Aaron had set his alarm to promptly wake him in time to get back to the synthetics before Mike's parents. Although this was to the slight disdain of his wife, she was able to promptly return to sleep. Aaron did not have that luxury, however. He knew Mike's parents, especially his mother, would appreciate being eased more comfortably into the situation, and it was best that he be present bright and early to prepare for their arrival as best he can.
After donning his clothes, Aaron hopped into his car and started making his way, pondering what to say to Elizabeth the whole way there. She would need comforting much more than Andrew. He just prayed that he would be able to deliver that comfort.
As he arrived, Freddy was at the doorstep enjoying the early morning atmosphere. For a moment, Aaron wondered if he had even gone inside after their chat the previous day, but figured that even he would not have actually stayed out there all night just thinking.
Before he got out of the car, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Andrew.
"Headed out now. Be there in 20. Thanks again for your support. See you soon."
Wanting to ensure everything was ready for Mike's parents, Aaron set out for the door where Freddy awaited him.
"Good morning, Aaron. Sleep well?"
"Just not enough. You?"
The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Aaron chuckled to himself.
"How could I forget you don't exactly need sleep? Me, on the other hand, I clearly need my morning coffee."
Freddy gave a lighthearted laugh, patting his friend on the shoulder. "Come on in, Aaron. We'll make a brew and get you perked up nicely."
"If only there was a statute limiting how early in the day puns can be made," Aaron said.
"It's never too early for a good laugh, my friend."
As they entered, Aaron noticed the newer synthetics minus Vevina gathered around the TV in the living room. Given the circumstances of their upbringing, they never before had the opportunity to indulge in some of what humanity has to offer in terms of media. Throughout the night they had watched some sports and began their journey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe at Golden's recommendation.
Aaron's presence did not go unnoticed by them, and Theodore was the first to say hello.
"Mr. Johnson! Bloody good to see you, chap. Rest assured, we shall abide by your plan to help Mr. Schmidt's parents adjust to the new, temporary state of their son." With that, he turned to the rest of them and ordered, "Alright! Out, everyone!"
Hermana quickly pleaded, "Hold on! I think Tony's about to fight the bad guy!"
Before Ted could interject, however, the TV paused and the movie was replaced by an image of Golden.
"Don't worry, Hermana. You can watch the rest of it upstairs. Mike's situation is of a somewhat higher precedence."
"Whatever," deadpanned Clyde. "It's predictable. Tony's obviously going to win."
Golden interjected. "Now Clyde, more today than ever, there are movies where the good guys don't always make it. In fact, in some stories, the villain wins outright. Keep that in mind."
Theodore stepped in to put an end to the discussion. "Those will make for some interesting viewings. Right then, everyone upstairs! We must be hospitable to Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, and the best first step is to respect their privacy when they arrive!"
With a groan, Clyde started to lift himself up, while Hermana was already halfway upstairs, eager to see how Iron Man would pull off victory in his battle against Obadiah. Ted noticed that Billy had fallen asleep on the couch, and gently cradled him before heading up to join his comrades.
Freddy put an arm around Aaron. "The others are out of sight, except our three who are presently speaking with Mike out back. Let's get you some coffee so you're more alert when the Schmidts arrive."
"I'm amenable to that idea. Cream and one sugar, if you don't mind."
On the back porch, Chica sat with a tablet, plus Bonnie and Foxy at her sides. Mike and Golden had been presenting ideas for touching up their old pizzeria, and everyone was keen on keeping the location as their permanent home.
"Aye, I can decorate me cove however I wish, not just for children's entertainment, and the curtain never has to go up again!"
"Hey, peg leg, won't your new girlfriend want to throw around some decorating ideas?"
"Of course, long ears. It'll be our cove more than mine, and ye better consult yer own girlfriend about the supply closet as well."
Bonnie smirked. "She's already given me some ideas. I'm actually not as enthused about decorating as her, so it'll probably turn into her project that I just assist with. What about you, cheeks? Are you gonna deck out the kitchen for you and Mikey?"
"Hm… I think it's best to save the kitchen for making meals. Maybe we could renovate the restrooms? They won't exactly need to be used anymore."
"Now thar's an innovative idea! I'd be happy ta help ya along with makin' tha' happen, lass," Foxy cheered.
