It was never easy finding the perfect balance between workload and taking care of his own children, and now it became almost impossible, yet it didn't mean that William didn't seek to be there for them when possible. It would be highly irresponsible to enforce all of the caring duties on Clara and completely withdraw from his work. In other such cases, William saw, it always led to conflicts in the family and sometimes divorce.

This afternoon, Clara asked him to pick Chris up from his school. He was finishing a little early, as was his father. William did not visit the place too often; most of the time, it was for the open-door days and parent visits to the teachers, and those were rare compared to when Michael was Chris's age. At most, there were concerns about Chris's reclusiveness, but even those seemed like they were to fade away now that Lily joined the class.

William saw his son exactly where he expected to find him, in the hall not far away from the exit to the playground and beyond, sitting on a chair and clutching his Fredbear plush to his chest. What he hardly anticipated, however, was to find that he was surrounded by other kids, both familiar and not, an unusual predicament. There were two boys of his age ganging him and Lily up from both sides, forcing the two clutch to each other as they watched them with shy annoyance.

"Oh, come on, why are you saying that we can't play?" One of them asked in a mocking tone.

"Because it's a stupid game, that's why!" The second one was added.

"Just…Leave us alone." Lily sighed, though her voice quivered.

"Play your own games…" Chris added it was clear that they were not dominating this conversation. There was a fifth child there, however, a black-haired boy whose eyes brimmed with confidence.

"You have many others to play with; you don't really want anything from them." Charlie Takaliken stood between the bullies and their victims. "You just want to ruin their day and know they won't fight back."

"Yeah, 'cause they're cowards!" One of the bullies taunted. "Crazy momma's boy and a girl whose parents never taught her how to pick friends…"

"Because she doesn't have any!" The other added.

"My dad always said that those who pick on people that don't fight back are the real cowards," Charlie said confidently with a smile on his face.

"Why are you even defending them…"

"Now, now." William's voice echoed as his shadow befell on the children, making all five of them turn towards him. "Making fun of one of your targets for being close to his parents and then mocking the other for having no such connection whatsoever seems a little contradictory, doesn't it? If you are going to hurl insults, at least make it seem consistent. Now go and find something more productive to do."

"Fine, fine…" One of the boys sighed before looking at Chris. "Yeah, run to your daddy. That's the best you can do." He said before he and his friend rushed away to the hall, leaving William alone with three children.

"Dad…" Chris looked to the floor and sighed with shame.

"Hi, Chris."

"Hello, Mr. Afton." Charlie smiled and said politely. "Sorry, we got into a mess here."

"No, no, it's alright. You've handled it quite well." William reassured him before looking at Chris with a look of faint inquisitiveness. He always denied any talk about bullying and swore that everything was alright before him and Clara, but now it was clear that the picture was evident. "Now, what did you two get yourself into?"

"Nothing." Lily shook her head. "We were just playing, and they…Well, you saw. They really don't like just leaving us alone."

"It's fine," Chris said as he shook his head with slight annoyance, a rare behavior for him. "Are we going home, dad? "

"Yes, we are."

"Can you wait for a bit? Just…Fifteen minutes, we didn't finish playing yet." Chris pleaded, and while William was tempted to allow him that, he had no time for that.

"Sorry, but I have a lot of work to do at home, and the traffic today is at its worst from what I've heard, so we'd better hurry."

"Come on…"

"It's alright, Chris. We can play tomorrow." Lily held the boy's hand gently and reassured him. "I'll be Chica next time, and you can be Freddy; how about this?"

"Yeah, I like it…" Chris sighed. "Fine, let's play tomorrow. You'll come here, right?"

"Of course!" Lily and Chris held their hands for a few moments as the boy finally allowed himself a faint smile. Was this a case of a first childhood crush? Thinking about this made William chuckle as he watched them with great interest, thinking back to the first time he 'fell in love' with a girl. The infatuation was strong, and even though it wore off eventually, he imagined it would be even stronger for someone like Chris, someone who years for connection despite always shying away from reaching out for it.

"Thank you." He nodded before standing up and looking at his father. "I'm ready."

