"Welco-o-ome to the maintenance bunker. If you are de-e-escending down here, that mea-a-ans that you are here to assist in the process of working on the most marvelous cre-e-ea-a-ations of Fazbe-e-e-e-e…"

The 'welcoming' voice did not last. As Mike descended inside a cramped elevator, he had no choice but to listen to what was supposedly a welcoming message to all the workers, but due to its corruption and broken nature, it quickly descended to a mechanical voice repeating the same letters over and over again, becoming by fainter with every second. Mike couldn't help but feel uneasy realizing that this malfunctioning machine was his only company, yet it was better than encountering even more guards. All he could do as the elevator descended was to breathe heavily and continue to ponder on what was to come…It would be alright, he went far enough, and it shouldn't get too bad…He wasn't going to spend too much time there anyway, just discover as much as he needed to present to humanity as proof, and then Fazbear Inc would have issues far greater than hunting him down.

When the elevator finally stopped, Mike could feel his heart skipping a beat. This was the moment of truth…It might not have been the heart of the fabled underground labyrinth that is kept away from the public, but it was still a part of it. The doors opened, and the teenager stepped into the darkness…

He was inside a fairly large room with limited lighting. The bulbs above him showed a vent and a few masks, which reminded Mike of humanoids, but they didn't fit any of the existing animatronics. The pale mask with a red clown nose was especially notable…Were those spare parts in case something broke? Or something for potential new animatronics?

Mike looked at what was below them and noticed two large glass windows that allowed him to take a peek at the rooms that lay before him. Alas, they were too dark to see anything beyond the first few shades of tiles on the floor. Father must have kept something here, the animatronics or some spare parts. Mike noticed two buttons on a panel before both galleries; one was blue and had an image of a sun on them, and another was red with yellow lighting on it. Somehow, it all seemed like a childish game…He pressed the blue button, guessing that it was the one that activated the lights. He was right. The lights shined brightly at the gallery to his left, showing a pink feline animatronic standing motionlessly on the floor. So the Funtimes were here, as Mike thought…He wondered if he could look at the killing mechanism inside of those robots that Chris told him about. The only question was how he could get to those rooms; there should've been some way around the glass. At least it looked like Mike was alone here…

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he heard a surprised robotic voice echo from behind him.

"Who…Are you?"

…

Once Chris saw someone wander inside, his soul gleamed with endless hope at the thought that this might be someone who could help. At first, the boy had no doubt that this was his father coming to work on the animatronics. He didn't know Chris was here, trapped inside, but now that he had broken away from the torture device, he could communicate easily. He could talk, and now freedom was within his grasp. But his hope began waning when Chris realized that this wasn't his father…He was too short for him, and his clothing was far too casual; dadDad never wore coats like this. Not to mention the way in which he behaved, so nervous and cautious, exploring the place as if this was his first time here…

"Who…Are you?" Chris asked in a surprised tone, still mimicking that of Sugar animatronic and hiding his true voice. This caused the man behind him to jump and swiftly turn around, staring into the darkness. This was when Chris got to stare right into his face and realize.

Mike.

"What the…" Mike said in shock and moved away. "You…You talk, too?"

It made no sense; what was Mike doing here? He didn't work for Fazbear Inc, his father never revealed his secrets to him, and he was never allowed to even come down here. Chris began to walk slowly, making his way toward the glass and revealing his body before Mike. The little boy felt the claw inside his stomach; he could've tried to unleash it and break through…But he was able to hold himself. The teenager eyed him with genuine shock; it was almost amusing. He looked so small from up here, so weak…Chris never saw Mike appear like this ever before; it was pleasant. If he could, Chris would've allowed a smile on his face.

"Who are you? Can you understand me? What… What's going on?!"

Mike continued to pour endless questions from his mouth, all while Chris wondered what to do. He was disappointed; Mike was not as skilled with animatronics and countless other technicalities the same way father was; he was not good at anything except making fun of those weaker than him. But perhaps he could still use Mike to help him get out of here, to bring all animatronics together so Chris can finally restore his soul in one body…That was his first thought, but then he imagined himself pleading for Mike's help after all he had done to him, once again showing himself to be weak…No, this was a perfect opportunity for something else. For a little game that he will play before finally freeing himself.

