When the day came, Charles was more than ready to proceed. Waiting for this marvelous opportunity had been tiring; all the evidence and information he needed for this conversation was in his hands, thanks to Elizabeth and Cody. Until now, Charles couldn't help but expect this lead to turn out much like all the others he encountered in the last years: ephemeral and, at their core, pointless. But this was clearly a very different case, there was a new nefarious operation conducted by Fazbear Inc, the one he had a trail for.
"Hi there, Lizzy." The bartender towards the entrance, a short-haired woman with pale skin and a few tattoos, said as she registered her arrival.
"Hi! I'm not late, am I!" The gallantly-dressed woman smiled and wondered.
"No, you're just in time. Your shift is starting soon…And who's with you?"
"It's my guest, Charlie Takaliken. I made a reservation for him."
"Hm…" The bartender looked over her book and changed a few pages. "Ah, that's the one. Nice of you to bring a guest, but I hope he won't distract you from your work."
"Oh, no, of course not; he can entertain himself. Right, Charlie?"
"Yes." Charles nodded. "I'm just here for a few drinks."
"Oh, we have much more than that." She chuckled. "But anyway, make yourself comfortable. Lizzy will show you around."
"Thank you." Elizabeth smiled and beckoned for Charles to follow her into the club.
"Let's hope he didn't decide to skip this particular evening." Charlie sighed.
"Shouldn't be, but even if he did, at least you'll get to know the place."
"Do I want to? "He responded with a faint chuckle as the two of them entered the main bar. It was a unique place, both feeling quite grand and cozy at the same time. People, mostly of Hurricane's upper class, gathered here at different tables and talked over a few nice drinks and delicious meals. Some of them chuckled, some of them argued and discussed various news and some childishly played board games for money. It wasn't a direct copy, but some elements of it reminded Charlie of places used by crime syndicates for their parties. He raided more than one of those.
"I mean, it's a nice place when you get used to it."
"Doesn't seem like it has the best kinds of people."
"Hey, at least they pay well," Elizabeth said, getting slightly argumentative.
"I didn't mean to offend, sorry. I'm more talking about the 'clients.'"
"I try not to meddle in their business. It's safer that way…Oh, here he is." Lizzy's voice grew quieter as she pointed towards a table near one of the windows with a lone man and an almost empty mug in front of him. "That's Kyle over there."
"Seems like a nice fellow." Charlie sighed, realizing that conversing with a drunk man wouldn't be as productive as a sober one, but this was the best he had for now.
"I'll have you sit right by him, and then you can do your thing…Just remember, no fights or anything of the sort."
"I won't start any, not sure about him."
"If he does, at least try not to make it worse." She said before making her way towards the customer. "Excuse me, sir, would you mind if someone else sits at this table?"
"What, no other places?" Kyle said with distaste and looked up; his eyes were reddened. He was definitely not having much of a healthy sleep.
"Sorry, it's busy tonight, and we have to use up all the space. This table has a place for one or two people at least…"
"Eh, whatever, just as long as you refill my mug."
"Of course, sir, thank you for your understanding."
Elizabeth pointed Charlie at a place that he took. Moments later, she rushed off to do her job as a waitress; the rest was up to Charlie. He knew he had to start a conversation sooner or later because he wanted it to feel natural, at least at first. Charlie spent some time looking at his phone, pretending to read something, and ordered a mug of beer. In a stroke of incredible luck, eventually, Kyle raised his eyes at him.
"Haven't seen ya around here, bud…And I'm good with faces. The first time, huh?"
"Yes, I'm not a regular." Charlie indulged him, preparing to bring up the topic at hand sooner or later.
"Thought so. How are you finding it?"
"Honestly? Intriguing, I don't spend much of my time in clubs…Not sure if that is going to change any time soon." No, it wouldn't, assuming he would need another visit to further the investigation.
"That's alright. I found it a bit too much at first, as well." He said before taking a large simp and emptying his mouth, followed by a prolonged cough.
"And you are a regular, I take it?"
"How did you guess…Ick." Kyle shook his head and rubbed his eyes before looking at Charlie again. "The name's Kyle, and you?"
"Charles."
"Charles…Welcome, I guess. Even the youngsters try to run from the shit that's happening in the town...I can understand that." He sighed.
