Storyization 2: Bloodshed Brothers

(Made by Saber.)

## What is Storyization?

It's my term for taking a vague concept and turning it into a detailed, fun, and (hopefully) entertaining story to share with the world. And I don't care what autocorrect says; it's a word, I swear. This whole wiki was made on the random idea to pool the concepts from a Roleplay between a friend and myself into one area, to keep track and stay consistent with our storytelling. That storytelling is the banter between us, using multiple characters, antagonists, story arcs, and settings. *I* thought it might be fun to put it all together into detail through my (as unbiased as possible) perception of the events, to give the story some care and structure you don't usually have time for when texting a friend. If you're starting here, I wouldn't advise it. The pages are numbered for a reason, y'know. **Warning: uncensored swearing.**

 Bloodshed Brothers

"Bye, kids!" Fredbear waved with his free hand, a plastic smile on his face. "Hope you had fun at Fredbear's Pizza!" His pals, Bubba and Daisy, gave similar gestures beside him. As the sliding door locked shut for the night, Fredbear turned around obediently to face his boss.

"Alright, bedtime, guys," Saber sighed and opened the hidden compartment on each animatronic's back, turning the battery key in each slot as the robots entered their hibernation poses.

"Goodnight, caretaker," Each spoke as they were programmed to, the voices recycled from the models a few years back. Saber let a smile cross her face, even if it too was fake; to hear those words kept her alive.

It'd been three more years since the "Violet Incident" as she called it, and between then and now the company had once again fallen into hardships. It had taken a little over a year for these new models to be remade, copied exactly from the counterparts by single hand–well, double hand. Saber chuckled to herself; even now, she couldn't understand why on earth Jeremy still wanted employment here. Nonetheless, he was a good friend to have after the experience.

"Caretaker," Shadow Bonnie materialized beside her, grinning that permanent white smile. "Vixen is asleep now." Saber mustered a warm smile for her closest companion, removing the final battery key and locking the compartment.

"Good," She replied. "Did Jeremy say he was coming tonight?"

"No answer."

"Typical. What do you think's been up with him the last few days, anyways?"

"Well, it is the anniversary of…the Violet Incident."

"Right…" Saber trailed off slightly; she worried sometimes about the guy, especially since it wasn't like him to up and disappear. "Doesn't matter; I can handle the shift tonight."

"Very well. I'll be in the Cove." And with that, Bonnie dissipated into the air, a shadow darting across the wall to the far door, and Saber strolled to the office.

There really wasn't a point to the room; it was more for nostalgic sake than anything, but especially after Fritz's and Shadow Freddy's disappearance, she's wanted to keep a close eye on the remaining skeletons. Fredbear, Bubba, and Daisy were harmless enough, since they were locked onto the charging platforms on the stage at night, but it was smart to monitor them to make sure the servos don't lock up. Vixen, Foxy's latest counterpart, was even less of a threat; just an empty shell mostly used for display and interaction for the kids, and a handy grounding vessel for Shadow Bonnie's entity.

With a tired sigh, Saber slid into the swiveling office chair and turned the cameras on: Cove, Stage, Arcade, Kitchen, Dining Hall, Party Corner, and Entrance. Lazily she switched the two screens onto the Stage and the Entrance, pressing the wireless command every so often to crack a grin at the ridiculous preset stretching movements she'd placed in the animatronics' programming.

In the corner of her eye, a shadow darted across the other screen. Saber shrugged it off at first; Bonnie explored the restaurant when he was bored, so a silhouette that large wasn't out of place. Absentmindedly she flicked the screen around, looking for a change of scenery. Besides Vixen having moved slightly around the Cove, everything looked the same as it always did, though there wasn't any sign of Bonnie. Her eyes flicked back to the first screen showing the stage.

All three animatronics were back in the hibernation poses, their arms at rest beside the body. Their heads, however, had been snapped sideways to stare at the camera blankly, the same stupid grins on their faces.

"Bonnie?" Saber shouted down the hall at the Cove. The spirit loved a few pranks here and there, but he knew he wasn't supposed to touch the animatronics while they were in Sleep Mode. "Ha ha, very creepy. Now could you please fix them before the necks lock like that?"

