Chapter Text
“You are the only human employee currently working at the PizzaPlex, correct?” William asked off-handedly.
Michael gave his father an unimpressed scowl. As if the man didn’t remember ‘letting go’ of the rest of the human staff a few months ago.
“Yeah,” he said, drawing out the word. “I don’t see why that’s important. The STAFF bots are doin’ fine so far.”
“Don’t take that tone with me, Michael,” William said lightly. Michael’s jaw tightened. “And yes, I realize that. I’m simply of the opinion that we could use another human employee around there. Since you're the technician…" He paused meaningfully. "Perhaps a security guard?"
Michael stiffened, eyes darting over to meet his father's. William gazed steadily back, raising an eyebrow ever-so-slightly.
Michael cleared his throat after a few seconds and looked away, breaking the tense silence. His mouth had gone dry. “Doubt there’s anyone we can trust with that. I mean, keepin’ tabs on an entire building? Alone?”
“Oh, I think I know the perfect person for the job,” William said. “Vanessa Anderson, one of the former beta-testing team for Help Wanted. She’s young, but very capable. Absolutely brilliant at following orders.” Michael’s hands had started trembling faintly. He shoved them into his pockets. “And besides,” William continued, the corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. “She won’t be alone. You’ll be there if she happens to need assistance.”
Anger and disgust were churning together in Michael’s stomach, but years of practice allowed him to shove them back under the surface and smooth his expression back into calm.
“I have my own job, ya know. I can’t afford losin’ it just because you decided I should babysit some chick-”
“Michael.”
Michael closed his mouth.
“Have you forgotten who owns this company?” William asked, his voice going deceptively soft. “I decide whether or not you lose your job, Michael. I decide…” He leaned in closer as his voice died away to barely more than a breath. “…whether or not you live to see tomorrow.”
The two men stared at each other as William stepped back again. No trace of an expression was left on Michael’s face.
“I hope you think about what I had to say, son.” Michael blinked just a little too quickly at that, almost a flinch. William noticed it, of course. He noticed most things. “I’ll be bringing Vanessa to meet you in a few days. You’ll be working together, after all. It would be smart to establish a positive relationship early on.”
Michael bit down hard on everything he wanted to say and swallowed it.
“Sure. Whatever.”
…
Vanessa turned out to be a woman in her early twenties, the top of her head only coming up to Michael’s shoulder, her skin an unhealthy pallor like she hadn’t seen the sun in years and her face hidden behind rainbow-dyed blond hair. William had a hand on her shoulder like he was trying to seem supportive, but Michael could see the way his fingers dug into her skin.
“Vanessa, this is Michael, my eldest son. You two will be working together from now on; with your jobs in the PizzaPlex, of course, amongst other things.”
Michael could see Vanessa go tense, ducking her head and letting her hair fall further over her face.
“Hello,” she said quietly, her voice monotone. “It’s nice to meet you.” There was neither warmth nor truth to that statement.
“Hey,” Michael said flatly. He looked at his father pointedly, almost glaring. “Do ya want me to show her around or somethin’, or can I get back to work?”
“She’d appreciate a tour,” William said. “Wouldn’t you, Vanessa?”
“Yes,” Vanessa said. “I would.”
“Go ahead then.” William finally let go of her shoulder and waved a hand like he was shooing them away. “The sooner you’re finished, the better.”
Michael gritted his teeth as he walked away, Vanessa trailing silently behind him.
Damn that stupid VR game, damn all of this! Why can’t he give up on this bullsh*t? Why can't we just be done?
He barely managed to hold back a yelp as something tapped his shoulder, giving him a little static shock. Turning quickly, he saw Vanessa pulling her hand away to tuck it back close against her body.
“Isn’t this supposed to be a tour?” she asked, the tiniest bit of impatience leaking through in her dead-sounding voice.
Michael gave her an appraising look. “Yeah, right. Thanks for remindin' me.”
The actual tour took a while, unsurprisingly. They had to go through the entire building- all six floors of it- (excluding Basement 2; that was Michael’s domain) and familiarize Vanessa with all of the animatronics, which would have been an ordeal at the best of times. Thankfully, Vanessa wasn’t the type to waste time chatting with robots or poking her nose where she shouldn’t. She stuck close to Michael’s side and was painfully laconic and withdrawn, so much so that Roxy stalked off in a huff, Monty started talking over her like she wasn’t even there, Freddy seemed hurt and Chica was near the animatronic equivalent of tears after Vanessa was introduced to each of them. Even Michael himself, who certainly wasn’t known for being a big talker, was getting uncomfortable with her near-silent, shadowy presence.
In a word, it felt… wrong. Like she wasn’t meant to be like this.
(But in retrospect, Michael felt stupid for not expecting that. She wasn’t meant to be like this, no matter what she might have been like originally.)
“Did the tour go well?” William asked lightly as they came back to where he’d been waiting. Vanessa made a small, aborted movement like she wanted to back away from him, immediately drawing William’s sharp gaze. Michael cleared his throat, making both of them look at him instead.
“Yeah, it went fine. Showed her around the building, introduced her to the band, all that sh*t. Can we be done here?”
“Of course, Michael,” William said. He reached out as Vanessa stiffly stepped towards him, replacing his hand on her shoulder as she stared down at her feet. “It’s about time Vanessa gets home, anyway.”
Vanessa raised her head and her eyes met Michael’s for a split second, for the first time since they'd met. They were wide and wet and bloodshot, the irises a startlingly bright green, before she lowered her head again and her hair hid them from view.
Michael felt sick.
“Right,” he muttered. Then- “Get home safe.”
“You too, son.” William lazily lifted a hand in farewell as he and Vanessa walked away. Michael watched them for a few moments before he turned away as well, hating his father and himself much more bitterly than usual.