Chapter Text
Apparently, death was not permanent in the Afton family household. And Mike was beginning to feel the full effects of that fact the second he opened his eyes. His entire being ached and stung and boiled almost as though he'd been burned alive.
Mike should've been- in fact, he remembers very vividly locking those animatronics in his pizzeria and being the one to spark the flame. He remembers, in excruciating detail, being the one to clean up his father's mistakes. He remembers ending the narrative.
So, one can imagine the amount of shock, and pain, both physically and emotionally, Mike was in once he realized where he was. Truth be told, he had no clue where he was, but he knew the exact situation he was in.
Mike had done this too many times.
Checkered floors and two bulky, metal doors greeted him the second he'd inhaled his first breath of air. And before Mike could even question what was going on, let alone why he was in a security office, his body had moved on instinct, and the doors slammed shut with two loud clangs.
No time to relax- no time to think: check cameras. He hurried over to the monitors- there were three screens on the desk, sporting a Freddy Fazbear face surrounded by the wording "Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaplex." Additionally, six monitors hung from the wall, only four were on with static-filled screens, and with a simple click of a mouse, they restored to their proper camera angle.
"Okay," Mike breathed out, eyes scanning the screens for anything- anything that could possibly cause him physical harm. There was nothing, though. Mike swallowed as he took a step back from the desk, opened the doors once more, and surveyed his current situation.
He was in some sort of Freddy Fazbear's establishment- apparently a pizzaplex, whatever that is. There was no immediate threat, so it was probably still a little before twelve, but then again, he couldn't be sure, seeing as he has only four cameras. And finally, and most importantly, he was alive.
Why the hell was he alive? He should've burned in that damned building with his damned father and those damned souls. Maybe he was dead- maybe, this was his own special purgatory.
Mike was hoping more for eternal rest than this shit, but he probably deserves this. He just hopes his father has it far worse than him.
But after entertaining the idea that this wasn't hell, Mike investigated further. Specifically, he grabbed at the small, odd-looking Freddy head that sat before him. It didn't move from the desk, almost as if it were glued in place, and attempting to pry the mouth open sported the same result- nothing budged. So, he was left with one final option.
With an annoyed sigh, Michael Afton pressed the bear's nose. A small honk resonated into the room, and a crank noise sounded as the upper jaw began lifting up to reveal a card inside, specifically, a security card.
It seemed like a good idea to take it- after all, who knows when he'll possibly need it.
And to be fair, who would've thought taking a rectangular piece of plastic from an animatronic head would set off a blaring alarm? Not Michael, that's for sure.
"Fuck- shit, what the fuck?-"
"Emergency Lockdown activated. This area is off-limits to guests." Mike hardly focused on the intercom's voice, choosing instead to stare at the gray animatronic marching through a door in a crouched position. The metal clangs of footsteps grew louder, and Mike's heart- did he still have one?- was pounding against his chest. The right door- the animatronic was going towards the right door. Mike pushed forward and slammed his hand on the door's button just as the gray wolf thing came into view. As loud scrapes echoed through the hall, Mike's eyes landed on the screens once more.
A gator? Really- there's a fucking alligator, crocodile type animatronic now? The other door, he'd be at the left door. Michael sprinted over, waiting for the footsteps to grow louder, then again, he slammed the door shut. Okay! Okay, he's okay. The wolf was gone, so he opened that door with only a little hesitation.
"You can hide, but you can't hide," a robotic, deep voice called, and Mike frowned. They talk- he wasn't used to that. Baby was the only one who actively communicated to him, and it threw him for a loop each time he heard her speak.
Still, bigger concerns were on his plate than analyzing the fact that the animatronics could speak now. The wolf was already back, though she was currently approaching the same side the gator had been at.
Fucking great, they didn't even have a walk pattern. Mike bit back a curse- there was no way in hell he was going to last all night. He needed to come up with a plan, and fast. Luckily, these assholes were slow, despite their persistence, so Mike had time to react once they appeared on the fuzzy screens.
"Damn it," he hissed, running a hand down his face as he tried to ignore the banging noise that shook him to his core. One would assume he'd be used to this by now- the whole life-is-in-immediate-danger thing, but sadly, he hadn't managed to eliminate fear from his list of emotions. Besides, these animatronics were a tad more aggressive.
How many night guards have lost their lives for this shitty establishment?
How many children have?
