FNAF Security Breach: Ruination

by FrostByterFang

Cassie's descent into the bowels of the PizzaPlex's depths posed numerous ramifications. After Gregory's supposed betrayal, she needs to find a way out of the derelict building with the assistance of the broken-down animatronics. Gregory meanwhile attempts to rescue his friend from the depths of the PizzaPlex. FULL summary inside. Main character focus is Cassie & Glamrock Bonnie.

11. Bunny Blitz

Sometime during the PizzaPlex's prime-

---

GLAMROCK BONNIE

~In the wake of Night 1. Twilight of the next day~

He was there again.

Standing at the front doors; staring into the wide open world beyond them.

After Freddy found him crumpled up by the Lost & Found this morning, he staunchly refused to tell the bear anything. Freddy tried coaxing the night's activities out of him, but Bonnie was adamant in keeping as many of his friends out of this as he could. Its bad enough Moon and Monty were involved.

Cruel as it was to say this, Bonnie knew he was a certified asshole when he felt few qualms about the latter two. Moon and Monty were NOT his friends; although, he assumed with time, perhaps they can maybe grow on him. For now though, he figured it was best to keep the jester and resident gator at arm's length. He did not need to start caring about them if something else horrible were to come to pass. Bonnie didn't have much in this little world, but he didn't want to gain something else, just to lose it the moment the ghost rabbit lady felt her worse.

But he digressed; here he was, standing at the front entrance again, looking outside into the parking lot once more. After having assured Freddy he just needed his space for the day and he'll be fine, he wound up loitering around the PizzaPlex in a daze; just trying to wind down. He was haunting this area again primarily; wishing quite powerfully that he was standing out there and not in here.

The bird song helped. His ears busied themselves with catching their every nuance as he lingered there, paws on the glass door as if to push it out. He even pressed his nose against it; huffing steam into the transparent surface as his optics scanned studiously for the flitting shapes. He saw them numerous times actually during busier parts of the day.

The bots always missed this because they were always their busiest during working hours. This was their Maintenance period for right now, so no customers today. Just staff, the bots, and repairmen if they needed to be called in. The PizzaPlex was quiet otherwise, almost tranquil in its current lull. Bonnie would be enjoying himself in his room usually, but the songs of the outer world have captivated him so utterly this fine day, that he couldn't help but be entranced.

He didn't move for hours pretty much most of this day. He only sat at the front door; unable to do more than stare longingly at the birds. He saw several species too; some picking at the outdoor parking lot garbage cans and others announcing their territory from the trees. He wasn't good at identifying them though. His knowledge base didn't permit that learning native bird species was relevant to his occupation as a musician. He only had basic knowledge; like, what a cardinal or a bluebird was- given THAT was what some of these creatures were.

Bots knew dictionary definitions, sure, but the Glamrocks couldn't hope to understand what lie beyond their prison. They only knew what a fountain was because there was a couple in the plex; otherwise, the techs and their developers wouldn't have installed them with the data. It had to be relevant to their environment in order to be implemented.

So when it came to things sitting just outside their doors, they were at a loss. Bonnie couldn't hope to know what these creatures were beyond whatever little his patrons had told him, or from the picture books the daycare attendant had lying around. He knew what SQUIRRELS were... the techs often complained about them chewing on the outdoor wires. He found them hilarious and energetic; chittering with a perky air and goading the birds to drop their food so they can steal it. He was amused by the squirrels and enchanted by the birds and their heart songs.

They're singing for love, and for land to protect their loves, he found himself realizing with time. He'd seen a pair of them grooming the other; different colored but definitely the same species. And then, another bird like or unlike them would come along and the grooming pair would go to war; picking and shrieking at the interloper. It was beauty and barbarism in equal parts.

But the actual sun was where his attention was also arrested, for the moment.

While his ears focused on the birdsong, his eyes was scanning the horizon again. He found dazzling towers of aureate pillars and cotton-candy clouds tangling intimately with each other above blackening tree-tops a captivating inspiration; something he figured he can maybe write a song about. No lyrics came to him right now, but the idea was there; temporarily shelved so he can bring it to mind another day.

Maybe I can write this for our performances, he wondered as he eyed the panorama.

Its a given he endured this week... and if his musical mojo can come sweeping back into him. He's found music increasingly more difficult to indulge in in recent times; finding rehearsal nearly unbearable some days. He was gradually devolving into a recluse; a notion he never figured- and also something his friends have definitely taken notice of.

He tapped a thoughtful claw, pulled away from the locked door, and eyed it. It shouldn't be engaged right now, but here it was; keeping his only way out barred from him. There was no customers coming in, but in these hours preluding the night, there SHOULD be some liberty to push this barrier open. And yet, it remained stuck in place. Bonnie wondered if it was deliberate on Vanessa's end to keep the doors locked even though this was the Maintenance period. Was it possible the woman was watching him right now and didn't want to risk him wandering out?

He turned around, frowning when indeed, he saw several cameras were on. A couple would whir to lock on him, turn off for a few minutes, then click back on. Vanessa was definitely watching; her and whatever other remaining security guard could take her place during some parts of the day (given she wasn't temporarily off the clock to sleep or whatever). There was usually someone watching the cameras at all times, but the security as of recently had been tighter than ever.

Not tight enough, he found himself saying inwardly as he returned his attention to the door.

Another claw tap, his recently damaged ear swiveling to the cameras again. He listened; waited until the cameras were off to try this:

He stuck a claw into the hinges of one of the doors; carefully picking at the screws. He would stop as soon as his ears picked up the sound of the cameras moving; though he wasn't certain what Vanessa could possibly do to him even if she caught him right now. Maybe taser him, at worst; but she wasn't allowed to HURT him unless the manager said so. But dragging him to be repaired? She can't physically do that unless she got a bot to help; and even then, the other bots wouldn't obey her wishes. They didn't much like her, not even Freddy.

He picked one hinge loose, tried the door, and huffed when it didn't budge in the way he wanted it. He had to wait until the cameras were off again before he tried the other one. He'd be at this meticulous procedure for at least fifteen to twenty-ish minutes; patiently whittling away at the door while listening to the cameras humming around him.

If I were to somehow fail and DIE this week, I don't want to have miss THIS, he found himself realizing with a desperate air edging his suddenly hasty talons. There is a very real chance I could be decommissioned for good in just a few days... and I think I'd regret it a whole lot more if I didn't at least step outside just once. ONCE is all I want. I could be, for one glorious moment, FREE.

He waited again, though he knew the cameras weren't ALL off. There was never a moment where the dozen or so around him were all off. Its possible Vanessa saw him picking at the door and would be on her way shortly. It'd take her a bit of time however; seeing as the PizzaPlex was so large. On that note, he thanked the plex for being the size it was for once and didn't hesitate to push open the door-

He had no idea how right he was in assuming someone was watching him.

Bonnie was on the pavement and under the awning within a breath; and then he was out in the parking lot proper two seconds there-after without waiting for another beat. The glare of the sun was steadily dying, but it's still strong enough so that one cannot look directly into it. He blinked several times; trying to let his RGB camera eyes to adjust to the lighting. He found himself pulling out his shades next; just to help remove the edge off of the heavenly glare. Something glinted from his peripherals; and then he was looking down at his torso-

He was magnificent in the light, he found himself realizing belatedly. He outstretched his limbs, shiny and reflective even though he hasn't cared to buff recently. He knew he was quite a sight on stage when draped in neon spotlights, but the sun had a way about it that truly put into stark relief just how beautifully imperfect he was too. He can see every dent and scratch from his fight with Monty last night; and the areas where he was unharmed shine brilliantly. Sure, he didn't think himself much to look at when he hasn't maintained himself recently, but he found himself truly absorbing just how beautiful he was too in some small way.

He walked out further.

One of his ears was hearing something from the plex behind him, but he wasn't going to focus on that when he had all THIS before him. For this one suspended, apotheotic moment, he resolved to take this all in while he had the chance. He knew Vanessa would seal that door behind him the next day over; so its likely he won't experience this ever again. But for now? He can savor being the most free Glamrock in the entire world for that second in time. He was whole and intact; and it would have to be enough.

His heavy feet made an odd noise as he strode into the parking lot; asphalt meeting metallic chassis and no doubt scraping paint on the bottom. He didn't care; for his nose was busy as ever as he detected both said asphalt and the curious aroma of old fries in the garbage. He thought he can identify other confectionaries too; keeping his muzzle elevated so he can feel out what was going on-

Wind.

He was feeling wind.