"I…I don't remember." Chris spoke in a weak, shy voice. It wasn't any different than playing a game with Lily and pretending to be characters from the fantasy land…Except now he actually became them. "I just woke up some time ago in this…Thing, I…I don't know what to do! I was trying to call out for help, but, but…Where am I? Please, help, please!" He shouted, doing as much as he could with the dynamics. He hated being so pathetic and weak, but it was necessary. Mike loved being in control and loved seeing others grovel. This was the quickest way to get him to help.

"O…Okay, calm down!" Mike spoke up. "I'll help you out, alright?"

"You…Promise?"

"Yes, I promise." Lies. "But I need you to explain something first." He spoke commandingly, trying to claim control, as always. The months didn't change him at all; he was still so, so predictable. "Are you a soul? Can you tell me your name?"

"I…I don't remember, I'm sorry. It's all so blurry, I…"

"What can I call you?"

"I don't know…" Chris continued to give him the lead; he was curious about how Mike would act.

"Damn…Maybe I can call you by the name of the animatronic? Sugar?"

"Yeah, that's alright," Chris responded. Finally, both he and Mike began to calm down, at least it seemed so to the boy.

"I'm Mike if you need to know. Do you remember anything at all? Who brought you here, and what did they do to you?"

"I…I don't know if I can trust you."

"Listen, I promise I won't hurt you!" Wow, this was rich; Chris felt a pressing urge to clench his metal fist. "I came here to fight against those who did this to you, but I need to know more first! I know those fuckers were putting people into animatronics; I can help."

"I…Okay." Chris looked down, pretending to submit." I don't remember much, just that I was in a restaurant with my friends…We got told to go see those animatronics, to come close, that it would be fun, and then, then…There was a claw…A lot of claws…" And then it hurt and…I just woke up here."

"God…"

"Did I…Did I die? Can you help me…Please?" Chris spoke in a broken, pitiful voice.

"Listen, I…" He couldn't even admit to the truth, this coward. "I will try to help."

"Don't leave me here, please!"

"I won't! I just need to know…You said you weren't alone, right? What do you think happened to your friends?"

"Hm…Maybe they got away?"

"Those bastards don't leave any witnesses."

"Then…There are other animatronics here. Maybe they became them?"

"You haven't tried to talk to anyone here?"

"No, not really, I was too scared and I-I-I-I-I…" Now was the perfect time to begin. Sugar began to shake, his voice glitched out, and his gaze fell to the floor. No doubt it will seem like something paranormal and terrifying to silly Mike, but it was exactly what Chris thought of. Before his brother arrived, he realized that in this place, he had all the control and power. The light that shone over it was his to toy with or even completely destroy…This was what Chris decided to do.

He moved his consciousness to another gallery, seeing the complex through the eyes of Ballora, the most agile animatronic and the one who shared the room with one carelessly-laid cable. Chris could only hope that cutting it would be enough to cut off the power supply across the bunker, at least a portion of it. Then, Mike would be in the dark…And he can finally feel what Chris felt every time he jumped from behind the corner and mocked him, calling him a crybaby and laughing it off like some kind of joke. It was time for him to know all of it…The cable was on the wall, but that was not a problem for Ballora. Chris learned that she was far more versatile than she looked.

He activated the animatronic, making her crawl and cling to a wall; it didn't take long for her to get to the cable afterward. Tearing it apart was simpler than ripping a sheet of paper…And only moments later, the flickering lights dissipated and became an empty, dark void. A void in which Chris could see perfectly now that he had mechanical eyes, but Mike was nothing but a puny human…The night of terror has begun. No matter how it was going to end, Mike would never forget it.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Mike screamed and fell on the floor after the swift malfunction and descent into darkness. Chris heard his pitiful shout even from Ballora's gallery but still decided to switch over to Sugar to see it for himself. Mike always tried to act tough, but he couldn't hide his cowardly nature. Chris senses his fear and sees him sharply turn his head from one side to another, his body beginning to shake more viciously with every second. "You there? What's going on? "

"I…" Sugar's eyes gleamed again as Chris's mind returned to his favored host. "I don't know…Something happened to the power!"

"Well, I can see that!" The teenager said in a panic. His voice was so loud and chaotic, so…Afraid. Chris wanted to hear him speak in this voice more and more until he couldn't hold it in himself anymore and began to tear up… "Fuck, the elevator isn't going to work like this…Who could've done it?"

"I don't know, but the other animatronics…"

"W-what about them?"

