Mable: So, due to various circumstances, I didn't make the posting yesterday. Though I'm glad I didn't, because there was a lot I ended up fixing in the time I had. So, turns out it was a good thing! Enjoy!
Almost Feels Like Home
Chapter Nineteen
It became clear quickly that Charlie didn't know where to go next. The most obvious option was to go home, but she didn't want to steal the van again that night. Then other option was to call Fritz, but then that would mean having to wake him up. No doubt he was asleep with how late it was. So, for a short while she just continued sitting in the van waiting for the solution to spontaneously come to her. Eventually she broke down and accepted that the only option was to try and call Fritz, which meant going back into the warehouse and possibly confronting Baby. How unfortunate.
Thus, she let herself back into the warehouse. Thankfully, the door was left unlocked and Baby was nowhere to be seen, so Charlie was able to easily slip into the office and get to the phone. She brought out the slip of paper with numbers and then tapped Fritz's into the phone. She then waited for him to pick up before it was suddenly cut off by voicemail.
"What?" She tried again to the same result. "He turned his phone off?! But-…" Then she saw what time it was. Of course, Fritz turned his phone off with it being so late in the night. She wearily dropped into the office chair to relax her wobbly legs. "What now? I can't just drive myself back… I mean, maybe, but then I'll have the van stuck over there and… Maybe someone else is awake?" Charlie looked at the next number on the list, belonging to someone named Jeremy. Though her gaze then dropped down to the third name, Scott. She vaguely remembered someone named Scott from somewhere. Perhaps from her father's old tapes.
Without considering it a moment longer, Charlie dialed the number and waited for an answer. It rung, then rung, and on the third ring she was certain he wouldn't answer. Then, suddenly, the phone was picked up and a voice came on.
"Hello? Hello, hello?"
Charlie's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She knew that voice from somewhere. Without a moment to hesitate, she forced her voice out and tried to sound normal. "Uh, yeah. Hello… You don't know who I am, but I got your number from… Mike and Mari?" She tested the water as carefully as she could. "I'm Charlie."
"Oh hey! Uh, a little late to be calling, isn't it? It's got to be… Oh, wait! That's not as late as I thought," the man rambled with a quiet chuckle. "I remember you… From, uh, the news."
"Oh, right…" Of course, she would be on the news. Charlie felt a low ringing trying to grow and patted her chest to somehow stop it. "I'm sorry, but I've had a long night and I'm in sort of a jam. I'm at the warehouse and I… I don't know if Mari told you, but I'm not exactly… You saw the news. You probably know that I'm not… Human." It all felt so uncomfortable to say.
"No, I know. It's- I know all about that. I've had intimate experience with all of that," the man explained. Before she could continue with her point, he interrupted her continued efforts. "You, uh… You said you were in the warehouse?... With her?"
"You mean Baby? Yeah, I'm with her… Or I was. It's a long story." Charlie rubbed her mask and waited for him to continue, but he said nothing, so she did so. "Baby called me over here saying that she wanted to be friends, but it was really so that I could drive her somewhere, and now I'm stuck here." She gave a weary exhale and added under her breath, "All so that she could eat Chica."
"Heh, friends. Yeah, Baby doesn't make friends. Baby just likes to have people who do what she says," the man remarked. Then he gave the slightest snicker, "Let me guess, she spent the whole time making threats and talking about ice cream, and kids, and party stuff?" He certainly sounded like he knew her from that description alone. "Good old Baby. Predictable… Wait, she ate Chica?"
"She tore Chica to pieces and started eating the wires from inside of her, right in front of me," Charlie bitterly recounted. She kept an eye on the door to make sure Baby wasn't listening. Though considering Baby's unabashed bluntness, she had a feeling that the clown wouldn't care. "And then there was this thing that called itself the Music Man-."
"Oh, Funtime Chica! Yeah, that explains it." She couldn't tell if it was just her imagination or not, but the man's voice was starting to sound a touch higher in pitch than it had a few moments beforehand. "Most of the Funtimes have interchangeable wires, so if one broke down you'd just… scoop out the insides of the other and put it inside. Fixes it right up!"
"By eating them," Charlie clarified doubtfully.
"It works for some of them. I didn't know Baby needed to do it… But she's never been all there." A touch of bitterness entered his voice. "…Don't feel bad about falling for it. Baby's the great pretender. She gets a lot of people to do what she wants through lies and threats." This almost made her feel a little better. Maybe he did understand.
"That's actually why I was calling. Fritz dropped me off here earlier and isn't answering his phone, and I'd rather not spend my night with Baby after all of this. I was hoping that maybe you could come pick me up?" Charlie asked.
