INFORMATION
Written by: Pinkpony4
Chapter Word Count: 8'107
Published on FanFiction: 4th of October
Published on AO3: 4th of October
Reason for missed upload: Took a break.
Chapter 13: The History of Hell
"But I wanted to hang out with my friends," he whined, rolling his eyes. If his father caught him doing that, he would get an earful about how disrespectful it was. "We were gonna go to the movies today."
His uncle wasn't swayed. "You spend every day with them; one weekend without them isn't going to kill you."
"But that's school! I'm always the babysitter whenever you two go to work! Why can't you hire a real one? I have a life too."
Uncle Henry crossed his arms, staring him down. "You're nearly sixteen – you've got plenty of time ahead of you to do whatever you want – but right now, family is more important than friends."
Michael turned around, glaring at the front door where Charlie, Elizabeth, and Evan were waiting outside. His father was already at work, leaving him to deal with his uncle. It was going as well as it usually did. Which meant it wasn't going well at all.
Really, he shouldn't have said it, but in the heat of the moment it just came out. "Family is more important? Maybe you should start taking your own advice instead of working all the time like Father does." That's what really grinded on him. He loved Lizzie, Evan, and Charlie too, but he was always with them. If their fathers spent time with them like they used to instead of saddling him with babysitting, then he'd be fine. But it wasn't, and now no one was happy with the other.
"What did you just say?" Uncle Henry asked with a strained voice. That meant he hadn't misheard him at all.
Instead of repeating himself, he made to brush past him, but he was caught by the shoulder. Trying to reign in his temper (which was becoming increasingly difficult with every passing day), he slowly looked at his uncle. "What?"
"I'll be frank with you, Michael: watch over the three of them, or I will tell William that you're smoking behind school." Seeing the look on his face, Uncle Henry raised a brow. "You didn't think I'd notice? You're the only one that walks Charlie home, so I shouldn't be smelling smoke on her when she gets back. It's disgusting; I would have expected better from you. Then again, maybe not."
That was the last straw. "WHY DO YOU CARE? YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE!" he yelled, clenching his fists.
"Because you're setting a bad example for everyone else. When we're not around, they're your responsibility and you need to set an example," he explained, not at all bothered by his outburst. "Anything that happens to them under your watch is your fault."
He hated being blackmailed, but if his father found out he was smoking… God, he didn't even want to think about what he'd do. Gritting his teeth, all he could do was glare at his uncle and bite back every vicious thought he wanted to express. "You want me to walk them to school, cook their food, fold their clothes, and clean their rooms too? Because I already do all of that shit!"
"Language! I won't have you talking to me like that," he scolded, straightening up. Michael wasn't intimidated.
"And what are you gonna do about it? Tell on me? Is that the best you can do? I can take whatever Father gives me now; I'm not scared of him." A complete and utter lie, but he didn't need to know that.
"Oh, I will. He'll hear all about this when I get back."
Not wanting to let his fear show, he shoved past his uncle. "Fine! Tell him! Not like he can make my life worse than he already has!" he screamed, slamming the door behind him. Angry tears gathered in the corners of his eyes, and he furiously wiped them away as his mother's death replayed in his head.
Elizabeth, Evan, and Charlie were on their feet, so startled by the door that they had fallen off the porch. Ignoring the fearful look on their faces, he stormed past, shoving his hands in his pockets as he sped towards the sidewalk. "Come on. We're going to the park," was all he said. They followed him without question.
"Michael! Michael! Don't walk away from me!" Uncle Henry shouted, much like his father did when he pissed him off, but he ignored him. Elizabeth, Evan, and even Charlie, ignored him as well. Running to catch up to him they held out their hands and he took them reluctantly.
He wasn't going to take his anger out on his real family.
-o0o-
The insistent buzzing of his phone's alarm was the first thing to wake him up that morning, but it didn't do much since he drifted off once it stopped. The only thing it left him with was an intense annoyance that he'd forgotten to turn it off because he was so tired and he just wanted to sleep. But the world didn't want him to rest and he was punished with an intense pain that shot through his head, jerking his limbs without his consent and making his head throb. Fully awake now, he was immediately aware of just how much everything hurt. His head was throbbing, his neck, shoulders, back, and hips were aching, he was frighteningly cold yet far too hot, and he was shaking so badly that his muscles were starting to ache.
Raising a hand to his head, he pressed his palm against his temple to try and distract himself from the rest. An odd, tingly sensation was running up and down his body now, and he felt dizzy – like he'd just woken up from a hangover. Closing his eyes and getting his breathing under control helped settle him down, but his neck was begging him to get something under it. He could do that; drag himself onto the mattress and just collapse with…
He raised his free hand up and lowered it towards his chest, relieved when it landed on his bub's back instead. Geh Ge was safe. Good. Now he could think about sleeping. Getting under the blankets sounded like a wonderful idea. Question is if he would even be able to make it there. Whatever – he'd have to try.
