I can't guarantee chapters will be long anymore. I struggled trying to get the last one to 2k words, but if I drew it out any longer, it would have ended worse than it did. I'm going to just go until it seems a decent length with a good ending point. I miiiight just be able to keep up with the whole update every couple days thing if this works out well. And Tgon...who's to say Shadow ISN'T insane yet? ;)
Freddy jumped down from the stage and pushed his way in front of Chica, making sure she was behind him.
"Shadow...come over here. Get behind us."
Nightmare growled again and flexed his claws.
"Stay where you are little one. We are doing something you should have done the moment you started your first night."
Shadow scowled and looked at the ground for a moment before looking up with a defiant look in her eyes. Surprising Freddy with her strength, she pushed him backwards until all 4 of the pizzeria's animatronics were behind her and away from the pair of immortals.
"No! You've trusted me this far, you've seen through Foxy that they've changed towards night guards. Trust me again! You've known me for 10 years, since they tried to kill me. You think I would forget that? If ANYONE has the right to judge them now on if they've changed or not, it's me."
Nightmare growled and snapped his jaws.
"Get behind me NOW Shadow."
Shadow growled back at Nightmare.
"No."
Fredbear's growl slowly turned into laughter.
"She is nothing like the timid young human that first came to us 10 years ago brother. Your little Shadow is no longer afraid to bite back."
Nightmare narrowed his eyes and sighed.
"Indeed..."
Fredbear glanced sideways at Nightmare.
"You knew this would happen, did you not brother? That is why you agreed to it."
Freddy growled and straightened his top hat, stepping forward between Shadow and the immortals.
"Who are you to come into my home and threaten my family? This pizzeria and all who reside within are under my protection."
Shadow giggled quietly behind the tense bear, Bonnie looking sideways to glance at her and trying to figure out what she found so funny about the situation.
Fredbear sighed and put one clawed paw on his hip, the other covering his eyes.
"I do not know if you are more trouble or if your student is more trouble brother. As for you, little bear..."
Freddy tensed up, eyes narrowed in a fierce glare that would send any sane person running. Fredbear and Nightmare smirked wickedly, Fredbear looming closer over the brown bear.
"You are lucky that my brother's student has spoken up for you or you would be nothing but little pieces scattered around my feet."
Shadow slipped back between the two hostile groups.
"Oookay so! Now that it's all said and done...ah...introduction time?"
The pair of immortals both leveled unamused looks at Shadow, who only smiled innocently back.
"See? Better already!"
Freddy looked at Shadow, an incredulous look on his face.
"Better? These...demons...entered MY pizzeria, threatened you, threatened my family, and you seem to think things are alright?"
Shadow grinned and answered.
"Yup. I already told you about them, remember?"
Shadow gestured to the two immortals, first at the black one then the gold one.
"This is Nightmare and this is Fredbear."
Shadow was sure if it had been possible, the animatronics would have paled at the realization that the two towering demon bears were the mentors she had spoken so highly of, to the point of calling them family. Freddy took a cautious step backwards, bowing his head slightly in their direction.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Freddy Fazbear, my companions are Bonnie the Bunny, Chica the Chicken, and Foxy the Pirate. I was not expecting such...varied...characters when Shadow spoke so highly of her mentors."
Nightmare chuckled.
"Very diplomatic...for a murderer."
Freddy bristled angrily.
"I highly doubt you are any more innocent than we are. I know a monster when I see one."
Shadow sighed in the background, wondering why she expected the meeting between her mentors and the animatronics to go well. Fredbear scoffed.
"Monster is such a broad term. Immortal fear demon would be a much more accurate description."
Foxy's ears snapped up in interest.
"Yer tellin' me that the lass is half fear demon?"
Shadow groaned and facepalmed while Nightmare turned to glare at Fredbear, the other 3 animatronics' shocked gazes snapping to Shadow.
