Mable: Sorry about the delay, but thank you to the one anonymous reviewer who pointed out that being a few days late on updating will cause me to lose all my readers. -.- I would like to thank my more patient readers for bearing with me. Your support makes it all worth it.
Almost Feels Like Home
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Compared to last time she drove, Charlie was feeling a lot more confident. Compared to the last time he was at Chipper's, Marionette was much less passive. She could tell that he was on edge by how he tapped his fingers and occasionally made that static noise that signaled irritation. He was slid down in the passenger seat with his body half twisted to fit easily into it. It looked rather uncomfortable to Charlie, but he seemed unbothered. Not that her body was bothered by tight spaces either. Even if she wouldn't admit it, she knew by the end of the night she would be looking forward to the safety of a box more than the comfort of a bed.
It didn't take them long to pull into El Chip's. The parking lot was still vacant so if there was any security system then it hadn't gone off. More than likely the animatronics themselves were the closest thing to security. Charlie took the liberty of parking behind the restaurant and Marionette resisted the urge to immediately teleport inside.
"I can come get you when I finish with the Lumber Bot," Marionette offered. He was slightly concerned that she would be unnerved by seeing him attack another animatronic. She seemed disturbed when Baby had done so, but he couldn't forget that she had also eaten an animatronic in front of. That was something taboo and unnerving; thank goodness she and Ennard chose non-sentient animatronics.
Though it was at this moment that he remembered Max's injuries in Afton Robotics and wondered if he had been one of their victims, or the victim of an animatronic spirit now moved on. Some things were better left not thought about.
"No, I'll be fine. I'll stay out of the way, so don't worry about me," Charlie assured as she turned off the van. She looked to the Puppet attentively. "But I'll need you to get me inside again."
Marionette nodded and guided her out of the van and towards the back door. Before he could get there, he noticed the door to the office left open and tilted his head curiously. Maybe this was the window that Mike said he had broken, even if it looked fine from here. He smoothly slid into the window headfirst and then waited for Charlie to follow. It was slightly more difficult for her, if only because she didn't have the luxury of hovering, so he offered a hand and helped her inside. They then looked around at the office.
"Look at this place. Something even broke the door in," Charlie mused as she stepped closer. She stopped when she noticed something broken on the floor and kneeled to get a better look. Marionette was more focused on the door.
"I would say it was more than that. There isn't much of a door left," he pointed out. He looked at the broken pieces of wood and noticed places where something had forcefully cut through. "It looks like it found its axe as well. I can't imagine why someone would willingly give it back to it." Unless they wanted him to use it, he thought begrudgingly. He looked back to the Security Puppet. "What did you find?"
"It looks like a cellphone. Or what used to be one. Doesn't look like Mike's though," Charlie remarked as she stood from the floor.
"I believe him when he said he didn't come inside. Maybe it's Fritz?" It really didn't matter too much, but it did paint a picture of a struggle, which made the Puppet only more determined to find and stop the rabid machine. He checked the hallway, saw and found nothing, and beckoned Charlie along with him. It wasn't until they got out to the dining room that they were able to see further damage from the Lumber Bot and were shocked to see what had taken the damage.
Two of the animatronics from the show- the recolored Chica and the cactus- looked exceptionally broken. The cactus was dragging around a tangle of sparking wires instead of its pot. The pink bird's head hung strangely forward, even as it was still walking around in a circle as though having lost a walking track. None of the others were anywhere to be seen, but Marionette had a suspicion of what could cause this much destruction, and he looked around before settling on the slightly ajar kitchen door.
Charlie jumped at the sudden music from beside her and looked to Marionette questioningly. She recognized the nursery rhyme; if it and his cold look was any indication, he was looking to pop a weasel. Which he was, if not for him glancing over just in time to see Charlie watching. Suddenly he corrected himself. If she saw him fly into an attack to take the Lumber Bot apart, she would think he was a maniac, especially when it would probably take little effort to get the bot shut down. Without a word, he thumped his fist on his chest, stopping the music abruptly and heading for the door.
The Lumber Bot was in clear sight when the Puppet opened the door. It was standing beside a shattered window and staring at it as though waiting for something. Behind it laid Senior Pollo, who twitched and fidgeted like he was trying to get himself upright. There was a large gaping wound in its head that fit the mark of an axe. Seeing it, along with the other broken animatronics, made Marionette only more determined to shut the Lumber Bot down. If they had been living, then this lifeless thing would've maimed them. They could've been innocents just doing their job.
