the 'Glamrocks' was their appearance on stage. Say what you will about Fazbear's shit but they knew how to put on a show. For just a fleeting moment he forgot this was another mission about possibly (most definitely likely) killer animatronics and actually enjoyed the experience. 

The entire ambience of the Pizzaplex was very bright 80s. The fun entertaining times they left behind decades ago. It was almost like someone obsessed with the 80s created the designs for everything, including the band themselves. The music wasn’t too bad and yeah, okay, so maybe the brightly colored members up on stage did definitely have some skills. 

What was terrifying, however, was how lifelike they were. These weren’t the animatronics they were used to. The way they walked, talked, and flowed….was just too humanlike. And nothing short of unnerving. How was Jeremy so calm about all this?

(Well, maybe losing part of your frontal lobe that would kill most people can do that to you. Seeing as how he really should have just been dead or just in a vegetative state if-) 

Anyways, this was several steps up from anything they’d ever come up with before. He was really going to have to meet this ‘Mr. Burrows’ who was said to be behind most of the great ideas in the company. (And probably punch him in the face for good measure and ask him what the fuck was he thinking?)

One thing collectively about the group was that none of them were fooled by any of it. The bright lights and larger than life displays were nothing more than distractions. They easily spotted all the dark hallways, vents, random doors; all easy places to snatch someone unseen. 

“Who threw up a rainbow all over Freddy?” Cassidy (and Evan) weren’t too impressed with the color scheme. It wasn’t brown or gold, it wasn’t Freddy to them. Charlie, however, was lost in all the ambience and for once he didn’t have the heart to pull her from it. If she wanted to take the time to find enjoyment in something, why would he deprive her of it? They’d already lost so much. Feeling eyes on him he spun around but no one was around. Well, almost no one. He definitely hadn’t missed the blue rabbit as it walked out of the room. Apparently they’d caught someone’s attention. 

“Hey guys, maybe we should…..aw fuck.” Those little shits. Now where the hell did they go? He groaned in annoyance. Fine then. It’s not like he was here to be a babysitter. In fact he could probably handle all this better on his own without them to get in their way. Without their childish antics to bother him, that just meant he had less to worry about. 

Besides he was getting tired of Cassidy’s snarkiness and Evan’s scaredy cat shit at all the shadows he saw. And Charlie’s… Well, he couldn’t say much about her, okay? She wasn’t too bad. But still, she was a kid and one of them. Which put her in the group with the exceptionally annoying brats that spent years trying to kill him. This wasn’t fun and games. His own soul was at risk, and they were too busy acting like rugrats let loose into a giant amusement park. Who gave a shit about anyone else involved? 

Fine, now Michael Afton could finally get to work. Find out what was going on, play a few games and then smash, or burn the motherfucker behind it all. Whether it was his dad, another stupid animatronic, or whatever else had managed to crawl its way into here. He was a pro at this. Four nights of mystery, misery, with it all coming to a fiery end on the fifth night. Or, ending badly for him. But he’d never let another stupid thing like that happen again.

For one, he’d never trust anyone again, especially any animatronics or spirits or whatever. No, his sister had ruined all that. And his father. And all the brats who for years had tried to kill him. He was on his own and he was just fine with that. If the others wanted to think they had some team dynamic then good for them. Besides, Jeremy, it was just him against the world and his father’s legacy. 

Michael Afton and Fazbear. An eternal battle that never seemed to end. Endless cycle of five nights from hell. Each week worse than the last. Least they only had three more nights to go.

And besides it’s not like he actually cared if anything were to happen to any of those little sh-

A piercing scream snapped him out of his thoughts and deep investigation into that extremely suspicious vent. Shit. He spun around. Yep, he knew that one all too well. Had heard it for years before any of them were ever aware of the nightmares that awaited them. And for the first time in a while he actually considered him as his baby brother as he raced towards the sound. 

Fuckkkk…..

He skidded quickly into the large opening and froze at the sight. The giant bear had Evan’s arm. Cassidy was enraged and held back only by a fearful looking Charlie. No. Who the fuck dared lay hands on his-

He strode right up seeing red himself. He’d waste no time in dismantling this stupid machine just like he had all the others. As it turned to face him, he prepared for giant sharp teeth to snap at him or a clawed hand to rip off his arm. It was fine. The robot could try it. But he wasn’t the crown prince of the animatronic empire without reason. This was one of the few times he could easily channel his father.

Instead the animatronic seemed surprised (and even a little nervous) at his approach and quickly let go of the boy’s arm, who ran over to Cassidy who was definitely ready to throw hands with the robot with no hesitation.

“I apologize if I scared you. I was just worried when I found children wandering around without any parents. The pizzaplex is quite a large place and easy to get lost in.”

Um. What the fuck?

“Oh, are these your children, Mr. Benedict?”

All the rage, drive, and everything that had fueled him just moments ago washed away with the absolute confusion on his face. “Huh?”

The colorful bear tilted his head. “Mr. Benedict. That is your name isn’t it? Newest employee transfer?”

And what could he say to that? 

“Uhh yeah.. That’s totally me! Yep. Eggs Benedict here.” He resisted the urge to punch the snickering kids. Funny how they could drop all intense emotions whenever his life was being made into a mockery. 

The bear let out a sigh of relief. Was he actually worried that he had gotten his name wrong? Since when did these machines care about that? “Oh, good. Then my protocol says I am to report all lost children to employees so they can handle it and make sure they are taken care of. I trust you can get these children back to their parents?”

Yeah, obviously none of the trio had any parents to return to but he wasn’t quite ready to share that information with this obviously strangely concerned looking character. He sighed, “Yeah, they uh. They’re with me. Not my kids though! My….cousins?”

Glamrock Freddy tilted his head again, “Cousins? Are you not sure they are?”

“No, no! I mean, yes! I know they’re my cousins. Obviously! I just…got a little caught off guard.”

The bear nodded happily, “Oh, of course! My apologies. I am sure you are still new to everything.” He bowed. “I am Glamrock Freddy and welcome to the new and improved Freddy Fazbears Mega Pizzaplex. It is nice to officially meet you, Mr. Benedict and….” He looked at the kids expectedly.

“Please, just call me Mi- uh Eggs!”

He blinked in confusion, “Your name is Miuheggs? What an unusual name. Nonetheless, if that is what you wish-”

What was happening? “No! I mean, my name is Eggs. Just Eggs. And uh, that’s Cassidy, Charlie, and Evan.”

Freddy turned to the kids and bowed again, “It is a pleasure to meet you Cassidy, Charlie, and Evan,” He turned back to the adult. “I’m afraid I need to go get ready for Showtime again. But if you or any of your cousins need anything, feel free to ask me or any of my friends if you see them. We always love to meet more faces.” And with that, the large figure walked out the door. 

Walked, as in like a normal human, not a lumbering animatronic that he was used to. “What the…”

Charlie looked at him curiously as the three kids finally separated. “Did he even know we weren’t actual kids?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. Jer was right. Make sure you avoid them after closing.”

Cassidy snorted, “I totally could have taken him. If Charlie would have just let go.” She turned to Evan gently inspecting his arm, “Are you okay? Any punctures?”

The boy shook his head, “No, he didn’t try to hurt me. He just scared me.”

The raven-haired she devil finally dropped his arm, satisfied that he didn’t have any wounds, “Yeah that definitely wasn’t Gabriel.”

Yeah, no shit.

And that wasn’t even the weirdest. The wolf (Roxanne as she kept telling them) was enamored by how beautiful Charlie’s hair was and was ready to drag Cassidy to some salon claiming she could make her’s just as special. And the little spitfire was actually pissed at him for putting a stop to it. What, did she really think it was safe to just walk off with some robot she didn’t know and ignore all possible danger?

And it’s not like he actually was worried about her or anything. Just that it was something else getting in his way that he would have to deal with. Couldn’t those brats just do something to stay out of trouble for once? They weren’t in highly indestructible metal suits of doom anymore.  

How naive and stupid could they be? 

And that’s not including the fact he had to stop Charlie from going with Chica to the kitchen to go get pizza. Like damn. What was wrong with these stupid kids? Did they have some kind of after death death wish? How had he spent years avoiding being mauled by them? And he was not about to risk the possibility of one day facing Henry and having to tell him that he let his daughter get dragged off and killed, or whatever, again. 

At least Evan was too scared of everything to do any of this kind of crazy shit. That was one he could depend on-

What the hell was he doing by the stage with Freddy?! 

The boy’s eyes were wide…. in excitement? “Really, a stomach hatch? Like for a kid to hide inside?”

The bear let out an amused laughter, “Not quite. It’s far too dangerous for something like that. It’s to keep cakes and presents in.”

Oh dear God, just two more days and three nights to go. 

[NIGHT 3]

“Jason Burrows makes miraculous recovery after weeks in intensive care. He is said to be feeling better than he ever had. Renewed and regenerated.” He pulled away from the laptop to stare at Jeremy, “So this guy is supposed to be the new CEO?”

“Not quite. Just a really high up board member. But it’s been under all his approvals everytime something new comes in.”

“So he brought in everything? Do we think he might be behind it all?” 

“I’m not sure. He doesn’t spend much time here anymore. Not since he almost died inside the Storyteller.” Jeremy shrugged. “The very same thing that killed Edwin Murray.”

Charlie looked up curiously from where the gremlins were busy watching tv, “Hey, I think I recognize that name. But I’m not sure why.”

Jeremy started typing again, “Probably because he was actually responsible for creating some of the tech you guys are familiar with. Turns out he was under contract with Fazbear. And then he fell off the face of the earth for decades and then came back from out of nowhere one day to take his chair on the board.” He frowns looking away, “I still don’t know how he got my information or why he thought I could help. Or even what he thought I could help with.”

Michael gave him a serious look, “It wouldn’t be the first time someone took a ‘leave of absence’ and suddenly reappeared. What are the chances he’s not the one we should be looking at?”

His best friend sighed looking down, “I don’t know. I just….in my heart something tells me it’s not him. I’d almost bet everything on it.  I feel like I could trust my daughter with him. That’s how much I believe it.”

Wait…what?

All three kids immediately fell over each other trying to jump up. Cassidy was the one to speak, “You have a kid?!”

The man’s face broke into a sincere smile as he gave a soft nod. “Her name is Cassandra. Cassie for short. She’s a great kid.” He turned serious. “That’s the main reason I’m doing this. For her. After everything, all that I’ve seen, all I can think about is if something were to happen to her. Like most kids, she loves the pizzaplex and I can’t handle the thought that I could possibly be leaving something so dangerous that could one day hurt her or her friends.”

The other four just stood quietly as he closed the laptop and looked down. “She’s my whole life. Ever since her mom died in a car accident when she was still so young. It’s just been me and her. Everything I’ve done is for her. That’s….why I can’t be here overnight anymore. She worries so much and I’m always so scared that she’ll follow me here or something. And if she were to do that at night when everything seems to happen….”

Charlie immediately wrapped her arms around him, as Cassidy gently took his hand and Evan stood quietly by them. Michael just stood quietly. What could he even say about this? Family was something none of them would ever understand. They’d either been abandoned by them or lost them. And their history was all based on missing and dead kids. 

So he did the only thing he could, “I swear to you we’ll make sure she never gets involved in any of this. Animatronic, demon, whatever’s behind this will never get their hands on her.”

[DAY 4]

The next morning, something was definitely in the air. Against his better judgment he had relented and let Charlie spend time with each of the animatronics she came across. After all, if anyone was going to find and coax out a terrified soul, it would be the Puppet. 

“Mike!” He turned away to look at Cassidy and saw her staring on the wall. He walked over and looked at the poster on the wall. He knew immediately what they were looking at. And judging by the date….

“That’s been since we’ve been here.” Evan said, “That means it literally happened right under us.”

“And no one was even aware….” Cassidy whispered and Mike wondered if she was starting to dissociate. What was he supposed to do if so? How did one handle being triggered of their own death? And yet, what was a greater sign of how they hadn’t managed to do anything than to see a missing kid’s poster? Just like all the others in town he’d always seen for months and years. Daily reminders of his father’s crimes. Crimes that would never-

He immediately jerked away from the wall and promptly found himself colliding with someone. Shit, he had probably backed into one of the kids. Of course they had to get in his way. He opened his mouth to snap at them, but the voice he heard was definitely not one he recognized. 

“I’m so sorry, sir. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”

He rubbed his side where the impact had occurred. “It’s okay.” He looked down to see a kid he didn’t recognize and not a bloodthirsty robot ready to tear him apart. 

The boy looked sheepish, “I should have-”

“Ellis! Come on! We’re waiting for you!”

The boy quickly got up fixing his jacket, “Yeah, sorry. Hang on, I’m coming!” and took off in the direction of the other voice. 

That kid wasn’t the only one that hadn’t been paying attention. Had it been an actual animatronic, Michael had left himself defenseless. He was going to have to learn to focus better. Cassidy gave him a strange look and he resisted the urge to flick her off. 

As he brushed himself up he turned around to stare right into the eyes of the large blue rabbit from down the hall before it turned and walked away. He frowned, “Yeah, we definitely have some attention.”

Okay, so maybe he did keep on checking on Charlie throughout the day. She was still just a kid and probably the most normal of them all. It’s not like he actually wanted anything to happen to them. (Plus the last thing he needed was Henry’s rage directed at him.) Every time he saw her she was focused. She was digging so deeply trying to find any and all souls that she could save. 

And the other two seemed to be managing fairly well to stay out of most trouble so that was-

A loud roar froze him in his tracks. Now that he was used to. Spinning around he saw Evan cowering from a large green figure downstairs. This must be the infamous gator. Mopey? Morty? Musky? Something like that. He currently had his sights on Evan. 

Aw, shit.

The alligator snarled again, “Watch where you’re going!”

And like clockwork, Cassidy was right in the animatronics face. Okay, maybe he broke into a run racing over to the group and probably missed a few steps in his rush. 

The dark-haired girl had made no movement except to pull Evan behind her protectively. “Out of his way, you overgrown giant green piece of shit. Apologize to him now.”

The alligator laughed before snapping at her, “And just who do you think you are? Do you even know who you’re talking to?”

“Do you? Cause from what I can tell you’re not Freddy or Bonnie. And I definitely know you’re now Chica. So far as I know that makes you a nobody.”

Michael didn’t even pay attention to the body aches he was going to feel later as he continued racing down the stairs. The last thing he needed was to have a showdown between an alligator and a bear that definitely didn’t belong there. He jumped the railing and sprinted over.

The alligator snarled and roared at her again just as he reached the kids pulling them against him away from the reptile. The animatronic snapped at him lunging out to grab him. 

“MONTY!” A loud commanding voice rang out. He stepped back with a low annoyed growl mumbling about security guards knowing better. 

He glared dangerously at the trio. “You should really watch yourselves around here. It can be quite a dangerous place, you know.” With a huff he walked away. “Especially at night.”

The startled man didn’t even bother to hide the breath he finally released. “Seriously, a freaking gator….”

In the reflection of a nearby window he saw the blue figure slowly back away. Yep, now it’s game on. 

[Night 4]

“I’m telling you! I know what I found! Or didn’t find. There’s nothing there!” Charlie was ready to jump into Cassidy’s face to trying to argue with her.

“That can’t be, Char. You’re sure you didn’t find any souls?”

“None. No signs of life or anything in any of them.”

He finally got up to keep them from tackling each other, “Then what’s powering them? They’re so life-like. It can’t just be a computer program.”

The girl shook her hair, “I don’t know. But so far none of them had any sign of life or death in them.”

Well that was slightly perplexing. Honestly he’d figured they’d have been possessed by something, if not kids. Something was just so off about them. Plus the blood he’d found on Foxy. Was it possible it was just something as simple as a glitched program? Or something hacked by someone. And if so, who and why? 

Jeremy nodded from within the screen, “I didn’t think so.  But now we know for sure. Thanks for looking, Charlie.”

Michael groaned, “So then what’s going on? You’re all worried about them but they seem so…I don’t know….. Childlike. Or way too lifelike. More than the others ever did. These guys wanted to actually socialize . None of our’s were ever that into it.” He looked over at the girl, “You’re 100% there’s nothing there?”

She frowned looking down, “I mean I guess there’s still a chance. Maybe just really hiding. Or…being kept away or something. But….something does seem off about them…”  

The face on the laptop screen nodded, “That's just it. The animatronics have been acting really off lately. Almost like their AI has changed. But even more strangely? It's like it changes again at night. I can't stay overnight anymore but when I did they were so different. Like a switch was hit. During the day, almost childlike, but at night something completely different. Not like the others before either. Something….far more sinister.”

Before he could continue they heard a soft voice from the other side of the screen, “Dad?”

Jeremy glanced offscreen and then back at them, “Sorry, guys, I’ve got to go. But let me know if you find anything else. And…be careful tomorrow.”

Michael glanced up at the clock. One more night to go. 

[DAY 5] 

Jeremy had been very actively checking in on them but had stayed home to take care of his sick kid. Michael knew he was feeling torn between both worlds. He felt it was his responsibility to handle it just as much as he knew it was his duty as a father to come first. He briefly wondered what it was like to actually have someone to care so much about; to desperately keep out of their world. That was something none of them would ever get to experience. 

He’d started to notice something in the kids also; a shared nervous energy. They were well-experienced in this game just as much as him. Just from the other end. By the fifth day they were already ramping up. And it appeared this time was no different. 

Just as he’d always noticed them before, he saw it again in this new generation of robots. Everywhere they went there were eyes on them. And when he’d turn to look there was nothing there. He’d check the cameras on his watch. Strange how some of them seemed to be glitching. He ignored the system message about upgrades and improvements causing delayed reactions. 

Yeah, no one was fooling him. He could hear them in the walls, scurrying about. He’d feel them watching. And judging by the kids they also did. Even in passing, the characters no longer seemed so carefree and lifelike. They appeared to be watching them, studying. 

Even the elusive Captain Foxy made a brief appearance peering around a corner. And none of them said anything, just watching. Studying them. Like they were waiting for something. 

Well, it's night five and as history has proven many times in the past...

Shit's about to get real. 

[NIGHT 5]

Chapter Text

"12am, you sit and stare.

1am, I start the fair.

2am, I zip and zoom.

3am, I COME FOR YOU!

4am, shit just got real.

5am, you know the deal.

Lets hope you make the last hour count!"

- DAgames ~ Five Nights at Freddy's 3 (Time to Die)

[NIGHT 5]

“Be careful.” And with that, Jeremy was out. He’d actually debated wanting to stick around and help but the group had practically pushed him out. He needed to get home and take care of his own kid. (Michael didn’t know if he could handle if something happened to him leaving another kid without her dad.)

They heard the nightly closing announcement but remained in the room. This was the first time they were actually going to all venture out together. Apparently the animatronics saw the kids as kids, whether dead or alive. Which was actually beneficial. If they couldn’t tell they were ghosts that was a one up they had on them, even if they could all see them.  Sure it would be hard to explain why a group of kids were hanging around after hours but he had a strong feeling it wouldn’t be his employment to worry about tonight.

[12:00 AM]

It was still a very unusual and unnerving experience as he sat there looking at the computer screen. Normally he was doing this alone in a quiet room, not with an audience crowded around him. So far everything seemed normal.

Seemed. Still, flicking through all the camera screens showed no activity besides a few wandering robots. That weren’t just wandering robots. ‘Security Bots’ is what Jeremy had called them. Why the hell did they bother keeping human employees if they were just delegating their tasks to machines? Probably not something that would end well later. So apparently these things would flit about the facility at night, with a constant light checking for what, intruders? Was that actually something they had to worry about? More importantly with as many security bots as there were, how had none of them ever seen or caught anything if there really was children disappearing? Or people acting strange? They were programmed to alert staff (especially security guards) of anything unusual. And a kid running around a closed place at night would definitely trigger that. And yet, there weren’t even any deleted reports of strange overnight activity. Not deleted. Never reported or recorded….

Cassidy snickered, “Damn, Mike, I think these guys do your job better than you ever did. Nothing gets past them.” Once again, he resisted the strong urge to strangle her or…something. 

“Look!” Charlie suddenly jumped up pointing at the screen. Various video feeds seemed to glitch in sections but one of them had a large shape on it. Well something more than just empty space or strolling bots. 

Looks like they were headed to the kitchen.

[12:30 AM]

The group crept cautiously around the corner. They hadn’t been able to tell which it was, but one of the animatronics was definitely out roaming and judging by the path it took was headed to them. Well, near them. Obviously they weren’t planning for an actual conflict yet. 

“Pizzzza….pizza…” A large white shape ambled through the doorway. And something about it was all wrong. No longer were they staring at an agile friendly robot. No, this was something he was more familiar with.

She was hunched over with her head hanging strangely, but this was definitely Glamrock Chica. She shuffled, dragging her feet, like something crawling out of a zombie movie.

“What the fuck….” He whispered softly glancing at the equally surprised looks from the kids.

“Is that what we looked like?” Cassidy whispered.

“Well, technically you didn’t move much. But, no not really. That still appears more like a human like a possessed animatronic. Just a really really messed up one.” 

Evan moved closer to him, unintentionally knocking the shelf they were behind. A single can fell off and rolled down across the middle of the floor. They froze waiting for the chicken’s response.

Chica had been beak deep in a some random bag of trash that she had torn open but she froze and slowly leaned up looking around. Her moves were very robotic and she panned around the room and then her eyes fell on the can. She tilted her head and then looked around. When she spoke it wasn’t the same creature they had talked to earlier. 

“Oh little child? Are you here? Are you lost?” She stepped away from the trash bag and jerkily moved across the room. “Please don’t hide. I’m here to help you. Come to me. Your family is looking for you…”

Yeah, nope that was enough of that. They quietly and quickly made their way out trying to block out the sweetly dangerous voice still calling out behind them. 

[1:00 AM]

“So everyone else heard that, right?” Cassidy spun around to face the group as they reached a decent amount of distance from the strange sight they’d left behind. “Like that was a really twisted version of her. Looks and voice.”

Charlie nodded her head slowly, “Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go get pizza with her.

No shit. Michael wanted to just bang his head against every wall. Instead he lifted his wrist pressing buttons on his Faz-watch. Jeremy had said he could access the cameras from it just as easily as he could with the laptop. And now that they were out here no point in going back.  Strangely the feed from the kitchen was nothing but static. Wasn’t that convenient?

He noticed a strange haze that seemed to appear across some of the surveillance screens but otherwise nothing except the usual patrolling bots. Which they hadn’t run into once since they’d left the room. Strange seeing as how they seemed to be literally everywhere else. 

Charlie’s shriek had him spinning around so fast raising his flashlight. Not on his watch, bitches. 

“IT’S SO CUTE!!!” She squealed again as she grabbed the small yellow figure. All he could make out was the word CAUTION and was that an image of someone falling?

“Charlie, why are you hugging a wet floor sign?” Cassidy stared at the other girl in confusion. So it wasn’t just him. Good.

She giggled finally pulling away and OH SHIT DID THAT THING HAVE EYES???? She gently pat its head like a dog and giggled again as it moved. “Can we please keep it? Please????”

Before he could respond a loud clang got their attention. He looked around before realizing it was coming from his watch. He quickly enlarged the screen showing activity and the kids gathered around to watch.

He’s not sure where it was from but they all recognized the figure on the screen. The alligator was stomping around. Stomping, not walking politely like all the others had been doing. He was trying to make a scene. He roared and knocked down a plant. 

Well, knocked down wasn’t quite right. Monty grabbed and yanked it out then threw it on the ground.  Then he just smashed his fist into the wall and ripped a door off. Looking at the label in the corner it said GATOR GOLF .

“We’re avoiding that area, right?” Evan looked up at him fearfully.

“Yep.”

It’s no secret (or surprised) the vast difference in the plex between day and night, but something about tonight just made it even worse. Every corner they turned he waited for something to jump out at them. He could still hear noises inside the walls. Scurrying and clanging. Every vent he’d pause looking for something to come crawling out. But nothing. They still had yet to see any of the other animatronics or robots in general. (Besides Charlie’s friend she had bawled about leaving behind.)

So they couldn’t see them. But they could hear them. Every screen he flicked through showed nothing. Just empty spaces. Even the bots no longer appeared. It was like they were all hiding. Had Monty’s appearance been intentional? Where were the rest?

A beep alerted them to a new screen on his watch. One he hadn’t seen on there before ROXY RACEWAY. That was that area that was still in development wasn’t it? Something about every repair they did would only hold up for a few months before it collapsed again. Of course they were slightly familiar with that area. That’s where they had spent the first night after all. And they knew exactly what laid under there. A remnant of their long-forgotten past. The camera screen glitched then went static then cleared up again. But there was a blurry hazy figure moving around. 

[2:00 AM]

They quietly crept around the outskirts of the course. It had been eerily silent and again no signs of other robots or animatronics in the time it took to get there. Even in the main atrium. No animatronics, no bots and no security guards even. Something that he knew still existed according to Jeremy. Some of the guards just slacked off, as to be expected. (Not like he ever did….) But, still. Apparently it wouldn’t be that hard for someone to sneak around after all.

Until a loud growl caught their attention. They quickly darted into the first spot they could find hiding behind one of the signs as they heard lumbering foot steps.

“No, they are wrong. They are all wrong. You are the best. You are still the best. You will always be the best. No one is better than you.”

The girls looked at each other as the wolf approached. The once over the top stylish animatronic seemed unsure of herself. Was she talking to someone? Roxanne walked right past them, not even looking in their direction. She wasn’t making the same jerky movements as they had seen Chica do earlier but something still seemed off. She was crouched, eyes scanning around like she was looking for something. With a low growl she continued on her way voice carrying behind her.

“Yes, you are still the best. You will find them before anyone else. Only you.”

Michael sighed, “Well that was-”

“ TAKE A MAP ”

HOLY SHIT! He won’t even lie that all of them jumped back as the robot just seemed to magically appear in front of them thrusting a pamphlet at them. “ TAKE A MAP ”

“Shut up!” Cassidy hissed as she punched the bot and pushed it away knocking it into the wall, “You’ll make her come back.”

He stood up brushing his clothes off. “Okay, so we know that- JESUS HOLY FUCKING CHRIST!”  He barely had time to move away before he got smacked in the face by the robotic arm again holding the map out.

“ TAKE A MAP! TAKE A MAP! ” It kept pushing at him. He tried to move away and it just followed his movements. “ TAKE A MAP! TAKE A MAP! ” Luckily, robots is something he could handle. Spinning his flashlight around he dropped the bottom and activated the taser on the other end, driving it against the mechanical being. It sparked and then fell over, and he ripped the offending arm off throwing it to the side.

He kicked it away in disgust, shaking in annoyance. “Okay I am definitely going to find out who the hell came up with that and rip their face off.”

Evan looked down at it and shivered. “That was terrifying.”

Cassidy scoffed, “You find everything scary. But uh yeah. That was definitely something.”

Charlie shook her head, “I don’t like it.”

Michael flipped the flashlight back around turning it on and looked around, “At least it seems like no one heard. Roxy must have already been out of hearing range.”

Cassidy nodded, “Man, that girl needs some serious down to earth talk. She’s way too into herself. Right now anyways.”

Charlie frowned, “So Chica gets obsessed with food to the point of eating trash, Monty is just straight up aggressive and destroying stuff, and Roxy has some serious self-image and pride issues. None of them are like that during the day. I mean Monty maybe. But not that bad. If it was actually a virus why would it only happen at night?”

Yeah he was catching on to what she was laying out, “Which means something’s causing them to change. And seeing as how they’re all acting even more differently tonight when they’ve spent the rest of the week wandering around, it’s likely not just something that happens on a regular basis. Something or someone must be controlling them.”

“ TAKE A MAP!” The bot jumped right in his face again.

Charlie blinked, “How does that thing seem to be the most outwardly aggressive to us right now? He’s not even trying to hurt us.”

He tried to dodge and jump to the side but the one-armed bot just followed all of his movements repeating the same line over and over. “I don’t know but it’s really getting old!” He swung the flashlight and it simply knocked it out of his hand, still keeping him trapped.

