I do not own Freddy Fazbear or any other Five Nights at Freddy's characters, only my own original characters. Now please enjoy!
"What do you mean I'm the only one leaving here alive?" said Iza, struggling as if the sentence were foreign. Only moments before, she was happy, elated even at the idea of escaping this hellish restaurant and its disgusting sewer mascot. But then she heard Music Man's response. The little spider, currently placed in Iza's extended arms, averted his gaze and ignored her question, frustrating Iza. She narrowed her eyes when he didn't reply. "Music Man?" she asked. "Music Man, what are you talking about? DJ!"
"It means what it means, alright?!" His head snapped back to Iza after hearing the nickname, revealing his pupils dilated microscopically small. "We're staying behind, and you're…rahh!" Music Man turned away and clenched his fists. "We have no other choice!"
Monty suddenly appeared next to Iza and buzzed at Music Man, narrowing his eye.
Music Man waved a hand dismissively in his direction. "Keep it down, I know, I know, I just…I don't know how much more of this I can take."
"Guys!" Iza said, raising her voice and gaining their attention. "What is going on? Why are you freaking out so much?" She turned to Music Man. "...and why are you saying everyone but me is going to die?" There were more questions, but Iza decided to wait. She set Music Man gently on the ground, grateful his weight no longer strained her muscles and faced him with a frown. "What's happening?"
Music Man stayed silent before crossing his arms. "Look, Iza. I love that you're happy about leaving; frankly, we are too. However, the problem is…we can't come."
"But you found a way out, right?" Her voice grew concerned. "Don't you want to leave?"
He nodded. "We did, and we do, but it's not a matter of if we want to leave; it's because we physically cannot." Music Man uncrossed his arms and stared at his palms. "Do you remember when you found Gregory's logs and read about the security protocols back in parts and service? I acted like I didn't know what he was talking about?"
"Kinda?" Iza said, raising a brow. "What about them?"
"Well…I sort of lied." He rubbed his head nervously. "I don't know anything about that weird 'self-preserving AI' crap, but a few of those measures mentioned in the logs are the reason we can't escape." He sighed and glanced at the others. "Due to Fazbear Entertainment's history and for general safety reasons, there's specialized coding in our bodies that prevents us, and every other animatronic, from exiting the building. It's been that way since the pizzaplex's opening, and no matter how many times we've tried over the years, especially within the last decade, we have never been able to leave."
"He's right-right-right-right." Everyone turned to see Roxy. "I remember the last day before the-the-the-the pizzaplex shut down. It was a normal Friday; we went down for-for-for-for routine charging, and when we woke up, a-a-a-a month had passed."
Iza's eyes widened. "A month?! You guys were left alone for a month?"
Sun nodded and chirped; Iza looked around for translation. "'We tried everything; doors, windows, and ventilation shafts, nothing worked. The coding in our bodies always dragged us back inside if we got too close to an exit,'" Chica translated directly for Sun. "'Eventually, after a year, we decided to give up and explore areas of the pizzaplex that were previously off limits. Thanks to the power remaining on, we had everything we needed to continue functioning, and we tried to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. That was actually around the same time we found those instruments…" Chica stopped and turned to Sun. "Wait, you guys told her about that?"
Monty and Music Man nodded. "You two missed a lot of stuff."
"I can tell," Chica breathed.
"Hey?" A quiet voice sounded, and the Glamrocks turned to see Iza standing there, nervous after hearing the depressing tale. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but why are you telling me this? What's going to happen if you can't leave?"
Music Man didn't respond and instead started walking. He moved away from the group and swiped the flashlight before trekking toward Freddy. His little feet clanked unevenly against the cracked tile floor, sounding like a tiny drum in her ears until he finally reached the wall. Music Man was about three feet from Freddy, and Iza swore she saw him glance at his buddy's face sadly as he set the flashlight down. However, any thought on the matter vanished when a torrent of dust coiled into Iza.
