Hey guys, Tora here! Small viewer discretion warning as this chapter deals with themes related to PTSD and panic attacks.
I do not own Freddy Fazbear or any other Five Nights at Freddy's characters, only my own original characters. Now please enjoy!
Sleep is fantastic; each night, a person lies motionless for hours while their mind and body rest. A person can exist in a temporary haven where they can peacefully recharge without the chaos or worry of the world.
This process, while enjoyable, is also vital. Humans sleep for about a third of their lives which can amount to years. However, sleep is not simply lying still until the next day because people are bound to dream during this time.
Everyone dreams, whether good, bad, strange, memorable, or straight-up predicting the future; dreams are everywhere and happen to everyone. Because of this, dreams occupy a large spectrum.
This causes dreams to range from ordinary to straight out of a fantasy world; they can show a person having fun with their friends or provide a glimpse into their subconscious mind, where their most repressed nightmares reside.
Whatever occurs, people dream, and sometimes those dreams happen to be shared among the population. Moreover, they are so common that specific dreams contain elements that are thought to have underlying meanings which reveal truths about one's daily life, Iza being no exception.
As a child, Iza often dreamt about falling through the air. She would hurtle through the atmosphere at high speeds, plummeting to earth with no way of slowing down; she could only watch helplessly as the continents became cities, and eventually, individual buildings grew in detail.
Dropping faster and faster until the pavement was clear as day, she tried everything to stop but could only flail her arms and watch. However, seconds before she landed, Iza awoke, drenched in sweat and heart racing. Being a child, she would cry for her dad, who always managed to comfort her.
The dream stopped scaring Iza through the years as it followed her into adulthood. It would appear now and again, but she learned to associate the dream with stress. Something that occurred during times of high anxiety, such as a sports event or an important job interview, and would eventually disappear, leaving her in peace once more.
Yet this was not the case now. Now, Iza couldn't wake up because she wasn't sleeping. And while she wasn't dreaming, she was living a nightmare.
Iza awoke groggily; the landing had been rough and knocked the wind out of her; for several minutes, Iza blacked out. When she awoke a while later, her ears rang, and her head spun from the impact. Soreness from her previous injuries spread to the rest of her body and caused aches all over; Iza wondered how she wasn't dead yet.
Her vision struggled to focus and caused her to feel dizzy. Finally, Iza closed her eyes and rested her head down until the spinning stopped. While waiting, Iza could feel something heavy pressing against her back while something small jabbed into her front side; overall, she was trapped.
Once Iza regained focus, she opened her eyes. They adjusted to reveal a dimly lit hallway illuminated only by flickering and faded lights strung every ten feet on the ceiling. She looked further and realized she was raised several feet off the ground with her body buried under debris and her head sticking out.
Wanting out, Iza mustered enough power; she used her elbows to hoist herself and managed to slightly move the rubble covering her before her strength waned, and Iza fell back down. When she did, the small object pressed further into her stomach; she groaned as the impact increased her soreness.
However, being Iza, she knew it was working and tried again; the same result ensued with the small item pressing into her body. The second time, Iza thought she heard someone else groan but brushed it off when she found no one.
Iza tried a third time, and when she slumped back down, she heard a voice. "Iza! Stop!"
She froze and looked around. Iza was confused because there was no movement or echo from the room. She shook her head and was about to try again when. "Stop moving!"
She halted mid-movement, her body in the plank-exercise position. The voice she heard sounded glitchy and robotic but familiar. She couldn't pinpoint its direction and furrowed her brow. "Music Man?" she asked.
"Yes!"
His voice startled Iza, and she lost her balance, falling back down. It earned her an irritated yelp. "Girl, chill, it's me."
Iza looked around, confused. "Where are you?"
Music Man grumbled. "Beneath you."
Iza's eyes widened, and she returned to the plank position. Once steady, she looked under and met the white pupils of the tiny spider. She stared wide-eyed. "How did you—"
"You grabbed me before the ground collapsed; that's how," Music Man retorted, annoyance evident in his voice.
Iza gave him a sour look, and the fazwatch sighed loudly. "I'm sorry," he said. "Thank you for coming back for me, but you kept falling on me. You weigh a ton, and it hurts."
