~Sometime during the PizzaPlex's prime~
ROXANNE WOLF
She remembered how surreptitious he was. How closed-off and... false he gradually became. How often he lied or omitted the truth.
Bonnie Bunny was supposed to be a socialite. He was supposed to welcome and warm. To be honest, open, and charismatic. To sweep in the crowd with open arms and love them all as much as he loved himself!
But Roxy started to see far less of that as time went on.
He spent a lot of time in his room. Hours and hours would pass and he'd only come out for public performances and parties- things that REQUIRED him to be there. He would then lock himself up, or go wandering off to some far-off corner of the megaplex and vanish for several hours. He was as silent as a church mouse; and every bit as secretive as the rabbit itself hiding in its warren, waiting for the danger outside to slither by.
Or perhaps, the danger had slipped into the warren with them.
She knew something had been wrong at the time. Something was wrong with both their home, and the rabbit himself. She'd been looking behind the scenes- using her special eyes to scan the walls and vents and hope to help the rabbit even though he bugged her. She preferred his company over Monty's, she'd later find. When Bonnie would one day vanish, even she, despite their spats, had MISSED him, painfully. Yes, not as much as Freddy or Chica did, but she missed him in her own way.
She missed him even BEFORE he'd disappear. She missed seeing the jerk who paraded her around the stage like she mattered- that she DID matter to him. Annoying twit he could be, she knew she wouldn't have found a better partner during their shows. And to have him stop showing up to rehearsals and certain shows- it didn't sit right with her. Having him not be there just looked WRONG.
She couldn't imagine what Freddy felt when it started happening- him and Chica both.
One evening, she was brushing her hair in her room when her special eyes caught a sight she would find to be increasingly more common with time prior to his decommissioning: Bonnie Bunny picking at himself in his room. And by 'picking' himself, she meant 'actively tinkering with his body's processes even though he should be in a repair ward instead'. Or rather, let the actual TECHS do it.
Roxy let her mouth fall agape, watching him do this for a little while. After a point, he shut his stomach hatch and sighed. He'd been looking into his vanity as he'd been doing it; obviously a bit thrown by something. He frowned a lot, and now he was pacing around his room like a cornered animal for a few minutes. There was a balling of his fists, and then he was leaving his room- just to head to hers!
Roxy saw him coming and went to unlock her door for him. She was already standing there once he raised his fist to knock, the rabbit chortling softly at the sight of her. He was giving her one of his usual, slightly cheeky, but certainly affectionate expressions; looking so completely unconcerned with the shit around them that one wouldn't think he was acting out of the blue-
But Roxy saw EVERYTHING. It didn't help that their rooms were next to each other.
"Heeeeyyyy Rox-and-Roller. How ya been?" He sank into a hip, one paw resting on his waist.
So casual, and so casually a liar, she couldn't help thinking at the time.
"Fine, I guess," was her stinted reply. "Whaddya want?"
He blinked, looking so completely nonplussed by her forward nature. In fact, it only amused him. He even chuckled again, "I wanted to uh... well, borrow something?" His hesitation was there, but onward he bludgeoned too- matching her energy with his own. "Just a couple tools. Nuthin' fancy. Yunno- like the ones hanging casually from your wall? Or... around your cart there?"
Roxy looked over her shoulder at her pet project on the floor. She'd been trying to hand-make a cart for FUN. She hadn't had much to do ever since the raceway shut down. She was told it could allow maybe one or two events on occasion, but nothing has moved forward yet. The cart meanwhile was to test herself- to see if she can assemble one from the spare parts they had lying around. She found herself enjoying the hobby right after she began too.
She must've had a softer look on her face because Bonnie noted it with, "You seem really into it. I find it cute!"
The comment had her snorting. She folded her arms and matched the sinking posture of his with a lowered hip too. "...'Cute' isn't a word I'd use," she sniffed somewhat haughtily (and in a somewhat embarrassed manner- though she was gifted at hiding the latter sentiment).
He shrugged and 'meh'd' at her. "Well, anyways, you wager I can borrow a couple tools for the night? I promise to give them back-" he beseeched.
"You playing with yourself?" She teased, passing him an actual grin. "Didn't figure you the type. Actually, you know what? That actually checks."
"Pfft. Oh yes. Definitely," He went on to tease right back. "I'm SO totally the type to fondle my own parts while thinking about you and the others. Certainly, I found a new way to enjoy myself in the wee hours-"
"Okay. Enough," She shut him down before he can start up with ACTUAL innuendos. She did NOT need that brand of humor there, thank you very much. He was already insufferable enough with the brand of humor he USUALLY brandied. "Look, if you're gonna borrow something, can I know what for?"
His expression noticeably wilted, even though his smile remained. "Project," was his own cryptic response.
"Like what?" She pressed, elevating one paw just to check out her talons. She measured the paint on them while acting completely aloof- when in truth, she was dying to know what he was up to. "Doing some illicit upgrading in your off-time now?"
Her subtle reminder of the fact she can SEE RIGHT THROUGH WALLS was all he needed. He hung his head then, shaking it gently and turning towards the camera in her corner. He was glaring hard at it, expression narrowed and suddenly FAR older than she thought him capable of projecting. She didn't think a bot can look OLD at all with the face he made!
Roxy flicked an ear panel when she heard the camera whir on its mount, not looking at it directly. She didn't need to face it to know it was watching them. It hadn't been on until now, so the moment it chose to activate was already a bit weird.
Is he the one being watched? She couldn't help wondering.
Bonnie was seen elevating a paw at her in a 'one moment' kinda way, then he stalked brazenly into her room despite her being right there in the door frame. She let him by, of course, watching him carefully as he made his way to the camera itself and glared fully into it like he was mentally willing the device to turn off. He glared STRAIGHT at it-
And turn off, it did.
Roxy blinked when she wondered what happened there. She worked her jaw, staring between it and the bunny-in-red. She shut her door and followed him into the middle of her room, swapping glances between him and the now powered down device.
If I didn't know better, I'd think he did that himself- she couldn't help wondering. Can we even DO that?
"Okay," He mumbled lowly as he turned back towards her. "Sorry. Didn't want Vanessa or whoever's on duty tonight to be listening in. Yunno?"
She blinked. "So you DID turn it off-?" She wondered aloud.
"Hadta- not like I can reach it from here anyways! Notice how our rooms our built in such a way so we can't even touch the ceiling? Even if we're standing on something?" He waved around pointedly. "Real sus, yunno. That just means to me that they WANT to keep an eye on us at all times. On the side, you'd want me to be doling out answers to your oncoming interrogation, and I ain't keen on letting the staff in on some of my little secrets. I already fiddle with the one in my room enough," he returned with an utterly relaxed but expectant air.