But Marionette kept himself in line as he approached the Lumber Bot. He released his strings once close enough and started trying to latch them onto and slide them into the metal. It would be so simple; shut it down, open it up, and sabotage to the point where it wouldn't be turned on again. It was very simple.
Then, just as his strings started to reach the core, Lumber Bot jolted. Something in its depths seemed to activate at the intrusion and it turned back to face him.
Red lights appeared in its eyes.
In one quick movement, Lumber Bot spun with surprising speed and swung with his axe. Marionette just managed to duck back to avoid it. At the end of his swing, the Lumber Bot turned the axe and swung back the other way, to which Marionette dodged once again, and again, as the axe swings became wilder and quicker. In one swing the Puppet twisted to the side as the axe swung down vertically beside him. He quickly wrapped his strings around it and tugged tightly, trying to detach it from the beaver's grasp. There was a brief tug of war; Lumber Bot's free hand grabbed at Marionette's shoulder as he forced it back by the head.
Then the axe came free, flew backwards, and landed on the other side of the island. As though drawn to it, the Lumber Bot's red eyes snapped to the island and he started to briskly walk over. Marionette wouldn't allow it to forget about him; in an instant he sprung, hitting it in the back and knocking it into the island and onto the floor. The struggle continued on the floor amongst the broken dishes and fallen cooking utensils, with the mindless beaver fighting and the Puppet now spilling its music. Lumber Bot drug itself around the counter and reached for the fallen axe, with the Puppet just barely noticed and knocked away with his telekinesis.
The axe skidded along the floor before stopping further away, just in view of Charlie. The Security Puppet moved in quickly and grabbed the axe before the Lumber Bot could. She then backed away from his grabbing hands, feeling an inward tightening of dread when those glowing eyes looked up at her. Its gaze felt so empty and transfixed to its weapon. It would be after her next, and she backed quickly out of the kitchen. Maybe she could keep it distracted while Marionette worked to shutting it down. It almost worked, as the Lumber Bot continued to try crawling after her and thus left itself open for Marionette to try and get his strings inside.
Just like before, as soon as his strings started to get too deep, Lumber Bot reacted frantically and swung its arm back. Marionette only had a moment to realize that it had grabbed a knife off the floor. Being that the handle was smaller than the axe's, it flew right out of the beaver's hand and straight at the Puppet. Marionette was just barely able to lean out of the way as it clattered onto a counter. With the animatronic recoiled and the strings drew back, the Lumber Bot's flimsy focus returned to its missing axe. It lumbered to its feet and took brisk, heavy steps to the door, nearly dragging the Puppet who tried to reign it in.
Charlie watched the kitchen door swing open and saw the red eyes staring out at her. The Lumber Bot's fake smile was grotesque and between it and the wandering animatronics in the room, she felt like she had fallen into uncanny valley. She could hear Marionette stuck behind it, but she couldn't see him and didn't know what state he was in. This alone gave her the nerve to raise the heavy axe and poise it to swing. It came close quickly and she braced herself before striking.
The blade hit the beaver's belly and reflected off with a clang, causing her to stagger back a few steps. The metal exterior was just as firm as she expected. She managed to keep herself upright and prepared to take a second swing. This time as she swung, the Lumber Bot raised its arm to grab the axe, to which she yanked it aside. Then she tried with a sideways, somewhat desperate swing towards its side, which still did nothing.
The Lumber Bot suddenly gave a less than graceful stagger forward and seized the axe in its hand while its other arm swung for Charlie and grabbed her by the jacket. It yanked her in and raised its axe high. The arm was immediately ensnared in strings and yanked back before it could come down. The Security Puppet quickly twisted free of her jacket and got a few steps between them. She watched the continuing struggle with the desire to step in, but she didn't know how. Her arms and wrists felt uncomfortably tight, her mind was racing, but she was powerless.
The Lumber Bot turned itself around and swung its axe down towards the Puppet. While it was only the back of the axe, it would still crack his mask, so he ducked down and fluidly dodged to the side. His movements looked effortless and were only interrupted by him swinging his arm out. In an instant a garbage can flew from beside the side wall and smashed into the Lumber Bot's side. The animatronic staggered slightly and garbage was spilled on the floor, and Marionette quickly sprung back in to fight for the axe again.
