Chapter 18: The Strings Are Cut...
Benji was pacing back and forth in his bedroom, and still in his pajamas.
"This is the fifth and final night, how should I tackle it this time?" Benji was thinking out loud.
That's when a certain golden bear animatronic appeared in front of him in his own bedroom!
"Ah!" Benji yelped in surprise.
"I'm so sorry for scaring you", Golden Freddy embraced Benji apologetically. Benji hugged the golden bear back.
The night guard smiled softly at Golden Freddy, "I know you didn't mean to, big bear."
Benji cupped the animatronic's face gently and kissed him on the cheek.
"What are you still doing in your pajamas?" Golden Freddy let go of the embrace and raised an eyebrow with confusion and concern.
Benji sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I dunno… I guess I'm just overthinking everything. It's the last night, and I feel like something big is gonna happen."
Golden Freddy tilted his head slightly, his glowing blue eyes scanning Benji's face. "You've made it this far. Whatever happens, you won't be alone."
Benji smiled at that, but there was still an anxious weight in his chest. He glanced at the clock—only a few hours until his shift. He needed to get ready.
"You're right," he admitted, shaking off his nerves. "I just need to stick to the plan."
Golden Freddy gave a small nod before flickering slightly, his form glitching for a moment. Benji frowned.
"You okay?"
The animatronic hesitated. "There's… something strange about tonight. Be careful."
Benji's stomach twisted at those words, but before he could press for more details, Golden Freddy had already faded away, most likely back to the pizzeria.
Alone again, Benji took a deep breath and moved to the bathroom to get himself ready. After showering and all of the other stuff, Benji put together his outfit. He was wearing an olive green cable-knit sweater, a white oxford, a pair of grey trousers, and a rose gold star pendant. Benji sighed heavily as he fixed his hair in the mirror. Tonight was going to be different—he could feel it.
Around midnight, Benji stepped out of his car, the cool night air greeting him as he made his way toward the pizzeria's entrance. The iced coffee from Aaliyah's shop was still cold in his hand, and the usual excitement of his shift was replaced by an uneasy tension. This was it—the final night. He had no idea what to expect, but his nerves were on edge.
Before he could make his way to the open-air security office, he heard a familiar voice from behind him.
"Benji."
He turned to find Golden Freddy, his figure shimmering slightly in the dim light. Vixen stood nearby, her eyes focused on Benji as she twitched her mechanical ear. The rest of the Original animatronics—Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy—were gathered, looking unusually serious.
"Hey, guys," Benji greeted, trying to hide his anxiety. "What's up?"
Golden Freddy stepped forward, his glowing blue eyes fixed on Benji. "The Puppet... it's turning everything up to the max tonight. All the difficulty, all the challenges, they'll be harder than ever before."
Vixen nodded, her voice sharp but almost comforting. "You'll need to be at your best. If you can survive tonight, The Puppet will reward you with a couple of prizes."
Benji raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. "Prizes?"
Golden Freddy gave him a mysterious smile, his voice softer now. "Yes. But first, you need to survive."
Benji grinned, excitement mixing with his nerves. "Sounds like a challenge."
With a sudden motion, Golden Freddy leaned forward and kissed Benji on the lips, a soft and fleeting gesture that left Benji slightly breathless.
"Good luck, Benji," Golden Freddy whispered. "You've got this."
Benji smiled back, his heart racing in a way he hadn't expected. But as he pulled away, he realized something—they hadn't told anyone about this.
From behind them, Freddy raised an eyebrow, a puzzled expression on his face. "What's going on here?"
Vixen's eyes lit up with mischief. "Oh, nothing," she teased, "just a little bit of news."
Chica's cheerful voice joined in. "Oh my god! You two? I didn't even know!" She gasped in delight. "That's so sweet!"
Bonnie crossed his arms, a slight frown on his face. "Wait, you two?" He seemed genuinely surprised and maybe... a little hurt?
Benji chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, it's… a thing now, I guess."
Chica and Vixen practically squealed with excitement. "I can't believe it!" Chica chimed in. "Golden Freddy and Benji, a couple! This is too cute!"
Bonnie, however, crossed his arms tighter, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Huh," he muttered, clearly struggling with his emotions.
Foxy let out a low chuckle. "Seems like the big guy's a little jealous," he teased, nudging Bonnie with his hook.
Benji shot Bonnie an apologetic look, but Bonnie merely glanced away, clearly still processing everything.
