I do not own Freddy Fazbear or any other Five Nights at Freddy's characters, only my own original characters. Now please enjoy!

—

This should have been normal; this shouldn't bother her as much as it did. Iza grew up around robots; she was used to loud noises, long periods of zero results, and constant trial and error. It should all be so familiar, right? Well, not anymore, not in the moment, especially not now, as she listened to the grating sound of fluctuating static.

Iza's tired eyes narrowed at the fazwatch, and her teeth grit in annoyance. Iza dragged her bandaged finger back and forth across the screen for the last ten minutes. Each movement adjusted a dial which caused the blaring sound of white noise to increase in intensity or volume as if she was using a twentieth-century radio or television.

The sound made her ears bleed. She wanted to claw at the fazwatch, rip her ears off, or do anything to stop the constant noise. However, despite the piercing sounds, Iza continued with her task. The entire reason for this tortuous event was to reconnect Music Man to the fazwatch, allowing him to speak freely without using his comm or gritty speaker recordings.

Another minute passed by, and a sigh escaped Iza's lips. "Music Man," she said, raising her gaze and staring at the little animatronic resting on the desk before her. "How on earth did you do this before?"

The spider raised his gaze, and although his face was stoic, Iza could tell the constant noise was also starting to get to him. Then, he crossed his arms in defeat. "Hey! I. Play. Music. For a long, long time." He shook his head and pointed at the fazwatch. "I. Requested. Eternal silence. You and I. Play by. Rules. Together."

Iza blinked at him, lost. "Uh, what?" she asked, utterly baffled.

"He saying he hasn't physically used the fazwatch in a long time and hates the static as much as you do."

Surprised by the sudden voice, Iza turned around to see Sundrop walking toward them. She scanned the daytime caretaker before sighing through her nose. "You can say that again," Iza replied, her finger continuing across the screen. "I haven't heard this much static since I dropped my headphones and broke them." She rubbed her ear against her shoulder.

Sun hummed and waved at Music Man to scoot over. He lowered himself onto the desk and sat criss-cross with his hands in his lap; Iza couldn't help but imagine a child in kindergarten. "So, how's it going over here anyway?" His joints creaked as he moved. "Freddy and Monty are ready to go, but we're still waiting on you two."

Iza frowned. "Unfortunately, not any closer. We can't hear anything except static," she exhaled in defeat. "Who made these things? This system is seriously flawed."

Sun shrugged. "Don't know. The daycare always used headphones to communicate, and the fazwatches were designated more for the floor staff and maintenance crew, but I must admit, even I know this isn't normal for the fazwatch."

"Figured that already," Iza snorted, staring at the blue light through her glasses. "The watch has been on the fritz since…" Suddenly her voice trailed off, and Iza's annoyed tone and irritated expression disappeared as her brown eyes glazed over.

The others quickly noticed her changed demeanor and grew worried. They exchanged a glance. "Iza?" Sun voiced, reaching out a hand. "Everything alright?" His large fingers barely rested on her shoulder when Iza jolted from her trance. She looked around in panic. "Iza?" Sun spoke again.

"Yes?" she said, startled.

"Are you okay?" His head tilted to the right.

Iza looked around and then rubbed her neck sheepishly. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just…spaced out for a second." Her eyes trailed to the pile of rubble behind the desk. "What, uh, what were we talking about?"

Sun stared at her before putting his head back to normal. "We were talking about how the fazwatch wasn't working."

Iza snapped her fingers. "Right," she said, ignoring the prickles in her hand, and lowered her gaze to her wrist. "When I was in the office earlier, Freddy helped me find the charger, but the screen was super glitchy even then."

"How so?"

"It would barely turn on, and when it did, the screen turned completely blue and had some text that was too quick for me to read."

Sun stared in silence before his head clicked upright. "Ah, I think I know what happened." He readjusted himself. "Sometimes, when our systems short circuit, we're forced into a hard reset. Perhaps the same thing happened with the fazwatch when it got electrocuted?"

"Maybe," Iza replied, her finger having continued moving the dial. "But regardless, this thing needs to start—"

"T-t-tes-t-ting."

The room fell silent, and three pairs of eyes darted to the fazwatch as more static filled the air. Iza looked at the others. "Did you hear that?" she asked, eyes wide.

