Evan knelt down to get a better look at his older brother. Michael was silently crying. Out of regret? Fear? Or was he simply letting his tears flow, just like Evan used to do when he was still alive? He couldn't know, and he kept that expression devoid of joy or sadness. One thing was certain, Michael had begged him for forgiveness. Evan remembered the day when he had begged his brother not to kill him.
"No, Michael, don't do this... anything but this... anything but this..."
Evan felt his breath quicken as the memories resurfaced.
"I think the little man wants to give Fredbear a big kiss!"
The boy furrowed his brow, recalling the unbearable voice of his brother.
"NO! DAD! THEY WANT TO...!"
"One!"
Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.
"MIKEY, PUT ME DOWN! IT'S GOING TO KILL ME!"
"Two!"
The ghost was beginning to tremble.
"Please..."
...
CRUNCH!
His fists clenched as he remembered the blood flowing from what was left of his skull. Mike raised his head and looked at his little brother with a puzzled expression, as if he had just insulted him.
"Ev? Are you okay? If you want, you can talk to me, you know?" he said with a smile on his lips.
Evan didn't need to say anything; Mike's smile faded when he saw his younger brother seemed distant. The ghost kept his eyes on the adult in the uniform standing in front of him. Gradually, he was able to piece together on him the mask, the smile, the insults, the jaw, the blood, the death. He closed his eyes and made a decision. The boy turned to the nightmarish animatronics, a wide smile on his face.
"I think Mikey wants to give Fredbear a big kiss!"
Fritz and Jeremy didn't hesitate. Michael felt Bonnie and Foxy each grab one of his arms. He kept his head lowered, knowing that the history will repeat itself. Yet, Michael's face held a small smile. It had been several years since he had heard his brother call him "Mikey." He had missed it so much.
Michael could hear the thune of Fredbear getting closer and closer. The stage lights blinded him. The gigantic shadow of his worst nightmare enveloped him. The older brother turned slightly toward Evan, wanting to see his brother's face one last time. Mike offered a sad smile when he saw the bandage that Evan would have to wear for eternity, the bandage of a child who would never grow beyond eight years old. His brother watched the scene from a distance, neither laughing nor crying. He had that terrifyingly neutral expression. Mike imagined how alone he must have felt since his death.
The two animatronics suddenly stopped. He was face to face with the monster. The night guard raised his head slowly and was met with the nightmarish jaws of Fredbear.
"Don't look, don't look..." Mike ordered himself, on the verge of a panic attack.
The children's souls noticed that the person they mistook for William was frightened. They had to restrain themselves from celebrating, jumping with excitement, hugging each other, crying tears of joy. Any of that could compromise their nightmare illusion.
"Let's give Mr. Afton a lift," the rabbit announced, his voice trembling with excitement.
Foxy nodded in an almost childlike manner.
"We must celebrate his sixth night properly, Jeremy... um, i mean... Bonnie. After all, it's the last time he'll work at Freddy's."
Michael didn't have time to think about the fact that those surrounding him were just children; he could only focus on the rows upon rows of Fredbear's teeth. He tried to pull away as much as he could, but the animatronics tightened their grip, causing a cry of pain. He even felt blood running down his forearm and his uniform tearing.
"One!"
Michael hadn't yet pleaded; he knew it was useless. The last time Evan had done everything in his power to stay alive, he had met his death.
"Two!"
Fredbear's long breath reminded him of the violent winds of a storm. It would be nothing compared to the hundreds of teeth that were about to come crashing down on his skull. Mike had a panic attack; he couldn't take it anymore. He had to get away from this machine. But he had given up on that long ago.
"Three!"
They lifted him into the air.
"Evan, please... don't do this... PLEASE !" he pleaded before regretting it.
The animatronics immediately stopped, and they all turned toward the boy. His little brother maintained that innocent smile. If one ignored all the dark circumstances, it would look like he had just bought an ice cream on a sunny summer day.
"It's funny, you know? I said the exact same thing the last time, and do you know how you reacted?"
Mike simply lowered his head.
"TELL ME!"
A violent gust of air shook everyone, including Fredbear.
"I... I showed no mercy," his older brother mumbled.
The little boy approached the stage.
"These animatronics aren't from my imagination... I created them so you would know what I experienced every night, relentlessly, every time I found sleep. I had only a flashlight against these monsters, and I had to resist until six in the morning in my old room. Every night, until... until I got trapped in Fredbear. Until my heart stopped beating. But you, you laughed and thought I was telling you my nightmares just to get attention."
"I know," Michael replied somberly.
Evan's face contorted into a vengeful smile; like the other dead children, he was going to love this moment.
"So? What are you waiting for? Give him his big kiss!"
