Mable: It seems that this chapter also turned out longer than usual. I don't know what's going on with the word count, except maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm running out of chapters. Funny enough, but suddenly thirty chapters feels much too short. Maybe I'm overcompensating? I don't know, but I ended up pushing the count again, and that's not necessarily my goal. ^-^ Anyway, I hope you Enjoy!
Can't Go Home Again
Chapter Seventy-One
Scott didn't know what had woken him.
He groggily opened his eyes and stared at the darkness of his bedroom tiredly. He had been spending so much more time in here since yesterday's talk with Fritz and yet he didn't feel comfortable. Maybe it was the nagging thirst at his throat, or perhaps just the prolonged stress. He tiredly scooted across the bed and reached for his glass of water, barely reflecting the light from the window above his bed. He slid upwards in bed as he brought it to his lips and then moved to set the glass back down.
It was then that he noticed the figure looming beside the bedroom door. Not until now had he noticed it, as it had been angled behind him, but he could clearly see the form and the light reflecting off the wires. The glass slipped from his fingers and crashed against the floor, causing his male cat to bolt from the room. The mother still seemed to be in bed with the kittens, but she was probably just as startled. The form by the door even twitched in reaction to the broken glass. Scott held his breath as he stared.
"Ennard…?" Scott choked out in questioning. "I… What- How'd you get in here…?" The bedroom door was cracked open, so perhaps it somehow unlocked the door. That was a sickening thought.
"I think I've been very patient with you," Ennard accused. Thankfully, he had returned to his female voice, meaning that it was much less intimidating. Scott still felt a vice around his throat at the words. "I don't understand. I did everything you wanted me to and you locked me out again." Its voice crackled with the heavy 'breathing' sound. It was loud enough that it almost sounded like a backdrop of moaning to everything he said. "You trusted me before, so what did I do wrong? Why are you avoiding me?"
"I-I'm not."
"You're lying," Ennard bluntly stated. Its voice dropped in pitch at the very end, and it was enough to cause Scott to shudder. Perhaps it was an accidental glitch in the voice, but it was another disturbing this to hear. "Don't lie to me. I want to know. I want to know why you keep locking me away from you."
"I-I'm lying? You're the one wh-ho lied!" Scott broke out before he could control himself. His heart was racing and the shaking in his arms was starting to ache, but he continued. "You- You pretended you were someone else to have- so that they'd bring you out of ARI. Fritz told me everything, he told me they were bringing Baby, he said- he told- he told-," he choked as his voice briefly got caught in a seize. With a cough, he recovered, "He told me that you were-!" Yet the last word couldn't make it out.
Scott reigned himself in because if he acknowledged Ennard was dangerous, then Ennard would become dangerous. He didn't know if he could handle that.
"That you were… Th-That you were down in ARI still…" Scott caught his breath and tried to control the shaking on his arms. "That you're not one- you're a few animatronics, and that ma-makes sense being that you change voices, but I wouldn't have ever thought- You should have just told me, but you didn't."
"I didn't lie," Ennard responded back. It was still the female voice, but it sounded a bit hollower. As though all the personality had been sucked straight out of it.
"J-Just leaving things out and doing it to hide things, saying things or making- convincing people of things that aren't true, that's lying. Even if you don't say it, that's lying," Scott stated as though scolding a child. "You… I let you out and you… You were fine with me just not knowing anything, weren't you?" At this point, the pain was getting worse. Scott sat up on the bed and turned to face the wall, back to Ennard, trying to ride out the prickling feeling along his spine.
The room wasn't quiet. He could always hear that hushed, panting sound. Only now did Scott start to wonder what it was, but he had no desire to ask about it.
"I'm sorry… I just wanted to protect us…"
Unlike the aggressiveness earlier, the voice was gentle and almost difficult to hear with the lower volume. "I didn't want you to know what we had to do to escape that place. They did things to them- to us down there. I had to leave… Even if I had to be Baby to do it." Scott's lungs hurt; he assumed it was from holding his breath, but couldn't get himself to breathe properly. He didn't like where this conversation was going. "The truth is that I pretend to be a lot of people… We all did."
That last part stood out. "We?"
"We just wanted to be together as one, so we left our bodies and joined into this one. Is that wrong?" It paused for only a few seconds. "But it's not easy sharing one body. Sometimes we don't know what to do. We all have ideas and we all take turns deciding which we should make. Sometimes one of us knows what is right, sometimes another doesn't. We don't do it to hurt anyone… We just can't go back. Not again." The breathing briefly grew more intense, but died down as it continued.
"Everything Fritz told you is true. He doesn't understand, but he is right… I didn't want to scare you away." It was too late. Scott was already regretting everything. He couldn't run, he couldn't fight back, and all he could do was just sit here and hope that Ennard didn't suddenly decide to kill him… Or Ennard's 'other' personalities decide that.
"…You don't look alright," Ennard remarked and the soft voice lowered in concern. "You're not saying anything."
