DISCLAIMER: I do not own Five Nights at Freddy's or any of its characters.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE
Chapter 20: Proof Positive

Over the next few weeks, Mike spent a great deal of time at his father's old house, searching through all of the plans and blueprints he could find for the animatronics at Circus Baby's Pizza World. The gash in his leg had healed enough that he had normal function of his leg, though it was still sore and it had a nasty scar coming in (he told his mother it was a 'work accident', which she had a hard time believing, though it was technically the truth, just not the whole truth). Jeremy assisted Mike in making sense of the plans and notes, as well as the details of the Afton Robotics lab.

"Okay, so, it seems that the animatronics are taken to a repair facility each night after Circus Baby's closes down for the night," Jeremy read over some papers he and Mike had spread out across the wooden floors of his apartment.

"The robotics lab," Mike said. "I remember my dad saying something about each animatronic having its own room type thing."

"Yeah..." Jeremy mumbled as he skimmed the plans. "Oh, here we go. So, there's, like you said, different areas that were specially designed to suit each animatronic. There's the Funtime Auditorium for Funtime Foxy, Ballora Gallery for Ballora and her little mini ballerina things and the Circus Gallery for Circus Baby and her little...whatever they are...It seems like each one is accessible through a Primary Control Module which, in turn, is only accessible via an elevator."

"I'm going to guess that the elevator to the Primary Control Module is only accessible to employees," Mike said with a sigh.

"Probably," Jeremy agreed. "I mean, it's not like the company would want just anyone to walk into its death factory."

"Getting in is the easy part. Getting out is another story,"

"No kidding."

Mike returned his attention to the plans of the various animatronics. The mechanism to open the character suits to gain access to the power modules was far more complicated than that of Freddy and friends. It didn't seem like something that he could just sneak into the factory, take them apart and then slip away into the darkness with no one noticing. Mike sighed. He was going to have to find a way inside.

Mike yawned sleepily as he made his way to the kitchen. He got home late from Jeremy's apartment the previous evening and then proceeded to spend majority of the night doing more research into Circus Baby's Pizza World and Circus Baby Entertainment and Rentals. Rubbing a hand over his face, his mother gave a slight chuckle at his disheveled appearance as Mike headed to the refrigerator.

"Mikey! You look like you haven't slept in days," Diana remarked to her son. "Are you and Jeremy spending all your time out partying?"

Mike gave his mother a small smile.

"Yeah, I wish," he said. "No, just a lot to think about."

"Anything you want to talk about, honey? You know I'm here for you."

"Nah, I'm good. Thanks, though."

"Oh," Diana rose from where she had been sitting at the kitchen table and joined her son over by the counter. "This came for you in the mail this morning."

She handed him a white envelope that had only his name written across it. It reminded Mike of the note he received from his father on his birthday.

"Who's it from?" he asked with a frown as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"I don't know," Diana replied. "I was sorting through the mail before you came downstairs and found this mixed in with some junk mail. There's no name on it for a return address. I wonder if it's anything like the one you got on your birthday. Who did you say that was from? Uncle Jimmy?"

"Uh, yeah, that must be it. You know Uncle Jimmy," Mike tried to remain nonchalant, hoping his mother would buy the act.

Diana eyed him suspiciously for a moment but figured that she would let it slide for the time being and handed him the letter.

"I've got to run some errands," she stood on her tiptoes to give her son a quick peck on the cheek. "There's some leftover pizza from the other night if you get hungry. I'll see you tonight; I'll pick something up for dinner for the two of us. Call me if you need anything."

"Will do. Thanks, Mom."

Mike waited just long enough for the door to close before dashing up the stairs to his room to change his clothes. While rapidly exchanging his pajamas for a t-shirt and jeans, he called Jeremy.

"Dude, you need to get over here as soon as you can," he instructed as he juggled the phone while attempting to slip on his jeans.

"I can be there in about twenty minutes," Jeremy replied. "Everything okay, Mikey? You sound like you've been running from Freddy all night."

"Two things: one, that's not funny. And two, I got another letter. You know, a letter," Mike emphasized the last word to stress its importance to his friend over the phone.

"No, you don't mean..."

"That's exactly what I mean."

"I'll be right there," Jeremy said before ending the call.

True to his word, Jeremy arrived at Mike's house about twenty minutes later.

"My mom's not going to be back until tonight," Mike was breathless in his anticipation of devouring the note. "So, we can read over the note without having to hide it."

Jeremy nodded in understanding as he followed his friend from the front door and into the kitchen. The pristine white envelope sat on the table, waiting to be opened. Somewhat nervously, Mike reached for the envelope, almost afraid to open it and see what horrors were waiting inside for him this time. Not wanting to prolong his agony (or Jeremy's) any longer, Mike opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Dearest Michael,

I am so very proud of you. I know how you risked life and limb to save those children and I am so very grateful for your selflessness. Not only that, but you managed to close down yet another Freddy's, which was something that I desperately wanted to do and was part of why I did what I did. Thank you, Michael, thank you.

Mike looked up from the letter and turned his attention to Jeremy, who had been reading along with him.

"Jer," his voice cracked from the heavy emotional toll the letter was already having on him. "He knows. He knows!"

"But how?" Jeremy was at a loss for words and it was not due to his medical issues. "I thought you said your father was dead?"

"I did," Mike read over the first paragraph again and again. "That's what I was told, at least. I mean, he just disappeared one night. No one knew what happened to him, so I guess that everyone just assumed he was dead! But he's not! He knows about me going into Freddy's and deactivating the animatronics and also that location closing down. That just happened! It's proof positive he's alive!"

"But where is he?" Jeremy wondered aloud.

Mike paused.

"Um, well, I don't quite know...but still, this is a good start. My father is alive. I can find him!" he said.

"What else does the note say?"

But it's not over yet. There is still more work to do and, my son, it must fall to you to continue righting my wrongs. Your sister, sweet little Elyse-I know you have been researching how to deactivate Circus Baby and her friends in order to save her. Please do it. I will arrange for you to secure employment with Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rentals so that you may gain access to the robotics facility. That would be the best place to deactivate the animatronics.

But Baby is a bit of special case. After what happened to Elyse, I immediately had Baby decommissioned. I...I didn't want that to ever happen again. But, I didn't know about the souls of the children residing in the animatronic costumes, so I didn't take Baby apart. Instead, I kept her together and...well, it doesn't matter because it doesn't change the fact that she is still there. Save her, Michael. Save her...

"Well," Jeremy said with an uncomfortable laugh after finishing the letter. "I guess you're going back to work."

"Yeah, I guess so,"