"Yes, it can be very unsafe outside." Charles looked towards the window, realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to bring them closer to the point. "Especially with all the disappearances…"
"Huh?" Kyle sounded more alert in the next moment. "Oh, that Mann guy and the others…Eh, ain't nothing to do with me; the nerds can worry about that."
"Many say it's not about them, and they often turn out to be wrong," Charlie said confidently.
"Watch that attitude, kid." Kyle already began to annoy Charlie; the young detective was not the one for manipulations and 'careful' interrogations. "Who's to say it won't be you? Smartasses like you don't live for long…"
"It might be me, but that's beside the point." Charles sighed. "I heard about you, Kyle Kayarn."
"Really, now? And what the fuck have you heard about me? My favorite beer or what?" He found the situation amusing without understanding its gravity.
"I'm from the police," Charles announced, immediately making Kyle go quiet and raise his eyebrow in shock.
"Oh…I see. Whatever you want in here, I'm not you, guy. I'm a fucking law-abiding citizen and have always been, understand? Won't find a stain in my record."
"I don't want to arrest you. Just talk."
"You cops always say you just want to talk…Did you tell that girl to have you sit here as well?"
"It's about your former place of work. Fazbear Inc."
"W-what?" Charles saw Kyle visibly shiver at the mention of the company's name. One of his hands shook so violently that it pushed the empty mug away, almost knocking it over. "What does this have to with you or the police?!"
"More than you think," Charles said. "You worked in this company, correct?"
"I…I left a couple of years ago when it was still recovering from bankruptcy; I don't know anything about what the hell it is up to today except for that crazy Frankburt restaurant they opened!" He became agitated.
"Please, calm down. I'm not accusing you or anything. I just want information." Charles realized that revealing that this was a personal investigation was far from the best idea; mentioning the police would seem more authoritative to the man before him. "In light of Alison's and his company's recent resurfacing…We considered it was worth investigating numerous rumors and scandals that surrounded Fazbear Inc. in 1985 and after."
"And…Why me? Why not someone who works there now?" This was a good question, and Charlie couldn't tell him the real answer. Asking murderers whether they killed anybody was always foolish, but he had to maintain a pretense of impartiality.
"I have…Colleagues who are investigating the restaurant, I am to talk to the former workers and gather why they left."
"And what, start an entire undercover operation because of me?"
"It's necessary when we're talking about murder and abduction," Charlie said, making Kyle go quiet once again. "Fazbear Inc. and Alison are suspected of abducting children ever since the missing children incident in 1985."
"Nonsense…" Kyle said as he looked away, it did not sound convincing. "I know nothing about any of it. It's just like any other company."
"I wouldn't expect you to know much…But maybe you can point me towards someone who could. I know Alison dealt with Japanese tech and pharmacy companies over the last decade. There are some traces of it in the archives, but it's not much; perhaps you know more?"
"You must've never met that man…" Kyle sighed.
"Why?"
"He was fucking paranoid. Say one wrong word, and you will have him curse at you. Angry all the fucking time…I realized that I shouldn't ask any questions at all and just do what he says to do…" Kyle's lips quivered. "He was growing weaker with every month. He was clearly ill with something, and even though I don't know what, there was still something really wrong with him…"
"He looks pretty good and confident on whatever channel he appears." Charlie wondered. "Would you say it's a facade?"
"I have no bloody clue… He's as unpredictable as they come. Whatever he does in the future, I want nothing to do with it! Understand? Don't involve me in this shitshow detective work."
"What if I told you that there is a chance those recent disappearances and Alison are connected?"
"What…What are you on about?"
"Have a look." Charlie took out two photos, one encapsulating the red glow coming from above the camera and the silhouette of a large hand reaching out for it, the other with a distantly visible silhouette of the leaping creature in the upper corner.
"What the…" Kyle's hands shook as he took them up. "That's…No, no, it's some kind of edit. It has to be!"
"No, it's exactly what the camera caught. The second one was broken by the time I came to the scene. Those disappearances follow the same pattern, and they started at the same time as the new restaurant opened. I think it's more than a simple coincidence; what about you?" Charles asked, but he realized that Kyle barely listened to his words, he simply stared at the photos before him.
"That's… That's NOT human; it's like a fucking yeti!"
"I agree, though I don't know anything else about this…Thing. I was wondering if you could…"
"No." He said snappily and with dread in his voice that began to grow louder in a fit of panic. For the first time tonight, Charlie felt like the situation was getting out of control. They would attract attention like this.
