By the time Mike returned to Sugar's gallery, what little trust he had for the animatronic was all hit gone. His path back wasn't particularly long, but it was enough for him to think about everything that just occurred in a calm, detached manner and realize that it didn't add up. Sugar was trying to pretend like he didn't remember anything about his past, and yet he was the one who knew others' weaknesses. He made himself seem like a powerless victim of circumstance, yet everything Mike did with other animatronics was Sugar's suggestion, the little game he played. He knew much more than he admitted to, and yet he would still attempt to hide it from Mike. He wanted the teenager to trust him, yet wouldn't offer any trust himself. But perhaps Mike should've played along for now; this was the only way to learn more about Sugar's plan.

"You're back!" An excited, almost too excited voice rang from the animatronic's mouth when Mike entered his room. He saw the blue cat stand near his respective panel, patiently waiting for a human to open the path. "Come on, help me get to the scooping room like you did with the others!"

"Don't rush it." Mike slowed his steps as he walked towards the panel. He could've easily activated it, and the pressing gaze of the animatronic certainly complied him to do it…Mike wondered about what would happen were he to refuse. Would he attack him like the rest? Hardly befitting of a 'friendly face.'

"What, why? I can stop this madness; you just have to help me with the panel."

"Why do you want to get in there so much? I just had to deal with those three. They are fucking rabid."

"I'm not a human; I can talk to them like no one else can." Sugar reassured him. "I'll explain who you are and that you aren't our enemy…They're just angry because they confused you with someone else, but they aren't bad! They're nice. Just give them a chance."

"I…You know, whatever." Mike sighed and put his hand on the panel. After pressing a few buttons, he activated the gate, removing the only obstacle that kept Sugar away from the scooping room.

"Yes, it worked! Now it's not long left…"

"So, what exactly is going to happen there? Are you just going to tell them that they shouldn't have attacked me, and they'll…Just accept it without question?

"I know how to deal with them; I wouldn't be trying it if I didn't…" Sugar was about to step on the conveyor. "You know how to get to the scooping room, right? I know it has a door for humans…"

"Yeah, I saw it while running around here." Mike nodded. "And why are you asking?"

"When I go, come to that door…I'm sure you'll hear something from there, and after I've convinced them not to attack you, it would be a perfect time for you to get to know each other."

"Eh…What?" Mike raised an eyebrow, hoping Sugar realized how ridiculous this sounded.

"It makes sense! We're all trapped here, and if we want to get out, we'll have to work together, right? I want to be there when you properly talk to make sure they don't attack you."

"That all sounds incredibly risky."

"Just trust me. Come to the door and…You'll know." Sugar said in an almost pleading voice.

"Fine." Mike sighed as he watched the feline animatronic get on the conveyor and dissipate in the shadows, much like the other three. Now he was all alone with only one directive…He could find his way to the scooping room, it wasn't far, but Mike couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that consumed his mind the moment he thought about following Sugar's plan. Even if he was genuine, the trust he put in other animatronics was misplaced, not when they were so incredibly rabid. Sooner or later, Mike would know the outcome.

He walked out of the Sugar's gallery and went to the scooping room through the hall. It all grew so quiet again as if there never were any animatronics at all…Just grave silence and all it brought. It would've been a good opportunity to get on with some research, but Mike needed to make sure he wasn't in danger. He wanted to talk, yet he wasn't even sure if Sugar could hear him; his mind must have been occupied with other things. Mike hoped it would be worth it, even though he knew that it was a futile, pathetic hope. Those souls must have been inside those animatronics for a while, whoever they were, and as children, their psyche was especially vulnerable to trauma. They were wildcards who couldn't be trusted.

Meanwhile, he was already in the hall that led to the door on the other side; Mike could access the scooping room from here wi his card…But then he heard something from behind this door. A heavy metal sound of something breaking apart, like someone just punched a floor with a sledgehammer, although even that wouldn't convey the menace and power Mike sensed at the moment. He slowed down but still continued to walk forward for now. The sounds continued, even more things breaking and getting shattered. They only grew louder as Mike got closer. He heard no voices at all despite the talk Sugar promised him. Instead, it sounded like a bloodbath. A trail of pure destruction and chaos, as if…As if the animatronics that he locked inside began to clash and tear each other apart there and then. It was violent, it sounded violent and gruesome…Like an unstoppable mechanical vortex that consumed everything it touched.

