(Warning: Virus Detected. Activating Defense Protocols)
The moment that Mike had staggered, Dipper had immediately disconnected Mike's animatronic thumb from the computer, cutting off the viruses' access. Between Mike's antivirus software and his protective sigil tattoo, which was burning brightly enough that the glow could be seen from under Mike's sleeve, it was only a few seconds before Mike's eyes faded back to their usual purple.
"You okay there Mike?" Dipper asked, concern filling his voice.
"Yeah," Mike said, straightening up and rubbing his shoulder as the burning sensation in his tattoo faded. He did his best to hide how much the encounter had shaken him, but he couldn't stop the slight trembling in his hands. "The virus has been cleared from my systems, but I don't dare risk trying something like that again. Forget subtly and care completely, Dipper can you just blast open the exit?"
"I don't think blasting will be necessary, but I'll get it open," Dipper replied, holding out his hand toward the door. "Aperta!"
Blue energy flared around the door only to be replaced by magenta-colored energy. The magenta energy expanded out in a wave from the door, passing over every structure within the loading dock before fading from sight.
"Was that supposed to happen?" Gregory asked in worry, hugging Helpy close for comfort.
"No…" Dipper said, scowling as he looked everything over in worry. "And I think we're in far greater danger than we thought."
"Why… what did that energy wave mean?" Mike asked, very concerned by Dipper's concern.
"It means William didn't just infect this place's computer systems, but the entire building itself," Dipper revealed seriously. "He's basically turned this place into his ghost lair and we're not getting out of here unless he lets us."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen," Mike grimaced, unable to completely keep back the fearful waver from his voice. "And busting through with magic or explosives isn't an option?"
"If I had time to study the barrier's properties and figure out the right ritual circle, maybe," Dipper replied with a shake of his head. "But I doubt we have the time to-"
Dipper cut off as the sound of heavy metallic footsteps echoed through the warehouse. A quick check of the cameras showed that not only was Chica on her way to them, but the other infected Glamrocks as well.
"Right, time's up," Mike said, grabbing onto Gregory. "We need to get out here before we're surrounded! Come on!"
Mike lead Gregory and Dipper over to a side door, an inhuman screech escaping his throat to activate the voice sensor on the door. Gregory had jumped at the sudden impossible noise but didn't waste time questioning it as they hurried through the utility halls.
The rooms were just crawling with staff bots, most of them cleaning rather than patrolling, but they still had to be avoided. The group was forced to take an agonizingly slow pace to avoid being spotted, but they had no other choice. The occasional flash of magenta in various staff bots' eyes only served as a reminder that they needed to remain unseen as they traveled. They eventually got to the main Pizzaplex area and hid in one of the empty party rooms.
"We should be safe in here for the moment," Mike said as the door shut behind them. "These rooms don't get checked very often so we have some time before we need to move again."
"We need to come up with a new plan," Dipper pointed, taking off his glasses to mess with them. "Since getting the Gregory is kind of off the table with William's influence being greater than we knew."
"You mentioned ghosts and keep mentioning a 'William'," Gregory cut in, still suspicious of the other two but also curious now. "Is this place haunted? By William? And do you know him?"
"You could say I know him, considering he's the main reason I'm like this," Mike grimaced, indicating his animatronic parts. Technically it was the truth and it implied a lot of bad history without actually having to go into the whole story. The answer satisfied Gregory enough at least as the boy didn't question Mike further, though he did pale a little a the frightening implications.
"As for Willam turning this place into his ghost lair," Mike began, bringing the conversation back on topic. "I don't think it's that hopeless. Yes, his influence is greater than we were expecting, but he's still mostly tied to the main server and that means he's limited by the programs and protocols. While he has messed with the security accesses to make this place a labyrinth, he couldn't override it completely. If we can get ahold of a high enough level security badge, we could still get out of here. If that fails we just need to survive until six when the front doors open automatically, a safety measure I made sure was in the system and it can't be overridden without two high-ranking staff members."
"Good to know, but we still need to figure out what we're going to do," Dipper replied, carefully drawing some symbols on the sides of his glasses. "Are we just going to focus purely on survival or are there things we want to accomplish?"
"The proactive approach is the better option as I can guarantee things are going to get more dangerous the close we get to six," Mike said knowingly. "If we want a chance to survive, we're going to need to start removing some of the threats."
"Does this mean we get to trash some bots?" Gregory grinned viscously. He loved the idea of destroying the monsters that were hunting him.
"I'm sure there will be some of that," Mike chuckled, understanding that feeling well. "I was actually referring to reprograming the bots to be on our side, specifically the Glamrocks. They are currently the biggest threat as they are smarter and stronger than most of the other animatronics in this place, but they will also make the best allies if we can clear the virus from their systems. The staff bots are a lost cause as their AI isn't advanced enough to function without a constant connection to the main server, so it'd be pointless and dangerous to try and reprogram them. So while we should still try and avoid being spotted by them, feel free to destroy them if necessary."