"Good, good, the car is outside." William beckoned for the boy to follow him, a thought to take his hand crossed his mind, but after suffering recent humiliations, Chris wouldn't want to feel any weaker. "Charlie…" William glanced at the child. "Have you seen your father lately, by any chance? I've been meaning to talk to him, but with how our work is, it has proven complicated."

"Yes, actually, he invited mom and me to come over a few days ago." Charlie's voice turned louder in an instant as he let his excitement run free.

"How is he feeling?"

"He's very happy!" Charlie responded without a shadow of a doubt, much to William's surprise. "Says his work is getting better and that he will have more free time soon, we played some games with him, and he prepared us tea and biscuits."

"So he's feeling good?"

"Uh-huh."

"Really?"

"Why are you surprised?"

"Am I? No, don't think too much about it. The last time I saw Gron, he was very tired, but if he's getting better, I can only be happy for him." William brushed it off, still thinking to himself about how suspicious that was. Gron was exhausted due to their experience, which no doubt weighed on him, and it certainly would not simply go away. Did he have his own plan to which William was yet ignorant? It wasn't unlikely, though the engineer couldn't be certain how well Gron pulls it off alone. This would be something to talk about when they finally meet again. "And you too, of course. I hope your father can count on support from you and Lynda."

"Of course."

With that, it was time to leave, they had already lingered for a while longer than expected, and his work could suffer no delays. William and Chris made their way to the car in complete silence, with the boy still looking down in shame for the duration of their short journey. William had something to talk about, but it was better to wait until they reached their transport to start that conversation. When the engine was up and they finally drove off, Chris remained quiet in the back seat, still sulking to himself.

"You shouldn't have told them off…" The boy suddenly began.

"I couldn't just stand aside, could I?"

"Next time, they'll laugh even harder because of it…They don't forget." Chris's voice quivered, making William realize that he was on the brink of tears. This couldn't have been a unique case, either.

"What did mother and I tell you about bullying, Chris?" William spoke in a serious tone while trying to keep his voice down.

"To tell you as soon as anything like this happens."

"Has it been going on for long?"

"I guess so…" William saw a few tears drop from his son's eyes in the car's mirror, realizing that he shouldn't have been as inquisitive right at the start. "You know we are not going to tell anything you don't want to anyone else. But we are here to help you, nothing else."

"I told Mike."

"And what did he say?"

"He said…" Chris let out a quiet gulp before taking another breath. "He said that I need to learn to fight back and if I tell you about this, others will make even more fun of me." Ah, Mike, always so blunt and direct, even if speaking the truth. William knew how often protection backfires. Children had to find a way to co-exist in their own school community, yet just standing aside wasn't an option, either. Mike might have been a rebel who never cared about what others thought at heart, but it did not mean everyone was. "He's right, isn't he?"

"He isn't wrong, and I think that can be worked on," William said, noticing Chris's face freeze in fear.

"No, no, don't tell Mrs. Jehnsen, please!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone at school. It is worth learning some self-defense, physical or psychological."

"I don't want to fight…"

"It's not always fighting. Sometimes it is just making yourself appear confident enough for them not to try anything, a bit of that for both you and Lily, and it will become easier." William reassured him, though he knew this might be a login process.

"Really? I don't think they would stop like that…First, it was just me. Now it's her, too, because she's friends with me…" Chris wiped his tears as he spoke.

"Listen…" William sighed. "Everyone goes through this in their life to some extent, and yes, some more than others. Everyone has their own ways to deal with that, or if not, they are forced to find them."

"But why us? Why can't they just find someone else?!"

"Honestly?"

"Yes."

"They see you as easy targets." William decided that there was no need to sugarcoat it, even if Clara probably wouldn't approve. "You're shy, sensitive, and are content to mind your own business rather than spend time with the group as a whole. It phases them when someone doesn't care for the norm. Then they start to latch onto anything they can, even if it borders on ridiculous and nonsensical. They might as well be overcompensation for something." William finally garnered Chris's attention, making his son stop crying and lister with a semblance of intrigue.

"How do you know?"

"I was there as well."

"Kids made fun of you?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well…Who would? You're strong, you're smart and calm, and…"

"I'm glad you see me this way, but I was a child too, once. And if you think you're sheltered, you should've seen me in your years. Couldn't dream of having a close friend back then, much less a girl."

