Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I'm telling you, Mario is totally a sociopath! How do we even know the goombas are sentient enough to be considered villains? We could be stomping out what are conceivably puppies in that world!"

"That's stupid Ness, Mario is obviously the good guy! We save the princess from the evil king. It's a classic story trope."

"You guys are looking way too deep into this. It's just a stupid 8-bit game."

"Shut up Ryan!" The two bickering friends shout playfully. "This is totally a serious discussion going on." They agree as more greasy pizza is stuffed into their mouths. Colorful lights bounce across the room, spliced with the joyous laughter of other kids playing and the animatronics singing.

Freddy Fazbear's Pizza really was THE place to be for a birthday party.

"So how old are you turning again Dawkins? Five?" Ryan snickers.

"Hey their motto is a magical place for kids AND grownups alike! And we fall in-between that spectrum, therefore having my birthday here for my 13th is perfectly normal. You're just jealous your mum said no last year."

"Silence!" Ness says with faux command, his two friends rolling their eyes but going quiet nonetheless. "We're also on a mission today.." He pulls out a jingling pouch from his bag under the table. "THIS is our combined effort from these past few weeks, no months! Of lawn mowing, gutter cleaning and babysitting!"

His friends ooh and aw as he shows off the shiny quarters glistening in the pouch.

"With these quarters and our previous week of calculations and observations, we will finally be able to earn the high score on every arcade game in this place!"

More applause from their greasy hands.

"And finally defeat our sworn enemy, who we've never actually seen and they've probably never seen us, but they're our enemy nonetheless. GGY." Ness clenches his fists dramatically at the thought of whoever this esteemed gamer is. The name that flashes at the very top of every arcade game in this pizzeria, taunting them.

"Down with GGY!"

"How does one even go about earning the highest score in such a short period of time?" Dawkin mumbles. GGY's sudden surge to the top of the high score boards had both awed and boiled their bloods with righteous competition.

"If they can do it, so can we! We're three whole people!" Ness tosses the pouch to Dawkins, who tosses his pizza crust quickly to the side to catch it. "As the birthday boy you shall lead us to victory."

Taking a determined stance, the three friends abandon their table and head towards the arcade section of the restaurant.
___

"Maybe we were way in over our heads." Ryan gawks. GGY's scores seemed so far out of reach the longer they kept playing. How were they so insanely high?? It's like this kid eats, sleeps and breathes the arcade. Well.. more than the three of them do at least.

"No we've got this! Remember Dawkins, once you clear this next level you have two seconds to shoot the third ship to the right to enact the glitch. Then every point going forward will be doubled!!" Ness exclaims. Eyes lighting up as his many weekends spent attempting to find a glitch on the game finally seem to be paying off.

Level cleared. Round nine. Two seconds in and....!

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD HE DID IT HE DID IT!!" Ryan and Ness shriek, shaking each other by their shirts as Dawkins gives a little jump before focussing again. "WE ARE SO GOING TO BEAT GGY!"

"We'll go down in history as the greatest 'Freddy in Space' players ever!"

"We could be on the 'Guinness Book of World Records'!"

The happy group of friends continue to ramble on as the points continue to tick higher.

Their little bubble of excitement bursting as the sound of screaming and people clambering in different directions outside of the cozily tucked away arcade machines. Dawkins is still transfixed on the game and doesn't seem to notice, but Ryan and Ness' heads whip around.

"Uh, what do you think is going on over there??" Ryan asks nervously.

"Someone probably threw up and everyone's being dramatic about it. I'll check it out, you keep Dawkins focused!" With a thumbs up Ness ventures back out towards the main stage area.

The closer he gets the shriller the noises become. There's people still running away, onlookers pointing on in horror, some people are even crying.

Did somebody fall off the carousel and break a bone? Ness is starting to feel a bit queasy.

A kid around his age violently bumps into him, not even stopping his running despite nearly toppling him over. But that gives Ness the direction needed to make his way towards the cause of this commotion.

CRUNCH

Ness shudders at the wet crunching sound filling his ears. The strong smell of iron and cupcake frosting suddenly becomes very prevalent in his nostrils. Another scream is added into the plethora of screaming bodies in the building as he finally gets a view of the scene.

Chica, her shiny yellow casing and pristine bib is stained with crimson. Her beak is open wide and lodged into one of the security guards head. He himself is shrieking and attempting to smack the animatronic off with a tool in his hand. His bleached coiled hair is also soaked in red.

Ness is frozen in place. Frozen at the sight as Chica's beak chomps shut. Frozen as he sees slick skin, skull and brain matter be ripped away from their place on his head and pieces fall onto the colorful carpet.

A balloon pops in the distance.

Chica is pecking at his face now. Like a pigeon trying to pick up breadcrumbs.

The guard is still screaming. The world feels like it's swimming in his viscera.

Eventually her beak breaks and falls off from the strain, but her mouth keeps whirring like it's still moving.

He's still screaming as Ness hides himself under a table, trying to soothe himself by rocking softly. Even though it's still much to noisy outside. Through the tablecloth he can see the blurry figures of other employees and eventually what he assumes are paramedics sprinting to the scene.

Their shouting at each other about prying the yellow animatronic off of the guard. He hears more metallic clanging and a squelching pop as he hears the beak being pulled out of his skull. He hears the sound of a stretcher being rolled with the injured guard out of the building.

Somebody else is taking care of the crazed chicken out there. Hopefully taking it far away to destroy it.

Destroying it so that she won't come for him and eat his face next. He feels tears streaming down his face.

He almost gags as he sees a small splatter of the red liquid on his jacket. The one that's too big for him, but he insists he'll grow into it.

He's not sure how long he stays hidden under there before he feels the tablecloth move and he sees the wet faces of his friends staring back at his own. The three embrace each other tightly. Blubbering loudly as Dawkins apologizes for not beating GGY. Which gets a small chuckle out of Ness before he feels his world go fuzzy again.

They help lead Ness out of the building, he notices a teen take advantage of the chaos to swipe some toys from behind the prize corner on the way out into the cold November afternoon. The outside is just as chaotic as the inside as people point at the building now swashed in colorful blues and reds.

Police are trying to clear the crowd away from the doors in attempt to tape up the scene. Ness doesn't see an ambulance. They must have taken off already. He hopes they make it in time.

Dawkins mother is the first one to arrive at the restaurant as she had been picking up a gift that was delivered last minute. She immediately jogs over and fusses over her son before giving his other two friends attention, asking if anyone was hurt. And they aren't, physically at least. She drops off Ryan at his house first since he lives the closest to the restaurant. As Dawkins' mother explains the whole situation to Dawkins father, the young boy promises his friends to call them later before he's shooed inside.

Ness is dropped off next and he immediately books it into his house before anyone else can get a word in. Barging past the door and going straight for the kitchen where his confused mother is prepping dinner.

He runs to her and grasps onto her in a tight hug. Letting all his loud sobs out as she attempts to ask what's wrong. He can vaguely see Dawkins' mother enter the house to explain it to her and Ness can feel her arms tighten around him, but he doesn't really bother to listen to the conversation.

Why did this happen? Why was Chica attacking that poor security guard? She was just a performing animatronic, it made no logical sense.

When his mom is done talking he'll ask her to wash his jacket. Then maybe he'll hole himself up in his room and play some games to distract himself.

He and his friends didn't get to beat GGY's scores today like they wanted to. They were really looking forward to that.

And Ness realizes sadly he doesn't even have a name to put to the guard who's agonized face is burned into his mind.

Chapter Text

Ness found out later that week in the local newspaper that the guard was named Jeremy Fitzgerald. And that apparently the human body can survive without the frontal lobe. Huh, who knew?

He had cut that section of the newspaper out and stuck it onto the corkboard in his room. One that used to hold playbills for local theaters and old notebook paper mysteries he and his friends had solved around their school. Which are now ripped off and placed into his desk drawer until further notice.

All to make room for his latest project. What he's sure will be his magnum opus when he releases his findings to this town. No, the world! So that way no one will ever hand over their hard earned cash to Fazbear's again.

It was noticeable improvement from his behavior the past week. The shockwaves he felt after the bite had left him feeling on edge and he had hid himself away in his room for days. He barely even talked with his friends, even when they visited to check on him. It got so bad he even heard his mother and father talking about sending him away to some shrink.

Which encouraged him into using those acting skills he'd gotten from the schools theater club and putting on the performance of his life to avoid that. If Ms. Duke could see his performance he's sure he'd be given an A.

School was a whole can of works on its own. It was a total drag to do the work now and everybody in the dang place wouldn't stop talking about the bite. Which made it even more unfortunate when Dawkins had accidentally revealed to someone he had seen the bite up front and personal.

So now he was bombarded with even more people's question. Which at first overwhelmed and agitated him, but what he had now taken as an opportunity to spread whatever negative notions he had against the place. At first just about how dangerous the animatronics were designed.

Then.. oh ho ho. Things were so much worse than Ness could have ever imagined! I mean, an utter miracle is what it is that these places can stay open at all! Between the trips to the library to comb through years of old newspapers in relation to Fazbear's extensive history of accidents (and a surprisingly long line of deaths) and listening deeply to one of the upperclassmen with orange pigtails rant about the animatronics coming to life at night, Ness could say that the franchise had taken over his mind.

Mysterious fires at the Fall Fest back in the 70's had plagued these mascots and its founders even before they became a full blown entertainment company. It's like the whole thing was cursed from the beginning!

Then there was a horrific Bite of 83' at it's original Fredbear's restaurant location. With a cruel twist of fate the child of one of the founders (Mark specific founder here; William Afton, Victim/Son marked here: Evan Afton), had been killed in the mouth of their very own animatronic creation, most likely unintentionally caused by a few unnamed teenagers as eyewitnesses that day had too many variations in their stories to exactly pinpoint the culprits. Which in the same article let the public know that the suit had been retired and that any current and future Fazbear establishments would be utilizing new state of the art security cameras.

At the age Ness was then, this kind of buzz wasn't really something he had paid attention to. He was far too busy obsessing over 'Return of the Jedi's' release and collecting bugs with Ryan, even though Dawkins thought it was a gross hobby.

And with how busy his mom and dad were with work they certainly weren't going to be caught up in all the quote on quote, 'childish hot gossip', around this franchise and he certainly wasn't paying attention when two more accidents involving the suits mechanisms skewered two other employees in an unspecified Fazbear's location. It was barely an article at all. A small speck in the sea of other news about possible nuclear oblivion.

But it obviously affected the production of their animatronics as any and all of the franchise' patented springlock suits were no longer to be used or produced. Thank whatever is out there in the universe for that! Next all they need to focus on is removing any additional mouth and jaw movement!

No wait! They need to stop producing the metal abominations all together!

'Don't forget what you're working towards Ness. Your goal is to take these guys down, not strive to become OSHA's employee of the month!

Ahem, but he needed to learn more!