"Gee thanks Fredbear...I really wanted that out in the open at a time like this. Not like I'm still trying to come to grips with the whole immortal thing still. Or you know, the fear demon part. Or ANY of it."
Shadow turned to eye the bear, the rabbit and the chicken.
"Don't you three give me that look. I was going to tell you eventually. And Foxy only found out I was half-human this morning. Never told him the other half."
Shadow blinked and suddenly started laughing.
"I just realized something. You two are stuck here, aren't you? You can't leave on your own, just like you couldn't come in on your own!"
Nightmare and Fredbear exchanged looks that just confirmed Shadow's suspicions, causing her to laugh harder. The four animatronics shared puzzled looks while Nightmare and Fredbear just waited for Shadow to calm down. Once she did, she sighed.
"Okay. That was funny. Since you two are stuck here, there's four animatronics...that means...the only game I brought that we could all play is...fuck. Monopoly. I was hoping to avoid that one."
Freddy tilted his head.
"Monopoly? What is that?"
Shadow looked at the two smirking demons.
"A game that we're probably all going to lose very badly to those two."
Two hours later
"I'm never touching that damn game again. Especially not with those five."
Chica just smiled at Shadow.
"Well, Freddy, Bonnie and Foxy love a challenge. A game like this is something they won't lose easily."
Shadow rolled her eyes.
"I noticed. Not to mention you're all robots so the profit loss calculations are probably really easy for you guys. And then you've got Nightmare and Fredbear, who have both been around for who knows how many years. They're not going to back down against who they see as newborns. Pretty sure they only talk to me like I'm close to their level because eventually, I might live just as long as they have. I've proven myself to them as a hard worker and someone who's not going to back down easily."
Shadow looked over at the table and giggled.
"Looks like Freddy's starting to lose it."
Chica looked over and rolled her eyes. Freddy's brows were furrowed, his eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare as he mortgaged a few properties. A smirking Foxy held out his paw expectantly and the growling bear put a pile of the brightly colored money down. Curiosity getting the better of her, Chica looked back at Shadow.
"So...what does being half a fear demon do?"
Shadow glanced sideways at Chica before sighing.
"I'm not clear on all the details. You'd think I'd know after ten years, but Nightmare and Fredbear hide a lot from me. One thing I only found out recently is that someone else's fear gives me this feeling of...satisfaction. It makes my abilities stronger."
Shadow scowled at the table.
"I hate it so much, but they say I need to get used to it. Apparently, my abilities are stronger than any they've seen in a hybrid before, so they're worried others of their...our...kind will come after me. Either to kill me and take my power, or to use me as a puppet."
Shadow laced her fingers together.
"Another thing I'm not sure on is my lifespan, assuming we get past the whole 'bunch of fear demons trying to kill me' thing. On one hand, I'm half human. Half mortal. On the other hand, I'm half immortal demon. I don't know if I'm just going to stop aging once I hit a certain point, or if my body is going to continue to age and force me to take extreme measures."
Shadow shrugged.
"I'll just deal with things as they happen. It's always how I've rolled."
Shadow glanced at her watch.
"I should get them to start totalling up who won. Your free roam's not been turned on so you guys are gonna lock up at 6 still. And I definitely don't want the manager seeing Nightmare and Fredbear...that would get me fired for sure. So I gotta get them to willingly get back in the teddy bears."
After a few heated words between Freddy and Foxy, and a promise to both Nightmare and Fredbear to leave as soon as possible, Shadow finally got the animatronics back in their places and Nightmare and Fredbear to inhabit the bears again. Sitting down at the table with a sigh, Shadow sat back to wait for the manager. When he finally arrived, he crossed his arms at the woman sitting at the table watching him.
"Well night guard, where's the fox?"
Shadow stood up and gestured down the hallway.
"Back in the cove sir, safe and sound and all fixed up."
The manager nodded.
"Very well. Come in tomorrow afternoon for a bit, and we will discuss changing your position from night guard to mechanic."
Shadow nodded and walked out, bag swinging from her shoulder.