With great care, he sat up and wrapped an arm around Geh Ge while he propped himself against the wall. His legs were shaking terribly and for a second he wondered if he'd collapse, but he stayed strong. Slowly, he put all his attention into just walking, which was far harder than it had any right to be. He stepped on something thick and paper-like, but he ignored it – whatever it was could be addressed later.
He finally managed to make it to the mattress, and it took all of his willpower to resist the urge to just fall on it and knock himself out. He laid Geh Ge down on his usual spot on the pillow and settled down himself, just managing to pull the thick hospital blanket over his body. The weight and warmth it gave off gave him a sense of security and safety he hadn't realised he was missing. Snuggling under it, he turned his back to the door and tucked his head under the blanket. It felt nice, and his body was grateful for the mercy of something soft to rest on. His head was still throbbing but he'd stopped shaking, so that was even better.
Why had he been sleeping on the floor anyway?
He yawned, closing his eyes. He must have been sleepwalking; he used to do that a lot when he was a teenager. One time he'd accidentally drank some ketchup from the fridge instead of water and woke up with the bottle on his bedside. It'd been rather embarrassing.
Smiling at the memory, he finally drifted off once more.
-o0o-
"Me and Charlie will be the princesses, Evan will be the knight, and you'll be the monster!" Elizabeth proclaimed, placing her hands on her hips.
"But I don't wanna be a princess – I wanna be a knight!" Charlie whined. "Why do you always get to pick what we play?"
"Girls aren't supposed to be knights! We're supposed to be princesses."
He sighed. "It's 'Charlie and I', Liz," he corrected, turning to her. "And Charlie can be a knight if she wants to be. Evan? What do you want to be?" he asked, looking at his little brother hiding behind the slide.
Evan eyed Elizabeth wearily, looking nervous. "I… I wanted to be a prince," he mumbled.
"Well you can be a prince then."
"No he can't! That's not how this works," Elizabeth argued, stomping her foot childishly. "This isn't fair, Mikey!"
He shook his head. "Lizzie," he started with their father's warning tone. "if you don't like this, then we simply won't play – and you wouldn't want that, would you?"
She crossed her arms. "No," she mumbled with a terribly sour expression on her face.
He grinned, clapping his hands before running to the back of the playground to retrieve two thick sticks, knowing full well that once they started the game, Elizabeth would forget all about this. "Okie Doki! Here you go, Charlie. Remember: we're supposed to be gentle. Don't want to knock any more teeth out, right?"
She laughed, shaking her head. "Nope!"
"Good. Evan, Lizzie, to the top of the tower," he ordered. The two did as they were told, scampering up the steps and gripping the rope tightly as they climbed the steep ramp to the top that was attached to a fire pole for an easy escape.
Picking up the Foxy mask that had been at his feet, he slipped it over his head and secured it tight as he turned to Charlie. "Ready?" he asked. She gave him a determined nod, widening her stance and gripping her stick with both hands. "Okay. Ready. Set. GO!"
The two leapt at each other, swinging their sticks wildly. Elizabeth and Evan cheered for Charlie as she blocked one of his swings and made a stab at his stomach. He jumped back, landing on his feet and grinned at her boldness. While he would love to fight with her enthusiasm, he'd send her flying with one hit and the last thing he wanted was Uncle Henry on his back for smacking his daughter in the ribs.
They'd technically been told not to play-fight anymore, but what their fathers didn't know wouldn't hurt them.
"I'm gonna save the princess and prince, and you're not gonna stop me!" Charlie yelled, jumping at him with a sharp swing.
He easily dodged it, but pretended to stagger. "You'll never kill me! No one's ever been able to rescue my prisoners," he yelled, leaning into the roleplay. "I'll throw you down into the gutter to lay with the others!"
"Then I'll avenge them!"
The two duelled, Michael allowing himself to be turned away and pushed back from the tower he was guarding. Just like he predicted, as soon as he was far enough away, Charlie took one last swing at him as she bolted for the tower, leaping up the stairs. He took chase, slowing down enough so he couldn't grab her too soon. Games were no fun if they ended too quickly after all. Besides – they loved it when they won because whenever he did, they always accused him of cheating. It was no skin off his nose, regardless of the outcome
"Go, Charlie! You can do it!"
"Kick the monster's butt!"
Empowered by his siblings' encouragement, Charlie gripped onto the rope and scaled the wall, Michael standing under and watching her climb. He made no move to follow her up just in case she fell. A lot of kids had broken their wrists or ankles on this particular obstacle, so he had to be ready to catch her.
