ROXANNE WOLF
There was no way in hell she was waiting around.
Everything was set up... her friends were all now hunting for the physically bigger monsters out there- but not for the smaller and more threatening beast of them all? Not-uh. She wasn't going to let that rabbit continue digging her hole deeper- less they NEVER dig her out. There's no way in this god-forsaken hell she was going to let Vanny keep slipping further from her grasp. Its bad enough the PizzaPlex was this demon's warren and they were just floundering around on her stomping grounds; it didn't matter if it'd once been the home of the Glamrocks.
Because in this world, Vanny was queen, and she knew it. They all did.
Well. She can keep her rotten hole. Roxy had big plans- and they ALL involved leaving this place behind with Cassie in tow. And eventually, it will lead into Roxy driving her own damn car. Maybe even driving Cassie to school. Such a mundane dream, but one Roxy had even intention of making real.
In the meantime, Roxy had left the Parts and Service ward during the time Bonnie, Vanessa, and Gregory was watching Cassie. The moment Cassie actually reached out to physically strike Roxy earlier- that set her off. She knew right then she couldn't be waiting for Bonnie to dismantle that wretched rag doll. She knew then, that Cassie may just float out of reach and would remain so if they continued to wait around. Cassie would never kick or punch or hurt any of them. In fact, she's proven that she wouldn't do so even if they chased her across the PizzaPlex! In which they did actually- before Roxy knew she almost hurt Cassie instead of Gregory earlier.
Even if backed to a wall, Cassie would NEVER hurt them. Not a single hand to lay on them. That girl simply didn't have a mean bone in her body. But to be physically struck by her now? Roxy knew the situation needed to change.
She will never let that girl rot in the darkness as she did for the last months. She refused to let Cassie wilt within the confines of her own MIND as Roxy had when she berated herself in front of all those broken mirrors. She refused to leave Cassie behind in any capacity- as she knew the girl had already proven she'd do the same (and has) for the rest of them.
No more crying into the either. No more loneliness. No more pain.
No more.
By now, Roxy had found herself inside of the lower levels of the basement too; hovering around some areas where she smelled Freddy and Monty pass. Yes, technically, she was helping them to look for the Mimic and giant many-faced creature too, but her goal was to find VANNY at the end of the day. And surprise surprise, Roxy figured she knew where to begin to search for that off-white demon bunny- and the maze of the underground felt like a reasonable place to start. From there, Roxy would deviate off course and enter the tunnels the amalgamation made-
These expansive corridors carved into the earth didn't show up in any animatronic map- and really, they were invisible to ALL of them; Bonnie and M.X.E.S included. Why would M.X.E.S be able to find Vanny in these tunnels? It too relied on some of the maps supplied to it by the PizzaPlex's main network. Roxy was almost 100% certain Vanny was in one of these long, earthy halls. The smartest thing to do would be to hide not only herself here, but mayhaps the Mimic too, was here. Yes, it's dangerous if you consider that giant monster creature frequents these halls and could stumble upon them, but it also afforded them the safety of evading Bonnie and M.X.E.S- and by extension, the other bots.
Roxy had her nose buried into the soil- yes, real soil, as she shuffled around in the perfect darkness. The smell of the earth was still a foreign concept to her, and baffling. She found it interesting in a strange way, even though she didn't much care for how soil sticks to her chassis and scuffs her feet. She didn't mind that as she used too however; staying dedicatedly focused on the task at hand: Finding Vanny.
She parted her jaws and huffed; tongue pressing against the roof of her mouth as if to taste the air itself and squash some of that data into the sensors in her upper mandible for better and more thorough scanning. She kept only one eye open: her old one. Her amber one.
She and Freddy agreed on something a short while ago: Freddy had given her back one of her eyes and estimated it'd be useful if they both carried the ability of better eye sight if they're to find their enemies. He'd given her the left optic, and he kept the right one. Roxy agreed, and traded back one of his baby blues in return. The effect it left on them was dizzying.. so Roxy only kept her one eye open so her ocular system wasn't overstimulated and baffled by the fact she had mismatched eyes and one tended to work FAR better than the other. She kept getting error messages every time she had both open.
It felt GREAT to be able to see again, with her own eye, at least. Her left eye scanned the environment, and she was gladded to see that her hunch had been correct; she'd found traces of through traffic besides that amalgamation coming by as of late. She bent down and grazed a blue talon across the earth, sniffing thoughtfully as she identified what appeared to be the scent of a worn faux fur suit with old, trace amounts of blood and mold on it.
Vanny was definitely using these tunnels.
"I'm the BEST!" Roxy chirruped as she pumped her arms to her chest. "I knew I can track her down!"
She once again buried her sniffer into the crumbling earth; bent on all fours despite the awkward way it contorted her body. Her ears flexed forward and backward, but her nose and amber left eye were doing most of the work. And yes, she can still see movement beyond certain reaches in the darkness. She didn't need her LED lights on in order see, so long as she had her old optic. In fact, she kept her eye lights off so she wasn't as easily detected.
She paused; having thought she heard something at the end of the tunnel. She glared up into the unerring darkness before her, teeth flashing briefly as she crawled along. There was a whirring of servos- and lots of them. Not just Vanny had been here.
Roxy remained quiet as she slunk forward; left eye catching aforementioned movement as it wormed across a spacious chamber a decent length before her. Another ear twitch betrayed the whining of static too; distorted, crackling voice boxes belonging to that of the endos. It seemed just from these sources that Roxy can assume Vanny's taken the surviving endos and repurposed them. She bared her teeth, pondering how many there were- it was hard to tell.
She sat there for a solid minute, listening and watching. Her tail curled closer to her body, a gleaming stream of silvery white fuzz that can be somewhat seen in the dark. In an attempt to hide it better, she got closer to the wall of the corridor and wedged it between that and herself; crawling along on all fours while very meticulously trying to quiet her own movements. Her servos were going to whine; all servos do. She knew this but she couldn't help but flinch every time her body betrayed her. She was silently thankful these endos up ahead seemed more or less distracted with their own noises than whatever she's making. Her servos may even be drowned out by their cacophonous movements.
One ear pivoted backward- Roxy narrowing her amber eye as she thought she could hear something back there. She turned to look, but she couldn't be sure of what it was. She frowned as she peered from the direction in which she'd come. Nothing else emerged from the murk, so she pressed forward.
