If you haven't already read my AU, I recommend you do so before you go any further, otherwise some bits are going to be very confusing for you.

Jeremy knew something was wrong with Mike the moment he laid eyes on him.

It wasn't anything incredibly obvious. More like the small, subtle hints the security guard was giving off is what Jeremy based his conclusion on.

The red rimmed iris, lost of pigment in his skin, the faint discoleration under his eyes advancing to a much darker shade. Oddly, his cap would be slightly off center, exposing his scars just the slightest. For some reason today, he didn't bother fixing it.

It wasn't just his visual apperence either. His body language was like reading an open book.

The man who usually stood with his back straight with stoic attidude look to be almost alien to what Jeremy saw now. Shoulders slumped, stuffing his hands in and out of his pockets, and the occaisional paranoid glance over his shoulder, as if he thought someone was watching.

Even his reaction time was slow. Walking into the Pizzeria earlier that evening, he found the guard sitting in a chair, his head bent down with his hands cupping his head. Worried, the nightwatch called out for him as he came closer. It took a total of three tries and one outstretched hand for Mike to slowly look up from the floor, dark blue eyes rolling up to glare into green.

He gave a half-hearted smile to the disturbed nightwatch before standing up, walking calmly towards the locker room.

Jeremy just blinked, following after him.

"I-is something wrong?" He would ask, unplugging the tablet from it's charging station. "...Do you wanna talk about it?"

The security guard only took a shaky breath, holding his head down as he shut his locker. "No"

Jeremy pressed his lips together, turning away. He wasn't sure if that answered his first question or his second, but a gut feeling voted for the latter. Mike was one to have bad days every now and then, just like everyone else. There would be mornings when he'd wake with a headache from hell, only to down a cup of coffee and go to work, where a full shift's worth of harrassment awaited him. But he'd endure it noneless.

Then afterwards, he'd wait for Jeremy to arrive and the two would childishly bicker as the clocked ticked towards midnight. Depending whether Mike would head home or not, he'd tease Jeremy over the smallest of things, whether it'd be the way his hair was too floofy for his cap or how he hardly reached Mike's chin. These little comments would sail over Jeremy's head of course, and he'd occaislaly make a decent comeback of his own.

Their playfull banter at night would wash the troubles of the day away.

Jeremy watched as Mike doubled over, bolting inside the restroom. It was different this time.

He could hear him puke up his lunch from the next room over. "M-Mike...?" The nightwatch set the tablet back at the station, slowly walking towards the men's room. The door had been pushed open with such force that it was still wavering at the hinges as Jeremy reached out a hand to stop it. "...Are you ok?"

The air went quiet as the door shut behind him. The very first stall was open, a shadow on the ground leading inside of it. Jeremy swallowed nervously before stepping closer to the man.

Mike bent over, panting. He reached over and grabbed some tolit paper, wiping his mouth before tossing it in along with the rest of the vomit. A small whimper sounded from behind him and he slowly straightened, turning to the anxious teen with a disgusted sneer.

"Does it look like I'm ok?"

Jeremy took a step back and Mike paused, taking in the brunette's reaction. His snarl disappeared. "...Sorry" He muttered, catching his breath. "I'm not feeling like myself"

There was a moment of stillness, then Jeremy gave an understanding nod. "I-it's fine. You're...uh, sick?" Mike shook his head at the question, earning a raised eyebrow from the other party. "I don't feel sick" He defended, "I'm sure it's just something I ate" He leaned down, flushing the mess away.

"I-I don't think you should stay tonight..." Jeremy wrung his hands, his eyes widening as he stared his co-worker. "You should really go home..."

Mike froze at the order, stunned. Commands like that from Jeremy were rare, non-existant even. It was much too bold a move for someone like him, especially since today was a Friday. Mike felt his expression change to one of disagreement. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm not"

Gritting his teeth together, Mike stepped out of the stall. Jeremy whimpered as he was roughly brushed aside. "Don't make a big fucking deal over a little puke, Jeremy" He stomped back into the locker room, the teen following close behind. "I'm fine"

"I-I wasn't talking about the-"

Mike reached out and slammed Jeremy's open locker shut, a grim look on his face. "I said I'm fine." He ignored how the brunutte cringed at the loud noise. Opening a small bunker, he pulled out two identical masks, shoving one into Jeremy's arms. The aggressive motion startled the nightwatch, fumbling with the straps as he pulled it around to rest on his head.