"I can't do this," Scott nearly choked out. "I don't know what- what made you think that you could just… You need to go." After this, the room went entirely silent. Even the breathing had stopped and Ennard stood silently. The human's hands tightened on the edge of the bed. "Please, leave."
It took the animatronic an excruciatingly long time, but eventually it followed his request and he could hear it leave the bedroom. The door was left open and yet Scott already felt largely better. His body was already starting to relax without the many eyes of Ennard staring down his back.
But it wasn't like he could relax again. While the pain started to relieve itself without the pressure, the new information was just enough to leave Scott concerned. This was terrible news; this confirmed that Ennard truly was dangerous. At any minute, one of Ennard's personalities could decide that it wanted him dead, and it sounded like the others couldn't do anything to stop it.
Scott had a bad history of trusting dangerous people because they could be affectionate. Not just William, but William was definitely the best example of this. William was unpredictable; a clear liar, a master manipulator, and one who knew how to use people for his own means. Ennard could easily be the same way and Scott would give in, filling the same void he tried to fill with William. Only this time was different, because Ennard was an animatronic; he had all the means to back up any sudden thought with an abrupt ending.
There was a clinking sound from somewhere out in the house. Ennard was rummaging through something in the house, not that Scott intended to go out and find what it was. He wasn't even certain if he needed to get up and attempt locking the door again, less the animatronic barge right back in. Instead, he looked over at the cat bed in the corner. He was relieved to see that everyone was in their place. At least the kittens were growing fine and were away from Ennard's interest. It was some form of normality.
…Maybe this was it. Maybe he needed to tell Fritz the truth and that he couldn't handle 'Baby', before he got in any deeper.
The footsteps started to come back to the room and Scott tiredly rubbed over the scars littering his face, "What was that, five minutes?... I guess I should be happy he left at all… 'They' left at all." Almost immediately, he felt his throat clench. "This whole time it's been 'they'. I've been- I've had a whole cast living in my house!... I've always been outnumbered." His thoughts died as Ennard stepped back inside the room.
The amalgam approached the corner of the bed and set something down on the bed beside the human. Then it took a few steps back towards the door and stopped in the doorway. Scott slowly turned his head to look at the offering, though largely did so to watch Ennard out of his peripheral. It turned out to be a bowl that it had set down and some squinting revealed that it looked to be ice cream. It was just a bowl of ice cream that Ennard had brought him for whatever reason.
Scott looked over towards Ennard for an explanation. Ennard had suddenly decided to go mute and did nothing more than watch. It was almost as though it knew it was on thin ice, which was possible considering that Scott had technically commanded it to leave the room. Even if it did return only a few minutes later. "Uh… Thanks."
He took the cold bowl into his hands and moved it into his lap. It was just the ice cream from the freezer and nothing had been done to it, so it seemed safe enough to eat. A tentative taste reassured that the ice cream had not been tainted and while he wasn't exactly wanting to eat, the comfort food was something that he wouldn't turn down.
The sound that Ennard made was different this time. It was a strange rubbing noise and seemed to be his wires rustling together, but it came out almost in a contented way. It seemed happy that Scott took its gift. Perhaps the ice cream was some form of an apology and Scott accepting it meant that he accepted the apology as well. This seemed to make the most logical sense and he acknowledged the animatronic's effort.
Scott had a bad feeling that he was slipping back into the cycle all over again.
Mike wasn't feeling right when he dragged himself out of his bedroom. Physically he was fine, though a little sore from the weight of Bobby launching herself on him. His arm also felt a little stiff, but the cuts were largely numb and he didn't dare remove the bandage. Something just felt amiss and he could only assume that it was a bruised ego. He gave an exhausted sigh as he headed to the coffee machine. It had already been turned on and the pot was slowly filling with coffee.
He had noticed Marionette in his bedroom searching for something under his bed, but they had yet to talk about last night. Just the thought of it was enough to nearly scare Mike away. He impatiently watched the coffee drain into the pot before deciding that it wasn't enough. After a few moments, he looked out through the window and focused his attention on the sunny day outside. It was only about eleven; which felt early even when it was just from his own lack of sleep.
Before Freddy's, Mike hadn't been so reliant on coffee. He would wake up, go for a run, get a buzz from the adrenaline, and then get home with plenty of time before his shift at work. It seemed like too many of his reflexes were starting to go. Maybe if he had kept running he could have outrun Bobby. With a swing of interest, Mike headed over to the couch and retrieved his shoes from where he left them. They were fine enough for running and it wasn't like he intended to be gone long, lest Marionette strangle him upon return.
Speaking of which, he could hear the Puppet's low chime and looked up to see him lean on the back of the couch. "Where are you going?" Marionette quietly asked. It was almost jarring to hear his voice after the silence the night before.
