I may be a bit late, but Merry Christmas everyone!
Since Security Breach is finally out, I can continue writing Obsolete (which will also cover the events of Security Breach). First of all, I want to thank everyone for the continuous support. I really appreciate it. X3
Next, I want to make it clear that I will also keep working on my other stories alongside Obsolete and you can find on my Profile which story I'm currently focusing on (the story will be marked with an *).
Lastly, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!
Night 7
Under Construction
''Well, the Toys were getting sleeker, but the style was retrograde. Center-staging masquerading sharks around the cage. With the winding of the toy box and the shadow of the past, baby, I am taking off this mask (taking off this mask)! Well, I have a theory; Yeah, I heard a rumor – There was a murmur of purple and murder. One by one he sealed their dooms and turned these toons into their tombs.''
– Built In The 80s by Griffinilla and Toastwaffle ft. Caleb Hyles
xXxXxXx
''Someone looks happy,'' Emma commented as she saw her daughter walking into the kitchen. While Sam appeared to be still half-asleep, mostly due to being a night owl rather than an early bird, she looked quite content.
''I guess I was able to sleep well last night,'' Sam shrugged as she grabbed a bowl, milk and cereal. ''I still want to sleep though, but it's a school day.''
''Maybe you should go straight to bed after work instead of playing video games,'' Emma suggested, giving her a pointed look. When it came to playing video games whenever she had school, their agreed that, as long as it didn't affect Sam's grades or health, it was fine.
''Maybe I will,'' Sam replied absent-mindedly, yawning. Emma rose an eyebrow, giving her a curious look as she took a sip of coffee.
''How do you feel?'' she asked. ''I meant in general,'' she added when she saw the look Sam gave her.
''I'm fine, I guess,'' Sam replied. ''I've just been a bit too occupied with the video game Dad had sent me.''
''Oh, really?'' Emma tilted her head. ''I thought you didn't want to play it.''
''I changed my mind,'' Sam replied, shrugging.
''I see,'' Emma muttered, furrowing a brow. ''I also noticed that you hadn't been sleepwalking at all for the past few days.''
''Well, that's good news, isn't it?'' Sam replied sheepishly, unsure what Emma wanted to tell her.
''I think that something changed and I'm curious about what it is,'' Emma explained. ''If it's something I can help with, I'd be glad to do anything that would improve your mental health.''
''I think I've begun improving because I've been playing Five Nights at Freddy's VR,'' Sam admitted, albeit sounding rather uncertain. Emma gave her a surprised look, but then shrugged. ''I've also figured that I should just focus on healing mentally, and that also includes dealing with Freddy's.''
''Honestly, I'm just happy that you're focusing on yourself and trying to do what is best for you,'' Emma told her. ''As long as it works, you should do whatever is necessary.'' Sam smiled, with Emma feeling happy to see her smile. ''Also, speaking of Freddy's, I have seen something rather peculiar during my last trip.''
''What?'' Sam's voice dropped, giving her mother a serious look.
''Fazbear Entertainment is working on a mall-like building outside Hurricane and it looks like it's half-way finished. According to the sign I saw, it's called Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex,'' Emma told her. Sam looked baffled.
''You can't be serious,'' she said in a deadpan tone.
''Trust me, it is real,'' Emma told her. ''Didn't your manager inform you?''
''No…'' Sam trailed off, trying to remember, but her mind was blank. ''At least, I don't have any memory of being told about it. Where exactly is it?''
''Remember how you told me about this factory you supposedly burnt to the ground…''
''The Machinations Factory?'' Sam interrupted, with Emma nodding. ''But, that's the property of the Wolfrun Corporation.''
''Didn't you tell me that it was abandoned or something like that?'' Emma asked. ''Besides, it is possible that Fazbear Entertainment bought it from them.''
Sam snorted as she got up, having finished eating breakfast. ''I wouldn't be surprised if that's the case. Also, it would be a giant middle finger to their rival company.'' She then put the bowl into the dishwasher and grabbed her backpack, then glanced at the clock, slightly panicking. ''Shoot, I need to go!''
