Henry cursed himself for not realizing it sooner. A couple of uninterrupted nights were enough to give him a naive belief that Alison and his company were truly willing to simply let him continue to work among them. But of course, this was but the calm before the storm, and now Henry found himself right in their hands. Standing between William and Alison along with his armed thug squad. Of course, resistance was pointless, and everyone in the room understood that. All Henry could do was sigh and follow his captors in silence, bracing himself for the haunting mystery that awaited him in only a few hours.

They took him to the car, just like Alison said, and forced him to take a seat. Henry didn't know where they were taking him, but he decided to go through this ordeal with dignity and not show any weakness. A madman like Alison would no doubt love to see him grovel, and denying him this opportunity was the only goal that could keep Henry even remotely sane. He stayed silent during their journey, and surprisingly, neither Alison nor Will tried to push him into conversation. They were silent, too, as if anticipating whatever they'd prepared for Henry. It must have been some sick trap or punishment; perhaps they would turn him into one of their test subjects? The possibilities were endless.

They brought him to the abandoned building of "Fredbear's Family Diner," which Fazbear Inc. now used as a warehouse.

"Follow me. I have quite a spectacle to show you." Alison left the car and beckoned for Henry to follow him.

"If you're going to force me to go through your madhouse, can't you at least be transparent?" Henry's spiteful voice echoed from behind.

"Just do what he says." Will stood up. "Those who irritate him don't end up well off."

"See, at least someone understands!" Alison smiled, leaving Henry no choice but to follow. "While this place might no longer bring us any income, it still houses one of my greatest secrets. No doubt it's the one that Lockjaw wanted you to uncover."

"What, how do…"

"Don't pretend not to know. Will told me about you…How brave of you to claim that this foolish operation is entirely your idea, but it is pointless. I know who your true master is, and truth be told, I have a lot to tell about him."

"Surprise me, then."

"All in due time, Mr. Emily, all in due time," Alison reassured him as they approached the remote room filled with spare parts. The businessman approached the wall, dialing up some code on a set of nine pressable tiles, just like Lockjaw told him. Eventually, the wall in front of Henry moved aside as it let out a strong metal sound and unveiled a lone elevator. This was it, the pathway to Hell Lockjaw mentioned, and now Henry was, but prisoners dragged down into the deepest pits by Satan and Mephistopheles. He took a deep breath and finally stepped inside the elevator along with his wardens. They began their descent together.

"So this is where the torture facility is."

"Not 'torture,' I prefer to call it scientific." Alison shook his head.

"Even if you kill me…" Henry tried to remain confident even though his voice trembled. "Someone will make you pay one day. Your business is crumbling. Soon, you will have no money to pay for your sick experiments."

"You underestimate my influence. Even without Fazbear Inc., I still have enough to rise again, perhaps open up another business, and perhaps do something else. I have allies all across Utah. They can cover much and more." Alison said with confidence, leaving the trio amidst another moment of haunting silence. "Shouldn't you rejoice, Mr. Emily? You came here to see the facility for yourself, to uncover all of our secrets…Well, here we are."

"I hoped to bring those secrets to the public…To bring all of you down."

"An idiotic goal you'll never accomplish. But what if I say that I can offer you something just as appealing?"

"Hah…" Henry couldn't help but chuckle. "You can't, don't even try."

"I only ask you to retain an open mind when we get to the point. Your choice will determine your family's fate."

"Family? What family? My wife abandoned me and Liam…You killed him, bastard. Maybe not directly, but I know it was your fault."

"You'll be surprised." Alison shook his head and turned away from Henry. Soon, the door before them opened, allowing him to witness the halls of the facility. Rusty, torn and ailing…The place that reeked of death and suffering of dozens of souls that met a cruel end in those walls, and Henry was about to end up among their number. "Come, Mr. Emily, we're almost there."

