A/N: William Afton really is a piece of shit, isn't he? And he seems so smug about the whole thing. I wonder if he'll still be so self-satisfied when Shadow Freddy tells the rest of his tale…

I've changed the MCI date in this fic from 1985 to 1982, both because there's more evidence that suggests that the MCI happened before the Bite of 1983 than I originally thought, and because it's to avoid a rather significant plot hole to anyone who analyzes deep enough.

I do want to talk about Help Wanted briefly (SKIP this paragraph if you're afraid of potential spoilers). There is a glitchy Spring Bonnie character that manifests in the new VR game the more tapes you collect, and at this point it's almost certain that this new character "Malhare" is William, or at least a representation/part of him that has manifested in the VR game. I personally believe that Malhare is a part of William's soul that was taken away from the "main" William when data chips were taken from Springtrap and uploaded into the game. The best analogy I can think of would be a Horcrux.

I don't know how exactly I'll be able to tie in HW and Malhare into MNGF, but this gives me…ideas…heh heh heh heh heh. Bad enough that I'm talking about this during what could quite possibly be the darkest arc in my entire fic. On the plus side (for you guys, not for the family), this arc was originally gonna be the conclusion of most things FNAF-related in this fic, but the introduction of HW opens up new possibilities that weren't available beforehand. If I do incorporate elements of HW into MNGF, it won't be as dark as what's happening right now. But any HW-related arc will almost certainly throw a wrench into the happy times, that's for sure.

Cam: You'll see Nightmare carry out his threats, up close and personal, soon enough.

Rockstar Ballora: I don't have any plans for Nelson at the moment.

Chapter 76 – Shadows Unveiled Part 2

Present Day

"YOU? STOP ME?" William Afton mocked his youngest son scornfully. "HOW AMUSING. YOU WERE UTTERLY USELESS IN LIFE. WHY SHOULD THAT CHANGE IN DEATH?"

"I will admit, my efforts were not entirely successful," Shadow Freddy conceded with a small nod of his head. "When you arrived back at the 1993 pizzeria to finish what you started, I saw an opportunity to help your victims. I guided them over to where you were hiding, so that they could find you and claim their vengeance. And if you won, then at least they would be free once you destroyed their animatronic bodies."

"BUT YOU FAILED…" Nightmare Springtrap hissed gleefully. "I TORE THEM TO PIECES A SECOND TIME, AND THEIR SOULS REMAINED TRAPPED IN THOSE EMPTY SHELLS. BECAUSE OF MY GREATEST SECRET, YOU ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING."

"You're wrong…" Charlie challenged. "Even if he didn't free them, Evan did help us get some revenge. Thanks to him, my brothers and sisters chased you down and trapped you in the same suit you used to murder them. We kept you chained for thirty years and stopped you from killing more innocents during that time."

"AH, BUT ONCE I WAS FOUND AND RELEASE FROM MY PRISON, YOUR ACTIONS AND THE ACTIONS OF THOSE BRATS GAVE ME A NEW, STRONGER, AND GREATER FORM THAN EVER BEFORE!" William Afton declared triumphantly. "OH, THE WAYS I COULD SLAUGHTER THOSE WHO DARED TO STAND AGAINST ME…"

"And yet you failed to kill a single person, father," Michael interrupted, surprising everyone by laughing at his father. "You couldn't kill me back in Fazbear's Fright, just as you couldn't kill me back in the trap that brought us all to an end. In fact, I don't believe you managed to kill a single person throughout your pathetic existence as Springtrap. So much for your flaunted superiority!"

Nightmare Springtrap gritted his fangs as his eyes flashed with rage. "WE WILL SEE WHO IS LAUGHING WHEN THE NIGHT IS DONE!" he snarled. At the same time, Liz felt a wave of relief wash over her that even manage to dull her pain from their previous fight. If what her brother said was true, then neither of them had actually managed to kill anyone.

