A/N Hey everybody! Hope you're all having a good day and looking forward to the new chapter. Now that I have a bit more time after work, I should be able to get things out a little quicker too, so look forward to that. Anyway, this chapter's going to be jam-packed and I hope you enjoy. Here we go!
This was the second time this week Gregory had woken up after being sedated, and it didn't feel any better than the last. His head was already throbbing from his exposure to the Remnant and it seemed to be worse now. He did, however, get his bearings a little quicker than last time, and realized that, once again, he was tied up in a chair. Only this time, his captors seemed to get a bit wiser, as rather than rope, his hands were bound with zip-ties. He wasn't getting out of those anytime soon, especially with his shoulder how it was.
All in all, Gregory decided he was worse off than the last time this happened. Not just because of how his captors took extra precautions this time, but also because he actually had something to lose if he couldn't get out of here. At first, he didn't want to admit to himself how close he'd gotten to everyone in such a short time, but in a strange way…it was almost like he was starting to get a family again. He was secretly afraid of getting that for the longest time, because he knew he could lose them the same way he lost his last family, but now things had changed. It seemed he was getting a second chance at life now, but it would be for nothing if he doesn't get out of here.
Thinking of this, he again fought the urge to keep his head down and slowly lifted himself up. Thankfully, he was not met with Vanny's ugly mug this time, but instead found himself in front of what appeared to be one of the animatronics' charging stations from the Pizzaplex. Only, this one was vandalized in that every visible surface was covered in purple spray paint. This included the window in front, so he couldn't see what—or who—was inside. And the wall behind it was completely covered in monitors, producing either static or a blue screen. The boy had to admit, subtlety was not his captors' forte.
He tried to get his eyes adjusted to the scene in front of him, when…
"Greg!" came Roxy's panicked voice.
He jumped in his chair at the sudden noise, but quickly turned his head to the left, where it came from. Sure enough, Roxy was there next to him, but she was bound along the wall in a way reminiscent of a James Bond film. She was fettered to a metal slab on the wall, bound by her wrists and ankles by restraints coming out of it. Not a comfortable position for sure, and it showed. In the dim light he could see her frightened expression and her yellow optics glowing, desperate for a way out. And next to her, he could see Fifi, bound in the same way, but struggling to break her way out, the strain of this seemingly futile effort apparent.
He turned to face them as much as he could. "Roxy, Fifi, what happened?" he blurted out. "How long was I out?"
"I don't know!" the wolf exclaimed. "Vanessa got knocked out too, and they forced a shut down on us! I just woke up and we were here!"
Speaking of which, "Where are Vanessa and Freddy, then?"
"Over here!" came Freddy's voice from the other direction.
Gregory turned in his seat again, and there were Freddy and Vanessa, bound in the same way. Freddy mainly looked relieved that his friend was okay, despite the situation, but Vanessa looked ready to break someone's neck.
"Well at least they kept us all together this time," the orphan awkwardly quipped, thinking of nothing better to say.
"Yeah…for now," Vanessa snarked back. "Ugh…I should've figured Josh would've been a part of this. That worm'll do anything for a buck!"
Fifi looked at her confused. "I thought you said you had a good relationship with him!"
"From a business standpoint, yes," the blonde explained, "but personally? I'd really need therapy if I talked to him for five minutes outside work."
In spite of the situation, Gregory giggled a bit. "Since he's working for a murderer, too, I don't blame ya."
Then a door flew open at the left of the room in front of Gregory. Speak of the devil, in walked Josh, Vanny following closely behind him.
"I don't think either of you are in any position to complain now," he breathed, casually slapping Gregory with a magazine as he went. "And if all goes well, it's going to stay that way."
In spite of his situation, the boy scoffed. "Well, someone's a bit touchy. It's not like I have parents that'll sue you or anything."
Josh dropped the magazine and hit the boy again, this time with the back of his hand, full force.
"Exactly," he grinned, "which is why I'm going to enjoy every moment of watching you bleed, knowing I won't have to pay for it."
"Oh, you'll have fun with this one, Joshy," Vanny hissed. "He's a fighter."
"Leave him alone!" came a strained cry from Roxy.
