'I'm not seeing anything here; she can't be gone already.'
Freddy had zero luck on every single camera feed he flipped to, there was simply no one in the PizzaPlex that would match the demeanor that Roxanne described. Either she is long gone now, or she is really good at hiding from the cameras. He very much prefers the former, at least then he wouldn't have to worry about a potential danger to his friends, the guests of the PizzaPlex, and most of all Gregory. As much as he would like to keep looking, he can't keep searching this way forever, it was draining for one, and for two it kept him away from his friends despite being in the same room.
With a bit of reluctance, he disconnected himself from the feeds, then was bombarded by the sound of Montgomery ranting to Chica, who was waiting for the storm to pass with a deadpan expression.
'Suddenly the cameras don't seem so bad.' He loves his family, but man does it become a game of patience sometimes.
"-still don't get why I'm always the last robot to-" The bear 'clears' his throat in the most attention-grabbing way possible, which does the job of startling him in silence without a hitch.
"Now I'm not saying that you don't have a good reason to be upset but having a one-sided shouting match with Chica isn't going to help matters at all."
"You're one to talk! I've half a mind to give you your own earful!" The chicken pulls him back from the bear,
"There is no need for any of that, since we don't have any late night reservations we can finally let you in safely-" Monty threw up his arms in celebration, interrupting her.
"Finally! You have no idea how much I was itching to get the story! Now tell me what is going on!" The gator grips Freddy's shoulders a bit too tightly for his liking. It doesn't help that he grew a manic look in his eye.
"Umm, yes." The bear awkwardly lifts the claws off of him with minimal effort. "Before we start, you need to know that nothing I say can reach another staff worker, human or otherwise. Only Vanessa is an exception." Monty nodded initially, then processed the name.
"Wait. Even Vanessa knows?! I'm truly last in line for everything, huh?! Are you gonna give her my bass next?! Maybe even some star glasses?!" Chica rolled his eyes.
"Oh don't be so dramatic." Monty heavily sighed, rubbing a hand over his entire face.
"Whatever, now tell me what I missed."
"I think it's best for Freddy to go first. He was present the most at the time."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Back in the daycare, the place is now empty of children, with Gregory being an exception. Despite the chaos that occurred all around him, Greg was rarely disturbed by the other hyperactive children, and he had the attendant to thank for it. Specifically Sun, he is still kind of terrified of Moon, even if he didn't mean any harm.
'He really needs to do something about his voice…and the color of his eyes now that I think about it.'
"Hey Gregory, we have the whole daycare to ourselves now. We can finally stop whispering to each other!" The boy cringed at the volume he shouted.
"Let's keep it down until the place shuts down for the night. Please?"
"No problem. I can wait another hour or two."
The boy stretched out every limb that he could, he doesn't know what he would give up to actually walk around, but he is certainly close to finding out. His gaze snaps down to his hurt leg, it serves as a reminder of what could happen if he got too greedy again. His mood dampens as he heavily sighs.
"Don't be so down sunshine, you will get better soon. I'm sure of it!" A slight smile formed on Gregorys face.
"I'm sure too. I just hate how slow it seems to be going. At least it doesn't hurt as much anymore."
The boy hesitantly ran his hand down the limb all the way to the ankle, it hurts, but at least he doesn't instantly recoil like other times. Maybe he really is recovering…or he is just used to the pain. He banished the negative thought right away; he refuses to go down that path. Right now he needed to distract himself before that was all he could think about, thankfully that wasn't too hard to do recently.
"Do you think Roxanne would like these if I showed her?" He gestured towards the drawings he made. Sun praised them, but that was a predictable outcome.
"Of course she would! I have never seen her not like a drawing that one of her fans made, so no doubt she would love yours even more so!"
"...Is it only because a fan made it?" Sun was caught off guard, he stumbled over his words for a good moment or two.
'Ha! Even he can see through Rox and her ego.'
'Don't you dare plant any doubts in his mind!'
"No, no. It's not like that at all. We all appreciate the things that children make for us. Each and every piece of art that is shown to us never fails to make our day better. The band even signs them whenever they get the chance."
"Oh wow. They must get a lot huh?" He couldn't imagine the sheer amount of artwork they might see every day.
"You best believe it, and we relish every moment!"
The nervousness within Gregory fizzled away then is replaced with a small amount of confidence. He couldn't wait to see the band again.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Freddy took his time carefully explaining everything that he could about the night, making sure to leave out the details on how hostile Monty was towards their surprise guest. Unfortunately he couldn't remember the entire night thanks to his time in the charging stations. The gaps in his memory certainly made Monty annoyed but couldn't blame him for it. After all, it was an entire night for him versus the minutes from Freddy.
Regardless, the gator has given his undivided attention to the bear, every now and again asking a question or two to keep himself informed. So far, he found the little boy involved to be rather fascinating, surprisingly he is the only one to have managed to stay overnight once, never mind three times.
However even if he could believe that the kid accomplished such a feat, he still had a hard time understanding just what he actually did within that time.