Using the leftover quarters from Dawkins ruined birthday, which he had nervously told him he lost the pouch in the midst of the panic at Freddy's that day. He was totally understanding of it obviously (It just made Ness lose an hour of sleep thinking about how it can all start with one lie before you totally lose any sense of identity)

But it was even worse when he had to sneak onto his creepy old neighbors porch to swipe an older newspaper in his mountain of untouched papers. But it's fine, it's fine really! Just a little thieving and he's certain he'll never have to do it again. (Just another hour of sleep lost)

That paper though had given him the next physical piece of the puzzle to place on his board. Which might have influences some further events down the line, he wasn't fully sure if they connected at the moment.

The death of Charlotte Emily in 1984. The main founder, Henry Emily's daughter. Dead in an alleyway next to Fazbear's after being locked out. Obviously murdered and still no convicted killer to this day and still a sore topic of discussion around town. Perhaps a sign of what was to come.

The Missing Children's Incident of 1985

Where five children were lured into the backrooms of the restaurant by a mysterious person wearing one of the mascot suits and presumably murdering them.

Presumably!

Ness makes sure to add that word to his writing. Only to add to the accuracy of the the newspaper articles use of it when mentioning the presumption of their deaths since their bodies were never found.

Ness however full heartedly believes they're dead. It's been two years already, where else could they be? Everyone else in town already probably thinks the same. He remembers when there had been full on fights break out between fellow students around the subject when it was fresh. Now nobody fought about that possibility.

Now this tragedy was something Ness had been much more knowledgeable on before his extensive research. He vividly remembers the growing paranoia in Hurricane those following months. Parents were getting stricter with their kids curfews or even accompanying them in their previously unpaired excursions. It had even gotten to his mother and for the rest of the year he was to be back before dark.

Freddy's lost a lot of money that year and the building shut down, not without some promises of course that eventually it would reopen.

Which was surprising considering both of their freaking founders were suspected to be the kidnappers at one point and were arrested!! (Let's pin this photo here. Henry Emily and his business partner William Afton) Latest news does indicate the yes William was cleared and Henry was still awaiting trial. Hopefully he'll be locked away for letting way too many dangerous mechanical technologies run loose in a restaurant filled with kids. Oh and possibly having a literal hand involved in child murder too. He guesses grief can lead a man down that path.

Grabbing a separate notepad, Ness jots down a reminder for the interviews he hopes to secure in the morning with the families of the missing children. Well most of them. About six months ago the father of the missing child Cassidy Andrews moved out of state, so that was one interview less.

Oh but he still couldn't believe that one of the founders (String placed to mark William Afton again here) was also a victim of having a child go missing! Yep Elizabeth Afton has been missing for over a year at this time. She actually didn't disappear that long after the original missing kids did. Just like half a year after. A few days after the freshly opened 'Circus Baby's Pizza World' was shut down due to a gas leak.

More unsafe restaurant conditions. Typical. (Also let's move her closer to the other missing kids, easier to keep them all together)

He does feel a ping of guilt for wishing both founders to be locked away after having suffered their own tragic losses, but geez these restaurants are getting innocent bystanders and sometimes their own kids killed!

Also is it possible that William could also be in on the missing children murders even though he was cleared?

I mean most witnesses and newspapers state the fact that they were lured in by a golden suit which were more commonly worn by William, especially in the beginning stages of their establishment when things were more mascot and less animatronic.

Ness takes a deep breathe in through his nose. He wonders if the last remaining son of the man would be down for an interview. Eh he's heard the dude hasn't been doing so hot after losing both siblings, which... fair. He should probably leave him be anyways, he used to fight people at school and Ness really doesn't want to fight someone like a whole foot taller than him.

Are the owners responsible for the missing kids? How much evidence and public outcry is truly needed to shut them down for good considering they've literally announced a new location coming soon? Is Fazbear's just cursed with misfortune? Or is this just a downwards spiral caused by the companies shoddy safety practices?

Probably that last one. He can't let rumors of ghosts and purposely killer robots affect his logical train of thought!

He should probably get to sleep soon, he still does have school in..... an hour and a half...

Dang it.

Hopefully these freaky animatronics won't cause him any more sleepless nights than necessary. Especially from Chica's unfortunate figure clawing itself into his dreams.

Chapter Text

Ok yeah.... Ness would say that this past week has been the most exhausting week of his life.

Becoming a mini interviewer for a handful of families still struggling with the loss of their children and in some cases their siblings, was utterly draining on his brain and emotions.

Most of the missing children's families had been kind when he had come knocking to their doors and asking questions. Willing to give as many details and stories about their missing kid in hopes of resparking interest in the case amongst the public.

Others not so much. Like Susie's family. The mother upon hearing why he was there became distraught and her husband had shouted at Ness for disturbing his family and demanded he leave them alone.

Which Ness very much agreed to doing. Loud noises were still tying his nerves into knots since Dawkins' party and he will never tell anyone that he spent half an hour huddled behind some trees in the nearby forest, shaking because one guy shouted at him.

...

Anyways, after recovering from that.. minor complication he was off again. Nothing was gonna keep him down for long!

He was able to get an interview with both of Jeremy's parents and Fritz' older brother so far.

Every time he had knocked on Gabriel's house though no one answered. So he had gone to one of his neighbors and asked when they'd be back. Apparently Ness just had horrendous timing and always seemed to come by when the two were already off to work.

So he'd have to come for them later.

Ok, that last line sounded a bit threatening, he wasn't gonna like intimidate them with violence or anything!

Ahem, the most important part of these interviews that he was absolutely dying to get his hands on was any information on how Fazbear Entertainment compensated the families. If and how they did would surely show the franchise's true colors to the public!

Which from the information he had gathered, was not much. Just a measly refund and the police occasionally coming by if they had any updates (Or none at all really It was mostly them telling them there was no news.) on the case.

Typical cheap Fazbear's! He was starting to see a pattern with this entertainment conglomerate cutting costly corners. Was there any other company out there that could truly rival their cheapness at this point?!

It was nice to hear all the little funny stories about the missing kids from the family members who did give him a chance.

Like how Jeremy had boxing classes and had tried to convince his school to open a club for it.

(When Ness told them that he had been successful and the club had opened up just a few weeks after his disappearance, he saw Jeremy's mother shed a tear.)

Or like how Fritz was is absolutely obsessed with pirates and always made sure to eat his fruits and vegetables to avoid scurvy.

They both sounded so cool.

If only Freddy's had taken proper security measures from the beginning and had people working there who kept an eye on their guests. Maybe then they'd still be hanging around to enjoy a new school club.

But if Ness thought really hard about it, did whatever safety measures they put in place really help?

After exiting Fritz's house, he pulled out a slip of newspaper from his pocket. Reading the printed lines talking about the 'new criminal facial recognition' installed into the shiny toy based characters.

Much help that did for the safety of their guests and staff when Chica mauled that poor security guys head.

It'd just be better if they accepted their losses and closed their doors forever.

Ness decided it was a good time to go home.

____

A bit of a late start today because of after school theater, but better late than ever as his father says.

Ness just like the last few days this week, waves his friends goodbye and darts off to go knocking at Gabriel's old door. He avoids looking back in attempt to extinguish the guilt churning in his gut as he catches a glimpse of Ryan and Dawkins exchanging worried looks at each other.

It'll be ok, he'll tell them all about it once he has his information organized.

He lets that bit of hope carry him forwards towards Gabriel's home once again.
_____

They're not here.

Again.

He just barely missed them again.

Ness is a little embarrassed to admit that he huffed all the way down the streets until he made his way to the park and angrily started to swing.

His mood seemed to dampened anyone else's nearby and a group of the kids that were playing near him got up and shuffled away from him.

Not that Ness cared that much in the moment.

As he slows his swinging down he notices that there are some toys left behind on the ground from the kids who moved earlier.

Trying to make up for his outburst, Ness goes to grab and return them, but stops when he notices they're Fazbear n Friend action figures.

Because of course they are.

And the Chica one is just standing there, head turned towards him. In the sunlight he can see her orange beak has been reglued on.

And in a fit of rage he grabs the toy and rips the dolls beak right off again. Then quickly runs back out of the playground in embarrassment.

"Come on Ness you've never been this aloof before. It's only been a week! Rome wasn't built nor destroyed in a day, just takes time." He breathes deeply. "And when Fazbear's falls I'll be there to laugh on its corpse!"

There's a few other people out on the sidewalks, but none notice or react to the mostly likely manic smile on Ness' face.

Calming down a bit more the boy from the corner of his eyes see a strangely sauntering man. His emotions quickly turning into something much more hopeful.

Just from the back of the man's head he can tell this is Michael Afton. The eldest and last remaining son of one of William Afton! A founder!

Clenching the notebook tightly in his pocket he goes through different scenarios of how to approach the man. Ness was a little embarrassed to say again that he was slightly intimidated by him.

But he's already graduated from highschool, so maybe all of his previous tendencies to fight anyone who mentioned the franchise around him had petered out.

So reluctantly he begins following him in the opposite sidewalk, trying to work up the courage to ask him for an interview. With all the anguish caused by these restaurants he has to be on his side about shutting them down for good, right? Maybe he'd have even more juicy secrets that he's willing to share that'll get Freddy's shut down by the end of the day!

Getting closer though he notes that Michael is looking a bit... Off. Sickly even. Ness wonders if the mauling of the night guard is responsible for his lightly trembling form.

"E-excuse me Mister Afton. I was wondering if you'd be interested in-"

Ness never got to finish that sentence as the man suddenly came to a stop and leans his head down, like he was dry heaving.

Which he can barely react to before the sickly looking man's whole body starts convulsing. Not even in a normal way. He watches as his stomach and limbs roll around like they're boneless, expanding and compressing before his head slips down and something is expelled from his mouth.

Ness looks on in silent horror for a second time this past week as a pile of wires and strange long silver junk collects on the sidewalk like a mass of metallic spaghetti. And Ness swears he sees parts of the pile blinking.

Then the freaking scraps MOVE. Scurrying down into the sewers and leaving a slightly moist imprint on the sidewalk.

And then Michael collapsed, body going still.

"Hey! HEY!" Ness yells trying to run up to the collapsed man, but stopping halfway in fear of being near a dead body. So he decides to shout for help instead of risking touching him. "Someone help! This guy just collapsed!"

The wind picks up as he contemplates if he should bang on one of these houses for help or try to catch a glimpse of whatever creature this guy just threw up through the sewer opening.

Until just as suddenly as he collapsed, Michael gets back up with a gasp.

Ness doesn't know if he was turning towards him to speak, but all he can remember is getting a clear view of the older teens gaunt face. How the skin was a horrifying shade of decaying purple, the unfortunate discoloration in his gums and how sunken his eyes looked.

Like a zombie.

So Ness decided it was best to run. Run to the nearest police station for help instead.

Or maybe just warn them about zombie robot spaghetti.

Chapter Text

"Andhewasjustwalkingnandstoppedandhe'spurpleandhethrewuparobot-!"