His whiskers were thankfully useful as functional, extended touch receptors; with Bonnie jumping and jolting whenever a child grazes them by accident. But now, the sensors can feel something invisible moving them; making him go wide-eyed with shock at the invisible whats-it. He was only able to perceive its wind after his recall of more of his patrons conversations and their unhelpful descriptions. He even lifted one paw to try and grasp at it- only to feel nothing but a gentle caress somewhat cool his shell.

I am smelling and touching wind. I'm actually feeling it... EXPERIENCING it, he thought in blunt, slack-jawed wonder.

He smelled it again; and beyond the nearby garbage cans and the natural blueberry aroma that followed him, he found himself smelling other smaller things; subtle, infinitesimally tiny things that can be missed with an otherwise weaker nose. He was no Roxy in his ability to perceive scent, but he can still smell the leaves and the creatures crushing them. When he stepped into an area with mulch meant for a tree sapling framed by raised concrete, he could detect that and the faint aroma of dust coming from it-

It took him a second to realize that the dust smell was just BIRD-smell. Birds were DUSTY! Who knew? He found this so fascinating and irrelevant to his plight, that he wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of it.

He didn't do anything of the sort however when he found a single bird sitting in the tree he was nearest; a brown feathered ball of puff speckled with white and a cap of black trailing from its beak. It stared at him with large, dark eyes; timid but also curious of the large, bipedal thing that smelled richly of food. It kept tilting its large head at him too; using one side or the other to face him fully. It produced a chirrup of a short note or two; like grinding polished wood and a cap of metal.

He had no idea what he was looking at at the time, but the tiny creature that couldn't have been larger than 6 inches was a sparrow. They kept their eyes locked too; the wad of dust gawping at the equally perplexed seven-foot tower of metal that also somehow smelled of food. It chirruped again, jumped across the branch it perched on twice, then fluttered away after another cursory inspection of him.

It was such a short moment of reverie, and he felt downtrodden when it took off. At the same time, he was delighted by the fact he even got close enough to one that he could smell it! It was so different listening to it as well; contrary to the recorded bird sounds of an entirely different species in the golf course. Whatever sounds they used in the PizzaPlex were actually very different from the creatures he heard outside.

He meandered about in a complete circle; jolting when his ears picked up the hurried steps of nobody other than Vanessa herself. He paused when he saw her stop a few meters shy of him; certainly out of his arm's reach, he noticed.

"BONNIE! What the FUCK are you doing out here?!" She half-yelled, half-spat. She sounded less mad than frightened, honestly; as if afraid the manager would catch the lapse in her judgement that allowed Bonnie to have escaped out here in the first place.

She hadn't come alone, he also observed: Finding Freddy standing at the gate of plex too. He hadn't even stepped out beneath the awning; looking trapped just by the sheer force of the rules alone as he continued to linger right where the doors where. The ursine was fidgeting with his paws, mashing his heavy jaw too as if in consternation and anxiety. He kept tapping his blue talon tips together, moving weight from foot-to-foot as if he wanted to follow his friend out. His nose was probably the only thing sticking out past the border of the doors; akin to wanting to take a chance to smell the world beyond but too afraid to follow the aroma out.

Bonnie meanwhile watched them impassively, suddenly feeling just that; unconcerned. Unfeeling. The observation made him slant a metaphorical brow; his eye lids narrowing on his optics as he was struck clueless by his suddenly unaffected disposition.

He didn't want to go back in there.

He just wanted to run out into the woods and leave this place behind in a spur of the moment; and the temptation was THERE. He knew he'd run out of battery in an hour... that was an absolute, but he would be able to get as far as he can and say he's at least seen SOMETHING of the outside world. He could see and smell and FEEL things he's never had before-

But Freddy standing in the shadows of the plex kept him anchored rigidly in place.

He could never leave his friends.

He blinked slowly, one eye-lid behind the other late to cue up its descent. He ticked his pensive, resigned gaze to Freddy, then back at the seething Vanessa.

Right, she technically asked a question, he suddenly recalled.

"Sight-seein'," Was his lazy response to the woman. "I just wanted to hear the birds better."

"Sight-seeing?" She bristled.

"Yuh."

Vanessa face-palmed; then leveled an exasperated hand at him, "You coulda done that. From inside. The PIZZAPLEX. You don't need to be out HERE! You could get ALL of us in trouble! Don't you understand that?"

He blinked and shrugged. Again, he didn't care.

"You have no sense of self-preservation, do you?" She hissed.

At that, Bonnie produced a cold, ironic chuckle; the noise making both she and the bear jolt. He responded with, "Wha- what was your first clue? No, of course we don't have self-preservation! We were never programmed with it. We're only CURIOUS- and I happened to be curious about the birds. Doncha know any better?" He shrugged so casually, both paws extended outward in a grand show of casual dismissal of any possible repercussions.

Vanessa shook her head yet again, then pinched the flesh between her eyes like she was fighting a migraine. Bonnie's ears caught a strange nuance from her too; his eyes perceiving her pale, almost sickly complexion and her hair in mild disarray outside her ponytail. She truly looked ill, something he's never seen before until she's stepped out into the light. He found himself wanting to feel sorry for her, but his empathy was absent today.

"Just... go back in," She waved behind her. She then ground out through gritted teeth, "Please."

He slowly blinked as a response, then faced Freddy. The poor bear looked worried to death for his best friend; tapping his blue claws repeatedly over and over again-

And then, Bonnie glimpsed yet another face from beyond; one painted deathly white with magenta markings and stark, flowering lilac optics hiding behind the large, golden statue a considerable distance away. Bonnie's eyes missed it easily until his ears picked up the sound of subtler servos from that point.

Chica, he thought with warming affection. Are you and Freddy not curious too? Are you two too afraid to indulge in said curiosity? Will you remain in those shadows even if something happened to me? Will you not join me out here for just one precious moment?

They're too scared.

...But I am not, not anymore.

He sighed, lowered his head dejectedly, then just started to walk back inside to assuage their own discomfort. He ignored Vanessa's scowl, but it was Freddy and Chica's looks of concern that bothered him the most. They were truly frightened for Bonnie when he wasn't concerned for himself; and it was a feeling that was mutual between them. Yes, Bonnie felt nothing for himself, but for them?

They are everything to me in this small world we live in. They are all I'll ever have at the end of the day, he wondered as he felt said dying sun's heat on his back. No one will come to rescue them, to be there for them. No one will ever stand as their defender when they're in need. No one will stand by them when they cry in their rooms except me. No one will hear their tears either and coax them away.

He paused for one more second at the door before going in though; feeling some trace of the wind at his back before he would be ushered inside. Wasn't there a good sign to be observed from this? Wasn't there a charming, uplifting metaphor saying something of the wind being at your back to push you forward? He didn't know; he only had his limited knowledge as a bot to guide him through.

One thing was for sure though; the gentle zephyr felt a friend as well, and it was trying to cheer him on. It guided him not directly into the plex in earnest, but off to the side while remaining at his back. It felt like it wanted to pull him away from here, but was gently rewarding his courage. It mussed his hair affectionately; as if it was greeting him into the world that awaited beyond the looking glass.

It has a way of making you feel alive, he pondered. I hope to feel it again some day- though I don't know if that's realistic.

He felt Freddy grab at him in a way that felt almost needy; the grip borderline shaking. His paws wrapped around Bonnie's right wrist, his vibrant cerulean optics making the rabbit think compulsively of the bright day time sky. He said nothing, only passed him an unreadable, if melancholy expression; and stuck himself to the rabbit's side. There was a small sound from him; one Bonnie knew only from being such a long-time friend was a sad noise. Most anyone else would think it pensive or a mere grunt in affirmation-

No. That weird whir of his voice box intermingling with static and grinding was a whimper.

Chica was heard burbling from afar too; finally coming out from behind the statue to gaze at him directly. She timidly kept flicking to gaze at Bonnie's eyes, and then back at the outside world as if she too wanted to see it but was too afraid to even dare step near it. She met them at the turnstiles leading into the lobby proper, twitchy hands busy as if her buggy system was choosing today to skip over itself quite badly. She shivered as Freddy did; though it was hard to tell if it was from the bad wiring in her or due to her own worry. Perhaps both, he assumed.

The sight of the hen being unable to control her own limbs sometimes and the grip of Freddy's paws on his own reminded Bonnie of just how much he had at stake here; and he knew he couldn't bear to let them down. He couldn't ever run out into the outside world without them at his side. It didn't matter if none of them would ever get far; it was the fact they could all go together that mattered to him the most-

If there was a slim chance they can take that plunge one day, Bonnie would gladly give everything he had for it.

