By some stroke of luck (or more likely demonic interference), none of the Pines' were woken up by Mike's mad dash through the house. This meant that Mike had plenty of time to pull himself together and head back inside before anyone could suspect a thing. Mike headed back into his room and immediately pulled out his laptop, checking the local news to see if there was any sign of the animatronic that was supposed to be around. Mike didn't find anything, which he wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but it did mean he would have to keep an eye out himself.
The house was starting to wake up at this point and Mike knew he'd have to pretend that everything was normal if he wanted to keep the others safe. He headed out for his walk, briefly glimpsing Mabel carrying Stan's… milk-soaked slippers?..., and used the opportunity to do a quick patrol in the woods surrounding the house. Thankfully everything seemed normal so Mike was feeling a little more settled as he went back to the Shack. Sure, it was still terrible that an animatronic was hunting him, but that was pretty normal for his life. He could handle this by himself like he always did and make sure the Pines' stayed safe.
Mike didn't seem to be the only one having a less than stellar morning as he could hear Stan groan in frustration as Mike entered the house.
"Everything okay?" Mike asked, going into the kitchen to see what the problem was.
"Yeah… the lightbulb just went out and Dipper used up all the extras without telling me," Stan grumbled, tossing the empty box away. "Now it means I have to go all the way to the store to get new ones."
"I could get it for you," Mike offered.
"Nah, it's fine," Stan waved the suggestion away. "I can handle it… Hopefully, it won't take too long…"
With that decided, Stan made his way out to the car, not even bothering to get dressed. Mike watched him go, before getting distracted by the sound of the vending machine opening up.
"Oh you're already up," Ford commented as he walked in. "Do you know if Stan is up yet? I feel like I should attempt to mend things with him sooner rather than later."
"You just missed him," Mike informed, gesturing vaguely to the door. "He went out to pick up more light bulbs to replace the one that just went out."
"Hmm… it wouldn't be that hard for me to make a new one," Ford thought, studying the light fixture. "Do you think it'd be a good gesture to make a new bulb and install it for Stan?"
"Maybe if you had offered to do it before he left," Mike replied with a shake of his head. "But since he already left it would just make him feel like he wasted his time for nothing. Maybe you can help get breakfast started instead?"
"Um…" Ford looked over the kitchen with concern. "I haven't really cooked a lot for myself over the years. And when I did it was usually over a campfire or with far more advanced technology…"
"Don't worry, I'll help," Mike assured, opening up the fridge. "And we'll keep it basic with just some eggs and toast."
"That does sound like something I can handle," Ford agreed with relief, studying the stove as he figured out how to turn it on. "Though I assume your cooking skills aren't that much better than mine."
"Just because I haven't needed to eat for the last few decades doesn't mean I don't know how to cook," Mike replied with mock offense. "I had been living on my own before I died after all and I… well… this isn't my first time cooking for someone else."
Ford understood Mike probably meant his brother and didn't push for more details, instead focusing on preparing the meal. Between the two of them, they were able to cook enough food for everyone without setting the kitchen on fire or even making too big a mess. They were just putting everything onto plates when Stan walked in, looking a little rougher than when he left.
"What's all this?" Stan asked in confusion as he took in everything.
"Mike mentioned how you were out getting lightbulbs," Ford began, suddenly feeling nervous about this. "And he suggested that we make breakfast a way to help you."
"…Okay…" Stan said slowly, looking both surprised and suspicious. Still, he went ahead and changed the lightbulb, putting the rest away when he was done. Feeling satisfied to have that errand completed, Stan joined the rest of the family and accepted the food provided.
Now Mike hadn't joined the family for meals at first, as he couldn't eat and he felt awkward just sitting there giving idle chatter, but as he had gotten more comfortable he had often just stayed to talk and joke with them. This meal wasn't the most awkward that he had been at with the Pines' (The one after Ford's return easily topping that list), but there was an underlying tension as Ford tried to figure out how to start mending things with Stan while Stan was suspicious of Ford's intentions. Mabel and Dipper easily picked up on the tension and while Dipper was content to just ignore it, Mabel apparently had enough.
