Hey guys. I'm really tired today. You wanna know why? I couldn't sleep last night because I couldn't stop crying. Why couldn't I stop crying you ask? Well, yesterday I checked the Neptoon Studios blog and it looks like our nightmare has come true. Somebody on Tumblr told Todd Kauffman how much he/she missed Grojband and asked if there were going to be any more episodes. To which Todd replied:
"Thanks. I miss it too. But it doesn't look like there will be anymore - sadly."
If you don't believe me, check the Neptoon Studios blog for yourself. Grojband truly was my favorite show and I'm going to miss it terribly. We did all we could guys. We tried our best to keep this show alive, but in the end it just wasn't enough. At least Corey and Laney kissed once before the series ended. I guess that proves we need to cherish the things we care about the most because it won't be long before those things disappear for good.
R.I.P. Grojband 2013-2015
Anyway, here's Part 2 of Nightmare at Freddy's which now that I think about it kind of represents the cancellation of Grojband and the fans' reaction to it. Enjoy.
Chapter 54
Nightmare at Freddy's Part 2
Tracy and Macy stood over the remnants of Grojband in complete silence. The events that preceded the current chapter had left them speechless. In fact, I'm sure you were left speechless after you read the last chapter as well. But don't worry, that's normal.
Macy spoke up. "Wow Tracy…you did it…you destroyed Grojband…"
"Really? Me? I did it?" Tracy was astonished. "I destroyed Grojband?"
There was a brief pause before Tracy squealed in excitement.
"Yes! At last! It took me 54 chapters but I finally did it! Grojband is no more! I'm so happy and junk!"
"Congrats Tracy!" Macy praised the taller teen. "Looks like all that hard work paid off!"
"Tell me about it! Do you know how hard it was to force you to reprogram those scary puppets? I'm totally exhausted! C'mon Macy! Let's go home and celebrate Grojband's demise!"
"But what about your cousin's birthday party?"
Tracy threw her phone at Macy's face.
"Tell my parents I have homework to do. They won't care if I miss out. Besides, my dumb cousin has a birthday party every year. A day like this only comes once in a lifetime! Now let's go!"
"Um…"
"Ugh! What is it now?"
"What are we going to do with Grojband's remains?" Macy referred to the four objects that were once possessed by Jackie's band.
"I don't care! Go throw em in a dumpster or something!"
Macy picked up the items from the ground.
"Of course Tracy! And since it was your idea and everything, would you like to throw one in?" Macy offered Corey's beanie to Tracy.
"Eww!" Tracy shuddered. "I'm not touching those things! They're covered in Grojgerms! Get them out of here NOW!"
Macy went over to the dumpster beside the building and threw all four items inside of it.
The next day, Jackie woke up to a beautiful, sunny morning. Judging by the birds singing outside her window, she had a feeling it was going to be a good day. She got out of bed, got dressed, then headed downstairs to the garage so she could help Grojband practice their music. She couldn't wait to hear how their show went the other night.
However, when she stepped inside the garage, she was surprised to see that it was empty! There was no greeting, no music, and no Grojband. The only things that were there were the band's instruments.
"Hello?" Jackie called. "Guys, I'm here! Corey? Laney? Kin? Kon? Where is everyone?"
She began searching the garage to see if the gang was hiding somewhere. She looked behind the couch, in the broom closet, and even behind Kon's drum sets. But she couldn't find her friends anywhere.
"Hmm…maybe they decided to get something to eat first…" Jackie thought.
So she went to go see if Grojband was in the kitchen. But after finding an empty table and a fridge full of food that had obviously not been touched by Kon, she concluded the band wasn't there either.
After that, Jackie proceeded to check every room in her house. At that point, she thought her friends were just messing with her.
"Guys! Come on out! This isn't funny!" she scolded.
Nobody answered.
"Guys! Will you stop playing games and just answer me?!"
There was still no response. Jackie was starting to get scared.
"Oh no…they must have gotten lost on the way back from the gig…" she worried. "I'd better get out there and find them!"
Jackie ran back upstairs to her room and picked up the picture frame by her bed. Then she took out the photo that was inside of it. The photo was of Grojband.