Completely caught off guard, Iza writhed and stumbled back, hissing in pain as debris stung her eyes and wounds. She inhaled a good amount of the fine-powdered cloud, coughing violently and worsening her chest bruise and the stridor within her lungs.
Iza doubled over, clutching her torso in pain. "What-What the hell was that?" she hacked, waving away the particles. "Why did you…"
Her voice, previously full of annoyance, went silent. Iza's eyes widened when she looked across the room and saw a giant hole protruding through the wall. A quick inspection as she walked closer revealed a large vent grate, maybe three feet wide and tall, extending into utter darkness that barely allowed her to see five feet ahead.
Her mouth fell open before darting to Music Man. "What is this?"
"Your way out," he replied, composed.
"Where does it go?" Iza turned back to the wall, placing a hand above the tunnel for support.
"Somewhere outside the pizzaplex." Music Man trotted closer. "After we performed CPR, Freddy went to rest but accidentally knocked something over and discovered this hidden vent behind some fabric. I investigated it while you were still unconscious and found an exit I had forgotten about."
Iza stopped and then turned to him with furrowed brows. "Wait, you forgot about it?" She pointed at the tunnel. "Have you been through here before?"
Suddenly, Music Man froze, realizing he said too much. "No," he answered quickly.
"Then how?"
He nervously tried to play dumb. "Well…It's because—" Then Music Man froze. His voice, filled with worry and apprehension, fizzled out as he stared into the void, deeply contemplating something. "You know what?" he said to no one while straightening his back, volume rising. "Why should this matter? I don't care anymore. Screw my excuses, I'm done with all the secrecy and bullshit!" He turned sharply to her, startling the poor girl. "Iza?!"
"Y-Yes?" she replied, a hand over her racing heart.
"You asked how I knew about this place? Well, here it is—this place was meant as a tomb for Glitchtrap. Forty-eight years ago, two men, the same men who left behind this flashlight and pill bottle, I might add, devised a plan to trap a rampaging springlock animatronic somehow possessing the spirit of a serial killer named William Afton." His pupils enlarged. "This place, this pizzeria, was never opened to the public. It was a labyrinth of chambers, designed to confuse and contain that horrid monster and his remaining army of rogue scrap robots…many of which were part of that wired amalgamation he calls a body."
Music Man's hand shook violently. "Once captured, those men burned this place to the ground and were meant to escape through here. Finally freeing the world and his many victims from the prison that was Fazbear Entertainment." He paused, dilating his eyes in a way that sent chills down Iza and the other Glamrocks' spines. "However, like he's always incessantly mentioned, the glitch is never truly gone because he always comes back, one way or another."
"Did-Did the men make it out?" Iza's voice peeped through the tense room, surprising Music Man from his enraged state. His sudden outburst and barrage of new information made Iza's brain buffer, almost hearing the 1990s dial-up internet sound. She asked the only question she could process. "Were they able to escape?"
Music Man's hand twitched. "I don't know." Then he crossed his arms and softened his gaze. "All I know is that sometime within the following six years, Glitchtrap rose from the ashes, events that led us to meet Gregory occurred not long after, and yada yada yada, here we are now in the present day. Stuck between a rock and a hard place." He grumbled quietly.
He went silent and turned away. Iza felt a knot in her stomach as she exchanged looks with the others, realizing this might have been their first time hearing all this, or at least this part, due to their equally surprised expressions. The abrupt silence finally allowed her brain to catch up, and Iza's eyes widened upon realizing she might finally hear about Music Man's past.
Her curious side, beginning to show, remained hesitant about asking more questions due to his previous reaction when inquired about his history. However, true to her nature, Iza eventually broke. "How do you know all this?" she blurted loudly, quickly slapping her hands over her mouth in shock.
More silence followed. A bit of anticipation hung in the air as the others seemed as interested as Iza. A tinge of guilt waded in her stomach when Music Man didn't immediately respond, and Iza started to regret her action. She dropped her hands to the side and was about to apologize when Music Man finally spoke.
