Freddy Fazbear's Pizza - Monday, January 17th, 1994

Mike accepted a ride from Fritz to work that evening, thankful to have his support in light of the recent turn of events. He couldn't imagine how he'd shake the guilt he felt without his love and help. After a full week of the restaurant being closed, he felt both nervous and excited to be back, almost like his earlier weeks of work. The only difference was his comfort with the animatronics. Against all odds, he realized he had overcome one of his biggest fears about working at Freddy's.

When Fritz unlocked the door to the restaurant, they both stopped at the doorway.

Mike took a deep breath, noticing pungent odour. "Is it me, or does it smell like Thomas installed a pool?"

"I wish that's all it was," Fritz said.

"Me too." Mike sighed and straightened his hat atop his head. "W-Well, um, what now?"

He shrugged. "We could talk to them, or we could head straight to the office to watch the cameras."

"You know, I've always wanted to know what they do when they don't know we're here," Mike said.

Fritz flashed him a mischievous grin, one of the few sincere smiles Mike had seen from him in the past week. "Why don't we find out?"

They walked down the hall to the office, ensuring they didn't make any noise. Thinking of Fritz's recent moods made him think of his own. Mike saw his mom throughout the week, as he usually did, and was thankful to have not let her in on the fact that something was bothering him. At least, not that he was aware of. He couldn't help but wonder if she knew and was simply not asking about it. Mike felt awful about hiding so much from her. Ever since taking the security job at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, he had been keeping many details about his personal life from her. In hindsight, she knew nothing about what he was up to, outside of safe discussions such as the news. Even that was quickly becoming an unsafe subject.

More than anything, he wanted to tell his mom all about Fritz: about how wonderful he and his kids were. Every time he wanted to, he imagined what could happen if she didn't respond well and immediately shook any hope of it from his mind. The same went for talking about a funny moment at work, his guilt, and even his love of Sailor Moon. He felt like a fraud, a shell of who he used to be. Jeremy lost his brain, Porfirio lost his life, Thomas lost his family, and Anthony lost his integrity. Fritz hadn't lost anything because of work but was definitely impacted by it. Mike, as he realized, was losing his relationship with his mom for his job. All the lies to hold up the charade. Although he loved his new friends and his boyfriend, he questioned if he could afford what it cost to keep all their secrets.

Once they were settled in the office, Fritz turned on the monitor. It was set to the Show Stage where Bonnie and Chica were by themselves, chatting and intently focused on one another, both smiling. Mike rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder and watched for a few moments.

Bonnie then stole a kiss.

"Oh my gosh!" Mike nearly shouted, bolting upright.

Fritz chuckled. "They seem happy," he said, clicking to another camera. "Let's give them some space." The Dining Area was empty, as was Backstage. The West Hall feed was deserted as well.

"Where is everyone?" Mike asked.

"They're around here somewhere. They've gotta be."

The next place they checked was Pirate Cove, where Freddy, Gilead, and Reynard were huddled around what appeared to be one of the back up security monitors. At that moment, Reynard had a focused expression on his face as he navigated the spaceship on the small screen.

Mike smiled. "Well, I guess they like the gift."

"Ya bought them that?"

"Yeah. It's an SNES. I thought they'd like it."

"Seems like it," Fritz said. He watched the three of them play a bit longer before saying, "You're really sweet, Mike. I'm sure that cost ya a lot of money."

"It did," he mumbled. "But it was worth it! I-I mean, it must get pretty boring around here!"

Fritz playfully poked him. "Not with ya around."

Mike laughed and batted his hand away. "Stop it!"

He snickered and began to look for James. He scrolled over to East Hall, then moving to the Kitchen feed.

"W-Wait, go back," Mike said.

"Huh? Uh, sure." Fritz did as he was told. "What about it?"

He held his hand up, as if it would keep the image on the screen longer. Mike watched the feed in silence, leaning in and narrowing his eyes. As it panned from left to right, he caught a glimpse of something in the upper right corner. "What's that?" he exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

"Uh…" Fritz looked at it. "It looks like it's Reynard's foot."

