Disclaimer: this will mostly be based off of Markiplier's gameplay.

Freddy Fazbear Pizzaplex
Ken's POV
With the bot head fixed, we were free to return to Roxy Raceway and reattach it to its body. Back across the second floor landing, through the side entrance, through the styrofoam maze, through the unlocked gate, to the glass barrier, down the stairs to the track, across said track, and Freddy led us the rest of the way to the Driver Assist Kart with the headless bot.

I carefully reattached the fixed head and stood back to assess my work. "Do you think it'll drive now?" I asked Freddy.

"It should," He confirmed. "All of the pieces are there."

"When Roxy sees you driving this, she's going to flip!" Chica told me brightly. "I bet she'll be chasing you before you even make it past the first turn!"

I shuddered. "Still not sure how I feel about that," I admitted.

"Just remember to use Project Reboot on her when she gets close enough," Freddy reminded me. "Do you still have the FazerBlaster?"

I took it out from where I'd stuffed it in my coat. "Sure do."

"What about Project Reboot?"

I removed the golden siding to reveal the green computer chip nestled inside. "Still intact."

"Good," Freddy said, nodding. "Let us end this."

I nodded back at him and then turned to Music Man on my shoulder. "Sorry, buddy - you're gonna have to sit this one out," I told it sullenly. "Things might get bumpy for you." The small robot clicked its teeth sadly, but did nothing to contradict me. Chica held out her arm in offering and Music Man leapt from my shoulder to her hand, scurrying across the white limb to her pink shoulder pad.

My load lightened substantially, I took a deep breath and stared down at the go kart. "Alright - let's do this."

I carefully climbed into the driver's seat. It was obvious that the cart was built for smaller children, as the sides pressed against my body uncomfortably and I was still partially out of the kart. It wasn't the best option, and it was murder on my injured ankle, but it was the only one we had.

"Er... Can you at least press the petals?" Chica asked, watching me struggle.

I moved my uninjured foot and felt the petal flatten beneath my heel. "If I angle my feet the right way," I said through gritted teeth.

"The start button should be right beneath the steering wheel," Freddy informed me when I got somewhat situated.

I found and pressed the button he'd referenced, and the small engine purred to life. I pressed the accelerator softly and the kart slowly inched forward. I gave the wheel a few turns, getting a feel for how smooth it was. "I think I've got the hang of it," I told my small group of allies. "I'll start circling the track and see if Roxy takes the bait; I'll call you guys over if I need help."

Freddy, Chica, and Music Man all nodded simultaneously. "We will wait here until then. Good luck, superstar," Freddy told me.

"I'll try, Freddy," I told him over my shoulder, slowly peeling onto the track.

I started out slow, on account of how jammed I was in the kart and the fact that I was still getting a feel for the track. After a few turns, though, I started to feel comfortable enough in the kart to speed up. Soon the air was whistling through my hair and I was laughing at the top of my lungs. I hadn't been in a go kart in years - and it was fun!

In fact, I was having so much fun that I'd nearly forgotten just what I was doing on the track. I didn't remember until a foreign object appeared in my line of sight.

A foreign object that was MOVING.

With a start, I realized that it wasn't a foreign object at all - it was ROXY!

And she was standing on the track not even three yards in front of me with a very clear intent to apprehend me. I could hear her growling; I was closing the distance fast. I tried stomping on the brakes, but it was no use - I was going to run into, or over, her one way or another. I'd thought that when she saw me, she'd get jealous and initiate a chase via another go-kart, not JUMP ONTO THE TRACK IN FRONT OF ME. I didn't want to hurt Roxy!

So this interaction was going to require some very tricky maneuvering on my part.

First, I braked as much as the laws of physics would allow. Then, repositioning my feet underneath me, I yanked out my FazerBlaster and readied myself. When I was less than a yard from Roxy, I jumped out of the still-moving kart at a steep angle so that I was hovering a few feet above her head. Her amber eyes lifted to follow me.

I met them with the FazerBlaster.

