Yes.

That was the simple answer Chris gave Lily, a single word scratched on the floor, which conveyed all of his desires that he had bottled up for months. Yes, he wanted to play…Wanted to look into the eyes of someone who cared about him, who would listen and accept him for what he was, who would show the kindness Chris needed. To play and allow himself a single moment of obliviousness, of forgetting the humiliating death and the prison he was now consigned to. Even if Lily's embrace was as cold as mechanical as her new body, it was still enough to awaken a faint feeling of hope within Chris. A spark of light danced in his blackened heart, a feeling that he could feed upon that was not hatred and pain.

They played together for however long those devices allowed them to. Perhaps it ended up being hours; Chris didn't care to count the time. The two animatronics that had trouble standing before could easily rise up and follow each other across the room now. They thought of their old role-playing games; they chased each other around just like they did in pizzerias, only this time, they did not have to pretend to be another creature. This was their fantasy which Chris and Lily would constantly drown themselves in, a fantasy, or at least a dark and twisted version of it. They dreamt of being their favorite characters but instead ended up being monsters like The Beast and her crew. But at least those monsters held some power…Chris and Lily had nothing but their dying imagination.

They used this imagination to cling to the light. They scratched the walls in their attempts to draw their memories from the o, dear times, memories that made them happier, that made their pitiful existence at least somewhat tolerable. Those were the sketches of the sky, both with shining sun and gleaming moon, the running animals and smiling people moving on with their lives, laughing and living in a state of blissful ignorance. Chris and Lily wanted to be that way too, wanted to become adults and still see the sun with their wide eyes and holding their hands. There was so much for them to see and to live through, so much to enjoy…

If they could easily pretend something existed, didn't it make sense that they could pretend something did not exist?

This nightmare shouldn't have existed.

And so they tried to pretend again and again. Chris and Lily sat on the rusty floor and stared at each other. How much would it take to imagine that the grotesque mechanical face Chris saw before himself was actually hers? That it was the beautiful black-haired girl that was his closest friend before they were separated. How ironic that she wanted to join the Afton family, yet Chris could not imagine her being happy near father and Mike anymore, not after what they revealed about themselves.

Chris attempted to speak, but his vessel couldn't let out anything more than a broken, muffled sound. Unlike the animatronics in restaurants, those gave no opportunity to talk; no amount of desire and energy could replace the lack of a voice module. They had no choice but to find a space where they could claw their way to words yet again.

I'm sorry.

Chris clawed on the floor and pointed those words out to Lily; the girl began to claw something of her own.

Why?

My dad killed you.

Lily stared at those words in silence for almost a minute before continuing to scratch further.

They hurt me.

Chris's heart sank at the thought of what those monsters would do to Lily. They would show her no mercy and no consideration; to them, she was just another test subject. He couldn't protect her, couldn't warn her even when the suspicions arose…Chris had to speak his mind.

I'm sorry.

It is not your fault.

Lily's response had Chris ashamed. He wished he could be surprised, but this was the exact response he expected from Lily. She wouldn't blame him…She'd never blame him; the bond they forged in those two years was too strong.

You shouldn't blame yourself.

Even now, she would try and tell him that, even now…

What happened to you?

She scratched out another question. Upon reading it, Chris heard echoes of laughter and mockery in his ears arise once again, remembering the teenagers led by Mike cackling at his tears and suffering. He begged, and they spit in his face. They wanted to see him beg, wanted to see him weep.

My brother killed me.

Lily froze and watched this writing as if it was a cryptic cipher that she couldn't look away from. Surely this wasn't that hard to believe…Lily knew how callously and horribly Mike treated Chris, even though it became even more painful after she died. She didn't write anything in response and made no sounds or movements. She just watched…But Chris wanted to write something else. He plunged his claws into the ground, this time with much more dedication and cruelty. The drought made the anger within him fester more and more with every day…He imagined this floor being human skin.

I want to hurt him.

Lily had no response to this. Chris wasn't even ashamed of saying this, even though he would only a few days ago. He thought he could let go; Mike apologized and cried on his deathbed, after all…But he could've stopped at any moment, and Chris would've still been alive. He wouldn't have been consigned to this hell of a place, wouldn't have to suffer again and again for the amusement of cruel scientists…Mike did not deserve his forgiveness.