Iza chuckled and breathed. "Sorry for falling on you; I forgot what happened." Then, while remaining in the plank position, Iza turned her head upward and tried to look at the ceiling the best she could.
From her limited vision, Iza could see the debris pile extending past the ceiling where a large hole resided. Iza shuddered as she peered into the dark entrance. "We must've fallen a long way," she muttered. "Can't see any light."
"You're calm," Music Man said, then rubbed his face. "And I wouldn't be surprised. The pizzaplex was built atop an older Freddy Fazbear's location, so there are quite a few levels."
Upon hearing his name, Iza's eyes widened. "Wait, Freddy!" she yelled, her voice traveling along the abandoned halls. "He fell with us; where is he?" Iza attempted to free herself more, pushing and bumping into Music Man.
"I take it back," he grumbled. "Iza!" he yelled. "Seriously, stop. You're hurting me!"
Immediately Iza stopped struggling and looked at Music Man. "I'm sorry, but we need to find him; he tried saving us when I lost my footing."
Music Man's voice softened. "Don't worry, we will." He tried looking past her. "But we need to focus on freeing ourselves first."
Iza stared at him and sighed, defeated. "You're right." A thought popped into her head. "Wait, did you say there was another pizzeria before the pizzaplex?"
Music Man nodded. "Yeah, remember the Fazbear name has been around since the 1980s."
"Were there other locations besides this?"
"Several." Music Man's voice lowered. "Each one more hellish than the last."
Iza stared at him, then shook her head. "Have you been to them?"
Music Man froze and quickly averted his gaze. "Uh, no, no, I haven't," he stuttered nervously. "I only know about them from the history museum in Rockstar Row."
She glanced at him strangely but dropped the subject. Iza raised her head and scanned the area. "So." She clicked her tongue. "How do we get out of here?"
Music man hummed, then tried to move; he faced Iza. "Can you try pushing yourself up again?"
She tilted her head. "What? Why?"
"Please, I want to try something."
"No way," Iza said. "If I fall, I'll hurt you."
"Come on," he repeated. "Trust me."
Iza exhaled through her nose. "Fine, but promise you won't complain if I fall."
"Alright," he chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Good." Using her elbows again, Iza pushed against the heavy weight; as she did, Iza could feel Music Man start to inch forward. Finally, her arms gave out after a few moments, and she fell. Iza winced after the landing. "You okay?" she asked.
"Yes," Music Man said. "Do it again; it's working."
"What is?" Iza questioned. "What are you doing?"
They made eye contact. "When you push up, I have more room to move."
Iza looked at him and noticed Music Man was closer than before; she paused. "Want me to do it again?"
"Yes!"
Iza nodded and then proceeded to repeat her actions. Bit-by-bit, Music Man maneuvered himself forward until he gradually was freed. Eventually, only a single leg remained trapped.
Iza laughed. "One more time!" she cheered.
Music Man joined her glee. "Thank you, Iza." Then he saw the sweat dripping down her face. "Hey, are you okay?"
"Hm?" She looked up. "I'm fine, it's hot here, and I haven't done planks in a while."
"Won't lie, I'm impressed," Music Man said. "You're strong."
"What can I say," Iza breathed. "I never skip back or ab day at the gym." She caught her breath and then looked at Music Man. "Let's get this over with."
Music Man nodded and counted to three. As soon as Iza lifted herself high enough, Music Man pulled himself free and flew back. The force knocked him backward and sent him tumbling down the rubble mound before screeching to a halt on the cement floor below, his metal frame causing sparks on the ground.
Iza gawked. "Are you okay?"
"Damn it!" he yelled, rubbing his head and cursing quietly. "I'm alright," he called under his breath. "Just shaken."
A moment later, Music Man stood up, stretched his arms, and climbed back up the hill to Iza. His toy legs made his ascent easier. Once there, Music Man dug his feet into the debris, freeing up his hands. "Now, how are we getting you out?"
Iza looked down, thinking over her options. "Can you tell me what's on my back?"
Music Man looked up and saw at least three feet of debris resting on Iza. "Looks like a lot of wood planks, metal beams, a few tubes, and a couple other things."
