This story is part of the 'The Banishers' universe, and takes place during the events of Let Me Breathe and Strangers But In Dreams.

Disclaimer: I do not own Five Nights at Freddy's. Five Nights at Freddy's belongs to Scott Cawthon. I do NOT own any of the characters currently featured in this fic, apart from Sonia, Martin and Jane.

Replying to Reviews:

To Katoptris12: Indeed, that scenario is quite odd when I think it over. I recall it actually being one of Will's friends who was meant to stab him, and that the scene was meant to be extended, but I got lazy and posted the chapter anyways.

To DinoGirlJ: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! It's great to hear how much you guys enjoy it :)

Please view my profile if you wish for more information on 'The Banishers', or any of my other stories.

Enjoy the chapter, and read and review :)

WARNING TO SENSITIVE READERS: Blood and Gore, Implication of Abuse

Chapter 10

Foxy, Foxy

"I saw a wolf! We all did!"

A wolf.

"What do you mean, a wolf?" Clay Burke asked, as the startled man shook on his chair. "T-There was this… this guy. He was sitting next to me, and right before my eyes, I didn't see him anymore, I was j-just looking at a-"

A wolf.

It sounded insane to Clay's ears. A man didn't simply change into a wolf. Werewolves didn't exist, just like pixies, giants and dragons.

Then explain what the hell that was.

There was always a logical explanation for everything, he knew that for sure. But sometimes logic just wasn't what people expected it to be. Sometimes, there was something else than just the laws of science.

There's magic. Mystical shit.

But how did you explain that kind of crap to man who wouldn't believe in God to save his own life? A man like Officer Dunn. Or maybe even Carlton.

Speaking of which, what the hell had happened to the kid? Clay had left him at home, and as he thought about it now, that had been a terrible mistake. Was he dead, or injured?

Or he's sitting on the couch, thinking why the hell his dad wasn't trying to fix the bigger problem; the people storming the streets.

How was he supposed to explain? He couldn't exactly turn up on the front door and say 'Hey sorry about not trying to stop the escaped criminals, but we're all fucking cowards in this department.' And if he was to say that, he would be completely right.

"Hey, everyone!" Clay turned his head as he heard someone yelling outside. "The wolf's back!" Instantly he stood up and ran out with the rest of the people in the bar, careful not to push anyone over.

"Over there, I saw him over there!" There was a man, pointing at the trees. Although it was night, and the shadows of the trees darkened the area even more, Clay could see something moving in the darkness. In the dim moonlight, it looked somewhat silver; just like how the people had described the wolf.

"Stay back!" The people obeyed, shifting to make a path for him as he walked slowly towards the woods.

Crack!

He stopped, listening as branches began to crack near the trees. After a few moments he began to walk again, listening for even the smallest movement. But there was none. And he saw nothing either.

It was nothing; just your imaginations.

But that didn't explain how the other man had seen too. How exactly did that happen?

"Hey." A whisper emerged from the trees, causing him to jump back. "Hey!" The whisper returned, louder this time. Clay edged forward as the voice beckoned him into the trees. "Relax, I'm not going to kill you." He was fully into the wood now, obscured from the sight of the many people who had watched him go in. He never realised how long he would be in the woods; or who was in them with him.

xXx

The way Clay walked was near silent. But even then, the other person still heard him.

"Who's there?" He shouted, receiving a groan for a reply.

"God, you took forever." He turned around, and was met face to face with Charlie; or at least her mask. "What th-?" Charlie covered his mouth, staring him in the eyes. "Shut. Up." He looked at her, and stopped struggling once he saw the look in her eyes. "We don't have time for this shit."

"As if you can define the word shit." Charlie tilted her head. "Right now as far as I'm concerned, the only important thing is those excuses for human beings rampaging on the streets. And I've got a question; what the hell are the police doing to fix this?"

And there's the question.

Clay sighed, head hanging.

"Oh, don't drown in your own pity. I'm tired of you fuck heads." She growled. "My point is, you better go out there and do something. I don't like having to work with you, but we can't be in two places at the same time."

"What would you have me do?" He asked bitterly. "Clean up the streets." Charlie replied, looking him in the eye. "Just make sure the situation doesn't get any crazier than it already is. We'll deal with Drew." Clay frowned. "How do you expect to find him?" He asked. "Drew will be different now. He'll be trying to figure out what's going on. He's nameless now, and nameless men are predictable." She explained.

"What do you mean when you say that he's nameless?" Clay inquired.

"He was the wolf which the people think they saw." Charlie said. "He picked something up, some kind of chip which changes peoples' perception of things based on their past experiences. He turned it on, and he hasn't turned it off. He doesn't know what he is now; he'll start seeing things differently, and people will see him differently. His name, Will Drew, is no longer part of him, simply a shadow which trails behind him. He's just nameless."

"So how do you expect to be able to deal with him?" Clay asked. "If he shows up as peoples' greatest fears or something, won't he be unstoppable?" Charlie snickered.