“ TAKE A MAP! TAKE A MAP! TAKE A MAP! TAKE A MAP!”

Cassidy hissed as the bot kept him from moving anywhere, “Just grab the damn map! Hurry before someone hears!”

“FINE!” He snatched the map from the remaining arm and the bot immediately backed down like a trigger had been switched off.

“ THANK YOU.” It rolled a few feet away, turned to look at them and then continued on its way like it hadn’t just terrorized a group of kids.

“Wow, Jeremy was right.” Charlie said, “He really is the most dedicated at his job.” 

Michael threw the map down in anger. He leaned down to pick up the flashlight and froze as he heard the thundering. “Shit.” The four barely had time to dodge out of the way before the animatronic landed right where they had been standing seconds before. She was still hunched over as she turned to face them. With a roar she swiped out and he lunged, rolling until he hit the wall.

“YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE!”

“Yeah, no shit! Don’t worry we were just making our way out.”

She snarled, “YOU AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE!” 

When she pounced this time, he was ready for her. As she swiped he swung out with the discarded Mapbot’s arm slamming it into her own. He flinched at the clang of metal and she let out an angry roar jerking back. They wasted no time racing out of there.

As they ran around the course headed for the exit they missed the arcade cabinet nearby lighting up with purple glitches all over the screen emitting a scratchy sound. 

[3:00 AM]

Okay, so Michael Afton was really not having a great night. And neither were any of the kids. In fact for just a moment, he’d almost say he was satisfied to see all three of them finally rattled. But one look at their distraught faces and he regretted the thought. Evan was clinging tightly to Cassidy’s arm and she was keeping him tight against her and Charlie huddled together. All three were shaking and it just didn’t feel right. At all. To see one of the scariest creatures he’d ever come across looking absolutely rattled. 

“What. The. Fuck.” She finally said as she grabbed the other two tighter. “How did she do that? Anger management gators, trash-eating birds, super obsessed with employee of the month robots and pouncing wolves????”

He just signed as he slid down the wall. “Man, I don’t know what to tell you. At all.”

His brother spoke quietly as the girls looked at him, “Is this….what it’s like for you?”

He chewed his lip in thought. Yeah, it was no fun being stalked, tormented, and chased for his life by deadly critters out for his blood. Especially in a haunted house trapped with his dad. But for some reason it felt wrong to tell them that. To even risk a chance of them feeling guilty. Besides, it wasn’t the same. Something about it was different. He shook his head, “No. Not really. Never this…. Intense .”

Evan bit his lip and pulled Cassidy closer, “I don’t like it.”

“I know. Me either.” He searched their faces for answers, “Do you want to give up? We can just go back to the room. It’s safe. They can’t get in there. Maybe we can get the rest of the camera feeds to work. Or just….try again later.”

The dark-haired girl shook her head, “No. We’ve come this far. If we just give up it will just keep happening again. What if someone else dies tonight or tomorrow because of it?” 

With a resounding sigh they all nodded. He pulled the watch back up flipping through again, “Okay, so we’ve seen Chica, Roxy, and Monty. Which means the others are probably out roaming as well. Maybe we can sneak up on them. Best best would probably be Foxy or-”

“Freddy!” His brother quickly jumped up.

“Yeah he’s a possibility also. But we should probably leave him for now. Foxy might be the best bet if I had to guess-”

“No, stupid. He means Freddy. ” Dammit, Cassidy, he was this close to just punching you. Tonight was not the night. “As in Glamrock Freddy Fazbear is right over there!”

“What?” He crept over towards the window the other two were looking out and sure enough, there was the brightly colored bear himself standing in the hallway outside. If he was looking for them he showed no indication. He just stood stoic. No sound, no movement. The same time the Faz watch glitched out, the bear’s eyes flashed purple and then he started walking slowly. Unlike the joyful gait they had come to recognize, this was slow deliberate steps. His eyes shone in the darkness as he headed onwards, with purpose.

The four looked at each other and Michael slowly opened the door after silencing his watch and clicking off his flashlight. They had come here for answers and they were going to get them. 

And so they continued following the bear. He walked slowly like he expected them to do so. But that was fine. This is what they were prepared for. All of Afton's creations knew how to lure. This was no different. They could feel the nervous energy around him. He would lead them to their master.

And then it would be Showtime.

Cassidy would rip up whoever was behind it, and Charlie would free any souls she found trapped. And they'd all be on their way home and him to finally achieve his long sought freedom. To be forever done with and never have to deal with Cassidy, or anything ghost, animatronic, or Fazbear-based ever again. The one thing he'd do ANYTHING for, no matter who it hurt.

The lumbering creature turned down one of the tunnels and so did they. He was itching for something to burn as they went in deeper and deeper. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there were more eyes on them. Unseen. Not just glitching cameras. But actually in the wall. Judging by their body language, they all felt the same. 

But when they turned the corner they were not prepared for what they saw. Instead of a gnarled corpse or blood thirsty animatronic waiting for them was something completely different.

The fox and gator stood off on one side of the remains that must have once been some kind of statue. The chicken and bunny on the other side. The bear walked almost like an obedient pet and parked itself right at the base across from the wolf. All six stood stoic in place staring ahead, almost like they were synchronized.

Michael Afton had seen and experienced many things in his life, from living corpses and dead children reanimated into killing machines out for his blood. He'd even been brutally ripped open by someone he had once considered a trusted family member after losing so many others. 

But this? The scene laid out before them? He was not ready for it. Any of it. 

"What the absolute fuck?"

Yep, Cassidy stole the words right from him.

Because right in the middle of it all was two more forms that didn't match anything they expected. Years of fifth nights from Hell didn't even come close to this. 

The whacked out color schemed Freddy stood next to what was definitely the smallest of the group and yet seemed to command the most attention. The animatronics instantly seemed to change, becoming more sinister as they flanked the statue. The figure stood rigid, in all black. A long hooded robe covered everything except the face. There was a sleek black mask with long rabbit ears that stood straight up. A mask most likely meant someone trying to cover their face. (Something else he knew all too well about.) 

A human?  That would make sense as the pieces fell into place. After all, that’s how it all started. One man leading countless souls to their death and then commanding them on his own. Continuing after death. Of course they weren’t surprised to see that. It wasn’t hard to tell that he was the one they had been looking for. The one who commanded the animatronics. Was this what sought the death of countless victims? A copycat perhaps? A mimic of the very demon that had hunted them for decades?

Except there was something that didn’t fit. 

Next to him partially curled up, yet stretched out backwards on the feet of whatever the statue was supposed to be was what seemed to be the complete opposite. A mostly white suit covered in patchwork that looked home-made and instead of a similar mask, wore an actual rabbit head with glowing red eyes and a large blue bow. Her (because there's no way anything non-human could bend and move like that) costumed head and ears swayed back and forth and one of her furry hands held a knife. A recently bloodied knife.

Well. This was new.

[4:00 AM]

The two groups remained silent for a few moments before the dark figure finally spoke. And although he couldn't explain why, it definitely didn't sound right. He spoke with a deeply otherworldly tone. That didn't fit what he was staring at. A voice modifier at work. Someone didn’t want to be known. Was it someone they had already seen or met?

" I see you all are indeed as foolish as you seem ."

The white rabbit sat up with a giggle and it just sounded all wrong as she waved the knife around, " Idiots ." She leaped up (and yeah no animatronic could move like that. If she wasn't human he'd sell his skin or something equally drastic.) and almost pranced as she approached toward the group still keeping a distance away.

The dark figure stood motionless as he spoke again, " We’ve brought out the entire welcoming party just for you, our oh so special guests .”

The black rabbit (why did it always have to be fucking rabbits?), while much shorter seemed to have more authority and a deep almost unearthly tone. The white, while taller one was much slimmer and spoke with an unnatural distorted voice. Like a disturbing child. So both using voice modifiers. 

The thing that unnerved him the most, however, though, was how she stared at him even through the eyes of her mask with her head tilted. Almost as though studying him. And her movements. At times she would sway, tilting her head back and forth with that twisted giggle. Then she'd suddenly straighten quietly for a few moments before slipping back. It was almost like it was two different people. 

" Vanny ." The dark figure spoke without moving, and the rabbit immediately sprang back over next to him back with the weird head tilts as the wolf stepped closer to her. He then addressed the group again. " I must say, we never expected a group of children to be behind this. What weak and pathetic creatures. Hardly a challenge ." 

Wait, children? That was impossible. No one could see the kids unless they let them. Judging by the surprised look on his companion’s faces he figured that wasn't the case. They had intended to remain unseen. It was possible that maybe they knew because of the animatronics except….the white rabbit kept looking at them. At all of them. She wasn’t just focused on him, she’d turn her head towards Charlie and then Cassidy. Staring right at them. (Did she somehow know who they were?) And he’d almost guarantee the other could as well.

So these creepy whatever they were could see the ghosts. Just great. There went that element of surprise. Unless….maybe they didn’t know they were ghosts. The animatronics just viewed them as regular kids. It’s possible that these two did as well. Something to think about later. (If they survived to later.)

It was then that the white rabbit let out an exaggerated gasp as she caught sight of the dented mark on the wolf's arm. She immediately grabbed it, inspecting it closely, eerily mirroring how Cassidy had checked over Evan just days before. She slowly leaned back up with a hiss and unearthly growl, " How dare they..... " She turned back to the other rabbit and gently let go of the wolf's arm. " Rab.... "

He gave a dismissive grunt without even looking at her. " As I said: fools. We allowed you some free reign, but I'm afraid that run has come to an end. What did you possibly hope to achieve anyways? You think you're the first? Hardly. You're just the most recent to make a failed attempt ."

Cassidy snarled as she stepped up, "Listen here, you pint-size shadow creature wanna-be. I'll come right over there and rip your mask off and shove it down your throat-"

The gator snarled as he leaped out in front of the pair, swishing his tail in anger. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO THREATEN DR. RABBIT! I SHOULD TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF AND USE IT AS AN OVERSIZED GOLF BALL!!" He snapped his jaw and metal fangs clanged loudly. The white rabbit stared at the younger girl as though intrigued by her threat before immediately looking away. A flinch that he was familiar with himself. 

" Montgomery ." The gator growled again at his Master’s words but stepped back obediently almost as though...

"You're the ones controlling them, aren't you?" Of course Charlie was ready to rush in and free any trapped souls. Especially ones who had been in a similar predicament as those she considered friends. 

"Not for much longer." Cassidy glared the two dark figures down hatefully. "We'll free them all and be on our way shortly. And leave behind a pair of rabbit road kill for the vultures."

" Free ?" He laughed as the animatronics snickered. But when Michael saw the curious look on Cassidy's face he knew he wasn't the only one who had noticed the white rabbit briefly stiffen as the other masked being turned towards her before looking back at the others continuing on. 

(“ Things aren't always what they seem…”)

" I'm afraid you all truly don't have any idea what's actually going on here do you ?" God, maybe he was about to die (for at least a short period of time) but man all Michael wanted to do was run out and rip the black mask off and punch the little condescending bastard. Threats aside, he was really grating on his nerves. Maybe because it was a mirror of the pride and confidence his father had always thrown around. This little fucker was relishing on the fact he knew more than they did and it gave him a total power trip.

The wolf snorted and tossed her head, "We aren't controlled by anyone. No one's strong enough to even attempt to try." 

Okay, just what the hell was up with these robots? Were they possessed by bratty teens? Moody, angry ones? Were these tombs for high-schoolers? 

Definitely not his father then. William Afton barely tolerated children because they could still be obedient when needed. He would have burned the souls of any rebellious outspoken teens he'd have come across. The wolf's face would have been ripped off immediately and voice boxes trashed for even looking at him wrong.

He could kind of understand that view now.

"Just like a bunch of weak Cowards to hide behind others they send to do their bidding." Cassidy sneered. This was probably getting a little too personal for her. Sure they had all been victims, but for the dark-haired girl....

She'd been the one most resistant, and in response William had made the gold bear his personal guard dog, keeping the other children in line and eliminating any 'threats'. For decades she'd been a chained animal. There's a reason she refused to let go. 

The black rabbit laughed, " Cowards? Oh no. You've got it all wrong. We've been here watching and waiting. We're just now allowing you to actually see us this time ."

Charlie tilted her head, "See you?" 

The feminine creature giggled again, as the black figure spoke. " You all have no idea who or what you're dealing with. We gave you time to see what you were truly up to. We have eyes and ears everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. And we can't let you interfere with our plans. So ." He turned towards the animatronics whose eyes all glowed a sickly deep violet and started growling. " Dissamble them ."

The white rabbit froze for just a moment, as he walked away, and then giggled, clapping her hands together even with the knife. " See you later ." She turned to skip off as he waited for her, then turned back around and her tone dropped just as dangerously into a dark purr. " Or maybe neverrrr.. ."

The black rabbit turned back once more. " We'll make it a little more fair. Say your goodbyes and make your peace. They won't actually attack you for ten minutes. And then you have one hour until the doors open back. I suggest you make the most of it. If you can make it that long ."

Her red eyes glowed ominously as the tone in her voice remained low, " Go ahead and try to hide. It's what everyone else did. Hide-and-seek is their favorite game.... " and then a very faint  almost inaudible " Good luck ," as both walked on down the dark corridor leaving the group behind. 

As the two figures seemed to almost disappear into thin air, the six machines stalked closer surrounding them. It was then he noticed features he hadn't before, including how sharp those claws were. The animatronics had changed almost completely. Their stances were exaggerated and aggressive as they growled. 

He swallowed nervously as they advanced on them. If they let their secrets slip out now, they wouldn't have any benefits of pulling it out later. It was best to allow whoever was behind this to just think they were dealing with regular nosy ALIVE humans. But that was going to be hard to recover from if they were ripped apart.

He glanced over at the kids. Cassidy was trying to show her own rage but even she couldn't hide her fear. He couldn't really blame her though. They'd never been on the receiving end of the threat. It was a very different perspective when you weren't the threat. 

Moments like this he was reminded that underneath it all, they were still just kids. Kids taken away far too soon. Evan had always had an intense fear of the machines and had even more reason now, but Charlie and Cassidy were usually behind that line, not the trapped prey. 

Evan shook dangerously next to him, "I think I know what happened to that woman now."

"Yeah. This isn't good."

What the fuck had they gotten themselves into?

[5:00 AM]

Chapter Text

"We're one big happy family

(It's a pizza party now)

You will be mine for eternity

(For it's his game we're playing now)

If we had more than words

We'd want out, but he's got us

Hooked, brought back to tragedy"

- We Want Out ~ DAGames

" Remember me talking about hiding in plain sight and how things aren't always what they seem? One thing I'll give that Interlo- Mike and his crew is that they are in-depth and detailed. For the most part. 

Cassidy is headstrung and nothing gets in her way. Charlie focuses on how to help others handle and recover from problems. She'll sacrifice herself daily if it means preventing someone else from that same fate. Evan....well Evan is a special case. He feels like he doesn't have much to contribute and blames himself that he's never been able to help much. That his si- ...sibling continues to suffer just because of his very existence no matter what he does. He's always had to rely on everyone to help and can't even save himself. And that he can't change anything... "

His change of tone again got her. Cassie could hear so much range in that last bit of information. He'd gotten quieter and almost sounded like he felt guilty. Of what? 

"But, don't let that deter you. What most don't know about Evan is his loyalty and tenacity. He'll follow anyone doing anything he can to help. He just....sometimes needs a little help from the outside to save others."

This time that quiet guilt seemed to have faded away. He spoke almost affectionately about Evan....whoever that was. Wait, she's heard this name mentioned a few times but has no idea who he is. Apparently he came back with Mike, Cassidy, and Charlie, and has a sibling. She didn't see any ghost boys, or boys at all, unless Andrew was actually Evan? Or maybe she just got names wrong? Would she ever actually understand it all?

"So, that group was definitely all but diving at every little inconsistency. That may have also been due in part to your Dad though. Since he was the first one to start asking questions and noticing something was up after all. 

Can you believe that? Typical Fazbear negligence and all aside.... All these weird circumstances and things going on and no one took the time to piece any of it together. Those who did, gave up. It was too much of a puzzle to manage. A very select few did start to get close: pushing on doors that shouldn't be opened and asking questions that couldn't be avoided. Obviously none of that went anywhere, as you can see. They weren't even given a chance. Your dad may have eventually had his own ghosts in the system but not even he or Mike knew about the real masterminds behind anything. At either level."

Once again, Michael Afton found himself trying to escape from killer animatronics ready to tear him apart.

For the first time, however, he was surrounded with some of those same would-be killers running together instead of away from each other. 

He took a second to glance over at each of them. All three kids were terrified. They'd never known what it was like to be in front of the gnashing fangs and swiping claws. They had no clue. 

A loud roar echoed somewhere behind them. He assumed it was from the alligator but didn't have much time to dwell on it. Right now he had higher concerns and a strange sense of duty to get those kids to safety.

"Where even can we go?" Cassidy called out without bothering to hide her shaking fear. 

"There's supposed to be rooms designated to keep them out, but it's likely whatever is controlling them could just override that." Had Charlie always been that smart? 

"So we just keep running? Until what, they finally power down?"

Evan paused looking behind him, "Why are we running? They can't actually hurt us."

"Kill, you mean." Cassidy turned back and grabbed his arm. "We can't die obviously but we can still hurt very very much. And I highly doubt being ripped to shreds is an easy recovery."

The man stopped to catch his own breath before looking seriously at the boy. "Besides, right now they all just think we're normal humans who can bleed and die. If they find out we don't stay that way, well there's our one advantage and element of surprise. Better to hold onto that for as long as we can. For now....just keep running I guess." 

He straightened up as he heard pounding footsteps headed in their direction, "Annnnd time to go!"

As luck would have it, they didn't get far. Maybe a few feet, before Michael Afton slipped on whatever just had to be on the floor and ruin his night even more. He tried to warn them but instead found his own body crashing into each of them sending all four crashing to the ground. 

A loud thud rang out as the door next to them slammed open. The large beast stalked forward staring at them with glowing purple eyes and a deep growl. (Great, taken out by a fake poor ass excuse of Foxy. How embarrassing.)) Roxanne snarled as she approached them and laughed in an otherworldly tone. It was still her but distorted.

"How foolish of you to stick around. All you've done is made it more fun for us. And now we will take turns ripping all of you up. It will be fun."

The large wolf lunged out to grab Evan but let out a shriek as she stumbled and pulled away. When she turned back towards them she had a small dent on her arm. She looked over to the right snarling at the darkness, "HOW DARE YOU?! What do you think you're doing?! This is our orders!"

A slightly familiar laugh echoed as another pair of glowing orange eyes approached from the darkness. Hook held up, the newcomer growled back with a strange expression. "Alas, I make my own orders. And especially not from anyone with rabbit ears!" With a snarl he lunged at the wolf barely missing her eye.

She gasped in shock lunging at him but he dodged and slammed her into the wall. Electrical sparks sparked around her but her system shut down, damaged momentarily from the impact. 

Captain Foxy finally turned to face them and something was all off. His stance was anything but robotic and that familiar dark laugh....

The fox shook his head and the voice that came out was all too familiar to them, "I told him you all couldn't handle it. Not even survive a week. You guys barely made it that far."

" ANDREW ???"

Foxy crossed his arms, "What, you thought I'd just trust that you guys would pull it off? Not a chance in hell." 

Oh, no. He heard Cassidy's groan synchronized with his own.

"You've got to be kidding." He finally said as the fox seemed to grin. This was anything but good. How is it just his luck that the other demon child bane of his existence has to also conveniently show up and make his life even more hell? And by taking over what was his favorite animatronic line at that. Asshole. 

Cassidy shook her head standing up, "No, just no. You shouldn't be here. At all. Literally." Ah, yes. His ONE (and seemingly only) ally against this other pest. The one time the two of them could lay their weapons against each other down and raise them at someone else. 

Foxy threw his head back with that all too familiar twisted laugh. Evan looked at him shyly but stayed quiet. Charlie, of course, was intrigued and probably impressed. Traitors.

For the first time though, Mike and Cassidy wore matching scowls; for once not directed at each other but a common shared foe. 

"Go the fuck away." He finally managed to get out as he glared, willing for the fox to just combust in front of him. 

Foxy shook his head, "Yeah right. And leave you weak losers to die? Oh, wait, right. That's not a thing. I'm sorry, leave you to be torn apart." God, he hated that stupid little shit. 

Cassidy snapped stomping over with hate blazing in her eyes, "What the hell are you doing here, Andrew? Literally nobody asked for or wanted you here."

He shrugged, "Apparently saving all of your sorry asses right now."

"We don't need you! We had it!'

"Yeah, sure, okay. If that's what your delusional mind conjures up. You guys totally had this all handled. Was your plan to handle it before or after she ripped off your arms?"

Charlie, thankfully, wrapped her arm around the raven-haired girl before she could charge at the fox and spoke softly, "We appreciate the help, but what are you doing here, Andrew?"

He nodded thoughtfully; respectable as always to the quiet girl. He'd never had any ill-will towards her or the Puppet. Same with Evan. 

"You're welcome for not letting you get torn into ribbons by the way." He crossed his arms and leaned back, that cocky tone dripping in his words.

Charlie clapped her hands together in appreciation, "Yes, thank you!" She pointed at the Fox curiously, "But...how are you able to do that? To take over him. Did you bond with the other soul?"

"Soul? What other soul? I just took over and possessed him. Nothing there."

Cassidy growled but stayed in place, "Or did you just kick them out and take over like you own it?"

"I didn't kick anyone out. No one there to kick out. And you're one to talk."

"That wasn't my fault! It's not like I actually meant.... well you know!" The girl seethed and Evan quickly jumped in front of her to separate the two as Charlie struggled to hold her.

Evan turned back to face him, "She's right. It's not. We made it work anyways."

"Besides the point. Which doesn't even matter here because there WAS NO SOUL to take over or kick out."

Charlie squealed in delight, "So I WAS right! There aren't souls or ghosts driving them!"

The animatronic nodded respectively,"Yes, indeed you were, Charlie. Not surprising though. You're the smartest one here! Sorry, Evan."

The young boy shrugged, "Is okay. It is the truth."

“Anyways, as I was saying. Nothing in here, besides me of course. It was just blank machinery run by specialized programming. And an easy one to hack at that. And before you ask, no I don’t know if they’re all like that or not. But I don’t think so. The other animatronics seem to be a lot more advanced. Foxy, here was basically like a project in the works. Either way. It’s mine now.” He gave a flourished bow and winked at the kids. 

Mike had had enough of this. Not only was he forced to carry out this mission to save his own soul, but he already wasn't thrilled with the company. So why did the current bane of existence have to show up and add to it? Especially since he DID actually know about Mike's ulterior motives. Not exactly the best combination to have around at the moment. "Why are you even here?"

"Still not listening I see. Why does he even waste his time on you? Lemme break it down for you. I'm here to make sure you idiots, and Charlie and Evan of course, don't screw it all up."

Charlie and Evan tightened their grips onto Cassidy as she lunged, "We're not screwing it up. We've got this. It's all under control."

"Oh yeah you totally had it under control. So which of you was going to be the one being pieced back together? And, no, it's a rhetorical question, Char."

"It was....we were...I was..." The dark-haired girl bared his teeth…or were those actually fangs? 

Foxy crossed his arms, "Exactly. I told him he couldn't depend on you lot and he didn't believe me so I told him I'd go handle it personally and here I am. I tried to hold out as long as I could but there you idiots go almost getting killed. So there went that."

Evan frowned, "Why didn't you just tell us to begin with?"

"I knew you'd eventually get caught with no way out and I planned to step in then. Gotta say, didn't expect it to be this early on."

Mike groaned, holding his head, "This really must be my version of hell."

Somehow that fox managed to pull off a diabolical smirk, "Well, Michael -"

He immediately glared, resisting the urge to dismantle it himself, "No. Drop it."

"As I thought. Now, anyways, as I was saying-" Without warning the fox let out a yelp before powering off and falling over. 

Behind him stood a security bot holding out a still sparking taser. The two kids let go of Cassidy and Mike ran up to them as they stared curiously at the bot. 

Jeremy ran up behind it eyes wide in shock frantically typing something on his tablet, "I'm sorry, Andrew! I couldn't override the command in time!" What the hell, man? Not you too. Traitor.

"I'm not." Mike and Cassidy spoke in unison as they watched the technician frantically trying to power him back on. Charlie threw them both glares, which they promptly ignored.

Cassidy slowly walked up and prodded the animatronic with her foot, "So....can we dismantle him now?"

Now that, Mike could get behind, "I'm all for it."

The small robot scurried quickly through the vent. It was never worried about being noticed, no one ever did. One of the perks of its small size. That and the ability to squeeze in and out of tight spaces. Like a small land octopus. If it could think on its own it would probably wonder if that was one of the inspirations behind the specialized design. (Of course it was. What could be better than a machine with advanced AI that can squeeze into tiny slits and holes and practically change shape at will?) It used its many spider-like legs to hurry along, creating just the faintest of sounds in the otherwise silent dark areas underground. The only area not affected by the bustling life that would take  over the building shortly.

Reaching a leg out, it slowly pried the cover off then slipped out of the vent into the dark warm space. It continued scuttling across the wall, dropping down as the large shadows came into view and voices picked up around the large open space. 

A black-gloved fist slammed down onto the keyboard making it almost jump.

"One of the animatronics is completely offline! Foxy just got hijacked!" The figure sitting in front of the giant screen seethed as he watched the red blinking light disappear off one of the smaller screens inside. His mask was off and hood thrown back, but those wild menacing eyes never changed.

The other figures in the room remained quiet leaving him to his tantrum. His tempers were well known, and avoided whenever possible.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Who do these idiots think they are???? How the hell did they manage that????" He let out an angry growl of frustration before spinning his chair around to address behind him, "Vanny, go kill them or something."

The blonde woman was leaning back against the wall away from him, ignoring his fits, as usual. But at his tone her eyes narrowed and she snarled back in response. "I'm not your fucking pet to order around!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH." 

Both immediately froze and turned to stare at the large menacing figure as he stepped up behind the boy's chair. He had been content to remain an observer but at his children’s reactions, he knew it was time to intervene. As expected they immediately looked down at the ground in response, apologies written on their faces that they didn't dare speak out loud. 

Satisfied with their reaction, his tone softened. Well as much as it could, which wasn't much. "LET'S LEAVE IT FOR NOW." 

The brunette boy at the computer groaned, " Seriously ? After what they just did?"

She stayed in place not daring to move or look at him, "I thought you wanted them dead."

"AT FIRST. HOWEVER, I'M INTRIGUED ABOUT HOW THEY MANAGED TO SURVIVE-"

The boy slammed his fist down again, "BY CHEATING!"

The woman whispered softly to herself trying to steer clear of their attention, "Look who's talking."

"AND THEY APPEAR TO BE QUITE RESOURCEFUL. I'M CURIOUS NOW." Him being curious never ended well for anyone. It just meant another long path of misery until he was finally bored of toying with his victims and eventually ordered them to be finished off. 

His son didn't share the same thought, "Come on! That tech had already been digging too deep into everything. And now these guys suddenly show up doing the same thing? It's only a matter of time before it becomes a problem. He's probably the one who brought them here."

One of the screens in front of him fizzled and glitched until a familiar shape appeared on it and all turned to look. "Brought what? A has been former employee and a group of children? Surely you don't see that as a threat now do you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"If nothing else this should be entertaining."

"But we don't know who they are. Or why they're here or even how they got here." His loud whiny voice echoed around the space. 

"THIS IS TRUE."

The rabbit on the screen chuckled, "Relax. You're getting all worked up over a simplistic issue. It's not like we've actually thrown anything at them yet. Just a simple appearance, a warning. And in return we've learned they're knowledgeable about animatronics at least. And they're human . They can't just hide all the time. They'll eventually have to make themselves known and seen in the public eye. So we take this time to learn about them and what they are truly capable of. Then….once the time is right we strike and BOOM! No more issues. Just like always. Right , Vanessa?" 

Feeling all three pairs of eyes on her, she slowly raised her head and gave a soft nod, "None of them are in any other databases or systems.  Other than what we already found. No trace of them anywhere.  It's almost like they don't even exist." She wanted to just look back down and evade them but she didn't dare with them still staring at her.

