When Elizabeth came to once more, she was furious. No, more than furious! Furious didn't even begin to cover it! She was so angry the first thing she did was scream, letting loose a rattling discordant screech. She bashed her claw against the ground, very much appearing the part of a little girl throwing a tantrum. Could anyone blame her, she bitterly thought. She had lost her father then gotten beat by that upstart Freddy! She hadn't gotten anywhere or anything but a busted up face!
Once her rage was spent, she pulled herself to her feet. It was getting dark again now, the sky turning a dusky purple. She had lost nearly a day to being unconscious and she had no idea where to start. She had been following the lullaby, which her distrust in only grew.
Unfortunately, she had no choice. She had to find out where her father went.
Which meant she had to wait for it to return. Dejected, Elizabeth wheeled herself deeper into the alley to hide and wait.
She didn't have to wait long. In fact, she had been staring off into space for maybe ten minutes when she heard it. She didn't linger long, instead gliding into the darkness after the sound.
There, in the darkness, was the source. She hadn't gotten a good look at it yesterday but now she could see it had the same vague shape of one of the remote-control cars Michael had when they were children. There was a phantom pang in her chest at the memory. It almost appeared to be waiting for her.
Then it turned and zipped off. She kicked off and raced after the lure.
If she really tried, she could probably have outsped it, caught it then smashed it. But the thought didn't even occur to her. Instead, she was entranced by the melody and determined to find her father. Together, they raced through the back alleys until eventually both flew out into a parking lot. Elizabeth didn't stop her forward momentum but craned her head to look at the building they passed.
It was a pizzeria and not just any, a Freddy Fazbear's!
She screeched to a halt, sparks kicking up from her skates. She gawked at the neon signage, the clean friendly exterior, the darkened windows. It gave her a warm fuzzy feeling, bringing back memories of Fredbear's Family Diner before Cass' accident, before everything fell apart. Her watching in delight as her father transformed into the lively Spring Bonnie. How Michael insisted it was all "lame baby stuff" but how he was secretly fascinated by the animatronics. Having to coax Cassidy into coming with her to watch their daddy and Uncle Henry put on a comedy routine for a gaggle of children.
She wanted to go inside so she skated up to the front door and tried it. Locked. She wasn't quite sure what she expected but she had dearly hoped the doors would open and permit her inside. She turned away, her posture deflated and dejected.
Around the building, the lure once more chimed its melody and she perked up. Maybe it was leading her to a different way inside, around the back! Newly energized, she followed it around the building.
The side of the building opened into a dark and dreary alley, a far cry from the neon lit parking lot. The machine beckoned her from the darkness and, fearlessly, Elizabeth followed. Just a few feet behind the machine was a door. She shifted her face plates excitedly.
Right as she passed the machine, it quite literally changed its tune. The sweet melody turned slower, gentler into a real lullaby. Her joints stilled and her forward momentum sent her drifting into the wall. She screeched in confusion and fear as her body shut down of its own accord, letting her slump against the wall and to the ground.
It really had been a trap.
She could only hope that it would end up being a good thing and that she'd find her father.
Morning came and the sky above grumbled with thunder and rain that would soon fall. Michael and Jeremy rushed out the back with the dolly, wanting to beat the rain. Though, for Michael, there was an additional reason spurring his momentum. He took the steps two at a time and advanced down the alley. He didn't have to go far, the massive form of Circus Baby was sticking out like a sore thumb.
He stopped and a smile played on his face, "Lizzie."
Jeremy followed with less enthusiasm. The emotions and memories of the previous night lingered and it weighed on him. Even after riding around town with Michael attempting to alleviate the mood, he cried again when they got home. He reckoned he'd be crying a lot in the next few months...even years. For now, he stopped by Michael and commented, "Not sure how we're getting her on the dolly. She's…"
Michael nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I'm not sure how kids weren't scared of Circus Baby. Would have done some good if they were."
His playful tone and jokes never sounded more fake to him. It was obvious Michael knew they both knew this.
His smile turned to a frown and it stayed like that until he brushed off his sadness, "Well, let's figure this out."
Elizabeth's new form was somewhat slimmer than the original Circus Baby but it still took both of them to get her in a standing position. After that, it got easier as her new roller skates allowed them to simply wheel her onto the dolly. Before they headed into the "interview room", Michael inspected her with a critical eye, his gloved hands ghosting over the shattered part of her face. "I have half a mind to think Freddy was why she got here today and not yesterday."
Jeremy shifted from foot to foot, "Is it a good idea then to put them in the same place?"
