GLAMROCK FREDDY
His mind refused to leave Chica's words, despite the priorities at hand.
She's been shouldering her own kind of griefs; and in just as much silence as Bonnie had. Why do his friends do that? Actually... huh. He supposed they ALL do that. Roxy never admitted her confidence issues, Monty never admitted to his temperamental instability (despite it being obvious), Bonnie hates talking his problems even if his life was in peril... oh dear. Oh dear. Wait a minute, there's a pattern here.
Freddy had been mulling this over for the last while, and only NOW does it click to him while his mind was free to wander. And he knew himself that at heart, he does the exact same thing. He won't ever admit his own problems, and he hates talking about himself in any capacity. He's afraid of voicing his problems to anyone- especially since they have their own problems. He felt small, and he just couldn't put a talon on it. And to see this reflected in all his friends, he was starting to see that this could potentially be a programming issue. If every single one of them felt like this, what're the odds that when they were made, they were programmed to just not care about themselves?
That sounded strange, but there was a reasoning here: And he assumed its because they were ALL programmed to care about humans first and foremost. To protect children, and punish the ones who threaten them. And to protect Fazbear Entertainment's secrets above all else. If anyone penetrated the facility in an effort to route out their dirty laundry, Freddy and his companions were programmed to defend at all costs and with zero consideration to their own safety.
They were replaceable. They were things. They were toys. They meant nothing to most people, unless they were making money for their employers. And if they weren't making money, whose to say they wouldn't be replaced by a Glamrock Mr. Hippo? The thought only infuriated Freddy. The fact that that mentality of them completely disregarding themselves existed was an extension of their creators' greed was a tragic folly he felt should be rectified.
No wonder Bonnie never told them about Vanny... he was literally programmed to not talk about his troubles! They ALL were.
"Hey! Freddy! You okay?"
He'd stopped at some point, frowning at the ground during this ponderous process. He'd barely heard Eclipse, his ears waggling but no sound really sticking. He only stirred when the jester bot tapped him on the shoulder and wove into his line of sight.
"Freddy, are you there?" he asked again, waving a hand in front of his nose. "Yoo-hoo!"
The ursine hummed, then focused on the other's broken visage more carefully. He blinked once, then nodded his head vaguely. "I apologize, I'm afraid I'm... just truly realizing something now. And I can't believe its taken me so long to do so."
The bear looked past him, focusing on the path to the loading bay. He'd told Roxanne he was going to check the vehicles, and by god he was going to do so. They've been on a roll, saving everyone minus Cassie. Once they had her back in hand though...
He frowned, flexing his well-used talons and listening to the faint click of tips touching. He inhaled gustily, proceeding past Eclipse with his mind on the prize: total freedom, baby. And NOT just for himself this time. Chica too. And Bonnie. And all of them. No one will be left behind again, he fervently swore.
And we will not have to fight amongst ourselves again. I don't know if I can take that.
"Um... you didn't finish your thought?" Eclipse went on to say, matching his gait with Freddy's newly found militaristic one.
"Wha- oh! Pardon me," the bear passed a wane smile. "Sorry. I was pondering why none of us seem so keen to share our problems, even though we clearly trust each other. We have no issues sharing things if properly addressed beyond this one thing- this one, glaring thing-" He waved a talon at the jester's face. "I believe we were programmed to prioritize each other and humans before ever considering ourselves. And its because of this silence, its why Bonnie vanished! No sense of self, I believe."
"Oh! Yeah... that actually makes sense," Eclipse muttered, a long-boned hand making it to his chin. "I mean... huh."
The pair stopped before the long hallway, with Freddy using Roxanne's eyes to see to the area beyond. No moving hostiles, from the looks of things. Good. This means they can do their investigation of the vehicle bay in relative peace. With that said, he went on through and pushed aside fallen chunks of ceiling, then ripped the door off separating them from the indoor parking lot.
They stepped in, and Freddy was increasingly gladdened by the sight of a TON of vehicles. Indeed, as Bonnie said, there was a few party buses still. There's also cement pourers, forklifts, and an abandoned white sedan too- which baffled the bear. Weren't cars expensive? Ah, but alas, he knew the sedan wouldn't be useable: not if the gas in it has gone bad. He automatically eliminated it as he eyed the buses.
He and Eclipse spread out from there, going to investigate all the other vehicles. Freddy swore in static when he realized they'd need keys for the buses in order to crank them. With this in mind, Freddy went to the service and security room adjacent to this parking garage; knowing they usually had a key for each bus that's usually put on loan. And worse care, they could try hotwiring- as Gregory apparently (and shockingly) knew how to do.
Yup. Gregory can hotwire cars. And had apparently drove one before. You can imagine Freddy's shocked expression when he learned this. And while Gregory was way too short to adequately reach the pedals and see over the dashboard, he still knew how to drive even a LITTLE. And if that kid can do that, any of the bots can too, right?
Freddy produced a happy noise when he found the keys. He took all of them, and was increasingly belated to see a couple propane tanks and the generator they were supposed to go to in the supply closest. He felt himself grin rather evilly as he took one- the beginnings of an idea coming to mind.
"Eclipse! Eclipse-" He turned on his heel and returned to the garage proper. The jester swung back over immediately, his bi-colored eyes on Freddy's prizes. He focused rightfully on the canister though. "I think I have an idea, or something like one?"
"I'm listening!"
Freddy raised a claw, then pinged Bonnie, "You hear me, my friend?"
"Yeah? Didja find something?"
"I found something as valuable as gold, I believe... Dunno why I didn't think of it sooner," Freddy mused, wandering over to a vehicle in particular and checking it out. He rapped his claw tips, then meandered away again while turning the canister over and flipping it around. He briefly unscrewed its tap- and was more than satisfied by the smell he caught. His realistic fangs glinted faintly in the light of his LED eyes. "I think I know how to dispatch our large friend."
"Ohhhh?"
Bonnie's intrigued lilt betrayed his own interest, let alone the attendant's own as he studiously watched as Freddy moved around the room. The bear meanwhile briefly put the canister down and opened a party bus door and sit crookedly behind the wheel. Freddy was right in assuming he was too big for a small vehicle (not that the name-brand vehicle was small), and he had to duck his head a lot here; but he was able to just squeeze in here. The party bus sank noticeably when a 470 pound bear seated itself in its driver seat. He knew how to crank it- pressing on the brake while turning the keys in the ignition- but the party bus was stubborn and stalled a lot- which wasn't what Freddy was hoping for. The bear groaned when he realized the gas may be bad- its bad enough the light was blinking on. He smelled again- and yup, it was sour.
"Biscuits! Arg, here, take these keys do what I'm doing," He quickly taught Eclipse. "Try the other ones, and DON'T move the gas pedal- its this pedal right here. You may end up in a wall if you're not careful! Just try them, and see if any fire up and look for engine lights. I want to hear the engines going- if any of these work, then the gas is good. They run on diesel, I believe. Diesel lasts a year so... ONE of these should fire."
