HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE DEMONS WITHIN! IN THE LAST CHAPTER, ALICE EXPLAINED TO EVERYONE WHAT REALLY HAPPENED ON THE JOURNEY FROM THE SAWMILL TO ALICE'S HOUSE. BEFORE WE DIVE INTO THIS CHAPTER, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCMENT TO MAKE. I AM NO LONGER WRITING THIS STORY ALONE. I AM NOW PARTNERED WITH TGONTHEFIERY. I UPLOAD 0 CHAPTERS WITHOUT RUNNING THINGS BY HIM FIRST. THIS CHAPTER WAS WRITTEN COMPLETELY BY HIM, SO ALL CREDIT GOES TO HIM!
WE ONLY OWN THE HUMANS!
There had been a time when he hadn't even known his own name. He had been mute and lame, scratching aimlessly in the dark, waiting for something. A call, a sign, something to see before him. He waited there for days upon days, seen nothing, heard nothing, spoken nothing. He wasn't sure how long he had lain there, until the day he had finally been able to see. When the creator had given him his eyes.
He hadn't had a name, not at first. He'd been confused, alone, wondering who he was, where he was. And so he had walked through darkened halls not of his own making, worn metal feet clapping against green-lit tiles, through passages lined with children's drawings, blinking lights, and always under the watch of those… things. Those cameras, staring back at him, unblinking.
But then he had found his name, whilst scrounging through articles kept in a closet, it had been there, black ink on white paper. Springtrap. William Afton. The Purple Man.
A murderer. A serial killer. It hadn't been too great, knowing that this was what he had been made for. But it had been something. A purpose, of some sort. And so he had treasured it.
Springtrap had toiled away, for years upon years, because he had believed in his purpose. Breaking into the room. Following the noises. Enduring the cackles of the raving child, walking through those same hallways, day and night. That had been his purpose, then.
And now, his purpose was the same. To follow and obey, and when he reached his target?
To kill them.
He walked on a carpet stained with crimson blood, each step a muffled thump, metal on carpet on unpolished floorboards. The house was exactly the way it had been described to him. Broken. Abandoned. But still ever so beautiful.
Then a thump. Once, then twice. Gentle footsteps, echoing down a flight of stairs. Springtrap tensed, knife clenched in hand. Then he saw the feet, padding down the stairs. Yellow paws, three toes each. He scowled.
"Hello, Goldie," he said. The bear wasn't even completely down the stairs yet. He could only see him up to his knees, but he saw him freeze.
"Springtrap," the bear said. His voice sounded off. "How did you get in?"
"I used the front door. Just like any civilized person would do."
Goldie didn't reply for a moment, and in that moment, he heard the gears ticking inside the bear's empty head. Deliberating, trying to figure out what to say. Always a schemer, that bear. He really never could trust him.
"Is that what we are?" he said eventually. "Human?"
"Is that your angle?" Springtrap took a cautious step forward, so that he could see a little more of Goldie's body. Up to his waist, now. "I would have liked to be one, back when I first awakened. I thought that the concept was marvelous. A body, not composed of metal, but of flesh, blood, skin. Like us, but not like us. I thought it sounded beautiful."
"But not anymore?"
"No. I'm not so naïve."
"Is that so?"
"Oh, yes. After all, I know that if I take another step closer, I'll find you're without your head." When Goldie didn't respond, Springtrap took another step forward. "You've sent that thing off, haven't you? To go downstairs from another way, cut me off, stab me in the back. You're an idiot if you really think that would have worked."
"Ah." Goldie stepped down another step. Just as he'd suspected. No head. "You've got me." Springtrap narrowed his eyes. What about…
"Where's your—"
Something slammed into his side, and Springtrap stumbled, catching himself on the end of a table. A metal globe, crisscrossed with miniscule wires, smashed into his eye socket, breaking past rotting fabric and pungent flesh. Springtrap shoved back, knife in hand, and his assailant faltered, backing away. One eye blinded, Springtrap stared at the golden bear hovering in the air a meter away from him. Goldie. The real Goldie.
Springtrap looked back to the stairs, where Ignited Freddy was shedding the replacement costume. Twisted metal, stoked and burned by a thousand fires, covered in faux fur, grayed by age. He narrowed his eyes.
Traitor.
"You alright?" Ignited Freddy asked. Goldie nodded, then shook his head.
"Let's just take care of him," he said. Springtrap reached into his eye socket, fingers wrapping around the metal. He wrenched the object out of his eye, grunting as it came away with blood and wires still dripping from its form. Goldie's microphone.
He glanced at the golden bear, still hovering at the other end of the room. A traitor. Ignited Freddy, the second traitor, still standing on the final step, donning his real costume. Him against two opponents.
Well, it wasn't like he hadn't dealt with worse.
