Turn Around

Jeremy and Lidiya made their way back through the testing corridors. The synths met them part way, Billy and Hermana latching onto them in hugs.

"You're both okay!" Hermana kept switching from one to the other. "Oh gawd, that was awful!"

"Don't worry, we're fine. All thanks to her," said Jeremy, gesturing to Lidiya.

"I figured you'd have something to do with that." Clyde nodded at Lidiya. "You're not bad, Lid."

She smiled. "High praise, Clyde. The Puppet?"

"See for yourself," said Theodore.

They returned back to his room. Smoke was pouring out of the Puppet's box. Jeremy could see the hands and feet of the suit sticking up over the rim. With the synths nearby, they approached cautiously.

The Puppet was lying motionless in the box, a few bots lying on top of him. He was still stuck in the suit, but parts of it had fallen away, revealing parts of his true body beneath. He could see the fixed grin of his mask through the jaws of the Lefty suit.

"Is he dead?" he asked.

"We don't know," answered Billy. "We wanted to make sure you two were okay first. We didn't have time to check. He's not moving though, so…"

"Yeah, I get it. Hey!" Jeremy called into the box. "You still alive in there?"

For a few seconds, there was no response. Then a shaky, electronically distorted voice answered.

"I… I am. Please… help me."

Jeremy was taken aback. So that was what he actually sounded like.

"And why would we do that?" asked Jeremy. "After what you just pulled, I think we should just leave you in there."

"I had… no choice." He was moving feebly inside the suit's confines. "Suit… I had to obey. Could not… I'm sorry."

Jeremy blinked. "Sorry? That's a first."

"Cuckoo… told me to guard the factory. Stop you. Did not… specify how. Was able to… reinterpret orders. Give you… a chance to… to break free. Have… done it before."

At first, Jeremy didn't believe him. But then he thought about it. All of the rules he had in place. The fact the bots hadn't tried to kill him when they caught him or that he could have just as easily killed them by swarming them in the first place.

"How do we know it wasn't another of your games and you're just trying to weasel your way out of it, now that you've lost?"

"I don't think it was." Billy came over to join him. "I… I attacked him before. He was going to hurt me, but then he stopped. He asked me to stop. He asked me to trust him."

Jeremy frowned. "I thought he was meant to send the bots in if any of you tried to help."

"Was trying to help… when attacked," replied the Puppet. "Rule… was not broken. Was… difficult to do, but managed."

"He did. It looked like he was trying really hard not to hurt me," said Billy. "I know it sounds strange, but I think he's telling the truth."

"Yeah, but have you forgotten the reason why you attacked him? How he decided to help?" Clyde pointed at the Puppet. "He tried to take control of me again. Couldn't resist screwing around with us, even if he was 'helping'."

"And you still sent the Nightmare and those bots after us," chimed in Lidiya. "Hell of a way to help."

"Part of… the game. Could not… make it too easy. Had to… make it believable or the suit… would have made me Silence you. As for you…" He was quiet before responding. "The Monster Rabbit had caught the Second Night-watchmen. Would have Silenced him. Had to… save him."

Clyde scoffed. "Right, like I'm supposed to believe that."

"No, it's true. The thing had me and then… it was like what happened at the house. It… it said my name." Jeremy thought of it, lying in the generator room. He put it out of his mind. "But how does that help? Why control Clyde?"

"Maybe it's to do with the kid." Hermana blushed when everyone turned to look at her. "What? I'm just sayin'. If we all came from the kids and the Nightmares have the fragments of the kids inside 'em… I dunno, I just thought that might be it."

"That sounds…" Theodore searched for the right words. "Well, it sounds a little farfetched, Hermana."

"No, she might be onto something. The Puppet controls the synths by transmitting his control signal inside their heads. If he was using the same thing on the Nightmare, then maybe…" Lidiya trailed off. She looked down at the Puppet. "Which child was used to brain map Clyde?"