"I wish I could, but I can't drive. Can't Mike pick you up?" the man casually asked. He then immediately back peddled. "I mean, I can't drive this late. Of course I can drive. I just… Am not allowed to drive this late because of my leg."
"You can't drive?" Charlie asked in confusion. Something all seemed suspicious about this, and not just because the man continued to jump back and forth between playful casualness and stuttering anxiousness. "But Mari gave me your number-."
"Hold on, my cats just got out and I have to go get them!" the man suddenly blurted out. "Sorry, I have to go!" All at once, the call ended.
"No, wait!... Hello? Scott?" But the call was over, and the man was long gone. Charlie rubbed over her face again and tried to call Fritz once more, only to again find the phone off. She was running out of options. If Jeremy didn't answer and wasn't willing to help, then she would either have to sleep in the warehouse or drive herself home in the van. "Please let him answer..." After a few rings, someone picked up on the other side.
"Hello?" This voice was much more tired sounding than Scott had been, as though he had just woken up. Now she was much more versed in speaking and much more desperate.
"It's Charlie. I know we haven't met, but I need your help. Fritz has his phone off, Scott can't drive, and I'm stuck at a warehouse," she rambled out. Then she realized how abrasive that sounded. "I'm sorry if this is all really sudden, but I've just had a terrible night and I'm a little overwhelmed."
"Charlie?!" There was a shuffling as the man seemed to sit upwards. "Yeah, uh, sure! I'll be right there, just give me a second to get dressed." He was fumbling around from what she could hear on the floor. "How did you get to the warehouse? I thought Mike was camping?"
"He is, Mari too. Fritz drove me over earlier and I… I didn't think I'd be getting back this late. It's a long story and I come off like the most gullible person ever in it." Now the ringing, low and drawn out, managed to make it through her chest. "I'm just… I got myself into this situation and I can't get myself out of it alone." The defeat in her voice was evident as she slouched in the chair. Just thinking of the mess she had gotten herself into made her feel foolish Especially when it involved falling for a plan concocted by Baby, who was so smug about it.
"Don't worry, I'll be there in about five minutes. Ten at longest. Just hang tight," Jeremy assured before ending the call. Now Charlie would just have to wait.
Slowly she hung up the phone and stood from the office chair before putting the paper back in her pocket. She then made her way back to the door, ignoring how weary her legs were starting to become. She had no doubt that they weren't built for what she was putting them through, but hopefully they would get stronger, even if it didn't logically make sense. She could hear Baby moving boxes far on the other side of the warehouse and decided to slip out without her hearing.
It only took a little while before a car drove up into the parking lot and a man got out. Charlie recognized him from the pizzeria and waited until he got closer to the warehouse door, then opened the van door. "I'm here."
Jeremy jolted and sputtered briefly before looking over. "You scared me! I didn't think- Oh…" This was the first time he had seen Charlie since her transformation, and the first time he had seen the knock-off Puppet. It was jarring to see what she had become, but he was able to recover rather quickly. "I didn't think you'd be in the van," he quickly excused as he approached. "What happened? Fritz forgot to come pick you up?... Wait, why were you here anyway? There's not really, uh…" He decided not to finish whatever statement he had on Baby. More than likely, she would hear whatever he said.
"I'll explain in the car," Charlie murmured as she stepped out. She swayed slightly, and Jeremy reached for her, but she declined him with a raise of the hand. "I'm okay. Just a little tired, but I'll make it on my own." With that, she hobbled to the car and climbed into the backseat. Jeremy got into the driver's seat and looked back attentively, as though he was expecting the conversation. She didn't really want to relive it and yet did so. "Baby called me earlier saying she wanted to make up for a bad first impression and wanted to be friends."
Jeremy made a hissing noise in response. Charlie stared at him, falling silent, and he noticed. "…Sorry, kneejerk reaction. Go ahead."
"Did everyone know Baby was a compulsive manipulator except me?" Charlie asked in befuddlement. "Was I the only stooge who fell for it?"
"No! No, no. She… We got a track record with Baby… Or Ennard, I guess. He pretended to be her for a while… But they're both very convincing. I wish I could cover it all up that well," Jeremy admitted as he fooled with the keys. "So, she got you over here and she… She… She didn't do anything to you right?" Charlie could only assume that he meant something along the lines of eating her- especially since Funtime animatronics apparently had wires and Baby continuously mentioned that she though the Security Puppet was a Funtime character.
"It depends on if you count fooling me into driving her out to a mall her doing something to me. We broke in, we were attacked by a musical spider, and-!..." She cut off as realization sunk in. She dropped her head into her hands and vented without context. "And what's worse is that Baby was right. I'm not living anymore, I'm waiting for life to go back to normal, but it never will." Jeremy was silent as he listened to her. "I'm just waiting to become human again even though my body is already buried and gone."