"But he's in Pirate Cove…" Right as he finished speaking, the image cut to black static. "F-Fritz!"

"It's nothin' to worry about," he assured him. "The camera'll start workin' again soon. Besides, we don't need to close the doors anymore."

Heavy, inhuman, footfalls echoed down the tiled hall. An unfamiliar moaning sound was heard along with it. It almost sounded like someone trying to speak, but if it was, the words were not clear enough to be understood.

Mike clung to Fritz, hiding his face.

Fritz's hold on the monitor tightened. "Mikey, you're fine," he assured him.

The strange footsteps got louder.

"Reynard?" Fritz called out. "You're scarin' Mike; cut it out!"

The footfalls only got louder. Mike dared to look up. Just then, a figure appeared in the doorway: a rabbit with a broken ear.

"That's not him!" Mike shrieked, attempting to shrink away behind his boyfriend.

Fritz pressed the button, sending the hydraulic door down with a clang. He then clicked on the light, seeing the animatronic standing at the window, hands pressed to the glass and a desperate expression in its eyes. The animatronic banged on the glass, causing loud thuds to ring through the small office.

Mike held Fritz tighter.

"Run along now," Fritz shouted, waving the rabbit away.

The animatronic stayed, hitting the window once more.

"Go!"

"Fritz, let me in!" the animatronic yelled back in a voice he recognized, muffled through the window.

His eyes widened. "No way…" Fritz opened the door, watching intently.

Mike screamed and ducked under the desk, making himself as small as possible. He hid his face and pressed himself against the grimy wall behind the desk, hoping to avoid being caught.

The rabbit stepped into the room, its perpetual smile staring Fritz down. "Hey."

"Is that... really you?" He received a nod as an answer. "God. Sorry about lockin' ya out there."

Porfirio shrugged, looking to the desk where he clearly saw Mike curled up with his arms wrapped around himself. "Mike, I can see you," he said flatly. The man didn't move.

"Mikey, it's okay. Come on out and say hi," Fritz coaxed.

"No way! I-I'm not going out there! I'm staying here until six!" he cried out.

Porfirio sighed, crouching beside the desk, seeing that the guard had his eyes shut tightly.

"Please don't hurt us!"

Porfirio tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to bolt upright and smack his head on the desk. He opened his eyes and screamed once again.

"Hey."

"Stay back! I-I don't want to be stuffed in a suit!"

"I'm not going to do that, Mike."

He rubbed at his sore head. "How do you know m-my name?"

"It's me." He rolled his eyes. "You came over to my girlfriend's house and watched Sailor Moon all day."

Mike stared, dumbfounded. "W-What? Porfirio?"

"Yes?"

Mike still didn't move.

"Come on, why are you so scared?"

"Sorry," he squeaked, letting out a nervous laugh before crawling out, immediately going to Fritz and clinging to him.

Fritz said, "I didn't know ya were here, Porfirio."

"Well, I am."

Silence hung in the air for a few moments.

"Yeah, I know: I look like hell. Are you done staring?" Porfirio asked sharply.

"S-Sorry!" Mike stammered, diverting his gaze.

"It's fine. I was only planning on eating your brain."

Mike turned as pale as a sheet of paper, letting go of his boyfriend and fleeing from the room at a speed he didn't know he was capable of. Fritz tensed, taking a step back.

Porfirio laughed. "Aw come on, I'm kidding!" By this point, Mike was already long gone. He frowned. "It was just a joke…" He hung his head and dragged himself to the opposite door that the guard had sprinted out of.

"Where are ya goin'?" Fritz asked.

"Away."

"That won't do," he teased. "I love him to bits, but Mike's easy to scare. Ya can't assume we all don't want ya here because of how he's doin' right now."

Porfirio sighed. "Why are you trying to be nice to me? You know what I've done."

"I know. Ya hurt Anthony and ya went by another name for a while. But people deserve second chances, and I know what it's like to not get one when ya need one." He gave him a small smile. "You're a good guy; I know ya are."

He hung his head. "I'm not."