Cassidy saw William's head slowly approach the mouth of the animatronic. She knew what she had to do, being in control of Fredbear. She could feel the young man's tears trickling between her teeth and was ready to end it. However, a memory made the vengeful soul hesitate. This Jeremy Fitzgerald had been wrongly killed; maybe Mike really was Evan's brother? But she couldn't miss this opportunity. They were finally going to get their revenge, be free from Freddy's, and discover the real world after death.
...
...
...
The thune stopped.
CRUNCH!
YAAAAAAAY !
Everyone maintained their smiles except Evan. The ghost could hear the joyful cries of his friends, but he stared emotionlessly at the blood around Fredbear's mouth. Then a lifeless body fell at his feet, right in the middle of a red puddle. The young man's entire face had been mangled like that nighguard in '87. Michael Afton had just experienced the Bite of '83.
"William is finally dead!" Gabriel's joyful voice rang out as he exited Freddy.
Evan fell to his knees in front of Mike. Was he really dead?
"Yeah, we really took care of him. Look what's left of his skull!" Fritz laughed as he left Foxy behind.
The young Afton truly focused on the condition of his older brother. Michael was truly dead. He felt himself trembling.
"All thanks to Evan, we wouldn't have made it here without him!" Susie congratulated cheerfully as she left Chica.
The children's gratitude produce no reaction from him... perhaps rage, maybe. He did not know. Was it really thanks to him that Mikey had died?
"So... does that mean we're free?" Jeremy asked as he freed himself from Bonnie.
Evan tried to place his hand on Mike's chest, but his hand passed right through. He could still feel the cold and the absence of a heartbeat. He didn't want Michael to die; it was supposed to be a joke, a revenge. Susie was right, it was because of him. Or maybe...
"Exactly, guys. We can finally leave this pizzeria," Cassidy announced as she stepped out of the killing machine.
Maybe it wasn't entirely Evan's fault. He remembered his friends' promise. They had sworn to spare Michael... They had killed Mikey. Evan didn't take his eyes off his brother's lifeless body this time; he didn't laugh, but he cried tears of pure rage.
"Let's leave this nightmare together," Gabriel proposed.
He sensed that behind him, the lost children were holding each other's hands. They stood facing the glass of the restaurant, ready to be free, just like balloons. Cassidy was in the middle and smiled at her friends.
"Let's go," she said, approaching the barrier they intended to cross.
Evan slowly raised his gaze to the animatronics. They had returned to their normal state, losing their nightmarish appearance. The boy had done his full revenge. He then looked at the classic Fredbear and realized that Michael must have witnessed the same scene before him, back in 1983. An animatronic with its mouth filled with blood. Evan had the same expression as his brother when he had killed him. Then he heard the sound of glass, as if something had hit the window. The boy didn't need to turn around to deduce that his friends hadn't managed to escape the restaurant. They were still trapped at Freddy's.
"But... this can't be! Do you think William is still somewhat alive?" Susie asked.
Fritz shook his head. "There's no way. Have you seen how many teeth Fredbear has?"
"We probably need to force our way through," Gabriel suggested.
No matter what they tried, they couldn't leave the pizzeria.
"Killing William was the only condition, I don't understand," Cassidy admitted.
It was too much for Evan.
"Maybe Mike isn't William. Have any of you thought about that?" he muttered, still kneeling in front of his older brother's body.
The lost children were slowly beginning to realize their mistake. In the euphoria, they had completely forgotten that the youngest Afton was among them. They now had the ultimate proof that Evan had been right all along.
"Answer me!"
Cassidy could feel the restaurant trembling. She shivered as she saw the gaze of the little boy she shared Golden Freddy with.
"I... it's true that it's a possibility..."
"A possibility... a fucking possibility?" Evan laughed, "You have the proof right in front of you that what you thought was just bullshit! I trusted all five of you, and this is how you repay me?"
Jeremy stepped forward.
"It was Cassidy who was controlling Fredbear, not us!" Jeremy defended.
"What? Are you blaming me now? You all seemed quite eager to kill William!" Cassidy snapped.
"No, it's true, Jeremy. We followed her lead, we shouldn't have," Gabriel sadly affirmed.
"We're sorry, matey, truly sorry," Fritz added.
Their apology only fueled the younger boy's anger.
"All this time, you believed that Michael was William? You made me hate my own brother for an accident he caused and then... then you murdered him? Are you FUCKING SERIOUS?!"
Susie approached the trembling boy to offer comfort.
"Don't touch me, or I swear you'll regret it!" he roared.
The five souls immediately backed away from the tearful boy.
"What can we do to make it up to you?" Cassidy finally asked.
The boy cruelly smiled at his former comrade.
"Wasn't it you who told me never to forgive? The art of vengeance, remember? I also remember everything you taught me. You wanted William to spend his whole life in a nightmare you would have specially concocted for him? I think I have a little idea of how you're going to pay me back."
"What do you mean?" Gabriel panicked.
"I managed to give you the illusion of my nightmares so that you would betray me at the last moment. What's stopping me from making you experience them... indefinitely?"