"…I know you probably want to go home, but I… I think there's someone you should talk to," Jeremy suggested quietly. Charlie seemed hesitant as she looked to him wearily. "I don't know if it'll help right away, but I really think you should give it a chance. It might help you feel a little better."
"I'm just not sure what I'm doing," Charlie quietly admitted. "I'm trying to get myself together, but I can't stop thinking 'is this as good as it's going to get'? It scares me to think that I won't even be able to walk straight again… And what Baby said, she's right. I'm hiding from it. I might've went to the warehouse, but other than that I'm stuck at home, waiting for something to eventually happen. Waiting for someone to tell me that my body's back from the shop and that I just have to slip back inside. Ignoring that this is my body now…" She looked over to her confidant. "Does it get any easier?"
"Aye, Lass. It does," Foxy assured. He sat on the stage beside her, yellow eyes on the ground and eyepatch raised, and a somber tone replacing the usually boisterous one. "It takes a while, but it does get easier. It helps if ya don't hide from it. The longer ya keep it all bottled up, tryin' not to think about it, the longer you've got until ya can live with it. Cause ya gotta confront it if ya want to handle it."
"Did you hide from it too?" Charlie asked.
"Aye. The years I spent pretendin' I wasn't ever human. Pretendin' I was me own being and that the soul in me was some sorta battery. So many wasted years… Cause I needed to come out and face it, and the longer I waited the more I put it off, and believe me this, it don't make it go any easier." He shook his head dejectedly. "I'm on the right road now, but I still gotta lot of stuff to get worked out." He then straightened and brightened a bit, "And as fer Baby, don't let her get to ya. Baby doesn't even remember who she was, so she ain't a good judge 'o character. None of us has it all together."
"Mari seems like he has it together," Charlie tentatively suggested.
"He's got it together better than us. It's cause of this thing with Mike, it's good with him…" He then looked to her and lowered his voice, growing more casual. "You've figured out about the… Ya know, what they've been doing?"
"About them? Yeah, I figured it out." They both sounded equally embarrassed, but then Foxy perked back up.
"See? Yer plenty observant! That be good fer one of our kind!" He then laughed pleasantly for a few moments before quieting down. "But Mari's got his own- forgive me fer this- cross to bear. We all got 'em. It's a matter of learnin' to live with 'em. I know ya just started, but I think yer doin' good."
"I was almost taken hostage by a singing spider," Charlie pointed out doubtfully.
"Yeah, but ya didn't come back with 'im, so ya got yer head in the right place. If'n it was Jer'my, he would've brought it home and kept it in his house," Foxy remarked with a shudder. "He already be housin' a pizzeria's worth of anima-tykes. He'd make it an even ten." He looked over towards the arcade where Jeremy was passing the time by playing Sit 'n Survive. "Wouldn't ya, Lad?"
"Uh… Depends on how big it is. Until I move, I can fit anything bigger than an actual spider," Jeremy called back, his eyes still locked on the screen of the cabinet. He then muttered, "Why are there so many mosquitoes…?"
"But does it ever feel… Normal?" Charlie asked. She changed the subject back to a more appropriate one. "It feels like doing everything is a struggle in this body."
"That'll clear up," Foxy reassured. He reached out and put an arm around her shoulders, unafraid of making the gesture. He then showed her his hook. "Ya better believe it was hard getting' used to this thing, but now it be more familiar than me old hand! It be like ridin' a bike: once ya stop worrying 'bout falling it'll all go a lot quicker." This made sense and she nodded in agreement. "Now lemme teach you the tricks o' the trade. To the kitchen! There be leftover cake that ain't gonna dispose of itself." As confused as she was at this, Charlie followed with him.
Foxy was a lot like Baby but in completely contrasting ways. They seemed so comfortable and confident in their forms but used it differently. Baby risked her life to go on perilous quests for wires while Foxy walked into the kitchen and randomly ate sweets, caring little of the possibility of staining his suit. She almost felt disassociated from it until she was offered one of the cupcakes and pressed it against her mouth. As expected, it didn't have anywhere to go, but she tasted and smelt a faint sweetness. After that she paid much closer attention.
Foxy taught her little things. He showed her how he presented himself to the audience, he showed her the television in the hall closet, he made it very clear that he and Jeremy were close- even as Jeremy was chasing him around trying to clean him- and at first the Security Puppet didn't understand. Slowly she started to realize what it was that Foxy was doing: he was showing her how he coped with it all. This was how he lived as an animatronic and, from how he showed it off, it was clear that he wasn't ashamed… Even when Jeremy was chasing him around with a package of cleaning wipes.
