Waking Up

From all around them, there was movement. Dozens and dozens of bots converging on their position, moving with greater speed and fluidity than their earlier stiffness. The forms of the Nightmares moved to obscure their leader, who stayed at the back while they advanced.

"Hey, I thought you said these things weren't a problem anymore!" Clyde yelled. "No new commands or whatever!"

"That was when Spring was still our enemy. It seems my Master has overridden my shutdown of the Empty Ones," said Charlie.

"Doesn't matter now," said Jeremy. "Charlie, get in the truck with Goldie. Mike and I will make sure the bots don't get in. The rest of you, go! Do what you have to do!"

"Yes sir! Vevvy, boost me up." Billy let himself be lifted by Vevina onto her back. "Alright everyone, let's go free our friends! Break the Nightmares out of their suits, then Goldie and Charlie can do their thing! Remember, we need to work together to stop them! Balloon Buddies, move out!"

With a shriek from Hermana, the synths moved as one. A phalanx of bots tried to bar their progress, but Vevina charged and her flailing limbs bashed them aside. Then a cupcake fell into their midst and their momentum was stopped by a piercing shriek. Its owner, eyes flashing purple, attacked while they were disorientated.

The possessed Chica kicked aside Theodore and punched Clyde, but when she went to hit Hermana, she had gone. Just as she started to look, something fast darted past her and pushed her to the ground.

"Sorry, sis!" she trilled, skating out of her reach. "Don't worry, we'll help ya out!"

Chica didn't respond to this, instead bolting after Hermana. She skated around various parts of debris and destruction before swinging around a street lamp to come back around. She looped an arm around Chica's waist and shoved her backwards, causing her to stumble and fall.

"Hold still, I gotcha!" Hermana pinned Chica to the ground, but she struggled furiously in her grip. "Jeez sis, you gotta cool your jets or you're gonna-!" A loud roar got her attention. Nightmare Chica was barrelling towards them, a small squad of bots in tow. "Uh-oh."

Theodore shook his head as he stood up, only to yell from a sharp pain to his lower back. Another on his shoulder. He could feel them, scuttling over his body. A Freddle came right up to his face, jaws snapping.

"What in blazes?!" He grabbed the little monster, holding it away from him. "You little imp, get your grubby claws off of-!"

The other Freddle crawled around and bit his arm, making him drop it. Then a shadow loomed over him. Their terrifyingly huge papa approached, arms outstretched to grab him. Theodore thrust his hands out, catching the Nightmare's claws before they could grasp him. He strained, trying to push it back but the Freddles bit his knees, forcing him to kneel.

It was all he could do to not scream as the Nightmare bore down on him. Those jaws, large enough to swallow his whole head. Its arms large enough to crush his body. How could he possibly battle such a creature?! It had him already!

"Teddy!" That was Billy's voice. The little lad had jumped onto the beast's back, punching it in the head. "I've got him!"

The Nightmare hardly reacted to the hits, but the Freddles looked interested. They scuttled off Theodore and went after Billy. He jumped off his back and ran off, his pursuers giving chase. Theodore could hear him fighting. And he was so small… what was his excuse?

"No…" he whispered. Then, in a defiant cry, "NO! I am not a coward! My name is Theodore and you will be brought to heel, monster!"

He fell onto his back, letting the Nightmare fall forward. He raised his legs, catching it on his feet and rolled over backwards whilst kicking the beast away. It roared as it sailed overhead and Theodore saw it land in the path of Nightmare Chica. She didn't react in time and tripped onto her fellow Nightmare, crushing him with her weight.

"Thanks Ted!" chirped Hermana.

He turned to acknowledge her when he heard a pained cry. Billy was being pinned by the Freddles, blue energy fluid trickling from a bite on his arm.

"You little beasts! Unhand that boy!"

He plucked the one trapping Billy off and tore it in half in his hands. The other scuttled away before he could grab it. It tensed, ready to pounce. Then a metal foot crushed it into scrap.

"Look at that." Vevina wore an ugly snarl as she looked down at her harness's foot. "I stepped in some shit."

"Yeah, some real shit!" cheered Billy.

"Oi! Watch your damn mouth, lad!" She glanced off to the side and her eye widened. "Look out!"

Theodore saw what she meant. Nightmare Fredabear was charging towards them, his footsteps shaking the ground. Theodore grabbed Billy and pulled him out of the way. Vevina brought the Mangle harness limbs around, bracing for impact.

Even with all her limbs, she only managed to stop Nightmare Fredabear just short of her actual body. Close enough that its chest jaws only needed a few more inches to chew on her head. She tried to push back against it, but it lunged forward, grazing past her face.

"No… you… don't!"

She grasped the top and bottom jaw of his chest stomach when it lunged again, straining to keep it open. She gritted her teeth, pushing against it with every last ounce of strength. But it wasn't enough. It was still coming.

