A/N: Happy (early) Halloween, folks! Not much to say this time, other than I hope you enjoy this chapter! Not much happens action-wise, but there doesn't mean things go easily for our guys...

My watch beeped to signal 6 A.M. I took a deep breath, looking up at Thomas, who stood at the other end of the desk, tablet in hand. Tonight had been pretty mild, especially compared to the night before.

The night before. Christ, I'd been thinking about it for the past several hours. The moment of truth would be any minute now-I'd have to ask him, ask about the story of the Bite of '87.

And I really didn't relish the thought.

Thomas sighed with relief, putting the tablet down and smiling back at me. He must've seen the look on my face, though, because his face dropped. "M-Mike? Uh, everything alright?" His eyes went wide, and he ran up to me, almost throwing the tablet aside. "Y-you aren't-that thing isn't back, i-is it?" he asked, grabbing my shoulders.

I gasped at the sudden contact, but shook my head. "No, it's…" I sighed, rubbing my temples. Well, I supposed now was as good a time as any. "Can I… ask you something? It's about… the Bite."

Almost immediately, Thomas's hands dropped to his sides. His mouth hung slightly open, and his eyes went glassy. I felt terrible. I mean, I knew he'd have known something, but this was the worst-case scenario in my mind. He blinked a few times, shaking his head, and reached to grab his wrist. "O-oh. Um, w-well-"

"Shit, I'm sorry, man." I reached for his hand hesitantly. ""I… Look, I… I can't believe this is easy for you to talk about, but… I looked something up last night, and I need to know. "

"W-what do you need to know?" Thomas asked, his voice noticeably strained. He wouldn't meat my eyes, which left a sick knot in my gut.

I flinched, but figured I might as well get it over with as fast as possible. "It's… It's not actually about what I read, it's… it's about what I saw."

That clearly threw Thomas off. His eyes widened, snapping back to me. "W-w-what?"

I'd been planning to be clean and concise with my story, I swear. But I guess as soon as my brain realized I had somebody to talk to about this, I just… let go. "I've been having, like, these dreams? Or maybe they're visions? I don't know, but-" I paused to take a breath. "There's this one recurring nightmare I've had for years, a-and it seems to match up with what I read about the bite."

Thomas was visibly disturbed. He swallowed heavily, then nodded, sitting down next to me and gently taking my hand. "Ok, ok. W-what did you see?"

I closed my eyes, straining to remember every detail of the dream that'd been looping at least once a week ever since I was eight. "There's this… thing. I think it's one of the animatronics? It looks kinda like Foxy's head, but it's just a blob of metal hanging from the ceiling-" I heard Thomas gasp, and I remembered how Thomas seemed to know what I was talking about when I said I saw an animatronic in the office. "It's the thing I saw in the office the other day!"

I felt Thomas squeeze my hand tighter. In a whimper, I barely made out the words, "The Mangle…"

My eyes shot open, and I stared at Thomas. "You know what I'm talking about! I… I thought it was just a dream, but then…" I felt my heart clench again, the same way it did every time I thought about what really happened. "Last night… I started to remember more. It was when I was a kid, I was… I must've been in one of the old Freddy's places…" I was unaware that I'd begun crying until I felt cold droplets running down my face. "There it was, it… dove for my head…"

Suddenly, Thomas grabbed my free hand, pulling me close to him. I looked up at him, meeting worried brown eyes. "Hey, hey, it's alright, it's…it's gone," he whispered, pulling me into a hug against his chest. I swallowed hard, calming down, but was nearly scared back into a panic when Thomas spoke again.

"Th-they scrapped that thing long ago."

It wasn't what he said so much as how he said it. His voice dripped with hatred and barely-concealed rage. It was almost like when I'd dreamed (dream, ha. Probably not, knowing my luck) of him freaking out on Bella. But this… this was a quieter anger. The kind of anger to be expected over an incident from fifteen years ago. The kind that made me feel that he'd have hunted down this so-called 'Mangle' and tear it apart with his own hands if he could.

We sat there for a moment in almost total silence, before I finally spoke. "What… What happened? Do you know?"

Thomas groaned quietly, making me flinch again, but he then nodded. "Yeah," he whispered. "Yeah, I know what happened." Before I could press further, I felt his hand gently come to rest on the back of my head, and he started to explain.

