As the slowly growing group trudged out of the arcade and through the complex, Mirabelle wasted no time in recounting all the nights events to her friends, leading up to when she'd finally found them. Of course, there were a few details she kept purposefully vague – not wishing to needlessly freak them out about her pretty close calls, but also secretly hoping to try and save face.
She didn't miss Freddy fixing her with a few questioning glances during her recap, but he thankfully chose to keep his peace, to her relief. Her friends also had a few comments and inquiries that they occasionally interjected. Not just for her, but for the security staff woman with them as well.
"So, you basically rescued Mira, just to put her back into danger?" Nicole questioned dubiously.
"In my defense, at the time, I'd wager it was the safest room in the building. Like I told her earlier, there was no way I could have known all this insanity was going to happen. I also wasn't expecting her and Freddy to decide to go rogue, either," she mused with a huff.
"Well, that's Mira for ya! She's never been one to wait around for other people to fix her problems for her," Michael commented in a hinting tone. "Or accept help even when people do try and offer!" he added slyly. Mirabelle simply narrowed her eyes at him.
"I suppose," Freddy hummed after a moment, garnering the group's attention. "It's nice to hear that it's not just me," he offered in an offhand mutter, causing the girl to stare at him, appearing a bit stunned.
"Did you just hold a grudge?" she asked, stupefied at the notion. Except he didn't give her an answer, just a look she didn't care for.
"You didn't want Freddy's help? I thought you said you've basically been with him all night!" Michael questioned in surprise at the declaration.
"Well – I mean – there was more to it than that. . ." Mirabelle tried to argue weakly.
"It is still pretty much what happened," Freddy shot back without missing a beat.
"Tch, women! Am I right?" Michael scoffed, before offering the animatronic a fist bump. Only, he simply blinked back at the hand in confusion. "Dude, you're supposed to tap it with your fist. Don't leave me hanging!" he complained reproachfully, to which Freddy then seemed more than happy to comply, returning the gesture.
"Seriously? I'm still standing right here!" Mirabelle whined, now glaring at Michael. "You've know him for, what, five minutes? And you're already going all bro-code on me?" she griped.
"What's wrong, Mira? You worried that I might take your new friend away?" he teased her with a wink.
Not able to come up with any witty retorts, all she could do was groan as her glare melted into a weary scowl.
"Can we focus on the bigger problem here?" she finally requested, changing the subject.
"Yeah, like, how we're supposed to escape this place? Are you sure you've actually tried all the exits?" Nicole pressed hopefully.
"Yes Nicky! It's what I've been doing all night! This place is on total lockdown! What about you two? What happened after the other animatronics grabbed you?" Mirabelle wondered.
"Well, it was kinda scary at first, but then it was just boring! Sounds like you've been living it up though! It's not fair that you got to have all the fun, while we were stuck being guarded by the Music Monster," he whined.
"Oh, sure, because getting hunted down and attacked by killer robots has always been my idea of a good time!" Mirabelle mockingly cheered.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Mira. At least, I'm glad to know that you weren't completely alone," Nicole hinted, glancing up at the animatronic bear in their company.
Sensing that she was talking about him, Freddy turned and gave her a big smile once their eyes met. Nicole flinched and shuffled awkwardly under his gaze, and Mirabelle was pleased to see that the effect wasn't limited to just her!
"Um, Freddy? I – uh, thank you, for – you know – keeping Mira safe. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her," she confessed, flashing her cousin a sheepish look.
"You are quite welcome. It has – been my pleasure," Freddy seemed to confess, earning a scoff from Michael and a raised eyebrow from Nicole.
"Yeah, Freddy's pretty good company," Mirabelle admitted. "Ya know, as long as he stays on, and in one piece," she teased, trying to lighten the uneasy air.
"The same could be said for you too, Mira," he reasoned with a straight face, his tone taking on a slightly lecturing edge.
"Ha, ha! Touche," she acknowledged with a grin.
. . .
"Alright, this should work," Vanessa held the door open for the group as they stepped inside.
"A party room?" Michael asked skeptically.
"It's off the main drag, and it gives us all a place to sit. Plus, we can always duck down below the windows if we hear anything coming," she reasoned.
"Yeah, I guess. It's just not a very cool hideout, if you ask me," he muttered.
"Then it's a good think I'm not asking you. Sit!" she ordered.
Michael mumbled irritably, but complied nonetheless, the others all following suit, taking seats around the end of the long table. Mirabelle was perched comfortably next to Freddy, Michael and Nicole sitting across from them with Vanessa at the end. All eyes turned to the security guard, watching her expectantly.
"What?" she finally demanded, shifting uneasily under all the scrutiny.