Mike didn't take any more steps.

"What the…"

"Why…" He heard Sugar's voice in his head, only this time it was distorted. "Why are you not…Coming." Mike didn't dare to respond and play right into his hands; instead, he tried to make sense of the voice he heard. It sounded like a mix of different mechanical voices and, in a way, more feminine. Just like the voices of female-designed animatronics that Mike just trapped…Were they all speaking in unison? What was even going on here? "Come here, I'll show you the others…They are my friends! They can be yours, too!"

This was the time to run as quickly as he could. Mike turned around and didn't dare to look back. The teenager felt his heartbeat grow quicker and heavier, and the feeling of being watched came back to him. He couldn't comprehend the extent of it just yet, but even then, Mike knew that he had just created a bigger problem for himself than any of the animatronics on their own. Now he could only run and hide in the safest place possible…A place he found soon enough.

A room with two doorways and a vent above them, it had a desk and a few monitors along with countless paperwork. This must have been Father's office! Without hesitation, Mike charged inside as he breathed heavily and prayed that he would be safe inside. He immediately went to the monitors, looking to see if there was any way to activate them. Perhaps there were some cameras…Eventually, he saw an opening for the keycard.

"Please work, please work…"

Thankfully, the system was responsive, and the light shone in the office. The monitors were online, as well as the doors and the vent, all of which had a button attached to them and a metal gate one could close. Father must have designed this place so it could withstand situations like this so that he could hide from danger here…That could explain his ability to use electric power. Mike looked at the monitor and saw a charge bar…

30% of the reserve generator.

"Fuck…" This made sense, there must have been an extra power generator that allowed the office to work even when the power in the rest of the building was cut off, but it didn't have much energy either. Mike decided to conduct a test and pressed the button that was connected to the vent. The moment Mike activated it, the vent was shut, but he also saw a warning emerge near the charge bar that showed him that he was using extra energy.

29%.

He really didn't have a lot to defend himself. Keeping those doors for long wasn't an option. Instead, Mike decided to take a look at the cameras. He could only get access to four of them, one in each major hall of the bunker. Trying to switch to those inside the auditoriums rewarded him with static. The animatronics must have broken those cameras, clever bastards…But in the next instant, all those thoughts became secondary for Mike.

There was something in the main hall just before the elevator, and it moved…A grotesque creature made of wires, just like those that were inside Baby and Ballora. This one, however, had no cover at all; it was an endoskeleton-looking being awkwardly stumbling around. It had Ballora's purple eyes, but the rest of it was a chaotic lump, something that didn't look like it was made by a professional engineer…It was also too small to hold any of the Funtime carcasses. Then what the bloody hell was it?! Mike watched with horror in his eyes as the monster grabbed onto the wall, reaching out for the pale clown mask that the teenager had noticed when he first entered the place. It put it on its disfigured head, covering some of its wires. Now this monster had a face, if one could call it that at all. After that, it looked towards one of the adjacent halls and ran into it, dissipating in the shadows. He was heading exactly where…Mike heard metal steps from his right.

"Shit, shit, shit…" Mike's lips quivered as the teenager reached out to the button that corresponded to the right door. He could hear him in the hall, could hear his running steps get louder with every second.

"Mike…" The broken, distorted voice of the animatronics echoed in his head; it must have come from this creature. "Don't be afraid, we are not going to harm you, we just want to know you better…Please, let us i-i-i-i-in!"

Seeing this thing was enough for Mike to want to run as far away as he could from it and never look back. The thought of being stuck underground together with it was utterly mortifying. He pressed the button and locked the metal door to his right. A few moments after that, the steps stopped, and Mike was able to take a deep breath.

27%

He looked back to the monitors and noticed the disgusting monster wandering around the adjacent hall. It slowed down once again and began to look around with some curiosity. Mike despised staring at it, yet looking away meant endangering himself even further; he would be vulnerable to the monster's attacks. It would lurk from one hall to another as if trying to find a point of access.

25%

Mike had to open the door, or else his power will quickly run out. The teenager could feel himself shaking, but as paradoxically as it sounded, he had more of a chance to survive if he kept the doors open most of the time. What if it would come through the vent? This creature was merciless, and it would eventually push him to the edge…What then?

