AUTHOR'S NOTE: MADE EDITS TO CHAPTER 6, changing some details as some of it made no sense. Feel Free to Re-read.
Location: Pizzaplex VIP Area
Time: 8:32pm
After making it out of the cramped vents, Gregory ended up in the VIP area where, during the day, Very Special Guests would wait in long lines to interact and take pictures with their favourite animatronics. Most of them were now cooped up in their rooms.
Gregory walked downwards to try find Freddy's room, while also occasionally sneaking a peek at the rooms of the other animatronics (which all had large glass panes) as he snuck by them.
In the first room full of pink curtains, he saw Chica who was shredding her Guitar with her eyes shut and without a care in her pastel pink world.
CRASH. CLANG. CRASH.
The sudden noise drew Gregory's attention. In the next room, Monty Gator's room, loud banging and crashing noises emerged from within and his window was completely shut. On its pane, a bunch of "Caution", "Off Limits" and "Keep Out" signs were plastered on it.
Something tells me that animatronic has anger issues behind the scenes. Gregory thinks, I wouldn't want to encounter him.
He quickly goes by that one and then, saw Roxanne Wolf talking very haughtily (and loudly) to herself in front of the mirror within her purple room, stroking her fake but luscious hair as she did so.
"Your performance was perfect tonight. Your hair is beautiful. Your tail is beautiful. Everyone was watching you. Everyone loves you. Everyone wants to be you." The Wolf madly praised her reflection, "You are the best."
"Thank you." she bows and carries on talking, "I am the best. I am the best..."
"I am at my very best this morning". The well-dressed Founder in the bathroom mirror reassures himself and straightens his violet tie. "Today will be a another great day."
There's a loud CRASH in the background and what follows is the sound of a boy crying.
"Dammit Mike," he slams the sink counter, "what the fuck did you do now?"
"Ugh..." Gregory rolled his eyes at having to experience yet another one of William's memories. How many more of these was he supposed to see?
At last, Gregory comes upon the familiar curtains of Freddy's room and tries to open the orange door right beside the Glass Pane. It didn't budge.
"Freddy," Gregory whispers into his Fazwatch, "your stupid door won't open."
"Oh? You are going to need a Photo Pass to open the door. Apologies, I assumed you had one already. You should be able to find one at the convenience counter."
"Where would that be?" asked Gregory.
"Just behind you. Walk straight and then turn left. There should be one free photo pass in one of the drawers there." Freddy instructs him.
Gregory walked to that location Freddy pointed out and, just as Freddy said, there it was: A Free Photopass just lying under a large sign with Freddy in some kind of space suit.
Gregory raises an eyebrow, How convenient.
The then returns to Freddy's room and opens the door with the new pass.
"Way to go Superstar." he exclaims joyfully, "I knew you could do it."
Freddy then steps out his bedroom, kneeling in front of the boy. The moment Freddy bent down, Gregory immediately noticed something strange. There were two men in Freddy's room who were whispering behind the Giant Bear, both of them having distinct features: One of them was a younger man with a weird haircut and a striped purple shirt while the other was an older man with flat dark hair and a velvet jacket.
Who were those men? And why didn't Gregory notice their presence in the room before?!
"Freddy? Who are they?"
"They?"
"The two people behind you." Gregory pointed behind Freddy.
"Where?" Freddy looked behind.
Huh?
Just as suddenly as they appeared, they had suddenly vanished from sight. Were those men just hallucinations? Had William's memories trickled into his mind again for a brief second causing him to see unfamiliar figures again?
"Sorry...maybe I imagined it." Gregory apologises.
"It's alright...Anyway, while you were out there, I figured out where we could go. We have to move quickly though," Freddy looks left and right, "If I am spotted, I will certainly be taken back to this room".
His stomach hatch automatically opens, showing his cold, hollow insides.
"Hurry, climb back into my chest cavity".
Gregory hears the audible sound of the Springlocks going off again in his head, the phantom pain of needles being forcefully pushed into his skin, the muffled, dying screams of children as they are forced into metal compartments...
"Gregory, what's the matter?" Freddy asks concerned, "You look terrified and I can sense that your anxiety levels are spiking."
"It's nothing." Gregory shakes his head trying to rid himself of his worried expression and bad memories of the former life he had, "just...please be careful moving around. I don't want to be crushed and twisted into a meat pretzel".
"Odd request but...noted. I'll be very careful with you Gregory".
Location: Utility Tunnels
Time: 8:45pm
While Freddy walked to whatever location he was bringing them to, Gregory had closed his eyes to prevent himself from having another panic attack or bad memory. At some point, he noticed Freddy had stopped climbing stairs and they were now on some pathway of sorts as the metal chamber rocked about less.
"Freddy, where are we now?"
"Floor B3. In the utility tunnels under the Pizzaplex. They connect to all the attractions".
"So we can go anywhere in the building?" Will questioned as he wondered if this is was how Vanny also travelled around.
