"What do you want, Fazbear?" His nose flares at the sounds of robotic steps approaching him. Monty had a good sense to tell which of his bandmates were around, solely based on their footwork. The fact that he knows that it is Freddy has dampened his already sour mood.
"Hello Montgomery," Freddy greets. Monty rolled his eyes.
"I asked, what do you want?! I'm busy!"
"I have come by to ask if you have seen Gregory?"
"No."
"It is just that it has been some time since I had heard from him. Management will be coming in a couple of hours and –"
"I ain't seen the bastard." Monty answered and swung the club. The golf ball hits the sides before rehoming itself a few centimeters from the hole. "Damn it!"
"That is quite an impressive swing, where did you learn that?"
"Uh-uh, I ain't telling! You're not stealing my secrets, Mr. has-to-be-great-at-everything!"
"Who said that I was?"
"It doesn't matter, you ain't gonna be the best at EVERYTHING!"
"I have simply made a compliment, I do not wish to impose any competition. You must check your anger, Monty. You do not have to get worked up over every little matter."
"Oh, my God! Why don't you go into hibernation elsewhere? Dale's on his way for a golf game, and you ain't depressing our vibes."
Freddy frowned. "That is another thing I need to talk to you about. I do not like Dale –"
"You don't like anyone that doesn't fit your squeaky-clean image Freddy! Not everyone wants to be a stuck-up snob!"
"Forget the tattoos, the attitude, and his unpleasant odor. I do not like how he is making Gregory uncomfortable. Ever since he has been here, Gregory is a completely different boy. He does not talk as much, he is always hiding, or he is always tensing up or frazzled at every noise. If I do ask what would be wrong, he would change the subject or get angry in which I have no choice but to back off. It is distressing to see."
"Delightful is the more appropriate word."
"Excuse me?"
"It ain't nothing but peace and quiet the last few days. I'm enjoying the silence without worrying about getting blasted or being broken in half!" He glares at Freddy's confusion. "I told ya, I 'membered everything that kid did to me and I'm glad he's getting what's coming!"
"Monty, I told you that he had no choice but to use self defense."
"Self defense, my ass! I'm glad Dale's here. He is doing his job and enforcing his authority. The brat needs some discipline so he doesn't set this place on fire!"
"Monty, this is getting ridiculous, you are not listening to what I am saying!"
"Piss off Fazbear! I don't care what you gotta say, now get out of my golf course before I impale this club deep into your endoskeleton!" He smirks at seeing Freddy's widened eyes. "I ain't kidding, I will do it, now get!"
"Fine Monty, but know this: I know something is not right with Dale and I will not let him put Gregory in danger. And you, regardless of how you feel about Gregory, are also bound by that moral code." Freddy leaves the gator to resume his activity.
Or at least trying to resume making another shot. He missed. "Damn it," Monty leaves the golf course in search of his human friend, thinking that the man cannot be too far.
"Dale! Where are you?"
No answer.
Something must have come up that was preoccupying the guard's time. Monty hoped it wasn't an intruder alert. He'd hate for something to happen to his friend and also, being set into defensive mode drains his battery faster than Chica inhaling a whole pizza pie.
Sounds of an escalating argument catches the gator's attention and he maneuvers to the voices. He immediately recognized one of the voices as Dale's and peers in a hidden location, to see if the guard would need his help.
Instead, Month sees Dale viciously punching Gregory against the head. "Do it again! I dare you, go ahead and piss me off again, make my night!" Dale grabs ahold of Gregory's hair. "When I tell you to do something, you do it!"
"Get off me!" Gregory screamed, Dale slammed him to the floor, straddling the latter with his entire weight and one hand choking Gregory's throat.
"That fucking bear won't protect you!" Dale squeezed tighter.
Monty scoffs. What did that brat do to piss Dale off?
He thrives on the state of defeat the boy displayed as the hysterical child struggles to breathe. Monty just hates that he wasn't there to witness the full interaction. He wishes he could teach Gregory a lesson. A lot of lessons – a master class in payback. For him to do so in this present day would guarantee decommission.
A persistent rebuttal had him roll his eyes at the unsolicited response. You must be the moral code Freddy was talking 'bout. You can piss off too!
Dale hauled Gregory onto his feet. His expressions had softened. "Fuck it, who am I fooling? You're too adorable to stay mad at." He pushed their lips together.
Neither of them saw the wide-eyed gator.
"Monty! I'm so sorry, I got caught up with some things. Were you waiting long?"
"Nah, not long. Fazbear made all of us look for that little runt. He walks around here like he owns the place. Which wouldn't happen if you had taken him the first night! When are you taking the brat with you?"
"I don't know, there's so much I gotta do before I leave Saturday so –"
"I thought you ain't leaving until Vanessa gets back?!"
Dale grins sheepishly. "I got a better job. I'm in training and I need to be in another city, but I'm not disappearing for good. I'll be back, especially because I will have new things to teach you."
Monty could sense this rare but familiar sense of anger. The one where shits about to hit the fans. It's small but it's simmering. He felt betrayed, annoyed, bitter to no end. Or maybe it was over something else? No, he has been having trouble with his vision, he was sure he's seeing things.
I'm not delusional…
No, it might not be what he thinks it is. He'd accessed his database, not one source of evidence to deem Dale a dangerous man. He forgets that Dale and Gregory have known each other for years, and what he saw, it could be a thing Dale inputs to leverage control.
I don't think I want to be convinced of – NO! I ain't doing this!
"Fine, but before you go, you gotta check out my systems. Some codes are messing with my vision and a bug that won't leave me alone."
"Interesting… alright. To Parts and Services we go." The lights shut off. It is near the end of the hour. Dale sighed heavily. "Looks like the underground tunnels are the way to go. It's going to be a long way there."
"Yeah sure, whatever."
He'd been successful in avoiding Moon for weeks. He'd often timed every hour, ensuring that he was close to a recharge station. Either that or he would actually be sleeping. Gregory doesn't know what to expect from the nighttime attendant cackling in the distance. He's completely vulnerable to try to run or defend himself.
It hurts to move. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to keep his eyes open for directions to wherever he'd forgotten he was going. He feels the tears flowing, some making its final destination with the open cuts on his face, but he poses no reaction.
Until his rib cage burns from the involuntary intake of breath, pressing against his already hurting stomach. He falls to the ground. The continuous battle against breathing and inducing pain, or not breathing to provide temporary relief.
It triggers a remainder of the prior consequence. He's seen Dale angry but it is usually just the latter uttering a bunch of profanities. This time provoked an unspeakable anger that drove the man to brutal and bloody violence. Dale would never have killed him. At least not intentionally, not with the sick mainframe that the man has towards him. But in that moment, with how restless he had been with his beatings, Gregory thought he was going to die at that moment.
It's clear it hadn't happened since he's huddling in pain, but he hoped it would come soon after. The quicker he can exit this nightmare of a reality, the better. When he dies, Dale will spend the rest of his life behind bars and fighting against inmates who want to do the same thing he's done to Gregory.
Most importantly, Mom would be safe. She'll grieve for him the rest of her life, but she's still young. She'll remarry and start a new family. Or maybe she'll reconnect with his dad. She's told him about his father. The man is still alive, Gregory had found out. His mom never seemed to go over their breakup years ago. She is unsure if the man is aware that he has a son.
He gradually loses sense of his surroundings. He had to be dying, and for the first time in a while, he had a choice. The choice on how he would go out would be to either succumb to his injuries, or at the hands of Moon rapidly approaching him in the dark.