Freedom
Two weeks later…
Jeremy stood in front of the building that was formerly Fritz's Family Fun Palace. Mirroring the restaurant that came before, it too was now devoid of life, visitors and staff. The parking lot was empty. The shutters were closed. A number of signs had been put up, announcing that the premises were closed until further notice.
At the end of it all, Jeremy still felt somewhat conflicted. Yes, it was good they had been instrumental in stopping a killer and the man who had essentially engineered it. Even so, the people who worked here, it wasn't their fault. Now, thanks to him and Susie, they had to go around to look for new avenues of work and carry on, never knowing the whole story of what went down.
Of course, to say the building was empty would be rather inaccurate. There was one small area, hidden inside Parts and Services, where a small number of individuals were. Sleeping. Waiting…
"It does feel strange, doesn't it?" He looked to see Susie had joined him. "At the end of the day though, we did the right thing."
"Yeah, we did. Never knew that doing the right thing would feel so, well, not completely right, you know?" he mused.
"I get that. Come on, we'd better get going if we want to be there on time," she said.
Jeremy nodded and walked along with her. "You know they only arrested the man himself a couple of days ago?"
"Actually, yes. For a change, I did keep on the news. Having met Fritz Smith personally, I can definitely say that felt satisfying to read about," she chuckled. "I wish I could have been there to see it."
Jeremy laughed too. "You're not the only one."
"It took a while but I guess that's what happens when evidence is supplied anonymously to the police. It was really good of Jenny to do that though," she said. "I think it helped give her some form of closure."
"You're not wrong there. I kind of wonder why the Puppet didn't try and kill them, like it did with us," he said.
"Like it said with Billy, they didn't know. It probably would have been more of a hassle, having more dead people to deal with. And now, they're gone."
"I don't blame them. It's great that Goldie was able to cover our tracks on the footage but they've been mixed up in this stuff too much. They can't risk another run-in with the cops, especially not after what happened with Gordon and Daniel." He shook his head and sighed. "How do you think it happened? I mean, Daniel was his friend, like his only friend and he winds up dead anyway."
"You know what people say about what happens when you fear for your life," answered Susie. "I mean, the fact that Gordon didn't even try and run after that. He just… knelt there."
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy stuff," agreed Jeremy. "I don't know if I should feel bad for him or not."
"He was a jerk but it was still horrible that happened. At the end of it, he did have this personal kind of integrity, I guess. Did it all for the kids."
"Hmm," was all Jeremy said.
"Has your mom laid off on you, after all that happened?" she asked.
"Not completely. Man, you should have seen her when she found out I took that job and got mixed up with the police," he said. "But she got it, when I said I did it for Robbie. That was the first time we ever… we ever talked about it. I mean, properly."
Susie smiled in an understanding way. "How did that go?"
"It went. It's still gonna need some work, but I think we're getting there. We both agreed we're still not ready to change his room yet, but it's still a lot better than it was," he admitted.
"Good, I'm glad to hear that. It's the same with me and Wendy, too. We talked as well and we're back in a good place. She doesn't know anything that happened that night," she added, "and she's never going to know. As far as she's concerned, I was with Brad at his place all night."
"Guess so long as that works out," shrugged Jeremy. "Are we ever going to talk about what he did? You know, to Gordon?"
"We have. I don't see any other reason to talk about it anymore," she answered, in a rather terse voice. "It was stupid and it was wrong but we can't change it now. What else needs to be said?"
"Didn't he say something to you about trying to see Gordon while he's in lockup?"
"If he does, that's his business," replied Susie. She paused. "I'm sorry, Jeremy. I'd rather not talk about it. Just… I thought I knew him. He was just a goofy, spaced out guy and then this…"
"It's okay. I get it," he said.
"So, here you are," a new voice said. A woman with a pale face and freckles was regarding them warily. "I was wondering where you would be."
"Lidiya," said Susie evenly. "Is there something you wanted?"
"Actually, yes. You've made a very big mistake. I want to try and stop you from making any further mistakes," replied Lidiya.
"I'm not really sure I know what you mean," shrugged Susie.
