Mable: So, tiny thing here. I realized that when I said I updated the 'poll', I did not put it on my profile as I intended. That was sort of a mistake. XD Still got proper responses, so that's something. This time I made sure the poll was up and ready before posting, but it hasn't appeared on my profile yet. So, keep an eye out!… And Enjoy!
Can't Go Home Again
Chapter Ninety
"…And that was it. I came home, I left the messages, and… And Ennard's still back there," Phone Guy finished as he stared into the cup of coffee he was holding. He needed it, considering how late he stayed awake and how early he got over to Foxy's pizzeria. "…And yes, I think this is a big problem, new Freddy's or not." He looked around at the others seated at or standing around the table.
The three who he was addressing would be Mike, Marionette, and Fritz, but Jeremy and Natalie were also present. Apparently, everyone wanted to get answers on the situation happening so close to them. Fritz promptly dropped his shaking head into his hands.
"Of all the thing's Nat's dad had to be right about, it had to be Freddy's," his muffled voice complained. "It couldn't be something easy to deal with, like all the old owners of Freddy's being dead. It had to be Freddy's spontaneously opening back up in town. Just our luck…"
"And you're sure this was Chance?" Mike inquired. He seemed baffled by the revelation. "The same Chance from Hickory's crossed state lines to buy Afton's and open Freddy's?" Phone Guy nodded in agreement and the security guard tossed his hands in exasperation. "This is unbelievable," he muttered, now crossing his arms. "I can't believe this. That alone puts him on par with most of Freddy's owners in poor business decisions."
"I-It's especially odd considering his relation to Henry," Phone Guy continued to explain. "If I would've lost someone in Freddy's, I would've never tried to rebuild it."
"That excuse alone is already odd…" Fritz speculated as he raised his head and rubbed his hands together. "But animatronics spontaneously popping up in an alleyway just is nonsensical."
It was then that Phone Guy remembered more of what Ennard said. He perked once more and now looked directly to Marionette. "There was something else. Ennard said that it was a noise that led him there." The Puppet looked abruptly to the man at the comment. "Some sort of- of high pitched noise guided him back to the alleyway. I didn't hear the noise, but it could've been too high of a frequency for me to hear." The striped animatronic folded his arms across his chest and contemplated this.
"That is very concerning," Marionette admitted thoughtfully. "It is very possible that a sound at the right frequency could attract any nearby animatronics. I've seen it myself." Mike could believe it. He suspected that Marionette had used the same tactics himself, but the more obvious example was the Puppet's own reaction to certain music. That and Mike's recent witnessing of animatronics communicating through some sort of buzzing noise. The more concerning part was that something would've been able to force Ennard to submit himself.
"I'm worried. Chance was talking about scraping him, and Ennard's disguise makes him look very broken. Chance could try to take him apart," Phone Guy voiced in concern. "…And then there's the Springlock Bonnie. I couldn't say if it was the one you ran into at the old Pizzeria or not. It, uh, it looks rough, but most of those suits would."
"So, it may or may not be Afton," Mike thought internally as he fixed and readjusted his hat. "If Afton even did end up in that suit… Maybe Chance is working with Afton and he's still alive." Before voicing such suspicion, he looked to Phone Guy with a baiting question. "Was Chance close with Afton? You wouldn't expect someone to spontaneously decide to buy that place unless there was an emotional investment."
"Oh no. No, no, not even the slightest. Chance and William didn't get along at all… Well, I mean, they worked together fine enough, but they didn't like each other," Phone Guy answered quickly. "Chance blamed William for what happened to Henry, because of the Springlock suit accident, and William… He, uh…" The man became a little hesitant considering that Marionette was hovering across from him and Foxy was standing out of the corner of his right eye. "…He could be abrasive."
"Nobody liked 'im," Foxy bluntly stated with as much casualness as he could muster. He forced down the urge to growl at the thought of the man. "Can't blame 'em. Damn that purple bloater."
"Foxy, there are children present," Marionette remarked and made a vague gesture off towards Jeremy, who looked more confused trying to figure out what Foxy's 'swear' actually meant. "Chance…" Marionette tapped his mask thoughtfully before lowering his arm. "That wouldn't be Henry's father, would it?"