Yes- she was right; in the chambers beyond, there was at least a dozen endos meandering around- 15, 16 of them, perhaps. Their glowing red eyes, untampered by any colored optics created crimson distortions that blazed neon trails in the noirceur atmosphere with each lurching step. There wasn't any other light sources; looks like Vanny didn't need it. Still, it left Roxy to wonder what the reason was for Vanny to leave all these endos back here. There didn't seem to be anything in this place that required there to be so many of them. Was she simply waiting to use them? Or... were they rogue?
She hadn't really weighed the idea that the endos could be rogue. Were they capable of this complexity of thought? She's never really considered that possibility until now, but these things were still no doubt feral and definitely hostile to the Glamrocks. Its been a consistent pattern up until now to have endos attack them. It didn't matter if maybe Vanny could be controlling them or they were moving for themselves.
Roxy sat back down and weighed her options: These things still needed to be dismantled so they don't escape into the outside world. Worse, if Vanny did have control of them, they'd have to be disposed of anyways. But the amount of them in here... could she be able to take them on alone? Roxy didn't want to leave them here, just for them to shove off and vanish into the depths of PizzaPlex again- never to be seen again until the building comes down. By all rights, something SHOULD be done with them.
She glanced at her claws; Freddy's adorable mitts were almost perfectly harmless features on her, save for the blue talons themselves. But even then, his talons weren't long like Roxy's own old set; and didn't have the same hardness or sharpness that Bonnie and Monty's had. Heck, even CHICA had harder, daintier, skinnier fingertips fitted for the guitar and can do more damage with the right swings.
But Freddy was built to be cuddly- even down to his fingers. While yes, he was a hard-shelled automaton like the rest of them, his paws have always been curiously fuzzy. The fur on the index digit was what saved Roxy from the coolant leak earlier as it is. His talons were... well, they CAN be used, but it wouldn't be perfect. His nails, at best, can play instruments minimally. He can play Bonnie's bass a little bit- but it took more effort than it should. But if he can do that, than maybe something can work here.
Roxy worked her jaws- she had her fangs too, at least. And she had her athletic physique! With her new strength augmentation upgrade (which she'd been able to keep) and her jaws, not to mention the augmentation channeling power to her paws- she can maybe make Freddy's talons work. She was dangerous from nose to tail tip in large part- so surely she can do this?
Maybe that was overconfident thinking... but again, Roxy doubted she had much choice. These things must go- and if Vanny was controlling them, all the better.
She crouched, tail swishing once and showed her teeth. With the right lunge, she can take out a fourth of them at once and in one surprise attack. She locked on to the nearest clump of them and stayed focused on them; slinking forward and parting her jaws-
Showtime.
She leaped into the chamber- teeth first and claws fully extended-
One of the endos opened its tiny mouth and went to scream-
Roxy careened right into it and bit down over its head; crunching it with nearly enough force to crush its personality reader in its own cranium. The endo squirmed feebly beneath her, but the wolf resisted it and tossed her head wildly; flinging the now brain-dead body into a group of its fellows. She swung at them too; taking one's head off despite the blunt nature of Freddy's claws. The strength augmentation upgrade was already paying off when it compensated for the paws' own weakness.
The other endos in the room hissed and spat static; flaring open their arms and charging at her with their lifeless gaze locked upon her-
Roxy stepped on one of the endos she'd knocked over previously; crushing its head in and releasing a clawing climb up one's torso; its motor whirred and cried; coolant splashing out and dying Freddy's creamy mitts a ghastly rusty brown and red. While coolant had the interesting feature of being assorted colors, it's strange that the coolant used for herself, her friends, and the endos looked a lot like runnier and thinner blood. It splashed violently across her breast pieces and arms; the wolf furiously snapping teeth into another charging skeleton-
One jumped on her back at the same time.
She flung one arm over head to snag its head; while her other arm side-swiped the one charging her. Roxy howled a rolling, whooping war cry as she flung its partner off her and hurled it away too. And yet, Another jumped her- and another and another.
She thanked her borrowed upgrade from Monty that moment when she was able to throw them off. She snapped and hissed and bodily charged into another one- hitting it into a wall and making something snap in its spine. Its lower body went limp, but it didn't stop the upper body from hugging her to keep her pinned in place-
Its fellows got the cue and joined in. Again they dog-piled her; snapping short jaws and clacking block-shaped teeth. Numerous clawed digits started furiously biting into her-
And then there was another war cry joining her own.
Roxy had the dizzying moment to realize that one endo holding her was gloriously ripped apart with one nasty swing of someone else's arm. The endos holding her barely realized someone was there only after another one of their brethren fell. They turned to face the interloper, still trying to keep Roxy pinned-
Roxy produced a mighty "RAHHHH!" and bucked; grabbing another and slamming its head into the ground. She looked up-
Bonnie was seen lifting one endo clean over his head and ripping it in half; hurling both halves into whoever charged him. Once those endos were flung aside, he ducked and threw a wide, swiping kick that no doubt could splatter a man's head while taking it off. The endos it struck would've been disemboweled had they have any guts. It still caught motors; and more coolant hit the floor and made it slicker. The kick also sent whoever it made contact with straight into a wall- where therein, they slid to the floor and moved no more.
The very few remaining in the room finally stopped, as if in realization of how this fight was going to end. One even took a step pack towards the tunnel-
Roxy and Bonnie didn't give them the chance.
The pair jumped the last ones; with Roxy noticing that Bonnie was aiming rather deliberately at the heads now. His claws took scalps and wires; sparks from the friction briefly igniting before vanishing again. His LED eye lights kept catching the reflection of the coolant saturated floor and numerous metal bodies; bouncing and reflecting and brightening the room a bit more. Once all of them were nothing but sparking shrapnel beneath them, did they calm down.
Roxy heaved, finding it easy to cool herself down. She glanced at Bonnie, noticing he was struggling, as per usual, to do the same. His panting was more poignant and louder than hers; steam rolling in thick plumes out of his small nose, mouth, and open chest cavity. His motor continued to whine as he settled; the rabbit taking that moment to lean against the wall and shut his eyes. No doubt he was still running M.X.E.S and it wasn't letting him cool fast enough.
They were like that for a couple minutes- just heavy breaths and hissing servos and cores. Roxy was weighing the odd look on her friend's face though- blinking when she couldn't help but notice this feral, bubbling rage that was slanting his purple-painted lidded eyes and contorting his jaw against his face to make it look like an open-mouthed snarl. His teeth clicked audibly once.