"I'm not sure there's enough bleach in the world to make a former restroom habitable," sneered Bonnie in disgust.
Chica grimaced at the thought of a dirty bathroom, but that turned into a chuckle shortly after. "Well, Bonnie, I suppose we'll have to empty your supply closet of all of the cleaning supplies you have."
"Take it. Not like I needed it anyway."
The two of them shared a chuckle before everyone turned back to Mike. Chica inquired, "What about you, Mike? Are you going to go back to your apartment?" She sounded hopeful, as if seeking a specific answer.
"Well…" He paused to think. "Given my status, it might be best if I just get most of my stuff moved out of there for now. No sense in leaving them there if I'm not alive- er… physically there, right?"
Fighting down a negative reaction to his first choice of words, Chica echoed, "That makes sense. Maybe you could turn the security office into your own room?"
"Now thar's an idea! We could get his TV set up there and some video games, too."
"Plus, he's already used to spying on us with the cameras and that big nose of his, so it would be fitting," Bonnie added.
"Well, I've grown accustomed to being there. That might actually be a good idea in the end. I would just need to wait for my lease with my apartment to expire first before fully moving out."
"Say what?" Bonnie interjected. "Forget them, just leave that dump!"
Mike groaned. "Ugh, do you think it's that dirty?"
"I never got to see how dirty it was for myself, but I think you just told me. Way to incriminate yourself," she joked. "But seriously, why not just leave and stop paying rent now?"
"Well, the lease is binding so I can't get out of it, plus I need to keep it in good condition to avoid being charged any extra fees when it actually expires. I also need to make it look like someone still lives there in case I get an inspection by the landlord. Don't worry though, I'll still be seeing you guys all the time."
"You better," said Chica. "Don't keep us waiting too long! And we'll be sure to visit you in the digital realm too."
The three of them smiled at Mike. The feeling was still almost euphoric, given that they had thought they were about to lose him less than 24 hours ago. They would make sure to cherish every moment together.
Golden's voice suddenly joined them as she materialized next to Mike in the virtual landscape. "Speaking of not keeping people waiting, Mike, your parents are almost here. Chica, if you don't mind?"
Her smile faded and was replaced with a nervous expression. "Right. I'll take you inside."
"Hold on, why are we being excluded again?" Questioned Bonnie.
Golden took the lead in answering that question. "Bonnie, Mike's parents are going through a shocking change. Although his dad may be able to come to terms with it more easily, remember that his mother still has some reservations as to how she views us, and now Mike is suddenly going to become synthetic as well. We need the environment to be as calm as possible, with as few extra bodies as possible."
Bonnie glared off the side of the tablet, unhappy with the response but willing to accept it as the optimal solution nonetheless. Foxy put an arm around her shoulder. "It's okay, lass. If it makes you feel better, how about we go fer round two?"
Bonnie hesitated, then stood up with a grumble and began striding away before looking back and saying with a neutral expression, "I hope it goes well, Mikey."
"Thanks, Bonnie. Me too," he replied nervously.
Foxy gave Chica and Mike a nod before following Bonnie, but Golden paused Chica before she went inside.
"Remember, Chica. Stick solely to answering questions first, then try to give your own extra assurances afterwards, especially with Mike's mother. She's the most likely one to have difficulties coping with this change. You're here because you're the closest to Mike out of all of us, so hopefully you can provide some much-needed reassurance."
She nodded wordlessly, and put on a brave face. After taking another look at Mike, she cradled the tablet to her chest, still grateful for her boyfriend to be alive.
Freddy and Chica waited in the living room as Aaron was perched out front waiting for Mike's parents. While Freddy's demeanor was calm, Chica was understandably nervous about the prospect of helping explain to them that their son was temporarily a digital entity.
This nervousness did not go unnoticed. Freddy placed a hand on Chica's shoulder. "Remember, we wouldn't have asked for you to be here if we didn't think your presence would be beneficial.
Chica didn't respond, just twitching her legs as she sat there. She hadn't even been this nervous on her first date with Mike. Unable to think of a response, they opted for silence as Freddy sipped his coffee.