"He is," Phone Guy agreed. Mike wasn't exactly surprised by the news, but it again made everything rather confusing. This gave Chance even less reason to want Afton's leftovers or to reopen Freddy's. It did, however, give him more reason to be invested in the business. This only made his behavior more suspicious. Mike sent a glance towards Marionette, who noticed his gaze and looked back at him. They exchanged the look for a moment before Mike turned back to the others.
"I'll be right back," he seemingly abruptly announced as he stood and headed into the kitchen. Mike wasn't surprised when Marionette followed a few moments later. He didn't teleport, but that was obviously because of Phone Guy's presence in the pizzeria. This would also explain Foxy largely being silent, considering that he should've been more wound up about the news that there was another Freddy's opening. Marionette had the tell-tale silence that came with his own disturbance, while Mike was wound up and didn't know how to let it out.
After a few moments of standing there quietly, Mike went to speak. He was beat to it.
"I know what you're going to say," Marionette bluntly interrupted. Mike's mouth closed once more. "And we both know that what is happening is not nearly as innocent as Chance would want us to believe… But I don't want you putting yourself in risk, and I know your immediate offer will be to go see if you too can get work with Chance." He raised his hands to grip at his own arms. "I don't want your life on the line."
"It's not like I'm going to stride over there and ask for the nightshift," Mike pointed out before immediately retracting. "But that's not what I was going to say. I was just wanting to make sure that we are on the same page about this disaster. It's not just me being cynical; this whole thing sounds extremely suspicious." He inquired as Marionette looked continued to rub his own arms in a form of self-comfort.
"No, you're right… None of this situation sounds right," Marionette agreed as he swayed lightly. He paused a moment before lowering his voice, "Perhaps, with Ennard being involved and everything, this is a case where I should head over there myself…" Mike's brows raised in doubt and questioning.
"You're not comfortable with me going over there, but you're planning on going over to a building that's pied piping their way into collecting every animatronic in the city. Yeah, no, that's not going to happen." Mike realized that he was being a tad hypocritical, but he wasn't planning on standing aside as the Puppet took it on alone. Not when Marionette was doing the same. Not when Ennard was already at the mercy of whatever they decided to do, along with what Chance decided to do with him. "We either go together or we don't go. I think we've learned that lesson."
"…I agree," Marionette almost timidly admitted. It was like he didn't want to admit to it, because then it would be as though he was agreeing to it. He wasn't certain if he wanted to agree to such a foolish endeavor just yet. Mike gave a small exhale and approached him to pat his back. Yet before he could say anything further, the kitchen door swung open. Both looked back to see Foxy standing there.
Foxy let the kitchen door shut and stared flatly ahead at the two. He twitched lightly and then directed his attention fully to Marionette, who looked away towards Mike. He focused his gaze on Mike's jacket while Mike continued looking towards Foxy. Then, with a splay of his arms, he looked between them more obviously. "So, which of us is goin'? Cause if it ain't one of you, it's gonna be me."
The comment horrified Marionette, who gave an off-tune squeak from his music box, as though choking in alarm. "Foxy, I think you going would be the worst idea. With the sound and Ennard…" He looked upwards towards his sibling. "We don't even have all of the details. We need more information before we attempt to go in there."
"We both know exactly what Chance is up to," Foxy pointed out. He then began to slowly cross the kitchen to stand in front of the Puppet. As gung-ho as he had sounded, it was clear that Foxy was very aware of the severity of what was happening. "In case ya didn't think 'bout it fer long, Chance is 'finding' and 'collecting' the animatronics that be movin'. Chance knows what he's doin', Lad. Phone might be all content thinkin' he's all innocent, but he knows what's happenin'." Foxy's voice lowered, "He already knows about what Freddy's was hidin'."
"He does," Mike suddenly agreed. They looked to him as though they forgot he was there. "He worked at Freddy's, he worked at Hickory's, and he worked on plenty of animatronics. It's just too much of a coincidence that all of these ones that are capable of walking keep popping up behind the joint." He looked up from the floor and between the two, with his face like a stone. "Chance lied to Phone Guy. He's obviously collecting what he can- whether or not he's causing this 'noise' is up in the air, but it's probably him."
