Chapter Text
Michael can feel the smoke pushing it’s way down his lungs. it hurts; god, it hurts so much, yet he can’t bring himself to care.
The pizza place his father had owned is finally being destroyed, along with his father.
And the rest of the Afton family.
He was still in there, sitting down, huddled into himself as he willed himself not to cry from the pain of the fire.
His purple security guard shirt has holes littered through it(thanks to the fire).
William’s best friend, Henry Emily, had set the place on fire. Not like he cared. He had took part in it; wanted to stop his father’s doing.
Henry was probably alive. Had probably left to watch the pizza place burn to the ground, watching and hearing the cries of the children and William as well.
Michael just sits there, no matter what. But he does want to move; he truly does! It’s not like he’s lazy.
No, he most certainly was not lazy. He had-
He was a good person. He had tried to make good of what his father had done.
But where did that get him?
Oh yeah. Burning alive in his father’s stupid pizza place, along with the other dead kids.
But their souls would be free; they would be free.
And Michael-
Michael would be dead. He’d be rotting in hell with his father, after the events of the Bite. After Elizabeth’s death.
While it wasn’t stated directly, Michael know that his father blamed him for his youngest brother’s death.
Michael blamed himself, too. The event always replayed in his mind, and he was helpless to stop it.
He hated feeling weak. He hated it beyond anything.
He guessed that was his father’s doing; growing up in an abusive household where one wrong step and he would end up with bruises along his arm was something that could scar you for life.
Michael wasn't a good brother. He knew that. But the beatings from his father were his punishment for not being good enough, for not saving Evan.
For not saving Elizabeth. For being the reason Clara Afton, Michael’s mother, left.
It was truly his fault; and Michael knew that.
So that’s why he was sitting on the ground, hands gripping onto his hair as he waited for his slow death.
He did wish it would come sooner, and he wished he wasn’t so greedy for death, but it didn’t matter.
Nothing would matter.
He, Michael Afton, the last living Afton, was going to die. To end the disgusting bloodline and work of William Afton.
And then it all went black.
__________
Henry could hear everything in the pizza place. He felt as though he had powers, hearing the anger of William Afton and the cries of the animatronics.
And then there was Michael.
The young boy wasn’t discreet about his cries. Henry could hear it as he just stood, hoping for his own death to come, for him to rot in hell with William.
While he was the godson of Michael, he could never look him in the eye after what happened to Charlie, and especially after finding out that William was his daughter’s murderer.
Michael and William had many similarities; way too many, in Henry’s opinion. The same hair, same eyes, same face shape, hell same personality.
Both had the same jobs, as the night guard. Maybe that’s why they were so similar; Michael was following in his father’s footsteps.
But he knew that wasn’t true; not even close.
William never seemed to care for his children; after Evan’s death, especially, as Michael was the last living Afton.
Yet William seemingly put all his anger on his son, not caring if it was wrong. His father was on a murderous and disgusting path, and nothing could pull him off of it.
William didn’t let his son get in the way. Henry knew of it.
One night, at 10:27pm, he had gotten a call from the Afton’s, specifically Michael.
Henry had answered with a, “William? What are you-“
Only to be cut off by Michael’s voice. He didn’t know the boy as well as he used to when the boy was younger, but his tone spoke how he felt.
“Mr. Emily, Fathers-“ only to be cut off.
His eyes had gone wide with panic, so he’d repeatedly said into the old phone, “Michael? Michael, are you there?!”
“Michael’s fine, Henry. He just clicked the wrong buttons. He was trying to call a friend. Please ignore him. Good night.”
It was William; his voice was way too shallow for the dark conversation, like how Michael had seemed to be crying during it.
“Why did he sound scared though?”
No response. Instead, beeping.
William had hung up on him.
He didn’t know what happened to Michael that night, but Henry could easily guess what methods the man had referred to.
But Henry didn’t say anything nor do anything; just like he was at that moment.
He knew where Michael was; the security room, of course, as that was where he was watching over everything.
He swallows harshly. Now was his chance. Now was his chance to step in like he didn’t all those years ago. To redeem himself.
Henry feels himself run faster than he ever has, hoping none of the animatronics(especially Springtrap) would hear his running. His loud steps.
He enters the security room, bracing himself, hoping Michael isn’t already dead and rotting before his eyes.
But Michael is alive; he’s sitting down, huddled into himself, seemingly passed out as he holds onto his hair like a lifeline.
Henry has to be quick. He knows that. He wishes he could’ve been quick by saving Michael all those years ago(even if it wasn’t so long ago) but still. He could’ve saved him.
He didn’t back then, but he will now. Henry knows that.
He grabs the voice, holding him in his arms before running out.
Michael will probably hate him for this; he knew how much the young boy had wanted to go down with the place, to know that it was all his father’s fault, and so William could see the rage of his son, but now-
Now he wouldn’t. Michael wouldn’t see his father again, before Henry Emily, old friend of William Afton, had decided to save him.
__________
Michael wakes up, and the first thing he hears is a monitor beeping.
Was this hell? It felt way too comforting to be hell.
He slowly opens his eyes, trying to look around, only to realize where he was; a hospital.
He hadn’t died. He had survived.
But why? He didn’t deserve to live. He wished he was back at the pizza place, his body burning with his family.
But he wasn’t. He was fucking alive. He had survived, where others had died. He should’ve died.
He could see the burns that marked his arms, his legs being covered by the blanket that he soon ripped off.
Henry Emily; it was his fault he was alive.
Michael wouldn’t admit it; he wished he was alive. He wanted to die, go down with the ship as well, yet he was young. He hadn’t lived to adulthood, he only had his shitty job at the stupid Freddy’s chain as a night guard.
Just so he could be better than his father. So he could be a good person. Undo his father’s actions and free the souls of the dead children.
But he wasn’t. He wasn’t a good person because he had to survive. He wanted to scream and yell at Henry because of it.
Speaking of which, said man walks through the room, smiling once he sees Michael awake. “Michael, you’re-“
“I should be dead.” Michael snarls. “I shouldn’t be alive right now, yet you decided to save me. Why?”
His voice is almost a plead but still full of anger.
Henry purses his lips, trying to think of what to say, walking forward to sit in the chair by Michael.
“You didn’t deserve to die, Michael.” Henry whispers softly, but loud enough for Michael to hear. “You’re just a child. You’re not a murderer or your father.”
“I killed Evan.” Michael forces out. It still hurts to say his name. “I killed him. I shouldn’t be alive.”
“If you had stayed a few minutes longer in the pizza place, then surely, you would’ve.” Henry responds. “You didn’t deserve to die.”
“Yes I did!” Michael yells, but his voice is too weak for it. “I deserve to die! I’m the reason that Elizabeth is dead, as well as Evan! I killed Evan! I’m just as bad as my father!”
The room is silent after that. Henry doesn’t know what to say, and Michael wonders whether he took it too far or not.
He’s pulled into a tight hug by Henry, and Michael tries not to cry. He was never really hugged like this by his father, unless it was a cover up.
Those were fake hugs. This-
This was different. It was like a father holding onto his missing child. Their last hope.
Maybe Michael was Henry’s last hope.
He lets out a sob either way. This hug is way too real, and Michael doesn’t know whether he deserves it.
But Henry’s words-
Henry wouldn’t straight up lie to him- especially after that. He wouldn’t say he deserved to live if he didn’t mean it.
Maybe it was the years of abuse and neglect that Michael was dealing with, the feeling of being unwanted by your own father did that to you.
So Michael allows himself to sink into the hug.
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Henry.”