Sometime during the PizzaPlex's prime-
GLAMROCK BONNIE
They had a kickass vinyl player in here. Like he said before; freakin' sweet digs.
Problem? The record wasn't any actual old music or even any of the REAL classic stuff- it's all Fazbear Entertainment approved CRAP. Can't play anything copyrighted here. Nope, no SIR.
Ah, what Bonnie wouldn't give to hear more music beyond what they have here... he dreamed that one day, he'd hear something outside of this place and maybe use some outside music as an inspiration. Wasn't the Fazbear crew not just a bunch of party bots, but musicians? Don't they MAKE music for themselves? Can't they be allowed that creativity? And wasn't creativity an extension of an intelligent being? Didn't they encourage better learning for these bots for the most optimal, satisfactory experience with their patrons?
Sadly, it seems the Fazbear crew would be left to stagnate in this place and never get to hear music beyond their own. And even then, they can't even write their own pieces either- which was depressing. They had showrunners that did that for them! These showrunners ran their sheets to management and asked what they think sounded good and got it approved for some performances-
Bonnie HATED that more than anything else... not that he actually ever told Freddy that.
Some days, he found plucking his bass a little harder. This was one of those days- where he didn't want to pick up an instrument AT ALL if he was harmonizing to someone else's beat. Why should he keep singing somebody else's songs and be allowed to pass them off as his and Freddy's own? THAT AIN'T RIGHT. He wanted to MAKE his own thing! Why was that discouraged? He should be on his personal stage right now, performing for the people in his alley-
But here he was instead, fussing with the vinyl player and putting it on for the kiddies just so he can get some kind of vibe going. Sure, his nonchalant posture suggested relaxation and chiller aura; but his half-lidded, dazed, rather resigned expression bespoke otherwise. Nobody in here could see the disinterested, and perhaps slightly disheartened gaze he wore through his shades; no need for them to see he was just as unhappy in some aspects as THEY could be. That's against the rules. He had to maintain his character- keep smiling. Be the warm, approachable cutesy bunny boy people can pet and hug.
He was leaning against the player itself; one paw tucked under his chin to support his head and the other very slowly pressing on the vinyl's button; and damn if his ears didn't DROOP today. The tips were almost in his eyes. He flipped through some of the Fazbear crew songs, blinking out of sync every other minute like he was trying to remember how to blink both eyes at the same time. The vinyl player was Fazbear Entertainment's way of going all out for the late 70's and early 80's gimmick- but Bonnie could've swore a jukebox would've worked just as well. Ah well, he wasn't complaining about the device itself- the vinyl was nice.
He breathed- the sound crackling in tune with both his compressor and voice box; displaying some of his exasperation as he flipped through the songs until he found one that sounded okay to start the list with. He left it at "Rockin' Rabbit Rumble" before walking with his claw tips tucked into his plates like they're makeshift pockets. That particular song was one of the less annoying sounding pieces they had- and it so happened it was his theme song after all. Why not use it?
Kids dashed around tables in the dining area above the lanes, pulling at their parents' hands and gesticulating in excitement at both the ice cream menu AND the fact that Freddy's right-hand man himself was hanging with the crowd today. Sometimes, a few little cute tater tots would run up and hug his legs; and Bonnie would have to walk with them hanging on and giggling like it's the merriest ride in the world (he walked real slow, of course). At least right now no kids were doing that- as he was making his way to the counter. The ones that were here now KNEW what was coming:
Bonnie B. Bunny himself was gonna serve them the goods IN PERSON today! Oh, Happy days!
The Circus Baby-themed S.T.A.F.F bot stationed here was on duty right now, but Bonnie planned on taking its place. He hated those things, as he felt they messed up orders more often than not. Some people would want some of the ingredients (like nuts) omitted from their vanilla serves- you know, peanut allergies and the like. But the stupid, endlessly dumb S.T.A.F.F bots wouldn't know how to serve the ice cream except in the EXACT way they're programmed to serve it- fully intact and with ALL the fixins'. They bug out with certain items like that. Management was trying to adjust them, but it was strangely slow going.
So, sometimes the Glamrocks were allowed to get in on the activities in their own pad- given they weren't due for a private party or a show. Bonnie served ice cream some days, Chica baked in her own bakery... As long as there wasn't anything pizza-flavored near her, she functioned well enough (sometimes...). The rabbit couldn't help but feel something heavy settle within him as he recalled Chica's increasingly frenetic, unpredictability around various food stuffs however- as it seems to be steadily worsening with time.
Come to think of it, he hadn't seen her cook in quite some time now, had he? He paused part-way to the counter, moving his mandible as he considered the fact Chica, as a food mascot and representative of a food-centered theme like MAZErcise and the Cupcake factory that she hadn't been inside her own attractions that much as of recently. Every time she did though, things got broken or replaced. Food vanished, and people holding certain foods would find their purchases sadly pilfered from their own hands by the same hen they came to see.
Chica used to cook and SERVE- when did that change? Had he been that negligent in recalling when she started to spiral in earnest? He felt terrible for the missed observation.
As it is (and on a slightly more positive note), Freddy loves sticking his nose ANYWHERE where anyone's under staffed and needed the help- and he'd serve too at some of these food-focused spots. He'd need permission for some places first (like asking Chica if he can join her for baking- to which he always got an enthusiastic yes), but he'd get in on the fun. He especially adored making more elaborate deserts and cakes- and he did it with a flare that pleased the crowd who'd watch him!
Bonnie loved watching him and Chica flourish in that setting. It warmed his circuits in a way that felt organic. At that, he wistfully sighed. Chica not having done something like this in some time was worrying enough, and he missed watching the bear and her work. They were some duo in the kitchen, and Chica was her best self whenever she was able to spend any amount of casual time with them.
He was going to stick it out alone today- as he didn't want to impose on them, not to mention being busy running his own attraction.
Now, daydreaming aside, he lifted a panel on the back of the ice cream bot and held it still with his other paw so it wouldn't roll away. He stuck a claw STRAIGHT into the Baby bot like its a key; then turned clock-wise to engage a shut down on its back. It slumped over; making a comment about tampering with Fazbear Entertainment electronics-
"Yeah yeah, I know. Just take a nap for a while," He grumbled at it before dusting his paws off and stealing its apron. Ah! At least he can do the next thing he loved freely; ICE CREAM. Management can't yell at him about that, at least.
He perked up his ears; listening to, and you can't joke about this- but no less than 12 frantic pairs of small feet moving from various places in the alley. Some from the lanes, a couple form this dining area, and the rest from the arcade as soon as people noticed what he was up to. He doled out a smile to each face as it came into view. He recognized, logged, and sorted in his Hud EXACTLY what each person here liked. Some of the faces he knew from prior visits, and others were newer- to which he'd have to inquire about how'd they like their serves.
Nearby, the parents were laughing and watching, others were talking in more hushed tones, and there was one father who seemed to be sitting out on one of the benches down in the lanes; with his head tilted back against the wall and somehow snoring away. Someone would have to wake the poor guy up! Bonnie would have to prod him in a bit. As it was, the man's boy was bouncing happily right in front of him, so no worries- the rabbit can keep an eye out for the man.
Bonnie kept him in mind as he went about his business; talking it up with each of the excited munchkins and making sure to eye the adults from his periphery vision- always scanning each one, making sure there was nothing in the crime data-base with their name on it. He'd sometimes, albeit rarely, found a parent or two that had some sort of charge, but it was small stuff; petty theft maybe, at worst. No real predator or someone with a crime higher than a infraction would be allowed in here- and even then, those with said charge are scrutinized carefully.
