Well folks... Here it is. The grand finale of Alex Redding's adventures. That's right - after this, Redding is hanging his batons and armor up for good and I'll quite likely be bowing out of the Five Nights at Freddy's scene barring some massive new development.
It's been one heck of a ride. This series was how I broke into writing, and how I gained the confidence to actually stop talking and start doing. It got me started, and gave me longtime followers that I never thought I'd have. But... Everything has to come to an end eventually, and it's time for Alex's adventures to conclude.
This chapter may feel like it went a little fast. Truth be told I had a lot to hit on, but I didn't want to divide it up into two updates. I hope at least I provided a happy and conclusive ending to it all.
Considering the amount of adrenaline I was pushing through that night, the aftermath really wasn't that bad. I'd found myself back in the hospital within the first hour after Adams and I came out of the lift with Afton in custody, getting my many injuries and wounds patched once more. At least this time I was conscious while it happened, though when it came time to take care of my arm I wished I wasn't.
The worst part of all of it came a little while later, when the doctors were examining yet another set of x-rays. They told me flat to my face that if I got myself neck deep in fighting like that again I would end up crippled; apparently those last few impacts I'd taken had severely messed my spine up. Top it off with the fact that I'd dislocated my shoulder in about the worst possible way, and it was clear that my career of busting up rampaging robotics was at its end. In fact, they told me that for at least a few weeks after being released from the hospital I was to use a cane and try to stay off my feet.
This was easier said than done, considering the trial for William Afton had just taken the forefront of not just the local papers but national news; turns out you can't have this many incidents in such a small area without the suits from DC deciding to take an interest. They wanted to interview me, Adams, everyone they could find. Just the process of supplying them with all the information and evidence I could get sapped what little time I had before the trial began in earnest. Thankfully through the whole process, Nightmare kept his mouth shut – in fact, I hadn't heard from him since I left the Sister Location behind.
The trial itself had hit more than a few snags as well; turns out the wheels of justice had come to a complete grinding halt thanks to two factors. First off, Afton still needed a lawyer. The ones Fazbear Entertainment kept on retainer had either been disbarred or wanted nothing to do with the company or anyone related to it anymore, his assets had been frozen so he couldn't hire one even if any would agree to it, and none of the court appointed ones would do it in good conscience. This was combined with the nightmare search for a jury that would have even the slightest chance of not passing a guilty vote before the trial even started out. To say that it was a media circus was an understatement as the national news networks were providing 24/7 coverage of the trial and everything surrounding it.
Finally a jury was selected, which was a stroke of luck. A larger stroke of luck hit a bit later, when a court lawyer that was approaching retirement agreed to take on the trial. From what I'd heard, he only had agreed to take it on and do his job properly in exchange for a healthy boost to his pension. I made a mental note to buy him a drink sometime, and the trial commenced.
Funnily enough, despite the absolute chaotic nightmare that had been trying to get everything ready and sorted, the trial itself went about as by the books as you could expect. Afton's lawyer was trying to play things around an angle of an insanity plea – something that would protect him from death row. To my great annoyance, I was told that I'd have to testify as a key witness in the trial.
This had always been my least favorite part of the job, even while I was on the police force. I worked better out in the field, doing my job – once things hit the courtroom everything had double and triple meanings and it drove me up a wall just dealing with it. I was sworn in, and the questioning began. Mostly simple stuff, asking me what I'd seen in all of the Fazbear related incidents and how they may or may not have related to or been known by Afton. I didn't sweat them too much; there was a mountain of paperwork and testimony that said Afton knew full well what robots like Golden Freddy, the Marionette, the RAT that had ended up in Candy's possession, and the others were capable of. A few questions were aimed towards discrediting me – my actions about Fazbear's Fright, the questionable death of Damien Mitchell at the 'rebooted' Fazbear's location by the hands of his own broken down animatronics and suits, my personal history and connection with the company. I was able to keep my head on straight, though; this wasn't my first time being raked over the coals.
The final question for the defense had come up. "Mr. Redding. You've had a large amount of firsthand experience with Fazbear Entertainment and their illegal activities, yes?" I nodded. "And you've had a lot of experience with criminals – some of whom have committed unspeakable atrocities. Correct?" I nodded again, knowing where this was going. "Mr. Redding, I have seen a great many things in my time. None of them even compare to the horrible actions taken by Fazbear Entertainment, put into place and endorsed by the lead designer, Mr. Afton. It is difficult for me to believe that these are the actions of a rational and sane individual... So please, enlighten the court. Do you believe William Afton is fit to stand trial?"