"HMM.  COME HERE."

She reluctantly pulled away from the wall and slowly walked over towards the mangled being in front of her, ignoring the other two as they watched her. Seeing the unspoken command in his eyes, she stopped in front of him and slowly kneeled down at his feet, staring at the ground as she settled on her knees obediently, ignoring the gravel and debris digging into her skin.

It took everything in her not to flinch when she felt the gnarled unnatural hand settle on top of her head. She remained focused on the ground in front of her as her hands rested on her knees, one still gripping her bloodied knife, resisting the urge to scream and run out. It wouldn't do any good. It never did.

She wanted to bite her lip as his hand trailed down her cheek and he gently, but firmly grasped her chin, slowly raising her head to look into his eyes. She was far too used to the smell of death and his rotten charred corpse to react to it. 

"DO NOT WORRY, MY DEAR. THEY ARE NO ONE TO BE CONCERNED OVER. I KNOW YOU TRIED YOUR HARDEST TO FIND MORE ABOUT THEM, BUT THEY ARE HARMLESS. YOU KNOW WE WILL PROTECT YOU, RIGHT ?" She nodded softly, still meeting his eyes. She knew better than to look away. " AND YOU TRUST US, YES?"

"Yes," she spoke softly.

"AND HAVE I STEERED YOU WRONG OR OFF THE PATH YET?"

"No."

"EXACTLY. WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHO THESE INTRUDERS ARE AND HANDLE THEM SHORTLY ." He released her face and turned to address the others but she stayed in place, not daring to move. " FOR NOW WE'LL LEAVE THEM BE. IF YOU ARE INDEED RIGHT AND THAT TECHNICIAN IS BEHIND THIS AS WELL, WE'LL KNOW SOON. "

The boy frowned, "And what are we going to do with him? He keeps trying to dig deeper and deeper into everything. It's only a matter of time until-"

The rabbit on the screen cut him off, "Until nothing. Right now he's just a coward hiding in the shadows sneaking around. He's entertaining."

Vanessa finally turned to address the screen, "Why haven't we killed him yet?" After all, anyone else who got in their way or asked too many questions were swiftly dealt with. With very few exceptions that made the usual option seem merciful. What made him so special?

He grinned widely, "As I said, he's entertaining. Every business has to have their crazy fool running around spouting conspiracy theories after all."

It would all still end the same either way. "But he's not telling anyone anything."

The boy scoffed, "Not until now at least."

"DON'T CONCERN YOURSELF WITH TRIVIAL MATTERS. WE ALREADY HAVE A PLAN FOR HIM. HE WON'T BE A CONCERN FOR MUCH LONGER. AND WE WON'T ALLOW HIM ANYWHERE NEAR EITHER OF YOU IF HE DOES TRY ANYTHING."

The distorted figure on the screen giggled as he glitched, clapping his hands, "A little more trust in us, bunnies. We have it handled. You just focus on more important matters. "

"THAT'S ALL FOR NOW." He reached a hand down and she placed her's in his, allowing him to gently raise her back up.  Once she was standing, he slowly took the knife from her and set it to the side.

"Just keep eyes and ears opened everywhere as usual. Everyone understands their orders?"

The youngest nodded, "They've been updated."

"Good. Then that's where we're at. And right in time for the doors to open. Ahh, time to let the public in." The only appeal of the public to him were potential victims that he would spend time during the day hunting in secrecy.

She quickly left the room resisting the urge to run out.  The decaying creature watched his daughter leave before finally turning to look at his son who scowled at him. Of course Rab didn't get it.

"Why do you keep doing that? Leaving her with any resistance? You could just take it all away now for good and be done with it and prevent any future headaches." The boy crossed his arms leaning back in his seat staring at the other two once she was out of range. 

The screen in front of them glitched as the rabbit shook his head in amusement. "Ah, there are still many things you don't understand, young one."

"Well as long as she has any free will that's only a risk, isn't it?"

"She knows where she stands and the moment she steps out of line..."  His voice and eyes darkened dangerously and the screen around him darkened showing only his glowing eyes, "It will be dealt with IMMEDIATELY."

The towering monster next to him growled softly, “DO NOT BE CONCERNED WITH HOW THINGS ARE HANDLED. WE HAVE ALL COME TO FAR NOW FOR SILLY IDEAS. YOUR WORRIES GO UNWARRANTED. COME IT’S TIME TO FOCUS ON OTHER THINGS. THE NIGHT IS OVER.” With that he strode over towards the corner. 

"Fine. If you say so." He turned to the small arachnid robots lining the desk, "Report back anything unusual about the intruders." They all saluted with one of their front legs then scurried off like a pack of crabs into various vents and openings. 

The rabbit in the screen saluted as he fizzled out, and the other figure lumbered over to the charging port. The night was over, everyone was taking their leave. Vanessa was slinking back up to her hideout she remained in during the day (probably to go cry about something in the one place no one else was allowed to bother her), and he himself was about to start the mundane useless (and quite pointless as he always argued) life he still had to keep up for now. Appearances must be kept after all.

He turned to the last remaining machine near the vent once they were alone, "Continue to keep an eye on her. Especially if there's more humans running around trying to dig underground. I've got a feeling they're about to be more trouble than they're worth."

She slowly made her trek down the hallway once more above the ground once she was back in her original uniform. The cameras had been reinstated on schedule recording everything once again. No one ever knew about their recording capabilities going out overnight. Something they’d had to recently start doing after someone had managed to grab footage before it could be wiped. It had yet to surface but someone out there had, whether it was intentional or not. (Of course it had to be intentional and they had a pretty strong idea of who it was.)

She was almost finished with her routine before she could call it done (not that it ever actually was) with just a few more stops to make on the way. One of the (many) things she hated about it all. But if even one thing was out of place, it could ruin everything. Especially since they already had at least one snooping around, and now possibly others. They’d survived long by leaving no trace. And when there was anything amiss (such as the missing footage that never should have existed) she wasn’t allowed to forget it. 

She didn't bother going into Gator Golf. It wasn't like he was one she needed to worry about anyways. It was no use wasting her time to look for Foxy. The bots would take care of that tonight. He’d already been removed from the floor and was most likely being hidden away. For now anyways. Rab was going to have to deal with that later.  

The only one who sustained any damage was Roxy and it was luckily only minor. The wolf herself barely noticed it. She was just outraged that anyone had dared and managed to outdo her. She also had no answers after she was brought back on. There was no one around her. And the damage was minimal enough to hide from the public for now until they could get her fixed up downstairs. Although Monty and Roxy were usually damaging others, no one batted an eye when either of them needed something done. Just like tantrum happy teenagers bound to injure themselves. This one was simple enough not to be questioned and easy to fix.

Repairs that she knew the new technician wouldn't question or hesitate to do. After all, he was quite skilled and WELL experienced in it. 

And he already definitely knew how she got them. Just as easily as the blonde knew he did. As she currently knew everything .

Thankfully they'd long given up digging and combing through her mind on a constant basis as they used to. (Not unless they found it necessary, which was rare now. Why would she even TRY to hide anything from them in the crevices of her mind?) So they didn't know what she did. About any of it. Even with all their immense knowledge and skills. The demons downstairs were completely clueless this time. And they had just combined her suspicions.  

But she wasn't. Thanks to their little trick they'd first pulled on her, she knew exactly what was going on while they chased broken leads.

She didn't know how they were here, she didn't know why (although she could easily assume). But she knew exactly the moment she laid eyes on him. 

That wasn't some random employee or even detective that started to dig too deep. That was actually the very fall of the previous empire. The prince of their very own Undoing. Somehow yet again back from the dead.

(And maybe, just maybe....he could do it once more.) Although even he wasn't a guarantee for anything. And once they figured it out he'd just been an even bigger target with all the attention fully on him. Maybe they'd give up and leave before the monsters downstairs put all the pieces together themselves. (And before THEY figured out she didn't even need to.) 

For now though, she'd learned how to steel her emotions and reactions. If she stayed the course and obeyed, they wouldn't question anything and leave her be (well as much as they normally did). But the moment she stepped off…

There was also the other little problem (thanks to their first unwanted ‘gift’) that was bound to reveal itself as soon as she let any amount of stress or emotions show. And right now she needed to keep her own mind clear and at the front, not plagued by the influence. 

Satisfied as she finally laid eyes on Freddy standing motionless in his room, she clicked off the flashlight and walked back to the front office. Her body ran through the motions as she typed on the keyboard, but she tried to keep her thoughts calm and mostly empty. Thinking only led to trouble. And when they found out exactly what she had been thinking about…..

Shaking her head to disperse the last bit of ash and who even knew what else that had settled in her hair from earlier, she wrapped her jacket around her and glanced around the office watching the crowd on the screen gathered at the front eager to get in. What a stupid bunch of ignorant fools that kept the place afloat. Too dumb to actually ask the questions no one was. Too high on life to be concerned about anyone except themselves, unaware of what lay under their very feet. Sometimes she hated them for simply existing, and choosing to come back day after day ignoring everything around them. 

Silently, she clicked the switch turning off the light as the shutters started to open. Time to start the day. When all the boogey monsters and creepy crawlies laid themselves to rest. In a never ending cycle. 

With that same silent helpless unanswered plea she had every morning.

Chapter Text

"When you're forced to live in a mask for the rest of your years,

You pick up a thing or two about bone-chilling fear.

And we just wanna share with you everything we learned.

All the pain and suffering, tenfold in return.

We're not gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt.

'Cause now it's your turn."

- We Know What Scares You ~ TryHardNinja

" So your dad asks the RIGHT questions  and brings in this group who probably just thought they were going to do some investigating. And that's where it was supposed to end. Things calmed down, at first. Not nearly as many incidents or strange occurrences in the beginning. The animatronics stayed normal. Everyone had the same idea. Lay low until the threat rises. Let them ask questions and push here and there. They won't stick around long. None do. They either leave themselves or....

Either way, no longer an issue to worry about. So everyone just stayed out of sight waiting for this random group of investigators to finally leave. All needed to do was convince that idiot Mike that nothing was amiss. And when that didn't work? Eliminate the threat. Either literally or by scaring him away. 

Well, great plan....until he also got too close and fully became the one problem that wouldn't go away or couldn't be dealt with. The frustrating bug in the system that no amount of traps or attempts worked on. The pizzaplex's own cockroach deep into everything. The true Interloper....and you'll soon see exactly why ." 

His voice paused for a moment and she wondered if he was about to change course again. ….I'm sure you've probably started to realize that V.A.N.N.I isn't just some strange network or that GGY is more than just a random code." 

Something in her went off. Of course she'd experienced V.A.N.N.I. (and also Vanny as well) and had heard all the complaints about some high scorer beating out everyone with near impossible scores. V.A.N.N.I was WAY too similar though. Was it somehow connected to Vanessa? But what about GGY? She'd seen various notes in his office, and sometimes car, with those letters but he always seemed to hide everything whenever she was around. At first she'd thought it was just random words and letters. Words and letters that he'd been pretty insistent on hiding from her (and maybe everyone?). Now that she reflected on it, she realized she knew what those letters were. Sure, her dad had seemed frustrated anytime he heard it brought up by anyone else but that was because all the employees were worried about a potential hacker. What did that have to do with anything?

(And why did a deep pit in her stomach not want to know?)

" Anyways, before all that, things stayed the same, repeating in a vicious cycle. More deaths, more disappearances. More unresolved unexplainable incidents. 

Then again, how can you connect the dots successfully when there's no trail to follow? No traces left behind. 

Because it's what WE are good at. Yeah that's right. We. Us. Wonder how you really got dragged into this, Cassie?

Well, truthfully we fought to make sure you'd never actually know the truth or any part of it. Then again, if you had, maybe it would have worked out and you'd been safe. Because you definitely never would have come back here ever. Especially not after your Dad made the ultimate sacrifice and gave up his life and soul for the two who didn't deserve any of it…..

This is your last chance to back out. You can get your answers but it…. Will change everything you know and believe. Or you can stop it now and do what none of us else did: have a chance for peace and to live. Forget about everything here ."

She would be lying if she didn't say a strong part of her urged her to follow his instructions. To drop the mask and walk away. She pretty much had her answers, right? Her Dad was gone for good no matter what she did. Gregory was apparently alive but caught up in something he didn't want her in. And the rest as well? 

No. She'd come this far. No matter what it was, she wasn't walking away. She would stay here to hear it out to the end. There was NOTHING he could say to change that. 

After ten agonizing minutes, she heard a defeated sigh from the audio. " Yeah, I should have known. That's not like you at all, is it? In that case, we'll give you what you want. And.....I'm sorry, Cassie. Really really sorry for everything. We all are. And we all wish we could all go back and change everything. We would. I just want to say you really were the greatest friend I ever had. To all of us. Even Cassidy and Andrew like you. Thank you for everything and know we'll always appreciate it, even despite how much you will hate us....

Because the nightmare your dad set out to stop by bringing in Mike and the others.....

Was me and Vanessa ."

V.A.N.N.I. Vanny. Vanessa.

GGY. Gregory.

How had she missed that? 

{YEARS AGO}

Cassidy blinked in confusion, "Um run that by me again?"

The Fox cleared his throat as Andrew's obnoxious tone started back up, "Well you see-"

"No, not you. The ACTUAL expert."

Jeremy chuckled as he shook his head. "Long story short, because Foxy was still in the early stages of coming online, they hadn't entered an actual programming AI like the others have. Unlike them, he didn't have anything yet, just a blank slate. A blank slate that was fueled by a virus, but still. If I attempted this with any of the others, their dominant 'personality', so to speak, would take over and alert them to what was going on."

Michael nodded in understanding, "So it had to be Foxy either way. And it's just conveniently the one the demon brat jumped into."

His friend nodded, "Yeah, not gonna lie. That wasn't part of the plan. But it actually worked out. We can take Foxy offline but because there's still something powering it, they'll think someone just messed around with the programming. Meanwhile, when they try to implant the virus or whatever back, it will appear to have worked. At first. Eventually whoever's behind it will realize it was more than just a simple hack and we'll deal with it then. But, for now, this gives me direct access to whatever network the other animatronics, and rest of the pizza plex is attached to. See, basically I've created like a back door to-"

The black-haired girl rolled her eyes, "Jer, we're basically under ten years old. Please explain it like we're NOT twenty something nerds jumping in glee at every big fancy word."

He chuckled, "Alright. Basically I've found a way into their network to monitor their activity. But, in a way that they can't trace it. So we won't be the only ones in the dark anymore. Andrew, through whatever weird thing that's too much to explain to you as you don't care about the details, is using Foxy as a base while tied into the network. It will take a bit, but in the long run he'll pretty much-"

Foxy grinned wink, "I'll be able to use the entire network and pretty much be any and everywhere. I'll likely be able to spy. All without being undetected. You idiots, and Char and Ev, are welcome for that also."

Michael straightened up and gave his best friend a shocked look, "Wait, you mean you actually....”

The Fox took a dramatic bow as Jeremy grinned widely, "I've finally got my ghost in the system."

A few hours later the group was even more confused. Every single one of the Glamrocks had greeted them throughout the day just as they had the first few days. No trace of any blood thirsty urge or aggression. It was almost like they had 'forgotten'. Except for Freddy. He still seemed a bit...off. But not in a way Michael could explain. He stayed distant, almost as though just watching them.

"Remind me again," he turned to the star (well one of them) of his misery, "when daylight hit did you like just 'forget' everything the night before?"

"Nope." She shook her head, "Anytime of day we all still wanted to kill you. Very very much so."

"Yeah that's what I thought. There was always hostility. So why do these guys still act all friendly?"

Charlie frowned, "I don't think it's an act. I tried to apologize to Roxy and she started panicking that something had happened to her hair. She didn't even remember being repaired, much less what actually happened."

"I told you. They're all acting off. It's like at night they become something completely different with no knowledge of it." Jeremy looked up from his laptop. "I've even asked what caused their damage and I'm not sure if they're given programmed responses or just genuinely come with what they think are plausible reasons."

"Like falling off a stage?"

"Exactly. Either way, maybe we'll be able to start getting answers now. Any working theories so far?"

Charlie shrugged, "Two mysterious characters. One female, one male. No idea who. Both had masks so undetectable even if we could scan."

Evan looked over at his brother in fear, "What if it's Liz?"

Michael frowned in thought. As much as he disagreed (and really really hoped it wasn't!) about an open and shut case where their sister had come back, it wasn't entirely impossible. "It would make sense. Much easier solved mystery if it was. I'll be honest. If it's not Elizabeth then I have absolutely no clue who could be behind it. She's our best lead. And, I wouldn't be surprised. If this has 'Afton' written all over it, then who else but an Afton? Unless Dad had some other secret family we didn't know about."

"It's not Liz." Everyone turned to face Cassidy as she continued, "It's not. And even though yes she could just have easily come back as us, I'm still filing under highly doubtful. For one she's prideful as fuck. She'd be dancing around singing her dad's praises and ripping off Mike's head in any form." That was a fair point. "Anyways, in regards to creepy bunny lady, I'd bet my left leg she's not an animatronic."

Jeremy blinked in surprise, "What?"

"There's literally no way she could be. Not the way she was moving. I know things can be advanced. But that? No way. Too fluid."

Michael blinked, "Why exactly were you studying her movements so much?"

Cassidy rolled her eyes, "Pay better attention, Michael. Even the most fluid adaptable animatronics can't move that smoothly. Humans. In a mask. I'm telling you. You'll see I'm right as always. And most likely not Liz."

Evan shivered speaking quietly, "I hope not. I can't face her." Charlie gave him a sympathetic pat.

Jeremy snapped his fingers in thought and they all turned to him, "Which reminds me, they'll probably be back tonight. They're gonna come after Foxy intending to retrieve him and undo whatever hacking they've think we've done."

The Fox snorted, "They can try to delete me all they want, but it won't work. I'm here to stay."

"Yes, but when that doesn't work they are going to dismantle Foxy in an attempt to basically rebuild. And since you're anchored to him, well....you're probably definitely going to feel it."

Foxy immediately froze and deflated. Michael grinned at Cassidy and folded his arms, "Oh I can't wait for tonight...."

In another dark room, Glamrock Bonnie tilted his head listening for any spies or footsteps. Satisfied after he only found complete silence he turned the door and walked into the room. It was their own primitive version of Parts and Services. The one deep underground that the staff weren’t aware of. He had been ordered down there along with Freddy to make sure the room was set up. 

After checking to verify the computers were locked into the system and enough spare parts were available, he alerted them and Dr Rabbit gave his approval. Of course there were more than just parts for Foxy in there; there was enough for all of them. After all, tonight, it was very likely they all may need repairs from damages that the staff couldn’t find out about. 

Andrew growled through the fox animatronic. "You are all going to enjoy this too much."

Cassidy smiled, "Don't worry, Andrew  we will definitely do absolutely everything we can to keep them from getting ahold of you."

"Cassidy, you fucking lying bitch! I saw that wink!!!"

She blinked innocently with an exaggerated shrug, "I have ever no clue whatever you are talking about, dearest Andrew ."

Before the fox could go on a tirade, Charlie gave a genuine smile, "Don't worry. We'll be here. We aren't going anywhere. Let's face them together."

"She's right," Evan added helpfully. "As long as it's not Liz."

"It's not."

"We don't know that for sure."

"It's still not."

Michael groaned, rubbing his forehead. Wasn't there a pit of despair somewhere that he could leave them all? Just one would do. "I'm pretty sure the idea is to make us seem clueless so they get the jump on us. And don't you heathens even go there." 

Seriously, anyone know of any nearby pits?

It took all of thirty minutes after midnight for trouble to find them. Or rather for them to find it.

True to Jeremy's word, the animatronics had been out patrolling for Foxy. But it wasn't the animatronics they found on round two. Well, not quite. 

They did find Glamrock Freddy and Bonnie. And their special friend.

The hooded figure laughed as Michael swore under his breath. "I see you fools didn't learn before." Man, this Dr. Rabbit freak was just as annoying as the rest of his companions.

Cassidy snarled, "Not a chance, jerkface. We don't scare that easily. Besides, where's your girlfriend to help you out anyways?"

Michael was pretty sure he heard the figure let out a soft sound of disgust before he continued addressing them, "Hmm. I see. Of course some never learn until it's too late. It appears you will just be more of those. How unfortunate. I must say, however, I am slightly impressed with your work on the fox. Skilled in animatronics?"

The man shrugged, "What can I say? I've got a lot of experience."

The dark figure turned to Freddy and Bonnie before nodding towards Foxy. Foxy growled and raised his hook in warning as they started to approach him. 

Michael smirked, "Know what else I've learned?"

"What?" 

He smirked, "Sometimes all it takes to stop a snake is cut off its head. Or in this case, the asshole using others for his bidding." He sprung, lunging for him, "So let's just see how scary you really think you are underneath it all." 

The dark figure barely had time to move before the man was on him. Michael tried to grab Dr. Rabbit's mask the same time as the other tried to dart away. Instead he ended up smashing his hand directly into the mask, knocking off Dr. Rabbit's hood as the mask clattered feet away. Bonnie and Freddy stopped, staring quizzically at their leader and for once, Michael actually wondered if that was all it took to free the animatronics and end this nightmare.

The next voice the group heard had them all staring in shock as the dark figure finally raised his head letting out a cry of pain. 

And no one. No one was prepared to see the brown-haired boy underneath holding his bleeding face, eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"What the...." Michael didn’t even try to hide his shock

"I think you broke my fucking nose, you asshole!" The younger boy glared at him with hate filling his brown eyes.

Cassidy blinked in surprise, "Um, did we just get told off by an eight year old?”

The boy whirled around to glare at her. “I’m twelve, you dipshits.”

Michael just didn't even know what to think. Either way, here was some KID ordering around killer animatronics. How did that even work? “....I can’t decide if that’s better or worse.”

“You know what I was doing when I was twelve?”

Jesus Christ, Cassidy. Seriously? He reluctantly responded knowing she was waiting for it. “What ?”

“Being dead. And probably killing people.” 

"Seriously? What is wrong with you?"

Evan shrugged, "She's not wrong."

Cassidy grinned, "Bet I was having more fun then also."

The brunette boy formerly thought to be some intense evil figure just blinked at them and rolled his eyes, "You're all just a bunch of freaking weirdos."

"Weirdos about to kick your ass, short shit." Cassidy, don't antagonize the evil child please.

The very much living boy had no idea what he was getting into, "Huh?"

She grinned, "You heard me." She leaned down and picked up a piece of pizza from a nearby table and flung it at his face. "Take that, short stack!"

"Hey!" He growled, ripping it off his face. "I'll have them rip you all apart!"

Charlie stood next to her friend with an intense glare, "You're still just a bully!"

"This is all just so stupid. Argh! Ignore them and get Foxy!" He pointed to the fox and the two animatronics nodded.

"On it, Dr Rabbit," the bunny immediately started for him as the glared grinned maliciously. 

Foxy lowered into a crouch with a deep growl, "Go ahead and try."

The brown-haired man groaned as he pulled out a taser from his pocket. "Can't believe I'm actually trying to help this little shit out." He ran towards Freddy with it raised in the air. "You owe me!"

The Fox snarled, "I don't need it!" Yeah Andrew’s ego was going to have him torn to shreds.

Just as he got close enough to reach the evil mastermind, a quick blur zipped by him and he felt an immense pain in his hand. With a surprised cry, he dropped the taser and stared at the blade embedded in the middle of his hand. What the fuck?

Slowly he looked up in shock to see the white rabbit standing near Dr Rabbit. With Charlie struggling in her arms. Vanny purred as she raised a knife to the girl's cheek. "You all shouldn't have come back. Now you'll face the consequences." Charlie let out a surprised cry as the blade slid across her cheek. It wasn't deep, just enough to draw blood. The rabbit had no idea the fatal mistake she had just made.

"I THINK THE HELL NOT!" As expected Cassidy was there instantly. She punched her in the face causing the female to lunge back in surprise. Vanny immediately let go of Charlie to grab onto her large white rabbit head to keep it from flying off.

Rab groaned in annoyance, facepalming, "Fucking idiots with a death wish, I swear. FREDDY!"

Michael ripped the blade out, dropping it to the ground with a hiss. Yeah that was gonna be a bitch to heal later. He gave a quick glance over to the kids. Charlie was just barely bleeding but it was shallow. Thankfully the rabbit hadn’t given her any lethal injuries that would have given away their secret when the girl didn’t fall over dead. Cassidy was ready to tear the world apart and Evan was hiding behind them mumbling their sister's name.

Damn, if that was Liz under there this was gonna be real bad. But it couldn't be her, right? 

Foxy let out a roar as the other two approached him. But they had a new problem now. The other three animatronics had shown up while they'd been distracted. And the white rabbit was inching closer to Foxy in the process. How did she even get there so fast? 

Of course they weren't the only ones who noticed.

Charlie let out an impressed whistle, "Damn, she moves fast."

Ugh, he was so gonna regret this later. Why couldn't he just let them tear apart the heathen inside the suit? With a groan he ran at her. She stopped, surprised, but turned to face him as she pulled out another knife barely missing him as he lunged. 

Cassidy tilted her head,  "Where the hell did she pull that one out from? Does the costume have secret pockets or something?"

Evan stared at his brother in horror as they watched the two grappling near the almost completely surrounded Foxy. "We need to go help them!"

"Nah, they got it." Cassidy shook her head and grinned, "Let's go play with some robots."

Charlie frowned, "Somehow I feel like that should be demeaning."

"Maybe if they weren't glossed up knock offs. Besides, we know how they work."

"Technically-"

"Close enough." The she demon grabbed a nearby pitcher of water and slung it out throwing water directly at Roxy, turning back to the others with a grin. "See?"

Instead of the familiar sizzling or crackling sound, they were treated to a different type of shriek. 

"MY HAIR! HOW CAN I BE THE BEST LIKE THIS?! LOOK WHAT YOU BRATS DID! YOU RUINED ME!!!!" The wolf dramatically sobbed. 

Their evil child leader mumbled under his breath, "Seriousfuckingly?"

Cassidy lost her smirk blinking in shock for a few minutes. ".....THEY MADE THEM WATERPROOF ???? NOT FAIR!!!"

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"

As Roxy swiped her claws at Cassidy, she slammed on her pitcher on her head and she dodged. "This is so not right."

Foxy swiped his claw knocking Monty's glasses off. The Gator growled and the fox slung at his face sending him stumbling backwards "Suck on that, you knock off of whatever you're supposed to be a knock off of?"

Michael, meanwhile, was starting to realize he was seriously out of shape. Then again his history had always involved running, closing doors, the occasional trip in the vents, and evading his knife happy father. Not struggling and wrestling with an extremely agile female. Who showed no signs of slowing down. Everytime he thought he had the upper hand, she'd slip right out and either lunge at him or try to dart towards the others and he'd have to stop her. Thankfully she hadn't nailed anymore of her stab attempts. Yet.

"Jesus fucking Christ. What is this, the upgraded energizer bunny? Don't you have an off switch?" Her response was a growl and another lunge. He was ready this time though. He shoved her back as hard as he could and ran as she fell backwards on the ground. He wasn't sure exactly what he could do to help Andrew, but he'd figure it out as he went. Until he found himself falling quickly to the ground as she had rolled over and landed a well-placed kick directly in the back of his knee. Okay, so she wasn't opposed to fighting dirty. Lovely. 

Cassidy snorted as they dodged a run from Chica, "Go ahead. Tell me I'm wrong. There's no way they made an animatronic that skilled."

"Maybe it is Liz. What if she found some way to come back?"

"For God's sake, Ev. We've been through this."

As usual, Charlie was the wise one. "Well either way, I don't think we can reason with her."

"Fair." Cassidy pointed over to the child ringleader, "So let's just take out the twerp over there instead."

His eyes widened in surprise, and maybe horror, as Monty and Freddy jumped in front of him.

"COWARD!"

He smirked, "No, just very very smart."

"He does have a point there."

"DON'T AGREE WITH HIM, CHAR!"

