Schoolgirl with a Secret

“Eleven years, huh?” The dark-haired woman shone her flashlight around the hallway, stepping forward as she did so. Her free hand moved to her walkie-talkie, bringing it close to her mouth before she spoke. “Freddy’s really had a time, hasn’t he?”

“Yeah, I’m surprised nobody’s already looted the place,” a male voice crackled. “HQ figured they’d send you out since you worked on the Fazbear case previously, so—”

“Mostly Afton.”

“Right. Mostly Afton, but you too.” A pause. “You think you’ll find anything related to that here, Parks?”

Parks sighed. “No. I think my leads dried up a long time ago on that front.” She shook her head, walking down the hallway as she continued. “Too many closed locations. Too much history to try pinning anything down. The Afton family is either dead or missing, and I don’t know what to make of it.”

“You think Afton...you know...”

“Not a chance. He wanted to find their killer, and he said he was sure he had a lead. Michael wouldn’t do that, Jones. I knew him, he wouldn’t—” Parks bit her lip, the last words sounding too desperate for her to tolerate. She took a breath, then let it out. Calm down, Parks. “...I know he’s not the killer.”

“...right. You know I trust your judgment, Parks. I barely knew Afton—hell, I think you were the only one close to him.” A noise bubbled across the connection, something akin to shuffling papers. Either Jones was finally starting his paperwork, or he was simply shrugging. “Anything unusual in your sights?”

Parks turned a corner, about to answer before she spotted several objects on the floor.

Animatronic parts. All four of the animatronics had been dismantled, their parts in disheveled piles in the room. As she shone her flashlight upwards, she spotted that a wall had been boarded up; it looked more recent than the rest of the place, but not by much. The wood looked to have begun rotting, the water damage of the pizzeria beginning to erode it.

“Parks? Parks, you read me?”

Shakily, Parks lifted the walkie-talkie. “Jones, is there a room in the back of the pizzeria, near the restrooms?”

“Uhhhhh...let me check that.” The shuffling of papers accompanied the crackling, and Jones’s voice rung out a few moments later. “Looks like it! Should be a safe room. Fortified in case of emergencies. You know the drill.”

She pocketed the walkie-talkie, before glancing around for something to batter the wood with. Besides the animatronics, she spotted some pieces of wood, heading over to check them.

Most of them were just planks, useless for breaking much of anything. However, she found a beam in the pile, finding it weighty enough to bash, while just enough to not tax her limits too much. Even so, Parks had to set aside her flashlight, using one of Foxy’s arms to prop it so she could see the wooden barrier.

When she was ready, she silently counted down, before charging the door, the beam hitting it and causing the barrier to audibly crack.

It took several more charges before she could make a hole, and she had to find a crowbar to finish tearing it down. By the time she had a human-shaped hole in the wood, she was breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her face.

“Parks! Parks!”

She waited a moment before bringing the walkie-talkie to her. “Jones?”

“What was all that noise? Geez! Making me worry over here.”

“Bringing the barrier down. We’re supposed to investigate this place, right?”

“Yeah, but geez, at least tell me you’re going to break shit.”

“Right, right. I’m heading in.”

“Got it.”

Parks pocketed the walkie-talkie again, shining her flashlight into the saferoom as she toed in. There really wasn’t much in the room, but something slumped in the corner did catch her eye.

A rotting animatronic suit. She was sure that it used to be gold, but now it looked like a strange golden-green. Wires stuck out from its body, one of its ears severed, and the scent of decay reached her nose. This must’ve been one of the springlock suits that had been floating around during the investigation but rumored to have been artifacts from the diner that started it all.

It seemed like the rumors were true, in more than one way. Whichever unlucky sap had gotten his ass trapped in it was probably regretting it.

With another glance around, Parks stepped closer to the animatronic, lowering to one knee to get a better look at it.

It looked worse up close. Holes littered its body, revealing what appeared to be organs, and...were those silver eyes staring at her?

Before she could move, the animatronic did so first, its head rearing up and causing Parks to yelp and shine the flashlight into its eyes.

“W-wait!” The animatronic held up a hand, shielding its face from the light. “S-sorry, we...I haven’t had anyone...here in a long time...”

“Eleven years. We’re aware.” The voice sounded familiar, jarringly so. Even so, Parks swallowed, lowering the flashlight to allow the creature to look around. “Didn’t think there were any more that were haunted.”

The animatronic paused, before it lifted its gaze up towards her. It tilted its head, those silver eyes squinting, before it spoke again. “N-Naomi...?”

“What? H-how do you know my name?” Parks knew why, there was a sinking feeling of that, but she didn’t want to think about it. If it was true, that meant there would be so many questions, so many answers that she’d thought she had completely obliterated. “Who are you?”

“I-it’s...it’s me...Michael.”

---

Michael (or “Springtrap”, as he called himself now) proved to be rather cooperative in providing the information he had gathered. Naomi had to shut off the walkie-talkie to take notes, but not before reassuring Jones that she knew what she was doing.

When they finished, though, they sat together in silence. Naomi felt herself lean against Springtrap, stiffening at the animatronic’s arm wrapping around her, before relaxing. It was Michael. Sort of. He wouldn’t hurt her, not after giving so much vital information for the case.

“You said you were probably going to die.” Naomi’s voice was hushed, as if speaking too loudly would wake her up from whatever dream she was in.

“I...technically did. Twice, if you want to count the...s-springlocking as a death.”

“And you’re still here.”

“Yes.”

“You...we have a daughter. That last time, before you left...”

Springtrap paused, before giving Naomi a gentle squeeze. “I’m...s-sorry I didn’t stay for her...or you.”

“But you can be with her now.”

“...but what about—”

“We’ll take care of finding William. You’ve done more than enough for the case, and if we can track him down and take care of him, then we can be a family again.”

“Even...like this?”

“Even like this.”