"What's your idea? You have us in suspense here!" Eclipse clapped.
"Yeah... what's the plan, bear man?"
"I'm thinking, maybe we can set a trap for the giant... tangle thing, using these propane tanks. If we pick an area of the PizzaPlex that isn't likely to domino into the rest of its collapse, and place the tanks in certain key, structurally compromised places and in a confined space, I think we can make something work. And so long as we stay away from that wing of the PizzaPlex, we'll be alright," Freddy supplied. "We're too weak to take that thing on our own."
"You hoping to blow up or crush the thing? I thought we established that may not work?" Bonnie went on to say.
"I don't think we have much of a choice, Bonnie. Blowing UP won't work... but using the questionable integrity of the PizzaPlex may be our only remaining solution. As for one of these vehicles, if one of these start up, we can drive one of these out to escape and- Perfect!" He turned and faced Eclipse, noticing a party bus had flared up pretty fast. "We can escape on that one! YES. How much gas in it?"
The jester cocked his head, "Hm... quarter tank?"
"Not too bad. That'll be enough for us to leave with. Check the others, and let's see what else we can do," Freddy said as he stepped out of the dead vehicle. "I have a good feeling about this!"
"So, we set the trap, collapse in a part of the PizzaPlex on that thing's head, and race out in one of these buses?" Bonnie went on to ask.
"Correct! Ah but, we'd have to open the loading bay doors as we leave... Hm. I don't want to open them until we're absolutely ready to move out," Freddy continued. "We don't want anything here to escape; not the Mimic, the giant mass creature, anything."
"I knew I loved you for a reason beyond just being pretty," Bonnie chortled.
Freddy harrumphed, going around and snuffling each vehicles' gas nozzles. He can tell relatively fast which ones were okay, but it still didn't hurt to double check. His brain rolled over their options and internal maps; wondering if there's a plausible place to use the propane tanks in that wouldn't end up resulting in ALL of them getting buried alive. He worked his jaws, tapping the canister thoughtfully as he considered the instability of the raceway.
No, that wouldn't do. He didn't like how close it was to Parts and Service, and it's too open- the trap he had in mind wouldn't fire right. Monty golf was out for that same reason- Rockstar Row had nothing particularly heavy to drop and immobilize that thing... and the atrium was empty and open air! The daycare wasn't feasible... the fazcade though... maybe they can drop an entire upper floor on it? No... not enough force... and its space was wide and expansive. In order to get the propane tank explosion to work, they'd need to work with a contained and claustrophobic area. His mind then went to the use of an underground tunnel with an automated sound cue Bonnie can synthesize to lure the thing in with, and then blow the cavern with it trapped in place...
Freddy put a paw to his lower jaw, then bounced this idea to Bonnie. In turn, the rabbit said, "That could work! The utility tunnels are nice and tight, and even if that thing can wriggle around as well as it does, it still wouldn't be able to wriggle out of the danger zone in time if its aptly distracted with something. If I can find a sound cue that'll keep its attention, I believe we can cave the area on top of it! But... the floors above-"
"Yes... we'd have to stand VERY clear of the area once it goes," Freddy finished for him. "But the weight and pressure should render it nonfunctional."
"...'Should'."
"Should, yes. But it is already damaged- and if we get its heads... it should work."
"A lot of 'shoulds' here," Eclipse came back over, folding his long limbs over his torso.
Freddy bobbed his chipped shoulders. "Again, not much choice. That thing is huge, ferocious, and even if all of us at once went at it... I doubt we can take it out. And with the amount of struggling it'll put up, it'll likely kill off some of us before it finally goes down. If we blow up the area around it and weaken it, or kill it outright doing this, then it'll work."
"I'll defer to your judgement there, papa bear. And since we're near the tunnels, I can send the others in to look for key, structurally unstable areas we can safely blow?"
"Yes. If we can take a section of tunnel and bury one side of it to create a small space, line it with the tanks, unscrew the taps... and get a fire source thrown in there by that time that thing arrives..." He meandered around then, sniffing and chuffing around. "Hm... its a bit of a stretch, and even I don't know for certain it'll work, but I want to gamble on it. What're your thoughts, friends?"
"As you said... we don't have a choice," Eclipse shrugged. "With that said though... how would we get a fire source near the tanks and ignite the room?"
"I'm sure we can jury-rig something that sparks," Bonnie offered. "I wouldn't think its too hard. Detonate it remotely... and so long as the taps on the tanks stay open and the space is confined enough, whole room will go KABOOM with enough force to make the ceiling above give fast."
"Still a bit of a stretch..." The attendant muttered.
"Worse case, it doesn't work and it just burns the creature," Freddy shrugged. "Or weaken it. In which case, we'd have to think of something else from there. But I'm confident if we have enough tanks, we can manage! And, seeing as there's generators EVERYWHERE in this place- I'm sure we'll find some tanks in other areas of the PizzaPlex to utilize. Some of the larger industrial generators run on propane!"
"What can I say, you're a genius, my man! I'm blowing you a kiss by the way-" Bonnie threw. "Pun kinda intended."
"Tell Monty and the others to go around and start gathering up the propane tanks they find," Freddy continued. "We can bring them to a room we know Vanny won't have access to as well- hm. What room can we use to store these until later?"
"Endo warehouse maybe. We keep an eye on the area as it is, and its right below the atrium's floor- we can shuttle the tanks anywhere pretty fast from there," Bonnie offered. "And as long as we keep them away from any live wires... it'll be fine. Propane tanks don't blow easy though, right?"
"No, but that's why we'd need to undo the taps and run away as fast as possible once we set the trap," Freddy continued. "And make sure the gas is released in a small and narrow space that isn't very breathable. The fire source will do the rest."
"Guess its all we got... So, we store this stuff in the Endo warehouse, yeah?"
"I want to be sure Vanny won't notice it... but, seeing as any other place here is just as suspect, I don't think we can figure a better spot for the time being," Freddy ventured.
"Alright. Double check that chosen bus. See if any others are working, then get whatever tanks are there and leave. I'll lock the doors behind you and make sure your path back here is clear," Bonnie relayed.
Freddy grunted an affirmative, then cut the line.
Freddy felt himself snort as they went, his borrowed eyes fixated on every detail as they went by.
It was easy enough to lose himself in the work- to not dwell too heavily on his earlier worries so long as they had a fixed goal in mind. However, he cannot help but linger on the intrusive thoughts he had earlier; and once again, his recollection returned unbidden to Bonnie's earlier words and Chica's own hushed ones. To the idea that they, for even one second, thought Freddy would leave them behind-
That hurt.
More than anything else.
Freddy had tried to reason that, due to their stressful situations, they'd been led to doubt themselves, let alone others. Even Gregory had shown more faith in Freddy that night though- but, he also supposed from the eyes of the addled and not the clear-headed, it almost looked like a betrayal. And it didn't help that they've been here for months, stranded with treacherous trains of thoughts as company for such long periods of time. They had nothing to believe in for so long. Bonnie rotted, and watched his friends rot too. And Chica? She was always sensitive and... emotionally unstable in more fragile ways than others perceived.