"M-Mike! You-"

Said guard cut him off with a cold glare. "I already told you I'm not leaving"

"...It's just that you've been acting...strange"

Mike paused in strapping on the mask, letting the clip fall around his collar. His lips curved into a sneer. "What's that supposed to mean?" He spat. Jeremy went tense, his hands nervously clutching his sleeves. "N-Nothing!...I'm uh..." He trailed off, looking away. "I'm just worried about you"

The security guard's glare softened and his sneer lightened, but Jeremy still felt the unease coming from his co-worker. "Don't" Mike mummbled. "Just focus on the job tonight. It's Friday, and even if there was something wrong with me-which there isn't" He added, eyeing how the teen shifted in alarm at the term. "...I still wouldn't leave you here on your own."

"...I can take care of myself, you know."

"I know you can"

Mike felt the burn of Jeremy's worried stare, straightening his tie and cap self consciously. "Then why stay?" The nightwatch asked, grabbing his uniform shirt off the bench. "Y-you could go home and rest...you look like you need it"

The olderman didn't voice an answer. Jeremy sighed, unzipping his hoodie. "I don't understand why you stay sometimes..." He tossed it to the side, slipping into his uniform. "I know what I'm doing, Mike. You've already taught me how to handle myself here." Jeremy finished buttoning his shirt, adjusting the collar. "...You shouldn't trouble yourself with me anymore..."

Mike's palm rested on the door, mindlessly tapping his fingers as he listened. "...Better safe than sorry."

Jeremy frowned. "You're still sick-"

"Not sick" The guard corrected. "Just...tired"

"You should still go home and get some rest then..."

Mike stiffened, taking on a grim look as he walked closer to the nightwatch. "...Why are you so keen on getting rid of me?" He asked, side-stepping around the teen. "What did I fuck up this time?" He sneered.

Startled at the sudden action, Jeremy took a small step back. He caught the guard's hands twitch in agitation in his peripheral vision and raised a brow. "...I didn't mean anything like that!" He defended, resisting the urge to flinch under the cold glare he was being given. "I-I already told you I was worried!"

"I told you not to" The olderman spoke through gritted teeth. In the back of his mind, he wondered why he felt so angry for something so insignifigent. "I don't need a dork like you trying to play big"

Jeremy swallowed as Mike crept closer, coming close to fully cornering him. "I-I'm not trying to do that! I'm just...concerned..." He trailed off, realizing he'd just repeated what irked Mike so much to hear, only using a different form of the word.

He watched Mike's face twist into vivid irritation and quickly opened his mouth to backpeddle. "...How come you can worry about me, but I-I can't about you?" The sentence came out with more confidence than Jeremy thought he had, but he didn't mind the sudden boost.

Mike's aggressive stance faded, letting his lips drop from a snarl down to a disapproving frown. For a moment, he even looked as if he'd been caught in a trap. "That's different" He stated after a moment of thought. "I'm not the one working the nightshift now. You are"

Jeremy crossed his arms, still aware of the close promiity of the two but not exactly careing at the moment. "You might as well be since you're here so much, Mike" The younger male retorted. "...Even if you're not sick, I don't need a babysitter-"

"You need to keep your mouth shut, Jeremy"

The nightwatch eye's widened at the order, surpirsed Mike would say something like that. The argument he had prepared died in his throat. Uncrossing his arms, he lowered his hands to clasp each other in front him, glancing away as the guard glared him down. "S-sorry..."

Mike caught on the hitch in his voice and a pang of guilt beat in his chest. But he didn't show it, keeping his close distance to the teen. "...Ok...I shouldn't have said that..." He rapsed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "But I still mean what I said"

Looking up from the floor, disagreement flashed on Jeremy's face. "...M-me too" He wrung his hands together nervously, but remained locked in a stare with icey eyes. "I-I can handle the animatronics on my own...and you already work so hard in the day, it's just-"

Mike groaned, running a hand down his face. "Just stop, Jeremy" He mummered. "You're repeating yourself."

The brunette paused. "Then go home" He answered. "I don't need you here"

The words flew from the teen's mouth before he could fully process them. He didn't realize the second rude nature to his sentence until he watched as Mike's stance faulted, a look of hurt flooding his features. Instinctively making himself smaller, Jeremy tried to correct his mistake. "I-I didn't mean it like what you think!" He stammered, "It's just that you're sick...and I-"

"Repeating yourself." Mike growled, taking a step closer to him."You're still repeating youself"

Jeremy gave a small whimper as the distance between them shortened. "S-sorry! I, uh..." His apology was cut short when two hands calmy reached out and grabbed his shirt collar, bringing him closer to the fuming guard.

Reflexively, his brought his own hands to hover over Mike's, torn between whether he should continue to apologize or to just take whatever was coming to him. He just messed everything, didn't he?