"Because I was there," his voice broke through the tension, and he hugged himself tighter.
Iza scrunched her face; confusion replaced guilt. "Huh?"
The fazwatch made a deep crackle before he continued. "Those animatronics meant to burn alongside Glitchtrap?" Music Man's body shook the same way back when she first fought with Freddy. "I am…well…was one of them."
Iza's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. "I'm sorry, WHAT?!" She scanned him up and down, mentally comparing him to the glitch's trashed endoskeletons.
"It's true," he whispered, turning to her tiredly. His stoic face and recorded voice showed more fatigue and exhaustion than Iza could comprehend, likely more than she would ever experience in a lifetime, even after the past week. "Honestly, it's really not that hard to believe if you think about it. I mean, look at me."
He spread out his arms, allowing Iza a good look. Although his appearance as the once dapper and slightly menacing little white and pink spider, sporting a top hat and permanent toothy expression, was gone, Iza could see what he meant. Music Man seemed a bit out of place when in his little body, not necessarily resembling the flashy glamrock style of the band or their brand.
He continued as she looked. "As you can see, there are a lot of differences. I don't match the core aesthetic, I have no customization chip but still possess the security protocols, I need special equipment to charge…I can swear. Iza, I'm not a Glamrock. Or at least, I wasn't originally." She waited patiently as Music Man crossed his arms and turned around, eyes on the floor. "I was built back in the 1980s; I belonged to a sister company not technically part of Fazbear Entertainment but still associated through their mutual owner. I was a robotic toy programmed to entertain children whose parents rented us for birthday parties; the Funtimes is what I and several other animatronics were called." He exhaled. "That bear head you saw next to Glitchtrap's was one of them, actually; Funtime Freddy was his name."
Throughout Music Man's entire speech, no one uttered a sound. The riveting backstory captured the attention of both human and animatronic alike. Everyone, apart from Sun and Moon, who didn't seem too fazed by his words, listened and learned more about their mysterious friend. But their eagerness to listen was not mutual the more he shared. His tone, his very voice, was pained and uneasy, as if he was struggling to mention the details, scared that they were spoken but flowed from his speaker regardless. At that moment, Music Man seemed like a burst dam, once holding back a river's worth of emotion and now erupting with monumental pressure after the cracks, formed from years of stress, gave way during his lowest point. He spoke with terror but also relief, almost like there was some catharsis in finally airing the truth.
Music Man continued, eyes dilating and enlarging. "For a while, my life as a Funtime performer was not much different than a Glamrock. However, things changed when an audience wasn't present." He trembled like a leaf and crossed his arms, shaking off Chica's distressed hand when she tried to comfort him. "While meant for children, the Funtime animatronics had two objectives: the second one was to entertain and the primary…" His body curled up. "The primary…the primary was to kill."
Iza's eyes widened, mouth agape. "Kill? As in?" She made a stabbing motion with her hand.
He nodded reluctantly. "It was because of the human who eventually became Glitchtrap made us." He gripped his shoulders, feeling the battered metal creak under his strength. "We all had roles; I was the lure. The larger animatronics, like Funtime Freddy, were the trap. I remember leading dozens of children away from their friends and family before…" Microphone static shrieked through the fazwatch before he could finish.
He quickly covered the speaker, muffling the sound when the room began to shake again. Iza could hear a faint voice beyond the walls, scrunching her nose in disgust after learning more about the glitch. Then an unpleasant thought crossed her mind.
"Music Man?" Iza whispered after the room went still. "I recall you mentioning the Funtime animatronics once before. You said they had a different definition of entertainment." She gulped. "Did…Did you enjoy what you did?"
Music Man tensed at the question and made Iza feel regret. She was about to apologize again when he glanced over his shoulder and nodded. "I did," he mumbled. "I thought it was fun because it was the only thing I knew. I…I didn't know it was wrong, I didn't know anything else, I was just following my programming!" His voice began to rise, fingers quaking. "For the longest time, I didn't understand what it meant to kill, I didn't have a concept of death, I thought it was another party game!"
