Chris barely escaped the pizzeria intact.

When all four animatronics under Foxy's leadership attacked him, they had enough power to tear him apart. The boy could feel them overpowering his body. It was just like when Mike and his friends overshadowed and mocked Chris ruthlessly; they certainly had fun making him beg. He might have lost some wires while escaping…

But he couldn't stand aside while they killed his dad, even after all he had done. Chris that the night guard was his father. he might not have looked familiar on the outside, but he had William's soul. It was easy enough to recognize Chris's father. He was always so tired and so pained during the last few years, growing more desperate with each day. This man had that exact aura.

But alas, Chris was never able to trace him after escaping. His father ran at the first opportunity, as Chris hoped he would, but as a result of this, Ennard lost his trace. He tried searching for Father over the next few days, but his presence was distant and still eluded him. Until finally, Chris sensed him again, once again in the pizzeria.

At first, Chris doubted it. His dad might have gotten desperate, but why would he return to a place where he nearly lost his life? Either way, Chris had no choice but to investigate.

By the time Ennard arrived at the restaurant, he was shocked to discover that much had changed since his last visit. He sensed some human presence across the restaurant, but strangely enough, this wasn't what caught his attention.

It was the animatronic parts scattered all around the hall. Freddy's cylinder, Foxy's hook, Chica's cupcake, Bonnie's guitar…So many limbs and wires from their bodies simply lay around in a scattered mess. Ennard could even see Foxy's head lying further down the corridor…Someone destroyed all of them.

Was it his father? This didn't seem like something done in self-defense. Chris continued on his path, slowly crawling on the ceiling and making his way towards the right hall. There were three men there, all of them armed but, for some reason, incredibly terrified; Chris could feel their horror.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, I can feel the stench from here…We aren't gonna take it out, right?" One of them spoke up.

"No, of course not. I'm not getting my hands dirty."

"Boss won't be happy if he hears about this…"

"I mean, he's occupied with other stuff last I've heard, maybe he doesn't have to know? Just dump this thing somewhere in the lake and pretend it never existed…And then say the suit got stolen, I guess."

Chris couldn't help but come closer, attempting to get a fitting vantage point. This fearful talk about the "thing" was enough to put him on edge, as memories of Lockjaw immediately emerged in his mind.

"Dump it? Are you insane? And what if someone finds it? What if the boss takes an interest?"

"Why would he? Not like this place can ever open after what that madman did to the animatronics."

"Calm down." The third man spoke for the first time. "Leave it to me; I'll make sure the news doesn't spread too much…Just don't all hysterical about that."

Finally, Chris looked through the gates that led to the safe room, the one where all the workers gathered. He finally saw what lay inside, and a single glimpse was more than enough to make Chris fall. A gruesome, torn, bloodied being, a sight that will forever stay in the boy's memory. Out of all the nightmares he saw, this one was by far the most terrifying. The presence that Chris sensed came from this…Being.

"What the…"

The trio turned around and saw Ennard. In a few moments, all of their weapons were pointed at him. He could've resisted, could've attempted to fight back, but what he saw was simply too much to bear. One shot, another.

Then darkness.

…

A day prior

For the first time since before seeing the facility, William Afton felt delighted to go to work. It was made all the more ironic considering how depressing the day felt with an avalanche of grey clouds and echoes of thunder emerging from time to time. It was a day of turmoil that reflected William's own perfectly. After leaving his post, he almost expected one of his colleagues to call him to inform him of his untimely termination, but nothing like this followed, allowing William an opportunity to come again. He arrived earlier than midnight to give himself some time to prepare…Luckily, the day guard was not too keen on maintaining his post, either. The building was completely empty. Today, it will become ruins along with all that's inside.

But first, William wanted to try and search one last time. The restaurant's safe room had something new delivered a few hours prior, and Will wanted to make sure there wasn't anything important, as well as test a certain theory.

He walked through the dining room with confidence, toying with a sharp axe in his hand. The animatronics were confined to the stage for now, but even when they were free, William would have an advantage, as their programming didn't allow them to enter the safe room. They will try, and Will will catch them by surprise.

As he passed near the stage, Will noticed Freddy slowly moving his eyes towards him, following his every step. His face couldn't display complex emotions, but Will knew he must have been curious, if not outright shocked, that he came back after the last night. Will paused for a moment and turned towards him.