"Did you…Cry as much, too?"

"Well…No, but there are other things they latched onto."

"I don't know…I just want them to leave. Why would someone want to be so mean to us? We aren't doing anything wrong, we aren't even talking about them behind their backs, we are just playing, we… It's unfair!" The boy raised his voice before taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. "I worry for Lily, as well…I have you and mom, but she doesn't have anyone at all; she tells me people in the orphanage don't really spend time talking to her and others too much." It was an unfortunate situation and not one William was unfamiliar with. At least there was Charlie, who was never afraid to stand up for others and get his hands dirty if needed, but they won't be able to rely on him forever.

"She seemed really happy around you." William smiled. "Is it going well?"

"Yes, we talk about our life and all…She says she doesn't have many friends. It's just me and some girls from her dancing classes."

"And in the orphanage?"

"She doesn't talk much about it…But she said she really liked coming over to us and playing." Chris smiled. "She wanted to play with Elizabeth again sometime later, and…Well…" There was something on his mind that Chris didn't yet want to speak up.

"Come on, Chris, we have a good half an hour of travel ahead of us…If you have something to say, there's no time like the present."

"Alright…Just don't take it the wrong way." Chris braced himself. "She really likes our family, and she loved that visit. I think it's just… It's everything she always wanted and never had. I didn't tell her anything yet, but…Maybe we can adopt her? Some day?" William was surprised at hearing those words. He didn't expect this friendship to bloom so quickly and never even considered the suggestion, although now he had no choice but to think about it. He and Clara never planned to have any more children, their three were enough for them, and they decided to put everything into ensuring their future. They never felt the need for a fourth child, biological or otherwise.

"You do understand that taking a child into a family is a massive undertaking for everyone involved? We can't have our family be so open, she might be a good friend of yours, but she is still just a friend." William rationalized it, seeing Chris look down in disappointment.

"But…She is my best friend, and I know she isn't happy! She feels lonely, and I don't, but it's not fair, no one should feel lonely, and everyone should have parents who will love them!" He spoke up once again after raising his head. It must have been a touchy subject for him.

"Chris…Do you see how much work me and mother are doing? We can barely find time for you and your siblings; having another child would not make it any easier."

"But you said that you won't be busy forever, right?" Chris spoke with hope. "You said that it's just one period that's like this, that you will start getting more time for us soon, didn't you say that?"

"I did. For you, my three children, not for anyone else. She is a nice girl, no denial about that, and she probably would get along with Liz just as well as she does with you, but today I saw her for a second time in my life."

"She knows mom well."

"And what does the mother think about your idea?"

"I didn't tell her yet…"

"I think she'll have her reservations." William shook his head.

"What about Liza? She'd love to have a new sister."

"I'm sure she would…It won't be her burden to work on." William said, realizing that he had picked the wrong word, but it was too late.

"She's…" Chris stuttered. "She's not a burden!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean it this way. Nothing personal, we simply do not have time for another child now, and I doubt we ever will." William sighed, trying to think about this proposal. Would he react differently if not for the sleepless nights and tiring days of work and research, always thinking about the underground facility and the echo that still lingered in William's mind?

"She's kind and works really hard. She never asks for anything, even if I know she wants it…And she deserves to be happy." Chris continued to plead.

"She does…But she can be happy elsewhere, in a family that has fewer children and more time for her, for example."

"I thought you'd understand…" Chris shook his head. "You had to live in an orphanage for a few years, too, you told me! I know you must have wanted to find good parents, and now…Now instead of giving her a chance you…" He was breathing heavily, eventually witnessing William's tired and stern eyes forcing him to back down. "I'm sorry, dad, it's…"

"I understand why you want us to adopt her. I really do. But it is a complicated process, and we are not ready for it." William said. "We can talk about that with mother if you want, but you will find that she doesn't have anything different to say even though she knows Lily better than I do."

"But I want her to be happy. I don't know how else…"

"Be there for her. It does not have to be as radical as adoption, but she clearly values you as a friend, as do you. It is important to find people with similar minds and interests to spend time with, and you two hit the nail on its head with this. With time, she might become more open to other people through her friendship with you, and then…Well, maybe she'll find a family too." That was the most William could say to reassure his child. He hoped Chris would understand.

