Mable: Enjoy!
Going Home in a Box
Chapter Seventy-Eight
From the moment it opened, Michael knew that he would eventually end up at the Mega Pizzaplex. The plan to secure spare parts and the knowledge that staff was dying on-site just sped that process up.
But that didn't mean he had any intention of rushing over there. No, this was the sort of thing that would take strategic planning and timing to get right. The others could go over there and virtually disappear in the massive mall, but Michael was Springtrap once he walked out of this house. He couldn't just blend in or easily hide. He was a walking, hulking creature who struck instant fear into those who saw him.
Even he got startled glancing in a mirror every now and then. Needless to say, he didn't do that often.
The plan was to go over to Scott's to make a plan with Ennard as talking over the phone wasn't cutting it. Michael wasn't as good with verbal descriptions as he was with his drawing. It would take him a good twenty minutes of talk to get across the same image that a sketch could in only a few seconds.
So, that was the plan. Mike and Marionette even drove him over. It had been a couple of days since the nightmare incident and Marionette was finally starting to do a little better.
Michael wasn't sure whether to be proud of Marionette's resilience or lament how comfortable he was with death. Either way, it was good to see him feeling a little better.
Neither he nor Jeremy had returned to the Pizzaplex- yet. Foxy had yesterday and, having been brought up to speed, had went with the intentions of asking Beelora himself about herself. Or at least hinting to it. Michael wasn't surprised when he was unable to go through with it. It was the same reason Marionette and Jeremy hadn't, they weren't certain and they didn't want to scare her without reason.
Or perhaps, Michael suspected, they didn't want to hurt her. Ignorance was bliss. To be suddenly, forcibly reminded that you were a person with a life and that it was over would shake anyone. That was why nobody had directly come out and said it to Freddy, Michael suspected, and he understood that too.
Truth was that if Michael had the choice, he might've not wanted to remember who he was. At least then he wouldn't have to know what he lost.
But that wasn't the point of the matter. The point was, Michael didn't intend to rush over to the Pizzaplex, and he certainly didn't plan to sneak over there without telling anyone.
Ennard really was a terrible influence. He couldn't imagine how Scott got anything done with him in the house.
As soon as Mike and Marionette were done visiting with Scott and Baby respectively, Ennard jumped him with the idea.
"Aww, come on. It'll be fun! A little midnight adventure.~ A teensy little taste of danger. A little secret we keep 'til our graves!"
"You mean the mass grave will be dumped into under the Pizzaplex?" Michael had dryly retorted.
"Exactly! We'll find the parts a lot quicker that way." Ennard then gave him a gentle nudge with his elbow. After he almost set off his springlocks last time, the clown had resolved to restrain himself.
Baby had even warned him against this.
"This is a terrible idea, and you know it too."
He had given her an, "I know," as a response.
"And you're still going to do it?"
"Yes."
She tossed her clawless arm.
"Why do I even bother? You're just as bad as him, you know," she said, gesturing to Ennard. "Well, go ahead. But at least keep your head on straight. Lord knows he won't."
Which translated into "Be careful and keep an eye on Ennard" from someone who certainly didn't want to approve of this plan. Michael appreciated the concern and agreed.
The plan wasn't to sneak over to Freddy's without telling anybody except Baby, and yet that was what they did. Michael knew better but at this point he was almost willing to take the risk to keep from waiting around. It didn't take much convincing at all.
The building was much larger than he expected. Not jarringly so, but it would dwarf many malls with its size and general flashiness- and that was just from outside. They pulled up around back and Scott let them out directly beside Foxy's secret vent. It was raining and they couldn't afford getting those springlocks anymore moist than they were from the general humidity of the suit.
"Try to keep a low profile tonight. I don't know what's going on, but it sounds like things have been a little… tense," Scott warned.
"Ooo, sounds juicy! Hold that thought until we get back," Ennard playfully chirped.
"I'm serious-."
Scott started to double-down, turning his head to continue when Ennard swooped in between the seats and pressed the mouth of his mask to his in an awkwardly clunky kiss. One that still managed to spark the same warmth as a pair of normal lips might've, maybe even more so.
"We'll be careful. And back in a jiffy! Trust me- the less time we spend hanging around, the less chance I get cornered in a bathroom by Miss Trash-Mouth," Ennard said.
"And you choose to call her that even though you're such a prolific dumpster diver that it's become part of a local legend. People think that dump's haunted because of you," Michael pointed out.
"Yeah, there's that…" Scott agreed. Ennard looked between them.
"Oh, come on! I'm just kidding around! I know what she's going through. Heck, I kicked the habit myself! Part of the fun's getting to joke about it afterwards."
"Exactly how far did you kick it?" Michael asked doubtfully.
"And I've eaten waaay worse than trash," Ennard defended with a snicker.
"Oooh yeah. Yeah, there was that dryer mayonnaise," Scott agreed again, nearly gagging on the memory of it. Thankfully, now with Baby in the garage, stuff didn't get shoved behind the dryer anymore.
"Yet you still kiss him," Michael pointed out.
"Well, yeah. But I keep up to date on my tetanus shots now," Scott joked.
He knew that was going to tickle Ennard and smiled when he got a rousing laugh out of the clown. Who then leaned forward and beeped his nose against Scott's.
"That's not the only reason…~"
Michael really, really wished that he hadn't heard that.
Scott must've realized that he would've as he began to fumble and stutter out some form of an explanation. "You- He's just- You shouldn't joke like that. We haven't- It's not like we- We couldn't possibly-!"
This failure of communication was eventually cut off by Ennard snickering as it grew into another borderline hysterical laugh. He ruffled Scott's neatly combed hair like he was a little kid.
"Don't you worry about us! You just sit tight and don't talk to any strangers, don't get into any other suspicious vans, and if someone does show up then just floor it and we'll go camp out in the desert. But that won't happen! Because we'll be back lickety-split!" Ennard swore, shooting him double finger guns. He hung there for a second. "But if we don't get back here by six, we're probably crashing in a vent or something. So, just head on home, get some sleep, and swing on by tomorrow to get us!"
"…Sure, but how about you don't do that and just maybe try to get back by six?" Scott tried.
"I mean, if you insist then maybe we can try to do that," Ennard teasingly said. "But you gotta pay the fee."
Scott patted himself down for show. "Sorry, but it looks like I'm all out of bribing candy. Will you take change?"
"HA! Come 'ere!" Ennard then swooped in once again.
At this point, Michael could've believed that this was an elaborate ploy to show off and follow up with, "See how fun this is? Come on, let's getcha a squeeze toy!"
Of course Ennard would call it a squeeze toy.
Or at least, Michael was considering calling Scott Ennard's squeeze toy- a thought that immediately made him want to throw himself into the nearest puddle.
To think that he was actually relieved when Ennard gave his enthusiastic, "Alright, Pal-y-o! Let's get in there!" Along with a firm but not hard pat on the back.
Time to return to Freddy's once again.
As prepared as Michael- Springtrap thought he was, he wasn't. Not just for the trudge through the vent, which was brutal enough as it was, but to come out the other side into a back room that didn't reek of oil and decay. To walk into a hallway that looked like it would exist in any functional business and eventually step out into an oversized atrium.
The Pizzaplex was everything that the original Freddy's wasn't. Instead of a cramped dining room it was a huge dining hall and show stage. Forget mall, he was certain that there were plenty of airports smaller than this. Even with the lights dimmed the colors, the neon, the signs, it was all so flashy and reeked of a decade that had already passed. It was harsh on the eyes, and the low elevator music did nothing to shake that mall-like impression.
His father would've hated this. Springtrap took a sadistic sort of pleasure out of that. He preferred smaller locations with less eyes, where a man bouncing around in a bunny suit was both uncanny and perfectly expected. Here someone like him would've been seen as odd and outdated as his main means to lure in potential victims. Too many characters, too many lights, and his franchise totally ripped from his hands.
It was almost a shame he wasn't here to see this, but Springtrap preferred to have him dead and buried. That was the more satisfying revenge. Everybody won when William lost everything.