"Officers I'm here!" A door banging shut gets the attention of the two cops seated in the front. Both ears receiving an assault of information from Ness who doesn't come to a stop at the disruption. "What's the meaning of this, where's my son? IsmybabyboyNessokofcoursetheonedayIdecidetogooutandhang-!?"

"Well now we know where he gets it from."

Having finally noticed the new arrival Ness quickly turns his attention towards his mother.

"MAMA! You won't believe what I just saw, it's horrible.. Horrible!" He holds onto her leg as he babbles.

"Ma'am we're glad you finally got here, your son has an incredibly..... interesting story to tell. Maybe you can make better sense of it than we can? Is he on any sort of medication, prone to stealing substances or having um.. random burst of extreme wild imagination?"

"But it's true! At least send an ambulance to him, he collapsed on the street he could be having a medical emergency! But he's totally most definitely a zombie!"

"Kid no need to panic, we've already sent one out to where you said you saw him. And if he's not there we can send someone to do a wellness check at his residency."

"That's not enough! Remember you need to scout the sewers too! "

"Ah yes, the.... robot that had taken over his body and was thrown back up is crawling around somewhere down there." The officer says trying to muffle a snicker.

"What?! Ness what are they talking about what did you do??"

"Nothing! I am a mere witness to what is probably larger than both you and I!" From his pocket the boy takes out his notebook. "I've been jotting down theories the last fifteen minutes." He flips through its' pages to show her sketches and chicken scratch. "Sentient A.I! It makes sense now. Chica attacking that innocent security guard and the robot spaghetti thing taking over Michael Afton, son of one of Fazbear's founders! It's so obvious now isn't it???! The robotics created under Freddy's and its' sister locations are rising up against it's human creators!"

There's only a split few seconds of deafening silence until it's broken my the two officers listening on being unable to contain their laughter.

"What is this? The 'Terminator'??" One officer barks. Ness feels his face turning red at their unprofessional behavior.

"I didn't believe it at first until I saw it either! Also I'm not the only one who thinks that! There's a girl at school who says they come to life at night! That must be when they convene to plan."

Over the police's laughter, Ness' mother clears her throat to get their attention along with an apologetic smile.

"Officers I am so sorry for my son's behavior. We thought he was doing better this past week but..... he was a direct witness of that gruesome animatronic malfunction at Freddy's. I wouldn't take his outlandish words too serious for a while. I guess it affected him more than we thought."

"MAMA!" Ness shouts, feeling betrayed at his mother's words. The officers at least look slightly more empathetically at him now. They must have been at those very desks with phones blaring for an hour when the horrors went down. He slams his notebook on their desk in front of them. "If you're not gonna listen to me about sentient robots, at least shut Fazbear's down for good! I mean look at these death and injury statistics!"

If they were gonna shoot him down. He might as well spill everything he's got in hopes of changing things.

"We can't shut the whole operation down kid, we can get this individual Freddy's location shut down if our liability investigation leads anywhere-"

A ringing phone disrupts the conversation and the speaking officer hold his hand up to silence the group as he answers.

"Officer Jenson, anything to report from the scene?" Ness wants nothing more than to throw his notebook at the officer when he makes eye contact with him as he speaks, but smartly contains that urge. "Uh huh, you check in with Michael as well?" Another pause. "Glad to hear he's alright. Witnesses say he's been acting and looking strange all week?" Pause. "Heh, well yeah, that's what working with an illness will do to ya. Tell him to take it easy."

"Not an illness.." Ness coughs, pointing to his notebooks scribbles. "Robotically-Piloted zombie."

The officer however ignores him and eventually finishes the call with one last sentence. "I'll be sending my partner out there to clean the mess in fifteen." Said partner looks mortified at the statement and mumbles something about always getting stuck with the non-emergency custodial work.

"Well thanks for coming to us about it anyways kid. Mr. Afton will be just fine after a week of rest." The officer says as he sets his phone down with a click. "We'll just need to clean the projectile puke up before anyone else walking their dog slips on it."

"But-! T-the sewers-!"

"Thank you again officers for dealing with my son, I assure you, me and his father will be seeking out the help he needs." She says politely, grabbing Ness' hand and leading them out of the building.

"What if the robotic creature harms someone else?!" Ness yells as he's walked away from the two officers. The phone rings at the time as his mother opens the door. It's just enough time for Ness to latch himself onto the door to hear the phone ring again.

Enough time to see the officers face drop and gasp out the words, "Five more??", before his mother successfully drags him off the door and towards her car.
_____

The car ride in Ness' opinion, was probably the most awkward ride ever in his life. Utter, nerve twisting silence for five minutes before his mother finally spoke up.

"I'm sorry honey. I- Me and your father thought that the incident had harmlessly passed in your mind. We shouldn't have taken a chance and just brought you to a professional." She says sadly.

Ness decides to make no mention towards the fact he had purposely acted in such a way to avoid said, 'help'.

"It's fine, I don't need it really. I'm of sound mind, simply surrounded by others unsound judgment!" Ness huffs. "It seems like I'm one of the only people in this place who cares about what crazy things Fazbear's has created.. and done! They've done a lot of horrible and weird things."

"We know damn well what has happened at those restaurants are horrible, but you're just a teen Ness. With a brain that's still developing and it already seems to be possibly negatively stunted. Sometimes under those circumstances your brain can't be trusted. You need to back off from it now that you went to the police about it. They'll take care of it."

"But I really did see the things I saw! Clear as the day. It's a piece to a puzzle that we've all been missing. Maybe when we get home, dad can set up a citizens search team to go down-"

"ENOUGH!" Ness' mother does yell. Just not frequently. She prefers speaking at a comfortable volume to get her point across. So her shout immediately causes Ness' mouth to click shut. "It's not real Ness. You aren't seeing things as they should. That security guard is ok and that Michael boy is ok. It's just faulty machinery and common illness, nothing else. It will be ok, it's not the battle you think it is."

He's a little bit embarrassed to admit that his eyes were starting to tear up as she speaks. Squeezing his hands he resigns himself to the fact that even his parents won't believe him. Guess he's really on his own with this one.

"-so we'll all be having a family chat when we get back-"

Hell no.

There's already far too much wasted time in his investigation. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Looking out the window Ness notes that the grassy patch on the side isn't too far from his side of the car. Plus he knows for a fact that through the dense forest in front of him is a convenience store on the other side.

Steeling his nerves as his mother continues talking, he quietly pulls the car lock up...

"-maybe all those magazines about video games being bad for your brain development were also right-"

...opens the door, jumps and braces for impact.

Even as the air is knocked slightly out of him he can hear his mother shout. The car slightly swerves before breaking and Ness knows it's time to go.

Picking himself up from the grass and dirt he makes a break for the tree line and let's the shrubbery quickly hide his figure. Guilt already setting in he apologizes in his head to his mother while she yells his name through the trees.

Chapter Text

This was a super good plan. Super duper good actually!

At least that's what Ness keeps telling himself when he finally steps out of the woods into the setting sun and onto a paved road. His eyes immediately focus on the convenience store in front of him.

Although it probably would have ben smarter to gather supplies at home, he had no time for whatever chat his parents would divulge themselves in. He'll have to do with the last bit of the arcade money in his jacket pocket.

Walking in doesn't raise any eyebrows and the guy working the register looks deeply engrossed in the newspaper he's reading. He has just enough for a little handheld flashlight, a small box of firecrackers on sale from the summer, a lighter and a candy bar incase he gets hungry.

The young cahier is actually pretty nice though when he sets the newspaper down. His extroverted pleasantries aren't really enough to boost his mood anymore than where he is now. Especially when Ness notices the newspaper he's reading has another update on that security guard, Jeremy.

Guess he'll have to come back here when he has more money for a newspaper.

"-and be careful with these bad boys! Don't stick em in mailboxes as a prank, trust me. Won't end well for nobody."

"Oh uh, yeah of course uh.." He squints at the man's name tag. "Carlton. These things are for taking down dastardly robots!" He beams with pride at the statement. Even if the man doesn't get it now, he'll get it later in the week when the discovery of that abomination is on the front page newspaper.

"Ah I see. For me and my friends games it was also robots." He sighs wistfully. He slides everything into a bag and passes it to Ness. From over the counter Ness can see a fuzzy Freddy mask peaking out from under the register. Kind of creepy, but he seems nice enough. "Have a great day come again soon!"

He leaves the store just as soon as he entered it. No use in wasting what daylight there is left, he needs to start searching now. Of course he can't enter directly through the sewer grate where the robotic creature slithered down into. He remembers the officer from earlier saying someone would have to clean up the mess it left. So he'll have to settle for opening a manhole a few blocks down from it.

Finding the manhole isn't the hard part. The hard part is prying it up so he can crawl into it. These nerdy arms aren't exactly made for anything more than arcade games and hours of writing crazed theories after all.

And it takes him longer than he'd ever want to tell even his closest friends, to shimmy the lid off and waddle it strenuously to the side.

Taking a moment to rest, he stares at Michael's street a further ways away. One of the only things that stupid officer unintentionally gave him that was worthwhile was the Afton's address when he called for a wellness check. If he peaks over the bushes that give him cover, he can see someone in uniform hosing the sidewalk down.

He'll have to confront Michael with his own questions later. For now he'll brave the mystery dwelling in the sewers.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead and hands he begins his descent down into darkness.
______

"This is not creepy at all, this is a normal old tunnel with a possibly dangerous robot down here..." Ness nervously whispers to himself, taking a trembling step forwards. The sunlight just barely graces his forehead from the sewer grates above him.

Instead of heading forward, Ness backtracks towards the original opening Michael had regurgitated the thing up. Best to start from the beginning and work his way back. Seems that was the best way because he can see a slightly slimy looking trail headed in the opposite direction.

Realizing he doesn't really have something to mark a path with, he grab a pen from his pocket and take the ink capsule out, snapping it in half and using the dripping ink to mark the walls, now he can't get lost!

He decides to quickly start following the trail after hearing a cough from the street above him.
_____
How long has he been down here he wonders?

It has to have been at least an hour because the sun no longer filters through and there hasn't been the sound of a vehicle in forever.

The slimy looking trail has long disappeared and turned into dragging scratch marks on the ground and walls. Screws, bolts, copper wiring, stringy shreds of metal occasionally litter the path.

Like a robotic trail of breadcrumbs to victory!

With his slightly trembling, ink-covered hands he shines his flashlight in front of him as he slowly but steadily moves through the sewer. He gives every nook and cranny he comes across a good luck as best he can. Pathways that branch off from his main tunnel, tunnels that lead to nowhere to concrete looking burrows.

Ness even holds his breath in increments to make less noise in hopes of hearing something besides the light sloshing of nearby water. He soon finds it coming in handy when he just barely catches the sound of metallic scraping coming from one of the tunnels off to the side. Doesn't take much in him to start speed walking in that direction, firecrackers held tightly in his other hand

He doesn't have to capture it, he could just immobilize it as much as possible with the explosive materials. Which also serves to garner attention back on the surface. Then they'll see he wasn't crazy because of that stupid chicken animatronic!