Once she reached the top, he rushed around, hiding under the tower so he could keep the bottom of the fire pole in sight. Once they slid down, he'd be ready.
"You saved us!" Elizabeth cheered, and Evan giggled. "Where's the monster?"
"I don't know. I think I scared him off."
"Or he's hiding," Evan warned. Michael grinned.
"Keep your guard up when you get down. I'll watch our backs," Charlie ordered. The taps of their shoes on the metal roof and the sound of them sliding down the pole made him duck back, raising his stick. He was sweating under the intense heat that had built up under the tower, but he stayed put until Charlie joined them on the ground. Then he pounced.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" he roared, leaping through the open, wooden window. The three jumped, Evan screaming and immediately bolting in the opposite direction. Charlie raised her stick, letting Elizabeth run away.
"We're leaving, Beast!"
"Oh, I don't think so."
Before she could react, he did a mock swing at her, completely missing. She did the same, aiming for his legs, but he jumped and landed on her stick, knocking it out of her hand. She gasped, stumbling back. Without a weapon, she ran. He took chase, knowing she was leading him into a trap. In the corner of his eye, he could see Elizabeth sneaking up behind him, and Evan running towards him. He braced himself for their assault.
Right on cue, Evan rammed into his legs, sending him to the grassy ground. He threw his arms out just in time, but Elizabeth jumped onto his back, pinning him down. Evan snatched the stick from his hand and threw it towards Charlie. She picked it up as she ran towards him, stopping just short and pointing its end at his face. "You're beaten, monster!"
He grinned. "No I'm not!" he countered, starting to thrash around. Evan and Elizabeth squealed, both trying to grab onto him in an effort to keep him down. Charlie gasped, dropping the stick and grabbing his mask. With a huff, she started to pull. "No, nooooo," he cried playfully, weakly trying to pry her hands away from his head. "It hurts!"
Undeterred, Charlie pulled it off with a cheer and Michael let out a mock cry of pain. "Ohhhh nooo; you've killed me! Blaaaah," he yelled, making fake gagging sounds before he went limp, sticking his tongue out for good measure.
"Yaaaaay!" the four cheered, Elizabeth and Evan bouncing on him. He winced, struggling to breathe. "We did it!"
"You sure did," he laughed, coughing a bit of grass out of his mouth. "Now, can you please hop off? You two are too heavy."
Elizabeth whined before she reluctantly got off, but Evan stayed put, instead wrapping his arms around his neck and legs around his torso. He sighed. "You want a piggyback ride, hmmm?"
"Yes please," Evan mumbled.
"Alright, then. Hold on," he warned. Gripping the grass, he slowly pushed himself up from the ground and stood, adjusting his footing so he wouldn't keel over. Charlie handed him his mask and stick, looking a little guilty. Taking them both, he ruffled her messy hair. "Well done, Charlie – you climbed the tower all by yourself this time."
She grinned at his praise and rushed towards him to give him the strongest hug she could. "Thank you, Mikey." She pulled away, eyes bright. "That was loads of fun!"
Elizabeth ran over and hugged him as well. "It was! Can we do it again?" she asked, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.
He shook his head. "No, Lizzie. We need to have a little break, and then we can play again later, okay?"
She pouted, but accepted his answer nonetheless. "Okay…"
With Evan still firmly attached to his back, Michael put the Foxy mask down on the bench that Charlie had rushed to. Turning back around, he made to stash their sticks away when he heard the sound of a car pulling up. The four of them turned towards the road, and his heart sank. That was Uncle Henry's car. He hadn't realised it had gotten so dark already.
His uncle stepped out – no doubt there to take Charlie home – but he stopped in his tracks when he spotted the sticks in his hands. He opened his mouth to say something, but Charlie rushed towards him with her arms open wide.
"Daddy! How was work?" she asked cheerfully as she was picked up.
Distracted by her question, he turned his attention to her as Elizabeth and Evan gathered around him. Michael put the sticks on the bench, nervous about… everything.
"Hard. We're still having trouble getting Baby to work properly," he sighed, rubbing his temple with his free hand. "No matter how I try, I can't seem to get the sensors on her stomach hatch to work."
At the mention of the new animatronic, Elizabeth perked up. "Baby! Oooo, please Uncle Henry; can I go see her?" she begged.
Uncle Henry sighed. "You've heard your dad, Liz – she's not finished yet."
"But the other kids get to see her!"
"That's because they're big kids and they're helping us test her out. She's very big, and she needs to learn how to walk without running into anyone. We don't want you to get hurt," he tried to explain.
"I'm not short!" she argued despite the fact that the top of her head only just reaching halfway up their uncle's thigh.