"Don't play stupid with me. Where are they? Where are the original Fazbear synthetics?" she asked.
"Synthetics?" Jeremy looked to Susie. "Sue, you got any idea what she's talking about?"
"Can't say I do, Jeremy," she replied. "We had animatronics at Freddy's and last I checked, they were cleared out."
"I'm serious! Those four and that AI they're with," she said, "shouldn't be allowed to wander about as they are. They're machines, they need to be properly monitored."
Jeremy shrugged. "Well, if you lost the animatronics, I guess you should have kept a better eye on them."
"Stop it, stop it right now. As they are now, they're unpredictable, erratic. Dangerous." She let out a frustrated sigh. "I was so close to having them ready and you completely ruined it. Not only that but you disrupted proper control over the ones that we helped create."
"Hey, don't blame us because you didn't keep a close eye on your expensive equipment," remarked Susie. "They're pretty big things, I'm sure they'll turn up eventually."
"Will you just drop the charade?" She pointed from one to the other. "You talked to me about them, Susie, when we went out and you, you were there with them all night. That was when they dropped their disguises, so I know you saw them."
"Sorry, my contract explicitly forbids me from talking about anything that I might or might not witness or experience during closing hours," Jeremy quoted smartly. "Even with other restaurant staff."
"And that time we went out, is that the same night where you started openly flirting with me, even though we already had our own partners and then you rudely walked out?" Susie pressed a finger to her chin. "Not exactly something that I thought you would want to bring up."
"Oh please, like you didn't start with that-!" Lidiya took another breath. "That's not the point. I know what you said to me. You knew that I knew, that was the only reason you went out with me!"
"Somebody has a high opinion of themselves," scoffed Susie.
"Look, Lidiya, is it?" asked Jeremy. "We actually have somewhere that we need to be soon, it's a pretty big deal that's going on later. So if you've got a point you want to make other than chewing out my friend about a night out gone bad, can you get to it?"
"Okay, fine. You don't want to admit the truth, then just listen. I want you to pass on something to the synths. We, that is to say me and Sid Hawthorne of Hawthorne Enterprises, don't want to hurt them. We want to help them realise their potential." She raised her hands in a gesture of placation. "Look, it's not as if they wouldn't be doing what they already do. They'd still be performing for people. Once what happened has been resolved and we've sorted out the legal issues concerning their counterparts, they'll be able to join with them. We can even incorporate the precursor AI they have with them. I would just need to programme a few new passive codes into their processors and give them to the precursor so she can monitor them, rather than our Monitor. The Puppet," she clarified. "It won't feel any different."
Jeremy exchanged another look with Susie. "Was that supposed to mean something? 'Cause most of that went right over my head."
"I can't say I quite get it either," said Susie. "Was that all you wanted to say?"
"You've made your stance clear already and we all know the truth, even if we won't all admit to it," she replied. "I meant what I said, you've both made a serious mistake, twice now. Those machines are the property of a very influential organisation and it would be better, not just for you but the people who matter to you, if you worked with us."
"Okay, so now you're threatening us?" demanded Jeremy, loudly enough so that people turned their heads. "You stop us in the street, talk to us about some stuff we're supposed to know and then you start threatening us? Susie, that's not just me, is it?"
"Nope, it isn't," she said at once, adding her voice. "You've got some nerve, Lidiya! And to think, I thought you were cool!"
"No, no!" Lidiya raised her hands again. "That wasn't meant-"
"Hey, lady, what's the big idea?" a rather surly man shot at her. "You bothering these people?"
"Yeah, I know him! He's the brother of that kid that scumbag killed, the one who helped catch him!" added another woman. "Have you got any shame? This kid's a hero!"
"I wasn't… I didn't threaten-!"
"Hey, Jeremy, right?" asked the woman. "You kids run along, you don't have to take this."
Jeremy nodded gratefully to the woman and motioned to Susie. The two of them set off back down the street. When they turned the corner, Jeremy glanced back to see that Lidiya was still getting a good talking to by those gathered. He caught the glare she sent him and only cheerily waved back.