Freddy still remembered a long time ago, that some children made fun of Chica. They emulated her chicken noises, found her 'too girly', and were generally mean-spirited about her buggy disposition and subsequent reputation regarding pizza- which is something she couldn't control! But Chica heard it and its lowered her own self-esteem. It's a notion that's also stayed with her. It goes to show that Chica, if left with a certain impression, wouldn't be confident in herself enough to let it be. She devalued herself so badly, that she believed it a sentiment echoed in her friends. She sometimes thought that what the children believed were something her friends did too-
And that just won't do.
Freddy huffed meanwhile, the propane tank thrown over his shoulder as he searched around. He and Eclipse progressed through the atrium, but stuck to its darkest corners so to not stand out in the open where Vanny can possibly see them and anticipate what they're doing. She didn't need to know anything until it was time to move on her.
His nose was... more valuable than he thought. He never imagined he'd be using it to the extent that he was. And it was so sharp! Freddy has always chosen to selectively ignore the vast amount of intrusive aromas that entered his olfactory chambers, but with the situation they're in now... his nose was the most powerful asset he had. He figured the next time he saw Roxy, he can give her back her eyes- seeing as his nose was boon enough. The wolf had been courteous in letting him use her optics for such an extensive amount of time too- in which he was grateful for.
"You're quiet again," Eclipse eventually interrupted his thoughts. "Have you been alright? You seem... you've BEEN out of it, I think."
Freddy paused and looked over his unhindered shoulder at him. He'd raise a brow if he could.
The former attendant was so focused on him; bi-colored eyes unerringly arrested on Freddy's own amber pair. Even the bear had to admit that the scrutiny was... uncomfortable.
He blinked once in response, ears waggling once in feigned affirmation of his wellness- ah. He just did it AGAIN. Deflected. Now he frowned in earnest, just now catching himself in the midst of lying about how he felt to a trusted comrade.
Why the hell do they ALL insist on that? Should Freddy just be straight with him? He didn't see why not... literally, there was no harm in it. In fact, maybe since they're alone, he can get to know Eclipse better and let this alter get to know himself a little better by extension. This was perfect, really. And from what he can glean, Eclipse was an attentive and rapt listener. Bouncing some of his doubts off him could only help, right? Maybe he can get over the part of his programming that dictated he stay silent about himself.
Freddy found his gaze on the ground next, his expression rueful. He continued on, but his gait was slower than before. "I... I do not... know. I am... Doubtful, of something."
Eclipse sprinted to his heels, then matched Freddy's long-loped gait with his own clipped, quick one. He couldn't appear more engaged, his face plate angled so that he can catch every bit of Freddy's own nuance in his broken visage.
"I know that... earlier. When Bonnie woke and leveled those heated words at me, he didn't mean them at the time... and even if he did, he'd been rightfully riled up and not thinking clearly. I cannot fault him after what he's been through," Freddy went on to say. "And Chica... I talked to her earlier and... she admits to being frustrated that Gregory had so clearly gone out of his way to hurt her, and yet I left the PizzaPlex with the boy regardless? We hadn't needed her voice box..." He tapped a thoughtful talon to his throat. "We could've left sooner. But no, we stayed to investigate and see if we can disable Vanny. But that ended up in Gregory dismantling Chica... and she wasn't the same since then, obviously. I've told Gregory that I couldn't hurt my friends, ever, but..."
Eclipse nodded in a sagely manner, urging Freddy to go on. Its almost as if he was afraid putting in his own two-cents would cut the bear from his own thoughts.
Freddy stopped at some point, and hadn't recalled doing so until he realized his feet were stubbornly anchored to the floor beneath him. His canister suddenly felt heavier. "I... I won't deny, Eclipse. Their lack of faith, it..." He inhaled sharply, his already crackling voice box distorting further. "I feel like it wasn't unsound somehow. I let Gregory do some of these things and... I didn't put voice to my protests more than once. Didn't try to stop him from doing something dramatic and... terrible. I told him outright I don't want to take their parts but... it went ignored. I should have rightfully told him to not follow through on it and... it kept happening."
He put the canister down fully. He didn't know why, but he found moving forward suddenly too difficult to do despite the time they're pressed for.
"I just don't know... I feel like I should be angry but... I don't or... I just can't. I can never be mad at them- at anyone! Nobody was to blame for the way they think and feel! Even with what Gregory had to do, I cannot place blame or frustration in him. He's a child with no family, and has reluctantly admitted to me that he's been disappointed and put down by people most of his life. Told he was a waste of space... his own family didn't want him. He came into the PizzaPlex because... he had no where to go. And survival was all he knew. All of this pain-" He waved around. "This was because of Vanny. Because of our Manager. Because of the way we ALL live. The way we all fought back- No one is to blame!"
His talons found his head; digging around where his hat was magnetically attached.
"My friends have apologized to me, said they share no frustration towards me anymore, but I still feel like... like its my own fault they've suffered so. By enabling Gregory! But then, I couldn't exactly tell Gregory no when those same upgrades are the only reason he's still here! Why we're both still alive! I just don't KNOW. I just-" His inhalations became strangled; the bear suddenly flopping to the floor with a pronounced thump. "Lines were drawn, crossed, and violently erased so many times that night... And I let it happen! It WAS my fault, WASN'T IT?"
"NO! No no no-" Eclipse jumped into his face and flicked the bear in the nose. Freddy 'oomph'ed'! as it was honked. "No no no! NO. Get that out of your head, right now! You feel guilt, true, but you said it yourself: No one, not a single soul here, minus Vanny, is to blame. We all got by in whatever way we know how; and in ALL our cases, we didn't know better. It was bad luck and malice from Vanny's end that lead us down this route. Gregory obviously wasn't raised in a proper environment, so he had no proper guide to morality beyond you- and even then, you, and all of us together, are fallible because we ourselves are still learning. We continue to learn, and our ignorance is not reason enough to be punishing ourselves over.
"And really, Freddy, we were HACKED. And Gregory hadn't known that! Of course he thought we were warranting of punishment! We look like monsters to a scared orphan kid with a survivor's instinct! I am also VERY aware of how Moon is when it comes to nap time-" He shook his head, "We are, and I mean, this unit and all its personalities, we all know too well our weaknesses and how frightening we can be. It cannot be helped."
Freddy fidgeted, occasionally glancing between him and his own paws as he tugged on them in a habit both he and the attendant shared.
"The thing is, none of us knew to stop or draw lines that night when desperation calls for violation and suspension of sense. And even in the case of Chica's voice box, when you and Gregory knew it wasn't needed, Gregory and you only survived because you had it to use in defense of that tangle monstrosity! Its the only thing that works, according to you-" He waved at Freddy. "Gregory knew instinctually it was needed, and it was well placed. Gregory didn't hurt her out of malice, but necessity. Even you thought so. And again, its not like you two knew to stop there when pragmatism is the only reason why you're both still here. And I think even Chica understands that."