His victims' eyes widened. Cassidy had created a monster while merely trying to free her friends from Freddy's restaurants. But today, Evan had finally achieved his vengeance. The missing children plunged into a nightmare from which they would never awaken. They would never be able to kill William Afton or make him enter a springlock suit. They had failed their only mission.
Michael had felt excruciating pain for a few seconds and then... nothing. In an instant, he had forgotten the pain and regrets. He had even forgotten how he had ended up there. The only memory that remained etched in his mind was the mangled face of his younger brother after the bite. Strangely, he felt like he had suffered the same fate. Had he been bitten like Evan? And under what circumstances? Was it his brother and his friends who had done this to him? It all came back to him. The night shift, the nightmares, the children's voices, his little brother's soul. Then came the bite. The young man opened his eyes, but saw only a dark sky. He could see his hands, his purple uniform, his black shoes.
"Weird... I should have died instantly," he thought, recalling the terrifying jaws of the nightmarish Fredbear.
Mike ran a hand through his hair, expecting to touch his skull or his brains, but everything seemed normal. As if the day of his death had never happened. Confused, he stood up from the pitch-black ground that stretched to the horizon and looked around him. There was only infinite emptiness.
"An employee found your body at the end of your shift, they tried to do what they could even though there was nothing left to save. Mike Schmidt was declared dead around 7 in the morning," reasoned a boy's voice.
Michael jumped and immediately turned to face his brother. He listed the facts with an almost eerie neutrality that reminded him of their father. The older brother couldn't help but smile when he saw Evan holding his Fredbear plush in his arms. It really felt like he was seeing the little boy of 1983, not the vengeful soul who had killed him.
"I'm dead? But then how...?"
"You were killed by Fredbear, just like me. Your soul is supposed to be trapped in this animatronic forever."
Mike sighed.
"I might get bored. Eternity is a long time," he chuckled.
Evan smiled but immediately forced himself back into a neutral expression.
"Perhaps one day, you'll have enough power to control Golden Freddy... or even to get out of that suit. But for now, I doubt you can get out of there," Evan stated matter-of-factly.
Michael simply nodded. The brothers remained there for a long while, observing each other.
"And you? What will become of you, Evan?"
"Me? I... I managed to kill my killer. I'm free."
"Your killer?"
"You know what I'm talking about, Mikey..." the younger brother murmured.
The young man wiped away a tear with the sleeve of his purple uniform.
"Yes... yes, I know... What about those children, your friends? Are they free?"
"No, those bastards will never find peace. I avenged you, Michael. We are the only ones left, there's no one else," Evan replied coldly.
Finally, the younger brother turned away from Mike.
"Where are you going, Evan?"
The boy didn't stop.
"You probably hate me, don't you? I killed you. I'm a demon worse than Cassidy. It's time for me to finally leave you alone."
The younger brother felt a hand on his shoulder, he immediately turned around and was met with the smile of Michael.
"Who told you that I hated you?"
"You're trapped here forever unless the pizzeria somehow get burned to the ground. You'll never be able to get revenge on your killer because it's literally a soul. Unlike me, you'll never find peace. And all of this, because of me," Evan replied, struggling to keep a neutral expression.
"I've never truly found peace, you know? I don't blame you. You had every right to make me pay for my foolishness, so at least I'll feel less guilty. And besides, you're wrong, I don't hate you, Evan..."
Evan's expression softened.
"It's not true, you haven't forgiven me," he said, on the verge of tears.
"Maybe not, but I'll always love you, i can't help it, Ev."
The two brothers smiled at each other, and for the first time in a very long while, Evan let go of his plush toy and threw himself into his brother's arms. The last time that had happened was in their previous life, after the boy had a nightmare, and Michael had pushed him away forcefully. This time, Mike accepted the hug.
"Me too, even if I've sometimes hated you." Evan admitted.
"Enjoy your freedom, little brother."
"But... what about you? I don't want to leave you alone... You know that, right? I would never want to... Might as well stay in Golden Freddy even if I can leave..."
Mike broke the hug and held his brother's shoulders, who had lost all traces of neutrality. He looked like the little boy who couldn't stop crying after his brother had jumpscared him from behind the TV.
"Listen, Evan. You've been trapped here long enough, it's time for you to move on. Aren't you a bit tired of the pizza smell? It's been about ten years now!"
"Yeah, a little," the little boy chuckled.
Mike smiled at him one last time.
"Goodbye, Evan, and... don't think too much about your big bad brother, alright? But just a little bit."
Michael removed his hands from Evan's shoulders and stood up, ready to move on.
"Mike, wait!"
His brother handed him the Fredbear plush.
"At least you'll need a friend, it's not fun to be alone."
Michael examined the childish toy.
"Uh, well... thank you, I..."
When he looked up, Evan was gone.
BAD ENDING.