Iza raised her body and felt the rubble shift. "I can lift it, but it pins me down when I relax."
White pupils scanned the objects. "Try again, and I'll hold it."
"Can you do that?" Iza asked, skeptical.
"You're human and strong. I'm an animatronic toy spider and am also strong." He stared at her, a smirk in his voice. "Tell me when you're ready."
Iza chuckled and rolled her eyes before preparing herself. Then, Iza hoisted her body up for a final time, leaving about a foot of room beneath her. "Now, take it now!"
Music Man grabbed the two beams directly over Iza and lifted them with everything he had. Iza felt the pressure removed from her back, sighing in relief to have it off. But she didn't waste time and started to crawl forward. Within a minute, Iza was free.
She pulled her legs out and sat against the dirt pile. Music Man released his hold and allowed the boards to drop, sending up a torrent of dust. Suddenly Music Man lost his footing as the side shifted and started to fall again.
Although coughing, Iza managed to grab one of his legs and pull him into her lap. "You okay?" she wheezed, debris filling her throat.
He nodded. "Thanks for catching me."
"No problem," Iza replied and looked around. "We should get down."
Carefully, Iza scooted down the hill, mindful of the sharp edges. She secured Music Man in her lap until they reached the ground. She set him down, stood up, and stretched her sore body. "That feels good," Iza said as her back cracked.
Iza stretched her arms and opened her eyes. She looked down and noticed the familiar green duffle bag; her face brightened as she pulled it from the wreckage. Iza sifted through the items, pulling each out. "Seems everything here," Iza said.
Music Man peered into the bag and tilted his head. "You kept those customization chips?"
"Huh?" Iza saw him pointing at the baggy in her hand. "Oh, Yeah."
"Why?"
Iza shrugged. "Might be useful."
Music Man snorted. "Please, those things are useless without programming. Without it, they're essentially just empty storage units."
"I guess we know who has a better imagination," Iza retorted sarcastically.
Music Man rolled his eyes as Iza placed the chips back in the Monty bag and zipped it up before slinging it over her shoulder. "Anywho, where are we?" Iza asked, looking around at the dark room.
Music Man scanned the area. "Probably one of the lower maintenance tunnels."
"Does that mean we're near parts and service?" Iza questioned.
"No idea," Music Man said, frustrated. "Because of my larger body, I could never travel down here, and my smaller body always used the vents, so I'm not as familiar with the actual maintenance halls as the other Glamrocks."
"So nothing looks familiar?"
He shook his head. "All the halls look the same to me."
"Great," Iza muttered, then turned back toward the pile. "We need to find Freddy."
Music Man perked up. "That's right."
Iza noticed the fallen rubble lined both sides and far up the walls while partially leading through the hole in the ceiling. "Do you think he's trapped on the other side?"
"Don't know; this corridor is only ten feet wide, and I don't see him."
Iza knit her brows, worried. "Freddy?" she called.
No response.
"Freddy, can you hear me?"
No response.
"Freddy?!"
No response. Each time Iza called, her raspy voice cracked, and her panic rose. "Freddy?!" Tears pricked her eyes the longer she yelled. The settling dust combined with her sore vocal cords caused her to hack violently, but she kept hollering.
Suddenly a small hand touched her leg, and Iza looked down. Music Man gazed upward calmly. "Iza," he said. "He'll be alright."
"He tried to save us. We need to find him!"
"And we will." Music Man glanced at Iza's clothing. "But first, we need to get you patched up, and me charged; my battery is running low."
Confused at his words, Iza looked down. Her pants were shredded, which exposed her knees. Iza's orange sweatshirt was slashed, and both sleeves from the shoulder down were gone. The bandages Roxy applied hung from her frame and exposed the injury beneath.
Iza stared at her body and sighed, then looked away, defeated. Music Man saw her change in mood and faced the pile. He cupped his hands over the fazwatch speakers and yelled. "Freddy, if you can hear us, we are heading to parts and service. Meet us there!"
No response.
Iza's shoulders dropped when there was no answer. "All we can do is wait," Music Man said. "Come on." Before he started trekking down the dimly lit hall.