"Robert Fitzgerald."

"And which fragment was placed inside Nightmare Bonnie?"

"Robert Fitzgerald."

"That's it!" She clapped her hands and grinned. "If the fragments come from the children and their minds are the foundation for the Balloon Buddies-"

"We need to come up with a better name," muttered Theodore.

"Then," said Lidiya, gesturing at Theodore to hush, "maybe that somehow restored part of Robert Fitzgerald! Not completely, but just enough that he remembered and was able to stop himself, maybe even partly resist the control!"

Jeremy stared. "Is that possible?"

"What else could it be? I know it sounds insane, but what about this whole thing isn't?"

"Actually…" Clyde looked thoughtful. "When we were attacked and put under his control again, I remember there was… something else. It felt like someone else was there. It was weird. I felt like… like I knew them somehow. It helped me… you're saying that was-?"

"YES!" Lidiya giggled with sheer elation. "Oh my god, that is… I mean the implications are just… this is so crazy, but it's so amazing!"

"Was uncertain," said the Puppet weakly. "Have… given great thought. Took a chance before. Knew it was… risky. Paid off."

Jeremy was speechless. It wasn't just him. It was real, it had happened. Did he dare to hope that there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, he could get his brother back? Not just him, but all of the children too?

He looked at the Puppet. He still had some lingering doubts, but there was no denying he had helped them, albeit unconventionally. The factory was shut down, but it still wasn't over and they'd need every hand they could get.

"Get him out of that suit," he said.

If the others had reservations, they didn't voice them. Together, they pried away the pieces of the Lefty suit and removed the Puppet from inside it. His movements were very weak and his limbs were shaking.

"I am… damaged," he said. "Suit… took the brunt. Will be fine, but… need recovery. Thank you for trusting me, Child."

"It's okay. Thank you for helping us, Puppet." He frowned. "No, that doesn't sound right anymore. You need a real name."

He tilted his head. "I do?"

"Yeah, then you don't need to call people things like Cuckoo or Night-watchmen anymore. It'll be better for you and them. Let's see…" He thought for a moment. "How about Charlie?"

"Why Charlie?" asked Theodore.

Billy shrugged. "Just sounds good. What do you think?"

"Charlie. I am… Charlie." Slowly, he nodded. "Yes. I like it. My name is Charlie."

"Hello Charlie! My name is Billy." He held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you."

The Puppet… Charlie, stared at the hand. He extended two of his three spindly fingers and took Billy's hand between them.

"Hello, Billy. It is nice to meet you too."

"Yes, yes, very good," said Theodore. "Now may I suggest that we depart? Or have we forgotten that urgent matters require our attention?"

Charlie shook his head. "I have not and I wish to help."

"Great! You can control the bots!" cheered Hermana.

"I cannot. Not without using these." He raised his fingers, showing the connectors that came out of them. "I can no longer control you or anything as I once did. My strings have been burned away, forever."

"I'm… I'm sorry," Lidiya whispered.

"Do not be. It feels… good," he said. "I was able to send the Empty Ones to sleep before my strings were cut. They will not respond to any new orders and can no longer be commanded to attack as they have been. They are no longer a threat."

Clyde rolled his eyes. "Okay, so what are we meant to do instead?"

"I have an alternative plan," he replied. "One of you, go and retrieve the synth from the Monster Rabbit. I have a plan, but it will be better if I demonstrate while we travel."

"Please helps," muttered Clyde.

"Hmm." A beat of silence. A tilt of his head. "Very well. Please, retrieve the synth. Be careful. It may still be dangerous."

Clyde blinked. "Okay, this is really weird. Be right back."

"Yes," said Charlie, watching him go. "And I believe it will only become weirder."

"NO!"

Goldie's scream snapped Mike out of his reverie. Before he could act, the burned synth punched him twice in the head and kicked his chest. He stumbled backwards, wheezing from the impact and fell to the ground.