"Fix what?" The shadow slithered back up the hall, staring at Saber confusingly. "I haven't touched the animatronics, if that's what you mean. You know I know I'm not supposed to."

"Oh, really?" Saber raised an eyebrow accusingly. "Then how do you explain-" She paused mid-sentence as her attention went back to the screen. Instead of the crooked heads of the robots, a message was pasted on in white lettering, the background faded to static:

*It's me.*

A loud clatter shook both out of shock. Bonnie growled and phased out of the room, leaving Saber to run after him. A grunt shouted from the dining hall, and Saber arrived on cue to see Bonnie pinning another animatronic against the wall. Vixen was discarded a little ways away from the two, limp like a metal puppet.

"Let me go, will you?!" Shadow Freddy shouted, struggling under Bonnie's grip.

"Shut it, brother," Bonnie snarled. "I'm not making the same mistake twice."

"Bonnie, let him up," Saber stood calmly in the doorway. "We're both aware of his tricks; he can't do much now."

"Go on, Bonnie. Listen to the *caretaker.*" Freddy snickered.

"You're not in much of a position to smirk, Freddy," Saber said. "Now what I'm interested in is what the hell brought you back. The animatronics are gone; don't tell me the robots I rebuilt are actually-"

"Don't tease me," Freddy snapped, shoving Bonnie off of him. "Those metal piles of scrap aren't anything to me. Just thought I'd drop by while I was in the neighborhood and say hello to my old furries."

"And what about your boss?" Bonnie accused. "Fritz Smith? Where's he run off to?"

"You…" Freddy chuckled absentmindedly. "That's right, I never did bother to tell you."

Saber froze. "Tell us what?" She demanded.

"That "Purple Man" was just me," Freddy's grin grew across his face, enjoying the expressions of pure shock among the others. "He was a disguise of mine; nothing more." The shadowy figure burst into laughter suddenly, relishing too much in the results of this announcements. As Saber stared on, a moment passed by her eyes; Freddy's appearance flickered, like a hologram, revealing the middle-aged violet persona.

"Bonnie?" Saber glanced at the spirit apprehensively, but he was flickering as well. Freddy's laugh began to cut out awkwardly, and as Saber looked back in horror, the shadowy figure began to split, the lights flashing blindly. Two voices began to form, one laughing with unrivaled madness, the other on the verge of a screaming collapse. When the room lit up once more, two figures stood where one once was, silent. Bonnie was nowhere to be seen.

"Finally," One muttered, it's violet skin and features fading into sight. "Free to do as I please…" The figure dissipated into the air, leaving the other two speechless.

"No, that's impossible," Shadow Freddy's hollowed voice echoed from the other figure, staring on in disbelief. Saber turned on the spirit angrily, quickly interrupted by a third voice from the doorway.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jeremy demanded. "Why is Fritz back?"

"He's alive…" Freddy's cheerful and vain attitude had disappeared from his voice.

"What do you mean he's alive?" Jeremy snapped.

"There's a lot of explaining to do, Jeremy," Saber sighed. "This is what happens when you don't show up on time."

"…Shut up." Jeremy turned his attention back to Freddy, a questioning look on his face.

"Do you remember the novel 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'?" Freddy asked. "Think of it like that. I'm Jekyll, but that…thing is ten times worse than any Hyde. He's a fantasy of mine, something devoid of any instinct to act beyond senseless murder. I don't know how the hell he activated sentience, but if that freak gets loose, *thousands of children will die.*" The sudden seriousness took both employees aback, but neither denied the threat.

"Jeremy, lock down the building," Saber commanded. "Keep an eye out for Fritz on the cameras. Freddy and I will sweep the area."

"On it," Jeremy nodded and bolted down the hall, and Saber looked back at Freddy.

"Any ideas?" She asked, almost casually.

"Give me a minute," He replied. "It's an odd trick, but I can sense him. He is me, I guess…oh, god."

"What?"

"He's got weapons hidden in here…"

"WHAT?! Where?"

"I–AUG!" Freddy grabbed his forehead as a wave of nausea passed by.

"You okay?" Saber's voice inflected worry.

"It's…nothing," Freddy looked up with his signature grin. "Fritz is a little smarter than I made him out to be. I can't track him."

