Finally, Chris braced himself for the coming task.

There was no more reason to hesitate, nothing to hold back, and nothing to fear. He was no longer a human but a machine, a monster beyond human comprehension and punishment. He knew where his tormentors were, and he would end their lives, perhaps even feel joy doing so. He knew it was a grievous sin to enjoy killing, to kill at all…But he had already done it with Mike. He will not go to heaven, and for some reason, the thought didn't scare him any longer. After all, Hell couldn't be worse than the facility. If this meant Chris gets his revenge…It was worth it.

But the bullies weren't the only ones who deserved to pay. The tormentors who chained him had to pay, too. He couldn't return to the facility and kill them all, no matter how much he wanted it, but he could harm them in other ways. His death destroyed the reputation of Fredbear's…He could do the same to Freddy's if he kills the bullies in there, with as many witnesses as possible. He knew it would be cruel and horrible for those innocent people to see, much like when he was subjected to witnessing Lily's death, but it was for the better…It would prevent more deaths. How fortunate that the cafe the three teenagers gathered in wasn't far from the restaurant. All Chris needed was to lure them into his trap.

And on one lucky day, he found them all sitting outside. Jim, Lamar, that bastard Blake…The three of them gathered at one small table, having their morning coffee. Even seeing each other for the monsters that they were after murdering Chris wasn't enough to break their friendship. They must have been truly heartless.

"Anyone up for another one?" Blake spoke up, seemingly the most cheerful of them. Chris couldn't help but clench his fist as he passed by. He wanted to make him suffer…He deserved it.

"No, I think that's enough." Jim shook his head. "My shift is starting soon, and I don't feel like listening to another shouting tirade for being late. But anyway, it's been good to see you all…I think." He spoke with some reservation, letting Chris realize that they were about to separate and that he didn't have much time. Before that, however, Jim turned towards his other friend. "You alright, Lamar?"

"Y…Yeah." His lips quivered as he took a very deep breath. "I was just thinking about Mike…Have you heard from him at all?"

"No…" Jim sighed. "Mike just needs some time alone. Probably because of Blake…" He sighed and looked at their friend.

"It's been weeks. Can't he get over a little fight or something?" Blake said with a tone of mockery.

"Oh for…" Jim sighed. "You know, I'm not going over this again."

It was time to garner their attention. Chris wasn't sure how to do it in the most effective possible way, so he had to improvise. He decided to feign a fallover, forcing his metal parts to bang into the ground, which would certainly create some noise. Of course, those three might not be the only ones who take notice, but in this case, it simply meant that Chris would have more witnesses to spread the word of the horror that happened at Freddy's. The animatronic tripped over his own leg and fell to the ground, unleashing a very loud clank, immediately noticing some people in the cafe outside turning their heads towards him.

"Jesus, what the fuck was…" Blake raised his head and looked at Chris, immediately going silent. Their eyes met for a moment, and this was enough. "What the…Guys, look." He pointed at Chris for both Lamar and Jim to see, all while the animatronic stood up, trying to pretend as if he simply ignored them.

"M…Mike?" Lamar whispered in disbelief.

"Shit, it's him!" Jim spoke up, unable to hold back the shock.

Chris heard the three of them stand up, all while their gazes were wet and focused on him as if he were an exotic, mythical creature. In some ways, this was truly the case. They followed as Chris sped up and walked towards the restaurant's doors. Oh, this fun and welcoming place…The last time he was here, those three took utmost joy in making him cry in pain and shame. Blake was the worst of them. He was a pure sadist who liked to see Chris shiver and weep…Today, those bullies will know how it feels to beg for the nightmare to stop, only for tormentors to continue, all for the sake of entertaining themselves. Finally, he will have his revenge today.

Chris opened the door.

What he saw reminded him of how differently he perceived the restaurants once. His eyes were clouded by seeing colorful walls and projectors above the stage. The main trio would sing their songs with an audience of ten or so happy children. Running around and playing their games, the lucky souls…Why could they still do it while he and Lily had to suffer day after day? Were those children somehow better? Did they deserve more? Perhaps it was time to make peace with the fact that life never cared for fairness. All of those children, all their parents, and guards would see the gruesome murder Chris was about to commit…He would've lied if he said that this thought did not hurt. Chris knew he would never kill anyone innocent, but even witnessing something so cruel would leave them scarred for life. The boy wasn't proud of it, but he wasn't willing to retreat, either. If only…