It didn't take long for Springtrap to start noticing some of the more advanced technology. It put the Handunit in his grasp to shame, but he still clung to it the same. Even if he wouldn't be able to use it for anything. Having it made him feel better, a little more grounded.
They moved quickly and quietly. Shockingly, Ennard limited his explanations on the building to pointing things out and making various hand gestures in between sneaking. It wasn't too hard to pick up the general idea of what he was trying to convey. Maybe. He could always double-check later if he remembered and was that curious about it.
Eventually they arrived at the daycare. The security door lifted open as they approached. Springtrap instinctually stepped to the side to shield himself in case someone was coming through on the other side, but no. The only thing coming through was bouncy, cartoonish music.
"I was hoping you were lying about the music," Springtrap mumbled.
"So was I," Ennard said. His mask's grin seeming extra cheeky. "Come on, we gotta see a guy about some directions."
"This better not be the Sun guy-."
"You know it is."
It was the daycare's size that really took Springtrap by surprise. He remembered hearing it was big, but he was thinking school gym sized. This was much larger, having multiple play structures inside instead of squeezing in a few tunnels like they did at Freddy's. He looked around and took it all in, shielding his eyes from the piercing lights above.
"Just wait. He'll show up any… second… now…" Ennard said.
They had to wait a little longer than that, but eventually he heard jingling and looked into the play area to see the Daycare Attendant coming out onto the balcony. A little larger than he expected- even with Marionette's recounting- but he recognized the design from the little Sun doll that he occasionally saw one of the Minireenas toting around.
The Sun dove into the ball pit before exiting it into the entrance slide. Shortly after he clamored up and into the tunnel in front of them.
"Hellloooo~!" Sunny greeted. "Now there's a familiar-…"
Sunny trailed off as he caught sight of the unfamiliar rabbit standing alongside Ennard. He stared blankly at him. His gaze piercing, and only partially blocked when Ennard bent over in front of the jester, his arms behind his back.
"Well, well. Hello, hello! A little birdie told me you had a run-in with Pinocchioh-heck-no," Ennard joked.
This seemed to snap Sunny out of it, but his once welcoming- and slightly suspicious- tone became quickly filled with nervousness.
"Heh, yes. He was a little terror. H-He's banned from the daycare, by the way. S-So, don't get any ideas! Heh, heh," he fumbled.
Thankfully, Ennard wasn't nearly as oblivious as he pretended to be. "This is my best buddy, Michael!" he introduced.
"Hiiiiii," Sunny greeted with a slow wave.
Springtrap was a little more blunt. "Hello, Sun. It is good to finally put a face to the name… I take it from your reaction that you recognize this suit?" He gestured at himself.
"Uh, sorta! I've heard some spooky bedtime stories about it. Heh heh, uh, y'know the golden bunny suit. Not looking so golden though, oh no. Never saw it myself." Sunny's voice faltered to something hollower. "But I do know the guy who wore it is the one who put me in a trunk."
Springtrap's eyes widened at that. "…That's horrifying. I am so sorry."
"Wait, no, IT'S NOT HIM!" Ennard insistently denied. Seeing as his earlier introduction flew past Sun. He gestured his own arm at the rabbit. "This isn't that guy! That Purple Guy! This is Michael! Mari's brother!"
"O-OH! I recognize that name! That's GREAT! I mean, I guess I shoulda figured you weren't him. Marionette said he's gone, sooo…"
It seemed like what Sunny was baiting was that he was still uncertain about the rabbit, so he spoke in his own defense.
"He is gone, but his suit remains, and here I am stuck in it," Springtrap explained.
"How'd that happen?"
"Sheer stupidity."
"Oh, come on! That's not what happened," Ennard defended.
"I cornered myself in a back room and thinking it would save me, I hid in a dry rotten, moldy and wet suit filled with sensitive springlocks," Springtrap recounted dryly.
"…You're not making a good case for yourself there."
Springtrap gave him a look.
"…Ooookay, I stand corrected. But hey- we all do stupid stuff!" Ennard assured.
"Oh! Like that little prank on Chica! Mm-hm, that wasn't too smart," Sunny chimed in. Purposefully feigning innocence to guise the edge of smugness.
"Ha ha, oh Sunny boy." The clown grinned down at him. "Don't you make me follow you down that slide. I'll do it!"
Of course, Ennard was only playfully threatening him- he knew what he was doing, Springtrap decided- but Sunny's points retracted like he expected the clown to tackle him. The worst case scenario being him getting tangled up and stuck to this menace, and after he was tethered to a walking problem child mere days ago.
"Well, I know you two must be awfully busy. Speaking of which, whatcha doin' here? I'm hoping- I'm guessing not to hang out in the daycare," Sunny said.
"We're looking for spare parts for Charlie. We gotta get her some feet before she wears her points down," Ennard explained. "As a matter of fact, we're looking for your spare parts!" He pointed at Sunny.
"Mine? Why- Why on earth would you want MY spare parts?"
"I thought they may be the closest we can get to Charlie's body type." Springtrap sized up Sunny's form. He currently had one of his legs bent and the foot resting on the roof of the tunnel, giving him a slight look at his ankle and heel. He could at least see the sizing and guesstimate the rest. "And it looks like it may work with some adjustments."
"Pffft, what? No! There's a huge difference between Jingle Bell's legs and my- Hey, wait a minute! Are you saying you two are gonna STEAL from the warehouse?"
"I consider it a severance package."
"That's right! Neither of us got our last checks. Heh, or a proper burial," Ennard whispered the end behind his hand.
"Wellll, I guess that's a reason. Between you and me, IIIII haven't exactly NOT borrowed things that I can't return," Sunny admitted. Tapping his fingers and rolling his points. He then put his hands on his hips, an odd gesture when he was still in the tube. "But borrowing paint's a lot different than going into the warehouse and snatching parts. It's pretty dangerous down there! And the whole thing's a maze, you'll get lost!"
"Listen here, Mister Sun. The scariest thing in this place is me without my clothes on, and the most dangerous is me without my clothes on. All we gotta do is find a map and we're home free!"
"…Please keep your clothes on in the daycare," Sunny requested with uncharacteristic seriousness.
"HEY!"
Sunny looked back towards the other side of the daycare before raising a finger.
"One moment, please!"
He then disappeared down the slide as quickly as he appeared. Ennard watched him return to the balcony shortly after.
Then he snapped his head to Springtrap. "Does he really sound like me?"
"Yes. Did you really imply you were the scariest thing here while there is a giant spider who looks like Music Man somewhere in the building?"
"Oooo, I forgot about that…" The way his voice lowered tipped off that he was getting another idea.
"Did you forget about the terrifying muppet who you were telling that to?"
"Oh, please! He's scared of me."
"He's scared of me…" Springtrap lowered his voice to a somber whisper, "What he said about the trunk… That's awful."
"It is." Ennard's voice dropped and his ruse briefly broke, but he pulled it together quickly. "Yeah, but he's doing better now! Sometimes ya gotta look on the bright side or the dark side's gonna eat you up."
"...That was surprisingly deep all things considered."
"Hey, so am I!" Ennard replied with a thumbs up.
This managed to get a chuckle out of the rabbit, much to the clown's delight.
They clammed up by time Sunny returned. He hopped into the ball pit and climbed up the slide again before offering Ennard, who was closer, a radio. It looked like a kid's walkie-talkie and had Freddy's face on it.
"Here you go!"
"Well, isn't that cute!" Ennard gushed as he snatched it up. "D'you got a pair of these? I'd love to give one to Scottie. All we've got is this boring one that barely works in here." He tapped the spare radio hooked to his belt- one he was borrowing from Scott, that was hidden under his jacket. Virtually useless inside the Pizzaplex but could possibly come in handy if Scott either came inside or they went out.
"Nope! You just get one- and it's on loan, so I'm going to need it back once you're done!"
"What is it for? For you to give us directions?" Michael guessed.
"To get in contact with me. Hello!" Jake said through the radio. "My name's Jake and I'll be your guide for the evening. At least until you get into a dead zone in the basement. Then you'll lose me."
Ennard perked and brought the radio to his mouth. "Hey, Buddy! How's it holding up?"