Seeing how the attack had stunned him, Charlie decided to attempt one of her own, and grabbed a chair from one of the tables. She was shocked how easily she lifted it and struggled only briefly with balance before approaching and swinging. Metal struck metal, the Lumber Bot wavered, and Marionette suddenly got the axe free. He then tossed it aside and suddenly rushed forwards, sliding underneath the bot's legs and using his strings to entrap and yank them. He popped up behind, in front of Charlie, and turned back to watch the metal beaver fall face first onto the tiled floor.
"Now!" Marionette commanded as he leapt onto its back and continued to pin it down. Charlie dropped the chair and hurried in to follow suit, looking over it.
"What now?! How do we shut this one down?!" she asked. He answered by shoving up the animatronic's vest and looking at a plate located on its back. It looked locked with a hole that might've required a specific wrench, but he knew how to manage. It was just like a door lock; enough focus and it would unlock- and it did.
"Here, look!" the Puppet instructed. The Lumber Bot was still trying to move and attack even as the Security Puppet looked back. Underneath the plate were wires and switches, all sorts of confusing hardware that he instinctually recognized. He was quick; when the obvious shut down switches turned out to be ineffective, he found the cord with the highest electrical content and yanked it free. There was a low groan as the hum of the bot faded away. It went still beneath them, showing that they had succeeded so far.
"Now it's deactivated… But it won't stay that way long. All they would need to do is plug it in and turn it on. No, if we want this… Weapon to be stopped, we will have to sabotage it." He tilted his head up to look at the other puppet. "It's not like a living animatronic that will survive and come back on even if parts of it are turned off. If we can put a wrench in the works then it will be a threat no more." He looked back down with a hum. "Now let's see…"
This was all new territory. He had broken animatronics, he had put them back together, he had given life and rebuilt lives, but he had never purposely sabotaged an empty body. There had never been a need to, but now… It was a menace. One look at the broken animatronics showed that, even though not alive, they didn't deserve this treatment. He started to remove pieces and wires that were more vital and harder to replace. Charlie watched carefully before getting an idea.
"Wait, hold on. We might have something we can use." She stood and headed back into the kitchen. She then began to search around for something that looked adequate to pour into the electronics. This eventually came in the form of a bottle of honey in one of the cupboards. Not exactly what she had in mind- personally she planned on looking for glue- but it seemed like it could work well enough. Just something to gunk up the system and make it more difficult to repair. Something syrupy was more than adequate for the job.
It was when she was reaching for the bottle that she noticed something dangling off her right wrist. It was a string. For a moment she thought maybe it was one of Marionette's that had somehow gotten loose and caught on her arm, but upon lifting it she found it attached to the back of her wrist. She lightly tugged at the string and watched it slide out a little more. Inside she could feel something moving and shifting up her arm and somewhere in her chest. It was a strange sensation and gave her something akin to chills. She could barely believe it; she had strings just as Marionette did.
The only reason she stopped her self-examination was remembering that she needed to get back to the other puppet. She took the honey, noticing a second string on the back of her other wrist, and then headed back out. She opened the bottle as she knelt beside the fallen bot. The Puppet looked at her with a curious tilt of the head.
"Just something to disrupt the circuits. It's going to be hard to get this off, if they can get it off at all once we get it in deep. It might seem silly, but it seems like the most practical thing," Charlie explained.
"I think it's a good idea. It just seemed odd for a moment, but something like this would certainly…" Marionette trailed off as he looked down at her arm. As she had, he noticed the string dangling from her. He gently reached out to take her arm. "You have a string!"
"I have two of them, actually. I couldn't tell you where they've been," Charlie lightly joked, trying to ignore the slight embarrassment at being studied. A good sort of embarrassment; the Puppet knew how to make even the smallest thing feel important. Like it was some sort of amazing accomplishment even though she wasn't entirely sure what she had done. He reached for her other arm and looked at the string there as well. He then chimed in excitement.
"Perfect! I was worried you didn't have them!" Marionette gently tugged at one and she could feel the movement inside as it slid out further. "This doesn't hurt, does it?"
