Hello there, Mr. Afton! Can you hear me? Of course, you can; you were always a man driven by your morbid curiosity…There was no way in hell you would pass up on looking at a mysterious message that showed up in Detective Takaliken's inbox. And before you ask any questions, yes-he is still alive. In fact, I'd argue that he feels more alive than ever before! Of course, this wasn't without certain stimulations that I had to administer to him. I hope you understand the necessity, my old friend. To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not convinced that you care about him all that much…But your daughter does. She's watching this recording, too, right? If not, you better call her over because she would not want to miss it. Now, have a look!

See this spring lock suit? If you ignore the haunting features, it might remind you of Frank…Ah, blast, we're all used to calling that abomination Lockjaw anyway. There were times when it was the only hope for many people, including my sentimental 'partner.' I've created something much better, something that you can see yourself in my new, glorious body, and it will only become…Ah, sorry, I'm going on a tangent here. Anyway, your friend is in this suit…Detective Takaliken, would you mind showing your voice? If you don't, I think I'll give another stimulation, this time into your arm.

"Don't…Take his bait…"

Wonderful! Thank you for your cooperation! He's currently safe but not exactly unharmed…See this puddle of blood underneath his leg? I decided to give both him and you a taste of what my torture suits can do. I wouldn't want you to think I'm bluffing now, would I? I can kill him in an instant, or I can slowly torture him to death, tearing him limb from limb! You wouldn't like that, I know. My methods are very precise, days of excruciating pain without death…I promise I will not hurt him over today, but if you want that to continue, you will follow my instructions. First of all, you will not inform the police of this…Not that I will take your side anyway. And second…You and your daughter will both come to Frankburt's at midnight next night. The door to the safe room will be open, and I will open a passage to you. From there on, you will follow my instructions very closely…Oh, and come without a single weapon on you. If you try to smuggle something in, I will not be happy! If you comply, then I promise…All of your deaths will be quick, and you will become honored members of our big, happy family…And all will be well…All will be well.

…

When Jim watched the video Alison sent from an anonymous address to Charles's computer, he felt sick to his stomach. He didn't even have the strength in him to pray, only watch the torture in silence. Now, the words Chun spoke back in New Harmony's church made perfect sense. This creature, a merge of human and animatronic, it was far worse than anything he imagined. He was a greedy, merciless businessman, a criminal mastermind who manipulated entire towns for his gain. But this…This was far beyond any of that. It was an incarnation of evil as if the devil himself emerged out of the fiery pits to walk this earth. And as mortifying it was for him, it must have been even more harrowing for Elizabeth, who sat in silence and watched her friend scream in pain and despair.

They needed to save him at all costs. Everyone agreed on that. Once the message ended, Chun was the first one to begin thinking of a plan. It must have been a moment of truth for him after so many years of shame and hiding.

"There are two elevators through which we can get to the facility…" Chun relayed as all of them sat by the table downstairs. "One of them is in the restaurant itself, the one Mr. Afton is familiar with."

"Alison will expect us there," William responded.

"There is another one in the nearby Fazbear Inc. building. It is abandoned and unguarded now, though according to my friend, the elevator and the codes he gave still work."

"You think Alison would simply leave it like that?" Will said with doubt.

"Alison has always been overconfident, now that he thinks he won, especially so. That said, he will probably notice anyone entering through that route unless he's to be distracted by something." Chun said with a stern voice, finally getting to the point.

"He will expect me and Elizabeth at the other entrance…" Will concluded.

"Yes. This message is a dead giveaway of his miscalculation. He only invited you and your daughter. He has no idea about me, Chris, or Jim."

"And what are you proposing? That Elizabeth and I become bait for that sadistic freak while you get inside from the other end and install your override?" He said with suspicion.

"Yes, that is what I'm proposing. I have schematics of the underground, incomplete but still useful. I have a feeling Alison would keep the machine near his office. It would be easier to get by if Alison and whatever servants he has in there will be distracted."

"And what if Alison just kills us the moment we come in and doesn't give you the time to do this?"

