Chapters Spirits of Steel: A Marvel/FNAF/MLP crossover
Within the opulent walls of a large mansion overlooking a cliff in Malibu, a man sighed in disappointment and took another sip of his coffee, as he read an online news report. The report was about the development of Fazbear's Fright, a horror attraction based on the once popular family restaurant known as Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. At first, It was a pleasant surprise to hear about this place once more after so long, but the more the man read, the worse the story sounded.
For a few minutes, Tony Stark was neither a multi-billionaire industrialist, nor the high-tech armored superhero Iron Man. Instead, he was a seven-year old boy who smiled and laughed, awestruck by how characters that should only exist in cartoons were now suddenly coming to life on stage, singing for the amusement of both himself and the other children present.
There were three of them on stage...Bonnie the bunny, Chica the chicken, and of course, Freddy Fazbear himself. Young Tony cheered along with the other kids when each musical number was completed, and cheered once more when they began a new song, prompted by Freddy's eyes lighting up and playing what Tony now knew to be called the "Toreador March." Then there was Foxy the Fox, a pirate that had a show of his own for the children in an area of the pizzeria called Pirate Cove, telling stories of his adventures on the high seas. Little Tony and the kids would listen with rapt attention as he spoke of sword duels, stormy seas, and treasure chests heavy with gold and jewels.
Being both an intellectual prodigy, and the son of Howard Stark, a man who worked with machines constantly, it didn't take long for Tony to realize that Freddy and his companions were, in fact, animatronic. While some kids might have been a bit disillusioned by this revelation, Tony was instead rabidly curious as to how these machines worked. A curiosity easily sated by Howard, who convinced them to allow Tony backstage to be shown how the machines worked. Fascinated, he learned everything he could, the profound experience helping to inspire a passion for technology that would serve Tony well in the years to come.
This was what Freddy Fazbear's was supposed to be. A place of joy, fun...and, for a few, self-discovery. Now...it was a haunted house. A story to scare people. A legacy of terror instead of wonder.
"Like Hell." Tony spoke resolutely.
****************************************
"I don't like this, Tony." Pepper Potts spoke bluntly.
"Come on, Pepper, don't you remember how great this place was?" Tony asked in his usual light-hearted tone.
"I remember watching news reports about missing children and one of the animatronics nearly killing someone." Pepper retorted.
The two of them were in Tony's lab, discussing his grand plan for resurrecting a decades old family restaurant, while he reviewed various holographic schematics of the facility and animatronics he had in mind to construct. Needless to say, Pepper was unconvinced of the plan's success, and for good reason.
Tony stopped for a moment to address his executive assistant. "Don't you think this place deserves another chance?" He asked, his tone more serious.
"From what I understand, it's already had other chances." Pepper responded, "They wanted to make it a horror attraction for a reason. There's just too much stigma here, Tony...too many bad memories. Maybe it's just time for this place to die with whatever dignity it has left."
"I don't believe that for a second." Tony said, turning around to look Pepper in the eye. "For every bad memory this place has, there are a hundred good ones. When I bring this place back, I'm going to do it right. I'll make sure people see those good memories, and do my damnedest to make sure there's never another tragedy associated with this place again."
There was silence for a moment. Eventually, Pepper sighed, then smiled softly. Whether it was the conviction in his words, the good heart she knew he had, or the simple fact that he was persistent and stubborn to a fault, Pepper finally decided to stop arguing and let Tony do what he desperately wanted to do.
"I remember Foxy the Pirate. He was always my favorite." She said.
Tony smiled in return. "Mine, too."
He pointed to a nearby holographic schematic, which just happened to be the intended design for the new Foxy. "You know I pride myself on quality where machines are concerned. In the extremely unlikely event of a malfunction, I'm going to install hardwired safeties and shutdown switches to keep the patrons safe."
He switched to another holographic image. at this latest image, Pepper made an incredulous expression. "Is...that what I think it is?"
Tony looked back at Pepper briefly, clearing his throat. "I...might have made a deal with Hasbro."
Pepper said nothing, looking sideways at Tony and smiling a bit wider as she remembered the links she found on his computer and the shows scheduled on his digital recorder.
"Everybody loves them. It'll be great for business!" Tony said.
Pepper raised an eyebrow, her smile remaining.
"Don't judge." Tony said, resuming his work, reviewing the schematics for six variations of colorful equines from a certain family cartoon show.
Pepper held up her hands, now grinning. "I won't, but don't be surprised when the public starts calling you 'Brony Stark.'"
Tony rolled his eyes, currently reviewing a schematic of a pony with a poofy mane and tail.
Pepper's smile faded as she felt the need to ask about another important factor in the project. "What about the human element?" She asked, "Malfunctions weren't the only problem."
"We'll screen all employees, of course, and even then, I'll have state of the art security measures in place everywhere, including face\body recognition software, tru-def video, and full lockdown protocols. Besides..." Tony replied, "If I remember correctly, they caught the guy responsible for the missing kids."
************************************
Matt Murdock sat in his modest office, located in the area of New York that would always be known as Hell's Kitchen. The buyout of all things related to Fazbear Entertainment by Stark Industries, and the subsequent efforts to build what would soon be known as Freddy Fazbear's Family Fun Center, was big enough news to be broadcast over the airwaves, where it would quickly reach the hyper-sensitive ears of the lawyer.
