Can't Go Home Again
Chapter Ninety-Five
It really was like an oven.
Fire followed along the walls of the central room. Regardless of their earlier fighting, the animatronics moved in closer until they were nearly huddled together to get away from the flames. The room was alit like an oven and the heat skyrocketed to the point where Marionette started to feel much more uncomfortable. Foxy grabbed ahold of him and hugged him from behind in horror. He was silent, unlike the Bidybabs and Minireena who were shrieking in panicked cries. Though they weren't nearly as loud as the horrified Ennard.
Ennard was crying out as though he was being burned alive even though the fire hadn't touched him yet. "We're go-onna burn! Weee'll burn alive!" the clown cried out, no longer disguising his own voice. He began to break into fractured sobs, which was a stark contrast to everyone else. Foxy was silent, Springtrap was silent, and Baby was muttering in hushed voices. She sounded just as afraid as the others. They were all terrified.
Nobody was as terrified as Mike. Almost completely in the dark, he heard the doors shut and heard the exact moment that the fire filled the walls. Heat poured into the office along with the smell of smoke. The security guard grabbed at the HandUnit and tried to click through the commands. "Oh God, oh God!" Mike blurted out as he fumbled through. "Something, please, something! There's got to be something!" He couldn't see the fire, but he knew it was there, and he knew that if he didn't do something quickly that they would all burn to death.
It was then that he saw it. On the Paragraph Four screen there was now a new override. Mike tapped on it repeatedly, "Shut off! Shut this damn thing off!" There was a low clicking, a brief loading, and then the vents suddenly went quiet with only a lingering groan and a few loud pops. It was still incredibly heated, but Mike realized that he had shut the fire off. He collapsed against the edge of the desk. His heart was pounding with adrenaline and his thoughts raced in a growing panic. "What… What was that?!" he choked out.
He was answered by a dull buzzing noise from above signaling some sort of intercom coming on. It wasn't just in the office either. In the center room, where the animatronics only just recovered from the fire disappearing and were all still standing on guard, the intercom clicked on as well. All of them, animatronics and guard, could hear what came out next.
"Don't try to stop this, Mike."
Mike slowly raised his head from the desk as the voice sunk in. He blinked back the sweat and the cloudiness from anxiousness before looking upwards at the intercom. "Chance…?" His voice raised to call upwards towards the intercom. "Chance, can you hear me?!"
"I hear you loud and clear," Chance affirmed. His voice was emotionlessly flat.
"Chance, what in the hell is going on here?!" Mike called up to him. "You said you were opening a pizzeria! You said that this wasn't like Freddy's! That was fire!" There was a quiet pause. "Say something!" he commanded as he slammed his fist down on the desk.
"Mike, enough," Chance firmly commanded over the intercom. "Calm down and listen to me…" The animatronics looked upwards as commanded. All except Springtrap, who seemed reluctant to do so, and Marionette, who was still in shock. He could only stare down at the five, small animatronics crowded around his legs in fear. "You must've known that you weren't just here to watch a pizzeria. Just like these animatronics aren't here for scrap; they were all brought here for a reason. I think you know that reason."
"Bullshit. Enlighten me," Mike spat right back. He looked back down at the HandUnit and started to search through every file or option, in case the older man tried it again. "Tell me what it is that we're doing here."
"We're here to end the cycle," Chance assured. "This same, poisonous cycle has been going on for years. We all know what he did… We all know what kind of monster William Afton is.. Or was…" He paused to clear his voice. "Back then at Freddy's there was only one person capable of stopping him. He suspected William and laid out plans to catch him. Putting cameras in his house, in his kids' toys, keeping an eye on everything, and it could've worked. He could've stopped this nightmare before it spread… But that didn't happen."
Foxy tugged Marionette closer when he felt the Puppet move. He didn't realize that a look of surprise was flittering past Marionette's gaze. He already knew who Chance meant and remembered getting gifts from him. In fact, now that he thought about it, his Golden Freddy plush could've came from him, not William or Fredrick.
"Henry wasn't supposed to die in that suit. William was, but he didn't and went on to hurt even more people. I wasn't the only one to lose a child to his madness. The only difference between me and the countless other parents… Was that mine had a family he was leaving behind. He left behind children without a father, a wife without a husband, but nobody could stop William's madness… Until now." Chance's voice grew colder. "I couldn't stop what William did to those kids, or what he let happen to my son, but I'm not letting anyone else suffer."
"What are you saying…?" Mike asked, almost timidly. Suddenly he was becoming just a bit more uneasy. "Chance, please tell me you're not really behind all of those blueprints. Please tell me that all of this is a huge misunderstand," Mike was nearly begging him. Chance gave a weary sigh over the receiver.
"We both know about the souls in these machines. Inside of these… Creatures that are both victims and monsters of William's own creation. He's tainted most of them. They're filled with toxic programming that tells them to kill and kidnap, to hurt children and adults alike, and they remain slaves to William's will. Even the ones without his programming are doing exactly what he wanted them to do; to suffer," Chance spat with all the coldness he could muster past his own grief. "And for years I lived with the guilt of thinking that the cycle would continue. That I could play night guard but couldn't save them."
There was a lingering pause after the comment. Though it was soon interrupted by the older man continuing, "But then you shut down the animatronics at Hickory's. Don't try to deny it, Mike. I saw what you and the Puppet did. Somehow you freed those souls from those bodies… And it was at that moment that I realized the animatronics could be saved from their torment. I went into Henry's notes, I bought out Afton's, I made this pizzeria- although, you must realize by now that there is no pizzeria."
"I had a hunch," Mike answered. Inside of the room, the animatronics were getting the worst of their fears confirmed, and all while acknowledging that the doors were still shut tightly.
"All of this was just a trap to bring them all into one place and to free them. Any blueprints you saw were just puzzle pieces to get this together. All it took was looking through everything Henry and Will left behind… It was clear that it was the most merciful thing that could be done," Chance explained. "Originally, Scott was going to be sitting where you are. He, the animatronics, and I were all going out together… But after seeing how destroyed his life is, I couldn't go through with it. Scott's suffered enough at the hands of William and his monsters."
Ennard shuddered at the mention of the name. His wire hands tightened, and he shirked down, which Baby seemed to notice. Though she was still too stunned to say anything. She just watched him silently.
"So, here we are, and it would already be over if you hadn't shut it down," Chance scolded.