Bonnie had no such reprobate in his company right now, to which he was glad for. He can relax a bit! All children were accounted for, and the adults were relaxing- and there was music going. Sweet vibes all around!
His ears rotated constantly; perking with certain conversations with the adults, more often than not. That was the other reason for this upgrade actually: For Bonnie to listen in to the people coming into the PizzaPlex and make sure no one would say anything incriminating- Then again, who'd want to talk about crime around him? You'd have to be thick in order to do something so senseless.
Still, even with the chiller atmosphere and relaxed vibes floating around, you'll always have that one person whose determined to make it a bit more exciting...
"Dad..."
"No, I'm telling you- they shouldn't be open at all! Why are we even here? We shouldn't even be givin' them our money!"
"Well, we're already in here now, so hush."
The elder snorted, "HUH. Doesn't anyone even remember about the disa-"
"DAD. Why are you hashing this in a public space, let alone here? Inside voices!"
Bonnie kept on smiling, blatantly ignoring what he was hearing. The old man was going on rather loudly- Mr. Herman, according to the guest profile. The woman he was talking to was his daughter, Trisha- and the mother to this boy here, Jeremiah- who was now taking his order of the Chunky Bonnie from Bonnie. He always loved the name, and it didn't seem to be a coincidence that the boy chose that ice cream. It was cute!
Jeremiah was a fluffy, brunette haired lad; round of face and doe-eyed in gaze (aw, kinda like a baby bunny in that facet!); and not unlike his mother actually. He was wearing a Bonnie-themed name shirt too, jumping up excitedly when the real-deal slid over his order with gusto. He practically had stars for eyes- which seemed to get bigger once he grabbed the bowl of hard-serve and bobble his head in thanks. He happily chirruped more or less like a squirrel after that; than walked briskly to his mother's side.
"Momma! Lookee! Lookee!"
"I know, hun. Sit up, and don't bounce so much! You'll drop it!"
"I won't, momma! I WON'T," he proclaimed with a confidence that got a bit loud.
"What the heck is this? Why are we givin' our money to THAT thing?"
Ouch, man. Harsh much, Bonnie internally commented. Again, he ignored it.
"Dad... its his job?" Trisha replied in a tone that sounded more or less like a 'duh?'. "He's supposed to-"
"I don't get it. Why the heck are these things allowed to walk around so freely? They're dangerous! They used to be bolted down, you know- relegated to just stage shows. No, you don't know, child. You don't know-" he leaned in conspiratorially. "-These things have hurt people!"
"I KNOW. I've heard it all before, dad. Now please, stop," Trisha begged. She also added with increased annoyance, "Also, I don't think you should be talking like that where he can hear it? I'm pretty sure he can."
You have no idea just how good these ears are, sweets. None.
"Is that right? Alright then," Now Mr. Herman lowered his voice, thank god. People were looking. But then, he muttered while making direct eye contact with the actual rabbit in the room, "Then tell me, Trisha: Why the heck is Bonnie still a character here? Huh? Why?"
"I dunno, dad. Because he's a classic? I like him too-"
"Classic! Classic CRIME of nature," He snorted derisively. "I mean, look at 'em. He's he's like 7 and a half feet tall- 8 feet? Killer, terminator second-times removed cousin of the easter bunny's that no one talks about. M'shocked they even kept him around! After all, it was a BONNIE that killed those kids-"
"DAD. Enough! Not around your grandson! Do I have to take you out to the car and get your meds? This is why we don't go out into public with you!"
Herman puckered his already thin lips, staring hard at Trisha and settling. All the while, Jeremiah hadn't even noticed, he was savoring his ice cream so much. In fact, he finished it and pushed the empty bowl at his mom, "More, momma? I want more! We can share next one?"
Trisha mashed her lips and turned towards her boy. She smiled sweetly. "Sure, dear. Then we have to go-"
"AWWW. But MOOOOM-"
"If you'd let me finish," She cut him off. "-We still have more of the PizzaPlex to see! And mommy wants to check out Chica's bakery!"
By now, Bonnie wasn't even hearing them anymore. His expression was dead-eyed; staring out into space like someone just slapped him with a fish- or he was running a severe system error. Maybe the latter was apparent, because he couldn't even move his fingers anymore. His ears weren't twitching towards the hungry consumers, nor did he notice the odd skip at the vinyl player before it was auto-adjusted by the machine.
A Bonnie. A Bonnie... did what now? Noooo. No way.
How come he didn't know of that? Oh right... look who his employer was.
Still, Bonnie was aware of the fact his past versions had flaws and may have... hurt, some folk before. But this? To have spilled innocent blood? That couldn't have grated on his circuits more. He finally budged; just then realizing that he should finish his work.
"Bun bun?"
"No bun, hun. That's BON," Said another mother nearby.
"No no. Bun bun okay? He okay?"
Why the heck was a child asking him if HE was alright? Was he looking just that much like he was having a major malfunction? How embarrassing!
Bonnie straightened himself out, then turned towards the youngster who posed the question; Brigid. He smiled gently at her; bowing over the counter and finally passing the girl her slushie. "I'm so sorry. Bun bun was out in space for a moment there! Thank you for asking, doll! Its very kind of you," He said in a voice that could've been mixed with molasses and brown sugar. She was so cute.
Honestly, he loved ALL these kids- he just wished he didn't have to see most of them come only once- just to disappear out of his life forever after one visit to the PizzaPlex. He was designed to shower them all with some sort of love and adoration- to protect them, always.
But the idea of never seeing them again somehow always hurt in ways he can't fathom. He can only imagine his friends felt the same.
And worse... now that he had heard that... the fact that a BONNIE would...
"Mr. Bonnie?"
Trisha's voice.
The rabbit turned to look at her, blinking once when he noticed her strangely concerned expression. Jeremiah was holding her hand next to her, their grandfather still at the dining table they left him at- thankfully quiet now. Bonnie perked a single ear, his right one staying its characteristic droop.
"I hear you want a second order?" He said, going right to it-
"-I'm so sorry about my dad," she suddenly and bluntly tossed out. She made sure to say this when all the other children were out of ear shot. "I mean... he's like, 70? He's all spit and vinegar now but... he doesn't really-"
"No ma'am. Please, no need to apologize on his behalf," Bonnie coaxed, holding up both paws in a motion of submission. "I understand that he's uh... well, within reason, upset that some things have... remained. Around. For as long as they did... And I wager, seeing something like me is an alarming aspect to some people- especially when I know that the people I work under are uh... a dubious bunch. I take no offense to it, nor will I say anything to my superiors about it. Really, no trouble!" He lowered his shades and looked her right in the eyes, "Don't sweat it, miss."
He pushed the bowl towards her, "Now don't tell anyone, but half price on this one. I'm not supposed to do that but... take it. I feel you need it!"
Trisha gently pulled it over, her warm gaze a summery light that Bonnie had to admit was quite pretty- definitely one of the patrons he liked more. Jeremiah was hopping up and down again, smiling between his mom and the rabbit.
"Thanks Bonnie!" He said for his mom.
"No prob, rockstar. You make sure not to huff it all down now! Share with her too!"
Trisha inhaled, held, and released. Then she said, "My dad. You wouldn't think so, but he was fan before. Big one. Sometimes, I wonder if, despite what he says, he still is. He still keeps his collector's edition Freddy and Friends lunch box with Foxy on it," She shrugged. "There must some reason why he didn't throw it away."
Bonnie cocked his head, "Oh?"