Vanny had to be getting tired soon, right? She seemed to be breathing heavily before she straightened up. But gone was the creepy childlike teasing and movements this time. Her voice dripped with malice. "Go back where you all came from and Stay. Out. Of. This!"

"Look, as much as I would really like to, and believe me, I would, I can't really explain why I can't. Just know that it's literally impossible and not exactly my choice, trust me."

"I don't trust anyone!" Not really a surprise coming from a creepy white rabbit with the ability to pull knives out of thin air, but strange admission all the same.

"Okay, yeah I can relate with trust issues."

That was apparently not what she wanted to hear as she growled and leaped at him again. With a frustrated groan, he dodged to the side, reaching up to grab her arm with the knife, yanking her to the side. He reached for her face with his other hand and she snarled trying to jerk out of his grasp and block his hand. In the ensuing scuffle the knife was no longer in her hand and she jerked out of his grip shoving him away.

Everyone stopped to watch the scene as the female rabbit straightened up. Sticking out of her side was her own knife.

Her partner (leader? whatever) let out a slow whistle, " Now you've done it, you dumbass."

Even though her eyes were concealed by the large red orbs, Michael was pretty sure her expression wasn't a pretty one. "Um. I swear I didn't mean that. I just tripped and you did too and fell on it?

Vanny focused on him as she slowly reached her other hand to grab the knife and wordlessly ripped it out without any reaction. 

Evan swallowed nervously, "Did she just-"

Charlie nodded equally in disbelief as Cassidy just stared wide-eyed at the white rabbit. "Yep. Sure did."

The man wasn't an idiot. While he didn't intentionally mean to end up stabbing her, he knew she wouldn't see it the same way. He raised his hands trying to placate her, "Okay look. Total accident there and I'm sure you're pretty upset but don't you think you should probably stop and get that looked at?"

Vanny simply growled and lowered herself as she raised the knife.

"Look, that was inside you and I really don't think it's a good idea for it to be inside someone else." She threw it and barely missed his face as it embedded itself into the wall. He shrugged, "Worth a try."

Cassidy whispered to the kids, "Bet she pulls out another one."

And to his horror, she did just that, "Or you....could do just that." She sprang at him with another growl, brandishing the new weapon. "Where did you even pull that out from???"

He dodged, lunging up under her, grabbing the knife and one of the white ears. His momentum pulled both of them down, sending them crashing into the table, breaking it with their force.

The brown-haired girl was focused on something else. "Um, guys." When the other two kids turned to Charlie, she pointed to the knife embedded in the wall that was dripping dark red. "That's....blood. Like actual blood ."

"I'm telling you. Not a robot, not Liz, not an animatronic. Besides, all the actual animatronics do around here are whine and cry about their hair and lack of junk food."

Roxy snarled, racing towards her, "I do not!" The girl picked up one of the splintered boards that had been sent flying by the broken table.

"And have serious tantrums. Who are the kids here again?"

Michael was doing everything he could to prevent another stabbing for either of them as Vanny struggled trying to get her knife away from him. He let go of her other arm, tightening his grip on her ear. If he could get it off her, maybe it would distract her as well. Just long enough to get the upper hand.

She had caught onto his plan however and instead turned her focus on getting away from him. She let go of the knife letting him have it as she shrieked and did a back flip in a desperate attempt to get out of his grasp.

Dr Rabbit mumbled under his breath, "Shit."

However no one was paying attention to him. Instead they looked at the white rabbit head that Michael tossed to the side before turning to the white rabbit who had landed on her hands and feet in an outstretched crouch, with her head down. Where white fabric and ears had been, was cascading blonde hair pooling around a very human face.

He rolled over on his side to look at her in shock.

Evan stared at the scene in front of him, "What the-"

"So much for the usual suspects."

"Told you no way that was an animatronic."

The blonde woman slowly raised her head and her green eyes shone with intense anger and malice. And her dangerous pissed off look was directed right at the man still laying amid the remains of the broken table.

Evan slowly nodded, "That's not Liz."

"No shit."

"She's pretty."

Cassidy shrugged but didn't take her eyes off her, "Maybe all the great female serial killers are now. Bet she's pissed now. Way to go."

Michael groaned, "Jesus fucking Christ."

With an enraged snarl, the blonde leaped towards him. His eyes widened and he barely managed to roll out of the way before she landed in another crouch right near him. 

"Oh look, Mike's making new friends. No wonder everyone hates you." 

He ignored Cassidy's remark as he stared at the woman, "Who are you?" She merely smirked.

A loud roar caught everyone's attention and the group turned to see the cause. In the ensuing commotion Bonnie and Freddy had used the distraction to ambush Foxy and power him down.

Charlie raced towards him and screamed as Chica's claws raked across her arm. 

"Charlie!" Evan ran over and tripped over Roxy's outstretched leg landing hard on his face. When the last member of the trio ran in to defend her crew with the board raised, Monty whipped his tail with enough force to knock her down, leaving a gash on her cheek before laughing. Charlie grabbed the forgotten taser and jabbed it right into his chest plate. He let out a roar before dropping to the ground rolling around as sparks fizzled around him. 

Michael turned back around and the blonde had disappeared seemingly out of mid air. He didn't even know how to process that. Her most recent knife and rabbit head were gone as well. "What the fuck?"

Cassidy was trying to wrap Charlie's bleeding arm, "The kid is gone too."

In the distance they could hear the thumping as the animatronics dragged Foxy away. He knew they should go after them and save Andrew, but there was no way any of them could do anything right now. Much less even try to process everything that had just occurred. 

Evan slowly stood up, wincing from his bruised knees, "Everyone okay?"

"Besides Mike who got his ass handed to him by a chick-"

"A pissed off one."

"And Andrew who's probably about to be in a million pieces so it's all good actually."

A security bot zipped over flashing its flashlight in her eyes as a familiar cocky voice rang out, "Wrong. Told you I can be everywhere."

"Damn it."

"I'm unkillable. You'll never be rid of me."

Michael groaned as he tried to sit up, "Pretty sure everything is broken. Again." He flopped back down into the broken wood splintered under him. "Fucking everything. I'm calling out tomorrow."

Cassidy stood quietly for a few minutes staring at the blood on her hand, "We've never actually gotten hurt before. Well, since you know."

Charlie looked at her own wrapped arm, "I didn't know we could actually bleed. And hurt."

He finally managed to sit up as he mumbled, "Welcome to my world."

His brother turned to him with worry in his eyes, "So what exactly are we dealing with here?"

And wasn't that the question of the hour? In just one night, every single one of their theories and knowledge had been ripped apart, leaving nothing more than giant gaping holes of improbable concepts. Jeremy was right. This was completely different, unlike anything they'd faced before. He was starting to wish it was just his father and sister. At least then he'd know how to deal with it. They all would. But this? He didn't even know where to begin.

He dropped his head in his hands, "I have no idea, man. No idea….:

Chapter Text

Hey guys! Hope everyone is doing well. Especially after this crazy insane year haha

N-E-WAYZ I know, I know this isn't an actual chapter but for reasons. First of all, not gonna lie, the next two chapters are pretty emotional for all the cast, especially Cassie as she struggles to decide what to believe and go from there. And no one really wants that on Xmas right? (Plus I'm still finishing editing it, heh heh)

So I'll wait til after Xmas (*coughcoughANDIHAVETIMETOFINISHITsneeze*) for all those feels. And then get back into our regular dose of humor and ridiculousness. 

INSTEAD, I decided to write up the first of hopefully many one shots featuring the crew's everyday life that doesn't really fit in the story itself. 

I was hoping to be far enough along posting in the story to get to that point but (DAMMIT YOU BLASTED HURRICANE) it obviously didn't happen. Oh well. Since it is a Christmas Special, best to post it now.

This 2 part story takes place during Insurrection, but not terribly far in the story. Vanessa has formally met and been integrated into the group knowing she's trapped in a similiar situation as they've been through. The baddies now all know exactly who they are and Gregory hates them and is pissed bc the baddies have just agreed to let them stay (since they know it's impossible to get rid of them anyways.) 

Charlie decides to bring Christmas spirit to everyone and the shenanigans shall commence. Will also feature a special surprise appearance by another character in the end.

Part 1 is up and I'll try my best to finish Pt 2 and get it up tomorrow but we'll see. It's also a look at what's to come soon dynamic wise very shortly. ^__^

Merry Christmas from the Manifestation family!

Manifestation's Christmas Special

Chapter Text

" I know you're even more confused, Cassie and probably pretty upset. I'm sorry, Cassie. For everything. It was never supposed to be like this ."

She found herself unable to move. The mask sat silently on her face as she realized the tape was still running. 

The voice on the other end was quiet as though leaving her time to contemplate. Did Gregory really have this all that planned out? Maybe, if the coward couldn't even bother to face her. And maybe she should do what was justified: tear off the mask and never return. Confront Mike and demand all the answers? 

What.... How....

Did that mean that two people she had trusted at least once in her life had been behind her near death? Had Gregory really cut the elevator after all? Was Vanessa originally there to finish her off? (If so, why didn't she?)

All those kids..... All those workers. Who had all disappeared. It was those two? Had she once again trusted completely wrong?

Slowly she slid the mask off. Laying it on the table she turned and left, feeling numb and on autopilot. No tears fell as she made the trek back home.

Without a word she ignored the family (who still ignored her) and slipped into her room. Closing and locking the door and pulling the blinds shut, she settled back onto her bed. Reaching under the mattress she pulled out the one item she'd been able to hide from them so they couldn't take it.

She slowly turned the gold frame around and stared down at the photo in it. It was from one of her birthdays, after she'd lost her mom. Her Dad had bought her a pair of Roxanne ears headband and ice cream. She'd never forget that moment as he walked with his arm around her shoulder leading her to all the attractions.

The purple wolf ears on her head shook from her excitement as she licked at the matching purple ice cream in the cone. One of his coworkers had snapped the photo and gave it to him later. 

She held the frame close to her chest, finally letting the tears fall as she sobbed silently. Had she finally gotten the answers she'd been looking for? (At what cost?)

Where had Gregory been? Probably in hiding after their murder spree came to an end. Now she knew why he always seemed to be there. And so good at games.

What had happened to her dad? He'd asked too many questions and pushed too far. Had they killed him? Had she been talking to her would-be killers this entire time? 

Both lying to her face with the blood of her father staining their hands?

She'd seen what Vanessa could easily do with a blade. She was dangerous. Deadly. Had she lured him in then shown her true colors? 

Had Gregory dealt the final blow? Did her dad see it coming? Or was he blindsided, like she was? 

Vanessa kept stopping her from asking about Gregory or her dad. Any mention of either of them seemed to make her uncomfortable and she'd cut it off. Was this why?

What made them a pair of villains? As far as she knew, Gregory and Vanessa had nothing in common. Did they just meet up one day and decide to wreak havoc? 

Just who was she supposed to trust after all? 

The technician blinked at the group in the room and frowned as he shut the door behind him. “No offense, but you guys look rough.”

He heard the mumbled voice of his best friend sprawled out backwards on the bed sounding drained, “None taken. Trust us, we feel it.”

“By it, he means like shit.”

Jeremy placed the laptop on the counter then turned back to assess the room. Mike had a blanket or something draped across his face. The two girls were sitting in the large red chair together with a strange look on their faces, and the youngest stood quietly in the corner looking down. Well, this was pretty unusual. Silence and lack of serious snark was something rare with that group.

He crossed his arms and leaned back, “Is there where I’m supposed to ask what happened? Or is anyone going to freely voluntarily share that information?”

“Does ‘we got our asses kicked’ sound plausible?” Cassidy mumbled with her head pressed against the side of the chair.

Mike groaned as he tried to sit up, “We didn’t get our asses kic-” He paused as pain raced across his back and fell back across the bed. “Yep, that’s exactly what happened.”

“Animatronics?”

“Worse.”

“The living.”

“Living?”

Cassidy glared at him as she jumped up, “As in alive people. Not animatronics, not dead. Well, somewhat animatronics also. But that wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the living people. So yes, Jer, this was all caused by freaking HUMANS!” As if that took all her energy she settled back into the chair drained.

Evan nodded, “And not Liz.”

She groaned in annoyance, “No, Evan. Not Liz. I think we’ve established that by this point.”

Charlie finally looked up to meet his eyes, “We got hurt.”

He frowned, “I thought you guys couldn’t actually get hurt?”

“Yeah, so did we.” Mike let out another pained groan, “Turns out we were WAY off base there.” He made a wide sweeping motion with his arm across the room. “Hence, well, everything.”

Jeremy frowned as he looked back again. Something was definitely off. There were bandages, gauze, and various towels and ice packs scattered around the room. “Damn.”

“Yeah. Damn. Let’s just say it was not a good night.” His best friend finally started to slowly sit up before giving up again. “Just, please at least tell us it was worth it.”

“Yep.” 

Mike and Cassidy exchanged twin groans as they slowly turned toward the computer monitor that had been a blank screen. Until now. Blank screen as in turned off. Powered off. And yet as that all too familiar voice spoke through it it seemed to power up on its own. Jeremy leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms proudly.

Cassidy shook her head, “I must be dealing with a concussion or something because I know there’s no way in hell I’m hearing that shit brat sounding so damn cheerful. And from a computer.”

Andrew’s wicked annoying laugh echoed around them. From the main monitor, from Jeremy’s laptop screen, random disconnected speakers, even Mike’s own Faz watch. (Which he quickly ripped off and tossed on the floor.)

The tech just shook his head in amusement.

“Oh fuck off, Cassidy. Told ya’ll you could never be rid of me.”

The raven-haired girl glared at the smirking face that appeared on the monitor in front of them. “Have fun getting dismantled and ripped apart?”

He grinned widely. “Actually, turns out that all I had to do was ‘jump’ into another piece of technology and didn’t have to feel a thing. Rode around with one of the security bots throughout the night, and once they got Foxy back together, it was nothing to get back in.”

Charlie looked enamoured by the concept as she ran up to the monitor with her long brown hair bouncing behind her in excitement. “So you can just jump into anything you want? Can we do that?”

“Fraid not, Char. You guys chose your own appearances and since Andrew basically brought himself back over, he never really had an actual body. Besides it’s always been more his thing to just kinda….possess other things.”

The demon boy from hell grinned again. “Which I’ve always been quite skilled at, thank you. He’s right. Before this you all had your own animatronics; well besides Evan once Cassidy kicked him out like a spoiled little bitch.”

She jumped up ready to run over and bust the screen, “HEY! We’ve already been over all that and it’s not a big deal!”

“Just stating a fact. Anyways, you guys basically sealed your souls to your own suits. But I never did. When they were destroyed, you guys were finally set free as actual spirits with nothing tying you down. Well, except Mike, who never possessed anything and was just a rotting corpse for most of his life…and after life.”

Charlie nodded, catching onto his explanation. “We basically don’t have anything anchoring us anymore, just our own selves….”

Evan trembled as he looked down, “Would have been nice to have animatronics to hide in last night. Maybe things wouldn’t have gone so….bad.”

“Or at least not having other animatronics attack us.” Cassidy tilted her head in though. “Which, did anyone figure that out yet? Cuz lemme tell you, they were definitely out for blood last night.” She helped up her bandaged arm, “And they definitely got it.”

Jeremy interjected quickly knowing that girl was already wildly worked up, “Unfortunately no. Not yet at least. We do at least have a way to try and find answers though. As you can see, Andrew is now fully integrated into the system. And since he’s not just a form of AI, he can move freely and make his own decisions. Which means he remains undetected. Think of it like a spy sneaking around. He doesn’t have anything tethering him, no file to trace back. So, even if he was somehow detected, it wouldn’t appear as anything more than a random blip. Kinda like a glitch. And I highly doubt anyone would ever even expect something like a ‘ghost’ to inhabit a network.” He stopped in thought, “Which actually I guess is literally what it is.”

The young lady imp groaned in annoyance, “So we all took the brunt of everything last night while you just skate on through untouched and have absolutely nothing to show for it?!”

“Not quite.” Her arch-rival stopped before she could continue on a rant. “I mean you did learn some things last night. Like how they fight. And operate.”

“Yeah,” Cassidy spit out angrily, “dirty.”

Evan nodded sadly, “They aren’t very nice.”

Charlie perked up, “Well it's safe to say that they got dealt their side of damage also.”

“Mike broke the bad guy's nose. A kid by the way. And then stabbed the other one. And you wonder why everyone wants to kill you. “

Jeremy looked at his best friend in surprise, who merely shrugged. “Sounds like a violent night. Good thing the cameras weren't recording. That would be a lot to delete.”

“Yeah, violent. And scary.”

Cassidy waved her hands dramatically. “There was blood everywhere. We bled, the rude ass pint size whinny bitch bled, the crazy rabbit lady, who I was right about by the way... Everyone got blood on that floor.”

“I didn't.”

“Fuck off, Andrew.” She turned back to Jeremy pointing to a bandage on her face, “Speaking of which, in case you didn't hear, we bled.”

“So I heard.”

She groaned in frustration, ripping the bandage off and pointing to the still healing wound mottled with dried blood, “No we like BLED . Us. We're not supposed to bleed. We're DEAD!!!!!”

That didn’t make any sense. And yet he had the proof right there staring in his face, “Yeah, that shouldn't be possible.”

“Exactly!”

“Oh!” Charlie straightened up, “Almost forgot. Here.” She strode over to the still confused tech and handed him a bag. He took it and slowly pulled out something wrapped in red covered material. Against probably his better judgement, he slowly unwrapped it. 

“Um, Char….. why did you have a bloody knife?”

What the absolute…. Mike immediately sat straight up praying, but knowing otherwise, that he had heard wrong, “ When did you get a bloody knife???”

Her friend squealed in excitement, “I'm so proud of you taking initiative!”

“Cass gave it to me.”

“Dammit, Char! You weren't supposed to say that.”

“Ohhhhkayyy…..” Jeremy coughed trying to contain himself, “Cass, wh y did you give Char a bloody knife?”

Was this seriously even happening? Mike thought he had heard it all. And yet as he stared at the red blade in the other man’s hands he couldn’t even bring himself to be shocked. If anyone ever heard the conversations down here they’d all be sent to jail, or prison, or maybe the mental hospital. Not that they could- Wait, if they could hurt and bleed, did that also mean they could actually be arrested? “What even is my life?”

The girl from hell shrugged, “Seemed like a smart thing to do. And none of the other idiots *ahem Mike * were doing anything. Figured you could use it.”

Mike let out a strangled cry. What the hell would even possess her to do it? And why did Charlie have to willingly go along with it as usual? “To what, go on a killing spree ???”

“Like I would use a knife for that, moron.” She merely sighed, ignoring his obvious distress and focusing on Jeremy, “This is the knife that Mike stabbed the crazy psycho-”

Jeremy looked at him in shock. Had he heard that correctly? Forgetting his own injuries, Mike went straight into a state of panic as his face flushed red. One little mistake and now everyone is gonna be all about it.

“I didn’t mean to stab her ! It was an accident! ”

“Wait, you mean you actually did?”

Andrew snorted, “What, she fell on the knife while you just happened to be holding it?”

“I’m not…. That’s not… She wasn’t…I was just trying to…” 

“-rabbit lady with. It got left behind in the mess. So we grabbed it so you can see if you can find out who's behind it and all that.”

Jesus Christ, Cassidy. This isn’t some crime show. “He's not a cop. He can't just send off for DN-”

“Not a bad idea actually. I'll reach out to one of my friends who recently joined the force and see if he can run a test.”

He immediately snapped his mouth shut in defeat, as his friend set it on the counter like he hadn’t just been holding an attempted murder weapon. Traitor. 

The dark-skinned tech started quickly typing on his laptop and the screen on the monitor changed, causing Andrew’s face to disappear. “Although what we did find out so far though, isn’t good. One of the things we were trying to do was figure out where it originated. If it came from an outside source we’d know right away. Either way we should be able to pinpoint the exact point of infection, where the virus was loaded. But….instead we found this.” The image of the screen seemed to be a map of some sort with various lines and shapes. “This is basically the plex’s network. See all those purple lines that cover every dot? Those dots are all of the technology within the system: computers, faz equipment, animatronics, automatic doors, etc. Anything that requires being on the network. Those purple lines aren’t just the location of the virus, it’s also where it originated .”

Now, Michael Afton may not know much about this modern computer technology crap, but even he knew that didn’t sound right. “So what, the virus was uploaded individually in each piece of equipment? I agree that would be a lot of work and time but it’s not entirely out of the question.”

“No, you dumbass.” This time his voice came out of the laptop screen. “That’s not how that works.”

“He’s right. About the how it works part. I can’t find the point of origin, because it wasn’t just added in by someone. Long story short. The virus is part of the system. Meaning….the virus IS the network. Someone didn’t just hack in and make changes. It’s been here the entire time.”

The room settled in silence as everyone took in what that could mean. Mike had a basic idea of how viruses and hacking worked. Somewhat similar to tampering.  Basically you get in, you add or change some stuff up, and make it work as you want. Stuff spreads quickly infecting everything in its path.

And that had to make the most sense because nothing else did. If the disappearances and ‘incidents’ were related to the animatronics and the animatronics had been hacked, then someone had to have done something right? How did the network already have a virus attached to it.

“I thought you had evidence of hacking and tampering.” 

His best friend nodded slowly, “Yeah, I did. That’s why this doesn’t make sense. Now, there is still the possibility that the animatronics weren’t originally on the network and someone added them later. That could explain that hacking. Which seems counterproductive because why wouldn’t Fazbear already have them on it?  Or…… They weren’t hacked by the virus, but by something else. And we’re not dealing with a virus at all….”

Charlie tilted her head curiously in thought. “If it’s not a virus what else could it be?”

“The network itself.”

The brunette man stood up shaking his head in disbelief, “Wait, like some corrupted network?”

“No, Mike. Corrupted would indicate it was ever normal to begin with. This network has been like this from the beginning. Going back as far as the Storyteller.”

“So, what, it’s evil AI?”

“Man, I really don’t know what to tell you, except that I don’t really have any answers. This isn’t anything I’ve seen before. Or any of us. “

Cassidy rolled her eyes, “What, you think some random AI or program somehow got ahold of stuff about Afton and decided it wanted to be his biggest fanboy or something?”

Charlie shrugged, “Greatest form of flattery is imitation.”

She shook her head, “So it’s just our luck that this stupid program decides to pick him of all people? How would it even know all this? Besides, we did see that there are at least two humans involved.  Humans that were there and very eager to both kill us and have us killed with no hesitation. And all agree that those people weren't anyone we knew, right?”

“The animatronics eyes do seem to glow purple though at times so they are at least being controlled by someone at times.” Charlie tilted her head in thought. There it was again, purple. They all knew what that meant all too well. The same purple they saw on that network map.

People who knew how to control animatronics, and had a thing for the color purple, violence, killing, and apparently rabbits.

“A blonde woman and a brunette kid. No one I recognize anywhere. But they do seem to be a little too far knowledgeable in a lot of things that no one should. No one that hasn’t already been involved that is.” As in already dead people or spirits, or Aftons themselves….which all currently fell under that same category.

The raven-haired girl shrugged, “Maybe your Dad decided to start over and get cooler kids.” She gently patted Evan’s arm in mock sympathy. “Sorry, Ev. But it was probably inevitable.”

He shrugged, “Eh. It's okay.”

As much as he was already very much hoping that wasn’t the case, Michael Afton knew it was something else. “No, I don't know that it was him. In fact, not only do I really really hope it’s not him, I’m almost pretty sure it isn’t. Or at least not like we think. I know, I know the signs are there but....” No, it couldn’t just be based on hopeful thinking, right? His intuition usually (generally) served him well and everything was yelling that he was right, this one time.

“But what?”

“Well, for starters, none of them seemed to recognize me. Anyone of us! And I'm pretty sure they didn't know we were dead either. I know Charlie aged up and all but the rest of us....” He shook his head, “No, they thought we were just some random people. If they had known how…. different we are, they wouldn’t have used the same approach. They’d have known it wouldn’t have worked.”

“And yet they still kicked your asses that way.” He really really really had to restrain him from slamming his fist through every monitor his mocking voice came through.

Jeremy nodded in thought, stroking his chin. “That is a fair point. They would have instantly been on us from the beginning. And the moment animatronics know that an Afton is around, they’d either bend to you or try to rip you apart. It really does seem like they have no idea who or what any of you are. But how else do you explain it?”

“A woman and her kid decided to follow in his footsteps? Create a new murder family? Find him as the ultimate role model to enamour and worship?” 

As much as he wanted to dismiss Cassidy’s words, what if that was actually the case? They did all know that whoever was behind it knew pretty specific details. Maybe a family member of a former cop or detective that stumbled upon classified information? Someone just obsessed with the history themselves? 

“I did hear those new games were pretty descriptive. Who knows what one's imagination could do with it?” Yeah, Charlie, that actually was possible also. If they really were intended to show the history of Fazbears….maybe that was all it took?

Surprisingly, the devil inside the computer also agreed. “Inspired a killing spree in costumes with animatronics? It's possible I guess.”

Look, they all made good points. This could either actually be his dad, back again somehow, raising new hell and pretending to play stupid in the background. Maybe he had purposely left information out to his new minions to carry out his orders. But…..at the same time, they hadn’t exactly acted like normal humans either. Which they were, that much was sure. Could there have been someone else higher behind them? If so, then who? Did that point right back to William Afton? Or someone else entirely? If it was him, then why employ random people that, far as he knew, had no ties to his family into being killers? (Michael Afton would have been the only living human actually stupid enough to have fallen for that. Elizabeth had died and Henry had been smart enough to catch on before he had a chance to do the same to him.) No one in their right mind would have ever willingly done that. Plus his dad had always prided on being able to use technology so well. He preferred animatronics over people because that was something he could fully control. He only used Mike for things the animatronics couldn’t do, which wasn’t killing. He wouldn’t waste his time or effort on using humans that he didn’t have full control over. Especially when he could just build his own killing machines. Now, he could possibly have roped in others under blackmail or severe threats. But even that could lead to unpredictable outcomes. Risks he wouldn’t be willing to attempt. Unless….

Sure he knew that his dad had wanted more than (almost) anything to find a way to successfully control any and everything; including humans. But he also knew he’d never been successful. The mind of the living was too strong and powerful. Sure he’d been able to manipulate and even fool others but he hadn’t gotten as far in his experiments to get beyond simple trickery. Not until his victims were either spirits or bodies shoved into some kind of technology that was easy to take over. 

(Was it possible that Afton could have finally achieved that?)

No, this just didn’t seem right. Maybe it was wishful thinking, maybe it was his own fears; but something told him this wasn’t Afton-driven.

So, the other possibility is that it was something else. Which again brought up more questions than answers. Who, what, HOW ? Two people controlling animatronics and killing numerous people for some unknown reason. A strange network that shouldn’t even be able to exist but is running freely. 

Honestly, neither of them made any sense. “No, I mean, I don't know. But you all can't tell me that you didn't feel something different last night.”

“Because it is something different.” Everyone turned to Jeremy in surprise at his tone. Even Andrew appeared to be caught off guard. 

He sighed in defeat, “That's why.... I really needed you. That's the first things I looked for. Any sign that he was back. And I thought I found it at first: rabbit signs, reported sightings of strange animatronics, purple everything, animatronics acting all off. And so on. But there's one huge difference we ran into for years that I don't see now.”

Charlie tentatively asked, “What's that?”

“The approach. Afton thrived on hiding in the shadows and sneaking around, blending in. Murders done by his own hand he’d do quickly at one time instead of spreading it out. Once someone caught on, he’d lay in waiting; hiding until it passed. But he was very crafty about how and when he snatched anyone. Which he only ever did as Spring Bonnie. And later on? He’d employ victims that no one would question disappearing. These, whoever they are, aren’t quite the same. Snatching victims in droves with no concern about being caught. Employees, guests, kids; anyone seems to be at risk at any given time. And WAY too much imagery. We never found any Pizzerias decked out in rabbit symbols did we?”

“Well, no. Last thing he wanted was anyone to associate Spring Bonnie with anything. Even Liz in all her deranged loyalty wasn't just leaving obvious artwork around.”

