Mable: I can't believe that we've finally hit the midway point! I can't tell if it was quicker or slower than Can't Go Home Again, but it feels good to reach this point. ^-^ Enjoy!
Almost Feels Like Home
Chapter Fifty
Mike woke to his cell phone ringing. Still half asleep, he reached over and grabbed the phone before answering groggily. "Hello?"
"Hey! Glad that you're up. I thought I'd have a better chance on the cell in case you went out… Or were still in bed," Fritz joked. Before Mike could say anything, he continued to chatter on cheerily. "So, I was thinking; since tomorrow's opening day and the next couple of weeks are going to be a slog, what do you think about you, me, and Jeremy taking today to do that caving thing I was talking about?"
"What? What are you talking about?" Mike muttered as he rubbed his eyes. He was about to point out how early it was before looking at the clock and seeing that it was already ten and that he had overslept far past his intended wake-up time. "When did we talk about caving?"
"It was a long time ago. Like back when we went to see Glenn. I was thinking about trying it out and the three of us pretty much don't get to do much together unless its business, someone's dying, or someone's going to jail."
"I consider both of those last one's business too," Mike pointed out. "But why now? You'd think you'd want to take it easy today." Fritz made a disagreeing or uncertain sort of noise.
"Well, it's not-… Okay, you got me. This isn't as innocent as it sounds, but I'm probably still going to love this," the technician revealed. "I called Jeremy earlier and something's definitely still off. He sounded really quiet, and that's with Foxy being at his house. He should be through the roof right now and he's not, and I don't think it's just because Foxy's going back to the pizzeria. I think this is still whatever's up with him. So… I thought maybe if the three of us went on an adventure…"
"Or an ambush," Mike quipped.
"No, not an ambush… Unless we're attacked by mountain lions or something. I meant that we could have fun, Jeremy might ease up, and then he might willingly tell us what's going on, and then we know, and problem solved. It's pretty much the best plan I could think of and I already called him and he's in," Fritz explained. "So, what do you say, are you coming too?"
The thought of caving wasn't exactly appealing to Mike. Sure, he liked to be active and he loved that pump of adrenaline but caving just bordered that line between fun risk and guaranteed disaster. Though on the other hand, Fritz had a point about Jeremy, and it had been too long since the three of them did anything that didn't involve the pizzeria or a job. He also didn't want to be the one of them who got cold feet when Jeremy, notoriously skittish, agreed to it.
"…Sure, let's go climb down a cave," Mike agreed. "Let me just get dressed and eat something."
"Great! I'll come pick you up about eleven?"
"Sounds alright. I'll see you then." With that, the call ended. Mike wondered if he had already made a mistake but didn't plan on backing down now. With a sigh, he started to get out of bed. "I can see the headlines now: Foxy's Pirate Cove reopening delayed after all owners are crippled in a spelunking accident."
"What the bloody 'ell be spelunking?" Foxy asked matter-of-factly. He was grumpy, mostly because he was stuck with a tarp covering him up because it was daytime. Also, because Fritz was taking Jeremy away on what would've been one more day of them together. Not that he and Jeremy had any plans other than just hanging out. The human was more amused than anything by the fox's pouting.
"It's just when people go crawl around in caves. In a strange way it's kind of like hiking, since you're not really looking for something but just exploring it. I've heard about it, but I've never done in," Jeremy explained. He seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps excited about the trip.
"Uh huh." Foxy was more skeptical. "Fritz ever go down in these 'caves' of his?"
"…I didn't actually ask, but he knew a lot about it, so maybe?" He could hear Foxy give a low grumble of suspicion, as it was quite apparent that he didn't trust the idea. His impression of caves was that they were dangerous and that his first mate could get hurt just by climbing inside. Jeremy tried to reassure him, "But it's not like it's just a random hole in the ground. Fritz said they're mapped out and used all the time- too safe to even call it an adventure! Which I can't complain about."
"Climbin' down in a cave no bigger than a whale's blowhole- I could spot a few things ta complain 'bout," Foxy muttered from the back. This just got another chuckle out of the young man. Though he then perked as he had a new realization.
"Hey, this is going to be the first time you've seen the pizzeria since the renovations started, right?! You're going to be shocked how different it looks. Maybe it's good you're getting there a day early to get reacquainted with it," the man offered as they pulled into the parking lot and pulled around back. He pulled up close to the back door. "Let's hurry! I want to get a good look at the place before Fritz gets here."
To pick him up, he meant. Foxy was still less than enthused by the entire idea but decided to withhold these feelings. At least Jeremy would be getting out again. He had been so reclusive since his recent falling out. As the door opened, Foxy managed to slide out and into the back of the business, standing in the dark hallway. Jeremy hurried in behind him.