The news brought with it memories of one of many sad times in Matt's life...
He was eight at the time, only recently recovered from the fateful accident that took one ability away from him, but gave many more, allowing him to one day become the vigilante Dardevil. A man named Bob "Bull" Taureg had been an old friend of Matt's father, pro boxer Jack Murdock, often training with him at the gym they shared. Matt and Jack both admired Bob, as he was a good man that was strong and easygoing, except where others needed to be protected, in which case he fought fiercely to do so.
Despite his ambition to be a fighter like Jack, Bob simply didn't get the same breaks as Jack did, despite being a decent fighter in his own right. He took multiple jobs, usually in security, as he had always had an instinct to protect people. Recently, he had acquired a new job, likewise in security...a day shift guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Things had went pretty well for Bob there, especially considering how well he had gotten along with everyone there, adults and children alike.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Bob had been arrested for the alleged murder of multiple children.
Matt remembered attending the trial with his father. Before, during, and after the trial, Bob maintained his innocence, his lawyer requesting a polygraph to confirm his claim as part of their defense strategy. Matt, learning how polygraph machines worked during that time, would soon apply his own unique talents to this concept, and know for a fact that Bob was telling the truth. Unfortunately, try as he might, for multiple reasons both legal and personal, he was unable to do anything to help.
Which made it all the more difficult for the boy when Bob was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life in prison. Despite the skill and drive of Bob's defense attorney, the circumstantial evidence simply could not be ignored. From there, it was a downhill slide. Despite numerous pleas, Bob's appeal never came through. He died in prison after only a scant few months, beaten to death by other inmates...the ultimate fate of many who committed such heinous crimes against children.
This tragedy helped to crystallize in his mind what Matt would ultimately choose to do with his life; To not only put the guilty in jail, but to keep the innocent out.
In an effort to clear Bob's good name, even if only posthumously, Matt would often revisit the case, looking for either new evidence, or new ways to review old evidence. He'd made some progress over the years, but not enough to achieve his ultimate goal.
"Matt?" Foggy Nelson spoke, "You okay?"
Matt lifted his head, aroused from his thoughts by his old friend and law partner. With a smile, he replied, "Fine, Foggy. Did you hear about Stark trying to bring back Freddy Fazbear's?"
"Yeah, I heard about that." Foggy said with a sigh. "So...am I correct in assuming that we'll be working on Bob's case some more?"
Matt nodded. "Yes, but I'll be doing it on my own this time, no need to drag you into it again."
"You sure?" Foggy asked, glad to not have to go over the same decades old evidence for the tenth time with a fine tooth comb, but still concerned for his blind friend.
"Positive." Matt replied.
Spirits of Steel: A Marvel/FNAF/MLP crossover
*****Two Months Later*****
The new Freddy Fazbear's Family Fun Center was constructed in record time, thanks to an army of construction workers with all the latest equipment and automated assistance.
It was exactly as Tony envisioned it, a fusion of the new and the nostalgic. The building itself was top of the line, complete with the best facilities for cooking and maintenance, all the latest games and activities, and of course, a show stage.
The general decor was fun and lively, the color scheme and art style similar to the original Freddy Fazbear's locations, with some areas housing the more intact (and far less frightening) pieces of memorabilia, likewise from the original locations. Also on display were old posters, children's drawings, and photos, all preserved and framed.
All of the systems in the building, animatronics especially, were thoroughly tested and fully operational. Soon, a selected group of families would come in to try out all the activities available, and later record their opinions for posterity.
Of course, they loved the games and activities; A few timeless classics like Skeeball and basketball free-throwing with modifications to increase challenge and visual appeal, as well as newer amusements like VR-cades and holographic laser tag arenas.
As the place was always a pizzeria, it was the first and foremost item on the menu. It came in many varieties, from simple pepperoni and cheese, to more uncommon fare like taco-style pizzas and dessert pizzas. For those who didn't like pizza of any kind, other items such as chicken strips, sandwiches and fries were also available. The food was held to a high enough standard that carry out and delivery options were made available.
All of this was merely the icing on the cake, though. The big draw, the centerpieces of the establishment, the faces of the franchise, would soon appear on both the main show stage and the smaller stage at the new Pirate Cove. Over all of the speakers throughout the restaurant, came a familiar tune...the Toreador March. Everyone made their way to the main stage, waiting with baited breath...
The curtain flowed open, revealing what appeared to be three cartoonish anthropomorphic animals, currently in stiff, mannequin-like poses. In the center, there was a bear that wore a black suit with a white shirt, black tie and top hat. To the left stood a rabbit who wore a blue suit with vertical white stripes and a red bowtie. On the right was a chicken that wore a yellow shirt and short skirt with pink leggings and jacket, the shirt reading "let's party!" in bold, stylized print with confetti dotted around it. Unlike her previous incarnations, this chicken had yellow hair, currently tied into a ponytail with a pink ribbon.
Suddenly, the bear began to move in jerky, robotic movements, removing his hat in greeting, then placing it back upon his head. "Good day, chil-dren and par-ents." He spoke in a synthesized voice, his muzzle moving stiffly. "Wel-come. We will now per-form for your ah-muse-ment."
A few kids giggled at this,
The rabbit suddenly broke out laughing, his movements fluid and natural. The bear finally stood normally, hands on his hips, moving just as fluidly as the rabbit. The chicken stopped her posing as well, standing in a more natural manner. Her hand was on her face as she shook her head.
