Oh god... What should I do? Stay? Run?!
The choice was as obvious as life or death. Chica jumped to her feet and bolted towards the hall, not giving the pair of glowing eyes a second glance. Her stomach churned with fear as she ran for her life. Bonnie would be furious when she found out Chica had disobeyed her, but none of that mattered right now. Chica's only focus was to make it to the stage in one piece.
Is he chasing me? Chica wasn't sure, but she refused to slow down. Breathless, she skidded around a corner, only to come inches from colliding with Mike. A startled scream escaped her lips before she could stop it.
"CHICA! What the hell!" Mike exclaimed, equally surprised. "What happened?"
Chica tried to catch her breath, catching a faint whiff of smoke instead. She ignored it. "Mike... I think I found F-"
She cut herself off in mid sentence, realization hitting her like a punch in the gut. That WAS smoke; she forgot to turn the oven off when she went to explore Pirates' Cove. A sick feeling overwhelmed her body as she sprinted away.
Mike tried to seize her arm. "Chica! Where are you-"
"FIRE! Mike, hurry!" Chica yelled over her shoulder, not waiting to see Mike's shocked expression. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the kitchen. Horrible images of burning bodies flashed through her mind as she silently prayed she'd been imagining things.
Smoke billowed out of the kitchen doorway. Chica stopped, frozen with fear. She didn't know how bad the fire was, but smoke was everywhere. She turned towards Mike, realizing he wasn't there. Chica nearly had a heart attack; she frantically whirled around, searching for him among the thick cloud of smoke. She frantically called his name for nearly a minute, the smoke clearing up a bit.
"Chica!" A voice called nearby.
Relief flooded through Chica as she stumbled near the voice, bumping onto Mike. She noticed the fire extinguisher in his hand and broke down sobbing, pulling him in for a big hug. He'd put out the fire- risking himself for Chica's stupid mistakes.
"Chica, it's not your fault!" Mike said, trying to comfort her. "It was mostly smoke! Nothing was damaged... Except the pizza you were cooking..."
Chica knew he was trying to sugarcoat the truth. It was all her fault! She could've easily burned the whole building down, killing Mike and everyone else.
"Mike! Chica! What happened?" Freddy yelled from somewhere down the hall. Chica felt a stab of guilt; she couldn't face him or Bonnie after what she did. Tears pouring down her cheeks, Chica quietly ran out of sight, trying to find a place to escape reality.
"Chica! Where are you going?" Mike yelled after her. Chica quickly slipped into Prize Corner to avoid being found, ducking behind a bin of stuffed animals. Putting her face in her hands, she began to cry. I'm an idiot. How could I have been so dumb? I only arrived a few hours ago, and I already managed to nearly kill everybody! Chica wiped her eyes and sighed, grabbing a plush Bonnie from the bin. Bonnie... She already hates me. I don't blame her. Tears sprung back into Chica's eyes and she began to cry again.
Chica hugged the toy Bonnie close to her chest and sobbed into it's soft fur. She glanced back at the bin of stuffed animals, remembering her other problem.
Foxy...
She forgot all about him. Not only had she started a fire, but she somehow re-activated a potentially dangerous animatronic. What if he hurts Freddy, Bonnie or Mike? I could never forgive myself...
Chica got up and brushed herself off. She knew what she needed to do.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen:
Bonnie growled in frustration. Her, Freddy and Mike were scrubbing soot stains off the wall. Mike hadn't mentioned the smoke damage to Chica.
"Where the hell is Chica? Shouldn't she be the one cleaning this up!?" Bonnie yelled, angry for being awaken. "It's 4:00!"
"Don't blame Chica... This was my fault." Freddy mumbled. "I was supposed to be watching her..."
Bonnie felt like punching someone, preferably Chica. Not only had she started the fire in the first place, but Freddy also had the nerve to defend her.
"She could've killed us! We all would've burned in our sleep!" Bonnie argued again.
Freddy stopped working to look at her, sending an annoyed glare. "Honestly Bonnie, what's with you today? For god's sake, Chica just got here! Be a little nicer to her!"
"Besides, the damage isn't that bad." Mike cut in. "The walls are just a bit dirty."