"No. It feels… Different. I can feel it through my arm, but it's not painful," she explained. She watched as he continued to study them with that giddiness. He couldn't help it, though. Up until this moment, this very second, Marionette had been the only of his kind. While Charlie was technically a Security "Puppet", the differences in their model were obvious. The appearance of the strings assured that they were more similar than he thought. He could only imagine what she could do once she began controlling them. He didn't realize they were running out of time until Charlie reminded him. "Should I put the honey in?"
"Yes, sorry. I got a bit distracted. I don't think I need to tell you how great it is that you have these. It's wonderful!" Marionette smiled to her warmly. "Can you try to pull them in? You should try to tighten where you felt it tense in your arms and chest." She tried to do as said. At first it did nothing, just flexing her arm slightly, but then she felt that same sensation of moving strings as one started to slide back in. There was another praising chime. "There you go! Don't worry about the strings getting lost inside. They won't, your body is made for this."
She then worked with the other arm and got the string to return inside. If anything, it only made her more curious about it. She would have something new to investigate once their work here was done. She looked at the back of her left hand a moment longer before turning her attention back to the animatronic. Marionette was already finishing up in removing what he could, and Charlie then took her turn to spill the sugary substance deep into the parts that couldn't be removed.
"This is really the most we can do. I honestly believe this will be more effective than even breaking it into pieces. They'd just put it back together in that case." The Puppet then sent a disheartened glance towards the other animatronics. Both the cactus and the recolored Chica had gone entirely prone once the Lumber Bot was shut down. No longer driven by its programming, they went into what was effectively their own night mode. He doubted they would rouse at midnight with Lumber Bot out of commission. "It is a shame that the others were broken. They may not be alive, but they bring plenty of children joy."
"They don't look… Too destroyed… I'll admit, Mr. Cactus over there has probably seen better days, but I don't see anything that can't be fixed with a little effort," Charlie suggested as she pulled her jacket free from underneath the Lumber Bot and slipped it on. Marionette gave a twang of disappointment.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Glenn doesn't take care of his animatronics. These may look well-kept now but that's because they're new. Back when it was Chipper's, many of the characters had fallen into disrepair and nobody was tending to them. These may be fixed… But I don't trust Glenn to do an adequate job, nor do I expect him to keep up with them." He gave a breathy sigh and looked back to the Security Puppet. He could see mild concern on her mask; she was showing emotions better too. It was enough to coax him into a smile. "Don't mind me. I tend to get melodramatic whenever people swing axes at me."
Charlie returned the smile, but then looked over at the pink bird, looking at its slumped head. "It's a good thing they're not alive. I couldn't imagine having to live with an injury like that. I can't even imagine living in a pizzeria, but somehow Foxy manages to do that."
"He's managed to deal with injuries like this too. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I've put his arm back on him at least twice in the last decade. I've put plenty of animatronics back together…" As soon as he said that, Marionette considered it deeper. "…We could probably put these ones back together rather quickly." He tapped his fingers together thoughtfully before looking towards his companion. "And by now I'm sure Mike has already seen us missing. Let's be fair, he was going to find out... What do you say? We're already here, so should we try?"
"To put the broken ones back together?" Charlie asked in slight surprise.
"Sure! With my experience and your schooling, we should be more than capable," Marionette confidently chirped. "I certainly wouldn't be doing this for Glenn's sake, but the jobs of many people rely on this business. I don't want to inadvertently cause its closing. I don't want to get ahead of the competition like that." He then smiled brighter. "What do you say?"
"…Think there's any tools in the storage room?"
There were, in fact, a couple of toolboxes in the storage room. One of them was brought out into the dining room as the two puppets began to work. After an assessment of all three, it was decided that the pink Chica- they began calling her Pinka by then- would be the easiest to start with. Marionette was able to find a slightly bent piece that they were certain came from her neck, being that it was painted pink on one side. They started setting the head back into place, with Marionette nudging her loose wires down into the body. Charlie then took to placing the metal again and replacing the bolt with the closest thing she could find. It was still loose, but the head wasn't hanging any longer.
Next was the cactus. There wasn't much that could be done with the wires that the Lumber Bot trampled, which seemed to have controlled a mechanism in its pot. However, most of the problems did seem like they would be fixed if the animatronic was simply returned to the pot. Then most of the damage wouldn't be seen, and from how it moved earlier it seemed like it might still be fit to perform. It was a grueling process to move it to the stage and then leverage it onto it, even with Marionette's telekinesis and their combined determination.