"Lizzie, you'll just have to ask your dad again. He would tan my hide if he found out I let you near her without his permission."
"Is Ballora still acting funny?" Evan asked in an attempt to stop their sister from throwing another tantrum.
Michael stiffened at the mention of her. "I still can't figure out why her eyes won't open. She can move around just fine, but the customers are getting creeped out by it." He turned to look back at Charlie. "But enough about work; how was your day?"
Charlie hesitated. "We… we played," she answered vaguely. "Mikey made us cheese toasties for lunch."
"Did he?" he muttered, locking his sights on him. Ah, shit. He put Charlie down and stalked towards Michael, making him back up. He held out his hand. "I saw those sticks. Hand them over," he ordered.
Swallowing, he reluctantly placed the two thick sticks in his hand. Not a second later, he winced as two echoing snaps bounced through the quiet street. The remains of the sticks fell to the ground.
"I've told you time and time again NOT to play with sticks!" Uncle Henry barked. He shrunk away, holding himself in an effort to appear smaller than he really was. "Was knocking out Evan's loose tooth not enough of a lesson? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"
Reluctantly, he raised his head, swallowing the lump of shame in his throat. It was hard to meet his uncle's furious face. "Smoking, bullying, swearing, fighting with sticks, hanging out with the problem children in your grade, breaking the rules, disobeying your elders, lying, and general lack of respect and discipline – You are supposed to be setting an example! What do you think you're teaching them?" he scolded. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"
Michael glanced at the others then stared at his bare feet. Evan was hiding behind Elizabeth, who was holding Charlie's hand. "D-Daddy… It was my idea to use the sticks," she lied.
Uncle Henry didn't look away from him. "Then Michael should have known better and told you 'no'."
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, gritting his teeth.
"Sorry? That's not going to cut it."
"Then what do you want me to say?!" he shouted, finally meeting his eyes. "I'm not going to beg for forgiveness, if that's what you're waiting for. You've already tattled to Father, so you don't have any power over me now. Unless you want to hit me?" he challenged, knowing full well that his uncle wouldn't dare with Charlie right there.
His uncle pursed his lips, looking furious, but he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked back to the car. "No need to – William will deal with you. Come on, Charlotte; we're going home."
Charlie ran past Henry and hugged Michael tightly. "I'm sorry," she mumbled into his overalls.
"It's okay. It's not your fault," he reassured her. Despite that, her eyes were still bright with tears. Her father's hatred for him was a mystery, even to her.
She ran back to the car and hopped into the back seat. Once she was buckled in, the car drove off in the direction of their house, leaving the three of them in the twilight.
"Come on," he mumbled, picking up his Foxy mask. "Let's go home. Stay in your rooms when Father comes back, okay? I don't want you two to see this."
They nodded, not oblivious to what was in store for him when he got home. Every single one of them had been on the receiving end of a beating at least once, but Michael's was going to be far more brutal than theirs.
After all, he was the oldest. He should know better.
-o0o-
He stared at the ground feeling cold, confused, scared, and… oddly hollow – like he couldn't quite process what was in front of him. The hope he had unknowingly had that it was nothing more than a twisted dream masquerading as a nightmare wasn't true.
Lying on the floor in the middle of the room was a thick envelope.
Pushing the blanket off, he tested his legs and was relieved to find that they were willing to do their job this time. Not only that, but the aching, tingly feeling in his head was gone now, too. His muscles were still sore beyond belief, but some stretching and movement would fix that up. He picked his phone up, shocked at the time.
9:32am.
Looking behind him, he saw that Geh Ge had managed to turn himself over and was sleeping on his front, head tilted to the side so that a pool of drool was now soaking his side of the pillow. It wouldn't be long before he decided to wake up. Knowing that was enough to get him in the shower. The envelope could wait.
He hadn't realised how hot and uncomfortable he had been until he was standing under the cool water. He scrubbed himself all over until his skin was pink but it didn't seem to help. He felt as though he'd been tainted somehow – like something was stuck to him that just wouldn't come off no matter how hard he tried.
It was very similar to the feeling he had had when he found out what his father had done to so many people. He couldn't remember how he managed to get that icky feeling off.
He turned the water off and dried himself off, feeling the slightest bit better now that he was cooled off and his hair was no longer oily. He decided to shave too, just for good measure. It was a nice distraction from what lay outside. Unfortunately, he couldn't hide from it forever.
After taking his medication and cleaning off the razor, he left the bathroom and crossed to the kitchen, glancing at Geh Ge. His bub was still sound asleep and blissfully ignorant, and he hoped it stayed that way. He could only pray that whatever job his uncle had for him wasn't life-threatening, although he had his doubts about it being safe. If it was, his uncle wouldn't need him.