The scratching and scraping noises get louder and louder and soon he's able to pick up that it's not just is metallic pile of body being dragged across the ground, it's speaking. To itself! He can only really hear small bits of it as his mind races a million miles an hour at the thought of coming into contact with this sentient A.I.

"You are crowding us."

A dangerous sentient A.I he remembers, tucking himself against a tunnel corner. When he gets close enough to begin seeing it, he should shimmy a nearby manhole cover off before he confronts it for a quick escape. He ends up doing just that with. Finding it much easier to push up against the weight instead of pulling. The voices of the animatronic creature don't seem to be getting much further as the cover scrapes softly halfway out of place. Not wanting to risk any other noise.

It must be too busy arguing with itself still. Maybe that's why it hasn't gotten as far as Ness thought it would by now? That and it is a literal pile of metal spaghetti when is crawled out of Michael. That can't be an easy form to move around in.

"You can't tell us what to do anymore."

"Yes I can. You will do everything I tell you to do."

Creeping closer, Ness notes there's actually differences in the spoken voices. Like there are multiple tangled into itself. Could the base A.I be collecting other A.I's into itself to build an army??!

Oh man. He better be getting some sort of noble prize once he brings this things existence to the world. He pulls a handful of the small firecrackers from his pocket and prepares to light them. First he'll toss some onto the street to get people's attention and wake them up. Then he'll light this baby up!

"Wait, be quiet." The conglomerate of metal commands to itself as Ness hastily lights a match and sends the now fizzing firecrackers flying through the sewer shaft. Those actions definitely weren't entirely silent. "There's someone else in this room now."

All the breath escapes from Ness' lungs as the creature finally makes what he assumes to be some sort of eye contact with him. It slithers towards him with a harsh scraping noise that causes his arm hair to stick up.

"Another child before us. In such a dark room again too." It states it like they're remembering something important. "Do you think we can fit ourselves into this one instead?"

Before Ness can really super appropriately freak out at it possibly trying to hijack his body just like the Afton above ground, the firecrackers tossed onto the street begin going off in a line of loud cracks. Temporarily grabbing the metal abomination's attention. Which Ness uses to his advantage and begins lighting the other in his pockets and tossing them at it.

So now the above ground and below ground are a crackling, popping mess of smoke and sparks. The thing lets out a garbled screech as the explosive material melts away at it's more flimsy wiring. It's so loud down here that Ness doesn't even realize he's screaming out loud with it.

Then it charges. Fueled by adrenaline Ness finds himself quick to dodge the things hand?? But he ends up on the opposite of his planned exit.

Ugh. Sticking to the plan is so hard. Almost as hard as trying to light more firecrackers while running. And then throwing said firecrackers at the thing making him run in the first place.

But the firecrackers he is able to toss at the thing do end up stalling it's movements in increments. The smoke also makes it easier to slip through different tunnels. And back around the creature towards his escape.

When the scraping sounds far away enough Ness books it to the manhole cover and pushes his weight onto the other half still remaining in place in hopes he can slide it off in time.

It's a slow and grueling process, plus the clanking increasing in volume doesn't make it any easier. The nerves even causing his foot to slip off one of the rungs for a precious few seconds.

The smoke clears enough for him to see the scorched pile of robotic parts starting to reach out for him. He still doesn't regret not going back home to listen to whatever chat his parents had planned.

He's going to die without regrets thank you very much.

But Ness is like any other thirteen year old in the world. So he does what any reasonable teen under this pressure would do.

He screams.

Oh and the molten metal is screaming at him too. Or maybe at itself. Who really knows.

The manhole cover is moved the rest of the way off and Ness feels hands grabbing onto his jacket and pulling him up. He feels the creature graze his leg sharply as he's pulled back up onto the surface and under a streetlight.

His vision is a bit spotty from the shortness in his lungs, but he catches a glimpse of someone's shadow (presumably the person who just yanked him away from his demise) shoving the lid back over the sewer entrance in the nick of time.

Because the heavy cover ends up trapping a few of the things spindly, metallic fingers on the side of it. They poke up onto the surface and thrash silently as the body below continues to try and yank them free.

"Oh thank you good sir and or ma'am things were looking rough down there before you grabbed me!" Ness exclaims nervously pushing himself up and dusting his pants off. "Take that you hunk of A.I junk!" He laughs and points at the animatronics' hand stuck against the heavy lid. "Oh I'm so glad you're here you must've heard my firecracker warnings and come out to see the fuss just as..." Wait a minute. "I" Is that?"....planned??"

Now that his breathing is much more even and his vision less spotty, in the light of the street lamp he can finally see his off-purple rescuer. His hoodie smeared with a bit of pen ink.

"Eek! Y-you're Michael Afton! Please don't eat my brains! Ok that's kind of rude I apologize, but I saw you spit that animatronic thing up! And then get up! Like a... zombie!!" Ness whisper that last sentence a bit quieter. He has no idea if the term zombie is considered offensive to the undead.

Even with the mans' dilapidated looking face, he's pretty sure an annoyed expression crosses it. Oh he's so dead isn't he?

It's only now that Ness realizes the street he's been pulled up onto.... is not one paved into a neighborhood. Rows of trees surround the now empty road on both sides and Ness can just barely make out the lights of peoples houses between them. Just his luck to get the road outside of a neighborhood. Who knows if anyone even heard his firecracker warning!

Well except for this guy right here. Who must have been-

"Are you uh, searching for the sentient animatronic that stole your body too??" He laughs nervously. Maybe he won't pummel his face in if he knows he wants revenge on his behalf as well! That and to prove the possible robot war on humans is most likely at hand. And that he's been of perfectly sound mind since the last couple weeks. Oh and that noble prize would look good on any of his future college essays.

The man grumbles something incomprehensible, rubbing at his throat before talking. Talking very loosely, because his voice sounds like he's been smoking since he was in the womb.

"You can shut up now." Ness guesses the way he says it isn't supposed to sound threatening, more annoyed, but that doesn't stop him from shutting his mouth with a click. "Mind your damn business ok? You can scitter off back home now. I got it from here." Then he half-heartedly shoves Ness in the general direction of town.

"H-hey no way! I saw what these things can do, I wanna help! I've got firecrackers! Firepower!" Ness makes a dramatic show of the last few firecrackers in his hands. Michael's eye (or what's left of it, it's actually kind of gross to look at I'm just going to look away) twitches at the mention of fire. "We'll be heroes! And people will respect us AND we can take Fazbear's dumpster fire of a brand down." Ness grins. If his theories are correct, Michael should agree with at least two-thirds of that statement.

"You're like twelve, you look like a twig and this thing'll snap you in half." Michael snarks. He rifles through his pocket and takes something out. "And this will work way better with immobilizing this thing than your puny party poppers there." He flicks the button on the device and it elicits a jolt of electricity. "Got any tasers up your sleeve?"

Ness shakes his head.

"Didn't think so. Now go home, your mommy is probably worried about you." He bends down to the still squirming hands of the animatronic and zaps it. The hand and the scraping sounds below go silent. He slings the bag on his shoulders onto the ground and rummages around for a length of sturdy rope.

"Can I at least know what you're gonna do with it? Are you destroying it, taking it to the police?? Please I'm dying to know!" This is by far one of the most interesting things in his life right now. And the most horrifying.

"Hell no. This thing isn't going anywhere near that place, or any other government institutions for that matter. I am working on figuring out how to fre- erm destroy it. This really isn't any of your concern, besides this is Fazbear property. If anyone should handle this it's me. Especially with.... with that Henry guy being locked up."

Okay, Ness is pretty sure that Henry is not just some guy to him. He's ninety-percent sure the families of both founders were friends with each other. Unless Michael still had loyalties... Unless..... give him a second here to think. Theory, hypothesis, coincidences.. they all spin in his head in attempt to piece together an explanation.

That's it!

They ARE friends, and a part of their friendship now that Michael is older involves sending him out to cover up their failures in letting their mad machinery experiments escape! Because while those two can be convicted for the crimes of Fazbear Entertainment, Michael can not!

It's genius really, of them.

But they're not the only geniuses around here. Ness steadies himself as he pulls his lighter close to the firecrackers. "Step away from manhole! A-and listen close!" Oh my god are you really trying to threaten this guy in submission right now?? Hold your ground he's most likely the enemy now! "You'll never take Fazbear Entertainment any further!"

"What are you even talking about-?"

"Don't act like you don't know! You're probably in on their creation of sentient A.I a-and covering up all of their causalities because they set it loose in the public!"

Instead of the man deflecting or confessing, he lets out a wheezy laugh that still has him doubling over. (Does he even have lungs to exert laughter??)

"Whoo, okay that was good. I needed that laugh. But you-heh, really think that this thing-" He points to the still unmoving robotic hang."- is an artificially created intelligence made in psh, some sort of Fazbear laboratory?"

"Well- duh! All the signs are pointing at it! The attack on that security guard last week, rumors of the animatronics moving at night, it taking over human bodies to disguise itself as one of us!!" Ness wildly moves his hands around to extenuate each point.

"You're statements only have bits of truth in them, but your conclusion is wrong. Freddy's isn't making fucking Faz-goo to give these things sentience. Keep your enormous head in reality a little bit will you?" Michael is still wheezing.

"My head is average size thank you very much! And if it's not robots that have turned sentient and are attacking the humans that damned them to their fates then what are they??"

The argument goes on for a bit. Michael's with his vague and annoyed answers and Nes with his theoretical babblings. They go back in forth, Ness threatens to light the firecrackers and in return Michael threatens to taze him before remembering to manage his anger. Tazing someone younger than him won't look good in this situation. That's what someone important to him in the hospital would say. While distracted with their back and forth, they don't notice the flashlight beaming through the woods on their left. Their attention only snaps to it when a voice shouts from within the trees.

"Hey! Uh what's the name...? Ness! Over here!"

His name being called out to him causes him to momentarily freeze, before getting excited. He can finally get someone else's attention onto this hunk of exoskeleton!

"Yeah hey I'm over here! I found it, I found it, hurry come this way!" He yells at the man who's starting to emerge from the forest. He's so enraptured in it he doesn't notice Michael behind him moves quickly to the manhole cover, an uneasy and conflicted look on his face as he stares at the animatronic starting to wiggle again.

"Thank goodness I found you! Your parents set up a mini search party with the neighbors! They're going crazy up there with worry about you. Said you jumped out of a moving car-" The extroverted man stops talking to look over Ness' shoulders. "Oh hey you're that Michael! What're you doing here with Linda's kid?"

Michael picks himself off the ground and pulls the hoodie further into his face. "Picking up the firecrackers this kid was tossing." He holds his hand out to show off the scorched material. His voice conveys a much more normal tone than what he conversed with Ness with.

"What the heck are you out here tossing fireworks in the middle of the night. Is that what I heard a few minutes ago-?"

