Chapter Text
Salt Lake City, Utah, 2035
Michael could hear it, the strange howl of remnant. Having worked through the horrors of Freddy’s and faced trial after trial he’s grown familiar with it’s buzz. It’s voice, calling out with a lilt, seeming to grow around him constantly. In foreclosed homes and broken dreams, in the hearts and minds of men. He imagined his father was particularly fond of it and probably relished in the experience. Admiring the agony dripping from the wires of creations he experimented on. Michael remembered the last time he had seen his father before all this, the buzz was unbearable, suffocatingly angry.
That was of course, right before they had both burned in an unforgiving fire. He’s still not sure how he survived. After all Henry had spent months of meticulous planning and everything had seemed fool proof. Having left no way out for himself, content to put everything to rest, Henry had sacrificed himself to bring his father’s mistakes down. So when it came down to the final hour Michael felt compelled to stay behind rather than find an out. He was worn out from years of hardship and finally ready to pass on peacefully.
When he had reawoken Mike was more unholy and disfigured than ever before. A pile of unrecognizable, melted flesh barely resembling a human. He had screamed in agony at the realization he had lived and begged God to kill him. Those had been rough times… Now years later, after a lot of pain and healing, he had something to actually live for. Mike of course would rather be at home enjoying the life he had built. At home he’d be watching a reboot of his favorite show snuggled in a blanket, binge watching tv to his heart's content. But here he was, listening to the howl of the agony in front of him.
This was such fucking bullshit.
Mike was rather proud he had actually grown to be a semi-patient guy, you had to be to put up with all this shit for years rather than just give up and let your father roam around playing God. But this time he was finding it hard to go on. Ever since William had returned Michael was angry about everything and anything, the phantom of his teenage anger returning with a vengeance. He had a lot to lose now that father had to return, so he did what an Afton does best, run away from his problems. He knew this couldn’t last forever though, unfortunately.
So here Michael was, shifting uncomfortably, looking at the phone handle like it personally offended him. It was a cold, quiet September night, time had seemed to slip away in his absence. The soft pitter-patter of rain on the ceiling of the phone booth he took refuge in seemed to unnecessarily irritate him with each drop. Slipping a piece of gum from his pocket, he popped it in his mouth with a furious chew. He angrily picked at the bandages on his fingers and picked up the receiver once again before an annoyingly familiar sound of a throat clearing caught Mike’s attention. Looking solid and alive except for the lightest shimmer around the edges, William Afton stared expectantly at his son.
He alwaaaays had to come back.
Michael should’ve known when somehow he survived that his father did as well. Along with the rest of the Funtime freaks. But then again, he supposed, unlike Elizabeth or Michael, William wasn’t really alive at all. He let his eyes wander across the ghostly form of his father as William’s stare pierced through him. Stern figure and harsh jawline held high, grey streaks peeking through his fathers hair. He looked just as Michael had remembered seeing him last, still stuck in his mid-fifties. It’d been so long since he’d seen William look like a real man, since he had faced those frosty blue eyes. The relief he should have felt about not having to look Springtrap in the eye everyday was replaced by a new fear. He found that strangely enough, his father was most terrifying to him as a human. It was too familiar, it hurt him deep within, in a long forgotten place. The way his scrutinizing and disapproving eyes would scan Michael in distaste, the smug self-satisfied smirk he’d have when Michael squirmed in discomfort, and especially the way William seemed to know just the right words to say to make his whole world come crashing down.
And ruin a calm night like this.
“What?!” Mike snapped quickly. Although the pair had cooled down in the months they’d been stuck together (no longer actively attempting to murder each other fruitlessly) tensions seemed to roll dangerously between the two like thunder.
William’s lips quirked up and he raised a brow at his son as he spoke cooly “Is that anyway to speak to your father Michael? I raised you better than that.” Michael seethed as William mockingly tutted at him in disappointment.
He always came back alright, it was like he was destined to return and ruin Mike’s good time. That’s what he gets for being happy for once, making a real life for himself.
“I am begging you just sod off for once in my life and let me do this.” Mike growled.
William’s eyes turned cold and dark, Michael noticed the tell-tale twitch of William's wrists as he put his hands behind his back. “You’re the one who’s been floundering in front of the blasted phone for an hour like a child Michael. I’m tired of standing here watching you pick up the phone and then piss off for 20 minutes to mope. If you’re going to dial someone then stop wasting my bloody time and do it already.”