Fritz let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tell ya what, I'll go look for Mike, alright?" Handing him the security monitor, he said, "Why don't ya look at the cameras to pass the time?"

"Why not," he replied, boredly. Porfirio slumped into the desk chair and held the small screen. As Fritz was about to leave the office, he got his attention and asked, "If I give you my keys, could you check on Kowalski?"

"Kowalski?"

"My cat," he explained. "She must be getting hungry by now."

"I didn't know ya had one." Fritz frowned. "A week's a long time to go without food."

"I know. That's why I need you to check on her for me." Porfirio slowly scrolled through the video feeds. "I think Anthony put my keys in Thomas' office."

"I'll get 'em. Mike and I'll be back soon."

"Thanks."

On his way out the door, he heard Porfirio say, "I told you he wouldn't hurt me." Fritz shook his and went straight for his boss' office, entering and shutting the door behind himself as quietly as he could. He paused to look around for a moment, seeing the pale blue walls and the collection of newspaper headlines featuring the restaurant hung on the walls. Reading them over, he saw only a handful of positive ones among the cluster of pages referring to the atrocities faced by Fazbear Entertainment over the years. There were also a few awards for the quality of the animatronic's showmanship. Fritz stepped over to the desk covered in paperwork, namely bills and payroll documents. Near the top of the stack sat Porfirio's files, now listed as terminated. There was also a draft for a missing person report nearby, also for Porfirio.

He looked up from the papers to see a small collection of framed photos propped up on the desk. The one in the middle showed a picture of Thomas, about six years ago, with Freddy and Gilead. The three of them were smiling for the camera, beaming and without a worry in the world. In a picture to the far left, a younger Freddy was sitting at one of the tables in the restaurant, eating a pizza with whom he guessed to be Bailey and Charlotte. There was another of a younger Gilead with a red-haired boy of similar age at what appeared to be a summer camp. He figured the other boy was Reynard. To the right sat an old photo of a woman, one he recognized as Thomas' wife, whom he'd been shown pictures of before. Her skin seemed to glow with health and her blue eyes sparkled. It was as if she had never been ill.

Seeing the pictures made him feel sympathetic to Thomas' situation. He was also reminded of the loss of his own family. Up until recently, he was on his own, only seeing his kids on a bi-weekly basis. One day, at a moment's notice, he feared his custody rights would be revoked by a whim, and he knew Greg and Charlene would still sleep well at night. Especially Greg. From the start, he'd wanted nothing more than to ensure he and Charlene would have full custody, effectively cutting Fritz out of the picture entirely.

Fritz pushed his worries from his mind and searched the desk, quickly coming across the cluttered keyring. Afterward, he departed from the pain-filled office to find Mike, hoping his face didn't reflect the pangs of loss he was feeling.

He strolled into the Dining Room, finding Mike at one of the tables. Mike looked up at him, his face flooding with relief. He leaped up and ran at Fritz, embracing him in a tackle-hug. Fritz was prepared for this and caught him in his arms, lifting him a few inches from the floor.

"Y-You're not dead!" Mike exclaimed, holding him tighter.

Fritz set him down without letting go. "Why would I be?"

"H-He said he was going to eat my brain, s-so I got really scared and ran away and I know I shouldn't have left you to deal with it on your own and-"

"Mike, I'm fine," he interrupted. "Porfirio's not dangerous."

Mike frowned slightly. "Are you sure?"

He offered a lopsided smile. "I'm sure."

Satisfied with the answer, Mike kissed him.

When they parted, Fritz pulled out the keys he retrieved from the office. He spun them around his finger and said, "Are ya up for a roadtrip?"

"Um, sure. Where to?"

Opting to avoid sending Mike into another bout of anxious rambling, he said, "It's a surprise."

Mike's excitement only lasted momentarily. "Don't we have to stay at work until six?"

"It's business related," Fritz replied, heading toward the door.

"Oh." Mike followed his lead.

They got settled in the car and went on their way. Mike looked outside for a moment as they drove, turning to him and asking, "Isn't this the way back to my place?"