Marionette and Foxy silently agreed. Mike exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, here's the plan…" Mike proceeded to mentally concoct a quick plan. "I'll get the Phone to go over there with me and see what I can see, and if Chance needs any 'work done'. If I'm with Phone Guy, then Chance isn't going to try anything. I'll also get a sort of read on him and just see if there's anything I can pick up. Then I'll come back here, and we'll figure out our next move… And if everything looks safe enough, we'll figure out how to bust Ennard out and leave everything else as it is."
"And the Freddy's?" Foxy inquired.
"Freddy's probably won't last a week if Natalie's dad's still on the loose," Mike pointed out. "Freddy's isn't an issue. Chance's weird behavior isn't really an issue if we can get any sentient animatronics out of his hands. There shouldn't be too many more, right? Not many options other than the Springtrap- which I swear to God I thought I put down- and Ennard…" He paused a moment, hesitating, and then looked to Marionette. He felt his voice falter as he became the bearer of bad news. He would have to tell the Puppet about the Hickory's animatronics.
"The animatronics at Hickory's… Mari, something happened at Hickory's," Mike began. Marionette looked to him attentively. "When Phone Guy said that Chance left Hickory's… I don't know how to say this," Mike admitted as he rubbed over his neck. Marionette noticed his nervousness and reached out to take his wrist. If anything, it made Mike feel guiltier. If he was going to do this, then he would do it the right way. He took Marionette's hand and squeezed it and looked at the Puppet directly without allowing himself to buckle. "The Toys shut down after we left."
Marionette's eyes widened a slight bit. Foxy blinked and asked in alarm, "Whaddya mean? Like they shut 'em down or scrapped them, or-?"
"They just shut down," Mike answered. He looked back to Marionette with his voice nearly a whisper, "They shut down like Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie did…" He didn't have to say what they both knew.
"They moved on," Marionette clarified. He sounded breathy, surprised, and the clicking of metal in his chest quivered for a few seconds before easing again. There was a sorrow that passed his face, but then a second of what almost looked like relief. "…I'm… I'm happy for them. They would've only moved on if that was what they wanted." He lowered his head and squeezed Mike's hand tighter, trying to cover up his mourning. "I just wish I could've done more for them…"
"Marion…" Foxy reached for Marionette's shoulder and turned him enough to look at him. His accent was all but missing. "If they were so desperate that they moved on just because you helped the broken one, then you did more than anyone else ever could." He then closed his eyes and lowered his head. Meanwhile, Mike leaned in to put his other arm around Marionette and pulled him into an embrace.
They stayed like that for as long as they could, and Mike regretted when he had to draw away. Foxy took his place in consoling the largely passive Puppet while Mike went to find Phone Guy.
Thankfully, the Phone Guy was still talking with Jeremy and Natalie, while Fritz looked slumped in defeat. Mike boldly approached and leaned on the table. "Okay, you won me over," Mike remarked to Phone Guy, who looked a bit confused. "I need you to drive me over to ARI, so I can see if Chance is looking for cheap work." The older man began to stutter in protest, but Mike was firm, "And I won't take no for an answer."
"Well then, I can't argue with that," the older man semi-sarcastically remarked with a shrug as he stood from the table. He seemed a little more exasperated than usual and gave up quickly. He slipped on his jacket from the back of his chair and prepared to immediately leave.
Fritz looked back at Mike, "Just… Don't do anything crazy."
"Not yet," Mike reassured. "I'm just going to get a lay of the land."
"In that case…" Fritz's voice trailed off as he lost himself in thought for a few moments. "…Maybe I could put something together with the HandUnit… Might be worth a try. Better than doing nothing." Natalie visibly cringed, and Jeremy looked a little doubtful in Fritz's plan. The blond female leaned over towards the male beside her and muttered something like 'Here we go again'. Jeremy could only nod in agreement. Especially after he noticed that Fritz was now too lost in his thoughts to notice the comment.
