Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

William was sick of this. They’d tried to kill him at least a thousand times while Phone Guy, of all people, got to roam freely. He’d been put with the animatronics, drowned, burnt, starved, you name it, he’s had it done. They called him “SCP 1987-8” instead of his given name. He hadn’t seen his darling Henry in.. well he’d lost track of time.

He opened his eyes, the bindings around his arms and legs dragging him to the floor, the muzzle he was forced to wear tore his skin to pieces. They’d got him out of the suit, at least. He was barely a human, a husk of a few muscles and some bones here and there. Micheal wasn’t much better, from what he’d seen of his eldest, anyway. The scowl Micheal threw his way was enough of a signal to William that his only “Living” child despised him. A loud thud outside of his containment cell alerted him, glancing upward toward the door. The door hissed, and slid open slowly, revealing yet another group of white coated monsters to torture him again. Something was different, though. There were two trailing behind, two without white coats. Two of them, in SCP branded uniforms, much like his own. A gasp escaped one of them, as he tried to dart forwards toward the sound the clang of his chains, restricting his movement, made the pair jump.

“Will?”
William knew that voice, it was Henry Emily. He looks up, staring at him. He looked so different, his body covered in burn scarring from his attempt of freeing the lost souls. William whined softly, a noise he had never made before, as Henry moved closer. Phone Guy, standing behind Henry, looked at William bewildered. Henry's gaze softened, kneeling in front of the bound man as he whispers soft hello’s. Phone Guy lingered, oddly silent (God he never used to shut up..) as he paced slowly around William. Henry stayed by William’s side for a while, before looking to Phone Guy. They talk almost telepathically before sighing, Henry moving to his feet and moving back towards the door. William loses his shit, screaming, bashing the walls of his cell with his chains. Henry takes one more look before leaving, Phone Guy mouthing a small “I’m sorry, Boss” before following Henry out. The door shuts behind them, leaving William alone again.

Days, maybe weeks, William never could tell, had passed before he was bothered again. He almost immediately lashed out against the Class-D that had been shoved into his cell, beating him black and blue in seconds. A dose of some gas came through the ventilation system and he was pacified. The Class-D was taken away, most likely to be killed off due to his injuries. William awoke again, feeling lethargic. He glared at the observation deck, at the blurry shadows that lingered behind the reinforced glass. He could faintly hear them. Talking about the animatronics, His Animatronics. How they had tried to interview them individually and it almost caused chaos. They tried to destroy themselves. Being separated. William was too busy lost in thought to notice the guards coming in. They dragged him away to a different room, separated into two by a mere piece of glass. He was the last one in. Sat the other side were his creations. The Golden Freddy animatronic immediately started to react upon seeing him, obviously an internal conflict between the two souls. His son. His youngest son was there. So close yet so far. The others merely idled, The Puppet not moving her face from him. Guilt ran through him. She was the first, of course. Charlotte Emily. She was like his own daughter.
“Charlie..” His muffled voice came, The Puppets eyes lit, however she didn’t move. “I’m… God I’m so sorry.” His words were whispers, fists clenching. He’d never felt regret. Not until being boxed in his cell. “I… I understand if you can’t forgive me.” She moved, ever so slightly. She had moved closer to the glass, closer to him. Her voice echoes around the room, unable to be heard by the natural ear.
“We can’t forgive you Afton. Not after what you did. But…. Thank you.” William looks up at them all, lingering his eyes on Golden Freddy.
“Evan…?” William watches as The Puppet moves to the Golden suit. Golden Freddy’s voice fights between his son and the girl he resides with but there wasn’t a word that could be understood. She was angry, understandably so. His son, however, was somewhat understanding, it wasn’t William’s fault he had been bitten so long ago.

He was soon carried away again, after learning that the other four had been disabled. They were unable to move. He saw Phone Guy, almost dancing through the halls with his personal security following behind him. He stopped next to William.
“Hey Boss! How’re you doing?” He started on his rambles. At least he wasn’t silent like last time. Before too long, his guard nudged him slightly, telling him that William needed to be returned to his cell, and perhaps they can have a meeting soon. Phone Guy says his goodbyes (He looks so tired.. How can a Phone look tired..) and wonders off. William was promptly returned to his cell, being basically thrown in. He sighs, dragging himself to a corner and curling up. He’d never felt so much pain and guilt in his life. All he wanted was to make things right (And unfortunately he’s about 60 years too late), but he couldn’t. For once in his life, he can’t fix things.

William tried. Everything he tried and he was still Fucking alive. He was the reason for all this pain and suffering and when he finally decides it’s time, he can’t fucking die. Bashing his head against the wall, for now the third time, the red-purple splattering of his congealed blood explodes against the wall. He screams, not in physical pain, but in anguish. He had nothing to lose anymore. He was stuck in these same four walls, tortured day and night by these beings who dared call themselves human. They tortured him in the name of Science. The lights cut out. William lifts his head, staring at the door. It hisses, slides open, letting in a small crack of light from the other room. His lights clunk back on, blinding him. When he reopens his eyes, Phone Guy stands there. His hand covering his mouth, (Or.. Where his mouth would be..)
“Vince..-” William’s desperate, yet raspy voice calls.

