Hey, Tora Here! I just wanted to apologize for the late upload, my internet has been acting crazy this week and a bunch of things came up and I wasn't able to finish this chapter until today. My usual upload schedule will resume this weekend. Again sorry for the late upload.
I do not own Freddy Fazbear or any other Five Nights at Freddy's characters, only my own original characters. Now please enjoy!
—
Sounds of hammering and turning screws filled the air. Young brown eyes stared up in curiosity as her father worked diligently on his latest robotics project. Grown hands expertly worked the tools and computer nearby.
The girl stared mesmerized as her father tinkered and adjusted the work-in-progress animatronic hanging above the workbench. Questions swarmed the child's mind as she watched. "Daddy?"
The sound of her voice halted the man's work; he placed a screwdriver on the table and turned towards his child. "Yes, Iza?" A smile crossed his lips.
"How do you do that?"
"How do I do what?" Gregory asked, wiping his sweaty brow then gloved hands on his worn overalls. He reached over and grabbed a water bottle for a drink.
"That." Iza pointed at the unfinished android and the many robotic parts and equipment surrounding them before reaching for the water bottle.
Gregory chuckled as he handed her the bottle. He picked her up while Iza drank the water, earning a small, delighted sequel. He sat down on a nearby stool and placed his daughter on his knee. "Well, to start, I love robots, you know that."
"But why do you love it?" Iza questioned, throwing her hands into the air.
"Well, I—"
"My god, just tell her the story." Both daughter and father turned around to see an older woman with gray and blonde hair tied back into a neat ponytail. She was slightly taller than Gregory and dawned blue jeans and a nice black top. "She's only going to pester you until you do."
"Nana!" Iza cheered, reaching for her grandmother. "Daddy! I want to go with Nana!"
"Hey Vanessa," Gregory responded as he handed the excited four-year-old to his mother. "How's it going?"
"I'm good, but you really should tell her the whole story." Vanessa took her granddaughter and sat down in another chair. "Tell her about him."
Iza looked at her elders wide-eyed as she bounced gleefully. "Who's him?"
Gregory glanced between Iza and Vanessa and sighed. "Fine." He walked away towards the opposite end of the room near some cabinets and dressers. After stopping, Gregory began rummaging through the top drawer of his storage unit, and an audible hm signified his success.
Iza could see Gregory holding up a small piece of paper from afar before turning and walking back. Gregory stared at the small sheet once more before handing it over. Surprisingly for a four-year-old, she handled it with such care. Iza smiled at her father then gazed down at the paper.
Now getting a good look, she saw it was an old photograph. Two figures stood side-by-side; Iza immediately recognized the first as her father, just younger and around ten to thirteen years old. "Daddy!" she giggled.
"That's right, it's Daddy," Vanessa teased, tickling the squirming child.
"How old are you?" Iza asked. "And who is this?" Her tiny finger pointed at the other figure, a large orange animatronic that resembled a bear or mountain lion. It wore a top hat and black bowtie and had a large blue lightning bolt running the length of its chest.
Iza met her father's gaze before he looked to Vanessa for help. Iza could feel her grandma shaking her head as Gregory sighed but smiled sadly. "I was about twelve in that photo, that bear, he's an old friend of mine."
Iza studied the photo intently, a bright smile crossing her features. "Like Frederick?"
Gregory's eyes stared back at its young twin. "Yeah, just like Frederick." He rustled the girl's hair and chuckled.
Vanessa stood up, still holding Iza, and faced Gregory. "You're going to have to tell her eventually," she said softly, where Iza could barely hear.
"I'm just not ready," Gregory replied, scratching his hand nervously.
"I understand," Vanessa said. She gently took the picture from Iza and handed it back to Gregory. "Well, maybe we should let Daddy finish his work, huh, Iza?"
"No!" Iza yelled. "I want to stay with Daddy!"