"God, don't overdramatize it then," Saber said annoyingly, the worry gone. "Gave me a heart attack."

"Uh, Saber?" Jeremy's voice echoed from the radio on her belt. "We have a problem. The cameras have cut out."

"Oh, god dammit," Saber looked regretfully at the ceiling. "Freddy, give me a boost."

The spirit looked at her strangely. "What for?"

"If I'm guessing correctly, Fritz clipped the wires. There's a back route in the ceiling panels that I can set." With a shrug, Freddy lifted the girl into the ceiling, following her thumping steps on the ground.

"See anything?" He asked.

"Well, no, technically speaking," Saber called back, her voice muffled between the panes. "But I know my way around here." More fumbling was heard as Saber re-wired the security.

"There, that should do it," Saber spoke into the radio. "Hey, Jeremy, is it back up?"

No reply. "Jeremy?" Saber phoned again, more frantic. This time, a voice echoed back, but not the one she wanted to hear.

"Tick tock, Ms. Fazbatch," Fritz sneered. "One down, two to go." The radio cut out with static, and a gunshot was heard on the other side of the building.

"Jeremy?!" Saber called for a third time in panic, just as the panel she rested on gave way. In a shower of splinters and dust, the girl fell out of the ceiling, miraculously caught by a nearby Freddy. Quickly she scrambled out of his arms and both shot down the hall to the office.

Fritz was gone. Jeremy sat in the corner like a discarded rag doll, his arm pale from blood loss. Shadow Bonnie was kneeling next to him, using the night guard cap to try and stop the bleeding.

"Bonnie! Jeremy!" Saber couldn't decide whether to be horrified or relieved. "What happened?"

"Fritz ambushed him with a gun," Bonnie explained. "I scared him off, but we're lucky that maniac doesn't have better aim. Just nicked him in the arm, it looks like."

"Never mind that!" Freddy shouted. "Fritz is still loose!"

Saber held her tongue; Freddy did have a point. Without a word, she lead back to the desk, scrolling between the cameras frantically. Party Corner, Dining Hall, Kitchen- Her hands stopped at the stage.

The three animatronics were in sparks and ruins, strewn about the scene like broken pottery. Parts moved on their own, as if the animatronic were still trying to preform their programmed movements. And at the center of it all, Fritz stood with a massive grin, wearing the top hat Fredbear had. The screen quickly cut to two words in a black background.

*You can't.*

"Can't what?" Jeremy muttered with a pained grin. "Teach that bastard a lesson?" Slowly he got up from the floor, letting his arm hang limp at his side.

"Jeremy…" Saber cautioned, but the night guard shook his head.

"I thought I made it clear the last time this happened," Jeremy stated. "This is my fight too."

"There's no changing your mind, is there?"

"Nope."

"You're more of a fool than I thought," Freddy said with a dirty glance. "Now let's get this over with." Jeremy nodded at him, and his good arm sparked into flame. Saber turned and popped open a hidden compartment in the office desk, pulling a revolver and six iron bullets.

"Old gift," Saber replied quickly to the disappointed stares as she loaded the barrel. "It was dad's when he was a cop, and it pulls off…more than you'd expect." In the corner of her eye, Saber saw Freddy flinch at the mention of her senior's work, but the moment passed as quickly as it came. With a quick glance at the others, Saber flicked off the safety and walked down the echoing hallway.

Fritz glared at the band from the other side of the dining hall, a thick, silver knife clutched in his crumpled hand.

"Did you miss me?" He tittered, the white, Cheshire-Cat smile the last to see as he faded out of sight. The laugh echoed around the group, causing the members to whirl about.

"AAAAGGGGG!" Jeremy was the first to crumble, the silver knife digging deeper into the gun wound.

"Jeremy- GAH!" As quickly as it had struck before, the knife dug deep into Saber's shoulder, restraining her arm to painful movement. "Dammit, Fritz! Show yourself!" She shouted, firing behind her aimlessly. Both the Shadows had disappeared.

"Oh, why spoil the fun?" Fritz faded in again, standing upside-down on the ceiling. "After all, Bonnie didn't make me just to play fair."

