Father…

Father…

Father…

This single word circled in William's mind without end, not stopping for a single second. This was all he could think about since the animatronic disappeared, leaving him in a restaurant full of horrified people and a single corpse. All of this seemed unimportant, just like Alison's horrified rage when he heard of the murder and the impending downfall of the last major Fazbear Inc. establishment at the moment, leading to the darkest days it has seen yet. All of those were temporary concerns, not when the question of who it was that William witnessed today still loomed over his head.

He knew who the voice reminded him of, no matter how distorted and broken it was. It was Mike's voice. He didn't know how it was possible, but if he was the one who descended to the bunker during the night, Funtime animatronics got destroyed…Whatever he saw today was born that night. Perhaps it mimicked Mike's voice to confuse William? But then, why would he do that? He had an opportunity to kill another teenager; no one would've been able to stop him in due time. This creature was an enigma beyond anything William had ever seen.

He was only certain of one thing…He will never forget seeing it tear Mike's skin away like it was some inconvenience. How it mutilated what remained of his oldest, all for the sake of killing more and more. Yet another image to haunt William's nightmares…

He heard a quick knock on the door of his office that immediately interrupted Will's dreadful stream of thought. His first instinct was a desire to tell whoever was on the other side to leave him alone; he realized that it could be someone important coming to question him about the incident. It was impossible to hide anymore; all of Hurricane would know about the mechanical animatronic, a 'rogue AI' as they might call it, something straight from pages of fictional novels coming to terrorize the town. No one would assume it had anything to do with souls or the supernatural, and it would be for the best.

"Come in." He said coldly and watched the door open. "You?" One person he did not expect to turn up so early was Henry Emily.

"Hello…"

"It's not your shift yet; what are you doing here?" William raised his eyes and looked at him with suspicion. "I am…Not in the position to continue our previous discussion yet."

"I didn't come to talk about that." Henry sighed and shook his head. "It's just that I heard about what happened; it's been all around all the news…"

"Come to gloat and say that this is the inevitable conclusion of trying to control the supernatural? Something along those lines?" William had no patience left in him at all.

"I…I've thought about it, but I honestly didn't plan on bringing this up. Can I take a seat?"

"I suppose." William shrugged uncaringly and pointed at the nearby spare seat.

"So, I just wanted to say…I'm sorry." Henry took a deep breath before taking a seat. "I didn't know your oldest son was involved in it and what this…The thing did to him." Was he trying to manipulate William? To get under his skin? To make a puppet out of him and use his personal tragedy to advance his and Gron's plan? So many possibilities and William was close to falling for it. Or perhaps he could just be… "I still remember how I felt when I lost Liam…It seemed like the end of everything, the end of my life, and in some ways, it was. I knew that it was not a feeling I'd wish on my worst enemy; no one deserves to go through this…"

"Huh…" William chuckled, once again allowing himself a moment of introspection.

"You may not believe me, but I'm serious; I want to express my condolences," Henry reassured him.

"No, I understand, just a…Thought." William realized that after encountering so many lies and manipulations from people around him and all those he performed himself, he did not even consider the possibility that Henry's sympathies could be genuine, even though he understood what William felt; both of them lost a child.

"If you need any help with organizing the funeral…"

"I'll manage…First Chris, now Mike…" There was no point trying to deny it; Mike was dead. His oldest son was dead, and William not only could not prevent it but also actively pushed him away and into the conditions that employed him to make the choice he made and get into this bloody game. "When I stood over my wife's grave, I swore that I would protect our children…And you know what's funny? At the time, I truly believed that I would. That I could. That I would make her death…Not be for nothing." He clenched his fist, tears coming close to his face. Henry and he may never have been close friends, but they were bonded by their tragedy and loss, the strongest bonds that could ever be made.

"I know it wasn't your choice to assist Alison in his insanity…I'm sure you tried your best." This sympathy…It was nothing. It meant nothing.

"I thought I gave everything for them, thought that I could take all of this…Filth myself and not allow it to reach them! I believed…And still, it wasn't fucking enough!" William shouted, channeling his soul's cries directed at the universe that drowned him. By this point, he could no longer hide his shameful tears from Henry. He knew that Mike didn't survive, but there was still hope, as faint as it was, and today, all of it was crushed forever. He was exhausted by the misery of his life, always on the brink of a breakdown and collapse; Henry's company was the last push that was needed for him to descend into the pathetic failure that he was. Tired of walking the path that would not stop bringing him pain and despair…All of this only to be met with the very same tragedy he wanted to prevent. He was a broken man who could no longer pretend to have any hope, and Henry was here to watch him succumb to despair.

He knew how it felt.

…

Sometimes, Elizabeth envied people who could enjoy loneliness…Though perhaps they truly just enjoyed the solitude.

She couldn't live alone, couldn't feel any joy alone. Not when she remembered how wonderful and exciting her life was when her family was still around, still happy and unburdened by their arguments, hate, and spite…The more time she spent alone in the Afton household, the more she would worry and fear about Daddy and Mike. Daddy didn't come home until it was very late, and even though it helped Elizabeth grow more independent and self-sufficient, she couldn't let go of both fear and desperate hope that it would get better, if not sooner, than someday…Daddy would be happy again.