"The Mangle…" Thomas sighed quietly. "W-well, as you, uh, as you probably already know, this isn't the first Freddy's location. Um, as far as I know, this is the third true Freddy's location. The four here, uh, they actually debuted at the first one. T-then there was the one that opened in… 1987." Even saying the date seemed to make Thomas uncomfortable. "The company, uh, t-they remade all these animatronics back then, rebranded them as the Toy animatronics. Toy Foxy… the kids kept taking it apart, and… it got converted into a take apart and rebuild attraction."

I made a face of disgust. That was a low point, even by Freddy's standards. "Doesn't that sound-"

"Dangerous? I-I didn't think so at the time." Thomas lifted his head, and when I looked up at him, his eyes were unfocused, staring at nothing. "I-I was stupid back then, trusted the company w-when they said the robots were completely harmless."

I furrowed my brow in confusion, until it clicked. How else would he seemed to know so much about this hellhole, even past what he'd know working here? I pulled away from Thomas's chest, my eyes wide. "You… You worked at the old location, didn't you?"

Thomas turned to me, seemingly startled, then smiled sheepishly. "Y-yeah. I used to work as janitor at the old place. I-I guess I, uh, never mentioned that, huh?"

"No, you didn't." I leaned back against Thomas. It was… surprisingly comforting like this. Somewhere in the back on my head, it felt perfectly natural for somebody like Thomas to work with people, especially kids. "Janitor, though?"

Thomas laughed quietly. "Heh, not very glamorous, I know, but I didn't care." His hand started to run through my hair. "Freddy's… it used to be important to me. I-I went to the first one with my sister when we were young, a-and…" He sighed. "A-and as soon as the new place opened, I knew I wanted to work there, no matter what."

Once again, I noticed his head lift and his eyes become unfocused. "D-do you know how I got the idea to, uh, t-to leave those messages for you?" I stayed silent, trying to decide whether I should mention my dream, when he continued on regardless. "W-when I worked at the old place, the man running it at the time asked me to record some messages for our new night guard. We…" He sighed. "They, uh, there'd already been problems with the animatronics. The last guy complained about them, and, uh, h-he wanted to leave some instructions on h-how to use the new countermeasures.

"The new n-night guard-Jeremy. H-he- I wanted to see him on the last day we were open, b-before we had to close down for a bit because of an… i-investigation. He was supposed to… H-he was asked to come in for the day shift on the last day, a-and I spoke to him then…" Thomas sniffed, and I realized he was on the verge of tears. "He was such a good kid. A little shy, sure, b-but so nice… A-and he was younger than you are now, I-I don't even know if he was out of high school…" Thomas's head dropped, and I felt his hand come to a stop in my hair. "H-he didn't deserve it."

"Jesus…" I muttered, then pushed myself upright to face him fully. I noticed the dazed, empty look on Thomas's face, and instinctively took his hand in mine. "'m so sorry, man. I mean, finding out about that… it had to be awful."

Thomas took a deep breath, then, faintly, he whispered, "I-I saw it happen."

It felt like a punch to the gut. "No."

Thomas shook his head, and said, with a hoarse voice, "I-I followed him into the Kids' Cove. Somebody… One of the kids was playing with it, b-but we'd been given orders to not l-let anybody touch the animatronics, s-so Jeremy tried to pull him off, a-and- And by the time I'd turned around, it was diving at his head…" A sob ripped from his throat, and I could've swore that, despite his shimmery semi-corporeal form, I could see a tear drop from his cheek.

This time, it was my turn to comfort him. I couldn't do much, but I took his other hand in mine, then, hesitantly, pulled him close to me. He looked up, eyes wide and watery, then, faintly, I saw a smile form on his face. It melted away almost instantly, though, and he let out another sob. "Hey, it's alright, man. You're allowed to cry over this, got it?" Awkwardly, I let go of his hands and spread my arms slightly. "Hey, uh, do you want-"

Before I could finish my question, Thomas damn near threw himself into my arms. I felt the chair roll backwards slightly, but I held tight to the spirit. I heard a hiccupping noise, and felt Thomas press his face against my shoulder. "Th-thank you," he mumbled.

I sat there for a moment, wondering what the best way to react was. I'd never been great at comforting other people, and, honestly, had never expected those skills to be needed so badly. "I…" Trailing off, I looked to the side. "You're welcome."