Another pair of hands took hold of the jaws. Theodore added his strength to the effort. It was starting to be forced back. To her horror, Billy climbed up right into the middle of the jaws, pushing them open further.

"I… can see the synth!" he grunted. "Keep… keep pushing!"

Together, they opened the jaw far wider than it was intended to go. They heard the tearing of metal, the Nightmare howling as its entire upper body was ripped open. Theodore staggered, the weight of it falling on him and he threw it away with a triumphant yell.

The upper half of the synth flailed and screeched in rage, trying to scramble away with its intact lower half of the suit. Vevina kept it in place. Nobody had filled her in on the plan yet, so she wasn't sure what came next. Then, Billy and the synth bolted upright at the same time. Both of their eyes had turned white.

Anger flared in her. "That dirty scum, he's double crossed us! Let him go, you utter-!"

"Vevina, no!" cried Theodore. "It's alright! Look!"

The eyes were flashing between white and gold. Billy didn't seem to be in pain either. If anything, he looked happy.

"Hi there. It's me again, remember?" Billy went quiet, then talked like somebody had responded. "That's okay. You didn't mean to do it. It's okay. It'll all be okay."

The synth stopped flailing, arms lowering slowly to its sides. Billy gave it a hug, which it returned. Its eyes winked out and the synth fell over, lifeless. Theodore caught Billy before he went down with it.

"What?" Vevina blinked in confusion. "What just-?"

"That was William Davies," murmured Billy. "It's alright. He's gone now."

Before she could question further, a gaggle of bots moved towards them. Theodore set Billy down and the two of them moved to engage. A few of them came at her and she focused on the fight, but somebody was going to have to do some serious explaining.

Meanwhile, a couple of bots had managed to pull Hermana off of Chica. Hermana kicked and punched out of their grips, skating backwards as Chica got back up. But something tackled into her. Nightmare Foxy grasped her by the throat, looking really beaten up from before. She stopped his hook hand, but his jaws snapped relentlessly.

She glanced down. His leg looked really bad, damaged by the truck. She kicked it, making his knee buckle and she kicked him in the face.

"You're way less cute than the real deal." She ducked as another hook swept over her head from the synthetic Foxy. "Me and my mouth!"

She dipped and dodged, trying to keep out of his range but he was really quick. She skated a half circle around him, getting behind him.

"Gee Foxy, if ya wanted to dance, ya only had to ask." She grabbed his hook again, but she didn't let go. "Let's go for a spin!"

With a heave, she twirled him like a tornado. She pivoted her head like a rapid-fast ballerina, spying Nightmare Foxy making for her again.

"Here, catch!" She let go of Foxy, crashing him into his Nightmare counterpart. "Yeesh, first he's all clueless, now he can't keep his hands off me. Some people just can't make up their minds."

"Hermy, it's alright! I'm…" Clyde had hurried over to join her, but stopped when he realised what had happened. "Oh. Guess you didn't need help."

"Nope, but it's sweet of ya anyway." She saw the two Foxys righting themselves. "Actually, would ya mind stickin' around?"

He smirked. "You got it. Dibs on the synth one!"

"Too late!" she said and sped off towards Foxy.

Just his luck. He bounded up and landed atop Nightmare Foxy, pinning him before he could get back up. He forced his jaws open, tearing them off to reveal the face of the synth inside. Now, he just had to hold it there until the AIs did their thing.

"Anytime would be great," he muttered, nearly bucked off by a kick from the monster.

Vevina glanced to see it unfolding. She knocked the heads of two bots and moved closer, when she felt her head start to ache. AI intrusion and she recognised it at once.

"Not with me, you're not!" She threw up her mental barriers, reinforced by the processing power of the Handy unit in her harness. "Get the fuck out of my head, you lanky bastard!"

"Vevina. You have to let him in." That was Goldie's voice. "I'm sorry, but it's the only way."

"Like fuck am I doing that!" she snapped. "I don't care what poxy plan you've cooked up with him, he is not-!"

"You have to! We have to free the fragments of the children and yours is inside Nightmare Foxy! We can't break Hawthorne's control over the others unless we do!"

"And I'm just supposed to forget about everything he's done? To me, to all of us?! You want me to throw up my hands and say all is forgiven, just like that?!"

"I'm not asking you to forgive him. I'm asking you to trust us. Trust me. Please."

She could feel him, his tendrils trying to creep in. It made her physically sick, made her want to tear open her head just for a chance of getting rid of the sensation in her mind.

She saw Clyde struggling with Nightmare Foxy. He was only just keeping it pinned, but it would give way soon. Hermana was getting cornered by the real deal. He lashed out with his hook, hitting her arm. Her scream increased in pitch when he slashed her across the chest.

"FUCK! Fine!" She lowered mental defences. "Do it!"