"Okay, you ready?" he asked excitedly, watching Foxy drop the tarp to the side.
"Ready as I'll ever be," the pirate answered simply. He wasn't expecting too much. Maybe new tables and a new curtain, but mostly an expanded dining room. Sure, he had given ideas to the others, but they didn't discuss anything concrete. He still expected Jeremy to get excited by it and stepped out as Jeremy turned on the lights.
As soon as he saw it, Foxy's patch raised and his eyes widened. Suddenly he knew what Jeremy was so excited over, and why he was watching the pirate's expression with such a wide smile.
"Blow me down…" Foxy murmured as he looked around. "I don't believe it…"
"-I brought the extra batteries and then only brought one flashlight," Fritz lamented. With a sigh, he shoved them back into the bag he had brought. "Well, at least that one light's going to stay on. We're just going to have to pass it around."
"We'll make it work. I have my flashlight with me," Mike assured as he kept his eyes on the road. While they were in Fritz's car, he had offered to drive to try and wake himself up the rest of the way. Fritz was in the passenger seat going through the bag while Jeremy sat in the middle of the backseat.
"I wish you would've told me before I left. I had a pack of glowsticks I could've brought," Jeremy chimed in. "…Cell phones will work down there, right?"
"They should, but if they don't and we get stuck down there I told Natalie I'd call her around three."
"And if she doesn't get a call, then she'll drive over, climb down into the caves, and get stuck with us," Mike chimed in. This got an unenthused frown from Fritz. "Oh, lighten up. We all know nothing's going to happen. Worst case scenario: we get scuffed up, dirty, and climb out feeling like we wasted an afternoon. Nothing worse than the usual nine to five job."
Fritz still frowned without disagreeing and pointed to the road. "Take a right up here."
First sight of the land around the cave backed up Fritz's earlier assurances. The area looked more like a small camping space than a random cave in the desert, even set with a dirt parking lot and an old picnic table. Unlike what Mike had encountered in Zion, the place was devoid of tourists, and hadn't been even as far to drive to as Zion was. It was surrounded by what was mostly desert looking land, showing that there weren't any campers hiding nearby, nor other cars.
The three got out of the car and found the cave rather quickly. It wasn't the typical cave portrayed in media- a gaping hole leading into a mountainside- but a pit tucked between some boulders and leading down into the dark at an angle. The entranceway looked only about two feet wide, cramped and rocky, but had been smoothed down by past visitors.
"Okay, so… Who's going first?" Fritz asked as he looked to the others.
"I thought you were," Jeremy pointed out. He was already becoming nervous.
"I have the bag, so I was going to go last. Unless you want to take the bag and I can lead in."
"I don't know if I want to be in charge of the bag with our emergency supplies."
Mike had a creeping suspicion that the two talking past him were actually working in cahoots. He noticed neither directly asked him, which slowly started to convince him that just maybe they were trying to push him into offering. Unfortunately, it started to work, and finally he got out his flashlight.
"While you two keep going back and forth, I'm going to go check it out," Mike playfully quipped as he started to kneel and then move inside the opening. "It's okay if this is too much for you. You guys can just wait until I get back," he continued to tease. Then he started to fit himself inside.
"No, we're coming. We just-… I'll go next," Jeremy finally agreed, accepting Mike's challenge. He tried to climb in too with Fritz following. Mike started to crouch and shuffle into the cave, which was no bigger than the average vent opening. That was, until the roof started to lower to the point when he would have to crawl through.
The security guard smirked slightly in amusement. "Yeah, this is going to last for about two minutes." Shining the light around- he realized that the flashlight wasn't going to help much- he gave a small sigh. "You've got to see this."
"What is it? Did they not finish?" Marionette asked in confusion. Foxy covered any emotions very well so it was impossible to tell how dire the situation was. This could've been an elaborate joke or a complete disaster. "Foxy, can't you just tell me?"
"Nah, ya got to see this. It's… Look, Lad, ya gotta get over here. Just tell Charlie yer gonna be gone a while… Ya might not be getting' back soon."
"Foxy… Very well. I'll be there in a few minutes… I wish you would at least give me an idea of what's going on, but beggars can't be choosers." He waited a few more moments to see if the fox would cave and admit to whatever it was, but he didn't. Foxy was as stubborn as he usually was. "I'll see you in a few minutes."
He then hung up the phone and turned towards the dining room table. Charlie was sitting there writing notes down from one of her textbooks, as though studying up for a test that didn't exist. He couldn't help but smile as it; he admired her devotion to finishing her schooling, even if she wasn't going to receive a diploma at the end of it.
