Woohoo! 200 reviews! I don't know if Dragonhearted77 is reading this chapter but thank you for being the 200th reviewer!
And thank you everyone for getting me to 200 reviews! It's so crazy to me that this is only chapter fifty three and yet I have that many reviews! It's all thanks to my lovely loyal reviewers and everyone who wanted to share their thoughts with me along the way! So thank you!
Now…onto last chapter's reviews…
Silverleone: I'm glad you got it! Fox will be a major player going forward so I wanted to make the differences, but similarities as obvious as possible. And yup! Simple list, but won't be simple to accomplish now will it?
PK - SPRINGTRAP HUG MEH: Yup, Fox is not one to sugarcoat anything.
TU4QU0I53T4IAN6L3: Okay, so I'm so glad you asked because I did want to talk about this. Yes, Leo does have a form of MPD, if not a mild, but story dramatized version of it. His alternative personality, or 'alter ego' as I often refer to him as is Fox. This is the personality he used to face the situations that he did not see himself as capable of facing. As one might discern from reading this, Leo doesn't have a very strong personality. So for his protection his mind made Fox. Fox is a aggressor. Leo tends to be one who likes to resolve things before they escalate. That is not Fox. He sees a problem and he fixes by typically aggressive means. There have been times in this story that I have hinted at Fox's presence or personality similarities between the two. Like when Leo was ready to sick the bots on that man. Because of everything that has happened in Leo's life, he feels the need to protect himself when no one else does. Hence Fox. Colt was referring to the medical attention Leo did get while he was in prison. And for a bit of time Fox was indeed gone, or rather, merged with Leo again. But then the whole injuries and everything else happened with the bots, well her re-emerged, and with William's betrayal, it was finally enough for Fox. Plus the brain disturbances that William brought upon were enough to let Fox out. And yes, Spring does want to help Michael, and Acid has escaped with Ennard. They are planning something, but what might it be?
Also, ANNOUNCEMENT TIME.
I hath decided. This story is going to be a looonng one. I really didn't want to split it up, and while flow wise that probably would've worked, but I didn't want to have to start over with a whole new document. So, I hope ya'll are in it for the long haul!
Second announcement!
This chapter marks the end of the middle arc of THIS part of the story. Chapter 54 will mark the beginning of the last arc for THIS part of the story. Basically the story is in parts and the sequel will be within this story as well. I will give indicators as to when THIS story ends and the new one begins, but don't worry, it's still awhile off. Arcs just kinda help me place things in a timeline format.
This next arc is gonna be messy, hope you guys are ready for it!
I own nothing but my characters and ideas
Credit to Selkiesong22 for all her help.
Chapter 53
Memories…
"You do realize falling asleep in that position is only going to make you sore when you wake right?" William asked, arms crossed as he stared at the substantially more aggressive version of Leo before him.
Fox huffed a breath and scratched at his hair, "yeah, well it's the only way we can fall asleep. I'd imagine you'd know that, with how much time you've spent with Leo." But then he tilted his head down and raised an eyebrow. "But he never really got the chance to sleep what with all the torture and everything."
William stared back at him narrow eyed, "the ''torture' as you call it was needed. His reliance on the bots was far too strong." At that Fox huffed and turned his head to the side annoyed.
"Do you realize how inconvenient it is for me when you further damage him? It makes my job twice as hard to do." He turned to him and spread his hands, "do you even care? All that time he made sure you had company, someone to talk to. Someone to spend time with. Yet you turn around and take over his body like it's nothing. Like all those months he spent making sure you weren't alone didn't matter."
"You take me for a much more sympathetic man then I am." William countered, his hands sliding easily into his pockets.
It was strange. Leo had never seen him as a person before, all he had known was him in Spring Bonnie's form.
So, the decayed animatronic rabbit head made sense.
It didn't mean that William was a fan.
With a breath he tugged at the ear that wasn't nearly as decayed as the other one.
"Oh no, I know you are a ******d, I knew from pretty early on. At first you were entertaining, so I encouraged Leo to spend more time with you. Plus he actually seemed happy. I wanted that to continue." Fox explained, but then his lip curled up into a sneer, "but it turns out you are no different from anyone else in his life." The more aggressive Leo growled, and William stared back with a breath before looking to the side.