Alison brought him to a huge room at the end of the right hall, the one with glass windows covering half of its edges and unveiling some kind of observation chamber. It was filled with identical animatronics of dark brown color and vaguely human albeit very twisted and bastardized appearance. They stood in a row, lifeless and static, with their robotic eyes pointed to the floor. Henry felt hope and energy drain from his soul as if he were caught amidst a drought. There was something agonizing and grim about those monsters, something that annihilated all hope…

There was another man near the control panel, looking at the animatronics beneath with curiosity.

"Those devices are but a fraction of what our company had made," Alison spoke with twisted, malignant pride. He then pointed at a man in a white coat before him. "Ahem…I was expecting you to indulge our guest."

"Ah, yes, of course, apologies." He responded awkwardly and turned towards Henry. Alison continued to speak.

"This is Dr. Stein, and he runs our facility and research when I am busy with outside business."

"And you are?" Stein wondered. "Must be another poor fellow who decided to check out the safe room or something."

"You could say that." Henry sighed before taking a look at Alison once again. "So, care to get to the point? You didn't place me into any of those suits just yet…Should I be relieved or scared?"

"Quite relieved. I don't intend to make you our subject yet." The businessman said coldly. "I want to propose a deal." This was both surprising and incredibly insulting, making Henry try his best to hold back his seething rage.

"After what you've done to me, you dare to…"

"Please, Mr. Emily, don't interrupt," Alison said firmly. "As Mr. Afton and Dr. Stein can confirm, I am very fair and generous with my propositions. You do something for me. I do something for you. But first, I must regretfully inform you that all this time, you have been lied to and manipulated, and not by anyone from Fazbear Inc." Alison sighed, trying to feign concern and sympathy, but this ended up making Henry's disgust even more potent. He couldn't believe a word coming out of this snake's mouth; all of them were insidious lies that he told for his own benefit and nothing more. "Does the name 'Gron Takaliken' tell you anything?"

"Hm…Is this a trick question? Are you trying to get something out of me?"

"We already know all we need. If you need help, then so be it." Alison sighed. "That is the name certain few attribute to Lockjaw, correct?" So he knew…Perhaps there really was no reason to hide it.

"Yes…That's true."

"And I am happy to say that this is the truth. Before he took away my springlock suit and became the abomination you know, he was indeed Gron, a simple jester with some apparent mental issues who tried to work at many places, the last of them being my company. He saw this facility, and the knowledge drew him insane…"

"Do you think that any of this is surprising to me?" Henry crossed his arms. "I might not have known his name, but his past was more than clear from what he told me."

"He also was the man that killed your son."

Henry could feel the flow of life around him stopping this very moment as he remained standing amidst the room, frozen and mortified, staring into Alison's outright joyous gaze. His words were sharp and merciless, and he was cold while speaking them.

"W…What? You think I am going to believe this?!" Henry could no longer hold back if this is how the murderers tried to get him on their side. "Why would he do it? This…This is insane, it makes no sense!"

"Mr. Afton, would you be so kind?" Alison sighed and looked at William.

"Of course." The engineer nodded and stood beside Henry. "Yes, it's true that Alison hid Liam's death from the public, as well as those of the three children who died with him, but he never intended to kill them. While Gron was still a human, his derangement got the better of him, and I know this too well…He heard voices in his head and became obsessed with breaking free from Fazbear Inc."

"And why should I believe you when you don't even have any proof?"

"You are a smart man, Henry, so judge for yourself. You worked with Lockjaw and must have traced some of our more recent murders. Tell me, what do they have in common?" William said, making Henry ponder on the answer.

"You…You usually kill homeless children or those from the orphanage, I guess because their deaths will be easier to cover up…Which you also do." Henry said with spite and disgust in his voice. To think that those people treated those heinous acts in such a calm manner was one of the most grotesque sights Henry had to witness in his life.

"Missing Children Incident wasn't like that. Try to imagine it as a pre-planned murder. Children killed in broad daylight with them being easily traceable, children with families who would come and search for them…It was a stain on our reputation for almost a year to come." William spoke with belief and conviction. Henry wasn't sure if he was lying or trying to manipulate facts, but there was something about this that made his blood boil.

