I... LIVE... AGAIN...

Cripes this thing has taken me too long. I am so, so very sorry that this took me so long... Between finally finishing for the semester and my first few weeks of freedom being obscenely busy with last-minute cleanup and dealing with the mess that had formed during my busy months, I'd just had to put writing on the back burner... And then I was lazy, then forgetful, and on and so forth...

But here it is. The last main chapter of Five Nights at Freddy's 2: Free Roam. I feel like the action was fairly well done, but I'm - as usual - not sure. All I know is I'm super grateful to finish this up... All that's left is the Epilogue, and that should be up either later today or tomorrow.

Again, thanks to all my fans for sticking it out through this drought of content. I've got a lot of ideas for the story for FNAF 3, and I've got it mostly laid out already. Hopefully that one won't take as long as this one. If I take all summer to write what's gonna be a relatively short story? You all have my permission to smack me upside the head.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. On with the show!

I was seeing red. That infernal Marionette just killed Mike, right in front of me… And I had no patience for playing games anymore. I could hear the band setting to work, and the melee beginning anew behind me… I didn't pay any attention to it. Right now it was just me, the Marionette, and vengeance.

Right before Golden Freddy came in and delivered a jump-kick to my side, knocking me to the ground. I recovered quickly, and the machetes were out. I stepped in, letting out a growl as I swung for his middle. He blocked it, coming in with a slash aiming for my arm, and I delivered a solid boot to his own midsection. The Marionette came in, whirling those razor-sharp at me, so I grinned and grabbed Golden by the suit, rushing him forwards and directly into the whirling blades. He roared out, and started punching and biting at the Marionette's middle, large portions of blood-spattered golden fur flying as it was shredded.

I turned just in time for Foxy to call my name out, tossing the Mangle my way. I held my ground and used my machete like a baseball bat, connecting directly with the abomination's second head and causing an angry, static-laden screech to erupt from the other. I shut it up with a solid boot-stomp and moved to re-engage the 'bosses'. About that time, I managed to look around and figure out what was going on.

It was an all-out battle royal. The original band, the Withers, and the Toy Animatronics were all tearing into each other. Freddy and Fred briefly combined their power to tear the arms off of the Withered model, before setting to attacking each other with them while the Wither snapped its jaws at them, trying to recover its arms.

Chica had stolen Cheeks' beak, and was now using it to stab into the Withered Chica repeatedly, shredding its feathers and causing a healthy amount of damage before Wither pushed her off and shoved both sparking, handless arms into Cheeks, sending a heavy jolt of electricity through the animatronic. She screeched angrily, before slamming a fist into Wither's own beak and pushing it back.

Bonnie and Bon-Bon seemed to be holding an unsteady alliance, using their guitars as blunt instruments to bash the Withered Bonnie around. I saw smoke coming from its interior, so it was clear they were doing good damage… Before Wither ripped the guitar from Bon-Bon's hands and bashed Bonnie over the head, grabbing her and slamming her into the 'new and improved' clone and causing it to devolve into another skirmish.

With the Mangle dispatched for now, currently crawling away to lick its wounds, Foxy and Withered Foxy were able to focus their attention on a fight of their own. As I watched on, twin cutlasses sparked and bounced off of each other as they dueled, teeth bared and growling at each other. Foxy stepped in with a quick cut, but got a hook in her arm for the trouble. Before I was able to step in and assist, she came down and chopped the hook arm clean off, stepping in and kicking the Wither in the chest, knocking it back a few paces. This didn't seem to dissuade it any, as it grabbed her foot and flipped her over, slamming her on her front.

All of this was happening before a news crew that was currently playing everything as live as they could get it, with helicopters and news trucks surrounding the battlefield… And, of course, blocking off easy access for the waiting SWAT team. I could see Adams barely in the background, looking like the vein bulging in his head was about to blow if he wasn't able to push past all the news crews and gawkers.

While I was so distracted by the fight, I realized that I'd made a grave mistake as I felt two wiry limbs wrapping around my body, another pair working around my throat and squeezing. I could hear that blasted Marionette cackling in my ear, and I groaned as I slammed myself against the wall of the pizzeria, then my truck, then something… Soft?

I heard an angry roaring and realized that the soft object I'd just rammed into was a VERY angry Golden Freddy, and he was looking to ruin my day. He grabbed hold of the Marionette, who just tightened its garrote hold around my neck as the angry robotic leader pulled and roared. Thinking quickly, I grasped my machete and slashed at one of the Marionette's limbs, Golden Freddy's pulling giving just enough slack in its arms for me to slash right through its left arm. It let out a roar of its own and tossed me like a rag doll, turning its attention to Golden Freddy.