"Charlie, I need to go check on the pizzeria. Foxy's acting… Odd and his answers could go either way. Will you be alright while I'm gone?" he asked.
She looked up at him and answered without a shred of emotion, "I'll only cry on the inside." He proceeded to give her the same look that he would've given Foxy if he would've been there. She gave a light ring of amusement. "Well, what did you think I'd say? I'll be fine. I'm just going to be reading anyways."
"Just double checking. I shouldn't be gone long unless, heaven forbid, there actually is a disaster at the pizzeria. In which case I still plan to be home before Mike is," Marionette reassured with a returning smile. "Good luck with your studying. I'm sure you'll ace the exam," he teased. She looked confused and he chimed before teleporting into the pizzeria. "Foxy-."
"Close yer eyes," Foxy immediately commanded. He knew Marionette would be able to see through the darkness. "Quick, Lad." Confused but trusting, the Puppet covered his eyes.
"What is this?" the younger asked. Then he got a tentative smile. "Don't tell me- was this spelunking thing just a big excuse to throw a surprise party?"
"I wish," Foxy scoffed. He then clicked on the lights. "Turn towards the stage and open yer eyes, Lad." Marionette gave a light chuckle of amusement and turned towards the dining room, then uncovered his eyes. Just like Foxy before him, his eyes widened, and he stared in awe at their pizzeria.
Foxy's Pirate Cove was no longer just a slightly smaller Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. It had evolved into something extraordinary. The dining room wasn't too much bigger, but it was what had been done to the dining room that was so incredible. The main stage had a complete overhaul, with it now being double the size and set with small stage lights that pointed up where Foxy would stand. The curtain was open, but it too had been replaced, now being a silky blue with white 'sea foam' patterns along the bottom. There were now little barrel shaped stools around the stage as well for kids to sit and watch the show.
There was an important reason why it was the 'main stage' as well, as now- and Marionette had no idea that this was going to happen- there was a second stage located in the arcade area, against the same wall as the main one. The stage was smaller than the main one and had red curtains that were drawn closed. The arcade area was now pointedly marked with black and rainbow-colored confetti patterned carpet. It too had spread further and there were a few unfamiliar arcade machines now standing alongside the old ones.
The tables looked to be the same, but now they were all set with new tablecloths that were pale blue with grey anchors on them. The front of the pizzeria had a few improvements as well, such as the Minireena's stage now being raised higher to discourage children from grabbing them, and the Magic Puppet Box, Charlie's box, poised beside the front door. There were also a few other less important additions, such as a few gumball machines and a set of mechanical riding rockets. The most noticeable change was why it was so dark; black out curtains had been hung over the front windows. Probably to block anyone from seeing the animatronics moving around after hours.
Marionette looked to Foxy who was standing by the light switches. He was still stunned, and the fox simply pointed into the Prize Corner. Curious, the Puppet silently approached the entrance and peered inside, already noticing that they went ahead and widened the doorway into an archway. Most of the Prize Corner looked similar with only a few differences. Such as the number of prizes. They hung across most of the ceiling and shelves, which lined the normally blank wall across from the counter. Just seeing all the plush dolls had Marionette excited, even more so when he saw the larger ones hanging above, and especially once he saw the ones that looked like himself.
There was now a string of star shaped lights hanging above the counter and along the walls, illuminating it in a warm glow that it hadn't had before. A few shirts were mounted on the higher walls, which he had known about but looked so much nicer now finished. Figures lined the shelves underneath them. His box remained untouched, as were the drawings that he had collected on the wall behind it, and he approached it to find that his stash of collected tickets had been removed. In their place, there was a neatly folded note in the bottom of the box. He tilted his head as he lifted and unfolded it.
"There's nothing I'm going to love more than seeing you up on your stage. Love, Mike."
"Yeah, I saw that too. Thing's so sappy I'd though he'd wrote it on a candy wrapper," Foxy casually remarked. Marionette still warbled in delight as he held the paper close. Not just for the simple message, but the context of it all. As though the pizzeria was their gift. He almost got choked up just as Foxy came over and hooked an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, Lad. Let's go take a look at yer stage."
"Mine…" Marionette repeated with lingering disbelief.
"That's right, Lad," Foxy coaxed. He then guided the Puppet out of the Prize Corner and all the way to the arcade to show him the smaller stage up close. Drawing open the curtains, Marionette could see a cross already inside to attach himself to, along with the track above that led across the roof and past the curtain. He would be able to move himself without assistance. "Get up there and lemme see ya in action," Foxy goaded with a small push.
Marionette would've done so anyway and got onto the stage, lacing his strings into the cross, and then turned to face Foxy. He had been on stage with Foxy before, but something felt so much better standing here and knowing he was on his own stage. The red curtains hanging at his side felt comforting and the narrower size almost made it feel like a protective box. It was perfect and he beamed at Foxy, splaying his arms and asking, "How do I look?"
