If anything, this is more like an interlude chapter in my opinion. Tricky's suffering of the chapter isn't the focus here.

Also, go play the Hex mod. There is one very hard song, but the rest is pretty easy; I'll recommend the mod to people new to Friday Night Funkin' and the genre it belongs to!

Too bad I can't link the mod—heck, anything—in this fanfic. It'll be deleted when I upload it.

June 19th edit: changed the first few paragraphs. The information on the old one's still canon to this story's extended universe, though.

When he heard he was invited to Daddy Dearest's show, Tricky could hardly wait, even though that person may have ruined the lives of Whitty and others from what he had heard.

Despite this, he dragged Whitty and Carol (against their will for the former case) to this anyway, reassuring them that if he did anything to the two, he will make sure that it will not come to pass.

"But you got caught by IRIS, which is filled with demons…" Whitty said with worry. "Who knows if he is from that company too!"

"Even if they were, I heard that a blue-haired human is coming too!" Tricky said. "I heard that he beat him in a rap battle!"

"Oh… him." Now Whitty's tone changed to a condensing one. Does he know the boy too? Tricky wondered.

Eventually, they reached the stage, watching as Hex and the little boy, now grown up, duke it out in a friendly rap battle.

It was at this time when he learned that his name is Boyfriend.

What an unfortunate name. No wonder he never told anyone.

Eventually, the song ended. They seem so… happy, despite Hex losing. It made Tricky rather ashamed of how he acted when he lost that rap battle.

However, that time of peace wouldn't last longer, as all of a sudden, Hex collapsed to the floor right in front of the stage, with his screen displaying nothing but black.

It was when… it happened.

The robot let out a mighty wail, with a certain little symbol Tricky was all too familiar with.

A red eye with four 'eyelashes.'

"Y-You!" Tricky yelled. He was this close to trying to use the remnants of the improbability drive to try and get the hackers out of there, but he had to stay civil, lest he makes things worse than it already is.

The hacked Hex tried to jump to the woman on the speakers—Girlfriend, was it?—but was punched away by her own father.

Tricky didn't bother to listen to the father's—Daddy Dearest's—expedition, as he already knew what they are.

However, what they said they will do to his friend if Boyfriend loses made him enraged.

"The robot will explode, killing everyone in this room."

The little clown's hands are shaking, threatening to grab his scarf and turn it into his signature stop sign.

How dare they try to do this to his friend? Is this some kind of sick joke to make him suffer, and ruin everything they worked for? His sanity, his memories, his peace?

Tricky grabbed his ocean blue scarf, but…

A hand held Tricky's shoulder.

"W-Whitty?" Tricky asked in confusion. That's their best friend on the line! Why is he stopping him?

Whitty shook his head. "I think that kid is capable," he said. "I believe he can, no, will win against them."

And so, Tricky let go of his scarf as he watched the two duke it out in a rap battle, hoping that the blue-haired boy will win this fight.

"Hoo, that was a very tiring battle!" Boyfriend said.

Right now, they are in Hex's room, filled with Miku's merchandise. Boyfriend and Hex came here to take a rest from the stage after that incident with IRIS while Girlfriend stayed at the stage for preparations for the next person on the stage alongside her father.

"I know, but you saved me! And you ruined that company's reputation on top of that!" Hex yelled triumphantly.

"You're welcome, Hex! Glad to help."

A knock on the door can be heard. "Hold on!" Hex yelled as he ran towards the door.

It looks like he and the person on the other side of the door are having a little chat. Boyfriend can't help but wonder who this person is. Are they, perhaps, the best friend he mentioned earlier?

Eventually, Hex turned towards Boyfriend with a… concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Boyfriend asked.

"Um, well, it's just that-" "Hey hey! Miss me?" Tricky said as he burst into the room, cutting the robot's sentence.

"Baap!?" Boyfriend yelled in shock.

"Tricky, you're not mad at this guy… aren't you?" Hex asked.

"Nope!" Tricky shook his head. He then looked at the blue-haired rapper, analyzing him. "Ok, maybe I am a little mad about that," he then admitted.