While he waited for the formula to heat up, he tried to get some food down. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. By the time he was done, the microwave was finished and Geh Ge had started to stir right on cue. Before he could start a ruckus, he rushed to his bub's side and picked him up. He watched as his eyebrows scrunched up and his bottom lip started to quiver, face growing steadily redder. There wasn't much he could do to prevent him from crying from there.
"Shhhh sh-sh-shhhh. It's okay; Daddy's here," he shushed, rocking him in his arms. He pressed a kiss to his head before he laid his bub against his chest and bounced him in his arms to try and calm him down. "Are you hungry?" he asked, checking his temperature anyway. Hmmm, he was a little too hot too. "Or do you want a bath? I think a bath will make you feel better."
He returned to the bathroom and filled the sink with cool water, making sure it wasn't too cold or too warm. That was another problem with their room – there wasn't much airflow so it was going to be a nightmare in summer. He'd need to figure out how to fix that problem soon if he wanted to keep themselves comfortable.
Geh Ge needed his nappy changed anyway, so it was easy to get him out of his pyjamas, wipe him down, and sit him in the sink. He was right in his assumption that the heat was what was bothering his poor bub, as the second the cool water touched his legs, he immediately settled down. Geh Ge's cries faded away and he finally managed to open his eyes. Michael picked up a face wash and wiped away some stray tears. Pressing the corner of the wash to his cheek caused the beet-red flush to fade away from his face. "Is that better?" he asked. Geh Ge tilted his head to the side, staring at him owlishly.
Not receiving any complaints, he continued washing him off until Geh Ge started to squirm. Getting him dried off and ready for the day, he carried him back into their room and fed his bub, all the while glaring at the envelope. Once Geh Ge was done, there was no use delaying the inevitable any longer.
Resting Geh Ge in his arm, he picked up the envelope and sat down on the mattress. His bub wriggled in his arms, reaching out for the envelope in curiosity, but he gently brushed his hand away and grabbed Mangle to capture his attention. Geh Ge immediately grabbed Mangle and started chewing on its ears, letting Michael sit him down in his lap and investigate the envelope in peace.
Tearing it open, he pulled out a cased CD, a folded note, and a four-paged document written in an agonisingly small font. He turned the CD over and read the title scrawled out with marker on its plastic casing: Fazbear Entertainment's Franchisee Introduction. Scowling, he put it aside and squinted at the title of the document: Franchisee's Rules, Regulations, and Special Obligations Contract. Great; a contract – and by the looks of it, his signature had been forged at the very bottom that asked for his consent. His uncle had caught him in a web and there was no doubt that the company itself already expected him to be there so he'd get slapped with a lawsuit if he didn't meet their requirements. Well, fuck him dead – he really didn't have a choice.
He dropped the document on the floor and snatched the note up, unfolding it. Henry's once neat handwriting had seen better days, but it was still legible.
If you are reading this, Michael, then you have agreed to help me. My plan is too long to explain in one letter alone, so you will meet me at the new restaurant that has been rebranded as 'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place'. It's two-and-a-half hours down the highway from here leading to Hurricane. It shouldn't be hard to find – it's slap-bang in the middle of nowhere. That will give you plenty of time to listen to the CD I've left with this envelope. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe William's car had a CD player inside. It was made by the company so don't believe everything it says. But, it will give you an idea about what you are getting into. I expect to see you there by twelve. We have a lot to talk about.
His hands were shaking by the end, a burning rage bubbling inside him. He was tempted to ball it up, shred it to pieces, and flush it down the toilet, but he wouldn't let his anger rule him. He had to be better than that – than them.
Checking the time told him it was already five minutes past ten, so he'd have to move then and there if he wanted to listen to Henry. He could always just… not go, but his uncle would no doubt sic the police on him, so there were no other options. It seemed like he already knew that anyway considering the wording of the letter. 'I expect'. 'You will'. God, it made him sick.
Reluctantly, he picked Geh Ge up and packed what he'd need to handle a whole day in the middle of nowhere: water, food, toys for Geh Ge, and other necessities. A part of him considered getting Ms. Olivia to take care of his bub, but she'd ask questions and the last thing she needed to hear was that he was going out to a Freddy's location. That would worry her far too much. He'd just tell her he was going to be out for most of the day.
It would probably be best that he didn't tell her about Henry either. Something told him that she'd have a few… 'words' to exchange if she found out how he got Michael to agree to this. The same went for everyone else. He just hoped they would believe him if they asked any questions. Which was likely; none of them knew he was a two-faced liar.
(That wasn't fair on him, but it was true… right?)
