Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first mistake Hanbin made was signing a contract to Wakeone Entertainment.

The second mistake he made was calling Junhyeon for help to find a part-time job that he could squeeze into his training time.

Hanbin decides yeah, maybe he should never listen to Junhyeon ever again, because here he is standing outside of what's supposedly called "Seok Matthew's Pizzeria"—the equivalent of a suburban run-down American pizza place, even though they're in Korea. This is the stupidest job he's ever taken, but hey, the pay is really good for a part-time security guard, and he can't turn that down. Plus, it fits perfectly into his schedule, from midnight to six in the morning. Of course, it ruins his original sleep schedule, but Jeonghyeon's offered to trade schedules with him for the week so he can get at least four hours more of sleep before practice.

If Boys Planet itself had been a fever dream, then what had happened afterward had been even more of a wild outcome. Halfway through the third mission, the system rapidly changed, turning to include mentor's votes as well as expand the pick system back to nine. With such rapid changes, the original top nine foundation was shaken greatly, and in the end, the new top nine that followed was nearly nothing like the original one. Junhyeon had made it in a surprise twist, but Hanbin himself didn't, being a top nine contender that ended up as tenth. He didn't mind losing the position to Jay, but it still stung afterward. With Sung Hanbin and Zhang Hao both moved from first and second to eleventh and twelfth, the two had teamed up together along with an investor in Ricky to create an animatronic entertainment service, hiring Kamden as the engineer for their works while having Matthew as their mascot. Most of the bottom nine had joined in as well, helping to chip in, and now the entertainment had multiple locations scattered all over Korea, almost about to go worldwide.

"You know how I used to work at Burger King, right?" Junhyeon chatters over the phone eagerly as Hanbin checks the website on one of Wakeone's fancy computers. "Yeah, there's a new security guard position open at one of Haobin's new locations!"

"Is that what they're calling themselves now?" Hanbin asked, frowning as he read the details of the position. "They really don't care who gets the job so long as that person can stay awake all night?"

"Yeah, just someone who can watch their animatronics and make sure no one breaks into the pizzeria," Junhyeon relays. "It's only six hours, and look at that pay, Christ. If I wasn't in Zerobaseone, I'd take that position right away."

"I'm just not sure," Hanbin murmurs. "They'd really take me? It looks kinda sketchy. And the location is really far away from the city."

"Well, Hanbin and Hao have always been nice to us," Junhyeon points out. "You'll be fine, I promise!" There's some chatter on his end, and Junhyeon shouts back at them before turning back to the phone. "Sorry, I gotta go; Haruto's calling me for dance practice for our comeback. I'll call you again sometime, alright?"

"Sure," Hanbin replies. "I'll let you know if I get the job."

In the end, it had been much easier than expected. Taerae, the one manning the reception for Haobin Entertainment, had nearly started crying at Hanbin's voice. Hanbin missed Taerae dearly, the latter having left Wakeone for Haobin, but Taerae immediately accepted him, voice trembling as he had done so. "I'll start you with one week," he had said, "and then you can decide whether or not to stay after that. You'll get your paycheck, I promise."

The dim lights illuminating the outside of the run-down pizzeria shine in front of Hanbin's face. In the reflection of the dark window, Hanbin can see himself in his new uniform—short-sleeved collared shirt, pants with enough pockets to nearly become cargo pants, two harnesses around his body and leather covering his right chest pocket, the left with a badge embellished with the Haobin logo. Thankfully he wasn't required to wear the hat, and his messy hair exposes his forehead, keeping his vision clear. With fingerless gloves tightened and ready to go, Hanbin stuffs his phone into his pocket and opens the door to the pizzeria.

At once, he's hit with a pungent smell that nearly makes him hurl—it's musty, moist, and awfully humid. Fanning himself and scrunching his nose, he makes his way down the dark hallway until he arrives at the dimly-lit security office, the only source of bright light inside of the pizzeria.

The floors are black and white tile, and there's numerous photos and posters on the walls promoting Haobin Entertainment. A fan is already running, clearing the air inside, and Hanbin inhales the fresh air, moving to the desk that has his cameras on a sleek tablet and some old soda that's already gone flat. There's notices on the table, those of health hazard warnings and multiple other complaints, to which a giant "FUCK YOU" is already scrawled across most of them with black sharpie. There's two doors on both sides of the office with buttons for the lights right outside, as well as a small retro TV that has a battery on the screen that's reading "100%", along with a usage meter.

Hanbin checks his watch to see midnight has just arrived, and he sits down on the spinning chair, holding the sleek tablet in his hands just as the old telephone on the desk goes off, ringing loudly. Hanbin nearly jumps and screams, but he manages to compose himself, scooting over to the desk to press the singular button on the phone before scooting back and listening to the voicemail.

"Uh, hello? Hello, hello?"

"Anthonny!?" Hanbin half-whispers, voice cracking. His fellow ex-Wakeone was working at Haobin's!?

"Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night." Anthonny's voice is tinny over the old phone, and Hanbin listens intently. "Um, I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week, okay?"

"Did no one tell him it was me?" Hanbin murmurs to himself, continuing to listen.

"Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. It's kind of a legal thing, you know." There's some paper wrinkling in the background, and then Anthonny clears his throat. "Um, 'Welcome to Seok Matthew's Pizzeria. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Haobin Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced.'"

Hanbin frowns as he listens to the legal jargon, and Anthonny continues on, peppy voice full of exhaustion. "Blah, blah, blah. Now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about."

"Sounds like bullshit," Hanbin mutters.

"Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No." Anthonny pauses, as if he's thinking about what to say next. "If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. Still kinda freaky that Haobin decided to make them after some of their friends, but I wouldn't know. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."

"After our friends, right." Hanbin recalls seeing on the website that the four animatronics at his current location were named after some of Haobin's closest friends—Yujin, Gunwook, Ricky, and Gyuvin—but he didn't know that they would look like them too. As if to make sure, he flicks open the tablet, the camera system coming on as soon as he makes eye contact with the screen. It immediately starts on the show stage camera, and there he can see the animatronics—three of them, all of them eerily similar to Yujin, Ricky, and Gyuvin in appearance.

"So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh... Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long," Anthonny elaborates. "Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"

"I don't wanna know that," Hanbin mutters, starting to feel chills crawling up his back. Something about all of this felt very, very wrong.

"Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll pr- they'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Seok Matthew's Pizzeria, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Seok Matthew suit." Anthonny pauses, swallowing loudly through the receiver. "Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort." He pauses again. "..and death."

Death!? Hanbin runs through what Anthonny has just told him again in his mind, trying to process that information as Anthonny continues. "Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask... ew. Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up." He laughs, clearly trying to lighten the voicemail, but his voice is still trembling. "But hey, first day should be a breeze! I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power until six. Alright, good night!"

The phone goes dead with a click, and Hanbin leans back on his chair, trying to process everything that Anthonny had just dumped on him. Anthonny, his friend, was working here. At a run-down animatronic pizzeria with animatronics named and shaped after his friends. At a place where the animatronics could run around freely at night and kill any human they saw in sight. Hanbin shudders at the thought of being stuffed in a suit. There's not much he can do—he can't just run out now, especially not when the animatronics could see him. The only logical thing left he could do was wait out his shift and protect his office. The metal doors and power generator, along with the high pay, were starting to make sense. "Goddamnit, Taerae," Hanbin cursed under his breath. "Why didn't you say anything!?"

The first thing he does is press both door buttons, seeing the metal come down with a loud bang. The usage meter on the TV spikes up, and Hanbin notices his power has already gone down to almost sixty percent. With no choice but to flick the doors back up, he presses the lights next, illuminating the door area with a loud buzz as they flicker, electricity clearly overdue. Turning them both off, he goes back to the cameras, deciding to take a look around. Yujin, Ricky, and Gyuvin are all still there, synthetic hair and wide eyes staring straight into nothing. Hanbin flicks around different cameras, watching his power usage as he makes note of the important ones. There's ones right outside his door for the east and west hallways, the kitchen's camera is broken and relies on audio only, and the pirate's cove has an "OUT OF ORDER" sign. When he flicks back to the show stage, it's all static, and Hanbin freezes. What does that mean!?

He jumps to the dining area camera and nearly drops the tablet. Standing hidden by the shadows is Ricky, silhouette unmistakable in the light, face hidden but still moving nonetheless. He twitches slightly on screen, perfectly robotic, and it takes all of Hanbin's willpower not to scream. He forces himself to put the camera down, noticing how fast the battery is draining, and checks the time. Six hours had never felt more longer than anything in his life.

