AN: For those who have been waiting for the next chapter of this story, then I am really sorry that I took so long. Some of you might have noticed I have been updating more on my Murder Drones and Sonic stories, but I haven't come back on here. I thought that taking a quick break from it would be good. But after trying to complete another story in development and my holiday break becoming messy, I look track on this and came too late to continue.

I have no idea if I'll be able to make the chapter in less than a month, but I want to do my best to get this story done no matter what. Once again, I'm sorry for taking so long.

I want to let you all know that the very first chapter of this story has been updated and remade. I took a look back on it and I didn't really like how it was made as a trailer. It didn't feel right. So I changed it and now, it is titled 'Prologue'.

Also, we got two-three days until the Ruin DLC comes out! Hope that this will be good. Maybe it might be a good source of motivation and inspiration for this story.

Enough talk, enjoy the ride, everyone. I mean it.


Recommended Background Songs

[1] Kiss My (Uh Oh) - Anne Marie feat. Little Mix

[2] Funked Up (OR3O Piano Cover) - Dario D'aversa [0:43 - 2:04]


Chapter 41 - This is Our Night (Come Take A Bite)

Gregory's POV

Where to begin with, everyone? As Vanessa led me and Elena back towards the Main Party Room, I could say a bajillion thoughts were coming into my mind. The neon lights in the slightly dark halls were familiar to me, but they didn't feel the same as before. But not because of the dangers that Freddy feared to be here. I already trusted him.

But it was knowing that something didn't seem to be right with the security guards themselves.

Vanessa said that she would be returning to the underground level, promising to be careful. However, a nagging feeling told me not to take that to face value. It looked like she might not be careful. She was found in this secret elevator that was guarded by the Toy Animatronics. I didn't want to waste her visit earlier today, but coming back here made me feel worried for her about what she planned to do.

How was I supposed to know that she would be careful? Why did I feel like she was hiding something else? Did Ultra know as well?

This one was to a minor degree since it was only when Augustina's roommates appeared in the Pizza Plex. For a while, Augustina seemed to be quite reasonable and kind. Maybe a little anxious since she could be negative sometimes. But the girls coming over showed a new side to me.

If she called herself dramatic by being dramatic over the earlier awkwardness, then it gave me the impression that she never got along with her roommates. Not helping that one of them called her 'dramatic' which could mean they were bullies.

And then, there was Melody and she was acting differently from her usual confident self. The only other way her tough shield seemed to crack was whenever coming to blows with Elena. But today, the two weren't. And she was the first to share a scary thought of one of the girls having their heads in Freddy.

Why would she think like this?

I didn't know why, but the three being in this state told me nothing was the same as before. Sure, yesterday was rocky, but now, it felt like the entire course changed.

And no one seemed genuinely prepared for the new problems we began understanding.

Nevertheless, I looked back at Elena, smiling away. It was weird seeing her not having a problem at all, but it was a nice change after the paranoia she held towards the Pizza Plex. And being the other one having a clear idea of how to deal with the girls who came over to stay. I glanced at Vanessa and seeing her determined look reminded me considerably of how much she did for me and Elena to stay.

The Glamrock Quartet would also be there for us, so there should be a bright side to all of this, right? [1]

We finally arrived at the Main Party Room where…strangely, practically EVERY single light was already up and running. The whole room was bathed in bright light, highlighting its pink walls. Holograms of the Glamrock Quartet were projected on stage, repeatedly moving around in different poses. And right at the tables were Augustina's roommates hanging out with Freddy, Chica and Roxy.

Monty was nowhere to be seen.

Vanessa decided to enact her disappearance as well.

"Well, stay safe and…have fun," she said with a tight grin. "Just make sure that they don't go out of hand."

"Hard to tell since they seem more interested in the animatronics," muttered Elena.

She was right since half the giggling girls were already crooning around them. Turning to see the scene, the action must have begun. The visibly uncomfortable Freddy was sitting in his seat, trying not to react to two girls leaning against him. Roxy was more or less teasing and giving flirty looks to the girls. But when one looked hypnotized and tried touching her tail, she only slapped the hand away before wagging her finger sassily.

Chica, on the other hand, was only helping the other girls out with preparing the party equipment they brought over. Cassandra was currently next to her, the two of them bringing out containers of pre-bought cakes, candies, french fries and sliders. All from a large backpack that she carried along. The red-haired girl was nearly emotionless, unlike the rest of her excited friends.

At one point, Chica bawked loudly when she pulled out a box of frozen pizza.

"My, my, my!" she said. "You really packed a lot here, huh?"

Cassandra shrugged as she pulled out a large fizzy bottle. "Doubt we can raid the kitchens, so…do you have a microwave of sorts?"

"We can just stuff them in the oven to bake them."

"Ah, gotcha. Well…you can have it if you want it."

"Oh, really?" Chica looked back down at the pizza box. "I-I…I really mean…it would be-wait, NOPE!"

She just immediately chucked it upwards without looking where to throw it at. I thought that it might just hit the ceiling. Still, I didn't expect it to seemingly become closer and closer to me…that was when Elena simply moved me out of the way and the pizza box went slamming right into the back of Vanessa's head. Who was in the middle of walking away.