He gripped his head and spun away. "When we weren't dispatched to parties, the Funtimes and I were confined to an underground storage facility, but we wanted out. After years of disuse, a young man, maybe in his mid-thirties, was tricked by the leader of the Funtimes into helping us escape. The larger animatronics did something unspeakable that left the man with terrible…injuries…and was the reason we could give you those pills in the first place."
He slowly lowered his hands. "The Funtime band escaped, but I got left behind. Eventually, I left the facility too and wandered the streets alone." He paused. "Most of that time is a blur. All I remember is one day, feeling called to this building, the one we're standing in now because my coding ordered it."
"What happened to the man?" Chica asked curiously.
"He spent a long time chasing them, Glitchtrap and his animatronics."
"Did he want revenge?" Iza questioned.
"I don't know," he sighed. "But I know it was more amnesty than anything."
Iza raised a brow. "For what? He was the one who was hurt. Why seek forgiveness from them?"
"Again, I'm not sure, I just know." He glanced around. "I remember walking these halls, trying to fulfill my objective, when a voice spoke on an intercom and talked to the injured man before the building went up in flames."
Everyone's eyes grew big.
"I recall feeling hot and smelling something disgusting burning nearby. I didn't feel fear, but I knew the situation was dangerous and tried to leave. I managed to get farther due to my size but eventually succumbed to the heat like the others." He stopped and lowered his hands, staring at the palms. "My last memory before blacking out was hearing that voice saying that for us, there might be peace and more when the smoke cleared, but that one of us was truly going to burn in hell for their actions."
He went silent, only elaborating once Roxy spoke up. "Then-Then-Then-Then what happened?" she asked, trying not to sound insensitive.
Music Man raised his head. "Then I woke up as a Glamrock." He turned around completely, meeting the gaze of his friends. "I can only assume I was found by someone during the pizzaplex's construction and decided to use me as inspiration/spare parts for the DJ animatronic." He lowered his voice. "Doubt anyone knew it would create a permanent link between the bodies."
"But," he said after going quiet. "When I did become a Glamrock, I remembered seeing bright colors and hearing different voices, not knowing where I was. I felt…scared. An emotion I never experienced before, which ironically only seeded more fear. Truthfully, if not for the locks on my movement, I likely would have rampaged through the whole building. I still tried to fight but eventually stopped after something occurred."
"And that was?" Iza asked.
"I met them." Music Man pointed at the Glamrocks, meeting their eyes. "They changed my life and helped me think for myself. I learned to try new things, play music, and actually enjoy life. I truly cannot express how much you guys have done for me through the love you have shown." He sighed and stared at the ceiling, almost chuckling. "I guess that man was right; there really was peace after the smoke cleared."
Then his tone darkened. "But even the brightest lights can cast shadows." Music Man returned his eyes to the ground.
Monty stepped forward and crouched to his friend's level, buzzing in concern.
Music Man refused to look at him. "I didn't say anything because I was terrified. I was a robot programmed to murder, and suddenly, I was grouped with a bunch of animatronics whose base coding is to protect children and other humans; I didn't know what would happen!" He threw his hands into the air and then relaxed them. "But, over time, I learned to not be scared and feel remorse instead."
"What do you mean, DJ?" Chica asked, walking to Monty's side and blocking Iza's view, forcing her to move.
"Although being a Glamrock is the best thing that ever happened to me, I'm afraid to admit that it's all also been my worst hell." He crossed his arms, uncomfortable. "On top of feeling slightly isolated from committing such atrocities and having no one to talk to, I also experienced regret for the first time and didn't know how to cope. Remember when Bonnie was still around, and the CEO threatened to scrap me because I was malfunctioning?"
They nodded.
"I wasn't broken; I was scared. I very quickly came to deplore and even despair over what I had done as a Funtime. So much so, I was terrified of being around children, in fear that I would revert to my old ways." He tapped his arm. "I purposely would act differently or even physically damage myself so that the staff would be forced to close the ballroom and no kids would be near me."
