Some Things Are Better Left Buried

By: Miss-DNL

Chapter 13: Night Five

The message done, Mike devoted full attention back to the control panel and checked on Foxy and Freddy. He restrained a shudder when he saw the fox had pulled back the lavender curtain. Its fangs shined gleefully in the dim lighting as it looked to grin at the camera. The pirate fox captain was eager to begin tonight; did it know he was there? Mike shoved the thought away and checked the main stage, Freddy was no better as it stared down the camera while it swung slowly back and forth. Mike felt his arm shaking at the sight of the bear's darkened glowing eyes, they brought up bad memories of his last few nights.

He clicked back over to the prize corner and wound the box up again. As he did he noted how fast the thing had unwound. Puppet was certainly going to be a priority. As the circle became whole again Mike addressed his partner, "Freddy won't move from the stage if you check on him regularly."

"Not complaining, but why?" Kyle questioned. That was an odd thing to keep the leader of the animatronics at bay.

"Maybe he likes the attention. Who cares, it works." Mike answered dryly as he lowered the panel and listened. There was a moment of hollow silence and then faint shifting of big, padded feet shuffling along linoleum tiled floor. Didn't sound like anything was nearby, although, as he recalled from his previous nights, the robots liked to wander a bit before going at him. It being Friday though, it wouldn't last long. If they were lucky, which was unlikely, they'd get a free hour before their torment began.

"You can seal the vent if there's something in it." Kyle stated when Mike resumed his routine. She pointed to the toggle map button on the side of the screen and elaborated, "Just press that then double tap the camera button if somethings inside." Kyle held her thought, having not used it she wondered something and spoke her thought aloud, "I guess it takes up power like the doors though."

Mike looked at the button but didn't test it. It was Friday, not time to mess around. He was certain he'd hear something big and bulky like an animatronic moving through the vent. They could hardly move quietly outside of a vent. Move quietly in a vent? No chance. Hearing footsteps thudding down the halls he quickly checked the two corresponding cameras. He took note of what he saw and put the tablet down.

"Bonnie is heading down the left hall, Chica and BB are on the right." Mike reported to the other guard. The animatronics were determined tonight, already ganging up on them. Mike was no stranger to their double team tactic. They'd stand outside the doors for some amount of time, trying to wear the power out.

"Okay, so, am I manning the right door?" Kyle questioned while she carefully looked out the darkened hallway. She didn't exactly want to man either of the doors, but there was no choice in the matter. Kyle figured since she was the one sitting next to the right door, that obviously meant she'd be the one manning it.

Mike was about to answer when his scar protested, pinprick needles of pain bristling in his shoulder's joint. He restrained a reflexive grab at it and instead moved over to where Kyle was sitting, control tablet in hand. The younger guard gave him a confused raise of her brow. He motioned for her to take his seat with his free hand. Kyle gave him a look but followed his instruction leading the two to swap seats.

"There seems to be less traffic on that side," Mike clarified, trying to explain away his sudden decision. He didn't need her thinking there was something wrong with him, not now. Mike could handle this; he'd handled it before he could do it again. He'd get over this little issue. He just had to face what was causing said issue. Mike checked on Foxy again and continued, "I'll let you know if Foxy charges. Should hear it anyway though. Just stay alert."

"Right." Kyle said slowly as she eyed the other guard, analyzing the details of his face. Her suspicion was interrupted as both of them heard the thudding of animatronic feet. Kyle watched as a toothed beak came into view, then glowing, violet pupiled eyes, and a feather tufted head. Kyle carefully pointed up to the chicken and urgently whispered, "Mike."

On old instinct Mike flung his arm out and hit the door button, slamming the door on the chicken robot's face. Turning himself he faced the window, behind the Plexiglas Mike saw the familiar face of Chica the chicken. The animatronic noticed the movement and returned his gaze, looking at him with those fake, round eyes. It stared at him for a long while, something turning in its gear and wire filled mind.

Slam! Both guards jumped when, without warning, Chica struck the dense window with a bulky fist. The glass shuddered at the action but held fast. Both night guards stared in stunned fear as the animatronic gave the glass two more hits. Thankfully, the glass didn't shatter and they remained safe. Chica's head shuddered twitching unnaturally back and forth with each passing second, jaw opening and closing with no reason. With a heavy thud the yellow hand smacked flat against the glass. Jittering, twitching fingers dug into the glass while it held its eyes fixed right on Mike's.

The animatronic's eyes closed once and when they reopened there was nothing but darkness. Empty sockets staring at the veteran guard with clear hate. Mike stared back at the animatronic, jaw slacked in disbelief, was it possible that Chica recognized him after all these years? It was the only explanation he had for this behavior. He'd never had an animatronic react like this during his week.

"I think it recognizes you..." Kyle said, speaking his thoughts out loud, but softly as to avoid further setting off the animatronic.

"Great." Mike managed rigidly as he pressed down on the light button a few times. The light flickered on and off. The animatronic's plastic eyes seemed to roll up from the empty sockets and it ceased shaking altogether. The animatronic turned about face and lumbered back down the hall, seemingly having forgotten all about the familiar guard. Mike breathed in and out, forcing himself to ignore his shaking hands.

"Hello!" Pipped a voice.

Mike flinched at the sudden childish voice and looked around for the source of it. "What the hell?"

"I think that was Balloon Boy." Kyle guessed, didn't sound like the voice would fit any of the other robots.