The kart was still moving, so I had to act fast. While Roxy was twitching from the blast, I angled my body to head her way. When we connected, I quickly wrapped one arm around her midsection and the other arm around my FazerBlaster to protect both of them as we fell backwards. The ground rushed up to meet us hard, and the runaway kart was carried by its own momentum over our heads.

Roxy was still twitching as we lay on the ground. The entire encounter lasted only a few seconds, yet it felt like half an hour before I was able to wrench my eyes open.

The first thing I did was check my body for any injuries. I was still hyped up on shock and adrenaline, but I was pretty sure that my arms had been crushed between the floor, Roxy, and my FazerBlaster. I had hit my head against the floor when we fell, which made me lucky if it didn't at least start bleeding. I was probably going to need medical attention. AGAIN. I'll be lucky if I don't get out of here in a full body cast, I griped in pained tears.

Next, I checked Roxy. By now, she had stopped twitching and was hopefully sleeping as a result of Project Reboot. Her amber eyes stared blankly at the ceiling high above our heads, not a spark of light in them. When I painfully removed my arms from around her body, it left streaks of grease and dirt on my arms and coat. She was filthy.

She was filthy because of me.

Please don't hate me when you wake up, I thought desperately as I hoisted myself up with my aching arms. I was only trying to help!

A few achingly long minutes passed before Roxy's fingers started to twitch. Her eyes blinked rapidly and her jaw started working. With what seemed to be no small amount of effort, she sat up and glanced around her surroundings. "W-where am I?" She murmured, sounding dazed. "Am I on the racetrack? Last thing I remember, I was in my room and then..."

"Um, hello," I spoke up tentatively, drawing her attention to me.

Roxy's eyes blinked in surprise when she saw me. "Oh, uhhh... hey, kid," She greeted. "Sorry, but the Pizzaplex is closing in..." Her voice trailed off as she seemed to check some internal clock, then came back in shock. "Wait - we closed HOURS ago! What are you doing here so late, kid?" She looked down at the position she was in and how close I was to her, taking in my battered body and how I was gingerly holding my arms. "You've definitely seen better days... Did you knock me over, or something?"

I thought about bringing my hand up to scratch the back of my neck, then thought better of it. "Technically, yes," I admitted sheepishly, tilting my head sheepishly. "But only to get you out of the way of THAT." I opted to jut my chin instead of pointing in the direction of the crashed kart, which had taken to flip upside down with the Driver Assist bot hanging from the passenger seat almost comically.

Roxy took in the bizarre sight with wide eyes. "Okay, that tracks," She finally noted. "But... what exactly happened? Why do I have such a big gap in my memory banks?"

I took a deep breath. "Well..."

(A very long explanation later...)

"...but I didn't know you were going to jump on the track in front of me, so I jumped out of the kart, used it on you, then pushed you out of the way... and that's how we got here."

We hadn't bothered to stand during the exchange of information. Roxy's eyes had only gotten wider in the entire time I had been explaining everything, until I could see the whites all around her irises. Now they fell as she tilted her head downwards in disbelief. "So you're telling me..." She said in a low voice. "For the past few months, the others and I have been infected accomplices to a bloodthirsty RABBIT LADY..."

"Yeah," I told her.

"The Day Security Guard, Luis, found out and created a computer chip that could erase the malware virus..."

"Yup."

"It's been used on Foxy, Bonnie, Freddy, Chica, a Music Man prototype, and now me..."

"Yes."

"And you've been pulled into this whole mess by said bloodthirsty rabbit lady, who is actually the Night Security Guard Vanessa, and are trying to find a way out?"

"Pretty much, yes."

Roxy was silent for a few moments before shaking her head. "I hate to say it, but I believe you kid," She told me sadly. "It all lines up. My memory gaps, the things no one can find an answer for, all of it." Her green claws tightened around her round biceps. "I gotta admit, I've always thought that there was something off about Vanessa. I mean, she just showed up out of nowhere and was promoted to Head of the Night Division within a few days. If that doesn't sound fishy, than I don't know what does."