"Perhaps you weren't as good at planning effective murders in 1985…"

"Alison had plenty of subjects at the time. He knew how to operate effectively." William shook his head. "It would be simply too much trouble to go through for just four souls. But Gron had a perfect motive. He was desperate and willing to do absolutely everything to destroy Fazbear Inc., and what better way to destroy our reputation than murder?" Hypothetically, it made sense, but that would mean…Henry dreaded to think of the implications. "He killed four children in a springlock suit, which he had access to as an entertainer, and then stuffed them into newly-made animatronics so the police would find them. So they would investigate us and discover this facility. It almost worked, too…" William looked away for a moment. "And a deranged animatronic is not above lying to further his goals. So tell me, Henry, do you truly not see the connection here?"

"I…" Henry felt his hands shaking as he turned towards Alison. He has never felt so lost and powerless ever since Liam's disappearance. "Even if that is all true…You still denied Liam a proper burial! You're a vile company that is destroying our town, perhaps even our state."

"And who is easier to take revenge on? An organization with influence in multiple cities across Utah that covered your son's death, or a murderous, broken freak of nature, forced into a corner and desperately trying to fight back?"

"I…I don't believe you, I…"

"If you still need more convincing, then perhaps we should ask Liam for his opinion."

"What!?"

"You heard that right, Mr. Emily. We still possess control over his soul, and if you cooperate and help bring Lockjaw back to where he belongs…I promise that I will set your son free."

…

"Mom…I miss you. It's been so long since we spent time together, I worry, I feel so…So lonely. Please…Come back…Please."

Phantom echoes of Charlie's desperate pleas did not allow Lynda to sleep freely for months now. Every time she decided to take a break from her research, a thousand harrowing feelings itched her soul. Lynda believed she wasn't doing enough, that every second she spent on something other than her vendetta was delaying the reunion that both she and Charlie craved so much, delaying their chance to become a family again. She had to be in control every time, always take steps towards her ultimate goal, and never falter, no matter how hard it was.

She will have time to relax after the evil has been dealt with, assuming she retains any sanity at all. The fact that Lynda wasn't sure if she would be able to come out of this mess alive terrified her. Charlie needed his mother to be with him. Needed her by his side as he walked the path of life and built a future for himself. He will be all alone without her…And it will be Lynda's fault. Those were the thoughts that plagued her almost every night, leaving her even more tired than she was before. It was all a part of the same cycle.

But this night was different.

It didn't feel different at first. Lynda awakened again and sat on her bed, thinking of the future's uncertainty, finding herself caught in a pained prayer for herself and Charlie. They needed to meet again; they needed each other…All of her thoughts were unceremoniously interrupted when Lynda looked through the window that showed her house's enclosed garden. All she could do was stand and watch the hellish image that was unveiled at her very doorstep. Two mechanical creatures crawled over the fence and now stood on the grass right before the door. Two animatronics…One resembling the one she saw in the news a few days ago, another, a spitting image of how Lockjaw was portrayed in the graffiti.

"Lynda…" A robotic and broken yet still familiar and soothing voice echoed in her head. "We will not hurt you, I promise. I come here to talk to you about something that is long overdue, and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting…" This shame, this regret that nevertheless couldn't completely drown out the hopelessness in this voice. She knew who it reminded her of, and she knew why he came. There was no point in running.

Lynda grabbed her charged firearm and took a deep breath. It was time to face them. A moment she waited for so long, tried to seek Lockjaw out so many times to ask him a simple question led, all of this led her to this. There was just one question that she still needed to ask, even though Lynda felt like she knew the answer already.

She opened the door and walked into her garden, where the two animatronics awaited. For a moment, she had to ask herself whether all of this was still a dream, a continuation of her nightmare that served no other purpose than to taunt her with empty hopes and promises. She was about to wake once again, cold and alone in complete darkness without anyone at her doorstep…If she enjoyed two murderous animatronics coming to her, she must have fallen very low.