"I assume you mean the good ol' leg, and barely," Jake joked back.
"Ha ha, funny," Sunny mumbled. He didn't seem quite so amused. "I gotta go scrape some tempera off something. Bye-bye for now!"
He pushed off and went sliding down the slide and back into the ball pit. It was clear that he wasn't entirely on board with this plan.
Ennard pressed the radio to his chest and leaned towards Springtrap to ask, "What is that, shrimp?"
"It's paint, but yeah. People regularly dump food in the daycare," Jake answered.
There was no way he should've heard that. Springtrap sent Ennard a quizzical look and pointed to his ear- the side of his head where his real ear would be. Ennard pointed towards the balcony and Springtrap looked over in time to see a white face disappearing behind a curtain.
Well, that was a little suspicious. Springtrap held out his hand for the radio, which Ennard plopped into his palm, and he raised it to his mouth. His eyes still trained on the balcony.
"You must be Jake," he said.
"That's my name, don't wear it out."
"Well, I'm Michael. I'm assuming Charlie or Marion told you about me."
"She did! She, uh, left out the part about you being a- Well, I could've assumed since Foxy, Baby, and Mari are all animatronics… I'm just going to stop right there."
Springtrap gave a half-chuckle before returning to business.
"If I may, why are you helping us? Sun seemed reluctant in letting us take things from the business."
"He still is, but not for why you think he is. Freddy's is pretty, uh, guarded when it comes to parts and repair. And if somebody finds out you're swiping Daycare Attendant parts, they'll blame it on him. They blame a lot of things on him… Oh! But to answer your question, it's for Charlie."
"I can relate. You two are close?"
This was more a testing question than an actual one. He knew from how often Charlie brought him up that she believed they were. He was curious about Jake's take.
"Sure! We're pretty good friends. We don't really get to hang out much, but I think we are," Jake replied.
"She seems to feel the same way. At least that's the impression I got."
It was only then that Springtrap noticed that Ennard was eyeing him with that look and decided it was time to get moving.
"I've also heard that the basement is a maze. What's the quickest way to the part storage?" Springtrap asked.
"That would be down through the main stage, through Parts and Service, and then down a couple of hallways. But you're going to want to take the longer route if you want to get far without getting spotted or stuck behind a locked door… Well, that and I know the longer route a lot better. If you don't mind?"
"Not at all. Where do we start? Not the stage, I'm assuming."
"Nope! Okay, so go downstairs and you'll find these little half-circle security doors. You'll go through the right one and we'll pick it up from there."
Springtrap headed through the gate and headed down the walkway alongside the daycare. He got about halfway down when he realized something; Ennard was being uncharacteristically silent.
"You're awfully quiet," he said.
"I just didn't want to interrupt," Ennard said with a cheeky glint in his eyes.
Springtrap just sighed and kept walking.
They had gotten to the stairs when Jake spoke up again.
"Speaking of Charlie, has she started building her Helpy Bot? The little Freddy we sent her?"
"She has. She's still threading the wiring into the endoskeleton, but she is making progress."
"That's great! I've been holding onto that one for a while. Just in case we needed a spare little body or something. Charlie'll give him a better home."
"Sooo, Jake, since I know you and Mikey here doesn't, let's bring him up to speed. How's about you tell him about yourself? Oh, but we don't have much time! How about you just lay it all out matchmaker style. Y'know, likes, dislikes, pet peeves- all that good stuff!" Ennard asked.
In the process of Ennard asking, Springtrap tried to muffle the radio on his chest, but Ennard fought his arm for it, keeping his thumb on the button, without even a shred of strain in his voice.
"My…? Well, okay. Let's see… I like long walks on the beach. Or I think I would if I could take long walks or go to the beach. I like going to the movies, since they're in walking distance. I'm a scorpion…"
"You mean a Scorpio," Springtrap corrected.
"…Yes. But maybe not. I hang out in a dark dusty attic all day in the middle of the desert. Could be a scorpion."
Ennard laughed a little too hard at that one.
"Good one! Okay, okay, but seriously," he directed. "I hear you like tinkering with stuff. Well, Michael here's a real Bonafede technician!"
"Really? That's incredible! I consider myself a little bit of a technician too. Or not an actual technician, but I tinker around. Well, not really build anything, I sort of just experiment. Just stick things together and see what works… So, not a technician at all."
"That's about as much training is required to work at a Freddy's," Springtrap remarked.
Jake snickered a little. Ennard grinned excitedly.
They headed down the stairs and to the door, which opened for them.
"We're in a hallway now," Springtrap recited.
"Do you see a door to the right? Says Staff Only? Go through there. That'll lead you to the back hall. Then you just keep going that way until you reach the staircase."
Springtrap tried the handle only to find it wouldn't budge. "Locked."
"Oh. Yeah, I should've figured. Okay, there's another way around if you're willing to go through Monty Golf. I can get Monty out of there and then you can-."
"Need a hand?" Ennard offered. Jake still talking in the background.
"I think I can handle it," Springtrap said.
He tightened his springlocks and then gave one hard shoulder shove into the door. The simple door lock caved, and the door swung open into the hallway.
"There we are."
"…Did you just break down the door?!"
"DID YOU JUST BREAK DOWN THE DOOR?!"
Jake and Sunny asked at the same time. One through the radio, the other through the still open door behind them and loud enough to be heard from the daycare.
"Technically no. It's still on its hinges," Springtrap replied.
"Like some scrawny hunk of metal could get in the way of the Entrapment Duo!" Ennard said proudly. "Good job!"
"Thanks."
"I'll go first! Try to keep up," Ennard lightly teased and stepped through. Springtrap staying close behind.
The hallway reminded him too much of Afton Robotics. Sure, it was painted better, not nearly drenched in as much chrome, but it had that same chill and that same sterilized smell.
It didn't help that Ennard had gone silent again. This time not to encourage his chatting with Jake, but to discouraging luring anybody else in there. There went his distraction to combat the uneasiness. Jake too had gone quiet, though it was unclear if that was for the same reason as Ennard or if he was struck silent by the door thing.
Ennard took each corner carefully, peeking around before going ahead. Springtrap followed closely and kept an eye and ear out. Eventually they came up on the stairs leading down into the darkness.
"We've reached the stairs," Springtrap recited.
"Great! So, just head down to the bottom. I might cut out when you get there, so if you do, head on straight down the tunnel and hopefully we'll get a connection."
"Oh ho ho, I could sense a-!" Ennard cut off suddenly, his eyes darting around. "…Do you feel that?"
Like an animal sensing an approaching earthquake, Ennard managed to notice the heavy footsteps before Springtrap could even hear it.
"Heh, that better be Freddy!" Ennard chirped. A slight edge of nervousness creeping into his voice. He listened to the thumping in the distance before suddenly rounding on Springtrap. "That's not Freddy. Get around the corner, quick."
Said corner was a good twelve feet behind them and even though Ennard grabbed him by the arms and started to nearly drag him, there was no way they could possibly make it before the footsteps arrived. Or perhaps he could've with anyone else, but in this lumbering suit Springtrap was at the mercy of its constant encumbrance. There wasn't even a point in trying.
So, when Monty Gator himself came barreling down the hallway he spotted a ragged rabbit and a circus clown standing there in plain sight.
"What the?!" Monty shouted. Stopping in place and rearing back, startled at the sight.
Though that could've been because of Ennard. Like a switch flipping, he went from anxiously trying to escape to staring Monty down like a predator. Like he was about to crack him open and gorge on his insides. Something that Springtrap knew Ennard was physically capable of doing. A small head twitch emphasizing how unstable he could be if tested.
Yet even with that, Monty lowered his gaze and stared at the tool clutched in Springtrap's hand.
"Show me that," he suddenly said, pointing firmly at the Handunit.
Springtrap simply held it up.
"Turn it on."
Springtrap opened an eye wider, his form of quirking a brow, and smoothly flipped it over in his hands. He turned on the Handunit and bypassed some of the automatic text to type in his login before showing Monty the screen. It was a basic background but confirmed that he had logged in.
"…You a technician?" Monty asked.