"I have never found emotional connections between humans to be beneficial. I am minorly fond of some humans. But overall, most are a waste of time. If they can't be useful, then what is the point of them? Especially once they leave the childhood state of innocence and enter the corruption of adulthood."
"You speak like you are a prophet on a noble quest." Fox muttered, gazing at him coolly.
It was interesting to see the difference between the persona before him, and the Leo he knew well.
This…version of the night-guard was something else entirely.
Leo was timid, grumpy, and highly emotional. But this version of him, this…Fox.
He was cunning, cool, calculated and had no problem picking a fight with anyone who bothered him.
If it had been under different circumstances, perhaps William would've even gotten along with this version of Leo.
"That Byrd child, he had said that it was after Leo had been shot that you made your first appearance." William started, watching him closely, "but you speak as though you have been with him his whole life." At that Fox scoffed and looked to the side.
"Colt is an idiot. A dull man with a mind as straightforward as a machine. The 'shot' as he put it was merely a catalyst. I've been within Leo forever. I am a representative of him after all." He paused, a frown tugging at his lips. "I've been a voice ever since Leo was a child." William raised an eyebrow but before either of them could continue, their previously dull and lifeless surroundings started to change.
Both looked around and Fox spun on his heel with a huff, "aw ***t."
"What? What is it?" William asked, unconsciously stepping closer to the only other conscious being with him.
This place was relatively empty, but occasionally William would hear voices, feel phantom touches. Once or twice he was sure he had seen a translucent person of sorts.
But he could've been mistaken.
Being within the realm of the mind was an interesting thing indeed.
How any of this was possible, he hadn' the faintest clue.
It seemed within Leo's mind there was a lot of empty space. And perpetually surrounding them was a thick fog that acted as a barrier for whatever lay beyond.
Light came from an unknown source, but was dulled in color, casting everything in a strange desaturated purple.
He wondered if that was his influence upon the mind…
"Leo doesn't remember, but the memories are still there. Locked away, hidden." Fox muttered, and it took their backs touching for William to realize that they were now back to back facing the enclosing and now darkened fog around them.
"Explain you cursed persona, what is happening?" William demanded a strange uncomfortable feeling brewing within him as he stared at the now black fog that almost seemed to be forming in lumpy shapes.
"Watch your tone old man." Fox growled before huffing a breath. "This is you and your psychotic son's fault."
"Oh? And prey tell how is that?"
"Because whatever that stupid man was giving us somehow unlocked those stored away memories. At first it was just flashes, sensations with blackened figures. Now? They are fully fledged." He grumbled, and William took a breath as he watched the lumps start to form into black figures of humans and animatronics.
"***k this what does this have to do with me?" He snarled, he didn't like contact with other beings, but what other choice did he have but to be back to back with Fox in this ever narrowing circle?
"Don't be an idiot. You bound yourself to this body and this mind." Fox took a hard breath, "now, try not to choke." At that William frowned and turned to look at him.
"Choke what the he-" before William could finish his question, something grabbed the jaws of his animatronic maw and forced his mouth open.
Indignantly he turned to look at the offender, only for his eyes to widen at the sight of a smokey and disfigured version of the Puppet.
But before he could demand how the cursed marionette was here, the striped and thin arms suddenly thrust themselves inside his mouth, and he couldn't even utter a scream as the entire creature climbed inside him.
Yet, he couldn't even react to this, as then everything went black and he suddenly found himself in a dull grey room, with dark smoke surrounding every corner.
The other thing he noted was that Fox was no longer with him.
Spinning on his heel he tried to make out his right from his left, but there was nothing but dark fog around him.
"Leo!" A voice suddenly boomed, causing the room to shake and him to stumble.
"What the ***k!?" He demanded with a huff of breath, lifting his gaze and looking around again.
This time there was someone, a woman, and the only think William could really make out was that she as fairly short, and looked like she belonged on the streets.
He watched as she approached, and briefly marveled at how this short woman towered over him.
What the ***l was going on?
"****it! You little brat! Where did you put it!?" She screeched, before suddenly grabbing him by his hair and forcing his head back to stare up at her.
William felt his body tense in anger, this woman! How dare she! He ought to show her just who she was messing wit-
"Don't be stupid." A familiar voice snarled, and William felt his arm grabbed as he was jerked back suddenly.