"Yeah... he's uh..." She picked up Jeremiah, helping him get into the bar stool and sitting at the other one. She nervously twiddled her spoon in the ice cream. Her son prodded her spoon a couple times with his own, then took a couple mouthfuls while his soft, dark eyes flitted between them. "-He's just... He was super young when it happened. But apparently, he saw something he shouldn't have as a kid? I dunno. All I can say is that I understand that he's anxious about being here... and he hasn't returned to a Freddy's establishment since he was so small. But his wife, my boy's grandma, encouraged he'd spend the day with us- and Jeremiah here wanted SO badly to come here so... I'm surprised he came out, really."
Bonnie rubbed at his jawline, his red eyes sliding slowly over to Herman. He frowned, "I don't wanna ask but... what's this thing he said about a Bonnie-? I know I had older versions of me..." He raked his claws through his hair, nose twitching- a stressed motion he didn't realize he was indulging until he noticed her strange look. He promptly quit it, then inclined his head at Trisha, reminding her to eat. She did so before he went on, "I uh... see, we wouldn't know about this stuff because... I don't think its good for our programming. Fazbear Entertainment keeps our access to certain bits of information shushed up even to us since we're constantly learning and adjusting. But, I'd also like context about why our customers are so unhappy... kinda part of the programming too: For feedback purposes, yunno? It helps improve our etiquette and general experience for all parties."
"Yeah, I do. I get it."
"So uh... I don't wanna ask but... what even was this incident? Should I be adjusting my behavior somehow-? Did I do something to offend? I don't want that man having such a hard time of it..."
She shook her head fast, then polished off the bowl with her son. Apparently, she refused to say around him- within reason. Bonnie understood, though it slightly bugged him that he would go without knowing.
"I'm so sorry-" She started again. "I'd tell you if I didn't have my boy around, but its not an easy subject to be broaching in a public space."
"No ma'am'. I'm the one that's sorry for causing any upset. Please, do not apologize again. It isn't needed," he returned in a lowered tone. He leaned over the counter and settled on his elbows, looking between mother and boy.
Bonnie reached out once, letting Jeremiah touch his hand tentatively. The motion made Bonnie smile more- the boy's small, infinitely tiny hands trying to wrap around Bonnie's large digits. The size disparity was intimidating... so Herman wasn't wrong about that. Bonnie honestly WAS huge- and even he knew normal rabbits were diminutive, adorable, fluffy, and shy creatures. And some people he knew had fear of animatronics and mannequins- so he sometimes wondered if he came off too loud or harsh and if he can fix it.
But this, he didn't think can be fixed in any way.
"Bunny!" Jeremiah smiled warmly, lovingly fidgeting with Bonnie's digits all the while. His little doe eyes flashed as he took in the sight of Bonnie's painted talons too; no doubt the carmine color was alluring for him. "Ooooh... pretty color too! You paint?"
"Yes, kiddo. I paint," He smirked as he replied in a lower tone.
"Pretty," he said again, gently touching the tips.
Bonnie's talons weren't super deadly sharp at the ends; it would make gripping the strings and holding them down on the fretboard difficult if that were the case (He may even slice them up if that were the case). In fact, Bonnie's talons were more or less like a dog's claws; blunted at the tips and almost flat where they should touch ground. Because of this design choice, it was a bit more realistic as to what an actual animal's claws were like as well as overall functional use for play.
Bonnie at length took another paw and cupped it over Jeremiah's own, simply savoring the sensation of holding the whelp's almost infantile sized mitts and getting the benefit of a reward from his programming with being so gentle with him. Children like Jeremiah made being what he was worth it, he figured.
Trisha meanwhile seemed to be observing them in contemplative silence, her expression making it impossible to tell what was going on in her mind. She would glance at Bonnie a few times, hum once, then gaze back down.
"You miss them? Um, after closing, I mean," she suddenly asked.
Bonnie slid her a look, "I do. We all do... despite what some would think to the contrary. We never get to see some of your faces again- so those that do come back are especially appreciated. While our managers... er, appreciate more or less your patronage... we bots appreciate being able to interact with something a bit more regularly than just each other, yunno?"
She blinked there, truly looking almost awe-struck by the fact that Bonnie pretty much told her he would miss her boy.
"We adore children, miss. One of the very first things taught to us in our earliest days of activation is the importance of loving them," he continued easily. "You should see Sun... the daycare attendant? Just a little while ago when I saw him last, he was haunting the front entrance and looking outside. He told me he likes watching the cars- trying to memorize and imprint everyone's faces when they go to leave. He told me..." He hummed, then said, "He told me in his exact words, 'the memory of them is all we'll have'. I was a little surprised by his level of introspection, really. I can't say I disagree though either."
"I didn't expect that-" She muttered.
"I didn't either and we kinda live with him? Sun hardly ever leaves the daycare so, seeing him there and spouting something like that took me off guard," Bonnie admitted. "But yeah... so hearing your dad say we'd hurt someone like that... that's a taboo to us, despite the er... uh, the fact Chica charges patrons-" He scratched sheepishly at the back of his neck, still letting Jeremiah hold his other paw. "She doesn't mean it. She literally can't control it; its a bug in her system and the techs just don't help her. Some sorta priority thing in her task list as a result of being a food mascot. There are a few other things that sadly contribute to her behavior... but those are personal for her and its not in my place to say more than that."
He blinked and winced, "But I digress. We aren't meant to hurt people. Can't think of it. If we do that, its only cuz we can't help it or stop it. Our techs and managers control us; I wish I can say we can control our own faculties, ma'am. But yeah, hehe. We love the kiddies. Always did-" He mumbled at the end there, taking a thumb and gingerly rubbing the top of Jeremiah's hand with it. The boy giggled at the touch.
Trisha meanwhile observed them in this bated vigilance; her expression wrought with... Anxiety? Hesitation? Sadness? He couldn't tell at that moment. Her brows knotted a couple times, looking a lot like she wanted to say something else. Nothing came though, her fingers tapping the empty bowl all the while.
"Where are yeh!" suddenly called out her dad.
"Oh... dear. Um- Thank you again, Bonnie," she eventually said at length while sliding out of her seat. She put her hands under the pits of her boy and guided him down from the high seat. Jeremiah groaned at the loss of contact. "I... I'm sorry that people don't seem to consider you guys more. Its just- it was a pleasant surprise, I suppose," She trailed off.
Bonnie watched the pair levelly and gave the little munchkin a tiny wave as he did. "Pay no mind, Trish. Make sure to have a Fazerific rest of your day," was all he can say, as was custom.
She dipped her head in goodbye and returned to the table with her boy. It seemed she got too-tongue-tied to try saying anything else- if her somewhat stalled response was anything to go by.
"Bye bye, Bonnie!" Jeremiah called after him.
"Be a good boy, now," He called back. "And you're always welcome back!"
Sadly, her expression would stay with Bonnie for the rest of the day- and her father's words, for the rest of his life. It would take him MUCH longer to realize that her expression was, in fact, pity.
An inflection, he would one day HATE.
Later that night, Bonnie would be in his Green room on his couch again, staring absently at his ceiling with both arms under his head. No shades on; which meant he was in think mode. Its all he could do whenever he didn't want to play or rest. This was his serious face.
He couldn't help it. He'd rummaged through the main server and its database- but there was nothing of an incident like that on record. It didn't surprise him though. He always loathed how limited their access to information was; their intelligence so tightly controlled and manipulated in such a way- even his friends had noticed. He's always been a bit bummed by their narrowed prospects, but never had its disgusting limitations ever bogged him down so much. He knew their earlier versions have hurt some people...
But killed?
And killed CHILDREN, no less?