Once the manager left her house, her search for her band continued. Whenever she met somebody on the street, she showed that person the picture of her band and asked if he or she had seen them. Every single one of them answered 'no'.
But Jackie wouldn't give up. She knew her friends were out there somewhere, so she continued her search downtown. But nobody there had seen the band either. Finally, after asking what seemed like one hundred people, Jackie decided to take a break and go to the park. When she got there, she sat down on a bench and sighed. She looked at the photo of Grojband and wondered where they could have gotten to. Or better yet, why they didn't tell her where they would be going. Jackie knew it wasn't like her friends to not let her in on what they were doing.
That's when it dawned on the brunette. Grojband had told her what they were doing. The answer was right in front of her the whole time. Figuratively because the band had said they were playing at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza the other night and literally because there was an ad for the pizzeria taped to a telephone pole across from her. Jackie stood up, knowing exactly where she needed to go next.
WICKED COOL TRANSITION!
After a bit of a walk, Jackie finally made it to the restaurant. When she walked through the front doors, she was immediately greeted with singing, arcade sounds, and screaming kids. Jackie looked around the place and saw plenty of things that caught her attention. Aside from the many families enjoying some delicious-looking pizza and cupcakes, there was a ball pit, tons of classic arcade games, and a prize corner with all sorts of cool stuff. There was also a repairman replacing part of a glass window, but she didn't pay much attention to that. The things that Jackie was most impressed with were the animatronics singing and entertaining the kids on stage. She was about to step closer so she could get a better look, until she heard a voice behind her.
"Hey! Jackie!"
Jackie turned around and smiled when she saw somebody she knew.
"Billy! I didn't know you worked here!"
Billy was wearing a top hat with bear ears. "Yep! Fazbear Billy they call me! So, what's the best manager in Tranquil Town doing here?"
"Billy, I need your help." Jackie explained. "I think my band has gone missing! I went to my garage to practice with them this morning, but they weren't there! Nobody in town has seen them either!"
"Hmm…I see…"
"But then I remembered they were planning on playing here last night, which is why I came here to look for them!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Billy interrupted. "Grojband was gonna play here? Why would they do that?"
"Well, they found an advertisement that said this place was looking for a band to perform on opening night."
"Well, obviously there was a misprint, cause Freddy Fazbear's Pizza don't need no band. The animatronics provide the entertainment!"
Billy was about to leave, but Jackie stepped in front of him.
"But they had to have come here! They told me they were going to and besides, it's the only place in town I haven't checked!"
"Sorry Jackie, but your band ain't here. I haven't seen em all day!" Billy once again, tried to leave, but Jackie stopped him.
"Please? Can't you check? Maybe there's a chance you missed them!"
Billy chuckled. "Trust me Jackie, friends like yours ain't too easy to miss!"
Jackie looked down. "But…but I know they came here…"
"Tell ya what." Billy put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll keep an eye out for em and if I see em come in, I'll let ya know."
"Well…"
Billy led Jackie over to an empty table and sat her down.
"Now how bout you sit right there while I get ya a drink?"
Jackie nodded and the businessman left. While she waited, she decided to watch the show for a little bit.
"Hey kids!" the Freddy animatronic said. "We hope you're having a grand old time! Are you ready to have some fantastic Fazbear fun?"
"Yeah!" the kids answered.
"Okay then! Let's introduce the Freddy Fazbear band! As you know, I'm Freddy Fazbear, lead singer and lead guitarist! To my left, we have Chica the Chicken on bass guitar!"
"Thanks Freddy!" Chica waved to the audience.
"Standing behind me, we have Pirate Captain Foxy on drums!"
"Ahoy there kiddies!" Foxy showed off his hook hand.
"And last but certainly not least, we have Bonnie the Bunny on keyboards!" Freddy gestured toward the purple bunny to his right.
But Bonnie didn't say anything. His magenta-colored eyes were pointed at a certain sad-looking, brown-haired girl sitting all by herself. He had the sudden urge to get off the stage and cheer her up. But Freddy snapped him out of it.
"Ahem! Bonnie! Hello?"
"What?" Bonnie turned his head. "Oh! Yeah, the show thing. Um, I'm ready."