Foxy proceeded to break into overjoyed laughter, clapping his hand to his turned hook, finally letting his emotions through. "Ya look like ya own the place!" he exclaimed. Then he splayed his arms. "We did it, Lad! We finally outdid Freddy's!"
The Puppet gave a delighted chime and leapt off the stage to latch onto the pirate, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Foxy spun him in his arms, barely managing to keep from tumbling into an arcade machine, both laughing as they celebrated this victory. Once they broke apart, Foxy held Marionette by the shoulders and shook him excitedly.
"This be it, Marion! We finally be makin' the big leagues! And it's all ours!" Marionette agreed with trills and chimes, Foxy still laughing as he hooked an arm around him and pulled him in. "You ever think we were gonna get a place this nice? Ol' Out of Service and his partner in crime, Scary Mari?"
"Foxy, I was pretty sure I was going to come over here and find the place still gutted," the striped one pointed out. "I didn't expect it to be like this! Foxy, this is better than Freddy's! This is better than they ever were!"
"I'd drink to that! And we ain't stopping here," Foxy agreed as he pointed his hook over the dining room. "This just be the beginning. We're goin' all the way!"
"Yeah, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but this tunnel system goes on for almost half a mile before it opens up again. I am not kidding," Fritz pointed out. "So, it's not a matter of if we're turning around, it's when we're turning around." Mike's confidence started to waver just the slightest bit; roof still too low to look back at the other two.
"Yeah, well… Then we'll probably go about ten or twenty more feet. Whenever we find someplace to turn around. That good for you two?" he asked. Both of his companions eagerly agreed. "It's getting tighter up here, so keep your head low."
"I didn't really- oomph," Jeremy began as he belly crawled forward and bumped his head on a low rock. He reached up to rub the sore spot. "I didn't really think it was going to be this hot. Isn't it supposed to be cold and clammy in tunnels?"
"Maybe if we're twenty feet under the ground, but we're actually about four or five feet," Fritz pointed out. "We can still run into scorpions though, so keep an eye out."
"Gee, scorpions in the desert. You think?" Mike jokingly asked. Though his smirk began to fade. "…If I crawl into a scorpions' nest, you two better not leave me."
"Like you'd let us without throwing scorpions after us," Jeremy challenged with a light chuckle.
They didn't get too much further before the tight crevice began to open into a wider 'room' before continuing in a lower, tighter tunnel. It already began to return to the squeezing size of before, though now at an uncomfortable angle. Mike took a few seconds to look at the options, hunched over in the cavern, as he waited for the others to catch up. Jeremy climbed out next and squeezed into the open area beside him. He took one look at the next hole and bluntly said, "There's no way."
"Funny, because I see a way right there," Mike quipped as he pointed to the opening. Jeremy sent him a look of disbelief at his cheeky smirk. He then looked to Fritz for backup, but the technician was still struggling to get through the hole. Mike continued, "I'm not peer pressuring you into coming down with me. If you guys want to wait here, then this is a good turn around spot. I'll probably keep going a little way before coming back."
"Uh…" Jeremy looked to Fritz, seeing him managing to squeeze through. Then he looked around at the tight cave surrounding them. He didn't want to go deeper; it was claustrophobic and heavy. Normally he would've fell back, so it was unexpected when he gave his answer. "You know what? Alright. I'm right behind you." Mike's brows raised sharply. "Just… Not too much further, alright? I don't want to take too long to get out of here in case something does bite us."
Mike glanced to Fritz, who was half out of the last tunnel and looking back, and then nodded in agreement. "If you're sure. Just don't hold it against me if it doesn't get anymore fun than this." He knelt to climb into the next opening. "But I mean, compared to our usual hangouts this is a lot less dangerous."
"You- You want to know about a tight squeeze? Fritz, remember that time Chica got stuck in the vents at the old Freddy's? She was like lodged half through- and she kept flailing her arms like this!" Jeremy gave a goofy reenactment to which Fritz snickered and Mike had to crane his neck to look and see. It was worth it. "How'd you get her out in the end? Did you just take her arms off or…?"
"Chance and I got a jug of cooking oil and just yanked her out," Fritz answered. "I graduated technical school to oil up a chicken." Just the defeat in his tone sent Jeremy into sputters.
"What were we thinking even working there? We should've just walked out," he said as he rubbed his face. He then sighed and added, "Okay, uh… Back into this tight, suffocating hole I guess." With that, the blonde started to crawl after Mike.