He placed both hands on the bear's shoulders, looking down on him like parent trying to guide a child. "Everyone knows no true harm was meant. And if we can all stop and believe that for one moment, we can truly move on. Lingering on it and over-thinking it will run you further into his hole. You'll get so trapped in your own head, you can never come back out. So, with that said, you need to not dwell on the moral side of it; as its already been shaky to begin with. And frankly, morality has no place when survivability was so important for all parties involved. Look at us," he gesticulated to their broken bodies. "Does this look like morality has a place here?"
"Hm... no."
"Okay then. Then I've made my point."
Freddy severed the eye contact, shaking his head lowly. He produced a resigned whoosh, then murmured, "Then why do I still feel like I have to compensate for that lost faith? Why do I still feel like I should've been better as a guide for Gregory? To have spoken up sooner to come back?" He shut his eyes, one paw finding itself over his face, "Eclipse, when I fought DJ I... For one minute... I-I couldn't...the amount of harm I've WANTED to inflict-"
He kept producing these gusts of blown, ragged air; a silence permeating the dank atmosphere between them for a solid minute before the bear concluded it with:
"I... I was not ME."
The attendant let go of his shoulders, then kneeled before him, "Freddy. You're still over-thinking it, yunno. And really, its okay to be mad! You chose a strange time to be mad, but nobody here can say its your fault when you haven't properly conveyed your feelings in another until now. You see, they need to hear your voice not just on the stage-" He jabbed a long-boned digit into the area indicating where a human heart should be, "-But off it as well. You'd be surprised how receptive they'd all be to listening. You know that better than anyone, I'm sure."
Eclipse fussed his his canister, huffed, then added, "You were right about earlier too: It seems none of us are keen on speaking about our own welfare. It might just be a programming error, and its why we've all suffered as we had. But now that we know that- we can make strides to fixing it. Doncha think?"
Freddy nodded, ears still sagging but his expression not as drawn as it was before. He kneaded his claws, rubbing one paw with another and sighing in a resigned manner. Eclipse had grabbed his folded hands and clenched them.
"It feels like nobody's stopped to ask you how you're doing," He stated blandly. "And, while we're still on the subject, why not finish conveying your thoughts? Hm? Please, by all means. Nothing would give me greater joy."
And to that end, Freddy felt his words genuine. He once again nodded, keeping his seated position on the floor. Eclipse had settled beside him now, one hand on the canister and the other on Freddy's twitchy paws. It'd take Freddy a long minute to speak again.
"I... I just don't know... how. How to keep doing this. ALL of this-" He flicked his head around. "Gregory looks up to me. I know he does... and I know he's never had a proper parent. And while I know I'm supposed to be a model exemplar to children everywhere, as I was programmed to be, it feels so... different, when I've spent so much time around one child in particular, and lived with them. And what's more, I feel like I CANNOT fail. I mean-" He clenched his jaw, "I know I shouldn't fail period, especially when it comes to children. I should stand to be better for them, am I not?" Another strangled inhalation, "But it feels so... different with Gregory. Like, I know I shouldn't say this but... more important that I be better for him? I' terrified to fail him!"
He waved a paw at the air noncommittally, "But that feels inane! I shouldn't show favoritism, yes? That isn't favoritism, right? I want to be good and do good for him! To be there when others have failed him! But, does that mean I'm picking him over my friends? I don't want to think so-" He glanced at Eclipse now, ears lower than before. "How does this all sound to you?"
The attendant flicked up one hand, and showed a single finger. He started to tick things off, "One, that isn't favoritism. That's just how much you love the boy. You love children, but you love Gregory. You call him cub, hold him him close even when he does wrong. You live with him, and you cannot help that love you have. We love children in general, but never do they stay long enough to become family." He curled his digits into his chest as if to clench his own heart. Then that one hand was back out and flaring increasing digits, "Two, you don't want to fail Gregory because you cannot help but want to be a better example for him since he's so clearly hadn't had any. But, because of the way we were raised and programmed, it confuses our sensations of familial love with pragmatic programming. It blurs lines for us rather nastily."
He glanced away, "Sun, once, early on in being the attendant, there was this one child he grew oh-so very attached to. This cute little thing, a lovely girl with a bubbly set of soulful eyes and the smallest frame. This tiny, dainty girl was so precious, Sun was... extremely reluctant to let her go back to her family. But the funny thing was-" He shrugged his thin shoulders, "Her family took so long in coming back for her. She spent a near full 24 hours in the daycare with Moon and Sun! She grew dreadfully attached to us as well, and when it came time to go, all of us, all of us spoke up about the fact her family took so long in retrieving her! It was... nasty business."
He sounded ashamed, but it was gone as quickly as it came, "But it goes to show that... I don't think we were meant to be around children for such extensive periods of time without growing too attached. With the way we live and the fact we see many faces float out of the PizzaPlex, we grew used to seeing them go and never return. We aren't given the pleasure of satisfaction of a more permanent bond. And when some children drop into our hands and stay, we're afraid to let them go, naturally. I think part of it is us wanting something similar. Like a family unit?"
He sounded baffled, once again shrugging but on he plowed, "At any rate, that wonderful little angel, Marcela, is her name, she never returned. For some reason, that hurts so much to Sun. He still thinks about her. And really, the next closest thing to family we had after that was Cassie-" He gestured. "With her father working here, she was pretty much all we had. All that we can call family. And one cannot deny just how much her absence, even now, pains us. I don't think our creators wanted us to get THAT attached to children though... it could be a bug, and it could be some part of us that wants to cling to organic sentimentality. I think its both."
He turned to look at Freddy again, "Now, as to the prior subject of him over your friends, that's ridiculous. You never picked one over the other! That's why you were silent. You cannot decide what your own heart already knows. You're afraid of hurting one or the other, simple as that! Its why I said you're over-thinking it. You want to help BOTH, and do so in a way that helps everyone. When you took those parts, yes, you did it to protect Gregory, but you also knew that while your friends would be hurt, they wouldn't be KILLED. You were fighting a threat yourself and went to stop it so it wouldn't destroy everything. Taking their parts meant not everyone had to die when it came time to deal with Vanny."
He waved around, "And once that was done, you wanted to make sure Gregory and Vanessa were okay. And I'm certain that at some point, you would've come back for your friends anyways. You were gone a while, but you DID come back after all! It wasn't just for Cassie. Be honest with yourself, Freddy-" He waved a hand at him. "When Vanessa and Gregory said they wanted to come save Cassie, tell me really: Did you or did you not think of your friends too?"
"...I... I did."
"Then there's your answer. You never picked ANYONE over the other. You still want to save us all. And I think Bonnie and Chica see that and just need to sit on that thought for a little while longer. They don't judge you, and they love you immeasurably. But, you don't need me to tell you that, right-? Oomph!"
