Hello, readers. I know it's been awhile since the last update. I am still working on this story, but I recently started a new job and it has been a tough learning curve, so updates will probably continue to be irregular.
(several hours earlier)
"Freddie, I could really use some help over here," Gregory comments as he slashes at a zombie rabbit.
"But I do not have any weapons," Freddie replies,"Just these purple flowers."
"I can't believe you're still working on your garden! You started it two hours ago!" Gregory groans in frustration. He takes a hit from the zombie before finally defeating it.
"I can't believe you are still living in a home made from dirt," Freddie says.
Gregory sends him a dirty look. They've only just convinced Vanessa to buy Fazcraft for them, and it's already clear that they have very different priorities when it comes to gameplay. There's something so very satisfying about being able to obliterate his enemies without consequences. Something Freddy just doesn't seem to understand.
Sighing, the bear moves his avatar towards Gregory's and gives a half hearted attempt to help him. His 4 story mansion's landscaping will have to wait.
Unfortunately for both of them, something explodes and both avatars temporarily cease to exist, leaving only a clump of flowers and a sword behind.
"Aw, c'mon," Gregory complains, "Freddie, you're the worst."
"Now, Superstar-" Freddie begins. The incoming lecture about sportsmanship is interrupted by popup on the computer browser.
Fazbear Entertainment Security Alert: Security Node 54b has been deactivated.
"What the heck? That's all the way down in Monty Gator Golf!" Technically speaking, Gregory isn't even supposed to have access to the Pizzaplex's security program (even if he did help design it). He hacked in awhile back and then promptly forgot about it when nothing interesting seemed to be happening. He's comfortable with the way things are right now anyways. He's got a stable home, guardian mandated therapy sessions (because he doesn't already have enough therapist related trauma), and a robot sidekick. The payout from Fazbear Entertainment is pretty nice, too. He's not sure if it's a 'thanks for lending us your technological genius' or a 'stay the heck away from our establishment before you cause more destruction' kind of payout, but they're doing pretty well regardless.
But if someone is deactivating security notes, that could change things for all of them. Gregory had probably better check it out. With one last belligerent look at Freddie, he opens the pause menu and selects Save and Quit.
It doesn't take long to pull up security feed and begin searching for whoever is responsible for disabling various security nodes in and around the mini golf zone. Nor does it take long to actually find them. He is, however, caught completely off guard when he does. Of all the crazy things he's seen in his short life (and he's seen a lot of crazy things), nothing could prepare him for seeing Cassie running around calling his name, trying to find him. Especially when it's his own voice he hears replying to her.
"That's… Not me…" Gregory hasn't even seen Cassie since school let out last summer. Where did she get the idea that he was at the Pizzplex?
"Something or someone must be mimicking you," Freddie says worriedly.
"You don't think it's… You know… That thing in the basement do you?" Gregory asks. He shudders. He hasn't personally met the thing, but he's heard plenty of stories from a few overly chatty Fazbear employees. Stories that would keep most kids his age awake at night.
"I do not know, but we need to get that girl out of there before she gets hurt," Freddie tells him.
"Or before she hurts someone else," Gregory says, trying to come off as brave. "Cassie can be pretty scary when she wants to be."
"You know her?" Freddie asks. Gregory nods. "Then it is doubly important that we keep her safe."
They follow Cassie's journey thanks to several conveniently placed security cameras, but there is little else they can do. The security nodes cannot be reactivated remotely. There's no lock down protocol they can use to keep her from progressing deeper into the Pizzaplex. Just the cameras. True, they could call the police. But what are the police going to do? They're trained to deal with human threats, not animatronics.
Freddie and Gregory manage to speak through a few deactivated staff bots that Gregory hacks, but it doesn't seem to make a difference. Cassie is determined to follow the other Gregory's instructions. Helplessly, they watch, hoping something stalls her progress long enough for them to get through to her. But unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before Cassie reaches the door to the sinkhole.
"Is that thing almost ready?" Roxy asks impatiently. She's not sure how long they've been down in Parts and Service, exactly, but it feels like it's been hours.
"Roxy, I swear, if you ask me that one more time, I will use this system to upgrade your voice box so that it is off. Permanently." Helpy replies in an uncharacteristically annoyed tone.
Wow. Roxy hasn't managed to get this kind of reaction from Helpy before - though she's definitely tried to. Just a little taste of his own medicine. He deserves it.