"Please, just listen, I have a few more…"
"No, no, no!" He undercut any attempts of communication. "You…You don't fucking know what you're getting yourself into."
"Then tell me."
"Fuck you, fuck you!" He said as he shook again, this time making the mug finally fall over. "Do you think I wanted this, huh, any of this? To drink alone in this fucking shithole and try to pretend like…Like everything is alright?! No, oh no…You want to know about Fazbear Inc, well up here you fucking go…" His voice grew angrier and more vicious, and some people turned around towards them. This did not go well, but trying to interrupt Kyle would only invigorate him. "I wasn't the only one they let go when we stopped being useful…There were Kenny and Pete, too. It was fine. First, we stayed close, we met up, we talked, we almost started to forget that deranged fuck…I became an accountant, Kenny an engineer, Pete had a good career in acting… Everything's fine, right, right?" He clenched his teeth and shook. "First, Pete was missing…Stopped contacting us and didn't answer our calls. We talked to his employers, and nothing. He just disappeared; they thought he left, but I know what actually happened…The same thing that fucking happened to Kenny!"
"What happened to him?"
"He…He was cleaning out some old Fazbear warehouses by contract, the ones in the northern part of the town that they're now reclaiming, and said there were some spare parts that the representatives decided to give him. And then…He called me in the evening saying that some fucking freak was watching him…He can see a figure on the roofs and sometimes can see a dim red glow in places it just shouldn't be in! Some big, hulking fuck…I thought he was on drugs or something, this fucking thing right here…" He pointed his finger at the photos and soon started to hit them, having each new hit become stronger. "This fucking thing, this one right HERE…" Now Charlie had another trace of this mysterious creature, and this became simultaneously more disturbing and intriguing at the same time.
"Calm down!" Charlie couldn't hold himself back any longer. He clung to Kyle's arms and looked into his teary eyes. "Get a hold of yourself, or we're both getting kicked the fuck out of here, I need you to focus and concentrate…"
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" He screeched in response and slapped Charlie with such strength that the young detective recoiled in shock. By this point, everyone in the room stared at them with confusion in their eyes. "I had a normal evening, and then YOU HAD TO COME IN!" Completely enraged and out of his mind, Kyle jumped at Charlie and forced him off his chair, making both of them fall on the floor. Moments later, the detective felt his hands on his neck, desperately choking him and making it harder to breathe. He could see Elizabeth looking at them with horror.
"Oh my god…What are you doing, stop! "She rushed towards Kyle, trying to get him off Charlie, but the man just pushed her aside, making the young woman hit her head. "Call the bouncers, someone!" She begged while grabbing her head. No matter how drunk and traumatized he was, seeing him treat Elizabeth like this made Charles's heart skip a beat, after which he felt energy emerging in his heart. While Kyle loosened his grip, Charlie kicked him and tossed the assailant aside, making him finally let go. He didn't stop there. However, the next time Kyle tried to jump at him, Charlie blocked his strike and punched him in the face. Then, he punched again, and again, and again, Kyle was on the ground and couldn't resist, but Charlie still punched him. Eventually, the bouncers came and tore them away.
"Let me…Go!" He resisted instinctively at first, but then he saw Elizabeth stand beside him and carefully reach out.
"Hey, it's alright… It's alright." Her soothing voice made Charlie take a deep breath and close his eyes for a moment, allowing his body to relax. When he opened his eyes, he finally saw it.
"You're in this together…You and that bitch…Why, why, why…" Kyle was in the corner with a stream of blood coming out of his nose, shivering and shaking, unable to stop the tears coming from his eyes.
This was the face of a man whose trauma caught up with him in the form of a dreadful ghost of the past. And for some reason, as Charlie looked at him, he felt like weeping, too.
…
Finally, Blake's first night on the job. Fazbear Fright still wasn't opening for another week or so, but it was practically fully prepared for this. All salvaged elements that Alison wanted got transferred and placed in the new building near the center of New Harmony. Its light would soon attract countless visitors who would want some adrenaline to spice up the lives they were used to. What better way there was for that than to enter Springtrap's domain? Blake would see some of those visits, and he was incredibly excited.