"What do you mean, 'what'? You're the adult, plus you work here! Don't you have some kind of plan or something to get us out of this place, or at least, keep us alive until morning?" Nicole insisted.
"Listen, sweetheart. I haven't been just sitting on my hands this whole time. I've tried everything I could think of, and nothing has worked!" Vanessa snapped.
"So, what are we supposed to do? Just sit here until something else comes along to try and eat us?" Michael protested.
"I'm open to suggestions," Vanessa shot back.
"I don't see why we can't just go back to our original plan. It's not like finding Nicky and Mikey has changed anything," Mirabelle offered, her friends giving her questioning looks.
"Since we aren't able to leave, we've been trying at the next best thing, figuring out who's actually behind all this, and why? After all, what better way to solve a problem than to just go straight to the source?" Vanessa elaborated for them.
"Uh, because a horrible and painful death could be waiting at the source?" Michael pointed out.
"Yeah, but our situation feels just as deadly regardless. Besides, didn't you say you'd rather do something about it versus just sitting here waiting for something to come along and kill us?" Mirabelle reminded him.
"Fine, but that still doesn't answer my earlier question," he pointed out.
"Well, Chica was our only lead, but – " Vanessa cast a quick side eye in Mirabelle's direction, who flinched and adverted her gaze. "Now that's just another dead end. So, looks like a brain storming session is in order. Let's start with, what do we know?" she paused for a moment, continuing when no one immediately offered anything. "Did you kids happen to overhear anything while you were being held?" Vanessa tried asking, sounding hopeful.
"Naw! Just Music Man messing with his tunes – and his occasional growling," Michael grumbled.
"Wait, but, what about that time when Roxy and Monty came to talk to Music Man about what to do with us?" Nicole suddenly chimed in.
"Huh? Roxy and Monty? When did that happen? All I remember is hours of staring at that freaky DJ's butt! At least, until Mira finally showed up," he huffed.
"What?! How could you not remember that?! Did you pass out, or something?" Nicole barked at him.
"I may have, dozed. . ." he trailed off, looking a tad embarrassed.
"Are you serious? How?" she demanded in bewilderment.
"Guys! Focus!" Vanessa snapped, halting the fighting and getting their attention. "Nicole, what was it that you heard them say?" she asked pointedly.
"Just, something about them taking another group of S.T.A.F.F. bots down to, him. And, I think they mentioned Roxy Raceway," she explained. "Is there, something underneath the track?" she wondered.
"No. At least, there shouldn't be," Vanessa informed them ominously.
There was a long moment of silence as the security guard leaned back in her chair, staring intently up at the ceiling. It was obvious she was deep in thought. The rest of them waiting nervously to see if she could come up with any ideas. That is, until Mirabelle succeeded in connecting the dots.
"Wait a minute, didn't you say something about the S.T.A.F.F. bots going missing before? Do you think that maybe. . ." she trailed in anticipation at the older woman.
"Yeah, I do," she replied with a curt nod, rising to her feet. Mirabelle made a move to follow, but Vanessa simply shook her head, motioning for her to stay. "I'm gonna go check some things out. You kids wait here with Freddy where it's safe. I shouldn't be too long," she informed them.
"A-are you sure it's a good idea to go alone?" Mirabelle had to wonder.
"Hey, out of everyone in this group, I'm the only one that hasn't been attacked by anything. I think I'll be fine," she assured her with a quick smile and a wink, and with that, ducked back through the door and out of sight.
"Mira?" Freddy piped up suddenly, getting her attention. She glanced up to find him wearing a puzzled expression. "That gesture Vanessa gave you, I've seen it before. What does it mean?" he asked curiously.
"What gesture?" she questioned, so he turned and blinked his left eye at her.
It caught her off guard for a second, her pulse quickening at the innocent motion. She took a moment to recover, clearing her throat before answering.
"Oh, a wink? It's – like a kind of signal, I guess? Something friends do to – send a message without talking?" she tried to explain, looking to her own friends for help.
Nicole simply shrugged at her, not having anything to offer.
"It's a way to flirt with the ladies!" Michael chimed in cheekily, to which Mirabelle groaned and slapped a palm across her forehead.
"Don't teach him that!" she snapped, before turning back to the bear. "That's not how Vanessa intended it," she clarified for him.
"How does he not know what a wink is?" Nicole chimed in, directing the question at Mirabelle.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" Mirabelle suggested leadingly, slightly tilting her head in his direction.
She gave Nicole a placating smile when the other girl narrowed her eyes at the suggestion. She hesitantly lifted her gaze up to meet Freddy's, but couldn't hold it, continually glancing back and forth between him and the tablecloth.
