Daddy, just once, let me go play with her. She's so pretty and shiny. Didn't you make her just for me
Charlie's eyebrows shot up as he realized the on-goimg pattern.. "Oh, so this is an ongoing occurrence?" She asked.
William had a stern look plastered on his face, "Elizabeth, you're not allowed to go see Baby." he said firmly.
Elizabeth wanted to protest, but she knew when her father says no then it's no, even for her.
Elizabeth's face fell with disappointment, and she hung her head in defeat. Her older brother, Mike placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Suddenly, the sound of an elevator echoed through the room, and the monitor lit up to reveal Michael waiting inside.
Charlie's expression turned to one of surprise, "Mike! What are you still doing there?" she exclaimed, puzzled.
Mike shrugged, "I guess I really needed the money." He said.
William leaned closer to the monitor, watching his future son's every move.
Welcome back to another pivotal night of your thriving new career, where you get to really ask yourself; what am I really doing with my life? What would my friends say? And, most importantly, Will I ever see my family again?
Mike leaned forward, his eyes glued to the screen as he muttered under his breath, "Ugh...it seems like he's attacking me."
Evan nervously shifted in his seat, "I-I don't like him anymore after what he did." He said.
They nodded.
"Speaking of family, why haven't any of us shown yet?" William asked.
Henry turned to his friend, his expression thoughtful. "Well, he did say that we're watching Michael's perspective," he replied.
Charlie furrowed her brow in contemplation. "But I wonder if we're ever going to show up," she mused.
"I'm pretty sure you're all going to show up at one point," Mike suggested, his voice confident, despite the danger his future self encountered.
'Though, I hope that if they do show up, nothing bad happens to them.' he thought to himself, his eyes flicking between his family and his friends.
Michael had a depressed look on his face.
Evan noticed Michael's downcast expression and spoke up, his voice tinged with concern. , "Why is Mikey sad?" He asked, his eyes still fixed on Michael.
Charlie chimed in, attempting to lighten the mood. "Probably because he came back to work," she joked, eliciting a few giggles from the group.
But beneath the laughter, they all sensed that something deeper was troubling Michael.
We understand the stresses of a new job, and we're here for you! To help you reach a more stable and relaxing frame of mind, we offer several musical selections to help make this elevator ride as relaxing and therapeutic as possible.
Charlie widened an eyebrow, "Wow, so they do care about their employees." She said, surprised.
We offer contemporary jazz, classical, rainforest ambiance, as well as a wide selection of other choices.
"Ooo, I would love to listen to some rainforest ambience." Said Charlie.
"I prefer classical music." Said Mike.
Using the keypad below, please type the first few letters of the musical selection you would prefer.
With that everyone who was smiling dropped it, and sighed.
A Keypad popped out.
Charlie rolled her eyes, "We know where this is going." She said in a tired tone.
Michael pressed one button, causing the keypad to give out an error.
It seems you had some trouble with the keypad. I see what you were trying to type, and I will autocorrect it for you.
They watched in anticipation, on what's going to be chosen.
Thank you for selecting Casual Bongos!
The group lightly laughed at the selection.
Casual Bongos started playing.
As the elevator continued to descend, the sound of Casual Bongos filled the room.
"Hey, this isn't that bad!" Mike said.
Now that your elevator experience has been customized to your needs, and you're thoroughly relaxed, it's worth mentioning that due to your lackluster performance yesterday, your pay has been decreased by a substantial amount.
Michael's jaw dropped in shock.
The group watching couldn't believe what they just heard.
….
Please enjoy the rest of your descent.
SIlence filled the room, as only the music of the elevator started playing.
Charlie was the first to break the silence. "What?! Lackluster performance? Mike almost died yesterday!" She exclaimed, her frustration and disbelief evident.
"Exactly!" Mike exclaimed, feeling validated.
Elizabeth turned to her father, William, who was also watching the screen with annoyance. "Daddy, don't you own the place?" she asked.
Her Father nodded.
"Doesn't that mean that you're the only one paying Mike?" She continued.
William nodded, his brow furrowed, "That's what I'm trying to process here!" He replied.
Michael, still annoyed about the news, started crawling through the tight narrow vent.
Due to unforeseen malfunctions from today's shows, your nightly duties will require you to perform maintenance that you may or may not be skilled enough to perform.