She wished she could distract herself, somehow, to think of something else, but even trying to watch her favorite cartoon, her favorite storyline, would only force her back into the loop about thinking about her family.

What else was there to do?

She tried to watch the news, hoping that she would be able to distract herself there…But all she heard was the pressing voice that spoke with an echoing uncertainty that he tried to mask as firmness and confidence in his voice.

"Attention, citizens of Hurricane! This is very important. We must regretfully inform you that for the time being, the streets are not safe to traverse, especially at night or in secluded areas. This morning, a murder occurred in the famous "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza" restaurant. All witnesses claim that the creature that murdered a young man by the name of Lamar Jones and attempted several other murders without a seeming pattern was not human. Most agree that it looked mechanical yet highly advanced, on par with the animatronics of the mentioned restaurant, though Alison Bairren, the owner of the restaurant, denied any responsibility or knowledge. We were able to construct a representation of how the anomaly looked based on the witnesses' accounts and scarce video tapes that were recovered."

The slim creature was made of wires, looking like a nightmarish version of an endoskeleton.

"The creature was dubbed 'Ennard' by authorities; it escaped and hasn't been spotted since. Its behavior is wildly chaotic and unpredictable; it has proved agile and resistant to firearms. Here are the guidelines on how to stay safe while the anomaly is still on the loose and until it is captured or destroyed. Try to avoid going outside and stay within the confines of crowded areas at all times. If you see something that looks like the creature in our reconstruction or even something mechanical roaming the city freely, leave the area immediately. Try to do it slowly and attract as little attention as possible unless you know that the creature saw you, then run. When at home, close all of your windows and make sure that there is as little of an opportunity to access it as possible. Avoid making excessive sounds that might attract the anomaly. If you see a human that moves unnaturally and lacks a change in their facial expression, leave the area immediately. The anomaly is able to mask itself under human skin. We know this as before unveiling its true form, it sneaked into the pizzeria where he murdered Jones wearing the scalped skin of his only other confirmed victim, Michael Afton. The only connection between the two victims is their similar age and their friendship, as well as participation in the notorious incident at 'Fredbear's Family Diner' dubbed 'The Bite of 87'. We will keep you updated about any other actions the anomaly performs and any new incidents. Thank you for tuning in; we appreciate your viewership."

Elizabeth stared at the screen with her eyes wide open as she saw her brother's face appear on the screen, the 'anomaly's' first victim. She didn't remember if she cried, only that she felt like a pathetic fool.

It would not get better.

But it will always get worse.

…

All Chris knew was his need to escape.

Even his desire to kill the remaining bullies paled before his fear of his own essence, a fear that he couldn't process without running as far away as possible and trying to compose himself in a safe environment. He knew what was going on, even if he refused to accept it at first. The force that took hold of him and forced the animatronic to stay his hand off Jim was a separate entity that clung to Chris's new body, just the outcome he thought about during his wanderings, even if he never truly expected it to come to this. Mike was still here, attaching his soul to the same body that Chris took hold of. The boy remembered how Dr. Stein used to investigate this phenomenon in his attempts to understand whether more than one soul can be successfully housed within an animatronic. The conclusion he supported was that it was possible, but there will always be a dominant soul, the one that prevails in a struggle for control and dominance. The thought of losing his complete control so soon after he gained it terrified Chris.

As he sought refuge, he dared to climb the walls of a small house, praying that no one would see him through their windows. Wherever he went, Chris couldn't feel alone. He sensed Mike's overbearing shadow always following in his footsteps. When he ran quicker, Mike ran quicker, as well. He was always only one step behind, and there was as much of a chance to escape him as it was for Chris to escape himself.

"For god's sake, just stop for a fucking moment!" Mike's angry and decisive voice pierced Chris's mind when he stood atop the room. Each word felt like a powerful anchor that dragged the boy behind, forcing him to fall to the ground and drown in it as if it were an all-consuming ocean. "We need to talk!" He fought, making Chris shake and slow down. Every time the boy had to move his hands or legs, it came to him with agonizing resistance from the soul that corrupted him.

"You…You should be dead!" Chris answered in his robotic voice.

"I am dead!" The teenager's voice grew even more annoyed in his head. The apologetic and fearful nature that Mike displayed underground was replaced with a rebellious spirit that was always at his core. When he argued with father, when he fought against the Funtime animatronics, and now this desire and firmness grew thrice as powerful. "I am just not gone yet…And neither are you!"

"You should be gone; this is my body! I can do what I want, it's…It's not yours!" Chris screamed with a poisonous mix of rage and sheer terror, feeling the weakness slowly consume him. Mike wouldn't give up. Chris knew him too well to even think of that, and he was already feeling the drain.

"You were about to go on a fucking murder spree!"

"You…Did you know what I was up to?" Chris's voice trembled.