"Because we caught it sir! A real life... uh... rogue robot! The one that attacked Mister Michael here! And probably had something to do with that Chica attack in Freddy's." He pulls the older gentlemen towards the manhole cover and sends a smirk towards Michael's direction. Only to realize the animatronic hand is no longer wedged in between it. It's silent. "No! It was here, help me move the cover please!" Ness yells. No no no! The scenario had just started to work out perfectly!

"Yeah, I was taking a walk to get some air when I saw him tossing firecrackers at the ground. I don't know what robot he's talking about though. Must be some sort of weird game?"

"Yeah you know lots about weird games don't you?" The man says with a strange glint in his eye and Michael turns away slightly. A flash of guilt crosses his face briefly before turning back to Ness. "Your mother told me you were having some issues Ness. I'm sure they're finding the best way to help you."

"Hey no, let go! Just open the sewer cover! He's lying!" The man continues to pull Ness by his arm into the forest. He even asks confusedly about the ink smeared onto his hands.

"Found him!" He shouts and Ness is now very aware of the other flashlights skirting between the trees. "There's a few more volunteers in here. We'll get you home safe to your mom." Then he turns to Michael. "And you too son. You both listen good. Word from the chief says there's been another round of missing young folk. It'd be best if you don't pull stunts like this in the near future."

Ness isn't quite sure what kind of face he makes at Michael before he's dragged off. Maybe it was anger, maybe betrayal?

All he knows is Michael stares blankly back and starts sprinting down the street. Eyes glued to each sewer grate he passes. His already damaged hand, scratched up a bit more from lifting the heavy manhole cover to let Ennard's stuck hand,

Go free.

Chapter Text

In Ness' opinion, the details of the last few days are a bit bleak. So he thinks it's best to spare the unnecessary details.

Those group of volunteers dragged him back home in an embarrassingly disheveled state to a watery-eyed mother and taut faced father. Both whom embrace him tightly. Apologies and words promising to help get him through this spill from their mouths.

"We're so sorry."

If they were really sorry, they should have accepted he at least saw something fishy out there.

But Ness won't lie that he definitely cried with them. Not just from their worry, but from the entirety of the day. The utter incompetence of the police here, the disbelief from his parents, not to mention the physical tiredness from the chase down in the sewers and the emotional rollercoaster that was meeting Michael Afton.

That stupid purple guy. That stupid lying son of a gun! He said he wanted to destroy it! If they handed in to someone with higher authority than the puny police office here then they could learn from it and destroy any other crazed robotics that could pop up!

But he let it go. Just so that volunteer guy couldn't see it. What could cause such an extreme reaction to occur? He said these bots were not sentient A.I, but never specified what exactly they were though. What else does he know? And more importantly how can he get that information out of him?

Something is always being theorized and planned in his head since the late night sewer chase. His theories dipping into equally crazy concepts. From sadistic Fazbear employees controlling the animatronics remotely to a theory he once had trouble believing in..... The animatronics being haunted.

But hey. The things he's seen these past couple weeks is making the previously unbelievable, believable. The threads that could be connecting the worryingly high amount of accidents and missing peoples grows ever closer to the movement of the animatronics.

He's also yanked out a small portion of his hair. Just to reference.

Speaking of such things, another batch of kids had gone missing from the Freddy's location. Calls had apparently started coming in hours, then days after the bite in Freddy's. Little action had been taken in the earlier timeline of events due to increased coverage on the bite incident and police brushing off earlier calls due to them being, 'most likely just staying out late at friends'.

It's believed they could've gone missing the same day as the bite. Whether before or after, no one is sure. But it gets Ness thinking if the animatronic attack was an intentional part of the possible murderers plans to distract the public.

It wasn't looking good for Henry Emily, who was still out and about awaiting trials for previous convictions. The buzz around William Afton had been unsure as he had become a bit of a shut in since his daughter went missing.

Other employees both new, old and let go were being questioned too. Maybe those lazy officers that forced him into this mess we're finally inspired to do their job because of him.

Anyways, after thanking the volunteers who had brought him home clearing things up with the dim-witted police, mama had broke the news to him they they had put him in some sort of unspecified therapy program for teens. He gets one on one talks with a child psychologist and he has the occasional group therapy sessions with other 'troubled' teens.

Which he now has to do twice a week.

Thanks a lot mom for sending me to 'Mary Schneider's therapy program for batshit insane and deranged teenagers.

Ok that name was a bit mean, Ness admits, but he really isn't happy about the extra hours lost in a day by having to drive up there with his mother.

Ness quickly comes to find that every teen here is not as troubled as their parents have made them out to be as he is seated in a room to wait with them. Seems some of these guys' parents also have poor judgment.

Which makes him feel a bit better. Especially when he discovers a few minutes before the group sessions begins from his school.

"Cindy?!" Ness gasps.

The slightly older girl who moments ago was staring at a stack of magazines turns around at her name. Her ginger hair is tied into the same pigtails she's worn since elementary and her green eyes look a little duller here than they do at school.

"Ha, Ness? They finally sent you here?" She says with a playful jab.

"Finally? Is this where you think I'm destined to be?"

She shrugs. "It was just a theory." The humor of him being around this upperclassmen that had used, what Ryan declared as his catchphrase, was enough to split his face with a grin. Ness remembers interviewing her at school last week about her stories on the Fazbear characters coming to life and moving around the restaurant at night. It had been a valuable eyewitness account.

Maybe not in the eyes of the law, but it definitely was in his eyes. She had always held that notion strong, even as she got older and people started telling her those stories were only believed by babies.

"I guess my theories and ramblings lately haven't been the shining pinnacle of mental health I thought they were to everybody else. They obviously confuse crazy, with passionate." Cindy snorts at his words as she walks to his side.

His mother at the moment will most likely be settling herself in the waiting room specified for parents until he's finished.

"Are you still doing that mysterious investigation you couldn't go into much detail about when you interviewed me for it?"

"Absolutely! It's helping point me in the right direction for theorizing."

"You're like the only person I know above the age of like ten who takes anything I say about Freddy's seriously."

"Is that why you're here? They think you're too old to be believing things like that? That's.... erm part of the reason why I'm here." Ness lets out an airy chuckle.

"Nope." Her lips pop at the end of the word. "My parents think those stories are just creative works to scare kids with, they put me in here for something else." Ness gives the room another scrutinizing glance. There's corny "inspirational" posters, games galore and tables filled with pamphlets and magazines. When he zeroes in on that last part, the rest of it clicks.

"This is a post traumatic stress counseling isn't it?" Oh goodness, he had stewed in his anger at his mother he hadn't bothered to ask for specifics. People are probably going to cry today. He might be crying again. But that's ok, because he gives himself at least two crying passes a month. He'll just have to use his last one in the same week as the last. "Did you also witness the vicious Chica attack on the security guard?"

"Also nope. I was hanging around the park when it happened. Also I think people are calling the attack, the 'Bite of 87' now. Some guy in school called Mark started the name and it's sticking."

"The same guy who claimed he had royal blood and was some sort of king in middle school?"

"Heh, yeah."

"Small world." Ness pauses the talk as a more professional looking woman opens the door to the rest of the building and encourages the small group of teens to follow after her.

The pigtailed girl notices his still inquisitive look. "You'll probably see in the next hour." Is all Cindy says as they continue walking side by side in the facility towards the room they're supposed to gather for group therapy.
______

"Meet me at the park tonight. After your parents have fallen asleep. I'll be by the swings. Come alone."

Ness peels his comforter away from his body and he pushes himself up from it. The words of Cindy replaying in his head as he slips his shoes on.

"Hello everyone and welcome to out first group session! I am your group therapist, Ms. Lawrence."

Having a group therapy session wasn't as bad as Ness thought it would be. It was kind of nice to talk with others who had seen similarly horrific incidents. But they also talked about non-important things on their minds, like video games and comic book releases.

He stuffs a few essentials into his jacket pocket before he starts slowly pushing his window up. Luckily his parents hadn't thought him crazy enough just yet to install bars on his windows, so slipping out was easy enough.

"Thank you Terrence for sharing, your poetry is very well written and expressive. It's also a great outlet for your stress and feelings. See me after this session, I can recommend some pamphlets for creative writing contests around the area. Cindy, would you like to introduce yourself amongst new friends?"

The night was chilly, but Ness had his favorite jacket and a plethora of knowledge on shortcuts.

"Hi my names Cindy. I like sweet potatoes, I also enjoy creative writing like you Terrence and I......." She swallows. "I witnessed one of my friends head get crushed at Fazbear's Diner. He died a few days after the incident. It's been four years since that day. And it still won't let me go."

The park Cindy asked him to meet in is much more uncomfortably close to the Afton's house than he thought. He figures it's best to hold his breath as he passes it by. Just to be safe.

"Is that all you'd like to share for now Cindy?"

"That's really all there is to it. A lot of blood. And a lot of guilt. Guilt because I couldn't stop it from happening. You always think about the different ways you could have stopped it, but never how you can stop it in the moment it's happening. I was frozen . Just like everyone else was."

"Cindy hey!!" Ness whisper shouts at the pigtailed girl who is lightly swinging on the sets. "I've made sure no one noticed I got out or was following me. And if they did.." He pulls out a switchblade from his pocket. "I've got this bad boy!"

"Do you even know how to use that?"

Ness answers her by blowing his tongue out and shoving it back into his pocket.

"You take things pretty literally don't you?" She invites him over to the swing next to her.

"Your words seemed pretty straight forward to me." He huffs and takes his place on the swing. "I mean what'd you even need me for at this hour? It's gotta be something important and secret enough not to have others around. At least based on your tone."

"Well kinda. You're pretty smart Ness. I bet you'll get a good job in the future and get far away from all of this." Cindy sighs as she starts swinging. It's gentle. Nothing fast enough to slur her words. "Saving this place definitely isn't worth it."

Ness begins swinging slowly. "Straight to the point, huh? So you just brought me here to tell me to stop my research? That's super anticlimactic. Nothing compared to the plot twist at the ending of the, 'Planet of the Apes'. "

"Shaddup I'm serious. You're gonna die. Gruesomely too probably." Her nonchalantness at those words are enough to shock him into silence. Which quickly sparks into a low simmering anger.

"Hey! I know it's dangerous, but Fazbear's needs to be put down! Permanently!"

"The company's not a dumb dog, let someone older do it. Go back to playing games with your friends. It's way better."

"Is this about what you talked about in group therapy? How your friend died because of a malfunction in Fredbear's? You said it's better to move on and continue living for them and the memories of when they were alive, right?" Even in the blanket of darkness, Ness can still see her hands clench the swing chain. "What if instead we avenge him? Do you think he'd like that? Justice for everyone else who has been affected by-!"