Mike flinched under the heat of his father’s words and turned to focus his glare at the phone. “... I can’t. I just can’t okay!?” William’s eyes stayed cold and distant even as Michael seemed to break down, breathing frantically and hands shaking, panic seeped into his voice “I haven’t spoken to her in six months! ...She must be so worried, I even broke my phone to avoid her. I don’t know why I- I practically abandoned her.”
Mike slept out a shaky breath clutching his head as he crashed it against the wall of the phone booth, before beginning to slam it against the wall slowly in defeat.
William scoffed and leaned against the wall with an eye roll. “Spare me the dramatics Michael. So what, your solution is to run away forever? Do you know how many times I disappeared on your mother? Do you think I liked having to deal with her upon return? No. Yet I didn’t whine about it the way you are.”
Mike turned his still pressed to the wall of the phone booth head slowly to glare at William. “I am… intimately aware, father, of your ability to abandon. And that’s the problem. I’m not like you, Lucia- We aren’t like that, I’m not as cruel as you. I can’t just abandon her and disregard her feelings.” He seethed quietly.
William held back a twitch of annoyance at Michael’s implication that he had done something better than William could. His face turned to stone as he spoke calmly “Oh? Aren’t you just friends as you oh-so-indignantly been declaring for months? There shouldn’t be any problem, no? You hold no obligation here, unless you’re lying to your father out of some misguided fear.”
Mike jerked in surprise and blushed angrily at the accusation “I have an obligation because I made a promise! If you ever actually had a friend you’d understand what I mean” Quietly Michael looked down picking at his fingers feverishly “Besides… she knows I…right…?” William seemed happy with himself having caught Michael off guard and relished in the panic radiating off him.
“If you say so Michael, you know I always want what’s best for you.” He said solemnly. “If there was anything more… Well in my experience women aren’t fond of absent men. She probably would hate you for leaving. She’d probably be looking for someone else as we speak.”
Mike looked as though he had been struck and anxiously clutched the phone to his chest. William’s expression stayed flat but his eyes gleamed. “She… Lucia wouldn’t hate me… right?” Mike whimpered quietly to himself, his father shrugged.
“Your mother hated me for it and left. You continue to hate me for it.” William said slyly.
Michael dropped the phone like it burned him and grabbed at his hair. “…Shut up okay?”
Memories of his father swirling in his brain, he caught a glimpse of his reflection flinching. He and father always looked a lot alike.
His voice shook “I can’t do it.“ He whispered to himself. Mike leaned against the phone booth putting his hands on his face. He dragged them down taking a deep breath, chewing his gum harshly, leg bouncing feverishly. Thoughts and heart racing. He pictured Lucia with cold eyes turning away from him into the night towards someone else. Someone taller, better looking, wealthier. It felt like a stake was being driven into his heart.
Furiously he spun to point accusingly at William, eyes beginning to glow a dangerous purple “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t showed up and fucked up my plans I’d have Elizabeth home by now and everything would be okay. I’d be eating Kung Pao chicken and watching tv and-“
“Michael.” William stated coldly, Mike felt icy terror grip his heart and shut his mouth quickly.
William looked at him lifelessly before sighing “As wonderful as your domestic takeaway dreams are Mike, you’re the one who called out to me. Childish as always, calling out to daddy for help when things get rough, betraying me when things get easy. You ungrateful bastard, my spirit wouldn’t be here if not for you.” William snapped.
Michael clenched his teeth so hard he swore they would break. Slamming open the door to the booth as he stormed out into the rain. The door made a cRack and hung loosely off its hinges.
“I don’t even know how I did it, and now I’m stuck with you haunting me. I may as well get rid of the both of us right now. Sure it would kill me, but the satisfaction of your eternal punishment would be compensation enough.” He said bitterly.
William went a bit pale as he followed behind Michael. His thoughts filled with memories of years and years of torture at the hand of his creations. That… boy, if William was unattached to Michael surely he would drag him back to hell again. He wouldn’t go back, no matter what.
He banished the thought away and returned to a cool stupor. “Oh please, as if you’d leave your little… roommate behind. She’d probably bring me back trying to bring you back.” He turned to stand in front of Michael and spoke darkly “If that happens I promise she’ll take your punishment in your stead.”
