Chapter Text
It’s nearly eleven at night when Jeremy feels it, that subtle shift in the air. The next group of kids had finally arrived.
He glances over at Michael, head down on the desk in a way that surely wasn’t comfortable and snoring softly in his sleep, watching as he shivers and lets out a low grumble as the feeling hits him, too. Last night had been particularly rough for a Tuesday, with the rotation being more aggressive than usual. Jeremy had had a migraine, and Michael had offered to take the entire night by himself. It turns out that the Scraps had come out to play, and poor Mike had looked like death warmed over by the time he woke Jeremy up. It was always like that when his family was lurking around, though. He’d been wired for most of the day, trying to come off that prolonged adrenaline, and finally crashed for good an hour or two ago.
He hesitates for a moment on whether or not to wake Michael up to come with him and find the kids, but eventually reasons that the task shouldn’t run over into the night shift. It is strange, though, that this group was showing up so late into the day. Generally, they would appear early in the morning, right as the night shift ended, and had time to acclimate to the new environment and the guards. By now, the cobbled-together memory of the pizzeria was almost completely dark, with only the stage, kitchen, and main dining area being dimly lit. The cooks and cleaning staff were always the ones left after closing, so their lights stayed on ‘til midnight. He hopes the kids aren’t too freaked out by it.
He turns out of the left corridor and walks down the main hall, checking inside each room as he passes. Party rooms? Empty. Parts and Service? No. Arcade? Surprisingly, no. Usually, the kids flock to the arcade and the prize corner the second they’re able to look around. He can’t blame them, of course, the arcade is where he and Mike tend to kill time too.
It’s when he reaches the end of the hall that he stops short. Staring at the gaggle of kids that are scattered around the dining room, Jeremy doesn’t know how to feel.
He and Michael had worked through the last group a few weeks ago at this point, had sent them off to finally join their loved ones in the true afterlife, and it had been radio silence since then. Usually, the Old Man would warn them a few days ahead of the next group’s arrival so that he and Michael had time to prepare. It used to be easier with the other guards here, too, but they had all come later in the timeline and had moved on when their Missing Children had. Jeremy was supposed to have moved on, but he was stubborn. Mike hadn’t gotten to move on once they passed his death date, which just wasn’t fair. He wouldn’t leave Michael to deal with ‘85 or ‘83 on his own.
The kids don’t notice him at first—even if they did, he doubts they would recognize him as anything beyond a security guard. But he knows all of them. Every single one of their young, innocent faces has been seared into his mind for decades at this point. They’re finally back to 1985, the first incident. He names them all off in his head as he scans the area.
Susanna ‘Susie’ Wright. Curly blonde hair done up in ringlets and wearing the same bubblegum pink dress her parents had reported her missing in. Ten years old.
Frederick ‘Fritz’ Wright, Susie’s younger brother. Ginger hair, a splattering of freckles, and sporting a little white polo shirt and light brown shorts. Seven years old, and the youngest of the group.
Gabriel Peterson. Messy brown hair, wearing an orange striped shirt and faded jeans, missing his upper left canine with an otherwise bright smile. Nine (and a half, his parents had stressed) years old.
Jeremy Mendoza. Medium-length curls with a faded undercut, a beauty mark under his right eye, wearing a light blue t-shirt and paint-splattered black jeans. Nine years old.
Cassidy Nguyen. Jet-black hair in pigtails, black denim overalls layered over a bright yellow shirt, wrists covered in bracelets. Nine-turning-ten years old, the birthday girl.
Those five, he was expecting to see. The other three, not so much.
Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Emily. Long, almost ashy black hair, found in the back alley in a denim jacket, a faded AC/DC shirt, and blue jeans. A chunky green bracelet around her wrist. Twelve-turning-thirteen years old. William Afton’s first victim.
Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Afton, Mike’s younger sister and Evan’s twin. Rusty orange hair in pigtails, with a bright red bow clipped at the back. Pink collared shirt, blue skirt, black dress shoes. Thirteen years old. Michael will be relieved to know that she’s here—they’d both been worried when she hadn’t appeared with the other Funtimes.
Evan Afton, Mike’s younger brother and Lizzie’s twin. Light brown hair, large eyes, wearing a grey striped shirt and blue shorts. Always has a yellow Fredbear plush with him. Ten-turning-eleven years old.
It takes him a long moment to come to terms with the fact that this will be the last group. After this, he and Michael will be able to rest for good. No more pain, no more suffering, no more silver in their veins and anger in their hearts. It’s odd that the three kids from 1983 are here, but he’s not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’ll have to thank the Old Man the next time he visits.
