Woot woot! Another chapter brought to you on time! This one is a little longer, too. Hope you enjoy!
Cassie hangs her head over the bucket, groaning miserably and trying to ignore the way her body feels.
"I hate everything," she mutters, trying to rid her mouth of the taste of puke. Someone holds a bottle of water to her mouth. It isn't particularly cold, but she doesn't care. She swishes a little bit of water, then spits it out before greedily drinking the rest of it. When was the last time she drank something? Trying to remember makes Cassie dizzy. She sinks back against something cushiony.
"Feeling better?" Someone asks her. She tries to nod, but the effort sends a wave of pain stabbing through her head.
"Woah, take it easy, kiddo," someone else says, "you're gonna make yourself sick again."
"What…" Cassie blinks, her vision slowly becoming less blurry. Roxy is kneeling next to her. Are they in the Daycare? "What happened?"
"Well, that's a loaded question," Roxy mutters, frowning. Cassie tries to sit up, but Roxy motions for her to stop.
"I remember coming here to try to find Gregory… he, um, told me to meet him here, but then he wasn't waiting like he said he'd be…"
"I've been wondering what you were doing here. What else do you remember?" Roxy asks patiently. She's had her own share of memory struggles. Trying to force things usually doesn't help.
"Well, I kept looking and looking, and there was a Mask Bot and a weird blue bunny that kept showing up!" Cassie recalls. It's starting to come back to her. "Gregory said he was trapped under the sinkhole and that I had to turn off all the Security Nodes to get him out. I must have done that, next."
"Oh, you definitely did," Roxy tells her, shuddering as she remembers the sensation of being deactivated.
"Oh my gosh - that's right! I… I deactivated you! Are you okay?" Cassie tilts her head towards the animatronic wolf. What if she's angry with me, she worries. Roxy seems fine, though the oversized sunglasses are definitely new.
"Roxy's fine," Helpy announces, inserting himself into the conversation, "If she wasn't, I wouldn't have received so many death threats today!"
"I'm more worried about you, kid," Roxy says in a tone that makes it clear that she's rolling her eyes, even if no one can see it.
"Why?" Cassie doesn't understand why Roxy is so worried. She's puked plenty of times before.
"Well…" Roxy starts.
"We have some good news and some bad news, New Friend," Eclipse says, sitting himself down next to Roxy.
"There was… an accident after you went down into the sinkhole," Roxy tells her gently. Flashes of a creature with milky white eyes and Gregory's voice chasing her fill Cassie's memory.
"What was that thing?"
"Something that should never have been allowed to stay here," Roxy replies bitterly. "You made it to the elevator - you should have been safe!"
"The elevator…" Cassie repeats, "oh…"
It all comes back to her - getting on the elevator and thinking she was being rescued, Gregory telling her they couldn't risk her being followed, the elevator plummeting while she screamed until her throat was raw, then… nothing. Gregory, how could you?! Oh, she wishes she didn't remember. The betrayal hurts.
"Yeah…" Roxy says softly.
"The good news is you're alive, and you're going to be just fine," Eclipse tells Cassie.
"The bad news is it cost you an arm and a leg!" Helpy cuts in, making a badum tish sound effect. Roxy and Eclipse both glare furiously at his monitor.
"What Helpy means to say," Roxy begins gently, "is that you were very badly injured when I pulled you from the elevator wreckage and we had to… um… we tried. We really tried, but you were a mess - you were losing so much blood - we had to… there was nothing else we could do - I failed you… I am so, so sorry…"
Cassie stares down at her body, trying to make sense of what Roxy is saying. Failed her! How?
It takes her several pain-filled tries to move her right arm into view. It feels… heavier than usual. And… off somehow. Like it's there, but not there at the same time. It won't obey her. And it burns.
"Oh, wow," she whispers numbly. Her arm is gone. Gone and replaced by a shiny metallic one that feels all wrong. No one says anything. Why aren't they saying anything? Cassie's gaze travels downwards. A blanket half covers her legs, but she can tell that one of them isn't quite right… "Oh, wow…" she says again. "I-I don't-" her voice cracks. This is all too much for her. Please say something, she begs the others silently. She needs someone to tell her it's all going to be okay.