"I know, know you're watching." He said coldly, making Freddy's gaze freeze on the spot. "Have a hard time sleeping, I suppose?" Will chuckled with amusement. After years of being a slave, he had one night to himself, the night when he didn't have to think of the consequences at all, a night to himself. This was exciting. "You must be preparing for the hunt…Well, as you can see, I'm not as defenseless this time." Will said with confidence before walking further towards the safe room. As an employee, he had access to it and everything it stored.

When William entered, all he could see was a couple of gaming machines covered in dust and having completely lost all their color and an entire suit. Will wasn't surprised. He heard warehouse workers talking about him, but seeing Spring, Bonnie still felt…Painful. A motionless, dark, and dirty yellow animatronic with his suit form unlocked, lifeless, and forgotten, unable to entertain anyone.

"Dad, help me!"

William shivered as he thought back to the day of the bite…Echoes of Chris's head crushing in Fredbear's jaw while this bunny stood nearby, continuing to perform as if nothing happened at all…A grotesque memory that will never leave William's mind. Worse yet, this was the memory that reminded him of a painful yet undeniable truth. He failed as a parent…As a father. He broke the promise he gave to Clara and wasn't there to save Chris and Mike from their deaths. He could never kneel at her grave ever again, knowing that he betrayed her trust. Only Elizabeth was left…And he will save her. He will.

Will searched the safe room thoroughly, not allowing everything to miss his sight. Every spare part, every machine, every single tile in the hope of finding at least some proof that there was another secret passage to Alison's new base…But in the end, it was nothing. This was a completely pale, undistinguished room with nothing of note. And any leads that William hoped to find in this place or even this town were dead ends…Just something to fuel his delusions that he can truly fight against Alison.

"Huh…" William smiled nervously. It was so pathetic that it was almost funny… "I leave my home…I leave my daughter to come here…After you stole my life away, I still dedicate what little I have left to you…" Will clenched his fist. "And in the end? It is all for nothing! A waste of bloody time, a fool's endeavor! You must be laughing from the shadows; you think you won, do you? Come on, then, gloat, you've earned the right! You wanted to break me, wanted to make me your slave…Take a fucking look!" William shouted into the void, unable to let the image of Alison leave his mind. William tossed his axe at the nearest wall in a fit of rage. Fazbear Inc. was like a poison…It corroded a person, took everything that he ever cared for away, and then simply left an empty shell to suffer the consequences. William understood how Gron felt now all too well…He wanted all of those freaks to die, too.

And soon, Will finally got an opportunity to unleash that anger of his. The bell chimed and marked midnight's arrival, the time when the four animatronics would regain their ability to walk. Freddy saw him coming, he heard his words…And he will come. William picked his axe up, preparing for a fight. The sound of heavy steps echoed from the hall, getting closer with every second. The animatronic approached, and he was alone by the sound of it.

After William looked through the open door between the safe room and the rest of the pizzeria, he saw Freddy. The bear animatronic traversed the halls, following in his target footsteps, only to now stand before an invisible wall. It was almost amusing, seeing him try to find his way inside in what must have looked like a dead end to him. William waited for the animatronic to try again until he finally gave up and turned around. This poor, confused child…William had no sympathy for them, not any longer. He will free them today, and what happens afterward was no concern of his. He will shatter their bodies and end Alison's only hope of restoration. It was only fair, considering who created them. They were William's gift to Alison, and now he was taking them back.

"Can't find your way, huh?" Will spoke, making Freddy freeze in the middle of the room for a moment. This surprise allowed him an opportunity to strike.

William ran out of the safe room and leaped at Freddy from behind. He plunged his axe into the animatronic's neck, right where his most vulnerable spot was. He knew his creations. They were far from unbreakable; one simply needed to know where to strike. A piercing sound of Freddy's wires being broken with electricity overtakes him, forcing the bear animatronic to suffer more than a few short fuses. He let out a groan and attempted to turn around, but Will did not give him an opportunity to strike back.

