Author's Note: Don't get used to seeing me up here. Hypocritical as my doing this is, I'm actually not a fan of these at the top. Gets in the way of the good stuff, in my opinion. Anyway, I wanted to clear up a few things before we get the ball rolling. One: Bonnie's female. I know the creator said otherwise, but I had this idea before I learned of it. Two: The reason the animatronics attacked the guards in this story is the Phone Guy's reasoning that they assumed they were endoskeletons out of place. That remains unconfirmed, but there is nothing paranormal (ghosts, demons, etc.), in this story. Just intelligent robots with a creepy amount of sentience. Now then, I'm done, there isn't gonna be a bottom Note on this chapter and for the future, they'll be at the bottom so you can easily scroll down past them if you don't care. Also, flame me if you want. I'm a firefighter. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Just Another Night

As security guard Mike Schmidt collapsed in his roller chair, tablet resting on his desk and angled to his face by his right hand, Freddy stood in his spot onstage. It had been two weeks since Mike first got this job as night guard, and now everything seemed routine. Unbeknownst to Schmidt, the animatronics had, through observation of Mike, made the realization that he was not an endoskeleton needing to be put back into uniform, and was simply part of the staff, like they saw during the day.

But Mike didn't need to know. After years of scaring previous night guards (who were, as far as they were concerned, "out of uniform"), Freddy and the others had gotten a morbid satisfaction out causing as much terror to the poor guard as they could. But now… Well Mike was a little bit different. He never got caught, for one, but he also kept coming back, and not just each night. After his first week, Mike had taken a liking to the 'bots, crazy as it sounds, and took to seeing them during the day, sometimes even talking with them. Freddy and his band were "on duty" most of the time, and didn't react, while Foxy remained disabled. Management had made it clear years ago that anything resembling their Free Roam programming was forbidden during the day.

This was what was on Freddy's mind as the clock struck midnight, and he felt himself loosen up. A series of whirs and clacks from either side indicated that Chica and Bonnie were feeling much the same, and getting ready to wander about. Freddy stayed, focusing on a realization that had befallen the others as well. They actually liked Mike.

What did it for Foxy was rather obvious, once Mike had a rather one-sided conversation in Pirate's Cove one day. After being locked up for nearly 20 years, Foxy appreciated the attention. Chica was also swayed rather quickly, when Mike had asked (again, during the day), possibly sarcastically, if she actually made any pizza. Needless to say, Mike had a delivery order that night. Apparently he liked it, and let her know the next day.

Bonnie and Freddy arrived to this conclusion much later, Freddy himself just now. While the animatronics don't interact all that much, Chica and Foxy did share their small bit of joy they received from Mike's various actions. Seeing the other two a little happier made Bonnie instantly like Mike, while Freddy realized the lack of assumption they were mindless killing machines had pushed him to join Mike's "fan club."

But again. Mike didn't need to know. It's not like they could waltz right up and tell him anyway. Nice as he was to them, the security doors were always closed when they got close. This rather dismayed Bonnie, who wanted to thank him, but understood Mike's caution. He wasn't the first guard. So now, Freddy and his friends stopped trying to get Mike back in "uniform," and were content to pester him, maybe even scare him from time to time. Foxy certainly did.

A faint "beep" drew Freddy from his thoughts as the stage camera's red light blinked on, signaling Mike was currently watching him, and making the realization that Bonnie and Chica had left. The light was off rather quickly. Across the Dining Hall, the camera aimed at Pirate's Cove blinked on, and Foxy was already starting to peer out behind the curtain, ready to make his latest charge. He wasn't going to hurt Mike, but making the guard jump seemed to amuse him greatly. Freddy chuckled to himself.

Just another night, he thought.

Foxy snickered to himself as he watch the camera light blink on, then almost instantly blink back off.

The lad must be jumpy tonight, he thought, and continued waiting, inching out again to continue his tradition of slowly leaving the curtain before sprinting for the office. Seeing Mike jump back when he slammed himself into the window still got a kick out of the old pirate. But interestingly, the camera didn't blink back on. Foxy turned towards the Show Stage, seeing Freddy decide to finally get up and move around, and watched the cameras both at the stage and dining hall. They remained off.

Usually, Mike kept up a sweeping scan of the place, just a few seconds on each camera every so often to make sure everything was okay, but still conserve power. Foxy waited at least 10 minutes, but still none of the cameras activated. Freddy and the others didn't seem to notice, since Chica could be heard clanging in the kitchen, Bonnie was looking at some new drawings that had been tacked onto the notice board, and Freddy was absent mindedly organizing chairs.