"What the hell were you thinking, Junhyeon?" Hanbin sighs to himself. If there's one good thing he can get out of this, it's that he's definitely gonna be able to stay awake on the job, now knowing he could potentially die for it. He watches the power as he glances back at the camera, but already Ricky has moved on, and Hanbin follows him next to one of the back rooms, where an empty Seok Matthew suit lays in the shadows. The lack of eyes and the painted skin that's supposed to mimic Matthew makes Hanbin shudder. Just the idea of being stuffed in that makes him want to cry.

Placing the camera down, Hanbin checks his watch, and to his horror, it's barely been an hour. He's already almost down to fifty percent, and if he wanted to keep preserving his power to last five more hours, he would have to keep it tight. He turns off the cameras, tries to turn off the fan to no avail, and checks the lights sparingly on both sides, even though Yujin nor Gyuvin have moved from their spots on the stage. He decides to keep this routine up for the rest of the night, trying not to stare endlessly at his watch. First night a breeze, my ass.

At some point during three, he checks the left light, only to nearly scream when Ricky's standing right there, towering over him. In animatronic form, Ricky is at least a whole head taller than Hanbin, larger in size as well. His hair is as perfectly gelled as ever, but his metal face is covered in scrapes and his paint is wearing off, revealing hard metal underneath. His eyes, a wide bright purple, stare down right at Hanbin, and the smell coming off of his outfit is enough to nearly make Hanbin hurl. In a panic, Hanbin slams his hand on the left door button, shutting the image of animatronic Ricky out of his sight, and he stumbles back into his chair, trying not to cry from terror.

That's Ricky. That's Ricky. Why the fuck does it look so much like Ricky? What the fuck is wrong with Hanbin and Hao? What the hell what the hell what the hell—

There's a rapid banging on the door that he had just closed, and Hanbin backs away even further, scooting back as the wheels of his chair scrape across the tile floor. He tries to calm himself down, closing his eyes and mentally counting as he takes in slow deep breaths, trying his best to ignore the banging on the door. He keeps doing this until it stops, and then he flicks the light right outside of the door. Ricky's shadow is gone, and Hanbin opens the door and checks to see that Ricky's back in the dining area with his camera.

The rest of the night goes something along the lines of that, with Ricky's animatronic form occasionally coming to the door and Hanbin closing it every time, trying not to cry. When six finally hits, there's a bell that rings throughout the pizzeria, along with a stock sound of kids cheering, and Hanbin nearly falls to the ground and sobs in relief. He places the tablet back on the desk, sees that he's managed to make it through the night with only five percent left in the generator, and walks toward the front entrance where the sun is already up and the doors are open for him to leave through. Before he goes back out, however, he moves to the pirate's cove, where he knows one animatronic is still missing.

Swallowing his nervousness, he approaches the curtains, pulling them open and shining his phone's flashlight in, nearly screaming at the sight. Inside is Gunwook, body parts torn and falling apart, along with a scarred eye that's stained red as if it actually were bleeding. The animatronic doesn't move, but Hanbin still slides the curtain shut regardless, and runs toward the front entrance to leave and call the manager to pick him up.

Questions fly around in his mind, some directed to Sung Hanbin and Hao, some directed to Taerae, some for Anthonny, and most importantly for Junhyeon as well. As he waits for the manager to pull up, he glances back at the pizzeria one more time, and his heart sinks at the realization that he still has four more nights to go.

Chapter Text

"Junhyeon, you don't understand," Hanbin yells into the receiver, dabbing at his eyes with a tissue. "The animatronics looked like our friends. Our fucking friends, Junhyeon! Ricky stood there right in front of me!"

"Are you sure you're not hallucinating from a lack of sleep?" Junhyeon asks, concern in his voice. It's a rare occasion where he's actually being serious.

"Hallucinating!? Junhyeon, I—come on, you know exactly what I mean! Don't try to tell me otherwise! I know what I saw and heard!" Hanbin paced around the practice room anxiously. "I tried calling Anthonny and he wouldn't pick up, and Haruto told me he was on a no-contact vacation back with his family in Japan, but I haven't been able to get to him! How the hell did Anthonny start working at Haobin Entertainment—actually, how the hell did he start working at Seok Matthew's Pizzeria!?"

"...I brought up the job to him, too," Junhyeon replies sheepishly.

It takes all of Hanbin's willpower not to chuck his phone across the room. "And you're telling me that Anthonny never complained to you about the fucking killer animatronics!?"

"To be fair, it's not really his personality to tell people his problems," Junhyeon replies defensively, voice rising. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know there were robots that could kill you at night!"

"Well, now there are! And I still have four more nights to go of this shit," Hanbin sighs, rubbing his temples. "Look, do you know why the hell Sung Hanbin and Hao decided to name the pizzeria after Matthew and then have four animatronics that look exactly like our friends be the entertainers!?"

"I mean, Matthew's the mascot," Junhyeon points out.

"Yeah, so why is he not one of the animatronics!?" Hanbin counts on his free hand with his fingers as he runs down the names. "You've got Ricky as a rockstar, and Gyuvin as your chef, and Yujin as your dancer, and Gunwook as the pirate. And yeah, I did check the pirate's cove. It's like a life-size version of Gunwook but like... bigger."

"I mean, didn't you tell me Anthonny said they had a spare Matthew suit in the back? Maybe they just haven't gotten around to putting in his endoskeleton yet," Junhyeon mutters.

"Well, that endoskeleton is about to be me if I don’t survive all five nights!" Hanbin screeches, before his voice chokes and fresh tears spill out of his eyes. "I don't know what to do. I don't know at all."

"Call Taerae," Junhyeon offers. "Maybe you could get him to help you out. He's the one that signed you up for the job, maybe he can help you quit it too. And given he actually works at Haobin Entertainment, maybe he'll have the answers you're looking for."

"Yeah, you're right," Hanbin mutters as he glances at the clock to see that group practice is about to begin. "Look, I gotta go. I have dance practice. If you can do me a favor and just... try to find out more about what's going on with Hanbin and Hao, that'd be awesome."

"I don't know if I can, my schedule's been as busy as yours. Not to mention Taerae doesn't answer my calls," Junhyeon adds on wistfully. "But I'll do my best! You just... get through another night. When I talk to you next time, then we can go from there."

"Sounds good," Hanbin agrees. "Later, Junhyeon."

"Bye!"

Turns out Hanbin doesn't get a chance to call Taerae, because group practice takes up the rest of his time, and then he's so tired he passes out at eight and doesn't wake up until eleven to Jeonghyeon shaking him awake and telling him to go to his shift that starts soon. Hanbin brushes his teeth in advance, styles his hair, splashes cold water on his face, downs a cup of coffee to stay awake even though he knows the fear of being killed will do the job anyway, and pulls on his uniform. If he weren't about to walk into a life-threatening situation, he could admire the outfit at little—at least Sung Hanbin and Hao knew how to style a security guard to be flattering enough.

"You're not gonna die," Junghyun insists, even though his face is creased with worry. "You just have to be careful about the animatronics, and preserve your phone battery too."

"I'll be okay," Hanbin murmurs, even though he feels anything but. The manager waves for Hanbin to leave, and then Hanbin follows the manager out, heading into the company van that'll take him to the pizzeria.

The whole drive there feels like a fever dream. Hanbin takes a nap for a couple minutes up until the coffee kicks in and he's forced to stay awake. He recalls everything that he could remember from the previous day, from Anthonny being the previous employee to Ricky nearly killing him to Junhyeon being responsible for both him and Anthonny's hiring to Taerae not even bothering to tell Hanbin that yeah, maybe he could die on the job. Hell, they were supposed to be friends in the first place, but then again, seeing how unhinged Sung Hanbin and Hao have become, Hanbin doesn't know what to believe.

The manager drops him off in front of the pizzeria, five minutes before his shift is supposed to start, and once again Hanbin's left alone in the strange suburbia of the pizzeria and the surrounding area. The lights flicker right outside of the closed pizzeria, and Hanbin registers the fact that people actually came into the pizzeria during the day. With that rotting smell? No way kids actually like this place.

The doors are already unlocked for him, and Hanbin holds his breath as he walks through the musty hallways, disliking how his uniform clings to his skin from the humidity. The security office is already lit in time for his arrival, and he sits down, taking the tablet for the security cameras once again. Clearly someone had charged it during the day shift, but then again, the day shift wasn't dealing with animatronics trying to kill them after hours.