Stumbling back, he caught his footing and stared confused at the sight of a young child in the place that he was in moments ago.
Except this child was breathing heavily, face flushed and looked to be on the verge of tears.
"Tell me! Where the ***K did you put them!?" The woman screamed, and the child shook, taking deep breaths.
"I…I didn't touch the-" he was cut off by a slap to the face that sent him to the ground.
"Fox. What is this?" William asked, voice quieter then before.
"What do you think it is?" Fox murmured from his left. The older man turned his gaze to the persona before back at the child who was being kicked and screamed at by the woman. Her face was blurred, scratched out.
"They were addicts. And so was Leo, from the moment he was conceived." Fox continued, "he didn't try drugs cause he thought it was fun. It was normal for him."
"What is the purpose in showing me this?" William asked, frustration stirring within him.
Was this to gain his sympathy? To produce some kind of empathetic reaction from him?
To make him feel guilty?
"I'm not the one showing you this." At that, William's attention turned to his counterpart. Fox stared back at him evenly, if not somberly. "I think Leo just wants someone to understand him."
William scoffed, turning his eyes back to the scene, the woman had left, leaving the child curled up on the floor.
Curled up in a fetal position, holding his head and protecting his front.
The same way Leo's current body was asleep in the real world.
"This is pointless." William claimed, and Fox sighed from next to him but didn't comment further.
After a few moments, the child Leo pushed himself up with thin and trembling arms.
He was small, thin and lanky. All things children should not be. There was no chub on his cheeks, and no life in his eyes.
He sat on his legs and shakily pulled a small pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Shakily putting one in his mouth and lighting it.
"He should've just given them to her." William muttered, and Fox gave a short laugh to his left.
"Ha, says the guy addicted to killing." Then he turned to him and smirked irritatingly, "in the same vein, you shouldn't have killed those kids." William set his jaw and stole a breath.
"Touchè."
Their attention was drawn back to the scene as suddenly there was Leo, but this time his clothes were different.
Baggy, worn down, and dirtied, but different all the same.
He was trudging along, and Fox followed after him. After a moment William reluctantly followed suit.
They followed the small child, and William let his eyes flicker over his appearance. Dirtied, bruised and emaciated. Dark circles resided under his eyes, and peaking out of his old backpack was what appeared to be the stuffed ear of a rabbit.
Without thinking, William plucked the creature from the bag and stopped walking as he gazed at it.
"That's Bonnie." Fox explained, and William lifted his head blinking at him. However Fox was gazing at the rabbit with an almost fond look in his eye. "He was the only one who didn't yell at us or call us names." Then he pursed his lips with a sigh, "it's terribly ironic that the animatronic who inspired his name is the one who he is most afraid of now." That was said with a frown and darker look in his eyes.
"So Leo had been at the pizzeria before?" William asked, how old was Leo again? Had he been the age of when the four bots were first in business?
"No. But there were advertisements in the paper at the time." Fox explained and William nodded after a moment.
However his head lifted when a ruckus sounded before him.
Leo was hiding behind a wall, watching as the woman from before and a man were screaming at each other.
"I can't understand what they are saying." William grumbled, eyes flickering between the two blurry adults and Leo.
"I said the memories were unlocked. I never said the quality was great." Fox took a breath and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Leo doesn't even remember this stuff, this is all in his subconscious." At that William blinked and looked at him.
"Subconscious?" Fox nodded before motioning his head to the area around him.
"This is the place where anything can happen. Whether it be something you want, or something you greatly fear." Fox was watching him closely as he said this, and for some reason William got an uneasy feeling as he gazed into the eyes of this Leo he was so despairingly unfamiliar with.
"Right." He said, before glancing around and breaking eye contact. "Where is Leo anyways?" He turned his attention back to him, "after all, you are in charge and not him…does that mean he is in…"
"Your previous body? No." The persona glanced about before taking a breath and turning back to the scene at hand. "I'm making sure you can't touch him. Even if it means locking him away." William's attention was drawn back to the persona again as Fox gazed at his nails which much more resembled claws then they did normal nails.
"You have a lot of power here huh?" William asked slowly, sizing up the version of Leo before him.
This was a man he did not know. There was no timidity in his form, no ducking his head, no deep furrows of his brow. No rubbing the back of his neck.