She warmed up to it, and she warmed up to Foxy. Even through the character she started seeing the human.
If he could find happiness in his body, then maybe she could in hers.
When Jeremy dropped her off at the house he escorted her inside. She unlocked the door with the spare key and tiredly collapsed on the back of the couch. He sent her a half-amused and half-sympathetic look.
"Yeah, that's about how I feel after a night with Captain Foxy. He gets his second wind after midnight," he joked. Then he glanced to the clock. "Uh… You want me to stick around? I could sleep in one of the bedrooms."
"You don't have to. I think I'm just going to sleep, so I won't be going anywhere else," Charlie assured him. She forced her reluctant body to push herself back up and faced the man. "Thank you for everything. You got me out of a tight situation tonight… In more ways than one." Her smile finally felt real and Jeremy exchanged one back.
"No problem! If you ever need me, you got my number. A-And don't feel guilty calling; Foxy does it whenever, even when he doesn't really need anything. Just as long as it's not too close to morning on a day that I have to get up for work." With that, Jeremy said his goodbyes and headed out the front door.
Once the door was locked and she was alone, Charlie felt her body start to give out once again. She was physically exhausted, and she staggered towards the hallway. Her time with Foxy might've made her feel better, but even it couldn't erase the toll of the day. She was only partly down the hall when she noticed Marionette's door cracked open. She hadn't been in there, but she knew that there was a bed inside, and she considered collapsing on it instead of continuing to her own.
"He did say I could use his bed… We can just pretend he meant this one. It's not as though he uses it that much anyway." Charlie pushed open the bedroom down and flicked on the lamp. It was at that moment that her gaze fell on something on the other side of the room, something she hadn't expected to see…
Mike wasn't too surprised to wake up and immediately feel the effects of last night in his legs. Regardless of his frequent running, his body handled the hike the same way it handled a trip to ARI: by immediately feeling like it had been bludgeoned by animatronics. He could work through it though. Or he thought he could until he remembered that they were out in the middle of a park and that there wasn't any immediate coffee. He hadn't even brought the instant, which he would've been relatively happy to eat straight if it meant sudden caffeine.
The tent was growing stuffy and so Mike decided to escape it and hopefully say his goodbyes. Leaving Marionette in the safety of the tent, he pulled on his shirt, unzipped the tent, and went to leave. As soon as he started out, he heard a call from nearby.
"Oh, Dude, there you are!" It was obviously Dude Guy calling out. He paused a minute and then choked out. "Dude, it's totally you! I can't believe it, this is so weird!"
"Yeah, I know, right?" Mike said with sarcasm dripping off his voice. "Who thought I'd be staying in my own tent? It blows your mind." He smirked to himself and started to climb out, only to have a newspaper nearly shoved into his face.
"This is you, right?!" Dude Guy asked in shock as he pointed as a picture. Indeed, there were the same two pictures from the other newspaper; one of Dave and one of Mike himself.
"I thought I burned that thing." The security guard clenched his teeth as he tried to keep his look devoid of guilt. "Yeah… That's me," he admitted with a sigh. Instantly the others, who were standing and sitting around, all got looks of shock. Apparently, they too had been talking about the newspaper. "It's obviously me, no denying that. How'd you get ahold of that?"
"There's a newspaper stand down by the bathrooms," Tiffany explained. She looked positively shocked by the news, so he could only assume that she, along with the others, hadn't believed it even when it was obvious from the look and the name. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"
"That's not something that comes up easily in conversations," he excused. This clearly wouldn't be enough from how they were staring, so Mike decided to go with the easier version of the truth. "Look, I just was trying to get away from some things- specifically that thing- and if I mentioned it then I would've been stuck dealing with it again."
"It all makes sense now…" Dude Guy's voice went dead serious as he looked at the pictures in the newspaper and scanned over some of the print. Then his head snapped upwards and revealed a look of horror. "That thing Nathan saw last night-!" He cut off with a gasp and Mike held his breath. "-Was the ghost of this guy! Mike, you're really being haunted right now!" And the security guard released the breath.
"That is the most insane-." Actually, if Marionette was a human soul in a puppet body, then perhaps he was technically being haunted. Though this wasn't the time to get distracted on details. Instead, this was the time to thank everything that nobody was asking serious questions, if the others' groans and eye rolls were any indication. "…Okay, that's a reasonable guess, but I still stand by last night being a trick of the light."
"I don't know what it was, but it wasn't the ghost of that guy," Nathan pointed out. "The thing didn't look anything like a guy. It was thin and long… Now that I think about it, maybe it was a shadow." All at once his nerve dropped. Perhaps Dude Guy's outburst made him second guess his own theorizing. It was now that Tiffany changed the conversation back.