"Cassie…" Roxy trails off. She reaches out to stroke the girl's head. She has never been the best at comforting children, but she's ready to try for Cassie's sake.
Unable to stand it any longer, Cassie pulls the animatronic into a fierce hug. She sobs as the movement causes her arm to rebel and pain shoots through her shoulder. She sobs as the tears begin to flow freely. She sobs as they run down her face and into her wounds, causing everything to start stinging, and making sob even harder. She sobs as Roxy and Eclipse stare at each other, neither knowing what to do or say to comfort her.
Roxy holds her for a long time, rocking back and forth. What can she possibly say that will make any of this better? Nothing. There's not a single thing that can fix this. If only Roxy had been a little faster, a little smarter. Then maybe Cassie wouldn't be so broken. It's no wonder Fazbear Entertainment gave up on her. She failed the night of the earthquake, and she failed tonight, too.
MXES may not be able to speak, but he is very much still able to show his displeasure when Gregory reboots the security system in the old restaurant hidden in the sinkhole. He glares fiercely at Gregory the second he's done, as if it's Gregory's fault he got shut down temporarily. Which, really, it's not. And Gregory does try to explain this to the computer program.
"Look, I know you're angry," he says. MXES' glare intensifies. "Yeah, yeah. Being deactivated sucks. But what are you angry at me for? I wasn't even here!"
"We know you did your very best! You really are an important part of the Pizzaplex's security system," Freddy adds, hoping a compliment or two might placate the angry digital hare.
"And now that you're back online, everything should go back to normal!" Gregory continues encouragingly. MXES continues to glare at the trio. What is his deal? Man, he did not mean to program this thing to have so many attitude issues…
"The security nodes haven't been reactivated," Vanessa points out. "Is that what you're worried about?"
MXES' glare softens slightly.
"I'll take that as a yes," she decides, "don't worry - we'll take care of that as soon as we have a chance."
"Yeah!" Gregory agrees, going over to the backpack in the corner of the room. "We can even use this as the first one."
MXES nods furiously. He seems to like this plan. Maybe if they do one or two nodes now, he'll stop being so salty and chill a little instead of plotting their murders.
Vanessa pulls a spare Faz Wrench out of her backpack. It's a little more difficult to set up the node program without a mask to help her see things virtually, but she manages to figure things out eventually.
"Happy now?" Gregory asks MXES when Vanessa is finished. The hare gives a slight nod, then stares sadly at the now unblocked door that leads deeper into the sinkhole's cavernous cave system. Gregory wonders how Cassie managed to get through the cement barrier that should have blocked her way.
"We're going to find her," He assures the security program. "And make sure that It is taken care of. Whatever it takes."
MXES gives him a look that clearly translates to 'you'd better'.
Gregory gulps as he approaches the door. He really doesn't like it down here as it is (thanks Glitchtrap!). Maybe he and Cassie can bond over shared trauma after this. If they find her. If she's even still… Please, Cassie, hang on just a little longer…
"So, uh, what's the plan if we run into It?" He asks the others, trailing behind them down the dirt passageway. He tries to ignore the creepy carnival costumes and cutouts they pass. (Where did they come from, anyway?)
"I guess we'll get to see if Corporate was right about animatronics being susceptible to tasers," Vanessa tells him. She stops walking long enough to pull something out of her backpack. Gregory stares in awe. She's starting to remind him of Mary Poppins.
Freddy, on the other hand, is horrified.
"Oh, don't give me that look," Vanessa complains, "it's not like I've actually tested it on anyone…" She considered all of the animatronics to be her friends when was working as a security guard for the Pizzaplex. Even Vanny wouldn't stoop so low; they were more valuable to her fully functional.
"I cannot believe that Fazbear Entertainment would encourage these kinds of measures!" Freddy exclaims, still disgruntled.
"Freddy, you do realize that Fazbear Entertainment has done far worse than authorizing their security guards to carry tasers - right?" Vanessa rolls her eyes.
"Fazbear Entertainment sure sucks, but I, for one, am glad we have something we can use to defend ourselves if we run into a thing with a history of ripping people limb from limb," Gregory comments. No one can disagree with this statement.