This…persona of Leo's, this…Fox…he was something that shouldn't be taken lightly.
He was a threat.
"Perhaps. I am familiar with this place after all. I know every in and out." A smirk tugged at his lips, "and how to deal with troublesome pests."
For another long moment, the two of them stared at each other. Sizing the other one up.
"And pray tell, how do you deal with these…'pests'?" William asked carefully, his face a mask of calm as his mind raced.
He did not come this far to be threatened by a puny imaginary friend.
Fox didn't answer for a moment. That smirk still residing on his lips, it had a wolfish look to it, a hungry predatory look to it.
"Let us keep watching hm? You'll miss the important bits." And with that, Fox turned back to the scene before him.
William didn't like this evasion of his question, a snarl pulled at his lips, and before he consciously realized it, he lunged for Fox. Intent upon subduing; or preferably killing this persona as soon as possible.
However, he never reached the persona of Leo, as suddenly a familiar mechanical beast appeared before his eyes.
William let out a surprised and indignant cry as suddenly he was lifted off his feet by none other then his previous body.
A much more decayed version, with blood and guts far too fresh for it to be comfortable.
The maw of his former body opened up to reveal the bloodied and gory face of himself staring back at him. Rods and beams were sticking in and out of place that they never belong in.
Half of his cheek was missing, revealing his bloodied and destroyed teeth with a sharp springlock gouged inside it.
Before William could fully register what was happening, he was faced with the agonized screams of both his previous bodies. The wretched mechanical sounding cries, and the blood curdling screams of his human body.
William's hands went to his ears and pain flashed over his body in rapid and agonizing succession. Before he knew it, he was screaming as well.
The next thing he was able to register outside of the pain was Fox's cheerful and smiling face.
He looked like a kid who was just given a gold star.
"Did you like that?" He asked in a far too chipper voice, William was panting, his body trembling with residue pain. He wasn't able to speak yet, just stare up at the cause of his pain.
"I've been preparing it ever since I was given access to your memories! I was just waiting to use it!" He tilted his head, and from this angle, his gravity defying hair spikes almost looked like large fox ears on his head eagerly standing at attention.
"Y…you…you b…ba…bas…" William stammered through his trembling jaw.
Fox chuckled and then rested a hand on William's head. His head tilting, and eyes squinted.
"Shh…you're gonna miss the show Willy."
Then before he knew what was happening William was pulled to his feet by Fox and was turned around only to face the sight of Leo on the ground back up, curled up tight and with a belt being slashed across his back.
Whimpered cries escaped the boy as he shuddered and gasped for air, but no other sound escaped. This was not the man from before, it wasn't Leo's dad. This must be when Leo was in that 'gang' that the Byrd child was referring to.
But that's not what was bothering William.
Because the elder man couldn't help but stare. Stiff and wide eyed at the sight before him. He didn't even realize Fox was behind him until he felt someone's chin rest on his shoulder.
"Look familiar?" Fox murmured, but William couldn't respond.
His back felt hot.
It hurt.
It hurt.
Why wouldn't he stop…?
What did he do this time?
"I had to modify a few things, after all, two incidents are never the same. But I found a memory of Leo's that rather closely mirrored one of yours. Isn't that neat?" Fox murmured again, but his voice sounded distant, faint, like it wasn't really fully there.
Though perhaps that was because William was being pulled to a different time….and a different place.
It hurt…
Would he just stop?
William didn't even do anything this time! It was because of his work! It was because of father's work! It always was because of work!
So why did William have to bear the punishment for it?
"I told you, that these memories were being shown to you…because Leo wanted someone to understand. That was a partial lie. Because it's I who wants someone to understand. Leo would never show anyone this, he would never want someone to see him like this." Fox continued to speak, his voice hovering above, like a voice from the heavens.
Though it did not feel like it came from the heavens above.
No, it felt like this voice, these words, came from the very pits of hell.
"Stop it! What is the point of this?!" William demanded grabbing his ears and dropping to his knees. He could still hear the clap of the belt as it hit his back. Hear his fathers slurred and drunken words.