"Alright…But can you at least talk about this with mom? I know you're both busy now, but maybe when you get to know her closer and if she doesn't find another family…" He really yearned for a slither of hope. Perhaps there was reason to give it to him. Then again, perhaps William's own perception was influenced by his tired self. There was still a long path to bringing Fazbear Inc and its crime to light, but what if it goes well? Alison will get arrested, and the victims will get the justice they deserve. If William's work leads to this, he can expect suitable compensation from the government and perhaps even a degree of fame. This could be more than enough to support another child.

"We'll discuss it."

"Thank you." Finally, he could hear the relief in his voice.

"Well, I hope that's settled for now…"

One day he would be willing to discuss it, and William hoped that this day would arrive sooner than later, yet ultimately, it all depended on his own actions and work.

…

"And now settle down for my brand new song, this one is going to blow your minds! Everyone in the valley adored it." Fredbear's heavy voice echoed through the pizzeria, toying with the anticipating children and their yearning to hear more. Some began to clap, waiting for the animatronic to finally sing and bring them the excitement they desperately needed. Once, Jessica would share those feelings of excitement and anticipation; after all, those were her beloved characters singing on the stage. She hoped that seeing them again would dispel her fears, yet none of it helped.

The girl still thought of Jack.

One of her close friends from school went missing the day he went here with her, Liam and Gabriel, and his parents were there with him before he disappeared. Jessica didn't know much about what followed, but she heard that there was a police investigation that went nowhere after they did not discover anything. Almost no one has spoken of it since then. Even the initial news faded away very quickly. Most people were content to forget. All except those to whom Jack was a friend, although it didn't feel right to come here at all, no matter how she wanted to.

The truth was, this wasn't her idea. Gabriel convinced her and Liam to come and play here again. He was lucky not to see any connection between Jack's disappearance and Fredbear's. Always the most optimistic of them, he believed that the police will eventually find Jack and that all will return to how it once was, he even wondered if Jack was purposefully hiding away from them just to finalize the game he was preparing. Of course, all of them knew that this could not be true, but for Gabriel, pretending seemed like the way out, and Jessica couldn't blame him for sticking with it. He convinced her and Liam to play together at Fredbear's, and the two agreed to the idea. However, now that they were here, it wasn't going well at all. Wherever they tried to talk about something that excited them, it always came back to Jack and how he was always the one driving their games, always helping others keep their adventurous spirits, all the good he had done for them…All inevitably circling back to him not being here with them. And it was not that they needed him to have fun, either; there were many times when some of their group met without the others, but the thought of him being missing or even dying while they were trying to pretend that everything was alright…It could not allow them to let go.

Eventually, it ended with the three of them hanging around in different corners of the restaurant, thinking to themselves and completely unable to play anything together. There was no joy or excitement whatsoever, only regret and the echoing sound of her pounding heart. She thought of how much Jack's parents must suffer now, how much they blame themselves for this, how dreadful their life has become…They had no luxury of pretense and couldn't even try. Perhaps they shouldn't try, too…Jessica remembered hearing Fredbear sing before, remembered loving his heavy yet playful voice and the smile he greeted his guests with. Nothing changed now, and yet the lone girl couldn't see it the same way. His smile became a robotic grimace without any life in it, and his songs turned into an echoing sound that sounded like a wail rather than a pleasant voice that she remembered. Maybe it was for the best that Spring Bonnie wasn't on stage. The girl wouldn't want any more of those robots to stand before her. She didn't even get close to the stage, standing away and shying away from going any closer despite always trying to stand right before the stage during her past visits.

"Jess…" A timid voice echoed from behind her, making the girl, making her recoil and turn around. She shouldn't have reacted this way; after all, this was just her friend, Liam, but everything about this place made Jessica feel uneasy.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there." She breathed in relief and looked at the boy that stood beside her.

"Are you…Alright?" He asked cautiously, causing Jessica to doubt whether there was a point in lying about it.

"I…I don't know. It's strange. I can't stop thinking about Jack at all, and…" The girl's voice quivered, and judging by Liam's saddened eyes, he shared this feeling.

"You miss him too."