"Hold on, wait a second!" Mike blurted out. "So, you were just- You made a fake restaurant to burn all of the animatronics alive?! That's your plan?! How is that helping them?!" His anger grew to a boiling point, "I don't know if you realize it, but these aren't just souls! They're sentient, they're alive!" He slammed his fists on the desk once more. "What makes you any better killing them now?!"
"They are here to continue his suffering, trapping souls in their furious, empty husks. As long as they continue, they will hurt others… And the ones who won't are victims who must be set free. I've been watching all of them, I know what they are, and I know this is what's best. We can finally end Freddy's reign for good. For Henry," Chance tried to rationalize. "You want an example? Look at Foxy."
Foxy flinched at the mention of his name and stared upwards at the intercom. His ears twitched as he gave the intercom a challenging stare, as though wanting Chance to do his worst so he could strike it down.
"Once a children's entertainer, now the last of four broken machines. I don't know why that pitiful creature didn't fade with the others, but it was the shutting down at Freddy's and at Hickory's that showed me that these creatures can move on. It's a shame it had to be this way, that this creature couldn't have gone easily into the night with the other children it went with originally. It deserves sympathy. It doesn't know what it's doing. It doesn't realize this is the only way… Which is why it can't be left in another pizzeria."
"He knows about the Pizzeria…" Foxy murmured quietly. His last sanctuary had been found; even if they escaped Chance could follow him. His ears and head lowered as he held tighter onto Marionette's shoulders.
"But not all of them are innocents. Foxy wouldn't hurt children, even when he would hunt adults… I'm sure you've seen Circus Baby. I know you at least know about her."
Baby's eyes twitched at her name being brought up. One of the Bidybabs peered upwards at her, but said nothing, as did Baby. She just listened to her turn.
"Her name was Elizabeth Afton… and she was William's daughter. No wonder William loaded her with so much dangerous programming. Even in death he wanted her to emulate him. Her only desire is to kidnap and kill children, just like William's was. She has no free will of her own. She's just the slave of a dead man… Such a bright future stolen by her father's selfishness, groomed into a monster. She cannot leave this pizzeria, or she will continue his cause in searching, hunting, and killing."
There was a strangely quiet moment. Unlike Foxy, Baby still said nothing, but the fox noticed that her pupils seemed to dilate in alarm. Either the name meant something, or she knew little about her programming, or perhaps was still just shocked that she wasn't getting the party that she believed she was going to get. Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of Chance's descriptions.
"Then there's that… Amalgam… Thing that Afton created. It's all contained in one body now. Just a broken mess stumbling around. If there were children inside of it, they are now long gone, leaving behind this shameful husk hoarding souls. This… Disgusting malformation of William's delirium, masking itself and running the streets, is priority one. If anything, good came out of this thing's creation, it is that through containing this monster Afton discovered that heat could force the souls from the body."
Ennard, who was previously still lost in his own terror, seemed to suddenly sober up. His wires tightened in a growing agitation. "Amalgam… He means me." The low, breathy tone signaled how hard he was taking Chance's scrutinizing words. Foxy reached back towards him and tapped him in the arm. It was unclear whether it was to nudge him out of it or if it was a sign of reassurance, considering that he too had received the bitter lashing from Chance.
"And then… There's him," Chance spat out. "That's his suit, and I'd bet my life that he's the one rotting inside of it… And even if it isn't, it doesn't matter. If someone got into that suit, the murderer's garb, then there was a reason, and they're just as doomed. William deserves nothing but the cleanse of fire for what he did to his children, to my child, to all of us. He will burn for what he did, but there will be no freedom for him."
Springtrap's fingers clenched into fists and made dull cracking noise as he stared at the intercom. His head gave a violent twitch and he cocked to the side, so he could stare upwards with a single eye.
"And then… There's the Puppet."
Marionette felt as Foxy's grip tightened. Mike's grip on the desk tightened. They were waiting for what came next. Everyone except Marionette, who almost wished that he would've gone overlooked.
"…I don't think it did what it did out of maliciousness. All I know… Was that it was this animatronic that brought those children into the suits. It tried to save them in the only way that it knew how, but this dedication only keeps the cycle continuing. It deserves rest after all it has suffered and all it did to save the others. It was just another victim of William Afton…" Chance's voice lowered and grew darker than before. The anger in his voice returned with a vengeance. "And a victim of you, Mike."
"What?" Mike choked out. He briefly paused his scouring of the computer to hesitate in his seat. He was already sweating bullets, but now he felt it only intensify as he was confronted.
"They're not the only ones that must disappear to stop William's madness. There is you, Mike. You, who has led these creatures along and drug them out onto the streets, unleashing them on innocents. You, who dragged them out of Afton's, who gave them a new venue, who kept coming back. You're no better than William."
"You wait a second-!" Mike began to defend.
"I've seen what you've done with that Puppet, Mike," Chance clarified with growing anger. "There's cameras in your house. I've seen you handle it like it's your own personal toy. What kind of sick person does that? I'll tell you who, Michael, William Afton would've! You're just as twisted as him!" Though Chance then managed to calm himself down a little more. "Did you think that nobody would notice? You're everywhere, Mike. Chipper's, Hickory's, Afton's, Foxy's, here- You won't stop until you dredge up the past. I can't let you keep doing this. This all ends tonight."
"You have cameras in my house?" Mike asked in horror. "How did you even get them in there?! Where are they?!"
"That should be the least of your worries, but since neither of us is leaving here anyway," Chance decided to be honest, "In the Grandfather clock and in Elizabeth's bedroom." Suddenly everything had become so much worse. Mike's mind raced as he tried to think of everything that could be seen from that clock. There was no doubt that Chance knew about his and Marionette's relationship, and that was probably the 'twisted' relation he was accusing him of. The security guard was as speechless as the animatronics were.
"I'm going to do something that you were too selfish to do; I'm going to give these animatronics freedom from the pain. I'm going to close this wound before it spreads to everyone else," Chance revealed. "You and I are going down with this, because our hands aren't clean either. Fazbear Entertainment gets shut down tonight."
Mike was staring at the screen in alarm. He didn't even know what to say at first. Then he forced out his words, "How dare you."
"I'm doing this for them. Don't try stopping this again, Mike. You can't. Even as we speak, I'm shutting down your override. As soon as the system reboots we will start again."
There was a moment of silence as Marionette hovered in place, listening to the man's words. The others were lost in their own grievances as Chance continued, obviously aimed towards them.