''Have a great day, sweetheart!'' Emma yelled after her, calmly sipping her coffee and glanced at her smartphone. She didn't hear Sam reply, but she did hear the front door slam shut and, a second later, open again. A moment later, Sam barged back into the kitchen with a sheepish look on her expression.
''May I borrow the car of the evening?''
''Sure thing,'' Emma replied nonchalantly.
''Thanks!'' Sam yelled, then ran out of the house.
Emma smirked, shaking her head lightly. As much as she wasn't comfortable with Sam being back into dealing with whatever is currently going on at Freddy's, she had a feeling that this was what she needed to overcome the issues she had. Besides, she knew her daughter well enough to be aware that she wasn't going to back off a challenge set in front of her.
xXx
''So, what are you up to today?'' Matt asked immediately as he saw Sam approaching him. Sam gave him a surprised look, with Matt adding, ''You're more focused today, kind of the same like when we visited Ricky's.''
Sam placed her hand on her hip. ''You nailed it, although I need you to promise to me that you won't tell a living soul what I told you.''
''I promise, but I do have a question,'' Matt said, with Sam rising an eyebrow. ''Do dead souls also count?''
Sam opened her mouth to answer, but then she closed it, thinking about it for a moment. She then shook her head. ''No, they don't count,'' she replied. ''All you need to know is that this is really important to me and that I cannot allow just anyone knows about this.''
''I understand,'' Matt replied. ''You don't have to worry about me telling anyone. I promise I'll keep this to myself.'' Sam sighed, relaxing a little, only to be surprised by Matt's next question. ''Still, why do you keep wanting to share such important information with me?''
''Because I consider you my friend and confidant, and like I said, I'm dealing with something,'' Sam explained. ''I guess I should've asked whether you want to keep being involved.''
''Well, I don't really have anything else to do,'' Matt told her.
''Involved in what?'' Sam groaned as she heard a familiar voice joining them. She and Matt turned around, only to see Tessa creeping up on them, glaring at Sam.
''Nothing,'' Sam replied, turning her back to Tessa.
''Oh, please, I know that you're up to something,'' Tessa told Sam. ''Have you found another place for urban exploration?''
''I have no reason to tell you anything,'' Sam replied.
''Why not?'' Tessa asked, stepping in front of Sam. ''I thought that we were friends.'' She looked rather irritated when Sam just ignored her, trying to walk around her. ''You're being so selfish!''
''Why don't you hang out with Violet and her company?'' Sam replied, feeling her blood boil. She had no idea what Tessa wanted from her nor did she want to deal with her. This seemed to shut Tessa up for a moment, as she didn't reply, allowing Sam and Matt to escape her.
''Why do I have a feeling that we were right about Violet's group kicking her out?'' Matt told Sam. ''Now that she has no one, she's trying to be your friend once again.''
''Unfortunately for her, I'm not interested,'' Sam told him, only to roll her eyes when she felt someone grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back. She turned on her heel, coming face to face with Tessa.
''Sam, I wasn't done talking with you yet,'' Tessa told Sam. ''Why are you being so rude?''
''I'm being 'rude','' Sam made quotation marks, ''because you just don't get the message. I have enough of you and all of the petty high-school drama you have involved me into. I'm not your friend anymore and I'm not going to cater to your needs. So stop calling me by my nickname and leave me alone!''
Tessa gasped dramatically, looking insulted, while Matt snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. Sam sighed, waiting for Tessa's response, but before the latter could respond, the school bell rung. Sam then quickly walked away, followed by Matt, joining the other students.
''We'll talk about this after school,'' Sam told Matt as they walked into the classroom. Matt just nodded, looking fairly amused.
xXx
After school was over, instead of going home, Sam had told Matt that she wanted to head to her mother's second-hand shop in order to get the car.
''Why do we need the car? Are we going somewhere?'' Matt asked.
''Yeah, we do,'' Sam replied. ''This is what I actually wanted to talk about. Mum had told me that Fazbear Entertainment is building a new location, or at least is half-way through the whole process.''
''Really? That's interesting,'' Matt said, looking genuinely intrigued. ''I assume that you want to explore this location.''
''Yeah, I do,'' Sam replied as they stopped at a crossroad, waiting for the light to turn green. ''Or at least, what I can explore. I doubt that we're going inside, but I want to at least see the outside of the building.''
