Author's Note

First of all, thanks to Corona Pax. She basically wrote this chapter with me making a few additions. And thanks again for letting me use Hedy for this story!

The other important thing I've got to bring up is guest reviews. I've got the ability to moderate guest reviews on at the moment because I've found some people think they can get away with a lot more when there's no account attached to a review. I rarely refuse to let through a review though and I only edit the reviews if there's really bad language in it. However, this is a fanfiction site. This is not a forum where you can post whatever you want or ask whatever you want. You can talk about the story, criticize it, makes suggestions or predictions, do whatever you want as long as it pertains to the story or writing in general. You cannot use this site as a place to post personal questions or troubles. I let through the review that prompted this because I didn't warn that I wouldn't but now I will stop any guest reviews that have absolutely no connection to writing, fanfiction or even FNAF. Please go to a proper help site or forum for those kinds of things. This is a frankly ridiculous story about living animatronics and a slightly unstable teenager with a talent for pranks, not a place for discussion like that.

Chapter 72

Loophole

Springtrap didn't announce himself this time, though they noticed him immediately. They could only watch as he shot the room a smile. He'd come earlier, probably to avoid running into Ruby again.

Hedy tensed as she heard his heavy footsteps approach from behind as Jeremy stared over her shoulder.

Springtrap didn't walk like a human, any memory of those organic movements that echoed of humanity were probably long gone. But he didn't quite move like an animatronic either. It was uncanny. Unsettling.

He didn't breathe but she could feel the skin on the back of her neck crawl as he leaned over her.

The ghosts were watching with wide eyes but not hiding yet. This was safer than being alone.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" he asked, his voice still gravelly.

"Go away." Jeremy hissed.

Springtrap chuckled but otherwise ignored the man.

Mangle sat up and Hedy pulled her hands away to avoid getting pinched. The fox didn't want to be laying down around the killer. She stared at him in hatred as she swung her legs to face him and held out a hand to Hedy again so the mechanic could keep working. Mangle continued to stare at Springtrap, unblinking.

Springtrap sighed in mock sadness. "Ah, you're just going to ignore me? But you were always so talkative, Wiggy."

Hedy still didn't say anything to him, though she gave Jeremy a weak smile in an attempt to reassure her brother while Springtrap couldn't see it from his angle.

Jeremy stared unconvinced as Hedy picked apart tiny pieces on Mangle's hand, moving plating around and straightening very thin wires.

The rabbit kept his grin and glanced around at the watchful room.

Hedy reached for a screwdriver sitting next to her and jerked her hand away as Springtrap suddenly snatched it, their hands brushing.

He held it in front of her. "Humor me. What are you doing with this thing?"

Hedy stared, the first bit of emotion she had shown him decidedly settling on "confused." After a moment her face twisted in anger as she realized he hadn't meant the screwdriver.

Mangle and the rest of the bots stared at him.

"Mangle's not a thing. She's more a person than you are." Hedy said, her voice impressively even.

Mags flinched. She didn't like Hedy breaking her "vow of silence" for her sake.

"It's funny the staff stuck with that name. 'The Mangle'," Springtrap said conversationally like he hadn't heard the human. "I suggested Frankenfox but it didn't stick. Actually, I think it was Scott that suggested Mangle. Either him or your pops...Nah, Fitzgerald wasn't the most creative guy."

"Give me back the screwdriver." Hedy said with an eerie calmness.

Springtrap's smile grew just a little more and he held up the tool, the sharp point of the Phillip's head screwdriver pointed at her face.

Freddy froze, and he heard the others do the same as their gears creaked. Mangle's eyes spiraled wide, too terrified to look away.

Springtrap can't do anything, they had to remind themselves. He can't. He can't hurt anyone.

Jeremy's breath caught as the animatronic hovered the point of the screwdriver inches from Hedy's right eye. He waved it in little circles like a wand, tracing the rings of her eye in the air. They could all see him thinking through his next action, trying to decide if he should even try stabbing her in the face like that. The building would stop him but it was the principle of trying.

Springtrap's grin popped a little wider.

He jerked his arm forward just a little and Hedy flinched, squeezing her eyes shut and sharply turning her face away as some of the others squeaked in terror and Jeremy's stomach dropped. Like anyone's would.

Hedy cursed herself. She knew he couldn't hurt her.

Then why was there this awful pit of fear sinking into her limbs like poison?