And then, Roxy spoke first. "You ain't here to drag me back, are you," she said with a stiffness indicating she wasn't going to comply.
He didn't even look at her, his blinking out of sync. Its weird how he kept doing that, she pondered. She's never really noticed if it's a character blueprint tic or not, or if its just a sign of exhaustion on him. His ear twitched at her to indicate he heard her, but he didn't reply immediately. Roxy would have to wait another minute before he said anything.
"I'm... I'm here to-" He panted before trailing off. He blinked next, seeming to linger on something. His pause was weirdly long after that. Then, "-No. No... I won't."
She frowned at him. Did he just change his mind right there?
He glanced at the endos in the room, counted them, then slowly craned his head to look at her, "Make sure all the heads are smashed. ALL OF THEM-" he emphasized, his voice starting to sound normal again. "Don't let Vanny use the dang chips in their heads. Anything with memory on it- crush it. And if you have to-" He pointed a claw at her fingers, "-Use Freddy's lighter. You seemed to have forgotten he had it, huh?"
Roxy blinked dumbly at him, "SHIT. I did forget that! Coulda made my job easier if I can light these guys up-"
"You still have to go around and crush the heads manually," Bonnie continued, pausing to stomp on an endo's head underfoot. "Need to make sure there's no back-ups of Vanny in these things. Fighting her will be useless if she's made enough of herself in them. I have reason to believe that's why she's been so quiet... just, been making copies of herself as a back-up measure like I did with you guys."
He frowned, blinked several times, then produced a disgusted noise. "Aw man. Now I feel like there's a rabbit-based joke here somewhere about multiplying yourself but hell if I can figure it." He jabbed a claw at her, "Shouldnae said that. Don't be adding to it though."
She bobbed as shoulder at him nonchalantly. "You're the one that said it, not me. Anyways... dunno why I didn't think of that sooner either... the, 'making more of herself' thing? None of us have," Roxy mumbled as she started picking up and crushing bits and bobs of the endos. She flicked an ear at him, "Did you send a message to the others about the idea?"
"Yeah. Told 'em to destroy anything with memory in it."
"How was Cassie before you came looking for me?" She queried. She didn't mind switching topics there, despite how crass and abrupt it was.
Bonnie stomped on the last of the endos, sighing heavily. "She's improved. Vanessa tells me she's talking to the girl normally again. Guess it was just a... long spell for her. Vanessa's spells last a couple hours every time Vanny possesses her... so maybe its just a little longer and different per person Vanny does this with-?" He put a paw to his chin, "Never figured it. Hm."
There was something odd about her rabbit friend right now, but Roxy couldn't put a claw on it. He was being stand-offish again- keeping his face turned away. Spacing out. Even the blinking was weird. Was he okay?
Well, at least Cassie sounds alright, for the moment, she figured.
"So... how'd ya find me so fast?" Roxy harrumphed.
"...Hm. Heard you. Smelled you. You're not exactly subtle-" He snirked, a bit more himself there for a second before it flicked off his face. "Besides my hearing being what it is, Rox, you smell heavily like grapes. Your chassis? You know how those breast pieces are new? Tailing your scent was easy after a point. Those scent... patches? Whatever they are in your chest cavity are a little too fragrant." He tapped his own damaged one, "My scent patches are gone- they got tore out the night I was decommissioned. I think maybe you could do with taking yours out too? Maybe make you less detectable."
"You hating on the scent?" She bit, though the tone didn't have the usual bite. Now that she dawned back on it, she realized she couldn't really smell Bonnie that well at ALL- he didn't seem discernable from the backdrop of garbage and earth and rotten metal. His old scent used to be his blueberry splash with a side of carrot or shoe disinfectant. Roxy also noted that it's possible that the noise she heard earlier had been him- he'd been very good about keeping himself hidden otherwise.
What a minute... had he been following me and I hadn't noticed? He chose a strange moment to jump in when he did, She wondered.
"Nah. Just uh... Nevermind," He coughed, replying to her last half-hearted barb. He sounded completely drained. He hadn't risen to the playfully raised bait... weird.
Now she was worried. He was giving a lot of red flags here and it was digging at her. "You holding up okay? You sound like you shoulda just stayed with Cassie if she was snapping out of it," she mused aloud. "Also, you're acting REAL weird."
"I... I am?"
"Yeah," she said with a certain 'duh?' inflection. "Definitely weird. You ain't parading around, bragging about your badassery and how many endos you got... you're avoiding eye contact, you're mumbling, spacing out, and you SOUND off." She shook her head. "Bloody hell, you're acting just like you did when you vanished! The hell is the deal here?"
"I-I ain't-" He trailed off again, stepping back from her. Oh boy. Typical rabbit response there.
Roxy got in his face, her talons grabbing Bonnie's breast plate and pulling him to her face. "Cough it up, carrot-breath. You're doing me a concern."
"I-I," He began, stopped, and sighed. "I guess you're right... maybe I shoulda just stayed with Cassie. I mean, I would have but... if I hadn't left when I did, you'd be scrap," He gestured around. "And frankly, I can't let Cassie down if something happened to you while we're-"
Now she growled, "You fucking idiot. Now you're DEFLECTING!"
"I ain't-"
"Yes you are! You're doing it right now, and you're lying through your damn teeth! You're up to something! You came out to find me but now that you're here, you don't even know WHAT to do. Its weird enough you won't even look me in the eye!"
"Rox, you only have one eye open-"
"You know what I mean! Seriously you cottontailed moron-" She snarled. "The hell's going on? I ain't taking your shit today. The last time I did, you snubbed me and locked me out of your room! Worse, the last time THAT happened, it was RIGHT before you disappeared-" Her teeth flashed there, "-And after you vanished, they had to drag a bloody fucking body out of your recharge station! YEAH. I haven't forgotten that! Everyone and their mom knew whenever Bonnie acts weird, people get HURT."
He at least looked properly contrite here. His ears lowered, barely able to meet her gaze with his own wane one. He slowly shook his head, one paw gently touching the one that Roxy had locked onto his chest cavity. He gently rubbed it too- the gesture somewhat distracting (and submissive) but not altogether unpleasant. His thumb traced circles on her knuckles, then he gently had her relinquish her vice. He didn't break their contact either.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, but at least he was maintaining eye contact now. "I just... Cassie's all that's been on my mind. And... I keep finding trips in the system and... I've been scratching my head about how to save her. And..." He shook his head. "Vanny's hold on her... I... I uh... I think-"
Roxy leaned in, her nose barely inches from his.