Iza watched him and looked back at the pile. "Please be okay." Then ran to catch up with Music Man. As they left, neither noticed the dim blue glow emitting from within the rubble.
—
Silence dominated the two as Music Man and Iza walked through the halls; they had moved for nearly half an hour. Both were lost, and they knew it. Their path was straight; despite the many intersecting hallways, they never went down them. Some were lit, some dark.
Some produced creepy sounds, and others were dead silent; neither wanted to take a risk, so they stuck to their original path. Five more minutes passed before Iza broke the silence. "So," she said. "What was the pizzaplex like before it shut down?"
Music Man looked up, surprised. "What?"
"The pizzaplex," Iza repeated. "Can you tell me what it was like when my dad was a kid?" She quickly added. "You don't have to if you don't feel comfortable. I just thought I'd ask."
Music Man chuckled at her reaction. "Don't worry about it," he said and faced forward. "The pizzaplex was amazing in its heyday. The children started the day with bright smiles, and the atmosphere was always fun."
He looked at his nails confidently. "Plus, my ballroom was always the life of the party."
Iza smirked. "Oh really, then I suppose the others would agree if I asked?" she teased.
"Hey, don't disrespect the music," he berated jokingly. "It's what I was built for."
A thought popped into Iza's mind. "Speaking of which," Iza started. "How did you gain two bodies? I know you mentioned you eventually gained your larger one, but what was your original purpose as a toy?"
"Entertaining children mostly," Music Man sighed. "Although the Funtimes had a different definition of 'entertainment,'" he grumbled lowly.
Iza raised a brow. "The Funtimes? What's that?"
Instantly Music Man froze and stopped walking. Iza heard his footsteps cease and looked back. Music Man stood in the center of the corridor, his eyes trained forward and his body shaking.
Iza walked back and knelt down. "Hey, are you okay?" She reached out a hand, and Music Man flinched harshly. Iza retracted her arm, startled. "Music Man?"
Immediately his pupils blinked, and he stared up at her. "I-I'm fine," he said, pretending to be joyful. "Let's keep going; I think we're almost there!" he said, striding forward dramatically and failing to act naturally.
Iza stood up, brows furrowed; her thoughts raced, but she looked down. "I'm sorry." Music Man froze in his tracks. "Sorry for asking again. I didn't know it wasn't something you like to talk about."
Music Man continued to stare forward, then dropped his head. "It's not you, Iza. I shouldn't have mentioned anything."
Iza walked forward and leaned down. Music Man stood in the gap between two parallel hallways intersecting the main one; about ten feet divided their entrances. Iza moved toward Music Man; she passed the unlit first hallway and stopped part way before the second, which had light.
Iza sighed and looked forward with him. "Since the talk we had upstairs, I've been trying to hold my tongue more and be more respectful." She paused. "I won't ask what happened, but do know I'm here if you want to talk."
He looked up, then threw his head back in laughter. "You really are your father's daughter, aren't you, Iza?" She didn't respond, and a confused Music Man looked up. "Iza?"
He stared, baffled as an alert Iza peered forward. She was utterly silent. "Iza—"
She shushed him and listened carefully. "What's—"
Once again, she quieted him and then pointed forward. "Hear that?" she whispered.
Music Man stopped, he didn't hear anything, but before he could respond, something giant walked into the intersection from the lit hallway; Iza's veins turned to ice, and her breath hitched.
In front of them, standing only five feet away, was an endo the size of Monty. Its body was slumped forward, and its eyes trained down the hallway before it. Although Iza couldn't see its optics, a colorful glow reflected off its metal face; she gulped, red.
She tried to grab Music Man's hand but only got air. Her panic growing, Iza looked down and saw Music Man gone. She could feel her heart speed up as Iza tried to back away. However, the moment she did, the endo straightened its back and slowly turned to the right.
Iza's body was paralyzed, and she watched as the crimson optics slowly came into view. Then, right before it laid eyes on her, something large grabbed Iza's left arm and yanked her into the first dark hallway.
Iza was pulled into the darkened corridor, her back slammed into something solid before two large arms restrained her body, one keeping her still while the other covered her mouth and muffled her screams.