"That felt… exhilarating." Sid Hawthorne looked down at the core that once contained Spring Bonnie. "Back in control. At last."

"You murdered him!" screeched Goldie. "You heartless bastard, you murdered him!"

"I would hardly equate my action to that." He paused to reinstall the empty core back into the suit. "Considering what he just put me through, I would be inclined to equate my actions to self-defence along with cleaning up the remains of an embarrassing mistake."

"What? What do you mean?"

He sighed impatiently. "As I've said countless times, technology of your sort needs proper control. Spring Bonnie was my first attempt at doing so. I will admit my methods back then were far less refined, but you have to start somewhere. My attempts to alter his mental pathways may have caused some… less than desirable behaviour, but it allowed me to correct my errors and be far more successful with you."

Goldie's voice was laden with shock. "You. You… you did that to him? E-Everything that was put down to faulty brain mapping or behavioural issues…"

"As I said, you have to start somewhere and the first trial runs are never perfect. It was unfortunate, but I learned and fortunately, Fitzbar never realised. He may have suspected, but he never acted on it. The old fool was always like that. I think we can all agree Spring's purging was no great loss and regardless, you cannot kill what was never alive."

"He was my friend! He was my partner! He was actually willing to listen, to try and come back from what he had done! Phil blamed himself for the way Spring turned out and all along…!" Her tone became laden with venom. "I will kill you for this, Hawthorne."

Sid regarded them for a moment. Then he lunged. He moved so quickly, Mike only just managed to dodge his punch. But he was struck by a side kick. Sid clapped both hands either side of Mike's head, following up with two more jabs and a wind-up punch that left his head ringing. He tasted something salty and coppery in his mouth.

"I should thank you," continued Sid, like nothing had happened. "I didn't anticipate what the Puppet and Spring did to me, I will admit. But your efforts allowed me to exert my influence over my body, especially after damaging this suit. Removing his core was the last thing I needed."

Mike managed to find his voice. "You… you didn't have to…"

"But I did." He grabbed Mike by the throat, bodily lifting him up. "Just as I'm going to do this to you, Schmidt. I've had to watch as that insane creature destroyed everything I sacrificed and struggled to build. I'll concede that I admire his ingenuity, but even with all that he had gained and could have done, he lacked the conviction to follow through on his goals. A conviction that I don't lack."

He tossed him away like he was a piece of trash. Mike coughed, trying to get back to his feet as Sid stalked towards him.

"It will take time, but I will rebuild. Until then, I will take a certain consolation in finally putting an end to you, you miserable little man."

"Mike, get up," whispered Goldie. "Please, get up! We need to find the others!"

"You… you won't win…" Mike managed to stand. "If I don't stop you… my friends will."

"Indeed?" Sid stopped, snorting derisively. "What you seem to forget, Mike, is that your 'friends' are simply machines. Their allegiances will change, depending on who directs them. Allow me to demonstrate."

His eyes flashed purple and he raised his hand. Suddenly, the suit felt very constricting like it had tightened around Mike's body. He tried to move his arms, but couldn't.

"Oh no… you don't!" Goldie growled.

With a cry of exertion, Mike regained the use of his limbs. He still hurt in more than once place, but he was able to back up from Sid.

"Your own control signal?" she asked. "Still trying to outdo Fred."

"And have succeeded!" His burned lips flexed into a grin. "I didn't have time to test it before he took over, but Spring served as a valuable tutorial in operating his own. He offered me something of an unintentional first-hand experience."

"While using his empty core to boost the signal," she murmured. "Still not quite good enough to beat me, Sid."

"Ah, but I can feel it. You're trying so hard to keep me out. But while you've protected Mr Schmidt, I've been far more successful with your so-called friends. Speaking of which…"

He looked at something past Mike. The first things he saw were the Nightmares. Much more battered than before, but still moving, still angry, still dangerous. Then he saw his friends. They were walking with them, marching with stiff rigidity. As one, they turned their heads to gaze at Mike. Their eyes burned with purple light.