"You're hacking the system-" She garbled out in a low, surprised mutter. Her eyes were wide and faintly intrigued in their sockets- but also somewhat fearful. "How and WHY are you doing that? You're gonna get CANNED for pulling crap like that!"
"I just told you why," He snorted, his smile ironic but his response also hurried. "I don't like EYES on me when I'm trying chillax, yunno? And it ain't like I'm gonna LET 'EM catch me at it! I edit the footage and apply still-images and replay certain sequences for a little while... stuff like that. Basic trick. 'Sides- ain't like I trust the majority of the eyes around here anymore- not with all the disappearances anyway. Ya feelin' me?"
She hadn't forgotten. So many staff members had gone in the last while, and now the occasional news of a missing child came up too. She hadn't been blind to that. The news rippled amongst their guests; and some patrons stopped coming back entirely. Roxy hadn't seen a couple of their 'regulars' for quite a while. She suddenly understood, slanting the rabbit a resigned expression.
She motioned to the couch, "Alright... Sit."
He obeyed.
She went to her table, where the majority of her tools were laid out. She grabbed the edge of the table itself, scooted it closer to the couch, then laid out the winches, pliers, screwdrivers, and anything else she had there. Bonnie watched her all the while.
She began with, "What exactly are you trying to do here? How can I help?"
"Just trying to run basic repair," was his lowly breathed reply, his tone mysteriously... off. "I hadn't been visiting the er... the thingy. The repair ward. Kinda needing basic maintenance. And uh... maybe a tiny bit of help on my motor- just to make it run a bit better. Nothing too overly fancy. Maybe replace a part."
She watched him warily, wanting to raise a brow even though her plastic ones don't move on her face. She found herself nodding, gazing at her nearly assembled cart. "I think I can salvage a couple bits and bobs here for your motor. Lemme see what you got," she motioned to his chest.
He opened his chest cavity, his endo now bared to her. She knelt down onto the floor and tilted her head as she inspected the damage in detail, tutting under her breath as she saw, indeed, he DID need a couple pieces replaced. A wire or two looked fried, earning her a metaphorically raised brow.
"Cromwell wasn't kidding," She said aloud now. "I thought he was just spouting BULL-crap excuses to make you stop snooping! You are LITERALLY working your motor overtime! What the heck are you even doing in your off-time? You SMELL like you've been running it harder than usual. You smell BURNT, actually!"
As she went to dissect her cart, Bonnie replied with, "Experimentation. My ability to hack comes with a price; increased heat generation in my core. My processes are also compromised. So efficiency is something I'm in desperate need of right now. As you can see, my wiring IS a bit... uh, fried."
"Why so? You onto something?" She queried as she recalled when they went to find Freddy a while back- having delved into that hole at the back of the raceway before it was closed off. Bonnie had shown her footage of something he picked up on his sensors- something even her eyes missed but his ears caught. She wondered if he got more on that little incident too.
"I am certain the staff are doing something... that much is obvious," he waved off. "As to WHO and WHY... I think I kinda got an idea on the who, but not sure yet. The why I believe is connected to that little hole in your attraction. The brown-outs and power fluctuations tell me that there's some kinda project going on in here that we could never hope to find with our eyes and ears otherwise. They are doing this underground to avoid us... and I think they've been using the vents to veer past us here since we're too big to fit!"
"Who do you think is doing this?" She said, having pulled out the proper wires.
He huffed, then pointed at the camera.
"Ah... the security guards. Or at least, ONE of them," Roxy grumbled.
"I think it may be Vanessa, but I dunno yet... she seems confused by a lot of the weird stuff going on herself, but she's the one whose on sight the most. And SERIOUSLY! Did you see the designer handbags under her eyes? Damn woman's tired all the time! How much sleep is she even getting?"
Roxy snorted in bemusement. "You think her suspicious because of a little INSOMNIA?"
Bonnie put out his jaw in the approximation of a pert lip and shrugged dramatically. "YAH! I mean really! I swear she drinks way too much coffee and shit! Haven't you noticed?"
She returned to Bonnie's front and knelt, glad her nimble digits were smaller than Bonnie's own. The male bots had fatter fingers, so it was a no-brainer why Bonnie struggled with maintaining himself. Only Roxy herself and Chica can help at this point- and even then, the hen wouldn't know what to do. Roxy was the savvy one in this situation.
She started removing some of the burnt wires, but not before she struck a pronged tool into his core so he can switch to repair mode. He sighed and leaned back, his fingers twitching like he was jumpy. Roxy kept a careful eye on him the entire time as she severed the processes between his head and body. In repair mode, EVERY BOT HERE was a bit more... or less, rather, themselves. Caution was key here. Bonnie could take her face off if she did the wrong thing- not that she was worried she'd fail. Roxy was confident in the fact she was skillful enough in this field now that she can at LEAST replace some silly wires.
Repairing themselves was the ULTIMATE taboo. The staff always cautioned them against it, and she knew she and Bonnie would be in a HEAP of trouble if they learned what she was doing for him. She didn't mind doing it- breaking a rule or two was casual Rocker language. Doing this? It gave her a sort of rush she didn't want to admit having.
The smell of warmed circuits and heated metal was an attractive aroma to her- though it came with the gimmick of her attraction. She did NOT like the smell of it sticking to her friend though. That was just WORRYING.
She finished what she was doing in just a few minutes. It was literally that easy. She was sure to check the rest of him too; and noticed with a start he needed more coolant. Roxy had a bunch of these in her room, and even a container of coolant within arm's reach (she used it for herself and her little cart). She reached over, snared the bottle, and handed it to Bonnie to use. He could apply the coolant himself. She removed the prongs from his motor and swapped him back to his normal mode.
He thanked her with a nod and uncapped the bottle, chugging it back like an actual beverage. There was a pipe in their throats that can feed directly into their coolant tank, said pipe only opening up the times the bot prompted for it. In a strange way, they CAN drink the coolant like its water and simulate consumption in a realistic manner. Slapping a false fizzy faz label onto it while out in public gave the impression to their patrons they can actually consume drinks and made them out to be more organic than they appear; and it usually prompted for people to join in simply for the pleasure of it. Some even bought fizzy faz more OFTEN because they see the Glamrocks do it- not knowing the truth. It was another nasty and underhanded method of advertising.
Bonnie drank it, stopped, and sniffled once. His expression was war-torn; mystifying Roxy somewhat. He turned over the bottle of coolant with a vague look of distaste and... something else obscured that Roxy couldn't hope to make out. He truly looked like he loathed the bottle itself just for existing.