I tried to focus on the present, tried not to put together that Jeremy had gotten attacked trying to protect a child from the Mangle, and that I remembered a man pulling me away from that thing. I tried to focus on comforting Thomas, and not wondering if, in a twisted way, this whole affair was my fault-

A soft hiccup came from below my chin, and I realized that, if it was, then this would be the moment to try to atone for it.

Thomas looked up at me, his breathing heavy. I could see his eyes going red from crying, but, at last, he seemed to have stopped. Taking a deep breath, he sat up, smiling gratefully. "Th-thanks."

I smiled back at him. "Hey, don't mention it. Just payin' you back." We sat there in silence for a bit before, hesitantly, I asked, "Look, I-I understand if you don't want to talk about it anymore, but… You did say he survived, at least. Jeremy, I mean."

Thomas nodded. I could still see the sadness etched into his face, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. "Y-yeah. I, uh, I-I heard that he made it, but I-I don't know what happened to him afterwards." He sighed, looking down forlornly. "For all I know, h-he's stuck living in some hospital on life support for the rest of his life."

"I'm so sorry." I looked away, feeling more than a bit guilty. "I shouldn't have asked about it." And I should've kept my hands to myself, I thought, should've just stayed away from that thing, and maybe this wouldn't have happened-

Taking a deep breath, I tried to still my thoughts. No, I told myself. By the sounds of it, something like this was going to happen anyway, at the rate these things were going.

"Oh, no, d-don't feel bad," Thomas said, looking back up at me, seemingly oblivious to any sign of my hidden fears. "Y-you're well within your rights to, uh, t-to want to know what happened." He furrowed his brows, then gasped. "Oh, r-right."

I raised an eyebrow, forcing myself to push those questions aside for now. "What is it? Don't you think we've been through enough trauma for one night?" I joked.

One side of Thomas's mouth curled up, but he sighed and shook his head. "A-actually it's… it's really not something I want to talk about, either. B-but you asked last night, a-and I own you an answer."

"Ah." I put the pieces together. "You mean the creepy demon girl."

"Uh, y-yeah." Thomas cleared his throat. "It, uh, it actually has a bit to do w-with the story of the Bite. It's… it's why the restaurant was closing down for an investigation."

"Huh." I settled back into my chair, making sure not to roll too far back, in case either Thomas or I had another emotional breakdown. "Fire at will."

Thomas grimaced. "H-have you ever heard of… t-the Missing Children Incident?"

My stomach dropped. Well, shit. I already hated where this was going. "Can't say I have."

"Oh, great," Thomas grumbled, making a face. Once again, he squeezed his wrist. "W-well, the restaurant had only been open for a week or so w-when, uh…" Thomas swallowed anxiously, eyes darting to the side. "Five kids were reported missing, a-and their parents all said t-that the kids went to Freddy's that day."

My insides churned as I started to realized where this was going. "They-did anybody ever find them?"

Thomas shook his head. "T-they found the kids' toys in somebody's trunk." His voice dropped in volume. "T-they never even found any bodies." He took a shaky breath, closing his eyes. "T-they arrested two suspects, but nothing ever really came of it. One of them was still in jail, waiting for trial last I heard, a-and the other…" Thomas chuckled morbidly, eyes reopening. "Heh, h-he was actually the more likely suspect. T-they started to think the other guy was framed, a-and that this guy was the real culprit. B-but, uh, something happened, I-I don't know what, b-but he died in jail b-before he could get charged."

I swallowed hard. "Sweet Jesus."

Thomas nodded. "Y-yeah. It…" He trailed off, then quietly continued, "I-it was horrible."

"Yeah." I cleared my throat nervously. "Now, I don't mean to disrespect, but what does this have to do with that weird little gi-" I stopped suddenly. Oh. Well, wasn't I a dumbass? "Oh, shit."

"D-do you see what I'm getting at?" Thomas asked. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I-I never really believed in, uh, i-in the supernatural, b-but given my current state, I, heh, I may want t-to reevaluate my stance."

"Yeah, no shit, Mr. 'Think-You're-A-Naked-Endoskeleton'," I muttered.

Thomas froze, shooting me a look. "W-what?"

"You heard me," I said, crossing my arms. That was the one thing I was still mad at him for. I could come up with an excuse for his lying about the risk of the job, but not so much for his reason for the animatronics attacking me.