The blonde security guard nearly fell forwards, grumbling under her breath as she stumbled. When she turned around, she nearly slipped again.

"No!" I heard Chica squabble. "I'm not going to fall back into eating pizza! Not today! Not today! Nope!"

A few seconds of silence until…

"...actually, maybe one…pie?" said Chica, picking up another pizza box from the backpack. "I mean, it shouldn't hurt a little to get rid of the stress-"

"Don't you even think about it," snarled Roxy.

Chica slowly placed the pizza box back into the backpack. I realized that nearly everyone had their eyes on her. But then, they continued their own party like it was nothing. Cassandra was the only one staring at Chica for a while, eliciting a sheepish grin from the latter. The red-haired's shoulder lowered and she cracked a small smile.

Vanessa sighed, giving the frozen pizza box to Elena. "I trust that Freddy, Roxy and Chica will handle this. You look out for them as well, alright?"

Elena nodded. "Alright then. And…don't do anything stupid on your side."

"I think that'll still be hard to do," deadpanned Vanessa.

As the blonde security guard walked away, Elena's fingers wrapped around my hand and the two of us walked down the stairs. Coming to the ground level, I could see the party equipment more clearly at a close rate. They didn't need to set these things up for display, but they already had rainbow balloon stands at the corner of their own 'private square'. At least three rainbow disco light stands were on each table they occupied as if creating a dance floor.

Dinah, a blonde girl carrying a large beatbox, was nearby, laughing when one of the girls pulled out a…

"You're serious, Liu?!" she said, wiping a tear. "You want to get caught by the police when we try riding back home?"

"But this is a kids' place and no one is gonna take us seriously," said Liu, swinging around a bottle of a mysterious liquid. "You only get to do this once in a lifetime when in university!"

Elena even stopped to join in the conversation. "Is that…alcohol?"

I took a sniff and gagged. "That's not a good smell…"

"Oh, it's one of the best," said Liu, grinning cheekily. "Once you get past the taste, you'll be more used to what it does to your neurons. It brings me good joy after a good day of work! You should try it."

Elena chuckled, shuffling back awkwardly. "Erm…ah, no thank you. I…don't want to break the law further."

"Aww, but you're going to miss out on all the pretty colors!" teased Liu. "Better than moping around with no colors in your life! Especially your little dog!"

A vein popped in Elena's forehead. "Hardy ha ha. But isn't drinking for those who don't have any sense of life?"

"That's a clear stereotype. Just watch me write psychic equations once I drink this!"

"And you're not," said Dinah, snatching Liu's bottle. "And that's final."

Elena immediately steered me away from looking further into this. I wondered what this 'alcohol' talk was all for. Because I heard only once that it was to clean infections on wounds. I never knew it could be consumed.

I turned my head to Freddy, hoping that I could be able to talk with him. However, he was already flocked by at least two girls asking him questions, so there wasn't that much space. And they asked him that many since he kept quiet. His expression looked more robotic than natural.

I felt a little jealous seeing this, but I decided not to interfere in case I gave him too much pressure.

An orange-haired was leaning against his shoulders, trying to put on a flirty smile. But it looked forced since she couldn't keep her eyes half-lidden or retain the confident smirk.

"So," said the orange-haired, repressing her squeal. "I want to know if a previous version of you has killed my friend's father…and if you're single."

Freddy was confused by such a response. "But that's not me. And I'm single."

"Then I'm guessing I'm in luck!"

Nearby, a silver-haired woman scorned in disgust. "Urgh, we're not robots-WHOA!"

Somebody pushed her forwards and she crashed into the back of Freddy. In response, his stomach hatch popped open and a bouquet of flowers rolled out. Immediately, the orange-haired girl lost her original composure and squealed in fangirl mode. She picked up and sniffed, but I believed those weren't real flowers.

Meanwhile, the silver-haired girl was still clinging to Freddy's back, a little shocked that this happened. When she noticed she was holding her arms around his body, she slowly looked up to meet Freddy's incredulous look.

She blushed, but I couldn't tell if it was due to embarrassment or being smitten. "Well, you smell…nice?"

If any of those girls went out on a date with Freddy, I would totally flip. Elena gave me a small push. I glanced at her and her face was scrunched in uncertainty. She didn't seem to enjoy seeing the girls ogling with Freddy. Just before I could step forward, two more girls blocked our path. And they looked more interested in talking with us.

"Hey there!" said the brown-haired girl. "Elena, right? And Greg, the little sweet child."

I grunted, trying to walk between them. At this sight, I saw Roxy eventually leaving the soak of fame behind and pulling Freddy gently away. The two girls admiring him tried coming forward, but the wolf wagged her finger before explaining to them. Behind her, Freddy let out a low sigh.

Elena appeared to notice since she didn't ask the two girls in front of us to move aside. "I…didn't get your names from earlier."

I took it as a sign that Roxy already got this handled, so I shouldn't worry for now. I could feel Elena grabbing my shoulders and pulling me back a little to give the two girls some space. At first, I thought they might react a little to me being somewhat rude, but they didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, I'm Opal!" said the brown-haired girl, flashing a peace sign.

"And I'm Claire," said the black-haired girl with a smirk.

"Ah, well…those are…nice names?" said Elena.

