Awake and Alive

I don't own Five Nights at Freddy's. Scott Cawthon does.

Summary: Mike thought he understood everything going on at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, but, really, he has no idea. He never thought the animatronics might actually be capable of feelings, let alone have one of them actuallylove him. Enough to turn him into one of them, perhaps?

Notes: Takes place in an AU where the kids aren't in the suits and the animatronics are just sentient robotthings

After the incident with Freddy, Mike Schmidt worked very, very hard to stay away from the animatronics. He couldn't bear to go near any of them right now, ever since he'd found out that piece of knowledge. The only animatronic that had attempted to get to him was Bonnie, who had stood on the other side of the door one evening while Mike was slumped against it. "Mike Schmidt?" He'd heard the bunny call gently, "Are you alright in there? Are you sad? Mike Schmidt? Is everything alright? Do you need anything?" Mike never graced him with a reply. Bonnie hadn't given up, though he did give Mike his space and had left him alone until brave enough to try again. Somewhere deep inside of him, Mike appreciated the care.

He spent all of this time hiding away with Phone Guy. The older man did his very best to comfort Mike and provide the human comfort he needed to get through this. It worked, for the most part, Mike supposed. He'd shared a couple more hugs with the man after almost completely breaking down, during which they're real, human selves became visible. Even then, Mike had never seen Phone Guy's face. It was becoming something of interest to Mike. He'd wondered what the man looked like since he heard the phone calls and, now that he had a chance to, fate wasn't letting him. All he knew were blond hair and glasses.

He'd learned more about his idol too. To distract the younger male, Phone Guy would go into anecdotes on the stupid things he'd done in his life and it led to Mike knowing more about Phone Guy than he'd cared to know (not that he'd never been uninterested in Phone Guy's life). His favourite colour was orange (sometimes it was red, though - he was so indecisive); he'd never been to a football, soccer or baseball game before, nor did he have any team that he supported; he liked reading a lot; he was allergic to paprika; he'd been in a car accident when he was eighteen due to a drunk friend leaning against him while he was trying to drive them both home. Somewhere in those stories, Phone Guy had revealed to Mike that he had a daughter. She was five right now (going on six), he saw her on weekends and - by the sound of it - she adored her father. That piece of information somehow made Mike feel worse; he had no idea Phone Guy had lost that much.

Despite whatever comfort Phone Guy provided, it still wasn't enough for Mike to completely forget what he'd learned only a few nights ago: Freddy knew. Freddy - the one animatronic that had killed him - knew Mike Schmidt was human. 'I will end whatever's left of you in that suit'; 'Mike' instead of 'Mike Schmidt' - it all added up perfectly. Freddy Fazbear knew Mike Schmidt was a human being. He knew that Mike had actually been murdered and he knew that Mike wasn't an endoskeleton. He actually knew. It was something Mike was having a bit of trouble wrapping his head around. None of the other animatronics had given any indication that they knew too, so…did that mean Freddy was the only one? Was he the only one aware of Mike's actual species? Why was that? Was Freddy programmed to be smarter than the others due to being the leader? Made sense, he supposed. But what if the others did know? What if they were actors playing along in Freddy's sick little production? What if they were being nice to him just to later reveal the stabbing truth? Were they all really as innocent as Phone Guy said?

There was only one way to find out.

He'd get out of here. He'd get out and he'd find Freddy and he'd ask him how he knew and why he knew and what he was going to do now because, honestly, he didn't have a goddamn clue. Forget finding the night guard for now; it was Freddy he was after. Mike had concocted his plan already: he'd wait until the night guard was gone, leaving him with about an hour and a half or so to find Freddy and question him before the day staff started to show up. The restaurant was small; it wouldn't take that long to find Freddy. When he'd revised this plan to Phone Guy, the man had pondered over it, looking for any faults, then gave a couple of slow nods, "It…could work, y-yeah. Most likely. Just…be careful, alright, Junior? Uh - Freddy isn't as nice as the others."

"Yeah, I know." Mike nodded, "But if he knows I'm human - we're human, then there's gotta be some story behind it, right?" Phone Guy gave a nod and Mike directed a glare over at the sealed doorway, "As soon as the night guard's gone, I'll get outta here and find Freddy. Then that son of a bitch will give me the answers I wanna know."

And that was exactly what he did.

Mike and Phone Guy waited in baited silence as they heard the manager grumbling to himself outside. Mike's name popped up a few times, so Mike guessed he was wondering where his body was. He hadn't, however, come to check back here, so that gave Mike a big enough clue that he didn't particularly care what happened to it; so long as it was out of customers' sight. Mike lifted a middle finger in the direction the voice was coming from. Phone Guy gave a light chuckle. It wasn't long, however, that the manager gave up on wondering about Mike's whereabouts and went to go, leaving the place to the animatronics until the night guard came along. Mike and Phone Guy continued to wait for a while, during which Mike gave some uncomfortable shuffles, Finally, the silence was broken by Mike tilting his head to address Phone Guy, "Do you have any idea what the story could be?" He whispered, eyes on the exit just in case Bonnie or the night guard were to pop up. By the sound of footsteps outside, the night guard was in his station and Bonnie was already out.

"Hm?" Phone Guy looked to him.

"How Freddy could know we're human. Got any ideas?"

"I don't, no." Phone Guy shook his head, looking away to try and recall all the information he knew about this place. "From what I know, they should all think we're endoskeletons. I don't, uh, I don't know how he could think otherwise…"

Mike nodded and continued his wait. He was anxious sitting back there, a million thoughts and theories running through his mind. Perhaps Freddy had had a realisation one night? Maybe someone had told him? But who? A night guard? The manager? No, no, that couldn't be it. Freddy didn't listen to anyone (except, maybe, Bonnie). So…what? How? Who?

The sound of bells sounding out alerted Mike. The hours had gone by so quickly, it was like they were mere seconds in Mike's mind. Briefly, he wondered if that was because he was dead and therefore had a different sense of time than others or if it really was because he was so focused on other things. He was about to ask Phone Guy when the sound of panting and keys rattling interrupted his attempt. The two men strained their ears to listen as the door shut and was locked again. The night guard was gone, having survived another night. Good. Mike thought, I'm glad. I didn't want him to get killed. Fazbear must be pissed.

"Alright, Junior. Go. It's your time now."

As soon as Phone Guy was finished, Mike leapt up and bolted for the doorway. He knew he didn't need to rush like he was, but he didn't want to waste time either. Mike hit the seal with his shoulder a few times before it budged and fell from the doorway. The ex-security guard quickly caught it before it could alert the animatronics and set it against the shelves.

"Mike…!" Mike turned back to Phone Guy, panting lightly in his adrenaline, "…Good luck. Uh - fill me in when you - when you get your answers."

Mike nodded, went to go, then turned back, "You could come with, y'know?"

Phone Guy shook his head, holding up a hand, "No. I have to stay here in case the kids come along. Don't want them to overhear or anything. Could be…bad."

Mike nodded, "Right." He lifted the piece of wall again and positioned it over the doorway, tilting his head to see Phone Guy still, "I'll come back." He promised and Phone Guy nodded. He knew he was being dramatic, but there was a chance Freddy wouldn't take lightly to someone questioning him on his secrets.

"Mike."

"Yeah?"