The others quickly nodded, and Iza glanced back at the screen. Her hand moved in the opposite direction before another scattered voice broke through the white noise. "Tes-t-ing."

Again she stopped, and again she resumed. Back and forth Iza went, each movement becoming shorter until finally, a fine-tuned voice called out. "Testing…testing…one…two…three…testing."

A celebratory cheer erupted from Music Man and Iza after hearing the familiar and now smooth-sounding voice. "My god…finally!" she yelled, throwing her left hand up in triumph before collapsing into the rolling chair behind her. "That took forever." She rubbed her pounding headache. "I don't know how much more of that static I could take."

"You can say that again," Music Man replied as he tested his vocals. "I can't stand my own recordings."

Iza peeked open her eyes and stared at Music Man. "So how come you talked with the fazwatch back with your big body? Do both your bodies not have a voice box like the other Glamrocks?"

"Hm?" the fazwatch spoke, gazing at the sprawled-out woman. "Oh, you're actually spot on. My larger body can only play music and a few high-pitched noises. Gregory was the one who originally installed my connection to the fazwatch," Music Man chuckled. "I used to have another fazwatch that would go around my neck. Unfortunately, it was destroyed when the roof collapsed a while back, so I've been stuck using the comm ever since."

Iza cracked her knuckles loudly. "Must feel good to have it back then."

"You have no idea."

Iza chuckled quietly and then raised her wrist to eye level. She noticed the screen had turned off from lack of use and lazily tapped it with her nose, the light flashing onto her face. As she pulled her arm back, Iza spotted the familiar picture of her dad and the others from before, and she stared at it blankly. A heavy sigh left through her nose. "Hey, Music Man," Iza said, gaining his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Here, you might want this back." Iza proceeded to unclasp the fazwatch and hold it out toward her friend.

Immediately Music Man put up his hands and waved no. "Keep it," he hummed. "You need it more than I do."

Iza's face turned to shock. "What do you mean? Wouldn't it be more convenient for you to carry it instead?"

Music Man shrugged and gently pushed on Iza's outstretched hand. "Perhaps, but after what happened with the glitch, I think everyone would feel more comfortable if you kept it. Especially now that we're going down there." Before Iza could ask, Music Man continued. "Do you still know what to do?"

Iza blinked and looked around, confused. "What do you mean?"

"He's talking about the stun and disable features," a deep voice said from behind. Startled, Iza whipped her head around and came face to face with Freddy while Monty trailed close behind. "In case something happens, do you remember which buttons to use?"

She nodded without taking her eyes off Freddy's blue optics. "The green one is a taser, and the orange one will shut down any animatronic in its path, right?"

Freddy nodded. "Good, I'm glad you remember."

Iza hummed and frowned while she faced Music Man. "Are you sure you don't want the fazwatch?"

"Yes," Music Man replied. "After what we witnessed, I'd rather lose my ability to speak again than risk you getting injured."

Iza sighed and sat up. "Fine, point made." She reclasped the fazwatch on her left arm before turning to the others. "So now what?"

Freddy tilted his head and tapped a claw against his leg. "Well, if everything had been resolved over here and you grabbed everything you needed, we could get going."

"Okay," Iza said, rising from the chair and keeping her eyes aimed at the wall. Careful to avoid scattered debris, Iza stepped to the right and reached for her duffle bag, and heaved the heavy sack onto the desk, never taking her gaze off the far wall. Doing so, Iza accidentally hit one of Music Man's legs. "Hey!" his speaker and fazwatch voice said in unison.

"Sorry!" Iza said, straightening the bag. "I didn't mean to hit you."

Music Man rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "It's fine, be more careful, though. You're not the smallest thing around."

Iza chuckled and unzipped the bag. She rifled around the continents before an audible aha escaped her throat. Iza pulled her arm back and revealed her hand clasped around an orange, black, and blue cylindrical object with a little nub at the top.

Then, without explanation, Iza raised the object to her face, stuck the little bit in her mouth, and started to swallow. She took several big gulps before she pulled the bottle away and wiped away some liquid from her mouth; a satisfied ahh accompanied the action. Once done, she returned the bottle to the bag before flinging it over her left shoulder.

