If someone had told Mike that all of the work he'd put in to become a childcare worker would lead him to learn the inner workings of highly advanced autonomous robot animal children, he would've immediately run from that person, assuming they were a psychopath. And yet, that's how Mike spent the latter half of his day after he woke up from his sleep when he got to his apartment, reading book after book after book, all of which were about the kids. Sadly, there was a LOT of information that he didn't understand, FAR too advanced terminology that only a super genius, like his boss, would be able to make sense of without smoke coming out of his ears as his brain overheated. But there were a FEW things Mike could discern with his current level of knowledge, and thankfully, they all had to do with the children's physical properties.
For starters, how the children could feel sensations like pain. What mister Afton had done was make it so that when any "injury" is sustained, or the kids are hit with an above-average amount of force, their bodies will interpret that impact as pain. However, this means that if Mike were to grab them, hug them, or have any other physical interaction, they wouldn't feel like they're being harmed; it HAS to reach and exceed the threshold to register and then be determined by the children how bad it is.
Next was, from what Mike could understand so far, the most interesting bit; how the kids could eat and process food. How they were able to taste the flavors of things was one of the parts Mike wasn't smart enough to grasp yet, but he managed to piece together how they "digested" what they ate. Essentially, their "digestive system" was similar to ours but MUCH more efficient when it came to breaking things down. Which made sense; they didn't need to worry about nutrition or their health being affected by what they ate.
Admittedly, that amused Mike when he thought back to how motherly Ballora was towards the kids. Even though they were pretty much immune to anything that could negatively affect a human child, she still wanted what was best for them, which he respected immensely. Another similarity to humans was when it was time to relieve themselves. When their waste storage was close to or at max capacity, they would head for the nearest toilet to empty it.
As for how they felt hunger, well, they didn't. Or, if the children did, that was one of the sections Mike couldn't make heads or tails of right now. But if he had to guess, the kids felt "hungry" when they knew they wanted something SUPER badly, sort of like when a human gets a random craving for a specific food out of nowhere. But again, that was just a guess on his part.
THANKFULLY, the last couple of things he fully understood, as they were surprisingly straightforward. Stuff like making sure the kids brushed their teeth so gunk and grime wouldn't build-up, helping them clean themselves when they got dirty or messy, and other basic information that Mike already knew thanks to his education. FINALLY, that was getting SOME mileage here. Although, it'd most likely serve him well once he headed back for his next shift, which he was doing right now.
"Ugh...I think my brain's still throbbing..." He groaned, feeling overwhelmed by how much reading he did, "Hopefully, there wasn't anything vital I needed to learn from that endless sea of text. I'm fairly confident that the truly important details will be in the lists they'll have for me." He said, referring to Ballora and William.
Now that Mike knew there wasn't anyone in the vehicle with him, he felt more comfortable speaking out loud and being himself without the fear of annoying someone. It also meant that Mike could freely talk about the kids without the additional worry of accidentally telling someone not in the know that William Afton, entrepreneurial genius and owner of the largest pizzeria/entertainment franchise in America, had managed to figure out how to create life. Non-organic robotic life, sure, but life nonetheless. Because if anyone tried to tell him those kids weren't alive and they were just things, objects that could be disregarded, Mike would punch them without hesitation.
For although he'd only spent a small amount of time with them thus far, Mike was quickly becoming attached to the five faces who were so happy he was there. Which, as he thought about it, is most likely why he was forming a connection with them so soon. After Mike showed them that he wasn't a threat, and they spent the remainder of his shift in their room drawing pictures before they all fell asleep, the children saw him as a friend, which was something Mike wanted to improve as much as he could starting tonight. But Mike still needed to establish himself as an authority as well, which, admittedly, was going to be difficult given how cute the little rugrats were; it'd be a challenge in of itself not to succumb to their charm whenever they wanted something.
On top of that, you had the aforementioned lists, and who KNOWS what Ballora was going to have in them that Mike would also need to deal with. And yet, despite how much his workload had increased after just one shift, Mike wasn't nervous or wary in the slightest; he was fully prepared to take the job head-on.