He just needed to get rid of that ghost rabbit first; then he can deal with dreaming of outer worlds later.

---

~Night 2. Time stamp: 12:00 am. Several hours later~

Anxiety had filled him that entire day leading up to this moment- the moment where their little game begins again.

He was bouncing his leg- ready to get rolling. He hadn't bothered with getting himself fully repaired today minus letting Monty finish cleaning him up after their fight last night. Earlier in the day (like MUCH earlier and just after he returned to Rockstar Row from his visit outside in the sun), he let Roxy take a look at him and change out a couple burnt wires. He felt better now; though not by much. Certainly better efficient, but to what end?

He refused human touch in the meantime; as he still didn't know whom to trust yet (or ever again) until he got an idea of the ghost rabbit's identity (although he already had an idea). This new shift in perspective was a strange notion for him, seeing as he'd been programmed to be willing to hug and hold as needed. He's meant to welcome and embrace all who ask for it- it's what he's made for. Rabbits were CUDDLY; and his employers had emphasized this to him.

Sometimes, he'd pick up children and let them fluff his hair. The hair on his head was synthetic, sure, (probably same material as Roxy's), but it made them happy to touch it. The kids would coo at the softness and muss it; then hug his face and legs as he tried marching across the alley with them. They bounced and hang from his arms, chirrup in those high voices, and remind him of the fact his interaction with them was, at the end of the day... limited. He'd grow to love them dearly and fiercely quite fast, but most would slip from his life at closing hours, forever.

And just the passing thought of this had him thinking back on Jeremiah anew.

He gulped air in a strangled, trapped manner; his chest jumping forcibly as his mind went to what the ghost rabbit showed him last night. He hadn't heard from Trisha again- nor had she come back to say anything about her missing boy. Not for the first time, he wondered what was going through that poor woman's head as he considered the fact poor Jeremiah was...

Stop.

Anyways, he doubted she'd been silent about her boy's disappearance. Many parents have come to the PizzaPlex in the past to complain about it in some way or another; and he knew for SURE a missing child was going to be a big deal. The fact the Glamrocks don't seem to know about it (save for himself) proved fishy.

Someone was keeping Jeremiah's disappearance under wraps; that HAD to be it. Otherwise, he'd think Freddy would've heard of it by now. He knew the bear -among others- would adamantly join Bonnie, Monty and Moon in their pursuit of the ghost rabbit. The ENTIRE PizzaPlex would be in lock-down if anyone knew. If the Glamrocks were upset over a single child, they won't perform at all - and by extension- not net the company the money they so desire. That was the irrefutable truth. They'd spend however long they can searching the PizzaPlex from top to bottom trying to find the child or his/her remains.

...Remains.

God. Such a horrible thing to say- but mayhaps the horrible truth in this instance.

He wondered now if Cromwell had his fingers in this dirty pie and what their other superiors withheld from them. If the CEO himself or his assistant was helping to bury this. This was, given this was even true, a HUGE development. It would show more than just the ghost rabbit was to be accounted for as a criminal. She had enablers or accomplices.

That terrified Bonnie so completely, he felt his motor skip like he had a human heart. He wanted to GAG. He even clawed at himself briefly to make sure his neck chassis was still there.

Bonnie would never perform or pick up an instrument again if it meant he could find that child alive. If he could spend the rest of his functional life protecting any other child from harm like that, he'd gladly rewrite himself to the cause completely. He would, no matter what, try to get to the bottom of this- to see if the ghost bunny woman was truly working for herself, or with cover form others.

There was no way Jeremiah's disappearance should be this quiet. His, and the other employees, now that he thought about it.

Sadly, its too bad Bonnie was built to be a musician and not some actual fighting robot that can hold its own- despite how solid he was in construction. He was sturdy and powerful enough to stop a charging bull bare-handed with no sweat and had the technical prowess of a master hacker; but it wasn't enough. He wasn't good enough to last in extended combat- and he had Monty to thank for showing him that first-hand. Now for the first time ever, Bonnie was GLAD Monty and him fought so often. The gator has truly helped him hone his abilities and understand their limits.

As it was, when Freddy found Bonnie earlier that morning, Bonnie had been on the last remaining dregs of his charge; having exhausted his primary and secondary battery from sitting in that one spot for so long. He'd been so distressed and saddened by Jeremiah and this whole ghost rabbit thing that he couldn't find the gumption to move on his own. It was 7 in the morning before anyone found him in the lobby by Glamrock Gifts. So he would've had his ass planted there maybe 3-ish hours- Way too long to go without a charge.

Bonnie wasn't coherent and slurred like a drunk when Freddy hauled him off to his own room in Rockstar Row- he even let Bonnie use his personal recharge station behind his room. And Freddy wouldn't let Bonnie return to his own room down the ways until they sat down together. They sat and talked a while, yes- but Bonnie refused to tell him anything. It hurt to leave his friend in the dark like that, but Bonnie didn't want anyone else in on this. Moon and Monty were beneath circumstances that couldn't be helped.

Bonnie meanwhile, back in the present, was up before the watch and his internal clock struck midnight. He was feeling rejuvenated and much better now- Monty and Roxy jointly had done a fine job repairing him. When Monty helped fit him with the new chassis pieces, he asked if Bonnie needed a replacement for his ear- but he left it torn on purpose. Why?

Just because he kinda thought it looked cool. Badass. It built character, and it wasn't like he wore an earring on it, so why not? It didn't matter more than that. It was such a silly whim too, but it was one of the only luxuries he had. He knew his superiors however will violently beg to differ the next time he saw them-

Not that he cared. He wanted to keep a torn ear for shits and giggles, and by god he will do it.

In the meantime, Bonnie loped out of his room; ears turning towards his friends rooms and ignoring the fact he felt like one of them may be watching him already. He listened for them, then started to toe his way out-

Only for Freddy to open the door to his room and fold his arms like a parent catching their child leaving the house after hours.

"Crap baskets," Bonnie groaned when they locked eyes.

"Crap baskets, indeed," Freddy said, motioning his head into his room. "Get in."

Yeah. For some reason, Bonnie always found it hard to say no to him. And he knew in this instance, he couldn't. So, he hung his head and surrendered. Guess the ghost rabbit had to wait.

He dragged his feet as he slumped in, his ears as low as they can be above his head. He avoided Freddy's eyes as the bear shut the door behind him; releasing a pent-up sigh as he did. The bear then walked over to his couch, seated himself rather primly, and patted a spot on his other side.

Oh boy. Again with this? We've already hashed this out once already today, Bonnie frowned.

Another resigned huff escaped Bonnie as he crept over to the couch; keeping his head low and pulling his shades further over his face so he couldn't look at Freddy directly. The bear was heard chuffing again; the sound rather loud and... sad.

"Talk to me. Please."

And just that, those words and the way he said them had Bonnie gritting his teeth and curling up again. This bear just won't give up, even after being told no a million times today.

His ears flopped so far into his face they almost touched his nose as he slumped. He pulled his feet in, not caring if he got them on the couch. He hugged his knees, making himself look as tiny as possible as he side-eyed the ursine apprehensively. Freddy didn't speak again either; as endlessly patient as Father Time. He waited with a relaxed posture; the opposite of the parental scolding one he had but a moment ago.

Something had to give eventually- and it wouldn't be papa bear.

"I can't," Bonnie said in an intimate murmur, at length. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

How is his voice so quiet now? So comforting? Its warmth was an invasive, pervasive force; it embraced and compelled and prompted comfort even though there may be none to be found. It gave courage where others falter- and it was a beautiful sound within itself. It was no wonder Freddy was the lead singer- his voice had a habit of making people feel at home even if they're in a strange and alien place.

Although, Bonnie wished he can say the same right now.

The rabbit huffed again. And then, "I just can't. I don't want anyone getting into trouble. I don't want you in trouble."

"So you ARE in trouble," Freddy reasonably assumed. An unheard "I knew it" was there.

Bonnie rapidly went to shake his head- but he knew Freddy wasn't going to be fooled by the blunt denial. He saw enough in his bestie to know the signs. Bonnie also just didn't say too; afraid that if he answered ANYTHING directly, he may end up spilling the beans completely by accident. He chuffed and sniffled; unable to gather the strength to look his best friend in the face. How disgraceful was that?

Freddy's jaw was seen mashing and clenching; his approximation of kneading lips he didn't have. He scooted a touch closer to the rabbit- and was emboldened when Bonnie didn't shuffle away. He leaned over, trying to meet his best friend's shaded face. "Is there something I can do to help," he mumbled instead.

Yes. Please. I can't do this. I can't keep this up-

Stop. Stop right there.