This was also where they found El Chip standing prone. It was almost a relief to see that the leader of the band was in fine condition, as his disappearance had made both of them suspect that he had also been damaged. Even if the others would be slightly off, he would be able to hopefully hold the show on his own. After all, he was the mascot, and he would be the one that everyone was looking at.
Then there was Senior Pollo who was still on the kitchen floor. Alas, Pollo was beyond the repairs they were able to make. With his broken exterior and shattered interior, he would need to be welded and have pieces replaced that they couldn't provide. The Lumber Bot's removed parts wouldn't work either. The chihuahua was left in the kitchen where he was found, and hopefully it would finally get the message through that they had something in their midst that they couldn't control. It was a brutal reminder that a human could've been lying in pieces on the kitchen floor tonight.
By now midnight had passed and the animatronics had not stirred, so Marionette saw it as their signal to leave. They slipped back out the office window and were in the van within minutes. It was as Charlie was pulling up her hood and turning on the van that the Puppet decided to branch a new, more uncomfortable subject.
"I should… Apologize for getting you in the middle of that. I didn't realize that the Lumber Bot was going to become so aggressive," he admitted. She looked like she was going to protest, but he beat her to it. "But I am glad you came with me. I needed you here, and this needed to be done." He glanced down at the wires pieces of the bot discarded on the floorboard, then looked back to her. "So, thank you."
Charlie smiled back with an honest smile, not just a forced one to assure him. "No problem." She almost wanted to thank him for trusting her, or for taking her; she held back but assumed he got the picture.
The rest of the drive was largely uneventful until they arrived at the hotel. It wasn't until they started pulling into the parking space that they realized they were being waited for. The headlights fell on Fritz and Mike standing against the wall. Fritz looked physically and mentally exhausted while Mike looked unenthused, with his arms crossed tightly across his chest.
"Oh, we're in trouble now," Marionette whispered playfully. There was a shred of sheepishness in his voice, which started to become more apparent on his mask as the security guard came to the driver's door. He opened it and stared at Charlie expectantly, to which she quickly noticed.
"…Should I just get in the back or…?" Mike pointed a thumb towards the back of the van. Charlie understood the gesture. "O-kay…" She gladly slid into the backseat, hoping this meant that they were driving back to the house. Fritz passed Mike and headed to the back of the van before letting himself in.
"We had a sleeping bag back here, right?" Fritz asked. The Security Puppet helped him look in the semi-darkness as Mike got into the van and promptly started to backout of the parking space, not even waiting for them to get settled. The silence was awkward in the front seats and the Puppet almost had half a mind to slide into the back. Alas, Fritz and Charlie found the sleeping bag right when he was going to use it as an excuse.
While he was turning to see as he was backing out, Mike noticed the cluster of parts laying in front of the passenger seat. He raised a brow quizzically. "What's all of that down there?"
"That's Lumber Bot," Marionette answered. "…Or what part of it we brought back as a souvenir." Mike sent him an unchanged look and he received the same smile back. He then gave a sigh and a shake of the head before returning to driving.
"May he rest in pieces." The Puppet swore he could see a ghost of a smile.
At first, the silence of the car might've been a mixture of the silent treatment and an effort to let Fritz sleep, but by the end of the drive it was clear that it was more out of their own exhaustion too. Mike somehow managed to stay awake, but had his arm propping up his head and had a glazed look. A half-drunk and now cold gas station coffee sat in the cup holder between the seat and went ignored. Both Fritz and Charlie were now asleep, with the latter going to sleep once she got bored enough. Marionette stayed awake mostly for Mike's sake, but it wasn't difficult for him.
It wasn't until they were entering town that Marionette realized he would soon have to say something to Mike. Though there had been a few words exchanged, such as when they stopped for gas, neither had said anything about his decision to return to the buffet. He would have to make the first move; it was clear that was what Mike was waiting for. Being that they were running out of time, and he didn't want things to be awkward at home, he spoke.
"I should've told you that I was heading back to Chipper's…" Marionette started.
"That might've been a good idea," Mike remarked, interrupting any further continuation. "Or you could've warned me before you took the van."
"I suppose that too." Marionette lightly fiddled with his hands. "I was just worried that if I told you my intentions, you would've expected to come."