If a bot could sweat, you can bet Bonnie would be doing so right now. "I... I was entertaining an idea. A... couple of them... and... Cassie's normal right now cuz of... one idea I entertained."
"You... you helped her? Why didn't you just say that? You made it sound like Vanny just let go! Then-" She blinked. "You got Vanny out of her head? DID YOU-?"
"No no no no! I didn't... The idea I had. I... I wondered if I could talk to Vanny. See if I can get some rapport with her- seeing as I've done this in the past," he admitted. "So I talked to her. And uh... we got to talking."
"You talked. To Vanny?"
"I did, yes."
"Civilly?"
"Also yes..."
"And... you told her to kindly piss off?"
"I threw in some modest threats to her life... here and there," He pinched his claws together to demonstrate.
Eventually, Roxy pulled away. There was a shift in her expression, and then bemusement. "So... will we have to worry about her taking over the girl again?"
Bonnie frowned, then glanced away, "That depends entirely on me, apparently. That's what's been bugging me... I'm afraid to say much more cuz, well... Vanny also threatened me modestly about Cassie's mental well-being. And if I don't comply... the girl, she can just possess again and she'd hurt her."
Roxy blinked, "So... she wants you to leave us? So she can use you for this Spring Bonnie dude, right? And maybe Cassie will be safe?"
Bonnie's expression flickered, then he glanced away. "Yes," was what he said, but his face said 'no'.
"...She doesn't want you talking about it, is my guess."
"God dammit Rox you're making this hard for me," Bonnie sputtered. "How am I that obvious?"
She leaned back in, her paw on his breast plate and right over where his heart would be, had he been human. "Because I know you, and you promised no more secrets, but you can't help it either. You love us, don't wanna lie to us, but you'd do it for Cassie, and I... I don't want to say this, but I do trust your intentions, sometimes. I don't like the means, but I trust the intentions. Also-" Her claws pointed, "Your ears give it away."
"Double dammit."
"And your eyes are all over the place."
"Triple dammit..."
She inhaled, watched him sadly for a moment, then withdrew. Bonnie clearly didn't want to say more, and its no doubt because of Cassie. And while under normal circumstances Roxy would force it out of him, she felt doing so here would be not only counter-productive, but it could yield grizzly consequences. She can put money on Vanny putting him in some kind of chokehold, beyond the obvious one and whatever he's given thus far. She just didn't know what to do beyond this point.
At length, and upon studying his saddened expression, she decided to temporarily drop it. She sighed, leaned in, and butted her head against his broken one. He produced a surprised noise. "I trust you," she said again in an undertone. "I'd like to think you'd be able to figure her out of it, you know? But Bon, out of all this- don't let Vanny win again, okay?"
"I know," he mumbled. "I'm trying here, Rox."
"I know you are. But sometimes, I feel like you try TOO hard."
He just shrugged there.
Roxy huffed, then turned to leave. "Okay, so... if you're not here to take me back... you're here to help me find Vanny? I'm surprised you're not dragging me back kicking and screaming."
"I wanted to make sure you're okay... and yeah, I guess find her," He shrugged. "I also had to warn you about something, since you oh-so courteously turned off your pings: Another part of the PizzaPlex collapsed- but it was small." He raised a paw and pinched his carmine-colored claw tips together again. "More of the Fazcade gave. Eclipse and Chica were near when they heard it."
"What- shit," Roxy face-palmed. She'll have to turn her pings back on then. "We can't be dawdlin' then-"
"No. I'm afraid Vanessa's right-" He walked past her, checking over the endos and snorting after making sure all were crushed. "We ain't gonna have much time left being in here. And once those tanks in the raceway blow..."
"-We'd need to be making our way out completely- or at least be by the main entrance when we do leave."
"Yeah. So when we go to take out the tangle thingy, we should do so last. I think the reverberation may bounce around the PizzaPlex in its entirety," He winced. His ears flexed in a meaningful manner, "I hear it all the time... just the building making... noises. Settling on its foundation. That ain't weird. But... I have to admit, sometimes I hear a lot of other noises that suggest something wants to give. I truly don't think we should be in here after another day or two. We've been in here with Vanessa and those kids... wow. A couple days?" He put a paw to his head. "Yeah... a couple days! They need to be OUT of here."
Roxy slammed a fist into an open paw, taking Monty's character tic in a show of bravado, "I think we can do it. I mean, I see now why these endos are here-" She waved around. "I wager Vanny was keeping them safe so she can keep her backups. If we find more of them, she won't have anywhere else left to hide! And it sounds like she can't keep her will imposed over another person for a super long time- you say she temporarily gave up on Cassie, right?"
Bonnie was glancing away- odd. "Yeah. Somethin' like that? Vanessa's own experiences were... different, but not utterly? Vanny couldn't keep her under her thrall for a super long time without doing damage to her host. So besides Vanny letting Cassie go voluntarily... I think she'd HAVE to let go sometimes to prevent any real harm. I think we can work with that."
He blinked, looked at her amber eye, then narrowed his own. Suddenly, there was a flicker of energy there, "Hey... wanted to ask something now that I'm thinkin' on it. Your eyes, how well can they see?"
"You wanna try it for a sec so you know?" She gestured it. "Or need me to do something in particular?"
He stepped up to her, tilting his head and humming at a passing thought. Suddenly, he was shaking his head. "No... no. No no no no... no. No no- I don't think- no. Stupid!"
"What?"
"...How well can you through things?"
"I can see through walls, see movement, and different colors others don't quite see," She smirked. "Come on. If there's something I can't see, I've yet to meet it."
Bonnie coughed in a way that sounded distinctly like "Gregory".
Roxy shoved him, making him smirk a bit. "BESIDES that ornery brat. And to be fair, that kid ain't freakin' human," She joked.
Bonnie folded his arms, then glanced aside, "Vanny... she uh, even if we take out all the sources she can backup herself... and even if we take out her body, we'll still have to contend with her inside Cassie. And she may destroy Cassie's personality if she does. I don't want Cassie hurt anymore than she's already suffered. Yunno?" He raised a paw, "So even if I helped you take out more endos... it'd be redundant if Cassie gets hurt by extension cuz Vanny felt spiteful. So I wondered about the chip in her head..."
