I sat up, startled by the sound of the ringing bell hanging above the front door. I could hear sprinting footsteps on the other side of the Cove wall, the night guard, sprinting in terror to his little guard post. He wouldn't be safe tonight, I'd make sure of that. I didn't want to hurt the poor guy, but I needed to know what happened.

"Foxy." I turned toward the whispered shout. At the front of the Cove, Chica was waving at me. "Foxy, are you ready?" She asked. The camera over her head glowed red, casting a crimson light over her. I didn't care if the guard saw me. He'd know I was here sooner or later. Besides, he'd only be able to see my eyes hidden behind the Cove curtain.

"You sure you want to do this?" Chica called, worriedly.

"Yes." I paused. "Are you?"

She nodded readily in response. "You remember the plan? When I've gone, wait ten seconds, and them I want you to count to ten, and run. I don't think you'll have that much of a gap in between, so go fast."

"I know." With a defiant nod, the chicken turned to leave. I stopped her. "Chica." She turned at the sound of her own name. "Whatever happens, be careful, alright?"

"Of course." She smiled. "You promise me you'll be safe too, alright?" With the grin still on her beak, she slipped out into the hallway.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. In my head, I began to call out the numbers. One . . . Two . . . Three . . . Four . . . Five.

I heard a childlike shriek echo through the pizzeria. She moved much faster than I thought she would. I hopped off the stage and bounded into the hallway, my claws tearing at the carpet. Light still poured from the open door of the security booth. My robotic legs creaked, not used to such quick and rigorous movement. By the time I'd reached the booth, the security guard was reaching for the button, closing the door on Chica, who stood at the opposite window. He noticed me a split second too late. He reached for the button to seal the door, but I arrived before the door could lock closed. I tore through the doorway and froze. The two of us locked gazes.

The security guard balled up in his chair, his knees tucked close to his chest. A laptop sat on the wooden desk in the center of the room, between he and I. His eyes filled with terror at the sight of my decaying mechanical body. He tore the laptop from the desk and kicked off, his chair rolling to the back of the room, while simultaneously knocking the desk toward me. I dug my hook into the wood and tossed it haphazardly aside. I stalked closer, my feet clacking softly against the tiled floor. His back hit the concrete wall.

My vision grew fuzzy. The Night Guard faded in and out of existence. His eyes glowed with a beady white light. His jaw, a metal trap. Staring at the sight made my head split. It was almost as of watching a TV show through static, the two realities occupying the same space. I pressed my metal hand against the back of my skull. The circuits felt like they were burning out.

"Enough." I screamed, lashing out with my hook. The metal buried itself into the stone, mere inches from the young man's sweaty cap. I gritted my teeth together. The metal skeleton smiled, as if taunting me.

"Wipe that damned grin off your face." An animal growl emigrated from my throat. My metal fist slammed into the wall, leaving a crater in the stone. I leaned in close, my dirty fangs caught the guard's attention. I fought the urge to kill him, but its grip overcame my defenses. The voice vibrating the back of my metal skull grew louder and louder, just as it had with the boy back in the Cove that first morning.

"Protect yourself." I grunted with my last few seconds of control. The Night Guard phased back into existence. His eyes widened with fear when I tore my hook from the wall. I could feel regret in my heart. A young man, so innocent, and yet here I was, ready to gut him like a dying fish. Maybe if I had listened to the Puppet, I could've avoided this. The Guard could've survived.

Suddenly, my opponent's eyes changed. The fear shifted into an odd mixture of determination and panic. Gripping the laptop firmly, he swung forward with every ounce of force his muscular body could muster.

The hard plastic case of the computer cracked against my skull, but worked its job effectively enough. I felt my limbs go limp as my CPU triggered a shutdown. He swung the computer again. This time, the swing knocked me off my feet, and sent me sprawling to the side, crashing into the wall beside the door. He swung his weapon again and again, raining plastic splinters across the room with each swing.

The animatronic skeleton faded from my sight. I felt alone in my mind again as the robotic voice faded. The landscape swirled around me. One final, adrenaline-fueled strike shattered the computer, and I fell to the side, my head slamming against the floor. The terrified Guard drove his heel into my temple, breaking the metal casing.

The room blackened as the generator sputtered and died. I could see the two electronic doors slide open. The Guard glanced around with renewed panic. With an oddly comforting ring, the clock signaled the arrival of dawn. He turned and tore out of the room, passing right by Freddy in the doorway. The bear made no effort to stop the man. Instead, he simply stared at me.

"Foxy." Chica slipped through the open door and crouched over me, inspecting my grotesquely mangled body. Her color was off, like a greenish sort of yellow. Over her shoulder, I could still see Freddy. His fur, like Chica's, looked discolored. His warm brown had become a dirty gold. I opened my mouth to speak, but my word melted into an incoherent whine. I noticed that the Freddy had no eyes. In fact, the suit almost seemed to hang limp in the air, but I couldn't be sure.

"Freddy, Bonnie, Puppet. Anyone, please help me!" Chica called, pulling me close. Her voice sounded as close to tears as an animatronic could sound. The golden Freddy turned and walked off. As my vision faded to black, I could hear the Puppet and Freddy rush in. The rest of the night is missing from my memory.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the security booth, but the main dining room. The lights were on, and sunlight was streaming in from outside. My vision still suffered, but the pictures became more clear as I grew used to the light. Up on stage, I saw Bonnie, Chica, and Freddy, performing for the mass of pizza-eating patrons.

"Are you alright, Honey?" I turned, finally realizing the words were meant for me. In the chair beside me, a young and beautiful brunette woman looked at me, concerned. The lone word that erupted from my mouth seemed to do so involuntarily:

"Mom?"