Freddy had thrown his arms around the attendant and scooped him up into the biggest bear hug he could; his cheek burying itself into the smaller bot's chest. Freddy could only cry in answer; unable to put voice to any further qualm. He just straight sobbed in the isolated privacy of the atrium's darkest corner, behind some photo booths; the sounds he produced muffled as if he's afraid anyone else would hear it.
Eclipse returned the hug, and Freddy could only cry harder.
VANESSA
She'd been staring at the same spot of wall for a while.
One hand ruffled Gregory's scrappy hair while the other rubbed up and down his back; trying to ease the pain out of him. She couldn't focus on any one thought; her anxiety so high she felt she couldn't go back to sleep even if she tried. She never brought her meds from home; and she needed those to sleep. So here she was, fussing and worrying over the boy in her arms, feeling so many odd sensations muddle around her heartstrings.
She still sometimes had trouble believing that she was raising a kid and was, lawfully speaking, his mom- She was way too young to have children, honestly. She's only 24! TWENTY-FOUR. And while that age was adult enough, Vanessa still hadn't been sure of herself when her social life was already a deplorable mess. How the heck can a child be a part of that? It's overwhelming! For fuck's sake, she ordered chocolates for herself and pretended they came form a boyfriend named Brad once. She wasn't exactly STABLE to begin with. How sad was THAT?
She gustily exhaled, ruffling the boy's hairs again as she counted the stitches in the padded room's wall. She wasn't lonely anymore at least- not since she took in the boy and Freddy. And really, she owed a lot of her tempered tendencies to Freddy- whose endless patience balanced her own lack of one. She felt she didn't thank him enough sometimes for his godsent cheer and general and easy affection. She felt bad for the times she's ever called him a thing. The next time she saw him, she figured she'll give him a soft reminder of how much he really meant to not just Gregory, but herself. Freddy wasn't a Brad simply because he wasn't human. But if he WAS one, she'd have to shamefully admit to wanting to snatch him up in a heartbeat.
What? We've established she's lonely. And all she's had in recent times was the boy and a bot. Her mind tended to wander to boy problems too, silly as that was.
In the meantime, at least Gregory wasn't a was. She'd almost lost him, and she couldn't deny- if something had happened to Gregory, she wasn't sure she'd go back to therapy ever again; no matter how much Freddy would coax her. In fact, she wagered Freddy would be just as distraught. The bot was dreadfully attached to the boy and it was borderline concerning. The way he talked to Gregory sometimes, she's heard them speak in his room at night: He'd grown so attached to the perception of a family relationship that he felt just as starved of certain affections as Vanessa herself had. Guess that's what they had in common.
Freddy wanted a permanent family, besides his friends. A tiny social circle was okay for some people... but both the bot and the humans were socialites who craved affection from various sources. Why does it sound strange to picture Freddy wanting to keep company for more than a day? It really wasn't. He was easily sick of watching dozens of people walk out of his life, and right after he's grown attached. It broke his heart every time a child turned their back on him after the novelty of spending a day with him.
That was cruel making these bots sentient, just to make them go through the motions like this. Who thought that was a good idea? No wonder none of them were stable.
Vanessa threaded her fingers through Gregory's hair, listening to him breathe here and there. Neither of them know it, but both she and Freddy had been pondering their connection to the boy. And right now, all Vanessa could think about is heading home and with not just Gregory, but with FREDDY too. And to find a spot for his friends- as she knew the bear was unhappy most days. On others, he was content and smiling when he was spending time with Gregory, but on days both she was at work and Gregory was at school, she could only imagine what dark thoughts flooded his head in his isolation. How often did he cry when they were both gone?
A sharp inhalation hit her; something like a gut punch as she couldn't help but picture it. Freddy was right; no more should anyone be left to rue alone. Vanessa herself had been miserable whenever she spent Valentine's day alone as is. Luis, a coworker of hers while she's worked here, always called her sunny and can brighten up a room- but she's always been fake about it. But Gregory and Freddy had reminded her what it felt like to smile more in earnest.
She felt human, for the first time in YEARS. Because of them.
Her grip on Gregory tightened marginally, the boy jerking once. They'd been asleep a while, from what she can glean. Gregory was bound to wake up shortly, but she prayed he'd stay asleep anyways so he wouldn't have to deal with the knife wound in his shoulder.
God. What the hell will she tell the SCHOOL? Would someone think her unfit to have him? Would they try to take him away? And fuck, she hadn't considered this before now!
Her breath sharpened again, the woman burying her nose into Gregory's hair and arresting panic-stricken eyes on the worn, colorful patch of wall. She was afraid of losing Gregory here, and out there. And the odds of it happening suddenly seemed very real. And really, while they sometimes drive each other nuts, Gregory cared about her. She knew that.
He once admitted that he'd been put into foster care, once. He ran away though, having hated his time in it. He never went into detail but this kid wasn't very forthcoming when it came to details regarding himself. But Vanessa had the idea that she can guess that whoever he's been exposed too hadn't been good to him. He's attached himself to an animatronic toy bear and a strange, disgruntled woman so EASILY in one night. The fact he did that was alarming enough.
Gregory loved her. And she loved him back. And that scared her.
But she'd wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.
She heard the door open again for the millionth time- no doubt its Bonnie coming to check on them again. She was still uncertain about the rabbit, but at least he's improved his disposition towards them ever since earlier. In fact, she heard him approach and turned to face him but was very careful in doing so. Her back protested, prompting the woman to hiss.
"Er- you alright?" He said, looming over her.
"Ye- yeah. Just need to not move so quick."
He hummed and knelt down beside her, lowering down a new med kit and crossing his large legs awkwardly. He had trouble with the motion apparently; as the dimension of his calves and ankles made the motion especially clumsy. Vanessa intrusively wondered if all these weird parts can be replaced with something more mobile eventually. Maybe actual fur? Would Bonnie like to wear a fur suit and have a better frame for his structure? She figured that could be a yes.
"He up yet? He needs that shoulder tended," the rabbit breathed.
Vanessa had to admit, Bonnie had a very pleasant voice too. It's warm like Freddy's but distinctly different. Freddy had his baritone, and Bonnie's voice was higher pitched but not unpleasantly so. He spoke in a soft, mild-mannered and measured tenor; and if he wanted to adjust it, had some flexibility with the way it can dip towards baritone 1. Freddy had the advantage of baritone 1 and 2, and if he felt REALLY metal, could try bass. Once again, Vanessa inwardly and intrusively wondered why the company never let the other bots try singing once in a while and how they want- the shows would be better!
Granted, they've given Bonnie his own show stage for a reason. The guy can SING as well as play. And nearer to the daycare theater, and in Rockstar Row, there was another set of tinier stages. She supposed it wasn't unusual that Freddy could've done duets with Bonnie at some point- and it'd fall in line with the 'classic' idea of Freddy and Bonnie: Back when they had gold versions of themselves back during the times of the family diner and it was just the two of them. Vanessa has never seen such a show from the Glamrock variants but vaguely wondered.