"Alright, what's going on?" Mabel demanded, cutting off all small talk and looking between her two Grunkles with suspicion. "Did you two get in another fight while we weren't looking?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Stan said, eyeing Ford. "I haven't really seen him since he went back to the basement while we watched Ducktective yesterday. So if something's going on it isn't my fault."
"What about you then Great Uncle Ford?" Mabel questioned, her gaze leaving Stan to fall on Ford. "Did something happen yesterday to make you act weirder than normal?"
"In a sense…" Ford began, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I had an… enlightening discussion with Mike last night and he brought to my attention that I haven't… that I've been a little too harsh in my treatment of Stan."
Stan couldn't help but snort a little at the statement, making Ford blush a little. Dipper and Mabel looked between the two with growing hopeful expressions and Mike couldn't help but smile a little as he watched this play out.
"Well anyway…" Ford did his best to remain composed as he continued. "While I can't approve of the risks taken to reopen the portal… I am thankful to be back home and to meet family members I never knew existed. So… Thank you, Stan."
"You're welcome Sixer," Stan replied, a big grin spreading across his face. Though Ford had to hide a wince at the nickname, he easily found himself grinning back. Sure, this wasn't going to make up for decades of hurt and bitterness, but it was a start, one that Ford was glad Mike helped convinced him to offer.
The conversation became a lot more cheerful with Dipper and Mabel suggesting all sorts of things to help with family bonding. Those ideas were put on hold though once they found out the mayor of Gravity Falls had died. Stan, Dipper, and Mabel made their way to the town hall to see about a new mayor being elected while Ford and Mike stayed at the Shack. Ford didn't feel like explaining his existence to the townsfolk yet and Mike avoided being around large crowds in broad daylight if he could help it.
When the others came back explaining how Stan was running for mayor, Mike knew this was a perfect distraction for him to investigate the possible killer animatronic without the others figuring out what he was doing. So while Mike did make a token effort to show his support for Stan, he was far more focused on his own mission. He'd followed along when Stan made his various appearances around town to rally support and take the opportunity to search the surrounding area for signs of the animatronic while being able to keep an eye on the others.
Mike didn't find anything at first, but eventually, he found unmistakable signs that there truly was an animatronic in town. There were oil stains surrounding a sewer grate that most passersby would assume came from an old car if they noticed it at all. But Mike could see the streaks and slight scratches in the oil that all pointed to metallic claws being used to move the grate. There was no doubt in Mike's mind about what this meant and Mike just had to make sure the Pines' didn't get caught up in his fight.
Mike was on edge since his discovery, though he was able to keep his worry from the others. He couldn't even really focus on the tv when he and Ford were watching the final debate until Ford gasped, making Mike pay attention enough to realize in horror that Dipper and Mabel were in trouble. It was nerve-wracking to know the twins were in danger but were too far away to be able to help. Thankfully, Stan pulled off a daring rescue and earned the crowd's favor as a result. Of course, they were surprised and disappointed that Stan didn't actually win, but the twins were able to cheer Stan up pretty quickly.
When the others headed out to prank the new mayor, Mike stayed behind, giving some excuse about cleaning up the last of the campaign supplies. Mike watched the Pines' car disappear down the road before turning his eyes to the trees. His instincts were telling him he was being watched… being hunted… and he knew the animatronic was lurking nearby, hiding from the fading sunlight. Mike quickly ducked inside to grab his flashlight and crowbar before coming back outside.
With his crowbar attached to his belt and taser in hand, Mike cautiously began circling the house, sweeping the surrounding trees with his flashlight. He didn't spot anything unusual, but that didn't mean the animatronic was there. These abominations could be surprisingly stealthy and patient, but so could Mike. The sky continued to grow darker as Mike watched and listened for any sign of where the animatronic was lurking.