Charlie couldn't believe it. "Is he serious?!" she exclaimed, her frustration and disbelief evident.
William turned to her with a dangerous look in his eyes. "Are you suggesting that my son isn't skilled enough?" he asked, his voice low and menacing.
Charlie nervously shifted in her seat, taken aback by William's sudden change in demeanor. "N-no, I just meant that they're sending him to do maintenance that could be dangerous," she stammered.
William hummed while nodding, seemingly satisfied. "Well, my son is skilled enough to handle it," he said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Mike, tired, placed his hands on his face, "It can't get any worse than this." He said.
Charlie turned to her friend, "Don't jinx it. Things could always get worse," she advised him.
Michael finally reached The Primary Control Module.
It became necessary for technicians to attempt to disconnect Funtime Freddy's power module; however, they were unsuccessful. Allowing them to try again would be an inefficient path forward, as we would need to allow 6-8 weeks for recovery and physical therapy.
Mike frowned, "So they're sending me to do it instead." He said, sighing.
Charlie rolled her eyes, "I'm not sure if they care about their technicians, or rather them not going to work." She said in a tone of exasperation.
Evan shifted nervously in his seat, "Will Mikey be okay?" he asked, his voice shaking with concern.
Elizabeth turned to her brother, equally worried. Mike placed his hand on Evan's shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll be fine."
His older brother, Mike placed his hand on Evan's shoulder, "Don't worry, I'll be fine." He said, reassuringly.
This caused the group to give out a small smile.
You will need to reach the Parts & Service room on the other side of Funtime Auditorium to perform the procedure yourself.
Mike sighed in resignation, while Charlie gave him a knowing look that said, 'I told you so.'
'I hate it when she's right,' Mike thought to himself, as he mentally prepared himself for what's to come.
Let's check on Ballora first and make sure she's on her stage.
Michael pressed the blue button, and light luminated the entire Gallery.
Michael saw as Ballora appeared to be a broken pile of parts on her stage.
Everyone's face fell to a state of shock and confusion.
Evan was first to break the silence, "W-What h-happened to B-Ballora? W-Why is she in pieces?" He asked, stuttering.
Henry voiced his concerns, "Could it have been an intruder?"
William countered, "No, I highly doubt it. Michael worked the night shift and he would have noticed if someone had broken in."
William turned to the screen, his brow furrowed with concern. "But what could have caused this?"
Great. It looks like everything is as it should be in Ballora Gallery. Let's check on Funtime Foxy. It's important to make sure she's on her stage before entering.
"W-What?! He's she just going to ignore it?" Charlie said.
Henry looked down at his daughter, "Sweetie, I'm sure he was just programmed to sense if someone was on stage." He explained, while turning to William for confirmation.
William nodded. Charlie also nodded, processing the new information.
Michael, pressed the blue button, checking if what he saw was correct.
After confirming what he saw was real, hesitantly turned his attention towards the controls for Funtime Auditorium .
He pressed the blue button, and light luminated through the stage.
Surprise surprise it was empty
"Well, it was a good thing he checked." Charlie said.
As Michael was about to shock Funtime Foxy-
Great. It looks like everything is as it should be in Funtime Auditorium. There is no need to check on Baby tonight. Please refrain from entering unauthorized areas. Proceed directly to Funtime Auditorium.
…
"Why did he say that?" Evan asked, furrowing his brow.
"I-I'm not sure. Maybe it was an error." Mike replied.
The vents of Funtime Foxy and Circus Baby opened simultaneously.
Michael hesitated, contemplating whether to crawl through Funtime Foxy's or Circus Baby's vent.
After a brief moment, Michael made his decision and crawled into Circus Baby's vent.
The group looked at Mike in confusion.
"Why did you choose to go there?" Charlie asked, perplexed.
Mike shrugged.
Michael reached Circus Baby's Auditorium and hid inside the crawl space.
He stretched his arms and let out a yawn.
"Mike…you're not actually planning on sleeping, are you?" Charlie asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.
The group's collective stare was fixed on Mike, who covered his face in embarrassment.
As a precaution, Michael closed the crawl space lid.
Suddenly, Baby's voice echoed from her stage, startling Michael and the rest of the group.
Baby: Did you know I was on stage once? It wasn't for very long, only one day.
This sentence caused confusion to creep into the group's face, as the group exchanged confused glances.
William furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled "Huh? Why was my star attraction only on stage for one day?" He asked no one.
Henry glanced over to his friend, William, "Something probably malfunctioned." He reassured him.
This seemed to annoy William.
Baby: What a wonderful day though. I was in a small room with balloons and a few tables. No-one sat at the tables, though, but children would run in and out. Some were afraid of me, others enjoyed my songs. Music was always coming from somewhere else, down a hall.
Charlie suddenly looked uneasy, and her father, Henry, noticed.
"Sweetie, is something wrong?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
All eyes turned to Charlie.
She shifted nervously in her seat. "It's nothing, I just have a strange feeling that something's off," she replied.
The rest of the group couldn't help but agree.
Baby: I would always count the children; I'm not sure why, but I was acutely aware of how many there were in the room with me.
William looked even more puzzled. "That's strange. I don't remember adding that feature in the blueprints," he said, perplexed.
"Maybe it's a new safety feature." Henry suggested.
Baby: Two, then three, then two, then three, then four, then two, then none.
Charlie felt uneasy, 'Why do I feel like something unpleasant is going to happen.' She thought.
Baby: They usually played together in groups of two or three. I was covered in glitter. I smelled like birthday cake.
Mike raised an eyebrow, "Wait, robots can smell?" He asked.
…..
Baby: There were two, then three, then five, then four. I can do something special, did you know that? I can make ice cream,
Elizabeth's ears perked up.
"This is why she's the best!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
Baby: Although, I only did it once.
Elizabeth looked confused, "Why? What happened?" She asked.
"It's probably another malfunction," Henry replied, trying to reassure her.
Baby: There were four, three, then two, then one.
Charlie's unease grew as she listened with anticipation.
Baby: Something happened when there was one.
The group felt a sense of dread as they listened to Baby's words.
Baby: A little girl, standing by herself. I was no longer myself.
"I don't like where this is going," Mike said, his voice tense.
Baby: And I stopped singing. My stomach opened
The group held their breath as they waited for what would happen next.
Baby: And there was ice cream.
They let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, that wasn't so bad." Said Elizabeth.
Baby: I couldn't move, at least not until she stepped closer. There was screaming for a moment, but only for a moment.
The group's eyes widened in horror as they imagined the scene, except William who seemed to be deep in thought.
Charlie's voice trembled as she spoke up, "You don't think...that she got hurt? Right?"
The room fell silent, and the group's breaths were slow and measured as they waited for a response. The gravity of the situation was not lost on them, and they were left to contemplate the possibility of a tragedy.
Baby: The other children rushed in again, but they couldn't hear her over the sounds of their own excitement. I still hear her sometimes. Why did that happen?
…
"That… that was disturbing," Mike said, breaking the silence.
"Hopefully we just understood it in the wrong way." Henry said.
The group nodded.
Michael was left sitting there frozen, his face filled with multiple emotions.
"Oh, I was so focused on Baby's story that I forgot about Michael." Charlie confessed.
Evan, noticing Michael's state, spoke up. "Is Mikey okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, it looks like he took it harder than any of us," Elizabeth said.
Michael just sat there for what seemed like an eternity, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape.
Charlie noticed something about Michael. "Wait, is Mike crying?" she asked, pointing at the screen.
Elizabeth's eyes widened as she noticed small tears forming in her future older brother's eyes. "Wow, he's actually crying!" she exclaimed, surprised.
Mike looked puzzled.
"What? But Mikey never cries!" Evan said.
Michael: "Oh… so that's what happend." He quietly muttered.
The group felt uneasy at Michael's comment.
"I wonder what that meant." Henry muttered.
Charlie glanced worriedly at her friend, Mike.
After a few moments, Michael decided to get up and slowly crawled back to the Primary Control Module .
Michael was kneeling in front of the vent that led to Funtime Auditorium .
He took a deep breath before entering Funtime Auditorium.
Unlike Ballora, Funtime Foxy is motion activated.
Henry glanced at William, "William, why did you program them with different sensing technology?" He asked, curiously.
William looked at Henry, "I like to do different things." He replied, simply.
….
For this reason, it's important to keep the room dark, so as to not activate her. You have been provided with a flash beacon.
Charlie looked genuinely surprised, "Wow, so they do care." She remarked.