Now back to the matter at hand-
"No, but, I guess he should get up anyways," Vanessa mumbled lowly, realizing she was taking a while to answer him. "He could do with some pain medicine too. He's wincing a lot in his sleep. Surprised he slept through it."
The rabbit's eyes were focused on her rather intensely, and it unnerved her at first. But Bonnie seemed to realize he's doing it and severed it; turning to open the kit next. "Got it here. You should take some too, for your back. How's it, by the way?"
"Not so bad now. Don't wanna move too much though."
"Sprains can be nasty."
Vanessa shrugged, gently rubbing Gregory again but doing so in a manner that'll get him to wake up. Once again, she felt Bonnie's eyes on her, leaving her to wonder what the heck was his deal right now. She faced him and raised a brow, "You have something to say?"
"Er, no. No. Sorry-" He severed it again, pulling out the pill bottle and gauze. He handed both to her but now his eyes were on Gregory. It didn't linger either, with the rabbit huffing once and sidling away after handing her the products. He drew in his legs and kept his submissive gaze on the floor now-
And it was in clear shame.
Oh.
"Bonnie, I'm not gonna bite. If you wanna talk, you can do so," She encouraged, her hand briefly coming to rest on Gregory's head again.
The rabbit huffed, then bobbed his shoulders. He didn't waste any time when he began with, "I meant what I said earlier to the kid... to thank him for saving me from Vanny and... I haven't thanked you either. For fixing me and... saving me from a system shut-down and to stall DJ so I can get away. You both saved my life on two separate occasions. I didn't expect it." He glanced askance. "I just dunno anyone, out of all the humans I've met now, that'd do the same for any of us. Beyond Cassie, of course. I had you and Gregory pegged wrong, and I'm sorry for that."
Vanessa blinked at him, her eyes blearily drifting to the floor now.
"I couldn't be more ashamed of myself, Vanessa. I mean that," he continued. "For trying to hurt you and... I want to make sure we're clear here: I ain't gonna be gunnin' it for you anymore. I was stupid about the whole alter thing. And uh, I wanted to thank you for something else: For being good to Freddy too, especially since I feel like he needs it. He's really taken a shine to you two. I thought it was cute."
Now she was blinking in shock, a chuckle escaping her. "Pft, 'cute'?"
"Yuh!"
Vanessa shook her head, her thumb tracing circles on Gregory's lower arm. The boy was stirring now, blinking slowly and sightlessly as he took in the gloomy darkness of the drearily lit room. It felt strangely comfortable in here, suddenly.
"So... you're not mad at him? At Freddy, I mean," Vanessa ventured.
"Nah, I'm not. I wanna take those words back but... I apologized earlier already and... I doubt it's gonna fix it," He hung his head, his droopy ears sagging all the way to flat against the back of his shell-less neck. "I dunno... I want to fix it but, I know I hurt him. I don't want that. I don't-" He trailed off for a second, inhaled as well, and pressed in a tone that just barely trembled, "-He and the others, they're all... I told Freddy- the night I was decommissioned... I told him, 'You are my greatest love in the world. Forever and ever.' And its the truth too, and those were going to be my last words to him. I knew I wasn't going to make it that night."
His tenor was shaking now, even though his gaze was steady, "I was totally prepared to not see him again, and I had no regrets about those being my last words to him. I was sad he won't remember but... I was glad that I could hug him and had the luxury of telling him that. Cuz he deserves it, yunno? And he hears me dole that out often too, how much I care... but now I feel like-" His eyes slammed shut; and his shoulders jumped. He pulled his legs in more, burying his broken face into his arms and knees. "-I feel like... like I broke that somehow today. That was so stupid of me to say and... I-I just dunno. I don't want to hurt anyone! ESPECIALLY not him. I'm so sorry..."
Vanessa blinked rapidly, then noticed Gregory was lying awake now beside her. He hadn't moved from his current sleeping position, his hazel gaze weirdly alert and full as he watched the shivering rabbit trying to turtle itself up into a creature far closer to its supposed size.
"I'm so sorry, Vanessa. I am!" He garbled. "I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry... to you an'... and the kid and... and Fredster and... I want to talk to him but-" His voice continued to erode away, his voice box choked with static as he attempted to squeeze out, "I haven't- I haven't told him everything and... I dunno if I CAN. I don't want to hurt him more! It'd hurt him if he- I can't. I just can't."
Gregory attempted to sit up; in which Vanessa helped him. She pulled the lad closer to herself, then gave him the pill bottle. Gregory didn't take them right away however, staying resolutely focused on the lapine bot nearby.
"What have you not said?" Vanessa coaxed gently, feeling herself frown.
Bonnie didn't reply immediately, taking a moment to try and gain back his composure in some part. He swiped an arm across his fluttering nose; blinking rapidly even though there was no tear flow. He struggled to speak again, but when he did, his voice retained its fragile quality.
"That... thing. You guys saw it-" He was looking at Gregory now, seeing the kid awake. "That wasn't just a monster its... its... its..."
His hand rapidly flew to his mouth as if to choke it back. His pupils pinned, maroon gaze panicked as if he was afraid of uttering the world's greatest secret. Somehow, he shrank more.
"You know what it is-?" Gregory muttered.
Vanessa herself glanced between them, then forcefully shoved the pill bottle into Gregory's hands. She gestured to it, then turned back to Bonnie. He looked so horrified that she knew she'd never scrub the expression from her mind. And if he looked like THAT- she wondered what Freddy would think.
And the sound he made.
He sounded like he was going to vomit.
This alarmed Vanessa, who almost believed for a heart-stopping second that he WOULD projectile vomit. He was seen turning away, morbidly afraid of sharing anything with them but he's done ventured into that territory now. He knew he had to press on.
"T-that thing- They. They didn't ask for it," he mouthed, his tenor so low the pair had to practically lean in. "They... They were forced into it. All of them- All of those children-" He inhaled again. "All of them-"
Vanessa felt Gregory freeze beside her; with the room dropping several degrees in temperature suddenly. She meanwhile watched Bonnie with a sick fascination as she struggled to absorb this portent herself. And while Vanessa was no stranger to weird things, especially after being Vanny and all, somehow this particular bombshell stuck out- and for good reason.
"Those children-" He continued shakily, intimately. "-I don't know if I have the heart to tell Freddy about them... let alone make up for hurting him in the first place and... and... Vanny she-" He shook his head numbly. "She was the one who showed me. She told me... told me that animatronics back then- they were made from people. And she said to me-" His breathing had the same quality his voice did as he went on with, "-She said we're advanced, the Glamrocks. We are the FIRST A.I. But, she never confirmed if we were... if maybe we're exclusively just A.I-"
His maroon eyes were fixed on Vanessa now, and for some reason, it creeped her out.
