Otherworldly

by Nadia_Witch

Summary:

After being thrown through the portal door, Luz and her friends find themself stuck back in the Human Realm yet no longer in Gravesfield. In search of a place to stay and someone to help, they find themselves caught in the mysteries surrounding Fazbear Entertainment.

Notes:

For old readers: I combined chapters 1 and 2 since it made more sense.

Chapter 1: Lost But There’s Hope

“No! King!” Luz yelled as her younger brother’s yell forced her and her friends through the collapsing door. Luz barely looked over as she heard King say “Goodbye Luz” before the door shut in her face. She jumped top her feet and stumbled to the door, swinging it open only to see… an empty, rotting room of the abandoned house. Thoughts ran widely through Luz’s mind as she continually opened and closed the door, praying for it to once again showcase the Boiling Isles… but that would never happen. The portal door had shattered and broke, causing Luz and her friends to be trapped in the Human realm. 

 

Luz stared at the empty room for what felt like forever, although it was only a few minutes. Her breathing staggered as she slowly turned to face her friends with teary eyes. Amity stared back at her with wide eyes and Willow examined their new surroundings; all the while, Hunter was comforting Gus who lightly sobbed, struggling to process what just happened. 

 

Guilt. All Luz felt was the sheer guilt as she stared at her friends, all of their mental states shattered from the Day of Unity. And what was worse? It was all her fault. Those stupid time pools, her naivety with helping him get his desires, the way they were now all stuck here, her found family probably being dead, the genocide they barely escaped. 

 

Rain poured down on the group as Luz helped her friends back to their feet, her hands trembling but she put them before herself. She let out a shaky exhale before starting to examine their surroundings. Wait… this wasn’t Connecticut…

 

”Wh… where are we…?” She mumbled as she stared at the unfamiliar abandoned house in front of them. This wasn’t the same shabby wooden house in the woods… it looked newer, but still rotting, it was larger and looked like a much more advanced building type then that of the wooden home. The forestry surrounding the house was different and a large, concrete clearing sat under their feet.

 

”Luz… what do you mean?” Amity asked her girlfriend with concern. 

 

“This.. this isn’t my home… this isn’t where my house is. We’re not anywhere near my mom. This is the Human Realm but…” Luz trailed off.

 

”But it’s somewhere else?” Hunter guessed, getting a nod from Luz.

 

”We need to find someplace to shelter… somewhere where we can find help. This place is old; we wouldn’t find a way back unless we find someone else,” Luz stated. “Plus, it’s probably private property. We shouldn’t enter.”

 

”That makes sense but, if you don’t know where we are, then where are we going to go?” Willow asked. 

 

“We are just gonna have to look,” Luz asserted before following the concrete road leading out of the clearing. 

 

The others followed Luz down the path, walking behind her and letting her lead them. Amity cast a small light spell to illuminate the way as they walked as Willow used plant leaves to make make-shift blankets to cover them. Hunter had his arm around Gus’s shoulders to help comfort him as they walked. No one said a word as they walked, still processing the traumatic events that brought them here. They didn’t know if their families on the other side of the portal were safe or the sort of chaos the Collector was causing to the world they called their home. 

---

 

5%, 5am. Just a few more minutes until the shift was over. The time felt impossibly slow as the seconds ticked by and the power drained. It was only Michael’s third night working at this location and he’s already had too many close calls. Too close for comfort. 

 

The power got lower and lower when suddenly, the animatronics pounding on the large security doors just… left. They looked almost as if they had a weird, direct path towards something. Michael glanced at the doors in confusion before shaking his head and clicking both door buttons. The doors shot up with a metal clank before he went back to checking on the cameras. 

 

Flipping through the different feeds, Michael barely passed one before returning to it as he processed what was on the screen. In the party room was a group of seemingly lost, disheveled teens. Now it was obvious what the animatronics were moving towards. Without a second thought, Mike snatched up his flashlight and made a mad dash towards the party room, trying to get ahead of the animatronics. 

Moments earlier…

 

”I think this’ll work… We can rest here for the night, grab some first aid things and wait for employees to find us,” Luz stated as she and her friends stood outside of a building labeled ‘Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza’. 

 

“Are you sure this place will have that?” Gus asked in a hushed voice.

 

”It should. Most restaurants have first aid supplies,” Luz answered. “Only issue is if it’s locked.”