Mike shook his head- he'd fix this, he always does. He just needs to find a way out. But the animatronics visited so erratically, and Mike had no clue what lied beyond the doors they exited from, so he didn't dare move yet. He still had fifty percent, and- holy shit, he was losing power fast. That's fun.
How much time had passed? It felt like only a few minutes, but time ticks by faster when one's in a panic. And currently, Mike had both doors shut to his left and to his right. He let out a bitter laugh, relaxing his head into his hands.
He should be better at this shit by now. How ironic, Mike was brought back to life only to die again. Maybe this was purgatory- the sensation of impending doom that crushed down on him sure made it feel like it.
Mike was going to die- again! This is it! He doesn't even feel like praying for mercy; there's no god in this forsaken establishment.
But, just as the doors hit twenty-five percent, the alarm shut off suddenly, and the room lit up. And, as Mike's ears adjusted to the newfound silence, he could faintly hear the animatronics’ footsteps retreat. Well, this is a trap if Mike's ever seen one. They're trying to trick him with false security, and Mike knows once he opens the doors, he's done for. So Mike doesn't move from the black chair he'd collapsed in; he just sits there and waits.
"Hey, I don't know who you are, but I need you to stay right there," the intercom sounded through the room, but this time its voice was different. Instead of the automated male's voice that had played prior, it was a lady's voice. And Mike? Well, Mike was about to break out into a fuckin' fit of laughter.
There's no way in hell he would be leaving. Mike didn't know if she- whoever she was- could hear him, but he glanced at the monitors, looking over the cams again. "Yeah," he murmured. "Sure thing."
To his surprise, less than a couple minutes later, a knock pounded against the metal, snapping Mike out of his stupor.
"Hey, you're still there, right? Let me in." And a quick glance at the screen had caused a pit to settle in Mike's stomach. He pushed himself out of the swivel seat he'd been reclined in and over to the door. In a single beat, the door was open, then closed. The only thing that had changed was that there was now a blonde woman in the room with him. "What the he-?"
"You can't just wander around-," Mike interjected with a hiss, glancing at the cameras. "You're going to get yourself killed. Didn't anyone ever train you?"
"Uh- yeah. Sorry- who are you supposed to be?" the security guard asked, her grip on her flashlight tightening as though that'd do anything to protect her.
"Mike. Mike A- uhh- Schmidt," he greeted, stomping away from her and over to the screens.
"Okay, uh, Mr. Schmidt-."
"Just call me Mike."
"Okay, Mike," she huffed, pressing at her temples. "Mind telling me what you're doing here and why you would steal an old security guard uniform?"
"What?" Mike looked down at himself, spotting a familiar purple uniform. Oh, yeah, that's fine, all cool. "It's mine," he admitted with little hesitation.
"Sure. So if I go check the displays, there's still going to be one there, right?"
"Displays-? I mean, yeah, I suppose? I haven't stolen shit if that's what you're asking," Mike defended with a confused glare to follow, not that it seemed to affect the blonde. "It doesn't matter, anyway, you're stuck in here with me now- uh- sorry, I didn't get a name?"
"Vanessa. What do you mean I'm stuck in here with you?" Mike frowned at her, narrowing his eyes.
"You... do know about the animatronics, right?" Vanessa gave him an expression that lied somewhere between confusion and frustration.
"I literally work here- of course, I know about the animatronics. They're busy looking for a kid right now; the only reason they stopped was because you tripped the alarm," Vanessa jabbed an accusatory finger into Mike's chest. Mike felt his stomach hit the floor.
"They're what?" he hissed, stepping out of Vanessa's vicinity and moving towards the doors. "Where's the kid right now?"
"Running around somewhere, probably just messing around with staff bots. Look- this really isn't your problem unless you're his guardian... are you?"
"No? Does he look like me or something?" Mike really hoped he didn't have some sort of next-of-kin. He really hoped.
"You're... uh- paler," she shrugged, before shaking her head defeatedly. "No- not a bit." Oh shit, what did he look like? Last he checked, he was a purple, hairless corpse with blackened eyes that sunk into his skin. Having an animatronic inside of you does that, he supposes. He can't imagine he came back any prettier, but then again, you can only go up from rock bottom. "There's just no file on him. I was kind of hoping you'd say you knew him."
None of this matters right now. Mike let out a long sigh, eyeing the door cautiously. "We need to go find that kid."
"Oh no, no, no," Vanessa shook her head quickly. "You're waiting in the lost-and-found. I am gonna go find Gregory," she huffed, planting her hands on her hips. Michael felt his hands twitch in annoyance. He took a deep breath- stay calm.