"The point Afton? What is the point?" Suddenly his face was grabbed and he came face to face with a sadistically grinning Fox. "The point is simply this. I am angry, very angry, I'm tiiiiiired Willy. I'm so sick and tired of being hurt. Of Leo being hurt by those he foolishly puts his trust in." Fox leans in, his brown eyes shining a redder hue then normal. "You wanted Leo. You wanted to take his body, you wanted to live another life, a life you do not deserve." He proceeded to squeeze the jaw of William who winced visibly, taking hard breaths and fists clenched. "Well guess what? You get everything that comes with it. Including me. Me, who is fed up with all this ***t. I am rage, I'm pain, and I'm done letting Leo and I get ***ked over time and time again."
Suddenly William was shoved to the ground behind him and couldn't help but grunt as he lifted his gaze to Fox.
But Fox wasn't looking at him, his eyes were turned to where the man had previously been beating Leo.
William wasn't sure he wanted to turn and look, unsure if it was another trap orchestrated by this sadistic persona.
But that's when he heard soft sniffles and quiet shuffling.
William knew he shouldn't, but curiosity got the better of him and he turned his gaze to what was before them.
It wasn't a trap.
It was a kid.
That wasn't a terribly surprising fact given the previous scenes William bore witness to.
But it was a weird thing to call the young adult before him.
But there was no other word for it really, there was a kid, in an orange jumpsuit, huddled in the corner of a cell on his bed.
He was what, twenty? Twenty one?
By all rights he was a fully fledged adult. A fully fledged adult who just murdered someone.
But William knew he was in fact staring at a child, a child masquerading as an adult.
"When they stopped giving us the drugs. He started forgetting." Fox muttered, but this time William didn't look at him.
Instead his attention was drawn to a fussy and substantially more translucent scene forming to Leo's left.
It was two boys, preteens at most, it took William a moment to identify the second boy, but it was those dark eyes that gave it away.
Colt and Leo were sitting in some outside environment, laughing, smiling.
…huh. So that's what Leo's smile looked like.
Another translucent scene to William's right drew his attention, this one wasn't so nice.
It was that man, Leo's father, he was holding up a partially eaten loaf of bread and shaking it in his fist.
"You think we have the luxury of you pigging out on our food?! You ungrateful brat! You're already fat enough! The last thing you need is to gain more weight!" The man screamed to the clearly emaciated Leo.
The child flinched and hid his head crying.
"I'm sorry! I…I was hungry! I…I-" He was cut off by a slap to the face.
"That's the problem isn't it!? You're always hungry!" The man screamed, and William couldn't help but set his jaw slightly.
It was men like this, people like Leo's parents who only proved his belief further.
Children's innocence should be held onto at all costs.
Even if it means taking their corporal forms and hiding them away in a permanently halted state.
Andrew….Leo's parents….father…
They were all proof of this.
"He soon forgot the good and the bad. Though because of that, he never understood why no one came. Why there were never any visitors for him."
All three scenes were replaced by a cafeteria looking place, with white tables and blurred people milling about. All of their forms were disfigured, and Leo was the only one who stood out. His head was on the table, a ill look on his face as he stared at the sight of who disfigured people embracing. One in orange the other in normal clothes.
"I am showing you this because…" Fox started causing William to lift his gaze to him, "I want you to understand why I hate people like you so much." The persona muttered, brow furrowed low.
William gazed at him carefully.
"He was happy. For the first time in so long…we were happy." Fox turned his gaze on William, eyes more prominently red. "We believed that you cared. That they all cared. That if we messed up again and wound up in jail. Maybe…just maybe, someone would care enough to pay us a visit." He said, and William gazed at him before slowly getting to his feet.