They turned to Roxy, who's face was curled up in a snarl, threatening the captors. But when Josh saw this, he burst into laughter.
"Or what?" he challenged, walking up to her. "You're being held back by two inches of reinforced steel; you can't break through that. Besides, even if you could, didn't you say before you didn't want anyone to get hurt? If you could attack me…then you just told a bigger lie to yourself than you have been since you've been built."
He caressed the wolf's hair on the last part, and it was clear that she already wanted no part of him. At the same time though, she was desperately trying to convince herself that he was lying, and trying not to show her turmoil.
"Get your hands off my hair," was all Roxy could muster.
Josh turned away with a satisfied smirk. "You see, Vanessa, this is why I never liked the Glamrock models. They were inspired by people in the entertainment industry who never thought past their noses, and clearly, they think the same way. Plus, since I know one of them is possessed by an utter failure now, it makes sense that they had to wind up here."
Now, even Freddy was beginning to get agitated at his words, and that was saying something.
"This is a new low, Josh," Vanessa muttered, "even for you. It's one thing to try and cover up the years of controversies that have plagued this company since its founding, but now you're actively helping a murderer! What are you honestly going to gain from this?!"
"You realize you are talking about the founder of this company, right?" the executive nonchalantly explained. "Weren't you the one that said we needed to acknowledge the past more? Now, I'm doing business with the very beginning of Fazbear Entertainment, and you ask what I have to gain. Does nothing please you, Vanessa?!"
"Don't take it personal," Vanny taunted. "If she had an ounce of gratitude in her body, she wouldn't have tried to take all the information we tried so hard to protect. It's a pity we couldn't try to get her mind off of it with those therapists, but at least everything is protected now."
"What are you talking about?" Vanessa demanded.
Josh said nothing but pulled a thumb drive from his jacket pocket.
"We scoured this whole place for everything that we would need for Mr. Afton's agenda," he explained. "You were too late before you even got here tonight. It's all right here."
The captives' hearts dropped. They'd failed. Everything they'd worked for was in this bigwig's hands, and he knew they were after it. It seemed fate was dealing them the cruelest hand tonight, but at this point, they were almost used to it.
"No…" Gregory breathed.
"And now that we have our hands on this little rascal," Josh continued, kicking the boy in the shin, "we can really get everything moving forward…But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm not the proper authority on this."
He stepped over to a keyboard on a desk in front of the monitors to the left of the charging station.
"No," he snickered, "this is a job…FOR THE BOSS!"
He pressed a button on the keyboard, and the power in the room went haywire. The lights flickered. The screens went on and off at different intervals. The charging station sprang to life, light shining through the spray-painted door. It seemed to shake violently for a bit until finally it gave one last jostle and everything went out. However, everything came back on after a few seconds, and everyone looked around in a panic.
"W-What happened?" Roxy stuttered.
That's when the door of the charging station unlocked with a hiss, and the door slowly opened. As this occurred, the monitors on the wall all turned on, showing nothing but a backdrop of purple. Vanny giggled in glee at this display. The inside of the charging station was filled with fog at first, so it was unclear what was inside, but soon, a metallic hand emerged, gripping the side of the opening with enough friction to cause sparks from its claws.
The figure the hand was attached to slowly emerged, and in the light, it was clear that it was made up of multiple animatronic parts, strewn together in a Frankenstein-esque fashion. Standing out among these was a heavily damaged rabbit head with parts of the casing missing, and glowing purple eyes. Most notably, hidden among each damaged part, barely sticking out among each limb, was what appeared to be decomposed human remains.
Gregory and his group looked on in horror.
"W-What is that?!" Fifi whisper yelled.
Freddy hoped he could again forget the number of times he had seen this sight.
"It's him."
William Afton, rebuilt once again, in his most grotesque form yet, stepped forward to face his prisoners. Stopping about 3 feet in front of Gregory, he leaned backward, his shattered head facing the ceiling, and took a deep, rattling breath. Gregory was never one to be seated in the very front at anything, and this was a new reason why.
"I will never tire of the feeling of regaining my movement," William snarled in satisfaction.
Vanny giggled again. "Enjoy it while it lasts, sir. It won't be much longer until you'll never have to feel it again."