Roxy blinked at his implification. "Oh my god... BON. I-" She rattled her head repeatedly. "I mean... I bet I could see it if I squinted but... taking it out is another matter! And 'sides, wouldn't Freddy had seen it when we were around Cassie?"
"He probably has, given it can be seen," He supplied. "But not like he'd offer characteristically to remove it! Let me see- let me ask him real fast."
Bonnie briefly fell silent, sending a silent ping to Freddy. There was a nod on the rabbit's own end, his maroon gaze narrowing. He turned back to Roxy.
"Curious. He said saw it but it kept flickering? He couldn't see it clearly. He assumed he was bugging out." He shook his head. "Freddy's optics and the sensors around them ain't like yours. You've always been able to see things different, even before the new eyes were given to you. If anyone can find the chip in Cassie's head, it may be you." He glanced away, tiny nose flaring once. "You wager if we can find it on her, and if its shallow enough... I dunno. I just-" he stepped away again. "I... she'll hurt that girl terribly. She won't wait around until we take Cassie to the hospital. But... I don't think I can hurt her to get it out, even if its to save her life-"
Roxy narrowed her eyes. "What about Vanessa? Vanny couldn't possess her after a point even with the chip in her head. She even got it removed! Surely there's a way to disrupt it?"
"My guess is that's where Gregory came in. He incidentally disrupted Vanny's connection to that chip that night. She couldn't possess Vanessa ever since then," He shrugged. "Disrupting it could buy time, but I doubt Vanny would sit around long enough and let us discover that. Worse, I don't think the way it can be disrupted would be the same. No doubt Vanny found another means of protecting her influence on Cassie."
Roxy shook her head, turning to stare into the tunnel behind her. They may as well move on, so she started taking the lead out. Bonnie followed behind her, "I dunno, Bon. You suggesting that earlier-"
"Why do you think I cut myself off? I don't like the idea anymore than you do," He hissed with clear disdain. "I couldn't bring myself to raise a talon to that girl, even if its to save her. She's just-" His voice crackled again, fading into silence.
Roxy levelled him an uncertain glance, "I don't like the idea either but... crap baskets, Bonnie. I don't think we'd be able to do anything ourselves. I can find the chip, I bet, but getting it out- That'd involve breaking into the skull, I think."
"Then forget it. Fuck what I said," He replied with clear pain.
Roxy faltered and fell back, matching his gait with hers. She peered into his broken face, once again marveling the fact that she'd been the one to have taken his life. The intrusive thought had her producing a ghost of a whimper. He passed her an uncertain glance, but didn't say anything.
Bonnie had entirely too much on his plate. His conversation with Vanny aside, not to mention this grotesque idea... Roxy just didn't know what to say. It was horrid, but pragmatic if they can figure out how to free Cassie NOW. With that said, Roxy found herself stopping and mulling over her previously reckless ideas of pursuing Vanny. It could only make the situation worse.
"I'll go back," she conceded gently, but in a defeated manner. "I don't want to make this any harder on you and her."
"If I had to be honest, Rox. I would've loved to help you find Vanny," he shrugged. "But at the very lest, we found some endos so... not a total waste of our time? Its less of her in the world."
Roxy shook her head again, "I coulda exacerbated the situation if I did the wrong thing. But if you have an idea on how we can stop Vanny and free Cassie, I'm still all ears."
"I'm thinking on it, I swear," he assured.
At length, he too matched her steps and followed beside her. Roxy didn't expect it, but his paw found hers; his grip tight but still velveteen in nature. His eyes were making more efforts to meet hers.
"Rox, I want to say..." he started hesitantly at first before it hardened somewhat. "If there's anymore weird shenanigans from me, please be assured its for Cassie and you. And the others too. Okay? And that its me trying to figure out how to help her. I don't want you guys to hate me for it either-" His tone grew brittle there, "I don't think... I can take that. If you grew to hate me. I can't deal with that."
"Why would we hate you?" She murmured.
He shook his head, fingers once again tracing hers as they walked, "I dunno. Its just like... I guess its a fear of mine? Huh. Never considered that... like a greatest fear beyond failing a child. But a fear that involves my own self and not someone else-" He bobbed a bare shoulder.
She blinked, a little surprised by the admission. However, it did get her thinking-
"My greatest fear," she started. "I think I can share that with you. Yeah, I think I will. I think, after you vanished then, I lamented not being able to tell you a lot of stuff. And I knew that there was stuff I regret not sharing so... I might as well."
"Oh?"
She brushed his side once, having slowed her steps down. She didn't know where they were quite going, but she'd assumed it's back to Parts and Service now. She flicked her head at him, "I think my greatest fear... its being compared to Foxy. I know I was built to replace him. And my name even rhymes with his-" She harrumphed. "I know I'm a stand-in for him. I used to think being called a loser is bad- and I still think that, but I don't think I can take it if a child told me I was a Foxy wannabe. I just can't, you know?"
Bonnie blinked at her, tilting his head, "Then... why'd ya have that plush in your room? The white Foxy one?"
"WHAT? YOU SAW THAT?" She spat in a panicked tone that wanted to be both under her breath and shouting.
Bonnie kept his grip on her paw, his hold gentle and reassuring, "I did. Remember that day I asked you to help me apply some make-up? I needed to look fly for that one birthday-" He smiled softly there, the gesture rather small. "I sat down, you started doing it, and then you realized you left something in the back room? So you went there- and I saw this white, small thing shining from the side of my peripheral- Hidden around your couch. I leaned over and saw it- a Funtime Foxy plush. White and pink?"
She didn't reply immediately. She just winced. Bonnie butted his head with hers to wake her up.
"So... can I ask you why you had it?" He gently prodded.
"...To remind myself what I should be living up to," she grumbled under breath; her words microscopic and timid.
Bonnie's previously meek expression hardened, "You shouldn't have to do that, Rox. You don't NEED to. People love you as you! You're like, the baddest thing to hit the tracks, yunno? One artist comparing themselves to another-" He inhaled, "You shouldn't have to do that, period. Its just not realistic- and, you're only EVER going to keep shooting yourself down if you keep doing that."