They continue their journey, following the same route they relayed to Cassie earlier in the day. The underground tunnels would be kinda cool if not for the murderous animatronic potentially stalking them. There's all sorts of twists and turns that probably lead someplace interesting (or maybe deeply disturbing?). There's weird glowing crystals and mushrooms. Even a small lake, though the water is a gross rusty color that isn't particularly inviting.
As they approach more ruins of some long forgotten building, they hear banging. Gregory slows down, lingering behind his companions. They're getting awfully close to the elevator Cassie was supposed to use to escape… is It trying to destroy evidence of its crimes against humanity or something? He has no idea what the bot looks like. How will he know if they're in danger?
"Help me!" A voice - Gregory's voice - calls, "I'm trapped! It's so dark and lonely…"
"I hate this so much," the real Gregory says with a shudder. Hearing his voice be used by someone else is even more disturbing in person. He considers staying where he is and letting Freddy and Vanessa deal with this on their own, but he doubts that would be any safer.
"Trust me, I hate it too," Vanessa tells him. She grips her taser fiercely. Whatever happens next, she'll be ready.
The trio rounds the corner, ready for (what will probably be a very unfair) battle.
"Chaaaarge!" Gregory can't help but yell. He clutches a rock he (nearly tripped over) found earlier and tries to look intimidating. The battle cry ultimately turns out to be unnecessary, however. It isn't running about freely, ready to cause more carnage. Instead, the animatronic has somehow gotten itself trapped inside of a little room that kinda reminds Gregory of the containment rooms the Pizzaplex has in Parts and Service.
"Let me out of here!" the thing cries out, banging on the door. Everyone stares at it.
"How…" Vanessa doesn't even know where to start. "How did you get in there? What the heck is going on?"
"The wolf lady trapped me," It says, still sounding uncomfortably like Gregory, "she trapped me and then she took my eyes!"
"Good for her!" Vanessa snaps back before she can fully process this revelation. She's always admired Roxy's spunk.
"Roxy was here?" Freddy questions, surprised. He assumed she stayed powered down after Cassie shut her off. Clearly that is incorrect. He glances about the area, trying to find signs that Roxy has truly been here. Someone had to have locked It in that room. If this were a trap, they would likely have been attacked by now.
"Yes! Didn't you hear me?" It pouts, "she trapped me in here and took my eyes! Now I can't see…"
"Look, you jerk, could you stop using my voice for five seconds? It's creepy." Gregory demands. He's anything but sympathetic to It's plight. He's heard what this thing is capable of, no matter how innocent it wants to act right now.
"But-but I'm Gregory!" The bot insists.
"No. You're not. I am!" Gregory argues back. Okay, this is just stupid.
"But-"
"Shut up already!"
"There is… a concerning amount of blood, but it does not appear that Cassie is still here," Freddy interrupts, examining the ruined elevator.
Temporarily forgetting his argument with It, Gregory races over to see for himself. He's not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that Cassie's horribly mangled body isn't lying at the bottom of the shaft like he expected it to be. If she's out there somewhere, still alive, she's gotta be in rough shape. Gregory is no doctor, but he's pretty sure people don't just walk away from something like this.
"If she's not here… then where is she?" Vanessa wonders. "There's no way she got out of here on her own…"
"She took her and now I'm all alone… I just wanted someone to play with!" It complains.
"Your idea of play usually ends with someone dying," Vanessa points out. It huffs, unhappy with her comment. She doesn't care; there are more pressing things to worry about. If Roxy rescued Cassie from the elevator's wreckage, where did she take her afterwards?
"Well," Freddy says, backing away from the elevator shaft (and taking Gregory with him), "we may as well return to the surface and try to locate Roxanne."
The others nod in agreement. There's no point sticking around here any longer than is necessary. Not if Cassie's not here.
"At least let me out before you go!" It begs them, banging on the door one last time.
Vanessa considers using her taser on It just to get it to shut up for a bit. She's more than a little disappointed she hasn't had an excuse to use the darn thing yet.
"I do not think that will be necessary," Freddy tells her, knowing exactly what she is thinking. He, too, is quite annoyed by the creature, but he cannot bring himself to encourage tasing another animatronic like himself. Even if said animatronic has a rather high body count.