Fritz got out of the first tunnel and moved into the second one to catch up. He shifted the bag up his shoulders and then began to climb inside, following the sound of Jeremy's chattering and Mike occasional snark. Maybe he had been wrong about Jeremy being upset about something; maybe he had just been reclusive because of all the animatronics in his house. In hindsight, maybe all his frustration at that party had been something involving him looking for a new home still. It could've been something so easy, which was why Foxy never vocally expressed his concern.
Even though they were about the same age and came from similar backgrounds as far as Freddy's was concerned, Fritz had always been a little protective of Jeremy. Ever since they had met back up, he had almost felt like an older sibling to him, but maybe that was just something that came from memories of the accident. That or Jeremy's deceptively submissive behavior. He might've been reserved but he knew the blonde could fight better than he could.
His thoughts were cut off when his progress ground to a half. Fritz was just trying to squeeze through a small, triangle shaped groove when he was suddenly wedged in. Partially because of his shoulders and partially because of his pack. He scrambled forwards, using his shoes to push on the ground just the slightest bit, and then found himself only more stuck. Only now the pressure was more intense around his chest. He hesitated there, blinking, watching as the cave grew darker with Jeremy and Mike's lights disappearing. He was getting left behind.
"Hold up," Fritz finally called out in defeat. He tried to pull again but still made no progress. Nervousness started to slightly prickle at him. Not out of fear for his life, but the ordeal that could occur if he didn't get himself out. He sighed lightly, "Guys, I think I'm stuck." That was all it took to have both the others stop and look back as best as they could.
"What?" Jeremy choked as he angled the light back. "Please be joking. I'm going to kill you if you're joking at a time like this, but please be joking."
"This is a joke alright, but not one I planned out. I'm completely pinned. I can't move at all." Fritz's shoes scraped at the stone as he tried to push further into the tunnel. "I'm seriously stuck here!"
"Okay, just stop trying to move. You're just going to get more stuck. It's just tighter up here," Mike forewarned. He looked around the tight confines of the tunnel. "Can you move back at all?"
"Tried that. I must be wedged under something," Fritz called back.
"This can't be happening. How can this be happening?" Jeremy asked in alarm. "I thought you said people came down here all the time! I thought you said this was a marked cave!"
"It is. Either I put on weight or really overpacked," the technician said, completely unconcerned by the other's outburst. "So, I'm going to need some help back here."
"I'm coming. Let me just figure this out," Mike said as he looked around. He soon noticed a slightly wider section ahead and crawled to it. It was flatter, but just wide enough to twist and work his body, trying to slowly turn himself. "How does Mari do this?" The rock scraped his head and shoulder as he slowly turned himself around. His heartrate was beginning to quicken, but he got himself turned around and began to make his way back until he reached Jeremy. "Just move as far as you can against the wall."
"What? I can't, I'm on the wall!" Jeremy defended. He managed to squeeze a few inches further. "You're going to get stuck with me and we'll be stuck too!"
"We're not going to get stuck. Trust me, I rather dislocate my arms than have rescuers come down here and find me with my head between your legs," Mike answered flatly. Jeremy let a choking noise and the younger smirked. "Yeah, that mental image you just got? Imagine that on the news, because that's where it will be going."
"Please don't get stuck," Jeremy meekly caved.
"Don't plan on it." With that, Mike began to try squeezing past the blonde. It wasn't as tight as where Fritz was, especially with him more sliding beside the other, but it was still a slow job. During which the security guard was getting hotter, with sweat beginning to prickle his forehead and a burning sensation on his skin. He forced a few deep breaths, inhaled deeply, and climbed through the rest of the way. Then he finally reached Fritz and looked him over.
"…I'm assuming you never thought you'd be the one who got stuck?" Mike asked with a raised brow.
Fritz chuckled. "No. I kind of thought it would be Jeremy."
"Hey!" Jeremy called defensively. He could be heard shifting further. "I'm going to try turning around!"
"Do it slow," Mike yelled back. Then he looked to Fritz. "Alright, how do we do this?"
"Can you try to push me back?" Fritz asked with a small smile. To which Mike began trying to do so, to no avail. Then he started trying to pull him, which also did nothing at all, and even just trying to pry him out with raw yanking didn't help. "Okay, okay. That's it. I'm not going anywhere," Fritz finally said with defeat. He exhaled slowly and tried to think. "We need a better plan…"
But by now, Mike was starting to feel a little strange. His head was heavy with lightheadedness and suddenly the stone around him was much tighter, causing him to want nothing more than to stand. Only now did he consider how far he was in the hole, how tight it was, and how Fritz blocked his only way out.
"I'm stuck too!" Jeremy then yelled back. "I mean, not super stuck, but I'm not really moving."