As soon as midnight hits on his watch, the phone rings again, and Hanbin picks it up. Anthonny must've left a voicemail for every single night, Hanbin thinks to himself as he listens in again.

At once, Anthonny's cheery voice comes over again. "Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well, if you're hearing this and you made it to day two, uh, congrats!"

"Thanks," Hanbin mutters.

"I-I won't talk quite as long this time since Yujin and his friends tend to become more active as the week progresses," Anthonny adds on. "Uhh, it might be a good idea to peek at those cameras while I talk just to make sure everyone's in their proper place. You know..."

Hanbin doesn't hesitate to check the cameras, and to his horror, Ricky's already gone from the stage. He flips cameras rapidly to find Ricky in the backstage again, just standing right in front of the Matthew suit. He switches back to the stage, but the camera's out, and he checks the backstage again to ensure Ricky hasn't moved. If it wasn't Ricky, then who just moved?

"Uh... Interestingly enough, Yujin himself doesn't come off stage very often, which is kinda coincidental to how he was like on the show. I heard he becomes a lot more active in the dark though, so, hey, I guess that's one more reason not to run out of power, right?" Anthonny laughs. "I also want to emphasize the importance of using your door lights. There are blind spots in your camera views, and those blind spots happen to be right outside of your doors. So if you can’t find something, or someone, on your cameras, be sure to check the door lights. Uh, you might only have a few seconds to react..."

Hanbin moves to do just that, nearly shrieking when he sees Ricky right outside of his door again. This time, the animatronic is grinning, though some of his artificial teeth are missing, making the image all the more horrifying to look at. His face is still dented and messed up as if someone had tried to take a hammer to him, and his eyes are nearly glowing in the dark, bright purple lights that seem to stare right into Hanbin's soul. Hanbin slams his hand on the door button, watching Ricky's face disappear from view before flicking up his camera as Anthonny continues. "Uh, not that you would be in any danger, of course. I'm not implying that. Also, check on the curtain in Pirate Cove from time to time. Gunwook seems unique in that he becomes more active if the cameras remain off for long periods of time. I guess he doesn't like being watched. I don't know."

Hanbin's already looking at his camera, eyeing the power usage as he finds Ricky has went back to the dining area before opening the left door again. He checks the pirate cove, eyes widening at the sight of the curtain being open. Gunwook's face isn't visible, but the curtain has moved just a bit, and Hanbin knows it was definitely closed before he had walked in. The face of the animatronic Gunwook, torn and beaten up, terrifies Hanbin as he switches to the other cameras. Ricky's still in the dining area, but Gyuvin is missing from the stage, and Hanbin has no idea where he is.

"Anyway, I'm sure you have everything under control!" Anthonny's voice remains as cheery as ever even though Hanbin feels anything but in control. "I'll talk to you soon!"

"Shit, shit, shit," Hanbin curses, forcing himself to put down the cameras as he notices just how fast the power is draining. Last night he had ended with a mere five percent left on the generator, and Anthonny had just told him not to get it down to zero in fear of facing Yujin's wrath. Hanbin recalls the younger, how reserved he had been on the show, and Hanbin shudders to think of what to do with an animatronic version of him. It wasn't like he could reason with them, anyway.

Ricky pops up at the door again with a check of the lights, and Hanbin closes the door, trying to save himself from a heart attack. He checks the cameras, sees that Yujin is still on the stage and hasn't moved an inch but Gyuvin is still missing from any visible cameras. On a whim, Hanbin checks the kitchen camera, and sure enough, where he can't see anything, he hears pots and pans clanging against each other in some sort of strange cacophony. Hanbin wants to cry, but he's already done that enough times last night. He can only pray that Gyuvin doesn't show up at the door.

As the night drags on, Hanbin starts to go on autopilot, mentally constructing a series of notes as he starts to pay attention to the animatronics' moving patterns. Yujin hasn't moved at all, so there's nothing on him, and Hanbin can only presume that Anthonny saw Yujin move later during the week. A problem for future me, he thinks. Ricky also comes up only on the left, and it's a lot easier to just check the light from time to time instead of constantly pinpointing him on the cameras. It's not like he wants to constantly look at the rest of the pizzeria anyway, even though it's his job.

While Ricky comes up on the left, Gyuvin comes up on the right, and Hanbin learns this around four when he checks the right light and actually screams this time, a high-pitched shriek leaving his lips as he sees Gyuvin right outside the right window of the security office, lit by the light he just turned on. Gyuvin's dressed in a torn and tattered black outfit covering the rest of his robot body, fingerless gloves similar to Ricky's and stained with a mysterious substance that Hanbin could smell from within the office. His eyes are a hot pink, too close to Ricky's shade of purple for comfort, and there's a beret on his head with the embellishment "LET'S EAT" in bright letters. His mouth is open, and inside Hanbin can see barely anything except for teeth, even more teeth, and enough teeth to completely crush someone. He counts about three sets before running over to the door and closing the right door, just in time for Gyuvin to shift and start banging on the right door. Hanbin shuts the light, not wanting to see Gyuvin's face, and he then stumbles back into his chair and curls into a ball, wanting everything to be over.

"I hate this," he sobs to himself. "I don't want to be here. Why the hell do they all look like our friends?"

When he glances up again, he jumps at the sight of Matthew in front of him. He's sitting on the desk, legs crossed, head tilted far too much to be normal as if he snapped his own neck, eyes black sockets and dripping blood, his signature smile on his face. Hanbin screams, and when he blinks, Matthew is gone. The words "IT'S ME" and then flashes of upfront faces of Ricky and Gyuvin pop up in his vision, and Hanbin nearly faints. He shakes his head, blinking to make sure they don’t appear again, and then he checks the light on the right to see that Gyuvin is gone. He opens the door and wipes his tears as best as he can. "I'm hallucinating," he mutters. "Now I'm seeing things; oh my god."

With six rapidly approaching, Hanbin half-considers just sitting on the chair and letting the rest of the night go by when he realizes there's still one more person he forgot to account for. Checking his power percentage and then his cameras, his blood runs cold as he sees that the pirate cove's curtain is completely open, the inside impossible to see but Hanbin knows all the same what it means. Gunwook's gone. Gunwook's gone. Where is he where is he where is he!?

He checks the left light, seeing that Ricky's not there, and on a whim he checks the cameras. As soon as he switches to the hall camera on the left, he sees Gunwook, fully out and sprinting down the hallway at a rapid speed, right toward where his office is. Hanbin has two seconds to slam the doors before there's a pounding on the door, rattling the metal, and Hanbin scrambles away from the left door, hands shaking as he tries to keep ahold of his tablet. Gunwook just fucking RAN from the cove. He WAS RUNNING HE WAS RUNNING HE WAS RUNNING—

The door continues to rattle as Gunwook pounds on it, whirring sounds escaping the animatronic's mouth before the footsteps fade away and Hanbin checks the cove. Curtains shut.

Tentatively, he opens the door and checks the light, seeing no one there. He checks his power supply and freezes when he sees he's at a even lower percent this time, merely four. He places down the cameras, checks his watch, and prays that the power doesn't go out right before six. Please hold on please hold on PLEASE—

The bell rings.

Hanbin all but cries in relief as he tosses the tablet back onto the desk, adjusts his chair, and then sprints out of the pizzeria, not wanting to look back. As soon as he gets outside, he calls his manager, swallowing his tears as he recalls everything that just happened. Ricky had been more active. Gyuvin had nearly gotten him. And Gunwook had sprinted down the hallway and nearly barged into his office with his brute strength alone, amplified even more as an animatronic. Hanbin's legs are shaking as he sits on the concrete, staring at the sunrise, and he decides to send a text to Junhyeon.

I need to get out of this job now.

Chapter Text

"Come on, Taerae, pick up," Hanbin hisses through the receiver as he dials the Haobin Entertainment line over and over again. The only response he gets in the end is a mere "Sorry, we're not available at the moment", and it pisses Hanbin off. He wants to escape this job so badly, but he doesn't even know who he can trust anymore. Taerae won't answer any of his messages, the other members of Haobin Entertainment do the same, and Junhyeon hasn't been able to get any leads because his schedule has become so packed with the sudden influx of activities in ZB1 that he can't even spare more than five seconds on his phone.

"This is all such a weird coincidence," Jeonghyeon points out as he sips his matcha latte. "First Anthonny goes on a mysterious no-contact vacation and no one has heard from him before going or even after, not even Haruto. Then Junhyeon finds this job for you AFTER Anthonny left it, and then Taerae hires you immediately knowing full-well the place is filled with killer animatronics—"

"Taerae might not know," Hanbin throws out desperately, not wanting to think of his best friend possibly being complicit in his potential death. "He's just the receptionist!"