"Listen- I get you've got a job and shit, but you're not going to be able to find him and protect him alone-."
"Protect him?" Vanessa frowned, eyebrows pressed together as her eyes traced over Mike's face. "Protect him from what, exactly?"
"The animatronics? You said you knew about how dangerous they are-." Vanessa laughed, and Mike felt the words die on his tongue.
"Listen, I never said that. And they're not dangerous- they're entertainers for kids. There's nothing to worry about!"
"You're trying to tell me that the wolf and gator that were just banging on the door, trying to get in, weren't dangerous?" Mike asked in a flat tone. It was his turn to rub at his temples.
"Roxy and Monty? No- that's a misunderstanding. They're required to escort guests out of places they're not supposed to be. Kind of like extra personnel, they won't do anything to harm anyone, though!" Vanessa explained, dismissively waving her hands. Mike scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Yeah, right. "You're going to get yourself killed with that kind of mindset," Mike accused, shaking his head as he peered cautiously out the small window next to the door. He refused to believe anything under the Fazbear company name was harmless. This company is built on death. Mike swallowed down his anxiety and clicked the door open.
"Where are you going?" Vanessa asked, grabbing Mike's arm in an attempt to prevent him from leaving. Michael glanced down at her hand, then up to Vanessa.
"To go find the kid," he gestured to the door with his free arm. "I'm not going to let another kid die. Are you coming or not?"
"Sheesh, you're pessimistic," Vanessa sighed, running a hand through her bangs. "Fine! Fine, we'll find the kid so you can stop freaking out. But don't you dare leave my side," she ordered before muttering in a lower voice something along the lines of needing help anyway.
This... was probably the best deal Mike could get. He had the option of keeping an eye on the security guard, as well as actually being able to find the kid. Besides, he had no fucking clue where he was- and there was no way to tell.
"Lead the way," he shrugged, pulling his hand free then stepping aside for her to walk. Vanessa rolled her eyes but pushed forward nonetheless, keeping an eye on him as he followed suit.
The place was buzzing with robots, though not the usual animatronics he was used to. No, these were different, labeled S.T.A.F.F. and roaming the grounds with flashlights. Vanessa walked past them with so little as a glance in their direction. Her flashlight was clicked on to light the way, but the room was already lit from the arcade games and the dim lights on the ceiling. Mike opened his mouth, a million questions on the tip of his tongue, but instead, he chose to keep his mouth shut. Stealth was important.
"Gregory? Your parents are looking for you!" Though apparently, Vanessa didn't think so.
"Stop yelling," Mike whispered loudly enough for her. She glanced back for a moment before scoffing.
"I thought you wanted to find him?" Vanessa hummed back, swinging her flashlight into the shadows.
"I do, but I also don't want those animatronics to find us."
"They're not-, fine! Fine," she relented, guiding him to a closed metal shutter. "Here, you go first," she huffed, leaning down and pulling the shutter up. Mike had to crawl to get under. He held it open for her in return, then they repeated the action once more at the end of the hall.
"El chips," Mike blinked, staring at the odd mascot on the wall. "Okay, where the hell are we?"
"You don't know?" Vanessa asked, her voice laced with confusion. Michael didn't bother explaining himself, so he simply shook his head. "How do you break into a Fazbear's Pizzaplex and not know where you are?"
"Long story," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes. "So?"
"Think- like, uh-?" she faltered at the next shutter, lifting it up. Mike repeated his prior actions, climbing under, then holding it open for her. "I don't know-."
"Holy shit," Michael breathed, blinking at the neon lights that lit the main room. It was huge. "What the hell?"
"Yeah," she hummed. "It's pretty impressive- but I really, really don't understand how you didn't already know about this." Mike had to remind himself how to breathe.
"How- fuck. How did they get the funding for this shit?" Mike asked, spinning on his heel and staring at Vanessa. She shrugged and gestured for him to follow.
"I don't know," she admitted. "The game was really popular, so I imagine that played a part in it."
"Game?"
"You don't- have you been living under a rock?" Vanessa dared to question, bewildered. No, just under the rubble of a burned down building- or maybe if he was lucky enough to get a burial, under a pile of dirt. Upon his lack of a response, she shook her head. "It's- Freddy Fazbear's Entertainment created a horror game to address the rumors spread about the company. It was really popular- understandably so! I was one of the testers," she hummed as though it were a brag.
"That's... rumors?"
