Work Text:
Two weeks had already passed since the FazFest.
Mike couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened that night: an event that should never have taken place… robots attacking the town… chaos, screams, and fear everywhere.
But what disturbed him the most wasn’t the attack.
It was Vanessa.
He still couldn’t believe that she had never told him anything about her past, her family… her secrets.
And then there was that blond-haired boy, what exactly did he mean that night?, who was he talking about when he said they wouldn’t be able to contain him anymore?, that he would grow stronger…that he would come out from time to time…but that wasn’t Mike’s biggest problem right now.
Fortunately, Jeremiah had offered to take care of Abby. Not only that, he had been understanding and supportive of the whole situation.
Thanks to that, Mike was able to go looking for answers.
He drove to Henry’s house.
He needed to talk to him… and also return the music box he had given him.
If he was being honest with himself, it had been far more useful than he expected, it was incredible how a simple melody could be stronger than the influence of a vengeful soul.
But when he arrived, he didn’t find Henry.
He found destruction.
The house was in ruins, as if something had forced its way inside.
Mike slowly approached the massive hole in the wall of the house.
Without thinking much about it, he stepped inside.
Pieces of wood, shattered glass, bricks, plaster, and cement scattered across the floor, furniture lay overturned or completely destroyed.
Everything suggested that there had been a fight.
“Henry?” Mike called out.
Silence.
He searched through the house… but found no sign of him.
Then he froze, in a corner, looking at something he never wanted to see.
Blood on the floor, a chill ran down his spine.
Henry might not have just been taken… he might be injured… or worse, dead.
Mike dropped to his knees, his mind began to race with thoughts.
Henry was his only reliable source of information… and now he was gone.
He didn’t know where he was, he didn’t know if he was still alive, he didn’t even know if he could have prevented this, what if all of this was his fault?
Especially after the warning from that blond-haired boy… was this what he meant?
His thoughts began to spiral into darkness…until something tugged at his clothes.
Mike snapped back to reality, he turned around abruptly.
And what he saw left him completely confused, a small animatronic was, hugging him?
“AH!”, Mike shouted and stepped back immediately.
The little robot got scared and ran to hide behind a piece of furniture, like a frightened animal.
Mike stared at it in confusion.
What was that thing?, why was it there?, and why had Henry never mentioned it before?
He slowly approached, looking closer, he noticed something strange, the small animatronic didn’t seem aggressive.
It wasn’t trying to bite him, or attack him, it looked… scared.
Just like him.
Mike carefully stepped closer, extending a hand cautiously, like someone trying to calm a wild animal.
That only made the small robot hide even more.
So Mike decided to speak, “Hey… it’s okay…” he said softly, “You don’t have to be afraid, you’re safe with me”, he used the same tone he used when Abby had nightmares at night.
He extended his hand again, for a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then two tiny blue lights appeared in the darkness, a pair of small arms reached out from the hiding spot, four-fingered hands gently grabbed Mike’s fingers… like a baby animal seeking comfort.
Mike carefully pulled it out of its hiding place and set it on the only table still standing in the wreckage.
Now he could see it clearly.
It was a small white bear animatronic with violet details, it had pink cheeks, a tiny top hat, a bow tie, and two large buttons on its torso.
It was… surprisingly adorable.
Judging by its size, it looked like it had been designed to sit on a desk.
“Who are you?” Mike asked, “What exactly are you?”
The little robot didn’t answer, instead, it pointed toward something on the floor, a blueprint.
Mike picked up the large sheet of paper, at the top it read:
Project: Small Assistant - Name: Helpy
The blueprint included a hand-drawn illustration of the same animatronic in front of him.
“So your name is Helpy…” Mike murmured.
He continued reading.
According to the plans, Henry had designed Helpy to help him with his work: giving reminders, calculating finances, organizing tasks…
But something caught Mike’s attention.
Audio recording mode.
The system allowed reminders or messages to be recorded.
To play them… you simply had to press the robot’s nose.
Mike didn’t hesitate, he gently pressed Helpy’s nose.
A small click sounded from inside the robot, then Henry’s voice began to play.
“Leaving dead space in… 3… 2… 1… This message is intended as a warning. Mike, I wish we had more time after our conversation about Charlotte, but I’m sending you this now in case… I can’t deliver it in person. There are things you need to know. I was William Afton’s business partner for years, and although the equipment I have left from that time is somewhat obsolete, I can still track some animatronics…”
Mike abruptly stopped the message, he pressed Helpy’s nose again, the recording cut off.
Without thinking any further, he grabbed the small animatronic and rushed out of the house.
He headed straight to his car.
Without hearing the final warning.