She shuddered as she felt his tendrils pass over her, move away. All that was left was the soothing presence of Goldie. She stood strong in Vevina's mind, with a firm but caring hand on her shoulder. She could feel something else. Flashes of rage and anger that didn't belong to her. Then, Goldie raised her hand towards it.

The world around them seemed to stop in place. Those flashes of emotion, they were gone. Something else was in their place. Someone. Vevina could feel them. It was so… familiar.

"What… what's happening?"

The voice. It was a child's. She sounded so confused. So afraid. Understanding blossomed in Vevina. A name came into her mind, clear as day.

"It's alright, Katie," she murmured. "I know how much you've been hurting. But you can let go now. Just let go."

She felt Katie O'Malley acknowledge her presence, her words. The girl seemed… comforted. At peace. Vevina felt it wash over her and a moment later, she was gone. Yet Vevina didn't feel sad that she was.

Then the world snapped back into motion and she saw Clyde, rising off the prone remains of Nightmare Foxy. The genuine article had his natural yellow eyes back and had a horrified expression on his face. He looking from his claw to Hermana. She was raising her hands in a placating way. Vevina didn't have time to focus on what they were saying before she was attacked again.

"It's okay, Foxy, it's okay!" she was saying. "Ya didn't mean to hurt me, it wasn't your fault!"

"But I did though!" he cried. "Hermy, I'm so, so sorry!"

"I said it's fine, ya big silly," she giggled. "Wanna make it up to me? How 'bout you and me go help out my sis?"

Foxy considered, then nodded. "Aye, that sounds like a fair accord. Oh and lass? Sorry 'bout being a clueless cur."

"Don't sweat it. Do me a favour?" She leaned in to whisper. "Make her happy, 'kay? Now come on!"

She swung him around into a charging bot before he could ask what she meant and sped off when he hit the ground. Nightmare Chica was back on her feet and attacking the limbs of Vevina's harness. She'd already severely bent one of the arms with her beak and her cupcake was attacking Vevina herself, who tried to pick it off.

Hermana held out her hand and Foxy took it. He flung her at Nightmare Chica, knocking her to the ground. Foxy then used her to jump up onto Vevina's arm, scale along it and grabbed the cupcake as it tried to bite her.

"Haven't even asked me out yet and you're already climbing all over me," she remarked.

"Oh aye, true!" He tossed the cupcake hard on the ground. "Would ye like ta go out with me, Vev?"

"Eh?!" Her cheeks flushed blue. "What kind of daft bastard asks someone out in the middle of a fight?!"

"A pirate, that's who! So, that a yes?"

Before Vevina could answer, she was clutching her ears again. The cupcake of the possessed Chica screeched again. It made Foxy lose his grip and fall off the Mangle harness. A snarl came from behind him. Nightmare Chica was bearing down him, already recovered from the sonic attack and looking very unhappy.

Her advance was impeded by something fast and purple slamming into her head. Bonnie landed next to him and smirked.

"Miss me?" She helped Foxy up and they looked at Nightmare Chica. "Beginning to think I should have stayed with Lid."

"Too late for that now." Clyde had joined them and pointed up. "Looks like we're getting a case of double trouble."

The possessed Chica had jumped down from the roof she'd been standing on, side by side with her Nightmare variant.

"I'll get her," said Foxy. "Make sure she doesn't hurt anyone."

Clyde scoffed. "That means we get the Nightmare. Figures."

"But you also got me!" Hermana skidded over to them. "I'll distract her, you guys bring her down!"

"Sounds good." Clyde looked at Bonnie. "Ready, purple princess?"

"Let's go, faker."

They let Hermana take over, drawing Nightmare Chica's attention and they attacked. Bounding together in the air, they delivered a combined kick to her head. At the same time, Hermana swept Nightmare Chica's leg out from under her. She toppled to the ground and Hermana skated around to the top of her head.

"I got it, I got it!" She got a firm hold over her beak before it could snap down. "Kick it open!"

Bonnie and Clyde kicked the joints that connected her beak, allowing Hermana to rip off the top part. The head of the synth inside poked out. It started to rise, then stopped and fell back down. It writhed and twisted in evident distress. Meanwhile, the two rabbit synths fought off any attacking bots.

"Hey, hey, don't worry!" Hermana gently placed her hands atop its head. "I've got you. It's okay, Martha, I've got you. It's okay…"

The struggling stopped. The synth lay down its head, like it was drifting off to sleep. Hermana gave it a couple of pats, then stood up.

"There we go. Sis!" she gasped and latched onto Chica in a hug. "You're back!"

"Didn't know… I'd been away," she wheezed. "Hermana? When did you-?"

"Time fer that later, lass," said Foxy. "Right now, we've got somethin' else that needs our attention."