Jeonghyeon side-eyes Hanbin. "Hanbin. Haobin Entertainment is literally run by Sung Hanbin and Hao. Taerae is close with them too. I seriously doubt he doesn't know anything."

"I just can't possibly believe Taerae would..." Hanbin's voice trails off.

"See? And then when you finally figure out Taerae's set you up, poof! He disappears and won't pick up any of your messages demanding an explanation. Not to mention Junhyeon's schedule getting so packed out of nowhere after you told him to go try and dig into Haobin Entertainment's history just kinda settles it all," Jeonghyeon finishes. "I don't think it's a weird coincidence. I think Ricky might be chipping in too to keep Junhyeon from helping you."

"Crap, you're right," Hanbin realizes. "Ricky's backing up Haobin, right? So of course he's able to twist our company in order to make sure Junhyeon can't contact me. Have you talked to Ricky?"

"Ricky? No," Jeonghyeon sighs, face falling. "He won't pick up any of my calls, either. I don't get it. And Anthonny going on a no-contact vacation? I don't want to assume the worst, but..."

"He's not dead," Hanbin insists. "I'm still getting his voicemails!"

"Voicemails recorded a week ago," Jeonghyeon points out. "Plus, he's always been more jumpy than you. I'm not sure if he'll be able to survive all five nights."

"Jeonghyeon, you can't just say stuff like that!" Hanbin shouts. "Please... stop entertaining the idea. I don't want to possibly lose Anthonny. I'm sure there has to be some other reason for all of this. For why he hasn't been around."

Jeonghyeon frowns. "And we still have to worry about you too, you know. You're still confined to this job. You still have three more nights to go, including tonight. And we still have practice and all of that in between all of that. You're barely getting any sleep. Have you started hallucinating?"

"I—" Hanbin recalls the Matthew he saw sitting on the desk, and then the words that flashed across his vision. "Er, no. Not yet. If I do, I'll tell you, okay?"

Jeonghyeon nods, hanging his head low. "I just really hope that... that Anthonny is still alive. I want to believe he's on vacation, too. But right now, you're more of a priority. We need to find a way to get the police involved or—"

"We can't rely on authorities," Hanbin sighs. "Ricky, remember? He's rich enough to pay all of them hush money. Not to mention, with the way that pizzeria smells like rotting bodies and reeks of mold? Yeah, I'm convinced they're already being paid hush money not to get torn down by the sanitization department."

"Goddamnit," Jeonghyeon curses. "Okay, so you'll probably still have to go to your job in the end anyway, right? There's gotta be at least one more thing you can do tonight."

Hanbin raises an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"I've never been a security guard before," Junhyeon remarks as their company van speeds down the highway toward Seok Matthew's Pizzeria. "Wow, Hanbin and Hao know how to dress one!"

"It doesn't even look that far off from your Back Door outfit on the show," Hanbin replies, feeling uneasy.

With the help of convincing their manager to pitch in, as well as Jeonghyeon's suggestions and knowledge of the Wakeone staff schedule combined, Junhyeon had managed to sneak out of the dorms and join Hanbin in the van on the way to the night shift for the third night in Hanbin's work week. Though Junhyeon was due to wake up at seven the next morning, he seemed just as relaxed as ever, drinking coffee out of a thermos. "Guess we'll finally see what's up with Seok Matthew's Pizzeria as well as the whole, well, killer animatronic stuff."

"Did you manage to find anything about Haobin?" Hanbin asked.

"Well, Hao asked Hanbin to found it with him first, so Hao was the one that started the business as far as I know. We know Kamden's their primary engineer, but Hao has a huge hand in making the animatronics as well, since his musician fingers are apparently really good for getting in the parts that Kamden might need help with. Ricky's backing them up with his own company, obviously, and Matthew's their mascot, but he's also actually in the company; basically their second-in-command." Junhyeon takes sips between each sentence. "They've got a location in Seoul, in Busan, and before it was Matthew it was just called... Yujin's Family Diner? Yujin seemed to be their previous mascot before Matthew was. But even though Matthew is the mascot, he's usually not one of the animatronics. Don't know why."

"Yeah," Hanbin mutters. "There's empty Seok Matthew suits in the back of the pizzeria. They're creepy as hell."

"The ultra-realism is insane," Junhyeon agrees. "Either way, Hanbin picked out Ricky as one animatronic mascot, while Hao picked up Yujin, and then Gyuvin and Gunwook came in after. So it's usually the four of them being represented at pizzerias. Matthew has had appearances here and there, but his marketing seems to be online more than anything."

"Uh huh. Anything about like... the animatronics themselves?" Hanbin asks.

"Nope," Junhyeon mutters. "Kamden's very secretive about his work it seems. Only person that knows anything is apparently Jay, but every time I ask Jay, he just tells me his lips are sealed."

"Well, that's just great." Hanbin rolls his eyes. "I'm going to take a quick nap. Might not be able to sleep again after tonight."

The rest of the night goes in a strange silence between the two of them, Junhyeon clearly excited while Hanbin could only dread what was to come next. The manager drops them off, and then Hanbin's leading Junhyeon inside, beelining straight for the security office. Junhyeon wrinkles his nose at the stench. "Wow, I didn't realize this place smelled that bad."

"Wait till you see the animatronics up close," Hanbin sighs as they enter the dimly lit office just in time for his shift. He picks up the tablet and hands it to Junhyeon. "Watch the power—if it hits 0%, we're fucked. Just check the cameras and make sure everyone's on the show stage—that's camera 1A—and then check the lights, make sure neither Ricky or Gyuvin are right outside our doors."

"Why would—" Junhyeon jumps as the old phone starts to ring.

"Junhyeon. If you want us both to live, listen to everything I say, okay?" Hanbin's usual leader tone settles in, leaving no room for argument. Junhyeon looks as if he wants to protest, but he takes the cameras dutifully and checks the show stage. "No one's moved yet."

"Great. And if you can, try to keep the camera on the pirate cove—that's 1C. Gunwook will stay there if you keep looking at it." Hanbin picks up the phone, squeezing in next to Junhyeon on the singular spinning chair not meant for two.

"Hello, hello?" Anthonny's voice comes through once again, and Hanbin sighs in relief while Junhyeon nearly jumps in his seat again from being startled. "Hey you're doing great! Most people don’t last this long. I mean, you know, they usually move on to other things by now. I'm not implying that they died, though, they're just—oh, nevermind. That's not what I meant."

"Nope, they're definitely dead," Hanbin sighs.

"Uh, anyway I better not take up too much of your time. Things start getting real tonight. Yujin definitely starts moving, and well, he kinda likes to hide in the shadows. If you keep your eye on him like you do with Gunwook then it should be okay, but once he starts moving he doesn't go back, so... try to keep him from getting too close to your office, since he won't leave once he's there. Oh, and you won't be able to see him with your door lights. You'll just have to check the camera closest to you." Anthonny pauses, before he continues with a more lighthearted tone. "Uh... Hey, listen, I had an idea: if you happen to get caught and want to avoid getting stuffed into a Matthew suit, uhh, try playing dead! You know, go limp. Then there's a chance that, uh, maybe they’ll think that you're an empty costume instead. Then again if they think you're an empty costume, they might try to... stuff a metal skeleton into you. I wonder how that would work. Yeah, never mind, scratch that. It's best just not to get caught."

"Ricky's gone," Junhyeon announces. "Gyuvin, too."

"Um... yeah, I've got nothing else for you. I'll leave you to it. See you on the flip side!" Anthonny's cheery voice makes Hanbin imagine his smile, and his heart grows heavy as the line goes dead.

"Alright, turn off the cameras," Hanbin announces, moving over to the lights. He turns on the left one, and it's empty. He turns on the right, and Junhyeon screams before he does, seeing Gyuvin's face plastered against the window, grinning maniacally with mouth open to reveal his three sets of teeth. Unlike the night before, there seems to be new stains on them, reeking of a horrible smell that nearly makes Hanbin puke as he shuts the door. "He's even worse than before!"

"It smells like trash," Junhyeon chokes out as Hanbin turns off the light, watching their power supply. "And wow, no signal in the building as well? No wonder this place hasn't been ratted out yet."

"How could Haobin keep this place in such a shitty condition?" Hanbin glances over to the desk, reading off the notices. "It looks like higher management just doesn't give a crap about this location."

"Yeah, and the fact you have a limited power generator too? Sounds just like a video game," Junhyeon remarks. "Is Gyuvin... gone?"