Saber felt the realization hit her like a train. "You…you're lying!" She screamed, shooting at the creature frantically. "Bonnie would never do this!"

"Fine then," the voice echoed from the animatronics now, bits and parts floating about like zero gravity. "Ask him yourself, when he comes back." In frustration Saber tried to shoot, but the empty click of a dry fire echoed repeatedly.

"Aw, you ran out of bullets already?" Fritz whined suddenly, like a spoiled child. Slowly he righted himself on the floor, letting the parts drop randomly. "You take the *fun* out of *everything.* Why'd you go and run out?"

*Psst, Saber,* Freddy's voice echoed in her head. *Keep him talking. I have an idea.*

Saber smiled slightly, enough to show she'd heard. As if she planned it, Saber let the gun clatter to the floor, and lowered her arms.

"Take your best shot, then," Saber smirked. "I think I can take a bullet."

Fritz laughed at the sudden gesture. "I admire your bravery," He said. "You seem innocent enough. No blood on your hands…yet…" The knife melded into an AK-47 like stop-motion clay.

*Almost there!* Freddy reassured. *Quick, mention his past!*

Saber sighed deeply, calming her heart. "You know, I wonder what your old partner would think of you right now…" She murmured, chuckling slightly. "Granted, if he was a crazy as you, maybe dad did deserve to kill him…"

Fritz froze for a moment in shock. "How dare you…" He snarled, swiftly taking aim at the girl's chest. Saber flinched, bracing her organs for the pain.

"Mr. Smith?" Freddy's voice echoed accusingly behind the figure. "I think you and I have overstayed our welcome." Without warning, Freddy leaped from nowhere and collided with Fritz, unleashing a blood-curdling scream at the room fell into a blackout.

When the show ended, and the lights flickered back on, both Freddy and Fritz were gone. Jeremy, still miraculously alive despite the blood loss, leaned against a pile of the broken animatronics and grinned.

"And the victor of round 2 had been confirmed," He said, just as Bonnie burst back into the room.

"Saber, what have you done?" His voice lacked the pride and astonishment she was expecting. "That *monster* is back with Freddy!" His outburst was quickly met with a punch to the face, knocking him sideways.

"That's for summoning the damn demon in the first place!" Saber snarled, hardly realizing the harshness of her actions. "Don't you dare blame this thing on me!"

"Saber, calm down," Jeremy spoke. "They're gone, and probably won't be coming back with bad intentions for a while."

Bonnie froze, suddenly, lifting himself slowly from the floor.

"Bonnie?" Saber asked tentatively. "Hey, I'm sorry I hit you, but-"

"Sssshhhhh!" He commanded, his anger replaced with panic. "Listen…" As the room quieted, Saber's ears began to pick up on the cries of a young boy. She looked at Jeremy, and he nodded in agreement.

"Saber, take Jeremy and get out. Now." Bonnie commanded quietly, his voice barely above the intensifying sobs. Silently the girl nodded and helped Jeremy to his feet, using his good arm to carry him out.

When they were well down the hall, Bonnie snapped his fingers, locking the door shut behind them. He finally let his concerned mask explode into a devilish grin, sauntering about the room.

"Oh, Angelooo," He cooed, peering behind bits of the scattered animatronics as if searching for a playmate in a game of hide and seek. "Where are you, brother?"

Just as he expected, his sibling materialized beside him in a trail of dark smoke, his form that of the crying child. Tear tracts scarred the dark face, still wet from recent formation.

"What?" He demanded. "What more do you want from me? What more are you going to take from me?" His fists clenched in anger.

"Oh, now what have I done?" Bonnie whined. "You're never happy with me."

"You know damn well what you did," Angelo snarled. "You were the murderer, and then left *me* for the blame, when I had done nothing wrong. I am an outcast among my own *family.* But you couldn't stop there, could you?" The tracks glistened with fresh streams as the figure began to sob. "I became a spirit, a leader of the kind souls that followed, but you couldn't let that happen. You killed them all, and left the blood on my hands. What have I done, *brother?* What sins have I committed to be stripped of my joy, and to be left to burn as the demon I've become? Tell me, Edward," Angelo's head lifted violently, staring back coldly, "what more can you take away from me?"