"I am the one who is laughing, father…" Shadow Freddy taunted, letting out a chuckle that managed to unsettle the ghosts and even William despite his advantage in power. "I have always been laughing at you ever since you fell into the fire, the cold, and the everlasting darkness. And even with the demonic power you have been granted, I continue to laugh. Because even though I may not have been able to help your victims in the way I have hoped, the rest of my plans have been far more successful!"

OMC's Lake, 1983

"THE DEAD CANNOT INTERFERE DIRECTLY IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING," Old Man Consequences informed Evan. "I KNOW THAT YOU WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO EXPOSE WILLIAM AFTON'S CRIMES FOR THE WORLD TO SEE, BUT THE LAWS OF THE AFTERLIFE FORBID YOU FROM DOING SO."

"Then…how am I going to stop dad?" Evan asked, confused and disheartened. If he couldn't do anything, then what was the point in trying?

"BY FINDING ANOTHER TO ACT IN YOUR STEAD," OMC explained. "REVEAL THE SECRETS AND HORRORS THAT STEM FROM YOUR FATHER'S WICKEDNESS, EXPOSE HIM FOR THE MONSTER HE TRULY IS. AND THROUGH YOUR GUIDANCE, THE ALLY YOU CHOOSE IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING WILL BE ABLE TO CLEANSE THE TAINT THAT WILL SOON INFEST THE VERY SOUL OF FREDDY FAZBEAR'S PIZZERIA AND BRING THE NIGHTMARE TO AN END."

"Who am I going to pick to help me?" Evan wondered aloud. "I don't know anybody. People always picked on me, and even if they didn't, it's not like they could help me do anything to stop dad." His eyes widened suddenly. "Unless…"

"AND NOW YOU SEE YOUR BROTHER'S PATH BACK INTO THE LIGHT," OMC nodded in confirmation. "BUT TAKE HEED. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MANIFEST ON EARTH AS THE BOY YOU ONCE WERE. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE, THE DEAD ARE NOT PART OF THE WORLD OF THE LIVING, AND ANY INTERFERENCE YOU WISH TO TAKE PART IN MUST BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM. INSTEAD, WE SHALL GIVE YOU…A DIFFERENT FORM…A NEW FORM, MUCH BETTER SUITED TO THE TASK AT HAND."

OMC raised his hand and extended it towards Evan. The youngest Afton child watched the hand glow with a dark purple aura, and suddenly Evan felt his entire being swell with energy. His entire world turned white as he felt his very being be torn down and remade over and over again, until finally the transformations ceased. OMC lowered his hand and grinned at his young friend.

Evan knelt on the ground, gasping for breath. Whatever OMC had done to him, he felt different now. Stronger and more powerful than he had ever been as an easily terrified little boy. He looked down at the lake and gasped, for he had transformed into a shadowy, spectral version of Fredbear with glowing white eyes.

"HENCEFORTH, YOU SHALL BE KNOWN IN THIS FORM AS SHADOW FREDDY!" OMC declared. "A BENEVOLENT BEING OF SHADOWS THAT SHALL STAND AGAINST THE MALEVOLENT TAINT OF YOUR FATHER." He reached his hand out to the new Shadow Freddy, who used it to pull himself up. "YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ALTERNATE BETWEEN THIS NEW FORM AND YOUR FORMER HUMAN SELF AT WILL," he explained, "BUT WHEN YOU MANIFEST IN THE WORLD OF THE LIVING YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO EXIST AS SHADOW FREDDY. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"I do," Shadow Freddy solemnly replied, marveling at how much deeper and more confident his voice sounded. "What happens now?"

"IN A WEEK'S TIME, THE NIGHTMARES WILL FINISH THEIR LITTLE GAME WITH YOUR OLDER BROTHER," OMC answered. "THAT IS THE POINT AT WHICH YOU CAN APPEAR BEFORE HIM, AND INFORM HIM OF WHAT IS TO COME. WHETHER HE CHOOSES TO EMBARK ON HIS QUEST TO EARN YOUR FORGIVENESS IS UP FOR HIM TO DECIDE," his crocodile-like fangs curled into an amused grin, "BUT I BELIEVE WE BOTH KNOW WHAT CHOICE HE WILL MAKE."