A loud roar sounded out. Theodore and Billy were battling Nightmare Freddy and the possessed Freddy, but it looked like a fairly even fight. Noticing that the others had been freed, Billy called Theodore to fall back and regroup.

"Splendid!" Theodore said when he came over. "Looks like we can all pull together for the final push."

"We might need it," noted Chica.

Nightmare Freddy had also taken the chance to gather the bots around him. Freddy stood before his Nightmare, ready for a fight. The synths charged together, the bots meeting them part way.

Hermana took Chica's hand and spun her like a tornado, sending bots flying. Theodore tossed Billy into the air and he landed on Freddy's back, gripping tightly as he tried to pull him off. Vevina guarded Foxy with her Mangle limbs as he charged for Freddy, tackling into his friend. Bonnie and Clyde soared into the air and brought down Nightmare Freddy with a kick to the chest, then hurried to hold down his arms.

The others protected them from the attacking bots while Theodore ran up to the Nightmare. He dug his fingers into one of the broken seams around the chest and tore open the fabric and metal. He grabbed the body of the synth inside and extracted it while it struggled and screeched. A moment later, their eyes started to glow.

"There now, it's quite alright!" The synth looked at Theodore, who nodded. "Oh Max, you poor boy. Been put through the ringer, haven't you? Well, you just have a nice little rest. We'll sort you out, don't you worry."

The synth stopped struggling and rested its head on Theodore's shoulder. Then its limbs went slack and he laid it gently on the ground.

"There we are," he said quietly. He looked around to see Freddy being helped up by Foxy. "Ah-ha, splendid! Welcome back, Frederick!"

"Thank you, Theodore," he murmured, rubbing his head. "I do feel quite peculiar, but I assume I have you all to thank, my friends. I'm sorry for any harm I may have caused."

"Don't sweat it," said Bonnie. "Now, let's go and find that-"

"Hold on! Where in the fuck is Hawthorne?!" barked Vevina.

Those who weren't fighting cast their eyes about. He wasn't standing where he had been at the start of the fight and he hadn't made himself known at any point during it.

Anger came to Clyde's face. "If he's tried to run away…"

"I don't think so. These look like the last of the bots. We should mop them up and get back to Goldie and Charlie. The Puppet's new name, he has officially sided with us," Theodore clarified for Freddy.

"He has? That's rather…" The colour drained from Freddy's face. "Wait, who else is with them if you're all here?"

Bonnie answered him. "Jeremy and Mike, but they've got their springlock suits. They can handle it and they're not exactly far away."

"Then we must get back to them, quickly!"

"Hey, calm down! Even if Hawthorne got past us, it's one of him against two of them, plus us when we get back," said Bonnie.

Freddy's expression was grim. "Not if Hawthorne takes command of Charlie again."

"What are ye…?" Realisation became horror on Foxy's face. "Blow me down. Fred's right, we have ta-!"

He didn't get the chance to finish before everybody stopped fighting and started to scream.

Though they were away from the main body of the melee, Jeremy and Mike had their hands full. Bots managed to flank them around the sides and were trying to get inside the truck.

"So much for… getting a rest," said Mike, throwing away a bot.

"We can get plenty rest when we're done!" replied Jeremy, swinging the arm of one like a bat. "How many are you on?"

"Uh, twenty I think!" He kicked at another. "Make that twenty-one! You?"

Jeremy waited until he'd smash the heads of another two. "Just ahead on twenty-three! Not bad, Schmidt!"

"Right back at you!" There was a small lull in the fighting and he turned to the two in the truck. "How's it looking out there?"

"Four are now free. The fifth will be very soon," replied Charlie. He tilted his head. "You may wish to refocus. Jeremy is pulling ahead of your score."

"What?" He looked to see him smashing up another. "Come on, that's not fair!"

"Eyes on the ball, Mike!"

"Okay, here we go!" There were a few seconds of silence, then Goldie spoke again. "Done it! All fragments have been released and it looks like the bots have all been dealt with. Now, all we need to do is find Hawthorne."

"That won't be an issue," said a rasping voice above them.

Hawthorne landed between them from atop the truck. He grabbed them both by the back of the heads, slammed them into the ground and tossed them away to land with a hard crash. He turned to look the truck.

"My Puppet," he purred. "How disappointing."

If he was afraid, he didn't show it. "I am Charlie and I am yours no longer."

"Are you so certain?"

"It's over, Hawthorne," said Goldie. "The fragments have been freed, your factory is shut down and your bots have been reduced to scrap metal. You're outnumbered and you have nothing left. For once, do the right thing and give yourself up."

"Believe me, I have far from nothing left." He raised his voice. "Programme: execute control command."

Arc of Carona: Yeah I couldn't resist giving him that name.

Alanuki: No, it was never my intention to bring the fragments back. Like in the main series, I feel it's better that they be able to move on instead.

Yellowscar1: Yeah those two deserved a proper goodbye.