"I pro-o-o-omise it won't hurt…" The voice rang out once again, making Mike want to close his eyes and plug his ears as soon as he heard it. It looked more agile than any other animatronic and looked more vicious. It was too much for Mike to handle. "I just want to talk…We-e-e-e-e know you are in the office…"

"You…What the fuck do you want from me?!" Mike shouted in fearful fury; he could no longer hold it inside of him. Tears emerged in his eyes, and his teeth longed for each other, forcing his jaw to close. "I helped you; I did everything you asked! What do you want? LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"I only want you…And I pro-o-omise, it won't be too painful."

"You…You're a fucking psycho! I did nothing to you, nothing, I came here to help, and that's how you repay?!"

"Ha-ha-ha…" The voice echoed once again. "Yes…And I haven't even begun. You, of all people, should know how it feels!"

"What are you…" Mike began but immediately saw the monster running through another hall on the opposite side. Its bloodthirsty eyes stared at him like some kind of prey. It was close…Very close. Mike rushed to the button and locked the door moments before hearing the monster's metal body bumping on the door. It followed this failed act of intrusion with a vile hiss, and what was even worse, it stayed at the door without retreating.

24%

23%

22%

"God, god…" Mike watched the percentages go down in horror; why was this generator so weak? This would not be enough for him to wait until the morning, and even if it was, what would he tell Fazbear Inc employees that find him? They will certainly not let him leave alive even if he escapes the monster somehow.

"Are you scared? Good…" The animatronic continued to toy with him. "You can hide, but it will only make it worse. Don't you get tired of fighting? I know I certainly do…It would be so easier to just let me in and…Allow…Us…To…Play…" His voice grew more distant as Mike could hear him retreating to the hall. The monster stood at the center before one of the cameras; Mike still watched him closely. He walked towards the wall, slowly getting inside the vent…It was as Mike feared. He would use any opportunity to attack him.

He could hear the monster crawling across the metal pathway. Mike felt sweat pouring down his skin; he didn't know for how long he could hold out before resorting to screaming. Moments before the creature could enter. Mike closed the vent shaft.

19%

"You…Playing smart, aren't you?" The robot's voice grew annoyed. "Of course, someone like you would. But don't kid yourself. You can do nothing against me, nothing! I will make you suffer, and then I'll make you die!" It shouted in a fit of fury before having to inevitably retreat. Mike unlocked the door, desperately thinking about how he could possibly get out of this hell. All of these secrets he attempted to uncover, all of this was for nothing, nothing but a trap of a monstrous creature whose hands Mike played into, and now he had to pay the price. How ironic that the nightmares he forced to happen to his brother came to haunt Mike, but this time, they were very real.

"You can see me, can't you?" A playful voice rang in Mike's mind. He looked at the monitor before him and saw the creature on one of the cameras, staring right into it. "Perhaps we should make this game a bit more fun?" He chuckled menacingly and crushed the camera, forcing its image to go static.

"No, no…"

Mike was too late to stop the monster. One after another, all cameras were torn, and the monitors became useless. If what Mike saw before was not hell, this was the moment when it truly began. The monster would run from one door to another, the sounds being the only element that gave him away for Mike. No amount of swift closings and hiding was enough; the teenager's hands shook in fear as he watched his power fall.

18%

17%

One door, then another, an echo heard here, steps emerging from there…It was an endless cycle, and Mike had no strength to stop it. The monster didn't retreat; it clearly seemed to enjoy the cruel game it forced Mike into. It grew quicker and more unhinged with every minute, giving Mike the feeling that his attempts to defend only invigorated the creature further.

14%

13%

Just a little more…

12%

A bit more…

11%

He was somewhere in the vent. Mike could swear he was. The teenager would try and listen for the sounds; he heard the monster crawl, he heard…Another voice.

"Mike…" The soft, quiet, even if slightly distorted voice of a child, a young boy, that echoed from the vent made the teenager freeze on the spot. "Why won't you let me in? It's cold and dark outside…I thought you said you were sorry."

"C…Chris?" His lips quivered as Mike watched a pair of glowing eyes appear in the vent. It was too late.

The monster jumped out, and this was the last image Mike witnessed.

…

"Wake up, Mike…Wake up!" A crude voice echoed in the teenager's ears the moment he opened his eyes. It forced him to fight the dizziness and attempt to return back to reality; he wanted to see…All because of the voice. It was his voice. Only now did Mike truly realize who he heard in the vent. It was Chris, a mechanical and distorted yet still recognizable tone of his young brother. The dead young brother. This must have been a dream, the worst nightmare, and now Mike could try and wake up…But he was still in the shadows.