"It may not seem like it, but Will Drew is still a man. And as long as he is a man…" She began walking back into the darkness, among the trees.

"He can die."

xXx

Pain. Unbearable pain, the bane of sanity. When pain knocked on the door of your mind, all you could do was let it in. And that was where the insanity began. Because when pain was the guest in your house, you couldn't think straight, you couldn't understand, all you could do was weep. And that was all he did. Inside, outside, what did it matter? Just that no one knew you were still a man.

Will continued to crawl through the trees, his hand clutching his wound as blood continued to spill. His feet continued to drag in the dirt, and his heart felt like it was trying to jump out of his chest. The man who had stabbed him…he'd seen him as a wolf. A monster. Was he still a man?

"No men hide in the trees like monsters." Will frantically turned around, only to see nothing but trees. "What did it turn you into?" Swivelling his head around, he found himself staring at Charlie's mask.

"A…a monster." He muttered, disbelief coursing through his mind. "It made me a monster." Charlie chuckled and drew her blade, pointing it at him.

"You don't look like one. Now you're just a snivelling human being." She taunted. "Looks like the chip failed you." Will glared at her angrily, and felt around for the chip in his pocket. He started smiling as he realised something when he felt it; the switch was in the off position.

"Or maybe it didn't." Will grinned as he let his finger slide the switch back into place. The following effect was almost immediate. Charlie instantly jumped back, dropping her blade.

"What the-?" Will used her panic to punch her in the stomach, sending her flying back into a tree.

Crack!

Charlie groaned, and looked up again at Will; or not. She wasn't seeing him, he knew that much. She was seeing something terrible. Something twisted from her past. Just the thought of it filled him with glee, and he began to rain down blows against her armoured body.

"HAHAHA!" He grinned with delight as he saw blood begin to pool on the ground. "This is awesome!" He was so distracted from the sadistic pleasure, he didn't notice Charlie slowly drawing her second sword, and pointing it towards him.

Bang!

Will flew back as Charlie's bullet entered his chest, blood spilling outwards.

"You forgot to keep an eye out." She muttered weakly, though still smirking. Will looked up, and realised that Charlie wasn't there anymore. Instead, it was another woman, glaring at him with a gaze he had known to fear as a child.

"Mum." Instantly he began to scramble away, yelping as the vision continued to blur.

"You've been a bad boy." His 'mum' said viciously, walking towards him. "No, ma! No, I swear I haven't!" He yelled, beginning to cry out. "Bad boy!" She screamed as Will ran, now limping from not one, but two wounds.

Charlie sighed, falling backwards and staring up at the sky.

"Please God, don't make me do that again."

xXx

Michael grinned as he threw his spike microphone, causing someone to drop to the floor. Martin, Sonia and Jane were with him, picking off people from the back. Jane, armed with her bow, was spearing people in the back with a deadly eye. Sonia was using her specialised sniper rifle, and sending bullets into the heads of criminals before they could react. Martin was the unlucky one; he was using blazing flails, which in comparison to the others' weapons, weren't exactly stealthy.

"When do you think the police will show up?" Sonia asked quietly.

"Who knows?" Michael replied. "Probably hiding in their houses, like cowards." Jane rolled her eyes, and aimed her bow.

"As if. Maybe they're coming now." Michael shook his head again. "I doubt that."

They continued to pick off the criminals from behind, and the trail of bodies began to increase.

"We aren't getting anywhere with this." Sonia muttered suddenly. "If we set a trap ahead of them, we could take 'em all out easily." Michael rolled his eyes.

"You're talking about clustering them together. Baiting them." Sonia nodded, and Michael frowned. "It's a good idea, but who's going to be the bait?"

Martin whistled, and looked ahead.

"I think they've got that covered that covered." He said, and Michael frowned. But then he realised what was going on. Sirens were wailing.

xXx

"I'm fine." Charlie muttered, and Jessica frowned.

"You're definitely not. That guy did a number on you." She said, and began bandaging Charlie's arm. "It wasn't that bad. I'll live."

"What happened?" Jessica asked, and Charlie frowned.

"The Illusion Chip scared me good." She admitted. "I was a crying pile of flesh before I managed to put myself back together."

"What did you see?" Charlie flinched at her friend's question, then sighed.

"When I was younger, there was this…endoskeleton thing. It was in the corner of my dad's workshop, chained to the wall. And all it did was twitch, and sometimes stare at me. It had these burning silver eyes. Those were pretty much the only things I had nightmares of." She explained. There was a moment of silence, before Arty spoke up.

"Well, what's our next move?" He asked, as William appeared next to the table Charlie was lying on.

"Will's going to try and associate with his old self. Maybe try to find another victim." She said. "After all, he's not sure what he is."

"So what do we do, just have one of us walk out there and wait?" Jessica asked, before frowning when she saw Charlie's face. "Oh god. That's your plan." The latter grinned, and looked towards William.