"Is it weird that I wish this was an ACTUAL soda I can drink?" He asked humorlessly.
Roxy eyed it too, reaching over to snag a bottle herself so to join him. She uncapped hers and sipped it. She can taste, and she DID NOT like the taste of coolant on her artificial tongue. The green water was acidic and stung in a way that would be horribly unpleasant to humans- but not to bots.
"I always wondered about my own soda brand," she admitted. "Grape. Freddy says I smell like it too sometimes. I wonder if its any good? I noticed most people tend to gravitate towards Chica's brand though-"
"Pink lemonade," Bonnie recited. "Yeah. I heard from some of my customers at the bowling alley that they liked it over the others. Mine was second place."
"The blueberry one. Yeah... I like the smell of it," Roxy added.
"Me too! In fact, the smells are so distracting, that I HAD to try my own product once," Bonnie recalled with a wane smirk. He also scrunched up his expression as best he could with an otherwise stiff visage. He hissed as he sucked in air between his teeth, "I even ate carrot cake, and my own carrot drop candy. Couldn't stop eating it! They had to remove it from my attraction to keep me out of it! Hahahahaha!"
Seeing him laugh helped something within her unwind, the wolf smirking at the image of Bonnie doing an excellent impression of Chica and gorging himself on anything with 'carrot' in it. Her teeth showed in a humored smirk as she leered, "They musta had a field day railing at you for caking your wires in frosting and candy!"
"And soda," Bonnie added while lifting his coolant bottle to her. "I tried my blueberry soda. It was kinda... its was fine-"
"-'Fine'?"
"Fine. Yeah. Didn't see the hype. I wonder if all the sodas are just mediocre and some of the mediocracy is more tolerable in some than in others," He smirked.
Roxy hummed and nodded, taking another small sip of the bottle herself. Then she added with a noticeable squint, "Sorry about the abrupt subject change, but... I couldn't help but mull over something just now."
"Huh?"
She leveled a talon at him, "You. You just swore a few minutes ago. The 'S' bomb. How the heck are you doing that? Does it tie-in with your little hacking trick?"
Bonnie nodded, lifting one leg and propping it over the other. He looked the picture of comfort despite his likely turbulent mind. "Yuh-huh. Easy peasy trick too. All you gotta do is rearrange your task priority thingy. You know how Chica must advertise food when possible? And how it takes precedence over the welfare of people? You can just swap those around. You just need to move that priority somewhere lower than your blocks. You're not messing with the blocks in your system... just shifting things around a wee bit. There's more involved, but that's just about the gist of it."
Roxy blinked and leveled him a stare. The simplicity of such a concept and noteworthy flaw was utterly ABSURD to her.
He shrugged and went on, "Once I figured out how to veer past my blocks, other things started making sense to me: Like hacking. That's a whole other ball-game though, and would take more explanation."
"You GOTTA tell me how you do it," She told him seriously. "Really. Seriously."
He pointed at her, "Think I will- consider it as thanks for helping me with my motor! I also don't want to see you and the others hacked again. Knowing some of these tricks can protect you for the time being... not sure in the long-run though."
The last part didn't seem reassuring, but Roxy found herself nodding rapidly and put her coolant bottle down. She clapped her paws together with finality and inched closer to him, her attention solely and raptly arrested upon him.
He drank down the rest of his bottle, set it aside, and leaned towards her in-turn.
And it would be that night, Roxy would learn just enough of what she'd need to know. Hacking was one thing- and defense, another. He was elusive when it came to details regarding what he was doing personally, but he gave all that he knew otherwise.
She had no idea just how important that trick was- and just how much she'd lean on his words. She had never leaned on anything else more in her short life.
It was a shame that the trick itself hadn't completely saved them later on.
Present Day-
"Okay! We're done! You can look now!"
The process hadn't taken super long, but it wasn't exactly as short as Cassie said- perhaps an hour or more of work than expected. Roxy was no less glad for when it was complete, and for obvious reasons. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but be a little anxious of what she's about to see.
She sidled slowly out of the chair; letting her legs hit the floor but remained sitting in the seat. Her right paw went slowly to her cranium; new claws gently grazing along her brand-spanking new skull chassis. She didn't open her eyes immediately; instead being glad for the enhanced sense of touch she had again: Their chassis had these silvery 'strips' that were adhered to the artificial skin's underside; somewhat like nerves beneath the epidermis. It allowed them to detect certain changes like when they made contact with objects or children- its an important feature that HAD to be implemented to prevent them from walking into and incidentally crushing a person on their way by. If they couldn't feel where they were going, the company would've likely been sued for Monty stepping on a child's foot by accident, for instance.
So, she had touch again. That feeling alone was awe-inspiring to her; seeing as she's gone so long being numb. The sensation of numbness was so alien, she felt detached from people in the most robotic sense an automaton could be; and that was a violation within itself.
But having touch again... she knew she can hug Cassie and actually feel the warmth- a vital component in the animatronics identifying themselves as organic in another way. It helped improve mindset over all. If they hadn't been endowed with senses like this, they'd probably act more robotic by extension. They had to be human in some way.
Weird logic, but it works.
She slowly wriggled her tail- she got lucky with that. Eclipse had found a tail piece- no hair for her head though. The tail piece was in case children stepped on or pulled it loose or it got caught in something and had to be replaced immediately. The hair for the head wasn't as vital since it wasn't going to suffer damage from being within reach of children or getting snared on furniture as often. She always took care of it religiously anyways so there hadn't been a need to make a spare head piece for her. Her Freddy-talons raked through the bald patches on her scalp- the wolf quite afraid of looking at the damage for herself. Her tail felt normal again, at least.
As for her paws, well, they ARE Freddy's. Eclipse hadn't been able to find any others. She'd just have to paint over the orange and cream skin- though, there was no denying how strange they felt on her. They were slightly larger than her own paws; but just as articulate and gentle with grip as her last set been. Freddy had the paws of a parent- and the soft pads on his fingertips were extraordinarily sensitive and interesting- she honestly liked them. They felt like faux fur- meant to grasp the hand of any child he'd likely have at his heels in a comforting and realistic manner. His paws were made to cradle and nurture.
Her own hadn't been far off either, but something about his felt... different, in other ways she couldn't fathom. Warm, familial, close, things of that nature. She herself originally had the paws of a musician; digits slightly slender and lengthier than Freddy's own and exaggerated green talons for styling and reach for her keyboard's face. Her own paw pads hadn't been AS sensitive and prone to touch as his is. It was a strangely intimate feeling that made her wonder what else he felt on a daily basis. After all, each animatronic had features the others didn't- and a real sense of understanding eluded them unless they've walked a mile in those shoes.
