The group sat nervously in the dimly lit room, their eyes fixed on the TV that was in front of them. The Old Man had just dropped a bombshell, announcing that they would be watching their future through his TV. The air was thick with anticipation and anxiety, as the group were bracing themselves for what's to come.

"Why did he say that we're going to watch my perceptive?" Michael's voice quivered as he addressed the group.

Charlie pondered for a moment before answering. "Maybe because you have the most significance," she said, trying to sound confident.

Henry, who had been silently staring at the floor, looked up with a worried expression. "Hopefully nothing bad happens," he said, his voice filled with concern.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. "I wonder if I'm going to show up," she said, flashing a smug smile at the others.

William, who had been quiet until then, suddenly spoke up, his tone dripping with annoyance. "I think this is a waste of time," he said, his arms crossed in front of him, his eyes mixed with annoyance and boredom.

Henry, visibly annoyed by William's comment, shot back, "Well we have to at least try if we're here."

William rolled his eyes and sneered. "What? You believe whatever he just said?" he asked, his tone mocking.

Henry stuttered, trying to defend himself. "Well, I mean-"

"You honestly believe that it's normal for a weird old man that 'kidnapped us' and tell us, Hey guys! I kidnapped you, so let's watch the future!" William continued, his words dripping with sarcasm.

The group erupted in laughter, relieved to release some of the tension that had built up in the room. Henry couldn't help but give a small smile. He knew deep down that he did believe in the old man's words, but he didn't want to admit it out loud.

The old man, who had been silently watching the exchange(from somewhere..), suddenly spoke up. "You may doubt me now, but soon you will see the truth," he said cryptically.

The group fell silent, their eyes frantically looking for where to find the source of the sound. What was he talking about? What were they about to witness? Their minds raced with questions and uncertainty as they awaited the future that lay before them.

Suddenly the screen lit.

There's no doubting what you've achieved on a technical level. These are clearly state-of-the-art. There are just certain... 'design choices' that were made for these robots that we don't fully understand. We were hoping that you could shed some light on those.

William raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by their confusion. "Wait... is that Circus Baby?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the robot displayed on the screen in front of him.

Elizabeth's eyes went wide, smiling, as a mix of excitement washing over her. She had a personal connection to Circus Baby, as she's supposed to be her.

If you squint enough, then you could see stars in her eyes.

William furrowed his eyebrows, still not quite grasping the engineers' confusion. "What kind of 'design choices' are confusing?" he asked, his tone slightly condescending.

She can dance. She can sing. She's equipped with a built-in helium tank, inflating balloons right at her fingertips. She can take song requests. She can even dispense ice cream.

"See!" William pointed at the screen, "all makes sense."

With all due respect, those were the design choices we were curious about, Mr. Afton

"Why do I sound like a villain?" William said, his tone suddenly defensive.

Henry couldn't resist the opportunity to poke fun at his colleague, "Well, to be honest with you, you do sound a bit evil."

"He's right, Dad," Michael chimed in, nodding in agreement.

Charlie, who had been quietly observing the conversation, finally spoke up, "Is no one gonna say that that sounded a bit ominous?" Her eyes were fixed on William.

….

Daddy, why won't you let me play with her?

"Hah! See, I told you that I would show up!" Elizabeth exclaimed, grinning smugly.

Evan raised an eyebrow, confusion on his face, "But why won't he let her play with her?" He asked, knowing how much Elizabeth had wanted to see Baby.

"Maybe because you got grounded," Michael teased, causing Elizabeth to go stiff.

Michael couldn't help but stifle a silent laugh at her reaction.

….

The room fell silent as they watched the screen, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly, the sound of an elevator filled the room. All eyes were glued to the screen as it flickered back to life, revealing a man in a purple technical uniform with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Is that you, Mikey?" Evan asked, leaning forward in his seat.

A smile broke out on Henry's face as he recognized his son. "You've grown to be quite the looker, Mike!" he exclaimed.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow, you look so much like Daddy!" she remarked.

Michael's face turned bright red as he squirmed in his seat, feeling embarrassed by all the attention.

Grinning, his Father, William, spoke up "I see you're taking on the family business." He said, nodding his head.

"But isn't he just a technician?" Charlie asked.

"... it's a start." William replied.

HandUnit: Welcome to the first day of your exciting new career!

"Is… is the elevator talking?" Evan asked, unsure of what was happening.

Henry's eyes widened with realization.

"You created an AI!" Henry exclaimed, in awe of his friend's technological achievement.

"I'm also surprised," William said, seeing his own creation come to life.

"AI? What's that?" Evan asked, not familiar with the term.