He stared fearfully at the darking eyes that held him in place, a lump growing in his throat as the two's faces were brought closer. Not enough to be indecent, but enough to make an impression. Jeremy felt his lip quiver involuntarily, and cursed himself for being so wimpy.

"I just want you to listen to me...." Mike breathed, keeping his tone calm and gentle. He caught the scared gleam in green eyes and hesitated. "I'm not going to hurt you" He wavered. "Stop acting like I am."

He was saying one thing, but his body was doing another. Jeremy was half sure that Mike had no idea that it wasn't the verbal communication making him shiver.

"You're right, you know" Mike gripped the collar tightly, making sure not to harm the nightwatch. "You can handle this without me. I figured that a long time ago."

Keeping his mouth shut, Jeremy shuttered in the eyelock, wondering where the sky blue had gone. "But I had to fuck with four animatronics back then." The guard continued. "You're fucking with eleven, or more. Who knows? They could have a couple more stashed in the back for all we know."

A little voice crept up from Jeremy's throat and escaped his lips. "...I-I appricate the help Mike," He whispered. "I really do. But you have to start taking care of yourself too...Working all and night isn't good for your health-"

"Look who's talking" Mike growled, "At least I'm out of school. You still have your studies to work on"

"Y-yes but..." The securtity guard remained stoic as the nightwatch stuttered for an excuse. "But I manage-"

"Exactly"

A feeling of irritation and stubbornness rose in Jeremy. Even someone like him can get a little peeved off every now and then. "...That's no excuse!" He spat back, ignoring how the grip around his collar tightened. "I-I'm not a kid, Mike! You don't have to be so tough about it all the time! Stop acting like your not tired all the time..." He trailed off, rolling his tongue thoughtfully.

"There is something wrong with you..." Jeremy stated. "...you don't need to watch after me-"

His voice cracked as he was harshly pulled upwards, Mike craning down so their noses were nearly touching. Jeremy froze, a scream itching in his throat as he watch a deep blue darken and spread, leaving a tiny white speck of an iris in it's place. He could practily feel the pressure as he heard the security guard grind his teeth.

"I'm not risking it" Mike growled, "I'm not risking you"

Something beeped.

Jeremy was released, taking a few good steps back for measure. Mike blinked, once, twice, bring up to his watch to look at the time. He groaned. "11:50PM"

His only response was a uneasy nod, the nightwatch still shaken from the sight. Jeremy swallowed, his heartbeat hammering. Mike was back to normal, at least, his eyes were. The cold blue was back again, glaring dully at the digital watch as he reached for the tablet.

"...Let's get to the office."

Holding the tablet out for Jeremy to take, Mike stood by the door, waiting. The nightwatch only stared for a moment, baffled. He opened his mouth to speak, but his lungs decided against it. The sight of the void took his breath away, it seemed.

"Mike..." He whipsered, reaching out to take the tablet caustiously. "Are you...blanking?"

The hand around the door handle halted mid-pull. He felt the tablet leave his other hand as he stared at the checkered floor. The air between them was full of silence, broken only by the sound of the tablet being powered on.

Mike bit his lip. "I don't know"

His throat was dry and his hands twitchy. Thre was a faint seering senation in his head. Not a headache, no. He's had enough of those to know the difference of one. But instead, it felt like someone was purposly pushing jabs into his skull, like they wanted it to cave in.

Why did he feel so angry? He wasn't supposed to feel anything at all.

Blanks were supposed to be numbing. They were supposed to be painless, nerveless and short, nothing alike to what he felt now. Paranoid? Maybe. But he knows he isn't supposed to be aware of churning in his stomach or the burning behind his eyes if this really was a blank. Blanks didn't have syptoms, or at least any obvious ones.

This has never happended before. It scared him.

Mike shook the pulsating thoughts away. "I'm still awake, right?" He commented, swinging the door open. " So don't worry about it. I'll be fine" His watch beeped again and he brought it into view, frowing at the numbers.

"Five minutes. C'mon, Jere"

Jeremy took a deep breath and followed Mike to the office.

Walking quickly, the secuirty guard ignored the animatronics that stood posed on stage as they passed, not having enough energy to flip them off tonight. Jeremy, on the other hand, spared the robots a quick glance, raising a baffled brow at what he saw

Their head's were turned towards the guards, endo eyes following their moves as they passed. They didn't look malicious, surprisingly, but were fixed in such a way that it seemed like they were tracking something, careful and cautious. Even BonBon watched the air around Mike with guarded interest.

The nightwatch shuddered, quickening his pace.