"It's not impossible, but unlikely. He likes to gloat and won't waste this opportunity. Try to entertain him for a bit."

"That's out of the question," William said sternly. "If it were just me, I would do it… I'm not a living man, anyway. But I'm not going to allow you to force my daughter to frisk her life for this; don't even think about it!"

"He isn't 'forcing' anyone, Dad." Elizabeth interrupted them and spoke for the first time since entering the state of trance-like silence the grotesque video put her into. "I want to risk it. If we don't, he…You know what he'll do to Charlie. You know he isn't lying! This plan sounds like it can work, and we don't have time to think of anything else." Her voice grew more confident.

"Elizabeth, if you go, he'll torture both you and Charlie. You're still alive, still young! There's no need to just throw yourself for…"

"But I want to. I want to free him! Come on, Dad, I'm not a child anymore. I can make decisions myself. If you're really ready to do this and just don't want to because of me, then…Then don't!" Elizabeth pleaded.

"And what if he will kill you? His vendetta against me is personal; he'll want to see me suffer, and he knows how to make me. I…" William's voice became quieter. "I don't want to lose you like I lost my sons once." These words stung Jim's heart, even though he wasn't a part of the conversation. He was there when Chris died and played a part in this disgusting act. Elizabeth took a deep breath and placed her hand on William's metal knee.

"That's why we can be together and protect each other, whatever he tries to do…Please, Dad. Help me with this."

"Fine…" Will give in. "But you will stay close to me at all times, understand?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want to end up alone there…"

"It might be easier if we have more help." Chun turned towards Chris, who remained silent up to this point. "You can easily crawl through the vents; perhaps you could come with me through the unguarded elevator and then free Elizabeth and William? You'll have an advantage since he doesn't know about you."

"Are you saying…I should kill him?" Chris said with fear in his voice.

"No, that's unlikely, but you can catch him off-guard and free your family."

"And then?"

"Well… We'll have to improvise. It would depend a lot on what kind of state the facility is in now, even I don't know that."

"I…Yes, I'll help." Chris said. "Maybe I can even find… I'll help, it's alright."

"Me too." Jim volunteered. "I can't crawl vents or anything, but I'm sure you'll feel a little safer with another man by your side."

"Thank you both." Chun smiled. "So it's decided, then, we all go there at the same time. William and Elizabeth went through the main entrance, and Chris, Jim, and I went through the abandoned one. From there on, our goal is to stop the machine and insert override into its systems."

"And what then?" William wondered.

"We eliminate Alison."

"Easier said than done, considering what he became."

"I have my ways." Chun chuckled.

"Another virus?"

"No, this time it's much simpler." The scientist explained. "I have a collection of grenades in my car, you know, just in case we need them."

"Why does this sound like we're going to war…" Elizabeth said.

"We are, in a way. A war against evil…If whatever resides down there isn't the purest image of evil, I'm not sure what is. But enough of that. I'll prepare the schematics and show them to you. Meanwhile, take a break. We have a lot to do." This was true, and every single one of them needed some time before they braved the depths of hell. It felt strange, surreal even…Just a few hours before they would descend. As selfish as it was, Jim felt like this was an opportunity to redeem his sins at long last. Perhaps after helping destroy the evil that started this tragedy, he would make up for his participation in it. As William slowly walked towards a nearby room, Jim felt his heart skip a beat. This was his opportunity to say the words he deserved to hear, yet he feared, even after what they'd been through with Chris.

"Mr. Afton…" He said, making the animatronic turnaround.

"What?"

"About Chris…I know it's not my place to talk about it after what I've done, but I'm sorry. I am truly sorry." His voice shook as Will remained silent for a moment as if considering what to say in response.

"If Chris already forgave you, there is nothing for you to ask of me." He said sternly. "You stayed to help even when you didn't have to…That shows enough for me to think you're a trustworthy man."

"Thank you…I promise I won't disappoint."