Thomas scowled in annoyance. "I-I… That's what's happening-"

"No, it's not!" I jumped to my feet as I yelled. Thomas flinched, and I dialed back my anger. Still, I stood my ground. "Thomas, you have to know that that's a load of crap! Do you really think that's why they keep coming after me, why they frickin' killed you?" I barely thought before the next sentence left my mouth. "What about Jeremy, huh?"

"I don't know!"

Now it was my turn to flinch backwards, startled by Thomas's sudden outburst. His eyes were narrowed, his body shaking and fists balled. To say I'd struck a nerve would be an understatement. "I-I-I don't know, alright?!" He stood from his seat, and I for once, I was actually a bit intimidated by the sight of him standing over me. "W-well, wise guy, w-w-what do you think it is?! I've worked with these animatronics, I-I grew up around them, and it's the only thing anybody can think of!"

Thomas stopped to catch his breath, turning away from me, and I heard a faint sob. "T-they're not evil," he whispered. "I-I-I know it. Something's happened to them, a-and I don't know what."

The fear and surprise in my head gave way to pity, as the image in front of me shifted from a passionate and angry man back to that of a damaged one, a man who'd seen too many people hurt for reasons he couldn't understand, who was left with nothing but his excuses and explanations and justifications, trying to talk away all that had happened to him.

I sat back down, my mind made up. "Hey, look at me," I said, and Thomas complied. "There is some serious bullshit going on here." I patted it the seat of his chair, signaling for him to sit back down, which he did reluctantly. "And we're gonna get to the bottom of it."

A small smile tugged at his mouth, but he shook his head. "How?"

"I don't know. But think about it. The animatronics are acting up, and have been for years. This place is clearly capable of creating ghosts, though I guess that might just be normal. A bunch of kids disappeared, never to be seen again." I leaned in to meet his eyes, my face set. "Something's going on here, and goddammit, I want to figure out what it is."

Thomas's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "A-alright. W-what can I-what can I do to help?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "For tonight? Nothing. I've made you recount enough trauma for the night." I stood up, pacing the office. "I'd still like to get a vague grasp on your powers, especially since it seems like you're not the only ghost around here. And as soon as you're willing to talk about it, I want as much info as you can recall about the old Freddy's places." I hummed. "Meanwhile, I guess I'll have to do some digging of my own, see if I can find anything else."

"G-got it." I felt Thomas grab my hand, and I turned to face him, brown eyes sparkling, possibly with tears, though whether they were sad or happy was unclear. "I-I have faith in you, Mike."

Christ, those were words I never thought I'd hear. Instead of pointing out how bad of a plan having faith in me was, though, I simply grinned, relishing in the moment. "Thanks."

That night, the dream returned one more time.

"Kid, look out!"

I heard the monster-the animatronic-the Mangle-move behind me, and I felt somebody grab me and push me out of the way. When I looked up from the floor, I saw the blond man who'd been arguing with me lying on the floor, blood pooling from the gaping wound in his head.

The Mangle reared back, looking back at me. I was frozen in fear. I felt tears running down my cheeks. It's gonna get me, my child brain thought, and it attacked again.

For the second time, a pair of hands grabbed me, and I was yanked away from the Mangle's teeth. I was flung over somebody's shoulder, and I grabbed their shirt, sniffling.

I was lowered to the floor several feet away, and I got a good look at my rescuer, who'd dropped to his knees between me and the site of the attack. A tall man, with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. Isn't he the janitor? He looked like he was trying not to cry. That's silly. Grown-ups don't cry, I thought.

I felt him cup his hand under my chin. "Are you alright?" he asked.

I nodded, tears still running down my face. "F-Foxy tried to-" I tried to look over the janitor's shoulder at what happened, but he moved to block my vision.

"I-I know," he said, nodding in sympathy. "It was scary, b-but it's a good thing you're not hurt."

I heard my mother calling my name, and the janitor and I both turned to face her. She ran up, scooping me up in her arms. The janitor tried to talk to her, but she left so quickly that I wasn't sure she'd heard.

I looked over her shoulder, back at the janitor who'd rescued me. He watched as my mother carried me off, and I mouthed 'Thank You' to him. I could've sworn he smiled at me, before turning towards the Mangle. He took a few anxious steps, before I heard somebody yell something and he froze, turned, and ran in the other direction.

The janitor. Light brown hair; dark, friendly eyes; a tall and slender frame; a slight stutter to his voice.

I wonder if he remembers me now, I thought as my consciousness drifted elsewhere.