"Do you think I ever wanted this? Any of this?!" The engineer shouted as he tore the axe out of Freddy's neck and stroked again, piercing his carcass and forcing the weakened animatronic to the ground. After that, Will would strike while his enemy was still vulnerable. One after another, piercing all his weak spots, cutting his limbs off, breaking through the endoskeleton. Will felt his hand aching from how much strength he had to release into this, but this was worth every second. "You forced my hands by being ungrateful little brats! Do you know what I will do after I'm done with you? Do you think I'll simply leave this place to be? Oh, no, no…I will set it on fire! I will burn every inch of it, every spare part, every table, every fucking party hat! I will make all pay, and I'll start…With YOU!"

Will raised his axe before crushing it into Freddy's endoskeleton in the strongest hit yet. He broke the animatronic in half, unleashing a whirlwind of bolts and other details that spread around the room as what was once an animatronic became a useless pile of scrap. It felt good…It felt rejuvenating, and Will wanted more. There were three more to destroy, and some of them were already heading his way. He heard Bonnie and Chica walking from the stage, two animatronics together. They must have heard the noise and decided to investigate. William looked forward to breaking them…To mutilate what was essentially children's bodies. The engineer closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in a grim realization of how low he had fallen. He felt tears emerging in his eyes…This momentary satisfaction, this catharsis, will be nothing compared to the sweet life William lost.

He retreated to the safe room, preparing to lure them into his trap. Bonnie and Chica came soon after, passing by Freddy's scattered remnants. They paused, of course, and took a glance at his parts in silence. They could not display complex emotions, but no doubt, a myriad of thoughts ran through their mind. Were they happy to see their friend's prison broken, or were they horrified to lay their eyes on his mutilated corpse? They would follow him soon.

As the duo stood in silence, watching over their comrade, William made his move. Bonnie must have been more aggressive out of the two, considering how Will tricked his father, and so it made sense to try and take him out first.

William rushed from behind, giving Bonnie just a split second to turn around, making their eyes meet. Without considering his next move, Will plunged his axe right into Bonnie's face. It turned out so powerful that the animatronic's mask separated from the rest of his body, falling to the floor in shambles along with his jaw and both eyes. Bonnie recoiled as sparks emerged around his open face; he was disoriented, perhaps even utterly blinded.

Will was about to continue, but Chica attacked from behind and pushed Will to the ground. She made a fatal mistake, however, by rushing towards Bonnie in an attempt to help, which gave Will a perfect opportunity to stand up and strike at Chica. One precise slash sliced both of her hands off, and then Will immediately pierced her carcass, immobilizing her the same way he did Freddy. When she was on the ground, Chica's desperate attempts to resist became utterly meaningless. She tried to speak with her broken voice box, but Will wouldn't let him say a single word. Soon, she became scrap with her limbs scattered and head separated in halves, rolling on the floor to different sides of the room with bolts falling out of what little remained intact.

After William was done, he turned back towards Bonnie. He could see his endoskeleton face unmasked as he wandered around the room from one wall to another, completely aimlessly. He must have been blinded. He was still driven by his anger towards William, and the engineer couldn't deny that it was well-deserved.

"You…Dad…" Bonnie spoke up in a mechanized voice.

"You…Don't understand." William spoke through gritted teeth, barely able to hold back tears. "I did what I have to do to save my family…I had no other choice."

"My…Dad…Trap…"

"It was never my decision to make! I wanted Alison to honor his deal with Henry…But, of course, he would not do it. He has always been a liar and manipulator. Your father wasn't the first. I've been there before as well…Sometimes we have to make a very hard choice."

"You…Pay…"

"Enough!" Will shouted and pierced Bonnie's body with his axe; it was time to finish him off. One strike other another, William took joy in it. Those bastards felt no pain anyway. "Henry made the same choice in my position. He never cared for other people he was betraying…Only about you. Everyone would've made the same choice: your parents, your friends, yourself…Don't even dare pretend that it isn't the truth!"

Bonnie was torn apart and mutilated, yet William still continued to shout in anger for a few moments before restraining himself. There was still one aggressive animatronic to deal with, and something told William he was already on his way here.

Yet he wasn't afraid.