"That IS weird..." I agreed. This was new. I'd thought that Vanny was the only one involved in this, but the fact that she'd been promoted to such a high position so quickly implied that there was something else in the works.

Or SOMEONE else.

"Well, anyways," Roxy said in a slightly louder tone, seeming to gather herself enough to look me in the eye. "Thanks for snapping me out of it, kid. I owe you one." She looked off to the side in thought and her amber eyes narrowed. "A lot, actually."

I managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Roxy," I told her before thinking through it. "Actually, do you think you can help me get out of here? Freddy, Chica, and Music Man are already helping me, but we can only do so much. We could use all the help we can get."

Roxy stared at me for a moment. Glanced off to the side. Looked back at me. Glanced off to the other side. Then her eyes focused on me and stayed there. "Ya know what? Why not?" If she could, I bet she would be smiling. "You did wake me up from what sounds like a very bloody sleep. At the very least, I can help you get to the exit."

"That sounds great, Roxy-" I started before a loud clunking noise filled the air. We both looked up to see Freddy, Chica, and Music Man running down the track towards us; the tiny robot was riding on Chica's shoulder.

"Ken - are you okay?" Freddy asked when they reached us. "We did not hear the kart for a while, so we thought something was wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, Freddy!" Chica took the liberty of replying; she sounded delighted. She pointed to the gray wolf animatronic beside me. "Don't you see who he's talking to?"

Freddy finally seemed to notice Roxy and turned fully to her. "Roxy! Are you...?"

"Me?" She asked tightly. She opened her arms to put her full body on display. "Yup - all me, thanks to..." She trailed off before turning back to me. "I actually never got your name, kid."

"Ken Midori," I supplied her.

"Ken Me-DOE-ree," Roxy repeated slowly. It must be within all of the animatronics' programming to sound out each guests' name to make sure they get it right. She turned back to Freddy. "Ken here got me to come to my senses."

"That is a relief," Freddy told her before turning back to me. His mouth was slightly open like he was about to say something, but whatever it was changed when his gaze lowered. "Ken! Your arms!"

I looked down and nearly gagged. My forearms were already sporting sickly dark purple bruises from where they'd been crushed protecting both Roxy and the FazerBlaster. Definitely fractured, if not broken. "I-it looks a lot worse than it is," I assured him with a smile, trying to hide the bruises. The mixture of shock and adrenaline was wearing off, though, so it came out as more a pained wince.

"One sec, Mr. Tough," Roxy broke in, taking my wrists in her hands. While the two of us were still sitting, her eyes lit up and swept down my body. After a few seconds, she blinked the light away, let go of my wrists and shook her head. "Not good - hairline fractures in both arms," She announced.

"What?" Chica asked, bringing her hands up to her beak in dismay. "Kenny, what did you do to your arms?"

"I-I tried to protect Roxy from the go-kart," I informed her softly, to which she sighed.

"You really are too nice for your own good, Kenny," She said with one hand to her forehead. "It's going to get you killed one of these times."

"I was only trying to help," I claimed weakly, trying really hard to ignore the pain in my arms. "And please don't say 'killed'."

"Well, however you hurt your arms, for my sake or something else," Roxy interrupted before Chica could scold me any more. "You can't run around the Pizzaplex like this. We'll have to find something to support your arms so they won't suffer any more injuries."

I didn't like the sound of that. "I don't think I'll be able to run very well with my arms in slings," I reminded her. The thought of me running for my life with my arms flapping around me like flightless wings almost made me laugh, but I feared it would only make my arms hurt worse.

"We do not have to put them in slings," Freddy told me. "We simply have to support them."

"Oh! Ohohoh!" Chica gasped, waving her hand in the air like she was answering a question in a classroom. "I know! Back in Parts and Service when we were patching up your ankle, I noticed some support tape in the First Aid kit! If we wrap enough of that around your arms, it might be enough to support them!"