Iza's adrenaline spiked, and her fight or flight took over as she tried to fight for freedom, but it was no use; her injured body, combined with her lack of energy, drained any strength she had. Iza could feel her eyes glaze over, but something brushed her leg.
She froze, and her gaze shot downward. Instantly Iza stopped struggling when she saw the glowing white pupils of Music Man. Realizing he was safe, Iza looked at the thing silencing her.
Although covered in dirt, Iza recognized the familiar orange and blue clawed hand of Freddy. She couldn't look up but did glance to the left. She could see a bright red glow reflecting off the metal walls; Iza remained perfectly still. Everyone watched as the red hue turned back, and the large endo continued down the hall, its surprisingly quiet footsteps fading from earshot.
After a minute of not hearing footsteps, Freddy gently released Iza; she stepped back and met his blue eyes. Iza released a massive sigh of relief as she smiled at him. "Freddy!" Iza stared up, reeling from the adrenaline.
Once she calmed, Iza faced him. "Are you alright?" she asked.
He nodded and knelt down before looking at her arm. "Is there any more bleeding?" Iza jumped at his voice. Instead of the usual deep tone, it was glitchy and skipped beats while changing octaves.
She stared, wide-eyed. "What happened to your voice?"
"It-it's nothing; I'm fine." Freddy waved dismissively and stared at Iza's arm.
If Music Man's face could move, it would be that of horror. "Like hell it's nothing!" Music Man whisper-screamed. "You have a two-foot-long pole sticking out of your neck!"
Iza's eyes widened. "He what?!" Her voice also strained from the increased volume.
"Iza, be careful of your voice," Freddy chided.
His response shocked her. "Take your own advice. Your voice box sounds like a broken record."
"Both of you zip it," Music Man ordered; they instantly quieted down. "You're both injured and need attention." He turned to Freddy. "Do you know how to get to parts and service from here?"
Freddy nodded.
"How?"
Freddy pointed to the hallway. "We need to get through that way."
Iza looked over. "Where the endo is? Isn't there another path?"
"There it is, but it would take too long. Both Music Man and I need repairs and charging immediately."
Iza breathed. "Then how…should…we…" Her voice trailed off, and Iza's face went pale.
Both animatronics saw her change and became worried. "Iza? What's wrong?"
Raising a shaking hand, Iza pointed down the dark hall. Confused, they looked and froze; panic immediately set in.
Everyone stared down the unlit corridor and saw a pair of glowing red optics twenty meters away; its unblinking eyes trained on the three. Iza's body began to shake, then she took a small step back.
The endo's eyes darted to Iza, and it released an ear-piercing cry before sprinting at the others. Instantly Freddy grabbed Iza's left arm and pulled her behind him. He kept his left hand on her as he raised his right to strike; Music Man ran next to Iza.
Iza slammed her eyes shut and braced for impact, but nothing happened. Finally, after a moment of not hearing or feeling anything, Iza cracked open an eyelid, and her jaw dropped. The endo was directly in front of Freddy.
Its arm was outstretched and only inches from his face; its red eyes bore into Freddy's, the blue glow seemingly drowned out by the crimson hue. Iza stared in shock and nearly jumped as the endo slowly retracted its arm and returned to a neutral position.
Then it turned to the right before moving slowly toward the hallway. As it stumbled, Freddy angled his body, always keeping Iza and Music Man hidden. The three watched as the endo turned right and disappeared from view.
When she was confident it was gone, Iza deeply exhaled. "That was close," she said. "Thank you, Freddy."
He didn't respond. Confused, Iza looked up, and her stomach sank. Instead of the usual blue, a feral red stared back at her. Her breathing quickened, and Iza tried to back away, causing Freddy's grip on her arm to tighten.
A deep growl left his throat as Freddy's entire body faced her. "Freddy," Iza squeaked quietly as the hold grew tighter. "Please, stop."
Tears pricked her eyes, and the dirty blue claws began to break the skin. Music Man tried and failed to distract him as his eyes locked onto Iza's terrified brown ones. "Freddy!" Iza cried. "Please!"
Suddenly Freddy jumped; her loud voice seemed to startle him as Freddy released her arm and stumbled back. He grunted and covered his eyes, the red light disappeared from view, and his hands started to shake.