"Just remember what I said."

"Wha…?"

"These characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right?"

Mike couldn't promise that. "…Okay." With that, Mike sealed the entrance to the Freddy Room and speed-walked to the door, throwing it open and stepping out into the dining area. Still panting lightly, he checked the stage. The animatronics were all gone. Fast bastards…Mike thought bitterly, looking around the room. The animatronics were completely gone and none had heard Mike come out of the backstage area. For a moment, he considered himself lucky until he realised he now had the job of finding Freddy. That would waste some time, but now much. Still, time was of the essence.

Mike walked further into the room before his eyes fell upon Pirate Cove. Would it not be easier to ask one of the animatronics if they'd seen Freddy rather than look for the bear himself? That would be quicker, right? And - if there was anyone Mike was willing to ask - it'd probably be Foxy. He was the only one Mike had to determine a personality for and the one Mike would probably consider the least dangerous right now. The man jogged over to the closed curtains and whispered in, "Foxy? Hey, Foxy…!"

No reply.

Mike hesitated for a moment before daring himself to open the curtains. He slipped Freddy's fingers between them and pulled one gently to give himself a peephole. It was dark, but it was evident Foxy wasn't there. Mike huffed and went to go, then paused once something seemed to shine in the light he'd let in. A yellow something. For a moment, Mike mentally slapped himself for getting distracted, but curiosity got too great and he peeled back the curtains to let himself into the cove (after all, Foxy had said he was welcome anytime, right?). The man stepped over to the yellow thing, hesitated, then picked it up. Squinting, he analysed the orb in his hands, then froze, "…Chica?"

It certainly looked like Chica, though something was off. This one was a brighter, more vibrant yellow than the Chica he knew and had rosy sphere cheeks painted on. The beak was still there, but the eyes weren't. He turned it over in his hands. Plastic. It was made of plastic, and was only the head of what had to be an old animatronic. Mike raised a brow. Had they had plastic ones? Since when? And why did Foxy have -

"What ye be doin', lad?!"

Mike almost jumped out of his Freddy suit as he whipped around, only to suddenly be brought back and slammed against the back wall of the cove by Foxy, who was now holding his hook dangerously close to Mike's throat. With his other arm, he snatched back the Chica head and cradled it to his chest, "How dare ye come in here withou' me knowledge?! Sneakin' in here like ya were and snoopin' around - this sea dog oughta make ya walk the plank for tryin' t' steal Captain Foxy's greatest treasure!"

"W-Wait!" Mike exclaimed, tilting his head back to avoid the hook, "I-I wasn't trying to steal - I was just looking for Freddy!"

"Well he ain't here!" Foxy answered immediately, "An' ye had no right t'…to…" The fox seemed to deflate as his eyes fell upon the plastic Chica head. A sort of sad look in his eyes, his ears drooped and he sighed wistfully, "Aye…I…be sorry, lad…Ol' Foxy didn't mean t' get so riled up at ye…" Mike grew less tense as Foxy stepped back, holding the plastic head to his chest and hugging it gently. Mike looked him up and down, unsure of what to make of this, and Foxy looked to him again, "Ye said ye were lookin' fer Fazbear?"

"Uh…y-yeah…"

Foxy shrugged as he walked forward and placed the Chica head down where Mike had found it, "Aye…I ain't seen him. Might wanna ask ol' Bonnie, though - the lad would know where tha' bear's ventured off to."

"Uh - I will. Thanks." Mike side-stepped the fox to go to the curtains, hesitated, then turned back, "Uh…Foxy. S-Sorry for coming in here and, uh, touching your stuff…"

"It be fine, lad."

That was all Foxy offered on that, so Mike exited the cove, spinning around just in case Foxy were to pounce on him or anything. He seemed pretty mad that Mike had touched his things, so Mike didn't want to take any chances with it. After all, with all those teeth…well, Mike wouldn't be surprised if Foxy had been the cause of that 'Bite of '87' thing that Phone Guy had mentioned. Even if he was dead, Mike didn't want to risk getting bitten like tha -

"Mike Schmidt!"

"Oh - holy SHIT!" Mike yelped as he jumped again, then whirled around, only to find the very bunny he was looking for standing right before him. The ex-security guard looked him up and down, frowning deeply, then put a hand over the place his unresponsive heart lay, "Jesus! Gotta get you a fucking bell!"

"Oh…" Bonnie hovered one hand over his bow tie, considering it, then asked cheerfully, "You think it'll look good?"

"I - well, at least we'd know where the fuck you are!"

Bonnie stared at him, blinked twice, then smiled and tilted his head in amusement, "You talk funny, Mike Schmidt!"

Mike's eyes narrowed slightly, confused, then he shook his head, "Whatever. Look - Bonnie."

"Hm?"

"Do you know where Freddy is?"

"Freddy?" Mike swore he could see Bonnie's ears twitch for a moment, just as they had done on the night he had seen the two robots cuddling in the back room. It made Mike cringe slightly. They'd probably done that earlier, while he was in the Freddy Room. He felt a little sick. "Still in the office, I think."

"The office?" Mike repeated. The night guard had survived, hadn't he? Mike had heard him! What was Freddy doing there?

"Yup. Checking some stuff out, I think. I dunno. He says he likes it there." Bonnie gave a shrug.

Mike looked away, thought about it, then nodded once. It was probably best they met in the office to discuss this anyway. He didn't want the rest of the robots to gang up on him. One, he could probably handle. Four? No way. "Alright. Thanks, Bonnie." Mike turned from him and began to make his way down the west hall before he was stopped again.

"Uh…Mike Schmidt?"

"Hm?" Mike turned back, "Yeah?"

Bonnie was twiddling his fingers nervously, hopping from one foot to the other. His gaze was directed to the floor, "Freddy hasn't made ya sad, has he? It's just…he's been so grumpy and serious lately. I can usually make him laugh pretty good, but…he hasn't even cracked a smile…" Bonnie's ears flopped over as his brow creased. Mike thought he looked outright miserable, even as he lifted his gaze back to him, "So…he hasn't made you sad, has he…?"

Mike considered telling Bonnie that, yes, Freddy had upset him. Somewhere in his mind, that one answer led to Bonnie confronting the bear, which led to a fierce argument, which then led to the couple breaking up. Breaking up Freddy and his precious honey bunny? Good revenge right there. Maybe a starter for whatever else Mike could think of to get back at the bear. This little plan of his was almost carried out as Mike opened his mouth to reply, then he paused. If he told Bonnie that Freddy had upset him, he bet Bonnie would feel compelled to join him in confronting the bear. Then that would mean Mike wouldn't get his answers and there was a higher chance of Mike getting ganged up on. That would suck. He'd promised Phone Guy he'd question the bear too, and Mike wasn't one to break promises. "…No, Bonnie. No, he hasn't upset me. I just…really need to talk to him…"

"O-Oh…" Bonnie clearly realised he missed an opportunity to talk to his…what? Boyfriend? Were they boyfriends? Mike supposed they were. "Alright, then. Be careful with him, though. Like I said, he's been all grumpy and serious lately…"

"I will." Mike nodded, then turned his back on the bunny to walk down the west hallway. As he went, it occurred to him he'd been speaking to Foxy and Bonnie as though they were people. He felt a little nauseated at the very thought. They weren't people, they were robots, yet Mike had been conversing with them as though they were co-workers or…friends. And they were certainly not his friends. But…apologising to Foxy for touching his stuff? Thanking Bonnie for telling him Freddy's location? Weird. He surely hoped he wasn't losing his mind like the other Freddies.