"That's great!" I choked out; the pain was really raging now. "You wouldn't... happen to have that tape on you, would you?"

Chica opened her beak before faltering and lowering her head slightly. "N-no, I uhhh... left it back in Parts and Service. I just didn't see a use for them before now. Sorry."

I stared at her for a second. "So... we have to go BACK to Parts and Service?" I asked slowly. My arms felt like they were on fire.

"You certainly cannot walk around with fractured arms," Freddy admitted.

I looked down said fractured arms; the bruises were getting wider and darker. I didn't really have much choice. "Alright, fine," I relented with a sigh, making a move to stand. "Let's go."

Roxy immediately jumped to her feet and helped me up. "Try not to put too much pressure on your arms," She instructed me.

So our little group of now four carefully made our way back across the racetrack. Freddy turned down my request for a lift, worried that it would damage my arms even further. Music Man also opted to stay on Chica's shoulder to avoid causing any more unnecessary damage. It didn't really matter, though - with three of the main mascots surrounding me, none of the Security Bots paid us any attention. We were able to get up to the second floor balcony and back to the wire gate without getting stopped or questioned. Through the styrofoam maze to the second floor entrance, then down the escalators to the main floor, and over to the main stage. It was Roxy who pressed the button to activate the lift, and we descended back into the lower levels of the Pizzaplex.

It was all getting pretty repetitive. I was almost bored with it all.

That kinda scared me.

Once the lift clicked into place, I was led through the hallways to the ramp, then through the observation room and into the all-too familiar laboratory-like room. I went to sit down on the table I'd sat on before, and Chica opened the First Aid kit, which we had left within arm's length. She fished out two thick rolls of support tape and a small can of freeze spray. She used the freeze spray first, giving both of my arms a healthy layer of the icy liquid; the burning sensation finally started to subside. As I groaned in relief, Chica handed one of the support tape rolls to Roxy, and the two of them went to work wrapping my arms while Freddy stood off to the side - the poor guy looked like the third wheel.

I hissed when Chica tied her tape a little too tight around my arm, which caused Roxy to elbow her aside with a gruff growl. "We're trying to SUPPORT his arms," She scolded the white chicken. "NOT cut off his circulation." She loosened the tape and finished the binding, then double checked her work on my other arm. Satisfied, she stepped back. "How does that feel?" She asked me.

I held my hands in front of my face and flexed my fingers. Still pain, though much more distant than it had been before. "A lot better - thanks," I told her gratefully. I tilted my head at her, seeing her in a new angle. "You're pretty good at this."

"Of course she is!" Chica spoke up cheerfully. She looped an arm around Roxy's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Our dear Roxy is good at everything she does!" In the corner, Freddy nodded his agreement.

Roxy huffed and placed a thick hand on her hip. "'Pretty good?' Try PERFECTLY!" She proclaimed, lifting her hand to toss her hair back dramatically. The silver strands hit Chica slightly, and she rolled her blue eyes.

Roxy sounded confident, but there was a wavering in her voice that suggested otherwise. I fixed her with my concerned gaze. "Are you okay, Roxy?" I asked her softly.

She blinked at me in surprise. "Of course!" She told me; Chica's arm fell from her shoulder as she shifted on her paw-shaped feet. "Why would anything be wrong? I'm ROXANNE WOLF. I'm perfectly fine - the BEST, actually!" Her voice was steady this time, but she kept shifting on her feet and gripping her arms tightly enough to make a sound. Chica and Freddy both stumbled back a step; this was a side to Roxy that neither of them had ever seen before, and they didn't know how to respond to it.

Something was definitely wrong.

I hopped off the table and approached her; she took two steps back with every step I took forward. "Come on, Roxy - you can tell me," I told her, holding up my wrapped arms as a sign of defenselessness.

"It's NOTHING," Roxy barked, turning away from me sharply. "Jeez, you snap one person out of a trance and you suddenly feel like you're owed that person's life story!"

"Roxy-" Freddy protested, taking a step forward. I held up my hand to stop him. This was between Roxy and me.

