Another night, another round, another challenge.
Henry began to get used to it, and even though it was just a fourth night, coming back here felt like meeting his 'old friends.' He still couldn't believe William and Alison would simply allow him to work in their company after discovering his true identity and intentions, but they clearly had a game of their own. He didn't contact Lockjaw for a few days now and didn't know what the animatronic was up to. Henry became genuinely curious, even though he knew that this curiosity would likely be his undoing if he dared to dig deeper. What was the truth that Will talked about? Why did they still keep him around? What was it they wanted to show? Too many questions with no answers.
But he had too little time to think about that while still surrounded by murderous animatronics. Chica and Freddy traversed halls and vents, making Henry watch out for them on the cameras and constantly put the animatronic mask on. Bonnie was there as well, but he was much less aggressive than all the others, only rarely making any advances, remaining the most enigmatic of them all. And then there was Foxy, the one most eager to get his hands dirty, always flailing before Henry's flashlight. It became a routine, an endless cycle of repeating the same actions…It was almost comforting.
Until it stopped.
The moment the clock hit 1 AM, the time froze. All sounds Henry could hear from the halls immediately stopped at the same time. This had never happened before. Henry could always hear at least one animatronic walking in the distance, but this case was unique. This silence should've been a moment of relief for
Henry, but instead, it felt eerie and gaunt. It broke the pattern just when the night guard grew used to it. Why would it happen when the animatronics were supposedly allowed to roam free until the end of his shift? They remained static on the cameras, too, right in the places where they were in different corners of the restaurant. Freddy was at the end of the hall when the clocks chimed, and he froze, as well.
"What the…" Henry whispered, still failing to grasp the mystery that was occurring around him. But just before he could recompose himself, Henry witnessed something even more shocking to his eyes. A man entered the building through the front doors and appeared on one of the cameras without alerting the signalization. Henry was about to activate it manually but soon realized that this man was none other than William Afton returning to the pizzeria at such a late hour. Now that was strange…He was supposed to be at home with his daughter now. The fact that he moved slowly and cautiously, he constantly looked around as if he was in a fit of paranoia, staring at every corner of the room as he moved towards the hall.
Henry traced carefully William coming past Bonnie and Chica without fear, at least none towards the animatronics themselves. William walked towards the door to the backstage room, a place where only staff were allowed and that had no camera installed inside. He opened the door, giving the hall behind him one more suspicious look, and disappeared within. He appeared moments after all of the animatronics stopped. This could not be a coincidence.
Henry felt an inkling of curiosity within him, a desire to follow Will and see where his path led. This was so carefully planned out, and yet William definitely showed signs of fear and doubt when walking into the restaurant where he worked. Wherever he went, this must have had something to do with Fazbear Inc.'s illegal activities. Lockjaw mentioned something about back rooms and the secrets they held…Perhaps this was one of such cases? Henry felt his heartbeat speed up as he realized that if he decided to follow Will, he would abandon his post and leave the pizzeria unguarded, but if he didn't, he would miss an opportunity that could potentially unveil more secrets in regards to the company. It would be useful for his investigation, and if anyone was worth pushing for this information, it was Will. An opportunity too perfect to pass up…Henry knew that he was going to regret it dearly, but he wouldn't miss out on this.
He took a deep breath and stood up, taking both the flashlight and the mask with him in case the animatronics would return back online. Henry made his way across the halls, getting closer and closer to the door to the back room. The animatronics still stood frozen and immobile. Even their eyes remained static. There was no going back now; whatever William's plans were, Henry would know all about them. He will find out the truth about Liam tonight, even if he has to force it out of Will.
When Henry stepped through a half-open door, he found himself amidst a dark square room filled with spare parts of animatronic carcasses, and William hastily walked among them as if trying to search for something. The moment he noticed Henry, Will turned towards him with visible worry in his eyes.
"Henry? Shouldn't you be at your post?"
"You said in your message that I should look out for anyone suspicious entering the building…" Henry crossed his hands. "You fit the bill perfectly."
"How very funny… I'm not surprised that you just couldn't stay on duty without curiosity getting the better of you; I'm just disappointed." William shrugged.
"I have you a pass after the incident, but if you're going to try and bait me like this…You know what I want, and my patience runs thin. Why did the animatronics suddenly stop just minutes before you came in? This can't be a coincidence!"
"I worked with them today and changed their settings, allowing free roam during only a single hour of the day. They simply reached their limit."
"But why?" Henry hated those games. He wanted answers right now. William only sighed before looking into Henry's eyes.
"Sorry, this wasn't my call."
"What?"
"My boss wanted to recreate one very…A memorable moment from our shared past." William said with a pained disappointment, making Henry freeze because of the impending realization.
"You wanted me to follow… Didn't you?"
"See for yourself."
William pointed at the door behind Henry. As the night guard turned, what he saw was a small squad of armed men blocking his way out. They were led by a tall, slim man with bags under his obsessed eyes.