It felt like me and Elena had no idea what to say. It came to this point where we didn't know how to introduce ourselves to new people, given that those girls were more like wild cards to the crew here. I knew that Augustina's roommates would act differently, so I had no idea how to act. Claire did appear condescending to Augustina when she called her 'dramatic'.

Meanwhile, Elena trailed off, nearly taking a step away. She seemed to be waiting for a response.

Claire was the first to come up with a question.

"Why come here as well?" she said. "We have never seen you around that much."

"You seem to be acquaintances with Augustina," pointed out Opal. "She is not easy to get along with."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You can say that she is dramatic, but she is a good person here. I saw the things that she did and she is getting along with the other security guards."

"Yeah, I would say the same thing," I agreed. "I saw as well."

"I'm thinking we might be seeing a beautiful relationship from here," said Claire, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" said Elena.

"Augustina seems to be making most of her time with the purple-haired lady," said Claire, rubbing her chin. "And more than being with us. Was there any chemistry you saw?"

Opal tried following along with a thoughtful look. "You mean the kind with doves flying and rose petals floating?"

"Wait, what?!" said Elena, baffled.

"Oooh! Yes! Now that would make things cute!"

I had no idea what they were referring to with Augustina and Melody having more time together, but I didn't think it would be the case.

"I…don't think it would look that way now," I muttered. "It isn't that kind of story."

"Oh really?" said Claire. "Because Augustina looks like she's at her happiest here. She didn't hesitate to come back for the night shifts despite that white rabbit freak hopping around."

Elena quickly wiped a sweat drop that began forming at the side of her head. "Yeah, she's just…excited to be here. It's a good working experience. And that's all."

We should probably think better of covering things up. No one really wanted to give away secrets we found to Augustina's roommates and she wouldn't approve of them hearing. I had a feeling it might be due to not wanting to be further teased by them. It was a good thing the ghosts didn't seem to appear in the same room since that was one way of keeping those girls out of trouble.

I was worried that Claire and Opal would notice something, but they, fortunately, didn't ask more.

"Fair enough then," said Opal. "Given the wonderful attractions around, she would be with the stars!"

"That's one way of putting it," I said, trying to smile.

"I'm also wondering," said Claire. "Given you seem to stay here longer, why choose to? This is our first night, but you two don't seem like you're too hyped for it. Elena, you look like the kind of guy who would never back down. Why spend most of the nights here at Freddy's?"

Once again, I tried thinking up a way to cover the secrets. However, for some reason, it made me think back to the first night when I snuck over to retrieve Elena's necklace. How grateful I was for getting to meet the Glamrock Quartet. And the inspiration I gained from my new friends, especially Vanessa and Freddy. I really wanted to say that me and Elena were part of the team, but they would be begging to know more about that.

So, I came up with a lame but simple answer.

"Because it's a good space for me and Elena to rest for the night," I said. "And we're trusted to be the team's eyes on a different level. It was a great adventure and scary, but by then, we got past learning these deadly…memories. Awesome and…surprising memories. Freddy and his gang are nice as you can already tell."

I turned to Elena, hoping that I gave a good explanation. But she wasn't focusing on me. She was staring at Claire and Opal in deep thought. It reminded me of earlier when she tried to decipher the meaning behind her vision. And there was regret as well as remembering how she was indifferent and harsh to a lot of people working at the Pizza Plex.

"When me and Gregory were welcomed to the Pizza Plex," she said quietly. "I was hesitant. However, after seeing the Glamrock Animatronics being as human as anyone else, I…I decided to give that chance for now. And for some reason, they're more than happy to let me help out. Fazbear Entertainment isn't the problem at the moment."

Both Claire and Opal nodded, intrigued.

"And you have to put up with the security guards?" asked Opal. "They must be tricky to get through.

"No, no, we got along with them," I reassured.

"Some of them," added Elena.

"And you got along with Augustina?" asked Claire. "I wonder how edgy she was like how she was around us-"

"You have no idea what kind of antics happen here," I said defensively. "And she's our friend."

Opal hummed, leaning towards me. "For a moment, I have been thinking that you two are hiding from the rabbit lady…"

I wasn't sure if I should run away or slap her. "What makes you think that?"

She narrowed her eyes intensely, humming loudly. Her tall frame suddenly made me feel like an ant about to be crushed by a foot. Opal might be trying to stare into my mind to see what me and Elena were hiding. Until…

"Because you have a face that looks like you love bunnies," she said.

I was dumbfounded. "What? Bunnies aren't my top favorite!"

"You're sure?" said Opal. "Because when you give those eyes, you look like you want a bunny."

"…that's just my eyes!"

She snapped her fingers. "There they are! The puppy eyes! No wonder why-"

"Can we not talk about the rabbit lady?" cut in Claire. "This…isn't an easy thing."

Opal was about to speak until she saw the look on Elena. The latter appeared miffed by this.

"Oh, sorry then!" said the brown-haired girl with a dumb smile. "Got a bit carried away."

Opal might claim that, but she must have a deeper motive as to why she asked that kind of question. I had the temptation to ask, but that would provoke her to ask too much. Instead, I slowly tried to move away.

Elena did the same thing, caressing my hair while keeping her eyes on the watchful Claire and Opal.