"Oh, I'm here." He thought as the car came to a stop, not having paid attention to the ride as his mind busied itself with other things.
However, when Mike reached for his door's handle, he was surprised when someone else on the other side opened it.
"Good night, mister Schmidt." Ballora greeted with a smile.
"Miss Ballora? Were you...waiting for me to arrive?" He questioned, "Also, did you just say good night?" He added, uncertain if he heard that as he was still stunned to see her standing there.
"Yes, to both inquiries." She responded as she held out her hand for him to take, "You say good morning when greeting someone during daylight hours. But as that isn't possible given what time you work, a good night was the only other option." She explained.
"I...guess that's true..." He agreed while accepting her kind gesture, unable to find a fault in her logic, "Still, I wish you hadn't waited for me like this. I feel bad knowing that my boss's assistant was standing out here by herself." He told her as she helped him out of the car.
"You have no reason to, mister Schmidt. It was my choice to wait here." She said before she closed her eyes, "Besides, I like the night. After a hectic day of moving around and dealing with our company's business, the silence is soothing. A beautiful stillness in contrast to the motion. Don't you agree?" She described, asking him what his thoughts were afterward.
"Huh...I've never viewed it like that." He responded before doing the same as her to take it in, "But you're right. It is nice. Almost makes me want to go back to sleep again." He admitted.
"Almost?" She inquired as they both opened their eyes.
"Yeah, if there weren't five fluffy balls of energy waiting for me, I'd hit the hay." He clarified.
"Ah, yes, the children." She replied with a smile, "On that note, we should head inside. They'll be so happy to see you've returned." She told him.
"Are they awake?" He asked as they began their walk to the building.
"They tried to wait for you, taking a few naps here and there to maintain their energy levels. But the poor dears couldn't take it anymore, so they wanted to sleep until you arrived as it would help make the time pass faster." She answered, which made him chuckle.
"Ah, that's great." He said once he was through chortling, "Oh, by the way, is mister Afton also here?" He inquired.
"He wanted to be. But after we examined the children's beds and discovered they had been tampered with, to our dismay, mister Afton not only had to fix them before departing but did so to focus on the investigation into the matter." She informed, "And, I must say, I'm concerned by how much it's affecting him. As I told you before, I've never seen him in such a state. I'm not sure of how I can help to alleviate the toll it's taking." She confessed.
Upon hearing that, Mike stopped walking right as they reached the door, refraining from opening it since he needed to know a few things so he wouldn't make any assumptions.
"Uh, miss Ballora. Would it be alright if I were to ask some...pretty personal questions?" He tested, seeing if he was stepping over a line.
"I have nothing to hide, mister Schmidt. So please, feel free to ask me any question at all." She welcomed, much to his relief.
"Okay. Thank you." He said to show he was grateful, "So, out of curiosity, how long have you worked with mister Afton?" He asked.
"For many years now, long before the children were created." She answered, "And if you need a more precise timeframe, my inclusion in the company came just after his breakthrough with the animatronic he mentioned during our previous conversation." She added.
"Wow. So, you've arguably spent the most time with mister Afton out of anyone in the company, then?" He continued with this line of questioning.
"That is correct. Although there are employees who have worked for him longer than I, none have worked as close with him for as much time as I have." She confirmed.
"Alright. Now, and forgive me if this is TOO personal, but what kind of relationship do you have? Is it...possibly romantic?" He asked, bracing himself for a scolding or potentially a slap across the face.
"Not at all. Although our relationship is more than an employer and his employee, mister Afton and I are, at most, good friends. If anything, I'd describe us as a family. And I could never see him or us in any other way." She described.
"Oh. That's...super wholesome." He commented, "Well then, never mind. Sorry, I wasted our time with that." He apologized.
However, Ballora didn't respond. Instead, she looked at Mike with a confused yet curious expression.