It was only a short walk to the office, but it felt like a hike to the ex-security guard. Though he had a somewhat grasp of what Freddy's personality was like, Mike still couldn't tell exactly how Freddy would react upon knowing someone else was aware of his secrets. Even if he did have the mind of a child, there was still a chance of violence, right? After all, threatening someone's life for upsetting a friend wasn't exactly childish, was it? No, he couldn't treat Freddy like a child. He was an adult. He was a monster.

Finally, Mike stepped into the doorway of the office, his unresponsive heart squeezing. Freddy Fazbear hadn't noticed him as he grumbled to himself, cleaning off the screen of the tablet with his fist. "Never keep this clean…" Mike heard him mutter as he set the tablet back, then the bear cast a glance at the spot the fan was supposed to be sitting in (in Mike's distant memory, he remembered he'd left it with Phone Guy). He shook his head slightly, then his ears twitched as he heard footsteps to his left. Freddy whirled around, then relaxed upon seeing Mike there. He was in the office now; they both were. Time to get down to business. "Mike."

"You know, don't you?" Mike said coldly and without hesitation. Who knew how much time he had until the day staff turned up? Better make this quick.

"Know?" Freddy repeated, "Know what?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You practically confessed it the other night." He scowled, "You know I'm human, don't you?"

Both knew the accusation - the truth - was coming up, but that didn't stop the silence from being picked up again as Freddy stared at Mike and Mike stared at Freddy. As a robot, Freddy's emotions were hard to identify, so Mike didn't quite know what to make of the look he was giving him now. If he had to call it something, though, it'd be…bored. After a moment, Freddy turned his back on him, "I don't have time for this…"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Mike shouted as he leapt forward and slammed a fist to the door button. The right door came flying down, almost squashing Freddy's toes as it did so and effectively trapping the bear in the office. It was ironic, wasn't it? Usually, he was trying to keep Freddy out. Freddy didn't react, simply stared at the metal door. Time was up, he supposed. Mike's fist probably would've hurt if he was still in his old body. "You know, don't you?! You know I'm human! TELL ME!"

There was another few moments of silence and, just as Mike prepared himself to shout again, Freddy sighed and turned his head to him, "Yes. Okay? I do know."

"Know what…?" Mike growled out. No, no, he wanted this son of a bitch to say it.

"I know you're human, Mike."

"And before? When I was in here? Did you know I was human then?"

"…Yes."

Truthfully, Mike didn't know what he expected from that question. He was certain Freddy knew he was human since stuffing him, but knowing all along? With a suddenness that made Mike wonder why it was even there, the last image Mike had seen before dying came to mind: Freddy Fazbear's smug face. Thinking back on that, he knew now why he'd been so smug: he'd managed to kill another one. How proud he must've been. Mike shook his head as he took a couple of steps away from Freddy, "…You son of a bitch…" Freddy didn't reply, though he had the decency to turn around and face him properly. "You son of a…Did you know about the others, then?"

"Others?"

"The night guards! All of them! Did you know about them too?!"

"Yes. I did."

No…No… "…And Phone Guy…?…You knew him too…?"

"Phone Guy?" Freddy thought about it. Did they have a man running the phones around here? He didn't think so. Oh - wait. Hang on. Perhaps…was Mike referring to the man he'd spoken to at the beginning of each night? Freddy swore he could hear a phone ringing all those times…

"The night guard before me." Mike growled out through gritted teeth, like he was offended Freddy didn't know him. Maybe he was. Mike had always been - what? - protective over Phone Guy since he heard the calls. Something about him made Mike have a mad respect for him. Nobody was allowed to talk smack about him while Mike was around, lest they end up like that kitchen worker who'd known him before he died - or 'went missing' - and had called him a freak in Mike's presence. Hm. Come to think of it, Mike still hadn't paid for that window…

"Oh. Him. Yeah. I knew about him too."

Something about Freddy knowing Phone Guy was human made it all worse and Mike suddenly felt ten times angrier. Unable to control himself, Mike punched the bear in the stomach. Freddy lurched forward at the force, fell back onto the door, then glared at Mike. Mike briefly wondered if that'd even hurt. Maybe it just surprised him. "Hey!"

"You BASTARD!" Mike roared at him, not even caring if the others heard. Let them. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! You KNEW ABOUT THE NIGHT GUARDS! YOU KNEW WHAT YOU AND YOUR LITTLE BUDDIES WERE DOING, YET YOU KEPT IT UP! YOU PURPOSELY DID THAT! YOU KILLED PEOPLE ON PURPOSE! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Mike grabbed hold of Freddy's shoulder and pulled him off of the door to shout in his face, "YOU HUNTED THOSE PEOPLE DOWN AND YOU KILLED THEM! YOU KILLED THEM ALL, FREDDY! PHONE GUY - YOU KILLED HIM TOO! HE'S MY FRIEND AND YOU -" He didn't let himself finish that off, as he suddenly straightened up and threw another fist at Freddy, this time aiming for his face.

What he hadn't expected was for Freddy to catch his fist in one hand, gripping his side with the other.

All air flew out of Mike's dead lungs as he panicked, but Freddy was already stepping forward, making Mike step back in some morbid, threatening dance. Freddy glared down at him as they walked, "We don't condone violence at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza." The bear said lowly as he tried to push Mike out of the office, but the dead man held his ground and slammed his heels to the floor to stop himself moving.

"Get the fuck off!" Mike wrestled his hand out of Freddy's grip, stepping back to avoid his other hand. He held his right hand in his left, then scowled at the bear, "You condone murder though, don't you?!" Freddy's eyes narrowed, but Mike went on, "You condone killing random people, don't you?! Huh?! Is that condoned at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza?!"

"No!" Freddy replied almost immediately.

"Then what's YOUR FUCKING EXCUSE, HUH?! WHAT MAKES YOU SO SPECIAL?! WHY DO YOU DO IT, FREDDY?!" He shoved the bear, "TELL ME WHY YOU -"

"I DO IT FOR THE KIDS!"

That had been the last thing Mike expected Freddy to say. The ex-security guard's anger subsided for just a moment as he took a couple more steps back. His face contorted in confusion, "…What…?"

"You've met them, haven't you? Those children." Freddy's tone had changed entirely. It was now soft and gentle, like he was silently apologising for shouting at Mike in the first place. The bear looked away from Mike, his brow furrowed.

"The little ones with the masks?" Describing them as 'missing' or 'dead' seemed pretty wrong at this point.

"Yeah."

"Yeah. I met 'em. Cute kids."

"They are, aren't they?" Freddy allowed a little smile to creep onto his face.

"…That little girl seems to really like you…"

"Yeah…"

Mike looked him up and down. Freddy seemed like an entirely different thing now. Just before, he was the killer that Mike wanted to cut down in his prime. Now…well, what was he now? Mike just didn't know. "So…what, then? What's murdering people got to do with those kids?"