Mike hadn't forgotten Phone Guy's dropping of protesting so quickly. It was already surprising that he got Marionette to agree, but he expected Phone Guy to be reluctant to willingly connect himself to Mike. Especially when Mike would have to outright admit to Chance that he lied about his name to sneak into Hickory's. "Do you think it's a bad idea?" he boldly asked the older man as they were leaving the front door. "Truth is, I'm not willing to make an enemy with Chance. I've got too many of those. What do you think?"
"Uh… No, not really. I-I don't think Chance is dangerous, but I mean…" Phone Guy trailed off for a minute before giving a tired exhale. He let the door shut behind him and looked out across the parking lot. "I want Ennard back, so I might be biased…" He shook his head, "I-I know Ennard's done some terrible things, but something was wrong with him. He was acting so empty and I just… I'm worried for him."
"He'll live. You've seen him put himself back together," Mike tried to affirm. "We'll get him out before anyone's got a chance to do anything to him. I don't know how, but we'll figure out a way. Mari and Foxy are already borderline wanting to get in there." This sent a brief look of dread by Phone Guy's face. "As for the noise; if anyone could resist it, it would be Mari." While he still looked unsure, Phone Guy gave a hesitant nod, and then proceeded to get into his car.
The car ride was quiet, but not as tense as it could've been. Pulling into the parking lot of ARI revealed that Chance's car was already there, though had moved to a different spot. As Phone Guy parked the car, Mike looked over at the other one. It didn't take him long to realize something.
"Hey," Mike alerted. "That car was parked here that one time we came back." Phone Guy's hands froze on the ignition and he seemed to stare ahead blankly as that realization sunk in. "…That doesn't mean he saw anything. I don't even know if the cameras work down on that floor. I just meant that he's been here for a while," Mike added in. There was no need to panic yet. From when he met Chance, he doubted he was the kind to completely ignore something like that. It would only make sense that he would've told Phone Guy about it.
"Right… Just, if he asks, you've never actually been inside. I don't know how I'd explain that away," Phone Guy suggested as he turned the car off. His hands still lingered on the steering wheel and he seemed hesitant to leave the car. "It's- It's one thing for me to be here. Apparently, everyone seems to believe I was the closest person to Will. Even Chance didn't really ask what I was doing here… We need to get our story straight."
"I'm looking for work because I'm willing to take any job, and you're looking for a replacement so you don't have to spend your nights gutting an alley for animatronics?" Mike inquired.
"Bingo," Phone Guy agreed. He then opened the door and stepped through. Mike followed the older man into Afton's and into the back of the first floor, where the office was located. Chance was inside, as they expected, and Mike quickly recognized him as the same man from Hickory's. At least that much was consistent. "Chance?" Phone Guy hesitantly called in. "I, uh… I have someone who's willing to do some work around… Here."
"How'd you manage that?" Chance inquired as he looked up from the computer. He then did a double take, "…Matt?"
"Only on job applications," Mike excused, trying to make it sound like a common thing that he did. He stuck out a hand over the desk, "It's actually Mike. He said you had some delicate work for someone whose worked around animatronics."
"I thought you were dead! The whole place was busted in… You said Mike?" Chance paused to fixate on the name, with his brows furrowing in confusion.
"Mike Schmidt," Mike clarified to stave any confusion. Chance nodded slowly; Mike didn't know if he doubted him or was just taking it in slowly. "Look, that night… Things got out of control and I got out of there. I didn't break the animatronics- in fact, he can vouch for me. The Freddy animatronics stopped abruptly too." Phone Guy nodded in agreement, to which Chance's surprise turned to a somber nod.
"I figured it. The things were barely staying together as it was, and it didn't look like you went at them with a bat or anything… I don't know. I didn't find your body, but I half thought that maybe they drug you back into the ball pit. That's half the reason I left so quickly," Chance explained. He then returned to a more business-oriented tone. "So, you're looking for work. What did you do at Freddy's, maintenance?"
"I was a night guard," Mike explained. "I was playing babysitter to the animatronics at night just like at Hickory's. Also, just like Hickory's, I was clearly just bait to keep the animatronics distracted instead of watching for thieves."
"I'm surprised you didn't pick that up sooner. We couldn't have given those things away," Chance muttered. He then glanced between the two men before him. "So, how'd you meet Scott?"
