Author note:
Just a heads up. This chapter is going to be more serious than others as we dive head first into the plot. But please don't get upset about the interpretation of the lore I've chosen. This is just an interpretation I've come up with to fit the story. Anyway, beyond that, enjoy the chapter.
And SpaceWolf04: I sat there the whole chapter craving them so you're not alone. And they haven't been sold in my area for years, I was going off of childhood memories. But I'm glad you got the reference. :D
Chapter 10
Revelations
Ruby was almost at the door when she realised that she still had the tablet. She pouted, the need to eat and the responsibility of putting the tablet back warring for a moment. She sighed after a few seconds and turned around to head back towards the office. She could survive a little longer.
She walked at a leisurely stroll down the hall, keeping an eye out for any interesting newspapers on the walls and also for any traps she may have forgotten about. She'd leave them for the staff to find but didn't really want to set them off herself. Thinking about the staff a grin crept onto her face. Oh knowing how to pick locks was great when you wanted to booby trap lockers. There was going to be confetti and glitter galore in the morning.
As she approached the dining room where she'd left the 'bots she jumped when she heard Foxy yell suddenly.
Frowning she slowed down and crept closer to see was happening.
Technically she was still the food ninja so it wasn't spying but…intelligence gathering.
There were a few people talking and some voices…she didn't recognise.
Frown deepening she reached the door and peeked in. At the sight presented to her, she froze as her eyes widened.
'What the….?' Was all that her mind could come up with as she stared.
Foxy matched the glare of the ghost child with equal heat. Could it even be called a child anymore? His eyes flickered over the other four spirits. They had been haunting the animatronics for decades and they certainly didn't act like children so he wondered what they were classified as now.
Goldy, having been forced to attend this meeting whimpered slightly from behind Freddy who was staring stiffly at the ghosts.
Bonnie, closest to Foxy was cringing away fearfully and wringing his hands, the playful spark that had appeared in his eyes earlier now gone again. Chica shook next to the rabbit, watching the confrontation.
None of them had ever confronted the ghosts before, guilt and fear mingling to create reluctant obedience.
Foxy was sick of it.
Bonnie's cheerful nature was all but gone, Chica cried too often, Freddy was stressed and Goldy was a permanent nervous wreck.
He was tired of seeing them in this state. And he was tired of feeling apathetic to everything. Since Ruby had shown up everything had felt more alive. Happier. And they wanted to take that away just as everyone had been healing somewhat.
In truth Ruby was like medicine. Foul to swallow but good for you in the end. And boy did the gang need a good dose of her.
"You couldn't even catch a teenager." The unofficial leader of the ghost group, Frederick, huffed in annoyance.
Foxy growled at him.
"I'm tired of this lad." He snarled.
One of the others, a girl whose name he couldn't remember spoke up. "Well we aren't. We want revenge and you are supposed to be helping us get that."
He glared at her. "You've already got the blood of so many security guards on our hands. What more do you want? She's not even an adult!"
Frederick shrugged. "Doesn't matter. She's the night guard. And what we want is for this place to close forever. That'll be payback. The management thought they could hide our bodies? So we'll watch this place shut down completely before we move on."
"You can't keep coming back like this. One more close down of the pizzeria should do it." Felix, the brat who haunted Foxy, specifically piped up.
All the animatronics winced. Even they had been surprised when the place opened again. It really was on its last legs. There'd be no coming back if it closed again.
"Hmmm well, I guess this explains certain things." A voice cut through the tension like a knife, causing them all to look at the doorway.
Ruby stood there, scarf pulled away from her face. She'd wiped most of the chocolate off by now and was currently picking pieces out of her hair.
"Lass?" Foxy asked, wide-eyed.
Why was she there? This wasn't good. His gaze flickered back over to the ghosts who suddenly looked furious.
She didn't look up from what she was doing.
"I figured something was going on and I've been trying to put the pieces together with the clues that keep popping up." She started talking softly. "The fact that the 'bots have been killing security guards even though it's kind of obvious that they don't really want to. The way Freddy's keeps closing over and over. The newspapers."