Hanbin checks the right, and Gyuvin's moved on. He opens the door, turning off the light to turn to Junhyeon. "We're going to have to be really alert tonight."

Just as he finishes his sentence, a sharp laugh echoes throughout the building, quiet enough to not be too noticeable but also so apparent that it was impossible to determine the location of. Junhyeon screeches first, while Hanbin jumps and shushes him. "Shh! What was that!?"

"That sounded like Yujin," Junhyeon stammers, waving his hands around. "Is that Yujin? Is he moving?"

"Check the cameras," Hanbin orders as he checks the left door, seeing that Ricky still hasn't arrived yet.

Junhyeon flips open the camera, and Hanbin moves to his side, squinting to see the grainy video. The show stage is completely empty for once, all three animatronics missing, and Junhyeon rapidly flits cameras. "I don't see Yujin anywhere."

"Well, Anthonny said he likes to hide in the shadows. Maybe we'll be able to see him in the dimly-lit areas?" Hanbin points out, anxiously watching their power supply. "Oh, yeah—check Gunwook while you're at it."

Junhyeon switches to the pirate cove, seeing that Gunwook's head is already poking out from the curtain, just barely visible in the spotlight. With his hair matted and half of his face falling off, it takes all of Hanbin's strength to keep Junhyeon from toppling out of his chair and falling to the ground in horror. Junhyeon's eyes are wide as he stares at Gunwook, before he switches over to the right side and finally pauses on a camera down the right hallway. "Why is he in the girl's restroom?"

Hanbin squints, and there he can barely make out the figure of Yujin, clearly hidden by the shadow cast from the side of the wall. Yujin's outfit helps to give away his silhouette, but what really scares Hanbin is his eyes—or rather, lack thereof, since Yujin's eyes are completely missing, revealing only two white dots that glow far too brightly in the dark, staring right at the camera. Junhyeon shudders at the sight, putting the camera down. "I... think I get why you hate this job now."

"Yeah, and you're still recommending it to people anyway!" Hanbin moves away from the seat toward the left door, checking the light to see that Ricky's towering over him again. Even more of his face paint is peeling off, and Hanbin moves to shut the door at once, letting the slam of the metal comfort him just as Junhyeon opens the cameras again. "Why...why is Gunwook twisted like that?"

Hanbin runs back over to Junhyeon's side, checking the camera. Sure enough, Gunwook's out of the pirate cove, though he's still in-frame of the actual camera. His head is tilted at an unnatural angle, as if it were being snapped in half, while the rest of his limbs twist into each other. His eyes are just barely off-focus from the camera, and Hanbin inhales sharply. "They keep looking worse and worse throughout the night."

A banging on the window on the right causes both of them to jump, and Hanbin runs over to see that Gyuvin's back, animatronic parts whirring as he demands to be let in. Hanbin shuts the door on the right, before checking the left light only for his heart to sink at the sight of Ricky's shadow still there. "We're using too much power keeping both of these doors closed! Junhyeon, close the cameras!"

"But if we don't keep an eye on Yujin, then he'll just keep coming!" Junhyeon protests, and as if on cue, Yujin's laughter is heard again. "And Anthonny said that once Yujin moves closer, he won't go back, right?"

"Crap, and he's been going on the right side as well," Hanbin mutters. "That means if he just keeps going toward the right, we might have to keep the right door shut all night even if Gyuvin isn't there."

"There has to be some sort of strategy we can use to preserve power and keep Yujin and Gunwook from getting any closer," Junhyeon points out. "We have to think of this like a video game, or else we won't survive."

"Right, right." Hanbin paces around the room, glancing over at his watch (2AM) and then at the power supply (64%). "Last night what I did was just not check for Gyuvin and Ricky at all with the cameras; just use the lights for that and check those quickly from time to time. Ricky only comes on the left, and Gyuvin on the right. With Gunwook, I... I didn't figure anything out for him, but once he's out of the cove, we have to close the left door before he starts sprinting down the hallway."

"Gunwook sprints!?" Junhyeon's eyes widen. "And what about Yujin?"

"I don't know! I've never seen Yujin move until today," Hanbin mutters. "Okay, if Anthonny said Yujin doesn't like being watched, then maybe it's best that we just repeatedly check the camera right outside our office door, since that's where he's probably going to end up at for the rest of the night." As if on cue, another laugh occurs. "Junhyeon, check for Yujin now."

Junhyeon opens the cameras. "He's down the hallway on the right now. I can kinda see him a little better...ew."

Hanbin leans over to see, and he chokes at the sight of Yujin with his clothes half torn-off, his hair a wild mess, eye sockets empty with the same white dots from where they were supposed to be. Most of his body from the chest-down is hidden in shadow, but the rest of his head is showing, and part of his face is cracked. "That's gotta be the creepiest thing I've ever seen—well, to be fair, everything in this damn place gives me the creeps, but this is even worse."

"We have to confront Hanbin and Hao sooner or later," Junhyeon agrees. "Whether or not anyone else will let us see them, we'll have to pay them a visit. What kind of company just... makes animatronics based off of their friends!? Also, what happens when one of them gets you again?"

"You get stuffed into an empty Matthew suit and get crushed to death," Hanbin replies morosely. "Pretty painful way to go."

"Right." Junhyeon places down the camera. "Check the lights; you're wasting power keeping both of those doors down."

Hanbin checks them both, seeing both Ricky and Gyuvin gone, and he nods to Junhyeon. "Good call. Let's go with the strategy you suggested."

Just like that, they fall into a rhythm for the remainder of the night. Despite the ramped-up difficulty of both Ricky and Gyuvin appearing plenty of times, as well as Gunwook occasionally sprinting down the hallway (to which Junhyeon at first screamed at, but later managed to calm down and note that every time Gunwook came the power went down faster), both of them were able to figure out a way to stall for time. Hanbin is in charge of the lights, checking the left and right before Junhyeon flips open the camera to check on Yujin. Yujin moves toward the left and circles back to the right, his noises in the kitchen being that of a classical tune rather than the pots and pans Gyuvin has, and then he comes to a stop right at the camera right outside of their office, staring directly into the lens with his whole face in shadow but the white dots still remaining. The image is horrifying in it's own right, but with their constant strategy and a good eye on the power level, they're able to keep Gyuvin, Ricky, Yujin, and even Gunwook from crushing them all the way until six comes and the bell chimes.

"Holy shit, we did it," Hanbin gasps, catching his breath and high-fiving Junhyeon after having ran back and forth between the left and right lights so many times. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

"You didn't have to tell me twice," Junhyeon agrees, stifling a yawn. "You sure you can handle doing this yourself tomorrow?"

"With that new strategy? I'm sure I'll be able to figure something out," Hanbin sighs, both of them quickly leaving the office and then the pizzeria. Hanbin calls the manager, and then he turns to Junhyeon. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Well, I'm gonna get in so much trouble, that's for sure," Junhyeon laughs, and then his smile fades. "That... could've gone so much worse. We could've died."

"Yeah, that's starting to be an everyday thing. But it's a lot safer to be in the office than to be wandering in the pizzeria... especially with Gunwook around." Hanbin twists his glove. "Taerae said he only signed me up for one week, so after this week I'm gonna make sure that Haobin's killer animatronics finally come to light."

"Honestly, the fact that they're supposed to be killer animatronics already bothers me," Junhyeon mutters. "You're telling me these animatronics are supposed to be killers but they haven't killed anyone yet?"

"Well, we don't know that for sure," Hanbin points out. "Either way, there's still so many questions that need to be answered, sooner or later."

Junhyeon nods as their van arrives to cart them back to Wakeone. "Right. Let's tear down Haobin Entertainment, together!"

Chapter Text

"If it's me, Taerae will listen," Junhyeon insists as he pulls up his phone, Hanbin peering over his shoulder to watch him dial Taerae's number. "We're really close; he'll be able to tell me something at least. It's worth a shot. And if not, we'll go in and storm Haobin tomorrow before your final shift."

"Sounds like a plan," Hanbin agrees as he watches Junhyeon hit the call button, glancing back at the door to make sure no one else would come into the recording studio. "There's not a lot of people we can trust, anyway—Ricky might even be paying your managers to keep you away from me so we can't figure stuff out together."

"Yeah, we better make this quick," Junhyeon mutters, watching the phone ring before finally the person they're looking for picks up. On the other side, Taerae's voice comes out a little softer. "Junhyeon?"

"Taerae-ah," Junhyeon drawls, face brightening. "Are you working right now?"