Finally, he heard something, only it came from the rooftop behind him rather than the trees in front of him. Mike immediately reacted by diving out of the way just as he heard something large and metallic impact where he had been standing. Letting his momentum roll him back up onto his feet, Mike lunged at the animatronic with his charged taser. A staticky metallic screech filled the air as it made contact, making little arcs of electricity dance across the animatronics wires. Mike jumped back and out of range once he was sure the animatronic was stunned, using his flashlight to finally get a look at which metal monstrosity had agreed to get rid of him.
It was Ennard, or what was left of it anyway. Mike wasn't sure when or how it happened, but he had figured out that Baby had separated from the others at some point as he had come across witness reports and rumors of an animatronic in her likeness roaming around, while this mess of wires went from having a clown head to one that more reassembled Funtime Freddy's. (Mike couldn't help but be glad that it wasn't Baby that had come after him, he didn't think he could handle his sister hating him enough to purposely seeking him out to finish him off.)
"You've certainly come a long way from Utah," Mike commented, taking a few more steps back to give himself more room to maneuver and buy time for his taser to recharge. "Should I be flattered?"
"W-well H-hello again!" Funtime Freddy's glitchy voice came out of the metal mess, though Mike could swear he heard the undertone of the other two animatronics that were a part of this conglomeration. "Y-you've been C-chasing u-us for so long we t-thought to r-return the favor. B-besides, we were given an o-offer we c-couldn't refuse."
Mike didn't have time to wonder what this monster could even want before it was attacking him again. Mike managed to dodge the main body lunging at him, but there were several independently moving wires and Mike could not outmaneuver them all. Several managed to cut him, ruining his shirt (and making more holes in his flesh that he'd need to sew up later… if he survived…). Mike ducked under a swipe from the Freddy monster and darted forward, attempting to strike again with his taser. Molten Freddy was prepared for that this time and managed to twist its body out of the way, a wire shooting forward and knocking the taser from Mike's hand.
With a curse, Mike did his best to duck around another strike as he pulled out his crowbar. He managed to land a solid blow to the animatronics' head when it lunged at him again, knocking the monster off balance for a moment. Mike used the opportunity to use his flashlight to look for the taser, knowing that if he wanted any chance of winning this fight he would need it. He spotted it quickly and made a dash for it, but Molten Freddy had already recovered. There were just too many wires and Mike soon found his feet pulled out from under him, landing hard on the ground with the taser just out of reach.
Mike quickly flipped onto his back, batting away more wires with his crowbar as he tried to kick off the ones on his legs. Though Mike put up a valiant effort, a larger wire soon managed to slip through his defenses and pierce right through his chest into the ground beneath him. It only hurt for a moment, but the larger problem was now with the wire there, Mike was completely pinned. When he attempted to pry the wire out, more wires wrapped his wrists and forced his hands away. Mike still struggled, but he was hopelessly trapped.
"I-it's been f-fun, but it l-looks like our g-game is over," Molten Freddy gloated, his head hovering right in front of Mike's.
Mike desperately tried to think of a way out of this when he heard the distant sounds of tires on dirt and gravel. Mike would have paled if he could have, realizing that meant the others were home. Luckily, Molten Freddy didn't seem to notice, too focused on Mike, but if Mike wanted to keep the Pines family safe, he'd have to end this now. Resolve and acceptance filled him as he stopped his pointless struggle.
"Get it over with and kill me already," Mike said, calm in the face of his impending permanent death. Sure… he felt a little guilty at failing his mission to stop his father and put an end to all of his evil creations, but there was nothing he could do. He had to protect the Pines' (his almost sort-of new family) and if that meant losing his own life, Mike would gladly give it a thousand times over.
"Y-you won't d-die," Molten Freddy informed, making Mike instinctively shudder at that cursed phrase. "W-we have s-something special in m-mind for you."
For the first time in a long time, Mike felt genuine fear for his own well-being. He didn't know what Molten Freddy could possibly want with him, but it could not be for anything good.
"I-In the m-meantime…" Molten Freddy continued, reaching for something out of Mike's line of sight. "W-we can have a l-little fun!"
Mike barely had time to realize that Molten Freddy was holding his taser before his world erupted into nothing but pain.