Iza double-checked everything was secure, then turned to meet the bewildered faces of the Glamrocks. She glanced at each one. "What?" she asked, her voice less raspy but more confused.

Monty pointed at the bag. "Kid, where did you get a water bottle?"

Iza glanced pointed over her left shoulder. "From the office," she replied, never breaking eye contact with Monty. "There's a little sink behind the door, and I found a bag of unopened souvenir water bottles, so I cleaned one and decided to fill it up."

Monty's face twisted in horror. "Please tell me you didn't just drink decade-old water," he said with a hurl despite being an animatronic.

Iza's brow furrowed. "Of course not!" she replied, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "I ran the tap for like twenty minutes until it was clear. I ain't looking to get iron poisoning from that nasty water." Iza shivered at the idea of drinking murky brown water.

"Good, because that is something we definitely cannot help you with," Music Man said, hopping down from the desk and walking over by Sundrop before he was picked up. "We can bandage, but I don't think we can reverse iron poisoning." His voice had a smirking tone.

Iza rolled her eyes. "I'll be sure to add it to the list of other things I need to go to the hospital for," she spoke sarcastically. "Honestly, I'm more surprised you guys aren't fazed that the sinks down here still work."

The Glamrocks exchanged a glance. "We…already knew that," Freddy replied calmly. "Along with the power, certain areas of the pizzaplex still have running water. That's how we gave you the drinks earlier."

"Oh," Iza said, pursing her lips. "Guess that slipped my mind."

Freddy shrugged and walked closer before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Nothing to be ashamed about." He flashed her a tiny smile. "In any case, do you have everything you need?"

Iza nodded, swiped the large flashlight off the desk, and grabbed the crowbar leaning against the side. Her body sagged under the combined weight, sending dull pain through her arms. She grunted in response and opened her eyes, looking at the rubble pile behind the desk before letting out a quiet, "yeah…I'm ready."

Noticing her change in tone, Freddy hummed and removed his hand from her shoulder. "Alright, let's go."

Iza nodded and straightened her back. She dropped the flashlight and crowbar to her side and began walking toward Freddy near the exit. She was halfway there when she saw something green coming at her from her peripheral vision; Iza didn't have time to react when she felt a pair of cold metal hands resting on her back.

She jumped in surprise and spun her head around. The heavy weight of her hands forced her back to crack. "Ow," she groaned and then looked up. "Monty?! What are you doing?" She jumped back.

The gator didn't flinch at her response; instead, a confused look spread across his features. "Whaddaya mean?" he said in a humorous tone. "I'm going to carry you."

"Why?" Iza asked, giving him a strange look.

"Because that's what we planned?" His voice went quiet before he turned to Sun and Music Man, slightly agitated. "Wait, did you guys not explain the plan to her?"

"What plan?" Iza questioned, looking around for an answer.

"The plan that Sun and DJ were supposed to relay to you before we left." His red and white eyes glared at Sun and Music Man, annoyed. "Why didn't you guys say anything?"

Music Man and Sun's faces turned toward each other before Sun spoke up. "Sorry, it must've slipped our minds."

"Yeah!" Music Man added. "We were a little preoccupied."

Monty crossed his arms. "Likely excuse," he mumbled under his breath as he turned away.

Despite the quietness of his voice, the words reached Music Man's processors and caused him to get angry. "Think it's so easy, gator?" he sneered, getting Monty's attention. "I'd like to see what's on your mind when you lose your big, damn—"

"Alright, enough!" Freddy boomed as he gently pushed Monty back to de-escalate the fight and silenced the others immediately. "We already have enough to deal with, so quit acting like children and move on." He glanced around like a fed-up parent before turning to Iza. "The original plan was for Monty to carry you so we could run to our destination. We need as much time as possible, and I want to avoid putting more strain on your body."

Iza nodded and bit her cheek. "You wanted Monty to carry me so I don't get hurt."

Freddy snapped his fingers. "Precisely." Then his voice grew softer. "Iza, you're incredibly injured, and if I'm being honest, I don't know how much more your body can take." His body stiffened, and his arms began to quiver. "So please, Iza, I'm begging you not to argue and let us do this." His voice trailed off, and he seemed to grow scared. "Please."