Freddy looked to Mike, expecting the question, then he sighed and looked away again. This was clearly a topic Freddy didn't like to discuss, but Mike didn't give a damn. It was time for answers. "…You know how they got here, don't you…?"

"Some guy -"

"Yeah." Freddy interrupted. He didn't need to hear it again. "Yeah." He sucked in a breath (how? He didn't have lungs…) and let it out again in what was probably the most depressed sigh Mike had ever heard. "…I was there, you know. We all were. It happened at the old location, and we all saw our shares…of really bad things…We all just…snapped. I don't really remember much about the night afterwards, but I remember the kids and…him. After that place was shut down and we were brought here, I found out that the kids followed us here. I don't think they had a choice. Whatever that man did, he - I don't know - he made it so they can't go far. They were so scared…" Freddy took a moment. Mike let him have it. "…After that, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy and I said we would take care of them. They couldn't go anywhere, so we swore we'd protect them and do whatever we could to make their…stay here more bearable. They liked it enough and we played with them whenever we could. They'd never come out if anyone else was around, at first. Took them a while to…to accept everything. Then you guys started showing up.

"It wasn't you specifically, Mike. It was the clothes. They don't know what the guy who…who did that to them looked like; neither do I. All they remember are purple clothes. Our employees wear purple uniforms, so we know it was one of them, but…we just don't know which one. We call him the Purple Guy around here. " The bear still didn't lift his gaze to Mike; he just shook his head. "I couldn't risk it, Mike. I couldn't. They were so scared of the night guards and I…I couldn't risk it being him. So I did whatever I could to keep the kids safe…which, admittedly…was killing all of you. But you've gotta understand, Mike…Everything I do, I do for those kids."

The two were plunged into silence all over again. Freddy seemed to have finished his story and was now waiting for Mike's reaction, which was still pending. The ex-security guard stared at Freddy, feeling too much of a mixture of emotions to really do or say anything but stare. The Incident of the Missing Children had probably been the biggest event to ever occur in all of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza's history, other than the Bite of '87. It had hit Mike hard when he met them, even more so when they introduced him to the man they called Hello - he just had no idea that it hit the animatronics just as hard. He supposed it made sense, really. This place was supposed to be a safe haven for children. How would someone feel, knowing they were supposed to protect children and keep them happy, only for some bastard in purple clothing to take that all away? He couldn't imagine it.

It didn't help Mike any, the way Freddy had worded it: everything he did, he did for those children. They were Freddy's official responsibility and, if anything happened to them, the bear wouldn't know what to do. He killed innocent people in an attempt to subdue the guilty one; to find him and get revenge for everything he'd done. That all sounded far too familiar to Mike, and it seemed the voice in his head agreed. Everything I do, I do for Mom...even if it's illegal… She'd been made his responsibility since her illness hit and her mind warped. If anything happened to her, Mike Schmidt would break. He couldn't deny, either, that if someone dared hurt his mother, he'd hunt them down and make them pay. By the sound of it, Freddy had already broken the first time something happened to those kids. He couldn't break again. He just couldn't do it.

"…And the others…?…Do they remember that time…?"

"No." Freddy shook his head. "…I think they forced themselves to forget it. Didn't process in their servos or something. They don't even acknowledge those kids are ghosts. They just…I don't know what they think of them in that aspect. I've never brought it up. I wouldn't know what to say."

"So…they really do think we're just endoskeletons, then…"

"Yeah."

And, suddenly, the image Mike had had of Freddy's smug face when he died was different. The smugness was still there, but now he knew it was there for an entirely different reason: he thought he'd caught Purple Guy. He thought he'd completed his mission of bringing the murderer to submission. He thought he'd made the kids happy. Suddenly, Freddy Fazbear didn't seem as much of a monster anymore. He actually seemed more…human. Especially more than the others.

Mike's gaze lowered to the floor as he thought about it. What Freddy was doing seemed pretty noble in one aspect, but in another…? It still seemed…horrible. "…I guess that's pretty noble…"

"Thanks…"

"…But that still doesn't excuse what you've done." Freddy still didn't look at him, though Mike saw the confusion on his face as he raised his eyes back to him. "Killing innocent people is still wrong. I can't condone that, Freddy, I can't. Those people back in that room are trapped and scared and out of their minds - and it's because of you. I can't tell you how scared I was when I woke up in that backstage room. I was so confused and angry and sad. And, if you think I can just get over what you've done, then you're wrong. I can't, Freddy. We had people out there, damn it. Families. Phone Guy…has a daughter, you know. He told me. Saw her on weekends. Turning six in three months. He still thinks he can get outta here and get a present for her. He has an ex-wife too. He said he doesn't hate her or blame her for ditching him. It was your fault, after all. He was so scared you'd get someone else that his marriage was put up for sacrifice." Mike shook his head. "You ruined his life. My friend - you ruined his life…! His marriage…in exchange for someone else's life.

"And my mom - lemme tell you about her. She's sick, y'know - some shit I can't pronounce - and I used to take care of her. Who's gonna take care of her now, huh? My dad's dead and I haven't got any siblings. We only had each other and only focused on moving forward. Now, cause of you, I'm stuck here and I'm wasting. Everything's wasted."

"What's wasted?"

"Energy. Time…Life."

He saw Freddy's fists squeeze momentarily. His eyes shut too - was he feeling guilty? Good. Freddy finally lifted his gaze to Mike, and he had to take a pause. In his eyes, the Freddy suit was gone. Mike Schmidt the human being was standing before him. "…I knew you wouldn't understand. I'm doing it for the kids -"

"SHUT UP!" Mike snapped, his blue eyes burning. "I'm not gonna let you rationalise this, you monster! Those people had families, damn it, you've been toying with people's LIVES!"

"'Toying with lives'?" Freddy repeated dangerously. "What? And Purple Guy wasn't? How dare you. I've done everything I can to protect those kids! For all I knew, you WERE the Purple Guy! I wasn't gonna allow that to happen! I know you're sad, Mike, but -"

"Sad?!" Mike snapped, "'Sad' doesn't even begin to describe all the shit I'm feeling right now! You have no idea how confused and angry I am! You know why? Cause you're not human. You're just a bunch of pieces of metal shoved into a bear suit! But me, Freddy? Me?! I'm real. You have no idea how that feels! All of this is just wrong! All these sacrifices and exchanges we've had to make because of you!" Mike's fist curled around the section of his shirt that covered his unresponsive heart, "This job…in exchange for money…Money…in exchange for medicine…Medicine…to save my mom's life. Mom's life…!" He suddenly raised his head to Freddy, scowling so hard the bear thought Mike's face had broken, "I THOUGHT YOU CONSIDERED THIS A GAME!" In a flash, Mike whipped around to the desk, ripped something from the monitor and showed it to Freddy, "Do you know who this is?" Freddy shook his head, so Mike took it from his view and stared at it himself, "…It's the one I told you about…" Pain flashed in Mike's tear-filled eyes and he shut them to avoid Freddy seeing, then he slammed the photograph to Freddy's chest with one hand, "THIS IS MY MOM!"