“Right, and sure he was definitely a very smart man. But smart enough to pull off taking over a whole network system, undetected? He wouldn’t be allowing a board to run the company, he would have seized full control long ago. I think, whatever is behind this, is behind FE in general. Practically running the entire company. Plus, if your attackers were dressed as rabbits? Afton would have the animatronics do his dirty work. Something he knew he could control. Why take a risk on using humans that aren’t as predictable? Too much risk on his end. So I don't think it's actually him. BUT it's someone who knows an awful lot, enough to copy him. Things that really no one else should know.’

If copycat was the current theory then where did they come from? “Could the games-”

“Mike, there's literal merchandise of Ennard. ENNARD.”

How the hell could any outsider know about that? “What?”

“And Scrap Baby.” 

It was Cassidy’s turn to look perplexed, “How the hell would anyone know about them?”

“Exactly. We're not just dealing with a copycat but a very very knowledgeable one who has details down exactly that no one should know.”

“So if it's not an Afton or my dad, then who?” Charlie was right. Only those people in that room, and those buried would have known about any of it. Henry would have encountered them this last time, but there was no way anyone else would have. 

“Everyone else we've ever encountered is dead. Unless they somehow came back.”

“That's why I needed help.”

Little did they know about the approaching glowing eyes down the hallway…..

Chapter Text

She stayed awake all night. Everytime she'd fall asleep she'd be plagued by shapeless forms laughing as Gregory's words echoed around her.

There's no way she had heard that right. It couldn't be, could it? How was any of that even possible? It didn't make any sense. ....or did it? Now she knew she had been chasing after ghosts this entire time....and possibly something else entirely...

"I know you're even more confused, Cassie and probably pretty upset."

Oh no, she wasn't upset; she was mad, pissed, maybe even hurt. He'd finally answered the overall base of all her questions in one statement. A statement that only brought about more questions that she wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. Sure, she'd heard all the rumors and warnings. Who hadn't? The pizzaplex is actually a dangerous place where everyone disappears, and her Dad did always forbid her there after dark.

But still. Who would have ever thought something like that was possible? Not her before she slipped in through the shattered windows. A part of her tried to assure herself that she just heard wrong. But she couldn't accept it try as she might. Too many things lined up and made sense now.

The way everyone had shifted and reacted, almost instantaneous. Mike not even hesitating to tackle Vanessa with full force. The danced around answers and secrets. Gregory's denial to elaborate on his home life. The sudden disappearances of the two most important people in her life so close together.

Her Dad was always so stressed but he'd hide it and say he didn't have a choice, that he still had to go to work. Almost daily. Nightly. That they needed him. He couldn't afford to be out. Well, now she knew who 'they' were and it wasn't anyone writing his paychecks. So why did he feel such a need to do what he did and more importantly HOW did he even get involved?

All she wanted to do was throw up. To curl up and pretend it was all a bad dream and when she woke up her Dad would be teasing her about sleeping in so late. She closed her eyes and she was back in the elevator, sobbing helplessly as she heard the fake voice of someone she had trusted echoing around her with banging and clanging getting closer and closer. How pathetic she must have looked. She should have just died that night. It HAD to have been him. Now knowing what she knows. That he AND Vanessa had been behind it all to begin with? He'd all but straight up said it. Her Dad had DIED . Died because of them. (Or for them?)

But why? Why had he sacrificed himself for random people? Especially if they were the reason for everything? Sure, he was a good man and he'd help whoever he could but why would ever do anything to help anyone so evil? Gregory hadn't said that they killed him or that he died because of them, but that he sacrificed himself FOR them.

But why? Why leave her behind and risk everything for that? He was a good person but he was also smart. He wouldn't take a risk unless he measured all the pros and cons. He wouldn't have tried to sacrifice himself unless he knew it was something WORTH it.

So what did he know that she didn't? And what about Mike and the others? Gregory had said they were brought here by her dad. To stop him and Vanessa, although they didn't even know it was them. While Mike didn't seem to have any love for Gregory (and acted pretty squirrely at her last name), he'd seemed ready to throw himself out there for Vanessa, even as she tried to kill him. Now that she thought of it, even when they were fighting, he seemed to go out of his way not to actually hurt her, but to simply restrain her. For what, she didn't know. So where did that leave him in the scheme of things? Was he in on it? Were they all? Even Freddy and Roxy. (The bear had seemed so worried and devastated. Like all of them.) 

Ugh, this was all so confusing. Maybe she did just die in that elevator and this was some kind of twisted purgatory.

But..... she didn't. Vanessa had apparently saved her. And Mike seemed to trust and support the blonde. And Mike had helped her. Why would he trust someone if they were that dangerous?

More importantly, why would her dad? He was a good judge of character. He wouldn't support or help or have anything to do with someone that was a threat.

And then she remembered the strangled tone in Gregory's voice earlier, begging and pleading for her to listen and understand. That same desperation she saw in Vanessa's eyes as she and Mike clung so tightly together. The terror she had heard in that voice-mail.

And finally....his strong defense of the animatronics. Insisting it wasn't the robots' fault. That somehow anyone could hack and change that programing. Why tell her now that they're technically her enemy? Especially after such a defense.

Fazbear's evil. Fazbear kills and hurts people and hides it. Her Dad knows it. Wants to stop it.

Mike and the kids get involved. Somehow also knowing things. (Also who the heck is Evan? Is that another name for Andrew? Would be a pretty drastic personality change if that's the case, from a scared little boy. And did Gregory also hold just a bit of fondness when he said his name, similar to the animatronics?) Animatronics can be dangerous but not on their own. 

People can make them do stuff they aren't programmed for and don't want to do.

....don't want to do....

Sure, Freddy and Roxy are definitely pretty sentient. Although they hadn't seemed like that back before, when the pizza plex was thriving. They were very stoic and well, just like animatronics. She could see someone taking advantage of them and using them for their own benefit whether they want it or not. 

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe what they deserved WAS for her to listen and take in the whole story. There was more to it. There had to be. She'd started all this by seeking answers right?

She'd been warned over and over and ignored all the warning signs. If her dad had actually died protecting and helping these people then she owed him to find out why.

.....don't want to do....

Those words echoed in her head, along with images from the strange dreams she'd been having. The ones that started after she found that secret room that held its own world of secrets. Right after Cassidy had appeared with that sword. And said something about a princess. So had her dad actually. A lot. She'd heard him mumbling several times at night before he'd hide his notes. (Notes that seemed to disappear no matter how hard she looked. Where had they gone?)

One thing she knew, above anything else, was; well two things actually: First, sure her experience since that night had changed a lot, but things really got weird after it. And second....things weren’t adding up. She was missing something. Maybe several somethings.

And, there was only one way to find out. So she found herself right back in that same chair staring down at the table. She'd come this far.....

With a heavy sigh she slipped the mask back on and heard the click of the tape, followed by more silence. And then finally one simple line.

"I'm sorry, Cassie. For everything. It was never supposed to be like this."

<YEARS AGO>

Deep deep down below the heart of the pizzaplex, the other side were indeed 'licking their wounds'.

The blonde woman was perched on one of the desks, freshly out of suit, next to a powered down monitor. Crouched over her was the nightmare induction of the plex itself. Instead of inspiring terror, this time he was receiving an entirely different reaction.

She glared down at him, trying to summon the flames of hell to combust him to ashes as he painstakingly (and probably slightly sadistically) slipped the needle again through her skin. She may have been able to hide her pain, but her annoyance and anger shone brightly in her eyes. 

" Explain again, exactly how they knew that ?"

She didn't bother to respond to the voice coming from one of the screens on the other side of the room, as she knew she didn't have to. Not this time at least, for once. Instead she could focus on her own tormentor, who twisted his head like the unnatural demon he was and turned his faceplate up to look up at her with the same intensity. How dare she make his job harder. And if she didn't stop, fidgeting, he was going to make her hate him even more.  Damn little brat better back down real fast.

"Your guess is good at mine," came the muffled reply across the room. The other pairs of eyes turned to the boy reclined back in his chair next to another blank monitor. He groaned lightly as he adjusted the ice pack on his face.  "The only ones who should know how any of that works are the trained techs. But somehow they knew exactly how to power down and reset an animatronic. Among other things."

Vanessa lowly growled and tried to bat Moon away again, despite the pain left on her side from him pulling away, but he ignored her like the resistant demon he was.  "I think it's pretty obvious they're a lot more advanced than we thought."

Rab snorted, "And brutal. Fucking asshole broke my nose. Plus how am I supposed to explain this bruise at school?"

Seriously? Of course that's the first thing that he worries about. 

She rolled her eyes, "Do what everyone else does. Makeup."

As expected, the angry demon imp child from hell immediately sprang forward, sitting upright. He ripped the ice pack off to glare at her with his intense brown eyes for even daring such an absurd suggestion. "I'm not wearing make-

As Moon slipped another stitch in and tugged just a little too extra tightly on it, she let out a yelped pain and finally managed to shove him away, ignoring the kid’s reaction. 

He, of course, wasn't the least bit sympathetic to her current blight anyways. "Least you can hide your's." 

Thankfully that was one thing those assholes had managed to do right: make sure she didn’t have any injuries, marks, or bruises that couldn’t be hidden. The last thing she needed to do was bring any attention and need for explanations to herself. It was a rule that ALL of them abided by when it came to her. Sure, she may be limping here and there on occasion, or just have a really sensitive spot she was trying to avoid contact with or nurse. But, like so many other things, she’d learned how to hide that as well. This one, however, was going to be an absolute bitch to deal with. IF she managed to survive the treatment process that is. It was cases like this where that other part tended to come out more. And with as much pain as she was currently in, she didn’t feel the need or energy to fight it.

"Oh, yes because I can totally function normally like this!" She sighed, shaking her head before turning towards the other corner shrouded in shadows and dust and whatever unquestionables floated around in the atmosphere out here. "Can we kill them now?" Yep, not even trying to resist it.

"NOT YET. WE MUST WAIT AND SEE WHAT EXACTLY THEY ARE UP TO."  

She threw her arms up in anger and made the severe mistake of throwing that anger right at the wrong target. A more than fatal mistake that she didn't bother to reconsider. "Why?! In case you haven't noticed we obviously weren't prepared for any of that. And they were. Overly."

" VANESSA.... "

Realizing her mistake, she looked down immediately like a scolded dog (which she might have as well been). Moon slid back up like the strange creature he was to take advantage of her weak submission, and quickly grabbed her arm, yanking it away to get back to situate himself back into place, immediately going back to working on her side, shooting her a warning glare as he none to gently stuck another fresh needle through her skin. She grit her teeth turning away and resisted the urge to kick the demented jester square in his face.

The screen near the mangled corpse creature flickered as the other demon rabbit appeared on it with an affectionate chuckle and gave a light clap, " So much hostility. Not that I don't love it but what exactly brought that on ?" Not that he wouldn’t know the overall cause of it, but she couldn’t afford for them to figure out the actual trigger . Whatever it took to keep them back out of her mind.

Unaware of her turmoil, the boy rolled his eyes, "Pretty obvious, isn't it? Didn't exactly plan for Mortal Kombat out there. And it's not like the animatronics were of any use." He scoffed in annoyance, leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed. "I'll have to take care of that."

Ignoring the pain caused by the monster at her side, she bit down the urge to explode on him, resorting to instead glare at him. "To be fair, it's not like they're used to many fighting back. And not like that." 

The demon rabbit on the screen nodded, " True. Either way I don't like either of you getting that physically involved. If it entails actual fighting, leave it to the animatronics. That's what they're for. To make sure you don't get hurt. "

The boy grinned wickedly and she fought the urge to run over and punch him herself. "Don't worry, I'm going to fix that."

" FROM NOW ON, NEITHER OF YOU ARE TO GET THAT CLOSE TO ANYONE THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS. LEAVE IT TO THEM. THE MOMENT SOMEONE APPEARS TO BE A THREAT, LEAVE IMMEDIATELY ."

Vanessa opened her mouth to again make an attempt on an argument on the animatronics behalf  (it's not like they were just living weapons after all, despite how everyone viewed them), but it instead came out as a hiss of pain. She glared down at Moon, finally having had enough. He wasn't helping any and he was the closest target. She tried to shove him away again (telling herself that it didn't count since he wasn't like the others.) The wicked animatronic instead grabbed her arm, still sore and bruised and gave a tight squeeze as he rose slowly in that creepy way of his to tower over her, staring into her eyes, pulling the needle away from her skin to close the stitch. Had she been almost anyone else, she wouldn’t have even had a chance to regret it. Briefly she thought about shining her light in his eyes but that was one of the things they’d quickly taken away from her, likely for that reason. 

"Naughty, naughty...."

The sharp pull he gave on the thread attached to her side was enough of a reminder to settle down. She bit down on her lip, squirming and trying to pull away, but he just gripped her arm tighter causing her to let out the softest and faintest restrained whimper.

The damage was already done and she could feel all eyes turned on her now. She'd tried so desperately hard to hide it. But no one could blame her! It wasn't her fault that the sadist in front of her just wouldn't leave her alone. He was just causing unneeded extra pain. She was completely fine. They didn't need to worry about her. She could function on her own. She was totally fine. They didn't need to-

"If the pain is too much, you can just always rest and leave it for now. We'll take care of it."

Her eyes widened in horror at the glitching rabbit’s words. No, no, no. It's been too long. She didn't need them to do it again. (Or WANT them to.) She could handle this, she could. They didn't need to intervene. 

"No. No. I'll...manage." At their expectant stares, she reluctantly gave in, lifting her arm obediently and allowing Moon to continue stitching her up. She grit her teeth trying not to show her pain. 

Rab popped up with a mischievous grin, managing to redirect their attention, although she knew it wasn't intentional. "Hey, I have an idea. How about I just-"

Both distorted rabbit forms spoke in unison "NO."

He huffed, mumbling under his breath, crossing his arms and turning away, "Dammit. Stupid school. Not like I even need it." One of his little arachnid robotic assistants scuttled over to him, handing him a small container, which he took curiously. "What's this?"

He slowly opened the small black case and deadpanned as he looked down at it before fully reacting.  "Not freaking makeup!"

"Better get on that."

Moon chuckled in amusement. "Roxanne can always apply it. She's great at it."

He yelped as his eyes widened, looking so much like the typical naive teen none of them were fooled by, "No fucking way. She'll make me the entire laughing stock at school." He groaned, shaking his head. "Ellis will never let me down. And he'd notice soon as I walked in. Or at least once he found out. Despite how slow and dimwitted he is. Which he would, almost immediately. Stupid Tony being too damn observant."

He sighed, before glancing back over and the deep mischievous smirk returned twisting into something more malicious, "You're not looking so hot over there, Ness. Surrre everything's okay?"

Once again, she grit her teeth to hide the pain as the concerned looks checked her over. She felt clammy and nauseous and was probably developing a fever or infection or probably both. But even as her whole body racked in pain and her side was burning, inflamed in some of the worst physical sensations she's ever felt, she couldn't let any of them see that. She dug her nails into the metal desk underneath her tensing up. "Everything's…fine."

Moon grumbled, assisting in shattering that illusion as he added another stitch. "If you'd stop moving maybe it would be." He jabbed her unnecessarily hard and she couldn't hide the yelp that followed, tensing again as she heard the heavy footsteps headed towards her. 

No, no, no. 

" HMM. PERHAPS IT'S ACTUALLY WORSE THAN YOU ARE LETTING ON ."

"No! No. It's okay. Nothing that serious. Can't I just slap a bandage on it and go or something?" That was usually good enough. She could make it. She didn’t need anything else.

The cursed animatronic closing up her wound scoffed, "If you'd like to bleed out all over the floor before you even get upstairs, sure go ahead." 

She didn't bother to hide her anger this time. It wasn't just directed at him, it was caused by him. "You're not even a real doctor. Just an actor."

He wasn't the least bit phased by her insult. He simply shrugged going back to her side. "Who has played one. And is the closest you're going to get. So please stop moving."

The distorted voice appeared on the screen next to her and she quickly tried to spin away to face it in horror, "Don't worry. We'll make sure you don't feel a thing. Make it easier on everyone….."

Her anger and pain were immediately forgotten, replaced by something even more intense. She couldn't let them do this. The moment they took her out just gave them a chance to use her again. And as bad as being aware of it all was, it was worse than not knowing anything. 

She'd tried so hard to hide the pain so they couldn't use it as an excuse. A cover-up to encourage their actions. 

No, no. She just needed to hold on a little longer and it would be okay. She could do this. They didn't need to be so rash in their decisions. Just a little bit longer and-

She let out a desperate whimper as she saw his expression and realized she wasn't going to get that chance. Their minds were already set. And, as usual....

There was nothing she could do. 

"Wait! I don't -"

His eyes glowed an ominous purple shade (as she knew her own were) and his deep soothing voice became more distorted, sounding like a muffled comforting blanket wrapped all around her.  "Don't worry. We're not going to do anything. You're just going to rest this time. And let him actually finish his work and the treatment you need."

She tried desperately to softly protest even as eyelids fluttered before she went completely limp. Moon immediately stopped his work to catch her as she fell and gently laid her down across the desk. "Finally. Maybe I can actually get it done now."

" TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED. TAKE HER BACK TO YOUR QUARTERS WHEN

YOU'RE DONE TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER. IF SHE'S NOT FIT TO FUNCTION FOR

TONIGHT, LET US KNOW ."

The grinning rabbit on screen nodded, "And we'll take care of that also if needed."

The boy pouted with a glare as he stared at the unconscious girl sprawled across the desk, "Lucky."

Satisfied that the girl was taken care of and in the best of hands, he turned back to his other, currently scowling, child. "Any luck in identifying these interlopers?"

He shook his head still glaring at her, "Nope. Which is kinda stupid. What the hell kinda idiot brings kids to handle shit like this? Although..."

" YES? "

He tilted his head, scrunching his face in thought, "There was something unusual about them."

Another screen closer to his fizzled as the yellow rabbit formed, staring at him curiously. "Such as?"

"Besides the fact that those kids seemed really off; they just seemed…..I dunno how to explain it. First of all they weren't even intimidated, or surprised, by the animatronics."

"Almost as though expecting it..." The screen hummed in thought.

"And kept going on and on about the animatronics being controlled and all this stupid shit. But at the same time, their knowledge was seriously lacking. I mean they threw water and didn't know they're all made with waterproofing material now. Kinda primitive thinking."

"Interesting. Perhaps they've dabbled in previous work or manuals. Most importantly do you think they're something to be concerned about?"

He shook his head, "Nah, they just caught us off guard is all. We won't hold back next time." He jumped up, grabbing his backpack from the table and slung it over his shoulder. "When I get back this evening, I'll take a look into what they did. Right now Foxy's parts are spread out running diagnostics on everything. I highly doubt it was anything that complicated or hard to fix. It's not like they had any time for anything serious."

He paused, glancing once more over at the scene on the other side of the room. The blonde woman lay quietly, eyes closed, unaware of anything around her. And probably would be for at least several hours. Moon already had a roll of bandages ready to apply to her treated injuries caused by those assholes, as he sealed the last one humming a soft comforting tune working deftly without any resistance. 

His eyes darkened dangerously and he turned away headed towards the doorway. He paused without looking back. "Don't worry, all of them still have no clue of anything or what's to come.... And they won't. 

Not until it's too late."

Chapter Text

" Thank you for trusting me again, Cassie. I know it's hard. But it will all make sense, I promise. I told you I'd tell you everything and I am. I promise. I swear. And I...WE will do anything we can to make up for it. It's what we've been doing.

Nessa, she..... "

He got quiet again and she could almost feel the pain and sorrow in his voice. 

" We all talked about it and knew what we needed to do. But I....I had to be the one to tell you. I know you'd believe and react the same no matter who it was, but I knew it had to be me. It's not even close to all that I've had to answer for, but, I'm probably the one with the most clarity and details and it just made sense. I didn't have blackouts to worry about or fogginess or misconceptions. 

Straight from the horse's mouth, you see. But this horse was a dangerous creature dredged up from hell to bring misery to everyone around ."

<YEARS AGO>

The frustrated undead man sighed, rubbing his chin to keep from ripping out his hair. They'd spent hours and days at this point trying to go over all the facts but nothing they came up with made any sense. "I don't know. I know it should seem cut and dry, but....something just isn't adding up. It's like there's a big piece missing."

Cassidy tilted her head, “What about the crazy bunny lady? And the weird kid monster thing? They seemed awfully comfortable around here and I’m assuming, know their way around quite well. But that’s just a theory.”

The other man rubbed his chin as well, “Still wondering how the heck two unauthorized personnel were able to sneak in undetected. And assuming have been for a while. ”

Wait. What if that was it? “Maybe not. You thought someone involved might be an employee right? Or at least involved in the company so far. Any recent females?”

His best friend snorted as though he had just muttered the most pathetic nonsense he had ever heard, “As in people working for or with the company? This isn't the old days, Mike. They're not just behind the counter and social appearances anymore. There's likely just as many women if not men who have access to pretty intense resources. Including technicians and security even. Let's see: there's Jessica, Priscilla, Brittany, Porsche, Kaitlyn, Vanessa, Angelika, Sue, Rosie-”

Cassidy rolled her eyes, “Alright there, Mambo #5.”

“She was blonde?” Maybe that would help narrow it down? After all, how many females could possibly have been currently employed, and were blonde-

Jeremy rolled his eyes typing and the screen just kept scrolling with text across it, “That narrows down to about….a few dozen. That’s if she wasn’t wearing a wig or anything, or recently dyed.”

So much for that idea, “Okay, I got it. I got it. Too long to even start narrowing down. What about any affiliates that could have access? Anyone entering late at night that shouldn't be?”

That made the other man actually straighten up with a frown, “Actually, yes. Not technically an employee but from an affiliate company that provides services and has been flagged as being in and recognized by the computer at least once for after hours.”

Okay, so not an employee. But still…. Sounds like someone may have been sticking around that wasn’t supposed to, “Who?”

Like some fancy old school movie detective, Jeremy reached into a bag and pulled out a file that he promptly tossed to the other boy, “Raelynn Lawrence. She's from an outside company that provides counseling for employees.” 

That caught Charlie’s attention and she quickly popped up from wherever the imps were currently hiding. “FE has therapists now?”

“Where was this when we needed it?” Exactly what kind of assistance did you expect them to give DEAD KIDS, Cassidy???

“Something about providing mental assistance and support to handle everything stressful that comes with working here. Plus all the other pretty traumatizing things. To clear culpability, the higher ups order mandated therapy to any employees that may have been involved in or close to anyone involved in strange occurrences. “

“Any reason why she was here after hours?” He tried to hide his excitement but this was what he was looking for, a good lead to start on. A name of someone who was affiliated with the company and was here when they weren’t supposed to be? That was the answer right there!

“There's a record that was later wiped with her name in here after hours. Since she's affiliated with the company the system basically still recognized her as authorized. Which is why no alarms or alerts went out about her presence.”

Bingo. “So that's likely our culprit.” Mystery over. Now they just needed to find this woman and confront her, and find out who the kid was and what they were up to and then stop them. And then….then he could finally get what he’s been so long looking for. Right there in his grasp. He’d finally have-

“One big problem with that.”

Raven-haired mini demon rolled her eyes shaking her head, “Always is.”

The brunette girl frowned. Apparently they had been in the same line of thinking that he was. Which was nothing short of scary. “Which is?”

The tech crossed his arms and nodded at the folder in his best friend’s hands. “Take a look at the photo and you tell me.”

He slowly opened the folder as all three kids quickly gathered around him like he was opening some super secret document or amazing Christmas surprise. Shuffling through the random papers he didn’t bother to read, he came across a large colored photo and pulled it out to look at the smiling face. There was something vaguely familiar about it….

“Look familiar? It should. Cuz that's the back of the woman whose death, or at least disappearance, you watched the other day. Not saying it wasn't her. But if so…”

Andrew popped up on the TV screen behind them, “Nah, she was definitely following someone. Let’s assume that’s why and how she got there.”

“She's also not the first from that company. To go missing anyways. Mary Schneider was also a previous counselor. Nice woman. I've, uh, talked to her a few times. Anyways, she was the original counselor assigned for Fazbear employees for years. And then one day just ups and disappears. No warning, nothing. No trace. Months later, same thing happens with her replacement. Since there was no reason for either of them to be here and technically no reason to ask for records showing she was, no one has ever labeled it as a Fazbear-related incident. So, as far as everyone knows, both women just walked out one day, months apart, with no trace and no reason.”

That was a stretch even for the former golden bear,  “Wait, wait. So someone lures in therapists and likely goes through the act to kill them? Why? Don’t get me wrong, most people probably aren’t thrilled about having shrinks, but why go through the effort of killing them? And in here of all places?“

“Good question. Add it to the list.”

Michael Afton resisted the strong urge to give in to his father’s temper and punch out the wall. Violence through frustration wasn’t going to solve anything. They needed a new approach. And it’s not like anyone in the know at FE would ever give them any information. 

Well, except maybe one…. “Anything your buddy Edwin had to helpfully contribute?”

“Nope. Just the cryptic messages about finding his note. That once I found, and deciphered, I'd get all the answers. But it's been nothing but a dead end. There's nothing after that. Just to find it. Which I spent weeks trying to. No hints, no directions, nothing.”

“Maybe he just never finished it before he died.”

“I mean it's possible.” Even with his words the shining hope in Jeremy’s eyes gave away his answer. He was still determined, through everything to find it. It went without saying that he had probably spent many sleepless nights trying to solve his own mystery treasure hunt.

“But....”

The tech finally sighed and leaned back, shaking his head, “It wouldn't make sense. Sure I didn't know the man or anything, but he seemed so careful and meticulous about all of this. He went through so many measures to keep it under wraps yet still sent it to me. Something tells me he made sure it was all complete before his end. Why put himself at risk until he was 100% sure he'd gotten everything out?”

“I mean, he did die from a heart attack. It's not like you can plan for that.” Tragic as it sounds, it was almost the brutal truth. For all they know, this strange old man may have had hours worth of information to send on that he never got the chance to do.

The dark-skinned man sat up as though a thought occurred to him that he had missed and grinned widely, “Allegedly.”

“What?”

Jeremy immediately started typing, ignoring his confusion, and then sat back again nodding at the screen, “What's next to his name?”

Mike humored him and leaned closer. It was a list of former employees, and right there in bold letters was Edwin Murray with the date and cause of death next to it. No offense, Jer, but that was pretty cut and dry. “Heart attack. What's so-”

As Jeremy’s eyes twinkled, the rest of the group settled down to get comfortable. Even Mike sat down in the big red chair as the three kids curled up together on the floor facing him. They knew what this meant. Their own was about to go off on a tangent about something he had discovered and thought was important. Special Investigative Fitzgerald at work. Conspiracy theories were about to be had.

“Yeah, it does now . And it has for a while. Except exactly one month before that date of last update, he died. And two weeks after his death, it was listed as ‘unusual circumstances’. In fact, just for kicks, I checked the last date of update. Exactly one day after I viewed this page, it was updated and changed to heart attack. Now what does that say to you?”

His own eyes widened in realization as he crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, “A cover-up. But why would FE care to change his cause of death? What would be the gain from it? So many other employees are still listed as unusual circumstances, why not him? What difference would it make? Was he someone that important that would be questioned? And if so, why didn’t anyone?”

“Good question.”

Okay, screw Fazbear. Time to think outside of the box. “What's his official death certificate say?”

“......there isn't one.”

Three ghost kids, one undead living zombie corpse, and a spirit inside the tv all yelped in surprise, “What?!”

Jeremy immediately leaned forward in excitement. “Get this. That was my next thought, right? See what I could find out about this man. Maybe he was just crazy and known for conspiracy theories and I should avoid him. I assume he's from the area. Shouldn't be hard to figure it out, right?” 

They all nodded.

“So, I think to check the local library where ALL the state's records have been kept since the town was founded. Before everything went all digital. Except, about a decade or so ago, the original library burned down. No, it wasn't foul play or anything, just a bad strike of lighting. You know how flammable they used to make all the buildings. That one was no exception. So I thought that was the end of that.” Nah, he was too excited for it to have just ended right there. There was more coming. Much much more.