"Yeah, I'm at the front desk of Haobin Entertainment; just got out of a meeting with those two." Taerae hummed on the other end, ballad voice coming through. "What did you need me for?"

"It's about the entertainment," Junhyeon starts before lowering his voice. "I need you to be honest with me, okay? For my sake."

"...Okay," Taerae hesitantly agrees. "What is it?"

"About Seok Matthew's Pizzeria," Junhyeon begins, "you're the one that got Hanbin into the job, right? Why would you set him up for death?"

There's a moment of silence on the other end before Taerae speaks again, albeit more quietly. "Junhyeon," he says nervously, with a faint laugh, "Hanbin isn't in any trouble! Our jobs are perfectly safe—"

"I was there with him last night," Junhyeon interrupts, and Taerae's voice dies on the other end as Junhyeon bites his lip. "Why are you making animatronics after your friends? Where's the real Gunwook, Gyuvin, Yujin, and Ricky? Where did Anthonny go?"

"Junhyeon, you're asking too much," Hanbin whispers, low enough that Taerae can't hear on the other end.

"Junhyeon," Taerae says with an air of finality that leaves no room for argument. "I can't tell you these things. If anything, I barely know any more than you do, despite what you might think. If you want to get more information, you'll have to talk to Hanbin and Hao themselves."

"Then let us talk to them," Junhyeon hisses. "For me. Please."

It's clear Taerae's hesitating on the other end, and Hanbin grips Junhyeon's shoulder. "Maybe I should talk to him."

"But who does Taerae trust more at this point? You, or me?" Junhyeon points out, and Hanbin sighs, realizing Junhyeon's right. It's not supposed to be mean and he knows that, but it's true that he and Taerae have only grown apart, while Junhyeon and Taerae had stayed close—after all, it was Junhyeon who recommended Hanbin the job.

"Alright, I'll set you up for an appointment tomorrow afternoon, before Hanbin's last shift," Taerae murmurs over the phone, and Junhyeon pumps his fist silently in victory as Taerae continues. "But he can't come, and he has to get through tonight first, or else Hanbin and Hao won't care. They'll just... who knows. Junhyeon, you shouldn't have gotten yourself mixed up in all of this."

"It's my friend, and so it's my business," Junhyeon declares. "Alright, I'll be there. I won't bring Hanbin." One glance over to Hanbin, and Hanbin knows Junhyeon's going to do whatever it takes to get him in.

"Take care, Junhyeon. Wish Hanbin good luck for me," Taerae tacks on wistfully, and then he hangs up.

Junhyeon turns to face Hanbin, frowning. "How the hell are we going to sneak you into Haobin Entertainment?"

"Maybe attach a recording device," Hanbin offers.

"No, not possible. Ricky probably has secret metal detectors all over the building. Must be nice being young and rich and tall and handsome," Junhyeon mutters bitterly.

"Hey, you're all of those things too," Hanbin argues. "But yeah. Maybe sneak me in with a big duffel bag or something?"

Junhyeon brightens. "That can work—though we'd have to find one big enough to fit you in the first place."

"That's true," Hanbin muses. "Well, I still have bigger problems than that at the moment—like tonight, for example. Taerae said I need to survive tonight if you want to see Hanbin and Hao. Does that mean they're... watching us?"

"How could they be watching us? Taerae didn't know I was with you last night," Junhyeon points out.

"I don't know." Hanbin rubs his temples. "I'll do my best to incorporate last night's strategy. I need you to figure out a way to get me into the entertainment building tomorrow."

"Righty-o," Junhyeon agrees, patting Hanbin's head. "You'll make it out of this alive, I believe it."

"Thanks, Junhyeon," Hanbin murmurs with a watery smile.

Hanbin arrives at the pizzeria, dressed in his outfit that he swears is gonna start smelling soon if he doesn't wash it, though to be fair, he's ready to burn it at this point. The musty air and moldy hallways mock him, the lights flickering inside of the office as he steps in and checks that everything's ready to go, picking up the tablet and sitting down on the chair, checking the power generator. 100%, doors at the ready, shift about to start.

As soon as the clock hits twelve, the phone on the desk rings again, and Hanbin quickly checks his cameras to see that Ricky and Gyuvin already left the stage before picking up the phone. Relief rose in his heart as he heard Anthonny's voice, though in a couple seconds it was quickly washed out by fear.

"Hello, hello?" Anthonny's voice comes through the phone as Hanbin checks on Gunwook, seeing the animatronic already on his way to getting out of his cove. "Hey! Hey, wow, day four. I knew you could do it." There's a nervous tick to Anthonny's voice that usually isn't there, and Hanbin's blood runs cold.

"Uh, hey, listen, I may not be around to send you a message tomorrow." At those words, a loud banging resounds from the receiver, and Hanbin freezes, stopping everything as he places the cameras down, the banging all too familiar. "It's—It's been a bad night here for me. Um, I—I'm kinda glad that I recorded my messages for you uh, when I did."

No. No, no, no, no. "Uh, hey, do me a favor," Anthonny requests, more banging in the background threatening to break down the doors. "Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room? The Seok Matthew ones. I'm gonna to try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won’t be so bad."

The same suits you said were 'filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area'? Hanbin's grip on the tablet is starting to loosen as he listens to the banging on the voicemail, feeling utterly hopeless as Anthonny continues. "Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there." There's the sound of something powering down, and then a very familiar melody played on a chime, a song that Hanbin hadn't heard since since he had been on the show.

"You know—" Anthonny starts, but then there's a deep moan that sound utterly unnatural, a quiet "oh no" from Anthonny, and then a horrifying screech that makes Hanbin jump, the line going dead. He stands there, trembling, face pale in the dim light as he shakily picks up his tablet and checks the lights, screaming and putting down both doors when he sees Ricky and Gyuvin at both doors, their physical states nearly completely destroyed while Yujin's laugh echoes down the building. He takes the moment to catch his breath, tears welling up in his eyes.

Anthonny's dead. He's been dead since... since last week? Two weeks? He's dead he's dead he's fucking dead and that's going to be you if you don't make it past this week! Hanbin doesn't know what to do, his mind spiraling out of control as he forgets the routine he's established with Junhyeon the night before. He picks up the camera just in time to see Gunwook sprint down the hallway, and the banging on the door that follows sounds so eerily similar to the banging on Anthonny's last phone call that Hanbin wants to faint.

He counts to ten, takes slow deep breaths, and checks the lights after Gunwook runs back to his cove. He keeps repeating this, watching the hours change as he tries to numb his own racing mind by going through the practiced motions over and over again, checking cameras and door lights and trying not to cringe when he sees Yujin's face right at the camera right outside the right door, forcing him to leave the camera there in hopes of stalling him as the power continues trickling down. Anthonny's last words echo in his mind, and every so often he wants to bawl, but he forces himself to keep it together, thinking of Junhyeon, of his promise to Taerae, of the anger that's rising in him more and more from how much Hanbin and Hao have fucked everything over for him. They killed Anthonny. They're the reason why he's dead!

Six arrives before Hanbin knows it, and with only 1% power left, Hanbin places down the tablet and slowly rises from his chair, feeling utterly numb. Anthonny's last words echo in his mind: "Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room?" He doesn't want to be here any longer, but he forces his feet to move toward the back room, pulling out his phone and turning on the flashing as he approaches the door at the end of the hallway.

The first thing that hits him is how horrible the smell is—as soon as he opens the door, he chokes on the air, stumbling back in an attempt to combat it. He waves his phone flashlight, the entire room now being enveloped in color after seeing it on camera for so long with a dim black-and-white filter, and then he sees one of the Seok Matthew suits on the table in a sitting position. Hanbin has to cover his mouth and keep himself from throwing up as he holds his flashlight up and sees Anthonny's eyes from within the eye sockets of the metal Matthew face, blood splattered all over the metal, the corpse too mangled to make out anything else.

Hanbin turns and runs, slamming the door behind him as he gets outside and gets fresh air, turning off his phone flashlight before retching on the pavement, unable to hold back his horror and disgust. He stumbles away from the pizzeria, about to dial his manager's phone number to come and pick him up, but then he hesitates and goes for another number instead that he knows will pick up. It rings for two seconds before the other end picks up, and Hanbin has to keep himself from choking on his own acidic vomit and his tears. "Junhyeon."

"Hanbin!? You made it out alive!" Junhyeon's voice is full of elation at first, but it quickly dies as Hanbin breaks down crying, unable to hold it back anymore. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened!? Did something happen?"