At the moment, maybe it was best to stay by Freddy's side for now. I made a beeline towards him, finding him right at the now-ready food table. His glowing yellow eyes were scanning the food in front of him. He must have never seen these kinds of things before given he would be used to seeing the usual food served at this place.

"Curry puffs…" he muttered to himself. "Slices of cheese…spinach dip? These kids must be serious about throwing a party here."

"I'm surprised that they had the capability of bringing all of this stuff," said Elena, grabbing a golden pizza roll. "Like it's a real sleepover here."

"It's kind of crazy they made this kind of plan," I said. "They brought their own computers, board games, music, balloons. They could just use all of that back home!"

"They seemed invested in having some fun with us," said Freddy, turning to me. "I briefly had one girl literally hanging on my arm. I thought they would be desperate in playing the different attractions or exploring the free mazes."

"Yet, here we all are on ground rules," said Elena. "This feels a little too much of a necessary party…" [1s]

Freddy looked worried. "Do you think any of them will get hurt here? We still got at least two danger spots in the Pizza Plex."

I sighed. "Oh, Freddy…"

As I thought of what to say to reassure him, I saw Elena's expression changing again to regret. She stared at Freddy, eyes scanning up and down. I couldn't even lie that Freddy appeared wary and nearly exhausted; his body was slouching forwards and his fingers were lazily tapping on the table. His eyes were wide open, but they glowed brighter than before.

It could be just a sign of him being worried about the girls' wellbeing, but it worsened when he remembered the underground facility and the Glamrock Bonnie statue.

There was loud laughter coming close to us. Elena immediately pulled me aside and attempted to drag Freddy by the arm. But he remained in the same spot as a rattled and sluggish Cassandra waddled over to the table. [2]

The red-haired nearly fell onto the food, her hands planted against the table in position. She let out a burp and ran a hand through her face. The stoic look was gone, replaced by a half-lidden, lazy grin.

"Cassandra…" said Freddy, his ears wiggling in alarm.

Cassandra burped again. "Oh, what's up, beautiful lady?"

Elena's eyes widened in realization. "How…many drinks did you just have?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, girl-girl-boy," slurred Cassandra, waddling close to us. "I'm just having a good time here. How about we do some unwinding time, eh?"

She tried leaning against Freddy's arm, but she toppled over clumsily. This didn't seem to be like her at all. One moment she was standing confidently yet reluctant to go ahead with the party. The next moment she was joking around and wobbling around like jelly. Lifting her head up, I could smell her breath. It smelled like sour grapes.

Elena appeared more afraid, wrapping her arms around me as Cassandra stood up.

Freddy titled his head. "Miss Cassandra. My smell sensors indicate you drank at least two cups of wine. May I tell you to take a seat?"

"Oh, you mean this?" Cassandra slammed a chair in front of her and placed one foot on it. "Now, where shall I take it?!"

"That's not what I…"

"Let me get this party officially started!" yelled Cassandra, snatching a nearby microphone handled by Dinah. "Get everyone around, Dinah!"

"Wait, what?" said Dinah, baffled. "Are you saying that's the sig-?"

Cassandra laughed it off, looking too far gone to hear correctly. Her voice, transmitted through the microphone and into the activated boomboxes, was loud and proud. REALLY loud. Freddy slapped his hands around my ears, acting as my noise reducers.

The laughter echoed through the room as it came from the stage. That got the attention of everyone who finished setting up the party equipment.

"Happy girls' night, everyone!" Cassandra yelled, hopping onto her chair on both feet. "Another year, huh? Despite the circles that we come across in each passing day, we get passed that cruddy homework and drama, homework and drama…" She nearly fell asleep before whipping up her head again. "But we are known for great things! Confidence, independence, glamorous hair…currently being alive! I say we have a toast to all of this!"

"But we haven't poured out the drinks yet," said Dinah dryly.

"And on top of that, this is our night to break away," continued Cassandra. "No more nagging voices and betrayals, nagging voices and betrayals, nagging voices and betrayals, nagging voices and betrayals, nagging voices and betrayals…" I yelped when she nearly slipped off but managed to retain her balance. "This should be something we should look up to! A special night where we don't have a damn thing to worry about! Who's with me?"

The girls all cheered at this, lifting up their cups.

Freddy took a careful step forwards. "Miss Cassandra, are you alright?"

Cassandra whined like a puppy. "Step aside, Pooh. I don't need your help…"

"Miss Cassandra, please," said Chica. "You don't seem well."

"No, no, I should be fine." And just like that, Cassandra's eyes peered back at Freddy. "Where did you get those six ears? I want to kiss them all!"

Freddy stayed still, looking more concerned about Cassandra's state of mind than her trying to lean forward for a kiss.

Roxy sighed, shaking her head. She exchanged a disgusted look with Elena and the latter slowly turned, speechless. She marched forwards, grabbing Cassandra's arm firmly.

"OK, folks," growled Roxy deeply. "Nothing to see here. Need to wring someone dry first."

"No, no," said Cassandra, falling down into a sitting position. "Keep the show going. I don't want to let this end…"

"Oooh!" chirped Opal. "Does it mean song time?" [2s]

"Oh man," said a pink-haired girl. "I like where this is going!"

Elena inhaled sharply. "Oh no."