As Mike's weak hand fell, so did the photograph. It danced and swayed on the air for a moment before Freddy caught it. The bear hesitated, in case Mike were to move again, then brought the picture up to his face. An old woman with curly grey hair and bright blue eyes behind brown glasses sat on a hideous yellow couch, grinning like there was nothing wrong in the world. She looked perfectly comfortable sitting their in her floral nightgown and white bathrobe. Freddy blinked as he stared at it, then paused and narrowed his eyes to get a closer look. It was difficult to see, but on her bathrobe was…his face. "…She's wearing one of those old pins we used to sell…"

"She's one of your biggest fans…" Mike muttered through his tears, "…Fuck knows why…"

Freddy looked from the picture to Mike, back to the picture, then back to Mike. For a moment, he took some time to truly look at the ex-security guard before him. Mike Schmidt was a young man, twenties at the very least. He was of average height, yet a little thin for a man of his age. There was still muscle on him; no doubt, Freddy thought, developed from the countless fights he'd obviously been in (judging by his right hook). His face was heart-shaped yet harsh and he had a very thin, barely noticeable scar just under his left ear. Mike's eyes were bright blue and his lips were chapped. He had his mother's nose. His hat must've come off when Freddy stuffed him in the suit, so his brown hair was free to be as scruffy as it liked. It was rather short around the sides; it collected at the front of his head - above and just right off the centre of his forehead - to make a quiff that stood up tall; like the tip was always stabbing the air. He was still wearing the Freddy Fazbear's Pizza uniform and it was like Freddy was being punched in the face as he looked at it. Purple shirt with black epaulettes, black tie, black trousers and shiny black shoes. Mike always had the sleeves rolled up; he had thin hairs on his arms and the skin of his hands was callus.

Freddy blinked a couple of times before he slipped the photograph into Mike's right hand, "…I really am…so, so sorry for what we did to you, Mike…" Without warning, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the human being, hoping it would count as a token of apology and friendship.

However, Mike didn't take it that way. He shoved Freddy away with a warning of "Get the fuck off of me…" and took a few steps back, "Don't you dare start treating me like one of your little fans. I'm not one, so don't act like I am. Got it?!"

Freddy watched him for a moment, expecting a punch, then he nodded. "Right."

Mike turned away from the bear and stared at the photo. He'd bring it back with him to the Freddy Room, he decided. Let Phone Guy see. Out of instinct, Mike lifted a hand to wipe away his tears, paused and gasped when he saw his skin, then glanced at Freddy. The bear stared in silence, so Mike supposed that was a sign he could see it too. The ex-security guard finished wiping his tears away, clutching his mother's photo in his right hand tightly, "…So…the others don't know, huh? That you kill people like this?"

"Not a clue."

"…Well…maybe I'll tell 'em."

If Freddy had a heart, it would've stopped then and there. "Don't." He said immediately. He couldn't let the others know. Not only would it destroy any and all trust between them, but it would ruin the animatronics' minds too. After all, he still remembered a little bit of Bonnie's reaction to the children and…well…

"Why? So they don't see what a fucking monster you are?" Mike sneered, turning to look at Freddy properly. "Yeah, I bet that'd turn out great, huh? I'd like to see it, to be honest." Mike's voice was beginning to rise all over again. After his last outburst, he didn't think it could do that anymore. "Bet Foxy would never come out of his cove then! Bet Chica would leave me alone - and every other night guard, for that matter!" Mike leaned forward to get in Freddy's face, "Maybe I'll tell your little HONEY BUNNY WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO!"

Until then, Freddy had been perfectly content to remain civil with Mike, but hearing that made something snap. In seconds, Freddy grabbed Mike by his shirt, picked him off of his feet and slammed him onto the wall of the office. Unlike when Foxy had done this to him in the cove, Mike didn't show fear. He still scowled in Freddy's face as the bear roared, "YOU STAY AWAY FROM BONNIE!"

"Freddy!"

Freddy jolted in shock, his anger melting away, then he whirled around in time to spot the aforementioned bunny move from his place at the window to the doorway. Freddy released Mike, let him drop, then stepped away as Bonnie entered the office, looking incredibly shocked and incredibly peeved. "B-Bonnie!"

"How could you do that to Mike Schmidt?!" Bonnie didn't wait for Mike to climb to his feet as he grabbed his shoulder and brought him in for an endoskeleton-crushing, yet very protective, hug. It took Mike a moment to realise Bonnie was protecting him with his own body.

"B-Bonnie, I…" Freddy rubbed the back of his head and tried to think of an excuse. "We…We were just playing…!"

"You were rough-housing him! I saw!" Bonnie exclaimed back, holding Mike tighter. Freddy's jaw seemed to tense upon seeing it. Could animatronics get jealous? Mike supposed they could, considering the way Freddy was now glaring at him. Mike looked up at Bonnie. Holy shit…they're acting like they're my parents… "How could you, Freddy?! Poor Mike Schmidt must've been so scared!"

"I…I…" Freddy tried again, but nothing came of it.

Bonnie frowned deeply at him, then started escorting Mike to the door. "C'mon, Mike Schmidt…let's get you outta here…poor thing…"

As Bonnie led Mike out, the human looked over his shoulder at Freddy, who was looking back at him with some emotion Mike couldn't identify. He no longer knew if that was a glare or a pleading look Freddy was giving him. Either way, Mike responded with a frown of his own and turned back to the bunny leading him away. Bonnie took him out to the main room, where he sat Mike down on the stage. "I'm so sorry, Mike Schmidt." He said awkwardly, wringing his hands and looking very guilty. "I just…I dunno what's gotten into him lately…I didn't expect that…I'm really sorry…" His ears flopped over.

Mike gulped. Since Bonnie wasn't reacting to him any differently than before, he guessed Bonnie hadn't overheard the complete conversation, nor could he see him as a human; just another stuffed Freddy suit. Maybe only Freddy can…After all, Freddy claimed to be the only one who remembered what happened that day, so his AI must be greater than the others or something, right? Or maybe some paranormal crap was going down. Whatever it was, Mike was glad for it. He didn't need Bonnie asking questions. "It's…It's okay, Bonnie." (But it wasn't, was it?) "I'm…sure Freddy didn't mean it…" (Yes, he did).

Bonnie allowed a little smile to creep onto his face once he was sure Mike took no harm nor offence to what Freddy had done, then he gently removed his guitar from his back and handed it to Mike, "Here. Strum something while I go talk to Freddy." Mike took the guitar from him, marvelled at it (he always loved guitars), then looked up as Bonnie held out a paper plate, a box of arts and crafts supplies and a bottle of glue. "Or…make somethin' pretty." Mike let the guitar rest in his lap as he took the arts and crafts things from Bonnie, who gave an approving and surprisingly cheerful nod after he was sure Mike felt a bit better. It occurred to Mike that these were probably the only ways Bonnie knew how to comfort people, since he was built for children and all. He turned and walked between the tables toward the office, then suddenly shouted out (much to Mike's shock), "FREDDY FAZBEAR, YOU BETTER NOT MOVE A GEAR CAUSE I WANNA TALK TO YOU!" As he disappeared down the corridor, Mike heard the distant sound of one of the doors opening, "YOU BETTER NOT WALK OUT THAT DOOR - I CAN SEE YOU!" Suddenly, both doors were shut again, leaving Mike staring at the dark hallway in shock.