The office was mess as always. Mike pulled out the soft spinning chair, motioning Jeremy to take a seat while he leaned over and grabbed a pull-out, kicking it open and taking his place beside the teen. The two sat in stuffy silence, Mike fiddling with his watch while Jeremy mindlessly adjusted his sleeve cuffs.

Only when Mike's watch beeped 12:00 did a realization slam into the nightwatch. "We forgot the flashlight..."

The older man held up a hand, fingers wrapped around said object. "You forgot the flashlight" A corner of his mouth tugged upward into a smirk. "Not me"

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief, tapping to wind the music box. "Geeze, Mike..." The security guard rolled his eyes at the mention of his name, leaning back into his seat. "Don't 'geeze' me, dweeb" He flipped the vent's lights on, flickering down the hallway. "...and you're telling me you can handle yourself..."

Jeremy looked up from the screen, pouting. "You're not going to hold that against me, are you?"

Slumping in his seat, Mike's tired smirk deepened. "I might"

A dose of guilt stirred in Jeremy's gut. Looking back down at the screen, he switched from camera to camera, thinking of a decent comback. He raised a hand and rubbed his shoulder, fiddling with his collar to find it wrinkled. He smoothed it back into place, his thoughts rolling over to earlier events.

"...I'm sorry about earlier..." He mused, keeping his eyes on the animatronics. "..I-I didn't mean to start an argument-"

"It was my fault, Jere" He heard Mike shuffled beside him, probably propping his feet up on the desk. "I shouldn't have overeacted like that..."

He was cut off by a series of coughing. Jeremy's head swung up at the raspy noise, keeping his thumb on the music box remote. He watched as Mike caught his breath, recollecting himself. "I, uh.." The guard cleared his throat. "I'm fine"

The nightwatch's mouth opened ready to protest before shutting it again, giving an aknoledgin nod before returning to the screen. 'Fine' was definitely not a word he would use to describe Mike right now, but considereding the little episode from earlier, he wasn't going to point out the increasenly obvious. The last thing they needed to do was to cause a lot of commotion.

He felt a tap on his arm. Mike pointed to the left vent, whispering as he pulled his mask down. "Balloon Bitch"

Green eyes darted to the vent just as a bright colored plastic hat came into view. Jeremy barley had enough time to yank down his mask, going still as his breathing slowled.

The air around them was quiet, making the pounding of his heartbeat of so much louder. Then, the sound of metal on metal echoed through the walls, growing more distant as Ballon Boy left the two alone again.

Mike was already flickering the lights again by the time Jeremy had lifted the mask. "Bonnie down the hallway" Jeremy followed the flashlight's direction.

Sure enough, the purple rabbit stood at the far end of the corridor, stunned by the bright light Mike was pleasently flashing him with. The light flickered off momentarily, enveloping the robot in total darkness. The tiny red led leds of his endoskeleton blinked in response, taking a confident step forward towards the office.

The light flicked back on again and Bonnie's AI glitched, causing him to take two steps back. His metal feet clanging against the tile as he stumbled back, shaking the dizziness away.

Mike stiffled a laugh, grinning as he watched the robot suffer. He'd light the corridor every moment or so, giving the animatronic time to adjust before he flashed again. The robot was almost spazzical now, stumbling to the wall as he tried to drag himself closer to the guards. Face or no face, the brightness of it all was just too much for his outdated sensors to handle.

Bonnie fell to the floor with a loud clank, the sound barely overlapping Mike's throaty chuckles. Jeremy swallowed as the animatronic pulled himself forward with his one arm, the nightwatch covering his ears as the skidding sound grew closer.

A cough and wheezy breath sounded to his side, morphing into deep laughter as the one armed robot froze outside the edge of the office, struggling to stand. Jeremy quickly wound the music box fully, quickly scanning through the cameras before turning his head to Mike, whom glared at the rabbit with intent.

As much as the nightwatch didn't want the rabbit to come any closer, he couldn't shake the feeling that what Mike was doing was entirly wrong. "Just pull your mask down, Mike" He voiced, one hand hovering over the disguise. "He'll leave us alone, you know that."

The security guard surpressed the pain coming from inside of his ribcage, turning to the teen. "What's the matter?" He snickered, the seering behind his temples going numb. "I'm just having a little fun..." He let the room go dark for a moment before giving Bonnie a long, bright light, effectively stunning the animatronic into falling again.

Something inside Jeremy whimpered at the sight. Mike was acting stranger then he had before. Sure, he hated the animatronics just as much as they despised him. But he was never this...cruel to the robots, not even on the rougher nights. It was all dull profession and guard with him, never slacking or goofing off in between. Mike Schmidt was not one to dwell in the presence of the animatronics, and he certainly wasn't too keen on spending quality time with them either.