"Everything you see here is the only means to free us from what we've done, but I can't take credit. All of Henry's planning, his work, has been put into this… This is for the best." Chance paused only to catch his breath, "We're keeping the past alive and the pain real. Now the suffering will be over. Nobody will need to know about the monsters we created. Finally, we will have peace."
For the first few seconds the silence was deafening. A group of silent animatronics stood in a pressure cooker and waited for what was coming, now knowing the intention of the man who guided them there. A man connected to Henry himself, to William Afton, who intended to take them all out at once.
And in the center of it was Marionette, who was struck by one sharp realization. William Afton knew that he was alive, but Chance had used Henry's information to create these traps. William had murdered dozens, but Henry was now the catalyst to their impending burning. His hands tightened as he felt Foxy's head against his back, because he knew his brother was giving up. There wasn't any way out. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, trembling small bodies, frantic animatronics, and Mike, and everything Chance said to Mike.
Then, for the first time, he decided to speak up. He would be the only one to speak up to the voice from the intercom, but he knew that the man would hear. Marionette turned his head up to stare at the roof, looked to the speaker, and let his voice be heard. Chance would hear what he had to say.
"…I hate you."
And Marionette did not hold back.
"I hate you," Marionette spat as he pulled away from Foxy. "I hate you and I hate Henry. He made this body-," he looked down at his hands. "He thinks he owns this body?! This is my body!" The animatronic shook as his voice rose and broke with distorted tunes and static, but his words rose over it. "Henry decides that we will be his tools, then disposes of us! Father decides that I'm too much of an effort, and then pulls the plug on me! These people, these monsters, deciding that they are ready to let me go!" Marionette cried out, shrieking, frantically calling out. "But I'm not ready to let go!"
Foxy stared at the Puppet's back in surprise, but he almost looked impressed. He wasn't the only animatronic that took interest either. Baby's head rose, Ennard looked down from the speaker, and the small animatronics stared upwards at the Puppet. Springtrap silently stared at the wall, but it was obvious that he too was listening.
"You don't know who I am," the Puppet continued in a mimic of Chance's own scathing voice. "Then I will tell you who I am. I am the one who watched as both man and child died horrible deaths while others looked the other way. I am the one who brought their battered bodies to be given life, and I gave them the same gift given to me!"
Foxy was almost entranced, with his eyes widened and his patch raised to stare with both. He was both in shock and awe; unable to look away and yet unable to chime in.
"I am the one who watched as one man slaughtered all he could, torturing and tainting all he touched, and stopped at nothing to destroy. He wouldn't even stop at his family…" Marionette briefly looked back towards Foxy sympathetically and then turned back to the intercom. "I am the one who watched my siblings get struck down one by one by the monster who created us and then rejected us."
Baby was staring with a form of recollection. As though, for the first time that evening, she recognized who he was beyond the body. It took until now to remember him, but suddenly it was almost as though he was implying that he was her brother, and she would believe him.
"I am the one who has had my strings pulled by whomever decided that I was their tool. Whether Father, whether Henry, whether Goldie, whether you- I am the one you would use and then throw away! You may try to lock me away in a suit, but you won't pretend I was never there!"
Ennard was watching intently, but his eyes changed target when he noticed Springtrap turning to face Marionette. Springtrap was now staring with the same intensity that Baby and Foxy were. Such a violent creature, one that was intent on hurting anything in its grasp, now pacified by the calls of another.
"I am the one who held those children close… And wept over their bodies… And loved them all so much- and would do it again! I would cry and give them the life that I have found joy in. The joy of creation. Don't say that you know what we've been through. You don't, so you have no authority to say what we need. That we need death to ease your guilt. That we must die to hide Henry's shame."
Back in the office, Mike could hear every word. He didn't know how Marionette was able to call his voice through the intercom, but he did, and it channeled right into his office. He heard every word and could only try to hold his shaky breath to continue hearing what Marionette had to say.
"How dare you come in after the fact and try to pull my strings. We live, we exist, and if you believe that we are the mistake of Freddy's then it is you who is less than human. You, trying to pretend now that you are our savior by deciding that our lives are finished."
Marionette lingered there for a moment, hands tightening, static still dancing on every word, and knowing that the others watched him from behind. They were all behind him.
"I am Marion Afton, son of William Afton, who chooses to still press on," the Puppet boldly announced with no fear and no shame. "And I haven't come this far to die in a fire!"
With a loud pop, the intercom burst open, broken by a force that was unseen but obviously from the animatronic. Then, without another word, Marionette spun around, scanned the walls, and focused in on one of the walls and one of the vents. Black marks along the vent signaled that it was where the fire had come through, but it was still the closest thing there was to a way out. He wouldn't have much time to try and break through, for at any moment the fire could return, but it was the only chance he had of getting past with the doors still shut tightly.
Marionette darted to the vent and threw himself onto it. His strings wound their way through the thin grating and tightened, then he pulled back, using all the strength he could to pull against the grating. Time was ticking down, and he knew that at any moment the heat would start to increase again. If Mike couldn't hack his way through shutting off the heat again, then that meant the fire would swallow them whole. At this moment Marionette would've rather burned faster while trying to free them than waiting for a slower, final death.
Right as Marionette recognized that his strength might not be enough, an arm looped around his middle. He immediately recognized Foxy's arms around his waist, pulling him back further away from the vent. The vent started to squeak and was almost beginning to move.
Just as suddenly as Foxy had stepped in, there was a wheeling sound as another approached. Marionette didn't realize it was Baby until a large claw struck out and clamped on the strings leading from his right arm to the vent. For an instant Marionette thought Baby was intending to clip the strings, but realized he was mistaken as she began trying to skate herself backwards. Unfortunately, as she was on skates she couldn't pull back with the force that she wanted. Even as the Bidybabs tried to grab onto her legs it wasn't enough to give her adequate footing.
Seemingly realizing this, Baby sent a look back to the others and affixed her eyes on Ennard. She gave a sharp jerk of her head- or it could've been a spasm of her neck- to beckon him over. Ennard still didn't want to get close to her, which was understandable considering everything, but he moved in. If it was between burning alive and handling Baby, then Ennard would gladly take the latter; a sentiment shared with Marionette and Foxy. Baby gave a semi-disgruntled noise as Ennard wrapped his arms around her body but didn't fight against him as he attempted to pull her back, pulling the strings with her.
Marionette could feel Balloon Boy grab onto his leg to tug and suspected that the Plush Springtrap- perhaps a Plushtrap if he was in the mood to jest- and the Minireena were also somewhere in the mix. The vent was starting to bend out and the only thing holding it in was the bolts. Any second now the vent would give way. Any moment now the system would reboot, and the fire would return as it had before.