"Mister Schmidt, forgive me. But I don't understand what the point of those questions was." She confessed.
"I wanted to see if maybe you and mister Afton were possibly a couple. Something along the lines of boyfriend and girlfriend. If you were, then I was going to suggest that you make him dinner as a way to help take his mind off of the hacker." He explained.
"Ah." She sounded before she put a hand to her chin to think, "I...don't know what food mister Afton prefers, but that isn't a terrible suggestion. I might be able to work with that, albeit with a few adjustments." She said.
"Wait, you don't know what he likes to eat?" Mike questioned, finding that odd, "Don't you two have lunch together at the company or something?" He inquired.
"No. Mister Afton never eats with anyone around. And, to my recollection, he's never had a meal during work hours. It's only after no one else is around, and I have turned in for the night, does he do anything like that." She shared.
For a second, Mike was greatly intrigued by that, but then it turned to regret as the obvious answer for why hit him in the face.
"Right, the helmet. And the sensitive nature of why mister Afton wears it..." He thought, feeling like an idiot for not getting that sooner, "I REALLY need to stop asking questions like this. Otherwise, I WILL let something come out of my mouth that'll be bad for sure." He told himself.
"Mister Schmidt?" Ballora addressed since he'd fallen silent.
"Sorry, I was just thinking...that we should hurry up and get inside already." He replied, not wanting to tell her what was actually on his mind.
"Are you sure? You looked slightly upset." She asked.
"Great, good job, Schmidt. Now you've made her worry." Mike thought before responding, "Yeah. I'm sure. Honestly, that's all." He insisted.
Ballora studied his face for a few seconds to determine if he was telling the truth, and while she did conclude that he wasn't telling her everything, she let it be for now.
"Alright." She said simply before turning her focus onto the door in front of them, "After you, mister Schmidt." She invited as she opened the way.
Thanking her in return, Mike led them into the test facility, hoping he wouldn't cause another awkward conversation. And, to no surprise, the first thing he saw when he entered the main area, right there on one of the tables, was a small stack of papers.
"Oh god..." He muttered in horror, thinking about the blanket of white that was currently covering most of his apartment, "Miss Ballora, PLEASE tell me that entire thing isn't one list." He requested.
"Hm? Oh no. That'd be absurd." She replied, which let him breathe out a sigh of relief, "It's all of the details that you need to know regarding the children. As well as a few things I added as I assumed you'd appreciate my experience with them. I put it all together in one complete guide for your convenience." She explained.
"Wow. Thank you. That's so considerate." He complimented her before going over and picking up the guide to examine it.
"It was the least I could do, mister Schmidt." She assured him as she joined his side, "I've also included labeled tabs to help you quickly access whatever sections you need at any point in time. I would've put the guide in a binder, but I had to remain here with the children. If you'd like, I could do so later." She offered.
"Nah, I couldn't ask you to do that. Not after all of the effort you've already gone through." He told her.
"It'd be no issue at all. And it would help to ensure the guide remains undamaged." She argued, intent on doing this for him.
"If I keep telling you no, will you do it anyway?" He inquired, choosing to be direct.
"Mister Afton was right; you are sharp as a tack." She responded with a smirk, making him roll his eyes.
"I think I preferred it when you thought I was a criminal." He said before focusing back on the list, "So, where do you recommend I start my reading?" He asked.
"Well, if you read the list as you do your patrol, you should get through a fair bit. I made sure to put the most important information at the front." She answered.
"Good to know..." He muttered, already reading some of what was on the first page, "...Question, regarding the food, where is it?" He asked while looking back to her, "I don't recall seeing a kitchen or cupboard space when mister Afton gave me the tour." He added.
"I'm glad you asked. Please, follow me." She requested before walking away.
Unsure of where Ballora was taking him, Mike followed her through the main area and past the restrooms, which led them to one of the empty spaces within the facility. Or it used to be, for when she pushed the door open, which by itself was new, he saw beyond it a fully furnished kitchen.
