Pulling the Strings
A Sleep Deprivation Production. (Five Nights At Freddy's is not owned by me whatsoever.)
It flashed back to reality just when the last notes of the music box were dying out.
The sounds were still reverberating around the inside of its music box, the lethargic feel slipping back into its limbs, but even though they screamed, it dragged itself out, well, only halfway, that is. The lid opened up, and a puppet rose.
The Marionette stared at the dark, inadequately lit parts of the Prize Corner with something in its eyes that could only be called jubilance of some sort. It was angry for being stuck inside the box against his will, tired thanks to the music, irritated to some extent, but most of all, it felt pleased. Triumphant.
The night guard had finally forgotten to wind up the music box. He'd set the Puppet free. Which meant that the Puppet could now have its fun.
The Prize Corner was as dull as usual. Besides the blinding light that was so conveniently placed right near the opening to the music box, nothing was different. Same plushies, untouched from that morning. The posters, the annoying balloons, the children's drawings and the honestly gaudy walls; everything was the usual sliver of mundane. The string attached to its head felt heavier, for some reason, but that wouldn't stop the Puppet.
It dragged itself out of the box, removing the string with its long, black 'fingers' as it did. Floating a few centimeters above the ground, it drifted towards the office, a melody playing as it moved.
The Marionette rather liked that sound. It signaled it arrival in a daunting way of some sort; even the other animatronics steered clear of it when they heard it ring out loud and clear down the main hallway.
Speaking of the animatronics... it frowned the best it could with it's permanently grinning face. They'd have to be checked on.
It changed direction and went towards the show stage, where it figured Toy Freddy would be at the moment. For some reason, the toy bear attacked only a few hours after the beginning of the shift. It thought that Toy Freddy was simply trying to make an entrance (at the wrong time mostly, failing in that aspect.) Bonnie was easily distracted, and Chica was... well, Chica.
Nonetheless, it was sure they would have set out to catch the guard by now.
So you could probably imagine it's disbelief and surprise at seeing Toy Bonnie and Toy Freddy blubbering away angrily on the Show Stage. Toy Chica was nowhere in sight, so she must have been the only sensible one. Well then.
Both animatronics froze when they heard the music, allowing the Marionette a slight mental smirk. "He started it!" They both yelled together, glaring at each other with a burning intensity.
It shook its head. "Why?"
"Well, I was telling Bonnie here about something I saw on TV-"
"You don't even watch TV!"
"I saw it on the Pizzeria TV you dolt!
"Likely story!" Bonnie insisted, folding his arms. "He says that there's a word that is spelled F-U-N-N-E-D, funned! That doesn't even make any sense!"
"Yes it does," Freddy complained, "it was an English language channel. I saw the endoskeleton on the screen say 'funned'. It's the past tense of 'fun', basically."
"Who plays English language channels in this Pizzeria anyway?"
"Some day-shift guard was Italian, he didn't know a lot of English. So they were watching it with him, right before the night shift. I was listening closely, unlike your moronic self." Bonnie's eyes flashed, and just before he could retort with something worse, the Puppet rolled his eyes and clapped its wiry hands.
The duo looked at it, slightly alarmed.
"Stop this nonsense," it told them with a tone of finality. "You're being worse than the children. What about the night guard? Today is Friday!" That seemed to knock some sense into them, argument forgotten, they stared at each other in horror.
Bonnie's eyes widened in realization, as he looked back at the Puppet. "Oh cra-"
"Never mind that now. I'm heading that way." It turned around, before another thought struck it.
"Did you happen to see Chica?" Toy Freddy frowned, shaking his head. "She went off somewhere, probably."
The Marionette rolled its eyes. "I can see that. If you see her, tell her that I'm taking care of the guard today."
Freddy saluted, shouting 'aye aye!' before hopping off the stage, Bonnie following close behind. They were back to happily chatting about Spongebob Squarepants as they headed towards the Party Room. It shook its head at them once again, before turning around continuing his musical gliding.
It ran into the Withered group of animatronics, who for some reason had locked the Parts and Services room from the inside and kept Foxy outside on guard. The fox wasn't very pleased with that arrangement, by the looks of it, however he did the duty with an apt amount of seriousness.
"Aye laddie, 'm not s'posed to let n'one past this 'ere door. Ya'll head ya way, 'n it'll be all nice and easy," Foxy said warningly as the Puppet approached the door, tilting its head slightly as a question. "Why is that?"
"I-Well," he shook his head, growling. "Jus' be on ya way. I'll fill ya in on it la'er. If I can, I sure 'ill. Freddy will make me walk the plank, if tha's possible if I don't keep me mouth shut."
"Are they working on catching the guard?"
"Somethin' like that."
It's eyes narrowed. Or well, at least it thought they did. "I see."
Withered Freddy was a huge piece of work. The Marionette did not want to deal with him today, just yet. The original Freddy Fazbear was a cranky grouch most of the time, these days, and to talk to him was like talking to a wall, making even Shadow Bonnie's imbecility look tiny. The rest of the Withered animatronics were better.
Bonnie, despite missing his face, was quite nice and intellectually advanced. It could safely be said that he was the most intelligent out of all the Withered animatronics. Chica was an amicable speaker, with a sharp tongue. And Foxy was the most cunning, given the situation. Today, it seemed that the fox was distracted.