"...He did all of that…in one night? Must be a tough little guy if he managed to accomplish all of that." So far, Monty found some events a bit too far-fetched, even for him. He can't bring himself to just completely believe everything that Freddy has told him so far. However, the bear has never told a lie to his friends before, so starting now would be cause for concern.
"Heh, if only you were aware at the time. He would have run circles around you if he was still able." Freddy goes blank for a moment, the events of that fateful night speeding though his mind. "...If he was still able." His words were barely audible to his private audience.
"What do you mean? Is he sick or something?" The bear heavily sighed then continued his recollection of the night.
"Roxy's racetrack…you know about it right?"
"Yeah, of course I do, but what does that…have to…do with…" He suddenly remembered one tiny detail: the track was trashed in every sense of the word. "...Nah…Nnnnoooo let me stop you right there. I refuse to believe that a single little boy is responsible for that entire attraction going kaput."
"Whether or not you do doesn't change anything. He did have that crash…and it's my fault." Chica suddenly sat up straighter upon hearing this.
"Why would that ever be the case?!" She shouted. Even Monty flinched from her sudden disruption. "You are the sweetest fun-loving bear I've ever known!" Freddy hesitates for a moment before continuing.
"When I was about to recharge, he asked me how to get one up and running for someone on the smaller side. I didn't think about why he would ask that at all, and that was that." It's painful for him to even think about. Both his friends can feel the shift in the air, it inclines Monty to give him some leeway.
"...You didn't say he was a shrimp."
"Well he is a bit small for a nine year old now that I think about it." Chica moves past the gator to comfort Freddy. "Regardless though, accidents happen, the best you can do is learn from it, and ensure you don't repeat it."
"I know, but hindsight is a dastardly thing. It could have all been avoided if I simply asked why. But no, I gave him what he wanted without thinking. A child got hurt, because of my mistake. Never have I been so grateful for Roxanne."
As he spoke his voice got shakier, it was very evident that he was beyond upset. The hen was at a loss on what to do, sure she was excellent at interacting with others, particularly children…but this was Freddy! Never has he been so distraught since they were first activated.
"Perhaps you should take a moment to gather your thoughts? Don't you think? You've already told Monty most of the important bits." The gator in question just stood by silently with a blank face.
"...Yeah. Just…give me a moment to collect myself." She nods as he sluggishly sits down on a nearby crate.
"...Remember we're here whenever you need us." She nudged Monty to get his attention. "You want to mull over things for a bit? Or are you still hungry for more?"
The gator looks between her and the distraught bear. The decision was easy.
"It can wait." Chica smiled and nodded, then both took seats on opposing sides of Freddy.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Vanessa pulls up onto the 'Plex parking lot, which has a hefty amount of people and cars within but is gradually emptying by the minute. At least she isn't the one ushering out the guests. There was a time or two that she could recall that involved the more…'reluctant' kids. Those were always a headache, especially since she had to keep up the smile for the guests. At least there is that silver lining, but then came that pesky paranoia.
'What if they found the kid? It will be over for me, and I can't afford to lose this job!'
Mentally preparing herself, she begins her walk to the front doors, the backpack she held felt heavier with every step.
'I swear if I'm given a pink slip instead of a raise…I'm going to kill someone.'
"Excuse me miss." She is brought back to reality upon someone else's voice.
"Oh, sorry." She adjusts her cap to wave off the intense awkwardness she felt. The woman quickly closed the distance to the doors, a thinning stream of parents and children flowed out of them.
'At least I won't get trampled.'
Upon entering the building, she is quickly greeted by a fellow security guard. She grew tense immediately.
"Didn't expect to see you so early…or is it late? I don't know." Vanessa rolled her eyes.
"Either way works, not like I care."
"Oh don't be like that, I thought you would like to get paid doing nothing."
"I don't think you know how maddening it is to have nothing happen at your job. It always feels like I'm supposed to be doing something productive. Yet I'm just…sitting there! Looking at cameras waiting for something that may never come!"
"Whoa calm down, I'm just pulling your leg, lord knows I wouldn't want that either. Insanity inducing boredom doesn't mix well with me." She scoffs at their statement; not like they actually knew what she felt. "But anyways, what brings you here? You don't have to be here until midnight, and that's…in roughly two hours."
"I was in the area, and I didn't want to go back home only to leave right away. Especially when it's so late. Besides, I don't really have anything better to do."
"Ah, I get you. I guess there is no harm in that, just don't expect overtime pay. You know how stingy bossman can be."
"Never expected any."
"Heh, alright then. I'll leave you to it." There is an overwhelming sense of relief that flowed throughout her body. It seems that everything went right for once, hopefully that will be the peak of her heart rate for the night.
She went to Rockstar Row, intent on getting an update from one of them, only to see the rooms vacant. She once again goes tense but remains calm.
'No need to freak out, they must be in the restricted areas. Hopefully they aren't too hard to find.'