The lights changed from red to green and the two made their way down the street, eventually arriving at the second-hand shop called Second-Chance Articles. Sam entered the shop, followed by Matt, and proceeded towards the counter, which was managed by a middle-aged woman with short honey-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her name was Cassie Walker and she was Emma's high-school friend, having worked with Sam's mother for a while now. While Matt looked at some of the stuff on the display, Sam addressed Cassie.
''Hey, Cassie!''
''Oh, hi Sam! How are you doing?'' Cassie replied in a chipper tone.
''I'm fine,'' Sam replied. ''Is Mum here?''
''Yeah, she's in the back,'' Cassie said, pointing at the white door at the other end of the shop. Just a moment later, Emma emerged out of it, carrying a box. Sam quickly walked up to her mother.
''Hey, Mum! May I borrow the car keys? I'll bring drive back once I'm done,'' Sam asked. Emma nodded, leaving the box on the ground and reached for her pocket, giving the car keys to her daughter.
''Here you go,'' she said. ''You don't have to return the car, tho. I'll hitch a ride with Cassie.''
''Okay,'' Sam replied, noticing Cassie giving her a curious look.
''Where are you going?'' she asked.
''We're just going for a short ride,'' Sam told her as Matt walked up to them. Cassie crossed her arms, giving the two a curious look.
''A short ride?'' she muttered, with Sam and Matt exchanging glances.
''Yeaaaah, we're leaving,'' Sam replied, turning on her heel, with Matt following her. Once inside the car, Sam started to drive towards the Machinations Factory, the location being outside of Hurricane. During the drive, the two were silent, but Matt could sense that Sam had a lot to say. She wouldn't have a reason to bring him along if she didn't want to share more information with him.
''Remember how we had talked about Ricky's?'' Sam suddenly asked. Matt grinned.
I knew it. He nodded, saying, ''Sure I do. We talked about how you had been there from the start, how you had found a missing mascot named Raven and how Connor Davis was the one responsible for the murders that had occured there.''
''Exactly, but there is a lot more to it than you think,'' Sam replied. ''The place we're going to, Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex, is actually built where once the Machinations Factory stood. The Machinations Factory was actually a robot factory previously owned by Wolfrun Corporation.''
''So, that's where Ricky and his friends came from,'' Matt concluded.
''Exactly, but the Machinations Factory had been abandoned for a while. There had been an accident that led to its abandonment and was also the reason why Raven was scrapped from the group,'' Sam explained. ''To keep it short, Connor had murdered one of his co-workers and his spirit affected Raven.''
''So, the soul wasn't contained inside the animatronic?'' Matt asked.
''No, but Raven was driven by a sense of vengeance. He wanted to get revenge on Connor for what he had done,'' Sam explained, her eyes narrowing and her voice lowering. ''I had helped him get his revenge.''
Matt fell silent for a moment, wondering whether he should even ask what happened to Raven. He knew that Sam wouldn't share everything with him and he respected that, but he had to admit that he was a little curious. ''Do you want to tell me what happened to Raven?''
Sam was quiet, her brown eyes glassy as the memories surfaced. Matt didn't say anything, feeling as if he overstepped the invisible boundary Sam had set between them. She then took a deep breath and said, ''Raven burned alongside Connor.''
''You did tell me that Connor burned to ashes alongside his own creations,'' Matt said, his tone solemn. Sam nodded.
''Yeah… Ricky, Dahlia, Max, Quentin, Virgil and Raven… They all burned in that fire, although Raven was the only one who was there out of his own will. The others were controlled by Connor,'' Sam muttered. ''I actually tried to prevent Raven from going along with that plan, but he told me that he wouldn't be at peace unless Connor died at his own hands and that he wanted to perish alongside him.'' Her grip on the wheel tightened. ''Although… I guess that's something I eventually accepted, but…''
Matt noticed that Sam was shaking. He could sense the negative emotions bubbling inside her as she processed the memories. He knew that there was more to the story and that Sam wasn't reacting this way just because of Raven. There had to be something else, something she had been avoiding talking about.
''Sam, do you want to continue or do you need a break?'' Matt asked.