"Is this a good thing, Elena?" I asked.

- This is Our Night -

Somebody turned the music on and we were greeted by a jagged guitar playing at E Major from the boombox. Cassandra laughed again, spinning her microphone around. One of the girls decided to put on a show, turning one of the party disco light stands towards Cassandra like a spotlight. With the mood seemingly set, she began singing once the kick drums started beating.

Cassandra - Lately, my mind has been feeling hazy
So gotta check on the tip of the bottle
My feelings tell me that I am crazy
But I don't have a teacher to show and tell

Gently removing Freddy's hands from my ears, I let myself listen to the music. It felt like Roxy's and Chica's own guitar solos I heard from the first night. A rougher melody, but with a cheery and carefree undertone to it. It gave me the feeling of walking through an amusement park at night like I own it. I swallowed, feeling the mischief coming from those girls.

On cue, the girls started walking around Cassandra like a planned dance choreography.

Cassandra - They say I need a man, too bad, I have one
That's me, right here, self-invite to my party
Put down your icing, I wear what I want now
Cause I don't need your sugar in my latte

Building up on the pre-chorus, the guitar strums and the kick drums became more intense. Matching the climatic feeling, Cassandra shot upwards and two girls flaunted beside her, all in an impromptu dance. It gave me the feeling of wanting to run. Wanting to go into the warzone already to show you never back down.

And it matched how quickly she sang those following few lines in a near rap.

Cassandra - A billion wishes to spend
But see you soon, no you can't
Don't say it's for one only
Just save yourself the heartache

I swore I heard Elena yelping when the music figuratively EXPLODED with all the girls yelling at the top of their lungs to the all-out, wild guitar riff and pumping beats.

Cassandra and All - This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night. (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night. (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night.
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

It was already a massive sing-along chorus for the girls as they hopped around like it was a rock concert. And with Cassandra in the middle, the microphone picked up so many voices. This felt like a REAL rallying cry! An explosive display of energy from not only the voices but the wild jumping of the group.

Cassandra and All - Don't rest, don't run, just see the moon to the morning
Hear our song when we're screaming and howling (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night.
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

As they hit back to the next verse, the guitars and drums went back to a calmer level, but still building up. Cassandra and a couple of her friends rested against the table, many of them laughing and panting.

Cassandra - Conceal the knife, break the rules and cut the ropes
Cause you know your 'lessons' just kill your time
I don't want to grip those sheets, don't be so uptight
What happened to real love? Yeah, it ain't big of a crime

The three Glamrocks were standing by the side with no emotion. Eventually, Roxy tried to take action…until Cassandra came to her and placed her signature keytar in her hands.

Cassandra - I got a billion million wishes to spend
But see you soon, no you can't
Don't say it's for one only
Just save yourself the heartache

In the short span of the pre-chorus, I was hoping that Roxy would continue to try to stop Cassandra since this wasn't already feeling like too much. I was worried that Elena might faint from all of this. Unfortunately, being handed over her instrument only seemed to intrigue Roxy. The wolf's eyes sparkled with literal sparkles fluttering around.

She kept looking down at her keytar and back at the singing Cassandra who gave her a mischievous grin.

Naturally, Roxy returned it and jumped onto a table, striking many keys on her keytar.

And all at once, all the girls began dancing together messily.

Cassandra and All - This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night. (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night. (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night.
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

The party was growing wilder and it was hard to catch up on what to see. From Roxy playing her keytar on the table to the cakes being thrown everywhere to one girl hopping up and down on a table to another girl pouring THREE bottles of fizzy drink down her mouth messily to another girl sitting in a punch bowl, moving around like sitting on a wobbly chair.

Seeing the girl's butt stuck in a punch bowl made Elena mouth a bad word.

A toilet roll flew over our heads and Elena took it as a sign to drag me away from the riot.

Cassandra and All - Don't rest, don't run, just see the moon to the morning
Hear our song when we're screaming and howling (Come take a…)
This. (THIS!) Is. (IS!) Our night.
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

While at a great distance from each other due to their wild dance, all the girls began stomping their feet and pumping their fists in the air to the solo marching drum beat playing on its own.

Cassandra and All - This is our night we shouldn't take away!
This is our life, don't dare look away!
This is our time, so get out of our way!
This is our light, no one way or the other!

I tried to find Freddy and Chica in this madness. They were by the side, slowly holding onto each other. By then, their heads were covered in cotton candy with Freddy having an oversized top hat and a moustache made from it. I snickered at the ridiculous sight of this.

Cassandra and All - This is our night we shouldn't take away!
This is our life, don't dare look away!
This is our time, so get out of our way!
This is our light, no one way or the other!

The last chorus came, but it was gentler with a lonely acoustic guitar strumming. Cassandra rested back in the chair she used, singing with a calm and harmonious voice.

Cassandra - This…is…our night
This…is…our night
This…is…our night
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

Her eyes fluttered open, no longer looking drowsy. She appeared much brighter than before with an unapologetic smile. She reminded me greatly of Roxy since she was acting like this.