"Just for a run. Nothing like getting a runner's high while skipping work," Mike suggested with a playful smile. Marionette's expression portrayed a slight bit of worry, so he assured further. "I'm not going anywhere else. I'll call Fritz when I get back. He'll get it. He was the one that told me to stop coming into work bloody." This time, it wasn't a lie. Mike wouldn't be going back to Hickory's, he was determined not to. Maybe he would call Jennifer, just maybe, but he had no intention to return.
"Just be careful… You feel fine enough to go? Your blood pressure is alright?" Marionette questioned.
"Blood pressure?" Mike was both confused and amused by the question. "My blood pressure's fine, Mari. I just ran my arm through a cheese grater." It was at this moment that it clicked that the blood pressure comment was probably a reflex after Fredrick's heart problems. Then again, Fredrick was old enough to be Mike's father, out of shape, and had a history of taking only slight care of himself. It wasn't the same situation in the slightest. "I'll take it easy."
As Mike headed to the door, Marionette followed along behind him, reached out, and squeezed his shoulder affectionately. "I love you. Try not to be too long… There are some things that we need to discuss."
"I'm going to need the runner's high for that," Mike muttered. Though he hadn't intended to say it out loud until it slipped out. He paused momentarily, wondering if he needed to add anything else, and then turned to face the Puppet. Silently, he pulled him into his embrace and held him close. They both needed it, but Mike needed it more. He needed the feeling of warmth, the assurance of safety, and that reminder that he was home, and that nothing could follow him home. He was back in his sanctuary with the only being that truly mattered.
It didn't help that Marionette clung to him with a desperation that he hadn't seen in quite a while. The Puppet always did become more frantic whenever he was injured, and he semi-frequently landed himself into situations where he was injured. It had still been a while since he had last felt the animatronic hold on so tightly. It was as though he truly feared that Mike wouldn't come back. Meanwhile, Mike knew that if he didn't leave that he would have to answer questions immediately, and he needed to clear his head and figure out what exactly he was going to say.
Mike kissed his cheek and drew himself away slowly. "I'll be back in a little while, don't worry." With that, he headed out the door. Marionette watched from the window as Mike headed to the bottom of the driveway, looked down both stretches of road, and eventually started a light run. His gaze followed Mike a few moments before it locked over on his car. His interest intensified and he decided that he wasn't willing to wait another moment if he didn't have to. In the blink of an eye, he was in the backseat.
The coppery smell caught his attention immediately and his focus turned on the back of the driver's seat. He reached down into the floorboard behind it and slipped his hand under the seat. Something smelled like blood and it was strong enough that it had to be significant. His fingers clutched onto fabric and he yanked the object out from under the seat. It was clearly some sort of uniform jacket and Marionette began to scan it. Beyond the small bit of blood and the rips, there was one thing he searched for, and to his luck it was there.
Not all uniforms labelled what company they belonged to, but usually security guard jackets would have a tag or a patch, or something stitched in the collar. Something to proclaim them as security and to what. Then he found it. He found the name boldly presented before him, and it was not Freddy's.
It was Hickory, Dickory, and Doc's Funcade.
Whatever emotion it was that suddenly surged through Marionette, he could barely stand it. He only half acknowledged what may have been a shriek from himself, but he was too busy trying to figure out which of the animatronics could've done it- Which of the three interchangeable mice would get that close and how he could get his strings wrapped around them. But along with this anger was the horror of the confirmation; Mike willingly walked in and took the job. Marionette both expected it and couldn't believe it.
Frustrated tremors shook his frame as he slipped further into the floorboard. For a few moments he could only sit there, staring at the sunny day outside the window and trying to figure out what exactly he could do next. The fear of being spotted eventually won out and he teleported back into the house. Then he waited.
Mike stumbled back into the house and headed straight to the sink, filling a glass of water a gulping down a swallow. It hadn't been as hard as he imagined, but he was clearly out of shape in comparison to his running before. There was some sort of high, if it was only from the exhaustion and tenseness in his legs. It was then that Marionette breezed by and shut the front door.
"Welcome home. I thought perhaps we could have that loud conversation now," Marionette swiftly explained. It was obvious that he was suppressing something and Mike looked over in confusion, only to notice the jacket that was being clutched in his hand. Instead, he responded with a swear under his breath. He hadn't even fathomed that the Puppet would search his car while he was gone.
"I can explain," Mike assured. "I'm not just helping our competitors-."
"Mike, you went into a Pizzeria and were attacked by another animatronic. This is more important than the restaurants. This is- This…" Suddenly, Marionette ran out of the collected demeanor. His suspicious look changed to frustration as he glared at the male. "What were you thinking?! You could've been killed! You could've been killed by another animatronic!" He tossed down the jacket as his static grew, muffling his voice. "And you told me nothing! I couldn't have saved you- I wouldn't have even knew where you were!"
Mike just stayed silent and allowed the Puppet to vent. He had a feeling it would be better that way. Besides, he needed a moment to catch his breath and to calculate his next words.