“Damn.”

“BUT they had just finished uploading everything into the system so all the records were now digital. So, all I had to do was look on the database, and even used a few fake credentials just in case anything was behind locked files.”

“Great! So what did you find?”

He signed, leaning back in frustration, “Nothing.”

“Noth…ing?”

“Nope, there was no record of this man at all. Anywhere online. His name is only mentioned on FE's employee database and even that you can obviously tell someone tampered with. Otherwise there’s no mention of this man anywhere. ”

Not like that was really that unusual, so why was his friend acting off about it? “Fake name?” Something they were both pros at.

“That's what I thought but when I really looked into the details of the database, I could find where there was a large chunk of empty space. Which means it was once filled with information. Information that was somehow completely deleted. And that empty pocket was between the names 'Murraw’' and 'Mursters'. And not just a small speck, a HUGE section. Just gone. Big enough to include employment records and at least some family members. For a man whose funeral had none attending or even mentioned. If there was ever anyone in the country with that last name, well according to that they didn’t exist.”

Okay, now that one they couldn’t explain. At all. “What the fuck?”

“It's like every trace of him was completely wiped out. And not just him but any employment details and family members. The Murrays, whoever they were, were just booted out of existence. This man was a board member ! That’s not something people just happen to achieve. Not in this company. They won’t take in just some random person off the street. He had to have done something to get their attention and get brought on board in the first place.”

“And then something else to get their attention in a bad way….” Mike sat up in thought, “So you're saying that Fazbear's got on and deleted this guy's entire history and his family? Why? What’s there to hide?” 

“I dunno. But that definitely made me take his words a lot more seriously…..”

Mike leaned back. Now he was catching on to Jeremy’s frustrations. Everytime he thought he found something that matched, it just drew him in more circles. He had spent hours himself trying to reflect on everyone he’d ever met (he never forgot anyone related to Fazbears) but even seeing the man’s photo didn’t trigger anything. And he’d never seen the name mentioned in any of his father’s records. It was no surprise or secret how far the company would go to cover up and erase anyone that got in their way, but there was usually at least something that indicated why. This man was like some obscure recon background character that half didn’t care about and wanted to disappear into oblivion. 

Either way, a man who had seen (or knew) too much….

Synchronized beeping from both of their wrists cut through the tension making everyone jump.

“What the absolute fuck!?”

“It’s an alert. From the Faz-watch.”

Oh, right, that stupid concept he still really wanted to just throw in the ocean. A device that complicated and advanced most definitely shouldn’t exist. He sighed and reluctantly looked down at the device as an envelope on screen popped open with a note. Knowing that the non-employees were eagerly awaiting to hear the contents, he reluctantly started to read the message about a mandatory event. 

“What the fuck is this? Some stupid mandatory party event that all employees are required to go to. Is that even legal?”

“It’s Fazbear. That’s a no. Don’t act surprised dumbshit.” Well, fuck you too, Cassidy. Do you know what a rhetorical question is? He shot her a glare before turning back to read the rest of it.

Jeremy looked back up at the group, “Looks like all employees are required to be there that night. In proper attire.”

Evan perked up curiously, “What kind of attire?”

Mike rolled his eyes, “A freaking masquerade. Masks. We have to wear masks ... .and semi nice clothes?”

Charlie’s eyes sparkled in delight, “Ooooo. A masquerade ! That means Mike gets to look all spiffy and fancy!”

Uh oh. “Wait, no, that’s not what-”

She giggled jumping up, “I’m sure Jeremy already has stuff, but Mike doesn’t have anything like that. He’ll have to get like a whole new outfit. And make himself look good. And be with other people. Other coworkers.” She gasped in delight. 

Evan apparently also shared his excitement, “Mikey has to go play with other people. Lots of other people. Maybe he can make some friends!”

“No, I’m not trying to-”

The brunette girl nodded, “Yes, yes. It would definitely be good for him. And this is the perfect opportunity to make it happen!” She clapped her hands in glee as Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, we’ll definitely make sure you look your best when you go out there. This is so exciting! I can’t wait. And it’s happening in exactly one week! Oh my gosh, we have so much work to do! Jer, do you think you can get him-”

He chuckled shaking his head, “Don’t worry, Char, I’m sure I can find something  acceptable for the event, annnnd that Mike would actually like.” He gave the other man a friendly smile, which was promptly returned. 

Cassidy groaned, “Great, so while you all are out and about dancing and eating and all that, what about the rest of us? Do we just have to stay here the entire time? Wait…what if the baddies try something that night? Then what? Should we just be out scouring and hunting and seeing if-”

Mike cut her off by reading the last part of the message, “To prevent widespread panic and discomfort, all animatronics, including the Glamrocks, will be locked away in their rooms during the event so no one will be in a state of unease grim having to deal with them?” He looked back up at the others in disbelief. “ .....who the hell is working at a Fazbears place if they're scared of animatronics??”

“Hey, some people are just that desperate for a job. Even a shitty corrupted underpaying dangerous one.”

Cassidy smirked, “Doesn't that describe you, walking decayed zombie man?”

He glared back, “For good reason. Besides, unlike literally everyone else, we actually know why it's a good reason to avoid them overall. Those idiots, not so much. They’re just wussies. And not like we’ve even been for our own shits and giggles. What keeps luring us back? The free pizza?”

Evan turned back to Jeremy, “You will be there also, right? So you can help Mike if anything happens?”

“Hey! I don’t need anyone protecti-”

“Yeah. Mandatory means we all have to go. No excuses. Even if you’re on your deathbed, they’d still have you wheeled in for your last moments.” He frowned in thought. “That means I’ll have to bring Cassie also. Since there’s no one to watch her at night.”

Charlie tilted her head in interest, “Your daughter? She’s coming here?”

He nodded, “Yeah. All the kids of employees that don’t have other family members or babysitters will be in the daycare for the night. Luckily she shouldn’t be the only one there. But….I just can’t shake the bad feeling I’m getting from it.”

She quickly strode over to his side, setting her hand on his arm in that strange eerily reminiscent of the Puppet comforting way about her. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure they don’t get to her. And don’t worry, we won’t even go meet her. Just keep an eye on things and make sure it’s all safe in the building.”

“I appreciate it, but the truth is with that many employees at one time you know several will be sneaking off and the last thing they need to find is kids that aren’t supposed to be there…” His eyes lit up in thought as he trailed off. “ Wait. That’s it. Change of plans. You guys won’t be staying here that night.”

The three (and Mike) looked at him in surprise, “We won’t?”

“No. I got it. You guys can still keep an eye on what’s going on, and blend in perfectly this time without getting caught.”

“How?”

“You three are going to stay in the Daycare with the other kids. Andrew can alter some records and it’s not like anyone checks anything anyways. With that many kids in one space there’s a high chance something might happen. Mike and I will keep an eye on the overall area. We can even take turns sneaking off without raising any suspicion. Meanwhile you three do the same down there. Trust me, no one’s going to question any extra kids and as long as you stay away from the Daycare Attendant, you’ll blend right in as normal living kids.”

Evan tilted his head in thought, “I guess that makes sense.”

Charlie giggled, “Wait, so we get to actually-”

He smiled warmly ignoring Mike’s shocked look, “Yeah, you guys get to actually be kids for the night.”

Mike groaned in frustration. He knew there was no arguing here. And, at the same time, he felt a soft pang he hadn’t felt in years. The three kids were all excited and thrilled, and he honestly couldn’t blame them. He didn’t really like the idea of them being out around others, especially if they could possibly be in danger (or worse, blow their cover) but he didn’t think he could rip that opportunity away from them either. Jeremy was right, they were kids and they deserved to be just that. Even if only for one night. Especially now.

Charlie was starting to get antsy and finally decided she'd had enough. Not that he could blame her. Staying still wasn't really a trait for kids to begin with, much less with their own history. Cassidy was determined to get answers and Evan was probably just too scared and slightly traumatized to do much of anything but stick close to the others. 

Yeah, he could let them have this one thing. One opportunity of normalcy.

After the excitement died down, the brunette girl turned towards the door. "I'm going to go grab a drink. Anyone want anything?"

"I'll take....whatever."

"Oh thank God. Mike's whole selection here is just shit energy drinks or something."

Not like any of those were even intended for you, Cassidy. Before she even drank them all. 

He didn't even want to think about the fact that there was absolutely 0% chance she was going to legally acquire anything (or any of the crimes any of them had pulled off in just the last few 24 hours or so) so he merely gave a gruff nod as he focused back on the screen in front of Jeremy.

He heard the door open but never the tell-tale slamming shut since none of them bothered to exhibit proper entering or exiting etiquette but the only sound was mechanical whirring. 

Cassidy turned away from them towards the door and her eyes widened, "OH SHIT!" She sprang over to Charlie, who just stood quietly staring out the doorway. Evan let out a squeak quickly grabbing onto Jeremy as the other girl finally spoke.

"Um...Mike?"

He finally turned in annoyance with the other adult to face the doorway, "Wha-"

And promptly froze as the large towering figure stepped into the room towards the girl, and rose to full height with glowing red eyes.

Chapter Text

Alright, so yall got me with really digging the GGY/Tony/Ellis bit, which got me looking and there is a SERIOUS lack of works involving them on AO3. So much so that I did some thinking and revamping and decided to involve them both more but way down the line (as in the upcoming sequel). I even changed a whole different character's arc to make it fit which added even more new concepts and characters I hadn't considered.)

So GGY is still coming (not for a while depending how fast I churn out chapters) but you will see both Tony and Ellis again. Whether as dead/ghosts, part of the team, bystander or villian is still a secret (but theorize away XD) And trust me, you have NO idea how its actually going to go down....

With that in mind, anything else from the books or games or even just popular theories you'd like to see appear? If it won't fit in the story I can possibly slip it into the one shots. I have overall idea and storylines sketched out both and as seen above I can always add on without changing too much and maybe even make it better.

I will already say this: Mr Burrows, Mask Bot, even the Red King from PQ4 already have prominent roles as well both princesses from PQ 1-3 AND PQ4. Wait, both?! Yep that's right. There isn't just one....

In other news, build up is almost over and in like 2 or 3 chapters we have our first game changing event (hint I also slipped in another surprise I didn't originally plan for but was inspired. There have been hints dropped though....

So we have the following big events for this work:

##### ######

GGY

All staff meeting

SB including scenes from ALL the endings (still not sure how much of the gameplay will be included)

######'#   ############

RUIN (or at least the ending)

If that doesn't seem like a lot, well trust me there's a LOT that goes into and in btwn it all. Everyone including the kids are getting character arcs. I'm also gonna try to start posting teasers, sneak peeks and random scenes on my Tumblr of this and my other works. Maybe even pre-chapter snippets.

But for now, I leave you with an upcoming quote from our favorite little animatronic destroying gremlin menace....

"The truth?

Well, the actual truth is that nobody, including Mike himself, had any idea even close to how much of a shakeup he was actually about to cause.....

Changing everything.

For everyone...."

https://www.tumblr.com/destinyschaosdreamer?source=share

Oh, and next actual chapter should be up withinhl next few days (maybe tonight!)

Chapter Text

"So I run (yeah), keep me up
Creep on me, they speak on me
They slow down when they bring me up like (huh)
Speed me up (speed, yeah)
So I run (yeah), keep me up
Creep on me, they speak on me
They slow down when they bring me up like (huh)
Speed me up (speed, speed, yeah)"

- "Speed Me Up" ~ (Sonic Movie) Sueco, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty 

“ Yep, you heard that right. Me and Vanessa. And let me tell you that is one thing Mike was not at all prepared for. He's seen his own share of living nightmares and personally fought for years against a mangled corpse. But this was all nothing he could comprehend.

Now before you get mad and start with a million questions or accusations (which trust me you are more than deserving of and welcome to) I promise I'll explain everything. But....remember when I said things aren't always as they seem? Well you aren't the only one who was confused. And as for them? Well they had NO idea just what exactly they had stumbled into......

But, first…. I know you, Cassie, and I know you won't stop until you get answers. " He laughed softly and she could picture him shaking his head. 

" Not gonna lie, it was always so hard to keep anything from you. I guess maybe that makes you like your dad. Pushing and pulling until you've figured it out. Determined. Motivated. Persistent. Resilient. 

As for why I couldn't tell you.....well we'll get into that for later. But for now, let's talk about your dad. I know that you've definitely figured out now there was a LOT going on that you were never aware of. Now, before you jump to conclusions, I swear this isn't an attempt to deflect on me. 

To understand everything. REALLY understand it, you've got to know how everything started. Now, as I've said before, I don't know all the details. Actually Mike and Nessa are probably the only ones to know everything. Well, and the kids. Who you know by now are definitely not just kids. How did they become ghosts? 

The same overall cause as to how everyone ever got involved. 

It would take WAY too long to explain everything. And honestly I doubt any of them want to talk about it. Except maybe Cassidy, she is weird like that. But remember those games that were all the rage once? Yeah, you know exactly which ones I'm talking about. That you secretly played because your dad was weird about them? Well, there's a very very good reason...... "

<YEARS AGO>

Michael Afton has seen some serious shit. He's been through some serious shit. And they've all made him into who he is.

And without a second thought he was on the move. He ignored any other sounds and voices  focusing on the glowing red eyes headed for the (technically not quite so defenseless child but he wasn't exactly thinking straight, so sue him, okay?) helpless innocent little girl in front of him. 

His instincts kicked in and he lunged for it, already preparing to dismantle the cursed rabbit with his bare hands. With a primal snarl he punched the large blue rabbit in the face knocking him back into the wall. He heard the faint clatter behind him as the animatronic's sunglasses landed on the floor, knocked off from his attack. 

Narrowing his eyes, he yanked Charlie behind him before he lunged again. He was going to rip the life out of those red eyes and no one would get in his way. Animatronic or hum-

Wait, why was there a human in front of him? He faltered as he found himself almost face to face with his best friend and he paused in front of Charlie stunned in shock, eyes blown wide-eyed. 

What the absolute fuck? 

He didn't hide his shock in his strangled barely audible high-pitched voice, " JEREMY ?!" 

Jeremy threw his hands out in front of him dramatically but didn't move away from the rabbit he stood protectively in front of. "Wait! Wait! I can explain!"

"Well I damn sure HOPE so!!!!" How was he even able to get words out with this strangled voice? He sounded more like he was choking on water than trying to speak. 

But, he couldn’t help it. Much of his life he had been betrayed and stabbed in the back. His father, his sister….numerous others loyal to his twisted family legacy. People he’d thought he could depend on or at least trust. Only to turn on him. All leading to where they were now. 

And while, yeah they did definitely suck, he can honestly say that each time he was just less and less surprised. Ghosts of murdered kids inside suits trying to kill others? Family betrayal? Dad sends you off to die and the very high possibility it was your not exactly missing sister that actually help pull it off? But, oh wait! Surprise, apparently you’re not dead. Or at least not entirely. Sure you’ve got to get used to the whole strange entity created of wires literally puppeting you around for who knows how ever long that was. But still. Yeah, everything else after that was pretty mundane.  Betrayal was always kinda in the cards for him. No shock there.

But the concept of this ? That the most important person in his life (who had been with him through all of it) could even consider doing the same more than gutted him. Far worse than having his own insides scooped out with the knowledge that his sister (and father) had just led him to his own death.

The man whom he had fought alongside and bled with. Standing right in front of one of the deadly machines that had tried to kill them all just days ago. Machines that he had once helped him lure, trick, and dismantle. 

And now he was protecting one.  

He didn't even flinch as he felt Evan press against his side and Cassidy flanking nearby. Neither of them seemed as outraged as him, just confused. He instinctively moved closer to Charlie and backed up protectively, throwing an arm out in front of her, shielding her from the giant brightly colored blue rabbit and his (possibly now former ) best friend that stood in front of it, arms outstretched as though trying to placate them.

Both men stood still quietly, and even Andrew (for once) didn't mutter a word in the standoff. 

Look, he tried, okay? He really tried to give his former partner in crime a chance to explain himself, but as he stared at the menacing beast behind him and everything it represented, he realized that he didn't know if he could. Or afford the risk. What if he had been the one to make yet another bad decision putting them all in danger?

He shook his head, "Nope. Not doing this." He grabbed Charlie and Evan's arm in each hand, darting around the two, and bolted out the door, knowing the third minion wouldn't be far behind, ignoring Jeremy's protesting cries. He couldn't handle any excuse his former best friend would try to give him, and he couldn't look in the eyes of yet another betrayal. 

Especially from him. 

Sure enough the lady demon child was trailing behind them as they raced down the hall. Although she didn't seem nearly as bothered as he was, just watching him in surprise. "So that's how he managed to survive all the time."

"He got fast."

“Kinda cheating to just keep running away.”

If he hadn't been so focused on running for their lives so fast, maybe he would have been slightly offended at his brother agreeing with her commentary on his actions. But right now he was a bit more preoccupied. Charlie, to her credit, just allowed him to drag them down the hall wordlessly. It was as he was running that another thought occurred to him.

The Pizzaplex was still open and here was he; technically a grown man (and worse, an employee ) dragging around two kids roughly that obviously weren't even his. The last thing he needed was to get accused of, and likely arrested, for kidnapping over 2 1/2 kids he didn't even want. (Charlie was hit or miss somedays, okay? Especially those moments when she was just Cassidy's accomplice.)

And the rate at which he was zipping around, with all the cameras still fully functional… The last thing he needed was to get caught by some well-meaning employee, especially a security guard.

"Shit." He stopped in thought still holding them and Cassidy had to skid to a stop before she slammed into them from before.

“Decided not to be the psychotic kidnapper theme for the cops to pick up on?”

“Jesus Christ, Cassidy, for once can you just-”

At the exact same time, the door in front of them started to slowly open. All four froze trying to come up with plausible explanations in their head that didn't involve killer animatronics being controlled by evil masterminds. Or what they would have to say when none of the kids were proven to exist. 

All those years and near fatal incidents just to end up with Michael Afton in jail (although prison death row most likely) and three unknown children thought to be brainwashed and amnesiac thrown in some whacked out foster homes. Damn would his dad have a field day with that one. What a fucking load of messed up irony. 

Maybe they'd get lucky and no questions would be asked. He was technically still an official employee after all. He could just say he was leading three lost children to their parents right? That’s what any good completely sensible employee would do. Come across three heathen- totally normal kids sneaking around and just be rushing to get them to security who could help find their parents. He didn’t mean to appear as a bat out of hell; he just really really wanted to make sure those strange children he had never seen in his life got home safely. Sure maybe he was just a tad bit over the top about it. They could mention that in his performance review for his salary raise that he would never actually get. 

Totally plausible. He had this. The kids weren't stupid. They'd play along. A quick glance as the door opened showed the bottom of an all too familiar uniform he'd seen throughout the years. 

He released the two, took a deep breath and opened his mouth ready to plead his case. 

….only to freeze as the door continued lifting and he was met with something he was 100% guaranteed sure that none of them ever expected. 

When the door finished opening completely he found himself staring into an equally shocked face, as the one on the other side of the door stood mirroring him. The large SECURITY logo like a big flashing banner. Looks like he'd managed to run into a security guard after all.

And not just any random guard either. He could hear as the kids collectively tensed in shock. Well, now a LOT of things made sense. 

Because in true Michael Afton fashion with anything related to Fazbears….

He swore under his breath as he stared at her. Those same eyes that had been so deathly focused on him just days ago. But this time, instead of malice and venom, something else reflected back in her emerald eyes. Surprise definitely, but also something else. Something he might have just recognized all too well. 

For just a moment he was struck with almost the same expression he's sure he himself (and probably Jeremy and numerous others) had worn on a regular basis. The look of someone who knows about (and fears) the monsters that come out at night. Ready to jump and bolt at the slightest sound and unexpected appearance.

The only reason he didn't immediately react was because of what he was met with when he looked, really looked at her. 

She glanced between him and Charlie and he saw a strange battle of expressions in her eyes; possibly confusion. When she turned back to him, there was mostly fear mixed in her eyes. 

(And maybe something more....)

He opened his mouth to say something (what he was going to say he had no idea)

....only to feel a sharp pain in the side of his face as she promptly clocked him with her flashlight and fled past them down the hall (faster than Liz rushing for his dad's approval or Cassidy's freaky teleporting golden bear antics) without a second glance, blonde ponytail flowing behind her as she quickly turned the corner. 

Charlie blinked. "Well, that makes sense. In hind sight probably should have expected it."

“Maybe you shouldn’t have stabbed her.”

“Not fair. I’ve always wanted to be the one to hit him in the face.”

"She's also fast. Like really really fast.”

“Must be a security guard thing.”

“Totally.”

And he was too busy trying to comprehend what had just happened to even consider their unneeded commentary as he stood there completely dumbfounded, ignoring the probably quickly growing bruise he was going to feel later, and stared down the now empty hallway. With yet again more questions than answers.

On one side was possibly a major betrayal long coming to stab him in the back waiting in the room he'd gotten too comfortable in. On the other was....

Honestly he had no idea at this point. (Something that didn't make sense.)

Well, now they knew who Vanny was. Or at least partially.

And they again missed the glowing pair of eyes deep inside the vent watching as well as the nearby camera light blinking from the ceiling.

Chapter Text

“ I know I swore that this was the last time

The madness never ends up in my mind

I made a list, it makes me sick

And I can't leave 'til it's done

I patiently await the day

To pack my bags and run

On and on, I could never escape my fate

Now I'm never getting out

I know that this won't be my last time

I'm losin' sight ”

“Madness” ~ NateWantsToBattle

" Mike, your Dad; all those weirdos? Well, that's their lives. Congratulations you met the unmentioned and unnamed stars of everyone's favorite game. Not a lie; all of it happened; they lived it. All, but your dad, died tragic painful deaths that others enjoyed hearing about. And long story short, Nessa's also very aware of it all. Almost like she WAS there. Really I guess maybe I’m the only one in the dark about all that.

You'll also notice that bad things would happen and then suddenly stop with no reason. Yeah there's a reason: it's THEM. It's always been them and likely probably always will be. I don't know if FE is exactly aware of who they are but they always feel their effects. 

Your dad isn't some mundane suburban father casually going to work and coming home. For DECADES he's been part of an underground force that has raided through every single one of those and put a stop to it. This time it would be no different (or so they thought). When he realized it was too much like what they had been through, he called for help and they came. As they always do. 

Believe it or not, Jeremy Fitzgerald has ALWAYS been not just one of the good guys, but an actual HERO. Since we knew we couldn't keep you out for long, look in the smallest side pocket of the duffle bag. Insert the chip inside the mask when you get home. When you figure out the password, you'll be ready to see what's on it.

And, Cassie? When you do....

Brace yourself. "

<YEARS AGO>

He did briefly consider sending Cassidy in at first to check out everything (plus he was fairly certain she could handle anything) but then the slightly more responsible adult side of him wouldn’t let him. Instead they were totally proactive and…..lingered around the Pizzaplex. 

(Sue him, he didn’t know what else to do.)

As the trio ran around playing various arcade games (but staying within sight), he just sat slumped at one of the tables vaguely paying attention to the constantly recurring concert that played out on stage. At this point it was just background noise. Faintly drowned out. It didn’t take a genius to know that Andrew was likely “helping the kids” (i.e. totally cheating). Or at least for Evan and Charlie. Cassidy was probably pretty miffed. And normally that would be enough to at least somewhat bring him delight.

But right now, he couldn’t even focus on that. He’d really thought he could just brush off everything. But now, he didn’t know anymore. As he stared at the stage the performing figures started to blur until he was seeing a brown bear, a yellow chicken, and a blue bunny playing the guitar. The fox peeked out from the curtains preparing to make his own appearance. The movements weren’t nearly as fluid and much more jerky. 

But it was an all too familiar sight. 

He was jolted out of his thoughts when a paper plate was slammed down in front of him with a big greasy piece of pizza on it. He looked up into Evan’s cheesy grin and slowly nodded. His baby brother quietly sat next to him as the girls flanked the other side acting as though he weren’t even there.

The raven-haired girl crossed her arms, “I’m telling you, someone is straight up cheating. There’s no way anyone could actually do that. Impossible.”

Charlie smirked, “Didn’t Andrew just help you do that same thing?”

Cassidy scoffed, “Exactly! And how? By hacking the game, duh. Besides, it was only because it was Evan.”

The other girl giggled, “Well I sure would love to see this GGY’s face when they find out they’re now in second due to GFD.”

Mike looked up in confusion, almost afraid to ask, “GFD?”

Cassidy grinned wildly like the feral gremlin imp she was, “Golden Freddy Duo. Duh.” 

Just when he thought he’d heard it all. Where did they come up with all this?

Evan nodded softly, “Cass came up with it.”

She nodded, “Of course. Just because we don’t share it anymore doesn’t mean there will ever be a time you are not still part of Golden Freddy. Annnnd this time Golden Freddy’s goal was do whatever it took to unseat this reigning game champ.”

Kids had the weirdest goals in life. Especially this group of heathens. 

But as he looked at them again, he realized he wasn’t just seeing them as he had for years inside rampaging creatures. Thinking of Charlie wasn’t just bringing up thoughts of a murder scene or a long spindly-limbed figure floating around. And when he looked at Evan the blood-stained background screams of horror had started to fade more and more. And he didn’t just see-

(But at least they could be kids.)

He shook his head actually taking the effort to focus on the trio and what they were saying. It was eerily reminiscent of a scene he’d long since given up on decades ago. An innocent slice of life concept. 

“What adorable kids you have.”

Everything screeched to a halt as he looked up at the brown-haired woman standing by the table. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and she sported a genuine smile. Why was some random lady even at their table? He tempered down his fight or flight response, reminding himself that right now they were just in a nice public setting, where there were most likely little dangers, at the time at least.

“Excuse me?”

She gave a soft laugh, “Your kids. They’re all adorable. I remember when mine were that young. Boy was that a time for memories. Enjoy it. When they get to be teenagers, boy is that a heck of time. You haven’t experienced anything in life until you deal with the teens. Trust me on that. There is nothing that can prepare you.” She smiled again with a soft nod and wave and walked off.

He just stared at her in surprise. Avoiding the public was one of his greater skills. Easier to just hide out and sneak among the shadows when you were a walking rotting corpse after all. Ignore the sun, ignore people. Plus you were safer away from other humans. And one thing Michael Afton wasn’t was even the least bit social. In fact he didn’t need anyone. He was better on his own and he sure as hell didn’t need any ki-

“Hey! They’re not my-” He looked back behind him but she was long gone. He glanced back down at the three engaged heavily in conversation over the table. Even shy little Evan was laughing softly while avoiding Cassidy’s crazy movements as Charlie egged her on. Going as far back as he could before everything went to hell, he can’t imagine a time that was ever a scene in his house. He’d either be taunting the youngest or clammed up quietly, scared to say anything, while Evan just sat shaking looking down, and Liz bragged and did everything to get their father’s attention. 

Even Charlotte had been known for being so quiet and polite, was usually hiding behind her dad. And from what he’d heard about Cassidy’s family….well family dinners probably weren’t a thing. From that to mechanical monsters with teeth and claws….this was definitely something different for all of them. 

Sitting back quietly, he finally picked up his pizza and took a bite of it as he watched them. His whole world had gone to shit when he was still fairly young so he’d never even had a chance to consider what his future could have been. Sure, he’d had a few flings here and there but never anything serious and kids of any kind were never in his cards. (Especially not in his life.)

He was still pretty surprised to find out that Jeremy had actually gone so far as to have a family, but I guess when you thought everything was really over and had a chance of normalcy, why wouldn’t someone who has any desire to live not take that?

All he had to do was keep these gremlins alive (or at least in one piece) long enough to figure out what was going on and then he could drop them all and finally get his rest and never have to deal with or think about any of them ever again.

Right?

Somehow, throughout the day he had managed to avoid any and all things Faz related. In fact they hadn’t even come across any employees after their run in with….