Evan smiled back at the entity. "We'll stop him," he promised. "We'll stop our father. One way…or another…"

Present Day

"And that was when you appeared before me after Nightmare's torments," Michael realized. "I didn't know you'd already found a new form by then."

Shadow Freddy smiled. "It was thanks to him that I realized the truth behind everything and made the decision to bring our father's evil to its end," he replied.

Nightmare Springtrap laughed scornfully. "AND YET YOU ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING," he sneered. "YOU DID NOTHING AT CIRCUS BABY'S, DID NOTHING AT FREDDY FAZBEAR'S PIZZERIA. YOUR ONLY SUPPOSED CONTRIBUTION WAS TO BRING THE ANIMATRONICS TO WHERE I WAS HIDING, WHERE I COULD SLAUGHTER THEM AT MY LEISURE. YOUR EFFORTS WERE WORTHLESS FROM START TO…" his voice trailed off as a thought suddenly occurred. "WAIT…" he hissed.

Shadow Freddy chuckled menacingly. "Ah, father…I see that you are beginning to see the truth. I could do almost nothing to stop you, but Michael, on the other hand…"

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO OPENED HIS EYES TO THE DARK SECRETS OF THE FAZBEAR FRANCHISE," William snarled. "THE TWO OF YOU CONSPIRED AGAINST ME FROM THE BEGINNING!"

"That's right, father!" Michael confirmed, a hint of glee at seeing his father's smug and arrogant expression crack and falter for the first time. "After you deceived me and sent me to die at Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, I wanted vengeance against you for your betrayal. But thanks to my brother, I learned about all the murders and depravities that you committed throughout your tainted, worthless life. I spent those night shifts discovering the truth and trying to see if there was any way I could free the children whose souls you enslaved, but there was nothing I could do at the time. But I would have my chance thirty years later…"

"I was the one who told Michael to arrive as a guard at Fazbear's Fright, where I knew you would lie in wait," Shadow Freddy continued, noticing that William's expression seemed to grow increasingly furious. "I bet you would have loved nothing more than to butcher anyone you came across, from the night guard to unsuspecting patrons. But Michael was well-versed in the art of survival by this point, and once he came to appreciate the full nature of his task he could bring you to heel."

"I can't say I enjoyed myself there," Michael added with a smirk, "but I will say that I experienced a certain level of…satisfaction…at dragging you along on a wild goose chase, leaving you as little better than a slave to the fragments of programming left in the Spring Bonnie suit."

Nightmare Springtrap bared his fangs in a hate-filled snarl. "I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS," he swore. "NOBODY MAKES A FOOL OUT OF ME!"

"Nobody needs to," Shadow Freddy taunted. "You did that yourself the moment you chose to walk into a trap pizzeria that you knew was a lie. Once again, I guided Michael to take on his final task. And this time, Henry would succeed where we had failed. How does it feel, father, to know that the sons you abandoned were the ones to orchestrate your doom?"

"We spent our final moments on Earth at each other's side," Michael added with a mocking smile. "And the last thing we did as the flames consumed us was laugh. Laugh at your arrogance and idiocy, laugh at the fact that you would soon suffer for all eternity, just as you deserve."

William let out a feral scream of pure rage and lunged at Evan. Both Michael and Liz cried out in horror, as did the other children, as Nightmare Springtrap slashed his claws across Shadow Freddy's chest. Shadow Freddy let out a growl of pain at the wound inflicted, but to William's surprise his youngest son did not break or even falter. The wound was already starting to heal the second after it had been inflicted, reminding Liz uncannily of Nightmare's healing when she had tried to attack him with Scrap Baby's claw.

"Of course you would solve your problems with violence, father," Shadow Freddy sneered. "That is the only path you have ever known. But I am beyond your ability to understand, father, and beyond your ability to destroy."