"You don't think... by chance-?" He trailed off as he eyed her, his tone hollow.
"No! I mean- no," she shook her head. Was he looking for validation somewhere? "I don't think so... I don't think... I don't think you guys are the same. And... its not like I can tell you for sure..."
Bonnie tilted his head at her, one ear lifting and drooping at the tip, "Your name. It came from someone up on high. One of the BIG cheeses made a recommendation and name dropped you specifically." He had a faraway look now. "You've been here a while. Have you never seen how we were-?"
"No! NO no no no no-" Vanessa waved it away as it physically push it aside. "I don't know ANYTHING about that! NOTHING. I swear! I couldn't fucking tell you if you or... Freddy, or any of you were made like that-"
Shit, now even SHE couldn't speak about it. And now she was starting to see why Bonnie came in here; obviously he's been mulling this over for last while. He's been trapped in his own head for so long that he'd wanted to desperately bounce this off of SOMEONE.
But why her?
Her answer however seemed to leave a mixed impression. Bonnie's head drooped, as if he didn't know if he was glad she couldn't confirm it, or just straight upset. His eyes narrowed, and then, "Do you think... I should mention this to Freddy at all?"
"I don't... I don't think so... Not yet?" Vanessa mumbled.
Gregory was shaking his head at them both- In which the pair frowned. "I wouldn't," he rasped. "Freddy's already got a lot on his mind right now. I'd wait, I think."
Bonnie breathed out- was that relief?
"Yeah... okay. Yeah. Wait a bit..." He went to move, but failed and just sat still. He leaned back against the opposing wall, simply taking a minute to cool his motor. "Yeah... I'll wait."
Vanessa frowned at him, then turned to Gregory. "Now I'm wondering how YOU ran into it. You really shouldn't know about this at all!"
Gregory passed her a helpless look, "Freddy and me saw it in the underground area... that'd take a bit to cover."
"We have time while I do your shoulder, young man," She returned rather shortly. "And frankly, I believe you promised Bonnie here the explanation?"
The rabbit blinked out of sync, then leveled his weirdly disaffected gaze at Gregory in remembrance.
Gregory sighed, "Alright, fine. I guess I can try to explain it. But like, you still need to tell me how that thing happened with Vanny!"
"I can try," Bonnie reciprocated, his voice worn-sounding and low. "Its something I'd... I'd hafta have the emotional gumption for. You'll have to forgive me. I will try, but not this instant. Just admitting that took enough out of me. But i do promise to give you all the details when I can-"
Vanessa blinked when an intrusive thought hit her: Was he worried about Cassie ending up like that? Like the other animatronics in the past? Was it possible with her disappearance, she could turned into a bot too?
Now she was looking at him proper. Bonnie very clearly cared about the girl, whether or not he was the favorite. And somehow, she hadn't noticed it before, but he did look drained and exhausted- or at least as exhausted a bot could be. And with all the time he's spent in isolation, it sounds like he just pushed all this poison aside so he couldn't dwell on it and drive himself mad with it. He came in here to talk to Vanessa and apologize, and to bounce his worry off her-
It was... sweet? She guessed? He trusted her judgement and had asked, even in regards to Freddy, what can be done. He trusted her now, and it was shown in the strange way he acted. It was alien however, and he was proving moody and it's swinging around everywhere. Vanessa knew he hadn't been okay the instant he broke out of the cylinder, but it couldn't be more obvious now just how mentally unwell he was. She assumed he was about as shaky in composure as she was before therapy. And he's wanted to talk to Freddy about it, but he was, within reason, too afraid to.
All these guys need a therapist... I wonder if mine would work with them?
Anyways, the topic of this many-headed monstrosity was a portent too harsh for any one set of shoulders to bear. He knew Freddy best but, even he had needed Vanessa's insight on what to say to the bear. And Freddy himself? He wasn't completely alright either.
Yes, she internally agreed, all the while tending Gregory's shoulder as he went into story-mode and relayed his side to the pain-stricken rabbit. Perhaps Freddy shouldn't know it yet.
She eventually finished Gregory, listening to the boy go on about his diving into Pandora's box. She watched Bonnie all the while- and couldn't help but feel like he needed a hug. However, she was still afraid of going near him, even a little. The way he was earlier still stuck with her. Granted, she knew he wouldn't come at her now, but one just doesn't scrub nearly pissing themselves from fright when their life was being juggled by an 8-foot 450 pound metal terminator cartoon rabbit on a warpath.
But, she supposed she can try one thing.
She sidled a bit, urging herself closer to him while staying very near Gregory. She fixed the pile of toys they've been laying in, then sat near enough to Bonnie- not like he'd been far away to begin with. The rabbit lifted a curious ear at her, blinking slowly.
Vanessa braved the motion, reaching out and grasping the same hand that had bloodied her earlier. She squeezed it once, then simply lightened the grip so he can slip free. He did so, only to rest his paw over hers and tentatively return it. And while his rigid facial structure couldn't reproduce any subtle smiles, somehow, his eyes did.
Gregory had briefly fallen silent as he watched them, then scooted closer and crawled in-between them. He laid beside the rabbit's leg and rolled over, wincing when his shoulder throbbed. Bonnie encouraged him to finish after that. And all the while he did, Vanessa kept their grip on his paw.
They'd be like that while- until they'd get the emergency ping from Chica.
GLAMROCK CHICA
They were visiting every area they knew had a generator.
Freddy's idea was crazy, but sound when one considered that they wanted to bring down the PizzaPlex anyways. Chica was astounded by the fact Freddy could come up with such a thing- it was too devious. And while the majority of the generators they saw were more electric than anything, a handful were propane powered. And right now, the hen was in kitchen with Monty and Roxy tying to look through their stoves.
No- she totally wasn't trying to eat any pizza this time! For real. She was honestly curious about the stoves and if they were powered by propane. Were they electric? Also, there was a couple generators here so it didn't hurt to look! And besides, why the hell would she eat ANYTHING in here? It's uber gross!
Chica was actually wearing a horrified expression as they meandered around the place, one eye twitching involuntarily at the sheer amount of contaminated kitchen horror one can take. The literal piles of rotten, roach and roach-shit saturated food literally getting to as high as Chica's own waist was a horror movie within itself. She found it curious that there's no rats though- and that was the strangest observation of them all. The PizzaPlex used to have a rat problem- but why and when did that change? How come the rats weren't here in the aftermath of the plex closing? Was there something here that repelled mammals for a reason?
Why did that last question have an ominous note in it?
Monty meanwhile tore into a stove and followed the pipeline into the wall, opening his mouth constantly and clamping it shut during certain pressure changes in the environment. His ability to feel subtle shifts in the world around them was hella useful. His tail kept batting everything in sight; knocking everything over and he didn't give two shits if it did. In fact, one can say the gator was enjoying the wanton destruction of the joint. He milked it as they searched for tanks.
Roxy was...
Well.
Not taking the mess, or what happened to Cassie, too well.