Elizabeth glanced at Charlie, "But won't the flash beacon activate Funtime Foxy?" She asked, concerned.
Use it if you need to get bearings, and to ensure you don't bump into anything.
However, use it as sparingly as possible. Proceed forward to reach the Parts & Service room.
With information in mind, Michael proceeds forward through the Funtime Auditorium, walking slowly and carefully.
The group watched in anticipation.
Throughout the journey, Michael felt a constant sense of danger and uncertainty. He knows that any misstep could result in him being caught by Funtime Foxy, and so he must remain vigilant at all times. The darkness of the room adds to his anxiety, making it difficult to see and navigate.
After a couple of seconds, Michael decided to use the flash beacon. He pressed the button, and a loud sound echoed through the room.
FLASH
The group were startled by the loud sound the beacon produced.
The room was lit by the beacon for a split second.
Michael: "Cost is clear." He muttered.
After a while, Michael heard a sound, which made him freeze in place. He contemplated on using the beacon, to which he did.
FLASH
The room was lit up once again, revealing Funtime Foxy twitching his head on the far right of Michael.
The group held their breath. Elizabeth and Evan, being worried for their older brother's well-being, grabbed onto his arm.
Michael looked terrified, but he slowly resumed walking. This continued for a while until he finally reached Parts & Service.
The group let out a collective sigh of relief.
Great job reaching Parts & Service. It seems that Funtime Freddy is out of power, which should make your job much easier. The release switch for the chest cavity is located on the underside of the endoskeleton jaw. To reach it, we will first need to open the face plates. You will need to press the face plate release triggers in a specific order, and it's important to be as precise and as careful as possible.
Michael listened intently, taking in the instructions.
Locate the small button on Freddy's face, just under his right cheek, and press it.
Michael pressed the button.
Great! Now locate the button under his left cheek and press it.
Michael pressed the button.
Great! Now carefully locate and press the button next to Freddy's right eye.
Michael pressed the button.
Great! Now carefully locate and press the button next just above Freddy's nose.
As Michael pressed the button on Funtime Freddy's nose, the animatronic's faceplates split open with a deafening noise that forced MIchael's soul to leap from his body in terror. The sudden sound echoed through the room, revealing the intricate endoskeleton wires that lay hidden beneath the animatronic's mask.
The group jumped in surprise at the sudden sound, their hearts racing. Some cursed under their breath as they tried to calm down.
Good job. The face plates should now be open. Locate and press the small button on the underside of Freddy's endoskeleton jaw.
With the faceplates open, Michael located and pressed the small button on the underside of Freddy's endoskeleton jaw. The two buttons were pressed causing another loud screech, making Michael and the group jump once again.
Excellent. The chest cavity should now be open. Remove the power module from the chest cavity.
Michael hesitantly and slowly removed the power module from Funtime Freddy's chest cavity.
"This is a pretty long process." Mike remarked.
William glanced at his son, Mike, "I couldn't risk any children accidentally opening Funtime Freddy's faceplate and causing a scene," explained William.
Great work. You will now be required to remove the secondary power module from the Bonnie hand puppet. Press the large, black button beneath Bonnie's bowtie to release the power module.
"This night seems much easier than last night." Said Charlie.
"Yeah, I can't wait for this to be over." Mike said.
Charlie gave Mike a smug grin, "Is it to watch your soap operas~?" She teased.
Mike chose to ignore her as she was giggling at his embarrassed face.
Michael turned to face his left, where Funtime Freddy's hand was extended with the Bonnie hand puppet, but to his surprise it wasn't there.
The group was confused.
Henry raised one eyebrow, "I swear I remember seeing the Bonnie puppet on Funtime Freddy's hand." He said, confused.
Charlie looked at Father, "Yeah I saw it too." She said.
"Does that mean… that he… moved?" Evan asked.
Elizabeth looked at little brother, "How can he move when he doesn't have any legs?" She asked.
"He probably used his hands." Answered Mike.
Michael frantically looked for Bon-Bon, eventually spotting him hiding behind Freddy. As he reached for the puppet, it ducked and disappeared.
This shocked the group.
"W-Wait, the puppet is sentient!?" Mike exclaimed.
"Believe me I'm as shocked as you are." Charlie said.
After a while, Michael finally grabbed him by tricking him using his flashlight.