"THE LONGER YOU LAST, THE MORE I CAN MAKE YOU SUFFER!" William snarled back. He was so fixated on avenging his humiliation on the son who had orchestrated his demise from the shadows, that even his earlier goal of revenge on Mike and the battles against the children had been forgotten. Shadow Freddy stared defiantly back at his depraved father, fully prepared to endure all the torment that William could unleash upon him.

But the youngest Afton was not alone in this fight. The moment Nightmare Springtrap's back was turned, Michael made his move. His hand flashed, and suddenly a dagger appeared in his grasp, a small but elegant weapon with a golden hilt and a blade that seemed to be emanated with pure, holy light. Neither Evan nor William had seen the dagger appear, but Liz had, and it took all of her willpower not to gasp as Michael swiftly and stealthily approached the battling Aftons. The oldest son raised the dagger and slammed it down, impaling the blade straight into William's back.

The demonically empowered shade howled in pain and rage as Michael swiftly removed the dagger and leapt backward, dodging a reflexive claw strike that he had seen coming. He grimaced as he looked at the wound he had inflicted; he had hoped that he would be able to strike straight into William's heart and lay him low right then and there. But he had forgotten that wounds and damage had a different nature for souls and supernatural beings, and Nightmare Springtrap's armor was too thick for a simple dagger strike.

"YOU WISH TO SUFFER FIRST, THEN?" William growled as he turned his attention onto Michael. "VERY WELL. YOU ARE NOT PROTECTED AS YOUR BROTHER."

Liz's eyes flashed with growing worry and dread as she realized that William now had a new target. No matter what happened to her afterward, she couldn'tlet her older brother get hurt yet again. Forgetting the warnings of her new and true father, forgetting even the pain that she had endured in her previous battle, she let out a metallic roar and leapt at Nightmare Springtrap from the side, claw extended as she prepared to close it around William's throat.

William saw the attack coming and contemptuously raised his arm to block it, but Scrap Baby's attack had given her brothers the distraction they had needed. Shadow Freddy vanished and reappeared in front of his father, raising a fist holding a black microphone and slamming it directly into William's face. The blow did little better than stun him, but it gave both Liz and Michael another opportunity for a free attack. Michael sliced his knife across Nightmare Springtrap's throat, while Liz crushed her claw around the monster's stomach.

Nightmare Springtrap bellowed even more loudly than he had before, feeling genuine agony for the first time their entire fight. The ghostly children watching the brawling Aftons from the sidelines had sucked in their breath, hoping against hope that maybe, just maybe, the Afton children would be able to overwhelm the murderer entirely on their own.

Unfortunately, that possibility was indeed too much to hope for. The wounds on William Afton's body began to heal as Shadow Freddy's and Nightmare's had done in the past, though more slowly and with the scars still remaining. William viciously shoved his elbow behind towards Michael, who barely managed to avoid having his upper arm being viciously ravaged by a fanged mouth. Shadow Freddy tried to distract William by punching him again, but though he might have been more durable than either of his siblings, he was also the weakest in terms of offense, and Nightmare Springtrap only laughed as he slashed at his youngest son twice and pushed him away.

His eyes focused on Liz, promising nothing but pain for her "betrayal." He lunged at his daughter, who was only saved from being mauled by Shadow Freddy teleporting in front of her. Liz dived out of the way as father and son crashed into the wall, Nightmare Springtrap letting out a snarl of frustration as he realized he had attacked the wrong target. He struck at Shadow Freddy's chest yet again, adding two more gaping wounds to the ones he had already inflicted. William raised his claw to inflict a third when the back of his head suddenly exploded in pain. Liz had taken the opportunity to stealthily approach from behind and slam the weight of Scrap Baby's claw right onto William's head.