"I could see everything you do, just…I couldn't do anything until I saw what you did to Lamar, and then…I just wanted to stop you so much that I…" His voice lacked any confidence; he was just as confused as Chris. Looks like another of Stein's theorems was proved correct; Mike's desperate desire to save his friends made his soul stronger and eventually allowed him to take control for a moment.

"I wouldn't have killed anyone except them…They were the ones that killed me! It's fair; I'm giving them what they deserve!"

"Deserve? You didn't see them afterward…" Mike said with a pained tone, getting more emotional with every moment. "Do you know how much it haunted Lamar? He would always think about it, would apologize at every opportunity…"

"He just hated getting caught!"

"He took pills, Chris, pills!" Mike shouted in the boy's mind. "Blake might have been a fucking asshole about this, but Jim and Lamar regretted it…Lamar especially. And you killed him!"

"He should've thought about it earlier. I don't care if he felt sorry…" Chris stuttered. "It won't help me live again…Nothing will!"

"And what did killing him help?"

"At least now we're even…Just like I'm even with you." Chris said with spite. He still wasn't sure what to feel. He couldn't call killing Mike and Lamar joyous; it still filled him with a certain sense of disgust at his own sick and twisted self. But he did get joy from feeling a sense of justice that he brought out on them, a sense of control and dominance.

"I…" Mike paused for a moment.

"What? Want to say how angry you are at me for killing you? You begged me not to do it! Will you say it's undeserved, too?"

"What's done is done, I…I was the one that killed you. That whole idea, that sick fucking prank, it was mine! You should've left them out of this; they are my friends!"

"Pick better friends, then!" Chris scoffed. "I won't stop…I will kill Jim and Blake, too! They must be scared after seeing me; I will give them all the reason!"

"You're obsessed…Don't you see that we both have a bigger enemy? Fazbear Inc. has our father shackled; they made you suffer, made all of us suffer!"

"I will make them pay, too! Why do you think I decided to kill all your friends in their restaurant?"

"This won't be enough! Father must have tried to bring them down and see what it led to?"

"And what do you think I should do, then?"

"We should come back to father…Make him tell us all the truth. I am sorry I didn't believe you, Chris. I really am, but we can sort this out later! This body you made, it's strong; we can use it for good."

"And have him see us…Like this? Do you want to hurt him and Lizzy even more?" Chris protested.

"They've been hurt enough, and it will only get worse if we just stand aside and do nothing; how can you not understand that?!" Mike's rage returned into his voice. "Listen…Please, give me control of this animatronic; I know what we can do to stop this insanity."

"And…What will happen to me?"

"You can rest for a while until Father finds a way to separate us, and I have no doubt that he will. He didn't earn his reputation for nothing."

"Well…" To give Mike control, to allow him to make choices for him. Why did Chris even consider this? Why did he still want to trust his brother after all that happened between them? The last time Mike made a choice for him, Chris's head got crushed by Fredbear's teeth. "I…"

"Come on, Chris, you know it's for the best!

"N…No!"

"What? I promise I won't hurt you; I swear on my…"

"NO!" Chris screamed in fear and rage as he forced his metal body to jump back a few meters. He won't allow Mike to take control, won't allow him to bury his soul underneath layers of metal, that would mean undoing everything Chris strived for ever since his death…Mike shouldn't have persisted; it was all a mistake. "Let me go!"

"No, I won't, not when what you're doing is fucking insane!" Chris choked, feeling his mechanical body raise a shaking hand, something that he didn't want to do and instead desperately resisted by trying to force his hand down. However, Mike's resolve only grew stronger with each passing second; his fire pained Chris and his unbound desire saw no end to his pursuits. "Free me…Or I will free myself!" Mike shouted, making the metal hand pierce Chris's torso, clawing deep into the wires that made the animatronic. One more second, and he would start to rip out his parts in an attempt to weaken Chris's influence.

"Stop, now!" Chris let out a furious hiss and forced the hand away from his chest in a temporary moment of regaining control. For a moment, he felt like he was winning and pushing Mike's soul back into his subconscious, but the naive feeling of success ended up being greatly premature. Now Mike tried to exert his control in the animatronic's legs, making Chris walk back, taking step after step and becoming quicker with every second. It was as if someone tried to chain him once again, just like Alison or Dr. Stein, those evil people who didn't care for the well-being of their 'test subjects .'Mike showed his true face once again…Chris knew that he made the right call in everything he had done up to this point. His brother deserved to pay, deserved to suffer. And yet, he was more powerful of the two, bringing Chris closer to his inevitable failure with every passing second. "This is my life…MY LIFE!"

"Chris, I don't want to do it, but you're forcing me!" Mike responded with a shameful sense of regret in his voice, which nevertheless did not make him slow down on his dreadful advance. He raised the animatronic hand again, this time aiming directly at their head…A little more, and he will ruin Chris's body, stripping him of the chance to get revenge and perhaps even free his soul, releasing him to another world. A world where he will have no compassion or forgiveness, as he was forever stained with the blood of those he killed. This nightmare would never end, and escaping it meant never falling asleep again; Chris was more than willing to always keep his eyes open.

He leaped off the roof into the secluded alley beneath them, caught in a free fall and forcing a temporary shutdown.