"I used to be," Springtrap answered.
"Ha ha, we both were!" Ennard volunteered. Straightening up with a full-body shiver and sounding a little more normal, even if he was still staring with unblinking eyes.
In an instant, Monty's body language shifted. He straightened up and adjusted his sunglasses, guarded but not defensive.
"What're you doin' here?" he asked.
"Searching for parts. It's the least Freddy's can offer their former employees," Springtrap said bitterly.
"Amen. Don't even get that 'round here," Monty muttered. He turned his head to look at Ennard once again. "And yer that clown Chica's been talkin' 'bout, yeah?"
"I sure hope so!"
Monty looked between the two for a long moment, considering what he was going to do. His tail swaying behind him as he considered it. Then he lowered his head with a puff through his nostrils.
"Lemme give you two a piece of advice. Find yer parts somewhere else. Ya'll don't want no part of what's runnin' around down there," he warned.
"The woman in the rabbit suit?" Springtrap guessed.
"Nah. I've heard of her, but she's just some chick. There's somethin' else down there. Somethin' that ain't all there. If it sees you, it's gonna getcha."
"But just so we're one hundred percent sure we're on the same page… There's no chance we're talking about me. Because under this costume I'm nothing but wire noodles," Ennard joked. "I'm the scariest thing Freddy's ever seen."
Monty looked to Springtrap. "Ya gonna take that?"
"Looks can be deceiving. This clown has decapitated two bears with his bare hands," Springtrap said.
Monty narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What bears?"
"None around here, don't you worry about it!" Ennard brushed off. "So, what are we really talking about down there?"
"Nothin' I'm gonna talk about. Just keep it brief and don't go biting anything too big to swallow, if ya get my meaning."
"Eat the monster. Got it!" Ennard replied.
"And fer cryin' out loud, go see Chica. That gal's been messaging 'bout ya non-stop fer days. Throw her a bone!"
That got Ennard's mouth shut and an awkward chill down his back.
But that didn't stop Springtrap. As Monty turned to leave, he spoke up.
"If I may ask… Did you work here too, Monty?"
Monty turned his head to look back and adjusted his sunglasses.
"It don't matter no more," he cryptically replied.
Then he turned and walked off the way he came. The coolness of his swagger only slightly dampened when his tail swatted a carboard box while rounding the corner. Leaving the rabbit and clown alone in the hallway again, almost reeling from how fast they were let off the hook.
"So, that was a yes," Ennard clarified.
"Yes," Springtrap agreed.
And that was probably the only reason Monty didn't hunt them down. Programming was such a fickle thing. It could convince someone to do unspeakable things, but then flip over under the slightest prodding. Just the reminder that they had been humans too… Unless programming wasn't the reason for Monty's bouts of aggression.
"Good. Just making sure we're on the same page," Ennard said with a strained chuckle. He rubbed at his neck. "Oh boy, I don't like the sound of that whole 'something in the basement' thing. He's probably talking about that wire thing Scott and Natty saw."
"Ben, you will have to promise me that if you see this thing you don't throw yourself at it and try to eat it," Springtrap said tiredly.
"I'm not THAT desperate! I've got a frozen pizza and a halfa' three layer dip at home, thank you very much."
"And of course, Scott's always on the menu if you get bored," Springtrap mumbled.
Ennard crackled in laughter and side-eyed him knowingly.
"You know you wouldn't be so quick to judge if you had a little someone-someone to squeeeeze at night."
"Don't be so sure. I do appreciate you and Mari and Foxy looking for someone to complete me, to fill me with love or whatever, but that's not going to fix my problems. As long as I'm stuck in this suit, I can't be fixed. I can't live, I just exist," Springtrap explained.
He realized his mistake as soon as he said that. Just as soon as Ennard's cheeky little expression shifted into one of deep concern. How he could pull that off was impressive, but it still made Springtrap instantly self-conscious.
"Let's just get through this and get out," he mumbled. He eyed his Handunit like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "…If we get out early enough, maybe you can come into Mike's and we can catch some late-night informercials with a little television between them."
"Sounds good to me!" Ennard said encouragingly. It got that mask back up, and then Springtrap didn't have to see that worry painted on his face any longer.
"Also, stop shoving me at Jake. He's going to figure out what you're hinting at, and if he does, I am ditching you in the daycare."
"Ouch. Yeah, okay, I know I might've pushed it a liiiittle too far, but can you blame me? How often do you just happened to run into someone who thinks what you do is really cool?"
"It's too late, he's already seen me."
"Well, consider it done!" Ennard agreed. Probably only so eagerly to placate him.
"Speaking of which…" Springtrap lifted the radio to his mouth. "We're at the stairs. We just had a run-in with Monty," Springtrap said.
"Yeah, I know. Sorry, I didn't mean to overhear but you had the button pressed."
Tonight just kept getting better.
"But, anyways. Well… Monty wasn't entirely wrong. He's right about being careful down there. If you… run into anything unusual, just… run away, okay?"
"You sound like you know something."
"There's… issues in the basement. The endos are pretty aggressive and just… so… So, Mari had a run-in with a woman in a rabbit suit down there. Her name's Vanny. If you see her, run."
"I've heard of her," Springtrap said lowly.
"Oookay, I take it from that tone that you are not planning on running away, but uh… Don't go crazy. We've got to live here, you know."
"Of course," Springtrap agreed, snapping out of it. He stared down the stairs. "We're heading into the basement."
"Careful on the stairs! They can be slick."
"You sound like you've had experience."
"Oh yeah. Way too much."
Ennard didn't push but he grinned to himself. It was just good to hear his friend talking with someone who wasn't just him or his family members.
It died down as they made their way down the stairs and into the darkness of the basement. There the mood shifted once again. The air was heavy and dank, resembling a sewer tunnel more than one for transporting supplies.
It somehow felt even more like Afton Robotics. Ugly and filthy underneath the surface.
Jake continued to direct them though, leading them down one of the tunnels and through a thankfully unlocked fence before continuing on. Each dreary passage resembled the one before it. Without Jake they would've gotten lost immediately, because even though Ennard had been to the Pizzaplex he hadn't so much wandered through these tunnels. Let alone enough to learn his way.
And unfortunately, their guide was starting to petter out on them.
"You're breaking up," Springtrap warned.
"I wzzz afrrrrd thaat mii haaeeneen," Jake's voice fuzzily came through.
The radio became more staticky before it became entirely incoherent. Springtrap sighed and turned the volume down a little.
"We've lost him."
Ennard didn't have anything witty to say. In fact, he was uncharacteristically quiet. Springtrap looked back to see him eyeballing a door they had passed.
"What?"
"I heard something," Ennard said. His eyes focusing on that staff door.
Springtrap didn't have to ask when he was giving that door the same stare he gave Monty. Finally, Ennard turned back to him.
"Let's pretend I didn't. Let's keep talking and having a good time," Ennard suggested. He looked to Springtrap with a knowing look and a smile appearing in his eyes. "Fun, fun, fun!"
He couldn't have heard the "Just play along" any louder unless Ennard had blatantly said it.
"Just don't get distracted," Springtrap replied, feigning annoyance.
He quickly turned ahead and continued along, with Ennard following alongside him. The clown lapsing into a conversation about weird pizza toppings to cover the fact that he was listening for their follower.
They got down another tunnel when he noticed a forklift parked alongside some crates on the side of the tunnel, taking up a good chunk of space. He could make out a thin gap between it and the wall that would almost make for a hiding spot. He considered it for a moment before turning back.
He checked to make sure nothing was watching from behind Ennard before he spoke.
"I'm going to scout ahead. You follow at a distance," Springtrap said. He pointed to himself and then at the hiding spot behind the equipment.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? Every time people die in horror movies, it's because they split up!" Ennard pointed out. Very subtly hiding a thumbs up in front of him as he did.
"I'm sure. Perhaps I can sneak up on whoever else is down here," Springtrap said.
"Well… okay, but don't go too far, young man!" Ennard pretended to scold.
Then, with an impressive amount of accuracy, Ennard began to mimic Springtrap's footsteps exactly with his voice alone.