Nightmare Springtrap clutched his head and let out an animalistic growl, shaking his head furiously to ward off the pain before he glared at Liz again. Shadow Freddy teleported in front of her to try and distract him again, but this time he wasn't fooled. He simply pushed Evan to the side and advanced on Liz, who looked back with a mixture of fear and defiance as she raised her claw to defend herself. As William swung his claws down on his daughter, Liz decided this time to try and avoid as many attacks as possible while still trying to find an opening. Unfortunately, her bulk now turned into a disadvantage, as her attempts at dodging were clumsier than either of her brothers' and she ended up having to use her claw to shield herself despite the pain she knew it would cause. As William slashed down and left yet another wound on her claw, she saw an opening at Nightmare Springtrap's left neck and reached out with her free hand, hoping to grab his neck and try to choke him.

It was a valiant and unpredictable strategy…that would backfire horribly. Liz's arm had passed too close to Nightmare Springtrap's arm and the fanged mouth on his shoulder blade. The mouth chomped down, and Liz yelled as she desperately tried to rip her arm free. Seeing his sister in pain, Michael slammed his knife onto the area just above the mouth and forced it to release Liz…but that had been all the distraction that William needed. He swung his claw from right to left across Scrap Baby's chest…and this time she was too slow to block it with her claw.

The scream of agony that echoed across the living room chilled the soul of everyone who heard it. Gabe and Jeremy both had to restrain Fritz from leaping out of the hallway and into the living room, consequences be damned, as William laughed at the suffering that he had inflicted upon a daughter who had once adored him. Everyone could see the gaping and horrific wound that Nightmare Springtrap had inflicted across her upper body, a wound that wasn't healing nearly as quickly as either Shadow Freddy or Nightmare Springtrap.

"YOU ARE AS WEAK AND AS PATHETIC AS YOUR BROTHERS," William sneered as Michael pulled Liz away from the fight and towards Charlie. "THE SUM OF YOUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE, DEFINED AS ONE FAILURE AFTER ANOTHER. DID YOU FORGET WHO GAVE YOU THAT POWER TO BEGIN WITH? He let out a chilling, savage laugh. "YOU ARE WORTHLESS!"

Through her pain, Liz managed to give her father one last, defiant look. "Wrong," she hissed. "I became a better person, and I broke your chains. That's all the worth that I ever need!"

Nightmare Springtrap bared his fangs and prepared to charge down his daughter yet again, when a new voice interrupted. One that hadn't spoken once since William had first invaded their home. "Enough!" Mike's voice echoed through the intercom, drawing the attention of all. Nightmare Springtrap looked up and straight into the camera as the ghost kids in the hallway gasped in horror as one, realizing that Mike had given himself away.

Nightmare Springtrap grinned. He had forgotten his original purpose for coming here until the foolish mortal had given himself away. "YOU HIDE AWAY IN THE DEPTHS OF YOUR HOME WHILE FORCING CHILDREN TO FIGHT FOR YOU?" he taunted. "WHO IS THE TRUE COWARD HERE?"

"If it were up to me, I would have waited for you in the living room, ready to face you like a man," Mike answered coolly, in a calm voice that did nothing to mask his hatred of his children's murderer. "They were the ones who insisted I stay up here while they tried to fight you off. And I was happy to honor their request as long as the animatronics were the ones taking the damage…" a tone of menace entered his voice, "…until I saw you attack Liz the way you did. I wasn't going to stay silent after that."

William sneered. "YOU CAN HAVE HER," he spat. "I HAVE NO USE FOR THAT DISAPPOINTMENT OF A DAUGHTER ANYMORE. YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT HER TO HER FATE AND KEPT SILENT. I MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT YOUR PRESENCE HERE…BUT NOT ANYMORE. I KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME," he hissed, his eyes flaring with hatred and the memory of unspeakable torments. "I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE REASON WHY MY EXISTENCE IN HELL BECAME SO MUCH WORSE THAN WHAT IT ALREADY WAS. AND I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR MY SUFFERING!"

To his fury, Mike's response was tinged with contempt, amusement, and scorn instead of the fear that he had been expecting. "And what is there to fear?" he asked mockingly. "A blithering imbecile who walked into his own death? A helpless weakling who had to suck the cock of another demon lord just for the mere chance of revenge? Come, then! Come and face me, like you planned. Let's settle this between the two of us, once and for all." Mike's voice dropped into the same menacing tone that his children had heard when Nightmare had revealed the true nature of his first visit. "I'll be waiting."