Jeremy stared at red rimmed eyes as they darkened, fitting nicely with the eere smile as the broken rabbit finally turned heel and ran from the office. Not walked. Not wandered. But ran.

The nightwatch flipped through the cameras, trying to hold his expression neutral. "That was really mean, Mike" He spotted the older Chica model in one of the party rooms, a paper plate doll held in the bit of her teeth. Ignoring the odd sight, he continued to flip through the series of screens. "You didn't have to do that-"

"Why the fuck not?" Mike chuckled. He felt the burn of the nightwatch's glare on his back as he leaned over to check the vents. "They'll try to kill us anyway..."

"...You'll only make them angry"

"I know"

Jeremy frowned as a knowing smile split his co-workers cheeks. Rolling his eyes, he looked down to the camera again. Music box handled, Chirp in the vents, BonBon in the party room, Mangle by the merry-go-round, Freddy missing, Bonnie back in his corner, Chica still had the doll-wait, Freddy was missing?

He scanned through the screens again just to make sure. No sigh of the iconic bear. Jeremy sighed, remembering to have his disguise at the ready.

"Hey, Jeremy..."

The nightwatch glanced up, flinching when a hand reached forward and roughly yanked his mask down. The straps slipped, causing the peep holes to fall out of alighnment with his own mossy eyes. Jeremy fumbled with the mask until it was adjusted correctly, and he could properly see what the camouflage allowed him to. He pressed his lips together.

Freddy pushed through the final bounderies of the office, his arms hanging limply at his sides as he slugged closer to the guards. Plastic eyes roamed the room, scanning the two bodies that sat still in their places.

Jeremy felt a shiver run up his spine as the bear's gaze landed on him, locking him in a trance. The bear's eyes flashed once, twice, and the lights around them began to flicker. Then, he dismissed the nightwatch and turned to the other company, his mouth widening to match the greeting grin he saw in return.

Seeing the bear pipe to attention, Jeremy slowly swivled his neck towards the security guard, softly gasping at what he saw.

Mike wasn't wearing his mask.

The flashlight was held calmy in his lap, like he hadn't even of bothered to shine down the hallway this time. He sat straight, the flickering lights casting a sickly shadow on his already paled skin, which only intensified the growing glow that seemed to resonate off of his iris.

Mike gave the bear a inviting smile, his teeth glinting under the bear's radar. "How's it going, Teddy?"

Jeremy barley had time to leap away as the bear volted over the desk, his paws reaching for the guards neck. Much to his relief, Mike swiftly dodged the attack, calmy stepping to a place beside Jeremy as the animatronic reered himself.

The nightwatch panted from the floor, frozen and unsure of what to do. Suddenly, he heard the sound of choking laughter. He craned his neck upwards, still restrained by the mask but was able to see Mike leering over him from behind, holding out a hand for him to take.

There was a sinister grin on his face, one that had only deepened as the nightwatch stared up in fear. "W-why are you wearing you're mask?!" He stuttered, keeping his voice low. "You had the flashlight! Why-"

He was cut off as a pressure wrapped around his collar once more, pulling him into standing postion. Then, he was pulled backwards, whimpering as he felt his back hit the wall. Mike stood in front of him, a barrier between the teen and Freddy, whom was slowly recollecting himself from his failed attack, picking himself up from the ground.

Jeremy eyes darted from the animatronic to what lay underneath him; the tablet, a crack in the corner of it's screen. Figures.

Suddenly, Jeremy was grabbed roughly and swung to the side with a yelp, Freddy ramming into the spot where he had just once been. With his heart racing and his mind panincing, he didn't protest as the force that pushed him slowly stepped with him to other end of the room, Mike taking a firm stance in front of him.

He heard his voice hiccup as he spoke. "W-What do we do?" He stammered. "Why didn't you flash him away? I-I don't understand...You...But you and Bonnie....It's l-like you just let him in here...W-w-why-"

Jeremy's lungs begged for air and he had to cut his own stammering to breath. His inhale was shaky, just like how his hands were. In the back of his mind, he acknowledged that there was something moving in the walls, but he was much too preoccupied with the current situation to pay heed to the danger.

Mike's head slowly swivled to Jeremy, the dim of the room casting a shadow on his face. Jeremy swallowed, wondering why the red rimmed blue was replaced with a darkening shade of grey. "M-Mike...?

The olderman responded with a toothy smile. "Hey...Jeremy..." He chuckled. "Hold something for me, will ya?"