 

”Easy enough,” said Amity. She drew a circle in the air with her finger and shot a spike of abomination goo at the lock, piercing its mechanisms. 

 

“Thanks, Sweet Potato,” Luz thanked, nuzzling Amity’s cheek before pushing the door open. 

 

The group stepped into the building, glancing around at the dark area. They could barely make up the shapes before them due to the lack of lighting; causing them to stick close to avoid stumbling into something. They glanced around before collectively tensed up as loud, clunking footsteps started to barrel towards them. The group braced for impact, anticipating attack yet… it didn’t come. 

 

Luz was the first to open her eyes and, through dim light, saw the silhouette of a man struggling to hold back a large, felt cover hand from hitting the group. 

 

“Get out of here!” He warned with a strained voice.

 

The group instantly took action; not running away but choosing to fight. Just as they were about to rush in, another animatronic came closer. With holding back the current one, the man hadn’t noticed the animatronic’s entrance, immediately regretting it as the animatronic snatched him by the collar before ruthlessly tossing him into one of the party tables. They all gasped in fear before going back on guard. Willow, Hunter, and Amity teamed up to subdue the foes while Luz and Gus rushed over to assist the man. 

 

Spiked vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around the animatronic’s limbs as abomination goo formed as ropes tied around the other animatronic’s wrists, being pulled on tightly by Amity. Hunter teleported in a flash of golden light, kicking down the animatronics. 

 

Luz and Gus skidded to a stop, throwing chairs out of the way before kneeling down in front of the barely conscious man. They both quickly noticed the flickering white pinpricks of lights he had for eyes but paid no mind, focused on trying to help him from the harsh attack. 

 

“Are you okay? What can we do to help?” Luz quickly asked, rifling through the pockets in the grudgby jacket Eda gave her. 

 

“N-no, I’m fine,” He stated in a weak voice, slowly sitting up and holding a hand to his head. “I’m more concerned about what you kids are doing here. It’s dangerous! Even more so at this hour.”

 

”We’ll explain later but first, we’re getting out of here,” Gus stated, offering his hand to the man. 

 

“No it’s okay. Prioritize yourselves and go somewhere safer. You shouldn’t be here,” He stated with pure concern flooding his tone.

 

”We don’t have anywhere to go so we’re in this together,” Luz asserted. 

 

“And we aren’t gonna leave you here if it’s as dangerous as you say,” Gus added. 

 

Michael took a moment to process this, his eyes widening as he realized the severity of this issue. He was instantly snapped back to reality, however, when two loud crashes could be heard across the room. Looking over, the three teens were able to subdue the animatronics long enough for the clock to tick 6am, powering them off.

 

”Muy bien!” Luz congratulated as Willow, Hunter, and Amity joined back up with them. 

 

Michael looked at all the kids with concern before using the table he was rammed into to stand back up. “Really, what on earth are you doing here?!” He asked. “Y’know what, don’t tell me right now. Your safety is my main priority. We need to get you kids out of here.”

 

”Well, we can’t argue with that,” Gus shrugged.

 

”Hm, you said you didn’t have anywhere to stay and since you came here of all places, I doubt you’re from around here…” Michael theorized.

 

”How could you tell? Is there… something bad about this place..?” Hunter asked.

 

”Yes…” Michael answered sorrowfully. “I’m afraid I can’t explain; and even if I could, this wouldn’t be the place or time.”

 

The Hexside squad exchanged suspicious glances but none of them wanted to ask further. Luz was the first one to speak up. “So then uh, do you know of any place to stay?”

 

Michael hesitated, trying to think of any places that would be best for them. Coming up with nothing that would work, he started to think out loud. “My house is probably the safest but I’m not quite sure I can fully afford it… not to mention the stigma. Henry’s off on his revenge plan, few people live here, they’re still on the loose… hmm…” His ramblings only made the teens more suspicious of him then they already were; what was he even going on about?

 

”Look… you kids can rest at my home until I can find a more proper solution; are you fine with that?” Michael asked, not wanting to force them to follow.

 

The Hexside squad glanced at each other before giving a collective nod, knowing this was their best option for the time being. “Right,” Luz nodded.

 

”I do apologize that there isn’t really any other option right now. I’ll see what I can do to help more but this is all I can do for now,” said Michael.