She was rigid in her posture; practically planking but upright as she wedged through the area and winced at every jump of the shadows. She covered her nose with Freddy's over-sized paws; then wormed her way out of the area and into a more open hall beyond them. She stood there instead, her tail elevated from the ground like she was afraid of getting the moldy food stuck to the fur. Which was, in hindsight, probably not a bad idea. She didn't want to bring her dirty fur around Gregory when he was hurt. She was also mute, minus the occasional bitter comment. Too many times, she's want to shoot off ALONE and look for Cassie- and she' been told off about doing so when the environment they're in was so fickle.
Chica had been watching her- the wolf was, within reason, very upset at Cassie's absence. And Chica was smart enough to know that each of them really shouldn't stay around children so long that they grow 'attached'. It tended to cause trouble back when they first were created and started developing their newly formed A.I brains. They latched onto children like ducklings imprinting on the first standing object they see and calling it mother. Chica admits that, in the past, she wanted nothing more than to play and eat with the children! To STAY with them. Thinking herself some weird over-grown metal child at one point.
Perhaps, that wasn't completely untrue. They'd been new to the world then, and just learning the 'rules' to this place. Chica cried the first while she had to deal with children; but would sober up whenever the day came to an end and she was allowed to spend her nights with Freddy and Bonnie- and this was before Roxanne became an official Glamrock too. Indeed, in the very first short while the PizzaPlex opened, it was just her, Bonnie, and Freddy on stage-
And him.
Foxy.
Chica doesn't remember him, but she felt she knew him. She knew he'd been a Glamrock once, probably their own keyboardist or drummer. There was... a single shred of something she felt she used to have memory of, but with all the times she's bugged out and been reset and tampered with in her earlier days, she couldn't hope to remember. But, there was a reason why the term 'Fox in the Henhouse' existed here. It's a nasty rule pertaining to behaving and not breaking rules and finding harm to each other pointless-
Not that Chica would ever hurt her friends.
But Foxy... did he do such a thing in order to establish such a strange rule? It was so... specific.
As it were, Chica didn't know, and frankly, couldn't linger on it long as she walked towards where she saw Roxanne slink off too, frowning when, in the full moment she's been pondering herself, the wolf had vanished! Poof! Chica sniffed the air, but didn't have the same level of smell the wolf did, but her beak wasn't for show. She was programmed to have a reasonable sense of smell herself; though it wasn't something she wagered a real chicken had. She was the food mascot after all!
She jumped when Monty laughed uproariously and threw a stove- yes, a STOVE- across the room. She jumped out of her metaphorical feathers and spat, "SERIOUSLY?! Why are you like this!? Stop making so much noise!"
Monty gave her an innocent look, batting his purple eye lids at her and passing his biggest and cheesiest smirk.
Chica narrowed her lilac gaze at him, then returned her attention to the hall. "Roxy? Roxanne! Where'd ya go?"
Monty strolled up next to her and smelled as well- and to which end, Chica knew he can both smell and sense better than she can by a mile. His mouth opened, and he just... sat there. Literally, he was frozen for an entire minute before his jaws finally clicked shut and he slithered forward. "Not here," he grumbled. "Left."
"Left?"
"Left."
Monty lead the way, once again parting his jaws and cocking his head once in a while as he lead the way out of the kitchen. He was sure to pick up their prizes though; the canisters of propane they managed to find. Hot dog, they were still on a roll at least!
Monty threw a can over his shoulders as he went, jaws staying parted as he eyes the dark hallway. He didn't have night vision but he was immaculate with which way to go. His senses were... Chica couldn't fathom it, he must've had more gator-like features integrated into him than their creators say they did. He didn't mind darkness, he was terrific with directions, and his strength, even OUTSIDE of the upgrades he had was unreal.
How did a child beat him?
Chica couldn't help it; her mind totally went there and she couldn't help but feel somewhat flustered and embarrassed that they ALL lost to single crafty child the way they did. You have to admit, with all their upgrades and amazing abilities, it was somewhat... humiliating and enlightening, that a scrappy kid like that took their geared-rears to class and schooled the hell out of them ALL. It was terrifying!
Tangents aside, Chica stumbled on some of the debris herself holding her own canister and warbling lowly in her throat as she followed Monty. The gator wasn't a huge talker like Bonnie or Freddy was, and tended to give short and clipped responses when he wasn't addled. She wondered if it was just a personality blueprint thing, on and off. But, at least Monty wasn't a giga-Chad gator and total braggart rolled into one, so at least he was annoying in only ONE way and not two! Kinda like a jerky, jock older brother who knew his own strength and was a bit of a bully but you knew he wasn't completely mean-spirited at heart.
Monty stopped, noticing the hall lead into what looked the entrance to a...sewer line? He clicked his jaws once, parted them again and shined his LED eyes down as they went. He didn't need the lights in his eyes to see, but he kept leading Chica down. "Roxy!" he croaked, his southern drawl apparent whenever he strung more than a few words together. "The hell you at!"
"Rox-and-Roller!" Chica called. "Rox? Hello!"
A noise had them jumping out of their skins; or at least, just Chica. Monty hissed instead as a reaction; his lower jaw trembling as the force of his growl vibrated his throat pipe. The noise can be felt as well as heard; but cut abruptly after a minute so they can both can hear-
And what they heard, disturbed them.
There was crashing at the end of the sewer maintenance tunnel! And Roxy snapping teeth at something-
Monty dropped their canisters and bolted down with a speed that'd no doubt smash through gates. Chica followed him as well, putting down her canister and shouting, "ROXY! HOLD ON!"
They ran down and turned the corner, the tunnel's unerring darkness pretty much consuming whatever was messing up Roxy. Chica had no idea what she'd expect when she slid into the corner and turned-
But they wasn't prepared whatever that zombified hodge-podge was.
Chica felt herself freeze; her eyes widening to full saucer size as she went to pick herself up from the skid. Monty froze next to her too, his jaws open now for another reason:
It was... wearing something. This thing was clearly a bot like themselves but... it was bigger and taller than Bonnie with his ears fully erect atop his head- perhaps standing a frightening 10 feet tall and weighing FAR more than any of them. It had Roxanne suspended high above the ground; the wolf feebly clawing at the thing's new, outstretched limb. Worse, said limb ended in a hook; and it was anchored into Roxy's breast plate. Its joints and servos whirred lightly; having been recently maintenanced.
The bot situated itself and turned its enormous borrowed, ripped and blood-colored head; it parts old and covered in both rust, scratches, garbage, and natural corrosion. And, it had the majority of its appearance blanketed by a mascot suit's blue sailor's trench coat and worn golden rank pauldrons. The suit however was ancient and grotesquely familiar, but its it's face that had Chica firmly anchored in place out of sheer fright.
Surely this thing was the Mimic... having upgraded itself with parts its located in the garbage labyrinth beneath them...
But why in the bleeding nine hells did it look like Captain Foxy?