None of them expected Springtrap to step in, but he did. The animatronic approached the hatch, dug his fingers into the gap between the vent and the wall, and pulled back. The bolts didn't stand a chance.
The vent covering suddenly broke free and flew clear off the wall in a single movement, causing Springtrap to stagger. Marionette fell back on Foxy who landed heavily on the ground, with the vent landing in front of them. Baby fell back against Ennard who somehow barely managed to keep footing and almost caught Baby. Her back was still on the ground, but his hands had partially gotten ahold of her shoulders. The small animatronics were scattered about.
Springtrap immediately climbed into the space between the walls and was met with another covering on the other side. He didn't wait for even a second before attempting to kick it in. Marionette got himself off the floor and rushed over behind the rabbit. Both to make sure he didn't get too ahead of them and to see if he could squeeze through anywhere. The second hatch must've not been secured as well, for in only a few strikes it broke through.
The noise of the vent breaking open could be heard all the way into the office and Mike straightened in alert. He quickly set the HandUnit in his lap and turned the motion detector back on. To his relief, there was activity in the room outside of the security door. Relief immediately flooded him; they had gotten out. Marionette had gotten out of his trap. This finally convinced Mike to act. Up until this point he had stayed in the office with the intention of trying to override the fire once more, but it was apparent that this office was just as much of a death trap as the central room was. Staying here would get him killed.
Without a moment more to second guess himself, Mike unplugged the HandUnit and latched it onto his belt. He then scanned the floor, retrieving his flashlight, jacket, and the blueprints that he folded quickly and shoved in his pockets, and took to the left vent. It was only hotter in the vent as he crawled through into the next room. Now seeing the rooms in person, it was obvious that something was amiss.
"This is some sort of elaborate maze," Mike thought as he took the right vent and hurried through. "And Chance's delirious enough to call me twisted!" He came out of the vent just in time to see the next room packed together with animatronics. Part of him had a suspicion that this alone could be a death trap, but it wasn't like he could go back. "Great night to be wearing the old security guard jacket. Not like that's going to set them all off," he sarcastically considered.
He cautiously slipped into the room with the intention of introducing himself slowly, as the animatronics were still distracted with getting everyone through the last vent. Maybe it was instinct, but they were reluctant to go on without each other. Though that also could've been because none of them had any clue where they were going and had no idea how to get out. This wasn't really the place to get separated from the group and expect to survive.
"Mike!"
Then all at once, every animatronics noticed his presence and turned to face him. Every one of them; even the small ones. Mike was suddenly being stared down by all the animatronics. He froze for a second, trying to figure out what he could do to relieve himself of this situation, when Marionette pushed past Foxy and latched onto him in an embrace. It had been his voice that had called.
"Are you okay? Were you burned?" Marionette fussed as he pulled back to look over Mike. Mike returned the gesture by laying his hands on Marionette's shoulders and forcing his voice to come out evenly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?" Mike accessed Marionette quickly. "Thank God. You're not even chipped…" He then quickly changed tones and tightened his hands on the black, fabric shoulders. "Chance has gone completely insane! I don't know where he is, but he's somewhere in this building manning the controls, and we've got to get out of here!" Foxy stepped forward behind Marionette.
"There be another security door on the outer wall," Foxy directed as he pointed off somewhere. "It might lead outside! It's our only chance!"
"Then we have to find wherever Chance is holed up and get to his controls," Mike affirmed, trying to ignore the fact that he was dictating animatronics who had just tried to kill him earlier. "Are any of the rooms blocked off? Anything?" There was a lingering pause between Marionette and Foxy as they tried to think of where it could be. That was, until Ennard suddenly chimed in.
"There's a ladder," Ennard announced. He gestured through the vent behind him. "In that back corner. It leads right into the ceiling."
"Then that's where the coward's hiding!" Foxy accused with a low growl. "I say we all head up there and give 'im a taste of our empty husks." For a moment it seemed like most of the larger animatronics were on board with this. All of them turned to Foxy in attention as he suggested the act. Though Marionette was less than enthused.
"What's more important is us getting free. We almost lost our lives a second time inside of that room, and if not for the same venting that intended to burn us alive we would still be in there," Marionette reminded as he gestured to the open vent. Foxy seemed surprised by the denial. Though this surprise quickly turned to frustration.
"What are you sayin', that he puts us through this, tries to kill us, and we do nothing!? We turn the other cheek and let 'im get away with it!?" Foxy asked in growing frustration. "That man's got every intention to still burn us alive, and he know where we're goin' if we leave this building! I ain't just gonna stand aside-!"
"For heaven's sake, Foxy, if that man wants to burn himself alive then let him!" Marionette snapped back. "I'm not risking my life, Mike's life, their lives," he splayed his hands down at the small animatronics, "or anyone else's life for revenge!"
"Not to mention the irony in the fact that we'd be looking for revenge against a man whose doing this for revenge," Mike butted in. Foxy sent a glare past the Puppet and Mike raised his hands in defense.
As though the only one with mental clarity, Baby now interrupted the fight with her own question. "Where is the door?" Her voice was flat and nearly lifeless. It was certainly devoid of all the blind hope that it had when she believed that they were going to have a pizzeria all to themselves. This snapped both Foxy and Marionette out of their disagreement long enough to rationalize what they were going to do.
"Foxy, take the others to the door," Marionette insisted as he lightly nudged Balloon Boy towards him. "Ennard can show where the ladder is and once Mike has the door open then everyone can escape. It's the only way we can get out of here without burning." Foxy still seemed skeptical but gave a nod of agreement. It wasn't as though he had much of a choice. He then led the way into the next room, further towards the back of the building, and they found themselves in a room with two vents. Foxy entered the right one, leading to the door on the back wall. Baby started to follow while Ennard approached the left vent.
"It's right through here," Ennard beckoned to Mike and started into the vent. The security guard sent a hesitant look back at the rest of the group. Most of them seemed much more distracted on following Foxy to freedom than him, but he did notice Springtrap staring him down from the other side of the room. He was almost shocked that the animatronic had become so passive considering how their last meeting went down. It was very possible that he could've just been biding his time to strike.
"I know you're worried about the fire, but can you stick around in the room while I do this?" Mike asked Ennard as he prepared to follow him into the vent. Maybe Ennard being in arm's length would keep Springtrap dormant. "If I have to force Chance out of the office, then someone's going to have to make sure that he doesn't get back in before I shut down all of this."