"Good evening, Mr. Emily," Alison said with a stern, commanding tone. "The car is outside, follow me."
"And if I don't?"
"It's in your best interests to comply. After all, I will tell you exactly what happened to your beloved son."
…
The path towards Lockjaw's hideout was not a simple one, especially during the daytime, but Mike's new guide knew the quickest and safest routes away from the prying eyes. The teenager was incredibly grateful that Lockjaw showed up; if not for him, his struggle against Chris would grow even more violent and desperate. With another animatronic in place, his younger brother grew quieter, almost silent. He didn't try to wrestle control from Mike any longer and allowed him to follow Lockjaw freely. Was he afraid? Intimidated? It was better to let him rest while he was still content with it. Mike felt quite intimidated, too…He couldn't fathom the thought that when he laid eyes on the grizzled animatronic, he was looking at what once was cheery and upbeat 'Uncle Gron,' a man he once looked up to even more than his own father…At least Mike felt like he could confide in him.
He recounted what had happened since the last time they met, both what from what he saw and what Chris told him in the bunker. Lockjaw listened with great interest and, for better or worse, did not pass any judgments on either Chris or Mike, instead focusing on the glimpses of the experiments that both of them caught. He seemed to be well aware of the facility and secrets it concealed, though Mike was too fearful to ask questions directly…
By the time they arrived at a dirty, abandoned warehouse, the sun had already begun to descend, preceding the arrival of the night. Lockjaw must have enjoyed such time…Mike knew Chris certainly did. There were very few people around, and it was easier to move. He wondered how hard it was for Lockjaw to remain undetected for two entire years…That must have taken a lot of dedication. When they were alone, the golden animatronic turned towards him.
"So, who am I talking to now?" He said with intrigue.
"Still me," Mike responded. "Chris is…Tired."
"Can he still hear us?"
"I think so." Mike still felt his brother's presence, no matter how faint it had become.
"Good. I suppose I should apologize…I should have found a way to reveal those answers to you a long time ago, but I fell for the same lies Will has. This naive belief that if I stay careful, all of you will be safe." His voice brimmed with regret. "We clearly underestimated your curiosity."
"Hold on…Can you start from the beginning?" Mike slowed him down. "How did you end up like this? I guess I understand how it's possible physically with all the stuff Lynda told me, but…What brought you to this?"
"There is a lot you didn't know." Lockjaw sighed. "It all started on a night after both of our families watched your mother perform…Alison made both of us overwork that night."
"Yes, I remember." Now that Mike thought about it, that was exactly the point when Father began to act 'strange.'
"We did as we were told until discovering something curious…Something we were not supposed to see. Will spotted Alison coming through the halls of the pizzeria towards the safe room, from where he entered a code on the wall tiles that turned out to be pressable…The wall itself moved, opening a small pathway towards a lone elevator, which Alison used without noticing us."
"And I'm only learning about this now?"
"You'll see why it had to be this way. It was Will's curiosity that instigated this infiltration, but I eventually gave in…We went together and saw the underground facility for the first time. We saw Alison conducting inhumane experiments on his test subjects, forcing them to suffer and die inside the animatronics he called 'torture devices.' We saw him lie, torment, burn countless bodies…This was also where we saw it." Gron looked at his metal hand.
"What?"
"What you call Lockjaw was once Alison's most prized possession. He called it Frankburt. It was attached to some machine that William and I broke…Needless to say, this alerted the guard."
"Did they catch you?" Mike said with worry.
"Not initially, no. We escaped and rushed back to our houses, fully intending to call the police, but Alison was quicker. He sent his agents to threaten our families, forcing us to follow his instructions. Will and I returned the next day, where he gave us a choice…" Gron's voice grew more human with every second; Mike could even make out fear. "To sign a contract that made us serve Fazbear Inc. without questions or defiance indefinitely while keeping the truth a secret from everyone else, or to see our loved ones die at Alison's hands. You can guess what we chose."
"So all of this was…"
"To protect you, yes. We didn't think of what Alison would force us to do; everything seemed so unimportant compared to our children's safety…I had to enter a painful pretense to keep the truth away from Lynda and Charlie. I assume Will did the same."
"Yes, he changed his attitude…Became more reclusive and annoyed. I guess I would have, too, if I had to deal with this." There was some comfort in knowing that whatever horrible acts his father committed, he did them out of a desire to protect himself and his siblings. "So, did he lie to us for two years? All while helping Alison kill children and perform some crazy experiments?"
"Yes, he made his choice. It was only a matter of time before the truth would come out somehow, and now it did. But not to worry, they are on the brink of collapse. I'll see to it." He said with anticipation.
"Speaking of you…You went missing soon after that day. Did you become 'Lockjaw' then?"
"It was…Complicated." Gron responded quietly. "William could handle waiting and doing all he has to to protect his children…I couldn't. The voice in my head grew stronger; I had to act." There was some doubt and uncertainty in Lockjaw's voice that Mike noticed, something he didn't expect from someone of his demeanor. "I wanted to tell you the truth, so I will tell you all of it. My 'rebirth' was an accident. When I decided to enter the suit and pull the crank, I only wanted to die."