I saw those silver-grey eyes looking up, boring into my own as I took a slow breath. "Your honor, I have indeed had experience with the worst humanity has to offer. During my time as the leader of the SWAT team, I had the misfortune to stumble across cults that revolved around the abuse and murder of innocent children." I shook my head. "I have seen these people firsthand – they were not mentally capable or well. They believed that innocent blood would empower them to be gods among men." I met Afton's stare with my own cold, even tempered one. "William Afton did not commit these things in search of power beyond mortal means. He could not have engineered the deadly alternate purposes for the Fazbear Entertainment animatronics without clarity of mind. And he could not have nearly succeeded in killing both myself and police Chief Joseph Adams if he was acting based on the whims of an ailing mind."
I softly cleared my throat. "No, your honor. William Afton is not a madman, or criminally insane. The only word I can think of to accurately describe him is evil."
The rest of the proceedings seemed like so much wasted time after that. The court didn't need me any more so I went home and tried to ignore that any of it was happening. My focus was turned to other concerns while the trial was occurring.
My first priority was getting myself back to being okay. I had started going to a psychiatrist after being released from the hospital. I knew that Nightmare was a personality fragment I would have to deal with again sometime, and I wanted my own mind to be as clear and as strong as possible for it. I was diagnosed with a particularly severe case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and made it a routine to visit at least once a week. This was key to me – I needed to fix myself up, especially since I was now officially out of the game.
My second priority came about a week or so after the final showdown, when I'd gotten a phone call. The Toy Band had found some designs for new, humanoid endoskeletons – moreover, they were compatible with the backups of the original crew. This news probably didn't do much to help my recovery, since I was spending all of my time either at home, in therapy both mental and physical, or at the laboratory where they were currently working to restore the band. It was a long, slow, tedious process – during which I'd been in charge of helping design new bodies for the entire crew. I'd opted for more humanoid designs, scrapping the more cartoonish aspects of the original band and trying to make it easier for them to re-adapt to everything.
Between all of this, I'd lost track of the trial after my testimony had been given so it was a shock to me when I got a phone call from Adams – apparently the jury had only been in deliberation for minutes before handing down a verdict. William Afton was found guilty of far more occurrences of murder in the first degree – including of children – than it was worth telling. It had taken just as little time to come out with a sentence that both they and the judge agreed on. He was sentenced to Death Row.
That evening I'd found Adams and the two of us had more than a few drinks together, celebrating the end of the nightmare that had been haunting us ever since the first time I took on the night shift at Fazbear's. It was the first time we'd been able to do something like that since Fazbear Entertainment and Golden Mile had burned to the ground just trying to pay off the lawsuits that they'd been hit with.
Two weeks later, I got another phone call just before I was about to head for therapy. "Hello?"
Adams' voice came over the line. "Alex, it's me. Been paying any attention to the news?"
I shook my head. "You know I don't keep track unless it's important. I'm about to go see my shrink, what's going on?"
I could hear a barely suppressed laugh on his end of the line. "Afton was beaten to death in prison earlier today... Well, to say he was 'beaten to death' was an understatement. There was almost nothing left of the guy."
I blinked for a moment, before laughing softly to myself as I leaned against the wall. "I figured he wouldn't make it to his execution. Any idea who did him in?"
He paused for a moment. "Officially they're still investigating. Unofficially, it sounds like one of the guys he was locked up with lost his family during the Drone Incident. He joined up with one of those crazy anti-AI groups, smashed up one of the research labs pretty bad, and was treated as a domestic terrorist for it. He heard who Afton was, and I guess they're saying he organized a mob to deal out some justice."
I laughed once more, shaking my head. "Remind me to send this guy a letter. Couldn't have happened to a better scumbag, right?"
Adams nodded and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Alex, you know what that means. It's finally, completely over. Fazbear Entertainment is done."
I nodded. "Yeah... It's finally finished. Bet Faz will be thrilled to hear about this – give him a call. I gotta get going before I'm late for my appointment."
We said goodbye, and I headed off. Therapy that day was incredibly positive, much to the curiosity of my shrink. I just told her I'd heard some news that an old friend would appreciate, and we moved on through the session. As I drove home afterwards, I smiled to myself. Afton's gone, Golden's gone, Nightmare hasn't bothered me for ages now... I grinned, turning the music up and heading for the labs. Just one final missing piece and this nightmare is over.
Two Weeks Later...
I'd gotten the call to come by the lab ASAP today, and I immediately knew what it was all about. I had just been in the middle of working on a few new hobbies I'd picked up to fill the time, and bolted from my house straight over there. As soon as I arrived, one of the researchers escorted me into the back – the same back room that I'd been coming to at least once a week now for a good several months. "They're finally ready, Mr. Redding." That had been all I needed to hear. "All we need is for you to sign off on the transfer, and we'll begin the process of re-uploading the band to their new bodies."