"Never met him," Mike fluidly denied. Chance's brows furrowed and out of the corner of his eye Mike watched the Phone Guy slowly look towards him. There was a lingering pause in the conversation. "…That was a joke," Mike added in with a small smirk. "No, actually I used to listen to his training tapes on the job. We met face to face years after that."
"Huh, so you were working at Freddy's for a while…" Chance got a vacant look on his gaze for a moment, as though lost in thought. "…I wonder… Mike, I do have a job that you could do, but it's a one night only gig." At the dropping of 'night', Mike already had a suspicion what he was getting into. "Here, let's go over to the pizzeria. I'll give you an overview of what it entails," Chance invited as he stood from the desk. "After your disappearance at Hickory's I'm a little reluctant giving you a job like this, but I don't want to stick Scott in this position if I don't have to."
Mike nodded in agreement and Scott awkwardly cleared his throat. Chance took both as a sort of agreement and stood from his chair. He then guided the two out of the room and started down the hall. As he did so, Mike and Scott fell slightly behind, if only so that the older could lean in and whisper to Mike.
"So, uh… When did you finally learn my name?" Scott bluntly asked. He let an amused smile cover the nervousness while Mike's slow dip into a listless expression showed how he didn't expect to get called out.
"…About twelve seconds after Chance asked how I met you," Mike quietly admitted. Scott suppressed a chuckle so that Chance wouldn't hear it. He could've been offended, but he was much more amused that it had eventually tripped up the younger man. The conversation dropped as they stepped out into the parking lot and Scott fell back into anxiousness.
They approached the front of the pizzeria and Chance led them to the front. Again, they could see through the front windows, but Chance didn't offer to bring them inside. Possibly because the foyer area was now stacked with boxes, which would make it difficult to get around. The man stopped in front of front door and turned back towards Mike.
"See, we haven't actually opened yet. All of this is getting ready for the big day, and taking in the occasional private party while we're getting ready for opening. So far, it's all good," Chance explained. He trailed off for a second, then began again, "This coming up Saturday is going to be opening day. We're going to boot up the animatronics the night before, get everything ready, and open at eight on the dot… But I need someone watching the place on Friday night, Saturday morning. Just in case these bots from Afton decide to try and walk out."
"Well, there goes my credibility about not walking over here and taking the nightshift," Mike thought as he looked over the front of the building. "Which animatronics are these? Other versions of Freddy gang?"
"Not quite… Well, there should be some sort of knock-off Freddy if all goes as planned, but that's still on the fence. They're mostly old, forgotten characters dropped off in the bottom of ARI. These things should've never saw the light of day, and I'm having a hell of a time finding animatronics," Chance explained casually. "Ever hear of Orville the Elephant?"
"No, but he sure sounds like a knock-off," Mike admitted. "Something I could imagine at Chipper's."
"You worked at Chipper and Son's too?" Chance asked in disbelief. "You sure get around, don't you Mike? Remind me to keep an eye on this one, Scott." He flickered to amusement briefly, then returned to the task at hand once more. "I don't want to be here all night and then be expected to be here the next day. If you can come in and watch the animatronics that night, then I'm willing to pay you. I already owe Scott something, but I'd expect a lump sum of revenue once we get off the ground."
"It's fine. I know where you work," Mike mockingly remarked in playfulness. "What time should I be here?"
"Anytime between eleven and twelve will be fine," Chance agreed. He then looked to Scott, "No new animatronics for you to help with, but I'll keep you posted. I've got a feeling that we should be getting one before Saturday rolls around, as luck would have it, and we don't want to have that thing sitting in the back while the pizzeria is full of kids." Scott stiffly nodded while inwardly hoping that Chance was wrong. "And to make this easier, we'll just keep all of this under the table, alright?" Mike preferred it that way.
While Mike thought that Chance seemed translucent, by time he was in the car with Scott he started to feel a little less comfortable about the situation. Suddenly Chance's willingness to let him work was rather curious, and he was back to unsure if the man was being fully forthright or not. If he wasn't, then Chance was extremely convincing about it. If he was, then he was much more desperate than he wanted Mike and Scott to think. Either way, it gave Mike an in, and he didn't expect it to be very hard to sneak Marionette in as well.