Now she opened her eyes.
The first thing she took in was those same, strangely obscene and huge paws where her old set was; the sight baffling and horrifying to behold. She flexed Freddy's paws; and they moved on her command. She folded them into each other; feeling the tips rub against each other and marveling the amount of sensitivity there. Disoriented by the sight of them, she couldn't help but wince.
Now she got up, finally finding the courage to brave her reflection:
She carefully moved to the glass of the cylinder; an awe-struck, mangy-looking patch-work job looking back at her with the same amount of shock she felt. Its scalp was AWFUL: a single strand of rebellious green hair stuck almost STRAIGHT up at the front of her temples; and the rest of her 'hair' was patched with rogue, errant strands that stuck up in various places across her silvery nob. She looked like she got her finger stuck in an electrical socket and her hair forgot how gravity worked since then. She moved Freddy's paws up and down her visage and back to where her mane used to be; the reflection mimicking the motion. Freddy's brilliantly cerulean eyes stared into her, through her, and into the fragile, broken pup beneath the shell.
She barely kept it together; moving her head to slowly take in the rest of her body: Eclipse had found some shell for her chest, belly, and pelvic areas at least. So now her torso was covered entirely in new skin. Small blessing. THIS much was still her. However, her arms remained bare of shell; and her right pauldron was still damaged and chipped. It looked obscene compared to the shiny new torso pieces she had. And that wasn't even including her legs; as she whined when she noticed one leg had broken segments and the other was about bare as her arms were.
She was hideous.
Freddy's paws touched her face in distress, the wolf glancing back at the worried, sickly looking MUTT that looked like it crawled out of a junkyard and attempted to pass itself off as pretty- Which, wasn't far from untrue.
She slammed Freddy's- or rather, her- eyes shut; staggering back and burying her face into her -HIS?- paws.
"Oh-! Oh no..." Eclipse moved slowly over, one bony hand touching her shoulder and the other waving hesitatingly around in the air like he didn't know what to do with it.
She shook him off, "I'm horrifying! I can't IMAGINE what Cassie thought when see first saw me!" She produced a garbled, inhalation sound; her compressor whining as she gulped down air. She eventually looked at the attendant next to her, blinking in shock when she finally took him in. "Oh lord- you look like a zombie!"
Now she couldn't help but wonder: How DID Chica and Bonnie look compared to them? Cassie said they were worse off. Maybe she shouldn't lament how disfigured and hideous she was quite yet- as at least she had half the pieces she needed on hand, no pun intended. But still, you couldn't deny the fact she was now Frankenstein'd together and it rightly weirded her out. Cassie had downplayed it- maybe she truly didn't find Roxy scary, but Roxy would continue to beg to differ.
The Daycare Attendant meanwhile, he frightened her too. He was missing half his mask- showing these weird teeth Roxy never knew he had. He had moving mouth parts, and eyes that can actually blink. That mask he had prior was always a little weird to look at but... she wasn't sure she preferred it or the fact she can actually see more nuance on his visage here. Either way, he didn't seem as bare as Roxy might've been- though she couldn't imagine how much worse she looked before he got a hold of her.
Eclipse meanwhile seemed to take the comment in stride, shrugging rather casually, "I'm okay! Only pieces I'm missing is a couple shell segments and a foot! I thought you needed the care more so-"
Roxy shook her patchy scalp- that was something she'll never get used to. The nakedness of her noggin. Trying to shrug it off, she said, "I'll... I'll help you with that. You said you had some pieces around?"
Get it together. You're still a winner in Cassie's book. You look better now. It just... takes some getting used to. You've been in darkness a long time. You can't blame yourself for that. Its HIS turn. He needs some help too.
He nodded, going to lead her out of the cylinder. He waved over his shoulder; bells tinkling merrily despite the grim atmosphere.
Roxy stepped out, then took the moment to look at her tail- it needed to be brushed, but it looked normal. At least she had that luxury. "Oh... I wonder," She started again as Eclipse started to lead her into Spare Parts section. "Maybe you shoulda used my tail for Cassie..."
"I found other alternatives for her. No sweat!" He chirruped warmly. "There was some more soft things lying around- and weirdly enough, there was another tail piece for you. I used that instead. I wondered about trimming it up for your head... we could maybe do that later?"
"Oh, really?"
"Perhaps! I dunno, could be an interesting craft job," He said, honestly sounded weirdly excited by it. Then again, this is coming from the guy who loves glitter glue and scrapbooking. "We could maybe find some actual blankets for Cassie; then, figure what to do for your hair with the remaining tail piece. Can't hurt to try!"
Roxy hummed, though uncertain if the remaining tail section would survive the job. Nonetheless, they continued on into the Endo Warehouse; with him eventually stepping into a room Roxanne herself has never seen before now. She found herself a bit unnerved and horrified by the spectacle, but fascinated in another sense too:
There were shelves upon shelves of various endo segments and parts- no doubt will be useful for Chica and Bonnie later on. Even better, she found what appeared to be a mannequin stand with some chassis pieces already pre-assembled like they're in a dressing room. Freddy had some skull pieces and some torso segments- no new paws for either feet or hands though. Chica had... a lot of new chassis pieces lying around for various places on her body. Roxy assumed it was due to the probability the chicken would get caught in the compactor and her penchant to dirty herself up with garbage. The employees had thought ahead in her case- seeing as she was rather careless when it came to her upkeep.
She moved around; Monty had some leg pieces here and there; and a set of replacement teeth and parts for his powerful jaws. Interesting. He also apparently had new chassis pieces for his hands, but nothing like the claws he had when he plays bass. This set must be a temporary stand-in pair he owned in case he ended up breaking his main set. Here, Roxanne frowned and approached; picking up a hand and turning it over. She wondered if at some point, some of these pieces in this room WERE Bonnie's and they were just repainted.
Bonnie's muzzle was distinct from the others though- that couldn't have been repurposed without having to be reshaped entirely. There was no head segments in here that suggested they belonged to him at any point- likely tossed out, the more she looked. The rounded, soft, natural lapine shape of his upper jaw was more exaggerated than a real rabbit's, but the shape was there and his facial pieces couldn't be used for, say, Freddy or herself. Not to mention the sensors in his muzzle was alarmingly sensitive and niche; his whiskers had true functionality in them and were anchored into the chassis quite firmly. They behaved liked extended pressure sensors; though the design and reasoning for it eluded her. With that said, why wasn't she or Freddy made with whiskers? Didn't bears and wolves have them?
Now she wondered...