Finally, they heard a car approaching the house. Freddy saw Aaron step off the porch, but while his aim was to speak with them outside for a time, that didn't last long before Elizabeth threw open the door, causing Chica to lightly squeal in surprise.
"Where's my son?!" She cried out, having clearly been holding back tears.
Rising to his feet, Freddy attempted to keep the situation level. "Mrs. Schmidt, rest assured that young Mike is alive and well – "
"Then let me see him! Please… My boy…" She barely got these words out as she fought back choked sobs. Andrew came in after her, placing an arm around her and trying to provide reassurance.
"Chica, please come over here. Let them have the couch," Freddy recommended.
She hurriedly moved aside as Andrew led his weeping, scared wife to take a seat before Aaron caught up inside. Chica was at a loss for what to do, so she did the only thing she could think of at this moment; she handed a box of tissues to Mrs. Schmidt.
She looked at the box offered to her, then up at Chica, now fighting conflicted emotions. She partially blamed the synthetics for what happened to Mike, but moments like this really made them feel human to her. Frozen in thought, Andrew took the box and presented a tissue to Elizabeth. After a brief hesitation, she took it and wiped her tears away as everyone waited quietly for a good time to interject.
Finally, in a still shaking, quiet voice, Elizabeth said, "I want to see my son."
Without delay, the TV was turned on, showing an image of Mike's apartment with him standing front and center, trying his best to put on a smile for his concerned parents.
"Hi, mom. Hi, dad."
Elizabeth turned pale and looked as if she was seeing a ghost. Too numb to speak, David spoke up and while he was much calmer than his wife, pain could still be heard in his voice. "Mike? I thought you were digital now! What's going on?
Before Mike could answer, Golden stepped into the frame, barely fitting into it with her large figure. "Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt. First, rest assured that Mike is here with me, safe and sound."
This time, Elizabeth found it within her to speak out. "But where is here? It looks like he's just calling us from his apartment!"
"I thought it best to show him in a familiar location. First, let me again offer my condolences that you must endure such a difficult time. I know how fearful you must have felt – "
Elizabeth snapped, "YOU know?! How can you say that?! Have you ever gotten a call from someone explaining that their son was killed and turned into some kind of a computer?!"
Silence filled the room. Chica nervously looked at Freddy who bore a solemn expression, and then at Aaron who shared the look. None of them had been in this kind of situation before, and their inexperience left them unsure of how to be of assistance.
Golden spoke up again. "Mrs. Schmidt… We were there. We were all there, save for Aaron. We felt the fear that you felt, the fear of losing someone we so treasured, and we didn't know if he was going to make it. So perhaps I don't know exactly how you feel as a mother who almost lost her son, but all of us felt at least something relating to your grief. All I can ask is that you accept that your son is still the same brave man he was before his change."
There was another pause, filled with heavy, scared breathing, before Elizabeth spoke up once more.
"Where is he, really?"
Golden looked up at Freddy and nodded. He stepped forward, pulling a cloth off the table, revealing the AI cores of Mike and Golden. Mike's parents stared, unsure of what exactly they were looking at.
"Mrs. Schmidt, those are our AI cores. The blue one is your son. Even now, we are forming a synthetic body for him to inhabit. Once that is complete, it would be impossible to see him and not recognize him as your son."
Elizabeth was now totally numb. Her son had been reduced to something that looked like it belonged inside a computer. Nothing about this was okay. No amount of reassurance could make her feel better right now.
"Mom?" Called Mike.
Her tears blurred her vision as she slowly looked up from her son's core to his image on the screen.
"It's still me, mom. I'm still your son." The way he said this, it sounded like he was also fighting back tears.
More silence from Elizabeth. No one made a sound, until finally Elizabeth stood up and gingerly walked towards the screen, getting on her knees in front of it before putting a hand on the glass.
"Mike… Son…" She said weakly.
Mike reached forward, placing his hand on the screen as well, smiling weakly.
"I'm still here, mom. I'm still Michael Schmidt, born February 15, 1991, son of Andrew and Elizabeth Schmidt. I know it's hard. It's hard for me, too, because I can't be there in person to make you feel better, but I promise you, the first chance I have, I'll make time for you."