His office was near the entrance of the attraction, simultaneously a space for the guards and part of the performance itself. After all, animatronics who hunted the night guards was a common legend that spread among the people even if Blake himself never really cared for it. It would take time for him to get used to the dark green lighting that permeated the place, but Blake had no doubt that it would happen sooner or later. After examining the office, especially focusing on a small box with spare animatronic masks from multiple old restaurants, Blake settled on his place and prepared for the job…
A job that consisted of sitting in a single place and practically doing nothing. It's not like anyone will try and rob the place. Maybe he could watch the news if there was a working TV here, but there wasn't…Blake sighed. He signed up for this, after all. It's time for a long, long night.
It was as one would expect for the first few hours. Blake would spend them half-asleep, only occasionally taking a look at the cameras. All those carcasses of the animatronics spread around the halls with light inside their masks, making it seem as if they were still operational and watched Blake from the other side, giving him the creeps at first, but it was something quite easy to get used to, as was the dark silhouette of Springtrap standing at the darkest corner of the furthest hall.
Until he heard a sound. Something out of the ordinary, something sudden and unexpected, distant yet incredibly clear in Blake's mind, making him shiver and turn towards the large window that displayed the hall before him. It was empty, just like before, but something clearly changed…Blake couldn't wrap his head as to what until he stared at the cameras, immediately checking the tenth camera, confirming his worst fears. The shadow had grown larger, and the withered animatronic was gone. Blake spent a few moments staring at an empty void in shock. Who the hell would activate the animatronic at night?
It wasn't until another echoing sound of something heavy bumping a wall that Blake left his state of trance and checked other cameras, one after another. The animatronic wandered somewhere in the corridors. There was no doubt about that now, regardless of how it was even possible. Blake jumped frantically from one camera to another until he finally saw it.
"What the…"
He whispered to himself before going silent, fearing that the mechanical creature could hear him from this. Springtrap was on camera eight…It was relatively well-lit, and Blake spotted the animatronic. He was leaning on the nearby wall, trying to take steps, going quicker one second and slowing down the next, drifting from one shadow to another. The fact that he moved was horrifying enough, but the manner in which he did it was even worse. For a moment, Blake even assumed that this was some kind of human when he saw the movement patterns. They were irregular and unnatural, but they did not seem robotic. Blake remembered how the animatronics moved, how their every step felt as if something pushed them, something that charted a path for them that they followed to a t. This one moved by himself as if there was nothing that controlled or predicted his course like a human would. How was this possible?
Springtrap made his way towards the end of the room and leaned on the nearby wall as if needing a rest. His steps became more regular and more natural, and he was getting closer to the office. Springtrap leaned on the wall, and then Blake heard it.
A prolonged, quiet moan that clung onto Blake's ears like an agonizing sound it was. It reminded him of a dying animal that was close to letting out its last breath yet continued to grasp for air despite the pain it experienced. It was grotesque and made Blake shiver in fear. For the first time, he regretted not remembering any prayers that Jim recited to him. Those weak, painful moans made Blake tremble, and as he trembled, images of the past began to flash in his mind.
This animatronic and Blake shared a history.
"PLEASE!"
The phantom cries of a child stuck in the jaw of a golden bear animatronic flashed in Blake's mind, how he laughed at his pain and misfortune, a sadistic streak that got taken too far…When Fredbear crushed the boy's head, Blake felt the stench of death while he and his three friends went completely silent. Spring Bonnie was the only one who still continued to perform his routine as if nothing happened around him. Now, this same animatronic was making his way towards him in a way that did not resemble a robot whatsoever. Closer and closer…
Suddenly, a thought struck Blake's mind. He remembered Alison mentioning the audio system that the animatronic was designed to react to. If he heard children's laughter, his program would make him follow it, no matter where it was called. Blake reached out towards the audio button with his shivering hands and finally pressed it.
"Hi." A playful boy's voice echoed from the corridor, startling Blake due to how sharply it broke the silence. To his luck, the effects were almost immediate. Springtrap stopped and gradually turned around before completely changing his course towards the furthest hall, which was where Blake played the sound. It was almost as if the animatronic resisted but was simply given no room to deny its programming. Without sound, Springtrap finally returned to the point he started from, covered by the shadows, as Blake was left to his heavy breaths and endless wonders on whether what he saw was just one insane hallucination…He would be lucky if that was the case. All he had to do was wait for the night to finally be over and keep his hands close to the audio system. He ended his shift in a few hours, but his hopes ended up futile. Springtrap tried to wander again and again. There was no denial now.
All of this was real.