"Anthonny's dead," Hanbin chokes out. "He died and I—I found his body."

Junhyeon gasps, a quiet "oh fuck" leaving his mouth as Hanbin continues crying in the empty parking lot. He scoots away from the entrance, unable to stay close to it. "Look, Junhyeon," he chokes out. "This isn't just a matter of life and death anymore. This is revenge we have to get. They killed Anthonny, Junhyeon, they killed him! We're not letting this go on anymore; we can't. I'll die for this if I have to."

"...You're right," Junhyeon agrees after a short moment. "I'll—I'll let Taerae know you made it. Let's meet later. Today, as soon as we can, we confront them. We get the truth. We have to stop both of them, no matter how long it takes."

"No more games," Hanbin mutters, and he hangs up, moving to dial his manager's number as the sun comes over the horizon, Seok Matthew's Pizzeria illuminated in a morning glow that had no warmth to it. "Hanbin, Hao—I'm coming for you."

Chapter Text

Hanbin drums his fingers on the side of the Uber, still feeling nauseous. It's only been a couple of hours, but he swears he can still smell Anthonny's rotting corpse on his skin, despite taking a shower and collapsing in his dorm bed, crying himself to sleep before waking up in the afternoon to confront Haobin Entertainment along with Junhyeon. Junhyeon himself looks anxious more than anything, bottom lip jutting out as if he were trembling. At the bottom, near his feet, is a giant duffel bag, barely able to fit Hanbin in as they tested earlier.

"Do you think you're gonna be okay?" Junhyeon whispers. "You look so pale."

"I don't know if I'm ever gonna be okay after this," Hanbin murmurs. "This is horrible. All of this is just... horrible."

Junhyeon nods quietly. "And you still have one more shift after this. The last one."

They arrive at the giant Haobin Entertainment building, walls and walls of glass window spiraling up to the sky, sticking out among the rest of the South Korea skyline yet still separate from the cities, all alone just like Seok Matthew's Pizzeria. The Uber drops them off, and then Junhyeon opens the duffel bag, keeping an eye out. "I don't see any cameras that are in our line of sight. Let's be quick."

"I'm ready to end this," Hanbin agrees, stepping into the duffel bag and curling himself up as best as he can. Junhyeon gives him a thumbs up, and then the zipper is being pulled over his head, barely managing to get him in. Junhyeon hefts him up with surprising ease, and then they're walking toward the main entrance. Hanbin can't see much from the red fabric covering his view, but he can see shapes and blobs move, the light changing as Junhyeon rings the doorbell at the front entrance.

There's a moment of silence, and then the door clicks open with a whirr. Junhyeon steps in, and Hanbin can hear the sound of his shoes squeaking on polished tile, the air suddenly chilling as if the entire room were spacious on its own. Junhyeon gasps quietly, and then he's walking over to where Hanbin hits the side of a desk. It takes all of his power not to cry out in pain.

"Taerae?" Junhyeon breathes.

The sound of a spinning chair turning around enters Hanbin's ears, and it takes even more of his willpower not to break out and try to see what Taerae looks like now, because it's been so long since he's seen his best friend, and both of them had nearly made it to the lineup together, and it just breaks Hanbin's heart, knowing Taerae is fully complicit in trying to send him to his death. His mind is in a state of turmoil, unable to figure out what to feel about Taerae. He misses him. He hates him. He's angry, he's bitter, but he still loves him, and it leaves him more horrified than anything.

"Junhyeon," Taerae replies, voice just as soft. "You look... different."

"Of course I look different; promotions will do that to you. But look at you! Your hair's... dark red? I mean, it's good on you. You look happier, somehow." Junhyeon sighs, and then he tightens his grip on the duffel bag. "I don't have time to reminiscence, Taerae. You know why I'm here."

"Of course I know why you're here," Taerae murmurs, sounding remorseful. "Where's Hanbin?"

"Just back at Wakeone. Said he needs some time alone. He said he found... found a body." Junhyeon stumbles on his words, trying to keep the fake story vague. Hanbin holds his breath, awaiting Taerae's answer.

"Anthonny, right?" Taerae's response makes Hanbin's blood boil, the implications not lost on him. Taerae knew that Anthonny was dead. Taerae also sent Anthonny to his death by letting him have the job before him. Taerae's not innocent in the slightest, no matter how much he knows. It breaks Hanbin's heart, but he knows deep down he'll never be able to forgive Taerae.

"Yeah." Junhyeon audibly swallows. "I... you sent him to that job before Hanbin. And you knew full well Anthonny could die. Taerae, why? How could you?"

"...Don't get it twisted," Taerae mutters defensively. "I—"

"You can't defend yourself, Taerae." Junhyeon's tone is no longer exasperated nor friendly. "Nothing's going to bring back Anthonny, Taerae. If you really want to be sorry, you quit this place and you don't help Hanbin or Hao anymore. You stop trying to get more of our friends killed!" He stops himself, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to talk to you anymore. Where do I go meet them?"

Taerae sounds as if he wants to say something, but he holds back and instead slides something over on the counter. "Keycard for the elevator. Top floor. Don't lose this."

"Thanks," Junhyeon spits, taking the card before walking away from the counter briskly. Hanbin finally takes a breath as Junhyeon swipes the keycard and the elevator doors slide open before Junhyeon steps in. He presses a button, waits for the doors to close, does a circle, and then speaks. "No cameras."

"I can't believe this," Hanbin whispers. "This is so fucked. All of this is so fucked."

"I can't believe Taerae," Junhyeon replies. "Do... do you think we'll make it out of this alive?"

"We have to," Hanbin insists. "We have to."

The elevator dings, and Junhyeon goes silent again. Hanbin does the same, nervousness in his stomach as the doors slide open and Junhyeon carefully steps out, still holding the duffel bag as tight as he can. This time, there's no tile, and Junhyeon stops as the doors close behind him.

"Take a seat." Sung Hanbin's voice, as gentle as it's always been, floats through the significantly-smaller room. From the little light Hanbin can see, one wall was all windows, and the rest was not. Junhyeon moves to sit, adjusting the duffel bag so Hanbin's no longer floating in the air.

"Have some coffee." Hao's voice trails over, and then there's the sound of ceramic being placed on wood. Junhyeon doesn't move, and Hao sighs. "Well, if you don't want some, then that's fine, too."

"I'm gonna get straight to the point," Junhyeon interrupts. "What are you guys actually doing with Haobin Entertainment? Why are you making animatronics based off of our friends? Where's the real Ricky and the real Gyuvin and the real Yujin and the real Gunwook? And where's Matthew? And why are your animatronics killing people!?"

"Do you really want to know?" Hao asks. "What happened to your friends?"

"Of course I wanna know! I don't want Hanbin to be on the verge of death!" Junhyeon waves his hands arounds, wind whipping in Hanbin's ears. "And what about Anthonny!? He's already dead!"

"How do you know that?" Hao interrupts, voice low.

"Hanbin found his body last night," Junhyeon replies. "Look, that's besides the point! You lied about Anthonny being on vacation! What about his family? And everyone else? Just... just what's going on!?"

"Hanbin and I founded this entertainment together with the help of our friends," Hao begins, and Junhyeon bites his tongue. "We discovered something that could bring us both to live forever, and that's why we founded this place—with the help of our friends, we'll all achieve immortality together."

"Immortality...?" Junhyeon echoes Hao's words, hardly believing them. "That's not possible. You can't live forever!"

"You know the concept of a soul, right?" Hao continues. "The thing is, our souls can be extracted from our bodies. This is the key to living forever. Both Kamden and Ricky helped pour their resources, did their research, and that's how we've managed to create a way to live forever—through the animatronics."

"...And that's why they're modeled after our friends," Junhyeon realizes, Hanbin doing his best to not give away his presence in the duffel bag. "They're not just because it's publicity, but because they're prototypes for your whole living-forever shtick or whatever you've got going on. They're... experiments." He gasps, scooting away. "Hao, don't tell me our friends—"

"They all volunteered for this—minus Ricky, who managed to program an artificial intelligence to replace him in the experiment," Hao fills in, and it takes all of Hanbin's willpower not to vomit again. "Seok Matthew's Pizzeria, the one your Hanbin is currently working at, hasn't been open for a long time. The animatronics in there are our friends."

"So you mean those animatronics trying to kill us are possessed by our friends!?" Junhyeon screeches. "What the fuck!? Then shouldn't they recognize us?"