William gnashed his teeth in rage and turned his head towards the hallway, back where he had entered…and where the stairs leading up to the second floor. "STOP HIM!" Gabe cried, forgetting that he was exposing himself and the others just as Mike had. But William wasn't going to spare another moment on his children when they could barely pose a threat to him to begin with. He raced towards the hallway, shoving Liz to the side as she tried one last time to get in his way. Michael tried to stab his father in the back with his knife again, but he was too slow and his dagger passed through empty air. The ghost children and the Aftons could only watch in horror as Nightmare Springtrap rushed out into the hallway and up the stairs. All of the children tried to follow, only to be blocked by Shadow Freddy. "No!" he commanded. "Don't chase after him!"

"Why the FUCK NOT?" Fritz shouted back.

"He's going after our dad!" Jeremy added furiously. "We have to stop him!"

"It was never your destiny to face off against William Afton here," Shadow Freddy replied grimly. "It was never even ours. Your father and the monster that William Afton has become have always been fated to confront each other. We," he gestured towards both himself and his brother, "came here to ensure that none of you would be harmed, and that by attracting Nightmare Springtrap's attention towards ourselves, he would not direct his fury against you when you have already suffered so much."

"So what do we do now?" Susie cried out, trying and failing to hold back tears. "What can we even do? We've failed! We didn't stop him at all! Now he's going after dad and…and…I don't even want to think about what he's going to do!"

Before anyone could say anything to comfort her, they heard the Security Puppet float up to them. "Things aren't as hopeless as they seem, Susie," she gently told her. "I think Mike knew this was a possibility. And I think that he even planned for it, possibly with Nightmare's help. Remember all those times that he ordered us to possess him at the same time? I almost think he wants William Afton to do the same."

"Can we even trust Nightmare?" Cassidy asked suspiciously.

"Nightmare may be a fiend and a monster," Shadow Freddy answered, "but he has a code of honor and morals that our father never had. And his hatred for William Afton burns with just as much power as yours or mine. I would never tell you to trust him, but you can trust his desire for vengeance against William for daring to insult him with this escape, and you can trust any aid that he provides your father."

A groan from the living room interrupted their words, and all of them turned to see Liz slowly approaching them, her hands clutching at the deep wound that Nightmare Springtrap had inflicted across her chest. Immediately, her brothers and sisters (both old and new) rushed over to her and helped her sit down onto the floor.

"It hurts…" Liz whimpered. "I can't even remember the last time I was hurt so bad."

The Security Puppet and Michael knelt down, the latter vanishing his knife as they placed their hands over her wounds. The Security Puppet's hands glowed with a faint blue light, and Liz could feel some of the pain ever so slightly fade. But the wounds barely changed in size, and everyone could already tell that it would take a long time for Charlie to heal her sister.

"I hate this!" Fritz suddenly shouted. "I hate this goddamn waiting! Our murderer is in our home, going after our dad, and we can't do a fucking thing about it!"

"I know, Fritz," Gabe gently replied. "I hate it just as much as you do. But if what Shadow Freddy says is true, then we might make things even worse by getting in the way. We can only hope that God, Mike," his face briefly scrunched up in distaste, "and Nightmare will get our dad get through this night safely…one way or another."

/

Oblivious to the dialogue a floor below him, William sprinted towards the door and slammed it open, eager to finally lay eyes on the man who had dared to defy him.

Mike was sitting on the bed, the tablet connected to the security system lying next to his side. Upon seeing the man, William let out a bark of contemptuous, disbelieving laughter. "IS THIS IT?" he cackled. "IS THIS THE ONLY RESISTANCE THAT THE GREAT AND MIGHTY MIKE SCHMIDT CAN MUSTER AGAINST ME? A WEAK OLD MAN SITTING ON A BED, WAITING FOR HIS END? YOU CALL ME A FOOL, AND YET YOU DO NOT CARRY EVEN A SINGLE WEAPON TO DEFEND YOURSELF!" His eyes narrowed and his fangs curled into a sneer. "OF ALL THE BEINGS IN THIS HOUSE, YOU ARE BY FAR THE MOST PATHETIC. A GNAT THAT DARES TO ROAR LIKE A LION, A CORPSE THAT DOES NOT KNOW THAT HE IS DEAD!"