"No. No, guys, no!"

"Since your faith in them is so great, we'll see how well it holds up." The Nightmares went to stand behind Sid while the synths stood across from Mike. "Kill him."

Sid was behind him. The Nightmares had encircled him on one side, the synths on the other. Mike couldn't even back away as they moved towards him.

"Is the fragment still in there?" asked Jeremy. "Is my brother okay?"

The Puppet, now Charlie, looked up from his spot in the truck. He was knelt at the head of the synth, lying motionless on the floor.

"It is. It is still intact, though its form is not." He gestured to the synth. "He was too close to the generator."

"But the fragment is there. That means he's okay. That means you can bring him back, right?"

Charlie was quiet for a long time.

"Yes. And no."

"What does that mean, which is it?" Jeremy crouched next to him. "That's what Lidiya said and you agreed. That means you can do it. You have to!"

"The Engin… Lidiya," he corrected, "was mostly correct. But not entirely. I was able to briefly restore Robert Fitzgerald by connecting the fragments to the mind of the Doorm… Clyde. But it cannot be done with any permanence."

Clyde looked up. "Hold on, what were you about to call me?"

"That's not important," Jeremy dismissed. "What do you mean?"

He went quiet again for a few moments. "These fragments, these remnants, that is all they are. Remains. The original form and mind is gone. What is left cannot be restored to what once was. Not without great cost."

"What cost?"

"Given time, I could restore the mind of Robert Fitzgerald by using the original foundations within Clyde. However, what has been built from there would have to be dismantled. Clyde would be gone. Even then, I cannot guarantee a perfect reconstruction of your brother, Jeremy. There is not enough left. I… I am sorry."

There it was again. The hope that had begun to build had been destroyed once again. Jeremy let out a strangled sob and bowed his head. He shut his eyes, his mind reeling from the horrible, horrible truth. It was like being told he had lost his brother all over again.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder. Clyde knelt down next to him, looking apprehensive.

"What if…?" He swallowed hard. "W-What if I asked you to do it?"

"NO!" Hermana latched onto Clyde, a fierce look on her face. "Don't you dare, don't you even dare!"

"Get off me!" He tried to struggle free. "Hermana, stop it! I want to do this!"

"What about us?" she sobbed. "What about what we want?!"

"It does not matter." Charlie stared at them. "I still would not."

"But I'm asking you to!" he shouted. "The kid died because of me, he deserves another chance!"

"He did not die because of you. He died because of my Master. Because of me…" Charlie looked down at his fingers. "I could not stop it then. I had no choice. I have one now. I shall not trade one life for another. Not again."

"But… but…!" Tears started welling in Clyde's eyes. "But the kid…"

"Clyde, stop. Please, just…" Jeremy took a few breaths before clapping a hand on Clyde's shoulder. "My brother's death isn't on you and I'm not… I'm not going to ask you to die for that."

Clyde tried a few times to speak, but every time the words stopped before they left his mouth. Jeremy pulled him into an embrace, Clyde shaking as he sobbed. He could hear Clyde whispering the same words, over and over.

"I'm s-sorry… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. It's fine, it's okay," replied Jeremy. Though his heart still ached, he knew this was the right choice.

"However," said Charlie, "if Clyde is willing, I can still restore your brother for a brief period, Jeremy. It will not be for long and afterward, I will send him back to the Silence. But if you wish to speak with him before I do, you may."

"You'd… you'd do that?"

Charlie nodded. "Much pain has been caused by my Master's actions and mine. I wish to help heal what I can."

Jeremy pulled back to look at Clyde. He hesitated for a moment, then nodded his consent. Charlie motioned for Jeremy to move back and extended the connectors from his fingers. One went into the prone synth. He looked silently at Clyde who bowed his head and shut his eyes. The connector snaked around into the back of Clyde's head.