"To undo the hacker's tampering of the children's beds, mister Afton needed some things delivered from the main office. So, it only made sense to have these items brought here simultaneously. No point in having our transport trucks make more trips than necessary." She explained before he could ask.
"I assume it's fully stocked?" He inquired.
"It is. And I know the exact count of items in the cupboards AND the refrigerators. So don't think you can give the children more than what is allowed, mister Schmidt." She warned, but it was with a playful tone rather than strict, which was a first coming from her for Mike.
"I wouldn't dare dream of betraying the trust you've bestowed upon me to carry out snack time." He replied, being as overly dramatic as possible.
"Hmph, I see now why the children have taken to you so fast. You're as charmingly silly." She said, showing that just like mister Afton, she wouldn't be outmatched by their security guard.
"Ouch. First a criminal, now a goofball. I can't get you to say anything nice about me, can I?" He asked with a smile.
"The Fazbear Family doesn't give out rewards to its employees without them earning it, mister Schmidt. And may I remind you this is only your second night with us?" She answered with a smile of her own.
"True, which means I should probably get started on my shift." He decided, "Would you like me to walk you out?" He offered, wanting to be as polite as he was with William.
"Although kind of you, I believe you have more pressing matters to attend to." She replied while pointing to the guide he held.
"Right. My homework. Got it." He said as he held it up, "I'll get started right away. Have a good night, miss Ballora." He bid farewell.
"Good night to you again, mister Schmidt. I will see you at six AM." She returned before heading out.
Following Ballora's departure, Mike spent the next twenty minutes doing his patrol while reading the guide. For the most part, it's what he expected; the food-related stuff, how to efficiently clean their fur or feathers in Chica's case, and what to do if somehow the kids got hurt. However, what came after the indisputably vital information Mike needed to know for taking care of them, was info that could be described as...subjective in its importance.
"One full hour of the six-hour schedule must be dedicated to education. Although the children will not be put into any of the establishments to work as entertainers or any other such position, we must help develop their minds and expand their...intellectual horizons?" He silently read as he walked, "Furthermore, the children are allowed two full hours of playtime. The other three hours shall be divided evenly between snack time, free time, and preparation for bedtime." He continued but came to a full stop when he read that last part, "A FULL hour for bedtime preparation? What...I...how...that doesn't make any sense." He said aloud, baffled by this, "You know what? I'll just ask the kids what their routine is usually like. That'll help to clear up any confusion." He reasoned.
Finishing his rounds of the building and making sure everything was intact, Mike headed for the prize area to wake the kids with that task complete. As he entered the room, he flipped the light switch near the door up, illuminating the room and revealing all of its wonders. The greatest of which, of course, were the kids themselves, sleeping peacefully in their beds without a care in the world. And on top of that, they were dressed in pajamas, doubling their adorability.
"They're even cuter when they're sleeping..." Mike thought with a smile that wouldn't be denied as he walked over to them, "If I had to say who was the cutest, though...it'd...be...Bonnie." He decided, "But only because she's wrapped herself in her blanket like a cocoon. She's like a tiny bunny burrito!" He exclaimed, doing his best to maintain his manliness and not squeal at how adorable she was.
Taking a moment to look back at the guide, Ballora, in her wonderful thoughtfulness, included a section on how Mike should interact with the children's beds.
"Alright...so...from how it sounds...all I need to do...is...this." He slowly said as he read through the passage.
Although the beds had different appearances, the interface for each was in the same location, on the back. The interface was arranged as such; a rectangular screen in the middle showed the child's body and the condition of each part. Below it was three differently colored buttons, all associated with a different action, and at the top were several different connection points for other devices. As you may suspect, only the buttons were what Mike cared or needed to know anything about.
The one on the left would put the child into and wake them from hibernation mode; the middle ended the recharge, which started once they entered the bed, thus waking them. And the one on the right...huh...the guide didn't say what that one did, funnily enough.
"Hmm...it probably has something to do with the other devices. Which makes sense since I wouldn't have a reason to use it." Mike said.