Springtrap charged at Goldie, tossing the microphone at his face, his knife at the ready. Goldie remained still, staring blankly ahead until the last moment, popping away and out of reach of the swinging blade. Then two hands grasped his shoulders, and shoved him down. Springtrap thumped against the ground, knife falling from his hand. He reached out for it, but Goldie's foot slammed onto his hand, keeping it pinned.
The rabbit used his other hand to push himself up, but Ignited Freddy was there, sending a kick into his face. Springtrap's head snapped back, jaw hanging loosely as he scrambled for ground. Golden Freddy pulled him back, dragging his body along the floorboards and slamming him into a table leg. Springtrap cried hoarsely, keeling over.
What kind of killer am I, that I can't even kill?
Ignited Freddy was leaning towards him, hands reaching for his shoulders. Springtrap jerked forward, burying his hand into the animatronic's chest. Ignited Freddy staggered, tried to pull away, but Springtrap's grip remained firm. He smirked at the animatronic, the way that he flailed and tugged, Springtrap's cold metal fingers still grasping his spine.
Golden Freddy came in from the side, his microphone shoved down Springtrap's throat. He barely reacted – he couldn't feel, anyway – but his hand went out, slamming against Golden Freddy's chest. Ignited Freddy was staggering around, his arm twitching in its socket. Springtrap punched again, and this time something gave. Golden Freddy floated back, but there was a shakiness to his levitation, now. He glowered at the bear, pulling the microphone out of his throat.
"Is that what you're going to do?" he said. "Just shove this thing inside me until I don't get back up? Is that your grand master plan?" Golden Freddy responded by flying forward and kicking him in the face. Springtrap staggered back, as Ignited Freddy charged at him, smashing his broken frame of an arm into his side. Golden Freddy was behind him, wrapping limbs of cloth around his neck and grappling with him until they hit the floor. As Springtrap's head collided with the floor, something flashed before his eyes. Children's drawings, in horrible, bland colored crayon, hanging on walls beside posters of the main three. Freddy and his gang of misfits.
Golden Freddy maneuvered himself around Springtrap, contorting his limbs until he was a limp, dangling spider, hanging onto his chest. Springtrap reached up to push him away, but the bear's foot twisted up from his hip, meeting his hand and pressing it against the floor. He kicked at the bear, but Golden Freddy didn't budge.
"Not gonna talk?" Springtrap asked. Golden Freddy stared back intently, his glaring white dots boring into his eyes. And then the bear went limp, jerking forwards. Springtrap tossed him away quickly, preparing for the bear to float upwards, as he always had before.
He had not, however, prepared for Ignited Freddy to stop forward and grab Golden Freddy's head, before slamming it into the floor. The golden bear struggled, teleporting away and reappearing a few meters away, Ignited Freddy still holding him in place. Golden Freddy struck out and Ignited responded by smashing his head into the floor again, and again, and again, until the bear was barely moving.
Springtrap stood up, cautiously moving towards Ignited Freddy and the limp Golden Freddy.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm helping you. Imbecile." Ignited Freddy slammed the bear's head one more time for good measure. "Couldn't step in until he was sure I was on his side."
"You stepped in plenty of times, including when you kicked me in the face."
"All part of the grand façade, I assure you," Ignited Freddy said calmly. "Creation has them convinced that he's on their side. He's ingratiated himself towards the West girl."
"Then we move now. Take her out while we're all together."
"Can't. Too many of them, grouped together. We'll need to be patient." Ignited Freddy dropped Golden Freddy, so that his head banged against the ground. The golden bear flinched. "But this one should speed things along."
"How so?"
"He's a bargaining chip. We trade him."
"For the West girl? You know they won't give her up. They're human. They're sentimental."
"Not the girl, Springtrap. We trade him for information. Or at least, that's what we tell them." Springtrap narrowed his eyes.
"And then what? Take the girl anyway? Lull them in? It'll never work."
"It's worth a try. They aren't superhuman, they're flawed. They won't let down their guard around us, but this idiot should give them reassurance."
"It's not the best plan."
"You have anything better?" Springtrap frowned.
"No."
"Then we go with this. Regardless, Creation should be capable of dealing with them if the deal gets heated."
"Good enough. Let's go." Springtrap stepped back as Ignited Took hold of Golden Freddy by the hand, and began walking towards the stairs. Springtrap kept watching the bear's face. It didn't change once, even as he was roughly dragged across the ground.
"Wait," he said. Ignited Freddy paused.
"What?" Springtrap bent down, to meet Golden Freddy's gaze.
"He's too calm. Too confident."
"Everyone has it, Springtrap. It's called putting on a brave face." Springtrap shook his head, he stepped closer.
"Nah. He's trying not to be smug, but I can see right through it." He continued studying the bear's expression, until it clicked. He took a step back. "He planned this."