He gasped suddenly, throwing his head back as he did. It fell forward again. He looked down at his hands in apparent confusion.

"It is… done." Charlie was trembling, his voice heavy with exertion. "One… minute."

"Bobby?" Jeremy cautiously reached for Clyde. "Bobby, is that you? Can you hear me?"

"Jeremy…?" He looked up. Though he spoke with Clyde's voice, it didn't sound like him. It sounded frightened, timid. "J-Jeremy!"

"Bobby!" He embraced his brother. "It's okay bro, it's okay. You're okay."

"It hurt," whimpered Bobby. "I-It hurt so much. It w-was so dark and I couldn't… I couldn't find you. I-I tried to, I w-wanted to…"

"You found me, it's okay. You found me." He gripped him tightly. "Bobby… Bobby, I'm so sorry. So sorry…"

For a few seconds, the brothers did nothing except hold each other. When Jeremy looked over Clyde's… Bobby's shoulder at the Puppet, he moved one of his free fingers up and down four times. Forty seconds. Had it passed by so quickly?

"Bobby…" He looked into his brother's eyes. "Bobby, I want you to listen. You're going to be okay now. Everything's going to be fine."

"Okay…" Bobby looked off to one-side. "It was so dark. Then it started hurting. It never stopped hurting. I-I wanna see mom. Where's mom?"

"She's… she's out looking for you." Jeremy had to swallow a few times to fight against the lump rising in his throat. "But she'll be at home. She'll be at home and it'll all be okay. I promise."

"Okay. Y-You're crying."

"That's because I… I was worried about. I spent so long looking for you…" He cupped his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Bobby."

Bobby sniffed. "I-It's okay. You found me."

"Yeah. Y-Yeah I did." Another glance. Two fingers. Twenty seconds. "You've been through a lot, bro. I-I'll bet you're pretty tired."

"I… I am…" Bobby paused to yawn, his eyelids drooping. "Can… can I sleep?"

"You sleep as much as you want. I-I'll wake you when… when we get…" Jeremy couldn't finish.

"Can… can we play Guitar Hero when we get home?"

He nodded. "Sure we can. I-I still need to beat your high score."

"You… wish…" He laughed weakly, moving slowly to Jeremy's shoulder and resting his head. "Love you… Jeremy…"

"I love you too, B-Bobby… I love you, s-so much…"

He closed his eyes, holding onto his brother for every second. After a while, he felt an equally strong grip. When he looked back into Clyde's face, it was still stained with tears but the green eyes that looked into him weren't his brother's anymore. Charlie had withdrawn his connector and was being supported by Billy. He looked weak from his efforts.

"Is… is it done?" asked Clyde.

Jeremy could only manage a nod. He embraced Clyde again. Before long, all of the synths were joining in. When they broke apart, Jeremy approached Charlie who still looked exhausted from what he'd just done.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Charlie looked curiously at Jeremy. "It is… not necessary. But… you are welcome."

Jeremy took a breath. Though he could still feel a lingering ache deep down, he felt like a great weight had been lifted from him.

"He's gone then?" he asked.

"The synth is empty now. Your brother has been returned to the Silence," said Charlie in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Now, we must do the same for the others."

"Shouldn't we focus on stopping Spring first?"

"The actions serve the same end. The other fragments are being used by Spring to bolster his strength and protect him," explained Charlie. "To stop him, we must do the same for the other Monsters. You will have to free them from their shells first. Afterward, I can send them into the Silence and they can no longer be used by Spring. They will be free and he will be vulnerable."

"But you were only able to manage that through a direct connection," said Theodore. "I doubt those remaining will be as willing to let you do what you've just done."

"I agree. Perhaps when we meet your friends, a solution may present itself. If they are still alive."

"Don't say that," said Billy. "They'll be okay."