The bear then spoke in a regular sounding voice, albeit in an annoyed tone, his face and muzzle moving naturally. "Aww, Bonnie, ya ruined it!"
A few more children giggled. The crowd was far more impressed at this point, wondering if these were truly machines or people in advanced suits. The way the animatronics moved and looked, however, it was very hard to distinguish their true nature as cutting edge androids, and might as well have been flesh and blood.
Between snickers, the rabbit said, "S-Sorry Freddy, your robot imitation just cracks me up every time!"
The bear sighed, then turned to the crowd, "Sorry about that, folks." He spoke with what sounded like a Brooklyn accent as he continued, "I'm Freddy Fazbear, and with me as always are my good friends Bonnie..." He motioned to the rabbit, who waved. "...And Chica." Freddy motioned to the chicken, who blew a kiss. "As ya can see, we're a bit different from how we used ta look."
"Not that we're complaining, of course." Chica spoke up, her voice having a mild Hispanic accent to it, "I haven't looked this good in, well, ever!"
Freddy continued, "To start with, we're gonna play a couple o' the old favorites, and then we'd like to try some new material, y'know, see how it..."
"AARRR!" A gruff voice shouted from seemingly nowhere, to the surprise of the audience, "Aren't ye forgettin' someone...as usual?"
Excited murmurs of the crowd were silenced by Freddy replying, "Don't get your eye patch in a twist, I was gettin' to ya!" Laughter could be heard again as Freddy continued, "Also joining us this evening will be our good friend Foxy. Come out and take a bow, Foxy!"
Out from the hallway next to the stage, a fox wearing a red and white horizontal striped shirt, black vest, brown pants, and a black eye patch ran out in front of the stage, skidding to a halt and holding up a polished metal hook that gleamed in the light.
"Never ye fear, maties!" The fox spoke in a typical gruff pirate accent, "Foxy the Pirate be here!"
The crowd cheered as Foxy made an exaggerated bow. After a minute or two, Freddy spoke, "Okay, ya done yet? We got a show ta do ya know!"
Foxy stuck out his tongue at Freddy in response, to the amusement of many. "Ye're just jealous because I be the more beloved." He turned to the crowd, then. "Enjoy the show, lads and lasses...then, if ye be cravin' some REAL entertainment, come visit me in Pirate Cove!"
With that, he ran off, followed by applause. As the applause died down, Freddy spoke, "Well, then, without further ado, let's have some music in here, eh?"
More applause came, as the trio began their first song...
As they sang, the formerly plain-looking show stage suddenly became alive with colors, decor, and scenery fitting each song, produced from highly advanced holographic projectors. The crowd gasped, exclaimed, and cheered in awe of the performance! Finally, the concert ended, and the three bowed and waved to the audience's thunderous applause.
"Enjoy your dinner, folks!" Freddy said, "See ya next time!"
With that, the curtain closed as a pizza dinner was served. Afterwards, the families made their way down the hall to a room that had an obvious nautical theme to it, the smaller stage here resembling part of a ship, complete with a gangplank. The stylized sign at the entrance proclaimed the area as Pirate Cove.
Everyone was excited and talkative as they sat down at the tables. As before, a curtain opened on the stage, this time revealing Foxy practicing swordplay with a cutlass.
Noticing the crowd, he smiled. "Ah, welcome to Pirate Cove, lads and lasses! I just be practicin' my technique." He then easily bent the sword, which bounced back into place. "Rubber, o' course! Don't want to be losin' anythin' else, ye see." He said, tapping his eye patch with his hooked hand.
Giggles and chuckles followed the joke, as the fox sheathed the harmless blade and continued, "Don't ye be thinkin' me a complete fool, though...I be one of the greatest pirates to sail the seven seas! Don't believe me? Then allow me to regale ye with the tale of how I took the Treasure of Tock's Tomb!"
As Foxy told his tale, more holograms manifested themselves. These were more immersive, as wavy water, sun-drenched sand, and spooky mist appeared under and around those who observed the story, awestruck. At times, the pirate would interact with the holograms, fighting skeletons and opening chests. At last, the tale came to an end, and Foxy bowed to his wildly applauding audience.
Finally, the evening came to an end and the families left, having enjoyed themselves immensely. It was at this point that Tony revealed himself to greet the people, gather their immediate opinions, and wish them well on their way home. Seeing his new project come to fruition, and the subsequent smiles it produced, filled Tony with satisfaction. He had successfully brought Freddy Fazbear's back to life, and it seemed as if it could only get better.
Just then, a man wearing a security uniform approached Tony. "Mister Stark?"
Tony turned to the man...an unassuming fellow with blue eyes and brown hair, and smiled politely. "Yes, can I help you?"
The man smiled in return. "I just wanted to meet you, sir, and congratulate you on bringing this place back. It's had a very...significant impact on my family's life. When I heard that this place was going to return, I just wanted to be a part of it."
The man held out his hand, and Tony shook it. "Well, thank you. It's nice to meet you, mister...?"
"Schmidt, sir...Gabe Schmidt."