"Why?"
"Because the voice became too hard to control…It drove me feral. Alison wanted to transport the suit that night and took it into the safe room. It gave me a chance. When I awoke, I was afraid, I ran for my life, I despised every second of it…Until I realized that I no longer heard the voices. I was in control once again…Locked in a metal suit, along with my knowledge and guilt."
"Guilt?" Mike didn't quite follow. "Guilt for not telling Lynda?"
"You don't understand…But I think you will. What Chris did at Freddy's is yet another strike at the ailing reputation of their company; it brings Alison's empire to the brink and makes him all the more desperate. I acted with the same intent."
"Acted? But I don't remember you killing anybody before you became Lockjaw unless…" There was the missing children incident, of course, but surely Gron would not do something as horrible as this. Would he?"
"He…" Chris's faint voice echoed inside of Mike's mind. "He killed those kids."
"No, stop talking nonsense, he wouldn't…" Mike began to speak, but for some reason, he couldn't force himself to finish. He looked up at silent Lockjaw in disbelief. This was the man he remembered as a cheery entertainer, one of the most kind-hearted people he knew. "You wouldn't, right?"
"I killed them, Mike, all four," Gron stated with such cold in his voice that Mike recoiled and felt like shivering despite not even having an organic body.
"W…What?"
"Killed and stuffed them inside the animatronics Will made. I needed rumors to spread, needed to stain the company's reputation, and spark the investigations at any cost. No one would believe my word, and even if they did, Mike and Lynda would be in danger…But Will discovered those bodies before the police could, ruining my entire plan! "He spoke up with anger and clenched his metal fist. He was annoyed that his plan fell apart and not the murder he committed. Mike could barely believe his ears.
"G…Gron, they were children, for fuck's sake! Did you just pick them at random and…" He had no words. "No, this can't be. I know you; you are not a murderer! You'd never do this…"
"And did you think that you would enjoy making your younger brother suffer two years ago?" Gron spoke up. "That you would even think to put him in the animatronic's jaw? We change… It's in our nature."
"Are you seriously trying to justify it?! "Mike could feel his rage, making the voice module emit even louder sounds.
"No, I am not, only stating the facts. If I succeeded then neither of you would've had to die! Perhaps even your mother wouldn't have to die." He said with sadness in his voice, raising even more questions.
"What do you mean?"
"Clara died on the same day as me…Do you really think it's a coincidence?" Gron spoke loudly and with rising anger.
"Are you saying that they killed our mother?!"
"Yes…Will told me, though I had my ideas already. He tried to compile evidence against Alison and the Fazbear Inc. until one day he got found out." Memories flowed back into Mike's mind; he remembered when someone broke into their house, the night when father wasn't home. He was worried and told him to take care of Chris and Elizabeth and stay careful as if they were in danger. It was terrifying at the time, but it quickly got overshadowed by Gron's disappearance and mother's death; now it made too much sense… "Alison's agent orchestrated a car crash. It wasn't Clara's fault. All to send a message to Will and remind him of the 'contract'…Do you see? I have done enough to be named a monster, but it was done for a cause! A cause that I haven't abandoned yet."
"So for more than two years…Father served Alison and indulged his every whim. And he just lied to all of us?"
"Now you understand," Lockjaw said. "You deserved to know the truth, and here it is. I have played a long game to infiltrate and kill Alison once and for all, and with your unforeseen intervention, his power grows even weaker. One of the dead children's father spies after Fazbear Inc. on my behalf, trying to get their trust. He will open the way soon."
"And, of course, he doesn't know the truth."
"No…He doesn't. I will tell him once Alison is out of the picture. I need his help for now…Just like I do yours." Gron spoke up. "Three souls are better than one, and when Henry brings me in as a 'prize' for his new master to claim, we will be ready to destroy him, his workers, and as much of that facility as we can. I can do it alone, of course…But we will be stronger together. Mike Chris, I ask you to join me and help me destroy Alison once and for all! We will free your father, your sister, my family. We will stop countless deaths to come!" He spoke with the passion of a hero and the obsession of a monster. "All the tragedy that happened in those two years…It will not be for nothing. He is the enemy to all of us, and once that is done, I will tell everyone the truth and allow others to bring me to justice if they wish. But not a second before." All that Mike wanted to hear from Father, he now heard from Gron, as well as realized that he had an opportunity to take this battle directly to the root cause of all their problems. He, Chris, and Gron could never become the people they once were, but there were others who still had a chance to be free from this tumor of a company.
"We aren't returning to that place…Right?" Chris's scared voice echoed in Mike's mind, but he ignored it.
"Fine, Gron…I'll help you."
"Good. The moment is almost at hand. I only have one person to meet before I delve into that abyss again. Come, tonight is a perfect opportunity."