"I –" she began, but then hesitated. "I'm sorry. But talking to him, uh, you –" she corrected haltingly. "Like just another person – it's weird!" she finally confessed. "Am I the only one who thinks this whole situation is like, super weird? I didn't think animatronics were normally made, this way," she gestured haphazardly in Freddy's direction.
"Made what way, Nicky?" Mirabelle wondered in amusement.
"You know what I mean!" she snapped. "All, aware and stuff!" she lamented with a huff.
"Actually, that's a good question," Michael agreed. "So, when they first made you," he started, turning to Freddy. "Did they program you as an AI on purpose, or did you just like – wake up one day?" he questioned pointedly.
"I. . ." Freddy's brow furrowed as he frowned in concentration. He'd probably never been asked anything remotely close to that before! It was kind of a loaded question. "I am – not really sure," he eventually confessed.
He stared down at the girl next to him, continuing to ponder the implications. She blinked back, her eyes searching. He'd certainly done a fair share of learning and growing thanks to her, but if they'd never met, it was hard to say where his mental state would be.
"If I am being honest, I do not know my creator's original intent. However, I would be remissed if I did not acknowledge Mirabelle's influence in helping to bring out my – individuality. I suppose I should be glad she never found it weird, to engage me in casual conversation," he determined, rather descriptively.
Meanwhile, the girl was feeling too stunned by his sudden poetic speech to even feel embarrassed when he smiled down at her, before patting her head in apparent appreciation. His level of insight still didn't cease to amaze.
"Man, I don't know about, whatever you said, but I guess it's not that surprising. Mira's always been a bit on the weird side, herself," Michael teased, earning a glare from his friend. "So, does that mean he hasn't asked you if 'this unit has a soul'?" he wondered in a robotic voice. "Or, is he still forming a consensus?" he added jokingly.
Mirabelle felt her eyes roll at him.
"He isn't a geth, Mikey!" she argued. The boy cocked his head at the bear, and she could tell this wasn't over.
"Yeah, I guess he's more like – 'come with me if you want to live!'" he spouted in a bad German accent. "Has he called you 'meat bag' yet? Eh, I guess if he tried, you'd probably take him to Tatooine and sell him to some Jawas!"
"Mikey!" she tried to lecture, but he couldn't be stopped.
"Rodger, Rodger. Freddy Five, alive," he was having a hard time keeping a straight face now, mimicking motions as well as accents. "Oh, how 'bout – You stay. I go. . . no following.' 'Time to transform and roll out!' 'Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test.'"
Throughout all of this, Mirabelle was simply fixing him with a weary scowl. "Ya done?" she finally muttered.
"One more, one more! 'Hey! You're TALKING to me! And I didn't even have an exclamation point over my head! This is the BEST day of my life!" he exclaimed with mock enthusiasm, and Mirabelle fixed him with a withering glare.
"You know I hate that guy!" she snapped.
"Okay, what is happening?" Nicole decided to ask.
"Mikey thinks he's being funny by making a bunch of robot quotes," Mirabelle explained.
"I – don't get it. . ." she trailed. "And I don't think Freddy does either," she mentioned, noticing his rather confused countenance.
"That's okay, Nick. It's just cuz you're not a nerd, like Mira," Michael offered, causing the girl in question to groan and smack her head against the table. "Aren't you so glad to have me back?" he asked rhetorically, but the only reply he received was a 'meh'.
"But, seriously though. Nothing like that? What kind of video game mascot is he?" he wondered skeptically.
At that, Mirabelle's head shot back up with a mischievous smirk.
"Well, actually – there is one thing. Check this out!" Before he could stop her, she giddily reached over and clicked Freddy's nose, the party horn sound effect playing out with a satisfying toot! She then turned back to her friends with a cheesy grin.
"No way! It actually does that?" Michael said, returning the smile.
"That's, actually adorable!" Nicole merrily agreed.
"That's what I said!" Mirabelle cheered, cheekily clicking it again.
Now having had enough, Freddy grabbed at her hand, pulling it away from his face with an irritated growl.
"I'm beginning to regret that they installed me with such a, feature," he glowered, causing Mirabelle to shrink sheepishly.
"Sorry, Freddy," she mumbled, and his visage softened. He couldn't bring himself to even stay annoyed with her.
A loud banging from outside of the room suddenly brought the lighter conversation to a screeching halt. Everyone but Freddy jumped in surprise, glancing around the table with worried looks. Mirabelle opened her mouth to comment, but Freddy anticipated her.
"I will go check it out. Wait here," he instructed, rising from the table.
"Okay," she reluctantly agreed. "Just – be careful, and call me if you need help," she added, motioning with her wrist. He turned to give her a knowing smile before stepping out the door, softly closing it behind him.