"Well, the process isn't... entirely complete. They've managed to lose quite a bit of ourselves; that's why they're the test subjects in the first place. Their testing keeps us from running into the problems they have, such as, well... becoming more animalistic." Hao shrugs as if it's not a big deal, the motion clearly heard through Hanbin's ears. "These soul fragments, we call them remnant. With enough remnant, they may come back to themselves one day. But for now, this is all they are, and so someone has to watch over them."

"...Was this all a setup? You slowly trying to get our friends killed at that pizzeria so that you could feed our souls into those animatronics so you can bring your friends back to life in immortal rotting animatronic bodies? And that's why they look like they're rotting? And you're just... okay with this? Killing people for your selfish gain?" Junhyeon's voice slowly morphed to anger.

"After Boys Planet, we lost everything, both of us. Yuehua kicked me out, remember?" Hao laughs, though it's hollow. "Regardless, that's the cold truth. I have to thank you, since you're the one that unintentionally sent your friends to their deaths."

"I don't get it," Junhyeon retorts. "If Anthonny could've just quit after one week like Hanbin can, why didn't he?"

"He grew curious. Too curious for his own good." Hao sighs, as if it were a tragedy he didn't cause himself. "Wanted to stay and investigate. He didn't know Hanbin had already taken his job. If he had just lasted a little longer, he might've been able to go free."

Hanbin's blood boils at that, nearly shifting in the bag before Junhyeon speaks up again. "One more thing. It's called Seok Matthew's Pizzeria, right? So where's... Matthew? Why are there just empty suits of him in the back room?"

"More prototypes for the future," Hao murmurs. "As for where he is now..."

"Dead." The voice of Sung Hanbin, completely silent up until, startles Hanbin inside of the bag. "Matthew's dead because Hao fucked up, but we're going to bring him back. I'll make sure he comes back. He has to."

"How did Hao fuck up?" Junhyeon asks.

"He—" Sung Hanbin chokes on his words. "Hao killed him. On purpose. Didn't realize it would leave him dead dead."

"...You let Hao kill Matthew?" Junhyeon's voice is incredulous. "What the fuck, Hanbin!? He murdered your best friend for research and you're totally okay with that?"

"It was an accident," Hao clarifies, though his Korean is starting to halt more, a nervous habit. "I didn't—"

"It was on purpose." A new voice rings over the intercom, and Hanbin jumps in place, unable to help his surprise. Junhyeon yelps, and Hanbin freezes as he realizes his mistake, but Hao and Sung Hanbin both seem more preoccupied as Hanbin watches their shadows move rapidly, looking up toward the ceiling.

"Taerae?" Sung Hanbin's voice is quiet.

"It was on purpose and that's what I saw. I—I saw Hao kill Matthew. Just took him to the back of the building and stabbed him without a care in the world! He even smiled after it!" Taerae raises his voice, nearly breaking the intercom. "Junhyeon, I'm sorry. Nothing's going to make up for what I've done, but... I can give you this. Hao was never going to let you leave this place alive. You need to get out of there now!"

"Taerae, you're fucking fired!" Hao cursing startles Hanbin again, and the intercom goes dead before Hao begins to walk toward Junhyeon, the latter backing away every second. "Well, it's a shame. Sorry, Junhyeon, but now you know too much, and it looks like you don't want to join us either, so it's time to say goodbye. I'll be sure to give Hanbin an extra difficult night tonight for your bravery."

"Don't fucking touch me!" Junhyeon shouts, and then there's the sound of scuffling, Hao clearly having lunged while Junhyeon did his best to fight back. Hanbin takes the chance, trying to wrestle out of the duffel bag to no avail. He freezes when a hand hovers his bag's zipper, and then when it gets pulled back, Hanbin finds himself facing his namesake.

Sung Hanbin's hair is done up, forehead exposed as he pulls Hanbin out of the bag, face conflicted with emotions. Hao tosses Junhyeon to the floor with ease, a knife in hand before he turns to see Hanbin and his lip curls. "Speak of the devil. Of course Junhyeon snuck you in through that bag of his, didn't he?"

"You're a monster," Hanbin murmurs.

"I'm not a monster. I'm just getting what I deserve." Hao twirls the knife with too much practiced ease, and then he lunges for Junhyeon, but the latter manages to kick Hao in the shin and scramble toward the desk, handing the elevator keycard to Hanbin.

Hanbin takes it, stumbling backward. "Junhyeon, you can't just—"

"Get the fuck outta here!" Junhyeon shouts, stumbling back from Hao. "One of us needs to get out of here alive, at least!"

"But ZB1, and your friends, and everything else—you can't just sacrifice yourself for this!" Hanbin shouts.

"Stop arguing with me, just—" Before Junhyeon can say anything else, someone grabs Hanbin's wrist and slams it against the elevator keypad. The elevator slides open, and to Hanbin and Junhyeon's utter shock, Sung Hanbin shoves them both inside, turning to block the exit from Hao. Hao is getting up, still holding the knife. "Hanbin, what are you doing!?"

"Did you really kill Matthew like that?" Sung Hanbin asks as Junhyeon presses the bottom floor.

"I didn't," Hao insists. "I didn't!"

Sung Hanbin doesn't say anything else. He merely turns to Hanbin and Junhyeon. "This can't go on anymore," he mutters, and then the elevator door closes, leaving Sung Hanbin alone.

The final night of the shift makes Hanbin's heart heavy as he sits down at the security desk, the tablet still up and running, everything ready to go before it hits twelve. Junhyeon should be getting more help, and soon Anthonny will be avenged. He takes a deep breath, knowing that after this, he can quit for good.

Hao and Sung Hanbin's words bounce in his mind, the entire concept of remnant utterly baffling. His friends had all been part of a setup to immortalize Haobin. He was now a piece in their hands, too, up until the final night would end. Sung Hanbin's final actions confuse him, he himself unsure of how to feel about his namesake. Sung Hanbin wanted to help Hao, but it seemed even he didn't know about Hao murdering people.

The phone rings, and Hanbin tears up, remembering he's never going to be able to see Anthonny properly again without thinking of his mangled body and eyes dangling from the Seok Matthew suit—another victim solely lured to fuel Hao's science experiments. Now knowing that the animatronics were also possessed by his friends, watching the cameras is even harder now, and Hanbin wants to bawl as the telephone picked itself up only to come out with jibberish—potentially one of his friends trying to talk from their animatronic mouths, but no luck.

He hangs up and watches the lights, slamming the door when Ricky and Gyuvin appear. Both of them seem destroyed beyond recognition, with Ricky's hair a shaggy mess and half of his endoskeleton exposed while Gyuvin lost his hat and his own teeth seemed to be deteriorating, almost as if they were of a human corpse. Yujin's laugh is more frequent now, and Hanbin strains his ears to listen.

With everything on his mind, he remembers Hao's last words—"I'll be sure to give Hanbin an extra difficult night tonight for your bravery"—and he checks the power level, paling when he realizes it's already down to 45% at two. I've been playing it safe! This isn't fair!

As if things couldn't have gone worse, the power number suddenly drops to 0%, and Hanbin stumbles back into his chair as suddenly all of the lights go out, the fan no longer working and the tablet's cameras and software all down. Hanbin checks his watch, knowing it's far too early, and he holds his breath, terrified to see his fate.

For a moment, there's nothing but silence, but then Here I Am starts playing from a music box—a music box located from within the endoskeleton that was Yujin standing outside of his door. Yujin stands at the left door, eyes blinking a rapid blue, the sound of their show theme song echoing through the air.

I'm sorry, Junhyeon.

Hanbin doesn't get a chance to scream when Yujin lunges.

Jeonghyeon takes the package from the delivery driver's hands, bowing deeply as a thanks before heading back to his dorm, quietly avoiding all other human interaction as he reads off the label. He had never ordered any package within the last month. The sender's address reads like a burner one, something untraceable.

Jeonghyeon uses a knife to carefully cut the box open, fingers trembling. He knows Hanbin didn't come home last night, and Junhyeon's been declared missing since two last night, but surely those were coincidence, right?

Wrapped in copious amounts of styrofoam beads is a check. It reads for Park Hanbin, written with a neat flourish Jeonghyeon can recognize as Hao's handwriting. The check is worth five thousand—far too much for the kind of work Hanbin was doing. He flips it over, seeing nothing, and then he checks the rest of the box.

Sitting at the bottom of the box is Hanbin's phone, stained with blood. Next to it is Junhyeon's, also bloodstained. Somehow, on his own accord, Jeonghyeon picks up Junhyeon's, tapping the screen to see the lockscreen.

It's just Hao, smiling with a peace sign and a dead body next to his foot.