Suddenly, he heard a voice on the other side of the door that led to the chamber.

"Are we just taking 83?"

"Yes, Dr. Stein wants to keep it close for personal research…" Chris heard someone turning towards the door. "Open it!" A brash voice echoed on the other side of the door, causing Chris and Lily to turn towards it. Three armed men entered the room, quickly scouring it and making sure that the torture devices remained in check. Chris felt all his newfound power waning away at this very moment… "That's 83; get him!" One of the guards commanded, pointing at Chris. Lily acted immediately; she stood up as her shadow rose above the guards. For the first time in their existence, Chris saw genuine rage emerging in her gaze; even mechanical eyeballs conveyed it well enough.

Alas, it didn't last for long. One of the soldiers unleashed an electric blast, causing Lily to shiver and fall to the floor. It must have caused some circuit malfunction and, as a result, rid Lily of control. Even now, Chris saw her suffering in pain, saw her looking down to the ground with her emotionless eyes, broken eyes. Because she dared to defend Chris…She suffered because of him. This realization was the last straw for the broken boy. Those people were heartless, but she wasn't their main target; it was him.

He wanted to hurt them. He wanted to kill them all.

Before they tried to shoot him, Chris charged toward the nearby guard and pushed him away, causing the surprised man to drop his weapon to the floor.

"Wow, wow, chill the fuck out!" Another said as he pointed his firearm at Chris, though his shaking knees and running eyes showed Chris that he was afraid. Perhaps this was one of the newer recruits…He cowered before him, and Chris could feel his soul sing again. It was a sweet, sweet feeling to be in control…But it did not last long. The lightning bolt struck again, this time at Chris. He didn't feel any pain, simply a sharp and sudden sense of losing all of his control in a second. He fell on the floor, weakened and defeated.

"You're a feisty one, eh?" The soldier said. "And so eager to defend 72…I Guess Doc was right, this was a reunion of some sort. A reunion that increased your strength, made your connection to viridium stronger. Oh, you should've seen how happy Doc was when he saw you running around…He will be even happier when we take you to him for another test."

Chris could do nothing but submit and watch as they took him away from Lily again.

They will pay for that; this was a promise Chris gave to himself.

They would all suffer.

…

It wasn't a common occurrence for William to get acquainted with a new employee, especially someone he would have to curate himself. Alison kept most of his close contacts fixed, becoming especially distrustful in recent years. This man must have made quite an impression upon him…William learned to set no expectations when it came to anything regarding this company, only to brace himself for what was to come, even if this was just a simple phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hello…Mr. Fitzgerald?"

"Yes, that's me."

"I'm William Afton, a representative of Fazbear Inc. I believe you've been notified that you will receive a call."

"Ah…That explains it. I'm Jeremy, and yes, I've been expecting a call…It's about my application, correct?"

"Yes. I've examined the resume you've provided us, and I can see why my boss is impressed. You're quite a dedicated man with impressive skills. As a representative, I am here to conduct the interview as well as to let you know more about Fazbear Inc. We are the driving force behind creating places where fantasy and fun come to life, where children and adults alike can come together and forget all of their troubles for a while…Though, I suppose if you've looked into position, you've seen all of our slogans already."

"Yes, I'd imagine so. To be honest, though, I expected Mr. Bairren himself to conduct the interview…"

"He…Is a busy man, I'm afraid. You will have an opportunity to meet him after we've gone through the process, don't doubt it."

"I'd hope so; he is quite a…Remarkable individual."

"That's one way of putting it. But let's not stray off the topic. You'll need to meet me in the Fazbear Inc building, and I have a number of fitting times for that. How about Thursday morning at 10 AM?"

"That works; maybe I'll even be able to come earlier."

"Good…I wouldn't dare to keep you any further, Jeremy. See you soon."

"See you…Will."

Yet another poor soul to join the chorus, yet another cog in the machine that William himself would imprison…But why did his voice sound familiar?

…

The time has come for "Circus Baby's Pizza Word" to close.