"Of course!" The girl's voice grew louder. "He's missing, and we know nothing…Nothing about it."

"I know, I know, I just…Maybe we can try not to think about it?" Liam pleaded. "I know it's hard, but…We can't help anyone who's looking for him right now, so maybe we are only making it worse for ourselves? My mom says not to focus too much on something that makes us sad even if it's really strong…" He wanted to feel happier, as did Jessica, yet both knew that they didn't have the will to do it, not now, at least. The two friends continued to stand in silence for a few moments, looking at Fredbear and the children that gathered around him. If only they could be as happy at this moment. "Do you want to go join them?" Liam asked with hope, but Jessica shook her head.

"Not really…And you?"

"No," Liam admitted. "It doesn't feel the same…Gabriel says it does for him, but I don't think that's true. He's been very quiet today, much more than he usually is." Of course, Gabriel tried to remain cheerful and hopeful, especially before his friends, but Jess knew that even he couldn't escape the aching in his heart.

"Maybe we should go home…" Jessica wondered. "Where's Gabriel? I want to check if he's alright."

"Eeh…" Liam stuttered before taking a look around the pizzeria. "I don't know. I think he went to the toilet…But that was a while ago." Liam said before looking at the stage, trying to spot their friend among them. "Maybe he went to Fredbear…" As Jessica listened to his musings, she realized that the building had become darker before her eyes, a tall shadow rose above the girl.

"Now, now." A playful, excited voice echoed behind them, making the two children shiver and immediately turn around to see Spring Bonnie standing before them with his signature robotic smile. "I was just about to help my dear friend on the stage, and what do I see…Two children away from the bunch, no joy to be found on their faces, playing no games at all…Our valley is a welcoming and cheery place for absolutely everyone and me and my friend do everything to ensure it! What happened? Did someone push you away from the rest?" Now Jessica realized that looking at the animatronic made her want to recoil. She knew there was a man inside, a performer. There were many days when either Fredbear or Spring Bonnie would be taken by someone to wear so they would move around the place, and Jessica never had any problem with it. She always found the performer that played the role very engaging and fun, especially with all the stories he could tell them. But now something was off, she was fearful of everything around her.

"We're alright, thank you." She tried to smile. "We are just a little tired, and it's a little loud. Right, Liam?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh, of course, forgive me for my lack of tact." Spring Bonnie sighed. "At times, I forget that some children get overwhelmed by big companies, which is strange because I've been just like that myself once! It's only when I met Fredbear that I…Well, it's a long story. Perhaps you would like to hear it?"

"Maybe later…" Jessica responded cautiously.

"Don't be shy…I think you will really like it, it's one of the funniest ones I remember, and you clearly need a good cheer."

"Please, we are fine as…"

"Wait, Jess, I want to hear it." Liam interrupted her and moved toward the animatronic. "He wants to play as well, and it's not as loud with him as with Fredbear, so why not?"

"I…Alright." Jessica sighed before allowing Spring Bonnie to continue.

"Be careful, though…You might laugh so hard that all the other children will notice and want to hear that story too, and we don't want a crowd, do we?"

"We won't be loud, I promise." Liam tried to persuade him, but the animatronic didn't seem certain.

"You say that because you haven't heard it yet, but…Ah, I think I have an idea. I'll tell that little secret of ours. We just need to do it in some other place where no one will hear. You're in luck because there is one in this very place." His voice brimmed with anticipation. "And it's not far at all. Come with me, I'll tell you."

"Alright." Liam nodded, ready to follow the animatronic, while Jessica remained uncertain. Usually, the performers stayed close to the stage, but this time it was different…She had never heard of those secret places.

"And you?" Bonnie looked at Jessica. "Are you coming…"

"I don't know, I'd…" A question arose in her mind. "Have you seen our friend Gabriel? He has brown hair and a blue shirt."

"Hm…" Bonnie pondered for a moment before seemingly coming to a sudden realization. "Yes, actually, I have! I think I saw him running around in the halls a few times."

"Really? What was he doing?"

"I don't know, I decided not to bother him…But if you are his friend, perhaps he might want to talk with you. Come along, we'll pick him up on our way, and then I'll tell the story to the three of you; how does that sound?" His voice sounded persuasive and playful as if he was as much of a child as they were, wishing for something exciting to occur. Perhaps there was no reason to deny him, and if Liam wanted to hear the story…Jessica sighed.