Geh Ge babbled excitedly as he moved around, double-checking he had everything before he locked his door. Making his way to Ms. Olivia's, he knocked on her door gently. A few seconds later, it opened.
"Good morning, Dearie," she greeted, looking him over in surprise. "Oh, where are you going?"
He shuffled his feet nervously, regretting every word that was going to be leaving his mouth today. "Out. I thought… since it's the first day off I've ever gotten, I'd spend it outside. Just to clear my head, you know?"
She hummed knowingly, smiling at the two. "That's a great idea, Dearie. But… I have to ask: how did you do last night? I heard some… odd noises in your room. Shouting." Her eyes were filled with so much concern. "Did something happen?"
Michael swallowed. "I just had a bad nightmare, is all. That's one of the reasons I wanted to go out," he lied.
Much to his dismay, she believed him. "Then you better not let me hold you up. Enjoy your day, Dearie."
"I will. Thank you."
They waved goodbye until she shut her door, letting him leave the building without running into anyone else. He was relieved to reach his car, but a little worried when it took a second too long for the engine to start up. Once it rumbled to life, he was finally able to sit back and relax for a minute.
Buckling his seatbelt and setting Geh Ge in his lap (he really needed to get a baby seat), he pulled out the CD and popped it inside the CD player, only pressing play once he had turned onto the road.
The last voice he expected to hear was Andy's.
"I will be your personal guide to help you get started. I'm a model five of the Handyman's Robotics and Unit Repair System. But you can call me 'HandUnit'."
Andy… the replacement for loyal Scott after he was killed – sorry – 'disappeared'. It was a tell for how cold the company was. Scott had been working for the company since day one, but they still treated his death the same way they treated the deaths of the children: pretending it didn't happen. Then again, Scott had been covering the company's ass for just as long as well, so he was similar to Henry in that sense.
"It's– it's been a bad night here – for me. Um… I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you… uh, when I did."
He scowled at the memory, grip on the steering wheel tightening. The CD was the most unhelpful thing he had ever listened to, rushing through everything and giving him the most asinine 'advice' he had ever heard – and HandUnit had told him to sprint across Ballora's room!
"…and take a huge gamble on your future. A gamble that comes with a one-hundred percent chance of success in some cases." Brilliant. "…What are we talking about? We're talking about becoming a Fazbear Entertainment franchisee! That's right! Restaurant ownership and management – something almost anyone can do with a limited degree of success."
Michael groaned, briefly taking his eyes off the road to squeeze them shut. God, dammit! What had his uncle gotten him roped up in now? He couldn't be the owner of a restaurant – much less manage one! Everything he knew about business was passed down from the lectures and ramblings he had to sit through when his father dragged him to the bloody business meetings. Perhaps he thought Michael would take up the business one day before everything went downhill. Maybe he thought it would get Michael to do something that was considered 'successful' and 'useful', rather than chasing after 'pipe dreams'.
Unfortunately, that seemed to be the case. He hated his father's weird ability to predict things. It was too creepy. Then again, maybe that was because he was just good at manipulating things in his favour. He doubted getting locked in a room for thirty years had been part of the plan, though.
"…which means it's safe…" What horse shit. Free climbing a mountain would be safer than this.
It went on and on, talking about investments and the most basic of business practices like making sure the place was actually sanitary, entertaining, and had something to do, which would be a first for the company ever since the first murders. At the very least, the building already existed, because he did NOT have the money to buy a building in the middle of nowhere.
"There may be times where you purchase something of questionable quality – and we don't blame you! Cutting corners is just good business." They weren't even trying to be subtle anymore. "…and that brings us to: liability. Being a thrifty shopper is smart, but be aware that buying things on sale comes with a certain amount of risk." That got his attention. He sat up, frowning at the road as though it had personally offended him. It may as well have, since it was the reason he was listening to this in the first place. "Aside from the daily risk of lawsuits–" Oh, no. He'd have to deal with that too. "there's also the risk that something may be hiding inside whatever you just purchased with that steeply discounted price tag." Wait. "Of course, that would only be a serious danger if there was something outside that's been trying to get in for months now, which we are not confirming to be the case."
His heart was beating so heavily that it felt like it would burst. Something trying to get inside – it couldn't be anything other than the wandering animatronics. Had they been trying to break into other restaurants? If that was the case, the isolated location of this restaurant made sense now. If it was out here, they wouldn't pose a threat to the local community. The only people they could hurt out there was… anyone inside the building.
How exactly did Henry expect to keep them together? How did he plan to lure them all the way out here if they were already interested in other locations? Michael had tried to trap them before, and it hadn't worked, so what sort of invention had he come up with to keep them in place? It had to be something inescapable and the only thing he could think of would be an air-tight seal, but even then, there had to be a way to throw them in and get out – which meant there was a way for them to escape.