Chapter Text

Phone Guy sits with William, talking on occasion. Reminiscing about when the Pizzeria was open and running. William breaks down, a few times, and Phone Guy sits with him through it. He shares some food with William, as much as he was told not to. They sit together for a long time. Several guards try to coerce Phone Guy to leave, but he shakes his head every time. Eventually, William tells him he should go, and Phone Guy nods, and stands up. William sighs softly as he walks away. William stays rather placid for a while, confusing the many researchers that study him. He slowly crawled away to a corner, curling up and falling asleep.

His next test occurred after he was rudely awoken. Shoved around the corridors and locked in yet another room. This room looked different, however. It looked like a regular interview room, like one in a police station. The door opened again and His son was dragged through, giving the guards a hard time. William chuckles slightly. Micheal got chained to a chair opposite William, glaring at his father with a fiery anger. Shortly after, Henry and Vincent were brought in, them being the only two not tethered in some way. The two-way glass mirror behind Michael had a few shadows pass by, obviously the researchers were keen on watching this.
“Go ahead. Talk.” A static, nondescript voice floats through the room. William glanced at Michael, who turned his head away. Henry reached for William’s hand, the one chained to the table, and smiled at him.
“How is it..?” Henry says weakly.
“I thought being locked in a safe room for thirty years was bad. At least I had a damn radio in there.” Henry sighs. “It’s more torture than that godforsaken suit.”
“Deserved it though.” Micheal interrupted. Henry glared at him, he’d obviously been allowed more visiting time from the travelling duo. Michael looked down, sighing.
“I’ve spoken to Evan-”
“No. You haven’t. Nobody can understand what he says because Cassidy tries to talk at the same bloody time.” Michael cut Henry off this time. He received another glare from Henry. William clenches his fist. Vincent, once again sitting quietly, watched as Micheal and Henry argued.
“How’ve you been, Vince?” William turns to the phone headed man. Phone Guy simply shrugs. Henry shouts, and Phone Guy jumps. William turns, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t want to be near him!” Micheal shouts back. Henry sighs. A recording plays over a speaker, it’s William apologising to Charlotte. William’s eyes fall to the floor, clenching his hands into fists.
“You know their names…” William turned to Michael. “You… You know their names..” William lays his head on the table. Vincent pats his back, very gently.
“They announced their names through the local newspaper, never broadcasted on radio… it was about a week after you went missing…” Micheal says quietly. “Fritz, Jeremy, Cassidy, Gabriel and Susie”
William falls silent, not even breathing (Not that he needs to anyway) as Micheal continues explaining.
“Said they’d been missing since….. 85? Around the time of the incident… Claimed that was all the information they had so that had to be them.” William nods.
“It is.. It is them. Why.. Why did I do it? I wouldn't be in this fucking mess. Elizabeth might have even lived…” Michael held his breath.
“I’ve… seen her. She’s free… Probably the only one who the fire worked on..”
A loud buzzer screeches. Henry and Phone Guy jump, Micheal winces and William seems unaffected. They allow Henry and Phone Guy out of the room, Henry saying goodbye as he’s pushed out of the room. Micheal gets released from the chair he’s chained to.
“Are you really sorry.. Father?”
“It hurts me every fucking day. I wish I could undo all I have done to hurt them, and you too Micheal..” Micheal looks his father in the eyes for the first time since they had seen each other and Micheal was dragged out of the room and away to his cell.

William has been left alone for a long time. Too long. He was getting too into his own head. His family hates him, god knows what happened to Clara. The speaker in his room crackles, a voice muttering about testing, before his cell door opens and he’s dragged out again. He hears Henry, faintly, but he’s shouting. William gets left in a room, chained to the floor and sat on a chair while the guards filter out again. Micheal gets dragged into the room, once again kicking up a fuss with the guards.
“I don’t want to talk to him!” Micheal shouts as he kicks at one of the guards. His clothes hung off of him, the cuffs around his wrists almost slipping off his hands.
“Micheal..” Micheal’s head snaps over to William. “Don’t give out to them. They’re just doing their jobs.” He huffs, turning away from his father.
“I’m not talking to you.” William laughs quietly.
“Who else are you gonna talk to? I heard Henry shouting earlier. I haven’t even seen Vincent in god knows how long.” William leans forwards. “They want us to talk, so we talk.”
“You’re awful.” Micheal glares at his father.
“Oh trust me I’m very aware.” William leans back again, trying to get comfortable in the ugly plastic chair he's sat in. “Unfortunately we cannot undo the past, as much as I wish I could. So.” Micheal sighs, giving in.
“I hate it here.” William chuckles.
“Me too kiddo. You look.. Worse than me. And that’s a hard task.” Micheal scoffs quietly.
“They don’t feed me. I don’t see Vince anymore… I think they’re trying to provoke us. Like how the animatronics tried to destroy themselves?”
“Oh I’ve tried that one. Still here unfortunately. My room just reeks of blood, which wouldn’t have been an issue in the past but I’m not so fond of that smell anymore.” Micheal’s face screws up.
“What like old rotting blood? Yeah I remember that smell. When I worked at the pizzeria as a nightguard it’s all I could smell. Tried candles and everything. Hell, I even tried cleaning the place with bleach.”
“Oh that was you? Wondered what the bleach smell was..” William looks at the ceiling. “How long did you last there anyway?”
“A while. Fortunately I wasn’t overly scared because ya know… I grew up around the fuckers.”
William and Micheal talked for hours, unbeknownst to them. It wasn’t until the speaker crackled and announced their “test” was over. William was guided back to his cell and given this weird drink. It tasted like sour apple, mixed with a hint of lemon juice. He nearly spat it back out, before the guard forced more down his throat.