"Okay…" Ennard called back. His voice then broke into a fit of light laughter; Mike had a suspicion that it was stress laughter. "But you have to tell me what you and Mari did that made that guy so angry!" As though Mike couldn't feel anymore heated and uncomfortable.
"No promises," Mike answered as he climbed through. He came out on the other side and scanned the room before his eyes landed on the ladder. "Yeah, that's it all right. He's up there laughing away while we're down here waiting to burn," the security guard spat as he approached the ladder. He began to climb up quickly and looked over the ceiling. There wasn't an obvious hatch, but when he reached upwards and touched the panel above the ladder it gave and lifted easily. Mike pulled himself up closer and tried to stay as quiet as possible as he lifted the panel further.
Once he could see into the office, Mike turned his head slowly, and came face to face with the end of a handgun.
Mike dropped down from the ladder and landed heavily on his back. He then turned over and scrambled to his feet. "He's got a gun!" Ennard must've known what a gun was as he turned and dove back into the same vent they came through. Mike couldn't wait to follow as he could already hear Chance coming down the ladder behind him. Instead, Mike hurried into the other vent and scrambled through to the other side.
It didn't take Chance long to realize which vent Mike had gone through. He followed in hot pursuit, gun still tightly clamped in his hand, and followed through the vent. "There's no point in running away, Michael! You had your chance to do this the easy way!" Chance called after him in growing fury. After all this planning, one man was risking ruining all of this. One man who he already couldn't afford to let go free. Once in the next room he started towards the left vent but stopped when he heard the sound of frantic muttering from the other vent.
Chance turned and went through that one instead and came out in another empty room with the sound of muttering in the left one. He continued following the voice. "You should've just stayed in your office!" Chance called after the voice as he started to crawl through. He almost had him cornered between the office vent and one to the left, but Mike had taken the left once more, and the muttering sound continued. Right as Chance was about to crawl through the next vent, the muttering was cut off by what almost sounded like an explosion.
The fire had kicked back on. The building was beginning to burn once again. Chance continued through the vent and caught a glimpse of the illuminated room on the other side. The person he was following was nearly glowing from the light of the fire and shielded themselves with their arms as they moved away from the heat of the flames.
But the source of the noises was not Mike Schmidt. To Chance's horror, he was staring at none other than the Puppet.
Marionette looked over and locked eyes with the older man for a few choice seconds. This was him, the man who trapped them, who threatened to kill them all, and who was currently hunting him believing that he was Mike. Here he was at his mercy and if not for the fire, Marionette would have every opportunity to strike him down. He almost considered it.
…But he hadn't come this far to die in a fire.
In an instant, the Puppet disappeared into the furthest vent and was gone. This left Chance alone in the room with the stark realization that he didn't know where Mike was. Though he knew where he was going and quickly moved out of the vents to escape the flames and continue his search.
Mike made it into the office and plugged the HandUnit into the computer, which was nearly identical to the one he had in his office, around the same time that Marionette arrived at the door with the other animatronics. He had no intention of leaving Mike, but he wanted to make certain that all the animatronics were gathered in one place. It was a good thing too, because one quick scan revealed that they were short two animatronics that should've been there.
"Where's Springtrap?" Marionette broke out as he circled the room and checked around their feet. "And we're missing a Bidybab. I don't see it."
"Springtrap shoved off that way," Foxy revealed as he gestured to the vent that Marionette had come through. "And it's prob'ly in here somewhere."
"No," Marionette firmly corrected. "No, it's not in here. Where could it have gone?" He looked towards Baby as he expected her to have been watching it. While the second Bidybab was hiding underneath her, Baby herself was staring forward with a rather vacant look. Whatever she was going through, it was obvious that she was in no state to be thinking rationally. Unfortunately, Marionette hadn't noticed in time, and now one of the Bidybabs was missing in the burning in the pizzeria. With the temperature rising, he knew he had to do something.
"I'm going to find it. When the door opens, make sure everyone goes through," Marionette commanded as he turned to the other vent, the one he hadn't been through, and climbed inside. Foxy's eyes widened as he rushed the vent and tried to grab ahold of his leg. He barely missed, and his brother made it into the next room.
"Lad, that's suicide!" Foxy desperately called after him. "The place is already on fire! You can't just- Mari!" He knew Marionette had already passed through the next vent and was no longer listening. He pulled out of the vent and slammed his fist into the wall above it. "Blast it all!" he cursed in frustration. Almost as though he had done it himself, the security door suddenly flew open. The remaining animatronics looked over at it in surprise, but then realized that this meant they were closer to freedom. Foxy sprung into action, "Ennard, get the others out of here!"
In response, Ennard barged through the door like a madman and tore through a curtain. On the other side of the door was the fake foyer at the front of the Pizzeria, which had clearly been staged just to convince any humans or animatronics that it was a real business. Ennard hurried to the door and tried it, only to find it locked. He turned back to warn the others just in time to see Baby hurry by and ram her arm and shoulder into the large, glass window pane. It shattered immediately, and she wiped her claw along the edges to knock out most of the glass.
"Good enough," Foxy muttered as he shoved Balloon Boy after the other small animatronics. Then he turned and was climbing into the vent after his sibling.
Marionette hadn't intended to find Lefty once more, but he couldn't say that he felt bad seeing the Freddy-style trap being engulfed in flames. Unfortunately, the Bidybab wasn't in here, so he continued through the next vent to keep searching. The temperature was getting only higher and more of the rooms were getting swallowed by fire from their outer walls. He passed through two more rooms and found himself outside the opposite security door into the center room, which was still closed tight. Though to his relief, that wasn't all that he found.
The lost Bidybab was tucked into the corner of the room. It must have gotten spooked or confused and lost in the maze before the fire broke out. It looked frightened and confused, pulled into itself and curled up tightly, and Marionette became immediately protective of it. Even if it was an animatronic, it was still a scared child in a dangerous situation who needed saving. He wasn't going to let another child die in front of him. Marionette immediately took it into its arms and held it tightly against his chest with a comforting chime.
"I don't want to burn!" the Bidybab squeaked out. It was a desperate plea and Marionette tried to comfort the small doll by gently stroking its head as he returned to the vent to head back through. He was stopped abruptly when he stared at what looked like a wall of fire. The room he had just been in had rapidly filled with flames and was now inaccessible. His eyes widened at the blaze blocking his path and drew back, continuing to pet over the Bidybab to reassure it. Thankfully, the other vent was still clear.