"Phew, didn't expect that," said Susie when they were well out of earshot. "Come on, we'd better hurry on into the city. I don't fancy running into her again."
"You're telling me. Hey, that's our bus!" he cried. "I'll run and get it!"
He managed to reach the bus stop just in time and they took a seat at the back, taking a moment to catch their breaths. After a few minutes of silence, Susie spoke up.
"Do you really think that was a threat?" she asked quietly. "I mean, she talked about our families and we've already seen what Sid is willing to do to get what he wants. That Puppet, it knows we were involved."
"I'm trying not to worry about it," admitted Jeremy. "The way I see it, we've got a bunch of powerful people on our side, too. If I were Sid, I'd wanna be pretty careful right now, especially after everything that's gone down. She was just blowing hot air because we ruined her science project."
Susie didn't seem completely convinced. "And if she wasn't?"
"Then we'll deal with it like we did before: together." He held out a hand and she gripped it tightly. "Besides, the way I see it, Gordon and Fritz may have pulled the trigger but I'll bet that Sid was the one that gave them the gun. He's got as much to answer for as they do."
"Even so, we should be careful," murmured Susie. "Like Lidiya said, he's powerful."
"Just means he has a lot to lose," replied Jeremy. "Come on, let's not worry about that now. This is supposed to be a good day."
"I know, I'm sorry. I just can't help thinking about it."
Jeremy nodded in understanding and gave her hand another squeeze before letting go and staring out of the window for the rest of the journey.
They got off in the bustling streets of Greater Borealis. Jeremy felt a little better, being able to lose himself and Susie among the throngs of people going about their lives. He turned his eyes toward the next street and pointed.
"Hey look, there they are."
They approached the four individuals on the street corner. They were all dressed in various coats and hats, enough that their animal parts were concealed. Foxy was pacing back and forth. Freddy stood patiently waiting. Bonnie was leaning against a wall. Chica was casting eyes in multiple directions, examining whatever she could see.
They hadn't seen much of the original synths since the whole thing went down but they'd had contact from Golden on occasion. According to her, they had gone to ground at an old restaurant location until things had died down. Since they didn't need food or water and only required rest at specific, irregular intervals, it had been easy for them to stay low.
Even so, Jeremy was happy to see them and that they were out and about. Given what was happening today, once they had found out, they couldn't be dissuaded from coming.
"Ahoy there! The fine leaders of our voyage are here!" he declared, approaching them and clapping them in a hug. "Grand ta see ya both again!"
"Oof!" Susie waited until he let them go. "Good to see you too, Foxy. How are you all holding up?"
"As well as can be expected," answered Freddy. "Things should be a lil' easier, now most of the heat has died down. On that note, I don't believe we've properly thanked you for your involvement."
"Yeah, you really stuck your necks out for us, even though you didn't have to," said Bonnie. "You've got some serious guts, both of you. If it weren't for you, we'd all be dancing to Hawthorne's tune by now."
"Happy to do it," said Jeremy. "Have you seen the others?"
"Not at the moment. We haven't been able to get inside the building," said Chica. She looked a little bit sad. "Even so, Goldie needs some time to really think of how best to help them. They were put through a lot and from what she's relayed to us from Jeremy, there's some deep divisions between them."
"Remind you of anybody?" Goldie's voice came from a speaker. Freddy held up an electronic pad which displayed her image against a black backdrop. "Don't worry, Jeremy, we're not going to leave them in a lurch. But as Chica said, it's going to take time and care. There's a great deal to address and not just their personal issues."
"I get it. But when you do start to wake them up again, you'll let me know, yeah?" he asked.
"You'll be the first," she promised. "And to echo Freddy's sentiment, we owe you both a great debt of gratitude. If you need anything, just let us know."
"How about a new job?" joked Susie. "What's going to happen to the restaurant though?"
She smiled. "That's looking a little bit more promising. For all intents and purposes, the Fun Palace is closed for business. However, in light of everything that's happened, the agreement involving the original franchise and distribution rights to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza has been essentially voided, given the circumstances in which it took place."
"Do you mean Mr. Johnson's going to be taking over again?" asked Jeremy.