Sam swallowed, realizing that her mouth was dry and that her heart was beating fast. She took another deep breath, calming herself down. It was a bit easier this time as, after spending some time playing Help Wanted, she started slowly accepting the fact that she was going back to investigating the new events surrounding Freddy's. She knew that she needed to confront her fears and trauma in order to move on and heal. Doing exactly what she used to do in the past was her way of coping, even though she was aware of the possibility that she would end up in a different nightmare.
''I don't like talking about this, but I did make up my mind,'' Sam replied.
''Maybe we should talk after we arrive at the Pizzaplex,'' Matt suggested. ''Just to make sure you stay focused so we won't have an accident on the road.''
Sam snorted, smiling. ''Yeah, I think that would be a good idea.''
Fortunately, it didn't take them too long to get to the spot where the Machinations Factory used to be, with Sam's eyes widening at the sight of the giant building in front of her. She managed to find a spot a good distance away, but it was still close enough for her and Matt to get a clear view of the outside. Her jaw dropped in awe as she realized that this was what Fazbear Entertainment had been working on the past months.
''Honestly, I didn't expect that,'' Matt said, a little less stunned than Sam, but just as surprised when he saw the massive building.
Where once the Machinations Factory stood was now a huge megamall-like building, decorated in neon lights and proudly displaying the sign ''Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex''. Inside the sign were four mascots, all dressed like some kind of rock band. Sam recognized Freddy and Chica, but she had no idea who the crocodile and wolf mascots were. The wooded area was also cleared to make space for the parking lot. There had also been a huge sign notifying them that the megamall was still under construction.
''Wow…'' Sam muttered. She had to admit, as someone who had been at several Freddy's locations before, she was really impressed by this one. ''It looks like Fazbear Entertainment went all out on this one.''
''That appears to be the case,'' Matt said, glancing at Sam. ''How do you feel?''
''I… don't really know,'' Sam admitted. She was in awe of the new location, but at the same time, memories of the Machinations Factory flooded her mind. She could remember how cold the factory was, filled with abandoned endoskeletons and animatronic parts, including several new animatronics that had been in the process of being built – the Drawkills. ''Honestly, I don't really have good memories of this place.''
''Well, you did tell me how horrible things happened here,'' Matt said, shrugging.
''You only heard a fraction of it,'' Sam replied, taking a deep breath. ''While the Machinations Factory was where Ricky, Dahlia, Quentin, Max, Virgil and Raven had been developed, Connor used the factory to create a different kind of animatronics. Being obsessed with the concept of death, he made animatronics that would assist him in his research by murdering people.''
Matt kept silent for a moment. He hadn't only heard of the disappearances and murders at Ricky's, but also witnessed one at the hands of Ricky Wolfrun himself.
''I had been working on trying to stop him and…'' Sam continued, but then stopped herself. Was she really going to tell Matt everything? She bit her lip, unsure whether she wanted to tell Matt about William. ''…Connor ended up murdered.''
''So, he was dead before he burned?'' Matt asked, noting Sam's reluctance. He knew that there was still something she was keeping a secret, but he had no intention to pressure her to reveal it. Sam nodded.
''I thought he wouldn't return, but he did and things got worse… That's when the murders at Ricky's had occurred,'' Sam explained. She knew that this was a secret she shouldn't have shared. It was a secret that, even if it was fragmented, should've died with her. However, she felt that this was the right decision.
''You know, you should congratulate yourself for going through all of that and surviving everything with your sanity in-tact,'' Matt told her. Sam snorted, cheering up.
''I was keeping myself sane for the sake of someone else,'' Sam replied without thinking, only for her eyes to widen. Matt stared at her for a moment, then gave her a questioning look.
''Uh, could you repeat that? I haven't heard anything,'' he told her. Sam stared back at him, confused for a moment, but then relaxed, realizing that Matt was just trying to comfort her and make her feel better by not prying into private matter. She gave him a determined look and looked back at the building.
''Once the Pizzaplex is finished, I'll try to find a way inside and make sure no one else gets hurt,'' she said. ''Even if people like Connor are gone, I doubt that someone wouldn't try to repeat what had happened.''
