Murdering them felt like art.

YOU SHOULD BE PROUD

A twisted pleasure that Gron felt because of it, watching them crying and shaking in fear as he approached to end their little lives. They anticipated nothing, believed that it was a playful animatronic that wanted to show them a surprise, blindly following him into the trap…Except for the last girl. He was starting to worry when he saw doubt and fear in her eyes. She was close to running off and telling her parents. It must have been the presence of her friend that made her go inside. So protective, unwilling to leave him alone in Gron's company. In the end, it made the job easier for him.

When Gron came back to his flat, he remembered holding back his laughter. This idiotic, relieved giggle on his way back caused people to stare at him, avoid him and discuss him as a subject of their malicious whispers.

Only when Gron was in the solitude of his own home was he able to laugh, and it wasn't a giggle anymore. It was a cackle, joyous and uncontrollable, the burst of energy that he could not hold inside. The energy Gron needed to unleash while dancing around his house, imagining his hands still covered in blood. He didn't understand why he was laughing, but there was something deeply ironic in his situation that did not allow the jester to stop. A man who wasted so much time and effort trying to rehabilitate himself, trying to return to normalcy and prove to the whole world and his family that he wasn't a monster. For a long time, no one but William and Mike believed in him, but just when he felt like he was getting his chance once again, seeing his wife and son unafraid, seeing them yearn for a reunion…And now, all of that was undone in a matter of three days. First, he saw the facility, then he murdered his first victim, now three more, and this time it could not be called an accident. Nothing but premeditated, cold-blooded murder.

He did it for the promise the Twisted one gave him, a promise to allow him a day of reunion with Lynda and Charlie uninterrupted, and he kept the promise. There was not a single interference, not a single distortion or echo when his family came over. Even when Lynda tried to open up old wounds and learn more about his work, the Twisted one remained silent, allowing Gron to have full control for once. A bliss that he promised to return if only he stepped up and destroyed the evil that chained him by whatever means necessary, breaking free from his cage.

He could've tried and focused on something else, but of course, it was pointless. There would be no other thoughts that would reign in Gron's mind today but this one. And so he drew. Taking a package of old crayons he used with Charlie and drew, one after the other, the moments that served as stepping stones on the path to his freedom. An eager boy lying on the floor, shaking in crying moments before his neck was broken by a single step. A tired, nervous boy who was about to scream and had to be knocked out with a kick to the back of his head before getting struggled with by a playful rabbit. A naive child enamored but his favorite character before getting his throat slit and drowning in the puddle of his own blood. A terrified girl shaking in the corner, unable to talk or scream. It was but a short moment of apology before Gron placed his hand on her mouth to stuff her breathing, and a knife in her neck was enough to put her to rest forever. Each of them was now bound to a suit now, each of them becoming a mangled body inside of an animatronic, the purest act of desecration.

YOU'VE DONE YOUR DEED; ALL THAT REMAINS NOW IS TO WAIT

Gron was surprised they hadn't found the boy yet, but now every single animatronic was overtaken by this curse. Children were killed by him swiftly and mercilessly. No tears saved them. Gron was ashamed to admit it, yet amidst his cackling, he couldn't deny it either. He felt joy when he killed those children. Every strike at their frail bodies was a strike at the dreadful establishment and Fazbear Inc, and it would make them hurt, make Alison hurt, and it was worth it.

YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, DON'T YOU?

NOW YOU UNDERSTAND WHY I TOLD YOU THIS FOR SO LONG

NOW YOU CAN FEEL FREE

"Yes…" Gron's voice quivered as his laugh stopped for a moment. It was freeing, indeed, to defy all of Alison's beliefs and his certainty that one man cannot tarnish the reputation of an entire company. And perhaps more importantly, he wasn't resisting anymore. He accepted the voice as an inevitable part of himself that would never go away. When they worked in tandem, this unlocked the true power, bringing about achievements Gron could never hope to claim alone.

SEE IT

SEE THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR

YOUR LABOR

He could see this wonderful image, making Gron smile once again. It was the stage of Fredbear's family diner, but Fredbear and Spring Bonnie were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was the trio. Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were on the stage that was colored crimson. Bright red projectors were shining on it, the only source of light among the ebon darkness that surrounded the stage. The animatronics were dripped in blood, yet it did not prevent them from singing.

"La-La…Welcome…La-La…To our valley, today…You…Help…"

Their movements were hardly mechanical. They turned around and sang as if they were humans. They were the children he slaughtered and stole from this world, from their parents and friends, all so dozens more could be free and live in happiness.

IT IS WORTH IT

Is it?

YOU DOUBT NOW? AFTER IT IS DONE?

They were innocents. They deserve some respect, at least.

THEY WILL GET IT ONCE THE SMOKE CLEARS AND THE TRUTH IS OUT

That girl…She was so powerless and could do nothing at all. She wanted to plead.

AND YOU DID WELL IN MAKING SURE HER DEMISE IS A SWIFT ONE

It doesn't matter…

ENOUGH

Gron could feel tears forming in his eyes, though, at this point, he wasn't sure whether they were real or a part of his hallucination. He watched those three animatronics and looked them right in the eyes.

They were of flesh and still bleeding.

REMEMBER WHO IT IS YOU DID THIS FOR

REMEMBER WHY YOU SACRIFICED SO MUCH

And now, the animatronics weren't alone anymore. Gron was there, too, standing in the shadows and still smiling. A smile of warmth, a smile of pride, a smile painted in blood…A smile that was his future. He was there, ignoring the pleas of the animatronics and the souls that were bound to them. They were nothing more than entertainment. He wasn't alone anymore. He could feel them standing by his side with his hands taking over them. They watched in silence, watched in awe; there were no words required at all. They must have realized that what Gron did was necessary for them to be able to truly reunite and become free from the chains of their prison. They knew it…They must have smiled. At least, Gron believed they did.