"…Holy shit…don't piss off Bonnie…" He muttered as he automatically set the glue and box of supplies down, then picked out a piece of tissue paper and grabbed the bottle to deliver a bubble of glue onto one end. It took him at least three minutes of working on his paper plate Bonnie before he took a moment to think about it. "…What the fuck am I doing?" He questioned aloud, putting the plate aside. He'd pretty much finished anyway. Paper Plate Bonnie could go without a tissue paper bow tie. He picked up Bonnie's guitar and strummed it a little, realising that he'd never thought it had actual strings before. He assumed all the music the animatronics played was pre-recorded and played again and again or something like that. The guitar was just for show. Hell. Nothing makes sense around here anymore.

Guitar had been one of the hobbies an old therapist of his had suggested and he found he actually quite enjoyed it. Learned how to play a few songs and made some random tunes of his own. For a short while, Mike had considered taking up a career in music, but finding a place as Freddy Fazbear's Pizza's night guard had distracted him from that. He wasn't that skilled, anyway.

Suddenly, both doors to the office shot up and out came the sounds of stomping. Mike stared as Bonnie came into the light, dragging a disgruntled Freddy by the arm. He brought Freddy to Mike, who stared blankly, then folded his arms, "Freddy." He started. "I believe you have something to say to Mike Schmidt?"

Freddy didn't reply, so Bonnie gave him a little nudge. Freddy looked to Bonnie as though he'd just woken up, "Hm? Wha…?"

"You have something to say to Mike Schmidt. Don't you, Freddy?" Bonnie asked through gritted teeth. Mike leaned away from him.

Freddy blinked, opened his mouth to argue, then sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He wouldn't look at Mike. "…Sorry, Mike Schmidt…"

"What for, Freddy?" Bonnie asked.

"…For…rough-housing you…"

"And?"

"…Yelling at you…" Bonnie nodded, satisfied, and Freddy tilted his head as to avoid Mike's gaze even more.

"Uh…" Mike honestly didn't know what to say, but he had a feeling he and Freddy's conversation wasn't over. "…It…It's okay, Freddy…" (No, it really wasn't).

Freddy raised his gaze a little to look at him and Mike found himself staring back. No. The conversation wasn't over. Bonnie, however, hadn't noticed. "Good. There. Everyone's friends again, right?" Freddy and Mike nodded in unison, though their frowns didn't drop. "Good! That's what we like! Now, I'mma go see if there's anything else to clean up around here." He turned to go, then suddenly whipped around, "Hey." Freddy jolted and looked at him. Bonnie glared and pointed to his eyes with two fingers, then moved them around to Freddy's. "I got my eye on you, mister." Freddy nodded obediently, so Bonnie turned again and left the way he'd come.

There were a few moments of silence, in which Mike and Freddy silently agreed to wait until Bonnie left, then Mike looked to Freddy, "…Don't piss off Bonnie, huh?"

Freddy sighed and shook his head, "He means well, but…uh."

"Yeah."

The awkward silence returned, lingered for a few moments, then Mike spoke up, "…I won't tell them."

"Huh?" Freddy's head shot up so quickly, there was a chance he'd snapped his neck, "You won't?"

"…Nah. I doubt they'd believe me anyway."

Freddy opened his mouth, closed it, then moved over and sat beside Mike on the stage. He tilted his head to try and see Mike's face, obviously still seeing him as a human being, "…What's brought this decision on, then? You seemed pretty determined when you threatened me like that back there…"

Mike gripped the stage with both fists. "…I don't agree with your methods, Freddy. I really don't. I don't even think Purple Guy would come back here if he knows the kids are dead and dealt with, so I think you're safe on that note. You've killed lots of people, and that's really not okay…But, fuck it. I can't stop it, can I? Your little buddies probably wouldn't even believe me, let alone people outside. They'll all still think they're endoskeletons, and I doubt even you can stop them doing what they're doing. Just…try to stop, okay? I know you wanna protect the kids, but there's different ways you could do it." Freddy didn't reply. "Besides, I'm not saying that's a promise." Freddy's eyes widened and Mike turned his head to look at him, "I'll at least try to tell 'em if it all gets too much. Or if you piss me off. So. Just watch your back, huh, Fazbear?" Freddy stared for a moment, looked like he wanted to argue, but nodded all the same. The two sat there in silence, turning their heads to look away from each other.

Freddy looked over at Mike again, showing no reaction to the other figures now in the room. "…I know he'd appreciate that too…"

"Hm?" Mike looked to Freddy for an answer, then followed his line of sight when he realised he wasn't looking at him. "Holy fuck!" Mike blurted out, jumping an inch or two in the air. Beside him, on the floor, was Golden Freddy. He was forever in his slumped position, mouth open and eyes soulless.

"Hey, brother." Freddy said. Golden Freddy said nothing.

Mike leaned forward a little to try and see Golden Freddy better. The yellow bear didn't respond at all; it was almost like he was frozen in that state. "…Hi…"

"He won't respond." Freddy spoke up, "He never does. He hasn't since…"

Mike nodded. Freddy didn't need to finish that. "…He used you, didn't he…?" He muttered to the empty costume, despite knowing it wouldn't respond. "Golden Freddy…I'm really sorry for what he did to you…" There was a silence, in which Mike took that as Golden Freddy processing what he said. He might've been mute, but he was still…there, right? "You killed Phone Guy, didn't you?"

"Mike."

"You did, didn't you? That was you on the phone; just before it cut off." Nothing. "You bastard." It was an insult, but nevertheless gentler than the times with Freddy and the others. Mike went to turn away, then paused as he realised where he'd heard about Golden Freddy before. The children. They'd said there was another boy around here somewhere, and that he hung around 'Uncle Bear'. Well, if Freddy was Papa Bear, then Uncle Bear…

The ex-security guard leaned forward even more to look around Golden Freddy. He almost fell off of the stage; the child was that small. He was nestled against Golden Freddy's side, clinging to him for dear life. Judging by what the Freddy girl had said, he'd been there for a while. He was a tiny little thing, thin and pale, with blond hair that stuck up at odd angles. He was dressed in a white shirt and a black bow tie. His black shorts were held up with little elastic braces. Mike imagined his mother had made him wear those clothes; no kid in their right mind would. A dapper little thing, he wore a Golden Freddy mask on his face. "…Hey, there…"

"He won't respond either." Freddy spoke up. "Hasn't since he got here." As Mike moved off the stage to get a better look, Freddy warned, "Be careful with him, Mike. He's blind."

Mike stopped where he was, not wanting to alarm the boy. No wonder he was so scared; no sense of sight meant the boy had to rely on his other senses, such as hearing. He probably didn't even know where he was. That explained why he hung around Golden Freddy so much; he didn't speak. "…It's alright, kiddo…I'll never hurt you…" The boy didn't respond, so Mike sat back on the stage beside Freddy. Eventually, he was sure, Golden Freddy would go on his own. He very often did.

Freddy fiddled with his hands to break the tension and Mike rested his elbows on his knees. Quite frankly, he was done with all this serious, paranormal crap. "…So…Bonnie, huh?"

"Hm?"

"You two." He held two fingers up, then put them together, "…A thing."

"Oh. Yeah."

"Since when?"

"1987."

"Holy shit. I can't even keep a girlfriend for more than a couple o' months."

"Bonnie isn't a girl."

Mike raised a brow, "That your way of suggesting I try a guy?"

"It's really not up to me, Mike. You should try harder."