 

”It’s more than enough, sir,” Willow answered. “Thank you.”

 

”Please, just call me Mike,” Mike asked. 

 

“Alright Mr. Mike,” Luz nodded. “I’m Luz and these are my friends Willow, Gus, Hunter, and Amity.”

 

”Well then, it’s nice to meet you all. How about once we get to safety, I make you all a snack and then you can rest. It’s not incredibly late or so but the sun will be rising soon; I suggest resting for a while considering…” Mike drifted off as he looked at the teens, growing more concerned. “Oh… goodness, are you lot okay?!”

 

None of them responded, just avoiding eye contact as they thought over the horrors they had narrowly escaped and the pain they saw. The answer was obvious just by how they reacted to the question… they desperately needed help and comfort. 

 

“C’mon, lets get out of here. You can explain things later,” Mike said as he led the Hexside squad out of the building and towards the single car in the parking lot, silently vowing to protect these kids. 

Chapter 2: Settling

Notes:

The original chapter 2 has been combined with chapter 1. This is a fully new chapter for old readers (:

“I call shotgun!” Luz yelled with as much of a grin she could muster after everything that had happened. 

 

“Shotgun?!” Hunter looked at her with a mix of confusion and concern, thinking she was actually going to get her hands on a shotgun. 

 

Mike chuckled a bit at the teen’s confusion before saying “It just means she wants the front seat.”

 

“Oh,” Hunter mumbled, shying away his face in embarrassment as Willow lightly patted his shoulder to console him, wearing a weak smirk that Hunter couldn’t help but return.

 

The Hexsquad hopped into the car, all barely fitting but managing. Luz sat in the front passenger seat while the other four were squashed together in the back row. Mike got into the driver's seat and started the car, heading out the parking lot when an idea came to him. 

 

“I’ll stop at a convenience store up the road to pick you kids up some snacks and something to drink. Is there anything in particular you’d like?” He asked them.

 

The four in the back all looked at each other in confusion. This wasn’t the demon realm, they weren’t sure what snacks they had here! But Luz came to the rescue, turning around in her seat to face them, whispering “Don’t worry, I’ll find human realm equivalents or something I think y'all will like.” They all sighed with grateful looks in response.

 

“Thanks Luz,” Amity said, getting a soft smile from Luz in response, making her blush slightly. Some things never change, even in dark situations. 

 

Luz sat back properly in her seat and glanced at Mike about to answer before a street light lit up the car, causing her to finally notice something the darker environment from earlier wouldn’t allow: the decaying appearance of the man who took them in. Luz felt her words shrivel up in her throat before glancing away, trying to process this. She’d spent months in the demon realm and just faced off with Belos and some creepy robots, but this is what gets to her! Well, Mike was nice enough to open his home to a group of teens he just met so… why should she judge. She lived on a giant corpse for months! Plus, Eda wasn’t even near the definition of ‘normal’, so she shouldn’t be put off by his appearance. Everyone had their stories, including herself. It wasn’t important… but maybe she could get some mysterious backstory lore later. Yeah, that sounded fun! And so, she left that thought there and turned back to face Mike. 

 

“My friends aren’t exactly… from here but I know their taste in food so I’ll help pick things out, if that's fine,” said Luz.

 

“Alright, thank you. I wouldn’t want to grab anything no one would like so your help is much appreciated,” Mike smiled at her before focusing back on the road and pulling into a parking lot of a 24/7 hour gas station. “Do you want to come in with me or give me a list of things to grab?” He asked.

 

“Oh! I can come in. I dunno what all they have so it’d just be easier,” Luz shrugged. 

 

“Alright,” Mike nodded, unbuckling his seatbelt and turning back to face the rest of the Hexsquad. “I’ll keep the car running while we’re grabbing things. We’ll be back in a few. Lock the doors when we leave though, alright?”

 

“No problem, sir,” Hunter nodded firmly.

 

“Alright, thank you. And please, feel free to call me Mike. I really don’t mind,” Mike said with a smile before getting out of the car with Luz, heading through the front doors of the building. 

 

The four in the backseat glanced at each other before Hunter was the one to break the silence.

 

“Do humans normally look like that?”

 

---

 

Upon entering, Luz followed Mike to the racks of snacks before glancing at him, asking “So… how many can I grab for each of my friends?”