"Just let him play with his favorite character! Why are you putting them up and then don't even allow children to come close!?" The voice of an angry woman echoed from the Pirate Cove. Chris wouldn't have paid any attention to it, but then he heard him…

"I don't want to repeat myself, ma-am; it's dangerous to let your son too close to Foxy. We've added the red lines for a reason." A tired yet still commanding voice responded, forcing Chris to immediately turn his head around and stare at a man in a purple suit arguing with the persistent woman. There could be no mistake about him…It was his dad. The one he hoped would descend and help him get out, the one who was so close to Chris's he'll but never realized he was suffering…The one who killed his best friend. He will witness Chris's return, as well. The boy couldn't answer the question of whether he felt hatred or a fractured sense of love towards his father. Even after all he did, he still found himself yearning for his comfort.

"But what will that thing even do? Bite the kids?"

"Accidents do happen…" William would've said something else, but his gaze finally slid towards Chris. For a moment, he stood there, frozen and shocked; his eyes didn't move, not even slightly.

"What are you looking at?"

"Hold on a moment." William cut her off before taking a step towards Chris. One step followed by another, making the boy watch in a state of consistent mesmerization. It has been a long, long time…

At this point, Dad ran towards him, making Chris raise his hand up and reach out. Father would know the truth, he would understand why Chris had to do what he did, and perhaps, he would help…Perhaps.

"Mike?" Father said in disbelief, making Chris immediately recoil. Of course…That's whose face he saw, but with every step he took, the less human Chris's pretense seemed to him. There was no way around this. Chris realized it now, and he had no time to think about changing his plan. Too late to talk. "Is it…Is it really you? But I thought…" His lips quivered in disbelief. Genuine happiness and bliss danced in his eyes, an emotion Chris had rarely seen on his face in the last few years. Alas, they did not remain there for long. William's steps slowed, and more and more people turned their heads in his direction, watching this pitiful family reunion. This wasn't the show Chris intended, but he found himself in the middle of it now. But he wasn't the only one who realized the poisonous nature of it. The dread that emerged in their father's eyes reminded Chris that while William might have become malicious, he was never a fool. It wouldn't take long for him to differentiate a real human from a grotesque imitation of one. Perhaps it was the color of his eyes that gave it away or the broken, scattered movements?

"What…What are you?" Father spoke as he stood close to Chris, looking directly into his robotic, lifeless eyes and expressionless face. He only now noticed that his father had a gun on him… "And what have you done to Mike?" Now, his voice sounded outright furious, even if still quiet. He caused him and Elizabeth immeasurable pain by killing another member of their family. As for father's question…Chris wasn't sure what he was at this point. Whoever descended into the depths of the facility came back as another person, the one who was sick of offering mercy and understanding.

Their short time together was swiftly interrupted by doors opening from behind.

"Look, here he is!" Blake shouted as Mike saw him and the other two teenagers in the mirror.

"Mike?" Jim said with suspicion as he walked towards him slowly. "So now you decide to show up?"

"Thank god!" Lamar exclaimed with relief. "Where were you all this time? I feared the worst!"

"Stand back." William's stern voice interrupted the three of them, immediately diverting their attention towards him. "This isn't Mike!"

Oh, how right he was. Now, all of them were in his range. He could plunge his metallic claws into the all. All it took was some simple trickery…Chris hated the fact that he still hesitated. Those were awful, horrendous people inside a restaurant created by the forces of evil. There could be no regrets. He hated all of them…He wanted to make them pay.

In the next moment, Chris let out a piercing scream, immediately causing Father and all the teenagers to recoil while all other visitors were frozen in horror. He stood on his four limbs, an abomination that did not even pretend to be human any longer.

"Oh my god!" A terrified woman screeched from one of the tables, but they didn't see anything yet.

Chris plunged his nails into the flesh that covered his head and ripped it like paper. What was once Michael Afton's face became nothing more than that remnant of torn skin. There was no blood, no bones, only metal wires that comprised Chris's new body. He didn't stop then; Chris wanted to tear this pretense apart like a rotting disease. He saw horrors like those while he was still a defenseless child. He wanted others to see them too, to know the pain…Finally, he unveiled his true self, a disfigured monster. Chris felt like a god…Everything stopped. All joy that filled this place a few moments ago was gone in an instant, and even the echoing singing of the animatronics sounded like a fading echo drowned out by terror. Children screamed and cried, and adults shook and tried to protect them from seeing something so grotesque. Some tried to escape directly through the windows, and some fell to the floor, consumed by their convulsions and panic attacks. They saw a demon from Hell…An image that will forever be engraved in their minds.

