Five Nights: Hide and Seek
A/N – So, I'm not dead thankfully. I know its been way too long since I updated this. Its been a long and stressful last few months but I'm back.
This chapter is honestly not one of my favourites but it is essential for moving along the story. This next chapter though should be very interesting.
Anyway, on with the chapter! Merlin knows I've been keeping you waiting long enough.
Chapter 9 – A Daring Plan
18th-19th July – Remus
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Remus Lupin growled under his breath as his pale blue eyes skimmed over the book's words for the umpteenth time in the past hour. He had been reading and re-reading his own collection of texts on ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists and other supernatural creatures, hoping they could shed some light on how to go about solving this problem.
Sirius had other ideas.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Remus finally put the book down, having found nothing helpful, and tugged at his hair in agitation. Glaring daggers at his long-time friend, the werewolf finally reached over and snatched that accursed quill out of the animagus hand. Sirius pouted for a second before jumping to his feet.
"Moony, this isn't helping! We need another plan."
Remus sighed and stood up as well, facing Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "And what do you suggest then Sirius? We're in way over our heads on this one. If our theory is correct, and those robots are being possessed by the souls of the missing children and murdering the night guards, we need to figure out how to stop them. Not to mention we still have to find Harry…." Remus trailed off here, not sure what else to say. He wasn't so sure anymore that they would be finding their godson alive and well after this.
Sirius huffed. "We're wizards Moony! A couple quick spells and those creepy metal animal thingys are as good as gone. We go in, stop them from hurting someone else, and then we find our pup. Simple."
Remus groaned and wondered, not for the first time, why he bothered trying to talk any reason into Sirius. It never worked He had been adamant that going back to Freddy's was the best option they had and Remus agreed wholeheartedly. However, after reading over everything they had collected from Harry's room he felt it wise that they come up with a proper plan of action first. Thus, research was essential. "Sirius, I've never seen nor heard of a situation like this before. We have no idea exactly what kind of spirits we could be looking at. Ghosts and other spiritual entities are still a largely understudied area of creature research. For all we know, none of our spells will work. Then what do we do?"
Sirius hissed. "I don't care Remus! Those things could have hurt Harry…or worse…..we-we can't just let them run free! Besides, what if they get another person? The bloodstained fur on the robots, the bleach in the office, the employee records…..they have more than likely already killed people Moony! We need to stop them now before someone else is added to that list of 'missing' past employees."
Remus watched as Sirius finished his rant, huffing in an effort to restrain his pent up emotions. Remus understood where Sirius was coming from. He did. He didn't like the idea of leaving those monsters unseen to anymore then Sirius did but he wouldn't allow Padfoot to get them killed either.
"I know Sirius. We will stop this and find out the truth. People will know what happened there. However, it's getting too late to go back now anyway. The place will be closing in two hours and we will need longer then that to look around. We can't risk the night guard seeing us snooping around either so…"
"THAT'S IT!" Sirius bellowed, cutting Remus off and causing him to stumble over in surprise. Sirius grinned at him, looking very much like a child on Christmas morning. "Moony, that's it! Freddy's was looking for a new night guard right? What if WE take the job?"
Remus gaped at the fugitive, wondering if Sirius had finally lost the plot completely. "…..What?"
Sirius grinned wolfishly. "Think about it Remus! We will have the place to ourselves. No kids, no staff. We can look around as much as we like and no one will be any the wiser."
Remus hummed thoughtfully. On the surface it seemed like a good idea. However, "what about the animatronics Sirius?"
Sirius shrugged. "Yeah, so we'll have to deal with them. But it's a chance to see what really goes on there at night. We can see for ourselves what Harry was dealing with and maybe then we can find a way to stop this once and for all. We can find a way to get Harry back."
The werewolf contemplated it for a few minutes. It was stupid, risky and unbearably rash. They had no idea if magic would work on the animatronics, no idea what these spirits were capable of and no concept of what they could be walking into. However, he wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. Sometimes you just had to take that daring leap of faith and hope it paid off. They had no other leads, no more moves to make. Remus looked up at Sirius who held out a hand to pull him up. Remus grinned, a new fire in his eyes that Sirius hadn't seen in years.
"Okay, let's do it. For Harry."
Sirius smiled wearily. "For Harry."
…
It was a miracle really that no one had taken the job. When they got to Freddy's the manager had been busy arguing with a staff member, trying to get them to cover the night shift for him. The employee, a young woman most likely just out of high school, had vehemently refused; sparking an all-out argument between the two. Needless to say Mr Davis had been very happy to see them wonder in asking about the night guard job. However, he wasn't so pleased that they wanted to both work it together.
Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, when Mr Davis realised that it was Sirius Black who was one of his potential employees he had quickly relented and allowed them to both share the job. The whole thing had set Remus' teeth on edge. Mr Davis had seemed almost too excited when he learned their names and had wasted no time at all getting them to sign the papers and ushering them out of the office to start the tour. The marauder couldn't fathom why the guy seemed so cheerful all of a sudden and was more than a little suspicious.
Regardless of the manager's strange behaviour they were both relieved to have been given the job. With their new uniforms on and the pitiful few instructions given, the manager left and the place was finally closed for the day. Midnight was just an hour away.
Remus and Sirius both stood in the East Hall doorway to the office, scanning the room with feelings of unease. They remembered all too well what they had found the last time they were here. Still, Remus shook off the ominous sensation and stepped over to the cameras. They had a mission; a job to do and they couldn't allow bad memories to get in the way. He sat down in the wheelie chair and quickly figured out how to work the equipment. He cycled through each camera, making sure Davis was really gone. Satisfied that they were really alone he nodded to his companion, who had still reframed from moving into the dreaded room and they both silently left.
They quickly moved down the hall and stopped outside Davis's office. "Okay," Remus instructed, "You search the kitchens, reception area, janitor's closet and Pirate's Cove. I'll cover the rest. We have one hour until our shift 'officially' starts so we need to be back in the office by then. Got it?"
Sirius nodded, determined. "Yeah, see you then." He quickly turned and dashed down the hall towards the kitchen. Remus watched him go for a few seconds before a thought crossed his mind. "And no snack breaks!"
Despite the sombre situation Remus could still hear Sirius' bark-like laughter drifting back to him making him smile. However, he could have sworn he heard another laugh drifting down the hall as well, swiftly wiping away his grin.
Remus shivered as he set off to do his work.
…
At precisely 11:59pm Remus raced into the Security Office, finding Sirius already there, seated in the wheelie chair with a disgruntled look on his face. Remus sighed, trudging over to sit on the edge of the table. He was about to ask if Sirius had found anything, despite having already guessed the answer, when the clock struck twelve.
Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.
Remus and Sirius jumped as the loud ringing filled the air. Sirius looked around, puzzled and paranoid, while Remus quickly regained his composure, realising what it was.
"What is that? What's going on? Wha….?" Sirius ranted in surprise.
Remus rolled his eyes. "It's a phone Sirius. Muggles use them to communicate, remember? I showed you Harry's phone before," he explained while reaching for the red, old-fashioned phone sitting on the desk.
Sirius snorted. "You only told me it could 'help us', whatever that means. I don't get it."
Remus was about to reply when the ringing cut out. Suddenly the machine ticked over to messages and a chillingly familiar voice filled the air.
"Hello?"
Sirius and Remus both stared in bewilderment at the phone as they whispered simultaneously. "Harry….?"
Instead of an answer, Harry's voice continued to filter through the device, completely unaware of his godfathers' presence. "So, I figured I should record some messages for you to help you out on your first week of the job. That's what the guy before me did anyway. I guess it's kind of like a tradition in a way? Whatever. Anyway, you've sure picked one hell of a new job buddy and I mean that quite literally."
Sirius finally broke out of his dumbfounded stupor and looked at Remus. "R-Remus, that's Harry! I-It's his voice! How…? What is this thing? Can it help us find him….?"
Remus shook his head. "Its like a patronus Sirius. It's just passing on a recorded message so no, it cannot help us track Harry down. He could have recorded this last week for all we know." Remus said somewhat dejectedly. However, it was a relief to hear his cub's voice again as well. He had begun to believe he would never hear it again.
"Oh…" Sirius murmured, subdued.
"….okay?" Harry's voice cut into the conversation and they both quickly fell silent again to listen, hoping they hadn't missed anything important.
"So, the animatronics...I'm not going to 'beat around the bush' here, so to speak."
Remus leant forward. The animatronics…..A sense of dread fell over him. This was the moment of truth. Was Harry about to confirm his darkest suspicions?
"These robots move around the place at night and will try to get into your office." Harry continued, oblivious to the rising tension between his father's two friends. It would seem so Remus mused darkly.
"Creepy?" Harry queried.
"Yes," Sirius replied while shifting from foot to foot. Remus picked up the tablet and started to scroll through the cameras. Nothing yet.
"That's hardly the worst part of it." Harry continued.
Sirius groaned. "Of course it's not", sounding exasperated. Remus however felt a sense of foreboding unease. Here it comes….