Freddy looked at the audience.
"How about you kids? Are you ready too?"
"We're ready Freddy!" all of the kids except Jackie screamed.
"Okay! Then let's rock-er, I mean, let's have some Fazbear fun!"
As soon as the robots started singing, Jackie realized how familiar their voices sounded. She knew she had heard those voices somewhere before. However, she didn't have much time to think about it because at that point, Billy had returned with a soda.
"Here you go Jackie. This one's on the house!"
"Thanks Billy." Jackie drank it even though she wasn't that thirsty.
Then one of the staff members came up to Billy holding a trash bag.
"Hey boss!" he said. "I put the trash out on the curb like you said, but that garbageman never showed up!"
Billy facepalmed. "Oh! That guy never comes when we need em! Okay Leo, just put the bag over there for now."
The employee placed the bag of trash in the corner of the main dining area and walked away. Then Jackie saw that the bag was open and something familiar and orange was sticking out of it. When Billy wasn't looking, she decided to go over and investigate. The brunette reached into the bag and what she pulled out was enough to shock her.
"Corey's beanie?" she inquired.
Then a few more things caught her eye, so she took them out too. She was becoming even more horrified.
"Laney's hair clip? Kin's glasses? Kon's sweatband? What are all of Grojband's personal belongings doing in the trash? They would never give up these things. Especially not Kin, he's blind as a bat without his glasses! Unless…" Jackie gasped. "Something happened to them?"
Jackie looked behind her and saw that Billy was distracted. She carefully hid the four items behind her back and snuck out through the front doors.
Meanwhile, Tracy was back home in her room, getting her toenails painted by Macy.
"Ahh…this is totes the best!" Tracy sighed. "Finally, I can relax without having to worry about Grojnoise spoiling my day! I could get used to this."
"So Tracy? What are we going to do now that Grojband is gone? I mean, I imagine we'll have a lot of time on our hands since we won't be ruining any more gigs."
"You know, you actually make a good point for once Mace! No Grojband means I'll have more time to do anything I want! Like shopping for purses or getting my hair done or going on dates with hunky Rick Salary!"
Just then, Jackie arrived home carrying the four items she found at the restaurant. Tracy and Macy stepped out of the room and watched her walk upstairs.
"Gee, I wonder what's gotten into her?" Macy thought aloud.
Tracy smiled. "Guess she found out about her little friends and now she's totally heartbroken and whatnot! Macy? You're going to have to hold off on painting the left foot. It's bragging time!"
Jackie opened the door to her room and placed her friends' things on her bed.
"Oh guys…" she groaned. "What happened to you? Where did you go?"
"Hey squirt! Why the long face?"
Jackie turned around and saw Tracy leaning against her bedroom door.
"What do you want Tracy?"
"What? I can't stop by my little sister's room to torment her now and then?"
"In case you didn't know, Grojband went missing this morning. These four things were all I managed to find of them. But I know they would never get rid of these things on purpose. If only I knew what went on at their gig last night."
"Aww…sounds like you really care for those losers you call friends, huh?"
"Of course I do! More than anything…"
"Well, in that case, I guess it wouldn't be fair of me not to tell you how I got rid of them last night."
"What are you talking about?" Jackie questioned.
Tracy snickered. "Those dorks never had a gig! I made the whole thing up so I could trick them into going to that creepy diner! And they fell for it hook, line, and sinker!"
Jackie stood up. "What?!"
"See, while you were at that lame birthday party, I was busy driving your nerdy band to that new restaurant. Once we got there, I knew it would be so easy to lock them inside the place! And let me tell you, it's hard to escape death when you're trapped like a rat!"
"Where are they?!" Jackie demanded.
"I already told you, I got rid of them! With a techy nerd like Macy on my side, I was able to reprogram those animatronic things to destroy the first set of people they see! And wouldn't you know it? It was Grojband!"
Jackie got into Tracy's face.
"You! You did this! How could you?! I oughta-"
Tracy pressed a finger to Jackie's forehead and pushed her down.
"Hey, don't blame me sis! My plan might not have worked and Grojband would still be alive if it wasn't for you!"