The thought of him touching a child in such a manner- he recoiled. If he could vomit, he would. Could a bot feel uneasy? He certainly knew he could- or at least, felt its best approximation. The fact he felt uncomfortable about his size and strength said enough. Freddy himself must've ALWAYS felt this way, and only now did Bonnie truly understand it. Bears were big and powerful- the apexiest apex, as people say. And Freddy, his strength was no joke- he's just ALWAYS programmed to hold back. He'd hold back, even on principle. It was no coincidence he'd been used in that tunnel...
And speaking of which, we still never found out who hacked him into diggin' it out, he grumbled inwardly.
Anyways, the image of Jeremiah's tiny fingers trying to wrap around his own giant one was a warming, calming thought- and a sanctity of a child's trust was nothing he'd ever shatter in his right frame of mind. He continued to reflect on it, and all the times little kids would run up to say hello and excitedly try to get him to join in on their games; even though their bosses say the parents must pay for their time first. That, that was utter malarkey to them. ALL the Glamrocks loved playing with the children, free of charge. And if they could get away with it, they would.
He rolled over on his couch; now facing the back rest and squinting at it like it's going to talk back. He searched his Hud for anything else too- but of course, he found nothing else. If he had any hope of getting any decent information, he'd need access to resources outside this place- or look somewhere else within it and hope the staff don't notice.
Now how to go about this? Not like he can just ask a security guard "Hey! I heard a past me killed some children. Tell me about it!" No. They'll think he's malfunctioning and take him to Parts & Service... And maybe delete his exposure to that conversation in the bowling alley. No, he HAD to keep that to himself.
Unable to come up with anything decent, Bonnie finally sat up and twitched an ear: Roxanne was making some sort of soft noise from her digs- glass clinking. Probably mulling over her paints or rearranging something. Chica was... Quiet. Huh, that was suspicious. He wondered what she was up to, but he didn't feel like pressing her. Its bad enough they still haven't figured out what happened to Freddy that night...
Speaking of which.
That had Bonnie turning around and finally dragging his feet off the couch. He rested his elbows on his knees, eyes arrested on the floor. Freddy's disappearance and the fact his logs were deleted... only staff could've done that. SOMEONE here used him to tunnel into that place. The 'why' eluded him but using Freddy made sense seeing as he was so powerful. Whoever did it is erased themself from his record after they wore the bear down to his literal endo. They've wanted to dig out that old pizzeria...
But WHY? Why would anyone want to go in there? And how'd they even know it was there?
Bonnie grunted as he mulled this over, but no answers yielded themselves to him. There was something else that bugged him too: The fact those construction workers Mendez and Gordon vanished after they left the premises. And as of more recently, there was another couple of workers here who also vanished- Sarah Winters and Mack Wallers, just normal staff, as of just a couple days ago. That was no accident.
He had to shelve Herman's gross words for now, however interesting the information was. He frowned, then got up with a mission in mind: To look around while he had the free-time. Heck, he'd even put himself into Safe Mode, if he had to.
Safe Mode was interesting for a plethora of reasons: as it puts certain 'guards' around the bots' programming. It's the default program for whenever they bots' were in a defensive position; as it protected other facets of themselves, and it helped make hacking a bit more difficult to attempt since their core programming became further encrypted.
Bonnie didn't want to be hacked- He was paranoid about it nowadays. He suspected Freddy was worse off- and in the week since the disappearance of Mendez and Gordon, there hadn't been another hacking attempt (four staff gone in ONE WEEK!). Perhaps the person was lying low for now- given its the same culprit? It didn't matter, Bonnie didn't want to think that whoever was in that vent hacked his best friend- AND was responsible for these disappearances.
But... what if it was?
Regardless, if he caught them, Bonnie had to admit, he wanted them to pay for what they've done. He wouldn't kill them, per se, as that wasn't in his programming. If he was in Security Mode on the other hand... well, he couldn't promise absolute restraint. The police would have to take this trespasser to the hospital first before carting them off to jail.
Nobody touches his friends like that and gets away with it- let alone what happened to those four people.
The rabbit's gaze narrowed into a squint as he left his room. Guess he was hunting tonight- as now he REALLY wanted to find that trespasser and drill them into confessing that they've hurt Freddy and the others in such a way. He couldn't just laze around now that he got himself all fired up!
Just as he passed Freddy's room with the intention of going to the atrium, his bestie stuck his head out of his room and waved him over. "Hello, Bonnie? You available for a moment?"
The bassist paused, passing Freddy an odd glance before his maroon eyes slid towards the exit out of Rockstar Row. "Er, sure? I guess. But make it fast, man. Cuz I wanna-" He jabbed a claw over his shoulder.
"Oh! You are going out to watch the vent again?"
"Ya know about that?"
"Of course I do, Bun-butt! I KNOW you," Freddy jabbed a cerulean claw at him. It then transformed into an energetic, inviting gesture waving him into his chambers. "Get in here a moment! Please."
"Sure."
He did just that, entering with a little hesitation dogging his heavy feet. He stood in the middle of the room awkwardly, even though under normal circumstances, Bonnie would've made himself comfortable on the couch and kick it back. He sidled uncomfortably. "Sup," he said to his best friend.
Freddy made sure the curtains were closed, his expression grim. Not a good sign already. "I was checking over what else could have been edited and deleted for me... and I started asking the others if something similar has happened to them," He went right into it. No pandering around tonight. "-And they told me something concerning..."
"Oh carrots. Don't tell me," Bonnie started.
"There was a couple blank spots for each of them too, but nothing as huge or major. Its like a missing time stamp interval of a few minutes, at worst. You were right about this... someone has been tampering with us!" He moved to stand nearer, his paws slipping into each other to twist and pull at his creamy fingertips. Fidgeting. He was FIDGETING now. "And I... I went to ask Monty if he experienced the same issue but... well, he just... growled at me? So I do not know if he has been seeing or feeling the same things we are, but I do know there had been an attempt with Roxy and Chica."
Bonnie felt himself frowning. He and that gator just DID NOT click most days- and that was putting it mildly. He raised his paws and bit, "So, let me get this straight: You want me -the temperamental one- to ask Godzilla Jr. -the absolutely toothy one- what's up for you?"
Freddy winced and shut his eyes, as if bracing for a blow. "I tried... as you know. And I've even asked Roxy if she could- but Monty tends to uh... you know. Shrug most of us off. He's also been increasingly standoffish lately... I find the observation odd. I know you and him are... less than amicable with each other, but I am not sure who else to ask anymore. Oh... this is BAD idea- Nevermind!"
Bonnie sighed, finding this recent portent on Monty being his more ornery self a bit troubling. He hummed at an errant thought and glanced away with a paw on his chin. He grumbled, "While me 'n lizard lips ain't besties... I can try. But if he swings, don't blame me for this one!"
Freddy raised a brow, "Its always a bit hard to tell with you... you BOTH kinda goad each other at this point. And seriously, Bonnie. I said nevermind!"
Now here Bonnie chortled and shrug, "Look, man. Ain't like we got much of a choice when things lately have been kinda... yunno! SUS? Somebody's gotta yank the truth outta someone. And 'sides, on the matter of Monty and me- its not like we have anything better to do with ourselves in-between shows and sitting in our rooms, stewing on our existence and asking questions we shouldn't. Throwing hands isn't so bad if we BOTH enjoy it..."
"I worry you two will claw each other to BITS one day, and nobody can stop it," Freddy lamented.
Bonnie reached out and placed a paw on his shoulder, "I promise you, bestie. I ain't gonna pick a fight wid 'em this time. This is some serious biz we're dealing with here. I'll defend myself at worst and try to get out of the fight- should it happen. Capiche?"
The bear nodded grimly, placing a paw on the one holding his shoulder. He squeezed then.
