Mike slammed his hand on the button, closing the door just as Bonnie lunged for him.

"Please! Listen to me!" Mike yelled over the metal fists pounding on the door. "I'm not here to hurt you! I just want to help!"

It was useless though as the animatronic continued to try to break its way inside to finish off Mike for good. No matter how much he pleaded with the animatronics and the children's souls within that he wasn't the one who killed them, that he only wanted to help, that he wanted to atone for the sins he had made by erasing the legacy of the one who's blood he shared, the souls were simply too lost in their pain and anger. They only felt hatred for Mike who looked so much like his father, their killer, that not even his death was enough to erase the resemblance. He wouldn't give up his mission though… he'd help these poor souls move on somehow and put an end to his father's plans if it was the last thing he ever did.

Mike quickly pulled up his tablet, flipping through the cameras to make sure the others weren't getting too close. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the form of golden Freddy appear, twitching ominously as it stared at him. Emotions that weren't his own pounded against his skull, echoing hope, anger, and desperation, as words were spoken directly to his mind.

IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!IT'SME!

"I know Evan… and I'm so sorry…"

Suddenly a high-pitched ringing filled the air, making Mike jump a little and causing the animatronics to vanish. Mike looked over at the desk in confusion as the phone let out another ring. The phone never really rang in his nightmares, with only the messages themselves occasionally being featured (Scott's last one being the most prominent). So Mike couldn't help but feel tense at this change in routine as he slowly approached the desk.

"Hello?" Mike asked as he held the receiver up to his ear.

HI, EGGS! DID YOU MISS ME? ADMIT IT, YOU MISSED ME.

Mike recognized that voice… it was the same strange high pitched voice from the weird dream he had when he first arrived in Gravity Falls. Mike had dismissed it then as just a weird detail, but now he suspected there was something more behind it. (Didn't Dipper mention a creature that could enter people's dreams?)

"Who are you?" Mike asked, suspicion clear in his voice.

COME ON EGGS, I THOUGHT YOU WERE SMARTER THAN THAT… I'M BILL CIPHER, THOUGH I THINK YOU ALREADY FIGURED THAT OUT. I'VE BEEN KEEPING AN EYE ON YOU EVER SINCE YOU ARRIVED AND BOY… YOU'VE CERTAINLY MANAGED TO GET INVOLVED IN THINGS THAT DIDN'T CONCERN YOU.

"Why are you here?" Mike demanded, feeling unease that this creature had been watching him. "What do you want from me?"

WWEEELLLLLLL… THIS IS NORMALLY THE PART WHERE I TRICK YOU INTO A DEAL THAT WOULD BENEFIT ME AT THE COST OF YOUR SANITY, BUT I'VE BEEN LOOKING INTO YOU AND I KNOW THAT WOULDN'T WORK. YOU DON'T EXACTLY TRUST ANYONE ANYMORE SINCE YOU LOST ALL YOUR SQUISHY INSIDES! COMBINE THAT WITH YOUR DETERMINATION TO GET IN THE WAY OF OTHER PEOPLE'S PLANS AND I KNEW YOU'D JUST CAUSE ME PROBLEMS! LUCKILY FOR ME… THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHERS FROM YOUR LIFE TO CHOOSE FROM THAT WERE HAPPY TO MAKE ME A DEAL TO HELP ME GET RID OF YOU!

Mike felt his nonexistent heart jump into his throat as his thoughts immediately went to his father. William was willing to do so much already that he'd probably jump at the chance to get more power. And if he made a deal with this demon… then he'd be even more dangerous… How was Mike supposed to stop him?... What would he do?... He couldn't…

CALM DOWN THERE EGGS! I CAN'T TAUNT YOU WHEN YOU'RE FREAKING OUT! AND OLD RABBIT EARS DIDN'T MAKE A DEAL WITH ME. SHOCKING I KNOW! YOU'D THINK A BURNT-UP SCRAP PILE LIKE THAT WOULDN'T BE SO STUBBORN BUT HE WAS CONVINCED HE DIDN'T NEED ME! HE'S AN IDIOT BUT YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIRE HIS DRIVE!

Mike found himself breathing a little easier at knowing his father hadn't gotten more powerful, but there was still the terrifying implication that Bill had made a deal with another animatronic that was probably making its way to Gravity Falls at this very moment.

"You want to make a deal? Fine!" Mike spat, his hand shaking in anger. "Here's a deal for you: I'll leave. I'll leave Gravity Falls the moment I wake up. I won't tell the Pines family anything about this and just disappear from their lives. I'll never step foot in Organ again, but you must keep whoever you made the deal with and any other animatronics far away from Gravity Falls!"