He shook his head. How the heck can Bonnie even begin to describe this to him?

Freddy's downtrodden expression was the very thing Bonnie wanted to avoid; his ears sagged heavily, and he too begins to avoid catching eyes if something truly weighed on him. As if he was aware of the fact his lament was a contagious, poisonous force, Freddy arrested his cerulean gaze on the floor; putting his paws together and gently kneading creamy fingers and claws as he contemplated his friend beside him.

"We love you, you know. We love you very much," he mumbled back in an equally as intimate tone. One Bonnie knew could soothe a restless infant a customer couldn't contain (and something he's done before too).

"I know, man," was all the shame-face rabbit can say back.

"I love you, you know."

"I know."

"Chica was asking about you," he gently coaxed.

"I can assume."

"Roxy misses beating you in Merry-Go-Cade."

"Bet she only misses me wearing that Mr. Hippo magnet. I think she took pictures last time," Bonnie attempted to joke off- only to see it fell flat.

Freddy inhaled; his motor a low, gentle thrum in the heavy air. It almost sounded like a heartbeat from where Bonnie sat. Nobody can hear the nuances of their workings; to catch when the motor skips or stalls or when a mechanism can fail inside of someone. Bonnie once caught a heart attack in a human before it came; remembered the signs and symptoms of certain ailments and when someone's about to faint. It was terrifying and strange.

But the sound from Freddy's chest was something comforting and familiar. And when he eventually heaved, his compressor was a deep, warming resonance that almost sounded like real lungs. He continued fiddling with his claws, looking at Bonnie like he wanted to do something but couldn't muster the gumption to do it- that or force it. Whatever it was, Bonnie didn't know what, but he can assume what it may be.

"Let us help, please," the bear now begged.

"I can't."

"I found you hurt this morning. Hurt, and out of it! And Monty was damaged too," Freddy began patiently, but stoutly. His baritone gained speed as he went on, "I went to Monty golf today, and the workers were appalled by the wreck in there! Everyone saw it, Bonnie! They had to replace more than 10 sets of guard rails-" He started ticking them off on his fingers. "-They found claws marks on the decor, the office was raided, and fluid from one of you was in the ball pit! It ALMOST looked like blood to them! They panicked, and I was right along with them!"

Bonnie darted a side-ways stare, but it was brief.

"NONE of your fights have ever been that bad before," he reminded the bassist. "And now, you're literally wearing out your motor! Yeah, do no give me that look! I can SMELL IT, you know! My nose is just as good as Roxy's," Freddy almost snarled- not that he ever would.

Bonnie couldn't stop shaking his head repeatedly, but again, it wasn't going to stop Freddy from barreling on.

"Admit it: Monty was being hacked, wasn't he? And you're dealing with a murderous hacker at that!" Freddy finally (and correctly) assumed. "-And they used Monty to try and deal with you-"

"-'Nuff," Bonnie half-bellowed back, uncurling his legs. He shot the bear another warning look. "I just told ya, man! OVER AND OVER. I literally CAN'T! If I did-"

"-We'd get hurt, I know," Freddy finished for him, his baritone a hardness its never been before. "And you think we're worried about that?"

When did Freddy start speaking in contractions, Bonnie mutely observed but didn't bother to correct. It was fair to say Freddy was just tired of correcting his language at that point, though Bonnie couldn't fully say.

What he COULD say was, "I know you're not worried about getting hurt... but that's just it, my brother bear. We don't CARE about ourselves; just each other-" He waved a blue-painted arm between them. "We were programmed to compensate for the weaknesses of the other; including being concerned for when the other just can't find a fu- flip, to er-"

Freddy narrowed his optics.

"To er... give a..."

"You can swear, can't you."

That wasn't a query; but a statement. Nope, Freddy can't be fooled anymore. He's pretty much figured this whole thing out, and Bonnie didn't even have to explain anything!

"Crappy Easter baskets, man... you make lying impossible," Bonnie sighed.

Freddy chuffed again, though he didn't look the least bit assured. If anything, now he looked more worried. He even garbled "You've been rearranging your personality! ARE YOU OKAY?"

"SHHHHHH! SHUT YER DAMN MOUTH, DUDE! SERIOUSLY," The rabbit literally seized Freddy's muzzle just to keep it glued shut. He let go the next second later, gesturing dramatically to the camera in Freddy's room while keeping his back to it; he did not need the camera catching Bonnie pointing directly to it. While gesturing madly, he was also hissing in-between his teeth, "I'm FINE. I mean it! I'm completely fine. Also, literally learn to lower your voice and x-nay on the snooping-snay. Ya feelin' me?"

Freddy's optics swapped to the camera alarmedly, then back to Bonnie. Apparently he hadn't though about it.

Bonnie was sure it was off... he hadn't heard it turn on. Otherwise, he would've had to hack it by now. There was still no way of telling if it was passively gathering information though; so he wasn't going to risk full disclosure regardless of Freddy's pleas or his being able to figure it out.

Freddy finally grew a braincell and nodded, though his expression retained its worried air. He reached out now; the gesture slow, methodical, and strangely languid in its ascent. His talons gently touched Bonnie's ear; afraid to damage it further even though the rabbit knew it wasn't agitated. "Does it hurt?" He gently queried in a weirdly velveteen grumble.

"N-no... its fine. And before you ask," Bonnie took the outstretched paw and lowered it while keeping his own grip on it. He flexed his talons to squeeze reassuringly, "Everything's running as it should. Monty and Roxy have been good about helping me with any persisting errors or wrecked wiring. The damage to my ear is mostly aesthetic at this point; any possibly damaged sensors haven't lost their ability to pick up sound too, so... its good."

Freddy nodded, then scooted a bit more boldly. Bonnie wasn't sure what was going on in the bear's head right now, but he didn't move anyways, completely trusting him to a fault. The bear knew if he pressed too fast, Bonnie would probably bolt. Its bad enough this conversation may still being recorded by some other means Bonnie may not know about.

Freddy sighed again, freeing his paw of Bonnie's grip and wrapping it around the rabbit's shoulders to lean him in for a side-hug. He rested his heavy head against Bonnie's own; the heated air from his motor ascending from his core to blow across the blue bot's mop-top. Talons scratched reassuringly against his scalp and his heavy limb felt bracing in a way that seemed to help Bonnie's nonexistent nerves.

"Look, my friend. My long-time bestie, my wonderful bunny- my soul brother," his baritone was a wonderful, gravelly thickness that vibrated the air between them as he all but whispered, "I want you to know: I trust you implicitly, and I know you love me just as much as I love you. But if you're struggling and in need of help even though you cannot characteristically ask, I cannot in my right frame of mind ignore it. I will jump in; as you would know. I do not think I can stop myself from otherwise. I will always WANT to be there for you. I WANT to be there at your side every time you do something stupid or crazy. You understand?"

"I... Yes sir."

"Bonnie... DON'T 'Yes sir' me! I'm not your dad."

"You're my lead singer though, and right-hand man. You're like, my kinda boss? Nooo. No no... More like-" Bonnie smirked, though it was feeble. This mushy atmosphere was getting to his head; making Bonnie feel more emotionally liable to say the wrong thing. So he defaulted to humor to slightly take the edge off, "Eh, you know what, you're our boss' pet goldfish he forgot to feed. Still higher than us but like, not by much."

"A-HEM."

"Look, man. I'm just sayin'. You even got the orange color!"

"Don't even start-"

"Believe me, I'm haven't even begun!"

Freddy punched him gently in the shoulder; the contact warm even though their shells were cold surfaces. Bonnie was reminded once again of how much he loved the strange, natural feel of Freddy's weird fuzzy paws. Literally the rest of him was metal, but his paws? The opposite.

Eventually, Bonnie finally felt tempted to uncurl from his outer and inner ball; taking a handkerchief and his shades from his stomach hatch. He used the piece of fabric to rub at his shades (as it was getting filthy inside of him, somehow) and he pondered what else to say. He ambiently fiddled with them as he said, "Look, papa bear. I want you to know; I ain't fightin' with our friends- or Monty. I think its fair to say on that matter, I MIGHT'VE gotten the gator to like me a bit too?"

Freddy blinked. "Wha- oh? Seriously?"

"Yuh? I mean... Monty helped fix me last night, so... he seems kinda eager to just... I dunno. Help? He was talkin' nice for once," Bonnie shrugged. "Anyways... Monty aside... if the er... the hacker-" He whispered that last word to make sure the camera didn't pick it up. "-Wanted to use our friends against me again, I suppose its fair to say that, if it really came down to me or them... I will always chose our friends. You know that." He paused, refused to meet Freddy's eyes, and resumed the cleaning, "-I ain't fighting back against them. Not even to save my own life. I won't kill or maim us in any capacity. What happened with Monty was an accident- and the situation there was fast and... especially messy. Defending myself against him was kinda natural since we've fought so much before, but... I can't fight YOU or Chica..."