Charlie said nothing. Silence lingered for a moment before Lidiya broke it.

"Guys, we're almost there," she said. "Better get ready."

"Alright." Jeremy stood up, letting the faceplate of his suit slide back down. "Let's finish this."

A punch from Freddy sent Mike staggering. He fell towards Bonnie who kicked him around the head. She knocked him into Foxy who reared back his head and hit Mike's with his own. Chica grasped him around the waist, lifted him up and supplexed him behind her. He landed with a crash, groaning from the fresh aches and pains they'd given him.

"Guys… guys, wait…" He held up his hand. "It's me. It's Mike. Stop this, this isn't-"

He didn't get to finish before a combined kick from Bonnie and Freddy caused him to roll along the ground, slamming into the side of a car. He managed to stagger to his feet and turn to run. He was cut off by Foxy darting in front of him, taking a swipe as he did. His hook scraped across part of the suit, leaving a jagged mark.

Mike gave a strangled gasp when Foxy grabbed him from behind. The hook flashed in front of his vision. He tried to break free, but it was already coming down on his face.

"OI!"

Only to be stopped by a large metal hand. Foxy was then hoisted up into the air and tossed aside. Mike turned to see him hit the other three, knocking them to the ground. There stood Vevina, her back to Mike as her trio of legs made her tower over them all.

"Three on one? Hardly seems fair. Let's fix that." She looked over her shoulder. "Alright there?"

"Been better," he gasped. "Be careful, it's Sid, he's-"

"Oh aye, I felt the fucker try his luck on me. Lucky thing this," she tapped the connection going into her eye, "kept him out. You get yourself away, Mike. I'll deal with this." She looked back at the synths. "Sorry about this, you lot." She slammed all of her fists into all of her palms. "I'll make sure it doesn't sting too much."

Bonnie bounded up to kick her, but Vevina easily caught her with an animatronic hand and smacked her away. Freddy and Foxy charged into her with a tackle, but she braced herself with all her legs and pushed back with a roar. They tumbled away, but Chica snuck in with a punch across her face. Vevina barely flinched, smirked and punched her right back.

Mike heard footsteps behind him. Bonnie was back on her feet, making straight for Mike. She sprang over cars and debris, eyes locked on him like a hunter. He was about to cry a warning when she faltered, then stopped completely.

"What? What happened…?" She blinked her eyes rapidly. They were back to their normal colour. "Mikey! You okay?" She saw the battle nearby. "What the hell is wrong with them?"

"Hawthorne is," answered Goldie. "He's taken control, like the Puppet used to do but we'll explain later. We need to get away from here."

Bonnie was about to say something, when her eyes fixed on a sight behind Mike. He looked to see the Nightmares advancing towards Vevina. The exception was Nightmare Foxy, who was barrelling towards Mike and Bonnie with all speed.

"Vev, move it!" she barked.

Vevina shoved away the controlled synths again, then followed their lead. She scaled a nearby wall up to the roof, the synths right behind her. Mike and Bonnie ran, Nightmare Foxy breathing down their necks.

"Diverting power to the legs!" Goldie shouted.

In an instant, Mike could feel the improvement. The world seemed to zip by that little bit faster. Despite the fact that every part of him ached or hurt, Mike pushed himself to run. Adrenaline certainly helped. But he could still hear the Nightmare coming, its snarls getting louder with every step.

"Keep going, run!" Bonnie yelled. "I'll hold him-!"

She yelped and Mike heard something thud somewhere to his right. But he didn't stop. He kept running. Nightmare Foxy hadn't even broken his sprint. He was still gaining. He sharply turned a corner, kicking off an abandoned truck so he wouldn't lose momentum. Nightmare Foxy crashed into that same truck. It only delayed him for a moment.

Just keep going, Mike told himself. Keep going. Maybe he could find Vevina again and she could help. He glanced to find any sign of her.