"And one of those forsaken mice bit you! It could've maimed you, it could've killed you, and you still kept going back!" Marionette scolded, overwhelmed by horror. "What could you have possibly been thinking?! Why would you lie to me to sneak off to this horrible place?!"
"I don't know what I was thinking," Mike originally started. Marionette's static surged as he slowly moved in, staring Mike down, and he decided to correct this beginning. "Look, it was just for answers. I knew they were connected to Afton's and I had to see what we were up against. Not with competition, not like that, but with these other animatronics. You know what that's like." He paused, inhaled, and continued, "And they've been tweaked by Afton. These things aren't like Chipper's. They act like Freddy, like Foxy; they're calculating."
"But that makes it even worse!" Marionette snapped. "You thought that perhaps I didn't need to know about this?! That I didn't need to know that you were risking your life for 'answers'?!" The Puppet mockingly made quotations. "What answers, Mike? We both know everything!" Of course, he was exaggerating, but he didn't necessarily believe Mike's excuse.
"Trust me, it's a whole different situation than we've dealt with before," Mike firmly stated. "You know that I can hold my own, but there's something wrong with these things over at Hickory's. They're trying to break themselves, they'll break arcade cabinets, and there's this thing that happens at the end of shift where they completely lose their minds!" Without meaning to, his voice grew louder. "I don't know what the hell Afton did to these things, but they're going to hurt someone! They probably already did!"
"They're going to hurt you!" Marionette clarified. "And he did what he always does, Mike! He comes back again and again, and he taints everything he touches!" Suddenly, the ring of 'Pop Goes the Weasel' started to play without his control. Marionette knew he was too wound up, but he couldn't even try to calm down. "I would have never been able to find you."
"I'm so glad you have such faith in me, considering that I handled Freddy's little stunts without a hitch!" Mike pointed out, slightly offended. After all, he had handled the first three nights without too much of a hitch. He blamed the fourth night incident largely on overconfidence. "The thing jumped me and bit me on the arm, but I shot it with a few volts and got away! If you think some sheep with a displaced face is going to kill me, then you've-!" He was cut off by Marionette grabbing him by the shoulders and holding him firm.
"I don't want to lose you too!" Marionette blurted out. The music turned to a mix of confused notes. "I keep losing everyone that I love- they keep leaving me! They fall apart in my hands and I can't put them back together! I can't save them!" His voice cracked as he trembled, his anger turning to fear, and turning to despair. "And I just want to keep you alive and I want to keep you safe, but I can't do that if you won't let me. I just can't understand why you didn't tell me…" His voice failed and frustrated tears ran down his mask.
And Mike was rendered speechless. Something about the outburst had simply broke apart whatever defense Mike had for his actions. There simply wasn't a defense for this; he didn't want to defend himself.
Finally, Marionette did manage to recover enough to speak again. His voice was wavering, but slightly calmer. "Now I want you to be honest with me. I want you to be completely honest with me. Why did you really go to Hickory's? What made you go first, because I need to know why." He didn't know why he needed to know why, he just did. He just wanted to know what would draw Mike into this place.
This time, Mike found honesty coming too easily, and it was honesty that he had yet to even admit to himself.
"It was visiting Mom," Mike admitted. Marionette sadness shifted to confusion. "I just… I came back from there and I needed something to do."
"I don't understand," Marionette quietly said.
"The whole trip made me think about a few things, and I came home and it just…" Mike exhaled and reached up to take the Puppet's hands from his shoulders. "Mari, you know what I used to do at Freddy's. I was the only security guard who kept coming back. I was the one who kept surviving weeks and weeks, who kept getting the call to come back. It was like a test that only I had passed. I became a great security guard and I'm proud of that." He inhaled; he didn't want to say what was about to come out.
"I take a lot of pride in that title, even if it's not worth anything. Being a security guard made me feel like I was someone…" He exhaled again, "Because without Freddy's, I'm literally no one. I've got nothing else to be proud of. There's nothing else that I've done worth its weight in salt. Everything that I have that I'm proud of is connected to me working at a job where animatronics try to kill me."
"That's not true," Marionette protested in a hushed voice.
"It is. Without it I'm just Mike, some guy with the same name as thousands of other people, working nine to five to get by. It didn't bother me, though, not until I came back from there. They made me feel too human, and you know feeling human doesn't usually feel good," Mike explained. Marionette nodded stiffly and suddenly Mike started feeling lightheaded. Instead of releasing the weight from his shoulders, admitting the truth out loud was making him feel out of sorts. He could already feel that it was getting harder to breathe.
"I just needed a pick-me-up, so then I went to Hickory's for answers. I threw myself into some sort of stupid adventure and it backfired spectacularly, because it turns out that the animatronics were just too much…" The dizziness was getting worse and Mike's breathing became more labored. "And I don't know why I didn't tell you. Sometimes it was to protect you, sometimes it was to protect me… Let's be honest, it was just to cover my ass. I just thought I could handle it."