I felt something grabbing hold of my arm and turned just in time to get a punch to the face from Cheeks; apparently, Chica and the Wither were keeping each other busy, so she had opted to give me some trouble. For her attempt, I hip-tossed her to the ground and curb stomped her midsection, roughly where I assumed the power supply was. That seemed to do the job as she went limp and stopped moving; whether I'd knocked the power out or just damaged her, I didn't know… And wasn't able to find out as Golden Freddy threw the Marionette down and charged me.

I met his charge with my head down, shoulder ramming him in the midsection and following it up with an uppercut that knocked him off his feet for a moment, which bought me a bit of time to deal with the roaring of Withered Bonnie as it came at me. I grasped it by the exposed lower jaw and drove a machete straight up and into its 'skull'. Meanwhile, Freddy had disengaged from his own fight to charge Golden Freddy, and I turned from dealing with Withered Bonnie just in time to see Golden dodge to the side and push Freddy directly into the Marionette, which had just gotten back up. It roared angrily and shoved Freddy to the side.

Golden and I locked eyes, then looked back to the Marionette. With a growl, he grabbed the puppet and tossed it directly at me… I proceeded to shove one machete blade straight through its midsection, tossing it down and pressing my boot against its 'neck'. I grabbed hold of the thing, chopping with a blade and lopping its right 'leg' off. With an angered growl of my own, I brought its painted mask to my face.

"I know who you are, you damnable puppetmaster… And after I finish this? I'm coming for you." With that, I tossed it in the air… And jabbed both machetes up, impaling it as it fell. With one final, fell slash, my blades tore through it, splitting the Marionette in two.

The result it had on the Toy animatronics was nearly instantaneous; they all froze, turned to stare at me… Then, as one, marched back into the pizzeria. Was that… It? Did I break the control they had, or did they have any AI to start with?

I didn't have time to ponder this question as Golden Freddy gave a whistle, and the Withered animatronics once more engaged my band in combat right before he charged me, claws showing and teeth bared. I managed to just dodge to the side, getting back to my feet as he charged me again, eyes glowing with a malicious, bloodthirsty red. This time, I charged forward, blades pressed in front of me… And drove them both straight through his body, into his endoskeleton.

He roared, staggered… Then pushed me back until I slammed into what felt like another parked vehicle. I groaned as my back took the bulk of the impact from that charge, managing to kick him back for a moment. That blow made me lose one of my machetes, but I had the other one in hand. I quickly holstered it and tugged my revolvers out, sighting along them and focusing on Golden Freddy's torso, where I believed his power supply was.

I opened fire, sending heavy magnum rounds tearing through his body. He clearly flinched as a few ricocheted off of his power supply, sending him staggering during his charge. This gave me the chance I needed as I holstered the now empty revolvers, coming in with my one remaining machete and slashing at him, shredding off large chunks of fur and even taking a few metal parts with it. One good slash tore his ear off, another smashed down through his left elbow joint and chopped his forearm clean off. A solid kick to the knee servos was followed by a rising kick…

And then I realized that forgetting about the Withers was a great way of getting hurt as both Withered Freddy and Withered Chica came up, tossed me off of Golden, and proceeded to beat the living crap out of me. I felt punches landing to my middle, face, arms… I barely managed to hold on to my remaining machete as Withered Freddy worked my body over before conking me over the head with its microphone, Withered Chica then kicking my knees and forcing me back onto the car Golden Freddy had pushed me against.

I gasped for breath, wheezing… It felt like I'd cracked at least a rib or two from that, and the instant I tried to get back to my feet my knees informed me not-so-kindly that if I tried that again I'd be on my face. And then, I saw him moving over me… Golden Freddy looked me in the eye, a grin on his face as his right paw moved to my throat.

"So it ends, Mr. Redding… I'm afraid it was a valiant effort, however it seems that all your fighting was for naught… Take heart, however; when I rule, you will not be alive to see the devastation that I will bring…" He began to squeeze. "Goodbye, Mr. Redding."

I felt him constricting my airflow, struggling to move and escape… My hands flailing around this car, trying to find something… When my eyes widened as I glanced upwards.

I wasn't bent over a car. I was bent over the intake chute of the wood chipper I'd asked Adams to have ready for the hard drives. If I could breathe, I would've laughed. By bending me over this thing, Golden Freddy had just signed his death warrant… If only I could get it started.

I fought Golden Freddy's grip, trying to maintain consciousness for a few moments, tried to figure out a plan… And heard footsteps, running towards me.

"I got your back, Alex!" I knew that voice. It was Adams to the rescue, shoulder-ramming Withered Chica into Withered Freddy and tossing the power lever to the wood chipper, causing it to roar to life. Golden Freddy's eyes widened and he let out an angry growl, staring into my eyes.

"What do you hope to accomplish?!" He roared, his static-tinged voice showing his anger. With a triumphant grin, I grasped my machete and drove it through his body, causing him to loosen his grasp around my throat.