As she stared at the Pizzaplex, Sam suddenly felt chills going down her spine. She shivered, wondering why she felt like this.
xXx
''Okay, let's see what I can find this time,'' Sam muttered as she put on the VR headset. Despite being wary of the game, she hoped that she would learn more or at least get Glitchtrap to talk to her. Once she found herself at the main hub, she glanced at the bunny mascot, who was cheerily waving at her. ''Are you going to finally talk to me?'' To her disappointment, Glitchtrap just kept waving. She frowned. ''You know that I know that you're not part of this game. I'm also pretty sure that you have affected the Showtime Animatronics in some way. So, why don't you tell me what you want from me?'' She waited for a moment for the reply.
''Hello? Can you hear me?''
Groaning, Sam turned to the menu screen and focused on the next section of the game, titled Dark Rooms. She hadn't played this section of the game, so she felt somewhat excited about it. To her surprise and interest, she found herself inside a hallway with Plushtrap on the other end of it. She snorted in amusement when she realized that this was the same Fun with Plushtrap game she used to play in Five Nights at Freddy's 4. All she had to do was to make sure that Plushtrap stays on the X mark, which was easier said than done.
Fortunately for her, the mini-game wasn't hard to complete, but the next one, Fun with Balloon Boy, was a bit trickier. Nightmare Balloon Boy was much faster than Plushtrap, keeping Sam on her toes. Eventually, she had managed to trap the Nightmare Animatronic on the X mark, allowing her to move on to the next game.
This one was different. This one one put her in an actual room rather than a hallway. It was filled with plush toys and boxes, and when Sam used the flashlight to navigate through it, she realized that turning it on was draining the battery. After she turned it off, it recharged.
''This… is bad,'' Sam muttered under her breath, her heart beating faster when she spotted another Tape in the grasp of a Funtime Freddy plush to her right. ''At least I got something out of this.''
''I guess you forgot about me...''
Startled by the voice, Sam quickly turned her flashlight towards where she heard it, finding a plushie version of Circus Baby hiding in the corner of the room. The PlushBaby giggled and vanished. Sam could hear more giggling, realizing that she needed to find them and repel them to win the game.
''Want to see the scooping room?''
''No, I don't want to see the scooping room,'' Sam replied as she repelled the PlushBaby. She turned the flashlight off, allowing it to recharge and listening for the giggles.
''Two... one...''
Sam turned the flashlight on, lashing it around to find the toy, only to realize that there were more giggles coming from the other side of the room. She managed to point her flashlight just in time to repel the PlushBaby.
''I heard your call...''
Sam was completely focused on her task to survive through the game as the PlushBabies became more and more aggressive. The giggles grew louder and it felt as if the PlushBabies found new spots to hide.
''I heard your call...''
Sam gulped, wondering when the game would end. There were times where she almost got jumpscared by the PlushBabies, but had managed to evade them. It was rather unnerving,
''You won't die...''
''Yeah, right…'' Sam grumbled as she repelled another PlushBaby, only to freeze on the spot when the flashlight suddenly turned off. ''Damn it!''
She knew that she was dead as she was close to the end of the game and that the PlushBabies would probably attack her. She could hear them giggling and scuttling through the room, and she hoped that the flashlight would recharge fast enough. If not, it was game over for her.
''You won't die...''
Sam prepared herself for the jumpscare, only to almost jump out of her skin when she was met with the familiar cheering, realizing that she actually won the game. She placed her hand over her heart, taking a deep breath. ''Damn, this scared me more than a jumpscare would.''
She sighed, opening the gift box and grabbing the Circus Baby plush toy. Taking a moment to calm down, she wondered whether she should listen to the Tape she found or try the last game first. She made her decision and went along with the last game. She was a little surprised to find herself at the Funtime Auditorium with the EXIT sign on the far end of the room. She then smirked, relaxing as she realized that this mini-game was the same one as the one in Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location. All she had to do was to clear the room without running into Funtime Foxy while using a flash beacon. She lit the room up, noticing that some of the tiles were red and tried to see whether there were any Tapes in the room. So far, she didn't see anything, realizing that she would have to investigate the place to make sure she didn't miss anything. As for the red tiles, she wondered if there was any significance to them.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped towards the exit and slowly advanced. After taking a few steps, she used the flash beacon and saw Funtime Foxy a bit further down the room. She looked down once again, noticing the red tiles. It kind of reminded her of that ''The Floor is Lava'' game, except that she may have been supposed to step on the black tiles.