The two adults locked eyes; they always did that when they didn't want Iza to hear something. She always imagined them having a psychic conversation in her young mind, a power she thought all adults possessed. This idea was only further cemented into her head when Gregory broke the stare off and sighed. "Alright, come here, little bear," he smiled as Vanessa passed her off to him.
"Yay!" Her eyes lit up excitedly. "I want, I want to know every, every detail!" Iza yelled, her enthusiasm getting the better of her.
"Sounds like I am no longer needed, so I'm taking off," Vanessa called as she exited the room. "Bye, kids!"
"Bye, Nana!" Iza waved widely.
"Later, Vanessa," Gregory snickered while trying to keep balance with the flailing child in his arms.
The door closed behind her and clicked shut, leaving the father and daughter alone. "Now," Gregory announced, catching Iza's attention. "Want to see my latest project?"
Iza nodded vigorously. "Show me!"
Chucking, Gregory walked back to his project with his daughter still in hand. He set her down on an extra chair before returning to the previous location.
While he was away, Iza got a better look at the unfinished android. Most of its endoskeleton and wires sat exposed apart from the silver outer casing of its face and right hand, no legs were attached, and one arm was missing from the elbow down. Its entire body hung on a rack and was deactivated. "Hey, Daddy?"
"Yes, bear?" he responded, appearing to Iza's right.
"What's this one's name?" Iza asked, pointing at it.
Gregory scratched his chin. "Good question." He rustled her hair again. "I haven't come up with one yet."
"What will he do?" she wondered aloud. "Is he going to another fun park or pizzeria?"
"No, actually." Gregory picked up his screwdriver and adjusted its arm. "I am making a personal assistant; he's going to be a great asset to me."
The little girl's eyes brightened. "Can I play with him?"
Gregory chucked. "I don't see why not."
She turned back to the closed-eyed robot. "We're going to be best friends!"
Her father smiled when suddenly a buzzing sound filled the air. Iza looked back at her father, who pulled out his cell phone; he looked at the screen and perked up. "I'll be right back, Iza. Daddy has to take this call."
"Okay!" she responded, turning back to the little android.
After hearing her reply, Gregory nodded and then headed for the door. "Hello?" Iza overheard him as he left. "Yes, are the payments for the pizzeria almost finished?" The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Iza alone.
Iza stared lovingly at the android; ideas swirled around her head about future activities they could do together. "I can't wait for Daddy to finish you!"
No response.
"Daddy is always building the coolest things!"
No response.
"Once you are finished, we're going to be the bestest friends ever!" Iza pumped her fists, in the process accidentally knocking a bolt off the table. It landed with a clink then rolled under the workbench. "Whoops."
Carefully, Iza hopped down from her chair and searched under the table. The dust and dirt made her sneeze.
"Bless you."
A harsh thunk sound came from under the table. "Ow!" Iza said, crawling out and rubbing her head. "Who said that?"
A deep voice sounded above, frightening the poor child again; its rough voice grated against her ears. "Over here."
She whipped her head around, searching for the source until her eyes settled on the incomplete project. "Hello?" She climbed back up and poked the bottom of the animatronic. "Did you talk?"
"Yes." Iza jumped back. Looking upwards, Iza could see the robot's eyes wide open. An eerie violet glow glinted from its optics. "I apologize for scaring you, but I heard what you said, and I also want to be best friends."
Iza felt slightly weirded out; even as a four-year-old, she felt something was off. "I should go tell Daddy, you turned on." She started to climb down.
"No!"
She stopped dead in her tracks. "But I need to tell Daddy, you could be broken," Iza replied, trying to get out of the conversation.
"But I just want to play a game with you."
Iza perked up. "A game?"
"Yes," its eyes followed her every move. "It's quite simple. I can teach you."
"I have to ask Daddy first."
"There's no need; your dad wanted me to play this with you. After all, it's something we used to play together."
"I don't really want to." Her voice started to shake as Iza scooted back slowly. "I'm going to find Daddy."