"You sure you didn't find anything for carrot-breath in here? You'd think they wouldn't reuse EVERYTHING he had, right? His facial structure was unique. Maybe not his bottom jaw, but the top-"
"Its likely the claws Monty had were Bonnie's originally... And I think the springs in his legs for that super jump? Monty's jump always did come off as more rabbit-like than gator-like..." Eclipse commented as he turned over some finger segments for himself. He pulled a new set of weird trousers from another shelf- something to cover his bare endo leg with. He also grabbed a new foot from the pair that was up there. "Maybe, we can use some of Monty's stuff for him," was his next suggestion.
"Is there any way to paint them? I dunno how I feel about looking at Freddy's paws every time I try to look where mine used to be..." She lifted them up and winced as they responded to her command, "They're also HUGE... I look ridiculous with these honking paws."
"Well, size aside... I'm sure there is a way to paint them so its easier to look at! But I don't think its a luxury we have at the moment. I'm sure there's another room were the chassis segments are mussed over with more detail... but I haven't found it. Its not on my map."
Roxy sputtered a curse.
Eclipse stared at her, "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Swear? How'd you do that? Mine always comes out in static."
Roxy blinked, then fought a rising chortle. Funny how she had been thinking about that memory not so long ago.
"Bonnie taught me," She started with some fondness. "-He told me we were always capable of rearranging priority tasks and allocating attention to certain programs helps him override blocks in some sections of his brain. He was pretty elaborate about it. What, he never told you?"
"No... granted, I don't like swears. But I do use them unconsciously anyways when I'm frustrated enough," he reluctantly admitted. "Not that I'd DREAM of using those naughty words around children though!"
"I try not to. But, I won't lie, swearing's nice," Roxy smirked. "Makes me feel better. Maybe I can teach you?"
He chuckled, then started to mosey back to the hall, "I think I'll pass... I don't want to get mad at something and say something I'd regret around Cassie. Anyways, I got what I need now! After this is done, we can check on Cassie, then see what we can do about getting her some water and food. I worry she's wore herself out in a plethora of ways."
Roxy nodded there, fidgeting with Freddy's paws all the while. Eclipse wouldn't take more than a couple minutes to do- as most of his damage was just superficial. Some of Roxy had to be bumped out and a full diagnostic was run on her Security Mode on the side. The wolf will have to run the program on Eclipse as well, but she wagered even then it won't take longer than five minutes.
With that, they returned to the cylinder room; the wolf moving to the computer and prepping it while Eclipse placed his segments into the armature's 'hands' ahead of time. He sighed, then slumped his head, "I worry we may not find much for her... I dunno. I want to leave this place with her, but that'd... I don't think we'd make it to her residence in this state; not unless we take fully charged spare batteries with us and alternatively change them out for each other...?" He placed delicate fingers to his faceplate's bottom, where his chin should be. He added with a shake, "I don't know... even then, I worry that she may not be having the best home life if she's choosing to stay with US over other, actual people. She's in no rush to return home, nor has she expressed any desire to do so. Its not normal."
Roxy stopped typing (having found Freddy's paws to be awkward and cumbersome). She huffed, then shook her head, "She still needs to be with PEOPLE... if possible. If we can get Wi-Fi signal upon leaving the premises, we can contact the authorities and direct them to Cassie's location. The modem here is out and I don't know WHERE the heck that is."
The jester bot bobbed his thin shoulders. "You think we should continue to enamor her about doing this? I mean, we're juggling her health here but clearly she's invested in our own well-being. And it seems to make her feel better- despite how she'd feel physically."
"I think for now, maybe. I wouldn't mind her company. A selfish part of me kinda wants that for even a brief time," Roxy admitted with some solemnity. She wasn't keen to returning to the dreary solitude of this place too soon. Was that truly that selfish? "-She finds us to be the closest approximation to family she had. And she told me her dad isn't around anymore, so..."
"Oh... I'm... oh." Eclipse sagged visibly, "I... I never saw that memo. Her dad was a technician here, right?"
"Yeah. Decent guy. I think he liked talking it up with Bonnie."
Eclipse hummed, then said, "Her father was her only close family, last I checked. So she's, what, with a foster family now?"
"Maybe. Could explain her reluctance to return... some foster families ain't great... although I dunno if that's the case with her. She hasn't specified yet." The two paused again, with Roxy going to type back on the computer. She added with a sigh, "At any rate... Go ahead and get in. Sooner we do this, the better."
"Right-o!"
A short while later, the two checked on the girl again- to which they found she'd finally fallen into a more sound sleep. Roxy checked her vitals and winced as she logged the injuries- briefly rethinking her prior sentiment about letting Cassie stay here. Taking her to a hospital was more pragmatic, but... Fazbear Entertainment, in all of their infinite wisdom, decided to conveniently build their location as far from a hospital as possible. She could SWEAR that was deliberate.
Anyways, as to what they COULD do- they needed to find sustenance for the growing girl in order to help her get properly on the mend. And it still also didn't change the fact that even if they left now, she doubted they'd succeed at finding her help if they lived far enough from civilization. Last time Roxy checked, the PizzaPlex was built in a more wooded area in the town and it was also a tad more remote.
At any rate, she sent a permission for constant contact with Eclipse; then the two separated to look around the PizzaPlex in general. While Cassie had asked if they can find Chica and bring her down to the repair ward, Roxy wasn't keen on finding food and bringing it to Cassie, just for the likely tampered chicken to take it from her. Chica herself would want to be stopped and wouldn't want anyone finding her until Cassie was taken care of first.
Still, Roxy couldn't help but return to the raceway anyways; looking for both chicken, and the vending machines. Maybe there was some fizzy faz lying around- and seeing as its canned, it had a LONG shelf life. No doubt some of the food and drink here, given no holes was made in the packaging, would stay fresh for a while. Cassie can eat the stuff- just not a lot of it.
The joys of having overly saturated preservatives and fats on these stupid things.
Eclipse meanwhile had gone towards the food stands in the PizzaPlex proper; like El chips and the like. Roxy doubted there'd be anything good over there, but it was worth trying. And she knew the attendant had some snacks stashed away at the daycare somewhere too, for children. Maybe he'll go back there and even grab some more blankets too.
Roxy snuffled around; finding herself back at the salon and staring hard at the building's outside face. Throughout the time she'd been blind and wandering around the place, she'd only be able to numbly sense that the PizzaPlex was a wreck-
But feeling it with broken hands with no tactile sensors left in them and seeing it was two completely different things. And now, beholding the horror-husk before her, she couldn't help but further lament their imprisonment here.
They left us here. They left us here to rot. We were their biggest superstars, and yet-
Roxy felt something tighten in her motor; something skipped within and her new paws curled into fists.