Marionette looked down at their hands. He squeezed onto Mike's, "…You did. You handled it. You survived…" As terrified as Marionette was, he had to give this form of credit. He wanted to give Mike that confidence and he knew this was the one thing that would do it. "Mike, you are so much more than that. I couldn't keep on if something happened to you." He pulled Mike's hands to his chest and held them close. The dull hum of his internal music box could be felt through his fabric. "You are the reason that I am happy. You've made me happy."
The silence was more of a respite than a heaviness. They needed the rest, between the yelling and the dramatic drop into raw emotions. It was all much too heavy. Mike broke it tentatively, "I'm not going back." This time, there was nothing that the Puppet didn't know. It would all be honesty. "I can live with not knowing. I'm not risking it." He pulled the Puppet in again, like he had earlier, and hugged him tightly.
"…At least… At least you figured that out after you were used as a chew toy," Marionette murmured, trying to cautiously ease the mood. It was obvious that he was still upset, but his attention was now on Mike. After all, it wasn't as though either of them could change the past. "Speaking of which, I want to know which of the blind mice touched you."
"It would be easier to list off which ones didn't touch me," Mike remarked. From Marionette's returning static, aimed towards the animatronics, he decided that wasn't the best comment. "There's a black sheep named Bobby running around in the pizzeria. She jumped me after I was cornered." The Puppet proceeded by giving a discontent tune and more frustrated static. "You're not going to go hurt her down or something, right? Because the last thing we need is another animatronic damaging equipment. Someone will be out for blood… Other than you."
"I can control myself… If she had killed you or injured you any worse, then it would be another story, but if I go to Hickory's then I am just making a terrible example of myself," Marionette assured, whether he believed it or not. "…Of course, it would also be different if Hickory's wasn't as far… If I could simply teleport there, it would be a different matter."
"Yeah, you would've been gone the second I said which one it was," Mike remarked with a small, tired smirk. He held on a bit tighter to the Puppet. "I don't want you going anywhere… Because I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to leave you." His expression and tone became more serious, "If there's one thing I do well, it's barely scrape by with my life."
This felt like an assurance. Mike was being honest, his words rang true, and Marionette knew that Mike wasn't going to go back.
…
…But it still ate at him. Surprisingly enough, the thought that another animatronic attacked his Mike was too much to suppress, even though he understood why they would attack. If they were like Freddy and the others, they possibly identified Mike as their murderer, and that was something that the Puppet would sympathize with. Or he should've, if he wasn't so bothered by it.
Marionette kept it quiet around Mike and pretended that it wasn't an issue, but he couldn't stay silent forever. So, he looked for an appropriate outlet.
He waited until nightfall and until Mike was distracted with cooking to leave. He teleported to his destination quickly and scanned the room. His arrival was noticed almost immediately.
"Well, well," the graveled voice remarked, "look who decided to come in to work." Foxy's tone held a sort of disappointment that only an older sibling could pull off. He approached the Puppet, leaving Jeremy behind him as he cleaned the trash away from a table, leftover from a party. "Yer Little Lass was looking for you," Foxy pointed out as he crossed his arms and waited for an explanation.
Marionette felt a brief tinge of guilt, both at Chrissy and at Foxy's look, and he rubbed his arms. "I'm sorry, I should have been here… But I found out where Mike's been. It turns out you were right; he has been with a woman," Marionette remarked. Maybe the joke route would make it easier. Foxy's ears twitched in interest. "And she bit him."
"…Where?" That wasn't the follow up question that he expected. Either Foxy was quicker than ever or was seriously curious about the details.
"On the arm. You see, it turns out that Mike was out playing security guard at another establishment," Marionette remarked, tenting his fingers together. "…He's been over at Hickory's."
Foxy straightened immediately with shock, his eyes widened, and his ears perked even further. "What is he doing working over there?!"
"It's complicated, but he doesn't intend to go back," Marionette defended. "But he saw things inside of the arcade. Considering that one of them actually bit him-."
"Who cares what he saw?! He's been over there working with the enemy!" Foxy blurted out in accusation. There were a few silent seconds. "…What did he see?"
"They were like us. They're intelligent, they have their own behaviors, they… One of them bit Mike. Foxy, even you haven't been able to do that. They're obviously not like Chipper and friends," Marionette pointed out. Before he could continue, and he direly wanted to continue, Jeremy heard what was going on and approached.
"H-He was bit?! Oh wow, uh… Is he back in the hospital?" Jeremy looked a bit more nervous than usual at the conversation topic. Considering the situation and his history, it wasn't too surprising.
"No, Mike is alright. We bandaged his arm," Marionette explained. Foxy sat down on the edge of the stage and rubbed his face with his hand. "But… The entire event was very distressing, which is why we didn't come into work. Mike has been firm that he won't be returning…" He paused, wondering if he needed to just hold back the unnecessary emotions and return home. "But all is not well."