Turns out all that time and research into AI and robotics had paid off. Even though the actual endoskeletons had been built around the recovered Golden Mile units, the 'suits' had been permanently grafted to them. And to call them suits was an understatement as well; they might as well have been humans at this point. There were some distinct differences, that much was for sure; for one, they felt a bit less warm than actual human flesh and blood, and most humans didn't bleed an off-blue liquid.
Freddy was the first in the line. A male brunette with brown eyes and a strong but soft build, it was clear they'd taken the inspiration I'd given them for the designs seriously. Bonnie was next up; long purple hair tied back into a ponytail, lavender hued eyes to go with it. Chica was the third of the humanized band, with a bob cut golden blonde hairdo and eyes that were shining the same color. Finally, Foxy... My Foxy. She was a redhead, obviously enough, with hair that went down to her upper back and a matching set of glowing eyes. She also had longer, sharper than normal canines – something I'd initially added as a modification for her old suit for combat had turned into a personality trait.
Toy Freddy – now known as just 'Fred' – thumped up to my side. "Incredible work, isn't it?" He chuckled, resting a hand on my shoulder. "With the amount of development that we were able to do since first coming here, they're one of a kind. The first synthetic humans." He paused for a moment. "...Of course, being the first won't be the easiest thing in the world – there's a lot that we'll want to monitor, and you'll need to bring them by every so often for diagnostics and maintenance." He paused for a moment. "You're sure you don't want us to outfit them with at least having a defensive mode? I know you're not capable of fighting anymore, after all."
I shook my head. "Fred, these four have been fighting ever since they gained sentience. I don't want them to even have to think about combat anymore. There's been too much pain and suffering that we've all dealt with, it's time that we got our peace."
He nodded once more. "Very well. If you change your mind, feel free to let us know anytime." With that, he glanced to a technician. "Commence the upload." A few keyboard commands later, and I saw several monitors and systems surrounding the band lighting up, and a progress bar showing onscreen above them all.
I was waiting with bated breath as I watched the bars scrolling across. The entire crew had reassured me many times that this was the easiest part of the process, and that nothing would go wrong, but still... These were my friends, and I'd gone through a ridiculous amount of abuse to get them back. I didn't want anything to go wrong at the last minute. The progress bar seemed to be absolutely crawling, and I was showing my impatience as I shifted back and forth, tapping my cane on the ground.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bars stopped scrolling and the researcher spoke up. "Upload complete. No issues reported."
I let out a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding, and nodded as Fred spoke up. "Wake them up, and let's give them some privacy." With that, the two of them left the room and I slowly looked over them all, anticipating which one would be the first to come to.
I saw Freddy twitch, his eyes moving slightly, and blinking. "...Freddy? You awake?" I spoke up, hopeful.
With a groan, he slowly nodded, grumbling a bit. "Alex, you've gotta give a bear some kind of warning before ya wake him like that..." He blinked for a moment after that. "...Wait a minute... Something feels weird." He stood on his own feet, looking himself over. "What in the..." He then glanced up to me and cringed. "Alex? What happened to you?" My heart soared at that. Freddy was alive! And if he was back, that meant –
"Yeah, Alex. You look like you've been hit by a truck, and you're pale... As... A..." Bonnie's voice came up as she slowly stumbled and staggered a bit, having to lean a bit more on the platform she had been resting on. "Freddy...? Is that you?"
"Y-yeah, it's me... Just as confused as you are, though. Alex? What's going on?" Freddy looked me square in the eye, and I opened my mouth to explain.
Just as we heard a squeal of surprise, turning quickly. Chica had rolled herself off the platform and faceplanted on the ground. "Great start, Cheeks..." I shook my head a bit and sighed as we all moved over to her side, helping her back up.
Immediately she was off like a shot. "Alex! What happened to you? Why are you so bruised up and scarred? And why do I feel so funny?" She turned to the others. "Oh, new friends! Wait, hang on... They look familiar. Freddy? Bonnie?" She looked down at herself at that point and squealed. "What happened to us?!"
At this point, they were clustering around me so I sighed and shook my head. "Long story, guys... Short version?" I laughed softly to myself. "You all got pretty beat to crap. How much do any of you remember?"
Chica hesitated. "...I remember opening the restaurant up early, because I knew you were all coming over... Then just a blur... Wait..." Her eyes widened. "There was a spark, I smelled gas..." She looked at me. "...I died, didn't I?"
Freddy and Bonnie winced a bit, their own memories of how they'd met their own untimely demises coming back to them before exchanging a look. "Well, judging by the fact that we're all standing here talking, I'm assuming Alex saved us. Yet again." Freddy chuckled softly, resting a hand on my bad shoulder. I winced and ducked a bit, making him frown. "Alex? Are you alright, my boy?"
I just nodded a bit. "Yeah, I'll... Look, I'll fill you guys in later. Okay?" I turned, expecting to see Foxy standing up and looking at me.