Iza's brown eyes scanned Freddy's desperate face. Looking closely, she could see the chipped red and blue face paint surrounding his glowing baby blue optics while his ears were pinned back; his red earring was nowhere in sight. Then Iza slumped her shoulders. "Fine," she sighed, feeling the pain from the crowbar and flashlight worsen. "I'll go along."

As she looked down, Freddy's face brightened in happiness at her compliance. "So how are we going to do this?" she asked; her sudden movement caused her glasses to slip from her face onto the floor, leaving Iza blind. "Damn it," Iza hissed and leaned down to find them.

"Well," she heard Monty say as a fuzzy green figure came into view. "For starters, how about giving up the heavy objects so we can get going." He gingerly placed the glasses back on her face. "You can keep the duffle bag, but I think Freddy should take the crowbar and Music Man the flashlight."

Not wanting to argue, Iza caved. "Alright," she breathed, allowing Monty to take both items without a fight. Relief spread through her body as the heavy objects left her hand, causing a portion of the aches to stop.

He nodded with a smile. "Thanks, kid." Before standing up and giving it to their respective recipients. He turned to Iza. "Now, come here."

Iza walked over and stood awkwardly in front of Monty, unsure what to do. "What are you going to do?"

A cheeky grin spread across Monty's face as he kneeled in amusement. "Bridal style," he said, chuckling as Iza gave him a dead-eyed stare. "Hey, you asked." He shrugged and then moved closer.

Without a word, Monty pressed his right hand against Iza's back, sending chills down her spine as she felt the cool metal through her thin shirt, then hooked his left under her knees. Finally, he leaned her against him and stood up as if she weighed nothing.

Iza yelped when they rose. "Geez, slow down." She clung to her bag. "Going to give me motion sickness."

Monty howled in laughter. "Man, this is going to be fun."

Iza grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Weirdo."

He chuckled again and started moving. "We're ready. Lead the way, Fazbear," Monty said to Freddy.

Freddy nodded and turned to the door, motioning for the others to follow. "Watch your step out here," Freddy said. "There's a ton of busted endos on the floor."

After everyone had awkwardly made their way through the landmine of deactivated endos, Freddy turned to address everyone. "Alright, from here, we'll be running non-stop, so any questions before we go?"

Iza raised her hand. "Yeah, what exactly is this place again? I keep hearing different epithets like 'old pizzeria' or 'down below.'"

"I'll explain it on the way, Iza," Monty replied. "For now, know it's the deepest levels of the pizzaplex, right, Freddy?"

Freddy nodded in agreement then he turned to Sun. "How much time is left, Sun?"

Sundrop's head spun in a complete circle before he responded. "About an hour and a half."

"Alright, then, let's go." Then Freddy began sprinting down the corridor, his blue glow reflecting off the dark walls. There wasn't much distance gained before two pairs of heavy footsteps followed suit into the depths of the maintenance tunnels.

"Let me get this straight, the 'down below,' as you so affectionately called it, is actually the burned-down remains of one of the old pizzerias that Music Man mentioned?" Iza asked twenty minutes into the trip.

"She catches on fast," Music Man said through the fazwatch.

Iza shot him a glare. "Anyway," she grumbled, still eyeing the amused Music Man. "What's so bad about this place?"

Everyone got quiet. Iza felt a sense of dread in her stomach when she remembered the only time they all acted like this. "Is it connected to the event with Dad as a kid?"

Over the sound of metal feet pounding against the concrete ground, Iza thought she heard straining metal coming from Freddy's hand, where he gripped the crowbar. She looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry," Iza's voice whispered. "I didn't mean to upset you guys. It was a stupid thing to ask." She looked glumly to the left. "I'm dumb for thinking it was a good idea."

"You're not dumb, Iza," Monty voiced. "You're just asking questions about something you don't know."

Her grip on her bag tightened. "Still, we've been over this, I should remember what makes you guys uncomfortable, and I feel like a horrible person for not being able to recognize that." Her eyes glazed over. "I thought I got better after our talk, but it's harder now."

"Iza…don't say that stuff about yourself. We don't like it." Monty looked down in concern.