Yeah, no one. And as the night went on, Mike would be lying if he didn’t say he was at least a little concerned. Surprisingly he wasn’t sure if he would have wanted it differently. He kept the whole day going constantly looking out the corner of his eye, but not once did any of the familiar faces appear in his view. 

And he was torn on what to think. Part of it (most of him likely) was relieved that Jeremy hadn’t come looking for him. He didn’t know if he could handle anything he had to say right now. There was nothing that could excuse or explain any of it and he wasn’t ready to even try.

Part of him was also hurt. The fact he wasn’t there defending his actions only seemed to indicate his original thought coming true. The unavoidable betrayal. And wasn’t that something? After all these years, all these instances of that very thing, he’d truly thought he could handle anything.

And yet, he didn’t know anymore.

If the kids (and when did he stop thinking of them as just ghosts and possessed suits?) felt or saw any of his turmoil; they didn’t bring it up. In fact, they didn’t do any of the things he would have expected from them. Even more surprisingly they had stayed close enough to be within his view without him even having to ask. (Since when did he care about that? Usually he wanted them far away.)

And inevitably the hour of doom was pushing even closer. He refused to even head towards his room until he was completely convinced it was late enough that Jeremy would have had to go home. At 12:05am, he finally opened the door with the kids tailing quietly. The room was dark and empty. Jeremy had taken his gear when he left.

Charlie walked over picking up the discarded sunglasses and held them in her hands, staring at it, “I think you broke them.”

Cassidy snatched them away and dropped them in the trash, “Good. Stuff like that only makes us look like toned down wash outs. Who’s idea was it to give them glasses anyways? You know little Jeremy would have….probably loved them actually. He was a weirdo. Still feel like Foxy would have been more likely out of all of us to actually do it though.”

Us . Right. (Did part of him feel a twist inside when Cassidy still referred to them as animatronics?)

He was thrown out of his thoughts when the Faz-watch (still stupid name…) beeped on his wrist. Great time for another repair. These damn animatronics and their weird ass unexplained damages. Foxy again? He growled in annoyance. What was Andrew out doing with the animatronic, crashing through walls like the kool-aid man? Whatever, at least it gave him a distraction to focus on and do something he was good at.

He stood up, reluctantly looking at the little demons gathered around the table eating his popcorn. (When the heck did they get that?). It would be so much easier to just leave them here out of trouble and not have to deal with them also. Get them out of his hair for at least a few hours. 

“Come on. Time to work.” 

All three stared at him in surprise but quickly scrambled up. Cassidy dipped around the corner and when she came back she had a bag full of….something. He vaguely remembered her carrying it in when they came back earlier. 

“What’s that?”

Charlie giggled, opening it to show him. It was full of stuff alright. Candy bars, soda cans and bottles, and various other packaged items. “In case we get hungry and need to snack!” 

Various things that he knows he didn’t have in his room or had given them any money to buy which means ... .the gremlins had apparently been up to other activities throughout the day. Dear god he prayed they were at least smart enough to avoid the cameras before he got fired. 

These kids were going to be the death of him again one way or another. 

He ignored the bickering behind him as he walked through the doors. Why didn’t he leave them behind again? What were they even arguing about now? Apparently Charlie hadn’t grabbed the correct drink that Evan liked, and Evan forgot to grab red licorice for Cassidy. And Cassidy hadn’t grabbed enough of Charlie’s favorite chips.

Jesus christ, the she-devil had corrupted both of them into little hoodlums. Little way too experienced hoodlums. 

Once he was sure he was into the soundproof area without any cameras or speakers he groaned, “Jesus fuck. What the hell, Andrew?! Like I didn’t have enough shit to do with. You’ve been in this suit for less than a month and you’ve already got damage that has to be repaired? I swear to god you little shits are all going to-”

Except that wasn’t Andrew waiting by the table. Nor was it Foxy, which Andrew was supposed to be in control of. 

And his dumb ass had left his taser behind.

Fuck.

He stared quietly at the large rabbit gauging his choices. If he ran, could he get away? Or was it a trap and there were others waiting for him? And what about the ki- brats, could they also escape or would they get caught?

He didn’t even flinch when three figures blurred right past him.

“Alright, wanna be Guitar Hero, you’ve gone far enough!” Cassidy had something in her hands and was just inches from the blue bunny. Evan had his taser holding it out with both hands menacingly towards the animatronic and Charlie was ready to throw a can at him. 

And he was really trying to ignore the fact that the object in Cassidy’s hands was quite sharp and aimed at it.

“Wait! Wait!” Bonnie threw his hands up in panic catching all four off guard. 

What the hell? The trio looked at each other and him and (were they actually looking to him for guidance? No way.) he wasn’t even sure how to react. They slowly lowered their weapons, still glaring the rabbit down. 

“Speak and if we don’t like what you have to say, we’ll gut you like a fish with your own guitar you Bonnie wanna be half-assed knockoff!” Okay, maybe he should be a little more restrictive on what Cassidy is watching. 

Glamrock Bonnie nodded quickly like he was genuinely scared (not that Mike could blame him if he was) and they all relaxed as the adult moved towards them instinctively trying to get between them and the threat. 

“I promise you can trust me. I’m not trying to hurt you or anyone I swear.”

Mike scoffed as Cassidy carried on her bad cop routine, “And why the hell should we believe that?”

“Because,” the group turned in surprise at the newcomer’s voice approaching behind them. “He’s actually telling the truth. And if you idiots took a moment to actually stop and think, you just might have realized that.”

Cassidy just scoffed, turning back to Bonnie, “Yeah, I’m not trusting Andrew’s lying ass either. Nice try.”

Foxy groaned in that annoyed Andrew mannerism that still tripped Mike out. “Just shut up and listen for once, will you?”

“Fine. But don’t think for a second that Mike and I won't hesitate to dismantle both of you before you can blink.” The kids huddled together but stayed by his side and he still wasn’t sure what to think of that to begin with.

Bonnie nodded slowly, lowering his arms as though trying to appear harmless, “If you won’t trust me, I understand. Believe me. But maybe you will listen to someone you do trust.” He tilted his head towards the door and when the group collectively turned again, Mike froze. 

With Bonnie behind them, and Foxy on one side there wasn’t anywhere they could go so they stayed on alert as the man slowly walked towards them.

Jeremy gave Mike a sad smile, “I know what it looks like and honestly I was hoping I would get a chance to explain it first but I promise that’s not what’s going on.”

His eyes narrowed looking at his former best friend. Yeah this was hardly the first time he’d ever heard that one. But they were trapped so they had no choice but to listen to his pathetic pointless excuse. “Really? Cuz it seems pretty easy to pick out exactly what’s going on here. To me, it seems like you’ve been lying and are actually working with the animatronics who have been trying to kill us!! Pretty cut and dry there, don’t you think?” He didn’t even try to hold back his bite or attempt to keep from taking after his father. 

Jeremy had the audacity to lightly chuckle and give him a sheepish look, “Well, yes, technically.” He raised up a finger and gave his signature victory grin and Mike fought not to fall for the what had to be obviously fake expression trying to lure him in. “But also, no.”

“No?” He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Foxy slammed his hand against his forehead, “Oh my god, you dumbasses. You are all so quick to react before you even think. You should really just leave Charlie in charge of making all the decisions. She at least uses her brain instead of immediately acting on defense. So fucking stupid, I swear.” Way to make yourself sound more punchable, Andrew. “I mean seriously, damn. Some kind of built up loyalty. You dumbshits didn’t even take a second to not jump to conclusions. Of course he’s been working with Bonnie. How else do you think he was gettin his information from? Just sheer dumb luck? In order to get into the network, you have to get into the network. As in, infiltrate it by using something already connected to it. And you really think that of all people, Jeremy Fitzgerald would be stupid enough to just side with a blood thirsty machine? Why? Just for the hell of it? So how about you idiots actually take the time to sit down, shut up and listen to what someone you’ve trusted for years actually has to say???”

Jeremy chuckled nervously, “Um, yeah thanks for that I guess. But he’s right. I should have told you guys but I was worried how you’d react. Bonnie is how I’ve been getting everything.” The rabbit tilted his head and winked, “That’s where I got the idea to make a ghost in the system. I can access some things from the network, but only what he’s able to access. Luckily he can save deleted records and footage before they are permanently erased. Otherwise I would have never been aware of any of it. This,” he gestured at Bonnie, “ is my special storage. Long story short there’s a private file inside his own network. A secret private file that can’t be detected.”

“And what makes you so sure that he’s not just waiting for a moment to rip out your throat? Vengeful ghosts-”

Jeremy sighed, cutting off Cassidy, “I absolutely 100% swear to you none of these are haunted by any spirits, good, evil, vengeful, angry, helpful, or otherwise. They are completely powered only by AI. And that’s how I know. You see, when I started looking into this virus and things weren’t coming up exactly normal, I knew I was going to have to make a drastic move before someone caught me. So instead of pursuing further, I took that time to basically break into one of the systems of individual AI programming. Long story short, I found a way to discreetly block my involvement by focusing on only one actual area.”

That did actually make sense. If Jeremy could keep his presence in one location instead of all over the system, it would make it harder to detect and find him. He glanced between the two. The rabbit definitely didn’t seem nearly as deadly or dangerous as the others they’ve come across. And, as much as he’d hate to admit, Andrew had made enough legit points. Plus, if Jeremy was really working with whoever was behind this, why wouldn’t he have already taken care of them?

No, he couldn’t really trust this could he? I mean, it was pretty well laid out in black and wait. Sure, far as he knew there’d never actually been any (living) people willingly working with the killer animatronics, unless they were controlling them. And then he thought of the expression he’d seen the night before in Vanny’s eyes. Another example that went against the entire theory. That and Dr Rabbit. Two obvious humans that were working with, or at least controlling the death machines. And if one of them was an employee, who’s to say that maybe this big bad already had other employees working with it?

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he looked at the pair, “Alright then. If that’s true then you can end this right now with one simple answer. If you are on our side then tell me, who’s behind it all? Cuz there’s no way it can just be Vanny and Dr Rabbit is it?”

Bonnie’s ears drooped and he looked down. “Unfortunately that’s one thing I can’t give you. I swear I would tell you if I could, but the truth is that none of us even know that. The same way they hide in the system keeps them from us. I know there’s something there but I can’t tell you what it is. Or where it comes from.”

Jeremy nodded, “I’ve tried running every program and idea I know of but it just all goes in unending circles. Whoever is behind it all is nothing short of a genius.”

Michael Afton wasn’t entirely sure if he really believed it or not. He knew within his heart that Jeremy wasn’t lying to him, but was Bonnie tricking and manipulating his best friend somehow? Although the thought of a human being manipulated or controlled by an animatronic seemed pretty far-fetched even for him, he couldn’t throw out any possibilities. Although he wouldn’t say anything he had caught the quick almost invisible movement the rabbit made when he stiffened at the mention of their current suspects. No…he definitely knew something. Something that maybe Jeremy didn’t actually know himself. 

And who was behind it all? A pissy brat with an attitude that made them all look like saints? A security guard who went from violent slasher to terrified sprinter?

Or something more?

“Things are not always what they seem.....”

He knew one thing. It was time to start really getting answers to go with all these questions…… Whatever he took. He was done being in the dark. 

Chapter Text

“ It's a bright new day, and it's your time to shine

Time to take your career into your own hands

Spend all your money and the stars, they will align

'Cause you've become a part of Freddy's band

Just be careful about what you buy

You never know what's hiding inside

But we can't prove anything, no

So make sure you take all responsibility

For whatever your new business plan will bring

It's closing time

Gotta clean up all the messes that were made

Order supplies and advertise

Wait, I hear voices on every side

And I wonder where

And I wonder why

Where do they hide?

I'm sorry, you've been misinformed

This is just a never-ending labyrinth and nothing more

Endless circles of fear

Chasing cries of children that seem so near

Out of reach, you will never find them

Don't you see? This is where your story ends ”

• “Labyrinth” ~ CG5

Cassie sat quietly on the edge of her bed as Gregory's words echoed around her. She held the chip with shaking hands. This was her chance to finally get answers. Or at least some. She'd tried several times to access it, but each time she was kicked out thanks to an incorrect password. She'd tried her dad's name, her name, even Bonnie. But none of them worked. Neither did anyone else's name. Each night she tried a different possibility and every time she was given the same red screen before the mask would shut down. She didn't know how many more chances she would have.

Gregory had made it seem like she would know it so it had to be something that made sense, right? 

Maybe it was based on the mask itself. It was originally from the V.A.N.N.I. network right? What if that was the pass code? 

With a heavy sigh she pulled the mask back out and stood up. Only one way to find out. On autopilot she slipped the chip in. The mask lit up as a glowing keypad appeared in front of her. She spoke each letter as she pressed it.

"Vee." A green light clicked

"A" Another light.

"En"

"En"

Her virtual hand hovered over the letter I, ready to press it but she froze and quickly moved away from it.

"Why." The screen lit up blue.

"Gee." Another green light.

"Gee."

"Why."

The screen flashed such a bright violet that she had to close her eyes but when she opened them she was inside a room with a table with boxes on it. Walking over to the table she sat down and immediately ripped the top off the closest one pulling out stacks of files and photos and scattered them on the table. What was all this? She pulled out another stack then took a look into the box.

And froze as she looked down at what she saw. 

First was a near identical mask to the one she was given the night she snuck in. This must have been her dad's technician mask. She ran her hands over it, turning it over. Had this given him as many problems as it did her? She felt almost entranced as she stared at it.

With a gasp she quickly dropped the mask. And then she found another mask under it. Shaped like a rabbit but different. Blue. 

"Is this one of the original masks? I know Dad has always liked Bonnie, but this one is from like the 80s. How did he get that? It's like really really old." 

This one she set down gently trying to avoid the weird feeling she got from the cutout eyes staring at her. Turning back to the box she continued digging and pulled out the next item.

"Another mask? What is this?" It was a mask of sorts or at least she thought until she fully pulled it out and looked at it. It was a headset. 

"Like used for those games." It shouldn't surprise her though, she knew her dad worked at the game company. But something about it gave her the chills and she quickly set it down. 

Instead she focused on some of the stacks she had set to the side. It was pictures and drawings and other papers. Were these the things he'd been hiding from her?

If so, why?

The first one she picked up was a photo of an arcade screen showing a list of names and scores, with GGY at the top. She did remember him seeming to always try to hide his frustration whenever anymore mentioned about GGY but she had never really understood it. 

Not until now.

Under that sheet was a drawing which she instantly recognized. Or at least part of it. On one side of the paper was the all familiar mascot of Silver Parasol. 

She'd seen it everywhere when her Dad worked for them. Someone had drawn the white rabbit perfectly with its spinning parasol, in all its elegant glory that seemed to glow in the moonlight. But on the other side was another white rabbit. This one was more feminine but with bulbous glowing red eyes and a blue bow. Yet something about those red eyes seemed familiar as well.

"What the heck?"

And it only got weirder from there. A paper with a list of four names written on it: 

Mary Schneider

Raelynn Lawrence 

Treena Welch

Georgia Lowe.

She wasn’t sure if any of those names sounded familiar. It seemed like she had heard them somewhere, but where? A notebook that had "Deaths and Disappearances" written on the front was the next thing, which she immediately pushed away, afraid to even open it.

A photo of three boys. It was blurry so she couldn't make out much of their features. Looked like it was taken from a security camera feed. Another one taken from the back of Glamrock Bonnie and Monty standing with what was probably a security guard judging by the outfit.

Three boys and a guard doing their job? Not exactly anything strange about that. So why did he have them? As she set them down something else in the box caught her attention and she reached it, slowly pulling out a stuffed animal.

At first she thought maybe it was a plush of one of the Glamrocks but no, she'd never seen this before. If it was a character, it was one she didn't know. A white tiger but it had one blue eye and one green eye. It was almost as though it were staring in her soul and she felt the need to-

She dropped it back in the box and pulled out what looked to be a screenshot for some kind of search on a website. EDWIN MURRAY was typed in the search box but no results were found.

"Who's that? Someone my dad worked with?"

And from there, it just got even stranger. Designs or blueprints with the word M.X.E.S.  

M.X.E.S as in the weird rabbit thing down in the basement that was way more than it seemed? “Did you have something to do with it? Did you know about it?”

Photo of some kind of business man with the initials W.A. that had the face scratched out and it said 'Back again? '

Sketched out drawings of what looked like the Princess Quest game she had found that night. Next to it was a drawing of a large gold colored bear and a gold and a purple princess. All three looked like they could be character sprites from the game. But there was something strange about them. While the violet-colored one just stood there, the other one seemed more animated. And was that…a sword in her hands?

(Like that sword that Cassidy had suddenly appeared with?)

Wait…she knew it was strange to see a weapon just appear (especially held by a kid), but as she looked at it more she remembered seeing the arcade cabinet again within the mask. The waves of color around it that came from…..

In the corner was a fourth character. Some kind of red figure that seemed to be some kind of man? Maybe a king? It would make sense for a king to be inside a game about princesses, right? Next to it were several question marks. 

Copies of the reports from when Glamrock Bonnie went missing, but also another one about him attacking a staff member? That doesn't sound right. And why wouldn’t her dad have told her if any of them were actually dangerous?

Another photo caught her attention and it seemed like something out of a movie.

A horror movie. 

It was another grainy image but she could make out Mike (how the heck she knew it was Mike, she had no idea but somehow she did) sitting on the floor. His arms were wrapped around someone holding them tight. She couldn't see who it was because they pressed against his chest but they wore a white outfit that seemed to be covered in blood. And laying next to them was a bloody knife. 

More disturbing than the actual image was the words written next to it, with part of it scratched out. The only word she could make out was 'Why'.

She knew this trick though. It was a classic in store for writing secret messages. She looked around and found a flashlight and held it up under the scratched out area and read it aloud.

"Not me? Why not me? What is that supposed to mean?"

Okay, that was enough of that box. She didn't want to know what else was in there. Instead she pushed it away and removed the top of the other box. 

First thing she pulled out was another drawing. This time it was just a face, or a head maybe. It looked almost like Roxy but something was off about it. Maybe it was meant for the Foxy animatronic they never actually used? Except this one was pink and white. 

A paycheck from…1987??? 

That to be a joke right? But sure enough there was his name, and it was issued from Fazbear. Was this meant for someone else that just shared his name? (If so, why did he have it?) Maybe it belonged to his dad? But she couldn’t remember anyone who… Actually she’d never even met or heard about any of his family. Supposedly they had all died long before she was born. So, more than likely he just randomly kept an old paycheck for what was probably his dad. Crazy that they both ended up working for the same company. Is that why he went to work for them? Nostalgia, honor, respect?

With a shrug she set it down. Next in her hands were some kind of medical records. It was also really old. So it was handwritten, and as with most doctor notes, nearly impossible to decipher. There was only one thing she could make out. 

“10% chance of recovery? Wow, that’s rough. I wonder what happened to whoever this was. Maybe this was also another family member I didn’t know about.” Yet, even as she said it, something just felt weird about it all. She quickly shoved it back into the box. 

She picked up another file that was full of papers. Some of it were newspaper clippings, and photos, as well as maps and hastily scribbled notes that she also couldn’t make out. She just glanced at the headlines. 

“TRAGEDY AGAIN STRIKES LOCAL PIZZERIA”

“STILL NO LEAD OF WHEREABOUTS OF MISSING CHILDREN”

“PUBLIC HAS NOW DUBBED THIS THE MCI AND THERE ARE STILL NO ANSWERS”

“CIRCUS BABY’S PIZZA WORLD: ARE THE RUMORS TRUE?”

“ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT REBRANDING? DO THEY LEARN ANYTHING?”

“POTENTIAL SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE”

Disturbingly under the clippings were even more photos with names and sets of dates. She dropped them with a gasp as she realized what they were. Birth and death dates. Of random kids. Why would he have anything like that? Maybe it was just an issue where he had grabbed the wrong files or something. She quickly thumbed through not knowing if she could actually stomach intaking any of the information as one popped out at her for some reason. 

She quickly slammed the file shut and dropped it back in the box. Why did that name get to her? It was like just looking at the name sent a buzz of energy through her body. 

Last thing she grabbed and pulled out were several photos. Maybe this was a glimpse into his past? Taking a closer look, she let out a groan. Not likely. These were old photos. Like from the 80s or maybe even earlier. There wouldn’t be anything of him in them. Maybe family or something. So much for that. 

She sighed and looked back down at the photos in her hand. One of them was a little boy who kinda resembled her. He had a pair of blue rabbit ears on and was excitedly holding a guitar and standing next to a slightly older kid who she thought at first glance might have been her dad. But again, these photos were way too old for that. “Maybe it was his dad and uncle or something?” Would be pretty funny if being a Bonnie fan just ran in the family. 

The next one was a group photo of four older kids. She couldn’t tell who any of them were because they all wore masks. Masks that matched the original animatronics she had seen in the games. Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. With a sigh she dropped them back into the box and that’s when she noticed it. Written all over the inside of the box were the same two words. On all of the sides.

I’M SORRY

Sorry? For what? 

Honestly she’d always kind of wanted to know more. He was always so secretive and edgy whenever she tried to ask him anything. Just that all his family members were long dead and she was all he had left. He had left his job at the game company because he found a better opportunity.

(A better opportunity that seemed to change him.)

Wait, no. Now that she really took the time to reflect on it, he was acting weird before he even quit his job. He’d be so distant like sometimes he was looking through her, later claiming it was all just stress to meet deadlines. (And sometimes she thought she heard him mumbling but no one was there.) And then one day he got really off. It was almost like a walking zombie when she saw him in the morning. And then that evening when she got back from school he was there telling her he had decided to find another job due to all the stress and that Fazbear’s-

….no, no that wasn’t right. He didn’t even tell her about his new job until months later, right? So why would he have quit his current job in hopes that he could randomly get what he really wanted? Maybe he knew something was going on in the company. After all, it was just a few months after that it folded and went bankrupt. And he had been so upbeat and back to normal then. 

For a while. Then he started his new job and at first it was okay. Sure he worked long hours and sometimes at night but otherwise it all seemed normal. For a few years. Then he started to seem more nervous, more on edge. That’s when he started staying gone longer and longer, claiming it was important work stuff. (What kind of job makes you practically live there?) But she hadn’t questioned it because she still got to take advantage of its perks: unlimited visits to the pizza plex and heavy discounts on like everything. Plus all the time to watch Roxy. 

Then, he just stopped letting her go. She could still visit on occasion, but only with him. And those visits became fewer and fewer. Until she could go once a month, if she was lucky. He never gave a good reason, just some half-witted excuse about some new rule requiring parental guidance for all minors. (Funny how Gregory and none of the other kids ever had to have parents there.)

And Gregory…. She had met him shortly after she first started going. He’d shown up to her birthday party which no one else had and they had….well meshed. After that it was common to run into him and far as she knew both expected it. 

Then he also started to seem a bit distant, worried even at times. (Almost like her dad.) When pressed about it he just claimed that things were rough at home and he stressed easily. 

Home. Something else he’d never talked about. He never even gave her his last name. He said he didn’t like to share it because it made him feel like he was just parading around. That he could be who he really wanted around her and didn’t want to change that. And she’d accepted it because what else could she do? Why would she question anything like that? And then one day she’d seen him hanging out with some other boys. She didn’t know who they were but she stayed out of sight. After that, whenever she did see him, he was by himself and they would run around like kids. (He was also really smart and good at games.)

In fact, besides those two boys she had seen that one time, she never saw him with anyone else. No, that wasn’t entirely true. Maybe no other kids. But she had caught him before talking to some employees. Several times. Obviously she was never close enough to hear what was being said or context but she did remember that much. She’d originally chalked it up to just thinking that maybe because he was there so often the employees were aware of him. But….

Well, she wasn’t sure what to think anymore. She’d really thought maybe she’d finally get some answers. But so far it seems like it was just more questions. (And yet she felt something deep inside her trying to burst out. Almost as though it was right there. Just behind one more wall she needed to crash.)

More and more questions. All these random photos and news reports about random people. Drawings that didn’t quite make sense. 

“Ugh, this is sooo frustrating! What are you guys all hiding?! What do you know about my dad, Gregory? What aren’t you telling me? Leading me here to show me all these random photos and other stuff? Was it just another trick? A prank out of boredom?”

And it was as she looked back down in the box before closing the lid she froze. The very last photo on top of the stack. It was another older one. Not quite as far back as the others but still. There were two young men in front of a large building with a sign that said ‘Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza Place.’ A place and sign that she knows she had just recently found out existed.

But that in itself was just a shallow thought as a much deeper one consumed her and she felt that wall finally come tumbling down. The two grinning men in the picture should have been just two random people that didn’t mean anything. But instead, she not only recognized one of them (being the face she loved and had been looking for so long for) but she knew the other one as well. How did she miss it before?

The intense blue eyes staring back with a wide grin. (“ It’s just….you look kind of familiar …” ) Her own words echoed in her head.

W.A. William Afton  'Back again? ' (“After being sent there to pretty much die, by your own dad .”)

CHARLOTTE EMILY on one of the kid’s photos with a very young brunette sporting a wide smile she had come to find comfort in. ( “Like not being in control of yourself and being…. something else .”)

A shapeless voice slowly taking form into a familiar shape. (“They’re DYING to meet you…”)

A familiar raven-haired girl in one of the missing kids posters. (“Of course you haven’t. We’re dead. ”)

(“Freddy’s just isn’t somewhere anyone should be at night . Or alone. And new management rules state kids must have guardians present at all times. You know how much I’ve been working. I just can’t take that much free time off right now.”)

Red eyes that had appeared in her dreams or nightmares or hallucinations or whatever they were. (“...old storage building that was once used by Silver Parasol .”)

The blueprints for M.X.E.S. (“...more than just a computer . He’s basically like a … friend of sorts”)

Blonde hair from the back of the security guard. 

(The duo clinging so tightly to each other that night in the office.)

(“Well, Bonnie has always been our- my favorite. No one better than the big blue bunny himself.”)

(“ It's HIM .") The voice on the recording now becoming clearer than ever .

( "No, no, don't do that. It's what they want. I don't know, V !" )     

All those blurry grainy surveillance photos seemed to slowly clear in her mind becoming too obvious, too detailed. 

(“Because YOU all keep giving me reasons not to!”)

(“ Sorry kid. Not today. I know I know. It seems like I always have bad headaches. It comes with brain injury, don't you know? Ha, just kidding. It’s just a migraine that will pass.”) 

"Welcome to Freddy’s. And you thought it was all pizza parties and fun."

That was 100% Jeremy Fitzgerald, posed in all his glory. Standing outside a restaurant she had never even known about until recently. And the brunette standing next to him was the same blue eyes as one of the two employees she had often caught around Gregory. One of the two. The other being a security guard. A blonde security guard. 

(“Your dad isn't some mundane suburban father casually going to work and coming home. For DECADES he's been part of an underground force that has raided through every single one of those and put a stop to it. This time it would be no different (or so they thought). When he realized it was too much like what they had been through, he called for help and they came. As they always do .”)

One last recent conversation floated around her echoing softly in the silence.

(“And that little escapade in the elevator? It’s nothing like what’s really out there. What some have been through. That’s tip of the iceberg stuff right there. There’s evil and it's so so much closer to home than you could ever begin to think. It’s dangerous, it’s scary, and it’s honestly going to ruin your life and change how you see everything. ”

“Yes. You’re right I don’t know what’s going on and maybe never will. But I also know there’s something and that something seems dangerous or whatever and a lot of others are involved. So, yes. I do want to stay and try to help. Maybe it’s not much, but I don’t care. I want to do what I can. ”)

Well now things were starting to make sense. All the late night hours, his strange behavior. He had been so nervous and uneasy when he left the video game company. But he seemed to get worse later on. Judging by what she's told, shortly after Mike and the group got there. So what had happened to trigger it so badly?

He'd been just off. Very jumpy and anxious but trying to quell it all when she was around. He'd claimed it was all just work stuff stressing him out.

But....then he'd be gone for hours longer and longer each time. He didn't even work at night but sometimes he wouldn't come home until early morning claiming they'd needed his help. The strange phone calls he'd hidden from her, quickly ending when she came around him. And the extended hours AFTER the plex was closed for repairs.