"Don't be that way, Iza Fasben." The disturbing look in its eye grew ever more haunting, then the table began to vibrate. First small, then it grew, Iza was violently thrown to the floor, and the source of the tremors became apparent.
Above the robot were several thick tubes, and scrapped robot parts floated overhead. "Let's have some fun!" it cackled. The pieces started to surround Iza as tears welled in her eyes. "I still want to play that game."
The metal face warped into a sinister smile despite having no detachable jaw. "Are you ready?"
The wires flew at Iza, then everything went black.
—
"No!" Iza's eyes shot open, the brown irises darting around uncontrollably. "Dad!" Her chest heaved as cold beads of sweat ran down her temple.
After a few seconds, Iza's heart rate began to slow, and her adrenaline calmed. She regained her composure and started to look around. Confused, Iza squinted and realized she was lying down sideways. Looking further, she noticed she was back in Freddy's room, now more illuminated with the flashlight Iza thought she had lost.
Iza started to sit up but immediately laid back down. "Ow!" she groaned.
Her head was pounding as soreness radiated throughout her body when Iza slowly sat up. She leaned herself against the back of the couch she was on and held her head in pain.
While massaging her scalp, Iza felt a freshly wrapped bandage around her forehead and, moving lower, felt a large bandaid over her left cheek; her arm also had new dressings. "What happened?" Iza thought aloud, her voice hoarse beyond reason.
She started rubbing her head and froze. "Where are?" Iza's breath hitched as she continued to feel around her head more wildly. "Where are my glasses?!" she screeched.
"Iza!"
"What the?" Iza shrieked as Inox appeared to her right.
"Are you okay?!"
"WHAT THE?!" Freddy was crouched on his knees to her left.
Both times Iza jumped, sending more dull shockwaves of pain through her head. She groaned in agony.
The sudden noise attracted muffled footsteps from the hallway when the old door clamored open. In the doorway stood Roxy, Monty, and Chica. "What happened?!" Monty demanded.
"STOP YELLING!" Iza wailed, covering her ears tightly. "You're making the ringing worse!"
Everything went silent. Iza's hands remained for several minutes until the ringing finally subsided. Then, when things were bearable, she slowly looked up and met the blurred, worried gazes of the five robots.
In a quiet voice, Freddy asked, "how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Iza moaned, rubbing the space between her eyes. "Just in shock."
A heavy breath echoed from the animatronics; Iza stared at them strangely. "Anyway, what happened? Also, where are my glasses?"
Unsure glances were exchanged between them.
"Guys?" Iza questioned. "Where are my glasses? I can't see well without them."
Another minute passed before Inox stood up on the couch to Iza's eye level. "I'm sorry, Iza, but they broke."
"What?!" She tried to jump up, but Freddy gently pushed her back down. "Let me go, Freddy! I need to find them!"
"Iza, please don't overexert yourself," he spoke calmly. "We have them right here." Freddy removed his arm from Iza's shoulders, reached behind himself, and held out his large palm.
In the glare of the flashlight, Iza could see the mangled frame of her glasses; one arm was bent in the opposite direction while the other was snapped in half. The right lens was spider-cracked and barely holding on by a thread, the upper half of the left lens was ripped clean off with only tiny glass shards still attached to the bottom.
"What happened?" Iza deadpanned.
"You cracked your glasses when you ran into me." Iza turned and saw Chica. "In the daycare, the glass that's missing must have ricocheted back at you and deeply cut your head and cheek."
Iza rubbed her forehead. "Well, that explains the bandages," she mumbled.
"And combined with your injuries and lack of energy, your body just collapsed," Monty added, a bit too energetically; the others shot him a dirty look. "But we're glad you're alright," he coughed into his hand.
They all looked back at Iza as she tried to process the information. "How long was I out for?" she finally asked.
Another silence followed until Roxy spoke up, her ears lowering sadly. "Seventeen hours."