Spirits of Steel: A Marvel/FNAF/MLP crossover
The cosmos is an infinite, eternal place, to the point where the words "infinite" and "eternal" scarcely do it justice. There is space upon space and time beyond time in every conceivable direction; Realms undreamed of by minds both mortal and immortal alike. In one such time and place, six vibrantly colored ponies and one diminutive dragon stood before an exquisitely carved panel of clear crystal, carved with a variety of intricate runes, and flanked by machines that were a bizarre combination of steamwork and circuitry.
One of the ponies, a lavender mare that had straight purple hair with a single streak of pink, walked to one of the devices next to the crystal panel, a stone pedestal with a metal top and a clear crystal dome with more complex runes etched on it's surface. A purple glow emanated from the mare's unicorn horn, the same glow encompassing both the crystal dome and a comic book floating beside her. The dome floated upward, allowing the comic to lay upon the metal pedestal top. The dome settled back down, covering the comic. Twilight then touched three of the runes on the dome with her horn, causing them to glow. The surrounding machinery began to move, vibrate, and spark to life as well, expelling small bursts of steam every now and then.
Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn mare known throughout the land of Equestria as both the Element of Magic and the Princess of Friendship, smiled with satisfaction before trotting over to the other assembled mares and single drake. This device of her own design, if it worked properly, would be one of the greatest achievements in arcane science...a device that would allow instantaneous travel anywhere in the world!
Despite Twilight's confidence, however, the feelings of her friends regarding this strange object we're mixed...
One of the ponies, a pink mare with a very fluffy, curly mane and tail of a darker pink shade, bounced in place excitedly. The one dragon that was there, with purple scales and spines and ear frills of green, smiled a fang-filled grin, sharing the pink pony's level of excitement.
Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter and premiere Party Pony, could barely contain herself. "OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh! If this works, I can go to Prance and try a Le Grand Eclair au Chocolat!"
Spike the dragon, Number One Assistant to Twilight, commented, "I can't wait to meet Stag Lee! I'm a close personal friend of royalty, that's GOTTA be worth an autograph!"
A cyan pegasus mare with a mane and tail of all colors of the rainbow hovered nearby, examining the machinery as closely as she dared without interfering with any moving parts. Despite her famous bravado, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty and fastest flyer in Equestria, was a bit nervous. "This is cool and all, but are you sure this thing works, Twi?"
Twilight held her head high and confidently. "Absolutely! I've tested this device multiple times in multiple places with multiple objects, and with only one result...success! I'm confident that it will work just as flawlessly this time."
"Annnnnd ya'll just gone an' jinxed it." Another mare spoke. Applejack, the Element of Honesty and owner\proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres, had a blonde mane and an orange coat, wearing her Stetson hat as always. "Ah gotta admit, ah'm a little jittery about this, too." She continued, her face bearing a look of concern.
Rarity, Element of Generosity and fashionista extraordinaire, was the next to speak, "By the way, darling, where did you get that lovely bauble you're wearing on your horn?"
Twi placed a hoof on the item in question: A gold ring etched with yet more complex runes, a flawless amethyst set into the piece. "Oh, this? It works as a beacon and a control device, allowing only one mechanism..." She motioned back to the large machine, "To be required for a two way trip."
"I see. Well, it looks gorgeous on you." Rarity replied. The white mare idly studied the jewelry with a critical eye before taking a moment to make sure her dark purple mane remained as flawlessly coiffed as ever, her imagination already buzzing with ideas on fashionable variants of the piece.
Fluttershy, the Element of Kindness and expert animal caregiver, was silent, her body trembling ever so slightly, her yellow fur and light pink hair a bit frazzled, and her wings ruffling in barely contained fear. Spike noticed this, and walked over calmly. "It'll be okay, Fluttershy. Like Twilight said, we've tested this thing a dozen times. We'll be fine!"
Fluttershy looked at Spike and took a deep breath, her trembling subsiding slightly. "Y-You're right...I-I'll be okay."
Once all the assembled beings seemed ready to leave, Twilight pulled a final switch, and the runes and carvings on the crystal panel of the machine began to glow, followed by the panel itself, until finally, there was a sustained brightness throughout.
"Okay, here we go!" Twilight said with excitement. "Come on, everypony, next stop, Manehattan!"
Moving as a group, the collection of friends moved through the bright light, feeling slight tingles and feelings of vertigo as they kept moving...
All seven friends were finally gathered at a street corner, the bright portal behind them shrinking, swirling and coalescing into a stream of energy that moved to infuse itself into the gem in Twilight's bauble, the gem glowing briefly before dimming back to its original luster.
The ponies and dragon looked around, taking stock of where they were...
"Wait a minute!" Rainbow Dash spoke, "Why is it night time? It's the middle of the afternoon!"
"It...LOOKS like Manehattan..." Rarity chimed in with a grimace, "But it seems so...unkempt."
"Buildin's seem a might too big, too." Applejack surmised, squinting slightly at a nearby building.
Fluttershy shook with fear. "I-I don't like this...this place feels so wrong!"
"Stay calm, everypony..." Twilight spoke, "I'll just activate the return spell, and..."
"Daayumn!" A gruff voice suddenly shouted, followed by other odd hoots and hollers, "I think I'm havin' a bad trip 'r sumthin!"
"Nah, man, I see it too!" Another voice said, "What d'ya think they are?"
"I dunno..." Yet a third voice spoke, "But that purple one's got some expensive lookin' jewelry on it!"