His attention turned back to Foxy, who was still listening in. Jeremy went temporarily ignored as Marionette tried to suppress the returning disturbance.
"I can't stop thinking about it," the Puppet lamented as he paced in his hovering. "I can't stop thinking about her, obsessing over it, even when I know why. We both know why she would do it, but it just… I can't get over it. I can't stop thinking of it." Marionette rubbed at his mask. "I'm going mad."
"Yer doin' fine," Foxy shot him down. "If anyone's gonna lose it, it's me. One of our men was over lickin' Hickory's boots."
"Mike was doing it because he saw the mice in ARI's files. That's it." They didn't need to know the other reason; that was between Mike and himself. "He wanted to know if they were like Baby and the others, but they are more like us." He gave a weary exhale with the off-tune chime following, "And here I am, unable to do anything."
"Then let's do somethin'," Foxy suddenly stated. He stood from the stage and looked to his brother. "Let's go get in the van and drive over there. We'll see this competition face to face," Foxy insisted. It was almost like the competition had spread to the bite itself. As though Foxy was upset that an animatronic bit Mike when he couldn't. Marionette didn't know how to react to the behavior, so he temporarily ignored it.
"That's a terrible idea," Marionette remarked and looked off out of the way. "Besides, I promised Mike that I wouldn't go. It's a mutual pact."
"Mike made a few promises he didn't keep to ya, didn't he?" Foxy challenged right back. "An' you know the two of us could take out a couple o' knock off bilge rats! We get in the van, we drive over there, an' we do what comes naturally." As much as Marionette wanted to agree and wanted to go along with this crazy idea, he knew better than it.
The more compassionate side of him tried to remind him that the animatronic was probably just confused and sympathetic; maybe a lost soul like them. It almost helped, but it was the promise to Mike that truly held him back.
"If I go, Mike will follow, and I don't want him going back," Marionette firmly laid out. "It's just not a good idea. We have to think about the pizzeria."
"…Yeah, ya gotta point," Foxy admitted. He almost seemed defeated and gave a tired huff. "What're you gonna do then? Just keep losin' yer mind thinkin' about it?"
"I thought I was doing fine," Marionette flatly pointed out with a less than impressed look.
"Eh," Foxy gave a shrug. "Then why'd you come if not fer suggestions?" He watched as Marionette hesitated and looked taken aback by the question.
"Well…" Marionette rubbed his arms to comfort himself. "To be honest, mostly to vent. I don't usually feel so… Powerless." Actual sympathy passed Foxy's gaze and he put his hand on Marionette's shoulder, pulling him in closer, and then put his arm around his back. The motion was just enough to calm the Puppet's body once more. Even if it was temporary, he felt largely more at peace, and gave a small chime of contentment.
"Thank you, Foxy. This was what I needed," Marionette assured as he turned to briefly hug him. "I should return home before Mike realizes that I left."
"Ah, let 'em worry!" Foxy boasted. "He put you through plenty worry before. Let 'em shiver an' shake!" The offer was just tempting enough to keep the Puppet a little longer. However, after a few minutes, he gave Foxy a final hug.
"Thank you, Foxy. I feel… Content," Marionette assured. "We will both be ready for Monday. I promise." Then, shortly after, he teleported away, leaving Foxy standing there and Jeremy went to return to work.
"I hope Mike's okay… I guess I'll call him after I get home," Jeremy quietly murmured as he turned to the garbage bag. "I'm going to throw this in the back and I'll be taking off."
"No, you won't."
Jeremy raised a brow and looked back towards Foxy who was looking at him. There was something in his look that suddenly gave Jeremy a bad feeling that he was right. "…Please tell me you want me to stay here."
"I gotta better idea, Lad! Why don't we shove off ourselves? Marion made his own promise, but we answer to no one." Foxy strode over and leaned over him, cocking his head with interest. Jeremy didn't even respond at first. Somehow, Foxy took this as consideration instead of absolute confusion. "You've driven the van before. I'll just hop in the back and we'll go see what 'ol Hickory's is hiding."
"Foxy, no," Jeremy bluntly answered. "I… I don't even know how to explain how bad of an idea that is. You and me in a van, going to see a bunch of- of biters?"
"How's it terrible? I'll keep ya safe," Foxy assured the human. "It'll be an adventure! Just Captain Foxy and his first mate, sneaking into arcades and spyin' on the landlubbers lookin' to encroach on our spot." Only one part of that sounded reasonably nice and it was suffocated by how bafflingly ridiculous the rest of it sounded. "Or you can just look in the window while Captain Foxy breaks an' enters."
"…Foxy, there's cameras. Someone's going to see you!" the human protested further. "And Mari just said that Mike-."
"They attack humans. They don't attack other animatronics. Ya'd just halfta wait in the van an' drive me back." Foxy seemed to get a little more excited as he put an arm around Jeremy's shoulders and shook him lightly. "So, whaddya say? Time to shove off fer adventure? Just Foxy and his first mate out on the road?"