"Alright, if you help us find Gabriel, I'll come." The girl yielded, even though some part of her still doubted this call. Was that story this funny? Or did he just want some privacy? Why? Well, perhaps Bonnie will be able to distract them from thinking about Jack, and if that were so, Jessica would be grateful enough for that alone.

The two children followed the eccentric rabbit out of the hall seamlessly. Jessica noticed how he turned around a couple of times, glancing over the hall as if to make sure they weren't followed.

"Where are you taking us? Is it some playing room?" Jessica wondered, but Bonnie was focusing on the halls in front of them, treading carefully.

"Of a sort, yes…Now, let me take a look." The animatronic raised his hand, gesturing for Jessica and Liam to wait while he looked at the wall for a moment as if surveying something. Why was he so cautious in his own home? That made no sense.

"Liam…" Jessica looked at her friend. "I think we should come back and look for Gabriel there."

"Come on, you know he's not there. He probably doesn't want us to see him sad, but we can help him, I know that!"

"I guess…"

"Come on, we're almost there!" Spring Bonnie announced before continuing to the nearby door. Jessica realizes that she saw this door a couple of times but never knew what was behind it. The only she saw it being open was when workers walked inside, but no one else was allowed there. Why would he be leading them there? "Here's the playing room. Come on in."

"And what about Ga…" Jessica tried to speak, but her voice broke in fear. She was overtaken by fear and could feel her entire body freezing and her hands shaking. Looking at this door made her want to go and run away in tears; there could be no mistake about her feeling. They shouldn't have been here. They couldn't have been here, no matter what Spring Bonnie said. She should've protested, should've run back to the hall, but she didn't have the willpower to do so. Liam's excitement, the quiet creak of the Spring Bonnie opening the door before them while keeping his eyes on the two children. Liam wouldn't leave, and she won't either.

"Come on, don't be shy; it's not a long one…" Spring Bonnie teased them before stepping into the room. Even Liam was reluctant at this point, yet the temptation got the better of him as he stepped inside.

"Wow!" His excited voice echoed from the room moments before Jessica stepped inside, immediately realizing the source of his excitement as the girl froze in disbelief. All sounds around her became dimmed, even that of Spring Bonnie locking the door behind them. His eyes were focused on the picture before her. There was animatronics that they had never seen before. She could already see three.

"See…" Spring Bonnie chuckled. "There was a surprise waiting for you here, and my superiors wouldn't be too happy if I showed it to you ahead of time, but I can't help myself…If stories don't entertain you, then perhaps your beloved characters will?"

"It's Bonnie, real Bonnie!" Liam rushed towards the blue bunny animatronic that stood beside another, a yellow chicken with a pink cupcake, the one Jessica focused on.

"Quiet, quiet. You don't want anyone to hear us." The golden animatronic warned them.

"Is this really them? Chica, Bonnie…" Jessica noticed another one standing behind them, a red fox with a hook and a patch on his eye. "And Foxy."

"Yes, engineers of Fazbear Inc have worked tirelessly to make those characters for all to enjoy. Fredbear and Spring Bonnie were only the beginning…A shame that they want to keep them a secret until those are ready to perform, but I trust you can keep secrets, right?" For the first time today, Jessica finally sighed in relief, for a moment believing that it was all clear now. The entertainer wanted to do his job and brighten their mood by any means necessary, and he decided to show them those animatronics ahead of time, even if he had to walk carefully and make sure no one followed them.

"Can I touch them?" Liam spoke, looking at Spring Bonnie with his sparkling eyes.

"Of course, take your time!"

This was more than enough for Liam; the boy rushed towards his favorite character, trying to examine him from all sides while continuing to look at him in awe.

"Wow, he even has the guitar. This is awesome!"