"I truly hope your standards have been met, Mr. Afton," Josh boasted, meeting the monster where he stood. "Not just in your new body, but in the boy as well."
"I should say they have," William's gruff voice agreed. "Well done, Joshua. You will have your reward soon enough."
He caressed Gregory's face.
"Yes, this boy is perfect. I knew it from the start. Seems quite fitting that we have an audience to watch my triumph unfold…Especially since two of them are my prodigal children."
Vanessa's face went red with anger. "Don't you call me your child, you psychopath! You weren't even a good father to your real kids!"
"Vanessa, my dear, would you kindly SHUT IT?!" William slapped her face. "I should have realized long ago that I wouldn't get understanding from a stranger I invited into my house."
He turned to look at Freddy.
"But you, Mike…You're my flesh and blood. I thought for sure you would at least see the plight I've been through all these years and warmed up to me…but no. In the end, you turn against me and do what you've always done. You fail. I suppose I shouldn't expect any different, especially compared to Elizabeth."
The bear was seething. "You poisoned her mind. You turned her into your puppet. I'll never forgive you for that."
"Ah, but you see…I don't care. You're nothing to me now. You never were. And especially compared to her, you never will be…"
The stitched together murderer was interrupted by the sound of growling. He turned to see Roxy with a scowl on her face.
"Ah! Roxanne!" he greeted condescendingly. "I had almost forgotten about you. How does it feel to be on the losing side now?"
"Shut. Up," the wolf snarled.
William feigned heartache as he walked up to her. "Oh, I had hoped you would be an improvement over Foxy. Someone just as powerful, but a little more…loyal. But alas, you turned away like he did. A shame really."
Roxy tried her best to hide it, but her lip was trembling.
"Ha! Why would anyone be loyal to a stuck-up, child-killing maniac like you?!" Fifi yelled; her face twisted in rage.
William turned to face her. "You again! What are you? And why must you be so annoying?"
"Oh, her?" Josh interjected. "I know her. She was supposed to be first in this line of animatronics meant for the younger kids. But our investors didn't want to shell out the money for it after one was produced, so we scrapped the project. And I thought we scrapped her, too."
Vanny giggled once more. "A reject that refuses to give up. How amusing…and sad."
Fifi heard enough. "Why you little-OOOWWW!"
She shook as electricity coursed through her body. Everyone looked back at Josh, who was smugly holding a remote control.
"Forgot to mention, your restraints have electrodes on them," he taunted. "Gotta applaud the tech team for their contributions."
Fifi slumped over after her 'controlled shock,' and Roxy was clearly having a few flashbacks as she saw this.
"And just how many members of the tech team actually know about this?" asked Vanessa, furiously.
"Like I would tell you!" Josh barked back. "You have no idea how many of us know about Mr. Afton and our little ghost situation here. You see, what he is producing here is going to be the next step up for our company. We're not just talking technology for children's entertainment anymore. No! We're talking about under the table deals that could boost us beyond what we already have. Weapons, surveillance, anything you could imagine. It's going to boost us to a level no one will anticipate! I've run the numbers, and what we'll make in a year is going to be beyond anything anyone's ever seen! Sure, lives will be lost, but we'll have enough to make up for it!"
William eyed the executive curiously. "Is that what you think the goal is here, Joshua? The money?"
Josh chuckled extatically. "Well, what else would it be?! We're businessmen, William, and you know, just as well as I do, that we have to do everything we can to make it to the top!"
William chuckled as well, but more darkly.
"You see, that's where you're wrong," he said. "I have gone beyond being a businessman. There is nothing that the world can provide to me now. Money means nothing to me. What I am seeking is beyond human comprehension. I thought you could understand my stance on that, but…it seems you are the one that cannot see past his own nose."
Josh looked at the withered rabbit in skeptical curiosity. "What are you saying?"
"What I am saying is…you're no longer needed."
It was at this moment that Vanny thrust her knife into Josh's back right through his heart. He gave a shocked expression as he looked at the exit of the stab wound, gasping for breath as he looked at William again. The man could no longer speak, but pointed to William accusingly as the knife was removed from his back. Gregory and the others watched in horror as his body fell to the ground, and laid there motionless.
Complete silence for several seconds.