He'd failed once before. He hoped Henry had a better plan.
"Remember, YOU are now the face of the newly rebranded Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Wear that smile with pride, and let's make some money!" Ah, money. He wondered what the agreed percentage was and how that would translate into the funds needed for proper staff, pay, and equipment. From what Steve had told him, it wasn't enough to keep this place floating. "FazbearEntertainmentisnotresponsiblefordisappearance,death,ordismemberment."
That got a snort out of him. Of course they would only include that sort of thing at the very end when it was too late to back out.
"…and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary!"
He pulled onto the side of the road and took the CD out and back into its case. For a brief moment, he stepped outside to stretch, playing with Geh Ge in the sun. He was twenty minutes ahead of schedule so he could take the time to play. Taking Mangle from his bub gently, he swung it in the air, making airplane noises while he bounced him.
Geh Ge's laughter was enough to make his troubles disappear, if only for a moment.
-o0o-
'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place!
Where fantasy and fun come to life! (TM)
Forty-Five Minutes Away'
They passed the sign, although it was hard to read as the clouds had gathered quickly, promising sweet rain. He hoped some would fall – it had been a while, and he loved the rain. It reminded him of how he used to play in the puddles when he was a kid and get scolded when he came inside all muddy. Then… then his father would blast him with the garden hose and throw a towel at him to dry.
Regardless, he liked the rain.
He rolled down the window a bit, sticking his head out to smell the wind. The sweet smell and cool breeze confirmed his hope. It was a shame he couldn't play in it anymore. Maybe when Geh Ge was older, they could wallow in the mud and he could chase him around with the garden hose. That was if he moved back to Hurricane.
The idea made him smile, giddy and hopeful. He was determined to give his bub the happy, traumatic-free childhood he never got to have. He just had to make sure he didn't spoil him.
He wound the window back up just as some drops began to fall, before adjusting himself carefully in his seat. He was starting to lose the feeling in his butt but he really didn't want to wake Geh Ge up. He glanced through the mirrors before turning the headlights on, looking over his shoulder at the rapidly disappearing sign.
'Where fantasy and fun came to life…'. Yeah, they came to life in all the wrong ways. It was ironic how the originally innocent slogan had taken on a whole new meaning in light of the past, and he would admit he was sad to see the place fall apart. As much as he hated the company and everyone in it, he could not deny that it had once started with pure intentions.
He knew the story of Henry and his father's work well. The two had met when they were sixteen around a month after his family moved to America. They both went to the same high school, then the same university (because they were too smart for their own good), then got wrapped up in their familiar goals. His father wanted to run a business, and Henry wanted to entertain kids with something new and exciting. Businesses were hard to start up without introducing something 'new', and in order to entertain kids, a business was needed. So they knew what to do.
The idea of a moving, talking, and singing machine was ludicrous to anyone that bothered to give them the time of day, so most turned their noses up at the idea. Computers were bulky, heavy, and huge, so a human-shaped robot was (understandably) inconceivable. But they were determined to prove them wrong.
Their first (working) creation was a bulky, heavy, and huge dog that they called Fetch. It could open and shut its jaw, turn its head, wag its tail and ears, communicate on command with pre-recorded barks, and was capable of standing and sitting. It had caught everyone's attention, and they were encouraged to pursue this dream, but for different purposes. Why bother making machines to play with kids when the government could make better use of them?
Around that time was when his father decided to take up speech classes on top of business and robotic engineering. Believe it or not, his father hadn't always been a manipulative, sleazy, smooth-talking snake. Before that, his accent was as thick as Aunt Allison's and he was very vulgar and a bit of a wild card. How Michael's mother ever saw anything in his father was beyond him.
They graduated, but their refusal to change course cost them any further support or funding. So – out of pure spite for everyone that doubted them – the two built their first standing animatronic: Fredbear. He was built out of nothing but scrap metal the two had salvaged from Hurricane's dumpster and any donated electrical equipment that the residents no longer had a use for. Henry was Fredbear's voice provider since his father's accent was still too thick, and his outer casing was nothing more than a poorly stitched-together mess of browns and yellows that his mother had helped make.
But that was when Michael was born and he accidentally threw a wrench into their plans. With his father preoccupied with him, that left Henry to do the last legwork on Fredbear's A.I. which caused him to short-circuit on the machine's first test run. Which meant they had to build the thing from scratch again.
Michael was more than a problem. His mother was from a heavily religious family, so the idea that his parents had had him just after the marriage had to be kept a strict secret from everyone, otherwise all Hell would break loose. Which left Henry alone again to work on perfecting Fredbear.
(…Maybe that was why he hated him – he got in the way. But surely not just for that… right?)