"Me?" Jackie repeated. "But how could it have been me? I wasn't even there!"
"Exactly! You weren't there to help your precious band when they needed you the most! Guess you don't care about them after all."
"But…but…that can't be right! I would have gone and saved them if they had just called-" Jackie came to a realization. "-me…oh no…they did call me…when I was at the restaurant…but I ignored that call…"
"Is that so? In that case, maybe you should check your voice mail."
Jackie picked up her phone and went into her voice mail application.
"You have one new message." the phone said before playing the message.
Corey: I just want to go home
Laney: Don't want to be alone
Kin: Why can't this be a dream?
Kon: On the count of three, scream
All: One…two…three…
AAAAAAAAA!
Jackie's phone beeped. "You have no more new messages."
Jackie was overcome with sorrow.
"No! It couldn't have been my fault! How was I supposed to know my band was in grave danger?"
"If I were you little sister, I'd face facts! Grojband is dead! Gone! Finished! And there's not a thing you can do to bring them back! From now on, you'll always be alone! You'll have no friends, no career in management, and no band!" Tracy laughed evilly and slammed the door.
Jackie heard thunder above her house and saw that it was storming outside. She looked up at her poster of her former-band.
"Grojband is gone? And it's all because of me?" she clutched her heart. "What have I done?"
(Original Song: It's Been So Long by The Living Tombstone)
Jackie: I don't know what I was thinking
Leaving my band behind
Now I suffer the curse and now I am blind
And all the anger, love, and sadness that came from my older sister
Does not compare to my own guilty twister
Is this revenge I am seeking?
Or seeking someone to avenge me?
Now I am all alone
I wanna set them all free
Maybe I should chase and find before she tries to stop it
It won't be long before I become a puppet
It's been so long
Since Grojband has been gone
Lost to the monsters
To the things behind the slaughter
I sing this song
For Corey, Laney, Kin, and Kon
Oh what can I do
To show how much I miss you?
Meanwhile at Freddy Fazbear's, Billy had just finished closing up shop. The four animatronics were resting on the stage, after playing a whole day's worth of songs. However, as soon as Billy had gone, their eyes lit up and they started roaming the halls of the restaurant.
Jackie: I wish I could see them once more
To tell them my past mistakes
But the future keeps luring in
Like a pack of snakes
Your beanie, hair clip, glasses, and sweatband's all I have to remember
Those happy memories we shared with each other
Justification is killing me
But killing isn't justified
What happened to my band?
I'm terrified
It lingers in my mind and the thought keeps on getting bigger
I'm sorry my best friends, I wish I'd been there
It's been so long
Since Grojband has been gone
Lost to the monsters
To the things behind the slaughter
I sing this song
For Corey, Laney, Kin, and Kon
Oh what can I do
To show how much I miss you?
And thus we return to where we started the story, with Jackie sitting on her bed and sobbing over the loss of her friends. The storm outside worsened with each sob and whimper. She was starting to believe that Tracy had been right. Grojband was gone forever and all she had to remember them by were their own personal objects. From that point on, she would be alone. She would have no Corey to sing songs to her, no Laney to have girl time with, no Kon to make her laugh, and no Kin to offer a shoulder for her to cry on. Jackie felt that the day she became Grojband's manager was the day her life really started. But now that Grojband was no longer with her, it was like her life had just ended.
No. That couldn't be true. Jackie's life couldn't be over. And neither could Grojband's. There was still a chance she could save them, right? After all, if she and her friends could find a way to escape the Internet world, stop a giant perfectionist helmet from destroying the town, and time travel, then there had to be a way for her to bring the band back to life. All she had to do was find out how they expired and then figure out a way to reverse their deaths. Jackie knew this plan was a long-shot, but she would do anything to help her best friends. It was then that the brunette made her decision. She was going back to Freddy Fazbear's that night and getting her band back.
IT'S TIME TO SAVE THE BAND!