"AI stands for Artificial Intelligence," Charlie explained.

"Basically, It's the ability of a machine or computer program to think, learn, and make decisions like a human. It involves creating intelligent machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. His Father explained.

"Do you understand?" He asked.

"Y-yeah t-totally." Evan stuttered.

Henry shook his head at his friend's explanation.

"Is it me or is this way ahead of our time?" Charlie said.

"Well, William is a genius." Henry said.

This caused William's ego to grow even more.

….

Whether you were approached at a job fair, read our ad in Screws, bolts, and hairpins, or if this is the result of a dare, we welcome you.

"What does that even mean?" Evan asked, confusion written all over his face.

Michael simply shrugged.

I will be your personal guide to help you get started. I'm a model 5 of the Handyman's Robotics and Unit Repair System. But, you can call me "Handy-Unit".

Evan couldn't help but find the name 'Handy-Unit' amusing, while Charlie had her own reservations about the AI's sentience.

'Is it me or is this 'Guide' a bit too sentaint?' Charlie thought.

Michael turned towards his Father, "How did you create it, dad?" He asked, curious about his father's technological prowess.

"I have my ways." He replied cryptically.

Your new career promises challenge, intrigue, and endless janitorial opportunities. Please enter your name as seen above the keypad. This cannot be changed later, so, please be careful.

A keypad jumped from future Michael's left, startling him.

As the keypad startled Michael, both Elizabeth and Charlie couldn't resist giggling at his reaction.

Mike glared at both of them.

Please enter your name as seen above the keypad. This cannot be changed later so, please be careful.

"Why is the keypad flickering?" Elizabeth asked, noticing the malfunction.

"Probably poor maintenance." Charlie quipped.

Michael is shown having trouble typing his name.

…

HandUnit: It seems that you had some trouble with the keypad. I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you.

One moment…

As the machine processed Michael's name, Charlie couldn't help but anticipate the outcome.

"I think I can see where this is going." She said, holding back a smile.

Welcome Eggs Benedict! The HandUnit announced.

The group erupted in laughter, except for William, who was simply smiling, and Mike, who was clearly annoyed, but also had a small smile that could easily be missed.

Meanwhile, Charlie was uncontrollably wheezing with laughter on the floor.

Charlie, turned to her friend, Michael, "Looks like your name is Eggs Benedict." She said between her laughing sessions.

This made Mike even more angry.

"It's not that funny!" He exclaimed.

Michael had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

This caused the group to laugh even harder

Elevator music plays...

You can now open the elevator using that bright, red, and obvious button. Let's get to work!

This caused a few chuckles.

Michael pressed the button and reluctantly crawled into the vent, which was filled with caution tape.

The laughter died down.

"Why is the entrance filled with caution tape?" Mike asked.

"More like why is the entrance a vent?" Charlie said in disbelief.

Michael, using only his hands and knees, started crawling through the vent. The vent was cramped and narrow, but it had enough space for an adult male to crawl through. The metal walls of the vent were cold and clammy to the touch, and the only source of light was the entrance and the destination he was headed.

Allow me to fill this somewhat frightening silence with some lighthearted banter.

Due to the massive success, and, even more so, the unfortunate closing of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT CLOSED?" William exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.

Henry's eyes widened, "William… you don't think it was because of a spring lock failure?" He said.

Both Charlie and Michael exchanged worried glances to each other. They both knew the result of a Springlock failure.

"If that's the case then we should hurry up and finish the new main 4 animatronics, before anyone gets hurt." William said urgently.

Henry nodded grimly. "Agreed. We can't afford to take any chances." He said.

"Hopefully they will show us what happened." Henry said.

It was clear that the stage was set, no pun intended for another contender in children's entertainment. Unlike most entertainment venues, our robotic entertainers are rented out for private parties during the day, and it's your job to get the robots back in proper working order before the following morning.

"Rented out?! It's supposed to be a Circus-ish kind of attraction!" William exclaimed.

"Maybe you changed it into a rental." Henry said.

"I wonder how much it would cost to rent one." Mike said.

"Probably a lot, Eggs." Charlie said while giggling.

Mike glared at her.

Enter Control Module

Michael finally got out of the cramped vent, he was now in a small room with… weird gadgets and 2 windows.

Michael finally got out of the cramped vent. He looked around the room and couldn't help but feel weird. He noticed 2 glass windows against the walls in front of him. On the wall next to the windows was a large Circus Baby clock. Perched on top of the clock was a eriery looking mask that had a party hat on its head. The room was dim, which added to the creepy ambiance of the room.

You are now in the primary Control Module; it's actually a crawl space between the two front showrooms.