"I know- but-" She inhaled really slowly, "Let's be honest, Bon: I was still the last Glamrock to be added to be band. I only joined cuz Foxy got decommissioned! I was a STAND-IN." She rapidly shook her head.
Bonnie rolled his eyes, "Rox, people loved you, even then! You had the coolest feature in all the PizzaPlex: The racetrack. People went all the time, you shone like a star each day it opened! You took center stage and you did it in your own way, and you did so EASILY! No one had to show you that-" His tone took an intimate, nearly reverent note, "You were born to shine- and I bet even Foxy had to take some notes! And with that kind of popularity with the crowd, you woulda joined the Glamrocks on your own merit- like Monty did! You BOTH have it in ya. Foxy getting decommissioned only sped it up- but you joining us Glam brothers and sister was inevitable."
He stopped her, grabbed both her paws and smiled earnestly into her face, "You're as inevitable as the rising sun- shining over the darkness. You, my dear, have always ever been an inspiration!"
If the wolf could blush, she'd be doing so right now. Roxy had her turn to look away. She belatedly realized her tail was somewhat fighting a small wag at the tip- leaving it trembling.
"Now then," he breathed, thankfully not seeing it. "With that said, I think you can keep that plush in the garbage. They're fire hazards anyways! Heh." He chortled there, guiding her on and back towards Parts and Service. "Do me and the other Glams a favor: Heck, do it for Cassie too- stop comparing yourself to Foxy. You're an artist- and each artist is special because of their uniqueness- but comparing yourself to another? That's when you'll truly feel like a loser. 'Sides, Cassie adores you as you are, and frankly, that's enough for her, me and the others. If its enough for you, then nothing else matters. Right?"
"Right, yeah..." She nodded there. "Yeah. You're absolutely right."
"Of course I am! Aren't I always? Now, I say... let's focus now on trying to find a way to disrupt Vanny's control on the girl," He pragmatically went on, his paw still unyielding on her own. "Once we do that, we'll be golden."
"You ain't planning on going anywhere, right? Just so we're clear on that," She asked. "Cuz when you left... you done destroyed us."
Her words had the rabbit looking properly apologetic, "I don't aim on going anywhere, Rox. Unless its to save Cassie, then I won't leave you again. I promise you that much. I think my other greatest fear is breaking your hearts again."
"Then don't do so. Stay," she mumbled.
"I plan on it," He murmured back, his voice akin to a sinner's greatest of pleas.
GLAMROCK FREDDY
Freddy fought a growl when more of their searching yielded nothing.
He hated the sound of his own growl, let alone that ROAR of his. Even he found it frightening! He was built to be beloved, adorable, cute! And it didn't help that it's a behavioral part of his programming to be as kindly, honest, good and to be as NOT intimidating as possible. He wanted to be good just for its own sake; and not just because he was programmed to be thus. He desired to be good for Gregory, Vanessa and his friends. Nothing else mattered.
But those sounds... they were the sounds of a monster. They SOUNDED like it. And while Gregory thought the roar was cool, Freddy begged to differ. He wished he had the same confidence in his voice as he used to, but the bear seriously pondered the idea of just not singing anymore. He didn't like how he sounded- and it wasn't because of Chica's voice box. He meant it when he told Roxy, Eclipse and Chica that he just wanted to stand aside and let them take the spotlight.
He loved Roxy's sultry rasp and the low tones she can swing to. Her alto was something else. And dang if it didn't sound- Freddy wouldn't say this aloud, but sexy! It's a wonderful sound. Meanwhile Chica's lilting warbling was a lyrical melody with a full, bright swing to it- soprano, he believed it was. It wasn't something he's heard in quite some time either... a depressing notion ever since she got that new voice box upgrade.
He loved Bonnie's hard rocker tenor-baritone hybrid when he hit certain hard notes! He had an 'Aerosmith's Steve Tyler' type of voice that always got a whoop out of the crowd- its why he had two show stages for crying out loud. Classic 70's and 80's rock right there (and no wonder some of their older audiences requested him for birthdays sometimes- no doubt it hit a nostalgic spot for them).
Freddy meanwhile, his baritone and gravelly friction in his voice made it sound more 'metal' than actual rock. Like it fit a different genre entirely and he wasn't performing in the right place. He was always taking center stage though, and its not like their manager let them try new things. Their shows were getting stale- not that Freddy wanted to admit that to his friends without making them feel ashamed. Its not their faults- it's the company's own for not letting them try new things.
He didn't put voice to any this however- not to anyone. He hadn't confessed to this aspect of himself until as of a short while ago; and he's more or less focused on his task anyways. So, he shelved it; and decided he just won't talk about it. Heck, he just won't talk until its needed. Why did his usual rasp suddenly sound sinister now? Maybe he was taking it too hard-
"Yo, Fatbear. You hearin' me or wut?"
"Er... huh?" Freddy blinked when he realized Monty was trying to contact him.
"Now yer tunin' back in. Jeez. Only until I call ye 'Fatbear' do ya notice..."
Freddy blinked several times, then looked down at himself, "Am I... actually fat?"
"No you bleedin'- Nevermind. I was gonna ask if you found anything yet but your silence and spacing out said 'nuff."
Freddy glanced around uncertainly, his ears sagging as he took in the narrow and somewhat claustrophobic trash-laden corridor he was in. "Well, you're right... I haven't found anything. I was thinking of trying those tunnels carved by that... giant monstrosity instead though. I have one near me. We've already combed this place as it is."
"Bonnie wanted to keep an eye on us but... eh, checking those tunnels may be the best bet," Monty reluctantly agreed. "Aight. Let 'em know what yer thinkin' and let us know if you actually find somethin'."
"I plan on it," He reciprocated, disconnecting their communication and taking a turn to the tunnel. He made sure to listen for anything amiss before actually going in, using Roxy's one eye to see into the murk.
He sent in that message to Bonnie too; letting him know what he was figuring. Freddy didn't have to wait long to hear back that apparently Bonnie had been doing the same thing, and he found Roxy in one such area. Relieved, Freddy would inquire about what went on- and to which, Bonnie further elaborated that Roxy had found endos, and traces of Vanny in the tunnel she'd been in. Freddy raised a metaphorical brow there.
So Vanny's using these tunnels as well... curious. I suppose we should've been looking in these dastardly things to begin with, he wondered.