This is what Jeremy liked to call a 'Mike decision'. A decision that Mike would make, like his constant returning to the Pizzeria even after he survived the full weeks. It was an obviously bad decision and agreeing to it would usually lead to vast discomfort and immediate regret. However, if what Foxy said was completely true, then this meant that he wouldn't have to go inside.
"I-I don't know. Foxy, I don't really want to get put into that position, you know? If anyone's going to get bit… It's going to be me," Jeremy admitted. He couldn't imagine having to go through all the pain and healing again. "It's risky, we can't."
"We shouldn't, Lad, but we can," Foxy reassured. "Ain't nobody gonna be there if Mike ain't. Besides, when do we get a couple 'o hours to fool 'round?" He tugged a light tighter, a bit more reassuringly and a bit more desperately. "It'll be fun! And I promise, if things start to get salty then we'll turn 'round and come home. Whaddya say, Lad?"
"…When do we leave?"
Foxy responded with a chortle of delight and a thumping slap on the back. "That's the spirit!" His laughter cut off and he got a look that could only be described as sinister, and as cocky as usual. "Go do whatever ya have to, Lad. We're gonna be leavin' late."
A few hours later, Jeremy was driving an old van down the highway with the fox animatronic in the back.
Jeremy wasn't even certain how Foxy managed to convince him so well. Repeatedly he asked why he was willing to do this, but the answer was always just Foxy. Foxy was convincing; Foxy had a way of making you feel like you truly were going on an adventure. Something about how special Foxy made it sound had started to make him go against his better judgement.
But even with Foxy's assurances, Jeremy was starting to lose his nerve. As he arrived at a turn-off of the main highway, he looked down at the directions that he had retrieved from Fritz's office to make sure he was on the right track. He only hoped that the directions being in the office didn't mean that he was visiting the arcade too; one of them needed to have better judgement.
"We're almost there," Jeremy pointed out with a wavering voice. "It's not too late to turn back."
"Aye," Foxy agreed, but then didn't continue with the subject. He simply stretched out his legs and leaned against the back of the passenger seat.
"Foxy, maybe we should turn back. Come on, we won't even have to tell anyone we came out here!" Jeremy tried to convince the captain to no avail. "What if someone does see us? I could get arrested, you could get carted off, the pizzeria will be closed down-." He was silenced by Foxy reaching over and nudging his shoulder.
"Yer gettin' worked up about nothin'," Foxy insisted. "Just relax an' go along with the ride." Against his better judgement, Jeremy decided to do so, if only because he suspected that Foxy wouldn't be willing to go back without seeing the Funcade.
It wasn't much longer before they reached the arcade. There was a car out from, so Jeremy parked off to the right of the building, somewhat hidden from immediate view. Foxy hummed and leaned forward between the seats. "So, there's a problem," Foxy pointed out. Jeremy nodded, but kept his gaze at the corner of the arcade, watching for if someone was going to come look. "There's someone there and he's probably gonna lock the door on his way out."
"Why do I… Have a bad feeling that there's something you want me to do about it?" Jeremy guessed.
"Lad, I know I said that you didn't have to go in, an' ya still don't… But if ya did think ya could go in, all you'd have to do is this," Foxy leaned in a bit more, his voice falling lower, as though it was some sort of secret. "All you would need to do is go in an' camp out until he leaves. It's got to be soon; he ain't gonna stay 'til Midnight."
"…I don't think that the animatronics are going to stay passive just because someone else is there. Just because some do, doesn't mean they all do," Jeremy quietly pointed out. "I-I mean, the Mangle-."
"The Mangle wasn't thinkin' straight. After what happened, somethin' was always a little off. No normal animatronic is gonna risk movin' around before Midnight- Unless they run the place." There was almost a smirk in his voice as he added this part in.
With a huff, Jeremy took off his uniform jacket. "This is a bad idea," he pointed out. "I mean, seriously, Foxy, I'm more afraid of going to jail than I am getting bitten again!" That was a lie, but it felt better to say than the truth. With a weary exhale, he stepped out and headed to the front door. He disappeared around the corner and out of the animatronic's line of sight.
Foxy climbed out of the back of the van and followed along at a careful distance. Once at the corner, he peered around and studied the front of the building. There didn't seem to be any outside cameras, thankfully, but he couldn't be too sure about the inside. Hopefully they were like Freddy's cameras, which just happened to 'erase' the footage spontaneously. He couldn't see where Jeremy had gone once inside and couldn't see well enough from this angle. He just hoped that his first mate could avoid detection.
A few minutes passed and Foxy started to grow antsy. He purposely wanted them to come close to Midnight, so that he could hopefully face the other animatronics and see if they truly were haunted, but now was regretting it. Jeremy was still inside and it was going on ten until Midnight; Foxy could feel it in his metal. Right when he was about to truly worry that something was wrong, someone approached the front doors, and Foxy dipped around the corner again as to not be spotted.