"Pretty much," the human said with the upmost honesty. His bluntness was familiar, and the Puppet gave a light chime.
"So perhaps you understand. It was to protect you… That, and I thought the Lumber Bot would've been less aggressive without a human target there. That wasn't the case this time. I'm not sure who tinkered with the programming, but this time it saw me as a threat and fought back." Considering the other's previous reaction, it might've not been the best time to mention he was attacked. Mike had to already know, he assured himself, what with the broken pieces on the floor.
"It didn't hurt you, right?" Mike asked with newfound concern. That previous exhaustion and lack of enthusiasm was abandoned momentarily as the security guard was suddenly taken with concern. He looked to the Puppet and looked him over for damage- again. It wouldn't be the first time he tried to check him since he returned from the buffet. He was relieved when the animatronic shook his head. "Good. I'd feel pretty lousy if you had to take the brunt of Lumber Bot's anger when I was the one who smuggled his target out a window."
"Are you mad?" the Puppet asked quieter.
"I'm mad as hell… but not with you," Mike answered. Though it cooled slightly, the fire was still there. "If I ever see Glenn again- Glenn better hope I never see him again. He went too far, I don't care how sick he was." He glanced into the rearview mirror towards where Fritz was. Fritz was more than his friend; he was his business partner, a confidant, and had been more help than almost anyone else in his life. Glenn went beyond stepping his boundaries; he stepped right into Mike's circle, snatched someone of importance, and then thought he would get away with it.
"But you are okay? It didn't shake up you and Charlie too much?" he guessed. The Puppet shook his head. "Alright… I love you." The striped one trilled and returned it.
It wasn't until they were back at the house that Mike woke Fritz out of his nearly dead-like sleep to get him to drive himself home. Thankfully, the few hours he did get steeled his nerves, and if there had been any traces of the faint alcohol left- come to think of it, he never did ask if it was an alcoholic margarita- they had been all but dashed. Fritz was awake, alert, and wanted nothing more than to get home and lock his door. Which he did. He wasn't sure what time it was when he let himself in, but it was obvious that Natalie was in bed. He wondered if she had called, he realized that he would need to buy a new phone.
The technician stepped into the kitchen long enough to get some water when the lights flickered on abruptly. He jumped like he had seen El Chip himself barge in and spun around to face the blond woman standing at the kitchen's entrance. Natalie, of course, toting a bat and looking like she just got out of bed. Her eyes popped open when she saw the state he was in.
"Whoa, what happened to you?!" she blurted out. Once the shock wore down, she added, "I didn't think you were even coming home tonight. Did something happen?"
"I, uh… I ran into a little trouble at El Chip's. I got stuck in the buffet- No, Glenn locked me in the buffet and I had to climb out a window to get away. My phone got broken too. I should've called, but I just wanted to get home," Fritz explained. "And before you worry, the others are fine. Mike helped get me out, but he wasn't in there with me, so nothing happened to him."
"…Wait, the buffet or the restaurant?" Natalie asked, briefly confused. She then noticed something else in his wording. "Hold on, you said "nothing happened"- Were you attacked?!"
"Technically, yes, but most of this I got going through the window," Fritz admitted, gesturing to his injured face.
"And Glenn locked you in there?!" Natalie was absolutely dumbfounded. "You could've been killed! What was he thinking?!" The technician gave a movement akin to a shrug. He wasn't even sure what to think of it himself. It was almost like he was still stuck in the moment, dazed and confused. Natalie quickly pulled him into a tight hug with a muffled, "Thank goodness you got home…" as she pressed into his chest.
He returned the embrace and felt his heartbeat finally starting to slow again. He began to gently pet over her messy, blond hair with his bandaged hand. For the first time in hours he felt safe again. Even if Fritz didn't know where Glenn was, he couldn't dwell on what happened, because he wasn't getting any closure tonight. It was enough that he got home without injury. He was just glad to be home. "Let's just go to bed. I think I need to sleep this off."
"Sure, right. Come on." Natalie kept her arm around him like she was guiding him or was determined to keep him close to her side. It was protective and comforting, and it made Fritz realize how lucky he had gotten by not bringing her with him. He didn't want her to ever have to go through the things he had. He wouldn't be caught dead on another night shift.