The gang of hoodlums laughed and hooted in realization or agreement that one of the strange creatures did indeed carry something of obvious value, namely the adornment on Twilight's horn.
The ponies and dragon huddled together in defensive positions, as seven unsavory looking people walked up to them, chuckling or mumbling to themselves or each other. A few of them drew knives, one put on a set of brass knuckles, and another drew a gun.
"Run!" Twilight shouted, and all at once, the six ponies bolted off as fast as they could run, with Spike riding Twilight. The thugs gave chase, the one with the gun firing two shots. A shriek of pain made Twilight's blood run cold. She looked back to see...
"FLUTTERSHY!" Rainbow shouted, her oldest friend sobbing from the bullet graze wound on her hind leg. In pure anger and instinctive response, the Pegasus shot forward, ramming into the chest of the thug holding the offending gun. He dropped the gun, his body skidding and rolling a few feet away from the force of the impact. Just as one of the knife wielders prepared to slice at Rainbow, two red projectiles struck him in the face, splattering and distracting him long enough to be struck down by a pair of orange hind legs that would have been strong enough to break him in half, were Applejack not pulling her punch...or kick, as it were. In this case, the ganger simply fell to the ground wheezing.
Another one with a knife and the one with the brass knuckles fell over as they advanced, their shoelaces tied together telekinetically. Finally, A burst of confetti from an odd incendiary device distracted the remaining attackers long enough for multiple bolts of purple energy to take them down.
With the immediate threats neutralized, the ponies turned to Fluttershy, who lie there in relative calm while Spike diligently tended to her wound, securing an expertly wrapped bandage.
"How's that?" Spike asked.
"Perfect, Spike. Thank you." The timid Pegasus responded with a reassuring smile.
"OHMYGOSH! Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, landing flawlessly at her friend's side.
Suddenly, before anything else could be said, the click of a gun could be heard, the group looking in unison at one of the thugs having gotten up and picked up the gun...
Just as suddenly, there was a strange sound, followed by a stream of something unidentifiable grabbing and enveloping the gun, hand and all, before pulling the man by his captured arm up into the air! The crack of a punch was heard, followed by more of the odd sound that could be best described as thwip ...
The group prepared to fight or fly from this new creature...a biped wearing a bizarre red and blue costume with what appeared to be a black web pattern throughout, a spider emblazoned in the center.
"Wow..." The individual spoke in a decidedly young male voice, "Okay, It's official: I've seen everything."
Spirits of Steel: A Marvel/FNAF/MLP crossover
In between his other duties as both lawyer and vigilante, Matt put in whatever time and effort he could into re-examining Bob's case. Fortunately, significant progress had been made with only a few simple phone calls.
After doing some research and legwork, Matt learned that before they were bought out by Stark, the people working on Fazbear's Fright had made an unprecedented discovery: A walled-over secret room that seemingly had no record with the company...nothing open to the public, anyway. Further research into company records implied that this room was meant to be an old "safe room" of sorts, for reasons that were neither clearly disclosed nor easily given up. Something was clearly fishy around here, and Matt Murdock had finally reached hurdles that he couldn't leap over.
Fortunately, leaping was one of Daredevil's many specialties.
Silently and swiftly, a figure wearing a dark red suit with small horns adorning the cowl landed in an alleyway beside an all too familiar building that was now recently marked as condemned. At Matt's request, Tony Stark had postponed the demolition of the old Freddy Fazbear's Pizza building just long enough for his fellow super hero to investigate the premises "off the record."
Suddenly, he stopped, noting something large moving in the corner of his "view." He looked about, seeing nothing. He then remembered an interesting tidbit from the creation of Fazbear's Fright: Legal action taken by a whistleblower regarding unsafe air quality; some combination of malfunctioning ventilation and gas leakage causing hallucinations. Because of this Matt was momentarily concerned about going into the building himself, until he read that the one initiating the action was a disgruntled ex-employee, and thus shrugged it off as an exaggeration, to say nothing of the fact that all gas, water and power had been shut off prior to the building's condemnation. Despite all this, he still sensed something; therefore, he moved more cautiously and paid better attention to detail.
Finally, He came upon a recently excavated wall, and the room beyond. This was it! He grimaced as he entered, a ghost of a disturbing scent wafting into his hypersensitive nostrils amidst the normal stenches of a dilapidated building...
Rotten flesh.
He began to rummage around the room. There wasn't much inside; it had become something of a catch-all for old and outdated equipment, including arcade machines and an interesting kind of animatronic. Inside were springs, wires, and framework reminiscent of animatronics, but compressed and locked against the sides of the suit. The size and dimensions of the empty spaces led Daredevil to surmise that it was meant to be worn as a suit as well as set up as an unmanned machine; cutting edge tech for that time. It was in the form of a bear, and slumped in a sitting position with it's head laying to one side and it's arms dropped to either side. The vigilante couldn't help but note how similar it looked to a man deceased.
He continued looking, finally finding a desk. He searched through the desk, finding some paperwork, but mostly empty. He also pulled out each drawer, running his hands around each one, focusing his senses for any kind of sound, feel, or smell that was of interest. Finally, he found something. The bottom drawer he pulled out had something duct taped to the bottom. Pulling it free, he found it to be an old video tape. The vigilante nodded. This HAD to be worth something! Finding nothing else, He took the video tape, deciding that now was the time to leave.