Bonnie stared in silence for a moment, unresponsive, the grin plastered on his face. A chuckle slowly escaped, rising into ravenous laughter. Angelo remained still, his anger and depression boiling. When the fit had passed, Bonnie's smile disappeared, his eyes faded to black.

"You want to know *why* I do this to you?" He snarled, the playful insanity erased from his voice. "My life alive, *you* were the favored child. *You* were always the golden boy, while *I* sat and watched in shadows like a homeless dog. My only pleasure was, and is, the pain of others, to wallow in the same misery life had dealt me.

"But how could *I* take the blame? No. If I was to derive into insanity, I would bring my *brother,* the golden boy, down with me. I killed, I framed, I did whatever it took. But rather that end *your* life, you would live with *my* sins." The grin returned, wider than ever. "The human girl is next, Angelo, and she, like the others, believes me the God and you the Satan. Once her soul is gone, I can begin what I'd strived to do before: free children from their miserable existence, and leave you to the grieving consequences. Go on. Try and stop me. I've already diluted your power. Go on and save her, like you did them."

With an echoing laugh, Bonnie faded from the room, off to hunt his prey. Just as he'd expected, Saber had retreated into the Party Corner, unsuccessfully trying to clean the blood off of Jeremy's arm. The night guard was the first to notice, and motioned for Saber to turn around.

"Bonnie!" Saber's immediate response was a warm smile. "Thank Foxy you're alive!"

"Caretaker, get away from Jeremy immediately," Bonnie said calmly. "I believe Freddy has done something to him."

"What are you saying?" Jeremy demanded. "The only thing he's done to me is scrape my skin."

"I said, get away." Bonnie snarled and lifted Jeremy with a snap of his fingers, tossing him out of the room and into unconsciousness.

"Jeremy!" Saber tried to run after him, but the door swung shut in front of her, locking her into the room. "Bonnie, cut it out!" She spun around angrily, glaring at the spirit.

Bonnie merely smiled at her, his eyes lost in darkness. "Is there something wrong, puppet?" He asked sweetly.

The sudden faint jangle of chains drew the attention of both of them, turning to the door. Bonnie's grin fell into a disappointed frown as the door squeaked open, revealing Angelo in the frame.

"Human," He murmured. "Please, listen to me. My brother is going to kill you. He's the bad guy here, not me, I swear! I can prove it!"

Bonnie let a laugh escape. "What's there to prove? My actions are more believable to a human than yours. But, I suppose that doesn't matter anymore, does it?" He chuckled to himself. "You should feel honored. You'll be the first guests at this new establishment."

"The only thing you've established is your own jealous madness, Bonnie," Angelo held out his palm, smoke lifting from his fingertips to form a spirit. "I'm sure you recognize this woman, don't you?"

"No…that's impossible…" Bonnie took a step back as if the figure was a bomb, his body tense. Saber stared on with awe and fright at the thrashing creature.

"This," Angelo replied solemnly, "is mother. She is nothing left but pure rage, a spirit of insanity because of you, brother. Her presence is nothing but a negative force." His hand clenched shut, dissipating the image as another figure faded in beside him.

"Bon?" Golden Freddy tilted it's head in confusion, staring sadly at Bonnie, it's voice ringing clear of that of a young girl forming her first words.

"Do you remember her, Bonnie?" Angelo asked with an icy edge. "Do you remember Goldie, our little sister? Our *2-year-old* sister, who hadn't even the chance to live?" His head turned to the Saber, who had observed silently, searching for sympathy. "Look at what we've become, human. He did this to us."

The room fell silent for a moment, before Bonnie burst into devilish laughter.

"Cute little trick, brother," He sneered, "but I feel no remorse over your misery. What compassion had you ever shown me to let me care? None. This was your punishment, and rightfully so."

Saber's mouth finally began to move. "Bonnie…" She stuttered. "Stop it. Now."

"Oh, boo hoo," Bonnie mocked. "You expect me to listen to *you,* a child who's only chance of life was to *rely* on *me?* Face it, human. You're *nothing* without me."

"I'll shoot you," Saber stated, quickly lifting the barrel of the gun to point at Bonnie's head. "You're not the friend I knew for years. I'll shoot you dead, and you know these bullets won't fail their duty."