They returned to the pizzeria shortly afterwards. As Mike prepared to get out of the car, Scott stayed inside, with every intention of driving home afterwards. "Tell Fritz about what Chance said, okay?" Scott inquired. "And, uh… That night… If you see Ennard-."
"I'll smuggle him out after the shift. Mari can look for him while I'm watching the Fred retread stumble around on stage," Mike agreed as he removed his seatbelt. "Will he fit in a normal car? He seems pretty heavy."
"Ennard can spread himself out. I-I don't think it would be too unreasonable to fit him in the back…" Scott considered with a nervous stutter. "…I'll keep the phone close by. Call me if you need me and just… Just bring him back to my house." Mike looked to Scott and glanced over the desperation on his face. His own expression began to soften. He didn't understand the connection that Scott has formulated with Ennard, but if he was this worried then he would take it seriously.
"I can do that. Just leave it to us," Mike assured before opening the door. "It was nice meeting you, Scott." Scott couldn't withhold the slight snicker, and Mike had singlehandedly shifted the mood back to something more confident. He headed towards the front door when he was called.
"Hey Mike!" Mike turned to look back at Scott once more. "Try not to lose your head!" Mike gave a wave and fought the urge to roll his eyes; he probably deserved that for his questionable history.
Scott drove off and Mike stepped back into the pizzeria. Not noticing anyone immediately, he started to walk past the prize corner. Halfway through he felt a hook catch onto his arm and nearly swing him into the room. Suddenly he was standing between Foxy by the door and Marionette halfway out of his box.
"Go on, out with it!" Foxy commanded the man as he released his arm. "Give us the details!" Marionette was also watching eagerly, and Mike only wished he had more to say.
"There's not many details to give. Scott was right about it being Chance-."
"Who finally told you his name? I don't suppose it was Scott," Marionette briefly interrupted as he leaned on the edge of his box.
"No, it was Chance," Mike admitted. He started to shirk off his jacket and tossed it on the counter behind him, then leaned against it to get comfortable. He crossed his arms and legs, then looked between the animatronics like Chance had to Scott and him. "And it was Chance. I recognized him from Hickory's and everything. He was pretty confused about me, but he offered me a job." He noticed Marionette's hands tightening on the edge of the box and knew it was out of concern.
"He's using old, outdated animatronics- not Ennard and Spring Bonnie- to use in the pizzeria. Either of you know of Orville the Elephant?" Marionette tilted his head thoughtfully and Foxy gave what looked like a shudder. "I'm guessing that's one of them. He mentioned a Freddy knock-off too, but he doesn't look like he's planning on refurbishing any of the 'moving' animatronics. He needs me to come in around Midnight on Saturday to keep an eye out, because Saturday's the opening day."
"Openin' on a Saturday? That be madness!" Foxy asked in aghast. Though he then slipped into thoughtfulness, "Hmm... Might be a good idea." He tapped his hook on his chin. "…We could close on Wednesday and be open on Saturday, when kids be off 'o school and ready to spend their booty…"
"I could think of a better time to discuss business hours, Foxy," Mike pointed out. "…But you have a point, so maybe we'll run that by Fritz when we're done here." He looked to the Puppet, who was still listening quietly. "I took the job, but Chance won't be there that night. If I 'watch the animatronics'," he asked in air quotations. "Would you be able to find Ennard? I promised Scott that we'd throw him in the trunk."
"Well, I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to stuff Ennard in the truck," Marionette agreed somewhat sardonically. He returned to seriousness almost immediately, "Will that be our plan then? You work the night shift while I find Ennard?... It seems like the only way to do this effectively would be to hide in the back alley and slip in through the back."
"Seems like the simplest option when it comes to our choices. It's the only way we're getting in and out again without leaving anything criminal behind," Mike pointed out. "It'll also give me some time to poke around and see if everything's as kosher as Chance claims it is, and if it is… Well then, more power to him." He gave a slight shrug of acceptance. "I rather compete fairly with Chance then give him a reason to sue."