The night has fallen upon Hurricane, which meant that it was a perfect opportunity for Mike and Lynda to enact their plan. Mike still had his reservations regarding it; at times, it would seem absolutely insane and counter-intuitive, yet the woman was convinced that after all her hesitation, this was the only way to learn the truth. Mike did not expect to break the law again so soon after he became a killer, yet this horrid memory allowed him to feel soothed in a rather twisted way. He committed the worst crime one can do…He cannot fall any lower; all he does is undo this simple mistake and destroy the evil corporation that bred it.

And what better place to fight against this evil than at the viper's nest? The place where children entered and never walked out. People who worked there must have known more than other employees.

When the working hours ended, the employee began to walk out one by one. Today was a special day, a day when all of the animatronics were taken out of the restaurant, leading to a temporary closure of a few days. As Lynda said, this was a common process that the company called maintenance, yet she wondered if there was something more sinister hiding behind the name. This is what she wanted to find out.

Some workers would go together, discussing their working day and cracking jokes; many were relieved that they could take a break. They seemed so calm and normal that no one would assume that they were working for a corrupt company. Were they so used to it that they stopped caring at one point? It certainly seemed that way.

Some workers walked alone, however, separate from the others. One of those found himself not far from where Mike and Lynda were waiting. He couldn't have expected anything out of the ordinary to happen, but of course, he was taken by surprise.

"What the…" The man uttered to himself as he saw a silhouette in the alley. Mike was there with his black mask on, painting graffiti on the walls of the restaurant's back side. He didn't think too much as to what he should've drawn and settled on a clear and laconic "Circus Baby is trash." He thought about how Liz would react if she saw him drawing this…She'd better not see it. "Oi, what do you think you're doing?!" The man shouted in anger, causing Mike to stop drawing and turn around.

"Bringing some artistic uniqueness to this shithole. What, don't Ike it? I mean, not that I'd expect someone like you to have a taste…" Mike said arrogantly, hoping that this would be enough to bait him.

"Oh, you little vandal…You're gonna have to newer before, boss!" The worker spouted angrily and ran after Mike, causing the teen to smile underneath his mask. This reckless idea worked perfectly so far, and he was eager for it to remain so. It was already dark, very few people would remain on the streets, and this idiot was getting further away from his colleagues who could've helped.

The worker ran after Mike while the teenager led him further away from the restaurant and into the nearby dark alley, of which there were quite many.

"Can't catch me, huh? Should've eaten less pizza on the job!"

"You fucking bastard! Shameless prick, I'll teach you a lesson!"

"La-la-la, can't hear you, already too far from your slow ass…"

"Stop! Come back, you coward!"

The chase didn't last long. Eventually, Mike brought him directly to the ambush point. It was secluded and separated from where most other employees went, so it shouldn't be a problem. Eventually, Mike pretended to run into a dead end at a nearby wall.

"Damn it…" He spoke quietly, realizing that the angered man was getting g close.

"Can't run anymore, huh?" The worker said triumphantly before clenching his fist in front of Mike. "Well, listen here, you little shit…"

"Wait!" Mike shouted, trying to feign fear, attempting to toy with him even more. He couldn't wait to see the look on the worker's face in just a few moments.

"Oh, too late for that. You shouldn't have run your mouth like that!"

"Behind you."

"I'm not falling for this retarded trick…" He was about to have some fun, but those hopes were broken almost immediately. Another figure emerged from the shadows, slightly taller than Mike and wearing a similar black mask that covered her head. She held a firearm in her hand and pointed it at the worker. Mike couldn't lie, he doubted whether Lynda actually had it in her to threaten and even kill if necessary, but after seeing her desperation and yearning for the truth, Mike got more than enough proof that she was beyond the point of hesitation.

"Stand where you are." Her iron voice pierced Mike's ears, causing the worker to freeze and show fear in his eyes almost immediately. He didn't dare take any more steps as the realization kicked in. Mike couldn't help but allow a smile to emerge on his face. "Turn around slowly. I will shoot if you try to scream."