Michael sighed, "I'm not really sure we have a choice. I don't know how to…"
He trailed off and, mentally, Jeremy finished the rest: explain we must die. He nodded stiffly and together, they wheeled her into the room. She was handled with a lot more care than the previous two, Michael making sure she seemed comfortable. He wanted to wait so he'd be there when she awoke but alas, the duties of the day called.
In any case, the day passed quickly. It was a little more busy than the days before it, perhaps because word of mouth. If the place was destined for more, Michael might have been proud. He almost regretted it wasn't.
The day was over with no more talk of weird sounds or disturbances from the employees. Perhaps if his father and Freddy had encountered each other and fought, it was during the night and now they were licking their hypothetical wounds. Jeremy wished him luck once everything was done and before he set off to visit Elizabeth.
He left the taser in his pocket but brought it nonetheless. In his pocket, she couldn't see it and if all went well, she would never know. He didn't intend to use it but if Elizabeth wanted to hurt him and Cass couldn't get her to rein it in...he may not have any choice. It would hurt if it came down to that, it really would, so he tried to not think about it. With that, he opened the door and stepped inside.
Elizabeth was slack; likely playing dead like their father had. He set his bear head on the table and greeted her, "Lizzie?"
She stirred, her single intact eye flickering on. Her voice was small, "Mikey?"
He smiled warmly at her as he rounded the table, "Yes, Lizzie. It's me."
She sat up straight, her face plates adjusting with a creak. "You're really alright…" she murmured, opening her arms for a hug.
The mere action stirred memories from long ago and, even if she was withered and damaged and one arm terminated in a large, sharp, claw, Michael answered the request. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Sis, I'm so glad to see you."
"I missed you, Mikey," she admitted in a whisper.
"I know. I missed you too."
When he pulled away, she lifted her intact hand to his face. She frowned at his unnatural pallor. She knew he was going to look different, she remembered how his body withered away to a shadow of its former self but...the reminder of what she did to him hurt so much. Before she can say anything however, he cut her off, "Someone else is here too."
She blinked in surprise. She didn't see anyone else. "Who?"
With a spark of light, the translucent form of her younger brother appeared before her. It took her a moment to realize who she was looking at before Elizabeth gasped, "Cassidy!"
She reached to embrace him but her arms simply phased through. She recoiled with a dejected, "Oh…"
"I'm just a ghost," he explained with a sad smile, "But I'm here too."
Elizabeth looked from Michael and back to Cassidy, remembering the last time she had seen him. It wasn't a day she tried to remember often.
She had been with a bunch of other kids in the arcade, watching one of the other girls from town trying to beat the current high score for Fruity Maze. Then all of a sudden, there was screaming. She had tried to get out of the arcade to see what was happening but a group of parents blocked the entrance, telling them they needed to "stay in there". After some time, Uncle Henry had come to retrieve her and led her out to the car, his hands over her eyes.
It was only in the hospital, where she saw Cassidy all bandaged up in his bed, did she find out what happened. And she hated Michael for it for a long time.
Cassidy understood what she was thinking and said, "It's alright now, Lizzie. I forgave him. He didn't mean for it to happen."
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Michael murmured.
"It's alright, Mikey," Elizabeth assured, though she wasn't quite sure what else he could be apologizing for. She should be the one apologizing!
As if he could read her mind, Michael took her good hand, squeezed it and smiled, "And y'know what, Lizzie? I forgive you."
Even if there was no sensation to be had from the gesture, she felt a phantom pang in her chest. She wanted to cry. She blubbered, "I didn't know what I was doing, Mikeyyy. I jus' wanted out…"
"You shouldn't have been put in that situation," Michael said with a firm tone but, unlike with their father, it didn't make her cringe.
Lizzie sniffled, with no idea how to respond to that. Instead, she asked, "What's all happened? Why is Cassidy like this?"
Michael and Cass shared a glance. They shared something silently in their gazes before Michael began, "I guess you can say it started really when I left home…"
The pair shared what they could. They skirted around what they could, including most details about their father. Neither felt very favorable about the man but every time he came up, Elizabeth perked up and asked about him.
("Where is father? I was looking for him."
"...he's nearby, you'll be able to see him soon.")
They had planned to tell her at least some of what their father did but judging by how defensive she got back when they suggested he wasn't entirely a good man, they both backpedaled. Michael didn't want to burn any bridges with his sister, like he had their father. But it still didn't feel good at all; it left a pit where Michael's stomach once was.
Finally, he capped the story with, "I had been looking for you...but now I've found you," he smiled gently.
Elizabeth cheered, "So really no hard feelings?"
Michael nodded with a smile.