 

“Hm, how about two drinks, one salty snack, and one sweet?” Mike suggested.

 

“Oh, really? Are you sure, Mr. Mike?” Luz asked. “That’s quite a bit.”

 

“Well I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t sure,” he chuckled. “Plus, you and your friends don’t look to be in the greatest shape, you need a bit of a treat.” Mike smiled sympathetically. 

 

“Thanks,” Luz smiled back before searching the snack aisles for things she felt her friends would like. After a few minutes, she picked out everything for each of her friends, Mike helping her carry the snack pile to the self checkout.

 

For herself, she picked out Jolly Rancher gummies, pepper jack Cheez-its, and two bottles of orange juice. For Amity, she grabbed yogurt covered pretzels, white cheddar popcorn, and two bottles of sweet tea. For Gus, she snagged a bag of mini Starbursts, pizza-flavored Pringles, one bottle of blue Powerade and one bottle of cherry flavored Coke. For Willow, she chose a honey bun, spicy potato chips, and two bottles of Sprite. For Hunter, she picked up a s’mores flavored granola bar, trail mix, and two bottles of water. 

 

Mike paid for the mountain of snacks while Luz bagged them before they headed out of the building and back to the car. Luz caught a glimpse of first aid supplies while bagging the snacks that Mike must’ve snuck into the pile, smiling softly at the thought. She decided not to bring attention to it but kept the sentiment in her thoughts as she settled back into the passenger’s seat.

 

Mike started back up the car, heading off before suggesting “How about you pass the snacks out? The drive isn’t long but you guys look exhausted and I bet you haven’t eaten anything for a bit, hm?”

 

Luz nodded before passing out the snacks to her friends, each of them accepting the snacks and drinks graciously. Admittedly, they were all dehydrated and hungry, the last they ate being on the airship and as for Luz, she hadn’t eaten all day. 

 

Amity smiled as she ate a few of her pretzels while Willow and Gus offered each other a bite of their snacks. Hunter opened the trail mix, handing a few raisins to Flapjack who was poking his head out from under his yellow tunic. Luz smiled at her friends before opening a bottle of orange juice and taking multiple sips. In all honesty, she missed the taste of human realm snacks and drinks. They felt almost… nostalgic now.

 

Mike eventually drove into a neighborhood and drove into a driveway, parking his car in the garage and turning to look at the Hexsquad. “Alright we’re here. It’ll take me a while to clean out a few rooms for you kids so you’ll have to sleep in the living room for the time being. I’m sorry about that.”

 

“It’s alright man, you’re already helping us a ton,” Gus smiled.

 

Mike smiled in return, saying “It’s nothing really. I try to help where I can.” He cleared his throat before changing subjects. “I’ll show you around before patching your wounds and grabbing some sleeping bags and blow-up mattresses. I’m also going to look for some old clothing I have packed away somewhere while you kids rest.”

 

“What about you? You said it's practically morning and you were awake, don’t you need rest too?” Luz asked with a frown. 

 

“Well, yes, that is true but there’s no need to worry. Once You kids are settled in, I’ll rest as well but my main priority currently is help you all.” Mike answered with determination.  

 

“Thank you,” Amity slightly smiled. 

 

“It’s fine, really!” Mike smiled back before getting out of the car, the kids filing out afterwards. He led them up a short flight of stairs and through a door into a kitchen.

 

“Pardon the mess, I’ll clean it tomorrow after we all rest,” Mike said apologetically as the Hexsquad noticed the piles of papers and cardboard boxes set on the dining room table. “I should… probably buy some more chairs, huh?” He lightly chuckled. 

 

He led them out of the kitchen to a sunken living room. Wincing slightly at the coffee table right in the middle of the space, he walked down the steps and pushed the coffee table out of the way, making more space for the teens to rest. 

 

“I’m going to go grab the first aid bag and the extra things I bought, make yourselves comfortable. Blankets are in the cabinets over there,” He said pointing to a wall made of cabinets positioned together before walking away to grab the first aid supplies. 

 

The Hexsquad entered the sunken living room and sat down on the couch, subconsciously huddled together for comfort as all the activity died down, leaving them with their thoughts and questions on where to go from here.