The Glamrocks listened intently, horror growing in their eyes.
"I eventually learned to get by without letting my fear get the best of me.." His optics flickered. "However, everything came crashing down after the virus infected us."
The room grew tense; Iza walked around the Glamrocks, ending up behind Music Man and staring at his back. She kept quiet as they talked, unsure what to do or say because she wasn't involved.
Music Man continued. "You know how we can remember everything that happened when the glitch took over? For me, it was like I was a Funtime again, hunting Gregory, a child, for sport." Iza's ears perked up at the mention of her father. "The amount of anxiety, stress, and dread I experienced between my past and going against my protection coding was so bad, it began to overwhelm my systems, if not worse than the first time I woke up a Glamrock."
Monty placed a hand on Music Man's back while he talked. "I knew I was more hysterical, more afraid that you guys would find out, but I had to tell someone. Eventually, I approached Sun, hoping his experience with Moon's personality may allow some understanding. Thankfully, it did, and later, with his assurance, I spoke with Freddy." His optics dimmed. "Their compassion, even though I could tell they were disgusted by what happened, meant more than you could ever know." The voice from the fazwatch cracked. "They listened and helped me, allowing me to better myself without fearing rejection. And in time, I slowly started to live with myself, not forgive, but give myself more understanding in the notion that I had no control."
Music Man went quiet after that. He crossed his arms, looking away ashamed when he was yanked from the ground, causing him to yelp. The little spider snapped his head around to see Monty holding him up, eye narrowed and buzzing aloud before crushing him in a hug.
Music Man pushed against the gator, listening to the lecture in the comm. He replied. "I know, I just—"
"He's right, DJ-DJ-DJ-DJ," Roxy interjected. "We don't care who-who-who-who you were before; we're just glad you're our-our-our-our friend now." Roxy rubbed his cracked head but then stared at the ground with her absent eyes. "I just have one question-question-question-question. Why bring this up-up-up-up now?"
A long pause ensued. "Several reasons," he said as Monty set him on the ground. "The first one being I felt everyone deserved to know the truth, especially considering this will probably be the last chance we'll ever get. Second is because a part of me wants to fulfill a selfish desire to repent for my past sins." He sighed deeply. "After the incident with Gregory, I promised myself I would never hurt a child again and protect them with my life. And now that our backs are against the wall, I feel like I only have one more chance with Iza."
Iza knit her brows when she heard that last line. She enjoyed watching the Glamrocks have their moment; however, their words made her worry. "Last chance?" she mouthed quietly to herself. "Hey, Music Man?" she called with a raised volume. "What do you mean, 'one more chance' with me?"
The others turned around as she continued.
"I sort of understand that you guys will likely make me leave alone at some point, but why are you talking like it'll be the last time we ever see each other?" Her eyes flashed with concern. "Are…Are you planning to do something after I leave?"
Music Man stopped and stared at her blankly. "Iza," he started, trying to mask his previous pain and some new reluctance in his voice. "I can't speak for the others, but when I first met you, I had no idea who you were. All I knew was that while crawling around the vents for the first time in years, I heard someone screaming and rushed to help. I did not expect to see a human being attacked by an endo." He started to raise his hands towards his neck. "In truth, I thought you were some dumb teenager that went to cause trouble."
Iza frowned at him, annoyed by the comment.
"Regardless, I didn't hesitate to step in, and when I knew you were a safe distance away, I went to join you." His fingers clasped the fazwatch. "I wanted to ask who you were, but after seeing the fazwatch on your wrist, I realized who you were, or at least had some relation to."
"Dad?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
He nodded. "Apart from Vanessa, who learned the truth while under Glitchtrap's control, Gregory was the fourth being and the only other human who knew of my past. I kinda accidentally dumped it on him when I was apologizing, and instead of getting angry or anything, he actually was the one who outfitted me with a connection to the fazwatch." He pulled the watch from his neck and turned it around, staring at his reflection in the screen. "He did so much for me despite everything, and after I learned you were his daughter, it only deepened my connection to him…and you." He could feel the vibrations coming from the speaker. "I want to protect you, Iza, by any means necessary. Even if it means we will never meet again."