"Well, well," Vanny muttered. "Seems we're getting our fair share of disappointments this week. Aren't we, sir?"
"It appears so," the murderer said solemnly. "But let's forget about that for now, and return to the matter at hand."
He turned his attention to Gregory, who, upon realizing the danger, quickly recovered from the sight of Josh's murder. He looked at William with fire in his eyes.
"I'm going to make this harder than you think, Afton," the boy seethed. "I know what you want."
William grabbed the boy's braced shoulder, causing him to wince.
"So it would seem," the murderer growled. "I suppose my old business partner has proven quite an asset to you, hasn't he?"
Gregory was taken aback, and it showed.
"Ah yes," William continued. "I know you were the one that took him. And I can tell that, even after all that time alone, he still doesn't see the brilliance in what I've done. He's just like the rest of them."
"The rest of who?" Gregory asked skeptically. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm sure Henry told you that he and I met while studying in the same field, but I was interested in other sciences as well. The thing I really wanted to study, however, was something that scientists refused to look into…the human soul. It is the thing that sets us apart from animals, the source of our every emotion, the thing that has driven us forward through our time on Earth. I felt this could be a source of great power, a way to bring the human race to its pinnacle. At every turn, however, I was ridiculed for wanting to study the soul, because they believed that it was not physical. But they were wrong. Believe it or not, I have found a way to extract the power of the soul and contain its essence in a physical form."
The orphan's eyes went wide. "So that's what Remnant is? Souls?"
"Perceptive of you, boy," William growled. "…Well, in essence it is, but on a higher level, it is the essence of the power that is gained by the soul. And that power is developed by one thing…memories. Not just any memories, though. Strong memories, ones fresh in your mind. And children truly have the strongest memories of all. They have not been here long, so their memories do not have as much of a chance to fade. Therefore, the Remnant obtained from them is stronger. And since the human soul, by traditional standards, should not exist, it's byproduct, Remnant, allows for the impossible to happen."
Gregory looked at him confusedly. "So, what makes me different from any other kid you killed to make that stuff?"
"Well, my boy," William chuckled, "you have experienced more in your short ten years than most adults have experienced in four times that timeframe. If memories didn't fade as a person aged, the Remnant produced by that soul would be just as powerful as yours is now. And you've felt this, haven't you? The sickness you felt when encountering Vanny, as well as where we found you tonight. That is a signal of your potential Gregory. The Remnant produced by your soul would have power one could only dream of."
"Alright, then," an annoyed Gregory complained. "So, you get my Remnant, you become immortal, and ruin as many lives as you want. Bet that'll be real fun, huh?"
William laughed ferociously. "You stupid boy! You have no idea of the full extent of my plan…but that is absolutely perfect. Why? Because I will ensure you die before you ever know. I am not the villain of one of your Saturday morning cartoons, child. Or, God forbid, of some ignorant horror film. I will not allow you the slightest chance of ruining my ambitions. The information you are seeking will be destroyed, and everyone with you will leave this plane of existence with the same understanding that Henry has of my goals: absolutely nothing."
Gregory was not expecting the plan to be given up so easily, but knowing that this madman had thought that far ahead scared him more than anything else. In a sense, William was just like every other adult the orphan met since his parents died, but without an actual sense of what his goal was, he didn't know how to escape like he had done so many times in the past. Especially now that the ones that have actually helped him until now are facing the same dangers. He pondered on these things looking into the glowing purple eyes in front of him, but he was jolted from his thoughts when he suddenly heard Charlie's voice.
"Is that what you think of my father, William?"
Both parties looked up to see Charlie hanging upside down from the ceiling, and as soon as they did, she flipped and landed on the floor to face William.
"You spent years working with him, developing his dream, as well as what we thought was yours. You know how many technical marvels he made and achievements he accomplished working alongside you. And now you say he's brainless, because he doesn't have your twisted worldview?"
"Why must you keep meddling in my affairs, Charlotte?" the reincarnated monster spat. "Your business in this should have been over the moment I killed you."
"On the contrary," the puppet seethed, grabbing his arm, "that was exactly when my business began. This shell I'm in now was made to protect people, so since you put me in here, I felt it would be best to use those abilities to protect people from you. And if you don't understand why I'm doing that, then you're as much a fool as you think my father to be."