"Good job, Jere," Fritz answered flatly. He then gave a tired sigh and lowered his head, only raising it when he noticed how silent Mike was. "…Hey. You okay?" It only took the technician a few seconds to realize something was wrong. Mike's eyes seemed unfocused, he was taking quick, uneven breaths, and his quietness was telling. "Mike?"
"I'm fine," the younger excused. Though he knew that wasn't the case. Only now did he recognize the flurry of sensations rising inside. He felt unfocused and distant even while a tight sourness began to fill his belly. He felt ill and hot, beginning to shake, and knew it was too late to stop it. This time he would be going through the whole routine in front of Fritz and Jeremy. "I'm just- Just give me a minute."
"Mike…?" Fritz asked in concern and confusion.
"Just give me a minute! I'm just feeling… Just a little sick. It'll go away," Mike defended. Fritz proceeded to go quiet as he watched the other rest his head on his arm and ride through this event. The embarrassment was almost as bad as the feeling of the attack itself. This wasn't the adrenaline rush that he had wanted at all, and all Mike could do was wait for it to pass. It wasn't passing fast enough.
Fritz and Jeremy were alarmed by the scene. Hearing and seeing it all, the latter calmed down enough to turn himself around and crawled back towards Mike. Both men exchanged a look at the somewhat unexpected meltdown, especially with Mike still shaking like a leaf, hand tightened into a fist and pressed into the stone. Jeremy reached forwards and slowly put a hand on his leg, only for Mike to jerk upright and slam his head against the roof.
"Ah, shit!" Mike swore. "God, I'm going to die in this stupid cave! Why didn't I just quit while I was ahead!? Why do I always do this!?"
"Hey, easy!" Fritz reached out and barely managed to grab his wrist and forcing him to stop working himself up. "Just take a few breaths. Let's slow down and think this through." Mike dropped his head on his arm again limply. "We can figure this out. We're just going to have to get creative… Hold on." The technician got a new idea and started trying to bend his arm. "Maybe I can- ugh- get these straps off."
While he continued to work on trying to get the bag's straps off his arms, Jeremy continued to supportively pat Mike's leg, it being the only thing he could reach. Slowly the shaking slowed to a stop. The security guard was still silent, now out of shame instead of his attempt to reign in his panic. The tumultuous sensations reversed and left him tired and sore, especially where he had hit his head. It was then when Fritz managed to get one arm out of the bag's straps. He then turned slightly and worked out the other side a little easier.
"Okay, bag's off. Mike, hold the bag and I'll try to slide back. If we can just get it unstuck then I'll try to work myself backwards," Fritz instructed. Mike nodded and took ahold of one of the straps as the older started shifting himself. All it took was a little wriggling and twisting before the bag started to slide upwards. Tucking down further, he continued to work back until suddenly the bag came free, yanking at its hair as though trying to cling to him. Though he ignored that to give a triumphant, "I'm out!"
"Thank goodness!" Jeremy blurted out. "Now let's get the heck out of here please. I change my mine, I'm chickening out."
"That's the plan. Just don't come up on me too fast, because I'm going to have to back out of here." Fritz began to do as he said before Mike found his voice and pushed the bag after him.
"Take this thing with you. I'm not getting stuck next," Mike pointed out. The technician nodded and grabbed it by the strap before beginning to back out. The two followed behind him.
"Well, look on the bright side!" Fritz tried to rationalize. "You could've been the one who got stuck. At least you fit."
"I don't think I count this as fitting," Marionette pointed out. He wasn't sure how Foxy talked him into this, but here he was; legs bent and body jammed into the children's riding rocket near the front of the pizzeria. Still, he got into it, so that meant that he technically won the dare. "You could still try to climb on the back."
"Fraid not, Lad. I'd prob'ly break the blasted thing. Or at least fall off," Foxy pointed out with a chuckle. He folded his arms and leaned on the front of the rocket. It tilted downwards under his weight. "Good thing Charlie's gonna be by the door if kids are gonna be over here more. How'd ya manage to convince her?"
"Well, I didn't really. She seemed interested in coming by to see Chrissy after the party," the Puppet explained as he moved to stick his legs out. "Surprisingly, it was Baby whose been convincing her to come in and perform. Baby's not as afraid to pressure her as I am." At hearing this, Foxy almost seemed to slouch down with his ears lowering almost sadly. Marionette noticed the change immediately. "What's that look about? About Baby convincing here? I doubt it was only Baby. After all, Charlie only became interested after the party."
"That ain't it, Lad. It's somethin' else…" The pirate sighed and straightened up again, growing serious and somber. "We're partners, yeah Marion? We own this business, we be workin' together, we got all our games an' toys… So, we oughta be honest with each other," he finished with a sigh of defeat. "Ever since ya said Baby started rememberin' things… I've just been shakin' in me boots. Err, pants. Somethin'." He shuffled somewhat uncomfortably and dropped his head. "Guess I never really thought she'd be Lizzie again."