"You're right…" Bonnie's complacent grin only grew wider. "They won't fail." He snapped his finger again, and the gun whirled out of Saber's grasp and against her neck, the barrel cold against her skin.

"Bonnie, leave the human out of this," Angelo demanded. Golden tried to step forward to help.

"Ah ah ah!" Bonnie waved his finger as if scolding the bear, the gun at Saber's neck snapping with the sound of an empty barrel. "I want to play a game first. There's six barrels, and one bullet. I've already pulled the trigger once; *convince me not to pull it again.*"

"Bonnie, please, it doesn't have to be this way!" Angelo pleaded. "I've left behind my grudges. There are others out there, souls that have suffered like you, that would welcome you with open arms!"

The gun snapped again, and Saber felt her heart jump. Bonnie ignored her, staring back at Angelo and Golden. His eyes flashed, as if the words were truly hitting him.

"Bonnie, Golden and I *care* about you!" Angelo begged. "I'm sorry for the way I was raised. Do you hear me? I'm sorry, and I forgive you for what you've done to us! Please, just stop this madness!"

"Bon save Bon, Bon save Bon!" Golden added. "Goldie care! Angee care! Bon save Bon!"

The trigger clicked a third time, bringing the loaded barrel to Saber's throat. One more pull, and her blood would stain the walls.

"Bonnie," Saber said as calm as she could muster. "If you're going to shoot me, then do it, whether out of spite for your siblings, or of your hatred for me. But realize that I cared too. All those years of guardianship hasn't once gone over my head; this place means more to me than life, and if I die to please you, the one character that could care for me in return, then pull the trigger."

At this point, Bonnie was gritting his teeth, his hand ready to squeeze shut and do as she'd asked. He had waited for so long to finish what he'd begun, years of docile servitude to this human he was about to kill to free his own soul. And yet, the fools *cared* for him. After all he'd committed, they had forgiven him and loved him unconditionally.

"Brother…" He managed. "Angelo, Goldie, Saber…" Tears formed in his eyes, despite his efforts to hold them back. "I want to…I really do…" His arms slackened, allowing the revolver to fall to the ground with a clatter, as he fell to his knees sobbing.

"Brother, it's not too late to change," Angelo spoke softly now, realizing he'd nearly won. "I can find you a home, a new life. You needn't see me ever again, if you wish." He held out his hand warmly. "Please, let it go."

"You…don't understand," Bonnie choked. "I *can't* stop…" The gun slid across the floor, now leaned against Bonnie's own head. "I need to end this. No one must go through what I did."

"Bonnie, no!" Saber grabbed the gun from it's floating position and manually fired the last bullet into the wall harmlessly. "Snap out of it! We want to help you!"

Bonnie gasped, suddenly falling limply to the floor. "Then run…" A cackle began to flow around the room, filling the air as black smoke pour profusely out of Bonnie's chest.

"*You humans are fools,*" The voice whispered, pinpointing to the mass of humanoid shadow floating above Bonnie.

"No…" Angelo stepped in front of Golden protectively, his stature gained to that of a young man as the shadow turned to them expectantly.

"So, you're the siblings that weakened my hold," He stated. "Seems his true care was more than I anticipated."

"What the hell are you?" Angelo snarled.

"I am Misery. I am the being that used your brother like a doll, the one pulling the strings above the stage. I fed off of his resentment, the mistreatment caused by you, but it seems the river has run dry. I needed a new host, one that had suffered just as much." His red eyes turned to Saber with an almost kind smile. "Saber," He cooed. "Won't you help your little friend?"

"I…I…" Saber did her best to stall, frozen in place mere inches away from the creature. Her eyes didn't dare stray away.

"Or your sister?" Misery bargained. "Don't you want to see her again? I can make that happen."

"Arion…" Saber murmured her sibling's name, entranced. Bonnie's sudden shout tore her focus away.

"Everyone, get out of here now!" He managed to yell. Misery glared at him with an animalistic snarl.

"Silence, puppet!" He screeched, tossing the body against the wall with the flick of his wrist.

"Leave my brother alone!" Angelo commanded, his body swirling with dark matter. "And leave the human out of this! You drove my brother to ruin himself, and you will pay for that! This torment ends here and now!"