…

Chris still couldn't believe that he was finally home…After all those years. The last time he came here was during the depressing Christmas as he still walked in Mike's body, but he never braced himself to open the door and return to his father and sister. Now, they were all here together, all twisted in their own way in this old, ailing house, counting hours before they descended into that hellish laboratory. Chris should've felt terrified, distraught, broken…But that wasn't how he felt. He felt relaxed, even somewhat happy. He knew that the outcome was inevitable, and all he had to do was face it together with family and new friends. Yet someone still was able to tear a hole in his phantom heart. His sister.

Even since Elizabeth retired to her old room, Chris's heart quieted sobbing. She sat by the window and looked at the stars, letting out her cries every couple of seconds. She was in pain and didn't wish to share it with anyone, yet Chris wanted to help her. He wasn't sure whether to enter her room, but eventually, he braved himself and came in slowly. Even though he learned to be quiet and stealthy, being near his sister muddled his focus, and eventually, he gave his presence away by stepping on one of the old toys, which caused Lizzy to turn around as she quickly wiped her tears. She attempted to smile, but it did not come off as natural, not when she was hiding the pain.

"Hi, Chris…" She said awkwardly, as if not knowing how to start a proper conversation after so many years of separation.

"Are you…Are you alright? You were crying." Chris said with concern.

"Oh, I just…" Elizabeth flinched again. "Sorry, I was thinking about Charlie and what Alison's doing to him. It's so horrible, and I can't think of anything without hearing…His screams." She shivered once again. "I just don't understand why someone would do something so…Horrible. To enjoy it, even. I want to rush in and save Charlie, even though I'm scared of what will happen down there. It's just…A mess."

"I'm sorry," Chris said quietly. "I'd hug you, but I'm not sure if you'd want to touch me like this…"

"Are you kidding? "Her voice grew excited and more energetic. "You're my brother! I don't care how you look at all!" She said before she rushed towards Chris and gave him a hug. He couldn't feel her warmth, but he could imagine feeling it. And it felt majestic. "I never thought I'd be able to hug you again…Maybe god can show some mercy after all! I just wish I could be quicker on that day. If I called father earlier, you might not have…"

"It's not your fault, it's…" Chris stuttered as memories of his brother became brighter than ever before in his mind. He was locked away deep underground, tormented by Alison for years, all because Chris couldn't give him one more chance. It was his fault, and he had to fight to undo it. "Do you think Mike will be happy to see us…Me, I mean. After all, I did, I'm… I'm not too sure."

"It doesn't matter anymore. He deserves to have us free him."

"I'm sorry I killed him, I… I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Elizabeth took a deep breath, though it was clearly difficult for her. "It's between you and him, I…I just want to see you both safe and free."

"I want to see him free, too, and Lily…When we're down there, I'll find them!"

"We will, together."

Finally, after all these years, Chris could look into his sister's face and see the acceptance and care that he missed and desperately wished to re-experience.

While they were by each other's side, all hope was not lost.

…

William wished he could focus on anything that would distract him from the anticipation of the coming night, but it was impossible. Not when he was putting the life of his daughter and the soul of his son at risk. But in the end, as much as he hated to admit it, Chun was right. It was worth risking everything to be free of this nightmare once and for all. The scientist himself took Will's room and began to draw out the schematics in detail. Something told the animatronic that it would be for the best to leave him alone, but there were some questions on William's mind that he wanted to ask.

"How is the preparation going?" He said with concern as Chun looked around, paying attention to Will's heavy metal steps and robotic voice.

"Quite good, though I still have work to do before I'm ready for the 'presentation. Is there something you wanted?" Chun asked with curiosity.

"You knew Alison before he became the head of his mafia and got obsessed with immortality. Was he ever…A good man? "William wondered. It was easy to decry Alison as a monster, yet he and Gron wouldn't be any different in the eyes of most other people. All monsters who only care for themselves are not afraid to murder innocents.

"Hm…You know that everyone's definitions of 'a good man' will be different, right?" Chun said with slight amusement.

"I doubt anyone would call Alison. I knew a good man if they knew what he was doing."