Springtrap handed off the Handunit and radio to Ennard who hid them into his jacket. Then he quietly shuffled out of the way and hid on the other side of the crates before Ennard started to have the footsteps fade off. He began to start walking too, to mask when he finally trailed them off.
Springtrap watched as Ennard made his way off and stayed at alert, listening as closely as he could for anything that may approach.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before he heard the quiet footsteps. So soft that it was hard to hear them through his own suit. He watched like a hawk as the form edged past the crates and equipment, following Ennard.
She was exactly as they had described her; a slender woman in a patchwork rabbit costume. One with large, glowing red eyes and its mouth twisted into an eager grin. She wasn't skipping or gallivanting around though, instead sneaking along carefully. Watching ahead and waiting for any signal to duck around the corner, perhaps into the same hiding spot he was currently squeezed into.
Just the sight of her made his blood boil. Blood that had long soaked into and dried up in the cracks of his own horrendous rabbit suit. To think that someone would idealize that monster enough to dress as her own version of him.
There was no coincidence in her suit resembling one of William's non-springlock backups. That hideous yellow one with the purple vest that made everybody sick just looking at it. This one was just a different color and style, but a knowing eye could pick up some similarities between the two.
He felt an anger with intensity that he hadn't felt in years. Disgust, anger, rage.
He quietly stood up and began to stalk after her, knowing that it wouldn't be long before she noticed. His goal wasn't to hide from her any longer than he already had.
It didn't take her long to notice the subtle shuffle, the feeling like she was being watched, and she stopped. She slowly turned back to look, as though anticipating something was there.
She hadn't expected it to be the dry rotten rabbit suit. The walking corpse of an animatronic standing in the darkness and staring her down with glowing dotted eyes. The slightly lighter coloring of its teeth more visible in the dark and formed into a menacing grimace left behind from years of wear.
She stood just as still as he did. Frozen in place, staring at him through flickering red eyes. She was barely moving, but he could see when her chest began to heave with shaky breaths.
She was scared of him.
Out of the corner of his eye, Springtrap noticed Ennard slowly lean around the corner for an offshoot hallway he had headed down. His eyes to were aglow as he stared down the oblivious woman.
"Psst! Hey!"
Vanny's head slowly turned a few inches in his direction, but she refused to take her eyes off Springtrap. He wasn't addressing her anyways, even though he still stared her down.
"Guess what?" Ennard asked. He crackled with menacing laughter, eyes narrowing as he did. "I don't think she knows we can see her."
Springtrap took a lumbering step forward.
In that instant, Vanny spun on her heel and bolted down the tunnel. Springtrap took after her without hesitation.
This body wasn't built for speed, it wasn't built to run, but by God, he was going to run. He ignored how each step jostled his springlocks and only focused on keeping up with the white form.
Ennard overtook him in a matter of seconds and was using those Funtime Foxy legs to run at Vanny's heels, all but breathing down her neck. He could've easily caught her, but he didn't, and Springtrap didn't know it if was out of restraint or because he knew what may happen if he touched her. They all knew what she had done to Marion.
"Scurry, scurry, little bunny! You can run, run, run, but you can't hiiiide!~" Ennard gleefully mocked.
How disturbing. Apparently, legs weren't the only things he had inherited from the Funtimes.
Vanny didn't look back. She continued striding down the tunnel until her way was blocked by a fence. In a surprising amount of agility, she boosted herself off a soggy box and grabbed the top of the fence. With a few frantic kicks of her legs she crawled herself up the chain-length fence, Ennard trying to grab at her kicking legs but with the steadfastness of someone preparing to grab a hot poker.
She got herself over and landed heavily on her side with a staticky gasp. She started to push herself up, only to have Springtrap slam into the fence door and she crawled back across the damp floor. She got to her feet with a few staggers before turning and running again, now favoring an obvious limp.
All this time Springtrap was shaking the door to no avail, his eyes following her as she went.
This seemed like an appropriate time for Ennard to lean in and whisper, "We're screwing with her right?"
"Yes," Springtrap said through gritted teeth.
"Great."
In a heartbeat Ennard was up on the fence and reached a hand down towards Springtrap, who didn't notice as he rammed himself through his second door of the day. He stumbled through and broke into another sprint, Ennard hopping down alongside him and quickly taking the lead.
"I'm going to scout ahead!" Ennard called back.
He grinned over his shoulder before picking up speed and disappearing around the far corner.
"WHOA!"
Ennard's shout was punctuated with a clatter of metal.
Springtrap's eyes widened as he ran as fast as he could and came around the corner, almost running right into Ennard who was leaned back. The clown holding back a pair of metal arms by the wrists which were trying to grab, or clamp, at his precious mask. It was a Staff Bot, one with a fake hardhat and a yellow construction vest.
Its eyes glowing an ominous red. As did the eyes of the cluster of almost identical Staff Bots rapidly crowding in and grabbing at Ennard.
After all that Springtrap had heard about Staff Bots- about how they were mostly inept, mostly harmless, busy little workers- it was quite a first impression.
Springtrap introduced himself by taking a swing at and clocking one of the bots coming up on Ennard. Its head clunked and lung back, and it wheeled a little aways before recovering and coming back a second time. This time Springtrap just gave it a heave and shoved it over. Ennard followed suit by twisting the arms of the one grabbing at him and tossing it aside.
Their numbers were the problem. They were weak, flimsy things that couldn't get up on their own, but there was just so many of them. Not to mention that they couldn't afford to do any serious damage without the risk of it catching attention as another case of vandalism. Knocking them over seemed to work good enough, where they could only grab around blindly.
It was when shoving over one of the Staff Bots, which took down another one, that Springtrap's eyes met with a pair of red ones down at the end of the next shaft.
Vanny was standing there watching, her eyes glowing brighter than they were before- because she was controlling them, he realized. Somehow, she had to be controlling them. The red eyes gave her away.
Transfixed on his target, Springtrap shoved past the Staff Bots, pulled his leg free from one's grasp, and strode after her. He watched her turn and flee slower than she had earlier. It wouldn't be hard to keep up.
"What- No, no! Don't worry about ME! I can take it from here, no problem! HA HA!" Ennard called after him sarcastically.
Though from his exasperated cry, Springtrap knew he had it under control. Annoyance, not fear, not dread. He could handle himself.
He couldn't let her get away.
He heard the creak of a door before he caught the tail end of it closing behind her. He broke into a sprint and tried to catch it before it could close. He didn't but the door wasn't locked, and he swung it open so hard that it slammed into a rattly shelf. The room was full of them, a small storage room trying to carry more than it could.
He looked through the shelves and could see Vanny trying to circle them to another door on the other side. He shoved the shelves and they toppled over, knocking down the next and the next in a domino effect, with the third crashing in over the door. Not fully blocking the door but making it impossible to open it all the way.
Vanny backed into the corner before the shelves could fall and before she could figure out any further escape route there was Springtrap.
She backed herself up into the brick wall before leaning down and frantically trying to grab for something on her leg or in her boot. Something under her costume that her clumsy gloved fingers couldn't grip.
A knife, perhaps?
"It will not protect you," Springtrap warned.
Vanny's head snapped up and she stared at him again. Silently, as to not tip off if her surprise was out of recognition or because he was suddenly talking. She might've not heard his low murmurs earlier, following Ennard's boisterous voice- which travelled despite his attempts to tone it down. But now she heard him loud and clear.
He stared her down and she seemed to shrink under his gaze. He tilted his head.
"What's the matter? Isn't this what you wanted? The classic Freddy Fazbear's Pizza experience?" Springtrap asked. "Well, here I am."
Then with a vigor he thought all was dead, he began to shuffle. His broken legs and clunky arms swiftly dancing to the non-existent beat in a way that would've put his father to shame in the same, but at the time much more intact suit.
Even with his organs in the gears, he could make that rabbit dance.
The tilt of Vanny's head signaled that she was looking him up in down. Her posture showed her fear, like a frightened rabbit frozen underneath a larger animal. She was afraid of him. Good.
He stepped forward and she pressed back tight against the wall, staring up at him with flickering red eyes.