"Roxy..." I tried again, pitching for a softer tone; I slowly approached her turned form. "We need to be able to trust each other - it's the only way either of us is going to get out of here. How can we trust each other if we don't tell each other what's wrong?"

Roxy remained quiet. "You might want to listen to him, Roxy," Chica offered tentatively. "He's a good therapist."

It was still a good few precious seconds before a low voice that sounded only vaguely like Roxy spoke up. "I WANT to be the best. I strive for perfection everyday. And if I don't act the best, I just say I am - it seems to do the job."

This was progress. I took another step forward. "Why do you feel the need to be perfect?"

Another pause. "There's never been a wolf in the Freddy Fazbear band - it's always been a fox. Good ol' Foxy." A slight laugh. "When we first opened, all the kids asked why Foxy wasn't a part of the main band. It got even worse when Foxy was decommissioned under suspicious circumstances. So the maintenance workers told me to distract the kids, keep them happy - make them forget that there was even a fox mascot to begin with. To be happy with ME. And the only way to do that is to be... perfect." She sighed; it came from deep within her. "So that's why I say I'm the best. Because I've got no other choice."

That was the end of it. No one moved for a minute. Freddy and Chica both seemed thoroughly unprepared for this conversation; I could practically hear them throwing each other nervous glances over my shoulder. Even Music Man didn't make a sound.

Then I took one last step and wrapped my arms around Roxy's midsection. She stiffened and pain bloomed in my forearms again, but neither of us pulled away. "You don't have to be perfect," I told her in a low voice. "The maintenance workers had no right to demand that of you. They probably had their own definition of 'perfection', too."

"Then... what IS perfection?" Roxy asked in a scared tone.

"Trust me, I've been on the receiving end of this conversation a lot," I responded, my cheek pressed into her hair. "And I know that there is no all-around definition of perfection. The best perfect you can be... is yourself."

Roxy thought about that before speaking again. "What if I'm not enough? What if I don't know how 'perfect' I can be?"

"Then you just have to find out for yourself," I replied, putting my chin on her shoulder so I could look at her face. "It's not always easy, but it's worth it in the end."

It took a while, but Roxy finally turned her head to look at me. "How are you so good at this?" She asked teasingly.

I thought back to my past experiences and smiled. "I've had a lot of good teachers," I replied with a shrug.

Freddy and Chica finally took that moment to come over and join our hug. "We do not expect you to be perfect, Roxy," Freddy told her gently.

"And honestly, perfect is overrated!" Chica added perkily. "We like you when you're being YOU. Not what someone else tells you to be - especially the maintenance workers." Music Man clapped its cymbals happily on Chica's shoulder.

Roxy gazed at the four of us and gave her best impression of a smile. "Thanks, guys," She said in a whisper. "You have no idea how much I needed that."

It was at that moment that the lights went out.

"Uh oh..." Chica exclaimed, glancing towards the ceiling.

"Does this mean...?" Roxy asked worriedly.

"Yes," Freddy replied. "Ken, you must-"

"Yeah yeah, I'm on it," I told him, already making my way towards the door. I wasn't even scared by this point.

Through the observation room, down the ramp, and to the left with the Recharge Station. Moony wasn't waiting for me this time. In fact, even as I stepped into the red cylinder and turned to face the hallway, he didn't show his round face once.

Either Project Reboot worked on him and he's cutting me some slack, I thought, glancing up and down the hall for good measure. Or he just didn't bother to show up. Not sure which I prefer.

When the lights came back on, I headed back to the others in Parts and Service. "Ken, great news!" Freddy announced when he saw me. "It is 6 o'clock! The front doors are open, though only if we hurry - they'll close again after a few minutes."

"Hey!" Roxy said in excitement.

"That IS great news!" Chica added, pumping her fists in the air.

"It's... unbelievable," I responded dreamily. It certainly FELT like a dream. It seemed like only an hour ago, I was complaining to Freddy that I wouldn't be able to last five minutes in the Pizzaplex. Now six whole hours had passed, and I was finally free!