He snuffled as he went along; bending down and hovering his nose as close to the ground he could before setting off again. His one amber eye caught whatever his nose and ears couldn't; with Freddy once again thanking Roxy inwardly for the use of her right eye. He was able to pick up times tiny creatures slithered around the earth- and he could see the very instance something scurried away.
He jolted when Bonnie sent him another ping; this time regarding Cassie's chip. Freddy blinked, then sent back his observation about what he noticed about her. He'd seen its trace in her head, but he assumed with his structure having not been built around Roxy's insane vision that he'd been bugging out (and he has bugged out in the past thanks to her ridiculous optics. It happened while living at Vanessa's house and she had to tune him to it better). He lamented having let what happened to Cassie be a result of his stupidity; not speaking aloud what his eye caught.
I'm sure Bonnie feels it to be his fault... but I can't help feeling it too, he wondered. We both failed Cassie. Bonnie didn't speak up sooner about her having the mask... Eclipse as well. And me? Seeing the chip but writing it off as a stupid bug. I should trust my eyes more.
Freddy couldn't help feeling more the fool the longer he pondered this. To be fair, he hadn't known Cassie had the mask and that she COULD have a chip put into her noggin. Eclipse and Bonnie hadn't known either, by the sounds of it. Bonnie knew the mask was something sinister, but he likely hadn't thought that it could do the harm it did. It was just a mask- not like he anticipated Vanny's whole existence was relegated to it!
Freddy paused when Bonnie sent yet another ping: the rabbit was thankfully feeling more open with them, by the feel of it. In fact, just as Freddy's mind went to the idea of Vanny being allocated to a singular object at one point, Bonnie asked him about Gregory and how he freed Vanessa. To which end, even Freddy couldn't even properly field the query.
"I... haven't the slightest idea," he told his lapine friend. "Gregory said he did something to the system... an arcade cabinet was attached to it and... I don't know. It didn't make any sense!"
"Weird. But, he disrupted Vanny's signal to the chip... and did so long enough so Vanessa can have it surgically removed. I think if we can figure it out, we can do it for Cassie too!"
Freddy agreed, "Yes. I bet if we destroyed the mask, it'll do the same. But, I know it wouldn't stop Vanny or completely get rid of her. But the mask itself is the source of these chips and I wager Vanny's bulk computation had been inside it until she upgraded to a full endo. And even then, destroying it will no doubt hurt her."
"If we find her... we literally smash her face in. Dude, I think we can work with this-" Bonnie excitedly said. "It won't keep Vanny out of Cassie's head for long, but long enough for that signal to be disrupted-"
"And once its disrupted, you can probably block Vanny's attempts at reconnecting with it. Active signal jamming-"
"And some modest hacking. We just need to loosen her grip. Just a LITTLE," He agreed.
Freddy was bemused to hear Bonnie relaying this to Roxy. He heard their voices chime in one over the other, the bear smiling slightly at the plan.
"Okay, so: We continue searching for Vanny and literally punch her in the face. Kick her in the teeth. Yeah... I like this plan! Simple and to the point. I bet M.X.E.S can do the job too... I'll keep upgrading him."
"Vanessa suggested upgrades for the program," Freddy went on to say. "She's been busy writing new routines for him lately- not that she's finished. So once you meet back with her, touch face on that."
"Hell yeah. Alright- I'll do so. But in the meantime, Rox and I will keep looking around this tunnel. Then, I'll plan on returning to Parts and Service. Wanted to check on Cassie and make sure she's okay..."
"You said she's herself again?"
"Yeah. For the moment."
Freddy paused, his amber eye catching movement along the corridor. He fell silent then, narrowing his gaze and flicking his torn lip line.
"I don't wish to sound so blunt but, I think I see something," Freddy murmured over the line. "I'll get back to you."
"Please be safe, papa bear."
"I plan on it," Freddy returned before cutting the line.
He dipped into a half-stooped crouch, keeping the single amber optic leveled on where he saw it. His nose flared; and the scent of garbage assaulted his nostrils anew. It wasn't unusual to have the ever disgusting and pervasive aroma floating along here, but now Freddy was in this tunnel deep enough so that the scent shouldn't be so poignant. So whatever caused this movement was carrying traces of the trash with it.
And it was trying to hide itself from him.
Freddy stopped as well; going all the way to the ground and keeping his LED lights off. The other didn't move for a while after that- with Freddy pondering its intelligence. Had it heard his servos in his joints? Did it hear his claws grazing the earthen flooring? What was it thinking?
It moved again- and then, it stood to its fullest height- nearly 10 full feet into the air. Its head had to stoop a bit to not hit the ceiling; and it too had joints that betrayed its location. Another bot- and not just any-
The Mimic.
It didn't speak, but it did bring up a hook and peek around the bend- its mad orange eyes flickering from beneath its ruined Foxy head. The pirate patch lifted so it can allow both eyes to see; Freddy moving to stay out of sight entirely. The new body parts looked almost too under-sized for the Mimic; seeing as the bot itself was an imposing height none of the Glamrocks matched. All of them leveled out at 7 feet- with Bonnie being an exception due to his ears gifting him that extra height and bringing his total to 8 feet, even.
Foxy's normal chassis was a rusty red with his belly being a bit creamier in complexion. Not unlike Roxy, Monty and Bonnie, he had actual hair too; coming from the top of his head to his upper back. It wasn't a long mane like Roxy's, but suggested where he should have realistically thicker fur- kids could pet him and calm down because of it; and the design was useful since he'd been the previous daycare attendant and would sometimes carry children on his shoulders. He used to have a full tail that was as plummy like Roxy's; rusty red like the rest of him save for the tip being the same color as his creamy belly. However, with time, the tail was missing fur; and had a grotesque, mangy, half-eaten look nowadays.
The clothing the Mimic wore was worn and ratty; Foxy's pirate duds an outfit he can actively change out of, once. The pirate clothes seemed to be falling off; being made of actual cloth. Whenever he had shows and performances, he had to match the Glamrocks' gimmick with the punk '80's look. Likely he had an outfit in his wardrobe for that. But here, it's his daycare clothes; the tropey captain's outfit complete with the rank bars and long blue trench coat. Freddy inwardly wondered why Foxy had been given the ability to have interchangeable outfits and none of the others did.