"Are… You afraid she'll remember her childhood? What happened to us?" Marionette tentatively asked.
"Nah. Well, maybe, but it ain't that," Foxy admitted. His yellow eye raised to his sibling. "I was afraid you an' Lizzie were gonna get all chummy again, just like ya used to be."
"Again? Foxy, we weren't exactly chummy," Marionette pointed out with a small chime. "I don't think I need to remind you the many trips to get ice cream that she got exclusively."
"See, ya say that, but I know ya don't remember it. Cause if ya did, you'd remember that you and Lizzie be hooked at the hip. You two'd be spendin' the whole weekend playin' together, and it wasn't cause she didn't have friends. Brat or not, she used to have a whole clique even before it was cool. Nah, you two played together cause you were close…" Foxy rubbed over his uncovered eye. "Guess I just thought- I don't know. It all sounds bloody embarassin' sayin' it now."
But Marionette knew exactly what he was saying. Slowly he began to raise up and out of the rocket machine, still looking to his older brother with concern, and then approached him. "Foxy…" he started gently. Deciding to follow his own example from earlier he took his brother into another tight hug. "Foxy, I do want to get Lizzie back, but that doesn't mean that she would ever replace you! Or that everything would go back to how it was before. Things are different now."
"I know, I know. T'was why I never told ya," Foxy admitted as he put his arm around the striped one and held him closer. "This is all me own problem. It ain't yers, ain't Baby's, and it certainly ain't somethin' to bring here to the pizzeria."
"If it was the other way around, I think I'd be worried too honestly. It's… Weird… For so long its just been us…" Marionette hugged a little tighter to his brother. There were just some things he didn't want to go back to, especially not now that they had all of this. He drew back with an assuring smile. "But it's still us! The only thing that's changed is the pizzeria and it's better than ever!" He gave a playful spin. "Captain Foxy and his partner in crime, Scary Mari; brothers in arms crossing the seven seas on a daring quest for treasure! Or crossing the dining room to pilfer pizza, your call."
Foxy chuckled and scratched his ear. "Ah, we're a couple of saps, Mari. Er, at least I am."
"I know. Doesn't really fit the pirate image, does it? You might need to prove yourself worthy of that captain title," Marionette said with coy, challenging smile. He made a finger snapping motion with the noise instead chiming from his music box. "I know! How about you and I do our jobs as good businessmen and go put impossibly high scores on all the machines?"
Foxy's ears perked at the suggestion and he gave a playful growl. "You sure? I'm warnin' ya now, Lad, I always be toppin' the scoreboard, and I ain't goin' easy on ya just because I'm a sap."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," the Puppet chimed. He then playfully patted the rocket. "Now get in. I'm driving."
Mike didn't argue. He wasn't feeling like driving after all of that anyway. He was hot, sweaty, and coated in a thin layer of rock dust. In hindsight, he should've worn gloves, but that wasn't important anymore. Not when he had no reason to believe that he would ever be caving again. Fritz started the van and soon afterwards was out on the highway and driving them back towards town. Things should've been easier now, but there was a tenseness in the car. Mike was waiting for one of them to ask him what happened in the cave and to figure out a less embarrassing answer.
Instead, Jeremy and Fritz were rather silent, and it was starting to put him more on edge. It eventually got to the point that he realized he would have to initiate the conversation, elsewise they wouldn't ask and just continue believing he had a psychotic episode- or whatever they thought. Finally, he made his decision and interrupted the quietness.
"About what happened in the cave, that wasn't a mental breakdown or anything," Mike vaguely reassured. "I just got overheated and stressed out. That's all it was. Sort of got a little overwhelmed, nothing serious."
"Yeah, no problem. We weren't thinking anything like that. Believe me, if I wouldn't have gotten free, I would've had a meltdown… Or would've started swearing like my life depended on it. I have seven words I've been dying to use," Fritz reassured him. He even flashed him a smile before looking back to the road. Mike was slightly surprised when the technician then asked, "…Have you gotten overwhelmed like this before?"
"Yeah, once or twice. Usually not when something's going on," Mike admitted. He looked out the window. "Usually spontaneously when I'm sleeping, or about three or four hours after something big goes down. Whenever it seems less appropriate."
"Yeah, there's our typical luck," Fritz added in with amusement. "That and me, the guy pushing for us to come down here, getting stuck in the cave. Two seconds after I'm laughing at Chica for the same thing."