Foxy didn't make him wait; the raging animatronic was already in the hall when William looked towards it, staring with wide eyes at the massacre William had committed. It wasn't too different from what this foolish child wanted to do with Will himself. He must understand the violent impulses…

"Ye…Bastard!" His glitched voice rang out again as Foxy charged towards William the same way he rushed through the halls before. Of course, the engineer was prepared to take it. He rushed back into the safe room, making Foxy immediately stop and recoil. The animatronic stood there in complete silence, unable to comprehend what was going on. He was so powerless, so dumbfounded…Will enjoyed every second of having power over them. After years of blind obedience and humiliation, it was the catharsis his soul yearned for.

"Looks like I've just passed through a wall, doesn't it? What can't make me 'walk the plank'? How unfortunate." William giggled. Foxy tried to enter, only to be forced back by his programming. The invisible wall wasn't something he could bypass. But Will could.

When Foxy turned around, he ran out and sliced his carcass with an axe, causing the sparks of electricity to emerge and for Foxy to jump back. He might have been the quickest animatronic, but he was also physically weakest. However, before Will could strike again, the animatronic leaped towards him and pushed the engineer aside. He then raised his hook, getting ready to plunge it into William's skin, but he wasn't quick enough with the wound Will inflicted upon him. The man took a gamble, tossing his axe at Foxy's side, hitting his endoskeleton and causing another short fuse. As the animatronic kneeled, William ran towards him and tore the axe away, immediately plunging it into Foxy's neck, which was enough to force the animatronic to the ground.

"Ha-ha…" William laughed quietly. "You aren't so scary after all, are you?" Now, it was time to make this monster pay.

William didn't hold back.

…

Liam never expected to be free, not after his father died trying to give him this chance.

But in an ironic twist of fate, it was the very same man who refused to release them all those years ago that finally broke their mechanical prison. When William forced him to the ground and tried to destroy Bonnie's body, Liam didn't resist, unlike Jack, who still grappled with William until their jailer completely mauled his body. He was now within the great, endless flow, as were all of his friends…At long last, their souls were free.

However, they did not leave this realm just yet, not while Liam still felt a desire for vengeance burning in his heart. He could forgive many things, but sending his father to certain death was too much. His family wasn't more important than Liam's, yet he chose to sacrifice others for his own gain.

"Is it…Over?"

"No. It's not over until we make him fear."

Jack's confidence swayed the tide of four ghosts that emerged from the animatronics. All of their eyes were set on William, and he would pay for what he had done. Liam didn't want to kill him…But he wanted for him to never ever forget the terror of this day.

…

William thought he had won.

He believed that with Foxy broken and his parts scattered around the room, there was no one left in this place to harm him. Those metal freaks that tried to hunt him down, driven by their blind and irrational vengeance, were finally no more. He freed their souls and sent them to the other side. They must have been immensely grateful.

Will looked over the animatronic parts around him with saddened eyes. Those were his creations, and there was a time when he believed that they would be his future. Those marvels of technology he was about to create for Fazbear Inc. would open a new door for him, allowing Will to provide for his family and his children's future. Now they were broken and torn to pieces, much like all of William's hopes. To try and live would be an uphill battle that William wasn't sure he could win. There was too much trauma that scarred his existence, too much pain and shame that the mark of failure left on him.

"A…Afton…" An ephemeral voice echoed in Will's mind, causing him to shiver and jump to the nearest wall. It was distorted and sounded like a dozen whispers speaking at the same time. Immediately, William felt as if someone was watching him.

"What the…Who are you? Show yourself!"

And so they did. Four silhouettes that appeared out of nowhere. The grey phantoms without body and face, the only mark of humanity on them were the hollowed-out eyes with strains of dark tears falling from them. Was he hallucinating? Seeing ghosts? There were four of them, just like the children inside animatronics.

"What, how are you…" This didn't make sense; after Will broke their bodies and separated them from Viridium shards, they should've been free to ascend from the mortal plane. Unless…They still wanted revenge for their imprisonment. "No…"

One of the spirits raised their arm, and William immediately felt his whole body aching. It was akin to a burn, the corrosive heat overtaking William's skin and forcing him into pain that grew worse with every single second. He could feel his fists and teeth clenching as he tried to hold it back, but this was far from what the souls could show. The other three raised their hands, making the pain grow exponentially, thus leaving no doubt in William's mind that they were after him.

"No, no…Get away from me!" The engineer attempted to run to the hall, but just before he could leave the room, two of the ghosts teleported right in front of William and blocked his way, causing him to recoil as sheer horror overtook him. There was one place to run to and no time to think.