It'd break Mike's heart to never see the Pines again without any sort of explanation, but that's what he would do if that's what it would take to keep them safe. He would never forgive himself if they got hurt because he dragged them into his problems.

I'M AFRAID IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT EGGS! THEY'RE ALREADY IN TOWN! BESIDES THIS IS A LOT MORE FUN!

"Why are you telling me this?" Mike whispered, fear flooding his entire being. "If it wasn't to force me into a deal… why tell me?"

TO PROVE THAT EVEN IF YOU KNOW ABOUT MY PLANS YOU CAN'T STOP ME!

Mike felt cold as he realized the demon was right… there was nothing he could do to stop him…

BUT BECAUSE I'M SUCH A GENEROUS GUY, I'LL CUT YOU SOME SLACK. IF YOU DON'T TELL THE PINES' ABOUT THIS LITTLE CONVERSATION OR MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE ANIMATRONIC NOW HUNTING YOU DOWN, I'LL MAKE SURE THEIR FOCUS REMAINS ON YOU! THEN MAYBE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO KEEP ANYONE FROM GETTING CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE!

Mike couldn't bring himself to speak but nodded his head knowing the demon could probably see it.

GLAD THAT'S SETTLED! NOW I INTERRUPTED A WONDERFUL NIGHTMARE FOR THIS LITTLE CONVERSATION… SO IT'S ONLY FAIR I GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE!

The security room suddenly morphed around Mike into Fredbear's Family dinner, giving him a clear view of the show stage and the familiar group of people gathered around Fredbear.

"No! No! NO! Not again!" Mike panicked, attempting to sprint toward his younger self. He didn't get very far as he realized wires were wrapped around his wrists and waist, holding him in place. He yanked and twisted as hard as he could, even as the wires cut into his skin and drew blood he shouldn't have, but Mike was unable to escape and could only watch with dread as the familiar scene began to play out.

Mike could see his younger self laughing with his friends, only encouraged in their cruelty by Evan's tears and begging to be let go. Just as his younger self was lifting Evan towards Fredbear's mouth, the scene suddenly glitched before Mike's eyes. Now instead of Evan, it was Dipper being held by a version of Mike that was about the age he had died at. Dipper was begging the fake Mike not to hurt him, hurt and betrayal clear in his voice as he couldn't understand why fake Mike was doing this.

"No! Please No!" Mike begged, still struggling uselessly against his restraints. The fake Mike looked back at the real Mike, his eyes glowing yellow with cat-like slits. Fake Mike gave real Mike a wide gleefully cruel grin before he shoved Dipper into the animatronic.

The horrifyingly familiar crunch filled the air and blood dripped from the animatronic as Dipper went limp.

Mike woke with a shout, flailing so much that he fell off the couch and onto the floor with a thud. Even though he was no longer restrained by wires, Mike still felt trapped. (Trapped in a small room as animatronics bared down on him from both sides… trapped in a spring lock suit where his every breath could mean his death… trapped by wires just before…)

Driven by panic and fear, Mike scrambled to his feet and fled his room. He blindly made his way through the house until he burst out the front door into the cold night air. Clinging to one of the porches' posts for support, Mike heaved like he still had the ability to vomit (he could almost feel Ennard climbing up his throat to make their escape and leave what was left of him behind).

Eventually, Mike's panic began to dwindle only for a sense of dread to take its place. There was a killer animatronic in Gravity Falls and it was all Mike's fault.

"I should have left…" Mike whispered in sorrow. Sure… Mike might not have been around to talk Dipper down from his anger at Stan or Ford from clinging to his grudge, but he was positive they would have been able to figure things out on their own. But because Mike had been selfish and stayed around the Pines family (Because he had dared to think someone could care about him… Because he dared to think his life could be more than his mission… He dared to believe he could be a part of a family again… He dared to have hope that he could be happy rather than suffering forever in misery and guilt like he deserved…), he had dragged the horrors of his life into theirs.

He truly was a curse on those he cared about, wasn't he…

Mike's only hope was that Bill would keep his word and make sure the animatronic stayed focused on him. He didn't trust the demon of course, but Mike needed to believe that he'd be able to make sure he was the only one that paid for his mistakes this time around (he didn't think he could keep going otherwise).

"What am I going to do?" Mike sobbed, curling up against the wall for the Mystery Shack as tears streamed down his face. He didn't know if he was asking himself, god, or the universe at large, but in the end, the results were the same.

There was no answer.