A few moments passed before Freddy's hands lowered; dim blue lights broke through the surrounding darkness. He looked around, confused, then stopped when he noticed red liquid lightly covering the tips of his claws.
He squinted, and the realization washed over his face. His eyes snapped to Iza and widened when he saw the shallow puncture wounds on her exposed skin where his hand was; crimson beginning to surface.
Freddy's hands began to tremble, and he covered his face; the quaking quickly spread to his body as he repeated something under his breath. Iza looked at Music Man, who shook his head; realizing what he meant, Iza stepped back. "Freddy?" he asked gently.
He didn't look up. "It happened again," Freddy muttered. "I'm losing control; it happened again."
"Freddy?" Iza whispered. Blue eyes snapped to brown ones, and he jerked back. "No, no, no." Terror plastered across his face. "Stay away from me, Iza."
Iza took another step back; however, this gave no comfort to Freddy, who started to tremble violently. "It happened again," he murmured. "I hurt another person." His already damaged voice grew weaker and more strained with each word. "I hurt Iza."
Iza stared in horror as Freddy broke down. "I lost control," he cried. "I did it again!"
Music Man rushed up to Freddy, mere seconds away from a full-blown panic attack. "Freddy," he said. "Freddy, look at me."
The bear couldn't hear him as his muttering continued. "Freddy!"
He snapped his head up and stared at Music Man, pure panic in his eyes. "DJ, I did it again. It happened again!" Freddy backed into the wall before sliding down to the floor; he buried his head and kept crying. "I hurt another."
Music Man walked up and placed a small hand on his leg. "It's okay," he said slowly. "You're okay."
Freddy pulled his legs to his chest. "I hurt her."
Iza stepped forward, but Music Man shook his head; she sighed before placing the bag down and taking a seat against the opposite wall. Music Man nodded, then looked at Freddy. "She's alright. Iza's fine."
"I made her bleed!" he screamed.
Music Man didn't flinch at his volume. "But you also saved her." Freddy slightly looked up, and Music Man continued. "You may have caused a small flesh wound, but you saved Iza and me from that endo. Had you not done that, we'd all be dead, you included."
Freddy stared. "I—"
"Use your comm," Music Man said gently; Freddy sighed and nodded.
Waiting patiently, Iza watched for a while as Music Man and Freddy silently conversed. Music Man talked internally with his friend, both used gestures that gradually became calmer as Freddy's panic subsided and his shaking ceased.
Finally, Freddy lowered his head and took a deep breath, calming himself; then, he reluctantly looked at Iza. He closed his eyes and exhaled. "Iza, I'm so sorry," he choked. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Iza smiled but didn't move. "Don't apologize, Freddy; you saved my life."
Freddy glanced at her, shocked. "B-but I caused you to bleed." His voice was still quaking.
Iza looked at her upper left arm and ran her finger over the cuts; the bleeding had stopped a while ago. "Don't worry about it." She grinned. "It's not the first injury I've received tonight, and it's certainly not the last."
Freddy hung his head, and his ears drooped; Iza pursed her lips. "Why don't we head to parts and service?" she suggested softly. "I think we all need a breather and rest."
Freddy stared, then chuckled lightly. "I agree; let's go." He stood up and brushed himself off; Iza did the same and grabbed the bag. She walked over but gave Freddy a comfortable distance.
Freddy shook his head, then leaned against the wall and looked out. He growled, annoyed. "There's more endos."
Iza stepped further into the darkness. "How many?"
"At least a dozen," he muttered. "Must've heard me yelling."
"How should we get past them?" Music Man asked. "My battery won't last much longer."
Freddy grumbled. "Neither will mine."
Iza scratched her chin. "We need a distraction."
Freddy lowered his gaze and then turned to the others. "I think I have an idea."
Music Man and Iza stopped talking. "What is it?" Iza asked.
Freddy paused. "Don't get mad, but I think my red eyes are the key."
They looked at him, perplexed. "What are you talking about?" Music Man questioned.
He sighed. "When that endo ran at me, I became angry, and the glitch took over. It stopped only after seeing the red light." His voice shuddered. "My idea is to force the red eyes without losing control and walk past the endos."