"It's him," he heard her saying under her breath. "It'shimit'shimit'shim-nononocan'tbe."
"It is, I assure you. You may not recognize me, but it's me."
He reached up for his head.
"Let me show you…"
He forcibly loosened his springlocks on his neck and wrenched open his mouth as wide as it would go, revealing the remains of his head left mangled into the metal workings underneath.
Vanny shrieked and dropped to the floor. Before he could so much as get his mouth closed, she crawled around his legs and back to her feet. She made a mad dash for the wedged door and opened it as far as she could, barely squeezing through the opening and disappearing.
Springtrap let her go. He couldn't exactly chase her with his head still open and the springlocks had tightened up, giving him trouble in shutting it. Even the smallest thing- This body really was good for nothing. Everything always breaking.
That was when Ennard finally caught up and caught Springtrap's struggle as he ran in.
"What happened? What'd she do?" he asked with concern.
Springtrap turned to face him and Ennard gave a short, startled shout of his own.
"CRIMENY! How'd she do that?!"
"She didn't. She- Mmph." With a struggle, Springtrap finally snapped his head down into place. Fake teeth thumping together as he sealed himself away once more. "If we're going to scare this woman straight, then we need to show real consequences for what happens when you go chasing rabbits. Now back into crazy clown mode and let's go."
Springtrap got up under the shelves and just managed to shove them up and the other way. His body tightening and aching under the weight, but he was too driven to stop. He threw open the door only for it to be slammed shut by Ennard's palm.
"Hey, whoa, whoa. Let's stop and think this over a second," he said, still leaning on the door. His earlier eagerness now replaced with trepidation. "Now I'm all on board with this whole 'Let's scare the psycho rabbit woman' thing. Keeps us from getting our hands dirty, right? And gets her outta here and away from any kids! But this…" Ennard made a hissing noise and looked away only to look back. "This feels like the point where we're starting to cross a line. Like… Like we're juuuust on the verge of accidentally doing something we're gonna regret."
"If you think I'm really going to hurt her, you're sorely mistaken. I can control myself, no matter how infuriating it is to see her parade around like my father- like a child dressing up like him on Halloween. It's ridiculous and we must put a stop to it. If not by scaring her then by scaring whomever is tugging her along."
"Yeah, but the last time I tried scare tactics on someone, I ruined her life and spent the next two hours digging our sister out of a bunch of trash," Ennard pointed out.
"We'll just have to be more careful. I'm the only thing she has been even remotely afraid of. We're the only ones who can scare her straight."
"Except for maybe that twenty-foot-tall spider crawling around here," Ennard tried to joke. He was met with unenthused silence. "Ha ha…?"
The only noise from Springtrap was the clicking of his overworked springlocks sliding into proper place.
Ennard knew that they were on different wavelengths. To Springtrap, this was someone purposefully trying to replicate his father, and for Ennard it was a woman of average height and slender build with fragile bones and what looked to be little muscle tone. She wasn't a threat, she was just some weirdo who got whisked up in being a bad guy… maybe, if she wasn't possessed. If she was possessed, then that was definitely not something they were equipped to handle.
It felt wrong to treat her with the same intensity that he would towards aggressive animatronics. But this woman was actively chasing children, or at least Gregory. Maybe Springtrap had a point about turning up the heat.
But maybe this also felt like a really bad idea and Ennard was only tempted to say yes because he knew he couldn't say no.
"…Okay. Okay, okay. But let's hurry this up. Just a quick scarring for life, swing by the warehouse, and get out of here," Ennard said with a sigh. He dragged himself off the door and let him open it.
"We won't be here any longer than we have to be," Springtrap promised.
Because despite all of this, he didn't want to do this. He didn't want to play games like his father did. He didn't want to pretend to be his father.
But he would.
The door let out into a hallway and led them along for a while before leading them into a grimier hallway.
They continued onwards until the first fork they could find. A technical fork. A slightly wider hallway that led towards another fence, beyond that was a larger room, and a door between the fence and them.
"You take the fence, I'll take the door," Springtrap suggested.
"What's the chances she took the fence again?" Ennard asked doubtfully.
"Toss a coin, you'll get a better-."
Springtrap cut off as he started to open the door only to find it locked. He sighed with disappointment.
"She took the fence," he said with finality. "I'll find a way around."
"Y'know, I can boost ya right over."
"It's not getting over that I'm worried about, it's landing without setting the suit off."
"Ha, yeah that would be really bad. What with all this humidity and being what, five miles from the exit? Tell ya what, I'll hop the fence and check out the room and then I'll come back, and we can check out there together."
"Ben, we'll lose her," Springtrap said with exasperation.
"If I can't tell if she's been in there or not, then we already have," Ennard pointed out. At the look Springtrap gave him, he lifted his hands in defense and exasperation, "I mean: sure thing, Boss! Ahahahaha!"
With that kooky killer clown laugh, Ennard waltzed over and climbed the fence.
He was nervous to split up, Springtrap realized. Maybe nervous that one of them would find her. He had been so eager to do this earlier but there was no denying now that he was having second thoughts.
He wasn't the only one, but Springtrap had to do something.
He rammed the door and the lock gave. Though instead of swinging open, it opened a few inches before slamming into something heavy. He peeked through the crack of the door and noticed the edge of a laundry cart blocking the door. That was curious, suspicious, and he silently forced it open. The cart only giving as much difficulty as it was because its wheels refused to turn.
Soon he got into the room and what he found was immediately concerning.
It looked like a small workshop of some kind, but the Staff Bots scattered around the floor were far from repaired. They lay in a variety of positions- some broken up and others intact- with their chest plates pried off and something taken out of their core. One of them had a battery left behind in its chest, but it almost looked partially melted. He couldn't imagine what could've caused that.
That wasn't the only thing he noticed either. There were no other doors in the workshop.
She was in here.
He considered getting Ennard but after his reluctance he didn't want to force him to get involved. He didn't want him to feel guilty about this, or to be in harm's way, so he simply shut the door behind him and slowly wheeled the cart back in front of it. That way she couldn't make another run for it.
There really weren't many places to hide. Some lockers, a hiding spot between the workbench and the wall, and… an open vent.
Springtrap saw that open vent and his eyes nearly glazed over. The last thing he wanted was to squeeze back into a vent and go crawling after a rabbit who would have a much easier time moving in there.
That alone made him consider giving up and letting her go. He had already gotten a scream out of her, if she was willing to squeeze into a vent to escape then he really had done what he needed to.
But something didn't feel right. He sent a slow look around the room.
This could just be a trick, just like the one he played on her. Because if she was currently in the vent, he likely would've been hearing it, even if she was far down. That sort of noise traveled. It was dead silent, so either she was hiding in the vent and staying very still, or she was still in this room.
He began to slowly stalk around, checking the corners and under the workbench. Checking every possible nook and cranny before moving onto the lockers. The lockers being the most likely candidate for what she could've hidden inside. They were just big enough to hide a woman of smaller stature.
He threw open the first one.
Nothing. Stuff. Useless stuff.
He opened the second one.
Junk. Things shoved in here to be forgotten.
He opened the third-
and had a white fist come down on his chest. A sharp but still numb pain shot through his chest as something tore though the fabric of his suit. Metal clattering upon metal deeply inside him.
Springtrap looked down at surprise at Vanny's fist hovering above his chest and noticed the handle it was grasped around. The handle for a kitchen knife.
She had stabbed him. The knife was currently buried deep into his suit. It did nothing of course, nothing but hurt only as much as a slice on the skin might, but he was stunned. He couldn't help but just stare at that knife.
Vanny smacked her other hand on his chest and held it there. Nothing happened, and she smacked it again, frantically hitting his suit like she thought it was going to do something. Her dull red eyes reflecting on the edge of the blade sticking out of his chest. But whatever she wanted to happen wasn't happening, and she looked up at him with that disturbed smile tugging her mask.
If he had been a human, he would be dead right now.
He could've been anyone. Ennard, Natalie, that little boy wandering the Pizzaplex- she came out swinging. She would've killed someone right then.
Thankfully, he was already dead.