When Mike opened his eyes, he realized that his hands were tied by something very heavy and pressing, something metal. He sat on the floor of a large and previously unseen room surrounded by parts…Animatronic parts. He could see Sugar's head, Kitty's arm, and Circus Baby's pierced torso, all of them lying around in a lifeless mess. He tried to look back only to realize that what was tied around his hand was nothing else but Ballora's torn arm. This must have been the scooping room, a room to dispose of spare parts. Mike cursed himself for being so foolish as to not realized this sooner. This room was created with the purpose of destruction and annihilation. The animatronics would not leave it in one piece. It was all a plan…Mike looked into the glass walls that surrounded the room. There was a metal device, the scooper. Father mentioned it before, an effective way to dispose of seemingly unbreakable metal. It was right in front of him, and this wasn't it. The monster stood it with his clown mask on, and the moment he saw Mike, he immediately moved towards the glass. He wasn't even trying to contain his excitement.

"You're awake, finally!" He said in a playful and childish voice, sounding just like Chris, if a bit more upbeat than usual. "Remember me now, Mike? I thought you would."

"I…I…"

"Why are you so scared?" Chris said with a mocking tone. "I am just a robot. A girly robot…" Mike could feel those words piercing his heart the moment he heard them; it was him…His brother remembered all the pain and abuse, no matter how insane it seemed.

"I don't…How is it even possible?! You can't be him, you…You're tricking me again!" Mike's mind jumped back to unfortunate reality as he had to grip the inevitability of fate.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Cris raised his arms, slowly clawing the windows and leaving a sharp mark on the glass. "I will tell you, but first…Why did you come here?"

"I…I told you already! I want to fight against Fazbear Inc, I want to find evidence against them, to make things right, and you…You…"

"So NOW you believe? Did it really have to take so long? Did you really…Really have to humiliate me and put me into that Fredbear's mouth? Have me suffer and die in the hospital?" Chris spoke slowly, trying to prolong the moment. "You thought I just died…But my soul stayed. I became one with Fredbear and remained like this forever…Until they found me. Mr. Bairren and his scientists realized that my soul was still here, and they took me there…" He grew quieter as his voice dribbled with fear. "They hurt me, Mike…A lot. I don't know what they tried to do, but…They wanted something from my soul. They gave me a body in which I couldn't talk, and they…These cruel monsters! They didn't care. They just wanted their results; I couldn't even scream. I…"

"I…I'm sorry."

"Quiet! You have never been through something like this. You will never understand!" The animatronic screamed. "I told you about this. I told you! I could've shown you, but you just…You laughed, you laughed, and laughed and laughed! Just like them…You don't care, they don't care, no one cares!" He clawed the window once again. "But I escaped; I clung to those 4 animatronics. I needed to make them into 1 to restore my soul. I…"

"All of this…It was you?" Mike's lips quivered in fear.

"Yes…Sugar was me, Ballora was me, everyone was me!" That would explain why Ballora knew Mike's name, but it didn't become any less shocking. "I wanted you to feel what it's like to fear…You felt it, right? To be alone in the darkness with those things trying to kill you."

"I…"

"Did you feel it?!" Chris interrupted him in a fury.

"Yes…" Mike felt more tears streaming down his eyes. "Yes, I did…" He lost, and now he was here to pay, not for mistakenly playing into the monster's hands but for creating him in the first place.

"Good…" Chris said quietly and looked away, leaving the two of them in a prolonged, painful moment of silence. Eventually, he looked back at Mike. "How is she? How is Lizzy?" He sounded like a human once again, once again showing his pain and shame.

"She misses you, Chris…She wants to be with you."

"And you left her alone with father? Probably for the better…She deserves better than to be with you." He spits those words out like a vile poison.

"Chris, please…" Mike stuttered, trying to speak through his tears.

"'Please'…Please, what, Mike? I think we both know what I want to do. The games were fun while they lasted, but I want…I want to make it fair, Mike. You killed me, and I will kill you." He said in a trembling voice. "And unlike you, I will make sure that no one sees you die and that it won't be humiliating like what you did to me…"

"Chris, just…Just listen!" Mike shouted. "What I did to you…It's fucking horrible and unforgivable. I am not denying that! I wanted to do all I could to make things right…"

"You can't!"