Bonnie eventually retracted his limb and sank into a hip, folding his arms across his breastplate. He huffed, "At any rate, I'm glad to say that I hadn't been hacked yet, but... I certainly don't want it to start happenin' now. Its bad enough you all hadta deal with it."
"I'd like to know if such a thing DID happen," the orange ursine pressed gently. "Every detail we can get-"
"But of course," the rabbit bobbed his shoulders. "If it does somehow happen, I'll letcha know immediately and put myself into Safe Mode. So uh, didja get anything else?"
"Yes actually... and I do not much like it. Now let's see..." Freddy moved past Bonnie and started moving around the room. Pacing? "Its just, I cannot help but wonder if that thing you have been hearing in the vent is related to all this. It makes me nervous that whoever has been doing this may have access to our private messages... so if we talk about anything in our messages sent between each other..."
"They could learn we may be onto them."
"Correct!"
"Okay, so, we delete any incriminating messages sent even between each other. Got it. And only really discuss things in person, in our Green rooms. I gotcha, papa bear. Already ahead of you."
"Thank you, Bonnie. Really," Freddy smiled. "Now if I may ask one more thing?"
Bonnie nodded, shifting his weight onto the other foot.
"I want to help with the search but... I am afraid none of us have your ability to hear anything. Roxy can help with those eyes of hers but... I do not how fast she could be in a vent chase- given you found something in one and she squeezes in. I do not think she can get into a vent anyways-?"
The image of Roxy trapped in a vent cursing her head off suddenly popped into Bonnie's head, unprompted. It almost got a chuckle out of him. But yeah, he can see Freddy was right: Roxy -or Chica for that matter- wouldn't be able to fit some vents, let alone HIMSELF. So they were a no-go with the help. Roxy can help look around the walls, yes, but it was the best she can do- and its likely Freddy already has her doing that.
"-So I wondered if perhaps, maybe, we can rope in someone whose quick, nimble, and can react faster than any of us could dream-" Freddy went on to say. "Someone whose built differently from us..."
"Awww man. You don't mean..." Bonnie muttered.
Freddy patted his friend on the back, meeting Bonnie's contrasting crimson gaze with his own azul one. "I know we all find him to be an eccentric and sometimes exhausting individual, but Sun and Moon mean well! And Moon is out every hour regardless so... maybe he has seen something? He is also small enough to help out so I cannot imagine a better bot for the job!"
"Right... I gotcha. I'll go pester him for some help," Bonnie affirmed. "And maybe ask if there's been any hacking attempts with him. Honestly, you're right in that. Dunno why I didn't figure on asking him sooner..."
No, that was a lie. He knew why: Sun and Moon were, indeed, as Freddy said; exhausting to be around. They weren't bad! Just hard to keep up with. Something about Sun's frenetic, overly exaggerated energy made Bonnie feel tired just looking at him. And Moon? Well... Moon wasn't super approachable. He tended to keep to himself, proving to be more introverted than anything. It was hard trying to find something to broach with him. It didn't help that the Daycare Attendant was so rarely seen outside of it beyond the hourly recharge cycle (and Bonnie was usually in a recharge station whenever that happened anyways so, its not like he COULD talk to them the times they leaves the daycare). Its almost like Moon went out of his way to stay away from the Glamrocks- and it simply left Bonnie with the impression that maybe he should respect Moon's space that way. There was no hostility there.
And... it baffled Bonnie that Sun and Moon were two people in one. THAT couldn't unnerve him more. Bonnie wasn't sure he'd be emotionally stable himself if he had a conflicting side and whole other personality to argue with day-to-day. He liked having his body to himself, thank you very much. He couldn't imagine what Sun and Moon had to endure. It made the others' heads spin, creating a rift in-between them.
Freddy meanwhile patted Bonnie, then ushered him towards his door, "I will let you go. Do not let me keep you from your hunt."
"Nah, its chill, my bear brother. Don't worry," Bonnie shrugged off. "We'll get it done and dusted."
"I would expect nothing less! And do feel free to ask me to help, given you find I can ACTUALLY render assistance." Freddy scratched at an ear- a character blueprint trait, "Perhaps I can look around at night too, though I doubt I would be effective... beyond my nose, of course!"
"Hey, anything goes. And I'd think we'd ALL appreciate it," the bassist assured. He pointed at Freddy's face, "Your nose would actually be great, now that I think about it. I think you have better smell than Roxy, right?"
Freddy leveled a so-so gesture, "I would not quite know-? Unless we tried it... but yes, I suppose that is better than sitting on my rump."
Bonnie slanted him a subtle smirk, "Good. About time you got off your tail. I always do the work!"
"D'oh- Not so!" Freddy smacked him lightly on the back. He also smiled in the warmest way he could; and as always, his expressions and tone always made someone feel like they were the center of the universe. Its an effect that even extended to the Glamrocks, let alone the patrons. He could hug anybody with just his expression alone-
And it baffles Bonnie that Monty was immune to it and disliked him. Sometimes, he wondered if the gator fell off the catwalks more often than just the one time and jarred his chip loose.
Whatever the case, Bonnie went to the door, stopped, turned, and then just hugged the bear like he would a teddy stuffie. It made the rabbit feel a bit better too. "When we're not busy, I do gotta tell ya about this er... thing, I heard today while on the clock. But later, okay?" Bonnie told him.
"Not now?"
"No, brother bear. I gotta watch the vents. But we'll talk later," He promised, pulling away and throwing a lazy hand over his shoulder.
Freddy waved after him, then shut the door behind him. Bonnie sighed, then meandered out of Rockstar Row with a new mission in mind: Operation, get Sunny-D and Moon-man in on the plan. All the while, keeping an ear out for those vents. AND, see if he can get Monty to comply with the questionnaire. Boy, Bonnie had no shortage of things to do- to which the rabbit just laughed it off.
"What's that charming saying," He grumbled, claws tucked into his pelvic chassis. "No rest for the weary? Or was it no rest for the wicked? Oh well... I guess either or works in this case."
He decided he would try haunting the atrium first, sending a message to Monty to see if he can prod the resident redneck into meeting-
To which the gator didn't respond. Worse, Bonnie got BLOCKED. Real mature. The rabbit couldn't help but chuff and pull at his face; snarling lowly to himself as he marched on.
Freddy might be right though, He acknowledged as he reviewed what he just experienced. Is Monty more volatile recently due to this hacking attempt? Is he okay? Or is he grumpy because of something else? I'll needta ACTUALLY visit him in order to get any answers... He'd probably answer SOME of my questions in-between punches at my beautiful face.
Man. That'll be FUN. Yay.
As for Sun and Moon... well, guess he had to visit the daycare for that. He didn't want to send a message to Sun about it... as whoever this staff member is would know the Glamrocks don't tend to meet with him that often. Bonnie would also like to catch the jester in an area where there's no cameras, but that would prove hard. The only areas with no actual cameras (that he knew of) were his dressing room in the bowling alley and... a couple bathrooms. Ew.
Even our rooms have cameras, he pondered. But they're not always on. We can see the exact moment someone's using them. Still, not like we'd want to talk in those too often.
Bonnie was sure there was other spots where he can chat with the bot, but he wasn't super sure about it. He'd have to review the fazmap again when he could. He never thought he'd ever have to sneak around like this! It felt wrong.
Still, he found himself in the atrium a short bit later, just trying to figure on how to get a hold of the daycare attendant (he may have to just send a private message and delete it after Sun or Moon read it). He meandered around the large room, aware of the fact that there was cameras in the artificial palm trees. He looked right into one, once, scowled at it, then passed it by. His over-sized feet would take him nearer to Fazerblast again, and there Bonnie would remain for some half hour.