One transition later, Jackie returned to the restaurant, ready for action. She saw that the place was closed and empty, so she knew it was the perfect time to sneak in and get some information. She quietly crept over to the side of the building and pulled out a laser cutter she stole from Tracy's room. Then she did exactly what Macy had done the other night and cut a hole through the glass window. Once she was inside the building, she started thinking about where she could find evidence of her band's demise. That's when she saw a video camera sitting in a corner of the ceiling in the main dining area and got an idea. She realized that if the camera was recording her at that moment, then it had to have recorded the events of the previous night as well.
The sharp-witted manager was about to go down the hall to find the security room, until she bumped into something on the way. Something tall, fuzzy, and brown. The creature turned around, and judging by his glow-in-the-dark blue eyes, Jackie could tell that it was the animatronic bear known as Freddy Fazbear.
"Code red! Code red! Code red!" Freddy shouted.
It wasn't long before Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy joined the robot leader.
"What's going on Freddy?" Chica asked. "Is there a robbery?"
"Has somebody snuck in after hours?" Bonnie guessed.
"No! Even worse!" Freddy pointed at Jackie. "This metal endoskeleton isn't wearing its costume!"
"But that be against the rules here!" Foxy claimed. "Or…at least I think it is…isn't it? The truth is I can't seem to remember!"
Chica rolled her eyes. "Ugh! Seriously Foxy? A hand isn't the only thing you're missing. Anyway Freddy, how do we know for sure this 'thing' is an endoskeleton?"
"Yeah, in fact, I'm getting the feeling that I've seen this creature before…Maybe it isn't an endoskeleton…" Bonnie got a closer look at Jackie's face. "Whatever it is, it's kind of attractive…"
Freddy slapped Bonnie across the face.
"Snap out of it Bonnie! I'm the leader of this place, and if I say it's an endoskeleton, then it's an endoskeleton!"
Jackie was confused. Not only were the animatronics' voices familiar, but so were their behaviors.
"C'mon gang! Let's get this thing back in its suit!"
The four robots charged for the teenaged girl but luckily, she managed to escape them by running down the halls.
"Hey!" Freddy called. "Get back here!"
Jackie ran as fast as her two legs could carry her. While running, she spotted a door labeled 'Utility Closet' in the middle of the hallway. Quickly, she dove into the room and the animatronics lost sight of her.
Jackie panted heavily and checked the window to make sure she was safe. Once she was sure the coast was clear, she turned on the lights and to her horror, the same four animatronic characters were standing in the same room with her.
"AAAAAA!" Jackie screamed.
"AAAAAA!" the animatronics screamed with her.
"AAAAAA!"
"AAAAAA!"
"AAAAAA!" Jackie paused. "Wait, why are you screaming?"
"Oh, sorry!" the second Freddy apologized. "We thought you were one of…'them'…"
"'Them'?" Jackie restated. "Who's 'them'?"
"The new guys!" wailed the second Bonnie. "You know, the animals you see performing on stage during the day?"
"Hold on, you mean those robot things that thought I was some sort of endoskeleton and tried to put me in a costume?"
"They saw you?!" Chica covered her eyes. "Oh no! That's it! We're scrap metal! If they find us in here talking to a human, who knows what they'll do?"
"Why would they care if they saw you talking with me?" Jackie asked.
"Arrgh! Tis a violation of ordinance!" Foxy explained. "We animatronics are only allowed to say what we were programmed to say! Any misspoken words or sentences results in a terrifying penalty!"
"What sort of penalty?" Jackie inquired.
"See all these holes and marks put into our costumes?"
Jackie did notice that these animatronics were more tattered and damaged than the other ones.
"What about em?"
"'They' put them there!" Chica cried. "They said the next time they caught us violating the rules would be even worse! What if they say I can't wear my favorite bib anymore? I can't bear to function without my bib!" Chica hugged Bonnie and sobbed.
"Aw, what does it matter Chica?" Freddy moped. "We're obsolete, remember? We won't be singing on stage anytime soon."
"Why not?" Jackie asked.
"Sheesh, you ask a lot of questions kid." Bonnie replied. "Curiosity killed the cat you know. In fact, why'd you even come here after hours?"
"Well, my band went missing here the other night and I was hoping to find-"
The robots gasped.
"Those kids that came in after closing…" Freddy remembered. "That was your band?!"