"Oh you know, kiddo. Just cuz the place closed down temporarily doesn't mean we don't still have to work. Especially technicians. We really have to be available at all times."

Then there was the earthquake and he never came home. 

Gregory had said he and Vanessa were behind everything. Her Dad somehow brought all these dead people back to deal with it. And now things made sense. Well, somewhat at least. She still had a lot of holes to fill and things to figure out but she had a basic idea.

She glanced back down at the photo and blinked back tears threatening to form.

"Who WERE you?"

As she slowly returned everything back into their respective boxes, a piece of paper fluttered out of her hands and onto the ground. She reached down to pick it up and for one brief moment wondered if she should hang onto it before laying it carefully on top and closed the boxes back.

Slowly removing the mask she settled back on the bed quietly lost in her thoughts. 

Too bad she didn’t realize the paper she put back had his last written words on it. 

“LOOK AND DO ALL YOU WANT, 

BUT YOU WILL NEVER FIND THEM. 

YOU CAN’T HAVE THEM AGAIN

AND THIS TIME I MADE SURE OF IT.”

VANNY. GGY.

Chapter Text

“Pretty little, pretty little

Pretty little psycho

Black lipstick just like a cat

Have you purrin' on your back

Tip the glass, now light it up

Rebel, rebel can't get enough

You're lookin' crazy, you're lookin' wrong

We look like we belong

And once I've got you, it's a fact

Baby, there's no turning back ”

“ Pretty Little Psycho” ~ Porcelain Black

"Now, I know your dad had secrets too. Secrets that he kept from you, just like us. But we all did it for the same reason. To protect you, Cassie, and try to keep you from getting involved. Because he knew ALL too well the evil that comes from anything Fazbear related. Especially anyone who gets too close...

They all honestly thought it would be just a quick venture like the others; pretty much in and out, neutralize the problem and be done. Barely long enough for anyone to even know he was there except by a name clocked in. Most times seemed to end in fire. So, you should probably watch yourself around them with matches, lighters, and flammable material. 

They had figured out the problem (or so they thought) and who was behind it, as far as they knew even though it was nowhere near close. So all they needed to do was neutralize it and be done. 

But see, Mike was just getting started. He'd done this for years, most times with your dad; he was ready for it. Actually the idiot thought he had it all laid out and just needed to make a move. When he had yet to actually figure it out. When he did find out that things definitely weren't what any of them expected, they shifted their plan and shoved forward with a different focus, same goal. Take out the mastermind, free the animatronics, stop the disappearances and bloodshed.

The truth?

Well, the actual truth is that nobody, including Mike himself, had any idea even close to how much of a shakeup he was actually about to cause.....

Changing everything.

For everyone."

<YEARS AGO>

“Okay, so you all have to make sure to stay out of sight until all the other kids are there. That way no one gets suspicious about three extra kids that are unaccounted for.”

“You know if this was anything but Fazbear’s we should probably be extremely concerned by this very serious lack of security.” Cassidy tilted her head, “But in this case it’s pretty par for the course.”

Jeremy continued on staring critically at them, “I’m serious. There are plenty of places to hide in the daycare but you have to do everything to blend in. Oh, and most important STAY AWAY from the day care attendant.”

“Who?” Yeah he’s pretty sure Daycare anything was never something in his old catalog.

Charlie frowned, “Why? I thought you created fake info for us? And aren't we wearing our own masks we made?” Ah, yes, the three heathens (well two and a half; Charlie was fairly tolerable today) had spent hours carefully constructing their own personalized masks once they found out (via sneaking onto Mike’s messages) that the kids were also allowed to wear masks as well. No fancy dressing up (which Charlie had actually huffed over) but that was still something. 

And so, they had put forth their best unique artistic skills (and leftover craft supplies and paper plates that were taken from the trash cans overnight and totally not stolen when he wasn’t looking) and pride and created their own little masterpieces. 

Which, somehow  even made them even more terrifying, despite how impossible he thought that was . 

“I did but the attendant is....well, something else. Very perceptive and astute. Scarily so actually. He gets his mind trained onto something and it's like a dog obsessing over a ball. And way too… interactive with his charges. Just keep your distance and don't get his attention. Once you're in his path....well just don't be. He’s a bit intense. Trust me on this. Do everything you can to avoid him.” 

The she-devil snorted, “Ha! What's so difficult about evading the babysitter? Piece of cake. Don't worry, we got this. It's just a stupid animatronic.”

“Yeah, with that many kids in one place with parents on the other side of the plex it's just asking for trouble. I just need you three to keep an eye on things and see if there's anything suspicious. And also, whatever you do…..DON'T LET THE LIGHTS GO OUT.”

“Why?”

Damn it, Cassidy, do you have to question everything? Despite the fact he also did want and probably should know the reason behind that.

“Just don't. Whatever you do, keep the generators running the entire time.”

Generators? What the shit? Great so there was a chance that the little heathens would be running loose after all rather than contained when he couldn’t keep an eye on them. 

 “So we need to sneak out-

The tech shook his head quickly, cutting her off, “They're all inside the daycare.” 

Oh, okay sure. That makes sense maybe. They should be stored away close by for staff to quickly get to, probably inside some storage-

 “In the...play structures.”

Mike spun around so fast to look at the other man he almost knocked himself over, “....how the hell is THAT a safe idea?!”

Jeremy just shrugged, “It's Fazbears.”

Right, because there must just some list floating around out there with literally every bad idea that ever could have existed. Is there some Fazbear employee that’s paid to just come up with the most outrageous methods? There was one thing to cut corners and then there was just Fazbear .

Evan looked at both of them seriously, “What about if the bad bunnies try anything?”

But of course they already had that planned out as well. While he and Jeremy were forced to try and blend in for this stupid event, Andrew would still be acting security on their behalf, and say what he wanted to about that little fucker, he was definitely good at being any and everywhere and very observant.

His best friend gave an optimistic nod, “Don't worry. I've got that taken care of. Andrew and I will continue monitoring for any activity. The animatronics should be on lock down but just in case.”

….what a minute….

The brunette girl looked between the two men and then tilted her head as the same thought came to her, “Um, isn't it an all employee required event?”

Jeremy immediately started typing on the laptop pulling up something on the screen, “Yep, but…” and with that stupid cheeky grin he pointed to a recently submitted report, “It appears there's some kind of power surge that keeps affecting the lighting. Which is nothing new, but for some totally unknown reason, it’s just been really bad all day and will most likely get worse tonight. Can’t let something like that prevent such a big important event and unfortunately it has to be regularly checked and be manually adjusted. Senior technicians are the only ones with access to the mainframe so.....”

Nope, screw that. Best friend status ripped away again. That fucking little traitor…. He should have known something was up when the only mask he had pulled out recently was his own technician’s mask, which is not at all acceptable for a fucking masquerade.

Cassidy just stared at him, also not at all fooled, “You purposely created a problem so you could get out of it with no questions asked, didn't you?”

“Yep.”

If that asshole really thought he was going to sneak off on some secret mission and leave Mike stuck doing this stupid event on his own, he was very sorely mistaken. “WHAT?! Then I should probably-”

His once again ex-former best friend shook his head not even trying to hide it, “Sorry, dude. This is one clearance you don't have. The company doesn't want everyone left in the dark, because who knows what kind of property damage could occur? So it still needs to be addressed but by bare minimal personnel.” He looked him in the eye and Mike resisted the very strong urge to punch him. “Besides, you really do need to get out there. Being a recluse is only going to draw attention to you. Prove to the world you do exist. Or at least that Eggs does. People are already a little suspicious of you just appearing.”

Mike did not come back from the dead and be forced to share his space with little blood thirsty murder heathens to go make nice with the workforce and be social. This was 100% not part of the deal. In fact, one thing Michael Afton wasn’t at all was social. The Mike who once had friends and ruled everything had died probably the moment his little brother’s head was crushed. After that he’d always gone out of his way to remain hidden. That’s why it was so fitting to be a security guard or a technician. Jobs that allowed him to work at night, in secret away from anyone else. 

He didn’t need (or want ) friends. In fact his only friend was (on most days at least) Jeremy for a reason. And if the other man hadn’t still been alive, he would have been perfectly content to only spend his moments with the dead and machines. Michael Afton died with his family, Mike had no one, and didn’t need anyone. And the last thing he wanted was to go to some stupid required social event that he couldn’t get out of alone . And, knowing his luck, it was probably going to be full of drunk annoying people that he couldn’t get rid of and would have to strongly resist punching. This was absolute hell… Are they sure his dad or sister wasn’t the one behind this? 

He’s here to go find, stop, and destroy a killer (or killers). That’s all that mattered. And his friend’s concern was his social status ?

“Why does that matter???”

“It matters because whoever is behind this could use that as a way to get you thrown out. Look, I know it's been decades but the world is a lot different now and so are you. Blending in with the public is going to get you further than hiding in the shadows like some secret rotting purple stain trying to melt into the wall.”

Well, now he didn’t need to go that hard. Mike snorted and crossed his arms, “I don't-”

“Don't give them a reason to think you're just a creepy outcast. I'm sure you can come up with some explanation about why you've been busy and not around until recently.’

Sure, a long dead corpse freely out mingling in the very company he grew up in as a mirror image of one its founders totally couldn’t go wrong at all. He swallowed nervously looking down, unable to hide his concern as his tone dropped slightly, “What if someone recognizes me?”

Cassidy, as usual, gave no shits about his dilemma and raised her eyebrow staring at him critically, “How? They giving out x-ray vision now? You'll be in  a mask, dummy .”

Andrew’s voice floated from the screen chipping in helpful as always, “And why the hell would anyone just happen to assume there'd be a walking corpse mingling about? Just don't do anything stupid to draw attention to yourself. Or anything stupid at all. Which for you is....literally anything.”

He finally looked back up at his best friend, “And if something does actually happen?” What if they did actually try something while he was trapped in a situation he couldn’t get out of?”

“I'll call you immediately. Or Andrew will. All of you. But look, this is the one night every employee is in the building.”

His brother fiddled with his mask, “There's no way anyways stupid enough to try anything, right?”

“Exactly. That's why we're just keeping an eye out. Hey, while you’re all at it, take a chance to see if anyone acts suspicious. They don't know you, they wouldn't worry about hiding anything. There's a high chance there's some prominent employees involved, especially if Edwin was right. Or maybe that kid will be at the daycare with the others. See anyone acting off or trying to sneak out-”

Charlie jumped up with a big eager grin, “Tail them!”

“Yeah, that.”

Hours later, Mike finally reluctantly stepped out into the hall. Yet another battle he’d lost. He threw Jeremy an angry glare, among other things, as the tech happily scampered off for his ‘duties’. Traitor. Sighing he slipped his mask on. The only good thing about this whole stupid party was at least he still had something to hide behind. He could still keep his expressions private before they caused a fight or worse. And maybe even try to blend in more. 

Except before he even reached the main area he already saw his mistake. Of course only he would be the one idiot wearing an ‘old school mask.’ Everyone else was all decked out in brightly dazzling masks of the Glamrocks, or originals reflecting the facility’s colors, and wearing way too fancy clothes for a work event. He looked down at his button up blue shirt and black pants and shrugged as he adjusted his mask. Too fucking bad. With any luck maybe his lack of dress code etiquette would get him kicked out (and he could shimmy down the hall to start his own investigations.) Ignoring the disdained looks thrown at him (those bitches could only wish they were cool enough deserve to wear the original Foxy. (Which he totally hadn’t jacked himself from some weird museum they were trying to put together or whatever. He’d return it later…maybe.)

A loud clunk caught his attention and he quickly dove against the wall before peering around the corner. Of course it was that stupid blue rabbit. Look, maybe he’d possibly trust Jeremy with his life but he still wasn’t on board with this whole Bonnie thing. For all Jer knew the animatronic was likely fooling even him. And for just a moment he considered making a scene. (Yeah, maybe it was petty. Sue him. He wasn’t in the mood.) After all, the notice had stated that the animatronics were supposed to be on lock down but how convenient that this was the one still out roaming around and breaking the rules. And as a dedicated Fazbear employee it was only right for him to honor his duty and report any issues or violations, right?

However before he could start some shit- ahem, fulfill his obligated duty, something else caught his attention instead. The damn bunny wasn’t alone. Which would probably just negate his attempts. Animatronics must be on lock down, unless for some reason they were with an employee. (Why any employee would want to be them was beyond him but whatever.) With an aggravated groan he started to turn away but curiosity caught his attention so he remained in his spot watching silently. 

The (what he assumed was an employee) let out a soft giggle as Bonnie seemed to be leading her down the hall. She was dressed in a fancy sparkly (themed like all the others besides him) deep teal dress.  He appeared so gentle, very friendly almost. Even more so than he had been with any of them. Yet again, an animatronic that seemed like more than just a robot, but an actual being. No stoic stances, no jerky movements, complete fluid motions. He could have easily just been as alive as…well anyone in the building that wasn’t back from the dead. 

He shook his head and pulled off the wall. He was beyond sick and tired of these stupid robots. What couldn’t he just skip this whole event and burn the entire place, and everyone in it, to the ground right now? Would solve so many more problems. As the pair passed him, he slunk further back down the hall not really wanting to deal with an interaction with the probably untrustable bunny. (Who was he kidding? ALL rabbit things were nothing but bad news…)

He stayed in place until he saw the rabbit pass by headed back down the hall. Well, no more putting off the inevitable. He straightened up, adjusted his mask praying for the spirit of Foxy (not actually that mischievous pain the ass Fritz) to at least keep him semi-confident enough to survive the night and strode through the doors.

And immediately regretted it. It was just as bad as he expected it to be. Bright lights and colors, loud music, too many damn loud people. Lots of people mingling over by the food tables, which he at least didn’t have to worry about needing food. One of the perks of being a living, no longer rotting, corpse. He kept his thoughts and groans to himself as he made his way around the space, ignoring the murmurs and strange glances shot his way. There was some random drunk guy in a Glamrock Freddy mask stumbling around mumbling and throwing handfuls of confetti stars from a cup he carried around yelling out how all of them were the superstars that made Freddy’s possible. Another tripped and knocked his entire try of what looked like soup all over some other girl’s baby blue dress wearing a weird sun shaped mask. She promptly shoved him knocking him over a table and Mike had to quickly step back to prevent getting hit. Every time he took a moment to glance around, eyes were on him whispering amongst each other and sometimes even pointing directly at him. 

Great he went from trying to blend in so no one would recognize him to sticking out enough to become the topic of discussion. He couldn’t win. Hopefully, Andrew or Jeremy would be reaching out to him soon before he drove himself crazy. And what were the kids up to? Not that he actually cared or was worried about them or anything, he was just…curious that’s all. 

He was really starting to consider just stepping back out and maybe really investigating the wall outside to see if there could potentially be any danger in it, when a flash caught his attention and he spun around to look at the figure who had just passed him. 

Her long blonde hair cascaded behind her in waves draping over the dress with a thick light grayish-purple and bright, almost neon, green ribbon tied into a fancy bow behind her. He frowned as he stared at her. Had Bonnie actually been walking with-

A loud clatter caught his attention as yet another employee tripped over chairs and almost fell on him. He leaped back out of the way and slammed right into drunk confetti star guy whose drunk dancing caused him to stumble forward and right into the woman, practically throwing the remainder of the confetti directly into her hair. The drunk landed sharply against her side and at her wince and soft hiss he had both his answer and a moment of guilt (shit, did he really cause her to get injured again in the exact same spot?)

Eyes widening, he froze in place as she shoved the other man off and stormed out, discretely holding her side. Well, maybe this party just might be interesting after all. 

Keeping his eyes trained on her, he followed quickly pushing through the slow idiots who wouldn’t get out of his way until he made it through the doors and looked around for her. No one was on either side of the hall and he cursed under his breath. Until something faintly caught his eye. He leaned down and picked it up inspecting it. One of the little confetti stars. He looked down the hall and caught sight of more glinting down the hallway. Maybe not as lost as he thought. A wide grin spread under the mask and he followed the trail quickly but discretely down the hall. 

He finally found her, leaning against one of the walls by a….was that a random ass baby stroller? She was slumped over (probably writhing in pain if he had to guess) leaning with one hand pressed on the top of the stroller with her head down, hair draped over a glittery pink and white mask, painstakingly pulling out each of the little stars wrapped in her blonde strands. As he got closer he could see her trembling and guilt really started to eat at him. Until he reminded himself of exactly what that meant and the fact he was likely staring a very active murderer down. Which meant he was going to have to be careful and tactful. Sneaky, discrete, and quick as he always was.

Which consisted of immediately stepping up behind her boxing her in so she couldn’t run and not bothering to hide the sneer on his face, “Here, let me help you, Vanny .”

She spun around so quickly that for a brief moment he wondered if she had actually punched him. Instead she slammed him hard into the wall behind him, grabbing the collar of his shirt and growling as she pinned him instead of the other way around. 

And maybe her hiss scared him just a tad as she quickly whispered, “Don't call me that !”

He threw up his hands in submission as she kept him pressed into the wall, “Okay, fine, then what's your actual name?” He really hadn’t intended to actually hurt her, just try to chat, maybe scare her a bit. Take her out if he had to. 

“You can call me-” She stopped, shook her head and lifted off him but still kept him held against the wall with one hand. “Nevermind. None of your business.”

Well, rude.  

He shrugged as he took the time to really look at her. Seeing as how this was the first time it wasn’t just a quick glimpse or blur of motion from her attacking him or running away. Her body language was dangerous but in less of a predatory and more of a defensive move. She wore a blue and yellow twisted choker and orange and blue hair clip pinning back one section of her hair,  “I guess I'll have to keep calling you Vanny then.”

She growled, shoving him harshly once more, “Or just nothing at all. In fact, don't even talk to me. Just stay away.” The punch (or stab) he had been bracing himself for never came. Instead she let him go and actually turned away. 

Oh, come on now. He went to all this trouble to confront her and that’s all he gets? Aw hell no. He quickly grabbed her forearm (and didn’t miss the flinch as she looked back at him). “Or not. Look, I'll start. My name is-”

She simply huffed as she tried to pull away unsuccessfully. He may be a loser but after years of working on (and destroying) animatronics, his grip wasn’t one to take lightly. She wasn’t going anywhere. “I know who you are.’

All his previous concerns came crashing down on him as he paled. He’d been so worried that some random employee might be able to figure out who he was but he’d never considered what if the threat actually did. The moment the baddies knew who he was everything was going to fall apart. They’d be more aware of what he could do and likely how to evade him.  “You do?”

The white and pink mask tilted in what could only be from a knowing smirk. “Of course we do. You think we don't know about every single employee who comes through here? We do our research. We know all about your employment history, Mr. Benedict . We know you're not a new random employee.”

Benedict. Holy shit, they did know who he was but not who he actually was. He almost wanted to cry in both relief and straight humor. Those idiots didn’t actually know anything. Well anything that could help them. Which meant they still had the upper hand. And he currently had the hand, well arm, of one of them in his own grasp. She wasn’t going anywhere. Not anytime soon. Not until he was ready to let her go. And if that stupid party wouldn’t have been going on with way too many people questioning his actions, he would have long since dragged her off to somewhere for them to interrogate and lock her up.  

Well, fine, then it was going to have to happen here and now. A quick glance showed they were still alone and he pulled her closer even as she struggled to pull free, “Why?”

The blonde killer scoffed like he was a moron, “Because we know everything.”

Apparently no they didn’t. They didn’t know any of the important bits and she was missing the whole plot anyways. 

“No, I mean why? Why all this?”

“Why not?” 

If he hadn’t directly looked her in the eyes just days ago he could have almost convinced himself this wasn’t the same girl. Her tone was so different. Even with her attempt to sound intimidating she just sounded detached. This was nothing like the woman vying for his blood previously. In fact in just the last few minutes he’d counted about fifteen different times and ways she could have easily finished him (or at least tried to). And with no witnesses it would have been the perfect opportunity. Something told him she never went anywhere without a knife.

So…why hadn’t she? 

“What do you get out of it?”

“Entertainment. Escape from the mundane. Because I can?” Nah, those boring cookie cutter answers to placate him weren’t going to work.

She tried to jerk out of his grip again and he saw the motion before she could kick him. He looped his own leg around hers causing her to falter more towards him. “Look, I've seen a lot of things. And learned a lot. And something tells me, there's more than meets the eye going on, isn't there?”

And there it was. She froze for just a few seconds, turning away from him. When she moved it wasn’t to fight back, but a flinch. She shifted nervously trying to get away from him. But she didn’t resist and she didn’t fight back. He took a step back and felt her relax slightly but kept hold of her arm. 

“Also, where's your kid?”

She turned away again and he let her go, resisting the urge to rip her mask off and look her in the eyes, “He's not my kid. And Rab is, Dr Rabbit is not about to come out tonight. There's too many people here. It's not like he's an employee or tied to anything.” 

Well, there goes that pretty much agreed upon theory they had come up with. Sure, taking your kid along for a murder spree is really whacked out and messed up but not entirely unheard of. And that was kinda the only thing that made sense. But yet, it wasn't. But why would she lie about something like that? Her physical reaction showed she was uncomfortable at his mention but not in a protective way. Almost more out of fear… (Was she actually scared of the little twerp?)

“So, not your son?”

And at that she did relax and immediately straightened up, holding her hands on her hip, giving him a critical glare, “Just how old exactly do you think I am?”

Not exactly a good question to ask him, that was for sure. “Trust me, I'm not one to talk about actual age versus appearance.”

“What does that even mean?”

Before he could respond a loud click from above had them both starting up at the loud speaker as an annoying voice boomed across the facility. 

“Attention all employees! We, at Fazbear Entertainment, want to thank all of you for your services. But since we can't even afford to pay you minimal wage, we definitely can't afford any pay raises. So we instead offer you all this probably extremely lame half-assed appreciation event disguised as a party that all employees are required to attend or be fired for subordinance.”

“Typical corporate bullshit.” Almost in unison both shook their heads and said the same thing and then looked at each other in surprise. So neither of them were fooled in the least.

“We again want to thank the Daycare Attendant for being required to volunteer to provide child care for all the single parenting losers who don't have anyone to watch their future Fazbear employees.”

“Daycare Attendant?”

“Don't ask.”

“As always, be mindful and respectful of the facilities. As it somehow creeps out people who choose to be here, we have asked that the animatronics stay in their holding spaces for the night. If any of you choose to participate in any less than child friendly activities, we ask that you please refrain from sneaking into the green rooms this time as we will not be held responsible for any injuries, up to and including death and dismemberment, that can occur from such absolute stupidity. As always be safe, make smart decisions to help save money and cut corners, and remember Fazbear is always watching. Also, everyone except overnight staff needs to be completely off the premises by 4 am. And all staff are required to report back tomorrow at their designated time. No callouts will be allowed, unless you have actually died. In which case an obituary is required to prevent termination. Thank you again for your services and have a fun but responsible night. And again, Fazbear is not responsible for any physical or mental harm or anguish that may occur. And now, let's take it back with a classic and spin those tunes. Provided to you by the stylings of our personal master DJ.”

The speaker cut out with a crackle before a song started up blaring through the building that he was more than familiar with. 

“ I hear your name whispered on the wind

It's a sound that makes me cry

I hear a song blow again and again

Through my mind and I don't know why

I wish I didn't feel so strong about you

Like happiness and love revolve around you

Trying to catch your heart

Is like trying to catch a star

So many people love you, baby

That must be what you are

Waiting for a star to fall

And carry your heart into my arms

That's where you belong

In my arms, baby, yeah ”

And maybe it was just a bit of a comfort song for him. It was one he used to always hear his mom playing in the morning when she would get ready. For just a moment he was a young kid again, closing his eyes. Sometimes she’d even come in singing it. 

Until that illusion was quickly shattered by an annoyed scoff. “Ugh, seriously? The 80s? Like I already can't get away from the fad.”

Well that was just rude. She couldn’t voice her opinion about literally anything else? How dare this little masked murderer slander such times. 

“What's wrong with the 80s? Now that was a great time....” Once again, thankful no one could see his expressions he cleared his throat trying to cover his slip up, “Uh, ya know music wise and stuff.”

“What are you, an old man?”

All he could do was shrug. So this was how they were going to play it, huh? Question with a question? Someone was high on her evasion game. “We'll go with that. Still didn't answer the question.”

“Do I really need to?” She made a sweeping motion with her arm, “Literally trapped in it 24/7. Even the pizza recipe, and maybe the food itself, is before the 90s.”

Oh, if she only knew…..

“You're the one choosing to be here.”

She looked away muttering softly, “Not my first choice, believe me.”

Oh, wait, were they actually maybe going to get somewhere? “Which was?”

She sighed, shaking her head, “Doesn't matter. I'm here now. Still, that is nothing more than over rated romantic bullshit crap.”

Damn, and Mike really thought he was the bitter one. She was making him look like the world’s greatest optimist. “Wow, tell us how you really feel. But I doubt I'm the only one who thinks that. I can almost guarantee everyone back in that room is probably dancing away in bliss.”

“Of course they are, because they're all just a bunch of mindless idiots living in a self-dreamt made up fantasy world.”

Geeze, Mr. Pessimist actually had competition. He never thought he’d see the day someone had a worse outlook than him. And it was one thing to be negative on yourself, but to attack an entire group of people? “Ouch. That's harsh.”

“Good. It was meant to be. Everyone's all of this mindset that there's some perfect happy little world out there. Just waiting for every one that deserves it.  News flash it's not. There is no knight in shining armor or majestic prince or powerful superman that's coming to save the world.”

“Spoken from experience?”

Yeah he’s pretty sure she was presently glaring at him from underneath the mask.

“Well, someone did once tell me we create the world around us as we want it to be. Besides, who can't relate to this? A song about an unattainable goal?”

The blonde tilted her head, “I thought it was about unrequited love?”

He grinned widely, “So you do know it!”

She shrugged sheepishly, “Kinda hard not to, considering the whole trapped in the past facade going on here.”

Man, Charlie would be having a field day right now. Pretty sure she would have dragged the woman off and given her a few hours of lectures about the importance of classic love ballads until the killer showed at least some semblance of respect for them. “Well I know a little girl who would strongly disagree.

And that definitely caught her attention. She turned to him, “You have a kid?”

He had to strongly resist the urge to burst out laughing. “Not quite.”

“Little sister? Cousin?”

Alright, now he couldn’t lie. Maybe he was kinda enjoying the fact she seemed to have taken an interest in something. Kinda weird topic but sure. It was an opening at least. Maybe she wasn’t as standoffish as she tried to present herself as. “Now who's playing Twenty questions?”

She took a step back in surprise and he just shrugged, “You got nineteen more.”

She snorted, “You are so weird.”

“Not the first time I’ve heard that, trust me.”

“What do you have a death wish to go along with it?”

“Also, not the first time.”

The music shifted and he really just wanted to rip his ears off. Yeah, no, this wasn’t the nice slow (or fast) comforting music he was used to. It was too loud and annoying and quite frankly dumb. 

“What the hell is this shit?”

“It’s called music, genius.”

“Really? Cuz this really sounds more like less than a two bit rave.”

“Well, it is supposed to be a party.” Strangely she hadn’t run off yet for some strange reason. Instead she seemed more critical of him than anything. Her dry humor was unmatched. 

“Not with shitty music like this. Who comes up with this crap anyways?”

That did earn a chuckle out of her, and she leaned back crossing her arms. “That would be the DJ. And he's quite an experienced expert at his art so I would chill with the insults. Besides that's technically harassment towards a highly qualified employee .”

Qualified in what? Making shitty decisions? “Well, maybe someone needs to tell him his selections suck.”

“Go tell him yourself.”

Challenge accepted. Did this psycho lady really think he wouldn’t freely share his opinion? “Gladly. If I see him I definitely will.”

She tilted her head, looked back behind her for a few seconds then turned back to him, “....you wanna meet him?”

Maybe he was slightly caught off guard by her sly tone or maybe it was her body language but why not? 

“Uh, sure?”

Chapter Text

“I'm gonna bleed, I'm gonna stay