"Hah! You've already left yourself wide open." Like a needle piercing cloth, Misery darted into Saber's chest, releasing a pained cry as the body adjusted to the second guest. When the twitching ended, Saber lifted her head, her eyes devoid of detail and lost into a blood red glow.

*"So,"* It said, the voice layered. *"You want to kill me? Try."*

Angelo smirked with grim intent. "I'm sorry, Saber. This is going to hurt." He said. Quickly his body evaporated and followed the demon, overwhelming the host into unconsciousness.

The area was a black limbo, the ground merged with the air. Two figures stood a ways away from Angelo, staring back. The first was the demon, his form misshapen, blending with the darkness. The other was a lighted silhouette, dark chains holding it frozen.

"About time you showed up," Misery sneered. "I'm surprised the host can handle this pressure."

"Help…me…" The silhouette murmured, the chains rattling as it struggled against the bonds. "Help…"

"Misery, release the human's soul," Angelo demanded, his hands stretching into long, thin claws.

"Oh, her? Nah, she's fine," Misery replied with a shrug. "Besides, I thought this was about avenging your brother?"

Angelo snarled and leapt at the demon, his claws slicing through like knives. The scar overlapped itself, merely gaining stature in the host.

"That tickles," Misery mocked. "My turn." His arm swung like a bat, knocking Angelo away into the black abyss. With a grunt, Angelo righted himself, only to be onslaught with vicious thorns protruding from nowhere and everywhere. Through the haze Angelo could see his opponent grinning psychotically, obviously taking pleasure in this uneven match.

"Help…" The voice echoed again. "Help…you…" A sudden flash blinded Angelo for a moment as the thorns stopped attacking. When his eyes adjusted, an odd figure stood before him.

A bright orange stick figure, like the kind you'd see in pivot, was standing up from an offensive attack. A pair of metallic wings hung limber from it's back, and two wrist blades had restricted into their sleeves on it's hands.

"Revive…" The silhouette had slight movement under the restraints, it's fingers twitching like a puppeteer as the orange creature moved in response. "Hurry…" Quickly the orange puppet lunged at Misery, slashing and hacking mercilessly at the shadow. With an angered screech akin to a wild animal, Misery swung his arms to defend the onslaught, jabbing at the avatar with thick spikes, shredding it like cloth.

Eventually Angelo snapped out of his trance, sneaking over to the soul and slicing the chains. The noise drew the attention of the demon, the limp orange doll dead in it's hand like a chewed dog toy, clicking and twitching.

"Saber," Angelo whispered to the soul as it took form of it's outside presence. "I know how to kill this thing, but you need to help me."

"Anything."

"I'm sorry." The two words took Saber aback, but Angelo continued. "Your forgiveness for my petty revenge attempts is all I need to defeat this monster, and you're the only one that can provide it. Please, not just for the sake of his defeat, but for my own soul. Forgive me."

"Are you really going to give into the fool so easily, Saber?" Misery cooed in quick response, his form shrunk to the size of the others. "You can't have forgotten what he'd done to your sister."

"Ignore him." Angelo commanded. "I've done nothing with any relative of yours."

"Why should this toy be granted with your forgiveness, Saber?" Misery ignored Angelo, his spell grasping firm on the human's mind. "Can he bring back those you've loved?" With a wave of his hand, Misery conjured an illusion of the sister from the human's memories.

"Saber, I miss you!" The illusion cried, playing on the emotional weakness. "I want to be with you again!"

"No…" Saber murmured. "Arion…no, no, NO!" The figure fell to the floor, clutching her head in pain. "Stop it! Get out of my head!" Her image flickered, nothing more than a ticking time bomb; the host was beginning to wear thin on it's tolerance. Angelo recognized the threat immediately and leapt at the distracted demon, knocking him backward out of the mind. With one less soul, Saber's image returned to normal, and she collected herself off the ground.

"Angelo, I'm sorry," She spoke quietly. "Misery was toying with my emotions, and I couldn't think clearly. I know you had nothing to do with my own family matters." She smiled, wiping away a tear before he could see. "I forgive you, Angelo. True and honest."