"Wouldn't take much fer me to get that 'out o service' look back," Foxy pointed out matter-of-factly. Mike sent him a look of confusion, which Foxy immediately struck down. "I see that look, an' I ain't hiding back here. I'll sneak in on me own- I know where Afton's is- but I ain't goin' in two minutes after you two high-tail it out. I'll be thrown in the brig!" He paused for a few moments. "…Or forced to perform with Orville the Elephant." Foxy shuddered once more, like the mere thought disgusted him. Mike couldn't even imagine what was wrong with Orville to elicit such a response.
"A fate worse than death," Mike agreed. "Keep in mind that this phantom noise luring animatronics into alleyways is still an issue."
"It'll take more than a siren's call to fell Captain Foxy," Foxy firmly proclaimed as he looked past towards the Puppet. Mike looked over as well and they watched, waiting for input.
"…Something feels wrong," Marionette admitted. His tone showed growing concern, listless and fearful. He raised his head to look towards Mike. "…I can't be the only one who notices. Something's wrong."
Mike almost would've disagreed. Considering most of their situations that they had put up with, this one was much more cut and dry. Someone had unintentionally taken in Ennard and a noise, maybe caused by Spring Bonnie even, coaxed the animatronic to the alleyway to begin with. Chance, while connected with the other businesses, had no reason to be lying about his situation. He was too believable to be lying. It all was odd, but rational enough, and it left them with a remarkable upper hand.
…Marionette was right. Something was wrong.
"Maybe you've got a point… At least let me go see if Fritz has any idea about the sound thing. If he has some sort of way to counteract the noise, then Foxy can come. If not, it'll just be you and me. Alright?" Marionette nodded stiffly and Mike headed to leave the Prize Corner. "I'll be right back." He hoped that Marionette's hesitation was just lag from the news he received earlier, but he couldn't deny that things had seemed easy in the past only to not be. He would keep his guard up just in case.
As soon as Mike was gone, Foxy approached the Puppet's box. "I'm going with ya whether ya like it 'er not," the pirate bluntly stated. "If there is some sort 'o phantom noise draggin' round unlucky souls, then we need ta know where it's comin' from… An' I'm the one whose gonna feel the call."
"I don't want to put you in that situation…" Marionette quietly admitted. "Please, Foxy. It's hard enough letting Mike do this. We can handle this." His fingers tightened again on the edge of his box until they hurt, and he barely held back his emotions. He was just about ready to plead, because he didn't want that sort of risk, but he knew that it wouldn't work.
"An' I don't want ya to fret 'bout me," Foxy answered back without hesitation, "but we don't get what we want. Aye?" He reached out and patted his shoulder, which then turned into a light shake. "We'll live, Marion. The scariest thing in there's Ennard. We ain't gonna see anythin' worse than what we've seen. No animatronic is gonna break us down." Marionette wanted to believe him, especially with the comforting squeeze.
For a strange, unexplainable second, Marionette had the intense urge to call Foxy by his birth name. He didn't know why it crept up on him, but it did, and he had to swallow it down. It wasn't the time or place to say something like that, so Marionette decided against it. He would pretend that the name didn't even exist.
"Just make sure that if somethin' happens to me, if I get programmed an' start to give no quarter, you'll handle it," Foxy firmly stated. "Don't let me hurt anyone. I'll pull meself back together, but me rep would be sunk." Marionette gave a stiff nod of agreement.
The plan was set in stone. It would've been a foolproof plan if not for the cracks and holes lining it.
"Mike…" Marionette timidly whispered as he tightened his fingers around Mike's arm and shook him awake. "I can't sleep…"
Mike roused slowly, and his gaze landed on the glowing of the alarm clock. It was only around Midnight, so not too long after he had gone to bed. He raised his hand to rub at his eye. "Want me to wind you?"
"Please." Mike pushed down the blankets enough that he could lean over to turn on the lamp and grab the music box left on the nightstand. He then sat upwards in bed to wind it and sent a glance over towards Marionette. It was only then that he noticed that something was amiss. Firstly, Marionette was sitting nearly at the foot of the bed on top of the comforter, as though he wasn't even making an attempt to sleep. He seemed to be petting something in his grasp and even half-asleep Mike knew that it had to be their kitten.