He gave Freddy a helpless look, his tenor a lilting rasp as he croaked, "I love you too... ever so much. The idea of putting my talons on you disgusts me in a way I feel like I can equate it with that of an organic, nauseous feeling. And if I really could, I'd tell you everything. Really!"

"I..." Freddy sounded so utterly lost and helpless, but the bear knew if he tried for more details at this point, it would be moot regardless. His head hung heavily. "I... I understand, but..."

You won't be able to stay out of it, I know, Bonnie figured before Freddy can continue. You'll find some way to throw yourself into this if you could.

They were silent for a few minutes after that, uneasy but still strangely content enough to hang onto the other. Freddy leaned back onto Bonnie, and the rabbit polished his shades to perfection just to give his busy talons something to do. He had to stop at some point though; as the pressure he was applying will eventually shatter them.

Freddy eventually breathed, "I... I understand, my long-eared friend. I will not pry anymore- but expect that if I see you in danger, I will intervene-"

"I'd be concerned if you ignored it," Bonnie smirked, though obviously with no humor.

The ursine only huffed there. "Promise me, then-" He jabbed a blue talon at him, "Promise me that when its done and dusted, you will tell me everything!"

"I'll give you every gorey detail, my main man- sad as I am to say that," Bonnie assured.

Freddy closed the distance again, taking the shades from him and wiping them clean for him even though they've BEEN clean. He threw the handkerchief back into Bonnie's open hatch. The rabbit shut it and let Freddy take the glasses; even temporarily putting them on.

Freddy grunted at it, "I just do not get it... How do you always wear these? I cannot see a blasted thing!"

"They help with the stage flash. I ain't got Roxy's eyes but... they're helpful. They're especially nice if you're working with a new set of optics fresh from the factory," Bonnie smiled now with a bit more vigor. "I offered Roxy some pairs but she refused."

"Huh... may have to borrow any spares you have lying around for those particularly BRIGHT shows," Freddy mumbled thoughtfully.

"You're free to take 'em if you need 'em! Just sayin'."

Freddy gently shook his head, smiling his warmest (but still noticeably weak) smile and setting them back onto their owner's proper snout. He gently pushed them into position, then wrapped an arm around Bonnie's shoulder again and mussed his hair. "Think I'll rescind that. I would never take your tacky glasses!"

Bonnie faked having a heart attack as he slapped a paw to his breast and flapped his jaws open in theatrical outrage. "EXCUSE YOU. Those are like, DESIGNER? RUDE!" He also huffed at him, pushing him off and crossing his arms in a childish pout. "Now you sound like Roxy! My GOD. Tacky! The audacity! May our creators have mercy on your COMMANDO sense of style!"

Freddy looked down at himself, then back up at Bonnie. There was a strange lack of shame there- and it was so weird, it FORCED a laugh out of the rabbit. The two just burst out cackling like Chica in a pizza factory; slapping and batting and pushing and laughing some more.

Eventually, Bonnie leaned on him and stayed there for another wonderful couple minutes. Freddy's talons raked through his messy mop-top endlessly; the sensation always rewarding for the blue bunny. The tactile sensors were deliberately placed there to allow him to know a child was touching him and taking advantage of the fact that he's a bunny they can pet. Both child and he enjoyed it. Although it was Freddy in this instance, Bonnie enjoyed the petting. It was silly and obscene, but a peaceful respite.

The bear eventually said, though his claws hadn't stop their errant wandering in his hair, "Please. Please promise me you will be okay?" And while Bonnie couldn't see it, he was eyeing the holes in Bonnie's torn ear. He wore a worried look the entire time.

"I'll promise to try."

He was quiet for a short bit after that, but he eventually conceded with a soft, barely uttered, "...It'll have to do."

Bonnie blinked and stared up at him, huffed, and just let the bear satisfy his desire to pet him for a while. It was good enough, he supposed.

Good enough, until it wasn't, Bonnie would one day say to himself. And all too soon.

---

~Time stamp: 12:40 am. Minutes after leaving Freddy's room~

As if on autopilot, he made his way to the atrium and waited until he was absolutely alone before pulling the fazwatch back out from his chest cavity. He checked the time, looked up at the cameras, then looked at the watch's tiny screen.

He almost beeped her- but she did it first today. Her grotesque image flickered onto the small screen; and a merry wave followed. She waved a chastising finger next, "You're late. You never ask a girl out and leave them hanging, you know. You get DUMPED that way."

"Sorry I kept you waiting! Didn't want the peanut gallery throwing in their two-cents in though."

"So, did you miss me at all?" She made it look like she was checking her nails, though there was none on her fuzzy finger-tips.

"I miss you like I miss a knife in my back," He retorted smartly.

"Be careful for what you wish for. You might just get it," she cooed, fanning a little teasing wave at him. She'd probably wink if her ghoulish eyes were capable of it.

"I hate you."

"I love you too."

Bonnie narrowed his gaze, not really feeling his witty self tonight. "So, you promised me a dance? Maybe I can make up for being late," he asked, even though he knew he would regret doing so.

"Hm... I did, didn't I? I wondered about letting you wait for it though... would make it so much sweeter. But I also thought of the look on your face if I just indulged you tonight instead? That honestly sounds more fun."

He blinked. Wait- seriously? She's planning on coming out tonight? On the SECOND night?

...Is she bored already?

He didn't show that trouble on his face though as he watched her. She seemed to stew on it too, as if to waste his time. She hummed at something else. Then, "Guess what? I got a little game we can play tonight. Since we did a scavenger hunt last night, why not do something a little different here?"

"I'm listening."

"Meet me on the dance floor. I hear the DJ's been cooking up a new sweet beat. I look forward to seeing you bust a move!"

Her image blinked off after that, leaving Bonnie alone with his thoughts. He frowned at the watch and then stowed it away in his stomach hatch. He tucked in his claws into his pelvic chassis as he wandered the atrium; staring forlornly at the direction of the Fazcade. Her asking him to go there could only mean disaster: And if she pulled the same stunt she did the prior night, the employees are going to be cleaning up only pieces of Bonnie across the entirety of the area. Its likely they wouldn't even find all of him.

"Fuck me. Fuck me fuck me fuck me fuck me-" He couldn't help muttering fast as he nervously made his way to what could be his early death.

If he didn't comply, he knew he'd find a dead human in his place the next day over- that, or one of his own friends getting dissembled and thrown into the fizzy faz syrup vats and never being discovered again for the next million years. The idea of either happening had his motor's mechanisms skipping turns like a heart that forgot it had a beat to dance to.

He inhaled, released, and sang to himself to calm back down- his tenor a lulling sound as he briefly indulged his fantasy of wanting to compose something for himself. He muttered parts and phrases of an unfinished song under breath; claws tucked into his chassis and foot tapping here and there as he muttered bits he hoped to make into a working stanza at some point. He hated pretty much everything he was singing though and was immediately vetoing in favor of a new lyric.

He wanted that freedom to be a proper musician- not remain a prop that sang someone else's corny songs. He still hadn't forgotten that. He dreamed to be more than just a kid's entertainment bot. And to do this with his friends one day-? That would be AMAZING.

He wondered however if that would instead remain just that; a dream.

For now though, he had this. He sang under his breath; closing his eyes and picturing the idea of doing this on stage with Freddy at his back and Chica actually joining in for once with a new voice box that WOULDN'T cause havoc. Indulging this fantasy just for himself warmed his circuits a bit. The idea of feeling them against his back and bracing him like that wind did today filled with sails and set his ship to sea.

Dream on, rabbit. Dream on.

All too soon, the elevator opened out into the first floor of the Fazcade; Bonnie muttering to himself as his ears went on high alert. His mouth kept moving; eyes furrowed as he strolled (seemingly) casually out into the area and glanced up at the two-tiered golden statue before him. He, Chica, and Roxy lined the bottom- and Freddy sat at the top like the king of song. Bonnie wasn't the jealous type; he liked seeing his friend up there. It made him feel good. And while Freddy was someone who wanted to share the spotlight, he'd always be a show-stealer without even trying. There's no malice in it though; Bonnie knew that. And it was in Freddy's attempts to bring his buddies into the lime-light that made Bonnie love him all the more.

They would all be lost without that love. And it was a love he wanted to keep alive. It made his world worth living in, no matter how small and painful it was.

