There will come a day that I upload chapters in a timely fashion... BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY.

Yes, I know. Been ages since a new chapter. And I know this one's pretty lackluster compared to the others, but I figured I'd kept you guys waiting long enough for the story to continue. Hopefully I'll be able to get on a routine of writing sometime, because I really want to see this project through to the end.

Anyway, I don't have too much to say here, just... Again, thanks for sticking around through all of the delays and all of my screwing around and wasting time. I owe you all big time for keeping my attention at least somewhat focused on this.

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

I sighed and shook off the jitters I was currently feeling. I knew that Golden Freddy was watching me, he had to be. The bugger was probably getting a good laugh at my expense to boot as I managed to catch my breath, cycling the ventilation system once more before turning my attention to the cameras. I flicked through the screens once more, trying to figure out where he was…

And I froze, catching sight of him near the far end of the place. It had to be him… But different. This wasn't the Golden Freddy I was used to seeing, not by a long shot.

The suit was ragged, looking like it had picked a fight with – ironically – a wood chipper and lost, with massive pieces and tears running through it, much of the detailing of the body lost. But… It looked like it had simply rotted away in many places. And moreover, it wasn't a Golden Freddy suit. I shuddered as a memory came to my head, realizing…

This could only really be one suit. Springy, or as the animatronic later became known… Spring Bonnie. And then from the speakers, I heard that hissing laughter once more. "Heh heh heh… Hello there, Mr. Redding. Like my new look?" He chuckled darkly. "Well, I suppose I can't exactly call it 'new'… Or really 'mine', either. Always good, finding salvage from when Fazbear Entertainment shut down…" He took on an oddly contemplative pose. "However, I don't think 'Golden Freddy' seems to fit me anymore… Neither does 'Spring Bonnie', really." He nodded after a moment, staring into the camera with faintly glowing eyes. "Ah, I know… Take the first part of this suit's name, combine it with why I took it…" He grinned menacingly.

"Springtrap. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" With that, the cameras cut to static… And I heard a giggling sound, the camera flashing to Balloon Boy's face in the camera. I flicked it down…

Just in time for the blasted kid to jump at me, looking burned and mangled in the same way that Mangle and the Marionette did. I jumped to the side, and tugged my blades out once more – real or hallucination, I'd have to deal with this kid. His face seemed to shimmer for a moment, however… And was replaced with the face of Mr. Faz. I staggered a moment, leaning against the wall as memories consumed me…

About a month had passed since the Toy band returned from Candy's investigating, and Faz had apparently not been doing well in the aftermath. According to him, he'd known there was something bad at the place and had tried to warn the others away from going there… Ever since they got back with their report, he'd seemed to be nervous. Looking over his shoulder, watching his back, becoming somewhat reclusive to the public. I'd dealt with it for a while, simply because I was busy – constantly being dragged to something or other so the mayor could get his fame with the 'city's heroes', crap like that. I'd been meaning to try and talk to him, and finally I had a chance. He wasn't answering his phone, so I drove over to his place.

I'd walked up to the door and knocked, calling his name before checking the knob. It was unlocked – a common occurrence, now that he was no longer getting as much hate or threats. I let myself in, and began looking around the place… It seemed eerily quiet. Faz wasn't one for silence; he usually had at least the radio playing in the background, or the television running, or something… Being alone, with no sign of him was… For lack of a better term, creepy. I decided to track him down, and fast.

I started exploring, deciding to work from the second floor down. When I got to the second story, I had my second major surprise – the place looked almost abandoned! Clothing and supplies were missing, along with several mementos, including the group photo that we'd gotten shortly after the Drone Incident, standing outside of my new home. With that missing, I knew there was something wrong… Badly wrong. I searched the second floor, and found a folder labelled 'R-A-T'. Grabbing it, I headed downstairs and set it on the table… Before catching sight of a note on the refrigerator. It was addressed to me, and I recognized Faz's handwriting.

'Alex,

If you're reading this, chances are you've managed to get away from being an icon long enough to come over and try to figure out what's been bothering me. And knowing you, you've either found or will find the RAT folder I left behind. Of course, you'll also have figured out by now that I've left the house, and have no plans on returning anytime soon.

I'm sure you have a lot of questions, my friend. I wish I could have explained my concerns in person, however it simply did not work out in that way and I was forced to accelerate my own decisions. Alex, I'm going underground. As of writing this, a taxi cab is waiting to take me out of the city and somewhere far away, where I will be hiding for the immediate future until this last 'loose end' is tied up. This is nothing against you – quite frankly, there is a reason that I have chosen to vanish rather than call you in, and it has to do with the RAT folder, or rather the contents within.

Alex, I am in danger. My very possession of that folder renders me a target to a dangerous 'third party', one that I can only assume used the Candy's restaurant to facilitate his schemes. He had originally planned to use Freddy Fazbear's – as the schemes required the use of children – however I would not allow him to work anywhere close to the animatronics.

When you connected the cult to the Marionette in the 'Improved Location' last year and stopped their machinations, I believed myself to be safe. After all, they wouldn't attempt the same gambit twice, or that was my logic. Sadly, I believe this not to be the case; it seems that they are attempting to reactivate the plans they have at the location. Judging by what the Toys located, I'm going to assume they were successful, which puts me in danger. Thankfully, I believe by disappearing I will protect you and the others from the same fate. Hence why I'm writing this note; I have a simple request for you.