The lights in the room flickered, reacting to the ghost kids' mood as the metal tip of the screwdriver lightly scratched against her cheek and Springtrap hummed happily, tapping her on the nose before flipping the tool around in his hand and holding the handle out to Hedy.

"I thought you were the brave one, Wiggy." Springtrap said in disappointment, leaning on the table next to her. "But I suppose that was never the case. Didn't I tell you to watch? To keep your eyes open?"

"Leave her alone." Jeremy said again, but his voice was weaker, knowing he couldn't really do anything to stop the murderer. It made him furious. Why did Ruby include him in the deal?

Springtrap ignored him like usual. "I'm surprised you ran. You saw the chance to abandon your friends and took it like a coward, all when it was your fault they were there to begin with."

Hedy continued to stare at the circuitry she was working on a moment ago, refusing to respond again as she forced herself to look away.

The ghost kids could just watch, glaring with hatred that only grew with every word.

"Frankly, I'm surprised they don't blame you just the same as everyone else did." the killer shot a twisted grin at the children.

Felix opened his mouth to respond, eyes lit with rage.

"She's one of us!" Benji snapped adamantly, the words spilling out and the building shuddering around them, temperature dropping to freezing degrees. No one moved their gaze from the killer though.

Springtrap stared for the briefest of seconds, an interested frown flashing on his face, then laughed in glee. "You're not jealous she's alive? Not even a little? Hard to believe."

"What do you mean 'everyone else'?" Cheryl whispered in fear, even as Hedy glared at her.

"You're encouraging him." Hedy snapped. "Don't speak to him."

Springtrap grinned and answered Cheryl with a triumphant smile. "Why your parents of course." He looked toward Ginny, who stood the closest to Hedy, standing behind the adult's wheelchair, not so much hiding behind it like Benji beside her, but more guarding.

"I heard your mummy couldn't stand coming home every day and seeing Hedwig next door alive and…" he paused and laughed. "Heh...I wouldn't call that 'well,' at least mentally. But you know, in one piece at least."

Ginny's eyes widened in shock. All the kids looked disturbed. They hadn't thought of their parents in awhile. It hurt too much.

Jeremy snarled.

Ginny swallowed, her ghostly anger wavering just barely as she glanced at Hedy who wore a blank expression. But she could tell Wiggy was hurt. The fear and grief was rolling off her in waves. Did Wiggy want to cry? Ginny couldn't tell. What was sadness supposed to feel like? She couldn't remember.

"You watched everyone leave." Springtrap said to Hedy. "One by one. They couldn't stand to even look at you."

Hedy stared at her work without a word, Mangle trembling from anger.

"Oh, it was so sad. Terrified little Hedwig clinging to the only mother figure she had only for her to pack up and disappear without a goodbye."

Ginny couldn't do it anymore and disappeared, Fredrick following.

Hedy couldn't blame her.

The onlookers were getting sick of this. They were sick of his torment long ago, but it was getting worse by the second.

Mangle looked close to tears in her anger. She had so much she wanted to scream at the possessed rabbit, but her broken voice kept her mute.

Chi was hiding behind Chica as she sobbed quietly.

Oddly, the Original didn't seem to mind and used one arm to hold the smaller chicken behind her out of sight.

"Did you ever wonder?" Springtrap asked, the question hanging in the air without any context.

No one took the bait.

"Did you ever wonder what I was going to do with you?" he asked leaning closer, putting more weight on the table. It creaked under the weight of two animatronics.

Hedy wasn't going to take the screwdriver from his hand.

He set it down in front of her, his hand reaching between her and Mangle. But he didn't simply drop the tool and retract his hand.

To everyone's horror he reached up and took Hedy's chin, turning her face to look at him as she violently flinched and tried to pull away. But he took his other arm and grabbed her shoulder close to her neck with disconcerting gentleness.

Jeremy tried to get up to attack Springtrap, or at least violently push him away, but a cold pain hit his limbs as he fell back into the chair with a shout.

Marionette stood up behind the group but he suddenly locked up as his gears froze, no one even noticing his sharp movement.

Mangle snarled and tried to jump, but immediately cried out in pain and halted as something sparked.

The building trembled, just slightly, at their attempts.

Jeremy tried pulling his little sister away as the others were startled that Springtrap had even touched her. He shouldn't be able to do that right?

"Oh relax, I'm not hurting her am I?" the killer chuckled. "Tell me Wiggy. Did you ever wonder?"