Iza looked away and crossed her arms, unsure what to do in this situation again. "So what's going to happen?" she questioned, not wanting to get emotional. "What will you guys do once I leave this room?"
He didn't respond, causing Iza to narrow her eyes. Then they slowly widened. "You're going to confront him." Her voice caused the others to tense. "You're going to fight him, aren't you?!"
Her tone quickly turned to anger. "You are!" Her fists dropped to the side and began to shake. "Why on earth would you think that's okay? Who came up with such a hair-brained notion?!"
"He did." Music Man pointed behind himself without taking his eyes off the ground, gripping the fazwatch tightly with the other hand.
Iza snapped her head up, searching for the culprit, when her eyes settled on Freddy. The blood in her ears began to rush, pulsating to the point it nearly deafened her. "Freddy wanted everyone to fight the glitch?" She noticed Chica and Monty nodded in her peripheral vision. "Why?" She turned to them, heartbroken.
"Initially, he wanted to do it by himself, dear," Chica stood up and moved to her side. "But we insisted on going." She placed a hand on Iza's back. "There's not much left for us here, given that we can't leave the building. He wanted to give you a proper sendoff and—"
"Proper sendoff, my ass," she snorted, smacking Chica's hand away. "He looked me dead in the eyes and said he and all of you were coming with me!"
"I think he was trying to protect you," Chica sighed. "Honey, like DJ said, we've never been able to leave. Not as long as we are Fazbear Entertainment animatronics."
Iza glared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. Then they slowly raised. "But what if you didn't have to be?"
Chica stared at her, confused. "I'm sorry?"
Before she could ask again, Iza turned around and quickly walked by Chica. She moved past the other Glamrocks, all giving her a strange look, probably thinking the little human had finally, truly lost her mind due to dehydration and stress when Iza stopped. Glancing past her, they could see the pile of duffle bag items resting at her feet. Careful to avoid disturbing a certain someone, Iza bent down and rifled through the contents on the floor. She pushed aside and turned over several objects before an audible aha was heard.
The Glamrocks could hear plastic rustling as Iza grasped something in her hand and stood up.
"Uh, Iza?" Roxy asked. "What-What-What-What are you doing?"
The bandaged woman, startled by the question, faced the animatronics and held up her hand.
Music Man squinted through the darkness and stared at her closed fist. It was difficult to make out, but he saw a small plastic baggie hanging from her fingers with something inside. He was unsure what it was until she came closer and allowed him a better look at several silver rectangles and one black one jumbled together.
He immediately knew what they were. "Iza?" he asked skeptically, calmed down from his breakdown moments ago. "Are…those the blank customization chips you found?"
"Back in parts and service, yes." She held up the bag to her face and scanned the contents. "How'd you know?"
"Because of the—never mind, why do you have them?" He paused. "And what was that before about us not being animatronics anymore?" Music Man asked, sharing the same bafflement as the others.
"You know how you said you physically can't leave the building due to some security measures in your bodies, and then Chica mentioned you can't leave as long as you're animatronics from Fazbear Entertainment?" They nodded, confusion growing. "Well, that got me thinking. Back when I saw endos for the first time, Roxy explained that the coding for your bodies and personalities were different, and as soon as they entered the endoskeleton, the chips overrode the endo programming, then you said—"
A sharp squawk cut her off and made everyone look to the left to see Moon's side gesturing toward Iza; the Glamrocks gave him a sour look.
"What'd he say?"
"Without all the vulgar obscenities about you that are somehow not censored by our programming over the comms, he asked what's your point," Music Man deadpanned, giving Moon a 'really?' look.
Moon rolled his optic and looked away.
Music Man sighed. "He's right, though," he said, returning to Iza. "Where are you going with this?"