Alex, burn the RAT folder. Let it be reduced to ashes, and forget it ever existed. Do not read through it and don't pursue this line of inquiry. It won't end well.

One last thing… I wish I could have had more time to explain the history of Fazbear Entertainment. It's a long story, and one that I feel you should share with the others… However, I never had the time. Until this blows over, please… Take care of the others. And STAY AWAY FROM CANDY'S!

Take care, my friend.

Frederick Faz.'

I shook my head, mind reeling… Before stuffing the note into the folder and heading out to my car, locking the door behind me. I had to take some time and clear my head on this, as well as look over that folder…

But for now, all I knew was this. Faz was gone.

I remembered how broken up the gang was when they found out he'd simply left. It had hurt for all of us… And it made me remember once more what had happened to Bonnie shortly after…

Then I felt a solid hit to my midsection and realized that the Balloon Boy was still there, still had the shifting face of Faz, and was still clearly looking for a fight. I dropped to a fighting stance, and watched him carefully.

He charged, swinging a punch at me. I dodged to the side, sliced across and caught the propeller on his hat, slicing it cleanly off. He screeched in frustration and pounced at me, tossing a quick one-two into my chest before I was able to throw him off and into the wall, out of the security office and into the main hall. I chased him down, coming down with twin vertical slices, trying to cut his arms off…

He jumped to the side, but I still managed to cut through his left arm, removing it from the 'elbow' down and getting another unhuman screech to sound from him. The blow felt solid enough when I dealt it, so… My eyes glanced towards his head, moving to decapitate him and end the fight quick and easy.

He ducked, coming in and kicking my knee, forcing me down. I followed it up with a shoulder ram, dropping a machete on the way to punch him a few times, before unlimbering my shotgun and stuffing it into his mouth, squeezing the trigger.

His head flew apart like a machine thrown into a garbage compactor, and I got to my feet with a nod, reloading it…

And not noticing as he got back to his feet, gathered the pieces for his head, and reassembled them into a complete – if scarred – head! I was frozen in place, eyes wide and jaw dropped as he finished reassembling himself, reattaching his arm as well before giggling at me. "HELLO!" He charged me once more, forcing me on the defensive as I blocked strike after strike, backpedaling the entire time to get myself some room to breathe and failing miserably as he managed to get a few lucky strikes in on me.

I jumped to the side, came in with a roundhouse kick, and sent him hurtling to the ground once more, following it up by pinning him to the ground with my machetes. This gave me a moment to hunt around for a different way of finishing him off… Before he reached up, grabbed the machetes, and pulled them out of his chest, throwing them at me. I dodged to the side, but then swore as I felt pain raking along my side as the other blade caught me and carved a nice cut into my body.

I charged in with a jump-kick, nailing him squarely in the midsection and taking him down, knocking a healthy dent into his middle. He giggled, swinging the balloon he had in his hand at me… And I cried out as I felt a jolt of electricity travelling through my body, sending me to the ground like I'd just been tased! I groaned, getting back to my feet… Just in time to see that balloon crackle slightly with power as his midsection reformed… I put two and two together at that point. The balloon was his power source, it was how he kept self-repairing!

I charged in, punching him once, twice, three times… And groaned as the lousy bugger hit me between the legs, bringing me down to my knees in time for him to bring his fist up in an uppercut and lay me out on the ground, this time standing over me and grabbing one of my blades, bringing it up… And I took my chance, swinging my other one around and severing the line between his balloon and him. The 'balloon' floated up for a moment before exploding in a crackle of energy and mechanical pieces, forcing him off of me.

With a growl, I shoulder rammed the lousy robot and brought it down to the ground, punching it again and again, watching as plastic chipped and shattered off of his face… I saw red at this point, remembering everything I'd dealt with ever since, memories overflowing me as I pummeled it into nothingness. I wanted to tear it apart with my bare hands, smash it into nothing but scraps, leave nothing left…

The pain in my knuckles brought me out of my trance and I was able to look at them, bleeding and scraped up from punching the bare floor for an extended length of time. I scrambled to my feet, looking around for Balloon Boy… And realized that the ventilation system was currently beeping in the security office. With a sigh, I rebooted it and got a few gulps of fresh air… Groaning and wincing for a moment. Just another hallucination…

I stood once more, going to grab the blades I dropped… And ended up keeling over, leaning on one knee as I clutched my chest, pains going through it. I knew it was my heart, and I knew that Golden… Springtrap's gas was gonna cost me if I didn't keep an eye on my heart rate. I got to my feet…

And hissed as I felt searing pain in my side, moving a hand there. When I brought it back, it was covered in blood… Apparently not everything was in my mind, considering how I currently had a nasty cut along my side from my own machete blade. With a hiss of pain, I opened up the nearby first aid kit and started patching myself up, hissing and swearing on occasion as I patched up the injury and turned my attention back to the cameras.

Springtrap had moved, starting to come a few rooms closer… And he was clearly laughing at me. I shook my head, taking a moment to flip him off through the tablet camera.

This was gonna be a long night…

First major reveal has occurred; where did Faz go? And who's Alex going to face next?

Read and review, folks.