She finally looked up at them, looking far more serious than they had ever seen her look. There was no manic look of glee or anger or mischief. She looked far older than she should have with that expression.
"Night guard." One of the ghosts hissed at her.
She didn't even flinch.
"So how about I throw my theory out there and you can tell me how close I am? Since it seems no one here is quite willing to explain anything." She suggested, her lips curling up into a half-smile but there was no amusement in her eyes.
Everyone fell silent. Bonnie found he couldn't tear his eyes off of her as she gazed at all of them. She was so different from the crazy security guard they'd grown accustomed to. None of the other 'bots could look away either.
"No arguments? Alright then. Five kids were killed here, ages ago, according to that newspaper that apparently doesn't exist if you look on the internet. Their killer was caught but their bodies were never found. My theory is that management found those bodies but didn't want to deal with the bad publicity so they hid them." She paused for a moment. "In the animatronics. It doesn't even strike me as odd considering their policy on employee death that Steve rambled on about the first night. Carpets replaced and premises cleaned? Not suspicious at all."
She rolled her eyes and leaned on the wall behind her.
"So then, all filled with bitter vengeance and whatnot those ghosts go after the security guards because they're the closest fill-in they have to the killer. Can't do that without a corporeal body though so they force the animatronics to do it for them. I'm guessing this happened instead of the whole 'moving-on' thing because…" she trailed off for a moment, eyes finding and holding the gaze of Frederick. "The killer got off without the bodies to convict him."
The ghosts all growled at her.
"I'll take that as a yes. So this whole thing has been going on for a while cause said ghosts are really determined to shut down Freddy's to punish the management for hiding their bodies and letting the killer get away."
Silence hung heavy in the air after she finished. She continued to pick chocolate out of her hair while the others absorbed just how much the girl had managed to figure out on her own.
"Well?" her voice, a lot colder than it was before, rang out. "Am I right?"
The animatronics looked at each other while the ghosts fumed in silence.
"Yeah." Foxy eventually murmured, getting irate glares from the ghosts.
"Hmmm. And why is everyone so scared of what happens on night six?" she asked, voice still retaining that cold edge to it but remaining steady.
The silence stretched uncomfortably, the animatronics unable to voice what they feared most.
"You go up against us." One of the ghosts broke in coolly. "We possess the animatronics since they can't handle it themselves."
Every one of the 'bots flinched, unpleasant memories flooding their minds.
"It's not like they remember anything anyways, but we are waaaaaaay more violent than they are." Another added, a sick grin on his face.
Ruby looked at that ghost kid sharply for a moment.
"Oh is that so?" she asked, voice edged with ice.
"Yup." One of the girls piped up. "No one ever survives night six."
"First time for everything." Ruby murmured, her gaze on the ceiling now as her fingers combed through her hair.
Everyone stared at her incredulously.
"You think just because you survived this long you've got a chance?" Felix laughed. "You didn't even go up against all the animatronics. You didn't even play the game right."
"I'm not one for conventional methods." She shot right back.
"You've got no chance." Frederick hissed. "And we're looking forward to killing you. You're more annoying than most."
"You done?" she asked sharply.
"What?" Frederick asked, surprised.
"I asked if you brats are done with the posturing and all that. I want to put in my two cents now." She brought her gaze down to be level with theirs.
"First, your whole reasoning is absolutely ridiculous. You know with all the times this place has closed and opened again it doesn't even have the same management anymore. Second, you should know that cause you can't use the 'I'm a kid' excuse since you've been haunting this place for years. You've aged mentally but clearly couldn't be bothered to grow up. Third, you've been making how many innocents suffer because of one corrupt management? How many families lost a father, husband or son to this place? A wife, mother or daughter? Even if they left with their life do you know how badly trauma can affect a person's life? Your whole plan is stupidly short-sighted and selfish." She paused for a breath, having delivered her whole speech in an even cold tone of voice.
The room was silent as everyone stared at her in disbelief.