 

---

 

Back at Freddy’s, a drop of green, rotting slime crawled its way around the dust covered floors, looking for matter to build itself back up. Belos made his way to the animatronics, spotting what looked like crusted blood in their matted fur, giving him an idea as he crawled onto one and absorbed the matter only to spot a trail leading to the chest of the animatronic. Belos felt annoyed as all he was greeted with was a heavily decayed corpse. Seeing as it was the only thing for now, Belos took the rest of the matter remaining from the small corpse, leaving the bones before moving onto the other animatronics to do the same, ignoring the off putting whispers he heard and the pair of silver-ish purple eyes in the shadows. 

Notes:

So like… I know that this fic hasn’t been updated in about 4 months but… that’s because I rewrote the entire plot for it since I didn’t like the original-

So… have fun and thank you for being patient!

Chapter 3: In Lockdown

Notes:

(For those of readers who haven’t noticed, the og chapter 2 was combined with chapter 1. Might want to read chapter 2 for full context)

None of the Hexsquad got sufficient sleep that night. Neither Luz nor Hunter ever drifted off, the few times Amity did, her mind was wracked with nightmares, Willow tried her hardest to stay awake but constantly drifted off only to snap back, and Gus kept falling in and out of consciousness, sleeping in small spurts. Easy to say, none of them were sleeping well. Not after everything… 

 

Although exhausted and pained, their minds refused to let them rest, and rightfully so. Even after their wounds had been patched, their stomachs had been filled, and a comfortable area of sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, blow-up mattresses, and other comfy assortments had been set up, they still couldn’t rest.

 

Each minute that ticked by felt long and drawn out, chipping away at their withering minds but even then, no one moved to clear their heads. They all rather stay together, no one wanting to be alone. 

 

It didn’t take long for the sun to rise, it had been 6:35am when they arrived and considering the time of year, the sun rose about a half hour later. And yet that half hour felt like multiple days.

 

None of them were okay…

 

The Hexsquad stayed put until Mike had awoken and started to cook them breakfast. No words were spoken for the time, everyone was still trying to process the events that had taken place. Eventually though, the simple breakfast of eggs and bacon was done cooking, and served in the living room-turned-plush-cave to the tired teens.

 

Everyone knew what had to be said next. Mike needed an explanation and the Hexsquad needed someone to listen. Simple to say, the air was tense.

 

Mike noticed that all of the teens seemed on edge, and he didn’t blame them. “How about you finish your meals and then we can talk about what happened? Are you all okay with that?”

 

Luz was the first to nod, followed by the others. “I think that works,” Luz answered.

 

“Alright. Take all the time you need. I’m going to clean up the house while you finish up, call me when you’re ready to talk,” Mike stated before standing back up with a small smile and walking off to clean, hoping to make more space for the group.

 

Once Mike left, the Hexsquad all exchanged looks.

 

“How are we even going to explain everything…?” Luz muttered in defeat.

 

“We could simplify it?” Gus suggested. “But then again… more details would probably help.”

 

“That is a fair point…” Hunter agreed. 

 

“It might just be best to say it as it is,” Willow offered.

 

“But it will all sound so unbelievable!” Luz argued.

 

“Luz… we fought off giant robot animals six hours ago,” Amity deadpanned. “I’m not sure how unbelievable things will sound, Batata.”

 

“Is that not normal in the human realm?” Hunter asked.

 

“Nope,” Luz answered. “Nothing like that happens on an average Tuesday morning.”

 

“Huh…” Hunter mumbled to himself, silently taking note of the discovery.

 

“Well then, I guess we just have to say it and hope it all makes sense,” Luz shrugged, deciding Willow’s plan was probably the best, to which the others nodded in agreement.

 

The Hexsquad finished up their breakfast while determining a final plan on how to explain their situation. Now, all that was left was to actually put it into words…

 

“This is gonna be much harder than I thought,” Luz said in a deadpan. She sighed, grabbing their dirty dishes and heading for the kitchen.

 

Inside the kitchen, Mike was cleaning up the boxes and papers from the dining room table, trying to make more space for the new unexpected occupants of his home. He looked up upon hearing footsteps and spotted Luz. “Finished breakfast? Was it alright?”

 

“Yeah… thank you,” Luz smiled softly, stepping further into the kitchen. 

 

“It’s no issue, really,” Mike lightly shrugged. “Oh! I can take those dishes off your hands.”

 

“Thanks… again-“ Luz smiled awkwardly, noticing how she was beginning to sound like a broken record.