Once he figured that out, he began pressing each button to wake the children up. One by one, the beds slowly powered down, and when they were finished, the kids started to stir.
"Ngh..." Chica groaned, being the first to open her eyes, "What...time...*yawn*...is...it?..." She groggily asked, expecting to hear Ballora's voice.
"Huh, good question," Mike responded as he checked his wristwatch, which made her eyes shoot wide open, "It is currently twelve-"
"MIKE!" She shouted with glee as she sprung from her airplane, the sturdy glass covering sliding into it to allow her exit, "GUYS! WAKE UP! IT'S MIKE!" She informed her siblings before rushing to the guard and hugging his legs.
Like starting a domino chain, the others all opened their eyes in sequence, going in the order of who woke up faster. Within a matter of seconds, Mike was swarmed by all five, each of them overjoyed that he returned.
"MIKE! MIKE!" Foxy called out with his arms raised, wanting to be picked up, "YE CAME BACK! YE REALLY DID!" He exclaimed.
"Foxy, we went over this," Mike replied as he lifted the pirate off the ground, "I said I was coming back. I didn't have any reason not to." He told him.
"Yeah, I know. It's just...there was a chance...that something could've happened..." Foxy said in his defense.
"Aww, buddy. Nothing could've happened." He assured, hoping to make him feel better.
"That's what I told him." Goldie interjected with a roll of her eyes, "Maybe if Foxy would LISTEN to me, but NO, he knows EVERYTHING." She went on.
"Hey! Ye was just as nervous as me! I remember it being so bad ye stuttered like Bonnie usually does!" Foxy countered, making the golden bear blush.
"I-I did not!" She exclaimed, even though she did it right then, "I was just...concerned...Mike...would...get lost..." She lied, struggling to come up with something believable.
"Lost in papa's cars that drive themselves?" He challenged with a raised brow.
"Sh...SHUT UP!" She shouted at him.
"Hey now, let's not start our first full night together getting angry. That won't be good for any of us." Mike intervened, acting as the mediator.
"Yeah! We should be happy! Think of all the things we can do!" Chica joined in, wanting to help him out.
"But first, we need to change out of our pajamas," Freddy said while looking down at himself.
"I'm guessing that's what the wardrobe and dresser in the corner are for?" Mike assumed, earning him a nod from the teddy bear.
"Mhm. Ballora says that we should put our pajamas in the bottom drawer because then she'll have them cleaned for us." He informed.
"Good to know. What is in the others?" Mike asked.
"The second drawer has more pajamas, the drawer above that has our clothes and the last drawer...I don't think it has anything in it." He answered, needing a second to think about the drawer at the top.
"What about the wardrobe?" Mike inquired.
"That's mainly for mine and Goldie's hats right now." He replied.
"Nu-uh! That's where we keep our costumes!" Chica exclaimed.
"For when you play pretend?" Mike guessed.
"Yup!" She confirmed.
"Alright. Well, as Freddy said, we'll get you guys changed into your clothes. And after that, we'll figure out what we're going to do first." He told them.
"Okay!" Four of them replied...four?
As Freddy, Chica, Goldie, and Foxy once Mike set him down all ran for the dresser, Bonnie remained where she stood, looking uneasy.
"Hey, Bon." He spoke to her, kneeling to be closer, "Is something wrong?" He asked.
"I just...wanted to say I'm glad you came back...but...I'm not good at speaking up when everyone else is..." She answered, that timid nature of hers kicking in.
"Aw, thank you, Bonnie. I appreciate that." He said, "If you'd like, I could help you work on that some time. We could even do it when you're teaching me how to do a bowtie." He suggested.
"Yeah...I'd like that..." She responded with a smile, which made him smile as well.
"Awesome. So, want to go get changed out of your pajamas?" He asked.
"Mhm." She answered with a nod.
With a bowtie tutorial and self-confidence workshop scheduled, Mike and Bonnie joined the others at the dresser, all of them eager and excited for the night ahead.