He stared at her, still holding a decrepit animatronic thumb to her chin and a single finger against her neck to keep her eyes on him. The action was almost tender, like a father about to wipe a child's tears away.

It made Jeremy want to throw up.

The room chilled and the ghosts didn't know whether to get away from Springtrap or closer to Hedy with him holding her like that.

After a long moment that was a mix of panic, horror, and confusion from everyone Hedy whispered "Yes."

Springtrap chuckled. "You were always the smart one." He looked up, still holding her in a terrifying mockery of care. "Anyone curious?'

No one answered.

"There were five of you," Springtrap said cryptically, looking at the Originals, his eyes drifting to a wall. Goldy... "All shut down of course. But I was planning on six kiddos that day. I didn't miscount. I just didn't intend on Wiggy getting away. No. Now, where was I going to hide her body hmm?" He grinned sickeningly. He leaned in so he and Hedy were very close. "Surely you all can figure that out."

Hedy stared at the stolen animatronic face. She could see the edges of where his eyelights set into the sockets.

"You always liked Spring, didn't you Hedwig?"

Jeremy's face paled as all the color washed away and the Toys flinched while the Originals looked very ill.

"Or do you even remember him at all? I know he adored you, with you always coming in to chat even when your pops told you to stay out of Parts and Services. I think even Scott tried to tell you off one day. But in you came, all your little pals tagging along to check out the older models that never saw any children anymore. That were retired. Only Spring was ever online wasn't he? Too mischievous to stay offline, too knowledgeable of his own systems to allow that. Smart mouth on that rabbit you know. Never liked me much. But that's for…other reasons."

Goldy was listening, they were sure, though she didn't show herself.

Freddy had no doubt she cried harder at Springtrap's next words.

"Isn't it interesting to think?" Springtrap said thoughtfully. "If things went a little differently, you'd be the one possessing Spring here, not me. I'm nothing if not poetic. I was so proud, just trying to throw in a little cleverness. A little style, you know? Hedwig and Ginny, best friends, may as well be siblings, paired with Spring and Goldy. I didn't care as much about the others. Went on the name similarities there and offhand mentions of who was whose favorites."

They stared in silent horror.

"I wonder, would you have murdered Jeremy too? What about Scott? Ruby?"

Hedy glared and swallowed, painfully aware of his finger against her throat. "Well." she ground out easily. "That's not what happened, nor is that what's going to happen." she said.

"You seem so sure."

"You've yet to kill Ruby. What's one kid versus six? She's got you outmatched."

She flashed a grin at him. A half smile, forced and pained, but a defiant one nonetheless.

Springtrap growled, his own grin suddenly dropping. "Foolish words to hide behind, Wiggy." He froze as he felt her flinch in pain at the sudden pressure he accidently put into his fingers, leaving the promise of dark bruises in her shoulder and neck. She barely seemed to notice, far too focused on refusing to cower before him, but the reaction was there.

He stilled and stared at her, mental gears beginning to turn. A wall of red fur suddenly appeared between him and Hedy, breaking the physical contact and interrupting his thoughts.

"That be enough out of you." Foxy snarled viciously, getting into Springtrap's face.

Springtrap seemed surprised, for once. "And what are you going to do about it, Captain?" He moved to shove past the pirate but Foxy snarled like Mangle and sidestepped, keeping Hedy behind him. He'd had far more practice with just what he could get away with when bound by a deal. Most of it was in intent so the building didn't punish him for intervening as he didn't intend on fighting Springtrap.

Hedy rolled back slightly to avoid Foxy tripping on her as Mangle pulled her feet up on the table for the same reason.

She and Hedy-and nearly everyone if they were being honest-stared at Foxy like he grew a third head.

Freddy watched, seconds from helping Foxy keep Springtrap corralled.

Springtrap's immediate reaction was to sneer and try to swing at the bot, but Foxy didn't even flinch as the fist stopped far away from his head. He glared at the rabbit with narrowed eyes and eyepatch up.

The killer frowned and lowered his hand. He shifted and Foxy matched his movements, knowing Springtrap couldn't get past him without being violent, something the building wouldn't allow.

Springtrap scoffed "Cute." He glanced at the clock. "Till next time then, kids."

"See you...later," Foxy ground out, slow, and daring Springtrap to stop walking as he stared at the back of the other animatronic's head. "Hope the lass makes a good home movie from tonight. Ya can act as confident as ya want. We all know that she's walking all over ya though."

Springtrap faltered in his steps for a moment and glared at Foxy. He'd hit the killer in the only weak spot they knew of so far, his pride. He stormed from the room.

