{ Mike's POV }

The animatronics got no further than fifteen when he started running for it. The only available place to run was through a door straight ahead where the chicken had once been. The others took off in the same direction, all except Foxy, who ran to the left towards a doorway on the far right. None if the robots seemed to notice. Not even the word "terrified" could explain anything close to what Mike was feeling. He knew how real this was. He knew it was a life or death situation. And he knew he had to save Chica. Sure, he was terrified of Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy, but he knew that really, they were all friends. And Mike would risk his life for his friends.

As the four ran into the hallway, Freddy's advice echoed through Mike's head. stay together. They passed what appeared to be bathrooms. A wide hallway opened to the left and Mike's keen eyes picked up a soft light at the end of the hall. The plan of staying together completely vanished from his mind, his curiosity and desperation for finding clues taking over, and he veered to the left to go investigate the light further. Freddy followed, but veered to the right into another room.

The animatronics' voices still echoed through the building. They were at ten. When they finished counting...

Mike didn't want to think about it.

All he knew was that he did NOT want those animatronics to find him.

Snapping back to the present, Mike rushed through a doorway and banged straight into a desk with a slight grunt. There was a dim light coming from a single bulb on the ceiling, which looked like it could flicker out at any moment.

Shaking off his collision with the desk, he began searching the room for any clues. He threw papers and drawings off of the desk to look for any clues but found nothing. The room was a small security office, complete with three ways in. There were two air vents on the left and right and a large gaping entryway from which he had come. The door was not closable in any way.

On the desks were two masks resembling the animatronic bear that had been in Gold's creepy robot animal posse. One was old and looked like it hadn't been used since the 80s and the other looked semi-new, or at least newer than the first.

Next to these masks was a tablet, and when Mike turned it on he could tap on different boxes and a different screen would pop up. His eyes widened as he clicked to a camera labeled "Dining Room 1" and the animatronic animals were standing in a line, staring at nothing. Their mouths didn't move, but they were still counting down with malfunctioning voice boxes. With the cameras, he could tell where the animatronics were. And maybe where Gold and Chica were. The animatronics were at six. He didn't have much time. In fact, he didn't have any time.

Flipping through the cameras, he realized he could turn on lights to see the room better. He quickly swept through the cameras and turned on the lights. This place was decked out. It even had cameras in the air vents! He saw Freddy sprinting through the dining rooms. He was currently in a room labeled "Dining Room 3." Bonnie was pushing boxes aside in a closet full of animatronic masks and parts, labeled Parts/Service. Foxy was opening a curtain and looking around before disappearing inside. He was in a room labeled "Kid's Cove."

The robots' voices still rung clearly through the pizzeria.

"Th-three."

"T-two-oo."

"One-un-un."

"R-r-ready or not h-here we come-um-um!"

Terror gripping Mike, he flipped back to the Dining Room 1 camera. The animatronics turned and took off in different directions. He switched to the hallway that led to his office. His heart jumped into his throat. The chicken animatronic was coming down the hallway. Fast.

Without a second thought, he ducked beneath the desk, tablet still in hand, his pulse hammering. The dim lightbulb overhead blinked, threatening to go out.

An unsettling hush fell over the pizzeria. He hoped the others were okay.

There was silence in the security office for a few long seconds, then metallic creaks were heard at the gaping door that led to Dining Room 1. The chicken animatronic was inside the room, probably looking for him.

"C-come out, come out-t wherevvver you a-are!" The chicken cooed, its voice box glitching.

It was almost like those dreams Mike had when he was a kid. Those dreams where he was playing hide and seek with some random person, but it felt much more sinister. It felt like if they found him, he would die. That was exactly what was happening now.

But the thing that really scared him about the connection to those types of dreams was the fact that no matter how good his hiding place, the other person always found him.

It was like nothing Mike had ever experienced before. Being cornered, knowing he's going to die. He wasn't even scared anymore. It was as if he was numb to all feeling. He couldn't explain it.

Watching from underneath the desk, Mike saw the chicken's clawed feet slowly making their way around the desk. It was obviously looking for him. He just hoped it's AI wasn't great.

"Oh! F-f-fazzzzbear!" The chicken suddenly said. Frantic, Mike searched around the desk, but saw no more animatronic feet. She must be referring to the animatronic bear, but he wasn't in the room. No reply, from a robot or otherwise.

"W-what are you doing in here, Freddddy? And who'ssss this uh-uh-other Frrrreddy?" She asked. The bear's name was Freddy Fazbear? Like Freddy, the brunette that had a crush on Chica? Gold must have named the animatronics, why else would they be the same?

But neither the bear nor the brunette were in the room. Mike then realized the chicken's feet were facing toward the desk. In a flash, he remembered when he had looked around the room and seen the 2 bear masks on the desk.

Wow. The chcken's AI must be low if she thinks the masks are her comrades.

Then an idea occurred to him. If he could get the chicken to turn away, then put on the mask...

It was worth a shot. Mike quietly searched his pockets as the chicken continued to speak to the masks. In his pockets he found a ball of lint, some string, and his phone. The lint and string were useless, as they wouldn't make any noise if they hit something and the chicken wouldn't feel it if he threw them at it. He had to throw his phone.

Mike hesitated. Even the life or death situation, he wasn't eager to just chuck his phone across the room. It then occurred to him that he was being selfish and cowardly. He mouthed, "I love you" to the phone before throwing it against the wall opposite him. It hit the wall and cracked loudly, making Mike wince.

The distraction worked. The chicken turned and started towards the phone. Before anything else could happen, Mike reached a hand up and grabbed a mask. He shoved it on over his head and came out from under the desk, standing and hoping that this would work. He set the tablet down silently where the mask had been.

Creaking slightly, the chicken bent down and grabbed Mike's now shattered phone. She straightened and turned to Mike. She looked up at him and held out the phone to him. "Wh-what do ya think th-this isss, Freddy-reddy-reddy?" She asked, obviously not noticing that the "Freddy Fazbear" she was talking to was actually a 15-year old boy.

Mike's knees shook in fear. He realized to pull it off he would have to sound like his "voice box" was malfunctioning as well.

"I-I don't knnnow." He said, stuttering the "I" and dragging out the "N" sound in "know." The chicken seemed to buy it.

"W-well ne-never mind thattt. We have to findddd those humanssss." The chicken continued, searching the room.

Mike stuffed the phone into his pocket when it turned away. "A-a-all right." He said, then made his way toward the door to run.

"H-hey Freddddy?" The chicken called.

He turned back to it. It still had its permanent expression on its face, its jaw hanging open slightly. It was creepy.

"H-h-how come you do-do-don't creakkk?" It asked warily.

Mike didn't respond. Damn. Apparently the animatronics weren't as stupid as he thought.

The chicken let out a snort, but it seemed to be almost laughing. "Did Gold-old oil you a-and not me-ee-ee? That'sss not f-f-fairr!" It punched his arm playfully.

Well, when Mike, being the weak 15-year-old that he is, was punched by that metallic fist, he stumbled and the mask fell off of his head, revealing his real face.

"You're notttt F-F-Freddy!" The chicken growled, its eyes beginning to glow red.

Mike backed up a bit, holding up his hands. Now what?