"This place looks very claustrophobic." Mike said.

Now, let's get started with your daily tasks. View the window to your left. This is the Ballora Gallery: Party Room and Dance Studio, encouraging kids to get fit and enjoy pizza!

"But… eating Pizza will not get us fit." Evan said.

'-_-

Let's turn on the light and see if Ballora is onstage. Press the blue button on the elevated keypad to your left.

Michael approaches the keypad and presses the Blue Button.

Light illuminated the room, it was empty.

"Huh… weird, why is Ballora not on her stage?" William said.

Henry waved it off, "It's probably nothing important." He reassured.

Uh oh! It looks like Ballora doesn't feel like dancing. Let's give her some motivation. Press the red button now to administer a controlled shock. Maybe that will put the spring back in her step.

Silence filled the room.

As Handy-Unit instructed Michael to administer a controlled shock to Ballora, William's eyes widened with fury.

"WHAT?!" William shouted, looking angry, as a vein popped from his head.

Michael flinched from his father's outburst

"How is shocking MY robot with 300 volts of electricity going to help?!" He exclaimed, his voice booming across the entire room.

Michael scooted closer to his siblings.

Henry stepped in to try and calm his best friend down. "Now, now, let's calm down. It's probably just a standard procedure to get them back to working order," he said, though he knew that wasn't the case.

"Who's idea is it to shock MY CREATIONS?!" William demanded, his voice still full of anger.

Charlie, always curious, spoke up, "Daddy, won't the shock damage the animatronic?" She asked.

"No, sweetie, shocking it would mostly cause it to restart." Henry reassures her.

These words seemed to appease William.

Henry obviously noticed, as he knew William for a long time, "Also these are Robots, not animatronics." He added, trying to make a distinction.

"...Isn't that the same thing?" His daughter asked innocently.

William's face fell, hair covering his eyes, as if he had been betrayed. "I can't believe you just said that," he said in a low voice, shaking his head in disbelief.

"... okay I think that you're overreacting." Henry said.

William got up and started walking towards the bathroom, "If you excuse me…"

Michael looked hesitant and confused, but after a few seconds he pressed the red button.

A burst of electricity crackled through the Ballora gallery, making everyone watching jump in surprise.

"I think that was more than 300 volts." Mike said, his voice laced with concern. (Mostly because he doesn't want his father to lash out again)

Evan looked up at his older brother and hesitantly asked, "What are volts..?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

"Nothing important." His older brother replied dismissively, not wanting to explain the concept to his younger brother.

Evan looked down.

Michael felt a bit guilty, and sighed before he spoke, "It's just a measurement of electricity.(I know that it's voltage)" he replied.

Evan smiled and nodded.

Let's check the light again.

As they watched, Michael pressed the blue button, illuminating the gallery once again. Ballora was back in her stage dancing, surrounded by her little minireenas.

"So, shocking them makes them return to their stage?" Mike said, unsure.

"...It would appear so." Henry replied.

Excellent. Ballora's feeling like her old self again and will be ready to perform again tomorrow. Now, view the window to your right.

He directed his attention towards the window to his right.

This is the funtime auditorium where Funtime Foxy encourages kids to play and share. Try the light! Let's see what Funtime Foxy is up to.

Michael's ears perked up at the mention of his favorite animatronic, Foxy.

"Foxy!" Michael exclaimed excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"I wonder what he looks like," he added, turning to his siblings with a grin.

Both Evan and Elizabeth smiled at their older brother's addorsion to Foxy.

"Wouldn't it mean that your future self would have to shock him." Evan asked, looking up towards his older brother curiously.

Michael's smile slowly faltered upon processing what his little brother said.

Michael hesitated for a moment before finally pressing the blue button on his right.

'Please be there, please be there.' Michael silently pleaded for his favorite animatronic to be there.

Both Elizabeth and Charlie exchanged a knowing look at each other and silently giggled at Mike's antics.

Funtime auditorium was empty.

"NOOO!" Michael yelled in despair.

"Michael, I think you're exaggerating." Elizabeth said, while shaking her head with a smirk.

"Yeah Egg's she's right." Charlie added.

HandUnit: Looks like Funtime Foxy is taking the day off. Let's motivate Funtime Foxy with a controlled shock.

Michael took a breath and slowly pressed the red button.

A burst of electricity crackled through the Funtime auditorium, making everyone watching jump in surprise. (Yet again)

The room was still empty.

"He's going to shock him again." Charlie said.

HandUnit: Let's try another controlled shock.

"Called it."

Michael yet again pressed the red button, his face looking vanquished.

A second burst of electricity crackled through the Funtime auditorium.