"Perhaps…Truth is, I don't know. He was always fascinated by our research to an obsessive degree, but then again, so was I, so was Alei… I'd call him a good friend before Alei died, genuinely. I don't know whether the trouble in his family affected him this way or he simply hid his true colors from me for years…" Chun's voice trembled as it grew quieter. "Not sure if I ever want to know…"

"I understand; sorry for prying."

"It's fine. I never condemn curiosity. And besides, you should stand proud, Mr. Afton; you avoided becoming a monster despite all the pain you've endured…Even now, if I close my eyes, I can imagine myself talking to a living man."

"You're wrong. I am a monster." William denied. "Someone who killed children, especially in a manner I did, can't be called anything but a monster."

"Perhaps…You may see it this way, but I'm not sure if I agree." Debating morality was pointless, and it was a shame that Will hadn't realized this earlier. Chun must have understood this, too; both spent a moment avoiding each other's gaze. There were far more important matters to talk about. "There is…Something I wanted to mention but wasn't sure if I should in front of your daughter."

"And that is?"

"I hope you realize that after we are done with Alison and the facility…There will still be no possibility to truly live for you, your son, or anyone we find down there…The authorities will want to know more about our research; you would be their next target, and even though they may be more reasonable than Alison…There are still plenty of people who are just as greedy as him."

"I thought about that, too, though I'm not sure what to make of it," William admitted. "I don't want to leave Elizabeth again, but if not for her…I wish this could be over."

"We can make sure she is safe. But we will need to make sure that it's not just Alison and his machine that goes down. It has to be everything. Every single animatronic was destroyed, and every single soul was freed."

"Burn it all down…" William repeated the words that were stuck in his mind ever since before he got springlocked. "I think me and Liz both know it, at some level…It could never be a long reunion. Not with a corpse…I believe she can move on and live a happy life still. Hopefully, with Charlie. I suppose the only thing I have to ask is whether you have the means to destroy that facility."

"I am not simply planning to stop the machine, that will do the job and attract Alison's attention, true…But it also would lure him directly to me. Then, I will use one of my grenades to destroy the machine, and it will cause a fire, hopefully, the one that will take Alison. That will be the clue for everyone who is still alive to leave and for all on the brink of life and death to accept their end." Chun explained. "Will you help me with this?

"I will…" William admitted. "It has been a long time since I've seen Clara…Even though she belongs to heaven, I wish I would be able to see her one last time."

…

Silence, dread, and shame…

Charlie thought that even if his discovery would not bring any consolation to him, at least the fact that he finally knew the whole truth would be satisfying. But now, he couldn't resist anymore. Couldn't pretend to be strong and resilient when staring into the face of his enemy. He wasn't ready for what Alison became and now paid deeply for his arrogance. The physical pain might have subsided when Charlie stopped feeling his leg altogether, but his wounded pride and crushed ambitions still stung.

Here he was, weak, broken, powerless, constrained to this torture suit that stung his body, not allowing him to let go of its disgusting, hellish grip. And to make it worse, his presence here endangered his friends. If they take Alison's bait, none of them will be getting out of here alive. He needed help, needed someone to aid him, yet he didn't want Elizabeth to endanger herself. He thought of the only ally he had in this underground pit, the one that Alison said was still here, after all those years, closer than ever.

"Father…Help…" He spoke quietly through the suffocating heat of his robotic prison. It sounded like a pained moan, a desperate plea for someone to come and save him, to end this nightmare by any means necessary, but it proved futile. No one answered.

No one but his jailer.

"See?" Alison said, once again emerging from the shadows. He continued his watch, though he preferred not to show himself and keep to the shadows, perhaps to mock and horrify Charlie even further. "I said I could make you beg. It's a shame you're not begging for me, but the alternative isn't much better…Surely you know who your father is? A murderer…A child murderer! A madman who caused pain to all those families just because he foolishly believed that he could stop me. A complete opposite of you. And yet you still call out to him…Curious, isn't it?"