Well if he ain't be paying 'Ol Foxy no mind… he thought, lowering his eye patch and pushing up his dangling jaw with his hook. Then I'll pay him some. Foxy then launched himself down the West Hall.

Mike was tired. Not just run-of-the-mill tired, he was exhausted. Freddy's, always short staffed, asked Mike to help with a really large birthday party, the first in months. Mike had agreed, naturally assuming he would act as guard, simply having to watch the cameras and keep an eye on things, maybe take a nap or two, but he was dead wrong.

They asked Mike to help chaperone the party, since most of the parents just wanted them to be the restaurant and birthday boy's parent's problem for "just a few hours," the manager said. A few hours turned into the beginning of Mike's shift, as the 2 other adults (parents) other than himself couldn't keep an eye on everyone. The kids had made a huge mess of the dining area, throwing food, plates, chairs, even each other. Then when Freddy and his band began their show, they threw food at them. The party lasted until the pizzeria closed at 8:00, and when the custodian arrived, he chewed out Mike so vigorously he was left with no choice but to help the old man, who wouldn't go near Freddy. After spending the next 3 and a half hours cleaning up the place, Mike all but fell into his chair.

But unfortunately for Mike, by the time all was said and done, there were only about 15 minutes until the start of his shift. So he pressed on, looking at the stage and seeing that Chica and Bonnie were already absent, then flicking over to Pirate Cove to find Foxy peering out at him. Then the fatigue took hold, and, for the first time, Mike did something he had long vowed never to do while on duty. Mike fell asleep.

Foxy rounded the corner and was surprised to see the security door wide open.

Hrm. That be odd, he thought, raising his eye patch and looking through the window. He saw Mike, slumped over his desk, the tablet he used lying face up near his forearms. The subtle rise and fall of his back made Foxy immediately throw out the idea he was dead. He took a step inside, a soft clunk sounding as his metal feet landed on the thin carpeting of the office.

Seeing no reaction from Mike, Foxy took another step, then another, eventually towering over his sleeping form. Foxy pushed his jaw back into place thoughtfully, and realized he had never really been in Mike's office. Usually they escorted the other, non-human guards straight to the Backstage. They usually weren't too happy to be put back in uniform, but rules were rules, and it didn't leave much time for exploration. So Foxy took in his surroundings. It wasn't a very big office, but at least he and all his 7 feet of height could stand up straight, and he could stand next to Mike without feeling too cramped. Foxy then looked down at the tablet on the desk, and tapped it experimentally. The screen didn't react to the cold metal, and he quickly became bored with it.

Then Foxy noticed the keys. They were hanging on the wall behind Mike. Instantly curious, Foxy pushed Mike back with his foot, ignoring the soft grunt when the chair rolled back into the wall, and continuing towards this new object. There were about four of these things on a small metal circle, which was hung on a nail pounded into the wall. Catching the ring on his hook, Foxy lifted the keys to his face and fiddled with them . They made a surprisingly loud jingling noise, so Foxy quickly rotated his head 180 degrees to glance back at Mike, before turning all the way around again after confirming he was still asleep.

Now, what do these be for? Foxy wondered. He had seen keys before, he himself had one for the large treasure chest in Pirate's Cove, but Foxy was convinced Mike didn't have treasure here (though he did look around briefly.) Instead, Foxy searched his memory for other uses of keys, remembering his chest, a small girl's diary, and…

O'course! The door! Foxy remembered, snapping his head in the direction of the main entrance. He recalled seeing Mike use these to let himself out at six the instant his shift ended that first week, much more anxious to leave than he was now. Proud of his memory, Foxy left through the open right security door and made his way to the main entrance, where he was again faced with another dilemma.

As he had seen, there were four keys dangling from the ring on his hook, but only one lock on the door. However, Foxy was an experienced old sea dog as far as he was concerned, and quickly found the key that fit the lock. Turning it around, Foxy heard a small click, and gave the door and experimental push. It swung free of the frame, and a light breeze drifted in. Foxy took a few steps out, his feet clanking and clunking on the hard concrete, and then stood stock still. For the first time, he realized, he was outside the pizzeria. Even Freddy had never stepped one foot out the door. His face curving up into a grin, he tossed the keys aside, pushed his jaw up with his hook, lowered his eye patch, and ran out into the night