Before she finished, Freddy and Inox got ready if the energetic human tried to jump up again. However, that didn't happen. Instead, Iza just sighed and placed her head in her lap, much to the surprise of those around her. "Will this ever end?" Iza whispered.
Inox tried to comfort her and rub her back. "Iza."
Tears began to prick her eyes. "Inox, I came here to learn more about Dad's past," she spoke softly, her voice quivering. "I wanted to know who Gregory Fasben was, but instead." Her voice trailed off.
Metal footsteps came closer. Iza saw Roxy holding an extra-large cup that said Fizzy Faz on the side. "Drink this. You must be dehydrated."
For the first time, Iza realized how dry her throat was. Her tongue felt like sandpaper, and it was somewhat difficult to swallow. Iza took the cup and started to drink. The liquid in her throat felt heavenly, and she downed it in less than a minute.
When finished, Iza placed the cup on the table in front. "Thanks," she said, her voice sounding much better. "I don't think I've drunk anything for a while."
Roxy smiled, then rejoined Chica and Monty. Suddenly a loud rumbling noise filled the room. Attention turned to Iza, who held her stomach; she smiled sheepishly. "You guys wouldn't happen to also have food, would you?"
They all laughed. "Of course!" Chica beamed. "Follow me!" She bounded out of the room, followed by Monty and Roxy. Freddy stayed behind.
"Iza," Freddy spoke. "Let's get you some food from the kitchen."
Iza gave a weak smile. "Thanks." She stood up but quickly lost balance and toppled forward as her legs slightly gave out under her. Before she fell, Freddy caught her and leaned her against him.
"Careful," he said. "Let me help you."
"Thanks," she repeated as Iza held on to Freddy's arm for support.
They started to walk and exit the room when Iza suddenly heard mechanical giggling beside her. Below her, Iza saw Inox trying to muffle his voice and hide his reaction when he saw her looking. "What's so funny?"
"Sorry," Inox snorted. "It's just kind of amusing to see the stubborn girl who has literally been injuring herself to further her mission and refusing any help, finally accepting it."
"Whatever." Iza rolled her eyes as they continued. "So what happened after I passed out?"
Inox and Freddy looked at each other before Freddy motioned for him to go ahead. "You collapsed from the damage done to your body. We carried you and Sun to get stitched up, and Freddy brought you back here to rest."
"We haven't left your side the whole time," Freddy added quietly without looking at Iza.
Something cool touched Iza's leg. She looked down to see Inox hugging it; if he could cry, he would.
The sight made Iza smile; she returned the gesture by placing a warm hand on his head. "Thank you for taking care of me. I know I haven't been the easiest; I really appreciate it."
Freddy laughed. "Trust me, you are no different than your father. He was just as stubborn as you, more even."
"Sounds right," Iza responded. "Oh, by the way, is Sundrop alright."
Freddy looked down at her. "Do not worry, he is better. Monty fixed him up in parts and service."
"That's good to hear. I owe him an apology."
"You'll get to meet Sun soon so you can talk to him."
Inox raised a brow. "Is he meeting us?"
"He's likely already in the kitchen." Freddy grew quiet, choosing his following words carefully. "Iza, when we get to the kitchen, there are some things we all need to discuss with you."
"Alright," Iza answered, now slightly worried.
The three walked in silence for a while. Iza leaning on Freddy and Inox hugging her leg. During the noiseless walk, Iza thought back to the dream she had. Was it a dream? Or a memory? She was unsure.
She glanced down at Inox. "Hey, Nox?"
He looked up, unamused by the nickname. "Yeah?"
"Do you know if Dad ever made androids or animatronics with purple eyes?"
Freddy listened to their conversation.
Inox looked at her dumbfounded. "Not that I can recall. Why?"
"No reason," she tried to play it off. "Just wondering."
Another minute passed until they finally arrived at the kitchen. The smell of something filled Iza's nose as her mouth began to water. "What is that smell?"
Freddy threw his head back in laughter. "Something that has not touched my senses in a long time!"
"Pizza!"