The vigilante stopped suddenly. He heard a sound that wasn't right.
Footsteps?
Now twice as vigilant, Daredevil quickly realized that someone else was here as well. A police officer or a security guard? No, there were no sounds to indicate keys, batons, or other such equipment; nor was there a reason to warrant police or guard presence. A Thief? Unlikely. Everything of value was already removed, and no self-respecting burglar would sound this clumsy...like they were shambling or limping; maybe it was a simple attempt at smash and grab from an amateur who didn't know any better? Easy enough to deal with if they ran into one another. The best possibility was that this was a homeless person or some other soul down on their luck, perhaps seeking a place to rest for the night.
Whatever the case may be, Daredevil would have his answer quickly enough, as he heard it looming closer. He furrowed his brow at the odd combination of sounds...the creaking, groaning and snapping of metal and springs, the occasional ripping fabric. His nose suddenly picked up scents; moldy fabric, rust, and...rotten flesh?
No sooner did this thought click in his mind that he heard a chilling hiss nearby. He looked about, reaching out with his radar sense. A shocking figure met his senses...a figure moving in his direction! It couldn't be readily identified, moving like something human, but shaped like one of the animal-like props and parts from the horror attraction...a costume like the one he found earlier, maybe? Any normal person might have ran in terror, or simply been petrified where they stood, at this thing's mercy...
The Man Without Fear, however, reacted far differently. Knowing that this thing was most definitely not a hallucination, and realizing it's hostility immediately, Daredevil leapt against a nearby wall before vaulting himself into a kick that smashed into the creature's head, knocking it off balance long enough for the vigilante to ram into it with his shoulder, causing it to finally topple. As it struggled to return to it's feet, Daredevil used hypersenses to determine what this thing was; it wasn't making a lot of sense. He smelled the mummified flesh and heard no heartbeat; clearly there was something dead inside that bunny-shaped suit. The mechanisms he heard were old, broken, and far from high tech; something wasn't adding up.
He decided he'd have plenty of time to figure it out later, as the monstrosity was on hands and knees, getting to it's feet. Before it could, The vigilante kicked it, knocking it back to the ground onto it's back. "What are you!?" Daredevil demanded. The thing offered no response other than hissing and growling with anger and pain.
Daredevil fully understood three things at this point: He had no idea what this creature was, the creature itself was unable or unwilling to inform him, and whatever it was, it wasn't natural. Being ill-prepared for the supernatural, He decided that his only recourse for now was to somehow immobilize or contain this thing until he could get further assistance. The superhero decided to try leading the monstrosity into a room, where he could then bind it with the strong cable of one of his batons before barring the room. To enact this plan, Daredevil allowed the creature to get to it's feet, slowly backing up near the chosen room. Unfortunately, the monster had other plans, giving one final screech before turning around, and summoning up whatever reserve of strength it had left to actually run and hurl itself out the window behind it!
Daredevil prepared to go after it, but then heard a curious sound beside him...
"Hi." Spoke a child's voice.
The vigilante looked to the source of the voice, only to instantly roll to one side as something resembling a child-like animatronic lunged at him with a loud hiss! The hallucination vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving the hero startled and confused. Before he could once more attempt to follow his more corporeal nemesis, his senses were assaulted once more; this time an image resembling the face of a puppet or marionette dominated his "vision," while a strange, aggravating sound overpowered his hearing.
Finally, after a minute or so, this hallucination likewise faded to nothing. Shaking his head and blinking to clear his perception, Daredevil raced to the smashed window, leaping outward and into a roll. He looked around, scanning with radar and hypersenses to find the creature.
Nothing. No sound...no movement. Daredevil quickly moved around the building and to nearby blocks to find any trace of his opponent...Still nothing. Cursing under his breath in frustration, he finally left the area, deciding that his best recourse was to go to someone he knew who was more capable of finding and defeating a clearly supernatural foe.
***************************
"Mister Schmidt?" Tony Stark spoke, motioning to a limousine parked at the front entrance of Mount Sinai Hospital. "May I have a word, please? I'll take you wherever you want to go."
Gabe Schmidt, stopping in his tracks, looked at both Tony and the limo for a moment, before sighing and walking to the car. Being careful of his left arm, presently in a sling, Gabe sat down. A few seconds later, Tony got in on the other side. As the vehicle began moving, Tony began, "So how bad is it?"
"A sprained elbow and a concussion; they say I'll be okay in about six to eight weeks." Gabe replied with a shrug. "Look, Mister Stark, I'm not going to sue or anything, since my bill's being covered by worker's comp..."
"It's okay, it's not about that." Stark said, "I'm investigating what happened that night...personally. I had failsafes upon failsafes in there." He motioned to Gabe's sling, "Yet this still happened."
Tony took a bottle of scotch and two glasses from a small compartment nearby. After pouring a bit of the dark liquid in both glasses, he handed one to Gabe, who accepted it with a quiet "Thanks."
"I've read the reports, seen the footage..." Tony continued, "Something's not adding up. I'd like to hear your perspective personally, Mister Schmidt, to see if I've missed anything."
Gabe met Tony's gaze, and in that moment, Tony saw something in the young man's eyes that said he did indeed know more than he let on. Gabe looked away, took a drink from his glass, and finally said, "I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."
“I'm Iron Man, Mister Schmidt." Tony said, "Try me."