It continued drifting towards the office, stopping by the washrooms when it heard the toilet flush, and the sound of splashing water.
"Chica?"
The yellow face of the animatronic peeked outside the girls' washroom in surprise, without the beak of course. "Hiya Puppet. What's wrong?"
"I should be asking you that, Chica."
"Well, you know how the toilets are here. Jesus, they stink! I can't imagine how children use these. I ought to have cleaned them out a long time ago." She shook her head in disapproval, grabbing the end of a mop. "I won't be after the guard today, Puppet. This requires immediate attention."
The Marionette nodded, although slightly peeved. "I'll leave you to it."
"Suits me. Goodbye."
It continued down the hall, and all of a sudden the flickery light of the night guard's office was suddenly visible.
"Ha ha ha!"
The back of a stick prodded its back, and it scowled.
"Balloon Boy."
"It's BB, Freakshow!" BB laughed again, attaching the 'balloons!' sign back onto his little stick. The jerk. "You got any batteries?"
"How about you go back to the carousel and take a ride? Mangle would be glad." The Puppet restrained itself from snarling in annoyance. Even Balloon Boy wasn't worth that.
A giggle. "Well, I would, but Old Mac Mangle ran off to the Parts and Service room. Something about a meeting. Not that I care. JJ's hanging around there. She's annoying." BB looked irked for a second there, the expression completely foreign. "How does anyone put up with her?"
The same way we do with you, the Puppet wanted to say, but didn't.
"Well, anyhoo," he grinned wide again, "the night guard has a torch. Mind grabbing it for me? I need those cool red batteries for my collection! I don't have red." BB pouted a little, something that irritated it to no end.
"I mind very much. Please go away." Then it regretted saying that particular phrase instantly, as BB's eyes lit up a bit.
"Hah! I love you man! Everyone else is like, 'go away, BB' but you're like, 'please go away, BB'. You're awesome!" Balloon Boy grinned a bit more, before hopping off to who knows where. "Thanks for getting the batteries!" he called out, voice distant, yet the overly cheery tone had not been drowned out
It didn't reply, instead opting to go straight to the office now.
A menace. That was what BB was.
Silently hoping that it wouldn't run into any other animatronics and whatnot, the Puppet continued its horrendously extended journey.
It was expecting some noise. Fearful pacing. The usual, 'oh no, oh shit, oh crap' mantra that even the animatronics had somehow adopted. Perhaps even motivational comments to himself, in a moment of hysteria.
What it didn't expect was a small snore of some sorts to fly out of the room, making it stop in its tracks.
The sound made the Puppet wonder about its source. However, there was only one way for it to be produced, and that way was not possible. Or so he thought.
It frowned, looking down at the office table where it expected to see a terrified face.
There was the night guard they'd been hopelessly trying to kill for weeks, sleeping with his head on the desk with an arm under it. A thin line of drool ran down from the side of his mouth. The cupcake laughed as it hopped on the man's elbow and back to the table top.
If the Marionette had been able to laugh, it probably would have. The scene looked comical enough to be part of Adventure Time.
It wasn't used to feeling emotion, like a regular human. The Marionette had once been a human, but the experience was so far away. It remembered smiles. Some laughing. A particular stuffed animal. However, being that person it once was - that was the past.
Right now, he thought he felt something change as he stared at the sleeping guard. His badge lay on the table. 'Jeremy Fitzgerald' was their enemy, supposedly.
Now, it felt something that suspiciously felt like-
Pity, it realized. Some sympathy for the man who was forced to endure this for weeks and weeks, for a shitty pay. (It knew that by spying on the manager while in its box.)
That wouldn't change anything, however. Tomorrow, the animatronics would go back to ravaging his office and life, but today...
Perhaps today, just for today, it could let it slide.
Today, Jeremy could sleep without any fear.
The Puppet decided that wouldn't be an issue, considering the fact that no animatronic was in the mood or state to attack.
It looked at him once again, something softening in its otherwise steely gaze. Deciding something, the Puppet made its way out of the office towards its box, digging in it for something the best it could with its black, gangly fingers.
It went back and did what it had to do, and when it saw him shift, a small smile on his lips, the Puppet wouldn't admit it felt anything. Instead, it took the flashlight from the guard's belt and took out the red, shiny cylinders, floating out of the room, an eery tune playing as it did.
For some reason, it sounded pleased.
.
.
.
When Jeremy woke up, the first thing he did groan at the weird position his head was in. The next thing was blinking and taking in his surroundings, because he'd woken up in a familiar, rickety black chair.
The Pizzeria. Last night. Everything flashed back, like a video rewinding, and his eyes widened in realization of something.
He made a move to sit up, but froze when he felt something warm around him. He felt it with his fingers, before glancing at it.
It was a blue blanket.
"Hey man-" Fritz stopped, taking in Jeremy's disheveled appearance. "Were you actually sleeping?" Disbelief, although the grin stretching across his face diminished the initial surprise.
So Jermey did the only natural thing.
He shrugged.
.
.
.
When he was handing the flashlight to Fritz, he opened it just to make sure.
Jeremy only shrugged as he replaced the batteries, glancing at the vent on the left.
They'd left him alone for one night. He'd let them have this round.
This is my first work for this fandom. Hopefully, it wasn't too bad.