As he grabbed him by the ears, he pressed the black button beneath his bowtie, and then carefully placed him on Funtime Freddy's extended arm.
Great work. You've acquired both power modules. This completes your tasks for the night. Please exit the building through Funtime Auditorium, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow.
Mike looked frantic. "Oh, it's finally over!" he said, relief flooding his features.
"Yeah, looks like nothing bad happened." Henry said.
The group let out a collective sigh of relief.
But the moment was short-lived as William spoke up. "Wait, Michael still has to cross Funtime Auditorium," he reminded them.
Tension settled over the group like a heavy blanket.
Michael slowly opened the door, his flash beacon in hand to check for Funtime Foxy. After making sure the coast was clear, he began walking slowly towards the vent that led to the Primary Control Room .
The group held their breath.
As Michael was walking in the dark room, he used his flash beacon to check for Funtime Foxy.
FLASH
Nothing.
After a while, Michael used his flash beacon again.
FLASH
Nothing.
Mike was the first to break the silence, "Do you think that Funtime Foxy went back on stage?" He asked.
Charlie gave Mike a reassuring smile. "I hope so," she said.
Michael started feeling uneasy, sensing that something was wrong.
As Michael continued walking, he spotted the vent in his view of sight, as light was coming from it. Suddenly Michael heard loud heavy footsteps behind him. He quickly turned around, using his Flash Beacon, he found Funtime Foxy about 15 meters away from him.
The group immediately held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen. Both Elizabeth and Evan clung tightly to Mike's arm, their faces twisted with fear and worry.
Funtime Foxy twitched as the light hit him. Suddenly, to Michael's surprise, Funtime Foxy started sprinting towards him, his arms extended. Michael's heart pounded in his chest as he realized he was about to be caught.
Evan, feeling the worst for his older brother, hugged Mike, his face buried in Mike's shoulder. Elizabeth, not wanting to be left out, did the same.
Michael immediately turned around and started running for his life. As he ran, he heard Funtime Foxy's metal feet colliding with the floor, growing louder and louder with each passing second.
Charlie looked at her friend in worry. Her father, Henry, was silently praying for Michael's safety, while Mike's father, William, watched the scene unfold with a stoic expression.
The tension in the room was unreal, the pressure almost suffocating.
Michael could feel Funtime Foxy catching up. Fortunately, he reached the vent that led to the Primary Control Room just in time. Just as Michael thought he was going to make it to safety, he felt something hard grab his leg, causing him to stumble and fall. Michael's
heart raced as he struggled to get up, but he was suddenly pulled back by a strong force.
Charlie gasped. Mike pulled his siblings closer to him, and Henry's eyes widened. William continued to watch.
Michael didn't have time to resist as Funtime Foxy pulled him out. Michael screamed in terror as he was lifted up by his head to meet his glowing eyes. He watched as Funtime Foxy's faceplates opened, emitting a loud screeching noise before the screen cut to static.
The group watching through the TV screen gasped in horror, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief. Only static coming from the screen could be heard until it turned off.
Charlie's hand flew to her mouth as tears streamed down her face. "M-Mike," she managed to mutter, her voice cracking.
Mike whispered in disbelief, "D-Did I… die?"
Suddenly, a sob erupted in the room, shattering the silence. The group turned to see Evan and Elizabeth crying uncontrollably as they clutched onto Michael's shirt, this caused Mike to break from his trance.
Elizabeth's voice was barely audible as she cried, "N-No! I-I don't want you to leave!" Her body shook with every sob.
Mike turned towards his little sister, an expression of pity on his face. Elizabeth looked like a sobbing mess.
He wrapped his arms around her, to which she leaned in, "Shh, Lizzy, I promise I'm not going anywhere," he said, trying to comfort her.
Suddenly Mike felt a tug on his shirt, he turned around, meeting his little brother's eyes, which was a waterfall of warm tears.
Evan's tears flowed freely as he looked up at his older brother. "M-Mikey..." he whispered, his voice breaking.
Mike pulled Evan and Elizabeth into a hug.
Mike glanced around the room. Henry had small tears on his eyes and was currently comforting Charlie.
His Father, William, who was staring at him with a stoic expression.
Suddenly to everyone's surprise, the screen flickered to life, although still dark, with the only sound being laughter and crying emanating from it.
Mike knew that this was far from over, and braced himself for whatever was to come next.
End of Night 3