To William's surprise and irritation, Mike didn't cower in fear or shout insults at him, like he expected. He merely smirked, an expression that didn't match the cold, hard rage that burned in his eyes. "So…" he drawled, his voice deathly calm. "William Afton. The murderer of my children, and the betrayer of his own family. I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but you're less intimidating than I was expecting."

Nightmare Springtrap let out a growl from within his throat, but before he could say anything Mike glared straight into his demonic eyes, icy wrath against infernal fury. "Are you going to kill me?" he asked mockingly. "Go right ahead. I didn't fear death more than thirty years ago, and I don't fear it now. Go ahead and get the revenge you so desperately want. It won't do you any good in the end."

William let out another cruel laugh. "KILL YOU?" he repeated scornfully. "DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE ME SO EASY TO DECEIVE? I KNOW WHAT WILL COME TO PASS IF I SPILL YOUR BLOOD NOW. WITH YOUR DEATH, THOSE BRATS WILL BE FREED FROM THEIR DUTY TO YOU, AND ALL OF YOU WILL PASS ON TO HEAVEN WHILE I LANGUISH IN THE ABYSS ONCE NIGHTMARE AND HIS MERRY BAND OF MONGRELS BEGIN THEIR PURSUIT. NO…" his mouth stretched into a menacing grin with razor sharp fangs. "I HAVE A FATE FAR WORSE THAN DEATH PLANNED FOR YOU!"

Mike's body tensed and his eyes widened as William's body started to flicker and transform into an incorporeal form, a red and black specter that emanated malice and cruelty from every aspect of its being. Before Mike could say or do anything, the spirit raced towards and dived into his body, sending him falling backward, motionless, onto the bed.

Downstairs, the ghosts felt the sudden shift in the atmosphere and were about to investigate when they saw a faint orange glow appear from the far side of the hallway leading to the front door. The ghosts cautiously approached the hallway, and as they peeked around the corner they saw an orange portal wreathed with the flames of Hell itself, faint screams and moans of the damned echoing from within its depths. Nightmare, Nightmarionne, and Nightmare Fredbear all stepped out onto the porch, a mighty demon lord of Hell flanked by his most powerful brothers and lieutenants. In any other time or place, such a sight would have cast raw and mortal terror into the very essences of all mortals, an omen of despair and doom for all who dared to look upon them. But tonight, the demon lords would be a most unorthodox and unlooked-for source of hope and relief for them in this blackest night.

Help had finally arrived.

/

Nightmare Springtrap looked around in the mindscape that he had entered, searching hungrily for his prey. He had expected to see Mike's soul in front of him, begging him for mercy with terror in his eyes as he realized that William would indeed follow through on his promise to unleash a fate worse than death upon him. Instead, Mike was nowhere to be found, but he could sense his presence nearby. And that, more than anything, made him wary.

The moment he had laid eyes on his surroundings, William instantly knew where he was. For some unfathomable reason, Mike's mindscape had taken on the form of the Dining Area of the 1993 Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. And yet, it had been altered significantly from what he remembered. The posters and pizza slices were still on the walls as he remembered, and streamers and stars still hung from the ceiling, but the tables with the party hats on them were nowhere to be found. There were still four doorways located approximately where they had originally been, but the paths to the hallways were boarded and blocked off, with only the corridor to the bathroom behind him and the entrance to the Parts and Services room on the opposite side unblocked. The room itself was also much larger and circular instead of rectangular, with much more space in the middle, and instead of a ceiling above him there were dark storm clouds that covered the room. It was as though the dining area had been transformed and repurposed to serve as…

…an arena.