Their faces were covered by darkness.

…

The animatronics might have been finished, but this did not mean William's work was over. His presence was still required at the Fazbear Inc building and the restaurant in case something broke. There were no new orders on Alison's part yet, although William suspected that he would have new animatronics commissioned soon. There were many more characters from the show that children would no doubt like to see, and Alison would not miss out on an opportunity to expand the company's reach. When the time came, he would turn to William, the man who was bound by a contract and had no option to refuse him.

But for the short while that William's work was that of an overseer and occasional maintenance check, he decided to remain careful and focused. There was an account to finish and evidence to collect, which William would continue to write down both at work and home, even if this was risky. The engineer felt that he was brought to his limit, drowned out by days of constant work. He always imagined he would miss the old days of freelance that allowed much more free time, but he was more than ready for a full-time job…Just not the hellish mess that it became.

At least he learned more about the deliveries themselves. The fact that there were breaths coming from one of the boxes made William fear at first, but he soon realized that it made sense. Those weren't parts that were brought in those boxes but living people to become subjects in Alison's experiments; they must have been tied down and unable to move with their mouths gagged. Only breathing was possible. From there on, they were taken into the pizzeria under the guise of spare parts and then taken underground from where they would not return. This confirmed that Fazbear Inc got those people from somewhere, someone who would gather them and transfer them to the facility. Alison didn't lie when he spoke of connections, which made the situation worse…And judging by William speaking to other workers, he and Gron were a unique case. No one else knew of the facility, at least those who were not allowed to enter a restricted floor. Of course, none would talk about it; they would all be bound by a similar contract, but it was clear from their mood, as well. They were careless and joyful. In no one but Gron could William see the primal dread they felt while being inside the pizzeria's walls. This served to remind him how deep he and his friend had fallen. Perhaps eventually, they will find some allies, but it didn't seem like this was happening anytime soon.

William's musings and works in his notebook were interrupted the moment he heard the door of his office opening. It was one of his colleagues, a bulky man dressed up in a grey uniform and light brown hair, one of the engineers that worked with William, following his guidance. He didn't seem intrusive, but he took notice of William's hasty reaction as he reflexively put his work away.

"Hey, chief, you alright?" The man asked, still standing at the door and looking at William.

"Yes…Just a little tired, I'm sure you understand." William responded coldly, seeing o point in trying to fake any joy. He was never known among his peers for being too talkative or warm, and what little energy he had those days had to go into either work or his family. "Did you want anything, Fritz?"

"Just coming over to say that we checked on Fredbear and Spring Bonnie, and they work just fine. I think that's it for what you told us to do." Fritz reported while still eyeing William. "So, anything else for me and others to do?"

"Not particularly. I think that's enough for today."

"Maybe check on the new animatronics?"

"I can do that when the time comes for them to perform; doing it earlier is a waste of time."

"Whatever you say…" Fritz was about to leave, but something stopped him, making the worker look at William once again, prolonging this state of exposure William hardly enjoyed. "I was planning to go Junior's with Brian and John, thought maybe you'd want to come with us."

"No, thank you." Will shook his head. "I have something to do."

"You know, chief, you seem awfully busy all the time."

"That comes with the job."

"I know, but don't you feel like you need a break? Even I can see the sleeping bags. Does the boss just not care about your leisure time at all?"

"You could say so…"

"Bah, I'm sure he'll be fine with you taking an evening off when it comes to it." Fritz approached William with a smile on his face. The concern seemed genuine but misplaced. The last thing William needed now was to waste time with people he did not know well. Fritz and his friends were far removed from the whole ordeal. They didn't know about the facility and could only guess what the reasons for William's concerns and tiredness were. "Come on, chief, you can't remain that daft forever."

"Listen, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm not of those who change their mind easily." William shook his head. "I have a family waiting for me at home once all of my work is done, and I don't intend to come too late."

"Kids are exhausting; you must know that better than anyone. Sometimes you have to just take a break and have a mug with the lads. That's what I learned when trying to decrease my stress. It works wonders…"

Before he could finish, a familiar voice echoed through the room, causing both William and Fritz to go silent and turn around towards the hall. The voice was coming from the dynamics which were installed around the Fazbear Inc building. They were used sparingly, only when there was a need to notify the entire building of some developments immediately.

"Attention, everyone, Alison Bairren speaking!" Alison's voice echoed through the room. "It is unfortunate that I have to disturb your work process, but I will not take long. All of you must be informed of the recent tragic developments that occurred. A report came through earlier today of three more children missing in the proximity of our restaurant."

William could not believe what he heard. He froze immediately, mesmerized by the reveal.

"Holy shit, three?" Fritz exclaimed in disbelief moments before Alison continued.

"Gabriel Philips, Jessica Lee, and Liam Emily were all reported missing on the same day, with their parents claiming it happened in 'Fredbear's Family Diner.' Those are unfortunate developments, but I expect all of you to follow the guidelines established after the first incident. Carry on with your duties, and this investigation will be handled by our legal team. Rest assured, they will be found, and the truth of the matter will be discovered."

It seemed that no matter how much William tried to take his focus away from the tragedy unfolding around him, making him believe that the situation could not get worse, in the end, he would always get proven wrong.