His mother didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything. She silently wept. From behind her, Andrew approached and placed his arm around her, but said nothing.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth finally was able to get a few more words in, but they weren't addressed to Mike.
"Please take care of him," she whispered, fighting back more sobs.
Freddy, Chica, and Aaron looked around at each other, unsure of who exactly she was speaking to. As if sensing this uncertainty, Golden stepped in with her response.
"Mrs. Schmidt, I swear on our lives that your son will be in the best care possible. We will give you regular updates on his status and are willing to answer any questions you may have for us."
This time, Andrew stepped in. "We're appreciative of what you've done to help, Golden."
"You're very welcome, Mr. Schmidt. Please, call me Goldie."
"Will do. Now, I'm sure everyone present wants to help, but I think what would help the most right now is if we had a private moment alone with our son. Freddy, do you mind?"
With a nod of understanding, Freddy escorted Chica into the kitchen with Aaron trailing closely behind. Meanwhile, Golden provided assurances that she could be summoned if they ever needed her, and promptly vanished from the scene. Finally alone, Andrew asked the question that was on his and Elizabeth's minds.
"Mike… What exactly happened?"
Mike could only fidget for a while as he fumbled with words in his mind, trying to formulate the best response. It took him a few moments to finally reply.
"Well, the important thing is that we stopped the man responsible for the murder of five children and he will never have anything to do with my life ever again, or any of the other synthetics. We're finally free."
"That's… Good news, truly. So, he's done? This Sid Hawthorne is finally in cuffs?"
Mike shook his head. "No. He's dead." He paused for a moment, shuddering upon remembering Golden displayed the man's head severed from his body.
"And the synths, they're okay? Does this mean they can finally go wherever they want?"
"Eventually, but they're trying to recover from everything that happened. Especially Bonnie, she's still got a nasty temper from everything that happened."
Andrew chuckled. "Of course she does." He quickly put on a more serious tone after remembering the present scenario. "But… what happened to you, specifically?"
Mike struggled even harder to find words this time. He wanted his parents to know the answer because they deserved it, but knew that describing the details of his temporary demise could push the already fragile sanity of his mother over the edge.
"Maybe... That's best for another time? I'm here now, and I'll have another body before too long. I think that would be a good time to tell you, or show you since Goldie could do that." His parents stared at him in confusion, prompting Mike to clarify what he means. "She can replay a video of what exactly happened, right here on this TV. She's really advanced. But… I think I just want to talk to my parents right now."
"Mike…" Elizabeth said weakly. "Where is your body now?"
"It's in a lab downstairs. Do you remember Lydia from my college days? She's helping another synthetic build it, and – "
"No, Mike," Elizabeth interrupted. "Where is your real body?"
The tone, plus the added emphasis on the word 'real', stung somewhat. Mike looked around nervously before finally giving an answer.
"It's buried outside."
The color entirely drained from Elizabeth's face, and somewhat from Andrew.
"Where?" she begged.
"Um… I'm actually not sure exactly where. Aaron could show you, though." Mike suggested.
The two of them still sat before the TV. Elizabeth was trembling, trying to cope with everything that was going on. Rubbing her back, Andrew asked in a caring voice if she wanted to visit where their son's body lay. Elizabeth was silent for a long time before she finally nodded with her head still bowed and her eyes cast to the floor.
"Mike…" she said through tearful eyes. "This is…" She took a deep, trembling breath. "So… hard… I feel like you're still here with us, but… you're also not here." Andrew handed her another tissue. She wiped her face before continuing.
"If what that computer… Goldie… said is true, and you will have a body again, I think I can… eventually… come to terms with that."
She finally looked up at her son again, and pushed through her emotional tremors to utter, "I think… I think I want to see where you're laying right now, please."
Mike nodded. "Goldie, a hand?"
Materializing next to him, Golden said in a professional tone, "Rest assured I was tuned out to your private conversation, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt, but I'm here to help. What would you require of me?"
Mike answered, "I believe Chica still has a tablet. Could you let her know for Aaron to show my parents to where my body is, please?"
She nodded. "Be right back." And she disappeared as suddenly as she had appeared.
Silence filled the room once again. Mike wanted to say something to make his mother feel better, but was at a loss for words. Just when he thought he knew what he wanted to say, Aaron arrived.