"Just trying to get you to chip into a better world, Goldie!" With that, I kicked back and grabbed hold of him, tossing him – and my blade – backwards, directly into the running machine. I heard him roaring in anger and pain as the teeth on the machine shredded through costume, endoskeleton, and computer parts alike. Soon the roars turned to static and interference, and then… Silence as his feet disappeared into the hopper.

Everyone was quiet… The Withered animatronics froze, staring at me. I was unarmed, and defenseless… My band was staring at them as well… Before all four withers approached and nodded to me. "At-Your-Command." The voice was even, monotone, and came from all four at once. This… I did not expect. Apparently I now ran these things… And I knew just what to do with them.

Slowly, Foxy and the others approached me, Adams jogging up as well. "Is that it, brother? Is it over?" I looked to Adams, then back into the building… And shook my head. I still had one last problem to deal with. Damien Mitchell.

"Not yet. Just one more loose end. Keep the band out here, try and deal with the news crews. No way we're keeping this under wraps after this brawl… I'm going to end this." With that, I turned to the Withers. "Follow me." The nodded as one, and marched in lockstep as I re-entered the pizzeria, heading for the Parts and Service room. I pointed to the basement door. "Tear it open." Without even hesitating, they grasped the hatch and tore it off its hinges. I descended, keeping them a little bit behind me.

Before I was even fully down the stairs, I could pick up on the scent of death and rot… And that faint whiff of brimstone. I knew what it was; it was the same smell from the SWAT raid on that cult… History had repeated itself. I heard a voice downstairs, and shook my head.

"I can taste it… Can feel it! I have tasted the flesh of fallen angels…Come to me, all! … Astaroth, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, Baphomet, Lucifer, Loki, Satan, Cthulhu, Lilith, Hela! Blood to you all!" I sighed. Whoever was chanting down here, it was clear he was absolutely insane. The evil sensation I felt within this room was pervasive, stifling… I rounded the corner and saw a massive wooden door, with easily a half-dozen locks. I had no time for this; I just pointed, and the Withers set to work breaking it down.

The voice went on. "Mythic wolves let loose to devour the sun and the moon … Damien is the wolf. I'm Mr. Beast, the big bad Fenris wolf, I'm The-End-of-the-World-Man, wearing the flesh of fallen angels …" He was nuts! Maybe that's what he was thinking… And that's why he and Golden Freddy didn't get along. I didn't have time to ponder this as the animatronics broke the door in, and I stepped in…

And got hit in the face by the stench of rot and brimstone. Standing there, wearing nothing but a black robe with that symbol on it, was Damien Mitchell. His chanting was interrupted as he saw me, eyes wide and bloodshot. "YOU! You dare interrupt my rituals?!" He laughed out for a moment, before staring at me again. "It matters not. It doesn't even matter that you took away my puppet… My toys! Hah, you do not know who you are dealing with! When my power is complete, I will ensure that you are cast into TORMENT!" He laughed out, and I looked around… There were corpses everywhere. Bloodied, destroyed corpses… Of children.

I felt the rage filling me once more. "This ends now, Mitchell." He stared at me for a moment, before laughing once more, throwing his head back and howling in hysterical laughter.

"You think you can stop me? Please… What are you gonna do, arrest me?" He laughed again. "You know as well as I do the court will find me insane, toss me in an asylum, and I'll be out within a few years. That's how the system works, REDDING! There's not a thing you can do to me!"

I stared for a moment… Before chuckling softly… And then starting to laugh, shaking my head. "You absolute idiot. You really think that I'm gonna arrest you? Toss you to the cops?" I wave my hand, and in stomped the Withered animatronics. "I can't lay a finger on you… But my new friends can."

This seemed to stop him in his tracks, his eyes bugging out. "W-wait… If they're listening to your command… NO! You freed the Golden Menace?! Allowed him to usurp MY power!? You don't understand what you did, Redding!" He shook his head, backing up as I approached him, the Withers close behind me. "By killing him, you free him! The cycle repeats! He will reap the sinners, steal my power! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

I just shake my head, pointing at him. The Withers nod, approaching him… Two of them took his arms, a third holding him steady as a fourth hunted out a spare, old Fazbear suit. I looked it over; sure enough, it seemed like an ancient replacement… For Golden's suit, as far as I can tell. I nod to them, and they dragged him over to it.

"W-wait, wait! No! Don't put me in that! I'm a human, you hear me? HUMAN!" The withers stopped, looking up at me. I stared directly at Damien, my mind playing out all the deaths that he caused. After a moment, I shrugged.

"What human? All I see is a defective endoskeleton without his suit. Fix the rule breaker, then power yourselves down." With that, I turned and walked away as the bots began forcing Damien into the suit. I heard him screaming in agony as the metal and wires cut into him, crushing his bones and cutting through muscle and tendon alike as I slowly ascended the stairs back up.

The screams were cut off with a loud, squelching crunch.

I didn't look back.

Sometimes, even Alex Redding can be a tiny bit evil. Just the epilogue left to go, folks... Read and review!