Jessica wanted to come closer and check up on her favorite character, Chica. Seeing her favorite character, the most supportive of the main trio, the one who always provided understanding for both Freddie and Bonnie, without whom there would've been much more conflict and strife between the heroes, especially when Foxy joined them. She looked so new and shiny, and the cupcake attached to her hand was immensely cute; Jessica wanted to touch it. And yet the moment she got close, the girl looked at Foxy once again. The red animatronic immediately made her stop. Something about him looked…Different. Jessica couldn't quite wrap her head around this, but he wasn't the same. Not as new or refined, something in him looked darker. This was Jack's favorite animatronic, the images of him running around and gushing about how cool Foxy was immediately pulled the girl out of her naive fantasy. He would've been so happy, so overjoyed to see him, but he was missing and couldn't get the chance…It was hard to even look at it.

Eventually, Jessica turned around reflexively, unable to bring herself to come any closer, and this allowed her to see something else. Another animatronic, hidden away on the opposite side in a darker corner of the room, the one she didn't pay attention to while being so overtaken by seeing the others, but there could be no mistake as to who this was. A brown bear with a black microphone, bowtie, and cylinder, the main adventurer, and a talented singer.

Freddy Fazbear.

He was alone, removed from the others, and he looked very different. Jessica came closer, trying to get a better look at the leading animatronic as well as to make sense of what it was that bugged her so much. There was a strange smell coming from him, and his suit was darker than Bonnie's and Chica's in some places. The animatronic remained in a sitting position near the wall, with his jaw half-open and head looking down. The closer she came to him, the more Jessica could feel her own heart pounding, and this was not excitement. Those coloring patterns…They were crimson stains.

"What…" Jessica whispered as she forced her shaking legs to make another step. The animatronic had red liquid on its skin, and Jessica noticed that a few drops were still coming down from its carcass to the floor, forming a small puddle. Bracing herself, the girl approached closer and finally put her finger on one of those stains. It was liquid.

And still warm.

Before Jessica could think of anything at all, she heard a crank behind her, as if some kind of tissue was torn in an instant. Or perhaps not even torn…It was cut. Slit with perfect precision, making Jessica's body shiver as she couldn't force herself to look around. She heard the flow, like a small canal not far from her home, a sound that appeared out of nowhere and shouldn't have been there. It became stronger almost immediately, and the river turned into a river.

"Now, this will be a mess to clean…" Spring Bonnie's quiet voice finally made Jessica turn around and witness what made the girl freeze once again. Liam fell to the floor with a crimson flow of blood coming out of his slit throat, creating a puddle right in front of Bonnie and Chica. Jessica could not believe it, could not think. All the girl could do was stand there in silence and watch. "Now, on to you…" Spring Bonnie turned towards the girl, trying to keep himself further away from the puddle. It was then that she noticed a bloodied knife in his hand.

"I…I…" Her voice shivered as her legs carried her back away from the animatronic. She was not in control. They continued to shake frantically and in chaos while her eyes were unable to look away. It was just her and the mysterious man slowly walking towards her, staring into her pupils with his lifeless, mechanical eyes.

"I'm sorry that you have to see it; I just couldn't pass up on an opportunity to take two at the same time." Spring Bonnie spoke calmly and even apologetically, although the girl could hardly discern his tone. All she knew is that someone…Something has tricked her. Something that was going to kill her here and now. Eventually, she reached the Freddy animatronic and felt herself slipping into the newly-formed puddle, forcing her to fall on the floor right beside the suit. "Ah, I forgot to clean it before calling you in. At least you can't say I lied to you about your friend Gabriel. He is right here…Waiting for someone to keep him company."

"W…Wha…" The girl's shaking voice rang out as she crawled to the wall, and tears began to form in her eyes. She didn't want to look at him, yet she could not look away. His eyes would not give her a chance to do so…She couldn't hear anything, all echoes and sounds became one in Jessica's ears as if her mind was under extreme pressure that forced a distorted echo to be the only sound she could hear. Even Spring Bonnie's voice grew deeper as it was consumed by a chaotic whirlwind of those sounds. She couldn't run, her throat was dried up, and she couldn't force herself to scream. All she could do is to watch him come closer, still holding onto his knife.

"Don't worry, my dear…You have not done anything wrong." Spring Bonnie's voice continued to ring in her ears, growing more malicious and loud with every moment. "In fact, you have all done this town a great service. One day, you will be remembered as heroes who saved it, and now… Don't resist, and it will only hurt a little."