"Andrew, Elizabeth… If you would like to pay final respects to Mike's body, I can show you where it is."
Andrew looked to his wife, whose gaze had returned to the floor. Tears were dripping, but she eventually stood up with the support of her husband. Before turning to the door, however, she delivered one last message to her son.
"I love you. I will be back. I promise."
"I love you too, mom. I will be here. I promise."
In the kitchen, Chica and Freddy were silent. Aaron had just escorted Mike's parents out to see his grave, leaving just them on the first floor of Fred Fitzbar's old home.
"I reckon that could've gone worse," commented Freddy.
Chica hadn't said a word yet, but that didn't mean she didn't have thoughts on the matter, which she expressed by eventually stating, "I agree. It could have been worse, even if it wasn't exactly great."
She looked up at Freddy. "Do you think Mrs. Schmidt blames us?"
Freddy paused to collect his thoughts before answering, "I believe that, if you ask her when she's not struck with emotion, she could rationally conclude that we did not cause this to happen. However, I recommend exercising caution considering her current state."
He bowed his head with a mournful expression. "I admit, as relieved as I was to learn he would still be with us, part of me wishes this hadn't happened, even if it meant he wasn't there to aid us in earning our freedom."
Chica could sympathize with wanting things to remain as they once were because they were so wonderful before, but she tried to take an optimistic approach to the situation.
"I'm just glad he's okay, but there is one thing that's been at the back of my mind for a little while."
"Hm? What's that?" questioned Freddy.
"It's… I'm not sure where this first came from. It's kind of blurry in my mind, but at some point, I realized that, since Mike isn't… wasn't synthetic… yet… Even if we fell in love, and wanted to spend our lives together, at some point he would age even though I wouldn't.
"Maybe it came from Goldie's nightmare she forced on me, or maybe even from the Nightmare Puppet right before we were finally freed of Sid, I'm really not sure, but that thought creeped up from somewhere… And, while I would have never asked Mike to go through what he did, a small, selfish part of me is glad that he and I can now truly be together forever…"
She sounded ashamed as she finished, but Freddy would have none of that. He strode right over to her and placed his powerful hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye.
"Chica, you are the least selfish person I know. Your care for Mike is why you were asked to be down here when his parents arrived, because you're just that close to him. While I understand where you're coming from, thinking you might be selfish for what you just told me, I would like to be the first to tell you that you are not selfish in the slightest."
Chica's eyes welled up upon hearing this. Smiling brightly, she closed the distance with Freddy, wrapping him up in a hug that lasted several seconds.
"If it's any consolation, Chica, there's a part of me that's also glad that we will always know him."
Hearing those words again made Chica a little giddy. She and Mike could be together as long as they wished.
The cool, damp air hung around the three who were gathered at the tombstone reading "Philip O'Neil," but they were not present to mourn that man. Rather, they intended to mourn the temporary loss of Michael Schmidt whose body was buried in Phil's stead.
Michael Schmidt, whose selflessness meant justice and freedom for many, had made the choice to lay his life on the line and made the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. He deserved rest. He also deserved a hero's burial, but that simply wasn't feasible.
Golden, via Aaron's phone, had thoroughly explained the reason for that, as well as why Mike's true status must be kept a secret, but that certainly didn't make things any easier for his parents, especially his mother, whose tears were dripping to the freshly dug grave.
Behind her, Andrew also wiped away some tears. Having known the synthetics longer and being more trusting of them, accepting this reality was easier for him, but the shock at learning he had almost lost his son still hung freshly in his mind. It would take both of them quite some time to fully come to terms with what had happened, and that was assuming they would even be able to do that in time.
The saving grace was that they would have as much time with their son as they needed. And they needed every second of it.
That's chapter two! Don't touch that dial, folks!
After uploading chapter one, I got a lot of DM's from people offering to commission artwork of my stories. While I'm not seriously looking for someone to bring these to a visual form, if you are so insistent, at least send a DM that suggests you actually read this. :)
Review replies:
Guest: I take it you've read Alpha's story, because when Mike drew artwork of himself and the gang, he drew himself as a wolf!
Yellowscar1: It's always nice to see what you think of my work. :) The fight between Foxy and Bonnie always makes me smile!