He then made a show of checking his watch. His face fell and he abruptly rose, "I'm sorry, but I have to go now."
Elizabeth blinked in confusion, "But you just got here."
"I'm...I'm very busy," he made his way to the door, his hand lingering over the keypad, "But I do love you very very much Lizzie. And I'll see you soon."
Cass trailed him, facing her, "I love you too Lizzie. It's gonna be alright."
She shifted in agitation, standing up, "I don't understand. Where are you going? Why are you leaving? Why can't I come too?"
Michael shot her a sad smile, full of pain, as he closed the door behind them. Immediately, she cried, "Mikey?! Cass?!"
She shoved the table out of the way, rushing over to the door. It didn't have a knob, just a keypad that was too small for her clunky hand to use, even if she magically knew the code. She banged on the door, wailing, "Mikey! Cass! Don't leave me! You're leaving me again!"
No one came, despite her wailing.
But what did happen was a vent on the side of the room opened with a loud ker-chunk. She turned, confused yet curious. Perhaps that vent lead to somewhere outside this room, like an exit!
She skated over, peering inside. It was long and dark...but there wasn't anywhere else to go. So she climbed inside. It had to lead somewhere, right?
She shuffled inside, hoping it would lead her to Michael. She wasn't sure what she would do when she saw him again. Maybe, be mad but certainly not hurt him!
"...am I a bad person for that?"
Michael had fled out and down the hall, all the way out into the main restaurant. He couldn't bear the loud thuds reverberating from the door. He braced himself against a table, shuddering with spent energy and guilt. The room was dark, night having fell, affording him privacy. Cassidy appeared beside him, his voice small, "It's what we had to do," he assured.
"I still feel terrible about it."
There was a long silence between them before Michael murmured, "She's going to find Father."
"I know."
"It's not going to be good. I don't know what he's going to say to her but it's not going to be good."
Cassidy hissed through his teeth. His reply was, like most things he said the past few days, calculated, "He won't help matters."
Elizabeth clambored through the vents and into yet another empty steel room. It was identical to the past three and she had to wonder where she was actually going. It was really starting to look like there was no exit. But somewhere, beyond the confines of steel walls, children were laughing and having fun. A band was singing a fun tune like how the Fazbear band did in her childhood.
Where was it then? Could she get to it then?
Somewhere, deep inside her soul, she wanted to go have fun too.
And something, deep within her programming, twinged. Her claw fidgeted, seeming of its own accord.
Why had Michael done what he did? He missed her, he loved her but why did he trap her in here? Did he have some hidden reason?
Was it...revenge?
In the end, everyone really did abandon her.
Frustration bubbled deep inside her and she shrieked, lashing out with her claw. The crash of metal on metal reverberated through the vents. It and her shuddered.
Somewhere, deeper inside, another bang answered.
She stiffened.
Someone was in here with her.
She took a stance, pointing her claw straight down in front of her. And waited.
Metallic scraping and thuds came from further down, ever getting closer. Every part of her body tightened, waiting for action. A pair of glowing, silver eyes appeared from the darkness before their owner stepped into the light.
She gasped, "Daddy!"
"Daughter," he sighed in relief and went for an embrace, one she accepted, "I was so worried. I had hoped you wouldn't follow me but...I'm happy we're both here."
He pulled away, "I thought I told you not to follow."
She shrank away, "I just couldn't leave you here! And I didn't wanna be all by myself!"
His stern demeanor only lasted a mere moment in the face of that and he sighed, "I suppose. That makes sense. Do you know where you are?"
She shook her head, "I saw Mikey though! I talked to him," she withered away, "But he put me in here and left me. All by myself. I thought he wanted to see me…"
"He trapped us both in here," William hissed, his tone dripping venom, "I never thought him capable of something like this but yet!"
"Why would he do that?" Elizabeth crossed her arms, her tone despondent.
Why would he do something like that? Was he so mad at her that he wanted to hurt her? And their father too? All he ever wanted to do was to help them, at least that's what he had said.
It didn't make sense. None of this made any sense.
"Surely this is Henry's fault. He's poisoned your brother, I'm sure of it! He was so angry at me, I imagine he got to Michael first!" William seethed, walking back and forth as he ranted.
"Uncle Henry?" Elizabeth asked.
"He is no uncle of yours," he said sternly and she cringed at her mistake.
He continued, "I fear he wishes to destroy us all."
Elizabeth floundered. None of this made sense!
"We gotta find Mikey," she concluded, "He's family! He'll listen!"
"We're the ones he should be listening to," William nodded, "And if not…"
"...we'll make him."