The older guard glanced back to the window, now realizing that the animatronic was too short be seen through it. Mike didn't like that fact. Balloon Boy moved rather silently for an animatronic as well, another thought he didn't like. The man huffed, sitting back in his chair, "Well, he's staying out there. I'm not risking anything."

"Fine by me." Kyle said in agreement. Hearing a thudding she turned her head and saw Bonnie was making his first appearance of the night. Quick as possible Kyle shut the door on the electric guitarist. Who, as he had on her first night, was content to stare at the door and wait for their power to drain out.

"Now that we have a moment," Kyle began, letting out a shaky breath. Once it was out, she voiced a thought that had been pressing at her since Chica showed up, "any idea why their like this? A "glitch" in programming making them wander at night. Fine I'll take that. But acting possessed with the freaky empty eye stare and choking noises?" She motioned sharply over to where Chica had been standing, "I need an explanation for that!"

"Now isn't the time." Mike said with stern authority, pushing his lead role for the first time. Kyle appropriately stopped herself and seemed to settle some, realizing that he was right. His partner put back in line, Mike checked back with Foxy. The Fox had gotten down from its stage and was looking at the camera out of the corner of it eye. Mike frowned at the development but spoke with Kyle again, "We get out of this, and I'll explain. Better have an open mind about it."

Kyle hit the lights on Bonnie, urging the guitarist to leave. The LED light wiped away the animosity in Bonnie's eyes, leaving a glazed emptiness as the bunny thudded away with its heavy feet. Kyle fell back in her seat, this night was already wearing on her and it hadn't even been an hour yet. It was only her second night on the job, but Kyle knew this one was already going to be worse.

Despite normally being healthily skeptical to the strange and unusual, Kyle easily let herself say, "I think I can at this point."

"Good." Mike responded, eyes trained on the camera screen. At that the conversation was wordlessly declared finished, any questions would be answered after dawn.

The guards were left in the partial quiet of the shadow filled pizzeria. Only the sound of the animatronics moving, constant whirring of the fan, and each other's occasional shifting filled the air. The mix of noise was occasionally changed up by Mike flipping back and forth between the prize corner, pirate cove, and the main stage. The less he saw of Freddy and Foxy the longer Mike was sure his life would continue on. He didn't know about the Puppet, but if it required its own method to be contained Mike was willing to incorporate it into his routine.

Kyle watched Mike quietly, trying to pick up on the veteran guard's methods. From what she could tell he was focusing on Freddy, Foxy, and the Puppet. Every so often when he heard a sound Mike would stop and listen. If it was deemed to be nothing he went back to the panel, if not he'd check the window. Only a few times did he use the tablet check on the sound. Kyle would admit she was silently impressed by how methodical Mike was about the situation. At the same time, she noticed the shaking in his arms. It wasn't overtly noticeably but with his arms in clear view Kyle could see the small tremors.

It looked like he was restraining himself from breaking down. Kyle turned her face back to the dark left window, she didn't want him to see any of the concern on her face. Kyle had a feeling that he'd find it insulting, and like he said now wasn't the time. They had animatronics to deal with, there was no time to try and sort out personal issues.

The hall beyond the window was so dark it was almost hard to make out the pictures on the wall, or the wall itself. It made the security office almost feel isolated, like an island amongst a dark hostile land. The sole safe place, and she knew that even here they weren't completely safe. All because of the owner being cheap on power.

Now that she thought about it, Kyle realized she'd never even met the owner. In fact, what was even his name? Whenever she thought about the owner Gregor's face and name came up instead. Kyle glanced to Mike who'd set the tablet down for a moment to conserve power. Kyle wanted to ask him but left it as another question for later.

Kyle straightened when she heard the thudding footsteps of encroaching animatronics. Followed by a series of echoing and foreboding clanks from within the vent. She looked around as her heart started to pick up its pace. The movement in the vent stopped and started up again after only a moment's pause. From the other side of the closed right door Balloon Boy's unfittingly cheery laughter sounded. The little animatronic sounded like it was mocking them while just out of sight.

If he was in fact harmless, his friends certainly weren't.

Author's Note: Hey, hey! Two day early upload! Why? Because I made a pretty good stockpile of pages! The rest of this chapter probably only needs one more look over or so. Which, I am very excited to show you all, there's a scene that I really enjoyed writing coming up. We'll also be checking in with our favorite murder bunny as well. Both fortunately and unfortunately Night Five won't be ending this chapter. I do have the next chapter pretty much already written up, so the regular updates will still be continuing!

Okay, with that I have one more thing to address...

Guest Reviews:

Drakeon: Okay, I'm not just addressing you, Drakeon, this is for everyone. Sister Location, do not exist in this story. I've mentioned this twice before. Anything and everything connected to that game will not be shown in my AU. This goes from the animatronics to the people. Why? This story was constructed before the game was announced, and I never intended to include it when it was because I knew what it was wouldn't match up with my story. My AU is its own story, it isn't intended to match up with canon story. As such I'd appreciate if the new developments weren't brought up each time I post a chapter. It'd be a waste for me and everyone to have me repeating myself in the author's notes. That said, this will be the last time I discuss this. All I ask is for readers to enjoy my take on this franchise.

As for a good animatronic Drakeon...You'll have to keep reading, sorry but I don't give out spoilers.

Sorry for the long author's note, but I felt I needed to fully explain myself one last time in regards to the SL thing. Again, last time I'll speak about it. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. :)