"I tried as hard as I could, damn it. Did fuck all."

Freddy turned and peered at him closely, then shook his head and muttered, "You talk funny, Mike."

Mike frowned at him. Bonnie had said the same thing. "What do you -"

"Papa Bear!"

Mike and Freddy whipped around to look as the Freddy girl darted out of the backstage room, her pigtails bouncing as she did so. Freddy smiled widely and held out his arms, "Bear Cub!" The little girl leapt up into Freddy's lap, where he collected her and held her close as she laughed. Mike watched. These kids really did love the animatronics, didn't they? The Foxy girl seemed pretty excited the other day when Phone Guy had suggested she go and see Foxy, and the Bonnie boy loved Bonnie so much that he had hugged one of the rabbit's empty heads. He imagined the Chica boy loved Chica quite a bit to get so defensive over what species she was supposed to be. Mike's eyes followed the Freddy girl's little hand as she reached up, took hold of Freddy's nose and squeezed. A honking sound made her giggle, while Freddy just looked embarrassed.

Before Mike could comment, the little girl looked to him, "Oh! Hi, Mister!"

"Hey, kiddo." He reached across and ruffled her hair.

She giggled at him, then blinked and pointed toward the door leading to the backstage area, "I think Hello misses you, Mister! He sure looked lonely when me and the others went to go see 'im!"

"Hello?" Freddy muttered in confusion, looking to Mike for confirmation that this guy was okay. He didn't want his kids hanging around with just anyone, y'know.

"Yeah." Mike stood up, "To be honest, I miss him too. I'll go see him now. Thanks." He went to go back to Phone Guy. He wouldn't believe what Mike had to tell him now! After a moment, he turned back, "Hey! Papa Bear!" Freddy jolted and looked up, "You're upsetting Bonnie, by the way."

"I…what?"

"You're upsetting him. He says you've been all grumpy and stuff lately."

Freddy thought about it, then groaned a little and rubbed the back of his head. Ugh, he hadn't even realised he was being so cold to poor Bonnie. He'd make it up to him later. He faltered, then called to the retreating ex-night guard, "Wait! Mike!"

Mike turned back, standing in the doorway to the backstage room, "Hm?"

"…Give Chica a chance." Freddy said gently, "She's crazy about you…"

Mike blinked, looking away to think about it. He hadn't even thought about her recently, to be honest. He still hadn't apologised for shouting at her either… "…Right." He retreated into the backstage room, shutting the door behind him. He opened the doorway to the Freddy Room and stepped inside, only to almost jump a foot in the air.

"Mike!" Phone Guy called out, sounding delighted, "Hey! How did it go? What happened?"

Mike smiled and approached him. The kids were all gone by now, so Mike was free to discuss all the stuff that Freddy had told him.

And that was exactly what he did.

He relayed the entire thing to Phone Guy; everything. He told him of the incident with Foxy in Pirate's Cove, of Bonnie mentioning Freddy's behaviour, and Freddy - oh, he told him everything about what happened with Freddy. Mike repeated everything Freddy had told him, from the day the animatronics witnessed 'really bad things' to the promise Freddy had made to protect them. Phone Guy was silent throughout the majority of the story, offering only a couple of gasps and the odd 'mm-hm' here and there. Mike didn't know whether to question Phone Guy's lack of true surprise or not; this guy was still considered the expert of the restaurant. Not much could surprise him after all the years he'd worked there. When Mike had finally finished, Phone Guy sat back against the wall, taking in everything and picking it apart in his mind. Mike let him have his time. "…Wow." was all Phone Guy said when he was done.

"Yeah…" Mike muttered, sitting down next to him.

"…I'm…I'm actually not very surprised, to, uh, to be honest. Freddy and the others have always been protective of the kids. I saw that as soon as I was put back here. The kids all love 'em too."

Mike nodded. There lay a question on his tongue that he was dying to ask, but he hesitated. It wasn't something you asked your idol, nor your friend. Still, it had to be asked, so Mike gathered up any courage that remained in his gut. "…Do you remember who the killer was…?"

Silence met him and Mike shut his eyes in guilt. He shouldn't have asked. Phone Guy had already warned him about how little they spoke of that incident; he had to stop bringing it up. Mike opened his mouth to apologise, but Phone Guy beat him to it. "No. No, I don't. I remember it was someone on our day staff. I used to know his name, but…after, uh, after what happened…I forced myself to forget him. We…We used to be friends, y'see, and I…felt so angry…" Phone Guy shook his head, like he was trying to forget everything else to do with that man. Mike rested a hand on his shoulder. Phone Guy looked to him, then sighed. "I wouldn't be able to help Freddy even if I wanted to…"

Mike sighed through his nose. No way would he help Freddy kill innocent people, but the guilty one? Screw it, he'd done enough illegal stuff in his time; one more wouldn't matter. "…Golden Freddy remembers you, I think."

"Does he? Hehe. That's nice."

Mike let a little smile onto his face, but it dropped almost as soon as it arrived. There was one more question to be asked and one more slice of information to be had; one more piece of complete this puzzle. "…Freddy still hasn't explained something, though…and I was hoping you would…"

"Hm? What is it, Junior?" Phone Guy asked.

"…How are we still here? Shouldn't we…I dunno…be in the 'great beyond' by now…?"

Phone Guy still appeared as a Freddy suit to Mike, so it was difficult to determine his expression, "…Do you not remember, Mike…?"

"…Remember what?"

"I'm not surprised. No one really does in the beginning." Phone Guy shook his head. "There's one animatronic - or…thing that you don't know about, Mike…"

"What…?" Mike's voice was small.

Suddenly, Mark came to life, grabbing at the forehead of his Freddy head. Mike whipped around to him, face contorted into panic. "What was that?! Ahhhgh…I didn't even get a good look at it - it had a face…!" He shouted in terrified panic, before hugging his tiny box to himself and slumping back over.

"A face…?"

"Think back, Mike." Phone Guy said gently, "I know it'll be difficult and I'm sorry for asking this of you, but think back to when you died…Think back, Mike…What happened after you were stuffed?…Think back, Mike…"

Mike did as he was told, lowering his head to think carefully. It was frustration that made him shut his eyes, though that seemed to help. His body suddenly felt light and he instinctively shut his fists as he felt himself drifting.

"Is this him?"

"Mmmm…"

"Take your time, Bear Cub. I know it's hard, but just…think for a second. Is this the guy that…that hurt you all?"

"…No."

"No?"

"No, Papa Bear. He's too short. The other guy was…he was really tall!"

"…Alright. You can go now. That's…all I wanted to know."

"Okay, Papa Bear."

Footsteps.

"…I'm so sorry, night guard…for what we did to you…"

A door closing.

Mike flinched and cringed, gritting his teeth in both malice and desperation. If he was 'alive' to hear that, then what the hell had brought him ba -

Mike Schmidt opened his eyes for the first time in forever. He slowly lifted his head, still drowsy and half-asleep, but the sight that he was met with made him jump; waking up instantly.

Before him was a white face, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Its face had almost entirely blended in with the darkness and was stuck in an eternal smile as it stared at Mike with its black and white eyes.