Sam used the flash beacon once again, realizing that Funtime Foxy was too close and that she'd need to step on the red tiles to avoid him. She sighed, noting that she had nothing to lose and stepped on the red tiles. She immediately got jumpscared by Lolbit, transferring her back to the main hub.
''Well, that was an experience,'' Sam said to herself, still feeling a bit startled.
''Hello? Can you hear me?'' Sam turned to Glitchtrap, who waved cheerfully at her. She frowned.
''Why do I have the feeling that you know exactly what happened?'' she asked in a deadpan tone. Glitchtrap didn't answer, so she entered the Funtime Auditorium once again.
This time, she was more careful, making sure to avoid Funtime Foxy and contemplating her next move. She still wanted to check whether there was anything at the Private Room, but she had to make sure that her path would remain clear. It took her some time, as well as being caught by Funtime Foxy and having to restart the game again, but she reached the Private Room. To her disappointment, she couldn't open it, but she did find a Tape. She then managed to reach the Exit, winning the game.
Relieved that she got two new Tapes, she entered the Tape Room and put inside Tape 6 to listen to it. She also briefly glanced to the side, annoyed to see Glitchtrap staring at her. She shook her head, focusing on the Tape.
''I came in early that morning. No one else was there. At least, that's what I thought. The supply room was lit. I didn't even notice Jeremy standing in the testing room as I walked past. The supply room was so bright – glowing from all the way down the hall.''
''Okay, so something is wrong with Jeremy,'' Sam muttered. She couldn't really draw any conclusions from this Tape and quickly inserted Tape 7.
''Jeremy complained of nightmares when he came in this morning.'' Sam's eyes narrowed as she heard this part. ''He wasn't talking about it like someone telling a friend about his dreams, though. He was pale. Looked like he hadn't eaten in days. He spent an hour talking in Dale's office. But it didn't look like he was given much sympathy. When he came out, he went directly back to the testing room. He doesn't even jump anymore. Nothing scares him. He just stands there like he's talking to someone. Sometimes he rocks from side to side. We were told to leave him alone. I knew I was in line to do the testing next. They'd been prepping me for it. I guess they knew that Jeremy would need to be replaced soon.''
Sam took a moment to process all of that new information. Frankly, she did not like where this was going. The fact that Jeremy was suffering from nightmares, only to start behaving weirdly worried her. Something had probably affected him, causing him to act like this. Considering how Tape Girl and Jeremy were working on Help Wanted and how there was only one anomaly in the game, Sam already had an idea who the culprit was.
Exiting the Tape Room, she turned towards Glitchtrap, crossing her arms.
''So, do you have anything to add to this?'' she asked him.
''Hello? Can you hear me?''
Sam felt annoyed that she couldn't get any answer, wondering if she should even try to find a way to talk to the bunny mascot. It was obvious that he either wasn't capable of answering to her or was coded to not answer to her. Sam knew that she should've just dropped the subject and stop investigating, but she just couldn't. She wanted to know what Glitchtrap was and she was determined to continue her work at Freddy's and trying to infiltrate Pizzaplex.
She stood still for a moment, then sat down on the floor, crossing her legs and facing Glitchtrap. She bit her lip, staring at the anomaly. She stared at the ground for a moment, then looked back at the bunny mascot.
''I wonder… Am I getting a bit obsessed with this?'' she slowly said. Glitchtrap just waved at her, still having the same cheery grin. ''I know that you won't answer, but you can still listen to me, right?'' She sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, realizing that she was getting herself into a rather familiar situation. ''This is getting ridiculous. I can talk to Mum and Matt about what is going on. I don't have to talk to you.''
She was about to remove the VR headset, but kept it on when she saw purple static and glitches appearing across the screen. Startled, she took a moment to compose herself. She blinked a few times, wondering if she was just using the VR headset for too long, but she then realized that this wasn't the case. Instead, she stared back at Glitchtrap, who kept waving at her, cheerful as always.
''Hello? Can you hear me?''