Things were quiet for at least a few minutes. Goldy appeared, falling to the floor to sob as Chica and Bonnie tried to comfort her. She'd been struggling all week but hearing about Spring again… she missed her best friend.

Toby's ears fell back and he sagged.

Teddy and Freddy both stared at Foxy, who didn't move yet, but continued to stare at the doorway with a livid glare.

"Thank you."

The soft murmur from Jeremy snapped Foxy out of his furious daze.

The man stared at him, a distrustful frown on his face. But nevertheless, he nodded at Foxy, his lips pursed together.

Hedy tried to say the same but the only noise that came out was a cracked squeak as tears pooled in her eyes and she angrily tried to wipe them away, turning her face to hide in her sleeve.

Mangled cooed helplessly and jumped off the table to hold Hedy's shaking hands.

"Why?" Hedy whispered. If not for the tears streaming down her face, she wouldn't have seemed too unbothered, voice and all.

Foxy looked down at Hedy. "Lass, Ah got me two reasons for not liken ye." He coughed and tried speaking normally, his pirate accent more dominant when he was agitated. "Only two. One, you're a mechanic. I don't like mechanics. Your father being the one that tore us apart doesn't help in the slightest. And TWO!" He toned his voice back as Hedy stiffened and instinctually glanced at his hook, completely unaware she did so. "You're too forgiving of these little brats." He glared at the ghosts, leveling a narrow stare at the silent Felix who glared defiantly back but didn't say anything. "But that's it. Plain and simple. I can't even be mad about you giving the Barbies leeway anymore."

Toby glared at the fox for using that stupid nickname Ruby insisted on but wisely kept quiet. He still had a few system issues Hedy had yet to fix from the last time he made Foxy mad. That was a lesson he wasn't going to forget soon.

The fox animatronic pointed out the door, his accent bleeding back as he stressed. "That monster don't need to be anywhere near you, much less laying a hand on you. We can't be calling ourselves any better than him if a grudge with two measly reasons is enough to make us fine with him doing that."

Mangle shrank back as she realized she should have done what Foxy did much earlier. She ducked in shame. Was she really that scared of Springtrap that she just sat there while Hedy took the torment?

Several bots seemed to realize the same thing.

Goldy cried harder. She couldn't even be in the same room...

Jeremy's face told a similar story, though he had tried to keep Springtrap away. He was too aggressive though, and this ridiculous building hadn't liked that. He rubbed his arms, the pain still aching.

"You're right Foxy," Chica said gently, despite how she felt herself. She knew the fox was going to keep ranting given the chance. "Calm down a little, please."

"We should tell Ruby..." Chi whispered, still behind Chica.

"She can't do anything about him. We'd only worry her." Freddy grunted, not any happier about the situation. He thought back to the tongue lashing Ruby gave them the previous night and frowned.

Foxy growled and smacked a paper party hat off a table.

"Yeah but she can beat him up a little more." Bonnie muttered, immediately wincing as Goldy hiccuped. He forgot there was a reason Ruby was being careful. "Besides, do you really want to risk another lecture like the last one?"

Hedy breathed sharply and wiped her eyes again. "Tell her. Just...just don't go into detail please. I don't want to talk about it."

"Too bad."

Everyone looked at Marionette.

"Leave her alone, Puppet." Teddy complained.

"I'm just curious." Puppet said stiffly. "I was under the impression you had no idea Spring existed before last month."

Hedy shrugged. "I guess we were friends. I don't know. I can't remember."

"You can't remember." Puppet sounded unconvinced while Freddy glared at him despite his own curiosity.

"I was very little, Mari." Hedy snapped, glaring at him with reddened eyes. "I don't even remember you back then. It's all vague nightmares and old videos Jeremy made that I rewatch every so often." Jeremy muttered his surprise that she still had those but Hedy continued. "My doctors said I blocked out a lot of memories."

"Back off Puppet." Goldy snapped, surprising a lot of them. "Or do you want your past dragged back into the light Mari Mari?" her tone was so far removed from her usual gentle voice that everyone stared at her in shock. Puppet jerked back as though slapped and abruptly disappeared back into his box.

"You don't remember me?" Mangle asked, waving to catch Hedy's attention.

Hedy grimaced. It wasn't a conversation they had in depth yet. "Very little. Do you remember me?"

Mangle nodded sadly, as did the others, making Hedy glance at all of them.

"I'm sorry."