Author's Notes

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 105

FNAF 4 Night 2 (Here we go again)

The building suspiciously didn't seem to be sulking anymore as it helpfully dropped various items near Hedy when no one was looking. They must have been things that Ruby hid around the place.

The flamethrower was more than a little concerning. Just why did Ruby have that here?

"Let's avoid using the flamethrower," she whispered, somber after hearing Spring's distant cry as the hour struck.

The Originals didn't make a sound this time.

She used a flathead screwdriver to pry paneling off the wall in one of the hallways, revealing an empty space between the wall supports, and hid the flamethrower in there for later. She was careful not to spill the fuel.

Mangle shifted from foot to foot as she kept look-out, ready to run as a decoy, while Puppet watched the tablet.

"Toby's done with the closet," he said, still looking at the cameras. He stilled. "Chi's having trouble with a springboard."

Hedy looked up. "Where?"

"The hallway near the kitchen," he answered. "...Cheryl's close."

"Hello, hello. You came back," Hedy's voice came through the phone. "Made it to day two."

Mike looked up at her tone.

She sounded more upset than the previous recording.

She huffed. "Despite Ruby's complaints in the previous recording. I've got to clarify that I'm not pleased about this either. I just...prefer to plan for the worst, hope for the best. I like just in case things. Bonnie, let's get this done before she gets here and starts threatening the new guy."

"You get to explain to Ruby why we left her out," Bonnie huffed. "And why do I need to do this anyway? Can't you do it on your own?"

Mike stared at the phone, still shocked at the easy conversation. She wasn't afraid of Bonnie in the least.

Puppet was clenching the tablet tightly. It wasn't lost on him how this was essentially a reversal of what had happened for many years. He kept going through the cameras, looking for Springtrap.

There. Puppet barely caught a glimpse of him leaving the door to Fazbear's Fright before disappearing.

Springtrap was avoiding the cameras, much too well for Puppet's liking.

The children clearly weren't caring too much. They were all in the main room on the Originals' stage discussing something except Cheryl who was watching Chi from a doorway.

"Behind you," Mangle hissed while eying the tablet, knowing Chi couldn't hear her.

Hedy looked up in worry at the trap she was setting. "She doesn't see?"

Puppet didn't answer and kept watching even though he needed to be tracking Springtrap

Chi would be okay. She was faster than Chica.

"What do you think you're doing?" Chica's voice asked, tinny through the low quality speakers on the tablet.

Chi jumped and slowly stood up, backing away from the larger chicken with wide eyes.

"I...I was just..." Chi squeaked as Cheryl took a step toward her.

"You need to stay out of this!" Chica said. "Are you helping him?!"

Puppet looked at Mangle. "Go."

Mangle glanced at Hedy then him before running off.

"Him?" Chi stopped in confusion and suddenly Cheryl was close enough to grab her.

"The night guard!"

"What? R-ruby's still in the hospital and Hedy sent that guy home," Chi put her hands up, "I'm...I'm helping Hedy. You know Springtrap's going to go after her right? Y-you don't want her to get hurt do you?!" Chi screamed as Cheryl made a grab for her but ducked.

"L-look I'm sorry about the paint yesterday I was just-eep!"

"Hey!" Mangle shouted from behind Cheryl.

Mike was watching, not knowing what to do while listening to the recording. He flipped between the cameras.

The two chickens were near the kitchen and the pink fox was at the end of that hallway. He couldn't see where the smaller rabbit and bear were or the weird kid-looking bot. Thankfully, the ones he was used to were still in the main room, but he shuddered when Freddy gestured toward the camera.

The girl and the tall black and white bot were on the other side of the building past the kitchen and down a hallway closer to the main room. He thought he saw that yellow rabbit heading toward his hallway on his left side but he was far enough away that he probably was okay.

Probably.

"Because..." Hedy said, sounding so sorry, "What I say might get you or the others hurt. I don't want you surprised."

There was a moment of awkward silence on the phone before Bonnie cleared his throat.

"As long as we don't hurt anyone again...You do what you need to do," he murmured firmly.

Chi was wondering whether this was how all the night guards had felt. Anxious, fearful, helpless. It was an awful mix of feelings.

Did Ruby ever feel that or was she too different? Did her concern for the bots overwhelm her other emotions?