Cassandra - Don't rest, don't run, just see the moon to the morning
Hear our song when we're screaming and howling
This…is…our night.
Come take a bite, some delights or you're lost in the fight

- End of Song -

As the boombox went quiet, all the girls cheered loudly, hopping in their spots. Roxy howled victoriously, puffing out her chest. She raised her keytar proudly…and lowered it when she saw the usually sweet and lovely Freddy GLARING at her. The wolf grinned, trying to hide the instrument. Meanwhile, Chica shook her entire body, removing the cotton candy.

"Boy!" she squawked. "I thought I would fall victim to eating. I think I lost my appetite by now. It feels like some cotton candy got shot up right through the doughnut hole."

"Don't say stuff like that," deadpanned Elena, letting go of me. "You're gonna arouse them again."

"That was…something," I could only say. "Should…we be concerned about the mess here?"

Elena sighed. "I'll clear all of this up once we drive everyone out before 6 AM hits."

I idly scanned the area affected. There were too many parts of the room caked in party snacks. Most of the damage the girls did even reach up to the ceiling! And Augustina wasn't even here to lift those cakes upwards. The girls were equally messy, but fortunately, some of the sludge on their shoulders didn't splat on the floor. It was the tables and the walls we should be worried about.

Heck, Claire was by the stairs and they were stained in pink frosting…

Wait, Claire by the stairs?

She was…already far away from us. Not like far where she just ran at an appropriate distance. More like she just came back from using the bathroom.

She was just jumping around in unrestrained glee, squealing away.

It couldn't be normal for someone to stand away at a long distance in the middle of a song, could it?


Monty's POV

Usually, I didn't use much of the Utility Tunnels for the past few days. It would have to do with the wire gates that had been placed up to clear me away. Well, the staff didn't want me to get through them, so I would be in trouble if I punched them. Both physically and figuratively.

I usually moved around in the Pizza Plex to not shy away from the neon on days when I was at my lowest, I chose to remain in the hallways to be seen.

But for tonight, it was a different case. I didn't feel like I was alright. I wasn't alright. And that was the thing. I wasn't acting like myself. I shouldn't be crying over spilled milk when I should know better. It was good I managed to stay away from the others before I could punch another wall. I doubted that they would need me at the moment.

Climbing down into the Utility Tunnels below the surface, it became easier to breathe. Maybe that shouldn't be the right way to say it, but it felt so. I felt like there was nothing to fear or let down. It was only myself going into the dark and murky tunnels. And the only things that I would have been worried about were the spare parts and boxes left around.

Already at the bottom of the stairs, I concentrated more on how the underground level appeared. Vanessa didn't seem to do anything yet, so that was one. For some reason, I wished she changed a little in its appearance. It did look like a construction site; an abandoned one. The red bridge arches gave me the feel of one since it looked like a deconstructed bridge.

Taking a few steps forward, I observed the stuff left behind here. Several crates, large pipes, boxes of bricks and stuff…all the things you expect of a construction site…and all the things you would use when wrecking down a building. I felt inclined to pick one of those heavy piles up and slam it to the ground. I could do that.

But my temper was already frying my circuits that I didn't have the energy and motivation to do so. Despite my hands trembling, my tail swaying in irritation and my jaw twitching, I felt like I could collapse any sooner. And I hated that feeling.

It made me think about how Freddy would handle it. How the security guards would handle it. And…

I shook my head. I couldn't stop comparing myself to them. And they weren't the problem. The problem now was Vanessa and that was all I should be worried about. At the thought of her, I could feel my chest boil. I let out a slight growl through my teeth, wanting to really let her know how much her actions led to this insanity.

I nearly thought of stomping all the way, but my footsteps were more…calm and quiet. I was holding it all back. Not until I find her. All the newfound energy after stepping away from the others and being safe down here…

The only bad thing was that I didn't have anyone to accompany me.

But whatever. That would invalidate my point when trying to interrogate Vanessa in private.

And there, I found the blonde security guard shining her flashlight around. Ultra was already out, investigating as well. Looking for something.

I tried to take a few deep breaths internally, but they weren't helping at all. Even with my mouth shut, my teeth were clenched, threatening to break each other off. I couldn't hold back the growl building up inside.

But if she was who I thought it might be, it should be the correct response.

I didn't need to say anything when Vanessa turned around, her flashlight shining at me. My sunglasses saved my eyes from being blinded. Not like it mattered.

"Monty! What are you doing down here?" she said. "You're supposed to be-"

I lifted up a hand, telling her to be silent. "Was it you?"

Vanessa's eyes widened. That was the first warning sign.

"What?" she said.

I narrowed my eyes. "Vanessa Breed-Wrisley, right? Care to explain yourself?"

Ultra slowly floated towards Vanessa, his shoulders rose upwards and his fists clenched. Vanessa, on the other hand, looked like she was going through a mind screw. But for some reason, seeing her acting like this only made me more frustrated than ever.

"Monty, why are you acting so odd?" she asked.

I crossed my arms. "I'm not under oath anymore and neither are you. So, start talking."

"Oh dear, Monty!" barged a Worker Bot's voice. "Looks like you had a-"

My patience ran short and without looking, I immediately gripped the Worker Bot by its throat and crushed it. Not wanting to look over it like some stupid masterpiece, I threw it aside. Both Vanessa and Ultra were already alarmed, slowly backing away.

"HOLY HELL!" yelled Ultra. "Have you completely lost it?!"