Music Man stared in disbelief, and Iza's jaw dropped. "Absolutely not!" Music Man voiced quietly, trying not to attract attention. "You finally calmed down, and now you want to force the glitch?!"
"Wait," Iza interrupted. "Why would having red eyes work?" she asked, not liking the idea.
Freddy grumbled and turned his head toward the mindless endoskeletons. "Despite how dangerous they are to people, endos don't attack each other because…" His voice trailed off.
Iza listened, then her eyes grew when she realized what he meant. "Because they won't attack one they perceive as their own."
Disgust covered Freddy's features. "Exactly." He growled at the notion.
Iza remembered what Roxy mentioned the first time they encountered the white-eyed endos. "I understand they don't attack other endos, but why did they charge at you the first time?"
"Probably because of that damned Glitchtrap," Music Man hissed, venom dripping from his voice. "He has to be controlling them."
"Hold up," Iza said. "Who's Glitchtrap?"
Freddy and Music Man froze, realizing their mistake. They stared at Iza, unsure how to answer, until Freddy cleared his throat. "Iza," he started. "I promise to explain everything later, but first, we must get somewhere safe."
Iza looked up past him, where she saw the endo's shadows dancing along the wall in the dim lighting. "There has to be another way," she spoke worriedly. "You don't have to put yourself in danger like that."
Freddy sighed and knelt down. "I wish there was, but our batteries will die soon, and I'm not willing to risk leaving you here alone." He closed his eyes. "Music Man, can I have it?"
He nodded and undid the fazwatch before setting it in Freddy's large palm. He thanked his friend and then turned to Iza. "Put this on."
She gave him a strange look but didn't argue. "What's this for?"
"Iza," he said. "Everything will make sense, but for now, I need you to trust me. Can you do that?"
Iza wanted to argue; she wanted to say how bad of an idea this was. "Okay, I trust you. What do you need me to do?" She had to listen.
Freddy smiled and then looked at the watch on her left hand. "Turn on the watch, then scroll through the apps until you see an icon with an image resembling my silhouette. Once you find it, press it."
Iza didn't understand but did as instructed. Eventually, she came across an outline of Freddy's upper body surrounded by a triangle; she clicked the app, and instantly two buttons colored blue and orange appeared. "What are these?" she asked.
Freddy took a deep breath, his voice box crackling from the pole still lodged in his neck. "Last resorts," he answered, pointing a claw at each button. "When aimed at a Fazbear Entertainment animatronic, the green one will administer a controlled shock which will disable the targeted bot for thirty seconds. Likewise, the orange button, when aimed, will completely shut down an animatronic until they receive a full charge or the button is pressed again."
Iza began to worry. "Why would I need to know this?"
"Because." Freddy's voice cracked. "Once we get into parts and service, I will enter the glass chamber and lay on the table. As soon as I do, press the green button. Then, immediately after I stop moving, press the orange one. No matter what I say, don't stop."
None of what Freddy said made sense, and she wanted to protest, but Freddy cut her off. "Please, just do it. After you deactivate me, Music Man can bandage your arm, then you can fix me."
Iza didn't like this plan; she despised it but also trusted Freddy. "Alright." She secured the fazwatch around her wrist and tugged on the bag. "I'll do it, ready when you are."
Hearing her agree, Freddy's face slightly brightened. "Thank you." Then he turned to Iza. "Last thing, are you able to carry Music Man?"
She looked between him and the smaller animatronic. "Yeah, it might be difficult with my arm, but I can manage."
Freddy sighed. "Good." Then handed her Music Man, Iza readjusted herself and then looked up. Freddy looked around the corner before turning back. "While walking, stick incredibly close to me; you must never let go. Do you understand?"
Iza nodded. "Yes."
Freddy returned the gesture, stood to his full height, and motioned for Iza to join him. Music Man in hand, Iza leaned against Freddy's left side, her right arm wrapped about his torso. Freddy tensed at her touch, then slightly relaxed. "Ready?"
They both nodded. Iza watched as Freddy shut his eyes, the blue color slipping from view. Seconds later, it was replaced by the deep crimson; Freddy stared forward. "Let's go."
Iza took a deep breath, and they all walked into the brightened hall together.