Cheryl glared at Mangle, the expression not unfamiliar but now so utterly wrong. Chica was never so angry and never pure rage like that. But what also made it so wrong was the moments Cheryl acted like a normal child the last few months. She was shy and actually had some of her old sweetness when talking to Hedy or the other ghosts and not thinking about all the things that hurt her. It was giving Mangle some terrible flashbacks.

"What is this, Ch-Cheryl?" Mangle asked, glancing at Chi. She wanted to wince at her voice skipping a beat. "You... were doing good. Hedy trusted you. We...we trusted you."

Chi slowly stepped away while Mangle distracted the ghost.

Cheryl scoffed. "We can finally get back to doing what we like. Now that the night guard is gone."

The way she spoke, as though it was a given that Ruby wasn't coming back...that hurt. Chi still had her personal issues with the night guard but...she'd grown angry in Mangle's defense, she'd gone after Michael in revenge for Hedy...as much as Chi hated to admit it, Ruby cared about the bots and about Hedy.

"You shut up! She's coming back!" Chi snapped and Mangle looked panicked as Cheryl turned and pounced at the smaller chicken with a shout of frantic rage.

"SHE ISN'T!"

Chi cried out as she ducked to avoid being grabbed by the neck but Cheryl instead shoved her hard enough that her head smacked against the wall.

Mangle squeaked at the cracking noise. She ran at Cheryl and shoved the much larger animatronic away, making her stumble. She grabbed Chi by the arm and ran.

Cheryl turned to follow but stepped on a floor tile that moved a bit more than it should and a bucket of lime green paint doused her from head to toe. She flailed blindly and slipped.

Chi was still conscious but Mangle had to lead her. They didn't stop until they were far enough away.

"You okay?" Mangle asked.

"I...I can't see straight," Chi murmured.

Mangle winced. There was a crack on the side of Chi's head that snaked to her left eye. The protective lens that went on top of the camera and light was loose.

"Hold on maybe I can..." Mangle carefully took off the lens, not scratching it with her claws, and squeaked as the eyeball shaped camera popped out.

Chi yelped and stumbled.

"Let's...let's get Hedy to look," Mangle suggested.

"No I'm okay," Chi said, sounding very small and still dizzy. "It will take her too long. She needs to stay away from Springtrap." She looked at Mangle, then the camera above them pleadingly. "Can we...not tell Chica about this?"

Puppet's fingers creaked slightly as he tightened his grip further on the tablet.

He didn't say anything to Hedy though. She needed to concentrate on surviving. Repairs would have to wait until after unfortunately.

Mike was staring at the scene in shock. He'd never seen the bots attack each other before. He blinked and looked up in time to catch a flash of dull yellow. With a soft yelp he hit the door button and blocked off that weird looking yellow rabbit.

The slam echoed through the building.

"Well well, you came back little night guard?" the rabbit chuckled. "Interesting."

Hedy and Puppet looked up in the party room they were hiding in.

Mike yelped again. The bots never spoke to him before, not during the night at least, but this sounded so freakishly different than the little he heard of the yellow rabbit earlier. Then, he sounded twitchy and sad and very frightened.

It was his same voice, mostly, though it seemed a weird blend of his and someone else's, like someone speaking through a voice changer.

He didn't notice the recording pausing on its own for him.

"Who the fuck are you?!" he asked through the door, mentally cursing himself. Why was he asking?! He didn't want the rabbit at the door any longer than necessary. Even as he had that thought the power noticeably dropped a bit and he bit back a pained groan.

The rabbit chuckled and Mike could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm Springtrap. Hope you make the game fun little nightguard. I'd hate to be bored."

Mike could hear his footsteps receding again.

He waited until it was completely quiet before releasing the door.

He shuddered and looked back at his tablet.

Somehow, that rabbit seemed like the most dangerous thing in the building.

The sound of the door retracting again echoed down the halls.

Puppet stared as Springtrap walked further from the office. With that, everyone was accounted for at the moment. So who was in the office?

"Shit," he swore as something occurred to him.

"What?" Hedy asked as she set up another trap.

He didn't answer. "Stay here."

Hedy frowned. "What was the rule about not leaving me alone?"

Puppet gestured at the door just as Teddy appeared. "You're lookout. I'll be right back."

"Where the hell are you going?" Hedy asked as he left, checking that the way was clear. He avoided the traps they had already set as he crept his way to the office.

He froze at the sound of footsteps.