He shoved her aside and off him. Vanny stumbled and fell over the workbench, her knife left jutting out of his chest. He stared at it, carefully wrapped his fingers around it, and started trying to work it out. With one firm pull, he freed the knife from himself, now looking greasy. He hoped that hadn't come from his suit. He tightened his shaking hand on the handle and looked to Vanny.
She dove off the workbench and towards the vent. He was hot in pursuit, stabbing the knife into the workbench as he passed. A little too hard too, as the handle broke off the blade, which he then threw to the floor before diving into the vent. He just managed to grab one of her ankles and slid her right back out, ignoring her kicking and fighting and depositing her between the open vent and the workbench.
Vanny was cowering again. She scrambled back into the corner created by the wall and the bench. It was pitiful, but it wasn't so easy to sympathize now that she had torn open his chest, leaving another ugly tear.
He crouched over her, his eyes aglow once again.
"You should be more careful who you draw a knife on," Springtrap warned dangerously. "I know what you did to him. The Puppet. I know you were able to overpower him with just a touch… and yet."
He slowly reached down and nudged at her foot.
"Nothing. You could do nothing to me. I'm almost disappointed."
Vanny was just staring at him. Her dimmed eyes barely dissipating the shadows creeping on her mask. She lifted her hands up in defense, shivering into her self-made hole.
"Do you know what I could do with just a touch? I could… snap your arm."
He leaned in further.
"Snap your neck."
She lifted her hands over her head to shield herself and he stopped.
"I thought this was what you wanted."
She shook her head.
"No? How unfortunate." He lowered his voice to a bitter growl. "It's all fun and games until you're the one under the knife, isn't it? Making a mockery of the tragedy at Freddy's. Children died. They suffered. Employees too, and family members, and here you are pretending to be part of it. How pathetic."
Vanny was still shivering, only to suddenly go rigid as Springtrap reached for her. She ducked her head, unknowing that this was what he wanted. He grabbed one of her mask's ears roughly.
"You won't keep hiding behind a mask. I want to see your face."
He started to tug it off, the mask slowly sliding off as the hood slid up her neck.
A red glow lit up beside him. Springtrap turned his head, but there was no time to see before something slammed into him. Instantly shoving him to the floor. He still had a grip on Vanny's freed mask, but he couldn't see her any longer.
Suddenly it was a blur of metal cracking and clattering. Him fighting off whatever slammed into him and had him pinned to the floor and was currently coiling around him with thick wires.
Wriggling wires and burning, and noise, and then…
…
..
.
.
..
…
…Where was he?
Michael suddenly opened his eyes- or suddenly started to see- and found himself staring up at a popcorn ceiling with colorful streamers hanging about.
He was somewhere completely different. He felt detached, like he had just woken from a dream and yet was still lodged into one. Everything blurry and lucid, but there was no pain.
Confused and disoriented, he pushed himself up off the ground. He felt numb and his mouth tasted like metal and chemicals. He felt something tighten in his chest and he reached to pull it away but felt nothing there to remove.
And then he got a look at himself. He looked down at himself and found that something had changed.
He was human again.
He couldn't believe it. Michael thrust up his hands in front of his face, wobbling as he did, and he saw normal human hands. Normal, healthy skin, his familiar bone structure. These were his hands, and a look down again made it clear that this was his body. His human body from before his accident, still wearing those same technician overalls from that dreadful night.
This couldn't be real. He had to be truly dead or at least hallucinating.
One look around was all it took to confirm this, because he recognized the little restaurant he was inside. If not from the gaudy coloring and the prominent smell of subpar pizza, then from the old- but looking brand new- posters of a familiar bear and bunny on the walls.
He was in Fredbear's Family Diner.
He very well might've been dead then. He couldn't understand why he would suddenly appear here, and he was having a little trouble thinking straight. Everything felt muttered and fuzzy and when he tried to think of what happened- something happened, hadn't it? Yes, he was chasing that rabbit woman in the Pizzaplex and then…
…Something had jumped him? Perhaps he was knocked out. Or killed. That was possible, but he didn't exactly feel dead. Not that he would know, he thought.
Michael pushed himself off the floor and teetered on numb but sure legs. He looked to his hands again and flexed his fingers, watching them move and only barely feeling them.
Or maybe after so long in that suit, his human body wouldn't have felt like much at all. Likely he was dead. Had a massive springlock failure that sent his soul catapulting into the underworld.
It must've been hell too, because Fredbear's Family Diner wasn't his idea of heaven.
Yet here he was in his old body. That was some amount of comfort and an equal amount concerning. He looked around and began to step further into the diner.
All the lights were on and kept the place fully alight. Almost painfully so, but these eyes didn't burn under those lights. What was eerie was that the windows were pitch black. Not even the faintest reflection or streetlight could be seen outside of them. It was like an empty void out there. Perhaps he was in that fake diner Marion, Mike, and Charlie had seen when confronting his father. That would explain the dreamlike feel.
Nothing was happening though. It was just the diner. Confetti littering the floor and decorations mounted like a party had just commenced. He wandered further into the diner, looking around at it before his eyes landed on the stage.
That was not the right stage. It was too big, significantly larger than the one at the actual diner and surrounded by a ring of thick red curtains. He was somewhat surprised he remembered it well enough to spot the difference.
Then before his eyes, the curtains began to draw open. They revealed two familiar suits standing on the stage. One was a yellow bear suit while the other…
The other was the suit he was currently trapped inside. Though clean and refurbished, as brand-new as the day it was first built. It looked like an entirely different suit, but he knew it inside and out and that was it.
Michael had a foreboding feeling sink into his gut and took a wary step back.
Spring Bonnie lifted his head.
In an instant he had replaced Vanny as being the one stared down by the suit. Though he wasn't so much afraid of it as he was what was about to happen.
Spring Bonnie took a staggering step closer, clumsy and awkward. Then another, like a toddler wobbling on its own feet. Slowly thumping towards the front of the stage before taking a step too far and dropping off. It landed heavily on its feet, staggering once more before barely regaining its balance.
It now stood tall feet in front of him, swaying in place, staring him down. It raised a hand slowly in his direction.
And then…
It clapped its hands.
All of a sudden Spring Bonnie broke into a jig. With a wiggle of its arms and a kick of his leg, overhead music kicking on the moment it did.
And then he opened his mouth.
"Hey everybody, put the radio on! Time to throw our troubles away-hey-hey!~"
It bounded towards him, and Michael tried to back aside, but it met up with him, stopping to dance in front of him. Rolling its arms and kicking out a foot, and winking with its stiff, lifeless eyes.
"We're turning up the music, we're having a ball! This band keeps rocking-!" It stretched its arms out wide as though in a hug. "Forever and ever!~"
In a second it grabbed for him. Michael went to move out of the way, but it followed him. Like he hadn't moved at all. It grabbed him by the shoulders and wrenched and roughly spun him around. Michael staggering over his feet and turning around to find himself face to face with the backdoors of a van. The red Freddy Fazbear logo on the back resembling the one for the Pizzaplex.
When Spring Bonnie came tumbling out of the backdoors and stopping on a knee in front of him. It hopped eagerly to its feet.
"Into the jalopy, gonna go for a ride. To the pizza shop with our frie-heh-iends!~"
The doors had closed behind them. It tossed them back open and moved aside, holding out his arms towards the Sun that now stood in the darkness of the open van. But he was wrong, he looked different from Sunny- the old Sun, Jake, Michael realized. He had a little gap in his teeth and blue-grey eyes.
"We're jumping and a rockin' 'til the sun goes dooowwn…"
The Sun slowly leaned forward before collapsing to the floor. It broke into dozens of pieces that scattered across the floor. In its place out of the darkness stepped the Moon, red eyes glowing bright as its face spun.
"-And the moon is shining- forever and ever!~"
The Moon covered its face in dismay, as though in mourning of the Sun, but Michael only saw it for a second before Spring Bonnie spun in front of the doors and slammed them shut. Then twirled around to face Michael again, only to then lunge in and grab him. One of its hands clamping onto Michael's and its other arm hooking around his waist.
"Forever and ever and ever!~" it sung and pulled him into a clumsy dance.