He was also confused by the Mimic's fierce desire to do what its name demanded; mimic. It emulated the children's voices (seeming to prefer imitating Cassie and Gregory), and then it takes Foxy from the garbage and wears him. Why did it proceed to keep doing that? Why continue emulating to such an extreme when clearly, it's smart enough to know its crude outfit wouldn't fool anyone? It premeditated its freedom by fooling Cassie rather effectively as it is- it knew how to think and plan. So why keep this up when everyone and their mom knew they're looking at an imposter? Was it compulsive? Could it really not disobey its programming?
Did it have no choice?
Freddy also tried to consider what else they knew about it- and he couldn't say anything beyond the fact it'd been locked in the pizzeria beneath them. Someone clearly built this thing with some clear intention, but whatever and whoever did it, eluded him. The Mimic wanted to continue imitating and fitting into the world around it, despite the hostile tendencies. But now, considering Vanny, Freddy wondered if this thing before them was forced to kill. But, that couldn't be the case, right? It's conscious of its decisions, was it not? He could've swore it was-
Freddy was forced to duck further away when the Mimic started to meander on by- Foxy's amber-painted claws dragging at the earth beneath his footing. Freddy intrusively wondered about how it matched his former eye color- just as Freddy's blue claws matched his eyes and Bonnie's claws did the same. The ratty tail swatted once; the zombified fox/mime hybrid producing a whirr as it crept by.
The ursine breathed once; wondering if he should take it by surprise while he can. It's a general rule of thumb for no one to take the Mimic on by themselves- seeing as its height and power scale was above average for most bots. Not to mention its ridiculously sturdy and capable of self-repair... But Freddy wasn't a weak bot by any means. He knew in the right setting he can weaken it until Monty gets here.
Freddy resolved to take it right here and right now. While reckless, he knew Monty wasn't too far. Freddy activated his signal emitter and sent a silent ping to the gator- then, he shadowed the menacing mime.
Who are you? Why do you do this? Who built you? Why keep trying to fool others when you know it won't work? Are you just looking for a place for yourself? Are you really just trapped in your own programming, as we've been? Are you even aware? Sentient? Surely you are-?
Freddy had so many questions about this thing! He wanted to ask it everything- but he knew the answer, ultimately, wouldn't come. This thing was hostile, and it meant ill will towards the world at large. If it wanted peace, it wouldn't have attacked Cassie in the manner it did- AND thrashed Roxy. It's also blocking Bonnie and the M.X.E.S actively; meaning it knew that hacking not only existed but the rabbits could rewire its brain. It had a sense of self-preservation- unlike the Glamrocks themselves, who could and would give their lives willingly to each other and the children.
This thing was just too alien.
The Foxy mime paused, its ruined head swiveling on its nonexistent neck as it attempted to sniff. It had no ears now; and no doubt while the auditory sensors on the endo itself can still hear, its deafened itself somewhat thanks to Chica's voice box earlier. Or, worse case, it learned to temporarily turn its hearing off so it can defend itself. After all, this thing was capable of higher feats of learning if it wanted to apply itself. With this in mind, Freddy knew he can take it by surprise at first with the voice box, but it'd be only once. He had to make his first attack count, and keep the thing pinned until Monty gets here. He couldn't wait until Monty arrived... seeing as the gator would charge in, teeth first and the creature would have plenty of warning in which to defend against any vocal attacks.
This is all going as a hypothetical, but Freddy couldn't be more certain. With that all said, he also knew he had the advantage of mobility in here; the Mimic had to duck most of the time. Freddy can move quicker, strike harder, and he had the element of surprise. If he didn't attack now, there wouldn't be a better chance-
He ducked low and opened his mouth-
And he roared.
He didn't produce a loud and violent one as he did with DJ; not in a tunnel that's clearly unstable. He just needed to stun it-
-And stun it he did! It actually paused in its lurching and bowed over; one hand flying to its Monty-punched cranium and groaning in static. Freddy tackled it around its midriff; throwing both to the ground and scrabbling like mad to gouge its chest open. He snapped his jaws around Foxy's own and proceeded to claw its motor; Monty's claws eating right through the ancient metal. The Mimic tried to deliver a hook attack; but Freddy caught the limb and just kept biting and tearing with his muzzle and other free limb, respectively.
The bot was still bigger than he was however- the abomination rattling its body beneath his and attempting to roll- Freddy had to disengage before it got him pinned beneath it. He released his hold on Foxy's not completely shredded face; his claws yanking precious wires out of place in its chest as he leapt off. Coolant splashed; the Mimic swiping again and missing as Freddy jumped out of range. Its orange lights fell upon him, and remained fixed while it tried to staunch the leaking in its tank.
Freddy snarled- the low, grumbling roll of it like a cacophonous thunder in hell during hurricane season. His teeth flashed as well; Foxy's matted fur and chassis pieces trapped in his glinting fangs. The crimson coolant on his ghastly, shell-less claws dripped faintly in the small tunnel, dying his mitts with a runny coat of color. He flexed them, taking another step towards it-
The Mimic knew already it was beat, seeing as it took another step backward and away from him. Literally, all it'd taken was a single good, well-placed series of strikes and Freddy had it on the ropes. Its hook flashed while the other limb attempted to staunch the leak in its chest-
And then the earth around them trembled.
The whole tunnel- everything, all of it rattled as if under the spell of an earthquake. Both the Mimic and Freddy stumbled upon their footing; the Mimic trying to brace itself on the wall but was unable to when it bumped its head on the ceiling. Freddy fell to the ground- his amber eye catching rapid movement from beyond the walls-
He knew what it was- he knew long before it appeared what was coming. He attempted to move away from the Mimic-
And then the wall behind him burst forth in a flurry of rock and soil; the earth screaming apart as a series of glowing neon eyes on numerous bodies writhed from the murk. A grinding of metal and fury grated upon itself; cables screeching and whining as it twisted towards him like a horde of blood-hungry pythons-
Freddy couldn't even yell as it seized both him and the Mimic. He flailed angrily in its vice; snapping his sullied teeth into the wires holding him. The Mimic attempted gouging it apart with the hook; unable to use Foxy's wrecked muzzle to bite. A cable wrapped around Freddy's muzzle; keeping him from using Chica's voice box again- And the terrible monstrosity yanked both in the hungry earth- with Monty just then arriving upon the scene and catching just the tail end of its retreat.
The last thing Freddy saw was Monty's fear-filled gaze lighting the darkness as he was pulled into the beast's own private hell.