"Correct. Fazerblast, Monty Golf, Roxy Raceway. They are all accessible to staff with high enough clearance of course. Guests are never allowed down here but yours is a...special situation".
"Hello. Little boy." A voice shouts from far away, "If you're down here, say something!"
"She's here." Gregory whispers to Freddy from within, "We have to hide!"
"Do not worry Gregory. She's far away and even if we are spotted, you are safe with me. She would never suspect we are travelling together but you are right, we should still do out best to avoid her."
Freddy then decides to take an alternate but longer route to try avoid Vanessa. However, midway into walking within the alternate route, Freddy suddenly hears Gregory talk about something odd.
"Henry." Gregory mutters in his sleep, "Henry where are you?!"
"Gregory?" Freddy stops, "Gregory are you alright?"
"Don't leave me".
"GREGORY!"
Gregory jolts awake, feeling a slight headache again. "Huh?"
"Gregory, I feel you are anxious or broken in some way".
"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I just...fell asleep for a bit".
Gregory was seemingly unaware that he had been talking in his sleep.
"No. I feel that something is wrong with you. Both mentally and physically. I'm taking you to a first aid station."
"No, No I'm fine." Gregory protests.
Freddy ignores him and runs quickly, taking yet another path until he reaches a first aid station: A cubicle with red curtains. He opens his stomach hatch.
"Where are we now?" Gregory asks as he gets out.
"You can find some antiseptic, plasters and bandages in there." Freddy tells him simply.
"I don't need any of that."
"You might need some of it for later." Freddy helpfully suggested.
"Good point."
Gregory went into the cubicle to see what he needed, grabbing a few items from inside.
"Little Boy?" A voice suddenly calls, "Gregory?"
The second word, Gregory could hear, was now much nearer than the first one and so, he quickly shuts the red curtains and sits quietly inside the cubicle. Meanwhile outside, Freddy has already shut his hatch and of course, she spotted the Giant bear in the hallway.
"Freddy! What are you doing here?! You're supposed to be on lockdown for the night." Vanessa's voice spoke with an aggravated tone.
"O-Officer Vanessa, I do not know how I got here." Freddy lied.
"Well you totally blew it earlier you know? Your system crashed and you ruined the show. It's why Parts and Service have placed you on reduced power. They say it's a safety precaution. Just one more thing to deal with..."
"I apologise." Freddy lowers his head.
"Other than that," Vanessa huffed, "did you notice some kid sneaking around backstage or in the VIP area by any chance?"
"No." Freddy shook his mechanical head.
"I saw a boy in the VIP area while I was gazing the cameras in my office earlier and well, after doing some research on the Security cams and Fazbear database, I realised something was off. That kid isn't who he appears to be. He's wearing the green wristband of a kid called "Gregory Miller" but he's not Gregory Miller at all! Their Face IDs didn't match up".
"Can you believe this?" she sighed, "I got careless...and now, for some reason, he's either stuck in or has snuck into the Mall during after hours. You sure you didn't see any one?"
"Not at all".
"If you see anything, notify me immediately. I already alerted the others. Now go back to your room."
With that, Vanessa leaves, going past Freddy and up the stairs. Once Gregory no longer hears her footsteps, he opens the curtain. His pockets now had a bandage roll and three plasters.
"It's like I told you, she's after me." Gregory told Freddy.
"I said nothing. I will keep you safe." The Giant Bear opens his hatch again, "Let's go."
The Giant Bear and the Boy venture further into the dimly lit corridors of the utility tunnels.
"So Freddy, you aren't going to ask me anything about what that woman said earlier?" Gregory breaks the silence.
"Not really. She seemed concerned about you but since you really don't want to be found by her, I'll make sure you stay hidden".
There is silence again before Freddy brought up something Gregory wasn't anticipating, "I do have one question though: Who is Henry?"
"Henry?" Gregory said perplexed. He'd never heard that name before at all.
"You were mumbling about him in your sleep. That's why I woke you up earlier."
"Ah... Erm." Gregory had to come up with something quickly, "He's a friend of mine. We go to...school together."
Once again, Freddy abruptly halted and so did their conversation as Freddy once again opened his hatch.
"Sorry Gregory, I'd like to ask you more about Henry and continue walking with you but I have to go for now. I'm afraid that the recharge cycle hadn't completed when I found you and I need to get into that charging station." Freddy gestures right to the capsule ahead with the lighting print inside.
"Are you serious?" Gregory groaned.
"I'm terribly sorry...When I'm done fully charging, I will return to you but in the meantime, I will keep guiding you on your Fazwatch if you get into any trouble".
With one hand, Freddy pats him on the shoulder.
"Be brave Superstar. Keep moving and don't draw any attention to yourself. ".
With that Freddy enters the capsule and temporarily goes into a sort of 'hibernation mode' to recharge, leaving Gregory alone again (but only for a while).
CHAPTER 7 END
Next Chapter: Don't Draw Any Attention to Yourself