He should have brought the second tablet with him at the beginning of the night. He was heading to the office anyway. If he was wrong, then the trip wouldn't be a waste of time anyway.

The steps were getting closer. He wasn't keen on accidentally leading Springtrap to Hedy.

Thinking quickly he stretched to his full height, using the wall molding as a foothold, and popped open one of the panels for the ceiling, crawling inside.

Ruby had to know about the vent that was in the ceiling in the back of the office behind where the guard would sit, but he doubted anyone else did.

Except for Mangle. It's where she hid his suit once, after all.

"The bots are more susceptible to electricity than humans," Hedy said, hesitantly. "Ruby has a modified taser but 'modified' doesn't mean it's stronger. The bots run on about 500 volts."

Mike blinked. He was expecting more but it made sense he supposed. Most motors work based on an increase of voltage and it was probably their computers that took the most power. A human can die at 30 continuous volts so maybe he still wasn't keen on getting into an actual fight, which is what she seemed to be suggesting.

"Which is way less than you'd think, but they're very efficient. It takes very little to trip their breakers and basically knock them out. But a punch of electricity for a very short moment won't damage permanently. A short moment." Hedy's voice dropped in a warning. "The joints are the weakest points. You can usually see exposed endo. Getting them there with a taser will shut them off for a few minutes and a solid hit on an elbow can break an arm off. It will hurt. So please...don't do anything too drastic. It isn't them that's trying to hurt you, I swear. If you stay until they wake up in the morning, they'll explain whatever the hell is going on. Maybe even tell you where Ruby and I are..."

Mike stared at the phone as she explained all this.

"Ruby usually uses a taser pen. She made it herself. It'll give a human a bit of a shock and hurt a bit. But it's enough to lock us up completely," Bonnie admitted uncomfortably.

"There's a taser set for animatronics I'm hiding taped under the desk and another I'm putting in the vent in the ceiling behind you," Hedy said. "Ruby will probably find the desk one and yell at me later, but she stores her purple glitter in that vent."

There was a pause as Bonnie interrupted. "You hid it in one of her hiding spots?!"

Hedy chuckled. "The one under the desk is a decoy. She hates purple and doesn't use that glitter except for emergencies, and rarely checks that hiding place. The taser is taped further back and behind a corner in the vent. You've got to reach in and feel around. Watch for blind spots in your camera. There's some right outside your doors. If you insist on staying in the office, like a dummy, periodically flash the lights and be ready to hit that door button. I'm serious. You have to hit that thing fast. Remember this, the doors drain the power fast so don't keep them closed. None of them are patient enough to wait outside for the whole two to three hours it will take to completely drain, but you don't want to make it easier for them. That should be enough for now," Hedy said. "There's more but I don't want to talk too long. Salt circles trap Goldy. Foxy, in particular, can't handle brightly flashing lights. Use those if you can and I'll explain tomorrow. Don't die. Listen to the next tape as soon as you can."

"Foxy is going to be so annoyed you told them about the light thing. It gives him a migraine," Bonnie muttered.

Mike swallowed hard as the tape stopped.

He didn't get to think long on the tape as a shout cut through the air.

"FUCK!"

Mike screamed and jumped onto the table at the sound of a loud buzzing zap and the following shout.

He whipped around to look above him as something clattered in the vent Hedy had mentioned. He grabbed the closest thing (which happened to be the desk fan) and held it out defensively in front of him.

Something came out of the vent in a puff, falling on him like fine dust.

Purple glitter.

Mike was so confused and terrified.

Why was there a vent up there?

Why did anyone hide glitter up there?

Most importantly though, who the hell was up there?!

The vent swung open and something resembling a shimmering glitter-covered black spider tumbled out, landing on the chair and knocking it out from underneath it.

Mike screamed again and held the fan and tablet in front of him like a shield and weapon.

The bot sparked, not seeming able to move, as it didn't budge from its tangle with the chair, face on the floor.

Mike waited about a minute before nudging what he recognized as the black and white puppet bot with his foot.

Shoot! He forgot the music box.

"Touch me again and I just might actually kill you," the bot muttered as it slowly got control of its limbs and worked on sitting up.

Mike paled. "Y-you're one of the good ones, right? Not trying to kill me?"

Puppet didn't answer as he worked on prying his fingers open, revealing he was clasping a small pipe with two prongs welded in at the top, wrapped in wire and duct tape. The handmade taser sparked in small noticeable increments until he was able to release the button.