She didn't look up. "But it's true, I'm an insensitive brat with issues that can't seem to have empathy with—"

Suddenly Monty stopped in his tracks and looked down at Iza blankly. She shrieked at the abrupt stop and whirled her head upward. Before she could react to Monty's unnerving stare, Iza felt the hands beneath her begin to shift. Monty's grip slipped from under her knees and back until they both held Iza up by her armpits, her legs dangled at least a foot off the ground. She gasped in shock. "Monty!" Iza yelped, looking around in a slight panic. "What are you doing?"

The others stopped running and looked back when they no longer heard the gator's footsteps. They watched, baffled, as the scene unfolded.

Keeping his stare trained on Iza, he looked her up and down. The mismatched lights highlighted her features and unsettled expression before finally staring down her brown eyes through the thick black glasses. She looked to the others for help.

Freddy shrugged, and Sun rotated his head, conveying the same unsure expression. Iza looked around more before Monty's voice broke through the silence. "Iza," he stated, startling everyone around him. "I'm going to say some crap, and you're going to listen, alright?"

Iza was frozen in shock, her heart raced from the previous scare, and the feeling of aching pain in her arms started to become prevalent. She groaned in discomfort. "Why—"

"Alright?!" Monty shouted before she could finish.

"Yes, okay!" Iza yelled, putting her hands up in defense despite the pain. "Say whatever you want; just stop shouting!"

Monty nodded and continued. "Good," he said, his voice calmer. "Now, as you've already noticed, I'm trash at giving advice, but I have something you need to hear." His tail moved as he talked. "All this negative talk you're saying about yourself, it needs to stop. It's depressing and puts everyone else in an even worse mood."

Freddy's eyes snapped to the gator. "Monty!" he chided, walking closer, unhappy at his friend's choice of words. "Why would you say that?!"

Monty ignored him and continued. "Kid, I understand you're upset, you're grieving, and it's the right thing to do, especially after you lost your old man and brother, but the talking down to yourself needs to stop right now."

Iza looked at the others and then at Monty with a deadpan face. "Why?"

Monty straightened in surprise. "What?"

"Why should I stop?" Iza asked, narrowing her eyes in anger. "I lost my brother, the one person who I thought would always be by my side through any and every change in our lives, and because of that, I can't seem to do anything right toward you guys." She felt hot tears prick her eyes. "I keep bringing up insensitive topics and asking questions when I know I shouldn't."

Monty's eyelids emitted an audible click as they blinked, the sound reached Iza's ears when she felt the sudden movement under her arms as Monty readjusted her roughly. Iza squeaked in surprise and grabbed Monty's hands. "Stop doing that!"

Monty snorted and did it again, earning another shriek from the human. "Dude, what the hell, stop!"

Monty repeated a third time, causing Iza's anger to grow. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, MONTY! STOP SHAKING ME LIKE A DAMN RAGDOLL!" His sporadic movements continued for a moment, causing Iza's duffle bag to slip from her grip. It hit the ground with a metallic thud, reminding everyone of what was inside.

After hearing that sound, Monty stopped. Iza stared at the bag as her hair fell over her face. "What do you want, Monty?" she asked quietly, never taking her eyes off the bag. "What are you trying to accomplish? Because the only thing you've done is remind me more of why I beat myself up."

"Do you enjoy that?"

Iza looked up. "What?"

"The readjustment, do you like that? Did you enjoy the change?"

Iza raised a brow and pushed up on his caseless hands. "Of course not. I don't like being jostled around; who does? It's annoying, and you didn't let me brace myself."

Monty nodded. "Alright then, do you hate me for doing something that's uncomfortable to you but necessary for the process?"

Iza stopped and then looked at him with a strange look. "What are you—Why would I hate you?"

"Because I did something you don't like."

"What is your point?" Iza demanded, pounding on his hand.

"My point is, Iza, you don't like change, am I correct?"

She nodded.

"Good, neither do we, but do you see us beating ourselves up over every little thing that reminds us of it? No, you don't, so why do you keep doing it to yourself?"

"Because you've told me not to talk about certain things, and yet I keep doing it!" She glared at his damaged chest. "I gave this exact advice to Freddy back in parts and service, yet like before, I'm still a hypocrite…why should I stop something when everyone knows it's true?"