"Come on, Bonnie," Foxy added, trying to lighten the mood, "don't be too hard on them. We've got a big night ahead."
Vixen gave Bonnie a wink. "You'll be alright, don't worry. Just don't let your feelings get in the way tonight."
The atmosphere shifted slightly, but Benji couldn't help feeling a sense of warmth. Despite the tensions, he knew he wasn't alone. Everyone was looking out for him, and with Golden Freddy by his side, he might be able to face whatever The Puppet had in store for the final night.
12 AM
As Benji sat down at the office desk, the phone rang once again.
"I hope this is the last time I get these training calls", Benji chuckled to himself as he answered the call.
Hello hello! Hey, good job, night five! Um, hey, uh, keep a close eye on things tonight, okay? Um, from what I understand the building is on lockdown.
"McFucking 'Scuse me?! This went from just an investigation to full-on putting the building down on lockdown?!" Benji threw his arms up in exasperation, frustrated with what he was hearing from the training call. "I'm so glad that I didn't have to live here through the 80's", the night guard muttered to himself.
Uh...no one is allowed in or out, you know. Especially concerning any... ..previous employees. Um, when we get it all sorted out we may move you to the day shift. A position just became...available.
Benji gave the phone a very drastic side-eye, "That is...so sus."
Uh, we don't have a replacement for your shift yet but we're working on it.
"Of course, they wouldn't, they didn't have many employees back then", Benji rolled his eyes in annoyance.
Uh, we're gonna try to contact the original restaurant owner. Uh, I think the name of the place was... ..Fredbear's Family Diner or something like that. It was closed for years though, I doubt we'll be able to track anybody down. Uh, so just get through one more night. Uh, hang in there. Good night.
"I think I've heard that name before, Fredbear's Family Diner. I'll try to ask Goldie about it later", Benji pondered out loud to himself when the training call ended with a click.
As soon as Benji picked up the camera tablet, he noticed that there was this shadow form just standing in the corner looking at him! It looked like a shadow version of Toy Bonnie? Benji waved at it with a wary smile. Shadow Bonnie smiled softly and waved as he faded away into the dark hallway.
"He seemed nice, but kind of weird. Let's just start this shit to get it over with", Benji muttered to himself as he started flipping through the cameras.
2 AM
"Literally get the fuck out of here!" Benji shrieked at Balloon Boy through the spare Freddy head. Balloon Boy started to shuffle back through the left vent.
As soon as Benji took off the head, he instantly heard multiple pairs of animatronic feet in the hallway. He also heard the sound of static in the hallway. Shining the light down the hallway, Benji saw that Mangle, Withered Foxy, and Withered Bonnie were standing there! The night guard flickered the light quickly to get rid of Withered Foxy, which worked because the animatronic fox walked back to the back room. The light stopped working for a second, and when it fixed itself, Benji only saw Mangle hanging from the ceiling with a glare.
Withered Bonnie definitely went into the party room on the left. Benji thought to himself.
The night guard picked up the tablet again to wind up the music box again. Once he was done, he switched the camera feed to the camera that was in Party Room 1. Where Withered Bonnie went when he flickered the light. When the camera feed was switched to it, Benji saw something different than the previous nights. Withered Bonnie was sitting in one of the corners but on the floor. He was hiding behind the entrance to the party room. It looked like he was sad, too.
Awe, he looks so sad. I wish I could go talk to him about it. Benji frowned.
He was pulled out of his thoughts quickly because he heard Mangle's static get closer. Quickly putting down the tablet, Benji threw on the spare head even quicker. When he looked up, Mangle was hanging in the doorway. She twitched a bit while the lights flickered for a couple of seconds, Once the lights stopped flickering, Mangle was gone. Benji took off the spare head yet again.
Benji barely had time to catch his breath before he heard the telltale thudding of heavy animatronic footsteps again. His heart sank.
"Oh, come on, give me a break," he groaned, quickly pulling up the cameras again.
Toy Chica was lingering near the main hall, her beady eyes locked onto the screen as if she knew he was watching. He shuddered. There was something deeply unsettling about her vacant stare without the beak.
Then, another sound—shuffling from the left air vent.
"Balloon Boy, if that's you again, I swear—" Benji flicked the camera feed to the left vent just in time to see a dark shape crawling through. But it wasn't Balloon Boy.
It was a hand.