"Yeah. My sister made it look like this place was looking for someone to play opening night, so they came here. Then she reprogrammed those other animatronics to destroy them."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Freddy interrupted. "You think that 'they' were the ones who destroyed your band?"
"Well, sure! I mean, since they tried to stuff me in a suit and damaged you guys anyway."
Freddy scratched his neck. "Yeah…see, they're not the ones who killed them…that was kinda…our fault."
"Wait, you're the ones who got rid of my friends?!" Jackie shouted.
"Hey! Don't blame us! We were under new management, remember?" Bonnie reminded her. "Well, except for Foxy. Truth is, he's had a grudge against humans since the day they put him behind the curtain in the back room."
Foxy nodded. "Aye. I've been in disrepair since the fall of 1987. I performed me pirate shanties for the little ones for five years until one day…I noticed one of the lads was holding an ice cream cone. A delicious combination of vanilla and chocolate with a bit of sprinkles on top. When the little laddie came up to me, I knew I had to take a bite of his delicious confection. Unfortunately, when I did, my aim was a bit off. Tis amazing how humans can live without their frontal lobe. Anyway, after that incident, the staff left me sequestered in the back room until the place closed down. And even when this new restaurant opened up, I still remained behind that same curtain, with no one to perform for. On that day, I promised myself that I would punish the first humans to ever cross my path!"
Jackie raised an eyebrow. "So, you bit somebody, the employees made you stay behind a curtain, and then you blamed my band for it?"
"Yes. What be your point?"
"Uh…yeah…so would you all care to tell me how you eliminated my band?"
"Oh! Easy!" Freddy spoke up. "We stuffed them in those other four animatronic suits."
"What?!"
"But it was a mistake!" the robotic bear defended himself. "Once their spirits took over the costumes, they became the bosses of us! First, they forced us to stay in this utility closet, then they punished us every time they caught us breaking the rules, and worst of all, they took over as the new Freddy Fazbear band!"
"Well, that last part kind of sounds like them…" Jackie noted.
Freddy grabbed Jackie by her feet.
"Please! Please help us get our jobs back!" he whimpered. "My parts are starting to get rusty!"
Jackie smiled. "Tell you what. If you help me get my band back, then I'll make sure you become the stars of the restaurant again!"
The animatronic's eyes lit up. "You will?!"
"Absolutely!"
"YAY!" all five cheered.
"There's only one problem." Bonnie said. "We don't know how to get your friends out of those suits."
"What?!" Jackie was exasperated. "Are you kidding me?!"
"Sorry, it's not something that normally happens at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza."
That's when Freddy got an idea.
"Wait! I know somebody who might know how to fix this!"
"Who?" Jackie asked.
"My grandfather…Golden Fredbear."
To be continued…
Sorry if I ruined the characters of FNAF for you. I've always believed the animatronics to be innocent, since after all, they're possessed by children. And yes, I made them all a band, because why not?
So I hoped this chapter cheered some of you up and in case it didn't (cause let's face it, Grojband is still technically dead) maybe my explanation of this dethroning moment of Grojband will:
#9: This scene comes from the episode "Love In A Nethervator", an episode where every scene had its funny moments. Well, all of them except this one. In this scene, Trina has finally accomplished her goal of trapping Nick Mallory in an elevator with her so she can hear their two hearts beating on the first day of forever. However, when she leans in to hear their two hearts beat, she hears a third heart beat out of nowhere. This third heart beat, as we learn, belongs to Mina. Angered, Trina lets Mina know that she doesn't want to hear her heart beating with hers or Nick's. So Mina intentionally forces her heart to stop beating just to make Trina happy. Keep in mind Mina chooses to be friends with Trina because she is popular and Mina isn't. So is she really that desperate for attention that she has to almost kill herself? If Mina knew Trina wanted to be alone with Nick, then why did she have to get in the elevator with her? She could have saved herself from having heart failure if she had just chosen to stay in the garage. It's called common sense Mina. Use it.
Okay guys, I hate to leave you with a cliffhanger, but I'm actually going to take a break from writing right now. I have midterms coming up and I need to use this time to study. Don't worry, I should be back with Part 3 next week. In the meantime, remember to review and I'll see you guys next time. Grojband forever!