Fritz simply smiled.

"You said this was a business trip."

"What kind of business did ya think it was?" Fritz said with a smirk.

He looked away quickly, his face flushed red. "I-I um… Fritz, I didn't think you meant… that kind of business. I mean, I thought it had to do with Freddy's…"

He laughed. "I'm kiddin', Mikey. It's work stuff, I promise."

Mike laughed uncomfortably. Silence hung in the air for a few moments before he asked, "So, what does a business trip have to do with my place?"

"Just wait and see."

Fritz parked the car and the two of them got out. He took Mike's hand and raced up the stairs with him, stopping at the fourth floor.

"Um, my floor's higher up," Mike said.

"We're not goin' to your floor."

"Wait… this was Porfirio's floor."

"Yeah. That's where we're goin'," Fritz said.

Mike shook his head. "I'll pass. M-Maybe you can, um, come to my room and let me know when you're done?"

"Nope. You're comin' with me."

"B-But-"

"He doesn't live there anymore,' Fritz reminded him, stepping into the hall.. "We're just goin' to get his cat for him, that's all."

"Porfirio had a cat?"

"Yeah. I had no idea either."

He hesitated before following Fritz. They checked door numbers until they reached Porfirio's unit. The numbers on the door were loosely screwed on, begging to come crashing down at the slightest touch.

"His unit seems worse than mine," Mike said. "I know these apartments are pretty cheap and old, but this is…"

"Pretty bad?"

"Yeah."

Fritz grabbed the keys from his pocket and proceeded to unlock the door, only to find that it wasn't locked to begin with. "Huh… That's odd. Well, we'll see what it's like inside. Maybe it'll be better?"

"Maybe."

As soon as Fritz opened the door, the stench of dirty cat litter mixed with stale smoke hit them like a wall. Mike took a deep breath of fresh air, covered his nose, and braved entering the room. Fritz mumbled a comment about the smell before doing the same.

The apartment looked as though it had been hit by a tornado. Crumb-covered toast plates, a dirty ashtray, and a few empty mugs and cups littered the coffee table. Kibble lay strewn across the floor, leading into the small kitchen where the large sack of the food was slashed open. The tap was trickling a thin stream of water into the kitchen sink, causing the butter knives in it to clatter against the metal surface.

"This place is a disaster," Fritz said.

"Yeah…" Mike peeked under the couch, then under the coffee table. "Where's the cat?"

"I don't know. At least she's had somethin' to eat and drink by the look of it."

He nodded, looking at the video cabinet for a moment. Most of the titles were slasher films and horror movies, each one seeming gorier and scarier than the last. Mike shuddered and returned to his task, heading into Porfirio's bedroom. The bed was covered in crumpled sheets, the comforter half of the way off of the bed. On a forest green shirt, among a pile of other clothes, sat a small bundle of black fluff.

Cautiously, Mike came closer, kneeling nearby. "Here, Kitty," he said, extending a hand.

The feline uncurled its upside down head from the tight ball it had twisted itself into. He heard a trill-like mew as the cat got to its feet and stretched, trotting over to him.

Mike smiled. "Who's a nice kitty?" he said, stroking the cat's head, which the cat pushed up against.

He turned toward the door, still allowing the cat to rub against his hand. "Fritz, I found the cat!"

"Ya did?" he replied from a distance. Within seconds, he was in the room.

"Aw, there she is." He sat on the floor beside his boyfriend.

"It's a she?" Mike asked. "What's her name?"

Fritz pet the cat. "Kowalski."

"Huh. That's a weird name."

He shrugged. "Ya gonna pick her up or what?"

Mike did as Fritz said, scooping Kowalski into his arms. He held her close and, after having been alone for a full week, she didn't seem to mind the affection.

Fritz found a roll of tape in one of the kitchen drawers, using it to tape the bag of cat food shut before hefting it over his shoulder. Mike placed the empty food dish and a stuffed mouse filled with catnip into a grocery bag. He then dumped the contents of the forgotten litterbox into the garbage and packed it, bringing the small supply of clean litter with it.