Benji's stomach twisted as he recognized the tattered blue fur and exposed endoskeleton fingers. Withered Bonnie.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Benji muttered, snapping the camera down and shoving the Freddy mask over his face.
Withered Bonnie emerged from the vent opening, his head tilting unnaturally as he examined Benji. He stayed there for a long, agonizing few seconds, his glowing eyes staring deep into the mask's hollow sockets.
Benji's heart skipped a beat, but not in fear—at least, not entirely. He knew Bonnie. They were friends.
Bonnie wasn't really withered. Not like this. Bonnie had always been lively, expressive, and full of energy. This broken-down version of him wasn't real. It was just a faded memory, a leftover image from the past.
But even without a face, Benji could tell Bonnie was sad.
Before Withered Bonnie could retreat back into the dark hallway, Benji acted on instinct.
"Wait," he blurted out.
Withered Bonnie froze.
Benji swallowed hard. "Can we… talk? Before the night's over?"
Bonnie stood motionless for a moment. Then, slowly, he gave a single, silent nod before retreating into the vent.
Benji let out a shaky breath.
Whatever was going on tonight, it wasn't just about survival anymore.
It was about understanding.
4 AM
Benji's hands were shaking.
Withered Foxy was still in the hallway, twitching and glitching as the flashlight's beam flickered against his decayed metal frame. His jaw hung open, frozen mid-snarl, waiting for just the right moment to strike.
At the same time, Toy Bonnie's bright blue ears peeked out from the right air vent. His red eyes gleamed in the dim light, locked onto Benji as he slowly crept forward.
Benji could feel the pressure mounting.
I just need to wind up the damn music box.
His fingers hovered over the security tablet, ready to switch to Prize Corner. But the second he reached for it, Foxy jerked forward a step, and Toy Bonnie's hand twitched, his glossy plastic fingers tightening as if preparing to lunge.
Benji clenched his jaw. He needed to time this perfectly.
Taking a deep breath, he snapped the flashlight at Foxy in quick bursts, trying to stall him. It worked—for now. Then, without hesitating, he dove for the camera tablet and flipped to the Prize Corner feed.
The little crank icon flashed red.
The music box was dangerously close to stopping.
"Come on, come on, come on," Benji hissed under his breath, frantically winding it up.
The moment the gauge filled up, he slammed the tablet down—
And everything went dark.
Not like the lights flickering or a power failure. Not like an animatronic pulling some creepy trick.
No—this was different.
The entire office had vanished.
Benji was no longer sitting at his desk. The walls, the desk, the vent, the flickering hallway—gone.
Instead, he was surrounded by an empty void. The floor beneath him felt solid, but he couldn't see it. There was no light, yet he could see himself just fine. It was like he had been pulled into a space that shouldn't exist.
Then, from the darkness, something moved.
A familiar shadowy figure emerged, its glowing white eyes locked onto Benji.
It was him again.
Shadow Bonnie.
Benji's breath hitched as he instinctively stepped back, but there was nowhere to go. His stomach twisted with unease. The last time he'd seen this thing, it had just waved and disappeared—but now? Now, it felt deliberate.
"Don't be afraid," the shadowy figure finally spoke, his voice eerily calm, almost gentle. It echoed unnaturally, like multiple voices speaking at once. "I made sure they can't see us right now."
Benji swallowed. "O-okay. Uh… why?"
The figure took a step closer. Despite its lack of detail, Benji could feel it watching him.
"I wanted to talk," the shadow explained. "Properly, this time."
Benji hesitated. He still didn't know if he could trust this thing, but it wasn't attacking him. It hadn't hurt him before.
The shadow tilted its head slightly. "I am RWQFSFASXC."
Benji blinked. "...What?"
The shadow's eyes narrowed slightly—was that amusement? "It's my name. You can call me that if you want, or Shadow Bonnie. Or… RXQ, if that's easier."
Benji exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, uh, I think I'll go with RXQ. That other name is way too much."
RXQ chuckled softly, a sound that sent a chill down Benji's spine. It wasn't malicious—just unnatural.
"That is understandable."
Benji shifted his weight, still wary but growing slightly more curious. "So, what's your deal? You don't seem like the others."
RXQ's glowing eyes softened. "I exist in the spaces in between. The forgotten places." His form flickered for a second, like a glitch in reality. "You're not supposed to see me. But you do."
Benji frowned. "Why?"
RXQ didn't answer immediately. Instead, he lifted a hand, as if reaching toward Benji—but before he could, the void around them shuddered.