Bonny blinked back tears of frustration. She tried to convince herself that everyone was in Chica's favor for the sake of being new, but she still had doubts.
"Whatever. Since you guys just looove Chica so much, you can clean this up. I'm going back to bed." Bonnie got up and strutted away, trying to agitate Freddy and Mike.
Freddy was shocked. Not because Bonnie was ditching them, but because she sounded depressed. Bonnie was hurt; as much as she'd deny it, something had broken inside of her. The hint of sadness in her voice was like a plea for help, even though Bonny herself hadn't realized it. But Freddy did.
"Hey, Bonnie,"
Bonnie forced herself not to turn around.
"You're my best friend, and no one can ever change that."
Bonnie blushed bright red, hoping Freddy wouldn't see the large smile creeping across her face. Instead, she tried to hide it with a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, I'm sooo sure!"
But Freddy knew that was her way of saying Thank you.
Pirates' Cove:
Chica stood in front of Pirates' Cove, half expecting Foxy to leap out and attack her.
Bonnie didn't necessarily say that Foxy was dangerous, Chica told herself, trying to build up courage. Maybe he's a really, really, really nice guy...
Chica sighed. Fuck it, he's going to kill me... No, first he'll probably kidnap me, gag me, rape me, torture me and THEN kill me... And hide my body for some poor kid to find...
Chica knew she was being ridiculous, but then again, she wasn't sure. All she knew is that she had to deactivate Foxy somehow, or else he'd possibly hurt somebody... Or worse- the exact reason why she brought a metal flashlight from Mike's office, which she could use for light and a weapon, if necessary.
Chica forced all the negative thoughts out of her mind, silently prayed for life, and swiftly dove behind the curtain.
Pirates' Cove was darker than she remembered, so she was relieved that she brought a flashlight. Taking a deep breath, she turned it on, casting a dim beam of light along the wall. She didn't see anything, so Chica decided to try a friendly approach.
"H-Hi Foxy. My name's Chica." She said into the darkness.
She listened for any sound. Nothing.
She tried again. "I just wanted to talk."
Still no answer. She shone the flashlight around, still seeing nothing.
"Please, Foxy."
Chica was getting frustrated. After nearly 15 minutes of hopeless attempts to talk to him, she'd had enough.
"Look, I didn't want to do this," Chica held the flashlight out, trying to look intimidating. "Show yourself now, or else I'll-"
Chica stopped in mid sentence when a pair of golden eyes appeared near the far right of the cove. Her hands shook violently as she clutched her flashlight, trying to control the beam to go in that direction.
"NO! P-please... I don't want ye to be scared..."
Chica froze, shocked that Foxy spoke. He had a quiet voice and a slight pirate accent, but what surprised Chica the most was the sadness in his voice. Letting the flashlight shine towards the floor, Chica summed up the courage to answer.
"Why would I be scared?" Chica gripped her flashlight tighter. "Are you going to hurt me?" She waited for him to respond, growing tenser every second.
"No, lass. I'd never hurt anyone." He answered, sighing sadly. "It's just..."
Chica finally understood, remembering the creepy arm she found. "The way you look?"
She could hear the faint creaking of metal as he nodded. "Yeah..."
An icy shiver shot down Chica's spine as she thought about what Foxy might look like. Based on the arm she found, he was bound to be old and rusty. But despite that, he seemed okay. Chica smiled to herself. This would be easier than she thought; if she could get friendly with him, she could find a way to get close enough to shut him off, no struggle required.
"Where are my manners? My name's Chica!" Chica smiled and waved, assuming he could see in the dark.
"I'm Foxy. Nice to meet ye..."
Awkward silence followed. Chica racked her brain for something to say, but couldn't think of anything. She heard Foxy shift uncomfortably.
"... Chica?"
She was surprised when he broke the silence. "Yes?"
"Umm..." He hesitated, as if afraid to hear the answer. "Do ye know how long I've been here?"
Chica laughed. "At least a day! I actually-"
"Only... Only one day?! W-why do I feel so rusty?!" Foxy felt panicked and confused.