"There was something I could feel from them even if I couldn't talk. They were very angry and…They wanted to break free." Chris continued to think of those fairytales as he went along, and his brother fell for every single one. "They must have woke earlier than me; they must be very, very tired…"

"Fuck…" Now he would feel hunted with only one ally amidst the coming chaos, the scared and clueless blue animatronic, the one with whom he could still work together, with whom they could still save each other… "Do you think they'll come for us?"

"Not for me, but they might think you're one of the bad people that got us here and…God, I don't want to think about it; it's just horrible!"

"I need to hide, then! Are there any safe places? Can you try and talk to them?"

"I…I might have an idea."

"What is it? "Mike said in a trembling voice.

"You can bring all the animatronics here to one place…There is a room which can be reacher from all galleries; I've seen the map. It's the scooping room."

"And then?" Mike crossed his arms.

"I will talk to them and explain what happened; I'll do my best to calm them down…And even if I don't, they won't be able to leave if you don't open the door!" Chris tried to speak as reassuringly as possible.

"And how am I going to do this?"

"Try to put them on conveyors they use for parts…They will bring them there."

"You're asking me to go to potentially mad animatronics? That's suicide…"

"It's better than waiting here…You wouldn't want them to come for you." Chris said with just enough pretense of a reassuring tone but also ensured it was malicious enough for Mike to feel the chill going down his spine. "Please, you need to trust me!"

…

Trust…Not something Mike was used to relying on, especially when it came to a situation as bizarre and terrifying as this. Only ten or so minutes ago, he was exploring the silent bunker, not doubting even for a moment that he was alone there. Now, everything changed. He got greeted by another soul trapped within an animatronic, something that he wasn't as surprised by as anyone else would've been; it wasn't any worse than seeing Lockjaw. This must have been another poor soul that the Funtimes clawed, perhaps even at his father's orders…The gravity of William's crimes once again weighted on Mike like fire and brimstone, just as heavy and burning in its own flames of shame. He took those children's futures in one fell swoop, and now, Mike was here to pay for his mistakes, stranded in darkness with maddened souls inside metal killing machines. His only choice was to listen to Sugar and hope that he could help. His new ally was right; it was much better than waiting for those monsters to come and kill him together.

"Okay, fine… I'll try." Mike took a deep breath and looked at the gallery before him; he could only see Sugar's pale eyes with the lights out, making his knees shake once again. "But I need you to help me somehow. I think there are doors I could open with my keycard, maybe…"

"The doors are too small for us to leave." Sugar responded. "I could try breaking the glass, but it will attract too much attention from others. Wait, I know! I can help you with some advice; I…I know how other animatronics work, their strengths, and weaknesses!" He seemed very eager to get on with the plan, but Mike couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"How the hell are you supposed to know if you haven't even talked to them?"

"I…I saw them in other rooms, and I know how they move. Just try, and I promise…I will make it easier!"

Mike clenched his teeth and looked down; he had no time to consider it. This Sugar guy did not sound trustworthy at all, but he was right; it wasn't as dangerous as trying to do anything alone. Whatever he knew of the Funtimes, it was more than Mike could ever hope to know.

"Fine…Where do I start?"

"Kitty is here, in the nearby gallery. You saw her already."

"So, you just expect me to go inside and…Do what?" Mike said with suspicion.

"There's a panel which you can interact with. If you press the right buttons, it will open the gate to a conveyor that will get it…Her to the scooping room."

"And how the hell do I get her on there?"

"I…I know." Sugar said with some hesitation. "She can only see what moves; if you're careful, she won't notice you!" An animatronic that only sees moving things? Was this some sort of program for entertainment so it could detect children? How would Sugar know that? Those questions emerged in Mike's mind, but he decided not to give them any thought.

He made his way to the first gallery he saw; there was a door that needed to be opened with a keycard, and with that, he would find himself inside. For a moment, Mike regretted that he was reckless enough to come here and dared to hope for a quick, simple task. Perhaps the other three animatronics will be as reasonable as Sugar was, but he wasn't counting on it. Hearing the echo of the opening metal door was the last sound Michael heard before he saw the gallery. Tried to see, at least…It was far too dark to explore without a flashlight.

"So?" Mike whispered, feeling sweat pour down his head.