To his disappointment (and profound lack of surprise), there was no vent banging. The culprit had been getting better about it, recently. But, he knew since the fact the culprit may have access to cameras as well, they may be choosing times when to move- as it would be intelligent to only move when the Glamrocks were in a recharge station. That made sense.
He sighed again, claw tips still buried in his chassis' slit and slumped his head over. He'd have to try Moon then, for this night. He'd probably have to give up his vent chasing for a brief time until he's sure he has someone to help with capturing the intruder-
"YOU!"
Bonnie yelped in a fit of fright; having not expected to get a flashlight in his face and a freckled, familiar face near his own. He leaned his weight against the palm tree and heaved; compressor whirring lowly in his breast. He frowned at the officer, fighting the urge to say something derogatory about the woman's hair being a scraggly mess fighting to free itself of her typical ponytail and security cap.
"Va- Vanessaaa~" He sing-songed airily, trying his best to save face. He pushed off the tree and dragged talons through his mop of cerulean hair; combing some of it out of his eyes and trying to look more composed than he actually was. Damn woman actually snuck up on me- how bad is that? "How can I help ya this evenin', Summer-Eyes?"
Vanessa finally lowered the light and snorted, looking him over contemplatively. She settled back on her heels and had her turn to produce a worn gesture; fingers pinching the flesh between her eyes like she was fighting a migraine. "Been trying to ping you but you have your messaging off. Any reason for that," She started crisply.
Bonnie blinked, checked his Hud, and groaned. Whoops- guess he disabled it to just the HUMAN staff. Not like he wanted them in his head all the time. He passed her a sheepish smirk and bobbed his shoulders, "I like my privacy, miss. Surely you understand."
"I do, but not if it inhibits the job," She scathingly bit, definitely in no mood to deal with his cutesy shtick. "I've been wanting to know if you've seen anything strange recently that's noteworthy? Seeing as you've been taking to wondering around a lot lately."
"Ugh... er... no, not that I can think of-" He mumbled while taking a talon to scratch at his cheek with. His maroon optics went to the floor between them. "Its not for lack of tryin' on my part though, as I'm sure you noticed."
Vanessa heaved again, then waved behind her, "I wanted to ask because we had something get stolen recently- or at least, I think its stolen-?"
"What?"
"Yeah- you know the er, the wind-up music man prototypes? The little mini DJ's? Those creepy things," She waggled one set of fingers to imitate spider legs. "Those are missing. I reported it to Mr. Cromwell, your manager, but he was dismissive..."
"When was this-?" He shook his head, blinking once or twice.
"Last night. I've been scratching my head over the crime scene because... well, you woulda heard something, I'm sure. The glass case where they were displayed in was broken and there was shards all over the floor, but there was nothing else discernable about the scene," She supplied. "We didn't get a security trip- no movement on the cameras. No one coming in or out. I dunno what the heck to think. And then I remembered you took to wandering around and you keep saying you catch the odd noise here and there-" She waved her light around the atrium for emphasis. "I guess you really don't know, do you?"
Bonnie shook his head rapidly, truly at a loss. His right ear drooped lower than his left; giving her his most honest expression. "I'm sorry. Summer-Eyes. Wish I can say I was more helpful but... wow. Missing toys? Right after we had four staff vanish? What the heck even is this mess-" He muttered as he meandered about in place.
"Hell if I know," she turned on her heel and went to leave. "Whatever... just, report something to me if you hear anything? And keep your dang ping radar open! You're harder to get a hold of than one would think."
"Sorry, miss. Just ah... haven't been feelin' peachy keen about people being able to send me messages," Bonnie admitted bluntly, watching her carefully as he did. He only really opened it up to one or two other bots at a time nowadays- whoever was most pressing to contact. "After what happened with Freddy being hacked and all, I can't help being paranoid."
She raised a brow at him, "You worried someone's gonna get in your head and control you like they did Freddy?"
"That's pretty much what I just said, yeah," He added with a distinct 'duh?' inflection. "But if I happen to find your missing toys, I'd happily- wait."
Bonnie stopped before he decided to get into teasing her; pivoting his ears around the atrium and looking around. No new sounds emerged, but a thought did.
"Wait a second. Wait... the vent thing I keep reporting. The managers are ignoring that. And then you tell me that Cromwell's bein' kinda dismissive about the dang toys?"
Vanessa shrugged, "Yeah?"
"...The noise in the vent... moving around-" He spun on his heel and watched the entrance to Fazerblast, where he'd hear the noise originate some nights. He tapped a claw to his jawline, frowning as he pondered something else. "So uh... how advanced are those wind-ups? How many of them are there? Can you tell me that? Any decent processor or something in them?"
"Why does that matter-?"
"Humor me."
Vanessa tapped the light against her shoulder as she watched him, one brow rising higher than the other. "They're... just above being proper 'toys'. They kinda have something in their skulls-? Um, not nearly as advanced as you guys, that's for sure. But yeah, I guess they have something like a little computer in there-?" She huffed and meandered around on her footing. "As to the number of them... I don't know. Cromwell says that they've had more in storage-?"
"How many?"
Vanessa shook her head, "I'm not sure. He and the other bosses don't let me into EVERYTHING, yunno. What, you think the other music men -besides the ones on display- could be gone?"
"LONG gone, maybe," Bonnie frowned as he recalled the fact he'd been hearing the vent banging for weeks. "Maybe its better you try looking into that," he added on.
She nodded.
"So now we got Freddy being hacked... no obvious perp. Glass everywhere, no obvious trips- no way," Bonnie began to tick off and frowned at something else, "You don't wager someone remotely hacked these things too like they did Freddy, do ya? Yunno. Made 'em come to life and pop out on their own-? Maybe THAT'S what we're hearing in the vents-? Those things."
The woman blinked rapidly at him and shook her head, "You're kidding. You really think that's what you're hearing-? Ain't that a BIT of a stretch?"
"I don't know, man! I'm just throwin' around ideas," he grumbled. "Its gotta account for SOMETHING! That dang banging is driving me NUTS!"
Vanessa opened her mouth and shut it back, squinting at him like she was having a hard time believing he's there. She didn't say anything for a moment there, simply absorbing his words and eventually looking around like the offender themself was bound to pop up.
Bonnie craned an ear towards the space-themed attraction and continued with, "I dunno, Summer-Eyes. Can't help wondering if maybe the banging and whumping I'm hearin' is... huh. Maybe it IS the little wind-ups-? But, why the heck would the perp wake them up-" He trailed off and stared hard at the arena. "Shit on a stick- what even is this bull-"
Vanessa's eyes fluttered suddenly, just now catching his swear. The fact he did so was alarming; meaning he's veered past his programming inhibitors. She pointed the light at Bonnie's face now, making the rabbit groan in irritation.
"You MIND?" He spat. He opened his stomach hatch and pulled out his shades; gritting his teeth and hissing through them, "I swear, you're trying to put me into a system restart!"
She watched him put the shades on so to thwart her light, her gaze harder than granite as she dead panned, "You just swore. How long have you been tampering with your own system? Are you running normal? And how do I know YOU aren't the one you made those toys pop to life on a whim, now that I can see you're capable of rudimentary hacking?"
Shit. I messed up. "Why in the world would you think I'd do that!?" Bonnie spat back at her. "I gain nothing from messing with those ugly things! GEEZ. As to the swearing, I ain't doin' any harm so long as I don't do it in front the kids!"
"You're dodging the question," She furiously jabbed. "How long have you been doing messing with your own core system?"
Bonnie quickly and effortlessly lied, "Just within the last week. I was able to rewrite a couple things because I was worried somebody would hack me." A lie, one amidst a little bit of truth, it seemed.