Something small was shoved roughly into Jeremy's hands. The teen looked down, blinking at what was presented to him. Mike's watch?

Mike's voice resonated as Jeremy observed the offering. A bandaged hand came into view, taking the watch and securly clasping it around the younger male's wrist."I don't want it getting broken. Take care of it for me, m'k?" His voice was unsually calm, words flowing from his mouth in a gentle manner. With his lip quivering, Jeremy could only nod, shifting the watch to hide under his sleeve.

There was a screech and the sound of something being smashed.

By the time Jeremy had looked up, Mike was already across the room again. His foot was planted on the back of Freddy's head, harshly pushing it against the wall. "What the hell are you doing?!" The yell escaped Jeremy's mouth before he could think twice. "Stop it!"

Mike only pushed harder, listening to the sounds of pain the bear emmited. Short, spazzical static noises, but still clearly full of hurt. "Why?" The security guard mused. "It's either him or us. They deserve it anyway!"

Jeremy watched helplessy as Mike turned to spit on the ground, his saliva stained red. Strange, Jeremy doesn't remember seeing him ever get hit. "Mike, this isn't you! Get off of him!" His mask began to feel hot with his breath, and he pushed it up without a second thought. The straps lost their grip and it fell to the floor.

Mike scoffed, a trickle of blood running from his mouth. "Are you really fucking defending him?" He lifted his foot from the animatronic, stepping away from the quick swipe the bear lunged out. A bile rose in his throat, but he swallowed it back down, turning back to the bear; giving him full attention.

His grin eteched wider. "Having fun, Teddy?" His breath was tainted with amusement. "Because I am"

The animatronic screeched in anger, bolting forward and reaching out for the security guard, barely grasping hold of his tie. Mike was pulled in, a paw wrapping around his neck, ready to squeeze and rid the life that had become tainted inside the human body. The gears inside of him whirred, similar to what a human might have identified as an 'adrenaline rush' as they'd call it.

Freddy's sensors made sure to note of the human screaming somewhere else in the room before returning to his current victim.

He hesitated too long. A hand wrapped around the bear's wrist, and Mike slipped from the robot's grasp, side-stepping around him as he twisted his limb to follow. Raising his leg, he gave a solid kick to the back of the bear's knee, the vibrations shaking even the endoskeleton inside.

Freddy fell to the ground with a thud, his voice box shuttering in surprise as the weight above him lifted. Mike coughed with a grin, spitting blood to the floor. He stared down at his shoes, now decorated with the liquid, as they left red footprint in the white of the checkered tile.

Mike became vagualy aware of the same liquid flowing freely down his forehead; tiny droplets falling to join the growing puddle beneath his feet.

Poor Mikey. Trying to ingore the seering inside your head just doesn't work, I'm afraid. It may have started out numb and dull earlier, but it inteifiied. A burning itch that seeped through the lines and deep into the stitches. But there is nothing that can be done to end the agony, sadly. All one can do is endure.

And endure Mikey did. Ever since he walked into the pizzeria early that morning, all he felt was the growing sting, the nawing ache in his stomach, the exploding pressure between his ribs and the forever remaining paranoia of someone's watchful eye.

The exaustion and sensation mixed to create a lovley feeling of weightlessness as time passed. But his body still moved, his mouth still spoke, and his thoughts still ran. But he couldn't feel any ownership to most of his actions, as if he was only a puppet being played on strings.

Mike watched his reflection in the blood, a sinister grumble crawling from his chest as he watched his eyes invert and darken, now only a white spec signifying where his once blue iris would have been.

He began to laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

Behind him, Jeremy watched in horror as the man before him whithered into something different. Something monstrous.

The man whom Mike once was finished his laughter, peering up from the floor to give a lazy smile. Freddy stood watching, oppostite of Jeremy in the room, equally intrigued by the change of character the guard was displaying.

Somewhere inside Freddy, he detected a child's cry whithin him. That man's smile was all too familer.

Mike straightened, holding his posture high in a gentlemanly fashion and adjusting his loosened tie. He looked the animatronic up and down, an amused hint to his features as he stepped towards the bear. And to Jeremy's shock, the bear took a caustious step backwards.

" Freddy..." Mike's voice was smooth, slyer than his usual tone. "It's been so long...How have you been?"

Freddy took another step back, slowly easing into the dark corridor. Jeremy's breath hitched as his line of sight darted to him, flashing when they saw the mask laying on the ground to his feet. For a moment, he was sure Freddy was going to make a run for him, too. But the bear only reverted his eyes back to he security guard, hardly akowledging the nightwatch's existance.