"You'd better do what she says." Mike winked at the horrified worker. The man turned his head as slowly as possible and saw Lynda pointing a gun right at him. This caused him to reflexively recoil and shiver; he was trapped. An absurdly reckless scheme, yet it might just reveal some secrets to them. Mike's only worry was about what to do with the worker after this interrogation. All that Lynda said on the matter was that she didn't feel sympathy for Fazbear Inc's underlings after the lives they took.

"W…What…What do you want?" His voice grew fearful. "Please, don't shoot! Do you…Do you want money? I don't have that much, but I'll give it; it's alright, no need to…"

"Easy, man." Mike chuckled. "We just need you to tell us something."

"Tell you what?" The worker raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I'm just…I'm just a junior technician in a restaurant, for God's sake!"

"In a restaurant that belongs to a criminal company," Lynda added coldly, once again causing the worker to freeze in silence. His eyes ran around in panic, no matter what he was about to say; this gave Mike and Lynda a confirmation that he knew the bitter truth. "I know what Fazbear Inc really is. I know that children are going missing and that this is not a coincidence."

"I…I don't understand what you're talking about! Let me go!"

"I am not afraid to shoot if you continue to evade the question!" Lynda scoffed and clung to the trigger. One quick move and the worker's brains would be blown out on the wall behind him. Mike knew that Lynda was at her limit, so he decided to move away from the wall just in case.

"But…I…"

"Funtime animatronics are used to 'capture' children; they have claws inside them, don't pretend like you don't know." Lynda spelled it out, forcing the worker to shake and involuntarily collapse on his knees. "They were taken out for 'maintenance' today, correct? That must be a cover name for something else. Are they cleaning out the corpses, making sure to remove all traces of blood? Answer me!"

"Careful, you might force him into a breakdown." Mike tried to pacify Lynda.

"I don't care for the feelings of child murderers. They can rot in their own self-pity." Mike was inclined to agree, but the gruesome thought of him being a child killer himself returned to claw into his mind with its rotten limbs.

"How do you…" The man's voice quivered.

"How do we what?" Lynda interrupted him.

"Strange words for someone who supposedly knows nothing, don't you think so?"

"P…" He could barely hold himself together. "Please…I can't talk about this; I will be punished…"

"And if you don't talk, I'll kill you here and now, so get back to the point! The underground facility of Fazbear Inc, I know it exists, and I think you are taking those animatronics there; the only question is why?"

"We…I don't know, they say it's for some important procedures and…"

"So you confirm the underground facility exists, then? Thank you, that's one of the things I was hoping for." Lynda said confidently, striking the worker with yet another dreading sense of realization that he just admitted to a secret he was obliged to keep safe. Mike almost felt sympathy for him…Almost.

"Please…"

"One last warning."

"Oh god, oh god…" The worker clutched his head in fear. "Y…Yes, it exists, it's beneath the company building, but I am not allowed inside; I don't have the clearance!"

"What are they don't in there?"

"I…I don't know! I talked to people who get to go down there, and they say they're conducting some kind of experiments but nothing more, I swear!"

"So that's what they need those children for." Mike crossed his arms.

"Disgusting," Lynda added. "And no one even dares to speak up…"

"They make sure we don't talk! They threaten us, they promise more money, they have their goddamn spies, and…"

"And are they taking the animatronics there?" Lynda pressed on and ignored the worker's whining.

"How am I supposed to…Actually, wait, wait!" His voice became even more panicked. "I think I heard what they do to them…They take them to the upper section for maintenance."

"Upper section?"

"Yes, it's Afton's bunker! Only he, the boss, and a few others can go inside!" So Father had something to do with it. At this point, Mike was not surprised. The more he learned about his dad, the more monstrous did the image grow in his mind. He knew of the child murders; he took part in them and now made sure they were covered.

"You'd better not be lying."

"I'm not, I promise!" Tears swelled in the worker's eyes, but his groveling hardly had an effect on Lynda.

"And do the promises of child murderers hold any weight at all?" Lynda shook her head, but before she could do anything else, another loud voice reached them from the other side of the alley.

"Stop right there!"

There were four three men that emerged from the shadows and blocked the way, dressed in uniforms similar to the worker. His whining and pleas must have been a tad too loud…But this wasn't the end of it.

They were armed.