"It's pretty much the only option we have." He admitted reluctantly, Arty agreeing with a quick nod. "Well, you're in no shape to go out there." Jessica said, and Charlie nodded. "I wasn't thinking of that." Jessica took a moment to process what she had just said.

"Wait a second…" She sighed, and frowned. "Fine. I'll try to bait him. But if I die, I'm blaming you guys." She growled. The others mumbled words of agreement, and Jessica sighed. "Alright then. Let's go catch ourselves a wolf."

xXx

Will watched gleefully as he saw Jessica walk down the empty road. The bullet and knife had done a pretty bad number on him, but he could still walk. And he needed to get back to what he was good at. And that was killing.

Jessica had stopped to take out her phone, and apparently dial someone. Probably her boyfriend. He grinned as she turned her back to him, and prepared to lunge at her.

Slash!

"Goddamnit!" He screamed in agony, as William's blade made an enormous gash in his arm. Will howled at the moon, and began running away.

Will waited, and looked at Jessica, who gave him a shrug.

"Well, let's follow him." She said, pressing the button on her arm that caused her armour to cover her body. He nodded, and looked back at Charlie. She was limping slightly, but she gave him a thumbs up.

"Good job." She grinned, and pointed at the trail of blood Which Will had left behind. "This is just too easy."

xXx

"A train yard?" William wondered aloud, as the blood trail stopped as a mass of rails and abandoned husks of steel. A few metres ahead of them was Will, crouching and looking at his reflection in a puddle.

"Let's just deal with him." Charlie muttered, drawing her blades. "We can chat about the scenery later." Will swiftly turned around at her voice, and sighed.

"Well, look at this." He muttered. "Four against one; a little unfair, don't you think?"

"Not at all." William growled. "You've gone too far, Drew. This city is falling." For a moment, Charlie saw a grinning wolf in Will's place. "It deserves to fall. It was destined to fall, and I am the one who did it." He grinned, a sense of glee overtaking him again. "All that's left is to kill you motherfuckers."

"Keep him distracted; I've got a plan." William hissed before teleporting away as Will lunged at them.

"Surprise! HAHA!" He cried out madly as his form briefly changed to a metal endoskeleton, silver eyes blazing. Charlie staggered briefly, before shooting him in the shoulder. Jessica shot her claw forward, gripping his neck and slamming him into a train, causing it to tip over.

"Argh!" He screamed, as Arty flicked his fingers, silver arrowheads flying out and causing several punctures in his chest. Suddenly, the train which he was currently stuck to began to move, and he clung onto it desperately.

Charlie stared at the scene in confusion, before grinning as she realised what was happening.

"William, you sneaky bastard." She laughed, as another train on the other side of the track also began to move. William appeared next to her, and something about his tone of voice told her he would have been grimacing.

"Get him in between!" He yelled, and the others began to run towards the trains. Will let go, and began to run back towards them.

"Get back!" Charlie yelled, firing a springlock into his leg, causing him to yell. Arty rushed forward, and smashed him back with his wings. Will scrambled to get up, as the trains began to close in.

"No!" He screamed and frantically began to drag himself away.

"NOO-!"

Smash!

Bang!

Charlie and the others watched, mesmerised as the trains collided, and exploded. Will's flaming body was thrown up into the air, before it swiftly fell into the puddle he had been staring at earlier. He gurgled and spat, blood oozing out of his mouth as they arrived at his body. He looked at Charlie briefly, and grinned one last time.

"Hi there, Ma." He croaked, before his eyes went glassy, and his body stopped twitching. There was a moment of silence, as The Scourge waited for something to happen. After a while, Charlie crouched down and began to dig around in Will's pocket.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked, and Charlie frowned.

"Start going home. I need to talk to William." Jessica gave Arty a bewildered look, who shrugged.

"C'mon, let's go." He muttered, looking back strangely at Charlie before walking away with Jessica.

Charlie scowled as she finally managed to get what she was looking for; the Illusion Chip.

"Listen, William." She said as she stood back up, and faced him. "I know about the things you've done." He flinched in his purple suit, and Charlie sighed. "I've seen the blueprints. The tech is incredible. You mastered the touch screen a few decades before the others." William frowned at her.
"What is it?" He asked, and Charlie placed the chip in the palm of his hand, looking him in the eye.

"I want you to teach me." William stared at her for a few moments, taking in what she said.

"You want me, of all people…" He motioned at himself in confusion. "…to teach you?" She nodded, and he frowned on the inside for the moment.

"Alright." He said, and she lit up. "However, there is one thing I need you to promise." William told her, and Charlie nodded. "You can't tell anyone what I show you or tell you about." Charlie hesitated for a moment, but nodded.

"Alright then." He said, as they began to walk after Jessica and Arty. "I discovered something with your father, many years ago. We weren't sure what it was at first, but it was real powerful." William began, and Charlie looked at him.

"What was it?" She asked, and William looked at the moon for a moment, and thought that it looked just a little bit like what they had found, all those years ago.

"We called it remnant."