I scoffed, scrapping my left foot like a bull. "I don't know. I looked into the server, Vanessa. OK, maybe it's already known that you worked before at the original pizzeria, but I didn't think that the higher executives would be suspicious of you. Being one of the suspects for damaging MULTIPLE Afton Robotics factories?"

A lump formed in Vanessa's throat, but she didn't swallow. Her eyes narrowed, wanting to talk back. However, she hesitated. She didn't have a damn thing to say anything about this. This showed that she knew something about the destruction of multiple factories. The ones that were involved in the production of animatronics like me. Even Ultra looked shocked, his lips quivering as if hit with a memory.

Those looks indicated to me that they know more than they let on.

"I looked through the executives' messages," I said, beginning to circle the two like a shark. "I read the newspaper articles they saved. And I checked the suspect list and your name was on it. But unlike the other suspects, none of them dared to come back to work here with the company. Except for YOU."

Vanessa narrowed her eyes. "Monty…"

"Just tell me." I stomped forward without waiting for a response. "Tell me that wasn't you!"

The blonde guard surprisingly held her ground, taking on a calm persona. "You think I would have done it out of spite? Even if…I did, then I would have just placed a bomb down here in the first place. Those factories aren't connected to you. They're towards the original pizzeria."

"I'm not even angry about that part," I snarled. "I'm just wondering what YOU have been up to! Tearing down buildings. Tricking people just to be safe? Deceiving us that Gregory and Elena were legally allowed to be here! And now you got high clearance to be down here in less than two f**king days! You're only coming down here to execute your plan in finishing making the cracks!"

My already loud voice cowered Vanessa a little, urging her to lift a hand over her face to protect herself. But she didn't look scared. She looked…ashamed.

"I knew it," I growled. "You knew something about this hidden facility. You knew about the elevator shaft."

Vanessa's lips twitched. "Monty…but…I don't remember how I got there."

"Monty, I swear," said Ultra firmly. "I kept watch on her."

I glared at the ghost. "Don't give me that s**t, Ultra. Or whomever you used to be. Maybe being a…true assistant with the rabbit lady?"

Vanessa gasped in disbelief. "You…you think I'm HER?! T-That's who I am?!"

"I'm beginning to think so!" I yelled. "And clearly you know your way around here, huh?! At least Elena spat out the truth of what she saw, so why didn't you?!"

"A-And…" Vanessa sputtered pathetically. "And what about you? W-What would you say if you were hiding something? If I heard correctly…you…nearly destroyed your window in your green room."

It was another reminder that I did things behind my back. But…no. She wasn't Freddy. And Freddy was my friend. I lost sight of who Vanessa might be all this time. And whatever my personal problems were, they were only on me. Not everyone else. So, I knew that I had the higher ground in the situation.

I didn't dare to cross my arms again. No tail wrapping around my legs like a blanket. No snarl escaped from my lips. Just a simple and threatening question.

"Why should I tell you about my 'feelings' when you could be the one wanting to use them?" I said. "But it's already too late when you know the others well. Like they 'matter' to you."

Vanessa nearly took another step away, but when she glanced at Ultra, that was when she decided to walk forwards. The green ghost was still in his place, speechless. Vanessa wasn't. And to my surprise, her face already contorted into growing fury. I could only roll my eyes as she placed an authoritative finger on my chest like a parent.

"Listen, alligator," she snarled through gritted teeth. "I'm as confused as you are. My head f**ked up more than yours should explain everything. I cannot lie that maybe I am doing something, but maybe it's because I didn't want to freak any of you out. Don't you think I want anyone to get hurt? After all this time?"

I slapped her hand away. "You don't hesitate when you take those risks, Missy! That is what freaks me out because you aren't telling any of us anything. You just want to get the work done to destroy the Pizza Plex AND everyone in it!"

"And what if what I'm doing is for your safety?" snarled Vanessa, slowly coming close. "For everyone's reassurance that there's nothing to fear? For Elena's and Gregory's sake?! And if I was the rabbit lady, would you see me blurting all of this out?!"

"Because you're not in control of what has been happening for the past few nights," I growled.

Vanessa's face turned a deep red. "Y-You think so?! Well, maybe you too! We can't have it all perfect like how so-called perfect Freddy's wanted everything to be, CAN WE, MISTER?!"

My eye twitched.

My first instinct was to punch Vanessa square in the face. As she rolled around on the floor, I stomped one foot and let out the roar that was rolling around in my throat for too long. Just before I could consider pouncing her, Vanessa grabbed a nearby long pipe and tackled me. Before I could ever respond, I could see the pipe raised above her head like a knife if she got one.

CRACK!

[WARNING! VISION DAMAGED]

WHAM!

[DAMAGE TO THE HEAD PART OF THE BODY]

CRACK!

Warning systems flashed in my vision. It was glitching in and out with not a single trace of my surroundings. My HUD system was going out of control. I could still think, so my coding wasn't destroyed. But all I could hear was Vanessa smashing her pipe right into my head. I couldn't feel but could feel every rumble she inflicted on me.

My anger nearly vanished and turned into feeling unnerved as I heard her screams. It sounded really disturbing, not just because she might be a monster, but because it was in a similar rage to mine. I couldn't even see how fast she hit that pipe into me. She was already ruthless in her attack, every scream gradually turning into wild and wet gibberish.