"Yeah- dead kids, aggressive animatronics, you know, the whole shebang," Vanessa explained, moving her hands expressively as she talked.
"Right," Mike huffed, rolling his eyes. Is it that hard to just create another animatronic entertainment industry? Let this place be buried with him and his family. "What time is it?" He had a feeling he was wrong in his prior assumption. It had to be far past twelve; the building was still, aside from the buzz of neon lights and robots wheeling around.
"Uhh," Vanessa looked down at a watch with the infamous Freddy Fazbear's face on it. It displayed cameras, but she clicked another button, and the time lit up on the screen. "It's 2:37. Why?"
"Three and a half hours, okay," he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. They were walking carefully down one of the escalators now; Michael winced at the echoing footsteps. "Can you walk any quieter?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"Oh, my bad," Vanessa snapped back, but to her credit, the clanging had ceased to small thuds. "Explain why, one more time, we're not being loud?" Her tone mimicked Michael's.
"The animatronics-."
"Right," Vanessa sounded tired, and Mike would feel bad if he wasn't right.
"Just- humor me. Please," Michael urged, but he didn't get any answer. They were making their way towards the side escalators- why didn't they just put the escalator one after another? Of course, Mike knew the answer; it was the answer for why this whole pizzaplex existed- profit. That way, the customers can walk past every food option, anything parents can spend money on. But it was odd- "There are no other workers here?"
"Uh- they cut back on some expenses by employing these guys," Vanessa explained, gesturing to the staff bots. "That one's name is Mark."
"You... named them?"
"It gets lonely sometimes," she defended with a laugh. "But not really- I forget what I named them, so it changes every time," she added with a grin. Mike almost felt guilty for shushing her, causing the mood to drop. There were more pressing issues at hand than guilt, though.
"Crouch," he ordered, pulling her down as he ducked behind the escalator.
"What?" she asked back, peeking around the corner and down the stairs. "Roxy?"
"Where are we trying to get to?"
"The main stage, I left Freddy in Parts and Service. I figured we could go ask him-," Vanessa's voice fell short at Mike's face of horror.
"You want to talk to Freddy ?" And Vanessa had the audacity to nod. "Shit. Fine, okay, so the stage?"
"Yeah, there's a button on that stand at the front," she pointed and Michael's eyes followed. "It'll take the stage down."
"Okay," he nodded slowly, "okay. Just- follow my lead. Don't let Roxy see us," Michael demanded; Vanessa groaned but gestured for Mike to continue. He didn't stick around to hear her complain or question him again, beginning to creep down the escalator slowly. His eyes remained on the wolf the entire time.
To be fair, Vanessa and Michael were both doing fairly good at Mike's slow-and-steady tactic. Mike... just happened to get a little further ahead. But apparently, if Vanessa isn't nearby, those security bots aren't as friendly.
Mike jolted away as the security bot grabbed him roughly by his shoulders, shaking him with a loud alarm blaring in his ears. "Fuck-," Mike hissed, shoving the bot away. Vanessa was standing now, rushing over to his side.
"Are you okay-?"
"You!" A new voice screeched. Both Michael and Vanessa's heads snapped towards the figure standing a distance off.
"Roxy? No, we're- it's okay! He's with me."
"Traitor!" Roxy accused, and Vanessa's kind smile fell.
"That's- what?" But Roxy didn't explain herself- they never do. Instead, she started bolting at them.
"C'mon," Mike grabbed Vanessa's hand, snapping her out of her stupor, and dragged her to the closest attraction. There was no way they'd make it to the stage. Luckily, the bot in front of the metal shutter didn't seem to stop him, and in one swift yank, there was enough of an entrance for the two to crawl under. "Hide-."
Vanessa didn't need to be told twice, booking it over to cardboard cutouts of the characters and ducking behind one. Meanwhile, Mike had taken the role of holding the shutter close; luckily, there was a pattern. He could do patterns: scratch, bang, and then a hard yank. Scratch, bang- after managing to keep another yank closed, he let go and booked it to where Vanessa had hidden.
Vanessa was smart, keeping her mouth shut as the sound of metal scraping metal filled the room. "Where are you?" She's aggressive-sounding; Mike really didn't want to be on the receiving end of said aggression. They sat there for what felt like five minutes, stifling their breathing as the fox- wolf, as the wolf sniffed the air.
Mike prayed they didn't actually put scent receptors in the robots.
Finally, however, the sound of retreating footsteps echoed through the room, the metal shutter scraping open then closed, and then silence.