"Face to face, William Afton, just like you wanted," a voice echoed from across the room. William's head whipped to the opposite doorway, just in time to see Mike step out from the shadows. His eyes were still hidden by darkness, covered under the shadows of his bushy hair. "You know, I never truly understood just how much of an evil piece of shit you truly were. I thought my own father was a nasty piece of work. And then I saw what you did to Liz, heard about how you left Evan to die…your soul died long before my kids stuffed you into that bunny suit, didn't it?"

"TRYING TO STALL, ARE YOU?" William sneered. "DO YOU THINK I GIVE THE SLIGHTEST DAMN ABOUT YOUR OPINION? HOW FITTING THAT YOU WOULD CHOOSE HERE OF ALL PLACES FOR YOUR TOMB, FOR I WILL SUCCEED WHERE THE ANIMATRONICS FAILED LONG AGO."

Mike gestured towards the room. "Like what I've done with the place? It seemed only fitting that we settle the score here. The place where I first became part of the Freddy's horror story, for better or for worse," Mike's lips curled up into a smirk, "and the place where you first suffered for your crimes. I can't help but wonder…how do the torments of Hell compare to the springlocks? Did you appreciate the suggestions that I made?"

"PLAY YOUR LITTLE GAMES AS MUCH YOU WANT," Nightmare Springtrap retorted, ignoring the hidden taunt in Mike's question. "IT CHANGES NOTHING."

"You still don't see it, do you?" Mike shook his head and his smirk grew. "I wanted you to possess me. I hoped that you would go the extra mile to be as cruel as possible. Before you invaded my mind to attack my soul, I was exactly as you described. A mortal man who couldn't possibly hope to stand against a damned soul given demonic power. But now…"

He snapped his fingers, and a bolt of purple-tinged lightning suddenly shot down from the sky, straight onto Nightmare Springtrap's body. William hissed and let out a growl of shock as he felt the electricity course through his very being. The attack itself hadn't done much in terms of actual damage, but William had still felt genuine pain of the attack. The same pain that he had experienced when Michael had stabbed his holy dagger into his body, and when Liz had tried to claw open his stomach.

Across the impromptu battlefield, Mike grinned at his hated enemy's expression. He hadn't even put all that much power into the lightning strike to begin with, not enough to serve as more than a warning shot. The fact that William Afton could already feel some degree of painfrom this first strike, however minor, was encouraging. And more importantly, he had undermined Nightmare Springtrap's intended role as the aggressor by depriving him of first blood.

An insult that, judging by the fury that flashed in William's eyes, the murderer was fully aware of.

With another snarl, William raised his claws and dug them into the wall, dragging his talons down in a shower of sparks as a show of power and savagery. He ripped his claw away from the shredded metal, waiting for Mike to make his next move.

For a few seconds that seemed to last for an eternity, Mike didn't move a muscle. Then from the shadows that covered his upper face, two piercing dots of light flashed into existence where his eyes should have been. Two orbs that glowed with the color of blood. Mike's smirk stretched into a full-blown grin as he tilted his right hand upward, and a ball of dark purple flames erupted from his hand.

"What are you waiting for, William Afton?" Mike asked, before his voice descended into a snarl worthy of Hell itself. "Show me what you're made of."

/

A/N: And here we are, folks! The long-awaited battle between murderer and guardian is finally about to begin! William may be powerful, but Mike hasmany, and I do mean many tricks hidden up his sleeve.

I obviously don't want to go into too much detail because of spoilers, but I will say this: as the battle rages in the depths of Mike's mind, any resemblances that Mike may have to other fictional characters you may be familiar with, especially villainous ones…are completely intentional.

To get you pumped up, I suggest you look up "YuGiOh Forbidden Memories – Mage Duel" on Youtube and listen to it. To this day I contend that this Playstation game has one of the best soundtracks I've EVER heard.

The next chapter will definitely be at least 2 weeks away, since I have two med school boards exams next week. It's frankly amazing I was even able to get this chapter in to begin with.

Hope you guys enjoyed!