Then Mike stumbled. He tripped and he fell. The world tumbled around him until he finally skidded to a stop at the start of an intersection. He started to get up again, but heard a screeching roar. Nightmare Foxy leaped at them like a jackal. His maw opened wide, his teeth glinted.

Then a truck slammed into him and sent him careening away. It screeched to a halt, the back opening up to let out the factory team, plus one extra. The four synths took defensive positions nearby while Jeremy strode over in his springlock suit towards Mike. Lidiya climbed out of the driver's seat and hurried over as well.

"Oh god…" Mike breathed as Jeremy helped him up. "Oh god, you guys. Y-You made it!"

"Of course we did." Jeremy slapped his shoulder. "Glad you're okay."

"Looks like you could use a bit of work though," said Lidiya. "And just after I got them looking so good!"

"He's not the only one," Goldie said. "There's not much time to explain, but Sid is back in play. He's taken control of my family, barring Bonnie and he's coming right for us."

"My Master has returned?" The Puppet had joined them. "That is… unexpected. This may make things more complicated."

"It's okay, he's with us now," said Jeremy. "He really helped us out at the factory and he has a plan. Oh and Billy's called him Charlie."

"Has he now?" Mike could hear the scepticism in Goldie's voice.

"Yes." The Puppet, Charlie, regarded Mike silently for a moment, then addressed Goldie. "I do not like you. You have made things difficult for me previously. But… I need your help. My strings have been cut, but yours have not. I will need them to enact this plan. I will explain in binary burst to save time."

"Very well." The two exchanged a series of odd buzzing sounds. "Hmm. That might actually work. Alright then. Mike? Pop me out, if you would."

Mike was flummoxed at the sudden change, but if Jeremy and Goldie vouched for Charlie, he couldn't object much. He removed her core and handed it to Charlie, who carefully took it.

"Good, now go. We can handle the rest."

Mike was tempted. He had been through a lot and the suit had really taken a beating. But then he looked around at everyone else. At Jeremy who stood ready to fight. He looked down the street, where Sid was coming into view with the Nightmares at his back. The man who had him falsely accused and imprisoned, tormented his friends and murdered children for his own ends.

He made his choice.

"I'm… not going anywhere."

"Mike, please. You've done enough, you don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to, but I want to," he said firmly. "I'm staying, Goldie. I'm not running away, not again."

"Mike…" She sighed. He imagined her shaking her head if she had one. "Jeremy, keep him in reserve with you. Let him rest. Both of you will need your strength for what's to come."

"Got it. Don't worry, Mike. We'll get our shot."

Jeremy held out a hand and Mike gripped it tightly. When he sensed movement nearby, he saw Vevina and Bonnie had landed from a nearby roof, hurrying over. The controlled synths came soon after, linking back with Sid and the Nightmares.

"Was wondering what was taking you lot so long," remarked Vevina, standing behind them with her limbs forming a protective umbrella. "Was starting to think you'd forgotten about us."

"Like we ever would," replied Clyde.

She grinned, but it dropped when she saw Charlie. "Let me guess: you're all best friends now?"

"I wouldn't call it that, but we do need him and he did help us, in his own way," said Theodore. "Save whatever you want to do for after this is over."

"I'll hold you to that," she growled and turned to fight.

"Bonnie, get Lidiya out of here. It isn't safe for her," ordered Goldie.

"Wait." Charlie approached Lidiya. "The Purge device you created. May I have it?"

"But it was made for you. It won't do any good against Sid."

"I was created from my Master's mind. We share the same foundations. It may still serve some use."

Lidiya looked uncertain, but she handed it to Charlie. Bonnie carried her bridal style, gave them a thumbs up and bounded away.

"This is it, everyone!" Goldie announced. "Whatever happens, whatever the cost… bring that man to his knees!

Guest: That he is.

Arc of Carona: Yep, no more of him.

Alanuki: To say the least XD

Yellowscar1: They are indeed.