Vanessa flicked her head at the stage on the other side of the atrium, "I'm not sure I believe you. Do yourself a favor and get yourself checked by the techs when you can. You still shouldn't be able to do that. I dunno how you started doing it, or if you're even telling the truth when you said you only JUST started doing it. Point is though, you shouldn't do it at ALL."
Bonnie rolled his eyes, "Summer-Eyes, you ain't gonna stop us, yunno. The techs don't care! Remember Chica? Her charging at patrons shouldn't be a thing- but it is. You being worried about me throwing a no-no word around when I don't even do it around kids to begin with when Chica is in desperate need of repair and is being pointedly ignored is fucking horseshit. There, I said more bad words! How d'ya like that? Now go casually ride someone else's ass, why doncha? I'll keep doing my other job like a good little boy bot and watch for any perps. Ya feelin' me, doll?"
Vanessa glared and glared with a stubborn lift of her nose, but couldn't exactly argue back. In fact, Bonnie half-hoped she'd start slinging some words back too- but she did no such thing. Neither one of them liked each other- and Vanessa's pointed it out in the past that she didn't care less for his over-confident, arrogant personality-
And Bonnie? Well, he'll admit he can be over-bearing sometimes, but damn if it didn't feel good to piss her off on purpose. He liked bugging some of the others just for the giggles; and he knew he didn't need to be a jerk about it- but he wasn't going to stop anytime soon. His life would be too boring and colorless if that little luxury was taken away.
She eventually conceded and turned away, looking very much like someone forced her to swallow a lemon. "I'll be submitting a report," was all she said to him next, her tone bitter. "Chica, AND you. Both of you, get fixed then."
Bonnie rolled his eyes and folded his arms. Sinking into a hip, he looked like a rebellious teenager that wasn't going to listen to his parents for shit. he felt the childish desire to flip her off but did no such thing.
"I ain't even worried about it," he said to her retreating back. "Just behave yourself and stop waving that stupid thing around at our faces! Damn RUDE, yunno!"
She groaned but left him be- giving up a little quicker than he expected. In fact, wasn't Vanessa typically a bit hard-headed and opinionated? He could almost swear she'd stick around just to rag on him for kicks. He wasn't going to complain though- as even the buck felt like he was getting the bot version of a migraine dealing with her bossy self.
Her getting this job when she wasn't qualified was suspicious enough... and now all these staff vanishing and those wind-ups gone? I can almost think SHE'S the one doing it, he wondered. It was paranoid thinking, but he wondered if there was more to it.
In the meantime, he only tucked his claws into hips; humming a merry tune as he continued his little investigation.
~A few hours later~
It was about 4 in the morning the next time something happened.
He decided to gamble and try to get a hold of the dang gator. Now, he wasn't sure if he'll actually GET anything, but it was worth a try. He'd been everywhere else at this point; even having gone into the bowling alley to clean up and then meander back into the atrium. He floated around on all the floors, found himself at the prize counter too, and even got backstage again to see if he can hear his friends- all was quiet. And while not a bad thing, he found the quiet a little off-putting sometimes.
So now his choices brought him to MONTY.
Bonnie respected that the other bot was... well, original. He was an entirely new character in concept here; but he was always a bit off-putting due to his relegation to the golf course and general isolation. Monty was already a loner in some part as is, and that couldn't be helped with his current set-up either. Inevitably, some behavioral problems in younger bots tend to form-
God knows Bonnie had his OWN vices. They ALL did. He wasn't any better than Monty in that facet. He was aware of the fact he can be an arrogant, pompous jack-hole. Freddy can be... a bit full of himself on his worst days (albeit, it was rare). And Roxy- yeah, the list goes on.
Back to the matter at hand; Bonnie was standing outside the golf course lobby and looking around the vicinity. He gritted his teeth as he eyed the elevator that would lead him into the attraction. He wasn't afraid of the gator -not at ALL- but Bonnie WAS afraid of not getting his answers and having to deal with more damage than he should stomach. After all, he'd been hesitant about going to Parts & Service more and more often. He just didn't trust the majority of the techs anymore- With the exception of Cassie's father, of course.
Bonnie hadn't seen much of him or the girl lately. He found himself missing them too; tucking his claw tips into the gaps between his chassis segments like make-shift pockets. He stared humorlessly at the door, his thoughts flitting over a million other things at once- and yet finding itself on the intrusive image of sitting with the girl and her father during one of his rare breaks.
He and the others just didn't get enough time with people. They always had each other, of course, but never enough time with their patrons and other workers. He lamented that he also liked Cassie and her father as much as he did and couldn't do more than stand around and talk for a few minutes every so-often.
Back to the matter at hand, he gathered the gumption to enter. He was through the elevator doors and entering the loud, somewhat strangely humid course. He never much cared for the realistic soupiness of the air here; as he found the touch just a bit too over-whelming. It wasn't the bosses fault though; not with all the water running through here. The water tended to spray and scatter whenever the Monty-shaped prop gators come hissing from the burbling feature sweeping around the place.
"Monty!" Bonnie called out, putting a paw to his muzzle. "Yoo-hoo! You there?"
He walked fully out into the landing, his feet relatively quieter on the carpeted floor. He flexed his ears; being sure to listen for the gator himself and not just the annoying, spitting props flinging water at him. He found the personal stage nearby empty, and the S.T.A.F.F bots were doing their usual thing of wheeling around and looking for intruders. Literally, the course was completely calm and quiet- relatively speaking.
So he looked up.
The catwalks above were shrouded in shadow; as fogged by the rising heat of the course. There wasn't a lot of lights up there either; albeit the hurricane bucket was still very plainly visible due to its sheer absurdity in size. It seemed to be mostly full, but not all the way. The next time they opened up soon, someone will be hitting the Hurricane bucket and winning a prize in the shop here.
Bonnie's eyes weren't amazing. He had regular vision; like a human. Even despite having RGB cameras and LEDS lights to help shine into darker areas, the range was limited. He couldn't shine a light up there and see things. He'd have to jump it in order to check it out. Just as he was about to do so, he paused-
A figure was moving across the walks above.
"Monty-?" Bonnie called up.
The figure stopped, seemed to lean over to catch sight of him, then straight vaulted over the rails-
Bonnie felt his jaw open and jump backward as a quarter ton of robo-gator came raining down with Hell hath its fury at his heels- claws first. He leapt back as another swipe was thrown at his face; back-pedaling away with the adroit deftness of one whose experienced this quite a few times before. With grim expectation, he veered away from Monty and braced himself on one of the nearby rails surrounding one of the holes.
Monty heaved himself to his fullest height; cracking the joints in his metallic vertebra and shifting wires in his immense body. He worked his hydraulic jaws, red eyes a mean laser as it zeroed onto the rabbit with raw spite and petty fury. One lid twitched, and already he was growling a firm promise of the fight to come. There was no warning with him.
Bonnie only smirked. "There ya are, champ! And how we doin' this fine eve?"
Monty snarled, and charged.
"For Pete's sake-" Bonnie rolled his eyes and raised his fists.
He was ready for the gator just as he came surging at him. Bonnie caught one of the fists and parried it; making it aim downward and displacing Monty's footing. He elbow smashed the reptile right upside his head and dropped him- all in just one graceful movement.
Monty was durable and STUPIDLY sturdy however; and he tended to recover relatively fast enough to be annoying about it. Even then he was hitting the floor, he used his tail to hammer Bonnie in the middle; throwing the buck off-balance and getting an "Oomph!" from him. Bonnie staggered somewhat, giving Monty a chance to get right back up and snap his jaws at him-
Bonnie dodged, even seizing his jaws and clamping them shut. Monty narrowed his eyes at him, absolutely HATING the fact that a realistic gator's weakness somewhat transitioned into his own design. He couldn't get his jaws back open until Bonnie let go.