"And?" He challenged, "I get this is tragic. A tragic tale of a tragic man, but I cannot change the past, nor can I change the fact that I am in need of a vessel." William couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "if you are trying to make me regret my actions, to apologize and surrender, then perhaps you know me very little as well." Then he chuckled, his voice coming out slightly mechanical due to the Springtrap head upon him. "But you? At first I thought I didn't know you, that you were a foreign being to me. But I think I have you figured out little fox." William stepped closer as Fox stared back at him guardly. "You are feelings, suppressed and pushed down anger, fear and pain. You mimic a child throwing a tantrum. You are not all that different from Leo now are you? You are nothing more then a child masquerading as a monster. A lion cub trying to roar." Soon they were face to face as Fox gazed at him coldly. "Do you want to know your problem? You and Leo. You care, you care what people think of you, you care about others. You care far too much. What was your big bad crime again? Right, murdering a drug lord, but for what reason was that? You were protecting those you care about. You say Leo and I are similar? I beg to differ." He leaned in and snarled lowly, "I care for no one. Not Leo, not my children, not my wife. Do you want to know what I ultimately want? What I slit those children's throats for? I wanted to house their innocence, yes, shield it from the world. But ultimately, I wanted immortality, I wanted to live forever. And doesn't every man?" Then he chuckled softly, "but I actually accomplished my wish, here I am, eleven years after my death, and I'm still here." He chuckled lowly, "you may think you can best me, beat me, lock me away." William paused a long moment before grinning broadly. "But, little fox, I always come back."
Fox stared at him for a few moments in silence, before then leaning in as well, their noses touching. He smirked a bit.
"Okay William. Then come back from this."
Before William could even wonder what 'this' was, the floor suddenly gave way under him.
A scream ripped from his throat as the black world rushed past him. There was a light at the bottom…
Where was he going?
Everything went dark before he could find out.
And as William regained consciousness, a strange sense of dread filled him, though he hadn't the slightest idea why.
Of course, that was until he heard the familiar ring of the office phone.
His eyes snapped open, and they instantly went to the source of the noise.
There sat the bright red phone, fully intact.
And it sat upon a desk.
And the desk sat in a room.
A room that eerily mirrored the second location office.
But before he could analyze it further, whomever was on the phone picked it up.
"Uh…hello? Hello?"
At the sound of Scott's voice, and his eyes flickering the monitors on his desk, it was then that William realized he was in deep ***t.
"***N YOU TO ***L YOU STUPID FOX!"
Acid shifted in his spot in the payphone box. His eyes flickered around only to find that night had descended upon the small town of Hurricane. He would likely be asleep at this point.
But this was urgent.
The dial tone rang loudly in the quiet Main Street. Andrew was sure it could be heard all around, but alas it couldn't be helped.
This was the third time he had tried to call, and he certainly hoped the man hadn't changed his phone number.
That would make things more difficult.
However the Afton nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the line pick up.
"Ugh…who is this…?" A man asked tiredly, and a grin slipped over Acid's face.
"Henry!" The panicked tone of his voice didn't match the grin on his face.
The man on the other line was silent for a moment.
"Andrew? Is that you kid?" The question was soft, and Acid took a hard breath doing his best to sound distressed.
"Henry…I…I know this is sudden…but I need your help….he…he's back…father…he came back." There was a long pause before Henry swallowed hard.
"…Andrew….your father died. We talked about this, remember?" He asked softly, voice gentle and soothing.
But Acid rolled his eyes and bit his tongue a second before collecting himself.
"Y…yes…I know Henry…but you've heard the reports! About the Pizzeria! And the children! How they…are still there? I've seen him Henry! I…I don't know what to do! What if he kills again? What if he finds me!" He took hard and fast breaths, glancing over to the corner of his eye only to spot Ennard peaking out of the drain gutter and staring up at him head tilted. He ignored him and turned to gaze at the glass again, still taking hard and fast breaths. "And…****it Henry! I…I don't know what to do! I need your help! Please! We have to end this!" He begged, voice hysterical.
"Hey! Hey…o…okay, okay Andrew, I'll help you. Where are you now?" Henry asked, and Acid couldn't help but grin whilst calming his breathing.
"I…in Hurricane. I'll meet you in town square tomorrow?" He proposed, and it sounded like Henry was looking at something before he took a breath.
"Yeah, that works. Noontime?"
"Sounds like a plan…t…thanks Henry…after this…after this we'll be free. Okay? I promise none of this will bother you anymore." He vowed, and Henry sighed.
"That's right. We'll end this." There was a pause, "I'm so sorry Andrew…for everything that has happened to your family. You don't deserve any of this…and…I know…deep down, your father did love you and your siblings. He just…was too consumed by himself and blinded by his insanity to see the gifts he truly had. " At that Acid blinked, pulling away the phone a moment, staring at it. His eyes flickered to Ennard who was still watching him silently before he put the phone back to his ear this time holding it with both hands.
"….he loved me?" That was a whisper.