 

“You’re welcome,” Mike smiled with an understanding look, taking the dishes and heading over to the kitchen sink to wash them off. 

 

Mike took a minute to wash the dishes, stewing in his thoughts. There was something more going on with these kids, and he didn’t mean the pointed ears or crazy story they were about to spill. No… it was something more recognizable, more personal. The guilt and trauma that radiated off the group was a feeling all too familiar, and he couldn’t ignore the way they flinched, cowered, or stuck close together for comfort or protection. His mind unhelpfully supplied terrifying ideas on what could’ve led them to such a state. He hated how much of himself he could spot in the group… no one should be that broken…

 

“Um… we’re ready to talk,” Luz said with a hint of something unsure, snapping Mike from his thoughts. 

 

“Right. I’ll be there in a minute. Go back to your friends,” Mike instructed as he finished up washing the dishes and Luz left the kitchen. 

 

As Luz walked back, she couldn’t help but feel like something was… off. Or maybe it was just her overactive mind…

 

Titan, she was exhausted.

 

Just one… more… step…

 

‘Hang in tight King and Eda… I’ll be back soon. And I’ll fix it.’

 

---

 

The explanation wasn’t quick, far from it. There was a lot to go over considering Mike knew nothing of even the Demon Realm’s existence. He weirdly didn’t seem too concerned about that, even before the… horrifying parts came up…

 

Mike blinked at the group in shock. “So you… escaped a genocide,” he muttered in concerned disbelief, even if the evidence was front and center.

 

“More or less…” Luz grimaced in response. 

 

Amity leaned over and whispered to Luz in confusion,“Wait, what does genocide mean?”

 

“Basically a massacre of a certain group with the goal of wiping them out… permanently,” Luz explained quietly. “It’s a… newer word in the English dictionary. Don’t ask why.”

 

“I don’t think we want to know,” Gus quietly added, having overheard her explanation, while Willow nodded in accordance. 

 

Mike just pretended like he couldn’t hear their… frankly, loud whispering. He simply buried his face in his hands with a deep sigh. “And then what happened?”

 

“After the draining spell was stopped and the Collector was released… we ran through the portal and ended up here,” Gus explained.

 

“We didn’t have anywhere to go so we looked and eventually ended up at that… weird robot place,” Willow concluded.

 

Mike froze at that, looking up at them in an instant. “So… that all happened yesterday?! Just… moments before you ended up at Fazbear’s?”

 

“Yes sir,” Hunter nodded curtly. 

 

“By Scott’s name…” Mike muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he tried to process what he just heard. “No wonder you lot looked like you’d been through hell, you might as well have!” 

 

“We need to get back as soon as possible,” Amity reminded, to which the group all nodded in agreement… minus Hunter…

 

Mike quickly shook his head in response. “What you need to do first is rest! You can focus on that after you’ve regained your strength and have had time to heal.” 

 

“But-“ Luz tried to argue.

 

“No but’s!” Mike quickly interrupted. “From what you’ve said, those on the other side are strong individuals who can fend for themselves until you all rest. You are kids. You shouldn’t have the burden of saving an entire dimension.”

 

Luz looked like she wanted to argue but she kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t have the others know about what she’d done… how it was her fault said dimension was doomed… They would hate her for sure.

 

“We’ll get you back safely, which includes recovery. So for now, you just need time.” Mike stated firmly yet with a genuine concern. He didn’t like the thought of how, if they returned in this state… they most likely wouldn’t survive. He wouldn’t - couldn’t - let another child die because of his negligence…

 

Mike looked around at the group after a beat of silence. They all look so… defeated. Don’t get him wrong, he didn’t know who they were so he didn’t have a place to judge but… the cloud of despair was heavy, and for once, it wasn’t just his own.

 

“How about… we head into town today? Get your minds off things. We can get you all stuff so you can feel more comfortable here until you’re fit to leave,” Mike suggested, trying to cheer them up. Well… a shopping trip would be necessary anyways. It’s not like he had everything to house five extra people.

 

“That… sounds like a nice distraction,” Gus was the first to speak up. “I’d like to see more of the human realm!” He smiled, although it wasn’t fully real. At least a part of his usual optimism and love for the human realm was starting to poke through after their traumatic experience.