Mike seemed to pause in his movements as animatronic glanced behind him. He tilted his head in curiousity, following his gaze to a teary eyed teen who stood cowering the corner, clutching his hands to his chest and wearing a face of innocence. He stared deep into the void, little noises crawling up his throat and escaping his lips as tiny whimpers. The sense of fear was unmistakable.

Mike's mad grin softened. Turning his back on Freddy, he gave the fearfull nightwatch a warm smile, which really didn't quite pair well with the black, blank eyes of his. "Well, well..." He hummed, half-lidded eyes scanning the boy. Jeremy's back hit the wall when he stepped closer.

"Hello, Fitzgerald" Mike greeted, taking slow, non-chalnt steps towards him. "You really shouldn't be up at such an early hour"

Jeremy found himself gliding along the wall, trying to put some distance between the two. "M-Mike?" He whispered, gulping when the older man gave a coy shake of the head. "Not availiable at the moment. Apologies."

The man slowly worked to close the distance between the two of them, with Jeremy taking a step back with every advancement. Mike stopped only a few feet away from the teen, analyzing him carefully. Jeremy felt his gaze linger on his skin, returning to greet his terrified stare with a nod of approval.

"Beautiful eyes...cute little ears..." The man drawled, watching the younger male squirm. "I can see why he likes you"

Jeremy bit his lip, backing away from the man. "...Y-you're not Mike..." His voice cracked in the slightest, but the pounding in his ears was too loud for him to notice. "...You're not him at all.."

"Mr. Schmidt is a bit preoccupied at the moment, it seems."

Something bumped against the nightwatch's foot. Assuming it was the discarded flashlight, he paused. Keeping his sight set on the approaching man, Jeremy bent down, wrapping his hand around the object and gripping it tightly. If the worst were to happen, it could be used as a make-shift weapon. Hopefully, it wouldn't have to come to that.

He happened to glance over the guard's shoulder. Freddy was long gone.

"...I-I don't understand" A shiver crawled up his spine. The man before him conducted himself in such a way that it was nearly spherical to Mike's usual behavior. Even the voice Jeremy's heard cursing so many time's had lost it's hint of gruffness, replaced with a more sly tone.

"I-is this another Blank?" Jeremy exhaled, searching for an anwer in the stare of the void. "That's what this it, right? Just another one of you're episodes..." A sliver of relief was beginning to form inside of him. "...In a while, you'll wake up and everything will go back to normal. Won't it?"

His heart dropped as the imposter gave a wide, glinting grin. "Normal is not a word I would use, Mr. Fitzgerald." He chuckled as the shimmer of hope faded from green eyes. "But I will have to applaud on your assumption, however. Blanks have proven to be very useful windows, it seems."

"...Where is he?" Jeremy questioned, measureing the growing space between them as he walked. The silence was choking him, and the inviting smile he was being given was helping either. "W-what did you do to Mike?" He felt his blood pumping faster as he drowned in panic."D-Don't hurt him-"

"On the contary..." The man trailed off, watching a flurry of emotions flood the nightwatch's face. "I've done no harm to your beloved Michael, or at least not with any intention. But if I've somehow caused you or him some sort of distress, I give you my sincerest apologies." He grinned, resting a hand over his tie.

"Possesions do tend to be quite tricky. It's a dreadfull, but necessary action, I'm afraid."

Jeremy stared in terror at the amusement plastered across Mike's features. Something that should not be there. "P-possession...?" He repeated, taking a step back. Only this time, the guard gladly took one forward in turn. "...This is a joke, right?" He begged for it to be. "...That sort of stuff isn't r-real!"

His throat went panfully dry as the man shook his head once more with disasifaction, clicking his tongue. "I'm disappointed in you, Fitzgerald, I really am" He tilted his head in a mocking fashion. "You've worked here for a while now...Am I correct?"

The only response Jeremy could muster was a small nod of the head. "Then did it ever cross your mind as to why the animatronic's act the way they do?" Mike asked, taking the advance on the younger male. "I mean no disrespect, of course."

Jeremy swallowed, pushing himself off the wall and side-stepping away from the guard. "They're all defective" He stuck close to the second wall, moving around the desk. "I-it's a gltich...They think p-people are endoskeletons and...uh-"

The imposter gave a dull look, the corner's of his mouth tugged up to split Mike's cheeks. "It seems you've been lied to. Michael as well." Jeremy passed by the vent as he continued, his eyes darting down the dark hallway as his knees lined up with the vent's entrance. Maybe he could make a run for it...make it to the front door in one piece before this sitauion escalated anyfurther.

But what would become of Mike?

The thought made him hesitate. Jeremy gripped the flashlight tighter, the conflict within him holding him in place.