"Huh. Think I got something for a song," He said to himself as he went to see if DJ was sleeping in his usual spot-

-Only to find that he wasn't there.

Welp. That's to be expected.

"...I fucking knew it," Bonnie spat as he felt his motor skip again. Now he was especially worried.

His mouthing came to a full stop as he walked onto the dance floor; the smoke screen heavy across the slick surface as he tried to peek into the large tunnel to find the guy. Nothing can be seen of DJ- and that continued to frighten the rabbit as he winced like he got struck and started to back-pedal away from the claustrophobic floor. He was scared shitless already- ears flapping up and down and swiveling at a new record speed and his claws untucked.

He migrated to a more open area; although by 'open', he meant the wide expanse of arcade machines sitting side-to-side along all walls and decor on the east side of the arcade. He can see up to the next floor fairly well; and count all the holes in the walls in which a huge hand can pop out of. Bonnie's ears swiveled in EVERY direction as he tried to catch any sound beyond the annoying chime of the varying cabinets advertising their games to nonexistent patrons. The racket of noise was indeed a smart tactic on this ghost rabbit's part- as it can disguise wherever she and the DJ could be.

Bonnie spat a swear again and walked up the stairs to the next floor. Sometimes he couldn't believe how big this place was; and he wasn't here too often for a reason: Said reason being his little showtime dancing bug. If the DJ hit certain beats in particular, Bonnie and his friends LITERALLY can't stop busting it. And if the ghost rabbit caught him at it...

"What a way to go- death by dancing. I can see it now! At least I can go out in style," He ironically joked to himself, his laughter weak.

His eyes stayed fully erect above his head; but his head tucked into his high collar like a turtle in its shell; him wishing to book it on out of here as he carefully climbed the stairs. He smelled too; although he doubted he can find her cupcake and detergent scent in this place when there's literally the smell of DOZENS of families and their spilled food and drink to contend with. The S.T.A.F.F bots mopped well but the smell of traffic is a permanent fixture in this place- and frankly, the scent of of sugar in fizzy faz never completely went away. So he sang again, head swiveling slowly to whatever movements his ears made.

So he sang in a slightly jazzy way:

"All of this tension~

A wicked and wretched paradigm,

Oh, how it goes unmentioned-

Whether in song or rhyme~

She's a little crooked and even more estranged~

All this ti-ime, my fairy-eyed foe keeps me dancing~

And she, what can I say, is a little bit deranged?

A wonderful crime, all the time, all to keep me waiting~"

Another inhalation, freezing to one spot to listen for her as he muttered more lowly:

"~All of this creepin' feelin'~

And I now know the tr~uth~

Oh, how much you want to keep me reelin'~

To keep my head spinnin'~

You don't know all the comfort you're takin'~

Oh, how it makes me cry~

All the chaos you're makin'~

With all of this, you're going to deny~

Oh, how'd you want to leave me to die!"

He flicked his right ear backward, shutting his eyes to concentrate and filter out what he was hearing. Something different was going on, not that he knew what it was yet. He thought he heard feet, but the sound was as soft as a baby's sigh. He kept on going though, regardless. Was there an audience here?

"I, your ever-so loyal scape-goat~

Your every move ever-so cut-throat~

These are sins of yours, and none of mi~ine!

And yet I walk thine guilty man's path~

And spearhead his supposed cri~imes!

Oh, fairy-eyed daughter of winter's wrath~

I hear the guillotine's sharp rasp~

The singin' and swingin' of their stingin'~

Oh the dying man's crying gasp!

Oh, how it makes me cry~

And with all of this, you're going to deny~"

He turned around, and found her listening on the other side of the room.

"-You're going to deny~ how'd you finally left me to di~eeee."

The ghost rabbit was actually heard clapping; her endless, manic smile a grotesque immortality within itself. She merrily and rapidly clapped, leaning rather casually on the guard rail of the arcade's other side. On the final clap though, her hands smashed together and stayed that way; tucking the palms beneath her cheek like a fan that's ready to swoon.

Bonnie took the moment to eye her in person while he had the chance: Average height and build- definitely female. The outfit was close-fitting and patchy; and looked disgustingly well-used. Some of the patches on her body looked like she had to sew over possible stains and damage. Her scent was still too subtle to get from this distance; but he figured he can almost catch the cupcake scent of her hair.

She eventually broke the silence, "So flattering~! You wrote that for me? You shouldn't have!" She waved a hand at him. "You know, you actually sound GOOD without that bear drowning you out for once. Kinda a no-brainer why you have your own stage though, now that I think about." She tapped a contemplative thumb to her bottom lip there, "Sometimes I wonder why Fazbear Entertainment stems the creativity of their ever-intelligent creations? They don't seem to give the rest of their cast as much attention as they should."

The way she said 'that bear' rankled his wires something fierce. Bonnie almost commented but passed on that. Instead, he brushed passed it- not wanting his irritation to show. "Eh- dunno, but they don't know what they're missin'," He smirked and cheekily winked himself. "So, I was late tonight... Did the song make up for it a teensy bit? Or do I need to write you another lovely poem and make sure to bring flowers this time?"

She moved aforementioned fluffy, padded finger to her chin now and tilted her head as if in contemplation, "I wouldn't mind an encore- but I believe the night's short. Why not get to the dancing part?"

He fought to keep the worry from his face as he hoped to god she wasn't planning on what he figured she'd do. But of course the buck just had to ask for it:

"Bring it on. I got the energy to burn!" he opened his arms outward, as if to embrace her.

He could almost swear he can picture her human face smiling ever wider beneath the ghoulish mask. She waved her fingers in a flirty way, swayed on the spot, then spun dramatically like she was about to pose for a dance-

Then held up her wrist and flashed a fazwatch of her own.

-To which it left Bonnie gulping like aforementioned guilty man.

Another tantalizing wave, then she pressed the button on it.

...

It started slow, at first; a low, humming, rising reverberation that bumped the floor just a little bit. A song was building up from the speakers all over the Fazcade; loud and proud as it could be. Bonnie was flicking his ears in every direction as it happened; the worry starting to show on his face as he realized he'd NEVER be able to hear the DJ coming.

Fuck.

The ghost rabbit meanwhile sashayed around and pirouetted again; raising her hands high and beckoning to him. She wanted him to literally dance- and god damn, it couldn't disgust or frighten him more.

"Why do I have to open my stupid mouth?" Bonnie harrumphed as his programming was ALREADY starting to act up.

And before he knew it, he matched her pose- and he couldn't fight it. His programming DEMANDED he danced. He went into Show Time Mode regardless that he wanted to or not; gritting his teeth when the beat shook the floor lightly enough to have felt as well as heard the beat. That nasty bug was already biting him, and biting him HARD.

He was her puppet, and she didn't even need the strings. He knew he was dead before the song can really start. He can almost see the DJ'S flashing mouth and piano key teeth gleaming in the darkness of all the tunnels in the walls; a white gloved hand punching through darkness and into him-

He really needed to stop letting his imagination run away like that.

"Dance with me!" She giggled from where she stood, clapping once and spinning around on her toes.

The build-up in this song was always a nail-biter in a good way- not that Bonnie was thinking much of the latter right now. One hand was up over his head and his gaze lowered; eyes on his feet as he began to toe out and pivot. The rabbit couldn't help but swear again as the synth wave strummed his circuits with a cruel grip that forced him to synchronize with it. His shades slipped a little down his muzzle; though not by much as he watched his partner dance on the other side of arcade. He gritted his teeth, glowering at her with all the hatred he could muster.

He will not dance to another person's beat anymore. He needed to find a way out of this before she decides to get bored of watching him.

So he went with it for now; even timing some of the moves as the song built and built; then it leveled out with a reverb that had him throwing back his head and throwing another arm over head. His ears swayed and caught certain frequencies others would miss; the every nuance in the beat a finger that plucked woefully and masterfully at his circuit board and wiring. He breathed too; his motor already starting to warm as the overhead lights in the arcade began to dim to just the neon ones lining the walls. The lighting also began to sync with the beat; flaring and flashing at certain intervals and making it hard for him to keep an eye on the ghost rabbit.

And ghost rabbit she is; as on one certain base drop, she just straight vanished. He had no idea where she'd gone, and no way to track her down when he was locked in Show Time Mode. He swore again; desperately clawing at his mind for a solution to this predicament.

He could hack his own software... but that brought repercussions that could ripple into his personality. Not a great solution- especially since he's recently done enough to his own personality to make the others start asking questions already. Any further tampering at this point would put him in very real danger of altering himself to a point beyond recognition forever.