"If they see you they will try to forcefully stuff you inside one of the spare animatronic suits. Something about them not recognising people after hours and about them being programmed to ensure all 'endoskeletons'; fyi, that's what they see you as, are in costume at all times blah blah blah." Harry stated, sounding oddly annoyed.
Remus glanced at Sirius to see the same dread reflected on his friends face. This confirmed what they had originally thought. The animatronics were the ones killing the night guards. And as if to further confirm it for them…
"Doesn't sound too bad though right? Yeah, it wouldn't be if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, to put it simply; it's a fatal experience."
Remus blanched at the thought while Sirius went a sickly shade of green. They were both filled with disturbing imagery of someone having to go through what Harry had just described.
Sirius looked at him uneasily. "Do you think Harry….?"
Remus cut him off with a shaky jerk of the head. "No! Don-Don't go there Siri. …." Secretly though, he couldn't shake that terrible thought. He can't have. He just can't…
"Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. Unlucky for you there's a 'one-week of compulsory work before you can quit' rule so you're stuck there." Harry continued in a heavily sarcastic tone.
Despite the horrible mental images still swimming through their minds, Sirius couldn't help but laugh slightly. "Trust Harry to say something like that at a time like this." Remus couldn't help but smile slightly too.
"Still, the first day isn't too bad. Just keep your head up, watch those cameras and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power because the boss here is a cheapskate."
That got a quiet laugh.
"Alright, good night and good luck!"
Click.
Silence.
Remus sat on the desk, head bowed, thinking over what he had just heard with mounting dread. Things just kept getting worse. Glancing up he noticed Sirius staring off into the distance. They remained that way for a few more minutes before Sirius broke the silence. "Did you find anything?"
Remus frowned. "What do yo…?"
"Earlier, when we checked the place out. Did you find anything?" Sirius elaborated.
Remus shook his head. "No, the manager's office was clean. Nothing there that we haven't already seen ourselves. The manager knows for sure what's going on here though. He had the same files in is desk that Hermione sent to Harry." He had been taken off guard slightly by the change of topic but was grateful nonetheless to move away from talking about Harry's chilling phone call. He picked up the tablet and once again started to sort through the cameras.
Sirius nodded absently, having already assumed as much. "Nothing else?"
Remus once again shook his head. "No, the stage area and dinning area had nothing of interest, not that I expected areas so open to the public to have any clues. I couldn't get into the backstage area though."
Sirius frowned. "You couldn't?"
Remus put the tablet down after confirming everyone was in their place. "No. It was locked I think. Did you find anything?"
Sirius sighed. "Despite the fact they lock up the cupboards and fridges so no one can get into the food after hours? Nothing."
Remus gave a fond sigh of exasperation before speaking. "You know what this means then?"
Sirius nodded. "We need to get backstage."
…
It was nearing four in the morning now and still the animatronics had not made a move off the stage. Remus had seen them look at the cameras a few times but still they stayed firmly in place. He would swear the robotic creatures were mocking him.
That's right. This is our game. There is nothing you can do about it except wait.
With nothing happening Sirius had decided that they should see if they can get backstage. Remus had been sceptical but eventually gave in. If he didn't Sirius would just go alone anyway.
The cameras hadn't shown much of the room at all. All they could see was a few shelves of spare animatronic heads and what they assumed to be one of the 'endoskeletons' Harry had mentioned on the table in the middle of the camera's view. The door appeared to be open now for whatever reason so it seemed like the best opportunity.
If anything goes wrong I suppose it will be as good a time as any to see if magic works on them.
That was how they found themselves currently creeping down the West Hall. Sirius was ahead of him, wand drawn in case of any approaching danger. They had just reached the end of the hall and Remus had begun to relax marginally when a series of thumps caused them to pause. Glancing ahead towards the stage he gasped when he saw Bonnie standing next to one of the tables. Chica hopped down beside the bunny.
Remus grabbed Sirius and tugged him back so they were standing in the shadows. They watched as Chica scanned the room before moving towards the East Hall. Bonnie, however, stayed where he was. The rabbit's magenta eyes were fixed on the camera in the corner.
Sirius hissed under his breath. "Great, what now?"
Remus frantically tried to think of a solution. He didn't want to try magic on the beasts yet. Not with Freddy still watching diligently from the stage. The last thing he wanted was two ticked off robots after them. He glanced around and spotted a soft drink can discarded on the floor. Ah-ha!
Picking it up he quickly risked leaning out of the shadows, angled his throw and tossed the can down the East Hall. Leaning back the werewolf waited to see if his plan worked. Sirius stood tense next to him as they waited.