Nothing. She was laying there, still as a statue. My heart immediately dropped to the bottom of my shoes. The others stepped back for a moment, exchanging a look as I approached her platform. "Foxy?" I slowly moved to her side, resting a hand on her side and nudging her. "Hey, c'mon. This isn't funny... You awake?" She didn't respond, and I could feel my heart shattering once more. The others were all awake now, so why wasn't she? Did something go wrong in the transfer? Was her backup corrupted by how violent her death had been? "Come on, Foxy... Please wake up..." Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes as I leaned closer to her, going almost nose to nose. To have come this far, and to not have gotten her back...
And then I felt a hand on the back of my head. Warm lips pressed against mine, and I saw the brief glint of crimson eyes glowing with mischief and love. My own eyes flew open as I gasped, before feeling like I was suddenly light as a feather. Foxy was alive! And she was currently kissing me as hard as she possibly could. I didn't try to pull back or avoid it, just embracing her and pulling her to sit up, holding her close to me.
Eventually the kiss broke, and she laughed softly. "Heard you starting to talk to the others... I couldn't resist playing that little joke, though." She giggled. "Sleeping Beauty ain't got nothing on me."
I nodded, hugging her close once again. "You got that right, Fox'."
Explaining what had exactly happened to them gave plenty of time for the research crew to finish congratulating themselves and start gathering the items they'd prepared – clothes beyond the medical robes they were all wearing, for starters. By the time I was done retelling the story, they were re-dressed and looking at me in shock.
Foxy was the first person to move, wrapping her arms around me in a gentle hug. One by one, the others all came in as well, embracing me and hugging me. "Alex... You nearly got yourself killed several times over for us. Thank you." Freddy looked at me with pride.
"Indeed, it seems our good friend Alex has made everything right once again." That older voice could only belong to one man, and I turned to see Faz walking in with a smile. I stared at him with shock, a grin on my face. "What? Did you think I would miss seeing my family all together again?" He chuckled softly, coming over and shaking my hand firmly. "Alex, I am indebted to you. William Afton is no more, the dark shadow of Fazbear Entertainment has dissipated, and we are all able to breathe happily once more."
I just nodded, giving him a firm hug. "It was my pleasure." With that, I looked around at the others, before hesitating. "Oh, Freddy. There's one other thing that I wanted to get to you..." He turned, tilting his head curiously as I grabbed one of the boxes that the team had brought out, handing it over to him.
He paused, opening it up... And stopped, staring at it before grinning at me and pulling a well-worn, beat up and scarred top hat out, placing it on his head. "Okay, NOW everything is as it should be." He laughed softly, patting me on the back.
I just chuckled, hugging Foxy close. "Alright guys, let's head for home." As we filed out, I could hear music playing from the speakers inside the labs. I hummed along with the tune, smirking to myself.
Foxy tilted her head a bit, seeing that look on my face. "Alright, what are you thinking?"
"This song... It's called Closing Time. I really get the feeling it's not just coincidence it's playing right now." I glanced over, and saw Toy Bonnie giving me a thumbs-up and waving. I returned the wave as we headed out the door.
Closing Time... Time for you to go out to the places you will be from...
I chuckled as we headed out to the car, piling in. Foxy grinned at everyone. "Shotgun!" This got a groan from Freddy, and a laugh from the others.
Closing Time... This room won't be open 'til your brothers or your sisters come...
I chuckled as I climbed in, starting the car and getting ready to pull out of the parking lot, before glancing up. The sun was setting, and I let out a pleasant sigh.
So gather up your jackets, move it to the exit... I hope you have found a friend...
Foxy glanced at me. "Alright, spill the beans. What is it about that song that made you think it wasn't coincidence?" She smirked.
I just chuckled. "The last line of the song. Considering all the crap we've all been through, and that it's finally actually over? I think it's an appropriate one."
She grinned even more, planting a kiss on my cheek. "Alright, spill the beans. How does it go?"
I just cleared my throat as I dropped the car into gear, starting to head down the road towards home. Truth was, it was one of those songs I never thought of until I heard it, but whenever I did it was stuck in my head. And in this particular situation, it was appropriate.
"Closing Time... Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." I smiled at the others. My friends, my family. The beginning of this long road had been years ago now, back in a broken down pizza restaurant on its way out known as Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. There had been upsides and downsides, good and bad. I'd fought, I'd bled, I'd suffered. But now, as I had a car full of old friends that were already starting to fall back into the old patterns that we knew and loved?
I smiled to myself. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Closing Time... Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end...
That song just seemed appropriate. It's an end of a chapter in my writing life, and the beginning of something new. I have more than a few pending projects, including getting back to Linking The Future.
For now, though? That's a wrap. Last one out, lock the doors and kill the lights. Thank you all for coming with me on this journey, and I hope you tune in for my future endeavors.
See you further on up the road. o7