Once he was gone, Mirabelle turned to find her friends fixing her with curious expressions.
"What?" she wondered at them.
"So, what's going on with you and the Fred-bear?" Michael asked, as soon as the animatronic had disappeared from sight.
"What are you talking about?" she wondered at him.
"I'm talking about how chummy you keep being with him. If I didn't know better, I'd say it looked like – flirting," he told her in his usual teasing tone, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
"What?! Don't be ridiculous! He's a giant, metal, robot bear," she attempted to reason.
"But, it's true that you've been acting differently around him. Like, you're really good friends, or something," Nicole added, surprising Mirabelle by following along with Michael's logic.
"Oh, come on, Nicky! Are you serious? Do you really think I'm that pathetic?" she continued to argue, trying to divert the train of thought.
"Well, if we're being straight here – it, wouldn't be the first time you've had a crush on a non-human character," she reminded her.
"Especially the ones that aren't actually real. . ." Michael piled on.
"Yeah, when I was like, ten," she tried to justify.
"Naw, like, more recently. You remember, a certain turian we all know," he said slyly.
"How dare you," Mirabelle glowered at him, until she quickly continued. "But that was just like, a part of the game or whatever. It's not like I personally had any feelings or. . ." she trailed off when she realized that this wasn't doing her any favors.
"Either way, if you hadn't noticed, we're sort of fighting for our lives here. So, this really isn't the time or the place, guys," she lectured, desperately trying to end the insinuating conversation.
"That's fair," Michael surprisingly agreed, only to go back on it a second later. "But if it's not true, then why are you getting so flustered over it?" he asked tauntingly.
"H-huh? What do you mean? I'm not –" she attempted to argue, but it was already too late.
She could feel her face heating up like a ripe tomato. A fact that would be impossible to hide in the brightly lit party room. Nicole gasped when she saw it.
"Oh my gawd, it's true! You are so, totally crushing!" she realized with a squeal of glee. "Is it because he saved your life? Aw! Mira! That is so cute!" she continued to coo in a high pitched, yet still patronizing tone.
"No, Nicky! I am not!" she barked back in embarrassment, crossing her arms and huffing in a pout.
"Oh, you can't deny it now! It's written all over your face!" Michael laughed.
"I don't have to put up with this!" she muttered through grit teeth, pushing herself up and turning away from them.
"So, what's next? You gonna get married and have a batch of little, robo bear babies?" Michael continued to tease, but then frowned when she now seemed to refuse to respond. "Aw, come on, Mira. You might as well just admit it," he reasoned.
"Absolutely not!" she snapped, rounding on him. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I admit that I love an – an animatronic bear!" she hollered in determination.
However, her friends were now both wearing very peculiar expressions on their faces that she was having trouble comprehending. And they both seemed to be staring at the area, directly behind her.
"Well," Michael began after an awkward moment. "I think it might be your lucky day, cuz it looks like hell just froze over," he told her with a smirk, his gaze still fixed on the spot over her shoulder.
Mirabelle felt her blood run cold when her scrambling brain managed to translate his meaning. She slowly turned to find that the worst levels of humiliation she'd been fighting so hard to avoid, had now been fully realized! As Freddy himself was currently standing behind her in the open doorway, his mouth slightly agape in surprise.
No one said anything for an excruciatingly long time, in which Mirabelle felt like she was going to absolutely explode! Never in her entire life had she wished more than this moment, that the floor would just open up and swallow her whole! Until finally, Freddy broke the silence.
"Mira, did – did I just hear you say that, you – love – me?" he asked, sounding about as shocked as he looked.
Yep, that was it. Mirabelle officially wanted to die! It gave her half a mind to go track Monty or Roxy down and tell them that she surrendered, and they could have her!
"Freddy – I. . ." she trailed.
What was she even supposed to say at this point? That she really was that pathetic? There was so much heat in her face right now that she was starting to get concerned that she might pass out from all the excess blood rushing to her cheeks instead of her brain!
The silence was suddenly broken again, but this time by Vanessa bursting into the room in a rush.
"Come on, kids. We gotta move. Looks like our mysterious foe has rallied his army! A bunch of the missing S.T.A.F.F. bots have figured out we're here and are headed this way! It isn't safe anymore," she told them.
Mirabelle had never been so happy to hear about the threat of impending doom! And she began to rush out the door after Vanessa without a second thought, the others following closely after. Even so, she could still feel the intense gaze of Freddy's optics practically burning a hole in the back of her head, and she knew that this whole mess was far from over!
Ladies and gentlemen, things are coming to a head! :D Anyway, until the next time, Bye Bye!