After a minute Bonnie finally turned around and stomped over to investigate, stopping just in front of the East Hall. Freddy stayed on the stage but his eyes had immediately sort out the source of the disturbance. With the bots distracted Remus tugged on this friend's arm and they both made a swift dash for the backstage area.
Once inside they both doubled over and gasped. "We did it! We made it!" Sirius whisper-cheered. Remus nodded. That had been one of the most tense situations he had ever experienced. He had been so sure they would be caught.
Sirius straightened up and was about to pull out his night guard flashlight and look around when a noise behind them got their attention.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
They both paused, eyes widening in horrid realisation. An animatronic….
Silence.
….was coming….
"Oh shit." Sirius mumbled.
Turning, they both came face to face with Freddy Fazbear.
The two stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Freddy likewise remained still, watching them as if daring them to make the first move. It was the most unnerving experience of Remus' life. Freddy's electric blue eyes were completely emotionless, face blank and posture giving away nothing of his intentions away. Not that they needed any clues as to what the bear was going to do if he nabbed them.
Finally Remus raised his wand and pointed it at Freddy. The bear's eyes flickered to follow the motion though he otherwise made no attempt to avoid the incoming attack. Remus was unsure how to feel about that.
"Stupefy!"
Nothing. The red light struck the animatronic right between the eyes but got not even a twitch from Freddy. Remus would swear to the day he died that he actually saw a spark of amusement in the robot's eyes, as if it had seen this all before and was amused by the failed attempt to stop him. Remus thought of Harry in a similar situation and felt rage bubble up in his chest. Sirius must have been feeling the same way as he suddenly shouted at the creature before them.
"WHERE'S HARRY YOU BASTARD?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"
Freddy tilted his head almost mockingly. The sight was eerie to say the least. It was as if the animatronic knew exactly what they were saying. Who knew, maybe he did and just wanted to add insult to injury?
Sirius scowled further and continued his rant. "DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO I'M TALKING ABOUT! WHERE! IS! HE!"
Sirius punctured each of the last three words with a slash of his wand, casting silent curses with each word. Bombarda, Incendio. Expulso.
Nothing happened. Freddy continued to stare, an air of smugness now surrounding the prone creature. Sirius stepped back, surprised and concerned by the lack of affect the magic had on the robot. Remus followed suit and they waited. Freddy, having had enough of the game, finally lunged forward with a shriek. The two wizards, having expected the attack, dodged to the sides and dashed from the room. Racing out into the dining area, the stared in dismay at the other two animatronics. Bonnie and Chica both stood there, watching with blank eyes as the two humans ran toward them.
Remus cursed, skidding on the tiles as he just barely avoided a collision with Bonnie. Sparing a look Sirius' way, he watched the dog animagus deftly slide to the ground, flying between a surprised Chica's legs and springing to his feet the other side. Remus sprinted towards him and they both charged down the West Hall, all to aware of the sounds of the animatronics right behind them.
They had nearly reached the office when a new set of footsteps joined the others; these much faster. Remus and Sirius spared a glance over their shoulders and watched in horror as Foxy sprinted after them; rusty hook swinging threateningly in their direction and a maniacal gleam in his eyes.
They upped the pace, Sirius shifting to Padfoot while Remus channelled his werewolf strength in order to move faster. They just managed to reach the office in time; Remus slamming his fist into the door button while Sirius dashed to the opposite side and did the same with the East Hall buttons. Remus jumped as he heard Foxy hit the door and start banging on it for a few seconds. After about three hits the animatronic seemed to give up and all went quiet.
The two friends slid to the ground opposite each other with their backs to the doors and only the sounds of ragged breathing filling the air. Finally, Sirius met Remus' eyes and whispered three words that the werewolf too had been thinking.
"We're completely fucked."
…
They managed to finish the shift without further trouble and ran outside as soon as 6am came round. Stopping outside the parking lot and just looking back at the building, they silently contemplated the situation they had found themselves in. Neither wanted to admit what was on both their minds.
They were about to leave in order to rest and then discuss what to do next when something in the window caught their eyes, leaving both staring in stunned disbelief.
Standing at the window, watching them with an expressionless face was a teenage boy with black hair and bright green eyes.
A/N – So, there we go. I hope you liked it. Like I said before, not my best chapter but at least it's something right…right?
Anyway, some parts of Harry's phone call are obviously from the night one phone message of the first game. I changed it up a lot to be more suited to Harry but some hints of the original dialogue are there.
Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you all with the next chapter!