Angelo smiled back in acknowledgement. "Now it's my turn." He said aloud, speaking to the air. *Dear god, I'm going to regret this.* "Fredrick Fazbatch, father to Saber Fazbatch, I…I forgive you for what you've done."

The effects were instant. Slowly Angelo grabbed his chest.

"I didn't expect it to hurt *this* much, heh…AAAHHHH!" The man crumbled, gasping for breath. Saber stepped forward to help, but found she was frozen in place. The sounds of snapping chains filled her ears as the room grew brighter, mixed with the pained cries of the spirit. Eventually Saber had to close her eyes and look away as her body gained weightlessness. Sound and sight faded out into a white limbo.

When the world darkened again, Saber felt her eyes flutter open, and picked herself up out of unconsciousness from the carpet floor of the office. Bonnie had been helped to his feet by Golden, and Misery hovered across the room, staring down at a third familiar figure with unfazed contempt.

The same spirit in the dream stood alone in the center of the room, a silver cutlass in his hand. His body was lighter now, expunged of the grudging shadows of the villain she'd known before.

"No more running," Angelo stated, his voice calmer now. "You and me, Misery, right here, right now. Prepare to fess your crimes against the human souls, and meet the justice of the supreme spiritual court!" With a battle cry, Angelo charged at the black mass, only to have his blade countered by the creature's arm.

"You're not taking me down that easy, Judge," Misery sneered, shoving Angelo back. "I won't be defeated by a puppet!" He tried to leap at the spirit, but was quickly grabbed and tossed backwards by Golden into the corner of the desk, penetrating his back.

"New power feel good!" She giggled. Both Angelo and Bonnie smiled at their little sister's good nature, despite the odd circumstances.

Misery snickered from his limp position. "Cute," He said, rising back into the air as healed as before. "Are we going to a torture tea party next?"

*Shoot. He heals too fast.* Angelo grimaced. He noticed Golden giggle again at the mention of a tea party, and Misery flinched. A thought hit him, and he looked at Bonnie.

"Hey, Bon," He said. "Know why the scarecrow is graduating? He was out-standing in his field!" Goldie laughed again, and Misery gritted his teeth, frozen in place.

"Shut up," He muttered. Bonnie saw this and winked at Angelo, realizing what he was doing. "Golden," He said. "Knock knock."

"Who's there?" She asked.

"Dwain."

"Dwain who?"

"Dwain the bathtub, I'm dwowning." Both erupted into laughter, and Misery clutched his ears, screeching. Angelo prepared his cutlass to strike, when a gunshot echoed though the air past the chuckling. The world grew mute, Misery's body quickly contracting into nothingness until a single bullet was left hovering in the air. The iron rattle was the first to reach the ears of the group, while Saber stood holstering her revolver in the doorway.

"Thought I might as well end his torture before the puns got worse," She said casually, picking up the bullet with the end of her sleeve. "Hope you have a good jail cell for this sucker." She tossed the bullet awkwardly to Angelo, who quickly caught it and pocketed it away.

"The Underworld Judgement will deal with him fairly," He sheathed his cutlass, turning to Bonnie with a raised eyebrow. "Are you coming?" He asked.

"Me?" Bonnie stood in disbelief.

"Well, of course," Angelo grinned good-naturedly. "You *are* our brother. Besides, I have something to show you."

Bonnie felt himself nearly faint with sudden joy, hugging his brother tightly.

"Thank you," He whispered. "Thank you so much." His head lifted, suddenly, turning back to the girl in the doorway.

"Relax," She smirked. "I'll miss you, sure, but this is something you don't need me tagging along to."

"Actually, I think you'll enjoy 'tagging along', Miss Fazbatch," Angelo said. "You'll be asleep, but I can manipulate your dreams to visit us, if you wish. Not bad, eh?"

"Not bad at all," Saber walked to the desk and pulled out a heavy anesthetic, dumping out a small pill. "I'll be along in a second," She muttered, swallowing the pill. "Keep these handy for when I can score a nap at work."

"Very well," Like a hologram, Angelo grabbed the arms of the other spirits and disappeared to the pocket dimension in an instant. Drowsily Saber leaned back in the office chair and let herself dose off, ready and willing to take a well-deserved coffee break.