On their way out, Fritz turned off the kitchen sink and locked the door behind them. Mike cradled Kowalski in his arms, smiling down at her and stroking her silky fur. He saw the purple collar with her name engraved on the silver tag. He and Fritz then went to the car return to work, both of them staying rather quiet for the majority of the drive.

When they came inside with the cat and her supplies, they saw Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica standing at one end of the room. Porfirio was at the other, his ear drooping and a sad look in his eyes.

"I thought I told you to stay away from us," Freddy said, his voice calm but with an edge to it.

"I know, but-"

Bonnie stamped his foot. "It means buzz off, Frankenstein!" Porfirio didn't move. The animatronic waved his hand dismissively at his killer. "Go!"

Porfirio held his ground. A moment later, his stone-faced resolve faded. He sharply brought his right arm up and attempted to flash them his middle finger, only to realize it was broken at the middle joint, making it appear to simply be a fist. "Are you kidding me?" he shouted. Porfirio rattled off a string of profanities as he stomped out of the room. Shortly after, the sound of a door being slammed rung through the otherwise silent restaurant. Mike and Fritz looked to the animatronics.

"You could have been nicer to him," Chica said.

"Pfft. Yeah, right."

She took a deep breath. "Bonnie, I mean it. You've been pretty mean lately… I don't like it."

Bonnie looked at her with a soft expression, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Chica shook her head. She brushed his hand away, then took off toward the stage.

"Chic, come on!" She ignored him.

"She's right. You could have-"

"Can it, Fazbear," Bonnie snapped, crossing his arms and turning away from Freddy.

"Ya know, he's got a point there," Fritz interjected from across the room.

Bonnie rolled his eyes. "Great, now you too?"

Mike held Kowalski closer. "W-We're just trying to help…"

"Guess what? I don't want it. Have you thought about that?"

He winced.

"Watch it," Fritz warned.

"Oh yeah? Make me," Bonnie retorted.

He set down the bag of cat kibble and started cracking his knuckles. "Gladly."

"F-Fritz…"

Bonnie began to bounce on the spot, much like a boxer warming up for a fight. Fritz walked toward him, taking long strides and preparing to swing his fists before he was even half of the way across the room.

"Fritz," Mike said with a bit more force. "Stop… P-Please."

"I've got this, Mikey. Don't worry about it," he said, warming up his arm to fight. "Nobody's gonna talk to ya like that and get away with it."

As Fritz got closer, Bonnie was showing no sign of backing down. Both of them had their hands readied in fists, ready to swing at any moment.

"Both of you stop!" shouted Mike. He put Kowalski down and raced toward them, devastated. "D-Don't do this… Please." He placed a hand over his fist, looking up at him with fear.

Fritz frowned. "I'm sorry." He let his guard down as he focused his attention on Mike.

Mike hugged him close. "Don't fight, p-please…"

He returned his embrace. "I won't."

Freddy forced Bonnie to lower his readied fists, as he was still ready to fight with Fritz.

"Don't hold me back!" Bonnie protested.

"Enough," Freddy commanded.

He let out a frustrated groan. "Don't tell me what to do! I'm sick of being bossed around! Since when were you better than us, huh?"

Freddy narrowed his eyes at him. "Because someone needs to be in charge around here. Last I checked, it's my name on the sign and it's my father's restaurant."

"So?" Bonnie challenged. "We're the same age!"

"All of you stop!" The room turned to see Chica, watching from the stage. "Can't you all just get along for once?" A little above a whisper, she said, "You used to be friends..."

Freddy frowned. "You're right. I don't know about him, but I don't want to keep fighting."

"Me neither."

Chica stepped down from the stage. "Then why do you keep doing it?"

Bonnie looked down at his feet. "I don't know. I'm just… tired of being nobody. He gets to see his dad, the kids love him, he can sing… I'm just me."

"Bonnie…"

"What? You know I'm right." He sighed. "All I can do is play guitar, and I'm nobody's favourite."

"And how do ya know that?" Fritz asked.

"Because no one cheers for me."