Mike straightened his back and hissed at William “Is that a threat?”
William returned his glare and loomed over him darkly “It’s a promise son.”
Mike hated how he flinched as William leaned closer, hated how he swore he could smell his fathers favorite cigars and feel his breath. William couldn’t touch him, and yet he fought to keep his legs from trembling as distant memories threatened to cloud his vision.
William scrutinized Mike and pulled back with a satisfied smile. He spoke with a faux softness “Oh Michael, ever changing and yet always the same. Even after all these years you’re still my son. That being said, shouldn’t you be running along anyways? At this rate you’re going to fall apart at the seams.”
Michael’s anger stewed uncomfortably at the realization his father was probably right. He was literally falling apart, fingers and joints held together poorly with sports tape and bandaids. Rain poured down the holes in his flesh and shirt, eating away at his endoskeleton and rotting what was left of his body. He felt like death warmed up, over the course of his six month absence he had fought with Elizabeth and the Funtime gang more than ever. The significant physical toll it had taken was beginning to overwhelm Michael. Lucia had taught him how to do basic repairs and his father had been surprisingly earnest in his overseeing Mike’s repairs. But it wasn’t enough, Michael didn’t have the tools or proper understanding of the technology. And as loath as William was to admit it, he was a bit out of his element as well.
So sophisticated was his resurrection, Mike had felt human again most days. Equipped with synthetic nerves, organs, and even blood, Michael had the ability to use each of his human senses. It wasn’t exact but it was scarily close. Lucia was always happy to help but Michael knew she wouldn’t be too pleased with his current state. Hair falling out, skin ripped off his face, his ability to eat, to feel pain, and even his ability to stand up straight had failed. He didn’t want to upset her, or if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to see how upset she was. So selfishly, he didn’t want to go home. It’d been a long time since he felt like such an alien creature. Mike would be worried Lucia would be scared of him if it weren’t for his initial encounter with her. But still the thought of her looking at him like… this… made his stomach do uncomfortable flips.
Mike sped up and ducked into an alleyway “I can’t go back to her empty handed besides more problems.”
William followed him, a steely gaze burning Mike's back “I disappeared for months, if I come back without Liz it all will have been for nothing.”
That wasn’t really true, having Liz wouldn’t be a solid justification for his actions but he clung to the idea hopelessly.
“I don’t want you anywhere near her until it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t trust that you’re as helpless as you say. I’m not keen to have you hanging around my house.” He said, fitting William with a narrowed gaze.
William returned the look indifferently, but Mike knew the cold fury hidden behind those glazed eyes. Pulling a small handheld device out of his jacket Mike watched static crackle across the screen. It looked as damaged as him, right down to the poorly secured sports tape job. Cursing under his breath he gave it a few smacks with his left hand before his index finger fell off. Michael hissed lowly in frustration and pulled a bandaid out of his coat pocket reattaching the finger.
For a split second he swore he almost saw disgusted concern on his fathers face before it was replaced with an icy look.
“You’d better not send me back because you’re too rubbish to go home and admit your failures. You’ve never been able to get Elizabeth to do anything she didn’t want. You certainly won’t in your current manner.” William spoke coldly.
Mike ignored him and continued hitting the device until a map flashed on screen. A familiar icon of Circus Baby flashing and moving across the other side of town lit up the screen. Michael pumped his fist in the air and stood up.
“You can either keep whining and brood the whole time or help me out and your chances of survival increase sooner. Let’s go.”
“Michael, I said no. Stop this at once.” William advanced at Mike with burning hatred, hands twitching as though eager to grab him.
Mike felt that familiar sick feeling in his stomach and his breathing picked up. But when his father reached forward to grab him he passed right through. William flexed his jaw and returned calmly to his previous position. Michael’s fear turned into a sort of smugness and he gave William a self satisfied smile.
“No, I think I’ll be going.” He said smugly.
William’s face looked like a tomato and Michael resisted the urge to laugh in his face. Mike hunched his shoulders and stalked forward with new found determination. He could do this. Easy as pie right? He’d just go grab Elizabeth and then he could go home. Sure he was a little beat up but he’d been worse and somehow made his way home. He had to do this, and he had to do it quickly too. William slunk behind him angrily muttering insults under his breath but Mike ignored him. His mind had already wandered away to melancholy thoughts of kung pao chicken, a soft smile, and the smell of home.