" You said you'd have it up and running in a 'jiffy'. I'm pretty sure it's been longer than that," she observes.
"Hot wiring the upgrade system isn't something I do every day," Helpy protests, "I'm usually more of a nodes and guidance kinda guy!"
"Are you sure you know what you're doing? What if something goes wrong?" Eclipse worries. The Helpy image on the computer screen glares at him.
"It's almost like you don't trust me."
"Maybe we don't," Roxy says noncommittally. She flexes her claws and examines them as if just noticing they need a new coat of polish.
"Listen. This machine is super touchy," Helpy informs them, "Being off on calibration by even a single pixel of space could be very bad!"
Roxy and Eclipse glance at each other as Helpy continues.
"If we want this to go smoothly and not kill Cassie in the most gruesome way imaginable, you need to be patient. But I guess I could rush things if you really wanna risk it?"
"No!" Roxy hastily assures him.
"That's okay!" Eclipse says at the same time.
"I thought so," Helpy replies, satisfied. Zeroes and ones flood the screen once more as he returns to what he was doing before the interruption. He begins humming the theme song for Freddy and Friends: On Tour, and soon, Eclipse joins in. Roxy rolls her eyes at first, but finds herself humming too, eventually. Hey - it's a distraction. And a distraction is definitely needed right now. So she commits to it. Because otherwise she'll just sit here thinking about Cassie and everything that could go wrong with what they're about to do. Which is exactly zero help. Possibly even negative help. (if that's a thing)
"I didn't know you liked Freddy and Friends," Eclipse comments. Both he and Helpy are staring at her.
"Oh. Well. Ahem. It's not that I like Freddy and Friends. It's just… Catchy. Yeah." Roxy tries to sound cool. Neither of her companions seem convinced.
"Okay," Helpy says, shrugging. "I think we're good to go, now, but let's run a few tests just to be sure."
Given that Helpy doesn't have a physical form, Eclipse and Roxy take turns pressing the buttons on the Testing Console. Roxy vaguely remembers the system being used on her, but she's never noticed how game-like the process is. Blue. Red. Yellow. Red. Green. Blue. It's almost like the times she's played Simon Says with kids at birthday parties.
"I think we've done pretty much everything we possibly can to test this thing," Helpy finally announces.
"Time to cross our fingers and toes!" Eclipse says, doing exactly that (and more).
"Come on, Eclipse. I need you to help me make sure Cassie gets strapped in right," Roxy tells the attendant, which forces him to detwist several parts of his body.
Cassie seems impossibly small in comparison to the rather large contraption designed to hold animatronics. It's all wrong seeing her like this. Seeing her here. All broken and bloodied. It is so lucky Roxy couldn't stick around after she stole it's eyes. So lucky.
"I think we'd better give her some of these. You know, so she doesn't wake up halfway through?" Eclipse holds out a few Moondrop candies.
"You realize those things are so potent that they're practically considered medical grade narcotics, right?" Roxy asks, wondering how long the candies have been in his pockets. She quickly decides she'd rather not know, actually. "They're banned in over a hundred countries and are only legal in, like, Timbuktu, North Korea, and Utah of all places."
"All the more reason to give her some - the potency, not the legality," Helpy points out.
"She should be at a hospital being treated by professionals right now. This is the best we can do to without help from outside, which we don't have," Eclipse reminds her. Roxy sighs. The Moondrop candies will keep Cassie more comfortable. They just happen to be extremely strong for candies meant to calm kids down before nap time. Just another questionable business venture by Fazbear Entertainment.
"I guess anything we can do to improve our chances is probably worth it," Roxy finally agrees.
Eclipse crushes several of the candies, mixing them with a little bit of water. Then he pours the mixture into Cassie's mouth. She instinctively swallow instead of choking, much to everyone's relief.
"I guess we'd better get started," Roxy says. She's not sure she's ready for this, but she doesn't trust herself or the others not to talk each other out of their plan.
"Procedure commencing in three…two…" Helpy announces. Countdowns are usually an exciting thing for Roxy. They put her in a competitive mood. A winning mood. Races, games, heck, even the occasional birthday cake have countdowns. But this one is different. They're playing god with a little girl's life and there's no guarantees that any of this will be worth it.
"One…"
The upgrade machine whirs into action.