Marionette set the Bidybab inside and coaxed it to crawl while following behind it. The inside of the vent was piping hot and the smell of smoke was only becoming more evident, and the noise only became louder. There was banging and popping as the building started to cave in. The fire was nearly roaring and roasted through even metal. Right when the Bidybab started to lower itself out of the vent, there was an almighty groan from above. The Puppet reached out and snatched the doll back into the vent as a large section of the roof fell in.
In an instant the vent opening was blocked by the fallen debris. The suffocating smell of the burning material was a deadly reminder of what could happen to them. Panic started to sink in; going back wasn't an option as the fire was impassible and making it all the way to the office would most likely lead to a dead end. He would have to use his telekinesis to break through and raised a hand as the Bidybab clung to his chest.
"Marion!"
Marionette hesitated when heard Foxy's voice on the other side. He clung to the sound of his brother just as tightly as he clung to the Bidybab, unsure if he was trapped by the fallen roof or not. The rush of dread and heat went straight to his head and the Puppet called for his brother. "Gabriel!"
It sounded like more of the roof was falling, with banging and cracking of material, but when the blockage was ripped away from the outside of the vent it revealed that it was instead Foxy breaking through. He reached in and Marionette eagerly took his hand, and he was pulled out in one smooth motion. The ceiling had almost entirely collapsed, and the gutted roof showed the skeleton of the building's foundation. The restaurant was starting to fall in on itself; by the end of the night there would be little evidence left of the deception.
"This way!" Foxy guided as he led his brother to the vent. He pushed Marionette to go through first and followed behind into the room with the security door. They hurried through the door and out the window, with Foxy diving out like he was tackling a nightguard. Baby, Ennard, and the small animatronics were standing behind Mike's car like they thought the fire would either spread or the building would explode. Either one was very possible and both fox and puppet put distance between them and the building.
They slowed down as they approached the car and Marionette set down the Bidybab who then ran off to the other one. He was relieved to see them together again and was about to check the car for Mike when he was stopped by a hook on his shoulder which slowly turned him back towards Foxy. The was this strange staring look and Foxy seemed to still be alarmed, which confused Marionette for a moment, but only for a moment. It didn't take him long to remember his slip.
Marionette raised a hand for Foxy's arm. "Back there I was just-."
"It's okay," Foxy interrupted. "I just…" He glanced downward, almost in shame, all while slightly coming out of his pirate character. "I didn't think you remembered…"
"Of course I remembered!" Marionette exclaimed. "I wouldn't forget your name… But I didn't mean to say it." He raised a hand to his forehead. "I knew you'd be uncomfortable. I'm so sorry." Foxy raised his other hand to his other shoulder and held him firmly.
"Don't be sorry," Foxy declined. Marionette mustered up enough courage to look at his brother again, thoroughly embarrassed, and was taken by surprise when he was pulled into a hug. For a moment Foxy just hugged him close, holding him securely, and then Marionette returned the hug. "You can call me whatever you want, Marion," Foxy reassured. "…But don't call me that in front of anyone. It's embarrassing enough that I remember it." Marionette chimed in amusement and squeezed tighter.
It was only interrupted by a tapping on his leg. Marionette looked down to see Balloon Boy and could feel worry radiating off him. The Puppet turned fully away from Foxy to look down attentively, and Balloon Boy pointed towards the fiery building. For a moment, the striped male looked over, confused at what the small animatronic was trying to tell him. Then he was suddenly hit with a realization of horror. He hurriedly looked in the car and around the parking lot to make sure, and only then did he realize that Mike was still missing.
Inside, Mike had finally gotten what he needed. As soon as he had loaded the HandUnit into the computer it started receiving files that he quickly downloaded onto it. He couldn't go through them now, but he knew he needed this evidence, whatever it was. Smoke was starting to fill the office and by time he was unplugging the HandUnit he had to cover his mouth with his sleeve. Yet it wasn't the smoke that was starting to get to Mike, but the continued rise in temperature. It had to be over one hundred degrees and he was close to baking.
He couldn't risk staying even a second longer than he had to. Mike yanked the hatch up and started to climb down the ladder. The metal was hot enough to sting his hands, but he moved quick enough that his skin wouldn't burn. Right as his shoes hit the floor, something cold and metal pressed into the base of his skull. He knew exactly what is was and went still, even during the blaze.
"Get on your knees," Chance commanded, and Mike reluctantly did it. At least it cut down on the heat and smoke a slight bit. "I don't think you understand what you did tonight. Or maybe you did, and you wanted to keep this thing going. Maybe you wanted to keep this nightmare alive. You've got all those children and monsters fooled, but I know who you are." The gun pressed harder. "You're just like your father."
At once it all clicked, and Mike decided to plead his case. "I'm not Michael Afton, if that's what you're thinking," Mike defended. There was so much else he wanted to say but restrained it because of the gun on his neck. "I had Scott ask the same thing. I'm not him. I don't even know where he is, and you don't even know what's really going on here. I'll admit that some of them are dangerous, but they're not all dangerous. The Marionette is safe, Foxy is safe, and even if they weren't then they shouldn't die like this."
"This is the only way they can die. If they were going to pass on then they would have done it already, but you've got them under your thumb. Especially that Puppet," Chance accused. "I can't believe how you've poisoned that thing. Something that Henry created to help the pizzeria, that was programmed to help those kids, and you've gotten it turned around as your little slave."
"It's not possible," Mike blurted out. "It's not possible that Henry's programming is what made Marionette save those kids, because he saved those kids long after Henry was gone… Unless you're saying that Henry knew those kids were going to get killed and didn't try to stop it." He clenched his teeth as the metal pressed harder. "See? We all look bad when it's worded like that."
"You're a sick kid, Michael," Chance remarked. "…But I was going to let you go. I was going to forgive Hickory's and just continue my plan while letting you off the hook… But then you popped up on my doorstep looking for a job, and I knew that you couldn't give up. Maybe I can't go ahead with stopping this cycle, but as long as I can stop William's bloodline from continuing his massacre then I've done something."
"Wait, Chance, don't do this!" Mike blurted out. His heart raced, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through him. He started to shove himself upwards. "You don't understand! I'm not related to him-!"