"Foxy... You didn't let me finish. I meant-"
"Mike! Is Mikey okay?!" Foxy freaked out, fearing the worst. "Oh god... It was a dream, wasn't it? He can't be-"
"You didn't let me finish!" Chica practically screamed. "And I have no idea what you're talking about! I only arrived here today!"
Foxy laughed, trying to shake off his nervous breakdown. "It figures! I would've remembered ye!" Despite herself, Chica blushed.
An hour later...
"-I could've killed everyone, and I've only arrived here today! Consider yourself lucky if you last a week with me around!" Chica finished her story about setting the kitchen on fire and Foxy burst out laughing. She smiled, finding herself laughing along. Chica felt wanted- that was the only way she could describe it. Bonnie hated her, Freddy and Mike were acquaintances, but Foxy was a friend. They'd spent the past hour laughing and talking, he being the only one to get to know her. Of course, she only arrived today, so she wouldn't judge the others so quickly. But she could already tell Foxy was different.
"You know... It's funny how I can laugh at my mistakes. I was so devastated at the time." Chica giggled, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Tell me your most embarrassing moment."
Foxy laughed. "I've had too many to count."
"Cmon Foxy! Tell me the worst!" Chica pressed, trying to tease him. "I told you mine!"
"I'd rather not say." Foxy mumbled, his thoughts drifting back to 1987.
Chica wasn't giving up. She gave him a teasing grin, assuming he could see it. "Cmon. I won't laugh. Much."
I bit my best friend's brain out, but hey, we can just laugh about it. Foxy felt anger boil through his veins. Chica thought she could just laugh over something like this!? She would never understand...
"C'mon, Foxy! Tell me!"
"Chica... Please..."
"It isn't as bad once you laugh about it! Trust me, I-"
"I can't, lass... Don't bother me about it..."
Chica sighed, finally giving up. "Aww... Alright. It's almost 6:00 anyway, I'd like to say goodbye to Mike." Chica was about to leave, pausing to give Foxy a mischievous grin. "Wait."
"Yeah?"
"Let me see you."
"No..."
"Please, Foxy!"
"I said no, Chica!" Foxy snapped, sounding colder than he intended.
"Just a second..." Chica mumbled, shining her flashlight along the ground to find what she was looking for. She grabbed the Foxy plush she found earlier. "Can you see in the dark?"
"Yes."
"Is this you?" Chica asked, holding out the stuffed fox.
"... Yes."
Chica laughed. "This thing is adorable! You can't be much different!" And without warning, she shone her flashlight over Foxy, exposing everything he warned her not to see.
Chica covered her mouth and gasped. Foxy had russet fur, torn and faded from years of neglect. Several of his limbs were missing, but the most terrifying thing about him were his teeth; some were missing, some were yellow, but they all were razor sharp. Chica couldn't imagine anyone letting him interact with children.
"I told you," Foxy whispered, seeing her terrified expression. "Nobody wants to see a monster walking..."
Chica wanted to say something, but her voice failed her.
"Chica! Where'd you go?" Mike shouted from the hallway. "I have to go! I'll get fired if you're not at the stage!"
Chica froze, careful not to make a sound until Mike passed. When Mike's voice faded away, Chica turned towards Foxy, not surprised to find him gone. She'd forgot all about deactivating him, but she didn't care. A part of her knew Foxy wasn't a monster, but the other part told her to run for her life.
"Foxy, please don't hurt anyone." She mumbled, leaving Pirates' Cove.
Why does everyone think that? I'd never hurt anyone... On purpose. Foxy thought, slightly offended by what he heard Chica say. A tiny part of him hoped she'd come back to see him again, but he knew it was next to impossible.
"You really thought she was different, huh?"
A demonic voice hissed. "She's not. She thinks you're a monster, just like everyone else."
A chilling feeling overwhelmed Foxy. He knew that voice- it was the same one from 87'.
The same one that told him to bite down...
Yet, it wasn't a voice at all; it was in his mind. Foxy felt sick just to think the voice was his own thoughts, fueled by sadness and hatred. But as much as he forced himself to deny it, he agreed. No one would ever think of him as anything but a monster.
... But then again, they had the right. Maybe he was the monster they feared him to be...