"Don't you dare assume anything about him!" Now it's Cindy's turn to raise her voice slightly. "Evan wouldn't want revenge! He was sweet a-and couldn't hurt a fly and..." She trails off for a moment. "gone. I can't say for sure if it's what he wanted. He was comatose before he died. Couldn't even really say goodbye." She sniffles and an unpleasant feeling rolls around in Ness' stomach. "But I.. I REFUSE to let that place take over the rest of my life! I'm gonna live! For him. And for every other kid screwed over on Fazbear soil!"

Through her harsh words, Ness makes note of the name of her friend. Putting the pieces together from their earlier session in therapy mentioning their accident at Fredbear's Diner that this friend must be Evan Afton. Son of the co-founder, William Afton.

He has his article pinned up on his board. Well the board has been stuffed in his closet so his parents won't bother him about it anymore.

"And I want you to live for them too! Even though I don't really know you" She continues. "I don't want to read in a newspaper that you died mysteriously after chasing a company that isn't gonna give you the time of day you give to them. It's been way off since the founders signed the franchise agreement."

She turns her head to the side to huff and even though Ness wasn't the one who just finished his rant, he feels himself huff too.

"That's a really sweet perspective on the situation Cindy. Sorry to assume again, but I think Evan would be flattered."

"Ha, most likely. He was sensitive. I bet his eyes would tear up and he'd cry happy tears." She sniffles again. "And hold his teddy bear close."

Don't say it Ness, don't say it. Be empathetic be empathetic!

"Were you close to the Afton family?" Dangit ok! At least be gentle about it. Curiosity is healthy and all but be nice about it. She's like a friend. Sort of.

"Not really. Just Evan. You wouldn't get any other information about the William or Michael if that's why you're asking." Cindy smirks. She doesn't seem irritated at his somewhat prying question. Moreso amused. Maybe getting that off her chest between just one other was what she needed. "How about you anyways? You said you saw the attack on the security guard weeks ago, but you didn't really talk about it to the room and Ms. Lawrence. Just nerdy crap."

"I can only guess that when the next generation of games come it it will be a total resurgence! Just think about it. Mario, Zelda, Mega-Man, Pac-Man, heck even Robotron!"

Ness feels his face flush at the memory. It was quite the jump from Cindy's serious confession to his geeky nervous rambling. But the leader has said they could talk about whatever they were feeling in the moment! And while everyone had been talking he his brain had zeroed on any and all things that were not as time wasting as this.

"When I'm nervous video games are easier to talk about. Ms. Lawrence said we didn't have to talk about everything plaguing us! She said it was the first day and we could warm ourselves up by talking with whatever we wanted."

"Ah, so talking about your feelings scare you?"

"They do not!" He defends

"Prove it then!"

"I will!" Ness jumps up from the swing to pace on the wood chips. "But what else is there to tell you? I already told you I saw Chica attack that security guard, Jeremy."

"Well yeah, but how has it like affected you? Like in a deeper way than your passion to dismantle an entire cooperation?"

Ness has to think on it for a moment in silence. "I.. don't know? I'm.. I'm scared honestly. I was scared it was going to attack me next and some of his blood got on my jacket, my favorite jacket might I add and I don't want anyone else to feel that fear on Fazbear property like that ever again!" He sighs. "The way it attacked doesn't seem logical and THAT scared me."

Cindy nods her head to let him know she's been listening before suddenly standing herself up and grabbing his arm.

"Woah, physical affection is like level two friendship stuff-!"

"I'm not going in for a hug I'm showing you something! So just follow me." She half drags,half encourages him forward. She grabs her bag hidden under the slide and wood chip floors turn into concrete sidewalks.

The go past the edge of a neighborhood and turn into a parking lot. The building laying before it isn't totally decrepit, even with some of it's windows smashed and exterior bent, the weathering it has faced does give it an air of clear abandonment. The location is familiar.

"So to get me over Fazbear's... you bring me to Fredbear's Diner?? Yeah I'm not mentally following. Unless this is exposure therapy."

"Ding ding! You're sorta on the money. What I really wanna show you is on the side of the building though."

There's no lamps back there so Ness watches as the she digs through her bag and flicks a flashlight on to illuminate the brick wall. The world goes from dark to bursting with color as a reveal of graffiti is revealed to have been sprayed all across the side.

Some of the art looks crude, but the centerpiece of the whole thing is a rudimentary looking drawing of a person encased by a bubbly shaped named.

"Did you paint this? For Evan?" Seems even painted onto the brick he looks like he's crying.

"Yes siree. I also smashed the windows up a bit in my younger and angrier days. Creative works and a bit of light vandalism were my outlet for my issues. So I was thinking, if I can't convince you entirely to stop.. why don't I show you something we can do instead of physically risking our lives, we take out our grievances on a certain establishments property?"

Ness has never really had physically violent impulses he's wanted to get out on a person or even a building. The thought of it aimed at these places, these supposed havens of children entertainment does tweak something pleasant in his head.

"Do you still have something for bashing?" Ness asks and the smile that Cindy wears causes a bead of sweat to go down his forehead. She rummages through her bag again and pulls a pretty dented looking metal pipe out of it and hands it to him.

"Got that from the heap of junk my dad keeps in the backyard. Now all you gotta do is let your anger guide it onto some poor inanimate object."

Grasping it tightly in his hands they wind up in the employee parking lot behind the diner. There's a beat up looking trash bin, some mostly intact windows and others appendages of the building to whack.

He goes for the finer bits around first. Smashing cans and small planks of wood that Cindy throws towards his way. His aim is shit and his hold is wobbly, but it feels good to swing anyways. Then they move on to beating up the already dented garbage bin. With each connect of the pipe and bin, Ness likes to imagine he's hitting one of the animatronics. Or maybe even Michael.

Don't tell him he imagined that.

The physical exhaustion he feels in his limbs seems to take away some of the mental anguish he had been feeling recently. The bite, the lack of belief from older figures, the missing kids, the larger mystery of what the hell is going on with Fazbear animatronics and that Michael guy all melds together into one giant target for him to swing a pipe at.

"Woooh! I see why the people in the movies do this now!" Ness whisper shouts as drums at a small pile of abandoned tires with his weapon.

"Trying new coping skills are great, huh? That can kind of apply to you if you think about it. If you keep chasing Fazbear's the same way you're doing it now, then your just plain ole stupid Ness."

"Guess I'll only be half-stupid." He grins. Cindy hadn't totally changed his mind on stopping Fazbear's, but all their raging had helped clear his head for a better picture of where to go from here. Maybe for now a healthy distance from any physical danger to recuperate was needed. She was right. He'd be no good if he died too soon, at least before he could grow into a much more believable older adult.

Cindy scoffs, but there doesn't seem to be as much dullness harboring in her eyes as before. "You're too smart to die, ok? You can totally make better and less life threatening decisions. Oh and here take this!" She's scribbling something on a small piece of paper she had in her pocket as she hands it to Ness. "This is the my address. If you are gonna do something stupid, then at least come and get me as backup."

Ness takes the paper and carefully folds it into his jacket pocket. Holy crap, he just realized a girl gave him her address! That'd be a first for everyone in his little friend group. They'll totally flip when they hear about this!

"Woah! T-thank you Cindy for placing your trust into my hands!"

"Yeah yeah, just don't be ringing the doorbell at three am! Just knock on my window. It's the only one with a blueberry bush beneath it."

Ness stirs the address around his mind to memorize it while he speaks to her, "I think... I have one more thing I want to do tonight. Do you have any more cans of spray paint in that bag of yours?" He asks as he sees someone house lights turn on near the area.

Maybe it's time for them to get out of here. Banging metal against metal probably wasn't the most quiet stress relieving activity in the middle of the night after all.

"Yeah I got a few left over. Watcha thinking?" Cindy asks as she too takes note of the closer houses lights turning on at the disturbance.

"Can you follow me this time?"
_________

When Ness has to wake up just a mere hour after laying his head back down on his bed, he's not overcome with a wave of tiredness that one usually would be met with. He feels fresh, kind of cliche, but he feels reborn.

With a fresh perspective on where to head now.

His mom drives him in today, she's says she'll be doing more of it. She says she read in the waiting room that company is important during times of stress and trauma. Ness doesn't necessarily hate the company, but he does miss the solitary time to think on his walk to school before he and his friends paths merged.

He waves goodbye to his mother when she drops him off and he can feel her eyes lingering sadly on him as he walks into the school building. Ryan and Dawkins weren't waiting outside near the flagpole for him like usual, so he assumes they're chatting in the cafeteria.

But they're also not there so he figures they must be discussing homework answers in their classroom.

And there they are! Hanging near Ryan's desk chatting.

"Ryan! Dawkins! Hey!" He waves at his friends who turn to him.

"Ness, what the heck happened over the weekend?? Your mom called my mom and said you were missing and then they found you like tossin firecrackers in the sewer and they had to drag you back and.." Dawkins whispers quietly. "they said you were talking crazy to the police."

"Have you gone full nutcase like that missing girl Susie's mom?" Ryan asks bluntly. He eyes dart around the room nervously, barely making contact with Ness' own.

"Yeesh, Ryan have some tact." Ness whispers. "I'm not insane, I've just come in contact with things that the people of this town aren't ready to accept that's all. Things that just need a bit more time to understand before I can truly bring these findings to the public."

Ryan and Dawkins look at each other.

"Is it dangerous?"

"Yes. But nothing a bit of planning and theorizing can't handle."

Before they can ask anymore questions the bell rings to begin the day. The three return to their seats as the teacher walks in.

And throughout class, it's not hard for Ness to notice his fellow classmates eyes bore into him. He guesses word has already started to get around about his most recent excursion. Now everyone will know him as the kid who saw the 87' bite AND the kid who went crazy on the police and was hanging around sewers.

He doesn't even want to think what they'll think about him if they found out he has to attend group therapy now.

Eyes on the prize Ness. Plenty of influential scientists and philosophers were seen as crazy before they got their big break of approval from the public. It'll probably be the same for him.

But the gossip being spread during the lunch period is what boosts his mood.

Amongst the teenage hormones and judgment is talks of a mysterious graffitist who took to the streets at night and vandalized the 'Freddy's Fazbear Pizza' where the most recent animatronic attack and missing children's incident occurred.

Cindy is sitting at a different table with another girl showing off her collection of figurines, but the two make eye contact and Cindy makes a proud face as she returns to eat.

Colorful splashes of paint over brick and mortar stating that the company will burn.

Chapter Text

"I'm suing Fazbear Entertainment."

Those words, are words that have never been uttered at the Patthew family dining room table before. And this table has been a witness to some rather odd conversations before. The clank of silverware on ceramic and the sigh his father let out feels as if the entire neighborhood could hear it through the thick wooden door.

"W-what was that honey? I think I must have misheard what you sa-" His mother doesn't even get to finish her sentence before Ness puts his hand up. A ballsy move for sure.

"Mama, I said I'm suing Fazbear Entertainment." He sees his mother set her utensils off to the side with a similar sigh as his father. "Not for skin-suit wearing robots like I claimed last year, I assure you. But you know, emotional distress and stuff." He stuffs some more of the crock pot dinner into his mouth. "Since there's more, er, evidence for that claim since I'm enrolled in therapy."