"What the hell was that?" She broke the second the footsteps had disappeared. Mike laughed, a nervous, bitter laugh.
"Welcome to Freddy's!" he gestured, pushing himself up. Now, this? This felt normal- natural even. The blood flowing through him, ringing in his ears, actually felt real. "Do you have an extra flashlight?" She didn't reply, just staring at the wall with a confused expression. "Vanessa- hey, you with me?"
"Huh- oh. Yeah, sorry. I just- what was that?"
"The animatronics?" Mike asked, despite knowing the answer, "I don't know how you know them, but this is how I've always known them. They're not the safe, cuddly guys like how they're displayed to be," he explained, "they're out for blood."
"No- I've worked here for... a while now. They haven't acted this way towards me one bit until you came along. Who the hell are you, and what are you doing to the animatronics?" Mike snorted at the flashlight pointed towards him, acting as her weapon. Still, he'd rather not be hit by a hunk of metal, so he took a step back with his hands held up defensively.
"Name's Michael-."
"I know that part!"
" And, " he continued with a glare. She took a step back, and Michael sighed, his anger dissipating. "And I used to work at one of the Freddy Fazbear locations. I don't know why the animatronics act like this- but it's not my doing," partially a lie and partially true.
Vanessa's eyes searched Mike's face for any hints of deception, but she didn't seem to find any. "You better answer any and all of my questions later- when we aren't being hunted by animatronics," she relented, letting the hand holding the flashlight fall to her waist.
"Sure," Mike agreed, though he had no plans on following through with the request. It was nice to be treated like a human for once; he didn't plan on losing that just yet. "So, do you have another flashlight?"
"No- sorry," she sighed, tossing the metal in between her hands. "I- there's one left in the daycare? But that's pretty far off."
"Well- you had the cameras on that watch, right?" he asked, pointing at her wrist.
"Oh! Yeah, the Faz watch is pretty cool-."
"Do you have another, though?" Mike asked, exasperated.
"Oh- uh- no," Vanessa rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Sorry."
"Right- great. No lights, no doors, no camera, no mask, no voice box," Michael listed off, lowering his fingers at each item he didn't have. "Is there anything that'll deter the animatronics? At all?"
"Uh- yeah, actually!" Vanessa blinked in realization, spinning around to stare at the Gator Golf entrance. "We can go in there- there's a security office with a Faz Camera in there. The gift shop here is the only place that sells them, but flash photography is prohibited in Gator Golf, so a lot of them are confiscated- it's Fazbear's way of saving and making money."
Michael stared at her with an expression of confusion. "Why-?"
"I don't know," she replied quickly. "But I don't have the key for the gift shop. Our best bet is the security office, but-."
"But Monty's in there," Mike blinked at the door, his legs already aching from misuse. He ignored the pain and began forward, staring up at the entrance. "Got an extra walkie-talkie, at least?"
"Huh? Oh- yeah! They gave me two since there are technically supposed to be two security guards. But I'm so good at my job that they never bothered looking to hire another," she explained, handing him a walkie-talkie while looking all too proud of herself.
"There's still a kid running around, though."
"I caught him! He just- ran away," she muttered awkwardly. "Listen- not the point. Why did you ask?"
"I'll go in alone-," Mike began, very nobly.
"No way!" Mike blinked down at the blond, who shook her head very fervently. "I am not letting someone die on my watch to broken animatronics. I'll go-."
"No offense, but I had to pull you along when Roxy ran at us. Listen- just- I'll be fine. I swear on my life." Hah. That's funny. "Like I said, I've done this before. Lots. I just need you to guide me, okay? Because I have no clue where I'm going."
Vanessa bit the inside of her cheek, staring Mike down, but the man had mastered staring contests with his experience. "Fine! Fine- take this though," Vanessa ripped the watch off, handing it to him. Well, she more so shoved the device into his chest, causing him to stumble back slightly. She was stronger than she looked.
"Uh, thanks," he nodded, tightening the watch around his wrist. At least he had access to cameras now. Mike clipped the walkie-talkie on his pants, "do not contact me unless it's an emergency. Otherwise, I'll contact you first."
"Got it," she agreed. Mike sighed and spun on his heel, once again facing the entrance.
The anxiety was back, but it was okay.
It had to be okay.
"Stay safe."
"You too."
Michael Afton was alive for some reason, and he wasn't leaving until he found out why. He took a step into Gator Golf- the door slammed shut behind him.
Here we go again.