"Lynda…" Lockjaw stepped forward and looked into her eyes. Golden, dirty, and rotten…She thought she was ready for this before she stared into his eyes. Lynda saw that they were human. Few things could make her heart skip a beat, but seeing such a grotesque creature and feeling genuine comfort brought the tired woman to her limit. Perhaps she didn't need to ask at all. She simply knew all this time. "I've come to apologize for all I have done…Even though I know it's probably too late." Lockjaw looked down in shame.

"Don't apologize…" The woman tried to force words out of herself. "Just tell me the truth. Gron…Is it you?" Her voice trembled as Lynda felt tears emerge in her eyes. Silence. "Please…Just say something, don't just…"

"Yes, it's me." He answered. "It is what I have become two years ago and what I will remain until the end."

"All those months I…I wanted to see you, to find you, I…" Lynda looked down, feeling her body shake and ache. "And all I get is…God, I'm sorry, I should've realized earlier, I…"

"What's done is done," Lockjaw spoke in a soothing voice, trying to comfort the crying woman, although it did not help in the slightest; nothing could.

"And who is this, then?" She looked at the other animatronics. "I know he killed a teen…They called him Ennard in the news."

"Hello again, Lynda." The amalgamation responded in yet another familiar voice.

"Mike?"

"In the flesh…Well, not flesh, I suppose." That explained his disappearance after he went to the Afton's bunker, but at the same time, it raised a dozen more questions.

"He is with me," Gron reassured. "He suffered an unfortunate demise at the hands of his brother; now both of their souls are inside the same body."

"But his brother is dead, how…"

"It's a long story." Mike interrupted her. "And it doesn't matter now. It is what it is."

"How, Gron? Just, please, tell me how did this happen…How did you become him?"

"At the time, I simply wanted to die, and this suit happened to be the nearest option. I didn't know that it would grant me a new life, but it did. As to how it came to this…" Lockjaw paused for a brief moment.

And then he spoke.

Told everything from the beginning. Told about him and William following Alison into the underground facility and seeing the countless horrors he engaged in. Told about the contract and lies they had to tell, making all those times Lynda called Gron in an attempt to understand what was happening to him flash before her eyes like the tainted memories they were. Told of his madness and pretense, of the demonic voice in his head, of the fracture this caused between him and Will. Told her about the plan that he was about to enact in his attempt to kill Alison. And finally, he told her of his crime…Lynda drowned in her tears, feeling like a pathetic and broken wretch who placed her faith in a horrifying beast. He murdered them and stuffed their bodies into animatronics; he mutilated them to destroy Fazbear Inc. and free the Takaliken and Afton families from Alison and his organization.

"I wish it wasn't true, Lynda, I do. But after all you've gone through, truth is the least you deserve." Lockjaw said with a heavy voice, finally putting all the pieces of this puzzle together.

"You…" Lynda felt her hands shaking and her soul crying. "You monster! You…You killed those children! You murdered them in cold blood…All while knowing what you were doing. You evil, evil monster!" Her cries eventually turned into a screech as Lockjaw and Ennard continued to watch her in silence. Her legs shook, too, taking all strength from Lynda and making her fall to her knees.

"Lynda, please, I…"

"Get away from me!" She cried once again, trying to move away from the creature she once called her husband. "I hate you! Do you know how much I prayed for you? How I wanted you to come back to me all this time…I thought you were trying to help, that when you disappeared, you were fighting to protect the children and bring their kidnappers to justice, not…Not this!" A terrifying thought emerged in Lynda's mind. A thought that one day, Charlie would know about what his father did. The idealized image he built in his head will be shattered in an instant as he realizes that Gron is one of the worst kind of people there could be, a child murderer. A demon that looked her right in the eyes, the one she didn't want to see or think about any longer. She saw him reaching out his filthy, rotten hand towards her and recoiled in horror. "Don't touch me!"

"I do not ask for your forgiveness, just that you allow us to stay…My time to pay will come, but Alison's will come first."

"I…I don't want to see you in my house, neither of you! Stay in the garage if you must…" She said before beginning to limp back to the door, barely able to control herself after suffering an immense shock. "I wish you weren't him…I wish you weren't."