Benji stiffened. "What was that?"
RXQ sighed, almost as if annoyed. "We are not alone anymore."
Before Benji could react, another figure materialized beside RXQ—this one larger, bulkier, draped in a deep purple shadow. Its piercing white eyes gleamed as it loomed over them.
Benji's heart nearly stopped.
Shadow Freddy.
Benji stumbled back instinctively, eyes wide. "Jesus fuck—warn me before you do that!"
RXQ turned his head slightly toward the newcomer. "You're interrupting."
Shadow Freddy simply chuckled—a deep, distorted laugh that sent a shiver down Benji's spine.
RXQ turned back to Benji. "Ignore him. He enjoys theatrics."
Benji let out a shaky breath. "Great. Fantastic. So, uh… are you two gonna kill me, or is this just a creepy little chat?"
Shadow Freddy tilted his head, considering. RXQ, however, stepped forward slightly. "Not everything here wants to harm you, Benji."
Benji swallowed. The way RXQ said his name made his skin prickle.
"Then… what do you want?" he asked carefully.
RXQ's glowing eyes locked onto him again, unreadable.
"You'll find out soon enough."
With that, the office came back into Benji's vision. Thankfully, Withered Foxy and Toy Bonnie were gone from the office.
"What in the hell was that?" Benji muttered a sigh of relief.
5:50 AM
Benji's heart was hammering against his ribs, his breathing coming in quick, shallow gasps.
This was it.
The final two minutes.
The security office was suffocating, filled to the brim with the looming figures of every single animatronic.
Toy Freddy, Toy Bonnie, and Toy Chica blocked the front entrance, their cold plastic faces reflecting the dim light of the flickering bulbs above. Mangle was hanging upside-down from the ceiling, her jagged teeth inches from Benji's face. Withered Freddy and Withered Chica loomed to his left, their ruined metal bodies twitching and groaning under the weight of their decay.
Withered Bonnie stood to his right, stiff and unreadable, while Withered Foxy growled lowly from the hallway behind him, his hook gleaming.
Balloon Boy's giggles rang in his ears as he shuffled closer, arms reaching greedily for the batteries in Benji's flashlight.
And then, the worst of them all.
Golden Freddy's massive, spectral form materialized in the corner, his lifeless eyes locked onto Benji. RXQ stood beside him, his void-like body flickering in and out of existence. And Shadow Freddy, ever the silent observer, watched with amusement, his hollow eyes shining eerily in the darkness.
Benji could barely think. His chest tightened, his limbs locked in place.
Too many. Too close. No way out.
And worst of all—
The music box was nearly unwound.
Benji's fingers fumbled desperately as he tried to grab the tablet, but he knew it was too late. The crank meter was empty. The song had stopped.
A sickening silence filled the room.
From the hallway, a slow, deliberate creaking sound echoed against the tiled walls. A familiar figure began rounding the corner, its ghostly white mask peering out from the shadows.
The Puppet.
Benji's stomach dropped.
The animatronics all twitched at once, their bodies tensing as if they could sense the end was near. Mangle let out a mechanical screech, Withered Chica's jaw gaped open, and Toy Bonnie's fingers flexed, ready to lunge.
Benji slammed his eyes shut, his entire body frozen with terror.
And then—
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. YAYYY!
The 6 AM chime rang through the air like a divine choir of angels.
For a brief moment, everything stopped.
The Puppet, barely two feet from the doorway, tilted its head.
Then, like an unseen force had gripped the room, every animatronic jerked backward.
Withered Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy all let out distorted, electronic gasps as their battered, broken forms flickered—
And then, disappeared.
When the flickering stopped, their withered, tattered exteriors were gone.
Freddy's fur was smooth and vibrant once more, his top hat neatly in place. Chica no longer had her broken, gaping mouth. Bonnie's missing face had returned, his bright red bowtie gleaming. Foxy's tattered frame was whole again, and Golden Freddy, no longer a spectral, haunted entity, now looked as pristine as he had in the Pizzeria's golden years.
Even Vixen had transformed from the Mangle persona back into her refurbished form.
Benji's breath came in quick bursts as the reality of his victory sank in. He had done it.
He had won.
"YES! HOLY SHIT, YES!" he cheered, throwing his hands in the air as he practically collapsed against the desk, laughing breathlessly. "I'M NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!"