So then came his claws again-
And Bonnie forced Monty's head down to the floor so he can catch it. His ginormous foot planted across the gator's snout; holding his talons in place while glaring pointedly at him.
"Seriously man? I just wanna ask you some questions! Why is that so hard to ask? I ain't here for a fight for once!"
Monty grumbled against his foot as an answer.
Bonnie rolled his eyes and removed it- being careful to watch the gator for anymore sneak attacks. Monty thankfully didn't press this home and used his limbs to prop himself off the floor; grunting and swearing in static. He was working his jaws too, one black-clawed hand rubbing at the scuffed region of his snout.
So said the buck, "I only wanted to ask you one or two things- nothing more. Wasn't in much of a mood to fight tonight, yunno. Maybe any other night-" He threw up his hands in annoyance and submission, "But CERTAINLY not this one. Ya dig?"
The gator flicked him another peevish squint, grumbled some more, then fixed his jaws straight. He made a motion as if to spit; not that he could do so, per se.
"Ask. Then leave," He snarled.
The rabbit sized him up, evaluated that yes, Monty was CERTAINLY not feeling alright, and felt something within himself (despite everything) feel a modicum of pity towards him. Monty was not often acknowledged by the other bots beyond Freddy- and even then, the encounters were rare. Worse, it seemed Monty was definitely in a more volatile mood. Was it possible he's been hacked too?
Bonnie went for broke and immediately fired, "By chance... you haven't had any weird black-outs or anything, right? Nothing weird or... any memory lapses?"
The fact he asked this already earned another weird glare from the reptile; Monty showing his teeth and meandering about on his footing. He glanced aside. No reply, beyond a narrowing of his equally as crimson optics and a troubled flicker of one eye-lid.
He has... he HAS dealt with it. Carrots!
"Dude, I need details," Bonnie pressed urgently. "Please... Can't you tell me?"
The gator jabbed a talon at him, "First, you answer MY question next, varmint. You tell me; what in the HELL you know about this?"
"Not enough, I'm afraid," Bonnie shook his head. "Trying to get to the bottom of it now. Its why I'm here."
Another growl followed. And then, "I answer your questions, then you GIT the hell out. We clear?"
"Crystal," he replied coolly.
~The next night over~
So now that was done and dusted. Bonnie couldn't have been more relieved-
And unnerved.
Monty's words and responses were much the same as Freddy had said. It seems he too has been experiencing a pawful of these weird blackouts. What was strange was that Bonnie HIMSELF hadn't had to deal with it. Now why was that?
This quandary would haunt his thoughts for the next while. He figured he had hunch why he wasn't personally dealing with it- one or two, to be exact. One was the fact that whoever was doing this simply hadn't had the TIME to try him.
The other? Well, this theory was the one that freaked him out:
Its because they may suspect that he can probably override their control. That they KNEW he had control of his faculties. That they knew he was onto them and can defend himself AND warn the others of the digital attack. That their attempt to attack him would lead him right to them. Sadly, this plausibility seemed the most likely in Bonnie's books.
He was currently going down an escalator for once; not jumping down like he usually did. Too much energy to bother with tonight. He'd also been scoping the megaplex for some remote areas that didn't have cameras and nice, quiet spots he can sniff around. He found, at worst, spots where poor Chica had been digging around the garbage again; and now the rabbit was somewhat looking for her so he can help her out. He lifted his nose several times, wondering if his olfactory sensors would be better than his hearing in terms of locating her.
No such luck yet, but he assumed the hen will be returning to her room in Rockstar Row to hoard her newly acquired 'treasure' food. She did not eat all food right where she found it; seeing as it gave Vanessa and the bots a chance to catch her in the act and make her drop her coveted snacks. She also liked stashing food in her room on a whim; sometimes so she can eat it later and out of sight of the others.
Her worsening habits broke his heart- something Chica knew of and it shamed her. Bonnie knew this because she's admitted as much, and every time a bot caught her in the kitchens, she'd run out and cry. He and Freddy had to chase after her some of the time; trying to coax her into opening her stomach hatch so they can help clean her. It was as Bonnie said to Vanessa the prior night; the techs didn't bother much anymore unless she had to be prepped for a child's party.
For now, he found himself at the ground level and passing more of the cameras; once again stopping beneath one of the palm trees and leaning against the planter it was in. He sighed as he did, shaking his head and rapping a claw on his forearm after folding said limbs to his chest plate. He's been so into his own head, that he failed to notice as another suddenly wheeled into view-
"HI-"
"WAHHH- Oh my-" The rabbit leaned against fake tree's base, bracing himself for support like he almost fainted. His breast rapidly fluttered in the emulated illusion of straining breath; his shades going askew on his face.
Damn that STUPID Map Bot, he snarled to himself, one paw over his motor like he was steadying a heart that wasn't there.
"Hi, free map! Take a map. Take a map. Take a-"
"SHUT UP ALREADY! And fine! I'll take it! CARROTS," Bonnie snatched it, wondering why the hell the bot would do such a thing. Seriously, how did it sneak up on him? And for that matter, why was this thing ALLOWED to jump people like that?
It rolled away, saying "Thank you. Please enjoy. Free map!" as it did.
Bonnie could see why Roxy and Monty liked smashing these things. He may take a leaf from their books and start doing the same thing at this rate. He already hated the one in his bowling alley- but this map greeter took the cake!
"Honestly, the idea is tempting," He muttered to himself. He lifted the map and flipped it over, feeling himself frown when something else strange just hit him- Why DID the bot give him the map? He had his own internal ones... These things weren't programmed to give maps to THE GLAMROCKS. They LIVED here! They're supposed to go after people-
Bonnie blinked, then found himself looking around the atrium: For some odd reason, he felt like he was being watched again. His ears swiveled around madly, only catching the whir of the other security bots rolling by and the security cameras moving on their-
Oh.
Bonnie looked up again; and right at the palm tree camera. Its light was on, indicating that someone -or rather, perhaps Vanessa- was using it. Moreover, it was locked right onto him and would not move. The rabbit twitched his nose, glared at it, then did something so obscene, he knew he'd stop Freddy's motor from the sheer lunacy of it-
He flipped it off.
No joke, he literally flipped it off; middle claw raised as high it could, waving his arm teasingly in circles like he was mocking whoever was on the other side of the lens. He didn't care who he pissed off tonight. It was nasty, but it's something he learned from watching the teenagers this one time. He kept holding it up too, waiting for either whoever was on the other end to cease with the recording- and finally, it did.
"Jeez, I know I'm a succulent dish, but REALLY?" He shook his head. He cleared his throat and unfurled the paper, "Now let's see here-"
He decided to indulge this... whatever it was, seeing as the bot went out of its way to get it to him. That couldn't have been a coincidence on that note-
And grimly enough, the judgement was sound.
Bonnie felt his optics go completely round in its sockets, both ears pitching forward as if to listen to the map's contents itself. His jaw slumped a little ways open, his claws punching right through the corners of it. He was gaping at it for a solid minute too- not sure if the feeling he had in his personality chip should be making his nonexistent gut feel like its churning in circles. Suddenly, he was glad he didn't have a stomach- less he vomit and make a mess on the floor. Finding Chica was effectively all but forgotten as he beheld the portent on the page.
Across the image of the directory, was a crudely done image of Bonnie's own face with a red 'X' over it. And below that, was but five little words- messily scratched in black and blue paint:
Are we having fun yet?