"Go…To hell." Charlie let out another moan, causing Alison to burst out laughing. Not natural, of course, but a gross, robotic echo that he released to imitate laughter and make Charlie feel even more disgusted.

"Oh, no, no, no, I will never go to hell! If I will… I'm sure the devil will prepare a special place for me."

"Serves you right…"

"Can you blame a man for wanting to live? For doing everything in his power to survive and pass on his legacy?" Alison said with annoyance. "Perhaps…Perhaps you're simply jealous, Detective. You are still overshadowed by your father; no matter how much of a monster he is, you still want his succor…I am the complete opposite! My father was ever a strict man, a criminal overlord, a killer, an all-around crook! He thought I would never reach his heights…And he was right, in a way. We were simply different. I was destined to excel in another field…And I did." He said with pride. "I wish father would be here to see me, to see me outgrowing him! He will be forgotten and become dust on the old bookshelves. No one will even care to remember! And I…I will live on forever. In this magnificent vessel…Did you call it 'Stalker'? It's a very crude name, unfitting for a machine that gives life. I gave it a simple name, reflecting its main purpose…Salvage."

He truly was in the deepest pit of hell.

"Come on, Detective…The party is about to start."

…

They didn't hesitate when the night finally fell. Chun wished he could be prepared for it, wished he could be in any way ready to stare into the eyes of his past demons with bravery. He wished he could stand before Alison unflinchingly and speak of the pain his betrayal had caused him. Of those draining days and sleepless nights that he spent trying to drink away his pain and shame. A broken man who lost everything, a pathetic sight to some and to others, quite terrifying, for a broken man had nothing left to lose. Chun wouldn't hesitate to give anything, even for the smallest chance of this horrifying cycle of violence, pain, and torture ending tonight. He could not be prepared for what was to come, but he could swear that he would sacrifice what little he still had. Be it the lives of his companions or himself. It was worth the destruction of the earthly manifestation of sin.

Chun, Jim, and Chris snuck into the abandoned, ailing building that Alison must have thought was beneath him. Only the elevator remained, and it would take them directly to the throne of Hurricane's darkest secrets. The code from the databank worked.

"Christ save us all…" Jim said quietly as the gates before them opened.

"Mike and Lily are in there somewhere…We have to find them!" Chris's decisive voice echoed from behind. They were ready.

"Come on, friends… Let's not keep the devil waiting."

…

Elizabeth wanted to look strong as she and her father walked into Frankburt's late at night, right towards the safe room where Alison awaited. She wanted to believe that she wasn't scared, that all the horrors she already saw prepared her for this meeting. But even when she stood by her father's side, she was still terrified. She heard tales from different people of what was inside the facility, but it was her first, and hopefully the only time, to come down there. She was entirely at the mercy of a man who destroyed her family's future, and he had to pay for what he did. Dearly.

"Scanning complete, identities confirmed. Welcome, honored guests." A robotic voice said after they stood before the panel for a few seconds, and the wall before them quickly unraveled, opening up the gate to the elevator in front of them. The place was theirs to claim. Elizabeth took a deep breath, which didn't go unnoticed by her father.

"How are you feeling?" He wondered and spoke in a quiet, shaky voice.

"I'm alright…A little worried, but it's fine."

"You can still stay. I'll go alone."

"Please, we talked about this. Charlie didn't run when he had to save me. I want to return the favor." She wanted to get him out of this dark pit, whatever the cost; she wanted him to be safe and not suffer alone. "Can you just…Allow me to do it?" She pleaded, and despite William's hesitation, eventually he nodded.

"Very well… Let's go in together."

"Don't keep me waiting," Elizabeth said and walked forward until father's low voice interrupted her again.

"I'm proud of you, Elizabeth… You're a better daughter than I ever deserved." He said with warmth and genuine pain, making Elizabeth smile as a lone tear fell off her face.

"It's okay, dad…I would never want to have another father. Thank you for fighting for me… I'm proud that I can help you end this."

She knew full well that if they succeeded, her father would not be returning ever again. All she could do was to make sure he got the departure he deserved.

They crossed the line together.