Fritz woke some time in the late morning to what sounded like Natalie in a heated discussion in the kitchen. He immediately suspected the worst, that Glenn had appeared on their doorstep and was currently getting chewed apart by his girlfriend. He hurried to get up and head into the kitchen. To his relief, he found that Natalie was just on the phone, but it was obvious quickly who she was on with.
"-And let me tell you something else: if you ever come to the house then I'll deal with you myself! I didn't take three years of Jujutsu to have some taco shack psycho with a bad heart try to put our lives in danger! The fact that you've got the gal to even imply-!" It was now that Natalie turned, in the middle of pacing, and noticed Fritz standing there. "…Hold on, I'm not done with you." She covered the receiver and lowered her voice. "It's Glenn."
"…Alright, let me talk to him," Fritz said with a sigh of defeat. It was best to just get it over with.
"What? Why?! You don't owe him anything!" Natalie reminded.
"I know." He didn't try to give anymore of an answer. With a sigh, she raised the phone again.
"Fritz will talk to you. You better thank him, too, because I planned on hanging up any second now," she spat. Then she handed the phone over. Fritz answered it with a quick "It's me."
"You've got quite a wife there, Fritz," Glenn gargled over the phone. His voice sounded awful and was now muffled by some sort of airy noise. Like there was an air hose nearby, but he didn't work with those sorts of animatronics. Fritz decided not to correct his assumption that Natalie was his wife, it wasn't important.
"Thanks," Fritz briskly answered. "Look, let's not pretend that last night didn't happen. We both know what you were trying to do."
"You're half right there," Glenn admitted. "I'm going to level with you, Fritz… I can't remember most of what happened last night." The technician wasn't sure if he was lying poorly or trying to claim that he had a psychotic episode.
"You called me to come down, I came, you locked me in, left, and then I spent the night with an axe swinging at my face. Any questions?" Fritz almost challenged. He then beat Glenn too it. "Actually, I have one. Why?" There was a heavy sigh, a loud coughing, and then he noticed something in the background. "…Did you actually leave me locked up with an axe murderer and go check yourself into the hospital?"
"Look, I didn't even know you were still in there. I thought you left already. I thought-… I can't fight with you, Fritz. I shouldn't even be on the phone," Glenn explained. "I was driving home last night and couldn't even see straight. A cop pulled me over thinking I was drunk and next thing I remember I'm in the hospital and some doctor's telling me that no blood's getting through my chest. So, no, I don't remember any of that."
"I offered to take you to the hospital last night. Don't you remember that? The plan was for me to take you and that's when you walked out and locked up." There was no answer. "…You seriously don't remember?" Apparently, Glenn didn't. "Do you at least remember why you asked me to come down there?" The technician was getting exasperated. It just seemed too easy that Glenn would claim that he didn't remember anything. Just a surefire way to get out of any responsibility.
"Something about the animatronics- I don't know. I don't know what was going on last night. I don't even know when I'm getting out of the ICU... Fritz, I swear there's been a mistake. I'm not going to try to kill you. You know that. Why would I do that?" His breathing was more labored now, but he sounded adamant on the line. "I only called to make sure you got home alright. I didn't know any of that, I swear."
"Right… I've got to go. I'll tell Mike you called," Fritz quietly said. "Just… Yeah…" Glenn said his farewell and they hung up shortly after. "He says he doesn't remember doing it. I don't know if I can believe that."
"I know I don't believe him," Natalie quipped as she turned to the fridge. "I find it funny that he just happens to go into the hospital and lose all his memories the night that he did that to you." She huffed in frustration before cooling down enough to ask, "Are you staying up? Because I was thinking of getting out the waffle iron if you were."
"Yeah, I can't sleep after that." Natalie noticed that Fritz was still looking distant and went over to kiss his cheek and nudge him towards the table.
"You just sit down and wake up slowly. I've got this covered," she assured with a smile. He thanked her and did so, but part of him wondered if he had made a mistake in not having a distraction.
He wasn't sure what he was thinking anymore. The logical part of his brain readily believed that Glenn was lying to cover himself. It simply made too much sense to deny it. Still, another part of him thought that something about the whole thing sounded off. Glenn sounded ill on the phone, but he also sounded clearheaded in a way that he wasn't either time he saw him the night before. Still, better safe than sorry. He wouldn't willingly return to El Chip's ever again.
He could only hope the danger wouldn't follow him home.
Mable: The next chapter will be posted next week. I hope you enjoyed!