The group visibly grimaced or tensed at the mention of his name. Freddy answered the question.
"That is currently up in the air. He did willingly falsify a statement to the police, even if it was under duress. The investigation is currently ongoin', but we will know in time."
"I hope it all gets sorted then," said Susie. "Right, come on. We've got one more bus to get to where we're going."
"Don't ye worry, ye lot!" declared Foxy. "I've ridden one-a these buses before. They might seem a lil' frightenin' but I know the score!"
"Foxy, I've ridden a bus too," said Chica. "They can be startling, I'll agree, but I think frightening is a little bit much."
"Awww, do you want us to hold your hand when we get on the big scary bus, peg leg?" cooed Bonnie.
"Arrgh, shut up," he grumbled.
They proceeded to their stop and took some more seats near the back. Even though they were laying low, it was fairly evident that the synthetics were still taking enjoyment in their newfound freedom. Foxy and Chica especially were pointing out lots of sights along their path, from restaurants to clothing stores to electronic goods shops.
Jeremy found it a very heartening sight. Even though the circumstances of their situation were rather muddling, to say the least, they were actually free now. He couldn't be certain how long it would last for, but he wasn't exactly going to rain on their parade. He only hoped that their counterparts could one day share in the same freedom…
Soon, they were getting off at the prison. The excitement in the air was tangible, buzzing through each of them. It had been a long time coming but the day was finally here. Today was the day that Mike Schmidt would be let out and they weren't the only ones there to meet him. Upon arriving in reception, Freddy caught the eye of two older individuals. The man broke into a smile and was shaking his hand, while the woman hung back warily. They'd told Jeremy and Susie about them on the way and they also ended up shaking hands with Mike's parents, Elizabeth and Andrew Schmidt.
"Well, this is something I never thought I would see," Andrew was saying proudly. "I know Mike already gave you a little taster of life outside the restaurant, but I'm glad I could be around to see this one."
"To be fair, that wasn't our only 'taster', but yeah, I'm pretty psyched about it too." Bonnie punched his shoulder. "Even if it had to be ruined by the sight of you."
"I know you're happy, really," he remarked.
"Ahem." Elizabeth had come closer. Her arms were folded and her expression was stern. "I have something I want to say to the four of you."
"Stop the presses," deadpanned Bonnie.
"None of the sass," she replied. "I have to say, I'm still not completely sold. Ever since my son has met you, he's been involved in break-ins, conspiracy and been thrown in prison and that's not even counting what my husband went through. But…" She let out a sigh. "I know that's not all entirely your faults. You might be… different, but you're also still people. People that my son and my husband hold in high regard and people make mistakes. God knows I did when I first encountered you I may not ever like you, but as long as you make Mike happy, I can live with that."
"I would say that's fair enough." Freddy held out a hand to her. "I am truly sorry for whatever trials and tribulations that you and your family have been put through on our part, Mrs Schmidt."
She regarded his hand for a moment, then shook it. "Thank you, Mr. Fazbear. I can't believe I just said that."
"Hopefully, you'll get used to it," he chuckled.
There was a loud buzzing sound and they all turned. A set of side doors were opening and two armed guards emerged. Between them was a man, grinning from ear to ear. He even looked like he'd cleaned himself up for his big day.
"There he is! That's him!" Foxy cried.
"Hey, brakes on, peg leg," said Bonnie, clamping a hand on his shoulder. "First, not really a good idea to go charging towards guys with guns. Second, parents first."
The two nodded appreciatively and went to meet their son. They both pulled him into a hug. Elizabeth covered her son's face in kisses, while Andrew got his fair share in too. Some things were said between them, but they couldn't hear from where they stood, nor did they need to. It was only when Mike's parents gestured their way and they saw the smile break on Mike's face that they started forward.
The synths stayed back, allowing Jeremy and Susie to get in first. They caught him in hugs of their own.
"What did I tell you about your chances?" said Susie, ruffling his hair. "There you go, that looks much better."
"I-I don't know how you did it, but thank you. Both of you, thank you so much!" Mike's smiled faded when he turned to Jeremy. "I'm so sorry about your brother."