Monty's ire grew with her words. His eyes narrowed, and he shook her again. "MONTGOMERY GATOR, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! STOP SHAKING ME!"

"Is this in your control, Iza? Huh, is this in your control?!"

"Monty!" Freddy said, rushing forward and trying to snatch Iza from his grasp.

He backed away. "No, Freddy, she needs to hear this." Monty turned to her. "Answer the question, Iza, is this in your control?"

"No," she replied between yelps.

"Why not?!"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE ME VOMIT!"

"EXACTLY!" Monty shouted, stopping his movement and startling the poor girl. "You can't stop anything because it's beyond your control, just like change in general!"

Iza gripped Monty's hands as she swallowed back puke. "W-what?" she gagged between breaths. "What did you say?"

"I said you can't control life, Iza. Change and life itself are uncontrollable forces that go where they want and stay where they aren't welcome and are constantly trying to get you to regurgitate your last meal. They can be one of the most minuscule or excruciating things a person can experience, and no amount of self-pity or belittling will make it go away, so stop doing it to yourself!"

Iza narrowed her eyes and glared daggers at Monty through her greasy hair. "Then what do you suppose I do? Pretend like everything is hunky dory? Because, from my perspective, I just watched Inox die, and any progress I made in the grieving process over my dad has been completely undone while I've started acting like a bitch all over again!"

"Change isn't a straight path, Iza. It's more like three steps back for every half step forward up a mountain while your clothes and hair are on fire; it's a mess. Also, I never said you should pretend like nothing is wrong!" Monty defended. "But hearing you talk about yourself like that is horrible, and I hate it."

Iza stared at the ground, empty, as Monty continued. "We all care for you, kid, and to hear from someone so kind and fun, talk about how much of a screw-up and evil person they are, it's devastating."

Brown eyes trailed to the ground, feeling more tears brimming at the corners of her vision. "What should I do then?" Iza asked weakly. "All I feel like is a failure to you guys and Inox. None of this would've happened if I had stayed away. Roxy and Chica would be safe, you guys wouldn't be destroyed, and Inox…" She let out a sharp gasp, and the tears ran.

Monty stared at the weeping girl in his hands and dropped his shoulders in defeat, then he set her on the ground. Iza's knees buckled under her, and she fell to the cement floor, slightly scraping up her knees.

Monty dropped to the ground with her and set his hands around her arms. His large palms practically engulfed her entire upper arm. "Okay, kid, since my method clearly isn't working, I'm going to give you some advice I once received." He took a deep breath. "You are grieving, Iza, and that's completely normal because everyone loses someone or goes through something similar at least once in their life, even us. And, unfortunately, sometimes you're powerless to help."

He paused, and his tail moved about anxiously. "You can't do anything, but you can change how you think about something."

Iza looked up.

"My friend used to advise me to change how I think about a situation. Mind over matter is what he'd say. Now I know that's different, especially after losing someone, but in this case, it can help change how you see yourself." He pointed to her head. "So by all means, grieve for as long as you need, but don't tear yourself down over something you didn't cause because you don't deserve it."

"And whether you gave that same advice to Freddy or not doesn't matter. Sometimes hearing the same words from other people can give a sentence more meaning." Monty let his words echo out as he watched the motionless human.

For a while, they kept eye contact, then Iza ducked her head. She hid her face behind her hair and remained unresponsive as Monty released another sigh and reached around her back. He carefully maneuvered her back into a bridal-style position without a fight. He then reached down and plucked the duffle bag from the ground before resting it in Iza's lap. And, despite her lack of reaction, she curled her finger around the fabric and locked the bag into place.

Once Monty was sure it and Iza were secure, he stood to his full height. Monty nodded to Freddy and Sun, who returned the gesture and started to run again.

Five minutes went by since they began moving again; an entire three hundred seconds without a word from any of them. Monty gritted his jaw in annoyance. He didn't want to return to the dull silence and looked around for something to entertain himself.

Then his eyes fell on Iza; she had not moved at all the time, not even to readjust herself. Monty's gaze softened, and some guilt overcame him, wondering if he had been too harsh. He peered again at the top of Iza's head and let out an exhausted sigh. "So," he started, grabbing everyone's attention. "What was the original plan for coming here?"