"Fourth," her voice suddenly took on a much more dangerous edge and anger glinted in her eyes as she took a step forward. "I'm taking this rather personally. Loved this place as a kid you see. Lots of happy memories with friends and family. I came here for all my birthdays until my tenth one. Now you're telling me that you want to shut it down? I'm not going to stand for that. And like I mentioned to Foxy, a little homicidal behaviour isn't about to chase me off so I'm still a tad protective over the 'bots. All of them. So to find out you've been forcing them to kill people just to fulfil your twisted little desire, well that's just not on."
By now she was standing directly in front of the ghosts, fury evident in every muscle of her body.
"So then, little ghost." She met Frederick's glare with equal anger. "How about a deal?"
"Deal?" the ghost boy looked sceptical.
"Yeah. Now that I know about all this I could easily cheat my way through night six." She smirked at him. "Those vents? No one can fit into them but me it seems. Even ghost bear over there can't. So if I were to sit in there all night you wouldn't be able to do anything."
Her smirk grew as the ghost's glare sharpened.
"I'm guessing that you can't just possess the 'bots whenever you want to or you would so then it probably takes a lot of energy to. So how about this instead. I'll play your game, my way of course. I can't spend more than five minutes in a vent though. You catch me, then you can kill me."
He stared at her suspiciously. "And if we can't by some miracle?"
Her smirk widened. "If I survive until the end of the shift, you can't possess the 'bots as long as I'm the night guard here."
There was a beat of silence as they stared at her in shock.
"So Ghosty." She leaned forward. "Worried I can beat you?"
"Not a chance." Frederick scoffed.
"Then do we have a deal?" she watched him critically.
He hesitated a moment and Foxy knew why. With all the supernatural stuff that happened at Freddy's, it was almost like the place had a mind of its own sometimes. And deals were something that were taken very seriously.
However, the ghost smiled confidently. "Fine. You've got a deal night guard. And don't even think about cheating. This place doesn't take kindly to deal-breakers."
She didn't look bothered in the least as the ghosts started to fade.
"Hope you enjoy having the animatronics you like so much coming after you for real." Frederick smirked darkly.
Ruby just made a lovely, rude gesture and watched as they faded away.
Silence pressed down on them while Ruby seemed to be deep in thought, the 'bots watching her. It was hard to believe what had just happened. And what Ruby had signed herself up for.
"Lass…" Foxy was the one to break the silence and apparently whatever trance she was in.
She whirled around and fixed them with a glare this time and Goldy gulped, ducking behind Freddy.
"You could have told me you know." She snapped. "Would have made a lot of things easier."
They found themselves flinching back at the words. She glared for a moment longer before she sighed.
"I've got to put this back in the office before I forget again." She mumbled, turning around and heading down the hallway with the tablet in hand.
"What just happened?" Bonnie asked when she was out of earshot.
"Not quite sure." Foxy admitted, although he could feel the panic rising up as the implications of what was said sunk in.
Ruby was volunteering for night six. There was nothing they could do to help her during that night.
"What's her angle?" Freddy frowned and Foxy felt annoyed.
Always has to be an angle according to him.
"Pretty sure she's just doing it to stop this nightmare." He snapped at the bear who glared in return.
Before an argument could start though Ruby walked back into the room.
She stared at them for a moment with an unreadable expression.
"Come on!" she suddenly yelled, causing them to jump. "Lighten up. This atmosphere is oppressive. No use worrying now about what's going to happen tomorrow."
"Lass, night six, its…" words failed him again but Ruby's gaze softened.
"I've gotten a general idea." She assured him. "So stop stressing. My life to gamble with homicidal ghosts after all."
She quirked a grin at him.
"Got to apologise ahead of time though." She admitted as she turned to leave.
"Apologise?" Bonnie frowned in confusion.
She smiled back at them but in all honesty, that smile belonged on some kind of predator. "I'm pissed off now with those ghosts. So sorry if you wake up sore afterwards."
And she was gone again, leaving a certain chill in the air that certainly wasn't there before.
"Why do I suddenly feel sorry for the ghosts?" Bonnie asked nervously.
Author notes:
So unfortunately no pranks and traps in this one but I'll make up for that in the next chapter. Ruby's on the warpath now after all. ;)