"Get the hell off of me!" Michael finally shouted. He tried to push the rabbit off, shoving at its face, to no avail.
"Forever and ever and ever!~"
Panicked, he shoved his hand in at the neck and tried to feel for a way to deactivate or set off the suit, but much to his horror and very little shock he found nothing. The suit was almost hollow inside, an empty coldness.
"Forever and ever and ever and ever."
Spring Bonnie stopped on a dime and began to lean in. Its thick, fake teeth snapping in front of his face as it leaned in close. So close that he was sure it would bite into his flesh.
"Forever and ever and ever and ever-."
Its mouth spread and he saw another wicked grin hiding underneath. It was wide and inhuman, like a suit inside of a suit, cast in a red glow.
"LET'S GO!"
With a sudden yank, Michael was sent spinning and careening. Tossed into the back of the van and tumbling through the darkness before falling out the other side and landing on his back.
Back in the diner again, but completely disoriented, and with no time to recover before he was yanked back to his feet.
"We're rockin' and a-rollin', our friends are all here!~" Spring Bonnie gleefully introduced. One arm wrapped crushingly tight around Michael's shoulders as it gestured a hand up at the stage.
Freddy, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy stood up on stage. They looked like their classic versions, though something was off about them. Maybe their sizing or coloring, but Michael could tell they weren't the same. He quickly looked around and he had no idea where he was. Some other restaurant or diner, but not any Freddy's he had ever seen.
"Got our ice cream sundaes and flo-ho-oats!~!"
Spring Bonnie slammed its fist down on the bar directly on its other side. A slew of milkshakes, sodas, and various plates piled high with food slid down the way only to disappear over the other side and no doubt fall to the floor, though he couldn't hear any crashes. Spring Bonnie slapped its hand down on a basket of chili cheese fries.
"We're diving into pizzas and burgers with cheese-."
It dug its fingers into the food before lifting a messy handful. It dripping down its hand as it swung it over, shoving the mouthful sloppily onto Michael's mouth, forcing the mush past his lips and teeth and fighting with him to shove it in. His jaw eventually pushed open as he felt something cold sliding around inside of his mouth sliding around inside of him.
"Keep the French fries coming- forever and ever!~"
Spring Bonnie swung its hand away, food slinging off its hand and splattering elsewhere. Michael heaved and choked, trying to get the filth out of his mouth but it was still slithering inside. A heavy thump on the back and a shove sent him stumbling to his feet into the middle of the dining room.
Back in the diner, except now there was a large spotlight hanging high above and casting sharp light down onto the stage, with its curtain closed again, himself, and the floor in between. Spring Bonnie doing a sideways jig out onto the floor between him and the stage.
"We're bringin' all our buddies, it's time for a jam!~" Its dancing had become much more confused and strange, like it was a doll yanked on strings. Its head bobbing as its legs fumbled and rolled underneath it. "Gonna play til our worries are go-o-one!~"
It gave a clumsy spin and stagger. Like it was intoxicated. Like his intoxicated father was piloting the suit, but no human limbs would move like these did. Not even his own would. It teetered towards the stage, shuffling in a sharp lean.
"Picking up the music and rockin' along! We just keep playing…"
Spring Bonnie finally lost the battle and began to fall. Its hand grabbing for the red curtain and yanking it down with it. It hit the floor heavily, mouth cracking and gaping open, its eyes rolling into the back of its head. The curtain covered it completely when it fell.
And as that curtain fell away, there was revealed something else standing on the stage.
It was a patchwork rabbit with cockeyed ears. A blue bow rested on its throat, along with a matching coat. A wicked grin was stretched wide on its face.
"FORVEVER AND EVER!"
It hopped down from the stage, using the covered up Spring Bonnie as a stepping stool. It crunched underneath its padded bunny feet. "Forever and ever and ever!~"
As uncomfortable as Michael had felt through this whole disgusting display, the sight of the rabbit made him the closest he had felt to sick in years. He tried to take a step back, but he was frozen in place. He couldn't move.
"Forever and ever and ever!~" The bunny continued to sway and dance. Little jigs and spins, and shuffles and twirls, as it slowly made its way closer to him. "Forever and ever and ever and ever!~"
Michael kept trying to fight but his springlocks were tight and locked and he couldn't get away. He was entirely tangled and couldn't even look away.
The bunny finally seemed to notice him. Head snapping in Michael's direction and ceasing all dancing, instead stalking towards him with slow certain steps. Its head cocked and its gleeful grin framed by the ominous red glow from its eyes.
"Forever and ever and ever and ever. For-."
It grabbed Michael by the head. One hand then another, gloved fingers digging into his skin and hair.
"-ever and ever and ever! Forever and ever and ever an̴d̶e̵ver̶.̵~"
It pulled them close together, forcing their forehead tightly together. It felt too real- but it felt like cold metal, not fabric. Slithering deep inside of him, inside of his suit.
"F̶o̶r̵e̷ver̷̴a̷n̷d̴̶ev̵e̴r̴̴an̵d̴̴e̴ve̶r̷a̶n̶d̴e̷v̷e̷r̴."
The glowing red eyes encapsulated all his vision until they were all he could see overtop that toothy grin and he wasn't thinking or feeling of much of anything except wriggling wires and diners and the yellow rabbit.
Static building in his ears as its voice cut through.
"F̵̤̏o̴͔̎r̵̩̔e̶͙̔ver̴̵̠̬͑̓a̷̤̕n̴̝̄d̶̷̥̠̃̔è̶̡v̴̰̈́e̷̤̽ṛ̴͌a̶̲͂ǹ̴̙d̷̶̠̫͛́ḙ̵͝v̷͇̀e̵̢͝r̵̵̼̪̆̓ȁ̷͚ň̷̟d̴̶͇̦̈́͗e̷̡͛v̴̫̍e̵͒ͅr̷͆͜.̵̴̮̥̊͑L̷̡̒e̷͇̚t̴̟̀'s̴̜̄-̷̷͓̲̓̚
A loud bang broke through the song. The sound of something slamming into something- the door. The sound of something slamming into the door.
All Michael could see was red and static. His body was useless and numb, save the wires coiling deep into his endoskeleton underneath his suit. He couldn't think straight, he couldn't comprehend what was happening, but he could make out a voice calling from outside the door.
"MICHAEL!"
It was Ben. He was coming for him.
The red lights finally left his vision, but his eyes were still unfocused and blurry. His head was angled back, and he couldn't tell if he was looking at the ceiling or the wall. He couldn't think straight. He couldn't feel his fingers.
A mass shifted above him and disappeared into the vent alongside him, with him helpless to stop it, or to even consider stopping it.
Ennard finally shoved the door open just in time to see a tangle of wires disappearing into the vent. Some of them still stuck inside Michael's suit and unravelling as it fled. Ennard saw red.
"Oh no, you don't," he hissed.
He sprung over and reached into the vent, grabbing a handful of wires and trying to tug some back. They resisted. Holding on with one hand, he took his glove off with his teeth with the other, and electricity sparked at his fingertips. He grabbed a chunk of the wires and sent a shock straight up them, around the corner, and into whatever creature they belonged to.
But instead of subduing the creature, it only caused it to hesitate for a few seconds, and then it seemed to get a second wind. It ripped it tail of wires from Ennard's grasp- well, except the ones that tore off and stayed with Ennard- and scuttled off into the vent before landing with a heavy clunk as it dropped to a lower floor.
Ennard had half a mind to take off after it, but one look at Michael showed this was the last thing he needed to do. Some of the wires he ripped from the creature were currently stuck in Michael's suit and he quickly pulled them free.
"Michael? Buddy? Can you hear me? Hey, come on, I see your eyes moving. Come on, I need an answer," Ennard encouraged. Michael's eyes continued to drift, him confused and disoriented. "Stay with me. I'm gonna get you out of here in no time! Just stay with me, okay? Focus on my finger… Okay, just… I've got you. Let's getcha out of here."
Ennard's endless babbling wasn't registering, but his voice promised safety.
Michael blacked out, but this time there was no diner waiting for him. Just darkness.