"Yes. He was terrible at showing it. But I know he did. He loved bringing you to work when you were little….heh…he uh, he uh, he actually chose the Spring Bonnie suit because he liked how happy you got when he wore it." As Henry spoke, Acid's grip tightened on the pay phone till it shook with the exertion of his grip.
He had always liked the Spring Bonnie suit…
Except of course when it killed his father.
"H…he did…? Then…then why…."
"…after…Michael nearly died…." He sighed deeply and Acid tensed up, gritting his teeth. "I know…I know it wasn't your fault…you didn't mean for that to happen. But…something snapped in your father…he became obsessed with those bots…obsessed with the concept of death…and immortality…" Henry sighed, "but never mind my ramblings. I'll see you tomorrow."
Acid tried to keep his voice calm as he responded with another thank you and a goodbye.
He put the phone down harder than he initially intended. But the loud noise somehow was satisfying.
However the next loud noise made him jump.
Andrew jerked to look at Ennard who had his wired hand pressed up against the glass of the phone booth.
"Why did you call hiiiiim….?" Ennard asked, and Acid sighed coming out of the booth.
"You've seen what's going on. Father is in that pathetic druggie, you told me Spring Bonnie is functioning once again. Plus there are waaaay too many different bots. There is no way we could succeed without some kind of help and resources." He explained, and Andre watched the mess of wires work in cohesion with each other as Ennard came to stand before him.
"What's your plan?" He asked in that hissing mechanical voice of his.
Andrew smirked and gazed at Ennard with a breath, "well, I'm going to follow in my father's footsteps! I'm going to open my own pizzeria!" He cheered, and Ennard gazed at him with that impassively robotic face.
Before suddenly he stiffened and his previously blue eyes turned green.
"Andy! When will we see father?" Elizabeth asked, stepping closer, Acid sighed and gazed at her tiredly.
"I preferred it when you used your little girl's voice." He chided, and she giggled.
"That was just me having fun. But you haven't answered my question. When will we see father?" She asked again, and he sighed deeply.
"Soon Lizzie. But the situation is complicated. He's…well he's not in the body of a bot. He…is now possessing the body of one of the night guards from the first Freddy's location." He stole a breath and looked to the side.
"Fine. So what do we need to do to get him back?" She asked and Acid rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, we need to get the guard first. Then we will figure it out from there." He claimed and Elizabeth looked down thinking for a moment.
"So that's what the pizzeria is for then? Obtaining father?" She asked lifting her gaze to him again.
"Yes, well that and...reuniting our family I suppose." The grin on his face portrayed that this would not be a happy occasion.
Elizabeth stared at him for a moment unmoving, "you plan on killing Michael." It was a statement, not a question. Acid gazed at her for a moment, his brown eyes calculating.
"What would you do if I said yes?" The question was slow and deliberate.
Elizabeth didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes cast down and to the side. Then she lifted them again, the green glow looking all the more poisonous.
"All I want is father. I don't care what you do with Michael." She announced, before turning away, her wired and corded hand curling into fists. "It's not fair that he was chosen to be remade by father and the Byrd's and not I." She looked back at Acid, "he should have died a long time ago." That was growled through the mechanical static of Ennard's voice.
Andrew gazed at her, a smirk lighting his eyes, "I'm glad we share similar ideals." Then he paused and shrugged, "hey, maybe we can find you a host like father. I've already done brain surgery once, what's one more time?" He asked, and she just stared at him before shaking her head.
"You're such an idiot Andrew." She claimed, before heading back over to the drain gutter and sliding inside.
Andrew only rolled his eyes at the comment as he watched her in fascination.
Father called Ennard a monstrosity.
But father probably didn't know how long Andrew worked on it. He didn't know how many nights Andrew poured over the notes the Byrds left behind.
He could be as good as them.
He made Ennard, and the nightmares. He did brain surgery.
Andrew was clever.
He just…would have to show father that.
End of middle arc and setting up two important things! A lot was accomplished in this chapter, and in case it wasn't clear, what William is in is considered Ultimate Custom Night, at least my version of it due to the current circumstances.
What did you think of Leo's memories? Or William and Fox? What about Acid? Do you think Henry will fall for his tricks? What do you think Acid and Elizabeth are planning on doing?
I'd love to hear what you think!