"I think I understand. I… It's shocking, the stuff in that paper, but it makes sense. That's what we're all doing here, right? Trying to get away from things?" She looked to the others and received a round of agreement. This was a relief, even if it was obvious from her tone that she was holding back. That was the positive side of the group. Their naiveté and niceness caused them to hold back. They resisted asking questions for the moment, but he had no doubt they would resurface if they managed to get him alone again. "We're going to go hike the Narrows. You want to come along?"
"…Nah, I need to get my things in order," Mike excused. He averted his gaze as he ran a hand through his hair. "Probably going to wake up and everything. You guys go on ahead, okay?"
"I don't know if that's a good idea if you could be being haunted by this guy," Dude Guy said as he pointed down at the picture. Mike sent him an exasperated look. Dude Guy raised his hands in defense. "Just saying! Guess it's better in the day then at night." He smacked the other on the back. "Catch you later, alright?"
"Yeah, sure." But Mike didn't intend to stick around. Not because of them, even though the entire event had left him feeling like he stuck out. He really did need to leave and questions of why would lead to his job, then to Foxy's, if the newspaper hadn't already. Cutting ties quickly was easiest. It took them a few minutes to leave and during that time Mike decided not to give any indication of his plan on leaving. He watched them walk out of the camp with the slight guilt in knowing that they would come back to find him gone. They would understand; they were nice.
"A second close call." With them disappearing past the trees and boulders, Marionette came forth and stopped beside Mike. "We're very fortunate about all of this…" He glanced to Mike slowly. "But what are the chances of them researching Foxy's and somehow identifying me?"
"It's not going to happen," Mike reassured. "No. Once the head back home, they're not going to think of me ever again… Unless I pop up on the news again. Let's hope not." He was surprised at how somber he sounded as he turned to lean down and grab the things out of the tent.
The Puppet turned to look at him, equally surprised at his lack of enthusiasm. "You sound disappointed."
"I'm not. Trust me, I don't want them dropping into Foxy's unannounced one day," the human insisted as he dragged the cooler out. "That's all I wanted: a few people to hang out with for a couple of days, no questions asked, and not have to get stuck in any awkward situations…" As he drug out the sleeping bag and rolled it up, Mike fell silent. It wasn't until he stood with the bag under one arm and the cooler in the other that he continued. "…But… I'm glad we came. Even if it didn't turn out how we expected, I'm glad we went through with this." He sent the Puppet a warm smile.
Marionette could feel a joyous trill building in his chest; like dozens of bubbles popping deep inside. "I am too. Honestly, I think this was better than I imagined it would be. Much more satisfying than sitting in the backyard in a tent." As Mike turned to take the things to the car, he moved in quickly to lay a hand on his arm. "Hey," he quietly added in. "I don't want to burst your bubble, but they aren't going to forget you as easily as you think. You're quite memorable, Mr. Schmidt."
"I don't know whether that's a compliment or a warning," Mike quipped back. Though it was clear that even beyond the crack and the amused smile, there was something else there. A silent thankfulness. Mike wouldn't say that he wanted to be remember, nor outright say that he appreciated the assurances, but that was fine. Marionette knew they were there.
Mike finished packing their things as the Puppet took out the camera. He waited until the human was free before addressing him again. "Let me get one last picture of you."
The human raised a brow in questioning. "Where? In front of the group of tents or standing over the fire pit?" Mike asked with amused sarcasm.
"Half up the tree with a bottle of water in one hand and a rock in the other, looking in a south-eastern direction and with a look between 'why am I here' and 'I was born to be here'," Marionette recited back. He then beckoned the other in and pointed downwards. "Just stand in front of the pit. If I angle it just right I think I can get the mountains behind you."
"I'm willing to give the 'I don't want to be here' look, but I draw the line at showing any sort of enjoyment. It'll destroy my image as a pessimist," Mike said as he did as instructed and stood in front of the dead fire. He gave a quick glance to make sure the coast was clear while the Puppet fidgeted to find a good shot. Eventually he lowered himself down for an upward angle. "What now?"
"Just think about last night," Marionette suggested.
"What part of last night?" Mike asked with a slowly spreading smirk. The striped one gave a low chiming.
"Whatever part got your blood pumping the most," he tempted with a trill.
"I think we both know when that was…" Mike murmured. "…When I dropped the flashlight halfway down and it immediately made a break for the edge of the cliff." The Puppet broke into carefree laughter barely recovered as he snapped a photo.