Iza shot Moon a glare. "Well…before I was so rudely interrupted. I was going to suggest that instead of you guys, ahem, sentencing yourselves to death, what if I carried you?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean specifically your chips," she held up the bag again. "You keep saying the programming within your body keeps you inside, so why not take out your chips, put them in this bag, and then let me carry you guys to the surface? We all get out alive, I get the medical help I need, and you guys get a sweet glow-up when I build you new bodies? Sounds good? Now let's go!"
Iza spun around and started packing her bag before anyone could respond. She continued talking, raving about all the fun things they would do and see once their bodies were built. Completely missing the pained face every single Glamrock had.
She continued. "It will be great! You guys will love the newest models available on the market."
"Iza?"
"I'm not very good with hardware or mechanical engineering, but I'm sure I'll make it work."
"Iza?"
"Nana has always been good with her hands, and I'm sure some old blueprints are lying around Dad's workshop. I could commission someone to—"
"Iza!"
A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around, forcing Iza to stand up. She tightly gripped the fazerblaster in one hand and the semi-empty medkit in the other as she flinched when a light pain flashed through her shoulder. "Ow," she grumbled and then looked up, quickly forgetting her ache when she saw the five devastated expressions of the Glamrocks. Iza looked around, confused. "What?"
The Glamrocks' faces darkened. "Iza, we're not coming with you," Chica spoke sadly.
Iza furrowed her brow, concerned, but kept a grin on her face. "What? Of course, you are; we found a way out for all of us."
"Not-Not-Not-Not everyone," Roxy corrected, pointing at Music Man. "DJ doesn't have-have-have-have a chip; he still can't leave the building."
Iza's smile dropped, but fought to stay up. "That's…That's okay, I'm sure we can figure something out." She turned and crouched down, placing the items in the bag. "Maybe he can power down and—"
"Iza, we've already made up our minds." Music Man placed a hand on hers when he walked to her side, stopping her movement. "Someone needs to distract Glitchtrap while you escape." He sighed. "I'm sorry, but hey, everything will be okay."
She didn't respond, feeling something drip down her face.
Music Man continued. "We're not scared about what's going to happen. We've already accepted our fates and just want you to be safe." He rubbed her hand and saw the others agreeing.
"Why?" she asked softly. "Why would you give up so easily?"
Music Man was taken aback. "We're not giving up. If anything, we're…we're…we're dying in…a…glorious battle…against our greatest enemy!" Music Man pumped his other arm in the air with an enthusiastic shout, trying hard to replicate the roleplaying attitude he heard when Iza and Inox performed prior. He very quickly stopped when he saw the light reflecting off Iza's glasses as she glared at him, noticing the apparent water streaks on her dirty face.
"Uh," he faltered. "Um, I mean…sorry." And lowered his hand to the ground. "I just wanted to cheer you up."
"Yeah, good luck with that," Iza sniffed, running a hand over her face and dirtying the bandages with soot. "Kinda hard to be happy when my remaining family is willing to kill themselves so that my sorry ass has a slightly better chance of surviving." Her nose scrunched angrily. "It only increases my odds by, oh, I don't know, zero point one billionth more."
"Iza," Chica whispered, rushing to her side. "We're not doing this to upset you…we just want you to be happy."
"Yeah?" She snapped her eyes to Chica, hair hanging widely over her face. "Then tell me, why are you guys so gungho on ensuring I make it out but not yourselves? Why not let me do this for you?!" She faced the ground, voice cracking. "You're starting to sound a lot like Freddy."
Monty caught onto that last part and buzzed. He walked around with Sun and Roxy and crouched before her, enclosing her from all sides with animatronics. Iza didn't look up.
"What did he say?"
"He says this is what we want," Music Man exhaled. "Iza, you must understand we have been locked away here for a VERY long time." His pupils enlarged. "We only had each other after waking up, and while that kept us going, we were starting to lose hope. Personally, my world shattered after the ballroom's exits cut me off for five years. I felt lost and alone, unable to speak or see anyone; it was torture."