The worst was hearing Ultra's voice. And unlike Vanessa, it was more panic than rage. I realised this could show he wasn't guilty as I could hear him screaming at Vanessa to stop. I couldn't make out his words aside from 'STOP RIGHT NOW' and 'ARE YOU INSANE', but there was a cracking struggle in his vocal attempt to pull Vanessa out of her blind retaliation.

And then, it stopped.

[DAMAGE TO THE HEAD PART OF THE BODY]

[DAMAGE TO THE FRONT RIB OF THE ENDOSKELETON IS 30%. PLEASE REMAIN CAREFUL AROUND YOUR SURROUNDINGS.]

[REBOOTING MOVEMENT SYSTEM]

[REBOOTING VISION SYSTEM]

I growled, ignoring all those warming signs popping in my vision. Clearing them away, I tried sitting up. Or at least I could be able to. I registered…pain in my chest. I grunted, trying to ignore it. Another move and I heard a crack from my shell. Looking down, I could see a large crack forming on my upper torso. Another movement and I could feel a bolt in my jaw popping out.

Reflexively lifting my hand onto my muzzle, I felt my sunglasses had already fallen off. Right next to me, they sat in a heap of broken glass.

I slowly turned my head towards Vanessa. The blonde security guard still had the pipe in her hand, but Ultra held her back by both arms. She was already a mess, her face drenched in tears. Her eyes were bloodshot, resembling that of a madman. However, any traits of malice or anger were gone. She looked worn out, her body nearly close to dropping on the ground.

I looked back at the crack on my torso. It then came to me that…I could have done the same since she did pounce on me in anger. She let all that out on me.

There was shame but also a sense of hopelessness in this interrogation.

From the way Ultra held her back, it was more out of instinct as well. And he was on her side, so…they wouldn't go out of their way to do this. If Vanessa did lash out because I was accusing her…

I closed my eyes, my voice down to a disappointed whisper. "Yeah, I thought so."

Ultra finally let Vanessa go and she collapsed on her knees, panting.

I tried getting up, but my chest was hurting. It was hard trying to sit up.

And it was killing me.

I hated it.

"Even if you're not her, you're still bad news," I said coldly. "You need to get out. NOW."

Vanessa lifted her head up, about to speak.

"Unfortunately, your clock-out time hasn't arrived yet."

That didn't come from her mouth.

It came without warning and I was suddenly pushed to the ground again. I tried getting up, but a new sensation travelled throughout my body. Numbness. The pain suddenly went away like an off switch. Ultra was suddenly yelling, but his voice was cut off by a loud, high-pitched scream. To my dismay, it was impossible to tell if it was coming from him since it was electronically filtered to the max.

No warning sign popped over when my vision slowly turned red. And it wasn't coming from any emotion of mine. It felt like…a new person just arrived. A predator knocking out the predator for the hunt. They possessed something that impaired my vision without official warning. I couldn't even see the ceiling above me anymore, replaced by red pixels against a dark background.

And as my vision grew distorted, so was my mind. It was becoming hard to think through. All I could hear were small voices floating in my mind. This had never happened before. Where did I get all of those thoughts? Where were they coming from?

"I was in a happy place, but it might not last for long."

"Was this how I looked like as well?"

"I was supposed to be like Heywood."

"There was us against the entire world."

"And it felt so good."

I tried speaking out loud and my vision went black.

[ERR]

[ERR]

[ERR]

[SYSTEM REBOOTING IN PROGRESS]

[REBOOT SUCCESSFUL]

[CONTINUING MONTGOMERY GATOR PROTOCOL]


AN: Didn't expect this, did you? What may happen next may or may not surprise you. Feed me with your theories for the next chapter. You'll be in luck.

Lots and lots of red flags and foreshadowing in the entire chapter. Cassandra being drunk is a big red flag as well. Can you guess why?

I have to admit that I struggled with writing this chapter since it came from author's block and trying to make the conversations as entertaining as possible. Doing it from Gregory's POV makes things interesting since it's like taking your younger brother to a wild teenage party that is about to start. It's also here where you can see Elena's slight indifference towards others like Augustina.

For Monty's and Vanessa's argument, I decided to have it through Monty's POV since in the last chapter, he is growing angrier and it reaches a point here. And so did Vanessa's when he provoked her. But, don't be too hard on both of them for this. People say and do a lot of things when angry.

This chapter's song has been rewritten yesterday as well. I made a couple of adjustments to make sure that it wasn't too cringy and even wanted to add in how Cassandra really felt throughout the story. This one was meant for her and the girls, wanting to celebrate their night…and it wasn't for the right occasion. The song is inspired by many rock and pop songs including 'Jump Start' by These Kids Wear Crowns, 'Rock N Roll' by Avril Lavigne, 'Black Magic' by Little Mix and 'abcdefu' by GAYLE being the prime inspiration for the melody and the verse structure. It hits differently since this is the most rebellious song out of all the musical numbers I wrote in this story.

Thank you for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite. Prepare for more updates to come! Make sure to leave a review with your thoughts. Constructive criticism is needed for improvements, but if any flames, then you'll end up being the fool.

Until next time, keep on rocking!