That punctuated the last moment of their camping adventure: somewhat confused, slightly awkward, but they were happy.
Driving home was uneventful, which was arguably a good thing since Marionette was out in broad daylight. He only moved into the backseat once they got back into town. Once home, the animatronic teleported into the house, letting Mike bring in the cooler as he searched out Charlie. He did a quick scan of the living room before heading down the hallway, noticing his own bedroom door left open but ignoring it for the moment. But Charlie was not in her bedroom or the master either and he was beginning to grow the slightest bit concerned.
It was on the way back down the hall that he noticed his bedroom door again and let himself in. Immediately something was amiss, if the small group of plushies sitting on the bed was any indication. He approached the box and lifted the lid, gawked in surprise, and then promptly rushed back out of the room and into the kitchen.
"Mike!" Marionette grabbed the human's arm excitedly. "Charlie's in my box!" The man clearly didn't understand the significance of this from the slightly confused look he got. "She willingly climbed in by herself."
"I sure hope so. I'd hate to think that you locked her up in there before we left," Mike quipped with an amused smirk. The Puppet made an eye rolling gesture and shook his arm.
"I don't think you understand how wonderful this is. She must've felt comfortable enough to embrace that part of her programming. That's a wonderful step!" He excitedly clasped his hands together. "I mean, programming isn't in and of itself a good thing, somewhat neutral, but perhaps she's a little more secure in her body… You know what I mean." He gave a carefree laugh. "And to think I was so worried about leaving her!" Indeed, he couldn't help but be bubbly about the revelation. Yet his excitement slightly changed focus when he looked to the stove and then back to Mike. "…Would you like a real breakfast?"
"What, two pieces of jerky and a granola bar aren't enough?" Mike cheekily asked in return.
"I'm making you brunch. You can even be my helper to make up for trying to throw yourself down a cliff so many times," Marionette playfully added. So that was the plan. A semi-normal breakfast after a night risking being spotted and the day before trying to return to the pizzeria.
All was going well until they were interrupted only a little while later by a knock at the door. Marionette perked, dropped the potatoes he was cutting into the frying pan that Mike was heating, and went to answer it. "Who's there?" he called through, mimicking Mike's voice in the concern that somehow the group of friends had followed them. This turned out to not be the case.
"It's just me!" Jeremy. Marionette opened the door and let him inside before closing it behind him. "I came by to see if Charlie was doing better. I didn't know you guys were home."
"I certainly imagine she's doing better!" Marionette chirped with his usual smile. "She slept in my box last night. She's never been so comfortable with animatronic things!"
"Really? That's great! I was worried after how she was when I picked her up from the warehouse," Jeremy pointed out. He then gave a proud smile. "I guess Foxy really did help. He does that sometimes; he has his moments when he wants to."
Still smiling, Marionette hesitated and then cocked his head questioningly. "Charlie was at the warehouse?"
"Uh… Yeah." Only now did Jeremy realize that he might've said more than he needed to. "Fritz must've fallen asleep and wasn't answering his phone, and Scott… Couldn't drive? I don't know. Maybe he had taken his medicine or something. So, she called me to come pick her up. She wasn't really… She had a little bit of a disagreement with Baby, but she talked with Foxy and he really helped her feel better. Foxy's got the magic voice."
"Maybe he can use that magic voice to explain why anyone would willingly go hang out with Baby," Mike remarked as he started frying the potatoes. Jeremy wandered over to him as Mike started to crack open a few eggs into the pan. "Or how she even got over there. Throw these out?" He offered the shells to Jeremy, who willingly did so.
"I don't really know. I think Fritz drove her over there, but I only guessed that from… Did Marionette leave?" Jeremy asked in confusion as he looked back to now see that the Puppet was missing.
"Yeah. Mostly likely went to go interrogate Foxy," Mike nonchalantly remarked. Jeremy winced at the comment.
"I guess I shouldn't have said anything… Or maybe I should've. Last night sounded more than a little…" He cleared his throat and leaned on the counter. "Anyway, how was camping?"
"Subtle, Jere."
Mike's prediction was correct. As soon as Jeremy had turned away, Marionette had dismissed himself to the pizzeria to ask about this alleged 'disagreement'. Largely because he couldn't help but suspect the worst when Baby was involved. He approached Foxy's curtain and looked through the crack. The pirate was sitting against the back wall, slumped down, and seemed to be asleep.
"Foxy?" Marionette quietly coaxed as he opened the curtain. The animatronic made a low mutter and shifted in place. It almost seemed like he hadn't woken up, but then he cracked open an eye and cocked his head backwards.
"Whazzit Marion?" Foxy slurred out. It was clear that he had pulled a long night, but he didn't know if that was because the incident or just Foxy's own planning.