"So, this isn't exactly a new thing…" Jeremy spoke up quietly. Unlike Fritz who disguised his concern well, Jeremy made it clear that he was worried. "Have you ever done anything about it?" And he knew, Mike knew. Even with his veiled words, the blond picked up the guised meanings.
"I've got meds, but they're those 'take when you need it' things, and I needed to be awake for my descent into hell," Mike said matter-of-factly. Though he grew more serious as he turned his gaze out the window again. "It could've happened whenever… I wish it wouldn't have happened while you two weren't right there. I didn't want you guys to know about this and for me to become the psycho of the group. I've got a rep to uphold in this town; I'm sane and crazy stuff just magnets to me."
"But you didn't have to hide that from us! Mike, come on, we're not- We've all gone through a lot of crazy stuff. We're not all together here, and we should be…" Jeremy trailed off a moment. "…We should be honest, right? I, uh… I guess I've been the odd one out recently. Haven't really been as invested as I should…"
Mike and Fritz exchanged a look of surprise. There it was; somehow the plan worked, and Jeremy was about to be honest about what was wrong. They waited patiently, not pressing, and the other gave a weary sigh as he leaned between the seats. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose from where they slid down.
"Remember when I was acting weird at the party?... Of course you do. I was acting deranged," he meekly admitted. This got a small smirk of amusement from Mike that he noticed, smiling lightly in return. "The truth is… I got in a fight with my sister. I know I've probably mentioned it once, but I don't get along with my family too well, and this was a doozy of a fight. The worst one we ever had." He sighed almost painfully. "My grandmother was in the hospital and she called to ask for money."
"Yikes," Mike muttered.
"It's more than yikes. I would've sent her the money- I love my grandmother!... But the second I started mentioning coming to visit, she started to mention how I always stress everyone out, and how Grammy would do better just with family, and that I could visit after she got out of the hospital… And I knew what she was really saying…" He started to slide back into the seat. "Just with family, because I'm not family."
"She's probably just trying to get at you, Jere. You can't let her get to you like that," Fritz defended with concern. "I'm sure you guys will patch it up. Siblings know what to say to really get into your head, but blood's thicker than that, right?"
"That's… Not going to happen," Jeremy meekly admitted. He coughed into his fist. "I don't know what I was thinking, but I was just so upset about all of this and how they've been treating me… So, I just…" He gave an odd shrug and forced out, "I told her not to call me anymore and I blocked her number… And everyone else's numbers too. I think I disowned myself from the family." This was rewarded by a lingering pause from the other two. "And that's it. That's why I've been acting so weird recently… But I'm ready to go back to work! It's not going to be a repeat of the birthday party."
"Are you sure? Because you sassing strangers was the highlight of my day," Mike quipped out of reflex. He needed to ease the mood somehow before it got too heavy. "Are you sure you're okay with all this?" He looked back and Jeremy nodded. It didn't look too confident. "If it makes it any better, I think you did the right thing. You had to stand up for yourself one of these days," Mike added.
"I guess…"
"And who knows! Maybe you guys will take a break and when you do talk again things will be better. You weren't actually disowned, it was your decision, so maybe they'll try to repair the bridge," Fritz offered. Jeremy looked a little hesitant at that and Mike shrugged to him. "But even if that didn't happen, at least you've got us. We'll always be here, whether 'here' is the pizzeria or the middle of a cave."
"Yeah. If I ever feel depressed, I can literally crawl in a hole and die. Die of heat exhaustion and scorpions," Jeremy joked with a small snicker. "But you're right. I've already got my family waiting at home..." He coughed into his fist. "But I don't have to go home right away, so if there's anything else you guys want to do…?"
"Fritz is the sane one of the group. Let's let him decide," Mike volunteered with a small smirk. "So, what's the plan, Boss? Any more whacky ideas to sink our teeth into?"
"Now that you mention it, when I was looking up the caves, I found this place about fifteen minutes away that lets you ride a zipline over a-." It wasn't until he looked over and saw the looks on Mike and Jeremy's face that he realized it wasn't a serious question. "…Or we could just go bowling?"
"…Screw it, we'll go do both," Mike volunteered, to which Jeremy almost looked surprised. "I already had my freak out of the day, so why not? But you're paying my hospital bill if I fall into whatever that thing goes over."
"If you live, sure," Fritz agreed. He was smiling again and a second glanced showed that Mike was too, even though he was looking out the window.
Then there was Jeremy in the middle, going along without a word even though he knew there was a high chance of something going wrong. Funny enough, he felt right at home.
Mable: For anyone concerned about poor Ennard, don't worry. He's most likely unconscious on Scott's couch, covered in cats, and we'll be back in working condition in a jiffy! ^-^ So, I hope you enjoyed, and I shall see you next week!