They tear down the area around us looking for their precious money. They took their merchandise with them- emptied the ATMs and registers of their cash and hulled away their novelty toys. They proceeded to leave us behind in darkness- even though they no doubt coulda fetched us too. We are conscious, thinking, feeling beings- and yet they toss us aside like toys in a kids' closet-
Freddy's talons found themselves burying into her palms, the sensation now blooming into dull pain.
Why is it that I'm starting to HATE people, she couldn't help wondering forlornly.
All this wreckage had put a plethora of things into perspective for her- and it was dizzying. She'd spent so long going after a ghost voice that she hadn't noticed her small world fallen apart around her. She felt her throat pipe clench and pinch in some places- her compressor whined when she inhaled too fast; her blue talons hard and pointed against the soft palms of the creamy faux fur-
She had to cannibalize her friends pieces to get by now. She was surviving- no longer living as she used to. She'd been built and raised here- taught a certain way, and treated like a princess night and day. She had people to wait on her hand and foot- But now? This reeking hell-hole only felt more like a decrepit prison the longer she eyes her precious salon.
Cassie's presence has truly put into perspective her importance to people. Or rather, how LITTLE she's meant in the grand-scheme of things.
No wonder she's always been so unstable emotionally. There was some part of her that knew she and her friends don't truly matter to people at the end of the day- that they'll always remain as toys to be stuffed away in their respective closets in Rockstar Row. Most children who come here never come back; never think to return.
But Cassie did. And while she came for a peer at first- another child like herself, now she wanted to stay for them. THE BOTS. She came back, and wanted to stay with them.
Yes, she shut off Roxy once, but she did it in what she assumed was the intention to save another friend. It wasn't done easily, or with no small amount of reluctance. Cassie had hesitated at the time- Roxy recalled the chipped, fragile nature of her apology. And now, the girl was here with them; sticking it out and insisting she make things right by helping them find each other and repair them.
But even if they did get Bonnie and Chica and left this place forever, what then? What could they do with themselves? Even if Cassie found out how to keep their batteries charged, it doesn't change the fact that their lives can never be what it once was. They had no future alone, whether here in this pit of darkness or in the world beyond. They were automatons built with the intention to entertain- What could they do now that they didn't have that? Stay with Cassie, who assumably has no real family left herself?
Cassie. Could she be their new home? Was that allowed? Or would they be cast out by her foster family after getting her there? Would they get forcibly separated from her? Would someone call the authorities on them for being LOOSE? They did belong to Fazbear Entertainment- and they, by extension, belonged to whoever owned the rights to their faces and merchandise.
They had an owner. Who never came back unless it was for the crap around them. They were things to whoever this was. They'd been locked away, the key tossed to the side to be lost-
Roxy huffed, beyond angry that she couldn't find an answer to their conundrum. For now, sticking with the short term was easier to focus on: Get Cassie food. Keep Cassie safe and warm. Find a way to get Cassie medical help. Stay with Cassie. Assemble friends with Cassie.
She is our world now- for better or for worse. And I refuse to let that change. Give back the love you were given in-turn. Right, Bonnie?
As she headed past the salon, refusing the temptation to find herself a mirror she hadn't smashed, she sniffed and chuffed; her sense of smell once again restored to what it once was thanks to her repaired muzzle. This place RANK of vile, past-expired filth- and it clogged her nostrils more often than not. Growing increasingly frustrated, Roxy meandered on to the spectator stands and moved to the dark region behind them- where the vending machines were.
They were gone, save for a couple... and their doors were wide open. Roxy sputtered a curse when she noticed the food racks in them were also empty. She growled, snapped her teeth, then PUNCHED one of the doors in. Thankfully, Freddy's chassis held despite the force exerted.
She went to move past them, now noticing some forklifts lying around too. She has heard construction go on here and there in the distance- proving without a doubt that there HAD been people here after the megaplex shut down. How come the Glamrocks went so blatantly ignored?
Now her own raceway was pissing her off MORE.
She snuffled around; eventually finding where the rest of the vending machines went: They hadn't been far away- but they too were emptied out of whatever change had been in them, as well as most beverages. Roxanne however found herself smiling a bit more easily when she saw scant cans of soda- not too many, but enough for Cassie to get by on until they figured something out.
She bent and grabbed a fizzy faz; the sour-lime flavor with Monty's face on it. She eyed the gator's perky mug, her ears lowering as she recalled Cassie's portent regarding him. This will no doubt take time for her to absorb- but after Bonnie's disappearing act, one cannot say the eventuality of nonfunctionally was an intimidating factor to her anymore. She'd even welcome it in some cases- and if she didn't have Cassie to worry about, she'd probably would've asked Eclipse to shut her down for good. It was an intrusive and morbid thought.
I don't have anything but my fame- and even that didn't spare me of this fate, she found herself wondering. I wound up chasing a ghost voice for gods know how long. I was forsaken by my creators and audience. I am but a toy to everyone to make or break. So to be cast into this dead prison and left to rot consciously-
That's just... too cruel. What did we do to deserve that? Why didn't you just SHUT US OFF? Being shut down is preferrable to this waking nightmare. And now, I'm sitting here contemplating nonfunctionality- PREFERRING it over what I had to endure.
Trying to forget her current ruminations, she focused back on the task at hand: Make sure the beverage she found was edible. So, tangent aside, she bit into the soda can with her teeth- opening the can and not hearing much fizzing or bubbling. Likely flat, but it didn't smell or taste moldy as the soda spilled some droplets into her muzzle. It'll do. She threw the opened can away and gathered up the rest of the flavors around her; opening her chest cavity and very CAREFULLY placing them inside. She didn't need to walk around and shake them up- even though they've lost their bubbling punch.
Now to find Chica.
She walked slowly around; retracing her steps back to the salon and sniffing again for Chica's more distinct aroma. The chicken smelled like, well, what you'd expect out of Chica: She just straight smelled like Pizza 99% of the time. The rest was a fresh buff from getting cleaned up- or it was replaced by the smell of garbage. Its likely in this case, Roxanne suspected she'd smell more or less the latter. Chica had been allowed to run rampant in this place for uncounted MONTHS- no doubt she's a food-caked WRECK. Frankly, Roxy wasn't sure how prepared she'll be to see her.
"Bathrooms. Bathrooms..." Roxanne muttered as she went.
She sniffed- and sure enough, there was an OLD garbage smell floating around. Granted, there was plenty of turned-over waste baskets and the like around, but this scent was different. Like wet garbage in various stages of decay that's been hovering around some places.