Gabe looked at Tony, then looked at the floor briefly once again before giving a small nod to himself, and telling his story...
"First, they activated and started moving on their own, breaking their restraints. The alarms went off then, and I thought it'd be okay when they shut down..."
Tony nodded at this. The emergency shutdown was hardwired into the Fazbear androids, a plug-pulling solution for when their programmed safeguards completely failed. This, at least, had worked normally. What he knew came next, however, was where the mystery truly began.
Gabe continued, "Then, suddenly, they just came back on. They roamed the whole place, destroying the main power and communication systems. When the generator took over, I followed protocol; put the office in Panic Mode, tripped the secondary alarm, armed myself and holed up until help arrived. Then...they found me, started attacking the door with everything they had; it didn't last long. When Bonnie came after me, I tried to hit him with the taser maxed out, but he knocked me over the console and into the wall. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Freddy picking me up by my jacket."
Tony remembered the rest from the security footage: Roughly fifteen seconds later, at precisely 6 AM, the androids suddenly shut down once more, falling over and dropping Gabe. A minute or so later, the police arrived, tending to the man while keeping an eye on the machines. "Do you know why they kept going?" Tony asked.
Gabe sighed. "Like I told you when we first met, my family has a history with that place. My dad, Mike Schmidt, worked there back in the eighties. He'd just gotten out of jail, you see, and as a condition of his parole he had to hold down a job. He never liked to talk about what happened those five nights that he worked there as a night guard. I'll never forget that time; he wanted to leave after the first night, but he had to wait for permission to do so or he'd go back to prison...so he didn't have a choice. He HAD to keep going back."
Gabe drained his glass as he remembered, "Dad looked more and more exhausted and haggard every morning when he came home...uniform messed up, sweaty, smelling like a men's room. He'd apologized over and over for all the wrong stuff he'd done, pray and swear up and down that he would change his ways, go to church every week, spend more time with his family. Before he left, he'd hug mom and I both for like five minutes. It was obvious how utterly terrified he was, but he'd never tell us why. Then...there was that fifth night. I don't know exactly what happened, but he'd ended up in the hospital."
Gabe leaned back in his seat. "They finally let him get a new job after that. He did everything he said he would; turned it all around, worked to make a better life for himself and us, and made sure mom and I never went within a hundred feet of Freddy Fazbear's. He told us then that it was just some thugs trying to break in and they worked him over. but a few years later, he finally told me the truth...a story about animatronics trying to kill him every night. I said I believed him, but I really didn't; it was just so crazy! I just blamed it on PTSD or something and let it go. I guess one reason I took this job was to prove to him that things were different, that everything would be okay…” Gabe lowered his head, “He was right all along."
Gabe looked at Tony, then, and said, "Mister Stark, I think I want to tender my resignation...effective immediately. There's a curse on Freddy Fazbear's...no matter where it is, no matter what new shape it takes, the evil's still there. My father saw Hell...and I think I've seen Hell 2.0."
Tony sighed. "Mister Schmidt, can I ask you a favor? Don't make any decisions just yet. Take your two months off on the company dime, and give me a chance to sort this out. You see, I've seen Hell before, too...and fought against it. If there is a curse, then I know someone who can break it."
*******************************
A ring on the doorbell stirred Stephen Strange from his meditation. Already floating a few feet off the ground, he simply allowed his feet to touch the floor before making his way to the front door, passing multiple unusual artifacts and ornate decorum. Not expecting visitors, he donned a robe over his silk nightwear and a pair of slippers..
Upon opening the door, the sight that greeted Doctor Strange was proof positive yet again that no matter how much he knew and learned about the realms of all things both natural and supernatural, said realms would always find new ways to surprise him. At the door stood none other than Spider-Man, along with a gathering of what appeared to be four foot tall equines of multiple hues and a diminutive dragon.
“Evening, Doc!” Spoke the arachnid-totemed young hero with his usual air of jest, “You’ll never believe what happened to me today!”
There was silence for a moment, as Stephen raised an eyebrow, his face conveying confusion and a hint of amusement. After a few moments, he merely stepped aside, motioning inside. “Please...do come in.” He spoke.
Twenty minutes later, ponies and humans alike had adjourned to Stephen’s living room, making themselves comfortable before an ornate fireplace upon either well crafted furniture or the floor. The unicorn named Rarity seemed quite impressed by Stephen’s decor, commenting on the fabric of the drapes or how the occasional artifact complimented the room. The Alicorn named Twilight Sparkle seemed more interested in the myriad artifacts and unshelved books and scrolls that could be seen, a gleam in her eye and a smile on her face.
A small spread of tea, crumpets and fruit had been placed on the coffee table, which some of those gathered had chosen to partake of, including the pony wearing the Stetson named Applejack (she complimented the quality of the apples) and the pink pony aptly named Pinkie Pie (she ate most of the crumpets). Sitting in his wingback chair, Stephen listened intently as Twilight Sparkle told the tale of their impromptu journey to this world via the apparent malfunction of a device of both science and magic that she designed herself.
“I just don't understand how it could have failed!” Twilight said, “I tested it so many times!”
Stephen thought for a minute or so before he asked, “How is this device able to know where to open a portal to?”
Twilight explained, “It utilizes a combination of runic coordinates and sympathetic magic to direct the portal to the desired destination.”