"Who did ya think my son was talkin' about for at least a week after comin' here?"

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Wait, seriously?"

Fritz nodded. "My ex-wife told me he kept talkin' about how cool he thought ya were and how much he wants to come back."

"I had no idea…"

The man grinned.

"I wasn't trying to be better than anyone," added Freddy. "I was just trying to make sure I did a good job. I'm sorry I made you feel like you weren't a valuable member of the Fazbear family."

Bonnie smiled. "It's okay. But don't keep stealing the spotlight."

"And I'm sorry for almost pickin' a fight with ya there," Fritz said. " I need to not be so … overprotective."

The rabbit shrugged. "It's better to care too much than not enough, I guess."

"Yeah, um, I'm glad you guys could make up, b-but we kind of have to be somewhere," Mike interjected, checking under one of the tables. "Have you seen a cat around here?"

"You mean this one?" Chica asked. In her arms sat Kowalski, purring loudly.

"Yeah, um, that's the one."

She stroked behind the cat's ears. "What are you doing here, cutie?" she gushed. Looking up, she said, "She's beautiful! How long have you had her, Mike?"

"Oh, um, she's not mine... She's Porfirio's."

An uncomfortable pause followed as the animatronics exchanged confused expressions of varying degrees. Rather than commenting on their shock of discovering his status as a pet owner, Freddy said on their behalf, "We'd better not keep you, then."

Mike nodded slightly and let Chica pass the small animal to him. Fritz gathered the cat supplies and walked with Mike to the Safe Room, where they saw the door was shut.

Fritz knocked and they waited until they heard Porfirio give them permission to enter. He opened the door, and the room reeked of bleach. Porfirio sat with his back leaning against the side of one of the old arcade machines with his arms crossed and his head down.

"Came to laugh at me?" he asked bitterly.

"Not at all," Fritz replied, setting the heavy bag down. He gestured to Mike to bring Kowalski to Porfirio with a nod in his direction.

Mike took a deep breath as he willed himself to approach the most terrifying person he knew. He stopped a few paces away from Porfirio, just out of arm's reach.

Porfirio could clearly see the slight shake to his legs, as he said, "Look, I don't hate you, okay? Stop acting like I do." When Mike didn't say anything, he added, "I'm not going to hurt anyone, I promise. I'm still me, Mike: your neighbour."

"That's not very r-reassuring…"

"I can't change all the horrible things I've done."

Mike's eyes widened. "W-What do you mean…?"

He sighed. "Never mind. Just put her down and leave."

He did as he was told and darted back to the door, about to leave before Fritz stopped him from doing so.

"If ya need anythin', just let us know."

"What I need is to be alone," Porfirio snapped.

Fritz frowned. "I'm happy you're still with us, so I don't want ya to have to be by yourself in this little room."

"Just. Go!"

Mike pushed past Fritz into the hall, where he grabbed onto the wall for support. His breathing was short and shallow.

"Do ya need a glass of water?" Fritz asked, coming to his side.

Mike shook his head. "What was he talking about?" he whispered, afraid to be heard. He checked the Safe Room door behind him to be sure.

"I don't know," he said just as quietly.

He bit his lower lip and glanced at the door one last time before walking to the kitchen with Fritz. Mike poured himself a glass of water and asked, "You don't think he did something worse, d-do you?"

Fritz seemed to hesitate before saying, "Probably." He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. " Whatever it was, I don't think I want to know."

He shuddered and looked down at his drink. Although Fritz was fine to leave the truth hidden, Mike wasn't. After discovering a web of dark secrets, he found himself in too deep to give up.

The blood drained from his face and quickly set down his glass.

"Are ya okay?" Fritz asked.

"I think I know what he did."

"Ya do?"

Mike met his eyes, a grave expression on his face as he spoke. "I-I think he killed them."

Fritz swore under his breath. "How did we not see it? It explains why he 'suddenly quit', the name change, why they're all so weird around him..."

"W-What do we do?"

"I…" He furrowed his brow. "We need to tell Thomas. He needs to know what really happened."