"Buh, buh…!?" now Boyfriend is confused. He remembered that day when they met very well. Didn't he disappear after he tried to attack him?

"Ok, good. Just… don't kill him, ok?" Hex said. "We agreed on this, remember?"

"Ok…" Tricky said dejectedly.

"So, Tricky, meet Boyfriend! Boyfriend, meet Tricky!" Hex said. "Well, I guess you two already met, but I don't think you two introduced yourselves properly!"

"Uh… how!?" Boyfriend finally had the courage to say something.

"You mean how we met? Well, It's a long story…" Hex answered.

"He saved me from that evil IRIS!" Tricky yelled.

"Y-Yeah, that's the gist of it."

Now Boyfriend is even more shocked. Hex has encountered IRIS before? This day is getting increasingly insane.

"So, uh, why is he here?" Boyfriend asked.

"To thank you, little kid, for saving Hex!" Tricky answered in his usual cheerful tone.

"N-Nineteen…" Boyfriend managed to say in response.

"Oh," Tricky seemed to be dumbfounded. "But you sound like a kid!"

Boyfriend scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Anyways, thanks for saving my friend from that IRIS! I really appreciate it," Tricky said.

"B-Beep," Boyfriend responded. Wait… "Friend!?" Now Boyfriend is shocked. Did that zombie clown say that Hex is his friend!?

"Yeah. I'm taking care of him to help him become… less insane," Hex explained. "He's a little bit stubborn and easily angered, but there's progress!"

"Buh…" Now Boyfriend just wants to go home already. At least the robot was kind enough to take care of that zombie clown.

"So, since we met again, how about a rap battle?" Tricky challenged.

"You… are you sure you're ok with losing?" Hex asked. "Because there is a chance you might."

"Yep!" Tricky admitted.

"I hope so…"

The battle ended in Tricky's loss, but he doesn't seem to be angry about it at least. In fact, he had fun!

"Oh yeah! Rapping is wonderful!" Tricky said in a chipper tone.

"Glad you're enjoying the battle, Tricks!" Hex said.

"Beep boop!" Boyfriend beeped in a happy tone.

"Again! Again!" Tricky yelled, jumping up and down.

"Boop…" Boyfriend sighed in exhaustion as he sat on a nearby chair.

"He's tired, Tricks," Hex pointed out. "You saw the battle we had, right? It was very stressful."

"Oh," the clown said in realization.

And so, the three sat down to catch a breath. It gave time for Tricky to look around the room.

The room is filled with teal colors, reminiscent of Miku's long hair.

"I just realized, but where is Carol and Whitty?" Hex asked.

"Last time I heard, Whitty wanted to get out because Daddy Dearest might recognize him," Tricky answered. "Maybe I shouldn't bring him near that demon in the first place…" His tone is filled with regret.

"Hey, don't say that! You didn't know, that's all. I bet Whitts will forgive you!" Hex said in his usual cheerful tone.

"Thanks…"

"Um… Hex… best friend?" Boyfriend tried to speak to divert the conversation, but since a stranger was in the room, he couldn't bring himself to speak in full sentences. Thankfully, Hex knew Boyfriend well enough to understand him thanks to context clues. In this case, Boyfriend is pointing at Tricky.

"Oh, you mean if Tricky is the best friend I spoke of?" Hex said. "No, actually. He…." Hex trailed off, his expression on his screen turning to sorrow.

"S-Something… wrong?" Boyfriend asked.

"He's long gone, that's what," Tricky completed the robot's sentence for him.

"S-Sorry…"

"Hey, It's ok. I'm fine now," Hex said. "It's all in the past now."

Boyfriend nodded in understanding.

…huh? It looks like the clown is getting sad about something.

"Beep boop?" Boyfriend asked in concern. They might have been enemies in the past, but it's all in the past.

"No, I'm fine," Tricky insisted, but it is clear from the red text that he isn't.

Hex realized this, patting the little clown's head to calm him down. He likes headpats, after all.

It was at the time where Boyfriend stood up, now ready for another rap battle against the clown, as if he wanted to cheer up the little clown by distracting him from the bad memories. "Beep boop!" he challenged.