Vixen let out a soft chuckle before pulling him into a tight hug. "You were amazing," she murmured, her voice filled with pride.
Benji clung to her, his body still trembling from adrenaline. "Never again. Never again."
The Toy Animatronics, on the other hand, stood frozen in shock.
Toy Freddy scowled, crossing his arms. "This is ridiculous. How does he keep winning?!"
Toy Bonnie groaned, rubbing his temples. "I don't know, dude. This is getting embarrassing."
Toy Chica huffed, placing a hand on her hip. "I swear, next time—"
"There won't be a next time," RXQ interrupted, his glowing white eyes resting on Benji.
The room went silent.
The Puppet, who had been watching the exchange carefully, hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly, it stepped forward.
Benji tensed, expecting some kind of speech or cryptic message. But instead, the Puppet simply… smiled.
It was a small, soft smile, filled with something almost maternal.
"You did well," it finally said.
Benji blinked in surprise. "Uh… thanks?"
The Puppet nodded once, then turned away, slipping into the shadows.
As the adrenaline finally started to fade, Benji let out a long, exhausted sigh. The rest of the Original Animatronics gathered around him, leading him toward the main dining area to celebrate.
But as they walked, Benji glanced at Bonnie, who was lingering a few steps behind.
Something was off.
"Hey, go on ahead," Benji told the others. "I'll catch up."
Freddy and the others nodded before continuing toward the dining area.
Benji turned back to Bonnie, who flinched slightly when their eyes met.
"You okay, man?" Benji asked, tilting his head.
Bonnie stiffened. "I'm fine."
Benji frowned. "Bonnie."
A long silence stretched between them before Bonnie finally exhaled, shoulders slumping.
"You wanna know why I was sad tonight?" he muttered.
Benji nodded. "Yeah. I noticed it earlier."
Bonnie hesitated, looking away. "It's… nothing."
Benji raised an eyebrow. "Bonnie."
Bonnie groaned, ears twitching with frustration before he finally blurted out, "I liked you, okay?! I had fucking feelings for you!"
Benji's eyes widened slightly.
Bonnie sighed, rubbing his arm. "But then… you and Golden Freddy—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "I saw you two kiss earlier. In front of everyone." His voice cracked slightly. "And just like that, I knew I didn't have a chance."
Benji's expression softened.
"Bonnie," he said gently, stepping closer. "I'm really flattered that you like me. I mean it. But… right now, I only want to be with Golden Freddy."
Bonnie swallowed hard, nodding stiffly. "Yeah. I figured."
Benji cupped the animatronic rabbit's face gently and started gently rubbing his thumb across, "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, Bon. I didn't know you liked me like that."
"It's okay, I should've told you sooner", Bonnie sighed deeply.
Before Benji could say anything else, a deep chuckle echoed beside them.
Both of them jumped as Golden Freddy materialized out of thin air.
"Y'know," he said casually, crossing his arms, "you could've just asked me."
Benji and Bonnie blinked in confusion.
Golden Freddy smirked. "I wouldn't mind sharing if that's what you want."
Bonnie's ears shot straight up, his face burning red. "W-WHAT?!"
Benji gawked at him. "Excuse me?"
Golden Freddy just laughed. "Think about it." He gave Benji a quick kiss on his head.
And with that, he vanished again, leaving Bonnie and Benji standing there in stunned silence.
Bonnie's ears twitched wildly. "Is… is he serious?"
Benji exhaled sharply. "I don't know. But honestly? I think you should talk to him about it."
Bonnie hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I will."
Benji grinned. "Good. Now come on, I think I deserve some goddamn sleep after all that."
Bonnie chuckled, following him toward the dining area. "Yeah, you really do."
And for the first time in a long time, Bonnie actually felt a little hopeful.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Shadow Dimension...
RXQ materialized into the dimension with a slight smirk across his face. He walked over to a figure sitting down in a chair. It was Shadow Freddy, bored scrolling on his phone. He looked up when he noticed RXQ walking up to him. Shadow Freddy sat more upright when RXQ was right next to him.
"What a wild night tonight", Shadow Freddy chuckled deeply as he put his phone away.
"You can say that again", RXQ chuckled while shaking his head.
There was a heavy silence between the two shadow animatronics before Shadow Freddy spoke up.
"So, are we going to tell him what we know?" Shadow Freddy slightly arched an eyebrow.
"Yes, but not yet. Hopefully, Damien won't get in our way again.", RXQ crossed his arms.