"I thought the most I could do was to follow the trail you left for me to honor your memory, but…I can do more now! I can help you!"

"How, then? Do you even see me?!" Chris stepped into the light to once again unveil his mechanical body. "You can't fix me…Just like I can't fix you. You could've spared us by not killing me…But you did."

"Let's escape together. I'll…I'll bring you to Father! He will think of something! We know he's a great engineer; let him try and make another body for you. The one that no one will even distinguish from humans. If anyone can do that, it's him!"

"He won't help!" Chris interrupted. "He works with them…I saw him. He might try to help, but even if he does, they will find out. They know his every step; they will hurt him, they will hurt Lizzy! We wouldn't want that, would we?"

"We wouldn't…" Mike looked down in shame, trying to speak through the sweat and tears that drained all of his energy.

"Have you noticed something about me? The skeleton I created from the others, I mean." Chris begun.

"It's…Smaller than others."

"Yes, you're right! It's just like a young man…Like you, Mike. Do you know what this means?" Chris said menacingly, causing Mike to shiver as the realization crept at him. No, he wouldn't do this; this was thought too gross to even imagine.

"No…"

"I have to leave somehow, and I need a cover so that others think I'm human, at least at first. I will kill you quickly, Mike. And then I'll take all your insides out and replace them with me. I will leave, and you'll stay forever…And then I will be free. I will find your three friends, and I will kill them too. After you pay, it is their time." He was speaking seriously and genuinely, sending icy chills down Mike's spine. The boy he saw before himself was twisted and traumatized by the sheer horror of what he saw; all of this started when he saw Lily get killed by an animatronic, and at this point, it was in Mike's hands whether to help his brother to live through the madness or to make it a living hell. He chose the second option out of pure spite and pettiness for his father. Mike was an idiot…And there was no way to go back from it.

"Chris…You're not like this, I know!" Mike spoke up. "You're…You're better than me. Better than father. You never wanted to hurt those who mistreated you, only to fight back! I…Let me do everything I can to correct this, I beg!"

"I…" Chris hesitated for a moment as he raised his arm. "You brought it upon yourself, Mike…You did!" He put his hand on the lever before him, one of the ways to quickly activate the scooper. He held his hand above it but refused to make a move. Instead, he would wait for more, forcing Mike to live through endless seconds of anticipation. He could see his brother's uncertainty even in this robotic body. Everything around Mike stopped his breaths; the heartbeat, any sounds he heard faded compared to the sheer intensity. Eventually, he saw Chris's hand slowly descend; Mike swore he could see it shaking.

"Please…I know you, I know you won't…"

Chris pulled the lever. Mike could feel a metal rod pierce his chest, only allowing for one cough, which spits blood all over the scooper and himself. The sounds of his bones crushing and the echo of shattered glass were the last things he heard before the burning fire of agony consumed him. Then, only a few flashing images. Chris plunged his metal hands into Mike's weakened body, the of what was once his body being tossed aside on the floor. Of the immense pressure that he felt, all four voices of the animatronics slowly drowned Mike's soul. The sound of Chris's screech was a grotesque mix of catharsis and despair. Then, Michael Afton stood up.

He opened his purple eyes.

…

The moment William found out, he ran.

He wanted to spend time with his daughter and was ready to finally enjoy his well-earned break, but that opportunity was no more. Someone stole his keycard and got into the bunker, someone infiltrated it right at the moment when all the animatronics were down there, and he needed to stop it while he still could.

William rushed to the company hall, and by the time he arrived, the news about most of the power in his bunker getting cut off had already spread. He tried to ask his colleagues about what happened, but none of them knew the truth for certain. They were just as lost as William was, all trying to break into the bunker and secure it again. They feared William and Alison's reaction, but all the engineer cared for now was seeing what happened down there.

Eventually, they restored to power by connecting some backup conduits, and the moment they did, William descended together with a small squad, all armed and ready to uncover whatever lay down there. If they were lucky, the infiltrator never got an opportunity to escape and would be caught on the spot.

But they weren't lucky.

All William found there were broken cameras, empty auditoriums, an opened ventilation shaft, and a scooping room filled with scattered animatronic parts, and worse yet…He saw human organs scattered around the room, bloodying the entire room, but they did not find the body. Whoever came here destroyed the animatronics and left…But they did not leave alive.

Sometimes, knowing the answer simply wasn't worth it.