Still... if he didn't do anything soon, DJ will show up and smash him against the walls like a ragdoll! Its bad enough he can't even hear the DJ despite his large frame and loud joints. The music covered all cues for his hearing; and the smells in here were disorienting. The lights were just as bad- and while their flash had no effect on him with his shades on, the darkening of the room wasn't great when one considers he wore said shades all the time.

"Fuck," He spat again as he spun on his feet. "Fuck me. This ain't great. Shit-"

Okay rabbit. Think: What can you control? My programming is even rioting against me right now... I can't escape bugs! What the SHIT. I can't hack or bypass my way out of this one!

She reappeared again; if for a second. On one particular drop and sudden pickup of the song, she'd appeared closer than before; dancing with him and ending her spin with a finger to her mouth as if to shush his sputtering, swearing mouth. And then, just as the music dropped and the lights went to brief darkness, she was gone. She was nearing him, but she was still a good distance away. She surfed like a crazed, half-starved shark looking for easy prey.

And oh, how easy he was right now.

He recalled that their game will end if she catches HIM instead- it was one of the conditions she put down. So he had to think fast; not that he's worried she'd hurt him with her bare human hands. Heck, even whatever weapon she could've had on her wouldn't do too much to him unless she had an animatronic taser. She could shock him repeatedly, but she'd get bored of that pretty fast, no doubt. The point was to not let her tag him- he needed this game to end with him the victor.

He inhaled and scanned his internals; miffed when his motor whined as the song picked up speed and remained that way. He could ping Monty to come but its likely he'd have the programming bug too... so no, Gator Joe is a no-go.

His eyes widened- then he was checking the time... PERFECT. Moon was out and about, by now. Its about 1:00 AM, so he should be prowling nearer to the bowling alley. He'll hear the music and come in. With that said, Bonnie sent an S.O.S to him and prayed to every bot rock god he could that the jester would get here and help somehow- not that he knew how. He deleted the message from his history next; it was all he could do.

Another beat drop- then it just SOARED. The reverb kicked it into high gear with the thundering bass and the pulsating synth-wave prompted Bonnie to move even faster than before- he turned and found himself wishing very desperately he didn't see it but-

There. In one of the tunnels, he saw the flash of white and cold, charcoal eyes. Blocky jaws clicked loudly enough to just barely catch it; and a gloved hand crept forward-

Bonnie thought fast.

He can't fight his bug. He'd just have to move with it instead.

He breathed; hoping he got the air to cool his motor for this next move:

He threw himself back with this rather amazing (if he do say so himself) backflip and drop to the floor; dodging the lunging hand and throwing his hands out to support his weight on the floor. The gloved hand just grazed his ears; but it retracted just as quickly. The DJ vanished into the hole again just as quickly as he appeared.

He heard an "Ooooooh!", as if the bunny woman was impressed. He didn't have to look far to find her either this time; noticing she's now on the same stretch of arcade he was. He was horrified to see she was dancing with a knife- not that he was worried it'd hurt him too much. Unless she lodged it into his motor directly, he doubted it'd do anything. And even then, her average build suggested she wouldn't manage such a feet. She's likely just dancing with it for fun now.

And as he suspected, she was. She raised it and grazed it with gentle, teasing fingers at some intervals; flashing it as a prop. It disappeared from her fingertips once; just to reappear in the opposite hand. She pointed to it, waved at him, then made a motion with it across her own throat to show what will be coming shortly. She even let it slid down her arm in a way he could SWEAR was practiced. Her juggling was almost mesmerizing.

Shit. Why the hell was she that good with a KNIFE? How many long hours had she put into choreographing her movements just to TAUNT her hapless victims? To think she'd practice performing just to torture them with it-

He was glad he didn't have a stomach, or else he'd throw up by now.

By now, his motor was soaring into 'Hot' ranges; and steam billowed from his nose. His body was actually in some mild pain; something most people wouldn't think an animatronic could feel. His joints will need to be recalibrated after tonight- given he doesn't die in the next couple minutes. He was up on his feet again and threw back his head; shoulders back as his claws scoured the air with the intent to rip heaven from its almighty seat.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed she was a bit closer now and dancing again. She seemed to prefer slower, more methodical movements; sometimes relaxed or ballerina-like. She moved with patience and silence; an art in itself, he had to begrudgingly admit.

He meanwhile was matching the rave-like synth beat down: His movements sharper, wilder, and stronger with the nature of his rocker programming. He twisted and lunged about; and staying near him would be considered dangerous during certain transitions.

It happened again-

DJ reached out from a completely different hole this time and lunged; his mighty fist closing around empty air as Bonnie used the drop in song to drop in real life too. He tried matching it; and it helped. He noticed the DJ was already favoring to show during certain sequences in song- perhaps something he can bank on. Bonnie performed a twisted-lime-over-dime (a move he named himself); flipping sideways out of reach and throwing his hands in the air to catch the next fist that came down-

DJ's hand was almost as heavy as Bonnie himself! The catch was damn good though, he had to admit; but his body was already fighting him for control of the situation when the song picked back up and he couldn't move out from under the DJ's almighty fist. The song's thump had him nearly bobbing his head despite the fucked-up situation he was now in. He was literally getting ground into the floor, bracing the Sudan-sized fist like Atlas carrying the weight of the world. He gritted his buck teeth as he held back DJ's raw might; wishing many times over that he had Monty's sheer strength. He couldn't hold this form for long... not with his motor now going into the 'critical' ranges. Steam plumed from his mouth and nostrils and in some areas where there was a breach in his chassis.

Nearby, the bunny woman was dancing, and then jumping up and down and clapping like she was genuinely interested in what's gong on. At least she wasn't bored!

DJ spidered his way out of the hole completely; pressing down with the brunt of his weight even further. Bonnie knew he was going to lose this one in just another few seconds-

And then, like a miracle from on high, the song cut.

DJ jerked his head in confusion; which gave Bonnie that ONE chance to severe their stand-off. He pushed the DJ's hand off and back flipped again out of the way; the arachnid-based musician bringing his secondary pair of arms to a clap where Bonnie once stood. The thunderous noise blasted a wave of air at him; but at least he wasn't thrown back too bad. The rabbit even caught himself at some point; then he rapidly turned to face the bunny woman-

She may not look it, but she was DEFINIETLY worried now. She was within range of Bonnie's lunge; but just lucked out when he missed her due to her own accidental lapse of judgment and improperly place her foot. It twisted a bit beneath her; prompting a grunt of pain from her. She slipped to the floor and ducked safely beneath his claw attack by sheer fluke.

FLUKE!

Bonnie growled; his huge chest a rioting vibration as he then transformed his claw swipe into an elbow-smash instead-

But the woman rolled out of the way and beat it so fast his head literally spun most of the way on his axis to catch her fleeing behind him. Boy, she can RUN!

DJ had recovered by now. His every movement was slow and something Bonnie can anticipate. So, Bonnie dodged around his strikes while his ears focused on the ghost rabbit running away. He swore under his breath, then went to try to disengage the arachnid-

Just for DJ to throw a hand in front of his path to keep break his line of sight from the ghost doe.

"FUCK ME! Seriously, man?" Bonnie spat, turning to face him again.

He jumped over the next strike; then, he put every ounce of his power into his legs he could and leapt clear over DJ and landed behind him. The over-sized bot turned around to get him again-

But Bonnie took the advantage of his incredibly slow turn to duck UNDER him and weave between his legs. DJ couldn't react fast enough as the blue rabbit zipped past him and away. He stomped and skittered in place; but missed every strike. Bonnie slid out from under him like a baseball player sliding to home plate and was on that white-coated bitch like flies on a carcass!

"I FUCKING GOT YOU!" He bellowed.

The woman- whoever she was, audibly gasped when Bonnie seized her left arm with his talons; ripping RIGHT into her shoulder with enough force to nearly break bone. He was no doubt breaking skin; as his recently polished talons dug too easily into her fur and hide.

She cried out; the miserable sound just pathetic enough to startle Bonnie into loosening his grip just a bit and briefly- he hadn't wanted to crush her, but the urgency of the situation had prompted a horrid lapse in his judgement of his grip. He underestimated his own strength when he got her; accidentally harming her to the extent he had. She wrenched free as soon as his talons weakened for that fraction of a second in realization of his error; and it sheared a messy path along her shoulder and down to her elbow. A spray of blood splattered floor and Bonnie's arm as he severed contact with her hurriedly.

She booked it; disappearing down one of the holes DJ's little mini music men used sometimes. She was small enough to just wiggle in; and Bonnie knew he lost her the instant he did.