"YES!" Gregory couldn't help but cheer, getting quiet laughs from the adults.
"Which one should we go for first?" Dipper asked, slipping his glasses back on his face once he finished his adjustments to them.
"Chica probably as she's the weakest physical and is the easiest to lure into a trap," Mike answered immediately. "Just get some pizza, or even better Monty Mix, and she'll walk right into an ambush. Between us and Freddy, we should be able to keep her subdued long enough for me to manually shut her down so I can clear out her systems. Speaking of Freddy… have you heard from him lately Gregory?"
"No… I haven't," Gregory replied with a frown, messing with his Fazwatch. "Freddy. Freddy are you there?"
They waited for a moment, but there was no response, only static.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Gregory asked, doing his best to hide how worried he was.
"There's not much that can take him down so I'm sure he's fine," Mike assured, messing with his own watch. "Gimmie a sec to check the camera footage to figure out where he went after we separated."
"The watch can do that!?" Gregory said in surprised excitement, immediately attempting to figure out how.
"Actual employee here remember? I have a bit more access than you do," Mike reminded, getting a disappointed pout from Gregory. "Can't do anything too complex on just my watch, we would need an actual access terminal for that, but checking the feed from the last hour? That I can do."
"Though you are probably going to get fired after tonight," Dipper mused, clearly not that upset about the prospect. "Especially if we do start destroying bots left and right."
"Wouldn't be the first time," Mike snorted, just as nonchalant about it as his brother. "Especially as I'm planning on giving this place the Fazbear Frights treatment when we leave."
"What?" Gregory asked in confusion. "What are you going to do when we leave?"
"I'll fill you in later, I think you'll like it," Mike said, flashing Gregory a knowing grin before turning back to his watch. "It looks like Freddy was last seen heading into Roxanne Raceway and hasn't come out since. We should check there to see if we could find out what happened to him."
The others agreed and, after checking the cameras to make sure the way was clear, began to sneak their way through the Pizzaplex.
"Where are you?" Vanny's voice floated through the Pizzaplex, immediately putting the three on guard. "You must have realized there's no escape for any of you by now… you're all trapped here like rats in a maze!"
They spotted Vanny's shadow approaching from around the corner and quickly scrambled into a photo booth before she could spot them. It was a tight fit with the three of them, Mike and Dipper pressed tightly shoulder to shoulder while Mike held Gregory and Helpy firmly in his arms. A part of Gregory wanted to complain about being treated like a kid, but the rest of him clung to the strong protective arms holding him as he heard Vanny skipping right beyond the curtain.
"Come out… come out…" Vanny called with a manic giggle. "You're only prolonging the inevitable. It's only a matter of time before my master will have complete control of this whole building and everything within it. If you give up yourselves now, I promise to make your deaths swift!"
Gregory couldn't help but bury his head slightly against Mike's chest as fear overwhelmed him. Mike's hand automatically moved to rub Gregory's back comfortingly, but the rest of him was paying close attention to Vanny's every move. After a few tense moments, Vanny moved on and a quick check of the cameras to see her move to another floor allowed the group to lose some of their tension.
"Why would promising a swift death ever coax someone to give themselves up?" Dipper questioned rhetorically as they exited the photo booth.
"Why did we hide rather than try and take her out?" Gregory asked once he was back on his own two feet, acting like he hadn't just been clinging to Mike. "She can't be that tough compared to the animatronics you're planning on ambushing."
"Maybe not physically, but she's still very dangerous," Mike replied quietly as they continued to make their way toward Roxanne Raceway. "Animatronics are predictable. They have set patterns and responses and if you can figure those out you'll have a good chance of surviving. Humans on the other hand are a lot more random and can think far more complexly than anything we've achieved with AI. Vanny wouldn't be wandering around so carelessly unless she was sure she had a way to take us down. She already demonstrated that she has a way to temporarily incapacitate us when she escaped last time and we have no idea what other tricks she might have up her sleeve."
"Plus she just told us that she's working with the ghost that's infected this place," Dipper added. "That means in a direct confrontation, she'll be able to call on William's help and who knows what kind of things she'll be able to do then."
Gregory didn't fully grasp what they were trying to tell him as he lacked experience with the supernatural. But he got the idea that Vanny was someone they wanted to avoid as long as possible. Thankfully, they were able to get to Roxanne's Raceway without further issues and used some boxes nearby to jump over the barriers.
They didn't have to search too much longer before they found Freddy lying on the floor, barely twitching.