“Precise or approximate location?” Stephen asked.
Twilight replied, “It depends on the strength of the sympathetic magic connection. The stronger the relationship between the item and our destination, the more precise the location.”
“We were going to a city called Manehattan.” Spike added, “Since we were going to a comic convention first, the item we used was one of my comic books...Avengers number 214 by Stag Lee! It's the issue where…”
“Wait, wait...” Spider-Man held a hand up, realizing what he had just heard, “Did you just say ‘Avengers?’”
“Uh...yeah.” Spike replied, “It's a team of superheroes…” He counted them off on his claws, “Captain Equestria, Iron Horse, Master Mage…”
Suddenly, Spike’s eyes becomes saucers. “WHOA! I THOUGHT I recognized you guys!” The dragon pointed to Stephen, “YOU'RE Master Mage!” He then pointed to Spider-Man, “And you're Arachno-Colt!”
Doctor Strange and Spider-Man exchanged inquisitive looks; quite a feat for the latter, as he still had his mask on.
“So you're saying that we've ended up in some weird comic book universe?” Rainbow Dash interjected, “Again?”
“Not per se…” Stephen spoke up, “It's possible that one universe's fiction is another's reality.” He studied the Equestrians for a moment. “In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the lot of you are from a cartoon show found on our world...fascinating.”
Twilight spoke then, “While this is a good start as far as an explanation goes, it doesn't solve everything. Even with the connections between our world and this one, the connection to Equestria still should have been stronger; to say nothing of the runic coordinates helping to keep us on the proper course!”
Stephen walked to his study, returning with paper and pen. “Can you remember any of the runes that you used? If so, can you draw them please?”
Twilight nodded, taking the pen in her magic and drawing the proper runes onto the paper. Meanwhile, Stephen stood up, looking at Fluttershy. “If you'll follow me, my dear, perhaps we can take a look at that wound?”
Fluttershy nodded, and moved to Stephen's side, Rainbow following close behind.
Spider-Man looked to Spike. “So...Arachno-Colt, huh?”
*********************
After cleaning Fluttershy’s wound, Stephen applied a salve before placing a gauze pad and a fresh bandage over the pony’s leg. “There we are.” He said, “Provided the salve works properly, you should be fully healed by tomorrow at the latest.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” The pegasus replied with a smile. Stephen smiled in return, happy for the opportunity to be what he was prior to the Sorcerer Supreme; a healer.
Just then, his door chime went off again. “Excuse me.” He said, before approaching the door. He opened it to reveal a figure in a certain red suit standing at the door.
“Daredevil?” Stephen spoke, noting the serious look on the man’s face, “Is everything all right?”
“No...it isn't.” The vigilante answered, “I’ve encountered something tonight...some kind of undead creature, as best as I…” He stopped, his hypersenses detecting a gathering of heartbeats and voices that he hadn't detected prior...part of the perception blocking enchantments he knew the good Doctor kept around his sanctum. Spider-Man he recognized, but the others…while their voices sounded human, their heartbeats and breathing didn't seem quite right.
He continued, “I’m...sorry to interrupt whatever's going on here, but it's important that I find and stop this creature before it hurts someone.”
“Of course.” Stephen asked, “Please, come in, and...try not to be shocked at what you perceive.”
Daredevil sighed as he entered, “After what I’ve dealt with so far, I think I'm beyond being shocked at this...point…”
His radar sense gave a series of images he most certainly did not expect, his previous encounter that night notwithstanding. He heard Spider-Man say, “You were saying?”
“So who’s he supposed to be?” Pinkie asked Spike, pointing a hoof at the new arrival.
“Um…” Spike mulled before snapping his fingers, “Death Defier! He's this blind superhero who gets his other senses really powered up! He's the second most popular comic hero among bat ponies…”
Ignoring the strange conversation, Daredevil sat beside Spider-Man on the couch. Just as Stephen himself was about to sit back down, his phone rang. Sighing, he walked over to the phone. “Wow, I'd hate to see how busy he gets during a full moon.” Spider-Man commented.
“Hello?” The Doctor answered, “Yes, Tony, how can I help you?” After a listening to the voice on the other end of the line for a few minutes, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Really, is that so?” He said flatly. “No, actually, I’m not surprised...believe it or not, this is par for the course tonight.” Another silence as he listened for a moment, then spoke, “I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up the phone, then returned to the living room, where Spider-Man asked, “Going to make a house call?”
Stephen extended his hand, causing his signature cape to move to his hand from a wall hook, flowing in an unseen breeze. He responded, “As a matter of fact…” The cape obscured his visage momentarily, a moment later draping itself over his shoulders. In that instant, he had become garbed in his usual uniform. “Yes.”
The ponies and dragon were visibly impressed by this trick, whereas the other two superheroes took it in stride. Doctor Strange looked to Daredevil then, asking, “This creature you encountered, where was it?”
“The old Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza building.” The vigilante replied.
The Sorcerer Supreme nodded thoughtfully. “It seems that Tony Stark’s having some...difficulties at the new Freddy Fazbear’s location. What you’ve just told me confirms that the two incidents are most likely connected.” He then looked to Twilight, “Also, I can’t help but think that these developments somehow coincide with your arrival here. Therefore, I believe we should all go. Are there any objections?”
Everyone looked at each other. No objections were uttered.