Just a few (planned) chapters of drabble trying to make sense of what may have happened at the end of Security Breach. Belongs to the same universe as (Re)Building the future, so if you enjoy this, go read that as well! Have fun reading!
It's 6 a.m. and the Pizzaplex doors are open. If he wanted to, Gregory could leave right now and never come back. Is that what he wants? Sure, he's probably safer outside the Pizzaplex than inside it. But it's not like he has anywhere to go. And… Freddy can't come with him. Gregory likes the way he feels when he's with Freddy. He's never really had someone who wants him before. Can he really throw all that away? Can he really just… say goodbye?
On the other hand, how can he possibly burden Freddy by choosing to stick around? The animatronic bear already has plenty of problems of his own without having to worry about Gregory's safety. It would be selfish to stay. So selfish. And very, very stupid. And yet…. In spite of the danger, in spite of the likelihood that he'll be caught and kicked out sooner or later anyway, he wants to stay so badly it hurts.
Ugh… this is why he doesn't bother getting close with anyone. It makes everything so much harder when it's time to move on! Like when your foster parents decide you're too broken and call your caseworker to come take you away. Or when they go on a permanent vacation to Cancun and 'forget' to tell you, so you come home to a locked apartment and realize your key no longer fits. He's lost track of the number of homes he's been in. To be honest, most of them are places he'd rather forget, anyway. There's only so many times you can be treated like you're worthless before you stop trying. Before you stop caring. Sometimes no home at all is better than one where nobody wants you.
Sure, Cassie's a great friend, and he knows he's lucky to have her, but it's not like he can just go live with her full time. A sleepover here and there is already pushing it. He's seen the way her dad looks at him sometimes; it's the same look his teachers have right before they pull their Mandatory Reporter crap. Gregory doesn't need that. He doesn't want back into a system that's already abandoned him.
"It will never be safe," Freddy says, solemnly playing a paw on Gregory's shoulder, "I will miss you."
"I-I'll miss you too, Freddy!" No, Gregory! No more crying in front of Freddy! Gregory tells himself. He glances around, looking for an excuse to stick around even just a little bit longer. A newspaper sticking out of a nearby garbage can catches his eye. Local Residents Continue to Disappear.
"Freddy, if I leave now, nothing will change, will it?" He begins, thinking about everything they've seen and heard tonight. About the animatronics' strange behavior. About Vanny. It's all connected somehow. He's sure some of the other people who have disappeared have someone out there missing them (unlike him). And there's probably plenty of other vulnerable kids that would be easy pickings for someone like Vanny. Plus, there's always the chance that she could continue coming after him. She knows what he looks like, now. She probably knows he's been staying in the Pizzaplex, too. "There will be more disappearances."
"Yes. I am afraid that is correct," Freddy replies, clearly thinking the same thing.
"What if I… stick around and help you investigate a little more, then?" Gregory suggests. He tries not to sound too desperate .
"You want to stay?" Freddy questions, looking a bit surprised. Gregory nods.
"I am glad. There are areas we have not yet investigated," Freddy tells him. He pulls out an extra Party Pass he found somewhere (Gregory isn't sure he wants to know how Freddy got it) and grins.
And just like that, Gregory has the perfect reason to stay at the Pizzaplex. And it's not even (that) selfish! Helping others is a good thing… right?
It only takes about an hour (or however long his run in with Monty actually was) for Gregory to start questioning his life choices again. Sure, Freddy is all tricked out with razor sharp claws now, but being chased across the catwalks above Monty Golf by a 6 foot tall Alligator who's set on murdering you is not a good time. Not to mention having to deal with the unnecessarily confusing Jazzercise Maze instructions and being chased by the creepy endos under the theater. It ranks right up there with being chased through sewers and garbage piles by a giant chicken or nearly being trampled by a giant spider DJ. None are fun. Negative four out of five stars, totally do not recommend.
"I should now be able to smash through the cyclone fences around the building the way Monty does," Freddy announces, flexing his upgraded claws.
Gregory gives an awkward little giggle, not wanting to upset Freddy by telling him he just trashed his friend to the point that Monty no longer has legs. Which… Freddy is bound to notice eventually. Just like what happened with Chica and Roxy. Please don't be mad at me when you find out the truth, Gregory begs silently.
"Yeah… just like Monty," he says, not making eye contact with Freddy.
"Now that we have investigated Monty Golf, where would you like to explore next?" Freddy asks. He doesn't seem to notice Gregory's slightly guilty behavior.
Gregory thinks. There's that weird sinkhole they saw mentioned in a few messages. Definitely suspicious. There's Kids' Cove - they really haven't spent any time there so far - but somehow Gregory doubts they'll find anything interesting in a place that is constantly crawling with people during the day. Freddy mentioned something about Sun and Moon having a secret room somewhere near the Daycare, which could be interesting. He's not really interested in dealing with Moon again, right now, though. After considering their options several minutes, Gregory circles back to somewhere they've already visited. Somewhere directly connected to Vanny herself.
"I think maybe we should take another look at that weird office above Fazerblast," Gregory finally announces. It shouldn't be too dangerous, should it? Freddy can use his claws to protect them if they happen to run into Vanny while they're there.
"That would be an excellent place to search for clues about Vanny's intentions," Freddy agrees, "We will just have to be careful not to get caught."
Fazerblast is a lot less inviting now that Gregory knows what's hiding above it. Sure, the neon lights and infinite hiding places are pretty cool. And it was a lot of fun to shoot at staff bots earlier, but now they're here on a more serious mission.