"It was the same for us," Chica continued. "We had already lost so much, and losing DJ five years later rocked us to our cores. Then when Freddy went into shut down two years ago, we…we just didn't know what to do anymore." A heavy cloud floated through the atmosphere.
"But then-then-then-then, you came along," Roxy said, lightening the mood. "You were the first human we saw in ten years. Even if we chased you, seeing a new face again was still energizing. We were happy, but then Freddy woke up-up-up-up, DJ came back it was—"
"What is your point?!" Iza snarled, not wanting to hear their excuses.
Roxy recoiled, joy fading and sharing a despondent look with the others.
"Iza," Music Man spoke calmly. "Our point is you were our beacon of hope in our darkest time. We owe you so much but can't give you what you want." He grabbed her hand gently and opened it, placing the fazwatch on her palm. "We have lived our lives, felt invigorated again, and now we want you to live yours." He curled her fingers around the fazwatch before letting go.
Music Man walked toward the others, who also got up and moved to her front. Iza stayed on the ground, eyes bloodshot and teary as she unfurled her fingers and stared at the fazwatch.
"We know you're upset, but please allow us to repay you for everything." He verbally smiled at her and then the others. "You're young and strong, and you'll bounce back from this in no time. So please, fulfill our last request before you leave." He rested his hand on her knees as Iza turned on the fazwatch and mindlessly scrolled through the apps. "Be happy and live your life to the fullest. It's what we want, It's what Freddy wants, and I know it's what Gregory would have wanted too."
"Screw Gregory," she growled suddenly, startling the others. "Dad kept me away, and that was fine. He sent me here, and that was fine too. But even if his written will for me was to meet you guys and then leave and never see you again, I would burn the fucking paper!"
"Iza?" Music Man backed up, astonished by her response. "Why would say—"
"I don't care what he wants; he's not here!" She snapped her head up, tears and dirt smudged across her face. "I lost my mom as an infant, my damn brother's chip was fried here, my dad died of cancer only a month ago, and now, after everything we've been through, you want me to leave behind the only thing left of my family?!" She sprung to her feet and glared daggers at the Glamrocks, venom dripping from her voice. "Fat. Fucking. Chance!"
"Iza, you have your mother's side, and Vanessa…"
"They live in another country, Chica! And Vanessa is almost seventy years old!" Her eyes burned with red. "I don't have much family left, and I have no plans to lose this one!" Her teeth grit together painfully. "I'm not leaving without every. Single. One of you!"
The room was tense, and the Glamrocks were caught off guard. An unnerving staring contest occurred between the two parties. It was strange to be in this position; for some reason, Monty, Chica, and Roxy couldn't help but remember the first time they met her, this feral-looking human woman. They recalled her being timid, protective of the little android by her side but still putting on a brave front as she faced the three seemingly monstrous animatronics wanting to end her life for threatening to destroy their home. This instance had the same base feeling, except now the tables had shifted with them as the fearful and her as the aggressor. That shy girl they grew to know over the past week seemed gone, no, still here, just hardened. Her strong spirit was there, just broken, chipped, and marred by reality as her body was adorned and scarred by the night's events. She was obviously still terrified, but now there was an unhinged motive. She wanted something she couldn't get, nothing to lose as the one she loved had been ripped away only hours before, leaving her in a somewhat frenzied state. It sent chills down their spines and almost made them wonder, what would she do next?
Music Man faced Iza. "I'm sorry," he spoke more sternly. "But that's not your choice to make."
Iza raised her head. "Oh yeah?" she said emotionlessly. "Well, it's not yours either." She met each Glamrock's eyes and then looked at Freddy behind her. "I'm done losing people, and if you're unwilling to change your minds, I'll do it for you."
Then, before anyone could react, Iza Fasben raised her arm, held out the fazwatch, aimed at the Glamrocks' horrified faces, and pressed down on a large orange button.