Mike shifted, nervous in the silence. "Nice of you to drop in." He laughed weakly.

What the frick, Mike?! He thought in a panic.

The bot gave him such an unimpressed look, Mike's laugh died in his throat. Then he turned to study the glitter covering his frame.

"Damn nightguard," he muttered but strangely enough, Mike felt like that wasn't directed at him. "I hate purple."

He held the taser out to Mike.

Mike just stared, hugging the tablet.

"Take it before I shock myself again," the bot ordered. "And put the damn fan down."

He somehow still looked threatening, even glimmering purple.

Mike squeaked and shakily took the taser. The bot rolled his pinprick white eyes. "Oh for goodness sakes..." he muttered. "At least the nightguard has guts."

He looked back at Mike. "Hedy is going to be furious. How'd you even get back in?"

"Uh.." Mike stammered. He swallowed. "The back door opened...o-on it's own." Even he didn't believe himself.

The bot stared at him for a long moment before he ran a hand down his face. "Of course it did. Great. Just what we need."

Mike didn't know how to respond or even got a chance to as he heard something. He yelped and lunged past the bot to hit the door button right as Bonnie was about to jump at them.

Benji growled and kicked the door. Did he just see Puppet in there?

Puppet barely even reacted but it did remind him that he needed to get back to Hedy.

He turned to go out the other door, checking to see if Chica was anywhere nearby.

"Wait! What are you-?"

"Either come with me or stay here," Puppet snapped, leaving.

Mike hesitated. "Oh fuck it, you're already this involved, you idiot," he said to himself.

Puppet looked at him oddly as the man caught up after he opened the door he slammed on Bonnie and darted out to follow Puppet.

"Why the hell are you still holding that fan?" Puppet asked.

Mike blinked. "I wouldn't want to disappoint my biggest fan."

Puppet glared. "You have a lot of humor for a man who put himself in this situation. Do you realize your life is in danger?"

Mike set the heavy metal fan down against a wall in the hallway. "It's a coping mechanism."

"Well keep your coping mechanism away from my ears."

"You have ears?"

"Okay, you know what-!" Puppet cut off and suddenly pushed Mike into an empty room.

Mike instinctively pressed himself against a wall while Puppet disappeared in the darkness, except for a vague shape that sparkled and the faint stripes. He heard the sounds of heavy footsteps get closer before passing by their door.

"I don't get it," Chica said, sounding like she had been thinking a while before speaking. "I don't wanna hurt Wiggy…" Cheryl irritably wiped more lime green off, ignoring the slight pain in her arm from being knocked into a wall.

Mike caught a glimpse of Freddy too.

"We can't let Springtrap get Hedy either," Freddy explained. "He'll hurt her a lot." There was a hint of fear in his voice. "More than he hurt us. We have to hurt him first or make it so he can't kill her."

"I know that! But how do we do it without hurting her?"

Freddy seemed to think for a moment. "The bots tried to make it hurt less for the night guards if they got them before our turn. We could do it like that? Faster. Like if we break her neck real fast before she feels it."

Puppet stiffened. He needed to get to Hedy.

"And the new guy?"

Freddy growled. "If the grown-ups find Hedy and him they really have to close down right? Especially with the night guard gone."

"Hedy's going to be mad at us..." Cheryl whimpered.

"It's okay Cherry," Fredrick said. "She'll forgive us. We just have to make sure she's safe when she wakes up. You know the best hiding places."

That seemed to convince Cheryl. She giggled, though it did sound slightly strained. "Yeah Purple Guy is real stupid. He can't fit in the hiding spot." She sighed a little. "Okay. Benji's gonna be sad though."

Mike had no idea what was going on. Why did he come back in? Why?

He was forced to push that question away as the Puppet yanked his arm and they escaped out another door.

"W-What's going on?" Mike stuttered. He was so confused. What were those robots talking about? Why was this one helping him?

"Shut up and keep quiet," Puppet said, leading him through the rooms. "You better hope the building actually likes you, or else..."

Mike's further confusion didn't get an answer as Puppet was so distracted with keeping the man quiet that he didn't notice Springtrap's steps as he left a nearby room.

Michael looked surprised too but quickly grabbed the Puppet by his thin throat as Mike yelped and scrambled back against a wall.