"What are you talking about?" Ignited Freddy looked down at the bear, who glanced back at him. "You mean to tell me—"
"He knew you were going to turn," Springtrap said. "Your grand façade wasn't good enough." If the other bear hadn't been missing his bottom jaw, he would have scowled. Springtrap looked back at Golden Freddy. "Let me guess. If we go there now, the West girl won't be there. She'll be gone with the wind. Hm?" Golden Freddy cracked a smile.
"Your deception was painfully apparent," he said. "Who would I be, to not find suspicion in the first group of friendly animatronics we came across?"
"A fool, I suppose," Ignited Freddy murmured.
"Ah. Yes. A fool." Golden Freddy laughed. "Just like you are now."
Springtrap cut him off before Ignited Freddy could shoot back a heated response, "Why didn't you do anything, if you really knew?"
"Creation was watching," the bear said. "Ignited Freddy is a terrible actor, yes, but Creation was able to play the part perfectly. Not too supportive, the right amount of latent aggression. I was fooled, even, but then I started to notice the looks you gave him. You would ask for confirmation to do things, and he would make a gesture. Waggle his hand, shift his joints, lean more to one side. He was subtle about it, but eventually, I could see it plain as day. After that, it wasn't easy to miss. Not for you, and not for the other Ignited."
"So you went with Ignited Freddy, to stop me, knowing he'd turn on you. Knowing he'd try to use you as a bargaining chip. So that, what, West could get away?" Golden Freddy smirked.
"You know me so well," he said mockingly. Springtrap frowned. Something about his voice. Still off. Not cockiness. No. Self-certainty.
Fuck.
"He's stalling," Springtrap said. "We need to find West. Where could she have gone? Outside?" Ignited Freddy shook his head.
"Freddy has a perimeter around the building, he would have known. And he didn't teleport her anywhere, he went straight here with me to stop you…" The bear froze. "They were here to find an armory."
"So she went to find the armory," Springtrap said. "And where's the armory?"
"It's in the—" Ignited Freddy stopped short, looking at Golden Freddy. The other bear smiled. "Shit."
"What?" Springtrap said.
"It's in the basement," he said. "With the Fallen."
"You mean those idiots trying to… to keep us in those machines?"
"Those monstrosities, yes." He looked to Golden Freddy. "Which means that she may become an even bigger problem."
"Then we tell Creation. We corner West and the Fallen, and we deal with the rest of the humans, using the bear as a bargaining chip." He heard a clatter.
"Oh, no. No bargaining chip for you." Golden Freddy smirked, his hand clenched around his microphone. When had he gotten that back? "After all," he continued, "you've been talking for quite a while. Long enough for me to recharge and warn them ahead of time." Springtrap's eyes widened in realization.
"Wait—"
Golden Freddy popped away, leaving no trace of him but the dents in the floor. Springtrap looked at Ignited Freddy, who was beginning to pace back and forth.
"So what do we do?" he said. "Go after West?"
"West's in the basement. For now, she's the Fallen's problem. Maybe they'll deal with her for us, do all the hard work."
"And if not?"
"We'll figure that out later." Ignited Freddy stopped, turning to him. "You go back outside, tell Freddy to get ready to storm the building."
"We're going after the others?"
"What else can we do? West is in the basement. Creation is upstairs with them. Golden Freddy has likely already warned them. Even then, there still isn't much he can do but stall." The bear's expression darkened. "Although, on the other hand, stalling is all he needs to do in order to win, so long as West doesn't fail in finding the armory."
"So…"
"So, get Freddy and his army. The humans will be coming after me."
"You'll be slaughtered. They've killed a few of us before."
"You really think I'm that weak?" Ignited Freddy chuckled. "Go, Springtrap. I'll take care of them until you get back." He paused. "Although, if I do die, make sure my code is used for something useful."
"You know I can't promise you that."
"Oh, well. I can't expect everything from you." He turned back towards the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Remember, Springtrap! Something useful!" Springtrap sighed, watching him go. They both knew that the bear would die. Bonnie and Mangle had been the first casualties on their end in this war of theirs. It seemed as if Ignited Freddy would be the third.
No use mourning him now.
His expression hardened. He straightened his back, walked out the front door. He saw Freddy waiting for him when he got outside.
"Well?" the bear said. "What news?"
"Ignited Freddy is holding them off. They know about Creation's deception." Freddy scowled at the news, shaking his head.
"Anything else?"
"West is in the basement, searching for an armory of some sort. If the others stall for too long, then she'll come out of that basement with an array of weapons and the Fallen at her back."
"Very well, then." Freddy scowled, then relaxed his expression. "We attack in thirty seconds," he announced to the silent forest. A resounding clash of metal echoed back, in wordless confirmation.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE HUMANS DON'T TRUELY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE IGNITEDS! THANKS AGAIN TO TGONTHEFIERY FOR WRITING THIS WHOLE CHAPTER! I HOPE YOU GUYS AND GIRLS ENJOY AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE DEMONS WITHIN!