"What happened last night with Charlie?" Marionette inquired. "Not coming over here and talking, but with Baby?"
"She didn't tell ya?" Foxy asked with the vaguest look of confusion. He then flatly added, "Captain Foxy ain't a nark." Marionette returned with his own flat frown and that was what coaxed the pirate to continue. "She didn't want to talk details. Baby called her over to be all friendly and used her fer a ride. She wasn't feelin' up ta given out where they went, but she found another animatronic, so it was prolly a pizzeria."
"That's… Extremely concerning," Marionette murmured lowly. He was certainly glad that Charlie was alright if that was the case, but now he was worried about the bigger picture. Why Baby would want to go somewhere was already curious.
"She called Scott before callin' Jer'my," Foxy pointed out. "Ya might get more for 'im. Just lemme get me sleep. We got a long day tomorrow."
"If Baby was too active then we might not need to worry about opening," Marionette quietly reminded. He then started to draw the curtains closed. "Sleep tight, Foxy." Foxy responded with some sort of dull mutter.
Within moments, Marionette was inside Scott's home. He could instantly hear talking from the office and knew that the Phone Guy was in the middle of the call. It was clear from his tone and somewhat versed wording that he was in the middle of work. Thus, the Puppet intended to wait for him to finish, and let his mind wander. Eventually it went back to Jeremy.
"Maybe I should ask Jeremy. He seemed to know the details, so he might be the one to go to… Wait a moment." He focused in on a single detail. "It was the middle of the night and Scott couldn't drive…" All at once it clicked and he headed straight for the garage. He knocked on the door quickly before letting himself inside. "Ennard, did you-?" He promptly found the light off and flicked it on with an impatient exhale. "Am I the only animatronic awake?" He shut the door and only then noticed the amalgam in the corner of the room, and it was not Ennard.
For some reason, Ennard had used Baby's body and fashioned parts of Ballora's and the Funtime's plates to it. Funtime Freddy's head shell replaced Baby's, one of the arms was replaced with Funtime Foxy's while the other was patched with some of Ballora's pieces, and it looked like someone was trying to actively disconnect Baby's molded skirt. It was all very peculiar. The Puppet approached and tapped on the exterior.
"Ennard, I need to speak to you. It's about Charlie," Marionette explained. There was a shifting noise in the body and he started to open the plates of the chest. Immediately, there was a frantic call from inside.
"Don't open, don't look!" Ennard blurted out in his 'real' voice. The Puppet partially rolled his eyes and continued to slowly open the body.
"Ennard, I've seen you without your mask on. You don't have to-." Marionette peered in at the bundle of wires sunken into the body. "…Pull yourself together on my account."
The clown made an annoyed gurgling noise and shifted in the body. Slowly he started to fix himself together and eventually opened the chest. His wire arms slid out and tightened as they reached over the outer plates, feeling their way around.
"Ya sort of startled me back there! You know what it's like with masks and all." The amalgam chuckles and started to pull himself out of the open chest. He carefully pulled his legs together, but then hesitated and tilted his head. "Charlie? The girl from the news you mean, right?" He gave a high-pitched chortle of laughter before settling into smugness. "Let me guess, you're actually asking about Baby."
"Indeed I am. I think we both know why I would be concerned with Baby's influence. She could convince Charlie to do something dangerous… As she apparently did last night."
"Breaking and entering dangerous? I don't know what you're talking about! It sounds all safe to me!" Ennard playfully responded. He could barely suppress the giggle trying to edge out through his chest. Blue eyes focused down on the Puppet and he lowered his voice, that sort of coy smugness still there. "I wouldn't let Baby around any maps. She might get ideas."
"Ideas about what?" Marionette asked.
"About Chica's Party World. I didn't even know that place was up and running! A Chica themed place?!... Well, I guess not Chica themed anymore…" He chuckled dryly and the wires on his shoulders twitched. "She's gonna have a hard time performing if she's been all scooped out.~"
"Baby raided Chica for parts?" That was much more disturbing than he could've imagined it would be. He suppressed a shudder at the thought. "Did Charlie tell you if Chica was alive or not?"
"Didn't come up, so I guess not, cause she mentioned this spider thing and that guy was definitely alive. It's always the weird ones, ha ha!" This was a relief, even if Ennard's laughter did seem the slightest bit inappropriate. Though Marionette understood it; wire removal had to seem normal to him. "So, Baby got her fill and Charlie got to watch. I don't know if it spooked her, but boy was she angry being lied to! Baby pretended that she wanted to be friends and everything just for a wire replacement. Heh, better Chica than me!"