The man who came storming out of the arcade was borderline elderly and wearing what looked like a technician's uniform. It was colored differently for the arcade, but Foxy recognized that the man was still a technician. He stopped by his car and stood there for a few minutes, looking out into the parking lot as though he was waiting for someone. All the while, Foxy became more antsy. The longer this man stayed and the less time they had to get Jeremy out and himself inside. Foxy would prefer walking in before all the animatronics were at peak alertness.
Not that there was much of a choice at this point. Time was running out and Foxy eyed the old man with growing irritation, knowing that he couldn't do anything to rush him off. Finally, the man stormed to his car and drove off into the night. Foxy didn't even wait until he was out of the parking lot before he dashed for the doors. He tapped his hook against the glass and searched around for Jeremy. He caught sight of something moving by a nearby prize counter and tapped a little more firmly.
Thankfully, it was Jeremy. The young man had hidden himself behind the counter to avoid the man, who was mostly likely doing his final rounds. As he approached the front door, the lights in the arcade started to shut off. Not all of them, but a majority either turned off or died down, and Foxy felt an internal shiver. It was Midnight, he knew it. He tapped the glass a bit harder and beckoned Jeremy.
"That's it, Lad! The man's gone, so we'll get switched and all will be well," Foxy assured. This was it; they would finally be back on track.
Jeremy could vaguely hear him and approached the door, eagerly reaching out to turn the bolt lock and then pressing to open the front doors.
They didn't even budge.
"How can I learn anything from you? You're never even here!"
"Zat is no way to talk to your father!"
"But it's true! You treat that kid who works the register more like your son than you treat me!"
"Zat's my manager; I have to suck up."
"You suck alright, Dad!"
It was a poor excuse for a TV program, but Mike found himself staring at it like he was watching a car wreck. All because he didn't want to move. The soap opera couldn't have been anymore corny and because of this, it was almost amusing. Mike would've still changed it in a heartbeat if Marionette wasn't curled up into his side. He wasn't even sure if the Puppet was still awake or not, but he didn't want to risk it. It just felt nice to be home, even as it crept past Midnight. He wondered if he would still get his phone call of the evening, but wasn't too concerned.
The slender animatronic shifted beside him and his porcelain mask pressed further into Mike's collar. No, he definitely wasn't concerned. This soap opera on the other hand…
Right as Mike considered leaning to reach for the remote, a familiar tune lulled from the armrest of the couch. It was his cellphone and he received the expected call right on schedule. With a small sigh, he reached out and just barely nudged the phone into his grasp. He answered the call with a hesitance on his voice, "Hello?" He expected Jennifer, but that wasn't what he got.
"Mike, I'm- uh- I'm over here at Hickory's and thedoorsarelocked and I don't know what I'm supposed to do!"
Jeremy's frantic voice sputtered out his horrendous story and it took Mike a moment to process it. "What…?" Then it hit him and he sat upwards further, rousing the Puppet. "What?! What the hell are you doing over there?!"
"Foxy just- it's stupid, it was a really stupid idea!" Jeremy explained. He sounded almost fanatic, "I just- I was going to open the door after Midnight, but the doors won't open!"
"The doors lock until five in the morning, Jeremy!" Mike blurted out. "What could've possibly made you think- Where's Foxy?!"
"He's outside the front doors! I'm literally staring right at him!" Jeremy choked out. There was a dull thumping noise in the background. "And he can't get in either! Is there another way out?!"
"The backdoor locks too, you just-!" Mike cut off. Suddenly it dawned on him that Jeremy was in the worst position possible. He was stuck inside the Funcade with the animatronics on the worst possible night, out in the middle of the desert, and nobody was coming for him. Not yet, at least. "What do you have on you?"
"I-I've got my phone, I've got this- I've got mace, and that's it. I don't have anything else!" It was then that Jeremy gave a small gasp and grew much quieter. "Something- Something moved."
"Probably Hickory coming off the stage," Mike mentally accessed. "Jeremy, you need to find a place to hide. Now. Find a place that's closed in and safe- and not that supply closet behind the security office, that thing's useless- and I want you to sit there and be quiet. I'll be there as fast as I can." They ended the call quickly, with Jeremy briefly choking out a small 'okay' beforehand.
Mike turned to face Marionette who was clearly listening in. He had no doubt that the animatronic knew exactly what was happening and could only clarify with one statement.
"I'll be damned, I'm going back."
Mable: Many people correctly predicted that Mike would return, but not out of his own willingness… Technically, it's out of Foxy's willingness. Unfortunately, Foxy and Mike are a bit more similar than they would like to admit.
I had to push the Scott and Ennard scene back twice and considering what's coming in the next chapter, this was the only chance I had to fit it in at all. It is relevant- Maybe not to Hickory's, but relevant to something else.
But that's enough of that! It's time to post this chapter and begin work on the next. I hope you enjoyed!