Mike felt himself hyperventilate as he tried turning his head to escape it, but the thing followed his movement; dragging itself seemingly through the air to forever remain in Mike's face. Mike tried turning his head the other way, but it still followed. He tried a half-turn, but it knew what he was doing and stopped when he stopped. Mike felt a scream in his throat, but he couldn't get it out. His heavy breathing made no sound either. All he could do was stare as this thing stared back.

Suddenly, it seemed to frown at him, then it turned away and slithered back into the shadows like a ribbon in the wind. Mike didn't get a chance to check if it'd gone; he was unconscious as soon as it had left his line of sight.

Mike snapped back into reality and threw his back into the wall, his head hitting it with a force that should've knocked him out. He panted heavily in panic, "What the FUCK is THAT?!"

Phone Guy shook his head, "I'll be honest…I never liked that puppet thing…It's always…thinking, and it can go anywhere."

"Puppet…?"

"It's from the old location. We used to have it in a room called Prize Corner. If a child was good, or it was their birthday, we'd send them to the Puppet and it'd give them a present. Usually a colouring book or something…" Phone Guy tilted his head, then shook it, "…Always did creep me out…"

"What's it doing here?"

"It must've come along with us when we brought the old ones here. It…It did disappear when we were scrapping the toy animatronics…"

"Oh, my God…" Mike finally got control over his breathing, "Is it dangerous?"

"Not to people. Not during the day. But…"

"But what?!"

"…We used to have a music box to keep it…'asleep'. Now, it…doesn't have that…" Mike's breath hitched. "But it should've attacked us ages ago, if that was the case. I…dunno what it's doing now."

Mike's entire body felt cold. All this time, he'd been terrified of the animatronics he'd seen during the night while working his shifts; Golden Freddy had the honour of being the scariest to him, as he was unpredictable and no doors could keep him out. But now Mike was even more scared of this place and even more worried for the night guard that had taken over his shift.

There was a sixth.

Who knew what it was capable of? Who knew what the thing that was always thinking could do to someone who had no idea it even existed? If Mike hadn't considered this place a slaughterhouse before, he certainly did now. "You think that thing put us in here?"

"It must have. We've all seen it."

"Oh, God…" Mike whipped around to Jordan, who had leaned forward suddenly, "…What is that thing…?" She slumped over again, just as Mark had done before.

Mike stared at her for a few moments, then turned away to think. What reason would that thing have to put poor, lost souls into Freddy suits? Freddy and the gang put the bodies in them, but the souls were all down to this Puppet thing. But why? Why would it do that? Mike thought back to what Freddy said earlier. There had to be a clue as to why -

There. His eyes widened. He'd heard it. Freddy had given him his clue: "…I was there, you know. We all were. It happened at the old location, and we all saw our shares…of really bad things…We all just…snapped."

"…It saw them too…"

"Hm?" Phone Guy looked at him. "What?"

"The Puppet saw the kids incident too. Freddy said all of them saw stuff, so that must've meant the Puppet saw too. It's…working with him." The theory formed in Mike's mind all at once, he didn't have much of a chance to go over it. If he sounded like an idiot in front of Phone Guy, so be it. "It's working with Freddy. He puts us in these things, then the Puppet puts our - what? - our souls in them, so that Freddy can…check…if it's the Purple Guy…If it is, then…he's left to Freddy and…a-and if it isn't, then…"

"We're left here to rot." Phone Guy finished dully.

Mike's eyes stung with tears as his heart packed on enough weight to feel as though it was falling through his broken ribcage, "Y-Y'know what the worst part is…?"

"What?"

"Our own fucking boss was unintentionally helping with this. He puts our bodies in this room and we're left to the mercy of that thing out there." He wiped his eye and looked to his companion, "Where does it even go?"

"I have my theories. Most likely the vents."

"…Vents?"

"What? You didn't think we have vents?"

"…It can get in any time." Mike covered his mouth with his hands, "Oh, God…"

"Mike, calm down." Phone Guy commanded gently.

"What if it told Freddy to do this to us? What if it was its idea the entire time?"

"…Then I'd say that Puppet is smarter than I give it credit for."

"Oh, God…Oh, God…"

It felt like forever that Mike sat there, rocking back and forth and mumbling to himself. He'd never been in such a state before; not when he died, not when he sobbed over his mother and not even when finding out about what Freddy was doing. His head hurt and his mind felt cluttered and damaged. Suddenly, his shoulders were grabbed and he was spun around. Mike screamed, his mind immediately identifying it as the Puppet, only to look into the empty eye sockets of Phone Guy's Freddy suit. "Mike, stay with me." His voice was strong, though there were laces of pleading in there. If Mike were to go insane like the others, Phone Guy would have no one left. "C'mon, Mike, snap out of it." He delivered a couple of pats to Mike's cheek. They were probably meant to be slaps, but Phone Guy had never had it in him to harm anyone; even if it was to break them from insanity.

Mike looked up at Phone Guy with panicked eyes, still panting slightly, "…Phone Guy…?"

"Yes, Mike?" Phone Guy asked gently.

"…I wanna go home."

Never witnessing a grown man in such distress, Phone Guy collected Mike into his arms for another hug, aware that doing so gave him back his human self. "Oh, I know, Mike…it's okay…it won't bother you, you're fine…C'mon, Mike, don't lose it. I'll tell you what, Junior, I'll make a deal with you: you keep me sane, and I'll do the same for you. Okay? Does, uh, does that sound good, Mike?"

"…Y-Yeah…"

"Alright. D-Deal done. Now, come back to me, Mike. Can't go yet."

"…Ph-Phone Guy…?"

"Yes?"

"…I am so sorry for what they did to you…" Somewhere in the back of Mike's head, he'd always felt pretty responsible for Phone Guy's death. Meeting Phone Guy's murderer earlier had done nothing for his self-esteem.

"Oh, don't be silly, Mike. I'm just glad I could've kept you alive for however long I did. Twelve nights, right?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"That's really impressive, you know. But, uh, but I'm afraid I still hold the record!" He chuckled lightly. "…How old are you, anyway?"

"Twenty-four."

"Oh, God…you're so young…"

"…Y-Youngest you ever had?"

"No. That's Jeremy. Not that he lasted very long…Not that…he died or anything."

"Then what happened to him?"

"Uh…Remember the Bite of '87...?"

"Holy shit…"

"Yeah…haven't heard from him since then…"

Mike settled in Phone Guy's hold for a few moments. It was refreshing having someone around that understood so much about his situation and actually helped him with it. The people at his anger management had talked to him patronisingly and acted as though they understood, but they never would, would they? No. They wouldn't. Phone Guy still didn't understand that side of Mike's personality and he never would, but he could still understand Mike's fear and loneliness while being trapped in this place. Mike was glad Phone Guy was still around, even if it was in a Freddy suit. For him, Mike actually managed to drop his pride. If he'd been anyone else and they'd been in another situation, he would've refused to cry in front of them, much less let them hold him or even hug them in return. The Phone Guy was one of a kind, surely.

Even still, he needed something to distract him from all the crap that he'd found out today. It all happened so, so quickly that Mike wanted to run away and curl up in a ball. There had to be something that would take his mind off of it. There had to be.

…There was.

"…Phone Guy? I gotta get outta here…"

"Now, Mike, we talked about this -"

"No, I mean…out of this room."

"Why?"

"…I gotta say sorry to Chica…"