Believing it to be correct, she floated towards the bathrooms and opened the doors- just to find nothing in them. In one such bathroom though, she did find what looked like a single hand print smeared in cheese across the wall- the print Eclipse pointed out earlier. That was more recent, by the smell of it. Chica HAD been here, but it looked like she stumbled- and yes, literally stumbled- on.
"Oh no..." Roxy followed the grody trail for a short while; noticing at several intervals it appeared the chicken had crashed into a variety of things. It appeared Chica's mental state wasn't stable by any means. Its like she was finding path-finding to be impossible- that or visibility.
The fuck did Gregory DO to her?
No... the better question was: What'd she do to herself?
She was recalling Chica's behavioral degradation after Bonnie's disappearance. The hen had NOT taken his disappearance well, and that was putting it MILDLY. Chica started partaking in food and chaos more often; scrounging around for the most acidic junk she can get her beak around. She was constantly stalling after a point- and then she had repairs made every time the techs COULD get their hands on her.
But Chica stopped seeing the techs after a point. She stopped caring. She became an attention-seeking, food-hoarding abomination. She scowled, started fights with Roxy and Monty- she was only approachable by Freddy after a while.
So yes, even though Gregory damaged her to an extent, it was superficial compared to what Chica herself has done. And it had been inevitable that this would turn out to be this way.
While Roxy considered giving up her life, Chica has already damned herself.
The thought made the wolf shudder with both trepidation and pity.
Her trail went cold once Roxy paused over an immense trench: This hole in the ground was wide across the area; as if something had drilled into the foundation itself at some point after the PizzaPlex closed. Whatever caused this surfaced briefly, then tunneled back into the earth- and sadly Chica had fallen into it at some point between 2 to 4 hours ago. Moldy cheese permeated the churned up pile of dirt on the ground.
Roxy jumped down- though her internal maps say she's going out-of-bounds. She sniffed and lit up her LED eyes; then noticed the tunnel dipped, turned, and swayed at unpredictable times in ANY direction. And it wasn't singular... there was a couple other tunnels that lead into this one. A whole other system of secret paths had yawned into life inside the PizzaPlex ever since its closing- and now, she was starting to wonder.
Something else is here with us, beyond the Mimic thing, she wondered. But what? What is making these tunnels?
Roxy frowned. She recalled a while back some kind of enormous tremor had taken hold of the place; then, a notification from the main server saying the PizzaPlex was going to close down for a short while for repairs due to some kind of earthquake. But that notification had been the last time she got any contact from the main server. Now while earthquakes aren't unusual in Hurricane Utah, she still wondered if that's the sole reason this place closed.
The tunnels are far to deliberate to be any stupid earthquake.
The wolf bent onto all fours; crawling around and growling to herself as she went. Ignoring her warning on her Hud about walking outside of the PizzaPlex service area, she went on. Her ears were her best friend here; the wolf listening more often than not. Chica STANK, but the scent of this churned earth was something else. She couldn't identify it too well, sadly- seeing as her olfactory capabilities where limited to what she's been programmed to know and what she's experienced here first-hand.
She wanted to call out, but a nasty part of her wondered if she'd get an answer from not just Chica. For that reason, she pressed on in silence. Her saunter was deafened by soil but her paws still produced the occasional tak tak once rock and churned foundation was met. She winced when certain noises got a bit too loud.
Now the tunnel branches. She paused here, taking a moment to smell around-
"Krrrshhhhh- C-Caaaah-sssie!"
The wolf froze; ducking low to the ground and letting her ears and nose tell her what her eyes couldn't:
The noise had come from the tunnel to her left- and thankfully, no Chica in that direction. But then- That was Gregory's voice! Although, it took Roxy a second to realize that it didn't sound quite like him either. The static and slurring was evident enough, let alone the obscene origin of it. It only told her one thing:
That the Mimic found a way up out of the depths.
She slowly craned her head towards the tunnel she heard it from. She can't see a blasted thing, dammit! Her LED eye lights were fine and dandy, but she didn't want to give away her location. So she shut them down, sidled away, and listened while remaining on her belly.
Tak tak tak tak.
Its gait was swift sounding, but it still took time to arrive. The whir of servos and rusty brackets attempting to force torque into its joints was evident; creaking and grinding as indicative of needing a good oiling. This Mimic-thing definitely needed a lot of maintenance, and it was no doubt weak. However, Roxy wasn't sure if she can take it down alone if she hadn't succeeded the first time. It was obscenely resilient- after all, its been down here for gods know how long and can still WALK. She'd need at least one other bot to assist her.
As it were, an impatient part of her wondered about jumping it regardless; just to make sure it couldn't lay a hand on Cassie again. The idea that it wanted to hurt her in any way had Roxy snarling. Her bear talons dug into the damp earth; the wolf's legs pumping energy into its springs- she was ready to lunge and give it her all once again just to make sure it was gone-
But then, a single, whirring Ba-ba-ah-ah-bawk! echoed from down the tunnel behind her.
The Mimic paused, unable to see beyond what its dim reddish-orange eyes can perceive. However, it's no doubt listening. Learning. It didn't move, nor make any hostile motions. It simply listening and waited for some kind of prompt.
This thing... it used sentimentality to get Cassie to free it... it knows how to manipulate emotions. So if it hears a new noise... it needs to learn how to use it against enemies or targets, right? Is that why its not moving? It doesn't know about Chica?
Roxy blinked, then groaned at the fact she just now recalled the fact she was carrying soda around. Fighting that thing was superseded by the fact she had to bring Cassie sustenance- as well as find Chica. It's strange how the Mimic wasn't going towards it immediately. Wasn't it hostile? She supposed it was actually taking the time to learn. THAT was creepy.
She waited again, watched and observed as it moved slowly to its fullest height- as tall at eye level as Bonnie's ear tips went erect. It literally stood taller than any of them, save for the DJ. No, she couldn't fight this thing alone and win and hope to return to Cassie in one piece. This thing's made mince meat of her before. Whose to say it wouldn't be the same now?
Conceding to the fact Cassie and Chica were priority, Roxy pulled a rock up and threw it down the tunnel; drawing its attention away from her spot. The Mimic mumbled and spat static; unable to perceive a proper response at first. It muttered, "Gregory?" in Cassie's voice rather flawlessly though, moving to slowly meander towards where the rock landed.
Roxy took the time to flee- not something she'd ever figure herself doing. She tried moving quietly at first, keeping low and slow but not quite walking. She loped; her movements easy and smooth as she kept herself bent double despite being bipedal. Her hands barely hovered above ground; the wolf just inches away from moving on all fours again.
Chica didn't cluck again- to which Roxy was glad for. And, even better, she can smell her now- although... she supposed the smell wasn't THAT great. In fact, she almost gagged; Chica was RANCID. Literally, she was stinking up the tunnel even before Roxy got nearer. How much dumpster diving had she'd been doing?!