There was a loud bang. Mike shuddered forward and panted, his lungs hurting, and his skin burning from anxiousness and heat. His eyes darted around, and he tried to swallow, but his mouth was too dry. He had heard the bang, he had expected the pain, and only now did it occur to him that it was not a gunshot. Unwilling to stay still any longer, Mike spun around and faced who stood behind him, and it wasn't Chance.
No, Chance was crumpled on the floor. The thing that stood behind him was Springtrap, who was holding onto the bent vent covering. It was clear that he had struck Chance down, but that didn't mean he did it to protect Mike. If anything, the security guard felt just as unsafe and tried to scramble himself up.
Springtrap dropped the cover and strode forward in heavy steps. In a single swipe he caught Mike's shoulder before shoving him down and back against the ladder, pinning him in place. Mike tried to twist himself out of the grasp, but it became quickly apparent that he wouldn't get free. Around them, the room was falling apart. Pieces of debris was starting to fall, and the fire started to move in from the outer wall at their right. If not for the rabbit staring down at him, Mike would still be in imminent danger.
Springtrap leaned in dangerously close. Its eyes scanned over Mike's face as though in recognition and he had no doubt it knew who he was. It had to remember what he did to it, and if it was the Purple Man then it would be out for any sort of blood. He held his breath and yet could still smell the dull scent of rot over the smell of fire. Then those gaping teeth started to spread, revealing a small glimpse of the body that was still decaying inside. It was just a slither, not enough to bite, and Springtrap leaned in until they were nearly touching.
Without further warning, Springtrap spoke to Mike. It was only a few words, but they were just enough to shake Mike to the core. It was just three words, three basic words, three words that couldn't have been spoken by the man who Mike believed was inside the suit. They were cold and revealing, as though made directly of the corpse hiding underneath the rabbit suit.
"IT WASN'T ME."
And then Springtrap released him again.
The golden rabbit drew back away from Mike and stood at full height. Seemingly unfazed by the fire, he bent down to grab ahold of Chance, then started to drag him towards the other vent. Mike didn't know if Chance was unconscious or dead, but as he gulped in a gasp of heated air he knew he had to escape. He didn't have any chance to comprehend what happened; he needed out.
Mike didn't wait until Springtrap was gone. He dashed to the vent and scrambled through towards freedom. The heat was unbearable and was only worse now that he was coming down from such an adrenaline high. The air was thick with that same heat, making it difficult to breath, and he was stumbling over refuse fallen from the roof to get to the security door. The room outside of the security door was almost entirely in flames and his vision was starting to deteriorate as he made a run for the door.
To his alarm, the security door had sunk down, but was partially blocked by the broken debris to slump all the way, if it even could. Mike bent down and started to crawl into the flaming foyer. Something like a box blocked his way and he shoved it back. This turned out to be a terrible mistake, as in the midst of the inferno he could hear a crashing noise followed by something heavy falling onto him and pinning him to the floor. He could get out from underneath it, he knew it, but the lightheadedness sunk in and he started to feel numb, and much too hot.
Then suddenly, everything went dark.
…
But Mike's mind didn't go completely into that darkness.
Part of him was still aware of what was happening, but he couldn't see it. As though he was half awake and half asleep; as though hearing something really happening while dreaming. His mind was clear enough to realize that he must've passed out, but it was too foggy to guess exactly what caused him to black out. His hearing was muffled into dull sounds and he vaguely thought he felt movement. The rush of cool air was almost enough to pull him out of the delirium, as it contrasted so starkly with the heat that nearly suffocated him.
A muffled voice started to fight against the ringing in his ears and his vision started to clear just enough to see someone leaning over him. Through the clouds in his vision he could see that some sort of unknown man was knelt beside him.
"Ah, great. Someone saw the fire," Mike guessed. "I mean, you'd have to be blind to miss something like that. How am I supposed to explain this?" Yet that was the least of his problems. He still found himself stuck in this strange fog between consciousness and unconsciousness. "…Who is this guy? A pedestrian at four in the morning?"
That was when he really took a moment to focus on the man looming over his body. It was hard to focus in on him, but he started noticing details. Perhaps a little younger than Mike, brunette, and currently becoming frantic as he looked down at Mike's face. He blurted something out to someone standing out of his line of vision before looking back down at Mike again. It was only now that the security guard noticed something rather peculiar. He could see the devastated panic, he could vaguely see his eyes, but it was almost as though most of his upper face was distorted.
Mike could feel when the stranger finally folded his hands over his chest and began to press on it, trying to do a variation of CPR. From what Mike could tell he was breathing, but the stranger was determined, mouthing his name with every silent plea and continuing to try and bring him around. He must've assumed that it wasn't working, because a look of devastation passed his face and he hunched over a bit more. He leaned in just a bit more; just close enough that Mike could almost see the dark eyes underneath the distortion. He was crying. And then it clicked.
"It's… It's Mari," Mike realized. "That's him. That has to be… He looks like the pictures. Just older…" It occurred to him now that the area that was so blurred would've been right where he received the bite so long ago. Whether it be because the area never healed or because Marionette never envisioned it not being healed Mike didn't know but it left that occlusion. This had to be him; this was what Marionette looked like as a human. Perhaps this was his soul that Mike was seeing.
"…Wait a minute…" Mike started to slowly come to another conclusion. "I better not be dead. I swear, if I died walking out of that building-!"
And then, perhaps spawned by the sudden flair of emotion, Mike opened his eyes with a jolt. His vision was a little blurry, but it was obvious he was conscious. Both because Marionette was suddenly an animatronic again and because his throbbing headache returned with a vengeance. Marionette must've noticed because he gave a peal of surprise, and then followed it by dropping his head onto Mike's chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around the security guard and buried again him, trilling and warbling in overeager delight.
"I'm okay, I'm okay," Mike muttered with a hoarse cough. "Tastes like I ate an ashtray. I'll live." He pulled past it enough to hook his arms around Marionette's back and hug him closer. They were alright, they would live, they would go home again.
"You weren't moving when I pulled you out of the fire, and I thought-," Marionette managed to force out beyond the trills. "I thought you were gone... I almost lost you. I almost lost you."
"Nah, I just decided to sleep off all that heat exhaustion in the parking lot. Why wait until I get home?" Mike dryly quipped as he sat upwards a small bit. He propped himself on one arm and used the other to pull Marionette flush against his chest. Joking aside, he found himself clinging to the Puppet, and only now could really comprehend how close they had gotten to losing each other. "That was close. So close. Way too close. Could've lost you…" Mike admitted as the gravity of the situation finally managed to sink in. "I love you."
Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was because they almost just succumbed, but Marionette rapidly switched from clutching Mike to near suffocation to drawing back. His hands moved to cup Mike's cheeks, briefly pressing his forehead to the human's, and then pressed his porcelain lips to his. Mike ignored the protest in his lungs, which were still trying to overcompensate from the heat and lack of oxygen in the building. At least he didn't think he breathed too much smoke, or perhaps only believed it to convince himself that his body could handle it.
In the back of his mind, Mike remembered everything Chance had said. Mike knew it wasn't true and knew he was just blowing smoke, babbling about things he didn't understand, but it was still there to remind him of what almost happened. The fact that he and Marionette weren't charred remains was a miracle. The fact that he could kiss him again and could hold him close was a welcome one.
Mike only drew back to gulp in oxygen while Marionette continued to trill and press his mask against him lovingly. Once Mike had suppressed the nagging need for air, he tilted Marionette head and pressed their lips back together. The porcelain was a familiar comfort; it made everything so much more bearable.
"What become of ol' Chance? Did he go down with the ship?"
It was only with this sudden question that Mike remembered that they were obviously not alone. In fact, Foxy and the other animatronics, except Springtrap, were all standing in the vicinity watching Mike and Marionette's scene, and he only noticed it when he turned back to see the fox.
"Oh, hey Foxy," Mike began. He was almost too numb to be embarrassed- that was an almost- and stared up at the animatronic. This was going to be a weird conversation. "Golden Bonnie dragged Chance off somewhere. I don't think I could've stopped him. Even if I tried, I would've probably been stuck inside." He sent a weary look back at the fake pizzeria. It was still burning like an enormous bonfire. He was almost surprised when a hand heavily clapped onto his shoulder and looked up in surprise.
"You've done well, Lad! Ya saved us all from burnin' to a crisp inside a fake pizzeria!" Foxy complimented. He then dropped down into a kneel beside him. "Lemme tell you, Mike, I never had that much faith in ya. Always thought you were flighty, couldn't focus, things all like that… But you saved us twice tonight. I was wrong about all of that. I ain't too proud to admit it." It was a surprising amount of sentiment from the fox. Mike was astounded by it. "I'm glad ya made it out."
"Thanks, Foxy. I'm just… Glad we all made it out in once piece," Mike responded, somewhat flustered by the thankfulness. "I mean, except Chance and Golden Bonnie." It was then that Mike's thoughts returned to the comment made by the gold colored suit. It still haunted him, and he was just about to voice the findings when Foxy's hand tightened on his shoulder.
"Ya hear that?" Foxy asked, his ears raising attentively as he looked to the road. He was on alert for a few moments before standing, "Sirens! It be the cops!"
"Excellent fire department timing. The fire only began, what, half an hour ago?" Mike remarked as Marionette helped him up. He was still a little shaken and a slight bit lightheaded, but he knew they had to get out of the area. "We can't stick around long enough for them to see us. I can fit the little ones in the car, but we don't have enough time to get the van here."
"It be fine. I know the streets like the back 'o me hook," Foxy assured as he looked back at Baby and Ennard. The two were standing at least eight feet apart, with Baby standing prone and pensive while Ennard was still peering around from behind the car. "If you two don't want to get shipped off to another place like this, then yer gonna want to stick by me. Ya don't have much of a choice."
"Ha, ha, no," Ennard bluntly answered. "I want to get in the car. I can fit."
"It ain't a matter of you fitting, it's a matter of ya not- Do whatever! Fine!" Foxy finished quickly as the sounds of sirens became more apparent. "Baby, follow me. I got to go find me legs 'fore they burn." The fox then started dashing to the back of the pizzeria. Baby hesitated a moment before skating after him. She didn't seem willing to argue and they didn't have time to formulate a better plan. Mike watched the two of them rush off with hesitation.
"Hey Mike," Ennard called from the other side of the car. "Is that mouth thing what made Chance so angry? Looked like a lot of fun!" Mike sent a blank look at Ennard before slowly looking to Marionette.
"…I'll pop the truck, you get him in there."
Sooner that expected, though not as soon as hoped, they were driving away from the scene. Only once he was on the road, driving away from the burning pizzeria, did Mike start coming back to a sense of cohesion again. There was a brief scare as a firetruck drove past them, but his car went unnoticed, and nobody in the truck noticed the Puppet slid down in the passenger seat or the ones in the back. There was a blanket draped over, but it wasn't enough to cover the entire backseat.
"Mike?" Marionette almost timidly asked once the firetruck was out of sight. "We…We really shouldn't have survived that." Mike was just prepared to defend when Marionette stopped him. "I don't mean in Chance's sense. I don't mean that we should die. I just mean… So much destruction, so much fire- How did we get out of that? That was… Hah…" Marionette slid deeper into the seat. He was making that ticking noise from the office once more. "I don't even know what I'm trying to say…"
"I know," Mike agreed shakily. "That was hell. We got… We got so lucky." He tried to ignore the fuzzy vision signaling his anxiety returning. "I owe Fritz so much credit. I couldn't have done it without you, you couldn't have done it without me, but the HandUnit singlehandedly saved all of us." Marionette forced a light chime and pulled tighter together, as though tugging into his box.
"…Can you imagine how that would've went… If you hadn't been able to stop the fire originally?" Marionette quietly asked.
"I don't want to think about it," Mike answered.
"What about you going to the hospital?" Marionette offered.
"I don't want to think about that either," Mike shot down. The last thing he wanted was to run off to a hospital after all of that, but being in a fire and passing out… "Maybe after we get them to the pizzeria. Then I'll think about it, and only if my mouth still feels like it's made of cotton." It was hard to joke when the street looked like it was getting further and further away. "Not now. Come on…" He couldn't afford to risk pulling over for an attack, not with so many animatronics stashed in his car.
Marionette raised his head and looked to Mike, noticing the spike in his heartrate, and glanced him over. It didn't take him long to realize what was happening. Ignoring the risk, Marionette raised himself up and leaned over the console between the seats. He held himself with one hand on the console while using the other to wrap around Mike's shoulders between him and the seat. He held the human in the hope that it would comfort him, and it did help. It didn't erase it all, but it was more bearable.
"You know…" Mike started as a new revelation hit him. "You could've teleported out. Maybe not of the room, but out of the pizzeria. You could've gotten out of there."
"No," Marionette denied. "…I would've never left you."
Mike believed him. If the situation was reversed, Mike wouldn't have left either.