The room is filled with hushed talking, and Jeremy is loath to break it up. The children seemed unsettled, but they had been quickly distracted by the fact that they felt alive again. It happens with every group, and frankly, he can’t blame them. He and Michael had been overwhelmed by their restored bodies—Mike spent a solid ten minutes giddy with joy over the fact that he could feel his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and Jeremy himself had taken a while to look around their new world with his full vision finally back and no constantly debilitating headaches or mood swings. It had been too much in the best way possible, and he couldn’t even begin to imagine how it must be after being trapped inside stiff, unyielding metal for decades.
Still, it’s getting late, and he doesn’t want them out in the open once the night shift starts. The first night with each new group was always rough as the animatronics they’d haunted were on the prowl, aggression cranked to the max. He and Michael had figured out the hard way that the behavior of the animatronics that stalk the halls is based on their perception of them. They’d never in a million years expect the core four, Goldie, or the Puppet to harm a child back when they were alive, but they did go after adults. To Jeremy and Michael, every animatronic they’d ever seen was a bloodthirsty monster that promised a slow, agonizing death, and that perception carried over into their little Remnant waiting room. Plus, with Evan and Elizabeth here, that meant Nightmare and Circus Baby would be out, one designed to endlessly torture their victim and the other to outright kill.
Charlie is the first to notice him when he steps into the dim light of the room, and she silences everyone with a hauntingly familiar, “Shh.” Decades later, he still remembers the way that the Puppet would shush him as its arms wrapped themselves around his throat, so close to crushing his windpipe, saved by the time change more than once. Her eyes are a bright, caustic green as she sizes him up, putting the pieces together almost instantly. She greets him with a cold, “Dayguard.”
Jeremy smiles as warmly as he can at them before glancing down at his watch. 11:40. He’d spent far too long checking the other rooms. Trying not to let his nerves show, he responds with a cheerful, “Hello! My name’s Jeremy, Jeremy Fitzgerald, and I’m one of the guards here. Now, I’m sure you all have questions, and I’ll be more than happy to answer them in a minute, but we need to get moving. The night shift is about to start, and you all need to be in Security when that happens and the animatronics start moving around.” He pauses, quickly unclipping his taser from his belt and tossing it towards Charlie, as she seems to be the designated leader. Check the watch. 11:42. “Think of that as extra insurance, yeah? I know it’s probably really scary, especially considering your past, but the animatronics here are dangerous. The other guard and I will keep you safe, I just need you all to follow—”
And then Charlie tasers him. Jeremy collapses to the floor instantly as his muscles spasm uncontrollably, and he hears each of the kids run off in different directions. A few of them scamper past him, and he manages to snag one’s ankle and keep them there. By the voice, it’s one of the boys, though he isn’t sure who. All he knows is that he tells the others to keep running. With his other hand, Jeremy rips out the barbs and staggers to his feet, quickly changing his grip to the boy’s upper arm instead. The only other one left is Charlie, who stares at him in shock as if she hadn’t expected the taser to work. Taking advantage of her stunned state, he grabs her by the elbow and all but drags the two towards Security. Check the watch. 11:47.
Usually, he’d have more patience. Usually, he’d have more time to build up at least a little bit of trust with the kids before midnight came. Usually, he’d be more careful about his words. Tonight is not one of those nights. Tonight, there are eight terrified children in immediate danger, and six of them are God knows where at this point. Tonight, he’d been tased for no reason.
Needless to say, his stress levels were reaching new extremes by the second, and he desperately hoped that it wasn’t making his death wound show. The poor kids are already scared enough. He makes it to the corner of the right hall before he screams, “Michael! Wake up!”
A flashlight beam cuts its way down the corridor within fifteen seconds, perks of having a boyfriend who sleeps lightly. Michael races down to him, only to stop short at the sight of the two children. Jeremy watches as his boyfriend checks his watch and pales. “How many are there?”
Without missing a beat, Jeremy replies, “Eight total, six missing. Your siblings are here.”
Check the watch. 11:50.
Michael crouches down to get at eye level with Charlie. “Charlie, hey, it’s me. It’s Mike. Do you remember me?” The girl nods, still shaken. “I know you’re scared, but your friends are in danger. Jeremy and I need to go find them. You and your friend Gabriel here have to stay in Security, and I’m going to need you to focus. In the office, there’s going to be a spare flashlight and a camera setup. Right now, it’ll only be Freddy and the Puppet actively going for the office. Freddy comes to the right door, and the Puppet needs the music box wound. Whenever we find one of your friends, we’ll bring them back to the office, and then I need you to protect them. We’ll explain how each of the animatronics works when your friend gets there. Once midnight hits, you need to stay there.”
Charlie nods again, takes Gabriel’s hand, and bolts to the office. Michael turns back to him, tablet already out and ready to start searching. “You take Bonnie, Foxy, and Chica, and then stay back to man the office. I know Goldie, Nightmare, and Baby better.”
Jeremy sighs as they both check their watches one last time. 11:55.
Showtime.