"Michael," Puppet growled and for a moment Mike thought he was being addressed. But then the rabbit answered, sounding very much not like a robot with that same strange effect from the voice box.

"Puppet, and just what are you doing?"

"What I please," Puppet replied, still able to speak with the hand around his throat.

Michael glanced at Mike before looking back.

"Playing with the new night guard too are you?" He chuckled. "Thought you would have strangled him by now. Though I suppose he is a little heavy to drag to the back room on your own. But where's Wiggy I wonder?"

Mike stayed still. He didn't dare draw the rabbit's attention back on him.

"Out."

Michael laughed. "You couldn't keep her out. She cares too much about you. You and the Toys, maybe even the Originals. That's something she and that brat have in common. They don't know when to jump ship like rats and leave the rest of you, even when it's too late. Where is she, Mari Mari? I'll make it quick, just for you. For old times sake." Michael smiled at Puppet, lying through his teeth.

Puppet's immovable smile seemed to widen just slightly and he squinted in amusement.

"That must be annoying," he mocked with sympathy. "Not knowing. Can you not sense where she is anymore?" His biting calmness disturbed Mike. He sounded far too calm to be hanging by his neck. "I wonder if possessing Spring dampens your abilities or if the building is helping her. Something to agonize over isn't it?"

Mike just pressed further into the wall. What was going on?!

Sprintrap scowled at Puppet.

"I thought you'd be all for getting back to killing nightguards now that dear little Ruby is gone."

"You would wouldn't you?" Puppet chuckled. He didn't explain his change of heart any further, knowing that would annoy Michael more. Instead his voice dropped to an almost thoughtful tone. "However, I think Ruby might put me in a wood chipper should anything happen to Hedy. Why, Hedy might come back just to help. Not to mention how disappointed she will be in me if I kill this man. No no can't do that."

Mike might have sagged a little at the news that Puppet wasn't planning to kill him. But the rabbit guy was still kind of a problem...

Michael laughed. "You still think that girl is coming back?"

"I'm not the one stupid enough to underestimate her," Puppet said. "Granted, my experiences with comas have been limited and not well-ended thanks to you, but from what I understand, everyone's different."

Whatever Puppet was talking about, it seemed to hit a nerve since Michael glared at was silence for a moment.

"Well, it doesn't really matter. I'll deal with you and then go visit little Wiggy."

Puppet made a nearly animalistic rattling growl and reached up to finally try prying the rabbit's hand from his neck.

There was a creaking noise like the sound of wood compressing and Puppet's head began to tilt.

Mike wasn't sure if the black bot actually looked frightened but then again he wasn't paying much attention as he reacted, mostly on impulse, to the lanky bot's growl that jerked into a pained choke at another slight cracking noise.

Michael's shout was cut off as a very familiar pain shot through his system. All of Spring's gears locked up.

Mike yanked the taser out of the rabbit's knee and scrambled back, questioning his life choices. Again.

He panicked as that didn't seem to have done anything for a moment before Puppet swung his legs up to kick Michael in the chest and the rabbit fell backward unable to stop himself, twitching as he took them both down.

Mike crawled over to help the smaller robot get free.

"Don't expect me to thank you," Puppet said, as Mike pried at the fingers.

Mike looked at him weirdly, still clearly freaked out but his confusion and vague understanding that the gold rabbit was more dangerous outweighed everything else. "You don't have many friends do you?"

Puppet just looked at him. "You don't have much of a brain to mouth filter, do you?"

Then he grabbed Mike and started dragging him away again.

"Is your neck okay?" Mike asked.

Puppet looked at him, disturbed by his concern. "Why do you care?"

Mike winced. "It just didn't sound good."

"I'm fine."

He halted in front of a door and froze.

Mike was worried at his silence before the bot took what sounded almost like a breath and opened the door.

The woman from earlier, the previous night, and the recording saw it was them and immediately looked like she was about to kill them both as she pointed a gun at them.

Mike yelped and jumped to put a table between them, ducking before he realized it was a paintball gun.

He stayed down anyway.

She stared, an irritated squint in her eyes. "What the fucking hell, Mari?!" She looked at Mike. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Mike's throat dried up and he stammered quietly behind the table as he tried to come up with a way to reason with her.

Hedy shifted her glare to Puppet again and seemed to deeply consider just how angry she was before lifting her weapon and nailing Puppet in the face with a paintball.