But wait... what about everything I'd done? What about everything I said I was GONNA do?

Would it all be nothing?

"If I leave now... will you guys be able to come with me?" I asked timidly. It was only thing I could think of that could possibly protect them. I subconsciously itched the tape on my arms, afraid of their answer.

The four exchanged glances before turning back to me with downcast eyes. "No," Freddy to,d me sadly. "We cannot exit outside of this facility."

"Without Recharge Stations, our systems would shut down within an hour. It's a safety precaution," Roxy informed me, taking great interest in the floor beneath her feet. "It's our design."

"Besides, we can't just leave Monty," Chica added, not a perk in her tone. "He's our friend."

"This is where I must stay," Freddy summed up, walking up to me and putting a heavy hand on my shoulder. "Do not return. It will never be safe."

"We'll miss you, Kenny," Chica offered.

"Yeah," Roxy agreed, nodding. "You're a pretty cool kid."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't speak. All I could do was stare at the floor and think, which I broadcasted out loud. "If I leave now, everything we did will be for nothing. Vanny will eventually realize that you guys are no longer infected. She'll find Project Reboot, destroy it, and resubmit the malware virus into your systems - or do something even worse." I shuddered at the thought. "There will be more disappearances. More children will die."

"Most likely," Roxy agreed; Chica shushed her.

Freddy was quiet. When he spoke again, his voice was heavier than his hand. "Ken, you have a choice to make. The door is open and you can go. Or you can continue to investigate the secrets of the Pizzaplex. I feel there is something else going on besides Vanny."

I thought long and hard. I thought for so long, I was surprised the lights didn't go out for a second time. I thought for so long, the doors surely closed again. That of which probably led to me lifting my head and announcing my decision. "I promised that I would free all of you from the virus. From Vanny and whoever else she's working with. I promised to end all of this." I gulped. "And I intend to keep that promise."

The four animatronics broke into loud gasps. "You are staying?" Freddy asked. When I nodded my head to confirm, his face broke into something that resembled a smile. "I am glad. Here." He held out his hand, revealing a familiar strip of paper. "I found this Party Pass. There are areas we have not investigated~."

"Where were you keeping this?" I asked when I took it - I hadn't seen it anywhere on his person. Then I held up my hand to keep him from answering. "You know what? Never mind - I don't wanna know."

"This is so exciting!" Chica exclaimed. She started to pull Roxy towards the elevators, signaling for us to join her. "Come on - let's go on a whole new adventure!"

"And hopefully not get decommissioned in the process," Roxy added sarcastically before Chica tugged her into her pink hallway.

Freddy watched them leave before turning back to me. "Are you ready?" He asked me cautiously. "If so - lead the way, superstar."

I offered him a timid green. "I will," I promised him. "Just... give me a minute."

"Of course," Freddy replied before climbing the stairs and following the female animatronics.

I stared after them before glancing over my shoulder. Not at the doors, but at what lay beyond them. The doors to the outside. The doors that led to freedom. The doors that were most likely closed by now.

And the family beyond them. The family that was most likely worried sick about me and wondering where I was.

I missed them - I missed them so much. This night had taught me just how much I cared for and appreciated them, and all they did for me. I wanted to go back to them so badly, it was almost like a weight within my chest, dragging me down.

But I was also an Elemental Master. PIXAL had taught me and my friends that Masters always saw things through, no matter how much it hurt.

I scratched my tape again. I didn't expect it to hurt so much.

There was something unspeakable going on here, in a place that was supposed to be filled with happiness and laughter. Freddy and the others needed me to stop it - Japan needed me to stop it before anyone else went missing.

This was my burden, and my burden alone.

I had to set them free.

So I pictured my family, every single member, waiting for me on the other side of the glass doors. Then I pictured the metal barrier closing over the doors once again, blocking my escape. Blocking me from returning to them.

I'm sorry guys... but I have to see this through.

—————

5063 words.

Ken is a religion.

That's all I have to say.