The DJ returned; and he wasn't free of her thrall YET. Bonnie, while he'd been stupefied by the fact he actually hurt someone -actually actively wounded someone- he hadn't noticed. His ears caught the whir and grind of thin limbs in ball point joints too late; his head slowly turning as he comprehended grimly the DJ'S looming figure standing high over his own. Car-sized fists raised high and came down fast-

He realized dully in just that second that he was going to die tonight after all... unable to stop it from happening-

-Just as a flash of green and yellow stopped it.

"RAH!"

Monty caught the fists and snapped his teeth in effort; jaws grinding into each other from the amount of effort he exerted alone. He then wrapped one of his arms around the DJ'S wrist; spinning with the animatronic when he tried to shake the gator free. Monty pulled and crushed the weak joint instead; snapping the hand off. He then threw it right back at the DJ's face and ROARED in clear threat.

The collision from his own severed limb definitely surprised him- and forced the bot to hastily retreat. The spider-limbed music man sidled cautiously away; holding up his other hands in surrender before disappearing into another tunnel. He took his severed hand with him as he did.

Silence fell; with Bonnie huffing and puffing and falling to his knees as he eyed the human blood on his paw. He only barely comprehended the gator coming to stand beside him; didn't even notice it when Monty knelt down to meet him there. No, he was far too engrossed in the fact that he has drawn blood. Something no Glamrock has ever down before in his recent memory.

He also didn't notice when Moon dropped in and toed his way carefully around him (who he later realized had been the one to shut down the music). The two muttered something- but Bonnie didn't know what. All he knew, was that he'd hurt someone. Actually, actively, went out of his way to HURT them-

And after the initial shock of it wore off a little, he couldn't find himself regretting it.

THAT was the bitch of it.

Where was his REGRET?

His programming dictated that he'd feel something like regret if he ever drew blood! WHERE WAS THAT FEELING NOW?

Have I changed so much of myself that I have accidentally removed my inhibitions? He wondered almost aloud, but did not truly vocalize. Is this the point of no return? Should I be stopping in my altering myself at this point? Was Freddy right to be that worried for me? Did I just fuck myself up and I never knew it?

Just then, he saw a pair of nimble, lithe hands over his own and a handkerchief covered his blood-soaked talons. It seemed to break him from his trance.

Moon gazed onto him, and into him from above. Even though he had no notable expression beyond the jester's masked smile permanently fixed into place, Bonnie could sense something else there. The two kept their gaze for the longest moment too; then the jester stepped away with a bow like he was respecting Bonnie's silent desire to not have anyone near him immediately. He turned silently towards the tunnel the woman disappeared through next; going in after her with a liquid ease that once again distantly fascinated him.

Monty meanwhile harrumphed and took the cue to do the same; moving away but not too far. He broke the terse silence with, "Heya. You doin' okay, rabbit? I mean uh-" His maroon gaze stayed locked onto Bonnie's blood-stained paw with a fascination that contained both equal amounts shock and confusion.

Bonnie's torn ear flicked to him, but then focused onto the tunnel the ghost rabbit and Moon disappeared through. He wondered if the daycare attendant will even get her- but he wasn't so sure. He slumped even more heavily into his kneeling position; ears flopping dangerously in front of his eyes. At some point, he'd lost his shades, not that he knew when.

His unsullied paw went to his head; scratching and combing his mop-top nervously back as he slowly came back to the present. He nodded vaguely; then took the handkerchief Moon had so kindly given him and started toweling his paw clean. He smelled the blood so thickly coat the air; stark and horrendously vibrant, its coppery, metallic tang a cloying sensation that threatened to rest on his tongue too.

He hated that; how their noses can be strong enough to make a smell rich enough to almost be a taste. He was suddenly glad for the first time in his life that their bodies cannot actually reproduce the effect artificially as it could for organics.

On another note: While his sense of smell wasn't advanced enough to identify what could be in the blood, he decided to keep the napkin as evidence. he can still use this to hopefully correctly identify the woman whose doing this. He had actual evidence-

But why did that not feel like a win?

"Yeah... I'm... I'll be good, my man," he finally responded brokenly. "Just... gimme another moment. I needta... needta..."

Monty shrugged, folding his heavy limbs over his wide breast plate. His tail swished lazily behind him as he watched Bonnie clean up, "You gonna use that? I think we got somethin' here. Maybe. Er, probably not."

Bonnie shook his head this time, "We could, but... the authorities won't be able to find or catch her even with a definitive I.D of her blood. She's got this ENTIRE-" He waved his arms around. "-PizzaPlex to hide in. We have two basement layers, an underground concourse that's apparently a decrepit old pizzeria to sift through... plus SEVERAL floors of this ginormous fucking prison to go through, just to find her! She'll be long gone before they even get here. What's worse-"

Bonnie paced around now, holding his bloody wrist like he wanted to cut it off. "I think... I think the staff here might KNOW of her? Or... they tolerate her here. I have reason to believe they are fully aware of the fact we have a child-killer here, and they're just burying the truth. I will stake my life on the fact the cops may not be helpful at all- given they even show. Our superiors will likely lead them away, probably. Just to avoid another stupid LAWSUIT!"

"What- huh? When d'ya even- WHAT?" Monty rapidly shook his head, then threw out a violent, slashing arm as if to cut the bullshit away. "NO FUGGIN' WAY! You really think our managers and shit are mebbe paying off the cops too?"

"...Perhaps. Recall that there's been more than just Jeremiah that's gone missing," Bonnie grimly reminded him.

There was silence from the gator, and then his eyes went to the floor. "...Fuck," he muttered next, as if just now letting this portent sink in.

Bonnie rubbed at his wrist worriedly, still smelling the weirdly thick scent on his limb as he weighed his hunch. He didn't want to say this, but it HAD to be said. Things needed to change.

This game just got more interesting, he thought intrusively.

"We need to catch her. Catch her, and... and maybe," He turned towards Monty, finally getting to his feet and lowering his arm. "-We need to pin her ass to a wall, beat the ever-loving shit out of her, and make sure she never leaves the PizzaPlex at all. Do you not think so?"

Monty looked back up after a minute, and then he was slanting Bonnie would couldn't be more the definition of a crocodilian smile. The agreement was there, and that was all he needed.

Bonnie blinked slowly- his eyes out of sync as he realized what he just said. He held up his paw again, the blood smears still caught in the joints of his fingers despite his use of the handkerchief earlier. He flexed them; then considered how he felt about hurting her.

Bonnie was no killer, but... letting this woman live was someone else's death wish. It was clear now that the staff of this place was far more crooked than the bots have ever given them credit for, and its ultimately killed someone. The ghost doe cannot continue like this.

If this rabbit woman really was Vanessa... and to which, Bonnie had less doubts the more he considered it- she may get bailed out, even if they did somehow get her jailed. These guys, their bosses' BOSS- he was the one who recommended her too, now that he recalled the woman's dossier. Whoever hired her let her come here, even though she had no qualifications or experience. They want her to take chief security officer. They want her to stay here.

She was also the security guard that was supposed to be on duty tonight- and no doubt she would've seen all this on camera. And if she didn't report it, Bonnie would know. The authorities should be on their doorstep within minutes or the coming morning. And if they didn't show up at all, Bonnie would know without a shadow of a DOUBT Vanessa was covering it up too. There was the chance the ghost rabbit could've disabled the cameras... but Vanessa would've come to patrol or investigate it and DEFINETELY notice the loud rave noises from the Fazcade by now. She hadn't appeared, or bothered.

Already, Bonnie had his answer as to who it was. The proof was in the fucked-up reality around them.

He looked at the dirty handkerchief, then balled it in his fist. "I can't let anyone see I hurt someone- even if its with good intention," he hoarsely continued. "I'll get decommissioned for it in a HEART BEAT before we can get her. We need to catch this rabbit woman first-" He turned to Monty, "I need this to disappear. I need to get clean, right now. Or Vanessa, our own chief officer will have me gone before the day's end, come morning."

"Wha- Vanessa? What for? Why?"

"I'll explain. Just help me out here, Monty."

"Well, sure. Let's get 'er done."

Bonnie nodded, then sent a ping towards Moon- to which the jester said he couldn't catch her. When he asked why, she apparently DID have the animatronic taser on her- and it forced him into a restart before he could snag her. She got away for now.

For now.

Bonnie sighed, then let Monty help him out of the arcade. He knew Freddy was going to have a flipping heart attack about what happened here- and no doubt, the bear will try to get himself involved next time-

That, Bonnie certainly didn't look forward to.