Those that live past this day. He looked around and stared at his three victims. They looked like they were about to beg.

"Open fire!" William's shaking voice echoed in Chris's mind as he realized that guards surrounded him, ready to fire at will. They were brave; they must have been among those who knew the true nature of the animatronics. Did this mean they were guilty? Chris was too focused on his primary victims to care.

"What the fuck, what the…" Jim recoiled and trembled.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Lamar let out a piercing screech as the animatronic's shadow fell upon him.

"Run!" Blake shouted and charged towards the door. Chris hissed and followed him. He couldn't allow a pest like Blake to get out. This was when the guards opened fire upon Chris, as well, but he expected it. The few bullets they shot without fearing to harm other people, but Chris evaded all of them with extreme precision. He pushed Blake and Jim aside and leaped towards the now-closed pizzeria door. No one was going to leave until he allowed it. Once again, he saw his victims cowering and screaming, looking at the face of an unpredictable fiend, ready to make a predator's move.

Blake was the first one to run. He did it so quickly that even Chris couldn't even react in time. Blake ran into Lamar, pushing his friend aside so hard that he fell down on his knees right to the floor.

"Run for your lives!"

His screams were music to Chris's ears, but to chase him would mean letting other victims leave. He would have to try and get all of them. Chris rushed towards Lamar; the poor teenager crawled towards the nearest wall with his body shaking uncontrollably and tears swelling in his eyes.

"P…Please…Don't…Please don't do this! P…PleAAARGH!" Lamar let out a petrifying screech as Chris's metal claws pierced his neck. One precise scratch made his victim cough in agony as blood poured from his torn neck. He shook in chaotic convulsions as his eyes became red. Sharp movements that became slower, slower, and slower…Finally, he paid for what he did.

Chris turned towards Jim; the other teenager was just as cornered near the opposite wall. He stared at Lamar's bloodied corpse, unable to move an inch. He would follow his friend soon…Chris rushed towards him and raised his metal arm. It felt cathartic to have power over them…They wouldn't laugh at him any longer. All he needed was just one more strike. But when he raised his hand to kill another of his bullies…

Chris realized that he couldn't move his hand.

…

It stopped.

The monster stopped.

William watched the rogue animatronic barge into the restaurant under the guise of his son. He wanted to believe that Mike had truly returned, that despite everything that told Will otherwise, he was still alive and had decided to reunite with his father…But the moment it began to tear its skin off, what seemed like an example of mundane reality quickly turned into a nightmarish fever dream. Even though he clung to his firearm and pointed it at the endoskeleton, William still felt powerless. He watched as the monster evaded each and every bullet and then cut open the throat of a teenager right in front of William's eyes.

Amidst all this chaos, William couldn't let go of one thought, still clinging to the pistol with his shaking hands. The grotesque mechanism that unveiled itself before him was made out of the same wires that William used for Funtime animatronics, even if this one looked far more broken and messy than anything William had ever made. It was something one could realistically make from the mess he found in the bunker, but who was behind this amalgamation? What vengeful soul did all of this? Perhaps it didn't really matter…This freak killed Mike and took his face, and it deserved to pay. But then he saw the shivering animatronic turn around. Why didn't it strike? Another teen was within his grasp, and he clearly attempted to kill him just moments ago, but then his hand simply stopped…William could feel his soul being torn apart between rage and confusion. He saw the remaining teenager run in horror, and the animatronic simply stared into his eyes again.

"F…" A broken, distorted voice echoed from his dynamics for the very first time. "Fa…" This voice was familiar. It couldn't be. "Father…"

How was this possible?

…

When Chris regained control, wrestling it from the mysterious force that forced him to stop when he was about to enact justice, he remembered being in fear. All the strength and confidence that he had gone in a moment of power loss that fate enforced upon the boy. He thought that once he got out of the facility, there would be nothing to stop him, nothing to take away his freedom away from him.

"Father…"

He wasn't the one who said it; the one who stole his body was. Chris couldn't see his targets, but he heard the echoes of bullets scratching his metal skeleton. He only wanted to run.

Chris shattered the nearest window, desperately yearning to jump into the shadows. Away, away, as far away as possible from this chaos, from those evil, cruel people, from his father…Run free, shedding human skin, no longer needing to pretend. Yet, no matter how far he ran, he still felt this corrupting presence inside of him.

"I am still here."

Mike.