Roxy was about to have her answer.
Just as she thought the area started to lighten up, something gave around her heavy feet; causing Roxy to tilt precariously forward. She straightened and tucked her arms in to her body; carefully sliding down on her back towards some other yawing pit. The aroma of garbage-galore greeted her; forcing her expression to contort as she slid to an expert stop at the bottom. She didn't get shaken up too much, at least- good. The soda didn't need it.
"Ba- ba-"
Roxy looked up, only to feel her jaws slide open when she took in the sight of the chicken lying on its belly before her:
Okay, so Cassie was right about this one. Dreadfully so.
Chica was not just bad- but far worse than herself; literally looking far more zombie-like than any of them had been by a MILE. There wasn't much of her own shell left on her head- and her endo stank of mold to an overwhelming degree. Soda and caked-on food had glued and deteriorated her innards to such a violent extent- making it look like her endo would give in in some spots. She was already missing her left arm as if to cement that- and her body was twitching violently on the ground like some sort of nasty death throe or seizure. She couldn't even comprehend that Roxy was standing just a few meters from her FACE!
"Chica- CHICA!"
Roxy ran and bent over; grazing Freddy's paws alongside the back of her head. No response to touch. Her tactile sensors were likely shot. The wolf placed another hand on Chica's side; turning her over from her position on her belly and onto her side. Roxy blinked several times fast; then proceeded to look at her personality chip. She also looked the ghastly automaton right in the lolling eyes-
And there, she saw nothing left of her. Chica was truly gone.
That's when she started to cry.
Chica's chip reader was a solid box; reinforced and anchored into the endo itself. Its durability was the highest in all the animatronics; as all endo would or could probably be slotted with a fully formed personality chip to make them an actualized individual. And within reason, something so important needed protection.
But in Chica's case, the case was cracked to hell and back like she'd been caught in some kind of high-pressure space (the garbage compactor, Roxy figured); and her chip was displaced in it on top of that. Worse yet, Roxy can clearly see as she shined her LED optics upon it that soda, cheese, and Monty's Mystery Mix had further eroded it- burned the fragile components that studiously held the heart of her being. She had no idea how she got the food in there when the chip was placed far from their mouths and protected by these boxes... but Chica was a literal dumpster diver. Anything was possible with her.
Chica, while her body moved (and even then, barely), she was still essentially gone. There was no coming back from this fully- even if repairs were made to her on the outside. Even her chip reader was replaceable... but the chip itself? No, not in the least. Even if it could be replaced, she doubted there was anyone here who could do it.
Roxy choked- she didn't know how but, she was choking on the cold air in her compressor. Her jaws parted; voice box whining in static and rolling in groans as if it couldn't figure out how to produce the primal, guttural sob that clawed its way through her. She whined, sobbed, craned her head back; unable to gulp down air to make her compressor work and move her fans. Unable to stop the torrent of heat that rippled through her both physically and emotionally.
There was no describing the noise she made as she lowered her head again. She turned Chica more, meeting whatever remained of the chicken's forehead with her own. She whined and moaned relentlessly; uncaring if the Mimic found its way to her. Nothing it did could compare to what she was feeling now- to the fact that she's now lost not just Freddy, Monty, or perhaps Bonnie forever- but CHICA too.
This. This. This is too cruel.
Who said we deserved this?
The wolf pulled the fragile bot closer; tucking the limp hen into her lap and cradling Chica's cheese-slathered body protectively. She didn't know what to do- to leave here with Chica and hope Cassie can help (not that she thought she could), or to do the worst right here, right now-
To power down Chica for good.
Her invasive thoughts from earlier returned; unbidden. Even with repair, what could they do if they left here? There was no place in the world for them. They belonged no where but the rotten, slimy hellscape their home had become. Chica was literally the physical epitome of that neglect- as well as a victim. How the hell can they even go on like this? Even if they stay with Cassie, for how long can that fly?
There was no permanence.
There was no point.
Roxy's body whined and shuddered; servos warmed and hummed as it attempted to replicate the lament that wracked her. She tried pulling as much of Chica into her embrace as she could; unable to move or think. She rocked back and forth; the motion automatic and outside of her will. She cried into the hen's remaining chest piece; unable to look up again.
There was a switch on every endo's back; a large box containing their cores and sources of power. And inside of each of them, they also had timers that were usually programmed to wake them back up in case of emergencies or certain intervals. These timers allowed them to use rest mode; and even deactivation can be reversed so long as these power boxes weren't touched. Flipping these boxes directly however... it completely rendered the body inert and unable to wake back up again. It ignored the timers- and so long as they remained flipped, the animatronic won't wake up again.
It was here Roxy's- or rather, Freddy's- soft paws found the hen's spine. It slipped easily into the region between the chassis and core. The yellow power box there had a lid that covered the switch; and it can only be undone by lock and key. It was a safety feature so the animatronic doesn't accidentally turn itself off if it got jarred by something. Roxy hesitated on opening it- unable to even pry the lid open so she can get at this switch. And even if she had access to it right from the get-go, she struggled to muster the bravery to do it.
In all actuality, she wasn't sure if Chica CAN be saved. She'd already computed what needed to be done with her- and while yes, one can place Chica's head on a new endo's body and fix it with a new shell, her chip was the biggest reason why she wasn't toting this crooked, broken hen back to Parts & Service right now. She wondered if anything in it was even recoverable? Could her personality be downloaded and transferred into an alternate chip?
No. She was able to answer that immediately: The chip needed to be in salvageable condition in order to transmit her personality as flawlessly as possible. But in the destroyed, food-caked state its in, she doubted Cassie could pull anything of her left from it. And if she did, it'd be fragmented... broken. Was it worth trying just so she can be crushed by the inevitability of it?
No. She couldn't.
Roxy winced and cried anew; but still couldn't make herself do it. There was nothing of the hen they loved LEFT. What the fuck was she supposed to do? She couldn't leave her down here in this lonely, pitch darkness- That much she knew. She refused to leave Chica here in this crumbling graveyard built of people's wasted food and spoils. If she was to be shut down and put to rest, it should be elsewhere. Somewhere better.
Finding herself using that as a crudely made excuse to not perform the deed to power her down forever, Roxy stood and held the hen bridal style. She pondered what she could tell Cassie and Eclipse, but no answer came. So she said nothing- instead turning to find a way out of the second basement layer of the PizzaPlex with the dying, glitching bot in tow.
I might as well have never found Chica at all, Roxy couldn't help figuring. Not with the little I hold in my talons now.