The question caught Iza off guard, and for a moment, confusion replaced her despair. She raised her head so that a single brown iris was visible and reflected Monty's red eye. She stared at him. "Huh?"

"What was your original plan when coming to the pizzaplex?" Monty repeated again. "Like if you hadn't met us and none of this happened, what would have been your course of action?"

Iza's eye widened at the question, and she looked down in thought. After everything she had experienced, from meeting the Glamrocks, to losing her best friend, and every strange event in between, Iza had nearly forgotten that a goal was put in place. She licked her lips. It seemed like a lifetime ago, recalling her life before meeting the Glamrocks; she almost couldn't remember. "I guess what any person does when checking out a new property," she said hesitantly.

"Dad left the pizzaplex in his will, and In—we were going to visit for three days to inspect and check out the property, maybe see if anything could be done with it." She scratched her hand. "After those days were over, we would've returned home before my college semester started as a last-minute trip."

Monty perked up. "Oh, you're in school?"

Iza raised her head more. The black hair obscuring her face fell to the side and revealed the bloodshot sclera and tear-stained face; Monty pretended not to notice as she continued. "Yeah, I am. I would have started my senior year of college."

"Really?" Music Man asked through the fazwatch, causing Iza and Monty to turn their heads. "What did you study?"

Iza cleared her throat and scratched her hand. "Actually, I was a double major. I studied Spanish and accounting with a minor in marketing." The words rolled off her tongue the way that she had a thousand times before when introducing herself to fellow students; it felt weird to do it for the Glamrocks.

Monty's eyes went wide at the mention. "Wow, busy student! Ever pulled any all-nighters?"

"Surprisingly, very few," Iza shrugged and began to play with the duffle bag strings. "Maybe once every two months when a large project was due, the tests themselves weren't bad, but presentations and final projects required a cup or two of coffee to get through."

"Ha! Nice," Monty chortled in response. "You definitely sound more responsible than Gregory was in college. I remember he used to pull all-nighters with Freddy, trying to get some last-minute robotics projects in." Then he stopped and swayed his tail. "Actually, I'm surprised you didn't follow in Gregory's footsteps and major in robotics or engineering."

Iza waved dismissively. "Eh, I tried that freshman year, but the classes weren't worth it, so I switched to business and eventually accounting. It's more of a hobby now than anything, and even then, I'm better with woodwork than actually programming something."

"That's fair," Monty sighed. "An old friend I had was all too familiar with what happens when programming is done badly."

Iza tilted her head and paused. "Is that the same friend that gave you that advice?"

Monty went quiet, and the others followed suit. Their metallic footsteps were the only noise to fill the void. Then, after a few seconds, Monty nodded. "Yes, it was."

Iza opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped before the first sound came out. She quickly clamped her jaw shut and looked forward, not wanting to repeat the event again.

Monty noticed her action and heard his voice box crackle. "You know, it's okay to ask who he is. You don't have to fear asking questions about our pasts, Iza."

Iza blinked and scratched her hand; her bandages started to come loose. "I know, I just…never mind, who was your friend, Monty?"

Monty snorted and looked up into the hallway, Freddy and Sun's backs filling his view. "His name was Bonnie. He was a British bunny that somehow still spoke with American words."

Iza swallowed back a sputter. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, holding in her laughter.

Monty chuckled and squeezed the woman gently. "It's alright to laugh. He was a rabbit animatronic that talked with a British accent. The only problem was his coding was made in Florida, so he spoke like an American that could sound British but didn't know the dialect. But he somehow managed to make that a part of his act."

Iza laughed; the joyous sound filled the corridor and brought a smile to the other Glamrocks' faces. "He sounds like a riot. Did Dad know him?"

Monty shook his head. "Bonnie was gone for at least two years before we met Gregory."

Iza's face fell. "What happened to him?"

Monty got quiet, then Sun spoke up. "We don't know. The staff never told us what happened to him."

"I'm sorry," Iza frowned. "Sounds like you guys were close."

No one spoke after that, but now Iza felt like she had to say something. She didn't want to continue in silence. "So, what did you guys do before you met me?"

Monty looked up. "What?"

"You asked me what my plan would have been; what would've happened if you didn't meet us?"