He would never let them claim him…Not like this.

William retreated to the safe room, desperately searching for something to use as cover. The ghosts were on their way to him, easily bypassing the door that their animatronic bodies prevented them from witnessing. They were closer and closer. They toyed with their prey…They were no longer innocent souls; they became merciless brutes, which William had no escape from.

"You pay for…Dad…" Another echo pierced Will's mind, once again pushing him into a frantic shiver.

His only chance lay with the Spring Bonnie suit. William remembered the mask that Henry used to hide from those animatronics…Perhaps he still had a chance, as well. Of course, it was incredibly naive to think that their former programming would somehow hold the children back once they were free from their mechanical bodies, but William could afford to ponder for long. He was too desperate to cling to every single opportunity of salvation, no matter how far-fetched it would've seemed.

He ran towards the costume, trying to take the animatronic's head off. It didn't budge. Will quickly realized that after so much time of inactivity, Spring Bonnie's construction became rusty. He could no longer detach the head.

"Damn it…" William took a deep breath as the realization struck him. He had to get inside the suit properly; there was no other way. It was a frantic process. William remembered all he could about locking the springlock suits, although it was more difficult without anyone else to help him. He always doubted those things, always considered them dangerous, and even tried to prevent Gron from putting them on…But now, anything seemed better than looking into their eyes again, the eyes of those who could not be escaped or denied, the souls he wronged once and now had to pay the price. He didn't want to look back, couldn't force himself to…And soon, he was inside the suit.

The ghosts were still outside, standing and not moving an inch as if entertained by this peculiar display. But at least they still stood without moving…This gave William a sliver of hope as he breathed heavily within the restrictive suit, surrounded by darkness and with stains of sweat pouring from underneath his clothes. The eye sockets allowed him to peer outside, the only connection to the world beyond this metal skeleton that surrounded William's body. He could hear his own breaths echoing in his mind, the metal parts touching his skin, only held back by unstable spring locks…It was horrifying to realize how big of a mistake Will had made, but it was too late to go back.

"I freed you…And this is how you repay me?!" He spoke up. "You are no better than those that took everything away from me…You should've understood better than anyone, but all you care for is petty revenge?! I should've known…Go on, then, kill me! It's what you want, is it? Or is the time you spent inside the suits taking toil?" William couldn't help but laugh at the irony. It felt sweet to deny them their prize. "Can't attack one of your own? I suppose your robotic nature is tied to you forever…Funny, isn't it?"

Before he could continue, Will heard the echoing thunder once again, but this time, it was far louder than before. It made him want to look above himself, even if the suit didn't allow him…William could hear the rain beginning. Thousands of drops falling on the pizzeria's roof, more and more coming with each second, falling onto the unfinished, quickly-build roof…When William realized what horror had just occurred, a drop of water had already fallen on the metal joint on William's right hand.

Then, the irreversible process of terror and agony began.

William felt the burning pain again, but this time, it was exponentially more agonizing. He sensed his hand pierced by a dozen of what felt like very sharp and precise bolts, all plunging into his skin. He couldn't see it, but he could hear his skin ripping open and the agony that began to break his entire body sheer moments after that.

"AAARGHH!" William screeched in agony, not even realizing that this was only the beginning. Moments after, the spring locks were released all around the suit, and there was no spot left untouched on William's entire body. Moments later, his skin was obsolete, opening up the way for rivers of blood to flow out and drench him in crimson.

"HELP, OH MY AAARGH, NO NO NO…NOOO, ELIZ…AAAAARGH!"

He did not scream for long. Something much more painful than all spring locks combined surrounded his body. The animatronic parts crushed William's bones and muscles like giant rocks forced into one's skin, even when they decidedly did not fit. Something ripped open in Will's stomach, causing the engineer to let out a pained wheeze as blood from his mouth splattered all over the floor. Eventually, the animatronic fell on his knees, breaking William's legs, but at this point, he could not let out a single sound. The spring locks sliced his vocal cords, and Will could feel what remained of his neck drowning in blood. Even attempting to make a sound would result in a frantic gurgle and nothing that even remotely resembled speech. As the locks crushed his skull and pierced his brain, William watched the souls disappear…And he, a man who has lost everything, was left behind.