He briefly sat there and waited for the Puppet to respond. When he didn't, Mike gave a small exhale and scooted down beside him. "What's up?" Mike asked as he set the box to his opposite side. He couldn't tell if winding the box was a ruse or if Marionette was too lost in thought to really think of it. Marionette slight turned his head to look over, but also kept himself turned towards the kitten that he had resting in his lap. The kitten looked to be quite relaxed and seemed content to drift off to sleep.
"I can't sleep," Marionette repeated. "I just can't get myself to relax."
"I hate that," Mike agreed. He reached out to scratch at Moppet's ears, to which she briefly pulled back slightly before relaxing again once she recognized his scent. "I'm not even going to ask if something's on your mind. I know it is and I know what it is."
"I suppose there's only one popular topic… Which would be whether or not we should start opening Saturdays," Marionette quipped in an attempt to sound amused. Yet his smile seemed utterly forced and his static expression spoke wonders of his current state of mind. "The runner up would perhaps be about our weekend plans. Perhaps we should just reconsider and go camping instead."
"As much as I'd love that, Scott's going to lose his mind if he goes much longer without something dangerous in his garage. I offered him Foxy, but I don't think he's his favorite anymore," Mike continued to play along. "And I wasn't willing to offer you. If I didn't have you, I'd have to take care of the cat." Marionette gave a small chime before hesitating, with his hand still poised above the kitten's back.
"…I don't know what I'm scared of. I can't even tell if it's Foxy or myself," Marionette quietly admitted. His smile started to fade as he focused his attention on the dresser across from him. "I just keep telling myself that one of these days it's going to catch up with us. Animatronics are lost so easily… But I haven't been being careful."
"You've been more careful than I have. Never gotten spotted on the road and haven't scared nearly as many people as Foxy has. You don't need to worry about slipping," Mike insisted, more determined than usual to be comforting. Maybe because he too had doubts about their current plans. "Because if you ever do slip, I'll be there to catch you. That's what I'm here for."
Marionette hesitantly looked to Mike with his concern starting to soften. His poised hand reached out and for Mike's opposite shoulder so that he could draw him into a hug. Mike returned it without question and listen to the soft trill, which signaled Marionette's growing contentment. The Puppet rested his head on his shoulder as he tightened the embrace. His voice was hushed as he spoke, "I love you."
"Love you too," Mike answered as he held him close. Regardless of what was going to happen later, for the moment he had Marionette held close to him, and could listen to the warbles and fall asleep to them. For the moment, they were happy and safe, and Mike relished in that fact. It would be a weird plan and a strange Saturday, but only a fleeting stressor. They would be back home the day afterwards; petting Moppet, safe with each other, and without a care once more.
Or at least, Mike hoped that. He didn't even want to acknowledge the possibility that there was a much less pleasant option that could befall them. He quickly pushed this off.
"Don't start getting melodramatic now. Mari needs you," Mike reminded himself in a light scold. He then turned his attention back to Marionette, "Come on, you need your sleep. I'm willing to let you stay awake all night baking, but this is where I draw the line." He took ahold of his arm and guided him back upwards. "I'll even let you bring the cat with you."
Marionette chimed again and did as instructed. He pushed back the concern for a moment and tried to follow Mike's example. Moppet roused and detached herself from his grip to climb on the pillows, which he let her do, assuming that she would just curl between the pillows and fall asleep once more. The cranking sound of the music box was a comfort as he folded his hands on his chest and waited to drift off. As the soft sound of music filled the bedroom, he started to relax once more, and tugged further under the blanket as the lights were put out yet again.
It was warm and reassuring; close to the feeling of being tucked inside of his box, but without having to draw into himself. Marionette needed it and slipped into sleep with his mind a fuzzy blur. Mike was right; whatever happened, they would be fine. Marionette slept soundly through the night.
Mike wasn't as lucky. Needless to say, he held Marionette close, and it was the only thing that helped.
Mable: It really isn't worth worrying over. It's just another night. Sure, they've had troubles in the past, but they know how to handle other animatronics. It should go well.
Next chapter will be finished soon. I hope you enjoyed!