The beginning of the last quarter of Act 2, "Wrath and Ruin"

...

William Afton will forever retain a vivid memory of this moment.

A moment when he rushed deep into the nearby forest and towards the lake with a pistol in his hand. He was not the one to cry, yet on that day, tears streamed down his eyes as if finally breaking free after two years of living in fear and shame after losing one person he cared for after another after his life became a nightmare without end.

The court's decision was harsh and unforgiving as it deemed William unfit to raise a child. They took Elizabeth away from him, made her an orphan, and allowed her no choice. All Will could do was to stand there and listen as they damned him to forever bear this mark of shame, and it stung because he knew they were right. He was neglectful, even abusive when it came to Mike. Perhaps it was a deserved punishment. But why did it have to come now? Now, when he finally got an opportunity to make things better…He couldn't win, no matter how hard he tried.

For a moment, he thought it was easier to simply end it. As William stood on the edge, barely able to continue the struggle, he remembered putting the pistol up to his head, still consumed by his tears. One pull of the trigger and it will be the end of his pain, the end of his burden and responsibility…Whatever awaits him after death, at least he wouldn't have to make any more choices that tore what was left of his soul apart. He fell on his knees, felt his hands shaking, screamed through his tears as he looked at the rising pale moon, cursed his life, cursed Alison, cursed and everyone around him.

But he did not pull the trigger.

He was broken, and he could never put himself back together.

But there was something else William could still do, to turn all the pain and hatred that festered within him towards Fazbear Inc. To end his life now would be a coward's way out, a way to run from the hell he was living in and subject himself to the true hell beyond mortal reach…And William had no doubt that if it existed, he'd go to hell; there was no other way for him after the sins he committed. He wasn't looking for forgiveness or atonement. He just wanted to fight for his daughter. His desire to enter an eternal sleep was nothing compared to his will to save Elizabeth. She knew she wasn't safe; she knew that her own father lied to her and hid the truth. She would not be able to live like this, constantly hurting and afraid. It was William's responsibility to live for her and to make sure that her nightmare ends, and now William knew that this freedom would never be achieved by obedience.

He swore to do it on that day. Even if he wound up killed by Alison's vile servants or tossed into a cell by police, if they found out the sins William concealed, it was worth a try. It was worth to save Elizabeth. William's stomach churned at the thought of giving yet another empty promise to his daughter and ending up failing it miserably, not anymore. He visited the orphanage to talk with her before beginning his chaotic 'quest.' William naively believed that it would allow both of them to feel some genuine relief. Perhaps it helped her and gave some closure, but for William, it felt like a burden heavier than any other. A chance to finally free himself and Elizabeth, finally being able to tell her the truth safely and free her from the horror of this never-ending tragedy. At least he could trust her not to tell anyone about his plans.

Plans that began with a note that he left in his house before abandoning it for good, a note that would convince most that he decided to end his life. Alison's agents might suspect something, prompting William to stay careful, but other people would not question it. He was an antisocial, grieving father suffering from alcohol addiction and the loss of his wife and two sons. CPS taking his daughter away from him would be the final straw for anyone.

People would look at that note and see the final words of a dead, despairing man, an end to his story. In truth, it would be a new beginning. A beginning both inspired by the example Henry set and avoiding the repeat of his mistakes. Will did his best to prepare, even though it took time. Change of appearance, surgery, and forging documents, all of which he could only do by going to the underworld and working with the people who would otherwise be considered scum. They also told him many rumors about Lockjaw and his servants; one of William's acquaintances even mentioned seeing Lynda investigate. None of them truly knew what their fares were, of course, but they still could help bring them the justice they deserved by furthering William's goals.

And, of course, he now had another name.

This was the name under which William finally left Hurricane, following the rumors about a new restaurant Fazbear Inc. was seeking to establish in the town of New Harmony, transferring all of their resources there. Did Alison plan for this to become their new center of operations, away from Hurricane? It was a small, remote town where the company's reputation was not stained by all the horrible tragedies that surrounded it. If Alison or any other member of his crime syndicate was there, William would find them and burn down everything they tried to build.