"The panel must be on the wall." Sugar's voice echoed in Mike's head; somehow, it did not become quieter even when the teenager stepped away. "Try to find it and follow along. Just be careful…"

Mike didn't want to wait. He took out his flashlight and pressed the button, shining light upon the room.

"No, what are you…"

Sugar's fearful voice has come in too late. The shimmering ray unveiled a metal wall before Mike; his eyes followed it and soon led the teenager to quickly discover a panel. However, this was far from the only thing he discovered…The pink feline animatronic was at the opposite wall, staring into the empty void. The moment Mike shone his light, it changed. The monster turned around, and the teenager found its glowing yellow eyes running and scouring its new prey.

"P-p-p-play…" Its faint, screechy voice pierced Michael's ears like a rusty knife; he saw the animatronic's hand twitch the moment it detected Mike. He had to think really quickly, and he made his decision. Mike rushed to the wall, trying to get as close as possible to the panel. Kitty ran after him, pouncing the floor with its heavy paws, a sound of a predator that would force even the bravest soul to tremble. Chris's words echoed in Mike's ears as he thought of the claw. A gross, sharp hand drenched in its victim's blood, the one that will squeeze him tightly until he screams in pain. It will squeeze the blood out of him and…

Mike froze the moment he reached the wall. Like a prisoner of war preparing to be executed, he faced it and put his hands out of sight, clenching his teeth and staring at the metal. At this very moment, all the sounds stopped…

Just before coming to him, Kitty stopped her assault and stood on a single spot. Mike could hear the animatronic moving her head from one place to another and trying to gauge what was happening around her.

"See…I told you." Sugar's voice echoed in Mike's mind.

"Fuck…" Mike's jaw shook as he desperately tried to focus on the panel. Sugar spoke the truth, as bizarre as it seemed.

"I want to help…"

"Fine, fine. Just…I know what to do."

"You almost died here…"

"I can learn from my mistakes," Mike reassured his mysterious ally.

"Okay, just be careful. Please…"

Mike took a deep breath; it was simpler than it looked. Just go to the panel, open the gate, and lure Kitty there with some movement. Those machines weren't smart; they could be played.

Mike took a few small steps, making Kitty turn around towards him, once again forced to scour for her prey. He never saw a childish animatronic move so swiftly and fluently, displaying such hunger and rage…A few more steps caused Kitty to rush even closer toward Mike, but they always stopped halfway. It was as if when Mike stopped moving, his existence was erased from Kitty's program, forcing the animatronic to stumble around aimlessly, always reliving the same moment of realization over and over again.

When Mike reached the panel, Kitty was far away, allowing him the chance to deal with her quickly. To Mike's relief, after he activated the panel with his keycard, it glowed with pale grey light; he didn't have to turn the flashlight on yet again. There were a few directives and buttons that emerged, an impressive technology, but Mike had no time to admire it with a ravenous machine on his tail. There was a button with a half-opened gate; this must have been the one.

"Fuck, this better work…" Mike braced himself and pressed the button. He immediately heard the metallic sound of a gate opening behind him. The sparse light that the panel emitted allowed him to see a working conveyor belt…Apparently, only the lighting got cut off; other technologies still worked. To think that Mike could call himself lucky even though he still was in the gravest of danger was not a pleasant thought, but he had to take what he could get.

"Hey, hey!" Mike jumped up and shouted as he stared at Kitty; he flashed his torch to attract even more attention. As he expected, the animatronic quickly got on him. It let out another screen and ran towards him, making Mike desperately want to close his eyes or look away. Anything that would allow him not to look at this terrifying creature, but he had to see it…When Kitty got close enough, the teenager jumped away, unleashing his trap. A simple one, but enough to get rid of the animatronic. Kitty didn't have enough time to realize her mistake and change course. The monster charged right into the opening, pouncing on the conveyor belt. "Take that, bitch!" Mike shouted before pressing the closure button.

Kitty tried to get to the door before it closed down, but she became…Slower, which Mike noticed despite the rising sense of triumph. The conveyor must have pushed her towards the scooping room despite Kitty's resistance. She screeched and jumped in an attempt to break free, with Mike mesmerized by her movements. As if something was inside her, something that tried to break free from this metal body and display its gross self before the world. She even managed to force her hand through the small opening, but it shut in only a few seconds. The sharp doors cut off Kitty's pink hand, making it fall on the floor with a strength of a boulder right before Mike.

And then she went silent.