It was 1988 now. It had been a couple of months since the bite and since he had been enrolled at Ms. Shneider's therapy program. The snow had already fallen, resolutions had either been kept or broken already.

The holiday season this year had felt way more tense at the household. Ness had usually been very open with talking and messing around with his extended family that he really only got to see once a year.

Definitely not this year. Everyone acted so.... weird around him. Apparently gossip could be spread between family members like in a high school courtyard he realized that day. Either they acted like they were traversing around him like he was a nuclear bomb about to go off or every boundary around him was optional. He was pretty much fed up with it by the time the third cousin of his had pushed him for the gory details of the animatronic bite.

They were lucky he and Cindy had made it into a habit to hang out and smash trash and do karaoke or else he probably would have punched their annoying mouths.

It had also been forever since he had last seen Michael Afton. And it wasn't just the purple guy avoiding him, not at all. The last two remaining Afton's hadn't been seen much in public it all. The most recent sightings was of the family was William being checked out in the same convenience store he had bought fireworks from four days ago.

Neighbors of the family did say they saw Michael walking through the home's windows and retrieving newspapers, but he never answered when Ness was banging on it. Day or night. He didn't even answer the letters he sent him OR slipped under his door.

So inconsiderate.

"But by law I am considered a minor, so I need you to do it for me on my behalf. Cindy thinks it's a good idea." Cindy may have been skeptical of his more daring plans going forward with Freddy's, so she gave her own, safer two cents in. Honestly, how had it never crossed his mind yet?? "I want to ask my counselor what she thinks about it too."

There's a long stretch of silence between the three. His mother and father make eye contact before they let out another sigh. Seriously, it was becoming their favorite sound to make.

"Well, as long as you talk to Ms. Lawrence about it first. I guess we can go off of what she thinks."

"Yes!"
__________

"Honestly I don't think it's a good idea Ness."

Well that's one way to kill a dream.

"W-why not! Everyone's been telling me to move on, or do things the legal way. What other thing can I do that is considered safe and not at all a risk to me or the public in your humble opinion? Ma'am." He adds that last part in quickly. He will not be a total barbarian.

She sighs. Everyone's been sighing in his direction these last few months. It's starting to tick him off.

"Revenge Ness. You're talking in a matter of revenge. Someone as young as you shouldn't be muddled up in such a concept. What you NEED to be doing is allowing the adults around you to handle this. They're handling it in legal means like you mentioned and the police department has made it clear with you that if they need your eyewitness account in shutting down the Freddy's they'll be knocking at your door."

Ness crosses his arms and sinks further into his seat.

"So I don't believe I can tell your mother in confidence that it is a good idea. I'm supposed to be helping you get back on the path of being a kid. Not having you worrying about this kind of stuff."

When Ness doesn't answer again she changes the subject.

"How about you and Cindy, hm? You both talk to me about each other. I'm glad the two of you have become friends. It's good to know others who have been through similar experiences as yourself. Makes the world feel a bit smaller and a bit more understanding doesn't it?"

Well played therapy lady. Well played subject change. "Yeah. She's a great friend. Only she can make pig-tails look as rad as she does! We eat lunch together at school now with each others friends.... Speaking of." Seeing as he'll be getting nowhere with the lawsuit today, he might as well spill something else that's been bothering him.

"I don't know if it's my own observation or just paranoia, but I feel like one of my friends" (Ryan) "has been acting off around me as of lately. His reactions aren't..... quite the same as they were before the bite, but I'm not sure. I'll need your expertise."

"Can you tell me a little of what you've noticed?"

“Frankly I think he’s gotten a bit more curtly. His tongue sharper, but that’s even if he speaks at all. He’s quieter when we hang out.”

“Could it be that he has also been affected by the animatronic bite? You did say your friends were there the same day. “

“Maybe…” He hopes it can be something as simple as that. “Maybe I’ll talk to him about you and your work.”

His therapist is saying something else, but his mind is already made up and done with today's session. He's much more interested with plotting behind the adults in his life’s back. His latest plan to finally get an interview from the last of the missing children's family in town.

Gabriel.
__________

"What's got yer face looking like that? Did your therapist tell you Santa wasn't real or something?" Cindy asks teasingly, already having a mouthful of mashed potatoes as she speaks.

"Chew with your mouth closed. And no. He was real, but Saint Nicholas has been dead for centuries." He's aware he very much looks like he's pouting with his arms crossed and all. "Just thinking."

"Ooh dangerous stuff. Has anyone ever told ya you get more southern when you're angry?"

Before Ness can retaliate, Dawkins and Ryan seat themselves across from the two.

"Ness! Oh and hi Cindy, but Ness! Did you hear how the next instillations of the 'Physic Friend Fred' comic is releasing into stores next Thursday?!" Dawkins joyfully exclaims. He pulls out a cut out newspaper clipping with the article mentioning it to annunciate his words.

Anxious mood obliterated.

"No way! The author went on a year long hiatus from the comic to create the, 'Physic Friend Fred' board game!" He jumps up excitedly with just a little too much volume that a few tables heads turn towards him. "We are so back!"

"Ness sit down!" Ryan pipes up nervously at the sudden attention. "People are staring... again."

Ness sheepishly apologizes and sits down. But there it is again, Ryan's slight change in attitude. Usually he would've laughed at this for a moment and then told him to sit down, but this time straight into the scolding.

Strange indeed. Someone of scientific mind like his knows that sitting around thinking about what a problem can be can only go so far with solving it. You have to eventually confront the question and apply your tests for the correct answers.

"This'll totally make next week's comic book club meeting the best one in months!" And just like that they're back to a normal atmosphere, even as Cindy takes turn studying both Ness and Ryan's posture.

And the time for applying it happens to take center stage shortly after the last period of the school day.

After the last half a year of his life, confronting his friend with such a question doesn't seem as daunting as it might've once been.

"Ryan. Pst Ryan!" Ness whispers, it's only a few minutes before the final bell will be ringing.

"What?" He curtly replies. Ness eyes point to the paper note he's trying to discretely pass to him. He notices and carefully excepts it and reads it quietly. He nods towards Ness then turns back to his classwork.

When the bell rings the two gather their things and Ryan turns to Dawkins.

"Me and Ness are going to grab something from Ms. Elliots class, we'll meet you outside."

Dawkins understands enthusiastically and tells them not to take too long or he may go crazy from theorizing where this new comic instillation could take the last cliffhanger by himself.

Ness and Ryan don't head towards a classroom, but rather a quiet hallways in the opposite direction as the exit.

"So what do you need Ness? Usually you'd let Dawkins in on any private such matters."

Ness paces the dirty school tile for a few seconds as he brainstorms which flashcard he has memorized to start the conversation.

"Are you....ok? Like since the bite I mean. I know I was distant for a bit after it and I dunno I feel like I've realized as of lately our friendship hasn’t quite recovered? I want to ask Dawkins at a later date how he's felt about the whole thing, but.. I wanted to apologize if I wasn't there for you enough after it."

He thinks his therapist would be proud of him in this moment.

"And I promise to make up for all the hangouts we've missed! That's why you're agitated too right? Cause of when I was having my, er, moments I abandoned you guys for a bit?"

Ryan just stares at him for a few seconds, brain turning slowly.

"It's.. okay Ness. I didn't really see any of it, just some of the blood on the floor. What scared me more that day was how you looked when we found you. That's how I knew it was bad. Not from the newspapers that came after. You were right up and personal that night, no one..... entirely blames you for not hanging out with us for that time." He says making nervous eye contact with the floor.

Ness could feel the sigh of relief freeing itself from his lungs. Looks like things were mostly fine with-.

"I mean, it'd be totally rude if we just immediately stopped hanging out with you cause you're crazy now."

"W-wha?" Now that certainly was interesting jump in the conversation and it causes him to ask his friend to repeat what he said because there’s no way he just heard that.

Ryan looks a little nervous again, but there’s a strange glint in his eyes as he speaks.

“It’s nothing. You’re just imagining things Ness.” He pauses again, Ness can see him clenching and unclenching his fist. Like he's unsure of saying what he says next. “Like.... you imagined all those sentient robots."

"That's uh, getting kind of harsh there, huh Ryan?"

"Someone here has to be Ness. I don't want to.. entertain those impossible things you talk about. Like Cindy and Dawkins do sometimes."

"B-but you know I'm getting help! I don't bring up those things nearly as much as before!" It's true. Once the whole 'Missing for half a day' had passed he had tried to explain everything to his neglected friends as best he could. Dawkins had believed parts of the stories much more than Ryan. Ryan had claimed technology couldn't possibly be that far ahead. "Even if the stories I told in the beginning aren't really what I thought I witnessed (they are they are they are they!), there's undoubtedly something fishy going on in that company!"

"There you go again! Talking on and on about damn Fazbear's!" He huffs, patience finally seeming to have run out . "Sorry, but it gets tiring. You're obsessed! And not in the funny way w-we were with comics or unraveling the mystery of a classmate's missing cat. You're just.. different than before."

"I don't mean to be....different." Ness says. Almost begging. "I can-I can stop talking about it in front of you! Promise. You won't hear another word about it." He just wants his friend to know he still cares about his feelings.

But Ryan shakes his head. He looks like he feels guilty, but like a weight on his shoulder is lifting as he vents out his frustrations.

"I-no. Part of me knows that me telling you to shut up about it isn't what I really want, but Ness, I just can't deal with it. I can't deal with you." Then Ryan actually begins crying in front of him. It's alarming and Ness tugs at his jacket sleeve to calm himself. "It's not your fault that your head got messed up, but I don't want to be around your erratic behavior!"

"It scares me."

Flabbergasted. That's how Ness is feeing now at that statement. But it makes sense when he puts it into perspective. He had frightened his parents with this behavior after all. So much so that they had enrolled him into counseling without his input like they usually would have.

It wouldn't have mattered if he said anything back. Ryan had stared at his shocked face and ran off sending a wet goodbye over his shoulder as he disappeared from sight. When he snapped out of it he ran towards the exit and looked around for his friend.

Dawkins ran up to him with a worried face as he questioned him on why Ryan left without them.

Ness couldn't answer. All he could do was accept Dawkin's hug as he burst into tears.

The next day at school. Ryan did not sit with them at lunch.
_____

Ness shoves his pocket journal and pens into his jacket as he slips the comfortable thing on. Relishing in its' pristine texture. Tonight is the night. Now or never.

"Mama! Some of Dawkins (He almost said Ryan, dammnit) homework got mixed into mine, I'm going over to his house to give it to him. If that's ok." He adds to the end. They had finished dinner not too long ago and now his parents were lounging in the living room until they deemed it time for bed.

"Right now? It's getting awfully late isn't it hon?" His mother notes at the darkness outside.