"Thanks and hey, I'm just sorry that the security sleuths of Freddy's didn't work together to solve the case, right?" he said, nudging Mike's side.
"Yeah, but it sounds like you had a pretty good stand-in for me," said Mike.
"Excuse me, I'm nobody's stand-in, thank you," huffed Susie.
"I'm just not sure what I'm going to do now," said Mike. "I heard that both Freddy's and the new place are both closed now."
"That's being worked out and besides, I think there's some people who might still need you." Jeremy stood aside so that Mike got a clear view of the synths.
"Oh my god… it really is…!" He pressed a hand to his mouth.
Bonnie turned to Foxy. "Okay, now you can-"
But Foxy was already shooting towards his friend and scooped him up in a massive hug, chortling away.
"MIKE! Me first mate, yer back!" He plonked him back on the ground. "If I'da known what'd happened, I'd be leadin' the charge meself ta break ya out."
"I wouldn't have expected any less, captain," he replied, fresh tears already coming down. "Foxy, I… I can't believe you're here. All of you, you're here!"
"As if we would miss this moment." Freddy gave him a hug of his own, along with a hearty handshake. "You are a sight for sore eyes, my friend."
"You're telling me! Is Goldie here too?" he asked.
"You need to ask?" Freddy help up the pad with her on it, her face filling the screen. "So, did you get any prison tattoos?"
"There wasn't anything I wanted," answered Mike. "Goldie, thank you. Thank you, so much."
"No thanks necessary. You did the same for me, my best friend." She pressed a hand against the screen, a gesture which he mirrored. "It's good to have you back, Mike."
"Good to be back. But aren't you guys worried about, you know…" He trailed off deliberately.
"Well, we figured, what the hell?" Bonnie gave him a very quick hug, adding a punch on the arm. "Besides, why would I rob you of the disappointment of seeing me again?"
"I'm privileged, truly," he remarked. "It's really good to see you, Bonnie."
"You too, Mikey," she responded, for once completely sincere. "And I'm not the only one."
She stood aside to let Chica in. The two of them stood, staring at each other for what felt like the longest time. Mike was looking at her like he still couldn't believe she was really here. Chica looked happy but it was like it was somehow contained, like she was holding something back.
"My favourite night guard," she said quietly.
"The only night guard?" Mike reminded.
"Not so much anymore. Still my favourite."
"Chica. I um… there's uh… well, what I mean is-"
She giggled. "You know what, Bonnie? You're right. What the hell."
Without wasting another second, she grabbed Mike's collar and pulled him in for a kiss. Mike's eyes widened in shock and just as he was growing accustomed to it, she stood back. Her gaze didn't waver, her determined expression didn't falter.
"Wow…" he finally said. "I mean-"
"Mike, don't say anything else. Just tell me one thing: yes or no."
Mike opened his mouth and closed it. He didn't do anything for a full five seconds. Then, he leaned in towards Chica and kissed her again. It lasted a little longer this time.
"Does that count?" he asked.
"Yes. Yes, it does." She let out a short laugh. Then it became a much longer laugh until eventually, it was a peel of laughter as she embraced Mike. "Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness, that worked! That actually worked!"
"You mean you weren't planning that?" asked Mike.
"Nope!" She laughed again.
"Are you two done?" Bonnie was very pointedly looking away. "You know, the rest of us are still here."
"Shut up, Bonnie. I have a boyfriend now," said Chica proudly, looping an arm through Mike's "I can do whatever I want with him."
"Yeah, not quite whatever," said Jeremy, the rest of their group gathering around them again. "I get a feeling that's something that's been a long time coming."
"Lad, that is the understatement-a the year," deadpanned Foxy. "Now come on, we need ta celebrate!"
"Well, we've already got a place booked," announced Elizabeth. "It's a buffet in town, so you'll have a chance to try something other than pizza."
"Now, that sounds like a fine idea, Mrs Schmidt," said Freddy. "Come along then, everyone. We don't want to be late for our reservation."
And with, the group left the prison and set off for the bus.