"Well, we usually—"

"BLOCKED?!"

Suddenly Monty snapped his mouth shut, and his eyes darted forward. The large gator barely had time to react as Freddy's large orange back appeared mere feet from his face. Instinctively Monty pressed Iza into his chest and shielded her protectively. His body spun as Monty launched himself around, aiming his back at Freddy before colliding violently. The force bounced them across the room as Freddy was sent careening into something hard in front of him while Monty was knocked sideways and slammed his back into the metal wall.

A sickening crunch was heard as Monty rammed into the wall, followed by plastic sprinkling onto the concrete floor. He groaned in pain but quickly forgot about it when he unwrapped his arms to see a dazed Iza lying sprawled next to him.

"Kid? Kid, are you alright?!"

Despite seeing four, Iza gave a shaky thumbs up. "I think I'm going to hurl again."

Monty chuckled in shock. "I'll take it." Then his attention turned to the orange Glamrock that pushed himself up. "Freddy!" he growled, eyes narrowed. "What the heck was that?"

Before Freddy could answer, slowing footsteps rang out behind them. Freddy and Monty looked over to see Sun slowing to a walk, glancing between them, concerned. "Are you two hurt?"

Monty grumbled and shook his head. "Other than some broken casing and Iza feeling nauseous, we're fine." His attention returned to Freddy. "But why the heck did you stop? You nearly caused Iza to get crushed!"

Freddy's body tensed, and his blue eyes darted to Iza, who had been pulled to her feet and leaned on Monty for support. Freddy's ears dropped, and he lowered his head in shame. "I am sorry, Monty. I didn't mean to put either of you in harm's way. I was caught off guard for a minute."

"By what?" Monty demanded, still agitated as he stood over Iza protectively.

Freddy clamped his jaw shut and then pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled back slightly, then opened his eyes and stared forward. "That."

Confused, Monty followed his finger and then felt his face drop. Iza saw their reactions and peered at what they were looking at.

At first, it was dark, but gradually her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and what she saw made her stomach drop. Before them, stretching from floor to ceiling, was the collapsed debris pile of the roof of the maintenance tunnels.

Iza looked around. The hall rubble stretched from wall to wall to form an impassable barrier. "What happened here?" she asked. "Did more of the tunnel collapse like it did when we fell through the floor?" Iza remembered the rubble pile she and Music Man had gotten stuck in.

Sun shook his head and stepped forward. "We had to run through here," he said quietly. "This is where Roxy and Chica were captured originally." He switched Music Man to one hand and ran a hand along the debris, causing some to fall from the pile. "Something else caused this."

"Endos," Freddy growled, his voice box dripped with venom and pointed at the ground. "They did this intentionally."

Confused, Iza trailed her gaze to where Freddy pointed and froze. There, beneath the pile, were the deactivated and crushed remains of a large endoskeleton, specifically a Freddy endo. Its head and arms were the only things visible.

Massive chills ran down Iza's spine, and she hugged her arms. "Why would they do that?" she asked, disturbed.

"Because he's looking to play his game again," Freddy muttered while staring at the endo's head. "He wants to toy with us before delivering the final blow." His eyes began to flicker. "Just like he tried with Gregory."

CRUNCH

The deafening sound ripped through the air, and the others stared in horror as a crimson light illuminated the endo head smashed under Freddy's giant foot.

He snarled at the deactivated bot. "Disgusting beasts." Freddy pulled back his leg and stood straight, bits of metal plinking to the ground.

Silence dominated the room. Freddy stepped back and examined his work, the red glow fading. Then, as the blue materialized, Freddy let out one more kid-friendly slur toward the broken endo before finally facing his friends. He looked around with tired eyes. "I despise endos," he spat blankly before his eyes settled on Iza.

Iza shrank under his gaze and then coughed into her hand. "So…" she began, scratching her hand nervously. "…what's the plan?"

Freddy stared at her, then his ears dropped; saddened eyes looked at the wall as he spoke. "There is no plan because there is nothing we can do."

Iza's heart quickened. "What do you mean?"

Freddy's eyes darkened as his body began to tremble. "I mean, we can't…we can't help them…we can't help Roxy and Chica." He grit his teeth and clenched his fist. "Glitchtrap has finally won."