 

“Ooo, maybe I could get my hands on some seeds for human plants! I could help with a garden for fresh fruits and veggies,” Willow added.

 

“Oh! I’d love to try some more human foods!” Gus stated, eyes practically sparkling at the idea.

 

Mike couldn’t help but chuckle, glad that the group seemed to be lightening up and that his idea was taken well. “It sounds like we have a plan then. How about you lot make a list and get ready? We’ll leave in a few hours,” Mike suggested.

 

“Sounds good to me,” Luz nodded softly.

 

“Thank you sir,” Amity nodded curtly.

 

“Thank you. We appreciate the hospitality,” Hunter added.

 

“No need, truly. I simply wish to do what I can to help,” Mike waved it off with a hand. “Now then, I need to finish cleaning out the spare rooms so you have a place to stay rather than… the living room. Well back up in 2 hours, so have everything ready then.” 

 

As Mike went to stand up and leave the group to start making a list of things they’d want, Luz quickly reached out and stopped him.

 

“Wait! Do you… have a phone I can contact my mom with. My phone… broke during… everything,” Luz trailed off, thinking about the events just hours prior.

 

“Of course. There is a line in the kitchen. Just type 1 before your mum’s phone number. Feel free to use it whenever,” Mike nodded, and with that, finally left to clean… and have time to process his thoughts. 

 

Luz nodded softly, glancing at her friends as she rushed off to the kitchen to call her mother, leaving the other four in the room.

 

Amity was the first to speak up. “What do you think it’s like? Having an… actually good mom?”

 

“I don’t know, I never knew mine,” Gus shrugged.

 

Hunter looked around awkwardly, it’s not like he really had anywhere to draw experience from. He didn’t exactly have a real family.

 

Willow shrugged. “Well, I’m not entirely sure but I can say this. A parent should love you for whoever you are, no matter what. Y'know Amity, you were really brave to step up to your mother like that,” Willow smiled. 

 

“Thanks Willow,” Amity softly smiled in response. 

 

The group looked over as they heard footsteps, spotting Luz rejoining the group with a halfhearted smile. 

 

“Well?” Willow asked expectantly. 

 

“Mamá’s glad to hear we're here and is planning to get us within a few days. I explained the basics of it, so she knows we’re stuck in the human realm. She just wants us to stay safe and to call her regularly with updates,” Luz explained.

 

“Good,” Amity smiled. “I’m really happy for you.”

 

“Thanks…” Luz’s smile started to waver as she looked at the group. Soon, she’d be home… but they wouldn’t.

 

“We should inform Mr. Mike about the information,” Hunter spoke up. “We don’t need him to waste any unnecessary resources on us if we can leave sooner.

 

“Yeah… I’d hate to be a burden,” Luz couldn’t help but agree.

 

“Back to the topic of the shopping list, we should just grab essentials since we won’t be here long,” Amity suggested. “Let's try to keep things brief.”

 

“Fair point, hermosa,” Luz softly nodded.

 

“Well then, let’s get to brainstorming!” Willow said with a wink and a tap to her temple, displaying an optimistic demeanor. 

 

“Right,” Hunter nodded along, ignoring the weird heat flushing his face.

 

As soon as they started, it already seemed like those two hours were up and their list was complete. The Hexsquad collectively decided to write down just necessities with even amounts for each person to lighten the wallet. Additionally, they all agreed to share some things like shampoo or snacks.

 

Mike returned after the two hours spent with a few cardboard boxes. 

 

“I managed to find some clothing that you could all change into. It’s just some old stuff. Sorry it’s nothing fancy,” Mike explained, setting the boxes up in the living room.

 

“It’s no problem! We’re just grateful for the help,” Willow waved it off with a hand. 

 

“Oh yeah! I managed to get in contact with my mom and she’s planning to make the drive to take us back to my home in a few days,” Luz informed. “So we’ll be out of your hair soon.”

 

“Alright. But for the record, I don’t mind you lot staying here until you can be reunited with your mum,” Mike reminded her with a kind smile.

 

“Yeah but… we’d hate to be a burden,” Amity quietly spoke up.

 

“Whoever said you were a burden? No, I want to help because I feel like it, not out of necessity. You are not any burden on me. I chose to extend my hand and I aim to stick by it,” Mike stated in a firm but kind voice. “And don’t go convincing yourself you’re not worth it, you hear?”