"But how did they get there? They certainly didn't walk," Marionette pointed out. "And did they say how they got inside the mall without being detected? Considering that they got back in one piece, I'm assuming they weren't caught." All these questions were coming forth, but he was hesitant to directly ask Charlie, and he knew that Baby wouldn't be forthright.
"I don't know how they got in, but I know they used the van to get there. Yeesh, that thing barely gets five feet a gallon. I'm gonna guess that instead of a Sunday Drive, Fritz takes the family out for a Sunday Push," Ennard joked. He then paused for a response and almost seemed disappointed by the lack of one. "Huh, tough crowd."
"Sorry, my mind was somewhere else." Specifically, to the prospect of there being other living animatronics out there. His thoughts went back to the detective's comment on Orville having blood inside of him; there could've been more haunted ones out there. The thought was both exciting and terrifying. "Specifically, that detective getting closer than we need him to."
"Aww, relax! Baby had everything figured out beforehand. That's how she is. She plans, she connives, she pretends, and she lies, and when all else fails she drops everything and splits!" If anyone was pretending, it was Ennard. It was clear that he was laughing and mocking to cover his bitterness towards her. Though considering their past issues this wasn't too surprising. "You worry too much! Charlie's not gonna fall for the same trick twice, right?"
Marionette almost called Ennard out on how naive he was being, but then decided not to when he realized that the clown couldn't be that oblivious. Good old Ennard, faking ignorance as well as Baby faked friendliness. At least he wasn't as desperate for wires as Baby had been.
"You need to lighten up a little! That's what I've been trying to get Scott to do- you two worry too much about all this detective stuff! If they found nothing back whenever, who says they're gonna find something now?" the amalgam asked. "I'm gonna get a laugh out of Scott one of these days!"
"Hmm…" Marionette leaned to the side and looked at what was once Baby's body and was now morphed into something much more unsettling. "You want to see Scott laugh? Invite him to spend the night in your bed." The clown immediately broke into laughter as he looked back as well.
"Ha ha! That's a good one," Ennard complimented. "But I wouldn't put him through that! We fit fine in his bed!" Any humor Marionette had was quickly replaced with a blank stare. Ennard stared back, then continued. "Don't give me that look. When's the last time you slept in your box like a good puppet?"
Marionette hesitated a moment before submitting with a shrug. "You certainly have me there, but we should really discuss the topic at hand." He folded his arms across his chest and angled the conversation back. "Did Charlie tell you that Baby hurt her or did anything to her?"
"Nothing like that. She just was all upset because Baby lied to her and tricked her and got her to drive a van up to a mall, just so she could watch her mangle Funtime Chica." Ennard's voice then lowered again. "But you didn't hear this from me… Or Scott."
"That's fine. Foxy didn't want to be named either. I'll just pretend that I'm some sort of omnipotent being that sees all," Marionette offhandedly remarked. "I should be heading back. Thank you for your help." He intended to teleport out but was stopped.
"Wait! I get one more try for squealing," Ennard broke out. Marionette hesitated and looked to him. "Scott told me to watch how much butter I eat," the clown said. "So now I eat it in front of the bathroom mirror!" There was a pause of silence. "…Would it work better if I was actually eating butter in front of the mirror?"
"To be entirely honest... Yes." He intended to disappear at that moment but stayed longer when hesitation and questioning returned. Ennard was being so forthright. Something seemed odd about that. "You would never break into a pizzeria for parts, would you?"
"Why would I need to?" Ennard chirped in amusement. "I got everything I needed out of the factory! I don't need anything else."
"I hope not, considering that ARI may not be safe for us any longer. If it ever was 'safe'. We can't afford to go back while the investigation is being performed, if it's being performed, even if the likelihood is that they won't find anything," Marionette said in a thinly veiled warning. "But I know that you know that. You're not like Baby; you wouldn't risk your future on a whim."
"Of course, I wouldn't!" Ennard assured. "Besides, I've got plenty of wires! I'm staying put."
"And so will I," Marionette agreed. "Thank you again, Ennard. I have to go, but you can tell Scott I was here… Though feel free to leave out the details that implicate you. I know you probably will." With that final, playful comment, he vanished. This left Ennard standing alone in the garage, left with his thoughts and the memory of the Puppet's warning. He knew that the Puppet was right. He had his fingers to the pulse; he knew what was happening outside of the amalgam's limited reach.
He supposed that meant he wasn't getting Baby's leftovers anytime soon. Shame, he could've used a new set of eyes.
Mable: Just a question, but if, by any chance, there was a Halloween chapter that ended up falling on the week after Halloween, that wouldn't necessarily be too troublesome, would it? Not too… Obvious, right? Just for future reference. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!