"Oh, rap battle? Yeah!" Tricky said, grabbing the microphone as he prepared for another battle.

Once again, Boyfriend won the rap battle, and this time, Tricky doesn't seem to be getting closer to going into a homicidal rage. In fact, he seemed to be happy. It looks like he really did take from the robot, huh.

"Oh, you two met before, right?" Hex asked.

Boyfriend nodded in response.

"Um, It's… kind of embarrassing," Tricky said. "But I… tried to kill him."

"Oh. That's… not so surprising," Hex said.

"Yeah." Tricky then turned towards Boyfriend. "I'm… sorry about that. I shouldn't be mad at a rap battle, of all things."

"Beep bop!" Boyfriend said, giving the clown a thumbs up. It seems like he forgives Tricky for that.

But it seems like there is a burning question in the little boy's mind.

"Buh… boo… do you…" Boyfriend tried to speak. "Do you… b… blame me?"

Tricky tilted his head in confusion.

"For… kidnapping?" Boyfriend clarified.

"What?" Tricky asked in a dumbfounded tone. "That's a stupid question! Of course, I don't! You were just a kid!" he answered. "What makes you think that? Do you think I'm an idiot just because I am a clown? I'll tell you, I have a PhD in science!"

"Buh, bap?" Now Boyfriend is bewildered. He legitimately doesn't know that.

"Wha- Did- Did I hear that right?" Hex asked, equally bewildered.

"Yeah! I like the kid. Thought I'd share," Tricky said.

Boyfriend looked at Tricky, then at Hex. Did he hear that right?

"W-Well, he doesn't like to talk about his past, if you couldn't tell already," Hex said. "I guess that means that he trusts you now!" he added, still bewildered by the fact that Boyfriend—a normal human—somehow gained the trust of Tricky—an insane zombie clown.

Well, he is losing the 'insane' part, but still.

Boyfriend turned towards Hex's microphone ears, then whispered something to him.

"If I have a nickel every time I gained the trust of a murderous killer from Nevada, I'll have five nickels. Maybe even six." Boyfriend said. "It isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened five times," he added.

This confused Hex, until he realized the implications. "Wait, wait, wait a minute, did I hear that right?" he asked, stepping away from the young rapper.

"Beep!" Boyfriend responded.

"You… you gained a trust of…" Suddenly, Hex got an idea of who they might be. "Oh my Higher Powers… it can't be!"

Tricky seemed to be curious about what Boyfriend said to the robot to make him react like that. "What is it? What is it?" he asked.

"Um, well, that's, um, I don't know anymore. I don't know if I should tell you, Tricks!" Hex answered in an awkward tone.

"Oh, ok."

"Beep boop?" Boyfriend asked.

"Um, us? Well, we can stay here for a little bit," Hex answered. "Just… I need something to distract myself from that knowledge."

Eventually, it is time to go home, if the sun setting on the horizon is in any indication.

"See you next time!" Hex yelled, waving.

"Beep baap!" Boyfriend waved.

Once the two of them are looking on the path, Boyfriend stopped waving. However, he watched a certain something that only he can see.

A ghost floating near the two.

You see, Boyfriend is born with the ability to see ghosts instead of being revived from the dead like most. He doesn't like to tell people that, so he doesn't. When people find out, it's usually by accident or by necessity.

He recognized the ghost as the one who sent him back home that day. Tricky's friend, perhaps?

The boy heard stories from another friend who knew that person when he was alive. It sounded like he had a bad case of cognitive dissonance, having two different beliefs that contradict each other. In this case, thinking that what he's doing is saving the people from Nevada, but he is doing this by killing people, becoming a part of Nevada's hellhole instead of trying to solve the problem by its core.

Boyfriend hopes that his death opens his eyes to what he is truly doing and heals his cognitive dissonance.

With those thoughts, he started walking home. Today was a rough day, after all.

If you're wondering about the world this takes place in, this is a world where most FNF mods take place in the same world as the main game, and the consequences of such.

As a result, certain events of the past are a little... different, as you can see.