Suddenly, Mike's mocking smirk morphed into a teethed snarled. The air went cold as Jeremy pressed his back to the wallpaper, staring in horror as the fraud burned into him with seering, white irises. Then, they shifted down near his feet, baring his teeth in an insane show of agression.

Jeremy heard something scramble in the vents before the tension was directed back to him.

Mike cleared his throat. "Yes..where was I..." He wiped off the drying blood around his mouth with his sleeve, calmly clasping his hands behind his back in a proffesional manner afterwards. "I assume you know the Fazbear's legacy? Or has it died out, maybe?"

Jeremy was still shuffling away from the vent's entrace to fully process the question. "I-I've heard things..." He mummered. "I know about the k-kids"

Mike's eyes seemed to glow brighter, holding his head up in a prideful stance. "A fan of the work, I hope?" The nightwatch shuddered at the idea, images flashing though his head. His disgust must have been pretty clear. "No? That's a shame"

"Just get away from me..." Jeremy whispered. "Give me back Mike"

"Oh, I'm afraid I won't be able to do that, you see..." The man mused, his manipulation of Mike's vocal cords causing the nightwatch to grow sickly. "But I've worked much too hard to let go so easily."

Jeremy choked back a sob. "Please..."

"But don't fret, Fitzgerald. I only mean to borrow your friend Mikey here for a important game." The imposter closed the distance between him and the teen, trapping him soley with glare. "One that I'm sure you'd love to partake in..."

A hand rested on Jeremy's shoulder, the nightwatch flinching at the contact. He turned away to stare at the blood covered floor, trying his best to ignore how close Mike's face had been brought to his own. "I've never been a gambling man...but I suppose a friendly game to win your dear friend back is in order. Don't you agree?"

Dispite the distracting feeling of breath against his cheek, the nightwatch zeroed in on the offer. "...I'm listening..."

"The rules are simple. A modified verson of Hide-and-Go-Seek, if you will. You run and hide, with a head start of course, and I'll try to find you? Easy enough, isn't it?"

Green eyes lifted from the ground to peer into black. He could feel that spark of hope coming back to him now. "Ok..." He breathed. "What's the catch?"

The question brought a sinister glow to the white of the monster's eye. "I'm going to try to kill you, Fitzgerald. If I see you at any point in the game, I will not hesitate to end your life." He watched innocent eyes widen in fear. "But I must say that death isn't as cold as you might think, despite the popular belief. It's actaully quite relaxing."

"W-why should I play? There's nothing for me to win-"

"Ah, but let me finish. I was raised a gentlemen in life, you see, and it was commen manner to never cheat or decieve another. It was simply rude to say the least. Bad sportsmanship. So...I will play fair" He gave the shoulder a squeeze before take a step back, allowing the teen room to breath.

"If you live to see 6AM, I'll give your Mikey back. Unharmed."

Jeremy clutched the flashlight close to his chest, considering his options. The possibility to escape by foot was still availiable, but that mean't leaving Mike behind to suffer what ever this imposter had in store for him. Not to mention, there was no garentee he'd even make it to the front doors before one of the animatronics snagged him.

He let out a shaky breath, wiping away his wet eyes before swinging his head up to meet his pursuer with new-found determination. "I'll play"

The answer was expected, it seemed, as the man only smirked in sasisfaction. "Excellent"

"But one thing first..."

The smirk faltered in the slightest. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Jeremy pressed his lips together in a thin line. "Who are you?"

The air went quiet as the tension froze with it. Then, the sound of deep laughter echoed through the room. "Apologies, It's been so long since my death, I must have forgotten my manners." His laughter ceased to a much more appropriate level, "Ah, well. You might as well go ahead and begin your head start. I'm giving you ten minutes. You've still got to last five hours after all."

The nightwatch bit his lip, quickly pulling up his sleeve to glance at Mike's watch. The hand ticked agonizlyng slow as the seconds passed by. Remebering to breath, Jeremy back away from Mike, decending into the hall.

Another call paused him momentarily. "Oh, and before I forget, Fitzgerald." Mike took one last observation of the teen, a hint of smugness in his voice.

"My name is Benjamin. Look for my name in any of the old Fazbear deeds and I'm sure you'll find it there."

Stunned, Jeremy shook his head, ridding himself of the reconition overlapping his denial. The imposter only raised a brow at the look, shock and confusion blending together nicely.

"But I supposed you should know of the title the children have taken to calling me," He smiled "The Purple Man."

---

Before you ask: Benjamin is the Purple Guy in my AU.

Not Vincent. Stop trying to tell me otherwise please.