"Do you know of any other ways to get up to Vanny's hideout?" Gregory asks Freddy, "because I don't think you're gonna fit through the vents like I did…" (though the mental image of him trying is pretty entertaining)
"I do not spend much time here, due to the Fazerblaster's effect on my system, but I believe there should be a staircase somewhere in the Employees Only section," Freddy answers, guiding Gregory towards a red door hidden at the edge of the arena. Thanks to all the security badges Gregory has stolen, the door slides open without a problem.
When they step into the hallway, Gregory almost wishes the door had stayed locked. It's like something out of a nightmare. There's broken wires and pipes dangling at odd angles and some kind of fog (hopefully not toxic) fills the air. He can't see more than 5 feet in front of him. He stumbles forward and nearly collides with an extra creepy staff bot with the words 'In Your Dreams' scrawled across its chest. Freddy manages to grab the back of his shirt and pull him upright before the bot has a chance to react.
"Thanks," Gregory whispers, shuddering. Freddy nods silently.
They slip past the bot while it's looking away and book it down the hall. A few more bots with the same design lurk ahead, but they are easy enough to sneak past with a little patience and a well timed blaster shot to the face. Freddy can never know how funny it is to watch the way they blindly panic after they've been flashed. He wouldn't be nearly as entertained as Gregory is.
As predicted, they eventually find a ramp spiraling upwards at the end of the hallway. It's not too late to forget this crazy idea and get outta here, a small voice of doubt at the back of Gregory's head whispers. You can pretend this is all one bad dream. He's tempted. But no, he's already near the top of the ramp. He can see Vanny's hideout at the other end of the catwalks. Plus, he'd kinda like to bite the rabbit lady, since Freddy wouldn't let him bring an actual weapon (not that he knows where to find one to begin with). He's bitten people plenty of times before. It's a great way to assert dominance and disgust the heck out of adults. Or get revenge on the snotty kids at school that make fun of him for smelling weird.
"It looks like the coast is clear," Freddy announces, using Roxy's special eyes to scan for signs of Vanny.
"Let's do this," Gregory says, trying to sound braver than he feels. He puts his hand on the doorknob and turns. Unlocked. Darn it! He was really hoping to try his hand at lock picking! Comic books always make it sound so epic. Oh, well. Maybe next time he decides to engage in reckless endangerment, there'll be a lock he can pick.
With the door open, Freddy and Gregory venture into the previously inaccessible room. Freddy fiddles with the light switch. "It does not appear that the lights are working."
"Guess it's a good thing I still have my flashlight," Gregory says, waving it around. He checks under the blanket and pillow on the bed, and under the mattress. Nothing.
There's a few sticky notes on the desk. Freddy reads several of them out loud while Gregory checks out the Princess Quest III arcade cabinet.
'you are pathetic' 'Do not fail me'
The messages don't exactly fill Gregory with warm and fuzzy feelings.
"Who wrote this crap? And why?" He wonders out loud.
"I have no idea," Freddy tells him, frowning.
"Whoever it was has some serious issues," Gregory mutters, then turns back to Princess Quest III. It's unplugged, but somehow still running, just like the others. He's starting to wonder if they're haunted.
"Are you here to play?!" A voice asks from the doorway before he can fiddle with it any more.
"Vanny!" Freddy shouts, glaring at her, "I can see you now. Whatever you are doing, we will stop you!"
"Aw, but that's no fun," Vanny calls back, twirling a knife in one hand. She lunges towards Gregory, but Freddy is faster. He blocks her path, growling menacingly.
"I will not let you hurt him!"
Vanny stomps her feet in irritation. She cartwheels to the side, only to be cut off by Freddy again. He grabs her arm to keep her from getting any closer to Gregory. She writhes, trying to free herself and giggling maniacally all the while. And then, just for a moment, everything goes silent.
"Gregory-" for a split second, Vanny's eyes lose their red glow and her voice loses its creepy singsong tone, "Princess Quest! You have to-" she clutches her head and sobs. Gregory can hear her begging 'please, no!'. Is she talking to Freddy? Is she hallucinating? She's clearly insane. She blinks and the red glow is back.
"Are you having fun, yet?!" Vanny cackles, as though the weird interruption never happened.
"Escape through the vent system, Superstar," Freddy advises, gripping Vanny tightly, "I will make sure she cannot follow you!"
Gregory starts for the vent, then hesitates. The other Princess Quest games had seemed… special, somehow. Maybe this one is, too… of course, it could also be a trap. Vanny did specifically mention it. But honestly that just makes him more curious about what the game could be hiding. Screw it! He might as well play it and see what happens.
"Freddy, I think we need to see what this game does," he announces, decision made. Freddy doesn't look thrilled with his choice, but nods.
You can do this, Gregory tells himself, settling in front of the arcade cabinet. He presses enter and does his best to ignore the sounds of Vanny and Freddy fighting behind him. The first room is easy - all he has to do is slash at a few shadowy enemies with his sword. Then comes a room with a weird conveyor belt floor. That's a little harder to manage, but he still survives long enough to reach the other side. His avatar passes through more rooms that are just as weird as the first few. There are party decorations and (probably haunted) mazes and a weird green rabbit stuffy that gives Gregory the creeps. He plays on. Now he's got a mask that looks like Vanny's. What does any of this mean?
There are so many hallways. So many enemies. He's down to one heart when he hears a sickening crunch of metal. Vanny has stabbed Freddy. Gregory winces. Not good. All he can do is finish the game. He uses a special key to unlock the final hallway. This is it; the end of the game. As he steers the princess towards the weird looking all, he's almost positive he sees her wink at him before disappearing. Even crazier than that, Gregory swears he can see golden light flowing out of the machine for a few seconds before the screen lights up with a bright red ERROR message.
Vanny collapses to the floor with a thud.
"You did it, Superstar," Freddy congratulates him, though neither are sure what exactly it is that Gregory did.