Michael immediately pressed the blue button and blew a sigh of relief.

Looks like Funtime Foxy is in perfect working order. Great job!

"Is it finally over..?" Michael asked, a depressing aura covering him.

His younger sister nodded and patted his back.

In front of you is another vent shaft. Crawl through it to reach the Circus Gallery Control Module.

"Baby!" Elizabeth exclaimed with glee.

But her smile dropped immediately after she remembered what happened a minute ago.

Michael hesitated for a moment before crawling through the vent, the hard metal grating scraping against his knees as he pushed himself forward. He emerged in a cramped room, surrounded by strange machinery and blinking lights.

On the other side of the glass is Circus Baby's auditorium. Let's check the light and see what Baby is up to.

Michael pressed the blue button, but only one of the light's turned on.

Looks like a few of the lights are out, but we can fix that later.

Elizabeth had a face filled with hope, "Does that mean th-"

Let's encourage Baby to cheer up with a controlled shock.

Elizabeth's face fell.

Michael, feeling bad for her, patted her on the back.

Future Michael was about to press the red button, but suddenly he paused. Beads of sweat started forming on his forehead. He mumbled to himself before hesitantly pressing the button.

Everyone watched in confusion as future Michael's actions seemed erratic, as he was Scared of something.

Charlie spoke up, breaking the silence, "That… was weird."

Henry shot a glance at Michael, trying to gauge what he was thinking through his mind.

HandUnit: Let's try another controlled shock.

Michael slowly pressed the red button.

Then again.

Great job, Circus Baby. We knew we could count on you!

"Three! It took three shocks!" Michael said, shocked.

Elizabeth looked stumped, watching her favorite animatronic getting shocked wasn't on her list. Even if she couldn't see her.

That concludes your duties for your first night on the job. We don't want you to leave overwhelmed; otherwise,

you might not come back.

"Okay… that was pretty weird." Michael said.

"This place is pretty weird to be honest. It feels more like an abandoned factory than an entertainment attraction." Charlie said.

At the same time, Michael's father, William, finally emerged from the bathroom after his supposed breakdown.

"Are you okay? Did you finally calm down?" Henry asked his friend.

William nodded, "I guess it was just the stress. Well what did I miss?" He asked.

"Nothing much…" Henry said.

Please leave using the vent behind you, and we'll see you again tomorrow.

As Michael waa crawling through the vent, he heard something banging on the vent. This caused him to crawl even faster.

"W-What was that?" Evan asked, terrified.

"William…, do you think it could have been Baby?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, but it's probably nothing to worry about. Baby probably just made physical contact with the vent by mistake." William replied, reassuringly.

This seemed to calm Evan down.

…..

The screen lit, showing a TV, dramatic music playing.

We see future Michael, at home watching his Soap Opera while eating popcorn.

Another day, another dramatic entry in the lives of Vlad and his distressed mistress! Where will they go? What will they do? All of that and more is happening now!

Charlie, noticing future Michael's fixation, teased, "Michael~ could it be that you like watching Soap Operas?"

Michael fidgeted in his seat, "I.. I guess they're fine." He said.

"He's obsessed with them,." Evan interjected, confirming Charlie's suspicion.

Michael gave his little brother a betrayed look.

Elizabeth joined in, nodding her head in agreement, "Yeah, he watches them day and night."

Michael also threw his little sister a betrayed look.

"...What's wrong with Soap Operas? I think they're great," William defended, earning a chuckle from Henry.

"Nothing, Charlie's just teasing Michael." Henry reassured.

Vlad: Clara, I tell you, the baby isn't mine!

"Can vampires even have babies?" Elizabeth asked, bewildered.

William simply shrugged in response.

Clara: Count, I tell you that it is! You're the only vampire I've ever loved! The baby turns his bottles into powdered milk.

"Can vampires even do that?" Elizabeth asked.

Vlad: That doesn't mean anything.

"Is this guy in denial?" Elizabeth said.

Clara: He sleeps on the ceiling fan!

Vlad: Upright, or upside down?

Clara: Why does it matter? You NEED to be part of your son's life.

Vlad: Well, then, at least pay your child support, you deadbeat!

"Yeah! You tell him Clara!" Michael cheered.

The group burst out laughing, except Michael.

Will Vlad and his distressed Mistress find common ground? Tune in next time!

The TV turned off.

The group laughed at the show's absurdity, except for Michael, who was disappointed that the episode was already over.

"Noo! It's already over? But it was so good!" Michael lamented.

Charlie shrugged, a smirk on her face, "Well I guess you have to wait for the next viewing."

End of Chapter 1