It was a simple, quiet town, it gave William a lot of time to relax and ponder, to prepare and make his next steps. People around New Harmony were very welcoming. Even if William himself wasn't too eager to socialize, he was thankful for their warmth and acceptance. Perhaps once it's all over, he and Elizabeth would move to a small town like this to have a breather and at least a few years of peace. As for now…They welcomed the opening of a new restaurant despite its dark past, but William knew that bringing the Fazbear franchise here would ruin any chance at continuing to live in peace. It was up to him to save them from the same fate people of Hurricane suffered through.

It was a small restaurant, much smaller than the old ones; Fazbear's budget must have been running low. Perhaps even Alison's colleagues refused to sponsor it, seeing the failure other restaurants turned into. The only way to know what was happening behind its doors was to join them…Again. But this time, he would not be held back and would not be burdened by his attachment to his family. Nothing will stop him from reaching the truth.

It was time to know how Henry felt, to face this filthy, decaying company and the souls it still imprisoned. All that was needed was a successful interview.

"Welcome to the family, Mr. Dave Miller."

…

"Today's another journey; today is fun and games! Oh please, stay, stay with us, we'll give you your best day!"

You, the salvation Liam hoped for, never came. Instead, he and his friends only heard silence. Meeting his father and realizing that he spent all this time looking for him and trying to learn more about the horrors they went through was something ripped straight from Liam's most hopeful dreams. He promised he would get them out and said that he had made a deal with the monsters that chained him.

But he never saw his father again. It was day after day of endless waiting, of him and his friends growing quieter and slowly losing their hope. Jack was still reeling with fury, now wishing to speak with Liam after he stopped him from attacking the night guard, who turned out to be Henry. Jessica and Gabriel, meanwhile, were too tired and simply wanted this to end.

But there was no end to be found.

When the restaurant closed, the workers came for Liam and his friends. They deactivated the animatronics and took them away. Liam remembered the darkness before his eyes and his futile hope that this was finally the end.

But soon, he opened up his eyes again only to see another pizzeria, another stage he was confined to. A much smaller, dirtier place, the one that felt broken and abandoned even though it wasn't even open yet. He recognized the posters from all around the old location, however, as he did a carousel, the pirate cove, and a couple of stage lights. They wanted to salvage all there was left.

His friends were here, too. All the animatronics were moved here. Liam was on the stage along with Gabriel and Jessica while Jack rested in the pirate cove. There weren't any visitors, at least not yet. The animatronics simply stood in their places over endless days, only allowed to walk around at night. Liam wasn't sure why they still had this ability; the most he could gather was from overhearing a conversation from the coming workers. They said that roaming during the night would make the animatronics more durable, and their parts would rust slower due to regular activity.

Standing or walking, all Liam could think about was his father's disappearance. He didn't know if he was dead or alive, but there wasn't much point in clinging to any hope. All he remembered was that Henry wasn't alone. William Afton, their jailer, was there as well. He was the one who spoke of all the promises and opportunities if only his father complied. He already abandoned Liam and his friends once, and he knew that he and his 'friends' were responsible for harming his dad, perhaps even killing him. And then he came to their new pizzeria.

"Welcome to the family, Mr. Dave Miller."

It wasn't him…At least at first sight. It was another man, a slim, pale, and utterly unremarkable, who became the new night guard. The sense of familiarity was present here, as well, but it was very different from the warmth and hopefulness being near father brought him. This one carried a trail of deceit, manipulation, and betrayal, the same one Liam felt every time William descended into the bunker and passed by them. A scent that rotted every month, giving way to disgust and fear. Even with a different face, his presence was unmistakable. He was still walking free while Liam's dad was gone forever. It wasn't often that Liam yearned for revenge against anyone, but this was an exception. They didn't know if he was the murderer, but he was the man who locked and made them succumb to this pitiful existence, tricked Liam's dad…This was more than enough.

And even more than that, Liam's friends felt exactly the same. They felt his presence, too. They knew it was Afton. And as their cries of vengeance and desire for justice echoed in Liam's ears, he could feel a shadow of relief.

Finally, the four of them were of one mind.