"It is, but Dawkins called after I finished eating about it. It's worth enough points to maintain his position on the Beta club." Play into that pathos and he'll be out of here in no time! "So he really wants to work on it tonight so he's not scrambling to finish it in homeroom."

His mother hums something sounding unsure, so she turns to her husband to be a second voice in deciding.

"I say let the boy go. He'd been doing better these last few months, let's not keep him couped up in here too much. Kid's gotta go out on his own sometimes."

That seems to be enough because it causes his mother to reluctantly agree and he grins widely. He manages out a genuine thanks as he runs out the front door and into the cool night. Barely catching onto his mother telling him to not be out too late.

Now Ness could have just waited until they were asleep like he usually does to hang out with Cindy, but tonight was different.

He would finally resume his interviews with the Missing Children's families! Specifically, Gabriel's parents.

He couldn't catch them during daylight hours no matter how early because they were always out, but now! He has watched their house and discovered the most likely time they will be there and able to talk to him. They eat dinner at an earlier time and they're usually in bed by the time he's finished with his food, so that's why he helped his own mother with the cooking tonight to speed it up so he could leave the house earlier so he could catch them just as they start settling down to do so.

It's been months since his last interview and he has to shake of the jitters as he walks up to their doors, light is pouring out of the windows confirming their presence.

But he also has to shake off the jitters from his talk with Ryan at school. Oh the irony of immediately going to interview one of the victim's family's after his friend had called him crazy for continuing the pursuit. But maybe he was right. Maybe he really is unhealthily obsessed.

But with the ever increasing amount of missing children in the area, he was surprised by the lack of the parents suing.

Especially when he was so desperate do so despite having a much milder reason to.

So it’s a no brainer to seek out the one family who actually has attempted to sue Fazbears.

It doesn't take long for someone to answer after knocking. A brunette man stares down at him with tired, but a kind looking face.

"How can I help you there kid?"

Ness pulls out his journal and clenches it tightly in his hands as he speaks.

“Would you be okay if I interviewed you and your wife on your experience with Fazbear Entertainment Incorporated after the disappearance of your son Gabriel?”

Ness can hear the clatter of dishes when he finishes speaking and very quickly Gabriel’s mother joins the man at the door.

She seems to take note of his young appearance and some of the crinkling around her eyes smooths out. “Sweetie, what are you gaining from this huh?” She demands quietly in the darkness of the night. “I’m sure a kind looking boy like you was taught some semblance of manners. Especially around a grieving family like this.”

“I was ma’am, but I was also taught to pursue the truth. And sometimes that path is a rocky one to traverse through.” He just really hopes they don't decide to kick him off their property.

Something in both of their eyes soften and they turn to look at each other. They seem to come to a silent agreement and soon the father is nodding his head.

“That is quite a wise string of words there kid." Then after some deliberation he speaks up again. "It’d be our delight to guide you along the trail.” He holds the door open and beckons him in as his wife sprints in to neaten up the living room. “Do you like apple pie?”

This apple pie is so damn good. Seriously he could eat it for every meal.

Right now he’s seated on an armchair, journal in one hand plate of pie in the other. Both parents are seated in the couch tilted besides him. He was a bit surprised, but not ungrateful, that the two had agreed to his interview relatively quickly.

The house, while not in horrible condition does have its share of neglect.

There's unpacked boxes shoved in practically every corner and massive piles of laundry are untouched from either tiredness or a severe drought in motivation. He can’t blame them for it though. Maybe he can bring up helping them with it later?

"Mhm, this is really good!" Ness flushes in embarrassment at the non-professional voice he lets out as the two adults in front of him chuckle out their thanks. He sets the plate down to fully focus on the pencil and paper in his hand. "Mr and Mrs Collins, my name is Ness Patthew and I've come to you tonight in request of learning about your experience with suing Fazbear's due to their negligence to keep an eye on your now missing child, Gabriel."

And who knows? Maybe relaying their words to his parents will override whatever nonsense his therapist will say to get them to disagree with his idea to sue.

Even with the years passed the same sad look that passes on their faces are surely the ones made when the news of their missing child was first broke to them.

"Well we can certainly say that's a pretty intricate and somewhat boring topic for someone as young as you. Usually they're much more interested in asking, 'wow did your son really disappear?'. You seem very mature young man."

Ness beams at the praise.

"But I'm sure you know it's not a pretty story. Not even within the courtroom. Fazbear always leaves a trail of misery. No matter which room its name is dragged into."

"Don't I know it." Ness mumbles. "But you two are a slightly different case from the other missing children's family. You actually pursued a case against the corporation. Some of the other families felt that it was unnecessary and they'd let the police handle it. What makes you different Mr. and Mrs. Collins?"

Jeremy's family had decided to let the police handle it. Susie's family couldn't afford to take them to court due to the cost of raising multiple young children. Fritz' older brother couldn't comprehend the last of his living family going missing.

"Now sweetie don't twist these here words I'm about to say up. I know every other family member probably misses their kid just as much as we do. I can say that what separates as from them is...." She seems to have trouble getting the words out and her husband softly takes her hand into his. The tension in her arms dissipates almost immediately. "We gave up everything we had in pursuit of justice for our son. For anything we could get to stick to the Fazbear's name."

"Care to go into more detail?"

"Fighting a corporation of that size is no easy OR cheap task." It's the father's turn to speak. "We pawned off our jewelry, sold off furniture and one of out vehicles until we go down to the last thing we could sell."

"Our house. Our old, much nicer one. We downsized so we could fork over more money towards fees and fines." The mother sniffles a bit as her eyes mist a bit. "When they find Gabriel, I hope he doesn't mind his new room. It's really the only room we have fully unpacked and finished."

Ness takes note of the woman's watery eyes tinged with just a touch of hope. They parallel with the man's equally tired, but hopeful nod.

"But this company as we learned with each court meeting, Ness my boy, their lawyers play dirty. Just one look at its' history since its' founders drafted that franchise agreement document is enough to know that they never should have done it. It just keeps coming back worse, ugh don't get me started safety hazard those places can be."

"Exactly!" Ness finally feels his gripes (and multiple dozen hours pouring over the OSHA handbook) against it's so called 'safety precautions' justified. "I've been telling kids it's super dangerous, but they just keep telling me I'm no fun."

"Sweetie don't you DARE ever let any of them sway you away from your truth." Mrs. Collins pipes up loudly. She has a determined glint in her eyes that truly make her seem more alive. "I haven't known you long, but I can already tell you have care for others. Even if they don't see it that way."

Now it's Ness' turn to have watery eyes. The last sentence feels like it relates to his earlier conversation with Ryan. How he wanted to make sure he was ok, that he wanted the restaurant to go through safety reforms, that he wanted to catch whatever dangerous mechanical creature was on the loose.

So everyone could be SAFE. And happy with Fazbear's behind metaphorical bars (and every higher up in the franchise literally).

"Thank you. I just want to understand why other can't see it that way. Everyone should have been safe in that place." He clears his throat and wipes his face with his jacket sleeve in order to continue. "Now this is where my understanding of the case falls apart since it is still ongoing, correct?"

"That's correct."

"With your increased funds, does the case against Fazbear for negligence seem to sway towards a positive conclusion?"

The married couple once again squeeze each others hands. Mr. Collins sighs through his nose and speaks for the both of them.

"N-no. It does not seem to be going that way. We fear.... it may teeter to a negative conclusion. One second kid I'll grab it so you can see it yourself." He stands himself up and walks towards the dining room table.

Mrs. Collin kindly asks if he would like anything to drink. Something which Ness denies. For fear of taking more from these poor souls who are already selling away their lives practically.

When the husband returns, it's with a few folded paper. Which he encourages Ness to open and read at least the first sentence. When he does his jaw drops to the floor.

"They-they're filing a counterclaim against you?!" His eyes decide to skim through the entire paper. "They're trying to pin the negligence onto you..."

The mother laughs dryly. "Yep. Taking responsibility isn't really the company's motto."

"W-what are you gonna do about it?" Ness has to remind himself to write what he's heard down. Even if his handwriting is messy, he can rewrite it later.

"What we've been doing. Keep fighting the man. And its' stupid pet bear. I'm sure there's something else we can sell around here."

"Oh darling the couch can go next. We don't have a TV anymore and our bed is plenty enough space for sitting."

"Can I ask for some advice Mr and Mrs Collins?" Ness asks. The two nod their heads and motion with their hands for him to go on. "I.. wanted... to convince my parents to sue the company as well on my behalf and I- I don't know anymore if I should." He didn't wanna bankrupt his mother or slander her good name if this is how Fazbear played the courtroom drama game.

"I don't think we're a very good example to follow after. But we're also not your guardians sweetie. So I can't say for sure if you should or shouldn't. It's really up to you mom and dad at the end of the day."

"You're a pretty good interviewer for your age though. Maybe you should get into journalism and really hammer out the news about Fazbear's when you get older! Especially if you keep collecting stories like these."

"Ooh and when we see the paper with your name on it, we'll be sure to frame it on the wall." Mrs. Collins adds humorously.

Ness can't help blushing as he looks at the clock on the wall.

Time to wrap things up.

"Mr. and Mrs. Collins" He stands himself up and extends his hand out. "I want to thank you for your time and energy tonight." They're sure to give him a firm handshake as he starts seeing himself out.

But not without another slice of apple pie.

Mrs. Collins insists.
______

When he walks back into his house, he finds his mother asleep on the recliner. He gives her a quick kiss on her forehead and then places the pie slice into the fridge for later.

Right now he's tired and he decides it's too much energy to change out of his clothes. So he simply sets his journal and writing utensils in his room before he curls up on the ratty sofa next to his mom.

He just can't sue Fazbears now. He doesn't want to ruin his parents lives.

More than he probably already has at least. If the talks he's heard thrown at his mom and dad's parenting since the bite has gotten to them at all.

Getting to sleep is a bit tumultuous but ultimately he awakens after a few hours of what he'd consider enough sleep. He has a blanket over him that he definitely remembers not having when he fell asleep last night. The smell of coffee in the air tells him his mother is already up and starting the day.

He stands himself up and goes up to his mother who is also awake and staring blankly down at her cup of joe.

"Mama?" He whispers. He has to poke her shoulder lightly to get her attention.

"Oh yes hi Ness. How'd you sleep hon? Any nightmares or issues I should tell Ms. Lawrence about?"

Ness shakes his head. His sleep had been nothing but darkness.

"How was Ryan last night? Hope he didn't freak out too bad. I know how he can get about his grades."

He makes some sort sound of agreement and something about him being fine, as he stares at the couch he had slept on last night. The rattiness, the weird lumps dispersed through it... An idea pops into his head.

"Aren't you and pops looking for a new couch?"

"Weird change in subject, but uh yes we are?"

If he can't find any of the missing children at the moment, can't sue Fazbear, can't find the mechanical abomination or get the Afton's attention...the least he can do is try and bring some extra funds for their own endeavors against the franchise in their direction.

"I know just the place to get one."