"How dare you!" William spat back. "I suppose you want vengeance for his death, do you? You petty girl, you're worse than Cassidy."
"You forget my father died in order to stop you," she snarked. "I have no reason to want vengeance. That's why I left Cassidy in the first place. Her sole mindset is vengeance on you and she has gone to worse lengths than even you have gone to obtain it…In fact, she holds a grudge against me for leaving as well. I suppose that is why she chased me here."
The murderer looked back at her in shock. "She WHAT?"
"Yes. She followed me out of anger when she saw me…I've led her right to you."
Instantly a black tentacle wrapped around Willam's ankles and dragged him back to the charging station. Just as another one was reaching to grab Vanny, the Blob's chorus of voices rang out.
"Vengeance is mine tonight, Afton!"
When Vanny was ultimately grabbed by the tentacle, she instinctively pushed the button on her remote to summon the S.T.A.F.F. bots, and William smirked when he saw this.
"I beg to differ."
During this exchange, Charlie made her way over to the computer and released Vanessa and the animatronics from their restraints. Once they realized what had happened, they all ran over to Gregory and Vanessa freed him with her pocket knife. Just as S.T.A.F.F. bots started pouring in, tentacled animatronics began to emerge from where Afton and Vanny were being held.
"Come on!" Vanessa yelled, and the group bolted for the door.
They all formed a protective barrier around Gregory as they went, and Vanessa disarmed two bots that were in the way with her taser. As they ran out, Charlie jumped in front of them, and Roxy, the last one out, shut the door behind them. Charlie turned to look at the group.
"I didn't want to have to do that," she said, "but there wasn't much else anyone could do. I'm just glad I made it before anyone got hurt."
Gregory laughed a little. "I don't know if I've said this enough," he breathed, "but I definitely owe you one Charlie."
The puppet crossed her arms. "If you can actually get rid of Afton for good, I think that will be enough of a reward."
He flashed her a thumbs-up. Vanessa had to admit, she appreciated how this boy had grown in such a short time. She gave a tired smile…which disappeared when she came to a realization.
"That flash drive was still on Josh's body!" she exclaimed. "How are we goi—"
"Don't bother," Charlie warned. "There was nothing on it. He was trying to play you all for fools."
The blonde's shoulder's relaxed, but Roxy stamped her foot in frustration.
"I knew I should've seen something on that," she muttered.
"Where is the information we are looking for, then?" asked Freddy.
"It's all been transferred to the main computer in the security office," the puppet explained. "Gregory, let me mark the location on your map."
Obliging, the boy held out his hand to her. Charlie waved her limb over his watch and a marker appeared on the map.
"Be careful, though," she warned. "It's likely to be another trap."
"You're not coming with us?" Fifi asked.
"I have something I need to take care of with Cassidy. Don't worry, though. I'm with you guys now."
They all submitted, knowing any further questions now would be useless, and they parted ways to let her through the door. The marionette slowly walked to the door, but turned around before opening it.
"By the way, Gregory," she said quietly. "…Good job with Roxy."
The boy laughed again silently. "Thank your dad for that."
She looked down. "…Right."
At this, Charlie finally walked in, shutting the door behind her. After this, Gregory was left there staring at his first ever set of friends. Once again, he was scared of getting close to people like this, even though he wanted to, because he knew that there was more than himself that he had to look out for. Yet, for some reason, looking at them all now, knowing what they've been through, knowing that someone has actually cared for him since his parents died…he knew there was no backing out now. He was going to get out of here with all of them and use everything he knew now to make sure they didn't end up in the same situation again. He wasn't about to lose anyone else.
He took a quick look at his watch and addressed them all. "Come on, guys. Let's go."
A/N And that'll do it. This chapter was probably a little exposition heavy, but I did manage cover all the story points I wanted to, here. I may have also been waxing a little philosophical on the explanation of Remnant as well, just because it is a crazy concept to begin with. Aside from that, I hope no one is too upset at Josh's quick demise. Who knows though? I may continue with stories in this universe in the future, and with how Five Nights at Freddy's typically goes, this may not be the last we see of him. Either way, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always be sure to leave a review if you can. Thanks for reading and have a great day!