 

“Yes sir,” Amity nodded.

 

“Please, just feel free to call me Mike,” he gently reminded before dropping the topic and letting the group look through the boxes of clothes.

 

The Hexsquad easily managed to find things they all like, and even fit them weirdly enough. Some of the clothes looked like they’d never been worn or touched in decades; some still had tags attached…

 

Luz couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that settled in her stomach at the fact. Something didn’t seem to add up. It was weird, almost too convenient, and… a seed of suspicion grew in her mind. Sure, she didn’t ask it before, considering their state, but… who even was Mike…? 

 

Setting aside her questions for now, Luz just decided to make the most of her time with her friends and get ready for some fun out and about. The mysteries could be solved later.

 

So after changing into their new clothes and washing up, the Hexsquad was ready. And with the list and higher spirits, Mike led the group out and off they went into town for a quick trip to the local mall…

 

A few hours of exploring and shopping passed as the group finally arrived back at Mike’s house to settle down from the excitement of the day. 

 

Mike smiled to himself, glad that he could even slightly cheer up the broken kids he now housed. It was the least he could do after everything, right?

 

“Hey, I cleared up two extra rooms for a proper place for you to stay. How about you set those up? There’s two doors down the hall to the right, they’ll be on the left side of the hallway, you can’t miss them,” Mike informed, pointing towards the hallway in question. 

 

“Alright! Thanks Mr. Mike!” Gus smiled at Mike before looking at his friends. “First team there claims the larger rooms!” He exclaimed before wrapping his arm around Hunter’s back as if to claim him on his team.

 

“Oh you’re on,” Willow said menacingly, cracking her knuckles as she claimed Luz and Amity on her team.

 

And with that, the group of five ran their race to the rooms while Mike chuckled at their antics. At least they had the chance to be kids.

 

Mike then went off to start preparing dinner as the Hexsquad playfully argued about who won… Mike didn’t inform them that the rooms were the same size, smirking to himself at the little joke. Oh well! 

 

---

 

As Mike waited for dinner to finish in the oven, he settled down in his room as he waited for the telltale ding of the timer.

 

He had a lot to think about. These kids had barely escaped death and easily fought off things thousands times worse than what was at Freddy’s… and easily subdued the animatronics mere minutes after a clearly daunting fight! It was impressive yet worrisome and Mike couldn’t tell which one felt worse, the shock of their power or what brought them to such strength. 

 

Mike also couldn’t help the feeling of something a bit more… selfish. He’d been fighting animatronics for his whole life, forced to defend himself and cower in rooms with nothing but a light and a stubborn attitude. He’d felt immense pain due to them, physically, emotionally, and worse of all, psychologically. Hell, they even were what killed him! And then, out of the blue in the first cracks of morning, comes this group of five young teens who easily hold their own while exhausted and bloody. They made what he’d been struggling for decades look so damn easy and he couldn’t help the anger that bubbles from the thought. If only he was able to do that, to fight, to stop his father for good or fix his family or even if he wasn’t a coward enough to cause his brother’s death! All the tragedy from his life seemed to originate from animatronics… So why were they so easy to beat…? What a broken man he was to be thinking about all that. Even years later, he was still as selfish and cowardly as he’d been as a teen.

 

A beep brought him out of his thoughts and he looked over to his computer, spotting that a new notification came in. He walked over and opened the notification tab to read what it said, only to freeze at the words. All previous mental spirals and thought trains were instantly thrown out the window as a wave of panic replaced every waking thought he currently held.

 

“Oh no…” Mike barely muttered in disbelief and fear before rushing out of his room to contact Henry, warn the kids he was taking care of, to do… whatever! This was bad, really bad.

 

The room, now shrouded in darkness, was only illuminated by the blue screen of the computer with big bold words on display. 

 

 

 

NEW STRING OF MYSTERIOUS MURDERS — HURRICANE IN LOCKDOWN UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION 

Notes:

Eheheh… whoops?
Sorry this chapter took… a year… writing/motivation is hard okay! And I refuse to give up on any project I start, which means they may sit for a while but I’ll eventually complete them.
(Minus A Breach in Time. Unsure about that one lol)

I really like this AU and want to continue it but that may mean it’ll take a while. I hope you all are okay with that.

And hey! I practically doubled the word count so… maybe the wait was worth it?