Eventually they got him to work, and they set about getting him to perform. His first ever performance had been at a seven-year-old boy's birthday party in the local park, with Henry having to hide and sing Happy Birthday behind a tree to keep up the illusion that Fredbear was talking by himself. The adults were terrified, but the kids were delighted. His father had to chase the kids away from Fredbear whenever they tried to touch him with their sticky hands.
With undeniable proof that Fredbear was a success, the investors his father had tried to coerce into supporting their endeavour changed their minds quickly, and within the next three months, a small building had been opened with Fredbear being the main attraction. 'The wonderful Fredbear's Singin' Show!' was advertised to the town and everyone was just oh-so-curious to see him come to life. It was at that point that Henry just recorded himself saying some generic greetings, interactive questions, cheesy jokes, and generic, copyright-free songs so he didn't have to hide behind the tiny curtains and accidentally have a voice crack halfway through his performance. At the time, the place hadn't been advertised as a pizza place.
With the booming success of Fredbear, the place was expanded and rebranded as Fredbear's Family Diner when he was four, and Spring Bonnie (nicknamed simply as 'Spring') joined the crew. This time – with his father's voice no longer being as thick as before – being the dopey, lazy, yet smart bunny's voice. Soon after that, the two animatronics were completely remade with the new springlock endoskeletons and suits. They were even able to walk all by themselves, too.
From there it was history. Everything went downhill when his father suggested adding more 'girlish' animatronics since not many girls were interested in the place, even after they added Chica when the first 'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza' opened. Baby was too complicated for Henry and little Liz refused to listen to their father's vague warnings, so she was crushed in half as a result. Then Evan… and the place fell apart. The Diner was sold, Fazbear Entertainment scrambled to do damage control, and his father announced his 'retirement' so he could 'take care of his mentally ill son' while Henry stayed behind.
He glared at the road, gritting his teeth. And now look at him – he was going to take his father's place and they were going to lure their targets in with a false promise.
History better not repeat itself.
-o0o-
He sat in his room, nursing his injuries from the vicious beating he'd received when Father got home. Just like he asked, his siblings stayed in their rooms, not even peeking from their doors when they heard their father shouting and heard Michael crying.
Of course, he deserved it. He should have known better. He'd been given multiple warnings before. Bad children must be punished for doing bad things, and Michael was bad. If he made his siblings do bad things as well, then they would get punished too. He should be a better big brother.
He winced as he carefully stuck the adhesive bandage Evan had sneakily given him, on his right thigh where a large, red mark lied on his skin. Parts of it were broken and bleeding ever so slightly, but he'd cleaned them before Father threw him in his room and locked him inside. Not only was twenty hits with a belt not enough, but getting his right ear boxed, slapped, hair pulled, and being sent to bed without dinner or a shower, was added to the list of punishments for him that night. It was the worst beating he'd ever had.
"SELFISH AND INSUBORDINATE, JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER!" Father had screamed, pinning him to the wall to stop him from running. Each word emphasised with another hit. "DAMMIT, YOU STUPID THING! How many times do I have to hit you until you get it through that thick skull of yours that I WON'T TOLERATE DISOBEDIENCE?"
He closed his eyes, letting his head fall on his pillow so he could cry into it. Father would get angry at him if he heard him crying too. He wasn't allowed to cry at all unless it was for good reason. Getting hit wasn't considered good reason enough.
At some point he must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was woken up by Elizabeth's screams of terror.
He scrambled out of bed, tripping over his sheets to try and pull his door open, but it was still locked. He banged on the door, calling for Father, but all he was given was a bark to shut up.
Elizabeth's door opened and he heard Father run in. "What's wrong, Sweetheart?" he asked, voice worlds softer than what they had been a second ago.
"There was a bad guy in my room," Liz sobbed.
"Where?"
"He was standing in the corner," she whimpered. He heard his father open her wardrobe and pull her curtains back, but there was no shout of alarm.
"There's nothing there. You must have been seeing things," Father told her.
"But he was there!" she cried.
Father sighed. "Alright. Well, do you know what to say when you see him again? You tell him this: 'This is my room, and you're not allowed in! And if you don't leave, Daddy will get you.'. Okay?"
"Okay. Thank you, Daddy. I love you."
"I love you too, Sweetheart. Would you like me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"
"Yes please."
"Alright. Up you get."
If only she knew that the 'bad guy' was already in her room.
-o0o-
The bad thing about unexpected rain was that it was unexpected. Which meant that more often than not, he didn't have an umbrella.
Huffing, he turned the headlights off and parked the car, squinting through the sheets of rain, he felt his right eye twitch at the state of the place.
What the Hell was this?
TO BE CONTINUED…